I went to Sakura Sushi during the weekday happy hour and grabbed a seat at the bar in time to catch the last few minutes of the specials. I tried the Crunchy Salmon Roll from the happy hour menu and it was just okay. A crunchy topping on a salmon roll. From the regular menu I ordered the 12-piece Chef's Choice Sashimi Teishoku, which came with miso soup. The sashimi was decent and fairly fresh. We also shared the Brother Bill Popp specialty roll, and it's good if you're a fan of cream cheese-heavy rolls, if not I would pass. Overall, this is a no-frills, basic sushi spot. Nothing fancy, but an option if you're looking for casual sushi meal without spending a lot. read more

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What a fantastic place! Met up with my son and his bestie for a bday dinner and was not disappointed! HH is 4-6 and luckily I got there just in time for some great inexpensive apps. We did the edamame, the dumplings, the chicken skewer and the shrimp rolls. All were really delish. Our wait staff was great and everyone stopped by to check on us. All of the rolls we ordered were so fresh and every one was amazing. It is a nice interior with soft music and cozy booths/tables. They brought out a complimentary dessert for my son -which was a fried ice cream in a tempura batter....yum! They also will validate parking if you park in the "Victory ramp". Def recommend! read more

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Happened to stop by this sushi restaurant leaving the European Christmas Market at the Union depot. I was craving some sushi and found Sakura was within walking distance from where I was. From the outside the Sakura doesn't look that big but once inside you see it is spacious! I was taken a back on the amount of space they had being a sushi restaurant. I happened to go in between the lunch and dinner rush so I was the only patron in there at the time. The waitress was a nice lady and had some good giggles with her as we chatted a bit. She showed me the upstairs balcony sitting area and I loved how much room there was upstairs. I told her I might have to rent it out for my birthday. The sushi I had was good with fresh quality and expert sushi makers. The menu was fairly extensive. Would recommend in downtown St Paul. read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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The fish was fresh, but the rolls lacked flavor. Ambiance was lacking (we were seated in the back room for whatever reason - the main room had plenty of seating. Service felt rushed. Overall, at that price point we expected much more. read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

The smelt roe tasted "off" as did the eggs but still gave it a chance and now an hour + later I'm battling nausea and stomach cramps. Hope the Tums work! There's a saying, "If there are no Asians dining or working in the kitchen, it's not an Asian restaurant." I was the only Asian eating there which should have been my clue to leave as I was hungry for good sushi. Also, being asked "Where are you from" by the non-Asian waitress is rude AF. read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Service was fine. Sushi was average. Great location, but much better sushi to be had in St Paul

Nice dinner at Sakura. Friendly waitstaff that was knowledgeable about the menu and offered an accommodation for a spicy ingredient. All food was fresh and tasty. Great walkable downtown location. Our son enjoyed the Japanese cartoons on the tv. If we lived here we would definitely return. read more

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it's good but majority of the food lacks flavor and lowkey just kind of ahh. The atmosphere is fine but overall the place is decent but the food is just meh read more

A solid dining experience. Good food and great service. Prices were reasonable too. The soft shell crab, though frozen, was well prepared, just a tad too breaded. Sushi rolls were tasty, and Kama yellowtail collar was cooked perfectly. Hot sake to complement the meal, helped make it all go down so easy. I'd come back. read more

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One of our fav sushi spots in the twin cities. I've been ordering the Bento Box here for over 20 years. The quality has never wavered. My favorites are the Makinouchi and Shogun Bento Boxes. My 12 year old daughter says that they have the BEST California rolls in all the lands. Service has always been great each time we eat here. Ambiance is super cute with painted cherry blossoms on the walls. Fitting, since Sakura means cherry blossoms in Japanese. My then-boyfriend and I used to come here for anniversary dates. Now, my husband and I take our teenaged kids here too. Cheers to you, Sakura!!! read more

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I wouldn't avoid this place, but it's nothing special. Especially when you consider that it's downtown St. Paul and you'll likely have to pay for parking. This isn't a bad option if you're already down there, but I wouldn't go out of my way. The sushi was good, but nothing special, and slightly expensive IMO compared to the quality. They have good offerings for fish; and I also enjoyed the sake flight. read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Great Japanese food, love the clam miso soup and the sashimi tesihoku. Jessie was very helpful and ambiance is great! Will be back here when I'm I'm back in St. Paul! read more

