This place is always crowded but time passes quickly. The menu was extensive with many good choices. The shrimp tempura udon was delicious. I really liked the broth because it was light yet flavorful. The tuna and avocado roll was great too. A good ratio of fish to rice. Service was attentive and even asked to split the check without us requesting. read more

Sonobana - Tempura udon Maya Roll Tuna and Avocado - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This used to be one of my favorite sushi restaurants in all of Nashville. For the value, it had some of the best rolls and boats in town. Been coming here for 4+ years multiple times a month, primarily for takeout. I'm not sure what happened but the last two times I've eaten here, I've gotten sick after. The first time I chalked it up to coincidence thinking it had to be something else. But last time I ate here I got a chirashi. You could taste something off with some of the sashimi. Only ended up taking a few bites and tossing the rest. I can't bear to give this a low rating from the years of good service and great food but the sushi lately just has not been fresh at all. Hoping they turn it around. read more

I've been meaning to try Sonobana for so long and I finally had the opportunity today. And let me tell you, they have some stellar nigiri! The salmon and tuna are about as pure as you'll find in Nashville. And the unagi (eel) is stupendous, perhaps a bit salty but amazing, nonetheless! The shrimp nigiri is very good as well. And thankfully, unlike many restaurants, the accompanying pickled ginger is incredibly plentiful! So pile it on! The rice is perfectly sticky, and I highly recommend Sonobana's nigiri! You can also go to their small market next door and buy Japanese groceries, even sushi grade fish! read more

Sonobana - Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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If you're looking for truly fresh sushi in Nashville, Sonobana is the hidden gem you've been searching for. The manager told me he's been there for 27 years, and you can tell this place is built on pride and tradition--the owner personally picks up the fish from the airport and breaks it down in-house. After living in Nashville for four years and trying all the flashy new downtown sushi spots, this is by far the best combination of quality and price I've found. I ordered my usual test lineup--yellowtail, salmon, and salmon belly nigiri with a shrimp tempura roll--and everything was fresh, clean-tasting, and perfectly cured with no fishiness. The menu is traditional and no-frills (no seared fish or jalapeños here), but that just adds to its authenticity. Most rolls are under $10, which is rare for this level of quality. There's also a charming Japanese market attached to the restaurant. It's clear why there's always a line and why this spot has been a West End staple for decades. Highly recommend--five stars. read more

Sonobana - Yellowtail, Salmon, Salmon Belly, Shrimp Tempura Roll - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Sonobona has been a long time staple as my favorite good priced sushi restaurant in the town. The fatty tuna nigiri is unbeatable for the price. For $6 a piece you will not find a better roll. The scallop roll was incredible too for the price. I wish I had pictures of our appetizers as well but I was so happy to eat I forgot. My friend got the cherry bomb roll and it was absolutely stellar. My rolls were not my favorite but I branched out and tried some new ones from my typical. The crawfish roll is incredibly good and a must have as well. Service is to be expected from family style restaurant. Very casual vibe. Anyone who likes sushi and GREAT priced sushi should be a regular here. read more

So fresh and such a good price! Amazing sushi and appetizers. Love the market next door too! read more

Sonobana - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Went for sushi rolls and was pleasantly impressed with how busy it was. This made me assume the rolls would be great but I've had better rolls for around the same price. The fish wasn't the freshest and the rolls were on the smaller side. The JJ roll was pretty good but the basic tuna rolls were not the best. We also received a dirty water glass with lipstick stains that was replaced when we told our waiter about it. read more

Sonobana - JJ Roll - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

The sushi here is not special and for the price I paid for such a small quantity and subpar quality, it's not worth it in my opinion. The meal wasn't filling nor satisfying. The spicy tuna hand roll was close to $9. It was my first time seeing asparagus in sushi. Just stick to the cucumber please. The sweet shrimp was unique, and it had hints of wasabi. The rest of the fish were okay, nothing memorable. The service was good and all, but I had higher expectations for the food. read more

Sonobana - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I've been going here since early 2000s and my husband introduced it to me as his family staple sushi spot since the early 90s. It is family oriented, service is always friendly (feels like "Cheers"), consistently fresh sushi and I dare say the best sushi in Nashville. Their prices have been some of the lowest in the city but the quality has not declined. Again quality is consistent for all these years. Their recent renovations are beautiful, modern and don't take a way from the history of this place. I Highly recommend them to all of my friends. Even though we moved from the area we still come back whenever we can because there is no place like it. read more

