After reading many online comments about this Asian family-owned restaurant business that unfortunately had to close down a while ago due to a fire; comments like "I love this place and check every weekend to see if they are back." Comments about how good the food was there, of how when they drive by they missed stopping for sushi and hibachi, of how they really hope they re-open, about how they can't wait to see this place re-open, about their awesome food and awesome people, I myself couldn't help but wonder how special this place must have been to so many members of our community, and to also hope that they renovate it and that they have a successful re-opening real soon. Today, I found out that they indeed did have a re-opening two weeks ago, and as soon as I did, I headed over there to try it out. When I arrived the first thing I noticed was how the restaurant was reasantly painted and had new signs: one on a pole close to Williamson Road, and one of their name with their characteristic red font on top of their roof. Colorful banners also were hanging from the roof to the walls of their front patio, and a red OPEN neon sign was flashing from the front wall of the restaurant. After I noticed the entrance was on the side of the building, I went in. The interior design was simple, yet warm in the minimalist style, with large artworks along the walls of the restaurant. Up front was a long counter starting with the Host's station with a computer and the rest with a Sushi station where two Sushi Chefs were continually making Shushis. A very kind Asian lady host gave me a warm greeting, took me to my table, and handed me the menus. She took my drink order: a glass of Iced Tea. And my appetizer order: a Pork Egg Roll and an order of Coconut Shrimp. The items were so fresh. The Pork Egg Roll was very crispy oh the outside and soft and juicy in the inside. And the Coconut Shrimp was one of the best I've ever had. The batter was light yet crispy so as not to overwhelm the shrimp taste, and the sauce that came with them was amazing. They brou As my main course I had the Teriyaki Filet Mignon and Scallops. It came with fried rice, and they also served me a salad after I finished the appetizers. The Filet Mignon was very tender as well as the Scallops, and cooked just right, just as were the vegetables that came with them: zucchini, onions, and mushrooms. And the Egg Fried Rice was also unbelievably delicious. As I was eating I had the privilege of observing the two Sushi Chefs making the Sushis. They came out as culinary masterpieces and the servers walked by me taking them to the customer'stables.. The view of the sushi made me want to return to enjoy some of them. It was only 5:30pm and the restaurant was already full. I was very impressed with the great numbers of customers and by the efficient customer service they were receiving by the servers, who all seemed to be Asian. My server was also very nice and hospitable. She came to check on me at the appropriate times and even answered me some questions I had about the restaurant and its owner. Even though the restaurant served Japanese Cuisine, the owner, the Sushi Chefs, and some of the servers were Chinese, with the Chefs trained in Japanese Cuisine. At the end I asked my server for the dessert menu. She told me that they didn't have dessert for now because since they opened two weeks ago, the restaurant was so full that they decided to hold on serving desserts for now to accommodate the volume of customers wanting to eat there. I invite the readers of my review to view my photographs accompanying this review to get an even better sense of this outstanding restaurant which I definitely highly recommend and will be returning soon. read more

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Well...I was excited to try this. The Gyoza, spot on! The Steak/Chicken Hibachi however, nasty. I spit the first bite out because I thought it was raw chicken, turns out it was so overcooked. $23 and I threw out 3/4 of my meal, what a shame. read more

First time and I was pretty impressed. The bento box ( I got the shrimp and veggies) was enormous for the price. Only complaint was the salad was drenched in the dressing, I would opt for the soup next time. Very good fried rice ! This will be on my list of go-to's the next time I am in the area. read more

My 13 year old can cook better than this. This is the worst "hibachi" I've ever had. It's just dry chicken with a pound of rice and a sprinkle of teriyaki sauce. Doesn't taste horrible but definitely a waste of money. No way people think this is what hibachi is supposed to be... read more

Sakura IX - Hibachi Chicken - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Really glad you have reopened. I knew getting a table on the first night of reopen was a long shot but I was not expecting to wait 45 minutes only to be told that you ran out of sushi. The all you can eat sushi restaurant ran out of sushi. What concerned me the most was seeing the owner lock the doors with a dining room full of customers. That's a serious fire hazard and your business was just closed for a year after a fire. Unfortunately, it will be a while before I try to go back. read more

