Wow, where'd all these bad reviews come from? I am in shock right now... I could not disagree more with these bad reviews!! Sushi-Zen is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants, and I only have a couple! I love their AMAZING sushi, especially the Sophia roll! If you've never had this, you must definitely try it. Go, now now now! I rarely sit at the sushi bar by myself, but at Sushi-Zen, I would do it in a heart beat. The people behind the bar will make you feel as comfortable as if you're actually dining with somebody else! Another thing I love about Sushi-Zen is how fresh their ingredients are. I remember my first time having toro, and I had it at Sushi-Zen, and I just fell in love! I craved toro for a couple weeks after that. I tried a couple of other restaurants' toro, and they definitely did not suffice. I love their salad dressing, which they make themselves! You can't really find a lot of restaurants that still make their own dressings and things like that, and I was surprised to learn that Sushi-Zen did. You can eat their dressing with ANYTHING, because it is that AMAZING! I love Sushi-Zen! Don't let these bad reviews stop you from going if you've never been! Judge for yourself, because TRUST ME, you will keep coming back!!! read more

At a sushi joint, moreso than in other restaurants in my opinion, how much you like the place depends on what you order. But at Sushi-Zen, it didn't seem to matter what you got. It was all bleh. They have a large menu with a good deal of variety, but everything we got last night (a mix of nigiri and maki - both traditional and specialty) was either not pleasing to me or simply ok. Not tasteless, but not flavorful either. Like when you eat a black cherry snowcone made of packing peanuts instead of ice. Service seemed ok for us on a Saturday night, and price wasn't an issue. But I doubt I'll be going back any time soon. The hunt continues for good sushi in Arlington... read more

I only had a take-out experience. Not a lot of meat in the rolls...a lot of rice. One roll had more filler than fish. I want fish! If I wanted an avocado, I'd buy one. That being said, everything tasted okay. Nothing remarkable, I'll say. read more

The food here is always excellent, and today was no different. We had a group of four; two of us shared sushi, while two ordered off the menu. We all enjoyed our lunch very much. We'll be back, Sushi Zen! read more

I love me some sushi and this place delivers on all fronts. I just had an extravagant birthday dinner with the works. Sashimi. Nigiri. Rolls. Tempura. Miso soup. It was all delicious. First things first: The spicy rolls are actually spicy with a good kick to them which is really hard to find. The sauces they put on everything somehow tastes fresher than other places I've been to. Also they had uni that was perfect. I mean I am trying to think of a downside to this place. The service was excellent and very friendly, the amount of fish you get on each piece is beyond generous (Honestly the rolls were just filled to the brim). The owner and his son work behind the bar making everything which is adorable and authentic. This place is a rare find if you love sushi go here and order everything. read more

Sushi-Zen - Delicious rolls bursting with awesome fresh fish. The green sauce was just unbelievably good. - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

This place is a neighborhood gem. The Cruncy rolls, Blue Fire and Outrageous rolls are some of my favorites. I like that the sushi is moderately priced but very good quality. The sushi chefs do a great job with the presentation of the sushi as well. For those who don't like sushi as much, I would recommend trying their sweet potato roll (tempura sweet potato inside a roll) or their chicken teriyaki dish. They make their own teriyaki sauce. The miso soup and the salad with ginger dressing is very good. Staff is very friendly and I love sitting at the bar to chat with the sushi chefs. Please look no further than Sushi Zen for some great service and quality food. read more

The food was delicious .. but the service I got from my waitress was phenomeninal. Came to eat for dinner and my waitress welcomed me with a friendly smile and till the end of my dinner, made sure that everything was okay. Thankyou! Will be back read more

This wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Maybe the power of Yelp has made the management reevaluate their food. They used to be amazing and apparently went through some bad reviews. It was actually not that bad. Except the service wasn't the greatest. Oh yes can someone let me know if my glass of water has arrived i asked about 5 times for water I almost called in the take out number read more

