Shiki Sushi was recommended to me by some friends and unfortunately, my wife and I were disappointed with this place and cannot recommend it. The sushi we got from here wasn't good. Simply put, what you get here is cheap-quality, Americanized Pan-Asian fare. Our expectations were lowered when a customer walked in after us and ordered pad Thai and chow fun while we were waiting on our sushi order. That's not to say you can't have good sushi at a place that also serves pad Thai, but more often than not, the sushi at these types of restaurants are run-of-the-mill and average at best. If you're looking for "authentic" high-quality sushi just even solid mid-level sushi, look elsewhere. Another thing that turned us off about Shiki Sushi was their total lack of enforcement of their own posted COVID-19 safety measures. During our visit, the front door had a sign that read: "We are following the mayor's executive order regarding face coverings. Face coverings are required while waiting in the lobby area." Inside, there were two pay stations, each with signs that read: "No face covering. No service." While we waited in the lobby for about 25 minutes for our takeout order, we watched as maskless customer after maskless customer entered the restaurant and the employees didn't bat an eye. There was zero enforcement of their own rules. At the time of our visit and currently, masks are required in the city and county of Durham where Shiki Sushi is located. I understand it's not really the employees' jobs to enforce masks and I don't envy being put in their position. They're trying to make a living and hard-hit restaurants are trying to make money, but what's the point of posting all these signs if you're going to blatantly ignore them? Also, each pay station was only partially covered by plexiglass. They almost might as well not had any plexiglass at all because when employees interacted with customers at these counters, they spoke over the non-plexiglass-covered portions. So, there was no protection for the employees from the maskless customers (in case you didn't know, you wear masks to protect others, not the other way around). I'm sorry, but what a joke. The partial plexiglass and signs with no enforcement are a half-assed attempt which really don't increase the safety of Shiki employees nor their guests. We ordered four items to-go: * Chirashi-Don ($17.95) - 12 pieces of sashimi (3 each of tuna, salmon, red snapper, and white tuna a.k.a escolar), imitation crab, egg (tamago), served over sushi rice * Sushi and Sashimi Deluxe ($25.95) - 5 pieces of nigiri (smoked salmon, eel, albacore, shrimp, and sweet shrimp), and 9 pieces of sashimi (3 each of tuna, salmon, and red snapper), and a Dynamite Spicy roll (tuna, white tuna, yellowtail, scallion, spicy mayo and smelt roe inside; tempura-fried outside; topped with eel sauce and sesame seeds) * Bagel Roll ($12.95) - salmon, cream cheese, and avocado inside; tempura-fried outside; topped with eel sauce and sesame seeds * Scallop Bonsai roll ($14.95) - scallop, salmon, eel and avocado inside; nori (seaweed) outside; topped with eel sauce The roll menu says, "Buy one, get one free sushi available with beverage purchase," but our server offered the BOGO deal to us anyway, which was nice of him. The lesser value of the two rolls is the one that is free (so the Bagel Roll above was free). On all three rolls we received - the Dynamite Spicy, Bagel, and Scallop Bonsai rolls - there was no eel sauce nor sesame seeds as described on the menu. What a letdown. I'm generally not a fan of Americanized sushi rolls that are stuffed with all sorts of ingredients like cream cheese and then fried, but I was willing to give the Bagel Roll a chance since my friend liked it so much. I hate to say I disagree with her. I ate one piece and knew it wasn't for me. The salmon was cooked dry and the roll, as a whole, was dense and bland. I ate another piece, hoping it would taste better, but it didn't. The Dynamite Spicy roll fared better. It wasn't as dry. The Scallop Bonsai roll was decent, but not great. The ingredient quality in the latter was A-OK. I love chirashizushi and Shiki's chirashi-don was quite underwhelming for me. The sushi rice was entirely too warm (hot even), not flavored/seasoned enough, and its texture was off (soggy, mushy). Strangely, a layer of iceberg lettuce separated the sashimi from the rice. The types of fish were very basic (bottom of the barrel), the selection was limited, and the quality was ehh... Also the cuts of fish seemed quite rough (large slabs, instead of more thoughtful slices) and presentation was lacking. The "Sushi and Sashimi Deluxe" was OK at best. There was a bit too much rice on each piece of nigiri and the rice suffered the same problems as the rice in the chirashi-don described above. Also, the piece of snapper was low grade, stringy, and unappetizingly chewy. Yikes. Shiki Sushi has its place, but it's not the type of restaurant for us. read more

