This was my very first visit to D.C. and I must say that I enjoyed most of the food that I had a chance to indulge in. What I didn't like is the mandatory tipping and service fees. Like why is this okay and even necessary?!? We did arrive to the place a little closer to closing but my niece really likes this place and recommended it to us. So we shot here as soon as we were finished with her move-in. The waiter was kind initially and handle our orders quite quickly. When trying to gain her attention towards the middle of our dinning, she completely ignored us and wouldn't even loon our way. I guess this was her way of letting us know that the kitchen and bar was closed. It wasn't until one of us got up out of our seats and approached her to ask for napkins and one last beverage. I get the fact that they were closing but in place of ignoring it would been kind for her to just let us know that the kitchen and bar is now closed and they were not taking any additional orders. This is why I think the mandatory tipping is unfair because no matter the service, you gotta tip and pretty nice amount. With that, my next visit I will be packing lunches to eat in place of dinning out during my next visit. read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Outside... - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I love this place! Whether it's takeout or happy hour, the food here always brings me comfort. They have a great happy hour menu, and I've tried several sushi rolls, but my favorites are the Crunchy Salmon Roll and Crunchy Shrimp Roll. Another standout is the Lollipop Shrimp, and their General Tso Noodles are absolutely delicious. It can get pretty busy during happy hour, but the service is great and the ambiance is always enjoyable. Definitely one of my go to spots! read more

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Was looking for a Japanese place that was playing the Japan and Sweden game and this spot had plenty of seating for walk in. We ordered some sapporos and the fried rice with pork, which was surprisingly quite tasty! Asked for some chili pepper to add to our rice too. Overall nice staff, chill spot, and a good time! read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Fried rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here with a friend for their happy hour around 6pm and the place was bustling with people! The popularity of this spot makes sense - the happy hour prices are hard to beat, especially in DC. We got four rolls, an order of seaweed salad, some miso soup and two cocktails, all of which came out to under $60 before the tip. The service was a little slower due to the large crowd, but the staff were friendly, the place was cute, festive, and cozy, and the food was fresh and delicious! This place is perfect for a hangout after work in the city. read more

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Great Happy Hour and kind service. Lots of variety on the food menu and many vegetarian sushi options read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Happy Hour menu - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I've been to this place a few times, and I can vouch for the quality of the donburi and sushi. Haven't gotten around to trying any of the soups yet. It's conveniently located a couple blocks from the Chinatown metro, and they have a daily happy hour from 5-7 with some good deals. Staff are nice and professional, and ambiance is warm. read more

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Came to Absolute on a Saturday around 5pm and was seated immediately. The restaurant was mostly empty with a few benches outside taken. With their happy hour deal I imagine it gets busy. They have happy hour everyday from 5 to 7! Nearly unheard of these days!! I had a tuna avocado roll, salmon avocado roll, and fried sweet potatoe roll for $5 each -- a total steal. Their specialty rolls and drinks are also on happy hour for under $10. Most of the apps are also about $5. It's an incredible deal! Is it the most amazing sushi? Definitely not, but for $5 its good enough to come for. I enjoyed all my rolls especially the sweet potatoe one. Service was super quick and friendly. Vibes were causal and lowkey. I left full and happy and my wallet left even happier. I will be back!!! read more

They have happy hour from 5-7pm and it can get busy. Years ago, the nigiri was $1, but now it's at least $2. In any case, it's still a great deal! I love the mackerel and smoked salmon nigiri. I've had soo many great options, but have forgotten. My only complaint is the service isn't great. The waiter I had wasn't attentive to the table. We had to repeatedly flag her down to order more, to get the check, retrieve the check, etc. This seems to be my experience each time. read more

