This was by far the most frustrating dining experience I've ever had with my toddler. This place is not toddler-friendly despite the "minors allowed" sign. I ordered a spam musubi for my 2 year old, assuming it was plain since the menu explicitly listed it only with rice and nori. It came with green onions and spicy seasoning that weren't mentioned. The waiter knew I was ordering this for my son, but didn't check or mention the unlisted ingredients to make sure it was okay. I had to ask for a new one plain with just rice, spam, and nori after he took a bite and cried about it being too spicy. 15 minutes later, it STILL didn't arrive plain- it came out with green onions and the sauce. . . I was in disbelief but by then it was 7pm and my son had waited almost an hour to eat (mamas all know how I'm feeling), so I held my tongue and fed it to him, picking out the onions. If someone had a green onion allergy, this could have been much more serious. I debated back and forth to communicate this. When I mentioned the issue afterward so she could be more mindful, the waiter's "sorry?" came across as dismissive rather than receptive. I hope they take this feedback seriously and improve service, communication and attention to dietary requests. A menu update should also be considered. read more

Zenbu Lounge - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Best sushi restaurant I've been to in years. Excellent service and amazing food. We opened with the ahi tuna won tons and were recommended to add a 4th so we could each have 2. Incredible bite of food and you should definitely add a 4th. Green beans were elevated and delicious. 3 rolls were fresh and delicious. Add in a selection of quality local beers and it is easy to see why this place is crowded with a line. read more

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Came in last Sunday and it was busy. One server in the dining room, the usual gal that serves us. One bartender slangin' drinks. When I say these ladies "held the fort down" I really truly mean it. They worked their asses off to get everyone fed and boozed nicely. It was impressive to see during an all night happy hour, which this place has on Sundays. I love the tuna wontons and the sellwood roll. We dined and laughed and had everything we needed. Kudos to keeping this place one of my fave's in Portland. Consistent food/drinks and service and that keeps me coming back. read more

Zenbu Lounge - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Walked to this neighborhood sushi place and was delighted with the experience. We were greeted by a friendly host who told us our seating options; there was a bit of a wait for their secluded patio, so we opted for a window seat right next to patio. We started with some seaweed salad and their spicy tuna jalapeño poppers, both were incredible! We ordered a Funny Tuna roll, a Sanju roll, and a Poke roll. These were so fresh and delicious! The ambiance was great and food amazing, we loved it. read more

Zenbu Lounge - Tuna Poppers! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The rolls served here are fresh and you can tell from the first bite. They have an extensive menu full of appetizing side orders, entrees, and the like that aren't sushi. The only thing that needs improvement is the service. read more

Fresh and high quality sushi! Drinks are delicious! Staffs are friendly and service is fast! read more

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Delicious sushi in a great vibe here. The service was knowledgeable and friendly. Cant wait to go back!

This was a great dining experience. Food was very tasty, staff was welcoming and attentive, and the place was jumping with lots of good energy. read more

The funkiest sushi restaurant I've ever been to! Feels like part Tavern/part Sushi house and I love every bit of it! It's a very rustic, cozy place that's very comfortable to hang out in. They have a few small tables and a few large tables. They also have a rather large bar with plenty of very comfortable chairs with high backs. There's also a large, wonderful patio for when the weather turns nice again. In addition to a nice selection of Sake, they also have a fine selection of local beers and a very creative cocktail menu. I had the Indigo nights and it was delightful! We enjoyed everything we ate. The sushi was great quality and I really enjoyed the Salmon roll, Ginger-chicken musubi, and the salmon and tuna Nigiri. We also had both desserts, the Sweet Sesame Balls and Tempura Donuts, and they were scrumptious. Service was very kind and attentive. It's also easy to get to and find street-parking. I'm really looking forward to going back! read more

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Came with colleagues and made reservations for outside. It was absolutely the best Location Our servers were attentive and helpful. We had the jalapeño tuna poppers and gyoza dumplings. Both were tasty. We shared a platter of sushi including Sellwood Roll, Shrimp Tempura, Spicy Salmon, Funky Tuna Roll, Crab California Roll, Poke Roll We finished the meal with the sweet sesame balls and Tempura Donuts to share. I also had the spicy margarita and it was excellent. A great spot with excellent service, food and drinks. read more

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It's hard to find a sushi spot that has great cocktails and ambience. Zenbu has all this , great menu, and a friendly staff. Bonus is the great patio in the summer. read more

