Great little spot downtown Kzoo. Their happy hour is bomb-- everything in the pic was super fresh and our bill was under $30! Dishes we had were consistent with the other Maru's we've been to, which is always a plus. Quick, efficient service; we were in and out in about 40 minutes. We'll always be back! read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - Gyoza, Miso Soup, Cali, Yellowtail Crudo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

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Been in here multiple times, sushi is always on point. I have never been dissatisfied with their food here. Tonight our server/bartender was Natalie she was the sweetest and nicest gal, very knowledgeable. We had a couple drinks also very good. Their reservation on google was also super easy to use. Very clean place. read more

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I came here with three friends for a birthday. We were seated immediately coming in, I guess because it was before the dinner rush. As we were sitting, the hostess told us Natalie would be serving us. Natalie did not serve us, some other lady did. She was not kind. I dont know who she was but she wasn't nice. She came to ask us our order and so we ordered a few apps and our entrees. I ordered a drink and asked if there were modifications. She wasn't mean about it but she also wasn't nice? I dont know. Just like an attitude overall. The food took decently long. It wasn't quick service by any means. And she never really came to check on us while we were eating. I think one water refill. Overall, good food. Highly recommend the mojito and the crab Rangoon dip. Roll was a little too saucy. Waitress wasn't nice. read more

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Had a wonderful Valentine's Day at Maru. Even with the holiday rush, food came out fast and the service was very attentive. Would be remiss not to recommend the Crab Rangoon Dip and Fried Tofu, absolutely delicious. read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - Fried Tofu and Crab Rangoon Dip - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

We ate here this week and had the best sushi experience we've ever had. Our waiter, Gavin, was exceptional and recommended menu items that will be regulars for us. The kimchi fritters (I forget the actual name) were superb. He also worked with the chef to build a custom roll that played off the incredible Rose Moscato we were enjoying. Gavin recommended two delicious cocktails and an absurdly delicious cheesecake to cap the evening. The food was exceptional as was Gavin. Gavin also let us know the restaurant is under new management in the form of Bob with whom we were able to share a thank you on the way out. Its no secret that great management inspires happy people to craft exceptional food and deliver great service. If you haven't been to Maru in a bit, stop in prepared to have your mind blown. Leave content that you've supported one of Kalamazoo's gems. read more

Love this place! Gavin a bar tender/waiter is one of the special things bout this place! Bob the manager sets the tone! Excellent staff....even better food! The kitchen love what they do and it shows!! Can't say enough good things!! Go Now! You can thank me later read more

Visiting out of town and wanted something yummy. Saw there was a sushi restaurant not too far from our hotel. Wasn't busy on a Sunday. Was greeted and seated. Ordered the crouching tiger sushi roll and a bulgogi bowl with an extra egg. Will update once food has been served. OH EM GEEE!! This was the best tasting sushi I've had in a looong time and a Korean bowl. I asked for bibimbap sauce and wowsers...it was delicious! Definitely a must try restaurant. If we weren't leaving tomorrow, I'd come back to try something else or the same bulgogi bowl!!! read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - Bulgogi Donburi Bowl with an extra egg - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

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Always great food and service! I always have the chef make a roll for myself!! The roll is always fantastic, and the service is to match!

The food at Maru is delicious and prepared with fresh, top quality ingredients. One of my favorite dishes is the ceviche which is so good I'd lick the last drop out if I wouldn't be embarrassing to do so! The staff if very friendly and provides great service whether you're in for a quick bite or a lingering meal. read more

Another enjoyable visit for me at Maru in Kalamazoo. This visit I enjoyed the bulgogi bowl and finished the meal with a seasonal dessert of green tea ice cream. Miriah helped me during this visit and made the great recommendation for the choice of desserts. I'll be back soon. read more

Good food, little bit of a wait after ordering. We had a nice selection of food to choose from, ambiance is nice. read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - Madagascar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

