Longtime Nashville staple with amazing sushi and traditional Japanese dishes. Delicious every time.

Authentic Japanese food for a good deal! If this place was closer to where I lived, I'd definitely be coming here weekly. I have tried the special bento box for lunch, the sukiyaki don, the shrimp tempura, and the Umi sushi combo. The special bento box had super fresh slices of sashimi. I wasn't a fan of the roll that it came with and would definitely recommend swapping it out for another roll for an up charge. The sukiyaki Don was gigantic, but super flavorful. Hands-down. My favorite dish is definitely the shrimp tempura which can be shared between two people. This place can get crowded at times but the way it usually isn't that bad if you come early. I love that you can also go to the market next-door and pick up some quality Japanese goods. Definitely check this place out! read more

The food was fresh and the service was great! We ordered 5 sushi rollls, a deep fried tempura ice cream and a ninja turtle drink to go. Our order wasn't ready so we went to check out the market next door. A girl brought our order to the market for us!! Now that's service!! Inside the restaurant was busy. I was happy to see that they are doing well during the pandemic. All the sushi chefs and the servers were wearing masks! Kudos to Sonobana!! My family loved the food! read more

Sonobana - Sushi rolls - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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My absolute favorite sushi place in Nashville! The spring rolls sushi are so huge and delicious. I think the only thing I haven't liked is the Alaska roll. It's not fresh salmon like I'm used to, but smoked shredded salmon and it tastes pretty fishy. But other than that, the food here is ah-mazing! read more

Sonobana - Spring roll, Alaska roll, Johnson roll - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Probably the closest you can get to authentic Japanese food in Nashville! It's first come first serve so make sure to arrive at least an hour or so before closing to make sure you have time to wait for a seat, get seated, and eat. Usually a 20 min wait around meal times. The bento box is definitely the best deal. It's about $12 for fried chicken, boiled veggies, rice, tempura, and California rolls. Okay for taste, somewhat bland for my liking. I personally loved the Daisy Roll and the tempura udon, both very flavorful and fresh. The shrimp tempura roll was also fresh, crunchy, and tasty. I'd imagine any of the rolls to be delicious. Aside from the bento box, the other items are a bit pricey for their portion sizes, especially the rolls. The quality of the seafood is great, though, so I also understand the pricing. The seating is mostly cozy and comfortable, although I did get the seat right next to a pole. Overall a great find that satisfies the Japanese food craving! read more

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I typically eat here in person, but today I got take out and I think that might be my new go to. I called around 5:30pm and was told my order would be ready in about 20 minutes. It was boxed up and ready for me when I got there so I just had to pay at the front. Everything was packaged up so nice - I accidentally dropped the box bringing it into my house and everything stayed intact due to saran wrap covering the top. Really appreciate the extra care that was taken here. As always the fish was incredibly fresh and the portions were great for the price. The sushi combos are always a great deal and one of my personal favorite things to order. Will be back many more times for take out and dine in! read more

Sonobana - Left: Sonobana Roll, Fresh Salmon Roll Right: Sakura Nigiri Combo - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Food is good! Servers can be interesting but why I won't go back is the wait times. I went on a Monday night close to 630 and I was told that there would be a 45 minute wait for two people! read more

Absolutely amazing food and service!!! Very fresh and very good always! I have been a regular since I was a child and now I am in college and it is still my favorite read more

Heard about this gem from friends and stopped in to pick up a lunch To Go order. Before I picked up, I stopped into the little story they have next doors. Lots of great Japanese products. Found my favorite iced green tea, matcha Kit Kats (from Japan) and also some Japanese wheat cakes! They had curries, sushi grade fish, prepared pickled dishes and salads and so much more. Small placed, packed with great products. Went next door to pick up my To Go order and customer service was great! It was lunch and they were busy. For $14 I got this amazing lunch Special Bento Box. The box had fresh sashimi (salmon, tuna & scallop) on top of sushi rice, 3 spicy tuna rolls and 3 veggie rolls. Box included a delicious miso soup and salad with a nice dressing. Plus some small portions of pickled items that were good. All of the sushi was delicious and fresh. I wasn't a fan of the spicy tuna or veggie roll, but everything else was outstanding and a very large portion. Also, well packed for a To Go order! read more

