Best sushi ever! Our server Alexis is amazing! We also had the pork shoulder and Bao. Definitely will come back! read more

Mola - Sashimi Big - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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WOW! First time at Mola, but I will definitely be visiting again. Swung by for their indoor dining, and my friend and I enjoyed their lunch deal, which comes with either free miso soup/spicy crab salad. My favorites were the Blue Crab hand roll (so juicy and full of crab meat), Toro Shiso hand roll (shiso balanced out the creaminess/softness of toro) and their Pork Belly Bao (full of flavor- amazing combo of pork belly and cucumber/cilantro). Cant wait for my next Mola :) read more

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The best sushi in Pittsburgh hands down! This is the freshest fish I've ever had and I've had sushi all over the country! The salmon and tuna were superb, it really can't be beat. I will be coming back to Mola for years to come read more

I can't think of a better place in the city to splurge and do so at least once a month. This is, by far, the best sushi in the city right now. It's also speedy. And the service is completely acceptable as is the dining room. I'm so glad this place is in our city. read more

Great date night, service was very friendly. They had so many sushi options that aren't available everywhere.

Wow! That's even an understatement! We came for my birthday and we had an incredible meal! First, our server, Alex, was great! She explained everything and made great recommendations...my wife has a gluten allergy and she made sure everything was ok for her to eat. The miso soup was awesome and the bowls were amazing. We were amazed at how busy it was for a Monday night. It is an intimate place, small but modern. We will definitely be back! read more

Came here for lunch and was so hungry that I got the lunch special x 2 (free side with the purchase of a rice bowl or mix and match two bao, cut rolls, or hand rolls). The spicy salmon rice bowl was fresh, packed with flavor, and I loved the textural contrast provided by the crispy rice balls on top. For the bao, the crispy chicken was unique in that the chicken was panko-crusted, but I thought the pork belly could have been more tender and that the crushed peanuts were an odd addition. read more

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So so great! We got some takeout last night from Mola and were so pleased. Really were craving sushi but they had so many great options I couldn't decide. I ended up with the spicy salmon bowl which was fresh, spicy, and a great portion. I also added a bao to try which was interesting. The flavor was good but it was a little dry. Maybe needed some more sauce.My husband got two cut rolls and couldn't stop raving about them. No question. We will be ordering again. read more

Mola - Crispy chicken bar and spicy salmon bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I came to Mola for lunch on Wednesday. We were able to find a spot with ease. There were several other pairs in the spot as we dined. The lunch menu is on the pricer end, but probably on par with East Liberty these days. The lunch special allows for 2 sushi, 1 bowl, or two combination of everything else to include miso soup, side salad, or seaweed salad as a side. My lunch partner chose sushi and I opted for the spicy salmon bowl. The salads come quickly. I enjoy my seaweed salad and the side salad with ginger dressing looked delicious. When the entrees arrived, I was surprised to see the layer of chilli oil. No wasabi came with as the chilli oil was all that defined the spicy description. It's was tasty and an interesting take, but certainly something that left a lingering taste in your mouth all day. The sushi my lunch partner had looked clean and well cut. It looked like a brown rice, which was the only nontraditional element I saw. Service was fine. We got taken care of in a timely fashion. Food was good. It is pricey for lunch, so Mola will be a rarer treat. read more

Amazing quality sushi and their rice is has such a unique flavor. 10/10 recommend giving it a try. Their fish is so fresh! Best sushi i've had in awhile. The servers are also very knowledgable and helpful. Don't miss out on their cool cocktails, they all have a Japanese flair! read more

Mola - Tuna nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Great omakase experience, it was 12 dishes for 100 per person. The drinks was also fantastic! I had been missing Chaya ever since they closed down due to pandemic, so I was very happy to see a local omakase joint. read more

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Great menu choices. We had edamame, miso, spicy salmon poke and ashimi avocado & cucumber roll ... all very good. Bubble tea so yummy. Our server was welcoming and knowledgeable. The restaurant has great design (and clean). The prices are fair. I cannot think of one negative!!! Try it out:) read more

Food was great. Service was quick and professional. Ambiance was relaxing and nice to chat with friends.

