If I could give zero stars, I would. This was hands-down the worst sushi buffet experience I've ever had. Service: Astronomically slow doesn't even begin to describe it. We waited an eternity for our orders to arrive. When they finally did, they either got it wrong or forgot entire items. How do you run a buffet with this level of inefficiency? It wasn't even busy at all. Staff: Rude and completely unprofessional. Food: The sushi cuts were pathetically tiny--like they were rationing fish during a famine. It was mostly rice with barely a sliver of fish on top. Not to mention, the quality was mediocre at best. A buffet is supposed to be indulgent, not a stingy experience where you leave hungry and disappointed. Avoid this place at all costs. There are far better sushi spots out there that actually care about their customers and serve decent portions. This was a complete waste of time and money. Never again. read more

Very much enjoy the value proposition of this place: particularly the "All you can eat" (AYCE) sushi. My wife ordered off the menu, and I went for the AYCE option. First tip: if you go for the AYCE, pick and submit the order for the main stuff first, then the appetizers. Why? There will be a wait for the guys to prepare the main stuff and you want to get your order in ASAP. After the order is in, when you submit the app order, it comes quickly. My wife's order was served relatively quickly but mine took awhile (despite 5 guys making sushi). I suspect they prioritize orders off the menu to volume guys like me . Tip 2: place a small order when you sit down to get something to eat (after the apps). Then when the order arrives, place the 2nd half of the order. Waiting for a single order will be frustrating when the place is slammed. Tip 3: sit at the bar. They have a full bar, but the bartender is the one taking orders. Hence your order will get in quicker . What I liked: - the food quality is quite good for a buffet place - They allow you to order sashimi. Granted they are small pieces, but what place allows AYCE sashimi? It allowed me to order a piece of varieties I had not tried. - I like the fact they make it clear that wasting food will not be tolerated and there will be a charge for wasting. read more

Yamato 2 - Main menu - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Waitress Avery was very rude.,she raised her voice to us when we asked about a sushi order, we had not received. The two women next to us also noticed how she was acting very short with us. she continued to be rude and rush us and tell us we only had 20 minutes left to eat. We were never informed when we sat down that we had a time limit. read more

Average price for all you can eat, I went during lunch so it was around $26 per person. The sushi was mid but definitely a lot better than the appetizers read more

Yamato 2 - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Came here on a Saturday around noon and was immediately seated (also we did AYCE). We ordered hot teas (perfect taste), agedashi tofu which was crispy with a delicious sauce, and fried calamari which I thought was greasy with too thick of a batter. The seaweed salad was very fresh. We ordered different types of nigiri, rolls, and hand rolls. The rice to fish ratio of the nigiri is very rice heavy, and I would definitely not order too many of them. The maki rolls were decent, but the hand rolls were the best in my opinion! Also the tobika and ikura fish eggs were great!! Definitely recommend trying those as well. The main complaint I have is that they add crispy tempera flakes to all of the rolls, which I don't enjoy eating. My guest thought the spicy tuna and salmon rolls she got were mayo heavy and not spicy enough. Also the wasabi was very mild in comparison to other types I've tried. Overall, not the fanciest, best sushi you'll get in Boston but a great bang for your buck if you order smart. read more

Yamato 2 - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Decent quality sushi for AYCE. A bit pricey, but it'll definitely satisfy your sushi cravings. Pretty quick service and okay ambiance. Our favorites were the mixed tempura and squid sashimi. Also recommend ending with ice cream... it really does open your second stomach. read more

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The staff is rude and demanded a higher tip. She wouldn't leave the table until we coughed up more DESPITE the receipt saying "suggested." Didn't know recommended tips are forced upon you. read more

Nice AYCE Sushi spot in the heart of Boston/ off of Newbury Street. Popped in for dinner last night and got some sushi, some other food items and a drink. Service was quick and efficient and the staff were super nice. And the food was standard fare for All you can eat sushi restaurants - decent quality but nothing to rant and rave about. For my first AYCE experience after the pandemic I was very happy .... My stomach has definitely shrunk though. Would definitely stop by here again the next time I'm in town 4/5 read more

