It is SO SO SO good!! Everything we ordered was delicious! The staff is so nice and the place is so cute and very clean. I would definitely go back!! read more

Sugar Pine - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Cool spot, has a bit of everything. Onigiri looks as good as it tastes! This is a nice spot for lunch read more

Sugar Pine - Onigiri and Shrimp Tempura - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Wow I love this place!!! They have a little bit of everything: entrees, snacks, ice cream, wine/beer! We got a few different items off the menu and my favorite was the pickle onigiri! read more

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Met here with a friend from out of town who was craving some Asian food. The food was amazing, especially the onigiri. And make sure to try their ice cream--the flavors are so unique and it was delicious! We spent a few hours hanging out there just enjoying the beautiful decor. Throughout our visit, our waiter was also very attentive and made sure we always had what we needed, whether it was chopsticks or more hot water for our tea. Happy to have discovered this place and will definitely be going back! read more

The ambiance was cozy yet modern. The entire place was very clean. Great atmosphere and incredible food. Several people recommended Sugar Pine, so I'm glad my friends and I decided to check it out! My girlfriends and I will definitely go back! So cool to have the three of us love the same place and it being all of our first times!!! read more

Love sugar pine, great food!! They have amazing choices and always fresh! The food is delicious and the seating is so comfortable and fun. The coffee is always spot on and enjoying it there makes it so much better read more

Japanese small plates are delightful but the star here is their ice cream selection! Japanese small plates are delightful but the star here is their ice cream selection! read more

We were excited to try this place out but it was completely waste of money. Soba noodles: cute presentation but difficult and not practical to eat. The sauce is way off. Too much sauce with tiny bit of wasabi and ginger. Chicken katsu curry: $17 I won't call the food I got as curry since it doesn't taste like curry at all. It's more like water mixed with corn starch. It's completely tasteless, the chicken is fresh but dry. read more

This is a cute little Japanese cafe and coffee shop. They have a variety of ice cream flavors from Carmel miso, ube, to black sesame. My friend got black sesame and I got the miso carmel flavor. I really enjoyed it. They have other unique flavors to try. The rice balls were small & cute! The dishes came with a lot of side dishes that compliment the main entree. Overall if I was craving a fixing for some clean and light. Follow me on insta: eatwithlilz #eatwithlilz read more

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We had a fabulous dinner with friends at Sugar Pine a few weeks ago. Everything we tried was delicious. Met the cute owners as they are very friendly and enjoy visiting with customers. The restaurant has a casual feel with comfortable furnishings and simple decor. Our lovely meal featured creative dishes, fab drinks and delicious desserts! I love the informal feel that allows a customer to free flow and get up to place a new food order. Parking is scarce due to popularity so go early! read more

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Sugar Pine has a nice, clean, hip atmosphere with great natural lighting, plenty of seating, and various options on their menu from small snacks to entrees, and from coffee to beer. I came here for lunch on Saturday and had their pork katsu meal. You can tell this place really puts effort into the presentation and plating of the food because it was beautiful. It comes with rice, pork katsu, miso soup, pickled veggies, seaweed salad, and a sugar pine cookie. Pork katsu was cooked well (not dry). My boyfriend had the chicken katsu (which comes with curry). The curry itself could be stronger in flavor. Downsides are it did take a while for us to receive our food (four of us) so we all ate at different times. There's a small parking lot out front. Overall, I think Sugar Pine is a nice place to grab a small bite (onigiri) or some dessert (homemade ice cream), to catch up with friends or get some work done. Food is good but not amazing. read more

