The very lively restaurant was nicely decorated and obviously very popular. The night I visited, there were lots of people in the lobby area, but the server and front staff took care of me straightaway. I sat in the Sushi bar, which offered a good discounted menu for eat in only, so I had the Belichick roll from the menu. It was beautiful, with generous amounts of fish and very tasty. My server was so nice and prompt. I definitely recommend this place. read more

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Food was great but FYI their prices had a big increase compared to online menu. Very friendly staff read more

Yama Zakura - Sushi Bars Near Me - Northborough, Massachusetts

Food is out of this world!! Drinks are even better!! Come here for a great laid back atmosphere.

Year after year this place keeps up the 5 star review service and food quality! The sushi is fresh and there are so many varieties to choose from. We love the lobster bomb and Jennifer roll as our go to favorites. The pad Thai is very good - if getting it to go definitely request extra sauce. The pineapple fried rice is really good too. They have lots of mixed drink options and are definitely heavy pours. read more

Reservation was for 7:00, we were not sat until 7:36. Ordered our food, appetizers came cold and wait staff was just standing around, Our food came an hour and fifteen minutes after ordering, and our server was swamped and had way too big of a section. We were happy to look past it because the food was delightful until we found a large piece of plastic in our fried rice. Wouldn't recommend and you should probably go somewhere else! read more

Picked up take out which took a little while. One dish was put in a container too small. The lid place forces a lot of the liquid out which soaked the bag and leaked all over my car ( I was careful to keep the container level) so my dish ended up dry because all the sauce was pushed out A mess Don't understand why they don't use proper sized containers read more

This place deserves the 5 stars. I am extremely picky with sushi and this place just blew my mind. Everything was fresh and tasted amazing, lots of interesting takes on basics; for example, the Crabby Turtle which used blueshell crab and made it taste all the more delightful. It was all very good and highly recommend any of their salmon lover rolls. We went on a Tuesday evening and it was LOUD. I do like busy/loud restaurant atmospheres, but if you are opting for something more subtle and quiet it might be a little overwhelming so heads up! It was packed but the waitstaff are always walking around constantly and attentive. Price is definitely on the higher end here, but you get what you pay for and that made me very delighted. Definitely a special occasion place for me but will be back!! read more

Yama Zakura - Crabby turtle - Sushi Bars Near Me - Northborough, Massachusetts

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Do not sleep on this spot! If you haven't been to Yama Zakura, what are you waiting for?! Best sushi spot in the Worcester area - everything from food to service to ambiance. read more

Yama Zakura - Some of our favorites! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Northborough, Massachusetts

First time and we were impressed with the quality of the food. The server recommended one roll that was awesome. The fried ice cream dessert was very good. We will come back. read more

The sushi and the service is really good here. However, the dish that I had was bland, which is surprising to me because I asked for the spicy version. It was also very loud, which I understand it was a busy Friday night, but I was surprised how loud it was. I would come here again just for the sushi, and if it's a busy night take it to go. read more

Love this place. The service and sushi are great. Chef George is the man. Love the fact they have Uni here as most places don't.

I've been going here for years and have introduced love ones along the way who have grown to love this restaurant as well. Our always go to order is: Yama Nachos Crabby avocado (?) Fried dumplings Lobster Bomb My Angel Chocolate soufflé A couple days ago, we went for the first time since COVID & noticed a lot of new faces in the stuff. Service was slower than usual but we understand these difficult times. Just a warning! But so worth it because the food is absolutely amazing. The my angel and lobster bomb are seriously the best rolls I've ever tried in my life & why I will keep traveling here to have dinner! The chocolate soufflé is out of this world delicious as well & can't be found anywhere else. Pro note: order chocolate soufflé at the beginning of your order as they make it fresh & it takes thirty minutes. always comes out warm. it's the perfect way to end the meal! read more

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Meh. Used to be fun and good quality, though most of it is just rice and mayo. Good enough for typical central MA crowd who think they know what sushi is. To each their own! Pad Thai isn't great either. read more

Highly recommend! Very creative rolls and super delicious too! Mai Thais were great too

