Despite Yelp and google reporting their hours, they repeatedly close at least an hour before those. It sucks to have come here twice and see patrons inside and have the door locked. I call and they just let the phone ring... it's a shame. I guess I'll give up and try elsewhere. read more

I want to give this place a 10,000 star review. I frequent here and its one of the few places where they know my name and what i usually order. The sushi here is top notch. I typically order the Nonsense, Spring Roll (sushi roll), and the spicy salmon, but every once in a while will order off the happy hour menu or an entree/bento box. I have NEVER been dissapointed! Great drink specials, great food, and great company, and a GREAT place. read more

Akebono 515 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

By far this is the best sushi and more restaurant in Des Moines. Usually when we go to sushi restaurants, we only order sushi. The other dishes are so plain and common. However at Akebono 515, the other dishes make it a very hard decision. The ramen and udon noodle dishes are truly tasty. The burgers are a-mazingly good. And the sushi rolls and sashimi options are a true master piece. Having been here 5 or more times in the past year, i have tried a lot of dishes. It is one of those restaurants were I have yet to find my favorite because everything I have tried has been so good that I am afraid I will miss the ultimate dish by not trying something new each time. Luckily, I have always come with someone else so I've been able to get a taste here and there of many more dishes. So if you're looking for sushi, come here because the rolls are creative, tasty, and fresh. If you are looking for great Japanese fusion dishes, come here because the know how to fuse ingredients together to make a tasty explosion in your mouth. read more

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This is the first time I have had Akebono sushi and liked it. I have been several time for lunch but this is the first time for dinner delivery no less. Oh snap and Malibu crunch roll were both good. Both of them needed more sauce but that is my preference. The rolling pig was the best surprise and my dining partner allowed me to have one piece. I will order that in the future. I didn't post pics because it wasn't beautiful upon delivery. read more

We were treated and sat as soon as we entered the restaurant. Within minutes our waiter Josh was there. He pointed out the happy hour specials as well as supplying with all the other menus. He quickly returned with waters. Josh answered all our questions. Since we had requested a number of items to be spicy, he brought us a spicy sauce to add to our miso soup...... delicious. Service was so quick that we even had time to enjoy our meal before our show (normally we rush through to make our show on time). read more

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Akebono has the best sushi in Des Moines. Their fish is fresh, their drinks are cold, and they will get you DRUNK! Nam, Tim and crew are hospitality experts and know how to treat their guests. Their sushi is grade a and extremely delicious. The atmosphere is always awesome, as well. Eat here and enjoy! read more

I've been here twice now both times with a large party and the staff has always been good to us. Made sure we was always taken care of and they did kept the shots on coming. The food was pretty good and I recommend trying it out. read more

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The ambiance is right on and outside seating in the warm weather is inviting. The staff was friendly and seemed knowledgeable. The taste though was somewhat a disappointment. I got my order to go and ordered a cocktail while I waited. I did the "Man o War". Bourbon and jalapeño you would expect a kick. I kept waiting but it never came. It tasted watered down and was a disappointment. My two sushi rolls were average. The Oishi was recommended to me and promised a little spice. Despite the raw jalapeños on the top it still lacked a lot of flavor. I also had the Malibu Crunch. It had a little more flavor but I used the ginger liberally to add more flavor. I think the environment makes it a fun place but don't expect the food to wow you. Maybe a good Happy Hour place to go but I won't go back and pay full price for have the taste of other sushi restaurants. read more

