So this has been our regular spot for quite some time now. I almost don't want to leave a review because I'd love to gatekeep this place. We were customers of Katana ( sister restaurant) for quite a while but the wait times were not pretty. We decided to drive an extra 30 mins to try out Shima and we've never turned back. So it's the same wait list style as Katana but the line moves faster and there's more tables. What I absolutely love is the staff and servers. They truly make us feel right at home from the moment we walk in. We wait our turn like everyone else but the minute we sit down the servers are super attentive. Darling and the team are just the best! The seared spice salmon is to die for!! 7 orders are placed within 30 seconds of being seated. I've tried almost everything on the menu and so far nothing I didn't like. The fish is super fresh and boats have a nice variety. They are super accommodating as we always go with our 3.5 year old. We've taken a lot of friends here with us and to drive 30 mins out of way when Katana is only 10 mins away speaks for itself. read more

The best hole in the wall local spot for sushi! Always prepare for a wait and get the thai donuts! read more

Disappointed that I couldn't eat here because after calling in advance and confirming there was no wait time turned out that I had a 30 minute wait time when arrived 15 minutes later. The place is extremely small and not convenient for larger groups as they only have few big tables that fit up to 6 people. Unfortunately, can't comment on the food as I could not wait but found the situation very upsetting! read more

I love this place!!! I been delaying my review because I don't want people to make it more busy lol. Been here 3 times in a month. Food comes around on boats and you can also order directly. So much fun. Here are some photos to show you the vibes. read more

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Another frequent spot. I come here once a week/biweekly. This place gets slammed with a line out the door right at opening so time yourself well. it is worth it because you get decently priced fresh sushi and other foods and you can be in and out in 30 mins. Always a cool experience to sit boat bar side but you can sit off the tracks and just go up and grab. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - one of their sashimis - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

I was incredibly excited to try this place as I have been wanting to try a place with sushi on a revolving line. The sushi itself was really delicious. It was fresh and you can order whatever you want too. there was a line that we waited about 25 minutes. You have to come in and sign the paper yourself. They call your name. There is only a few places to sit down and they don't call your phone number when it's your turn. the sushi on the revolving line moves pretty fast so that can be a little frustrating. The service was great. Our waitress was wonderful and the people behind the sushi counter were both very nice and helpful. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

This is my second time going to this place and I love this place. I recommend for you to get a table close to the boats with plates of sushi that are going around the restaurant. They charge you per plate that you eat and each plate has different prices. They don't take reservations so you would have to go in person and put down your name. They usually have a long line. The food is delicious but this restaurant is not good for big groups because the space is limited. If you go to this restaurant with a big group you will most likely not sit together and you will be charge a big group fee for it. My favorite sushi roll they have is the special shrimp tempura that has fish eggs on top of the sushi. The service is good but if you stay too long at your table the server will tell you when you have to leave. There is a limit time per table. The parking is free and close to the restaurant. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

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Shima Japanese Restaurant offers one of the most fun and unique dining experiences around! The star of the show is the little river that runs through the center of the sushi bar, with small wooden boats floating by, carrying an endless variety of fresh sushi. You just reach out and grab what looks good and trust me, a lot looks good. The sushi is incredibly fresh and expertly prepared. Each plate was well-balanced, and beautifully presented. The sushi is top tier for a strip mall location in Hialeah. The chefs behind the counter were constantly replenishing the boats with new selections, so there was always something different floating by. The atmosphere is lively and there's usually a wait, but it moves quickly. Perfect for date night or a fun dinner with friends. The staff is always warm and welcoming, and happy to explain how everything works for first-timers. This is my favorite local gem, a few min from Home. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

I've been here about three times now, and I'm absolutely in love with their sushi. It's honestly worth the drive from Cutler Bay to Hialeah just to eat here. I haven't had a single dish I didn't enjoy--the food is consistently fresh and delicious, and the prices are very reasonable. The only downsides are that they have limited hours and the place fills up quickly. It's a small restaurant, and if you want to sit around the conveyor belt (which is part of the fun), I highly recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before opening so you can be one of the first in line. Other than that, don't overthink it--just go try it out. read more