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Nice lunch spot. Not a huge place but could accommodate our group of 7 easily. Food was pretty good, fresh. They seemed to stagger the serving, perhaps because it was a big group. I had the pork belly bao, which was good but wondering if they make the bao in house, and of course need more pork in the sandwich! The tempura was good as well but kind of bland, even with the sauce, but was fresh and crispy so who can complain! There is some paid street parking, but not much! read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Pork belly bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came here for a happy hour date and it did not disappoint! Super cute spot with a couple mini bars, it's relatively small but has an intimate feel. Staff were very friendly and they had a great happy hour menu, super reasonably priced. We shared 3 rolls on the HH menu and it was plenty for 2! Overall solid sushi for the area, would definitely return. read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came for solo dinner on Monday night. Walking distance from capitol area for conference I was at. Able to get seated quickly. Imagine it busier later in week or on weekends. Food is yummy and good portion sizes. Happy hour 5-7p with good deals for both sushi and non sushi things. Intimate setting with some bar seating as well. read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Maryland Roll - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This place is such a good hidden gem, specifically for their sushi and happy hour that lasts until 7pm. My friend and I shared some crab rangoons and a bunch of different types of sushi, including speciality rolls and nigiri. Everything was wonderful. For sushi, we got the salmon and sweet potato nigiri and one other one. We also shared the VA roll, which was so good and we can't wait to go back and try the Maryland roll. For dessert, we had the mango and sticky rice, which was good, though we could have used more mango. The service was great and the ambiance is wonderful. Seating is anywhere and the place has plenty of seats for a relatively unknown place. Overall, definitely come here for the sushi, especially their unique rolls and great happy hour! read more

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This resturant is better for take out versus a dine in experience. The service felt very rushed given the price point. The food was good

Happy Hour menu is such a great deal!! $10 cocktails, $5 potstickers and $5 rolls. Plus the service is quick and attentive read more

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Decent lunch. Food was served quickly and was tasty. Nothing to rave about but a solid meal at a decent price before heading from our hotel to the Smithsonian for the day. read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Pad thai - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went after a wizards game and was seated immediately. Space is small but clean, well decorated, inviting and able to accommodate groups. Service was prompt and staff were friendly. The noodles were full of flavor, fresh, and quite tasty, satisfying the craving at the time. Portions were filling, and prices were fair. Would likely return read more

A friend of mine invited me for dinner here, and I'd have to say that the food here is mediocre. We had drunken udon and a few sushi along with spring roll, and the spring roll taste bland. The sushi didn't taste fresh, but I don't think you'd expect that at this price point. You can get the same taste of sushi anywhere in DC that's similar to this place. Also, the drunken udon according to my friend taste okay and nothing special, but taste a bit watered down from other types of drunken noodles, plus the toppings and vegetables that comes with the udon taste bland and didn't retain its original taste as well. There is almost no service in our table. Food is 5/10, service is 3/10. This is mediocre at best, and unless you are really hungry and craving for food, I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

$23.10 (food: veggie spring roll, Singapore noodle with chicken. Drink: water.) Absolute Noodle & Sushi Bar monologue: One day, I saw this lady enjoying her meal, in a cute outfit, sitting outside, with her dog. I had a brief conversation with her and she highly recommend this restaurant and the meal I ordered. I came back a few days later. I sat inside (only because it pretty cool outside), at the bar and was greeted moments later. I ordered my appetizer and my meal (see above). The spring roll was delicious and got me excited with anticipation of my main dish, the noodles. Yum and yum was my reaction. It was a nice serving, that I did finish while sitting there. The flavors were dancing in my mouth to the beat of whatever tune that may have been playing at the local bar down the street. Yeah, I was satisfied. I do recommend that you visit this restaurant and try whatever items you are craving. I have a feeling you will say "yum and yum" too. P.S. - I think that visiting this restaurant, on a late comfortable summer evening, with a special friend, would make for a great date night. Just sayin... read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I eat sushi a lot so I feel like I'm qualified to judge- this was some of the best!!! The sushi is absolutely amazing and the happy hour and lunch deals are very good. This is now my favorite sushi in DC. read more

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This was a great find! Their bulgogi udon was amazing! I also enjoyed their DC roll. This is a solid hole in the wall spot for a wide array of asian favorites with a twist! read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Bulgogi Udon Soup - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

service was ok, my waitress came to me right after I sat down and took my drink and food order right away. food and drinks came out very quickly and they were good. I finished my drink and my waitress came to take away my glass eventually and she never checked on me again. I had to ask another waitress for a drink refill. another waitress at the table next to mine, checked on me when I still saw my waitress and I got a to go box and check from her. read more

Great food. Quiet interior. Good service. I had their pho noodle soup. So flavorable. Would recommend. read more

