Quick service & fresh sushi with unique roll options at reasonable prices. The shrimp & pork dumpling soup was so good that we ordered a 2nd one with the broth only. The edamame was ok--needed more sea salt. We ordered the WTF roll which was good but we found it had too much on it so we liked it better eating it a bit deconstructed. read more

Umami Bham - WTF Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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They have tons of options, you can pretty much always get a seat! They have the best price on bottles of Chaya's brunch. We love a deal! We keep coming back! read more

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Truly enjoyed my experience here. Happy hour had good prices for drinks and food. The server was good and the ambiance is nice. I will be back! read more

So good, fresh, and tasty. Went there on a lark and am so glad I did, it was so tasty! I had the peach sangria, yum. I had the 205 sushi roll, delicious. I had a basil pork taco, slurp. I finish it all up with the spicy pork belly ramen, OMG so good! We were taken care of by Pak and he was fantastic. I'll be back. read more

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Came for dinner on a Friday night, nice walkable area to many food spots. Ordered some sushi rolls, noodle dish, crispy tacos, and nachos. Everything was tasty and came out very quickly. Our waiter was attentive and helpful with the menu questions. Enjoyed the hot noodle dish minus the huge pieces of hot tomato; however good flavor. Friends ordered crispy tacos and nachos. Friend was glad to have ordered several tacos since they are small but several flavor options. Nachos looked good, cheese looked like nacho cheese - friend seemed to be enjoying! Drinks were good, I ordered the mojito which was great. Good happy hour menu read more

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Umami is a great asian/sushi spot in Lakeview. You will have to more than likely search for parking on the street. They have an array of appetizers and sushi rolls. Service has always been top notch the times I have come here too. The ambiance is alright. You feel like you're at the lake almost. read more

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I have had Umami's food previously and it has always been really good, but the food today was just subpar. I ordered the chicken gyoza, spring rolls, and the chicken ramen. The gyozas tasted pretty good, however they were served cold and for $7, I wish they would serve more than just three. The spring rolls were served hot and tasted like they were freshly made so no wrongs there. Lastly the chicken ramen was just ok. IMO, it lacked flavor/seasoning and even after adding salt and pepper, it wasn't much help. Maybe I just picked the wrong food items during my visit. We shall see... read more

Umami Bham - Chicken Gyoza (3) and spring rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I know...my 4 star reviews are abundant. They represent a place that I go to as a staple for one dish, drink or another, but cannot deem it that semi- rare perfect 5 star. Nevertheless, Umami fits my sushi craving for fresh fish and Ramen. They also have superb happy hour, drink, food and lady night specials. And it is a very chill place with cement floor, Japanese indoor decor and a well lit and spacious outdoor patio with cushions on the benches. Wifi is available as well. I do wish the servers were more knowledgable regarding the menu. I asked a question regarding the sake (which is well varied and extensive! yay!) but the server had no idea of the differences nor the sizes. So for the foodsies: 1.) Toro, toro toro!! And no. Not the sadistic Spaniard bull kind, but the belly of the fishies. Sake (salmon) toro, hamachi (yellowfin) toro, and of course, the OG maguro (tuna) toro. Always available and so fresh and tasty. 2.) The bad: ginger house salad. DOOD. It is more like mayo laced ginger dressing with a small side of lettuce. It was like mayo ginger dressing soup with lettuce. I did not finish it because it was more like 10:1 ratio of ginger dressing (mayo based) to lettuce/veggies. This was the WORST dish I have had at Umami, and one of the lower 5 ginger salads I have had at a Japanese restaurant from the over 65478923 places I have eaten across the US. 3.) The chicken wings are...Oh Em GEE!!! Served crispy straight from the frier and crunchy bite nomnom. The sauce is also good and it comes in a baked rice cake vestibule...which my friend kept eating! My ONE GRIPE is that the sauce could have been more abundant. The dish landed and I could see several places of fried chicken free of sauce. Also, for the price, you get 4 pieces of on the smaller side for $6. However, the execution makes up for it. Will I get them again? Maybe. If I ask for more sauce. Otherwise I will continue my search of tasty wings... 4.) Ramen. A good variation of the more "traditional Japanese" chashu tonkatsu and shoyu ramen as well as catering to non pork eaters and vegetarians. I have only gotten the tonkatsu black and flame tonkatsu, which is great in proportion with nicely cooked ramen noodles with that good chewy teethy and what you want in ramen noodle dish as well as a flavorful broth. I do miss the fish cake, black garlic oil that is traditional but hey...cannot ask for everything right? All I can say is that I keep coming back to fulfill my ramen craze in BHM. All in all, I will continue to come here for the ramen at the least and the toro nigiri. The simple maki rolls I find to be overpriced ($12 for a spicy tuna roll? Why???) but the ramen is the best I have found in BHM thus far. Also, the delivery that arrives is still great quality. read more

