only thing they need is to label the dishes when they send it out for delivery or pickup. little stickers are super helpful.

Have you read Waiting for Godot? That was the sum of my experience here. And if you haven't read it, I'll spoil it for you by letting you know that Godot never arrives, just like the food at this "restaurant". After reading other reviews I'm almost glad we didn't even stay for the food we ordered. --you could really end the review here if you're short on time, but if you have a moment, as the restaurant assumes I did, please carry on with your leisurely reading-- We were seated and received water just shortly after waiting long enough to realize we'd been waiting a while for water and a server to introduce himself. He came by and explained that the hostess had seated the tables on the patio without making the waitstaff aware. After that introduction I was hopeful that the experience would be on the upswing. Except it wasn't. At that point I noticed the healthy population of cockroaches crawling around the deck. Granted, we were outside, so I guess we have to share the land, but it makes one wonder about the health of the cockroach population inside. It's not like cockroaches know to respect doors and not come into places where they haven't been invited, but I digress. We ordered immediately after the server introduced himself. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. We waited 40 minutes and we still did not have any food on the table except for bottles of Sriracha and soy sauce. I expressed my irritation to the server who responded with the excuse that a 15-top had just been seated and the sushi orders were piling up and taking longer than normal. This is a sushi-poke-pan Asian-confused restaurant and it's a Saturday night. Staff accordingly. I don't care if a large party is downstairs. I'm hungry and have been waiting forever and there has been no attempt to assuage the escalating situation. I gave him an option. Either pack up the food and bring the check or cancel the ticket all together. He stepped away and returned a few minutes later to say the manager would be right over. Well...I should have reconsidered waiting any longer for a manager who clearly has no sense of urgency about resolving a situation and retaining a customer. Or there was no manager, which would explain why the place is so poorly run. A manager did not appear and we left. What's even more disappointing is not having enough faith that a manager would even be able to present a solution. If we had any hope of salvaging the experience, we would have been happy to speak to a manager. But alas, the manager was on par with the food and service; they were all completely absent. read more

Amazing vegan sushi, 10/10 vegan hidden gem in dc

Today I walked into Sticky Rice at about 6. The place was empty. The hostess greeted me with a smile. I didn't hear her (I'm a bit hard of hearing). She repeated herself and politely joked about needing to come up with a witty sound-alike. As I sat down, the bartender in the most obvious "trying not to be obvious" way possible touched his head and made a big "L" towards me with his hand against his face and left it there until the hostess giggled. He didn't say another word or even make eye contact until my food was ready. I got my food and left as soon as possible. This was the 1st time I've stiffed anyone in DC. Yes, I look out of it. Yes, I'm hard of hearing. Please, make fun of me. Maybe my eyes don't work either, right? Before I had a bone with the clientèle but would still grab a bite to eat here every few weeks. Fuck that. Next time I'll make my own shitty chicken sesame. read more

I've done it. I've figured out why this place is so damn popular. It's not cheap. Despite the heralding of a sushi place that sells PBR, it is no cheaper than any other Sushi Bar. It's not fantastic sushi. No, I've had better rolls, nigiri or sashimi at a variety of other places. It's "creative." And by creative, I mean it's a Japanese restaurant that serves un-Japanized food. And lots of it. Tater tots. Tempura battered and fried this. Rice Krispy topped that. It's "clever." And by clever, I mean somewhat clever with a hefty side of immature (Sticky Balls, Goochland) and insulting (Godzirra) Mostly, though, Sticky Rice makes it because it's "adventurous." And by adventurous, I mean not really. It's like training wheels sushi. At Sticky Rice, we can "eat sushi" without really eating sushi. Yes there are the standard Maguro, Unagi, Sake nigiri & make sushi choices on the menu, but I'd be willing to bet, they are out ordered 20 to 1 by the "Fantabulous Amazing Roll" or the "Snap, Crackle, Pop." And washed down with a side of Tater Tots. I mean I have to give it to the creators. Tater Tots & PBR. What better way to get Americans into a sushi bar? Geniuses. Ok, I'm done with my rant. Authentic or not, it's pretty darn good, just don't tell me you looooove sushi if all you've done is been to Sticky Rice. read more

Unlike the five-star raters, I don't personally know the owners or staff of this restaurant. I tried to go to Sticky Rice three times. Three. The first there was an hour wait to be seated, and we went down the street to a fabulous dinner at The Argonaut instead. The second night I decided to order a to-go meal for a friend that was working down the street. It was pretty busy, and I waited in line for 15 minutes before I reached the hostess. Upon reaching her, she said to me, "The wait is an hour at least." "That's okay," I said, "I wanted to order some food to go." "No." I chuckled a little, thinking she was joking. "Really?" Deadpan: "There's no take-out." "Seriously? I just stood in line for 15 minutes to be told there's no take-out?" "Right." I went back to my friends and told them we were never going back to Sticky Rice. I've never had someone treat me like that before, even humorless, self-righteous tattooed hipsters. Fuck that. You seriously want me to pay for motherfucking tater tots and sushi after being treated like I'm a d-list star at some baloney Los Angeles eatery? Nuh-uh. Go back to night school, homeslice. Fast forward a few days. We've had a few drinks, we want Japanese food and a friend swears that Sticky Rice is good, they are just ironing some kinks out after they've first opened. I reluctantly agree - it's a Tuesday night and pouring rain out, how busy can they be? 1) We're told that it's a 1.5 hour wait to eat. Just a heads-up: it is never a 1.5 hour wait to eat. Anywhere. Ever. Tables roll over every 60 minutes at the MOST, no matter where you are. I've worked food service for over 10 years. I blow this off as an exaggeration and ask if I can order food to go. 2) I order food to go and as the hostess is leaving I ask her how long the wait is. She says, "About an hour." "AN HOUR," I say incredulously. But my friends are starving and really want to eat there so I ask her to please call me when the food is ready and we go next door for drinks. 3) An hour later, we still haven't gotten a call. I walk in to ask what is up with our food, and the host (a different person) is apologetic and says it'll be ready right away. A moment later he returns with the food. 4) We had ordered tater tots, tempura and six orders of sushi. The tater tots were AWOL. The tempura was stone-cold and the texture of three-hour-old corn flakes that have been lounging in milk. They had clearly been fried no less than 30 minutes previous. The sushi was mediocre. 5) Result: paid $50 to look cool on H st. in DC. If I could rate these guys negative stars, I would. If I could have ordered pizza for dinner instead of this crap, I would have - in fact, if I had the foresight to go to Popeye's right next door instead, I would have. The thing that offends me most is that I knew better, that I gave Sticky Rice a THIRD chance and blew money on the mistake. Dumb. Everyone else who had a TOTALLY RAD BIRTHDAY!!!!! and what fucking ever: share some of your crack with the rest of us next time. read more

