Since I had a coupon from Restaurant .com, my wife and I decided to try this place. It's a bit far from where we live, but we don't mind driving. When we walked in, there were plenty of tables to sit at. All the customers were at the sushi bar for happy hour. The music was a variety of songs from Izzy Kamakawiwo'ole to some oldies. I started off with Edamame. The prices for the Seaweed salad is about twice what I would pay at any other Japanese restaurant. I ordered a Tobiko which is Nigiri sushi with flying fish roe, they didn't have it. For dinner I had the Chirashi and my wife ordered two sushi rolls; Crunchy and Spicy Tuna. My Chirashi was OK, but I missed having the shredded radish, sliced cucumber and fresh tamago (egg), theirs was small and chewy. Most of the fish was fresh except for the ahi tuna which looked like it was previously frozen. The sushi rice was fresh and my wife enjoyed the sushi rolls. They were a little slow at getting our orders to us. Mine came first and had to wait about 10-15 minutes before the sushi rolls came out. The green tea was hot, but looked like it had been sitting in the pot for some time. The server, Jason was polite and willing to go the extra mile. He could only go as fast as the slowest sushi chef.
(3)
Michelle H.
We've been here multiple times - probably 6 or more. The best thing on the menu is the jalepeno "poppers." Try them! To the reviewers that say that this place is awful and the reviewers haven't had real sushi, I have to disagree. I've been to many amazing sushi restaurants around the country and abroad over the past 15 years, and I still give this restaurant 4 stars. Is this the most amazing sushi you'll ever have? No, of course not. Is it the best you'll get for $3-$9 a roll with an incredibly friendly staff? Yep. Also, they usually have a Yelp repeat customer check in special - was a free edamame appetizer for every 2 Yelp check ins, last time I went was a free ice cream dessert.
(4)
Carter M.
Since Big Eye opened, I have struggled to find fresher fish. Alliteration aside, the goods here are top notch and you'd be hard pressed to find better deals elsewhere. Yes, I'm here quite a bit, which is why I am supremely confident in my upcoming recommendation. . . Make Big Eye a regular stop in the ever-growing, ever-competitive sushi gauntlet that is North Scottsdale. I love the atmosphere, the sushi, the beer, and the wonderful staff. Ask Sushi Chef John for a "Carter Roll," and maybe my incoherent yammering, and incessant nagging will drown out as your taste buds make all the noise.
(5)
Jason G.
I have to admit it, I am a regular. I show up at least once a week, sometimes two or three times. It is very close to my house, and I always get great service from the chefs-- Fuji, John and Yohan. The beer is made even better by chilled mugs. Spicy tuna never disappoints... couple that with some other rolls and I'm off to the races!!! The hand rolls that Yohan prepares are insanely delicious!! Try a spicy tuna with tempura shrimp and avocado!! Three varieties of premium sake and soju are available for your delight, as is a bar, draft Sapporo and Kirin, and a selection of red and white wines... LOVE THIS PLACE!
(5)
Erin H.
Good prices and good quality sushi!
(5)
Brent H.
I decided to check out Big Eye about a week ago and I could not have been more pleased with the quality of food & hospitality. After reading the mixed reviews on here, I felt compelled to write about my experience here. For starters, the service was top notch and made a memorable impression. The waiter was attentive and consistent in making sure we had everything necessary to thoroughly enjoy our meal. Mission accomplished. Next, the Sushi chef(s) were prompt in the preparation of the delicious rolls we ordered. (I'm not sure why other customers on here were complaining about the prep time. Personally, I would think that if someone were spending slightly more time and attention to what was being created for me, I would find that to be quite a positive attribute. Sounds like you belong to the Instant-Gratification Nation. If you are looking for a lightning-fast meal, I'd highly suggest Burger King or something of that nature. Finally, the food. The reason why I left with a satisfied stomach. The rolls were absolutely on point and extremely delicious. I'd recommend you try anything they offer in the spicy category or something that involves tuna/salmon. The Happy Hour: Tasty rolls & half price drinks. To the point and hits the spot. Lastly, on my way out I met the sushi chef/owner named Yohan and he was the nicest, most down-to-earth person I've met in quite some time. He suggested I come back on Saturday night for the "After Hours Party" that starts at 10:30 and includes FREE appetizer rolls and Happy Hour drink price along with a live DJ spinning the tunes to enliven the mood. (Yes, people. Free food). Don't know too many other sushi joints that offer that. Count me in. I will be back. The End.
(5)
Sagar K.
Placed looked lively for a week night. The sushi we ordered was on Happy Hour and was pretty good. The reason I only gave this place a 3 is because our order took 20 minutes, with the last dish being the appetizer.
(3)
Mike S.
Quiet atmosphere, good sushi with Happy Hour all day - everyday.
(4)
Lonnie D.
Our favorite local sushi place. Always pleases, often exceeds expectations. Definitely try the iced flavored sake.
(5)
Amnon F.
My to go place when I crave Sushi. Small yet very good sushi, personal service and very fairly priced.
(5)
Cheyenne G.
I have been here multiple times and usually it is Grand - inviting hostess, friendly & informative staff, yummy food, etc... but the last time I went there were only two servers working that night and right as the server/hostess was seating us another table broke a glass so she just dropped the menus on the side of the sushi bar and said she would be right back. Granted, a broken glass does require immediate attention and could take a few minutes to clean up but then the server forgot to come back to us for about 10 minutes.... We ended up asking the sushi chef for a pencil to mark what we wanted and flagged down the waitress to take our order, which we had to bring up that we wanted something to drink and two miso soups. She brought the waters and then she announced "here is ONE of your miso soups". The other soup eventually came out after our first sushi order did. We had to stop the waitress for some chopsticks then realized we didn't have napkins so called for her again and then realized we didn't have any plate or sauce dishes so we called for her again, and then realized we didn't have any soy sauce and called for her yet again...at this point I felt like we were bothering her and did not dare ask to get a refill on our drinks. It was just very odd because the waitress acted as though they were super busy only having two waitresses but there were only three other tables seated while we were there. The good thing is that they have HAPPY HOUR (ALL DAY, EVERY DAY) unfortunately, we did not know this since they still keep their happy hour menus with specific times at the table... whaaa whaaa The food is good (I recommend the surfer roll) and the chefs are cool to talk to.
(4)
Andrea H.
Lunch Review: I really wanted to like this place since it's near my office and home :( However, I just can't bring myself to give it more than 2 stars. My coworker and I walked in at 11:38 as the only customers in the whole place. Apparently they just opened their doors for the day (?) As I sat down I observed that NOTHING was behind the sushi bar. No sushi chef.....and no sushi supplies. Interesting. The host was very kind and ended up also being our server. We ordered edamame and it came out promptly after we placed our rolls order. We ordered 2 specialty rolls and a plain tuna roll. By this time 2 other parties had filled the restaurant. About 15 minutes passed and one party received a large order (it looked tasty!) of tempura stuff. We found it interesting that they were served before us though they came in after us. Exactly 28 minutes after we sat down a sushi chef started bringing supplies out to the sushi bar and apparently BEGAN making our rolls. They came out eventually but the second specialty roll was the wrong one! Ugh. At least we weren't charged for it-- that was appreciated. It took 50 minutes to get 2 specialty rolls (one of which was wrong) and 1 simple tuna roll. Not cool. Oh, and the sushi was average tasting.
(2)
Pam C.
I don't know what the reason is for all the poor reviews, but this restaurant deserves 5 stars. One server for 5 tables, but he was extremely friendly and accommodating. We wanted for nothing. Most people want sushi as it comes out. In fact I've never been to a sushi restaurant where it all comes out at the same time. The point of sushi is that it's supposed to be fresh. I don't want sashimi and rolls on the table all at once, getting warm and dry... ew. The sashimi was impressive - for it's freshness and taste and size. We also got spicy tuna and salmon rolls and were equally satisfied. OH... and they play amazing music. Plus right now they have happy hour all day, everyday. Go... unless you're super picky and actually believe that Vegas and Tootsie rolls qualify as "sushi."
(5)
Nathan M.
Great lunch specials! Sushi combo A. 10 bucks for 2 rolls, shrimp tempura, plus soup. Plus it's right next to 24 hour fitness so I can lift and get a sushi fix in the same visit! David makes the best rolls! Sammi is the best server!
(4)
Julie D.
So much better. Great service. The food is amazing. Best sashimi in town. The salmon melts in your mouth. The rolls are fabulous. Just be aware they can be a little heavy on sauce. Totally recommend it.
(5)
Mary V.
GREAT sushi place! They have so many special rolls and pictures of each one on the menu. The sushi chefs are very experienced and give you extras many times. The staff is very friendly and it's a great atmosphere. Prices can't be beat! I highly recommend trying.
(5)
Tiberiu O.
As everybody says the happy hour choices are great. The staff is also very welcoming and nice. The problem is that there was only 1 person making the sushi, which is probably the reason why it took forever to get our orders.
(3)
Stuart T.
Went here many months ago and had a terrible experience. Very few people in the place on a mid-week evening and yet it took forever to get our food. Sushi came out item by item instead of all together so people had to wait until their order came while others were eating. Food was OK but service was horrible. Thought I'd give it a second chance tonight but they are nothing if not consistent. Took 45 minutes for first of three rolls to come out. Then 10 minutes between #2 and #3. Meanwhile my guest ordered salmon and that was finished before my first roll appeared. When I let it be known that I was not pleased the waitress actually tried to convince me that we waited too long to decide and because there was only one sushi chef other tables got their orders in before ours. Wait, it was my fault? I don't think so. Two strikes and your out. Every place deserves a second chance but not a third so this place is scratched from my list of places to go for dinner.
(1)
Jhior N.
Love the vibe, chill staff and awesome food for good prices. Gotta try it, at anytime. Also have a regular menu but the sushi is what clings me to the table.
(5)
Su-shien C.
Yup, it's my 4th time having sushi in 4 days. This time I took my son who is 4 and has already developed a taste for sushi just like his mama. We ordered the tuna, salmon, and yellowtail sashimi (6 pieces/ $10 each) and an order of chicken teriyaki ($12) The sashimi came first and to my surprise, there were 10-12 pieces for each kind of sashimi! We were delighted of course and still fought over the number of delicious slices of fish each one of us ate! Then the chicken teriyaki came and to my surprise, it was a lean cut of chicken breast with very little sauce (which was just perfect for my low/ no carb diet!) with a big bowl of rice which was perfect for my son! My son said, "Thanks mommy for taking me out to this supper dinner!" which sums up our meal. Why not 5 stars, there was just one waitress for the whole restaurant and while she was very friendly, service was slow which can be hard for this mama with a hungry 4 year old in tow!
(4)
neil m.
Absolutely delicious with unexpectedly good friendly service. The udon bowl was perfect and the softshell crab roll the best we've ever had.
(5)
Erin H.
Surfer roll is awesome!!! I highly recommend! Awesome service too :) great happy hour!
(5)
Nathan B.
I purchased a Big Eye Sushi coupon from Restaurant.com in order to use at the Scottsdale location. They do not honor their restaurant.com coupons. Big Eye Sushi is dishonest and conducts practices that are illegal. After purchasing several coupons from restaurant.com , I was told that I could not use these for carry out. This incident occurred at 18:24 on 29 June 2013. There is NO restriction for carry out in the fine print. Online, it even says that they do accept these coupons for take out. Second, they charged an 18% gratuity for a party of three when I did use the coupon. I have no problems with tipping and actually intended to tip 20% since the waiter was friendly. However, the fine print mentioned nothing about an 18% gratuity for the restaurant.com promotion. In fact it implies the opposite telling guests to "tip your server on the full value of the guest check." Why should this be in writing if there's going to be an 18% gratuity? Finally, they do not allow the coupon to be used in conjunction with happy hour items: this is a good portion of the menu. While this isn't expressly stated on the promotional paper, they could argue to some degree that it is implied. In short, I feel very deceived from that promotional offer and spent a good amount of money for what turned out to be a scam provided by Big Eye Sushi. I will not eat there ever again. Oh, and the sushi isn't even that fresh, and twice they were out of items that we wanted to order. Please save your money and visit one of the many other excellent sushi bars in the area. If I could give them 0 stars, I would.