Sometimes a bad experience overshadows an otherwise decent experience. It's a beautiful restaurant and I went with a group, The ambience was good with a lot of other groups there to celebrate a special occasion. I can't eat raw seafood, so I asked the server for a recommendation for one of the cooked rolls. I explained that I can't eat raw seafod, but I did NOT need any special accomodations, such as having my roll prepared on a separate board. I am not allergic to seafood, just uncooked seafood. Think of it this way, it's all raw while being prepared on a board while it's cooked. Once raw, now cooked. No separate board needed. Yes, I'm overexplaining this because the chef didn't understand. He sent the server back to my table to relay the message that I shouldn't come to a sushi restaurant on a busy Saturday night with special dietary restrictions. This was AFTER I ordered as-is off the menu, no changes. I sent a message back with the server that I didn't need any accomodations. The Miso Soup was good, The salad was fresh and just the right size. It came with a mix of dressings, and I can't remember the two types of dressing but it was really good. You don't want my business on a Saturday night, even when I've ordered off the menu with no substitutions, you don't get my business ever. One of the rolls that arrived, had a terrible fishy smell. Yes, it's sushi, but it shouldn't stink and it did. No one at the table could eat it, because of the stench. The other roll was tasty and I really enjoyed it. The two that I ordered were the 515 and the Oh Snap. I'm not quite sure which was which. The server brought both rolls without indicating which roll was which. My dining companions enjoyed their rolls and some endamame, I go to other sushi bars in town and have never had a chef send a server out with a message and my non-existent special needs and I've also never had a stinky roll anywhere else. If we had not been there to celebrate a birthday, I would have had a conversation with the manager or the chef, but I didn't want to ruin a special night out with friend. This was a one strike and you are out situation. I won't return to Akebono 515. read more

Akebono 515 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The food, atmosphere, service was all incredible. One of our favorite restaurants in all of Des Moines!

I love this place with my entire soul. I recommend it 1000x over again. I have been hooked for over 5 years easily. I do my birthday dinner there every year. Staff is always incredibly trained, respectful, & professional. If you are lucky enough to receive Nick you'll be laughing the entire evening. Suggestion: park in the garage above the restaurant & have them stamp your ticket! Free parking & short walk! GET THE SURF & TURF roll, the presentation you will NOT be disappointed! read more

Sensational sushi and service! Options that will please anyone from sushi sensei's to novices. Superior food quality and service. Could not recommend highly enough!! read more

I wish my review was about the food, but I never got a chance to even try it. I have a service dog for a medical disability, and this past July, Akebono denied me access into their restaurant because I have a service dog. It's hard enough being 22 and having to take a service dog everywhere I go. Having seizures isn't fun, nor is passing out, and that's what my service dog alerts to. So without her, I would be in harms way constantly. But clearly, Akebono didn't care about this. I can't go anywhere without my service dog, I can't even legally drive without her. She is a piece of medical equipment in the eyes of the law, and the only places she isn't allowed are certain religious establishments and sterile areas in hospitals. Akebono broke the law by denying me access that day, simply because I had a service dog and they were unwilling to listen to me when I shared with them the ADA act of 1990 that states the laws regarding service dogs. In fact, the acting manager came out and said "I am familiar with this act. Your dog can't be in my restaurant." This was very upsetting to me. I just wanted to try another Des Moines restaurant and instead, I was turned away because I had a visible disability that requires a service dog to keep me safe. My service dog is an incredibly well kept, well mannered and extensively trained Golden Retriever who has a very important job of keeping me safe. Akebono is discriminatory to individuals with disabilities and I would NOT recommend anyone who supports individuals with disabilities go there. read more

I rarely give a place five stars but this place deserves it. If this was in New York maybe this place would have gotten a four or three and a half but here in land locked Des Moines this is a sold 5!! Why? cocktails - on point, not watered down service - quick, efficient and friendly tempura - pretty amazing really, just what I would expect to get in Japan, crispy light batter around fresh vegetables (ordered the veggie tempura) skewers - vegans beware! The porkbelly skewers are amazing and melt in your mouth with a sweet salty sticky soy sesame glaze. OMG. order three skewers and don't share. You will thank me for it I promise! ramen - very good. Broth is extremely flavorful and spicy! Noodles are only ok, they don't compare to Ippudo Westside in NYC but everything else does! it was served with a perfectly soft poached egg! nigiri sushi - very good! ordered traditional hamachi and it came out fresh and with the right amount of vinegared rice. Simple is sometimes best! sushi rolls - very good as well. well crafted not skimping on the ingredients. We will be back time and time again! read more

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Hands down Akebono is one of the best sushi places in town! The staff is amazing and super friendly, the fish is always fresh and they have very creative rolls! The price point for what you get is very affordable and you will leave full! Remember when ordering any specialty roll at Akebono you get miso soup and salad for no extra charge! WHAT?????? Awesome! Who needs appetizer....? You do! There apps are amazing too the cauliflower scallop puree, buddha shrimp, akebono spicy edamame, tuna poke salad, tempura shrimp and egg rolls! I've never had a bad anything here! If you aren't feeling sushi that's ok! The soups are awesome as the sandwiches and rice dishes! If you just flat out aren't a sushi person but your friends are there are a large amount of options here burgers, sandwiches, donburi, huge bento boxes or the Iowa roll which has no fish in it. They do have vegetarian options here I would double check options for vegans. Just got to Akebono you won't regret it. read more

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Had lunch there today, wasn't in the mood for fish or sea food. Had their "Anime Burger." (Sp?) Added bacon and a fried egg with fries on the side. It was wonderful, and the whole bill with 25% tip was UNDER $15! The atmosphere is always upbeat with 80's music playing in the background. I went at 11:15 today and the restaurant was fairly full and jumping. Two larger groups were there and the help seemed to be keeping up, I know they took care of me! Very fun place! read more

Wonderful dinner! Love their taste in music. We had seared scallops and I think it's called dynamite shrimp for appetizers along with a Man-o-war and a blueberry martini. Then Poke salad. Perfect dinner for two. Great service. We'll be back! read more

My friend and I decided to eat at Akebono for lunch today. This was my 3rd time here and I enjoyed this experience just as much as the previous ones. There is a parking ramp next to the restaurant and you can have your ticket validated, so that is nice. It wasn't that busy around 12:45pm, so we got seated right away and our orders were taken rather quickly too. The décor has a contemporary/trendy vibe to it and the ambiance was very lively. You can either sit at a table or booth or at the sushi counter where you can interact with the sushi chefs and possibly get some free Hennessey/Sake Bomb shots :) FYI, if you get to know the sushi chefs there may be shots in your near future, plus they're all really nice. The first time I was at Akebono I got a simple eel and cucumber roll and a spicy salmon roll. Both were good and the sushi rice was cooked very well. I also tried the pork belly on a skewer, which was amazing. I also tried a scallop and that was very tasty as well. The second time I was at Akebono I had the Sumo Ramen. It had pork belly, braised pork, some Asian broccoli, fish cake and a poached egg to top it off. The broth was very flavorful and the noodles resembled the shape of instant noodles, so if you like thin noodles then you will probably like this. You can tell it wasn't freshly made noodles, but this isn't a noodle joint, so that was ok with me. Today I ordered the Bento box with yaki niku (marinated sliced beef), a spicy tuna roll, and seaweed salad. You get to choose a protein, sushi, and a salad so there are many different combinations. The yaki niku tasted really good and there was a lot of beef. It sat on top of a bed vegetable "noodles" (cucumber and carrots cut to look like noodles). There were 4 pieces of the tuna roll and the Bento box also came with a miso soup. So plenty of food for $12. I've enjoyed my experience at Akebono every time and it's a good place for lunch with friends and also a fun place to go to on the weekends before heading out to bar. Heck, this can be your bar, since there are plenty of sake bombs to take here :) read more

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First of all I'd like to just mention I usually DON'T drive by this place and wonder what it's like to eat here. (A little joke for a few buddies) Even though I don't drive by this place, I have heard great things about it and have always wanted to come here and see what this downtown sushi restaurant has to offer. A couple of things to mention first, if you park in the parking ramp, they do validate parking which is awesome! Another thing is that we arrived just before the lunch rush, when everyone and their coworker in downtown are waiting to eat here. We probably came in with a handful of tables available, mid-meal there was a line literally out the door. We started with 2 grilled pork belly on a skewer to try for an appetizer. One of the orders was pretty burnt, it was disappointing, until I tried the other one which was not burnt and tasted great. So a note there is, if you order the skewers, be prepared that they may burn it. We both had a choice of either salad or soup that came with our entrees. I had the miso soup which was flavorful and done right, she had the salad with ginger dressing which also tasted good and the same as other sushi places. We also started with a specialty sushi roll to start, we order the Akebono roll (One thing I learned from eating sushi in Des Moines, if you order a specialty roll and you can't decide, just order the one with the restaurant's name in it, you can't go wrong) Proves it again this time, it was great sushi! For the entrees of course I had to try their ramen, just to see how authentic and good it is. Of course I had the Sumo Ramen, which is the standard ramen, I had actually tried leftovers of someone's Hi-Ya (Kimchi) ramen a while back and it was not good at all. The Sumo Ramen was very good, everything was done right except the pork, it was pretty hard and not tender like it should be, but still flavorful. I'm obviously comparing the ramen to authentic Japanese ramen, which sets the bar high. The other entree ordered was the Donburi Tonkatsu (pork), this was just like a rice bowl with breaded pork, veggies, rice, and a poached egg. Pretty standard dish, it was flavorful and what you would except for a rice bowl dish. Overall, had a great experience here, the staff was very friendly and helpful throughout our time here. There wasn't too much that stood out to me that I can say sets this place apart from other sushi places in Des Moines. read more

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Bartender was fun and generous. Food was fresh and delicious! I sat at the bar as I was eating solo and it was comfortable to do work and have small talk with the local patrons. Will be back! read more

Bad food. Rude staff. Bad neighbors. Used to be good but has gone to hell in the past couple years. We live across the street.

Great sushi for Iowa. This place is great for those new to sushi, and for that one friend that likes to tag along but doesn't like sushi. Not that I've tried it but they have an Iowa sushi roll- full of corn and pulled pork. The rest of their menu is fairly authentic. Anyway, back to our experiences: My boyfriend and I have been here a few times. Every time, we sit at the sushi bar (which I highly recommend) and talk to the sushi chefs. Shout outs to Tim, Chucky and Nam because they are all great people, and they make great sushi too! They make great suggestions on what type of fish and sushi is best on the given day. The nigiri is usually the highlight. We've had great mackerel, red snapper and uni (sea urchin) here. Our favorite specialty rolls are the Overload and Akebono rolls, but my boyfriend swears by the hand rolls. read more

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Akebono is becoming a regular spot for us to take my parents out to eat when they are craving sashimi and tempura. The ambience is nice and inviting. The decor is nice as well. Our server's name was Nick. Great server and accommodating to our three-year old. We only had to wave him down once for refills and that was because it was getting packed. The rest of the time he was great! Food: Akebono Edamame - 3/5 flavorful but the Edamame was hard to get out and some were kind of mushy on the inside (it's always been great the other times we've had it though) Shrimp Tempura and Vegetable Tempura - 4/5 Possibly the BEST tempura we've had in the city and surrounding metro areas. The batter was light and the shrimp and veggies were fried just right. The sauce was great, the only con is they don't give you enough sauce for the amount of tempura you get. Will get this every time we are here Yakiniku Bento Box w/ spicy tuna roll and seaweed salad - 3/5 The Yakiniku wasn't the best I've had but good flavors. The spicy tuna roll was just okay but the seaweed salad was good Tonkatsu Bento Box w/ spicy tuna roll and seaweed salad - 3/5 The Tonkatsu was tasty and would have been better if it wasn't so dry. The sauce was the correct sauce for katsu as well. Almost tasted like back in Hawaii except for the dryness Sushi: Sashimi platter - 4/5 very good, fresh-tasting, good portion amount for the price (we got a medium) Salmon Skin Roll - 5/5 skin cooked perfectly and the flavors were spot on. Will definitely get again Spicy Scallops Roll - 3/5 flavors were good but the rice overpowered it all in all, good though Oh Snap Roll - 4/5 great flavors, no complaints Nonsense Roll - 4/5 assorted raw fish on top with a great spicy mix on each piece, spicy and flavorful And one of the other great things? The sushi chef came around with a bottle of Hennessy VSOP to share shots with the patrons. Talk about hospitality! This place also offers ramen, sandwiches, and a variety of other dishes. This place is a must-try! read more

