Sakura Japanese Restaurant

A wonderful experience from the moment I walked in. The sole server (High) was attentive and got me a table immediately. I had my hot tea, sake and water before I had even really read the menu, super fast service. Perfect lighting, warm atmosphere and cultural music really made for a great, immersive experience. The place is tidy too, like noticeably so. The tea was good, not too strong, but not weak. The sake was clean and clear. It didn't have that old taste that a dirty dispenser can sometimes impart. I placed my order and by the time I took my first sip the soup and salad was at my table. Now, I'm a seaweed salad guy, but today I opted for the green salad. I'm so glad I did! The creamy ginger dressing had the perfect amount of acidic tang. The lettuce was crisp and I gobbled it down. I won't lie, I thought about taking a sip of the last bits of dressing. The miso soup was rich and robust. I feel like it had a deepness to the flavor where I caught the slightest hint of smokiness. It was really quite nice. I lingered on the soup for a bit and enjoyed how it warmed my bones on this chilly evening. My first bite of sushi was equally enjoyable. The rice quality here is on point and my order of sushi assortment “B” came with a great selection. 10 different kinds of fish! Each bite was a different experience and all a little bit of bliss. Even the California roll had perfect texture and full flavor. These hadn't sat around, languishing for someone to enjoy. They were perfect, as was the nigiri. The only thing I would ask them to change is the chopsticks. These things may have been made from the stubby cleavings of shipping crates, I think. I suggested they consider a disposable chopstick that is a bit more refined. But really, that's nothing compared to how great everything else was. They had decent napkins. God, I want to go to Japan, but while I'm stuck in South Carolina I'll pretend while at Sakura.

Sakura is our go-to sushi restaurant! The sushi is high quality, always delicious, and the prices are great for what you get. Everyone is very nice and welcoming, creating a very cozy atmosphere

I’m an absolute sushi lover, so when I saw Sakura Restaurant I thought it would be like the one I go to in Virginia—but I was wrong. The atmosphere was nice and the service was good, but the sushi itself was just okay. On the plus side, it’s affordable, so if you’re looking for basic rolls at a good price, this spot works. However, they don’t have many specialty sushi options, so if you’re after variety or unique rolls, I wouldn’t recommend.

Totally worth it! Prices were fair, the staff were super friendly, and the vibe was just right. Everything from start to finish felt enjoyable.

Went on a Saturday night and it was not busy at all( somewhat surprised, but whatever). Quick seating for three and the waitress was nice and knowledgeable about the menu. The food was great and well presented. Sufficiently sized portions. I would definitely return for more. Returned for more, and surprise, surprise! It was still just as good!

This is a great spot in town for locals and visitors alike! Great ambience, lovely menu with enough variety. That’s just perfect for any sushi lover! Amazing value quality sushi. Great spot in town. Highly recommend!

Good food and friendly service always! I love their ginger dressing and miso soup. The sushi is always fresh.

One of the best sushi restaurant I've been to. Very fresh fish/seafood made fresh every time with fresh ginger and fresh wasabi with good soy sauce. Really enjoyed eating here will definitely visit again. Fresh green tea also. Lots of variety for everything.

I used to love Sakura when they were in forest acres, but I've tried the rosewood location 3 times and just do not like it. It tastes like grocery store sushi. The rice is too firm and the roll selection is small and boring. The people are nice, but this is a hard pass for me.

Quiet place tucked into a strip mall. Food is great, whether you prefer tempura and rice, dumplings, or sushi. They also have some fun Japanese grocery items for dessert. Service is always friendly. My daughter repeatedly asks to go back.

This place is soo good!! This is legit old school sushi! The sushi is super fresh. The rolls are rolled to perfection with the perfect balance of rice to filling and they do not fall apart. Rolls are not loaded with tons of ingredients and sauces. I like to call establishments like this, PURIST SUSHI! The atmosphere clean, sleek and inviting. The staff is awesome! Will definitely return!!!

Fresh & high quality sushi that is hard to find these days. Tuna is deep red with ideal fatty content and the salmon is a rich orange color striated with healthy fats. Friendly and fast service! Best in Columbia!

