Went to Yama Japanese restaurant for the third time for lunch. Usually, we just have the shrimp tempura Bento box. Since we left New Jersey, we have been unable to find a Japanese restaurant that had sukiyaki Yama had a good sukiyaki. The only criticism I have is that the meat could have been more tender. There was tofu, vegetables and noodles. The broth was delicious. The sukiyaki came with a salad and rice read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Rice bowl - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

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This has been my family's go-to spot for sushi takeout in Wellesley for years!!! The owners are so sweet and recognize us by now. It's also a great experience dining in. Sushi is always fresh and tastes delicious, especially the salmon. Some of our favorite rolls are the Red Sox roll, porcupine roll, Celtics roll, and Jodie roll. They have a great lunch deal too! read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

One of my favorite sushi restaurants! This was my second visit. Atmosphere is authentic Japanese. The low table is a fun place to eat. You must remove your shoes and climb into the seat, but there is plenty of space for legs under table. My host ordered a gluttonous amount of Sushi, which allowed me to try a lot. The Uni (Sea Urchin) is a delicacy that was very interesting. The flavor is not strong but different and the texture is very different (slimy). It's good that I didn't learned until afterwards that Uni is Sea Urchin gonads (only edible part). Surprise! We enjoyed a Sushi Boat which is a great option for large parties. It comes with large selection of sushi...and literally served on a wooden boat! We also enjoyed a large selection of individually selected sushi. The staff was super attentive and polite. We had a very large order for our big group. They made the Sushi quickly, in fact I have had slower service at other Sushi places for a small party of three. Highly recommended! read more

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We did take-out bento luncheon special from Yama. As expected it was superb. It included a California roll, chicken over a bed of noodles and a salad. Unexpectedly, they included a bowl of Miso soup. There was plenty to fill me up. I would visit again read more

Entrance of this place was unexpected. It reminded me of a office building instead of a restaurant. We had to go in, walk up a flight of stairs to find the place. Once you're in, we found this place to be pretty packed on a Sunday night, 7pm. The staff were friendly and seated us promptly. We had the sushi boat for 2 and it came out pretty quickly. It tasted pretty good, with nice variety of fish. The presentation was cute, on a clean boat. The miso ramen soup was nothing special, however. The sliced chicken within the soup was extremely dry and my kid didn't even finish it...and she loves miso based soups. The bathroom is not attached to the restaurant. You have to go back out to the main lobby and find the shared bathroom. At least it was clean, though. Parking is scarce...only metered street parking, if you can find it. There's a tiny lot but its usually packed. read more

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I happened to find myself in this pocket of suburban (read: lowkey rural) Massachusetts on a Saturday evening and came across this nice restaurant on Yelp. They were quite busy when we walked in around 7pm (which is always a good sign!) but fortunately there was a small table in the corner for us. Overall, I was pretty pleased with our meal! We started with an agedashi tofu to share; portion size decent, not too salty, but the interior of the tofu was a bit bland. For sushi, we ordered the Alaskan maki and the Rainbow maki. Both were decent; fish pretty fresh, and portion sizes were fair. The salmon was quite tasty in particular. We also ordered the beef teriyaki entree, which was fantastic! The beef was super tender and was surprisingly large. Also, other than the soup, salad, and rice, it also came with a large service of spaghetti noodles, which turned out to be a bit too much food for us haha. The soup was average, but the salad was more like a bowl of salad dressing with a few leaves, so best to stay away from this one. Overall, definitely exceeded my expectations - good food at a decent price. It's a bit out of the way for me - I was just passing through the area - so I'm not sure if I'll ever find myself here again, but I do think that it was a pretty good experience and one that I'd recommend :) read more

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I would give this restaurant a 4.5. Food and service are excellent. It's a very popular restaurant so it's always crowded and a bit loud for my taste. But it shows how popular this place is. My favorite are their Udon and Soba noodle dishes. I also love their sushis. They have a variety and some are very creative. read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - U3. Seafood Nabe Yaki Udon/Soba - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

