Everyone was really kind when I came here last. The server gave great suggestions and the sticky balls were sooooo good! read more

Sticky Rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I've been here a few times, since it's so convenient to where I live. Yes, Sticky Rice is trendy. Yes, it's overpriced. Yes, the food isn't amazing. Yes, sometimes the service is a little bad. Yes, you can face up to a two hour wait on the weekends if you don't get there early enough. But I just can't hate on Sticky. The reasons are many: -I'm excited to see a fun place in my hood. 'nuff said. -A guy works there whose name is Eric (or maybe it's Erik). Well I think there are two of them. But one of them is really cool, always remembers me when I walk in, and makes me feel welcome. -There's a guy who makes the sushi who has tattoos all over his arm, and he held conversation with me and my girlfriend the entire time we were there a few months ago. We sat at the sushi bar while he rolled fish, rice, and roe. We ate our sushi and he entertained us. -We ordered Saki last weekend because I had never tried it. I didn't like it, and our nice waiter took it off the bill. -They have "normal" sushi ... and they have "fun" sushi. Ie, typical rolls and rice with fish on top, as well as things loaded with stuff that really makes it not sushi at all - including mango, goat cheese, cream cheese, wasabi peas, etc. -Their bucket of tots is just... good. Very bad for you. But delicious. -They have way more options than just sushi (noodle dishes, asian inspired dishes). -They're open late. Way late. Okay, okay, I could sit here and try to think of all the reasons that I enjoy Sticky Rice... but that should be enough for now. read more

They put garlic butter in their sushi. As if that wasn't enough, half of their makis have cream cheese never mind the goat cheese. The whole reason I even get dragged to this god forsaken place is the fact that there's this deep fried abomination called a "sticky (veggie) ball" that my vegan SO and friends can't get enough of. I feel my arteries hardening just glancing at their menu. And tater tots with spicy mayo? Is this restaurant's motto "What would Guy Fieri do?" read more

I have really mixed feelings about Sticky Rice. On the one occasion, I had decent service and pretty good food. Our party made a reservation, but they took it wrong, and as a result we had to wait 45 minutes for a table. The service outside that was pretty good. Some of the rolls I got were great and really flavorful. The tuna bites were a great appetizer. Yum! On another visit, I had pretty mediocre food and mediocre service. The rolls tasted like they were missing ingredients or were a bit more bland and boring than I expected. And then there was the 20-30 minute wait to get a table and in between courses. And on a third occasion, I went and had no food and really horribly awful customer service. We were told it'd be 15-30 minutes for a table... over the course of an hour and a half. "Just a few more minutes!" makes no difference when you're starving and have been standing in a crowded space, getting jostled by patrons and wait staff, while tons of other people (who came in later than you) were seated. We got fed up and left. Don't know if I'll go back. read more

This review easily, easily could have been five stars. It's pretty much the go-to place for sushi on H street and anywhere in the area. The sushi rolls are good and relatively reasonable (12.50 for their main rolls, and each roll comes with about 8-10 pieces). It is also a good place to get some noodles in the area for the winter. However, I feel the need to give it two stars to raise attention to the service. We sat down around 8 o clock on a Sunday, and waited about an hour and a half for them to complete our order. Meanwhile, we listened to the hosts being short with the sushi chefs, and the sushi chefs being short with the kitchen about why everyone was taking so long. We ended up being there for two hours. Two hours for three sushi rolls--pretty unacceptable, and all we were offered was an apology and a thanks for our patience.... I really hope that it ups its game soon, because I don't want it to close or anything, but the service was appalling. read more

I feel like I have nothing original to say but here goes! Funny thing about Sticky Rice is that my first intro to it went like this: Intern in my office "working" on the computer: "OMG! MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT IS IN DC!!!" Me: "Woaaaahhhh. With all that excitement - do share." Her: "It's a chain called Sticky Rice! They have tater tots! The best ones. I know that sounds weird but seriously." Me: "Okaaaaay?" Her: "I'm not sure if anything there is vegan but it is like, SO amazing!" I came here for a birthday dinner this weekend and immediately ordered the lemonade drink they had on special - selling point? it was served in a mason jar. I think they should always have mason jar drinks and then they would deserve that 5th star! I was so pleasantly surprised by the vegan options! (especially after the above conversation) Not expected at all! Each menu item is specified as vegan! I had the Garden Balls and never, ever have I had anything like them in my life! Fried is not my forte but it was too exciting to pass up! Tasted good, wouldn't/couldn't eat it everyday but I'm happy to know the option exists! I added lots of Sriracha but that isn't really anything notable (for me). Service from both the host and the servers was awkward at times. Super attentive or not so much - nothing really in between. I love the ambience and the diversity of the patrons, though. I look forward to going back! read more

