I don't know what the hype is. Everything is mediocre. Server forgot and brought miso soup out after we were done with entrees. Not going back. read more

Honestly I'm a little sad and disappointed. I used to come here a lot from 2014-2019. Ramen isn't as good as it used to be. Egg was way over cooked and not yolky like it's supposed to be. Noodles were undercooked and were clumped up if you know what I mean. Broth was good though. Pork not flavorful. Overall, ramen was still edible 3/5 but for the same price I would 100% definitely go to Jinya or Mizumi in Suwanee. It just feels like they stopped caring about their ramen quality. Crunchy yellowtail roll was so dry. I took the avocado out of the salmon roll to share with my girlfriend so I can't be too critical of it but it wasn't good either. Udon was good, probably the one thing that I enjoyed along with the tempura. Sashimi was alright. Tasted a bit rubbery in my opinion. Would go somewhere else to get good sashimi. Service was good. Maybe it was just the day, but I don't think I'll be coming back. Feel bad for students in the area. read more

I came here during the week with two friends. Ordered the crunchy salmon roll and the firecracker roll (spicy tuna, spicy aioli, tempura flakes). The rolls were 8 pieces each. The sushi tasted pretty fresh and I enjoyed my two rolls. I also had the green apple sour, which was listed as a cocktail, but I'm pretty sure there was no alcohol in it. Not even a little bit... Maybe they forgot. Taste | 4 Atmosphere | 4 Presentation | 3.5 Service | 3.5 OVERALL | 4 read more

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While many Japanese restaurants in Atlanta specialize in one area of Japanese cuisine, Wagaya has pretty mich everything from ramen to sushi to katsu. While we enjoyed the food, everything was good but none of the dishes we had were excellent. Parking is a bit tricky, but we got lucky and snagged a spot behind the restaurant, otherwise street parking is available around. We went on a Wednesday night and it was crowded but not full when we got there around 7, and there wads wait by the time we left. Unfortunately they were out of Sapporo, so we had Orion instead (not quite as good in my opinion). Their menu is pretty large and has a lot of set menu options: ie ramen and sushi. We were indecisive on apps but ended up ordering a chicken nanbun, which had a nice flavor due to the sauce but the chicken itself was not as crispy. Next we ordered two set menus, one with ramen and katsu, the other grilled Saba with miso soup, sashimi and nigiri. Both were quite good, but once again not was really amazing. I think maybe next time I would get the more simple, ramen + 2 set, because that is cheap way to get some ramen and 2 small sushi rolls. Otherwise, I will be at Jinya for ramen. read more

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For a middle tier ramen/sushi/bento spot with a decent sake and craft beer selection - you can't do better. Clean. Fast. Delicious. One of us gets sushi, one gets ramen, and one gets a bunch of bites... no matter what - it's fresh and served with a smile. Always a good mix of students, professionals and families - it's really a great spot that's delivers tasty food. read more

simple sushi spot! quality sushi that won't break the bank. good service, no wait, good vibes read more

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This place was quit popping for a Tuesday night. Which as you can imagine made it a bit difficult for our waiter to dedicate lots of time to just our table. All in all we recieved our food in a decent amount of time. The ramen + sushi dinner deal was a pretty good one. The sushi was so good! I'd definelty come back for the Spicy Tuna Roll. I ordered the Spicy Red Tonkotsu Ramen based on it's level of popularity, but it was just ok. For me, the noodles weren't as flavorful as I would have liked, but I added a dash of soy sauce to every bite and it made it better for me. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Spicy Tuna Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, and Red Tonkotsu Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I came here for lunch and sat at the sushi bar. My server was friendly and prompt. She got my order immediately. The sushi chef was also very friendly and made sure my order was good and up to my expectations. Service was good. SALMON TRINITY- spicy salmon, cucumber, topped with seared smoked salmon, salmon skin salad, and roasted sesame dressing This roll was different because there was a mini salad on top of the roll. The flavors really worked well together. I love the flavors of the fresh salmon with the smoky salmon. The butteriness of the fish really complemented the crispy salmon skin and the flavors were really fresh. DEVIL'S BREATH "AKUMA NO TOIKI"- spicy tuna, cucumber, jalapeno, topped with seared tuna, spicy aioli, garlic chips, and spicy tobiko This roll was not spicy. There was a bit of heat, but it was good. The tuna was fresh and I love the different textures. The tuna was not buttery and smooth like the salmon. It had a tighter texture and went well with the crispness of the chips and the popping tobiko. I would definitely come back and try other dishes on the menu. Service is friendly and food is good. read more