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Brightly lit, airy and authentic feeling Japanese restaurant. Really nice, fresh and large selection of sushi and Japanese dishes. It's a BYOB establishment which makes the bill so much lighter. Really enjoyed our experience and will be back. read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

A good friend and I went here early on a Saturday night. My friend had previously been to the restaurant and was able to show me how to reach the restaurant, which is located on the second floor of the building. She had found this restaurant after searching for a Japanese restaurant that has gluten free options. She noted that both she and her gluten free family member enjoyed the food the first time and were happy to find a place that could accommodate gluten free options. When I went, I ordered the edamame, the yaki udon with chicken, teriyaki noodles, vegetable tempura, and cucumber sushi to share with my friend. All of the dishes were a good size to share and well done. The staff was friendly and were able to accommodate the large number of customers for early in the evening. Additionally, the pricing felt extremely reasonable for the portions. In the future, I would order the same dishes and be interested in trying some of the other entrees as well. read more

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I am not sure why this restaurant gets such high scores for their food. First off, they have no liquor license, so it is BYOB. Secondly, parking can be difficult. When I first walked into this place my first impression of this place was that it was outdated. The food was OK, but I have had better Bento boxes that had more to them like pickled veggies. read more

Food is good but 2x I ordered online, got a confirmation and the order never went through so don't order from there if you want it delivered or made before you get there to pick it up. read more

I am gluten intolerant and I got glutened and instead of saying "I'm sorry" they repeated over and over again how I should have ordered. This used to be my safe spot, never again. read more

Everything here is freshly made, which is very important when it comes to good sushi. I'm not going to lie I didn't take a look at the menu prior to going here, so I had a difficult time finding something I would like as there wasn't too many options for me, but the sushi and the wings I ordered were delicious. The service also was excellent... this place is a must try! read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Chris roll. - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

have ordered out many times, and the special rolls are always delicious. no matter what we try, we have not been disappointed. some favorites: - alligator roll - rising sun - red sox maki - chris roll - spicy tuna sliders - spicy salmon roll - rainbow roll the salmon teriyaki entree is filling and comes with soup, salad, and rice so it's a well rounded meal! the best place for sushi in wellesley. read more

Great food- selection and quality. This is clearly a very well run restaurant. staff is efficient and lovely. The location has nearby public parking. the dining room is comfortable and cozy. it's rare a restaurant hits the marks across the board for me like Yama. read more

yama is my go to place for sushi in the metrowest area. their sushi is tasty and fresh. some of my favorites are the caterpillar roll, celtics roll and crazy roll. their maki rolls range from $5 to $20. their restaurant has the traditional japanese style seating as well as regular tables. take out orders are always done in a timely manner. service is excellent - they are family owned and are all very nice. i highly recommend yama! overall rating: 10/10 read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

Food was tolerable Japanese cuisine. Took forever and a half to make it. Service terrible. Good ambiance

This restaurant is wonderful. The food is fresh, and the portions are generous. The staff is extremely friendly and very efficient. This is my new sushi go-to. read more

I always have a hard time with stars..it's not an absolute value for me. I save 5 for a place I'd make an effort to go back to, but 4 is often a mixture. This place was good enough, and probably 3.5 or so, and this 4 star is different from when I give 4 stars to a famous place I had big expectations on. I see some people giving 1-2 stars, and I don't think it deserves that. Maybe during pandemic it had ups and downs? Anyways..I went for a dinner with my friends who like this place. We ordered a bunch of things, and many things were better than the mediocre, industrial "Japanese" places you find in smaller cities. Nothing was like "wow this is amazing," but everything was above average. It was quiet and the service was attentive (maybe almost too attentive!there were only 2-3 tables occupied, so this was understandable.) I hope this place survives the ordeal of pandic! Please see photos for details. read more