I was really excited to try Yama Zakura and chose it as the destination for our family outing on a *very* rare date night amidst some really tough times lately all around in our family. The restaurant came very highly recommended from our community Facebook group and came up again at an in-person gathering at work last week, so I decided to book reservations and got very excited for what I hoped would be a really great family dinner last night. I couldn't have been more disappointed. Let me be clear that this was absolutely, without question the worst dine-in experience I've had both pre- or post-COVID in at least 10 years. Our party of 4 (2x adults, a 4-year old, and a 1-year old) were seated in a beautiful spot and given attentive service after arriving at 5:05PM for our 5:00 reservation. The restaurant was not yet busy with only 4 parties seated. Our waitress confirmed our order, and all seemed well. We should have noticed the high chair we were given was extremely dirty and taken that as a sign that their attention to detail and service wasn't what it seemed. We noted some specific food allergies for our son to ensure certain things were not included in our food, and knowing we were about to hit the dinner rush we had arrived early to get faster service with two young kids. The edamame and miso soup appetizers were tasty and came out after roughly 20 minutes. By 6:10PM (one hour after arrival), we still had not received any of our ordered main food (caterpillar role, eel and avocado role, hand rolls, sashimi, etc.). Oddly, after this hour, the waitress stopped by to tell us they couldn't separate the sesame oil from one of the entrees (it seemed like this information could have taken a lot less time, but whatever), so I asked if the other rolls had even been started yet and if she could please bring something out for our hungry kiddos. She said they were done and she would rush the others for our now frustrated and impatient children. When the waitress brought out one of our orders (my wife's roll), which was supposed to be served with a warm tempura, and it was cold and soggy - a major disappointment. When the waitress finally brought over chicken teriyaki around 6:30, it was covered in sesame seeds (one of the severe allergens we specifically requested them not to include), as were the eel and avocado rolls. When we let the manager know how frustrated we were with our experience and that it was time to pay and leave, she extended a 50% discount on our food. I wasn't too bothered by this, because at least the sashimi we ordered was something I could take home for my mother-in-law who wasn't able to join us. I didn't notice until after arriving at home, that they also mixed up the sashimi order (yellow tail and salmon) and included yellow tail and tuna. They just couldn't do anything right for us last night -- bad and extremely slow service, chicken teriyaki drowning in sauce and with very sparse chicken, several rushed entrees served without attention to allergy details, and overpriced/very mediocre food. We will not be back. In my experience, the other sushi restaurants we've tried like Bamboo, Oke Poke, Crazy Stone, all within a 20-minute drive of this location, will get our business from now on. I sincerely regretted choosing this restaurant for our family date night. Simply put, it was a very unpleasant experience, enough to make me want to dedicate the time to warn others about how awful this experience was for us all around. read more

I still don't know how we were able to be seated so quickly, WITHOUT a reservation, on a very packed Friday night. Must've been the sushi gods. Definitely a new favorit sushi place for me! Great, lively atmosphere with excellent service. Waitress was very attentive to us, asking if we wanted refills before finishing off our drinks, and our sushi order was prepared very quickly despite it being such a packed restaurant. I always dig a cleverly named sushi roll, and my favorites were the East Coast and the Rolls Royce. Maui also was a nice balance to the mix because it's very refreshing (has mango!). And to finish, green tea ice cream was perfect. read more

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This is a popular place in Northborough on Friday nights. I struggled getting a parking spot, but managed to grab one after another family left the restaurant. We had a reservation and waited just a few minutes to be seated. A nice touch in the start of the meal is the hot towel to wipe your hands. We put in our drinks, appetizers, and sushi rolls all at once since I was rather hungry. The lobster rangoons are delicious and not as heavy/creamy as the crab rangoons from a Chinese restaurant. We enjoyed the lobster bomb and cougar roll... all the rolls are covered in house made sauces that are unique to Yama Zakura. Everything came out timely despite how busy it was. We finished up with the fried ice cream dessert which was perfect to share between two people. Great neighborhood sushi restaurant, we'll be back! read more

Yama Zakura - Lobster bomb, cougar roll, stop drop roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Northborough, Massachusetts

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The food were overpriced for what you get. For the rolls, it was mostly rice with not much fish and pad thai was not edible... It was very vinegary and soy sauce flavor instead of the spicy flavor even though I asked for spicy level 3 but no spiciness whatsoever. Also, the whole place to include the restroom were all so dark and every time a vehicle passed by or parked nearby, it would blind all of us. read more

Great sushi & waitstaff is excellent! It's a bit loud & crowded, but the food/staff more than make up for that!