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Me and my family have visited this sushi spot. My sister in law and brother in law are regulars here. Our servers name was Sandra which she was very attentive and professional. On the other hand there is a server named Cassandra that was very rude and was telling us that we only have 10 mins. She projected in a rude way and told us to look at the signage. The concept of the restaurant is pretty cool they have boats and they place plates of sushi and other food on. The table has a QR Code for the menu or you can ask for a physical menu. The restroom needs an upgrade and it was dirty. If you check this restaurant note that you may have to wait. We waited for about 30 minutes and you have to place your name on a clipboard with the number of people in your party and if you want to sit next to the boats. Overall the experience was good but could have been better. read more

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I think this might be the only restaurant i'm an actual regular at. The food is delicious, the servers are very attentive and kind, even though they are constantly busy!! I definitely recommend waiting a little extra to sit by the boats :), but don't over stay your welcome haha be mindful and they only allow 75 minute seating anyway. The fish is so so fresh and everything comes out super quick. Simple little gem in hialeah, and my new favorite restaurant!! salmon sashimi is soooo buttery it melts in your mouth, we usually get like 7 orders and they're super affordable for how much is actually served !! read more

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We recently dined at Shima Sushi, and it was such a fun experience. Shima is best known for its sushi boats, which make for both a delicious and lively meal. We started with a few items off the menu -- gyoza (which amusingly also popped up later on one of the boats), the Cleopatra Roll, and the Jack Roll. Everything was fresh and flavorful. When it comes to the boats, my recommendation is to focus on the freshly prepared items (skip anything wrapped in plastic). We enjoyed an impressive variety, including hot and sour chicken, tuna rolls, tempura shrimp, and more. Highly recommend... but also don't, because this neighborhood gem is one of Miami's best-kept secrets. read more

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I really enjoyed the food at Shima's. Everything was fresh and flavorful, and the sushi conveyor belt makes the whole experience fun and unique. It's definitely a cool spot if you love trying different rolls and small plates. The only downside for me was the service. The wait to sit around the sushi bar was extremely long. Also, while not all, most of the servers didn't seem like they enjoyed working there. There wasn't much smiling or charisma, and the overall vibe felt a bit burnt out or indifferent. At one point, a server allowed someone they were acquainted with to cut in front of the line to be sat, which was disappointing to see after waiting so long. Aside from the service issues, the food itself was very enjoyable. If the hospitality matched the quality of the sushi, this place would easily be a top-tier experience. read more

Cool concept but their quality was not great, Tokyo Tuna is way better! If they improve the quality I would go back. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Dinner for two people wasn't cheap - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

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The food was mid, overly priced, I went with my girlfriend and my two friends, we split the check, there is no service at this restaurant you grab the food yourself, my friends paid their own bill and left no tip, then I paid my bill, they included a 20% "large party fee" on mine and didn't include it on theirs, when I asked the waiter why it was included on mine and not theirs she said it's because my friends didn't include a tip and she decided to place that fee on me, she said that if the customers tip she doesn't add the fee, but if you don't tip then you get the fee. She had a nasty look on her face from the beginning, everyone else seemed nice it was just her. When we first entered the restaurant to sign onto the waitlist she said with a nasty attitude to move aside so the other customers can get through. Overall bad experience , no real customer service and super overpriced. read more

Went the night before Valentine's Day to celebrate early with my fiancée. It's a small restaurant and popular, so of course there was a wait. But we waited around 30 minutes to be seated right by the boats. The concept of just grabbing the sushi off the boats as they sail by is so fun. The sushi is fresh and always getting replenished by the chefs. Our favorites are the Blanca roll, Alaskan roll and sexy tuna sashimi. The service is also on point. Would definitely recommend for your next date night. read more

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Nice and homey environment, great staff and homeboy making drinks was nice too. Loved the food and their pork katsu was a great definitely going back soon read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Pork kastu curry udon - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

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I would give 5 stars to this place because I love the concept of the little boat, the food is good and the prices are great. But the wait.... I have to come at least a day in advance just kidding at least an hour before and park in the front and make sure to be in line before 6 because the largest line forms outside. Wish the place was bigger and that they opened more regular hours so that the line doesn't build up like that. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Yummy fried donuts - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

Everything was soooooooo good! We opted to sit at a table next to the food boats that go by and just grabbed plates we liked. Sorry for the terrible photos but I devoured all our own food and snapped some pics of the food going by. We will definitely be back here! read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Tuna sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

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Such a fun place. Sushi floats by your table on tiny boats and you grab the plates off of the boats. Every dish was better than the next. Rolls, gyoza, shrimp on a stick. Dragon rolls, seaweed Salad calamari. It's amazing. Prices are very reasonable. Food is excellent as is the quality of the food. Service is also. They are very attentive. Very chill laid back vibe. read more

