Amateur, heavy handed and inauthentic. I was hoping that Wasabi would be my late night desperation sushi spot but there's no way I can go back. The fish is pungent and the service terrible. I was greeted by a scowling woman who gave my order to the guy mopping the floor. He made my sushi without washing his hands. I'm sure Wasabi far exceeds local standards but I'd stay away if I were you. Actually, no, if I were you I'd probably go, love it and write a glowing review on Yelp. Next stop Kuni's. read more

Best sushi in buffalo!!! We got spicy shrimp, spicy crab dynamite roll, and the spicy tuna roll and it was delicious. Go for lunch it's so much cheaper and you get soup and salad with your special!! read more

If you think Wasabi is good, then you have never had real sushi. In fact, you should probably just go shoot yourself in the face right now because you are missing out on something really amazing. This is some place I would go to if I were craving sushi and Wegman's were closed. AND Wegmans never closes! That's right, Wegman's has better sushi than Wasabi. But if you're really looking for something good, just go a couple blocks away to Kuni's, his fish is fresh and delicious. Also, at this day and age, what establishment doesn't take American Express? read more

My favorite Sushi Restaurant in Buffalo! I try to go at least once a month if I'm able. read more

Wasabi - Japanese Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

Loved this place. It is small but cute. I had the chicken Pai Thai because I'm picky on eating the sushi. I loved it. It is the best I've eaten so far. The price was right and so was the portion size. I did try the lobster role and let me tell you I wanted to eat it all. I would go back again. read more

Wasabi - Awesome - Japanese Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Wasabi is the first sushi place my girlfriend and I tried in Buffalo. Having lived in larger cities like Portland and Los Angeles, we weren't expecting the sushi in Buffalo to be amazing, but we were hoping to find a solid sushi place. We went to Wasabi for lunch and found that their lunch menu was a great deal. A sushi lunch for $8.50 each was a bargain. The waiting staff was nice and hospitable. However, when judging on the food itself, the restaurant fell short. To start off, the seaweed used to wrap the crunchy crab rolls our sushi lunches came with was stale. This made it so eating the roll was more of a chewing experience than a tasting experience. Onto the sushi, the fish quality was a little below average. The fish did not appear or taste fresh. The rice was done well, however, the fish to rice ratio was skewed since there was way too little rice to supplement the fish. Secondly, when eating the sushi, we found hair in our sushi. I could have overlooked the hair, except the skill in cutting the fish was also subpar as my fish would fall apart when I picked up the sushi (and I've been using chopsticks since I was a baby). All in all, the place is a good value if you aren't too big on sushi quality and want a slightly below average dining experience. As far as returning to wasabi, I will probably return only if I'm in a rush and have a sushi craving during lunch. read more

I stopped at Wasabi for dinner on my own on a Monday night. I agree with the other reviewers.the inside of the restaurant is smaller than you might expect, however it is pretty well-kept. 1, 2, or 4 diners max is probably the best in terms of group size. I was able to order quickly and my food came to me as it was ready. 1) Japanese green salad: the carrot ginger dressing was great, a little on the sweeter side than I've had at some other places but still quite tasty. The veggies were fresh. I do wish that the lettuce pieces were cut a bit smaller, given that I did not have a knife to work with. 2) Crunchy spicy tuna roll: definitely fresh, especially for a sushi restaurant that is not in a seaport type city (NYC, Boston, etc.). And it had the crunch factor which is very important when ordering a crunchy roll! It was milder than other spicy rolls I've had, but I didn't mind since I just want a bit of a kick (not my mouth on fire). Overall pretty good. 3) Crispy calamari appetizer: this was my favorite! The calamari (8 large pieces) were fried but had no oily taste whatsoever. They were light and very crispy and the calamari was very fresh tasting. I enjoyed my first visit to this restaurant and look forward to going back/ordering takeout! The reason for four stars instead of five was that once I got my food I felt like the attentiveness of the service went down a bit. They were nice all the way through, but I wish they had checked on me at least once while eating to see if I needed anything (another napkin, a knife for that salad, etc.) as that would be standard restaurant courtesy, IMHO. read more