This place doesn't look real fancy from the outside and it's pretty small and compact inside. The ambience was ok, nothing fancy. We were greeted by excellent service right away and I ordered their cocktail and scrolled over their menu. There were so many options and variety to choose from. We ordered the Yama bites for apps. It was light and refreshing. We ordered 3 different rolls but my fav is the lobster bomb. The presentation was flawless as were the combination of flavors and creativeness. I don't live in Massachusetts, but I would be a regular if I lived close by. Do try this place. Reservation recommended read more

Yama Zakura - Yama bites - Sushi Bars Near Me - Northborough, Massachusetts

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Definitely some of the best sushi in this area everything tasted super fresh and the prices are decent too

The atmosphere is enjoyable and the food is obviously delicious. A friend and I went, sat at the bar and watched the sushi be made while we chatted with staff /ourselves. We enjoyed saki and yummy sushi. read more

Without a doubt one of the best sushi restaurants I've ever been to anywhere. Great service. Lively crowd and cool atmosphere. Order the lava cake first (not on the menu. All in all a great experience. read more

the tables are to close together , it's very dimmly lit and the sushi is not fresh and VERY overpriced .this establishment was recommended and I'm not even sure how anyone can enjoy pre made sushi. all rolls were cold including the ones that were supposed to be deep fried . i also made it VERY clear that I have a severe ginger allergy and it was obvious they did not care or pay attention . my face ended up swollen and itchy and all they could do was say they informed the chef and gave us 10% off. WOULD NEVER GO AGAIN !!!! read more

Ok the sushi is amazing, and I have been coming here for yearssss..however they doubled the prices of their rolls. So if you're ready to spend $30 on ONE roll then go for it. I absolutely have loved this place but $60 for two rolls is just absolutely crazy to me. You won't be disappointed with the flavors, it will definitely break the bank... read more

Some of the best sushi near us. The service is great and we enjoy the vibes. K crave this place often.

My go to place for sushi. Not cheap but consistently good. Not sure I would want to cheap out on sushi anyway. Usually go later so I can get a seat at the bar and then just relax and enjoy the food. Staff is friendly and attentive. Have nothing negative to say. read more

Excellent sushi! Yama was recommended to me by a friend, and I took a client there while in the area. I am a sushi fan, and this was very good, and the service was outstanding! I was also impressed by the sushi specials named Brady and Belichick! Nice touch! Very nice wines as well, had the Stags Leap Cabernet. read more

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Yama Zakura has the absolute best sushi around. Everything they make is incredibly fresh and delicious, you seriously can't go wrong with ordering anything at all on the menu. We went for takeout last night and were happy to see that not only is Yama Zakura open during stay at home orders, but they're also doing everything they can to keep both their employees and their customers safe. Curbside pickup was easy and all of the people running orders to cars are wearing both gloves and masks. Now to the food. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach when I come here, but it's because everything is so good. For two people we ordered the seaweed salad, shumai, Spicy Tuna roll, Philadelphia roll, and a Sweetheart roll (sweet potato). Everything was great, especially (and surprisingly), the Sweetheart roll. I love a sweet potato roll as a less filling option, but they're not usually this good at other places. This sweet potato roll was out of this world. The Philadelphia roll is fresh and doesn't get overpowered by the cream cheese. Yama Zakura shows off the freshness and high quality fish that they use in their Spicy Tuna roll. A beautiful piece of tuna is arranged on top of the roll, and they don't use the typical minced tuna that you often see in other spicy tuna rolls. I could eat at Yama Zakura every day! read more

I would travel over an hour to come to dinner here. Easily. Love this place. I've had sushi at some of the nicest places in the country and this is by far the best I have ever had. I've been back about 30 times since. Cannot wait to go again. Great quality, great service, drinks are incredible, fish is always fresh. Best place hands down. Yes read more

