Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Waraji Japanese Restaurant

    4.1 (710 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Open 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Waraji Japanese Restaurant Photos

    WARAJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    More like Waraji Japanese Restaurant

    Recommended Reviews - Waraji Japanese Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Lovely place that feels very intimate and personal. Been a few times now and the food is wonderful each time we go. Tempura and sushi are excellent. Incredibly fresh and beautiful presentation each time. The sushi chefs are truly the stars of this place! It is usually very busy so honestly servers can sometimes be hit or miss thus we prefer to sit at the bar when we go. It is worth it. You also must have a reservation if you want to sit at a table for dinner. A favorite that we will come back to again and again!

    Kasia W.

    Great service, fresh sushi and amazing vibes! There's so many roll options that sounded great that I almost couldn't choose but the crazy tuna roll was a great choice! So so yummy!

    Eric R.

    After a snafu regarding reservations, we were able to sit at the sushi bar. In from out of town. Experience was awesome. Did a Sake flight. Rolls were fresh and portions large. It's no wonder the place was packed. Thoroughly enjoyed it

    Specialty sushi rolls
    Cassandre K.

    Best sushi I have ever had! The service was above and beyond. I love the different seating areas and the set up of the restaurant! I highly recommend making a reservation.

    Tempura
    Shawn L.

    Last came here about 20 years ago, and it was far better than we remembered it to be. Plenty of seats on a Sunday evening for dinner, and the service was great. The restaurant has nice bar/lounge seating area and the dining area is very nice too. The miso soup was clean and very flavorful, with not too much of any single ingredient. Classic Japanese restaurant salad, nothing special there, but the dressing was good. Ordered classic Japanese entrees, Tonkatsu and Tempura. The portions were substantial and the food excellent. The mix of items in the Tempura really good, plenty of shrimp and veggies (I'd trade the sweet potatoes for more carrot/onion mixture). The Tonkatsu was good, maybe a bit salty but the Tonkatsu sauce cut through that nicely. Overall a good meal and it's easy to see how Waraji's fidelity to the cuisine and attention to detail have kept the restaurant going for over 20 years. Plenty of parking and outside tables are available.

    Sushi for Two
    Kellie D.

    Made reservations here to celebrate my son's birthday. The restaurant was busy on a Saturday night but we were seated in a cozy area near the bar. Our waiter was attentive and quickly brought us water. Son's girlfriend ordered the Empress gin cocktail which was beautiful and tasty. Son and girlfriend both ordered the Teishoku dinner set which featured vegetable tempura, soup, salad, a sushi roll and a main dish of teriyaki chicken. It was an impressive number of courses. Husband and I split the sushi for two -- also impressive! It was a nice selection of nigiri and rolls -- all delicious. At the end the waiter brought out a delicious lemon sorbet with blueberries for my son's birthday. It was such a step above the traditional slab of cake a lot of restaurants offer. We all had a taste and it was delicious -- tart with fresh blueberries. Overall it was a great celebration experience.

    Lauren E.

    If you want the best-tasting, FRESHEST sushi in NC, come here!! Eddie was our server and was wonderful. He offered great recommendations and everything was so fresh. Kudos to Eddie for making this a great place to celebrate my bday :) Will be back!

    Pork Belly Skewer
    Sahib G.

    I love a good sushi spot and I finally made my way to Waraji after hearing about it from my friends. They have a good selection of rolls to choose from. We ended up getting the Sushi and Sashimi lunch platter along with pork belly and Beef skewers. The sashimi was fresh and melt in the mouth soft. I need to go back and try their speciality rolls next time. P.S: The skewers are half off on Sundays. Which is a pretty good deal. They also have daily drink specials.

    Mass Exodus Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Fire Dragon, Mary's Roll
    Hannah L.

    We went here for a Valentine's Day dinner and what a lovely experience! The service and ambiance were impeccable. We ordered gyoza (10/10) and a few sushi rolls. We are big salmon roll fans, which there weren't any (that we saw!) on the menu. So we ordered a few different ones! Unfortunately, I didn't love most of them. My husband liked the Mary's Roll though!

    Sake flight
    Maria L.

    Went to Waraji for a little girls' night sushi dinner with my friend and it was amazing! We started with a sake flight that was hand-delivered by the bartender, who shared the story and theme behind each pour such a cool and thoughtful touch.   We tried three different sushi rolls, both of their soups, and the shrimp dumplings and wow, every single thing was phenomenal. The quality and flavor were outstanding.   It was a bit quiet inside, but the staff was wonderful and made sure everything I ordered was safe given my tree nut allergy, which I really appreciated.   Highly recommend this spot for sushi lovers, I'll definitely be going back!

    Look at that rice... nicely cooked and delicious to eat.
    Jacob H.

