Yako Sushi House

Really great, affordable sushi. Clean interior, nice ambience, very friendly service. We went at ~5pm on a Saturday evening and had to wait about an hour for our food since it seems they had a huge influx of to-go orders. We didn't mind too much since we didn't have anywhere to be afterward, but a bit surprising considering we went quite early. Food itself was pretty solid considering the price we paid ($64 for 4 special rolls and 2 classic rolls). My favorites were the polar bear roll and the badger roll-- p fresh fish, great rice to filling ratio. I didn't really like the salmon lover and the spicy scallop, but that might just be my subjective opinion (also I'm somewhat intolerant of sriracha which is unfortunate for casual sushi places lol). Overall, would totally come here again for the tasty sushi and cheap pricetag but would likely order takeout, so I can wait at home haha

The sushi was decidedly underwhelming, with the freshness of the fish appearing questionable. Many of the rolls were overwhelmed by an excessive use of mayonnaise-based sauces, which masked the delicate flavors one expects from quality sushi.

I was thoroughly impressed with this place. Doesn't look like much from the outside, and the inside hasn't been decorated to the nines, but the food was excellent. It's again more proof that some of the best restaurants in this city are small family run joints that are more concerned about serving the best food they possibly can than concentrating solely on the bottom line. We went for a weekend lunch and it was quiet. It was nice for an antisocial introvert such as me. However, I was told the dinner crowd is much larger, which was a bit hard to believe with the small interior. So, since we were pretty much the only customers, service was speedy, and we even got a show as the staff was tossing out an old cooler and had to maneuver it through the front door to get it out of the building.Since it was my first visit, I decided to leave it up to the chef and just ordered what was basically a small omakase platter with spicy tuna rolls. Frankly, I could do without the spicy tuna rolls and would rather be able to select my own roll, but I understand, they're cheap and popular. The sushi was all nigiri with a variety of fish. It was all excellent, fresh and tender enough to practically melt in my mouth. That sounds like hyperbole, but it isn't. It was that good. And even better, the portion of rice wasn't overwhelming as to distract from the fish and showed me the chef actually took pride in what was being served. My only niggling complaints are what seems to be a heavy focus on maki rolls. But maki tends to be more popular, so it's not a big deal. It would also be nice to be able to have an adult beverage, but again, I understand because alcohol permits can be a pain to deal with. Otherwise, I do plan on coming back as this place serves the best sushi I've so far experienced anywhere on the East Side.

This place was a good find. They have a lunch special that gives you three orders of rolls which are six pieces each. The service was great and the people are friendly. The ambulances casual and comfortable. If you are in the area I would recommend them.

Great family owned little sushi spot. Seats about 30 people. Came here for a quick lunch with my wife as we were passing through Madison on our way to Minneapolis. Yelp! always steers us to a hidden gem, and once again, the app delivered. My wife ordered the lunch special which was like 3 rolls plus miso soup or salad for around $14. She got a cucumber salmon roll, a spicy crab roll and a spicy tuna roll. The miso soup was delicious - much better than average. The rolls were all fresh and very tasty. I ordered the Polar Bear special maki. It featured fresh salmon, crab and avocado topped with a white tuna that had been slightly charred and a sriracha mayo sauce. It was fantastic - melted in your mouth. We also ordered, and split, the Yako Salad. This was the surprise of the afternoon. Mango, cucumber, crab and avocado shouldn't ever be assembled in the same bowl, but I'm telling you these flavors mysteriously all blended together perfectly, and each bite was better than the last. The service was on point. The place was quaint and intimate. The value was spot-on, and the flavors were all delicious.

Very good sushi. Nice and fresh. This place is always busy with takeout orders but there is a seating area for those who miss dining out.

New owners. Great quality. My 10 year old and I split the boat. Chefs choice. All was great except-oddly enough-the salmon was a little "off". Not off like bad but off like "fatty"er than we would like. Otherwise great!

Most fresh japanese seafood! Best one in town. Ordered from Japan!The owner ordered the best sea food from Japan. Love it! Highest quality!

A friend and I were craving sushi tonight and were searching around the Madison area for a new place to try. We decided to try Yako and are so happy we did, it will definitely be our new go to and we immediately made sure to tell all our friends and family about it. The sushi was amazing - it was fresh with large portions and the pieces of fish were almost as big as the role itself! We were told it was a family owned business and I think the love they put into it shows in both the food, service, and overall cozy ambiance it had. I cannot recommend it enough and I already look forward to going back! If I could give it more stars I would!

Super fresh sushi. Nice selection of rolls fresh fish (trend these days with other sushi places seems to be mostly spicy tuna and tempura shrimp). Super friendly service. Highly recommend!A+