Sakabayashi Sushi Tavern

4.5/5 Funamori Don ($18): this was such an incredible value for the price! The rice had the perfect texture, seasoned with different vinegars for extra umami flavor! I believe the selection of fish rotates but mine had salmon, tuna, negitoro, sea bream, mackerel, squid, and tamago.Highly recommend stopping by for lunch! Came on a weekday around 1pm and service was very fast!

We came on opening day and were able to snag reservations last minute when we called. This apparently is a restaurant chain in Japan with its first restaurant here in the US. The restaurant has a small but high sushi bar, so sitting at a table was preferable. It has a bright and casual feel for quick dining. The value of the sushi is superior. Such fresh fish for such an affordable price.I docked one star for our service as our server was out to lunch...he may as well should have taken a seat and joined us. We thought at first it may have been a hearing problem but he just seemed a little dazed and confused.

Great place to go to food food and vibes! Took a friend out to eat here while he was visiting from Vietnam, and we were lucky because of the special deals that they have throughout the year! The service and food here is incredible. Honestly, some of the best yet affordable sushi I've had, one of my favorite dishes I had was the the Sushi-ade Trio. The location of this restaurant definitely puts it up there! It's located right across the Boston Public Library in Back Bay! Definitely a place to check out, especially with the different deals they have.

Super fresh, high quality, giant pieces of sushi!I came in as a solo diner around 6 pm and the place was nearly empty. I thought the prices seemed a little high for what looked like only 4 pieces of sushi per roll, but I had no idea they were mammoth sushi pieces, which was a nice surprise. Truly didn't have a bad bite this entire meal. The Boston roll is fantastic, the tuna scallion roll was super flavorful, even the avocado roll was great. The rice the use in their rolls is arguably the best part. Not your traditional white and sticky sushi rice, it has black vinegar in it which adds a great umami flavor. The pari pari veggie sticks are a cool appetizer to get with the salmon roe mayo to dip and bonito flakes on top. Only $6 too. Service was excellent and VERY fast (I was in and out I kid you not in 25 minutes). Restaurant looks a bit fast casual for the quality of the sushi but they have a sushi bar in the back that looked nicer to sit at. Highly recommend! Take their survey on the table and get 5% off your meal too!

The food and ambiance was great! I've been here twice already and have never been disappointed. The inside of the restaurant is also really cute! I love the decorations. The first time I went here I tried their lunch specials. I rarely find places that have lunch specials on the weekends, so I was glad my friend recommended this place. I got the ramen sushi combo and the portions were actually pretty good for the price point.The second time I came during restaurant week! My favorite items during restaurant week was the potato salad, karaage, and chef's special sushi set. The cheesy ajillo was super interesting: string cheese and seafood dip. The desserts were okay in my opinion. Overall, great place for affordable sushi! Make sure you make reservations for dinner because it can get pretty packed.

I tried going here when they first opened and they were only doing reservations or outdoor seating, and I was immediately turned off because I stood by the door while several employees walked by ignoring me. I went recently because I wanted some sushi but decided to try this place because it seemed cheaper, and now I know there's a reason why (it's also not cheap if you eat a normal amount of food).I'm not sure if it's just me but something about the vibes here are very off. It doesn't feel welcoming and some of the staff are unsettling. The first issue I had was running out of martini glasses when getting the matcha and espresso saketini. When walking through the restaurant I only saw a few martini glasses and I understand it's the same drink, but martinis should be served in a martini glass. The drinks were okay but too expensive for sake cocktails ($14).The food was another disappointment. The sushi here is just so weird. I got the Boston roll first and the tuna was some of the worst quality fish I have ever had, if not the worst. Not only was the roll bland but two of the four pieces looked like they were made with different fish. The tuna on the right was dark red with white tissue lined through it and the other two were pink. I wish I had asked for these to be taken off instead of remade because the roll was terrible anyways.The scallop and salmon nigiri were okay, the sweet and sour chicken was probably the best thing and it was fried chicken with tartar sauce, and the two decent sushi were the cheesy aburi and the three piece tuna set.My server was nice but never mentioned the martini glasses. The sushi here is not good and it seems cheap but there's so few pieces you have to keep ordering. I really did not like this place I don't understand how a piece of straight connective tissue was served to me. I was going to try Sushi by Bosso or go to Douzo which is a place I love and I wish I had just spent the difference and got much better sushi.

It was a new Japanese restaurant that I regretted trying. The place was a freezing. I was planning to make reservation for 5pm but the first slot was at 6:30pm but when we got there the place empty and by the time we left, the place was not half filled. I was planning to order from the dine-out Boston menu but just ended up ordering from the menu. This place, you get what you pay for, the sashimi quality was low, added too much vinegar in the brown rice, and the sashimi are poorly cut. The food was underwelmed even service is quick.SAKABAYASHI FUNAMORI $32 - poorly cut and not too freshYAMTASTIC TUNA $6 - blandFUJIYAMA CARPACCIO $16 - nicely present but salmon aren't fresh SAKABAYASHI POTATO SALAD $9 - nicely present but too much seaweedHOMEMADE KATSU STICK $12 - crispy but the oil that was use to fry is old oil - need to change to new oilCRABBY CHEESEQUAKE AJILLO $12 - too much roe and too saltyMAGNIFICENT $45 - poorly cut and too much rice

I was looking forward to trying this place after seeing videos about it on IG. The restaurant was spacious and well decorated and the servers were attentive, but the food left me feeling underwhelmed.Their lunch sets were decent value, but you really get what you paid for. We got the Nigiri 12 ($24) and the Ramen Sushi Set ($25). The sushi was mostly rice with thin pieces of fish. The fish was poorly cut up with uneven edges and the presentation was inconsistent amongst all of our plates. This was shocking considering they are a sushi restaurant. The ramen was supposed to be tonkotsu shoyu, but it tasted as if they put the seasonings from Shin instant ramen in there and the noodles were overcooked.Overall, the food was a letdown and I would not come back. With other sushi places around, you're better off going elsewhere to satisfy your sushi cravings.

Food was great, service was excellent, the selections of Sake were good and the vibe overall was authentic. Will return for sure!

The food is so fresh and never disappoints! I love everything Sakabayashi has to offer, including the great prices! My favs are the furikake caesar salad, aji fry, bonjto french fries, karaage, the hotate, any of the tuna and eel dishes, the agedashi tofu, and the omelette bowl! Everything is so good and the servers are all very welcoming and slay!Anybody complaining about the fish quality is full of bs. The fish is *chef's kiss* and very filling!