Great quality food, perfect drinks, lovely atmosphere. It's a great date night spot. Just be sure to call ahead for a reservation during peak hours. read more

Yummy food. Did not give 5 stars as some dishes a bit off from authentic Japanese food flavor. But, the service is great! And, they have a ramune soda. read more

Very trendy Izakaya. Loved the ambiance and service was top notch. The seats were also very wide spread. My group and I ordered the kimchi fritters as an appetizer and I ordered the tonkutsu ramen. I really enjoyed the fritters but thought the ramen was just okay as I found myself adding salt. I also ordered an egg white cocktail with shochu which was quite nice. I really wanted to try the sushi dishes, but after a long day of skiing I just wanted soup. Definitely would come back to try again! read more

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The best sushi restaurant in Carbondale. We love to go and the staff is the best specially Eric he is our number one bartender and waiter. You can't go wrong with nothing off the menu. read more

Room is too dark - not exactly mood lighting nor day part lighting. Coursing is not an SOP when you order it's all coming at the same time. Get ready to eat cold entrees Food quality is. C+ but it's probably due to it being a mountain town venue. Would look elsewhere up or down valley read more

Forest always gives the best service, and the food could not be better. We really appreciate how much time and effort goes in to our dinner. Can not wait to go there again! read more

This is my goto date night spot. I tell people it's Aspen sushi for Basalt prices. You can rack up a bill quick but gosh darn it's the best japanese food in the valley. read more

My husband and I love sushi! We don't always want to drive to Aspen to get the variety/quality we love so Izakaya is a good fallback for down valley. It's pretty consistent and if you're sitting at the bar everything comes out in a timely fashion. Zach is an awesome bartender and is always honest about new menu items. Yes, it's overpriced for what you get, but where we live that's not surprising at all. Per usual our drinks, pork buns, torched salmon, and uni were fantastic! read more

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Keeping in mind this is not the culinary center of the world, this is a spot I would choose to come back to! I was so excited to see THREE unique plant based sushi rolls on the menu. All three were very pretty (so sorry I forgot photos). Our favorite was the Kabayaki Eggplant and the Mikuni (mushroom) was good too. The Buddha Roll (tofu) was not our favorite and had an odd, strong radish type flavor. But we still ate it happily! Thank you for having vegan options!!! It's a cute spot and good service-make a reservation! read more

My boyfriend and I dined at Izakaya last week to celebrate our anniversary. Overall, we had a great dinner and it was a special way to celebrate our first year. As a Southern California native, I didn't have huge expectations for Colorado valley sushi, but Izakaya was just fine. PROS: - When we called to make the reservation, we briefly mentioned our anniversary. They gave us a semi-private table and a delicious free dessert at the end of our meal which was a great touch! - COVID protocols felt safe. All staff members were wearing masks and the tables were socially distanced. - Our server was very friendly. - The kobe steak entree was delicious (but the rice was weirdly crispy and not cooked well). CONS: - The sushi rolls were pretty tiny (barely larger than a quarter) and the fish wasn't the freshest. There wasn't any concern of food poisoning, but there was a fishy taste in our two rolls. Also, the Dynamite Popcorn Shrimp did not have a traditional preparation. If I order this dish, I'm expecting creamy, spicy-mayo goodness. It tasted OK, but I think I'd advertise it differently. - The dishes were a little funky. I thought the parmesan cheese on the shishito peppers was weird, but my boyfriend loved it. - The speed of service. Our reservation was at 7:30 on a Tuesday night. There were 4-5 other tables in the restaurant, but the service was extremely slow. There were at least 3 servers, but we were only checked on every 15 minutes or so. OVERALL: Izakaya Carbondale was just fine for its location and I would consider returning during non-COVID times. Definitely check it out if you're looking for sushi in the valley area. read more

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Absolutely my go to place to celebrating our anniversary! Has the taste and texture of Japan with a modern twist. Highly recommend especially in the evening/night! You must reserve ahead of time; it is almost always booked! The atmosphere is private and a bit romantic (for me; especially with the dim lights). Can't wait to go there again for my next anniversary! read more

The hostesses were very chatty amongst themselves. Server was attentive but the food were ok. Wasn't expecting much from an izakaya from the mountains but I had heard some good reviews from some colleagues so have it a try. Enjoyed the cocktail though. read more

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I have been here 4 times and each time it's been OUTSTANDING. $700 worth of food and every dish was phenomenal and our waitress Natalie was flawless. Can't wait till my next time. read more

Great menu and service was good. We enjoyed sushi and a salmon entree that was delicious. Sit outside if weather permits!

This is one of the best Japanese restaurants that I have been to in quite some time. The atmosphere is incredible and the food is amazing. This is a must try if you are in the area. read more

Izakaya Carbondale - Beef and Shrimp Yakisoba Noodles - Izakaya Near Me - Carbondale, Colorado

Quality sushi at ripoff price. 3 small rolls 2 PCs Salmon small chicken with rice bowl, edamame, 1 beer 1 Saki the bill came to $103.00 plus tip. Perceived value horrible, if they just made the rolls 30% larger it wouldn't seem to be such a ripoff. Seriously the rolls were not much bigger than my index finger. read more

Definitely not an izakayaya, instead just another bad American sushi place. Quite expensive and mediocre sushi. The menu is enhanced with more bad Japanese food, with dishes on par with a bad and cheap cafeteria food in Japan. And some creative fancy sounding fish dishes that have a modern twist that miss the mark. But how about getting the basics (sashimi) right? Ambiance is very nice. Kenichi Snowmass is the same ownership, and takes it a notch lower. read more

$20+ dollar rolls that we could have bought from city market for $5. Hardly any fish and rolls were the size of a quarter. Highly do not recommend the sushi for the price here. Ramen was okay. read more

Got sushi to go.Worst sushi place in the valley. Sushi was poorly made and the fish was distingishly old and had a horrible taste of a stale fish. We left the sushi without eating it (after trying 2 pieces) to return the next day because it was late already when we got it and when we brought it back they told us they can't do anything about it. I used to be a sushi chef and the fish was stored poorly that's why it was so fishy. The costumer service was horrible telling us they can't do anything about it and they told us we probably started eating it later and didn't store it properly and that's why it was so fishy. We live 2 mins away from the place and had it almost right away. I have left a good review before and regret it now. The management could have handled this differently at least. Never coming back. read more

Definitely the freshest sushi I've had outside a coastal area. Leaning toward classic Japanese simplicity rather than Americanized silly-menus, which is refreshing. Friendly staff. Prices are on the high end for smallish portions. But, I did mention it's fresh sushi, far from the coast. In the middle of a pandemic. When I was there the staff was following precautions and seating was outside and spaced well. So, thanks for the luxury, Izakaya! Hang in there! read more

Amazing food, atmosphere, drinks, and service. Make a reservation, it's a popular spot!

Drove by this random sushi restaurant in Carbondale, When I walked in it gave me Kenichi vibes of Aspen, to realize it's the Kenichi of Carbondale by the same owners was funny, With that being said the decor was awesome especially for Carbondale, quite amazing, The service was good, we were served by a new guy and he did well for his first table, now onto the food, let's start with the Shichimi fries, nice and crispy, the karaage looked overcooked but was actually juicy and tender, the blistering shisito peppers was awesome(blistering), The garlic Ramen was pretty tasty, The only thing I have to question is the black and blue waygu.... Taste all right but I feel like it was a regular New York strip?!?(maybe), and the dessert fried coconut pudding was weird, but overall first time experience was very good I actually like it more than the Kenichi in aspen which speaks a lot, if you're in the Carbondale area definitely recommend it!!!!! read more

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Delicious food and high quality sushi! We got a couple rice- based entrees to share and we were all impressed with the flavor and portion size. Highly recommend! read more

