Raw Sushi & Island Grill

Great sushi! Hit the happy hour in «The Black Room» between 3:30 — 5:30 for $ 3 drafts and 50% off sushi rolls. One of my favorite places to eat!

«Raw» closed down and is now called «The Wave.» But they still have sushi. And they added typical sports bar food. Best of both worlds I guess, but kind of a weird atmosphere.

Super delicious probably one of Spokane’s best Sushi Bars.

Gluten Free Options: GF Tamari, and a dedicated GF menu is in process, according to the servers.
Do come here for: cheap and well made drinks
Don’t come here: expecting good sushi
I’m visiting from out of town and can’t do gluten, which makes my dining options rather limited. I was excited to check out Raw, as I’d heard good stuff about them, and they were in the process of putting together a dedicated gluten-​free menu. We were seated quickly and our server was awesome, but good lord. How do you screw up a California roll? They managed it. I am fairly pedestrian in my sushi tastes, enjoying the miso and wakame as much as the sushi rolls. My dinner mate, on the other hand, is an avid sashimi fan, and made a very interesting array of faces and noises as they choked down poorly-​cut samples of what passed for the freshest fish in the restaurant.
Word to the wise: if a place calls their wakame seaweed salad and their gyoza potstickers, you probably shouldn’t expect their sushi to be top notch.
After we’d gotten our food initially, the server disappeared for longer and longer stretches, with it taking about twenty minutes between her presenting us with the bill and her coming back to run our cards, though we had them ready when she initially gave us the receipts. While it is definitely worth noting that she was very sweet and took the sashimi off the final total and that the drinks were tasty as heck, this is certainly not a place I would go to eat again.

So my brother and I went looking for another sushi place here in Spokane. Raw looked very promising, and I was certainly hoping for the best; my sushi experiences here in Spokane so far have been somewhat lackluster. Unfortunately, Raw seemed to follow suit. I decided to get a bit verbose while I was eating…
Miso: Standard, tasty, hard to screw up really.
Unagi: Good flavor, if a bit mild. I’m also used to getting my eel a bit warmer.
Sashimi cuts: A couple were very sloppy. Inconsistent sizes and some pieces weren’t even cut through all the way.
Salmon: Wow that’s fishy! Yikes!
Yellowtail & Albacore: Not at all as fresh as I would like. Warm enough that the texture was off; they became mushy.
Mackerel: Way too much skin left on it. Flakes? Okay. Full skin? No thank you. Biting into the skin screamed, «FISHY!»
Snapper: I don’t know what it was about it, but I did not like the flavor at all. Texture was on though!
Shrimp: This piece of sashimi was good. But again, it’s hard to screw this up.
Firecracker roll: If you can get past the rice getting a little mushy when they fry it, this is a very tasty roll. I was told it’s the spiciest roll they’ve got, and it has a little zing. Super spicy, though? Maybe for your average Joe… but I guess I’m far from average.
Sake: They have a good selection, if a bit pricey. Being from Phoenix, I only recognized one of the available selections. Kurosawa turned out to be a tasty, decently priced bottle. First one recommended by our server, and not unappreciated!
Service: Our server, Kanoe, was wonderful! Very friendly, helpful and understanding. I only wish she worked at a better place so I could provide her more patronage.
Overall: I would come here for drinks and their entertainment. Karaōke and live music win me over. I would not eat sushi here again though. Maybe I need to try some of the rest of the menu.
Oh and on another note, I thought all sushi bars sang the Japanese happy birthday song… I heard two groups singing happy birthday amongst themselves. Weird.

I’m mean WTF… Went during happy hour, service blows, and the sushi was nasty. The worst spider rolls I’ve ever had. Got beer battered fries (which were good), but was charged for ketchup, BBQ sauce, and eel sauce @ $ 0.50 each!!! Ya it’s only $ 1.50 total, but based solely on principle who the shit charges for that? We’re not in Europe. Will never give these jabronis my money again, even though they have dead guy on tap for $ 3 during happy hour.

This place has really interesting, but good, drinks! The late night happy hour is among the best. Miso soup or edemame for just two bucks?! Can’t really beat it, but you have to be hungry after ten.
We had a great meal on a Friday night. We were seated immediately and the staff was very attentive to our needs. An additional dinner joined us half way thru dinner and our server was fast in getting his order taken care of.
Our table of five really enjoyed the quaint corner we were seated in near the bar. Once the DJ started playing and the lasers came on, we had a huge boost in energy for another round.
Try one of the seven deadly sins drink menu items and have a great night. Cheers!