(1)
Ricky P.
Sheryl wanted sushi for dinner, and there are a LOT of sushi places in Scottsdale. While we were driving, she found a Groupon for this place. For $20, we got 2 specialty rolls, edamame and sake. They also have happy hour all day every day, and we ordered some dumplings. We left stuffed, that's for sure. The place was packed and a lot of people are complaining about the service. We didn't have an issue with service at all. They play top 40 tunes, which I could do without... But this place is legit. Cheers!
(4)
Sheryl H.
Not sure why this place has bad reviews. We came early on a Saturday night. Not busy when we got here, but it started to fill up quickly. We used a Groupon, which was a great deal, but their happy hour is almost as good! And it's all day every day! (But not for takeout) Overall, good service, good service, good bargain. Will definitely be back!
(5)
Shar B.
Completely and totally unimpressed and quite disappointed. The sushi is low quality (I'm quite the sushi nut) and the prices are quite high. The place was dirty and the staff was rude and non attentive. The food itself lacks taste and was put together really quickly. We got the Vegas, Tootsie, Philadelphia and salmon rolls and usually are quite happy with that selection in other establishments but wished we would have just gone somewhere entirely different.
(1)
Kimberly T.
Meh. I've never been unimpressed by sushi & I must say, I was unimpressed. The space is nice. I had a choice to watch Game 7 or Avatar between the two TVs which I thought was humorous. Service was good; a little awkward, but good. The seaweed salad was a disappointment. There was barely any seaweed & just a lot of greens. The gyozas were soggy & didn't have much flavor. The tootsie roll was falling apart but did taste good. Saved $7 by buying the Yelp deal - prices were reasonable even without it though. All around, meh.
(2)
Thomas R.
Amzing food and great prices... what more can be said about sushi. Go, go now! Do it!
(5)
Harmony R.
Hands down, the BEST sushi in Phx metro area... Have been going since they opened, and it did take a while for them to fine-tune their staff/service, it's always been worth the wait for the amazing food. We moved to South Scottsdale a little over a year ago, so we started going to other sushi restaurants that were closer, or that seemed more convenient, and sometimes just to try someplace new, but they were all just mediocre. We returned to Big Eye tonight because we were in the neighborhood, and it was busy... Not bursting at the seems, but busy... The staff were all super friendly and helpful, the service was spot-on, and the food was TO DIE FOR as always! Big Eye, please open a location in South Scottsdale!!!
(5)
Devon R.
Good sushi! Service a little slow....but great prices!
(4)
Matthew M.
Love going to this place. Always has interesting music playing, a hostess up front and greets you upon arrival and the sushi is incredible. Their Happy Hour prices are super low and you can get loaded up with food and some drinks at a fair price. I highly recommend getting the Yummi roll. The name holds true. Tucked back off of Frank Lloyd Wright. I have eaten here several times and will continue to frequent them.
(5)
Jeff M.
The sushi was so-so. It didn't blow me away. It wasn't horrible but unmemorable. The kids didn't like their meals either and they LOVE sushi house teriyaki chicken. We'll keep looking for good sushi in this area.
(2)
Grant W.
Big Eye has an excellent new age vibe to it. It's a great place to come to enjoy you're favorite sports teams play while also enjoying happy hour all day, every day. The people there are excellent and very friendly :). And if an Asahi or Kirin is not you're glass of beer then you're in luck because, Big Eye has a diverse selection of alcohols. Oh and Sushi orders come out in the order they come in.
(5)
Carolyn W.
I'm a regular and have been for the past 6 months. I'm wondering where these sub-par reviews are coming from. My husband and I love this place! Our favorite is the Surfer Roll and the Summer roll. They both melt in your mouth. The citrus Hamachi is wonderful too. We took my parents there a few weeks ago and they loved it. One of my favorite things is that they use the right amount of rice when making their rolls. I hate the restaurants that try to make it look like their rolls are huge, but they are just filling you up with rice. Also, you can't beat the Happy Hour prices. My one suggestion was to make sure the wait staff is more attentive. I often have to ask for water when its obvious that my water glass is empty. Also, when my dad requested a fork (he doesn't know how to use chop sticks), the waitress forgot, and we ended up asking another waiter for it. However, the good is so good, that I overlook the small shortcomings of the wait staff.
(4)
Kim O.
Actually really good sushi! I purchased a restaurant.com gift certificate and thought "what do I have to lose" I was very happy! Prices were not too bad but could be lower but food was excellent! The food I didn't like was the miso soup. It tasted like it came from those powder packet mixes. Wait staff could improve. I'd go again! Would be 5 star if wait staff and soup was better.
(4)
Kh D.
Top notch fish, preparation, and service. Delightful experience.
(5)
Neema E.
Super friendly staff, good lunch specials that are very affordable, and it's right next to 24 hour fitness! No feeling guilty after eating too much which is always a plus :)
(4)
Jessi K.
Service was great, but the food was terrible. This is one of those places that can make you never like sushi again. YUCK! Stay away!
(1)
Destiny D.
awesome sushi and staff :)
(5)
Amy M.
We have watched business' come and go at this location for a few years now. When I saw that it is now a sushi restaurant, I had my reservations. During the day you cannot see into the shop because of the tinted windows, but don't let that stop you from seeing and tasting what's inside. We sat ourselves at the bar and were greeted very warmly from the waitress and soon afterwords, the sushi chef. It happened to be happy hour at the time with extremely reasonable prices. Happy hour is everyday of the week from 4-6:30pm. What great deals! Sake bombers were only $6 and you can choose from a variety of appetizers; such as edamame, calamari, and gyoza, to name a few. I had to have the edamame, and the calamari was scrumptious as well. It was served with a yummy aioli sauce that paired with it perfectly. Not only were there appetizers on the happy hour menu, but there were some sushi rolls to choose from too. We tried the shrimp tempura roll and wow, the shrimp had an amazing light batter that had a lovely crunch! Besides happy hour, we had to experiment more from the sushi menu. The Surfer was amazing; that was one of my favorites. The dynamite shrimp on top was delectable with it's spicy zing. It was hard not to eat all the shrimp on its own without the roll! If you like spicy, you would also like the yellow fin tuna with sauteed jalapenos. It's served with a delightful soy garlic sauce. It was a little misleading, because we thought it was going to be a roll. However, it was extremely fresh and tasty, but a little overpriced for all that you got. On the adventurous side, the quail egg was phenomenal! It was served in a shot glass and I have to admit, I wasn't sure how to proceed. After taking the plunge into my mouth, I found that all the components went together extremely well and the creaminess from the quail egg only added to the delicacy of it. I would definitely get that again and perhaps experiment a little more with what else they had to offer. I am very happy to have found a sushi bar that keeps my taste buds wanting more. Service was excellent. My glass never reached empty, and it was never a nuisance to stop our waitress and ask for something. The atmosphere was mediocre. I felt that there could have been more charm, especially with the big screen televisions playing football. Personally, I could have done without and maybe been more entertained with anime. However, this sushi hot spot is off to a good start and I hope they will be around longer than their predecessors.
(4)
matt b.
I ate here tonight. It was good. I have been here 2 times now. I went a few years ago during their 1st week in business. Needless to say it is much better now. The happy hour menu is very good, and everybody that worked there was friendly and the service was also very good. I have nothing bad to say.
(4)
Amber A.
So excited to use my first groupon. First off, the sushi was great. The manger (sushi chef) was super nice and fun to talk with. With that being said, the waitress staff was less then desired. Very slow, less then attentive, and a bit rude. I was not impressed and left a much larger tip for the sushi chef. It was even more of a disappointment once I found out that the owner was there and clearly had observed us, or at least noticed us. We were having a good time (despite the lack in service). He made no attempt to acknowledge the lack of service we were getting. Keep in mind that we were there to see the change from happy hour to dinner. There were a few times we were the only two in there. I will return to use our second groupon, hopefully service will be better. I think the $25.00 discount in a $125.00 bill would be worth better customer service.
(4)
M. R.
Again, I ask: where have the good people of the Phoenix area been getting their sushi? Because at this point, I'm morbidly curious. Either certain contingents are used to the sub-par variety, unable to develop a taste for good offerings, or some sort of sushi wizard has taken residence in the area. Regardless, it's important to note that anyone who knows calamari realizes that cuts of such resembling "fish sticks" are actually delicious calamari steak, often of Humbolt Squid, the crème de la crème of calamari. I didn't ask if that's what the calamari at Big Eye Sushi consisted of. I felt no need- it could have been the meat of some fearsome, genetically engineered land squid, and I would not have cared one whit. It was still absolutely delicious: creamy on the inside, crisp and light on the outside, served with a spicy miso. Absolutely amazing. I hope it stays on the menu for a long, long time. I'm not even sure that, even as good as it was, I could call the calamari the highlight of the meal. The fish was rich, fresh and really very good. I was especially impressed by the wahoo, which melted like butter in my mouth. Unlike many other sushi joints, the special rolls were not over seasoned or sauced. I really do admire the restraint of those preparing our dinner, especially given that spicy miso at hand. I could actually taste the fish in everything I ordered. And as I said, the fish was delightful. I especially liked the citrus yellowtail sashimi, although I understand the ordinary tuna was filled with delicious beefy notes. The albacore tataki was pleasantly easy on the garlic. So many places use that to disguise the flavor of albacore better served some nights before. And did I mention the six enormous cuts of albacore involved? We sat at the sushi bar (which is so wonderfully roomy!) and did not find the chefs particularly talkative, though they were friendly enough and it was our first time in after all. Both available for our dinner were very fast and artful about their preparations, so we enjoyed watching them. The servers proved efficient and pleasant, politely handling even another customer dead set on telling the chefs how to do their job. My one gripe with Big Eye would be the lighting. After dark, the overhead halogens, while easy to see by, had a bit of an office vibe. The calamari and maybe a shot of sake will surely help anyone overlook this, however.
(4)
Joel B.
2nd rate sushi and service, got the order wrong but totally made good in it. For a quick snack it's ok, but not for a date or a sushi conneseur. service is also slow, but very polite. Don't come here if your in a hurry.
(3)
Matthew L.
Not bad. Good sushi and decent service. This was the second time we went to Big Eye. The first time was just after they opened, and the service was horrible. This time around, we thought we'd give them a second chance, and was happy to see that things have gotten better. Overall, good sushi, good prices, and good service.
(3)
Marissa K.
Do not go here! This place does't know how to run a business, I am amazed they are still open. When we were seated (before we even sat down) I was asked what we would like to drink, um.. can I look at the menu first? Also there was a total of 9 people in the restaurant including me and my husband. I have patience of a saint, but the service here is ridiculous slow for how dead it was. The server who could use a talking to about personality and a needs to check her attitude at the door RAN everywhere, very unprofessional. Even though this establishment is right down the street, we will NEVER, EVER be back. There are too many good restaurants in the area than to settle for sub par sushi with sh*tty staff. You might also want to change your elevator music, as it was loud and awful!!! Also...after reading more Yelp reviews, the poor service is the only thing constant with this place! Maybe instead of the manager "replying" to all the COMPLAINTS...he should be in the restaurant trying to teach his rude amateur staff!
(1)
Lynda H.