The expression, "hidden gem in unassuming commercial strip" may sound played out, but it applies to Sugar Pine. I've been eating there since it opened, and keep coming back, without fail, at least once a month, if not more. My family loves it so much that whenever it is suggested for dinner or lunch, no one objects. If I've had a long day in court and can't stand the idea of cooking, this is my go-to when I don't want something from a drive through. Always clean, always fresh, and appearances do not deceive. This place really is as good as it looks. Filled with plants and full walls of windows, this small restaurant feels spacious and welcoming. The staff are always friendly, delivering service with a smile, consistently. Best onigiri in town. If you're looking for a quick bite, not hungry for a big meal, stop buy and grab a rice ball. They are made to order with perfect rice. You'll find other small plates for a light lunch or mid-day snack. Their ice cream is must-try. I'm partial to the taro root. The macha limeade refreshes without being cloying, unlike most other limeades. Lots of other drink options, including sake and Ramune. The real stars are the set dishes. My kids love the steak or katsu chicken with curry. My favorite is the salmon. Imagine thick, pan-seared, moist salmon with perfectly crispy skin resting on mixed vegetables. If you're imagining overly-sweet American-style teriyaki sauce, you can forget it. You won't find any of that at Sugar Pine. The sauce is savory with just the right amount of sweetness. Can you get food to-go? Yes. Many times I have called in an order and taken it home. However, trust me on this, the first time you go, dine in. The presentation is phenomenal. Especially for the set dishes. Dine in. It's infinitely better if you let them plate the food for you. It still tastes good at home, but at least once, go for the experience. If you're anything like me, you won't put the same effort into plating that they will. It will not disappoint. Especially the salmon. Get that crispy skin right of the grill, not after it's been steaming on the drive home. I would recommend this to anyone, without reservations. Vegans, meat eaters, picky eaters, Japanese food connoisseurs, or just anyone hungry will find something to like here. This is the only restaurant in Austin that I can recommend with no caveats. It's just fantastic food all the time. read more

Absolutely love this hidden gem! Attention to every detail. Every dish is made to order, perfectly cooked, quality ingredients, and served like a piece of edible art. Service is always amazing. read more

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This place was amazing! The White vanilla thai tea ice cream is great! So was the taro ice-cream. On the savory front, I liked the fried fish and dumplings, and the atmosphere was great. Clean, beautiful aesthetic. read more

I was so pleasantly surprised by this place! Went here on a whim and I will definitely return. My husband and I tried the black sesame ice cream, the cookie butter tart, a pine nut cookie, and 2 onigiri (chicken and spicy tuna). Everything was amazing! Best onigiri I have had since visiting Japan, and the black sesame ice cream was super flavorful. The tart and cookie were both great as well. I felt that the prices were reasonable and the staff was very friendly. I also enjoyed the atmosphere inside and it felt clean. Really recommend checking this place out. read more

Sugar Pine - Chicken onigiri in the back and spicy tuna in the front - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

What a great lunch spot! The restaurant is a cute little stand alone with indoor and outside patio seating. The interior is well decorated and the food plating is great as well. When you first enter, you have to order first and then sit down, and they bring your order to you. We had the tonkatsu (pork katsu) set and 1 spicy tuna onigiri. The katsu set comes with rice, miso soup, seaweed salad, pickled veggies, and a sugar pine cookie. We will definitely be coming back here, so glad we found a great katsu restaurant! read more

Sugar Pine - Spicy tuna onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Wanted to try something new and stumbled upon Sugar Pine. What a pleasant discovery! It reminds me of Sa-Ten in terms of the atmosphere and price, but its specialty is onigiri instead of toast. They also serve alcoholic drinks instead of coffee, so it's great for dinner whereas Sa-Ten is more of a brunch spot for me. I tried one of the onigiri and the chicken katsu set, then ordered a chicken karaage set to go. I really liked the spicy tuna onigiri, evenly flavored with yummy spicy mayo dip on the side. I liked the curry and everything else about the set, but thought the katsu could be a bit more crispy and flavorful. The karaage was also not super crispy, but that could be due to the take out. I really wanted to try their homemade taro and black sesame ice cream but stomach ran out of room! Would like to come back and check out the dessert section. read more