Wagaya - Westside - salmon trinity and devil's breath "akuma no toiki" - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Found a rubber-band in my ramen, Brought it to the attention of my sever, who didn't offer a replacement, Discount or even free dessert. Won't be returning. read more

My favorite Japanese restaurant! This place is seriously amazing. It's a tiny authentic Japanese spot in west midtown with the best prices. Their dinner prices are not bad at all and they have incredibly cheap lunch specials. I got the nabeyaki udon and the tonkotsu red, the udon came with shrimp and veggie tempura and the udon itself. The portions are huge as you can see and the broth of both noodles was amazing. Favorite ramen plCe read more

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After a few days of eating Southern food, it was time to get some Japanese back in our bodies, and Wagaya was the perfect place for such an event. My friend and I came here on a Sunday evening about an hour before it closed. Last call would be 15 minutes before closing so we made good time. On our night, the restaurant was busy busy with parties happening all around. Luckily we were seated rather quickly and ready to order our dinner. We started with the Goma-ae ($5) and Ika Geso Karaage ($8). Both were delicious and came in decent portions, with the grilled squid being the highlight. Afterwards, we split a Katsudon and two rolls: Four Seasons and Green Typhoon. The katsudon was huge and came with generous pieces of fried cutlet over a bed of Japanese rice. The cutlet was great although the batter lacked some flavor. However, both our sushi rolls ($12.50 each) were amazing! Each came in seven (7) pieces and the medley of ingredients from the fish to the sauce blended so well together. I definitely recommend both of these rolls if you're splitting with friends. Service and dinner was all great here at Wagaya. I'm so glad this was opened on Sundays as a lot of other spots seemed to be closed instead. Next time, I'll be sure to try more of their exclusive rolls! read more

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If my friends specifically ask to come here, I'd come. But I would not ever say "I'm craving sashimi, let's go to wagaya" and if my friends ask "Denise where would you recommend to go get sashimi/sushi?" I would not recommend this place. Tl;dr I would not come back for sashimi: the tuna is pretty fresh, otherwise all the other sashimi isn't fresh/doesn't taste good. Service is fast and friendly. Restaurant is clean. Parking is limited. F O O D The miso soup was really good. Its aromatic but not overly salty or grainy tasting. Two Layer Chirashi: Salmon, tamago, tuna, mackerel, octopus, (something else I forgot the name) and daikon. The salmon is good but it tastes like it was taken out of the freezer and thawed. The tuna is soo yum!! Fresh and breaks apart nicely in my mouth. The others were not good. Im most disappointed about the tamago because that is my favorite but wagaya made it so bland... The rice that came with the order was ok. To make the rice taste sweet (like the sushi roll rice), it tasted like they drizzled the sauce (vinegar etc) on top and didn't mush it together so all the pieces of rice had an even taste of flavor. Katsudon: it's ok. Its nothing special. The ingredients mesh well and the pork cutlet is cooked well. It didn't blow me away. S E R V I C E/ W A I T We came on a Saturday night and this place was 1/4 full. Waitress came quickly and seated us as soon as we walked in. She was friendly and prompt. I was feeling indecisive today but she was patient and kept giving me suggestions on what I could choose based on my want for salmon and tamago sashimi. P A R K I N G We were lucky that a Toyota was leaving just as we got to the parking lot (behind the restaurant) but make sure to carpool if you come with a big group. In the small parking lot, there's only like 10 spots and it was full when we got there. There is also street parking but expect to walk a little because it's quite limited. Wear shoes you can walk in! read more

