We attended a closed Rakugo event performed by Katsura Sunshine, hosted at this wonderful restaurant. Although our tickets indicated a 7:00 PM start, we didn't realize the full event began at 5:00 PM and arrived late. Despite our tardiness, the owners were incredibly accommodating. ​Not only did they help us get our food quickly, but since the venue was full, they appeared to give up their own management seats right next to the stage so we could sit. As someone with a disability, this gesture was a huge help and deeply appreciated. Their kindness and discretion--never making us feel like a burden--have earned them a loyal patron for life. ​The food was excellent. We enjoyed okonomiyaki, sushi, onigiri, yakisoba, kaki furai, oden, and ajifurai. Every dish was cooked to perfection with flavors that truly stood out; the chef is clearly outstanding. ​As for the entertainment, Katsura Sunshine was wonderful and friendly. His storytelling had us in stitches--I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. His apprentices also did an awesome job with their performances. It was truly a fantastic event, and I sincerely hope he returns soon! read more

We've been looking for a good Japanese restaurant in our area and I'd driven by Sonoda's several times when visiting Aurora, we headed there on a Friday evening and we were not disappointed. The restaurant it self was larger then it looks from the outside with a nice sushi bar and a number of tables and booths. They were busy but we were seated a few minutes after arriving. My wife usually orders the Chirashi and this was one of the better ones she's had in the area. Generous cuts of fish which were melt in your mouth fresh! I ordered a number of nigiri which had the perfect ratio of fish to rice. The Hamachi, Saba, and Unagi were my favorite but the Amaebi was also solid. We added to our meal with an order of Agadashi which is deep fried tofu in a savory broth and a geso age or deep fried squid legs, both were great but I'd go back for the agedashi again! Service was fantastic checking on us frequently and the food was served quickly. We enjoyed our visit very much and plan to return to try other items! read more

See all

I came for lunch on Sunday. I was their first customer today. Despite the location facing southwest, it was comfortably cool inside. I started with 12oz bottle of Kirin Ichiban. Great golden color with plenty of bubbles rising from the bottom of the Kirin branded glass. My appetizer was Shrimp Shumai. It came out piping hot. I then ordered the Mackerel (Yakizakana). This plate comes with soup, lettuce salad and white rice. I declined the miso soup and even clear broth because of the sodium level in most soups. The mackerel was perfectly cooked. Two wedges of lemon were provided. The large amount of steamed broccoli was also perfect. My server Chantra P. was great. I looked back thru my photo gallery and discovered my previous visit in Sept 2023 was also broiled Mackerel. I compared the prices, but most prices increased modestly. I need to come back and try other selections. read more

See all

Great sushi!! Sonodas has remodeled and the restaurant looks trendy. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Patrons can sit at a table or the sushi bar. Awesome cucumber salad. Watch your sushi made fresh and grab a Japanese beer. Bathrooms were clean and parking is in a lot. read more

See all

This is our go-to sushi spot in Colorado. It is nothing fancy, but the food is always delicious and the service is great. Their sushi rice is well-seasoned and very flavorful, and it never comes out dry or too sticky. Some of our favorites include the unagi, Ume (sour plum paste), George's roll (spicy tuna, scallops, masago, and avocado), scallops, crunchy spicy tuna roll, and the ikura (salmon roe). They use incredibly fresh cuts of fish and you can taste the high quality. read more

Sonoda's Aurora - Hijiki salad - Japanese Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

See all

All a GF sushi loving person could want: reasonable prices (especially Sunday and Monday happy hour all night!), GF labels, and plenty of options! read more

Sonoda's Aurora - Spicy Baked Yellowtail Roll (5 Pcs.) - Japanese Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

See all

Good value and pretty tasty. I liked both of the things I ordered - crunchy spicy tuna roll and new style sashimi. Subjectively from my friends, this is what I would try vs avoid the next time I'm there. Try soba noodles and gyudon. Avoid chicken cutlet. Karaage is just ok. Service is friendly, like the neighborhood aunt kind of friendly. Parking is available in the lot right outside. It looks nicer in the inside than it does from the outside. I'll be back! read more

Sonoda's Aurora - new style sashimi - salmon - Japanese Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

See all

This place is always consistent with very friendly staff and good food. If you're in the mood for a more casual sushi/japanese dining spot, this is it. You don't have to drive to downtown or fight to find parking. Just a good local spot. read more