Went tonight for the first time. Our friend (who is a regular) asked us to join her. Found the portion sizes to be small (compared to our old place, Satori). Also, no "real"crab, just imitation crab. Was told it tastes the same as the real deal. For me (who has celiac), the imitation will make me sick (it's not the "same"). I brought my own gluten-free soy sauce and they did mark my order with NO SOY SAUCE, which was great. Did enjoy the (complimentary) orange pieces for dessert
(3)
Keran L.
I went to Big Eye sushi on a Saturday night. Very slow on a sat night, and only a few people at this place saw the coupon on the paper and thought this place is pretty new. Turns out it had been there for 3 years already. They actually have Happy Hour all day long, and I ordered only from the happy hour menu. The sushi turned out to be pretty good actually, ordered Spicy crab roll, Vegas roll, chicken yakitori, and calamari. Along with that redeemed the free tempura roll with the coupon. I think the place deserves a 3 star, food quality was up to par for the price ( yay for happy hour!),but service wasn't uhhhh really? The blond waitress only came to check on me twice through out dinner, and looked like only one sushi chef was working. The order came out a little too slow, I think that's what other customers complained about. They need to improve their service for sure. I would go back for the happy hour though, its a good deal.
(3)
Brian T.
After reading the other bad reviews, I was hesitant to come here. We went Friday night and it was pretty empty. In fact there was one table being occupied by a young family. After a few minutes, one of their young kids started crying really loud. It turns out that they put a really hot sauce in the kids meal. The mom and dad were yelling at the manager who didn't seem all that concerned. Our Sushi was okay, The fish was fresh but the rice had a lot of vinegar. My wife thinks they added extra vinegar to older rice to keep it moist and stick together. The prices were reasonable. They have Smartphone coupons on their website. It is $10 off a bill of $40 or more. I showed my server who seemed to chuckle and said she would check. She came back and said since we didn't have the print out they would only give $5 off. I reminded her that it was their "Smartphone" Coupon that has instructions to just show the coupon on your phone. She then took my phone and walked back to the kitchen to show the manager. I found that odd that the manager wouldn't come out to talk to us. I am not a big fan of seeing my phone walk away from me for any reason. They honored the $10. The service was actually pretty good. Overall, it wasn't terrible but I am unlikely to go back. Too many other good sushi places.
(2)
Cory S.
Great Happy hour between 4:30-6:30pm. Spacious new restaurant in North Scottsdale. Come if you want a nice quiet atmosphere and great food. Sushi was authentic and tasty. The Yelp deals for it are a great buy AND can be used during Happy Hour!
(5)
K K.
"Expensive, below average, small portion sushi" 2/5 We were excited about this new sushi place close to our home last week and decided to give it a try. When we walked in the restaurant around 6pm, we were the first group of customer in the restaurant. The server was nice by taking our seating us and taking orders. We chose 3 types of sushi rolls - cucumber roll, special roll with salmon and cream cheese and an eel roll. My sis ordered a chicken-katsu. The rolls were pretty disappointing as they were very small rolls in size and not much of raw fish (sashimi) on top. It tasted like something that you could have gotten from the grocery store sushi section but a lot more expensive at Big Eye. One special roll is about $13 to $15 (only tiny 5-6 slices). My sis's chicken-katsu tasted better than sushi but the price was a bit steep as well ($12 or $13). I guess this is Scottsdale price! Oh well, we had definitely tasted better sushi with the same price. I would not recommend this place to any friends but might give it a try again in a year or two.
(2)
Lisa W.
Took the kids here tonight without the husband who said he wouldn't come here because of all the bad Yelp reviews. Willing to give it a try, we sat down and ordered some sushi. They have some specials for happy hour (4:30-6:30pm M -Sat) so we got a roll, some yellowtail nigiri, and an order of chicken katsu. The food was good, the yellowtail was fresh, the Vegas roll was tasty, and the kids loved the chicken katsu. I have to agree with the reviews about service however. We were there early, the place was almost empty at the time yet the waitress was rather slow and uninterested, and never came over to ask how we were doing with our meals. I definitely deduct a star for the (lack of) service. I would go back however, it was reasonably priced, and the food was tasty. Just get better at service and I'll give them another star!
(3)
Mike G.
I went To Big Eye Sushi because my friend had a coupon from restaurant.com . we sat at the sushi bar and there was only one other table in the place. I ordered my usual, Yellow tail, mackerel, and salmon roe. The mackerel was grey and tasted like tuna fish out of the can, like it was cooked. I told the chef behind the counter and he told me it was cured. I was like; Are you Serious? we had the calamari appetizer and it was like rubber bands. not fresh. I'm not a fan of Big eye sushi and wouldn't return. And by the looks of the sparce cuts of fish in the fridge in front of us and the few patrons that came in I don't think they will be there long. Sushi is a tough business in Phx for obvious reasons and food cost is enormous. I give this place 2 sushi knives out of 5. We had a $50 coupon had two big beers each and two sake's and tried about 7 dishes. The total after coupon was $130. There are just too many better value and better quality sushi places to go back to one that is marginal. Service was ok ... nothing notable.
(2)
vanessa m.
Every roll I have had here after multiple visits has been fresh and high quality. Our service has always been great. It is not cheap, but always well worth it.
(5)
Andrea A.
HORRIBLE service! The food is pretty good...good prices for lunch. But I cant believe how long it takes to get a couple of orders of sashimi. It took us approx 1 hr 45 min to get our complete order, which wasn't much. We will never go back just because of the poor service.
(1)
Mark B.
The food was pretty good actually but the service was brutal. Never did get our final roll which was their specialty roll that looked good on the menu. The capper was when I raised my hand like I was in grade school for service and still was not acknowledged. My wife had to walk up to the waitress stand to ask for several things and they acted pretty ho hum like we didn't matter. Pretty competitive restaurant market in Scottsdale. They probably should make it at least appear like they care.
(2)
jordan b.
Don't waste your time with this one folks. We sat for 10 minutes before the server took our drink order. Drinks came out 10 minutes later. Then the server ignored us for another 25 minutes. Two beers in, 45 minutes later and no order. I had to flag down another server to let him know I don't have time for this. No apology. Horrible service...will never go back and make sure all my friends know about the experience. I won't be surprised if the doors close soon.
(1)
Deb B.
food, was ok, terrible service, 47 degrees outside and 53 degrees inside. The heat was broken but we were not told before sitting down and ordering. It was cold! I will not go back. Nothing memorable.
(2)
Mike S.
As many of the reviews here on Yelp and other sites have consistently stated about Big Eye.. the SERVICE is HORRIBLE. This COULD be a decent place since the food is not that bad, BUT with one sushi chef and one server (on most days) this place needs to think about service because people are not going to wait 1-2 hours for a meal (and this is a consistent problem at BIg Eye).
(1)
Lovebirds D.
Found this place while we were in town for the weekend! We had a craving for sake & sushi and this place was close by so we gave it a try. We were both glad we did! Yohan was our sushi chef and recommended a couple rolls. We got the Cherry Blossom, Las Vegas and Baked Scallop rolls and baked green mussels. All of it looked amazing and tasted even better! They have happy hour all day so sake bombs were only $7!! The food was delicious and we had an awesome time! Wish we could take Big Eye Sushi back to LA with us!!!
(5)
Jenny V.
Can't beat happy hour all day every day! Excellent food, great presentation. The staff always makes us feel very welcomed; super friendly people! We come here several times a month, and have been doing this for over a year.
(5)
Jessica D.
Moving from the west to North Scottsdale, I knew I had to find a sushi restaurant close to my apartment, since I eat sushi AT LEAST twice a week. The closest one to me was Big Eye and I couldn't have hoped for anything better! Literally 3 minutes away from my house, great service and fantastic fresh fish. Now having been a regular for 2 years, I love every time I go in there, everyone makes me feel like family. The servers, including the sushi chefs are always very attentive and talkative. The servers always remember my drink order (order a shot of Party Girl!), which having been in the restaurant business this is something I very much appreciate. As far as the sushi, I am so glad I found a place that not only has good rolls, but fresh fish. I have ordered tuna, salmon and yellowtail sashimi and it has all been delicious. For the rolls, the sunshine and the King Kong roll are definitely my favorite!! ( I always put cream cheese in in the sunshine roll, because lets face it, cream cheese makes everything better.) They are always very accommodating if you ask to omit or add stuff to the roll, which I love, because I can get a little snobby about sauces. The other AMAZING thing about Big Eye, is happy hour all day every day! Getting off work at happy hour time, I am always looking for good happy hour places to get good price drinks and appetizers. So no matter what time I go into Big Eye, I know I can get happy hour prices! They have sake, red and white wine, potstickers, jalapeño poppers, and to make it even better, a TON of rolls as well! A lot of places that have happy hour rolls, are a smaller version; at Big Eye, its the full size roll :) So if you are looking for a good happy hour place, fresh fish, friendly staff and a great date place, give Big Eye a try! Me and all my girlfriends love it!!
(5)
Josh D.
The food here was delicious. The service and wait staff are awful, and the waitresses and cook seemed to be more interested in flirting and sneaking a bottle of Tito's in and out of the kitchen. However, there was a shining light in the experience. Joshua, the sushi preparer was excellent conversation, and even though the waitress wrote my order down incorrectly, he let me keep the wrong sushi for free. If I were to ever return here, it would be because of the excellent service and sushi from Joshua. The rest of the fraternizing, inept staff the were working on a Friday night should be replaced by people that pay attention to their customers.
(4)
Dave F.
This place is great. Top to bottom awesome and friendly staff. Sushi is freakin outstanding and even if you bring a groupon you still won't get skimped on the sushi like some places. Red Dragon Roll is DELICIOUS!
(5)
Heidi P.
I've eaten here a few times and have thoroughly enjoyed every meal. The food is fresh and service has been great. They have take out, too. Prices are reasonable and they serve drinks. They have a great all day happy hour.
(5)
Nicole B.
My husband and I have been wanting to try this place for a while and recently went on a weekday. When we arrived around 1:15pm, there were only two customers sitting at the sushi bar and a sushi chef creating rolls. He indicated we could sit wherever we wanted and we choose a booth near the back. We sat around for a while and no one came to take our orders. Looking around, I noticed the hostess stand up front had some menus, so I grabbed two and went back to sit down. After viewing the menu and deciding on what we wanted, a waiter finally came over and took our orders. I ordered the udon bowl and my husband order the ramen bowl. We also ordered an appetizer of pork dumplings (goyza). The appetizer arrived first and was really tasty. The pork was tender and juicy. The dipping sauce was tart and lemony. Overall, it was really good and we'd definitely order the goyza again. (Plus it was a steal at $3 an order.) Next, our California sushi rolls arrived. (Rolls were included with both our meals.) The rolls weren't anything special but they were tasty and filling. Finally, our bowls arrived. My husband really enjoyed his ramen. It had beef and mushrooms and was pretty spicy. My udon bowl came with tempura sides (onion rings, sweet potato, and shrimp). The udon itself was tender and the broth was tasty. I only wish there had been more items in the actual bowl itself (other than just noodles and broth) but it was tasty nonetheless. The only downside to this experience was that in the beginning the service was lacking when we first arrived, but once our waiter introduced himself, he was extremely attentive and refilled my water numerous times without prompting. Overall, the food was really tasty and we will definitely be back. Happy Hour runs all day and this includes special appetizers, sushi, and drinks. They had numerous rolls that sounded delicious and I can't wait to try them all.
(4)
Anthony S.
I decided to eat at Big Eye Sushi today and decided to try some new items that I've not eaten. The waiter immediately sat us down at the bar by choice. Immediately got the waters and our selected drinks. The selected rolls we wanted to try was the volcano, Black tiger, surfer w/ a twist, and chimichanga w/ a twist. I would have to say the food was delicious, beyond delicious because it was tasty, fulfilling, and makes me want to order more food. I give this a 5 star. I'll definitely be back.
(5)
Jason S.
The sushi is decent. I've been charged double two times by this place. I'm not rich and I actually check my account. Nice try! The beer is cold but pay by cash! The wait staff is slow.
(1)
Rich M.
My girlfriend and I live in the area and we have been to many different sushi restaurants on the west coast and in Phoenix; Big Eye is our little hidden gem, usually dine weekdays around 7:00 pm. One or two other groups are usually in the restaurant when we are there, so it's pretty nice that it isn't crowded when we are there. (Plus it's happy hour all day!!!) Sushi is great, staff is very friendly and polite. I would definitely recommend and will be coming back!
(5)
Yoshi T.
Great place to go grab a couple beers and some good sushi! We sat at the bar and the sushi chef made us a special roll that wasn't on the menu! The sushi rice is good. Fish was fresh. Staff was very friendly. This is my spot when i'm in Scottsdale.
(5)
Morgan E.
First off, I love sushi. Mostly all sushi, and I used to love this place but after my visit today- there is no way I would be back. I came in at about 1:20, they close briefly from 2-4 everyday. There was one other couple, a server and no sushi chef anywhere. The first thing I noticed was this huge tub sitting out behind the sushi bar that had some kind of fish/meat in it. No refrigeration, nothing. Also, the refrigerated area with fish in it was a disaster, and the fish just looked nasty. I figured it was just me so I ordered a beer and some gyoza. The gyoza came out burnt and slimy with some odd consistency I couldn't place. At that point the other couple left and it was just me sitting in there alone looking at this fish sitting out. I had already ordered my sushi, a Las Vegas and spicy tuna roll so I waited. Finally a chef emerged and I asked what the fish was sitting out. He responded it was Salmon and then promptly put it out of sight. My sushi was disgusting. I mean WOAH gross. The spicy tuna had a weird gray color to it and tasted off. So I ate one, and decided to try the Vegas. The vegas was awful. It tasted like I was eating old hot tuna, hopefully not something that had been sitting out. Regardless, I could only stomach the few bites I took, finished my beer and bailed. I've been there in the past and this wasn't the case, but judging by my stomachs reaction to that food, I really won't be back. Bleh. Super dirty and disappointing.
(1)
Divya Y.
Hmmm wow. So I came here on Valentine's Day with my husband. First, the happy hour prices are higher in the restaurant than they show on their website. 2nd, I had a quarter of my wine left and we had a lot of food on our table and when I went to take another sip I noticed it was gone. I said something to the server and her response was "oh sorry." I had to tell the manager who brought me out another glass and apologized that's why giving this place a 3 instead of a 2. Third, didn't receive any wasabi or ginger with our sushi. Ordered 2 rolls and neither of them had it. Had to request it. Their hh says all day everyday vs the website that says it ends at 6. Probably be back if I'm in the neighborhood for their sushi. Had the tiger which was delish. The tofu was good but it's just a block of fried tofu.
(3)
WMT W.
Yohan is and always will be the master of the sauce. So many innovative rolls and sashimi plates. Some times it may take a little time to get your order but sushi doesn't come from a microwave. The people here are more than friendly and the music is very cool. If you want to enjoy your evening then you can't go wrong coming here. If you want to just cram down some sushi and move on (we all of days like that) then go to a revolving sushi bar. This place is for fun.
(4)
Will M.
I went in last night (Sunday) and there were 3 people in the restaurant. The guy at the front said it would be 30-40 minutes for food. Not a very good first impression. Needless to say, I have no food to review but me being the king of second and third chances I'll try again another time.
(1)
Ari E.
I have visited just about every sushi spot in town and this was possibly some of the wort sushi my wife and I have ever had. It tasted like grocery store quality sushi. The rice was literally still wet. After first walking in I couldn't help but notice the strong fish smell. I have driven by numerous times and seen their front door wide open! This seems unheard of at any restaurant let alone a sushi bar. The prices even at happy hour were just reasonable considering the poor quality. The sushi chefs who are usually kind and friendly elsewhere had zero personality. We live very close to Big Eye and always wondered why it seemed so empty inside, the mystery was solved tonight on my first and last visit to this establishment.
(1)
Rob G.
Taking down 1 star, sorry. This place may be suffering from lack of traffic (?), meaning that maybe they are keeping product a tad longer than the should....not that anything was bad. Serving size still good. California roll...amateurishly made, I think I could have done better. Background music sucked, not what I want to listen to while eating. We will still go back here because it's easy. But, there are much better places for same price within short drive. And, all day still is Happy Hour.
(3)
Sehun C.
The sushi here is very fresh. The tuna and salmon sashimi was delicious and well prepared. The spicy tofu soup is unique and has a tasty kick. Service is courteous. Jason is very good as a server. Sam is an excellent sushi chef.
(5)
Kyle B.
Great place for cheap sushi, but I got an uncomfortable vibe here. Dirt cheap Saturday lunch specials. $6 specials including 2 8pc sushi rolls. The tootsie was especially good. Food service is a little slow and the rolls weren't put together that great as I don't think all the cooks are experienced in sushi making--still, I'm not picky about my sushi, plenty good enough for me. Jason, the owner, is friendly and was very attentive as a server, but what got me here is that I felt a little pressured to order more food, as if I was taking advantage of them by only spending $6 on the lunch special. I also used the free Yelp ice cream dessert special which only made me feel more awkward. Some of this might have just been in my head, but I can't lie about how I felt, they didn't make me feel comfortable let's put it that way. The owner truly is a nice guy, but I felt like he didn't want to honor the deals he advertised which is inappropriate. Seeing the lunch specials outside the door are what changed my mind from going to that restaurant vs another I was planning to go to, so at least I spent my money there. Bottom line, if you want cheap sushi and won't think twice about taking advantage of the deals they advertise (which you probably shouldn't), go here on Saturdays for lunch!
Stopped in for dinner one night with friends. Restaurant is located in a strip mall, so parking is plentiful. There's lots of seating, and the location is kind of strange, so a long wait would be pretty unusual. There's a happy hour menu that's valid all day, every day, with several items for either $3, $4, or $5. There's also a matching happy hour drink menu, and a large, regular menu. We stuck with the happy hour menu and sampled a bunch of stuff. Spicy crab rolls were a little too fishy, with a tiny dot of Sriracha for the entire roll. Avocado roll was small but good. The jalapeno poppers (I forget the exact name) were stuffed with cream cheese and were actually pretty spicy and tasty. A couple other fancier rolls were sampled that were $5 and yummy. I would forgo the $3 section on the menu. Edamame was fine. A lot of their draft beers were not available, but they definitely had Kirin. The happy hour wine is cheap with a good pour, but it's definitely reminiscent of the $3 Oak Creek bottle at Walmart. Not a bad thing, but don't expect something amazing. In terms of price, it's hard to beat Big Eye. After getting so much food and 4 drinks, we paid around $30. If you go in with reasonable expectations, you'll find that you get your money's worth, and you'll be happy with your experience.
(3)
Tee M.
Food was great! Very fresh sushi. Had chimi & surfer and both were delicious. Our server was sweet & attentive. We will be back!
(5)
Alyssa W.
I tried this place with my mother for the first time about a month ago. The food was great. I ate way more than normal, I just couldn't help myself. My favorite rolls are, the tootsie, cherry blossom, sunshine, and Las vegas. Our server was Jason and he was very attentive as was the sushi chef Yohan. We will defiantly be back again.
(5)
Christina R.
This place restored my faith in sushi and humanity! Prior to coming to Big Eye, I'd been experiencing a lot of mediocre sushi... that all changed the moment I tasted the crunchy spicy tuna roll. The tuna was perfection, the roll wasn't weighed down with too much rice, and the avocado was a nice little surprise for the tastebuds. As for restoring my faith in humanity, everyone working here is super friendly and accommodating. I do have a teeny tiny problem with this place. I have been craving the crunchy spicy tuna roll every day since I've been there... but I LIVE IN TUCSON. And there's no Big Eye here. So thanks for that. At least I know where my first stop will be next time I'm in Scottsdale!
(5)
Laura K.
Well... the staff was great - our server a sweetheart. But first they tried to serve us watered down vodka on the rocks - with a lame excuse. And then the fish on some of the pieces of sashmi was crunchy, tasted fishy, and very thin. Sadly, it appears BE is on shakey ground, or so it seems. For the money - head on over to Sushi Brokers.
(1)
Kelsey C.
Have been here a few times now and can't say that much about it. The sushi is good, but not the best. The service has not been up to par lately and I can't say that I have been happy with my sushi going experience every when I walk out. There are cheaper sushi places in the area with better quality sushi and better quality service. If you're looking for mediocre this is the place for you!
(3)
Paige S.
A friend recommended Big Eye after stopping in for happy hour one day, so some friends and I decided to give it a try as well. It was definitely a drive from the Cen Pho, but I enjoyed it and will definitely go back again! Their all day happy hour menu is wonderful and the prices here are pretty great. You can try a good variety of sushi and not kill your bank account in the process. We had the Calamari as an appetizer - it wasn't what I expected. I expected a big pile of greasy fried calamari rings, which is what most restaurants serve. Not here! We got a plate of maybe 8 long strips of calamari that was very lightly fried to the perfect texture and taste. It was so good! For sushi, we ordered: Tootsie Roll Spicy Tuna Tunamax Las Vegas I rate sushi places by their spicy tuna and this one definitely gets 4 stars - I really enjoyed it, it had the perfect amount of subtle heat to it, tasty tuna, and was overall really good. The tunamax was also really good, this was my favorite roll we tried! The tootsie roll is a favorite usually, as I love eel. It was decent, but not the most flavorful. Will probably try something different next time. The Las Vegas roll was a hit at our table. We ordered 2 orders of this one for 4 people and it was the first one totally gone. Warm, cream cheese, salmon, avocado... mmm! I don't usually like tempura fried rolls but this one definitely melts in your mouth (although it's a huge roll, so you'll first have to figure out how to get it in your mouth! haha). We also had the house sake, which was a little strong for me but mixed with some Kirin Light it definitely hit the spot. I love the wide selection of sushi on the menu. I look forward to going back and trying more soon! Glad to have found this place. Go check it out and post your favorite rolls too!
(4)
Megan J.
I'm not sure if Big Eye is my go-to sushi joint because it's convenient or because it's great, but I'll take both. It's small, quiet and dark and never crowded. They have a sushi bar and a handful of tables and usually one sushi chef and one server. I must say that the chef and the server that were there when I started going were great, but the mix of servers I've had recently are not. I'm hoping to go in and see Jason again soon. The food is really good. They have some great specialty rolls with unique combos, but not an overwhelming menu with crazy choices. A good amount are tempura, which I usually avoid, but there are enough options that aren't fried. Keep in mind that spicy MEANS spicy at Big Eye! The preparation isn't fast and with the usually empty dining room, it's easy to be annoyed, but it's worth the wait...just enjoy the time to relax! Their happy hour menu is small, but when I'm feeling thrifty is enough to keep me satisfied. I think they recently began to offer happy hour all day every day. I take lots of friends and out-of-town guests here and I'm always happy to showcase it as my favorite local sushi place!
(5)
Lizet H.
Omg!!! From the sushi to service... 5 stars well deserved!! Sushi was so fresh and happy hour was a win win!! It was so hard to choose from the selection but our server was so patient and friendly. She recommended a few specialty rolls and we couldn't decide which were our favorite. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu! Did I mention happy hour! ;)
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Charles D.