Sadly, Sakura IX had a fire causing $250,000 in damages and will be closed for at least a few months. It is good to know no one was hurt in the fire, but it is still tragic to see this lose happen to a local business. I am really going to miss my favorite lunch spot for sushi until they can reopen. More can be read about this on WDBJ7's website: https://www.wdbj7.com/2023/11/07/no-injuries-reported-roanoke-restaurant-fire/. read more

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Food always hot and delicious. Generous portions. My fave is steak and shrimp hibachi

My husband and I came here for dinner. The dine in area wasn't crazy busy but you could see that takeout and drive thru were non-stop orders. We got prompt service and sat where we wanted. We got hot house sake to share, nothing fancy, just to compliment the meal. For our appetizer we ordered the sushi starter Heart Attack which is a kani roll with cream cheese, tempura fried and topped with avocado and spicy sauce. Sorry delicious, nice portion for a starter for 2. We each got miso soup and 3 rolls each. I got the salmon roe sushi, yellowtail/scallion roll, the kamikaze roll and the spicy girl roll. I believe my husband ordered the monster roll, snow mountain roll and salmon sushi. All the fish was fresh and the rolls were very tasty. My husband's only complaint was one of his rolls wasn't super right and fell apart when he picked it up but that didn't stop him from eating it. For dessert we ordered deep fried cheesecake which is about what you expect that to be. Nothing fancy but definitely hit the spot for a sugary dessert. They do have some Japanese beers available and an AYCE option. If you want more entree style dishes they do have hibachi grill options as well as some Chinese (lo mein, fried rice) and Thai (pad Thai) choices. Given the fresh fish and the variety of entree options we will definitely be back in the future? read more

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Pulled into the parking lot today and a man said they would open in 2 months!! We can't wait until we get to go back! We love the food and to see how the inside will look! The atmosphere will be great I'm sure! read more

Kiera was an amazing waitress, our food was perfect. Clean inside. Reasonably priced. I highly Reccomended read more

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My husband and I go to Sakura 9 for all you can eat sushi. It used to be $19.99, but the price has gone up over the past two years to around $24.99? The AYCE includes some salads, soups, some hot appetizers, sushi, specialty sushi, and hand rolls. The sushi is decent and really gets the sushi cravings in. My favorite is the eel avocado and my husband likes specialty rolls with shrimp tempura. The egg roll and spring rolls are super hot and crispy and are also a must for my husband. The kani salad and house salads are good starters and help to spice things up in between sushi orders. The hot and sour soup and miso soup are pretty good as well! We just wish there were more hot items on the appetizer menu like chicken/beef teriyaki or something like that. We don't order anything off the AYCE menu, but there are plenty of customers that do. read more

Glad to see you reopened, love your food and service, was there last night picked up take-out order, got order pretty quickly even though restaurant was extremely busy on reopening night, my only beef is salad is not included with take out as it is when you dine in even though it's the same price, I feel cheated every time I get take out orders, I have asked several times to no avail, salad is extra $3.00 if you get one to go, included if you dine in, really like the house ginger dressing, please fix this to be fair, I stew about this every time I go there. I would patronize them more often if this is fixed. Have friends and family that feel the same way. (Easy fix) read more

Had the AYCE sushi for 6. The menu is limited but very robust. Something for everyone! We left plenty full and very happy. Forgot to take a pic of our sashimi platter. Shoutout to Shanice for her superb waitressing! read more

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I came for the All You Can Eat (AYCE) for $23.99. You literally cannot beat the price if you order 2+ specialty rolls and appetizers. I came in a little before 5:30 on a Saturday as I read other reviews that said takeout and drive thru can be really busy. I was promptly seated in their open dining room and hardly had a chance to read through rolls before a waitress arrived. Starters: egg roll, miso soup and a crab Rangoon. I loved that I could order these individually since I dined alone. The soup came out quickly and was very hot. Egg roll came out next and was warm to the touch but even hotter when I bit into it. It came with a yummy little dipping sauce (I ended up ordering a second one). The crab Rangoon was a little short on the filling so I'd probably skip that one next time. Rolls: I got 1 Hawaiian and 1 Sexy Girl which would have been $27 on their own. Both were good, but I'd recommend the Hawaiian over the Sexy solely for the flavors and the textures. The sexy was good, but a little too much spicy tuna on top made it overall a little mushy in your mouth. Both rolls were a good portion so you don't get skimped by doing the AYCE deal. My waitress promptly returned as I was finishing my rolls and I was able to order a couple more appetizer servings since I was nearly full and didn't want to waste pieces of a third roll. Overall I think the sushi was fresh, the service was good and you can't beat the price if you plan on eating! They do also have entrees and several people ordered the noor bento boxes around me. read more

