The food here was great, but the service not so much. Our server was nice but very slow. Considering we were one of two tables in the entire restaurant we should not have been there for as long as we were. While waiting to order our food for quite awhile I could see our server on their phone behind the bar. Additionally, our server asked us if we wanted more food after we had only ordered an edamame appetizer to split between the five of us. Just an odd question to be asked. Additionally, our food came out lukewarm and one of my friend's food was brought out 20 minutes after the rest of ours. Overall a very weird and off-putting experience. Even though the food was good, I will most likely not be returning due to the poor service. read more

Was really excited to get lunch with my daughter here, looked yummy online. Atmosphere was great love the decor and overall look of place . As for food ... fell extremely short. We got the volcano and the villa sunrise . The both were not cheap yet the lacked sooo much Flavor . Very bland , took 45 to get 2 rolls . Do not come here if have a short lunch break and if you are expecting amazing sushi. Only one waitress, running her but off hosting , taking order , running order out and cleaning tables . A little crazy I would say myself . *** Id like to say that after I did not have the best experience at sequoia , I was really impressed with the owners feedback on what was going wrong that day and his attention to resolve the issue. I will always give my honest opinion and give new business my input so they can learn and change for the better . I will definitely be back in hopes that my next experience is different and keep you updated on how it goes. 2/24/2020 Made it back !! Service was definitely faster this time around . Decent size rolls for sure . Out of all the rolls I've tired . I would say the torched salmon was my favorite very fresh and light but a lot of flavor. The baked scallop roll was good but not high quality scallops, they use tiny baby scallops. Which I feel like they don't taste as good nor as sweet . Overall better experience that last. read more

Sequoia - Torched salmon roll and baked scallop roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Made a reservation for 4 last Friday night. This place has been on my list of places to try for a year; needless to say I was real excited! We arrived for our 7pm reservation and was told they were really busy so it would be a few minutes before our table would be ready. We were seated about 7:15 and told immediately that the kitchen was backed up. No problem, advised the waitress we were a low-key group and we weren't in a rush. Placed our drink orders and ordered 2 apps: seaweed salad and spicy edamame. Our drinks showed up about 20 mins later. They sat long enough that almost all the ice had melted. Given the wait just for drinks, we went ahead and placed an order for 5 sushi rolls and an order of ramen. We also ordered a round of sake for the table. It's now 7:37- no appetizers. Noticing a lot more open tables and no one waiting to be seated At 8:00 we haven't seen appetizers or sake yet. Our first round of drinks are gone. We flag the waitress down and inquire about the sake. She comes back 2 mins later and asks if we want it hot or cold. We advise her that we would like it hot. The restaurant is half full at this point. 8:11 the sake finally arrives, lukewarm. We inquire about the appetizers. Our waitress again says "the Kitchen is really backed up. But I'll check" 8:21 a full hour after ordering the appetizers, the edamame arrives. No seaweed salad- Ask about the seaweed salad. Waitress says she'll "go check". (Spicy edamame has great flavor to it, BTW) 8:25 seaweed salad arrives. It's essentially lettuce with about a tablespoon of seaweed on top. No sesame seeds, no substance. Not worth ordering. 8:30 Sushi arrives. Can't complain about the sushi- it was good. Every roll we ordered, we enjoyed. Vilas Sunrise was probably my favorite. We also tried the flaming volcano, spider and rainbow. 8:40 ramen arrives which we promptly ask for a to-go container. The ramen was pretty good- very earthy taste and smell to it. Look, I get it. I have the utmost patience for restaurant workers, especially right now. They had at least 3 waitresses for essentially 15-18 tables in the restaurant (depending on the size of the group). By 7:45/8, the restaurant was 1/2 full. Our waitress seemed completely uninterested in serving us and we had to wave a hand in the air or loudly say "ma'am!" To get her to look our direction. I got the impression that she had very little experience in that job and wasn't overly fond of having to do it. The kitchen serves sushi, a few appetizers and ramen. To wait an hour for edamame and seaweed salad is unacceptable. Overall the sushi was good but the service is so poor I wouldn't go back. I can get sushi just as good, with better service, elsewhere. read more

Nice spot for happy hour (M-TH only) especially if you're looking to get away from the crowded scene of the Square/State St and want easy street parking. There are about 6 edible specials and 6 wine/specialty cocktail specials and the bar is small but seats about 8-10 folks. Service was quick albeit curt, food flavors were nice and they have a good wine selection. read more