Since I had a coupon from Restaurant .com, my wife and I decided to try this place. It's a bit far from where we live, but we don't mind driving. When we walked in, there were plenty of tables to sit at. All the customers were at the sushi bar for happy hour. The music was a variety of songs from Izzy Kamakawiwo'ole to some oldies. I started off with Edamame. The prices for the Seaweed salad is about twice what I would pay at any other Japanese restaurant. I ordered a Tobiko which is Nigiri sushi with flying fish roe, they didn't have it. For dinner I had the Chirashi and my wife ordered two sushi rolls; Crunchy and Spicy Tuna. My Chirashi was OK, but I missed having the shredded radish, sliced cucumber and fresh tamago (egg), theirs was small and chewy. Most of the fish was fresh except for the ahi tuna which looked like it was previously frozen. The sushi rice was fresh and my wife enjoyed the sushi rolls. They were a little slow at getting our orders to us. Mine came first and had to wait about 10-15 minutes before the sushi rolls came out. The green tea was hot, but looked like it had been sitting in the pot for some time. The server, Jason was polite and willing to go the extra mile. He could only go as fast as the slowest sushi chef.
(3)Michelle H.
We've been here multiple times - probably 6 or more. The best thing on the menu is the jalepeno "poppers." Try them! To the reviewers that say that this place is awful and the reviewers haven't had real sushi, I have to disagree. I've been to many amazing sushi restaurants around the country and abroad over the past 15 years, and I still give this restaurant 4 stars. Is this the most amazing sushi you'll ever have? No, of course not. Is it the best you'll get for $3-$9 a roll with an incredibly friendly staff? Yep. Also, they usually have a Yelp repeat customer check in special - was a free edamame appetizer for every 2 Yelp check ins, last time I went was a free ice cream dessert.
(4)Carter M.
Since Big Eye opened, I have struggled to find fresher fish. Alliteration aside, the goods here are top notch and you'd be hard pressed to find better deals elsewhere. Yes, I'm here quite a bit, which is why I am supremely confident in my upcoming recommendation. . . Make Big Eye a regular stop in the ever-growing, ever-competitive sushi gauntlet that is North Scottsdale. I love the atmosphere, the sushi, the beer, and the wonderful staff. Ask Sushi Chef John for a "Carter Roll," and maybe my incoherent yammering, and incessant nagging will drown out as your taste buds make all the noise.
(5)Jason G.
I have to admit it, I am a regular. I show up at least once a week, sometimes two or three times. It is very close to my house, and I always get great service from the chefs-- Fuji, John and Yohan. The beer is made even better by chilled mugs. Spicy tuna never disappoints... couple that with some other rolls and I'm off to the races!!! The hand rolls that Yohan prepares are insanely delicious!! Try a spicy tuna with tempura shrimp and avocado!! Three varieties of premium sake and soju are available for your delight, as is a bar, draft Sapporo and Kirin, and a selection of red and white wines... LOVE THIS PLACE!
(5)Erin H.
Good prices and good quality sushi!
(5)Brent H.
I decided to check out Big Eye about a week ago and I could not have been more pleased with the quality of food & hospitality. After reading the mixed reviews on here, I felt compelled to write about my experience here. For starters, the service was top notch and made a memorable impression. The waiter was attentive and consistent in making sure we had everything necessary to thoroughly enjoy our meal. Mission accomplished. Next, the Sushi chef(s) were prompt in the preparation of the delicious rolls we ordered. (I'm not sure why other customers on here were complaining about the prep time. Personally, I would think that if someone were spending slightly more time and attention to what was being created for me, I would find that to be quite a positive attribute. Sounds like you belong to the Instant-Gratification Nation. If you are looking for a lightning-fast meal, I'd highly suggest Burger King or something of that nature. Finally, the food. The reason why I left with a satisfied stomach. The rolls were absolutely on point and extremely delicious. I'd recommend you try anything they offer in the spicy category or something that involves tuna/salmon. The Happy Hour: Tasty rolls & half price drinks. To the point and hits the spot. Lastly, on my way out I met the sushi chef/owner named Yohan and he was the nicest, most down-to-earth person I've met in quite some time. He suggested I come back on Saturday night for the "After Hours Party" that starts at 10:30 and includes FREE appetizer rolls and Happy Hour drink price along with a live DJ spinning the tunes to enliven the mood. (Yes, people. Free food). Don't know too many other sushi joints that offer that. Count me in. I will be back. The End.
(5)Sagar K.
Placed looked lively for a week night. The sushi we ordered was on Happy Hour and was pretty good. The reason I only gave this place a 3 is because our order took 20 minutes, with the last dish being the appetizer.
(3)Mike S.
Quiet atmosphere, good sushi with Happy Hour all day - everyday.
(4)Lonnie D.
Our favorite local sushi place. Always pleases, often exceeds expectations. Definitely try the iced flavored sake.
(5)Amnon F.
My to go place when I crave Sushi. Small yet very good sushi, personal service and very fairly priced.
(5)Cheyenne G.
I have been here multiple times and usually it is Grand - inviting hostess, friendly & informative staff, yummy food, etc... but the last time I went there were only two servers working that night and right as the server/hostess was seating us another table broke a glass so she just dropped the menus on the side of the sushi bar and said she would be right back. Granted, a broken glass does require immediate attention and could take a few minutes to clean up but then the server forgot to come back to us for about 10 minutes.... We ended up asking the sushi chef for a pencil to mark what we wanted and flagged down the waitress to take our order, which we had to bring up that we wanted something to drink and two miso soups. She brought the waters and then she announced "here is ONE of your miso soups". The other soup eventually came out after our first sushi order did. We had to stop the waitress for some chopsticks then realized we didn't have napkins so called for her again and then realized we didn't have any plate or sauce dishes so we called for her again, and then realized we didn't have any soy sauce and called for her yet again...at this point I felt like we were bothering her and did not dare ask to get a refill on our drinks. It was just very odd because the waitress acted as though they were super busy only having two waitresses but there were only three other tables seated while we were there. The good thing is that they have HAPPY HOUR (ALL DAY, EVERY DAY) unfortunately, we did not know this since they still keep their happy hour menus with specific times at the table... whaaa whaaa The food is good (I recommend the surfer roll) and the chefs are cool to talk to.
(4)Andrea H.
Lunch Review: I really wanted to like this place since it's near my office and home :( However, I just can't bring myself to give it more than 2 stars. My coworker and I walked in at 11:38 as the only customers in the whole place. Apparently they just opened their doors for the day (?) As I sat down I observed that NOTHING was behind the sushi bar. No sushi chef.....and no sushi supplies. Interesting. The host was very kind and ended up also being our server. We ordered edamame and it came out promptly after we placed our rolls order. We ordered 2 specialty rolls and a plain tuna roll. By this time 2 other parties had filled the restaurant. About 15 minutes passed and one party received a large order (it looked tasty!) of tempura stuff. We found it interesting that they were served before us though they came in after us. Exactly 28 minutes after we sat down a sushi chef started bringing supplies out to the sushi bar and apparently BEGAN making our rolls. They came out eventually but the second specialty roll was the wrong one! Ugh. At least we weren't charged for it-- that was appreciated. It took 50 minutes to get 2 specialty rolls (one of which was wrong) and 1 simple tuna roll. Not cool. Oh, and the sushi was average tasting.
(2)Pam C.
I don't know what the reason is for all the poor reviews, but this restaurant deserves 5 stars. One server for 5 tables, but he was extremely friendly and accommodating. We wanted for nothing. Most people want sushi as it comes out. In fact I've never been to a sushi restaurant where it all comes out at the same time. The point of sushi is that it's supposed to be fresh. I don't want sashimi and rolls on the table all at once, getting warm and dry... ew. The sashimi was impressive - for it's freshness and taste and size. We also got spicy tuna and salmon rolls and were equally satisfied. OH... and they play amazing music. Plus right now they have happy hour all day, everyday. Go... unless you're super picky and actually believe that Vegas and Tootsie rolls qualify as "sushi."
(5)Nathan M.
Great lunch specials! Sushi combo A. 10 bucks for 2 rolls, shrimp tempura, plus soup. Plus it's right next to 24 hour fitness so I can lift and get a sushi fix in the same visit! David makes the best rolls! Sammi is the best server!
(4)Julie D.
So much better. Great service. The food is amazing. Best sashimi in town. The salmon melts in your mouth. The rolls are fabulous. Just be aware they can be a little heavy on sauce. Totally recommend it.
(5)Mary V.
GREAT sushi place! They have so many special rolls and pictures of each one on the menu. The sushi chefs are very experienced and give you extras many times. The staff is very friendly and it's a great atmosphere. Prices can't be beat! I highly recommend trying.
(5)Tiberiu O.
As everybody says the happy hour choices are great. The staff is also very welcoming and nice. The problem is that there was only 1 person making the sushi, which is probably the reason why it took forever to get our orders.
(3)Stuart T.
Went here many months ago and had a terrible experience. Very few people in the place on a mid-week evening and yet it took forever to get our food. Sushi came out item by item instead of all together so people had to wait until their order came while others were eating. Food was OK but service was horrible. Thought I'd give it a second chance tonight but they are nothing if not consistent. Took 45 minutes for first of three rolls to come out. Then 10 minutes between #2 and #3. Meanwhile my guest ordered salmon and that was finished before my first roll appeared. When I let it be known that I was not pleased the waitress actually tried to convince me that we waited too long to decide and because there was only one sushi chef other tables got their orders in before ours. Wait, it was my fault? I don't think so. Two strikes and your out. Every place deserves a second chance but not a third so this place is scratched from my list of places to go for dinner.
(1)Jhior N.
Love the vibe, chill staff and awesome food for good prices. Gotta try it, at anytime. Also have a regular menu but the sushi is what clings me to the table.
(5)Su-shien C.
Yup, it's my 4th time having sushi in 4 days. This time I took my son who is 4 and has already developed a taste for sushi just like his mama. We ordered the tuna, salmon, and yellowtail sashimi (6 pieces/ $10 each) and an order of chicken teriyaki ($12) The sashimi came first and to my surprise, there were 10-12 pieces for each kind of sashimi! We were delighted of course and still fought over the number of delicious slices of fish each one of us ate! Then the chicken teriyaki came and to my surprise, it was a lean cut of chicken breast with very little sauce (which was just perfect for my low/ no carb diet!) with a big bowl of rice which was perfect for my son! My son said, "Thanks mommy for taking me out to this supper dinner!" which sums up our meal. Why not 5 stars, there was just one waitress for the whole restaurant and while she was very friendly, service was slow which can be hard for this mama with a hungry 4 year old in tow!
(4)neil m.
Absolutely delicious with unexpectedly good friendly service. The udon bowl was perfect and the softshell crab roll the best we've ever had.
(5)Erin H.
Surfer roll is awesome!!! I highly recommend! Awesome service too :) great happy hour!
(5)Nathan B.
I purchased a Big Eye Sushi coupon from Restaurant.com in order to use at the Scottsdale location. They do not honor their restaurant.com coupons. Big Eye Sushi is dishonest and conducts practices that are illegal. After purchasing several coupons from restaurant.com , I was told that I could not use these for carry out. This incident occurred at 18:24 on 29 June 2013. There is NO restriction for carry out in the fine print. Online, it even says that they do accept these coupons for take out. Second, they charged an 18% gratuity for a party of three when I did use the coupon. I have no problems with tipping and actually intended to tip 20% since the waiter was friendly. However, the fine print mentioned nothing about an 18% gratuity for the restaurant.com promotion. In fact it implies the opposite telling guests to "tip your server on the full value of the guest check." Why should this be in writing if there's going to be an 18% gratuity? Finally, they do not allow the coupon to be used in conjunction with happy hour items: this is a good portion of the menu. While this isn't expressly stated on the promotional paper, they could argue to some degree that it is implied. In short, I feel very deceived from that promotional offer and spent a good amount of money for what turned out to be a scam provided by Big Eye Sushi. I will not eat there ever again. Oh, and the sushi isn't even that fresh, and twice they were out of items that we wanted to order. Please save your money and visit one of the many other excellent sushi bars in the area. If I could give them 0 stars, I would.
(1)Ricky P.
Sheryl wanted sushi for dinner, and there are a LOT of sushi places in Scottsdale. While we were driving, she found a Groupon for this place. For $20, we got 2 specialty rolls, edamame and sake. They also have happy hour all day every day, and we ordered some dumplings. We left stuffed, that's for sure. The place was packed and a lot of people are complaining about the service. We didn't have an issue with service at all. They play top 40 tunes, which I could do without... But this place is legit. Cheers!
(4)Sheryl H.
Not sure why this place has bad reviews. We came early on a Saturday night. Not busy when we got here, but it started to fill up quickly. We used a Groupon, which was a great deal, but their happy hour is almost as good! And it's all day every day! (But not for takeout) Overall, good service, good service, good bargain. Will definitely be back!
(5)Shar B.
Completely and totally unimpressed and quite disappointed. The sushi is low quality (I'm quite the sushi nut) and the prices are quite high. The place was dirty and the staff was rude and non attentive. The food itself lacks taste and was put together really quickly. We got the Vegas, Tootsie, Philadelphia and salmon rolls and usually are quite happy with that selection in other establishments but wished we would have just gone somewhere entirely different.
(1)Kimberly T.
Meh. I've never been unimpressed by sushi & I must say, I was unimpressed. The space is nice. I had a choice to watch Game 7 or Avatar between the two TVs which I thought was humorous. Service was good; a little awkward, but good. The seaweed salad was a disappointment. There was barely any seaweed & just a lot of greens. The gyozas were soggy & didn't have much flavor. The tootsie roll was falling apart but did taste good. Saved $7 by buying the Yelp deal - prices were reasonable even without it though. All around, meh.
(2)Thomas R.
Amzing food and great prices... what more can be said about sushi. Go, go now! Do it!
(5)Harmony R.
Hands down, the BEST sushi in Phx metro area... Have been going since they opened, and it did take a while for them to fine-tune their staff/service, it's always been worth the wait for the amazing food. We moved to South Scottsdale a little over a year ago, so we started going to other sushi restaurants that were closer, or that seemed more convenient, and sometimes just to try someplace new, but they were all just mediocre. We returned to Big Eye tonight because we were in the neighborhood, and it was busy... Not bursting at the seems, but busy... The staff were all super friendly and helpful, the service was spot-on, and the food was TO DIE FOR as always! Big Eye, please open a location in South Scottsdale!!!
(5)Devon R.
Good sushi! Service a little slow....but great prices!
(4)Matthew M.
Love going to this place. Always has interesting music playing, a hostess up front and greets you upon arrival and the sushi is incredible. Their Happy Hour prices are super low and you can get loaded up with food and some drinks at a fair price. I highly recommend getting the Yummi roll. The name holds true. Tucked back off of Frank Lloyd Wright. I have eaten here several times and will continue to frequent them.
(5)Jeff M.
The sushi was so-so. It didn't blow me away. It wasn't horrible but unmemorable. The kids didn't like their meals either and they LOVE sushi house teriyaki chicken. We'll keep looking for good sushi in this area.
(2)Grant W.
Big Eye has an excellent new age vibe to it. It's a great place to come to enjoy you're favorite sports teams play while also enjoying happy hour all day, every day. The people there are excellent and very friendly :). And if an Asahi or Kirin is not you're glass of beer then you're in luck because, Big Eye has a diverse selection of alcohols. Oh and Sushi orders come out in the order they come in.
(5)Carolyn W.
I'm a regular and have been for the past 6 months. I'm wondering where these sub-par reviews are coming from. My husband and I love this place! Our favorite is the Surfer Roll and the Summer roll. They both melt in your mouth. The citrus Hamachi is wonderful too. We took my parents there a few weeks ago and they loved it. One of my favorite things is that they use the right amount of rice when making their rolls. I hate the restaurants that try to make it look like their rolls are huge, but they are just filling you up with rice. Also, you can't beat the Happy Hour prices. My one suggestion was to make sure the wait staff is more attentive. I often have to ask for water when its obvious that my water glass is empty. Also, when my dad requested a fork (he doesn't know how to use chop sticks), the waitress forgot, and we ended up asking another waiter for it. However, the good is so good, that I overlook the small shortcomings of the wait staff.
(4)Kim O.
Actually really good sushi! I purchased a restaurant.com gift certificate and thought "what do I have to lose" I was very happy! Prices were not too bad but could be lower but food was excellent! The food I didn't like was the miso soup. It tasted like it came from those powder packet mixes. Wait staff could improve. I'd go again! Would be 5 star if wait staff and soup was better.
(4)Kh D.
Top notch fish, preparation, and service. Delightful experience.
(5)Neema E.
Super friendly staff, good lunch specials that are very affordable, and it's right next to 24 hour fitness! No feeling guilty after eating too much which is always a plus :)
(4)Jessi K.
Service was great, but the food was terrible. This is one of those places that can make you never like sushi again. YUCK! Stay away!
(1)Destiny D.
awesome sushi and staff :)
(5)Amy M.
We have watched business' come and go at this location for a few years now. When I saw that it is now a sushi restaurant, I had my reservations. During the day you cannot see into the shop because of the tinted windows, but don't let that stop you from seeing and tasting what's inside. We sat ourselves at the bar and were greeted very warmly from the waitress and soon afterwords, the sushi chef. It happened to be happy hour at the time with extremely reasonable prices. Happy hour is everyday of the week from 4-6:30pm. What great deals! Sake bombers were only $6 and you can choose from a variety of appetizers; such as edamame, calamari, and gyoza, to name a few. I had to have the edamame, and the calamari was scrumptious as well. It was served with a yummy aioli sauce that paired with it perfectly. Not only were there appetizers on the happy hour menu, but there were some sushi rolls to choose from too. We tried the shrimp tempura roll and wow, the shrimp had an amazing light batter that had a lovely crunch! Besides happy hour, we had to experiment more from the sushi menu. The Surfer was amazing; that was one of my favorites. The dynamite shrimp on top was delectable with it's spicy zing. It was hard not to eat all the shrimp on its own without the roll! If you like spicy, you would also like the yellow fin tuna with sauteed jalapenos. It's served with a delightful soy garlic sauce. It was a little misleading, because we thought it was going to be a roll. However, it was extremely fresh and tasty, but a little overpriced for all that you got. On the adventurous side, the quail egg was phenomenal! It was served in a shot glass and I have to admit, I wasn't sure how to proceed. After taking the plunge into my mouth, I found that all the components went together extremely well and the creaminess from the quail egg only added to the delicacy of it. I would definitely get that again and perhaps experiment a little more with what else they had to offer. I am very happy to have found a sushi bar that keeps my taste buds wanting more. Service was excellent. My glass never reached empty, and it was never a nuisance to stop our waitress and ask for something. The atmosphere was mediocre. I felt that there could have been more charm, especially with the big screen televisions playing football. Personally, I could have done without and maybe been more entertained with anime. However, this sushi hot spot is off to a good start and I hope they will be around longer than their predecessors.
(4)matt b.
I ate here tonight. It was good. I have been here 2 times now. I went a few years ago during their 1st week in business. Needless to say it is much better now. The happy hour menu is very good, and everybody that worked there was friendly and the service was also very good. I have nothing bad to say.
(4)Amber A.
So excited to use my first groupon. First off, the sushi was great. The manger (sushi chef) was super nice and fun to talk with. With that being said, the waitress staff was less then desired. Very slow, less then attentive, and a bit rude. I was not impressed and left a much larger tip for the sushi chef. It was even more of a disappointment once I found out that the owner was there and clearly had observed us, or at least noticed us. We were having a good time (despite the lack in service). He made no attempt to acknowledge the lack of service we were getting. Keep in mind that we were there to see the change from happy hour to dinner. There were a few times we were the only two in there. I will return to use our second groupon, hopefully service will be better. I think the $25.00 discount in a $125.00 bill would be worth better customer service.
(4)M. R.
Again, I ask: where have the good people of the Phoenix area been getting their sushi? Because at this point, I'm morbidly curious. Either certain contingents are used to the sub-par variety, unable to develop a taste for good offerings, or some sort of sushi wizard has taken residence in the area. Regardless, it's important to note that anyone who knows calamari realizes that cuts of such resembling "fish sticks" are actually delicious calamari steak, often of Humbolt Squid, the crème de la crème of calamari. I didn't ask if that's what the calamari at Big Eye Sushi consisted of. I felt no need- it could have been the meat of some fearsome, genetically engineered land squid, and I would not have cared one whit. It was still absolutely delicious: creamy on the inside, crisp and light on the outside, served with a spicy miso. Absolutely amazing. I hope it stays on the menu for a long, long time. I'm not even sure that, even as good as it was, I could call the calamari the highlight of the meal. The fish was rich, fresh and really very good. I was especially impressed by the wahoo, which melted like butter in my mouth. Unlike many other sushi joints, the special rolls were not over seasoned or sauced. I really do admire the restraint of those preparing our dinner, especially given that spicy miso at hand. I could actually taste the fish in everything I ordered. And as I said, the fish was delightful. I especially liked the citrus yellowtail sashimi, although I understand the ordinary tuna was filled with delicious beefy notes. The albacore tataki was pleasantly easy on the garlic. So many places use that to disguise the flavor of albacore better served some nights before. And did I mention the six enormous cuts of albacore involved? We sat at the sushi bar (which is so wonderfully roomy!) and did not find the chefs particularly talkative, though they were friendly enough and it was our first time in after all. Both available for our dinner were very fast and artful about their preparations, so we enjoyed watching them. The servers proved efficient and pleasant, politely handling even another customer dead set on telling the chefs how to do their job. My one gripe with Big Eye would be the lighting. After dark, the overhead halogens, while easy to see by, had a bit of an office vibe. The calamari and maybe a shot of sake will surely help anyone overlook this, however.
(4)Joel B.
2nd rate sushi and service, got the order wrong but totally made good in it. For a quick snack it's ok, but not for a date or a sushi conneseur. service is also slow, but very polite. Don't come here if your in a hurry.
(3)Matthew L.
Not bad. Good sushi and decent service. This was the second time we went to Big Eye. The first time was just after they opened, and the service was horrible. This time around, we thought we'd give them a second chance, and was happy to see that things have gotten better. Overall, good sushi, good prices, and good service.
(3)Marissa K.
Do not go here! This place does't know how to run a business, I am amazed they are still open. When we were seated (before we even sat down) I was asked what we would like to drink, um.. can I look at the menu first? Also there was a total of 9 people in the restaurant including me and my husband. I have patience of a saint, but the service here is ridiculous slow for how dead it was. The server who could use a talking to about personality and a needs to check her attitude at the door RAN everywhere, very unprofessional. Even though this establishment is right down the street, we will NEVER, EVER be back. There are too many good restaurants in the area than to settle for sub par sushi with sh*tty staff. You might also want to change your elevator music, as it was loud and awful!!! Also...after reading more Yelp reviews, the poor service is the only thing constant with this place! Maybe instead of the manager "replying" to all the COMPLAINTS...he should be in the restaurant trying to teach his rude amateur staff!
(1)Lynda H.
Went tonight for the first time. Our friend (who is a regular) asked us to join her. Found the portion sizes to be small (compared to our old place, Satori). Also, no "real"crab, just imitation crab. Was told it tastes the same as the real deal. For me (who has celiac), the imitation will make me sick (it's not the "same"). I brought my own gluten-free soy sauce and they did mark my order with NO SOY SAUCE, which was great. Did enjoy the (complimentary) orange pieces for dessert
(3)Keran L.