Umami Bham - Korean Chicken Wings - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I love Umami! Great sushi and tons of options on the menu if you don't like sushi. Perfect place for a date night with the dim lighting and intimate setup. We got the calamari as our appetizer and it was delicious. My boyfriend said it was the best calamari he has ever had. Our waiter took good care of us and checked in throughout. Definitely recommend! read more

Umami Bham - Calamari - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Another great lunch at Umami. Service is always on point. Spicy coconut soup with tofu followed up by Bender roll sushi, avocado taco, and crunchy shrimp taco read more

Umami Bham - Spicy coconut soup with tofu. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Took my daughter and her friends here yesterday for lunch to celebrate her 19th birthday. Her and her friends shared three sushi rolls and I had the chicken ramen. We also had ginger salad and coconut soup. Everything tasted excellent and was more than enough in portion size. The service was top notch and the atmosphere was casual and friendly. Definitely recommend! read more

Umami Bham - Chicken ramen and ginger salad! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Went this morning. The food was good. Waitress was nice. Only 2 star because the black lady at the front door laughed at me and my friend.

I've eaten here for on multiple occasions, and I've never been disappointed. Any of the nigiri pieces are to die for. Their ramens are also a hidden gem. The Tonkatsu fire ramen has a strong kick but a large depth of flavor, and the chashu is soft and fatty. The noodles are perfectly chewy. But I have to say, the karaage chicken ramen is my favorite of the two- the chicken is delightfully crunchy and tender without being too oily or thick. read more

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All was as expected from the reviews, cool vibe, quick service, and great sushi... the ingredients were fresh and it was better than expected! read more

Umami is such a great spot that has some amazing dishes. Our favorite this time around was the spicy calamari, we ended up ordering extra, and the takoyaki. read more

Umami Bham - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I've been to Umami many times now- it's definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Birmingham! They have a very big menu and some of the best sushi. The service is always fast and the food comes out exactly as described! I usually try and get a different sushi roll every time, luckily I've never been disappointed. read more

Umami Bham - 205 Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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My husband and I came here for a date night and randomly picked this spot. I am so impressed! The food was unbelievable. I got the spicy chicken ramen, my husband got the burger, and we shared spring rolls. It was the best ramen I've ever had. Service was wonderful as well, and I feel like it's definitely reasonably priced for what you're getting. They have a good happy hour too! We will definitely be back. read more

Umami is a go-to for me. It's always easy to get seated and the menu selection is amazing. Want ramen? They have it. Sushi? Tons of it. Feeling a burger or tacos? That too! We love sitting on the patio when the weather is perfect. Definitely recommend read more

Umami Bham - Pinche Arroz beef - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Everything I have ever eaten from here has been just okay. Recently had the crispy chicken was it crispy yes, did I taste any chicken? No. But I was happy it was bogo deal and it made for several lunches for me. read more

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I stopped by Unami while on my way out of town traveling. I was going to get sushi, but I ended up ordering ramen. I sat at the bar and had decent service. The ramen was pretty good. It's better at an all ramen shop, but it didn't disappoint. I'll try the sushi next time. read more

Umami Bham - Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Excellent service and menu options. This was my second time coming. I did get the Ginger salad, which is always so yummy. I love that ginger and sauce on the nachos. They are a really great little starter dish. You can't go wrong with spring rolls. They are crispy and fulfilling. The shrimp taco was a very small size, but it had a lot of flavor. The location has plenty of parking options in the Lakeview district. It a very cute laid laid-back area love the setup. read more

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Great service and location! The venue is really nice and spacious, with plenty of outdoor seating on a pretty day! The food has always been good, I recommend literally any of the sushi rolls or the burger! Lots of yummy appetizers as well! Definitely worth checking out! read more

Food was excellent and fast. Neat patio. Loved the spicy basil chicken. Parking can be tough but that last expected downtown.

