Sonobana

This was a disappointment. I had been reading how this place was the best spot for Japanese food in Nashville, and yet it was a let down. The food was lackluster from all the other Japanese food I’ve gotten, from the states or Japan itself. I was expecting much more from the reviews, however there were many things lacking. My husband and I ordered two different bento boxes, and the tempura seemed to be undercooked in both. It simply wasn’t crunchy. The ‘California roll’ we received had maybe a sliver of krab? It was mostly runny avocado, which was a huge disappointment. The best aspects of the meal were the miso soup and fermented bean sprouts. Although the salmon and eel were delicious, the portions were so small and didn’t make up for the rest of the meal. The service was friendly, and I’m sure there are things that will shine on the menu, however, for what they are charging, it just simply isn’t worth getting dud after dud to receive something that is slightly satisfactory. Despite this, the market has some interesting finds and is worth visiting if you need some Japanese ingredients.

The brief wait, due to popularity, was mitigated by nearby attractions like the Sonobana store next door and Trader Joe's. Once seated, every culinary delight surprised, especially the exceptional sushi, which was pristine, bursting with flavor, and top-grade. Highly endorsed for sushi connoisseurs, and I am eager to return.

4.5 stars? I'm sorry but this $20/pp Terriyaki meal is a serious disappointment. Cold broccoli Cold noodles Small portions And separated into multiple containers which didn't seem to make sense. Maybe their other items are better, but based on this I will not be ordering from this establishment again. I called and should have complained more or asked for a refund but it's too late and I'm tired. Good luck ...

I drove to Nashville from Oak Ridge to catch a flight out of town and needed some food before my flight. Fortunately, I found this japanese restaurant in a strip mall not too far from the airport. I arrived at the restaurant around 11:30am and found decent parking out front. However, by the time I left around 12:45pm the parking lot was packed with ppl driving around looking for spots. Not sure if this normal for a Friday, but it was a zoo leaving the shopping center. Just keep that mind if you are coming during peak hrs. The service here was quick, and my server was very attentive. I didn't have a reservation but I was immediately seated when I arrived. Sonobana has an extensive menu of Japanese food. I decided to order the chicken bento and order some sashimi on the side. A good staple to compare with other places. The sashimi and bento were both very good. The serving size was excellent and the flavors were what I'd expect from a traditional izakaya. Overall I really enjoyed my meal. It was fast but not fast food. The flavors were good, and the portions were generous. I'm always a little hesitant when ordering sashimi in the south, especially TN. Being a land locked state and in an area known more for their bbq than raw fish, I moderate my expectations. However, if you are craving some good sushi/sashimi, I'd definitely recommend going here.

Good choice for sushi. Place is a bit dated but staff was nice and good was good. Not the best but good. I liked the grilled squid 🦑.

There were a lot of Japanese food. It seems that most gusts ordered Sushi. I had Tensoba. I liked tempura. The portion of soba was quite big for me.

Despite the wait time (30min-1hr) to get seated the food here is delicious, despite the long wait time to order, the food is amazing, and despite the crowded entrance and really small place, the food tasted fresh like no other restaurant in the Nashville area. Must say, I've been here only twice in the past 3 years and I'm not sure why is that, I should change that lol Regardless of what you think about the place because of how aged it looks, the food will not disappoint I promise you that. Make a reservation ahead of time and if you're walking in know that there's always going to be wait time ranging from 15 minutes to 1 hour or on busy days even more but the wait is worth it.

So so so glad to stumble upon this place. It made for an excellent date night dinner. Get there early (as in before they open, theyll already have a line) if you don't want to wait 30+minutes to be sat, there's only like 14 tables so it's a small restaurant. The food is so tasty and fresh, and portions are huge for what you pay. I had the salmon bento dinner, and while the salmon was in the small side, paired with everything else it was a struggle to finish it all. We tried the cheeseburger roll for giggles and it actually came out tasting really good, as well as the shrimp tempura roll. Bf got the beef sukiyaki dinner and he really loved that. Our waitress was really friendly and walked us through the menu as well as giving us good recommendations on what to try. Overall we can't wait to come back!