Sushi didn't seem as fresh last time we were here as I remembered it from previous visits. Tofu fries are really great here, with two very flavorful dipping sauces. read more

Akebono 515 - Cupid and one other roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I love Akebono! The food is delicious and the staff treats me like part of the family! It's a winner. I especially love the crab puffs, tropical salad (cucumber, mango, avocado, daikon and jalapeno, with the tastiest crispy wonton chips), Fiji roll and compressor roll. But there are so many great choices. read more

This place is pretty tasty. I ordered a ramen as my main dish and two appetizers. One was mushrooms and another was a shrimp dish. Our ramen meal also came with a soup and salad. The soup and salad tasted good, which is same as any other Japanese restaurant where they give you miso soup and a ginger or soy salad. The mushroom dish was very saucy and tasted really good. For only $5 I would order that appetizer again. The shrimp dish was $9 and came with only 4 shrimp. While the sauce was spot on and the flavor good, I felt like $9 for four medium sized shrimp is a bit much. Then came my ramen. It looked amazing with lots of beef, and all kinds of other goodies packed on top. It was a descent sized bowl, contained the ramen noodles I would expect, and the broth tasted good. However it had a pile of kimchi on top. The kimchi was off-putting and should never be put into a soup. I don't know what the thought process was behind this but spicy cabbage on top of a beef noodle soup seems like an afterthought at attempting to up the flavors. Overall I would give this place 3.5 start but since that's not an option I'm going to rate it 4. While everything tasted good, there were some misses. I will come back again and try their other dishes. read more

Akebono 515 - Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Yaki niku is my favorite dish there. Marinated beef with rice and veggies. It really hits the spot for a meat eater - especially in a sushi place. I tried the uni just for kicks. Not great but atleast i can say i ate it. The bento box is not very filling. I ordered mine once with salmon. I meed atleast a 4oz piece of protein to be full. The anime burger is good. I just love any kind of burger so theres not much that can go wrong there. I work downtown and they do a pretty great job with time. Ive gone to Happy Sushi in the skywalk and i was the only person ordering - and they took soooooo long. It made me really appreciate good business. Akebono is a great one! read more

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Awesome sushi and great atmosphere. Get the maki or ramen. Excellent bar scene as well. read more

Akebono 515 - The bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We came here on a Saturday night for date night and they started to get pretty busy as the dinner rush came in. It's a trendy and fun place, with a decent sized menu for both Japanese food and sushi. Despite the crowd, our waitress was also very attentive. I had the Oh Snap and Dragon roll while my husband ordered the Overload. They brought out soup and salad before our rolls arrived which is very different and nice. I actually liked the Overload roll a lot better than the rolls that I ordered. The tempura shrimp in the two rolls I ordered seem a bit too heavily battered to be tempura. If you are okay with raw fish, I recommend getting the rolls with just the fish itself instead of tempura to avoid disappointment. We will be back to try the ramen and udon! read more

Akebono 515 - Sushi bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Best sushi in Des Moines. They do it right. No crazy fusion flavors, no gimmicky names. Just solid sushi done properly. Prices are in line with other sushi joints in town. Due to COVID we've gotten it for takeout recently and it's always been quick and convenient. The bento box is a good deal and you get a generous amount of food. I need to try some more items on the menu but everything I've had thus far has been great! read more

One of the best sushi places in town! Always swift service, always great food! I don't eat fish, but my friends who do swear by their sushi and nigiri (sashmi with rice). Their vegetarian rolls, however are AWESOME! I usually get the don buri bowl and have to give some of it away because it's so filling! On days I come extra hungry, I plow through that bowl. Burgers, for a sushi place, are fantastic....even if it wasn't a sushi place these burgers are delish. You can only get the fries with the burgers, and oh my are they good. We've gotten a few of the apps and they are just as great. The miso soup and ginger or soy salads work as perfect apps, too and come with dinner. Drink options are a little pricy if not during happy hour, but they are very good choices. There's a dragon one that my friend swears by. read more