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One of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Nashville! Very fresh fish and authentic Japanese food. You must come during lunch because their lunch specials are unbeatable! You can get a Bento Box with 2 choices of meat, soup, rice, salad, and chicken bon bon or bean sprouts for approximately $10. Their lunch special is Mon-Sat 11am-2pm. If you're a fresh fish/sashimi lover like me, you have to get the Special Bento Box. It comes with salmon, tuna, escolar, egg, crab, mussel with tuna flakes and roe over rice. It also comes with soup and salad and 3 pieces of spicy salmon roll and 3 pieces of veggie roll. All for $13.50! A good amount of food and everything is so fresh. If you like tea, they serve an authentic Japanese rice Green tea and I like to get that iced. Free refills. Bonus: they have a Japanese market connected to the restaurant. I shop here all the time as they have fresh sushi grade fish on sale in small pieces, Japanese groceries like ramen, frozen food, and I always get their Japanese green tea ice cream pint. It's cheap and if you don't see it in the freezer, you can ask them to grab it from the restaurant. read more

Sonobana - Special Bento Box - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

High quality sushi. Cute open dining area. Plenty of parking. Plenty of friendly courteous staff. Will absolutely be coming back!!

They were not very child friendly, going so far as accusing my children of playing in the restaurant while they sat and read a book together. They were also upset about us waiting in the restaurant for a table with children. My children waited very patiently and were courteous, so we don't understand why these accusations were made against them other than they were simply children in an establishment that is not family friendly. We went to our favorite Japanese restaurant Sakura with excellent customer service, great food, and a loving family friendly atmosphere. We will never be back and am very disappointed at such poor treatment to the point of ageism. read more

My family has eaten here at least once a week for 6 years. My husband and I came to visit with our 17 month old baby. We were given a booth in the corner against the wall and were told that the high chair at the end of our table needed to be as far as possible to the side of the table so the server has access to the table. This obviously wouldn't allow the person sitting next to my baby to have any room for their plate or food. When I asked why it had to be off to the side when we were against the wall and no one was going to be walking behind us, they said it's because the server needs space. I guess they are more worried about the comfort of their servers than they are about the children of patrons. This is obviously NOT a kid or family friendly place. The hostility and attitude directed at us just because we had to add a highchair to the table was pretty astounding and disappointing. Not a place for babies or kids- yet not nice enough for a date night either. Not sure what they're going for since the interior looks like a Denny's that discriminates against babies, but whatever happened during the remodel really eliminated any "charm" this place may have had. read more

I dined at Sonobana Monday, October 5, 2020 for a late dinner. They did take temperatures before being seated. For a party of 5 people (4 adults + 1 baby), we were crammed into a booth that seated only 4 people with no elbow space. So when we asked if we could be seated at a larger table, the older gentleman seemed frazzled about the request and told us to wait as he was preoccupied with other guests waiting to be seated. I didn't appreciate the sass. Fortunately, they were able to accommodate our request and we were moved to a larger table better suited for our party. We ordered some salads, appetizers, and an assortment of sushi+nigiri, which I thought were average. The sunomono salad was soaked in vinegar, but was surprisingly light. I didn't find anything special about the beef negima. If you like squid, I'd recommend the broiled squid. After the appetizers came out, we waited about half an hour before our sushi came out. We placed additional orders of appetizers, which surprisingly came out before the sushi. I grew impatient, so when the sushi finally came out, I felt like it wasn't worth the wait. The sushi tasted fresh and everything basic sushi is supposed to taste like. I really liked the sonobana roll. If I knew it was going to take this long for the sushi to come out, I would've ordered 2-3 more rolls. Overall, the service could have been a lot better. I would give the restaurant 2 stars, but considering that my experience with the long wait time was probably just an infrequent occurrence, I will forgive a star. Also all the sushi besides the specialty rolls were actually priced well compared to other sushi places. read more

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Overcharged and given sushi the size of my thumbnail? I had already left the restaurant with my sushi & was too far to turn around. This sushi was tiny. Flavorless. I will not be returning. Refund? read more