One of the gems on H Street. Sticky Rice offers an amazing array of food and drink that makes it well worth the visit. The sake sampler introduces you to the subtle complexities you often do not notice when drinking a single type and is a welcomed addition to your meal. For your first visit you must (and I cannot stress this enough) get the Tater Tots (in a giant bucket) that come with their homemade dipping sauce. I would also suggest starting off with their Sticky Balls (tuna, crab and sushi rice pockets deep fried) and trying a specialty roll. (I suggest snap, crackle and pop for those who enjoy some spice.) If it's noodles you are looking for go no further than the Mongolian Beef with Udon. This dish has a superb mix of tastes and texture. The Green Curry with Sticky Rice is also a great dish. For great sushi, excellent appetizers and a great selection of sake and Asian beer look no further than Sticky Rice. Added bonus: Tuesday is Karaoke night, Thursday is speed bingo and I'm told Sunday will be trivia night. read more

Not drinking, need something to do....ah, let's get a booth in the back and eat! That's not really the frame of mind behind us eating here during Yelpin' H-Street, but it sounds like it could be. It had been a long day and we were starving! I really liked the ambiance here. The moving water portraits they have at each booth downstairs (the ones with the illusion of running water) was kinda nice and the booths are extra large so you can fit 3 people on each side. The waiter was obviously frazzled by the sheer number of people stuffed into Sticky Rice as he told us twice that we may have to move out of the table we were waiting in. Totally understand, guy, you still need to make your money; it was crazy in there. I really felt for the servers having to squeeze past people with full plates. All in all, the service was great. He brought an extra Tuaca & Coke, so he left it as a free refill. We got some complimentary tater tots from the kitchen just 'cause the cooks are such cool people. Justin S. mentioned them to us when we were there, but I thought "tater tots & sushi - nope, don't see it," and figured he was pulling my leg, but out they came. Tater tots were crunchy and the sauce is like an Outback bloomin' onion-type dipping sauce, but they called it spicy cheese. It was a good combo. I'm not even big on tater tots and I enjoyed them. I had a small salmon roll, which I found to be just ok. Flavors were alright, I just wasn't thinking "omg! mouthgasm!" nor was I thinking, "omg! this is good!" It hit the spot. Then I had chicken lettuce wraps coming that took about a good hour to get out. Really. I figured, measuring by the ridiculously hot temperature at which it came out and the amount of time it took, they were rubbing pieces of wood together in the kitchen to keep the dish burning. We're talking McDonald's coffee lawsuit hot. I didn't really enjoy the lettuce wraps, but it was food. It was very salty and not as flavorful as I would have liked. If I'm ever in that neck of the woods again, I'd consider going in and ordering some of their specialties. I was just so hungry at the time and distracted, so I didn't put too much thought into my order. With the ambiance being right on, the service being friendly and prices being decent, it wouldn't be a stretch to return. I'd probably eat upstairs though; I liked the area a little better up there. read more

I visited this sushi/asian restaurant after purchasing a Living Social deal. The restaurant is situated in the busy H St. neighborhood and there are many different restaurant choices nearby. The first time I attempted to visit the restaurant, I showed up with out a reservation. I was advised by the hostess that there were no tables available for the next 3 hours. The second time around, I made a reservation. Smart! Because the restaurant required a reservation I thought that it must be to die for. I was extremely disappointed. The food was bland, poorly prepared, and lacked quality. I had Mongolian beef and a salmon roll order. Neither were good. My boyfriend opted to not finish his meal, as did I. This is easily our worse meal of 2013. Perhaps the popularity of the venue is solely based on its location and lively bar. read more