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My favorite sushi spot in the Twin Cities. The fish is such high quality, the ambiance is peaceful, and the service is always friendly. My favorites are super white tuna, salmon belly, the caterpillar roll, and gyozas. I definitely recommend, they never disappoint! read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Sakura Sushi Combo Plates, Caterpillar Specialty Roll - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Well it's tough to write this one. I like the sushi, I like that I can walk to the restaurant, and I like the size of the space. But, what I can't get past is when I'm listening to all of the servers and wait staff walk around the restaurant openly complaining about current tables/patrons and those who just left. As a patron, I think it's incredibly inappropriate and unprofessional for the servers to be trash talking audibly throughout the dining area. Complaining about tips, attitudes, and even going as far as one server saying to another, "if that's what they want to tip, they can meet me outside." All the while, I'm trying to 1. Get ahold of a server so I can order a drink. Then wait another 20 min to order appetizers, then wait another 20 min to order food, all the while, hearing the servers talk about how they don't know how to make the drinks that have been ordered, they don't know why people can't just order beer, they don't know why orders are so long etc. We finally were served what we had ordered but then had to proceed to wait another 40 min to get our bill because the 3-4 servers were too busy talking to each other to notice their patrons. Incredibly unprofessional. I'm not sure where the leadership was, but it looked more like there was no management on site and that a group of kids were running things as they pleased. In no restaurant setting is it acceptable to be yelling across the dining area to your friend who is also working and trying to serve tables instead of paying attention to the order they were supposed to be taking down. Food was fine, but the service was so poor that I'm overly disappointed. read more

One of our favorite sushi places. They always do a good job with the food. We went here after our wedding ceremony we like to sit at the sushi bar when Ivan is there. He's the best! read more

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Sakura is a delicious (but pricey) sushi option in downtown St. Paul. It's a short walk from the Xcel Energy Center and has fun, Wild-themed rolls. My partner and I recently visited Sakura on a quiet Wednesday evening, so we enjoyed easy street parking and a mostly empty restaurant. I can imagine it'd be challenging to park and get a table on the weekends though! We started with gyoza, then tried the #33, Lawson, Dr. Nick, and Mexican rolls. Everything was so flavorful and fresh! The Wild rolls are really expensive for the amount of food, though... Next time, I'd probably opt for the more basic rolls, which looked just as good at a fraction of the cost. Staff were very friendly, attentive, and willing to offer us advice on what to order (so many great options!) read more

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This is a place my sister and I have returned to time and time again. The service is good and the food is so fast! The rice is always fresh on the sushi we've had there, never crunchy and has such a great flavor to it as well! The fish is fresh and yummy and you get bigger pieces than I've seen at other sushi bars around the twin cities. We got the Tony's special roll and some scallop and yellowtail sashimi and all of the above were great. I'm usually not a shrimp tempura fan because it's often too oily or greasy from being fried but it was great inside the Tony's roll, good size shrimp and no grease after taste at all! We also had the gyoza which were played beautifully and tastes delicious. Additionally, the prices are so reasonable here compared to other places especially with how beautiful this location is. They have table seating, bar and sushi bar seating all available with a hostess that helps you to find your spot right away. We went before a play at the ordway and explained our time crunch and our server was so fast and got us out of there with an extra ten minutes to spare, we really appreciate her answering our menu questions and checking back on us as well. The place was only about half full which was surprising, they definitely deserve more business. We also enjoyed a couple cocktails, none of their signatures although they looked great and were proofed reasonably. Both of our cocktails were poured well and came out fast, with fruit garnishes which I always appreciate! They also have great options for beer, wine, and sake both hot and cold. Definitely recommend this place for any sushi enjoyers! read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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As my first time dining in, I will definitely be coming back and I would 100% recommend anyone else to dine at Sakura. Our service was great and the food was reasonably priced compared to other sushi restaurants. None of the dishes disappointed and the sushi was so good, we had to order another sushi roll. If you dine in at Sakura you need to get the Leipold Wild Roll for a full experience, it was by far one the best sushi roll I have had. The amount of different textures and flavors in one roll: meaty shrimp, crunchy asparagus, soft rice, crunchy tempera, masago, creamy sauce, and smokiness, makes for a delicious and savoring dish. My only critique of the evening was my drink. I got the High West Old Fashioned, and for a special drink that cost $14, there was little to no taste of bourbon in the drink and I could only taste syrup and muddled cherries. I would recommend a different drink for any old fashioned lovers. read more