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Yama used to be a great small Japanese restaurant known for many good things but especially the sushi. They mainly had a dining service with some take out. Sometime during Covid19 and post Covid19 they transitioned to a take out concentrated business model. Yama became more focused on take out, DoorDash and Uber Eats. This was painfully evident when we had dinner. The waitress said they were running slow which happens in the post Covid19 restaurant industry but an hour to get our food? Yama has exceeded their dining room operating capacity and has shifted their bandwidth to the take out side of their business. The sushi was still good but how long before their food quality declines? read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Good seaweed salad and miso soup. - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

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The best part about this restaurant is it's BYOB! Been here a couple times. The prices are pretty good and so is the food. This time, we ordered 2 sushi rolls and an beef entree to share between the 2 of us. King Roll: 4/5 deliciously incorporated salmon and tuna, yum! Red Sox Maki: 5/5 favorite of the night! Loved the crunch of the tempura flakes and the balance of the yellowtail and avocado. Definitely ordering this again Beef Teriyaki: 4/5 beef was tender and well seasoned. Wasn't a big fan of the side noodles, but the beef was surprisingly good Portions are fairly large. The sushi rolls comes with 8 pieces, which was devoured in no time. We were so full and brought back most of the beef teriyaki dish. We always walk in with no reservations. Typically the wait is ~20 min. Service is attentive. Good for casual dining. read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Beef Teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

3.5/5 Yama has always been to my go-to Japanese restaurant while in college. I loved it for the first few years of college, but as I go more often and try more menu items, it's really just an average Japanese restaurant. Their prices are average for sushi rolls and appetizers, but very expensive for the quality of raw fish that you get. What you should get is their special sushi rolls and some of their appetizers. The sake yuzu and jodie roll are two of my favorites. The entree I get often is chicken teriyaki - it comes with two layers of chicken teriyaki, rice, noodles, soup and salad - it's two meals for $16. Definitely share it - or if you're a college student like I am, save the other half for your next meal. I've also tried their udon and soba - it's average, the broth is nothing special and their noodles are overcooked half the time. It's a hit or a miss. Now to the sushi bar - sashimi and nigiri. This is what you should NOT get. I ordered the love boat with two friends and we couldn't finish it - it would've been perfect for four. The love boat is a combination of sashimi, nigiri, and sushi rolls. Given that it is a huge order (worth $80), we hoped that we can substitute one roll for another but it's not possible at all. And this applies for both their boats (the other boat is $98). 2 of the 3 rolls are rather basic, inexpensive rolls (sweet potato and california...). There is a decent variety on the fish for sashimi and nigiri, but it is not that fresh. Yes, it's cold and the texture is okay, but when you bite into it, you can taste the moisture in the fish from being stored in the fridge. The service here is great though - you get hot hand towels and a starter of celery and carrots with a dipping sauce before you order. It is also a BYOB restaurant and popping open a prosecco was free of charge - not sure if this applies to wine bottles with corks though. Yama is also a restaurant that is designed with Japanese decor and paintings, so you get a very Japanese vibe (but fun fact: this is not how restaurants in Japan actually look like). read more

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I love this place. Great atmosphere. Delicious food. Friendly attentive staff. I feel at peace here. Highly recommend.

Parking: small lot to the wide, but it fills up pretty quickly. Your best bet is finding metered parking which was pretty abundant on the Saturday night I went. Service: friendly and fast! Food: Reasonable prices for the sushi. Lots of options. And the sushi tasted really good! Honestly nothing to complain about - i will definitely come back. read more

Not the best service, but we had a great experience. Tried lots of different kinds of sushi. They were all good. Shrimp shumai and chicken yaki udon were delicious. Decent prices too. We will try the teriyaki entrees next time. We were a large group, sat at the traditional style low seats, which wasn't very comfortable. read more