Yamato 2 - Unagi, Inari, Salmon Maki, tuna hand roll, salmon hand roll, Dragon Maki - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Came here after a night of drinking and this place was the perfect spot to fulfill our appetite! We sat at the bar and the service staff immediately gave us the all you can eat menu. We arrived around 9pm and last call was at 9:30pm and after knowing that we ordered two plates of fried rice: beef and seafood - along with 8 sushi rolls. I still remember when we placed the order the waitress stated "if you cannot finish the food it will be an extra charge". I told here "oh don't worry we will finish all of this". Unfortunately I didn't snap a pic of the sushi rolls and beef fried rice because we were hungry LOL! All I have to say is that Yamato 2 food hit the spot! We cleaned off all of our plates and left full and happy. Yamato 2 is delicious!!! read more

Yamato 2 - Seafood Fried Rice - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We enjoyed every trip we've made to Yamato 2! Just be careful not to over order! Go there early because they don't take reservations and it fills up quickly! read more

Food was ok. Service was ok as well until the end. Was told til finish the sushi left (5 pieces to be exact) or we would be charged extra. They didn't even mention that on the menu and or to us directly! Nice try dumb bitches. Anyways I hate 3 and then the waitress came over and said it's ok no need for more. Fuck you!! Rude. read more

Yamato 2 - Sushi I was forced to eat so I would not be charged extra by the rude waitress. - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

There are so much better all you can eat places than this. I had this place saved to try so, I didn't fight it when our friend suggested it. First of all, there's no descriptions at all on the menu, only pictures, so you really have no idea what's in the specialty rolls. You also pay extra for those. We ordered one that I thought was topped with seafood and it was actually mushrooms, which was odd and my husband hates them. Atmosphere was very cold. Waitress was pretty unhelpful and barely helped us. I wasn't overly impressed with anything we ordered. I certainly wouldn't go back. If you truly want an AYCE experience, go to Maki Maki in Woburn or even better, endless sushi in Peabody! read more

Yamato was super tasty but it was in a lowkey sketchy basement. I think it's on boyleston street but then we had to walk intho these weird steps and went into the restaurant but we got all you can eat and ate probs about a gazillion dollars worth of food. The apps were delicious and the fish was mid but still super tasty! Oh boy I'd go back here to have a good full tummy with the boys read more

Yamato 2 - Soyest sauce - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I visited Yamato 2 with my girlfriend after coming here previously for a good meal. The decor and ambiance are very cafe-style with a no frills atmosphere. It is not fancy, elegant, or romantic by any means and more so a just place to hang out away from the elements and to grab a quick casual bite. But the location is amazing and food is pretty good. Service we received is 5 stars, I would also say the food is 4 stars. For me the price is what takes the overall rating down quite a bit. Convenient and again good food, but not super cost efficient unless you can eat a LOT of sushi. The dinner cost for AYCE sushi is now $34.99 so 1 person would need to order/eat about 4-5 regular maki rolls (or 2-3 special rolls) each to make it worth the price. For us sadly this is way more than we usually eat so we are better off not doing AYCE. I am not sure if Yamato 2 offers the ability to buy a la carte but next time we are considering coming here we will probably call and ask first. Online you can totally seemingly order a la carte which seems like a better value. Overall, would come here again in a bind, but beware that unless you're a sushiholic it may be easier on the wallet to order elsewhere or order a la carte, not AYCE. read more

Yamato is pretty nice! The sushi isn't the greatest you'll ever taste but it's pretty good, and you can get all you can eat of it at a very reasonable price. The service is the biggest low point. It's pretty inconsistent and slow and not super friendly. Sort of arbitrarily critical too. They refused to seat me until the other person arrived, despite just asking for a table for 2 (so the same I would get if I were eating alone) and the place being 90% empty. I think the best thing here is by far the nigiri and so I would recommend getting a large share of that--I've made the mistake or ordering too many rolls and come to regret it, particularly with the spicy tuna which I did not like at all. But the nigiri is excellent! read more

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This restaurant is underground like you're going into a subway which was interesting. The food is made fresh and it was delicious! I went for lunch and got the all you can eat. You order with pen and paper. I would prefer a tablet or waiter to do that instead. Overall I recommend! read more

I am a huge sashimi and seafood fiend, but I haven't been able to find spots where I can just eat sashimi (a lot) with reasonable prices. Yamatos II is a good spot if you just crave sushi/sashimi because the quality is solid (especially if you go early before dinner) and the kitchen food is also really good like the fried rice (highly recommend). The major downside is that it is pricey ~$40 for dinner option/sashimi, but once in a while the splurge is okay :) The servers there are also very attentive and quick to get your orders, which is really great for AYCE since you have a time limit. This place has a lot of seatings and also bar seat options if you want to see the chefs make the food (or eat alone). I like how clean it is as well. It is definitely better than Yamatos I just better quality and seats and service. read more

Yamato 2 - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Bottomless menus are the way to go! The sushi isn't the highest quality in the world, but absolutely settles the cravings and is budget-friendly. We ordered what would've been over $150 worth of sushi and other raw items and only paid $36 each. The staff was also so attentive that they provided another order sheet as we were nearing our final bites without hesitation. They were also incredibly diligent with refilling drinks, bringing the orders to the table, and dealing with the check. For being in the heart of back-bay, this was a steal that would be hard to come by even in the suburbs. The fifth star wasn't achieved in my opinion due to the cleanliness of the restrooms, specifically the women's. One of the stalls was actively flooding from the wall, but not labeled out of order. With only two women's stalls operating, one person always inevitably (and reluctantly) had the endure the puddle of mystery fluid. I will definitely be returning with friends in the future and taking a restroom pit stop in the nearby public library instead! read more

I came here with a group of 50 for AYCE during lunch. Shout-out to Yamato for accommodating our group and coordinating between each table's orders! For $25 pp pre-tax and tip, I thought this was a great deal. There's a wide variety of appetizers, sushi, entrees, and desserts to choose from. The quality of food served was pretty standard, tasty but nothing out of this world. Be prepared for long wait times, though. I would recommend placing a large order upfront instead of smaller consecutive ones, as it took almost an hour for some of our tables to get their initial orders. read more

Yamato 2 - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Not the greatest sushi but when it's all you can eat it's great for the price. Go on a weekday for lunch for the best deal.

Would come to this sushi AYCE spot if I'm really craving sushi and cannot make it out to the Brighton location since this location is a lot busier, has longer wait times, and is more pricey especially on the weekends! Experience 3.5/5 This location's ambiance and décor is slightly more updated and modern than the Brighton location since it is right in the center of Boston and it is also a newer version of Yamato I in Brighton. You have to go down sets of outdoor steps to get to the front door. Service is okay, and sometimes pretty slow on busy nights. It would often take a while for our food to come out and certain items would be missing as well. Since this location is a bit more cramped and louder, I do not enjoy it as much. Food 3/5 Food quality is fine, okay at best. We typically order a bit of each: sashimi (dinner only), nigiri, maki rolls. Though be aware they add a lot of rice to each item to fill you up. Rolls don't have much flavor so I typically have to use more soy sauce or spicy mayo on the side. read more

Solid as always! Had a lot of the salmon sushi and my favorite special roll- the volcano

Title: AYCE rice, not AYCE sushi. Unfortunately, this was a pretty bad experience. The rice to fish ratio was very off. For most of our rolls, there was more seaweed than fish. Our group opted not to eat half of the rice from our nigiri because there was only a sliver of fish included in all of our sushi pieces. The waitress told us we needed to finish all the rice or else they would charge us more. After speaking to the manager and showing the amount of fish they gave (close to none in comparison to the rice), he agreed and apologized. Thankfully, he was very professional and wanted to address the issue, but nothing changed on our next order. We got mostly rice again. When comparing to previous pictures from other Yelp reviews of the sushi rolls compared to now, there was a clear discrepancy. The waitress mentioned two points: 1) The rice amount is standardized. This is valid, but when the fish that you provide is not standardized, the amount of rice you include does not matter. 2) She said this is AYCE, which is different from regular menu portions. Again, this is valid, but when we pay for AYCE sushi, we hoped to get some fish. Instead, we got AYCE rice. I would not recommend anyone to come here, unless you want to pay to eat rice. Again, we do appreciate the manager's kindness and willingness to listen, but we were sad nothing had changed and the waitress was still ready to talk about us under her breath. Check out the pictures of some of the for reference. read more

Yamato 2 - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Would probably rate this place closer to 3.5/5 for an AYCE sushi restaurant. I thought the quality of the fish was okay for an AYCE style menu, but unfortunately you get full on rice pretty quickly. For lunch, you are really only limited to rolls and nigiri so you're unable to eat a lot of the sushi itself due to how much rice each bite has. Out of all the sushi orders, I actually really enjoyed the spicy tuna hand roll (pretty filling but I liked the flavor and crunch added to the handroll). Also, as an FYI they may have adjusted their menu slightly because they do not have salmon roe on their menu anymore. Appetizers were not terrible. We tried to limit on appetizers but notable shout outs include the crab rangoon, shrimp tempura, and seaweed. If you are serious about maximizing on AYCE, I would come for dinner which opens up the menu to sashimi for a little more expense ~$34 (dinner) vs. ~24 (lunch). You do have to pay an additional dollar or so for certain weekend days. read more

