Birmingham Sushi Cafe

First a Disclaimer… Neither me or my husband eat fish so this review is only for their Vegetarian variety! Cant comment on the sushi :)
Now… This place is a delight for vegetarian sushi lovers!!! 24 veggie rolls … 25, when you count the Tempura sweet potato roll, which is not listed under vegetarian (but is to die for!) I have not seen so much variety in veggie rolls at any restaurant!!! Trust me me and my husband have been to so many places in search of good veggie-​sushi!!!
We tried three of their rolls: Spinach Veggie roll, Jalapeño roll and the Sweet Potato tempura roll… all three absolutely spot on!!! Cant wait to try the rest of the rolls!!!
They also have a good choice of appetizers and entrees for vegetarians which we would love to try.
The service seemed a tad bit slow and our server came to our table with ice water which we didn’t want, after she got us our water no ice, we ordered our food… she never asked if we wanted any drinks. After we got our food, no one checked on us or asked if we wanted anything else or told us about dessert choices! We even had to wave with both hands to get a servers attention for our check!!! and that took 10 minutes!!! And it was not like the place was packed. we went in on a Sunday for lunch, there were hardly 4 tables occupied. Also the prices seemed a bit high specially for the vegetarian rolls. But the food is really good so we will be going back for sure. just hope we get better service next time. If they improve on the service I would love to give this place a 5 star. :)

It’s expensive, but worth it. I love it in the summer with the outdoor seating. Perfect for me and the kids

My fiancé and I go here regularly. We love it! I am very picky about where I get my sushi. Birmingham Sushi Café is my favorite. Everything we get is always fresh and prepared just right. I always recommend this place.

Great food and atmosphere. Had the spicy salmon roll and smoked salmon nigiri. Overall price was $ 9.59. Great food for good price.

Good food, but not sure why it’s so expensive. It’s further away from downtown and the portions are a little skimpy for what you pay. However, I must say I love the «Awesome Roll». It’s probably the best sushi I’ve ever eaten and it’s worth the (gulp)$ 16 I pay!

I’d give this place 2 stars but it technically is the best sushi restaurant in town since it’s probably the only one in downtown Birmingham. I’d strongly advise driving out a few miles to Noble Fish or anywhere else instead of eating here though.
Recently starting work in Birmingham, I’ve been checking out local restaurants for lunch. When I saw that this place had lunch specials, I was expecting $ 7 – 8 options, not $ 10 – 12. I was hungry so I ordered a bulgogi lunch and Crunch Crunch roll. The portions were definitely underwhelming and the food did not taste exceptional. The decorations in the restaurant make it seem very authentic; unfortunately, the taste did not match up.
If you really want sushi and are downtown, this is probably your only option. However, I strongly recommend checking out other places such as Noble Fish.

Nice place a little but up from the main Street.
Sushi was very good. Outside seating provided and at a nice Sommer Night what else you can ask for.

Fabulous Sushi! Fresh & delicious. I typically get takeout, but the few times I’ve dined in the service was pretty slow. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s pretty good!

We should have walked out. We just left and this place left a bad taste in our mouths… mainly because of the service.
We initially wanted to go to Sy Thai, but it was 9:40 and they were only doing carry-​out. Seeing that this is next door and open until 10:30 we decided to give it a go.
The first waitress approached us and said «are you ready to order.» She then repeated her demand and yelled it at us. I had to ask for a sushi menu. I felt scolded and wanted to leave.
— The bill was brought before the main course
— I was charged for tamari and sriracha
— my roll didn’t have much fish in it
All in all I hope this place closes. If you can’t treat your paying customers nicely and generously you don’t deserve to serve the community.

Really good sushi overall. I like the restaurant décor and how fresh its bibimbap and sushi are. I will definitely go there again.

I’m not a big sushi eater but I do like it every once in awhile. This place has ok food and a pretty good selection. It’s not the cheapest but I do stop in due to the closeness to work.

I love sushi! I liked the shiitake mushroom sushi and the edamame is delicious! Overall I would go there again!

It’s a shame, and I’m disappointed to say I can’t give it a good review (even though the food is great) due to the service & attitude of the owner. It’s a bummer that it is now the only option for sushi in downtown Birmingham.
I’ve dined here numerous times in the past 5 years (used to frequent weekly for lunch when I worked downtown Birmingham). Service has always been an issue, we’ve never seen the same server working there twice, we always have to seek out & ask servers for refills on drinks (even water) and the servers seem genuinely scared of the owner.
My most recent visit was my last. They are overpriced for what they give you (even though the quality, presentation & flavor of the food are all great). Very small amounts of fish in the sushi. My husband ordered the BiBimBap with beef and he asked for extra beef in it (which he does at most Korean restaurants), willing to pay the extra charge. When it arrived it MAYBE had 1 – 2 oz. of meat in it. The server double checked and assured us that the chef put extra beef in it. We then asked for more, again willing to pay the extra charge for it. The owner refused to give us any extra beef… and then proceeded to argue with us about the dish and what it’s «supposed» to be (focus on rice & veggies). We understand that, but still wanted more meat. She then insisted that we order a whole other dinner of Bulgogi.
Bottom line is that the owner needs a serious attitude adjustment and a crash course on how to properly provide cheerful customer service as well as train (& treat employees) correctly so that she can actually keep a consistent staff.

The food is okay, but I expected it to be better quality for the price. I definitely think it’s worth the drive to Noble Fish if you’re craving sushi.
The portions here tend to be on the smaller side. I do recommend their Sunday Brunch roll if you’re looking for a larger roll. I have been there several times and have had mixed experiences with the wait staff, from downright unfriendly to doting.

The food Is very good. The service is Very terrible. Be forewarned. It could easily be 4.5 but the service ruins that.

First time to this place. I liked the atmosphere. Miso soup was excellent. Spicy tuna and salmon rolls were good but I enjoy them spicier. I’d come here again.

Crunchy California roll was delicious. Although when paying I paid for my meal with a card and was tipping with cash. When an employee saw that there was no tip, she gave me back my receipt and demanded I tip. Needless to say my tip stayed in my wallet.

Okay so the food is still okay. But today they sorta pissed me off and I witnessed another upset customer…
They had 2 tickets today at lunch, one was a carry out the other was my dad and I. I ordered a «lunch box» with 3 rolls and soup, my dad ordered 2 rolls and soup. His tea had a tea bag dangling on it — really? They can’t brew a pot of tea? Sigh. Anyway, I asked if I could have the 3 rolls (as ordered it was cucumber, cucumber/​avocado, and asparagus) be all the same (3 avocado rolls… which was CHEAPER than the ones in the box according to the menu) instead. Originally I was told yes, however the young waiter came back and told me that the chef couldn’t substitute. I could understand if they were busy or if I wanted a more expensive roll in my box, but it was a cheaper roll and we were the ONLY people in the restaurant. Fail.
THEN the carry out order person came in. She had a huge order which they placed all on one tray. She said, «these are going to different places in my office, can you separate them please?». They looked at her like she was nuts. She called her office and you could tell she was agitated. When she got off the phone, she asked again if they would please separate the rolls. They said no. Great, two customers and an office that won’t return. Their food is good but their manners aren’t.

Very good sushi at reasonable prices, in downtown Birmingham.
This spot isn’t fancy — you don’t take a first date here to impress them. But, once you’ve gone out a couple times and have things sealed down, this would be a great choice for a more casual weekday date. :)
The menu has everything you’d expect and want a standard sushi joint to have — from specialty rolls to the traditional, to sashimi and nigiri, and all the non-​raw options in between. We sampled a few rolls along with an appetizer of potstickers, and it was all very good. Wasn’t very crowded when we were there, so our server was able to be very attentive to us.
I don’t often find myself around Birmingham, but next time I do, I’ll keep this spot in mind. :)

This is my absolute favorite Sushi place! I’m always surprised that it’s not busier. The staff is friendly and the food is fantastic. I personally recommend the Lion King Roll, The Firecracker Roll, and the Spartan Roll.
My one issue with this place before was the price was too high to go regularly but the last time I went they had dropped the prices considerably, I absolutely give this place my highest recommendation.