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Sugar Pine is a beautifully decorated Japanese cafe that serves simple Japanese dishes, ice cream, coffee/tea, and basic alcoholic beverages. If you're looking to grab a quick bite to eat or want to catch up with a friend at a cute cafe, Sugar Pine is a must add to your list. I absolutely love onigiri, but have always had trouble finding them around. Once I saw that Sugar Pine served onigiri, I was immediately excited! I was able to try the salmon (cooked), spicy tuna (cooked), chicken, and umeboshi onigiri. The onigiri had a pretty decent taste- a very simple and straightforward dish. My only complaint was the lack of filling. I felt like the onigiri was majority rice. The umeboshi onigiri had a very unique and interesting taste. It wasn't my favorite but definitely something worth trying if you've never had it, like myself. I definitely see myself coming back to try the other entrees and dessert, but in all honesty, I do not foresee myself getting the onigiri again based on the price and lack of filling. read more

Sugar Pine - Iced coffee, onigiri, iced matcha latte - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

We got salmon and spicy salmon onigiri, pork katsu, karage, salmon plate and everything was delicious. It's kid friendly as we had our 1 year old and 3 year old with us who enjoyed trying the variety. We will definitely come back. read more

Interesting selections. I did not expect counter ordering. The quality of the food does not match up with the interior of the restaurant. The food is great and very inventive. The interior needs work and they should have table service. The salmon and the sushi rolls were delicious. read more

I appreciate management quickly responding to my service issue and not processing the payment. Very generous.

Since a rave review of Sugar Pine appeared in the Austin Chronicle, The place is packed with people who love the place. * * * a. This is a snack place and not a meal place. Of course, eat enough snacks and you will waddle out just as fat as if you had had a meal. b. Food here LOOKS gorgeous. Bring your camera. Bring your studio lighting. Bring your friend from a modeling agency in case she wants to give one of the dishes you ordered a contract. Everything is plated beautifully. The rice balls are particularly dolled up. The rice balls look gorgeous but fall apart under the slightest bit of stress. They remind me of some people I have dated. c. The food looks spectacular but it does not taste spectacular. It does not taste bad either. Everything is "pleasant". More flavorful versions of everything on their menu can be found elsewhere. d. Case in point the ice cream. They make eight flavors of Japanese ice cream. All of them are nice. None of them can compare with Thai Fresh or Lick - particularly on flavors that both kitchens make. e. But let's not be too fussy here. Put their taro root ice cream in their home made matcha cone. Let all the taro root ice cream melt inside. The matcha cone becomes pure sensual pleasure. It is just like those people I dated. Some of them became pure sensual pleasure if you waited for the right combination of things to occur. Those moments exist at Sugar Pine. read more

I had high hopes when I went to check this place out. The katsu pork was great, along with the sides it came with. However, the tuna onigiri (which I was most excited for) was just okay. The presentation was nice, but it just wasn't as flavorful as I had hoped for. The ice cream was very good and they have some very interesting flavors. You'll probably want to skip the black sesame, but maybe get a sample anyway? I had the Miso Caramel Swirl in a cone with chocolate discs. Not disappointed! Also, the staff is super friendly! Thanks to the girl behind the counter that let me try all the ice cream flavors! read more

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This cute little gem tucked under the freeway is a perfect getaway for delicious foods like onigiri, gyozas, udon and ICE CREAM! Yes. The ice cream. It's all really fantastic and tasty with a warm, friendly staff that all smiles and welcomed us without screaming or loud voices! We were also tickled by its lovely open and modern decor. They also have a cold case that houses a variety of drinks from sodas to sakes and pockey to homemade cookies stacked in a pyramid shape. That even made the place more enjoyable! Everything was well thought out and placed, nothing overwhelming or too abundant or messy. It really is a sweet spot for snacks or a meal or simply sake or ice cream. The tables and windows and even the cute private area all done so well. We will definitely return. We saw it driving by and I quickly looked it up. Then on a whim with one of our daughters and two friends we were taken aback by the entire setting AND the food. I ordered the veggie udon- super tasty. My 8yo ate all the veggie gyozas and raved how good they were. My husband got an onigiri (just one so he can also get the miso caramel ice cream in a sandwich form between homemade chocolate chip cookies- It. Was. So. Good.) we also got the agedashi tofu which was topped with green onions and ginger! Yum! Our out of towner friends were also impressed. One had met us there who just had barbecue downtown but saw they had a special dish he has known and loved from his trips to Japan and from high end Japanese chefs that are sometimes invited to cook for them at his work. It was the shiso something (I forgot the name) but he LOVED it. The cute cups they use for drinks and the swirl paper straws just enhance the effect of a well thought out business. The only con that surprised me were the fries that seemed to have been dipped in a little batter of something which took away the taste of fries imo. But everything else definitely calls us back to order it again! We love this little place and we look forward to another visit in the near future. read more