This restaurant has an all you can eat sushi for $19.99. This includes appetizers, sushi, sashimi and special rolls. There are also drive thru, dine-in and takeout options available at this location. For the AYCE option I had the Angry Dragon special roll and salmon, tuna, white tuna, red snapper sashimi, as well as salmon, tuna, white tuna, red snapper sushi and miso soup and spicy Kani Salad. I also had chirashi don that I ordered as takeout on a different day. It basically is an assortments of sashimi on a bed of rice. It was a very full and delicious meal. AYCE option is definitely worth it - price and quality-wise! read more

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THE WORSE sushi I've ever had was at this location. I was in the area and yelped "sushi" then this spot came up. The food was disgusting and I was contemplating on Popeyes before I came here. At least I would've satisfied my palates there. Smh this spot was disgusting filled with fake meat. I made sure to ask if it was imitation crab before ai ordered -- sure enough it was. The other food was filled with rice, skimpy in meat, and plain so disgusting. Don't ever eat here it you can help it. The waitress was nice and hot sake came out nice though. read more

Sakura IX - Godzilla roll filled with God knows what - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

We have been a long time customer for many, many years at Sakura. Yesterday, will be our last time dining there! When we walked in we were the only customers for about 15 minutes. We had the sweetest waitress that very quickly seated us and took our drink order. She brought our drinks back and proceeded to take our food order. During this time, the manager, the one with the really high pitched voice, comes over and hovers behind the waitress as she is asking us what we would like. I look over to the manager and she looks angry and tells us the waitress is new. We said ok, that's cool! As we are are telling our waitress what we would like and she is writing it down, this manager proceeds to very aggressively, hatefully and loudly, yell what we just ordered at this waitress as she was writing it down. It was absurd!!! It made us, the customer, incredibly uncomfortable. We then witnessed this manager follow this waitress to the computer to enter our order like a drill sergeant and do the same thing to her, hatefully yelling at her, while she entered our order. She then yelled at her hatefully while she made our soup and salad. The waitress brought our food over to us with a smile. Even the cooks in the back were leaning out the kitchen and kept looking over at us because they knew we could hear what was happening. We then noticed the waitress visibly upset step outside for a minute and then come back in. It was clear she was trying to hide her tears. She brought our food to us with a smile even through all that! She also serviced other tables that had come in with a smile as well. I was incredibly impressed with this young lady! I was also horrified witnessing the treatment the young waitress was receiving on her second day. She was doing a wonderful job with a smile and its clear this manager was committed to aggressively bullying this young lady. I made sure to tell the other manager that showed up about 30 minutes later how great that waitress was doing. I also noticed the hateful manager with the annoying high pitched voice left the sweet little waitress alone once the other manager showed up! I was appalled to see how the employees are apparently treated there and it was extremely uncomfortable trying to enjoy my meal this time. Sakura, you all always have up a "now hiring" sign. If this is the way you treat your employees, especially the ones that are wonderful and kind, it's not a wonder you're always hiring! We won't be back and won't be bringing anymore friends to dine with us there, like we have over the years! We will be sure to tell everyone we know about the horrendous treatment witnessed though! Do better!!!! read more

