Definitely one of the best sushi spots around. Made an order for pick up by phone. This place is always busy so I recommend ordering ahead of time. Ordered the usual items, garlic edamame which is a busy, and then the bts roll and dantes inferno. Everything was great. Tasted fresh. This place will always be my go to for fresh sushi. read more

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Sushi restaurant or a nightclub? My friend and I decided to go for a night out Downtown. When we arrived at about 7:00pm, we were told there would be about an hour wait. Despite this long wait, there were actually quite a few empty tables, but was overall still very busy. When you put yourself on the waitlist, they notify you through text when your table is ready. This gave us ample time to walk around Downtown while we waited. When we received the table-ready text (just short of an hour later), we were sat quickly in a nice U-shaped booth. This seating arrangement felt a bit awkward for a party of two, especially if you are sharing food. The booth is too big to be sitting close enough to reach but too small to not feel awkward. It is perfect for people watching though since the booths face the entire restaurant. By this time, the restaurant was completely packed, with just about every booth, table, and barstool occupied. Our waiter came quickly to take our drink orders. We got a Cucumber Martini and an Espresso Martini. The Cucumber Martini was incredibly light and refreshing. The Espresso Martini was not impressive. It didn't have a strong espresso flavor and was rather watery, but still alright. This is the type of restaurant, that especially on busy nights like this where they don't accept reservations, you should allocate a lot of time for the dinner service for. There is a significant time gap between each time the waiter comes around to take your order. There was probably 15-20 minutes between placing our drink, appetizer, and meal orders. This was not a problem for us, but if you are eating here before making a show at the Gallo Center, this may be something to consider. For our appetizer, we ordered the Salmon Ceviche. It was insanely good. It was subtly spicy and citrusy. The chips that came with it were light and not oily at all. I wish the portion was larger because the two of us swallowed it up in just a few bites. For our entree, we got the Salmon Tataki and Goodi Rolls to split. They were both very good and came out on a lovely platter. They tasted very fresh and high quality. The prices here are on the higher side but is nice for a special occasion or splurge. Our server was very attentive and checked on us often. He was super friendly too. The restaurant was super lively. They were playing club music which was totally a vibe. It looked like this was the spot people hit before going out for the night. I noticed they were accommodating for both small and large parties, serving both rather quickly. I'll be back! read more

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We wanted to try the restaurant and arrived before opening time. We frequently attend shows at the Gallo and this restaurant is easily within walking distance. The dinner hours begin at 5pm. We sat in the empty outdoor dining area in front of the restaurant and there was music playing. We presumed it was piped outside from inside the restaurant. Whether or not the music selection is made by restaurant staff, management needs to look into changing the selection or if it was purely for the enjoyment of staff while the restaurant was closed, shut off the outside speakers. What really caught our ear was the male singer repeating singing that "even my hoes have hoes". At the volume that the music was at, it simply wasn't tolerable. Am I a prude? I don't think anyone that knows me would say so. But do I want myself or my wife to be subjected to crude lyrics masquerading as a song? No, thank you. read more

Raw is solid for a nicer dinner downtown. Food is consistent and delicious. The setting is upbeat and lively. read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Dante's Inferno Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

Raw Sushi is a great place with great food. Love the atmosphere. Their cocktails are also delicious. My favorite roll is the Dante's Inferno Roll but I also love the BTS Roll and SCS Roll. Their garlic edamame is also great! The only problem with this place is that wait times can be very long, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Expect to wait for about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. That's because this place is quite popular. Overall, I highly recommend this place but be prepared to wait a bit especially if you're coming during busy times. read more

Such good food and service the rolls and entrees are great! Definitely a place to check out

Place is super busy. Host was very nice though. They will call you when your table is ready. Waitress didn't seem very happy and was super emotionally so didn't quite set the scene for the place. Probably would've had a better time and stayed longer if we had a different waitress. Food is OK. The teriyaki chicken seemed to have a lot of sauce on it though I didn't quite enjoy it as much. They have a heavy pour on the drink so that's always a good thing. The roll in the picture I honestly can't remember what it was. again it was just OK. read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Dirty martini - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

