I was in the Florence area so I took advantage of trying a different sushi restaurant. Obviously there are others i could have tried, but I choose this one. Never judge a book by it's cover, that is what we're taught. Read between the lines, so here it goes.. Appetizer Hamachi kama was a 10. Taste was phenomenal, bones not an issue. Is it for everyone? Hard to say honestly, just try it then judge. All the nigiri i tried was great. Sushi rice matters, they appreciate this. Service was a 10! All things considered I doubt any local establishment beats Matsuya. read more

Im a west coast sushi snob, this place did not disappoint! I typically judge a sushi spot by whether they have a lot of spicy, cooked, or heavy cream cheese rolls - usually that tells me their fish isn't that good and they're trying to mask it. This place had barely any of that, and actually had some very traditional offerings like natto and uni. Was definitely happy with the quality, taste, size, price, you name it. If you're looking for a lively, trendy spot this isn't it - but if you're looking for great sushi this is the right place. I've just relocated to this area and expect to become a regular. read more

Fantastic sushi! I had the playboy roll which was the perfect blend of crunch, umami and savory. Service was incredible, staff is really welcoming and a laid back casual vibe. Definitely recommend read more

If you like Japanese, this is the place to come .Very good sushi. Fish is very fresh and lunchtime is a great deal.

Coming from Toronto, I frequent this area for family reasons. I've been looking for a place like this in Northern Kentucky for a while now. All the reviews on Yelp and Google had me excited. I had somewhat high hopes for this Japanese restaurant. Comparing to Toronto, nowhere near the flavortown we get here. But for Kentucky, theres some menu options I can write home to you about. We walked in and it all looked very nice on the inside. They have a floor-seated area (chabudai) which I believe has to be specifically reserved. After we ordered, the sushi chef came out and started preparing in the main dining room bar area. We walked in about an hour and a half before closing on a Tuesday night and it was completely empty. Throughout our stay, even no pickup orders were made. This did make it faster for our night, which was the silver lining. Starting with appetizers, the gyoza was perfect. I could tell the dumplings were made by hand and fried fresh. We ordered the pork gyoza but we saw on their site later that vegetable is available as well. The chicken yakitori wasn't terrible, it was worth the price of two skewers for $7. My partner really liked how it was charred. To the sushi- ....pass. I ordered the spicy salmon sushi as a litmus test to see how the others might be. It unfortunately did not test fresh, thankfully we werent sick after the dinner. The spider roll was done really well. I would definitely come back for the spider roll! Maybe its just that cooked sushi is their thing? The udon also was perfect. Unfortunately none of their udons have any meat. So we ordered the tsukimi udon which had a poached egg. They brought it to our table piping hot with some togarashi on the side. I will definitely come back for this udon too. Overall, wasn't exactly a hit, but I'd be willing to try more items on their menu to give it another chance. read more

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The most authentic Japanese food I've ever had -- and I've had A LOT. This place contests with a lot of the sushi restaurants I've eaten while living in Cali! I had such an amazing time eating here. The atmosphere has very traditional Japanese decor. They even had a reserved room with tatami mats which I thought was so cool! The food options are true to the culture as well. The food was so tasty. For appetizers, we had the gyoza and edamame. The gyoza is a must!! So flavorful, didn't even need the side sauce that came with it. The edamame was lightly salted and boiled perfectly, no complaints. My husband had the yakisoba, which he really enjoyed and I had the Ikki and volcano roll. The fish was super fresh and while the rolls I ordered were simple, the flavor was immaculate. Our server was also so great! He gave me a sample of the red bean ice cream to try, though they didn't have enough to serve a full scoop (BTW, IT WAS SOOOOO DELICIOUS AND CREAMY!! I'm so sad they didn't have enough). Despite this, the vanilla and matcha ice cream were delicious! The matcha ice cream was light and subtle, while the vanilla was very very creamy. They also had daifuku and cakes that we wanted to try but we were already really full. I can't get enough of this restaurant! Please do yourself a favor and go eat here if you haven't! Definitely worth the experience ((: read more

If you're looking for true authentic Japanese restaurant look no further than Matsuya! What the restaurant lacks in ambience it makes up for with great food and great service. The server and the sushi chef were both very friendly and accommodating. They are attentive and very nice. I got a rainbow roll that was phenomenal. Looking forward to my next visit to the area to come down here again, thank you! read more

Very friendly staff, super attentive to guests. Food was excellent sushi was some of the best I've had very well prepared. The decor is very nice. read more

Great authentic Japanese quinine. I felt like I was transported back to my trip to Japan.