Visiting from out of town, craving sushi, the AYCE sushi & appetizer deal ($20pp) seemed like an unbeatable deal! The staff were very friendly, very attentive, very quick to bring out our choices. We tried a variety of their specialty rolls offered, along with the seaweed salad appetizer, the spring roll, and some sashimi. The food was ok, nothing special, nothing bad (well the spring roll was very breading filled & greasy), but as for sushi everything was delightfully fresh & thickly packed (large pieces of sushi per roll!). My reason for not rating higher...while they offered a lot of sushi roll options in their AYCE, there wasn't much variety-everything seemed like the same combinations of ingredients, just prepared different (tuna on top versus tuna inside), so we didn't really have 'real variety'-and the woe...most of it included shrimp tempura, so the meal was a lot heavier. But overall, not a bad choice if you want to eat a lot of sushi for cheap. read more

I came here with some friends for all you can eat sushi. Honestly, the food was just OK. The sashimi was served served in small, lopsided pieces, and my second order had even smaller pieces than the first (pictured). I tend to judge sushi restaurants on their tuna, my favorite fish. But after my first round of sushi, I switched to other fish. The sashimi menu for AYCE is also quite small. But on the positive side, the staff was friendly, and the price was right. My search for great, fresh sushi will continue. But if you're looking for affordable sushi, Sakura's price for all you can eat is second to none. read more

Sakura IX - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Was driving through this area and stopped by to a very busy Monday night, probably because it was the day before NYE, so that was a good sign that this might be a good place. Did the AYCE in which the waitress came and took our order each time, which is done differently than most AYCE in NY/NJ. Food was okay. Nothing good or bad. Sashimi seemed fresh, but limited to 20 pieces/person and the pieces were 1/3 smaller than a standard sashimi slice. Also, the rolls looked much smaller than what everyone else was getting. Service was slow, but it was understandable since it was packed and our waitress was hustling. So, I put in my second order as soon as she brought our first order. However, after waiting for awhile not getting our second order and watching the couple next to us place their order much after us and get their order, eat, pay, and leave, I was very pissed. The waitress did apologize and gave us a discount on our bill. If I were to come back to this area, I wouldn't come back here again. read more

I got the all you can eat sushi! I had Tia and had such a good experience she was totally on her game and makes you feel so welcome! The sushi was so good and i loved the crab rangoon and miso soup. I got a hefty sashimi piece for being all you can eat. Was not the biggest fan of the dynamite roll i thought it was a little salty of chicken. read more

Sakura IX - Spicy Salmon -loved. Alaskan- loved. cali - liked - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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I ordered the chicken and shrimp hibachi with no veggies. I got food poisoning about 1 hour later.

My significant other and I had Sakura while we were in town a few months back and it was pretty good. The restaurant was clean and they seated guests with appropriate space for social distancing. The sushi was and service were both good, and the price was fair for what we ordered. read more

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The all you can eat sushi and appetizer deal ($20) is easily the best deal in the Roanoke area. Sushi is good. Food is very good. Prices are unbeatable. I've gone to this restaurant many times to eat over the past three years and always left satisfied after a good meal with friendly service. read more

Was pleasantly surprised by the food from The out side and the fact it has a drive thru made me want to run but the sushi is great . Interior nice and intimate and will be back Ordered the hibachi as well that was just ok to me Will stick with sushi only read more

Sakura IX - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Service was A1. Server did not write a single order down, but still able to go around the table and get all orders correctly. I had gotten the all you can eat. Sadly to say that the portions for sashimi was small. Also, they have a cap for 20 pieces?!?! It really looked as I got end bits. Everything else on the all you can eat menu was nice. read more

Both my husband and I got sick. Sushi was more like "mush". Not solid cold pieces of fish but mashed up, soggy and gross. We had miso soup and I think it had msg in it. We had two roils between both of us and couldn't eat another bite. Felt horrible the rest of the day. Poor quality, would not recommend. Two stars are for the service which was fast and courteous. read more

I stopped tonight not realizing this place was in my area. My meal mostly consisted of sushi rolls. The hostess was most helpful in directing me to her favorite recommendations. I did try the Crab Rangoon by her suggestion, not so much! Tasted like the oil it was fried in, needs to be changed out? I could taste a very strong onion after taste. Not common in Crab Rangoon. The rest of the meal was VERY good! My favorite was the Kamikaze. She suggested that I try the "all you can eat special" if I was pretty hungry. This was a great deal for just $20.00!! I'll be coming back and bringing my Sushi loving Brother! He's been boasting about all you can eat places, in Baltimore. Now, I can compete read more