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I've visited twice - good experience the first time, not a great experience the 2nd time - so they get the middle of the road 3 stars. Overall the food quality is good, but inconsistent. There doesn't seem to be a standard on rice/fish ratio in the rolls (first time perfect, 2nd time too much rice). The BOGO system is an absolute mess. You think you're getting half price, but really you're not unless everything you order is the same price. I really wish they would just give you honest up front pricing and let you pick what you want. This way you're overpaying for everything - and this place is expensive to start. With so many great sushi places in the triangle, I don't feel like Shiki rises to the level to get me back for a 3rd trip. read more

Great lunch bento box, u pick your items, perfect amount of each. Very fresh sushi. ginger dressing was very good. Enjoyed my lunch. Server Glenn E was superb! read more

I like sushi an incredible dining experience from start to finish. fresh, beautifully crafted sushi that bursts with flavor. Each bite feels like a work of art, and the menu offers a wide variety, catering to both sushi aficionados and newcomers. The service is equally impressive--friendly, attentive, and fast, without ever feeling rushed. Despite the restaurant's popularity, wait times are consistently short, making it perfect for a quick meal or a relaxed evening. The combination of top-notch food, excellent service, and minimal wait time makes this sushi spot a true gem. It's easily one of the best places to satisfy my sushi cravings! read more

Bummed out. I've been eating here for a decade, but we moved a few years ago, so only make it every few months. Celebrating my son's birthday today, and he asked for Shiki. The prices have increased, which fair enough considering food costs right now. However, by also removing the BOGO on specialty rolls, they've effectively more than doubled their roll prices. They aren't worth nearly $20 each. We're out. Save the reply, Van B. This place used to be packed every night. It's nearly empty tonight. Seems it's not working out, and your canned response requesting direct feedback isn't going to fix it. read more

Shiki Sushi - Thursday evening. This place used to be packed regardless of the day. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Everything about this place is inferior to Mr Tokyo, so I have to give it a lower rating rating. We ordered 6 sushi rolls, of which, the very best sushi was at best decent. Nothing was great by any means. Several rolls were very underwhelming or actually pretty bad. The crab rangoons were a pretty decent appetizer, but nothing special. They have an okay selection of beers and wines from the area and beyond which was nice to have. They've reduced their bogo menu to only the not as good rolls, which we stuck to, and this makes Shiki quite expensive. Even sticking with the bogos, our bill was still nearing $100 for two people. I would not return. read more

Once again, another amazing meal from Shiki Sushi. While my brother and sister-in-law had the poke bowls, I opted for sushi rolls: San Francisco roll and NC Sunset. Both awesome, as usual! read more

I want to really thank you all for the great service. The waiter that I was very kind and on point . Glenn really took care of everything. We even had a couple laughs about one of the booths . Please make sure you set with him. I didn't have to ask for anything because he was already ready for what I needed. Made sure food was perfect, drink was full and he checked on me enough were I didn't seemed pressured to leave. The food was great as always. Keep up the great work Glenn you were a truly a good server ! Don't let anyone change that . Just a suggestion : Only thing I ask is for the owner to look at some of the booths . Normally I don't have an issue sitting at them . But today I did I'm on the plus size and this one booth there was not enough room. It made me feel bad like I gained weight well than a couple came in who were on the "thin" side who were struggling to sit there as well . I know you want to make enough room for everyone but if people can sit in that booth then it's a waste of space . Please look into it it's a hassle to move again . read more

Shiki Sushi - Front of restaurant - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Food here was excellent. Throughly enjoyed the green and yellow curry. Was pleasantly surprised at how good their chicken mu shu wraps were. Would highly recommend this place for their food and for large parties. read more

I ordered a shrimp and scallop roll. Halfway through the roll I noticed something gray. It was the shrimp. They hadn't cooked it. How they can hand roll a roll and not notice the shrimp was raw is unconscionable. I spent 5 days in the hospital with very intense treatment and almost died. read more

Food and ambiance is great. I love the spicy garlic fried Korean chicken and the wonton soup is amazing as well.

