I will echo another reviewer and say that the quality of ramen (the noodles specifically) is not where it could be. It was almost like fried rice noodles had been dunked in broth - kind of chewy and also kind of crunchy, in a weird sort of way. It detracted from an otherwise good bowl of ramen. The nigiri pieces really are as big as the pictures show. Rich's recommendation: book what I call a "sake bomb booth" and have some fish or rolls. If you go for the ramen, keep your noodle bar low.
(4)
Dana W.
Great sushi, huge portions of sushi. Almost wish they could cut them smaller so you won't look like an idiot eating them. I wish they would be more generous with the ginger portions. Overall a good experience, just need to work on the presentation since it looks sloppy and difficult to eat.
(3)
Megan L.
There are two places I go to in Tucson for cheap sushi: Sushi Ten and Shogun. My favorite parts about Shogun: -"Private" booths for parties of 4 or more. You feel like you're sitting in a VIP room! -They serve the best takoyakis in town (versus Yukari's). I have only found two places that serve octopus dumplings, so if there are more, someone let me know... -Their 1/2off daily specials. I absolutely love Rainbow Rolls, and every Wednesday, Shogun has them for happy hour prices all day. There are rotating half-off prices daily. My least favorite parts: -Their ramen dishes are really poor in quality. I had the Ramen Tonkatsu tonight for the first time, and I give them high points for a well-boiled egg and tasty pork, but the noodles were worse than bad instant ramen. They felt undercooked and overcooked at the same time. Sadly, when I order ramen, 90% of my food are the noodles, so they have to taste right. -For a very well decorated restaurant, their menus and plastic bowls made the place feel like a low-end restaurant.
(3)
Adam F.
Shogun has been at this location for quite a while. It on the northeast corner of Oracle and River. If you see a Denny's in front of the strip mall, then you are in the right place! The atmosphere is very unique. They do have a section in the restaurant where you can eat like they do in Japan. You can sit at the sushi bar if you want, and there is also booths. The ambience is open and welcoming. The service here is very good. Servers are very friendly, and the sushi chefs are visibly talking with customers. They make sure you are having a pleasant time from the moment of entering to when you leave. It is clear that they take pride in their food. The quality is above average and the quantity is plentiful. It is slightly pricer than some places and the hours may be less convenient for some, but you can expect tasty Japanese food and enough of it. Want to change up your dinner routine? Shogun is a place to achieve just that.
(4)
Kimberly T.
This is my favorite sushi place in town. The owner, Aoki is actually Japanese while most of the other owners of Japanese restaurants are actually Korean. I love how they have specials all day and they are consistent. The cheapest rolls are in Monday. But I think the best rolls are on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that are on special. I'm on a diet right now so I always get sashimi. Specifically the charashi bowl. It's so pretty and it is delicious!
(5)
Eric S.
Lunch special today with Bulgogi and a California Roll. I asked for a side of spicy ponzu sauce and it was more like a sweet taste vs spicy but good anyway. I am full and I spent 11 bucks, this place is a great lunch spot.
(4)
Sky S.
When you close at 9 pm, people usually think they can come in before that time (roughly 8:20) and get decent food. I'm sorry that I'm taking time away from you being able to go home, but this is your job and should probably try to hold a positive standard. 7 piece sushi... They didn't even give me sushi rice!!! Shrimp was browning and fish was very... Very fishy Meh
(2)
Ayla R.
This place is a strange mixture. Typical decor, awesome wait staff, but you will be listening to top 40 while watching animal planet. The sushi is good, but the real selling point is their specials. They have 38 rolls. Each day of the week, a different 5 are half off.. half off sushi! Sunday even has 8 half off rolls. This is awesome for many reasons. First, you get your favorite roll at half thr price if you come on the planned day. Next, you try new rolls simply because they are so cheap! You broaden your horizons and eat sushi for less! I like their Healthy Roll, which is mushrooms, squash, avocado and carrot. On Sundays, this puppy is $2.50. Unbeatable! Definitely worth a try!
(4)
Heston C.
It's such a shame. The quality of food is really good at shogun. The fish is fresh and the appetizers are delicious. The reason I give it 3 stars is not because of the food. The food is 5 stars. The waitresses are kind and doing their best but the owner for some reason under staffs the place. There are three people waiting on the entire restaurant. It's a shame because the people and the fish is good. Just the resource management is awful and you leave with a neutral experience at best
(3)
Robert M.
First time to this place, and I went with a group of friends (about 9.) We were seated in one of their booths, which they choose for us. I like the booths, but not for that many people. We got there about 9:30 and they close at 10. Obviously, an order for 9 people will take time, the original server was nice and patient, however, she only took our orders and didn't come back until end. We started getting our orders, and the sushi wasn't bad, they're pretty decent, and the prices are ok. I got the Eel roll, tempura jalapeño, and Dragon roll. The presentation wasn't spectacular, but ok, overall it's pretty good. However, the second server was very rude. Usually, I don't care about the server, I care about damn the food. I had asked the first server for a second beer, and I mentioned this to the second one that it never came, and I asked nicely if she can bring me one. She literally rolled her eyes, and the rest of my party saw this. Needless to say, it didn't go well with them, personally I shut my mouth don't pay a tip, and consider whether or not I will come back to the place. However, my friends decided to complain. So the first server came back, apologized, and discounted one alcoholic beverage on each of our own bills. That definitely redeemed the attitude in my eyes. Based on the food and prices alone, I'd come back, but if I get that kind of service again. I will never return.
(3)
Christine J.
I'm a long time regular at Shogun. Although the decor is a little dated, the sushi is the best in town and the servers have always been great!
(5)
Karin K.
Great prices and great food! They have 5 rolls that are half price and rotate out throughout the week, so no matter what day of the week, or what time of day, something is on special. Been twice on different days, and the selection of rolls on special was varied and yummy. It is my new go-to sushi place.
(5)
Will B.
I've been a HUGE peer promoter over the years of this place- "best sushi in Tucson" I would tell my friends who ask. My wife an I (amongst our circle of friends) are considered the "foodies". We usually order the same thing each time we go - salmon, hamachi, and ahi- predictable but it's what we like. Not into the rolls, or the cooked stuff..just what Shogun is known for- fat slabs of fish on diminutive balls of rice. I always chuckled at the people who would argue the Ra is the best in town (ok, maybe their green tea is the best) - but if you like fish - you gotta hate the way Ra brings out the razor blade in order to give you as little fish as possible/order... Last Friday, for no apparent reason- our order at Shogun was the same- thin- see-through fish with large plump balls of rice. I looked around to see if there was a hidden camera somewhere- were we being punked? I asked our waitress if she thought this fish looked of normal size for a Shogun order...she said - "No, we have new people back there" and walked off, no apologies, just a palms'up / shoulders-to-ears shrug. Many times I have posted to social media the images that I call Sushi-Porn- you can see some of the examples here on Yelp- and that of course makes friends in my circle want to go..but if Shogun is not called out for times when "new guys" aren't shown the Shogun ropes, then they won't change and be more consistent- Of course I'll be back- because thin fish is the norm almost anywhere else- but come'on Shogun- let's teach all newbies how Shogun does things!
(1)
K J.
This is one of the top hidden gems of Sushi in Arizona! Try the sushi here, you will not be disappointed.
(5)
Nathan B.
This is an update of my former review. Recently, I've started ordering more items off the lunch menu: various Korean, Japanese, and Chinese dishes. They were all awful. This restaurant has the worst Korean food, the orange chicken was soggy, the pork ginger was worse than Panda Express, and the crab puffs were stale. Moreover, the service has been extremely poor. I would still return, but I would avoid everything except the half off sushi. Also, don't expect good service.
(3)
Austin S.
A friend and I recently came to Shogun for lunch, after reading the excellent write up in the paper, and having the restaurant recommended by a mutual friend. The decor is indeed kind of random, but the service is great and the little private rooms are a nice touch. We had to wait a few minutes at the door but were assured a table was coming soon, and it did. Our server was attentive, friendly, and brought the food at a good pace. I ordered a lunch special with orange chicken and a California roll, while my friend had two rolls from the sushi menu. All our food was good- the fish seemed fresh. My orange chicken left a little to be desired, with a syrupy sauce poured over the typical fried chicken bits, but still definitely edible and no weird color in the sauce. There is a specialty roll of the day that is half off, so definitely watch the board for that! We will be back to try more rolls soon.
(4)
Sharon H.
Sorry Kazoku, you have now been replaced... SHOGUN is now my new favorite sushi spot in town for several reasons. The staff there are probably sick of seeing my face, but I can't help but go a few times a week now! Why?! 1. They have special half-off deals on at least 5 different rolls EVERY day of the week including weekends, AND at ANY time of the day OR night! How often does a sushi place offer this kind of deal? NEVER. Not only that, but their roll sizes are HUGE. I would estimate double the size of any normal roll at any other place. I will also say, I've never been disappointed by any of their rolls I've selected for that day! 2. I'm a sashimi lover, and not only are their pieces probably at least 3X the size of any other place, but their fish is seriously FRESH. 3. Surprisingly, if you have to take leftovers home (which I pretty much do every time), everything is STILL tasty the next day (including the sushi rice and sashimi). 4. For non rawfish eaters, they have plenty of options for you too! Their lunch specials are an AMAZING deal for great quality food and includes a bit of other Asian foods (I.e. Korean, Chinese) on the menu! I would highly recommend their beef short rib galbi or their salmon teriyaki. 5. Their dessert options are very inexpensive and a great final touch to your meal! A friend and I shared their generously portioned green tea icecream (2 scoops, not 1) for $2 only! Their other dessert options are refreshing and inexpensive as well - mocha icecream and tempura icecream! Their wait staff are generally nice but do get fairly busy, so you may have to flag them down a few times. But they'll provide you whatever you need. I've taken so many friends here it's ridiculous! I should get paid commission. If you haven't been, come check it out, and hopefully you'll become a fan foh SHO. Eat it up!
(5)
Jeff S.
Pros: Cheap sushi and beer. Sushi was okay tasting. You get what you pay for. Not a huge upgrade from grocery store sushi IMHO. Cons: Poor service. My water glass had lipstick stains on it. We had to ask for straws and plates for our sushi and soy sauce.
(3)
Howard H.
I don't know about their Sushi, but the Bulgogi tasted so bad that I felt like driving down a few blocks north to Kampai and apologize to the owner for not eating lunch there instead. The food also took more than 20 min to arrive. I've also tried their Seafood Ramen... it came in a big bowl except hardly any noodles or other stuff in it. Mainly just a big bowl of broth... they have a lot to learn from Sushi Yukari on that dish.
(1)
Christina R.
This place is very hit or miss.. and lately there has been more of an emphasis on MISS. The quality and tastiness of the sushi is very inconsistent. We almost always get the Sex on the Beach and Las Vegas rolls... however, it seems like they never come out the same, one time it's good, the next time it's yuck. This place does have some redeeming qualities, such as 1/2 off certain rolls every night & $5 sake bombs all day. They also give you a small bowl of miso soup to start and FREE (imagine that!) edamame if you sit at the bar. This place is worth a shot. Just cross your fingers it's a hit!
(3)
Alec B.
Local-biz; known for it's quietness, even when packed. They have an "orgasmo roll" under their "Mexican" rolls/sushi. Really? That's inappropriate. Though I didn't see a "sex on the beach" roll like another reviewer said. They keep the room temperature below room temperature, so it's a bit cold in there if you're wearing shorts. The fluorescent lighting is new & it sux. Fluorescents are horrible, disrupt the optic nerves, makes you dizzy & tired from the flickering & EMF. And they don't provide a warm-intimate glow. They contain mercury gas so if one breaks, you're SOL. Incandescents, halogens, & LED's don't emit deadly EMF. Also the restroom needs to be cleaner. You can tell how good a business is by how clean they keep their restroom for customers. Best if you show-up during Happy Hour 5pm-7pm & sit at the bar near the TV. That way u can interact w/ the sushi chefs, view tv, or talk to the person next to u. Unagi is the best sushi as usual, partly because it always comes cooked. I personally eat nearly-anything here but i prefer cooked stuff. Japanese didn't eat "raw" sushi. That's a myth. & u could get a parasite if u don't eat it cooked. But since we live in Arizona the seafood has to be shipped here, & they freeze the seafood in the shipping process to keep it from going bad. The freezing kills most of the parasites. When sushi was invented in Japan, they used to be sold like hotdogs from a hotdog stand. And don't get me started on the endangered bluefin-tuna. Not to be confused with the other tunas. Netflix documentaries talks all about this stuff. Really, my family can't afford to be eating out but i love saki bombs so i couldn't resist. I like ordering warm saki then a saki bomb. Entre: chicken teriyaki, or whatever. Bring gum or Juicy Fruit to get rid of fish breath when you're done. Perhaps this is why my asian friend recommended Sushi On Oracle 5 years ago. But they're reservations only i believe.
(2)
Jinny H.
I love Japanese restaurants, so I just had to try Shogun. I've been here a few time with my friends, and enjoyed the service - the staff was very friendly. The only reason why I didn't give this place 5 stars was because it didn't have distinguishing characteristics that set the restaurant apart from other Japanese restaurants in town. Nevertheless, as a sushi lover, I would be willing to come back for a quick meal or for a outing with friends. I would recommend this restaurant to people who are exploring for new Japanese places to eat at.
(4)
Erna M.
This place is great. Most of their sushi is more meh than wow. But their nigiri is the sh*t! First of all, they are huuuge. When you order two pieces of salmon nigiri, what you get is basically two little balls of rice topped by two 1X5" (rough estimate) pieces of salmon. In addition, they put some salmon sashimi on the plate as well. Given the amount of fish you get (the fish is also very tasty, by the way), the nigiri are very cheap. You basically get a plate of what would usually be a $10 order of sashimi plus some rice for $4.50. As for ambience, it is a rather big restaurant and it is usually quite busy, so it is not very quiet. However, they have separate booths (in addition to their main floor tables) that you can eat in that are more private and quieter. These are great for groups, especially when you have an event like a birthday party or something. Note that, on Fridays and weekends, they give the booths only to groups of four or more. On weekdays, they give them to anyone who wants them. The service has always been good when we go there, friendly staff.
(4)
Chelsea K.
Honestly I love the sushi here. Its cheap but if I have money for better sushi I will go somewhere else. The staff is nice. But that's all. The only one who is ever seemingly doing his job is the manager and maybe the sushi chefs but the last 4 times I have been it has either taken over 30 minutes to be seated and spoken to or over an hour to get take out. Specifics. I ordered take out on a Monday night was told it would be 20 to 30 minutes. Arrive at 30 minutes. Food takes another 45 minutes and the wait staff couldn't care less. There were 8 people working. 10 people eating. 3 sushi chefs and 5 people working the floor. I honestly was so so irritated I was going to speak to the manager the next day but I asked when he would be in and the girl I asked then made her rounds telling everyone who worked there and they all then glared over in my direction. I couldn't believe it. They walk around like they're on their phones and I honestly think their food is really not even worth getting such poor service. Also the time before the take out incident the waiter was quietly blaming the hostess for how long it took him to take our order saying it was her fault when she was the only one in the building that night with a smile and any customer service sense. He was off on a break outside with friends or something and then flirting with her as soon as he came in. So finally after almost 25 minutes he then came over and took our order and told us it was all her fault. I wouldn't go here if you have other options.
