Friends Sushi & Bento Place

Not my favorite sushi place. It's honestly hard to pinpoint what was wrong. I was rather bummed when the crab in my roll was surimi, but I don't remember reading that in the description. I just remembered thinking the price of the roll seemed in line with what a real crab meat roll would be. The mango on the roll in the picture was crazy thick. The filling was not that great either. The texture and taste were almost off-putting. The rice of all the rolls seemed severely under seasoned. It tasted like it was taken straight from the cooker. The fried rice and skewers were fine, but still didn't really impress. Taking three kids to a sushi place is expensive and they love sushi. But as you can tell in the photos. We didn't finish the food.

Hadn't been here for a while and was absolutely starving after getting off work. The staff was friendly and accommodating as usual. The food didn't long to be served and decent as always. On a rainy day like today it was great to enjoy some tempura and miso soup to warm me up as it was cold outside, and the sashimi was great.

This is a small venue with huge taste. We decided to stop in here from the smell in the street. I was literally walking to another location for something else and decided to stop in here. We were promptly seated and our server gave great suggestions. There were several varieties of Sake I wish I tried. The only issue with this spot is the location, because parking can be an issue. You may have to park a block away. But if your patient the food is worth it! I had the best onion soup ever!

Friends sushi was my very first experience trying sushi and I'm so glad I did because I love it! This is also the place I had my first date with my boyfriend of 7 years. We come here every year and have dinner just like the day we met! We like fried sushi most of the time because it's just sooo good and it's very first time sushi friendly. We ALWAYS get the rock n roll but i was adventurous this time and ordered something with jalapeños which I cannot tolerate! But I wanted the Depth charge and I was so surprised I barely could detect the spice!! I'd order that one again for sure. We went the other day and got the oyshii roll it was just as good!! The short ribs were a bit chewy, but the Flavor was amazing 👏🏾 Lovely atmosphere and we always get a cute presentation of sushi!

We really like this restaurant. The food is very good. We've had the Rock n Roll, Depth Charge, TNT and the fried rice. All are excellent choices! The service is absolutely fantastic. The staff is very friendly. Give it a go, you will not be sorry.

Nice sushi spot on 39th street. Had the tempura shrimp roll which was very good. Also ordered Ekko’s noodle soup and it was huge, fresh vegetables and noodles and tofu. Not as much flavor in the broth as I’d wish, but good. Tried the Fukimaki roll and it was good. Don’t care for the tempura shrimp and veggies. The coating was not light and crispy but more of a breading. The service was attentive and the place has a cool vibe. Will be back for the rolls, good quality and price.

This place has a great balance of quality and price! My husband and I usually go there for when we crave fresh sushi. The eel, tuna and yellow tales are our favorite. Best bang for the bucks? Lunch bento $11.75 for two sushi, a roll, salad, soup and a choice of rice or egg roll.

Great sushi and sashimi every time 😋 Great service and a great atmosphere too!

10/10 on price and service. Our server was truly amazing and sweet. The fish is very fresh, especially the salmon. We were told to get the spring rolls, but they were not good. They looked like they had already been fried once and tasted like something I would get out of the freezer section. The calamari was good, and they had a great selection of wines and sake, which were reasonably priced. Parking is difficult but free along the street. They seem to have a really great happy hour for lunch, so I would most likely return when I'm back in the area.

I've been looking for a new sushi spot since my favorite one closed down during COVID lockdowns. I'd heard recommendations for Friends Sushi and finally tried it for the first time on a day date with my wife. She got a bento box while I got a couple of rolls, and everything was decent. I can't say that this will now become my favorite in town, but it will do well in a pinch while I try to find a place that I love. You can see more of our experience on our YouTube travel channel: https://youtu.be/dzwtGef0FhI

Super cute and great place for sushi in Westport. Great and friendly service ! #bentoboxes #sushi #tuna #salmon #nigirisushi #sweetshrimpsushi #masago #greentea #delicious #friendssushi #lovelydecor #westportkc

I was looking for great sushi deals, and I think I found them. To start things off we ordered the Gyoza which were pan fried pork dumplings. I wanted to try their Ramen. They had a special combo Ramen dish that came with a bowl of fresh noodles in broth with a variety of vegetables, and then you got the choice of a side item, I chose the Unagi roll. The Ramen also came with spicy seasoning bottle, I loved that you could add as much as you want to make it as spicy as you'd like. I also ordered two sushi rolls which included the spicy crab roll and the red dragon roll, which was spicy tuna over crab mango roll. I really like the spicy crab roll but the red dragon roll was a bit mushy for me. It was just a texture thing. I would love to visit during their happy hour. It seems like they have even better deals than dinner time.