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Really blown away by Sonobana. I was recommended to go here because of the authenticity and recently going to Japan I felt like it would be difficult to get that feeling anywhere in TN. They've nailed this place and I can't wait to go back. There is a reason it's tougher to get into this place and seem to always be busy. Food was fresh and properly prepared. They put a ton of effort into their food here. Sushi is pretty good too. read more

Sonobana - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Please note that they changed their hours and are only open until 2:00 p.m. for lunch. Must be seated by 1:45 p.m. their sushi is fresh and their steak. Teriyaki was delicious. We will be back! read more

Great food and great service! I loved all three of my roll, but especially the fresh salmon and Rosie because I'm simple and just love fresh raw salmon. Our server, Aya, was delightful and went above and beyond. Can't wait to go back! read more

Sonobana - Rosie roll, Nashville roll, fresh salmon roll - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This is definitely one of my new go-to sushi spots! I got three different rolls, and I loved their salmon and tuna rolls! The mistake roll kind of tastes like the name, but I think that was up to personal preference. I definitely want to try more of their speciality rolls in the future! The real star of the show was our waitress Aya who was so kind! She checked in on us, and made sure we were well taken care of while waiting for our rolls to come out (the kitchen was a little behind which was a stressful moment for the servers with several customers waiting). Can't wait to come back and try other rolls! read more

Sonobana - Mistake roll - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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I've been here a number of times, but first since the renovations. I keep going back because this is probably my favorite Japanese place in the whole area. The new interior is now as great as their food. Had a large group so we were in their new private room, super nice with a huge long table for 16 people. Food was delicious as always. Service was fast and kept cranking out the food for us. Will continue to frequent this great establishment. read more

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There is a long wait to be seated, but the delicious food and friendly service makes it worth eating here. The tempura and sushi are some of the best I've had outside of Los Angeles. IYKYK read more

Sonobana is and will continue to be my favorite place to get sushi in Nashville. As someone who loves sushi and is allergic to avocados, this is a great place to go. They are always careful and I have never once had an issue. This time I got the Blake roll, Tempura dinner, and the fried cheesecake. The Blake roll was good, although I like sushi without cream cheese better. Tempura dinner is one of my go tos and always very yum. The fried cheesecake was a new one for me. It was good although I'd say I prefer regular cheesecake to the fried version. Also the little soy sauce pot that was at the table was made by the owner! Incredible! Finally, our server was wonderful. We probably bothered him a little too much with jokes (not about him obviously), but he was very sweet about it. Sonobana has a large parking lot in the front which is always easy to park in read more

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A decent option for sushi in Nashville. Pretty extensive sushi menu but kind of some strange combos. The spicy salmon and crunchy shrimp were my favorites (although the spicy salmon weirdly came with asparagus?). The broiled salmon skin was probably my least favorite. Service was great though and it's still a good option when craving sushi in Nashville! read more

Sonobana - Lots of sushi! - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Tried this spot for lunch and it did not disappoint. Had the Yakiniku (sautéed beef) lunch portion which was tasty and ample portion. Also had the Crawfish roll which was good also. Def recommend. read more

Sonobana - Yakiniku (sautéed beef) was good and ample portion for the lunch menu. - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Reviews are overhyping this place. The sushi rolls here are a solid 3/5 at best. The flavors and textures are very 'meh'. The pork katsu was so dry and overcooked. The sweet shrimp nigiri and scallop with smelt roe & mayo were delicious and my favorite part of the order. For a nearly $80 order, I hoped for better quality sushi rolls and pork that was not overcooked. read more

Sonobana - Spider Roll, Pork cutlet bowl, temporary roll, Eel Roll, Scallop with smelt roe & mayo - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This is far by the best Japanese sushi restaurant in middle TN. Everything is fresh and tastes fantastic. Service is top-notch. The prices are very reasonable for sushi in this area. The biggest issue and complaint I have with Sonobana is the restaurant is small and does not have enough seating to service everyone that wants to eat at the restaurant. read more

