vaguely japanese dishes catered to the american palette. overall the food is just decent, nothing more than that. the house dragon maki roll (shrimp tempura, imitation crab, eel, avocado) was non-controversial, except the ratio of tempura batter to shrimp was a bit off. read more

Symphony Sushi - House Dragon Maki - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I used to love this place back in the day. I ordered for lunch and it was all grease. I was so disappointing for $35 dollars it was a total let down and the tuna did not seem fresh. read more

Symphony Sushi - all oil! - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Came here with the girlfriend on a east Thursday evening. Ordered miso, add white rice and you'll be satisfied. Also got caterpillar roll & Mexican roll. Simple rolls but quality of fish is there. Did not order too much but I can have a vision this place has quality. Would recommend. read more

This place is very centrally located and the food is really great! The service was quick, and the ambience is really good. I tried the noodles, sushi, and gyozas (steamed and fried). Everything was well flavored and the portion sizes are good for the price. read more

Symphony Sushi - Vegetable Sushi Platter - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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We went with two non traditional makis and were pleasantly surprised! The cowboy maki has asparagus inside and slices of steak on top of each sushi piece, what a creative way to have steak! The Double Match one is a nice combo of different types of sweet, that from strawberry, pineapple, and sweet potato, bravo! Their sashimi is only ok but I'm tempted to go back and try some other signature rolls! read more

Symphony Sushi - Double Match Maki - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Definitely a small hidden gem! This place is really close to NEU and gives you a bang for your buck! Came with a few friends on Friday evening and it was packed but the wait wasn't too long. It's on the smaller side but I really enjoyed the intimacy of the space. You don't really have to yell over other people to talk to your friends and you certainly don't struggle to hear them either! I would say it's better for parties less than 6 people. I'm a little surprised at the low rating because the sushi was really good quality and the portion was more generous than I expected for the price. I got a poke bowl and my friend got a rice bowl. The rolls are a bit smaller than what I had expected but all in all, wouldn't mind being back for a quick sushi fix! read more

Although it's only a short walk from Hynes Convention Center, the Symphony neighborhood is unfamiliar to me. Where does one eat before seeing a show at BU theater? I never have any strong recommendations because most of my past restaurant experiences in this neighborhood have been suboptimal. My friend and I tried Symphony Sushi for the first time this past weekend. She ordered the salmon entrée. I opted for the eel ramen. Our entrees were unremarkable and lacked flavor. I would take any of my Midwestern non-seafood eating friends here because our dishes kind of tasted like chicken. It should be noted that the service was warm and attentive. I really liked our waiter. The prices were outstanding given the portions and our selections. Perhaps, we didn't order the right entrees. I might go back and try the poke which seems to have great online reviews. read more

Symphony Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

A group of 5 of us went here for a late dinner on a Saturday night. Great service and great food!! They also have decent prices. We were all stuffed and couldn't even finish all of our food. I got the spicy combo entree that came with spicy salmon, spicy tuna and spicy yellowtail - all were good. I also got the Fire Maki and it was delicious!! Ocean Maki, Spicy Scallop, Crazy Maki and Rainbow Roll we're also amongst the rolls ordered and everyone enjoyed theirs! read more

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Thanks Yelpers for helping me discover this place when I was temping at Northeastern & on campus lunch options were closed for winter break. The lunch specials are reasonably priced & the salmon bento box was delicious. read more