Came here because I was craving sushi in the Sellwood area. The other places I was planning on going was closed for a random summer break and the other was reservations only. I was quite surprise by this establishment. The server/ bartender were friendly and quick. I ordered a rhubarb whisky sour and it was delightful. Also, as one who enjoys Japanese whisky, I can say I was pleasantly surprised (impressed) by their selection of Japanese whisky. For food, I ordered their sashimi combo and a Sellwood Roll. All the fish tasted amazingly fresh. Like super fresh, it was soooo good!!! I would definitely come back again for their Japanese whisky. Price was also reasonable for everything. read more

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The service is spot on. I had a TO GO order on a cold night and the food was hot and delicious. I will one day comeback to actually dine in to experience this place fully. read more

A fun place to get sushi and cocktails! Came by on a Sunday evening for HH but also ordered other goodies from the regular menu. The cocktails here had a nice pour to it. My margarita was sweet and delightfully tart. The sushi was fresh and delicious. The ahi tuna app was a tad bit chewy but good flavor overall. Our server was very attentive and timely! The place has a dark and moody ambiance which made for a cozy date night. read more

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Move over Miyamoto, this is the best sushi place in PDX. Great food, Portland style ambiance, lovely neighborhood. Recommend the wonton appetizer, Sellwood, Sanju and Escolar. Next time I'm eager to sample from the drinks menu. I'm hoping the sake selections are on par with the food. read more

Excellent setting, fresh sushi, wait staff superb. Do not need to say much other than a very enjoyable evening. Staff very attentive and great selections of fresh sushi, negeri etc. Highly recommend read more

Zenbu Lounge - Patio - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'm sorry but wow I wish I never went here. Stinky sushi I couldn't even finish it and I'm still hungry but I didn't want to complain in front of all my friends. Being put in that situation is just not cool..Not a great selection of rolls or anything impressive food wise. Messed up multiple things didn't notice or apologize or offer to comp or do anything about it. We hate complaining and it made us uncomfortable and that's just not acceptable. If people are going out once a month and this is their experience it's just sad to be honest. I'd rather stay home and cook. I will add that the drinks were delicious. Great drinks and decent service Overall extremely disappointed in choosing this place for a special occasion with friends and wont be coming back. read more

Unique restaurant with indoor or outdoor seating that is beautiful and comfortable plus delicious food along with fresh squeezed cocktails. read more

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What a hidden gem! I'm new to the Sellwood area and during a neighborhood walkabout after work, my partner and I came across Zenbu. It was 5:30 on a Wednesday and not too busy so we were able to snag a seat outside. The patio is tucked in by bamboo and filled with greenery, very relaxing! I loved the green beans, and salmon nigiri! My partner ordered the salmon katsu and loved it. Our server was super friendly and the bartender made a mean Mai tai! By the time we left, the place was filling up so I imagine I'm not the only one who knows just how amazing this place is. read more

My wife and I checked out Zenbu Lounge based on local recommendations. I found the experience somewhat underwhelming. The ambience and setting for the restaurant is cool with a very cozy interior with prominent bar that serves as the backdrop for the main dining area. The food, was so-so. For example, we ordered their Chinese string beans with garlic which had all the right flavors but were overcooked. This type of dish should never come out soggy. The rolls that we ordered were average at best with creative names but, again, not really that amazing. Drink menu was decent, but nothing stuck out or appealed to us. Overall, its a fine place to get sushi tapas-style, but one can do much better with less expensive options in the greater PDX area. read more

I ordered me a miso for two, and we are talking about broth, which isn't a lot of overhead. I got a container 3/4 of the way filled for one person. Apparently, one serving of broth is just a single ladle. A shrink inflation is to the next level. A sad consumer . read more

Zenbu Lounge - Shrinflation - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great food. Service was over the top incredible. Will absolutely be back. Very cool setting.

The service at Zenbu is amazing. Everybody is so positive and kind. I love all of the plants on the patio and I love that it's inclosed. On the inside orange lanterns light up the dining area. We came here for my husband's birthday because we had never been, and my daughters were obsessed with the many sushi rolls, and the high quality miso soup. We got some sesame balls, and they were absolutely amazing. I said my daughters could get some Tempura donuts because it was the last day of school, and we all adored them. When we left my daughters were immediately asking to come back soon. We will definitely come back soon! read more

Zenbu Lounge - Lantern - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Luckily, we decided to go around 5pm on a Saturday bc it got very busy soon after. The sushi was fresh and service was great. The California roll had real crab. It's dark inside, like a lounge (since it IS one) and the decor is "interesting". Not my choice of music but it might be for some. We are non-drinkers so can't comment on the drinks. read more

Zenbu Lounge - California roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Came here for happy hour and was able to be seated right away. It was summer time so we sat in their breezy patio area. We ordered a few items from the HH menu and regular sushi menu. The fish was fresh. Our service was fantastic! Pro tip: HH is all day Sunday. read more