I'm kinda mad that what they call sticky rice is what I would call just regular rice, but I'm not gonna hold that against them. What we have here is your now typical H St. watering hole, but it's Asian-themed menu sets it apart. Sashimi. Miso soup. Eggrolls. One of the quirkier things on their menu, though, is a bucket of tater tots, which is as Asian as french fries. There's karaoke here and the songs are up to date. Strangely enough, their Bible-thick index of songs has half-a-dozen pages of nothing but Filipino classics. Whattahell. Oh well, it only makes this place that much more an attractive birthday spot for my aunties and uncles. Holla. read more

My first date with my boyfriend of seven months was at Sticky Rice, so it will always hold a special place in my heart, period. Here's the deal. Sticky Rice is THE most hipstery spot in THE most hipstery part of DC. Let's just be honest here. H Street NE is on the front edge of gentrification, and people who live near/hang out at the restaurants and bars nestled between all the shitty take-out places and hair salons consider ourselves the coolest mofos in town because our area hasn't been tainted by the corporate antiseptic establishments that have infiltrated such passe hoods as U Street. Don't you get it? We're playing R Kelly on blast, not because we think he's awesome, but because it's IRONIC! We play truly awful Japanese gozirra movies on the big screen BECAUSE they're so awful! Isn't that funny!? And IRONIC!? So if you don't like the sometimes less-than-ecstatic staff, you have to understand that they truly don't care because there are fifteen other people waiting for your booth. If the obnoxiously loud music blares over every word you try to get out, then you're probably too old or too square to understand the "point". If the ridiculous wait turns you off, there's for sure someone else clamoring to get the chance to order the world famous bucket o' tots. Sticky Rice has probably gotten too popular too fast, considering the current state of business in general on H Street NE. It's hard, though, to deny their tasty, creative sushi which almost never let's me down. If you can deal with the wait, what is possibly the most ridiculously hipster, pretentious staff in the whole damn city, and the always loud and usually dumb music, you should have a pretty baller time. And let's face it, those tots ARE magical. read more

Sticky Rice is simple and enjoyable. Everything you need to know about it can be summed up in 4 words. "Hipsteresque sushi/ noodle bar". I do not approve of their copious use of cream cheese in their sushi dishes but that is because I hate cream cheese. Despite my take it or leave it stance on the place however there is a fun fact about it's involvement in my social life. If you like me in a romantic or platonic way, or are even acquainted with me and have spent considerable time in the greater DC area chances are you have been here. Every woman I have ever dated has been to this bar with me. With the exception my high school prom dates. My high school prom dates however live in or near DC and I have run into them whilst out gallivanting, so sooner or later, if not already. 2/3rds of all my friends in DC have also been here with me. That remaining 1/3rd of friends consist largely of Yelpers whom from a brief skimming of reviews I can see a large number have been as well. I find these numbers to be extremely high for a bar I have only been to 3 times with people. This creeps me out and I have decided that I need to date and socialize more. Ladies I am taking applications in the form of numbers, fellas in the form of Guinness. Help me beat this thing DC! read more

The key to Sticky Rice is to avoid the sushi and instead focus on the glorious tater tots. While the sushi falters on a number of levels (see Jack F.'s review), the tater tots are served with a Cock Sauce infused aioli that pleasures the soul. You simply cannot go wrong by ordering these delightful potato creations. As far as drinking is concerned, I nearly puked when I saw the consistency of the unfiltered house sake. It looked liked semen. I assumed it wasn't and drank it down (potentially throwing a lifetime of being straight overboard in the process). It wasn't bad, but if you are a straight guy, do not order it. You will be sick. On the bright side, for all the Southerners out there, they DO carry Firefly sweet tea infused vodka. This drink has become wildly popular in the Deep South, and I'm happy to see that at least one place in DC has decided to carry it. On every occasion that I have visited Sticky Rice, I have been an avid fan of their music selection. On this occasion, we were treated to mainstream 90's punk rock with Rancid prominently involved in the selected tracks. Good stuff. The waitstaff here was extremely professional while remaining lighthearted and cool. No complaints from me in that regard. Overall, Sticky Rice is a fine place for your H St rotation. While it doesn't have the atmosphere of the Palace of Wonders, the beer selection of Granville Moore's, or the dirt cheap prices of the Pug, it is certainly worth a trip for the tater tots. read more

