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    River Japanese Cuisine

    2.9 (405 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed 11:30 am - 10:30 pm

    Order River Japanese Cuisine Takeout or Delivery

    River Japanese Cuisine Photos

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    RIVER JAPANESE CUISINE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - River Japanese Cuisine

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    I have been eating at River for many years and went here over a dozen times. It was a great AYCE spot. Keyword was. Most recently, the experience declined dramatically. The restaurant was understaffed. On Mother's Day there were 2 waitresses for an entire floor that was half full. The dirty dishes and garbage accumalated at my table to a point that I never experienced before at a restaraunt. Presumably the kitchen was understaffed too because.... Some of the items, such as the relatively expensive mussels, that I ordered took 1.5 hours to come out. The expensive squid skewers were conveniently out of stock. I saw my table neighbor wait 30 mins for food. He looked unhappy. I saw a delivery guy waiting in the lobby for over 20 mins. He looked angry. Although we ordered non-stop, there was a good 15-20mins between orders where we had no food on the table. This is unacceptable at an AYCE that forces you to order instead of having a buffet. The sashimi and sushi also fell in quality and is sub-par compared to local AYCE peers such as Sushi Village in Bayside, The Buffet at College Point, or Akino, a block away, which I highly recommend. To add insult to injury, for my table of 2 -the bill came with a thinly veiled mandatory gratuity in the form of a service fee of 18%. Does the restaurant know the service is sub-par and so it puts a required tip without disclosing this beforehand? Goodbye River, forever.

    Dinner Salmon Teriyaki Box
    Noshin A.

    Awful service, unbelievably rude. They automatically charge 18% tip so they don't worry about having nasty attitudes. Food also made me feel sick. Avoid, avoid, avoid! I had to ask for the lunch menu, they wanted to hide it and charge dinner prices.... So shameful, please improve or leave the restaurant business to those that care.

    Alvin Z.

    Came for the ayce on a weekend night and it was roughly 50$ per person after tax and tip. Honestly, the quality wasn't really good and the rolls were just okay. The wasabi was weirdly blue and savory and nothing was good besides maybe the crazy dragon roll which was okay. The service was pretty bad but there wasn't even that many people. Overall, did not have a great experience.

    Jacklynn K.

    I went with my cousin tonight for AYCE sushi. We have both been here several times and enjoy the food. The interior is cute and cozy, nothing special really. I think the quality of the sushi is very good and I like the variety of the items on the AYCE menu. We ordered a variety of rolls and sashimi that were all delicious. I really like their special rolls like the pink girl roll or the rock and roll. The sashimi was really good and super fresh as well. I will say the service at times leaves a lot to be desired, but overall not too bad. I think the price is fair, the bill came out to $96 for AYCE for the two of us, including the automatic gratuity. I recommend this spot if you're in the area!

    Dish after you walk downstairs
    Miguel T.

    Came to queens for lunch with friends PARKING - like the city pretty nonexistent. LOL. Parked in the mall parking lot a few blocks from Main Street ENTRANCE - kind of tricky to find. Sort of a door on Main Street then walk down the stairs HOSTESS - very nice greeting but it really helps to have someone who speaks Chinese MENU - very high tech menu with a plethora of Japanese options. Took a bit to get it (I'm too old school), but it was kind of fun. The choices and options are wildly cool. SERVICE - the main waitress was a little hard but the bus waitress was nice - but quite. Our Chinese guide was a big help in translation. SUSHI - we sampled a bunch of stuff and all really good. Also tried the sashimi and that was great. PRICE - overall on the above average range. Beers are like $4. Sushi Sashimi for two like $58 Rating a solid 4

    Vince W.

