The sushi is the ONLY thing to order here. The other food used to be good too - tempura, teriyaki - but whoever they have in the kitchen now knows nothing about Japanese food or even how to cook and needs to go. The Shrimp Tempura was just panko bread crumbs, NOT real tempura batter, and overfried. It had a slight taste of petrol which means the oil they used to fry it was $hit. The chicken teriyaki? Imagine a bland piece of boiled chicken just put on the grill for a few grill marks. Tasteless, bland, NOTHING like chicken teriyaki should be. The Philadelphia Rolls were good, but the rest of the food sucked. We will never be back. Avoid. Ignore any reviewers that say the food is good.. it ain't no more. Maybe they have a different cook at night, I have no idea. But take your business elsewhere. Now I know why the place was empty. You can't serve people low quality fare, word gets around. Waitress was nice but when the food sucks who cares? read more

Great food but service sucks. The servers are rude and unwelcoming. They'd barely check on us while dining in. Also got one of our orders wrong and when we cancelled the order, another server gave us the lame excuse that "they're busy". Been coming here for years now, and been disrespected by the servers for at least 3 times now. One would know the difference - they are all smiles when they serve white people (such racist workers)!!! Note: Bambu is an Asian Restaurant and most of the servers, if not all, are Asians! How ironic is it? read more

Absolutely delightful experience in casual dining! Creative and exciting menu with top notch sushi leading the way! Did I mention that it is kids friendly and priced right! The bento lunch is a real deal with soup,salad, entree and three pieces of sushi for 12-14 dollars. They use only the freshest vegetables and herbs to complete each dish. The Thai basil taste like they picked it out of the garden! Love the staff too! read more

Wow, such a range of reviews! Here's my experience. I had a hankering for Udon soup, so I Yelped what was nearby, and Bambu was near. I was almost deterred by the reviews, but upon closer inspection of the content of the reviews, it seemed like the complaints might not apply to a bowl of soup eaten on site for lunch. I was not disappointed. I so wish I could cook broccoli to that perfect place between too al dente and mush. I would have put up with a lot just to have this one thing done so right, as it was. The Udon noodles were satisfying, and the broth was good. The added chicken was meh, so if there's a next time, I'll try it with shrimp. The server was just right attentive and polite. Everything seemed clean enough. The one ick moment came when I went to the bathroom. The bathroom floor had a distinct sticky feel underfoot that I attribute to cleaning staff thinking that all you have to do is spray a liquid cleanser on the floor and mop, no rinse required! A good manager can correct that. I give only 4 stars because having watched the movie, Tampopo, I'm a hard sell when it comes to broth. There may not be enough demand in this neighborhood to warrant Tampopo levels of attention to broth for ramen and udon, but Bambu does not pretend to be such a place. They do a good job, and at times it seems like they do a really good job, with cooking a wide variety of food well. I would not hesitate to return the next time that I'm in the neighborhood. read more

First time here, and overall it was quite good. Service was prompt and polite, and a good selection of Thai, Chinese, and Japanese food. Appetizer - vegetable tempura. Large portion size and the pieces were bite-sized which was a nice change from other places which have humungous tempura. However, they need more variety in the vegetables, there was only broccoli, potato, and green bean (no sweet potato, onion, asparagus etc). Kung Pao chicken, avocado roll, asparagus rolls all good. Mango sticky rice for desert, EXCELLENT. 4/5 stars overall. read more

Unless you are a cheap chain offering good food at decent prices ( hi there Masala Wok !) I really cannot be arsed with the whole pan Asian thing. As a life long student of Michael Porter's Core Competencies I have always thought that you should figure out what you are good at and stick to it. I am not sure that even after all t hese years these guys have figured it out - but they do good sushi, and they do good chinese noodles dishes - and most of the rest is a bit dodgy - but again - it is the highlight of a little restaurant hub along a desolate stretch of Macarthur Bouelvard and the locals love it. read more

We normally like Bambu and they have some good stuff but we ordered sushi from there and the tuna looks like it was a week old or frozen then thawed and not properly... Very dissatisfied considering it was a 11 dollar roll read more

Bambu - Thai Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My girlfriend got sushi and was moderately happy with what she got. I, on the other hand, made the mistake of ordering the Drunken Noodles. I've tried this dish at over a dozen different DC Thai restaurants and this is by far the worst. The noodles were clumped up, chewy, and in no way mixed in with the basil, peppers, and chicken. Furthermore, the chicken was ground and just glopped on top which completely ruins the dish before you get to the bland flavor (the pepper next to the dish on the menu is a huge exaggeration) and unappetizing noodles. read more

For me, Bambu is conveniently located on the same block of my job; beats having to go closer to downtown for delicious, quality sushi. I love their sushi, Dragon and Big Bambu are particularly pleasing. Lastly, they deliver within minutes, even during the lunch hour. read more