I took my son here for the first time on Friday for his first sushi lunch date and it was an awful experience. We should have walked out as soon as we walked in. We went in about 12pm and waited a couple of minutes to be greeted however instead of a greeting it was a question of "what can I help you with" from a young girl with dark chocolate brown hair. I replied- we want to eat! She said well I didn't know if you were picking up a to-go order. She grabbed some menu's and started walking, I assumed to follow her. She sat us and told me my server Charlie I believe would be with us shortly. 10min go by and she comes up, I let her know this is our first time here, she seems pleasant, took our drink order and that was it, she didn't explain the menu or that there was lunch specials. It seemed like 20 minutes had gone by she had finally brought the tea. She left again. Came back awhile later, took our order which was the lunch special 1 salad and two rolls and I added an extra salad. Again it took about 30 minutes and I finally stopped her and asked if she was bringing the salads out beforehand, she said, yes. Another 10 minutes go by and she brings those. We finished our salads and our two basic rolls are STILL not out. By this time we are the only table there besides two others. FINALLY our rolls are brought out. Mind you my 9 year old son the whole time was soo hungry. We ate those rolls so fast. Paid and left and said we will never be back. read more

I had been to Maru once before while visiting home as there is/was limited sushi options in Kalamazoo and my friends enjoy it. This trip I met with my nephew and his family and wanted them to expand their culinary experiences. We started with the Crabby Mushrooms, they are panko fried shiitakes filled with crab salad, cream cheese, and scallions. The stuffing was a little over powering to be honest and we couldn't really taste the mushrooms on top of it being a little mooshy. I ordered the Crouching Tiger that has panko fried shrimp, cream cheese, crab salad, topped with shrimp and avocado along with a few other items. I personally had a texture issue so needed to add in asparagus for the crunch factor. It was great!! Ben ordered the Sexy Bacon, that has smoked bacon, crab stick, tempura crunch, asparagus, and cucumber but Ben had the cucumber removed. He said it was very good, which isn't surprising as it is BACON. My nephew wasn't sure what to order but likes just raw fish so we got a few orders of that while his girlfriend went with the chicken hibachi meal. Well, I attempted to break them out of their comfort zone. Work in process I guess. We received a free dessert due to our long wait that we had to get our food. It was about an hour wait til from when we ordered. We appreciated the offer and gladly accepted and shared together as a family. read more

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Very nice place to spend time --easy to park usually and food is very good. Sushi is a very generous portion so beware. We over ordered. Pricey but a nice intimate place to go read more

Perfect spot to invite friends and have drinks, very welcoming vibe, not perfect to eat sushi, though. Our server was very polite, was greeted with a smile, not bad. I had the spicy tuna roll and the flaming crab roll, nothing was "flaming" about it. Both rolls had an extremely thick layer of rice, not appealing what so over. Asparagus and pickles on a sushi roll?- why? Not worth $11. I'd rather have the frozen rolls from Walmart. Bar area is gorgeous, very elegant. TV with sports on. I would definitely come have drinks here and that's it. read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - They were like rice patties, terrible - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Let me preface this by saying I do not want cheese, cream or otherwise, in my sushi. There is cream cheese all over this menu. This tremendously reduced the number of options available on the menu. All the same, we were able to order around it, mostly by sticking to the basic rolls section. What we did order was tasty and fresh. There weren't many tables occupied, service was slow, but courteous. my date also really enjoyed her sake sangria. I might stop in again, but only after trying other places in town. read more

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Very disappointing experience. Our first time and were excited. But very let down Service: -we had to get our own drinks at the bar, server never checked on us. -When our order was wrong she said "that's not how interpreted your order sorry" Food: -Dumplings were great, seaweed salad was great! -Sushi was disappointing to say the least. Sloppy and small, thrown in the plate with no care at all. See image. I've literally had better presentation from campus takeout sushi. Atmosphere was nice, nice looking restaurant. Maybe restrooms should have had working soap and hand towels. Kinda gross knowing didn't work and staff were in and out of there. Overall I do not recommend. I'm sure it's a nice place occasionally from reading the reviews. But not for my daughter and I having a nice 'dinner date' It was expensive and disappointing overall. Sad because we went out for a fun dressed up dinner at a nice restaurant. read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - Sad Sushi roll... - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Everything we got was delicious All 4 of the dishes were delicious (despite not being able eat there AKA COVID rules the two times I've ordered from them)! My favorite is the Bacon Fried Rice! read more