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We dined here on a Sunday evening. They were busy and now we know why. It was delicious! I had the Hot and Sour Soup with the Habachi Filet Mignon and my husband had the Hibachi Combo Special. It was memorable! read more

Sakura IX - Sorry it is fuzzy. This is Habachi Filet Mignon - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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A favorite of mine. I go here all the time. It's very convenient, especially since it has a drive thru, and the food is always pretty good. One time they gave me a drink I didn't pay for by mistake and let me keep it since I already took the drink. The car behind me was so mad lol. read more

Sakura IX - Spicy tuna roll, dragon roll, sexy girl roll - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

I have been here multiple times. The first few were great. Before today, the last time I ate here, I had All You Can Eat sushi. Every roll I ordered that had avocado came without the avocado, unless avocado was in the actual name of the roll. I asked the waitress about it and she said that the rolls that included avocado on the all you can eat menu would not be served with it any longer. So unless avocado was in the title, it would be excluded. I changed this up to COVID and ordered told with avocado in the title. Enjoyed and moved on. Until today. My fiance brought me and avocado salad and hibachi shrimp and scallops. I just bit into a rock. Literally, a piece of gravel. I don't know what else to say. read more

Sakura IX - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Oh my goodness, Sakura IX was SO delicious. Talk about great value at a great price! I got five rolls (the angry dragon, Hawaii and tiger were my favorite!) our server, Tina, was attentive, sweet and sooo nice! Amazing service! I also had the Kani salad, and crab Rangoon's. All so so good. I wish I wasn't a senior or that I had discovered this place sooner because it's literally so so so good! All you can eat for 19.99! read more

Sakura IX - The AYCE menu! - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Been here a couple times and everything is consistently pretty good. Hibachi is quick and overall tasty, sushi is some of the better quality we've found in the area. read more

I've been twice by choice and a handful of times with friends since it opened. I've not had the all-you-can-eat because I'm a little more interested in quality than quantity. It's not the worst sushi I've ever seen served but it's about as low in quality and preparation as I'll eat. It's not terrible, but it's sure not great. I prefer to drive 10 minutes to one of the better sushi places. read more

It used to be a great place for sushi all you can eat, but the sushi and sashimi are getting smaller/thinner with more rice. I am very disappointed. For the first time, there was not any limitations on the amount per person. But they changed it to 20 pieces per person for sushi or sashimi. I understood. But sushi/sashimi got smaller and thinner and put much more rice in the sushi. But the waitresses are kind. read more

Sakura IX - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

This place never disappoints. Having a birthday dinner with my son and his girlfriend. The Bento Box, I think is the way to go.

If you like sushi with raw fish go elsewhere. Ordered rainbow roll and salmon slices was almost transparent. Spicy crab roll was not spicy at all. read more

We were calling to inquire about the all you can eat option, but the person who answered the phone was very considerate to advise us not to do all you can eat as we have two kids (age 3 & 8) as they charged $14.99 for each kid. We then ordered from their regular menus for rolls and hibachi dishes. The hibachi steak was a little bit over cooked, the steak became very chewy. My kids loves their rolls a lot! Overall the food quality is good and we definitely appreciate their services. Only suggestion is that they should consider to add udon soup or fired udon type of entree onto their menu as I found udon noodle is kind of a standard entree on most Japanese restaurant. read more

Went here to eat with some friends. First I ordered the Squid Salad, which was very tasty, the perfect blend of dressing, seafood, and veggies. Next I ordered the Spiderweb Roll, with spicy tuna, avocado, and mango. It was the perfect combination for me. Freshly made, and tasted delicious. I love their wasabi, it is very spicy and tasted homemade. This has to be some of the best sushi in Roanoke, and a new favorite. I also like the colored light atmosphere. Can't wait to come back! read more

Sakura IX - Spiderweb Roll - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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I couldn't order with our waitress because she didn't understand me. My fish was dry and crusty except the salmon. Again, couldn't even ask for something else. Soup and salad was good. Hand roll was over stuffed with rice. No idea why this place is even rated! read more