The foods pretty good. The yellowtail hamachi with yuzu and the salmon appetizers were my favorite. Service was also on point. Place can be a bit hard to find if you're driving there. read more

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On my first trip to Rochester, Maru proved to be my "go to" place for dinner. The sushi is fresh and the staff is welcoming. I had a remarkable, kind, professional, and knowledgeable server named Dani. Each night, she helped me choose the best meal for evening whether it involved sushi, sashimi, maki, green tea, sake, and even dessert. Dani is not only an exceptional ambassador to Maru but to the City of Rochester as well. I do hope Maru expands their sushi menu a little to showcase more variety. While in Rochester, I hope this becomes your "go to" establishment as well. read more

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Still one of our favorite spots. They've got an updated menu this year, but the food and service remain top notch! The patio space is very inviting. We've even brought our dog along for a piece of sashimi or two. If you're looking for a great spot for dinner with friends or if you want to eat sushi outside, you can't beat Maru! read more

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This family restaurant is one of the best sushi places in town. Authentic food with full flavor made by expert hands. The restaurant is very clean and not very loude. You get to see the chef cooks right in front of you if you sit at the bar. Friendly staff and nice atmosphere for dinner or lunch. The only downside is the the portion of the food is less than what you get in average sushi restaurants. read more

and in for a late lunch, sat at the sushi bar. staff was super friendly. the ambiance is pretty open. i ordered the tonkatsu ramen and a soft shell crab roll. a lot of jasmine tea. they use loose leaf! the tea was a nice surprise. came out in a full pot. better than any boba tea you can have. the ramen was flavorful, lots of pork slices. ramen was cooked yay right. the soft shell crab was deep fried perfectly, crunchy. the roll was good, lots of flavoring and textures going on. happy to have tried and would consider going back when in the area. read more

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There are a few things I consider to define a fun night out in Rochester. One, a trip to the theatre. Two, window-shopping with friends. And three, Maru. My first time eating here, my friend and I ordered three plates of the sweet potato tempura sushi--it's really that good. I've never had a bad meal here, and the staff are welcoming, accommodating, and super knowledgeable about the menu. The broth is made fresh, and absolutely delicious. My favorite is the shoyu, especially in the shoyu chicken ramen, but the very veggie ramen is fantastic with the shoyu broth substituted in! If you're in Village Gate and you want a delicious, fresh, filling meal, come to Maru. I've eaten here more times than I can count--and I don't even have any pictures to show for it, because I dive right in immediately. #ThankYouThursday to Maru, my favorite place to go on a night out. read more

Just a quick update! We've been coming here once a week for almost two years now, and every-time we are blown away by the staff and the food. I won't go anywhere else for my sushi anymore! Andy, Winnie and their staff are some of our favorite people! read more

Maru Izakaya - Spicy Tuna, Spicy Crab Salad Cucumber, Spicy Salmon, California - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

I had the chance to try Maru over the long weekend and WOW! I am so grateful to have a wonderful sushi spot back in Village Gate. They are currently offering 10% off your first order and have a SUPER easy online ordering and takeout process. Ready in 15 minutes, and I was grateful to be able to order while I was running errands then just swing in. We went with a few maki rolls, gyoza, and four delish sushi pieces. The interior is more or less the same as Cali Rollin', and the staff here is absolutely wonderful and sweet. Post-Coronatimes, it looks like you'll still be able to watch the sushi being made at the bar, which is nice. I was super delighted when the hostess let me know they threw in some crab and seaweed salad to try - and I was on my way. Gyoza: delish! Only 4 pieces for like $6 seemed like a stretch to me, and I likely won't order these again, but they were really good if you're in the area and get a craving. Salads: these are both SO good. The spicy crab salad is what they use in their spicy crab roll, and has a really nice kick to it. Super fresh and refreshing on a hot day. Sesame is heavy on the seaweed salad. If you're debating between the two, crab beats seaweed in my opinion! Sweet potato tempura roll: YESSSSSS order this. I would order two of these rolls in the future as this roll was such a lovely mix of sweet, crunchy, and savory. Dip in soy sauce, add a little wasabi, tastebuds rejoice. Spicy salmon roll: Almost exactly the same as what you would get at Shema! Super fresh tasting, no arguments here. Tuna cucumber roll: this did not light me up like the others. Had an odd chemical taste to it (don't know how else to explain) and likely would not order again, but this could just be a one off problem. Sushi: Both salmon and white tuna were excellent. ~$5 for two pieces and they do not skimp on the fish. For the price, convenience of location, amazing staff, and delicious eats - this will be my new sushi go-to! read more