I often come here every time I visit home and it never disappoints. My mother and I enjoyed a lovely meal at lunch time. Service was great and the food was delicious. They also had 25% off margaritas which was nice. The ambiance is always chill, nice for a date or a gathering with friends. Will definitely be back. read more

Shiki Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I want to start off by says that the experience at this restaurant was a little bit disappointing . The noodles we ordered tasted like mop water, the rice tasted like it was burnt over oiled plastic (Hibachi Chicken Dinner) I have to say that the Bagel **TEMPURA STYLE** was a good choice and it was well prepared. The services was okay but our waiter was very unconcerned of us even on a slower night. The ambiance on the contrary was nice and it's a clean well kept area, perfect for like a date night. I would have to come again to try something different on the menu and possibly change my mind over this restaurant. read more

Shiki Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Having been to Shiki over twenty times in the last decade, I can speak to a number of changes that have been made over the years. The thing that has been frustrating in this last year has been their continued push to increase prices of menu items. It initially started to feel like they were nickel and diming customers when they started charging for extra sauces. Then they began requiring the purchase of a drink to be eligible for the BOGO sushi rolls deal. The BOGO sushi roll deal has been the primary reason why various dining groups have wanted to come back to Shiki Sushi over the years. I've been a fan of their rolls for a long time, even during a period when they struggled with inconsistency of dish quality, so the first few price hikes were acceptable. But, recently in the past month, even with rolls having increased prices another dollar or so, they now are additionally restricting the BOGO deal to being applicable to less than half of their sushi roll selection. This excludes all of my previous favorites! It's really disappointing, because Shiki Sushi seemingly has maintained good business and there's just little to no reason from a profitability/bottom line standpoint that warrants this business decision. I'm sadly probably not going to suggest this long-time standby for new people to the area anymore or for celebration/birthday dinners. read more

STUMBLED into this place after a hot day at work and literally brought four other people back with me the NEXT DAY. So yeah, recommended recommending and will recommend! Impressive menu. Descriptions were so yummy, making it hard to choose, especially with their BOGO special. OMG. Literally could not believe I came upon this place. Rainbow, Crunchy, Manhattan, Yempuras, Calamari, Edamame. So good. The edamame could be better, and the wasabi could be fresher, but the sushi was so good that those didn't matter. The chocolate lava cake with ice cream at the end was HEAVENLY. They are very short staffed currently due to free money and the ones there are so kind and fast. They have such good customer service and attitudes despite being so busy and having to deal with impatient customers. The ambiance was like a fancy restaurant. Definitely a great place to bring a date. Dress code however -- there is none, so it would be all over the place! We came to indulge after the Eno Quarry, so we probably were sticky and smelled like the sushi on our plates . read more

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Before the remodel, before Covid, this used to be one of the top spots in Durham to have a great meal with friends and spot local celebrities. How times have changed! Gone are the buy one/get one fancy sushi rolls, they are asking $18-$19 for a single roll, it used to be $12-14 and you'd get two choices of rolls! $17 for a Philly roll? GTFO! We all know inflation, food costs, and supply chains are a great way to price gauge your customers, but this is ridiculous! Further more the quality of the sushi is sadly now inedible! They switched to a cheaper short grain rice similar to brown rice, which lacks the sticky waxy quality of premium sushi rice. So now your overpriced single rolls not only look bad, but they fall apart as you try to choke them down! Go to Spicy9 in Chapel Hill or M Tempura in Durham instead. Shiki is now Shi*i read more

Came for a late weekday lunch and was immediately seated. I did the buy one get one free sushi roll with purchase of a drink. I ordered the Special Maguro and Dynamite spicy with a Thai tea. The food took about 25 min to come out though the service was friendly. Both sushi rolls were good though the sushi rice was slightly dry. I liked the Special Maguro slightly better though the I loved how the Dynamite Spicy roll was battered and fried on the outside. I thought I might need soy sauce to go with both rolls but both had plenty of sauce and didn't need anything else. This isn't the highest quality sushi place in the area but it a really great place to get decent sushi at a reasonable price. They also have a great ambiance, plenty of seating and are able to have small or bigger groups. read more

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Just C+ sushi and soup. Noting was amazing. The doll pieces were too large and just ok.