Mola was a first choice for take out during the pandemic. The food was delicious, sashimi always fresh and packaged well. Don't stop at the sushi and sashimi. The miso soup, banh tis are great. Service is attentive read more

I've been to mola a few times, the first time was during the pandemic. The system they devised to safely continue to serve their guests food during that time was impressive and I really felt they did all they could to make sure everything was sanitized. This last visit my friend and I had two servers, one was training. Both were incredibly knowledgeable and efficient despite seeming to have a little rush of business that just the two of them were handling. Good, witty conversation and one liners from both of them. Food is always good. Tons of choices for sake and whiskey, check it out! read more

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When I first walked in they seated me immediately service is exceptionally friendly and each employer was impeccably attentive with taking care of the customer. The ambiance and environment of this place was extremely pleasant and warm to arrive to.. definitely not what I expected!:) I ordered the salmon "nigiri". The salmon was extremely delicate flavorful and it melted in my mouth! I ordered the chicken teriyaki and it was slightly dry and gritty when I notified the staff they happily took it off my bill and instead I ordered more salmon! Overall I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars everything was amazing! Until... the main came out. I can tell these people work hard for what they make so I would try anything else other than the chicken teriyaki next time! Overall great restaurant experience! read more

Went here with a friend and enjoyed it but my salmon was a bit tough. Service was excellent and overall we were both happy with this place.

Mola is my go-to for sushi and bao in the Burgh. Honestly, I have never had bao so tasty - especially if you like peanuts! Their sushi is always fresh and go great with some ginger and soy sauce. I've come here many times, sometimes to dine-in but mostly for takeout. Never had a bad experience! Once I ordered the chicken teriyaki and it was just okay - not as flavorful and exciting as the sushi and the bao, so I would stick to those Japanese staples. I should try their drinks as well, but I have only heard positive things about them! read more

As good as some of the better sushi to be found in other cities better known for it (NYC, SF, etc.). Mola is a pleasant place to eat, especially the bar; the service is quick and attentive; the take-out is always accurate. By Pittsburgh standards it would be considered expensive, but in the broader world of higher-end sushi (superfresh, well-cut, etc.) it's right in the middle. read more

over all vibe...is nice. The food seems to be a bit over priced and not a big eslection. I ordered a spicy crab salad as appetizer. Tasted like crab sticks and pimento cheese. And very small portion. Toro Bubble tea. 25% Sweetness was good and simple. Great presentation. For the lunch special I ordered spicy tuna bowl. A small portion compared to to Kuna poke restaurant around the corner. Nothing really sticks out to me about the place other than feeling slightly over priced for mediocre Japanese cuisine. I dont mean to be a harsh critic but i spent many years in Okinawa. This restaurant doesn't hold the same flavors as other traditional Japanese restaurants I frequently. Ok overall experience. Very underwhelmed by the taste and portion size. read more

Mola - Spicy tuna bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

WOW THIS PLACE We were visiting Pittsburgh and wanted to go out to a nicer place for a celebration dinner. We were debating between multiple sushi places around Pittsburgh, but I'm so glad we settled on Mola. There's a sign on the door stating they're understaffed, so it's completely understandable service was a little slow at first. The place was also super busy. I'd definitely recommend a reservation. For drinks we ordered a lychee lemon spritz and the Japanese whiskey the chef recommends. The lychee lemon spritz was yummy but didn't taste like there was actually alcohol in it. The whiskey was good. I ordered a glass of Cabernet afterwards which was much better. My partner ordered a $50 glass of whiskey that ended up taking a while to arrive due to needing to wait for more ice to freeze. The drink only ended up being $20 on the bill, we assume because it took a while and the ice cube wasn't fully frozen, which was really appreciated. To start we split the tempura shrimp and the ginger salad. The tempura shrimp was a much thicker breading than I'm used to for typical tempura, but it was still tasty. The ginger salad was typical and a good flavor. Now onto the sushi... AMAZING. Their nigiri/sashimi selection on the actual menu is solid but not expansive. They then have a number of specials written up on the wall that change pretty often. We ordered yellowtail, king salmon, kamatoro, otoro, chutoro, scallop, and uni all nigiri. We also ordered two hand rolls, blue crab and sea bream with black truffle pâté. Everything was outstanding. I've had scallop and uni nigiri before, and Mola's quality is top tier. The scallop is almost a congealed texture it's so soft. The nigiri tastes like the ocean without being fishy in the slightest. I've had otoro before, but never had the pleasure of ordering kamatoro and chutoro as well. It was really fun to have all three side by side to compare the flavors of the different fat levels. The kamatoro was obviously the favorite with it's melt-in-your-mouth texture. The yellowtail and salmon were both superb, with the king salmon being more buttery than regular Scottish salmon. The blue crab roll was a nice crab experience, and the sea bream with truffle was so good and the truffle flavor really came through. We finished off the incredible meal with black sesame, ube, and lychee ice cream mochi. I hadn't been able to try black sesame before this, and they were all wonderful. We'll definitely be back!! read more

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the sushi is very fresh! i've also tried the omakase experience here which is relatively cheap for omakase. read more

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Hands down the best Sushi place in town! I was desperate about the quality of pittsburgh Japanese cuisine before I met Mola. I didn't know back then Pittsburgh has such high quality fatty tuna and uni from Japan. I have been to several Michelin starred Japanese restaurants in Asia and I can say that Mola offers sushi that are on par with them, both in terms of the quality of the ingredients and the originality of the chef's techniques. Mola is truly a hidden gem. Pittsburgh Foodies, this is the restaurant you've been looking for! read more

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Fun, fresh, and friendly. I stopped into Mola for lunch with a friend. We were greeted by a really kind host and were seated immediately. Before coming here, I just thought it was a new restaurant trying to be Asian, that served expensive sushi to the yuppies that were flocking to the gentrified East Liberty area. Yes, this maybe the case however- I respect that the owners of this establish are actually Asian. There is a chalkboard menu written on the wall. This was where all the daily specials were listed. I was impressed that they were serving uni that day. Unfortunately, it was sold out. However, all the regular menu items I tried were delicious. Thé seafood tasted fresh and buttery to the tongue. I was really impressed with the mouthfeel I got from each roll. I was amazed with the quality. The thing I respect most about this restaurant is they use fresh ground wasabi instead of the paste I typically get at conventional sushi places. It is a rarity to encounter real wasabi; this somewhat justified the elevated costs of the sushi. Most rolls range around $10. There are more affordable options too; the pork belly bao I tried was delicious and filling! I could definitely see myself getting full from two of them. read more

Mola - Pork Belly Bao - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Nola has a pretty unique ambience not as busy as most of the bars in the city but the draft selection is decent compared to a few of the other spots close by read more

If you like Asian food, you should try this place. My fiancé and I had lunch here over the weekend. This place has 4 stars just because of the service we received, food-wise everything was good except l the steak roll was ok (personal preference), and the chicken was dry. Our waiter was super friendly and attentive, checking up and making sure we had everything. It's cute inside; if you have a big group, I would recommend calling after it's not too big inside. You should definitely dine in when you eat here; it's not the same when doing takeout. Now let's get to the food. The dumplings were the best thing we ordered; they were so flavorful and juicy we could've ordered 2 more of them. As for the shrimp tempura, it was fresh and crispy no greasy feeling to it. It had a thicker layer of breading than traditional tempura, but I'm not complaining haha. Next is the sirloin steak and guacamole cut roll; if you want sushi but are not a fan of raw fish, this is a good roll to get. The steak bao was good; the flavor had a hint of spiciness from the Korean marinade; the lettuce added a good freshness and crunch to it. The crispy chicken bao was ok; it had a good light breading on it, but the chicken itself was dry. Japanese chicken curry had a great flavor to it; I recommend getting it with rice and not noodles to soak up the curry. Overall we would definitely come back to try other items from the menu. read more