Sticky Rice has the unique title of being the restaurant that made me like sushi. I hated sushi for years - I'd try it every so often and discover I still hated it - but yesterday I ate at Sticky Rice and I was amazed. On the menu, "Tofu Max" didn't seem like a sushi dish. But it arrived, and the rice and seaweed were right there, and I almost panicked. I was with people I respect, though, so I figured I'd give it a try. It was GOOD! I ate it all up. And people say sushi is filling?! I could have eaten MORE! Maybe I will be more adventurous in the future and try other vegetarian rolls. Although we did not enjoy anything from the bar, they have a VERY well-stocked full bar and a variety of sake drinks. read more

With goofy music videos on the big screen tvs, this loud bar has some good food. Really cramped, but food was worth it. The sticky balls were really good, although my friend was keen on the load of mayo that was part of it. Total 80s with the music videos, but whatever they are playing it will be loud. Parking is a bit of an issue, but it is a trendy place and worth checking out. read more

Torn. 3-3.5 stars, but it's not a round up kind of day because my GE service technician is late. Anyway, the first time we tried to go to Sticky Rice, we parked a little too far and were seriously scared our car wouldn't be there if we didn't finish up dinner in time. Why? Because the little kids throwing bottles were like "I wouldn't park my car over there for too long!" WTF. We left and went to Rice instead. So we decide to go on Sunday night, group of 5. We ordered a few beers and tator tots with the hot-cock aioli. The TT's were perfectly cooked, not like the old school cafeteria style, but crispy and light. The aioli is great, there was some leftover so I later dipped my sushi rolls in it. We finally get seated and order a bunch of things for the table, none of which really titillated my flavor senses...until I dropped a ton of hot cock sauce on my Gardens on Fire roll. G.I Jane was a good idea - just needs a little work. I also didn't round up bc the bathroom is f*cking filthy. read more

3.5 Stars Sticy Rice - What a cute name! My first attempt for lunch was a failure as they are NOT open for lunch. Second time around at 8pm on a Saturday night, "Table for 3 please" "uhh..(looks around and at waitlist)..I'm not sure if we can accomodate you" Huh?? That's such a sad thing to hear..I was so disappointed. I figure we'll wait around and try anyways. Finally snatched a couple of seats at the bar and it worked out well. Music was a bit loud though. Looking around, everyone had a bucket or something..TATER TOTS! I felt like I was in elementary school. We ordered a bunch of speciality rolls that were delicious. -Sticky Balls - these are probably bigger than you think -Drawn-N-Buttered - you had me at garlic butter sauce -The Fantabulous Amazing Roll - the name says it all Beware: This is Northeast DC - potholes galore. Look for parking in the neighborhoods on either side of H St. Aside from the 4 blocks of H Street, there's not much going on and as a girl, this area isn't somewhere I feel safe walking around by myself. The closest metro (Union Station) is a good 20 minute walk. I would advise cabbing it or taking the bus. I heard there used to be a shuttle from Gallery Place but recently lost funding. read more

Before you continue reading this, please be advise that I'm a sushi/Asian cuisine snob, so be warned. The sushi there, AWFUL (use sushi rice please!). The noodle dishes, TERRIBLE (they're either undercooked or else overcooked and the sauce just doesn't go well with them). The dumplings, decent. The alcohol, well, I'll come back for the alcohol (maybe). I've been here on three occasions, why? Because of the hype around this place, everyone wants to try it, so I keep my mouth shut and follow the crowd. I'm disappointed after every visit. Serious? Tater tots at an "Asian fusion" restaurant is what you're known for? Terribly confused. I do like the neighborhood that it's in and that there are plenty of seats and the atmosphere is pretty laid back. If you want a quick snack (stick with the tater tots) and some drinks before being seated at Toki Underground, I would hesitatingly recommend going here (and only if The Pug is too packed). read more

Overpriced. Most things are fried. Bad service. The place is loud and cramped. Do yourself a favor and skip H-street all together. Let this upstart hipster haven die in peace. Whose idea was it to clone Baltimore in DC anyhow? read more

Sticky Rice Rocks! My bestest took me here one day after work! I was a little skeptical because she told me she gets sushi and I'm not the biggest fan! But, like I always say, "I'm willing to try everything at least once." The food is GREAT! And if you get nothing else, you HAVE to get an order of their Tots! They're the tater tots we used to eat in elementary school deep fried and served with this amazing sauce. Can we say addicted? It comes in either a small (bowl) or a large (BUCKET). We get the bucket every time we go. I didn't order any sushi for me, but I must admit I ate some of hers. It's pretty good coming from a non-sushi lover. And how could I forget about the bar? It's great! The bartenders are so cool you'll think they were your long time friend you haven't seen since elementary school when you used to eat those tater tots and fish sticks...lol! Make sure you ask for "K8 So Gr8" if you go on a Tuesday (Karaoke night)! read more