Horrible service, not great sushi. The location is perfectly placed in the heart of Elmwood with a small indoor area and sushi bar, and small patio on the sidewalk. They do lunch specials Monday thru Saturday. I went there for a simple midweek lunch and after seating ourselves and waiting 10 minutes for a server, we placed our order and enjoyed the hot sun on the sidewalk patio. We had originally intended to go to Sato, but they didn't open until 4, so we thought we could just pop in here and curb the craving for fish. So wrong. I ordered a simple 3 roll lunch special and my friend got a Tom yum soup and 2 roll special, he was going to swap the miso soup for a salad but it was a 1.50 up charge for a handful of iceberg lettuce covered in dressing? My miso soup came out first and had maybe 3 pieces of tofu and 2 pieces of seaweed, the rest was a lukewarm salty broth. I ate the tofu and seaweed and left the rest. My friends soup came out next 5 mins later, odd timing. It was OK, but he added extra hot sauce. Then about 15 minutes later, the sushi finally arrived, I was starving at this point. It was OK, worth the $10 lunch special price. But overall, blah. I also drink a lot of water, maybe 3 to 4 glasses a meal which I know is annoying so I try not to be too staunch about it, the server filled my water once with warm water on a hot sunny day and other than that we didn't see her. Although when we went in to pay (bc our server was MIA), she was standing chatting with the other staff in the empty restaurant. Overall, bad service and subpar food. I won't be coming back here again, go to Sato or Kunis instead. read more

Wasabi - 3 and 2 roll lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Buffalo, New York

For buffalo, this is ok. They're Chinese, so how can you expect awesome Japanese food? The fish tasted a little fishy which means it's old. Prices are fine and a nice selection of Japanese. Personally, I say go across the street to Sato for better Japanese food. Yes, you'll pay more but it's better quality. If you're looking for more of a selection- go to Wasabi. If you want better quality and taste- go to Sato read more

The food was great. I was on a date with my girlfriend. However, the lady who served my food got angry and gave me attitude because "I didn't tip her enough" , after I left the restaurant she got on the car and left with her co workers then shouted at me saying "fuck you" or some disrespectful shit. That's crazy. Never coming here again... Deadass read more

This restaurant has the best sushi I have ever eaten. From their simple spicy tuna rolls to their special house rolls such as the wasabi lobster, their sushi remains unmatched. Sushi is my favorite food & I have eaten sushi from many places. Wasabi remains the best!!!! read more

So I wanted to check this place out since Blue Fin (my sushi joint in Buffalo) merged with this restaurant. The restaurant is now at the Wasabi location. I almost wish it was the other way around because the Wasabi location needs a redo. Its cramped, paint is chipping, place is kinda run down... The menu has merged both restaurant's former menus. A lot of my old favorites made it from the old place and some bonuses from the Wasabi joint. The staff has also merged too. Such a nice 50/50 merger.. Anyway, I ordered the Ocean appetizer, the hot and sour seafood soup, spicy scallop, and the spicy crab roll. All were very good and I would order all again. The spiciness was just right, the quantity was great and the quality was that of a mid-grade sushi place. I'd come here again. read more

I enjoy the comfy atmosphere but I simply can't look past the awful service. I don't care if the staff doesn't speak English; kindness, courtesy and smiles translate across all languages. I'll head right across the street to Blue Fin where I can get even better sushi served with a smile. As for their sushi, it is only so-so. I had one awful experience where the sushi definitely was not fresh and made me queasy. I haven't been back since. read more

The ONLY reason I am even giving 3 stars is that the food was delicious. Not amazing, not life-changing, but definitely solid. The service, however, was absolutely horrendous. This was my first time at Wasabi, but the friend I was with has been many times and said she has never had good service there. The girl (yes, she was a girl. I am only 25 and she was much younger than I) who served us was disinterested, dressed slopily, and forgot numerous items. My friend asked for a glass for her bottle of beer, and the glass took 20 minutes to arrive, and was dirty. We also didn't get a salad that came with a meal until after the meal itself had been delivered and eaten, and even then only after my friend had to ask twice for it. The food was fresh, the wine was cheap, so I would go back, but not if I am in the mood for a nice night out- just a quick bite to eat. read more

