Celebrating Mother's Day early, it was our first time at Sakura Bana -- and we enjoyed it very much! We ordered a Tempura Shrimp Bento Box paired with Godzilla and Sake sushi rolls. Loved the Miso soup and Carrot & Ginger salad too! Our server Roxanne was great as well. Dining area had pleasant surroundings with tasteful decorations. We plan to visit again the next time that we are craving sushi. read more

Sakura Bana - Front section of the restaurant. - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

See all

Back on our sushi train here at Sakura Bana and this place was surprisingly very good! Our waiter was struggling while understaffed but was killing it with so many large parties! Wish I caught his name but he was doing so well with little help! The menu was pretty small and even some of the rolls were less than 8 pieces which we found odd. We got three rolls this time and they were massive coins! The flavor was insane on these rolls! Definitely wish the menu had more options but I think we picked the best ones! Follow our collection on Yelp, Omaha Sushi Project, for more sushi reviews across Omaha! Presentation: 2/5 Crunch: 1/5 (no options) Taste: 5/5 Variety of Menu: 2/5 Price: $$ read more

Had lunch at Sakura yesterday. Was fresh and delicious.. still got it after all these years. read more

See all

Having never been to Sakura Bana I wanted to check it out after the owner of Yoshitomo bought it. They had yet to update the menu so I got to see why it was an Omaha staple for sushi for so many years. It offers an authentic array of Japanese cuisine. The pork Katsu was crispy and delicious, the nigiri was well prepared with quality fish and the roll was equally as good. Excited to so see how David Utterback and team can elevate the experience further! read more

See all

Good standard sushi fare that is well prepared and quickly served! Wait staff were incredibly attentive. Atmosphere was inviting but more traditional than the fancy exterior would indicate. read more

Sakura Bana - Front entrance - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

Sakura Bana is at the top of my list for Sushi in Omaha. What you get here is authentic, unique and delicious rolls and dishes that you won't be able to find at other sushi areas around. They have unique flavors, like the Volcano Roll, and some more classic rolls like the Mango Roll. Whether you like sashimi or teriyaki chicken or a good California Roll you will be able to find something here. We got our food relatively quickly but the ambiance was simple, easy, and authentic to what we were going to eat. It wasn't anything flashy - it was just what we needed. All of the servers we interacted with were kind and helpful in picking our food and getting us what we needed. Give this one a try! read more

Sakura Bana - Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

See all

This restaurant seems to be permanently Closed. Could detect No activity inside. Flyers and leaflets are accumulating inside the foyer.

Picture is of Lunch combo C. Teriyaki fish and sushi I'm not sure how I have never reviewed this before? I have only been here a handful of times. Only because it is out of my regular bubble. The food ia great. The service is always good. Quick kitchen times work well for a lunch visit. They are closed from 2-5 between lunch and dinner service. Well worth the stop. Way better than anything else in this plaza. :) read more

Sakura Bana - Lunch combo C - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

I order the chicken teriyaki to go and was left so disappointed. ): The chicken was extremely dry, tough and was honestly hard to eat. There wasn't a ton of teriyaki flavor either. I did enjoy the cooked vegetables that came with it though. read more

Not sure what happened here.. I reviewed Sakura Bana just 5 months ago and couldn't have raved enough about how wonderful this restaurant was... I now have to take that all back. The restaurant we come to love is now all gone. We were there the first night that the new menus and look were presented. It's not the same place. Not the same food, not the same staff we all knew and used to seeing. It's our understanding that the restaurant is under new management and that management is getting it all wrong. I will give it to our server, she could obviously tell that people were not happy, and offered to make us what we wanted from the old menu, providing they had the ingredients. All the hibachi dishes, gone All the Udon, gone All the Soba, gone You only get one salad or one soup with your meal, instead of the customary one of each. The carrot dressing is different and all the prices are higher. The ambiance is vastly different. There's nothing better than eating authentic Japanese food, while watching sumo wrestling... all gone! I don't think this move is going to be a popular one. I hope the new management figures this out and realizes that they just did away with the best Japanese restaurant around. read more