If a ragtag band of tattooed punk-pirates shanghaied a sushi bar, they would name it Sticky Rice. This motley crew may lack culinary talent but their hearts are in the right place. Those knowledgeable in sushi can easily recognize the mediocre ingredients, jagged and asymmetrical knife work, misshaped rolls, and amateur presentation. The colorful characters behind the sushi bar are hardly career sushi chefs (there's an black guy with dreadlocks but no hair net; an Asian girl with blue contact lenses, a do-rag, and a visibly magenta bra; an Asian guy with Fu Manchu whiskers and turban; and, a bald Hispanic guy). But then again, Sticky Rice isn't renown for its premium sushi either. Diners come to Sticky Rice for good, fun pan-Asian food. The kitchen hardly takes itself seriously with names like Godzirra, The Hot Hippy, or 2000 Leagues. Yet, its dishes are creative and exciting. My recommended dishes include the Garden Balls ($5.50), which is a tempura fried pocket of shiitake mushrooms, red pepper, cilantro and spicy rice in an inari (tofu) skin and drizzled with eel sauce and the Chili Roll ($7.50), which is tuna, cilantro, cucumber, jalapeno & grilled pineapple rolled together and topped with tempura crunchies and tobiko. Although some dishes aren't executed very well. The Poki ($7.00), which Sticky Rice's version of tuna tartar, comes with a novel lotus root wonton chip but the tuna is salty and over-seasoned. Moreover, the arrangement fell apart as soon as soon as the plate touched the sushi bar counter (while we watched). The sweet teriyaki Sticky Wings is small, puny, and over-seasoned as well. Also, there's a surprising emphasis on goat cheese and cream cheese, such as the Billy Goat's Gruff ($6.50), which is three pieces of yellowtail wrapped around goat cheese broiled and topped with ponzu sauce, scallions and sesame seeds. Again, Sticky Rice is not the place for nigri or sashimi. The quality of the fish is negligible and is best seared, cooked, and masked by ponzu sauce. But it sure is great to come have fun and to have fun with food. Oh yeah, there's karaoke on Tuesdays and Blingo (speed bingo) on Thursdays. [Original Visit: March 10, 2009] See also: http://www.examiner.com/x-5257-DC-Ethnic-Foods-Examiner~y2009m4d21-The-Sad-State-of-Sushi read more

Sticky Rice - If punk-pirates shanghaied a sushi bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Now that Brian B. has unceremoniously departed Yelp I can safely put into writing some praise for what is likely his least favorite establishment in all of DC. I have to confess though, my experience here is probably vastly different than almost any of the ones I've read from my friends. We actually came for a relatively quiet brunch where we could watch a soccer match, rather than experience it at dinner time where that quasi-awkwardness exists in the moments as you're finishing your sushi while others get ready to dance on tables. I've actually never been to Sticky Rice for the late night shenanigans that I've heard about, although I have seen many a sweaty body pressed up against its steamy windows as I'm strolling by. It was later in the day on a Saturday, probably around 1 or 2, because the restaurant was mostly empty, especially upstairs where we went to watch the game. I'm not sure if this accounted for better service, part of the reason people hate Sticky Rice, but whatever the case we got everything in a prompt manner and out waitress was friendly the whole time. She even kept a running tally for me of how much we had spent, since I had a $100 Restaurant.com voucher (which I only paid $15 for!) to use, and blowing that much on brunch really isn't easy here. This is easily one of the most stomach-capacity-breaching meals I've ever had in DC, which is a good sign for those looking to have a relatively inexpensive, high quality brunch. The brunch menu is slightly different than dinner, so some of the items I really have no clue what they are anymore since I can't find the description online, but for the most part the whole sushi menu carries over. We decided to start with the tater tot hash though as a true homage to both brunch and Sticky Rice's famous "bucket o' tots", and it definitely didn't disappoint. While some folks might knock the tots for being relatively uncreative (although others regale us with lofty tales of their amazingness), I found the hash to be really quite wonderful, a perfect execution of a breakfast favorite. It's really filling though, so seeing as it was the very first thing we ordered we had to eat it sparingly. We also got the sesame chicken bowl, which was decent, but not really memorable. Next up were two of their crunchy tempura options, both of which I really enjoyed. The Sticky Balls are made with tuna, crab, and Sriracha rice placed inside an inari pocket and deep fried then topped with scallions, wasabi dressing & eel sauce, and are really bursting with flavor and the perfect amount of crunch. I guess if anything I would have preferred more tuna and crab in the ratio over rice, but I could apply that logic to pretty much all sushi. The Millennium Roll was slightly different, served as multiple different pieces each featuring lump crab meat, smoked salmon, or eel, with cream cheese and drizzled with Sriracha and scallions. It was kind of like a variety pack, and again Sticky Rice did a great job hitting just the right amount of crispiness to their tempura batter and frying. The four rolls we ordered after I've been unable to identify (see photos), but they were all OK. The fish quality seemed pretty fresh, but none of them stood out to me as a "WOW" kind of roll similar to what I've had in other places that go for this similar kind of zany appeal. I think our favorite preparations of the day though were the sashimi specialty items, all three of which turned out to be excellent. Their version of a Hawaiian poke, called Poki, with high grade tuna, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, scallions, togarashi and soy sauce, topped with toasted coconut was definitely my favorite, and is still the only poke style dish I've been able to find in DC that I really enjoy (I've seen it on the menu at SEI but have yet to try it). The balance between the chili pepper and coconut was really nice to watch play out with tender tuna as the battle ground. The Billy Goat's Gruff, also a very unique combination of yellow tail wrapped about goat cheese which is then broiled and topped with ponzu, scallion, and sesame, was a real treat as well, especially for goat cheese lovers. The yellow tail took on a totally different characteristic when broiled and really complemented the cheese. The Tako Salad (diced octopus sashimi mixed with cilantro, cucumbers, spicy sambal, lemon+lime juice, ginger, garlic and soy sauce) was also nice, mainly to have something vinegary and herbaceous to counter the flavors from the other two much more fishy dishes, but I'm not sure how well it would hold up on its own. Now that I rewrite this, I'm really not sure how the Hell we ate all of that food. I know a few bits went home in plastic containers, but damn, that was excessive. I think we were still just a bit under $100, which is somewhat surprising considering how much I really enjoyed everything we had to eat, so we ordered some drinks to sip on before strolling back out onto H Street. read more

