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Wasabi

4.0 (244 reviews)
ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Wasabi Photos

Business Info

WASABI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Intimate
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Wasabi

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Reviews With Photos

Miso Soup
Claire S.

Went on a Friday at 8 PM and we were the only 2 in there! By time we were leaving around 9 there were two other tables filled. We got the love boat and you get a choice of soup or salad, we got the miso soup and it was so yummy. Love boat was great. Lots of flavor, good selection, staff was fast and welcoming. Such a great spot on Elmwood! Ambiance is small and cozy, maybe about 8 tables. Love the vibes!

California Roll/Shrimp Roll
Robert P.

Call myself trying nothing but new Restaurants for 2024. And this is my first review. The miso soup was darker than others I've seen but spot on no complaints the prices were on point and when it comes to the sushi my my. The sushi rolls were all chunky meaning they weren't stingy with the ingredients placed inside and just all around everything was great. Give em a try!! If your around the Elmwood strip

Unagi (fresh water eel) and Ikura (salmon roe) gunkan

I recently moved to the Buffalo area after living in Hawaii for 50 years. Coincidentally I've also been of 100% Japanese ancestry for all 50 of those years. So it's fair to say I'm a total sushi snob. I came here on a whim while in the area for an event, and was extremely skeptical that a place called "Wasabi" would actually be serving non-hipsterized, non-Instagram-worthy Japanese cuisine and sushi, especially in the same neighborhood where there's another restaurant called "Waikiki Poke & Grill", where you'll find them committing the cultural hate-crime of putting mango, pineapple and wonton chips on "Poke" bowls. I'm happy to report that my culinary snobbery and prejudice was totally wrong. Wasabi is legit. My skepticism was quickly reversed when I saw that they had an all-Japanese staff running the place. The server understood what I was ordering when I asked for a piece of "Unagi" (broiled fresh water eel), even though that word is nowhere to be found on their printed menu. Sure, there are odd diversions on the menu like Pad Thai and General Tso's Chicken, but if you're looking for no-frills fresh sashimi and nigiri, and for insanely cheap prices, you won't be disappointed. I ordered a Chirashi, and was a bit confused when I received a large platter of assorted sashimi with just a small scoop of sushi rice in the corner of the platter. It wasn't a typical Chirashi-don, where all the sashimi was piled on top of a bowl of rice, but I'm not complaining, because the individual slices of sashimi were generously sized, and very fresh. And I couldn't believe that it was only $21.95! My absolute favorite thing to order at sushi bars is Ikura (salmon roe). And over the years I've come to use it as a litmus test regarding how much care a sushi restaurant has when it sources its fish. And if a self-proclaimed sushi restaurant doesn't even offer Ikura, you should definitely question the culinary sincerity of the place. The Ikura gunkan at Wasabi wasn't particularly generous in terms of its serving size, but it definitely passed the test in terms of freshness and quality. And regarding the size of the nigiri at Wasabi, I have to always remind myself that their smaller serving sizes are very typical of how nigiri is served in Japan, where you're expected to be able to eat the whole thing in one bite. Comically large nigiri is more of a US thing, and although I do enjoy big pieces of nigiri and sashimi, the way they are served at Wasabi is not atypical. While you're not going to have your mind blown by the variety and rarity of sushi offerings at Wasabi, you'll definitely get an outstanding ratio of price vs quality here. Highly recommended!

Mark D.

I love this place. I'm not sure if it was as this is where my future wife and I used to visit often when we first started dating. Or if it was because of the low key yet cozy ambiance. Or the well crafted sushi. Either way, I was saddened when they had closed during the pandemic. I am glad that they reopened for dining in at the beginning of the year. My wife and I went back this weekend, and it was just as good. The prices are roughly 25 cents higher than on the menu, but they probably haven't had the time to update it yet. Either way, their prices and sushi are much better than some other places I've been visiting. We do miss living in the city and wish we could visit more often, though I guess this will be a reason to visit more often. :)

Sushi for 2
S K.

Rly delicious food, good for a quick bite. Very courteous service, cute and intimate environment. Enjoyed the patio seat

Eel Avocado Roll
Erin H.

This sushi was the best I've had in Buffalo. The restaurant was small and felt like I was in Japan. The service was great and we had a fantastic time. I recommend making reservations as this restaurant is so small. We will definitely be back!!

California Roll and spicy crunchy tuna
Rosa W.

Great sushi. Its not a restaurant you can go inside, you just walk up to the window and place your order. There are a few tables and chairs outside. I don't think the woman inside said one word to me other than, "ten minutes." But hey, no complaints. Sushi was ready in ten minutes. Really fresh, quality tasting. Great prices. I got two rolls (spicy tuna and california) for 11$, comes with the chopsticks, soy sauce and wasabi of course. I recommend for some really quick, casual food. Definitely go before 3pm and catch their lunch deals.

Alli L.

Went in with some friends this last weekend when our initial plan fell through and someone recommended it to us out of the blue. The sushi here is incredible, very fresh and incredibly well prepared aesthetically as well. It's not a particularly upscale looking establishment from the outside, but inside it's perfect for a quiet dinner with friends. I can't recommend the omakase plate highly enough, and I'm absolutely sure I'll be back to try more things here.

Eel rolls
Jurel H.

Always enjoyed the sushi here, everything I ever had tasted so fresh. Now due to covid, your no longer able to eat inside. So everything now is takeout. They actually created a takeout window for you, so you can pick up your food.

Salmon Skin Roll, Salmon Roll, Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll, Salmon Avocado Roll
Hannah L.