Wasabi Wow! Quaint, crowded, worth any wait. We ordered a variety of rolls- every single one was spectacular!! Wasabi Cake may be my personal favorite. Wonderful service , as well. read more

We love wasabi for their special rolls. Have been going here for years with my family and we always have a great experience. From the ambiance and service to the quality of food and amount of choices everything has always been enjoyable. read more

Have eaten here twice and had a great experience both times. We were seated right away. The place has a clean and relaxing vibe to it. The waitress is kind and is on the ball with meeting the needs of the customers. The miso soup is delicious. Today we tried 3 kinds of the vegetarian rolls: cucumber, avocado, and tempura sweet potato. They were all delicious! We loved the avocado as it had a creamy taste with a chewy seaweed on the exterior. The sweet potato had a nice crunch with a warm inside. We ordered another one of each as we couldn't get enough. We got free green tea with our meal and a little chocolate treat with our bill. Can't ask for more! read more

This small spot on Elmwood is a no brainer go to for my sushi cravings. They have an excellent lunch special, 2 rolls and miso soup for 7 dollars, quite the deal. I got an Eel Avocado roll and a Crunchy Spicy Crab roll, which were very fresh and delicious. You can be in and out of here in 45 minutes or even less (depending on how quickly you eat the fish!) I wish that they would open up another location downtown, they would bring in a lot of people! The sushi chefs make the rolls right in the same room as you eat. The decor is nice, dark wood, and during the summer they have a small nice patio out front. read more

Wasabi - Crunchy spicy crab roll and the eel avocado roll - Japanese Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

Best Sushi in Buffalo! I've been to every sushi place in Buffalo and this is my favorite. I like that it is small because it reminds me of eating out in Montreal. The service is very prompt and the Super Dynamite roll is the best because it's great for new sushi eaters as well as sushi lovers. Plus, it has so many pieces that you only need to order one more roll or a few pieces of something else to fill you up. Also, I like when places serve Edamame (Soy Beans) warm and they were hot, salty and delicious. Green Tea: Tasted perfect... I hate when they steep it for too long and it gets bitter. read more

Not going to lie, the first few times we ate at Wasabi, the food was good. We were happy to find an affordable and good sushi place. However, we went there one night an hour before it closed and they refused to seat us saying they're kitchen closes in hour and they're not seating any more customer. We were disappointed but it was fine. The next time we went there for lunch, one of the rolls tasted extremely weird like it went bad. When we told the waitress, she assumed no responsibility for it and took the plate. We assured her we were more than willing to pay for the food but just wanted her to know that it was bad. Despite taking the plate, she charged us the whole bill but we were more upset about that fact that she made the bad tasting food seem like it was our fault. All and all, the lack of ownership and poor customer service assures that we won't return. Not to mention the weird tasting sushi! read more

Titanic boat is worth it! Huge slabs of sashimi that look like steaks of tuna, salmon and more... the rolls are bigger than a mouth full too* Is this place fine dining- No. However, it still tastes yummy. I gave it a three because although service was great, the place was dirty* I sat next to filthy walls. read more

See all

I love wasabi. Its right in the thick of elmwood village and its a great little place with solid food! The lunch specials are fantastic. There's a ton of food honestly. If its a pretty day they've got some outdoor seating that is just nifty. Yay! For dinner (or a cocktail lunch) sit at the sushi bar to watch the guys do their thing. Sometimes they'll throw you a yummy bite or two just for hanging out. If you're really lucky the bar will fill up. Why is this good? Whelp, at Wasabi when the bar is full everyone gets saki on the house. Awesome! read more

We ordered take-out on a Sunday night, so this review is for the take-out only. We placed an order for Chicken Pai Thai, Green Salad and the Miso soup to share. The Green Salad was very small and came with a generous portion of ginger dressing, granted it was only $2.50. The Miso soup was standard, nothing special to rave about. The Chicken Pai Thai was just okay - the noodles were cooked perfectly but the dish was overall lacking flavor. This is a good option if you need food in a pinch and are nearby, but I think there are better Japanese restaurants to try in Buffalo. read more