This was my first night flying into Tennessee from Southern California. I have my reasons for my rating: Service: while our server was nice, she was super slow. The only time she was quick was getting me the unagi sauce. We were patient, but I'm a server and I just can't justify how slow our service was for our tea and our water refills and coming back with the bill etc. again I'm not trying to be mean at all but the service could be better! Food: the food was good, but I must preface this with the fact that I am used to Southern California fresh sushi which is unmatched. On a side note, the miso was amazing tho! Great tasting miso and mixed tempura. I've traveled to a lot of states and I have yet to be anywhere that has the caliber of taste and quality that Cali has for fish but I will say this is very good for Tennessee. The prices were a bit high for what we got, when I compare it to SoCal sushi which bothered me, but the flavor was dull and more bland compared to fish back home. The fish was decent sized on top which I appreciated but the flavor just wasn't there for me. Good spot for a sushi fix just not top quality compared to my spots back home. Ambiance: the place was super cute and local feeling. It had that whole in the wall sushi place vibe which is familiar to me read more

Sonobana - Rainbow Roll* Nashville Roll* - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Always delicious at great prices. The soba is unmatched and the udon is always amazing!

If you are looking for authentic Japanese food, this is the ONLY place to go in Nashville (that's still open). The sushi is fresh and delicious. If you have friends that like to try out rolls, this place has a HUGE selection, even for vegetarians! The sukiyaki is just like my mother used to make when I was a kid. I could go on and on about how wonderfully authentic and delicious the cooked dishes are, but you get the idea. Lastly, the sweet little Japanese grocery store next door is well-stocked with real Japanese items, and often has fresh sashimi-grade seafood (not sliced) available to take home and make yourself. The frozen Japanese food is the real thing, and delicious. I love the huge stock of Japanese rice crackers and candies. They have all of the cooking spices and sauces you need, if you are ever looking to prepare your own Japanese meal! The service is excellent at both the restaurant and grocery store! But be warned - the restaurant doesn't take reservations (except maybe for large parties), so be prepared to wait like at a real restaurant in Japan, or get there early. read more

food was very dry and had no taste. definitely the worst japanear restaurant I've been to

Have you ever not been able to sleep, and suddenly remember a food you haven't had in a while and then you cannot stop thinking about it? Well that was me a few days ago thinking about tempura sweet potatoes. I was in the White Bridge area for a workout classes and suddenly remember how many Asian restaurants were in this area, and realized this was my moment. I checked a menu online and saw vegetable tempura featured at several locations, but ultimately I remembered rave reviews about Sonobana and that made my choice easy! I didn't see a way to order online, but I also didn't look very hard since I was across the street already. I arrived and went to ask the front counter if I could place to go order there, and she said yes! I have an annoying food allergy, and without question or any pushback they were accommodating to my allergy. Ordering was easy and my food was ready within the time frame I was told, which was only about 15 minutes. I only spoke with the person who was at the host booth, but it seemed like she also was working some tables on the floor so I'm not sure if the front is her usual spot, however, she was wonderful! She was polite, she worked quickly, she was able to take a few to go orders as well as seat people walking in with such ease. They seem like they really have a great system going for pick up, take out, and dine in! I food was great! The tempura hit my craving perfectly, and it didn't have a greasy taste to it (which is great)! The miso soup was still hot when I got home, and perfectly flavored. Also, the portion sizes were plentiful! Overall, fantastic experience and cannot wait to go back! read more

Not here to judge the food but the loud regular customers talking over the phone and take hid shoes off !! I don't wanna hear ur voice and I don't wanna see ur ugly feet ! Show some respect to other customers! read more

Really good and authentic Japanese food! Our service was great. A little bit of a dive. read more

The sushi is delicious but I noticed that whenever an order is ready at the sushi bar, the chefs place the receipt directly on top of the roll. Not only is this unsanitary, but receipt paper is known to have all sorts of chemicals you don't want near your food. Disappointing read more

Sonobana - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Overall, my experience was just ok. I've only heard great things about Sonobana but that was not my experience. To begin with, our server was very slow and absent most of the time. It took so long until she finally came to the table to get our waters in and then we barely saw her throughout our time there. It wasn't very busy either. As for the food, it came out quicker than I had expected. Usual food wait times. We ordered the tempura udon which was not enjoyable. The broth tasted very smoky mixed with lots of lemon. I will say that the fish at Sonobana is good and fresh. What I didn't enjoy about the sushi was the seaweed. The seaweed was so tough and chewy that it just made every roll undesirable to eat. If it weren't for the quality of the seaweed, the sushi would taste soo much better and I would have enjoyed Sonobana. read more

