Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Wasabi

    4.0 (247 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Open 11:00 am - 10:30 pm

    Wasabi Photos

    Business Info

    WASABI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Intimate
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Wasabi

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Titanic.
    Anna W.

    It's good to have Wasabi around. All in all, Wasabi serves good sushi. Both locations are very similar in every aspect. The one on Elmwood has, obviously, a more urban vibe, which I personally prefer. Although the interior is somewhat worn, dim, and nothing fancy, it remains cozy and inviting. We ordered the Titanic, again. I still think that any boat, loaded with sushi, should have an impressive presentation. There should be some extra touch to look festive and special. It should be fun, right? :) My 'sushi buddy' doesn't necessarily agree. Wasabi's Titanic was full of tasty treats, but its presentation also showed a different opinion than mine. Nothing more to report right now. Just keep calm and eat sushi.

    Sushi Roll lunch
    Donna Y.

    Great options for lunch and cute atmosphere. The wait staff could be more personable. The sushi was fresh and yummy. There are Gluten free options as well and the miso soup was very tasty. Reason for one star less - the bathroom should really be on the first floor - my husband can't navigate stairs due to a broken leg. I can't imagine anyone with a wheelchair would be able to use the bathroom as it's tiny as well - not really more than a small closet in size.

    Miso Soup
    Claire S.

    Went on a Friday at 8 PM and we were the only 2 in there! By time we were leaving around 9 there were two other tables filled. We got the love boat and you get a choice of soup or salad, we got the miso soup and it was so yummy. Love boat was great. Lots of flavor, good selection, staff was fast and welcoming. Such a great spot on Elmwood! Ambiance is small and cozy, maybe about 8 tables. Love the vibes!

    California Roll/Shrimp Roll
    Robert P.

    Call myself trying nothing but new Restaurants for 2024. And this is my first review. The miso soup was darker than others I've seen but spot on no complaints the prices were on point and when it comes to the sushi my my. The sushi rolls were all chunky meaning they weren't stingy with the ingredients placed inside and just all around everything was great. Give em a try!! If your around the Elmwood strip

    Unagi (fresh water eel) and Ikura (salmon roe) gunkan

    I recently moved to the Buffalo area after living in Hawaii for 50 years. Coincidentally I've also been of 100% Japanese ancestry for all 50 of those years. So it's fair to say I'm a total sushi snob. I came here on a whim while in the area for an event, and was extremely skeptical that a place called "Wasabi" would actually be serving non-hipsterized, non-Instagram-worthy Japanese cuisine and sushi, especially in the same neighborhood where there's another restaurant called "Waikiki Poke & Grill", where you'll find them committing the cultural hate-crime of putting mango, pineapple and wonton chips on "Poke" bowls. I'm happy to report that my culinary snobbery and prejudice was totally wrong. Wasabi is legit. My skepticism was quickly reversed when I saw that they had an all-Japanese staff running the place. The server understood what I was ordering when I asked for a piece of "Unagi" (broiled fresh water eel), even though that word is nowhere to be found on their printed menu. Sure, there are odd diversions on the menu like Pad Thai and General Tso's Chicken, but if you're looking for no-frills fresh sashimi and nigiri, and for insanely cheap prices, you won't be disappointed. I ordered a Chirashi, and was a bit confused when I received a large platter of assorted sashimi with just a small scoop of sushi rice in the corner of the platter. It wasn't a typical Chirashi-don, where all the sashimi was piled on top of a bowl of rice, but I'm not complaining, because the individual slices of sashimi were generously sized, and very fresh. And I couldn't believe that it was only $21.95! My absolute favorite thing to order at sushi bars is Ikura (salmon roe). And over the years I've come to use it as a litmus test regarding how much care a sushi restaurant has when it sources its fish. And if a self-proclaimed sushi restaurant doesn't even offer Ikura, you should definitely question the culinary sincerity of the place. The Ikura gunkan at Wasabi wasn't particularly generous in terms of its serving size, but it definitely passed the test in terms of freshness and quality. And regarding the size of the nigiri at Wasabi, I have to always remind myself that their smaller serving sizes are very typical of how nigiri is served in Japan, where you're expected to be able to eat the whole thing in one bite. Comically large nigiri is more of a US thing, and although I do enjoy big pieces of nigiri and sashimi, the way they are served at Wasabi is not atypical. While you're not going to have your mind blown by the variety and rarity of sushi offerings at Wasabi, you'll definitely get an outstanding ratio of price vs quality here. Highly recommended!

    Mark D.

