Yamato 2

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!

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!

An overall OK experience! Nothing to write home about, not sure I will be back but fills the craving for an AYCE sushi experience when it hits.Price: ~$27, ~$33 after tip and tax for lunch for a Sunday. Decently priced for an AYCE. Sushi: OK sushi. I felt like there was a lot of rice per fish, and the fish was ok quality. Not the worst, not the best. Sashimi was only on the dinner menu so we didn't try it.Other: I actually really liked the shumai (steamed) as well as edamame and the seaweed salad. The ice cream was unfortunately dinner only :( so didn't get to try the ice cream either! I wish they would serve ice cream at lunch, especially on a hot day like today. Service: Good! Sometimes can be a bit of a longer wait between plates but overall servers very responsive.

Good sushi for ayce. Decent rice to fish ratio. Service is usually pretty good. Good amount of seating. Definitely my go to for ayce.

The Internet seems to have a very positive opinion about Yamato. After walking by and having a mental bookmark for over a decade, it was finally time to stop in. I blame Reddit - plus I had a nearby interview that got out just as lunch was starting. Off the bat: $24.50 for AYCE sushi lunch is a great deal, especially in downtown Boston. However, $25 can get you all sorts of delicious lunches, and I'm not sure Yamato has gone in my Rolodex of places to revisit. I do think it is worth a second chance though... only maybe for dinner.I had the opportunity to try:- Crab Rangoons- Brighton Maki- Volcano Maki- Salmon & Tuna Sushi- Salmon Skin Hand RollThe Crab Rangoons were alright. The filling was A-OK, however the fried wonton was on the thicker and chewier side for my taste. The Brighton Maki was a bit unsure. Rather than having a spicy tuna filling, in this case it was the exterior topping! Inside was avocado and white fish. Flavor-wise, this role wasn't much to write home about. I found the pieces a little inconsistent as well (more or less spicy tuna topping, smaller or larger bit of white fish, etc). Texture-wise, the large amount of spicy tuna, rice, and avocado led to a mouthfeel that hid the white fish. Overall though, pretty average: I'm glad I ordered it, but not necessarily something I'd order on future visits.Something I would skip on future visits is is the Volcano Maki. This one contained...cheese? I'm not sure, but it was a simple spicy tuna maki topped with a seemingly cheese-bound "torched scallop, tobiko, scallion, crab meat and mushroom mixture." Points for creativity, however seems like something I would make when trying to empty my fridge pre-vacation. It did not work here in my opinion.The salmon skin hand roll was very good. This one had balanced textures and ingredients, and allowed the quality of the rice to shine. While I deviation from my usual eel hand roll, this is something I would happily order again (though maybe in the eel variety).Also a favorite were the salmon and tuna sushi (nigiri, I suppose?). The simplicity is what works here. High quality rice and fresh fish, plus a little soy sauce makes for a winning combination.Finally, the service was friendly and attentive, no complaints there. The location was generally pleasant, but felt a little musty, and the mirrors could use a good wipe down.Thus, while the rice and fish are fresh and tasty, the execution could use some work overall. As such, I have the agree with Yelp's 3-star average, and disagree with those friends and Redditors who extol Yamato's virtues.

Pretty nice maybe Spot. There aren't a ton in the area that do a good job of that. The sushi quality is decent, perfect for an AYCE kind of spot. The service is fairly quick as well. Highly recommend the spicy crispy special roll. The fried ice cream is definitely a nice little touch as well to cap off a good lunch after inhaling all that sushi

My team and I came to Yamato 2 for lunch the other day. We didn't make a reservation or anything, but when we got there a little after noon, we were pleased to see that there were plenty of tables available for walk in. They must have just cleaned the tables because we all noticed the strong smell of bleach. We opted for the lunch AYCE, which excludes sashimi and certain rolls. We could eat plenty of hot entrees and appetizers as well. We got a whole plate of sushi and then a whole plate of rolls. Food came out super quick! I didn't mention this in our lunch, but unfortunately one of my rolls had a piece of hair in it, which is why I can only give 3 stars. Aside from the hair, the food was fresh and tasty. Service was great too.

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.

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

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.