I don't know what happened since the last time we were here - maybe the change in staff? Either way I was really disappointed in every aspect of this visit and will not be returning. First of all, the drinks were okay but nowhere near what I am accustomed to as a has-been-regular-until-now. The gin and lemongrass was mostly melted ice flavored and the chocolate martini was mostly a depressing chocolate milk in a lukewarm glass. The waiter was extremely slow, and while I can understand being too busy to check up on guests if there was another person in there but we were quite literally the only customers in the entire restaurant. It should never take half an hour to order food in an empty restaurant!!! And all throughout our visit it seemed more like we were bothering him than actually being serviced professionally or otherwise. I almost wanted to apologize for being a bother but realized that was inappropriate considering the circumstances. Next, the sushi was merely "eh" and whatever as opposed to being amazing and wonderful like it used to be. Lastly. The entree. Food should be the best part considering this is supposed to be a restaurant, but no. It was the absolute worst. The meat was burnt to the point of being crispy on the edges and the sauce was much to salty and the vegetables were mangled and almost unrecognizeable for being as burnt and disgusting as the meat. I was shocked as the last time it was amazing and wonderful. Just seems that nothing lasts forever, especially good restaurants or servers. Hiring the wrong people reflects greatly on the restaurant - and this time it happened to Sake Bomb. Time to start googling how to make sushi at home - anything but being forced to dine here. read more

We happened upon Sake Bomb after shopping at Target and Li Mings and we were happy to find a nice sushi place to grab some lunch without having to drive further! I think this restaurant was greatly needed in the area. The sushi was definitely fresh! My sake was warm, and there was buy one get one, which is always the best way to get sushi! We had a few of the traditional rolls and also ordered a California Fire Roll. which was HUGE and delicious! Not what i was expecting at all. It was actually in a little tin foil boat and covered with creamy, spicy crab! (I think). If you get sushi often, or even if you don't I suggest trying Sake Bomb. And if you've never had an actual sake bomb... try one of those too! read more

Hadn't been in 3-4 years but was pleasantly surprised. BOGO and a variety of tasty and affordable veggie options where there once were none. Maybe not the best game in town but, taking vegetarian options, quality, price, and location into consideration, there's an excellent chance I'll be back. read more

I go here for take out all the time. They have a unique menu and BOGO sushi. I've had their sushi deluxe combo several times and it's always different and showcases a variety of fish, if u like Nigiri I'd highly recommend it. For the specialty rolls the Acapulco roll is my favorite, the sweet dragon and red dragon are great (if u like the shrimp eel combo) and the dynamite roll is excellent. I've had their Massaman curry and Red curry, both were surprisingly good. The Massaman was actually one of the best I have had anywhere but only one time as the food can be inconsistent. I have noticed that over the past year it seems like the quality if the food has decreased, especially in the quality of the raw sushi meat. At one point everything I tried here was phenomenal, but the food has now slipped to mediocre. I don't know if they have had a change in chefs or suppliers but this place's sushi used to smoke the competition, now I'd have to say Shiki/Tasu have the edge on them. All in all still a great place to eat, very good atmosphere and they have some things here u can't get elsewhere in the triangle. read more

Sake Bomb - Acapulco Roll and Red Dragon Roll - Asian Fusion Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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So far my husband and I have not been disappointed. We were Shiki sushi addicts for the last 8 years until it just got so bad we had to look elsewhere. Thanks to Sake Bomb, we feel like we've rediscovered what good (American) sushi should taste like. Amazing dumplings, especially the seared veggie. Love the atmosphere and sushi pricing specials are consistent with elsewhere. Shiki, you have been replaced. read more

As a Carolina grad, I thought I would always remain faithful to Shiki Sushi, but I have a confession...this love affair has gone on too long and I must admit...I am leaving Shiki for Sake. For the past year I have waivered in my loyalty, but since Shiki has declined exponentially with their expansion I had to find somewhere that could satisfy my sushi cravings! In all seriousness though, Sake is one of the best sushi joints in North Carolina. Always fresh, always BOGO, and usually rather innovative! Every time work brings me to the Triangle I find an excuse to go to Sake! read more