After many frustrating experiences at Sticky Rice, I learned the secret to getting good service here: Sit at the bar. Don't go with a large group of people. Just go alone or with one other person and sit at the bar. You'll get you everything faster - food, drinks, the check and your change. Even if the place is not crowded, sitting at a table means waiting...and waiting...and waiting. But get a spot at the bar for dinner and you are golden. As for the food, Sticky Rice is one of my standard go-to places for vegan & gluten-free options when dining out in DC. I'm a huge fan of the Teriyaki Salad with tofu and the Vegetable medley noodle dish with rice vermicelli noodles and GF soy sauce. But my favorite has to be the vegan version of the spicy avocado roll. It just melts in your mouth and sets it on fire. So good. They have GF soy sauce. You just have to ask for it, and make clear that you want your dishes prepared gluten free. On their drink menu, the Jalapeno Margarita is stellar, and they carry my latest favorite cider: Bold Rock, which is made in Virgina & has about half the calories of other ciders. And, of course, if you don't need to stay away from gluten, you cannot go wrong with a bucket of tots. read more

Imagine if you could take sushi and turn it into everything that defines American food. That's exactly what Sticky Rice does. Hypothesis: Does everything taste better with Tempura? I was on a mission to find out. First, they serve tots as an appetizer. Tots! I never imagined, when I was 7 years old and eating tots at the school cafeteria, that I would one day eat them as a grown woman in the city. But I did. My friend and I ordered a lot of food, to be true to American cultural dining practices, of course. So, we got the Sticky Balls (yeah, that's just what that sounds like), the GI Joe roll with wasabi peas, the Drawn and Buttered roll with tempura, shrimp, and butter, and the Fried octopus roll. Don't laugh, I had to test out a very scientific tempura hypothesis here. As if the sushi rolls were not strong enough evidence of the powers of tempura, I ordered the tempura cheesecake with chocolate sauce. Oh, no they didn't! OH, yes they DID! They know the way to my heart, they sure do, indeed. Tempura really should be its own food group. Research findings and discussion: Everything does taste better with tempura. The only limitation of this study was the amount of tempura that my stomach could physically hold. Future directions include more consumption of tempura with other food groups. read more

So it is very rare one of my regular haunts turns on me! I had to post this just because I don't want the same thing to happen to anyone else, especially if it concerns cleanliness and health. I stopped going to Sticky Rice a few months ago after both myself and a friend were ill from having their tots! YES - I repeat - both my friend and I were violently ill after eating tater tots at Sticky Rice. She had sushi, which I did not even try but we both ate separate orders of tots and were ill that evening and well into the next day. Won't be going back to Sticky Rice anymore! You can do a lot to me (give me bad service, make me wait too long for my order, ect.) but at the end of they day, I draw the line at getting sick -- and off of tater tots of all things! read more

If you want sushi that tastes like a cheeseburger (think McDonald's cheeseburger, not a Ray's Hell Burger), then this is the place for you. I was really excited to try Sticky Rice, having wanted to get there for ages. I had heard great things about the restaurant, how fun it was, etc. - though never about the food, which probably should have been a tip-off. Upon sitting down at the restaurant, the BF remarked, "Wow. This is like being back in San Francsico." And, it was a super-hipster scene. I think the beauty of H Street is that it transcends a lot of that Georgetown vs. Columbia Heights mentality that goes on in this city. The people that hit up H Street are generally very chill and very friendly and are just interested in a good meal or an enjoyable experience. I think the "too-cool" hipster vibe was a detriment to the atmosphere at Sticky Rice, a blasé attitude seemed to pervade everything from our service to the meal itself. Meh. Speaking of the meal. Not impressed. There is a place for fried sushi - hello, it's called tempura. However, tempura isn't probaly something you want to base an entire sushi menu on. It should serve to heighten the flavors of a crisp veggie or a fresh fish - not drown and flatten them. There was nothing light about Sticky Rice's menu, nothing felt fresh. If you are looking for "outside-the-box" sushi (which was what I was hoping for from Sticky Rice) - I highly recommend Sei. It's a freaking arm and a leg, but honestly, the rolls are ingenious and surprising. And, don't even get me started on their delightful cocktail menu. You know how much I like to booze. read more

So after our recent excursion to the Conner Gallery we came here for lunch. Great service, great food - the bucket o' tater tots was shockingly massive. They came up a wee bit short on the beers - only three on draft and one of them was a rice based thing that tasted like Budwieser used to when they made that from rice ( maybe they still do). I was happy that we scored one of the three booths at the window upstairs, and when we all sat in there I was strangely overpowered by immense feelings of love and emotion. The Honey was opposite me with Thing 2 and Soccerballgirl, Thing 1 was on the sameside of the booth as me. The low lying sun was shining outside, tangled bine stems scored the sky, and even the auto-components store across the street looked stirringly inspirational. I grabbed Thing 1, hugged him and kissed him, told him that I loved him and asked him to give me a kiss, which he dutifully did. Then he sat back in the booth and with a quizzical look on his face he asked me: " Who ARE you and what have you done with my father?" read more