Both the miso soup and salad dressing were overly salted. But my rolls were great and the salmon was truly fresh. A good first visit! read more

Sushi-Zen - My rolls were great and the salmon was truly fresh. A good first visit! - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

We just discovered Sushi-Zen a bit ago and now won't go anywhere else. Their sushi and presentation is incredible. Having celiac, they make it very clear which sushi and food options are gluten free which is super helpful when ordering. Every time we have gotten their sushi, the quality is amazing! It has been a great find! read more

Amazing place!! Great quality of fish, the rolls were made perfectly!! I had a rainbow roll with shrimp tempura instead of the California, tuna avocado roll and the seared albacore tuna-they were all delectable!! The staff is extremely cordial and very helpful, wonderful conversation with the sushi chef!!! Will def come back soon!! read more

Sushi-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I'm a self-loathing fan of Sushi Zen. It's some of the better sushi in the 15 minute driving radius, but the service is beyond abysmal. They're understaffed, inept, and often rude. If you go, sit at the bar. read more

I can't say enough about this place! I've lived my whole life in Arlington, and as a self-proclaimed sushi enthusiast, I have tried my fair share of sushi restaurants in the area. This is hands down, with no competition, my favorite sushi spot. The sushi can get a bit pricey, but it's well worth it. My favorite roll is the spider roll (soft shell crab and avocado), and no other place in Arlington rivals it. The fish is always fresh, never funky. I've never tried a roll here and not liked it. Even if it can get pricey, they have an amazing rewards program. You are regularly given holiday specials ($10 off!), as well as racking up points for how you spend to get more $10 off coupons. They have plenty of ways to get points other than just spending money. They also offer random surprise gimmicks, and fun ways to get free stuff! The staff is amazing!!! Brian is the regular sushi chef, and he is sweet and personable to bits. You can tell his enthusiasm and love for the craft of sushi by just one conversation with him. I recently visited and was served by Tint, who was incredibly prompt, personable, and gracious. The rest of the staff always greets every single customer, and says goodbye to you, even if they're all busy! An amazing and friendly atmosphere. I always, without fail, recommend this place to everyone I know. I regularly bring in friends, and it doesn't take long until they get hooked on it too! I'll never stop going to Sushi-Zen! read more

I should have driven an extra 10 minutes and gone to Menekineko. The freshness of the fish was fine, good portions also, but the rolls were not wrapped very well (it started to come apart when I picked it up) and the Inari was flat (literally). Oh, and there was too much rice used in the roll. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt--maybe I got a newbie rolling my sushi behind the bar, but that's a sign of poorly made sushi and definitely unacceptable for the price. I wouldn't go back. read more

Sushi-Zen - The Jumbo Spider Roll was indeed jumbo (and loaded with rice), but what's up with the wimpy Inari? - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Lives up to its reputation as one of the better Arlington sushi spots. All the rolls were very fresh, and the creative rolls they offer are worth trying. Be cautious of how much you order as the price can add up. Our waitress was very helpful and offered us a gift certificate option which got offered us savings on our meal. read more

Great sushi. Inexpensive. We've been there twice, once for sushi and once for noodles. Both times we were happy with the results. Taste was on point for the cost. The decore is charming, reminds me of something out of San Francisco. One of those hole in the wall sushi spots. Service is prompt and polite. We will be back. read more

This place is terrible. I know I can be snobbish about sashimi because crap sashimi doesn't cut it for me and I'm used to eating at Tachibana but seriously, if Yama and Sakana in Vienna can run fairly affordable restaurants with great rolls and fresh fish, what is wrong with this place? Even a simple roll (spicy salmon) was so sub-par. I hope people who like this place will try Yama or Sakana and understand that there is such a good thing as good sushi that might be a couple dollars more but worth it. The people were nice though. read more

Sushi-Zen is my absolute favorite spot in Arlington. I'm a frequent customer due to the helpful service, affordable prices, and quiet atmosphere. The Arlington roll, spicy tuna, and yellowtail are some of favorite things to order off their menu. They also have an app where you place orders extremely easily and they always have it ready for pick-up in a timely manner. There's a great rewards program as well. read more

Friendly staff and great food. Our go to sushi place! It's easy to call ahead and pick up for a quick dinner.