I loved this place. Why 4 stars then? My husband's Chicken Lemongrass didn't come with noodles. He's used to having this dish served with noodles, not rice. Maybe one way is traditional and the other isn't. He also commented on the skimpiness on the amount of chicken, which he did praise for being top quality though. My sweet and sour chicken was delicious. I should disclose its' been a year and a half since I had this dish and I had been spoiled in TX so I hope I'm not way off. I'll come back to this place and order it again. Everything others have said is on target regarding the decor. What a contrast! The outside is so yucky because it sits on a really decrepit-looking strip mall (with a closed-down Kmart and an asphalt-starved parking lot). I would've never gone inside except for Yelp. I was craving sweet and sour chicken so badly, I almost went to Neo-China again (one time was enough), so I'm super grateful for the find. The bar is completely separate from the dining room. It is awesome for a date with friends, husband, boyfriend, girlfriends.... There are3 flat-screen close-captioned TVs and comfortable seating; not just at the bar but with plenty of tables in that room. The dining room seems a little stale in comparison but it looks clean and comfortable. The sushi bar and chefs sit on one end of that room. The owner is very friendly and described her specials and delivery options. If you order delivery though, there are no specials, it's full price. We were told this place opened in February and hope that it will stay for good so we can come back and try some more menu items. Must-try! read more

I love this place! Such a great date spot in the bar area and the love honey roll is out of this world! Buy one get one free as well!

Wonderful place! Large, well decorated dining room. Attractive bar area. Food is always fresh. The service is consistently friendly and prompt. As stated in other reviews, the food is very similar to Shiki Sushi. read more

I LOVE this resturant. If you are not eating here, you're missing out. I've looked everywhere in the Triangle for good sushi at a reasonable price--so my friend, look no further. Sake Bomb has a variety of sushi options (my favorite being the Thai roll, which I dream about when I'm not eating it) and a great atmosphere. Their service has never been anything to complain about, and they're pretty fast. They are so reasonably priced! You would find similar sushi rolls in Briar Creek for $5 more, but Sake Bomb is reasonably priced and has BOGO sushi--even on take out! I'm a huge fan, and I'm making a point to take all of my friends. read more

This place was awesome me and my wife were going on a date and the sushi place we go to was closed for lunch. We found this place on yelp tried it out and wow the place was awesome we had the saki boat for two there was so much sushi on that boat three people could have eaten on it. It was a place worth checking out we will go there again read more

This is hands down my favorite sushi place in Durham. I've never been disappointed with any of the rolls here -- the textures and freshness are amazing. The flat screens in the bar area make it a great, less crowded option for watching games as well. read more

Came in really late and was treated terrific. Our server, Ping, was knowledgeable and friendly. Will definitely be back soon! Imperial rolls and wonton soup were delicious. read more

Good for takeout. Even better to eat at the restaurant. More of a formal side and a bar side. Both with TVs. I recommend all of the sushi, the noodle, dishes, and the alcohol. Fair prices, but I wish the some of the speciality drinks were cheaper. Accommodating of gluten allergies, but - unfortunately - they charge extra for gluten free soy sauce. Great place, I highly recommend. read more

When they fall behind, they will lie ton your face. Waited a long time for takeout and got cold Mongolian beef.

Very nice ambience, great service, and the BOGO was a great deal. I learned why it was empty on a Sat night when the food came. Very unoriginal rolls, little fish inside, and we asked for no mayo filling or sauce and it came out with it anyway. Immediately after we finished eating I felt sick. I've stuffed my face with sushi dozens of times and never felt like this- something was wrong. Later in the evening I became violently ill. The fish was definitely tainted. Find another place to get sushi or risk getting sick! read more

Highly recommend this place! The sushi was very well made, prompt service friendly staff, and their BOGO everyday is what kept me coming back. Not to mention the atmosphere is beautiful. read more

My husband and I had heard that this place was good, but it still managed to exceed expectations, by a lot. We went early, so noise wasn't an issue, but by the time we left it was aleady filling up, and it's easy to see why. I ordered the chirashi-don, which is sort of my test dish for a new Japanese restaurant. I was delighted to discover that the diner came with hot an sour as a soup choice: my test dish for a Chinese restaurant. Sake Bon's version is well-balanced in flavor and full of goodies like black mushrooms, bamboo shoots and tofu. The salad was another nice surprise, a beautifully presented plateful of ginger-dressed greens, cucumbers, and other things. My husband and I shared steamed pork dumplings, which were big and plump and juicy. If I have a quibble, it's that soup, salad and appetizer came at the almost the same time, making the meal a bit awkward and rushed. The star was the chirashi, a lovely big bowl of perfectly fresh and artfully sliced fish, with unexpected extra: thin-sliced Asian pear and seaweed salad. The portion is generous and the fish absolutely delicious - the best chirashi I have ever eaten, and I've been eating Japanese food for a long time. For wonderful autentic food with extra touches, I'd recommend Sake Bon; you're unlikely to do better. We will return early and often. read more