Not reviewing the food. Other people have covered it. I like it fine for being a neighborhood restaurant. What I am reviewing is the absolute BATSHIT CRAZY transformation that happens around 10:45 PM on Friday and Saturday nights. Because, ladies and gentlemen, that is when Sticky Rice becomes... THE RICE. What is THE RICE? THE RICE is a place where all your cares can disappear. THE RICE is a place where you can order a sake bomb for 12 people and three bartenders. THE RICE is a place where you'll hear a crazy mashup of Michael Jackson and Notorious BIG with a Swedish music video playing on two screens above you. THE RICE is a place where no matter how weird, goofy, or impossibly cool you are you're perfectly fine to dance like an idiot. THE RICE is a place where beers become a quarter when it is raining outside. THE RICE is a place where to bartend you have to be a) female, b) tat'd, c) really cool, d) really good at bartending. THE RICE is a place where you can walk in and be thrown a PBR to shotgun with a bartender while she stands on the cooler and then calls you a pussy for finishing too slow. (gulp) THE RICE is a side trip to Bangkok in a 500 square foot room full of screaming, dancing, intoxicated, bodies that never disappoints. THE RICE is THE RICE. read more

I went for the third night of opening weekend with 7 friends. We were SO excited and had high hopes for Sticky Rice on H street. We were COMPLETELY disappointed and unsatisfied with our experience. Within 5 minutes of sitting at the table, the WINDOW fell out of the wall and onto my friend who was sitting on the far end by the wall. Our waiter did not seem concerned AT ALL and a more senior waiter ran over and apologized. He offered us a round of shots. Let's be honest, they should have comped her meal. The window fell on her!!!! The tater tots arrived cold. Of the 10+ dishes we ordered as our main dishes, only 3 of them came together. The kitchen could not get it together. My sushi was not rolled correctly (very loose and uneven) and 45 minutes into dinner, the waiter came up and said to my friend (who ordered Chicken Teryaki), "We ran out of chicken. Do you want shrimp?" REALLY?! You ran out of chicken? There's a Popeye's downstairs... Haha. Once the Veggie stir-fry dish arrived (50 minutes into dinner and 40 minutes after the first main dish arrived), it was yummy. But that was after waiting for how long to cook veggies? Not worth it. The previous reviewer was correct in that the decor was completely disjointed and chaotic. The waiters were apathetic and not service-oriented. I do not recommend Sticky Rice to ANYONE. They have to improve the aesthetics, wait-staff, food quality and kitchen preparedness. Sticky Rice has a long way to go before it's ready for patrons. Keep practicing. read more

Went on a Monday. They were out of salmon. This is not a long sushi menu -- that doesn't leave much. Ordered a draught beer -- it was flat. Gave it back and ordered a different beer -- it didn't show up. Lemme add, the music sucked. First, Queen. Then, 50 Cent. Now, I understand everyone working here is 23 years old. But I don't think you'll find a sushi restaurant (no matter how informal) in SF or NY where patrons are served spicy tuna rolls with 50 Cent hollering "&$%head" over the speakers. Kinda gauche, dontcha think? I guess this place would be fine if someone opened it right next to Georgetown or GW. The kids would pay 8 bucks for noodles and they wouldn't care about the rest. But it's aiming to be the kind of place where you drop $25 to $50. I wouldn't be surprised if it lasts a while, if only because SE and NE have crap restaurants and even the worst stick around. read more

I recently dined at Sticky Rice and received a note with my check that read, "W.W.J.D. PLEASE TIP ON THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT". I found the note to be very distasteful. I have been a fan of Sticky Rice for several years however after being completely offended by my latest visit, I probably will not be returning. I would much rather spend money in establishments that do not make assumptions about my faith or feel the need to badger me about tipping. read more

Sticky Rice - Such a lovely note. (Said no one ever) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Tots? At a sushi joint?! Why? They're super tasty, that's why. The Snap, Crackle, and Pop roll: YES. IN MY MOUTH. NOW. It's a large spicy roll with salmon, cucumbers, jalapenos, tobiko, and tempura crunchies. Also, order the Sticky Balls and try not to giggle. I dare you. read more

The smell of deep fryer oil hung in the air as we walked into Sticky Rice on Thursday night. Acceptable when I'm waiting for fried chicken at my neighborhood soul food place, but a little strange for first impressions of an eatery that I've heard friends and co-workers rave about for the past few months. We were seated upstairs and helped by a waitress who let us peruse the multiple-page menu at our leisure. We ordered drinks, tater tots, and an assortment of sushi. I expected the tater tots to come out first but instead they did not make an appearance until we were halfway through our sushi. I'm less than thrilled about alternating bites of fish and rice with fried potato but the tots were crispy and the dipping sauce (sriracha mayo) a nice option. I opted for nigiri sushi - mackerel (saba), tamago (egg) - and a spicy tuna roll. The fish was sliced nicely - no thick slabs of fish (thankfully), and the tamago had the typical egg sweetness that I crave. The mounds of rice that the fish/egg sat atop were a little massive - definitely not one-bite portioning and almost dwarfing the fish. I also found the rice to be underseasoned and a bit cold. The spicy tuna roll had a Sticky Rice twist that caught me by surprise - the menu doesn't indicate that the spice comes from the roll being coated on the outside with spicy powder (cayenne? I'm not sure?) - which gave the roll a different sort of spicy kick than I'm used to, and also caught in my throat a bit (in a way that inhaling a powdery substance might.) Although our service was great (the waitress was friendly and when my spicy tuna roll failed to appear...and failed to appear... she comped the roll when it finally arrived, no questions asked), the food itself left me kinda "meh." I'd return to Sticky Rice in a pinch, though I'd probably stick to their other dishes. read more

