There is certainly cheaper sushi in the Back Bay area, but Symphony Sushi has great, fresh sushi and a comfortable, sit-down atmosphere. There is a lot of variety on the menu, and the servers are always smiling. I would recommend to anyone in the Northeastern University area. read more

Symphony Sushi - Entrance to Symphony Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Pros: Great lunch deals, low prices, take-out service Cons: Excessively slow generally, waitresses often not that great, sushi quality only ok. Miso not that great. I go here when I want a quick lunch and I'm not expecting great service or killer sushi. Often times when I've asked to sit at the sushi bar they tell me to sit at a table instead and they seem to miss many small things about customer service. read more

Bold Statement Alert: Symphony Sushi makes the best sushi in Boston. As an aficionado of sushi, and someone who has gone on actual biblical quests to visit every sushi place in town, I feel totally confident in saying this. 1.) They have the quickest service I've ever seen. Whether you order to-go or you sit down, they have your meal ready in five minutes flat. I've tested this during the lunch/dinner rush AND also by ordering enough food to make a grown man cry. They never fail. 2.) Every single waitress there is beyond sweet and genuine. They check on you constantly without being annoying and they seem like they really want you to be happy with your experience. 3.) Most importantly, THE FOOD. Oh my god, the food. Sometimes I dream about the miso soup and the vegetable gyoza. And the sushi itself is to die for. Moist, big rolls jam-packed with all kinds of treats. I highly recommend the Fashion Maki (if you like eel) and the Dragon Maki (if you like delicious things). I have tried many other rolls here as well, and Symph Sush always manages to surprise me. Get every food item I've mentioned above, grab some sake too if you're feeling festive, and finish the whole thing with Green Tea ice cream. You can thank me later. Whenever I'm near Huntington, I have to make a stop here no matter what. If you don't know, now you know. read more

I just have to say, I tried the Poke Bowl and it was the worst meal I've had... in recent memory. A big bowl of rice, topped with maybe 1/2 oz of salmon, ¼ of an avocado, and half a strawberry? For $16? Please. You can't even taste the quality of the fish because of the marinade. Go to Love Art Sushi down the block - don't waste your time or money here. read more

Symphony Sushi - Oh look, someone dumped Temptations' breakfast leftovers on a bowl of rice. $16 garbage poke bowl. - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I'm glad that there's a good sushi place right next to Northeastern because it brings some diversity into my lunches! Be prepared to wait a bit if you don't come early-ish at lunch time though - I came around 11:45am and was fine but it gets pretty crowded by 12:30pm on weekdays! Their lunch specials are awesome and pretty cheap. I tried their sushi lunch and it was very fresh. The chicken teriyaki was also good. Service was really quick and efficient but not too rushed. Definitely nothing extraordinary but still above average. All in all a place I don't mind going to pretty often. read more

Two words: lunch special I've actually only eaten the lunch specials but I've heard the dinner is more expensive with less food. So hey, just come and eat the lunch. If you're eating in, order the udon. It's so yummy. When I order take out, I usually cycle through the different meals. Service here is ok. Sometimes they're rude but sometimes they're friendly. Reservations are only accepted for large parties. Go when they open at 11:30 to grab a table and miss the lunch rush! read more

This is my go to sushi place in the area. The service is always consistent although sometimes the sushi comes before the apps if it's busy. Everything has always tasted great. It's a tad pricy for certain things and I wish they had more salmon-only options in the special maki menu. read more

Symphony Seafood/Sushi is one of the best Japanese restaurants I've found in the Boston Area. The food - be it sushi, sashimi, or one of their cooked dishes - always has a clean look and taste. The flavors always come through amazing and I've never once had a service that was anything less than enjoyable. In my dozens of trips here since they opened I have yet to find anything on the menu I don't enjoy - and I've tried it all. Even the friends that visit from Japan seem to enjoy themselves here. The best meal of the day (in my opinion, obviously) is lunch. There's nothing quite like a bento box to set the rest of the day in perfect harmony. Some people don't like the salad dressing used, but I personally find it fine. While the TV over the Sushi bar doesn't quite fit the style of this establishment, it gives you something to look at if conversation is dying out. If doing take out, everything is packed neatly separated by dish and, while lacking the atmosphere of the place, is just as great in quality and quantity. read more