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One of my team members have been trying to get us here for a while. My team and I have been postponing coming here for an entire semester. We finally made at the end and we did it regret it. Located on 14th, close to the BP, this little gem really doesn't look like much on the outside. On the inside, however, it's a quaint little place! The setting is your traditional sushi house feel. I got the beef noodle with the spicy red option. It was delicious. The garlic paste they give you as optional really bring out some of the flavor of dish. The noodles were rich and delicious, the broth was absolutely divine. The service was also good. Not stellar, in my opinion. A bit hands off, but it didn't take away from the experience. Definitely will make my way there when I return to ATL. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Odun - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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I went here on a Wednesday around 1pm. The parking is small but I still managed to find a spot. My friend and I were seated immediately. The inside is pretty cramped once it fills up but it's in midtown so you can't expect too much space. I ordered the Rolls Set from the lunch set menu. I got the salmon teriyaki and the spicy tuna and crunchy yellowtail rolls. The salmon teriyaki was standard but a decent size. I would have liked it more if the outside had more of a char or crunch. Both rolls came with 6 pieces. The spicy tuna was good but it definitely had its own kick which was nice. I liked the crunchy yellowtail more due to the texture. I was decently full by the end of my meal, just enough to not be hungry for a few hours. Overall I don't mind going to Wagaya but I do prefer Ginya Izakaya up on Northside more. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Rolls Set - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

If I could give 10 stars I would. This place has the best ramen in Atlanta. The tonkotsu is by far my favorite. I can't come here without getting it. Sushi is amazing as well. There isn't too much space when you're sitting down, you will be very close to your neighbors table if you get what I'm saying. Staff is always friendly, food comes really fast. Wait time isn't that long. read more

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This place is a must go! The food is authentic, fresh and delicious! The restaurant was busy for a Monday night but we were able to sit down right away. We started off with the AGEDASHI TOFU & MOCHI and the Takoyaki appetizers and they were both delicious, but I think I would recommend the Takoyaki more (octopus balls). Then for our main entrée I got the Crunchy 14 roll but instead of cream cheese I replaced it with cucumber and that was the best decision, it made the roll lighter and super tasty! My friend got a regular tuna roll which was so yummy and fresh tasting and he also got the Bagel Tempura roll and we both ate every bite of our apps and entrées, everything was delish!! My only negative comment is that the lighting was a little too dark, which was hard to see the menus and wasn't great lighting for pictures and also the single two person tables were a little bit too close together for my liking. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I came here years ago with a Tech protege, and at the sushi, having not yet discovered my love of ramen. For a lunch date to the High for Infinity Mirror, we stuck with the Japanese theme and decided that this was our best option for ramen in the area. I let my husband order a sushi roll to start... and I won't do that again. He picked something terribly westernized and dramatic - Endless Lava (california roll baked with scallop, lobster, shichimi pepper, chili string, spicy tobiko, garlic chili sauce) with a pile of flaming salt. Great presentation, lackluster flavor. Honestly, I don't like California rolls or anything baked in my sushi, so as I mentioned, I shouldn't have let him order that. I got the red tonkotsu ramen, and it was better than the sushi, though not as flavorful of a broth as I'd like. I think I've gotten spoiled with fancy ramen with lots of toppings (mushrooms and greens), but it all just seemed simple and underwhelming. Service was great, food came quickly, presentation was lovely. Space is tight, as expected of Japanese places. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Endless lava - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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This is my go to place for good authentic ramen in the Atlanta area. It's close enough to school and work that it can satisfy your ramen cravings. Service is always wonderful and while parking and lines can be a bit of a wait at times, they really do their best to accommodate you. My favorite thing to order is always the ramen + two sushi rolls or ramen + rice combo for ~$17. You get a choice of either a bowl of ramen with 2 sushi rolls or an entire rice dish. It's more than enough to fill you up and well worth for the price. There are also nice dinner sets you can get as well. Overall, I would highly recommend this location! I think this place beats out all the other ramen places in the area. PS: There's a chance you can find parking in the hidden lot right behind the restaurant! read more

Wagaya - Westside - Ramen + 2 Sushi Rolls combo for $17: Spicy Tonkatsu, spicy tuna roll and avocado salmon - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