I was a bit underwhelmed after my first meal at Sonobana. Partly this may just be the result of inflated expectations due to the high praise they earn-- a top Nashville sushi recommendation on Yelp, Google, Reddit and often word of mouth. And some of my disappointment might also be on me-- I scheduled a lunch with a few colleagues for a Friday and we arranged to meet here at 1 pm. I didn't make a reservation--not thinking one for a weekday lunch in this part of town would be necessary--and I didn't check to see that they close between lunch and dinner (2:00-4:30). As a result, when we arrived at 1 and they were fairly full I asked for a table for 3 and was told it would be a 15-20 minute wait (absolutely no problem) but that also we were being seated "right before the cutoff" so we needed to know what we wanted to eat the moment we sat down. Ok, I said. I asked to take a menu with me to our waiting spot outside. "I'd rather you not, we prefer they stay in here," I was told. "Check your phone, it's online." OK--we wouldn't steal your menu and some friendlier customer service would have been appreciated but that is fine. You're busy. We decided on our basic order and were ready to roll when seated. We ordered a variety of sushi rolls. One I opted for was listed as "Giant sushi" which is indeed what it sounds like--an oversized roll, each piece roughly 2x the size of a normal sushi roll piece. As such, there was no way to eat it in one bite per the usual--you had to bite into it, through the seaweed wrap, causing the rest of it to fall apart. I would recommend skipping "giant rolls" if you dine here. The other rolls were fine--good, not great. It could have been what I ordered. Prices were fair, a bit higher than some locations in town, a bit lower than others. We wrapped up lunch after they "closed" but since so many tables weren't clearing out yet we did take a bit of time to finish our conversation. I get how that could be annoying for staff ready to go (and we would have been out if we were the only ones left) so I appreciate not getting a dirty look as we left. We tipped fairly. So, I'll return for a second appraisal in the future but on first visit I was unimpressed with the sushi and have had much better in town, unimpressed with the service, and unimpressed with the hours to be honest (just stay open on a Friday from 2-4 if you're herding lunch diners out). But still-- "3 stars" which is "good" in my book and I wouldn't discourage anyone else from dining here or myself from returning. The quality was not bad overall, it was just "good". read more

Food: 3/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 They have a big menu of both traditional sushi and fusion/americanized items. What brings the food to a 3/5 is that it is inconsistent. Sometimes it's super fresh and sometimes it is fishy as heck. I need to stop ordering their Uni, as it is one item that has been consistently not good here. Service has always been great, they have really friendly staff! If you're a newbie to Japanese food or sushi, they'll talk you through everything. I love the ambiance because it's a bit outdated but it's just cozy OG Japanese setup. Overall it's a good, solid Japanese restaurant. read more

Sonobana - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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What a yummy spot! I came with a group of 8 on a Saturday night so we called ahead to make sure we could get in. The server was attentive, the sushi came out in a decent amount of time, and it was tasty. There was a private room in the back that you can rent out id you have a large group, and there is plenty of seating doe regular dine in guests. I would definitely come back to eat here. read more

Sonobana - Edamame - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Yes please! Everything about this place I like... you wait to be seated and then the fun begins. Service was great. She was very polite and attentive. I ordered a Sapporo, a miso soup, a tuna roll and the Rebekah roll. Everything was delicious. The main roll was so yummy I wanted more but I was full. Perfect place to come grab lunch or dinner. Prices are very reasonable and they are in a shopping center so there is plenty parking. Come check them out! read more

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As I've gone to Sonobana habitually over the years, I've learned that there is quite honestly nothing I wouldn't try on the menu. I think visitors have to remember that this is an establishment which still does many things in a retro fashion: they have a landline, and they often use it. Waits can range from 5 minutes on a slow weekday to over 30 minutes in peak dining hours. I can attest to the insane lines on weekend evenings: we once parked, saw the line and considered waiting in it (it was out the door), and walked right back out to consider dining elsewhere. Just be mindful of when you go, and your party should be fine. You can always call ahead, but know that the line may be busy. I just ordered the futo maki roll, salmon roll, and tuna roll yesterday evening for pickup. There was a 30 minute wait, but the rolls always come out exactly as they should: balanced portions of rice, fish, and nori. The rice is seasoned well but not enough to make the rice mushy, and the fish is always fresh. There's a reason Sonobana always has a line out the door, and it's because they do simple rolls (and also complex ones) really well. You can taste the hard work and craftsmanship sometimes, I swear. Ambiance feels like retro family dining to be honest. As an AAPI person who calls Nashville home, it can sometimes feel othering when a customer at another table is unabashedly staring at you. This is no fault of the restaurant of course: just something to be mindful of when you dine. We have often stopped by the small market during our waits if it isn't closed. It's quaint and actually sells fresh seafood. If you're expecting Mitsuwa though, honey, this ain't it. Think more mom and pop bodega, and you'll feel much better. Plenty of parking in the Trader Joe's strip mall area. Highly recommend (and always kicking myself for recommending a local favorite). read more