I really love Symphony Sushi. I order out from here a lot and the food always arrives at the correct temperatures and within a reasonable amount of time. As for dining in...the wait staff could be a bit more attentive. I don't like when they hover by any means but I don't want to have to search and wave someone down to get my water refilled. Besides that the waitresses I've run into have been extremely pleasant. I love the shumai here. It comes with an awesome dipping sauce when most places just serve it with soy sauce. Everything is fresh and they have a good selection of different rolls. Try the sweet potato temura. It's a little strange but great. read more

I got the maki deluxe, which came with three rolls: Spicy tuna: eh. Yellowtail & scallion: small & simple like cucumber rolls, but not bad... Symphony roll: AMAZING!! they're signature roll has PEACH in it. yes, the fruit. with tempura. read more

Symphony Sushi a decent local sushi joint, perfectly fine and cute, if you are local or in the area for, well, the Symphony. However, it can be difficult to get any suitable sushi directly from the menu - almost everything offered contains mayo, cream cheese, or something fried. This is horrifying. Sushi is more expensive because it's clean, fresh, and treated with care. Why are you ruining it with mayo or oil? That's like putting ketchup on steak, or Coca-cola in Remy Martin. What is the point of paying for (fresh raw fish/choice meat/higher end liquor) if you are just going to ruin it? Save the mayo for canned tuna, please! If you avoid the aforementioned fiasco pieces, the sushi is decent, but limited, to make way for this parade of ridiculous rolls. It's certainly not the best in the City, but fine to satisfy any sushi jonesing. On a weekday, it's pretty easy to get seating - on Friday or Saturday, it's overrun by Northeastern students. It's true, if I had a inexpensive sushi joint on my college campus where all my friends were, I would have been there constantly, too - and having a kick ass party of it - but now that I'm a grown up, that may not quite the vibe I'm going for. Nonetheless, during the week, it's nice for a quick sushi bite. read more

Good quality sushi at decent prices. Fish was fresh, service was fast. I actually noticed that the restaurant was quiet despite being about a third full- no silly music or notably loud customers, so I could actually have a nice conversation at our table. I appreciate that in a sit-down restaurant these days. The dining room was a little dark though, so we asked to move to a table in the window and it didn't seem to be a problem. The Sushi Regular House Entree was filling, and the rolls my friend ordered were also tasty. I even remember the caterpillar maki because it was so good. Yum! read more

Symphony Sushi - Sushi Regular (front), caterpillar roll (top left), and some other roll. - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Today I had my first order from Symphony Sushi -- takeout hamachi (yellowtail) nigiri sushi and maguro (standard tuna) sashimi. The prices are fair for what they give you, but I have a few things to say. The business runs efficiently. I came in around 6:30 and there were several dine-in groups that were seated quickly. However, I do have some complaints about the sushi offerings! Maybe it was a one-time thing, but I highly doubt I'll be returning. The yellowtail slices I got were sparingly thin, and the tuna sashimi quite small (and didn't seem to be sliced properly). They do charge a dollar less than rising competitor Ginger Exchange, but having dined at GX as well I felt as if Symphony's offering was subpar. It makes sense, as neither venue seem to have Japanese staff, but it still hurts my sushi-loving soul! I noticed that they do have toro (fatty tuna) at a fair price, but should the portions be that small at such rates, I won't be buying. I would have given it three stars had this joint been in Los Angeles -- but I must be fair. It's not bad for Boston, but I'm still slightly disgruntled by the value for the price. read more

This review will include a dining experience review and a delivery review. Dining Experience: I've dined here on several occasions. The seating is a little tight, but the seats are made out of (bamboo/wood) and give you a very "asian" dining vibe while you eat. The restaurant specializes in both Chinese and Japanese cuisine. I've had the sushi (Sushi specials, unagi-don, and individual orders of sushi like mackeral/uni/unagi/ikura. Sushi is very fresh. However, I stopped ordering the spicy tuna rolls from this location because they drown them in scallions (not my favorite). On the chinese food side, I've been disappointed several times. For one, the general gau's chicken is too think in a orange sauce that kills any other tastes from the chicken. The sesame chicken tastes like it is drowned in this same sauce. The noodles that come with the Teriyaki Lunch are nicely mixed with a sauce. I'd recommend ordering the sushi from this restaurant, particularly the nigiri (single pieces) or rolls that are not spicy. read more

absolutely deplorable . After waiting more than 2 hours for our sushi arrived it fimall came after 10 pm long after the restaurant closing time i'd 9 pm. i requested a refund which they never responded to and on top of threat the sushi made both me and my GF sick! STAY AWAY read more

I had a great lunch experience here a few weeks ago with a friend! I was pretty boring and ordered a salmon sampler, which (if I recall correctly) was salmon roll, salmon handroll, and salmon nigiri. What I *definitely* recall correctly was the fantastic service and the yummy fish. I can't wait to come back and try a more diverse selection next time! read more

I rather love Symphony Sushi. I should mention that, as a Northeastern student, it happens to be the closest sushi place to me, but that bias aside, I love Symphony Sushi. First off, the service is great. They are quick at turning around tables, good at handling groups, friendly enough when seating and dealing with you, and other such niceties. They also will basically assume that if you're a college-aged group of more than 2, that you want the check split, and will do so usually without even asking, which makes going with a group even easier. As for the food, I do rather enjoy it. For lunch, the sushi lunch and sashimi lunch are both fabulous (and cheap!). The bento is also quite good. I applaud them for having unagi bento, which I haven't seen at too many other locations (and is definitely worth a try if you're not disgusted by eel). For dinner, they have many specialty rolls under $10, and this makes it pretty easy to try a lot out with a group. It's good sushi, an awesome location, great prices, and that makes it worth it in my book. read more

I'm not usually one to have a "regular" order, but here, I always get spicy salmon maki, fashion maki and edamame. And it makes me extremely happy every time. I've tried many other sushi places, and this place has remained my favorite. I usually get it to go, and it's ready in 5-10 minutes even when they're busy. Reasonably priced, tasty, AND quick? Yes, yes, and yes. read more

This place has great sushi! I had the Idaho Maki sweet potato sushi an avocado cucumber sushi. Incredibly done. The only draw back to this place is that the service is very very very slow. Did I say slow? Anyhoo..it is worth going to if you have a long story to tell and if you are trying to kill some time..and eat fine sushi simultaneously. read more

Symphony Sushi - Sweet Potato & Avocado and Cucumber Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My husband and I met friends here for early dinner before heading across the street to Jordan Hall. They'd been here before, we had not, but they thought eating here would work out fine. We all had miso soup, very warm and soothing on a winter evening. A bottle of white wine went nicely with our main dishes. We shared some spicy sushi, veggie and shrimp tempura, a grilled fish dish and crispy duck. Great assortment, things were tasty and fresh. Lovely. read more

Ate here last night and I really liked it. The sashimi was really fresh and it is close to the T so it is super convenient! Recommend: Ocean Maki Roll read more

Decent sushi here. The place looks quite nice, which scared me because I was worried that would mean it would be expensive. Their lunch and house specials are very reasonable in price. So I probably wouldn't come here for anything other than those. I don't know, honestly, there isn't really anything remarkable or unremarkable here, so I'm just gonna go... read more

Symphony Sushi is kind of like a hidden gem. Hidden in a sense where it's not very easy to find nor is it easy to get to if you rely on your car. This place is really meant for a quick lunch break in my opinion. I've been here a few times during lunch and every time I try to come, it's packed. Because of that I tried to come as early as 11:30am to beat the rush but my group of 7 was just 1 person too large, so we waited for 40 minutes. The sushi is not expensively priced but is a very typical Americanized sushi menu - bento boxes, tempura udon, spider and California rolls, you get the gist. I would recommend coming here for a quick sushi fix for an affordable price. Soft shell crab. read more

