They advertise they are open. But don't keep the hours they advertise. Came from across town and checked to online sources saying they are open but closed early because the owner just wanted to. Hostess was rude but having a drink at the bar. Good luck. read more

Jinsei Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

We've tried other Japanese/sushi places though not all and found that Jinsei is the best so far. It's our go-to place.

I consistently love Jinsei! I have been going here since I was an undergraduate student. It is definitely on the pricey end, so I used to *celebrate* passing tests and such here. My favorite part is the ambiance. It's so cute and loungey! But with the option of tables and outdoor dining as well. The menu has changed since I've been here last. The food has remained delicious! The sushi rolls are on the non traditional types. It's more of a fusion restaurant. But I love the concept and the interesting sushi combos. I recently came for a birthday celebration and we had great service, the food came quick and was very delicious. The mojitos here are my favorite!! We also tried the peach sake which was as it sounds... peachy and hot sake! The kadoma tuna is A MUST TRY!!! I'm not sure it was on the menu before or if it's new but it was amazing!! It's raw tuna on a tempura rice cake, it was the perfect texture combination. I also tried the kiiro roll which was good too but definitely different as it has octopus and squid. Love the location in soho, sometimes wish it was open for lunch! read more

Jinsei Sushi - Strawberry mojito - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I signed up on Yelp just to write this review. Came by for the sole reason of knowing they were serving toro, but unfortunately only sake and hamachi toro. The excitement faded; five dollars for one piece of thin cut sashimi. Fifteen for single rolls. The rolls themselves, though description put them as fresh and exciting, are nothing but pretentious. The flavors and ingredients blended very well, but putting them in a blender and eating the outcome would have been the same experience. Nothing robust, nothing savory, and nothing that could stand on its own. Paid a very generous amount for next to nothing, but thank God for the atmosphere being lovely! Very upscale and fitting ambiance---made the hour long wait, cramped quarters, and slow service feel less like I was in Birmingham and more like I was in the ritzy part of NYC. But at least in NYC I can get a corner hotdog and feel like a person again afterwards. read more

Upscale sushi restaurant in beautiful Soho. The atmosphere is excellent - beautiful seating arrangements both inside and outside. The staff was beyond courteous and even checked to make sure the music wasn't too loud - a step above! The sushi itself is wonderful. You can get adventurous or stick with your standard sushi order. It is on the higher side of prices for sushi, but you certainly get what you pay for. read more

Loved it!!!! Thai was awesome (Penang). Coconut soup was so good as well. The Sushi dishes around me looked so tempting...next time!

In from Atlanta on business and stayed at new hotel across the street. Was kind of craving sushi, so was glad to see well-reviewed sushi restaurant right across the street. I am not the kind to hand out bad reviews willy-nilly. But, Jinsei really disappointed. First off, I was astonished by the prices. No roll cheaper than $10. Sushi is minimum $2.50 for one piece. These are high-end Atlanta prices. Large hot sake is also $10. I think miso soup is $4.50. That said, dining room was small, intimate and comfy. I was quickly shown to a nice table. Service, in fact, was swift and friendly throughout the meal. My major problem was the price relative to the quality (and quantity) of the sushi. I get that sushi restaurants are pricey. I've found the most expensive ones are rarely worth the big ticket, and Jinsei was no exception. I initially balked at a $10 California Roll, but then noticed that the menu read 'fresh snow crab.' This is a direct quote, because I triple checked the menu. Ordered one. I also ordered a Jinsei roll ($15) and the roll with eel (can't remember the name - $13). Well, the California Roll showed up just like any supermarket California Roll. Small-ish, eight piece roll with Krab stick -- definitely NOT 'fresh snow crab.' The Jinsei roll was tasty, but the tuna filling was the scraps that would normally be served in a cheap spicy tuna roll and not what I would expect for the only fish ingredient in a $15 roll. The eel roll was soaked in eel sauce, rendering the hamachi, which was also in the roll, completely indistinguishable. Each of the three rolls were 8 pieces, but small - maybe slightly more than an inch in diameter. These are the kind of rolls I would expect to be in the $6-$8 range. Again, reminded me of the kind of sushi I get at the local supermarket, at three times the price. I almost convinced myself the menu prices were a joke, until I got the bill. Three rolls totaled about $40 with tax. I drank water and ordered nothing else. Left hungry. Best sushi in the state of Alabama? I'm so sorry. read more