The one star is for the food. I enjoyed the confit pork in the kimchi rice bowl. So melt- in-your- mouth delicious. The karaage was bland (regular fried chicken with Mayo), we also tried the pork buns which were alright. The Japanese hot pot was saved by the pork. The service, however, was awful. The host was cold and kinda snippy, we didn't get greeted for a while and then our server was short and didn't go over anything. She also seemed like she didn't have any knowledge on the menu. When I go to a place that costs $100+ I want someone to actually care about my experience and educate me on different things on the menu. Our server never checked on us and we had to eat in the dark because no one turned the lights up when it got dark outside. We almost just got up to ask for a spoon and for boxes later. I'm just blown away by how expensive this place is when the service and experience are god awful and I basically could do their job better (I'm also a server). Seriously need to hire more people or just a thought, DONT SEAT TABLES WHEN YOU ARE HAVING A HARD TIME SERVING THE ONES YOU HAVE! read more

The food is amazing... this review is regarding the bar staff. When you sit at the bar you expect a certain type of experience. We NEVER got our order put in without asking where it was. We NEVER got asked if we wanted another cocktail. We HAD to ask for silverware. We WERE ignored while the regulars at the end of the bar were paid all the attention. When we spoke with the manager he was extremely apologetic so this review is my way of saying don't sit at the bar and expect service at all. read more

Love the food, service, and the ambiance. Definitely try and get a reservation, if not then try and get there when they open to sit at the bar. read more

Yummy sushi in the heart of Carbondale!a really beautiful spot hip interior with a full bar and a sushi bar towards the back. We started with the lotus salad and the seaweed salad, both were really tasty. The agadashi tofu was also a hit. From the inside out rolls like the Kenishi roll to the salmon roll to the vegetables rolls all were tasty amd well prepared. A vegetable ramen, a fried chicken and the miso black cod were also great.they do a great job here! Our server was awesome too. read more

Food was great and loved the atmosphere. The owner Brent was great and his staff from sushi chef to manager to waiting staff were also top-tier. read more

The best affordable sushi in the valley. If you're not spending hundreds of dollars in Aspen, GO HERE!

The decor of this place is good, but the food is no where near as good as I feel it should have been. Our waiter (Casey) charged us 20% gratuity for a party of 5, even though the menu clearly states they charge the gratuity in parties of 6 or more. Probably because the service not great, and he was worried he would not get a good tip. We also ordered a spicy tuna roll and they delivered regular tuna with NO spice. When we brought this to the attention of the waiter he basically argued with us and said we were wrong. He brought some dipping sauce but it was not the same. I was just expecting so much more in quality and service. For reference we had 5 people and we spent a little over $300. My advise is go to the other sushi place in Carbondale, at least it is cheap. read more

I'm born and raised in Japan, I moved to Carbondale about 6 months ago. I've come here 2 times now. The service here is always good, people are friendly. But unfortunately food here is not that good. I've had tonkotsu ramen, sushi and JAPANESE curry so far. They shouldn't put "Japanese" in the menu when they do not know what Japanese curry is like. It almost looked and tasted like Thai curry. I've never seen almonds in Japanese curry. Tonkotsu ramen didn't taste like tonkotsu....the noodle was pretty good though. I like their sushi, but wish they had more sushi options. Not sure if I want to keep going there. I like the atmosphere so we'll see read more

We went here to celebrate our anniversary. We are local and have eaten here many times. Several years ago we had positive experiences with service, ambiance and food. How we, the last 5 or 6 times we have gone it's been a disaster and last night really sealed our poor experience history. Several months ago we ate here, with dinner reservations, the restaurant was 1/2 full, our server took over 20 min to greet us, we promptly ordered and then our food took forever to come out. We had some sashimi orders that took over an hour to prepare. The server explained their sushi bar was a little behind, but only after waiting 30 min already. We felt like that would have been good info to know ahead of time, we had several experiences that were similar in the proceeding months. Meals that took 3 hrs for 2 people! And we've had to flag servers down multiple times over every meal because it would be 20 min and we wouldn't even see them. Last night, for our anniversary, the entire restaurant was a disaster. We arrived 15 min before our reservation and i stood at a crowded host stand for 15 minutes before i just walked into the dining room to find any employee that might be able to check us in. Apparently there had been a problem with open table but their inability to recover was disappointing. We were told we would be the next to be sat and after watching 3 other parties be sat in front of us, we left. Mostly because we knew if they were so incredibly disorganized in their front of the house, it would probably take another hour or more after being seated to get our food. Maybe that wouldn't have been the case but after so many disorganized disasters in the recent past, we felt like it wasn't worth it to chance it. Their food is good, if you can catch them on an empty night. My recommendation is to show up at 5pm if you hope to have anything close to a positive experience. I truly hope this review can serve as some inspiration for the owners and management to try and turn things around. Our valley needs good restaurants. read more