    I love this place. I'm not sure if it was as this is where my future wife and I used to visit often when we first started dating. Or if it was because of the low key yet cozy ambiance. Or the well crafted sushi. Either way, I was saddened when they had closed during the pandemic. I am glad that they reopened for dining in at the beginning of the year. My wife and I went back this weekend, and it was just as good. The prices are roughly 25 cents higher than on the menu, but they probably haven't had the time to update it yet. Either way, their prices and sushi are much better than some other places I've been visiting. We do miss living in the city and wish we could visit more often, though I guess this will be a reason to visit more often. :)

    Eel Avocado Roll
    Erin H.

    This sushi was the best I've had in Buffalo. The restaurant was small and felt like I was in Japan. The service was great and we had a fantastic time. I recommend making reservations as this restaurant is so small. We will definitely be back!!

    Sushi for 2
    S K.

    Rly delicious food, good for a quick bite. Very courteous service, cute and intimate environment. Enjoyed the patio seat

    California Roll and spicy crunchy tuna
    Rosa W.

    Great sushi. Its not a restaurant you can go inside, you just walk up to the window and place your order. There are a few tables and chairs outside. I don't think the woman inside said one word to me other than, "ten minutes." But hey, no complaints. Sushi was ready in ten minutes. Really fresh, quality tasting. Great prices. I got two rolls (spicy tuna and california) for 11$, comes with the chopsticks, soy sauce and wasabi of course. I recommend for some really quick, casual food. Definitely go before 3pm and catch their lunch deals.

    Alli L.

    Went in with some friends this last weekend when our initial plan fell through and someone recommended it to us out of the blue. The sushi here is incredible, very fresh and incredibly well prepared aesthetically as well. It's not a particularly upscale looking establishment from the outside, but inside it's perfect for a quiet dinner with friends. I can't recommend the omakase plate highly enough, and I'm absolutely sure I'll be back to try more things here.

    Eel rolls
    Jurel H.

    Always enjoyed the sushi here, everything I ever had tasted so fresh. Now due to covid, your no longer able to eat inside. So everything now is takeout. They actually created a takeout window for you, so you can pick up your food.

    Salmon Skin Roll, Salmon Roll, Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll, Salmon Avocado Roll
    Hannah L.

    I've been making the rounds trying to find the best sushi in the downtown area, and Wasabi has been the best yet! We ordered takeout tonight and got three rolls each. I opted for a salmon roll, spicy tuna roll, and salmon skin roll. My boyfriend called in our order at around 6:15 and it was a half-hour prep time, which was fine by us! The salmon and spicy tuna rolls really wowed me! The salmon was incredibly fresh and had a great flavor. Spicy tuna rolls are my favorite, and they really didn't disappoint here. The salmon skin roll was just a-okay in my opinion; there was way too much sauce on it and it was overwhelmingly salty. In terms of price vs quality, I think you get the most bang for your buck here. Many sushi places downtown are relatively expensive and not nearly as delicious, so I know I'll be ordering from Wasabi again!

    Sushi

    See all

    28 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Justin N.
    0
    75
    128

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Anna W.
    707
    361
    3019

    5 months ago

    Helpful 96
    Thanks 40
    Love this 74
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    I haven't had a bad meal at wasabi. I actually prefer it to sato. Their hand rolls are banging. No complaints.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Please never change. My Go to for so many years. So so so good. Sushi dinner is the best thing ever for 18 something dollars.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S A.
    0
    4
    0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mel M.
    23
    24
    18

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mark D.
    158
    587
    2136

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Decent food, small place. Not much room to maneuver around - tricky with a large group!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S K.
    0
    18
    10

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jurel H.
    583
    1122
    8250

    5 years ago

    Helpful 30
    Thanks 0
    Love this 32
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tom G.
    149
    23
    10

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Marsha B.
    197
    73
    63

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ryan J.
    298
    257
    2688

    8 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amit B.
    52
    10
    7

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aly W.
    136
    799
    1470

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Omar G.
    523
    12
    4

    4 years ago

    Take out option is timely and organized. Sushi 4 two was delicious. Trust the Sushi chef!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Great selection and the food was delicious. We ordered a diverse range of items for lunch and it was ready in 20 minutes.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Wasabi

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Japanese 628 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Kumo - Japanese crabmeat ravioli

    Kumo

    4.4(28 reviews)
    4.0 mi

    Kumo Sushi has some of the freshest fish I've had in Western New York. Everything we ordered was…read moreincredibly fresh, and the sushi was absolutely delicious. The presentation was beautiful too every plate looked like a work of art. Sorry, no pictures this time... I was way too excited to start eating! One thing to know before you go: if you want ginger or wasabi, you'll need to ask for it since it doesn't automatically come with your sushi. The staff was friendly, the restaurant was very clean, and overall it was a great experience. I'll definitely be back!