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Yo listen I've been wanting to check out this place for so long and it did not disappoint in the slightest. Called at 11 wasn't sure id get a reservation on the same day for a Friday night. They got us in no problem. Got there right on time and they were a little behind which was totally understandable because they were slammed. As soon as we were greeted someone was so polite and got us seated right away. We sat at a little table for two chairs are super comfy. My friend had a rose draft and I had the lychee bubble tea with passion fruit boba and it was so freaking good. For apps we had the Spicy edamame and a pork belly bao bun which were both A+. We split 4 rolls doing an eel roll, spicy tuna, shrimp tempura avocado spicy tuna, and the salmon skin per our servers recommendation. Though all were delicious the standout for us was the eel roll which actually has almond slivers which give it the perfect crunch texture. 10/10. We were feeling the vibes and decided in dessert. We had a match cheesecake with a chocolate topping to perfectly balance the bitterness. A banana Nutella peanut butter crushed Oreo bao bun that was perfectly sweet and salty. Lastly we had an Uber mochi. This place is a freaking gem and the service was top notch. If you're a sushi lover this place is easily one of the best of the Burgh. read more

Best, most delicious sushi I have ever had. Will definitely come back. Spicy scallop amazing. read more

Loved this place! Super cute and reasonable and an extensive menu! Their lunch special is great too, highly recommend! read more

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The guy who helped me was very nice, but the sushi was not great. I don't understand why the ratings are so high. read more

Mola - Yellowtail Jalapeño CR, Spicy Bluefin Tuna CR with avocado. The guy who helped me was very nice, but the sushi was not great. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I stopped in here for lunch after learning that it has recently opened. The restaurant is very small but has a full bar and have happy hour specials. Outside on a chalkboard they have their daily specials. A very pleasant waitress helped me with the menu. I learned that their rice bowls come with white rice. You can order their specialty rice for $1.50 upcharge. I decided to go with the miso soup and follow it with mola style vegetables. The latter would be listed under small plates but she told me the portion size was pretty good. I asked about gluten free and vegan options. They have plenty or gluten free items and maybe one item can be made vegan. Otherwise wherever you see a "v" on the menu it means vegetarian. Take out is available. Preparation takes time so be prepared to wait. I received a generous size bowl of the miso soup. In it are seaweed, tofu, and scallions. It was served piping hot. The soup didn't have a lot of the items noted in it but it was a flavorful broth. After my waitress asked me how I liked it I mentioned that fact to her. She explained that miso is a fish based broth and that's mostly what it is. Afterwards I got the mola style vegetables. These consisted of lotus root, snow peas, wood ear, and enoki mushrooms, and tofu skin. Now this was a real treat since it had a different taste to it yet it was very good. I declined the Vero bottled waters since I thought $7.00 was a lot to spend on that and settled for regular water instead. Teas average around $3.75 each and there is a slight up-charge if you wanted bubbled, lactose free, or milk. The place is very clean and you are given the choice to eat either with chopsticks or regular utensils. Mola is located in the East Liberty business district almost directly across from Zeke's coffee. Metered street parking is available outside or around the perimeter. read more

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It was not bad. The problem is the restaurant is a little small and they don't have special sushi rolls. They tasted okay but nothing exciting. The dishes are not explained well on the menu and there aren't enough pictures on google either. The price was a little more than it's supposed to be. I have to say I had bao which was the best bao I ve had so far (Korean style). The waitress was wearing a mask she was hard to hear properly although she was super nice. That is why I suggest a better menu and more pictures. One roll and one appetizer is definitely not enough for one person, so be ready to get at least two rolls or a bowl. read more

Absolutely amazing, done-in or delivery. The food is prepared well and preserved well during delivery. The rice is cooked perfect and cooled down perfect. My favorite sashimi place in town. read more