This place never disappoints! I've been coming here for over 10 years. The sushi is always great. Great service! They know us here. I love Baked Bay Scallops for an appetizer. And my favorite sushi rolls are -Kaibashira (Scallop Roll) and Shake (Salmon) they are both like butter, melt in your mouth! Also love Salmon & Cr. Cheese, Spicy Scallop Roll, shrimp Tempura roll, crab Tempura roll. They have the best scallops. I could eat them all! read more

Sonoda's Aurora - Japanese Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

See all

Just an update. For that important days like Valentine's and falls on Friday and during HH, Google will assist with reservation. Normally, Sonoda is walk in most of the time but has hunch that I may need to make a reservation. For dinner, they do open at 4:30 pm and we were there at 4:25 pm and "Open" sign was on. As we walked in, one of the waitress greeted us and asked us if we had reservation. Of course. I did notice every table had "reserved" sign on it. We got the most preferred seat which is right next to the aquarium by the window. Our favorite l, most outstanding person "Rose" was taking care of us. She is perfect hostess and valuable to this establishment. She bought everything we needed and in timely manner. Our experience was perfect. I have been noticing their sushi rice consistency has improved a lot. In the past, it was slightly to the "too moist" side but lately, it's been perfect. Maybe the new machine they got is helping? It was definitely 5 star experience this evening. Perfect all the way. P.s. HH Friday early evening too. Hoot hoot! read more

See all

WARNING! Wasabi between the rice and the fish in the nigiri. I am not a fan, but I know some people are. The rating disregards my personal disliking as this was still a pretty good spot to get reasonably priced sushi from friendly staff in an awesome environment. I ordered the sushi dinner which was a spicy tuna roll with 7 pieces of nigiri based on the chef's recommendation. The fish was fresh and was less expensive than I would've expected. I would love to go back and specify to hold the wasabi and I think it would have been an incredible meal. read more

Sonoda's Aurora - Sushi Dinner - Japanese Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

See all

You honestly can't go wrong eating here. This place has been around since the 80's and the food is pure heaven. We come here often from Parker to get our sushi fix. We honestly go big and make it a feast. All the dishes are freshen and decent sized. Their nigiri are a mouthful! I love all their rolls. Try their Baked Green muscles and the yellow tail collar. We also enjoyed all their kitchen food items such has their udon and teriyaki chicken. My kids are always asking to come back. Don't expect to come here for the ambiance, this is a small mom and pop shop that is all about the food and service. I love how we've become regulars where Makoto (sushi chef and owner) will take time away to come greet us. I love seeing how they've established a business and built up regular customers! If you're local or in the area, highly recommend check them out. read more

See all

Fantastic sushi! doesn't get any better. Love other dishes as well. I highly recommend. Be nice if more padding on booths!!! ha, ha. read more

I love Sonoda's. Not everything on their menu is a complete win but everything definitely tastes fresh. I order take out from here a lot. The quality is always good and they are fast. I really like the spicy lava roll, miso soup and gyoza. read more

Sonoda's Aurora - 15. Avocado - Japanese Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

See all

Sushi as always is absolutely incredible. Super traditional Japanese style sushi which I prefer. My only recent gripe is the wait staff needs to pick it up. They are never clearing tables and it takes SIGNIFICANTLY longer if you don't sit at the sushi bar. The sushi bar staff is great and quick! read more

30 plus years & still one of the best Japanese / Sushi restaurants in town. KENNY Sonoda retired, but he made sure he mentored the right guys to take over & maintain his standards read more

Absolutely our new go to sushi spot - we ordered via door dash and everything got here fairly quickly and at a good temp. I am so happy of how affordable yet FRESH this place is. You can tell just from their bi-lingual menu and offerings that this place is more legit than others. Everything was very good. No complaints. read more

See all

You'd never guess from the outside that the food here is an absolute steal for their exceptional quality, price, and service. The servers were extremely attentive to the point where my water was never just half full. My friend was initially disappointed that they didn't serve her favorite udon dish during lunch, but she was very satisfied with the chirashi bowl she ordered instead. She said everything tasted great and was super filling by the time she was done. She also forced me to eat some of the rice from the chirashi bowl because of how delicious she thought it was and she needed me to taste what she tasted, haha! I ordered the sashimi platter which was about 16 dollars for lunch! I'm so used to paying 20+ dollars everywhere else, and the quality was still really great and this was just enough to fill me up. We also had cake at the end which was super tasty and a great way to end our spectacular sushi lunch! We will definitely be coming back in the future. read more