Took the kids to lunch and saw a sushi place so we figured we would try it since it was near thier school. We ordered 2 different shrimp tempura rolls, a soft shell crab roll, California roll, and some sashimi. We all got muso soup and salad. The sashimi came out first. Not too bad. The fish was sliced a little thin. We ordered 8 pieces of white tuna and 8 pieces of salmon. The sushi came out next. The portions ended up being quite large. We couldn't finish it all. It was a decent filling lunch for four people. read more

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I came for Happy Hour and it's my new favorite place. I ordered eel, salmon, tuna, and yellowtail nigiris. I also got the California roll with roe. The eel and salmon were so good. The rice was delicious and greet. I also thought the hot tea was so good. I think it's barley tea. The California roll was meh and I'm not going to order the yellowtail or tuna again but I'm already back for the salmon and eel! read more

Sushi-Zen - Very comforting hot tea. - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I definitely like it! The sushi is good and very well prepared. Small place in a very crowded shopping center. Would have definitely given it a five if the server wasn't exceedingly overbearing! She must've asked if we're ready to order 3 times in like 10 minutes! Therefore, this isn't a sit and enjoy a meal kinda place, it's more like feed 'em, get them out, clear table, next diners! Lastly, the place is very kid friendly i.e. screaming children! Pricey but this is N. Arlington after all! read more

The taste of the rolls here is average. The portion is very big though. Each roll is about 50% bigger than what I have had else where. I recommend their sweet potato roll and soft crab roll, which are very special. read more

Amazing sushi the best I have ever had! The ingredients were so fresh. The staff was very nice, and welcoming. I would come back every week. read more

Sushi-Zen - Super crunchy rol - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I have to honestly say I think 2 and 1/2 stars would be more appropriate, but bottom line, there are far greater sushi restaurants in Northern Virginia. The service is good,... very good considering we were seated at the very front of the restaurant obscured from the sushi bar by a room divider. The problem was more with the inconsistencies with the food. The tuna and salmon sushi were not the smoothest nor freshest that I have tasted. Really good versions of either can practically be gummed apart, these required chewing. The octopus was also a little tougher than most other places as well. The three different rolls I tried, however, were good, to include one special that was topped with sweet potato strips. Some oddities, the beers weren't very cold, both the wasabi and ginger were missing on a boat of sushi for the table's dining party and the tossed salad dressing tasted no special than a slightly spiced mayonaise. Overall an okay experience, but I'm sure every reviewer has at one time or another had better. read more

It was a good try. I would order from here again. Tasty and fresh. Definitely a good neighborhood restaurant for take out.

First visit here despite many, many visits to various businesses in this strip mall. Solid food, exceptional service. Nice to see patrons of all ages dining in and a bustling takeout customer base. Pro-tip: sit at the bar and order the salmon belly. Brian hooks it up!! read more

We were excited to try this place since we had just moved near by. We order 4 different rolls take out. The rolls are super small and bland, not to mention it's overprice for what it was. I will drive further to get better sushi. read more

This is my go to sushi place. The food is amazing, the restaurant is inviting and comfortable. If you love sushi then you have to try sushi-zen. read more

Sushi-Zen - Infused Peach green tea :) so refreshing. - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Water smelled and tasted like fish yuck The leaf decorations smelled like dirty rag For the order wrong by giving us scallop instead of octopus, so took the scallop out after being touched and brought out the octopus after going back and forth three times... Couldn't help wondering if they would recycle the scallop read more

Best sushi in Arlington. THe rainbow donut is delicious and so is the outrageous roll.

