WuWu Sushi

Wuwu Sushi is a great spot to grab sushi on the Eastside. To be honest, I would have rated this spot less than 4 stars because as we arrived and ordered the Tuna Tartar we were informed that the kitchen had broken down their deep fryer for the shrimp chips. WuWu did, however, totally redeem this by completely comping ours when it did come out, and it was DELICIOUS. The medley of fresh tuna and mango were perfect for the hot summer evening.
The rolls are good, and the staff is attentive, albeit a little disorganized and flustered! That said, I would go back again and would recommend it.

Having just moved here from Chicago we were very curious at what the sushi scene would be like in Austin. WuWu is the first place we tried and we were pleasantly surprised by the food. They have a fun and new (to us) take on sushi that we really enjoyed.
The reason I rate WuWu 3 stars is not due to the food, thats a 4 or even 5 star rating, it was our dining experience and price. While our server was very attentive and trying to do a great job she was a little too helpful. She easily checked on us every 5 – 10 minutes making us feel rushed, asked me if I wanted the bill while we still had food and drink in front of us. In Chicago this can be normal since they want you gone so they can seat another party but we were 2 of 4 people in the entire place at the time of our meal. Kind of a bummer. As far as price goes they are definitely a bit inflated. Not crazy but a tad overboard.

Goku roll (substitute the shrimp for tuna) is amazing!
This place is usually pretty kick back and never too crowded. The sushi is fresh and there is a «heart attack» roll that is not on the menu that is yummy & hot! If you like siracha and all things hot like me & my husband. Than you will love it!

Came on a Sunday in a group of 5. The one waitress was somewhat flustered when we came in. We weren’t given menus right away, and the waitress also seemed like she didn’t know the HH specials (which are only on drinks) very well. The food took a very long time. Complimentary miso soup, but with normal spoons instead of the typical white miso soup spoons because they ran out. Sushi was a bit pricey for the very small amount we got also– honestly the rainbow roll on the top part of the menu looked bigger than the «wuwu creations» that we ordered. Once we realized we needed to order more because of the small amount, we quickly ordered but had to wait another 45 minutes for the food. Ended up staying for 2 hours. Have had better sushi for the price and not worth the wait.

FULL SAIL & FISH HOUSE CHOP.
We have been coming here for months now and are never disappointed. Because of our schedule (my boyfriend and I) we are only able to come in during the last hour of the night but are treated like royalty. The staff are unbelievably cool and are down to talk about beer, sushi or even randoms like the Justin Bieber Roast.
We have had Mary the last three times we have been here and she is so down to earth and great at her job.
I would recommend this as the best sushi place in town, hands down.

Love it! Great ambiance, great sushi, love the eclectic style it serves. Very nice and laid back time, in perfect lighting!

Slow slow slow service. Wasn’t even busy! Food was fine but bad service alone not worth going back. Save yourself the trip.

Avoid this place! They were out of ⁸⁄₁₀ of their entrees at 8pm on a Saturday night! The dumplings were burned. The sushi felt like it came from HEB. Seriously, I have had better Sushi at ⁷⁄₁₁ (and that was on a bet). The only reddening quality about this place was the location. We went during SXSW. No wait at 8 pm. Warning #1. It looked like it had no locals! Warning #2. The freshest fish was the discovery channel pictures being broadcast on the wall!

Really great Sushi place!!! The rolls are tasty and include some of the chef’s own creations. Try the Hamachi sashimi, the Full Sail, and Bank Roll.
Fast service, friendly staff, great food!!! AAA+++

I have dined at WuWu Sushi twice now. After my first experience I waited well over a year in hopes of reporting something better then 2 stars. But what can I say. If nothing else they are consistent.
My first experience was shortly after they opened. I was wooed by their cool graffiti fence, awesome patio and cool inside décor. Service was frigid at best. The menu was primarily rolls latent with cream cheese, tempura and mayo. The wine menu was a tease of what was coming but the wine was not in stock «yet».
My second dining experience I went in with an open mind. I parked my car in their back parking lot and upon exiting my car was told by an employee parking was for customers only. Really? What made him think I was not intending to dine at WuWu? I explained I was indeed there to dine. It was a beautiful day outside so I opted to sit outside which was a great decision as the atmosphere on the patio was the best part of the experience. I saw a couple arrive with a pup and was happy to discover the patio is dog friendly. I ordered nigiri, a peppered hamachi salad and a Topo Chico. I would love to have ordered a glass of wine to compliment the sushi but once again they were waiting on the distributer. They did have box wine, while this has its time and place. it is not a sushi bar. My nigiri was gristly and the fish on the salad was overcooked. Service was also less then stellar. I let my waitress know I was in sort of a rush and wanted the check with the salad. I sat and waited for my the waitress for 10 minutes after I was done eating. When she did bring the check she also brought out a glass of Vietnamese coffee. I know this was a super sweet gesture and it was sent out with good intentions. But I made it clear I really needed to leave. My waitress was kind but our interactions felt awkward.
On the plus side WuWu is open late nights and the patio is pup friendly. They have a small parking lot but if you park there you may be questioned accusatively as if you are not intending to patronize their business… which is not the best first impression.

It’s rare when reviewing a bathroom actually provides all the insight you need to the restaurant itself, but that’s the case with WuWu Sushi.
The men’s bathroom is a collection of high-​end items put together in a way that doesn’t make a lot of sense. First, it’s a large bathroom. It could easily accommodate more people if some walls or dividers were put in. Instead it’s just a large open space with a lock on the door.
At the end of the long bathroom sits a toilet so far away from the light that a lamp stands next to it. The lamp is classy and it works well with the deep red walls. But it’s next to a toilet. Sitting on that porcelain throne would no doubt make you look like an English Professor dropping a deuce. If that’s something you’re craving, now you know where to go.
The sink is a modern, shallow bowl with a wide swoop. The faucet is a fancy affair where the water cascades out in a wide flow. Unfortunately, the water comes out about an inch above the sink basin, making any kind of hand washing problematic.
There’s also two kinds of soap. Both are pretty much the same, but this bathroom has two of them. One the one hand, that’s variety! On the other hand, that’s silly!
And that’s my take on both the bathroom and the restaurant. It’s a collection of items that look good separately but don’t work well together. There’s problematic design throughout. And there’s unnecessary variety by duplicating items rather than focusing on actual, useful additions.
Oh, and if you think your ramen is really hot stuff and it takes 2 days to make, maybe make it every day so you don’t have to tell customers that you’re out of it and haven’t made any. Or take it off the menu and list it as a special when you have it.

Some friends and I were looking for good sushi and good vibes and we found that at this little gem. The house salad was amazing with the pecan crusted goat cheese and strawberry vinaigrette… YUM! We ordered like 9 different rolls, which were all very fresh and delectable. The gyoza was very tasty also. We were all impressed, and I’ll definitely be going back soon.

Basic mid-​priced sushi, great location on east 7^th, limited parking (especially on the weekends), friendly staff. Main complaint: the waitress (I think Cat was her name) knew nothing about the menu. It started off awkward but became frustratingly absurd. At one point when we asked about the special she said something like «it has hamachi in it… I don’t know what it is but you could just try it».
The last straw was when she explicitly told us a roll had no dairy when it had cream cheese in it. We were fortunate to discover this error before the highly intolerant member of our party took a bite.
I would normally give a place another chance before writing a negative review for bad service, but service was so abysmal as to really reflect poorly on the place. I’d be happy to come back and give this place another try, especially with conflicting comments about how the owners are actually very knowledgeable. It certainly didn’t rub off on all of their staff!
The sushi itself was good, fresh, and just fine. without the bad service experience I would have given them 4 stars. Try the tuna and mango salad… quite tasty.

This place is fantastic! The owners are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. They have a great patio and very inviting dining room.
The sushi was very delicious! Great flavors that allow you to be adventurous without compromising your evening.
I highly recommend this place for dates or groups of friends.

Awesome spot for sushi. Very relaxed and chill. It’s refreshing to go out to a sushi place and not see the same ol same ol rolls. The Goku is delish! And the Full Sail it very tasty. You wouldn’t think it’s only Been open a year and the owner Codi (y) is so humble and sweet as can be. I’m coming back… Wu Wu you got a new friend!

Praying that this place stays a well kept secret.
Cozied up on the East Side, open until midnight daily, and AMAZING SUSHI. It’s only a matter of time before people crowd this place. Oh yeah, and a full bar!
Obsessed with the Full Sail Roll, Fish House Chop, and the classic Dragon Roll. I’m a sushi snob, but this place nails it. Their original rolls are the bomb diggity. Try it. Love it. Don’t tell your friends.

Wuwu is great. Nice atmosphere, great location, excellent service, and some of the best sushi in town! I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried. Definitely try the recommendations from the servers– they’re all really passionate about the menu.
They have stand-​up late on Monday nights, which is hilariously and painfully awkward. I think it’s really cool they venture outside the box with random events like that.
Every time we come here, we’re shocked that the place isn’t busier. Maybe they need a bigger sign? They have parking in the back if that’s what’s deterring you! Anyway, if you want delicious sushi on the east side, and want to avoid the waits & crowds elsewhere, check out WuWu!

I don’t say this lightly, but the service here is without a doubt the friendliest, funniest, most caring service I have ever received at an Austin establishment.
Every time I eat here, I leave in a much better mood than when I came because their staff is so incredibly great and genuinely nice. Additionally, I think they’ve comped an item for me every single time I’ve come in, too, be it a soda or a soup, and once even an entire roll!
Foodwise, their menu is really thoughtfully crafted. There must be a science to menu options, and it seems like WuWu has perfectly struck the balance between enough choices to feel like you’ve got some gastronomic liberty, yet not so many you feel overwhelmed or frustrated.
I appreciate that many of their sushi rolls utilize under-​appreciated ingredients like eel, torched escolar and tropical fruit. Speaking of fruit, they’ve got a great roll that uses strawberry and banana on top, and is great to finish with. The sushi chef gave this roll to my hubby and I for free after we saw it on the menu and asked if it was tasty. It was.
I’ve yet to have a roll I didn’t enjoy, and I feel like the quality is fantastic for the price. Location is great, too — right on East 7^th.
There’s not a lot of great, reasonably priced sushi places in this town, but WuWu is one of them. Try it out.

I’m really sorry, but this is just not quality sushi. The sashimi and sushi (not rolls but just sushi over rice) are the best test for the quality of the fish being used. My husband’s salmon sushi was dry, the color was inconsistent and dull.
That’s enough to mean we won’t be back. But there’s more.
The East Side kitsch is strong with this one. There’s no hostess, so we stood awkwardly and uncomfortably at the front door waiting to be acknowledged and seated by the one poor server who seemed to have the whole place to himself. He was a nice enough guy, though.
We grabbed a corner table and browsed the extremely sparse and unimaginative menu where we discovered that almost every single roll contains eel or eel sauce and cream cheese. Husband’s assessment was that this was a joint created by someone who only likes Philly rolls and tailored their entire menu to that. Obviously, that’s an over exaggeration, but only slightly.
On the drink menu, they have some creative cocktails — I had something like «pine isles» which had pomegranate and grapefruit juice for $ 8.00 and wasn’t impressed at all. I switched to beer after that, instead of wine. Why? Because a glass of Hilmy vineyards wine will run you $ 15 dollars. They charge $ 30 or so for the bottle, which is what it would cost you to buy it directly from the vineyard, so that’s cool… but at $ 15 a glass, you might as well just bend over the table.
When we tried to order some sashimi as an appetizer and then order rolls later on, we were basically told «no.» The server said that their sushi chefs «take their time and do it right and it would just be too long if we put in multiple orders.» On one hand, I want to say «okay, I respect that, he’s letting us know that’ll create a wait in our service.» On the other hand I’m thinking «I’m paying for this damned meal and if we want an appetizer now and sushi rolls later, that’s what you’ll give us — or are you unfamiliar with how eating at restaurants is supposed to work?»
So, in the end, our tab was $ 50 for one sushi roll (which was tiny, we each had 3 bites) and a 2 portion of salmon sushi and a few drinks. We were not impressed by the quality at all. We did like our server, but we don’t like the concept, menu, prices, sushi style, or being told how and when we can order in a place that is not, in fact, a high end restaurant.
I will say this — for those who are not a fan of pure or high end sushi, you may really like this place. People who are just getting used to the concept and developing their sushi (roll) palate tend to like a lot of the mayos and cream cheeses, avocado, cooked elements, etc., in their rolls and this may be a really good starting point for them.
Also, the bathrooms are spacious and phenomenal. Not sure why that stuck in my head, but it was one of the aspects of the restaurant I did enjoy.

Who’d a thought that 10 years ago there would be a sushi place on the dodgey east side selling $ 15 sakes and sushi rolls.
Perhaps nothing else stands out about Wuwu, apart from the graphic of a pair of lascivious airbrushed female eyes you might see on a titty bar logo, is it’s predictable sushi bar experience, and prices, in ramshackle hip east Austin.
The waiter was typical young Austin cocky, churlishly self aware and unpolished, with the kind of budget boothed décor you might see in a pizza place. Food was passable with eel roll and gyoza both around $ 9.
The gyoza came fried instead of steamed as my friend had assumed. Sakes were around
$ 12 – 18. I’ve had the same sake brands, and rolls, cheaper in New York City.
Keep Austin proud.
The atmosphere was chill with a niche
all night hip hop soundtrack and even videos.
Food is clean and fresh but I’d probably go somewhere more economical and less gringo for a sushi fix.