This is a great spot for Japanese food close to midtown and GT campus! I love the cozy atmosphere here. The restaurant does get pretty busy, so you might have a wait. We ordered takoyaki as an appetizer. It came with four pieces, and it was pretty good with a nice sweet/savory flavor. For my entree I got the ramen + 2 ($18). I chose spicy curry flavor (2 extra dollars), salmon avocado roll, and spicy tuna roll. The spicy curry broth was SO delicious. I think it was a tad bit heavy with the salt, but still a really good flavor. The sushi pieces were a little bit small, but for 12 pieces at ~$6 I think it's still a great value. The spicy curry ramen was definitely the best part of dinner, I can't wait to try the others! read more

Wagaya - Westside - Spicy curry ramen, salmon avocado roll, spicy tuna roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Great vibe, always crowded for lunch, the food is actually goodd!! Friendly staffs and great custumer service. The only thing is there's no parking up front, and we have to park where else and walk there. If you've never been here before, give them a try, you won't regret read more

Wagaya - Westside - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Hard No For Delivery. Been to in-person dining several times and it's great. Delivery is another story. They don't know how to pack, cold on the bottom hot on top.... They do it in reverse, so your "sushi", sashimi, nigiri, etc arrive COOKED. They fill their Udon and Ramen with Sweet Potatoes and Hush Puppies, and Cabbage. They don't do this in-house. Will eat in person but never order again. Tried ordering 3 times, 2 out of 3 they sent ramen and udon with NO NOODLES. It's silly, sad even. read more

My sister wanted sushi and I wanted ramen. We made a great choice in coming here. Best sushi I've had in a long time. And we had the toro sashimi it was AWESOME. Melted in your mouth good. All the fish was super fresh. I'm definitely going back. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Loved dining at Wagaya this past weekend! My bf and I came by around 5:30pm on Sunday night, and it was well-packed with people! It was our first time coming back since COVID, but the restaurant seemed to be doing well. All employees were wearing masks, and were friendly. The tables are small, but the space in general, is very intimately designed due to the smaller space. The dim lighting was a good addition to the ambiance! Cool spot for date night! I ordered the Nigiri Deluxe and my bf ordered the Traditional Dinner Set, and we were very content! The fish tasted fresh, and just overall, you get a good value for what you pay! Will be coming back! read more

Had lunch on a Friday here while on a trip to Atlanta since it's walking distance from gt campus. Got the rolls lunch set and got two rolls of sushi with some teriyaki chicken. The rolls were avocado salmon and crunchy yellowtail. It comes with miso soup too. The price was okay I suppose. The flavor of everything was just okay. I'd say you can't go wrong but definitely was not what I'd choose to go back to in a regular basis. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Lunch Rolls Set $13 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I'm used to onigiri being filled with filling. There was only a PINCH in salmon in it. For the price that you pay, it's quite upsetting that all I did was essentially pay for a large triangle of rice. I think they could dial back on the rice and add much more salmon. The chicken teriyaki was fine read more

VEGAN / GLUTEN-FREE review: Wagaya is situated amongst other small businesses on a fairly unassuming street. I came on a Tuesday night at around 7:15pm with a friend. We didn't have to wait to be seated as there were multiple empty tables. The atmosphere was light-hearted and the decor was simplistic and clean. The interior is very dimly lit and the tables were uncomfortably close together. I ordered the Veggie Dragon Roll ($8.50) and the Avocado Cucumber Roll ($4.50), after confirming there wouldn't be any sauces on either of these rolls. The Avocado Cucumber was nothing new or exciting - just expected. I thought it could use more avocado. The Veggie Dragon was pretty cool though. I thought the flavors were good, and especially enjoyed the Takuwan (pickled diakon radish) and the Inari (tofu pouch). I think it needed to have more substance as well, but it was certainly tasty. They barely gave any wasabi, and I think it was the cheap stuff, too (out of a tube), because it wasn't that great. Overall, it's a small place and cramped, and I couldn't imagine coming here when it's a full house. My friend and I could hear everyone's conversations... especially those of the people at the next table as we were almost shoulder-to-shoulder. I would have liked for there to be more light (it was really really dim especially further inside the restaurant). The service was great, and everyone was so welcoming and kind. The sushi was good. note: I believe I saw an ADA accessible ramp leading up to Wagaya. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Vegan: Avocado Cucumber Roll and Veggie Dragon Roll. Each roll comes with 8 pieces... I started eating before I remembered to snap a pic - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