I was surprised how thorough this place is, good food, great presentations, beer on tap and ice cream. It's a one stop shop for drinks snacks and dessert for a very casual dining shop. I got the katsu pork plate and it was very nicely fried and still tender in the middle. Loved the sides, the pickled vegetables were my favorite! Extremely filling for the price. I also loved the onigiri, so pretty to look at and huge. This would probably explain why it was more pricey. I also got some sesame ice cream and it was very yummy, nice way to end the meal. Overall would highly recommend this place! read more

Sugar Pine - Katsu plate - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I have to be honest, I was pretty hesitant to try Sugar Pine especially with all the social media hype. But, I'm happy to report that this place is actually pretty good, and I will definitely be back! The place is cafe style. You get in line to order, and then you seat yourself. The place is pretty small, and can get pretty tight when it's busy, but I love the coziness of it! It's also not loud, so that's nice. The food here is decently priced, and you have a good range of options. There is nothing super gimmicky about the food, which I like! The ice cream flavors are all pretty good, but not my favorite in Austin. I would just come for food (but the option of unique flavors is still good, and I would definitely still eat the ice cream if I came back and felt like having dessert after my meal). When I went, I was with one other person. I got the salmon onigiri, pork katsu (comes with rice, miso soup, side of cabbage, pickled veggies, seaweed salad, and a little dessert) and karaage. My friend got the chicken katsu (comes with curry, rice, pickles, broccoli, miso soup). The salmon onigiri is good, and I liked that the rice had seasoning on it (I also like plain rice onigiri but nowhere in Austin makes it that great tbh). It was the best onigiri I've had in Austin, but didn't super wow me. The karaage was pretty tasty, and I like that it came out super hot. The breading on the karaage wasn't super hard like a lot of places that sell it, so that was a relief. The dipping sauce was pretty yummy too, and I think this is the best karaage I've had in Austin to date. The portion size was huge too! The katsu dishes were both good as well! The breading was crisp without being too hard (again, something that happens with a lot of katsu around town), the flavor was pretty good (but mild, which I LOVED). The side portions of veggies and pickles were tiny, and just right. The meal was super balanced, and didn't make me feel too full or icky after eating, which I think is super important for Japanese meals. For ice cream, I had the Thai tea ice cream and the miso caramel. The Thai tea ice cream actually tasted like Thai tea, but the extra creaminess kinda made the flavor fall a little flat, so that was just a tiny bit disappointing. The miso caramel had the same effect. I liked that they weren't overwhelmingly sweet, but they were definitely on the heavier side, and I wouldn't come just for the ice cream. I think this is the best Japanese meal I've had in Austin, all things considered. I enjoyed every detail! The service was fast, the waiters were SUPER friendly and nice, and the ambiance was so cute and homey, and I just left with a great over all impression. 100% will be back very soon! read more

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Delicious!! Food was excellent, presentation so nice for a quick lunch and adorable ambience. Much to my surprise from the area I will be back. Customer service was great too! All around a must try read more

I don't want to post a review because I don't want them to get so busy I need to wait. I'm so selfish. This place is wholesome delicious! You can't go wrong w the classic Katsuya pork meal, the presentation just makes the meal more enjoyable and pretty. It's fast casual and well decorated and the sign it huge which is so helpful considering it's right off the frontage road. Honestly some of the best rice I've had. I can tell it's made with love. read more

