I love this place, but I wouldn't say it's the best sushi place around. The sashimi varies. Sometime it's very fresh and good, but sometimes, its not that good. The entrees they make are decent, more towards chinese taste than japanese. I personally would recommend the fried oyster as the appertizer, tempura shrimp and sukiyaki as the entree. Toro and uni are sometimes very fresh and good for sushi! Should always get the soft shell crab handroll, its amazing. The staffs are very friendly, but sometimes parking is annoying. read more

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I want to hands down explain the disrespect I felt at this establishment with my family last night, all 5 of us sit down at a booth for the first time. The restaurants seems moderately busy with 3-4 servers on the floor. We are greeted within 3 minutes by the only girl server there in (nike shoes, pink brand pants and a black shirt) with menu's and then waters follow. Soon after that, we were waiting 25 minutes to take our order when we were ready 20 minutes ago in the mean time a table is seated next to us 10 minutes after our arrival. They are greeted, given there water AND beverages then 5 mins after their appetizers come then shortly their food comes out. In that amount of time we have yet to be asked for anything, ANYTHING. We just had water, so you can understand my frustration. I had to eye down one of the servers, that wasn't our original server to take our order. He was quick, hastily and answered all our questions to the best of his ability. Soon after our food came out, but the girl server has yet to come to our tables once she deliberately doesn't make eye contact with me almost as if she's ignoring us. Come check time, the girl gives us our check like nothing has happened....this instance I was upset. Also I might at the end we reviewed the check and they charged us for vegetables that we never got, we didn't want to keep a fuss because we were just ready to leave. Not only is that illegal and wrong, it was the cherry on top. I have worked in the food industry for 5+ years. I understand the struggle when you are busy, you forget sometimes, but you admit it to the customer and you COMMUNICATE. You don't ignore them in a 50 sq feet restaurant, really hard. I just want everyone to know that if you are of a different color do not expect good service here. My aunt single handedly has experienced this living in Providence as I am a visitor of two different aspects; her and a table of all her white friends vs her and all her black friends, and has received different service. If she were to speak up she'd look insane to the public eye so I came to all social platforms to let everyone know. You can't blame a whole race for one experience you had with that race, we are not to blame that person is. Racism to people who willing come into your restaurant is wrong and upsetting. WAKE UP it's about to be 2018, we should all come together not go against each other. For the record the food was delicious from the misso soup to the ginger salad to the lost control roll as well as to the one tall guy server with black slick hair who noticed our mistreatment or was just extremely willing to do his job. Thank you. You kept me from speaking up. People like you see people as people. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone, but if you are a regular you'll look over this. I just know as a 21 year old african american, there was mistreatment and I will not stand for it. P.S Your response Chong.K will probably be the same, that you have addressed the issue and spoke to your staff, but this has happened for 2 years, 5 years and 10 years. IM GONNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IN PROVIDENCE KNOWS THIS ISN'T RIGHT read more

I'll break it down real quick - Good food, bad service. EVERY time I have gone, and I do return since I live close and love sushi, I get sat, and wait forever for a server. The frustrating thing is they keep walking by and looking at you and ignoring you. Finally they come, get your order and then your delicious food will come. It's BYOB so that's a plus. Go here, IF you want good sushi and are not in a hurry. And if you're patient, that's a major plus. read more

Cute little family restaurant Food was great the owner was nice The sushi was fresh and the display was arty Love it will bring friend to go back read more

Love it here! Maybe it's the nostalgia, but the sushi is great and the staff remembers us and always greet us with a smile when we go. We don't go very often, but we've been going for the past 10 years. We order sushi whenever we go (best price for awesome sushi). We've never wanted to order any main dishes. Sushi all the way! Sit on the floor, at a table, or at a booth. It's a hole in the wall type of place, but we haven't had a bad experience. It's BYOB. Many college kids eat here, but it's not rowdy. The decor could use some help, but as long as it's not dirty and the food's good, I don't mind. Will most definitely be going back! read more

The service isn't the best here but it's rare that I have experienced good service in busy places like this. It is BYOB! Which is a definite plus. I love their rainbow and softshell crab tempura rolls read more

