Sushi Den, aka "Douchey Den" amongst my circle of friends. And I believe many locals would agree. Probably one of the most reputable and pretentious sushi restaurants in Denver. Consistently on lists of "must try" sushi restaurants in Denver publications. One of my friends recently moved to Denver and asked me about Sushi Den. It triggered all sorts of memories for me. I've been to sushi den about 5 or 6 times, the last time being several years ago. Normally after such a long period of time, I might convince myself to go back, but I do have a few friends that still occasionally go to sushi den, and hearing their consistently poor experiences make me not want to return. Why do some of my friends sometimes still go? Some of their fish is actually great quality and it is conveniently located for them. First let's talk about their fish. Undoubtedly, they do have some great fish. At the same time, they also sometimes serve you old fish. And I'm not talking about fish that is sometimes aged or marinated. I'm talking about fish that is simply not fresh anymore and should only be served at the cheapest of sushi buffets. I suppose you could avoid this if you ask your server or chef about what is good, and if they decide to be honest with you. Regardless of the quality you receive, you will be paying the same super high prices. Now let's talk about their service. If you dare order hot sake or order cheaper items that have a similar pricier version, then the wait staff will harass you about it and try to upsell you in the most obnoxious ways. In my experience, this happened every single visit spread over a few years. Something is to be said about consistency, I guess. Also, if you order too many premium items, then they will cut you off. Maybe so they can ensure guests later in the evening have a chance to order it? No matter the reason, it feels shitty to be cut off and not be given a real reason. This is also not an isolated incident. Find something you really like and want to order more? Oh sorry, you can't have it even though you showed up early and waited in a long line. And if you're celebrating a special occasion, they seemingly go out of their way to make you feel not special. Finally, the atmosphere. It is always crowded and loud inside. You can't carry a proper conversation and you have to yell your order at the wait staff. The acoustics inside is awful as each person's noise in the building is echoed and amplified. If you're into a really loud club environment, then perhaps this is the perfect place for your evening. Not for me. Inconsistent quality food at consistently high prices, incredibly poor service, long lines, and club-like noise levels. Easy 1 star. read more

Absolute top notch food. This place has some of the best food I've ever eaten. However, the staff really needs some work. I come here again with my boyfriend a year later for an anniversary meal because I love authentic sushi. Getting in wasn't a problem. We were told 2 hour wait and no reservations. We ended up only waiting like 30 minutes for a table. They do lots of security and making sure you eat for 90 minutes. Our time was 710pm. When we got to the table we gave our order to our waitress and it seemed like she forgot about us after that. My soup came then my boyfriends plate about 40 minutes in but no sign of my sushi. 810pm comes around and I finally get my few pieces of sushi after my boyfriend is completely done with his food. The table next to us sits down and 2 minutes later their roll is on their table. Now I'm not sure if our serve forgot to put in my sushi order or the bar was actually backed up but I've had staff issues here before and I'm not happy. 4 stars is only for the quality of the food. read more

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Food is excellent and service is great however food came out kinda slowly and the place is very LOUD. Because of the design of the building combined with capacity it is inevitable it's very loud. You have to be here for the food however it's amazing read more

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Food was delicious and we had a wonderful time. My son has a peanut allergy and they are peanut free. There starter soups were delicious and sushi was really good. We ended up getting desert here as well which didn't disappoint. Server could have been a little more friendly but overall we really enjoyed it. read more

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Sushi Den has some of the best and freshest fish I have had in Colorado. The toro is by far my favorite! Every time we come the staff is super friendly and goes over the daily specials and what their current recommendations are. The inside decor is super cute and perfect for a fancy date night. read more

Sushi Den - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Maybe because my expectations were just too high... but I was hoping for amazing sushi. The sushi/nigiri here is really nice, they have a large variety. The uni here was not super fresh. We also got eggplant, yakitori, miso cod, and matcha tiramisu. The eggplant was sweet and savory. I personally loved them but very simple. They are well known for the miso cod, but wasn't blown away by it, I wished have a little more glaze but I will say that the cod was cooked perfectly. The yakitori came with truffle mashed potatoes. The yakitori was a little too sweet for me.but the best thing we had all not hands down was the truffle mash. It was so creamy and every bite you could taste the truffle in the mash. The matcha tiramisu was amazing amazing amazing. I would come back just for this! Everything was well balanced! I loved the matcha flavoring and the bottom layer of white chocolate. read more

