Sushi Matsuri is the best sushi in town! It is small and not flashy, but that is where you usually find the best food! Those who know, know it well! I went with some friends and I am not sure why I don't cone here more often. It is a family-owned restaurant and very intimate! Very, very good date restaurant!! We sat at the sushi bar, and I had the best time!! Rolls were on point and deelish!! I asked the server to pack up my soy sauce that I mixed with the wasabi!! OMG!! Soooo good!! read more

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Avocado salad very good! Service excellence! Beat Volcano Roll in the state! Combine with scallops! Uff sauce excellent and the presentation was impecable! read more

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I used to love this place, the food is delicious. However, last time I came here, my boyfriend (who has celiac and cannot eat gluten) ordered a roll (which on the menu did not say it had eel sauce on it) had eel sauce on it. Eel sauce has gluten in it so he could not eat the roll. When bringing this issue up to staff (specifically, the older woman who works at the host stand) the did not care and insisted it was on the menu. Very disappointed and will not be coming back. used to be one of my absolute favorite restaurant, but due to the negligence of the staff and general lack of care, will never be returning. read more

Boy! Haven't I found my conch heaven here?!?! Conch has been practicing disappearing acts for the past few years all over Gainesville and it has been increasingly hard to find a sushi restaurant serving conch much to my disappointment. I once took the matters into my own hands and bought some frozen conch at a local fish monger and beat it down with meat mallet and cooked it to oblivion with vinegar following the recipes from the websites only to find out it was still an impossible rubbery piece so I could not eat. What a sad day it was!!! I can probably cry on demand when I think of that sad death conch dishes all over Gainesville!! Then, it suddenly happened that I was looking at conch on the menu both for salad and for sushi to my absolute delight so I had to order both and they turned out. It was a great suggestion from Eva and Ron who apparently eat there once a week and we owe it to them for the discovery of the restaurant. Now that I know that I have a safety conch blanket here, I am ready to try some other things that looked all very good. My hubby's teriyaki scallops were very good if sushi is not your thang:) This place is so so so great!!!! Very delicious and healthy and it was nice to have a place where sugary sweetness is not overpowering message to your brains and guts. The staff is very efficient and helpful which is just cherry on top!!!! So when one door closes, another door opens to the door of conch heaven!!! Trying chirashi sushi today so I will keep you posted for the sequel of this review!!!! I know that suspense is killing you already and you are welcome!!!! read more

Cute little place. Did a pick up order and everything was quick and looked good. The volcano roll was amazing! And they topped it with HUGE scallops. Definitely the best thing we had. Unfortunately the salmon nigiri was a little bitter tasting and smelled off. Opted not to eat it any further just in case. Everything else we had was yummy but it did seem a little expensive for what we got. Will have to try again in person. read more

I hate that I have to write this review, but we found quite a lot of hair in our food (the color of the chef's), the sushi was weirdly not cold, and the tables were sticky. On top of that, the prices in the restaurant were double the price listed in the yelp menu. The California roll was listed as $4.50 online but was $9.00 in store. The miso was listed as $1.00 online but was $3.50 in store. I've never given a bad review before, but hopefully management reads this and asks their chefs to wear hairnets or something and fix their online pricing. read more

Great food. Fresh and well prepared. Friendly service. Lovely restaurant. Ochi-chi is a favorite roll.

I'm not the world expert in sushi but I know what we like! Freshness, quality and variety! This place is clearly the very best sushi in Gainesville! The strip mall atmosphere is chill, well decorated and includes calm deep house music. My spicy tuna roll was easily the best I've had with huge whole pieces of tuna and an uncompromising spice level! My wife order uni, eel and roe and the portions and presentation were both fabulous! Thanks Gino for the recommendation! We look forward to returning! Life is good with excellent sushi! read more

Sushi Matsuri - Very nicely decorated establishment with quiet but energetic modern lounge music. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I love the food but the older lady is absolutely horrible, she always treats my family like garage and she will talk smack abt you infront of you acting like she thinks u can't hear her and she will hang up on you over the phone because things are not going her way! read more

The place is small but intimate. The staff seemed to be training some new people, overall they were nice but always felt pretty rushed. The food was really good! We got 4 rolls which came out to around $50 with a few speciality ones. The down side is how long it took to get our food. The staff never really checked in or gave us an update which didn't help. I'd go back but come before I'm super hungry read more

I have the ambiance in this place and how chill it is! I don't understand how this place isn't four stars. The staff is also very friendly and the sushi is great! read more

Sushi Matsuri - a plate of sushi on a table - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

THE BEST SUSHI IN GAINESVILLE!! I've lived in Gainesville for a long time now and Matsuri NEVER disappoints!! The best service and even better sushi! read more