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Is this place closed? (8/11/22) I went at 6pm today (Thursday) and the door was locked. Tables were set but the place was dark and empty. There was nothing posted on the door or online (that I could find) to indicate it shouldn't be open. Tried calling, no one picked up, couldn't leave message. Which is a bummer because I had placed an order on their website. And it took it. read more

My boyfriend and I came in to try their ramen and we were not disappointed! Our first impression of the restaurant was that it was classy and modern with the pretty light fixtures and the windows open out to the street which was a nice touch for the neighborhood. My boyfriend and I were seated by a lovely waitress and immediately served water. We both ordered the lunch special with the sequoia ramen and an order of the sequoia deluxe sushi (I believe that's what it was called). Once our food arrived, we immediately sipped the ramen broth and it was hearty, light and had a nice pork flavor to it as well, you can tell that it has been simmering for a while. The pork in the ramen was delicious! Though I do have to say the egg was a bit of a disappointment because it was just a plain hard boiled egg, but hey! I love eggs in every way! The sushi was good, one thing I didn't really like about the nigiri was that the tuna wasn't as fatty as it usually is when I would go to other restaurants. Overall, I did enjoy the food and experience there, I'll be sure to stop by again! read more

Sequoia - Lunch special and Sequoia deluxe! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I really, really wanted to like Sequoia! But unfortunately, after this experience I won't be returning. My fiancé and I had a dinner reservation here on a Saturday night. When we walked in, the place was entirely empty (the first bad sign). There were several servers chatting with each other at the hostess stand, and not a single one bothered to greet us. After standing there awkwardly for several minutes, we finally approached them and asked to be seated. The servers (who looked to be around our age, early 20s) literally fought over who had to take our table. After this bizarre back and forth, one of them finally sat us at a table. I ordered the Cucumber Collins cocktail, and it was absolutely horrible (and I am definitely not a cocktail snob). It was weirdly lukewarm with the ice almost completely melted, and totally flat. I would be shocked if there was a drop of alcohol in it, as well. Sequoia is the only place in Madison where I've had a bad cocktail! My fiancé and I got the spicy edamame as an appetizer - the flavor was good, but the edamame were also lukewarm, like it had been sitting out for a while. This is strange, considering they were not busy at all. For our main dishes, I got the shrimp tempura roll and my fiancé got the spicy salmon. To my disappointment, they got our order wrong. My roll came with the spicy sauce on it, and my fiancés roll was missing the sauce. It looked like the chef put the sauce on the wrong roll without realizing. We don't like to complain, so my fiancé ate both of them without saying anything, and we then ordered ramen. I got the Sequoia Ramen, and he got the spicy miso. The ramen was ok, but still probably the worst we've have in Madison - and once again, not hot! The interior itself is very cute, which is what drew me to this restaurant in the first place. But unfortunately, the rest of the experience was so bad that I will never go back. To this day my fiance teases me about this experience that happened because I picked a restaurant based on aesthetic alone :) needless to say, lesson learned! If you want sushi or ramen in Madison, go to Red or Morris Ramen. Don't go here! read more

Initially, this dinner was set to be amazing. The decor and overall atmosphere was quaint yet very modern. We were promptly and warmly greeted......but that feeling of an amazing experience ahead quickly diminished. The manager and servers were more interested in entertaining what seemed to be the owner and guests. Our first drinks took about 20 minutes to be served; there were only 5 or 6 other tables at this time with three servers and two bartenders in house. They were amazing, though! Would come back for those: Mango Mojito and Midnight Oasis. Our food came out faster than our drinks...for sushi that is a bit concerning. Our appetizer was the pork gyoza. These had a great sauce but the wraps had freezer burn.... Clearly made ahead and were served to us luke warm. For dinner we order the Unagi Nigiri and 2 house rolls: Spider and Dragon. These were a good size and well plated. No complaints from the rolls. The Unagi has me disappointed. These were a traditional grilled nigiri....served ice cold. Coagulated pre-made fish that was clearly refrigerated or frozen is not worth the $8. We wish the server was more present with us other than the check at the end....could have asked for a hot order of Unagi. Till next time, maybe.... read more