Extremely high quality fish and excellent experience! Service was a bit slow, but the dinner was delicious and the ambiance of the restaurant was wonderful. read more

The place is very dirty, the table was sticky. The place is dirty and poorly maintained. My dish wasn't fresh -- the fish was old. The service was terrible, and my waiter was rude. read more

Great food and service. I bit pricey but it worth, the ramen was super good so as the gyoza. ありがとう！また来ます。

My one and only favorite Japanese restaurant in northern Ky. I've been going here for many years. Meals are always wonderful. I lived in Japan for a year and this food brings me back to being there. It's fresh healthy & delicious. read more

Food and service was terrible. I ordered uni sashimi and had only one bite. It was old and tasted horrible. I felt sick that night. They shouldn't serve old food to anyone, especially raw seafood! The food was expensive. The waiter was rude. I will never go back. read more

Came back to Matsuya again! It is typically far from our house, however, we were driving back from the airport, and this place is actually not too far from the airport! We LOVE everything we ate. We got our usuals, sashimi platter chef selection of 10 different items - the toro was amazing. We love the negitoro sushi, grilled mackerel, tempura, rice balls. We tried the ramen for the first time and it was very good! Hands down one of the best places for authentic Japanese food in the area. read more

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Always a great time! Love the cooking table. Food was so good. When it comes to Hibachi, a really good time. Reasonable prices, good portions. read more

Matsuya Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Florence, Kentucky

We went there for celebration after husband get his new motorcycle. It's actually near home and i wonder why i never been here. The place seems very authentic Japanese from decoration, the menu item also like authentic Japanese food. I'm glad i found this place eventually via yelp. We ordered their grilled fish, octopus, dumplings and plus a lot of sushi!! Everything is good, especially the grilled octopus! That's the best. Sushi is good too, we ordered a lot then quickly ate it all, then ordered another big plate. So at the end, the bill came at 180 without tip! 3 person! That's pretty expensive! read more

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We recently went there with my stepson for a celebration dinner. We love Japanese food and he is obsessed with sushi. The service was relaxed (not super attentive, but not neglecting us). However, the food is amazing! Super authentic. I've tried fatty tuna in many different cities and restaurants and this was the best fatty tuna I have ever tasted. My husband said it was actually too rich for him. That just meant more for me! Everything is reasonably priced and fair portions. read more

Matsuya is absolutely worth a trek to Florence. I loved my first visit so much that I came back 3 times with friends in a span of 2 months! The decor was very cute and felt very rustic. I liked how they had a large tatami room with low tables for reservations. The food was very unique and the kaiseki set gives you a large quantity of food and is definitely enough to share with another person. The sushi was masterfully prepared by their chef and I could tell they took great care in the food they serve. Would say that overall the wait time was a little longer for the courses, which we didn't mind, but if you're in a hurry, probably not the best place to come to. We felt that the quantity of time between courses allowed time to properly digest! read more

This is my new favorite restaurant! I got the Take Keiseki meal which had 6 courses. Every course was fantastic! I especially love the sashimi and tempura courses but I ate every bite on each course. The only 1 I didn't take a picture was a small appetizer course which had tamago (sweet egg roll, 2 small dumplings and seasoned seaweed. We will be making the 1 hour trip often. read more

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Excellent food, the sushi isn't a bunch of basic sushi that you get at every sushi place. They have such a wide variety of options. The dinners are excellent too, nothing tastes like I've had anywhere else, so this restaurant is very unique. Will definitely come back in the future and try more of the menu! read more

The most authentic and fresh sushi I've had in the area ever. It was delicious, top notch fish. Light years above the other sushi restaurants around. Sit at the sushi bar for the best experience. Service from the waiter was a bit snarky and unhelpful but we didn't care once we ate the food. Fatty tuna is to die for, the yellow tail is the best ever, the maguro is the best I've ever had. Cannot wait to eat there again. read more

First time visitor, many time future visitor! My friend invited me for dinner, and he suggested the Miso. We both ended up ordering the miso ramen, and fried grilled chicken bites for an appetizer. They have a bookshelf full of things to read while you wait on your food, great options for seating, and the experience was overall lovely! read more

Very disappointed. Foot is good but service is terrible. Waitress forgot what we ordered made us waiting an hour. read more

Once the best sushi in town. I have praised this place for two decades. The last two times i went there, however, it was like the parents let the kids run the place. Everything was slow. The presentation was lackluster, the food was ok but not great and the server seemed like they hated their job. It's still a good place to get sushi. But, it used the be the best. read more

I always askfor shirashi to see what is the quality of the raw fish and the expertise of the sushi master. This time it was splendid, the quality, freshness preparation selection and flavor was excellent. I'll go back to ask for more elaborate dishes. Very good real Japanese restaurant. read more

my wife and i go to Matsuya probably 3 times a month. it is tbe best of any sushi we have had locally. we travel a lot and have had sushi in multiple airports and in every town we travel to. matsuya is best, hands down read more

The taste is very authentic. I stop by this place every time when I visit Cincinnati for a business trip. read more

Matsuya Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Florence, Kentucky

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Ambiance was great! Made a reservation in advance and we got to sit at the tatami area. Food was delicious and server was attentive.