    It's been quite a few years since I've been to this downtown Flushing location. I'm a regular at their Springfield Blvd location and sometimes even go to the Westbury, Long Island to go counter. Arrived at exactly 5:15 pm and wait by the front counter. Sushi chef sees me, makes eye contact but does not acknowledge or even gestures to any of the staff. I continue to stand there humming to myself bom bom bom doo doo dah lol. Finally, after another few minutes, I decided to call the restaurant from my phone and the ring could be heard throughout the restaurant as it was pretty empty. Finally, an employee comes to the front and picks up the phone. I said I'm here while looking looking at him. Don't worry, I'm still respectful. I get seated and have to wait another 5 to 7 minutes before anyone even checks on me. After ordering, the food is comparable to their other locations but I would say very slightly better. The decor here is definitely better as it got that darker tone with the dark wood look and lanterns. Feels more authentic. They even got giant DragonBall figures here. Kinda cool.

    This is my favorite place to eat some suchi to be honest I have been there like 7 or 10 times and I always love the place and the food the staff is friendly.

    Bad service terrible. Makes me sick to my stomach. I waited for a whole hour and 30 minutes just for fried Oreos and ice cream. That's absurd no matter what don't go here to ease sushi. You can have your toddler roll some sushi for you in the service and fish quality will be so much better. every sushi piece had shrimp as a filling so if you're coming here, you're just eating fried shrimp. I did not come here to eat all you can eat fried shrimp I asked the lady where my ice cream at. She gave me the nastiest look . The noodles were hard too.

    Paul T.

    Very good service. Food was fresh. Atmosphere is great. Good music and even though the place had a lot of customers the tables are spread apart enough that you can talk to your party without screaming at each other. Will come back. Good AYCE.

    Ice cream
    Sunny C.

    *bring cash for a 10% discount* Food was good, but service was not the best. It came out to $40 for the weekend lunch AYCE including tip. An automatic 18% service charge is included in the final bill, which may explain why the service was not great. We had some questions about what was being brought to the table and every time we said thank you, the staff never said "you're welcome". The sashimi was good, but the rolls had more rice than the last time I was here. Fried oysters, baked cheese mussels, and mushroom bacon wraps are new menu items. The kitchen specials come with 2 pieces per order, so be aware of that when you order! I enjoyed the cheese wontons, udon in soup, baked cheese mussels, and fried Oreos. We didn't love the fried oysters because they had a lot of breading.

    Potstickers
    Celena C.

    Decent place for AYCE sushi. I don't go to AYCE sushi that often, but I found the quality and options here to be not bad. I think this is a great place to go to if you like sushi rolls and are craving a lot of sushi. The only other AYCE sushi place I've been to is Akino, and I thought this place was much better in terms of sushi quality, ambiance, and the fact that they actually use reusable tableware (Akino produces so much plastic waste, and for that alone I support River more). I wouldn't recommend the hot dishes here like the teriyaki meats, fried rice/noodles, etc. The teriyaki chicken and salmon were bland and drenched in teriyaki sauce (the meat felt so separate from the sauce, like the meat wasn't cooked with any seasoning). The fried rice also was bland. Akino might be better for hot foods, but I like the sushi and variety of special rolls here a lot more. For the sushi rolls, the rice-to-filling ratio was great -- there wasn't a ton of rice, and the rice was cooked well. The food overall seemed fresh. The service wasn't bad. The waiters did their job. They just didn't say the names of the special rolls we ordered when they got here, and they lost track of 2-3 of the things we ordered. They also didn't seem too familiar with the menu items and how they were prepared. We ordered 5 special rolls, and they came with only 4. There was some confusion on which ones we already had because one of the rolls that came didn't seem to match the description of any of the rolls we had ordered. If they ran out of / replaced some ingredients, the chefs didn't communicate that with them before the waiters came with our food. I saw a lot of reviews complaining about the bad service, but the 2 waiters when we visited were nice and attentive, maybe because we came at an odd hour (2pm on a weekend) and they weren't too busy (the restaurant was only 30-40% full). The restaurant is located underground, but the ambiance wasn't bad. The seating area was clean, and the tables were nicely spaced out. Overall, I had a good dining experience here. Would definitely return if I was hungry and craving sushi!

    Hugo R.