Akebono is primarily a sushi restaurant but they do have several other items if you are with people who say absolutely "no" to sushi. This place will sure to please the vegan to meat eater to the gluten and dairy intolerant. The server was very attentive and the decor is inviting. The venue is clean and they have an amazing fish tank sure to please kids to adults. The sushi comes out very quickly and you always get a salad and miso soup with your rolls. This is the only place in town I can think of that includes that with you roll. The value is second to none. It is worth giving the place a try if you are downtown. read more

My husband and I went here to celebrate our anniversary and try sushi for the first time. We don't have any complaints. Great service, wonderful food. 10/10 read more

Great sushi and happy hour specials, fun upscale atmosphere, and the service was friendly and quick. It was some of the best sushi I've had in a while with the ability to add options like mango to the already well thought out rolls is a great idea as well. I had the Tasmanian roll and added mango to it and the flavor combo couldn't have been more exciting. I would hands down recommend this place to anyone who's looking for sushi. read more

Akebono 515 - Love the fish tank! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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CHINOEATZ. It was our first time there, the appetizers and rice bowl was good. For the sushi I wasn't really much of a fan there, it was good just not awesome, besides that food was great. And lastly the service was kind of bad, food was being brought out at different times and not checking up on the table. Definitely come in for happy hour though. -CHINOEATZ read more

Amazing service. Great atmosphere and delicious food. Highly recommend the Akebono Edamame and Tofu fries. I got the 515 roll and my wife got the Fargo roll. Delicious! read more

This place has fantastic Sushi and service, I lived on the west coast for years and this sushi will not disappoint. Many shots of Hennessy with the sushi chef and let them create a off the menu order!!! If you are in Des Moines and you love Sushi you have got to hit this!!! read more

Decided to give Akebono another try, and this time I was pleasantly surprised. We ordered the Fiji Roll ($12), Rising Sun roll ($8), and Rainbow Roll ($11). Fiji roll is tempura fried with crab, cream cheese, and topped with a spicy tuna/crab mix. We had ordered this last time, and it was delicious. The Rising Sun Roll (shrimp tempura, crab, cucumber, topped with canadian crab) was really good! Lastly, the Rainbow Roll (california roll topped with assorted fish and masago) was by far my favorite. The fish on top was so fresh! Overall, I am glad I decided to try Akebono a second time and will be returning. They do get really busy (so take this into consideration if you decide to eat here/order out)! I've also heard great things about their ramen, so I definitely would want to try that one day. read more

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I LOVE LOVE LOVE Akebono! I live downtown and despite what you might think, good food is hard to find . Akebono is excellent. Great location and ambience, the booths and their open quality offering both privacy and airy ness . The service IMPECCABLE, cocktails on point. I had, of all things , the ramen. I know . I know. Ramen is tacky, right ? Wrong! A perfectly balanced bowl of heaven! Lightly seasoned broth stuffed with a generous portion of noodles and topped with a variety of meat and an egg. Totally Japanese and elevated to what you would expect from a restaurant . My companion and I shared a combo sushi as an appetizer . Wonderful! Hey! If you find yourself downtown Des Moines and you are tired of noisy rowdy bars, check this place out! It is an oasis , for sure! read more

I came here to enjoy dinner with my friends and converse, yet the server discriminated against us, we were not that hungry, but she consistently came up to us about every 5-10 minutes to ask us if we were gonna buy more as we only got an appetizer and 2 sushi platters, when we only order that amount she asked us "that's it?" with a demeaning attitude, I can understand if she was making sure we were doing fine but it was overly invasive, I felt as if my privacy was non-existent, this made feel very uncomfortable, Minhg seems like a very nice person but I just didn't enjoy the service. I never write reviews but felt as if I should today because this is not how you should treat people, I felt as if she thought I was poor. read more