Sushi Matsuri

Sushi Matsuri is a small and cozy restaurant that seems to do well despite its vicinity near several other sushi places. The décor is cute, reminiscent of some hole in the wall Japanese places you might find in NYC, but cleaner and more put together. They give you two menus, a sushi menu where you manually mark what you want, and a dinner menu with your typical Japanese restaurant entrees. I got the Eel roll and Futomaki roll. The eel roll is good if you want a no nonsense roll and I recommend for those, like me, who cannot stomach raw seafood. The Futomaki was huge and took several bites to eat. It had a very unique sweetness to it that isn’t usually found in your typical sushi roll options. I recommend you ask for the Gator sauce, a tangy and spicy sauce that pairs well with many rolls.
Overall, a decent place for sushi. I give the restaurant 4 stars because, although the service was great, it did take awhile for the rolls to come out. There also weren’t as many options for those who can’t eat raw seafood either.

Amazing server, not sure why people were complaining about the service, ours was phenomenal. We got our drinks and our food quickly, and the prices were very reasonable. Some sushi on the menu I had never seen at another sushi restaurant before and it was as unique as it was delicious. Would most definitely recommend for anyone looking for great and local sushi!

Really great sushi at an even better price! The sashimi was all thick and there was a variety of unique options. We’ll definitely be back whenever we’re in Gainesville!

AWESOME!!! And guy behind the counter looks like a samurai. The seasoned rice in the chirashi sushi bowl was amazing.

Just about anyone can provide great customer service if they put their mind to it, but it takes a true professional to handle a difficult customer with grace. We went to dinner at Sushi Matsuri and sat next to a table where a woman was clearly on a mission to be nasty about her dining experience, but only after they’d finished nearly all of their food, gotten to go boxes, and the check. The manager calmly spoke with the woman who proceeded to escalate her complaints in an extremely rude manner. This woman was condescending, pushy, and on a mission to get free food. The manager kept her cool and although she ended up comping an item, she did not allow this rude woman’s attitude to affect her. We love Matsuri and appreciate their dedication to qualify food and service! Btw our food was great and so was the service!

The sushi is good but the service is awful, which is why I can’t bring myself to ever go back. For my takeout, I spent $ 15+tip on 2 rolls and when I asked for a sauce they said they would have to charge me an extra .50 per sauce. I find that obnoxious considering how much money I spent when I’ve experienced same quality food, for less with no charge on extra sauce.
Decided to try it again for dine-​in since I actually enjoyed their sushi but I now regret doing so. We came in during lunch as a table of 6 with 2 other tables there when we arrived. It took over 35 minutes for our orders to arrive and I noticed smaller tables who were seated and ordered after us got their food first. It took so long, my friend had to leave, and they still charged her for her coke! I’ve worked in many restaurants and I understand what it is like to be slammed, but not once did the waitress check in on us to tell us it was taking some time, the least they could’ve done was given my friend her drink for free since she couldn’t eat her meal.

One of the better places in Gainesville for high quality sushi! Came here on a Tuesday night around 8 and was not busy at all. We had plum wine to drink which was pretty inexpensive at only $ 3.75 a glass, a house salad and miso soup to start, steamed gyoza, and 3 sushi rolls which was a perfect amount of food for 2.
The gyoza were really tasty, I wish they had a pan fry option instead of just steamed or deep fried but the filling was very flavorful and the dipping sauce not too salty and complimented them well. For sushi we got the volcano roll, spider roll, and candy roll. All were delicious. My only complaints were that the tuna on the candy roll looked a little more pink– instead of red– than it should have and they were pretty pricey. Two rolls being $ 14.75– crazy! They were large portions, very filling, and fresh though. Wish they had a few more specialty roll options too other than the basics. Overall very tasty and excited to go back!

Service was great, food was delicious, price is quite expensive though but that is typical for a Japanese restaurant. I would definitely go there again!

This is a more traditional sushi place with quality rolls. I like that a lot of the rolls have fresh fish versus tempura, which gives it a more authentic feel. The prices are great too, with the simpler rolls being around 4 – 7 $ and the most expensive one around $ 14. I got the Atlantic roll which had grouper and (imitation) crab which was pretty good. Also had the kawaii roll which is rolled with cucumber and has tuna, salmon, yellowtail, krab meat, avocado and tons of roe. Despite having no rice, this roll was very filling because of the large pieces of fish, and tasted very fresh, I loved it! All of the fish in the rolls tasted fresh and not too salty like it is at some sushi places. Our food took a while to come out despite the place being almost empty, but I can tell that it was made with care. I only wish that there were more ingredients in the rolls since a lot of them sound a little bland, but this place is definitely high on my list of great sushi places in Gainesville!