Yama is the GOAT I love the variety of options that you have here from hot entrees and exceptionally made classics As much as i enjoy their takeout menu, you really haven't enjoyed the full experience of YAMA if you haven't dropped in for a dine in experience. Even though its located just off off the highway, once you've entered the restaurant, you almost forget where you are and are transported to a truly immersive space with various aromas swimming around I would recommend the sushi menu if that's your cup of tea because these guys really know how to serve up a traditional classic. If Sushi isn't your thing, they will certainly make sure you're taken care of from the tempura that is literally the best that you'll have in the area or the teriyaki options that really bring a new meaning to the name. Undoubtedly the best Japanese restaurant for miles read more

I am so happy this place exists! I have been coming for years and never disappointed in quality. Very authentic environment and zen as well. Look forward to being my friends! read more

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favorite place ever. amazing appetizers. great service. wonderful cute vibe. Welcoming right as you go in. AWESOME SUSHI read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

Consistently delicious and fresh, Yama is my go-to spot for Japanese when I'm nearby. Impressively consistent for a restaurant with such a longtime presence in the same spot. The space is quaint and comfortable and although I usually do take-out, I'm happy to dine in on occasion. read more

Yama is one of my family's favorite restaurants. My mom and brother always order sushi and have never been disappointed. We love when it comes in the big boats! I love the teriyaki meals and the egg noodles it comes with, it's delicious! And the gyoza is absolutely to-die-for. The floor tables have an amazing atmosphere and have hosted many birthday dinners for me and my family. We love Yama and it's always a go-to for family meals, special occasions, and even takeout! read more

The food is delicious and fresh! The yellowtail Tata is creative. I ordered two. The service was perfect. I recommend arriving early if you can. This is a popular place. Do not miss it. read more

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I came here with a group of people for lunch. The food was good, but the price was quite high per person. The quality of the sushi was ok, but not the best I have had. The service here was decent so no complaints there. There are other sushi options in this area that I would like to try out to see how they compare. read more

I'm a little bit torn on Yama Japanese. First, the good. Parking is fairly easy here and there's a small lot behind/next to the building. Parking is free and we've found a space in the lot each time. The menu is allergy inclusive and it's great to find gluten free sushi options! They also have non-sushi GF entrees available. Some of their sushi has been spot on- we've enjoyed the avocado roll and the pineapple shrimp roll. However, other rolls have been a bit off. The lobster roll is just too much- it's smothered with cream and leaves a strange aftertaste. We also weren't fans of the spicy scallop roll (tough off putting texture), or the ebi sushi. The teriyaki entree was probably the most disappointing. Teriyaki sauce is very sweet and it comes with some sad vegetables (reminiscent of frozen mixed veggies). For the price point, I expected a lot more than boiled chicken and frozen vegetables. We've been twice for takeout. The second takeout experience was miserable with the food ready ~45 minutes later than expected. It was a busy Friday night, so we would have been fine with a longer wait if we could have spent it at home instead of in the crowded entryway. Overall, I don't think I'd give them a third chance, but maybe we just haven't tried the right things! read more

My daughter and I stopped here after I picked her up from the airport. We had to stop at the dispensary in Brookline, do we decided to just keep driving to Wellesley to visit an old friend. We stumbled upon this great place! The sushi was incredible! The noodles were made on premises. Everything was fresh, delicious and just about perfect. Highly recommend! read more

I just love Japanese food. Sushi menu is a bit more diverse than other places. Everything is so clean and fresh here. I always get the vegetable tempura as I find it addicting. Here once can actually sit on the FLOOR in the traditional Japanese style. Its BYOB so stop at the packie for some sake before you come. read more

Food and service is a 10. I always rely on yama to give me great, delicious Japanese food. Everything off of their menu is a must. Sushi? 10/10. Noodles? 10/10. Chicken teriyaki? 10/10. Dumplings? 10/10. I also recommend ordering a side of their sauce when you order noodles or chicken teriyaki because it is that good. read more

