Sushi Ebisuya

Sushi was great! Service could have been better. The highlight of the menu is the green tea cheesecake — must eat!

We went here for lunch. The sushi combo and sashimi bowl were really fresh and tasty.

I’ve been to ebisuya several times and I love it so much.
they’re usually super busy so we try to plan for when they aren’t as busy. I’ve been a couple times when they’re packed and it takes really long time because there is only two sushi chefs.
but the rolls are amazing. there’s six pieces with every roll and the most expensive roll is $ 8.99? most averaging in the $ 4 range. I usually get four rolls and it’s about $ 15.
the service is always friendly and attentive.
they are also BYOB, so a bottle of wine with sushi makes for a perfect (and affordable) date night.

Had the 30 piece and tamago. It was just right for 2 people. Had to try the green tea cheesecake. We enjoyed all of it.

Sushi Ebisuya, a sushi bar/​restaurant located in downtown Hilo is open 7 days a week from 11:30 am to 2 pm for lunch and 5 pm to 8:30 pm for dinner. Street parking is available and it’s free, haha.
There’s not that many «full-​on» sushi joints in Hilo, where Sushi Ebisuya is one of the newest one’s that has opened. We decided to come here for lunch after I’ve been doing my research on sushi places in Hilo. We got there as soon as it opened, got greeted, got a table and got served. There were only 1 server and 2 sushi chefs. Besides our table there were 3 others that were ready. Good thing we put in our order first cause I was itching for some sushi! We ordered the 30 pc Combo which was noted as their best seller and I highly recommend it. It consisted 6 pieces each of Spicy Tuna, Dragon (Shrimp Tempura), Alaskan (Salmon), California and Hamachi. Everybody else ordered the same thing thereafter.
After we destroyed the 30 pc combo, I ordered the Spicy Dragon which is Shrimp Tempura and cucumber with a spicy aioli, then the Volcano Dragon which is their version of Spicy Ahi Poke on the Dragon Roll and lastly the Spicy Teriyaki Roll which is BBQ chicken with a spicy aioli. For my taste I would also highly recommend the Volcano Dragon… unreal!
All of the sushi were awesome! It had the right amount of sauce and the spicy aioli didn’t overpower. Everything was just on point! The green tea cheesecake was great also. The atmosphere has a laid back, casual feel. My experience with service there was good, welcoming and accommodating.
I got my sushi fix for the day! Would I be back? Oh absolutely! Thank you Sushi Ebisuya for making my first visit a fantastic and delightful one!!!

I say the only thing keeping this place from the 5 stars is how tiny it is. The atmosphere is nice, relaxing, but sometimes I feel like I’m responding to conversations going on around me. They take reservations, so no matter what day you go, call ahead and reserve.
Wait service has improved since the first time I was here (about 8 months ago), staff is more knowledgeable and we had one girl waiting on the whole place, she was on it.
But the food is why I’d go back, of course! Miso soup is delicious and fish is fresh! The menu doesn’t expand much past sushi rolls, but the prices are extremely reasonable.
You can bring your own alcohol, I believe only sake, wine and beer. But don’t be a d*ck while you drink there, they rightly REFUSE service to the intoxicated. Little hole in the wall place in downtown Hilo across from Lucy’s!

Amazing sushi great real feel too the place only downfall is no ac it gets kinda hot in that place. All in all place is good, good food great prices. If you haven’t been yet I suggest you try it out.

Sushi Ebisuya is probably THE place to get sushi in Hilo besides Takenoko which requires a reservation and long wait. Not only that, it’s pretty cheap and the sushi is somewhat fresh. I am not going to say they are super fresh because it definitely isn’t, but for the price, it’s definitely worth it.
I am not a huge fan of rolls because I don’t like sauces. I usually always get nigiri only but this place is more known for their roll combination which can feed about 2 people for $ 16.99 that has about 30 pieces. The pieces aren’t that small and is average so I think it should be enough for 2 girls but I don’t know about guys.
Their nigiri though, is just OK. Not great nor bad. It’s cheap compared to the ones I have had back in California but I rather pay more and eat much more fresher sushi with a better cut.
Oh, I don’t recommend their chirashi here. It’s just not worth the money to order that chirashi. Get nigiri or sashimi instead. Their lunch menu is pretty cheap so coming here for lunch might be nice too.
Only think I don’t like about this place, well most of the restaurants in Hilo, is that they don’t have air conditioner. Plus, I see bugs flying everywhere and it really bothers me. They do have a fan but it’s really not that helpful. Especially during hot summer, it’s just so humid and bad. To add, when this restaurant gets full, it’s even worse.
The waitress is attentive and tries to help as soon as she gets a chance but she can be slow. I never saw 2 waitresses working and it is always just her doing everything so it can be frustrating.
Parking seems to be the main concern here as it is strictly street parking.