I agree with the other customers posting about the changes made by the new management..... not good. I've been a regular since the days of Sushi Ichiban 1986 located on Dodge Street in an old pancake house. Really a shame mostly everything I ordered isn't on the new menu and the prices have changed significantly - even the house wine is well yuk... read more

Sakura Bana is my to go restaurant for authentic Japanese food and sushi in Omaha. The super sushi special is one of my favorite dishes to get as well ask the chriashi don or sukiyaki. They have a great variety of sushi. The service is very good & all the workers are so friendly. read more

Sakura Bana - Super Sushi Special - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

We were very impressed with not only the quality of the food, but the quantity in the Bento box was generous. Our server forgot a few things but she was in fact busy. Same interior as years gone by so no need to change anything as long as the product is good. Definitely going back. read more

Sakura Bana - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

See all

I never thought the day would come where I'd leave a negative review about Sakura Bana, but time makes fools of us all. They are apparently under new management and have made substantial changes that will keep me from returning. The aesthetic changes to the restaurant I can live with. Most of the classic photos and decor are gone. The lighting is now dim with individual pendant lights above most tables. A new coat of paint on the walls. All a bit bland but not really a deal breaker. The classic Sakura Bana menu, however, has been butchered. This was the only place in town serving a sizable compliment of authentic Japanese dishes and now they're gone, whittled down to basic noodle and rice dishes with higher price tags slapped on. The sushi menu seems to be about half of what it once was. There's a handful of old favorites left but most are now memories. We ordered some basic sushi and a tempura plate because you don't get soup or salad with a sushi order anymore apparently. The tempura platter was fine, a bit small for the price. The sushi though, was soul crushing. After eating here for more than 15 years, such a marked drop in quality was jarring. We got salmon, tuna, and yellowtail and none tasted fresh. The yellowtail frankly didn't taste much of anything. The nori on the outside of the maki was rubbery, a sign of old stock. The tempura shrimp in my roll was barely room temp and stringy. Somehow, even the wasabi paste was bland. The days of a cozy neighborhood sushi joint seem to be gone. Dishes prepared by hands proud to serve them have gone as well. The focus on freshness, on flavor pairings, on quality, gone. I saw a few familiar faces among the staff tonight and they alone earned the second star on this review. They seem to know the changes are unpopular and I can only wish them the best as the faces of their regular customers become scarcer. I hope the management rolls back some of the changes before it's too late. Or they might just remove the Sakura Bana name so people don't come expecting the same quality. Sakura Bana was my favorite restaurant and my first sushi place. I first walked in 15 years ago and tonight I think I walked out for the last time. read more

Sakura Bana - New menus. Sushi menu has a sashimi/nigiri page on the front as well. - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

Over the last few years I have eaten at Sakura Bana at least 4-5 times a month, both myself for lunch and with my kids and family for dinner. Always had a great time. Heard the menu was changing under new management - and just went in with my daughter tonight to try it out. Menu is 'simpler' - which is probably a good thing. However they eliminated most of the things that I regularly enjoyed - and changed a bunch of the other items. They also eliminated or changed a bunch of the menu items that my kids regularly ate. Same very friendly staff, but overall the new experience was a significant disappointment. I feel bad for the staff as at least from the people i saw, many of the customers seemed disappointed. My son probably won't like it anymore. My daughter smiled - but with the exception of the new mochi ice cream she also clearly didn't enjoy it as much as she has in the past. New format looks really nice, but unfortunately it probably isn't right for my family and I. Kind of sad! read more

Sakura Bana is an authentic Japanese restaurant. The miso soup has plenty of Dashi, miso, and other ingredients to be flavorful to the last drop. Like the gyoza, but thought the dipping sauce was a tad sour. The katsu don tasted just like I remember in Japan! Delicious!! I will be back here! read more

See all

Ambiance was amazing, nice lighting, quiet and the food was delicious, ordered a lot, I can't remember right now but it was very good, my girlfriend loved the strawberry mochi! Service was very helpful with the questions we had as well. read more

We used to go there often with my family, and we loved the quality of the sushi we had. Honestly we were very disappointed with our last visit: reduced menu with many things removed and the plates were very expensive for the quality and content received. The waitress was very nice. read more