Service was great and the staffs are friendly. Sushi here is good and come out fast. The price is fairly decent. It can be packed in the weekend so make reservation in advance or call to check so you don't have to wait. read more

Yama Zakura - Alligator, unagi avocado, unagi cucumber - Sushi Bars Near Me - Northborough, Massachusetts

I give them a three or pricing. And a 4 for happy hour / late night sushi specials. Love the lobster bomb, yama nachos, belichick is great too. Pricing is on-par for one of the most expensive in central mass for sure, but they serve big rolls and great happy hour specials. Just don't forget like I have that even tho they open on Friday at 430, happy hour isn't until 830pm.... oops! read more

Yama Zakura - Best rolls at the best time: L-R lobster bomb, belichick at happy hour - Sushi Bars Near Me - Northborough, Massachusetts

This place serves the BEST sushi you can get, anywhere! I travel for work regularly and eat sushi everywhere I go (SF, NYC, San Diego, LA, Miami). I'm a Zagat subscriber (Screen Name: EatsOutOften) and use that as well as Yelp to find the best places to eat - Yama has not been beaten yet on my travels - I consider myself lucky to have such a great restaurant almost in my backyard! The fish buyer for Yama really is phenomenal, you will not get better tasting fish. Love the Thai fusion menu - lots of Thai influence on many other dishes - Friends who might not like sushi will be able to find other great tasting cooked food options. The new restaurant renovation in 2011 nearly tripled the size of the place and offers an elegant destination to a suburban restaurant location. There's a nice bar area too. The drinks are fabulous, LOVE the Mai Tais! On catering: We recently attended a 50th birthday party catered by Yama - it was just as good as eating at the restaurant. Would definitely hire them to cater a party of my own. If there's a downside - it might be that it is getting too busy on Friday/Saturday night, it's difficult to just walk in for a table. Ah, the price of success. Anna is a wonderful host! read more

I love the food at Yamas! My Angel and the Lobster Bomb are my favorites. I can't wait till they reopen. Their takeout tastes as good when you get home; as if you were eating it as served. They are the pride of Northboro! Thank you Anna! read more

Absolutely fantastic meal and experience. Josh was a great host, waiter, and guide to the area as newcomers. The food was excellent, with creations like rice-less maki that we'd never seen before. Delicious and unique. We plan to go back again and again! read more

It's a fun place trying out non traditional, new flavors/variations sushi! Service was very professional. The place was cozy and tastefully decorated. A hot towel (Oshibori) service before taking order remind me in Japan. read more

Yama Zakura - Sushi Bars Near Me - Northborough, Massachusetts

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Great for local take out. Got a mix of Asian dishes. The Thai entrees aren't really that Thai-ish, but everything was delicious anyway. Will definitely return. read more

Unfortunately, the quality of the food has gone way downhill over the past year. We've been loyal customers for many years, eating in and for takeout. At out last 'eat in' about 1 year ago, the service was unacceptable....extremely slow and inattentive to us. We haven't eaten in since. The last three takeout orders were poor overall...but we hoped they were flukes and continued to try again. The first included their famous 'Lobster Bomb' (which we loved many times), but was very watery and not fresh (we heard this from our friends as well). We haven't ordered it since. The next order was ok, but a disappointment because some of the rolls did not include all the expected items (e.g., lacking tobiko). Our 'LAST' takeout was yesterday, and it was very poor....although not so bad enough that I was compelled to return it and complain. The rolls were NOT fresh.....a salmon roll with mushy and very brown avocado in the center, and a 'Volcano' that was lacking seaweed and was also not fresh. Both rolls seemed to be 'pre-made' and then used for the takeout order. And given the state of the salmon roll, they must have been made at least 1-2 days in advance. We are now DONE with Yama. It's really sad, since this had been a nice restaurant option in Northboro, a town that doesn't have many. read more

Got the vegitable and basil noodles. It was amazing. The staff is great and the service is awesome!

One of the best sushi restaurants in central MA, always a great experience, space is small and very busy , it can get loud, that's really the only thing the could possibly distract from this great restaurant, service has always been good. read more