+1 Pearl Sake +1 Cider+++ +1 Cool bartender +1 Tater tots +1 Karaoke +1 Nice drink menu in general -1 Keeping said cool bartender running around like a fool with little to no help during a party. -1 Taking the avacado roll/bowl concoction off of the menu -1 Despite being a sushi place the sushi is really hit or miss. read more

Ok, I get it, Sticky Rice. You're so hip. I know. I'm supposed to be all happy that the staff is young and they all have interesting haircuts. I'm supposed to feel cool since I have come to a place where they are playing Ace of Base with irony as I eat. But the thing is, your sushi ain't that great. And you just served me a luke-warm Sapporo. And the music is so loud that I cannot speak to anyone at my table without yelling. I confess that your Sticky Balls are good, but it just ain't worth it for me. read more

This is the kind of place that the folks at Six Flags would crap out if you asked them to come up with a bar that's hip, on-the-scene and appealing to young adults hoping to appear hip and on-the-scene. To complement its needlessly deafening tribute to Top 40 hits, Sticky Rice features two giant, impossible-to-ignore flat screens that pump out Andy Samberg rap videos, sports bloopers, and Ouch-I-just-crushed-my-crotch skateboarder clips played over a righteous guitar solo soundtrack. Radical. We probably left before they jumped into the Austin Powers video montage. On top of that the service is poor. It's almost as if the management wants you to sit there just long enough to conclude that they are in fact not kidding, they are sincere, they are trying to recreate MTV's spring break. Mind you, whenever your server arrives he/she won't be able to hear a thing you're saying, so you'll need to scream and draw out every syllable of your "sticky balls" order. And for some reason, the bartender has a mini-gong to play with whenever someone orders something neat-o. Why not? What's more noise by that point? You can't focus on anything else beyond this bar trying so desperately to convince you that it's totally awesome. The food's good though. read more

I ADORE this place. Just when I thought this town had a prohibition against good sushi (Raku and Sushi Ko really don't make the grade. Sushi Taro: come back!!!!!), Sticky Rice completely redeemed Washington DC Sushi during my fabulous Friday night feast! This place is not Morimoto. There is no $100 Omakase, no super expensive frou-frou cocktails or postmodern decor that typically goes along with a high end spot. What sticky rice does offer is inventive sushi creations, whimsical maki rolls, flavor combinations that at times verge on ethereal, and great staff in a high-energy and fun environment. We sat down at the bar to wait for a table (yes, you will wait on Friday) and within a short time the awesomely hispter bartender brought us over a free shot made with Lychee; both creative and Delicious. The bar has a very fun vibe. The music selection is fantastic, hip-hop, rock, punk, very very cool. Giant screens on the walls play Japanese movies and give a really cool visual aesthetic. Having so much fun, we decided we'd eat at the bar. The Godzirra roll, although a bit politically incorrect, was DELISH. Billy Goat's Gruff melted in my mouth. Everything was fun, creative, tasty and beautifully presented. After dinner, we could not resist the saki-bomb (a shot of saki dropped into a glass of Sapporo). Not surprisingly, Sticky Rice even made the saki-bomb more fun. When you drop the saki into the glass, the bartender hits a giant gong that's situated behind the bar. As you may have guessed, this is not the best place for children. Probably not great for the over-thirty crowd either. read more

Always thought this place had better than average sushi, although they seem to want to stick cream cheese in everything. I get it maybe once on the menu with salmon, but they have like a half-dozen rolls with cream cheese. The main problem with this place is the service. I get it you are cool, you have tattoos, skinny jeans and a whimsical cardigan, but cut the attitude and I might actually come back. Just called for delivery and was told rudely that they only deliver during lunch (weird). However, I said that was fine, I would pick up... and was told they couldn't do a carry out order because they were too busy. Seriously, is 5:30 pm on a Sunday. Looking forward to when Capitol Hill has a good sushi place without the hipster doofus vibe and the god-awful philly rolls. read more

3.75-Stars Sticky Rice seems to have a bit of a sushi problem much in evidence to all the overly sensitive sushi-enthusiasts who cannot say bad enough things about the apparently offensive sushi that is produced here.. Personally, I think it's just fine - yes much of it screams inauthenticity but I don't think they ever tried to be an authentic sushi establishment. In fact, nothing about Sticky Rice suggest that it tried to masquerade as a sushi house. They've just taken the essence and idea of sushi and added some twists to it. One of the rolls they are known for is the Maryland Blue Crab roll with lump crab meat, drawn butter, and a slight bit of old bay. What could possibly be wrong with that? I think it's absolutely delicious. But the principal reason to come to Sticky Rice is the tater tots with the special house-made sauce - they easily some of the most addicting things I've ever tried. I am pretty confident that I downed two buckets in my last outing. The tots are indeed a must, and I think all of the food at Sticky Rice is decent - albeit innovative and even gimmicky to say the least. Now just under a decade old and having withstood the test of time and even outlasted some of the "unsinkable" sushi institutions (Re: Kushi), Sticky Rice looks well positioned to stay on as a pilar of the rapidly evolving H Street food scene. And like most establishments on H Street, this too has a divey hipster feel to it - very dark accent paint colors with splashes of red here and there. The banquettes on the 2nd floor are excruciatingly uncomfortable. I had to suck in my stomach the entire time which was hard to do while inhaling two buckets of tater tots. I guess I'll just have to come in a little thinner next time. I think they also need to tone it down with the loud music - sometimes it is so loud it hurts and it borders inappropriate. read more