    BLUF: Easily the best, if not one of the best, Japanese restaurants nearby. 5-stars Quality: Every dish ordered was well prepared and extremely delicious by Asian expectations. The foods were very fresh and well treated. +1 star Service: Our waitress was very attentive, but not over bearing. Food came quickly for busy hour, and we felt it was great timing. +1 Star Portions: Portions were reasonable and the right mix between bowl size, plated portions, and decorations. +1 star Cleanliness: As always, I always visit the bathrooms to visually check. I also visually check the seafood in the sushi bar fridges. Everything seemed to be well maintained, clean, and the tables did not have a sticky film when touching them with your arm. +1 star Overall: A nice set up, with lots of people, non-Japanese music, but great food. You can't go wrong. +1 star

    Tempura veggies- after already eating the asparagus!
    Angel F.

    I don't know what happened to all of the pictures i took of the food, but it wasn't a great experience. Joel didn't care for his food (shown). My roll was made wrong (2 missing ingredients so they took it back) and the nigiri tasted sour, so they removed it from our tab. The bill was still $85 and the best thing was the tempura veggies. We were looking forward to lunch here, but unfortunately it was a miss.

    Saki flight
    Jeff B.

    Great service. We ordered ten rolls and appetizers. The food was great. The place was a little loud.

    See all

    21 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    29 days ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    19 hours ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    22 hours ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    29 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jacob H.
    96
    153
    151

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Liz R.
    168
    5
    0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    28 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Very tasty. We shared the sushi for 2 and a bottle of plum wine. The fish were fresh and delicious.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C L.
    10
    4
    7

    6 months ago

    Great sushi. Service and food is very consistent, I highly recommend. They've been in the area for several years.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Excellent food! Mickey makes our delicious rolls and he has a wonderful personality! My husband and I dine here two to three times a week!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 18

    Waraji Japanese Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Waraji Japanese Restaurant

    Does Waraji have private tatami rooms?

    Yes Evelyne. We do have tatami mat seating available. The rooms are not private in that they are open to the dining room area and there are no fixed doors blocking off each room.

    Do Lunch Specials apply on the Weekend?

    We don't run any lunch special. I don't get what is your question. I am sorry.

    Do they have vegetarian sushi rolls?

    Not that many choice, but we do have some.

    Does waraji offer bogo rolls?

    Hi Zac B; We do not do BOGO rolls at Waraji, but we do offer the freshest sushi prepared by very friendly sushi chefs in a great atmosphere. Please come join us sometimes!… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Japanese 1,527 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Sushi Mon - Tuna and otoro nigiri

    Sushi Mon

    4.5(459 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    Had a great meal here! We started out with edamame. Just…read morewish it was a little more salty but that's my own preference. The rock salt salmon was so yummy. We also had the black cod which was nice and buttery. Didn't realize it came with two handheld pieces and one played piece. Nice surprise! Had the seaweed salad which was good, very forward tasting. we had the truffle tuna roll and rainbow roll. both were fabulous. truffle tuna was tangy and clear cut. rainbow roll was so good we got it twice! simple but crispy and smooth. We came on a friday night, only waited about 20 minutes to be seated inside. our waiter was so nice and didn't mind us ordering a few things at a time. Would totally come back!

    Visited Sushi Mon on a recommendation from a local. Initially I wasn't sure about it because…read moreseating was in what seemed to be the lobby of the building it's located in. Later I saw the actual restaurant is a bit small with a few tables and sushi bar so I'm thinking they have out grown their space and after eating the food I can understand how that happened. As mentioned it has a small footprint but we didn't wait long. Our server was very kind and provided excellent service. We started with the gyoza which were out of this world! They had the perfect char on the dumpling without making it too seared. The Sashimi plate was incredible, each piece of fish melted in your mouth. If I have to give one critique I'd say our yellow tail was still a little frozen but that didn't stop me from devouring it. Crispy Salmon Roll was light and refreshing and their Rainbow Roll was like no other I've had. My husband and I have two reference points when it comes to sushi; mine is Japan where I was introduced to it as a young Marine, his is Hawaii where had the most amazing sushi about 5 years ago. Not many places can compare to those experiences but Sushi Mon was VERY close!

    Photos
    Sushi Mon - Inside. Sushi bar and dining room. This is pretty much it. They had additional seating outside in the office lobby which was weird.

    Inside. Sushi bar and dining room. This is pretty much it. They had additional seating outside in the office lobby which was weird.

    Sushi Mon - Nigiri Omakase. $45. Includes miso soup, chef's choice of 8 pieces nigiri, hand roll, tamago. See my review for description of each nigiri.

    Nigiri Omakase. $45. Includes miso soup, chef's choice of 8 pieces nigiri, hand roll, tamago. See my review for description of each nigiri.

    Sushi Mon - Inside. Sushi bar and dining room. This is pretty much it. They had additional seating outside in the office lobby which was weird.

    See all

    Inside. Sushi bar and dining room. This is pretty much it. They had additional seating outside in the office lobby which was weird.

