Had lunch at three Samurai Japanese restaurant today may 16 2026. We had a group of 6 of us . Ordered Kani salad, crabmeat raccoons , edamame appetizers sushi rolls etc. everything was delicious! I've eaten at more than 20 different sushi restaurants over the years some regularity on a monthly basis. This restaurant had excellent food. Service was friendly and as you would expect. Cost was decent compared to most sushi restaurants. Definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

The service was very quick, and friendly. our server was very kind. Ordered the Scorpion roll and the shrimp and pork egg rolls. the music was really good as well. the food was life changing. the best sushi i've had in the iowa city / coralville area by FAR. read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Scorpion Roll no avocado - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

I've been really wanting sushi while in Iowa City so I googled the closest place and this is what came up. I looked at the online at the menu and placed my order via phone. The person taking my order was very polite. I was told it would be ten-15 mins. It ended up being closer to a half hour. No big deal, I saw that there was several boats going out. The place is very hard to get into... I ended up asking a shop downstairs how to get into their restaurant, then upon getting to the restaurant they had two doors both with "please use other door". I ended up just going in the one door because I apparently could bit find the correct door to use. I order two sushi rolls: the summer roll which was a sweet potatoe roll- delicious, and the Iowa City roll which ended up being repulsive. I threw it away after 2 pieces. The steak was tough and dry and the chicken tasted incredibly weird. They should maybe rethink that roll and completely take out the chicken portion of it. The person who had the potstickers said they were edible but nothing special. I wasn't super thrilled with the people at the check out/sushi counter. It seems no one had any idea of what was going on. And the one person was more concerned about going to the back than actually helping people that were coming in. It definitely was not so busy to keep disappearing and keeping people waiting. The price was on par with what I expected to pay so nothing unusual there. Would I eat here again? Maybe, but I definitely wouldn't make it a priority read more

Such great sushi. They truly provide an overall great experience, they customize sushi to your taste and provide a great experience

Absolutely Adore this restaurant! We tried it last night and had to come back tonight because it was so good. The waitress is a sweetheart and very helpful. The sushi is the best I have had. Crab Rangoon's were also up there! The best part of the restaurant for me is the dim lighting and the quietness of it. Very peaceful and relaxing place to dine. 10/10 read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Apt Crab Rangoon - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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Incoming sushi! In the pics are Fire Dragon roll, Lion King roll⁣, Sumo roll⁣, Bagel roll⁣, Spicy Tuna roll⁣, and Crab rangoons. I eat a lot of crab rangoons and I personally believe these are some of best in town! Would definitely recommend weekdays Mon-Thurs if you can because that's when they have best deals. If you're a sushi ROLL person this is definitely the spot! Big variety and always seem to love what I get. Cannot attest to the nigiri/sashimi since I don't usually order. read more

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Ordered from here because it was a popular choice on Grubhub. It was ehh. The pineapple Rangoon seemed like it would be fun. The sauce was good. The Rangoon itself was not. No flavor at all without the dip. I had a couple of the basic sushi rolls. They were fresh, which is what is most important. The spicy tuna had nothing to offer. Overall, it was alright. I'd go again but only if someone else picked it. read more

Food was good & inexpensive, the server was very attentive & our food came out fairly quickly.

I do believe this is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Iowa City! They have affordable happy hour prices, and ample rolls full of the good stuff! The fish is fresh and the menu has nice variety. I love how it isn't All You Can Eat, so I don't feel obliged to eat *everything.* The service can be a little slow when they're busy, but it's a good size restaurant and sushi takes a while to assemble. The shrimp tempura appetizer is one of my favorites! And, of course, everything involving salmon. I haven't been in several months, starting to crave their food! read more

I think... I had gone my entire social distancing without sushi. Over SEVENTY days with no shrimp tempura roll. Ugh. I could take it no more. Coralville only has a couple sushi options. I hadn't had Three Sam in awhile (plus they deliver via CHOMP) so I thought, why not?! We got four maki rolls, fried rice, orange chicken and crab rangoons. All were executed well! I definitely got my sushi fix. My family of four had absolutely no leftovers... I think the portions were a bit small? The sushi rolls were small but tasty. Ultimately, I give Three Sam a 3.5 star. I just can't say this is a top spot in town for sushi anymore, plus they took out all their hibachi tables. BUT if you're looking for delivery sushi? Look no further. read more