My husband and I love visiting Wagaya for their delicious and wide variety of authentic Japanese food. The dining area is always packed (plan to wait outside, especially on busy nights), and the parking lot behind is small and often full, but the food is worth it for us. The place is often full of Tech students and the inside can get loud. We took my parents and sister here recently. The dark and tight seating felt cozy even with the 5 of us. Patrons may be seated very close together, so keep that in mind. You can't go wrong with the sushi or ramen or gyoza, and I admit I haven't tried anything else there, but I'm familiar with the other dishes and I imagine they're well prepared and just as delicious as my usuals. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Lunch special of two sushi rolls and seaweed salad. Comes with miso soup. I got the avocado salmon roll and the crunchy yellowtail. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Wagaya opened April 14, 2015 in the same compact strip as Moe's Original BBQ and Better Half near the intersection of 14th St and State St in Home Park, close to Atlantic Station and Georgia Tech. This is a nice little authentic Japanese restaurant that, currently, I'd venture to say is the best all-around Japanese restaurant from Westside to Midtown (though admittedly, there aren't a whole lot of Japanese restaurants in the area). Wagaya means "our home" in Japanese and is owned by Chef Takashi Otsuka, Georgia State alum and former manager of Decatur's Sushi Avenue. I heard his uncle owns Sushi Avenue. This is a simple, cozy restaurant that feels both traditional and modern. The naturally well-lit interior has a neat build-out that feels clean, warm, and inviting. There's seating for approximately 40 at tables and 6 at the sushi bar. The sushi bar, tables, and bench seats are all wood grain. The menu has a great variety of Japanese cuisine. It includes about 30 different izakaya-style tapas (small plates), set multi-course dinners (~$15-20 each), sushi, noodles (udon, soba, ramen), rice plates/bowls, tonkatsu (Japanese fried pork cutlet), and more. When it comes to sushi, there are roughly 15 different types of nigiri/sashimi. No selections are too unique or earth-shattering, but they do carry Otoro (extra fatty tuna belly) and Uni (sea urchin). Excluding those, you're looking at about $5-8 for 2 pieces of nigiri and $6-10 for 3 pieces of sashimi. Rolls (simple $5-11, special $10-13) and chirashi sushi (sashimi over rice, $15-20) are available too. What I like most about Wagaya is the assortment of unique and genuine Japanese dishes aside from the usual stuff you'd find at most run-of-the-mill Japanese joints around town. Prime examples include Hitsumabushi, a variation of unadon (eel bowl), and Wahu Hamburg, essentially hamburger steak -- a sort of Westernized Japanese comfort food. Most small plates run about $5-10 each and entrees and noodles in the $10-20 range. There are 6 types of ramen including white, red, and black tonkotsu (pork bone broth). Those run about $10-12 a bowl. Here's what I've tried so far: Tapas: * Goshiki Natto - tuna, squid, natto, scallion, cucumber, quail egg, takuwan * Ika Geso Karaage - crunchy fried squid legs with ginger, garlic, and soy flavor * Gyu Tan - seasoned grilled beef tongue * Takoyaki - octopus ball, okonomi sauce, mayo, bonito flake, aonori * Nasu & Konnyaku Dengaku - eggplant, yam potato jelly with brown rice miso dengaku sauce on skewers * Kushikatsu Mix - breaded pork belly, quail egg, renkon lotus root in skewers with tonkatsu sauce. * Hokke - grilled Atka mackerel with ponzu * Hamachi Kama - grilled yellowtail collar with ponzu * Okonomi Yaki - pork belly, cabbage, egg, scallion, bonito flake, aonori, mayo, okonomi sauce Ramen: * Premium White Tonkotsu - soft boiled egg (half), scallion, seaweed, menma bamboo shoots, chashu roast pork The Goshiki Natto is an interesting dish because it features natto which is fermented soybeans. The beans have a distinct flavor and are somewhat of an acquired taste. Slimy texture. The ingredients are beautiful and colorful. You mix everything yourself, a lot like Korean bibimbap. The Ika Geso Karaage is terrific. The lightly battered and fried purple squid legs are crispy and delectable. Firm texture. About a half dozen thinly sliced bite-sized pieces of beef tongue come with the Gyu Tan. The tongue is a little rubbery and bland, but not bad. The Takoyaki is good. Four golf-ball-sized, soft, fluffy, and warm octopus balls are served with each order. Along with sauces, delicate and wispy bonito fish flakes, and green seaweed, the balls are served atop a bed of crunchy cabbage. The Nasu & Konnyaku Dengaku is neat because of the konnyaku yam cake. It's like a dark-colored jelly. Not a whole lot of flavor, but its gelatinous texture is what makes it special. The Kushikatsu Mix includes a collection of skewers that have light crispy/crunchy breading and are appetizing, especially with the supplied tonkatsu sauce (similar to a Japanese-style BBQ sauce). The Atka mackerel prepared in the Hokke dish is served whole with bones. If you know how to fillet a fish and/or don't mind navigating/picking around small bones, this fish is actually quite delicious. The Hamachi Kama, also served on-the-bone, doesn't provide as much of a challenge bone-wise. It, too, is flavorful. The collar meat is smooth and substantial. The Okonomi Yaki is served still popping and crackling on a circular hot iron skillet. It's one of the thinner, neater, and more compact okonomiyakis I've had. Satisfying and enjoyable. The Ramen is A-OK. The Premium White Tonkotsu broth is rich, creamy, and comforting and the noodles are toothsome. Wagaya's ramen doesn't have a showy presentation like the other ramen shops -- the ingredients are hidden beneath the broth. In taste, Wagaya's ramen is a worthy rival. Service is fantastic. Go Jouci! read more