    Ajisai Japanese Fusion

    Ajisai Japanese Fusion

    4.2(756 reviews)
    5.6 mi
    $$

    Had a phenomenal experience from start to finish. The interior is darker, decorated with sleek…read morebubble accents that created a romantically modern ambiance. Even the restroom reflected an impressive attention to detail- immaculately maintained and elevated with amenities such as lotion, Q-tips, and climate control. This spot is good for a fancy date night! My husband opted for the lunch special, which included soup, salad, curry, and a side of sushi. He absolutely raved about the curry. I chose the fish wontons alongside the Raleigh roll, which was exceptional; the addition of mango on top was perfect with the lobster tempura for me. I am also always appreciative when a sushi place can accommodate my addiction to add cream cheese to any roll- they made it work! Service was prompt and attentive. The green tea leaned slightly earthy for my taste, but it did little to detract from an otherwise outstanding meal. I would gladly return and recommend this spot to groups seeking high-quality sushi in a polished setting.

    I've heard lots about Ajisai and have walked past it many times…read more It was a gorgeous Friday evening. Many were seated outside, but since I was a party of 1, I decided to sit at the bar. Bin was my server, he was great. I started with the grilled scallops, they were small, but were grilled & seasoned perfectly. I then ordered the Alaskan Roll & the Ajisai Roll. Both so fresh and delicious. I enjoyed the experience. There's great ambiance, it's vibrant and modern. There's plenty of seating at the bar. There are plenty of tables inside and several outside.

    Photos
    Ajisai Japanese Fusion
    Ajisai Japanese Fusion - Pork Gyoza.

    Pork Gyoza.

    Ajisai Japanese Fusion - Girl On Fire

    See all

    Girl On Fire

    Kazu Hibachi - Kids Teriyaki Chicken - $6

    Kazu Hibachi

    4.5(95 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    Hands down, the best hibachi around that I've tried. Ironically went to my local sushi place…read moretonight that's my go-to and I have always raved about their hibachi... now that I have tried Kazu's, I didn't like it as much. Not sure if that's good or bad news for me lol because Kazu is about 40 minutes from my house. Service was polite and attentive as I expected. Restaurant was clean but is limited on seating, just fyi. Hibachi is cooked fresh to order and my fave thing is that the veggies aren't over cooked and mushy. They still have a crisp to them. Thai tea was excellent too. Didn't taste like a premix (if it is).

    Decided to try this place for a late lunch on a recent Thursday afternoon. There are booths and a…read morelow counter with stools. I was told to sit wherever I wanted, and since they weren't busy due to the off-time, I chose a booth. Ordered the chicken and scallops combo, plus green tea and water. Tea and water were served in styrofoam. Not a fave of mine. But when the delicious food appeared, I forgave them. Especially since it was on a real plate. I had to ask for ginger sauce, but the yum yum sauce had already been put on the table in a squeeze bottle. Everything was perfectly cooked, plentiful and yummy. I would probably not order the scallops again because the flavor and texture were more fish-like than scallop like. Loved the chicken and all the veggies. Fried rice was good as well. Didn't have anything added to it, but it didn't need to. Even though I ate a lot, I still took home enough for another delicious meal. Would definitely go back, especially considering how inexpensive it was.

    Photos
    Kazu Hibachi - 1/11/2025-the rest of the dining area

    1/11/2025-the rest of the dining area

    Kazu Hibachi - Teriyaki Tofu Bowl

    Teriyaki Tofu Bowl

    Kazu Hibachi - Thai tea

    See all

    Thai tea

    Shijiri Sushi Bar - The set

    Shijiri Sushi Bar

    4.8(62 reviews)
    6.8 mi

    To start, the food is transcendent. Everything I ate her was absolutely divine. Insanely authentic,…read morefresh, and with high attention to detail. The two person serving left myself and my mother pleasantly full, without feeling overfull. Not a single thing went wrong, down to the fresh wasabi. Next, the service was great, and they did not bother you more than was necessary, yet at the same time we were never left alone when service was needed. Ambiance was classy and upscale, and though it was small, it never felt crowded.

    The best sashimi/nigiri experience I've had in the triangle area! I originally came because I was…read morecurious about the restaurant's "no tipping" model, but ended up discovering a real gem. The four of us tried multiple sets, and the portions were incredibly generous. For example, the signature set was honestly too much food for one person. Considering both the quality and quantity, the pricing felt like an absolute steal. Not only was the fish excellent, but the shellfish was outstanding as well -- the clam & scallop were both some of my favorite bites of the meal. Everything tasted extremely fresh. They also had a great sake selection. Dessert options were limited (it seemed like they usually offer just one item). Service was incredibly efficient. At times, the pace made me feel slightly rushed, but the staff were always friendly and attentive throughout. The restaurant itself is small, welcoming, and stayed busy throughout the night. I really loved the casual, low-key atmosphere paired with truly top-notch food. Already looking forward to coming back many more times!

    Photos
    Shijiri Sushi Bar - Entryway and front of seating area, Nov 2025.

    Entryway and front of seating area, Nov 2025.

    Shijiri Sushi Bar - Sashimi Premium Selection

    Sashimi Premium Selection

    Shijiri Sushi Bar

    See all

    Waraji Japanese Restaurant - japanese - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...