First time to visit and very impressed. A small, intimate space. Interesting interior. Great service from Alex and Dakota at the bar. I ordered the black cod miso as my meal and it was delicious. A relatively small portion but delicious. Will go back. I recommend. read more

Mediocre sushi and WAAAAYYY overpriced. Yeah, it's a total scene--I'd rather have good sushi. I don't mind paying lots of money for great sushi but I've paid less in NY, Las Vegas and Denver in way trendier places for a much better product. This place is a totally obnoxious trap. read more

Visited Jinsei on Valentine's Day after having a horrible experience elsewhere. I ordered the Kadoma Tuna and a Bubblegum Roll. Both were excellent as always. I decided to top off my meal with a Strawberry Mojito. I absolutely LOVE this place and have never had a bad experience. The ambiance is superb. read more

One of my new favorite Birmingham spots! This has been around for a little while now and I just recently had the pleasure of going for the first time. The experience was amazing in many ways. The food is incredible- I recommend ordering 5-6 different menu options since the portions are pretty small (other than the sushi) and you get to try more things this way as well! The atmosphere is pretty neat. It's very clean and comfortable; although I hear on weekends it's hard to find a seat. The service was great- Autumn was our server and was attentive and helpful! Only con is it is somewhat pricy since the quality of the food is so great, but if you know that going into it then it's no problem! Highly recommend- Great date night spot! read more

I hate to give bad reviews. In fact, I don't think I ever have. I prefer to let the management know if I have a problem (which I rarely do), so they have the opportunity to fix the issue without pulling down a rating. But my last experience at Jinsei was pretty awful, and I just could not believe our server David. We were there for hours for a friends birthday and spent hundreds of dollars (which is pretty easy to do at Jinsei, even if it is the Sunday special), yet David was constantly annoyed at us and would walk away while in the middle of trying to order food and drinks. I was a server for years, as was everyone at our table, and we could not believe how rude he was, while we were continually cheerful and respectful to him. At the end of the night I wanted to order 2 rolls to go to take to my husband at work. When I received the bill, the 2 rolls were not included at the Sunday special price, and when I asked about it, he said, "That's not for to go orders." While we had just eaten there and spent over $300! It's not as if I had called in a to go order and come to pick it up. And if that's the policy, ok, but at least tell the customers that when they ask for the last 2 rolls to go, not once you bring the rolls and the bill. I would not have ordered them had I known (they were almost $20 more when not on special). For the amount you pay at Jinsei, I was shocked to get this kind of service. And what a disappointment for my friend's birthday! I'm not expecting a free dessert with a song or anything, but to at least have someone treat you like a paying customer would be nice. I will say, their ambiance is nice, and their Kadoma Tuna is amazing. I may order that to go someday (not on special), but other than that, I will take my busines elsewhere. I recommend Sushi Village instead, where the sushi is great and very affordable, and the servers are always friendly. read more

Jinsei is the highest quality sushi found in Birmingham. Of course, with the high quality comes the high prices. This restaurant reminds me of something you would find in NYC. They have a good selection of fresh fish, and the sushi chefs KNOW what they are doing. The restaurant is very small and they have a tendency to rush you in and out. I like the atmosphere, but space is very tight. I continue to go back, but I think that is a reflection of the limited sushi selection in Birmingham. read more

Flounder was awesome! Rock shrimp and onion rings are great apps! My server was fab as well!!! I will be back!

