My favorite sushi spot in south Denver. Great service. Really beautiful space with a fun bar area, lots of dining sections (from dimmer and more romantic, to brighter and fun by the windows), etc. Most importantly, fantastic food -- from the sashimi appetizers, to the sushi combos, to the specialty rolls, to the lunch bento boxes (which even have a black cod option). I love the extensive menu of the fancier rolls; it's not just California and spicy tuna, but some really cool options. read more

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Cool ambiance. Our waitress messed up the order but didn't bother us much because of how cozy it was. Definitely a higher quality sushi compared to other Japanese restaurants in Aurora. Highly recommend read more

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Everything at Leezakaya was wonderful! Even my parents were impressed (which is rare, haha). Our family came for dinner (8 adults and 5 kids) and enjoyed it from beginning to end! For the kids, they shared the tonkatsu ramen (not spicy), potato croquette, chicken karaage, and shrimp tempura. The adults shared a smorgasbord of items off the sushi menu, appetizers, kushi yaki (skewers), noodles, and entrees. Our favorites were: miso black cod (we made an extra order of this!), hamachi kama (yellowtail collar), pork belly skewers, and fatty tuna (nigiri). The sushi was very fresh and the menu extensive! I look forward to coming back for their omakase option in the future! We also ordered drinks/cocktails and loved the ambiance/decor of the space. J.W. Lee does it again! And has created a beautiful spot for dining and enjoying a night out. On a Sunday evening (as they opened at 4pm), the restaurant was packed with the majority of customers sitting near the sushi bar. But service was great and they made sure to communicate with us when things were running behind. read more

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Disclaimer; you will absolutely not get the full gist of our experience from this review post. It is amazing! We can't speak to dinner, bc we were specifically interested in their happy hour experience. It was phenomenal! Please see attached photos of the happy hour menus that we ordered from. Everything that we ordered was fresh and made to order. We were greeted upon arrival and served within 20 minutes of sitting down at the table. They were attentive and patient with us as we enjoyed the ambiance and finished our drinks. The most standout mention about the place is the interior. It exudes sexy date night vibes. Dim lighting, dark interior decor, a screen that views anime at the bar, lots of booth seating. Highly recommend trying this spot for happy hour if you want to wet your craving for sushi on a budget, but can also attest that this is a romantic place to bring your significant other in the late evening. read more

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Havana St. has seen a revival in the last 4-5 years and Leezakaya is adding to the exciting restaurants that pop up. Glad to see smaller mom and pop shops. While Leezakaya is not small by any means, it is not a corporate conglomerate and for that we made it a point to give it a shot. On one of the soft opening nights we visited for happy hour that lead to dinner. While we waited for friends to arrive we sat at the bar and chatted up with the bartenders. They were animated, charismatic and down to earth. I enjoyed a Kirin Ichiban while we waited for the remaining party to show up. Our waiter that night was amazing. Even the manager dropped by to check up on us throughout the night. While they were missing a number of items for soft opening we made alternate menu decisions that proved to be just as successful. By the end of the night we were happy and certainly full. Would like to return to see how the full menu fares with other sushi places around town. Great, location, excellent food and a wonderful atmosphere to boot. I'll be back soon to check it out again! read more