Love me some Ebisuya when I’m not being a Japanese sushi brat. Why? # 1) SUSHI! & sushi is sushi and # 2) $ 4.99 a roll. That’ll take anyone out from under their rock. Homygod, cheap yummy sushi rolls and nigiri, is this real life? Yes. And I’d say you get what you pay for so know that and don’t be dumb enough to be picky in Hilo. Welcome to real life.
That being said:
If you’re in Hilo and you like sushi rolls, give it a shot. It’s not bad sushi and you’re hard pressed to find rolls at this price anywhere in Hawaii. Then you can decide if it’s good for you or not. I will venture to say you will love it if you’re an east side local.
Now if you’re a sushi snob, you’ll talk shit. But maybe you’ll find one thing on the menu you can’t diss. Challenge yourself. They deserve the business.
Besides the prices, I go back for the hotate, sake, hotate rolls, rock n roll and dragon roll. Why? Because it’s here or Oceans on this island. I found here. Obviously not the best hotate or anything I’ve had, but does the job especially when I’m on the fly which is pretty often. Take out is a wondrous invention.
The nigiri is doable and agreeable for my personal taste – which is I have high standards but try not to be snooty about others preparing my food. Put it this way, at the price and with enough shoyu and wasabi, I agree. The hamachi is fine as well as the sake and unagi, but not spectacular and nowhere near Oh-​My-​Umami. I’d describe it as subpar yummy. The maguro nigiri is boring. The uni is questionable depending on your intestines and the ikura was a little smushy mushy for my palate. But I still gulped it all down with a smile on my face!
I will always elate over a bargain meal and this place certainly does it for me. It’s a great place to have a company lunch and treat your employees that’s for sure. Especially if your employees are young. Light bulb. Do it.
I will say however that for Japanese sushi chefs you do expect a little more bango. Not bingo but bango; and this place is not so much a bingo but you do get some kind of bango for your bucko.
No dessert besides green tea cheesecake.
Small and cute place with a sushi bar and BYOB. Usually 2 sushi chefs working and 1 – 2 servers at a time, so things can get slow. Take Kirin and be merry.

Awesomely fresh and creative. In a town with plenty of inexpensive sushi options this place takes the cake. Decided to try this place for a birthday dinner and we were very pleased. I will come here again and again.

After reading the reviews and seeing the nice pics here on Unilocal,we thought we’d give this place a try with hopeful optimism. We were able to make a reservation an hour in advance (as compared to another sushi establishment in town where the next available reservation is around six months ahead). Here is what we experienced:
There were two sushi chefs who were from Japan behind the bar. So I thought this place can’t be too bad. The quality of sushi rice was of a lower standard which might explain the lower prices. Here are some other notes I need to share so future patrons won’t be surprised.
–they do not fry the amaebi heads for you
–they do not have natto
–plastic cups are provided for your byob
–omakase sets aren’t on the menu so don’t ask for it
–they weren’t serving chirashi that night… for whatever reasons, I will never know. Isn’t it just another way of preparing sushi ingredients? This was one of those head scratchers.
So for the price, I’d give ³⁄₅ for the sushi.
Now to the service…
There was a local girl serving us and there was one other waitress who sounded like she could have been from Japan. The place wasn’t busy at all so what threw us off guard was that the chefs misplaced our order for whatever reasons resulting in our party of four adults having to wait an HOUR for our food. Seemed like after they realized their error, they rushed to get our sushi made resulting in the presentation looking a little sloppy and rushed.
Just seemed like they may have been either inexperienced waitresses or they just don’t pay attention to detail. We kept having to ask for stuff such as more napkins, settings for our kids, more plates (which looked like it came straight out of then dishwasher and we had to wipe it down ourselves). They probably thought we were being urusai.
Regardless, it was a good thing that we brought our own beverages as it occupied our time while we waited!
Service: ¹⁄₅
Average: ²⁄₅
I’m sure, after reading the other reviews, that it was just one of those nights and we were just in the right place at the wrong time. Just hope others don’t experience this as us Hilo people don’t like to wait around for food. I’d recommend it if you don’t mind a genki sushi compatible sushi for a reasonable price. I’d go back again and hope to write a better review next time!

