I had been to Minato's several times in the past and always had great experiences. They have a great happy hour menu that's very reasonably priced. I went there a few weeks before christmas with a friend. We order a couple of items from the happy hour menu and two happy hour cocktails. We order the pomagranite cosmo's. They tasted like cough syrup. They were absolutely horrible. I asked the server if we could send the drinks back and change them for something else. We were nicely told no because they had already been made. i.e. once your order it your stuck with it no matter what the taste. I asked to speak with the manager and he told me the same thing. I eat out pretty often and have NEVER been told I couldn't switch a drink. This policy wasn't written anywhere and the server or the manager never gave me what I felt was a valid reason for such a policy. I was most frustrated because the manager was snotty in delivering this message to me. Needless to say they have lost a regular customer. read more

Nice surprise! Pre-show dinner was wondeful. We didn't have a reservation so it was a big chance. Definitely make a reservation. We sat at the bar with plenty space to share and have a good conversation. It was a busy Saturday however it was not too loud. Beautiful space. Elegant. Great presentation of food. Staff was great. Attentive and engaging. read more

Three roll combo for $10 + fast, friendly service + casual vibe = great place to eat. FYI, the dynamite roll is bomb-diggity. read more

Most people seem to think that Matsuri is the best Baltimore has to offer; I live in Fed Hill and personally think that Matsuri is average at BEST, sub par far too often. Minato has a great atmosphere, perfect for a date, drink with friends, or just some good sushi in a trendy atmosphere. the sushi itself is the best i've had in Bmore. They have a decent fish selection and the uni (my barometer for a good restaurant) was pretty good, not great, but good. the toro nigiri was cut a tad bit too thin but other than that i have no complaints. the miso soup was one of the better ones ive had in recent memory. overall, it gets 4 stars... however, if this were manhattan, id probably give it three. read more

Monday night half off special rolls is definitely something you don't want to miss!!! And Happy hour deals, 5-7pm weekdays! I like this sushi place because their service is prompt, and during the happy hour, the server will come back to you right before 7pm to take the last call for happy hour deal. You don't see that kind of service at other places. Rolls are pretty good, I have yet to try nigiri sushi here but I'm pretty sure they are good too. Parking is pretty rough, since it is in Mt Vernon, and there is a parking lot across the street, if you don't mind paying for it. read more

We started with a miso soup and a seaweed salad - both were delicious and we had high hopes for the rest of the meal. Our appetizer, the tiger eye (squid wrapped around two types of fish and lightly grilled), came next, and was also delicious. Then our sushi came. We ordered eel, yellowtail, and shrimp sashimi, the Maryland roll, the Roman roll, and the spicy salmon roll. Overall, we were unimpressed with the quality of the rice and the fish. The fish did not taste fresh and the rice was too sticky and salty and was generally a little unpleasant. Also, the rolls were falling apart a little on the plate. The spicy salmon roll (the only non "specialty" roll that we ordered) was not bad, but there was nothing exceptional about it that would make us want to come here over our usual sushi place. The sashimi was mediocre as well -- the fish just didn't taste quite as fresh as we would have liked. After a disappointing run with the sushi, we decided to give dessert a shot to complete the experience. We went with the mochi ice cream, which was fortunately delicious and we left with a good taste in our mouths. We typically go out for sushi at Geisha, just about 5 blocks south on Charles St., but it was closed this evening. The difference in quality between Geisha and Minato for both sushi and sashimi was very noticeable. Geisha's fish consistently tastes very fresh and the rice and quality of the the sushi rolls is very high. If you frequently go out for sushi in the area, we strongly recommend you make this comparison yourself. \~~/ Water service: .\ /. 2/5 We were waterless for a little while, but the situation was eventually rectified. read more

I've carried out abs finned in. The food always comes quick regardless of the method. Very fresh. Good staff. Covid friendly.

Ok Up until 3 weeks ago i would have given them a 3 or 4 stars (for the good sushi and great happy hour prices and our usual lunchtime waiter "Joel") but after this evening my girlfriend and i have decided never to return.EVER! We have frequented this sushi restaurant 1-2 weekly for the past 6 months and about 1-2 monthly before that. (My girlfriend has been going there for years) Usually it is for lunch or when we have friends in town for dinner ie. BIG $$$. During the last lunch two weeks ago, i noticed the rolls seemed scimpier and less tasty than usual, I thought maybe they had a different chef so brushed it off. Tonight the rolls were also scimpy but it was the attitude of the waiter and owner that motivated me to leave this review. The owner knows my partner and i would think by now they at least recognize us as great tippers and loyal customers. Even if they didnt recognize us, the service should be at the very least cordial. Not once did they ask us if we wanted another drink, any other sushi9, dessert, or anything! They were not busy yet after a long wait we had to ask for the check. When we said goodbye they turned their head...it was obvious we were being snubbed. We wondered if they finally figured out we were a couple Fortunately there are many other sushi restaurants in Baltimore that are gay friendly and would appreciate our busness!!!!! read more