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Loved my experience at Shima! The food was fresh, service was friendly and fast.Hidden gem in Hialeah, will be back! #platetower read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

My favorite sushi restaurant to visit in Miami! I love the little river with boats instead of a conveyer belt. The sushi is fire, of course! But they have plenty of other things besides sushi. They have other little things that come out on the boats, but you can also order from the menu, and everyone working there is always quick to take an order and deliver the food! Phenomenal restaurant, 100% recommend to anyone passing through Miami beach! A few things to note, you have 75 minutes to sit and eat, because, wow, that place is busy! Also, be sure to go by early and write your name on the wait list outside, and it ensures your spot after they open. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Sushi River - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

I ordered off the menu. The sushi box and rolls were great! Service from the various wait staff was excellent and efficient.

An hidden gem in Hialeah, this conveyer-belt sushi spot is a great place to enjoy high quality sushi and sashimi. The conveyer belt is a nice touch as the plates sitting on boats floating by which adds some great ambiance to the experience. I would definitely order off the menu as there is great variety of high quality sushi and sashimi. This place is pretty popular so expect to wait 20-40 minutes, but worth the wait! read more

Used to come to Shima often a few years ago and loved it. However, recently went again and it's not as good as before. Solid spot if you're in the Miami lakes area and craving some sushi but nowhere near the best. With the price increases it isn't as good of a value anymore. Not bad but not great either. One thing is consistent though, a very friendly staff and nice ambiance. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

Service was terrible, got my drinks after we started eating (20 minutes later). The food was very expensive and it wasn't even good at all. The restauarant is very small and very dirty. The ambiance is nice but not worth coming here at all. Highly do not recommend to anyone. We also got asked to leave immediately after paying which isn't how you treat customers. read more

Service was absolutely awful. Waitress off the bat was very condescending and making off putting jokes about us being slow when we got called off list. Might I suggest gaining some confidence and speaking up when you call peoples name. Sushi was OK, prices are ridiculous for the 4 pieces of sushi you are getting per plate. BUT the worst of it all, you pay, and you are rushed to get out. One of the waitresses said, and i quote, "guys if you don't need anything else, please, we have a very long line outside". I have NEVER experienced this coming from a restaurant. I don't give a damn if you have a line going down the street. I have paid a good amount of money, I will leave when i'm done. Either add more tables or expand your damn business. This place is not getting another dollar from me and it shouldn't get yours either. What a shit place. read more

Cozy spot. And i'm a sucker for restaurants with the sushi boats floating on the river. Food quality has definitely improved recently, which is so great to experience. However, the food still is not amazing. This place does not WOW, but it's consistently decent. The service is always friendly and efficient, and there's always someone that remembers my husband, as he's been coming here since he was in high school. read more

Started with a Rainbow Roll and it was fabulous. Had bread pudding and is was so delicious with ice cream on top. Very happy with the food I have tried. Never had better. read more

We moved away for a few years so we had not been here since pre-pandemic days. It felt so good to be back. Shima is a place you come with time, patience. You will have to wait to be seated. And when you are seated, anything you grab from the boats, or order from the menu will be fresh and delicious. It is busy, bursting with sounds of conversations, laughter. The sounds of people enjoying the moment, company, and food. I'm so glad to live 10 minutes away now. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Mini Yakisoba - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

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Such a lovely low key place with rotation of boats and fresh sushi around the board. The service was great Nate is always helpful with the qr menu and bring drinks. The place is a small but full of memories, and soul that it makes you feel right in Japan. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Love love love - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

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Small but definitely worth the wait. The sushi tastes so fresh and the cooked food has great flavor. It's fun to grab the plates off the boats but it's also nice that they give you the option to order rolls directly from the staff. The quality, price and taste was ideal. read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Dumpling - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

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Shima is a MAIN staple in the hialeah/miami lakes area. I mean they open at 6 pm and have a line before opening, that alone should say enough! People line up just to have sushi on little boats because it truly is delicious AND affordable! how can you go wrong with delicious and affordable- you can't! i wish i had more pictures to post but everytime i come here im starving and too excited to eat that i don't have time to take pictures ! ill forever be a loyal customer at Shima as it'll remain one of my favorite sushi spots forever! thank you Shima! read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

