Again, as you can see, I don't give too many 5-stars on the places that I review. However, I couldn't pass this one up. I was deployed to Knoxville, TN for CAT duty and was eating a different spots nightly. I originally ate at one sushi joint and it tasted horrible. I thought it was just a Tennessee thing. I thought I'd give another sushi place a try... this one. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! The place was very clean. I ordered the 12 piece sashimi and the display was GORGEOUS!!! Now came the true test... the taste. It was delicious!!! It has to rival with the best sushi restaurants that I've been to in L.A. Every piece of sashimi went down like butter. I was so impressed that I had to dine here a second time. The sashimi plate was decorated even more elegantly this time and again, the taste was magnificent. Of course, I had to wash down my fish with beer and sake. The only one thing that this place lacks that would have made this THE PERFECT sushi restaurant is that they do not serve oyster shooters. I was a bit bummed by that. However, it was a remarkable experience finding such a gem in Tennessee. If you're ever in Knoxville, you gotta try this place out.
(5)
Darren C.
My wife and I have been here numerous times. It's our favorite place to eat in Turkey Creek on an average night. This place is located next to Earthfare, across the street from Wal-Mart. You could drive past it hundreds of times and miss it. The restaurant itself is small. The food, however, is incredible! A previous reviewer mentioned they hire a lot of their staff from Wasabi. I would describe eating here much like eating at Wasabi for half the price! Inside you'll find a dim lit bar or nightclub ambience but it's a family dining experience in my opinion. Every time we've been the service has been fast and the servers are polite. I like that this place serves both sushi and hibachi because my parents are not sushi lovers. This leads me to my first meal recommendation: the chicken hibachi. Definitely a safe option for someone who doesn't know what they want! Comes with a choice of salad, miso soup and a healthy helping of chicken, vegetables and rice. The sushi I have tried has been very fresh and tasty. Generally I am really bad at keeping up with the nicknames given to sushi rolls.... I get more hung up on the ingredients and what sounds appetizing... Weird, I guess. Most of them have 6-7 pieces. If they have a "monster" roll I haven't found it yet. Anyway if you go on Sunday or Wednesday they have a half price menu. Cha ching!
(4)
Jeff E.
I'm not sure what others have experienced, but at best, the sushi was a slight grade above what you'd get at a grocery store deli. The fish wasn't very fresh, and the flavors of everything were muddled. Service was pretty apathetic. They were as nice as I suppose they could be, but no one really seemed interested. I'd bank on this place closing within the year.
(2)
Erich G.
This is my third time back. It is the best Sushi and hibachi style food in town - even compared to Wasabi nearby which I also like. Some staff use to work at Wasabi. The sushi is a bit fresher I think and definitely a nicer presentation. They have innovative lunch specials and pricing that are hard to beat. The fantastic role is - fantastic! At lunch, they have a half price sushi menu. Highly recommended.
(4)
Alan S.
Food is great but male waiter appears very angry.Not friendly male wait staff.Ask for female server her attitude is pleasant.
(2)
Christina A.
What was this? Good sushi in Tennessee? I thought I'd been banished from sushi until I could head home to Washington, but it turns out there's good looking and tasting sushi not far from home. We also had the vegetable tempura, which was more than enough for the 2 of us (and multiple of every vegetable so we didn't have to fight over who got what or cut anything in half ;)). The miso was decent - we would get it again but it needs a little more richness in the base. For sushi, we had the pacific roll, phoenix roll, spicy tuna and yellowtail rolls. Both plates were beautifully prepared, a pretty little pink swan drawn on the largest of the two. We liked them all but I would probably skip the spicy tuna in favor of the yellowtail in the future. It was good but the yellowtail was just much higher quality. The two specialty rolls were VERY good, well worth the extra money! The phoenix had just the slightest sweet taste in it, so good. It will hard not to return weekly!