Best sushi, best food, good service, small place sometimes you have to wait a few mins but it's well worth it. They have floor seating if you choose and it's BYOB. read more

This small Japanese sushi/restaurant is by far the best around, every item is made fresh and very tasty, the service is beyond excellent and the establishment is clean. Love the dining room with the low tables and sitting on the floor to eat. Very cozy. read more

My friend and I recently went to this restaurant craving some sushi. We were seated right away and brought waters. After this we spent some time looking at the menu and writing our order down, hungry and ready to order the waitress who sat us was no where to be found. When we finally got our order taken it was by a different person. Food didn't take long but I was out of water and other than dropping the food and walking away we were never asked if we needed anything. Mind you I had needed water since getting our app. Then after our dinner we were looking to get some desserts, but instead a server just dropped the check and walked away. Thank god we were paying with cash because there was no one to give the bill to. The food was good but the service was terrible. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Staff was rude. Also saw a cockroach running across the floor. Waitress stomped on it like it was nothing and went back to taking our order. Didn't even acknowledge it. Won't be back. read more

The employees at this restaurant made our group feel unreasonably unwelcome during our visit. We came in as a group of 8, which we knew was large and that we'd probably be split up into separate booths, but fortunately there was a room in back for all of us to be together! Great! However, the waitress was somewhat rude when we asked for glasses (we were following through with their BYOB policy!) and insisted we pay the bill as soon as possible. Also, once the bill was paid for she insisted we leave so that they could clean the table/room. For context, there wasn't anybody waiting for the room, and it was over an hour until the restaurant closed. Basically, nobody knew why she was acting like this or what we'd done wrong. The fried ice cream was great though! read more

The sushi was horrible. The fish was not fresh at all. I got it to-go and it was just sitting on the counter in a bag not cold... very disappointed read more

My friend always complains about the smell here. It's a strong scent of fermenting soy and old tempura. I don't mind it because the smell goes away in a matter of a couple of minutes. Anyways, if you're not really into sushi, I recommend one of their lunch specials: Katsu Don. (It is breaded fried pork chop with egg and onion in a sweet broth). It's really good... reminds me of cheap yummy dinners at Japanese food courts back in Southern California. read more

I don't think the service is poor. I have been a regular for 4+ years. The servers work 7 days a week and deal with a wide variety of people -- specifically, patrons who struggle with understanding an accent and end up giving them hostility. If you are a vegetarian, I highly recommend the veggie miso soup bowl. The avocado rolls are always a 10 but by far the best is the fried yam roll. As another reviewer notes, take advantage of the Maki Lunch. I usually sub a seaweed salad for the house for just a little more, and it makes all the difference. read more

My boyfriend and I went to Sakura for the first time for dinner on a Sunday. The restaurant is very cute inside and is really great for conversation. The service was really prompt and everyone was really nice. I got the chef special samurai roll, which was really fantastic and my boyfriend got the chicken and beef teriyaki. His was very tasty, I think we will definitely be visiting Sakura again in the near future. This review is meant to be a 4 1/2 star review. read more

Waited an additional 15 minutes after order was supposed to be ready... and then no soy sauce provided with the order... sushi was super mediocre... there has to be a better option read more

My husband and I had dinner tonight for the first time at Sakura. We loved it and will defiantly return. We had 2 rolls off the specials menu..... The Samurai Roll and the Tuna Maki. Both were delicious and beautifully presented. Wait staff very friendly and efficient. BYOB. An excellent restaurant. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Tuna, Salmon and Avocado Roll... Amazing. - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

I have dined here at least 100 times. Affordable, good sushi and a good place to bring friends that are new to sushi. Service is just ok hence 4 star only. If you want to wow your date, this might not be the place. It is BYOB(bring your own booze) so you will see some under 21 crowd here. The best thing i like about Sakura is the crowd that goes there. Just seem likes friendly, laid back singles or couples goes there and i had made a few friends over the years. Try their Samuri roll and fire dragon rolls! read more