    This is where my son decided he wanted to go for his 29th birthday dinner. We've never been here…read morebefore and it's close by our house so I figured why not ? It has a very, very small parking lot, which is pretty inconvenient. I had to park all the way down the street. We approached the restaurant and it looks so cute from outside with that big lucky cat. I don't know the names of these things so don't laugh at me, lol. We get inside. It's quite small inside. Also, they have a big cage that people can sit in only one though, and I wanted to sit in there, but it was already occupied by a family. The decorations are cute, but they don't have very many at least not on the side that we sat. We sat to the right when you walk in the door. The menus look like you're opening up a humongous encyclopedia or an almanac but there aren't that many pages in there so don't let it fool you. They have lots of different types of sushi, Japanese food, Chinese food, etc. My son got a salmon roll and a caterpillar which he said was amazing. I got General Tzo's chicken , which was much better than any Chinese place I've ever had it from. This was the real deal. But first I had pork eggroll and it was so good. They served it cut in half with duck sauce all over it and it was so good that way I loved it. Then I ordered a nice size bowl of pork lo mein. That was the best lo mein I have ever had in my life. It was absolutely delicious. My son tried some the next day and said that that was the best lo mein he's ever had. The employees were nice. Took a while for our food to come, but that was OK. We weren't in a rush. I ordered a Diet Coke and it seems that all Japanese and Chinese places that I go to lately they only give you cans of pop which seems weird to me, but whatever ! And this seems like a higher end type restaurant too. It's not a cheap little restaurant. This is a pretty pricey place, but like I said, it is delicious. I highly recommend going there and eating. Hopefully, you'll be as satisfied as my son and I were.

    Photos
    Kumo - Dining area

    Dining area

    Kumo - Gyoza, crab "ravioli", and chicken katsu appetizers (takeout obviously)

    Gyoza, crab "ravioli", and chicken katsu appetizers (takeout obviously)

    Kumo - Interior

    See all

    Interior

    Kuni's

    Kuni's

    4.2(289 reviews)
    0.3 miElmwood Village
    $$

    We decided to have a dinner at Kuni after hearing good things from friends one night when we were…read moreover on Lexington for work reasons. I ordered what I thought could have been an obscene amount of food only to receive extremely tiny portions. I ordered tako-su and a special of the same sort made of jelly fish which I had never had and was exited to try. I believe I also ordered a simple tuna roll thankfully or I may have starved like my friends. My friends both ordered the seafood tempura thinking this would be the size of a meal or at least include rice. Everything I ordered was about 3-4 bites of food, the sushi was 6 very tiny pieces. The sushi was good and if I ever went back I'd order more. The jelly fish was crunchy and interesting and I ordered it for the experience so I enjoyed it. I love octopus but this was the toughest most horribly overcooked octopus I've ever had. I forced some of it down but had to spit out two pieces of it because they were completely inedible octopus flavored rubber. My friends were extremely disappointed in their "meals" that consisted of a single tempura shrimp, a single tempura squid and a single tempura scallop. They left hangry. The drinks were good and seemingly normal portions. I don't know what the draw of this place is but I'd be willing to try it again to see if I just experienced an off day and a lack of appropriate expectations regarding price vs portions.

    Think of mean girls movie. That's certainly what you will…read moreget coming to Kunis for dinner. The door greeter was also the waitress. Her snobby arrogance was off the charts. I understand people have "bad days", so I double checked the yelp reviews. Several reviews from years ago sadly confirm this is standard for their customer service. She pointed for us to move over into the tiny corner while she hand picked people ( who had clearly ) entered after us. No reservations or list. The blonde bartender wasn't friendly either. Having a recent ankle injury, I needed to sit down. Two people left the bar, but the bartender snapped telling us other people were waiting. No offer on a beverage, not even a water . After we finally asked twice about the table that remained obviously available, she sat us there. After at least an entire hour, she had left one table open ( where ultimately we sat down) My date reluctantly had to ask her politely twice as it became more and more obvious to us. Several others have complained about unprofessional attitude and clearly lacking personality . Lost our business that's for certain! Recommendation: Order takeout