10/10! You will not be disappointed, happy hour is on point, sushi is great, apps are amazing, and there is an endless selection whisky! 13th street roll, crispy rice, and banana pudding were absolute fire! Service was great! read more

I do not write bad reviews about restaurants being from industry. This being said, Zenbu has been one of my favrorites even when they where food cart. The cockiness of the employees expecting their 25% tips is absurd. I will never put a foot back in this restaurant read more

This is the place I take all my friends. The sushi is amazing but if you only get sushi here, you are making a mistake. The small plates are amazing. I get the tuna, jalapeño poppers, ginger chicken, and the green beans every time. But the thing that makes this place special is the specials menu. Do not go here and skip looking at the specials menu. Every week there are amazing new and unique things on it. You will never get tired of eating here because there are always new things to try. I've had spicy Yuzu musssels, mushroom katsu, hot rice porridge, mochi, kimchi and so many other dishes off that specials menu that were so good that I remember every single one. Seriously. This is my favorite restaurant in Portland. read more

Super cute place! It's very intimate inside and has a nice patio. Food here was Amazing! Started out with a few happy hour menu items. Then my server asked me if I liked Brussels Sprouts! Hmmmm Yes! Then she tells me about these amazing Brussels they serve here! Since it was my first time. I was like sign me up. So she put in the order! Man Oh man was I lucky! When they arrived. It was a nice quantity. They looked as good as they tasted. They took me straight to flavortown! I hadn't had them quite like this before but I really really enjoyed them. I almost ate the whole order in two seconds. Next I just chilled and then ordered a few more things to try. The stuffEd Jalapeños! Always a go to for me at any place! (Unless they are deep fried and battered those aren't real Jalapeños Poppers ) lol! Anywho again very very very tasty! My server/bartender was really nice! She made me some cocktail with tequila and infused bitters! Something like an old fashioned but with tequila! It was delicious! You gotta come for those Brussels Sprouts! If your a fan it will change your life! For the better of course! Great Job Zenbu Lounge! Keep doing what your doing! Oh! I tried fried Donuts those were also yummy! read more

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Met with friends for happy hour and it was a lovely evening, so we sat outside. The service was super friendly and she gave us a lot of good suggestions. Everything we had was delicious, but my favorites were the szechuan green beans with fried tofu, ginger chicken, and the tempura shrimp roll. Loved the variety of sake and the marionberry seasonal shrub was tasty. Need to come back again to dip into their Japanese whisky selection. read more

I am completely baffled. We walked by twice and saw the place packed with happy people, and the reviews are great. We got carryout last night -- ordered all the things. It wasn't ready when we got there and we only walked half a block away to eat it, so it's not like a lot of time passed before we ate it, but nothing was fresh or good. The sushi didn't even look good. The sashimi was obviously not as fresh looking as we are used to, and the rolls were loose and sloppy. One piece of the salmon roll had a tiny pea-sized piece of salmon, and another piece had a 5-inch long piece all balled up in it. What the heck? After our first bite we said it was OK, but then after a couple more we decided it was not OK, and we ended up throwing away the whole meal. I am sure all these 5-star reviewers have been to good sushi places, so like I said, I'm baffled. I love sushi. It's one of my favorite things to eat, but it has to be fresh. I won't even go back to an "OK" sushi spot, but this was honestly less than OK. read more

We decided to go to Zenbu for a friends 40th birthday. We had a group of nine and everything was fine until we had to split the bill in 3's which we were told ahead of time by Aubrey before we ordered. Aubrey the male server there acted so inconvenienced that he had to split our bill and even called us children when he divided the checks wrongfully. I even wrote down everything that needed to be separated for him to make it easier on him and he insulted us multiple times. This was the worst customer service I've received in a really long time and was very disappointed that this had to happen on my friends 40th birthday. read more