(5)
Jim R.
ehhh .. I see lots of great reviews on this place so I stop in on a Wednesday night 7pm. Sit at the Sushi Bar. first the Lobster roll... usually one of my fav. 10 pieces is way to many it was mainly filler.. cucumber and imitation crab. I would much rather have quality over quantity, I mean I am not at a buffet. Second roll, spider roll .. same freaking way.. 10 pieces done exactly the same. there was little to no crab just batter fried in a roll. not a fan. this is 2012 you can get great sushi anywhere I don't let hang ups like you are not on the beach so don't order sushi stop me. This stuff is flash frozen and flew in to all major cities daily. I will keep searching for a good quality sushi bar in Knoxville but this one is now removed from my list.
(2)
Ryan L.
The last two trips I've made would rate 3 stars and 4, respectively. I went with a bud of mine after hyping this place for about a month, and was pretty disappointed compared to what I've experienced before. We made sure to get there before 6pm to try some of the half price specials. Well, apparently Friday is considered a weekend (Sunday thru Thursday are weekdays??) and no sushi specials. For what it's worth, I have been on a Friday before when they WERE half price. Not only that, the rolls were noticeably smaller and just didn't taste as good. Fast forward about a week or so when I did go for half price (a Monday), and there was still something missing from the first few times I ate here. Not sure what the deal is, but I feel it has digressed a little since December.
(4)
Jennifer D.
This is our family's favorite sushi restaurant. We love the food, service, and casual atmosphere. They not only serve delicious, fresh sushi, they also offer fantastic hibachi style chicken and vegetables.
(5)
April W.
Sushi is consistently good here for the price. Always a nice presentation. Love the vegetable tempura. They have half price nights but even at regular price it won't break the bank. It's not an upscale sushi restaurant but gets the job done and does it quite well.
(4)
Anna R.
As traveler from the windy city. This was superb! Nice atmosphere. Good lunch special.
(5)
Ala d.
First time trying this place 5 minutes ago.... Wow! Me and the husband got 4 different rolls (spicy tuna, shrimp, chicken and crab), and it's some of the best sushi I've ever had! The chef made beautiful pictures with the sauce on my plate and made a lotus flower with a cucumber on the other. It was gorgeous! And the prices were fair. Def coming back soon.
(5)
Kristen K.
Great food, great presentation, great price, terrible atmosphere.
(4)
Mike K.
Excellent and creative sushi that does not break the bank. I'm coming back for lunch tomorrow.
(5)
justin m.
Enjoyed my dinner here. They had $2 bud light specials and also sushi specials after happy hour. Most are a buck or two discounted (ie $6 normal prices are $5). I ordered 3 rolls and enjoyed them - California, Spicy Salmon and Tuna. They were all good and had a nice presentation to them. I would rate this place a 3.5, but it's not quite a 4 yet.
(3)
Alan P.
Food is average. Sushi rice was a little dry. Not enough rice vinegar was used in making the rice. Should use shorter grain (instead it was almost as long as those one gets at Chinese restaurant). I am not sure how skillful the sushi chef is....the pieces on my chirashi is thinly sliced.
(2)
Scott M.
Excellent food. The sashimi was very fresh and the hibachi entres excellent. Half price sushi at lunch served until 4:00pm. Highly recommended. Check out my video of my LED sashimi: facebook.com/video/video…
(5)
Tanner H.