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Where do I even start? My parents and I have become regulars at Maru over the last several years, close to the time they first opened their doors. We're a big sushi family, and have tried most sushi spots in the city. At this point, we don't bother to go anywhere else besides Maru. Almost every single Friday, that's where we are because no other restaurant is doing it as well as they are. First, the food: I'll put it bluntly, no other sushi restaurant in Rochester compares. Obviously in a sushi restaurant, the freshness of the ingredients is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. The quality of the ingredients here is top-notch ALWAYS, and the flavor takes it to the next level. Our favorites are the yellowtail sashimi (a MUST), the calamari salad, the kani salad, and the mix-up roll- but you could seriously order anything on the menu and you won't be disappointed. Second, The Vibe™: The vibes are immaculate. I cannot emphasize enough how much the owners care about their customers. They are always there, either out on the floor chatting with customers or serving or behind the counter actively making the food. The staff is attentive and fun. Food comes out fast, the music is never too loud, and everything is always clean and tidy. In conclusion, it's insane that Maru isn't packed to the gills at all times. If you're a sushi person, you need to try this spot and thank me later. read more

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This sushi spot is a hidden gem and over looked unfortunately. Located in the old California rollin people know is closed and opening right before covid, such a horrible time for such an amazing spot !! Everyone must stop by and try this new spot. The staff is super nice, service quick and attentive. There is a private fee to the atmosphere. But the best part is the sushi!! I tried three rolls the tnt, Maru Maru and the mixup and Mixup was my Favorite!! I'll be back soon to try the rest of the rolls. read more

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I ordered the coral reef roll, spicy salmon roll, miso soup and sake. The miso soup is generously priced compared to others sushi places. The sushi was good bang for the buck. I will go here again. Great service and ambiance. read more

Maru has been great every time I've come, one of my favorite spots. Great veggie options. It's a clean, quiet, and nice place, with friendly and attentive staff. I recommend read more

Maru Izakaya - Veggie Ramen and Sweet Potato Tempura Maki Roll - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

I personally didn't like ramen until I went to this restaurant! The food is delicious and flavorfull!! The chef also does an amazing job with the sushi and presentation. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the menue and ingredients. The environment is relaxing and elegant. read more

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My fiancée and I are working on trying every sushi restaurant between Rochester and Syracuse and this has been one of my favorites so far! Despite having a pretty minimal sushi menu, everything was absolutely delicious and of superb quality. We started out with a pot of tea, miso soup, and pork gyoza. The tea was steeped perfectly and the miso soup was the best I've had so far. It's flavor was strong and the load of fresh green onions added a really enjoyable touch. The gyoza were great as well. The pork inside tasted fresh and the shell was nice and crispy. For our entree, we split The Village Bridge which came with white and regular tuna, salmon, and (I believe) red snapper sashimi and then the same fish came as the nigiri. The chef also selected a smoked salmon and cream cheese roll, as well as the coral reef specialty roll. Every piece of sashimi was absolutely bursting with flavor and the quality of the fish was excellent and fresh. The same goes for the nigiri. I'm not a fan of cream cheese in my rolls but I forgot to mention that to the server so it's totally my fault that I wasn't a huge fan of the smoked salmon roll. To be fair, I could taste the smoked salmon in it and it was great. Finally we finished with our coral reef roll. The spicy tuna was nice and soft with actual spice to it along with the flavor, the salmon added a nice little chew texture to balance the tuna and then the crunch continued to add to the textural complexity of the roll. The menu here may be small, the food may seem a bit simple at first, but the flavors are outstanding. This restaurant doesn't need to hide behind complicated stuffed rolls because their sushi fundamentals speak loudly. Their quality fish and ingredients stand out and are what make this a culinary experience. read more

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My all time favorite sushi place in the Rochester Area. The staff is so kind and very patient. The place itself is very cozy and minimalistic. I love it here read more

The sushi was very good! We started off with 2 appetizers, Fried Shumai and Edamame both good. We ordered a few signature rolls, the Mix up (highly recommend) the coral reef ( I love spicy! This was a little too spicy but still good), The Blue dragon ( very good .. Sliced avocado on top, Yum!), and sweet potato tempura.. how can you go wrong with Fried Sweet Potato! I can't wait to go back.. read more

Maru Izakaya - Fried Shumai and Edamame - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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We wanted to try a new sushi spot on a Friday night and so to Maru sushi we went. The space is large with a big sushi bar, lots of booths and tables, and a separate wine bar on the opposite side of the sushi bar. Lots of available tables for walk ins on a Friday night. The service was quick and friendly! For apps we ordered the fried shumai and the sweet potato kani salad. Both were great! I loved the crunchy texture of the shumai and the sweet salty flavor profile once you dip it into the dipping sauce. It's a generically palatable dish that I think anyone would like. If you are expecting a large shumai with distinct shrimp and pork fillings however, I would skip this dish. The inside is pretty hallow and I couldn't quite distinguish what the filling was. The kani salad was delightful. I loved how much crab was in the shredded salad. The dish had a great balance of spice and freshness. I loved all the texture as well. The kani salad was our favorite dish of the meal. For sushi we ordered the yellow tail and red snapper sashimi. For rolls we got the blue dragon and the coral reef. The yellow tail sashimi was good and fresh tasting. The texture was pretty soft and buttery. The red snapper had a totally different texture. It was fresh tasting but the fish was very firm. If you're looking for a buttery feel in your sashimi I would not recommend the snapper. We have never tried red snapper before so maybe that's just how it is. The signature rolls were a bit of a let down for us. The blue dragon contains eels with cucumber topped with eel sauce. There wasn't much eel in the roll we got and the sauce over powered everything so we can only taste the sweetness of the sauce. The coral reef roll was better but it wasn't anything that is too out of the ordinary. I liked that there was ample amounts of spicy tuna which gave it a good kick. I also like the crunchy texture of the tempura crunch. I definitely liked the coral reef roll better. Overall Maru is a good casual spot. We both agreed that the apps are better and more interesting than the actual sushi. read more

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Update: They no longer serve ramen :'( The rest of the food is probably still good, but i didn't have their sushi. read more

The sushis are great. They taste fresh! I like the ambience of the place too. The service is a little slow, but I guess it takes time to make good sushi. Will definitely go back here. read more

This place makes the best sushi I've ever had! The dragon rolls are the thing dreams are made of. read more

Maru Izakaya - Dragon roll on the right - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

I am not a big sushi person and even I like the sushi here! I got the sweet potato tempura and a cucumber avocado roll. The sweet potato tempura was to DIE for. I don't like seafood, so that was definitely the best vegetarian sushi I've had!! The cucumber avocado was good too, especially with a little of their spicy creamy sauce. My boyfriend got the Maru Maru and Dragon rolls. He loves eel and he really enjoyed both of these. He said that Maru is definitely an upgrade from California Rollin. We also got the seaweed salad and gyoza--both were great! We will definitely be getting sushi from here again! I should also add that you can place your order online and even schedule later pick up times. I placed my order while I was working and I was able to pick it up right after I got out of work. It was ready on time and a very fast pickup process! read more

Maru Izakaya - Blue Dragon Roll, Maru Maru Roll - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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They had good ramen. Just found out they have retired their ramen. That has brought sadness to me on this cold day. My soul has been deprived . The parking is plentiful. We were seated quickly. It hasn't been super full when I've arrived. read more

Maru is my favorite sushi spot in Rochester. As a matter of fact, I'm writing this review while making a second delivery order from Maru this week. My go-to roll is Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese. Basic, I know, but it is very creamy and a perfect fire-extinguisher for any hot and spicy roll you decide to get from the list of signature rolls. The staff is very pleasant and willing to give suggestions. One not so pleasurable thing about this place is that every single time I got to dine there, I had to wait for almost an hour to get my order, so if you opt for eating sushi at the restaurant, I would suggest visiting it with a great company. :) So far, I've tried Maru Maru, Blue Dragon and Coral Reef from the list of signature rolls, and every single one of them made me really excited about the next meal from this place. The wait was always worth it! read more

Maru Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

The food is amazing! We got ramen, which is the best in the area we've tried so far, and sushi, which is one of the best in Rochester. The sushi was super flavorful and tasted fresh. The sweet potato tempura was my favorite. They even have a Sunday night deal of 3 sushi rolls and a miso soup. The only reason I can't give it a 5 is because the takeout order was super late and we had to wait about 45 minutes after our order was ready for it to actually be ready, and they forgot the miso soup. Definitely going back though for the quality and I'm sure they will be less busy next time! read more

I was so excited to try Maru!! I legitimately mourned the loss of California Rollin' and was so excited that another sushi restaurant would be filling the space!! So, because of COVID-19, I ordered using DoorDash on a Sunday night. DoorDash said the delivery would take around 55-65 minutes, so I was shocked when 30 minutes later I got a text saying my driver was approaching with my food! WOO! Food was packaged well, no issues with anything sliding or moving during transit or anything like that. So, I ordered a Blue Dragon Roll and a Firecracker Roll. The Firecracker Roll was absolutely great - the tempura was nice and crispy and the crunchy spicy tuna had a great kick to it. I would definitely order this again!! The Blue Dragon Roll was a bit... odd. The roll came with about 9 pieces and 6 of those were great, tasted fresh and well balanced. Then 3 of them had a really strong taste of cigarettes - not food smoke, but specifically cigarettes. I'm chocking it up to them being new and it being a weird time, and it wouldn't be anything that stopped me from ordering from them again, but it was a bit odd! Overall - good food, got to me very quickly, and I can't wait to try them out once we can all eat together in person again! read more

Maru Izakaya - Blue Dragon Roll and The Firecracker* - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Me and the babes decided to check out a hot new sushi restaurant in the village gate last night called Maru. It's located where California rollin used to be and right across the atrium from Serena's. Anyhoo on to the food! I was going to go for the tuna tartare app with wonton chips but I couldn't pass on my main betch - spicy salmon roll, which was delicious and satisfying. However the star of the night was a roll named coral reef which basically combines two of my fave rolls together which is awesome! Spicy tuna wrapped with salmon/avo and then rolled with crunch = yum yum yum!!! Everything tasted super fresh and really satisfies my sushi craving for the time being. Was too full to try anything else but next time I would like to try their ramen with bone broths that they simmer for 10 hours. The babes had some ramen and rice and avocado and he was pretty happy after a long day out and about in snowy Rochester weather. I'd say this was a successful outing and we had a great time! read more

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Delicious ramen and sushi. Fast service and kind staff. We've been here a few times now. It's a great place for dinner before a show at the Rochester auditorium across the street. We'll definitely be back. read more

Maru Izakaya - Takoyaki - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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By far the best Asian food and ambience in Rochester. Andy and Winnie have taken us into their family and have filled our hearts and tummies on many occasions. In the spring or summer, the sushi is refreshingly delectable and in the fall and winter, the ramen is soothingly warm. Everything about Maru is feeling safe and sound AND full. read more

I tried Maru for the first time and it was an excellent experience! Their location in Village Gate is perfect and they have several tables outdoors, as well as a decently sized indoor restaurant. The menu includes basic rolls, sashimi, signature rolls, ramen, and appetizers. All the of signature rolls sounded AMAZING and it was difficult to choose! I ended up going with the Firecracker roll and the basic spicy tuna roll. Both were excellent and tasted very fresh. They do not have their liquor license yet, but did offer sodas. I took one star off because they had one server working and the service was quite slow (it took approx. 45 minutes to get food for 4 people). But I understand the current circumstances. Overall, I definitely recommend trying Maru for excellent, fresh sushi in a great location! read more

Maru Izakaya - Firecracker roll and Spicy Tuna roll - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

The sushi was ok . I don't know if I would go again though. I looked up a new location for ramen and this place came up. The location was very hard to find for me . When I walked in they told me they were done serving ramen . I'm not sure why since it was still early in the day. I was a bit disappointed because I came there for ramen. But decided to stick around and try it out. The sushi was ok ! If I did come again I would get the sweet potato roll . It was different and delicious. read more

Maru by far has the best Sushi and Ramen in the Rochester area! Not only is the food so fresh and delicious, but the service is phenomenal too. The owner/ head chef remembered my buddy and I after only being their one time prior. He greeted us right as we sat down. Highly recommend trying the Village bridge as well since the chef will only give you the best! read more