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We made a reservation for Valentine's day. It's highly recommended. The restaurant was packed. We have a favorite booth that we love to sit at. It happened to open up and we ended up there. It worked out perfectly! read more

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We always love being able to get out to Raw for a date night. Definitely recommend getting a reservation and try to get the side room if you have a hard time hearing over crowds. Dante roll is the best read more

Best sushi in stanislaus county! Love this place! Always a great meal whether for lunch or dinner. Love that they are open Monday nights which is perfect for those business dinners that are looking for something different than a typical upscale steak dinner. I absolutely love the appetizers. The spicy edamame is out of this world tasty along with the yellow tail razor. Both home runs. I always love the mixed sushi plate and for rolls the Dante's Inferno is the best roll of all time at any sushi restaurant I have ever been to in my lifetime. No exaggeration here. The best ever! For drinks love the cold sake and my go to wine is the Rombauer Chardonnay which pairs well with the meal. Service is always on point too. People are friendly and fast. One time is all it takes to experience the charm and appeal for this sushi restaurant and will keep you coming back over and over again. read more

We come here pretty frequently but finally got to sit at the bar this time and let me tell you it was better than sitting at a table. Our server (Sarah) was very tentative and made sure we were fine. The drinks were delicious and so was the food. The other times we came we sat on a table but the servers don't really come check on us. We will definitely be trying to sit at the bar and requesting the same bartender especially because she made good drinks. read more

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Im soo happy to have finally found my go to spot for Sushi locally!!! We moved to Modesto from LA 2yrs ago amd we had been looking for a local sushi place, tried others that people suggested but nothing would hit the spot! My coworker recommended I come here and honestly kudos to her!! We got there 10mins before opening on a Friday night and there were 4 parties ahead of us already! We were seated promptly once they opened our waiter was attentive and efficient. The rolls were delicious, the garlic edamame was soo flavorful! 10/10! Lights are dimmed, it's pretty loud in there but didn't bother us. They have a full bar, they do not have any dessert options bummer! We will definitely be returning! read more

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Use to love this place. Now it's expensive, loud, and routine. The automatic 20% tip meant the waitress earned $20 for each time she came to the table. read more

Came here for lunch after work. I ordered the gin drink, I believe called the Spritz. It was strong! I ordered the California Roll and the crunchy rainbow roll. Both were yummy and filling. We loved eating here. Can't wait to try more rolls next time. P.S. the Japanese version of pot stickers were good. read more

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Celebrating a birthday in the 209, Raw Sushi seems to be a spot that a lot of locals frequent, and I get why, the food is solid! We came on a weekend, and the wait time was around 45 minutes for dinner. If you are able to snag a reservation, it's definitely worth it because this place gets packed. With the wait, we started with some drinks at the bar. Modelos are like $6.50 and cocktails are around $15-20. The jalapeno margarita isn't overly spicy but they are strong. Opt for a salt or tajin rim for some extra flavor. Once we sat down, we ordered the spicy edamame for the table to share. And I don't know what they put in that sauce, but damn, I crave these edamame all the time. Good balance of spicy and creamy, 1000% recommend. For dinner my SO and I split a chicken katsu plate and their dante's inferno roll. The chicken katsu was good, although I wish they offered a pork tonkatsu instead. The plate comes with a generous side salad and rice. The dantes inferno roll was just as good as last time. The crispy fried jalapenos are a nice touch. It's one of those rolls that we order every time we visit. If you look at the pricing, it seems kinda steep for the 209, but I think the portion sizes more than make up for it. The portions are huge and most things are enough for two meals for smaller appetites. This is one of those spots that I wouldn't hesitate visiting or recommending if you find yourself in the area. read more