Although the exterior of the location is so so, the interior of the restaurant is nice enough. We ordered the bogo rolls, they tasted ok, though some of the specialty rolls kept losing its shape when I picked it up with chopsticks. Rainbow roll tasted good, the volcano was interesting, a little spicy for a mild pallete. Sake bomb roll was large and kept losing its shape. The top steam piece wasn't cooked on the underside, if it raw meat matters to you, don't get this one. Black widow roll really does its best to imitate the spider on both ends, which visually I wasn't a fan of. To each their own. The names are different for the rolls and if you are adventurous it's a good place to sample some rolls. I only wish the rolls were more tightly bound so that it's not too hard to eat. Green tea with lemon tasted good and the green tea ice cream (3scoops with whip cream on top) was pretty good. Our waiter was friendly and professional, didn't bother us too often while we dined and talked. Water glasses and hot teas cups were refilled at appropriate timing without being unnecessarily interrupted with questions (as you may notice, I really don't like being bothered with constant talk from waiters, I'm at the restaurant to dine!). Just enough questions and small talk, so I left the restaurant a good impression thanks to our waiter. I think I will be back, but I hope the rolls are made better so it doesn't lose its shape. Overall a pretty good place to visit once in a while. It seems they really made some effort on the interior design, like the bar area and the entrance hall, didn't look like any other restaurant. Kudos to that and hope to see improvement on the sushi rolls! read more

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Yea, it's in kind of sketchy shopping center, but that's the DIRTY D for you. Sake Bomb has BOGO sushi and half price martini's on Thursday nights. So you know where to find me.... read more

This is our new shiki! Better food,better service, and never a wait. It is located in a kinda sketchy almost abandoned strip mall but don't let the location fool you. Every sushi item we got was excellent and can't beat bogo!! Lots of vietnamese themed entrees as well but we cannot seem to try anything other than their sushi. We are only disappointed that we did not find this gem earlier. read more

They claim buy one get one free but find out at the end they charge you for the half that is most expensive and give you the half that is least expensive free. So we bought 5 $15 rolls but they gave us the 5 $4 sushi free :/ will never go back. An honest business would not do this. It looks to me they are out to get you. It used to be my favorite place.... read more

I've been to sake bomb several times and like it a lot. Excellent value and pleasant attentive waitstaff. However, they always bring straws with glasses of water. Last time I was there I asked about this practice and was told the owner insists that straws be given even though waitstaff have suggested otherwise. Given environmental concerns about plastics, particularly in the ocean from which sushi is sourced, I would encourage sake bomb to stop giving out straws. In that case I would give it five stars. read more

The atmosphere on the inside is stunning - very swanky and romantic - don't let the outside appearance (dingy strip mall) deter you! We ordered the salt and pepper calamari as an appetizer. It was perfectly fried - not too oily and just the right crunch. There ways enough for three people, even some to take home. My two other friends ordered sushi (of which I sampled and it was good), and I ordered the masaman curry. I am a huge masaman curry buff - there was this little thai place in my hometown that was amazing and I hadn't been able to find anywhere that served it. When I saw it on the menu, I didn't hesitate. It came in a huge bowl (seriously, huge) so I walked away stuffed with leftovers in hand. Definitely going back! read more

Went there to get sushi on my lunch break, when I got it back to my desk at work a LIVE ROACH was crawling around in the tray! I called them to tell them about it, and they acted like they didn't believe me and wanted me to actually bring the roach in so that they could see it. Mind you I was back at work by then and had been a frequent customer for quite some time. I will never go back! Horrible way to treat your customers, and horrible conditions behind the counter obviously. Eat at your own risk!!! read more

The food is average. We ordered sushi, pad-thai and pho. The Siracha and houisin sauce came on a suspicious looking plate for the pho. Sushi quality isn't that great costing more than what other places would have charged. The worst part is that the waitress tried to kick us out, we just started eating 10 minutes ago and there wasn't any customers in the restaurant. read more

Good food but you'll pay for the owner's mistakes! I ordered lunch from Grubhub last Saturday, including a lunch special listed. About 15 minutes before the order was scheduled to arrive I received a call from the owner telling me the lunch special is only available M-F and that I'll have to pay $5 more. This was on top of a $5 delivery charge and made the delivery late. When I contacted GrubHub they let me know it is the owner's responsibility to make sure their menu is correct. The owner refused to refund me the money when Grubhub contacted her. Bottom line, the owner's lack of customer service means I'll never go there again. read more

Pretty good find in Durham. One of the better sushi places I've been to in town. I tried the crunchy salmon, maguro tartar, red moon and poseidon. All were really good, and I highly recommend them. Of course, since it's in Durham, it's BOGO which is awesome. read more