The pomegranate lemon drop drink, pork and chicken dumplings, and honey shrimp were delicious. I struggled to finish my meal. The waitress Whitley served our party. She provided great service...It was surprising to see snakes and jewelry on showcase in the front of the restaurant. I'm definitely going to return again soon! read more

This place used to be really good, but sadly it has gone downhill. The ginger dressing is really good, but it is annoying how they nickle and dime you for extra dressing. Note, the large salad comes with two dressings, but I only got one and had to pay for extra. Now on to this BOGO sushi fiasco. This was the ONLY saving grace for Shiki. We put up with the nickle and diming of having to buy beverages to get these rolls, the spotty service, and the rude managers, only for them to blow this up into smithereens. The Wasabi roll, which is still BOGO, does NOT taste the same. It tastes like it was made with cheaper ingredients. The other rolls are okay, but definitely not worth paying full price for. In my opinion, there are better options in this area if you are going to have to pay full price for rolls. We will not be patronizing this establishment again. We watched Shiki grow from a tiny room to a mega-establishment, and they have definitely gotten to be too big for their britches!! read more

I wanted sushi so we dined at this restaurant. This restaurant is located in a shopping center with plenty of parking. We were greeted when we arrived and were seated right away at a booth. Good music was playing in the background as we waited and viewed the menu. The restaurant was spacious and offered a variety of food and drinks. After a few minutes out server came over. She was friendly and attentive. The restaurant had a deal for buy one get one free sushi with the purchase of a drink. We decided to get this deal. We chose the Bagel roll and the Hurricane roll. The bagel roll consisted of salon, cream cheese, avocado and is tempura fried and topped with eel sauce and sesame seeds. The hurricane roll had blue crab, mango salsa, tempura crunch and was topped with shrimp, avocado and Thai chili mayo. The bagel roll was good but nothing spectacular. I would try something different next time. The soda that we got tasted flat and the waitress did bring us out a different kind of soda. The restaurant was not packed but it took a while for our food to be brought out. read more

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I used to live going to Shiki and whenever I was in Durham post-college I would stop by for the BOGO. Unfortunately, the food and service wasn't as good. The red curry was extremely sweet. I informed the waitress and she proceeded to tell me how Thai curry was supposed to taste sweet and that it was different from Indian curry. I explained that I knew what red curry was and what it was supposed to taste like because it wasn't my first time. They did apologize and tried to correct the taste with more curry paste, but it still wasn't good. They ended up removing the curry from the bill. I still think Shiki is good and the staff are trying their best. I just would not recommend the curries. Stick with the sushi, maybe? read more

Shiki Sushi - California on fire and Spider-Man sushi rolls! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Excellent food, large portions and outstanding customer service! Surprised at how large the restaurant is and how smoothly the staff keep things moving read more

We used to love Shiki Sushi as college students, and for well after that. These guys pioneered the now-ubiquitous BOGO sushi back in the day. They have almost ALL the Asian dishes, including Thai curries and poke bowls, so that it was just as much a three course dinner place as it was a "order a boat of sushi" place. We loved it. Our friends loved it. We all loved it. It's got a chic and trendy atmosphere with a bit of glam, and tons of space that surprised you for a strip mall, with loads of parking of course. The wait staff is friendly and the portions are generous. But I'll tell you, the food isn't as good as it used to be. Used to that the plates were carefully prepared, with a variety of flavors, quality cuts of meat, and subtle touches. In our last few trips however, they seem to have resigned themselves to being a "stuff yourself with sushi and fried appetizers" with a mai tai or a "martini" on a Friday night kinda place. The menu looks good, but the curries and plates are now loaded with sugar, the meat is velveted and tough like your hole-in-the-wall Chinese takeout, and my garlic eggplant was breaded (what?!) and swimming in a sugary brown sauce. So it'll scratch your itch, sure. Does it have delicious lettuce wraps and ginger salad? Yep. But it's not as good as it could be. So I stick to the sushi. read more