I visited here last night I wand something different to eat I was not impressed the food was just okay I ordered teriyaki chicken and chicken fried rice the price was too high for the quality of food it wasn't bad just okay read more

Has been my 3rd time at the one on elmwood usually go to the one up by maple but this place is small intimate and perfect for small dates with around 1-4 people. We usually get rolls but we ended up getting the love boat here which actually had 1 speciality roll ( the dynamite) one regular roll (the spicy crunchy tuna roll) 8 pcs of sushi and 12 pcs of sashimi. And two miso soups that come with the boat, for around 50 bucks with tip included its a very good deal. The sashimi is very fresh! Overall good experience every time and will be going back soon read more

Wasabi - The loveboat, pretty generous sashimi slices - Japanese Near Me - Buffalo, New York

For my friend's birthday, her boyfriend and I surprised her with sushi. Like a bunch of insane people we went in on the titanic. Here's how it went: The waitstaff was friendly and attentive but let's be honest you are not reading this to learn about the waitstaff. You want to know about the food. I've tasted fresher pieces of sashimi at Wegman's. I know we got the titanic and all of that sushi should be expensive but for the price, I would at least expect the nigiri pieces to stay together. If they had, I'd probably give four stars. The rainbow roll was solid, as in it was easier to eat than the nigiri and also pretty good. Meanwhile, the super dynamite roll was complicated. All of it's components were delicious but imbalanced. Overall, I'd have to say: Insert pun about sinking here. read more

Dined at Wasabi for the first time last night and had an A+ experience. I ordered the Crazy Tuna specialty roll with peppered tuna, avocado, more tuna and tempura flakes. It was unique, delicious, and fresh. I could go for another batch right now (even though it's 10:15 in the morning)! I also had a yummy glass of Japanese plum wine for a reasonable price of $5.25. The service was good and the wait for the food was not long. I will return! read more

Great atmosphere (very very small though, so its best for couples, or takeout) The sushi rolls very rarely fall apart, so its easy to eat with chopsticks, even if you don't have em mastered yet. If you or someone you're going with doesn't like the idea of raw fish, the entrees look delicious, and there is a roll called the "Super Dynamite" that is deep fried, and soooooooooooo delicious! For cold sushi lovers, I really recommend the Buffalo Roll. And for an appetizer I recommend the Haru Maki. Its a fried spring roll with crab, asparagus & cream cheese inside, and a really good dipping sauce. This is my favorite restaurant in Buffalo :-) read more

Best lunch in the Elmwood District! I don't understand how it only has 3 stars. I strongly recommend the Tempura Shrimp Combo. It's ginormous!!! It comes with crispy tempura fried shrimp, miso soup, salad with a heavenly ginger dressing, meat gyoza which is a dumpling (not sure if they have vegetarian), and a California roll (the most basic of sushi). I'm a big eater, but this was a lot for me. If you're a small eater you could easily split this, so it's only $7.95 for the two of you! I also strongly recommend their dessert. Try their green tea ice cream. or if you're feeling adventurous, their tempura ice cream. It's ice cream in a fried dough ball. Only thing is you really can't get this one to go. It'll melt on the way home and get all soggy. You have to eat this one in the restaurant, but it's soooo good! Note: They also have a teriyaki combo, but I don't like it as much as the tempura combo. So yeah, the tempura is the way to go! read more

At first glance the restaurant itself appears to have a hole in the wall atmosphere with an intimate vibe to it. Hospitable staff and friendly atmosphere. We were immediately seated and seen. Wonderful service. Their special mini seafood pizza was a pleasant surprise with an interesting combination of flavors that my husband and I enjoyed throughly. The rolls themselves were very delicious with the seafood tasting very fresh and the tempura being very flaky without the taste of too much oil. Overall a wonderful experience. Our only complaint (minor but the reason no 5 stars) was the sushi rolls themselves seemed to fall apart quite easily and didn't hold their form well. However no complaints on flavor! read more

