Wow! I really was losing faith in Central / Western MA for choices and quality for Asian dining. Of all places in the world,. I'd never expect an Asian fare restaurant in a strip mall at the edge of Gardner to be a hit! First off, from the outside it seems dim, dark and off putting. Once you step inside you see that it is a little less causal that it appear from the exterior, and much much more inviting than a strip mall joint. Its clean, efficient and somewhat intimate for a table for 2 or 4. Let me just speak to the service and say it was very good., Attentive and QUICK. I cant believe how quickly we were seated, served and already splitting dessert. Me and my bf came here STARVING and in the mood for something good after a long and hard day. We were both pleasantly surprised to stumble upon Sawa. The drinks are STRONG so yes they are tasty but watch out if you have to scoot back on Route 2 anytime soon.. these are dangerous Mai tais and the grateful dead made me feel like ripples in still water. The fried apps and dishes are all cooked to order and much more lively in flavor than the frozen egg rolls, and precooked messes offered at most other places, that also taste like they've been cooked in dirty oil. Not here, all ultra fresh fresh fresh is what we kept saying of the food. Seafood, Beef and chicken dishes were all delicious and sauces are abundant (though I always ask for extra). The General Tso's is to die for but a PuPu platter basically had us on the floor by the time we had cleaned it off the plate! Also if you are sick and tired of mushy, bland fried rice with frozen veggies thrown in, this is your place. The fried rice is the best I've had in a very long time. it was refreshing! Some unique rice combos here too which I will take full advantage of on my next visit. Had some fried ice cream for dessert,. and if I could point out the worst part of the meal its this. It was ok at best but next time we will try the cakes, that do look like they are brought in. That is if we have room in our bellies ! read more

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I thought it was delicious! We got the lunch special. For less than $9, I got my choice of soup (I chose wonton, which was yummy, but know that it's just a cup and comes with only 2), appetizer (i chose crab rangoon - a woman was making them by hand in the back of the dining area. They were good.), rice (fried rice - standard), and entree. I chose the massama chicken Curry which, to my surprise, came with slice avocado and there were cashews in the curry bowl! I love avocado and cashews, so I was very happy! Not too spicy. Had leftovers. My bf got the coconut chicken entree. He thought it was a little too rich for him. Good for a couple pieces, then it became too much for me as well. Got an eel avocado roll. Nothing spectacular. Not a whole lot of flavor. Also ordered scallion pancakes. Not too thin that they flopped and not too thick that it was tough. It was both soft and crispy! I love scallion pancakes and they reminded me of the kind we get in Chinatown restaurants. Great atmosphere. Nice and romantic. Glass of water comes in Mason jars, contemporary menus, and excellent value! read more

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Food had always been good until I found a piece of metal from a scrubber in my dish. Haven't been back since. That quickly turned me off for obvious reasons. I wish I could give them another chance but my brain says nope. read more

Some of the best Chinese food I've had. The general gso and beef and brocolli are delicious! Would have given it 5 stars, but the fried rice was a little too cooked/sticky. Everything else was fantastic! read more

The food is always reliably good. Best crab Rangoon around! My three year old loves the noodles.

Worst sushi ever! Looks like a toddler made the roll. Also, the worst crab rangoons and teriyaki.

Amazing food and service. Large menu and a fresh over all food experience. Everything was served promptly and in good portions. I'd visit here again in my travels for sure. read more

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The first thing I wanted to praise Sawa for is their ingenuity where it comes to Covid precautions. We started getting takeout from them back in March when we moved to Westminster, and they had only been doing takeout from what I understood. I was in awe that they were truly contactless and had a plexiglass wall separating you from the store, and you put your credit card through a small slit and into the reader. So smart! And then they have a two sided door system where they put the food in one side of the cabinet, and then you take it out through a door on the other side. Not a bad system at all. Service is always quick and friendly and I'm in and out with takeout within 3 minutes. I usually get the Gvegas maki roll and my wife likes crab rangoons and chicken fingers. I know it's not a walk on the wild side, but the food is good, hot, and has brought us back there about 5 times since moving into town. Thank you! read more

Great Service along with very well prepared Thai , Japanese and traditional Chinese food. Currently back open for sit down dining. Every visit is an enjoyable occasion. read more

Probably the cheapest lunch in Gardner, and one of the best. I always get one of the Chinese or Thai lunch plates. And I never miss the Hot & Sour soup. I've had a lot of Hot & Sour soup over the years, and theirs is the best around. Don't change it, please! read more

I have eaten at Sawa several times! The food, the employees and the efficiency is top notch! Highly recommended! read more

Tons of COVID safety. My fried rice was very good, the sushi wasn't bad but it could have tasted a bit more fresh. We'll likely give it another shot. read more