This was on of the best and most authentic Japanese restaurants that I have been to. The staff were very kind, the menu had a great selection of dishes. The sushi was very fresh. Everything had a great feel. Very warm and inviting! I would return if I was in the area. I was here on a business trip. read more

I seriously don't know why there was such a long queue outside this restaurant. Don't get me wrong, their ramen was good, but not a 30+ mins waiting good. Saw lots of tourist from Japanese queuing for this one. Apparently it's one of those restaurants that was made famous on the Internet, so tourists feel they have to come and try. After standing outside hungrily add waiting for 30+ mins, I bet any average food taste delicious. So, unless you are one of those tourists that have this restaurant in your to-do list and have to tick it off, I wouldn't suggest you to waste your precious time here. I've wasted mine, hope you won't waste yours. read more

I love Matsuya! They're the only place you find uni (sea Irving) around here I think. It can be a little expensive but totally worth it! read more

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Food was terrific and the service was consistent and timely. We always felt like we had everything we needed at all times. The next time we go, we'll try the Tatami room for the ambiance. It feels and tastes authentic and I'd love to go again!!! read more

TLDR: More of a 3.5 than a 4. Kitchen outshines the sushi, a little far from the city. The sushi sets are reasonably priced. Service was good. I came here with a large group on a Friday night and we reserved the Tatami room. The restaurant in general is quite quiet, but I think our group kept it at a decent volume. I have been dying to try this place because it's one of the best sushi restaurants in Cincy, apparently. The location is a little far out in the boonies, but easy to find regardless. Our server did an amazing job. She was very attentive and always appears at the right moment, just when we needed her. Food: my friend ordered the Hirame tempura, I ordered the Tarako Rice Ball, the sushi dinner deluxe, and a chanwamushi to end my meal. The hirame tempura: definitely a must-eat. The tempura batter was thin and light (just like how it's supposed to be), and the flavor of the shiso leaves is a good complement to the mild fish. The tarako rice ball: it was quite decent in size for the price. However, the seaweed was stale. I don't know if the waitstaff waited to long to bring it out or if the seaweed was just not kept right (I think it was the former). Other than the stale seaweed, the rice ball is good. The sushi dinner deluxe: the quality of the fish was just ok, but the sushi dinner is definitely worth the price. It was only $32 and they give you some "fancy" cut and choices, like: medium toro, uni, scallops, sweet shrimp. I was surprised by the choice of fish that was sent my way. However, again, all the seaweed was stale. The rice was a little too sour too and they don't stick very well (breaks apart very easily). Chanwamushi: It was cooked right. I always like to end my sushi meal with a chanwamushi (I know, weird, but hey YOLO). Other than the slightly overly sweet shiitake mushroom, everything was quite alright. I enjoyed it and would order it again. I would come back again if I am craving for authentic reasonably priced nigiri, however, I would not expect top notch quality. I would also like to try other kitchen dishes. read more

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The food was so good I felt like I was in heaven and the service was fantastic. My personal favorite is a costume roll of the shrimp tempura roll with cucumber٫ yum yum sauce and Eal sauce if you try it I bet you'll like it about just as much as me. It's expensive but it's worth it trust me on this٫ I have been there so many times that I mainly want is sushi for dinner٫ heck I think it's suitable for lunch and dinner٫because one time the only food I wanted was sushi. THIS WAS ON A WEEKEND because I'm just a kid. read more

The sushi was so fresh and amazing. The tempura I've never had prepared so well. Service very quick, courteous and pleasant.

I have lived in Japan before and I can readily say this is the best authentic-tasting Japanese food I have had stateside! Will be coming again!! I would highly suggest the Onigiri with umeboshi...so amazing. Also all the sushi, soups and anything you can afford to put in your mouth. also, they have a fun bookshelf full of Japanese novels. Makes me want to work on my Japanese again! read more

Matsuya Japanese Restaurant - I have been introducing my husband to all sorts of Asian food. - Japanese Near Me - Florence, Kentucky

You can eat authentic sushi with reasonable prices. Also you can find other Japanese foods and drinks here. I personally recommended this place to have Japanese food dinner. read more

We visited Matsuya on our anniversary. The restaurant reminds us of the restaurants we went to in Japan. The menu is very different from your typical Japanese Restaurant and that's how we like it. We ordered Sashimi Omagase $40 oh my! It's so delightful! We will be back! read more

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Hands down the best and most authentic Japanese food in the area. Service is great! The atmosphere is very traditional as well.