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I ended up at Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar because two of my lunch plans fell through. I have to say that I was happy to have stumbled past this place because I was really craving sushi. I thought this sushi bar had a very interesting and unique design. I ordered three simple sushi rolls and the wasabi pork dumplings, and all three items (well technically, four items) were pretty good. Although I went with simple sushi rolls, I thought it was nice that the restaurant (as its name would suggest) had a nice range of menu options from sushi, to rice bowls, to and noodles. I think this would be a great spot if your are interested in Japanese food, but you are not quite sure what you exactly want. I had no issues with the the service, and I thought my waitress was very friendly. For the sushi items, I was glad that the restaurant makes it easy to order. Upon entering, you are handed a list of the various sushi rolls and other sushi menu items with a pencil, and you check off the things you want to eat. Pretty easy, breezy. I thought the prices were fine compared to other mid-level sushi restaurants in the area. read more

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Stopped by Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar on a weekend for a quick sushi fix, and it was a pretty average Asian spot. The decor is cute--casual with a mix of records on the wall and some Asian-inspired touches like lanterns. Service was fine--they were friendly but nothing special, just efficient. We had the pork bun, fire crunch roll, and poke donburi. The sushi and poke didn't really stand out from the typical sushi fare but seemed fresh and tasted fine, the pork belly "slider" appetizer was nothing special and sounded better on paper than it tasted. It's not obscenely expensive, but it's not a steal either--it's more about convenience as we were by the National Mall and were craving sushi for dinner. It's a good no frills option if you're nearby and craving sushi, but nothing to go out of your way for. read more

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A classic local spot serving up noodle soups and sushi, perfect for the winter. When we came, we ordered the tonkatsu ramen, the beef dumplings and the calamari. Everything was served fresh and warm, perfect for a cold night. Nothing was extraordinary, but everything was just to my liking. The ramen broth was rich and creamy, dumplings and calamari were flavorful and fried well. Overall, no negatives here! Nothing wowing me but nothing went wrong. If you're looking for a spot to warm up during the winter season, look no further! read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Fried Calamari - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Fabulous take-out for our family of five. This is probably the best shrimp fried rice and beef fried rice I've ever had and I have eaten a lot of fried rice. And they were cheerfully willing to prepare mine without egg. Great food. Very nice folks. Happily recommend! read more

One of my biggest complaints with DC is its lack of good Asian food available in the city proper (especially downtown) and this location is one such item. It's not bad but the food lacks flavor - for the price you're paying for the food, I would expect much better. It's not bad per se but just not worth the $20 you're paying. On the ramen and other noodle soup options, the broth often tastes bland or overly oily: it doesn't have a rich spice profile that you would expect from Asian food specifically. I've ordered udon noodles and found that they were slightly overcooked: it was a bit too chewy and didn't have the bite that you would expect from perfectly cooked noodles. The happy hour sushi deals here are great - the sushi itself is solid (though not incredible) but an excellent deal with the happy hour. I would recommend this location for the happy hour but if you want a nice noodle place on a weekend, this is not the location for that. The service itself though is excellent and the ambiance and decor here are great. read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place is amazing!!! But don't take my word for it!!! Go and check this place out!!! You will not be disappointed!!!

In DC for work and took a walk around the neighborhood to find something for dinner. Just about every restaurant in the area was Chinese, Japanese, or Thai, almost all with high prices for even the cheapest or appetizers. When I took a look at Absolute Noodle, the menu looked good and the prices were actually in line with what I would expect, and being on a tight work budget, I gave it a shot. Bright room and not overly packed with tables, everyone in the restaurant appears comfortable and happy. I sat at the bar and the young lady was very friendly and attentive. I ordered the kobe beef potstickers and shrimp/veggie tempura as an appetizer. The tempura was fine, not much flavor in the ponzu sauce, but more than made up for it with the potstickers. Delicious and a tiny little kick, I'd go back just for those. I had the udon beef soup for dinner. It was as you would expect. Tasty broth, noodles were cooked well, and flavorful beef. Some of the beef pieces were a little tough, but by and large it was really good quality and something I'd get again if I lived here. Just a few little tweaks and this could easily have been a 5 star, good for what it is. read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Bulgogi Udon Soup - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The Ramen was good and the sushi was good, the service was great, and the ambiance was good