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Delicious food! Definitely ask your server for recommendations and sit at the sushi bar if you can. It gets incredibly busy even when we went on a weeknight so try to make a reservation or arrive early. read more

Everything about this place is top notch...from walking around the eccentric downtown area to walk around, to the ambiance of the restaurant, and most importantly, the service and food! Although SD was never really a hidden-gem, just outside of Denver proper, SD offer an amazing selection of freshly prepared sushi that even non-sushi lovers, like my wife, will savor! read more

Who would have thought that there would be awesomely delicious sushi and sake in Denver, Colorado? Definitely not me. But I was pleasantly surprised. Every nigiri and dish was fresh and melted in your mouth. Presentation was amazing too. As an added bonus our server was extremely knowledgeable about sake so our pairings throughout the evening were perfection. If you are in the area (and can find street parking) you have to check this place out. read more

This has to be one, if the not the best sushi restaurants I have ever been to! First of the service was impeccable, our waiter Shane was super knowledgeable and shared some amazing recommendations. Our stand out dishes were nigiri, Osaki Salmon and Aburi Toro were so flavorful! We also enjoyed the jalapeño hamachi and new style salmon! And order the lychee margarita if you get the chance. SO SO GOOD! read more

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This is simply THE place to get nigiri and sushi in Denver. Fresh fresh fresh fish. Great service and knowledgeable staff. Always a festive experience. read more

My favorite sushi restaurant - EVER. Service is amazing, and absolutely love the vibe in the den. Will be back 100 more times!!! read more

Sushi Den - Miso Soup - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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With this many reviews, let me be useful. Right now, on the Catch of the Day menu, order the: **Aburi Toro (Fatty Tuna) - Croatia** **Osaka Style Aburi Sockeye Salmon** These were absolutely stellar. The Uni was also delicious. The dragon roll, too. The chirashi, a nice selection. Lobster tempura a little salty, but yummy. You'll be given 4-5 menus. The Catch of the Day menu options will be far better than anything else. Our waitress was great with reccs. The Aburi (Seared) - Osaka Style section of this particular menu was our favorite. Silky, buttery, and a flavorful surreal sushi ride. read more

First time coming to Sushi Den and it did not disappoint. The food was incredible and the fresh fish was phenomenal. Very welcoming environment with a calm ambiance. Most importantly our server Anneli made our overall experience a complete one, from explaining the menu and offering her own personal recommendations (which we happily tried). Most definitely will be coming back, thank you for making this a wonderful experience Anneli. read more

The food was EXCEPTIONAL!!! Our server was less than. She was rushing us at every turn. After we paid, she walked away without saying a word. No thank you, no have a good night, nothing. Not sure why someone like her works at such a wonderful eatery. Luckily the food was 10/10. Coming from Hawai'i, I expect a lot when it comes to fresh fish. They delivered! I would definitely dine here again for the food alone. read more

Quality sushi, amazing service and such a beautiful ambiance. Perfect for a date or solo or group of friends.

this was unbelievable. great waiter. no issues with the food. miso soup was delectable. black cod was sensational. they had gluten free soy sauce and were able to make one of their salmon specialty rules gluten free for me! (they could also make the rainbow roll gluten free if i remember correctly). sushi was great. read more

Sushi Den - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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As always it was excellent! Staff was courteous, helpful and efficient. The toro was buttery and melted in your mouth, the eel was most flavorful I've had in a long while. The atmosphere was calm and pleasant, and it was possible to have a conversation with my partner without having to raise my voice. read more

I recently went to Sushi Den with several friends and had a wonderful time. The food and service were both excellent! Our waiter made sure that we were well attended to, answering a ton of questions that we had about the menu and the day's various specials. We got a large variety of sushi, nigiri, and miscellaneous items and no one had any complaints. I personally liked the Tuna Firecracker Roll the most. Overall, I don't think you are going to find better sushi in a state so far away from the ocean. I would rate Sushi Den 5/5 stars on the above alone. However, it was the service and hospitality the staff at Sushi Den showed us after dinner that makes me wish I could give them 6 stars. Unbeknownst to us, while we were having dinner our rental car was being broken into in an attempted car theft. While the thieves failed to take the car, they did manage to break a window and destroy the ignition, leaving us stranded in the cold. While waiting for the police, first the general manager, and then the owner of Sushi Den himself came and spoke to us and checked to make sure that we were doing okay. The manager then set us up with bar seats to get us inside and out of the cold and offered to comp any kind of dessert or drinks we might want to get while waiting for the tow truck. The bartenders were exceptionally friendly and attentive to us despite the fact that we were not staying inside as paying customers. While we originally only planned to get a hot tea to warm ourselves up after standing around outside waiting for the police, the bartender convinced us to try an exquisite sake and later to try one of his own creations, the Hyogo Coldbrew (this is legitimately delicious and a must-try for coffee cocktail aficionados). By the end of our ordeal, several staff had stayed well past closing time (2+ hours) to ensure that we were able to resolve our issues with arranging for a tow truck and transportation home through the rental car company so that we wouldn't have to stand out in the freezing cold while doing so. The absolute care that all of the staff from the bartender, to the manager, to the owner himself, showed us can't really be done justice by my short review here. This level of service and hospitality absolutely deserves 6/5 stars. read more