Everything about Sakura is great, except the service. Quite possibly the best sushi I have ever had, consistently, and at the same time, some of the worst service I have ever had. It has actually become a running joke among the group of us that frequents Sakura. I have been dozens of times and the sushi is incredible, the atmosphere is nice and the price is an amazing value for what you are getting, but I have never had good service. You'll notice that it isn't the gentlemen making the sushi that are unfriendly, it is the female servers. On several occasions we've actually had one particular server come up to us and say "You done?" when we clearly weren't, each of us having a full beer in front of us. It is the one place with poor service that I will continue to go back to time and time again because of the quality of the sushi. read more

After walking up and down Wickenden St, torn between which restaurant to choose, we picked Sakura based on a tiny, handwritten note saying that toro was available that day. The restaurant is fairly crowded, but not unpleasantly so. They have regular tables, a sushi bar, and a back room with traditional low Japanese tables and cushions to sit on the floor. We sat in the back room, and it was very cozy. We started with tori and uni nigiri, since the toro was what caught our eye. They were both VERY fresh. It was good quality, and the prices were comparable to what you'd expect to pay for two of the pricier items on most sushi menus. My dinner companion and I both opted for the chirashi (sashimi over a bed of rice) for our entree, and it was very good. All of the fish was very good quality, and they didn't skimp on the amount served. It was some of the best chirashi I've had in RI or MA. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful. And we had no complaints at all regarding the service. Overall it was a very pleasant experience, and I would definitely go back. Although next time my date would prefer a regular dining table, as his knees were killing him by the time we left. Haha. read more

This is the best place to get sushi. The service is courteous and attentive. The food is good and fresh and it doesn't take long to get your order no matter how Best they are. It's byob and that is always a plus! !!! This is my go to place for sushi. Their take out is awesome too!!!!! read more

BYOB!!! We got the love boat for 2. It was $50 but so worth it since we bought an $8.00 bottle of wine and a six pack of beer. They open the wine for you and they bring 2 glasses. It's $1.00 per person for the BYOB which is an amazing deal. The sushi was so good and worth every penny! We will be back soon!!! Some people brought coolers for their booze. My husband was feeling weird about it at first but once we saw everyone bringing in booze it was great! Very friendly staff, and very good food!!! read more

Sakura Restaurant - Love boat for 2 - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Love Sakura! There is always great service. Definitely best place for sushi in Providence area!

A 'Japanese Restaurant' run by DISHONEST Chinese people. Do not get fooled by house full of Asian staffs working. There is ZERO authenticity of Japanese food since the restaurant is ran by poorly trained 100% Chinese chef and staff. They really do not know how to cook Japanese food.. This place has extremely poor standard of customer service. The waiters are poorly trained and rude time to time. My friends and I once visited this place and never went back due to many reasons, but here are the main reasons. First, the food was extremely fake. Sure, they can try to mimic "Japanese" food. However, nothing was authentic and the ingredients were not fresh. Secondly, when we were about to sign the check and leave them a 10% Tip, despite the fact that we didn't like the food and the service. We realized the restaurant has charged us with 20% Tip to the check without informing us what so ever. So we were about to write them 10% Tip extra from a check that included uninformed 20% Tip check. I was really pissed off.. I went over to the counter to speak with a manager. She seemed like she was so confident about her decision about charging us 20% Tip without letting us know. I told her that Tip is the customer's choice, and she said "since you guys ordered a lot of food I decided to charge you that amount of Tip." I was stunned by what she said. She also said "There is not a single place in Providence where they don't charge you 20% Tip if you order a lot of food." Living in Providence for 5+ years, that is simply not true. There are a lot of honest and nice local restaurants in Providence, who treats their customers right. This was a review based on the dinning in experience before COVID-19 hit Rhode Island. DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT. read more

Great quick sushi stop. I recommend the caterpillar roll, a solid filling maki roll. Service is excellent and miso soup is always delicious. I've even had a friend order wine before and enjoy it greatly. Pleasant environment for groups and families. read more

I've been here multiple times and the over all dining experience is quite good. I like the fact that one area of the restaurant provides traditional Japanese style dining with seating on mats on the floor. The byob policy is cool if you enjoy a beer or glass of wine with your dinner. I've only really ever tried the sushi but it's above average and also fairly priced in my opinion. The parking on the street is less than ideal and I have often had to walk a couple of blocks to reach the restaurant from where I've parked. The staff do not really speak English but that's usually the case in Asian eating establishments. The location of the restaurant is really cool with a bunch of quaint little shops selling all kinds of odds and ends on the street. Overall I would definitely suggest giving this place a try. read more

The vegetarian maki roll selection is vast and delicious. I arrived at 1:30 on a weekday and sat by myself at the sushi bar. I was immediately welcomed with a menu by a waitress who came back in a few minutes for my order. I ordered plum & shiso leaf maki roll as well as yam and seaweed. 6 pieces each delivered within 10 minutes and well presented. As mentioned, each was delicious. With hot green tea the bill was $13.00. I will definitely be back to try other choices. read more

Sushi here is pretty average. Nothing too special, but it's convenient and definitely hits the spot when you're having that sushi craving. I do like the local vibe of the restaurant, and the rolls are decently priced. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

I love this place. Having been a frequent patron of Sakura's since '97 or so, it's almost surprising that I've never had a single failed experience yet. I have so many fond memories of skipping out on class during a blustery, winter day for a steamy bowl of soup... or going for a summer stroll with friends for chilled soba and an icy, refreshing coconut milkshake. As only expected, over the past thirteen years there have been changes here and there (mostly toward the building and presentation itself) but overall, my experiences have been on the whole, eerily consistent. The most pleasant and welcome difference are the dining areas. For years the joint was shabby. Charmingly shabby though. But shabby nonetheless. The cracks in the walls were large enough to fit a family of kittens with room to spare. There were always tons of boxes thrown about or stacked in the corners. At one point there was a hole so large near the windows of the make-shift tatami room that even the picture they hung to conceal it was a total fail. On a random afternoon I noticed.. everything was fixed. Finally. And nicely done! The menu hasn't changed much with a few additions sprinkled among the oldies. Their salad dressing though, is so delicious I can't even begin to describe how finger lickin' tasty it is. Who cares if it's iceberg lettuce? Dude, I would seriously eat from a dumpster as long as this dressing was slathered on it. I've always adore their appetizer selections: the eggplant w/miso sauce is delicious and I totally have to agree with Brian N. on the duck n' cabbage salad. Pure heaven! The dinner entrees rock my world. For less than 15 bucks or so (depending on which one) you get soup, salad, an entree of your choice plus dessert. Unlike other restaurants, the sides are actually kept somewhat authentic offering a few surprises other than just white rice. (Shirataki sprinkled with cracked pepper and black sesame? Shredded, pickled daikon? I am SO there.) One aspect that's left me slightly confuzzled is the service. For years I was always treated with a warm smile, nice conversation and little perks here and there, ie, the chef making special items by request, sushi dude making me extras on the house, the waitress remembering my lunch order (as it was almost always the same), fun little B-Day treats, even playing music by request if I brought in a CD. Our interaction was always very personal making the entire visit special even if I was just stopping by for a milkshake. And it wasn't just me, either. The other guests were often treated in the same fashion: eating there was almost comparable to a family type environment. Then something changed. I'm not sure if it was due to their make-over but the staff had a total attitude adjustment. Just as the other Yelpers have stated, going there now gives me a feeling of "get in, get out." God forbid you need a couple extra minutes looking over the menu. The waitress will literally stand next to you, silent and waiting. It's almost a little scary. To add, seriously forget trying to order outside of the menu anymore: chilled noodles? Hell no! Still, their food continues to give the most bang for your buck around, Japanese wise. Sure, Sakura's menu isn't exactly what you'd be served in the Land of the Rising Sun but then again, the McRib also isn't exactly what Clem's BBQ down south would be servin' up either. Regardless, they both rock my world. While their service has gone way down hill from the personal, quiet ambiance from years ago, their food is still some of the tastiest around for the price. Where else can you kick your shoes off, chill on the floor and enjoy a delicious dinner for two under 25-bucks? If anything, I'll cross my fingers and hope that one day the staff will simmer down and bring back that old school feel. Otherwise, phoning in for take-out always does the job. read more