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If you want to take your significant other out for a nice intimate dinner, this is not the place. Heard that this place had great food so I wanted to take my wife out for a nice dinner date. Even though the waitlist was about an hour we decided to wait. It was obvious how loud this place was as soon as we walked in. We were seated next to a table of 8 individuals. Immediately after being seated it was apparent that this table were be extra loud and belligerent, specifically one of the guys. We politely asked the waiter if we could be moved to a table away from this party. Even another table next to us asked to be moved. The waiter was able to move the table of 4 sitting next to us to another table but informed us that he was not able to find a table for us. By the time our food came out we were so fed up with this large party next to us being so loud and obnoxious, that we just told the waiter to box our food up. I'd rather just enjoy my food in the comfort of my home. We couldn't enjoy ourselves. Just observing other tables around this loud table it was apparent that we weren't the only ones displeased with how loud they were being. I wish the management had a little more control of their establishment when it comes to situations like this. Food was ok, not good enough to put up with the environment you are trying to enjoy it in. read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Chicken Katsu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

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I got the fried Philadelphia roll and it looked like this. Very disappointing. The garlic edamame was really good though. read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Fried Philadelphia Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

Everything you order here is delicious! Atmosphere is awesome! Staff is friendly some more than others, drinks are top shelf! Great place to socialize enjoy good food and good company!! read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Green tea mixer/ jalapeño margarita - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

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I can't believe it's taken me this long to write this review. There are not enough letters and words to describe Raw. I'm from LA and I can embarrassingly say I've tried the most bougie sushi there and NONE OF THEM compare to Raw. Everytime I have sushi in LA now, I always say, "this was not as good as Raw." Firstly, Bea, Angelo, and Vo are our favorites. We love seeing them, talking to them, and just having a good time with them. When they aren't there, it makes me sad. The other bartenders and chefs are also amazing too! Everyone is always on point and so friendly. Secondly, the atmosphere can be sexy and casual at the same time. We've gone there dressed up for date night and chill for a quick dinner. It's always clean and spacious. Cocktails are all delicious. Not overly sweet. They have an amazing variety of everything. We love their sake selection, liquor choices, and wines. Never any complaints with beverages. End your meal with an espresso martini bc they don't have dessert here. The martini is the best way to end your meal for a sweet-fix. Food is PHENOMENAL. I can't even suggest anything bc it's all delicious. But some of my go-to dishes are the garlic spicy edamame, fried oysters, uni (to die for), Dante's Inferno (have Vo lather it with buldak sauce), lomi lomi, yellowtail hand roll, oyster shooters, and if you want something cooked, the salmon teriyaki is pretty good! All their sashimi is so fresh. You can't go wrong with a platter of the chef's choice. We always make sure to come here when I'm back in town. I love it. See you guys again. Get those tequila shots chilled for us, Angelo. ;) read more

Arrived around 630 and it was busy! Busy but we only waited like 15 min or less? Server was attentive, she was very nice. Food was amazing and I love how they put all your rolls in one big plate aha. read more

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Sooo goood! We went to Raw for a work lunch meeting around 11:30am-12pm and were seated immediately. Our server was very attentive and kind. Our appetizers were brought out really quickly and the restaurant started to fill up fast, as it's located downtown. Popular place to have lunch in the area. I think it's definitely a cute location for a date night, great ambiance and good bar selection too! Overall as a group we rate it a 4.5. read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Chicken Teriyaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

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We walked in and the place looked packed, with no reservation we thought we were out of luck, but the place is bigger than I thought and we were seated right away. Raw Sushi is a great place for sushi and hot entrees. We loved everything we had and will be back. The service was just wonderful. Our server was so kind and spent time explaining the menu to us. We wanted to try quite a few things and did. Our food was brought pretty fast, but we were never rushed. All of it was grand. The place is so cute and super clean. They take really good care of it. We parked on the street with no problem. We had the Nigira and Roll combination and it was super. It had 5 pieces and we had a great California roll with it. We also had fried oyster and loved that as well. All so very fresh. We tried several of their house rolls; BTS, salmon and tuna steak and found them super yummy. The snow crab California rolls were among our favorite ones. You get a decent amount of crab. We also had entrees of sesame chicken and grilled salmon. Now, these were the best of the night for us. The salmon was perfect as was the chicken. The prices are fair for all you get and we just really had a great time. read more