Best sushi in town. Consistently delicious. Still using Covid safety precautions and I love that. Staff and service is excellent. Sushi & Shashimi B is my "go-to" order. Tempura shrimp is excellent. Hubby & I always share an order of steamed gyoza. The gyoza & sauce is outstanding every time. Rainbow Rolla dn tempura shrimp roll are always a good choice. As is the Moonflower roll. Fresh, delicious and beautiful!

The miso soup was absolutely delicious and I love the style of the restaurant,and the waiter was great definitely would come here a again.

The hidden gem of Japanese restaurants in Columbia. Sakura has been around forever, I've been going there since I was a kid and I have to say that the thing that's always kept my family coming back is the consistent quality of food and service. Sakura has always remained close to its roots and hasn't ever stray from their path. You can expect traditional style atmosphere and a traditional style menu. The food itself is amazing and I've never once had a less than perfect experience. They have everything you'd expect from a Japanese place of this style. If your looking for more modern, crazy fusion rolls, or drink specials you've come to the wrong page. They keep it old school here so make sure you set the right expectation before you check it out. My family continues to eat here once a month and probably will as long as it's standing. Sakura did relocate from their original location on Forrest drive after the 2015 floods in case you remember them from back then.

Everything we had was great. Very good quality food. Chicken teriyaki, salad dressing and sushi where our favorites but everything else tasted just as good. It's a cute small little spot with a smaller menu which is great! Excellent service.

I love miso soup and all the dishes here. I will try ramen next time. This is the only place i got my proper potion (the other places, all dishes are way too big for me)

Authentic, fresh and fast. Service was friendly and helpful to a first-times reading their menu.

Sakura is a mainstay of the local offering of Japanese restaurants. Nothing trendy, just reliable, fresh, friendly, and good value.

Definitely one of my all time favorites, love the tempura shrimp and the ginger dressing and salad are suburb, best in town IMO. I pay extra for the larger salad, rather than the small one that comes with the entree. I also get an extra side dish of ginger dressing for dipping the shrimp... although the dip that comes with it is quite good also. I like to have both and mix and match. The Iced tea is very good as well. To top it off the two young servers are very polite, very well spoken and professional. Very nice atmosphere as well, and never crowded or noisy. Perfect for my taste.

Tried this place for the first time today and I will definitely be back. Delicious, fresh sushi and the prices aren't bad either!

If you're looking for an authentic Japanese restaurant then this place is definitely it. Not only are the prices so amazingly cheap, it's good quality and everyone is nice. Definitely my favorite Japanese restaurant in Columbia now.

the food is good and fresh but the nigiri sushi portion sizes are much smaller when compared to Inakaya. Place is nice and clean and friendly staff.

Got an order for my kids bday. Fantastic sushi, fresh and delicious. Highly recommend.

Well handmade sushi. Small rolls, but the price is cheap. I loved how fresh the sushi rolls tasted. Staff is also very friendly. Will keep going back here for sushi.

Always good food and a good atmosphere. The staff is welcoming and the food is delicious. Small place, but they also offer good takeout.

Went in for a quick dinner the other night. Walked in the door about an hour before close and was greeted right away. I asked about bringing my bike in out of the rain and the chef offered to store it in the back. After I got my bike situated with help from the itamea, the hostess invited me to sit anywhere in the dining room. Took my seat, ordered a Kirin and checked out the menu. Pretty standard stuff for a sushi bar. Couple things I'll have to try next time like the negimayaki or maybe the tatsutage. Opted for a few pieces of nigiri a la carte and the unagi miso soup. Soup came out before I could even pour my beer. The broth was really comforting, filled with mushrooms and nice big chunks of eel. I'll be back for this bowl of goodness all winter long. The sushi shows up soon after the soup. Fish was fresh, good temperature, with straight forward presentation. All about the protein. Really enjoyed my yellow tail and salmon roe. The cuts of white tuna could've been bigger (but when can't they be?). All in all, great first impression of this little neighborhood sushi bar. My respects to the chef and kitchen. Courteous front of house, clean tasting food, fresh fish, and cold beer. What more do you need? I'll recommend and be back soon.