Shima is Katana's sister spot, and you can tell right away. The fish is just as fresh, but the menu is a little different -- more cooked options, fewer raw standouts. No toro and no shiso leaves, which was a bit of a letdown for me. The upside is the wait isn't nearly as long, and the space is bigger with more seating, so it's easier to come with a group. Service was fine, nothing over the top. read more

Been to Shima around 5 times now at different times of the evening and year and have found nothing but delicious fresh sushi every single time. The most I've waited for a table near the boats is 20 minutes, not sure if I've just been lucky. The salmon nigiri with mayo and thinly sliced onions is my personal slice of heaven. Incredibly fresh, sweet, salty, umami flavor. Every other roll I've tried is exceptional. My only complaint is overuse of sweet & sour sauce on the rolls the swim past. Not my favorite so I skip those when they go by. I feel like the ruggedness of the place keeps away the typical "Miami crowds" looking for an instagramable party spot. Which is a huge plus for locals. I definitely go out of my way to visit. read more

Delicious, Fresh & Fun is how I can sum up Shima. I've had Shima on my radar for a bit now as I heard they were the sister restaurant to Katana on the beach. And if you know me, you'll know I'd rather stick a needle in my eye than visit Miami Beach. So I took advantage that I was in the area and decided to stop by for a quick dinner with the wife. Parking was super easy as it was in a strip mall. It was a Monday night and although I heard the wait is sometimes long we were fortunate to only wait 10 minutes. I quickly ordered a Sapporo because when in Rome and I was pleasantly surprised by the 20oz bottle. As I sat there looking at all the boats full of delicious options I felt like a kid in a candy store. They had a wide variety of rolls, nigiri, sashimi, tempura etc. It was more about what didn't I want to try. I wont go into detail describing every single thing we tried but I will say our top items were the shrimp lollipops, the takoyaki, the tuna sashimi and the tuna nigiri. With honorable mention to a tuna roll with sweet chili sauce. There was nothing we tried that disappointed us. Everything was super fresh. I mean it was a Monday night and the restaurant was full. Which to me that's not only a great sign in general but specifically for a Japanese restaurant because it normally means the freshest of ingredients. It was not only entertaining to watch all the boats go by and trying to decide what next but it was also exciting watching the chef prepare the dishes right in front of you. The atmosphere was very laid back and chill. They charge by the plate and the plate colors determine the price. My only complaint is that I didn't have room for dessert. But that's a problem simply solved by another visit. Which is definitely happening sooner rather than later. Highly recommend traveling to Hialeah to try Shima. read more

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I love this place. It's a small, family-owned restaurant with kind, caring, passionate employees and the FOOD is superb. Ask what's good and they won't steer you wrong, as they ask you a few questions about what you like and don't, and about allergies. It's only open from 6pm to midnight and expect to wait, if you decide to go at peak dining hours. You will GLADLY wait as long as they ask, once you've tried it. You'll become a "regular". Like me. If you want the freshest of the fresh, go 30 minutes before they open (before 5:30pm) and you'll be among the first to sit down. Expect a line, yes, even at that time. SOOOOOO worth it. YES, they have boats floating around the restaurant, in water. Yes, see attached video. read more

When it comes to sushi Shima is my go to. The sushi boat experiences are always pleasurable being able to get what you want and enjoy. The sushi itself is always fresh, super tasty and available with various fish options! Of course the staff is super friendly and if you have any requests for items that aren't revolving in the boats you're more than free to order! Inside the ambiance is great, the semi dim lighting, the knee style sitting tables in the front, and the cute boats used for the sushi boats makes it a must come back eatery! read more

This place is fantastic! The food is fresh and made in front of you. You can also order from the menu but they have so many options on the boats there is no need to order from it. Wait is a little long so i suggest to go knowing wait can sometimes be over an hour. I try to also go around 10pm where is not as bad. Overall the place is amazing. I go at least twice a month and not a bad experience until now. read more

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This place was sooo much fun!!! I came here with my husband and loved it!! I had no idea hialeah had a conveyor belt sushi restaurant and so glad I found it because I will be coming back!!! The sushi here was very good. I recommend this place for mostly raw sushi. Unfortunately I was pregnant at the time and couldn't eat a lot of the rolls but my husband loved all the raw fish and sashimi. I need to go back when I'm not pregnant anymore!! read more

Shima Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Hialeah, Florida

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