Sushi Den - Hyogo Coldbrew - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

The last time I went to Sushi Den was.... Oh man... 20 years ago! YEP! It's been around for a LONG TIME! I remember it being good when I went way back then! And last night... I definitely said out loud to my husband - 10/10 would recommend as I plowed through my feast! He on the other hand did not sing the same tune as me (hence the star off). What I ordered: - Hamachi Kama: the best I have EVER HAD! So tender, succulent, juicy and SPECTACULAR - Grilled Squid: Quite tasty despite it just being plain grilled squid! - Sashimi Dinner: All the fish was so insanely BUTTERY! Even the octopus (which I tend to hate) was tender and pleasing! Salmon Skin Hand Rolls: No rice. No sauce. No vegetables. This is my MUST ORDER at every sushi spot and this salmon skin was ABSOLUTELY DREAMY! Reminded me of LA quality - IE: AMAZING! My husband ordered pretty generic rolls that he said MEH to (spicy poke roll, salmon roll, lobster tempura roll and a Cali roll)... and he also ordered the banana cream pie that he dubbed inedible. To be fair, he is the PICKIEST BANANA CREAM PIE eater on the FACE OF THE PLANET (he walked out on me one time when I made him one that wasn't up to his standards - LOL)! This being said, he was happy Sushi Den carried Diet Coke! If this was a Pepsi establishment I think he would have rated this spot a 3/10 versus the 6/10 he said it was. read more

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The best sushi in ALL of Colorado!!! They fly there fish in from another country. And it was so delicious. I've been to a lot of sushi places and this one cannot be beat! The service was fantastic and everyone was super friendly. I cannot wait to be back! read more

Horrible customer service!! Purchased a gift card for my son 12/24. First I was charged twice. Unfortunately too, I miss-typed his email address on the Toast app / site. Toast told me to contact Sushi Den directly to resolve. Left a msg on 12/26, no call back. Called again 12/29. Mgr took all of the info and told me the credit would be issued and my son should have email confirmation of gift no later than 12/30. To date, no card, no credit. Called again 1/02. Both Megan and Annabelle said all mgrs were in meeting. No one called back ! I contacted the them early afternoon, prior to service hours. At this point, very frustrated and out $150. read more

I would highly recommend this place! Everything we had was delicious and the service was wonderful! I would def come back if I lived in the area! read more

Very nice place. The lighting and future are A1. Great place for a date night, group outing or birthday party. The sushi is very good as well. I enjoyed the fresh taste of the fish they used in their sushi. Very quick servers as well. read more

Sushi Den - Poki Roll 8 pc . And Rocky Mtn . Roll 8pc - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

The food has always been great. We were a party of eight last night and could not have had a worse time. The server was over her head. We received food that was cold, and it came in no order at all. The excuse was that they have many cooks and food stations . Well, that's not how they got their reputation. It is obvious that they are understaffed. This negatively affected the entire evening. Have to do better than this, or lower the prices. Will be a long time before we come back. read more

The ambiance of this place alone makes it worth it, top spot in Denver to hit. Worth the reservation. Sushi fish is flown in from Japan, generous portions, and everything was so tasty! Services awesome, super personable and full staffed! We saw Sushi go by, and thought we're gonna get that instead of dessert, and ended up having a roll between the three of us! They don't mess around with their specials! read more

Sushi Den - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This place is the bomb!! They have their sushi flown in from Japan daily and you can tell just how fresh it is! It's my new Friday night date spot. Everytime we walk in, it's PACKED, and they still have a table to fit us and more people coming in. Their restaurant is HUGE. The drinks are sooo good, as I got the blackberry blush which is a martini and soo flavorful. We also ate the chef special of all the different meats, bluefin, yellowtail, and so on, very good and the meat melts on your mouth like butter. I also love the spicy tuna crunch roll, spider roll, short rib (FLAVOR WAS ON POINT), and more. Nothing went to waste in our stomachs and I will be back for more!! read more

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We decided to have a lunch in the popular South Pearl neighborhood. Thanks to Yelper Philip B. for recommending this restaurant. As one walks into the popular Sushi Den, there is expansive sushi bar seating as well as a bright dining area with comfortable seating. Continuing further into the restaurant, there are two additional separate dining areas. Towards the rear of the restaurant, there is a full bar. Our waitress, Caroline, demonstrated a great knowledge regarding the menu items and their preparation. She was most helpful in directing us with our final selections, after describing our preferences. This restaurant, according to our waitress, has been in business for approximately 35 years. They are one of the top 25 places to dine in Denver. And rightfully so. The food was top-notch fresh seafood, with excellent preparation and presentation. The owner/chef has a brother in Japan that purchases fish daily, and sends it within 24 hours of being caught. There were three menus during our visit at lunch today - Chefs Recommendations of the Day, the standard menu, and the menu for rolls. All of our selections were well presented & quite flavorful. We enjoyed our lunch at this establishment. read more

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I would give this place ten stars if I could!! I moved from Chicago almost two years ago and refused to try sushi here. Our waiter was incredibly knowledgeable and everything he recommended (8 dishes) was INCREDIBLE. The fish was extremely fresh. Overall clean and fun place. Will definitely be back!! read more

I was able to book a Chef's Table seat in front of Chef Yasu on a Saturday evening - what an experience! When you book your seat, the chef e-mails you a questionnaire to figure out your preferred flavor profile and the kinds of sushi you enjoy. I've had a decent amount of sushi within the states and in Japan, so he curated a very traditional-esque menu for me. The experience lasted about 2 hours, and my bill was ~$200, but the menu varies by person, which is certainly a unique way of hosting an omakase. My menu consisted of a sashimi dish, a cooked fish dish, a set of 11 nigiri followed by 5 more, then 2 more, then dessert. The sashimi dish was a typical hamachi-serrano dish with ponzu that I've had at multiple sushi restaurants, but here, I noticed that the sashimi slices are cut pretty thickly. The serrano peppers had a strong kick to them, too. Loved the boldness of the dish. This was followed by black cod with eggplant and sake kasu. The chef explained to me that the paste is a byproduct of sake after the sake is pressed through the fermented rice. It was flavorful and tasty with the eggplant and cod! Chef Yasu prepared the sushi at the bar in front of me, but it was unfortunately hard to see the whole process, as the glass obscures the view. However, the sushi were very beautiful and delicious! First set of nigiri consisted of red snapper, amaebi, aji, kanpachi, hotate, hagatsuo, kani, tako, bluefin akami zuke, chutoro, and otoro. Again, the pieces of fish were thicker than I've had at other places - I love that! You reallly get all the flavors of fish! The next set consisted of hamachi belly, New Zealand king salmon, ika with uni, Santa Barbara uni, and aburi saba. I don't think I've ever had saba aburi style, but it was SOOO good! Very juicy, strong flavor but not fishy. Then I had the aburi toro and anago. I was pretty full by then, so I requested an end to my omakase menu. As a palate cleanser, he gave me half of an orange, delicately placed on its peel. I did have room for dessert, of course, so I went with the green tea tiramisu! What a treat! The layers of soft cake with red bean azuki in the middle and green tea chocolate at the bottom... And a strawberry, blackberry, some mango slices... SO GOOD. I shared the cake with my dining neighbor, who had a similar omakase menu as myself (although he did miss the first 2 appetizer courses). Chef Yasu is a funny person - he was cracking jokes while serving us. On the night that I went, there were 2 people (myself included) at 7pm, and 2 others who joined around 7:30pm. I was impressed with how Chef Yasu handled the different menus with timing out the courses so that no one was left waiting too long. I believe he has an earlier seating on some nights as well. Best way to book is by filling out the reservation form found on their website, and they will get back to you shortly! Definitely recommend experiencing the chef's table if you have the chance! Ps: thank you to my waiter Travis for making sure my experience at Sushi Den went smoothly! read more

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Good sushi choices. I especially enjoyed the Wagyu Beef Roll. They offered a Miso Black Cod as an appetizer which we had to try, and it compared well with Nobu's version. A plus that they take reservations, and street parking was fairly easy. read more

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Awesome fresh catches every day. Dress code is smart casual. I recommend going upstairs. Ask for all the fresh fish possible. You can skip the rolls read more

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Sushi den/Izakaya den is by far one of my favorite restaurants in the city. I've been trying to go for about a year and finally secured a reservation for my husband and me for our anniversary. The experience was everything I hoped for and more. Each bite was better than the next, and our server (James) was delightful and guided us through the menu, recommending things we wouldn't have tried on our own... Aburi lobster, New Zealand salmon, zuke trout, aburi toro, miso cod, spicy tuna, and more! Such a memorable dining experience! read more

After years of longing to eat here, my dream came true. Hands down the best sushi experience I've had in Denver! To be expected,it was so busy. Of course it's a pandemic right now - so I don't expect anything less! But it was certainly worth the wait. We were sat at the sushi bar so we were able to talk with the sushi chef directly if we needed to. But our server was already so knowledgeable om everything, he gave us great recommendations. There's not much else to say - we loved our experience. Everything was so delicious and the atmosphere is so vibrant! Definitely prepare for an expensive night, as you're paying for quality when you eat here! read more

I deeply apologize for how long it took me to write this review. Sushi Den, wow, you were incredible, and I'm the worst. We did the New Years even special bento boxes for 2021 and I can't even tell you what's in them (see pics) but every bite of it was more amazing than the last. This level of sushi is a special treat, so haven't been back (hoping for NYE 2022!) but I've fantasized about it ever since. Even the chocolate dessert (not pictured) was mind blowing. My husband and I enjoyed our romantic and delicious New Years meal at home thanks to the amazing pre-fix bento boxes. read more

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Best sushi in Denver!! I've been searching and searching and have finally found some amazing sushi in Denver. We tried so many rolls and among the favorite were the Tuna Firecracker Roll, Crispy Spicy Tuna, and the Osaka Style Aburi Salmon. Can definitely get busy but it's well worth the wait! Great atmosphere, perfect for a date night! Sushi Den is a must try if you're searching for fresh and yummy sushi in denver. read more

Sushi Den - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Great food, ambiance, and service. Sara was our server and she did a tremendous job. The food came out quickly and the freshness is unmatched. I would definitely go back again. read more

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My family has patronized Sushi Den for over 30 years and it consistently delivers the best Japanese in Denver. We've gotten into the habit of frequenting their sister restaurant Izakaya Den for the past 5 years, so it was nice to sit in the original dining room. The food is top notch, as always. My favorite is the spicy tuna over crisp rice along with their hamachi (yellowtail nigiri). The other 'standard' nigiri is wonderful too: salmon, eel, California roll with real crab, salmon roe. The roasted, salted yellowtail collar is a nice treat: doesn't look very impressive on the plate, but I assure you that the fish is super fresh, tender and seasoned perfectly. Ask for the teriyaki sauce on the side. The service is friendly and efficient. Despite the challenges with th staffing, the food and drinks were delivered quickly, plates were cleared and waters were filled without asking. Can't wait until they reopen with full service lunch and dinner. read more

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I absolutely LOVE Sushi Den. I've had a lot of sushi in my life (unfortunately none in Japan yet) but I think Sushi Den is some of the best of the best. Freshest fish you can get inland, great service, the best sushi rice of all time, new and exciting fish from across the world, and although it is pricey it is not out of control. I love this place dearly and I will miss it when we leave. Please go! Worth every Penny! Also--if you are interested in sushi rolls, this is not the place for that. Go somewhere else. Get the fresh fish nigiri or sashimi, or do Omakase, but don't be a little pretentious jerk about sushi rolls. It makes you look dumb and not a true sushi lover. A good sushi place is marked by its fresh fish, and THATs what sets Sushi Den apart from the others. That fish is fresh, immaculate, well-cared for and perfect. If you like Spider or Philly rolls, don't waste your time because you're clearly not in the right place. read more

Had the Toro, Salmon, Yellowtail and scallop sashimi. Then we had the Aburi Toro and had to pause after to thank the heavens for our fortune. The buttery texture of each was indescribably good, and the smokiness of the Aburi Toro may have changed my culinary life. Unbelievably delicious sushi! Alex C was our waiter and he was terrific too. Very knowledgeable and made several great suggestions. We will be back!! read more