Maybe my expectations were too high from my friends raving about this place but Minato just didn't hit the spot for me. The price is super cheap during happy hour - all specialty rolls were $7.50 each ($12-15 normally). The serving size was decent, especially for such a low price, but definitely not worth the normal price of $12-15. I am famous for having a very small appetite but I still managed to eat TWO whole rolls by myself without even being completely full afterwards. I ordered the Bagel roll (salmon and cream cheese) and the Valerie (smoked salmon, shrimp tempura, eel and avocado with BBQ eel sauce). The rolls were well made and would have actually been quite delicious if it wasn't for the fish. The fish was absolutely terrible!!! The raw salmon in my Bagel roll didn't look or taste fresh AT ALL - it had a very very fishy taste and looked more like a lump of SPAM than salmon. The smoked salmon in the Valerie was too smoked and tasted way too fishy. The customer service was extremely slow as well. When we first arrived, there were only about 2 other tables of 3-4 people in the restaurant. However we waited for over 20 minutes for the server to bring us more menus. They seemed very annoyed and unwilling to accommodate us when we asked to order on individual menus so we could get separate bills. The food also took extremely long to prepare - we waited a good 20-30 minutes for our rolls. Again, understandable if the place was busy but not when there are only 6-8 other customers in the restaurant. Overall, a decent eat for a decent price but definitely wouldn't come back unless it was happy hour. I've had MUCH better sushi for the same price Minato normally charges for their rolls. Happy hour is worth trying out but don't have high expectations like me!! read more

I cannot rave enough about how much I love Minato! I've been there probably 6 or 7 times and it is always a great experience. The prices are very reasonable to begin with, but if you want an even better deal, go for there happy hour. The atmosphere is really hip and trendy; good for a date or with a group of people. The staff is super friendly and very attentive. And not to mention the sushi is incredible! I recomend the minato roll and ume maki. And don't even think about leaving without trying the ice cream mochi! read more

After nine years here, I've eaten at sushi places all over Baltimore and for my money, this one is the best! The quality of the fish is head and shoulders above what's being served in other places. They also understand the importance of fast weekday lunch service - you can get in and out in under an hour. However, the beautiful space is also a great date night venue. I come here again and again and again - this is my go-to sushi place for Baltimore city. read more

Last night was the 2nd time I've been to the new Minato location. As always the sushi was really good!! I will warn you though, if you're like me, and picky about your spicy tuna, they make it at minato the way that I don't like it. Some places make it taste like it's made spicy with red pepper flakes instead of a spicy mayo concoction. Minato does this, and I don't know about you but I don't like feeling like my sushi is made like my pizza. Other than that no complaints! I got some of the bigger special rolls and they were all delish! We were also there with a really big group and the waiters were really efficient and nice. The birthday girl's sister even brought a cake and they held on to it and brought it out at the end of the meal. Very nice dinner! read more

Easily my favorite Sushi place in Baltimore. Located in Mt. Vernon, parking is surprisingly easy most days (of course this excludes the weekend, since the bar scene takes up quite a few spots), Minato is much larger inside than the outside lets on. The service has never been less than great, the food is always fresh. But the best thing about Minato is their HAPPY HOUR! With great drink and roll deals, it can get crowded very easily, but the wait (if there is one, like I said, much bigger than it lets on) is never long. I suggest you grab someone and head down for happy hour ASAP! read more

I had the wonton soup and one of their special rolls (the Oriole roll), and both were fresh and delicious, with generous portions of wasabi and ginger. I had never had a roll with brown rice before and I was unsure, but they've convinced me. The wontons were different than any I've had before- I'm not sure what was in them but it might have been little shrimp, instead of the usual weird dark mystery meat concotion in most wontons! I ended up paying a little more than I like to spend on sushi, but overall I'd say they're on the higher side of reasonable. Service was great and so was the atmosphere. I could've been in NYC! read more

Came here to celebrate my roommates 23rd birthday! We've been looking for so long for some great sushi in the Baltimore/Towson area, and after looking at yelp reviews and menus we decided to give Minato a try! The atmosphere was comfortable and fun and the menu options were a bit closer to what we were looking for. We ordered a ton of sushi, trying some of their more inventive rolls along with the more standard ones. One of the more creative rolls didn't seem to have the proper flavor combinations, but I guess that's one of the risks. Overall, the sushi was the best we've had in Baltimore yet, but we're still on the prowl! Oh and get the mochi ice cream its great! read more