When it comes to sushi, two things are very important to me - quality of the seafood and presentation. I've been here twice so far, and both times have been very good. I won't say "awesome" or "fantastic" because, admittedly, both times that I've been, it's during their $5 sushi roll night. When it comes to sushi, I have a "sliding scale" method of rating it. If it is a half-price (or in this case, $5 roll night), and it is good, then I will rate it considerably higher than if it is full price (or $10-$11 per roll). If it is "superb" sushi, then it ranks as high as I can across the board. In this situation, my $5 roll is was worth four to four and a half stars, but if I had been paying full price for it, it would have been more like two and a half to three stars. The cold rolls were good, but the cooked rolls were a little greasy for my liking. The fried dumplings were very good too, and a little greasy. Despite it being $5 night both times we went, the presentation was nice. They drew little phoenixes and dragons and koi fish with eel sauce on our plates. Nice touch. Service was pretty good, and they did pay enough attention to us to offer and bring a second round of rolls and two rounds of drinks without having to flag anyone down. Unfortunately, there are no drink specials here, and bottled beers of Kirin Ichiban are around $4 per bottle, so I would recommend drinking elsewhere either before or after eating here. Would I go back? Yes, absolutely. Would I pay full price? Probably not, but you should definitely check it out if you are craving sushi and don't have a lot of cash.
(4)
Andrea J.
Not the best sushi I've ever had but pretty good for Knoxville, TN. I got the sashimi platter and I liked everything except for a piece of fish that has some silver skin on it. No idea what it was but it was very "fishy" so I didn't eat the other one. Wasabi was good and strong. My coworkers got some rolls that were tasty too, but I couldn't have the rice so I didn't try them. Fast service was nice!
(4)
Kelly C.
I would like to start by saying I absolutely love this place. I have eaten here several times, and the food is always fresh and the dishes are presented beautifully. My most recent visit was definitely the worst. It was a Thursday evening around 7pm, so it was packed. The service was terrible and both my appetizer (seaweed salad!) and sushi came out substantially later than everyone elses. I watched as my sushi sat on the bar long enough for the sauce to harden on the plate. It was pretty bad. I will return, and I sure hope that was a one-time occurrence as I really enjoy the food here.
(2)
John T.
Kabuki was great. The food was delicious, the service was fast and courteous, the environment is quiet and relaxing! I will be going back regularly!!
(4)
Chanda H.
This is my favorite sushi restaurant in town. I love the sushi! It is fresh and well done. They are creative and draw art on the plates. At lunch you can get 2 rolls for under $9. The ginger dressing on their salad is delicious! The service is just ok. I have had to wave them down to get more drink but overall a great place to get sushi.
(4)
Joanna T.
Grading on the curve here - I was pretty excited to find out there was a decently rated sushi place within walking distance of my hotel. The menu is pretty standard in terms of choice - maki, nigiri, sashimi and some Chinese dishes. It looks like they have an extensive list of $5 specials during the week as well as further specials on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. That said, prices were fairly reasonable for regularly priced items. I went with a Dinosaur roll (crab, shrimp and "tempura beets"...ok) and a Spicy Girl (spicy tuna, snapper, avocado). Both rolls were fairly large and filled well -not just rice. The fish tasted fresh and the presentation was good too. All in all, it wasn't the greatest, most creative sushi I've ever had but it was quite good and I enjoyed it. Definitely a place I'd return to, especially to take advantage of specials.
(4)
Jenna K.
Lunch time on a Friday, not very busy, but the service was subpar. My first time here, too. The smell wafting through the compact do in area is pleasant; the pop music was disappointing playing rather loudly though. I came in for a quick bite, literally a 2pc tuna and 2pc yellowtail sashimi. My plate was delivered within 5 minutes as nigiri but when I mentioned the mixup a new, correct order was promptly made. The tuna tasted of nothing, cut too thick and was still way-chilled :/ I've heard that improper freezing can be the reason for no flavor..? But, the yellowtail was absolutely scrumptious! Overall OK visit, but left me desiring more for $16 including tip. I think having tasty tuna would have left a better taste in my mouth for Kabuki, literally. First visit, will *probably visit again but will not rush back.
(3)
Angel G.
Today i had my heart set in The Ichiban roll. It was delicious, included spicy tuna, yellow tail, avocado and jalapeño. I decided on the lunch special and purchased two rolls and soup for a few dollars more than the price of one. The waitress brought out the meal with a lovely soy bird painted upon it. Nice touch :) The tempura chicken was very bland but perfectly cooked, good choice for picky kidos. I would definitely return.