Mediocre pan Asian BOGO sushi joint. Definitely works in a pinch and with multiple picky eaters as they have all the classics in all the Asian cuisines and they are indeed halfway decent. They also make frequent mistakes in the to go orders e.g. putting a hot tempura sushi roll in the same container as a cold roll. read more

I used to love this place. The sushi is still pretty good but I tried the General Tsos with fried rice and was really disappointed. Almost $20 for chicken in a watery sauce and artificial tasting fried rice. This is normally a go to for me but I would've been better off just ordering a pizza. read more

Shiki Sushi - General Tsos w/ fried rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The tempura shrimp and veggie appetizer plate is flavorful, fresh, and very filling. Shrimp and salmon rolls were decent. 3.8/5. This quick lunch stop has good customer service, booth seating, and free parking. The vibe is casual, there is a full bar and lunch specials include a by-one-get-one for select sushi rolls. read more

Shiki Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This a great restaurant for sushi and other Asian dishes. It is unfortunate that they have limited their BOGO sushi rolls options. Besides sushi rolls I can recommend the Peking duck and the Mongolian beef. read more

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This place isn't like it use to be. I use to absolutely love the sushi, but it hasn't been as great. It's okay. A bit tasteless. They are definitely understaffed though, which may have something to do with it. I didn't get anything from the bar, but I could tell the bartender there was definitely enjoying the customers and overall just had a good customer skills. I would probably go for an entree next time read more

Shiki Sushi - Florida and Wolfpack Rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I would give Shiki Sushi 5 stars if the service had just been a little faster! The food was really good and ambiance was lovely. I liked that they had BOGO rolls (with purchase of a drink). We shared the Rainbow roll (kani crab, avocado, salmon, tuna, white tuna, and red snapper), Sweet Dragon roll (shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, eel, avocado, and eel sauce), and Sumo roll (tuna, white tuna, yellowtail, red snapper, spicy mayo, roe, tempura crumbles, kani crab, and eel sauce). We also wanted to try an oven baked roll so we got the Volcano (kani crab and avocado on the inside, topped with scallops, spicy mayo, sesame seeds, and roe). There was a little too much going on in the Sumo roll so it was our least favorite, but I definitely recommend the other rolls, especially the Sweet Dragon! read more

Shiki Sushi - Beautiful sushi Left to right: Sweet Dragon, Rainbow, Sumo, Volcano - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I want to start off by says that the experience at this restaurant was a little bit disappointing . The noodles we ordered tasted like mop water, the rice tasted like it was burnt over oiled plastic (Hibachi Chicken Dinner) I have to say that the Bagel **TEMPURA STYLE** was a good choice and it was well prepared. The services was okay but our waiter was very unconcerned of us even on a slower night. The ambiance on the contrary was nice and it's a clean well kept area, perfect for like a date night. I would have to come again to try something different on the menu and possibly change my mind over this restaurant. read more

Shiki Sushi - Hibachi Chicken Dinner Bagel **TEMPURA STYLE** - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

A quick stop for lunch! They have buy one get one free sushi. We also tried the hibachi that was good. The white peach sake was good and they gave you plenty. I will be back read more

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We have been here numerous times, and are usually relatively pleased with the food we receive. That said, the last two times we have been we were less than satisfied - this past Sunday night being our worst experience yet. All three members of our party ordered the shiki crunch roll as part of the buy one get one sushi deal, and it was stale, not crunchy, and did not taste fresh (always a big red flag with sushi of course). The service is always just okay, as they seem to be understaffed. That said, the few servers they do have are great, but over worked. We will not be back here, nor to the owners other sushi locations (Tasu). read more

Literally the worst sushi, and strangest ambiance. Our waitress was kind, but it was just super weird vibes and the sushi wasn't fresh :/ it was also empty so we should've taken that as a sign! 1/10 read more