Sat at the bar and the sushi chefs were very polite. The Japanese inspired atmosphere was aesthetically pleasing. The sushi rolls had a proper ratio of rice to filling. I was surprised about the sashimi! They were pretty thick slices with a nice consistency and no fishy taste. The monkfish liver sushi was very delicious! read more

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Most amazing sushi I've ever had! Customer service and quality are top notch! Binh never fails to impress us and surprise us with a new dish. read more

Sushi Matsuri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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This place is definitely the best kept secret in Gainesville - in fact, when I went to UF a decade ago, I always passed it but never went inside. Not sure why but it took me about 14 years to try it for the first time. The new location (right by the Publix - the old Albertsons) has plenty of ample parking versus the old location (by the old movie theater). I had the ten don (tempura fried shrimp). It was a delicious mixture of tempura shrimp, eggs, marinated shitake mushrooms, and onions. It came with a salad in ginger dressing and miso soup - all were amazing. I also ordered a yellowtail roll and it came out quick and was very tasty! read more

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Ambience is lackluster, feels very cramped and underwhelming. Service was subpar nothing exceptional. The rolls were very small and did not taste fresh at all, restaurant its self did not look clean either. Will not return.. read more

Great, creative food and prompt friendly service. A little tight, not many seats but warm atmosphere. Wish they were open for lunch.

Don't eat here. They quoted me 45 minutes to pick up my food, but it actually took them an hour and 15 minutes. The staff was super rude and didn't apologize about the wait. After all that, my sushi had bones in it. I suggest finding a better place for sushi. read more

Update: Mediocre sushi but poor service and high prices. I always get the Matsuri Time (sushi boat) when I come here. I ordered take out on a Wednesday night, they said it would be ready in 35 min but it took them about 55 min. I should've known it wouldn't be ready on time since they've never been on time before. The staff didn't seem to care at all, which shows their disregard towards their customers' time. The Matsuri Time is usually amazing but this time it was highly disappointing. The salmon sashimi is usually my favorite, but this time, it was overly salty and strange tasting. The sushi rolls were filled with more green onions than fish, which was also disappointing. The only good thing about the boat was the conch hand rolls and the tuna sashimi. The rest of the boat was mediocre to disappointing. Price wise, the boat was around ~$80 which is very steep. Their prices keep rising throughout the years and it used to worth it but I'm not too sure anymore. I used to overlook the price and poor service because they had great sushi, but after having this mediocre sushi, I'm not too sure if I'll return. I will no longer recommend this place to my friends. read more

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This place is a real gem. I'm actually blown by how great the Sushi was. We tried a variety of dishes from appetizer to main ones and it was all delicious, perfectly balanced flavor-wise, and beautifully presented. The quality of the ingredients is top-notch. Great experience if you sit at the bar, it was a joy to watch the two chefs prepare right in front of us. It took a bit until we receive the food but everything is made fresh in front of you, so worth the wait. The staff were very attending and helping with questions on the menu. Although kind of pricey, but the food prepared with the utmost perfection does justify the prices it was well worth it. I would definitely recommend a stop at Sushi Matsuri! read more

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Sushi Matsuri has delicious sushi! Ate dinner here for the first time today. The fish to roll ratio is impressive & the sashimi is fresh & tastes amazing! This place is by far within the top 3 sushi spots in Gainesville. read more

Most Japanese restaurants in Gainesvillle do not serve real Japanese food. Because Gainesville people have different preferences compared to people living in California or New York with large Asian communities, Japanese places in Gainesville have to serve American food to survive. However, sushi Matsuri serves more authentic Japanese items. They also make American sushi rolls but they have Japanese sushi nigiri and sashimi. They also serve udon, tonkatsu, tendon, and Japanese curry as well. If you want to have Japanese food at a Japanese restaurant, I highly recommend this place and Hana sushi. If you want to have American food at Japanese restaurant, you can go to other Japanese restaurants in Gainesville. read more

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Sushi Matsuri hands down is one of my favorite sushi places in Gainesville. The main draw is sushi, but they also have other dishes (katsu, tempura, etc.) that are pretty good. The sushi is top notch, their fish is so good. I don't normally order just sashimi at places but Sushi Matsuri's salmon is so good that I could eat it by itself all day. It's cut very thick and has such good flavor and is excellent quality. I also love to end the meal with their tamago (egg) sashimi as a dessert. Their prices are very good and won't destroy your wallet like some other places. They've just moved into a larger location by Maple Street Biscuit Company, so show them some support in their new spot! read more