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Four Yelp Elites got together and came to this new Izakaya restaurant located in a very familiar neighborhood only 5 minutes away from my house. We got to try so many different dishes during their soft opening phase last night, we had a blast by having everything we could ever have from great food to concoction drinks to top-notch service to chic ambiance. I was the last one to arrive for the dinner. Three of my friends had been waiting for me at the bar hobnobbing the restaurant staff along with the co-owner, Anthony. We thought the place would be super busy on a Friday night but to our surprise it wasn't. It could be that people were out of town due to the holiday weekend (Labor Day of 2023). We got lucky by getting an undue attention from the staff. The restaurant was (like I stated) was still getting ready for its upcoming grand opening so during the soft opening, they were out of certain items and ingredients. But we still had a lot to choose from. Food was simply amazing. Negitoro, takoyaki, vegetable tempura and Brussel sprouts to name a few, their freshness and quality along with the way they were cooked/prepared and presented were simply impressive and impeccable. We absolutely couldn't think of anything better we could ask for. Our waiter and Anthony (owner) came to us at least a few times to confabulate for a friendly chitchat. They also wanted to ensure how we were doing and we jokingly told them everything was horrible and that we'd want to send them back. We probably were the loudest table during the hours of 6-8pm last night!! At the end of our meal, the waiter kindly asked to see if we wanted separate checks (to which we, of course, said yes.) Our tabs were accurate but there was a little surprise. Anthony comp'd all of our cocktails as free drinks (this was so because during the soft opening phase, all the bartenders were still in training to experiment cocktails (so all the cocktails we had were not yet on the menu); He truly removed our (cocktail) drinks from our checks (whether or not we just got lucky last night, we shall not expect this to happen again next time we dine here. We were more than willing to pay for everything we consumed last night as everything was superb.) Thank you, Anthony for this kind and considerate gesture!! Once they've had the grand opening, people will start flocking this place for sure. For such a contemporary looking Izakaya style restaurant that's in the heart of neighborhood where Asian restaurants and grocery stores are concentrated this business will rock like a hurricane. The only downside of it is that it's right next to a gas station (lol)!! read more

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I had an amazing time here at Leezakaya. The food was just super tasty and very fresh. The service was quick and very friendly. The ambiance was cool and very pleasant. 5 stars. read more

Excellent! The first thing to mention here is how gorgeous the ambiance is. It's Japanese with a modern, dark, wood twist. The lighting and the music make it feel more nightclub than traditional Japanese dining. The restaurant space is huge! You could bring a party of 2 or a party of 12 here. We came on a Tuesday night, so it wasn't super busy, but I have driven by on the weekend and it was packed. Happy Hour is all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays though so I highly recommend coming then. The HH menu is pretty extensive so you can try a lot of things for a better price. They have an extensive dessert menu with a lot of non-Asian dessert options too like cheesecake and cream puffs... however they were out of a lot of them... (The downside of coming on a Tuesday.) Service was pretty good. As far as the rolls... they were good. The Batman roll was my favorite. It was delicious but also fun to say. The Rainbow roll was good too. I will definitely be coming back here. read more

Leezakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

This place is beautiful inside! It has a great happy hour and the food is very good. The fried rice is not on the menu but it is so good read more

Leezakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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Food great! Service slow, they need a few more wait staff as they had one guy working the whole place!

Food, service, ambiance amazing. One of the best places in Denver. I eat here once a week.

Went there recently for happy hour as they opened and I was amazed of how gorgeous the interior is. I love the architectural aspect to it. Their happy hour menu was pretty impressive. I tried most of the items and they were delicious. Their raw fish was fresh and decently sized compared to other places. I want to come back again soon to try other items on their menu. The service was great and our waiter was very attentive and helpful. read more

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Amazing service and the best sushi around! we really like the vibe in here. Our waitress was a professional, very kind, and made sure we left feeling satisfied. My daughter says the mochi is the best in town! We will be back again! read more

Delicious sushi, phenomenal presentation,and crafted with quality ingredients! Top Items: Jalapeño Hamachi, Salmon Nigiri, Hokkaido Uni Nigiri, and Unagi Nigiri. Sweet treat lovers get the matcha tiramisu! If the head chef doesn't mind sharing the recipe, my DMs are open :) Our server was attentive and took care of us very well! Ambiance was clean, modern, and sleek with a good playlist. Reminds me of one the speakeasy's I went to in Tokyo. I will say with the smaller details it can use refining. Such as a menu redesign, and how the check is given at the end of the meal can be elevated to match the vibe. Regardless, of my critiques my rating is for the food and service! This place was great and can't wait to come back! read more

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My wife and I have been to this beautiful restaurant a few times and find the food delicious and fresh. We're always surprised that it's not busier! We love the menu and there are plenty of Saki to choose from. I highly recommend adding Leezakaya to your "must try" list. read more