Delicious tofu curries! They were able to accommodate my tree nut and peanut allergies, and I've felt safe getting take out here multiple times. A favorite place to eat in Gardner! read more

We had leftover Chicken Rice Noodle from Sawa. We tried to feed our 3 cats the chicken from this dish and each cat smelled it and walked away. This to me is weird as our cats have never turned down chicken no matter how seasoned and over flavored. read more

We like to get the Tuna tacos. They have thin sliced avacados and yummy tuna on a crispy fried wonton. The Bim Bam Bop - or something like that is awesome and highly recommend you try it. We get it with an extra egg , we split it and have some to take home read more

Sawa is our go to, favorite Asian restaurant! They have so many options and the best sushi around! Sawa has sushi specials that change regularly and a large menu full of amazing Asian dishes! Favorites are the Spicy Chinese Fish Stew, Thai Spicy Red Curry with Shrimp, Korean Bi Bim Bap, Crispy Spicy wings and vegetable tempura. We love all the sushi and sashimi as we have practically tried them all! The Golden Philly roll is so good and cheap and we love the Three Musketeers Roll, it's so fresh and delicious! Sit at the sushi bar and enjoy an On the House sushi appetizer!!! You couldn't ask for more at Sawa! Drinks are amazing and potent, Mai Tai, Grateful dead and Sake are our go to drinks. Never a bad meal at Sawa!! read more

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Imagine the audacity of wanting to order what you want when you choose to spend your hard earned money at a restaurant. I know, that's probably asking a lot. I mean really, I should just be thankful that I get any food and that no one spit in it right? Well fear not friends! If you want to be treated like a second class citizen, just try to order Chirashi at this place! My four year old loves Chirashi and they wouldn't let her request the kind of sashimi she wanted. They were all things you would expect to find in any Chirashi bowl - salmon, octopus, shrimp and crab stick. But before we could even order the waitress cut me off and said, "No! You eat what we give you! Chef choice only!" We decided to leave to go to our regular sushi place 10 minutes away. But the story doesn't end here! While we waited to order we ordered 2 sodas. I left $4 for the 2 cokes since she basically ran away after I said we would go somewhere else. But then she chased me out to the front door to yell at me to pay for our drinks when I already left money at the table. Avoid this place like the plague! We are now headed to our usual sushi place. read more

Great food but horrible, horrible take out service. They are super disorganized and cannot get the food out to people in a quick manner. My pick up order was and hour late and we ordered a day in advance. Really disappointed because they have great food. read more

Tried this out with my wife. We have been to the one in shrewsbury numerous times. This sawa is alot smaller and does not have hibachi. Got 2 mai tais, solid drinks. Flavorful and packed a punch. I got the g vegas roll (love the name) and the sashimi appetizer. They were very good. Just wish the waotress wouldve let me know what was what on the sashimi. Its chefs choice and i know some of them but not all. Service wasquick and our waitress was very nice. Im sure we will be back for a return trip. Tip for the owners. Id have the rolls in alphabetical order on the menu. Maybe format it a little differently.....easier to read ir find what your looking for. read more

Best Asian food in the region. Their Red Tai Curry Chicken is incredibly good. They have recently reopened their dining area after Covid staffing issues. Cute bar area and prompt service combined with consistent food preparation make this place worthy of a visit. You will be back most likely. read more

The food was....food. Drinks were great though. What really irritated me was when I split the bill with my friend, the waiter charged my friend half, charged me half AND charged me the full amount. I had to flag the waiter down and tell them of the mistake. The response was as if they didn't expect me to notice. It took 4 days to refund my money. Bottom line is, don't make mistakes with peoples money. read more

Great beef and broccoli everything is hot and fresh clean dinning room friendly staff

The shush is freshly made and so good! I always get the Cali rolls. My partner orders a combo meal and is never disappointed. The restaurant is a nice little place, with dark ambient lighting. The ginger reminds me of cleaner, I never use it. That's the only down fall for me. read more

The male bartender is guaranteed to give you the worst service you've ever had. He's too busy on his phone to acknowledge you before he's damn good and ready. Food is OK. Mai tais are decent. Atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired. read more

Place is such a good value. Love the food, prices and friendly staff. I like the fact that they have several cuisines yo choose from with their menu! read more

The food here is okay, certainly better than most of the other options in this area. I tried the Thai drunken noodles and the Pad Thai. I found the drunken noodles to be rather dry (I asked for soy sauce) and the Pad Thai was too sweet tasting for my liking. Service was pretty average. Basically the guy takes your order and plops the food down, that's about it. Plastic plates too, what's up with that? read more

