Sushi. Seattle. Sell me.

April 16, 2009 3:39 PM

Where to get sushi on Friday/Saturday nights in Seattle?

Visiting Seattle in a few weeks for one weekend. Looking for good sushi on the less expensive side in downtown Seattle (preferably around Pike St. area, but within a mile or so from there is fine). I have googled around a bit and found a lot of places that look alright (and reviews going back and forth) but I know Mefites in the area will probably be WAY more reliable. Let's hear it, Seattle...where's the best sushi?

posted by gracious floor to food & drink (10 comments total)

Nijo Sushi Bar and Grill
posted by Craig at 3:46 PM on April 16

I got some great suggestions from folks here. We ended up going to Nishino, which was spectacularly good, but neither close to downtown nor on the less expensive side.
posted by dersins at 3:53 PM on April 16

For good AND cheap (with more emphasis on cheap) Hana up on Capitol Hill is a great value. I go there often.
posted by Craig at 3:53 PM on April 16 [1 favorite has favorites]

We love Shiro's: in my opinion, it's the best sushi in Belltown/Downtown, and an experience in itself if you manage to get a seat at the bar and talk to Shiro. It's pretty expensive, though.

If you're willing to hop on a bus and venture out to Wallingford, Kisaku is amazing!
posted by halogen at 4:05 PM on April 16

Shiro's is ridiculously expensive and not anywhere near as good as it used to be. I'm not sure what's going on there but I know Shiro has partially retired so maybe the mice are playing while the cat's away. I never eat there anymore despite the fact that my condo is about two blocks down.

However I LOVELOVELOVE Kisaku! So inexpensive and so consistently good. And after dinner you can walk down the block to Hiroki for dessert!
posted by HotToddy at 4:56 PM on April 16

Hana has the best spicy tuna rolls evar. (spicy tuna rolls are what you do with lower-grade tuna, but I like 'em so nyeah)

Seattle doesn't hurt for good sushi though, there aren't many bad places, just less good places.

Thing is, you're visiting. You want a unique experience. i suggest you try Mashiko's in West Seattle. It's really, really good. Like, fancy-pants fine dining good. It's a bit expensive, (You could spend $40-$50 on dinner) but it's worth it. If you can do the omakase, you should.
posted by fnerg at 5:05 PM on April 16 [1 favorite has favorites]

I was just at Mashiko's the other night, awesome sushi and a great sign in the waiting area:

* Chopsticks are not drumsticks
* Soy sauce is not a beverage
* You don't need spicy mayo for everything
* Servers like tips
* And something else that I forget
posted by jpeacock at 5:24 PM on April 16

A single data-point on Shiro's: my wife and I ate there after some high recommendations, and it's about as good as the cheap sushi we can get here in Madison, WI. YMMV
posted by rocketman at 6:27 PM on April 16

Transplanted from Seattle to Orlando five years ago. I get back in town twice a year, Mashiko is the only restaurant I make a point of returning to.

I've done omakase a few times and have never been disappointed with anything sent out, and have found them accomodating to dietary concerns. Hajime, the owner, is a great guy to spend time with at the bar, so if you can sit up there and watch him work and chat, he will teach you a lot.

I would be jealous of your proximity, but I will be there in a month, so I will have my share soon. I do agree it is costly, but it's a splurge well worth the money.
posted by Jazz Hands at 6:35 PM on April 16

Thanks to everyone, I really appreciate it. I am sure we will end up someplace great!
posted by gracious floor at 7:18 PM on April 16