If there were an option for NO STARS, that is what I would pick. The only bright spot in the entire evening was the bucket of tater tots...and, of course, tater tots are no culinary feat, so they don't really count. The Crunchy Shrimp roll arrived somewhat misshapen and inexpertly rolled. It didn't taste bad necessarily, but sushi is at least in part a visual experience and this roll failed. I also ordered the Asian Mixed Green Salad with sauteed shrimp. The shrimp were dry and did not seem to be sauteed in anything. I ate one of the eight or so on the salad. The dressing that came with the salad was wasabi-based and way too strong for me. Luckily, it came on the side (in a plastic cup...like at Panera), so they brought me another, it was better, although very sweet. It didn't matter, the salad was so uninspired I only ate some of the greens (for my health) and moved on. My husband picked the Mongolian Beef with Udon noodles. The noodles were decent (although my hubs contends they were mushy) and the string beans with them were good. The beef tasted off and I quit eating it promptly. Needless to say, we left a lot of uneaten food on the table, I quickly asked for the check, and we were out of there. I didn't want to talk to our waiter about our disappointment...this was one of those experiences where I am quite confident that it wouldn't be done better next time, we just won't go back. read more

One star for my experience, two stars because I think that if we'd arrived before the A team left, things would have been better. I showed up at 8:15p to put my name in for a party of 5. They said they could seat us right away, but my group wasn't ready so we couldn't put our name on the list until we all arrived together. Reasonable. When we all arrived 9ish, the wait was 45 minutes. Disappointing, but not unreasonable. We grabbed drinks and tots and waited for an hour. When I went upstairs at 10p, there were several empty booths waiting to be cleared. Suspect. Went back up at 10:20, and the same booths were still empty. Come on. Someone from our party went to ask the hostess about it and she tore up the stairs to take a look for herself; A bunch of other employees ran after her. Still took another 10 minutes to be seated. So, at this point, I've waited 90 minutes to eat at Sticky Rice. I've watched their weird flat screen TVs playing a Nicholas Cage sequel. I don't know why, but I was expecting top flight service following the mistake with the empty tables. No such luck. The service at the table was super slow. The waitress was super nice though. Here's what else: - When our tofu was delivered to the table, the server had his thumb in the bowl touching the tofu (for the record, I didn't say anything and ate it anyway) - The bathrooms were gross (I visited them three times in the 3 hours I was there - The food was...fine. I'm still jealous of my friends who ate across the street at Smith Commons and met us for drinks. Skip this place. read more

Two of my friends and I came to sticky rice in December. We booked a table through OpenTable and were seated right away. Do not go without a reservation, there's not much seating space and you'll definitely have a wait. Everyone talks about the tots for a reason. The bucket is massive and the dipping sauce is delicious. Sirracha and tots is pretty much my favorite food combination. The sushi was decent. We order the garden balls, the chili roll, and the spicy tuna roll. The chili roll was my favorite and was something out of the ordinary. Make a reservation and have patients. The food takes a while to come out but it's a good place to have drinks and just hang out. If you're in a rush don't bother. read more

The night started off on a weird note when after waiting a few minutes at the entrance for the hostess, we proceeded upstairs to try and find someone. We were immediately asked why we would come upstairs instead of wait for the host, and we replied that we had already waited a few minutes and just weren't sure who was around. When we went back down, we saw the hostess apparently being scolded by someone, and this continued for another 30 seconds to a minute while we were watching. A little unprofessional. That said, our waitress was awesome! She was very helpful and incredibly nice. Based on other reviews here, it seems that this is uncommon. The food was decent. I enjoyed the Miso Soup. It had a great flavor, and I wished it was bigger! The Tofu Lettuce Wrap was really good - think burrito made with lettuce and stir fry. You literally wrap the thing yourself - delicious. The Avocado sushi roll and the Sweet Potato and Cucumber weren't great. This place isn't cheap either, but then again, sushi is generally expensive I suppose. read more