Fast, tasty and relatively inexpensive meal for sushi. It was fresh and filling. The ambience was okay and restaurant is casual, and the menu was impressively extensive. Honestly, the outside gives a much different impression that the inside. Altogether a very nice meal.

Food was awesome. Sushi was amazing. Stopped in twice during our trip. Service was awesome. Would highly recommend. Wish I took pics of the food

I am by NO means an expert in Asian food. However, the group I ate with claims to know their Japanese food. As some of the other reviews noted, Sakura was NOT easy to find. Even w/ the reviewers tips to locate the place, we still had problems. The restaurant had quite a few patrons, so maybe they were repeat customers or not directionally challenged. The only complaint is there is no Hibachi. It was very inexpensive and a good meal.

A little difficult to find but well worth the hunt! We go here at least twice a month because it is crazy delicious and an awesome deal. Their menu includes a large selection of very filling bento boxes and sushi. Everything is reasonably priced and you receive plenty of high quality food. Lunch is especially inexpensive. My favorites are the chicken teriyaki, shrimp tempura roll and steamed gyoza. The sauce on the gyoza is a dream come true... I pour it on everything. The sushi pieces are not the giant, mostly rice pieces like I've had at most other restaurants. The pieces are smaller but I prefer the balance on the pieces at Sakura. I also tried the red bean ice cream on my last trip and it was super delicious. They have green tea ice cream too. I'm not sure if the ice cream is on the menu but just ask! The restaurant is located on the back of a building (behind Coplon's on Forest Drive) and is a pretty casual place. It has about 10 tables or you can sit at the sushi bar and watch everything being made. Groups of 6 would probably be comfortable here but much more over that and it would be a tight squeeze to fit everyone at one table. You can also order to go and pick up from the restaurant too.

This is my favorite sushi restaurant of all time. I compare every sushi restaurant to Sakura. This is not a trendy sushi spot or a restaurant with a bar scene. This is is a delicious, low key, traditional sushi and Japanese restaurant that I have been enjoying for over 28 years. My absolute favorite place to go anytime.

Unfortunately I was served 2 pieces of OTORO that were RANCID! $10.50 was cheap for it so I tried the "special bluefin OTORO" and had to IMMEDIATELY RUN away from my family to the restroom. I informed the staff who were nice but NOT knowledgeable. For the really terrible experience with my family we didn't finish our meal but were only given an apology with the $10.50 from the bad fish removed. $53.00 (after "discount" with no alcohol) for 2 and a 19 month old child with NO children's menu. We drove from the other side of town for this... NEVER AGAIN. RANCID FISH AT A SUSHI BAR!

Had a lovely meal at Sakura tonight. I had several rolls--salmon maki, crab maki, pickled radish roll, and the Sakura roll. Each was delicious--fresh, tender and beautifully presented. My companion had the vegetable tempura C box--a very generous serving of sweet potato, acorn squash, broccoli, green beans, zucchini and onion rings all in a light tempura batter. This came with a small salad with delicious carrot-ginger dressing, a California roll, and shredded cabbage with light mayo dressing. Service was friendly, unobtrusive yet attentive, and the prices were very reasonable. We will definitely visit again--highly recommend!

Great local place! This is probably the best Sushi in town. I am grading on a curve, as nothing compares to the Sushi in Seattle and Portland. There is a very good menu of sushi, teriyaki and bento box in this small family-owned place. It's hard to find, but worth it once you do!

Great Sushi. This place was a little hard to find. It is located behind Coplons. I had a fast lunch with a safe choice of a California roll and tried the Miso soup. Both are excellent in the time I had for lunch and cheep. All under ten bucks. I rated my lunch today a 4 out of 5 stars. This is only due to waiting over 5 mins before greeted with a menu and offered a choice of beverage. I look forward to enjoying many more meals here at this hidden Gem. Cheers!

We went there for my son's 13th birthday dinner. I hadn't eaten sushi in years so careful planning went into this! We decided on Sakura since it was close to home, family owned and got really good reviews. I am a vegan and was especially interested in vegan options available. Let me tell you, there were plenty and the sushi was amazing. The entrees were a little pricy, next time we will order from the sushi menu and side orders. This restaurant is in no way romantic and has little ambiance like I am accustomed to in Asian restaurants up north. But, everyone was friendly and welcoming and we will be back for more!