So far in my time spent in Washington, I’ve been here twice. .. Once for drinks on New Year’s Eve and last night for dinner. I must say, so far, so good.
The first time we went here was New Year’s Eve. It was kind of busy so the service was a little slow. Other than that, I have no complaints.
The second time, I went with my sister and her friend. .. Our server was quick and kind. Service with a smile. :)
The food. .. I got a California Maki, my sister and her friend both got crunchy rolls, and I shared their chicken curry with my sister. It was nice because they split the chicken curry for the two of us. It was a little spicy and I don’t think I got enough rice because it was REALLY soupy. But other than that, it was really good. :)
My california maki was. .. a california maki. Definitely not the best that I’ve ever had, but not the worst either. It was average I guess you could say. Their crunchy roll was really good though. I liked that and would definitely like to have an order of that the next time around.
They had a lot to choose from on their menu, which was really nice. :) For all the local Hawaii people in Washington, I’d like to say that this is a hot spot for cheap, Hawaii-​kine food.
Overall, I loved this place and would love to go back.
(I would give this place five stars, but the service on New Year’s eve was WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY to slow for a five-​star rating.)

So on a local reference we went to Raw…
Sat in the bar… immediately had two pieces of nigiri to sample… yummy.
Loved it… we had three different rolls, loved two and liked one (CA roll). We also had a side order of noodles which were ok but not only not necessary but something of a distraction to enjoying the good tastes of the rolls.
Having had superioir Sushi, I realize that better exists but I have had some lame-​ass sushi too (
) so Raw was a nice exception…
The place was packed, everyone was eating ans smiling and so I take it that we weren’t the only satisfied customers.
Prices were typical, a bit high but the selection was good and the service was very good and attentive without being over done.
We considered returning for a part deux later in the week…

I’ve been here several times on visits to Spokane.
Loved… I like the space and there is always a good mix of people here. I am a vegetarian, so I like that the menu has a good mix of fare for my meat eating co-​workers and the Vegan Curry for me. My mouth salivates when I know I’m going to Spokane for work — the Vegan Curry is so good and super cheap. You really can’t beat the prices here.
Disliked… Not a great beer selection for my dinner companions.

There seems to be an ever-​increasing contingent of sushi places that are more about atmosphere and crazy rolls than the delicate art that can take Japanese masters decades to learn. I’m paraphrasing the menu, but Raw describes itself as «sushi from Japan that took a left turn at Hawaii and a right turn at Seattle.» It’s no wonder that the restaurant features clean modern décor, dim lights, and the noisy chatter of everyone trying to talk over everyone else.
We made reservations for 8:15 on a Friday night. The table wasn’t ready for another 15 minutes after we arrived, but there were plenty of apologies while we waited, and they were nice enough to comp a couple of plates of their edamame appetizers for the inconvenience. The soybeans were offered tossed in one of a handful of sauces. We tried a spicy variant that provided a little twist on the standard dish without overwhelming.
The sushi menu features an «old school» and «new school» section, and I ordered one roll from each. The first was a rainbow roll that was unsurprisingly traditional and topped with some fairly good pieces of sashimi. The second, not-​so-​traditional roll was a Death by Tuna, «topped w/​cream cheese, jalapenos, slices of ahi, sesame oil, & spicy powder. Broiled & finished w/​a squeeze of fresh lemon.» I straight-​up did not like the roll, finding the spicy powder — whatever it may have been — did not taste good, and the flavor combination between the cream cheese, lemon, and jalapeño did not work whatsoever. I made it to the halfway point in the roll before stopping.
Another diner ordered Da Bomb, which was a similar roll with tuna, salmon, scallions, avocado, and cream cheese, but the tepura fry that the roll received was well done, and created a slightly warm and creamy texture that I thought was better than the rolls I ordered, though only slightly. I also was able to grab a bite of a seafood cake from yet another diner. It tasted like a fish stick.
Considering the rich and respected heritage that sushi holds in Japan, I don’t understand how the food has warped into the trendy and atmospheric setting that restaurants like Raw perpetuate. I wouldn’t mind it, provided the food was good, but I didn’t see enough in Raw to make me want to return.

Okay, well I went in for the lunch special. I didn’t even try the sushi, so if your looking for a sushi review, please roll over to the next review :)
I walked in, and from the interior, it’s baresque. A place to dine after work with your buds. The first hostess, was a bit unfriendly. The second person to take my order was much nicer. I opted to take my lunch with me. It was pretty much going to be my lunch & dinner, so I opted for the Ekolu. Which you got to choose from a pretty good list of asian/​island options. I ended up choosing my favorites, which are Kal bi, katsu and kalua pork, with a side of macaroni that accompanies the lunch special. I’d have to say that everything except the katsu was really salty. Anyway, next time, I’ll try the sushi. I’d at least give this place a chance.

Now, let me start off by saying that my trip to RAW was only the 2^nd sushi restaurant I’ve been to in my 23 years of life. I have to say the environment was quite lovely, our waitress was great and the overall ambiance of the restaurant was intriguing. However, the food was alright. Nothing spectacular. I had the beef and my husband ordered the salmon. If you come here I suggest you not order anything but fish. My beef was not good, but my husband salmon was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Best salmon i’ve EVER had. Iactually ended up eating or of his food than my own… haha.
I also went with 3 other people and they ordered sushi. Lots of variety in sushi for those of you who are fans. I grew the courage up to try and it wasn’t to bad. Now, like I mentioned earlier… This was my 2^nd sushi restaurant so I don’t have much to compare it to.
Now, be sure to save room for dessert. They have a Fried cheesecake that is to die for GOOD!!! A must have, even if you feel stuffed!!!
I would definitely say this place is worth a try. See for yourself you might like it.