I ordered this on postmates and was so disappointed in the meal I got. The pad se eu was BURNED and all I could taste was the taste of burnt food. I tried to eat anyway because I was at work and that was my only option. But then I bit on something hard. I pulled t out and it appeared to be a piece of plastic?!? I threw away the food. Disgusting. I will never order from there again and I advise anyone reading this not to as well. There's no way they couldn't tell the food was burned. There's no telling what else they let slip. read more

This place has all Asian cuisines, not just Japanese as one reviewer noted. It is top notch. I order delivery all the time and everyone who has eaten it at our house loves it. Can't say enough good things about it. If you're looking for in-house dining, the service is very good. The place is clean and the food is freshly made. Seeing Dan P's review is disappointing. I've never had to wait for service. Must have been a one off. The atmosphere is nothing to brag about, but again, you can't go wrong with any order. read more

I went here with my sister the other night. The atmosphere is great, a lot of people but it still felt intimate. We ordered the edamame with sea salt (yumyumyum), the dragon roll, smoked salmon roll, and the other two I cant remember the name. But all of the food was high quality at a reasonable price. Im from Chicago and I wish we had this kind of sushi place! read more

Since the other restaurant was closed that day and we were hungry for sushi we decided to check it out. Of the years we lived in the neighborhood we did not visit Bambu. Once I read the menu I gathered it was more of a Thai restaurant with other Asian dishes and sushi. The restaurant was modern there were two bars (one for drink and other for sushi). A Caucasian man walked up to me from the bar and he was very friendly asked me what I would like to order. He helped me through the menu and found the sushi rolls I wanted. I also ordered a chirashi. The chirashi was reasonably priced and it had two uni!! How awesome. Other than a restaurant near dupont that included uni in their chirashi, this was the second one I had come across. The other sashimi fish were also good. The only thing I did not like was the rice it probably was not the best grade - it was harder than usual and not sufficiently seasoned. The chirashi also lacked some pickled vegetables but they made up with a generous portion of seaweed salad. It was a satisfying meal with the right elements! I would go back again. read more

We love bambu! We have it at least 2 times a week and it is so good. Great quality food and service. People are so nice and helpful. Also the delivery and take out service is great and easy. read more

Bambu is a great little neighborhood place that friends are happy to travel to from farther afield, it's that good. Very unpretentious, the service is usually good and the food is invariably fresh and tasty. Good lunch special offers plenty of choice. The waiters often remember what you like (I've gone several times over the years, and apparently I'm the only one who orders Tom Yum soup with no squid.) I love their avocado salad and mango sticky rice. It's a really solid, low key and friendly place for a meal. read more

At one time, this was an innovative restaurant that had grown from a smaller Chinese takeout service (same street) into a pan Asian oasis on MacArthur. These days, it does not even fill the shadow of its former self. Dishes may change appearance from period to period due to changes in the kitchen and interpretations of new staff members (consistency does not seem high on either Bob or Sue's - owners - priorities at this point). Once lean (number of ingredients) and flavorful cuisine can now be laden with grease and ingredients that are hard to place (with the taste of plastic and / or loads of MSG). Service in the restaurant is just uninspired. If you would prefer to have someone ignore you so that they may talk to the sushi guy of their dreams then this is the place for you. Personally, I would prefer a little (kind) service and that the waitress and sushi guy figure out time for a date on their day off (yes, I do believe in love; however, maybe at a more fortuitous time for the potential couple) . It would be more comfortable for them and very useful to me. Takeout seems to be the same as it has always been, which is fine; however, good luck with the parking. The lot is small and the neighborhood may be crowded. It is a basic factory process with little smiling and even less gratitude for your patronage (although if Bob is there, he is very polite and gracious -- he is just not there all that much anymore). Delivery is a nightmare at this point. Their drivers have gotten to insulting the customers including having told one of my friends (who will never give Bambu business again) that he was putting on weight as the delivery man was handing him his order. From my own experience, I can tell you that delivery is a mess. Items missing form the orders (the need to run back and get the missing items), no manners, little patience and just plain unpleasant. Now, I am truly hopeful that this place experiences a comeback; I am a big fan of happy endings; however, for the time being, I cannot possibly recommend this place to anyone and be able to sleep well at night. read more

I discovered Bambu shortly after it opened, and was delighted to find such a selection of delicious food at reasonable prices. Sadly, Bambu is not what it used to be. The prices have risen, while the quality has declined; but worst of all, the service is utterly appalling. It's quite common for the waitstaff to completely ignore your existence, and even if you do manage to get their attention, they are rude and dismissive. They treat their customers as though they are a nuisance, and it's shocking how disrespectful they can be. I can only conclude that they don't really care about their customers at all, which is a shame. I've continued going to this place far too long, hoping that my experiences were flukes, but alas, this rudeness is the new norm. Take your business elsewhere; that's what I'll be doing. read more

