I love this Sushi Sono. I've been there couple times now and I've always left with a full stomach and complete satisfaction. This place does get pretty crowded during lunch and dinner hours so I highly recommend calling in ahead. They do have sushi bar and sometimes there's less waiting time if you don't mind sitting in the sushi bar. I always get Agedashi tofu, its so so good. The service is fairly quick, I highly recommend this place and can't wait for my next time. read more

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Celebrated my mom's birthday here this past Thursday! We made our reservation a day before and asked for a private room (you need to order at least $150 to book the private room on a weekday) Sushi Sono is definitely a bit pricey but you're paying for quality sushi so it's absolutely worth it. We ordered the sashimi boat C, Dragon Roll, Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll, Sono 15, Hollywood Roll, a couple of a la carte pieces, and Udon. The highlight of the meal was definitely the sashimi boat and dragon roll! All of the sushi tasted very fresh and the sashimi was cut pretty thick, which I enjoyed because they didn't skimp you out like at other places. I will say that the Udon was slightly disappointing, not the traditional Udon I was expecting, and the noodles were overcooked. Overall, Sushi Sono is nicer sushi restaurant that we will be coming back to for special occasions. For a quick sushi bite for lunch, I would probably go to cheaper places but for special occasions or for the times you just want excellent quality sushi, Sono is the way to go! read more

This is a restaurant that I really need to visit more often. I've been twice, and I've been pretty happy both times. The service was fantastic on each visit- the first time my boyfriend and I came in right before the post-lunch afternoon closing (we didn't know) and when we realized moments after walking in, we went to leave out of courtesy to the staff. The waitress insisted that we stay, and that it would be of no inconvenience. We didn't stay very long because we really didn't want to keep anybody from going home, but the service was still fantastic and the food was delicious. The second time I went, a friend and I just stopped in for a light lunch. It was a busy day, but we were still served quickly and kindly. I got two plates of dumplings, my friend got some sushi, and we shared the edamame. It was all tasty and freshly-prepared, but the servings were small for the price. I've been to comparable restaurants where you get a lot more for your money, but it wasn't insanely overpriced. The atmosphere is nice, the view is amazing, and I adore the traditional dress of the staff. It makes for a unique dining experience that stands out among the rest. read more

Sushi Sono - Pan-Fried Gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Sushi sono is hands down the best place for sushi. So incredibly delicious! The space is so clean and cute. The service was also incredible. Our party of 4 ordered the omakase dinner and an extra sushi roll which was just enough for 4 people. We didn't have trouble getting a table for 4 on 9pm on a Friday. read more

Sushi Sono - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I ordered Shrimp Tempura and Tempura Sushi. The Tempura Sushi was distasteful. The shrimps were soggy and over cooked. The veggies and shrimps were soaked, because the sauce spilled. I missed the entire order in the trash. Twenty-six dollars and nine-four cents ($26.94) wasted. read more

I had dinner here tonight with two of my friends and it was okay. The price was a little too high for me personally. I got the tempura roll (just your average shrimp tempura roll) and the bride veil roll. I got the bride veil because I read other reviews that praised it. When the waitress first put the roll down, I noticed there were air bubbles on top of the tuna and thought that was very strange. I continued to dissect the entire roll, only to find out it was supposed to be like that because it was rice paper. After being very embarrassed, I ate the roll and it was pretty good. My friend got the Chirashi bowl and said the rice had a little too much vinegar that overpowered the dish. My other friend got the agie tofu appetizer and nabe yaki udon and really enjoyed both of those. read more

Sushi Sono - Tempura roll (top), bride veil roll (bottom) - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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We went here on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't too busy. We were given two menus and a checklist where you can check off the regular sushi rolls you want to order. The specialty rolls are in the menu. I think I prefer the regular rolls over the speciality rolls. There's a nice view of the lake from the restaurant. We parked at the parking garage and walked over to the restaurant. Our server and hostess were both friendly. read more