I really like this addition to Birmingham. It has something for everyone. They have an appetizer that you have to try - the baked crab avocado. It is hard to describe, but very tasty! The chicken gyoza in the panang sauce is delicious and has to be tried as well. If you like sushi, they have some great rolls. If you like tacos, they have some great tacos as well. I tried those out on my most recent trip here as they had been calling my name. The pork belly taco with the brussels was dang good, but the steak taco with the quail egg on it was even better! And I definitely have to come back and try their ceviche. My wife and I love ceviche. So many things on their menu that I want to try, and it all looks / sounds good. I'm sure I'll be back soon! read more

Amazing drinks, super fresh sushi, cute atmosphere, and friendly service. We loved it here. read more

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The food overall was okay. The portion size you receive is pretty small compared to the price of the meal. If you're looking for Asian food in the Birmingham area, I would consider other options first. read more

I used to LOVE Umami. It was my favorite sushi in Birmingham. Now, you pay $18 for a roll that is basically all cucumber. I ordered a Rock N Roll. I got cucumber and rice with barely even enough eel to see and certainly not enough to taste. Decent amount of salmon but the whole roll just tasted like cucumber. After years of good sushi at Umami, this is the third time in a row I've found myself wondering why my sushi is missing fish. Done with Umami. read more

Umami Bham - Rock N Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Umami sushi Sunday is such a good deal. $11 for selected rolls, the menu offers roughly 10 options. We had very quick service. Will be coming back! read more

Umami Bham - 205 roll, bham roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Sunday 12/10 We stopped in for lunch and decided to sit at the bar- large tv (Sunday football). It wasn't crowded at all. Service was okay- Bartender was flat but she did take our order and served the food. There were a lot of options on the menu.The food was delicious. Presentation of the food was top notch. We tried rock shrimp tempura,ahi tuna tacos, crispy shrimp tacos, duck tacos, and fish tacos. I'd visit again. read more

Umami Bham - Ahi Tuna Taco Duck Taco Shrimp Taco - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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My favorite sushi spot in the city. They had a large menu of extremely creative rolls that look and taste beautiful. My favorites are the Caipirinha, which has a lemon slice that makes it super refreshing, and Welden roll, which is saucy and full of flavor. The rolls are decently sized and the pieces of fish are huge, justifying the price (~$20 per roll). I've also had their crispy rice, edamame, and takoyaki for appetizers -- all were great. As for the service, the restaurant has never been super busy, but I always go for lunch. The staff is helpful and attentive, and they always serve your large sushi order on beautiful, instagram-worthy platters. read more

Umami Bham - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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We tried three different tacos: oyster, duck, and shrimp. Of the three, we didn't particularly care for the duck since it was gamey; however, the oysters good and the shrimp was awesome! The cucumber salad and seaweed salads were also very good. Service was excellent! There is plenty of parking behind the establishment. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. read more

I really wanted sushi this evening and every other place was closed so i came to this one what an AWFUL decision the food was so bad the Bham roll had no flavor and when i was done it didn't even felt like i was satisfied and also the service was horrible server checked on us 1 time but thats not the worst part the server when i payed with tap TIPPED HIMSELF 22% he didn't ask me for permission or anything it was only 2 people in the table in wasn't gratuity i would've tipped zero but he changed it and charged me. awful experience read more

Working in Birmingham, AL for a few weeks and I did my usual Yelp due-diligence to find the best places to eat! Well, I found this place, took my wife and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! So much that we came back again the next week! Here's why we spun the block. Atmosphere/Appearance: Set right on the corner of 29th Street and 7th Ave in a more, residential, modern-like district of Birmingham, is this gem. There's no private parking, but finding space on the street wasn't too bad. We came on a Wednesday for a special reason (more on that later) and the restaurant was decently busy. You love to see places thriving no matter what day or time it is. The exterior is a part of a very modern apartment building so it looks fairly inviting. There is a cute outdoor patio facing the sidewalk that contains plenty of comfortable seating. The interior is tastefully decorated and not overly done at all. It's modern, it's chic, spacious and just nice. Service: Service both times was excellent. The manager actually took care of me the 2nd time and she was so sweet. The staff were friendly and made sure I had everything that I needed. Food: So I tried a wide variety of things. Let's start with the wings that are actually served in an edible crispy rice bowl. Lol. The Teriyaki were nice and sticky, a good size. It was GREAT. It was crispy, decently salty, not over-the-top and the sesame seeds were a good addition. The Korean BBQ were beautiful. They're served with scallions and a sauce over top. They tasted delicious. I felt like there may be some schezwan pepper involved in the sauce, but it was bold, tasty and well-executed. The last wing flavor was Mango Habanero. It was thick and as juicy as the other wings, not terribly spicy as I would expect from a flavor that involved Habanero. It was a creamy sauce, a bit sweet and incredibly complex. Really hard to describe. Next up was the Basil Duck taco! In it is duck confit wrapped in bibb lettuce then topped with an Asian slaw, basil, red onion and jalapeno. It was DELICOUS. The fresh jalapeno definitely adds spice and wakes up the WHOLE taco. Lol. It even felt better eating it since it was served in lettuce and not a carb-y tortilla! Lastly I had to try some sushi and I landed on the W.T.F. Roll. Lol, in it is tuna, crab salad, green onion, cucumber then topped wit tuna, masago and sweet spicy sour sauce. The whole thing really just melts in your mouth and was FANTASTIC. I loved it SO MUCH! Value: Wednesdays are 1/2 off bottles of wine and 4 wings for $6.00! So make sure you pull up on hump day indeed! Lol. My roll was $25.00 and totally worth it. So this isn't a cheap-eats place, but a good date night spot. Bring the wallet, but you may not need the credit cards. Lol. In conclusion, I don't really even need to say much more. Lol. I like it here and will continue to return! Make sure you do the same! read more

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Visited for the first time today for a late lunch with a friend. I ordered the Thai Ramen with shrimp, and it was huge and so delicious! My friend ordered the Smash Burger and she enjoyed it. While we didn't order cocktails this time, I did notice a full bar and a drink menu that looked very well-rounded, plus a menu of specialty cocktails. I will tell you I had a very difficult time choosing which dish to order because everything looked so good. Several vegetarian options. Service was exceptional. The vibe was a little industrial, a little friendly neighborhood, and we will be back! read more

Umami Bham - Thai Ramen with shrimp - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

This place is amazing!!! The staff is so friendly and the place is in a great location. This is my second time coming and the consistency of the taste and food quality' is top notch. Today, we had the beef bulgogi and the Moe goreng with shrimp. Both were lunch portions that were huge in abundance and flavor. That was the best noodle dish I have ever had. There is nothing bad to say about this place. Make sure you go by ASAP! Their lunch menu is just as great also. read more

Umami Bham - Beef Bulgogi Plate!!! BOMB!!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Went here for dinner after a day at the Zoo and had a great time. Was seated quickly and the server kept good attention to our table. Enjoyed quite a few things from the menu and everything was delicious! (The plum wine I had with my sushi was amazing) Will definitely be back next time I'm in Bham. read more

Unami truly impressed me with its exceptional blend of delicious cuisine, attentive service, and inviting ambiance. From the moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by a warm and welcoming atmosphere that immediately put me at ease. The food at Unami was nothing short of spectacular. Each dish was crafted with care and precision, resulting in flavors that were both bold and nuanced. Whether it was the appetizers, main courses read more

Visited on Jan. 20, 2024! I knew I had to visit one of Birmingham's most popular sushi restaurants ahead of my birthday as a treat. It was my first time visiting and the server was very prompt and accommodating. Started off with the takoyaki, everything was cooked and showcased beautifully! (as pictured). A bit too much dough and not enough octopus inside, but that can happen while cooking so to no fault of this place. The main dish I ordered, the shrimp tempura, was fantastic! Just spicy enough for my more mild-sided tastes. Great choice for someone craving shrimp tempura and sushi -- truly the best of both worlds. I don't usually go downtown but the location is convenient and provides a great atmosphere for people watching, both inside and outside. Overall, a great experience! read more

Umami Bham - Takoyaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Ramen had grata flavor. Tina was my bartender and she did a great job nice ambiance in the restaurant as well. I Will definitely be back! read more

Umami Bham - Spicy Pork Belly Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Food and service was absolutely amazing!! The parking was the only reason for a downgrade, its lake view so parking is an issue anywhere. The ambiance is trendy/urban-also casual. We had a wonderful time! read more

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