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Sonobana is great. Just great. Great market and great food at the restaurant. I wish I hadn't waited so long to try it, but I'm almost never in West Nashville. Sonobana is both a market and a restaurant. They have different hours. We stopped by in the afternoon - the market was open, but the restaurant wasn't opening for a few more hours (we came back). The market is great. They have everything from frozen foods to refrigerated foods (including some sushi-grade fish and other items if you want to make some sushi at home) to rice seasonings to condiments to candies and baked goods. It's small, but it has a lot to offer if you like to cook or snack! If I lived nearby, I'd probably shop here pretty often (anytime I was trying a Japanese or Japanese-inspired recipe)! The restaurant is old school when it comes to takeout. You call and make an order. This place is under the radar popular, and you might be put on hold. During COVID, there is sometimes a line out the door - but it moves quickly. A lot of people in line are just in line to check in for food pickup - you go in and tell them your name; if your order is ready, you're done; if it's not ready, they ask that you wait outside and they'll bring it out to you. I called at 5:00, and it took a bit of time to order since I was on hold before I could place my order. They asked for about 30 minutes to get our order together, and it took a bit long (less than 10 minutes). In today's takeout/delivery market, I'm totally happy to call and place orders the old fashioned way if it means that the restaurant keeps more/all of the profits, but just wanted to give everyone a heads up about how takeout works here! But the food! Everything was delicious. Here's the important things to know: the menu is large and varied. They offer sushi (some people would say the best in Nashville), but they also offer a variety of other Japanese dishes and specialties (cutlets, sukiyaki, soba, udon, and so on). We ordered a bit of everything. We started with the otsuke mono (assorted pickled) and pork wasabi syumai (these were both great small starters to the meal and I'd order both again). We also got the Chasoba (cold green tea soba noodles with sauce), which was a great cold noodle dish (green tea soba noodles!!!). We also tried one of their three ochazuke options (ochazuke is a dish made by pouring green tea or dashi or hot water over cooked rice with various toppings) - the shake chazuke with salted broiled salmon; which was so simple and delicious. And, of course, a sushi combo! We got the Matsu combo (nigiri of tuna, yellowtail, egg, shrimp, octopus, white fillet, salmon, smelt roe, and surf clam, plus a tuna roll). Yes to this sushi. The food was all great. I don't think I ordered a single thing I wouldn't order again. And there's so much more on the menu I want to try: beef negima, yamakake udon, eel bowl, tofu steak, broiled sanma, yellowtail collar/neck...! Sonobana is definitely a spot that is well known to locals (especially if they're from West Nashville). I'm sad it took me so long to figure out that it is amaaaaazing. Check it out. read more

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Authentic Japanese in nash! Enjoyed sushi and tonkatsu. Great service and wide selection of menus to choose from.

Amazing food and good environment. Would recommend to anyone looking to get some sushi in the area. Took less that 30 minutes to get a table. The rolls are a little bit pricey, but they are still good. read more

Sonobana - Takoyaki roll - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This is one of the real authentic non-fusion Japanese restaurant in Nashville, which we go whenever we want to eat real Japanese. Lunch special bento box is really good deal. Under $10, you get to choose 2 item from california roll, teriyaki, tempura, and some other stuff. And come with miso soup, rice, salad, fried chicken. Service is pretty good, but after pandemic, there seems fewer waitress working, but still acceptable and no complain. read more

Sushi was lovely! Sadly, had a poor experience with our server who treated the table rudely when we discovered there was a miscommunication on one or the roll orders. She then went on to speak with frustration to her fellow team members in ear shot of our table. Things happen and I understand it can be frustrating at times, however telling your guest what they did order, and arguing with them about it, and then talking behind the table's back is never the way to go. Hopefully a one off moment. read more

I hate to rate Sonobana so low, because I really like it; I've always enjoyed eating here. The low rating is because of the absolutely horrible waitress I've had 2 times in a row. I didn't get one of my orders today (and wasn't charged for it, so all is fine, there) , but when I ran out of tea, I couldn't get the waitress' attention because she was too busy talking to another couple. She literally stood at their table for almost 5 minutes chatting with them. Then, she went to the sushi counter and talked to the guys working for about 3 more minutes. The only waitress in the place. Forget it. I'm not going back. I was in a big hurry today, and was late getting out of there. As I said, the food is great , but her service is terrible. read more

Sonobana - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Great restaurant with a Japanese Market nest door. We had bentos for lunch. Very filling.

Food was very good. Service is slow - my chirashi bowl sat on the counter for about 15 minutes until the waitress brought it over . I asked several of the staff members for it - as I could see my food just sitting there , but they wouldn't bring it over. Meanwhile, my date enjoyed her bento box. By the time my food arrived , she was almost done with hers. There is also a musty smell of the old carpet in the restaurant. Smells very bad. Aside from the service issue and bad smell, the food was authentic Japanese. Very good . I'll be back , but only for that reason. read more

Wow! So good. We got the sho cho, sunflower roll, and Sonobana roll. All were so different and delicious. The sunflower roll was our favorite with the lemon and sunflower seeds, amazing! Will definitely be back and may count as our new fave sushi spot! Be prepared to wait at busy dinner times but so worth the wait and all the employees are very attentive and kind. read more

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What is happening with service here? Our last two takeout orders this month were messed up, with items we ordered (and paid for) not included. This has NEVER happened before, and we've been getting takeout from them once or twice a month for at least the last 20 years. Previously, every time we picked up they would open the boxes and review the order for completeness as we watched. Last night, when we picked up, we asked them to take a look to be sure the order was right, and they refused, saying they were "too busy". And when we got home (15 minutes away), sure enough they'd left something out. We've been eating at Sonobana (originally Ben Kay) since the early 1990s, mainly because of its high quality food and its efficient and friendly service. Going to rethink our loyalty given their apparent changes in established service practices. read more

About as meh as it gets. Word of mouth on this place is insane. Finally went and, maybe it was the hype but this place was terribly underwhelming. Services was phenomenal but the food was soooooooo forgettable and the interior is... well... meh. There's at least 7 better sushi places in a 5 miles radius. Then start to consider places Like O-Ku and Sunda and this place starts to truly look silly. read more

Sonobana is probably my favorite Japanese restaurant in Nashville. The food is always fresh, and I appreciate the wide variety of traditional Japanese meals. It's not very fancy, which gives it a homey feel, and ensures that what you're getting is good for the quality and not just for the aesthetics. The grocery next door contains all the essentials. I go there regularly to stock up on ingredients as well as to try some of their single serve snacks. read more

Good food, good price, authentic feel and great service. Will visit again, great deal.

I've been visiting Sonobana for several years now. With the closing of Ichiban, Sonobana remains one of the few, if no the only, authentic Japanese option in Nashville. They have a great selection of rolls, good Sushi combinations, soups, and a good selection of small plates. I'll break them down: I often start with broiled squid - it's consistently delicious. Other small plates I enjoy as an appetizer are the otsuke mono and the tempura. The Udon is one of the highlights here - in cooler months I like to order the nabeyaki udon along with some sushi. In warmer months I usually go straight for chirashi or split a sashimi plate. I usually add a couple rolls - the Sonobana roll and spider roll are among my favorites. Sonobana sells a lot of sushi, so it is usually quite fresh even by Nashville's inland standards. That said, sometimes the quality of the fish leaves a little to be desired so it does not deserve five stars. Nevertheless it is better than most in Nashville the majority of the time. Service is usually great, but avoid peak times. At rush, the waitlist is disorganized sometimes and the sushi counter will get backed up. If that happens, as it did on my most recent visit, order appetizers and sushi all at once and enjoy a progressive dinner. read more

Sonobana - Otsuke mono (a variety of pickled vegetables - bigger than it looks in the photo) - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This has got to be my favorite authentic Japanese restaurant in Nashville. It's a gem and I've been coming here with my family for over 15 years! The food is always great and consistent! The service is also friendly and food comes out in a timely manner. The prices the fair and the overall ambiance is warm and welcoming. They have the best shrimp tempura and udon noodles in town! It's a must try for anyone who loves Japanese cuisine and sushi! read more

Probably my favorite sushi spot in the Nashville area! They also have a great little store next door full of great imported food. This place was crowded on Saturday but we were seated quickly. Service was friendly and we ordered an appetizer and then a couple different rolls that were all delicious. Their signature Sonobana roll came highly recommended by the waitress and hostess and it did not disappoint! The Big John roll was another favorite although it's almost impossible to get in one bite! Everything is freshly made by sushi chefs in the back of the restaurant so we expected it to take some time but we were disappointed to see several tables around us get served before us despite us putting in our order before they even arrived. The waitress was kind and apologized but our app and sushi came out after quite some time and nearly back to back. Luckily we weren't on a time crunch, just very hungry, and the rolls were well worth the wait! read more

Sonobana - California Roll*, Rainbow Roll*, Big John Roll - Japanese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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