I am Japanese and I think that Sushi Sono is the best in Maryland. The quality of the sushi rice is fantastic and the fish is fresh. The decor is traditional, and the staff is great. Here are some of my thoughts on Sushi Sono: This is an excellent place to go if you're vegetarian (or if you're not a super strict vegan and don't mind a little bonito base or egg). They have the most creative veggie roll I've ever seen at a sushi restaurant called the "Yasai Maki". I also really like their avocado rolls, inari, seaweed salad, and other basic veggie rolls. Tip for the Yasai Maki: it says on the menu that it's made with soy paper, but I always request to have it wrapped with nori (the black seaweed) instead. I think it's better this way. If you're not vegetarian/vegan, the fish is very fresh!! I've never ordered anything there I didn't like. The shiitake mushroom soup is out of this world. The beautiful view out to the lake is a huge plus. read more

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Nice place to get some sushi! It's a very clean place and it also has a nice view to the lake! I would highly recommend the Dragon Roll & Tempura vanilla ice cream. read more

Sushi Sono - Dragon Roll - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

For authentic Japanese cuisine with many unique and hard-to-find items, Sushi Sono is my top choice in the Baltimore area. Convenient parking and amazing service make for a memorable experience. It seems like they have a server for every diner, attending to patron's needs almost instantly with extreme politeness. One of my favorite offerings is their whole fish sushi. The usually have a few options like Aji (horse mackerel) or Kurodai (black snapper). They turn the flesh into sushi and sashimi with the raw bones as the centerpiece. After eating the fish they offer to prepare the head and bones as soup (miso or ginger-scallion) or flash fried to eat like potato chips. Their Agadofu is also excellent and they have an interesting Sake' sampler to get a feel for what their nation liquor has to offer. They have a few tatami rooms which are fun, if available. Maybe a little more expensive than average but well worth it! read more

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This is definitely one of the best sushi places I've been to! I'm so happy our friend recommended this place and we were able to get a last minute dinner reservation for a table for 5 at 9pm. We ended up ordering a bunch of variety of nigiris (which is what they are known for so order this!) from salmon, salmon belly, tuna, toro (fatty tuna), unagi, uni, sweet shrimp and everything was super delicious and fresh! We also ordered a side of fried chicken and some hot green tea. We all left super full and satisfied, will definitely come back here next time I'm in SD! read more

Sushi Sono charges $3 for water, and does not allow any customer to order a simple cup with tap water in it. This is unacceptable in any restaurant. I recommend you go to literally any other sushi place who will provide you with basic necessities and service during your meal. read more

Happened upon this spot one night. Yummy! Loved it. Had sushi rolls, sushi rice, and appetizers. Very tasty!!

To enjoy a fancy dining experience on a budget ($35/person), I suggest creating your own what I call "Tasting of the Sea" by ordering the following per party of two: A. 2 entrée portions + 1-2 appetizer portions B. 1 entrée portion + 3-4 appetizer portions C. 5-7 appetizer portions APPETIZER PORTION: - One order of O-toro Nigiri (2 pieces) - Two orders of other Nigiri (4 pieces) My favorites are Yellowtail, Snapper or Mackerel from Japan, "Spicy" Salmon, Uni, Sweet Shrimp (served with deep-fried heads) - One order of Sweet Shrimp Nigiri and Miso Soup made with Sweet Shrimp heads - Chutoro Tartare, perfectly refreshing during the hot months - Abalone or Conch appetizer - Salt-baked Yellowtail Jaw - Miso-marinated broiled Sablefish (aka Black Cod) - Deep fried whale-sized Soft-Shelled Crab Roll - Two orders of Giant Clam Ginger Soup - Tempura Ice Cream ENTRÉE PORTION: - Small whole fish from Japan: Kasugo Tai ("Young Snapper") or Aji ("Horse Mackerel"). Each is two courses in one order! First, Chef King stunningly presents the fish as nigiri/sashimi. Then, he offers the remnant to be deep-fried or made into a divine soup. - Dragon Roll (sweet shrimp tempura, avocado, and flying fish roe wrapped in special white seaweed, topped with steamed lobster) is pure luxury by the bounty! read more

This place just grows on me more and more. It's now on our go to list of places to take out of town guests when we show them around. read more

Sushi Sono - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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I've been here several times over a few decades and I think that it's time for me to call it quits. I have done birthday parties and the like here before. Keeping covid and everything else in mind, they still displayed poor communication and service skills in my recent visit. I had to wait an inexplicable amount of time for a carry out order while table after table were being seated. No courteous words to let us know that they knew we existed during the entire situation. I should add that their pricing and menu for carry out can and will be different and they won't tell you that over the phone. $50 difference once I got there to pay. A line of takeout bags stapled and ready to go just sitting there while people were outside waiting. Poor communication and purely lacking in hospitality. The photo is a line of people getting no direction about carry out or dine in. +50 mins from estimated pickup time given. read more

Sushi Sono - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I visit Columbia twice per year when I visit my tax man. This is the first time I was due to pick up my paperwork on a Saturday so I decided I wanted to check out a good sushi spot nearby. A friend recommended Sushi Sono so I checked out their Yelp reviews, which are great, and I decided to give them a shot. I arrived around 715 and the place was LIVE and PACKED! The wait line looked pretty thick. Luckily I was a party of one so i got the only open seat in the house at the sushi bar. My server was attentive and very nice. The waitresses here wear kimono and bamboo tatami and/or tabi on their feet. It was awesome. The sushi chefs are waaayyyyy busy, but it's fun to see them do what they do. I ordered a pinot grigio, hijiki seaweed salad and the tempura appetizer to start. I noticed the sushi chef in front of me give me an eye like "wow, this chick can eat" Lol. My main attraction was all nigiri sushi: 3 orders of hamachi, one amaebi, one bean curd and one toro. Hū da 'ono (delicious)! Everything was great, tasty and very fresh. When I was done, the chef leaned over, looked down and winked at me with his approval. Lol!! In the end, I ordered hot tea as I knew the walk back to my truck would be chilly. It was quite evident that this place thrives on and caters to repeat customers as you could overhear other patrons calling to the chefs and waitresses by name and vice versa. I definitely recommend this great restaurant if you're in the area. I will be back! read more

Sushi Sono - Tempura appetizer and hijiki seaweed salad - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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We went here on Valentine's Day, so it was pretty crowded. By the time we left, there were 10 people waiting for a table near the crowded coat area. Settled by a nice little lake that probably looks 5x better in the spring, you take a short stroll along the water to get to Sushi Sono. The layout is long and skinny with the sushi bar along the right side and a few private dining area larger tables. The staff is dressed in traditional garb, which adds a nice touch. We ordered the Dragon roll, the Rainbow roll, a smaller sashimi boat "A" (16 pcs), The spicy crunchy tuna roll, and the Neptune garden roll. We aren't sushi snobs or especially experienced in the finer art of raw fish served Japanese style, but we are adventurous and we like 90% of sushi-related cuisine. We enjoyed all the rolls with a little wasabi soy sauce, though because of the crowds we waited an average of 5 minutes too long in between each roll. They brought out miso soup and salad to start, and then 1-2 rolls, then the sashimi boat, and then then another roll, and then the last roll. And we would eat the dish and then sit for 3 minutes, and then look around, and then right as we were about to flag someone down (hard b/c of the busy night) and ask them about our order, they would bring something else. The sashimi was fresh and delicious, but per usual with sushi, there is no beginners course, and we didn't know what we were eating and it was too busy for our server to explain, so we don't know what what we liked was called. A few possibilities here: 1) Sushi restaurants like to keep us dumb so they can serve us the fish that would go bad without us knowing that it isn't what we ordered. This is my theory why they say 'chef's choice' on the sashimi platters. 2) Some kind of cultural difference involving the restaurant staff being offended that we even care 3) It was too busy to pay attention to us (still a minus; bring some help in on busy nights; don't ignore customers!) Overall the food was good but the service and any kind of personality was lacking, at least on Valentines Day. I'm gonna bet that on a less busier day, we would have been treated better. read more

Over priced So-so taste Unprofessional staffs I don't want to recommend this place Go if you spend money without purpose read more

