Red Ginger

We've been here twice and pleased both time. We do get our sushi with cooked not raw foods so I can't speak to the freshness of sushi fish. Tempura chicken was light and crispy and sushi was tasty. Soup could use a little more onion and mushrooms as it was mostly broth. Waitress on our second visit was attentive and very polite. We changed up how we wanted sauces and she did great. These pics are from the 2 visits. Sexy Girl roll, peanut roll (minus peanut sauce, tempura chicken, crab rangoons and onion soup.

Wow. The specialty rolls are worth it!! The Super volcano roll is my favorite so far!! Relatively quick service. Good presentation, extraordinary taste in the rolls, Super volcano roll 1st pick. 2nd is the Godzilla roll then 3rd Pink Lady roll and then the Sexy Lady roll. Can't wait till the next time I'm in town. The young lady that was waiting on us was, busy...it was difficult to get her attention as we wanted to add to our order. Not to pick on this topic but it seems like they needed more help. As the waiters were also clearing the tables, instead of helping the guest. Anyways food was out of this world and I can't wait to make it down there again to try some new rolls and to get the Super volcano roll again!! The super volcano roll took about 15 min to make but it was totally worth the wait!!

I hadn't been to this location in years, I normally go to the coraville location. I'm extremely disappointed in the food. My miso soup was cold. Our salads were swimming in dressing, the lettuce was turning brown. The chicken katsu was lukewarm. My husband got the roasted duck ramen, he said it had no flavor. I will be sticking to the Coralville location. On the plus side the staff was extremely nice.

Red ginger is my husband and i's absolute favorite sushi restaraunt, hands down! Their sushi always tastes so fresh and delicious. Their appetizers are amazing and always fresh. pictured appetizers in this review include crab rangoons, sexy Jalapeños, kimchi, and Rocky shrimp. My husband always gets the 'salmon lover' meal (pictured) which includes some wonderful fresh salmon sushi, a salad and soup. I always get the red ginger roll (pictured) and the Boston roll (pictured). There are two other rolls pictured in this review that I can't remember the name of, but they were delicious! The kimchi wasn't my favorite and gave me the worst heart burn of my life, lol, but that may just be a me thing. If you want good sushi in the iowa city/coralville area, red ginger is the place to go!

I went for lunch on Saturday and had excellent service. Great food at reasonable price. I got a bento box and the Red Ginger roll

This is some of the best sushi I have had. The service was excellent and the place has a nice enough ambiance.

Who knew that Iowa City would have sushi, much less good sushi! 😉 The salmon tartare with ponzu sauce was top notch-I would definitely order that again. We had personalized service from I believe the owner. My one wish is that it wasn’t so cluttered in the restaurant.

Nice and quick spot for food. Service was really fast and great, everyone was so kind! The food is solid; we got basic rolls (salmon, eel avocado, and shrimp mango) and we were impressed. Their lunch deals are amazing - less than 10$ for all three of those rolls combined, and they came with miso and salad too. Also, I'm always hunting for good ramen, and I got their basic roasted pork belly ramen and it was yummy! Good flavors, tender pork belly, and delicious noodles. Will return, definitely!

One of two locations in Iowa city, this one offers dedicated parking in a little newer area of town. Special lunch menu, sushi, rolls, and ramen A nice dining g room that allows for flexibility in seating for customers. We were pleasantly greeted and quickly seated. The folks here were super accommodating our seating request to suit a newborn (and gear) while away from others to avoid potential disruptions - LOL We ordered an hugh array of appetizers and rolls. The sushi and sashimi were great quality and very fresh. Everything was great and agreed we would definitely be back.

The fish was fresh and tasty, prices were reasonable. We got a calamari tempura and it came with three long pieces of calamari and five pieces of assorted vegetable tempura, which was unexpected. My partner got a salmon don that included some Japanese pickles on top of the rice, cucumber, carrot, and a flower. Beautiful presentation, but heads up if you are a picky eater that the pickles were touching the rice. I got the sashimi deluxe and they were willing to put a little bit extra salmon, although honestly, all of the fish was good and I'm not sure if I had a favorite! We had the banana daiquiri which was sweet and tasty, but I am definitely not picky with regard to alcoholic beverages.

Nice location and relaxed, great service/friendly, and wonderfully delicious food! So yummy The lychee drink was refreshing and we enjoyed the choices of rolls

Ordered takeout. Food was terrible. A simple reminder- Do not get Sushi in Iowa. Service was fine- it's takeout. We did not sit down. Would not go back.

Cucumber salad is my new favorite. It's amazing. Kani salad is also super good and was my favorite until I discovered their cucumber salad. Their miso soup is always yummy and super cheap. Love this place.

This place was awesome. The service was great and the food was amazing. Everything was priced fairly and it was a nice and quiet atmosphere. The food came out quickly and well prepared. We came on a Thursday night at like 7 pm and got seated immediately. We also got the pork gyoza which was prepared well too. We will definitely be back!