    Photos
    Kuni's
    Kuni's
    Kuni's

    See all

    Taisho Bistro Japanese Izakaya - Chicken Yakitori

    Taisho Bistro Japanese Izakaya

    4.0(333 reviews)
    5.5 mi
    $$

    Second time being here…read more Ambiance- Perfection, hidden gem, very clean, large seating never crowded. Service- Very attentive, never felt like I was waiting too long or too little. Service was prompt and to the point. Very respectful staff Food- Had many of the sushi rolls Rainbow, Chopper, kamikaze and Akazaru. Every single roll was amazing and full of taste. I don't know where they get their fish from but it is some of the freshest fish I've had in the area. Also had the spicy miso ramen which was another perfectly made meal. The spice was full of taste but not so hot that it took away from the meal 10/10 restaurant.

    Friendly service, good food, reasonable prices. My dad…read morewanted to go here for his birthday, so we did. We visited on a week day for lunch. There were no other tables seated when we arrived. We were seated quickly by a friendly waiter and our order was taken as soon as we were ready. We ordered a hot tea, a pumkin korokke (because it was new to both of us), scallop & shrimp hibachi lunch and sushi sashimi lunch with salad. The tea came out in a plastic pot, which I found kind of odd and was not a fan of; neither was my dad. The tea itself was tasty, but I'm not sure what kind it was. The pumpkin cake was good. Basically mashed pumpkin battered and fried. It came out super fresh and hot with a sweet chili dipping sauce. The salad was okay; the dressing was not very gingery or carroty, more creamy with a sweet taste. Our main meals were good. Nothing that knocked our socks off, but great portions for the price. The place could use a little sprucing up. It was not super clean and some decor seemed to be old/need fixing.

    Photos
    Taisho Bistro Japanese Izakaya - Inside

    Inside

    Taisho Bistro Japanese Izakaya - Yakitori platter

    Yakitori platter

    Taisho Bistro Japanese Izakaya - Bar

    See all

    Bar

    SATO - Okonomiyaki

    SATO

    3.6(391 reviews)
    0.0 miElmwood Village
    $$

    We literally NEVER have a good experience with SATO. Tonight was another witness of their terrible…read morecustomer service. Here goes: We were on our way home and called to place an order. The hostess told us that they would not take a pick up order until 8:30 (um ok....). But since it was 8:12, we decided to WAIT until 8:30 to order rather than finding an alternative to feed our family who already picked out their orders. So, we waited in our car for 20 minutes, and called back ready to place are order. The hostess said that the kitchen is now "not taking orders". I explained the situation and asked if we could just get a few ramen since we just waited at her direction. She must not realize that rent on Elmwood is expensive, or that there are bills to be paid, or that humans ordering food pay the bills, or that an owner would appreciate this $100 ramen order or the many orders we place all year, or large eat in bills because there is no attempt to keep us as a customer. We live in the neighborhood and love to support local restaurants and businesses and our family of 6 places large orders. Last time we were in to eat the service was bad as well. It took about 20 minutes to get our drinks. And the time before that we came on my daughters birthday and they said they weren't seating parties of 6 even though the entire restaurant was open. Hmmm. We literally could see every open table. My daughter in her 10 year old birthday crown telling them how much she loved ramen didn't even make them flinch since they seem to have delicious broth and no souls. We will keep spending our money at local establishments that treat customers like humans.

    Service was wonderful! We were seated quickly. Our server was kind and checked in on us…read moreperiodically. The ambiance was nice, not too classy but not too relaxed. It was a nice date night spot. In terms of food, my partner and I were unimpressed. To preface, we are from CA/Bay Area. The okonomiyaki was delicious! 5/5 but we have no base reference for this dish. We would skip the sushi and ramen. Unfortunately the sushi rice was too hard. The fish was fine though, relatively fresh! The avocado in our CA roll was a little browned. The ramen was a little undercooked and hard. The toppings were good but the meat was a little hard/dehydrated? They did do us a favor and split our one order into two small bowls before bringing it out. overall, we would not come back, but we are glad to have experienced it.

    Photos
    SATO - Gyu-Don

    Gyu-Don

    SATO - Lake Erie Water, I prefer mine filtered and chilled. This place is more like 3 stars but could easily be 5. It's all in the details.

    Lake Erie Water, I prefer mine filtered and chilled. This place is more like 3 stars but could easily be 5. It's all in the details.

    SATO - Sashimi Plate (Chef's Choice) There were five pieces of nigiri and 8 piece CA roll

    See all

    Sashimi Plate (Chef's Choice) There were five pieces of nigiri and 8 piece CA roll

    Wasabi - japanese - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...