Wasabi

Horrible service, not great sushi. The location is perfectly placed in the heart of Elmwood with a small indoor area and sushi bar, and small patio on the sidewalk. They do lunch specials Monday thru Saturday.
I went there for a simple midweek lunch and after seating ourselves and waiting 10 minutes for a server, we placed our order and enjoyed the hot sun on the sidewalk patio. We had originally intended to go to Sato, but they didn’t open until 4, so we thought we could just pop in here and curb the craving for fish. So wrong. I ordered a simple 3 roll lunch special and my friend got a Tom yum soup and 2 roll special, he was going to swap the miso soup for a salad but it was a 1.50 up charge for a handful of iceberg lettuce covered in dressing? My miso soup came out first and had maybe 3 pieces of tofu and 2 pieces of seaweed, the rest was a lukewarm salty broth. I ate the tofu and seaweed and left the rest. My friends soup came out next 5 mins later, odd timing. It was OK, but he added extra hot sauce. Then about 15 minutes later, the sushi finally arrived, I was starving at this point. It was OK, worth the $ 10 lunch special price. But overall, blah. I also drink a lot of water, maybe 3 to 4 glasses a meal which I know is annoying so I try not to be too staunch about it, the server filled my water once with warm water on a hot sunny day and other than that we didn’t see her. Although when we went in to pay (bc our server was MIA), she was standing chatting with the other staff in the empty restaurant.
Overall, bad service and subpar food. I won’t be coming back here again, go to Sato or Kunis instead.

The 3 sushi roll lunch special is a great deal! Haven’t tried anything besides their sushi, edamame & miso soup but I have heard good things! I definitely suggest this place for good, quality sushi that is always made fresh!

Loved this place. It is small but cute. I had the chicken Pai Thai because I’m picky on eating the sushi. I loved it. It is the best I’ve eaten so far. The price was right and so was the portion size. I did try the lobster role and let me tell you I wanted to eat it all. I would go back again.

It’s my go to place if I just wanna pig out on some sushi. Their affordable prices allow me to do so. I’ve never dined in at Wasabi but we frequently order sushi for take out. I think the best word for it is reliable. It’s nothing too special, but it also never disappoints.

love the food here, I want to go back ASAP

We’ve gotten takeout from here and also dined in– great, friendly, fast service and the fish is so fresh! The only «down side» is this place is a «hole in the wall» kind of spot, so don’t expect to go here with large groups.
The food was so authentic it tasted like I was back visiting Japan! The food was presented beautifully and tasted equally as great.
For two of us to get a starter each, three rolls to share, and one beer/​wine each the bill was approximately $ 55. The service, price, and quality of the food are well worth it, plus we were in and out within 30 – 45 mins. Never had to wait more than five minutes after ordering or between courses for food to come. Portions are enough such that we even had leftovers.
Definitely a «must visit» if you’re looking for good, authentic sushi– it has become our «go to» spot.

Wasabi is a great little place to grab sushi. The inside probably isn’t any bigger than a standard bedroom for rent in Elmwood Village. You’ll be sitting very closely to those next to you. They also have a small patio outside. Lunch specials are unbelievably priced and the sushi rolls are standard sized. It is my #1 sushi spot in Elmwood.

Just went early today and i must say good sushi!!! I just recently moved back from Philly and i love the sushi there… the actually rolling of sushi at wasabi definitly needs work it always is displeasing to see sushi falling apart and for this I give wasabi a 4 out of 5… But I will say I’ve had sushi at other spots where the sushi was perfectly wrapped but the taste was not equal. wasabi’s sushi was fresh (btw I am a catering chef whose been cooking for 8+ years) and tasted great… besides the actually rolling of the sushi service always great and fast great Japanese atmosphere… loved it… will come back

Love their sushi. Parking can be tough, and the place is TINY.
Make a reservation, or go when the street traffic isnt crazy.
Staff is friendly.
Get a few huge sapporo cans and a some rolls to share and you wont be let down.

Service is fast and the sushi is always consistent. The sushi for 2 is a great deal — highly recommend!
The only downside is it is very small inside and you are practically sitting on top of those sitting next to you. However, the food is always worth it!

This is a great gem of a place for lunch. Even though it is small, it is very cozy and situated in the heart of Elmwood Village. I frequently come for their lunch special, 3 rolls for $ 10! Have been back multiple times and will come back again in the future!

Wasabi is awesome. There is more good to say about it than bad. Where it lacks in consistency, it makes up for on service and flavor. Sometimes I get a roll that isn’t well put together, which is disappointing considering how good I know they’ve done before.
I frequent Wasabi pretty regularly considering it is a couple block from my home. I do mainly order take-​out, however it is a nice place to take a lady on a date! It is intimate and small. I would suggest making a reservation, as it has a tendency to fill up occasionally.
I’ve have only really dabbled with the sushi rolls, specially the spicy crunchy tuna and salmon. They are awesome and I never get tired of them! The food is filling enough to the point where I’m content, but not feeling crappy after.
Go in confidence.

We ordered take-​out on a Sunday night, so this review is for the take-​out only. We placed an order for Chicken Pai Thai, Green Salad and the Miso soup to share.
The Green Salad was very small and came with a generous portion of ginger dressing, granted it was only $ 2.50. The Miso soup was standard, nothing special to rave about. The Chicken Pai Thai was just okay — the noodles were cooked perfectly but the dish was overall lacking flavor.
This is a good option if you need food in a pinch and are nearby, but I think there are better Japanese restaurants to try in Buffalo.

This rating is only for their lunch special; a great deal and quickly dispatched.
We had a salmon skin roll, eel and avocado roll, salmon and cucumber roll, and a tuna and cucumber roll. All were very good, but the eel was truly outstanding. Warm, rich, drizzled with eel sauce, and sporting the perfect amount of rice.
Service was also excellent.

One of my favorite sushi joints in Buffalo! Very accommodating with food restrictions and allergies. One of the few places that I have been able to find that offer rice-​less rolls. I ordered the summer roll thats wrapped in cucumber slices. Tasted like summer!
Cons — Super small place. Only a few tables and fills up quick during dinner hours.

Wasabi is a great sushi place with very cheap prices. I eat a lot of sushi and I would say Wasabi is pretty standard when it comes to the quality and taste of sushi. However I do enjoy their lunch special. You can either get the two roll special for 6.95 which comes with soup or the three roll special for 9.95 which comes with soup as well. WHAT A GREAT DEAL! That’s like 15 pieces of sushi plus soup for 10 $. Only downfall is that the special only applies Monday through Saturday from 11 – 3.
My favorite rolls include the crunchy spicy tuna, crunchy spicy crab, salmon, and shrimp tempura. Their edamame appetizer is also delicious, but that’s something that’s kind of hard to mess up. I’ve also had bites of the teriyaki chicken and that was pretty good and there was a decent amount of food for how cheap it was.
Wasabi is located on Elmwood, which was pretty convenient for me to come to on my breaks during classes. However I am sad now because I graduated from college and am no longer on Elmwood everyday, which makes it a bit of a hassle coming to Wasabi. I will say though that the cheap prices and lunch special does make it worth it… so i’ll have to come down if i’m ever off from work between those times. The staff is friendly and the service is quick. The reason I took off a star is because the inside of the restaurant is so tiny, to the point where you are almost touching the people at the table next to you. Other than that, Wasabi is a great place to come for quick, cheap sushi.

When I lived in WNY I was so spoiled to have this gem! This is one of the best for fresh sushi and sashimi around Elmwood! My boyfriend, our friends, and myself would specifically commute an hour to dine at this restaurant once a month, and we were never disappointed with the service and meals.
Be grateful for the sashimi you order here; not only is it affordable but the cuts of fish are thick, fresh, and generous compared to nearly every other location available. Their appetizers are also delicious and made with finesse. The sake list is decent. I usually sealed my evening with a plum wine and mochi ice cream – an experience I highly recommend!
Note that their dining area is a small space (they have outdoor seating but to hell with that in winter!), so it’s best to beat the dinner rush and stop by for a late lunch or early dinner hour. Or make a reservation if possible.
I miss this place. If I visit Buffalo in the future I’m making it a point to stop here for my sashimi again!

Really small but great place. Sushi and rolls are just great. We had the Titanic (see photo) was just great.

A bunch of my friends and I stopped by Wasabi for a quick bite today. Wasabi is a small sushi place located in the heart of Elmwood Village. Wasabi has the usual lunch special that many sushi places have: 2 rolls for $ 6.95 and 3 rolls for $ 9.95, both options served with miso soup. Additionally, they have a few entrée boxes that came with soup, salad and a California roll.
We were seated right by the window. The whole place is small so at max seating capacity, it probably fit 20 people. There is additional outdoor seating for maybe another 10. The menu was simple and easy to read. I ordered three rolls: shrimp tempura, sweet potato tempura and the crunchy spicy tuna. My other three friends also ordered the 3 roll special. Everything came out fairly quickly and the food was good. One of my friends tried the mushroom and beef roll, which is a bit unorthodox as I have never seen anything like that on a sushi menu. I tried a piece of that and it was alright. My spicy tuna was good — not too spicy with just the right amount of kick.
By the time we were done with our meal, the place was picking up with business. It seems like the prime location of Wasabi is keeping it opened. The food is good, but nothing particularly special. The service was also good — it was a bit difficult to tell because when you’re one of two tables in the restaurant, it’s hard to gauge how attentive and inattentive the server is. I would not mind returning to Wasabi for lunch again but I might venture to another place for dinner if I was feeling sushi.

Not great for larger parties due to the spatial limitations of the location but absolutely perfect for small groups, solo diners, or dates.
I was here on a Wednesday evening after a spell at a local beer garden for dinner. The staff, in my experience, has always been on point, attentive, and quick. My partner in crime lost a chopstick to the floor and when I looked up a waitress was already on her way over with another pair.
We tried the sushi for two and a Sunflower roll. The sunflower roll was cleverly plated which I didn’t notice until we had already finished it. But, it had an asparagus sprig for a stalk with the mango slices atop the sushi in a circle. The sushi for two was an impressive spread. I wish I knew more about what exactly we were eating but it was all delicious and was the first time I had to take sushi home.
Great atmosphere, great service, great food. I was wishing for a little bit more elbow room not just for our own privacy but, we also got a little raucous and felt bad about surrounding parties.