Yamato 2 - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Used to be my favorite, then became a disappointment in 2022. I gave it another chance one year later and decided it would be the last one. Sushi come with way thinner slides of fish. Rice is dry. Seaweed is so chewy I had to spit out. Seafood ramen is burning spicy. Even the wasabi... I used to work in a restaurant so I know it won't dry out like this if kept in a cooler. Such a waste of $100. Good luck with running a restaurant like that. read more

Yamato 2 - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great food, good service. Will come back every time I'm in Boston. This is the best all you can eat sushi in Boston.

Food quality went down badly. Service is slow during dinner time and still slow during non crowded time. They gave us the menu after 10 minutes of sitting. The restaurant has lots of seating. read more

WARNING DO NOT GET THE PHILLY ROLL Everything was pretty decent, I would recommend the sashimi(tuna and salmon I got) and the sushi. I also liked the California roll, avocado and cucumber roll, shrimp tempura, and gyoza. the service was really fast and pleasant. but seriously do not get the Philly roll it was lowkey an abomination... so much cream cheese and fried to the gods . i would go here again for sure, just don't get the philly roll. Wanted to rate a 3 bc of it but that was would be rude. read more

Yamato 2 - Yummy - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Fantastic lunch special and the food is fresh. I had a good experience ordering online and would absolutely do it again. For the same price as a bowl at Cava, dig, or sweet green, you can get 2 rolls of sushi, a small salad, and a cup of miso soup. read more

Yamato 2 - I like the dressing for the salad, kind of gingery and sweet - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We were sat at our table with soy sauce marks still needing to be wiped down, along with eel sauce staining my plate. I'm pretty big on interior decor and this definitely gives off cafeteria/slightly run-down vibes. The price is steep at $35 AYCE for adults on Sunday dinner, and I personally felt that it wasn't worth. The salmon sashimi was delicious along with the eel makimonos, but a lot of the sashimi pieces weren't even fully cut-through. Our all-sashimi plate also had a tiny piece of ikura on it--while not a big deal I would've preferred the presentation to not be as sloppy and lackluster. There was also a mouse that scrambled into its pit on my way to the bathroom which is a maze to get to anyways. I would've loved for the place to feel cleaner and more well-kept personally. Special rolls are also additional charge as well. read more

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The tables are very dirty and the food is mediocre. The service is slow and unattentive.

A great place to come with friends and satisfy a sushi craving! Yamato II does have a large selection of sushi and other foods - highly recommend getting combination of sashimi and other rolls since they tend to be rice heavy. The hand rolls are also great but are pretty large. The non sushi foods are decent, including crab rangoons, edamame, tempura etc. The deserts round out the meal - the fried ice cream is pretty melted but tastes alright and the fried bananas are pretty solid. The staff is pretty nice but you sometimes have to get their attention or order more. read more

Yamato 2 - Spicy Salmon Maki, Spicy Tuna Roll, Rainbow Maki - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Abstract; In a city where AYCE sushi joints are few and far between, Yamato 2 stands out in its ability to thread the fine line between providing sheer quantity while maintaining good quality and for a reasonable price. Pros: fairly priced, wide variety, good quality Cons: Limited seating time (though it is more than enough), completion of food required (always a challenge) Recommended items: Salmon Sashimi, Spicy Crab/ Tuna roll, Crab Rangoon, and pork dumplings Review; I've been to Yamato 2 twice within the past month, and each time was a positive experience. For review purposes, I'll be describing my first visit there. This visit happened to be on the evening of July 4th this year. I don't think there is a better time to try to come here-- on a day where the majority of attention in Boston shifts towards the Esplanade, Back Bay itself becomes rather quiet. Our party of 4 got to Yamato 2 around 5:30 and the place was extremely quiet; maybe 3 or 4 other tables out of the 15-20 that are available in the restaurant. We were able to be seated immediately and got started with the AYCE menu. (Side note; the second instance I came was a much busier Friday evening, but even then our party of 7 was still able to grab a table within reasonable time, with the only caveat being a 90 minute seating cap) The selection and options that Yamato 2 offers are pretty widespread, with a good assortment of appetizers, standard and specialty rolls, and sashimi as well. We ended getting two rounds of sushi during this trip and that seemed to be more than enough for our group. I do, however, recommend that larger groups exercise caution when choosing which rolls/ how many to get. It's almost safer to under order and then adjust as needed (you've got an hour and a half of seating time generally, which is more than enough time to get your fill)-- and remember, that you do have to pay for pieces that go unfinished ... Highlights I would recommend other visitors to try are the the salmon sashimi, the spicy crab and spicy tuna rolls, the crab rangoons, and the dumplings as well. The sashimi in particular was made with extremely good quality fish; I was honestly blown away, and this has left a lasting impression on me and my regards for Yamato 2. Often times, AYCE sushi as an experience feels that you are trading off quality of sushi for sheer quantity. Yamato 2 seemingly finds a way to tread the line between each of these. While it's not the best sushi I've ever had, it certainly provides the best AYCE sushi experience I've had anywhere. And at around $24 dollars a person for dinner, you are DEFINITELY getting your moneys worth. I'd highly recommend Yamato 2 for anyone looking for a great and affordable AYCE sushi experience in Boston. 4/5 read more

Yamato 2 - Several different rolls, sushi, and sashimi ordered through the all you can eat menu. - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Pretty good deal for AYCE since they have a number of different offerings and pretty big portions. I think they have huge appetizer portions to get you full off of it, so I'd save those until after you eat. Sushi's not amazing but is good enough to satisfy sushi cravings. One thing a little offputting is how the waiter seems to constantly remind us to finish our food before ordering and always seems a bit annoyed when we were ordering more food (even though it's AYCE). We also overheard a waiter asking our waiter when we were gonna leave, and our waiter said "after he finishes the soup" with an attitude (even though we hadn't even decided if we were done ordering) read more

Yamato 2 - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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For the price and value, it's great if you're on a budget. You. Can take friends here and have a good inexpensive dinner

Fantastic all you can eat sushi! The sushi is excellent quality for the price, it's only $25 for all you can eat lunch. You can also order more than just sushi -- fried rice, noodle dishes, and a variety of appetizers are also on the menu. All of the appetizers were excellent - I would especially recommend the spring rolls, which were some of the best I've ever had. The only caveat - don't order more than you can eat, they will charge you a fee! (Which I think is an excellent idea to reduce waste) read more

Yamato 2 - Sushi Platter - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Great place for all you can eat sushi. service was spot on with the waiters coming by every 10-15 minutes. recommend the spicy salmon and tuna. very cute little place would come again read more

Yamato 2 - gyoza, shumai, Edamame - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Let me start by saying I've been to the Yamato in Brighton before and this was my first time trying Yamato 2 and i wasn't impressed. We walked in on a Saturday night around 7 and was told it would be a 45 minute wait for 2 people. So we put our number down and decided to walk Newbury St a bit. We get called about 15 minutes later and are told our table was ready so we rushed back. We got seated and right off the bat you could tell they were pretty busy. We ordered two rolls, a bunch of sashimi, a few appetizers, hand rolls and a salmon combo. Service was not the best. Our waitress was nowhere to be found for more than half the time we were there. We were there for about 2 hours with the majority of our time spent waiting. It took over an hour for us to get the hand rolls and the salmon combo that we ordered when we first sat down. The sashimi slices were so incredibly small we had to order double. You have to pay extra for the special rolls, which i honestly think is kinda dumb considering the prices are so high. For 36$ a person you would think all sushi would be included especially since the service wasn't there. read more

Definitely a AYCE. Fish was fairly fresh and the other food on the AYCE menu was not too bad. Didn't get a chance to eat the noodles or ramen but will next time. Not too busy and the servers are fairly attentive. Rice portion in sushi is not extravagant so you are definitely getting value. read more

This is one of those places where you really have to read the reviews to get a good idea about the place. The stars really don't tell the full story. Usually I'd see a 3 star and keep moving but I would pretty much tell anyone to check out Yamato 2. If I could, 3.5 stars is actually more appropriate. Is it great sushi, no. Is the sushi so bad that you're not going to like it or it's going to make you sick, also no. For a very reasonable price you can get all you can eat sushi and appetizers. None of it is going to blow you away but you also won't be disappointed. To be fair I can't speak for some of the other things on the all you can eat menu like chicken teriyaki or fried rice, I'm mostly there to crush sushi and appetizers and between those two everything they make is pretty good. read more