Yamato

I do not want to write this review… because then you would all figure out what you have been missing and crowd this place! I have been twice, both on weekdays, and have been so pleased with the food. They have a wide selection on the menu, although I have gotten the Sushi Combination #1 every time — the sushi chef provides whatever piece of nigiri he feels like as well as a california and tuna roll. The quality of the fish is just outstanding. I also greatly enjoy their green tea. Smaller, simpler elements also shine: the dressing on the salad, whatever salt soak or other magic they do to the edamame, the depth of flavor in the miso soup, the slightest hint of wasabi in the tuna roll.
The décor is great, which is helpful, since you will likely be here for a long time. Each time I have gone, the place has been 75% full, and we are warned that sushi will take between 30 – 45 minutes. This is because the owner is the (only) master sushi chef, so your special creations will take a while. My first time, our appetizers were delivered impossibly slowly. The second time, the pacing was much better. I have never been in a hurry while there, but note that it’s likely you cannot just get in, get sushi, and get out. Also, I can’t even begin to imagine what this place is like on the weekend. Despite the mild inconvenience of waiting/​choosing off days, this place is far and away my favorite sushi place in Tucson. I can’t wait to try their soba bowls!

After being introduced to Yamato by a friend years ago, it is still by far my favorite sushi place in Tucson. From the outside, you may never give it a second look. It is kinda tucked back in a corner in an old strip mall. I probably would have never gone unless a friend brought me. Everything I have ever had there is amazing!!! There is only one sushi chef who is the owner which some times makes for a long wait during busy times but it is well worth it, I promise. Everything I have ever had there is fresh and always made consistently. You won’ be disappointed.

I’ve been eating here nearly weekly for four years. It is honestly the best sushi I have had in my life. You can tell that the head chef takes a lot of pride in his product; everything tastes incredibly fresh, and is of high-​quality. Definitely worth a regular visit.

Best sushi in Tucson!!! I can say this even as a real Japanese. Sushi chef is Japanese and he has real skills and experiences. The size of the restaurant is kinda small compared to the other Japanese restaurants, but the tastes are real.

One of my favorite places for sushi. I always order chef’s special and Yamato never disappointed me. This fish is always fresh and melts in your mouth. The location is very modest, but I promise you you won’t be disappointed.

Nestled between the best Indian Food in Tucson and Al’s Barber shop this is the best sushi in Tucson by far. Don’t be in a hurry and order a little of everything! The taste and freshness cannot be beat. My son begs to go here and loves the Spicy Tuna Don (sushi bowl). Im partial to the Spicy Tuna Roll. Try them out and you won’t be disappointed!

Yamato is one of my go-​to places for sushi in the Tucson area. It’s located in a small strip mall with a slightly tattered sign and you don’t expect it to be as good as it is. But it’s so worth it.
The tonkatsu ramen, in particular, is fantastic. I rarely will finish ramen to the last drop and here, I do. The pork is tender and well seasoned. My only qualm is that they use a hard boiled egg instead of a poached one. Personally, I enjoy breaking open the yolk in my ramen.
The main attraction: the sushi. I almost always get the chefs choice sashimi. The selections the chef makes are always fresh and melt in your mouth. I particularly appreciate the mackerel here. He really shows attention to presentation and quality of what he serves.
I have yet to try anything I don’t love!

Went for a lunch, had spicy tuna don and a squid salad. Not that impressive and the price is not very good compare to the quality of the food. Haven’t try their sushi or sashimi yet, so kinda biased review from my only time visit.

I get into ruts and dine in the same places. Well I broke out of my shell and went here with my husband for dinner. I wish with all my heart I’d been here sooner, the food is amazing. The first visit here we left, because the host told us (despite open tables) the kitchen was an hour out for incoming orders; nice to know since we had somewhere to be at 7:30. The interior smelled so great we made a point to come back for dinner as soon as our schedules allowed. The restaurant is tucked away in a strip mall and a bit tricky getting into off crowded Grant Rd if coming from the freeway. Our next visit to Yamato, we both ordered sukiyaki. After ordering it took a good long while to come out (30−40minutes), during which time we were served soup and (a great!) salad. The food was so very good and the long wait was immediately forgiven. I’ve since been twice for ramen and sushi. The place is an open room with a sushi bar with a flat screen TV playing sports on the wall above the sushi bar and on the opposite wall; so if you don’t like TV playing you are out of luck. There are tables to accommodate large groups and the service is consistently good. At present this is my favorite Japanese place on Tucson.

This place isn’t about the bells and whistles as much as it is about food quality. Very fresh sashimi… wonderful staff with great attention to detail. The $ 10 tuna don lunch special is a really great deal considering how much food you get.

After hearing all the rave reviews from trusted Unilocalers, Yamato has been bookmarked on Unilocal for awhile now. I finally had a chance to try it this week. I knew to expect no ambiance… but was hoping the food would make up for it. We had the squid appetizer, sushi rolls (spicy tuna, a green onion/​yellow tail and the unagi eel) and sashimi (salmon and scallop). The smoked salmon sashimi with capers was the best thing I tried, but also reminded me of breakfast lox rather than sushi. The other rolls were fairly bland, in my opinion. The sushi menu is also quite limited and difficult to navigate between the paper checklist, photo sheet and one small laminated description sheet. While I will not return for the sushi, I will come back to try the ramen as it looked tasty!!!

This place is truly a hidden treasure. Their Nigiri is absolutely, melt in your mouth delicious. The décor is a little «funkadoo» but the servers always greet you with a smile and are very accommodating. Although sometimes the wait can be a little on the long side, the servers always inform you before you order and are so kind! Food and service are absolutely inceedible! Will return again and again. Best spicy tuna and spicy scallops!

Love this place! Great every time I’ve been here. Slightly on the pricy side but worth it. Fresh traditional sushi and the negihama is the way I was taught it’s supposed to be.
Tucked away along the big parking lot on 1^st and Grant, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be much, but it will surprise you, great little hidden sushi treasure in Tucson!

Great place for fresh rolls, really good Gyoza and set within an unassuming and peaceful surroundings. The windows are closed off to the street view but that’s great. Who wants to look at a parking lot anyway. Besides, it keeps people focused on conversations and keeps the looky Lous from looking in if you are by the window.
Will definitely be back for the great tasting sushi!

I had tried this restaurant years ago and hadn’t been very impressed. The sushi had come out room temperature and it just wasn’t very appealing. After their write up and raving in the Caliente I decided to give them another shot. The inside is very small and when we arrived there were a handful of tables already seated. As we sat and waited for menus and drinks the rest of the restaurant filled up. Several tables sat for a minute and after looking around, got up and left. That should have been our cue. Service was SLOW. There was only one girl waiting tables and although nice, just didn’t seem to have it together and was frantically buzzing about the tiny place. She wasn’t very efficient which seemed to be putting her further and further behind. Once we finally started getting our food we were ravenous. The sushi menu is tiny and we ordered a couple of basic rolls, some ramen which was the highlight — delicious! We also had the green mussels and those were ok. It took close to an hour and a half to complete the whole experience here and while the food was good nothing blew me away or left me wanting to come back. They had a great write up though and I wish them continued success as so many people seem to enjoy them, I will be sticking to Kazoku.

Wow. Good seafood is hard to come by in Tucson, yet there are a handful of places that are worthy — include Yamato on that list.
Unassuming exterior meets unassuming interior, but don’t be mistaken. Sat at the sushi bar in the early evening and watched the crowd start to fill the restaurant.
The nigiri pieces were deliciously fresh and attention to detail was accounted for. The chain-​sushi scene skimps whereas Yamato does not. And it makes all the difference.
Perhaps my favorite other than the toro, which is always tasty, was the egg nigiri. No joke, my mouth just started watering thinking about it again. Person behind me complimented the sushi chef on enjoying the «best of» for a «whole fish-​type dish» I didn’t catch the name of. but I’ll have to inquire on it soon. Very soon.

Tonkotsu ramen was rich and creamy; well-​done with plenty of flavor. Not much noodles in the bowl but the chashu pork belly made up for it. I would come back when I’m craving ramen. Prices for a bowl of ramen is a bit overpriced. $ 4 more than what you pay in San Diego. Atmosphere was very clean, «Cutesy» Japanese themed décor throughout, and service was A-​OK. The plaza that this restaurant is in is very run down and in not the best neighborhood.

First impression: cute, cozy atmosphere!
Although The waiter who greeted us was very frantic and after we were seated and were told the waiter would be right with us it took awhile for him to arrive. He kept walking past us and loitering by the cashier.
However, the food is very good! A little pricey, but definitely worth it. The fried squid legs with a little bit of orange was perfect, and the miso ramen had the most tender pork pieces. I would probably go again!

The place has the best quality of fish. The sushi chef has a reputation that hes been doing this for 20 years which says a lot but I’m also not sure how accurate that statement is. Either way, the food certainly tastes like he has been. Their chirashi bowl is so tasty and worth ordering. I love their sushi options and their sashimi option A is by far my go to for 12 pieces (4 kinds of fish x 3 pieces each). The fish is cut in decent sizes and not small at all. The service can be a bit slow or fast depending on who your server is. Order their ramen on the cold days! It’s so tasty!!!

If you’ve never had hole-​in-​the-​wall sushi, this is the place to go. It’s the epitome of not judging by its cover. The restaurant is smack dab between two Indian restaurants and a CVS which anchors the strip mall. It has a very plain sign outside, and you’d more than likely drive by before you’d consider eating there.
Inside is basic as well, with one small tv hanging up above the sushi bar and Chef Naguro creating his masterpieces dead center. He is very soft spoken, but very deliberate with his words. We let him decide what to serve us and he chose wonderfully.
The fish smelled and taste fresh. Having eaten sushi in Japan, there’s certain nuances you really should look for with specific types of fish. The mackerel was good and light, salmon had great flavor and perfect texture, fatty tuna tasted exactly as expected and the octopus was amazing. The capers gave the fish a different zest, and the smoked white fin was exceptional.