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Ugh, what the heck is going on in Gainesville. Service levels are dropping like stones here. We walked in and stood at the front for a good 5 mins before being acknowledged. Lady pointed to a table and gestured, sit here. She then walked away. No menu's, nothing. Table was sticky, hasn't been properly washed in a long time. She then seats a group after us and brings them menus. We have to go to the waitress station to retrieve menus. Finally after another 5 mins she asks if we want something to drink, and she brings us our waters. She then takes the order from the table she sat AFTER us. Another table comes in after us and their order is taken before ours. When she finally comes to take our order we asked why she went out of turn. Her answer was unintelligent to say the least. Both tables that came after us, had food and eating while we stared at our water. We ordered one roll, one bowl of Tempura Udon and steamed Gyoza. Not exactly a complicated order. After 35 mins and NO food, just smart ass sass from the waitress, we walked out. read more

Still coming here (reviewed 6 yrs ago) and everything is just as tasty. Service always on point. Best miso soup in town! read more

Sushi Matsuri - Best miso soup in town! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Interior is tight. Not much seating. My order had so much pepper crusted on it I couldn't eat it. Asked to have it taken off the bill was told no. Directly asked to see and speak to the manager. Manager never showed. Waiteress comes back and says she'll take it off the bill and I could order something else. I asked it be replaced it with the shrimp shumai. Neither of us was at any point ever asked if we needed a refill. Seemed to be only one waitress. As for the shumai, I asked for shrimp but it looked and tasted like a lot like pork. My friend did not finish their meal either. It was not appealing. Just a disappointment all around. The only good thing was the miso. We won't be back. We will be sticking with Arashi yama on 39th. read more

The greatest sushi place this side of Japan. FRESH tuna not chopped up Pieces of moldy fish. Sushi made with Love read more

Had a horrible experience and the owner was rude. We ordered 6 rolls but only got 5. We wanted to also place a to go order but waitress never came. When we ordered the to go order and it was placed at end of line. The owner didn't acknowledge the mistakes. Will not be going back. read more

A consistent, good quality sushi spot! The servers are friendly, the fish is fresh, and price is reasonable. Great for a more casual, no frills dining experience. The first time I came, I got the sushi boat. We split it between two people, though if you're not too hungry or don't eat as much I could see three people sharing. It came with sushi, sashimi, rolls, and hand rolls (eat the hand rolls first if you want the seaweed to still be crispy). All of it tasted good; the eel was a winner. You order sushi/rolls off of a paper list where you choose the quantity of everything you want. Non sushi items (noodles, rice, etc) are ordered normally off a menu. Not too busy for if you come by 6! Will definitely be returning. read more

Sushi Matsuri - Sushi boat - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Our absolute favorite sushi spot in Alachua county. We always sit at the sushi bar and the chefs are both kind and talented. We love to watch them do their magic. The servings are large and delicious. My daughter loves their sashimi appetizer and cucumber roll and I always change it up with guidance from the chef. Never disappointed. read more

Great sushi! Chef James is excellent! Fresh fish, more of the traditional Japanese restaurant