Finding this restaurant is what Bob Ross would refer to as a happy accident. My niece and I were craving sushi and randomly found Zenbu on Yelp and it was everything we wanted - and more! #notsponsoredjustexcited #idontthinkhashtagsworkonyelp #ohwell The decor and general vibe is what I would describe as rustic, eclectic and romantic. There's a cozy indoor space as well as a bamboo enclosed patio. This would be a great spot for a date! This would also be a great spot for post-COVID solitary dining when eating with actual people is a little too much but you want to dip your toe in real life human interaction! There are several hanging lanterns that provide nice lighting and a lot of wood accents and hanging plants (my niece is a plant fiend so bonus points for that). There's a full bar (plants and booze, what more could we ask for?!) with a unique cocktail list. I started with the Sellwood Sangria (lemon, orange, pineapple, rum, white wine, topped with ginger beer) and Torie (the niece) went with the Cherry Blossom (house infused ginger vodka, ginger simple, lime, grapefruit). Both drinks were tasty but the Cherry Blossom was fantastic. Order it. The restaurant was pretty busy with takeout and in person dining but the staff was still very attentive. We started with edamame and seared ahi wontons (seared tuna, crispy wonton, avocado, sweet soy, wasabi, tobiko). The wontons were delicious - excellent combo of flavors and textures. I was a little sad that there were only three pieces but it was amazing while it lasted. The edamame was edamame, insert shrug emoji. After the apps, we went with karaage (Japanese fried dark meat chicken, rice, spicy mayo) and three rolls: poke - spicy tuna, cucumber, scallion, topped with seaweed salad funky tuna - spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, tempura green onion, topped with spicy mayo, scallion, & fried garlic sellwood roll - tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber, topped with tuna, sweet soy, wasabi aioli, scallion & tobiko The rolls were great! The poke roll had a bit too much seaweed salad for Torie's taste but I loved it. However, my favorite was the sellwood followed closely by the funky tuna. I loved the fresh tuna on the sellwood and the fried garlic on the funky tuna were little nuggets of deliciousness. Naturally we asked for extra spicy mayo (did I mention I like sauce??) and pickled ginger. So good. This was such a great find! If you're near Sellwood (or not, it's worth a drive!) and craving sushi I would highly recommend! read more

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I do not even remember how or why I decided I needed to try this spot. A close friend is Vegan so we usually go to for Japanese since we are both huge fans and most places offer plenty of Vegan options. This spot certainly does and they have some amazing food. We walked in and decided to sit outside since it was so gorgeous out. We sat next to the coy pond. The back area is wonderful! Very private from the street and just calming. We started with the happy hour Brussels Sprouts and green beans which are both Vegan and YUMMY! Seriously such great flavors and came with some rice as well. You could make a meal out of one of these! Next up we had some rolls and I had some nigiri. Our whole experience start to finish was amazing! The inside of the restaurant is stunning and looks to have a crazy amount of liquor in addition to all the traditional fare at a sushi spot. The menu is small but quite mighty. Everything just seems to have that caring touch to it. read more

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The food was great, even though the menu was lacking. Our issue was with the rude server that has bad tattoos and mutton chops. Will be ordering takeout in the future to avoid that guy read more

We live in the neighborhood and have visited Zenbu numerous times. The rolls are great and we'll proportioned. The staff is knowledgeable about what's on the menu and very friendly and accommodating. There is a vast Japanese whiskey menu with flights available. I do like my whiskey and we tried a few flights...damn good! Zenbu has an amazing outside space for eating and drinks - well decorated and spacious. My only complaint is that my toddlers loved the sushi so much that they devoured everything we put in front of them - like gross style. Great place to get sushi and Japanese whiskey- we'll continue to support this restaurant to get our sushi fix. read more

This place is awesome - great vibe, great food, great service! Definitely get their szechuan green beans and love their rolls. Their drinks really rock too! read more

I'm rounding up from 4.5 stars... things are kinda slow coming out of the kitchen. BUT, I don't mind as much when the resulting food is amazingly delicious and creative. I've been to the Zenbu cart before, so we wanted to try the full-on restaurant. Glad we did! Took some friends and we ordered a feast, including their Sunday special, which that day was Okonomiyaki. I've been to Japan, had Okonomiyaki there at a tiny hole in the wall joint, and Zenbu nailed it! This was a legit delicious plate of food, filled with fish, shrimp, pork belly, veggies, with the egg that holds it all together, topped w/ classic Okonomiyaki sauce and Kewpie mayo. We got a few other sushi items, all delish, especially the red curry thai rolls with salmon. Mmmmm. The green beans were good, and I even got kaarage to take home for my son. Even though it was cold by the time I got it home, he said it was "actually pretty good" - high praise from a teenager, trust me. Service was good, but as mentioned, the food was rather slow to come out. But besides that, we loved it and will be back to enjoy their large patio once the sun comes out. read more

Zenbu Lounge - Okonomiyaki. Legit delicious! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Beautiful sushi resturant, decent food kinda on the pricer end. Unique menu with lots of options I hadn't heard of. Service was slow but the place was packed so I don't blame them, it was just a long wait. read more

Walked in & sat at the bar. It's a rustic vibe that I really enjoyed. The service was awesome & had a good crowd of people. I would highly recommend the Sellwood roll or Funky tuna roll. read more