We stopped in for the happy hour specials, because who can resist spicy tuna rolls for 3.25 and appletinis for 4.50? Not THIS girl. LoML and I were, simply put, blown away. Minato is nicely decorated, keeping some of the Mount Vernon aesthetics that make old Baltimore buildings what they are (you must check out the delicate scrollwork over the mirrors, absolutely gorgeous!!), and it's definitely larger than it seems to be from the outside. We went on a Wednesday night and it was fairly busy, though not overwhelmingly so. I don't think we could handle this place on a Friday night, though; I could see myself becoming horribly claustrophobic in here. We ordered the following: California rolls: his verdict, pretty good. My verdict: easily the best California rolls I have ever had, anywhere. Maybe I haven't been around enough, but these were DAMNED delicious. Spicy tuna rolls: these were actually TOO spicy for me. I made the mistake of adding wasabi - BAD move. My mouth is still burning. Delicious, but just too much of a spice level for me. Gyoza: he says they are soft, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Filling was tender and meaty. Worth the money. Appletini: perfectly made. Not too sweet, not too sour, and just the right amount of liquor. Delish! Sake: He's gasping out the word "smoooooth" with each swallow, so I think he really, REALLY liked it. He kept looking in the bottle for more but had difficulty after the last cupful... The food was SO good that we decided to stay for dinner: Marinated chicken with noodles: This was HUGE. I literally couldn't eat a good deal of the mountain on my plate and had to get it boxed. The chicken was tender and sweet and complemented the noodles very well. Really, really good. Teriyaki combination: Shrimp, salmon and chicken in a sweet but savory sauce. His only complaint was that the rice was a bit less sticky than he liked, but it's a minor thing and easily overlooked. All of the above items only came to 52 dollars. That was the shocker. We've had a lot of meals for more money that gave a hell of a lot less satisfaction. Service was excellent. We didn't catch our server's name, unfortunately, but she was a very pretty, perky brunette with a small gold nose ring. She made suggestions and was friendly without being overly so. She was quick to get drinks and to check us out, just the way we like. I'm not ashamed to say that we overtipped her. She deserved every dollar of that extra money. We will definitely be back to Minato for further sushi goodness - if not for dinner, then DEFINITELY for those HH specials. This is probably the best HH deal in town! VERY pleased. read more

The Fatty Tuna Sashimi was excellent...the tuna/avocado roll on the other hand....not so much. I definitely had fresher white tuna elsewhere. If you go, I would recommend the 3 rolls for 15.95 deal, its so worth it. 20 pieces of sushi for $16? That's such good value. Me though, I would stick to the sashimi :) The restaurant is fairly new, had an upscale sushi bar/restaurant feel to it. Nicely decorated and done. read more

This is a go-to sushi spot for me. Always fresh, delicious and super fast. I can go on about the menu - everything is delicious. However, the one thing that I wanted to point out, that lead me to actually write a review, is that they have stopped using the stupid, wasteful little pieces of fake plastic grass that so many sushi restaurants use to separate rolls from each other. What a wasteful and unnecessary decoration that no one cares about. Thank you so much for discontinuing this stupid tradition and replacing it with regular old, palatable slices of cucumber. Keep up the good work. read more

This place got 1 star from me because yelp states I have to give it a rating. I ordered a slice of fatty tuna sashimi-DISGUSTING. I couldn't even chew it, I spit it out. I only went to this place because it had 4 stars on yelp... then after I sat down, I realized that the reviews were all for happy hour and it's prices, not because of the food!!!! Just because it is cheap, doesn't mean it is edible. I ordered Spicy Miso Ramen-not even spicy and was bland. Not to mention, had wilted lettuce in it??!? I also ordered the hippo roll, that was OK. I don't know how a place like this exists. Just because it is cheap, doesn't mean it is edible. Sushi is certainly not fresh. My mom always taught me to finish my food... I actually ate half of it, and didn't even want to finish it!!!-very uncharacteristic of me!!! Not to mention, I was starving, drove around 20 minutes for parking.... :( read more