The food was excellent! However, we were particularly impressed by the service at Sononana! We were traveling through on our way to North Carolina and were tired and road weary! The hostess got us in in 15 minutes, despite a projected 40 minute wait. The server quickly helped us to get our food order in, brought us our beverages right away, with food soon to follow. Everyone seems happy that works here and the staff all worked together to provide a sunny atmosphere with caring and compassionate service! Thank you for a great dinner!

I had high expectation as its menu was showing more traditional Japanese dish, but was very disappointed at the unagi don. It came with miso soup and house salad. The miso soup was very salty, the slices of mushroom appeared to be just toss in instead of cooked in the soup. I didn't have the house salad, I added cucumber tako salad. The cucumber and tako were immersed in vinegar, very sour. Last the unagi don, they put way too much sauce that made the rice too salty, between the unagi don and miso soup, the salt balance was off. Unagi was not properly deboned, I had 10+ small bones out for the unagi. For me growing up deboning fish myself had no problem, it would be problem for those that are used to it. The service was nice, but disappointing food.

Always delicious at great prices. The soba is unmatched and the udon is always amazing!

I've had so much sushi in Nashville, this is BY FAR the best. Anytime I eat somewhere else with friends for convenience ect I wish it was here. It's also really fair priced. The quality you are getting for the price truly is unmatched. This place is a GEM. And everyone who works here is so freaking genuine and kind! Me and my man are both dedicated. We order together once a week and he'll order for himself sometimes and likewise. They know the James order when it's just for him and when it's for us. Sashimi is our main game. I forget we are landlocked when that fish goes into my mouth. It cute inside but not much for atmosphere. But if you want sweet service and the best sushi in town who cares. Love y'all!!!

Food was just right, service was good, and the restaurant was clean and not too loud.

Food: 3/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 They have a big menu of both traditional sushi and fusion/americanized items. What brings the food to a 3/5 is that it is inconsistent. Sometimes it's super fresh and sometimes it is fishy as heck. I need to stop ordering their Uni, as it is one item that has been consistently not good here. Service has always been great, they have really friendly staff! If you're a newbie to Japanese food or sushi, they'll talk you through everything. I love the ambiance because it's a bit outdated but it's just cozy OG Japanese setup. Overall it's a good, solid Japanese restaurant.

What a yummy spot! I came with a group of 8 on a Saturday night so we called ahead to make sure we could get in. The server was attentive, the sushi came out in a decent amount of time, and it was tasty. There was a private room in the back that you can rent out id you have a large group, and there is plenty of seating doe regular dine in guests. I would definitely come back to eat here.

Great restaurant with a Japanese Market nest door. We had bentos for lunch. Very filling.

For take out sushi, this place is very solid. Ginger salad and teriyaki chicken were both eh. I do love their sushi menu though. There are lots to choose from and they separate the raw from the cooked which is really helpful because I don't eat cooked sushi.

As I've gone to Sonobana habitually over the years, I've learned that there is quite honestly nothing I wouldn't try on the menu. I think visitors have to remember that this is an establishment which still does many things in a retro fashion: they have a landline, and they often use it. Waits can range from 5 minutes on a slow weekday to over 30 minutes in peak dining hours. I can attest to the insane lines on weekend evenings: we once parked, saw the line and considered waiting in it (it was out the door), and walked right back out to consider dining elsewhere. Just be mindful of when you go, and your party should be fine. You can always call ahead, but know that the line may be busy. I just ordered the futo maki roll, salmon roll, and tuna roll yesterday evening for pickup. There was a 30 minute wait, but the rolls always come out exactly as they should: balanced portions of rice, fish, and nori. The rice is seasoned well but not enough to make the rice mushy, and the fish is always fresh. There's a reason Sonobana always has a line out the door, and it's because they do simple rolls (and also complex ones) really well. You can taste the hard work and craftsmanship sometimes, I swear. Ambiance feels like retro family dining to be honest. As an AAPI person who calls Nashville home, it can sometimes feel othering when a customer at another table is unabashedly staring at you. This is no fault of the restaurant of course: just something to be mindful of when you dine. We have often stopped by the small market during our waits if it isn't closed. It's quaint and actually sells fresh seafood. If you're expecting Mitsuwa though, honey, this ain't it. Think more mom and pop bodega, and you'll feel much better. Plenty of parking in the Trader Joe's strip mall area. Highly recommend (and always kicking myself for recommending a local favorite).