Hello all I'm breaking down this review by section so you can skip to where you want to read, but I recommend reading the whole thing. Next to the subheaders I put number (1-5) as a rating. I do want to point out that I've been to this restaurant about 3-4 times, but I am writing my review mainly on this last experience. *Outside Appearance* (2) First thing is first, this is what you notice as you enter. Now to some folks it may not look like a place you want to dine in because of the construction in the plaza. Lowe's and Walmart were moved and it's all rumble. Not to mention the fact that the restaurant is in between a mattress shop and Hungry Howie's pizza shop. So it definitely may seem a little sketch, but I promise it's not! *Inside Ambience* (4) The place is small. It does have a section where a group of 6-8 can sit, almost separate but still very much with the other diners. The decor is cute and very quaint. The host and server section is on the right as you enter the door. And the bar is a definite center of attention. The only reason why this place does not get a 5 for ambience is due to the hallway where you use the restroom. It does not seem very clean. I understand the small size of the restaurant but I did not like that the server was mixing drinks in a small room with an ice machine and barely enough room for the server to place the glasses as they pour drinks. *Service* (2) I've had different servers, but overall my experience with the service is what ultimately made my decision to give them 3 instead of 4 stars overall rating. The one time I had an amazing experience was when there was a young man named Kingsley who worked there. I know him personally, but just watching how he interacted with other customers compared to the other servers really means something. The other times I absolutely did not like the service. This most recent experience one of the servers sat us down immediately as it was a Tuesday night and most folks in town go to Tijuana Flats right around the corner for their Taco Tuesday deal so it wasn't busy. And handed us the sushi menu, which you select your orders and write them in pencil. They also give you a dinner menu. Sushi chefs... We sat by the bar because we wanted to chat with the sushi chefs and see the sushi being made. To our dismay, they sat us in the corner of the bar and the sushi chefs did not seem like they are in a talking mood. Plus, it was off-putting that one of the sushi chefs smelled like they just smoked cigarettes and was handling our food. I'm sure they washed their hands, but that cigarette smell was unappetizing. Also, one of the servers came to ask is what we wanted while it was clear we were still deciding. She came back within 2-3 minutes to ask our order. I understand it may be to get our order quickly; however, it certainly made me feel rushed almost as if they didn't want you there. After taking our order, it took a bit to actually receive our food as the servers and chefs do not communicate. We saw plates of sushi sitting for 7-10 minutes before a server would pick it up. For our food, we had to tell the server our food,which was only 1 foot away from us, was ready. Once we received our food, they barely checked up on us. Also, another server a young man would use the curtain from the kitchen to hide and stare at people. I made it painfully obvious to stare back at him because I found it odd and disrespectful. *Food* (5) The food is great however! There aren't many choices for special rolls, but the regular rolls I found reasonably priced. We ordered 2 rolls to split and they came in odd number of cuts per roll. The Daikon radish roll only 5 pieces but they were huge! I could barely grab them with my chopsticks. The Futomaki was my favorite. It came in 7 large pieces, not as big as the Daikon roll but still a decent size. The Futomaki had an interesting sweetness to it. We asked for spicy mayo, which we did not know was an extra charge of (50 cents). The server never told us. I feel that they should give sauces at no additional charge or at least tell the customers. Overall, if your going for the food it's around the same price as other sushi places in Gainesville. The food is great, but the service not so great. If you're a sushi fan like me, I recommend going to Mahzu on Williston and 34th Street or Taste on 39th in the Magnolia Parke as well. Those are my top two places for sushi! read more

This is a really nice local sushi spot. Every time I've been the fish has been buttery and fresh. Most simple rolls and maki rolls are served Japanese style, with a small bit of wasabi inside. If you aren't into that make sure to tell your server that you do not want wasabi in your roll. read more

Sushi Matsuri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

My husband and I were regulars of this restaurant for the past two years but after our treatment by the owner tonight, we will never return. We ordered 6 rolls but only received 5 which we were fine to overlook. The problem occurred when the to go order we placed to take home to our daughter was never fulfilled. After waiting for an additional 30 minutes after paying our bill, we inquired about our to go order (which was 1 roll and edamame). The owner was incredibly rude to not only us but his wait staff who were trying to help us. Our server said she was trying to get the order in but he kept pushing it down the line for customers who had arrived after us despite the fact we had been there for more than an hour. He told us we could wait....after we had already finished our dinner, paid the $200+ bill and were ready to go. When we share our dissatisfaction, he told us "bye". We have always been easy customers and generous tippers. So much for customer service for loyal patrons. We will never go back! read more

As my previous review was five years old, I think it's well time for an update. They've remodeled recently--about a year ago I believe--and are making the best use of their small space. Matsuri has been here a long, long, time: along with Miya Sushi which is also on Archer Road, it's one of the oldest sushi bars in Gainesville. As you might expect for something so long-standing, it has a very loyal following, too. The menu is pretty extensive, both in sushi and kitchen offerings. I tend to stick to the sushi. Overall, it's constantly fresh and the preparation is closer to what you'd find in California than most sushi bars in Florida, which is a big plus in my book because I lived in San Francisco and prefer that style of sushi. The downside is, here, much of the sushi is too salty--not sure just why, but most rolls are, but it's just a slight issue. Their bagel roll is especially a culprit in this regard, however, it's made with salmon, not krab, which is how bagel rolls started out in California. The yellowtail scallion roll is very good and their nigiri always taste fresh and the krab delite nigiri is especially awesome. The staff is somewhat . . . aloof. The sushi chefs will smile and maybe nod if you greet them but don't interact much with customers. One waitress, the younger-looking of them (sorry, that's the most-accurate way I can describe her) is very friendly and outgoing but one of the other waitresses seems to lack a decent command of English and sometimes makes mistakes on orders in my experience. She's also bad to come by and try to do things (take a drink order, or whatever) that another waitress already has done. I'm not trying to be picky, but I just wish to be honest that the service is at times spotty here. I would say at this point Mahzu Sushi and Matsuri are my two favorite sushi bars in town, and I say that as someone who eats sushi on average about five times per week, no joke. Mahzu has better service, and on some rolls and presentation they do better, whereas Matsuri has a better (or at least more intimate) atmosphere and seems a bit more tradition-bound in places. I suggest trying them both, as they both have plenty going for them. read more

Sushi Matsuri - Krab delight nigiri, smoked salmon nigiri, and a yellowtail scallion roll. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Never in my 20+ years of eating sushi have I had a bone in my Sashimi... until now! Add to that the fact that there was still skin on some pieces, and our service was lack luster, I will not return here. Also, I find it completely unnecessary to be rushed and told that it's last call for additional sushi more than 45 minutes before they close! When our server asked about our food it was obvious she didn't care what our response was... she literally said nothing when I responded that our meal was "eh"... no excuse. So, no thanks, I don't need anything at last call. read more

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#4 Went to Sushi Matsuri last night and I was really pleasantly surprised with the quality of Sushi that they serve. The first time I went I ordered take out and really did not have a personal experience. This time was very different because I got to interact with the staff and that made all the difference. I was told by one of the managers that this place in 25 years old and that it is one of Gainesville's best kept secretes. I was really excited to hear that as you can tell their is a lot of pride in the establishment. This place has no website, no big pages, but has quality food and a group of people who keep coming back. I had three rolls from here, I had the Ninja Roll, Tampa Roll, and the Mexican Roll. I loved the Ninja and Tampa, but not so much the Mexican Roll. The Mexican Roll had scallops in it and I am just not a big fan of scallops. All the rolls were fresh and had a ton of flavor and that was something that I really liked. I can't wait to go back and eat more of the amazing rolls. One thing that was amazing was the price. For 3 large rolls it was only about $7.75 with tax per roll. This was a great deal for a lot of sushi! They event have a boat of Sushi for around $55 dollars. Bring a few friends and share it and that is a great deal. I look forward to returning to Sushi Matsuri and trying more delicious items on the menu!! read more

Sushi Matsuri - Sushi Matsuri has been here 25 years! It's a hidden treasure - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Wow wow wow!! I finally found a great quality sushi place in gville that's not always packed! Their new location is next to the Publix and Maple street on archer road. Once I walked in I saw how cute and small the restaurant was, just like how it would be if it was in Japan. The bar was decorated very nice and each seating area was cozy and quaint. I 100% recommend the Ochi Chi Roll and the Mexican roll. They smother the ochi chill roll with baked salmon and other sauces which makes one bjte of a roll taste amazing. The sushi is also very aesthetically pleasing the way they present it. Service was great and there wasn't a line when I went for Sunday dinner. Will definitely be back to try the boat!! read more

Sushi Matsuri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Read some of the negative reviews, and I can say they check out. The sushi is nothing special, the tables are sticky, and the serving staff aren't well informed about their menu. The sushi tasted like run of mill sushi you could get anywhere. It wasn't bad, but it didn't blow my socks off by any means. It was a little annoying they put all the sushi on one platter for my friend and I. We both ordered rolls and they came out on the same tray, so it was hard to distinguish what was what and to whom it belonged. The tables were sticky. Not sure why, but I definitely noticed that. Maybe I was a little hyper aware bc of a previous review, but tables shouldn't be sticky. It was nice they had hand sanitizer at the table though. I had questions about the menu, considering I'd never had this place before. While friendly, the server wasn't too knowledgeable about the menu items we asked about, and they had trouble articulating responses for some of the items (I get it. You're young and probably just working through college or whatever, but still). As a heads up, the Atlantic roll does have a lemon slice in it. I asked about this and was told it would have a lemon slice on top bc the server agreed having a lemon slice in the roll would be a little odd. Well, it was in the roll. Also, it's kind of funny bc when I asked for a lemon for my water I was told they only had limes. Overall, you won't be missing out on anything if you choose another place over this one. The best thing about this place was the location bc it was easy to pop over to target and Publix afterward (conserving gas since it's now over $4 and continues to rise daily) read more

Love this place! It's a quaint and intimate restaurant. The inside is small, so this isn't the best restaurant for big parties. It looks like they reserve large tables that seat 6 in the back, but that's the biggest tables they have. First of all, the staff was so friendly. A kid at the table next to us dropped a glass of water that broke and spilled all around our table. At least 4 different people (including the owner) came over to us to make sure we were ok. The food was even better than the service. My girlfriend and I spilt a spicy tuna salad for an appetizer. Very simple, just iceberg lettuce, tuna, spicy mayo and sesame seeds. Very good! Then, I ordered 2 sushi rolls, the Mexican roll and Florida roll. The Florida roll was my favorite, made with tuna, salmon, cream cheese and cucumber. Prices were similar to other sushi restaurants. Will definitely be back next time I visit Gainesville. read more

Sushi Matsuri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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