See all

The sushi and other meals are top notch. Everything tastes amazing. The service is very kind and welcoming though a bit slow when it's busy. The restaurant is clean but hasn't been updated since the 90's but who cares if the food is great right? Go here for some great sushi at very reasonable prices! read more

I've been to Sonoda too many times to count but I always forget to take photos until it's too late as presentation of their food is super simple but each time everything is absolutely delicious. It's a convenient location with plenty of parking (sharing parking lot with Arc and other businesses). If you don't count calories, go for a Shrek roll (sushi rolls baked with cheese, which used to be pretty popular back in a day but can't find it anywhere now). It's so yummy! Sashimi is always very fresh and drinks are strong (love their martinis). Prices are very reasonable, and staff is always very kind! read more

I've been going to Sonoda's before and after COVID hit. The owner Makoto Kawafune is always behind the sushi bar serving up the freshest fish. He and his staff are super friendly and inviting! The sushi here always hits the spot for me! I'm a huge fan of Maguro Tataki (seared tuna) and Maguro Tataki (Japanese scallops). As for the rolls, the Green Hornet and George's Roll are my go-to's! I've ordered these a few times to-go (after COVID). Check our their happy hour menu for discounted (20% off) nigiri and some rolls, as well as 2 for 1 drinks (M-F 4:30-6pm, Fri-Sat 9pm-10:30pm). Definitely a good deal! And I always can't resist on the ice cream tempura for dessert! read more

Really disappointed after our experience tonight. We loved Sonoda's, and we would go there regularly. Tonight, we ordered several things, including 4 orders of quail eggs, which we love. We like to order them with rice. In the past we would be charged an extra dollar for the rice, per order. Tonight we were charged $4 extra, per order. The quail eggs are $2, but adding rice now triples the total to $6 per order!?? It makes no sense. We were charged $24 for something we normally would pay $12 for in the past. $12 extra dollars for small bites of just rice - the same cost as one of their fancier sushi rolls. Absolutely nuts. They lost 2 customers tonight, we won't be going back. read more

Wanted to take my assistant out for lunch and she found this place on Google. Always looking for a solid sushi place and thought "why not check this place out?" In a nondescript shopping mall, I actually have driven by this place a handful of times and kinda missed it. I'm so happy it is now on my radar! Upon entry, I saw bright aquariums and a sushi bar you can sit at to watch the mastery at hand. We were greeted with a friendly smile and sat down right away. Our server promptly came with water and menus. They have a great variety of options; spanning from sushi to lunch specials, appetizers, and curries and more. They also have a nice array of drinks to choose from too! To start we tried Cindy's Roll and the Red Hornet Roll. The freshness of the fish and vegetables were undeniably delicious. We then tried their tempura lunch (chicken and shrimp). This lunch special comes with salad, miso soup, Delicately fried tempura meat and veggies and rice; portions a plenty to take home. The miso soup was some of the best I have experienced. The tempura food is served with this delicious dipping liquid (sorry don't know the name, but I can't call it a sauce). To wrap this great experience up, The service was warm and friendly with pricing that is very reasonable. This place isn't far from work, so I know I will be back. Too good to pass by! read more

Sonoda's Aurora restaurant is the spot for sushi! The service is amazing, fast and the food is delicious! The ambiance is family friendly and the kids love coming here! Everyone is so warm and welcoming! Everyone leaves so happy and tummy's so full with goodness! This is one of my favorite sushi places! Always so fresh and delicious! The owner always says hello to everyone and the vibe is just happy and food is wonderful! Come to Sonoda's for sushi!!!!!! read more