    I don't come back here anymore!! They automatic add 18 percent on the check when they only run the food to your table !! Adding 18 percent is not good at all

    yummy food.
    Sammi W.

    Order lunch today and the shrimp tempura and one of the monster roll served feels like it was a days old. The beef was dry and tough to chew on, the vegetable soup had an odd smell and taste.

    Sushi & Sashimi for 2

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    River Japanese Cuisine Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - River Japanese Cuisine

    Is there indoor dining?

    Yes, there is indoor dining (As of mid August 2021)

    Is it reservation only?

    No

    How much is the all you can eat price on weekdays?

    Weekday LUNCH - $25.95 Weekday DINNER- $27.95… 

    Is the price for ayce sushi different for lunch or is it same throughout the day?

    Can't remember the exact prices, but ayce is definitely cheaper for lunch.

    View All 6 Questions

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    Akino

    Akino

    4.3
    (106 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Ordered: Thai Iced Tea (~$5)…read moreEdamame (~$6) Seaweed Salad (~$6) Kani Salad (~$6) 6pc Yellowtail Jalapeño (~$10) 10pc Salmon Sashimi (~$17) Party Box (~$90): 10pc Sushi (yellowtail, tuna, red snapper, shrimp, salmon), 10pc Sashimi (salmon, yellowtail, tuna), 4 Specialty Rolls (Dreamin, Phoenix, Stardust, Blissful) - Dreamin Roll: inside spicy salmon & avocado; topped with salmon & ikura - Phoenix Roll: inside spicy tuna & avocado; topped with tuna, jalapeño, sriracha - Stardust Roll: inside tuna, salmon, cucumber; topped with spicy scallop, spicy mayo - Blissful Roll: inside spicy scallop, cucumber; topped with yellowtail & lemon Aya's take: It's been YEARS since I've had Akino but they're still my favorite AYCE sushi spot in NYC. This was my first time at their Flushing location and this time, we ordered a la carte. You order on the iPad which has its pros & cons but overall was pretty simple. Their appetizers are well-priced and good portions at ~$6 each for the Edamame, Seaweed Salad, and Kani Salad. Their Seaweed Salad is delicious and is a must for me with sushi. The Kani Salad was also great but I'll probably try the spicy one next time for more flavor. The Yellowtail Jalapeño was fresh, bright, and slightly spicy. We got the Party Box which was perfect for sharing. Everything was beautifully presented, tremendously fresh, and full of flavor. My only complaint was that it wasn't served all together which I would've preferred and would've been a nicer presentation. The reason Akino is my favorite is their rice portion & fish quality! They don't try to overstuff you with carbs, their rolling technique is expert, and the fish is unbeatably fresh and good quality. All the rolls we got were delicious; I honestly can't pick a favorite and would get all 4 again. Amazing dinner!

    Was offered the dinner menu also at lunchtime - was told has more options like sashimi etc (have to…read moresee dinner list though). I can see the limitations in the lunch menu for us. After the first round, there were just a few items we wanted seconds of. We learned from our first visit so skipped some items like the fried special rolls. Forgot to try a handroll again. I appreciate that the menu indicates the number of pieces for most of the items. So when we asked for 1 calamari for example, we got just 1 piece. Less food wasted. Needs a dessert though, a little something at the end the meal. Staff member said they ran out. On our previous visit, at least got a Haagen Dazs ice cream bar, so disappointed there was nothing this time but lollipops.

    Photos
    Inside view
    Inside view
    Kani Salad (~$6)
    Kani Salad (~$6)
    Thai Iced Tea (~$5)

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    Thai Iced Tea (~$5)
    Iki Modern Japanese Cuisine

