I usually have a magical ability to select a good restaurant by glancing at the facade, but my instinct just wasn't sure about this place and I walked past many times without considering it. That was a big mistake. My friend was in the mood for fish and we also wanted to visit a couple of the galleries on Santa Fe Drive, so we took a chance for an early dinner. We were amply rewarded--the food was terrific, the space was comfortable, and the service was efficient and friendly. There's a small sushi bar at the entrance and a large, covered and enclosed patio to the south of the building (warm weather use only). You can't see the main dining room from the street, but it is tucked in the back of the building. The menu is not huge, but there's a good selection of starters/small plates, an interesting selection of entrées, plus fried rice and ramen options. There are multiple vegetarian choices in every part of the menu. The raw menu includes 26 sushi/sashimi choices, 26 regular rolls, eight vegetable rolls, and ten special rolls. Everything we tried was fresh and delicious. The seaweed salad was particularly good. The Unagi (freshwater eel) was extremely tender and flavorful. We also tried the Dragon Roll and the flavor and texture combination was great. Our other nigiri selections were beautifully sliced and at the peak of perfection. The place was totally packed by 6:00 p.m., but the service continued to be attentive and fast. We had a really great time and the bill was very reasonable. Give this place a try! read more

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This was a great dinner. I appreciated that there were plenty of vegetarian options (and not just bland cucumber rolls)--having a delicious and large tofu roll, large veggie roll, and fresh avocado roll left me full and happy! The service was friendly, and the atmosphere was lovely with outdoor seating and plenty of space on the table and between each party. So glad we tried this place out! read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Came here just after 7pm on a Friday and got seated immediately. The restaurant is very clean with a relaxed, casual atmosphere, and the service was very quick! We tried a variety of rolls including salmon avocado, Philly, unagi, red dragon, Orenji, and an order of gyoza to start. Everything was enjoyable, but the Philly roll and salmon avocado roll stood out the most. The fish was fresh, the flavors were balanced, and nothing felt heavy or overdone. It's not trying to be over-the-top by any means it's just solid sushi at a fair price point. Would definitely return! read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Such a gem! The fish was fresh, rich, and buttery, and everything was prepared with care. For how casual and easygoing the vibe is, the quality of the sushi is impressive and the prices are very reasonable. The staff was friendly and attentive, and the whole experience felt relaxed and welcoming. It's the perfect spot to enjoy top-notch sushi without the hassle of reservations. We'll definitely be back to try more + the happy hour! read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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We recently discovered Rocky Yama through Yelp reviews. What a great find! We came before seeing a play at the Buell and it was a great place for happy hour. The service was so friendly and quick. From the outside, it looked empty but once inside, we saw almost all the tables were full in the back room. Tables are clean and we sat in the half booth. We loved the BOGO wine and sake and beer options. The sushi was fresh. Lots of rolls to choose from. The hamachi collar was one of my favorites. I probably would order my own next time! The orenji roll and tempura shrimp were delicious. I tried the fatty tuna piece and it melted in my mouth. We will think of this place everytime we are craving sushi! Parking is easy along the street and we don't mind walking a block or two after a full meal. read more

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We had such a lovely dinner at Rocky Yama. The sushi was excellent and at a fair price. I wish I had found this place sooner. Service was charming and ambiance was nice. Firecracker roll was my favorite but the maguro sushi was also delicious. read more

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Great happy hour menu! Our food took quite a while to come out last night, but the restaurant was packed in the tables section. Prices are super reasonable + I would go back again. read more

Portions were great here. Went with 2 friends and we had a little bit of everything. I had heard of this spot before and was thrilled at the chance to finally try it out for myself. I think it is a good mid tier sushi spot here in Denver. Everything was good but no wow factor. Solid but not my favorite. read more

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My husband and I frequent Rocky often. I crave it regularly-- some of the best sushi I've had in general (and definitely in Denver). Everything is always so fresh and delicious, regardless of eating in restaurant or by delivery. I've been obsessed since they opened less than a decade ago. The flavors all go so well together and rolls are so perfectly crafted -- rolls never fall apart and are always a perfect bite. Service is always excellent as well-- we love chatting with the owners when we are there and service from others is excellent. I personally love the ambiance -- can come in casually and have an incredible meal and it's inviting + relaxing while there. The special BonBon roll is one of my favorites, it has torched salmon on top which is simply delectable. read more