Yes please! Everything about this place I like... you wait to be seated and then the fun begins. Service was great. She was very polite and attentive. I ordered a Sapporo, a miso soup, a tuna roll and the Rebekah roll. Everything was delicious. The main roll was so yummy I wanted more but I was full. Perfect place to come grab lunch or dinner. Prices are very reasonable and they are in a shopping center so there is plenty parking. Come check them out!

This restaurant is great. The food is very reasonable and truly some of the best sushi in town. It's a fantastic leftover from old Nashville. We drive over here as opposed to places closer (Donelson) because of the value. That said- we showed up as a table of two tonight 50 min before posted close (9:30) and were treated pretty poorly by the hostess. She told us, "there's a 20 min wait, and we close at 9:15, so if I seat you, you will only have a few minutes to sit before you have to leave." When we asked if we could get to-go she acted extremely annoyed and left to get someone else to deal with us. So I suppose I'll leave the review just stating - I do not wish to be harsh as most experiences here have been wonderful so I'll leave 3 stars, but - it's pretty unusual for a restaurant to make customers leave 15 min before posted close AFTER being seated. And as someone with 15 years experience in hospitality I've NEVER turned someone away 50 min before close. So they should either change posted hours on the door, Google, website, maps, etc OR honor them. And though the hostess has never been particularly welcoming, I hope she was just having a bad day.

I typically eat here in person, but today I got take out and I think that might be my new go to. I called around 5:30pm and was told my order would be ready in about 20 minutes. It was boxed up and ready for me when I got there so I just had to pay at the front. Everything was packaged up so nice - I accidentally dropped the box bringing it into my house and everything stayed intact due to saran wrap covering the top. Really appreciate the extra care that was taken here. As always the fish was incredibly fresh and the portions were great for the price. The sushi combos are always a great deal and one of my personal favorite things to order. Will be back many more times for take out and dine in!

I've finally got to experience this restaurant after 2 times of trying to get it. It's usually always an hour wait so heads up! But the sushi rolls were amazing and the eel bowl was to die for. The fish tasted so fresh. We also ordered a hot green tea and it was unlimited refill without asking (usually I have to ask at other restaurants). The inside was similar to your typical japanese style restaurant. The server was so sweet and helpful. Definitely became one of my top favorites. I'll be coming again.

Dec. 7, 2023 I ordered the Chicken Sukiyaki and it was a lot of food. It was delicious. It was a bit salty on its own so it makes sense why they gave you a bowl of rice to go with it Definitely going back to try more dishes!!

Dine-in: 5/24/23 6:44p Dine in at Sonobana for dinner. Like many other time I ate here, the restaurant always pretty busy. I waited 5 minutes for my table. Server pretty attentive and quick with taking order. Although the foods does take quite a bit to come. The sushi was fresh with a perfect balance flavors in every bites. The menu offer variety dishes from classic roll to creative specialties. Each roll descriptions are listed on the menu. It also labeled by color stars on the type of roll: spicy, fried, veggies or has raw items. Which allow you to easily pick the roll option that you like. Overall, the kitchen foods are delicious, the sushi is fresh and services are outstanding. One thing to keep in mind. They do not take reservations, if you come on the weekend, you will put your name/phone on the waiting list and they will call you when your table is ready. And spare some extra time as it does take awhile for food to come after you order.

Really good and authentic Japanese food! Our service was great. A little bit of a dive.

The sushi is delicious but I noticed that whenever an order is ready at the sushi bar, the chefs place the receipt directly on top of the roll. Not only is this unsanitary, but receipt paper is known to have all sorts of chemicals you don't want near your food. Disappointing

One of the best sushi restaurants in Nashville! My routine is to dine here first and then buy grocery from Sonobana Market because it is an only place that carries my fancy japanese rice. I'd say Sanobana has the best Amaebi in Nashville! My favorites are Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp), Uni (Sea urchin), Scallop, and Chutoro (Fatty Tuna). I feel like I have tried almost everything on the menu. I don't know why I didn't write a review for them after becoming their regular for years! Here is my suggestion. Be adventurous, order things that you have never tried before and let's your taste buds having fun.