Back in Modesto for the summer visiting some friends and family. Had to return to Raw, it's one of the better sushi places in Modesto! Get the garlic edamame and I like the Dante's inferno roll. Previous times I've also had the bacon wrapped asparagus which is yummy. Great quality, worth the price, best quality sushi in Modesto and wonderful atmosphere read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

Came on a Saturday night with 2 girlfriends. I would suggest reservations because we had a 45 minute wait. They did let us order drinks from the bar and wait outside with them. I tried the mango sunrise, which was delicious! Once sat, we had the spicy garlic edamame and calamari. Both were super delicious. The edamame sauce was so garlicky and creamy. The calamari was perfectly crisp and tender. For my roll, I tried the BTS. This roll was fried smoked salmon and cream cheese, topped with tuna, Hamachi, salmon, tomatoes, red onions and tobiko. I've never had fresh tomato on a sushi roll before. My friends got the scs (tempura asparagus and spicy tuna with spicy scallops, spicy tuna, avocado, spring mix and tobiko) and the Dante's inferno (shrimp tempura and avocado with sesame seared tuna, fresh salmon, fried jalapeños and tobiko) I tried all of them and thought they were all really good. We also got a bottle of lychee sake. This sake is dangerous because it's so light and goes down easy. You get a nice lychee flavor. read more

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Came here on a Saturday night. It was definitely busy. We waited for close to an hour. But the service was great and we were able to get drinks at the bar while we waited! The conversations were good and the drink was flowing So at some point I realized this is like a sister restaurant to the one in Elk Grove! Anyways food is amazing. Vibes is amazing. It's smaller on the inside but still plenty of seating and tons of Saki options of course. Highly recommend read more

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We have eaten at raw a few times over the years. Each time, we were left flat by the experience. The food is decent, the atmosphere is fine - the service, however, leaves you with the impression that you are fortunate to be there. This isn't isolated, we have literally felt this way every time. Invariably, a year or two go by and we decide 'maybe it was just us' and give it another try, only to be disappointed. This time around, we didn't get a chance to let the food offset the experience. We made a reservation at opening for (what we thought) was Saturday - we arrived to find out that they don't do weekend reservations - even though the site we used didn't make this clear (not Yelp), it just defaulted to Monday. The hostess handled the issue like it was common and was 'fake apologetic'. She said there was a minimum of a 45 minute wait. Now....that is fine, but I counted no less than 6 tables set and open throughout the space - perhaps light staff... whatever. We asked if we could eat at the bar, as there were 5+ seats available. She said sure and we walked over to discover reserved signs on all 5 spots - and a grinning sushi chef repeating the word sorry (no explanation). We went down the road. So here is the thing - you can choose to not offer reservations on certain nights - be clear about it - don't blame it on Yelp. However, if you claim no reservations - you should probably take the reserved signs off the bar - while it is your option to do a 'cool kids club' - or whatever the rationale is for such nonsense - you will certainly do more damage to potential regular customers. This is Modesto, not the bay. You certainly won't have an issue with us or our family - that little voice about service we have heard for years is now locked in read more

Good food good service good ambiance welcoming employees food tastes great I will come back to eat here

Great food and great atmosphere. For the best sushi in town with great atmosphere this is the place to come to.

I must say that this review is challenging to write, as the sushi chefs, waitress, and waiters have generally been accommodating to us in the past. Unfortunately, my recent experiences with the hostess have been subpar. On a daddy-daughter date with my daughter, we were left waiting for over an hour to be seated, despite multiple parties arriving after us being accommodated. Disappointed, I considered leaving, but I didn't want to upset my daughter, so we opted to sit at the bar instead. Regrettably, we were not acknowledged, nor did we receive an explanation. Next two times same thing dispute reservation service needs to do better very disappointed. read more

Had lunch here today finally. What a great place. We arrived around noon and were greeted and seated immediately. It wasn't packed but it was lively and filling up for the lunch time rush. We tried the garlic edimame and i highly recommend it. I've never seen this somewhere but they were delicious and lots of them as well. For the main roll i got the spicy dragon and hamachi ngiri. Both were fantastic. Wife got a spicy tuna handroll which was packed full of tuna. She enjoyed her meal as well. I think her roll was named tataki something. The service was also great. I didnt get their name (sorry) but we never needed anything and she checked in on us mulitple times. Price was a little high but i feel it is more than fair for quality of food and service. We'll definitely be back. read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Garlic Edimame appetizer. Spicy tuna handroll. and i forget the roll. Tataki something. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

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Pretty good sushi, a bit pricey. Fun vibe. Service is good. Gets busy, you may want reservations!