One of the best places in Madison for a nice date night out. Small and beautifully furnished restaurant and an excellent bar. We had excellent service, with two waiters continually making sure everything was going great for my husband and I. I will say hands down they serve the best custom Mule I've ever had. Don't hesitate to order the Wisco-Mule, it's so perfectly balanced and delicious. We ordered the Sequoia Ramen for each of us and a Torched Roll with salmon to share. The sushi was amazing and so fresh, literally melted in your mouth. The broth in the ramen was something I could eat every day and be happy. If you haven't been here yet you're truly missing out on something special. read more

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Nice addition to Monroe St. We went during their soft opening. Ramen and sushi restaurant by the owners of Nam's noodles. Really nice ambiance -- the huge open windows looking out onto Monroe are great. Lots of vegetarian options. Still has Brocach name above the door - don't be fooled. read more

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Being postpartum I hadn't had sushi in over a year so I was very excited to try Sequoia, the new restaurant that replaced Brocach on Monroe. The service was great, ambience is nice, however it just didn't quite make the cut. We tried 4 rolls (3 for 3 people were not enough, portions are smaller than I remember) and only one was truly tasty. Get the Vilas Sunrise. All else (volcano, yellow) lacked flavor and did not keep us reaching for more. Overall it was fine, but not spectacular read more

I had been really excited to try this restaurant, but was disappointed in the service. Our server started off very nice and attentive and we ordered drinks and an app, but things seemed to change once our server realized we were LGBT and on a date. After seeing us hold hands and acting a bit uncomfortable, our server proceeded to ignore us for about an hour, but was taking orders/refilling waters/checking in with the tables right next to us. I have no way to know the reason behind the change in service, so it could have been an odd coincidence, but I am wondering if other people have found this to be queer-friendly establishment? Once we got our waiter's attention and got some food, the rolls were great and the noodles were just alright. Not planning to come back here. Spent nearly 2 hours at the table, most of that time attempting to flag down our server. read more

Absolutely loved our experience at Sequoia. The food was excellent. We got the Torched Tuna Roll, Baked Scallop Roll (half off during happy hour!), and the Shrimp Tempura Roll. Every single one was so good. Definitely go during happy hour - they've got $1 Japanese beers and they are HUGE! It was also my boyfriend's birthday, so we got a free round of beers for the table and a free dessert - matcha cheesecake with chocolate drizzle. Everything was amazing, down to the service and the atmosphere of the restaurant. I'll definitely be returning! read more

I do not eat sushi often, but this place did not disappoint! The sushi was delicious and the service was excellent. I went around 6:30 and the place was pretty empty but overall, good atmosphere. read more

Sequoia - Steamed Veggie Gyoza, Spicy Salmon Roll Sushi, California Roll Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Delicious sushi and ramen. Happy hour special is unreal with $1 Sapporo and Kirin. So happy to have such a good place nearby.

It was our first time trying Sequoia. Love the ambiance. It wasn't too noisy and I appreciate that it's one of the few places you can make a reservation. The pork gyoza and dragon roll were delicious. I didn't care for the spicy shrimp roll at all. I love spice, but the flavor was too overpowering. My husband had the 1843 roll and enjoyed it, but I thought it tasted like bacon. We'll be back, I think I'll just see how they do with a California roll or a veggie roll next time. Our server was also very polite to explain several menu items to us. read more

Overall, very underwhelming dining experience. Our server was friendly, but was very slow to take all of our orders, considering that we were one of two total parties in the restaurant. My food came out first, with my friend's ramen coming out least nearly 20 minutes later -- lukewarm. The sushi rolls were randomly split up onto different plates, so my roll was on the same plate as my friend's at the opposite end the table, making it difficult to eat our meals. Our server never asked us how our food was tasting, and generally did not seem concerned with our level of enjoyment throughout our dining experience. Could see our server sitting on their phone and chit-chatting with their friends while half our food was still missing, or we were waiting to get a check. Despite the decent food, will likely not be returning to Sequoia due to the disappointing service. read more

I ordered takeout from here and unfortunately was not impressed, especially for the price. My sushi didn't taste very fresh and I ordered noodles that were dried out, stuck together, and instead of having a peanut flavor they had a very fishy flavor. The pork buns were the only part of the order that I really liked. Disappointing as I had been wanting to order from here for a while. read more

What a great addition to Monroe St!! We skipped our usual sushi spot to give Sequoia a try. A great atmosphere, we were sat by the windows which allowed for open air dining without the heat. Service was prompt and friendly, the rolls were good. Not a huge menu to choose from, but it is still fairly new. read more

Sequoia - Volcano Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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If you have NEVER had ramen or sushi, this is a safe gateway place before you try the real thing.