This place has the best deal on the freshest fish at the market. Restaurant itself was pretty basic Japanese food in nashville, but good quality and good prices. But the fish at the grocery store is just the best.

After shopping at Trader Joes, we were craving Sushi and Japanese food. We noticed Sonobana and decided to give it a try. I ordered the Bento box, steak teriyaki and tempura. It came with a salad, miso soup, white steamed rice and bean sprouts in a rice vinegar sauce. All were so delicious and fresh. We have eaten at many Sushi bars and this place had very tasty food. The miso soup was made very well, the steak cooked to perfection. We were especially impressed by the tempura. The batter was thin and crisp and Shrimp tasted tender, not chewy. We will definitely be going back. The service is also great!

Dropped by Sonobana this morning with a group of two friends. Went just as they opened yet service was very quick. Ordered the lunch bento (which comes with an included side of rice, miso soup and salad) with Salmon Teriyaki and Tempura that came out to a very reasonable $13. Would definitely recommend for huge portions at a great price.

This was my first night flying into Tennessee from Southern California. I have my reasons for my rating: Service: while our server was nice, she was super slow. The only time she was quick was getting me the unagi sauce. We were patient, but I'm a server and I just can't justify how slow our service was for our tea and our water refills and coming back with the bill etc. again I'm not trying to be mean at all but the service could be better! Food: the food was good, but I must preface this with the fact that I am used to Southern California fresh sushi which is unmatched. On a side note, the miso was amazing tho! Great tasting miso and mixed tempura. I've traveled to a lot of states and I have yet to be anywhere that has the caliber of taste and quality that Cali has for fish but I will say this is very good for Tennessee. The prices were a bit high for what we got, when I compare it to SoCal sushi which bothered me, but the flavor was dull and more bland compared to fish back home. The fish was decent sized on top which I appreciated but the flavor just wasn't there for me. Good spot for a sushi fix just not top quality compared to my spots back home. Ambiance: the place was super cute and local feeling. It had that whole in the wall sushi place vibe which is familiar to me

If you are looking for an authentic Japanese restaurant with very very reasonable prices, Sonobana is the spot! When you think about sushi, the freshness of the sushi fish is important and Sonobana does not disappoint. You can see that they are always very busy so you know everything they make is fresh. For lunch, I think Sonobana might have one of the best lunch specials out there. I got the Special Bento Box with 9 pieces of sashimi - salmon, escolar white tuna, and tuna, it comes with 3 pieces of veggie roll and 3 pieces of salmon roll. It also comes with a mussel, seaweed salad, and during lunch, soup and salad are included. The special Sonobana salad dressing is amazing. My friend got the Pick 2 Bento box (yakiniku beef, beef negima, salmon teriyaki, shrimp or veggie tempura, chicken teriyaki, California roll, and some other options). He got the yakiniku beef and beef negima and it tasted very flavorful. The bento box also came with rice, salad, and soup. During lunch, sushi rolls are the same price, but the prices are not bad at all. Sushi rolls start at 3.95 (avocado roll) and 4.95 (California roll) and it goes slightly up as the rolls have more ingredients, but you can't beat these prices. I also tried the blue fin fatty tuna, which was ~$5 a piece, but look at that marble on the fish! Sooo good and it just melts in your mouth. Lastly we ordered the Johnson roll and it's spectacular - salmon avocado with Tobiko around. Great experience! I know their dinner service is also busy, but I love coming for lunch because you can't beat this. Sometimes lunch gets busy, so be prepared to wait 20 mins or so.