I've been making the rounds trying to find the best sushi in the downtown area, and Wasabi has been the best yet! We ordered takeout tonight and got three rolls each. I opted for a salmon roll, spicy tuna roll, and salmon skin roll. My boyfriend called in our order at around 6:15 and it was a half-hour prep time, which was fine by us! The salmon and spicy tuna rolls really wowed me! The salmon was incredibly fresh and had a great flavor. Spicy tuna rolls are my favorite, and they really didn't disappoint here. The salmon skin roll was just a-okay in my opinion; there was way too much sauce on it and it was overwhelmingly salty. In terms of price vs quality, I think you get the most bang for your buck here. Many sushi places downtown are relatively expensive and not nearly as delicious, so I know I'll be ordering from Wasabi again!

Sushi
Genna C.

One of my favorite sushi places in the Buffalo area. The location itself is a smaller restaurant so I would make sure to get reservations sold you want to sit down inside. The fish always tastes fresh and great and the staff is always friendly. It is on Elmwood so there is no parking lot but as long as you are aware of that you'll enjoy the rest!

Tuna Carpaccio with crunchy and spicy mayo!
Tom G.

This place is a small restaurant on Elmwood. I am now spending a lot of time in Buffalo on business and this is my third visit in 2 weeks. If you don't get the Wasabi Lobster roll your life is incomplete!

Grilled Marinated Beef Ribs

Strangely my video of a cat on the table top is missing. I was disgusted by watching a cat being played with during business hours while eating.

Just falls right apart, anytime I try to grab it (using chopsticks) I don't even know how to eat it anymore

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29 days ago

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1 month ago

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2 months ago

I haven't had a bad meal at wasabi. I actually prefer it to sato. Their hand rolls are banging. No complaints.

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3 months ago

Please never change. My Go to for so many years. So so so good. Sushi dinner is the best thing ever for 18 something dollars.

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10 months ago

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2 years ago

Decent food, small place. Not much room to maneuver around - tricky with a large group!

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

Take out option is timely and organized. Sushi 4 two was delicious. Trust the Sushi chef!

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3 years ago

Great selection and the food was delicious. We ordered a diverse range of items for lunch and it was ready in 20 minutes.

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9 years ago

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Kuni's

Kuni's

(289 reviews)

$$

Elmwood Village

This is our family's gold standard by which all other sushi restaurants are judged!…read more It has been in operation for at least 30 years, and so popular that it doesn't take reservations: First come, first served; give your cell phone number to the hostess and cross the street to the bar while you wait for your table. Although it seats about forty between the tables, sushi bar, and regular bar, the lines are modern and bright: It doesn't take too many people to make very noisy inside. The food is fantastic, with many selections not found elsewhere: Surf clam, gitana (black cod), uni, and something identified as, "foie gras of the sea". Amaebi/sweet shrimp, available seasonally, as it is February 2025. Street parking only.

We decided to have a dinner at Kuni after hearing good things from friends one night when we were…read moreover on Lexington for work reasons. I ordered what I thought could have been an obscene amount of food only to receive extremely tiny portions. I ordered tako-su and a special of the same sort made of jelly fish which I had never had and was exited to try. I believe I also ordered a simple tuna roll thankfully or I may have starved like my friends. My friends both ordered the seafood tempura thinking this would be the size of a meal or at least include rice. Everything I ordered was about 3-4 bites of food, the sushi was 6 very tiny pieces. The sushi was good and if I ever went back I'd order more. The jelly fish was crunchy and interesting and I ordered it for the experience so I enjoyed it. I love octopus but this was the toughest most horribly overcooked octopus I've ever had. I forced some of it down but had to spit out two pieces of it because they were completely inedible octopus flavored rubber. My friends were extremely disappointed in their "meals" that consisted of a single tempura shrimp, a single tempura squid and a single tempura scallop. They left hangry. The drinks were good and seemingly normal portions. I don't know what the draw of this place is but I'd be willing to try it again to see if I just experienced an off day and a lack of appropriate expectations regarding price vs portions.

Taisho Bistro Japanese Izakaya - Chicken Yakitori

Taisho Bistro Japanese Izakaya

(331 reviews)

$$

Second time being here…read more Ambiance- Perfection, hidden gem, very clean, large seating never crowded. Service- Very attentive, never felt like I was waiting too long or too little. Service was prompt and to the point. Very respectful staff Food- Had many of the sushi rolls Rainbow, Chopper, kamikaze and Akazaru. Every single roll was amazing and full of taste. I don't know where they get their fish from but it is some of the freshest fish I've had in the area. Also had the spicy miso ramen which was another perfectly made meal. The spice was full of taste but not so hot that it took away from the meal 10/10 restaurant.

Ordered Okonomiyaki for lunch delivery via DD. That may have been my first mistake, which is why…read moreI'm giving it a mid 3 stars which won't really impact their average review rating too much, or perhaps unfairly to some extent, since even if it had been good, it would likely have been destroyed during the delivery process anyway. By the time it arrived it was stone cold and was stodgy and clumpy, so perhaps you either eat it hot right from the pan, or maybe it's best not to order it at all by delivery. Nevertheless the flavor was not great anyway. It really had no flavor at all other than the nori, and there was way too much bland mayonnaise on it that ruined it completely. I tried to recover it to some degree by placing it in a hot pan to try to crispen it up somewhat, which obviously did help texturally, but the mayonnaise ruined it. I was temped to try and scrape it all off and apply some better quality fresh spicy Japanese mayonnaise that I have in my fridge, but the dish was falling apart and too stodgy, so I ended up just throwing it away and making my own fresh, which is probably what I should've done in the first place. I was just being lazy and thought I'd order it in instead to save cooking. Lesson learned.

Wasabi - japanese - Updated May 2026

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