Authentic Sushi restaurant. Like going to Japan without the long flight. Very clean, I need not say more.

Wanted to try this place while on the opposite side of town. Nice but poor service. Took 15 minutes to get drinks-after the salad and miso had already come. Water cup sat empty. Staff is not knowledgeable on sushi-misnaming types and varieties. Husband was given rancid rotten sushi. Far better places in own for an authentic sushi experience. Waste of time and hard earned money.

Food was good and fresh, Service was good also! The red bean icecream made the night even better. For the price it's definately better than the other sushi restaurants in cola!

While this is definitely does not have the best fish (nigiri, and sashimi), the flavors are certainly the best in Columbia. I love the bento boxes, and the sushi platters. This may seem super inauthentic, but their California Rolls are the best I've ever had. Period. For extra flavor, dip them in the tempura sauce. Favorites: Sushi and Sashimi Tempura, California Roll, and Sushi Bento Box Eel, Sashimi, Tempura, California and Hosomaki Roll Bento Box

This place is great. Maki rolls are traditional 6 pcs and flavor is great. You have to order the sakura roll. Loved the seaweed powder. We also ordered nigiri sughi and the yellowtail was outstanding. Service was friendly and attentive. We will be back for more.

A little hidden treasure in Forest Acres. Tucked behind Coplon's dress shop it's a great stop for delicious sushi, tempura, teriyaki dishes. Go for lunch to save a little and sit at the sushi bar to watch the master work. You'll do much better here than Miyos down the street. I have the sushi/sashimi lunch which had a lovely assortment of tuna, yellowtail, eel, salmon, shirmp, a touch of seaweed salad, came with rice and a salad (fantastic dressing!!!). $14

Are you kidding me with this place? How on earth is anyone supposed to find it? A friend comes up to me and says "Hey, you're Asian. I know an Asian restaurant. Wanna go?" Seeing as all Asians are the same I said yep. What a great little place. Mostly sells bento boxes and sushi. I've been back a few times since coming with my friend and love it. I've ordered sushi by itself, with soup and a bento box option. It's all been good. And dirt cheap. There has been once when we found a blood vein in our sushi but other than that the chef is quick and good. He also offers samples when sitting at the sushi bar. Everyone there is so friendly and they have barley tea. The miso soup is comforting without a ton of salt. I love this place and it's fun to see it get crowded on the weekends.

This is my goto place for sushi in Columbia. Always good, always fresh and the staff/service is great. I've been to the other places in Cola but this is the best by far. Saki is dark and depressing, M-Vista/Tacosuski trendy and expensive, Sushi Yoshi very hit or miss (mostly miss). It's setup as a traditional sushi place with the chef in view in the middle of the restaurant as it should be (Hellllo, Saki...). The wait staff have all been there for years and are all good/attentive. They actually know my voice for take out...that's awesome. Our standard order is cali rolls for the kids and I always get the tuna sushi and spider rolls. Also the columbia roll, green roll and crunchy shrimp roll are very good. And of course Miso soup and edamame. We generally order take out once a week here and it's actually cheaper and much, much better than the stuff you get at Earthfare or Publix. You will always find Japanese people eating here if that tells you anything. Haha. Recommended.

Not a sushi place to go! California roll is not worthy of a taste buds satisfaction. Rude does not even ask of what they can do to satisfy us as a customer. Rice is way too hard. There Miso soup is made out of a powder substance probably has MSG in it! There ginger is pink which is not supposed to be which means that it has artificial coloring in it, not healthy. And it. If you want real quality sushi this is not the place to go! I don't even know why this business is still open! Plus the chicken terryaki was salty! Whole order was expensive for cheap quality food!

A small sushi bar off the beaten path in Forest Acres. You really need to know where you are going here as it is not easy to find (it's behind the bank on the corner of Forest Drive and Trenholm). Not horrible but not great quality sushi. I had several nigiri selections and was not thrilled with any of them. Not that they were bad per se, they just weren't of the quality of fish you would get in Atlanta or other big cities. The maki rolls were marginally better but far better than any "sushi" you will get in the VIsta. You could do worse, just make sure you go in with reasonable expectations.