Our first time here was great! The staff helped us with recommendations and were very nice. Everything we got we like, the salmon crackers appetizer was something different. We will be back to try more of the menu next time.

Our server was so sweet. We tried so many things on the menu, and surprisingly I liked the crunchy salmon roll the best. Typically I'm not huge on salmon sushi but I really liked it. We also got mochi, which I love. The green salad and spring rolls were great too. Love how affordable it is.

Love love love this place! The atmosphere in here is small and quiet but in a good way! Staff is very helpful and the Shanghai Udon meal is so good I get it every time! A must-stop on 39th.

Yum! I've been meaning to stop in here for longer than I care to admit. So pleasantly surprised at how delicious each item was. The Spicy Crab Salad with slices of mangoes had to be my favorite though. Oh baby, yes! With all my other go-to restaurants on 39th no longer around, it will make this an easier choice for future visits.

This places passes the vibe check hands down! The atmosphere is light and cute. I loved the sushi pictures on the wall and the open layout. The staff was super nice and our waiter was so attentive. I tried the Plum Gekkeikan wine. It was very good. I had never had plum wine before. It was super sweet and nicely chilled. I got the Special Ramen Combo. It was a great deal with a bowl of ramen and then a unagi roll on the side. I also tried the spicy crab roll and the red dragon roll. The red dragon roll had spicy tuna over the crab mango roll. I was not a big fan of the mango chunks. They tasted slightly sour. The spicy crab roll was great though. Everything we ordered was less expensive then most every where else around. I wouldn't say it's the best sushi I have ever had, however, it is the best for how inexpensive it was. The happy hour and weekday deals were even better. I would come back again especially for happy hour.

My all time favorite sushi spot in KC! Always fast and super friendly service. I love the bento boxes, cheese crackers, edamame, and vegetarian rolls. The entrees also never disappoint, all decent portion sizes and super reasonably priced. Cozy atmosphere and good for a casual date spot!

This is some solid sushi!!!! One of the best I've had in Kansas City. Rolls are made THICK and they have so many unique rolls that are worth trying. I've tried several and haven't had a bad one yet. Rolls worth mentioning : BMW, Friends Roll, Kansas Roll

The food here is delicious always hot, made fresh. The waitress was great always kind and on top of refilling our drinks, taking away our dishes when we were done. The atmosphere was nice it was a bit loud but we have been here before and it was calm quite and peaceful, so if it is a bit full in the restaurant it can get a bit loud from the others chatting, however it didn't seem to bother anyone;)

Food isn't bad, but portion could be more. We got a short ribs bento box and there wasn't a lot of meat on the short ribs. We also got a tonkatsu bento box and that was alright, the tonkatsu was a little on the drier side. Service was fantastic and prompt. The dining room was a bit small, but the building itself is small.

My fiancé and I ordered sushi, apps, and fried rice on door dash. Honestly, everything tasted well besides the vegas roll. It was mooshy and had this texture that I can't describe when I ate it. I ended up throwing out the roll after trying one piece. Items I do recommend: the sunset roll! Oh my god. Get the eel sauce and spicy Mayo on top and you will not regret it! This has honestly been one of my top 3 rolls that I've tried in the Kansas City area. If you're ordering sushi from this place, HIGHLY recommend this roll. We also got the fried rice, onion & miso soup, as well as crab rangoons. Definitely recommend these options as well, but the sunset roll was the shining star of this order.

Good sushi. Loved the spicy shrimp crab salad - I will definitely be ordering that again!!

Wow! I was so sad that a nearby sushi staple closed, but I am happy to report that friends sushi really surprised me! For appetizers i got their miso soup (it was a rainy gloomy day and it hit the spot!). I love that they are generous with their scallions, tofu, and seaweed. Their sushi rolls are also very generously portioned, and fish is good quality. I really enjoyed the spider (soft shell crab roll), which was well seasoned and tempura batter was perfect (not too thick or greasy). The rainbow roll was also delicious, although I did hope for a little more salmon rather than snapper/tilapia or whatever the white fish was. Their salmon and yellowtail nigiri were delicious was generous fish, and their other rolls including spicy salmon, salmon avocado, were all delicious! It was incredibly busy in this restaurant, and I'm so glad they're doing well! I will definitely be back, and hats off to the chef!

I've been looking for Sushi Rolls similar to what i use to have in Hawaii. Hands down ,This place has some of the biggest Sushi Rolls and fresh seafood around. The atmosphere inside was quaint and inviting as well. We Loved it! This will be my go to for sushi!

This place has some really delicious food! We started with some miso soup, calamari, and dumplings and ended our meal with some sushi. The miso soup was so good that we ordered some to go. The service was also great, our server was regularly checking to make sure we were good. We can't wait to go back and try some more of their menu items.

Pretty quiet during the day. Server was quick and very sweet! And the sushi was amazing with even better prices (especially the lunch menu) definitely would go back !

Went here for Wednesday late lunch. It was very cheap lunch prices. There were plenty of spots and service was fast. There's no parking tho

Went on a Friday evening after 8. Service was fast and friendly. Got hot sake, ramen combo, and sushi roll. Tasty, affordable, good date spot!

Friends sushi is my favorite. They have delicious vegetarian sushi if you're not a fish fan. The veggie Philadelphia roll and the agedashi rolls are my favorite. My significant other also loves their regular sushi and the sashimi

The sushi wasn't bad at all but nothing crazy a special. The reason to go back is for the katsu bento box. I have had it twice now and it's amazing every time.

The food and service here were great. I ordered the YMCA roll and a miso soup. Both were very tasty. Given that this is a midrange sushi spot very far from a coast, the hamachi tasted fresh, even in the context of a roll. I enjoyed the ambiance as well. Decor is cute and a little kitschy, and they were playing bossa nova tunes and some older jazz. I would definitely eat here again.

Great affordable sushi place! They are doing carry out and delivery during COVID. Carry out was super easy - they have a table right up against the door, so you just step inside, and they hand you your food. Felt super safe with COVID precautions. There's plenty of parking on side streets, so I didn't have to walk far to carry out either. I ordered vegetable tempura and a shrimp tempura roll. The vegetable tempura traveled pretty well and was still pretty crispy when I got home. The shrimp tempura roll was also very good, and everything was reasonable priced. They also have plenty of inexpensive vegetarian sushi options so it's a good sushi place to go with vegetarian friends.

So delicious! I order takeout from here often and it always hits the spot. Dined inside tonight and I was so happy to see so many customers. Ordered a lot of food... and everything was so tasty. I HIGHLY recommend the sunset roll.

Came here during COVID-19, so they only offered carry out services. I order three sushi rolls and some salmon nigiri and my order was made perfectly and no mistakes were made. The timing of my estimates pick up was on the money as well. The sushi prices here are very reasonable and not overpriced like some sushi places I have been to. The quality of the salmon in the nigiri was beyond my expectations of what I had paid for two pieces. You can always tell the quality of the fish they use by getting nigiri based on the simplicity of the fish and it's ingredients. Overall, the fish was passed my expectations. I was also very impressed by the amount of tuna and salmon in the rolls I got. The shrimp tempura roll was yummy with the unagi sauce that they drizzled on top. It's the perfect roll for someone who is not used to sushi. This place seems like a great neighborhood sushi spot for a quick fix every once in a while. I will definitely be coming back to get some more sushi as I think the price is well worth the quality that they are providing!

My friend and I came here for their lunch specials! They have fancy bento boxes that come with soup (miso or onion), salad (ranch or ginger dressing), white rice or 1 crab rangoon and egg roll, 2 sashimi, and 1 maki roll. The portions are perfect for ~$10. I ordered the bento box with miso soup, salad with ginger dressing, the crab rangoon and egg roll. The soup was so warm and filling. I loved that they had tofu in there. The crab rangoon was good with their sweet and sour sauce they provided. The egg roll is a little veggie one, and it is not too bad either. The salad was okay, it was nothing special. The ginger sauce was pretty watery and didn't have the normal ginger kick. I swapped out the sashimi for 2 maki rolls ($2 extra): Philadelphia Roll and the Shrimp Tempura. I liked that they made the Philly roll with avocado. I love the smooth textures. The salmon was a little chewy though. The shrimp tempura was delicious. I wish they provided more of the sushi sauce, as the soy sauce was disappointing. My friend got the sweet potato roll and the Shanghai udon noodles, which they made it spicy on request. It came with three skewers: shrimp, steak, and chicken. All was good, except for the chicken, which was little rubbery. The sweet potato roll had very little sweet potato and more batter. The squid salad was sad; very small portions for $7. Overall, great price for all they provide. I will return for the amazing service that we received!

Food is fresh and amazing.Food is artistic, very yummy and cute,and clean place! Lots of options and people are friendly

Good food service and value, I like getting the lunch bento box or coming on Monday for the special

Food was good and affordable. We had a very good time with our family. The kids loved their noodles and we enjoyed several sushi options.

My wife and I lived in New York City prior to living here in KCMO. We have not had sushi this good since nyc. Love the interior and the vibe. What we ordered: Miso Soup- Approve! Spring Roll- Approve but the wife didn't like. Maybe a preference for Vietnamese spring rolls, not saying these ones are bad. Sushi- Vegas, Crunchy Spicy Salmon, and Rainbow Roll. All were exceptional. Highly recommended!

Great place. Got delivery. Everything was packed neat and beautiful. There was a lot of extra soy sauce. Big sushi too. Perfect size. Got full af. Delicious.

Friends' had a solid takeout system in place. They were very busy fulfilling multiple orders when I arrived. Overall, I thought the sushi was good not great. If I had to do it over again, I would have tried the Friends' Bento box. The crab rangoons were awesome. The shrimp shu mai had an interesting texture that I just couldn't get over. The oyshii roll was my favorite of the three that we tried! It was a solid takeout experience and I really don't feel like it's fair to judge a sushi restaurant on carry out. I'm ready for them all to open back up, so we can try to find our new Nara replacement!

How can you beat $4 spicy tuna rolls on Monday night? Came here with my roomie to enjoy a rare night off after a heavy exam day. We waited about 10 minutes for the sushi bar-they do a great job of getting people in and out to maximize their Monday evening deal. We got the Philadelphia roll, 2 spicy tuna rolls and a salmon roll. All were excellent and filled to the brim with goodness. A great first experience here in a cute neighborhood right by the KU hospital campus. The staff were all super nice, there was someone always nearby to fill our water and get our food to us ASAP. S/o to Friends for some awesome sushi in a landlocked state!!

Came here with my dad in May. The chiefs were very professional and the presentation immaculate. The Sushi was delicious. Lots of options and I wanted to try everything. Charming little place.

The food was okay. Noodles were bland and mushy not worth the upgrade fee, just stick to rice. Soup was bland--should've gotten miso. But other than that everything else was good!

Our new go to spot for lunch with co workers. The bento box lunch is perfect. Perfect price, perfect amount of food. You get to try a little of everything. Food is top notch. Definitely recommend.

Always surprised with a great deal when I go to Friend's! Their bento box lunch specials are incredible during the week, but I had no clue they had such an awesome Saturday lunch deal! They have an entire list of rolls for only $3.99 as well as a list of sushi for only $1 a piece. The only downfall I ever have with friend's is the service is very hit or miss. Sometimes the service is very efficient, and sometimes it takes 15 minutes to get your check. Regardless, still a fantastic place to come for lunch during the week.

Went to Friends' today after I heard a couple flowing recommendations. I have to say I wasn't terribly impressed. The sushi was decent, and it was cheap, but that's about where my recommendation has to end. The good: Definitely the value. I got the lunch bento box--two pieces any sushi, one of any roll, miso soup, rice or spring roll, and salad for only $9.99. I would definitely order this again if I return. I was also glad that the restaurant could accommodate a food allergy of mine (no raw veggies, including little carrots in the salad)--many other restaurants have pre-mized salad and aren't able to separate the lettuce from everything else. Our waitress was also nice enough, and the restaurant was pretty clean. Our food came pretty quickly, though the restaurant was fairly empty. The "meh": To me, Friends' seems like your standard inexpensive sushi. First of all, the sushi itself was good but not excellent. The eel and spicy tuna roll were both average, and the miso was a bit flavorless. I also would like to see tempura offered as an option in the box. Finally, this may seem silly, but I was a bit bothered that the restaurant uses really crappy chopsticks. They splinter very easily, they don't separate well, and it took me a minute to rub them smooth. Overall: Decent budget sushi. My preference would be spending a few more dollars and heading to one of the other great sushi places in Kansas City, but you won't find a better $10 lunch deal than the one at Friends--Or if you do, let me know! ;)

We order from here once a week and are never disappointed! Best fried rice in KC for sure, and the staff, partially Shannon, are so incredibly kind. Highly recommend the Sunset, Kansas, and BMW rolls! Very quick, clean, fairly priced, and yummy. 10/10!!!

New favorite sushi place! The set up in the restaurant is a little weird but they have hands down some of the freshest sushi in KC. I'm super picky about sushi places having had plenty of sushi on the west and east coast and few Kansas City places can come close to that. This place has similar quality to some of my favorite places in Los Angeles which says a lot. My favorite roll was the friends roll. It was phenomenal. The salmon nigiri was also incredibly fresh and melt in your mouth buttery. I've only been here twice but I will absolutely be back.

Food really good for the price, I eat here at least once a month service can be spotty just depending on staffing when you eat in but other than that it's a really great place.

I think it is safe for me to finally say that Friends' is my favorite sushi place in Kansas City. There are not enough good things for me to say about the food, service, location, and pricing. I have been on several different occasions and not once have I been disappointed. The most recent time that I visited, I called in first to order carry out. They let me know that delivery would be much longer and that carry out would only be about 30 minutes, so I made my way over to their cute little place on 39th Street and picked up my sushi within minutes. I ordered for a surplus of people, so we got several different rolls (even if you're alone you should try out more than one!). We got a California Roll, a Kansas Roll, a Santa Roll, a BMW Roll, a Vegas Roll, and one order of Cheese Crackers (aka Crab Rangoon). I am not lying when I say that there was not one roll that disappointed. The Vegas Roll is fried, so that's basically a winner from the start. The BMW is one of they're most popular rolls and for good reason! The California Roll is a simpler roll, but if you're not very experienced in sushi eating, this is a perfect starter! The Kansas Roll was unexpectedly yummy. The spicy crap in the middle was the perfect addition to the avocado and rice! Finally, the Santa Roll, my personal choice, was very unique and flavorful. If you're a bit wary of raw fish, this isn't the roll for you as it has a pretty thick slice of tuna across the top of each roll; however, the filling is complete with a chunk of mango which is not only my favorite fruit, but also adds that sweet component to the savory dish. Once again, Friends' is the whole package when it comes to sushi. For a cuisine that is only becoming more and more popular, Friend's does it's part in making sure that newcomers and returners alike will continue to enjoy sushi for a long time to come!

Checked out Friends' for the first time and had the best experience! While a small shop (no parties of 6+), you're not so crammed that you're uncomfortable. We went on a Friday night with 2 and were sat immediately. Expectations for food portions were a bit skewed, since ordered an appetizer, 2 sushi rolls and both got an entree. Oops. Spring rolls came out about the same time as the sushi. We ordered the Kansas Roll, Vegas Roll, and Tuna Sashimi. My personal favorite was the Kansas roll -- it had a nice pop of red fish egg color on top of the avocado slices, and wasn't a gigantic piece of sushi that I felt awkward trying to stuff my face with (you know what I'm talking about...). The spring rolls were small and crispy, coming with a total of 3. They had two sauces: a wasabi mustard (pretty hot) and a sweet and sour type. For entrees, I went with a shrimp tempura bento (though really debated between that or the tonkatsu bento) ! I made a great decision. For only $10 (the dinner portion) you get soup, salad, little appetizers (one spring roll and crab Rangoon), rice, your tempura AND fruit/dessert. Whaaat??? You didn't only get shrimp either, it also came with a nice variety of vegetable tempura. Needless to say, we couldn't finish our sushi. But I was so in love with the bento that I had to eat it all. Our server was super friendly and informative. They have a really extensive list of menu options, and everything tasted great! Friends' isn't your overly fancy sushi joint. It's a nice middle where you feel comfortable and are getting better quality food than some other sushi/Japanese joints around KC. I can't wait to go again -- next time I want to try the tonkatsu bento!!

Ordered take out from this spot. Rip off on the size of the salmon. My fork was larger than the piece of salmon. This place should be ashamed of themselves! And they left out the dressing for our salads.

Ordered via DoorDash. Seaweed salad is super liquidy. White tuna tasted off. Yellowtail, ikura and eel sashimi were fine. Spicy tuna didn't taste super fresh. I think I just need to learn my lesson with this place and go elsewhere.

A delicious bowl of ramen and a side for $10? That's difficult to find. I think the ramen is in my top 2 in KC and the teriyaki vegetables were a perfect match to go with. I've had the sushi before and it was pretty good but for a budget, I think the ramen combo is a great option.

really good sushi!! we had the dumplings as an appetizer and they were so good! If you are looking for a kani salad, (seems impossible in KC) their spicy crab salad IS NOT THE SAME - not saying it was bad but I didn't eat it and I stated I was looking for a kani but still charged us for it. That's alright but most places would have taken it off if it was misleading ‍