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Great happy hour! I was surprised at how fresh the sushi tasted from the happy hour menu! It wasn't very busy in there but it was also mid-afternoon on a Sunday. Beautiful place, very well decorated. There was a bit of a strange smell, almost like sewer, when I approached the bathrooms. But their fish was really tasty, I'll be back. read more

Lived up to the hype!! Everything was super tasty! Definitely get the udon noodles!! The nigiri was good, not "top" quality but a good value for what you get along with all the other excellent dishes. Will be back! read more

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I'm not sure what Japanese pub culture is, and I can't say I know after going here, but the food was excellent, and the service was excellent too. We went on a weekend without reservations, pretty early in the evening. When we got there, the place was fairly empty, but allegedly the restaurant was all reserved, so we sat at the sushi bar, which was great, actually. When we left, there were still plenty of open tables. I'm trying not to take it personal-like :-). I had White Fish Truffle appetizer. There weren't as many truffle bits as in the picture on the menu, but the flavor and the sauce they decorated it with was delightful. My udon was also very tasty although again the roe was difficult to find. I also had O Toro negiri which just melted in my mouth, in a good way. Overall, we had fun! And I can't say I've felt that in a restaurant in Denver in a while. Maybe that's Japanese pub culture! read more

I'll start off by saying I enjoyed the atmosphere, it seemed very welcome and I really like the Japanese theme. When we went in, it wasn't busy at all, which was nice. However to start off, the women's restroom smelled like sewage. After my wife and I were seated, we waited almost 10 minutes without anyone greeting us. We saw who we thought was our server walk right past us multiple times, serve the table behind us, who was seated AFTER us, and even bring them their soup while still not paying any kind of attention to us. So we left, and to make things worse, our server (I assume) was now at the host stand, and told us to have a good night. Proving that they really didn't pay any kind of attention to us. I've never just left like that, and I won't be back. read more

This place is truly a gem! They have a great happy hour! The food was delicious! The ambiance is stunning! Service was good! We will be back! read more

Stumbled upon this hidden gem on a Sunday night while my girlfriend and I were trying to catch a late dinner and had a great experience. We have since been back two other time and have really enjoyed the food, staff, and ambiance. The second time we went I got the spicy miso ramen that was very good and filling. I was having sinus issues and it really opened up my sinuses. What really blew me away was the Boulder Roll with blue fin tuna. So good! Fast forward to the third trip today. Wednesday is all day happy hour so we had a great mix of apps and rolls. My girlfriend ordered the cream puff for dessert and it was amazing. I usually don't do dessert, but it hit the spot! Staff is very nice and welcoming. Every time we've been, I leave satisfied and glad the we went. The place touts Japanese Pub Culture and it really does fulfill. Great mix of energy, atmosphere, food, and drinks. If you are in the area and have the chance, give it a try, you won't be disappointed! read more

Great new spot for sushi and asian cuisine. This restaurant is very nice inside. The lighting is just right and the art is progressive. We had some sushi and beer. The sushi was tasty with a nice presentation. Our server, Rylan, was awesome. He was training a young woman named, Karen. She was also awesome. The price was right. They have a happy hour from 4-6pm. The bathrooms were clean. They have a full bar (but no Bloody Mary :(). Brian said his beer was not quite cold. Leezakaya is just getting started -so I am sure they will just get better. Parking is in a lot. Wheelchair access is available. This was a great experience and we will be back. read more

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It has been a while since I have had a true 5 star experience but Leezakaya is just that. From the moment you walk in the door with the bottom lit bar and the Tokyo restaurant vibe you feel transported to somewhere that you know is going to be a good time. I highly recommend a reservation, but if you don't get around to it, don't worry you can have a drink at the bar while you wait. The drinks are great! Thoughtfully crafted with a generous sake list and a nice happy hour offering. I had the cloudy grapefruit and it was perfectly balanced! My one request of the restaurant is to put hooks under the bar for bags/purses/coats. As a woman it makes a cocktail experience 100x better not having to juggle a bag and a coat and a drink. We tried an extensive range of food and everything I ate was amazing. From the simple offerings, like shishito peppers, to the ramen it all delivered. The crab cream croquettes were so perfectly breaded and not at all oily. We had three pieces of nigiri and 2 rolls. The nigiri was the same top quality I would expect of somewhere like sushi den without the obscene price. The rolls were the spicy tuna, perfect amount of heat and tuna not pretending to be some fancy thing, just delivering high quality sushi. And the surf and turf roll which was decadent and had almost a butter quality to the seafood portion of the roll. The Miso Cod could go head to head with cod at uchi or sushi den any day, it was truly perfect! We got the combo kushi yaki and I was a bit iffy when it got delivered, it looks like one of those dishes that is for looks not taste and I was so happy to be proven wrong. The pork belly was literally perfect, I am so picky about pork belly but this was the best balance of crispy and soft in just the right way. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and I want to learn to emulate that recipe. We wrapped up with tonkotsu ramen which is the closest I have gotten to the amazing quality ramen I get in NYC and I cannot wait for the next chilly day to saddle up at a table with cocktail and that ramen. I know for a lot of centrally located denver folks this seems out of the way, but trust me it is worth the trip!!! read more

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We were on our way back from the airport and everything was just about closing but thankfully Leezakaya was still open. We were pleasantly greeted upon entering and noticed the beautiful modern Asian decor with a slightly more upscale restaurant vibe. Our server gave great suggestions for appetizers and his favorite sushi recommendations. The fish was fresh and delicious plus our service was great. I'm telling my friends about this place. We will be back again! read more

Leezakaya - Sushi Bar - Izakaya Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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Obsessed is an understatement. I have been to Leezakaya 3 times thus far with a 4th visit scheduled for tonight, and that is still not enough. What a wonderful addition to Havana Street and Aurora in general. The space is sleek, sexy, and classy. Perfect for date night, a celebration meal, or just a weeknight meal. You can tell that the owners absolutely took the time and effort to make sure every detail was on point. From the dining wear to the art on the walls, everything is just perfect. Service is always warm and friendly and of course THE FOOD. They have a good amount of fresh sushi and sashimi, but there are also a ton of options for those who would rather turf than surf. There are quite a few items I still haven't tried on the menu, but my absolute faves are below: -Soft Shell Crab Karaage - Pork Belly Kushi Yaki (or skewers) -Jalapeno Hamachi -White Fish Truffle - Surf and Turf Sushi Roll with lobster tempura and wagyu beef -Prime Rib Steak - signature whole rib served medium rare -Miso Black Cod - Spicy Miso Ramen (don't sleep on the ramen here - it is AMAZING) -Uni Pasta - if you love uni and a cream sauce based pasta, you'll love this I can't say enough good things about this place and is easily included into my top fave new restaurants of 2023. read more

Great service. We came for the dollar oysters during HH and ended up ordering some more things off the HH menu. Everything was pretty good and the vibes were good. We were there at 10 for their Saturday happy hour and there were still a good amount of people in the restuarant. After we got seated, our waitress came over and brought us menus. However, she did not give us the HH menu and we had to ask for it. She also didn't really know what time HH was at. After checking, she came back with the HH menu. The $1 oysters are a good deal, they tasted fresh but I didn't like the sauce and green onions they put on it. It was pretty flavorless, but was decent with a bit of ginger and wasabi. The rolls were good, but necessarily good HH deals. The salmon avo roll was $8 and natto roll $7 which I think are normal prices for rolls, not HH pricing. I also dont like the pink ginger and prefer the yellow ginger. read more

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Love at first sight! I took my husband for dinner and gave it a try to this new place in Aurora. The food was fresh and the rolls were well made. The atmosphere is just perfect, very pleasant to enjoy fresh and delicious sushi. Our server was very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful all the time. I'll definitely come back again. I highly recommend this place. read more

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Wow everything about this place is a 10/10. The service was phenomenal. Our waiter was really nice and was so informative. He let us know where all the fish was coming in from and gave his recommendation when we had a hard time deciding. We were excited to hear how high of quality everything was, especially for the price! Very reasonable. Every thing was so delicious. The best sushi by far in the Denver area. Even the spicy edamame was really good for being spicy edamame. The exterior and interior is really cute and a great vibe. The attention to details in the decor, lighting, and dishes is very apparent! read more

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Amazing venue for some Japanese food. I've driven by this place a bunch as it shares the same parking lot area as tous les jours and old town hot pot but it took until this past weekend for me to check this place out. I came here with a friend to check out their lunch menu and was thoroughly impressed. We were quickly seated and service was attentive throughout our lunch. The lunch menu offers some discounts on their food such as bento boxes and udon so I'd say it's worth checking out. Sushi tasted great and the udon was cooked perfectly and complimented by a delicious broth. If you like udon this is a great spot. To top it all off, the space is awesome, love the mix of black interior you'd expect at an izakaya with bright lights by their sushi bar. I definitely would come back, just keep in mind it's a little on the pricier side especially for dinner. read more

Leezakaya - Shrimp Tempura Udon ($16, lunch) - Izakaya Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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Beautiful restaurant, 10/10 on the decor for sure. Every detail announced the theme of the restaurant in both loud and subtle ways. Even the bathrooms were clean and beautiful with tasteful works of art painted on the wall. I liked the chopsticks, the placemats, the sauce dish, and everything else. Service was very good. Professional, friendly, and attentive. We did witness some confusion between the wait staff and the kitchen, but they were very professional in the way they handled the situation. No yelling, anger, or sarcastic tone. I also appreciated their honesty. Uni has a very wide range of quality, and it is very difficult to guarantee a consistent quality. When I asked how good the uni was, the head chef sampled it and let me know that it was between okay and good for him. Honestly, I don't think I've met a sushi chef that lied to me about fish quality. The food, which is the single most important factor for me, left me feeling very conflicted. There were some excellent items and other items that were not good. Tamago was one of my favorite items here. More egg-forward in flavor than the average tamago, but the other flavors were still unmistakably present. Presentation was very fun too. Miso glazed black cod was awesome, and one of the best executions of it I've ever had. Ankimo was also prepared perfectly. Luscious, deep in flavor, and decadent. The pork belly skewer was not cooked evenly. One piece on one end was perfect. The middle piece was okay, and the piece on the other end needed more flame. The fish in nigiri and sashimi were very good in quality. The rice in the nigiri, however, was too much and way too firmly packed. The sushi rice was also more salty in seasoning, and I would have preferred less salt and more vinegar and/or sugar. The soy sauce for the sushi was too salty and basic for my liking. Finally, nigiri at the sushi bar were served in sets of 5, rather than one or two at a time, so the temperature contrast between fish and rice was not there (at the same time, I don't know anywhere in Denver that does this). Good quality fish alone is not enough to make good sushi. I rate this nigiri 67/100. Finally, the value just isn't there for me. The quality and quantity to price RATIO is in line with places like sushi den and uchi. We paid $99 for omakase and did not get anything special like A5 wagyu, live scallop, ankimo, uni, oyster, hiramasa, golden eye snapper, uni spoon, amaebi, etc. At my favorite sushi restaurant in Denver, you get all of their best specialty items and MORE for $99. Omakase definitely not worth it here, so just order a la carte. Honestly, if this restaurant just didn't do nigiri or omakase, it might have been a 5/5 for me. The alternative would be to dramatically improve nigiri execution and provide better value for a $99 omakase. read more

Food was okay, we got the omasake for two and it was ok, it wasn't a traditional omasake experience. The first was okay it seemed like just regular cut that you could get on a reg menu. The server is why I am giving 3 stars because he went above and beyond. The restaurant is beautiful, and has different sections of the restaurant. Kept very clean. For the omasake experience was $100 years which for the plates we got it was a fair price. We were really excited for some dessert but 4 out of 6 desserts weren't available. read more

Leezakaya is easily my new favorite spot for sushi! I've only been twice, once for a date and another as a family outing, and I enjoyed both experiences. Their omakase was $100 per person when my husband and I went a few weeks back. It was filling and it even included dessert! Leezakaya also offers lunch now too. Perfect place for an intimate date or a get-together. The little details make all the difference and the atmosphere is different from anywhere else on Havana Street. Plus, their staff are attentive and don't hesitate to help you answer any questions in regard to the options available on the menu. Ugh, typing this review is making me crave their negitoro don. read more

Leezakaya - Negitoro Don - Izakaya Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

Energetic atmosphere offering fun cocktails and good food. We didn't realize how packed it gets here; we had walked in with no reservation on a Friday night so we ended up having to wait but we grabbed drinks at the bar in the meantime. Service was fast and friendly. We ordered the chicken karaage as an app, light and tasty. I ordered the dragon roll and tuna roll. My fiancé ordered the tempura udon noodles. Everything was fresh and good! Good place for a date night or drinks with friends. read more

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Food was fantastic! Our server was really lovely - friendly and knowledgeable . It's gorgeous inside-very clean.

It's was a beautiful dim restaurant with subtle music. It was not busy on a Saturday night. The server was informative and helpful. Service was fast. The food was yummy. The unagi eel was my favorite. The fried potatoes were crisp to perfection. read more

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Loved the atmosphere, definitely shows that they put some thought into the interior design, service was good, while some rolls were delicious, I didn't like all of them and we picked a variety of 4 rolls, the one with eel was my favorite! Poke tacos are also good. Overall it was a very nice place to hang out with my friends. Thank you read more

Leezakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

It's a beautiful ambiance. Warm tones, clean lines, fun dance music, gorgeous place settings. The host was quick to help us and the wait staff is very friendly. All the help seemed young to us as well as the crowd for the most part. Their menu has enough variety for different palettes, and their happy hour selection was large (a pleasant surprise). We ordered off both the happy hour menu and the full menu. For drinks we got non alcoholic, and they took a while to arrive. Everything we tried was tasty, although a couple of dishes could use some salt or soy sauce, which was provided in a fun squirting bottle on the table. The only issue we had was with our server. He just seemed very new or unable to keep everything organized in his head. He kept forgetting things. In fact, forgot to put two items in and we waited through our entire dinner for those items to arrive (reminded him twice) and he finally admitted that he forgot to put the order in. He comped us a free dessert for the trouble, and after we ate the dessert one of the items came out...then another of the same exact thing. He did apologize for the service. I'm sure it was just lack of experience or an off night for him. He was very sorry. Overall I would recommend this restaurant for all of the lovely attributes mentioned above. read more

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Everything went well! Saw this place on instagram and decided to try it. The food is 10/10 and the best part of it all is the place is so clean and gorgeous!!! Service was also pretty amazing. This will be my sushi spot moving forward. read more

Leezakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

Ask and you shall receive! We have been asking and here we are - Izakaya!!!! The place is gorgeous, the food is on point as the young ones say. The appetizers were delish: Ika - yummy Karage - was really well executed and tasty The Uni pasta - very well done The Yakitori skewers fresh and tasty. Overall, they have a few kinks to work out as any new place should but we can not wait to go back. Mr Lee has created another gem in Aurora - keep them coming Mr. Lee. read more

Leezakaya - Menu - Izakaya Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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Great new spot! I think this has to be a intro review and will re-up when I visit again. Came with some friends on a soft opening night. Things are definitely still a work in progress. Items were not available and menus were in short supply. However, the staff was so pleasant! They were so friendly and wanted feedback, positive or negative. The manager came by many times to also explain the vision and make sure we were all good. You can tell everyone wants you to have a great time. All the food we got was delicious! No complaints at all. Plus, the restaurant has such a great vibe and even had a DJ present. Would love to go back when they are in full swing. read more

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