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BIG FAN. Stopped in for sushi happy hour and was so pleased with quite a few GF options!! Enjoyed a rainbow roll and tuna roll, as well as fresh edamame. Efficient and kind service too. read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Rainbow Roll - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

We came here on the recommendation of a friend. We were here twice at lunchtime. We are very particular about our sushi so I will qualify why we gave so many stars on this review. This is a place you can come to often and get your money's worth of good sushi. We ordered the Hamachi Kama (yellowtail collar) which was quite sizable and well prepared. We also ordered an unagi on rice which well prepared. The best roll they have is the Samurai roll if you like fresh flavors. Rex the owner is personable and attentive to his customers. I would recommend this place is you are looking for solid, every day sushi that will satisfy you, but might not excite you. read more

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Sushi so good it gave me emotional support for the dance floor. Went to Rocky Yama Sushi with a crew of 6 for happy hour on a Saturday (yes, apparently miracles do happen), and we were seated immediately. First green flag. The second were the prices. Absolutely unbeatable for any sushi place you can find in Colorado. Not to mention the menu was massive. I got miso soup, a soft-shell crab tempura roll, negitoro roll, seared toro nigiri, and a spicy scallop roll, and it was just the right amount to fuel me through a night of dancing, loud music, and questionable decisions. The sushi was fresh, delicious, and just melts in your mouth, which was unbelievable considering the insanely good prices. The hot sake was smooth and BOGO. I didn't even realize I forgot to feed my phone first before digging until a day later LOL. Best part is that I didn't feel like I had to dress up like I was meeting the CEO of Japan. Chill vibes, great food, and my wallet didn't cry afterward. Will absolutely be back for more! read more

First time. Food was good. Ordered sushi as well as sashimi. The portions of sashimi were quite small and not a good value. The sushi was more generous portions but once again it wasn't a good value for what we received. The ambiance is nice as was the service. We went out and bought snacks after the meal. I hope they increase their portion sizes or they may struggle to stay in business. read more

I showed up hungry ready to slam some fish and got exactly what I needed. Fresh delicious sushi hit the spot. Overall an amazing experience. We sat at the sushi bar with Luis. He has some great recommendations and could not have been nicer. We came here for lunch and they had some pretty awesome lunch specials - can't beat the price for the quality. . read more

Their food is always top tier quality and I went to the happy hour earlier this week with a gal pal. It's a great neighborhood spot

Explored the beautiful Santa Fe art district on foot and came to Rocky Yama Sushi. The first thing that impressed me is people hanging out and bantering with the sushi chefs! What a great vibe! I sat at the bar and enjoyed myself. There is a happy hour every single day - even Saturday! 3-6. But once I tasted the sushi - I was floored. Just how do they make it so melt-in-your-mouth fresh?? I am from southern California and we have an ocean!! Where did they get this sushi?! Wonderfully prepared, with great service. This is now my weekly go-to place!! read more

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Their lunch special is pretty unbeatable. 2 rolls for $15 is a steal and the fish tasted fresh. The workers are friendly and were able to accommodate our large party. The place is clean and fairly open as well! read more

I love this place their enclosed back area is my favorite when dinning in. Their rolls are always fresh and the staff is kind! I get take out here a lot since it's in my neighborhood, there isn't too much of a weight but if there is they always tell you how long to expect. read more

When people see my reviews, they must say that this guy gives every place 5 stars, well, if you only go to places that are 4 stars & above, you really can't go wrong! Now onto to the Rocky Yama review. This place is really, really good! The wife & I went on Thursday night for our 23rd Wedding Anniversary for the first time & I can safely say that it won't be our last time! We started off with the Yellowtail Jalapeño Sashimi, because it reminded us of a dish we used to get at our favorite Sushi place in NJ. I'm really glad we tried this dish, it was extremely fresh tasting, what I mean is the Cilantro was very dominant& this app was excellent, I highly recommend it! I really wanted to try the Toro Aburi, which was a piece of the Tuna belly, marinated & they used their special fire technique to finish it, again this was excellent!!! To top off our appetizer selection, we got their Crispy Tuna Bites & I have to say that these were the best of the bunch! For our entrees, we got the Spicy Tuna Roll(Whenever we try a new Sushi place, I always try the Spicy Tuna Roll to judge the quality) again, EXCELLENT! We also got the Lava Roll, Red Dragon Roll & the Fire Cracker Roll, and every roll was EXCELLENT as well! I'm really glad we went here & tried a new place, it was well worth the 30 minute ride from Highlands Ranch. We went for Happy Hour, which goes from 3pm-6pm & it's BOGO on Sake selections & some of their alcoholic beverages, as well as discounts on food. The service was excellent & she was very attentive. Ambiance was average, it was a great little Sushi restaurant & we definitely will be back!!! Try it, you won't be disappointed! read more