I dont usually write meh reviews but here we go. Main points: Not upholding 2$ nigiri deal:/ Restaurant Scent, alcohol tasting ikura. 1. Atmosphere was good and cozy, they were lighting candles after we sat down and I like the warm lighting and smaller tables. Place kind of smelled a little urine? Not sure why or maybe it was just my nose. 2. Food quality was decent, especially the scallop nigiri was amazing. Though I will say the ikura tasted alcoholy? Ive never had ikura taste that way. 3. Honestly the most disappointing piece of all of this was that they didnt uphold the 2$ nigiri deal from 5-7 :/ I understand having market price for Uni and Tuna Toro but HALF my order was up-charged:/ I ordered Tuna Nigiri, Yellowtail, Avocado, Masago, Salmon toro, scallop, and ikura. My 2$ nigir quickly went from 14-18$ calculated to 30$ without miso... they also charged me for sauce.... I didnt even know until they just handed me the bill after. They didnt let me know certain ones would be full price and this is after the server came and asked if I wanted the 2$ nigiri? Price isnt an issue its well priced but a heads up would have been nice read more

Delicious sushi! Will likely be back! The service is slow, but once you get an order in, food comes out quickly, but it's challenging to get your server's attention because they're so busy! Took forever to get a check too. But the food is worth it. The sweet potato nigiri was next level (I didn't even get a pic, it was that good... and I would have ordered more if we could get our server's attention)! read more

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This place is so so cute. Sushi was a little disappointing but drunken udon, the crab rangoons, and shrimp dumplings were all great. Solid place, would like to come back to try some other entrees. Service was fantastic . read more

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No problems with service or the restaurant interior. I actually liked the decor. This restaurant has a smaller dining but also has tables outside. Came by for dinner. We ordered the spare ribs, general tso noodles and the beef chow fun. The spare ribs were ok, and it came with a small side of veggies. The general Tso noodle was good. The chicken was crispy and well sauced. The noodles were good, they weren't over cooked and were chewy and veggies were good too. The beef chow fun was disappointing. The noodles were short, more like square pieces and were a little too soft for my liking. The portion size was good but it tasted like pad Thai to me. Prices were pretty fair though. So there are other things I can try. read more

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We stopped here for dinner today. They were consistently busy throughout our visit. It took them a while to come back to us to get order and there was a mix up who was taking our order. They also do not honor the promotion they have on Yelp after check in for a free veggie roll. They told me they don't do it anymore. Later we ordered another roll and looks like they forgot about it until we reminded them about it. Food in general was pretty good, the service is less than desirable. read more

I ordered the Premium Sashimi... It was stellar. Service was friendly and no-non-sense. Ambience was cozy and comfortable, especially as a single travelling diner. Jazz piano music was on point. It was a good night. read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I came for dinner after a day out with friends. I got the bulgogi Udon Soup since one of my friends, who is a frequenter, recommended it. The flavor was pretty much perfect - the beef was nice and tasty, the Udon was cooked well, and the broth was perfectly seasoned. The service was excellent and the noise level was pretty decent. read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Bulgogi Udon Soup - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

It took a long time to receive service. The food came out in a decent time frame. I tried the Tsos ramen. The noodles were good but holy cow the chicken was the driest I have ever had, no sauce. I'm pretty sure it was from last week! I just would not even try it again. read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The $1 nigiri at happy hour is one of the best deals in the city. All of the fish has been great in my two visits. I've also tried the seaweed salad (pictured) and the wasabi pork dumplings. Both were good but don't order the wasabi pork dumplings if you don't really like wasabi, strong taste. I'd love to try other things on this menu but it's hard to beat $1 nigiri so I'll probably only ever come at happy hour. Definitely recommend! read more

Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar - Seaweed salad, sushi roll, lots of $1 nigiri - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Adore this place! Definitely a must go during a game. Whether you're alone or with a party this place is made for both! We ordered the beef pad sew, various nigiris, and an avocado eel roll. We were surprised on how tasty everything was considering it is more of a fusion restaurant and cannot wait to come back! We also had the chance to meet the kind owner as well! read more

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