If you are looking for authentic Japanese food, this is the ONLY place to go in Nashville (that's still open). The sushi is fresh and delicious. If you have friends that like to try out rolls, this place has a HUGE selection, even for vegetarians! The sukiyaki is just like my mother used to make when I was a kid. I could go on and on about how wonderfully authentic and delicious the cooked dishes are, but you get the idea. Lastly, the sweet little Japanese grocery store next door is well-stocked with real Japanese items, and often has fresh sashimi-grade seafood (not sliced) available to take home and make yourself. The frozen Japanese food is the real thing, and delicious. I love the huge stock of Japanese rice crackers and candies. They have all of the cooking spices and sauces you need, if you are ever looking to prepare your own Japanese meal! The service is excellent at both the restaurant and grocery store! But be warned - the restaurant doesn't take reservations (except maybe for large parties), so be prepared to wait like at a real restaurant in Japan, or get there early.

Have you ever not been able to sleep, and suddenly remember a food you haven't had in a while and then you cannot stop thinking about it? Well that was me a few days ago thinking about tempura sweet potatoes. I was in the White Bridge area for a workout classes and suddenly remember how many Asian restaurants were in this area, and realized this was my moment. I checked a menu online and saw vegetable tempura featured at several locations, but ultimately I remembered rave reviews about Sonobana and that made my choice easy! I didn't see a way to order online, but I also didn't look very hard since I was across the street already. I arrived and went to ask the front counter if I could place to go order there, and she said yes! I have an annoying food allergy, and without question or any pushback they were accommodating to my allergy. Ordering was easy and my food was ready within the time frame I was told, which was only about 15 minutes. I only spoke with the person who was at the host booth, but it seemed like she also was working some tables on the floor so I'm not sure if the front is her usual spot, however, she was wonderful! She was polite, she worked quickly, she was able to take a few to go orders as well as seat people walking in with such ease. They seem like they really have a great system going for pick up, take out, and dine in! I food was great! The tempura hit my craving perfectly, and it didn't have a greasy taste to it (which is great)! The miso soup was still hot when I got home, and perfectly flavored. Also, the portion sizes were plentiful! Overall, fantastic experience and cannot wait to go back!

Probably the closest you can get to authentic Japanese food in Nashville! It's first come first serve so make sure to arrive at least an hour or so before closing to make sure you have time to wait for a seat, get seated, and eat. Usually a 20 min wait around meal times. The bento box is definitely the best deal. It's about $12 for fried chicken, boiled veggies, rice, tempura, and California rolls. Okay for taste, somewhat bland for my liking. I personally loved the Daisy Roll and the tempura udon, both very flavorful and fresh. The shrimp tempura roll was also fresh, crunchy, and tasty. I'd imagine any of the rolls to be delicious. Aside from the bento box, the other items are a bit pricey for their portion sizes, especially the rolls. The quality of the seafood is great, though, so I also understand the pricing. The seating is mostly cozy and comfortable, although I did get the seat right next to a pole. Overall a great find that satisfies the Japanese food craving!

I've been to Sonobana a few times before. It's a classic go-to Japanese place perfect for a day's sushi craving. Today I decided to go a different route than my usual sushi routine and give their classic nabeyaki udon a try. The taste of the broth was fresh. It had a great balance of sweet and umami. I loved the spinach, mushrooms, fish cake and egg. The noodles were chewy but not over cooked, just like I prefer them. The tempura served on the side was perfectly crispy. I'm docking one star because there was barely any chicken in it. It's nabeyaki udon and I wasn't expecting it to be a chicken noodle soup, but there was so little that I had to ask the server if I got served the wrong udon dish. I initially didn't even see the chicken and the server had to help me fish out the 2 morsels of chicken in the udon. She informed me that I did, in fact, receive the right item. I was a little thrown off by this and definitely expected a few more pieces of chicken in my nabeyaki udon. Overall, the prices are very reasonable and the food tastes good. There's plenty of parking here as well, which is always a huge win for me. I plan to be back but I think next time I may just stick to their sushi!

About as meh as it gets. Word of mouth on this place is insane. Finally went and, maybe it was the hype but this place was terribly underwhelming. Services was phenomenal but the food was soooooooo forgettable and the interior is... well... meh. There's at least 7 better sushi places in a 5 miles radius. Then start to consider places Like O-Ku and Sunda and this place starts to truly look silly.

It is probably one of the better Japanese restaurants in Nashville, but that doesn't say much. The wait is always very long and the food is okay. I am still grateful that this place exists in Nashville, but server tends to be on the rude side, and it has very old vibe.