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Got the papa crema, crunchy shrimp, and simply green. AMAZING! They were super understanding with allergies and 100% worth the price. First specialty roll was a hefty portion and the other two were normal 8 pc rolls. 10/10 read more

Great food, great atmosphere and great service. Maru is our favorite restaurant for family celebrations. Firecracker shrimp is our favorite appetizer along with steamed edamame beans. read more

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We had a wonderful experience here. We walked in for dinner and seated as soon as we walked in even though we had no reservation. We ordered some appetizers to begin, the firecracker shrimp and Brussels sprouts. Each were a delight. We each ordered some sushi rolls and those were great. The Madagascar roll had great flavor and spice. My husband ordered the Crouching Tiger. He normally does not eat sushi with the fish eggs but he loved it! We will definitely come back! Great service and great food. read more

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Heads up to anyone who makes a reservation, if they get busy the will seat you communal style, multiple seperate groups at one table. There won't me any any communication of the seating situation. It's not the wait staff fault this is an owner/manager problem. read more

After trying this place again, I definitely would like to give them 5 stars instead of four. Staff: Since covid I haven't had a chance to dine in so I ordered take out. I notice how the door dash option for the Undo noodles didn't give the option to add tofu, beef, or shrimp. When I called about it the staff immediately on the spot was able to update for me. They definitely will go out their way for their customers. Food: Everything was absolutely made to perfection. The sushi came fresh, the undo noodles were flavourful as usual. The bacon fried rice was amazing Overall: This is overall a great place. I actually ordered deliver two days in a row from them read more

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Eating out during covid is a unique experience that I have avoided. However, with the social distancing measures in place and the compliance with them, I felt comfortable dining in at Maru. We were seated quickly. It was a little too cold for me so I kept my jacket on the entire dining experience. We ordered the miso soup and the three vegan rolls they have. The rolls were fantastic. It was too much food for two people yet we attempted to eat it all anyway. Customer service was ok. For there to be so little people dining in, I expected better service. read more

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So this restaurant has some amazing food. It looks good, tastes good, and the have great service. They hire the best staff & Gavin was so supportive and kind. They also play amazing music . And I totally recommend this restaurant. :) read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - LOVE this restaurant! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

I'd give a 4.5 rating if I could be more specific. The feel is trendy/industrial- good vibes! Our waitress was great- she was just really nice & attentive, never making us feel uncomfortable or forgotten. We ordered; Miso soup, bacon fried rice, chicken gyoza, salmon avocado roll, yellowtail & shrimp nigiri & a signature sushi roll...although I can't remember which! Everything was delicious- although my husband didn't love the creaminess the egg added to the rice. The sushi, which was the reason we came, was insanely good! The rolls were flavorful and fresh- the nigiri melted in your mouth, so tender. We ordered the vanilla bean cheesecake, which was awesome! Creamy, fresh, and full of flavor. We ordered drinks too, a mojito & a peach cider. The cider was good but the mojito was not. Mojitos are my favorite and this one just tasted super watered down, I had my husband try it too- he agreed. So that was a bummer! I think we'll definitely come back! read more

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Incredible food and a great atmosphere. Super clean and the service was excellent. Will definitely return again!

Absolutely my favorite sushi place in Kalamazoo, the place is pretty and very clean. Jimmy our waiter was the best waiter I've ever had. He was so nice and made the experience so much better. The food was delicious and the ingredients were so fresh and great quality. You need to try this place and ask for Jimmy!! read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - Crouching Tiger Ocean's Eleven Madagascar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

This one came as a surprise. Being from Seattle, sushi was the last thing we wanted to get in Michigan, but everything else was closed or full, so we went here. It was really tasty and the service was great! read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - Sushi Smiley Face :) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

When you see a five star review of a place, it kinda draws your attention...same for those with one star. Maru is one of the 5 star reviews that I can honestly say means a lot to me. Visiting for the first time, and during a happy hour to boot, was a bonus that you don't always get. We were seated upstairs with a view of the sushi bar as well as the lower level of this cool place and could see plates and platters coming and going. The creations leaving the kitchen area were visually appealing and I couldn't wait to get my taste buds wrapped around some of my own. We ordered a simple mushroom appetizer and a couple of rolls that we had never heard of before. The app arrived and it was plentiful, with the visual appeal (a must for a sushi place) we would expect in a fine dining establishment. Digging in, I found myself wanting more and more, but I knew that we had much more coming soon. We indulged in some super cheap ($3 off) Sapporo's, which made them taste even better before the rolls arrived. The rolls were unbelievable and large and like no other sushi-fusion that I've had before. All-in-all, I can say that we will 100% be back very soon for our happy hour indulgence. read more