Mola - Chirashi Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This is exactly what Pittsburgh needed -- a fun, cheerful place with next-level sushi. The pork dumplings were the best I've ever had. Fish quality is super high. Selection of sushi, sashimi and nigiri is just right -- interesting and tempting, but not exhausting -- and still leaving diners ready to come back for more. Same thing with wines -- not extensive, but good and interesting! Desserts were amazing and completely unexpected for a sushi place. Service was friendly and efficient. The small place has a nice bar and a lively vibe. The only thing missing us a kitchen counter to sit at facing the open kitchen. read more

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Mola is incredible. My friends and I go here every Saturday. Their sushi is among the best in the city, their staff is incredibly attentive and friendly, and their prices are great. What more could you ask for? My go-to dishes are the sushi regular and the crispy chicken bao. I also love some of the more detailed nuances to their food - as an example, their rice is exceptional; they get the rice / vinegar ratio perfect. Also, I love how they incorporate wasabi directly into the sushi dish itself. Blue crab hand roll - basically a religious experience. Tuna - tender and amazing. Salmon - savory, flavorful, and fresh. Chrispy chicken bao - if you're not into this tasty little sandwich you should probably see a doctor bc something is wrong with you. read more

So yummy! I loved the food here. Extremely tasty. We had great service. A very clean restaurant as well! They had a large selection of food and drinks to try from! read more

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I live close by, so we decided we should check this place out. First Impressions: It was busy on a Friday night (not surprised, the talk has been pretty positive since opening). We were told it was going to be a 15-20 min wait. There are 3 tables that sit 4+ people, 2 tables that sit 2 and then a bar facing the kitchen and the bar facing the tvs (seating for about 15 more people at bar tops). We were waiting when a bar facing the tv's opened up so we opted for that instead of waiting. The staff was on top of things but you could tell they were just slammed, however, they were handling things well. Their cocktail specials were primarily on the sweeter or spicy side, I didn't see any that were just an old fashioned or manhattan without a sweet twist on it. I opted to just go for the wine. Since this was a our first time there we kept it simple. Ordered to rolls and a pork bao. The pork bao was incredible and we were very pleased, I can't wait to try the others. The rolls were also both very good. We had the crunchy spicy tuna and the ahimi roll. I have never had ahimi before and I wanted to try it. It was so good! It's a vegan substitute for ahi tuna, made primarily from tomatoes and I could not believe the flavor. I am not even vegan, but it's worth trying. The only thing with the rolls that I think they should change is the portions. As noted in the photo they just cut it in half. I think in 1/3rds would be a lot more user friendly. To try to eat in one bite is a bit much but to try to cut it into half with your mouth or with a knife just destroys the whole roll. I get not trying to have it in small pieces but it was just a bit difficult. I think over time the staff will get a bit more adjusted to how popular the place is and have a better feel of things but overall solid place. I will be back to try more. read more

Mola - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Wow! Drove in from Philly for a college visit. Blown away by the quality of the food, the fun atmosphere and terrific service thanks to Greg. Sushi combo platter great value super fresh, salmon poke bowl terrific and phenomenal sake. read more

honestly! some of the best sushi we've had and we've had a lot! we have had sushi coast to coast. It's comparable to some of the better places in San Fransisco. The rolls are a decent size for the price. The pork bao buns are worth a try!! best we've had in Pittsburgh to be honest! The crunchy tuna was my favorite and the unagi almond roll was my partners favorite. super creative combos! read more

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(pre-pandemic) I walked past Mola and its eye catching exterior almost daily, so I finally decided to give it a shot. I didn't order a full meal (just a drink and chicken bao), but my experience was very positive! I sat at the bar which hit the chord of elegant yet casual. On top of that, the employees were extremely friendly and easy to talk to. In short, Mola would be a great place for a happy hour. I hope to be back after the pandemic to have a full meal and enjoy some drinks! read more

Mola - Crispy Chicken Bao - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania