Where do I begin? I have lived in the Birmingham Metro area the majority of my life and love trying new places, so when my son spotted this place on a shopping trip to Publix and asked if we could go try it out I said yes (if he was a well-behaved boy at school lol). Luckily for us, he was today. It's location being over the parking deck is probably why I didn't notice it and I was nervous about how accessible it would be however there were two solid ways to get there either from the street or parking deck so that proved to be no issue at all. It has both indoor and outdoor seating with cute decor all over the inside. I've never been to Japan but one could imagine this gave its all to emulate the feel of a cool Japanese city restaurant. There's a cocktail bar on the right, sushi bar to the left, and good seating in the middle. Maybe large parties would be hard to seat upon reflection but I'm sure it's doable. The menus we received were EXTENSIVE. So many sushi and nigiri options were available it was almost overwhelming but they also gave us a paper selection for sushi that went into detail of the chef specials. But don't worry, they had other options including various soups, salads, appetizers (we got the spring rolls, YUM. My son devoured them), and hibachi style dishes. We decided to get the Udon with shrimp and veggies, Osaka roll, and Vestavia roll. Genuinely, you can taste the love and care. My son actually closed his eyes and sighed when he dived into the noodles dish and was enamored with the Vestavia roll (did I mention he's six?? Seriously, that reaction from a six year old means they're doing something right!). I also was beyond impressed with the flavors of it all. I wish I was more hungry so I could get more. Lastly, I want to touch on service. I, myself, am a bartender so service is a big thing for me. I have high expectations because I know how the job should be done. When I tell you these lovely people know how to make you feel at home, goodness. Every customer that came in was warmly greeted and if they were a regular it was like they were coming home. The lovely lady at the front (I want to say was maybe the manager?) was all smiles and running around helping and talking with staff and guests alike. She stopped by our table and chatted with my son and told us she was happy they had "new family members" (LOVE). Our server was phenomenal, even seeing my son was struggling with his chopsticks so he rigged up a pair to be more kid friendly which was great. We were sat facing the sushi bar so we were watching how much care and effort they were putting into each plate. It was a sight to see. This place clearly cares about its patrons from the moment they come in til the moment they leave. The love they put into every dish and interaction should be something you get everywhere. They've set a high bar and I'm happy we got to experience it. I cannot wait to go back. I'm already plotting what I'll try next! read more

Samurai Japan - Osaka Roll - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

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Stopped by Samurai Sushi in Vestavia for a Sunday lunch after church for Easter, and it was a pretty relaxed experience. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all, which made for a quiet and easygoing meal. The sushi itself was just okay... nothing particularly memorable, but it satisfied the craving. Service was smooth and timely, likely helped by the lighter crowd. Overall, a decent spot if you're looking for a low-key lunch without the wait, but the food didn't quite stand out compared to other sushi spots in the area read more

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The food was awesome the service was even better my waiter was on awesome I would definitely recommend coming here

We come to samurai Japan for a friend's birthday every single year. This time was our absolute most favorite visit yet. They are always super quick to seat us and accommodate our large group, which is great! I love the fact they have patio seating as well for a warm summer night as well as inside seating, and you can even sit at the sushi counter, which is so much fun for a party of two! I decided to order the chicken hibachi which also came with soup and salad. It is so much food and I love the little appetizers that come beforehand. The food was super fresh and it was so great to have leftovers for lunch the next day. I was so indecisive cause the food is so good that I also had to get a cucumber avocado roll because I kind of wanted some sushi on the side of my hibachi. I don't like seaweed so it's really nice that they're able to sub out for soy paper. At the end of our dinner, they brought us out a few trays of ice cream sandwich desserts for my friend's birthday and sang happy birthday. We've had so much fun for years and the team is always so kind. They even brought us out samurai Japan magnets for our fridge. It was so cute! read more

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Sushi night was a success!! We were able to get a table no line no wait. The service was good, the food was good we had no complaints. read more