The 4 stars is for ice cream only!! I crave it all the time. My favorite are the black sesame and matcha. The portions are good. $3 for one scoop, $5.75 for two scoops. $1.50 for a cone, $0.50 per topping. The space itself is sunlit, open, and very cute. They also have a patio with a fountain and lots of plants. I can't recommend the food. Everything comes beautifully presented but i found it expensive and unauthentic. The onigiri is $4 and poorly made- you have to eat it with a fork because you can't hold it without it falling apart. The karage and katsu came with a dipping sauce that tasted like greek yogurt when it should be mayo based. The soba set is $7 and comes with essentially two bite sized portions of soba noodles with flavorless broth. read more

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If you're looking for an aesthetic brunch place, look no further! I went to sugar pine for brunch/early lunch and it was pretty empty because it had just open. A plus is that even in the midst of lunch, my friend and I had no trouble finding parking. We ordered lots of mini portions and got the karage set, Soba Noodles, and two salmon onigiri. I thought it wouldn't be enough, but it was filling and I left the place pleasantly full. The soba noodle is a good starter to cleanse the palette. It's refreshing, but keeps you wanting more. Their sauce is tangy but savory. The karage and the sauce that it comes with is also amazing. It's fried so that the outside is crispy but the inside is tender. The karage + soba noodles kept the chicken from being heavy or too greasym The onigiri was a little disappointing because I thought the salmon would be raw but it was cooked. This caused the onigiri to be a little bland as it's filled with rice and not much else. HOWEVER, they serve the onigiri with sides and the pickle is a perfect offset to the dry rice + cooked salmon combo. All in all, amazing cafe, would definitely come again. read more

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Yesterday, one girlfriend told me she was going to Sugar Pine for lunch. Later that day, another girlfriend said she was going there for dinner. What was this new restaurant that I needed to try? Sugar Pine is my husband's and my favorite new Japanese restaurant on par with Kome. It's at a great location near Ohlen and Research Blvd. Their pine nut cookies are gluten and dairy free even if they aren't labeled. They were soft, moist, sweet and chewy. The tuna fish onigiri was better than Asahi Imports. The rice and tuna were moist and well seasoned. The chicken karaage is gluten free even though it's not labeled, battered in corn starch. The chicken was well seasoned, crispy on the outside and juicy in the inside. The Japanese mayo was sweet and acidic, pairing well with the karaage. My husband ordered the steak set entree. He's visited Japan and said everything was spot on. The mochi wasn't house made as it is a common brand sold at Mitsuwa. The bathroom and the entire restaurant were clean and cozily decorated. They have outside seating for dogs. We will definitely be back to try more entrees, onigiris, dairy free ice cream, and coffee. Well done! read more

Cute little coffee/restaurant off research. My boyfriend and I came here for a really nice little lunch on Sunday! The space is super open and has a lot of natural light, the decor is modern with some chic little accents throughout. My only concern would be noise levels if you are actually trying to work here since they offer free WiFi while in the restaurant. I specifically wanted to come for the onigiri which was pretty good but kind of a bit underwhelming, out of the salmon and tuna I would have to say the salmon was my favorite out of the two. We shared the pork Katsu plate which comes with miso soup, salad, and an almond cookie to top things off. Everything was pretty good but I think the ambiance makes this place great. I'll come back next time to try the ice cream, they had a lot of Asian flavors! read more

This place is so cool if it were downtown, the hipsters would be all over it like white on rice. Once you start eating, you'll stop wondering where you are and figure out easier ways to get here. The menu is compact & precise, along with select beer/wine/sake choices, a coffee bar, and ice cream & desserts. And they're still in the menu tweaking stage. I gravitate towards the onigiri & teishoku comfort food, but now I'm curious about the chicken tacos & mushroom sandwich. When in doubt, avocado toast. Everything here is made in-house, the pickled vegetables are amazing, and the mango sorbet may quite possibly change your life. If they made a jiggly cheesecake, I'd have a difficult time leaving. I believe these are the same people who do Coco's, and if you know those two eateries, the food & ambiance here are definitely kicked up a notch. And the more I think about it, this particular location may be the smartest move ever - if Sugar Pine had opened on West 2nd or in the Domain, it probably would've out-priced itself within six weeks. No winning there. Let's see how this works out. read more