Great sushi as always. Almost certainly the best in Birmingham. But poor social distancing. The guy who brought our order to our car came right up to my wife while she was opening the hatch (hoping to collect our order while we were inside, easily more than six feet away from the person bringing the order to us) and didn't seem to have a clue about keeping that six feet of distance. Even wanted her to sign a receipt. I know not everyone gets it, but it's important to keep that distance. We almost certainly won't be returning until this coronavirus thing is over. read more

The food was phenomenal but the service was lackluster. Justin G was our server (per our receipt not introduction). We got 4 sushi rolls and a tempura plate. It was the best tempura I've ever had. Very light and flaky. The sushi was very skillfully prepared. Fresh and flavorful. The Spicy Hotate roll was the best roll I've ever had. This would easily be a 5 star review if the quality of service had come close to the quality of food. We had some questions about the tempura platter and the contents of the rolls and we were met with disinterest and apathy. Will more than likely give it another shot simply on the basis of the quality of food. read more

jinsei "life" not bad for Alabama. service is great but the fish is mediocre. the miso cod reminds me of my mothers cooking but the downfall is that the cod is a little old and the bloodline of the fish is a little fishy due to age. the rolls are very americanized and unique, if you are looking for a japanese experience don't come here but if its for fun and a good time, jinsei is the place. read more

my favorite restaurant in the world. recommend the yellow tail serano. the service and atmosphere is also outstanding.

There seems to be more focus on ambience and presentation than on actual taste. Everything was good, but not outstanding. The prices were certainly on the upper end of what I want to pay for sushi. I will be sticking to other places in town, such as sekisui in Vestavia. read more

I've only been to Jinsei once, and I had a great experience. I sat at the sushi bar on a Sunday (when all rolls are $9!) My boyfriend and I had delicious cocktails, and the sushi was excellent. I will say it took us a while to be able to place our drink order, but that is the only negative. read more

These guys have really good sushi but often are out of some of the fresher items I like. Their nigiri tends to be a little on the small size for the money, as are the rolls. But they have some really creative rolls. The decor is overly trendy and I'm not a fan of the overt attempt at upscale ambiance with the wait staff and Itame-san. The food is good but tends to be pricey. Overall, the food is good (not great) but the atmosphere is too haughty read more

I go here for two things: the sushi & the mojitos. The absolute best sushi in Birmingham. You won't find the typical california roll or crunch crunch roll or whatever other generic roll most Japanese steakhouses in the area serve. If that's the type of sushi you like, Jinsei is not for you. However, if you love sushi & all the creativeness that goes into different rolls, come here! Bring friends! But not too many. It's not a restaurant for group gatherings as it is a tiny in space compared to surrounding establishments. It is perfect for GNOs, 1st dates, double dates, & groups of 6 or less. There are a handful of tables & seats @ the sushi bar. In the warmer season there is more seating including the outdoor tables. The majority of the seating is the lounge area, where you also get full service & more elbow room. The sushi is different & delicious. The Bangkok roll & Yoshiko roll are favorites. The menu is pricey; it's located in downtown Homewood aka SoHo after all. Jinsei has great specials though. All sushi rolls on Sunday are $8, usually $12-15. They also make great martinis & girly mojitos, which on Mondays are $7, usually $13. The mojitos are worth the regular $13 price & come in a variety of flavors. I recommend the mango-ginger. The whole establishment is nothing like Birmingham, very NYC, which is what makes it so perfect. read more

We had been to the restaurant several times before last night. The food was always great, so my girlfriend asked me to try and get one of the front lounge area tables for her birthday. I called ahead of time and spoke to a "Mitchell" that claimed to be the "manager". He said that we would make it work and he would let the hostess know and they would try to make it happen. Instead the hostess was just kinda rude to us and wouldn't even hear me out when I was trying to tell her about our reservations. So instead we went to Bamboo on 2nd and had an excellent time! read more

Kadoma tuna is insanely good. I can shamefully eat 3 of them. They have recently changed the menu for the worse in my opinion though, removing two of my favorite rolls. Bring back the Shag! The inside seating is very cramped. You can hear every word the people next to you are saying. The patio is the way to go if the weather is nice. Overall great sushi, just wish it was a little less expensive. read more

Maybe it is because I am not used to being in B'ham but I have had better sushi from grocery stores in Saint Louis, no joke. I loved the atmosphere and the service was very good but the pricing was crazy high for the quality and the food I had was not that good. Not to mention $5 for one piece of sashimi is ridiculous in my opinion. read more