We went to Sawa for the first time a couple of weeks ago with fairly low expectations and were pleasantly surprised! It was at prime dinner time during the middle of the week and I think they only had one bartender and one server on. It was kind of busy but they did a good job balancing their guests and keeping everyone happy. We started with crab rangoons, and they weren't the best I've ever had, but they were fresh & hot and we ate every single one. We ordered 3 or four different kinds of maki - a spicy tuna and a couple of the specialty rolls with eel and crab and mango and all that jazz. Every single one was delicious! I had a glass of Pinot Grigio. I Best part was the bill - under $40, if I am remembering correctly! Quite the deal. read more

No problem getting a table on Friday night. Sushi appetizer was okay and came fast. The entree, Korean Spicy Pork Belly, was not bad, but was NOT spicy, and was certainly NOT Korean. So much so, I had to ask if they brought the correct dish. The flavor was more Sichuan, with snap peas, baby corn, zucchini, bell peppers, and a soy based sauce. Service was attentive and courteous. The WiFi password is igotmaitai read more

The one thing keeping Sawa from a 5 star review is the service. Sometimes when we go there the staff is on point, but at least half the times that we have gone they have been lousy. There is no middle ground, either you get someone who is attentive or you get someone who vanishes after the food arrives. On these latter occasions I've resorted to walking up to the bar to order more drinks, even if it's just a glass of water. Last time we went a second waitress (not our current one) came along and asked if we needed anything. I ordered a mai tai but she never returned with it, however it did sneak it's way into our bill. So be warned, while the food and cocktails are very good, and the reason we keep coming back. Do not be surprised to find the service to be lacking. read more

Very disappointed in the service here lately, particularly the table service. We sat at our table for 10 minutes before they even asked us for our drink order, waited five minutes for three Pepsi's and then sat another ten minutes waiting to place our order. I'd understand if it was a weekend but a Monday, the place was not even remotely busy. Daughter wanted to order chicken tenders, they said they were out, I mean really? It's like the most basic and popular item. We left. read more

I keep looking around for good places in the Gardner area and this is a place to recommend. Great drinks! For first time I had a drink called lemongrass coconut, it was pretty good. Coconut smell, strong-tasty liquor, and a very original glass. Food is pretty good into the Asian cousin concept. Place itself is clean and welcoming waitresses. read more

Best sushi around! I go here all the time and always get the sweet potato roll, philly roll, and spicy tuna roll. Prices are decent for the quality ingredients they use, and they aren't like most places that give you a rice ball with a little filling!! they pack the rolls full read more

We ordered Sawa for lunch and it was horrible . The 4 sushi rolls we ordered tasted and all looked the same , but should definitely have been different. The egg rolls were over cooked, greasy and not edible. We have eaten there for the over past 4 years and never had an issue. We won't go back read more

Basic Asian fusion. Went there because it was only decently reviewed Asian place near great wolf lodge (15 min drive). Had lunch special. Good rice, wonton soup. Good service. Clean comfortable atmosphere, good portions. But Thai basil beef was overdone and too salty while pad Thai chicken was on the bland side. When I decided for giggles to mix the pad Thai into the Thai basil sauce it was actually good. Maybe I can suggest that to them. Had a nice harpoon iPa which was a nice surprise for an Asian restaurant. Affordable and probably the best Asian you can for this area but not up to our standards of near-new York. read more

I've eaten at Sawa about 6 or 7 times and it has fairly good every time. The special rice and the vegetable fried are excellent. The crab rangoons are a little different than what you would find at most Chinese food restaurants but they are homemade and you can tell the difference, we like them. The typical apps (boneless ribs, chicken wings, fried shrimp, chicken fingers) are all fairly standard. They do have some great fresh fish dishes. Service is usually very good and attentive. The atmosphere is nothing special, somewhat boring and lacking in charm or coziness. read more

Love the sweet potato sushi! The veggie tempura is amazing. Friendly service and clean restaurant. The curry is aways on point.

Food is awesome and such a great atmosphere. GREAT for a little date night. One thing that could use improvement is that all the food comes out at different times. Other than that I LOVE this place and will always go there with my family! read more

I have been coming here for years, I brag to my friends how this place is the first place I never burb the food and the drinks are the best I tell them you eat, drink and then go to a movie at the Gardner cinemas giving everybody a great review and a great night for you ! PS not so good tonight went there my chicken tasted like fish no sauce and drinks no where as good as they were a few months ago. But the real kicker I myself and my husband have been burping all night. This has never happen to me so why I ask has changed there. I do not recommend anymore unless they fix read more

My absolute favorite sushi place around, great chinese too! I've been coming here for 3 or so years now and it's never been short of amazing. Drinks are always strong, sushi is always fresh and super delicious, service is always extremely friendly and fast. I drive from NH every so often just for the food! I can't wait to go back. read more

My family is SO happy to have Sawa open for dining again! As much as we love getting take-out from them, it's great to be able to eat at the restaurant again. The sushi is especially good, as are the curry dishes and the spicy fish stew. The staff are friendly and really sweet to our kids. read more