I haven't been to Sakura in a while and just grabbed dinner there after a long time, and it is still as good today as it was the last time I ate there. This is a small laid back sushi joint where you can get a good meal for not too much money. My friend had their shrimp & veggie tempura and really liked it. I had an order of pickled radish sushi (per our Waiter's recommendation) and an order of green roll and liked them both. The green roll had fried asparagus and cucumber in it. The pickled radish had a subtle sweetness to it and tasted great with wasabi and ginger dipped in soy sauce. I had never had pickled radish before but now really like it and look forward to having it more at sushi restaurants. We both also had miso soup to start with and they served it with small chunks of mushroom, which is not always common at sushi restaurants, but turned out to be a different good. The mushroom gave the soup more depth and texture, and I personally think it elevated the flavor. Lastly I had their green tea ice cream for dessert and thought it was good. I think it would've tasted better with chocolate sauce but considering my lack of control with dessert I'm glad I held back from making it any more unhealthy! Price-wise this place is awesome. My friend's order came with a complimentary miso soup and her total with tax was under $10. I had ordered a miso soup, two types of sushi, and a dessert and only had a bill of $11 and change. Bargain prices for pretty good quality food, not bad, not bad at all! And I echo what others have said about finding Sakura. It's a little hidden, but if you can locate Talbots, you're very close.

The sushi is amazing. The flavor is great and the skill of the sushi chef is apparent in every roll. The ginger dressing is delicious! The tempura is light and not greasy. Always a pleasant experience with excellent service.

I'm not a big fan of sushi but they have some really great Japanese food here. The Katsu-Don is good as well as the miso soup. I usually get the teriyaki steak and it's the closest I've had to Japanese style steak outside of Japan. Wife loves the sushi and she's from Japan so that has to be worth something. I would suggest going at lunch over dinner. The dinner prices jump but the portions of the main course do not so save money and go here for lunch.

While I can't give this place a 5 star because I have tried some humbling sushi on numerous occasions at Mitch's fish market in Hawaii, it is definitely worth going to while in Columbia. I suggest the Columbia roll. It is tasty, good sushi ghat will not let you down. It is also reasonably priced, and has rather attentive service. My wife and I will go here at least once a month.

One of the only Japanese restaurant I know of that is open for lunch on the weekend. It is tucked behind the Coplon's on Forest Drive. Bright well-lit with friendly staff. There are usually a few roll specials but I always go for one of their lunch specials, either the sashimi or sushi special. Credit card accepted. Park in the surrounding lot but be wary when driving from the Trenholm side because there are HUGE potholes on that side of the lot.

This place is one of the best kept secrets - only because it's location makes it hard to find. Sakura is a casual japanese restaurant that serves amazing, if basic, sushi. My friends and I went last night and it was delicious. My friends had their teriyaki and said it was great! I just wished there was a sign on the road or something so folks could find it easier. It's across the street from Publix, behind a business that I have no idea what the name is. I just remember that it's a creamed colored building w/ a black awning.

This place is great. I love this place so much I try to eat here every Saturday. Staff knows me and what I want every time. However, when I'm feeling adventurous, they are always helpful in helping me figure out what new dish to try. I have yet to be disappointed. Price may be a bit high depending on what you order, but so far it is worth the price. Definitely recommend trying this place.

Becky S is right, this place is entirely on the DL. It's a miracle I even saw it off of Forest and Trenholm. The Good: Service was... eager. Pork gyoza were perfect. The sashimi was very solid, even at the end of the night. This will sound odd but it had almost everything you want from a sushi place: sushi bar, bento boxes galore, big Sapporo bottles and tasty apps. The Bad: Yakatori was conspicuously absent from the menu. We had a bad cut of sashimi while we were there. That'll happen though from time to time. It's almost a little too quite. I have never been in there with more than two other tables being full.

Good price, good menu. The salmon was really good, but the sushi was average. Katsu don was not bad too.

You must experience this restaurant. Excellent food. Owners work hard to deliver a great product at a reasonable price. Good place for a date. My wife and I have been there three times. We enjoyed our food, enjoyed the customer service, and we were able to enjoy some good conversation.