I went to Big Eye sushi on a Saturday night. Very slow on a sat night, and only a few people at this place saw the coupon on the paper and thought this place is pretty new. Turns out it had been there for 3 years already. They actually have Happy Hour all day long, and I ordered only from the happy hour menu. The sushi turned out to be pretty good actually, ordered Spicy crab roll, Vegas roll, chicken yakitori, and calamari. Along with that redeemed the free tempura roll with the coupon. I think the place deserves a 3 star, food quality was up to par for the price ( yay for happy hour!),but service wasn't uhhhh really? The blond waitress only came to check on me twice through out dinner, and looked like only one sushi chef was working. The order came out a little too slow, I think that's what other customers complained about. They need to improve their service for sure. I would go back for the happy hour though, its a good deal.
(3)Brian T.
After reading the other bad reviews, I was hesitant to come here. We went Friday night and it was pretty empty. In fact there was one table being occupied by a young family. After a few minutes, one of their young kids started crying really loud. It turns out that they put a really hot sauce in the kids meal. The mom and dad were yelling at the manager who didn't seem all that concerned. Our Sushi was okay, The fish was fresh but the rice had a lot of vinegar. My wife thinks they added extra vinegar to older rice to keep it moist and stick together. The prices were reasonable. They have Smartphone coupons on their website. It is $10 off a bill of $40 or more. I showed my server who seemed to chuckle and said she would check. She came back and said since we didn't have the print out they would only give $5 off. I reminded her that it was their "Smartphone" Coupon that has instructions to just show the coupon on your phone. She then took my phone and walked back to the kitchen to show the manager. I found that odd that the manager wouldn't come out to talk to us. I am not a big fan of seeing my phone walk away from me for any reason. They honored the $10. The service was actually pretty good. Overall, it wasn't terrible but I am unlikely to go back. Too many other good sushi places.
(2)Cory S.
Great Happy hour between 4:30-6:30pm. Spacious new restaurant in North Scottsdale. Come if you want a nice quiet atmosphere and great food. Sushi was authentic and tasty. The Yelp deals for it are a great buy AND can be used during Happy Hour!
(5)K K.
"Expensive, below average, small portion sushi" 2/5 We were excited about this new sushi place close to our home last week and decided to give it a try. When we walked in the restaurant around 6pm, we were the first group of customer in the restaurant. The server was nice by taking our seating us and taking orders. We chose 3 types of sushi rolls - cucumber roll, special roll with salmon and cream cheese and an eel roll. My sis ordered a chicken-katsu. The rolls were pretty disappointing as they were very small rolls in size and not much of raw fish (sashimi) on top. It tasted like something that you could have gotten from the grocery store sushi section but a lot more expensive at Big Eye. One special roll is about $13 to $15 (only tiny 5-6 slices). My sis's chicken-katsu tasted better than sushi but the price was a bit steep as well ($12 or $13). I guess this is Scottsdale price! Oh well, we had definitely tasted better sushi with the same price. I would not recommend this place to any friends but might give it a try again in a year or two.
(2)Lisa W.
Took the kids here tonight without the husband who said he wouldn't come here because of all the bad Yelp reviews. Willing to give it a try, we sat down and ordered some sushi. They have some specials for happy hour (4:30-6:30pm M -Sat) so we got a roll, some yellowtail nigiri, and an order of chicken katsu. The food was good, the yellowtail was fresh, the Vegas roll was tasty, and the kids loved the chicken katsu. I have to agree with the reviews about service however. We were there early, the place was almost empty at the time yet the waitress was rather slow and uninterested, and never came over to ask how we were doing with our meals. I definitely deduct a star for the (lack of) service. I would go back however, it was reasonably priced, and the food was tasty. Just get better at service and I'll give them another star!
(3)Mike G.
I went To Big Eye Sushi because my friend had a coupon from restaurant.com . we sat at the sushi bar and there was only one other table in the place. I ordered my usual, Yellow tail, mackerel, and salmon roe. The mackerel was grey and tasted like tuna fish out of the can, like it was cooked. I told the chef behind the counter and he told me it was cured. I was like; Are you Serious? we had the calamari appetizer and it was like rubber bands. not fresh. I'm not a fan of Big eye sushi and wouldn't return. And by the looks of the sparce cuts of fish in the fridge in front of us and the few patrons that came in I don't think they will be there long. Sushi is a tough business in Phx for obvious reasons and food cost is enormous. I give this place 2 sushi knives out of 5. We had a $50 coupon had two big beers each and two sake's and tried about 7 dishes. The total after coupon was $130. There are just too many better value and better quality sushi places to go back to one that is marginal. Service was ok ... nothing notable.
(2)vanessa m.
Every roll I have had here after multiple visits has been fresh and high quality. Our service has always been great. It is not cheap, but always well worth it.
(5)Andrea A.
HORRIBLE service! The food is pretty good...good prices for lunch. But I cant believe how long it takes to get a couple of orders of sashimi. It took us approx 1 hr 45 min to get our complete order, which wasn't much. We will never go back just because of the poor service.
(1)Mark B.
The food was pretty good actually but the service was brutal. Never did get our final roll which was their specialty roll that looked good on the menu. The capper was when I raised my hand like I was in grade school for service and still was not acknowledged. My wife had to walk up to the waitress stand to ask for several things and they acted pretty ho hum like we didn't matter. Pretty competitive restaurant market in Scottsdale. They probably should make it at least appear like they care.
(2)jordan b.
Don't waste your time with this one folks. We sat for 10 minutes before the server took our drink order. Drinks came out 10 minutes later. Then the server ignored us for another 25 minutes. Two beers in, 45 minutes later and no order. I had to flag down another server to let him know I don't have time for this. No apology. Horrible service...will never go back and make sure all my friends know about the experience. I won't be surprised if the doors close soon.
(1)Deb B.
food, was ok, terrible service, 47 degrees outside and 53 degrees inside. The heat was broken but we were not told before sitting down and ordering. It was cold! I will not go back. Nothing memorable.
(2)Mike S.
As many of the reviews here on Yelp and other sites have consistently stated about Big Eye.. the SERVICE is HORRIBLE. This COULD be a decent place since the food is not that bad, BUT with one sushi chef and one server (on most days) this place needs to think about service because people are not going to wait 1-2 hours for a meal (and this is a consistent problem at BIg Eye).
(1)Lovebirds D.
Found this place while we were in town for the weekend! We had a craving for sake & sushi and this place was close by so we gave it a try. We were both glad we did! Yohan was our sushi chef and recommended a couple rolls. We got the Cherry Blossom, Las Vegas and Baked Scallop rolls and baked green mussels. All of it looked amazing and tasted even better! They have happy hour all day so sake bombs were only $7!! The food was delicious and we had an awesome time! Wish we could take Big Eye Sushi back to LA with us!!!
(5)Jenny V.
Can't beat happy hour all day every day! Excellent food, great presentation. The staff always makes us feel very welcomed; super friendly people! We come here several times a month, and have been doing this for over a year.
(5)Jessica D.
Moving from the west to North Scottsdale, I knew I had to find a sushi restaurant close to my apartment, since I eat sushi AT LEAST twice a week. The closest one to me was Big Eye and I couldn't have hoped for anything better! Literally 3 minutes away from my house, great service and fantastic fresh fish. Now having been a regular for 2 years, I love every time I go in there, everyone makes me feel like family. The servers, including the sushi chefs are always very attentive and talkative. The servers always remember my drink order (order a shot of Party Girl!), which having been in the restaurant business this is something I very much appreciate. As far as the sushi, I am so glad I found a place that not only has good rolls, but fresh fish. I have ordered tuna, salmon and yellowtail sashimi and it has all been delicious. For the rolls, the sunshine and the King Kong roll are definitely my favorite!! ( I always put cream cheese in in the sunshine roll, because lets face it, cream cheese makes everything better.) They are always very accommodating if you ask to omit or add stuff to the roll, which I love, because I can get a little snobby about sauces. The other AMAZING thing about Big Eye, is happy hour all day every day! Getting off work at happy hour time, I am always looking for good happy hour places to get good price drinks and appetizers. So no matter what time I go into Big Eye, I know I can get happy hour prices! They have sake, red and white wine, potstickers, jalapeño poppers, and to make it even better, a TON of rolls as well! A lot of places that have happy hour rolls, are a smaller version; at Big Eye, its the full size roll :) So if you are looking for a good happy hour place, fresh fish, friendly staff and a great date place, give Big Eye a try! Me and all my girlfriends love it!!
(5)Josh D.
The food here was delicious. The service and wait staff are awful, and the waitresses and cook seemed to be more interested in flirting and sneaking a bottle of Tito's in and out of the kitchen. However, there was a shining light in the experience. Joshua, the sushi preparer was excellent conversation, and even though the waitress wrote my order down incorrectly, he let me keep the wrong sushi for free. If I were to ever return here, it would be because of the excellent service and sushi from Joshua. The rest of the fraternizing, inept staff the were working on a Friday night should be replaced by people that pay attention to their customers.
(4)Dave F.
This place is great. Top to bottom awesome and friendly staff. Sushi is freakin outstanding and even if you bring a groupon you still won't get skimped on the sushi like some places. Red Dragon Roll is DELICIOUS!
(5)Heidi P.
I've eaten here a few times and have thoroughly enjoyed every meal. The food is fresh and service has been great. They have take out, too. Prices are reasonable and they serve drinks. They have a great all day happy hour.
(5)Nicole B.
My husband and I have been wanting to try this place for a while and recently went on a weekday. When we arrived around 1:15pm, there were only two customers sitting at the sushi bar and a sushi chef creating rolls. He indicated we could sit wherever we wanted and we choose a booth near the back. We sat around for a while and no one came to take our orders. Looking around, I noticed the hostess stand up front had some menus, so I grabbed two and went back to sit down. After viewing the menu and deciding on what we wanted, a waiter finally came over and took our orders. I ordered the udon bowl and my husband order the ramen bowl. We also ordered an appetizer of pork dumplings (goyza). The appetizer arrived first and was really tasty. The pork was tender and juicy. The dipping sauce was tart and lemony. Overall, it was really good and we'd definitely order the goyza again. (Plus it was a steal at $3 an order.) Next, our California sushi rolls arrived. (Rolls were included with both our meals.) The rolls weren't anything special but they were tasty and filling. Finally, our bowls arrived. My husband really enjoyed his ramen. It had beef and mushrooms and was pretty spicy. My udon bowl came with tempura sides (onion rings, sweet potato, and shrimp). The udon itself was tender and the broth was tasty. I only wish there had been more items in the actual bowl itself (other than just noodles and broth) but it was tasty nonetheless. The only downside to this experience was that in the beginning the service was lacking when we first arrived, but once our waiter introduced himself, he was extremely attentive and refilled my water numerous times without prompting. Overall, the food was really tasty and we will definitely be back. Happy Hour runs all day and this includes special appetizers, sushi, and drinks. They had numerous rolls that sounded delicious and I can't wait to try them all.
(4)Anthony S.
I decided to eat at Big Eye Sushi today and decided to try some new items that I've not eaten. The waiter immediately sat us down at the bar by choice. Immediately got the waters and our selected drinks. The selected rolls we wanted to try was the volcano, Black tiger, surfer w/ a twist, and chimichanga w/ a twist. I would have to say the food was delicious, beyond delicious because it was tasty, fulfilling, and makes me want to order more food. I give this a 5 star. I'll definitely be back.
(5)Jason S.
The sushi is decent. I've been charged double two times by this place. I'm not rich and I actually check my account. Nice try! The beer is cold but pay by cash! The wait staff is slow.