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Our favorite sushi spot in Atlanta. Fish is always fresh and quality but the menu prices won't hurt your wallet. Always busy but always gets you seated and served quickly. Good staff and good food. We love wagaya! read more

This is a nifty little spot tucked near Georgia Tech. The are a few parking spots behind the building on state st. Watch for the hours as they do close after lunch and re-open for dinner!! This is my go-to spot any time I'm wanting Japanese! They have delicious katsudon (fried katsudon rice bowl) and also have many combos in which you can choose having a rice bowl/ramen/udon/ sushi rolls! The katsudon is my favorite and it's deep fried before cooked in a soy sauce based sauce with onions and egg and topped over rice. The grilled Kama fish collar is also a great side. We love it with just a bowl of rice. The fish is fresh and perfectly cooked. Another appetizer dish we love is the tofu in mushroom broth! Very flavorful and light. A great addition to the kama collar. The salmon skin roll is another favorite. It's fresh, the salmon skin is crispy and not overly salted as some places can be! The service here is quick and you'll be in and out in no time at all! It does get packed since there are few tables but since the turn over is quick, you usually don't have to wait long. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Grilled kama collar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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I heard udon noodles are better. MayTry again next time. I'm not satisfied with the soba noodles this time. But tempura surprised me. It was delicious! read more