Eh. that's my overall impression of Sticky Rice. rather disappointed. a place with sushi AND tater tots? sounds awesome! but execution was quite poor. to be fair, the best thing about my experience was the service. super friendly and helpful waitress. but if you insist on going...i'd recommend sticking with their tater tots (served with a tangy orange mayonnaise) and their specialty sushi rolls and sashimi...though i had no idea that sushi could take upwards of 45 min to prepare. soba noodles were clumpy and tofu bites were just chunks of tofu breaded and fried to death. nothing special about the beverage selection either...my sake was not "chilled" like it was s'posed to be and i almost had a nice extra dose of protein when a fly decided to pay a visit to my cup during the meal. read more

Returned, had more sushi. To be truthful, my fave were the tots (already ordered and not super hot, they were still onetime). The green curry was lackluster, but the dirty vegan was thrilling. It's funny to see all city crew in broad daylight (transplants from RNR and before that Five, and before that, the Edge). They're doing a good job and it looks busy. Keep it up! read more

I came to Sticky Rice DC after moving from Richmond where they also have a location. The restaurant itself is in a transitional area and it's not easily accessible by metro so be prepared to drive. Service here is so-so. The first time I tried to come, I called a few minutes before 5 to make a reservation (they stop taking them at 5) and the hostess refused to let me make it. She then said that since it was only a party of two, it wouldn't be a problem to show up without a reservation. Unfortunately when we got there, they said the wait was over an hour! But when I did go there a second time, the wait staff was great. The sushi selection is great! They have tons of choices, especially for vegetarians, and they're all very creative. They also have sandwiches as well as bowls where you can choose whatever noodles/rice you want. Finally, GET THE BUCKET OF TOTS!!! It's literally a bucket of tater tots with a delicious sauce that cannot be beaten. read more

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Tries this place running a promotion via Postmates. I ordered fried dumplings,salmon nigiri,unagi and tuna rolls. The dumplings were fried well however the dipping sauce was just SPICY and unseasoned. Both rolls were edible however completely lacked taste. Not only was the rice unseasoned the tuna seemed old and the pieces of eel were so small you could barely taste it at all. These items are not even fairly priced. In short over hyped over priced under seasoned. If I ate this at the restaurant I would have sent it all back. read more

After reading the reviews, I felt like coming on a Friday night would be horrible, so I came Friday around 3:30. The place was virtually empty, and we were seated upstairs. The place was cute with tattoo art everywhere. My waiter had tats; I have a half sleeve... I was comfortable. My friend and I ordered a side of tater tots, and of course they were good. Last time, I got the Dirty South roll, but this time, I got the GI Jane and avocado tempura. The tempura was meh. I won't get it again. And, the tofu bites were too salty. On the other hand, the GI Jane was so good! I was in love immediately ;) My co-worker got the GI Joe, Pot stickers, and the California roll. She LOVED her picks. My sister was pissed that I came without her, so I bought her after church. Of course, I got my GI Jane and tots. The gentleman at the next table were slurping something in their bowls, so we asked. The Gouda shrimp grits! My sister had to have some, and she was slurping too. The grits had huge shrimp, sausage, and Gouda cheese. Oh, and the sakimosas were DIVINE! There are places in DC that have bottomless mimosas, and this is not one of them :( The con: The service is SLOW. I understand that the servers can wear whatever, but my Sunday server didn't look presentable... The poor girl thong was showing. Yes, I will come back, but I am afraid the try a Saturday or Friday night... read more

I went to Sticky Rice with a daily living coupon on a Sunday evening. The server was quite busy and very nice. Everything that we ordered seemed supersized so we took a lot of food home. The tater tots come in a bucket. Yes you get an entire bucket of tater tots - thats like 10 servings of tots. Enough about tots. This place is pretty good and serves both asian and american food. I would defn go back next time I am in the area. read more

Ate the Draw-n-Buttered and Nigiri combo sushi.Jake was our server and she did great. Highly recommended read more

This place has gone downhill in the past year and they've severely cut back on the amount of fish they give in a roll and they've forgotten stuff in my orders multiple times. The most recent order where they didn't even put half of the stuff I ordered in the bag they gave me was the last straw. I'd recommend going somewhere else. read more

Yum yum yum. Went here for dinner last night with the bf and was very pleasantly suprised. When we first got there the host said there was an hour wait but there were open seats at the sushi bar. Naturally we took those. The staff was super nice and friendly but not in your face or annoying. The sushi chefs were very friendly and gave us several pieces of of sushi to try while we were waiting. For my dinner I got miso soup ( a rip off at $4 but good nonetheless), a special avocado tempura roll and the chili roll (tuna, jalapeño, pineapple, cilantro and cucumber). The bf got a tokyo burger which I obviously did not try but it looked fresh and smelled pretty good. Everything was super yummy although I think the rolls could have been wrapped a little tighter since they kind of fell apart when i tried to pick them up. All in all a very nice dining experience and not too expensive...about $60 for both of us plus we had two free shots and several free tastings while we were waiting. Will be coming back soon! read more

I bounced back and forth between two and three stars on this one. I would definitely say my experience here is better summed up with a "meh." The food was OK. My fiance and I had some spicy tuna rolls, a nigiri sampler, a poke bowl and a bucket of tots (of course!). All were good. There was a service issue that definitely docked it down. I'm not sure if is typical of the restaurant, but we came in around 9:30 on a Saturday night. The hostess said it would be a 20- to 30-minute wait, which we were cool with. We gave her our names and she said she would text us when the table was ready. We found a seat at the bar and contemplated just sitting there for dinner instead of waiting for a "real" table, but it was right by the door and cold so we figured might as well just throw back a drink until we could be seated upstairs where it would be warmer. We ordered a couple of cocktails, which were really good and refreshing. Specifically, I had the cocktail that was a mix of sake and plum wine. I don't remember what my fiance got but he enjoyed his as well. The bartender was also nice -- responsive and fast. So we waited for about 40-45 minutes -- I like to give a little extra time just in case things have gotten busy or backed up and they just haven't had time to text me yet. Anyway, when I went to ask her whether there was an ETA on a table, she said, "In the midst of you waiting for a table, they closed the upstairs so they're not taking anymore seating up there." I was taken aback because at no point during our wait did she ever let us know about that. What was she going to let us do? Just sit there and wait it out until we got hungry and left?? Also, "In the midst of you waiting for a table, they closed the upstairs..." is such a passive way of just saying, "Oh I forgot to tell you the upstairs closed. My bad." Then she said, "There's still seating down here so if you can find a table, you can eat there." Well, we did still have our spots at the bar so that was good. We decided to eat there (which, once again, had we been told about 20+ minutes before, we would've just taken that option). So we ended up ordering our food and then getting our food around 10:30. Now, around that time on a Saturday night on H Street, I expect there to be loud music. But the DJ definitely had issues maintaining a decent volume with the music. He kept turning it up to blast mode (you could hear the static/buzzing through the speakers) and then turning it down to a moderate level (where you could have a conversation). But he went back and forth like that for about 10 minutes before settling on a volume that was still just a little too loud but I guess it didn't blast my eardrums, so ... that's good. Despite these mishaps, the food came out quickly. There was the bartender and then another guy who I assume was the manager and he was helpful and friendly, as well. I would just suggest (If anyone from Sticky Rice even reads this) that you make sure when something like the above happens (the upstairs closing/no more tables) you let people know. Incorporate it into your text message system or something because as a customer, you don't expect (and shouldn't expect) to sit around and wait for 50 minutes for food only to find out there's nowhere to sit. Lucky for us, there was room at the bar, but the rest of the tables downstairs had filled up. So it didn't up being as disappointing as it could have been for us but definitely would have been pissed if there hadn't been any place to sit. read more

I was really shocked to see so many negative reviews of this little place. The best I can offer for the people who don't like the food here is that I hear the actual menu pales in comparison to the sushi... and, of course, the tots. I'm going to throw it out there that yes, the atmosphere seems contrived. I can't speak for how things were in August, but now the service is fine. Even with a large group (which can be a headache) the waitresses I've had here have been attentive and nice. Every new restaurant is going to go through some growing pains before they can run smoothly. The wait has apparently died down A LOT since it first opened. With a party of 7 walking in on Friday night during the rush we only had a 45 minute wait. And I always appreciate an opportunity to visit the Pug for a drink while I wait for my table. The host even walked over to tell us our table was ready.. and then took a shot with us. The tots are great and the sauce is amazing... Ok, this is where Sticky Rice really gets me. There are only two things I secretly crave since giving up on meat... cheeseburgers and sushi. The cheeseburgers were easy- who doesn't have veggie burgers these days? The sushi presented a problem. I've found myself in countless sushi bars ordering specialty maki and trying to explain to my waitress that Yes, I want the Philadelphia roll, I just don't want the salmon. No... I want everything else, just not the salmon. Yes, the Philadelphia roll... and on it goes. Sticky Rice has saved me from a lifetime of bland cucumber rolls. They actually have a list of vegetarian sushi. Delicious, complex, glorious maki. I was so thrilled. As previously mentioned by another Yelper the G.I. Jane and its crunchy wasabi peas really stand out. So does the South Roll which features tempura sweet potato and honey. Yum! I can accept that some people don't like this place. I am actually okay with that, they've saved me from ever having to wait an hour and a half for a table. I just recommend trying it out for yourself first. read more

To start things off, I just moved here from LA and after being subjected to throng after throng of bland crappy mayo filled sandwiches and lame pop collared sports bars, I was over joyed to find something that hinted of the quirky light hearted places I loved in ye ol' City of Angels. This is not a place for purest sushi lovers but the prices were fantastic (at least in comparison to sushi in LA) the rolls were fun, some were tastier than others but thats to be expected. I like the experimentation! its like a mini food adventure with each roll, ask your self "does this roll taste like the name implies?" "what kind of person would have the balls to put sliced almonds on a sushi roll?" "was that amazingly tasty or just amazingly crazy?" the Tilapia sashimi was awesome, I was double stoked to see Tilapia on a menu, one my faves back home. DO NOT pass up the tots! a WHOLE BUCKET! not like a bucket half filled with foil half with tots NO A WHOLE BUCKET!! i went out to eat with two full grown men and we couldn't dust off he whole thing. our waitress was fantastic I even wrote down her name (Tory) super cute and really nice, maybe call ahead and see if she's working. Sticky rice is fun, a little cheesy a little Kitsch but compared to all the super bland, poor presentation, run-of-the-mill, over priced "restaurants" I've had to suffer through in this city, Sticky rice delivers exactly what they advertise, fun, wacky food, loud music, cheep booze... truth in advertising. read more

Had a fun night, wasn't the best sushi but it was a chill time. read more

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Like another reviewer, I'd give the place 3.5 if I could...I went here on a recent Monday night with my wife and newborn, since we had been looking forward to trying out one of the new restaurants in the neighborhood and heard the place described as "kid friendly." I would say it's kid-friendly in that no one batted an eye when we showed up with the car seat and we actually spotted other people with very young kids. The overall noise level is just a tad loud (from the music) but that's no big deal for really small kids. However, it also helped that the place was busy but not packed - if it was a Thursday or Friday night, I wouldn't even think about bringing our baby here. Turning to the food, overall I was pleased...I tried the ribs first, which were awesome. It's a pretty small appetizer for two people to split, but very nice if you want one just for yourself and are hungry. We had a variety of sushi and overall the quality was good, but not outstanding. There were some interesting options that I hadn't seen elsewhere, but for the basic staples (California, Spicy Tuna, Yellowtail) I'd say that there are other places that are better. Now, as other folks have noted, they need to work on service. Although the staff was friendly, it took way too long for the food to come out. Our initial appetizer (the ribs) came out about when I expected them, but the first round of sushi took 20 minutes to show up (it was just two items) and there was a very long interlude before the rest of the meal arrived. I glanced over at the sushi bar once in awhile and although it looked like the guys back there were always working, it wasn't with the gusto that you typically see in a sushi place Also, my mom ordered iced tea, but it came out without any ice in it...seems like a hard thing to miss. At any rate, it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood and I'll be going back - I'm hopeful that over time the service and food quality will pick up a bit, and if that's the case, Sticky Rice will be a real winner. read more

We tried Sticky Rice once. It was good, not fabulous. Food dribbled out here and there. Very pricey for what food you actually got: $6.50+ for two pieces of average nigiri? On H Street? Small selection of fish, also. It's a sushi menu for people who don't like sushi. Which may be their clientele. We thought we'd try them again the other night. Walked in, asked for a menu (these get updated a lot in DC). Got ignored. Asked for a menu, had to get one ourselves. Read the menu, asked a question, got a "Yeah" response, hostess walked away. OK--went upstairs to seat ourselves at the sushi bar and the waitress upstairs stopped us and asked if the hostess had seated us. We explained. She said, "Let's both go down and talk to her. She may want to seat you downstairs." We walked down and thought, "But we want to sit upstairs." The waitress and the hostess got engaged in some kind of protracted discussion and we just left. I don't need attitude at a place like this. I don't need attitude at all, frankly. Expensive, rude, and average--buh, bye, Sticky Rice. Hope you make it on Michelle's take out orders. read more

The food is great, but almost doesn't make up for the "H Street 'tude" as I've taken to calling it - acting like they don't really need your business. We waited 10 minutes while the hostess / waitress decided to come to the host stand where 8 people were waiting to be seated. One of the most popular restaurants in DC can't afford a host position? Hmmm... The only table we could get was a bar table, and it wasn't clear if we would get a waiter or not. The evening was saved by the bartender who took care of our order and made sure we were happy. I would like to give 2.5 stars, but can't. My recommendation - order takeout. read more

After seeing that Eater DC has rated this the #1 sushi spot in DC, some friends and I decided it'd be a nice spot to check out after barre class this past weekend. I was sold immediately after seeing that "tots" were on the menu. But I'd have to say that Eater was wrong. When we got there we weren't greeted because a couple was at the hostess booth ordering food. When someone finally came over, he grabbed menus and told us to follow him, but then he also stopped at the hostess booth for about 3 minutes to make recommendations and help the couple order. When we got seated, our waiter seemed to have a little attitude and his tone said "annoyed", but that gradually changed throughout our dining experience as we are a very friendly group. We ordered: edamame, 2 orders of pan-fried pot stickers, a bucket of tots, the Godzirra roll, a crunch shrimp roll, the chicken sesame bowl and tuna poke. I had the Godzirra and was disappointed, although I didn't complain because the waiter (and all my friends) encouraged the drawn and buttered but I passed. Cream cheese is not as great as I expected it to be inside of sushi. The pot stickers and tots were delicious and I wish I would've ordered just that as my meal. I only ate 3 pieces of my roll (I took the rest with me, but I never go back to my sushi -- so trashed) Out of the other food ordered my friends has to say: chicken sesame -- "quite delicious if anyone wants to taste", tuna poke -- "they added all these crunchy toppings and it just tastes funky", crunch shrimp -- "meh. I've had better really". Overall, it wasn't horrible, but its not number 1. I've had better rolls from Wegmans. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in DC, it would get 5 stars if the staff was a little more accommodating and friendly. Order a bucket of tots when you sit down, they are the best! Also, the super fantabulous roll and the gi joe are amazingly delicious read more

Eh. I'm not really sure what the hype is about. I do recommend it as a place with some slightly different vegan options, but that's about all I can give it. The food wasn't bad... but it wasn't particularly good either. The service was terrible and we were sitting in a freezing cold draft. I ordered the Garden Balls, which were tasty, but didn't seem anything like what the menu described. The menu description listed all sorts of veggies, and I couldn't find them in my food. Also, these are listed under vegetarian items and priced almost as an entree, but don't mistake them for an entree - they are definitely the size of an appetizer, especially if you split them. I also ordered the Dirty Vegan which combines peanut sauce, coconut milk, and udon noodles, 3 of my favoritest favorite things - how could you go wrong?? I don't know, but they did. Dish was bland and uninteresting. Our waitress was nice enough, but mostly non-existent. We had to flag her down for anything we needed, and then she dropped the check on the table without even a pause in her step as she walked by. I had been considering ordering dessert, but... guess not. This was a Thursday evening at 6, so by the time we left it was getting busy, but it was certainly not at first. The next time I'm in the area I will definitely be trying some of the other places before I consider heading back here. read more

Context: Vegetarian & Vegan Sushi!!! The place was WAY loud, but the food was delicious and the service was amicable. There was a 30 min wait for a table on a Sunday night. The menu is really well-labeled for vegetarians, vegans, and GF. I wanted to order everything vegetarian, ended up getting: Garden Balls (ve)** 7.50 Shiitake mushrooms, red pepper, cilantro and spicy rice in an inari pocket then tempura fried and drizzled with eel sauce. (Who knew 'eel sauce' was veg? Turns out it's just reduced soy sauce with sugar.) and Spicy Avocado Rolls (Which really weren't that spicy.) Both were delicious. My diabetic friend suggested sashimi for a low-carb high-protein meal. read more