Samurai Japan - By - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

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Food was good and service was quick and friendly. I had two pieces of albacore sushi, a ninja role and a spicy tuna. The albacore and ninja were really good, but I'd give the spicy tuna a 3/5. It just didn't have much flavor and very little kick. Ninja was a 4/5 - presentation was very good and jalapeño was a nice touch, but I think it had a tuna center that also lacked flavor. I was in town for work and stopped in - I'd give it another try the best time I'm in town. It's a little difficult to find and took some "exploring" for me to find it (you can't see the restaurant from outside the center). Thankfully a neon "sushi" got my attention. It was a little pricey but not out of line. read more

Samurai Japan - Albacore, spicy tuna and ninja roll. - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Impressive! We have been to all the sushi places in Birmingham. This was absolutely a pleasant surprise. The sushi was incredible quality. The service was outstanding. We loved sitting outside on the patio. Can't wait to go back! read more

Samurai Japan - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Excellent sushi. Great service. Unusual location. The sushi are all fresh and the plates are superb. read more

Incredible sushi and super fast and friendly service! I will definitely be returning. read more

Samurai Japan - Spicy Roll Dinner - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

This place has a lot of great variety of options and I find the fish quality to be better than most in the area. A nice restaurant on the second level in a shopping district with plenty of outdoor seating and indoor, the decor is warm and welcoming. There's plenty of parking options as there is a parking garage right beneath it. I came here first for happy hour and I almost don't want to tell how great it is, because it is a great deal! A lot of drink options and plenty of roll options that are affordable without sacrificing quality. Service was attentive and the service were knowledgeable. I've also gotten takeout from here and let me tell you, the chef specialty rules are very large. And very filling. I got the Alabama roll, and the Xmas rule. The Xmas rule was my favorite of the two. Two very large shrimp tempura with spicy tuna on top , drizzle of the spicymayo, that in my opinion has never been very spicy at any restaurants, so the fresh sliced jalapeño was a nice to add heat and an additional crunch. That is not to say the Alabama role was not delicious! Avocado with spicy, I believe tuna? Inside that was actually spicy and topped with an abundant amount of lobster salad and wasabi tobiko ontop to give pop! I have also had some of the more regular roles, including the salmon skin maki, tuna maki, and salmon, which are full of a lot of fish and not an abundance of rice. Also had the Philadelphia role, which I like to have with scallions instead of avocado and they had no issue with substituting the ingredient. I did do delivery, and got the house salad, which is your standard iceberg, lettuce with cucumbers and a few carrots and a ginger salad dressing. The ingredients were obviously fresh, though which was very nice and the dressing was not too watery or too sweet. Definitely will be here for happy hour and try other creative rolls! read more

Friendly staff! So helpful with the menu and offer recommendations. Love the vibes! Sushi is always fresh and the teriyaki is so good

Not as amazing as I used to remember They used to really put extra effort in for presentations. Still looks amazing but maybe lacking the superb quality and attention to detail they had pre pandemic But the service is exceptional our servers and really everyone there is so sweet and friendly They stay busy because of the movie theater but none of them act grumpy or overwhelmed They should all get raises read more

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Great sushi and service. Sat at the bar area needed a sushi fix and a light beer both were great!

I think Samurai is just ok Rice could use some more vinegar but texture is good. I like the amount of fish they use for the rolls and nigiri. Many restaurants are cutting down on portion sizes so having a lot of fish in everything was really nice. There was too much rice in the nigiri and rolls. I guess white people really like rice heavy rolls though because many popular sushi places have the same problem. The fish wasn't bad but didn't taste super fresh either. For the record most sushi places in bham have this problem especially on weekdays but we came on Friday night and many of the cuts had a slightly fishy aftertaste to them. Overall I'd give them an average ranking as far as sushi goes in bham. Still have yet to find a place that meets my very high expectations. read more

Amazing sushi with a huge menu! Choosing what to order was so hard, everything sounded amazing and looked so good. We split the Yummy Roll, Ocean Treasure Roll, and the Godzilla Roll. It was hard to choose a favorite, but the Godzilla roll may be my top pick- it's deep fried and has a really good sauce on top. The staff was nice and attentive to the table, and the inside pretty cute! I'll definitely be returning! read more

Samurai Japan - Yummy Roll (left) Ocean Treasure Roll (middle) Godzilla Roll (right) - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Don't know how I went so long without trying this place considering it's less than ten minutes from me! Definitely a highlight in the Vestavia City Center. The shrimp gyozas are our personal favorite, I really could just eat these by themselves and be happy, and the sushi is always super tasty. The service is honestly what stands out about Samurai- after so many visits we always leave happy and having great conversations with our waiters! Was even given a free dessert once out of nowhere :,) Genuinely love everything about this place and it's high-rise outdoor seating- especially at night! read more

Samurai Japan - Shrimp Gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

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First let me say...this place is great! They are tucked away in the back corner and just a beautiful place with amazing music playing in the background. The food was spectacular. Some of the best quality I've found in Alabama. We ordered the Sushi and Sashimi for 2. It could easily feed 3...it was so much food. The staff were excellent, and we will definitely be back! read more

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Incredible. Fast service, delicious and affordable rolls, quiet and relaxed environment, clean restaurant. Loved it!

I have wanted to try this place for quite a while as it's been on my Yelp bookmarks. I spotted it shopping at Publix, and the ambience is what caught my attention. It's on the second floor of the Vestavia City Center. My friend Julia and I came in on a Saturday around 3:00pm for a late lunch after some shopping. When we got here we were the only customers, and there were about 10 staff members sitting at tables chilling out until customers got in. The gentleman that seated us was nice and took our drink orders. We had our menus, and I was surprised by how many sushi options there were. I needed some time to think about what I wanted. However, the waitress came after about 3-4 minutes of us getting our orders and asked what we wanted to eat. I wanted to ask her to give us a few minutes so I can study the menu, but I felt like she wanted us to make a decision or else. Julia ordered the shrimp tempura roll, so I just said I would get the same thing. I would have liked to order more food, but I did not want her to make another trip to our table. We got our food very quickly. The shrimp tempura roll was great! The waitress came back with our checks, and we paid. We both left feeling very rushed, and with as many other workers as we saw just relaxing, I think it would have been a much better first experience if someone else served us. Surely out of all the people we saw, someone else would have been warmer and friendlier especially in the service industry where you work for tips. It was not even a busy time of the day, and we both wanted more food. I ate more food when I got home. I do not think I will be coming back here based on this highly unusual dining experience. read more

Samurai Japan - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

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Outdoor seating available & masks still required. Food is always stellar. If you haven't tried the Hello Kitty roll, don't let the apple ingredient keep you from it. It's SOOO good! The owners and staff are all very sweet and enthusiastic about making you happy. 100% would recommend. read more

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The sushi is great here! Lots of variety. I felt like it was a tad overpriced though compared to other sushi in the area read more

Samurai Japan - 10 Pieces Lucky Roll - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

I am very picky when it comes to sushi, so trust me when I say Samurai is legit good sushi. Their prices are reasonable, rice perfectly cooked and flavored, plus fish tasted fresh. This will be our go-to for sushi in Bham (which is a relief cuz we've tried some duds too). We tried a few simple rolls, two specialty rolls and a smoked salmon nigiri. Everything was delicious but the standout was the Fantastic roll: yellowtail, salmon and tuna roll topped with spicy scallop - a serious mouthful that was absolutely delicious. The ambiance is welcoming, the service excellent and the presentation of the sushi was well thought out. read more

Absolutely amazing food & service! We had a party of 10 for a birthday dinner. The wait staff was fantastic! Our drinks were always filled, and the waitress was spot on with her recommendations. We ordered appetizers, sushi, hibachi, tempura, and dessert! Everyone was extremely pleased with what they ordered. The shrimp gyoza appetizer was a big hit! The crazy tuna roll and the DuBai roll were the two favorites at the table! Some of the best sushi rolls I've ever had! They even ended the night by giving us a complimentary dessert plate and gifts for the birthday girls! You can't go wrong with this place. read more

