Sonobana Japanese Restaurant and Grocery

I had high expectation as its menu was showing more traditional Japanese dish, but was very disappointed at the unagi don.It came with miso soup and house salad. The miso soup was very salty, the slices of mushroom appeared to be just toss in instead of cooked in the soup. I didn't have the house salad, I added cucumber tako salad. The cucumber and tako were immersed in vinegar, very sour. Last the unagi don, they put way too much sauce that made the rice too salty, between the unagi don and miso soup, the salt balance was off. Unagi was not properly deboned, I had 10+ small bones out for the unagi. For me growing up deboning fish myself had no problem, it would be problem for those that are used to it.The service was nice, but disappointing food.

This restaurant is great. The food is very reasonable and truly some of the best sushi in town. It's a fantastic leftover from old Nashville. We drive over here as opposed to places closer (Donelson) because of the value. That said- we showed up as a table of two tonight 50 min before posted close (9:30) and were treated pretty poorly by the hostess. She told us, "there's a 20 min wait, and we close at 9:15, so if I seat you, you will only have a few minutes to sit before you have to leave." When we asked if we could get to-go she acted extremely annoyed and left to get someone else to deal with us. So I suppose I'll leave the review just stating - I do not wish to be harsh as most experiences here have been wonderful so I'll leave 3 stars, but - it's pretty unusual for a restaurant to make customers leave 15 min before posted close AFTER being seated. And as someone with 15 years experience in hospitality I've NEVER turned someone away 50 min before close. So they should either change posted hours on the door, Google, website, maps, etc OR honor them. And though the hostess has never been particularly welcoming, I hope she was just having a bad day.

Great sushi! Great prices! The atmosphere was friendly and inviting! But most of all, we were impressed by the service! There was a 40 minute wait and we were traveling with 2 more hours to get to our destination. We did not ask for preferential treatment, just casually shared with the hostess while we were waiting. We decided to go next door to check out their great Asian market attached to the restaurant while we waited, and were surprised with a call about 15 minutes into our wait that our table was ready for us. The good-hearted staff managed to get us to a tiny table in the corner and with great speed, served us some of the best sushi we've had since our trip to Japan a few years back! Thank you for your kindness!

Food was just right, service was good, and the restaurant was clean and not too loud.

Food: 3/5Service: 5/5Ambiance: 5/5They have a big menu of both traditional sushi and fusion/americanized items. What brings the food to a 3/5 is that it is inconsistent. Sometimes it's super fresh and sometimes it is fishy as heck. I need to stop ordering their Uni, as it is one item that has been consistently not good here. Service has always been great, they have really friendly staff! If you're a newbie to Japanese food or sushi, they'll talk you through everything. I love the ambiance because it's a bit outdated but it's just cozy OG Japanese setup. Overall it's a good, solid Japanese restaurant.

What a yummy spot! I came with a group of 8 on a Saturday night so we called ahead to make sure we could get in. The server was attentive, the sushi came out in a decent amount of time, and it was tasty.There was a private room in the back that you can rent out id you have a large group, and there is plenty of seating doe regular dine in guests. I would definitely come back to eat here.

For take out sushi, this place is very solid. Ginger salad and teriyaki chicken were both eh. I do love their sushi menu though. There are lots to choose from and they separate the raw from the cooked which is really helpful because I don't eat cooked sushi.

As I've gone to Sonobana habitually over the years, I've learned that there is quite honestly nothing I wouldn't try on the menu. I think visitors have to remember that this is an establishment which still does many things in a retro fashion: they have a landline, and they often use it. Waits can range from 5 minutes on a slow weekday to over 30 minutes in peak dining hours. I can attest to the insane lines on weekend evenings: we once parked, saw the line and considered waiting in it (it was out the door), and walked right back out to consider dining elsewhere. Just be mindful of when you go, and your party should be fine. You can always call ahead, but know that the line may be busy.I just ordered the futo maki roll, salmon roll, and tuna roll yesterday evening for pickup. There was a 30 minute wait, but the rolls always come out exactly as they should: balanced portions of rice, fish, and nori. The rice is seasoned well but not enough to make the rice mushy, and the fish is always fresh. There's a reason Sonobana always has a line out the door, and it's because they do simple rolls (and also complex ones) really well. You can taste the hard work and craftsmanship sometimes, I swear.Ambiance feels like retro family dining to be honest. As an AAPI person who calls Nashville home, it can sometimes feel othering when a customer at another table is unabashedly staring at you. This is no fault of the restaurant of course: just something to be mindful of when you dine. We have often stopped by the small market during our waits if it isn't closed. It's quaint and actually sells fresh seafood. If you're expecting Mitsuwa though, honey, this ain't it. Think more mom and pop bodega, and you'll feel much better.Plenty of parking in the Trader Joe's strip mall area. Highly recommend (and always kicking myself for recommending a local favorite).

I've had so much sushi in Nashville, this is BY FAR the best. Anytime I eat somewhere else with friends for convenience ect I wish it was here. It's also really fair priced. The quality you are getting for the price truly is unmatched. This place is a GEM. And everyone who works here is so freaking genuine and kind! Me and my man are both dedicated. We order together once a week and he'll order for himself sometimes and likewise. They know the James order when it's just for him and when it's for us. Sashimi is our main game. I forget we are landlocked when that fish goes into my mouth. It cute inside but not much for atmosphere. But if you want sweet service and the best sushi in town who cares. Love y'all!!!

This place has the best deal on the freshest fish at the market. Restaurant itself was pretty basic Japanese food in nashville, but good quality and good prices. But the fish at the grocery store is just the best.