(4)
Tom C.
Obvious first thought when one considers Knoxville dining options: sushi! Great decor and ambiance, even better rolls.
(5)
Mike F.
When my client pulled up to this place, my first thought was, "What? Sushi in TN??" I normally don't enjoy sushi this far from the ocean. However, this place not only has very good fish, but its service and presentation are also excellent. If I ever return to Knoxville, I'll be back. The only thing preventing five stars is the variety of fish. It takes quite the extensive selection to be bumped up to a fifth star. That being said, they did have shiro mutsu, which isn't something you find at all sushi joints.
(4)
Ralph B.
This place is da bomb! My fav. Sushi spot in K town! It affordable and good! They have a very large sushi menu! If u go sit at the sushi bar beware the waiters will bombard you! But for real tho, this place is bangin!
(5)
Bryan M.
Went on a Thursday night and there were only a few couples there. It took forever to get the food because the waitress was talking with other waitresses. Stingy with refills as well. Try somewhere else.
(2)
Christina B.
Well, the sushi was ok. Not the freshest and just not to appetizing or even appealing. Went in trying to have an open mind ( coming from California there are tons of awesome sushi places) but the sushi just lacked the freshness and the rolls where limp. We ordered six diff roll to share none of which even stick out in my mind however the hibachi lunch meals where great! If we return it will not be for the sushi.
(3)
Marjorie A.
Nice place with good, creative food! Tip: come on Monday & Thursday for the $5 menu. Well worth it!
(4)
Will W.
Quality has dropped somewhat over the last few months, but my experience tonight will probably be my last time coming to Kabuki due to an incredibly poor customer service experience. I typically go to Kabuki every Monday night after the gym for the $5 rolls. I order the same thing every time without the need to look at the menu, and the waitresses know me and know what my order always is. Tonight, the sushi was average. Not great, not horrible, but for $5 a roll I certainly wouldn't complain. Except that when I got my bill, the rolls were $11.99 each. I told the waitress there must be a mistake, and she informed me that most of the previously $5 rolls were removed from the $5 menu. I told the manager I eat there every Monday, and they should have told me of the price change before I ordered. His response: "The menu was changed last Monday so if you eat here every Monday you would have known." Ok, sorry I skipped one Monday... Doesn't a major price change seem like something they ought to tell a regular customer BEFORE they order? Or nah, just spring it on me when the bill comes. It's not that I would have minded paying $24 if I knew that was the price beforehand. But the way they intentionally baited and switched me and offered no help when I questioned them on it has landed Kabuki a spot on my list of restaurants to which I will not return.
(1)
Matthew K.
Kabuki has really lost their way. I ordered tuna sashimi and it came out with freezer burn on it... Sent it back and got no feedback on it from the server or a manager. When the two rolls we ordered came out, they were bland and the fish was too cold again. Quality control needs some work. Be prepared to send things back if you have the patience. I want to have more options in the area, but not if they're like this. Regards, Matt
(2)
Jennie B.
Excellent alternative to the highly overpriced (and overhyped to be honest) Nama. Sorry Nama. You're good...but not THAT good. Mon and Thurs is $5 sushi, sashimi and great rolls! Great prices on wine and sake. 4 pieces of sashimi to one order for $4! You cannot beat that. Give this place a try. We like Nama but feel ripped off every time we eat there. This is our 2nd time here and we will keep coming back!
(4)
Kim L.
Always stop in here when passing through Knoxville. Superb food. Check out their lunch specials.
(5)
Michelle L.
We had fast friendly service. Drinks were kept full and the food delicious! We enjoyed broccoli shrimp and steak and chicken. Nice location for a break from shopping. Tea very good. My only dislike is our table had cold air blowing directly on us and the glasses were plastic and hazed.
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 : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Andrew L.
Again, as you can see, I don't give too many 5-stars on the places that I review. However, I couldn't pass this one up. I was deployed to Knoxville, TN for CAT duty and was eating a different spots nightly. I originally ate at one sushi joint and it tasted horrible. I thought it was just a Tennessee thing. I thought I'd give another sushi place a try... this one. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! The place was very clean. I ordered the 12 piece sashimi and the display was GORGEOUS!!! Now came the true test... the taste. It was delicious!!! It has to rival with the best sushi restaurants that I've been to in L.A. Every piece of sashimi went down like butter. I was so impressed that I had to dine here a second time. The sashimi plate was decorated even more elegantly this time and again, the taste was magnificent. Of course, I had to wash down my fish with beer and sake. The only one thing that this place lacks that would have made this THE PERFECT sushi restaurant is that they do not serve oyster shooters. I was a bit bummed by that. However, it was a remarkable experience finding such a gem in Tennessee. If you're ever in Knoxville, you gotta try this place out.
(5)Darren C.
My wife and I have been here numerous times. It's our favorite place to eat in Turkey Creek on an average night. This place is located next to Earthfare, across the street from Wal-Mart. You could drive past it hundreds of times and miss it. The restaurant itself is small. The food, however, is incredible! A previous reviewer mentioned they hire a lot of their staff from Wasabi. I would describe eating here much like eating at Wasabi for half the price! Inside you'll find a dim lit bar or nightclub ambience but it's a family dining experience in my opinion. Every time we've been the service has been fast and the servers are polite. I like that this place serves both sushi and hibachi because my parents are not sushi lovers. This leads me to my first meal recommendation: the chicken hibachi. Definitely a safe option for someone who doesn't know what they want! Comes with a choice of salad, miso soup and a healthy helping of chicken, vegetables and rice. The sushi I have tried has been very fresh and tasty. Generally I am really bad at keeping up with the nicknames given to sushi rolls.... I get more hung up on the ingredients and what sounds appetizing... Weird, I guess. Most of them have 6-7 pieces. If they have a "monster" roll I haven't found it yet. Anyway if you go on Sunday or Wednesday they have a half price menu. Cha ching!
(4)Jeff E.
I'm not sure what others have experienced, but at best, the sushi was a slight grade above what you'd get at a grocery store deli. The fish wasn't very fresh, and the flavors of everything were muddled. Service was pretty apathetic. They were as nice as I suppose they could be, but no one really seemed interested. I'd bank on this place closing within the year.
(2)Erich G.
This is my third time back. It is the best Sushi and hibachi style food in town - even compared to Wasabi nearby which I also like. Some staff use to work at Wasabi. The sushi is a bit fresher I think and definitely a nicer presentation. They have innovative lunch specials and pricing that are hard to beat. The fantastic role is - fantastic! At lunch, they have a half price sushi menu. Highly recommended.
(4)Alan S.
Food is great but male waiter appears very angry.Not friendly male wait staff.Ask for female server her attitude is pleasant.
(2)Christina A.
What was this? Good sushi in Tennessee? I thought I'd been banished from sushi until I could head home to Washington, but it turns out there's good looking and tasting sushi not far from home. We also had the vegetable tempura, which was more than enough for the 2 of us (and multiple of every vegetable so we didn't have to fight over who got what or cut anything in half ;)). The miso was decent - we would get it again but it needs a little more richness in the base. For sushi, we had the pacific roll, phoenix roll, spicy tuna and yellowtail rolls. Both plates were beautifully prepared, a pretty little pink swan drawn on the largest of the two. We liked them all but I would probably skip the spicy tuna in favor of the yellowtail in the future. It was good but the yellowtail was just much higher quality. The two specialty rolls were VERY good, well worth the extra money! The phoenix had just the slightest sweet taste in it, so good. It will hard not to return weekly!
(5)Jim R.
ehhh .. I see lots of great reviews on this place so I stop in on a Wednesday night 7pm. Sit at the Sushi Bar. first the Lobster roll... usually one of my fav. 10 pieces is way to many it was mainly filler.. cucumber and imitation crab. I would much rather have quality over quantity, I mean I am not at a buffet. Second roll, spider roll .. same freaking way.. 10 pieces done exactly the same. there was little to no crab just batter fried in a roll. not a fan. this is 2012 you can get great sushi anywhere I don't let hang ups like you are not on the beach so don't order sushi stop me. This stuff is flash frozen and flew in to all major cities daily. I will keep searching for a good quality sushi bar in Knoxville but this one is now removed from my list.
(2)Ryan L.
The last two trips I've made would rate 3 stars and 4, respectively. I went with a bud of mine after hyping this place for about a month, and was pretty disappointed compared to what I've experienced before. We made sure to get there before 6pm to try some of the half price specials. Well, apparently Friday is considered a weekend (Sunday thru Thursday are weekdays??) and no sushi specials. For what it's worth, I have been on a Friday before when they WERE half price. Not only that, the rolls were noticeably smaller and just didn't taste as good. Fast forward about a week or so when I did go for half price (a Monday), and there was still something missing from the first few times I ate here. Not sure what the deal is, but I feel it has digressed a little since December.
(4)Jennifer D.
This is our family's favorite sushi restaurant. We love the food, service, and casual atmosphere. They not only serve delicious, fresh sushi, they also offer fantastic hibachi style chicken and vegetables.
(5)April W.
Sushi is consistently good here for the price. Always a nice presentation. Love the vegetable tempura. They have half price nights but even at regular price it won't break the bank. It's not an upscale sushi restaurant but gets the job done and does it quite well.
(4)Anna R.
As traveler from the windy city. This was superb! Nice atmosphere. Good lunch special.
(5)Ala d.
First time trying this place 5 minutes ago.... Wow! Me and the husband got 4 different rolls (spicy tuna, shrimp, chicken and crab), and it's some of the best sushi I've ever had! The chef made beautiful pictures with the sauce on my plate and made a lotus flower with a cucumber on the other. It was gorgeous! And the prices were fair. Def coming back soon.
(5)Kristen K.
Great food, great presentation, great price, terrible atmosphere.
(4)Mike K.
Excellent and creative sushi that does not break the bank. I'm coming back for lunch tomorrow.
(5)justin m.
Enjoyed my dinner here. They had $2 bud light specials and also sushi specials after happy hour. Most are a buck or two discounted (ie $6 normal prices are $5). I ordered 3 rolls and enjoyed them - California, Spicy Salmon and Tuna. They were all good and had a nice presentation to them. I would rate this place a 3.5, but it's not quite a 4 yet.
(3)Alan P.
Food is average. Sushi rice was a little dry. Not enough rice vinegar was used in making the rice. Should use shorter grain (instead it was almost as long as those one gets at Chinese restaurant). I am not sure how skillful the sushi chef is....the pieces on my chirashi is thinly sliced.
(2)Scott M.
Excellent food. The sashimi was very fresh and the hibachi entres excellent. Half price sushi at lunch served until 4:00pm. Highly recommended. Check out my video of my LED sashimi: facebook.com/video/video…
(5)Tanner H.
When it comes to sushi, two things are very important to me - quality of the seafood and presentation. I've been here twice so far, and both times have been very good. I won't say "awesome" or "fantastic" because, admittedly, both times that I've been, it's during their $5 sushi roll night. When it comes to sushi, I have a "sliding scale" method of rating it. If it is a half-price (or in this case, $5 roll night), and it is good, then I will rate it considerably higher than if it is full price (or $10-$11 per roll). If it is "superb" sushi, then it ranks as high as I can across the board. In this situation, my $5 roll is was worth four to four and a half stars, but if I had been paying full price for it, it would have been more like two and a half to three stars. The cold rolls were good, but the cooked rolls were a little greasy for my liking. The fried dumplings were very good too, and a little greasy. Despite it being $5 night both times we went, the presentation was nice. They drew little phoenixes and dragons and koi fish with eel sauce on our plates. Nice touch. Service was pretty good, and they did pay enough attention to us to offer and bring a second round of rolls and two rounds of drinks without having to flag anyone down. Unfortunately, there are no drink specials here, and bottled beers of Kirin Ichiban are around $4 per bottle, so I would recommend drinking elsewhere either before or after eating here. Would I go back? Yes, absolutely. Would I pay full price? Probably not, but you should definitely check it out if you are craving sushi and don't have a lot of cash.
(4)Andrea J.
Not the best sushi I've ever had but pretty good for Knoxville, TN. I got the sashimi platter and I liked everything except for a piece of fish that has some silver skin on it. No idea what it was but it was very "fishy" so I didn't eat the other one. Wasabi was good and strong. My coworkers got some rolls that were tasty too, but I couldn't have the rice so I didn't try them. Fast service was nice!
(4)Kelly C.
I would like to start by saying I absolutely love this place. I have eaten here several times, and the food is always fresh and the dishes are presented beautifully. My most recent visit was definitely the worst. It was a Thursday evening around 7pm, so it was packed. The service was terrible and both my appetizer (seaweed salad!) and sushi came out substantially later than everyone elses. I watched as my sushi sat on the bar long enough for the sauce to harden on the plate. It was pretty bad. I will return, and I sure hope that was a one-time occurrence as I really enjoy the food here.
(2)John T.
Kabuki was great. The food was delicious, the service was fast and courteous, the environment is quiet and relaxing! I will be going back regularly!!
(4)Chanda H.
This is my favorite sushi restaurant in town. I love the sushi! It is fresh and well done. They are creative and draw art on the plates. At lunch you can get 2 rolls for under $9. The ginger dressing on their salad is delicious! The service is just ok. I have had to wave them down to get more drink but overall a great place to get sushi.
(4)Joanna T.
Grading on the curve here - I was pretty excited to find out there was a decently rated sushi place within walking distance of my hotel. The menu is pretty standard in terms of choice - maki, nigiri, sashimi and some Chinese dishes. It looks like they have an extensive list of $5 specials during the week as well as further specials on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. That said, prices were fairly reasonable for regularly priced items. I went with a Dinosaur roll (crab, shrimp and "tempura beets"...ok) and a Spicy Girl (spicy tuna, snapper, avocado). Both rolls were fairly large and filled well -not just rice. The fish tasted fresh and the presentation was good too. All in all, it wasn't the greatest, most creative sushi I've ever had but it was quite good and I enjoyed it. Definitely a place I'd return to, especially to take advantage of specials.
(4)Jenna K.
Lunch time on a Friday, not very busy, but the service was subpar. My first time here, too. The smell wafting through the compact do in area is pleasant; the pop music was disappointing playing rather loudly though. I came in for a quick bite, literally a 2pc tuna and 2pc yellowtail sashimi. My plate was delivered within 5 minutes as nigiri but when I mentioned the mixup a new, correct order was promptly made. The tuna tasted of nothing, cut too thick and was still way-chilled :/ I've heard that improper freezing can be the reason for no flavor..? But, the yellowtail was absolutely scrumptious! Overall OK visit, but left me desiring more for $16 including tip. I think having tasty tuna would have left a better taste in my mouth for Kabuki, literally. First visit, will *probably visit again but will not rush back.
(3)Angel G.
Today i had my heart set in The Ichiban roll. It was delicious, included spicy tuna, yellow tail, avocado and jalapeño. I decided on the lunch special and purchased two rolls and soup for a few dollars more than the price of one. The waitress brought out the meal with a lovely soy bird painted upon it. Nice touch :) The tempura chicken was very bland but perfectly cooked, good choice for picky kidos. I would definitely return.
(4)Tom C.
Obvious first thought when one considers Knoxville dining options: sushi! Great decor and ambiance, even better rolls.
(5)Mike F.
When my client pulled up to this place, my first thought was, "What? Sushi in TN??" I normally don't enjoy sushi this far from the ocean. However, this place not only has very good fish, but its service and presentation are also excellent. If I ever return to Knoxville, I'll be back. The only thing preventing five stars is the variety of fish. It takes quite the extensive selection to be bumped up to a fifth star. That being said, they did have shiro mutsu, which isn't something you find at all sushi joints.
(4)Ralph B.
This place is da bomb! My fav. Sushi spot in K town! It affordable and good! They have a very large sushi menu! If u go sit at the sushi bar beware the waiters will bombard you! But for real tho, this place is bangin!
(5)Bryan M.
Went on a Thursday night and there were only a few couples there. It took forever to get the food because the waitress was talking with other waitresses. Stingy with refills as well. Try somewhere else.
(2)Christina B.
Well, the sushi was ok. Not the freshest and just not to appetizing or even appealing. Went in trying to have an open mind ( coming from California there are tons of awesome sushi places) but the sushi just lacked the freshness and the rolls where limp. We ordered six diff roll to share none of which even stick out in my mind however the hibachi lunch meals where great! If we return it will not be for the sushi.
(3)Marjorie A.
Nice place with good, creative food! Tip: come on Monday & Thursday for the $5 menu. Well worth it!
(4)Will W.
Quality has dropped somewhat over the last few months, but my experience tonight will probably be my last time coming to Kabuki due to an incredibly poor customer service experience. I typically go to Kabuki every Monday night after the gym for the $5 rolls. I order the same thing every time without the need to look at the menu, and the waitresses know me and know what my order always is. Tonight, the sushi was average. Not great, not horrible, but for $5 a roll I certainly wouldn't complain. Except that when I got my bill, the rolls were $11.99 each. I told the waitress there must be a mistake, and she informed me that most of the previously $5 rolls were removed from the $5 menu. I told the manager I eat there every Monday, and they should have told me of the price change before I ordered. His response: "The menu was changed last Monday so if you eat here every Monday you would have known." Ok, sorry I skipped one Monday... Doesn't a major price change seem like something they ought to tell a regular customer BEFORE they order? Or nah, just spring it on me when the bill comes. It's not that I would have minded paying $24 if I knew that was the price beforehand. But the way they intentionally baited and switched me and offered no help when I questioned them on it has landed Kabuki a spot on my list of restaurants to which I will not return.
(1)Matthew K.
Kabuki has really lost their way. I ordered tuna sashimi and it came out with freezer burn on it... Sent it back and got no feedback on it from the server or a manager. When the two rolls we ordered came out, they were bland and the fish was too cold again. Quality control needs some work. Be prepared to send things back if you have the patience. I want to have more options in the area, but not if they're like this. Regards, Matt
(2)Jennie B.
Excellent alternative to the highly overpriced (and overhyped to be honest) Nama. Sorry Nama. You're good...but not THAT good. Mon and Thurs is $5 sushi, sashimi and great rolls! Great prices on wine and sake. 4 pieces of sashimi to one order for $4! You cannot beat that. Give this place a try. We like Nama but feel ripped off every time we eat there. This is our 2nd time here and we will keep coming back!
(4)Kim L.
Always stop in here when passing through Knoxville. Superb food. Check out their lunch specials.
(5)Michelle L.
We had fast friendly service. Drinks were kept full and the food delicious! We enjoyed broccoli shrimp and steak and chicken. Nice location for a break from shopping. Tea very good. My only dislike is our table had cold air blowing directly on us and the glasses were plastic and hazed.
(5)Dan R.
Came here on a Friday night. My girlfriend ordered miso soup and a crunchy shrimp roll. I ordered a Philly roll and a shrimp entrée. The sushi was mediocre. It came with only a few pieces, was thinly sliced, and was not very well put together. The rice in the entrée had no flavor, either. However, the shrimp sauce was very good and the sushi came out quickly. Won't be eating here again.
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