Samurai Japan - Complimentary birthday desserts! - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

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My husband and I decided to try this restaurant for my birthday, since we both love sushi. We were greeted with smiling faces. Thankfully, they weren't busy, so we didn't have to wait. We order the calamari and two rolls. Everything was brought out quickly and exceeded our expectations. Our server was attentive to our needs. read more

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Not so good sometimes I ordered the food on doordash and they said someone picked up my food crazy

If you were not looking for this establishment, you would probably pass it by. I had the good luck of having this Resturant recommended to me recently. There is a great elevated outdoor dining patio. The wait staff were pleasant and efficient. The food is where this place really stands out. The sushi is beautifully prepared and presented. Very fresh!! The hibachi was well prepared and a significant cut above most teppanyaki that I have experienced in the past. The cocktails are really quite special with a great tiki flair. Well done and arrigato my friends!! I'll be back for more read more

Good - sushi - not amazing but would go again. Staff was really nice and super clean. The salmon sushi and rolls had the most flavor. read more

Samurai Japan - Sushi Deluxe - chef choice subbed tuna roll for Yellowtail Jalapeno - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

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Hope this doesn't sound too harsh, but I am not really sure how this place seems to be the highest rated sushi restaurant in greater Birmingham. So we aren't locals to Vestiva area and I admit, the first frustration was that it's kinda hard to find the place. Google Maps did map us to correct address, but there isn't a distinct landmark that one would be able to tell to know that it is 1. NOT part of the large parking structure and 2. on the 2nd floor. So even if we called ahead and asked for directions (I think it could have been better described and/or more efforts put into exterior signage), it did set the first visit off on the wrong foot. If it's your first time here/ to the mall, go up the stairs if you have someone able bodied to do so or drive through the parking structure to get to an even surface to walk in - turn left into the dark alley at the central open lawn area. We finally locate this place. It's well past lunch hours in the mid-afternoon so it's not surprisingly empty. I see a bag with food that reads phone order with my name. I tell them my name to pay but they ask for my full name and what I ordered. I say bentos and they ask what kind. Okay, it would have not mattered much to answer these string of questions usually, but we already wasted time looking for this place so I'm kind of at my patience limit. Must you really check my full name and order? I would understand if it's already paid and they were double checking to make sure I am the actual customer. I don't know if they had some other issue in the past, but I was, at this point, very sour about the whole experience and we haven't even touched our food yet. Now, if you think my 4 stars was 'cause the food was overwhelmingly spectacular... no, I've had much, much better. Frankly, I think my (extraordinarily long and frustrating) adventures to get my order likely won't give this place a fair review, but hell, all I have are not great memories so I will have to be honest about that. read more

This place is a hidden gym in Birmingham. They have the best sushi in Birmingham in my humble opinion. The staff is always welcoming and friendly and the service is always fast and great! read more

While in town we were looking up places to eat. We love sushi and saw the reviews and decided why not. Walking in the place is nice and bright. We were seated quickly and told to scan the QR code. They have a vast menu to navigate if you aren't ordering off the lunch menu. I had the miso soup and hubby had the salad as a starter. We also ordered the spicy crispy tuna. Which was pretty tasty. The presentation of the spicy tuna was interesting ( like it was minced but also orange in color) I had to read the description again to realize it was tuna. My husband and I decided to have a few of their specialty rolls. We ordered the TNT, hot girl roll , and Cajun fire roll. Our favorite out of these was the hot girl roll. It's a deep fried roll , definitely recommend. We also ordered the California roll and the shrimp tempura roll . I feel these are staples of any sushi restaurant and you can't go wrong. Overall the shrimp tempura was the best item we had here. I want to be fair and I really had high hopes but we just really didn't enjoy the other items we had. Looking over the menu , specifically for the rolls they are pretty much tuna and white fish variations. Very few salmon varieties or rolls that even had salmon as a secondary ingredient. The pros are service is quick and they do have hibachi and other menu items that from reviews people really like. But i personally would not come back for sushi or rolls. read more

Hands down the best sushi I've ever had. The fish is melt in your mouth tender! The service is also impeccable. New favorite restaurant!