Sticky Rice - Servery and the cool logo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

OK, if this place passes for hip in this city, I'm outta here back to Manhattan. Walked in on a quiet weeknight to the sound of Queen blaring from the speakers, which was fine...but not so fine after the "Best of Queen" CD kept playing for the next 40 minutes. Three minutes of nostalgia is fine. Forty is annoying. Anyway, they were out of salmon, which was quite puzzling because it was only 8 p.m. (Was there a strange and unexpected run on salmon at 7 p.m.? Were they about to run out of rice, too?) Then, it took 30 minutes for our drinks to arrive, which, again, was puzzling because the darn place was empty. I believe the waiter needed a shot of espresso or a kick in the rear to get him going. We gave him neither, so the service -- provided by a guy who I'm sure works as a zombie at his day job -- was painfully slow. When the sans-salmon sushi arrived it was not what I had hoped for. I think the local Safeway sells sushi for 50 percent less -- and it tastes better and looks fresher. Now all that may have been fine and dandy if the place was comfy or cool or both. But it wasn't. The wooden bench I sat on was hard. C'mon, owner, splurge for some cushions! And, in the end, the bill came to more than $50. For an in-the-hood dinner on a weeknight, with only one of us having a drink, that's preposterous. Overall: overpriced and overrated. read more

Sushi with cream cheese, I believe, is an abomination. But I'm not a purist by any means, so Sticky Rice sounded promising. Start with the tuna bites: fresh on the inside and seared well on the outside. The tofu bites could use less teriyaki sauce, the rice could use more vinegar, and the spider rolls could use a little something I can't quite pinpoint. The nigiri needed bigger pieces of fish, which, by the way, was average. The mackerel was surprisingly good, compared with everything else on the plate. So was the bowl of poke (the dish, not the gesture), compliments of the chef. Arigato gozaimasu!! Would have been three stars but for the bathroom, which smells like they rent it out for golden showers during off-hours. And why is the sushi bar back there? Am I to associate your food with the smell of pee? read more

So maybe I still don't get (or, more accurately, I refuse to get) the concept of a sushi place that also has tater tots on the menu. That fact aside, I went to Sticky Rice last night with one of my favorite DC Yelpers, Chris S., and we shared some pretty tasty bites. We'd already knocked back a few at the Red Palace, and I was ready to chow. We were quoted a 45-minute wait, but managed to snag two seats at the bar together. By the time we'd ordered our first round (sake bombs, complete with gong-ringing), our table was ready, but we decided to stay at the bar for our meal. We split the fried mushrooms, the chili roll, and some sticky balls. Although I'm definitely more of a sushi traditionalist, I appreciated the way the grilled pineapple, cilantro, jalapeño, cucumber, tuna, and tobiko complemented each other. The tempura topping added a touch of crunch without being too overwhelming. And the sticky balls were so good I contemplated another order. Balls of deep-fried tuna, crab, and sriracha rice topped with green onion, eel sauce, and wasabi dressing = yes, please. I just discovered the H Street Corridor on yesterday's excursion, and was pleasantly surprised to learn how close it is to my house. Sticky Rice, I'll see you again real soon. read more

Sticky Rice has some good options but Im not really clear why the restaurant is so popular. The entrees are pretty average and the sushi is definitely not that good. I think SR is a perfectly adequate restaurant but I would love to see them strive for excellence. The best part about Sticky Rice is Thursday night Karaoke and video bar weekend nights. The crowd is diverse and the energy is awesome. read more

Well-meaning service, solid playlist. Most of the tables upstairs occupied at lunch included people from Gallaudet. Our server took our orders verbally, recited it back to us before going to the counter... and my poki order still magically came out as the yellow basil. Light and refreshing salad of diced hamachi. Salmon and hamachi nigiri cut alright. Average fish quality Chicken wings done well on the safe side, brushed with a sweet glaze. I was curious enough to try the ribs after overhearing the server tell another table that it amused him that the cook was kosher. Unevenly butchered ribs, as if they had only remembered at the last moment that the menu said five to a plate. Also tougher than tender. Non-fish items plated on a bed of napa. Everything garnished with a sprinkle of finely chopped scallions and mixed sesame seeds. This place ain't for me, I'm being generous at two stars. I could be suckered back for Thursday night karaoke though. read more

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I finally got to the cool new place in my neighborhood. Went with a couple friends who are considering moving to DC from South Carolina before seeing a show at Palace of Wonders. Sticky Rice didn't disappoint, but it didn't overwhelm either. I'd say both the service and food was a three-star, but could get bumped up to four with a little effort. We got a few simple drinks and ordered several different things off the menu. The service was a little slow and inattentive, but not to the point that it became a problem. We were there to hang out and BS as much as eat, anyway. The sushi wasn't great, but not bad. The tots, however, were awesome! Very good and they bring plenty of them in that little bucket. They have some other interesting things on the menu that I'll have to try later. Definitely a place I'll come back to, even if I don't become a regular. read more