    Iki Modern Japanese Cuisine

    3.9
    (345 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    I went here trying to look for good lunch deals, and given that it was near my workplace, I decided…read moreto go check it out. The actual space is pretty nice and gives a family restaurant in a good way. It was a little awkward with the waitresses, who seemed to be on the quieter side, but nonetheless, they were kind. I got the abalone in the ponzu sauce ($8) and the wagyu beef sukiyaki lunch set ($21). The abalone was actually really good, and as my first time trying something like that, it was well worth it. The wagyu set was also pretty filling and very much worth the price. It came with a salad, an egg soufflé, sliced lotus root, pickled ginger, and rice. The actual sukiyaki was light and slightly sweet, but refreshing. I love that they packed it with vegetables in the sukiyaki. They even give you a complimentary ice cream at the end of your meal. The only thing that docked a point for me was that one other table, and I was the only one present at the restaurant, and there were two waitresses, and I believe another man was working, not too sure what his role was. All three of them would continuously check up on the other table, whereas I would have to flag them down if I needed anything. I noticed them making small conversation with the other table, but they would not really speak to me. It felt a little weird, given that we were the only two tables and somehow they had three people check up on them, and I had zero. The servers were still nice when I flagged them down, but it was just a little strange to be given that treatment. I'm hoping it was just an off day, as I do want to go back and try the other items. The menu was extensive, so I'm really interested in seeing what the other items are like.

    Love love love Iki for lunch! It's a peaceful beautiful restaurant in what can be a pretty hectic…read moredowntown area. I find the aesthetic and ambiance to be soothing. Most importantly is their food especially the chirashi/sushi bento boxes which comes with salad, egg custard, miso soup and small pickled sides. It's pretty filling. I always manage to finish everything but my mom who eats like a bird always has extra to bring home. Service is pretty good at restaurant.

    Photos
    Restaurant
    Restaurant
    Tuna sashimi to start
    Tuna sashimi to start
    Toro Taku Maki

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    Toro Taku Maki
    Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House

    Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House

    4.5
    (339 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    The food was excellent, the staff was excellent, and even the little mini food side quests were…read moreexcellent. The ambiance was adorable and made the whole experience even better. Special shoutout to our waiter -- we absolutely loved him! He made the visit feel extra welcoming and fun. 100% worth having the Chubby membership if you come here or to any Chubby restaurant Coming back soon!

    Our daughter took us here while we were visiting NY for her graduation for Wagyu Shabu. I normally…read moredon't like places with many prices, but since our daughter chose it so we enjoy with her. The prices on the windows are very confusing and more like false advertising for me, the lower prices are for the members which we're not since this is our first time and definitely our last, unless our daughter wants to come here again. So the price is the more expensive one. For me, I prefer straight forward pricing, so this didn't give me good vibes, it's not the money, just the way they advertising and we have to know what we can only have with the price we chose. The restaurant just gives us the specific menu for what we selected to have then we don't have to be denied for what we chose because we selected gold instead of top of the line menu. The place is clean and nice. For $78/per person and only have Australian Wagyu Beef (not really Wagyu) then it's over priced. We did have some premium beef which I liked because of the marble of fat on the beef quite tender and tasty, but only a sampler or whatever they called it. Service with one person is quite inadequate but she's very attentive and pleasant, since she had to run the whole restaurant, sometimes forgets things. The tomato broth was good and everyone liked it. The seafood plate is OK and our sweet shrimps are sweet. Some snow crab legs, jumbo shrimps, fish fillets, nothing to make me go wow. The appetizers tempura is crispy and good. The raw octopus is tasty. The vegetables are fresh and clean. After they denied me the premium beef sampler, I let my daughter to order everything else and I just enjoyed with the family. My daughter seemed to be happy and ate a lot, so I was happy. I've eaten enough shabu, hot pot to know that Australian or American Wagyu are overrated, many of them are tough and chewy, not as tender as normal ribeyes or Brisket that I like. This restaurant Wagyu beef does have marbles of fat in it, so it's tender and not so chewy. So, for the GOLD menu, I don't think it's worth the $78 but for special occasions, it's OK. I just don't like the confusion of many menu, many prices, and not getting my own menu and get denied for something on the menu because I didn't pay enough.

    Photos
    Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House
    Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House
    Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House

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    River Japanese Cuisine - japanese - Updated August 2026

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