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The restaurant was empty and fully staffed, however, I had to wait 45 minutes for my food. I ordered the food to-go, was told I was going to wait only 15 to 20 minutes. I ordered 3 items, and when they finally delivered my food, they only brought me 1 item out of the 3 items. :( had to wait AGAIN for them to bring me the rest of my order. The miso soup I ordered was COLD. Chicken in udon was looked strange. Sushi taste was alright but very expensive. $22 for 1 roll. Way too overpriced. In general, I do NOT recommend. Bad service. read more

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Never disappointed when I eat here. Service is always nice and quick! I got the cosmo with salmon for pickup and it's my absolute favorite ! read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - Cosmo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

In the old factory district of downtown Kalamazoo is Maru Sushi & Grill. As we entered on a busy Friday night the place was moving with a postmodern factory meets hipster feel. The music was thumping but it was so loud all you could here was the bass... that was ok. We were seated on the upper loft with a view of the sushi bar. Looking at the menu, I could see that this is not about the fish. It was about modern takes on sushi maki with unique ingredients and lots of different aioli's and sauces. Our server was polite but was confused when I asked about the maguro. I'll get back to that... we ordered Crabby Mushrooms, Edamame and a drink called "The Right Side of the Tracks" to get us started. As we were waiting we looked at the menu and watched what was coming out of the sushi bar. Being adventurous we decided that we would go with the chef's choice with a roll, nigiri, and sashimi. Soon my drink arrived and it tasted great but it was full of chipped ice so I had to drink it fast. It had Bulliet Bourbon, peach bitters, basil, and sweet tea syrup with fresh black berries. I ordered the next one chilled, up. After I muddled the Blackberries with my straw it was a great drink (I now order it muddled). The highlight of the day was the Crabby Mushrooms, Shitake mushrooms stuffed with a Crab Rangoon style filling, panko coated, fried and served with a garlic, soy, honey sauce. Wonderful, the mushroom was the star and the textures were astounding. The dip is honied so we used it sparingly but it was a great combination. At a pace that the server apologized a few times for, our roll came out but not our platter. The roll was covered in a pineapple salad and was made with Chu-Toro, mango, and shrimp on the inside with salmon on top. The roll was ok but the salad was overpowering (see pictures). I was surprised that they would stuff the star of the plate (the Chu-Toro) in the roll. When we received the sashimi plate, it was served and described as "Hamachi Nigiri with O-Toro and Yellow Tail sashimi". Those that know their fish are as confused as I was. Hamachi is yellow tail, two of the same fish on a variety platter. The fish was all good but the cut was a little too thick for the sashimi. It was an enjoyable evening but having restaurant in our blood, we couldn't help but notice many things that were just not great. We were in the middle of a row of tables but there was no clear flow so we were constantly being brushed against by servers and patrons. Even worse would have been sitting at the sushi bar as we watched people sitting there have to duck or scoot over as the sushi was served to the servers over the bar, over the people. The other problem I had was the menu and the use of Japanese in it. Now call me crazy but Maguro usually implies Blue Fin, nope not here... yellow fin, the lowest grade of the three sushi tuna. Their Albacore Tataki sashimi, was labeled as Shiro Maguro, usually used for escolar and Tataki? The Salmon was labeled Nama Sake. That means raw and salmon but together it means Unpasteurized Sake, as in the wine. Ok so I am being a little fussy. All this leads to our final conclusion and why we came back. They are not a traditional, not even a modern sushi place. They cater to a crowd of people that are not sushi/sashimi critics and that is fine. It is very evident in that it is difficult to find raw fish in any of their special rolls. You know what? That's ok. They are a great restaurant with amazing appetizers and good flavors. If you're looking for fish as a highlight this is not your place. If you're looking for some unique flavors and textures... well it brought us back for more. Review Food: 8/10 Presentation: 9/10 Cost vs. Value: 8/10 Service:7/10 (server was great but overall service was slow) Atmosphere and Ambiance: 8/10 (Brought down by constant disruption due to flow) Total 40/50 = 4 star read more

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The Best Tasting Sushi and Service and they have Great Portions too! One my favorite places.