Authentic Japanese food for a good deal! If this place was closer to where I lived, I'd definitely be coming here weekly. I have tried the special bento box for lunch, the sukiyaki don, the shrimp tempura, and the Umi sushi combo. The special bento box had super fresh slices of sashimi. I wasn't a fan of the roll that it came with and would definitely recommend swapping it out for another roll for an up charge. The sukiyaki Don was gigantic, but super flavorful. Hands-down. My favorite dish is definitely the shrimp tempura which can be shared between two people. This place can get crowded at times but the way it usually isn't that bad if you come early. I love that you can also go to the market next-door and pick up some quality Japanese goods. Definitely check this place out!

What is happening with service here? Our last two takeout orders this month were messed up, with items we ordered (and paid for) not included. This has NEVER happened before, and we've been getting takeout from them once or twice a month for at least the last 20 years. Previously, every time we picked up they would open the boxes and review the order for completeness as we watched. Last night, when we picked up, we asked them to take a look to be sure the order was right, and they refused, saying they were "too busy". And when we got home (15 minutes away), sure enough they'd left something out. We've been eating at Sonobana (originally Ben Kay) since the early 1990s, mainly because of its high quality food and its efficient and friendly service. Going to rethink our loyalty given their apparent changes in established service practices.

Overcharged and given sushi the size of my thumbnail? I had already left the restaurant with my sushi & was too far to turn around. This sushi was tiny. Flavorless. I will not be returning. Refund?

The food was fresh and the service was great! We ordered 5 sushi rollls, a deep fried tempura ice cream and a ninja turtle drink to go. Our order wasn't ready so we went to check out the market next door. A girl brought our order to the market for us!! Now that's service!! Inside the restaurant was busy. I was happy to see that they are doing well during the pandemic. All the sushi chefs and the servers were wearing masks! Kudos to Sonobana!! My family loved the food!

Sonobana is probably my favorite Japanese restaurant in Nashville. The food is always fresh, and I appreciate the wide variety of traditional Japanese meals. It's not very fancy, which gives it a homey feel, and ensures that what you're getting is good for the quality and not just for the aesthetics. The grocery next door contains all the essentials. I go there regularly to stock up on ingredients as well as to try some of their single serve snacks.

Heard about this gem from friends and stopped in to pick up a lunch To Go order. Before I picked up, I stopped into the little story they have next doors. Lots of great Japanese products. Found my favorite iced green tea, matcha Kit Kats (from Japan) and also some Japanese wheat cakes! They had curries, sushi grade fish, prepared pickled dishes and salads and so much more. Small placed, packed with great products. Went next door to pick up my To Go order and customer service was great! It was lunch and they were busy. For $14 I got this amazing lunch Special Bento Box. The box had fresh sashimi (salmon, tuna & scallop) on top of sushi rice, 3 spicy tuna rolls and 3 veggie rolls. Box included a delicious miso soup and salad with a nice dressing. Plus some small portions of pickled items that were good. All of the sushi was delicious and fresh. I wasn't a fan of the spicy tuna or veggie roll, but everything else was outstanding and a very large portion. Also, well packed for a To Go order!

Always busy and for good reason, some of the best food you can get in Nashville and the servers are great and friendly. I prefer to go for hot food rather than sushi, and the lunch menu has much more of that than the dinner menu, which is restrictive by comparison, although there are plenty of appetizers. Everything is very reasonably priced and you could easily pay the same amount of money for a worse meal or fast food these days. I frequent this place.

One of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Nashville! Very fresh fish and authentic Japanese food. You must come during lunch because their lunch specials are unbeatable! You can get a Bento Box with 2 choices of meat, soup, rice, salad, and chicken bon bon or bean sprouts for approximately $10. Their lunch special is Mon-Sat 11am-2pm. If you're a fresh fish/sashimi lover like me, you have to get the Special Bento Box. It comes with salmon, tuna, escolar, egg, crab, mussel with tuna flakes and roe over rice. It also comes with soup and salad and 3 pieces of spicy salmon roll and 3 pieces of veggie roll. All for $13.50! A good amount of food and everything is so fresh. If you like tea, they serve an authentic Japanese rice Green tea and I like to get that iced. Free refills. Bonus: they have a Japanese market connected to the restaurant. I shop here all the time as they have fresh sushi grade fish on sale in small pieces, Japanese groceries like ramen, frozen food, and I always get their Japanese green tea ice cream pint. It's cheap and if you don't see it in the freezer, you can ask them to grab it from the restaurant.