Can't go wrong with Shiki. This place dishes out good solid food at affordable prices. I came here for lunch with coworkers on a weekday. Since the experience was positive I came back here again with the family for a Saturday lunch. We got: Bang bang shrimp - 9.95 Chicken lettuce wraps - 8.95 Chicken pad thai - 13.95 Chicken drunken noodles - 13.95 Crispy sesame chicken - 11.95 You might think 12-14 bucks is pricey for lunch, however the portions were huge. They're basically dinner portions. Also, since we came here for lunch, the pad thai, drunken noodles, and sesame chicken were served with your choice of house salad, miso, or hot n' sour soup. I thoroughly enjoyed the appetizers. Bang bang shrimp and chicken lettuce wraps were bomb diggity. We devoured all of it. Other than the soup being served lukewarm, all the rest of the food was delicious. My favorite had to be the drunken noodles. We got it extra spicy and that made it phenomenal. I'm a drunken noodles fan and there's not many places that do it well. Glad I found out Shiki can dish it out and do it the justice. The sesame chicken was super crispy and was also cooked with white meat instead of the usual dark meat at takeout joints. The pad thai was good, tasted about average to other places. With the large portions we were left with plenty of leftovers to take home. This place is known more for the sushi which I'll have to come back and try one day. The menu stated that sushi is BOGO with the purchase of a drink. The service was fantastic. Our server was very attentive throughout and constantly came to check on us. Overall, great spot to enjoy some good decadent Asian cuisine without breaking the bank. We'll be back again for sure. read more

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Ordered for pickup during lunch. I decided to get the bento...more bang for your buck. I got the general tsao chicken, fried rice and crab sushi. Price wasn't bad but my food wasn't hot. I think it was waiting on me...she said 15 minutes and I arrived in 9. No big deal because everything was tasty! read more

Shiki Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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So, I'm convinced that they did something to my food. When the manager brought it back to the table she hands me the plate and say's 'I hope you enjoy this'. I ate two pieces, against my better judgment and boxed the rest (I'm glad that I did). Before we left the restaurant I had begun to feel...off. I was a bit lightheaded, feeling flush and a bit squeezy. We get home and I'm feeling like I've been drugged! Remember, I only ate two pieces. If I'd eaten the entire roll, I am terrified to think what could have happened to me. This morning I contacted the State Bureau of Investigation and turned the remaining pieces over to them for analysis. I can hardly wait to see what charges will be brought against this lil Asian Bistro. All I wanted was fresh Avocado. read more

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Glenn is absolutely amazing!! He made sure the kitchen got my order right. I even asked for the manager so that I could brag about this wonderful service!! Thank you Glenn!! read more

Usually Shiki Sushi and it's sister restaurant Tasu have really good food. Tonight I had a great experience with the service, our waitress was very attentive, made sure our drinks were full at all times. I ordered the hibachi chicken which is a full entree with veggies lo mien and rice. Unfortunately, tonight I found a piece of plastic that I was chewing my food. I felt it was cutting towards the back of my mouth so when I pulled it out to my surprise was plastic. Although I feel there is some plastic which could've been a smaller piece stuck in my throat, the management staff took this right off for me and the waitress was super understanding. Despite this mishap the food was still really good. I would just recommend looking through your food. UPDATE:1/29/2020 It's been 15 days since my initial review. The company reached out via yelp requesting more information. When I followed up via email there was no response. A few days later, I sent another email following up and have yet to still hear back. It appears due to the lack of a incident report and follow up that this establishment does not care about their customers. Eat with caution, they've unfortunately lost a customer in me. read more

Shiki Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Call it 4.5 only because nothing's perfect. Hadn't been since the renovation but wow! Place look amazing and the food has only gotten better. Friendly staff - they told us they were short staffed, bartender was running his a** off to take care of bar and table seating in the bar, but he was on point all the way around. Sushi was fresh and beautifully prepared. Seaweed salad - how is it 10x better than any other we've had? (Got take-out a week after this visit and it was fantastic!) read more