See all

Sonoda's has been one of our favorite Japanese places in Denver for the last 16 years. They never disappointed and the food was always great. It's been a couple of years since I last dined here, but quite a bit was off this time last night to make me wonder if ownership had changed. First, the biggest sticking point: Service. We obviously got a new guy as a server. That's fine, everyone has to start somewhere and hone their skills to get better. Our server definitely had the right attitude and tried his best. What I observed with the service that we received was that no other staff provided the support that he needed to make the experience at least a halfway decent one for us. He definitely didn't know the menu very well (which is ok if you're new), but he did not write down a single thing on a note pad when we put in our order. Just tried to memorize it. We ordered the Magic Mushrooms and karaage for appetizers. First time ordering the Magic Mushrooms, so I did not know what they looked like. Both appetizers arrived. One of the dishes we were presented with had two skewers with alternating meat and zucchini on each. Thinking those were the Magic Mushrooms, we started eating it. Tasted okay, but I kept thinking the meat tasted more like chicken than salmon. After we got through half of that appetizer, we asked the server if that in fact was the Magic Mushrooms. He couldn't tell us for sure. All he could tell us was that the dishes had his name on it, so he brought them over to us and that he would go confirm if those were the Magic Mushrooms. If you are a karaage fan, you will be disappointed here. They looked like very sad strips of chicken with not much batter around them. Best karaage in Denver is still at Osaka Ramen. Before we could get confirmation on the Magic Mushrooms, our entrees arrived. Sashimi dinner was perfect, kinoko soup was great, and the one sushi roll and few nigiris were fine. I ordered the uni and will say that it definitely was about what you can expect in Colorado. But the yakitori-don was nowhere to be found. After we were over halfway through our entrees, I asked when the yakitori-don would arrive. And again, our server was just confused. I again asked about the Magic Mushrooms, and he had to go ask again. He came back and told us that the magic mushrooms were finishing up, and that the appetizer that we received was in fact the yakitori-don. I had to explain to our server that "don" means that it will be a rice bowl (just like in the menu photo), and that the photo showed four skewers of just meat and that it was an entree, not the two skewers of meat/vegetable that we got all by themselves. Then he said he would bring over the soup and salad. I asked what soup and salad? Oh, the ones that are supposed to come before the entrees! We told him not to bother with that. Just bring the Magic Mushrooms and cancel the yakitori-don. The Magic Mushrooms arrived and that was a huge disappointment. It was basically salmon coins baked with takoyaki toppings/sauce on top. One of the coins also seemed to come from the face of the salmon as I bit right into a fish eye and it was epically disgusting. We asked for our check and left vowing to not come back for a good long time. Again, our server did his best, but did not get the support that he needed from other staff. In fact, we observed other servers using him to help them take their food to their customers. But they never returned the favor to him. If he had received the proper support, he would have been given reminders like, making sure soup and salad came out before entrees. Or corrected him on the yakitori-don mix up. Or telling him that he should write down what the customers ordered. He assisted others while he had to fend for himself with his tables and obviously hadn't received enough training to get the basics right. No teamwork here and it didn't seem like he was being set up for success. So this is more a slam on management in not controlling the server situation very well and failing to ensure ALL staff were providing good customer service. read more

My dad has been going here for 20+ years, I'm 17 and have been going since I was in 2nd grade. Take my word for it, consistency is key, and this place nails it every time, Sonodas is fresh every time, there's a specific taste that they have which you won't find anywhere els, my dad knows the owners well (because of his long he's been going this is not a biased review) and their service is top notch, calm cool and casual restaurant, nothing too fancy but pretty fancy at the same time! Come to sonodas if you want fresh and great sushi! read more

Dined in after a long day of work and sat at the bar. I ordered some sushi and enjoyed the salad and miso soup. The server and sushi chef at the bar was very friendly. I quickly and quietly enjoyed my meal. I really stopped in to grab a gift card for a silent auction donation and decided to eat in vs grabbing take out. It was so peaceful to sit and enjoy good sushi and service. I loved the fresh bites of sushi and sashimi. Pretty great quality and pricing. I have not been back in years and always enjoy my visits to Sonada's. It's a great spot for a work lunch, happy hour, group dining and date night. The restaurant is very accommodating and always busy! Check it out if your in the area or venture over to support a local Japanese restaurant! You won't be disappointed! read more

See all

Spicy noodles were amazing, service was great. Food was great experience was great. Ambience was great.

Sushi was amazing!!! Service was great and friendly!! Casual atmosphere! Will definitely be back for some Spicy Lava, Red Hornet, and Spider Roll!! read more

Sonoda's Aurora - Japanese Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

This is my family and I's go to and favorite sushi place!! We usually order pick-up, but sometimes we do dine in and the staff are so friendly and the vibes are great. Prices are reasonable as well read more

Love this place! We are weekly patrons! So delicious and fish is always fresh! Service is usually on point!