Hadn't been to Maru in a while so thought I'd get takeout to surprise my wife. Disappointing is how I would describe the food. Small servings with meh presentation. Also, crunch shrimp roll didn't look at all like it's described on the menu...not even any spicy mayo included. Does the picture below look like $50 worth of food? Looks lame to me. There are definitely better options around. Likely my last time getting good here. read more

Maru Sushi & Grill - Crunchy shrimp roll, Madagascar roll and Honey garlic shrimp. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

pretty good pretty nice honestly pretty good good lighting good music pretty good sushi lovely water (i love water) read more

Thank you, Maru, for providing Kalamazoo with great sushi in an unbelievable atmosphere. While it is a little on the expensive side (though worth it for the atmosphere and options), the culinary offerings available are sure to please a wide variety of sushi/Asian fusion enthusiasts. They have redone their menu since last time we were there, but it still has old favorites (Madagascar roll and crabby mushrooms, for example). Our server tonight was exceptional (shout out to Marissa). This is one of our favorite spots in Kzoo, and experiences like tonight only further solidify our affinity for Maru. Great dinner! read more

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Food was fine, but the carry out service was woeful. It was placed on a waiting shelf for several minutes instead of brought out to me, even though the carry out server knew I was the only waiting patron. Experiences like this make me wish I could serve up tips after receiving the order. read more

I've been to Maru 2x now and I've been thoroughly impressed with the food & space (really cool loft-esque space); the service could use some work though. As a Los Angeles native, I was and still am skeptical about seafood in the mid west, but I'm glad Maru is helping to build some trust. I've had the: *jaws (choice of yellowtail or salmon kama aside a chef's salad, a panko fried seared albacore roll and seasoned rice with garlic eel sauce, fantasy sauce, sesame oil and gochujang sauce - limited availability - $19) - When I first received my order, I laughed because I would call this the epitome of midwest sushi - all deep-fried, everything. The flavors were surprisingly good though. The panko-fried seared albacore roll was super crunchy - loved it. Since I'm not a fan of raw albacore, I actually liked that the albacore was basically cooked because of the deep frying action. The kama was good, but I've had better oven-baked versions. My only complaint is that there's a lot of sauce - next time, I'll just get the sauce on the side. Regardless, this was SO much food for one person. I was stuffed. *yellow fever (spicy yellowtail, cucumber, radish sprouts, cilantro, serrano pepper and basil oil - $9): I didn't expect to enjoy this roll as much as I did. The basil oil was a perfect touch - not overwhelming but added an addt'l freshness. I also liked the heat from the serrano pepper *California Roll - anyone who knows me well knows that my guilty pleasure is a california roll. I could be at the nicest, most authentic Japanese spot and I will try to order a california roll. Maru makes a good one! *crabby mushrooms (panko fried fresh shiitake mushrooms, stuffed with crab salad, cream cheese, scallion and served with honey garlic sauce) - not bad for an app! good amount of food. I don't think I'd order it again, but if you have some folks that need something reliably tasty that's not raw fish, this is a good pick. Maru shares a parking lot with HopCat so it can be difficult to find parking. Street parking around the building is your next best option. read more

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Okay so I really wanted to rate this place better. They have a lot of good things going on. Ambience, service, variety of menu. Our food and drinks came out pretty quick. Our wait staff was very kind and knowledgeable. Overall very pleasant experience. Food quality was good but sushi was not as good as I expected it to be. Ordered the Cosmo and Soy Joy rolls. The idea of rolls was pretty good but execution could have been better. Rolls were poorly rolled and were falling off the chopsticks. Too much sauce took over the taste of raw tuna/salmon in one of the roll. Once again, it wasn't bad tasting but could have been better. For sushi only I'd give 6/10, rest of the food and ambience 8/10. We liked the fire cracker shrimps and miso soup as starters. read more

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