Super bummed I didn't enjoy this place. I've been wanting to try for a while and was able to make it for lunch. Positives though, the atmosphere is great, very cozy and would be great for a date night. Service was very friendly and lunch prices are very decent. Their drink menu also look very good. Food was very much "eh." The ramen broth was almost flavorless. I did like the texture of the noodles and the pork was very tasty but minimal. My sushi roll was probably the most disappointing. I got a spicy tuna roll, which I hate to say, tasted like a grocery store roll. It was very cold and the rice was pretty hard. I may come back to try their drinks and maybe a non sushi or ramen dish but with so many other awesome choices in Madison to try, it will not be at the top of my list. This could have been a one off experience but when sushi dinner/lunches are a rare treat; I'm not willing to risk it when there are other great sushi options in the area. read more

First time here was for lunch and I'm glad we did that vs coming in the evening for dinner because of pricing. Got greeted and seated. Ordered the lunch special of two rolls, spicy tuna and shrimp tempura and the Sequia Ramen. There was only another table but felt it took a little longer for the food to come out but not a biggie. Food was presentable except for the spicy tuna, it was bulging and did not taste as expected. The two rolls were either overly stuffed that the seaweed couldn't keep them together or not rolled tight. Personally think the rice for the sushi was missing rice vinegar. The ramen was okay, broth not on par with other ramen place in the area. Might have to go back and try other things but for now 3/5. read more

Sequoia - Lunch Special 2 roll: Spicy Tuna Shrimp Tempura - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Ok this is a 4-star review with a 1-star caveat. If you are gluten-free, 1-star, do not eat here. Anyone else, 5-stars. I came because I saw explicitly written on a menu photo that they have gluten-free options for their ramen. I presumed this meant that they'd be knowledgeable about the rest of their menu. However, they add wheat to their sushi rice so NOTHING else on the menu is gluten-free. They can make some with cucumber wraps instead of rice which is very accommodating, but not what you want. So long story short, I ordered the only dish on the menu they said was gluten-free and got very sick anyways. Side note - cocktails are amazing! read more

Great place for a date. Comfortable, good bar, and good service. Creative sushi rolls. Good menu of both sushi & other foods. Excellent happy hour. Would highly recommend. read more

The atmosphere is nice and our server was great, but we were really disappointed in the food. The bluefin tataki was thick chunks (not the usual slices) loaded with the silver lines that are tough to bite through. It was inedible. (I don't know what these lines are, but good chefs cut around them and dispose of this). Also, the bathroom was filthy. Line of mildew in toilet, layer of dust on everything, months of filth on the toilet base. It was gross. Overall, really disappointed. read more

For what you get, beyond over priced. Sushi was grocery store quality and thats being kind but priced for downtown Miami. Tasted like low quality fish and ingredients. Looked like gas station sushi. Go to Miramoto or Red Sushi. Not here. read more

I am always happy with the food here. I've only ordered takeout and have never dined in, so I can't speak to the actual restaurant. But the sushi is great! The fish is good quality and they have a decent variety of rolls. Also, the prices are very reasonable. I recommend the Wrestling roll. I have nothing but good things to say about the food here. read more

I've only had takeout from here. It was a go-to for me during the pandemic. I have only ordered a couple things, but my favorite is the "Crunchy Volcano"! read more

Sequoia is a gem to the Monroe St. Neighborhood. I was curious to try after previously reviewing the menu and seeing all of the yummy sushi options! I was greeted at the hostess stand by a friendly waitress. She lead me to the bar area while I waited for a friend and promptly asked if I wanted to try any of their signature cocktails. I started off with the mango mojito and was surprised by the perfect amount of sweetness yet tanginess of the drink. I wanted to order another but ended up trying one of the frozen bubble tea drinks, YUM. I ordered the Dragon roll and was impressed by the promptness of my food order. I could taste all of the flavors inside the Dragon roll and would definitely order it again. I was eager to try the ramen but was completely satisfied after the sushi. I am excited to try the ramen next visit! Will definitely be back!! read more