Great service and amazing food from three samurai! Not pictured are the most delicious vegetable egg rolls I've ever had read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Crab Rangoon Roll Sweet Potato Tempura Roll - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Second time here. Food was 5/5 both times, both an hour before closing on a Friday night and a noon lunch on a Wednesday. The taste and presentation were great and food came out quickly both visits. Service felt less attentive today, maybe an average experience of 3/5 compared to my 5/5 visit two months ago. My server had 4 or 5 tables and I felt like I was walked past and as a result, waited quite a while to order today. I took full advantage of the weekday special, which ended up saving me a significant amount. read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

We walked in for dinner and noticed one tiny problem: no AC. Kinda sucked but the temperature outside was okay that day. Not sure if the AC was actually broken or if they just didn't want to pay for it. Anyway, we were seated at a nice booth table. It was happy hour, meaning dirt cheap prices. The menu was so expansive. Honestly, though, I'd prefer just having a few good options is better than a million bad ones. We started with a huge bowl of nicely salted edamame. Next, I had the "black and gold" roll. It was actually delicious (to my surprise). It was plated nicely. 10 large pieces for only $7. Well, the salmon was a bit fishy. However, it was covered up by the other ingredients and the magical sauce. I would recommend any of the specialty rolls, but don't get the sashimi because it doesn't have anything to mask its not-so-fresh fish. We finished with a MASSIVE slice of chocolate cake (only $5). Rich and delicious, but definitely didn't fit the Japanese theme. It was a very affordable meal. Service was very quick throughout and our waiter was nice. You know what? It was actually a lot better than I expected! Japanese food ain't easy in the middle of Iowa. read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Black and gold roll (huge and actually great!) - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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Called in today to place an order for a Bento Box. First, the person answering the phone asked me if it was for sushi. I said no and the guy on the phone said "cool". He asked me if it was for a bento box and for how many. I responded one. He asked me which one I wanted. I told him the ginger beef. He then put me on hold, only to come back and say they were "unable to do bento boxes at this time". You've lost my business and will not be coming back in the future. read more

The seaweed salad was outstanding, and the choices of rolls was large and had a great deal of variety. Service was a little bit spotty, but the food was good. It didn't knock my socks off, but is a solid choice in Coralville if you looking for this type of cuisine. read more

It's been a great experience the fews times I've ate here!! The food is always fresh and warm... the service is awesome as well!! Must try!! read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Potstickers and springrolls - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

We love Three Samurai! The prices are reasonable and the quality is amazing! The staff are also great and helpful when ordering to go or dining in. They also have lots of great specials on weekends and weekdays! The only thing I wish they did was send out coupons Update: we haven't had a great experience the last 2 times we've called and ordered. They unexpectedly stopped doing their 25% off after sending us home with many menus saying 25% off plus they randomly changed their hours and were very rude about it on the phone? I was shocked as this was once my favorite sushi place but now I think I'll find somewhere else.... read more

I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki dinner entree- $15.00 and it came with sautéed mushroom, seasonal vegetables (broccoli and onions) and steamed white rice (I think you can choose fried rice too). It also came with miso soup. This was delicious, but not what I expected from a chicken teriyaki dish. Its more of a chicken with sautéed vegetables kind of dish and taste. It is still delicious! I also ordered the Dynamite roll- $12.00 (blue and red toppings in one of the pics) and the tempura shrimp roll-$5.00, they were delicious as well! I highly recommend these dishes. read more

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An awful experience - food was bland, at best.; completely uninteresting in any way. This was once a nice place with distinct, appetizing choices; no longer. Save your money and go elsewhere- this place is not worth your appetite or money. read more

3.5/5 stars. I'd recommend their Sunday $3 happy hour which is $3 apps, margaritas, martinis, and 25% off sushi. I enjoyed the chicken wings, Godzilla roll and the salmon roll. The salmon was fresh and tasty. The chicken wings are tempura fried which was a surprise! They switched ownership and no longer provide the hibachi grill experience, but you can order the hibachi dishes off the menu. The menu has a ton of variety including pho, ramen, and entrees besides sushi for those who do not eat raw fish. The service has improved and our food was served timely. There was a fruit fly in one of our margaritas and they brought a new one and an extra out promptly. They also provide complimentary dessert for birthdays. read more