We ordered from Sushi-Zen for the first time in months tonight. I was shocked by how small the rolls were compared to what they used to be. The prices have gone and and the food sizes seem to have gone down. Very dissatisfied for the prices. Look elsewhere to get a decent size meal for the price. read more

This is probably my favorite restaurant in Arlington for sushi the food is great and the sushi rice is fresh. Fish roe is fresh and crunchy and not liquid wet while mushy like other sushi places. read more

This is a nice go-to for sushi and other Japanese-style dishes. The fish is usually fresh -- the major caveat here is Uni. I recommend trying a small order of Uni before going all-in just on the chance that there's a bad batch for the day. The rice is prepared well. It's nothing too special but realistically any better and you're looking at adding another dollar sign or two to your search preferences. I'm very happy to choose this place from time to time. read more

Terrific sushi! But for me, during this time of COVID19 pandemic,, what was even more important to me was the attention to cleanliness and hygiene in the restaurant. I ordered online (so easy!) and pick up was a breeze! Hand sanitizer put for customers, partitions set up to direct customer traffic, lines on floor to help with social distancing, staff wearing masks and face shields-- you can tell the staff just care! And of course, the food-- so good! I got one specialty roll, one traditional roll, and 4 pieces nigiri. All fresh and tasty! read more

I'm very picky about my sushi, but at Sushi Zen, its not bad, especially for the Northern Virginia Area. The atmosphere is very pleasant, the service is always great, and prices are about average. I like their spicy tuna and their speciality rolls, AND YOU DONT EVEN TASTE THE FISHY-NESS (which is always an A+). read more

A personal favorite. As a family we get the large sushi boat which fits for about four people. I love the convenience of it being next to Harris Teeter. read more

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Went to try the sushi donut, which was very good although confusing to eat. Other sushi was equally good in a pleasant surrounding with good service. Crowded restaurant and parking lot during prime time may be the only downsides. read more

My friends and I were super disappointed during our visit to Sushi-Zen. Sadly enough, we were warned by another group of friends who said they had an equally uncomfortable and awful experience there but despite their warning, decided to give it a try. We all wrote down what we wanted and the woman taking our order, Tiffany, was initially short with us. She simply grabbed our menus from us and immediately turned away without asking if we needed anything or had any questions. They forgot one person's miso soup right off the bat and were bothered when we reminded them that we were still waiting on one more soup. Then, when the sushi came out, we realized that we didn't recognize what they were putting down in front of us. They were so quick to drop the food and leave - not telling us what was what - that we were unsure what sushi was who's. It turned out that the kitchen had made a mistake and they put 3 orders of a sushi roll we didn't order on our platter. Tiffany came over and let us know that it was the kitchen'a mistake. When it came time for checks, they still attempted to charge us and our server came over to our table and (in a wildly inappropriate/unprofessional manner) started arguing with us about how she "circled what we ordered" in front of us when she grabbed our menu. This was not the case, as she was so quick to grab our menu and go - that she did it on the table besides us while she walked away. We spent most of the time trying to flag her down when our drinks were empty or we were missing soup. When she brought us the menu to prove her "story" (despite us all writing down what we bought because we were splitting our checks) there were ADDITIONAL tallys that we had not written. They admitted to doing something wrong and then attempted to make us pay when they were unable to take the food back off the table. It was absurd and felt like we were in a movie. All around, it was an awful experience with absolutely terrible service. The environment was unprofessional and the staff was manipulative. Had we not stuck to our guns, they would have easily charged us way more for something we never asked for. In the end, another server ended up coming over and saying that they handled it and the sushi that they mistakenly gave us "was on the house." In the end, they made it seem like we did something wrong. The sushi is yummy but ALWAYS take a photo of your menu before you let them take it because they will manipulate you. read more

Truly amazing sushi. I love sushi and have tried a lot of places in the DMV area and this place just made it to #1 on my list. Very fresh fish, and wonderful service, will definitely be returning. read more