I can't comment on the restaurant, but as a recent California transplant I've been missing my staples like Udon and good rice. The little store next door has so many gems and it brings me so much comfort to get my favorite snacks and they have cool stuff like pickled garlic and miso and even shokupan! Plus the employees are so so nice and the nice grandma helping in the store is the sweetest. I'll frequent this place every single time I'm in this shopping area.

This has got to be my favorite authentic Japanese restaurant in Nashville. It's a gem and I've been coming here with my family for over 15 years! The food is always great and consistent! The service is also friendly and food comes out in a timely manner. The prices the fair and the overall ambiance is warm and welcoming. They have the best shrimp tempura and udon noodles in town! It's a must try for anyone who loves Japanese cuisine and sushi!

Just went to Sonoba by myself, nobody was waiting and there were many empty seats. The wait was 20 minutes. I've worked at shogun before as a hostess....its wild that there are empty seats that you can't seat a person!

Good food, good price, authentic feel and great service. Will visit again, great deal.

Best sushi in nashville, hands down, but there's so much more on the menu that you'll love if u love Japanese food. And hit the little shop next door, it's like a treasure trove of goodies!

To start they didn't have broiled sanma. It is rare to find and ots tastes good. It is kinda like a big anchovy but less salty. It is on the internet menu but not on the restaurant menu. So I got the sable fish instead. It was good sweet and tender fish but not what I wanted. Then I got anango or sea eel. It has always been awesome but today it just tasted sad and stale like it was older. I also got the sushi special bento box and it just wasn't as good. Part is my fault. I know the sushi is better around wednesday or Thursday because it is when the order of fish for the week comes in almost everywhere. But it wasn't bad just not as good as other times. Plus the missing menu item.

Amazing food and good environment. Would recommend to anyone looking to get some sushi in the area. Took less that 30 minutes to get a table. The rolls are a little bit pricey, but they are still good.

We found this place using Yelp 4 years ago. Very delicious authentic Japanese food. We enjoy eating here when we visit Nashville.

I dined at Sonobana Monday, October 5, 2020 for a late dinner. They did take temperatures before being seated. For a party of 5 people (4 adults + 1 baby), we were crammed into a booth that seated only 4 people with no elbow space. So when we asked if we could be seated at a larger table, the older gentleman seemed frazzled about the request and told us to wait as he was preoccupied with other guests waiting to be seated. I didn't appreciate the sass. Fortunately, they were able to accommodate our request and we were moved to a larger table better suited for our party. We ordered some salads, appetizers, and an assortment of sushi+nigiri, which I thought were average. The sunomono salad was soaked in vinegar, but was surprisingly light. I didn't find anything special about the beef negima. If you like squid, I'd recommend the broiled squid. After the appetizers came out, we waited about half an hour before our sushi came out. We placed additional orders of appetizers, which surprisingly came out before the sushi. I grew impatient, so when the sushi finally came out, I felt like it wasn't worth the wait. The sushi tasted fresh and everything basic sushi is supposed to taste like. I really liked the sonobana roll. If I knew it was going to take this long for the sushi to come out, I would've ordered 2-3 more rolls. Overall, the service could have been a lot better. I would give the restaurant 2 stars, but considering that my experience with the long wait time was probably just an infrequent occurrence, I will forgive a star. Also all the sushi besides the specialty rolls were actually priced well compared to other sushi places.

Food was not quite average. Tons of choices for sushi but my two rolls were mushy. The ramen was bland. On to the next sushi place! Service was good.

Not here to judge the food but the loud regular customers talking over the phone and take hid shoes off !! I don't wanna hear ur voice and I don't wanna see ur ugly feet ! Show some respect to other customers!