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Cute place to stop by for a little snack! Love their unique little dishes, onigiri is well made and tasty! Interesting ice cream flavors, rich and creamy, a little too sweet for my taste, but overall a place to visit and give a try! read more

Sugar Pine - Tuna Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I got the sautéed tofu for a vegan option! It was a pretty good, nice flavor and the tofu had a good texture. But it was quite expensive for not that much food. read more

Sugar Pine - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

I don't review many places on Yelp so when I do you know that the food and service had to be great or mediocre Let's start off with the food: My sister and I ordered the salmon onigiri and chicken karaage set. The rice in both the orders were dry and it fell apart easily in the onigiri. The taste of the salmon onigiri was alright. It wasn't terrible, but I just wished the rice wasn't so dry. The chicken karrage came with miso soup, salad, picked vegetables, and a side of yogurt dressing/dipping sauce. STAY AWAY FROM THE SAUCE. I do not know what's in it but it was sour and tasted like it did not belong. The chicken was actually tasty. It was soft, crisp, and salted to perfection. I might just get the chicken karrage by itself next time instead. For dessert, we ordered Black Sesame ice cream and Taro root ice cream. Honestly, I would go here just for the ice cream. The taro root was creamy and smooth. 11/10 would get again! The black sesame was too sweet for my taste, but if you have a sweet tooth then it's perfect for you! Now onto the service: The only complaint I have is that we saw the table beside us accidentally receive our chicken karrage. After sitting at the wrong table for 2 minutes, the waiter apologized, picked it up, then brought it over to our table! That completely ruined my experience at Sugar Pine. At least have common decency to take it back to the kitchen and act like you cooked us a new meal. That is it for my review. Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk. read more

Sugar Pine - Black sesame and taro root - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The name of this place is incredibly misleading. Yes, it has sugar-based items such as ice cream and cookies. However, it's menu is mainly composed of Japanese dishes that you can have for lunch or dinner. The dishes are fresh and look extremely appealing. Everyone knows that you first eat with your eyes and this place definitely does not disappoint. I had tofu yakisoba and have included a picture of it. I felt like I had transported out of Austin Texas and was somewhere else when I was eating that food. The dishes that they used were also really cute. Be sure to also check out the ice creams. They are unique Japanese flavors that you wouldn't find anywhere in a typical ice cream place in the United States. I really liked the black sesame ice cream. Definitely check this place out. I think they could do better marketing because I don't get any sense of Japanese food when I hear the name SugarPine. But if you stop in there and eat their food, eat their desserts, you won't be disappointed in the least. I highly recommend! read more

Sugar Pine - Tofu Yakisoba! - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Proper amount of food, good environment, nice service. Everything is just perfect for me. read more

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My only complaint is that this place isn't advertised anywhere! I want sure it was really open cause there was no online presence. The staff is so friendly, the ice cream delicious, and the atmosphere cheerful! I'll be back to try some of the non-dessert options at some point! read more

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-Food: 4 stars -Service: 3 stars Once I discovered this lovely Japanese influenced cafe, I've brought two different groups of friends over to try. My favorite dish is katsu pork. It's a little overpriced compared to other katsu in Austin, but it tastes good and would make a great lunch box. Soba is very small, definitely just a starter. Karaage is delicious, different from any fried chicken I've had. Tempura is good. Fish and chips is spittle too greasy. Spicy tuna Onigiri is very good. Ice cream wise, I like matcha and taro the most. Black sesame is ok, on the salty side. Thai tea isn't very good. It tastes funny... almost artificial. I only give service 3 stars because both times I was here, I felt unwelcome. Cashiers and waiters never smiled at me or my groups; they even tried to take our drinks away when we were in line for ice cream. Also the ironic part is, though it's a Japanese cafe, the crew seemed to be a lot nicer to white customer nicer. I hope I was just imagining it. read more

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