If I could give zero stars, I would. I've worked in the industry for years and have never treated a table like I've been treated tonight. We were supposed to have friends joining us, but it approached closing and we were literally screamed at that they were closed and they couldn't come. Shortly after, our bill was dropped off and the disrespectful waitresses continued to walk into the room and stare at us. Mind you, we still had drinks left we wanted to finish. I've never seen such a lack of respect for paying customers. Needless to say, we didn't leave a good tip. I won't be coming back. I've been treated better by a wall. read more

Super disappointed in Sakura despite my excitement to try it out because of the hype. The ambience is very nice but the food itself.. meh. Me and the special boy went here for my birthday lunch and we got 2 lunch specials. I ordered beef negimaki- which ended up being very reminiscent to a beef patty.. that had too much pepper seasoning. He got the KatsuDon which was also equally unimpressive. We also got the Providence roll which was decent but was nothing special, in my opinion. Perhaps the sushi/sashimi sets are better but the actual entrees were very disappointing, I don't think I will be coming back. read more

Best sushi in the state, hands down (and I think at this point I've tried them all!). Nothing else compares. Service can be a little spotty, but the quality, freshness, and price of the food is tough to beat. Sakura - you complete me. Don't change a thing. read more

VERY good sushi but they always rush you when you're still eating your food!! Will take your plate away while you're in the middle of a bite! So rude!! read more

I've come here several times, with groups, and also on one on one dates. The sushi here was ok, but did not stand out. The prices were reasonable for the quality they offered. One thing that is consistent, however, was their poor service. I don't know why I kept going back. When seated in a group in their raised tatami floored seating area, service was slow and we were mostly ignored. When seated regularly at the tables in the main dining area, they could not wait to kick us out! Granted, it was a busy and popular time, but service should never make people feel like they are taking up space. They gave us no time to look over the menu before they asked us what we would like to order--we had to ask for "a few more minutes" a handful of times, and then before we even started our meal, we got the bill. We could not feel more unwelcome, and as a result, I have not gone back. I guess those pesky little fruit flies that were competing for our food doesn't help much to their cause either. read more

RUDE RUDE RUDE!!!! The waitress cut me off during my order and asked my partner his order before I was even done. All the food, soup, salad, appetizer and main entrees came to the table all at once!!! I have given this place three tries, and I am ALL DONE here!! BYOB or not, not worth the poor service!!! read more

Since I can't find outstanding sushi anywhere within an hour drive without shelling out a mortgage payment (ahem, O Ya in Boston....), I tend to make it at home. When I'm feeling lazy, I usually go to Sakura. But I only sit at the sushi bar, b/c at the sushi bar--if you're very lucky,and if a sushi chef feels like it b/c this only happened for me here once in 4 years--a sushi chef might listen in on your conversation, figure something out about what you like and feel inspired to make you something off-menu. That sort of experience is what makes sushi fun, and RI needs more of it. read more

Great sushi, and inexpensive, but I'm sorry to say the rating is mainly due to the service. While I appreciate the service is quick and hands off, I can't really say they are very welcoming here. A couple of times I had inconvenienced them because I had a card and there was a minimum to use it, they were rude to me for the inconvenience and very cold. I'm sorry I don't know the implications of card use here, perhaps it would be more helpful if you put a sign on the door?? Whenever in the area and I'm craving sushi I want to go to this place but then I remember how horrible and unwelcome the people who work there make you feel and I end up getting sushi somewhere on Thayer St instead. read more

Best place in the area for sushi and it is BYOB - what is better than that? Tiny establishment and it fills up quick, but worth it. Plenty of nearby parking in back. read more

The fish is better at Ran Zan, but the dining experience at Sakura is more fun. Nicer staff, cooler maki combinations, etc. Never go on the weekends unless you want to listen to loud, rude college students. read more

Hands down the best sushi in Providence. I've been going here on the reg for over 15 years and I have NEVER EVER had even the slightest of issue. The fish is always fresh as can be, never fishy, and their flavor combinations are to die for. The staff can be a lil brief but that's just how they operate and get shit done, efficiently. I'm literally offended that I saw less than five star reviews. If you want flashy drinks and neon bars got to Jackies (Crappies) Galaxy or Ichigo Ichi or one of those other trendy trash joints. If you want an amazing meal with game changing flavors go to Sakura and order some special rolls, trust me read more