We had my sister's graduation dinner here. They gave us the special enclosed rooms in the back corner which was nice and cozy. We ordered off the specials menu and most of the ones they've listed were been pretty solid. A little pricy IMO but okay for a restaurant by the lakefront. For dessert we try the fried green tea ice cream. It's tasty but you HAVE to eat it quickly. The service was great. The waitresses were nice and attentive... always coming by to check up on us and refilling our tea/waters. read more

Sushi was great but service was OK at best. Great location and the restaurant atmosphere is wonderful. You definitely get what you pay for but wish service was a bit friendlier. Would return to enjoy the food - ginger house salad was 10/10 along with a few rolls we ordered. read more

We were here many years ago and thought this place was pretty so so. Many friends kept telling us how awesome this place is, so we had to give it one more try, hoping it was going to be better. Our opinion remains the same. First of all you can't mess up the rice. This rice was a mushy mess, making the seaweed in the rolls limp and really chewing. You never use steaming hot rice, it ruins the seaweed and makes it wilt and become impossible to bite through. Also the seasoning was way off. It tasted as if someone just took hot rice from a cooker and threw clumps of salt on some of the rice, and did nothing for the rest of it. Good sushi rice is room temperature and seasoned with a little salt and a little vinegar. Without good rice, the sushi is ruined. Our rolls were all mushy and falling a part and looking an atrocious sloppy mess. Some rolls were way too salty. Half of our eel roll got crazy fishy all of the sudden. Hubby left feeling like he got a tummy ache from fish not being fresh. Who doesn't love paying $150 for poopers! I am asking all you people who think this place is so great to distinguish between a nice view and sushi! Sushi king is still King, and Sushi Sono is still pretty so so. Our kids had to chime in that we would have gotten better sushi at Whole Foods for way less. read more

This place is ideally located right on the Columbia waterfront and was pretty sparsely packed when I went on a weekday evening. They do close pretty early at 9 PM but we were able to get all of our orders in before then. The sushi was a hit or miss With son being really good and others being pretty mediocre. I got the rainbow roll which was disappointing and the salmon on top had a funny taste. But the jellyfish salad and the dumplings were fantastic. I recommend this place for the ambience and the service but not necessarily for high-quality sushi. read more

Their specials are delicious! The two I've tried so far are the Red Snapper and the Black Snapper...couldn't really taste the difference between the two but both were really good. The first part of this special comes out with the entire fish with many pieces of nigiri and sashimi (you can get all sashimi if that's what you prefer). After you're finished with that plate, they'll take the fish and put it in a miso or ginger soup. The miso soup had a sweeter taste and the ginger soup was a bit lighter. I can't really choose between the two because they were both good :) As for the service, the waitresses were extremely helpful and nice. I'm not sure how to describe the atmosphere here..but it feels very cozy/comfortable every time. read more

Sushi Sono - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Husband and I decided to go to this place largely based on it's appearance in the Washingtonian Top 100 list, and because it'd been a long time since we'd eaten any Japanese food. Overall, I'd say it's solid, but it didn't "wow" me as much as I was expecting. Based on recommendations on Yelp and elsewhere, I had planned to get one of the specials, even though I was aware that I would be committing to paying $55 for a fish. But, I generally trust that Japanese restaurants (good ones, that is!) can be counted on to get quality fish. The night we were there, the special was whole kurodai, so that's what I ordered. It was presented beautifully, with the fish carcass in the center of the plate, and nigiri on one side, sashimi on the other. Probably this is intended to be split between several people, but whatever, I made it my entree and ate it all myself! I was not disappointed - it was excellent! Once I was almost done with the nigiri and sashimi, the waitress came and took the carcass away, and it was made into two more dishes. First, I received the grilled cheeks of the fish, and second it was made into a fairly substantial amount of miso soup that I split with my husband. So yes, it was $55, but I basically got three dishes. :) A few things prevented this restaurant from getting 5 stars. The setting/ambience was much more casual than I was expecting, given the price point of the fish I ordered. On the plus side, it seemed like a fairly kid-friendly place (I would consider taking my son there - I saw several young kids when we were there, even though it was around 7pm on a Friday evening) - but on the flip side, I was expecting more of a date night place. We ordered the gyoza and agedofu appetizers. Although the agedofu was good, the gyoza filling was under seasoned. I wouldn't order it again. They also have a pretty limited selection of desserts - not necessarily unexpected for a Japanese restaurant. All they had were variations of ice cream: green tea or vanilla tempura (aka fried) ice cream, and several kinds of regular ice cream (the same flavors as the tempura, as well as red bean, mango, and maybe one or two others). The green tea tempura ice cream was good but not outstanding. Would I come back? Yes. I'd also bring my 4-year-old with me, and probably try some of the regular sushi and special rolls - they had a lot of interesting-sounding options. read more

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I've never been properly schooled on how to order Sushi. I love eating it, but I find that I'm always at a loss whether to check off from the A La Carte menu or go for something else. Enter Susho Sono and as I'm sitting there at the table, at best, it's really a guessing game for me, so I ordered off the Chef's Special Rolls menu. It was a busy evening - tables were full and there were a number of carryout orders. Service was very attentive -- my water was filled and the tea was hot. My first order was the Bridal Veil Roll which was a spicy lobster salad (it wasn't too spicy), with tempura flakes (giving it a slight crunch), then wrapped with rice paper and topped with tuna. Fantastic! Then I enjoyed the Hurricane Eye Roll which was crab meat and raw tuna wrapped with soy paper with crispy brown rice (it kind of reminded me of eating Snap Crackle 'n Pop) with a drop of hot sauce. It was a lot to manage as it felt like it was going to fall apart on me, but it also was good. Sure, I'll be back if I'm in the area and if someone will teach me how to eat a proper Japanese meal. Solid 4 stars. read more

Sushi Sono - Bridal Veil Roll - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Decided to celebrate a special occasion here. Wished to book a private room but they have 150 min weekday & 200 min weekend and Friday is considered a weekend. Some of us ordered entrees and some of us ordered special rolls. Food came out pretty fast and they were yummy! Waitresses were attentive, constantly refilling our drinks and clearing up empty plates. read more

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This is a cute, clean Japanese restaurant, but it's pricier than many other ones. It's not even authentic Japanese. I wasn't hungry, but for some reason I decided to stop by here to kill time before going to the Fun. concert at Merriweather. I ordered salmon sashimi, salmon roll, and spicy tuna roll. The salmon was fresh and fatty. The sushi roll had big chunks of salmon, which is awesome for a salmon lover like me. The spicy tuna, on the other hand, was not so great. It tasted weird and different from the other spicy tuna rolls I've had. It was like the tuna was minced and mixed in sauce. There were plenty of waitresses here. I don't think they are actually assigned to a table so you can flag down anyone for help. They are pretty nice and attentive. read more

Excellent!!!! This was my first time on a recommendation from family. I enjoy sushi a lot but was not expecting this! It was fantastic and I will be going back soon. I was expecting a belly ache later on but it didn't happen because the food was so fresh and tasty!! The prices were great for lunch but be warned those prices double for dinner! The sushi rolls with hot sake was heaven!!! read more

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This place is really good. I had a vendor take me here and I'm so glad that they did. Every roll that we ordered was so good! I didn't do my usual exotic sushi thing since I didn't want to freak my guests out but when I come back here I am going that route. Def come here and eat if you're in the area. Worth your money. read more

Sushi Sono - Dragon Roll is a must. I even ate the head with the eyes. (Take off the receptors first) Expensive but good! - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Dropped by here one night amist a dress hunt at the Columbia Mall. I needed a dinner break and this place boasted good reviews. And for good reason. I had a glass of white wine, the Bridal Veil roll, and one of their special appetizers (baby yellowtail sashimi, the proper name escapes me now). Everything was absolutely delicious. The fish was fresh and well presented. The service was attentive but not overbearing. There was one waitress who was kind and funny. She kept joking that I couldn't be full due to the small amount of food that I ordered. The decor is simple and the staff, minus the owner, are in traditional garb. Overall it was a nice experience and it's convenient to the mall. I'll be back! read more

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I've eaten there several times just because we like the view of the lake. The price is the reason why I rate it lower as it is on the pricey side but the food is good and the ambience. I like that they wear traditional Japanese garb. read more