While the sushi isn't ravingly fresh like flown from japan yesterday, it's strength is in how dark, warm, tiny and cozy the restaurant is. I've been visiting for 5 years. It is a VERY small restaurant and I usually go with 1 other person to catch up and biggest group I've gone with was about 8 people- and we were subsequently split into 2 tables. If you're on elmwood, you can't beat their lunch specials. 3 rolls combos and all their teriyaki bento boxes are less than $10 for lunch. They have a very standard sushi menu, standard prices otherwise for dinner. Surprisingly decent sake selection- they have way more options than picking up your own bottles at Premier. One cold night, the restaurant was pretty much closed up and a rather agitated homeless looking person walked in asking for water. I thought it was pretty nice that they gave him a glass without hesitation. read more

My fav sushi joint in Buffalo - why? They have excellent lunch specials, it's a small and quaint place (not for crowds), and they have sweet potato tempura rolls. Because I don't eat fish (and, thus, don't technically eat sushi), I want something more than cucumber or asparagus in rice. The sweet potato tempura roll is pretty awesome and filling. I would definitely go in for lunch first to check out the food - and then if you like it, go for dinner. Sushi aficionados - you might find better places, but this place has some more options for the non-fish eaters. read more

Great sushi, amazingly low prices!! 2 roll lunch special with a bowl of miso soup for $6!! And a 3 roll special with miso for $9. Tempura green tea ice cream is fantastic, but you get a snack sized chocolate bar at the end of your meal too. I eat here biweekly and I have no complaints. Love it! read more

Wasabi - Mermaid roll, so good!! - Japanese Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Not only do I think this sushi restaurant is the best in Buffalo, NY - I think the sushi tastes better than the sushi places I've been to in NYC. I will forever be back in town to get the Alligator roll - to DIE FOR read more

Wasabi is my all time fav sushi in all of Buffalo and probably the best I've ever had. My bf and I order all The time and when we have tried other places we are just let down bc they're not as good a wasabi. 10/10 recommend to anyone who loves sushi. read more

I live just down the block, so it's convenient for me to order by phone and pick up. The lunch specials are so cheap compared to other sushi prices in my opinion. I can get two rolls for 9.95....that's ridiculous if you ask me because if you go to Wegmans you're spending almost the same price just for one roll. The place is small but I don't sit down and eat there often anyways so it doesn't bother me. I don't find it fair to knock a place down because the location they picked on one of the busiest streets in Buffalo. I think they encourage take out anyways by showing that size, which hey...not a bad thing to me! The staff is nice, never had an issue. Will continue to go here every week. Kudos for them! read more

Delicious. The best sushi in Buffalo, and I've tried them all. It's spectacular and fresh each piece is magic. A definite hole in the wall amazing spot not to miss. These guys know how to make sushi. You can watch them make it if you wanton. read more

Service is fast and the sushi is always consistent. The sushi for 2 is a great deal - highly recommend! The only downside is it is very small inside and you are practically sitting on top of those sitting next to you. However, the food is always worth it! read more

Awesome sushi, large pieces of beautiful fish. Our party also had pad thai, sushi rolls. All takeout. Will most certainly go back!

Visiting friends and they brought me here for lunch, no one had been here before. We ordered apps - the tuna which was delicious, the lettuce wraps which were unremarkable, and the shrimp tempura which was very heavy and tasted like corn starch. Then we were brought two rolls - the lobster and one with crab and asparagus. My friend ate one piece of the crab roll and pulled a huge piece of plastic out of her mouth. We told the server who took the rolls away, but came back with them and a package of wrapped shredded crabmeat and told us the plastic was from the package. Uh, no thanks. I don't care where the plastic came from, I definitely do not want to eat anything from here. The server still tried to get us to eat the other roll without the plastic. Nope!! Then she brought us a bill for the apps. We paid and left and popped into a chocolate shop next door. Within minutes another server from the restaurant appeared in the chocolate shop and demanded that we give her more money. We had paid in cash and accidentally forgot $5. One would think after you served plastic, they would void the entire bill, instead of chase down customers for $5, but not at Wasabi. This is only the second review I've ever written, but people should be forewarned. Obviously mistakes happen, but I don't think harassing people for $5 after serving them plastic and charging them for the rest of the their meal is quality customer service. We will never be returning. read more