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I had high expectation as its menu was showing more traditional Japanese dish, but was very disappointed at the unagi don. It came with miso soup and house salad. The miso soup was very salty, the slices of mushroom appeared to be just toss in instead of cooked in the soup. I didn't have the house salad, I added cucumber tako salad. The cucumber and tako were immersed in vinegar, very sour. Last the unagi don, they put way too much sauce that made the rice too salty, between the unagi don and miso soup, the salt balance was off. Unagi was not properly deboned, I had 10+ small bones out for the unagi. For me growing up deboning fish myself had no problem, it would be problem for those that are used to it. The service was nice, but disappointing food. read more

Dine-in: 5/24/23 6:44p Dine in at Sonobana for dinner. Like many other time I ate here, the restaurant always pretty busy. I waited 5 minutes for my table. Server pretty attentive and quick with taking order. Although the foods does take quite a bit to come. The sushi was fresh with a perfect balance flavors in every bites. The menu offer variety dishes from classic roll to creative specialties. Each roll descriptions are listed on the menu. It also labeled by color stars on the type of roll: spicy, fried, veggies or has raw items. Which allow you to easily pick the roll option that you like. Overall, the kitchen foods are delicious, the sushi is fresh and services are outstanding. One thing to keep in mind. They do not take reservations, if you come on the weekend, you will put your name/phone on the waiting list and they will call you when your table is ready. And spare some extra time as it does take awhile for food to come after you order. read more

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Food/sushi is good and priced that way. It's not outrageous but prices from old menus are showing a huge jump in prices--this is not a cheap poke bowl place. Some of the servers are really good but one is just going through the motions. It is clean with typically 2-3 families there that have smaller well-behaved children. It is my goto place for sushi in this area. That said after two trips and the same going-thru the motions server keeps a star off of it. For those that care they do have a selection of wine so it does have all you need for a good evening meal out. read more

The food was excellent! However, we were particularly impressed by the service at Sononana! We were traveling through on our way to North Carolina and were tired and road weary! The hostess got us in in 15 minutes, despite a projected 40 minute wait. The server quickly helped us to get our food order in, brought us our beverages right away, with food soon to follow. Everyone seems happy that works here and the staff all worked together to provide a sunny atmosphere with caring and compassionate service! Thank you for a great dinner! read more

Sonobana - Sunflower Roll - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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For take out sushi, this place is very solid. Ginger salad and teriyaki chicken were both eh. I do love their sushi menu though. There are lots to choose from and they separate the raw from the cooked which is really helpful because I don't eat cooked sushi. read more

Sonobana - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Dropped by Sonobana this morning with a group of two friends. Went just as they opened yet service was very quick. Ordered the lunch bento (which comes with an included side of rice, miso soup and salad) with Salmon Teriyaki and Tempura that came out to a very reasonable $13. Would definitely recommend for huge portions at a great price. read more

Sonobana - Salmon Teriyaki, Tempura Bento - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

If you are looking for an authentic Japanese restaurant with very very reasonable prices, Sonobana is the spot! When you think about sushi, the freshness of the sushi fish is important and Sonobana does not disappoint. You can see that they are always very busy so you know everything they make is fresh. For lunch, I think Sonobana might have one of the best lunch specials out there. I got the Special Bento Box with 9 pieces of sashimi - salmon, escolar white tuna, and tuna, it comes with 3 pieces of veggie roll and 3 pieces of salmon roll. It also comes with a mussel, seaweed salad, and during lunch, soup and salad are included. The special Sonobana salad dressing is amazing. My friend got the Pick 2 Bento box (yakiniku beef, beef negima, salmon teriyaki, shrimp or veggie tempura, chicken teriyaki, California roll, and some other options). He got the yakiniku beef and beef negima and it tasted very flavorful. The bento box also came with rice, salad, and soup. During lunch, sushi rolls are the same price, but the prices are not bad at all. Sushi rolls start at 3.95 (avocado roll) and 4.95 (California roll) and it goes slightly up as the rolls have more ingredients, but you can't beat these prices. I also tried the blue fin fatty tuna, which was ~$5 a piece, but look at that marble on the fish! Sooo good and it just melts in your mouth. Lastly we ordered the Johnson roll and it's spectacular - salmon avocado with Tobiko around. Great experience! I know their dinner service is also busy, but I love coming for lunch because you can't beat this. Sometimes lunch gets busy, so be prepared to wait 20 mins or so. read more

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I've finally got to experience this restaurant after 2 times of trying to get it. It's usually always an hour wait so heads up! But the sushi rolls were amazing and the eel bowl was to die for. The fish tasted so fresh. We also ordered a hot green tea and it was unlimited refill without asking (usually I have to ask at other restaurants). The inside was similar to your typical japanese style restaurant. The server was so sweet and helpful. Definitely became one of my top favorites. I'll be coming again. read more