In a nutshell: great food, friendly service, and a clean and comfortable space with great ambiance. A great addition to Carbondale. The atmosphere is comfortable and warm, and everyone we saw was friendly and helpful - you can tell when a business focuses on customer service. We had the curry lentils, sashimi, and roles, and we could not have been happier. Everything was fresh and delicious. Our servers, Caroline and Kyra, were both very helpful and attentive. They answered all our questions and made great recommendations. I overheard them dealing with a snotty demanding table near ours, always maintaining poise and friendliness. My new mid-valley favorite. read more

We ended up here by accident last Friday. We came in and were told that all the small plates were 50% off in a specific area of the restaurant. We sat there and ordered two small plates: popcorn shrimp and gyoza. They were both delicious! We also ordered some sushi that was really well made and reasonably priced. My husband had a glass of an Argentinian Malbec that was really good quality for only $6, which was a fantastic deal. Overall really good experience. The service was good and the restaurant ambiance is very attractive and welcoming. We will be back for sure! read more

The food here was great but short from what I'd call an Izakaya. There was basically one grilled chicken and one grilled beef skewer on the menu. There was ramen, sushi, rice bowls and other entrees. Very few small dishes as well. But name aside, the food was delicious. Quite surprising to find as we were driving through Glenwood Springs. Springs was too crowded so we opted for a quieter and safer suburb. The sashimi was fresh and tasty. The roll we ordered was good. Didn't care for the gyoza. But overall flavors were tasty and thumbs up for great ambience and having plum wine when it wasn't on the menu. Indoor dining available, spacing protocol followed and servers wore masks. read more

Great decor. Friendly staff. Food and service need serious improvement. I sat at the bar. It took awhile for the bartender to take my order because she was struggling with the POS system. I ordered the pork wings, which were very good but the sushi was not. It took over 90 minutes to bring out a tuna sashimi and a yellowtail roll!! The blue tuna was an odd dish. The blue cheese completely over powered the fish and the fennel was cut too think. The Carbontail roll took forever and was not good. The sushi rice was gummy and the fish was almost non-existent. I ordered edemame because I was still so hungry. It was not pan seared as the menu said. This was a far cry from kinichi. It's super expensive and not with the money or wait. Ming's is better. Or drive to Aspen - it will take less time. read more

Every bite of every meal I've had at Izakaya has been blissful. I say it absolutely stands up against the best restaurants in any major city. read more

Hit Izakaya tonight for the first time while running errands down valley...Wow! Had a great table outside with good air flow though it was 90 degrees. The excellent margarita and amazing and innovative sashimi and rolls kept us cool. The service was prompt and respectful. I know people are worried about eating out right now; Izakaya was immaculately clean including the bathrooms-sparkling. Servers wearing masks and gloves. The Big Head Todd strumming in the background was the icing on the cake for my husband and I. The cupcake ice cream was a hit with our six year old son. read more

Great food. Great service. Creative menu. Highly recommend this restaurant. Really comfortable setting. Order the kimchi rice bowl.....it's awesome! Enjoy! read more

Pro: Good food. Tasted great with delicious flavor combinations. Con: Expect to be treated poorly if not dressed up fancy. This place should consider establishing a dress code if they are this concerned with what their customers wear. We were here for our anniversary and expected at the least judgement-free service. We were met with side eyes by the employees who greeted us. Compliments to our server who treated us great. read more