Ate here two days in a row because my family says this is their go-to weekly spot for date night. I was so impressed by the large menu, the unique presentation of their dishes, and the very reasonable prices. I am also a vegetarian and they had so many options for vegetarians which is much appreciated. The staff is beyond kind and always warm, welcoming, and attentive. They always greet you with a smile/ I don't live here so I will be craving this everyday and missing this quality service when I go back home!

Sushi was grocery store quality. Crab was fake. Gyoza was decent. Ramen was mid. I'm not sure about other locations but they add 3% for credit cards. That's a turnoff

Super fresh sushi and seaweed salad. Immaculately clean facilities, including the bathroom. Every member of the staff was warmly efficient and attentive. We went there for lunch and it was a lucky find. We will definitely return. A++

Called Chump to get some food from Red Ginger. The hot food arrived cold, so I had to heat it a bit. The sushi rolls were great. Packed very well. Plenty of dipping sauces.

Very good sushi for the area! Right up there with Oyama! Got 4 rolls to split with my friend and they were all very very good!

Loved the Bento boxes. Many options to choose from. Everything was served with great presentation and it was oh so tasty!

Red Ginger has the BEST lunch deals! You can get a ton of sushi for a great price. And the food is absolutely amazing.

Chose this based on Yelp reviews. Surprise bonus was that it was next door to our second destination, Big Grove Brewery. As for the location, you have to drive there if staying downtown. Yet it is worth it due to the quality of the food. I have never seen a sushi menu that separates out cooked from raw sushi. And for the first time eating out with me at sushi restaurants in the 30 years I have known my wife, she branches out from her usual tepin or tempura food and got cooked sushi. She loved it! My daughter and I are raw sushi lovers and we devoured our respective platters. Outstanding. Nice slabs of fish. Wasabi was flavorful and strong enough. We will be back. For out of towners like us, I recommend staying downtown and taking an Uber/Lyft there, eating sushi, then walking over to Big Grove to hang out. Great night. We will be back. I got hot sake to go with my sushi platter.

Ordered the king crab roll.... Literally no king crab in it. It was imitation crab. It was a tiny sliver of crab. I'm so PISSSED off. I just paid 16 dollars for a shitty ass roll. Fkn BS!!! I know red ginger is probably thinking "oh he's making it up to get free shit" nah... you guys actually let me down. I wouldn't try this again even if it was free! No flavor at all on that king crab roll and the fish on top was MID!

Absolutely horrible wait times, don't come. We have been here for over an hour and still have yet to eat.

I'd heard good things about Red Ginger, but it wasn't until they opened an Iowa City location that I got my lazy bum over to the restaurant and and all I can think is...why did I wait so long? I've been consistently disappointed by sushi restaurants in Iowa, but this place is something special. The sushi tasted fresh and had a beautiful presentation. The crispy roll might sound funky or like "cheater's sushi" but it made for a perfect complement to some of the fishier options. I started my meal with vegetable gyoza, which were great, and ended with fried ice cream, which was exceptional. Our server was friendly, attentive, and quick to clean everything up when we finished each portion of our meal. Prices are reasonable, but if don't want to pay full price, you can come for lunch OR 3-5 pm for deals! The decor is great, service is great, food is great, and I'm already counting down til my second visit!

My favorite place for sushi in the area! Fish always seems fresh, the place is clean, and I've always met nice staff. You really can't beat the daily lunch specials, I usually get 3 sushi rolls with miso soup and salad for just around $10. Noodle dishes and bento boxes are pretty mediocre in taste, so definitely come here for the sushi!

Went for the first time with my family enjoyed it very much our waitress Jenny was extremely nice and friendly. We ordered so much good everything came at a reasonable time the kids meals came out first which we all loved. Even though the restaurant was busy our waitress still managed to we fill our refreshments and asked if we needed anything. The food was amazing I'm delicious. The pay wasn't too bad at all. There is enough parking. The only thing I didn't like was that they're single bathrooms so you do have to wait other than that we will definitely go again everything was perfect

I've been in Iowa City for a few years and I know there's some amazing sushi places around here, of which became some of my regular favorites. Tonight I tried Red Ginger for the first time and was completely blown away. First off, I called in my order and the staff was friendly and time efficient--the phone call lasted 2 mins. Then my order was ready in just 10 short minutes and they have the perfect setup with a table in the doorway so you don't even need to go inside. Compared to other places around here where parking can be difficult and orders take 30+ mins, this place was a huge win. Sushi was AMAZING. I highly recommend the Red Ginger roll, it really had everything I like in one roll. I didn't get the chance to take a picture since I devoured it all in a matter of 5 minutes. 5 star worthy for sure.

First time at the new location and had a great experience. The maki roll combo was tasty and fresh, and we really enjoyed the miso soup and salad starters. The servers were friendly and the the drinks were great. One person in our party had the Strawberry Fields, which was sweet and fruity, a real hit. Will return!

Great experience every time we dine here. Really enjoy the 'boxed lunch' they offer for take as well.

My girlfriend & I came here together and neither of us were too impressed. All of the reviews talk about the sushi but we wanted ramen so we took our chances. We both ordered the seafood ramen- the broth was so bland & the pieces of seafood were like rubber. The only thing i enjoyed was the shrimp tempura. I guess if you're going, stick with the sushi like everybody recommends!

Amazing! Remember the first your mouth tasted sushi? How your taste buds sat up and took notice? How your eyes got big with the umami explosion of flavors? This place delivers that experience again. We came for lunch, and we nearly tempted by the bento boxes that were used to serve the lunch specials, but were drawn to other menu items. My friend had the salmon lovers plate, and I ordered the salmon poke bowl, and we shared a large tempura salad. To our surprise, the lunch dishes also came with miso soup (with bits of tofu), and a lovely crisp salad with a delicious mango dressing. We are very happy that we made the split second decision to turn in here, and now we would take a long drive, just for the chance to eat here again.

Sunny gives service and food that is some of the best my wife and I have enjoyed in our travels. Both Red Ginger locations are excellent. The sushi and sashimi by themselves or on one of their rolls is always an excellent choice. We love it - The Anderson's l Sunny - Is at it again. Tonight we had the Present Roll with fresh crab and shrimp. We have asked Sunny to go very light on the rice

Would definitely be a 4 stars rating for just the food, but beware if you are dining in, waiters seemed nice but were trash-talking out loud in Chinese because they assumed their customers didn't know Chinese. They make pretty decent rolls with good prices, and the quality is very constant as far as I can tell. Miso soup and ramen are both mediocre, their salad dressing is not the greatest. I haven't gone too far into the appetizer menu but the skewers, gyoza and tempura were fine.

Not an expert by any means but I thought the food was fantastic. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff.

Got take out lunch of three sushi rolls plus two miso soups. It was less than $12, great deal. The fish and avocado was fresh and tasty. The miso soup was a bit bland, needs a bit more intensity. Service was excellent.

The food was delicious! Specifically the broth for the ramen and the crab rangoon. Extremely welcoming and kind staff, it is evident that they cared about our dining experience. Highly recommend!

4 star for take out maki lunches only. They make decent rolls at a good price (comes with soup and salad). Fish quality is probably not great enough for straight up sashimi or nigiri in my opinion, but as far as the maki rolls go, it is comparable to some of the cheap take out places we've had in big coastal cities. Nothing fancy and they don't pretend to be more than what they are. We also tried the lunch bento box which was bit of a disappointment as each of the items were mediocre. We would probably just stick with the simple rolls in the future.

This location is in the new plaza right next to big grove. This is has the same ownership as the one in coralville, so the menu and the happy hour deals are basically the same! The only difference really is that there are a couple more specialty rolls that they post in front of the entrance and a couple more at the end of the menu! I usually come here for their happy hour they have everyday from 3-5 Pm where it is half off alcohol and buy 2 specialty rolls and get 1 free! My go to rolls are the sexy girl roll, soho roll, and their red ginger roll! Their service is great here too which is a plus!

Was great food will be going back 100%. Waiter was in a rush but besides that great experience.

Ordered food to go- ready early- boxed and in order. Miso soup perfect, edamame steamed and a large portion for one. Las Vegas roll was flavorful and a moderate sized roll prepared beautifully. Eating utensils provided with soy sauce as a treat included in a generous size. Will return. Very pleasant

Spicy salmon roll was very plain. Not bad but not great. It's cheap commercial sushi, you get what you pay for or less

If you're looking for good sushi (in Iowa) this place is great! However, I don't recommend the ramen. It has all the main components - meat, noodles, etc. but is really lacking on taste.

If you would have told me I was about to have the best sushi and all around Japanese food in my life just off I80 in Iowa City, I would never have believed you. I had the freshest salmon and tuna, and a rainbow roll that melts in your mouth. My hubs had the lunch Bento box with vegetable tempura and salmon roll that was equally amazing and fresh. And to make it even better, our lunches came with salad and miso soup that we didn't even know about. I'll be dreaming about this meal for a long time! Great job Red Ginger!

No need to exaggerate! If you appreciate fresh, flavorful & amazing flavor combos, this the place for you! Don't sleep on this place!

Cheap prices but quality sushi. You can add on extra things to your roll such as spicy mayo or crunchy flakes. If you go for lunch you get tons of food for around $10. Grab ragoons we're amazing & so was the soup!

Rolls are bland and service was not good. Way to expensive for the poor quality sushi. HyVee sushi is fresher and better. We had three specialty tools and all lacked flavor. Waiter must have asked us 8 times in 20 min if we wanted anything else, interrupting our meal and conversation each time. Edamame was ok.

Love their rolls!!! We are regulars and they are so friendly. Highly recommend!!! Have never had one that we disliked. Very accommodating to spice - will take things out if requested. Wonderful place and people! Pretty quick as well!

Best sushi I've found in the area. I have visited the Coralville location in the past, which was equally as delicious. Beautifully decorated and clean which is always a plus. Our server was great and had many recommendations and seemed to really care about our experience. The sushi was served on a wooden boat, which was another nice touch. We will be back soon!