So this used to be our go-to lunch spot. Not so much anymore. We ordered the Spicy Thai Fried Rice w/Shrimp. It was pretty bad! There was NOTHING fried about this rice and barely any spicy. There were just cold clumps of mushy white rice with basil, shrimp and a few pieces of fried egg on top. Won't be going back. Sorry. read more

TERRIBLE.... SIMPLY TERRIBLE. Went to this place with my sister, her craving Thai while I was carving sushi! The sushi was overpriced for what you got and the thai dishes we orders, Tom Kha Gai and Duck Spring Rolls were almost bordering on inedible. A non-attentive waiter and my water glass that stayed empty for far to long, sealed the deal for me. Bye Bye Bambu! read more

We order from here nearly once a week. They are fast (food is usually ready within 15 minutes), prices are very reasonable and it is one of the better options for Asian fare in the area. They have an extensive list of Thai, Chinese and Japanese dishes, but I would suggest sticking to the Thai options, which are definitely their forte. While the sushi options are not necessarily bad, I think that there are way better options in the area. Our favorite noodles options are definitely the Pad Se Eu, the Pad Thai and, especially, the 3 Sisters (a more spicy version of the Pad Se Eu noodles). The Thai curries are generally quite good (especially Panang and Massaman), but the favorite non-noodles option is definitely the Radical Chicken; crispy slices of fried chicken in a flavorful spicy sweet sauce. We have tried some appetizers (spring rolls, dumplings, and calamari) and I would say that they are quite standard. read more

I picked up combination of sushi and Thai food from here one evening. The food was delicious! The staff was friendly and the ambience was laid back and restaurant is very clean. I ordered tiger eye, which consists of perfectly medium grilled tiger eye and special spicy sauce. Highly recommend this. We also ordered alligator role which I would highly recommend as it comes with delicious flavorful sauce. We also ordered red chicken curry, typically found at Thai restaurants and nothing unique but still full of the flavors one would expect from Thai curry. I have been here 2 times and would definitely come back when in the mood for typical sushi and Thai food. read more

Good food, and they deliver to Sibley. Which is PHENOMENAL because Sibley has very limited cafeteria hours, and a woman who just gave birth needs sushi immediately. Keep this menu in your bag when you go to the hospital, you won't regret it. read more

The green thai curry was very good. Available free parking was also very nice.

I went here recently for lunch and enjoyed it. The sushi was decent for DC standards, though not great, but their lunch box specials were a nice deal overall. I really enjoyed the panang curry I ordered and would consider coming back. read more

Absolutely horrible! This place should be ashamed to even sell Thai food. Drunken noodles were far from what they should be. There's no flavor, plain noodles with minced chicken. Absolute waste of time and money. Egg roll? Or spring roll? Whatever you want to call it, wasn't even cooked thoroughly, but served soggy. I would never recommend to anyone. I will never be back. read more

Bambu is our neighborhood go to for takeout. The food is good, the menu offers lots of options, the staff is friendly and the food is prepared quickly (usually ready for pick up 10-15 mins after you call.) I like the sashimi entrees, the green curry, and the moo shu pork. read more

We are regular at this place. They have a nice mix of Asian dishes. Their soft shell crab is excellent. They also make killer lychee martini. Very family friendly place and the staff are super friendly ! Perfect casual place to grab nice Asian read more

A couple friends an I stopped in for lunch after a work meeting. Bambu has a great Bento Box lunch special in the $13-15 range. The Thai Ginger box was quite good and there was plenty of food. The restaurant is light and air. Service was a bit slow, but we had a lot to talk about and weren't in a hurry so it was ok. read more

Living in the neighborhood, i've eaten here numerous times and I've tried several different things on the menu... i can honestly say that i've never been disappointed... everything is always delicious. My favorites are the Sweet and Spicy Noodles w/ pork or beef, Mapo Tofu, Panang Curry, they have the BEST pad thai and, of course, you can never go wrong with their sushi... the cuts are always VERY fresh and the portions are more than what you'd expect for the refreshingly low prices. The staff there are always friendly and they work hard to serve their customers. Great atmosphere, great dining experience, highly recommend. read more

The place is beautiful with a nice ambiance, and the lunch boxes are good. BUT do NOT get sushi there. Probably the worst sushi I've ever had. So disappointed. I thought paying $5.50 for 6pc sushi would mean it was good, but boy was I mistaken. It tasted like grocery store sushi... read more

I don't think I've had the sushi...maybe I have but I don't remember. Anyway, I've been coming here occasionally for a long time. Hadn't been for a while but stopped for carryout on the way home from the cube farm last night. Had Pad See Ew, Pad Thai, Thai Fried Rice and some appetizers. Everything was very good. Great Pad See Ew. The pad thai was solid - certainly not the best I've ever had but I've had a hell of a lot worse. Good overall. The Thai Fried Rice was good but WAY heavy on the basil - that is all it tasted like and basil isn't my most favorite spice ever. I'd order it again but would ask them to hold a good majority of the basil . Way overdone. read more

Food is super delicious and prices are absolutely okay! Best place to eat around palisades I would say! Enjoy the fortune cookies! Hahah has the same fortune every time I went! Maybe it's a sign? Or most of the cookies say "you will have a pleasant trip". try it out ;D read more

I went here for a late lunch after a nearby appointment and not only was the food delicious, but the service was also top notch. The french martini was delicious - great version of the classic, with a hint of pineapple. I ordered the lunch bento box with shrimp tempura (shrimp tempura, salad, hot and sour soup, california roll, and fried rice) all reasonably priced at $15. I wish I would have upgraded to the fresh crab meat in the california roll, but everything was fresh. The shrimp had a nice crunch batter instead of the standard fried batter I have seen so many other places. I also really enjoyed the ginger dressing on the salad which was fresh ginger instead of the orange dressing I usually come across at sushi restaurants (which I also like though)! If I am in the area again I will definitely stop back. read more

Bambu is the best! Fresh ingredients, cooked up just right. Friendly relaxed atmosphere. Good prices. Nice folks. I eat 90% vegetarian. What more can you ask than a perfect lunch for $10? Live in the 'hood and have been coming since they opened. I just keep coming back for a great meal when I don' feel like cooking. Never disappointed. read more

In regards to Thai food take-out, this place is simply average. Nothing special. The Pad Thai & Yellow Curry are not necessarily bad, however they just don't live up to true Thai potential. Typically, once I start eating amazing Thai food, I can't stop. It's like crack, metaphorically speaking. If I was a crack addict, this place would be "eh, it gets the job done, but I want MORE baby!" I'm not sure about their Indian or Japanese food, but if you want absolutely delectable Thai cuisine, keep on looking. read more

I've eaten at Bambu three times, and the food was ok, not great. The last time I went there (it's been a while), it was cold and I wanted some hot green tea. They brought it in a silly metal teapot that spilled when you tried to pour it, and there was only a bare sprinkling of tea leaves in it.... no way to make tea strong enough to taste actually taste like tea. I asked the waiter if they had any other way to serve their tea, and was told "no". I left, but I'd go back if I someone else insisted. read more

Some restaurants go through ups and downs. Recently, Bambu, a long-time favorite of mine, has gone into a slump. I saw Felix Y. wrote a glowing Yelp review of the Singapore noodles on 08/19/2013 so I will write a follow-up. I have had their Singapore noodles many times because, as Felix said, it was so good. But the last few times, the dish was way under-curried and overly greasy - a real disappointment. The noodles were still al dente and served with plenty of chicken and veggies as I had ordered. But the lack of curry flavor and grease pooled at the bottom of my plate made the whole experience disappointing. The service is still friendly but something has happened in the kitchen over the last few months. This review just focused on the Singapore noodles but the same issues exist with respect to several other dishes I have ordered. I hope this review will bring back my old Bambu because I work nearby and it used to be a reliable neighborhood eatery that could be counted on to serve a satisfying meal in an accessible, moderately priced, welcoming environment. read more

Thought it was a little below average...we ordered several rolls from there and when the order came out they brought out some plates - when we started handing out the plates we noticed the plates were stuck together - we pulled it apart only to find old wasabi and left over food stuck between them read more

A bit of a disappointment because this kitchen tries to do too many things all at once. Thai, Sushi, Chinese, Korean, etc. etc. A kitchen that tries to accommodate everything oriental can neither put out fresh or authentic food. The Sushi rolls are not cut well, the Thai food is overly seasoned, and, FYI, Thai basil does not belong everywhere. Fried foods are greasy and not fresh. The noodles are OK. I would stick to the soups and noodles and even avoid the rice. If you order what they commonly do not serve you are more likely to get something fresh. The restaurant is small and quite noisy and so is the kitchen. No matter where you sit you hear the chitter chatter of the kitchen staff and the phone ringing constantly. I think of this place more of a neighborhood delivery restaurant that one uses in a pinch. I do not highly recommend it. read more

I stopped in here on the way home from Great Falls and I was pleasantly surprised! The ambience was better than the exterior belied. My friend and I began with soup and split the 3 Sisters Noodle dish. It was excellent, especially my friend's tom yum soup. Our waitress was personable and efficient. I will return. read more