I waited two hours for my family of three to be seated despite having a reservation. Once they saw I was upset, they quickly brought out my food to prevent losing my business. The food was okay, but the portions were smaller than during my previous visit. Additionally, they dared to include a gratuity, which I believe was uncalled for. I only tip when the service is exceptional and exceeds expectations. It felt inappropriate for staff, including the owner, to pressure customers into tipping, especially with poor service. Tipping culture seems to have gotten out of hand; I prefer to tip only when the service is flawless. Making customers wait two hours for three people is unacceptable. Servers should be properly paid without feeling pressured to accept tips for subpar service. While the food is good, their reservation and party organization need improvement. read more

The food and the atmosphere were both really good. I liked the pickled wasabi our waiter recommended, delicious. We got the rainbow roll and the spicy tuna roll and they were both high quality, we also liked the miso soup and the veggie tempura. I would recommend making a reservation or getting your name on the wait-list a while before you want food, the wait for us was around an hour at 6:15. read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Veggie tempura, rainbow roll, spicy tuna roll. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

The food is amazing here. Only con is that you have to wait in like a two hour wait list to get a seat. But well worth the food you're about to eat. read more

I have mixed feelings about this place. First of all, it's too dark. I get it. They want you to know that you're in a fancy place. But it felt pretentious for lunch. My salad, California Roll, and Crunchy Roll were good but forgettable. There wasn't enough crunch in the Crunchy Roll. The little bit of crunch felt stale. They are overpriced, but it's expected in this area. Our server seemed nervous or uncomfortable. We're friendly ladies; not sure why he was so tense. I loved the company (my BFF). :-) Her chicken was pretty good. read more

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Best sushi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Raw is always best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look at my mans face cheesy as ever read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Best sushi around look at my man so happy, his face doesn't lie!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

Raw Sushi is the best sushi spot in town -- fresh food, amazing cocktails, and a great vibe. What really made our visit unforgettable was the exceptional service we got at the bar from Matt. He was friendly, fast, and incredibly attentive. When I asked if a roll was fried, he said no -- but offered to fry it for me! That kind of service, especially at the bar vs. a seated table, is next-level. We'll definitely ask for Matt again next time. He deserves a raise! read more

Made a reservation for 5:15pm and got here at 4:50pm and there was already a line forming when they open at 5pm. Great, fast service. Appetizers came out fast. Rolls were delicious. The restaurant filled up within 1 hour and the ambiance was amazing . Make a reservation if you don't want to wait! read more

Raw Sushi Bistro - Dante's Inferno Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

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Raw sushi has delicious food . The ambience is really nice and it's always clean. But I find it really expensive. But the people are friendly, customers service is always the best . read more

Service and food was absolutely terrible. We had chicken teriyaki dinner and the chicken was dry. The sauce was nasty. The salad was blah and the rice was way too much and dry. Our waitress couldn't look us in our eyes when we ordered our food. Very unfriendly acted like she couldn't be bothered and was acting like she'd rather not be there . We didn't finish our dinners. They were nasty and we asked for the bill. She never asked us how her food was never ask us if we wanted to take our food with us which we wouldn't have. We're never going back there. We used to go there years ago, but when Hokee and Korean barbecue opened up, we started going there way different atmosphere there people very friendly that work there. Food was a very delicious and when our food came, it was always professionally done and serve right . The owner Annie personally knew all her customers and always bubbly and friendly . She had to close her restaurant down because of her rent got too high. She is going to open at the restaurant eventually and we will be back. read more