Overall I guess this place is ok... I've been here tons of times and I have had most things of the menu. I have to say that my favorite item happens to be among the cheapest -- the fried rice, whether the kimchee or the salmon. The texture of the rice is really great and the dish just holds together beautifully. Everything else can come or go. As a neighborhood joint it gets the job done. And no, I don't think there's anything special about the fish here. Passable. read more

I'm not a huge sushi fan.. but I'm always determined to find something tasty. I ordered the Spicy Tuna Roll and the Mexican Roll (tuna, avocado, tabasco..). The Mexican Roll was GREAT! The Spicy Tuna Roll was fine (3 stars). I would definitely order the Mexican Roll again. Service was efficient. Spicy Tuna + Mexican Roll + Diet Coke = $19 (inc. tax/tip). Good deal! read more

As a student living near this place, I've been here many many times with friends. It's the go-to place for a little lunch break or dinner and pretty tasty sushi. The sushi here is definitely decent quality, and there are a lot of traditional and original rolls to choose from. I love Christmas, Caterpillar, and Dragon maki. The spicy tuna is a good size and not too spicy for my mild tastes. If you are seriously hungry then go for the fried rice or noodles, big portion and lots of tasty (probably with msg's help) carbs. read more

Bottom line: Decent sushi at a generally good price, but the service blows. I'm usually a sushi fan, generally because they're usually pretty friendly. Symphony is not. Blatantly put. We arrived around 7pm on move in day, so to the waitress's credit, I'm sure she had had a harrowing evening filled with stressed parents and deranged children (yes.. children). Nightmare. I'm none of this demographic, so she should have been happy to have me. RIGHT??! Nope, not so much. We were asked to wait for our table for around 5 minutes, which would have been ok, except the table we would eventually sit at was open. and set. and was before we arrived. So what's with the poor hostessing skills? Fast forward to ordering, she seemed GENUINELY pissed off. At me, the world, our table, who knows. But it was a little sad, mainly because I could tell she was just aiming to spit in my food. :( When the rolls came, they were pretty good (no, mine wasn't unnecessarily juicy, thank god) and then she disappeared. We nommed our rolls in a quick fashion, and the dishes were quiiiickly (yes, i'm putting emphasis) removed. In fact, someone didn't even finish all their food before she sniped that plate. Talk about quick service! ... Oh wait. No that's not a good thing. Overall, I liked the sushi (though, it was more expensive than it should have been for just the basic rolls). The restaurant itself is nice too. But you know, half of dining is the experience. So bye bye 2 stars. Maybe this place will get an updated review sometime in the future. read more

Not very impressive. The veggie gyoza were ok...a bit sticky, but the sauce was tasty. Edamame were salty and hot. But I ordered the Chirashi for my entree and it came with a really standard, almost insulting array of "fish" ( i wouldn't consider fake crab a real fish...or the triangular pieces scrambled egg...ugh). The fish was all cut differently, no symmetry to it at all, and just sort of plopped in the bowl. Tuna was VERY thick cut and irony, salmon was decent and fairly normal, the rest (yellow tail maybe? and a gross looking piece of mackerel that i just pushed to the side) was blah. Next time I'm going to walk in the opposite direction and hit up Samurai on Boylston. read more

The cheapest QUALITY sushi I have come across in Boston. The food is always fresh and the wait staff is very friendly and cooperative. You can tell the sticky rice is perfectly cooked and extremely fresh. The bar that holds all of the fish is transparent so you can watch them make the sushi and assure the freshness of the product. My favorite items are the fresh avocado (never tasted more perfectly ripe fruit) and the creamy tobasco sauce they use on some of their rolls. Good assortment of beers and sake as well. read more

Delicious food and very comfortable, stylish atmosphere. It's a small place, so you may have to wait a bit, but it's well worth it!! We had miso soup, spring rolls, 2-3 maki selections that were the best I've had, and crispy duck... I really liked everything about this place...saving the best for last, the service was outstanding!! Highly recommend, even for non-sushi ppl, the menu has a lot to offer and the service is just exceptional! read more

Symphony Sushi is my go to sushi place in the area. Although there is usually a line during popular lunch and dinner times, I always get a table quickly and have never had to wait more than 15 minutes. I always get the Philadelphia Maki and Edamame. They're priced very well and the fish always tastes good and fresh. I can't personally comment on the other sushi dishes, but my friends always get Bento boxes, which they rave about. read more

I came in for a bento box on Sunday. Unfortunately they don't serve a lunch special on Sunday, so no bento box for me :(. I ordered the pork and chicken ramen instead and asked for extra vegetables, which they included. The soup was large and tasty, though I regret not getting just chicken. This is a decent place to get a pre symphony Asian meal, as the BSO is nearby. read more

Symphony Sushi - Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Went with a friend for lunch, and after being seated, never saw a waiter. We motioned for someone to come over after about 20 minutes, but were ignored. How's the food? I wouldn't know-we left. Won't be back. read more

best sushi you're gonna find around these parts. A little on the expensive side, but well worth it. They have all the traditional rolls and makis mixed with some of their own fun and delicious stuff. Their udon is pretty awesome as well. my only complaint is that the service there is a little off, one way or another. Sometimes you get the one who forgets what you ordered and doesn't bring everything out until way later, for example i got my miso soup after my maki, weird. and sometimes you get the one who never remembers to refill your water. and none of them have any personality whatsoever. it's actually kinda scary, i think they're robot asian drones... no seriously. read more

I love this place!! It's a bit pricey, but worth every penny. The staff are super friendly and are good servers. I love the Mexican Roll since I am such a avocado and spicy tuna fan. This place has the best sushi in the city. Hands down LOVE IT! read more

LUNCH REVIEW A friend of mine too me there for lunch last week and I am glad she did. The lunch specials are a great deal and come with a miso soup. There is a variety of options. I went with the tuna tidbits, 3 pieces of ahi sushi and a 6-portion spicy tuna roll. The fish was good, the portions plenty and at $8.50, the price was right. Service was nothing special, but not bad either. The place offers an open space, good lighting and while busy doesn't feel overcrowded. read more

Love it. While Symphony Sushi is nowhere near I live, work or play, I go out of my way to get there at least every month or two. They have amazing lunch specials valid Monday - Saturday so the GF and I usually trek over on Saturdays. I've had greater enjoyment from the Yaki/Udon and sushi dishes than the Bento boxes. read more

Went out with a few friends for a Sunday night dinner. I got the unaju bowl (unagi rice bowl) and a tuna nigiri. My friends got the salmon bowl and salmon combo. Both the tuna and salmon sashimi were really fresh and smooth. The unagi was cooked very well-- not too chewy, very tender and not overly salted with teriyaki sauce. Both of my friends liked their meals. The rice bowls were really filling-- I had to take home leftovers! The prices were pretty fair for what you get. My two items came out to $20 total and my friends' dishes were $14 each. Overall: would recommend and would go again :) read more

Symphony Sushi - Unaju don (unagi and rice) and tuna nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Usually the place I go with to get either: Chicken/Pork Katsu Bento during lunch OR the salmon combo. Always good and yummyyyyy. Haven't really tried other items but it's consistently good. Their miso soup is a little sub-par, but hey it comes free with the meal so. read more

When i first found this place, I wasn't expecting much; boy was I mistaken. The sushi is really good, my personal favorite is the Spicy Scallops Maki roll. Not a fan of sushi, they have other delicious stuff on the menu; ramen, rice bowls, other kinds of soups. It is also a really nice place to have lunch (especially as a student nearby). I love the bento plates they give you. It gives you so much food for a reasonable price. I definitely will be back again in between my classes, or for dinner with friends. read more