This wonderful gem in Mount Vernon has become my Wednesday night go to spot after pilates with my gym buddy. They have a wonderful happy hour. The sakitinis are to die for and on Wednesday they are only 3 bucks along with other cocktails. Also they have a discounted menu that night so if you are watching your wallet but want some great sushi and drinks, this is the place to be for HH and Wednesday nights. Well would you look at the time, it is Wednesday and you know where I will be after pilates, yes you guessed it Minato. I live their seaweed salad because they have slivers of cucumber in it, and their miso soup is to die for. The waiters and waitress's are very nice and friendly and are always helpful to recommend a good drink or a fave roll that they may like. HH and Wednesday is usually crowded with Mount Vernon hipsters so I recommend going at a decent hour to get a good seat. read more

Well having given Minato another try, we actually had a good experience. The service was good and the food continued to be well portioned and was tasty. It would be nice if they had more vegetarian options. Although I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, it was better than it had been and I'd return if I was in the area. read more

By far the best sushi happy hour in Baltimore. The drinks are okay, sweet probably to cover up the cheap liquor. We also ordered off their main menu. But after eating our happy hour apps and sushi we we're so full that we took our main dish togo. I will definitely come back with more friends! read more

This place has a super fab happy hour...mainly due to the variety in drink concoctions *psssttt! saketinis are to live for!* The rolls are just okay, I dont go for the rolls, as I know of a few other sushi spots that do a nice HH with not only a variety in rolls but other foods as well. This is why this place doesn't get my Whoa Nelly 5-star, well that and the normal prices are a bit steep. Spot itself is cool though..it can get a little narrow in the walkway but you only have to worry about that if you are coming/going or on your way to potty...which I have to do more often after more and more of the HH drink specials =) Parking sucks too but, hey, it is Mt. Vernon, what're you gonna do? Just give yourself enough time to find a park and still have ample time to participate in the specials. read more

I went to dinner here with my fiance to hopefully find a new sushi joint. I ordered sushi and he ordered noodles. The sushi was really small, and nothing outstanding. It was a little bit better than grocery sushi. The ginger salad I also got was pretty good but again nothing that would stand out. The noodle dish my fiance got was pretty good, but it was super oily. After dinner we both felt really sick and ended our exciting date night early. I heard this place is great for lunch and I might check it out then, but I won't be back for dinner. read more

Sushi niiiight!! Only gripe...well two gripes. ONE. What's the obsession with mango?? I got the Tropical Roll, which would've been really good if it weren't for the mango sauce. I wanted to give it a chance but I shouldve trusted my gut. Get it without mango sauce and enjoy. TWO. The sashimi portions are small. I've been to many sushi restaurants where I get a couple solid chunks of sashimi. Here, I got a few thin slivers of smoked salmon. Moving on. We ordered the: Gyoza: Yummy! Such a tease! It was really good but there were only 4 pieces :-( June Roll: (mightve been july...idk) So good!! Spicy tuna, cream cheese...some other stuff...wrapped in seaweed! I think i'm obsessed with seaweed. Tropical Roll...i already voiced my love/hate on this one. And then my date ordered the spicy tuna roll and the california roll. They were both fine. I'm going to have to bring him out of his comfort zone next time haha. All in all, i really like Minato! Definitely would go back!! read more

Sushi and drinks for happy hour is probably ideal for this place. Their happy hour specials are fairly cheap and the place is reasonable enough to slot somewhere in the middle of "hole in the wall" and "fancy." adequate mediumness which may have a consistency that is worth patronising. read more

Come here for their lunch specials! I came on a Monday around noon--not very busy, which I was initially worried about. Those worries went away when I saw/tasted our food! They have great deals for their lunch specials--half off special maki rolls and cheap bento box combinations with just about anything you could want. Not to mention a complimentary endless salad. We had a great time and the waiter was very friendly and attentive. They say that you can tell the quality of a restaurant staff by how empty your water glasses get, and ours were always full! Quality of food is great, and they have a wide variety of rolls to choose from. The freshness of the fish wasn't the best, but I have high standards coming from LA. All in all, a great find, especially in Baltimore! read more

When I went for happy hour on a Wednesday, we had no wait and great service, and spent only $41 total on 2 cocktails, 2 miso soups, edamame, shrimp dumplings (so good!), and 3 specialty rolls. Everything was delicious. I tried Minato a few weeks later for date night on a Friday though, and it wasn't quite as worth it. The service was friendly but quite slow, our drinks were watery, and paying full price was not as much fun. read more

Mango Sushi! Gimicky NO-Successfully tasty YES! We had so many dishes in our 6 person party that I couldn't keep track of what we ordered. I am certain that we ordered each of the special dishes they were offering at the time. Sashimi, nigiri, rolls, some creative scallop dish. All were great but the innovative mango sushi roll stood out as one of the best. It had a sweet and slight sour taste that was combined well with the rice and fish included in the roll. The sake and tea were rated good enough by their respective drinkers. I made no mention of the decor which is hyper stylish but the food determined the 5 stars here. When I visit Baltimore this is a must. read more