It has been a while since I have written a review for this restaurant. We have been going to this restaurant for three or four years, and we have never had a bad experience. Wait staff treat you like family; food is fresh. Great selection of sushi. It is definitely a jewel. read more

I love this restaurant. The sweet potato tempura is a must try, and the dining room is always kept very clean. Mandy is the best waitress ever! read more

Great spot. Definitely recommend. Food and service was on point. I will definitely dine here again. read more

My wife and I used to go to this place on a regular basis. I really miss going, but my wife has food allegies, and she was getting sick after eating there. She loves sushi/shashimi and really misses going. I can't say enough good about this place. The owner and staff are like family. Such very kind people. The food is really good and fresh. I highly recommend this restaurant. It is by far the best sushi restaurant in the Birmingham area. read more

Came here for lunch w the hubs. This is on the second floor but parking was easy at lunchtime. Really nice interior. Lots of lunch specials and prices are really good. Two rolls plus miso soup or salad for ten bucks. Hubby and I each got two rolls. I had the spicy salmon and the spicy crunch tuna roll. I liked the tuna one. The salmon tasted a little too fishy for me. Hubby got two with cream cheese. Can't remember what. He liked his ok. So, overall it was fine. Just didn't thrill me. I'd come back again for lunch but I would try something besides sushi. The hibachi lunch is only 10 or 11 dollars depending on what protein you get. They also have bento boxes. Staff were very nice here and are very fast so it's a good place to go if you don't have a lot of time for lunch. read more

Samurai Japan - Japanese Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

The service was a little slow and brusque but the sushi I had at lunch was good. The have lunch specials like Okinawa which is my usual sushi spot. read more

We arrived for dinner about 7:00 p.m. on a Friday night. Although there was plenty of business, I was happy that we were able to sit right away. We were in a front room with the bar on one side and sushi chefs on the opposite side. There are QR codes to scan for the menu instead of a handheld menu. There is a large selection from hot items to sushi. We chose edamame, a spicy tuna hand roll, and vegetable tempura to start with. The edamame were steamed perfectly and seasoned well. I think just a little salt, but a good portion and perfect tenderness. The vegetables were lightly battered and perfectly cooked. Crisp tender veggies and the coating was medium amount. So a great balance between veggie and crisp batter. I think next time I will try the shrimp and vegetable tempura because I imagine the shrimp would be delicious. The tuna hand roll was a little different than we expected. Rolled up like a cone. The flavor was good, but was kind of awkward eating. Like an ice cream cone, but I probably wasn't eating it right. For the main course we had an Ichiban Roll, sashimi, miso soup and egg rolls. The egg rolls were cut on a diagonal. Although the filling was good, I like more of the filling in each bite. If I ordered again I would tell them not to slice it. Miso soup was good. The sushi and sashimi were all fresh and delicious! Nice thick pieces of sashimi. The service was good. Our waitress answered all the questions that we had. She checked regularly, but I never felt rushed. We had several servers help with service by taking plates away or delivering food. I will definitely go back if I am in the area. read more

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This place has some of the friendliest staff you will ever come across! They are very welcoming and helpful with suggestions. They also have a wonderful lunch special that is a great bang for your buck! You can get 2 or 3 rolls if your choice with a soup or salad. Their appetizer selection is also really great. The patio is very large and good for large groups also. read more

Best sushi I've had in a long time. Amazing staff and got seated with no wait. Seriously recommend this spot. Had a great vibe with amazing music in the background. Sara was our server, she was extremely personable and made the experience even better read more

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