This was the worst experience ever! Walked in and the girl looked like she had no idea what to do. I said hello can we get seated and the place had one booth with two people. She was clueless to the menu and never brought our drinks. Her boyfriend was sitting down eating and they were so engaged that she never checked on us. Will never go back! What a joke! read more

This, thus far, my favorite Japanese restaurant in Omaha. I very much enjoy the sushi bar. They've a good sell toon of fish, always have specials, and the menu is diverse and tasty. The environment is proper for a sushi place, warm and inviting. The staff are always friendly and the service is great! Been here twice already. It's guaranteed I'll be back. read more

Sakura Bana - Hand written happy hour menu! It means change at regular intervals! - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

See all

It's been about ten years since my husband and I had dinner at Sakura Bana. The food is just as delicious as it was back then. The staff was amazing. On this impromptu date night we had box dinners. I had Box AA and he had Box A (not pictured). Drinks were sake and green tea. The box dinners include soup and salad. In the past I would get miso soup but I decided to be adventurous and try the fish broth. I have to say it was not my favorite. I could not get past the fish smell. My husband was kind enough to trade his miso soup with me. We arrived about 6:45 on a Friday evening. It was perfect timing. We were seated right away and our order was taken with in five minutes. The restaurant was packed by 7:15. read more

Sakura Bana - Special Box Aa - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

See all

Food: 3 Service: 3 Atmosphere: 3 Value: 3 Sakura Bana has a long and rich pedigree. It is the successor of Omaha's first sushi restaurant, which once existed at 84th and Dodge. Way back when it was always packed with customers, and there was frequently a wait for a table. That was then. This is now. The present location is a bit hard to locate, despite being on Omaha's busiest street. It is tucked into a corner of a small strip mall, next to a stereo store. The interior is fairly nondescript, with the dining room festooned with TV monitors, mercifully muted. The actual sushi bar is small, and difficult to even see from the dining room. The menu is large, as is typical of most Japanese restaurants. Of course there is sushi, but it's also easy to order dozens of non sushi or sashimi dishes. In fact, 5 of the 6 in our dinner party did not order sushi. Our group sampled a variety of different dishes. Everyone liked their meals, but no one was particularly impressed. "It's fine" was the general consensus. Several basic menu items were unavailable for whatever reason on the night of our visit, which complicated ordering. Our server did her best, but forgot to deliver my salad until after my meal was served. I would have brought it to her attention but she completely disappeared for almost 10 minutes. On the plus side, water glasses and tea cups were quickly replenished without needing to request refills. Prices are certainly fair. Parking is available in the adjacent parking lot. read more

Sakura Bana - Seafood Yakisoba - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

I didn't know this place used to be Sushi Ichiban on 84th & Dodge. I remember back in the 90's before I moved away, that little red barn was the only sushi restaurant in Omaha. It was good then and it's still good now. My husband really enjoys the traditional Japanese restaurant setting and menu. Now that this is place is in a 'newer' location in a strip mall, it reminds us of the sushi places you'd see in the California Bay area. At first, my husband (and myself a little) was hesitant to try sushi in Omaha because of the freshness and quality might be compromised, but we were pleasantly surprised. read more

It had been years since we've been here. It was great to see that the food and service were still great. We had a great experience and certainly recommend a visit. read more

If you want a full Japanese menu in Omaha, Sakura Bana is my go-to choice. The staff is helpful, friendly and fast. The food is delicious and well made. A fantastic meal every time. read more

Came back for more! We got the Tearoom for an authentic experience. We tried Combination box BB and Gomaku Soba this time! The service as usual, very fast and attentive. Our server came by and asked whether we need anything, or broth in soba. The combination box BB is huge for the price: rice, 2 pieces of fish, shrimp tempura, onion tempura, carrot tempura, mushroom tempura. It came with a side of salad and miso. Oh they also offer fruit in the box Gomaku Soba- delicious as usual. Came out hot and nice presentation. I like how the broth tastes! They put the shrimp tempura on a side to keep it crispy. It came with a side of salad. Yummy! This place definitely is in my favorite list. read more