As my previous review was five years old, I think it’s well time for an update. They’ve remodeled recently – about a year ago I believe – and are making the best use of their small space. Matsuri has been here a long, long, time: along with Miya Sushi which is also on Archer Road, it’s one of the oldest sushi bars in Gainesville. As you might expect for something so long-​standing, it has a very loyal following, too.
The menu is pretty extensive, both in sushi and kitchen offerings. I tend to stick to the sushi. Overall, it’s constantly fresh and the preparation is closer to what you’d find in California than most sushi bars in Florida, which is a big plus in my book because I lived in San Francisco and prefer that style of sushi. The downside is, here, much of the sushi is too salty – not sure just why, but most rolls are, but it’s just a slight issue. Their bagel roll is especially a culprit in this regard, however, it’s made with salmon, not krab, which is how bagel rolls started out in California. The yellowtail scallion roll is very good and their nigiri always taste fresh and the krab delite nigiri is especially awesome.
The staff is somewhat. .. aloof. The sushi chefs will smile and maybe nod if you greet them but don’t interact much with customers. One waitress, the younger-​looking of them (sorry, that’s the most-​accurate way I can describe her) is very friendly and outgoing but one of the other waitresses seems to lack a decent command of English and sometimes makes mistakes on orders in my experience. She’s also bad to come by and try to do things (take a drink order, or whatever) that another waitress already has done. I’m not trying to be picky, but I just wish to be honest that the service is at times spotty here.
I would say at this point Mahzu Sushi and Matsuri are my two favorite sushi bars in town, and I say that as someone who eats sushi on average about five times per week, no joke. Mahzu has better service, and on some rolls and presentation they do better, whereas Matsuri has a better (or at least more intimate) atmosphere and seems a bit more tradition-​bound in places. I suggest trying them both, as they both have plenty going for them.

Sushi matsuri is one of the most authentic places in Gainesville that offers really good sushi. I went their with my friends and we really enjoyed the atmosphere and the service. Even though the prices are abit expensive, I defiantly recommend it.

Will not recommend or go back.
We went Thanksgivings eve
Got the Rainbow roll and Mexican roll for our meal
MR — is made with shrimp tempura– oil tasted old
The RR is rolled with fish instead of seaweed, it was good until I got to the end of the roll and the fish tasted old while I was chewing it.
We got spring rolls and steamed dumplings as appetizers, they were good. The only thing we weren’t used to is that the cut the spring rolls in half when they put them on the plate, I’ve never seen that before.
Overly priced. $ 2.25 for some soda.
Was no approached by waitress the whole time eating. She came when we were done and asked if everything was ok and asked she could take our plates.
Very disappointed that we ended up spending almost $ 40 for sushi that wasn’t worth it. No where compared to what we are used to.

hands done the best sushi place in Gainesville! We get the sashimi special, and it comes with salad and soup. Every time it’s a little different because of what fish they have. The sushi master never smiles but he always greet us and say goodbye. He seems legit. I love to sit at the bar and watch them. They can get really busy because it’s a small place. The staff is super nice!

Best sushi in town. It’s been consistently great food for over a decade. Service isn’t great but the quality of the fish is worth the wait and forgotten drink refills. We come here every time we’re back in town. Highly recommend!

I admit for sushi in Gainesville it took me about 4 months to Land the best sushi joint in this town. And I’m so glad I found it! I thought I found it in he past but this is definitely the one to come to. Don’t even try or attempt to look any further! Great, fresh, and reasonably priced sushi. The restaurant feels somewhat small but extremely welcoming, the servers are very friendly. I have nothing negative to say about the place because I’m overwhelmed with the experience we had here. The Aged tofu is made to perfection, This is the official go to spot for sushi! I definitely recommend this place and you will thank me later! Enjoy!

I could eat here twice a week until I expired. Fresh, delicious, ample portions. Polite, attentive, unobtrusive service. What more do you want? Heartily recommended.

Sometimes what makes a great dining experience is simple, fresh food sans any smoke, flowers or any fancy pants décor. That’s exactly what Sushi Matsuri is all about.
A smallish business with about a dozen tables and no grills, the sushi bar is the highlight. I have a feeling that’s what most patrons are here for as there was a constant flow of them grabbing a roll and leaving. I enjoyed an expertly prepared platter of sushi that had a good amount of seaweed salad and daikon. The fish was extremely fresh without a hint of any fish odor. Their fish is shipped twice a week. Prices were reasonable and a small bowl of sushi rice was $ 1.
It was evident that sushi chef Mil has been doing this for awhile as he rolled and sliced with precision. Most importantly was his attention to food safety as he thoroughly washed his hands constantly.

The best sushi place in Gainesville IMO. I usually share a boat with a friend and come here occasionally. Their assortment of fresh fish is nice and authentic when I imagine Japanese cuisine. I’ve never really tried any of their other dishes, except for the Rice dons which is good but not nearly worth the price they charge. All in all, the sushi is great, I would recommend every time.

UH-​mazing This chef loves food & has a passion for each creation! Why is it so yum you ask? It is clearly cooked with love! Please never change a thing!

Tried the sushi and it was pretty good, but too over priced compared to other sushi places in Gainesville. The best of the rolls I tried was the Volcano roll but for almost $ 14… not worth it. And the wait time was super long, was there waiting for my food for almost an hour.