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What a delicious sushi spot to come for happy hour... you really can't beat the prices! Service was quick, sushi was fresh with a wide variety of options, and the restaurant was very clean and modern. I'll definitely be back! read more

Such a great sushi joint! Everything we ordered was fresh and tasted great. The staff were fantastic as well.

I recently moved to the neighborhood and I'm ecstatic to have found my new favorite happy hour spot!! I love sushi and love a sushi happy hour even more and man, did this deliver! The happy hour offering is extensive and extremely reasonably priced. We started with the Triple Aburi Sashimi Sampler (the salmon was my favorite) and spicy edamame. I will admit, the spicy edamame was not my favorite as it was more of a vinegar-based sauce (think Louisiana or Buffalo hot sauce) than a more traditional garlic Siracha flavor, so I'll get the regular edamame next time I'm in. We then ordered the Fire Cracker roll (delicious!), Hamachi nigiri (can't go wrong here - so tender), Aji nigiri (felt adventurous with this one, was good but I'll try a different one next time), and the Spicy Tuna roll and Yellowtail Avocado roll. Both rolls were sooooo good, easily the best basic rolls I've had in Denver. The staff was attentive, very sweet, and left us feeling taken care of and excited to come back. read more

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I went into this place because it is in the middle of the art district, and what a surprise. Tha ambiance is not fancy, but I thought the food was great, and so was the service. read more

Yum! and they have Gluten Free soy sauce and i think some gluten free options if i recall correctly. read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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The sushi was delicious. The ambiance of this place isn't anything special just a small restaurant vibe. I'm glad I stopped here for some sushi rather than going to some super up scale location. This felt more cozy and intimate. The service was nice, they were attentive about our water. They recommend some sushi to us as well. All around it was a good time read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I had just driven in from Boston, MA and was craving sushi. I saw Rocky Yama Sushi had good reviews so I decided to drop in. I'm glad I did, because the food here is top-notch! I had the Chirashi Bowl, which came with a plentiful and wide ranging assortment of seafood. In addition to raw fish, cooked eel and octopus also adorned the dish, which took me by surprise as they are uncommon items to see in a chirashi bowl. The pickled shiitake mushrooms gave the dish a nice burst of flavor, and you had a sizeable portion of rice to complement the seafood. The only minor complaint I have is that I did have to wait quite a long time before they served me. However, the restaurant was over 50% full, so it's somewhat understandable. read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Food: - Everything was excellent! Really high quality sushi. The fish was all melt in your mouth and the rolls were delicious. This is definitely a new go-to "casual" sushi place. - Lava roll was fire and so was the crispy bincho roll - The yellowtail appetizer was excellent - Unagi and ortoro nigiri were melt in your mouth - Happy hour isn't a huge "deal" but a few bucks off, I'll take it. The sake is buy one get one, which was a good deal Service: At first, they were attentive. They did seem to get quite a bit slower but the food was so good, I'm not even dinging it on the review. Ambience: They have a small inside but a large outside that has a roof and heaters. read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Lava Roll and Crispy Bincho Roll - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I finally had a chance to eat at Rocky Yama Sushi when I was in the neighboorhood for a meeting and decided to take advantage of my parking situation. It gets crazy on Santa Fe, especially on First Friday when my partner and I decided to stop by for sushi and hot sake. Fortunately we got the last seats at the long bar by the front window. While it was happy hour TIME, First Fridays are exempt. Oh well, next time. Service was a little slow because it was super packed, but waiting for our Firecracker Roll, Salmon Roll, and Chutoro Nigiri was totally worthwhile. It's some of the most melt-in-your-mouth fish I've had in Denver outside of the expensive, insanely fancy Japanese restaurants. The wasabi is intense. The hot sake is sooo good. Would love to come back for actual happy hour. I've sat out on the patio and in the back a few times with friends but never actually enjoyed the sushi until now. Time your visit correctly because Rocky Yama is super popular spot in a prime section of Santa Fe. Glad they constantly stay busy! read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Sushi Rolls - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

The best!! Fabulous shushi that doesn't break the bank!! So, so delicious!! Great service and atmosphere! So fresh!!