Wagaya - Westside - Shrimp Tempra and octopus balls, really great! Try them. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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What a treat this place turned out to be!. Wagaya has been bookmarked for some time now and I'm happy to have ticked it off the list. I'll be back, for sure. I came for the ramen; wife came for the sushi. Neither of us was disappointed. Spicy red tonkotsu ramen - 2nd best in the city, so far. Wonderful broth, noodles. Only half an egg and not a lot of nori. Chasu pretty solid. I thought the spiciness was just right. Nigiri - maybe as good as I've had? Saw a couple of varieties I was unfamialr with - madai for one. It has good texture if a bit unremarkable in taste. Nice mackerel - one of the people said they cured it in-house. If you like mackerel, you're in for a treat. Other fish also excellent. Good presentation. Seaweed salad - we enjoyed this. It's a bit different than what I'm used to in that it wasn't all seaweed but had other greens too. Nice light dressing. Wagaya has the largest Japanese beer list I've seen. But beware - they are also quite expensive - one we ordered was $12, others $9. Table seating is adequate but the bench seat made my back sore after a while. This is actually why the restaurant falls a bit short of 5 stars. Ambiance is just right - no loud music. Service - friendly, efficient, helpful. Just what you want. Parking might be an issue if you don't get here early, which we did so the small lot in back still had space open. I know the website says the lot down the block is free despite signs asking for money, but that's a little weird. Not cheap. With four of the expensive beers and the food, the total for two was $110. They need a coat rack or some hooks. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Spicy red tonkotsu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Some unique Japanese tapas selections, very good presentation, friendly service, intimate space ... aka not many tables inside. My co-worker and I shared about 3 small plates and each of us got a salad - I would've loved to eat more but accidentally dropped a whole bottle of soy sauce on my lap and well, who wants to stick around soaked in soy sauce. SALMON TRINITY - $12.95 Spicy salmon, cucumber, topped with seared smoke salmon, salmon skin salad, & roasted sesame dressing. I'd read great reviews on this and it didn't disappoint. The salmon skin was the highlight, loved the smoky flavor, tasted like seafood bacon :) KUSHIKATSU MIX - $8 Breaded pork belly, quail egg, renkon lotus root in skewers with tonkatsu sauce ... basically deep fried pork belly, egg and lotus root on a stick. Except they didn't have quail egg so they gave us 2 pork belly; wish they told us vs us asking what happened to our egg. Still very good, perfectly deep-fried, served just out of the fryer. OCTOPUS - $15 This was a special of the day - server really hyped it up. I wish I remembered the preparation - all I recall was that the octopus was thinly sliced and not as chewy as usual. Unique but I wouldn't get it again - I think I had only one bite. Value it wasn't :) GREEN SALAD - $3 Nothing special - not sure why we ordered this. Spinach and carrots, loved the dressing. I'd definitely like to come back and try the Suzuki Mushroom Ankake (they ran out at lunchtime), Ramen, Matcha Box dessert and lunch specials. FYI they're next door to Better Half, and parking is available behind the building (not many spaces), and one block west at the corner of 14th Street and Mescalin. read more

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Possibly one of the better Japanese options overall in the area even if some options are disappointing. Between my trips there we had the sashimi platter, the ramen and sushi roll combo, katsu combo, the onigiri, the squid salad and some other sushi rolls. The combos represent a decent value. Squid salad was great. My sashimi platter was short a few pieces. The sushi and katsu were so so. read more

The staff is what makes this place shine. They are 5 stars all the way. We were looking for a place to eat after perusing Atlantic Station and finding their culinary options uninspiring. It was fairly late and Wagaya had more of an intimate vibe. The table setting and seating looked to be slightly more comfortable than a Westerner eating at a traditional Japanese chabudai, but I was surprised at how enjoyable it was. My companion was surprised at the sake variety and was overwhelmed at how delicious his selection was (see photo). I was surprised at how strong it must have been, turning a stoic man into a giddy & affable human being (after two rounds). However, despite the cozy environment and gregarious staff - the food was just meh. Possibly because they were relatively close to closing time (1.5 hours out)? The white tonkatsu ramen was generally lacking in flavor, the pork belly was hard and instead of a soft boiled egg, it was hard-boiled. The sushi provided some reprieve but there was nothing remarkable about it, certainly not at the price point. Though my inebriated compatriot was easier to appease; think two drink minimum at amateur stand up shows. Also, a word to the wise - best to park on the side streets, closest to 14th. While we were there, one of the staff did come in exclaiming that cars were being broken into in the secluded parking lot behind the restaurant. Welcome to Atlanta, folks. read more

Wagaya - Westside - Black Can Sake Goes Down Smooth But Hits Hard - Sushi Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

One of our favorite local spots. The food is delicious and the service is great. We frequently visit this establishment

Located on 14th Street on the direction of going to West provision, this place is located in between Better Half and ran down gas station. Parking at first was dreadful but found the free public parking just a block past the restaurant. There's also parking available behind the restaurant but was very limited. We came on a Saturday afternoon around 1230 and soon after the place filled up. We ordered the sashimi three for appetizers, premium white donkatsu ramen, and Ishiyaki Chashu for entrees for 2. Honestly the fish didn't taste so fresh to me but I loved the hot foods! Ramen was delicious with perfectly soft cooked egg and pork that was so tender that it just comes apart. Same goes for Ishiyaki, the pork was very tender and the fried rice was just the type I like! Would come back again to try out variety of ramens. read more