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Dec. 7, 2023 I ordered the Chicken Sukiyaki and it was a lot of food. It was delicious. It was a bit salty on its own so it makes sense why they gave you a bowl of rice to go with it Definitely going back to try more dishes!! read more

This restaurant is great. The food is very reasonable and truly some of the best sushi in town. It's a fantastic leftover from old Nashville. We drive over here as opposed to places closer (Donelson) because of the value. That said- we showed up as a table of two tonight 50 min before posted close (9:30) and were treated pretty poorly by the hostess. She told us, "there's a 20 min wait, and we close at 9:15, so if I seat you, you will only have a few minutes to sit before you have to leave." When we asked if we could get to-go she acted extremely annoyed and left to get someone else to deal with us. So I suppose I'll leave the review just stating - I do not wish to be harsh as most experiences here have been wonderful so I'll leave 3 stars, but - it's pretty unusual for a restaurant to make customers leave 15 min before posted close AFTER being seated. And as someone with 15 years experience in hospitality I've NEVER turned someone away 50 min before close. So they should either change posted hours on the door, Google, website, maps, etc OR honor them. And though the hostess has never been particularly welcoming, I hope she was just having a bad day. read more

Sonobana - Hours - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I've had so much sushi in Nashville, this is BY FAR the best. Anytime I eat somewhere else with friends for convenience ect I wish it was here. It's also really fair priced. The quality you are getting for the price truly is unmatched. This place is a GEM. And everyone who works here is so freaking genuine and kind! Me and my man are both dedicated. We order together once a week and he'll order for himself sometimes and likewise. They know the James order when it's just for him and when it's for us. Sashimi is our main game. I forget we are landlocked when that fish goes into my mouth. It cute inside but not much for atmosphere. But if you want sweet service and the best sushi in town who cares. Love y'all!!! read more

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Food is always great. But I'm not sure if we were suppose to get a subcharge with a party of 3. We've been here plenty of years from busiest time to even their slow season. But I don't know if the server intentionally wanted to charge us 20% for the tip regardless but I still tipped 20% more. I just wish if you would have done that you would have told us. Was it because it's valentines weekend? But it's okay. It was my fault for not asking but I have the receipt. I'm just disappointed in the server for doing that in the first place. We are always appreciated of this place because of the service and food but this was kind of sleezy for the server to do that. I do appreciate your hard work. We will be back but do not want that to happen again or even might not even want the same server if it was intended to get charged 20% beforehand. Just wanted to know if this was a new rule of the restaurant or do servers just pick and choose who they want to charge or not. Just thought I warn others incase you're being overcharged for your service because they might of thought we wouldn't tip read more

Sonobana - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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One of the best sushi restaurants in Nashville! My routine is to dine here first and then buy grocery from Sonobana Market because it is an only place that carries my fancy japanese rice. I'd say Sanobana has the best Amaebi in Nashville! My favorites are Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp), Uni (Sea urchin), Scallop, and Chutoro (Fatty Tuna). I feel like I have tried almost everything on the menu. I don't know why I didn't write a review for them after becoming their regular for years! Here is my suggestion. Be adventurous, order things that you have never tried before and let's your taste buds having fun. read more

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I've been to Sonobana a few times before. It's a classic go-to Japanese place perfect for a day's sushi craving. Today I decided to go a different route than my usual sushi routine and give their classic nabeyaki udon a try. The taste of the broth was fresh. It had a great balance of sweet and umami. I loved the spinach, mushrooms, fish cake and egg. The noodles were chewy but not over cooked, just like I prefer them. The tempura served on the side was perfectly crispy. I'm docking one star because there was barely any chicken in it. It's nabeyaki udon and I wasn't expecting it to be a chicken noodle soup, but there was so little that I had to ask the server if I got served the wrong udon dish. I initially didn't even see the chicken and the server had to help me fish out the 2 morsels of chicken in the udon. She informed me that I did, in fact, receive the right item. I was a little thrown off by this and definitely expected a few more pieces of chicken in my nabeyaki udon. Overall, the prices are very reasonable and the food tastes good. There's plenty of parking here as well, which is always a huge win for me. I plan to be back but I think next time I may just stick to their sushi! read more

Sonobana - Nabeyaki udon - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Longtime Nashville staple with amazing sushi and traditional Japanese dishes. Delicious every time.