I've gone to the restaurant for dinner and also had delivery for lunch! Yes, they actually do FREE delivery until 6pm if you live in the local area. First, the experience at the restaurant. We went on a Tuesday night, so we were able to get seated right away, no wait and no reservation. We got seated right away, but service was really slow, albeit friendly. I really wanted to try the tater tots so we got some of those and I was in the mood for sushi. I went with the Snap, Crackle and Pop Roll which is basically a very spicy roll with salmon, tomiko, cucumbers, jalapenos, tempura crunches. Oh I could eat one of these rolls every day. DELICIOUS and fresh and plentiful! I actually could not finish the roll so I ate the rest for lunch the next day and it was still yummy and fresh. They give you 10 large pieces so it's plenty of food. The tater tots and dipping sauce were nothing special by themselves, but I suppose they would be a great pairing with any one of their sandwiches which I have yet to try. This is a cute space and worth visiting, but I can see how crazy this place it can get some nights so I would recommend making a reservation if you don't go early or on an off night. I like the punky, rock and roll feel of the place. Fun and festive tattoo art. Because I enjoy the sushi roll so much, I decided to order them for lunch one day when I was working from home. This option is available via GrubHub.com. I figured this would be an easy task since I live literally down the street a few blocks away. Why did the delivery driver call me THREE times before he got up to my apartment? First he called to ask if it was an apartment building (DUH it says the apartment number on the order) , then he called to ask where he can park (there is street parking all over the place not to mention a space for delivery drivers to park when dropping off food RIGHT OUT FRONT!), then he called to ask how to use the intercom( someone HELP ME!). I almost gave up, but he finally got to my apartment. What does it take to be a delivery driver in DC? Ironically, this is not the first time I've had issues getting food delivered here. It couldn't be more simple. Do they not know how to deliver to apartment buildings that use intercom systems out here? Weird. But anyway, I was happy that my Snap, Crackle, Pop roll arrived fresh and unscathed. Delicious and spicy as usual and I suppose, delicious enough NOT to deter me from ordering from them again. Overall, recommended! Oh and I also tasted the Singapore Noodles my boyfriend ordered at the restaurant and that was just delicious too! Very well done and they give you a lot of food. Basically, there's a reason why Michelle Obama came and dined at this restaurant a few weeks ago. It's trendy and it's delicious! Run, don't walk there. read more

Sticky Rice - Snap, Crackle, Pop Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ended up at Sticky Rice because I dragged my boyfriend out to NE for Toki Underground... that had a 2 hour wait on a Thursday night (seriously). We were starving and started wandering around when a few people recommended Sticky Rice. We really loved the halloween decor, and were immediately seated upstairs. Our waiter (Justin) was AWESOME, and really helpful with choosing what to order as 'first-timers'. We ordered: side tater tots (more than enough for two people) and the sauce that comes with it is AWESOME, we literally asked for like 3 more dishes of the sauce it was that good, garden balls (SO GREAT, we really recommend these), and the following sushi rolls: the gardens on fire (was OK, we wouldn't order these again), the spicy avocado roll (it didn't have spicy sauce? just rolled in red pepper flakes... which was odd, but it was good), and the santa fe (i personally didn't like this roll, but my boyfriend loved it). Honestly, the sushi was sub-par, there are way better sushi places in DC. However, the ambience is awesome, the appetizers/garden balls were GREAT, and the sushi wasn't terrible. I would definitely come back here with friends for a fun night, but not if I was craving awesome sushi. Our waiter also gave us two free drink tokens for the bar downstairs, which was a plus ;) My recommendation? DEFINITELY get the tater tots and the garden balls. Come here if you're looking for a really chill, fun place to hang out. read more

We beat the rush on a Saturday afternoon and got a table in the relatively empty upstairs after a few minutes wait. Sticky balls: Way too much rice and not enough of whatever else was supposed to be in it. Didn't matter because all I could taste was the rice. The texture was slimy and it was only slightly ok because it was fried and paired with a vinegary soy sauce. Chili roll: Eating seafood that isn't fresh is the worst. The tuna was awful and the pineapple in the roll didn't pair well at all. 2000 leagues: Best tasting roll, but it would have been a better dish if the octopus was served on its own and not in a roll. Again, the un-proportional ratio of rice to filling ruined it. Poki: Bad tuna. The seaweed salad was the best thing I ate all meal. I was surprised to see how quickly the place filled up for how bad the food was. Maybe some people dig sushi and waffles for Saturday brunch. Maybe some people dig paying 9 bucks for a bucket of tater tots. Maybe some people like waiting forever for their food. On the plus side, our waitress was nice and service was good. Either way, we used a LivingSocial coupon and felt less bad about the time we just spent eating awful food. Not coming back. read more

First off, what an awkward greet staff! I walked in the front door with a smile and the two greeters looked, almost glared at me for 3 whole seconds before one of em spoke. Instead of asking, "How many? Two?" It was like they were about to ask me, "Can I help you with something?" It was a stormy day early in the week, either Monday or Tuesday around 5:30 in the evening, and the block this is located on is remote from the likes of trendy Columbia Heights, so few patrons spotted the tables here. I ordered miso soup, two sushi rolls: Rainbow roll and the Fantabulous Amazing roll and Mongolian beef noodles. All of them lacked flavor. Very bland! The sushi was so NOT fantabulous! The second floor felt like it didn't have air conditioning, so my arms had to be peeled from the table at times. Also note: they do not have happy hour here. Went to the Martini Lounge after our meal next to Popeyes within the same block and had a martini while waiting out the thunderstorm. read more

I finally made my way down here. H Street is a new territory for me, so I've only been to this area a couple of times. I was at the theater across the street watching a play and came here for dinner right after the show. It was fairly easy to get a table, thanks to the Yelp app, I made a quick and easy reservation. my friend and I shared: -bucket of tots: WHAT! ordering tots at a sushi place?? I'm glad I did! the sauce that it came with was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! -stickyballs: this was interesting but super delish -snap, crackle, pop--this was my least favorite but it was alright I would definitely come back for the tator tots. If you're around the area, I highly recommend this place. read more