Went for lunch and had the crunch roll and Alabama roll. Both were good, but not what I would consider great. Perhaps I should have ordered something different? read more

Absolutely has the best sushi in town. Their tempora greenbean are like heaven. Oh and my favorite, the Kobe beef sliders are amazing!!! I could eat them every trip!!! I love this restaurant so much I bought the VIP card just so I would never have to wait in line for a table! Great place to meet you friends an have some dinner and cocktails! read more

I stopped here as it was close to my hotel and wow was I surprised. Quick service. Great selection of wines. Waitress offered a recommendation and very glad I went with it. The 'spicy hotate' less the sriracha (bc I don't do spicy at all) was fantastic. I highly recommend trying this restaurant if you are looking for sushi. read more

I have been coming here for years, but the last two times I was there, the food is just not up to snuff. The River Rock Kobe has been cut from six pieces of meat to five and they are noticeably smaller pieces at that. The rocks are not hot enough to finish cooking the steak. Also, I had the Tofu appetizer, and the amount of food has been reduced in that, as well as the amount of edamame. All in all, if this trend continues, we will find another restaurant in which to celebrate. I am sad to post this review. read more

Would have given five stars but because of price and atmosphere they get four. If I pay $5 for one piece of negiri, I expect to have a little more seating room and not stuffed in like sardines. Place is way too small for pricing of the food. From the look at sushi bar, the fish on display looked like typical sashimi grade. Nothing fancy. read more

Good food. My only complaint, which I know seems strange, I felt like they were pushing me out the door of a half empty place. My salad and appetizers , half eaten, I had 3 people try and clear it. I know, better overzealous, not really.... read more

Great atmosphere, nice mix of folks here. But the sushi disappointed, especially for the price. We tried a tuna roll, but didn't taste much of the jalapeno at all. It lacked kick. The volcano was better, but fell short of wowing us. We tried the ice cream dessert, which is sort of a marshmallow-encased ice cream. Odd, but refreshing. Try it just to say you did. Service was excellent. Definitely sample the mojitos. The mango ginger wasn't very gingery or mangoey, but was good nonetheless. The blackberry was refreshing and not overly sweet. read more

Quickly became one of my favorite Asian fusion restaurants in Birmingham. Went on a busy Saturday night and the management and staff made sure we had drinks in hand and could sit as quickly as possible. Great atmosphere, lounge vibe, which fits great with the food. Rock shrimp was one of our favorite starters! Could seem pricey, but worth it. read more

I honestly believe I had the best dish I have ever had in my life here. The kodomo tuna is one of the most well prepared and tasty dishes on planet earth. The mojitos are amazing, and the service was outstanding. The only drawback is it is so small wait times can get out of hand, but if you can handle the wait its well worth it. read more

I had a fantastic experience here. I was very well taken care of at the bar and much enjoyed the sushi. I would highly recommend the watermelon mojito and shipiro roll :) read more

Simply amazing. Live 5 minutes from here for 6 years and finally went last night. Everything about this place is top notch. I find it reasonably priced since the quality of the sushi is so high. read more

My wife and I stopped in for lunch on a Saturday because the place was highly recommended by some friends. The staff was friendly. The sushi was good, but it wasn't as good as I'd hoped. Their sashimi was actually really good... better than many places in town. Their roll selection however, was quite limited and unimaginative. The rolls themselves were okay, but no better than what you would get at your run of the mill Japanese steakhouse. The atmosphere seems more like a cocktail bar than a restaurant, and I imagine that it's a fabulous place to have sushi and wine or cocktails on a Friday night. If your craving great sushi for lunch though, there are better options around. read more

Always excellent food and the intimate ambiance is wonderful. Sushi is amazing, so is the rock shrimp tempura. Great lunch menu, friendly staff. Perfect for a quiet date night or casual lunch. Love! read more

Highly recommend this place. Had sushi and saki, and both were really good. This is my second fav sushi place after bamboos in downtown.

Yum!! Had the chili miso and a spider roll. Great little place in Homewood/soho. Great atmosphere... Would be a good location to meet for cocktails after work with the added bonus of great sushi! I will definitely visit again. read more