My FAVORITE sushi spot EVER. I have been going here for over 8 years and the main chef there that goes by the name Jimmy I believe, has always taken the best top-notch care of myself and all my friends and family when I would bring anyone here. They made me feel very appreciated and the fish taste so fresh. I have never had a a bad experience here with customer service or with food. The squid salad is to die for and they always make me my special requested roll that's not on their menu anymore and I really appreciate them more than they know. - Your friend Summer Personal Recommendations: Lava Roll Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll Rainbow Roll Shrimp Tempura Roll Shrek Roll Green Tea Ice Cream Cold Peach Saki read more

Absolute trash sushi! It tasted spoiled. Dumplings were cold. I literally pitched it and will not return.

Absolutely delicious. We met Jimmy, one of the sushi chefs, who seemed like he was the owner as everyone would listen to him. Very high quality fish and perfectly cooked rice made for wonderful sushi! The scallop and mushroom appetizer was really generous and tasty. As my husband says, "Scallops ahoy, on THAT bad boy!" It wasn't crowded on a Friday evening, surprisingly. The wait staff was very attentive and the whole place was clean. Loved the fish tanks all over the place! What I did NOT like was how very dark and dim the restaurant was. I'll likely return! read more

See all

Last night my daughter and I had dinner here. We had some sushi that were off the happy hour menu; the mushroom, eel, octopus, and sea urchin. I really didn't care for any of them, and felt they were grossly overpriced. I may come back and try their specialty rolls, though. We, also, had the house soup, house salad, and seafood udon. We liked all of those dishes; the seafood udon being spectacular. read more

Amazing traditional sashimi in Aurora, Colorado!!! Thank the good lord!! Sushi chef, Jimmy San is an expert in presentation and takes extreme pride in his masterful work. Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. It was a pleasure to dine there and we will be back often!!! read more

Sonoda's Aurora - Uni with quail egg. Billy's fave!!! - Japanese Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

Feeling the onset of sushi withdrawal I decided that I must get my fix. Sonoda's Sushi Seafood wasn't far from me and had great reviews, so I decided to give them a try! The Eats: They serve traditional sushi rolls so no fruit purees used here! I arrived during happy hour and chose to order a couple rolls off that menu. I opted for the california roll and the spicy crunchy tuna roll. I think I preferred the california roll over the spicy crunchy tuna roll. Mostly because the masago was rolled into the roll, which I've never seen done, but def like best! The spicy crunchy tuna roll was good, but came topped with a TON of onion flakes. It was just a bit much. The Service: Wait staff was very kind. Checking on me several times (though I was seated at the sushi bar) and giving me plenty of time to browse the menu. The sushi chef was very friendly and was for sure an expert at his craft. The Space: I agree with Steven C. that they could use some updating. On this particular day when I came in the restaurant had a very strange smell. They have plenty of parking near their building and offer seating to fit any size group. I'm not in this area much anymore, so I don't know how frequently I will be back, but I would stop back in and sample more of their offerings. read more

Sonoda's Aurora - California roll! - Japanese Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

See all

Decided on Easter lunch here with my gf and we hopped in the car and drove on over. They weren't that busy and we were seated right away. We chose to sit behind the aquarium as it was pretty. Mistake. The light coming in from the front door and windows shone right in my face after being refracted by the water in the tank. Had to adjust so I was not blinded. We went with sushi and ordered the shrimp tempura roll, crunchy spicy tuna roll, spicy tuna roll and the tuna sashimi. The server was friendly and asked us if we wanted low sodium or regular shoyu. Went with the regular because why not? They gave us a generous amount of wasabi which I appreciate as I love wasabi. The sushi was average. Nothing special and I remember their sushi as being stellar before. The other server who brought out our food was better than our original as she didn't check on us for refills at all. So overall it was an ok experience. I don't know that I'd go back. read more

See all

Sonoda's is legendary. I was a kid the first time I visited this establishment, back in the mid 90s, and they're still delivering the same high quality dining experience. They put together the best chirashi bowl in the city, literally. The fish/seafood selection is always excellent, rice seasoned and cooked perfectly, marinated fungi and vegetables all complementing the dish. Highly recommend. read more

Sonoda's Aurora - Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

I've been with Sonoda since early 90s... and love the service and food. I am glad this gem in Aurora still going strong.