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The sushi is amazing and the crab Rangoon are the best in Iowa City that I have had. I have come here 25+ times in the 7 years I have lived in the area . I have never had bad food here. The sushi rolls are amazing..... amazing amazing... and again... the crab Rangoons are to die for. My boyfriend and I have been dating for over 2 years and prior to me, hadn't had much sushi. Now he wants to go here every time we go out to eat. Their Monday- Thursday deals are amazing (25% off special rolls, 3$ apps). To put price in perspective... we went on a Sunday (no deals on the food we got this day) and got 6 special rolls, 1 basic roll, crab Rangoon app, 2 sides of spicy Mayo and it was $95 total. read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Crab Rangoon (it comes with 4 but we had already eaten 2) - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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The food is fine for the most part and you can read my previous review for that part, the wait to get your food is ridiculous the past few times. They sometimes have one sushi chef working and the food takes forever. I've had a few experiences of waiting close to an hour for food. One time I was with someone who was up against time constraints and had to walk out on lunch after about an hour wait. I typically have liked this place and it can be convenient since it's off of a main road, but there's been too many long waits to trust them over lunch. Hope they fix it, not easy to take an unexpected super long lunch hour for most people. read more

I love this place. Its never too crowded and the sushi is good. They offer a lot of different rolls and theyre all made well. Highly recommend it read more

My friends dragged me here because they were all about the sushi and somehow have an affinity for this place. I'm not a huge fan but went along because I saw ramen on the menu. Firstly, the service was great and there's a nice, big parking lot with free parking. But that ramen was disappointing. I ordered the pork ramen. There were no vegetables in it except for some sprouts. Some noodles. A strange white broth with orange grease circles floating on top. And leathery slices of pork. I ate all the noodles. Gnawed on some chewy pork pieces for protein. And mourned my money spent on this sad meal. read more

Came here last weekend while out of town for an event. They had an outdoor dining option, and I figured I'd give them a try for lunch. On Friday, I ordered the Bento. At 11:30am, they were already sold out of the grilled salmon fillet, so I opted for the Ahi Tuna. It was OK, a bit dry on some pieces, with very little flavor, served over a bed of white rice that had the dry texture of having sat out for a long period of time. I opted for the Sumo roll (specialty roll not listed in the online menu) - this was good, filled with thick pieces of salmon & tuna. Note - while the online menu states that the Bento comes with soup, salad & pork dumpling, the actual service only offers soup. Overall impression 3.5/5, with my server providing outstanding service, & tipped accordingly. I returned on Sunday for the lunch service, and here things went swiftly downhill. I decided to treat myself to a Pomegranate martini - weak is an understatement, I don't think there was actually any vodka added! I ordered a salmon boat (3 pcs sashimi, 3 pcs nigiri, 1 salmon roll) and a spicy salmon crunch roll on the side. Both rolls were poorly made, with lettuce used in the roll & taking up 1/2 of the space, resulting in a floppy, loose roll lacking in appropriate texture. The salmon sashimi pieces were of the same cut as the nigiri, as opposed to the thicker cuts typically served for sashimi. Service this day was essentially non-existent. A shame, I was hoping my 2nd visit would solidify a positive experience, instead it had the opposite effect. If I'm in the area again, I will probably not return. read more

The food here is decent, but the service leaves something to be desired. If you plan on eating here, I hope you don't have any other plans for the rest of the day. While the servers themselves have almost always been pleasant, the speed at which food leaves the kitchen is incredibly slow. The longest I've waited for food here was over an hour for a bento box and maybe 45 minutes for sushi. It doesn't matter the day of week, time of day, or how busy the restaurant is, the wait is always the same. With that being said, the menu is interesting. It is a mix of Vietnamese and Japanese food. They also have a sushi bar and hibachi grills. I personally am not a fan of hibachi in general (but if you are, I would recommend Konomi over Three Sam) and think it's a bit overpriced anyway, but aside from that most of the food that I've had here isn't bad. My favorite items on the menu would definitely be the oxtail soup and the chicken wings. It's the best oxtail soup I've had outside of Hawaii; right amount of ginger, lots of oxtail. Maybe a few more greens wouldn't hurt but other than that it's amazing. The most disappointing menu item I've had (multiple times) is the pho. The broth is hit-or-miss (but I've had more misses with flavorless broth) and the meat is scarce. We used to eat here every Sunday after a weekend of drinking since it was the 'best' restaurant in the IC/Coralville area to get (mediocre and overpriced) pho. For pho that is better taste/quality and cheaper, I'd recommend Pho Zaika which is located next to Hyvee in Coralville. read more