We love Rocky Yama! They have great sushi, good saki great service and good prices. Try the lunch special! What a deal!

So many different sushi types on the menu plus they have lunch and dinner menu for those not opting for sushi. Great service and nice and spacious seating area. My favorite is the unagi rolls. Try the tempura dishes, nicely done with the crispy coating. read more

Fun spot off Sante Fe . Small parking lot in back or can find street parking. Have a nice patio! Good cuts sushi for the right price. Definitely tastes fresh and staff is friendly. Nice quick delicious spot when you don't want to break the bank on ridiculous priced sushi! read more

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Excellent quality and very fairly priced Happy Hour sushi deals !! As usual the YELP reviewer community didn't steer us wrong. We found this sushi joint searching for high quality sushi deals and we drove over to check it out. The happy hour menu is a full page long and knocks a few bucks off most of their usual menu items apparently. We had some excellent tasting specialty rolls ($12) and some standard rolls ($6-7) and by the time we were done we were very happy and full for two of us for $60 or so. Great service, nice people and fairly priced sushi. Worth visiting for sure. We will return read more

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New sushi spot for us! Still finding our grounds in Denver, but drove pass this charm after a carwash. We usually go for a late lunch to avoid the rush hour and it was perfect. We sat outside for the fresh air and ambiance. The staff was friendly and attentive. My boyfriend gets his usual (no matter what sushi restaurant) Philly roll, Tuna roll, and salmon roll. I ordered the Chirashi bowl, my go to bowl and I didn't want any special sauce on my sushi. Just wanted to taste the sashimi itself. Since it was still lunch time, our orders came with either a salad or soup. We opted for the salad. Really delicious and held us over for our sushi. It did take longer than expected, since there were only one other table. Thank goodness we weren't starving lol. Wished their menu had some pictures, but then again, that's what Yelp is for right? And most rolls are usually the same. I just like looking at pictures, I'm a visual person. My boyfriend loved his rolls and it was the perfect amount for him. My Chirashi bowl had about 9 pieces in it and the rest was rice. The fish was fresh and tasty. The salmon was my favorite and wished I had more. Is there such thing as a salmon bowl? hehehe....Overall we agreed that we will be back! read more

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Exceptionally warm, soft rolls with drool-worthy tempura. Insane happy hour specials. Solid service. Big outdoor patio. What's there not to love? read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Vegan rolls: Asparagus and sweet potato tempura, avocado and tofu rolls - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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WOW! This may be my new sushi spot. They have a killer happy hour from 3-6pm (BOGO sake and discounted menu items!), incredibly friendly & attentive service, and genuinely fresh, raw fish for a landlocked state (with a diverse menu). I came here for HH with three other girl friends around 5:30PM on a Wednesday evening. The hostess saved us all a table and continuously checked in on our needs. I ordered edamame as an app for the table, along with Miso soup and a delicious side salad (both priced at $2). We tried the spicy tuna roll, sweet potato roll, dragon roll, caterpillar roll, and possibly a few others. It was certainly filling and tasty! I'll definitely be back - there are tons of neat art galleries, plant shops, thrift stores, etc. all around this restaurant in the Santa Fe neighborhood. Don't miss it! read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Dragon Roll Caterpillar Roll Spicy Tuna Roll - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Husband and I were out for a date night: dinner here then a show at Su Teatro down the street afterward. The service was friendly, helpful and fast. We loved all of the rolls and sushi we ordered, and the biggest hits were the Firecracker Roll and the Unagi (and I am a little picky about unagi-- this place did it well!). While they don't take reservations, you can call 15 minutes ahead and have them hold a table for you. I came here with a friend a while back for happy hour and remember really enjoying that as well. I'd definitely come back here in the future! Hot tip: if you "check in" in Yelp, you can get 10% off you order. I don't know how long that deal will be going on, so don't sleep on it. read more

Rocky Yama Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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We got the nigiri chef's special and it was so good! Everything was very fresh and the service was very attentive! We sat outside and it was a cute little patio. Very spacious place with lots of tables. read more

Fantastic, fresh sushi, reasonable prices, and terrific, attentive service. Best sushi I've had in Colorado, hands down!

This place is Absolutely Amazing! Some of the best sushi I have ever had. The service was also great. You have got to try the spicy edamame.