Maru Izakaya - Tonkotsu - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I think they changed their spicy tuna recipe because it's no longer as tasty as it used to be. The spicy sauce is a bit odd tasting now. Unfortunate read more

This was my first experience at Maru & I have 0 complaints. The sushi was fresh and delicious and you can order a bunch of food without your pockets feeling guilty. The service was great and everytime we had an empty glass or plate they were present. This is 100% a place I will go back to. There was outdoor and indoor seating -- it's in the old California Rollin building -- but I love sitting outside in the summer. It was great! read more

Maru Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

I almost never factor in service to my reviews, but staff clearly didn't have their act together tonight. Waited 15 min at the bar to sit in a half-empty restaurant and then waited another 20 minutes after we ordered. The ramen was served warm, not hot. Obviously, post-Covid and protocols make things a bit mire difficult, but the whole point of eating out is to enjoy yourself. Last redeeming thought: sushi was quite good. A shame. read more

We ordered Shoyu chicken ramen here. I don't know what kind of animal this "chicken" came from but i would not trust this place. We had to throw it out, it turned our stomachs thinking of what this could be made from. I feel bad leaving a poor review for a brand new place during the coronavirus crisis but selling food with either VERY old spoiled chicken; or worse; selling food made of non-standard animals and calling it chicken is unacceptable. The place looked lovely inside and they did refund the order immediately, so added a Second star ... but we won't be back. read more

Maru Izakaya - This was supposed to be "chicken"..... it was gray and smelled sour. Threw it out right after this photo. - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

My boyfriend and I usually love going here every Sunday for their Sushi special. We are ultimate foodies. However, last night was a little different. We got there between 7:30-7:45, ordered our food like usual. I understood they were a little more busier than usual, but our waiter Lucas was all over the place. Gave us and people in the restaurant attitude, like he didn't wanna be there. Didn't serve us until 8:50 (meanwhile they close at 9). We were trying to be patient, but times before we were in and out with within 20-25 minutes. I was really upset because we've had the best experience in the past. Luckily, the manager came to our table and understand why we were upset, that's why I'm rating this 5 stars because of the manager and the other waitress. Plus the food is absolutely delicious. read more

Sushi lacked any flavor. Water has more flavor. Extremely disappointed. Beautiful area and place but food was terrible.

Well that's $65 for a takeout dinner we'll never get back. After a day of skiing we were set to warm up with some delish ramen and sushi rolls. My tip is - so NOT get the ramen dishes. We order the shrimp ramen and the pork belly one. The best thing about them were the soft eggs. Unfortunately the broth and everything else in the bowl was tasteless. Just, eh boring. My son did enjoy his Yellowtail Jalapeño app - it was saucy and citrusy with just the right amount of heat. The TNT roll was just ok. It wasn't really hot enough to earn its name and the goop in the middle made for questionable sushi. But it was ok with some wasabi and soy sauce. The MVP of the meal was the sweet potato tempura roll. I ordered it based on other reviews. And it was crunchy, sweet and with a nice sauce on it. Overall, I'd go back in-person to try some sushi again - and for the sweet potato roll. But NOT THE RAMEN. (Don't say I didn't warn you.) read more

Have ordered take out three times and sat down once for dine in this past summer and every time I eat here is so wonderful. Server, hostess, and sushi chefs are always welcoming when you enter and they are always accommodating with our requests. My go to for sushi is eel and salmon but I love just about everything- and I've tried all their sushi and they are all my favorites in Rochester. Salmon especially, the cuts are all generous, fresh, and packaged/plated with care. We tried their tonkotsu ramen with extra egg tonight and it was just as good as we expected from Maru. The Village Bridge is a generous and filling order and when I added two salmon sashimi orders they were kind enough to give me different cuts in the Village Bridge order other yummy staples are gyoza and calamari salad. I always recommend this place and hope any sushi lover will give it a try! read more

Seem like good people and a nice place. I got the spicy miso ramen and it didn't have any spice in it at all. The broth tasted weird and the pork seemed like it came out of a microwave. The noodles weren't that good and overall just not good ramen in my opinion, especially for $18. read more

Maru Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York