I don't usually have high expectations for fusion places, but there were some good reviews for the Vietnamese food here, so we thought we should give it a try. We started off with the vegetarian dumplings appetizer, which were only half-filled and oily (not properly pan-fried). The dipping sauce was sweet and when I asked for some chili oil to accompany it, the waiter was baffled and wondered if I meant chili sauce (Sriracha). He didn't bring anything. For entrees, I ordered bun bo Hue, my girlfriend hu tieu, my mother drunken noodles with scallops. My big bowl of soup was tasty and the meat was good (two different types of beef), though the veggies were lacking - skimpy and limp bean sprouts, Italian basil, and jalapeno slices. The Italian basil was unwashed. There were some specks of what might have been overcooked green onion and cilantro floating in the soup, but the soup should have had plenty of fresh cilantro and green onions. My girlfriend, who is from Vietnam, informed me that the soup was southern-style, not Hue-style as advertised. She was happy with the seafood in her hu tieu, but thought the broth was so-so, lacking flavor. It was also completely lacking fresh herbs, not even the wilted scraps I had. They were out of scallops, so my mother had shrimp drunken noodles, which was edible but uninspired, not as good as at the nearby Twisted Noodles. Service was slow (they were understaffed that night) and the waiters didn't seem to know much about the food. On the positive side, the space is nice and they have a good selection of sake. We might give it another chance for sushi, but definitely not for Vietnamese or Thai. read more

I went here on a solo date and ate at the bar. Service was quick, attentive and friendly. I ordered miso soup, a salad and two rolls (BOGO). It was all very delicious!! Definitely a great spot for a casual date or if you want to grab a quick bite. read more

I was taken here by a Thai friend and that time I ordered Massaman Curry and I was like "God this is So Yummy!". later I went there again and even ordered Massaman curry again which is pretty rare cuz I usually order different dishes each time, but for the second time, the curry taste just different, it's a little sour so I can't shout out "oh this is so yummy" again...They also serve sushi and have many kinds, it's interesting that in the U.S. they always have Thai food and sushi which is Japanese in the same restaurant, maybe they think these food are of the same kind but they really are not. read more

Worst sushi I've had in a very long time. Let me do you a favor and tell you where to go. 1. M sushi, new kid on the block. (make a reservation and be prepared to spend some bucks) 2. Aki Hana in Carrboro. Been eating there for 10+ years and they are CONSISTENT. Very good and great service. 3. Kurama, run, don't walk from Sake Bomb, and drive 500 feet to the best sushi place not in downtown Durham. Yes, it is a Japanese steak house and it's really old (I had my 11th birthday party there and I'm old) but damn, if they don't know what the hell they are doing behind the sushi bar. If it's too crowded, get takeout. read more

I really wanted to like this place, especially after the wonderful service from Dao. But the sushi was bland and so much rice. Even the ginger did not have the usual flavor I am used to. read more

Excellent sushi, always! I ate here dozens of times and each and every time sushi was perfect. I'm giving 4 stars and not 5 only because other dishes are not a 5-start restaurant dishes. Noodles and salads are ok there, but nothing too write home about. I highly recommend sticking to sushi. They always have great deals for sushi: usually buy one - get one free, sometimes half off. The restaurant is quite big, so there is no need for reservations; you can just show up with a large group of friends and expect to be seated. The interior is pleasant, but pretty basic, definitely not a place for a date. Overall it's a great place for a casual dinner! Takeaways are available too. Normally if you call 15 min before arrival the meal will be ready by the time you get there. read more

Such a convenient location for great sushi and pad thai. They are so quick at pick up orders and the sushi is always buy one get one free. If you're dining in, though, be prepared for slow service, no matter how busy they are. I'm a big fan of the red dragon and crunchy salmon rolls. read more

This restaurant is just awesome. I've been there 3 times over the past week. The service and food are amazing. Thanks, Sake Bomb!

got the sushi and sashimi combo for takeout. Quite let down by the quantity and quality. Looks like their online menu is quite out of date as well...I was charged $37 instead of the listed $30...hmm read more

Second time here was last night and it was incredible, just like the first time. I had sushi and tried my friend's chicken pad thai and both were on point. I sat in the bar area and have had the same waiter both times now and he's been great. I will always be coming back. read more

Food was okay the drunken noodles were good the rolls meh... And the service was horrible my girlfriend and I went an hour before closing time on a sunday we felt pressured to order eat and leave. I do not recommend this place as the service was horrible, loved the Singha beer. read more

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Came here for lunch, the summer rolls as an appetizer were good (they had pork and shrimp in them and the peanut sauce was decent). We ordered octopus sashimi that was...ok, it had like a sweet chili sauce on it? Which was a little weird but worked better when you dipped it in soy. The yellowtail was a really nice roll, the tuna was ok too. We didn't try any of the *special* rolls. The atmosphere was nice and this would be a good date spot, they also had an extensive sake list. Oh, and the sushi was two for one, which was cool read more