if you're looking to get a quick and relatively affordable meal (and aren't picky with food), then symphony sushi is the place for you. i'd definitely give this place 3.5 stars if i could. -i came here with 2 friends on a saturday afternoon and we were quickly seated. there isn't any outdoor seating, but the inside is pretty spacious and has plenty of tables. -both cash and card are accepted from what i remember -the service here is pretty good! our waitress was friendly and the food was served to us around 15-20 minutes after ordering. they did mess up my order, though. i had asked for thee salmon teriyaki bento, but they ended up giving me chicken teriyaki instead. but, i didn't mind since they both cost the same. -you can order for pickup through their website. i think they also accept orders over the phone too. 10/9/21 -crazy maki roll: this roll is cut into 8 pieces, which is relatively good for sharing with a table. the inside has shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, tobiko, and spicy mayo. it's probably their one of their most popular rolls, but it wasn't anything special. the quality was just okay in my opinion. especially since its price was over $9 including tax, i'm not sure if it was totally worth the price. (3.5/5) -chicken teriyaki bento lunch special: this is a lot of food price-wise. the lunch special comes with your choice of protein (ie: salmon, chicken, curry tonkatsu, etc), edamame, grapes, rice, 2 pieces of california roll, a side salad, and a spring roll. the whole box was only around $10-11, which is very reasonable. the meal is really filling, but wasn't that satisfying. the chicken was kind of try and the teriyaki sauce was pretty much the only reason why it tasted good. the sides were also fine, but none of them stood out to me in a good way. i love the affordability of this meal, but it just wasn't that great taste-wise. (3.5/5) overall, i'm not sure if i see myself coming back here anytime soon in the future. i wasn't that blown away or anything by the food, unfortunately. although quite cheap, the bento box was still kind of disappointing. and on the flip side, the other tastier options just weren't as affordable. if you're looking for some really high quality japanese food, maybe try some place else. if disregarding price, i would probably recommend that you must try the crazy maki roll though! read more

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had my last dinner in boston here with my bff. the food was so yummy delicious! honestly the highlight was how close the tables are together which allowed for some of the best eavesdropping a girl could ask for. the lighting is fun! i ordered the bitch's brew and it could have been stronger considering the price but it was delicious. would go again if i lived in the area read more

I did a pick up order and when I came home I found out a little screw in my seaweed salad. read more

Symphony Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is the SPOT. The food is A+ The prices are good. Covid safely here is no joke, it's my first time out since getting fax's and as nervous I was they were so good about protocols. Bee was our server and she was authentically crazy sweet. I never leave reviews but I wanted her managers to know it. Especially right now there's no way every customer she gets is kind and she deserves the world. I hope she never gets a problem customer as long as she lives and gets tipped properly for forever. read more

We had Bee as a server and she was the sweetest, kindest person ever. She was so accommodating and attentive. Yes, the food was also excellent. But the service was phenomenal. I'm definitely coming back because of her! P.s. definitely order the miso eggplant appetizer! read more

We loved this place! Where in Boston can you get great Sushi, and drinks for 3 for $65? Here!!! We took our son out to dinner while visiting him at college. Our server was so pleasant as well. We got the gyoza, pork belly sandwich, spicy seafood miso soup (phenomenal), and sushi. All delish. The sashimi were huge pieces too. Well worth the visit. We went on a Monday and found parking right on the street too. Five stars we will probably make this our staple place when visiting our son at college. read more

I love this place, it is great, affordable and they have an awesome bento box! I can't get enough. I go to the restaurant and order it online at least once a week! read more

2 and a half. Just walked in to get a quick bit to eat with my daughter. The server said they had orange lemonade but just lied and got us normal yellow lemonade. The price is more then I was expecting to pay for the meal. It's around a collage so they're price is more then normal. The rent for the space is high so most of the money is going to the landlord. The rice fell apart fast. The avocado and Cucumber was warm that was really gross!! Maybe I went during a bad time, Had to update my star rating. My daughter got sick and throw up the food about 2 hrs after we sadly stopped in here. She throw up all the food. Happy we did not order anything else. I should have know better when the drinks came out hot and the food came out warm. read more

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Best affordable sushi you can find around this area. What we ordered: Duck tata - DON'T EVER ORDER THIS. It was sooo weird. It was chewy almost like it was cartilage or something. Ew. Edamame - a little too much salt for me. Seaweed salad - Refreshing on a hot, summer day. Snow mountain maki (+) Rainbow maki (+) 2 Spicy tuna maki 2 Scorpion maki Was this for a group? No just for two people. My boyfriend and I definitely could not finish this and it was way too much food. Why did he feel the need to order two of the spicy tuna and scorpion makis? We rolled out of the restaurant. None of the rolls we had were SPECTACULAR, but I would definitely recommend the snow mountain and the rainbow maki. The servers were very nice and always refilled our waters once they got half empty. If you need a quick fix to satisfy your sushi craving, this is the place you should go. read more