(2)
W J.
WOW on quality and quantity of Sushi and Sashimi! Generous portions of fresh fish and also rotating 1/2 price rolls everyday that are good to okay. Don't know about the rest of the menu. Service was polite, friendly, adequate, but, not perfect even though they were very busy. Don't expect fancy or exquisite environment, just really good Japanese for a fair value...look at my picture. Something interesting, it was like Cheers. We sat at the bar and clearly there are MANY regular customers who the staff knows, who know each other, and are treated as valued friends. Always a good sign for a place you are eating, especially Sushi! :-)
(5)
Jacob R.
I wish I could day nice things about this restaurant, but there were just too many things wrong. We walked in and the hostess seemed put out to seat us. After a few minutes, a nice guy sat us in one of the booths they had. He said our waitress would be there soon to help us. Ten minutes later, he came back and apologized saying she was really busy. There were maybe 5 other tables in the entire place. Once we finally got our sushi, the food was decent. Nothing special. The fish didn't seem like it had sat for too long and tasted fresh enough. The service just lacked anything beyond just okay. The gal seemed to be more focused on getting closed up than really asking us if we needed anything else. We couldn't even order sake bombs because no one asked us for drinks. That's about what it amounted to the entire visit.
(2)
Luan T.
Not happy with their service last night. It was half off night for las vegas roll, but it look like CRAP look like they just threw scrap pieces of fish in roll it up and call it shushi. They mess up 3 times on my order order salmon shishimi they for got to put in the salmon, even though I call them personally to double check. Had to drive back to get to get my shishimi. Then open open the box they have given me salmon nigiri with ginger and wasabi all over he fish. That 3 strike, just terrible service and food last night. Also order 4 green mussels that look like someone just crap all over it with mayo.
(1)
Emma J.
We were wanting Japanese for lunch after some school shopping, and were far from our usual haunt, so we stopped here. We wanted to like this place. We really did. It's tucked away, has interesting decor, and seemed like the perfect hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Instead, we walked away feeling very confused. When we arrived, we were seated promptly. Drink orders were taken and we were told that our server would be right with us. Our drinks and bowls of miso soup arrived while we studied the menu. We made our choices, put the menus aside and waited for the server. And waited. Eventually the person who seated us walked by and noticed we still had menus. She took our order. I ordered the lunch special with the chicken tempura and crab puffs, and my son ordered the squid nigiri and the ramen miso. While we waited, we polished off the miso soup, which was flavorful, not too salty, and delicious. My son professed the hot green tea as some of the best he's ever had. See? Inattentive server aside, we were hopeful. The sushi arrived first, as it often does. My son put the first piece in his mouth, chewed, then made weird noises and muttered things while he chewed. When he finally swallowed, he drank quite a bit of water and said his squid was slimy and tasted odd. Now, squid nigiri is his favorite kind of sushi, and he's had it in several cities and at many restaurants. He said this is the first time it's ever been "slimy". He thought it wasn't as fresh as it could have been. Eventually a waitress walked by and set down my lunch. Just mine, with no mention of my son's ramen. Several minutes later, someone else finally brought his. That was just--odd. Entrees not arriving together? That hasn't happened--at any restaurant--in quite a while. Alas, our server still hadn't made an appearance. We saw him around the floor--helping other customers, clearing a table, up at the register. Just never with us. In any event, we dug in. My lunch plate was nicely arranged, with several long sticks of chicken tempura, a small dish of a red (I presume sweet and sour) sauce, several triangles of crab puffs, a small bowl of rice, a salad with an orange colored dressing and some orange sections artfully placed in half an orange peel. I was also given a bowl of what I assumed was soy sauce with chili oil or some other type of seasoning. The tempura was light and not at all greasy. Unfortunately, it had no flavor. I dipped the heck out of it into the red sauce. The crab puffs didn't really taste like crab puffs. They also took a dip in the red sauce. Unfortunately, the bowl of brown sauce turned out to be just soy sauce. It was odd to be given a bowl of it, since we had bottles of the stuff on our table already. The salad was nice and fresh, but the dressing (was it thousand island?) was too sweet for my taste. Oh...around this time, the server finally showed up to ask how we were doing. He didn't notice the half-eaten sushi abandoned off to the side. My son was surprised with his ramen miso. It's actually a dish he's had quite a bit at other places, and he's been experimenting with making it at home. He said the miso broth tasted odd--not like the tasty miso we had at the beginning--and that the noodles tasted like they were dried, not the fresh ones that usually make the dish at restaurants. All in all, he wasn't satisfied with his dish and didn't eat much of it. He wound up polishing off my rice. He also took the second piece of sushi, stripped off the squid, and ate that rice with the wasabi and ginger. Overall, the experience was confusing. The miso soup and green tea were excellent, but the actual entrees just didn't do much for us. Oh..and the server eventually came by again. To bring us the bill. I left a tip and wondered who would get it--him, or the ones who actually served us and refilled our water. We wanted to like this place so much. Instead, we won't be back.
(2)
Eleana H.
Solid 4 stars.. I have been coming back to this little corner on Oracle almost twice a week now... not only because its so close to my house (1 min drive) but also its just so damn cheap. I just ate here and we ordered 3 orders of nigiri, and 2 rainbow rolls and the bill came out to be 25 bucks pre tip. If you sit at the sushi bar you get free miso a hot towel plus edamame!!! The only thing driving me away from giving this place a perfect 5 stars is just the quality... but I mean I can really understand because this place wouldn't be soo cheap and such a staple in my life if the prices went up to reflect quality! Rice quality has also gotten better each time I go.. maybe that last time I went was just a fluke!
(4)
Darin L.
I have been coming here for years and I return mainly because of how cheap it is. They rotate a different set of rolls that are half off everyday. The quality of the rolls aren't great, especially if you pay full price. I usually just order whatever is on the half off list for that day. You really need to try their sashimi/nigiri. These do not get discounted but they have some of the best fish quality around. They pieces of fish are giant and they usually give you extra side pieces for free.
(3)
Nikky P.
We come here pretty frequently for their half priced sushi rolls. Every day of the week they select 5-7 rolls off their menu which are half price..these things are cheap! You're looking at about $3-$4 for a roll. They also have large (21 oz) Asahi for $5 which come with hot sake, complementary. Perfect for some Sake Bomb fun. We came here with another couple and ordered 2 rolls for ourselves. It was the other couples first time at Shogun, and they sent their order in before we could see it. After about 10 min. the sushi rolls started coming to the table...and kept coming...literally 20 rolls arrived for the couple! They assumed that the price was for one single roll. It was hilarious and we had a really good laugh about it, but we all felt that the server should have said something when he saw the order. If one couple orders 2 rolls and the other 20...yah...our friends ended up with lunch and dinner for the next few days. We ended up staying pretty late, even after the place closed down, and no one was pushy or tried to get us to leave,which was really nice as we hadn't seen our friends in a while and wanted to catch up. Make sure you call ahead to book a both, check out the sake bomb deals and grab some half priced rolls!
(4)
Aaaaaa S.
Be careful if you come at 9ish. They try to do last call and the servers want to go home around 930. When it says they close at 10. Food was good. Service was bad.
(3)
Jeremy K.
I've been here a few times and think their daily specials (1/2 off certain rolls) are great deals, but their sushi is average as far as taste. The rolls are big though.
(3)
Monica E.
I had developed a distaste for Shogun Sushi years ago. Something about the portion sizes and the service. I had not gone for some time, but decided to give it a go again earlier this year. I find I visit once or twice a month now and very much appreciate now what the restaurant has to offer. I cannot say anything about their cooked meals, because I always go for the nigiri, sashimi or chirashi bowl. I have been very satisfied with both the amount and freshness of the nigiri. the chirashi bowl is absolutely wonderful! It's a nice hefty serving, whether it be lunch or dinner. I docked one star off because I am not overly impressed with the nigiri. I just have not had a broad assortment, and find some of the cuts do run a bit small. But, in all, not so terrible that I would complain. And the restaurant has a $1 happy hour special for sushi pieces. I haven't tried it yet, but it's on my list of things to do.
(4)
Dalena T.
Nomnomnom definitely satisfied my sushi craving, its pricing was pretty standard but that lunch special though ! Pretty cheap for a lot of food :) the service was good the waiter was super nice! If you have a semi big party I would definitely recommend getting a private booth!
(4)
Amanda B.
Went here for a birthday lunch. I had the squid salad, spicy rainbow roll and tuna nigiri. The rolls were really big and the tuna nigiri pieces were also large. Overall, everything was just okay. It was good quality fish and everything tasted good. But nothing special. Just okay. I would go again if I was in the area.
(3)
Chris P.
Sushi is mediocre at best. The staff, while friendly, seems to teleport to another location as you can never find them.
(1)
Jim V.
Very good food and you get a lot for the money. Fast service, although can get slow at lunch time due to the crowd.
(5)
Chimi A.
Very generous portions, good quality fish, and delicious!! This place is somewhat of a drive from my house but I meet with friends there almost once every week for the half off roll menu! It's worth the drive. I agree with others that the service can be hit or miss, but the sushi is so good it makes up for it. I personally have had more good servers than bad! I really hope it stays that way :)
(5)
Thomas G.
This is a nice place to get fairly large cuts of fish. Their 1/2 price "by day of the week" specials always have a selection or two that we enjoy. I'm not a heavy drinker, but if you like your beer and sake the "sake bomb" specials are quite affordable. The staff is pleasant and friendly. The do get busy, but are always as quick as possible to get you food served as soon as possible.
(4)
Kelsey P.
Very good little sushi place! Nothing fancy, although they had personal booths you could reserve. Had amazing coconut sorbet!
(4)
Hudson M.
Half of selected rolls every day, and the size of the servings of sushi always makes me smile
(4)
Charina G.
I visited this place once way back in 2006, and I have forgotten how the experience was so I figure, let's try it again! Went on a Saturday, and the waitress was... hmm how can I put this? Not helpful? Didn't ask what we wanted to drink, didn't ask if we've been here before, didn't ask if my daughter would like a booster seat, didn't ask anything. Just sat us down, gave our menus and left. I remember something about certain days certain rolls were off, but didn't know the details, so after waiting till I flagged down the stupid waitress to ask about that, her response was, "oh yeah, just look at the menu" like I was suppose to know what the hell that meant. It was literally like prying teeth, to get her to explain how it worked. We ended up getting Yaqui and Phoenix roll (cuz they were 1/2 off that day), a chirashi & zaru soba for my husband, and I got a bunch of nigiri (halibut, amaebi, salmon, unagi, scallop, and tamago for my daughter). When the nigiri came out, they were huge!! Supersize. The fish was fresh and I like the extra bit they gave. Amaebi was delicious, and they actually fried not just the head, but its legs and parts of its body! Never saw that before, and it was a nice delicious hot piece of shrimp goodness. The rice too was huge, and felt more compact that they usually are. Also for the fact they were slightly cold, it felt like a dense brick of rice. We had a lot of leftovers, so next time, we probably wouldn't order so much. The rolls we got weren't memorable, maybe if we went on another day to try a different set of 1/2 rolls. Back to the waitress, I did ask about a booster seat and she said sure, but never brought it. Saving grace was another waitress who actually stopped at our table when she saw our daughter and asked if we'd like a booster chair. She was more helpful than the one we were assigned. I would definitely try this place again (because of the fish), and hope that I don't get that waitress again.
(3)
Annie H.
Walking in, I noticed the environment/fengshui of the place was inviting. The wait staff seated us promptly and were quite friendly. They provided a list of sushi and a few are half off for that day. I did not find any of those interesting so I ordered yellowtail sashimi, dragon rolls and some other eel roll. Unfortunately they had run out of eel that day so I was disappointed. I replaced my order with some sort of tempura roll and a sweet shrimp roll. The sashimi was fresh and the size of the portion was a good amount, the wasabi is what I found was the highlight of the meal since it had the kick I like. The other rolls were very heavy with cream cheese and a bit bland. I liked the tartness of the roll I got with lemon juice. A few of my friends also got the Vegas roll and rainbow roll. I enjoyed the Vegas roll more when it was hot and the rainbow roll was a colorful mix of raw fish but it was also a bit heavy on the cream cheese. Overall I enjoyed the experience but the sushi was average. I cut them some slack because it is Tucson and it is hard to find fresh fish in the desert.
(3)
Jasmine W.
I used to love this place a long time ago, but this is nothing like what I remembered. No matter how good the food may be, no one can fully enjoy it if you only have 5 minutes to eat it. In conclusion, don't choose this place if you're on a lunch break. The food took over 25 minutes to arrive and I'm still waiting on my check as I write this. My boyfriend had to run out of here to go back to work as we had finished our lunch over ten minutes ago. The first girl who greeted us had no smile on her face and although the second one was nice, but she never checked up on us until we were almost done with our food... So whatever we needed was already too late at that point. The yakiniku had a potent squid flavor, the bulgogi was soupy and flavorless, and the salad was so wet that it was dropping water as you picked it up. The redeeming bites were the sukiyaki and the slice of watermelon on my plate. I might come back to try their regular menu, hopefully it will change my opinion about this place.
(1)
Sylvia M.
AWESOME happy hour specials!
(5)
Rick V.
I love this place, which just makes my gripe feel completely wrong. But my complaint is based on my regular enjoyment of this place and how that was crushed today. When sushi fans have a craving...we've gotta have it! Shogun is a 15 minute drive from my work. I looked at my watch. It was 2 pm and I knew I could make it. they close at 2:30. I walked in at 2:15 and was told they were closed and no longer serving guests today. they did apologize for the inconvenience, but it felt a bit flat. My bitch is this: CHANGE YOUR POSTED HOURS!!!! If you cut people off at 2:15pm, or whatever, then for God's sake's, don't post your hours on the door that you are open until 2:30. I get it...we are all tired and a bit lazy around closing time and we all want to leave work as quickly as we can. So post your closing time as 2:15, or whenever your "cut-off" time is. When I get ushered out 15 minutes before your official closing time, it has the tendency of pissing me off. then, my craving still isn't satisfied....and have to go find another sushi joint. I think you see where this is going. While I love your restaurant...THAT Sushi place was open and it was pretty damn good and reasonably priced. In fact, it was just a wee bit closer to where I work. So why shouldn't I just begin preferring that spot over Shogun? Because I am a loyal customer, I won't do that...yet! Please!!!! Take a look at this procedure and change your posted hours, or seat people up to 2:29:59. Hopefully, I won't run into such a time-crunch again. I love Shogun! My friends love Shogun! Please help us maintain your favored position and address this issue. Thanks. Bitching done. This place is awesome!!!