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A great sushi joint right in the heart of St. Paul! They offer a great variety of sushi and traditional Japanese food. The staff were very attentive and it was a great experience . Parking was rough but the food was worth it. read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - #22 and Brother Bill Popp - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Such a wonderful sushi bar in downtown St Paul. Wonderful atmosphere, great service and always fresh and creative sushi. We drive an hour each way because the best is worth it!!!!! read more

I had a salad and coconut soup with shrimp. The salad was tasty but it was served in a little 2tablespoon cup alongside mountain of greens and I was expected to distribute the dressing myself. Ugh what a mess. Idk why they serve it that way, leaves flying everywhere because there's too much food to move. If people want me to be healthy they need to make salads easier to eat. I will not be ordering salad here again, although it was delicious. Also the Unagi nigiri was PERFECT. The hamachi was good too like wonderful. I want to eat it every day as long as I live. The dumplings were disappointing, we expected spicy flavor, but they were not very flavorful. Yea was perfect on a rainy day. We will return for sushi read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Szechuan dumplings (actually not spicy at all) and coconut soup - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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My favorite sushi spot in the Twin Cities. The fish is always very high quality, the ambiance is great, and the service is friendly. I love the super white tuna, salmon belly, caterpillar roll, and gyozas. They've never disappointed! read more

Came here to eat before a show at Xcel Center. Food was good, service was polite and prompt. The iced tea was odd as it was from the bar gun and it was replaced by diet coke even though we asked for regular. We were impressed that they were able to keep up with so many customers. read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Salmon Teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Amazing food Great drinks Awesome staff Loved this restaurant Prices - middle to low **** great house wine read more

My family really enjoys the sushi here. We usually go prior to the Wild Hockey games. Particularly enjoy the Tony special and the Leipold roll. read more

The service here is VERY good! The atmosphere is welcoming and the staff are very kind. The ambiance is relaxed (on a Wednesday evening). I wish I could do 4 or 5 stars, but the food just isn't very good. I tried a roll and it wasn't great, a salad and the ginger dressing was a bit odd, and the fried egg rolls and they were the best of the three. Maybe it was an off night... but if you're looking for really sushi, this didn't do it for me. The other cooked foods might be better! read more

Avoid at all costs. Probably awesome at night with the drunks but the actual food and drinks are quite bad if not foul.

Delicious meal Saturday evening before a play at the Ordway. The service was attentive and knowledgeable, and each dish - whether appetizer, sushi roll or entree - was great - freshly made and served at perfect temperature. We arrived for our 5:30 pm reservation and could have easily made a 7:00 PM performance, so we had time to kill before the 7:30 pm performance. read more

Freshest sushi you can find in town. Relaxed atmosphere and chill vibe. read more

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Our server was very nice and the restaurant was clean. Although, our food experience was not the best. We ordered the egg rolls and the octopus balls which were both a 5/10. We ordered 3 rolls and they were okay. We ordered the soft shell crab roll and the batter tasted almost dusty, that one was just not very good. For a meal over $70 it was hard to justify. read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Prices are high, food is not very good. Service is absent. Came here for lunch with a couple of friends and due to a lack of sushi restaurants in the area, this was our only choice. I got the Sakura lunch special with nigiri and miso soup. As well as the #33 roll with spicy salmon inside. The rice was cold and hard in everything, rolls, sushi. The quality of fish is of a lower grade cut, definitely not high quality sushi grade cut. The fish was a bit tough, slightly chewy and some pieces were stringy. The portion size is mediocre and the prices are noticeably higher than other comparable sushi restaurants. Service was absent, we saw our server twice, once when we placed our order, and then when she brought us our food. Drinks not refilled. Bathrooms are ok, restaurant looks tired and dated, not super clean. read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Really nice interior. The drinks are good as well as the food. The price tag does accumulate for the sushi but since it's sushi it's not a surprise. read more