Some people like to call the town Spokanistan. Let’s just say there is a unique culture here. But when it comes to cool hangouts this is the best place, a place where everyone knows your name, and where you make memories or forget them.
The owner is a dear friend, so I am a little biased. He is creative in everything he does from the dirty cocktail names to switching up the dishes now and again, and who can forget the themed parties her throws every now and then.
The food is decent grub. Don’t expect quality like you may get in the big city, but if you’re new to town you may want to give it a try.

I wish I could give a 2 ½. It isn’t a bad place, but it doesn’t have great sushi.
The best things about this place are the hip décor, the nice staff, and the miso soup. Really good miso soup, not too salty.
The bad things about this joint are the lack of comfortable seating and privacy, and the ordinariness of the rolls. They were just ordinary. Also, there is no sushi bar, which I think adds something to any sushi place.
But, as sushi is hard to come by in Eastern WA, I will be back. It is okay, if not the greatest.

Even after moving back to Seattle, I still love Raw and make it a point ot eat here when I am in Spokane. Entrees are decent, but not spectacular when compared to their rolls and sushi. Try any of their rolls and you probably won’t be disapointed.
Sometimes the wait time can be long, so try calling or putting your name down ahead of time. There are several dining areas. Some have tables, others have sofas and coffee tables (boo, gives me indigestion). It’s a little dark and clubby looking, but I guess that goes towards the vibe of the restaurant.
I don’t consider the prices cheap, but when is good sushi ever really cheap?!

I really love the food at Raw — they have excellent options for vegetarians and vegans, great beer and spirits specials, and a generally comfortable environment. I’ve only received poor service once and, frankly, I never saw the server again.
One suggestion/​note for veg*ns: The miso soup contains fish sauce — it’s not veg*n. A helpful server informed me of that, though not before I’d eaten it a dozen or so times in the past.

I’ve been to Raw a few times whenever I have been in Spokane and have never been let down. I love sushi. Moreover, I love fish. For inland fish, it’s fresh, light and clean. It’s not just good for being here, it’s just good all around. Our server was awesome every time we have been in here. I didn’t have to ask for anything. The rolls came quick and she was easily flagged down and was super friendly and helpful.
It is absolutely the best sushi in town.
The only trouble is the layout. It’s totally awkward. (Why do I always make it to the most poorly laid-​out venues?) The wait is pretty long almost every night, unless you’re stopping in at 1am for a roll with last call.(which I was)
Everything on their menu is so tasty. And, unlike most places I’ve found around here, they aren’t cheap with the more expensive ingredients. Like Avocado. I love me some avocado, so when I get the caterpillar roll, and I see the generous slices on top, I’m about to pee my pants in excitement. (That, or I was too drunk…)
Either way… Awesome Sushi. And that wasn’t just my beer goggles talking.

I used to go to this place a lot when it was called «Aki’s» back in the day. I’m pretty sure it’s still run by the HPIC club from Gonzaga. Anyway the environment is pretty chill, and I like how it’s one of those skinny long restaurants… it reminds me of New York City. Anyway the food is pretty good, the sushi as well. But again you can’t expect extremely fresh sushi (unless you don’t know how to cook rice or wrap a sushi roll, the only way to distinguish bad and good sushi is how fresh it is) living in the inland NorthWest. So given the area, it’s pretty good. Now I used to get «Hooked up» back in the day, but we all gotta pay full price sometimes. And I’ll say the prices can add up… well at least if you’re a eating machine like myself.
Anyway If they still do hawaiian music nights, that definitely a fun night to go. BTW I’ve had probably some of the greatest sushi in the world living in Guam, travelling to Japan twice a year, living on the coasts and travelling to Hawaii often as well. and I’m still quite happy with the Sushi at Raw. So Sushi Snobs need not apply.
~G

*EDIT* I change my mind. The sushi isnt that great. I felt a little odd the last time I ate there. It really just wasn’t good. I still give it three stars because i remember it being good, but the last couple of time I’ve gone it hasn’t lived up to its old glory.
*old post*
I say decent, because it is not stellar. Its like many other «chic» sushi restaurants. It has some specialty rolls, and the usuals and it tastes about like every other sushi restaurant in Santa Barbara, CA. They do add a touch of Hawaiin flare in some dishes though, so that is nice. I have never received a roll with old fish and the rice has always been good. I do not mean to rag on this place. It is good food for sure. It was just nothing special to me coming from Southern California. Really, it is a breath of fresh air in Spokane.