(4)
D.R. B.
Great quality fish and generous sized pieces. Was a regular until I moved to NYC (and miss it a lot). Keep up the good work Aoki.
(5)
Annie L.
I went there almost once a week. What they offer is way more than other sushi restaurant in Tucson. Their sushi is GIANT!! The fishes' quality are pretty good, but it can be bad sometimes.
(5)
Joshua B.
I will be the first to admit that some of the items on their menu is not what you would expect; however, if you ask the staff will take the time to make sure you get what you want. With that said, their sushi is soooo good! Seriously, this is my favorite place in Tucson (and I've tried them all)! The atmosphere is comfortable, their menu has a lot of variety, and most importantly the sushi is great! Ask about their happy hour items. Different items every day of the week, so you can always get what you are craving for cheap! Side note: They once made a mistake on a to-go order and their chef drove to my house to bring the corrected item. Talk about going out of the way for great customer service! Truly a great place to eat!
(4)
Nick D.
If Nigiri sushi is what you order then this is the place you want to be. I ordered a couple different kinds of Nigiri and portions were huge. Well worth the money spent. I ordered a couple different rolls here and they were average. I have been to just about every sushi place in Tucson and you will not find better Nigiri sushi. Leave happy and full at a reasonable price.
(4)
Rachel F.
This is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in town. Wednesdays, in my opinion, are the best days because of the 1/2 price rolls on that day are my favorite (rainbow roll, eel roll, etc). As an oyster fan, I know that they're tough to find in the old pueblo. But Shogun has THE BEST oysters on the half shell I've ever had. They're huge and full of flavor. I definitely recommend this place for sushi and oysters.
(5)
Morgen K.
This place is great depending on what day you go and what sushi is half price. Everyday they have about 5 rolls half off. Our dinner started off great with the food and the service. The sushi was fresh and came out promptly. When we wanted to go we waited about 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledged us again. They had a very large group come in and all 4 servers were helping the group and seemed to forget about the other tables. All in all it wasn't bad except for the service towards the end. I will be returning.
(3)
Sandra L.
We thought we would try this place as it was close to the gym. We were really hungry. We ordered Yummy rolls and nigiri. We had hot sake too. Definitely coming back.
(4)
Jinyin N.
The price is reasonable. And they have special price menu every day and it's different from each day. I also like their lunch special. There are a lot of food for just around $10. This place is my first choice for hanging out with my friends because they have private room here - nobody stare at you when you eat, or you don't have to pay attention to your surrounding , just enjoy your sushi with your friends. *lol*
(5)
Jennifer D.
It's just OK! I had heard of this place for awhile so when we had the opportunity to go to Shogun we took it. I was starving so I felt like I could eat COW, and you know what that's just what they gave me. I had ordered the Bluogi beef (spl) The platter was sooo HUGE I mean the Portion was so big that four people could share it. It was almost too much to eat even for this rice loving girl! I am not a Sushi lover, but I will eat the Cali roll, and the roll itself was all right, but yet again there was too much rice. Not saying we won't go there again, but now I can say I have been to shogun.
(3)
Dallas G.
Now, I must admit that I am an avid costumer. My roommate and I come at least once a week and we usually enjoy ourselves quite well!! "So why 3 stars?" you might ask. Well, fair citizen, allow me to explain my reasoning! They have specials every day of the week. I'm sure you'll see tons of reviews throughout explaining that system so I don't feel the need to explain it. Half off on certain rolls every day of the week? Sign me up! They even taste fairly good so that's a plus(except I'm not a fan of their Las Vegas roll...) But that's also the problem here. Their rolls are just good. On half off days, those rolls are phenominal. But if I were to buy those rolls for their full price, I wouldn't feel they were worth it. So basically, each roll is only worth the price on one day a week. That causes a problem in my books, so that's one star off! Next, their staff is very... shotty. Some days, we've gotten some AMAZING Waiters/Waitresses. Then other days... well it suffers. One day we get... Amanda? It's been a while but she was spectacular. Then another day, we get a gentlemen who, in my opinion, doesn' take hygeine too seriously. Every time he passed our table, we had to hold our breath. Rather distracting, to say the least. Some days we get a rude server, other days an unintelligent server, other days a fantastic server. It's really hit or miss. As an employee of the Hilton, I find customer service to be the #1 priority and Shogun's costumer service lacks. That's the reason for the second star off. All and all, the food is decent, the prices CAN be good, and the service is hit or miss. 3/5, still an avid customer. Especially on Thursdays. Philliieeeeee rolllll!!!!!
(3)
Alexander P.
Some of the best sushi I have had in town! Always bright colored sashimi and sushi. Fresh good food. Great for lunch, the lunch special is a good portion for the $. Great rolls, fresh fish, and good service.
(4)
Saba B.
Shogun's kitsch samurai atmosphere includes a relaxing fountain, bamboo accents, and red lanterns. The pinata which caricaturizes the owner is clearly a nod to Tucson, but it's refreshing to see a sushi restaurant attend to oriental decor. The extensive menu includes about 40 specialty rolls, appetizers ranging from pork dumplings (spelled "dumpings," sadly, on the menu) to ribs, and entrees covering the gamut from binto boxes to elaborate seafood dishes. We opted for sushi only, and with 10 specialty rolls half-price on Sundays, were able to gorge ourselves for under $30. The Healthy, Energy, Toreado, and Kamikaze rolls were standouts, and the tuna and salmon sahsimi, truly gargantuan and melt-in-your mouth fresh, left us speechless. Literally. The pieces are so large here that conversation is difficult. My inner little girl who holds tea parties rejoiced when my green tea arrived in a gorgeous handpainted porcelain teapot, fragrant and refreshing beyond the norm. Shogun has been around for a while, and I can see why.
(4)
Jobe R.
Ok... started out with broken glass in edamame,(no kidding) second dish that came out was tempura squid legs, they were burnt and sent them back. ordered Uni and it was not fresh. At that point we were just short of getting up and leaving. Salmon n Yellowtail were good but who doesnt have the most common fish available??? So you think that management would have done something to win us over.... NOPE, a couple of I'm sorrys. Wish it would have ended different! WILL NEVER COME BACK!!!
(1)
Tiffany S.
Come during happy hour and the sushi is half-priced cheap. The half-priced menu rotates daily, making it one of the cheaper places in town. The atmosphere is nice with curtained booths and an indoor waterfall. The sushi itself is just okay. It's usually rather quickly made and the fish isn't the absolute freshest. Some of the rolls are better than others, and you should plan around this when considering what day to go. The service can be slow depending on how full the restaurant (which is typically on the "good roll" days). I agree with previous posters, this place is either a hit or miss.
(3)
Haley C.
Favorite sushi place! I have been to many and none compare to Shogun. By far best nigiri and big portions.
(4)
Christopher C.
Tip- semi-private rooms look like fun for larger groups but you might incur an auto tip for large groups. I think that's fair for sake bomb goodness. Pros:Tasty sushi with good sized dishes. Sake bombs $5 all day! Assortment of sauces served with the bento box. I got bento#2. More than enough for me. I had leftovers. Cons: a little slow on service but not terrible. They were probably thrown off by my telling them a friend or two was coming. Then the friends were late.
(5)
Bette T.
Delicious, fresf, fresh fish. The salmon melts in your mouth. They have at least 5 half price specials every day. Very friendly and knowledgeable wait staff. I try to eat here at least once a week.
(4)
Stephen G.
What a great meal without being loaded with cards? Try the Sashimi Salad. A healthy load of sashimi, tuna, salmon, octopus and more on a bed of bamboo shoots, celery, and thinly sliced cucumbers mixed in an albacore ginger dressing. Once you have this, you'll want it again and again.
(5)
Chris S.
Life has been kicking me in the behind lately so I've been waaaaaaaaaaaay behind on my Yelping. My wife and I were in Tucson last month and looking for a sushi place on the west end of town. Yelp to the rescue and led us to Shogun. Not a bad choice overall. Service: 4/5 The service was prompt and attentive, but I'm afraid they ran afoul of one of my big service pet peeves... the "hand off." Right after bringing our entree, our server says she is going on break and someone else will finish taking care of us. I know we all deserve breaks, but if you are about to take one, why take on a new table? It's just off-putting to me. And we're all entitled to our pet peeves. Aside from that, everything was fine. They kept our water glasses full and checked on us enough without hovering. Food: 4/5 Unfortunately I cannot recall exactly all of what we ordered, a down side of putting this review off for as long as I have. My wife and I both ordered sushi, three rolls a piece... I just don't remember what they all were. I know they were yummy though. The fresh rolls were fresh, the cooked rolls were tasty, and the price was good. Overall very solid food. Not the best sushi experience we've had, but solid all around. Overall Impressions: 4/5 Shogun is rather unassuming from the outside, like many restaurants in this area seem to be. They don't look like much on the outside, but on the inside they are clean, comfortable, and cozy. That pretty much sums up Shogun. I would say it is the "definition" of a four-star review. Everything was good, above average even. But nothing "knocked your socks off." You'll be back, but nothing really made you say "wow!" That said, I would definitely recommend Shogun for a west side sushi experience.
(4)
Troy E.
Definitely my new favorite, I love the size of the rolls and the price is great for what you're really getting. The whole restaurant looks amazing and the little booths we sat in was really cool. I'll probably go back at least every other week. We also had great service, I wish I could have left a bigger tip but I was cutting it pretty close for my wallet. Would recommend to anyone who likes sushi!
(5)
Cesar V.
I've been to this place a few times. It is a quaint and lovely place. It has a sense of a real Japanese restaurant. When you walk in you can really tell it is a mom and pop place. I've had take out and have sat down to eat there. I was really impressed with the level of customer service. As soon as I sat down I was greeted with soup, edamame and a hot towel.. I also received soup and a hot towel while I was waiting for my to go order. As for the sushi you are served really big portions. They do serve their own version of the common sushi plates out there. One thing I was disappointed was in the California roll, which is just a piece of crab meat along with your avocado and cucumber. I would have liked to have seen some sort of crab salad instead of one piece of krab meat like most places. I believe this adds a little bit more flavor and texture. But overall the sushi was edible and filling. This place does have excellent lunch specials. And it would be a great place to go for lunch with some coworkers. But be aware in my experience during lunch the waiters can get sometimes busy and it can take sometime to get a Diet Coke ha ha. Bottom line if you like to get quick sushi and go there just for food I recommend this place. If you're looking for something more lively I would recommend sushi Garden or RA sushi.
(3)
Roger T.
I came here to re unite with an old friend. I been here several times before in the past but it was so long ago I forgot how it was. To start off the place internally is pretty nice. It has that nice Japanese welcoming environment with bamboo fountains and plants everywhere. They even have little sections where you can enjoy your sushi with curtain for privacy. The deals here are pretty different. Each day of the weak only certain numbers from the sushi menu are half off, so really you have to come on a day where the good sushi are half off. Sadly I came on a Monday so the top A-ok sushi were only half off. The taste of the sushi here was alright. I'd have to say I've had better. It didn't really spark my taste buds, don't get me wrong it was good but just not over the top. I'd probably go spend the extra money at an all you can eat since the taste are similar. Therefore I'm content with this place.
(3)
Bri B.
My husband and I love this place! We are big fans of anything sushi! =) Shogun is very cute and i love the booth idea. They have different rolls that are half-off everyday which is great. Sushi is delicious (my favorite is the Shogun roll) and you get miso soup to start. Definitely recommend this place!
(5)
Fringe O.
The food is usually well-prepared and fresh. The prices are good. There are many options which are easily made vegan. The atmosphere is cute. The service however.....is usually lacking. For much of the staff, this seems to be their first job so the idea of customer service may be new to them.
(3)
Todd D.
Best sushi in town. Huge portions. Aoki is a master sushi chef. It's the only place I go....
(5)
Allison W.
Eh.... I was looking forward to Shogun after reading the reviews. Some friends and I met for dinner last night, and while the service was pretty good, the food just didn't taste very good. We ordered assorted sushi, nigiri, as well as some tempura. The tempura was good, the miso soup tasty... but the rolls and nigiri, just didn't hit the spot. The soft shell crab roll smelled and tasted fishy beyond belief! So bad in fact, we sent it back. The salmon nigiri was actually the best thing, the halibut not so much. They do give you HUGE portions of fish, so that's a positive. While I'm not a Las Vegas roll fan to begin with, the one my friend ordered was.... uhhhh.... I'm not even sure what it was. I wouldn't even taste it! Overall, the restaurant is ok, but if I want some good sushi, this is not the place I would choose to go. There is far better sushi in town.
(2)
Heather T.
My family goes there on Christmas Eve before heading to the family Christmas party. We love the sushi. If you want a great deal, go at lunch. It includes two entrees (I usually go with the sashimi and either the tempura or the beef sukiyaki), a salad, rice, an orange, a drink and a cup of miso soup for around seven dollars. It doesn't get much better than that.
(5)
David L.
Without fail, you must have the huatabampo roll!!!
(4)
Tina M.
Really lovely atmosphere and nice setup. The food is OK. Sashimi comes in HUGE pieces (and I really mean it, it's tripled the regular sashimi pieces at other places) Some folks like it, but I personally don't because that kinda kills the purpose of eating sushi and sashimi, it's to enjoy the taste and taking it slowly. But I can't deny that their fish is pretty fresh and in good cut.
(4)
Sitha I.
Oh Shogun... I actually like this place. There's a few reasons; 1) They have 1/2 off sushi all day on selected sushi rolls. Not just happy hour. Basically its their sushi list divided into 7 sections(everyday of the week) and there's at least 5 rolls everyday. And the rolls are not bad. Not the best but great for the price. 2) they have $5 sake bombs all day. Not just happy hour either and 3) they have this private booth area so you can dine and hang out with friends without people looking at you all crazy when you're drunk and obnoxious. I just like that its private. They only have a handful so you gotta be lucky. Plus if its busy they wont seat you in there unless your with a party of 4 or more (something like that). Its a place to try.
(3)
Linda N.
Very nice restaurant, traditional Japanese taste. Just a little bit slow, but it is worth!
(4)
Gary S.
I have dined here a couple times for lunch. It has never been crowded either time I was here but the sushi has taken a very long time to come out. Now I eat a lot of sushi so I know that it does take some time if you order a variety of items. For me there are other place in town that do a better job.
(3)
Danielle B.
This place gives you a lot of bang for your buck. The sashimi is huge...sooo huge my friend didn't know what to do with it. The fish is hit or miss as far as being fresh. My favorite thing about this restaurant are the private rooms, daily specials, and the service. They also have the BEST volcano roll, so if you are looking for a california roll with a ton of baked scallops and creamy sauce, look no further than Shogun. Great place to go w/friends for sushi and saki.
(4)
E N.
I've had my fair share of sushi. Here, there, everywhere SUSHI IS MY LIFE! Jk. But I am a big fan of sushi so naturally, upon hearing about this restaurant, I decided I needed to shimmy on over to try it for myself. I thought they had a cool happy hour-esque idea about having certain rolls for half price, about five of them for every day of the week. I can't complain because I believe I had four rolls and walked away with paying around 20 dollars including tip and that just never happens after eating sushi... So value wise its the best, but if you are planning on taking a flock of your boss and employees from your lets just say, Google, you may want to pursue your sushi endeavors elsewhere.
(3)
Scottie M.
Best sushi in Tucson. Ask for Aoki or Pak, both are 2 of the best sushi chefs around
(5)
Steven G.
There is a reason why Shogun is one of the top rated Sushi restaurants in Tucson. The atmosphere, food, pricing are all something to be excited about but there are a few quips about the place. First the atmosphere. Upon arrival I was amazed at the decor of the restaurant. There are only a few other places that rival Shogun for its decor however my big issue was that I felt the lighting was a little too dim. I ate there on a Friday afternoon and I just didn't like how dim everything felt. However, that is my only complaint and everything else is perfect. Pricing was also much better than I had expected. A friend had told me about their happy hours and so I thought I would take advantage of it on my first try. I was able to get extremely full and paid about 15 bucks. Had I not ordered the entrees I probably would have been full with less money. The food was good. I ordered a 2 entree lunch combo and a Dragon Roll. My entrees consisted of fried swordfish and beef bulgogi. I've never had swordfish before so I honestly can't compare it to anything but I didn't like it that much. The meat was very tough and not what I was expecting but this could be the case for all swordfish meat. I LOVE bulgogi and have very high standards for it and unfortunately the bulgogi here is probably the worst I've had. They soak it in sauce but the meat isn't very tender. The flavor isn't as strong either and it honestly just felt very soggy. I wouldn't recommend it but now on to the main reason why I was at Shogun in the first place! The Sushi.... was AMAZING! I loved my Dragon Roll and managed to try a piece of my friend's "Sex on the Beach" roll and Las Vegas Roll. The Sex on the Beach was fantastic. *giggity* The Las Vegas Roll was actually far different than Las Vegas Rolls at most other Sushi Restaurants. Instead of deep frying the whole roll it seemed like they used crunch flakes on it instead and used less cream cheese which was a huge plus in my book. Service was sub par, I had to ask for my water to be refilled which annoys the crap out of me. Despite the service I do believe that it was just bad luck and I am very looking forward to visiting Shogun again in the near future.
(4)
Karl H.
The sushi here is fabulous. The salmon nigiri comes with more salmon than I have gotten at another sushi restaurant. The staff is friendly and the private little rooms are perfect for big or small groups. With the complimentary miso soup and edamame, it can be cheaper and just as delicious as a trendier place. I am proud of this "hole in the wall" place that my friends and I found. There are 5 daily specials (that are 50% off) that rotate day to day which makes for a great deal. Plus if you sit at the sushi bar, you usually get a diced up orange as a sweet way to end the meal.
(5)
Neon L.
I have lived in the Bay area and have had sushi at some very good places in my day. The size of the fish is unreal as the pictures attest to. Weekly lunch speciasl make this place a must visit. Booths with curtains are a nice touch for staying a while and sipping some sake
(5)
Les C.
I used to love the sushi bar very much!!! BUT, the last time I was there I could feel something tickling my leg and when I finally looked down it was a huge cockroach. I called the waiter and he quickly stepped on it and then asked me to give him a napkin to pick it up. No discount on our food. Just acted like its an everyday thing. I can't bare to go back!
(1)
Rose A.
Fish is fresh and delicious, service has lots of room for improvement.
(3)
Colin G.
My significant other had unexpected dinner plans, so I just got in my car, started driving and thought that I'd figure out a restaurant as I went. I got close to River/Oracle and remembered the sushi restaurant that I had never tried. I even lived practically next door to this place for a few months and never came. It was a Thursday, the place was about half-full and, as a single male, I took up a seat at the sushi bar. Length-wise, the bar is long: it spans a corner and can seat at least 15 people. Width-wise though, it's got some space issues. Throughout the meal, I struggled to fit everything I was given in my little spot. In fact, if I had had a next door neighbor, I don't know that I would have been able to successfully eat. A hot towel was dished out. Nice touch. I hadn't gotten one of those at a restaurant in many years. I started looking over the menu and noticed the sign behind the bar indicating that certain rolls were half off. This helped me decide and, at first, I chose a Philly and a crunchy spicy tuna. The chef handed me a menu though and, upon closer examination, I read that the Philly included masago. Okay, I know that some places do that, but I've never seen one in Tucson and I just like the way it tastes with salmon. I guess I could have asked for salmon, but I always feel like an asshole asking chefs to change the constitution of their rolls. I opted for the volcano instead which was $10 normally, but half off tonight, and featured a "spicy sauce" and baked. Before I even placed the order, I got a bowl of warm miso (notice that I didn't say "hot") which, to my surprise, featured bean sprouts instead of seaweed. Alright... I was also given an order of edamame, which wasn't the best of quality, but was, at the least, warm. The crunchy spicy tuna came up pretty quickly and was handed over across the bar. I first noticed that their spicy tuna includes cabbage. Yes, cabbage. I wouldn't say that it was a bad thing, because it actually added to the "crunch," but it was a bit odd. What I didn't like was how the rolls were put together: poorly. I couldn't pick the things up without them falling apart. On the end pieces, the fish was just falling out onto the plate. The volcano, because of its baked situation, took much longer, but was brought out after a few minutes. I immediately regretted ordering it because the "spicy sauce" was actually just a spicy mayonnaise, which had deliberately avoided ordering (mayonnaise tends to make me sick). That mayo was piled on too, just about as tall as the actual roll below it. That roll below it though, of course, was what I was mainly interested in, and it was also disappointing. The fish on there (I honestly cannot recall which fish it was supposed to be) tasted old and fishy and, if there were other items in the roll aside from that fish, I wouldn't be able to tell you what they were because, between the gob of spicy mayo put onto the roll and that overpowering fishy fish, nothing else was discernible. Just because I saw it on the menu, I decided to try a Japanese pancake filled with red bean (don't recall the Japanese for it, but that's what it's called on the menu). Now, the reason this sort of excited me was that, in high school in Singapore, I used to spend a lot of time in a little Japanese-oriented shopping center (Ginza Plaza in West Coast, for those who are curious, although it's apparently very different now) and, there at the back of a supermarket in the basement, they sold these pancakes, fresh and sometimes way too hot. They had a variety of them though: blueberry, red bean, chocolate, vanilla and others. I loved those things, and I still miss them. I'll have to keep missing them, because the ones served here are not right. Basically, they tasted like a couple of mini Bisquick mix pancakes filled with a recently frozen red bean paste. It also came in a plastic wrapper, which makes me think that they either buy them elsewhere (sad) or sell them (sadder). It was only $1.50, so I don't feel like I got ripped off, and at least I got to try them. Food-wise, I would rate this a 1*. However, I did really like the place as far as the service and the atmosphere. The sushi chef who runs the place seems like a genuinely nice guy and the servers were generally pretty nice. For sushi though, you can do way, way better in town. Considering how many sushi places there are in Tucson, there's just no reason for food quality like that. Then again, it was mostly just the "to try it" on this place and, now that I have, I won't be back.
(2)
Jeff D.
I really like the atmosphere of this restaurant and how it is designed. If you can get one of the private booths, it is an even better experience. I have been going to this restaurant for almost ten years and even got into sushi while coming here. I used to love getting their beef teriyaki combination with rice, orange and mini salad. Recently, though, I feel that the quality is waning a bit on the food. The quality of the beef is not what I remember and many times it has come out cold. The quality of the fish in the sushi is also not what I remember but it pis still pretty good depending on the sushi chef you get. I love that the rolls are so large and they have quite a few creative rolls as well. I won't stop coming here but continue to hope that things will return the way that I remember them to be.
(3)
Melinda T.
This place is good as far as sushi goes. The portions are big, especially the nigiri. The daily specials (5 rolls that are 50% off) changes throughout the week so it can be fairly cheap depending how much you can eat. My favorite is Thursday and Saturday. The downside to Shogun? The service is awful. I understand that they get busy, but it's to the point where it's inexcusable. For about the hour and a half we were there, we saw our server 3 times. It took awhile for us to put in an order for the second round of sushi and to get our check. Overall, the food was good. Service was mediocre.
(3)
Conchita C.
Love Shogun......great rolls, amazing tender and tasty salmon, good tea. I try to eat here once a month, but darn, they close between lunch and dinner.
(4)
Lilita R.
This is a perfect "family sushi" restaurant & I say this because of the booths, I love that they are covered with beaded curtains..no one has to see my bad public parenting!! yay! :) But seriously I've been going to Shogun since My 9 year old was an infant..3 kids later I love this place still & My kids do too..We love the food, prices & atmosphere.
(5)
Tommy S.
Shogun rocks!, Its not the cleanest "looking" place but pak their sushi chief is the bomb!! Their nigiri is one of a kind and they don't skimp on portions. I used to be a fan of Sushi Garbage, I mean garden, but they sold out, and my dad has been coming to this place for years! I love the mussels, they are amazing, The rice had good texture and is not all soggy or hard like some places I have been to. Shogun gets my thumbs up would be 5 stars if they dress the place a bit better.
(4)
Taralyn R.
Good sushi and good service. Not the best I've ever had but I'd go back. Their half off rolls change daily so you have to go in and see which day you'd like the best.
(3)
Barry S.
Service and food are great! Fish is very fresh and good sized servings. Would highly recommend if you're in North Tuscon
(4)
Selina S.
This is by far my favorite sushi place in Tucson! Everyday they have at least 5 rolls that are half off and they rotate everyday. Fridays are my favorite night with the Vegas roll and sex on the beach roll. You get tons of food for a great price! Absolutely love it
(5)
richard s.
it's just OK! some people like a big piece sushi. but i don't like a too big...(looks animal style...) good for hungly people!
(2)
Phil D.
Friends of ours keep telling us to go to Shogun. Now we know why. Large pieces of tasty fresh fish, good service and nice atmosphere. We will be going back. Oh, and very reasonable prices too!
(5)
Emily T.
Shogun Sushi has fabulous daily sushi specials! Each day 5 different rolls are half off (except Sundays which have 8 rolls on special). On Mondays rolls 1-5 are half off, on Tuesdays 6-10 and so on. Thursdays and Fridays are my favorite days. The Philly roll is on special Thursdays and the Vegas roll is on special Fridays. When you order at the bar you get edamame and an after dinner orange or watermelon in addition to the miso soup. The restaurant has its own unique charm and there are defintely good and bad waitstaff, but the food is great and the drinks specials don't hurt either. :) I would recommend giving Shogun a try!
(4)
Christopher S.
We had excellent service by our waitress. The private room was nice and the seating made it easy for us to communicate as a large group. I was also surprised at the size of the fish portion that they give you with the sashimi. It wasn't like a lot of places that try to get away with filling you up on the rice.
(4)
Em C.
The sushi is mediocre, but far from good. The service is absolutely HORRIBLE as no one seems happy to be there and I was left with no water for 20 minutes. The waiters don't really care. And to top it all off, the mochi ice cream is not up to par. I'd take my money elsewhere.
(1)
Stephen W.
Should I expect better sushi in Tucson? Location is good if you are near the Tucson Mall. My 5 year old niece likes the miso soup and california rolls, but when it comes to real sushi, they are not up to par. They didn't roll the rolls tight and it fell right out of my sticks. The rainbow roll was not cut through all the way and the fish didn't seem that fresh. It was Christmas eve but should this make a difference? The people who ordered the tempura veggies thought it was good. The booth we were in was not very clean. Might go back just to see if this was a one time thing and if I'm near the mall.
(2)
Dick W.
Would give five stars but sometimes quality of fish is lacking. Great prices. Huge nigiri. Comes with miso and edamame. Laid back atmosphere.
(4)
Arissa C.
I agree with Andy- but the owner is friendly and when he's around will talk to diners...bar next door is fun great hangout place for happy hour.
(3)
Sabrina D.
I've been to the other sushi places in Tucson, but Shogun remains my favorite. Mostly it's because I think it's the best price while other places continue to be expensive. They don't have a happy hour per se but there's 1/2 off select sushi rolls everyday (about 5 rolls 7 days a week) and if you go for lunch, they have yummy bento box meals for about $7. Not only that, but I feel like Shogun has a nice selection of food other than sushi. Give it a try!
(5)
Adrienne F.
Great place for quick, delicious, and large portion sushi. The restaurant was cute and cozy and offered private booth areas that were decorated with beaded curtains. The service was quick as we had arrived a little late for lunch as they close for short time in afternoon. Server was efficient and knowledgeable. Fairly good number of other diners present. Sushi rolls were a little loose but packed full of fish. We ordered 5 different rolls but one was nearly omitted, once mentioned the waiter and chef got the roll ready with lightning speed. Recommend Las Vegas Roll, Rainbow Roll, and any type of spicy tuna rolls. Food was absolutely delicious. Edamame and oranges not included with service. Miso included. Overall great experience. Only tried sushi no appetizers or other dishes. Will definitely return. The small booths are great for small intimate party. Also noticed excellent daily special of 1/2 off a range of different sushi roll #'s each day of th week (each day the range progresses through entire list of sushi roll numbers).
(4)
Leo B.
This place did nothing for me. If you want sushi and you are near Shogun's go down to Sushi Hama.
(2)
Gary H.
As most have said, the nigiri is so-so. The neta (fish on top the nigiri) is huge, but the fish quality could be better. The waitresses are cute, but a little slow. They never brought me a menu or anything for that matter. I had to ask for water and a beer. I asked what beer they had and she told me I should look at the menu...duh...try giving me one first...it's been about ten minutes since I asked for the water and beer...still have my ikura, uni, and spicy tuna to eat, but I'm quickly losing my appetite. At this rate, I know I won't be back. The beer finally came, but no glass and still no water. The seats next to me finally got cleaned up after more than 40 minutes.
(2)
misha h.
Sushi & sake is a New Years' tradition with my friends and I, and this year we went to Shogun. I only eat sashimi, and they served fresh, thick, beautiful slices of colorful, yummy fish. The service was fine, too. So if you like sashimi, this place is worth a go.
(4)
Tyne M.
The only reason I'm not rating a 5 on this one is because the service is iffy. The one time I went with a group it was HORRIBLE and if you sit at the sushi bar getting service can be difficult. Other than that I love the food. Portions are huge, fresh, prices are good, and when you do get service they are friendly. Definitely a great find in Tucson.
(4)
Tina P.
I ordered salmon sashimi, my sushi staple...it was ehh...
(2)
Andy H.
Sushi was good, not great. They have a nice fountain and sushi specials every day.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, 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 : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Rich Y.
I will echo another reviewer and say that the quality of ramen (the noodles specifically) is not where it could be. It was almost like fried rice noodles had been dunked in broth - kind of chewy and also kind of crunchy, in a weird sort of way. It detracted from an otherwise good bowl of ramen. The nigiri pieces really are as big as the pictures show. Rich's recommendation: book what I call a "sake bomb booth" and have some fish or rolls. If you go for the ramen, keep your noodle bar low.
(4)Dana W.
Great sushi, huge portions of sushi. Almost wish they could cut them smaller so you won't look like an idiot eating them. I wish they would be more generous with the ginger portions. Overall a good experience, just need to work on the presentation since it looks sloppy and difficult to eat.
(3)Megan L.
There are two places I go to in Tucson for cheap sushi: Sushi Ten and Shogun. My favorite parts about Shogun: -"Private" booths for parties of 4 or more. You feel like you're sitting in a VIP room! -They serve the best takoyakis in town (versus Yukari's). I have only found two places that serve octopus dumplings, so if there are more, someone let me know... -Their 1/2off daily specials. I absolutely love Rainbow Rolls, and every Wednesday, Shogun has them for happy hour prices all day. There are rotating half-off prices daily. My least favorite parts: -Their ramen dishes are really poor in quality. I had the Ramen Tonkatsu tonight for the first time, and I give them high points for a well-boiled egg and tasty pork, but the noodles were worse than bad instant ramen. They felt undercooked and overcooked at the same time. Sadly, when I order ramen, 90% of my food are the noodles, so they have to taste right. -For a very well decorated restaurant, their menus and plastic bowls made the place feel like a low-end restaurant.
(3)Adam F.
Shogun has been at this location for quite a while. It on the northeast corner of Oracle and River. If you see a Denny's in front of the strip mall, then you are in the right place! The atmosphere is very unique. They do have a section in the restaurant where you can eat like they do in Japan. You can sit at the sushi bar if you want, and there is also booths. The ambience is open and welcoming. The service here is very good. Servers are very friendly, and the sushi chefs are visibly talking with customers. They make sure you are having a pleasant time from the moment of entering to when you leave. It is clear that they take pride in their food. The quality is above average and the quantity is plentiful. It is slightly pricer than some places and the hours may be less convenient for some, but you can expect tasty Japanese food and enough of it. Want to change up your dinner routine? Shogun is a place to achieve just that.
(4)Kimberly T.
This is my favorite sushi place in town. The owner, Aoki is actually Japanese while most of the other owners of Japanese restaurants are actually Korean. I love how they have specials all day and they are consistent. The cheapest rolls are in Monday. But I think the best rolls are on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that are on special. I'm on a diet right now so I always get sashimi. Specifically the charashi bowl. It's so pretty and it is delicious!
(5)Eric S.
Lunch special today with Bulgogi and a California Roll. I asked for a side of spicy ponzu sauce and it was more like a sweet taste vs spicy but good anyway. I am full and I spent 11 bucks, this place is a great lunch spot.
(4)Sky S.
When you close at 9 pm, people usually think they can come in before that time (roughly 8:20) and get decent food. I'm sorry that I'm taking time away from you being able to go home, but this is your job and should probably try to hold a positive standard. 7 piece sushi... They didn't even give me sushi rice!!! Shrimp was browning and fish was very... Very fishy Meh
(2)Ayla R.
This place is a strange mixture. Typical decor, awesome wait staff, but you will be listening to top 40 while watching animal planet. The sushi is good, but the real selling point is their specials. They have 38 rolls. Each day of the week, a different 5 are half off.. half off sushi! Sunday even has 8 half off rolls. This is awesome for many reasons. First, you get your favorite roll at half thr price if you come on the planned day. Next, you try new rolls simply because they are so cheap! You broaden your horizons and eat sushi for less! I like their Healthy Roll, which is mushrooms, squash, avocado and carrot. On Sundays, this puppy is $2.50. Unbeatable! Definitely worth a try!
(4)Heston C.
It's such a shame. The quality of food is really good at shogun. The fish is fresh and the appetizers are delicious. The reason I give it 3 stars is not because of the food. The food is 5 stars. The waitresses are kind and doing their best but the owner for some reason under staffs the place. There are three people waiting on the entire restaurant. It's a shame because the people and the fish is good. Just the resource management is awful and you leave with a neutral experience at best
(3)Robert M.
First time to this place, and I went with a group of friends (about 9.) We were seated in one of their booths, which they choose for us. I like the booths, but not for that many people. We got there about 9:30 and they close at 10. Obviously, an order for 9 people will take time, the original server was nice and patient, however, she only took our orders and didn't come back until end. We started getting our orders, and the sushi wasn't bad, they're pretty decent, and the prices are ok. I got the Eel roll, tempura jalapeño, and Dragon roll. The presentation wasn't spectacular, but ok, overall it's pretty good. However, the second server was very rude. Usually, I don't care about the server, I care about damn the food. I had asked the first server for a second beer, and I mentioned this to the second one that it never came, and I asked nicely if she can bring me one. She literally rolled her eyes, and the rest of my party saw this. Needless to say, it didn't go well with them, personally I shut my mouth don't pay a tip, and consider whether or not I will come back to the place. However, my friends decided to complain. So the first server came back, apologized, and discounted one alcoholic beverage on each of our own bills. That definitely redeemed the attitude in my eyes. Based on the food and prices alone, I'd come back, but if I get that kind of service again. I will never return.
(3)Christine J.
I'm a long time regular at Shogun. Although the decor is a little dated, the sushi is the best in town and the servers have always been great!
(5)Karin K.
Great prices and great food! They have 5 rolls that are half price and rotate out throughout the week, so no matter what day of the week, or what time of day, something is on special. Been twice on different days, and the selection of rolls on special was varied and yummy. It is my new go-to sushi place.
(5)Will B.
I've been a HUGE peer promoter over the years of this place- "best sushi in Tucson" I would tell my friends who ask. My wife an I (amongst our circle of friends) are considered the "foodies". We usually order the same thing each time we go - salmon, hamachi, and ahi- predictable but it's what we like. Not into the rolls, or the cooked stuff..just what Shogun is known for- fat slabs of fish on diminutive balls of rice. I always chuckled at the people who would argue the Ra is the best in town (ok, maybe their green tea is the best) - but if you like fish - you gotta hate the way Ra brings out the razor blade in order to give you as little fish as possible/order... Last Friday, for no apparent reason- our order at Shogun was the same- thin- see-through fish with large plump balls of rice. I looked around to see if there was a hidden camera somewhere- were we being punked? I asked our waitress if she thought this fish looked of normal size for a Shogun order...she said - "No, we have new people back there" and walked off, no apologies, just a palms'up / shoulders-to-ears shrug. Many times I have posted to social media the images that I call Sushi-Porn- you can see some of the examples here on Yelp- and that of course makes friends in my circle want to go..but if Shogun is not called out for times when "new guys" aren't shown the Shogun ropes, then they won't change and be more consistent- Of course I'll be back- because thin fish is the norm almost anywhere else- but come'on Shogun- let's teach all newbies how Shogun does things!
(1)K J.
This is one of the top hidden gems of Sushi in Arizona! Try the sushi here, you will not be disappointed.
(5)Nathan B.
This is an update of my former review. Recently, I've started ordering more items off the lunch menu: various Korean, Japanese, and Chinese dishes. They were all awful. This restaurant has the worst Korean food, the orange chicken was soggy, the pork ginger was worse than Panda Express, and the crab puffs were stale. Moreover, the service has been extremely poor. I would still return, but I would avoid everything except the half off sushi. Also, don't expect good service.
(3)Austin S.
A friend and I recently came to Shogun for lunch, after reading the excellent write up in the paper, and having the restaurant recommended by a mutual friend. The decor is indeed kind of random, but the service is great and the little private rooms are a nice touch. We had to wait a few minutes at the door but were assured a table was coming soon, and it did. Our server was attentive, friendly, and brought the food at a good pace. I ordered a lunch special with orange chicken and a California roll, while my friend had two rolls from the sushi menu. All our food was good- the fish seemed fresh. My orange chicken left a little to be desired, with a syrupy sauce poured over the typical fried chicken bits, but still definitely edible and no weird color in the sauce. There is a specialty roll of the day that is half off, so definitely watch the board for that! We will be back to try more rolls soon.
(4)Sharon H.
Sorry Kazoku, you have now been replaced... SHOGUN is now my new favorite sushi spot in town for several reasons. The staff there are probably sick of seeing my face, but I can't help but go a few times a week now! Why?! 1. They have special half-off deals on at least 5 different rolls EVERY day of the week including weekends, AND at ANY time of the day OR night! How often does a sushi place offer this kind of deal? NEVER. Not only that, but their roll sizes are HUGE. I would estimate double the size of any normal roll at any other place. I will also say, I've never been disappointed by any of their rolls I've selected for that day! 2. I'm a sashimi lover, and not only are their pieces probably at least 3X the size of any other place, but their fish is seriously FRESH. 3. Surprisingly, if you have to take leftovers home (which I pretty much do every time), everything is STILL tasty the next day (including the sushi rice and sashimi). 4. For non rawfish eaters, they have plenty of options for you too! Their lunch specials are an AMAZING deal for great quality food and includes a bit of other Asian foods (I.e. Korean, Chinese) on the menu! I would highly recommend their beef short rib galbi or their salmon teriyaki. 5. Their dessert options are very inexpensive and a great final touch to your meal! A friend and I shared their generously portioned green tea icecream (2 scoops, not 1) for $2 only! Their other dessert options are refreshing and inexpensive as well - mocha icecream and tempura icecream! Their wait staff are generally nice but do get fairly busy, so you may have to flag them down a few times. But they'll provide you whatever you need. I've taken so many friends here it's ridiculous! I should get paid commission. If you haven't been, come check it out, and hopefully you'll become a fan foh SHO. Eat it up!
(5)Jeff S.
Pros: Cheap sushi and beer. Sushi was okay tasting. You get what you pay for. Not a huge upgrade from grocery store sushi IMHO. Cons: Poor service. My water glass had lipstick stains on it. We had to ask for straws and plates for our sushi and soy sauce.
(3)Howard H.
I don't know about their Sushi, but the Bulgogi tasted so bad that I felt like driving down a few blocks north to Kampai and apologize to the owner for not eating lunch there instead. The food also took more than 20 min to arrive. I've also tried their Seafood Ramen... it came in a big bowl except hardly any noodles or other stuff in it. Mainly just a big bowl of broth... they have a lot to learn from Sushi Yukari on that dish.
(1)Christina R.
This place is very hit or miss.. and lately there has been more of an emphasis on MISS. The quality and tastiness of the sushi is very inconsistent. We almost always get the Sex on the Beach and Las Vegas rolls... however, it seems like they never come out the same, one time it's good, the next time it's yuck. This place does have some redeeming qualities, such as 1/2 off certain rolls every night & $5 sake bombs all day. They also give you a small bowl of miso soup to start and FREE (imagine that!) edamame if you sit at the bar. This place is worth a shot. Just cross your fingers it's a hit!
(3)Alec B.
Local-biz; known for it's quietness, even when packed. They have an "orgasmo roll" under their "Mexican" rolls/sushi. Really? That's inappropriate. Though I didn't see a "sex on the beach" roll like another reviewer said. They keep the room temperature below room temperature, so it's a bit cold in there if you're wearing shorts. The fluorescent lighting is new & it sux. Fluorescents are horrible, disrupt the optic nerves, makes you dizzy & tired from the flickering & EMF. And they don't provide a warm-intimate glow. They contain mercury gas so if one breaks, you're SOL. Incandescents, halogens, & LED's don't emit deadly EMF. Also the restroom needs to be cleaner. You can tell how good a business is by how clean they keep their restroom for customers. Best if you show-up during Happy Hour 5pm-7pm & sit at the bar near the TV. That way u can interact w/ the sushi chefs, view tv, or talk to the person next to u. Unagi is the best sushi as usual, partly because it always comes cooked. I personally eat nearly-anything here but i prefer cooked stuff. Japanese didn't eat "raw" sushi. That's a myth. & u could get a parasite if u don't eat it cooked. But since we live in Arizona the seafood has to be shipped here, & they freeze the seafood in the shipping process to keep it from going bad. The freezing kills most of the parasites. When sushi was invented in Japan, they used to be sold like hotdogs from a hotdog stand. And don't get me started on the endangered bluefin-tuna. Not to be confused with the other tunas. Netflix documentaries talks all about this stuff. Really, my family can't afford to be eating out but i love saki bombs so i couldn't resist. I like ordering warm saki then a saki bomb. Entre: chicken teriyaki, or whatever. Bring gum or Juicy Fruit to get rid of fish breath when you're done. Perhaps this is why my asian friend recommended Sushi On Oracle 5 years ago. But they're reservations only i believe.
(2)Jinny H.
I love Japanese restaurants, so I just had to try Shogun. I've been here a few time with my friends, and enjoyed the service - the staff was very friendly. The only reason why I didn't give this place 5 stars was because it didn't have distinguishing characteristics that set the restaurant apart from other Japanese restaurants in town. Nevertheless, as a sushi lover, I would be willing to come back for a quick meal or for a outing with friends. I would recommend this restaurant to people who are exploring for new Japanese places to eat at.
(4)Erna M.
This place is great. Most of their sushi is more meh than wow. But their nigiri is the sh*t! First of all, they are huuuge. When you order two pieces of salmon nigiri, what you get is basically two little balls of rice topped by two 1X5" (rough estimate) pieces of salmon. In addition, they put some salmon sashimi on the plate as well. Given the amount of fish you get (the fish is also very tasty, by the way), the nigiri are very cheap. You basically get a plate of what would usually be a $10 order of sashimi plus some rice for $4.50. As for ambience, it is a rather big restaurant and it is usually quite busy, so it is not very quiet. However, they have separate booths (in addition to their main floor tables) that you can eat in that are more private and quieter. These are great for groups, especially when you have an event like a birthday party or something. Note that, on Fridays and weekends, they give the booths only to groups of four or more. On weekdays, they give them to anyone who wants them. The service has always been good when we go there, friendly staff.
(4)Chelsea K.
Honestly I love the sushi here. Its cheap but if I have money for better sushi I will go somewhere else. The staff is nice. But that's all. The only one who is ever seemingly doing his job is the manager and maybe the sushi chefs but the last 4 times I have been it has either taken over 30 minutes to be seated and spoken to or over an hour to get take out. Specifics. I ordered take out on a Monday night was told it would be 20 to 30 minutes. Arrive at 30 minutes. Food takes another 45 minutes and the wait staff couldn't care less. There were 8 people working. 10 people eating. 3 sushi chefs and 5 people working the floor. I honestly was so so irritated I was going to speak to the manager the next day but I asked when he would be in and the girl I asked then made her rounds telling everyone who worked there and they all then glared over in my direction. I couldn't believe it. They walk around like they're on their phones and I honestly think their food is really not even worth getting such poor service. Also the time before the take out incident the waiter was quietly blaming the hostess for how long it took him to take our order saying it was her fault when she was the only one in the building that night with a smile and any customer service sense. He was off on a break outside with friends or something and then flirting with her as soon as he came in. So finally after almost 25 minutes he then came over and took our order and told us it was all her fault. I wouldn't go here if you have other options.
(2)W J.
WOW on quality and quantity of Sushi and Sashimi! Generous portions of fresh fish and also rotating 1/2 price rolls everyday that are good to okay. Don't know about the rest of the menu. Service was polite, friendly, adequate, but, not perfect even though they were very busy. Don't expect fancy or exquisite environment, just really good Japanese for a fair value...look at my picture. Something interesting, it was like Cheers. We sat at the bar and clearly there are MANY regular customers who the staff knows, who know each other, and are treated as valued friends. Always a good sign for a place you are eating, especially Sushi! :-)
(5)Jacob R.
I wish I could day nice things about this restaurant, but there were just too many things wrong. We walked in and the hostess seemed put out to seat us. After a few minutes, a nice guy sat us in one of the booths they had. He said our waitress would be there soon to help us. Ten minutes later, he came back and apologized saying she was really busy. There were maybe 5 other tables in the entire place. Once we finally got our sushi, the food was decent. Nothing special. The fish didn't seem like it had sat for too long and tasted fresh enough. The service just lacked anything beyond just okay. The gal seemed to be more focused on getting closed up than really asking us if we needed anything else. We couldn't even order sake bombs because no one asked us for drinks. That's about what it amounted to the entire visit.
(2)Luan T.
Not happy with their service last night. It was half off night for las vegas roll, but it look like CRAP look like they just threw scrap pieces of fish in roll it up and call it shushi. They mess up 3 times on my order order salmon shishimi they for got to put in the salmon, even though I call them personally to double check. Had to drive back to get to get my shishimi. Then open open the box they have given me salmon nigiri with ginger and wasabi all over he fish. That 3 strike, just terrible service and food last night. Also order 4 green mussels that look like someone just crap all over it with mayo.
(1)Emma J.
We were wanting Japanese for lunch after some school shopping, and were far from our usual haunt, so we stopped here. We wanted to like this place. We really did. It's tucked away, has interesting decor, and seemed like the perfect hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Instead, we walked away feeling very confused. When we arrived, we were seated promptly. Drink orders were taken and we were told that our server would be right with us. Our drinks and bowls of miso soup arrived while we studied the menu. We made our choices, put the menus aside and waited for the server. And waited. Eventually the person who seated us walked by and noticed we still had menus. She took our order. I ordered the lunch special with the chicken tempura and crab puffs, and my son ordered the squid nigiri and the ramen miso. While we waited, we polished off the miso soup, which was flavorful, not too salty, and delicious. My son professed the hot green tea as some of the best he's ever had. See? Inattentive server aside, we were hopeful. The sushi arrived first, as it often does. My son put the first piece in his mouth, chewed, then made weird noises and muttered things while he chewed. When he finally swallowed, he drank quite a bit of water and said his squid was slimy and tasted odd. Now, squid nigiri is his favorite kind of sushi, and he's had it in several cities and at many restaurants. He said this is the first time it's ever been "slimy". He thought it wasn't as fresh as it could have been. Eventually a waitress walked by and set down my lunch. Just mine, with no mention of my son's ramen. Several minutes later, someone else finally brought his. That was just--odd. Entrees not arriving together? That hasn't happened--at any restaurant--in quite a while. Alas, our server still hadn't made an appearance. We saw him around the floor--helping other customers, clearing a table, up at the register. Just never with us. In any event, we dug in. My lunch plate was nicely arranged, with several long sticks of chicken tempura, a small dish of a red (I presume sweet and sour) sauce, several triangles of crab puffs, a small bowl of rice, a salad with an orange colored dressing and some orange sections artfully placed in half an orange peel. I was also given a bowl of what I assumed was soy sauce with chili oil or some other type of seasoning. The tempura was light and not at all greasy. Unfortunately, it had no flavor. I dipped the heck out of it into the red sauce. The crab puffs didn't really taste like crab puffs. They also took a dip in the red sauce. Unfortunately, the bowl of brown sauce turned out to be just soy sauce. It was odd to be given a bowl of it, since we had bottles of the stuff on our table already. The salad was nice and fresh, but the dressing (was it thousand island?) was too sweet for my taste. Oh...around this time, the server finally showed up to ask how we were doing. He didn't notice the half-eaten sushi abandoned off to the side. My son was surprised with his ramen miso. It's actually a dish he's had quite a bit at other places, and he's been experimenting with making it at home. He said the miso broth tasted odd--not like the tasty miso we had at the beginning--and that the noodles tasted like they were dried, not the fresh ones that usually make the dish at restaurants. All in all, he wasn't satisfied with his dish and didn't eat much of it. He wound up polishing off my rice. He also took the second piece of sushi, stripped off the squid, and ate that rice with the wasabi and ginger. Overall, the experience was confusing. The miso soup and green tea were excellent, but the actual entrees just didn't do much for us. Oh..and the server eventually came by again. To bring us the bill. I left a tip and wondered who would get it--him, or the ones who actually served us and refilled our water. We wanted to like this place so much. Instead, we won't be back.
(2)Eleana H.
Solid 4 stars.. I have been coming back to this little corner on Oracle almost twice a week now... not only because its so close to my house (1 min drive) but also its just so damn cheap. I just ate here and we ordered 3 orders of nigiri, and 2 rainbow rolls and the bill came out to be 25 bucks pre tip. If you sit at the sushi bar you get free miso a hot towel plus edamame!!! The only thing driving me away from giving this place a perfect 5 stars is just the quality... but I mean I can really understand because this place wouldn't be soo cheap and such a staple in my life if the prices went up to reflect quality! Rice quality has also gotten better each time I go.. maybe that last time I went was just a fluke!
(4)Darin L.
I have been coming here for years and I return mainly because of how cheap it is. They rotate a different set of rolls that are half off everyday. The quality of the rolls aren't great, especially if you pay full price. I usually just order whatever is on the half off list for that day. You really need to try their sashimi/nigiri. These do not get discounted but they have some of the best fish quality around. They pieces of fish are giant and they usually give you extra side pieces for free.
(3)Nikky P.
We come here pretty frequently for their half priced sushi rolls. Every day of the week they select 5-7 rolls off their menu which are half price..these things are cheap! You're looking at about $3-$4 for a roll. They also have large (21 oz) Asahi for $5 which come with hot sake, complementary. Perfect for some Sake Bomb fun. We came here with another couple and ordered 2 rolls for ourselves. It was the other couples first time at Shogun, and they sent their order in before we could see it. After about 10 min. the sushi rolls started coming to the table...and kept coming...literally 20 rolls arrived for the couple! They assumed that the price was for one single roll. It was hilarious and we had a really good laugh about it, but we all felt that the server should have said something when he saw the order. If one couple orders 2 rolls and the other 20...yah...our friends ended up with lunch and dinner for the next few days. We ended up staying pretty late, even after the place closed down, and no one was pushy or tried to get us to leave,which was really nice as we hadn't seen our friends in a while and wanted to catch up. Make sure you call ahead to book a both, check out the sake bomb deals and grab some half priced rolls!
(4)Aaaaaa S.
Be careful if you come at 9ish. They try to do last call and the servers want to go home around 930. When it says they close at 10. Food was good. Service was bad.
(3)Jeremy K.
I've been here a few times and think their daily specials (1/2 off certain rolls) are great deals, but their sushi is average as far as taste. The rolls are big though.
(3)Monica E.
I had developed a distaste for Shogun Sushi years ago. Something about the portion sizes and the service. I had not gone for some time, but decided to give it a go again earlier this year. I find I visit once or twice a month now and very much appreciate now what the restaurant has to offer. I cannot say anything about their cooked meals, because I always go for the nigiri, sashimi or chirashi bowl. I have been very satisfied with both the amount and freshness of the nigiri. the chirashi bowl is absolutely wonderful! It's a nice hefty serving, whether it be lunch or dinner. I docked one star off because I am not overly impressed with the nigiri. I just have not had a broad assortment, and find some of the cuts do run a bit small. But, in all, not so terrible that I would complain. And the restaurant has a $1 happy hour special for sushi pieces. I haven't tried it yet, but it's on my list of things to do.
(4)Dalena T.
Nomnomnom definitely satisfied my sushi craving, its pricing was pretty standard but that lunch special though ! Pretty cheap for a lot of food :) the service was good the waiter was super nice! If you have a semi big party I would definitely recommend getting a private booth!
(4)Amanda B.
Went here for a birthday lunch. I had the squid salad, spicy rainbow roll and tuna nigiri. The rolls were really big and the tuna nigiri pieces were also large. Overall, everything was just okay. It was good quality fish and everything tasted good. But nothing special. Just okay. I would go again if I was in the area.
(3)Chris P.
Sushi is mediocre at best. The staff, while friendly, seems to teleport to another location as you can never find them.
(1)Jim V.
Very good food and you get a lot for the money. Fast service, although can get slow at lunch time due to the crowd.
(5)Chimi A.
Very generous portions, good quality fish, and delicious!! This place is somewhat of a drive from my house but I meet with friends there almost once every week for the half off roll menu! It's worth the drive. I agree with others that the service can be hit or miss, but the sushi is so good it makes up for it. I personally have had more good servers than bad! I really hope it stays that way :)
(5)Thomas G.
This is a nice place to get fairly large cuts of fish. Their 1/2 price "by day of the week" specials always have a selection or two that we enjoy. I'm not a heavy drinker, but if you like your beer and sake the "sake bomb" specials are quite affordable. The staff is pleasant and friendly. The do get busy, but are always as quick as possible to get you food served as soon as possible.
(4)Kelsey P.
Very good little sushi place! Nothing fancy, although they had personal booths you could reserve. Had amazing coconut sorbet!
(4)Hudson M.
Half of selected rolls every day, and the size of the servings of sushi always makes me smile
(4)Charina G.
I visited this place once way back in 2006, and I have forgotten how the experience was so I figure, let's try it again! Went on a Saturday, and the waitress was... hmm how can I put this? Not helpful? Didn't ask what we wanted to drink, didn't ask if we've been here before, didn't ask if my daughter would like a booster seat, didn't ask anything. Just sat us down, gave our menus and left. I remember something about certain days certain rolls were off, but didn't know the details, so after waiting till I flagged down the stupid waitress to ask about that, her response was, "oh yeah, just look at the menu" like I was suppose to know what the hell that meant. It was literally like prying teeth, to get her to explain how it worked. We ended up getting Yaqui and Phoenix roll (cuz they were 1/2 off that day), a chirashi & zaru soba for my husband, and I got a bunch of nigiri (halibut, amaebi, salmon, unagi, scallop, and tamago for my daughter). When the nigiri came out, they were huge!! Supersize. The fish was fresh and I like the extra bit they gave. Amaebi was delicious, and they actually fried not just the head, but its legs and parts of its body! Never saw that before, and it was a nice delicious hot piece of shrimp goodness. The rice too was huge, and felt more compact that they usually are. Also for the fact they were slightly cold, it felt like a dense brick of rice. We had a lot of leftovers, so next time, we probably wouldn't order so much. The rolls we got weren't memorable, maybe if we went on another day to try a different set of 1/2 rolls. Back to the waitress, I did ask about a booster seat and she said sure, but never brought it. Saving grace was another waitress who actually stopped at our table when she saw our daughter and asked if we'd like a booster chair. She was more helpful than the one we were assigned. I would definitely try this place again (because of the fish), and hope that I don't get that waitress again.
(3)Annie H.
Walking in, I noticed the environment/fengshui of the place was inviting. The wait staff seated us promptly and were quite friendly. They provided a list of sushi and a few are half off for that day. I did not find any of those interesting so I ordered yellowtail sashimi, dragon rolls and some other eel roll. Unfortunately they had run out of eel that day so I was disappointed. I replaced my order with some sort of tempura roll and a sweet shrimp roll. The sashimi was fresh and the size of the portion was a good amount, the wasabi is what I found was the highlight of the meal since it had the kick I like. The other rolls were very heavy with cream cheese and a bit bland. I liked the tartness of the roll I got with lemon juice. A few of my friends also got the Vegas roll and rainbow roll. I enjoyed the Vegas roll more when it was hot and the rainbow roll was a colorful mix of raw fish but it was also a bit heavy on the cream cheese. Overall I enjoyed the experience but the sushi was average. I cut them some slack because it is Tucson and it is hard to find fresh fish in the desert.
(3)Jasmine W.
I used to love this place a long time ago, but this is nothing like what I remembered. No matter how good the food may be, no one can fully enjoy it if you only have 5 minutes to eat it. In conclusion, don't choose this place if you're on a lunch break. The food took over 25 minutes to arrive and I'm still waiting on my check as I write this. My boyfriend had to run out of here to go back to work as we had finished our lunch over ten minutes ago. The first girl who greeted us had no smile on her face and although the second one was nice, but she never checked up on us until we were almost done with our food... So whatever we needed was already too late at that point. The yakiniku had a potent squid flavor, the bulgogi was soupy and flavorless, and the salad was so wet that it was dropping water as you picked it up. The redeeming bites were the sukiyaki and the slice of watermelon on my plate. I might come back to try their regular menu, hopefully it will change my opinion about this place.
(1)Sylvia M.
AWESOME happy hour specials!
(5)Rick V.
I love this place, which just makes my gripe feel completely wrong. But my complaint is based on my regular enjoyment of this place and how that was crushed today. When sushi fans have a craving...we've gotta have it! Shogun is a 15 minute drive from my work. I looked at my watch. It was 2 pm and I knew I could make it. they close at 2:30. I walked in at 2:15 and was told they were closed and no longer serving guests today. they did apologize for the inconvenience, but it felt a bit flat. My bitch is this: CHANGE YOUR POSTED HOURS!!!! If you cut people off at 2:15pm, or whatever, then for God's sake's, don't post your hours on the door that you are open until 2:30. I get it...we are all tired and a bit lazy around closing time and we all want to leave work as quickly as we can. So post your closing time as 2:15, or whenever your "cut-off" time is. When I get ushered out 15 minutes before your official closing time, it has the tendency of pissing me off. then, my craving still isn't satisfied....and have to go find another sushi joint. I think you see where this is going. While I love your restaurant...THAT Sushi place was open and it was pretty damn good and reasonably priced. In fact, it was just a wee bit closer to where I work. So why shouldn't I just begin preferring that spot over Shogun? Because I am a loyal customer, I won't do that...yet! Please!!!! Take a look at this procedure and change your posted hours, or seat people up to 2:29:59. Hopefully, I won't run into such a time-crunch again. I love Shogun! My friends love Shogun! Please help us maintain your favored position and address this issue. Thanks. Bitching done. This place is awesome!!!
(4)D.R. B.
Great quality fish and generous sized pieces. Was a regular until I moved to NYC (and miss it a lot). Keep up the good work Aoki.
(5)Annie L.
I went there almost once a week. What they offer is way more than other sushi restaurant in Tucson. Their sushi is GIANT!! The fishes' quality are pretty good, but it can be bad sometimes.
(5)Joshua B.
I will be the first to admit that some of the items on their menu is not what you would expect; however, if you ask the staff will take the time to make sure you get what you want. With that said, their sushi is soooo good! Seriously, this is my favorite place in Tucson (and I've tried them all)! The atmosphere is comfortable, their menu has a lot of variety, and most importantly the sushi is great! Ask about their happy hour items. Different items every day of the week, so you can always get what you are craving for cheap! Side note: They once made a mistake on a to-go order and their chef drove to my house to bring the corrected item. Talk about going out of the way for great customer service! Truly a great place to eat!
(4)Nick D.
If Nigiri sushi is what you order then this is the place you want to be. I ordered a couple different kinds of Nigiri and portions were huge. Well worth the money spent. I ordered a couple different rolls here and they were average. I have been to just about every sushi place in Tucson and you will not find better Nigiri sushi. Leave happy and full at a reasonable price.
(4)Rachel F.
This is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in town. Wednesdays, in my opinion, are the best days because of the 1/2 price rolls on that day are my favorite (rainbow roll, eel roll, etc). As an oyster fan, I know that they're tough to find in the old pueblo. But Shogun has THE BEST oysters on the half shell I've ever had. They're huge and full of flavor. I definitely recommend this place for sushi and oysters.
(5)Morgen K.
This place is great depending on what day you go and what sushi is half price. Everyday they have about 5 rolls half off. Our dinner started off great with the food and the service. The sushi was fresh and came out promptly. When we wanted to go we waited about 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledged us again. They had a very large group come in and all 4 servers were helping the group and seemed to forget about the other tables. All in all it wasn't bad except for the service towards the end. I will be returning.
(3)Sandra L.
We thought we would try this place as it was close to the gym. We were really hungry. We ordered Yummy rolls and nigiri. We had hot sake too. Definitely coming back.
(4)Jinyin N.
The price is reasonable. And they have special price menu every day and it's different from each day. I also like their lunch special. There are a lot of food for just around $10. This place is my first choice for hanging out with my friends because they have private room here - nobody stare at you when you eat, or you don't have to pay attention to your surrounding , just enjoy your sushi with your friends. *lol*
(5)Jennifer D.
It's just OK! I had heard of this place for awhile so when we had the opportunity to go to Shogun we took it. I was starving so I felt like I could eat COW, and you know what that's just what they gave me. I had ordered the Bluogi beef (spl) The platter was sooo HUGE I mean the Portion was so big that four people could share it. It was almost too much to eat even for this rice loving girl! I am not a Sushi lover, but I will eat the Cali roll, and the roll itself was all right, but yet again there was too much rice. Not saying we won't go there again, but now I can say I have been to shogun.
(3)Dallas G.
Now, I must admit that I am an avid costumer. My roommate and I come at least once a week and we usually enjoy ourselves quite well!! "So why 3 stars?" you might ask. Well, fair citizen, allow me to explain my reasoning! They have specials every day of the week. I'm sure you'll see tons of reviews throughout explaining that system so I don't feel the need to explain it. Half off on certain rolls every day of the week? Sign me up! They even taste fairly good so that's a plus(except I'm not a fan of their Las Vegas roll...) But that's also the problem here. Their rolls are just good. On half off days, those rolls are phenominal. But if I were to buy those rolls for their full price, I wouldn't feel they were worth it. So basically, each roll is only worth the price on one day a week. That causes a problem in my books, so that's one star off! Next, their staff is very... shotty. Some days, we've gotten some AMAZING Waiters/Waitresses. Then other days... well it suffers. One day we get... Amanda? It's been a while but she was spectacular. Then another day, we get a gentlemen who, in my opinion, doesn' take hygeine too seriously. Every time he passed our table, we had to hold our breath. Rather distracting, to say the least. Some days we get a rude server, other days an unintelligent server, other days a fantastic server. It's really hit or miss. As an employee of the Hilton, I find customer service to be the #1 priority and Shogun's costumer service lacks. That's the reason for the second star off. All and all, the food is decent, the prices CAN be good, and the service is hit or miss. 3/5, still an avid customer. Especially on Thursdays. Philliieeeeee rolllll!!!!!
(3)Alexander P.
Some of the best sushi I have had in town! Always bright colored sashimi and sushi. Fresh good food. Great for lunch, the lunch special is a good portion for the $. Great rolls, fresh fish, and good service.
(4)Saba B.
Shogun's kitsch samurai atmosphere includes a relaxing fountain, bamboo accents, and red lanterns. The pinata which caricaturizes the owner is clearly a nod to Tucson, but it's refreshing to see a sushi restaurant attend to oriental decor. The extensive menu includes about 40 specialty rolls, appetizers ranging from pork dumplings (spelled "dumpings," sadly, on the menu) to ribs, and entrees covering the gamut from binto boxes to elaborate seafood dishes. We opted for sushi only, and with 10 specialty rolls half-price on Sundays, were able to gorge ourselves for under $30. The Healthy, Energy, Toreado, and Kamikaze rolls were standouts, and the tuna and salmon sahsimi, truly gargantuan and melt-in-your mouth fresh, left us speechless. Literally. The pieces are so large here that conversation is difficult. My inner little girl who holds tea parties rejoiced when my green tea arrived in a gorgeous handpainted porcelain teapot, fragrant and refreshing beyond the norm. Shogun has been around for a while, and I can see why.
(4)Jobe R.
Ok... started out with broken glass in edamame,(no kidding) second dish that came out was tempura squid legs, they were burnt and sent them back. ordered Uni and it was not fresh. At that point we were just short of getting up and leaving. Salmon n Yellowtail were good but who doesnt have the most common fish available??? So you think that management would have done something to win us over.... NOPE, a couple of I'm sorrys. Wish it would have ended different! WILL NEVER COME BACK!!!
(1)Tiffany S.
Come during happy hour and the sushi is half-priced cheap. The half-priced menu rotates daily, making it one of the cheaper places in town. The atmosphere is nice with curtained booths and an indoor waterfall. The sushi itself is just okay. It's usually rather quickly made and the fish isn't the absolute freshest. Some of the rolls are better than others, and you should plan around this when considering what day to go. The service can be slow depending on how full the restaurant (which is typically on the "good roll" days). I agree with previous posters, this place is either a hit or miss.
(3)Haley C.
Favorite sushi place! I have been to many and none compare to Shogun. By far best nigiri and big portions.
(4)Christopher C.
Tip- semi-private rooms look like fun for larger groups but you might incur an auto tip for large groups. I think that's fair for sake bomb goodness. Pros:Tasty sushi with good sized dishes. Sake bombs $5 all day! Assortment of sauces served with the bento box. I got bento#2. More than enough for me. I had leftovers. Cons: a little slow on service but not terrible. They were probably thrown off by my telling them a friend or two was coming. Then the friends were late.
(5)Bette T.
Delicious, fresf, fresh fish. The salmon melts in your mouth. They have at least 5 half price specials every day. Very friendly and knowledgeable wait staff. I try to eat here at least once a week.
(4)Stephen G.
What a great meal without being loaded with cards? Try the Sashimi Salad. A healthy load of sashimi, tuna, salmon, octopus and more on a bed of bamboo shoots, celery, and thinly sliced cucumbers mixed in an albacore ginger dressing. Once you have this, you'll want it again and again.
(5)Chris S.
Life has been kicking me in the behind lately so I've been waaaaaaaaaaaay behind on my Yelping. My wife and I were in Tucson last month and looking for a sushi place on the west end of town. Yelp to the rescue and led us to Shogun. Not a bad choice overall. Service: 4/5 The service was prompt and attentive, but I'm afraid they ran afoul of one of my big service pet peeves... the "hand off." Right after bringing our entree, our server says she is going on break and someone else will finish taking care of us. I know we all deserve breaks, but if you are about to take one, why take on a new table? It's just off-putting to me. And we're all entitled to our pet peeves. Aside from that, everything was fine. They kept our water glasses full and checked on us enough without hovering. Food: 4/5 Unfortunately I cannot recall exactly all of what we ordered, a down side of putting this review off for as long as I have. My wife and I both ordered sushi, three rolls a piece... I just don't remember what they all were. I know they were yummy though. The fresh rolls were fresh, the cooked rolls were tasty, and the price was good. Overall very solid food. Not the best sushi experience we've had, but solid all around. Overall Impressions: 4/5 Shogun is rather unassuming from the outside, like many restaurants in this area seem to be. They don't look like much on the outside, but on the inside they are clean, comfortable, and cozy. That pretty much sums up Shogun. I would say it is the "definition" of a four-star review. Everything was good, above average even. But nothing "knocked your socks off." You'll be back, but nothing really made you say "wow!" That said, I would definitely recommend Shogun for a west side sushi experience.
(4)Troy E.
Definitely my new favorite, I love the size of the rolls and the price is great for what you're really getting. The whole restaurant looks amazing and the little booths we sat in was really cool. I'll probably go back at least every other week. We also had great service, I wish I could have left a bigger tip but I was cutting it pretty close for my wallet. Would recommend to anyone who likes sushi!
(5)Cesar V.
I've been to this place a few times. It is a quaint and lovely place. It has a sense of a real Japanese restaurant. When you walk in you can really tell it is a mom and pop place. I've had take out and have sat down to eat there. I was really impressed with the level of customer service. As soon as I sat down I was greeted with soup, edamame and a hot towel.. I also received soup and a hot towel while I was waiting for my to go order. As for the sushi you are served really big portions. They do serve their own version of the common sushi plates out there. One thing I was disappointed was in the California roll, which is just a piece of crab meat along with your avocado and cucumber. I would have liked to have seen some sort of crab salad instead of one piece of krab meat like most places. I believe this adds a little bit more flavor and texture. But overall the sushi was edible and filling. This place does have excellent lunch specials. And it would be a great place to go for lunch with some coworkers. But be aware in my experience during lunch the waiters can get sometimes busy and it can take sometime to get a Diet Coke ha ha. Bottom line if you like to get quick sushi and go there just for food I recommend this place. If you're looking for something more lively I would recommend sushi Garden or RA sushi.
(3)Roger T.
I came here to re unite with an old friend. I been here several times before in the past but it was so long ago I forgot how it was. To start off the place internally is pretty nice. It has that nice Japanese welcoming environment with bamboo fountains and plants everywhere. They even have little sections where you can enjoy your sushi with curtain for privacy. The deals here are pretty different. Each day of the weak only certain numbers from the sushi menu are half off, so really you have to come on a day where the good sushi are half off. Sadly I came on a Monday so the top A-ok sushi were only half off. The taste of the sushi here was alright. I'd have to say I've had better. It didn't really spark my taste buds, don't get me wrong it was good but just not over the top. I'd probably go spend the extra money at an all you can eat since the taste are similar. Therefore I'm content with this place.
(3)Bri B.
My husband and I love this place! We are big fans of anything sushi! =) Shogun is very cute and i love the booth idea. They have different rolls that are half-off everyday which is great. Sushi is delicious (my favorite is the Shogun roll) and you get miso soup to start. Definitely recommend this place!
(5)Fringe O.
The food is usually well-prepared and fresh. The prices are good. There are many options which are easily made vegan. The atmosphere is cute. The service however.....is usually lacking. For much of the staff, this seems to be their first job so the idea of customer service may be new to them.
(3)Todd D.
Best sushi in town. Huge portions. Aoki is a master sushi chef. It's the only place I go....
(5)Allison W.
Eh.... I was looking forward to Shogun after reading the reviews. Some friends and I met for dinner last night, and while the service was pretty good, the food just didn't taste very good. We ordered assorted sushi, nigiri, as well as some tempura. The tempura was good, the miso soup tasty... but the rolls and nigiri, just didn't hit the spot. The soft shell crab roll smelled and tasted fishy beyond belief! So bad in fact, we sent it back. The salmon nigiri was actually the best thing, the halibut not so much. They do give you HUGE portions of fish, so that's a positive. While I'm not a Las Vegas roll fan to begin with, the one my friend ordered was.... uhhhh.... I'm not even sure what it was. I wouldn't even taste it! Overall, the restaurant is ok, but if I want some good sushi, this is not the place I would choose to go. There is far better sushi in town.
(2)Heather T.
My family goes there on Christmas Eve before heading to the family Christmas party. We love the sushi. If you want a great deal, go at lunch. It includes two entrees (I usually go with the sashimi and either the tempura or the beef sukiyaki), a salad, rice, an orange, a drink and a cup of miso soup for around seven dollars. It doesn't get much better than that.
(5)David L.
Without fail, you must have the huatabampo roll!!!
(4)Tina M.
Really lovely atmosphere and nice setup. The food is OK. Sashimi comes in HUGE pieces (and I really mean it, it's tripled the regular sashimi pieces at other places) Some folks like it, but I personally don't because that kinda kills the purpose of eating sushi and sashimi, it's to enjoy the taste and taking it slowly. But I can't deny that their fish is pretty fresh and in good cut.
(4)Sitha I.
Oh Shogun... I actually like this place. There's a few reasons; 1) They have 1/2 off sushi all day on selected sushi rolls. Not just happy hour. Basically its their sushi list divided into 7 sections(everyday of the week) and there's at least 5 rolls everyday. And the rolls are not bad. Not the best but great for the price. 2) they have $5 sake bombs all day. Not just happy hour either and 3) they have this private booth area so you can dine and hang out with friends without people looking at you all crazy when you're drunk and obnoxious. I just like that its private. They only have a handful so you gotta be lucky. Plus if its busy they wont seat you in there unless your with a party of 4 or more (something like that). Its a place to try.
(3)Linda N.
Very nice restaurant, traditional Japanese taste. Just a little bit slow, but it is worth!
(4)Gary S.
I have dined here a couple times for lunch. It has never been crowded either time I was here but the sushi has taken a very long time to come out. Now I eat a lot of sushi so I know that it does take some time if you order a variety of items. For me there are other place in town that do a better job.
(3)Danielle B.
This place gives you a lot of bang for your buck. The sashimi is huge...sooo huge my friend didn't know what to do with it. The fish is hit or miss as far as being fresh. My favorite thing about this restaurant are the private rooms, daily specials, and the service. They also have the BEST volcano roll, so if you are looking for a california roll with a ton of baked scallops and creamy sauce, look no further than Shogun. Great place to go w/friends for sushi and saki.
(4)E N.
I've had my fair share of sushi. Here, there, everywhere SUSHI IS MY LIFE! Jk. But I am a big fan of sushi so naturally, upon hearing about this restaurant, I decided I needed to shimmy on over to try it for myself. I thought they had a cool happy hour-esque idea about having certain rolls for half price, about five of them for every day of the week. I can't complain because I believe I had four rolls and walked away with paying around 20 dollars including tip and that just never happens after eating sushi... So value wise its the best, but if you are planning on taking a flock of your boss and employees from your lets just say, Google, you may want to pursue your sushi endeavors elsewhere.
(3)Scottie M.
Best sushi in Tucson. Ask for Aoki or Pak, both are 2 of the best sushi chefs around
(5)Steven G.
There is a reason why Shogun is one of the top rated Sushi restaurants in Tucson. The atmosphere, food, pricing are all something to be excited about but there are a few quips about the place. First the atmosphere. Upon arrival I was amazed at the decor of the restaurant. There are only a few other places that rival Shogun for its decor however my big issue was that I felt the lighting was a little too dim. I ate there on a Friday afternoon and I just didn't like how dim everything felt. However, that is my only complaint and everything else is perfect. Pricing was also much better than I had expected. A friend had told me about their happy hours and so I thought I would take advantage of it on my first try. I was able to get extremely full and paid about 15 bucks. Had I not ordered the entrees I probably would have been full with less money. The food was good. I ordered a 2 entree lunch combo and a Dragon Roll. My entrees consisted of fried swordfish and beef bulgogi. I've never had swordfish before so I honestly can't compare it to anything but I didn't like it that much. The meat was very tough and not what I was expecting but this could be the case for all swordfish meat. I LOVE bulgogi and have very high standards for it and unfortunately the bulgogi here is probably the worst I've had. They soak it in sauce but the meat isn't very tender. The flavor isn't as strong either and it honestly just felt very soggy. I wouldn't recommend it but now on to the main reason why I was at Shogun in the first place! The Sushi.... was AMAZING! I loved my Dragon Roll and managed to try a piece of my friend's "Sex on the Beach" roll and Las Vegas Roll. The Sex on the Beach was fantastic. *giggity* The Las Vegas Roll was actually far different than Las Vegas Rolls at most other Sushi Restaurants. Instead of deep frying the whole roll it seemed like they used crunch flakes on it instead and used less cream cheese which was a huge plus in my book. Service was sub par, I had to ask for my water to be refilled which annoys the crap out of me. Despite the service I do believe that it was just bad luck and I am very looking forward to visiting Shogun again in the near future.
(4)Karl H.
The sushi here is fabulous. The salmon nigiri comes with more salmon than I have gotten at another sushi restaurant. The staff is friendly and the private little rooms are perfect for big or small groups. With the complimentary miso soup and edamame, it can be cheaper and just as delicious as a trendier place. I am proud of this "hole in the wall" place that my friends and I found. There are 5 daily specials (that are 50% off) that rotate day to day which makes for a great deal. Plus if you sit at the sushi bar, you usually get a diced up orange as a sweet way to end the meal.
(5)Neon L.
I have lived in the Bay area and have had sushi at some very good places in my day. The size of the fish is unreal as the pictures attest to. Weekly lunch speciasl make this place a must visit. Booths with curtains are a nice touch for staying a while and sipping some sake
(5)Les C.
I used to love the sushi bar very much!!! BUT, the last time I was there I could feel something tickling my leg and when I finally looked down it was a huge cockroach. I called the waiter and he quickly stepped on it and then asked me to give him a napkin to pick it up. No discount on our food. Just acted like its an everyday thing. I can't bare to go back!
(1)Rose A.
Fish is fresh and delicious, service has lots of room for improvement.
(3)Colin G.
My significant other had unexpected dinner plans, so I just got in my car, started driving and thought that I'd figure out a restaurant as I went. I got close to River/Oracle and remembered the sushi restaurant that I had never tried. I even lived practically next door to this place for a few months and never came. It was a Thursday, the place was about half-full and, as a single male, I took up a seat at the sushi bar. Length-wise, the bar is long: it spans a corner and can seat at least 15 people. Width-wise though, it's got some space issues. Throughout the meal, I struggled to fit everything I was given in my little spot. In fact, if I had had a next door neighbor, I don't know that I would have been able to successfully eat. A hot towel was dished out. Nice touch. I hadn't gotten one of those at a restaurant in many years. I started looking over the menu and noticed the sign behind the bar indicating that certain rolls were half off. This helped me decide and, at first, I chose a Philly and a crunchy spicy tuna. The chef handed me a menu though and, upon closer examination, I read that the Philly included masago. Okay, I know that some places do that, but I've never seen one in Tucson and I just like the way it tastes with salmon. I guess I could have asked for salmon, but I always feel like an asshole asking chefs to change the constitution of their rolls. I opted for the volcano instead which was $10 normally, but half off tonight, and featured a "spicy sauce" and baked. Before I even placed the order, I got a bowl of warm miso (notice that I didn't say "hot") which, to my surprise, featured bean sprouts instead of seaweed. Alright... I was also given an order of edamame, which wasn't the best of quality, but was, at the least, warm. The crunchy spicy tuna came up pretty quickly and was handed over across the bar. I first noticed that their spicy tuna includes cabbage. Yes, cabbage. I wouldn't say that it was a bad thing, because it actually added to the "crunch," but it was a bit odd. What I didn't like was how the rolls were put together: poorly. I couldn't pick the things up without them falling apart. On the end pieces, the fish was just falling out onto the plate. The volcano, because of its baked situation, took much longer, but was brought out after a few minutes. I immediately regretted ordering it because the "spicy sauce" was actually just a spicy mayonnaise, which had deliberately avoided ordering (mayonnaise tends to make me sick). That mayo was piled on too, just about as tall as the actual roll below it. That roll below it though, of course, was what I was mainly interested in, and it was also disappointing. The fish on there (I honestly cannot recall which fish it was supposed to be) tasted old and fishy and, if there were other items in the roll aside from that fish, I wouldn't be able to tell you what they were because, between the gob of spicy mayo put onto the roll and that overpowering fishy fish, nothing else was discernible. Just because I saw it on the menu, I decided to try a Japanese pancake filled with red bean (don't recall the Japanese for it, but that's what it's called on the menu). Now, the reason this sort of excited me was that, in high school in Singapore, I used to spend a lot of time in a little Japanese-oriented shopping center (Ginza Plaza in West Coast, for those who are curious, although it's apparently very different now) and, there at the back of a supermarket in the basement, they sold these pancakes, fresh and sometimes way too hot. They had a variety of them though: blueberry, red bean, chocolate, vanilla and others. I loved those things, and I still miss them. I'll have to keep missing them, because the ones served here are not right. Basically, they tasted like a couple of mini Bisquick mix pancakes filled with a recently frozen red bean paste. It also came in a plastic wrapper, which makes me think that they either buy them elsewhere (sad) or sell them (sadder). It was only $1.50, so I don't feel like I got ripped off, and at least I got to try them. Food-wise, I would rate this a 1*. However, I did really like the place as far as the service and the atmosphere. The sushi chef who runs the place seems like a genuinely nice guy and the servers were generally pretty nice. For sushi though, you can do way, way better in town. Considering how many sushi places there are in Tucson, there's just no reason for food quality like that. Then again, it was mostly just the "to try it" on this place and, now that I have, I won't be back.
(2)Jeff D.
I really like the atmosphere of this restaurant and how it is designed. If you can get one of the private booths, it is an even better experience. I have been going to this restaurant for almost ten years and even got into sushi while coming here. I used to love getting their beef teriyaki combination with rice, orange and mini salad. Recently, though, I feel that the quality is waning a bit on the food. The quality of the beef is not what I remember and many times it has come out cold. The quality of the fish in the sushi is also not what I remember but it pis still pretty good depending on the sushi chef you get. I love that the rolls are so large and they have quite a few creative rolls as well. I won't stop coming here but continue to hope that things will return the way that I remember them to be.
(3)Melinda T.
This place is good as far as sushi goes. The portions are big, especially the nigiri. The daily specials (5 rolls that are 50% off) changes throughout the week so it can be fairly cheap depending how much you can eat. My favorite is Thursday and Saturday. The downside to Shogun? The service is awful. I understand that they get busy, but it's to the point where it's inexcusable. For about the hour and a half we were there, we saw our server 3 times. It took awhile for us to put in an order for the second round of sushi and to get our check. Overall, the food was good. Service was mediocre.
(3)Conchita C.
Love Shogun......great rolls, amazing tender and tasty salmon, good tea. I try to eat here once a month, but darn, they close between lunch and dinner.
(4)Lilita R.
This is a perfect "family sushi" restaurant & I say this because of the booths, I love that they are covered with beaded curtains..no one has to see my bad public parenting!! yay! :) But seriously I've been going to Shogun since My 9 year old was an infant..3 kids later I love this place still & My kids do too..We love the food, prices & atmosphere.
(5)Tommy S.
Shogun rocks!, Its not the cleanest "looking" place but pak their sushi chief is the bomb!! Their nigiri is one of a kind and they don't skimp on portions. I used to be a fan of Sushi Garbage, I mean garden, but they sold out, and my dad has been coming to this place for years! I love the mussels, they are amazing, The rice had good texture and is not all soggy or hard like some places I have been to. Shogun gets my thumbs up would be 5 stars if they dress the place a bit better.
(4)Taralyn R.
Good sushi and good service. Not the best I've ever had but I'd go back. Their half off rolls change daily so you have to go in and see which day you'd like the best.
(3)Barry S.
Service and food are great! Fish is very fresh and good sized servings. Would highly recommend if you're in North Tuscon
(4)Selina S.
This is by far my favorite sushi place in Tucson! Everyday they have at least 5 rolls that are half off and they rotate everyday. Fridays are my favorite night with the Vegas roll and sex on the beach roll. You get tons of food for a great price! Absolutely love it
(5)richard s.
it's just OK! some people like a big piece sushi. but i don't like a too big...(looks animal style...) good for hungly people!
(2)Phil D.
Friends of ours keep telling us to go to Shogun. Now we know why. Large pieces of tasty fresh fish, good service and nice atmosphere. We will be going back. Oh, and very reasonable prices too!
(5)Emily T.
Shogun Sushi has fabulous daily sushi specials! Each day 5 different rolls are half off (except Sundays which have 8 rolls on special). On Mondays rolls 1-5 are half off, on Tuesdays 6-10 and so on. Thursdays and Fridays are my favorite days. The Philly roll is on special Thursdays and the Vegas roll is on special Fridays. When you order at the bar you get edamame and an after dinner orange or watermelon in addition to the miso soup. The restaurant has its own unique charm and there are defintely good and bad waitstaff, but the food is great and the drinks specials don't hurt either. :) I would recommend giving Shogun a try!
(4)Christopher S.
We had excellent service by our waitress. The private room was nice and the seating made it easy for us to communicate as a large group. I was also surprised at the size of the fish portion that they give you with the sashimi. It wasn't like a lot of places that try to get away with filling you up on the rice.
(4)Em C.
The sushi is mediocre, but far from good. The service is absolutely HORRIBLE as no one seems happy to be there and I was left with no water for 20 minutes. The waiters don't really care. And to top it all off, the mochi ice cream is not up to par. I'd take my money elsewhere.
(1)Stephen W.
Should I expect better sushi in Tucson? Location is good if you are near the Tucson Mall. My 5 year old niece likes the miso soup and california rolls, but when it comes to real sushi, they are not up to par. They didn't roll the rolls tight and it fell right out of my sticks. The rainbow roll was not cut through all the way and the fish didn't seem that fresh. It was Christmas eve but should this make a difference? The people who ordered the tempura veggies thought it was good. The booth we were in was not very clean. Might go back just to see if this was a one time thing and if I'm near the mall.
(2)Dick W.
Would give five stars but sometimes quality of fish is lacking. Great prices. Huge nigiri. Comes with miso and edamame. Laid back atmosphere.
(4)Arissa C.
I agree with Andy- but the owner is friendly and when he's around will talk to diners...bar next door is fun great hangout place for happy hour.
(3)Sabrina D.
I've been to the other sushi places in Tucson, but Shogun remains my favorite. Mostly it's because I think it's the best price while other places continue to be expensive. They don't have a happy hour per se but there's 1/2 off select sushi rolls everyday (about 5 rolls 7 days a week) and if you go for lunch, they have yummy bento box meals for about $7. Not only that, but I feel like Shogun has a nice selection of food other than sushi. Give it a try!
(5)Adrienne F.
Great place for quick, delicious, and large portion sushi. The restaurant was cute and cozy and offered private booth areas that were decorated with beaded curtains. The service was quick as we had arrived a little late for lunch as they close for short time in afternoon. Server was efficient and knowledgeable. Fairly good number of other diners present. Sushi rolls were a little loose but packed full of fish. We ordered 5 different rolls but one was nearly omitted, once mentioned the waiter and chef got the roll ready with lightning speed. Recommend Las Vegas Roll, Rainbow Roll, and any type of spicy tuna rolls. Food was absolutely delicious. Edamame and oranges not included with service. Miso included. Overall great experience. Only tried sushi no appetizers or other dishes. Will definitely return. The small booths are great for small intimate party. Also noticed excellent daily special of 1/2 off a range of different sushi roll #'s each day of th week (each day the range progresses through entire list of sushi roll numbers).
(4)Leo B.
This place did nothing for me. If you want sushi and you are near Shogun's go down to Sushi Hama.
(2)Gary H.
As most have said, the nigiri is so-so. The neta (fish on top the nigiri) is huge, but the fish quality could be better. The waitresses are cute, but a little slow. They never brought me a menu or anything for that matter. I had to ask for water and a beer. I asked what beer they had and she told me I should look at the menu...duh...try giving me one first...it's been about ten minutes since I asked for the water and beer...still have my ikura, uni, and spicy tuna to eat, but I'm quickly losing my appetite. At this rate, I know I won't be back. The beer finally came, but no glass and still no water. The seats next to me finally got cleaned up after more than 40 minutes.
(2)misha h.
Sushi & sake is a New Years' tradition with my friends and I, and this year we went to Shogun. I only eat sashimi, and they served fresh, thick, beautiful slices of colorful, yummy fish. The service was fine, too. So if you like sashimi, this place is worth a go.
(4)Tyne M.
The only reason I'm not rating a 5 on this one is because the service is iffy. The one time I went with a group it was HORRIBLE and if you sit at the sushi bar getting service can be difficult. Other than that I love the food. Portions are huge, fresh, prices are good, and when you do get service they are friendly. Definitely a great find in Tucson.
(4)Tina P.
I ordered salmon sashimi, my sushi staple...it was ehh...
(2)Andy H.
Sushi was good, not great. They have a nice fountain and sushi specials every day.
(3)