Good, tasty sushi here. New location puts it about 2 blocks further north up Charles Street. Waiters and sushi chefs are friendly, and lots of "regional" sushi specials to choose from, like the Maryland roll -- eel, avocado, crab and Old Bay seasoning. Mmmmm. Cocktails are also smart and creative -- the Zentini was a delicious blend of vodka, green tea liqueur and maybe one or two other ingredients. Well worth the $7 (especially coming from DC where most martinis are now over $10). Outside of sushi, have only tried one warm dish -- wasabi pork dumplings, which was good. Sushi chefs have been known to offer complimentary treats for those sitting at the bar, so I'd recommend that. read more

There's really no reason to go anywhere else in Baltimore for sushi. Great service, great food, and management that will remember and greet you at every visit. I could literally eat here every night. Sometimes, in fact, I find myself dining here a few times a week. Highly recommend. read more

Pretty good sushi. I usually order their bento boxes for the best deal! FYI, their cocktails are always awful. I ordered a lychee martini and it was literally bottom shelf vodka with a canned lychee in it. I was expecting some lychee puree, or even a splash of grenadine to make it pink. I'm convinced they used Burnett's vodka. I once ordered a long island and it was made with coconut rum and pineapple juice. Stick to their beer, at least it comes in a bottle. read more

Minaro is the bomb.com! I can't describe the amazing sensation that goes through my taste buds when I take a bite of the bargain-priced sushi. It's amazing! Everyone should go! read more

Finally, sushi in Baltimore that doesn't suck! Nigiri was fresh, rolls were more traditional and very good, service was excellent! read more

My co-workers and I come here at least once a week for lunch. The special maki is half price for lunch every day and on Monday nights! Try the Dynamite roll and the Tuna Lover roll, and make sure to grab some of the salad (it's free!) up front before your meal. If you venture off of the sushi menu, there are other great options. The Marinated Chicken is a favorite for one of my co-workers. read more

In my opinion Minato has the best sushi in Baltimore hands down, and I've been to almost every sushi restaurant in the city! 5-7 Monday - Friday happy hour 1/2 of specialty rolls. The atmosphere and decor, modern and styled! Enjoy read more

Great sushi for lunch. I've only ever had lunch here, before they close at 2PM so I suppose my review is a little biased. I have never had a bad experience here. I am always seated quickly and never have to flag down my server. In terms of prices, I love their (FREE) unlimited mixed green salad with ginger dressing as my appetizer. I've only ever ordered the famous Bento Box (shrimp tempura roll, rice, shrimp dumplings, and chicken teriyaki) all for around $12. That's pretty good value to me. I'll continue to stop in Minato for a light, inexpensive and filling lunch. read more

Great sushi place. Happy hour is a great deal particularly for the specialty rolls. Any roll with mango is recommended!

*I WANT TO EMPHASIZE MOST REVIEWS ON HERE ARE OF THE HAPPY HOUR!* This place isn't bad but the sushi is pretty lackluster. I'm a fan of a good atmosphere though and the place is adorable. And the drinks weren't bad. However... don't go here expecting good sushi. Also, we got there kind of late and they were a bit ru read more

I came in with 2 friends for happy hour and was impressed ($30 total for a light meal). Service not too bad, food was pretty good for a casual restaurant. I would def go back! Food - Edamame, Springrolls, Tobiko sushi, Rainbow roll, Roman roll, Laura Roll Overall, I enjoyed the food! The edamame and the springrolls came out fast, although the springrolls weren't anything special. The tobiko was on special for $1 a roll and I liked it. The special maki rolls were a bit disappointing since they were fairly small which was probably why they were $7 during happy hour. Don't get me wrong, they were delicious, but they def weren't a man-sized portion. For a guy, I'd say you would have to order 3-4 rolls... I would have to say though that the eel sauce was sooooo good!! I highly recommend the Laura roll. Service - It wasn't the greatest, although it wasn't the worst. I had my glass refilled once and asked for the check which were the only occasions we interacted with the server after our orders were placed. No complaint, really, just nothing outstanding. Atmosphere - The interior when you walk in is really great. Nice, modern, and colorful. It looked pretty clean overall. I ended up sitting in the back room which is much simpler in design. A little disappointed since I wanted to sit in the main dining area haha. The vibe was really nice and casual. Def check this place out, although I wouldn't come during Happy Hour if you're starving and have a big appetite. read more