In my opinion, the perfect chirashi would contain the following ingredients: *multiple slices of sake, hamachi, saba, hotate, maguro, unagi, amaebi, tamago, white tuna *ikura (salmon roe) *slices of sweeten braised shiitake mushroom *pickled radish or daikon *seaweed salad (optional) This restaurant's chirashi had the following pros and cons, relative to my notion of the perfect chirashi: Pros: To provide context, this chirashi had hamachi, maguro, sake, saba, tai (red snapper), some really white fish, tamago and fake crab. The fish that *did* come with the chirashi was fresh and the portion size for each type of fish was sizable and respectable. Cons: For the price ($23), i'd expect the chirashi to have a lot more variety. The tamago was nice and sweet, but i'm turned off by tamago that is too artificially yellow. It didn't have a lot of what i consider basics, such as white tuna, unagi, tobiko/ikura, or ebi...nor did it have any of the 'freebies' such as wakama, daikon or marinated mushrooms....so of course it naturally did not have any of the more 'exotic' ingredients, such as hotate or amaebi. Overall, based on the chirashi, i was pretty disappointed. However, we did order a grilled hamachi cheek which was really soft and buttery and my mother seemed to enjoy her salmon shioyaki. In summary, I would say this place has a good quality fish supplier; however, its chirashi needed to be more inspired especially if they are going to be able to justify its price. Another intangible this restaurant *did* have going for it, was its waterfront views. That was a nice touch for sure! read more

Sushi Sono - chirashi don ($23) - Japanese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The location is wonderful. However, food was honestly really "meh." Sashimi boat was not too bad except for squid. - I could tell that it was not fresh as soon as I put it in my mouth. Regardless, the quality and the price point don't really match up. Shrimp shumai was veeeryyy tiny and they 100% use frozen shumai. Yakitori was okay, but the pieces of chicken were way too big. Miso soup was also one of those freeze dry ones or the powder ones like it's way too overpriced for what you get. If you're looking for cooked sushi, you should be okay, but if you're expecting Japanese food/good quality food? I don't think it's worth it at all. read more

The best sushi with the best view. I am a sushi fanatic and Sushi Sono never disappoints. I go during lunch for work and am in and out in less than an hour. The staff is friendly as well! read more

Hands down, Sushi Sono is one of the best authentic restaurants in Columbia. I've never had a bad experience, I would highly recommend!

I'm just so sad but we did not have good fish here. The best part about this place are the friendly employees and the beautiful atmosphere. We ordered the sushi and sashimi moriawasi , neptune garden roll, scallop roll and bridal veil roll. We love fish so we were most excited about the sushi and sashimi. To our disappointment, all of the fish was fishy except for the salmon. In addition to the fishiness, we did get a bone in one piece. The price was expensive for the quality of fish, I have no problems paying for fresh fish but I could get the same quality for half of the price somewhere else. The rolls were very fresh and not heavy but very forgettable. Again, I'm sad because I really wanted to like this place. I would maybe try again if I was in the area. read more

Great Sushi! It's in my top two favorite sushi restaraunts in Columbia. As I often dine at Sushi Sono or Sushi King. Great rolls, friendly servers, and a nice view of the lake as you dine. I actually dined last night with two of my girlfriends for girls night out! The sushi was great! My only complaint is that the rest rooms were not up to par. Floor sticky and overall did not look or smell clean. Ceiling tile taped and broken. Cheap soap dispenser on wall. For an upscale sushi restaraunt, I feel the condition of the restroom was a turn off. One lady walked out with toilet paper stuck to her shoe. This leads me to wonder is the kitchen in the same condition? I hope not. My review would be a 5, if the restrooms had been clean. read more

Very good sushi! Very good location! I love this place! The prices are fair and the water front view adds to the appeal of Sushi Sono. If you haven't tried the Rainbow Roll, please do yourself a favor and give it a shot. read more

By far the best nigiri sushi I have had in the United States outside of Japan. This place is by far the best sushi place in Howard County. I never get the rolls and stick with the nigiri sushi since it is just so amazing and truly worth the price. Very fresh and well prepared! read more