I ordered from here on a whim in the wake of COVID-19 and not being able to dine out and not only were they early with my delivery they left me a sweet note telling me to stay safe! The sushi was also great! Will definitely be going here again! read more

Food & drink were very good, but the service very slow and not very attentive. Possibly due to this place being fairly new at the time. Definitely a great place to go for sushi and much needed in the Monroe St. area. read more

Very, very poor service. 1) Appetizer didn't arrive. When we asked about it, we didn't get an apology. It arrived after the rest of our meal, and they didn't offer to comp it. 2) Server said it wouldn't be a problem to substitute for an ingredient that my wife told her she hates. When the dish arrived, the substitute was there, but so was the thing my wife said she hates. 3) Men's bathroom was out of paper towels. Bathroom decor was a lot closer to hot dog stand quality than one might expect from a place that charges $6 for a cup of tea. And food was just okay, not great. We had a salad that seemed confused--avocado and seaweed salad and cucumber, etc. Nigiri was good. read more

I want to like this place but....it took an hour for our appetizers to arrive and our entres followed 15 minutes later. The management knows they are failing but cannot change this tragic pathway. The Sequoia Ramen is excellent, the pork bun and gyoza way above average. Somebody is cooking up some excellent food but the kitchen mechanics cannot keep up with the partially full house. So if you want some great ramen (not vegetarian) go early. I returned on a Sunday afternoon and was one of three customers in the place. I was promptly served a bowl of excellent Sequoia Ramen. Worth the trip so I'm adding a star to my rating. read more

Visited Sequoia on Sunday night. It was my first time there, and I am ALWAYS jazzed to check out a new sushi place. The restaurant is adorable, and seeing that they kept the GORGEOUS bar from Brocach made me very happy (the bar has likely been there since before Brocach too, I just know it from going there). The restaurant was pretty empty (started filling up a bit as we were leaving). I actually loved the menu for the fact that it is fairly simple. I am obsessed with sushi, and so I find it can be difficult to order from a restaurant that has SO many sushi roll options! I can never make up my mind. Sequoia has all the necessary rolls, and a few concise specials but really doesn't try to throw a bunch of options at you. I ordered the 1843 and the Monrose. I have never had a sashimi roll before (the Monrose is sashimi wrapped in soy paper with avocado on top). It was unique, fresh and delicious. My husband loved the rolls he ordered as well. The Vilas Sunrise roll he got was to freaking die for! Aside from great sushi, they also have a very nice wine list. The service was fantastic as well, our server was very helpful and sweet. The only thing negative I can say (and it's only a partial negative since I don't have all the information,) is that the ala carte sashimi seemed overly expensive compared to the other menu items. The menu doesn't state how many pieces it comes with, but ala carte usually only means one or two. So, not sure about that. Otherwise, I cannot wait to go back! read more

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Great addition to the sushi scene in Madison! Fresh and delicious rolls at reasonable prices, with a good amount of variety. Atmosphere is cozy and great for small groups. Service was very fast, but we were there on a slow evening. So glad they take online reservations. Will happily go back when we're in the mood for sushi or ramen! read more

Excellent food, service, ambience, and atmosphere, And the owner Zack is very accessible and clearly enjoys his work. Overall a great addition to Madison's thriving restaurant scene! read more

Everything about this restaurant is wrong. There's just no art here. The inside is tacky. The service is non-existent. Everything feels fake down to the imitation crab and the pre-fried soft shell crab. This is not what Japanese food is meant to be nor is it what an envisioned restaurant experience should entail. read more

Ordered food through eat street. Was told it would arrive in an hour. Got an update from Eatstreet After 90 minutes saying the food was on its way. 30 minutes later still no food. Got in touch with Eatstreet who said that the restaurant delivers the food. Whatever. Called restaurant and was told my order would take another 30 minutes to fill. I understand the times we're living in so i give folks a lot of slack but this was terrible service. Zero stars read more

Great service and personality and very friendly with amazing quality food. A very good variety of Sake to try if u enjoy a good drink and amazing condensed menu with a decent wait time on food. read more

This is a great addition to the Monroe street restaurants. Their Sequoia Pork Ramen was superb. The sushi was also wonderful. Can't wait to order their sashimi and have the Ramen again. read more