See all

Sakura Bana used to be my go-to sushi place in Omaha a long time ago. I recently went there and had a good experience with their bento boxes. Fairly good value at $10-$14 (depending on what you want); I had quick service and a nice lunch. The chicken teriyaki wasn't the best I've had but it was flavorful and I especially liked the tempura- the batter was light and the shrimp was great. Overall, I remember the sushi being solid but not to the level of Umami or Yoshitomo. I didn't get any rolls at this time but they seemed reasonably priced. I would definitely go back to Sakura for the bento boxes- good value with chicken/rice/salad/miso soup/sushi/tempura for under $15. read more

Our absolute favorite sushi and japanese restaurant. Best sushi in town. It is seriously a second home to us, and when I was pregnant, we visited sometimes twice a week!! The whole staff is ridiculously friendly, always accommodating, and they all know our rambunctious children. Our children have known them since the womb! The owner is amazing, and always takes time to say hi to us. Our favorites: Nabeyaki udon- with great chew in the noodle. doesn't taste like a package with package flavoring. Delicious chicken thigh meat, perfect egg, shiitake mushroom, complete with tempura shrimp, yum broth. Chirashi- oooo so good. we have to fight our children for the super fresh fish. Beautifully arranged, as is any kind of sushi you order here! YES. the sushi rice is right on. and that's important! you can't stop eating it! Agedashi tofu- SO good. slightly crispy, tofu supple, delicious broth moat surrounding tasty island of YUM. Godzilla roll- hubby's favorite. The waitresses and waiters know if he's in attendance, that is what he wants 4 of those. Dragon roll, volcano roll, you really can't go wrong. The sushi chefs are true artists, committed to beautiful and fresh food. read more

Sakura Bana - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

See all

Okay, I am probably going against the grain on this particular review, but here goes. Tried Sakura Bana for the first time during lunch today. I always enjoy sushi and was on this side of town, saw the previous reviews and decided to stop in. Greeted quickly at the entrance and chose to sit at the sushi bar. Atmosphere is nice, casual, relaxing. Friendly staff at the sushi bar and my waiter was good as well. Sakura Bana has a diverse menu and there were a good number of lunch specials available. You can see the specials as you enter on the white board, but you will also be brought a specials list. Sushi is one of the lunch specials and we are off to a good start. Had Horse Mackerel nigiri for $2.95 a piece. Started with 2 pieces. Not bad. One of the other specials is where you pay $2.99 during lunch for two (2) very large pieces of a select roll. I got four orders to include Godzilla, Pacific and two others. Oh and you get your choice of soup or salad. It is the rolls where things didn't go as well. They looked really good and the individual pieces were indeed huge. First thing is they were too large - literally. I am accustomed to a piece of sushi roll being decent sized, but still small enough to take in one good sized bite. Do that with these and you have a choking hazard. I tried to bite into them, but the roll simply fell apart . Unfortunately what was more disappointing for me was the taste of each. I just did not enjoy any of them. The fish was fine, I just did not like the taste and I left sushi on the plate. Anyone who knows me, knows that I simply don't leave sushi on the plate - it gets eaten, but this was just not that good. So pleased with the atmosphere, the staff and the menu selection, but today I just did not enjoy the food - hence the 3 stars read more

Sakura Bana - Horse Mackerel Special - Japanese Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

See all

Drove by this place a lot before we finally got a chance to try After a warm welcome and being seated we found the server to be very fast and attentive. She was very nice The food was very delicious! The sushi was amazing and my fried shrimp were great but I could back for the teriyaki chicken alone SO GOOD read more

After many great meals here, I have to say this place is a tasty spot in a central location in Omaha. Many family get togethers (mostly consisting of "the cousins" but this time, one of my uncles) center around eating and schmoozing, and sushi and us just go so well together. Our fabulous server was Teriko (forgive my spelling). We ordered a whole lot of things, but new to us included the ceviche, which ended up being salmon, yellowtail, tuna, and red snapper sliced sashimi style in our choice of spicy lime or spicy ponzu, with jalepeno slices, daikon, and kaiware sprouts. My brother and I also split the chirashi, a classic here with many assorted items (tamago, maguro, hamachi, nama sake, saba, masago, kanpyo, tako, tai, etc). The rest of the group ordered rolls. We had negi toro (nice and fatty!), the yellowtail special (avocado and smelt roe), Hawaiian (tuna and mango), cancun (yellowtail, jalepeno, avocado, cilantro), rainbow, and one of the eel rolls. Plenty to eat, lots of options, and some pretty great combinations, especially considering I am not much of a rolls person. The menu has lots of ways to go - ordering individually, sushi and sashimi combos, and even hand roll combos. Always a great time with a pretty presentation, this is a solid sushi bet for Omaha. read more