(1)Rich M.
My girlfriend and I live in the area and we have been to many different sushi restaurants on the west coast and in Phoenix; Big Eye is our little hidden gem, usually dine weekdays around 7:00 pm. One or two other groups are usually in the restaurant when we are there, so it's pretty nice that it isn't crowded when we are there. (Plus it's happy hour all day!!!) Sushi is great, staff is very friendly and polite. I would definitely recommend and will be coming back!
(5)Yoshi T.
Great place to go grab a couple beers and some good sushi! We sat at the bar and the sushi chef made us a special roll that wasn't on the menu! The sushi rice is good. Fish was fresh. Staff was very friendly. This is my spot when i'm in Scottsdale.
(5)Morgan E.
First off, I love sushi. Mostly all sushi, and I used to love this place but after my visit today- there is no way I would be back. I came in at about 1:20, they close briefly from 2-4 everyday. There was one other couple, a server and no sushi chef anywhere. The first thing I noticed was this huge tub sitting out behind the sushi bar that had some kind of fish/meat in it. No refrigeration, nothing. Also, the refrigerated area with fish in it was a disaster, and the fish just looked nasty. I figured it was just me so I ordered a beer and some gyoza. The gyoza came out burnt and slimy with some odd consistency I couldn't place. At that point the other couple left and it was just me sitting in there alone looking at this fish sitting out. I had already ordered my sushi, a Las Vegas and spicy tuna roll so I waited. Finally a chef emerged and I asked what the fish was sitting out. He responded it was Salmon and then promptly put it out of sight. My sushi was disgusting. I mean WOAH gross. The spicy tuna had a weird gray color to it and tasted off. So I ate one, and decided to try the Vegas. The vegas was awful. It tasted like I was eating old hot tuna, hopefully not something that had been sitting out. Regardless, I could only stomach the few bites I took, finished my beer and bailed. I've been there in the past and this wasn't the case, but judging by my stomachs reaction to that food, I really won't be back. Bleh. Super dirty and disappointing.
(1)Divya Y.
Hmmm wow. So I came here on Valentine's Day with my husband. First, the happy hour prices are higher in the restaurant than they show on their website. 2nd, I had a quarter of my wine left and we had a lot of food on our table and when I went to take another sip I noticed it was gone. I said something to the server and her response was "oh sorry." I had to tell the manager who brought me out another glass and apologized that's why giving this place a 3 instead of a 2. Third, didn't receive any wasabi or ginger with our sushi. Ordered 2 rolls and neither of them had it. Had to request it. Their hh says all day everyday vs the website that says it ends at 6. Probably be back if I'm in the neighborhood for their sushi. Had the tiger which was delish. The tofu was good but it's just a block of fried tofu.
(3)WMT W.
Yohan is and always will be the master of the sauce. So many innovative rolls and sashimi plates. Some times it may take a little time to get your order but sushi doesn't come from a microwave. The people here are more than friendly and the music is very cool. If you want to enjoy your evening then you can't go wrong coming here. If you want to just cram down some sushi and move on (we all of days like that) then go to a revolving sushi bar. This place is for fun.
(4)Will M.
I went in last night (Sunday) and there were 3 people in the restaurant. The guy at the front said it would be 30-40 minutes for food. Not a very good first impression. Needless to say, I have no food to review but me being the king of second and third chances I'll try again another time.
(1)Ari E.
I have visited just about every sushi spot in town and this was possibly some of the wort sushi my wife and I have ever had. It tasted like grocery store quality sushi. The rice was literally still wet. After first walking in I couldn't help but notice the strong fish smell. I have driven by numerous times and seen their front door wide open! This seems unheard of at any restaurant let alone a sushi bar. The prices even at happy hour were just reasonable considering the poor quality. The sushi chefs who are usually kind and friendly elsewhere had zero personality. We live very close to Big Eye and always wondered why it seemed so empty inside, the mystery was solved tonight on my first and last visit to this establishment.
(1)Rob G.
Taking down 1 star, sorry. This place may be suffering from lack of traffic (?), meaning that maybe they are keeping product a tad longer than the should....not that anything was bad. Serving size still good. California roll...amateurishly made, I think I could have done better. Background music sucked, not what I want to listen to while eating. We will still go back here because it's easy. But, there are much better places for same price within short drive. And, all day still is Happy Hour.
(3)Sehun C.
The sushi here is very fresh. The tuna and salmon sashimi was delicious and well prepared. The spicy tofu soup is unique and has a tasty kick. Service is courteous. Jason is very good as a server. Sam is an excellent sushi chef.
(5)Kyle B.
Great place for cheap sushi, but I got an uncomfortable vibe here. Dirt cheap Saturday lunch specials. $6 specials including 2 8pc sushi rolls. The tootsie was especially good. Food service is a little slow and the rolls weren't put together that great as I don't think all the cooks are experienced in sushi making--still, I'm not picky about my sushi, plenty good enough for me. Jason, the owner, is friendly and was very attentive as a server, but what got me here is that I felt a little pressured to order more food, as if I was taking advantage of them by only spending $6 on the lunch special. I also used the free Yelp ice cream dessert special which only made me feel more awkward. Some of this might have just been in my head, but I can't lie about how I felt, they didn't make me feel comfortable let's put it that way. The owner truly is a nice guy, but I felt like he didn't want to honor the deals he advertised which is inappropriate. Seeing the lunch specials outside the door are what changed my mind from going to that restaurant vs another I was planning to go to, so at least I spent my money there. Bottom line, if you want cheap sushi and won't think twice about taking advantage of the deals they advertise (which you probably shouldn't), go here on Saturdays for lunch!
(3)Janell S.
I love this place! My fiancé and I live walking distance so you can catch us here once a week. It's very affordable sushi. I love sushi and this is our spot. Every time we want sushi this is the place we go. Try the baked scallop roll and the yummy roll. They are both on the happy hour menu and they are yummy rolls! My fiancé also really likes the soups and the jalapeño poppers (I always get sushi). The services is also great too. The staff is so friendly!!!! I love this place!!!!
(5)Noor B.
Stopped in for dinner one night with friends. Restaurant is located in a strip mall, so parking is plentiful. There's lots of seating, and the location is kind of strange, so a long wait would be pretty unusual. There's a happy hour menu that's valid all day, every day, with several items for either $3, $4, or $5. There's also a matching happy hour drink menu, and a large, regular menu. We stuck with the happy hour menu and sampled a bunch of stuff. Spicy crab rolls were a little too fishy, with a tiny dot of Sriracha for the entire roll. Avocado roll was small but good. The jalapeno poppers (I forget the exact name) were stuffed with cream cheese and were actually pretty spicy and tasty. A couple other fancier rolls were sampled that were $5 and yummy. I would forgo the $3 section on the menu. Edamame was fine. A lot of their draft beers were not available, but they definitely had Kirin. The happy hour wine is cheap with a good pour, but it's definitely reminiscent of the $3 Oak Creek bottle at Walmart. Not a bad thing, but don't expect something amazing. In terms of price, it's hard to beat Big Eye. After getting so much food and 4 drinks, we paid around $30. If you go in with reasonable expectations, you'll find that you get your money's worth, and you'll be happy with your experience.
(3)Tee M.
Food was great! Very fresh sushi. Had chimi & surfer and both were delicious. Our server was sweet & attentive. We will be back!
(5)Alyssa W.
I tried this place with my mother for the first time about a month ago. The food was great. I ate way more than normal, I just couldn't help myself. My favorite rolls are, the tootsie, cherry blossom, sunshine, and Las vegas. Our server was Jason and he was very attentive as was the sushi chef Yohan. We will defiantly be back again.
(5)Christina R.
This place restored my faith in sushi and humanity! Prior to coming to Big Eye, I'd been experiencing a lot of mediocre sushi... that all changed the moment I tasted the crunchy spicy tuna roll. The tuna was perfection, the roll wasn't weighed down with too much rice, and the avocado was a nice little surprise for the tastebuds. As for restoring my faith in humanity, everyone working here is super friendly and accommodating. I do have a teeny tiny problem with this place. I have been craving the crunchy spicy tuna roll every day since I've been there... but I LIVE IN TUCSON. And there's no Big Eye here. So thanks for that. At least I know where my first stop will be next time I'm in Scottsdale!
(5)Laura K.
Well... the staff was great - our server a sweetheart. But first they tried to serve us watered down vodka on the rocks - with a lame excuse. And then the fish on some of the pieces of sashmi was crunchy, tasted fishy, and very thin. Sadly, it appears BE is on shakey ground, or so it seems. For the money - head on over to Sushi Brokers.
(1)Kelsey C.
Have been here a few times now and can't say that much about it. The sushi is good, but not the best. The service has not been up to par lately and I can't say that I have been happy with my sushi going experience every when I walk out. There are cheaper sushi places in the area with better quality sushi and better quality service. If you're looking for mediocre this is the place for you!
(3)Paige S.
A friend recommended Big Eye after stopping in for happy hour one day, so some friends and I decided to give it a try as well. It was definitely a drive from the Cen Pho, but I enjoyed it and will definitely go back again! Their all day happy hour menu is wonderful and the prices here are pretty great. You can try a good variety of sushi and not kill your bank account in the process. We had the Calamari as an appetizer - it wasn't what I expected. I expected a big pile of greasy fried calamari rings, which is what most restaurants serve. Not here! We got a plate of maybe 8 long strips of calamari that was very lightly fried to the perfect texture and taste. It was so good! For sushi, we ordered: Tootsie Roll Spicy Tuna Tunamax Las Vegas I rate sushi places by their spicy tuna and this one definitely gets 4 stars - I really enjoyed it, it had the perfect amount of subtle heat to it, tasty tuna, and was overall really good. The tunamax was also really good, this was my favorite roll we tried! The tootsie roll is a favorite usually, as I love eel. It was decent, but not the most flavorful. Will probably try something different next time. The Las Vegas roll was a hit at our table. We ordered 2 orders of this one for 4 people and it was the first one totally gone. Warm, cream cheese, salmon, avocado... mmm! I don't usually like tempura fried rolls but this one definitely melts in your mouth (although it's a huge roll, so you'll first have to figure out how to get it in your mouth! haha). We also had the house sake, which was a little strong for me but mixed with some Kirin Light it definitely hit the spot. I love the wide selection of sushi on the menu. I look forward to going back and trying more soon! Glad to have found this place. Go check it out and post your favorite rolls too!
(4)Megan J.
I'm not sure if Big Eye is my go-to sushi joint because it's convenient or because it's great, but I'll take both. It's small, quiet and dark and never crowded. They have a sushi bar and a handful of tables and usually one sushi chef and one server. I must say that the chef and the server that were there when I started going were great, but the mix of servers I've had recently are not. I'm hoping to go in and see Jason again soon. The food is really good. They have some great specialty rolls with unique combos, but not an overwhelming menu with crazy choices. A good amount are tempura, which I usually avoid, but there are enough options that aren't fried. Keep in mind that spicy MEANS spicy at Big Eye! The preparation isn't fast and with the usually empty dining room, it's easy to be annoyed, but it's worth the wait...just enjoy the time to relax! Their happy hour menu is small, but when I'm feeling thrifty is enough to keep me satisfied. I think they recently began to offer happy hour all day every day. I take lots of friends and out-of-town guests here and I'm always happy to showcase it as my favorite local sushi place!
(5)Lizet H.
Omg!!! From the sushi to service... 5 stars well deserved!! Sushi was so fresh and happy hour was a win win!! It was so hard to choose from the selection but our server was so patient and friendly. She recommended a few specialty rolls and we couldn't decide which were our favorite. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu! Did I mention happy hour! ;)
(5)