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5 years at northeastern and i never once stepped inside symphony sushi. BIG mistake. Why'd I stay away so long?! 1) all the panhandlers who called the BK lounge (Burger King) next door their home 2) all the wannabe hipsters hanging out at Espresso Royale 3) my general distaste for seafood For people who dont like seafood or are scared of sushi start with the Crazy Roll and The Mexican Roll. The Crazy Roll is similar to a Cali Roll but with shrimp tempura in place of crab (anytime you can get rid of crabs its a plus in my book). And The Mexican Roll felt like I had an all out drug war in my mouth full of drugs, guns, money and lots of beheadings.... but in a good way. I haven't tried their ginger ales yet so the jury is still out on that, but for all you die-hard gingers out there like myself i will get back to you. Oh, the dumplings are amazing and my chopsticks skills are improving steadily. read more

Symphony Sushi - steamed beef and chicken gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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As being a "Sashimi Nazi" myself, I have to give a huge credit to this place for offering "the best deal of sashimi" in Boston. My physical measurement of the best deal of sashimi is "thickness-price" ratio. Price is usually proportion to thickness of the cut. This place's cut is just as thick as one from Fugakyu and $5 cheaper!($19). I liked the interior. It's not neat but not intimidating as I am a frugal guy who often gets intimidated by fancy places(i.e. No 9, Mistral). I don't remember waitress's name or face, but I don't recall I was being pissed off therefore the service must have been good or adequate at least. read more

Based on the quality of their sushi and service they are getting the best review possible. Let me tell you my whole story about Symph Sushi - this is the place that introduced me to sushi. My good friend sat me down and made me try their Idaho Maki (DELISH), which for those of you who don't know is sweet potato sushi, and a great way to break in anyone who has never had sushi before. I have since graduated taste wise...and they make my all time favorite sushi roll ever - the Mexican Roll. I know it sounds funny...and it looked funny to me too, but it's pure heaven. Spicy Tuna (they do make the BEST spicy tuna ever), avocado on top, and scallions and this special sauce makes it the most delightful roll ever. Their miso soup is divine as well. They also have the most perfect little mochis to finish off your meal. They used to be $1.00 a piece for this perfect piece of goodness, but I am not sure how much they are now. The waitresses are all very sweet, it's easy to make reservations, and they ALWAYS top off your water (which usually has lemon in it). There's even a TV in there so you can catch parts of important sports games...a must in Boston. And if this doesn't convince you about their awesomeness...let me tell you, every time I'm in Boston I go there, as does my Mom, and my sister, and many other people I know. The sushi is worth the trip into downtown Boston! I can't say enough things about this restaurant...please, try it, you won't be disappointed! (they also have delightful chicken teryiaki and other non sushi goodies for those of you who do not like sushi...there is something for almost every taste there). read more

Symphony Sushi - Mexican Roll. My favorite sushi roll ever! - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

High hopes...shattered. *shakes head* I came here the other night at 930. It closes at 1030, and there were 3 other tables there when i arrived and another party came in after me..but somehow the server decided that our dinner should be rushed so she can like, get off work or something, even though they are not closing just yet. We got our waters..and while you can see, even if you are blind, that i am trying very hard to decide on my order, yenno with my head digging into the menu and all, our server chose to come over 2 mins later to ask us when were are ordering..."i'm not ready..js yet..." 2 mins later..she comes back. AHHH Are you serious...??? Fine, i gave in. I ordered the ocean maki because it's apparently "REALLY" good. If you don't like wasabi...please don't order it..i was like dying. hahaha. The presentation wasn't that pretty..and the rice was really..really dry... meh. My friends sushi had really dry shrimp. This place might be just as bad as minados. We only stayed 20 mins...after we got our check, you can see that we were still trying to calculate our monies...nope..she comes over...and looks to see if she can take it...Then comes back in another 2 mins...and when she finally gets it..she doesn't wait til we are gone, while walking back she's counting the money.. *shakes head again*. Only thing i like about this place? the decoration and that the hosts are nice, or they appear to be. read more

Symphony Sushi - Ocean maki - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I'm not a Northeastern student. In fact, I've never gone to Northeastern. I have never lived in that area, and because it's on the green "E" line, it's possibly the most out of the way place for me to go to. Suffice it to say, I can get sushi in about fifteen other places that would be more convenient for me. But I don't want to. Because Symphony Sushi rocks something fierce. Surprise! I would have never tried it had it not been for a friend and colleague who swore by it. She did go to Northeastern, and she and her friends were regulars during her years at college. But a degree and a move across town did not sever her relationship with the Japanese eatery; quite the opposite, actually. She excitedly told friends about her favorite spot, and those who followed, like me, were in for quite the treat. The one thing that stands out to me about Symphony Sushi are the prices. It's hard to believe that such good quality sushi and creative rolls are so affordable. The avocado salad is the best I've had anywhere. It's enough to feed you for your meal, but that shouldn't stop you from ordering off the rest of the menu. They certainly have some interesting ideas for rolls! The cowboy roll, for instance, has grilled sirloin on it, wrapped with the avocado and salmon and asparagus tempura. Wow. And the service is friendly and speedy. You really can't ask for anything more. read more

Symphony Sushi - Cowboy Roll - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

It has been way too long since I wrote a review. So what better way to get back to "yelping" than writing about one of my favorite restaurants! This place has been way overdue for a stellar review! Symphony Sushi has to be considered a hidden gem amongst all sushi restaurants. It tends to get a little busy for weekend lunches and of course at night, but I have not had much of a wait before. The waitresses are very friendly and the décor is very warm and welcoming. It's dark inside but the windows are huge and open out to the street making it a little more bright and inviting. It's the perfect place for a date in my opinion. I've mostly just had their sushi. Some of my favorites are the Fire Maki, the Mexican Maki, the Crazy Maki, and the Ocean Maki. I think I've tried most of the maki's by now and I have honestly never had one that I didn't like. One thing I never do at sushi restaurants is waste my money on food that isn't raw, but here I have to make an exception. They have an amazing fried rice dish with salmon and edamame that goes perfect with anything on the menu. You won't be sorry. Their prices are very reasonable. It's not the cheapest stuff around, but you get what you pay for. Honestly, the quality/price ratio is awesome. I have yet to find a sushi restaurant that balances quality and price so well. They also have a very nice bathroom that impresses me every time I go. I feel that's important to mention because you obviously have a place that management really cares about. All the waitresses/hostesses have smiling faces and the chef's are always timely and very consistent. This is a remarkable place and fast becoming my favorite restaurant! read more

3.5 stars. Very solid spot. Most boston sushi restaurants are either splurge-worthy expensive (uni, oishii, oya) or dives (avana). Symphony is the happy medium -- good quality for a good price! My go to for Tuesday night takeout or a quick dinner pre-Pops! Generous pours of wine don't hurt either. read more

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

To be honest I was not impressed by this place. It's cramped and dark. The miso soup was mediocre, the fresh rolls were made with imitation seafood that was overly salty. My vegetarian sushi was just okay, but the California rolls all tasted like wasabi and I almost gagged. I didn't finish them at all. Out waitress was relatively absent which was weird. Really not impressed. read more

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This used to be my favorite place for sushi, but service is so bad I couldn't overlook. We felt invisible once seated, and we waited 15 minutes without anyone talking to us or bring water. Seemed like customers around me were having the same issue. Considered drinking the soy sauce at one point we were so hungry and couldn't even order .. the servers paid no attention to us :( Do better please read more

With so many different choices throughout Boston for great sushi, I was incredibly disappointed by the quality of the sushi I received from Symphony the other day. Nothing tasted just right and even before I ordered, my friend said to me, "Order sushi from Teriyaki House because they're on the same level in terms of quality! But they're a lot cheaper!" Of course, I thought he was being ridiculous. Symphony Sushi. They specialize in what? Duh! I thought it was ridiculous that my friend would compare Symphony to Teriyaki House, but hey, he had his reasons, right? I wish I had listened. Granted, when I called in for my order to be picked up, the host on the other line was incredibly helpful, thorough and spoke English well so I understood all that she said. In terms of service, it's hard for me to say because I DID only use them for take out, but what they did do, they did well. Once I received my sushi, I went back to my friends house for dinner. Just a personal pet peeve: I hate it when they staple the bag a million times so I have to whip out my chain saw to get to the food. It's really okay, folks. I'm not gonna let my chopsticks fly out the top of the bag and into the horizon. It's really okay. But pulling out the sushi, everything looked pretty good. But then, it was time to eat... *DUN DUN DUN!!!!* We cracked the chopsticks, we picked up the sushi and instead of being a roll that was held together, the whole entire thing just fell apart and unraveled, turning into a sloppy mess all over the table and on top of the rest of the sushi. The spicy salmon that I had gotten tasted like they had mixed it with oil. Pure vegetable oil. Having worked at a sushi restaurant in the past, I said: "Hm...maybe they added tempura flakes to their spicy salmon. They do that sometimes with spicy tuna rolls at certain places too." But after tasting it, I took my words back. There wasn't any crunch that you'd get with the tempura and I wasn't sure what was going on, but it wasn't good at all. We ate as much as we could and no matter how full we get, we always clear our plates whenever it comes to sushi. I don't know why. That's just how we are. Maybe because it's on the pricier side and we want to make sure we get our money's worth. This occasion? Nah. We left them. They laid there on the table ignored while we watched show after show and documentary after documentary before I made a face and said, "You're done, right?" Symphony wasn't disgusting. I didn't have ridiculous service or want my money back after I ate or throw up as soon as the food hit my mouth. On the other hand, I did hear a *cha-ching!* go off in my head after every bite, wondering where my money went and why I didn't listen to my friend when he told me to go to Teriyaki House. Looks like I'll have to listen next time. Again, with so many sushi places in the Boston area, why settle for anything less than excellent? read more

As much as I would like to give this place a 3 star, the food was more 3.5, the convenience factor was 5 for going to the Symphony Orchestra concert after, and the service was a 4+ so I'm going to even it out at 4. Sushi in Boston is ... interesting because I had the pleasure of eating at O Ya but found out that it is probably one of the only sushi places in the city since sushi is not big in Boston. I find it to be a little odd since it's next to the ocean, but then again, not all sushi fish come from that side so perhaps that's why lobsters and other types of seafood are more popular. I tried to go to Toro which was down the street from the Symphony Hall but it was way, way too packed and it was the only restaurant on the trip I could have made a reservation for, but didn't. I quickly yelped (haha...I would...) and found this place as an acceptable substitute and we were seated within minutes. The waitress immediately brought by hot tea prior to asking what we wanted to drink, which was nice considering it was quite cold outside. The food was good, it came fast and the service was prompt and clean. I enjoyed their sushi here and I thought actually it was pretty good value for what you got. I ordered the spicy combo which was a combination of 3 spicy rolls (normal rolls like spicy tuna) for merely $11! Not bad. The chirashi was only $14 if I remember correctly so I felt this was a good place to go. The atmosphere was nice and chill, but the restaurant is quite a bit larger than I expected. I enjoyed my experience here for a quick fix meal but it's not exactly the connoisseur's sushi if that's what you're looking for. read more

We ordered: Fire Maki, Spicy tuna , Spicy salmon and Sushi pizza to share. The Fire Maki was the best roll and pretty unique. The spicy tuna and spicy salmon were not spicy at all, which is usually the issue when I order these rolls at restaurants. The sushi pizza was very unique and I thought it was tasty. I wasn't sure what all was in it, but that's the fun part and it was definitely delicious. The best part about this place is that they don't load it up with rice. It was a very thin layer of rice and a ton of fish, which is my kind of roll! I'm not a fan of mostly rice and a little bit of meat. I also tried a little bit of my friend's spicy beef noodle soup. I didn't get to try any of the food itself, only the broth. The broth was super tasty and it reminded me of a beef stew type thing I used to grow up eating. I wish I had tried more, but it's probably what I will order the next time I visit. read more

Not bad Japanese bento lunch if you can stand the very loud music, more appropriate for dancing than having a relaxing post or pre concert meal with friends you would like to talk with. They occasionally have trouble ensuring the food is hot but the flavors are great Otherwise good and friendly service. read more

This is my go to spot for lunch in the Northeastern/Fenway area. It's no frills, but the sushi is tasty and the staff are so sweet. They have great lunch specials, and it's such an affordable price any other time! I came for Valentine's Day before seeing a show at the Huntington, and they gave all the ladies red roses. I've read that people find them a bit slow - I've been there many times and don't think I've had the same experience. I think the set up and the quality maybe give people the mindset that it's akin to "fast food," but it's still a restaurant! They get people in and out in a timely manner. read more

Classic staple in back bay for Japanese and the sushi never fails to impress. Recommend ordering online during the lunch rush.

This place is right around the corner from me and it's probably the best sushi around. Now, that's not saying all THAT much, but it's still decent. My favorites: Idaho Maki and Rock n'Roll Maki. I've tried a bunch of things here and I keep going back to those two. I'll usually get the Idaho and something else. One thing I don't like: I'm a big fan of the Philadelphia Roll at sushi joints, but here it sucks. They use smoked salmon and include scallions (which I despise). I suppose I could special order, but it kinda defeats the point, doesn't it? Like most sushi places, the tempura shrimp and veggies are reliable as well. It's always a bit more than you want to pay, but isn't that always the case? I think they recently hired some better phone-people because now when I call to put in my take-out order, they're much nicer and I can understand them! read more

Being a college student who easily gets sick of American food served at the dining hall, I usually find myself gravitated to Symphony Sushi and another restaurant nearby for my Asian fix (because rice/noodles can go a long way for a child raised on those grains). I came here many times before, each time trying a different selection. In summary, I have to say that their sushi were actually very good and the serving portion did not disappoint. Also, the sushi is prettily presented on white plates. For appetizers, I think I only had their agedashi tofu and it was delicious. The tofu was beautifully fried and the sauce was just right. But I would have liked the sauce to be on the side rather than have the tofu sitting in it, since the tofu on the bottom was soggy by the time I made my way down there. Also I've tried their yaki, soba and udon here, all of which were served in large soup bowls. I definitely love SS for their portions, but everything was just a bit too salty for my taste. I really like their tempura, which had a nice golden color and a soft center. Their lunch bentos were so affordable it is amazing. Eating here is definitely filling. I definitely would have like that the waitresses came by with more water (I ran out pretty quickly), but it was nice to get the food after a short wait. Their bathroom is also clean for an Asian establishment because some places are just horrendous. I enjoyed the ambiance and the cleanliness here very much too. They'll definitely be getting my service even after I graduate. Service: 3/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 Food (appearance, portion, taste): 4/5 Overall: 3.5/5 read more

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Symphony Sushi is quite famous, so I went there to have a try with a friend. That place is small but warm, Japanese style. I ordered Caterpillar Scroll and my friend's choice is a kind of ramen. Both of them were quite yummy. read more

Symphony Sushi - Caterpillar scroll - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

It's only worth coming for the lunch specials. Food is consistently good and a large portion at lunchtime. Beware of the lunch rush but they also do takeout and are pretty fast about it. read more

Takoyaki was a mismatch of batter to octopus in that in each ball we only had one small bit of octopus and tons of batter which was like lava inside--too mushy/liquid. I had Idaho Maki at Finn (same owners I believe) a long time ago and it was a lot better because it was warm inside--this one was one. Fashion Maki was a bit too much of the same texture for me--too soft as the eel, avocado and cream cheese had similar textures. Crazy Maki was great and crispy though. I wanted more Shrimp tempura! The Maine Lobster Roll was difficult to eat, and when we both tried a piece felt like we had a cold piece of tuna in half our mouths, and warm lobster covered in spicy mayo in the other half. It was hard to mix it. There was also a bit too much mayo...and I never thought I would say that. Service was great and very attentive. I'd go again, because everything was very fresh, but I'd get different things. read more

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Always really good food every time I go. Have never had a bad experience here! Would highly recommend dining here for lunch!

The host was very rude and rushed me to order, this was my first time trying sushi and wasn't sure what everything was. Was pressured into getting something I wasn't sure about. And turns out I'm not a fan I got shashimi when I wanted sushi... never again going back read more