We've been regulars at Yama for over a year, and by "regulars" I mean "I eat at Yama at least once a week." My typical lunch at Yama is an alligator roll, the sushi lunch special (8 pieces of nigiri, 1 tuna roll, miso soup and a salad), and some hot green tea. It's Yama that is flexible with my schedule; when I need to get out the door in under an hour, I'm able to do that, but when I am able to linger, I get to linger. I think my regular server - who is a gem of a human being - has a sixth sense about these things. No matter where I lived in this area, I would go out of my way to come to Yama. For one thing, the staff is all really friendly. The food is always remarkably consistent. After many visits, I can't tell you a single visit that's been poor, or one time that they had a miss on their quality, or even that a server was having a crappy day. And for another thing? That alligator roll is something special. Shrimp tempura wrapped in nori and rice, topped with avocado and broiled eel in sauce. It's warm, crisp, flavorful, and hits all the right notes. It's my second favorite sushi after salmon nigiri, which is unbeatable. The best part about Yama, for me, is that it is versatile. It's not just for a quick, two-person lunch date. We've eaten at Yama on several different special occasions: the most memorable visits being for a ten-person birthday party, a five-person birthday party, and a four-person birthday party. It's a nice place to have a good-sized party, because it's welcoming and big enough inside. I still haven't eaten in their tatami area, which is sunken and lovely next to the window in back, but I want to. I would recommend Yama to anyone who was bringing a non-sushi-eater out for a meal; there's plenty of other food to choose from, and since a number of their rolls are cooked, I've seen people who "don't eat sushi" dive in and enjoy. I prefer to come in to eat, because I usually order at least some cooked rolls, and they are best when eaten immediately. So when I get delivery, I usually order nigiri and cold rolls. I've picked up hot rolls with no problem, though. Among their other outstanding-to-my-mouth offerings is the Red Sox maki, which is red tuna, tempura flake, yellowtail, scallion, tobiko and I think avocado. It's very pleasant and satisfying, and again, the tempura flake is always spot-on (plus, good tuna). We've had their soft-shell crab in several different rolls, which is a big deal because I have never before found that form of crab to be delicious; I believe that it's the tempura treatment that won me over. Their sashimi is excellent, fresh, and plated nicely. Also? I strongly recommend their fried ice cream. It's covered in thin-thin pound cake, battered, and then flash-fried. It is the size of a softball. Bring a friend! If you want to see (and touch, for luck) an old-school tanuki statue and get some gashapon after a satisfying Japanese food meal, come to Yama. If you have trouble parking in the tiny lot or on the street, don't panic. Just park past the gas station, or straight through the set of lights, or maybe even in the old Whole Foods parking lot. Most importantly, don't ever forget that Yama closes for a few hours in between lunch and dinner, at around 2:30PM, because you will be a sad squirrel if you psych yourself up for a trip and are temporarily thwarted! read more

Yummy food, friendly staff & quiet quaint restaurant! Parking is on street and for change! Hard to find the building but it is upstairs on this little strip!! Would recommend!! read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

This is a hidden gem that college students love to frequent for their sushi. I personally got the Volcano Maki & Mango Island rolls. They were both delicious. I definitely recommend those rolls. read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Volcano maki roll - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

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We come here to enjoy bento lunches while sitting at the sunken table with tatami mats, at the back of the restaurant. There is no bento offered on Saturdays. Weekdays, it is enjoyable and affordable to get the bento lunch, with many options and flavors offered in a well sized meal, including miso soup and salad. Usually we end up ordering dessert also. Ice cream mochi is my favorite. This restaurant has always given us the experience we expect. The waitress said the back tables are often full and should be reserved; but we have always come at slow times and lucked out to get one of those back tables. It makes for a relaxed and enjoyable family meal. read more

Yama Japanese Restaurant - Bento lunch is my favorite thing to order at Yama. - Japanese Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts