Ai Sushi & Grill
3215 Cinema Point, Colorado Springs, CO, 80922
Ai Sushi & Grill Menu
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Address :
3215 Cinema Point
Colorado Springs, CO, 80922 - Phone (719) 622-8866
- Website https://www.aisushipowers.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
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
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Kevin K.
I've eaten here a few times. Three times we got a table and had some bento boxes and once at the hibachi. Very good food and service.
(4)Rosa M.
People from Colorado Springs dont know $*** about good sushi. Sushi is so huge on the west coast where Im from. This is honestly the best place in the springs for sushi, I cant speak for the grill though. Everywhere else I've tried (and I've literally tried everywhere in this city) is mediocre, tasteless and overpriced. Ai Sushi and Grill has the best rolls at good prices, and friendly and fast service.
(5)Desiree R.
After being banned from this restaurant for about a year (I'm ashamed to say due to drunken escapade's) I was finally able to return... and actually eat and remember my meal. I'm going to let everyone in on a little secret about the Springs.... it's not really known for it's food.(SHOCKER! I know!) Sure you've got a several good places, maybe even a couple great places.... but New York City, San Fransisco... we are not. Ai sushi and grill is one of maybe 5 or 6 places that offers teppanyaki here. It's interesting, it's fun, and tastes good. I've had quite a few things from here and all are pretty good. The Ai sushi roll... simply awesome... but come on people it's wrapped in bacon... can't go wrong with bacon. (yes, I realize this probably shouldn't be classified as sushi... but hey! I didn't write the menu). The grill.... well honestly I think it depends on the cook. I've had my meals that tasted great and some where the meat is over cooked and dry or rubbery. The last time I went my scallops were cooked to perfection.... it was a good cook :) The service can be good.... and not so good. When they are busy (Fri/Sat nights) they have problems. Good luck getting another beer, water.... or even a napkin. When it's Sunday afternoon... and nobody is there, it's great. Ai sushi and grill is fun, you can get good food. Is it one of the best... I don't think so... but good (most of the time) nonetheless.
(3)Jennifer E.
My kids liked it ,of course but the food was not good. I had the bronco roll which was okay. I also had the chicken and scallops. The guy cooking the food was pretty entertaining. I've been to much better places back home.
(2)Leena V.
Okay, service sucks here. The hostesses seriously must have huge chips on their tiny shoulders and just cannot stand seating people because our hostess treated us like we were third class citizens who she just could not believe wanted to sit somewhere. Like, oh my gosh, really, you want to sit, in, a, seat?.?. Shut the front door. Like, ugh, like. The waitress was minutely better, only rushing us to the point of pushing us out the door. Really? You want to chew? And swallow? Oh, and eat? But other people want to eat too! At first our sushi tasted good...not that I can remember what I ordered since we had no time to think or anything else. The price was decent on sushi. Although we did not order anything with raw fish, payback on our stomachs was a B****. Maybe if we had time to digest our food past putting it in our mouths... So to put it lightly, I HATED this sushi restaurant. Awful, pretentious service, horrible stomach wrenching food, and all-around bad manners puts this restaurant on my no go list.
(1)Armando L.
I dont understand why this place has such poor reviews. Coming from California, there is a ton of good sushi. Moving to colorado I was let down :(...... but then I found this place! I find it to be the best sushi in colorado springs. just because every roll isnt deep fried or have a ton of cream cheese in it doesnt mean its bad lol. I was attended to quickly and the sushi was made fast. Its not expensive either, and the sushi chefs are Japanese or Korean!....... mind....blown..... I am incredibly satisfied with this place, and will definitely return on a weekly basis. Thatnk you ai sushi for keeping ir as traditional and fresh as possible.
(5)Eric R.
Always great. The food is always well prepared and on time. It's always a little expensive but how to can it not be when you want to order so much!
(4)Devan B.
I was greeted warmly and shown to my seat in the dining room. It was open and airy, but not without it's charm. I had 2 sushi rolls And the goyuza. It was all very delicious. The staff was friendly and the sushi rolls were amazing. I think I found my new favorite sushi place in the springs.
(5)Kira G.
I'm honestly surprised by the positive reviews others have posted for this restaurant. It is possible that my friends and I headed over there on an off night, but, I have to say, this was probably my worst experience at a sushi restaurant in all of Colorado. The service was absolutely horrible. Our waitress never stopped by to refill drinks or check on our food. My friend received a sushi roll she didn't order, but never had a chance to replace it because we were completely ignored. At the end of the meal, we waited so long for the check that we had to put on our coats and act like we were leaving in order to get the attention of the service staff (five of whom were standing in the corner having a casual conversation, including our waitress). The food was marginal at best. The imitation crab in my Rainbow Roll was more creamy than it was crab-like and the fish surrounding the roll tasted old. My friends were equally displeased with their sushi. Needless to say, I will never be heading back to Ai.
(1)David P.
Another great meal at Ai tonight. MJ is the best, always taking her time to make sure we are happy! Not the best sushi Ive ever had, but consistantly good. Sit at the sushi bar and enjoy a conversation with your sushi chef!
(4)Catherine H.
The hibachi is ok, but I love the sushi here! The "crazy spicy" roll is amazing. Service is generally very fast and the wait staff is friendly.
(5)Terrie M.
It's really good and food are champ..
(3)Beth B.
I ordered take out from AI Sushi to surprise my boyfriend with a romantic and elegant meal at home when he returned from vacation. Much to both our disappointment, this was the worst sushi either on of us had ever eaten. The nigiri was less than fresh and had a dry look about it. The California roll was good but the spicy tuna was overpowered by the "spicy". I ordered a unagi roll which is my favorites but this one had bones in it. I can understand an occasional bone, it is fish after all, however every piece had several bones in it. I'm glad this wasn't my first experience eating sushi or I might have never tried it again.
(2)Deryk E.
I eat here once a week or so. The sushi is good. As fresh as you can get in a land locked state. They put together some nice roll combinations. I always sit at the sushi bar so I do not have much contact with the wait staff. They bring me my water and moments later the miso soup. When I am done with the sushi which is provided by one of the chef's at the bar, they bring me a bill and I pay. Usually at lunch I am there less than 30 minutes and eat a roll or two.
(4)Alison G.
Stopped in for lunch on impulse and was extremely satisfied. Their Las Vegas roll was one of the best I've ever had and prices were moderate. The service was solid and the ambiance was relaxing despite a full house. I look forward to going back for dinner.
(4)L H.
This is really not bad sushi for Colorado Springs. I haven't rushed back, but it was good food and good service. There are better sushi places in town, though.
(3)Shanna V.
This is a very good sushi restaurant in town. It is next to a popular area, it has a very nice hibachi grill, it has very yummy and creative sushi at a reasonable price, and it is a very nicely decorated place. My fiance and I like to go here on date nights. Eat a yummy meal then enjoy a movie at the theater that is like 3 feet away. Lots of choices on the menu and sushi menu. I recommend the caterpillar and spicy tuna specialty rolls. I am not into spicy but my fiance is and he seems to like all their rolls with spicy tuna in it. I like stuff with unagi and avocados :)
(4)Cobra K.
I hate coming here...something happened and the food just sucks!
(1)Shun F.
"Ai" which means love in Japanese, was the first Japanese place that I went to in when I arrived in Colorado Springs. Sad to say, but I did not fall in love with this place. As the title says, it's a hibachi grill, plus a regular restaurant with a sushi bar. My friend and I didn't do the hibachi, so we sat at the regular tables. I ordered the beef teriyaki, plus a couple of rolls of sushi. To be honest, tThe teriyaki wasn't very good. The beef fillets were cut really thin and I didn't think the teriyaki sauce tasted very good. The rolls were a bit better and reminded me a lot of the rolls from a place called Yanagi, back in California. The pricing was about average, so I can't complain about the quality too much. I have still yet to find a decent Japanese restaurant in this area.
(2)Brittany N.
this place, was.... meh... i waited at the hostess station for 5 minutes before the 3 girls asked if they could help me, The waitress didnt really want to answer any of my questions about the sushi. After we receieved our food, she never came to check on us. But i have had MUCH better sushi. and i've had better here in Co. springs. the only reason i would go back for such less than average sushi is that its a minute from where i live
(2)Brian C.
I have lived in Japan for almost 3 years so I can honestly say that I have had some amazing Sushi. I have also lived in San Diego and Washington D.C. which both offer some amazing Sushi establishments. Although this is not the best I have ever had, I think it is among the BEST in the Springs. After 6-7 times at this location, the service has always been adequate and the sushi is good with a variety of choices. I have also enjoyed the hibachi grill experience a couple of times as well. The restaurant is in a good location if you want to enjoy a movie or some shopping before or after, but there can be a bit of a wait on the weekends.
(4)Jessica D.
The person that said this was closed must be wrong because my friend said she just ate there last week. I confirmed that it was in fact, this location. I like this location of Ai better than the westside one-- nicer decor.
(4)Debra W.
This place ROCKS... I go for Sushi every chance i get and now when i go to other Sushi places i am disappointed. Ai is the Best and i always find a way to drive to the Springs for my FIX...
(5)heather t.
I'm giving this place 4 stars for great sushi, but if I could rate this place twice I would give it a 1 for hibachi - it is quite terrible. (Go to Musashi for hibachi!) I've sat at the sushi bar a couple times though, and have not been disappointed. The sushi chefs are spunky and fun. Orders come with miso soup and a delicious seaweed salad that has a nice and chewy piece of octopus in it. This startled me at first, but it is very good! I've had many different rolls and nigiri here and was not disappointed. The fried tempura rolls are fantastic! Meals are finished off with a decorative orange and strawberry creation that is very refreshing. As other reviewers mentioned, I too was a bit turned off by this place being in a suburban strip mall, but it really ended up being one of my favorite sushi places in the Springs.
(4)Christine M.
Complimentary meso soup. Ordered salmon skin hand roll (spicy) albacore, yellow tail & salmon. Small dish served of cucumber, gobo & seaweed. Quality was good, prices average. Will come here again. They also had cooking tables. Pretty big place, good for big groups.
(3)Kal K.
Sometimes I just have to get my sushi on. Picked this place because my brother liked the other one. I was put off that you had to choose between sushi side and Hibachi side (75% of your party must order from teppan menu? What kinda crap is that) I came to eat not do math. So we sushi-ed. Good stuff Maynard. Fish was fresh tasting, and some interesting variations along with traditional standards (I'm talking bacon and asparagus here). Some dishes cold back off on the heavy sauces and let the ingredients individual flavors come through, but that a chefs choice.
(4)Alicia R.
I've only been here once, and I wasn't impressed. The sushi wasn't that great and the teriyaki was almost boring. The decor was really lame. Just didn't like it at all.
(2)Jana S.
We were visiting from Texas and I went based on the reviews here on Yelp. I really didn't know what to expect from a sushi restaurant in a big-box strip mall thing (mall?) in suburban Colorado Springs. We were seated promptly, which we are unaccustomed to in Austin and was a little disconcerting on a Friday night. There were 4 very active chefs behind the bar. They were very animated and the bar looked like the place to be. The fish looked great under the glass. The server was prompt, but reserved. So I was able to get his attention when I needed something, but he didn't ask how everything was every 10 minutes. That's great as I despise constant attention. We ate edamame and sushi: nigiri, traditional and American style rolls. The edamame was cooked perfectly and was fresh and not too salted. My husband had the Sushi Dinner ($14.95) which included yellow tail, ahi, salmon, snapper, shrimp and escolar as well as a spicy tuna roll. I had Mackerel, Octopus and Squid, hamachi roll and rainbow roll. The Squid was accented with Shiso which I've never had with Sushi in Austin. The Mackarel, the way I test a sushi place, was excellent and the octopus was tender. The Hamachi roll was fairly unremarkable next to the mouth-watering nigiri. Don't get me wrong, it was completely solid. the scallions complemented the delicate flavour of the hamachi perfectly, but it didn't blow me away like the squid. The rainbow roll was beautifully laid out. I admired it, turning it this way and that. The roe lined along the top was bright red and glimmered in the light. This was quite unlike what I usually think of as a rainbow roll. The fish wasn't overpowered by too much avocado. There was a kind of Krab-japanese mayo filling inside that delightfully balanced both fish and salty roe. I have no idea how I finished it. The best part was the price. By Texas standards, this place is dirt cheap. $8.95 Rainbow Roll?!? I ordered far too much simply because I thought the rolls must be tiny. Oh my. No. If you live in this city and you like sushi, I envy you. I mean, the hyper-suburban location is horrible, but if you can get past that fact, you are on your way to heaven.
(5)Beth S.
I have dined here for sushi and hibachi, and been very pleased both times. On the sushi side, we were only disappointed that they didn't seem to have any sashimi specials...or at least they didn't advertise them. The food was great on the hibachi side (your typical rice/veggies/meats preceded by soup and salad). Our chef on that side was very entertaining. Service was great on both sides. I'm not giving 5 stars b/c the food on either side was not the best I've had, but both were very good.
(4)Patrick A.
Had a great experience here. Nice atmosphere, Great Sushi. Reasonable prices. I very much enjoyed the great selection of sushi - many options & something for everyone, Sat at the sushi bar - great service & really good sushi
(4)S M.
Don't waste your time. Everything my husband and I ate here was sub-par. I agree with the rubber chicken comment below. If you would like incredible sushi and hibachi, check out Fujiyama's on Tejon.
(2)Mark W.
My girlfriend and I finally tried AI and were very disappointed. We both had unagi, spicy tuna rolls and sashimi. The sashimi was good, but the unagi and spicy tuna rolls were terrible. They were very loosely rolled and not very appealing. The spicy tuna had so much of the spicy sauce, you couldn't even taste the tuna and the unagi had bones in it. I would have been embarrassed to have served this to anyone. Unquestionably the worst sushi meal I have ever had.
(1)Toonces The Driving Cat K.
Like rubbery chicken?
(2)Leo M.
Sushi is cheap, but quality is good, not great. The fastest service I have ever seen from the sushi bar. We were there on a packed Saturday night and we got our sushi about 5 min after we ordered it.
(4)George R.
Best Sushi in Colorado Springs, I particularly like the sashimi platter on the dinner menu. As fresh as it gets in Colorado springs and very well prepared and presented. Dinners are served with an OK green salad and a great flavorful miso soup I like the atmosphere here as well as the sushi chefs are in full view of the restaurant and greet each customer with a shout. Service can be a mixed bag but the sushi is top shelf.
(4)Cookie M.
The times that I have been here, I am always amazed at how fast their service is compared to other sushi places I've been to. Their sushi is pretty damn good for Colorado Springs and pretty reasonable for the price. From their edamame and nigiri to their specialty rolls. The Monkey Brain and the Avalanche are good if you want something nice and fattening.
(4)Dayna B.
Fantastic, large open space. Restaurant tables, sushi bar, and teppanyaki grills. The sushi was great! We had a 9 y/o with us and she really enjoyed trying everything in her chicken teriyaki bento box. She tried sushi for the first time too and loved it! Thank you for being such a great first experience for her. We can't wait to come back! Tips: Very busy on a Saturday night, go early. In a strip mall with construction (when we were there). May have a little walk after finding a parking spot, but it's worth it.
(4)Brandon B.
This hibachi is ok -I think it's the convenience that makes it a huge hit because its located in the middle of many things to do. The food was good (6 of 10), the dining area was clean and the staff are nice and accommodating. I did walk past the kitchen on the way to the restroom however, and noticed that the kitchen is extremely dirty (not the average dirty, but hasn't been cleaned in weeks dirty and grimy). Other than the kitchen standards, I would say that if you're going to watch a movie practically next door, this is a great place to eat -especially with friends. TIP: the Monkey brain makes a great appetizer for two or three people and it is awesome!
(3)Yolanda G.
We came to Colorado Springs with a church group. Hubby and I decided to come to AI sushi. We showed up at 9:30 closing time is 10pm. We were allowed to order and were told that we couldn't add anything to our order. I had the tekka tool and the heart attack roll and a jalapeño roll. All of them were delicious. As soon as we were done eating the owner or manager came to our table told us we needed to hurry and pay and leave because they are closing. We paid and left. I understand they want to get home too. But I thought they were so rude and could of at least waited a few minutes after being done with our food to tell us to leave. The little lady was hovering around just waiting for all of us to finish our food.
(4)Kathreen B.
It was an O-K spot for a sushi place in Colorado Springs. I wasn't impressed with the sushi and have had better. The price was ok so I guess you get what you pay for! P.S. I had the crunch roll and it didn't seem very crunchy.
(2)Trisha F.
I've never had an issue coming here before. Today was definitely a bad experience. I only give 3 stars because of no previous issues. 1. They ran out of fried rice and had to use yakisoba noodles instead, my husband goes there for the fried rice. 2. The chef forgot to add the eggs to the noodles and then ended up dropping them. He did not go back for more. 3. There was not much of a show, and the chef didn't speak much. He was only there long enough to cook and didn't seem to want to entertain us like the other tables were being entertained. Very disappointing. 4. The waitress brought a large sake and a large Sapporo when my husband specifically asked for small. 5. The sushi I got was good, but the eel sauce on top was WAY too sweet! I could barely taste the fish.
(3)Vanessa P.
It took awhile for our waitress to take our drink order when our entire table was already seated. They ran out of rice and substituted it for noodles. I kinda figured that maybe the would have given us a discounted rate because of what they lacked, but apparently not. The cook was nothing impressive - at the end I honestly felt like I could've bought the food somewhere else for cheaper than when they provided us.
(2)Lawrence W.
Ai Sushi & Grill doesn't have that impressive reviews or ratings for a pretty decent Japanese grill and Sushi bar in The Springs. My experiences at this restaurant are a hibachi dinner with friends and a lunch meal that far exceeded my expectations, this review is more for the lunch experience as it was a marvelous meal with a tremendous amount of food for a particularly good lunch menu price. The bento boxes were a great deal with a sampling of sushi rolls, sashimi, rice, salad and soup. The seating arrangement is pretty typical but, the sushi bar is a really nice way to conversant with the guys making your food and if you are lucky some tasting samples as they prepare your sushi and sashimi. I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary lunch meal when I came in but, after the meal, conversation with the great staff, the delicious fish and miso soup I'll definitely be back.
(4)Jungeun L.
Woohoo, Ai Sushi is great! I think the prices here are pretty decent and the food is amazing. Food does take some time to come out, but it's worth the wait. Instead of the sushi, I recommend the bento boxes. They are just amazing.
(5)Valerie C.
We've come here several times and have always had a great experience. Had to wait awhile for a table tonight, but without a reservation on a Friday, we expected that. Great sushi - one of the few places in town we'll go for sushi.
(4)Emily T.
For sushi, the family and I either go here or to Kura. Tastes fresh and delicious! Service has always been friendly and efficient. Besides the sushi, I recommend the Tempura Udon. It comes with a huge bowl of udon noodles and a side of fried veggies (usually 1 piece of shrimp, some carrots and other veggies). It's a great dish on a cold winter day!
(4)Roxana G.
This place was surprising. Sushi was pretty good and my buddy's salmon teriyaki looked awesome, she didn't leave any left to taste. I ordered 4 rolls to share and it was more than plenty... Spent about $40 (only drank water). Miso soup was a bit salty, maybe I haven't had some in a while. The place was very nice though. Lovely mural wall and somewhat open view of the kitchen. It has the right side as hibachi, and the left is dining. Very welcomed set-up not to leave smelling like food. Had dinner and was able to make it to a movie with no problem, around 6pm. I couldn't tell which was the low sodium/normal soy sauce, so maybe verify that first. Other all, nice place I wouldn't mind checking out again.
(4)Joseph V.
Thought they had pretty decent sushi. Like any place, things can get expensive, but some of the rolls are HUGE!!! That's a good thing.
(4)Sarah S.
I love this place (on powers) It's a very large restaurant and a bunch of hibachi tables as well. It's the largest sushi place I have been to. I do like the mom and pop places as well, but this place is great. I have been here a ton of times and never had a bad experience. With sushi freshness is a must, and I feel that I have always had fresh sushi along with picture worthy presentation. I do wish they made the rolls a bit smaller portion sized for easier eating, but other than that, its amazing. (TRY THE PURPLE HAZE SAKE!)
(5)David L.
The sushi doesn't stand out from the other good sushi places in town. The location is definitely nice as well as the restaurant itself. Hibachi is not that great. Overpriced for what you get; although I'm not much for the experience anyway but if you are, then perhaps worth the cost. There was a rude server who had to walk between me and another diner and the space between was not that large. Not due to the fact that I have my chair far from the table, as I know that is annoying. She grabbed my chair and rudely said 'Move.' and rushed past me. The other diner was much larger than I was, so I was annoyed that she singled me out. There are many other places in town with much better staff to have to deal with that. I will not be returning.
(2)TJ R.
Good friends, good times and above all good sushi! I have been to ai before, and have longed to return since my first visit. The sushi is always fresh and presented nicely. For the price, the quality is very good and hard to beat. If you want a place that has good sushi and is reasonably priced, then I highly recommend ai!
(5)Trudy B.
Went into AI for the first time today for lunch with a friend. The atmosphere was pleasant and the waitress was decent, but a bit rude when my friend had used the sushi menu to order (written on it) and then changed her mind and ordered from the regular menu, her comment was, "Oh, you change your mind a lot. So you don't want sushi? Wasted paper." and then she walked away. Aside from that small hiccup, the food was good, arrived fast, and the price was very reasonable. We both ordered the deluxe lunch box, which was plenty of food and variety for $10. Very nice. I would definitely like to go back and sit at the sushi bar and try some of their rolls next time.
(4)Leila R.
So, I'm updating my review. This place has really stepped up their game in the quality of their food and their service. I don't know if they made adjustments, but I do know they recently re-did their menus. But I'd say this is one of my top three sushi places in the Springs now. And since it's closest to my house, it's been my go-to. Sushi: Most recently, I've been thoroughly impressed with their sashimi -- nice, uniform thick cuts of fish. I always get salmon, and there is only one restaurant I've been to that has better salmon but this place has a better cut. It's damn good. You can get a 6-piece salmon sashimi for about $10, which is fantastic. I get their sashimi and a roll to-go on nights I just can't cook -- probably about once a week or every other. And I get consistently good cuts and rolls. All their rolls are good. They cut back on how much rice they add and they don't skimp on the good stuff -- even in something like a Philly roll. It's 80% salmon and 20% cream cheese (if that). And it's only like $4. Their Cherry Blossom roll is great with nice thick cuts of salmon and tuna on top. Miso comes free with the meal. The dressing they use on their salad is creamy -- I like it anyways. They serve my favorite seaweed salad -- with a big scoop of the crab mix that's used in California rolls on top. It's kind of sweet and balances out the brinyness of the seaweed. SO good. Never met a roll here we didn't like. And I haven't had any nigiri lately, but I have in the past (various fish, uni, unagi, roe, quail eggs, and more) and it was always good. I will note that if you're getting rolls for take out, and some have sauce and some don't and you don't want the ones w/o sauce to get messed up, remind them to keep them separate. I've had a few of my "clean" rolls get "dirty" with sauces from my husband's and was less than enthused. Price: On point. My husband and I can walk out of here (if we don't order drinks) with 2 soups (free), salads, a 6-piece salmon sashimi and 3 rolls for under $40. Most of their house rolls are $4.50-$7. Their specialty rolls are $8-$11. I think I counted there were five or fewer rolls more than $11. For a 6-piece sashimi it ranges from $10.50-$11 for the basics and $12.50-$13 for something "fancy" (i.e., something with sauces, marinades, etc). Most of the nigri is around the $4 mark for 2 pieces -- with a few in the $3s and a few in the $5s. Don't know about the rest of their menu though. They do have bento boxes and sushi combos that are cost-effective options, too.' Service: Better than previous experiences. The last few times we've dined in, we've had no complaints. Our drinks stayed full. And we never had to wait too long for anything. When I call in, my food is always ready by the time they promise. It's never been longer than 20 minutes -- and that was on a busy Friday night. Ambiance: No complaints. Always clean. There are two sections -- hibachi and dining. I've never been to hibachi, but the dining has a few booths, lots of tables and the sushi bar. It's kind of that modern/Asian decor style. It's fitting. It wouldn't be a bad place to take a date, if you're not looking for something 5-star. And the movie theater is right there. And you could always hit Coldstone for dessert after. I'm excited this place has stepped up it's game. I have no complaints. Hope it stays this way.
(5)Casey E.
Another good exp at AI sushi. Tasty sushi. Friendly service. Reasonable price. I sat at the bar as I usually do when I'm alone. I had my food and beer within minutes and out of there in 30 mins or so. Perfect for a "working dinner."
(4)Nancy V.
I keep convincing myself it's not that bad and keep coming back hoping for a more pleasant experience. Unfortunately, this restaurant let me down again today. I notice depending on where you're seated and how many people you dine with will determine your quality of service. Be prepared to wait a long time for your waiter/waitress to get back to you....and I mean long! From reading the reviews here, I see positive comments on how friendly the staff is, and I agree to a certain extent. It's hit or miss with how well you're treated. I think an acknowledgment of some sort for how long we've been waiting, or communication that our food is on it's way or their running behind would be nice, but nope! Yes, sushi gets expensive (and sushi restaurants in general) however, the taste and quality of the food does not reflect the price for dinner. The chicken has a rubber-like texture, the udon noodles straight up taste like they opened it from a package, and the sushi taste very generic. Obviously, living in Colorado Springs, getting access to fresh fish (or fresher fish in this case) is difficult to find in restaurants however this restaurant is simply too overpriced. I would highly, highly recommend dining at another sushi restaurant for your time and money's worth.
(1)Barbie S.
I loved it here the sushi was so good! we spent around 40$ and got a bunch of sushi that filled both me and my boyfriends bellies!!! best sushi place in Colorado Springs! I will deff go back for more:)
(5)Jay W.
I just came back from 7 weeks in Missouri where sushi doesn't exist. I came here because my wife was recommended. Usually we goto sushi ring2, but decided to go different. The service was decent, as it takes a bit to get our order. Other than that, the sushi is great here. I highly recommend here if you have a family. They work well with families here.
(4)R K.
I've been here a few times now and I can honestly say this is the best place to go for Sushi in town. They consistently serve good rolls at a great price. The rolls are priced as they would be in California, much better than other sushi restaurants in town. The rolls are made with fresh fish. If they're cooked, they are cooked fully--no half frozen rolls here. They have creative and delicious rolls (Avalanche being my favorite). Beyond sushi, I have tried some of their other dishes and they are good. The gyoza is actually gyoza. All in all, I have not had an unsatisfactory meal here. The only thing I could dock it for are the servers: they always seem to be in a hurry.
(5)Mel V.
My husband and I dined here for our anniversary today. Not bad. I had the Crunchy roll and Avalanche II roll. It was slightly fishy. So not as fresh tasting. My husband's beef teriyaki was good. Our server was abrupt and in a hurry the whole time. As we waited for a table, we had a nice view of all of their cleaning supplies, paint cans, boxes of paper, and other office materials that they have stacked behind the hostess desk. It's a cluttered mess. I felt like rolling up my sleeves and organizing it for them. They must not have any storage anywhere in the back. Certainly not a deal breaker for us. I could care less. It's just weird. Overall not bad, but certainly not the best this time around.
(3)Sammie S.
So far, the worst experience I had here. I called first to see if I could get a table for a party of six. The lady who answered was short and pretty rude and bottom line is they don't do call aheads. Once we got here, we had a twenty minute wait, which wasn't bad, but we sat at our table for ten minutes before anyone even came by for drinks. I had to eventually go back to the front and request a server. She came to the table irritated but tried to be jovial. She had an open cut on her finger that she didn't cover... The blood dripped down her finger and she wiped it with a tissue from her pocket. Yuck. We ordered and the dishes came out in an adequate time. The sushi is good here most of the time. Her finger was wrapped when she served the dishes, but she was sparse the rest of the night.... Not sure if we'll be back.
(2)Alexander S.
Food was fairly decent, the grill was very blah the performance was sub par. There was a terrible cold draft in the room and our waitress refused to help. She said it was just the fans....in January. The restaurant itself wasnt very well laid out, and the floors were disgusting, greasy foot prints everywhere and sticky spots all over. see the photos for how well they maintain their hibachi grill stations.
(3)Richard K.
Great fun for family and date night...delicious food...reasonable price and portion sizes...chefs add to the whole experience with skill and humor
(4)Aaron W.
Mediocre hibachi experience and mediocre sushi. I used to come here much more often, before I knew any better and the increased prices. With so many good dining choices in the Springs, this place shouldn't be anywhere near the top of your list.
(3)Daniela D.
AMAZING place to go for a date night. It was our first time eating Hibachi and it will definitely not be our last! Great taste and chefs are nice and fun to watch!
(5)Chari M.
Mediocre at best! We had the table grilled meal which comes with a lot of show and the same sad table cooking tricks everyone wants to see! The onion volcano and tossing an egg into the chefs hat! But after a couple of times it gets old! And when the chefs not very accurate at flipping veggies onto your plate and you get a lap or face full, not so much fun! The saddest was watching him take some really nice beefsteak and chop the dickens out if it! He's feeding adults, here, not toddlers !!! Don't know why he asked how we liked our steak cooked because it all came out medium well! Over cooked and butchered up! Now having said all this it was tasty, if you dunked the meat in the sauces which were very good! The soup appetizer was yummy but the salad lacked color and taste! Pale iceberg lettuce is a poor excuse for a salad with all the amazing greens available today!!! So if you want a so so meal with a lot of cheesy cooking show it's not bad! But for the same price you could have an epic piece of steak and a salad too good to be real along with a potato dressed as you like it at Texas Tbone or TX Roadhouse! Just sayin'!!
(3)Maryann C.
No brown rice .... so we are out of here just got a drink and off to find brown rice sushi
(2)Elizabeth L.
Not a good experience. The hibachi is way over priced and just not good in comparison to every other hibachi place I have been. My husband and I felt extremely uncomfortable out entire time there as well. Every waitress in the place stood 3 feet from our table and stared at us and the chef the entire time, it was so aukward! It felt like they were watching to see if we would take off with their cups or something! There was another man who sat in a chair facing us (manager maybe?) and glared also. We felt like we couldn't even talk as they would read our lips if we tried. They all seem pissed off like they can't wait for everyone to leave. I wouldn't reccommend this place.
(1)Kali H.
I moved here from Hawaii and had pretty much given up on good seafood, I had a friend bring me here for lunch an I was blown away. Perfect flavors, spot on tempura, delicious udon, and the lunch menu was wonderfully priced. Friendly service in a nice restaurant, perfect for Sunday brunch before a movie.
(5)James H.
Everything was good, including fast service and a responsive staff!
(4)J D.
Food is always good and staff is friendly. We've been going there since it opened. Fish is always good and delicious. Drinks are good, purple haze is the best.
(5)Jasmine B.
In Colorado Springs, this is about as good as it gets for sushi. Having tried several of the different sushi places in town, I have settled on AI. Nearly every time I go, I am given complimentary dishes of sashimi on the house. The waiting staff can appear rude, but I genuinely believe this is a language barrier issue. The restaurant is right next to the IMAX theaters, making for convenient date nights. As long as you are not comparing the restaurant to those which have daily access to fresh caught fish, you will not be disappointed.
(4)Andrew P.
Love this place! I usually just go to order sushi, haven't done hibachi yet. I would recommend the monkey brain on the sushi menu, sooooo goooodd.
(5)Andrea Y.
We ordered carry out, mostly sushi rolls. They were decent, but nothing to write home about. We just moved from Chicago, so admittedly our bar is set pretty high. Will keep searching for our go-to sushi spot.
(3)Nicole K.
Ordered takeout from here and it was pretty underwhelming. The rice was pretty bland, and nothing really tasted very good or fresh. The price was decent (I got the sushi dinner, which came with one miso soup and two salads...weird). The salad was just whole leafs of iceberg lettuce. The dressing was a mayo-fest. Honestly I think I enjoyed my miso soup the most. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, or maybe I shouldn't have ordered takeout...still though, not a good first impression.
(2)Kevin T.
Really good food and atmosphere but come on a slow night because servers can be stressed on busy nights
(4)Nick B.
OK so I have always wanted to come here for the hibachi and to see how the sushi chef's compared to their other location. My meal was such a shit show that I had to take notes during dinner just so I could remember all of the faults. What I'm about to write is my notes straight from my cell phone unedited. I just found it so funny reading it over that I didn't feel I could express the same anger that I was experiencing at the time. So here we go. Sloppy sushi presentation, warm crusty sushi w/ soggy nori, Korean chef seems confused and possibly drunk, can't understand a single word he said, almost burned my wife's face off, horrible tricks and so lame that I feel bad for him, dropped spatula during a trick and rinsed it with water instead of getting a new one, spilled sauce all over my eating area, didn't ask if we wanted certain veggies or didn't want them, didn't plate meats at the same time so clearly can't time manage, piece of steak just hit me on accident and I turned a whopping THREE egg shells into dust. Did I order Egg shell fried rice?!?!?!?! OK so that was my rage fest regarding this incredibly over rated establishment and it's drunk chef that further threw this place into my Yelp trash can. I just wish that they would close their doors and a compilation of Sushi Ring and Musashi would move in and take over. This is such a prime location and I feel like that's why they are so successful. In the mean time I'll just go elsewhere and NEVER come back.
(1)Jessica K.
I was so very hesitant about trying this place out because of all the bad reviews but we ended up here by accident because this was the closest sushi place to Peterson AFB I could think of on the fly. My friend and I were celebrating a big promotion and it was only when we sat down that I checked Yelp and thought "doh!" Regardless of how busy the place was, we were always taken of. I could only count two servers and one busy manager on the floor with at least 17 tables going and chaos ensuing over my head but there was still constant communication, refills, and inquiries as to how our meals were. Kind of impressive how our server kept her head above water and got our food out in no time flat. We both ordered the sushi lunch special with 6 pieces of nigiri and spicy tuna with a Blackjack roll on the side 'cause I looooove eel. Soup and a generous serving of salad was promptly served and not 10 minutes later, lunch was served. I found the rolls to be rolled tight, with hardly any rice, and the portions huge. Not at all what I was expecting considering the negative reviews but very pleased indeed. We couldn't finish our lunch because we were too full and I consider that a good sign indeed.
(4)Michael R.
Came in for lunch on a Sunday . Hostess was nice and seated us promptly. Ordered the deluxe box beef and cali roll and sashimi served with lemon. Miso soup was ok. Everything else was great from getting seated to the check. Good job!
(4)Gloria R.
I ordered the Shrimp Tempura roll, Crunch roll, Krispy roll and the monkey brain roll. The sushi was mediocre, I've had way better at Zen Sushi off of Powers and Barnes. I normally eat there but I wanted to try a new place.
(3)Lucy B.
This rating is for their sushi only and sushi in the Springs, not sushi overall. I would skip the tepan tables on your visit! Sadly, your food just ends up tasting like burnt oil from the "show", since the cooks light it on fire and then cook your food in it. Good restaurants that do this style of cooking clean the oil off properly after igniting and toss the show food that was harmed. The sushi however, is delicious. We have eaten at many sushi restaurants here, trying to find a decent one. This place and Kura are both very good for what Colorado Springs has to offer.
(4)Marc L.
Ate here for the first time a little while back and it was amazing, for Colorado the sushi was very fresh. Our waitress was awesome, great place I'll definitely be back.
(5)Hailey D.
My date and I were starving when we went to this place before the movie. It was close to their closing time, there were a few people still eating. We were seated, orders were taken and in about 10 minutes they brought our sushi rolls. Our appetizer, Edamame, came soon after sushi. The food was decent, the service was good though I could hear them talking about me (they were wondering if i were Korean since they are. I get that all the time so I don't really mind but being stared at and talked about wasn't such a great experience). Would I come back? Sure. It's better than the NOLA place next to the theatre. The food is decent, the service was decent. I can't just stop going to a place cause their culture is different from mine.
(3)Sean F.
We ate at the sushi bar. Hero was our sushi chef. He was fun and engaging. He convinced us to try several new things and we loved them. The hibachi is fun but can be the same show. From now on we are sitting at the sushi bar. My wife loved the flavored sake.
(4)Tiara W.
First time going here and honestly it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. The wait was a little long I don't have a problem waiting as long as the waiting area is comfortable but there waiting area was kinda small/cramped. We had hibachi I ordered the chicken and steak 14.95 & my husband had steak and shrimp 17.95 of the lunch menu that meal comes with miso and salad. Salad was good, miso was terrible it tasted like instant miso that comes it the bag at walmart and it smelled bad. I couldn't even eat and usually I'll suck it up and eat anything I paid for. I will say the chef did a good job cooking because the rice and meal was delicious as far as diving it up it was sketchy, not even at all. My husband got majority of the rice, I got a lot of the chicken and the other gentleman sitting with us got majority of the steak but hey it goes like that sometimes! They do military discount. The soup and not too enthusiastic chef killed it for me. I may go back just for the resturant side but I definitely will try other places. Not the one for me
(3)Jason R.
After my first visit I probably won't go back. Way too crowded and not enough servers on a Saturday night. Our sushi order took over 30 minutes. They ain't cooking anything...no explanation or apology from our server who disappeared without refilling our drinks for 30 minutes at a time. The sushi was small portions and though it looked fresh, very mediocre in taste. Then I had to practically beg our server to give me one scoop of each flavor ice cream rather than two of the same. The manager stood by our table and watched TV for our entire meal. This place is not where you wanna spend your money or your time. Try the AI off Centennial instead.
(2)DAVID T.
Ai used to be a great place for sushi but the quality has gone down and the prices have gone way up. The front end hostess was rude and unprofessional. Although, our server was great and Kaori, the manager in charge, took good care of us as well. I am comparing this place to the #1 standard in sushi and service: Sushi Den, 1487 S Pearl St, Denver, CO 80210. The rating reflects the food quality (3 stars) and the rude hostess (-1 star). Five stars for our server and Kaori.
(2)Kasey B.
This is a large establishment with a good selection of sushi and other foods. The seahawk roll is by far my favorite with a generous serving of crab on top. I wish the rolls were made tighter and smaller because they fall apart easily and are too big to eat in one bite. The service is good and the waitstaff has a good sense of humor. It's not the best sushi I've had, but for Colorado Springs it's the top 3 in the area.
(4)Keith N.
What a big let down! First I asked for Diet Coke and was brought a regular coke. I corrected the server but yet again was brought a regular coke. Food was sub par and I ordered filet and lobster! The cook did not wipe down the utensils when cooking poultry/seafood/steak so all the food had a seafood taste. The Riesling was disgusting and warm. Very disappointed and will not return!
(1)Leslie B.
Good food and service. Not my favorite Japanese restaurant in town, but it is still a great place to eat if you want something next to the theater.
(4)Nabeel N.
Worst Ducking Sushi EVER!!!! It's almost automatic now - When you ask the sushi chef "What's fresh?" and he/she responds with "Everything", that's your sign to leave. Obviously I didn't and decided to order Hamachi, Red Snapper, Saba nigiri and what was to be a spicy roll. The sushi showed up and the Saba had a yellow discoloration. That just about did it for me. Not only did they acknowledge it was bad, they didn't even offer to replace it. The spicy roll was actually sweet. When asked why it wasn't spicy, they responded with "Oh sir, our spicy mayo is actually sweet". Well then you should call it a Ducking Sweet Roll and NOT a Spicy roll.
(1)Joey H.
Wife and I came in for the tricks and high flames but left with utter disappointment. I ordered the chicken and it came out super dry. Wife ordered the salmon and it was ok but nothing great. The monkey brain sushi had avocado on top and was your run of the mill sushi but I was not expecting much in Colorado.
(2)Anthony G.
Me and my wife use to really enjoy this place. The last 3 times we have been there the service has been horrendous. The last being especially insulting. It was my wife's borthday, they lost our sushi order for over an hour, she literally had to come take our order again and that was after I asked about it! I asked to speak to the manager. The manager told me "it happens all the time". This made me especially angry because I am a manager and that is not how you do business. Losing orders should not be a regular occurrence. No one apologized to my wife, nor myself. We will not being going back, that is not how you treat customers. Management needs to be fired.
(1)Kevin W.
This is the first time I have been to Ai Sushi & Grill and I was somewhat less than pleasantly satisfied. The food is presented with little to no finesse. I am going to go out on a limb here and say the food here is delicious. Having said that, the atmosphere is too loud and obnoxious during busy nights. The TVs they have there also adds fuel to the fire. Not to mention, there are two small (not sound-proof) dividers that make up the Teppanyaki side and restaurant side. The service is par to subpar. It seemed to me that when we were ordering our food, it felt a bit rushed as if we were not welcome here. Considering the amount of staff and waitresses that the owners have hired, I was disappointed to see many of the waitresses just standing around and not attending to tables. I had to wait seven minutes for a glass of water and then another ten more for a refill. I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki dinner selection which is comprised of Miso Soup, a small plate of salad, and the main course which was of course... Chicken Teriyaki. The Miso Soup was average. It tasted like something out of a packet where you boil water and mix with to eat. Although the salad was delicious, it was drowning in salad dressing. The salad also had several big chunks of lettuce that the chefs serve there. Finally, the Chicken Teriyaki was dry and underseasoned. It seemed to me that the Chicken Teriyaki that they served was almost to a point, inedible without rice (the rice was the saving grace) because of how salty the chicken actually is. The prices are all very expensive. For one adult individual, you will be having to pay close to $30 or more for a meal. There is a Teppanyaki side but the actual prices on the menu there for food is outrageous. Since this place is very close-by to the local movie theaters, I was shocked to find out that the food and snacks at the theaters, rivals the prices here at Ai Sushi & Grill. I can tell you with the utmost confidence, that the surrounding areas of restaurants are cheaper than this place. In closing, the food here may be delicious, but the amount of negatives that make up this place absolutely overweighs the food's taste and quality.
(2)Naitisha R.
Will stick to getting Sushi to go cause trying to dine in was a huge hassle and wait for us.
(3)Kim L.
My husband and I love ai. It's our go to date night. We've tried other sushi places in the springs (ie sushi ring) but none of them really taste as good or as fresh as Ai. Service is always fast,even if its not as attentive as some people seem to need, but I don't really tend to like to be fussed over anyways lol. We always comeback for the sushi and that's all that should matter anyways :)
(5)Kay T.
Medicore sushi but kind of overpriced. Only A-OK because it kind of is hard to find sushi in a land lock state. The sushi was kind of bland though when they say they have all these ingredients and fish in them. The good part is, at least they don't fluff it and fill the whole roll with rice like other places do.
(3)Edward B.
This is one of the places that takes total advantage of its prime location in First and Main. The staff and owners just don't try very hard. I ordered a soft shelled crab and was almost insulted by what was served in its place: a deep fried frankencrab that tasted terrible. The sushi rolls I ordered were bland and dry. If you don't know any better you might like this place. Anybody that has had good sushi or hibachi will not be fooled.
(2)Roger H.
This place overcharged us by nearly $70, offered to put the credit on a "gift card" and then refused to honor the card on our next visit. After being called liars, we asked to speak with the manager and the extremely rude woman informed us that she was the owner. We will not be back, don't recommend it to anyone and tell anyone who will listen about the treatment we received there. The actual sushi is a 5/10 anyway. Anyone who wants good sushi in Colorado Springs probably knows of a half dozen better places, but if not at least try Jun's, Zen, and Sushi Rakkyo.
(1)Mike M.
Always a family favorite! Especially if you get a chef with a great sense if humor!
(5)Anastasia A.
Great sushi. I went to restaurant after I had my baby and was craving sushi. I loved all of the 4 sushi rolls that I ordered. Also tried Japanese saki and purple haze for the first time it was good experience and the servers were friendly. Will be coming back soon. Maybe for my birthday. This place is pricey but the food is delicious.
(5)Spiro T.
Good sushi. Definitely NOT great, excellent, outstanding, or fantastic. If you want middle-of-the-road sushi at a decent price, this is your place. On the bright side, I've never gotten sick here. Feel free to gorge yourself on this mediocre fare and your wallet won't hurt as much as you thought it would. The food here may or may not take care of your sushi craving. I usually get basic nigiri, and maybe a roll. The roll I usually opt for is the Avalanche III. Avalanche II and Monkey brains are ok too. Add sub-par service to the mix, and you get the idea. Very inpersonable staff. It's almost like you are annoying them by frequenting their establishment. The sushi chefs are somewhat nice and they sometimes provide free tastes of their new creations. What's really weird about this place is that there is an "employee area" right in the middle of the restaurant. They offer military discounts. Here is the link to their health inspection: elpaso2.co.gegov.com/el_… ;ed={ts '2011-06-07 11:58:04'}&searchType=letter
(3)Brandi R.
Sushi is pretty good but not the best that I've ever had. Probably BC we are a landlocked state and I just spent time on the coast. However, I did enjoy the Hibachi grill! Our grill master was funny and attentive. The food off the grill was very tasty! I ordered the plum wine and it was a bit too sweet.
(3)