Got Tired? (Of Blue Sushi and Hiro 88?) - then this local and traditional sushi house is just right for you!!! People act like the Old Market/Downtown/West O are the only places to satisfy that craving we all get for some good old fashioned rolls filled with those rice, veggie and fish combos that we all love and enjoy. They need to stop actin! Sakura Bana is centrally located off of 72nd and Dodge and doesn't have the fancy schmancy boutique rolls, but the "transport me to Japan immediately" rolls are on deck. The portions are a bit smaller and pricing somewhat reflects that. They even have areas in the back of the restaurant inviting guests to remove their shoes and sit at a table near the ground on cushions - so neat! Take a break from the over commercialized sushi spots we have in town and give this place a try! You won't regret it! read more

See all

My favorite. Omaha has so many choices but I'm pretty loyal to Sakura Bana when it comes to sushi. Been a fan since back in the OG Sakura Bana days....good stuff , not insane pricing. read more

See all

Went the other day for sushi with my mom. We got the chef salad, miso soup, inside our California roll, spicy salmon roll, and the tiguana roll. All were very good and the service was good, as well! read more

What a great lunch place. Love the options for a quick lunch. Service is fabulous and starts with a hot moist towel.( how cool is that) I always get the largest combo I can. Miso soup, Salad with carrot dressing. steamed rice. 5 pieces of sushi, chicken teriyaki, a tempura mushroom, onion and carrot, 2 tempura shrimp. and an orange. Omg is everything great. A must try :) read more

I have been going here since I first moved to America and they were Sushi itchiban. Always a treat. Amazing hospitality. Server is always attentive and kind, ready to answer questions. I love the warm towels they give you to clean your hands before you eat. My fav part is the bento boxes. Always fresh, seasoned well, with a variety of choices. The same goes for the menu. We love sushi but our kids are picky so there are other things they choose From on the menu. Keeps everyone happy. The tempura ice cream is the best I have ever ever had!! And the green tea ice cream. Love this place for my fam! read more

Because of youtube influence, I was craving for a sushi. So, I went to find some sushi food. It brings me here to Sakura Bana. Their sushi looks fresh and when I've tasted it, Excellent! It's so flavorful and so fresh. The chef made it himself. I really enjoyed my meal here. Thank you so much! read more

Sakura Bana is the (claimed) original sushi restaurant in Omaha. It is probably the only really Japanese restaurant, in terms of serving hot/prepared dishes, in addition to the sushi (and not just teppanyaki and does not serve Thai, Chinese, or other Asian cuisine), since Sushi Japan closed (which I still pout about). In any case, we went to Sakura Bana for the first time in years. We haven't been here in a long while because we unknowingly moved right near Sushi Japan a few years ago and that had (I know, it's sad to have to use this past tense) our go-to Japanese spot. We order a couple sushi specials for the adults and some katsu plates for the kids. The sushi was pretty good, but not as quality as I thought/remembered it used to be. The katsu was overcooked (panko was too brown and chicken was a bit tough). Prices were comparable to other similar restaurants. We had one of the tea rooms, which is great with small kids, and the service was good. However, I was not inspired by the food as much as hoped to be to immediately want to go back, which was disappointing. Maybe I am being to hard on them because I loved Sushi Japan so much. We also only had sushi and katsu, basically, and didn't explore the menu all that much. However, with it being the only Japanese restaurant in town now, I need them to be better, or have another option. read more

It was my first time to try their sushi here and sake! And I must say it was my best experience so far since I arrived Omaha! This place is clean, calm and relaxing! The staffs are very nice! I love their smiles! Excellent service and will come back again! read more

See all

We called 10 minutes before arriving and asked if there was a wait time and she said no. We got here and waited over 20 minutes. Pissed off that they lied and mad they wasted our time . Don't come here ! read more