Such a great experience. We arrived at 8:57. They normally close at 10, but it'd been a slow night so they were planning to close at 9 instead. However, they wouldn't let us walk out the door -- they sat us down at the sushi bar and prepared some of the best sushi ever. The sushi chef even threw in an extra roll on the house, and our server Ciro let us try out the miso soup. The samango roll in particular was delicious, though I also loved the spicy tuna and the unagi roll. I came here on recommendation of a Japanese friend, and I'm so glad I did. I can see this quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants in the Iowa City area -- not only because the food is so great, but because of the stellar customer service experience. Everyone we encountered was incredibly nice and welcoming, even though they were closing. They gave personalized recommendations for sushi rolls to try, and went out of their way to make sure we left happy. Then when we got the bill, it was incredibly inexpensive -- just $29.50, and there was so much food at that price that between the two of us we still couldn't finish it. It was a 45 dollar value, so we put the difference into the tip -- they definitely earned it. read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

The Spicy Tuna Roll is one of the best maki in Iowa City. I love their sukiyaki, which is beef in a sweet soy broth with yam noodles, mushrooms, and cabbage. We got great service there today, but in the past when they have been crowded it has not been as good. BTW, the sukiyaki takes a LONG time, so don't order it without knowing that! read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Sumango Roll - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

This was my go to place. New owners are trying hard. I ordered STEAMED vegetable dumplings That came to table cold and partially frozen. They replaced them but the frozen taste was still there. They gave us some rubbery fried calamari. No napkins had to ask. Our roll ordered were messed up. Got a calamari salad instead of a roll. The sushi, was good, nothing to rave about. I think they are trying hard and hopefully will get their act together. read more

Great food if you have a lot of time. Don't expect them to feed you promptly. Apparently they have a very small kitchen that can only do so much at once. But once you get the food, it's all good. Of course some dishes are better; the bento boxes are generally good, but the higher ends Matsuzaka prime beef and Kamoniku duck dishes are amazing. A lot of my friends love the Seafood Ramen as well. Yummy. read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Chicken Teriyaki bento, Tonkatsu bento~ - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

So, they've got some pretty legit sushi here! My wife and I have been a number of times and each trip has ended with a full belly and discussions of how the only thing that would make it better is buy one get one free (as every sushi place was in the last city we lived in - Durham, NC) and the cooks from the Budweiser commercial that yell "Wasabi!" in unison from behind the grill. The selection is good, the ambiance is nice, though they get dinged a little for the place being pretty loud. The folks next to us were a little tipsy from too much Saki and we were privy to much of the conversation about "why you're too good for him"....needless to say, the waiter was gracious and when they couldn't reseat us, gave us some edemame. Overall a good spot and I hear they've got some pretty legit teppanyaki! We'll be back read more

These two stars are mainly for their "hot foods." When I first came here for lunch three years ago I was in love with the nigiri sushi. They had decent prices and their bento boxes and hot entrees were amazing. Unfortunately, every time I return to eat here, there is always something wrong. Service is always meh and it is very hard get their attention. I pretty much just wait for them to show up to check on my table every 15 mins. The consistency of their sushi is never the same each time. Sometimes the fish is cut in the wrong direction, or its too sweet, too salty, too bland, or too soggy. It's never just right. Last night, I decided to eat here for dinner, and it was basically one of the worst experience I have ever had. They were disorganized during dinner time. I ordered my food before it got busy and tables who sat down afterwards would get their food first. Waited about 30-40 mins to receive 2 orders of nigiri and a black and gold roll. Overall, I do not think I will be back again anytime soon. read more

This spot is amazing. If I had to pick one roll (I wouldn't) it would be the fruit roll up. Its sweet and has a strawberry and mango sauce. I am a big fan of mango in my sushi. read more

Changed ownership. Quality tanked! Spicy salmon bowl was the BOMB filled with fatty salmon belly, now it doesn't even remotely resemble the former dish. Matsusaka rolls had delicious steak on outside, torched just right, not the dried beef jerky like meat they have now. Warishita sukiyaki had melt in your mouth, fatty Chilean sea bass, but now it's cheap halibut with none of the luxurious mouth feel and fabulous flavor it once had. I used to drive 90 miles to get here. Very sad it ran off the tracks! read more