I haven't had sushi in months, so I was sooo excited to get takeout from Sakura. It was our first time, but I saw they had good reviews so decided to give them a try. Service is 5/5. The menu didn't list any gluten free options, so I called to ask if they had anything they could offer that wasn't on the menu. They said they can make almost anything on the menu gluten free and worked with me to make me what I wanted and could eat safely! Including FRIED chicken Katsu and shrimp tempura. Two delicious delicacies I haven't had in years because #GlutenProbs. The staff were so helpful and kind! Food is 4.5/5. All the food was and absolutely delicious. The sushi was fresh, the fried stuff was crispy and not greasy, and the rice was just perfectly sticky. The edamame and miso were both pretty standard, but tasty none the less. In these COVID times, they were taking all the right precautions and offered takeout, curbside pick up, in person socially distanced dining, and delivery. Definitely satisfied my sushi craving! read more

Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Gluten free Chicken Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Tried the sushi here for the first time. The service here is amazing. Nick is so friendly and a very good bartender. The owner came over and introduced herself and let us know we are welcome. For an app we had the fried scallops. So delicious. Could easily have been over cooked but these were perfect!!! For sushi we had a tuna and special roll. Both were sooo good and fresh. I will definitely be eating here again. read more

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I enjoy Sakura. I've eaten there solo and also with the Mr. mi have only eaten in the bar area, I like sitting in a booth in the window and it's been lovely. I like the huge menu. Fave appetizers have included the short ribs, scallops and I love the little oshinko plate. I like simple maki and nigiri, not the big rolls covered in mayo. Faves include for maki: yellowtail and for nigiri, the ebi, crab and shrimp. If you are going to have cold sushi, you must have the plum wine!!! It's delish! I'm going to a concert in St. Paul soon and I'm going back to Sakura. read more

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We came here for dinner before the hockey game as it was close (less than a mile) from the hotel. Service was fast, and friendly and the sushi were well-made and delicious. They were also made in such timely fashion! They had 2 or 3 sushi chefs that evening. This restaurant also have some special rolls named after the Minnesota Wild players which I thought was a neat concept being only a mile or two from Xcel Energy Center or so. We did not try any of them and opted to stick with rolls more familiar to us such as the rainbow, spicy tuna, and another roll that sounded more like a roll we have had in the past at other sushi restaurants. The restaurant is clean and roomy. We did not make any reservations on a Saturday afternoon but we were seated immediately and was out of there in 30-45 minutes. They run some happy hour specials but we weren't too keen on trying out anything since we were in a little bit of a rush to head out. This is definitely a spot to check out if you are in the area and are craving some sushi. read more

Four stars for food, three for service. This is a go to spot when we go downtown for date night for a concert at the Xcel center. Walking distance to Xcel is always a bonus. Love the Aspen roll and the Tony's special roll. If they offer Toro or Blue Fin tuna sushi for their board special .. Get it! Fish tastes fresh and the rolls have a good fish to rice ratio. Believe me this is important. We always get the same server. She gets the job done but not very attentive (read: doesn't bring utensils or soy trays until asked, doesn't notice water needs refills etc). Luckily the food makes up for lackluster service. read more

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I decided to stop in on a Sunday afternoon for a snack. First, I will get the not so positive comment out of the way. I could not get in There is a revolving door next to a regular door. I use a mobility scooter that won't go through a revolving door. Another customer opened the door from the inside for me. The server was very nice, but told me she didn't have a key for the door, and the manager who did, wasn't there. The great part about this place is the service, the food, cleanliness, how pretty and bright the restaurant is. Once I was in, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. I highly recommend it. And when the regular door becomes accessible, I will add the fifth star to this review. read more

Fairly budget friendly, wonderful tasting food, friendly waiter, modern decor, what's not to love? They default to giving your Chopsticks so you know it's authentic. read more

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My husband and I had dinner at Sakura Restaurant in St. Paul MN. It was 1/2 block from our hotel. The food was excellent...just as I was craving Japanese food. I actually did a sushi "take out" on a second night there. The owner came up to talk with us, knowing that we were also Asian. Friendly, clean restaurant. read more