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We ordered the ramen + sushi combo, chicken katsu curry, and the agedashi tofu & mochi appetizer through Chownow. The agedashi tofu and mochi unfortunately wasn't for me at all. I read so many good reviews so decided to try it out and was so excited! The sauce spilled in the container and the whole appetizer was too oily as well. I prefer mochi as a sweet dessert rather than a fried savory appetizer. Glad I tried it though! The ramen + maki combo was delicious and totally worth getting. I chose the tonkotsu ramen with salmon avocado roll and spicy tuna roll. It was a good deal for amount of food and everything tasted amazing! Chicken katsu curry was pretty good as well. The chicken cutlet was big and the curry sauce was the perfect amount of spicy. It came with a lot of rice as well and I had a lot of leftovers. Would definitely order from wagaya again! read more

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I heard great things about Wagaya, especially on the ramen here. Location is good though I hate those stairs from the parking lot behind to the front entrance of the restaurant. Stairs are my nemesis. I do have some knee and foot problem, sad but true. We were originally shocked to see the operating hours at the door, it stated not open for lunch on Sat & Sun. But we saw there were people inside, opened the door and the staff said they are indeed open. Perfect!! There are 3 kinds of Tonkotsu Ramen- Premium White, Red and Black. Red tonkotsu means spicy bad Black tonkotsu just has sesame seeds. Ordered the premium white (regular) tonkotsu ramen. I read a number of reviews stating the eggs here were done right, the yolks supposed to be soft like poached. I was so looking forward to finally find a Japanese restaurant doing those eggs some justice. My ramen came. I scooped the half egg up, took a good look, nope it was cooked. Too cooked. I was disappointed. I scooped up some broth, tasted it. It was legit. The cha shu? Yum! They were soft and melted in my mouth. The noodles? Crap! They were over cooked. They were almost soggy. By this time, I was so disappointed. To make the dining experience dipped further, there was a broken rubber band in a little girl's ramen. She was like "what is this blue thing?" I said "must be the seaweed!" She said, "but it was blue!" She took it out and pulled it. Great!! I did not take away any star from this review, why? 1) The staff apologized profusely. It did not seem to me like it happened a lot, may be the first time a customer found a rubber band. She took the small .5 inch broken rubber band to the kitchen. Came back shortly with a coupon for a free roll. Apologized again and said the chef wanted us to have it. We said not to worry, we just wanted to let them know so to be more careful in future. We did not want any free coupon, that's just not us. 2) The check came and the staff told us the chef has voided one of the ramen. She apologized again. I appreciate that a lot though I know most decent restaurants will do the same. 3) Finally when we were walking out, another female server stopped me, apologized about the mishap. With the above, I would not judge this restaurant based on that, things sometimes happened and I could empathize. As for my ramen, the soggy noodles were likely be another I caught them at the wrong day since many have commented how good the ramen noodles are. I would definitely give it another try at another time. We did order the matcha box for dessert. It looked so pretty though the soy sauce did not work for us. The matcha powder and green tea ice cream were good though. The menu is extensive and there are many things I would really love to try. Hopefully we will have more luck in our next visit. read more

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Parking: You can either park in the lot behind the establishment or along the street on State St NW (but pay attention to any signs about restrictions). My friend and I came here for dinner around 7:30p on a Friday. Although the restaurant was busy, we were seated in about 10-15 minutes at the sushi bar area. We ordered the Sashimi Three, Takoyaki, and Premium White Tonkotsu ramen to share. It doesn't seem like a lot - but is actually pretty filling especially with all the noodles in the ramen. The sashimi three comes with 2 pieces of tuna, salmon, & white tuna each so it's good to share between two people. The presentation and quality of the fish was decent. I really enjoyed the Takoyaki (best ones I've had in Atlanta so far), it was crispy on the outer layer and soft inside. The ramen was just OK - I really don't like the generic egg noodles that many restaurants use (like the store bought ones) and the broth was a little salty. They seem to have some decent variety on the menu so I'd like to come back and try other things next time. This place is about half a mile from Atlanta Station so you can take a nice stroll after dinner! read more

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