Tried this place out for the first time on Sunday evening. Right when we arrived, three people were walking out telling the host (and us) that they found out that the wait for sushi was an hour. Not a good way to start out. The host told us that if we order hot food instead of sushi that there wouldn't be a wait for that. There was about a 20min wait for a table, which was fine. After we were seated, we were then told that any hot food we ordered would have at least a 30min wait because their kitchen was backed up. I don't know if this is because I've spent more time in big cities, but this whole concept of being THIS backed up is ridiculous. No restaurant that I've gone to has ever given such a long wait for food after you sit down (unless it's specified on the menu that the item will take longer to prepare). Even the all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants I've been to, there's never been someone saying there's an hour wait for sushi. My friend and I ended up ordering two hot dishes (chicken teriyaki and veg yakisoba) which come with soup and a salad. My friend also ordered a glass of wine. They didn't bring out the wine for 10-15 minutes. In fact, we had to ask someone about her wine - then they asked us again what we ordered - before it was brought out. The soup came out after 20-30 minutes. Hot food came out maybe 40-45 minutes after we ordered. It was hot though and had a nice presentation. The food was pretty tasty, but the time for service was way too long. And the service itself was mediocre. I know that we were not the only party that was getting annoyed, several tables around us also were complaining about the waits. A table next to us was sitting down for 20 minutes before anyone even went to take their order. One waitress did breeze by and ask if anyone had taken their order yet - they responded no - but she did not stop to take it. And it was still 10 minutes before anyone stopped to take their order! Here's the thing. If you KNOW you have a small kitchen and cannot accommodate tons of customers, then don't open up so many tables!! This is not a hard concept. In fact many restaurants that I've been to in Chicago, NYC, etc all have small kitchens and also a small seating area followed by wait times for a table. I would much rather go to a restaurant, be told that there is an hour wait for a table and then be promptly served after being seated rather than sit around at a table. In fact, restaurants in Iowa City already do this. Pullman's is smaller and they employ a text to your phone when they're ready and you get good service when you're seated. Maybe try this instead and you won't have as many disgruntled customers. read more

I have to admit I was disappointed in my lunchtime experience at Three Samurai. I found the Tempura appetiser just tolerable. It tasted more of old oil than shrimp and vegetable. I ordered one Sushi roll and felt the seaweed in it was tough and the sauce overpowering. The ambience during lunch was absolutely flat, but I will try it again for an evening meal to be fair. The staff was luckwarm at best. read more

Excellent food. Great ambience. Clean bathrooms. Inexpensive for the amount and quality. Great quality. Has more than just Japanese food available. ... but it is great. Agedashi tofu is just delicious! It has these mushrooms in it. I have had the bento, nabe, and seafood ramen. The seafood ramen is very Japanese style down to the amount of seafood you get in it. The mushroom nabe is superb. I'll be coming back for more read more

Three Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Agedashi tofu - Japanese Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

***Do not eat here*** This is the worst dinner I'd ever had. The chef can't cook. Fried rice was mushy. Broccolli was under cooked. The hibachi grill was really messy with food all over the place. The new York steaks are very low quality. No sign of prepping and trimming excess fat. There were literally golf size ball of fat on my plate. Seems like the chef rushed through cooking our meal. The cut up pieces of steaks and calamari was too big to eat whole. ***even the lady sitting across from us CHOCKED on her food***. Her husband had to do the Heimlich on her. The food was covered in sauce. No balance in cooking at all. The good things: The waiter was constantly checking on us and doing refill. The chef is likeable and fun personality. read more

Apparently the restaurant is under new ownership. Unfortunately they also replaced the chef. I had the lemongrass chicken bento box. It tasted like chicken and onions in mud. I couldn't taste lemongrass. I had been used to a light tasty sauce. This sauce was thick and pretty much tasteless. It seems like they changed the salad and the dressing. It was a few torn pieces of lettuce with a single slice of cucumber. My wife's vegetable stir-fry, which used to be light and flavorful, was thick and over indulged with soy sauce. It will be a long while before I come back to this restaurant. In my wildest dreams I can't imagine this restaurant winning the 2018 best Asian restaurant in Iowa City. read more

Sad day at my prior favorite Japanese restaurant. The wonderful BENTO BOX lunch option is gone. Components of it remain, but now you have to choose between a soup OR a salad, the tempura is no longer included, and the traditional lacquer sectioned serving platter is replaced with "american" dish ware. What a disappointment. read more