30 pieces of sushi for around $ 17? And it’s good sushi? I’ll take it and wager 4 stars, Alex.
Came on a surprisingly busy Thursday night. The restaurant interior itself was unbelievably hot and took awhile to get used to at first, which is the only real negative.
Our waitress was the only one and hats off to her– she was crushing it — taking and giving a full restaurant’s worth of orders and drinks, acting as cashier and hostess. She was just really impressive.
My wife and I both really enjoyed the sushi, sashimi and nigiri we had. The 30 piece deal is a good variety of fish, vegetable, «krab,» and prawn rolls and I would highly recommend it. I will definitely be going back next time I am in Hilo.

Cheapest sushi place I’ve ever been, and really good! Rolls are small, and super affordable so it’s nice to mix and match and not have too much food/​spend a ton of money.
I can definitely see how service could be slow if the restaurant filled up, but we were here on a Monday night and it wasn’t bad.
I would definitely recommend this place.

Price is probably the best thing about this place. Sushi is not high end, but great pricing for a casual sushi dinner, and is still tasty. Fusion rolls are pretty good, and nigiri size is decent. I’d eat here again, it was an overall good experience. The ambiance reminds me of a Japanese home, which I liked! I wish the miso soup was served hotter though.

One of the best «bang for your buck» sushi places that I’ve been to.
Location: Sushi Ebisuya is located across the street from Lucy’s Taqueria in downtown Hilo on Kilauea Ave between Ben Franklin and Downtown KTA. The space is a small hole in the wall with maybe a dozen tables or so and an open-​air sushi bar. There is no private parking lot, so park on the street. My family visited on a Saturday during lunch, so downtown was packed, and we had to compete with the farmers market and tourists for parking.
Food: The food was great! There is a combo of three rolls of sushi with a bowl of miso soup for only $ 10.99. I ordered the Alaska roll (with salmon), California roll, and a dragon roll, which has shrimp tempura inside. The rice had just the right texture so that it wasn’t mushy, but also so that the roll didn’t fall apart in your hands. The salmon tasted very fresh, and the shrimp tempura was crispy, but not soggy. We shared a mocha cheesecake, which was decadent with a dense and creamy texture, but the serving felt small for $ 3.99.
Service: I have no complaints about the service. There was only one waitress for the whole restaurant, which feels typical for the size, and she was working very hard. We had to ask a few times for a takeout container, which didn’t feel like a problem considering how much she was doing. There were three sushi chefs at the bar, so food came out pretty quickly. Some friends that live in the college dorms were there eating together, so you know that the food is good and affordable.
My overall assessment of Sushi Ebisuya is that the food is great, and you can’t beat the prices. I will definitely visit again and encourage others to try it out as well.

This place is hands down phenomenal! Quality sushi at a great price! I tried the Spicy Tuna Roll, which was epic. The Volcano Dragon was fire, and the Teriyaki Chicken Roll, my gawsh, unreal!
Will be going back many many more times! Oh and it’s byob, how can you go wrong?
Btw, the environment is so smooth. Full of culture, full of passion, and full of Hilo!

Not bad. Pretty affordable. me & my boyfriend tried this place for the first time. I love that it’s a small restaurant that is open in the evenings. Atmosphere was beautiful décor. Felt like I was at the old miyos.
We were greeted and seated. the waitress was friendly but not overpoweringly friendly which I like. After looking over the menu my boyfriend and I decided that the 30pc seemed reasonable & offered the most variety for us to try. This 30pc was $ 17 that offered 5 different types 6pc of rolls. An Alaskan (salmon/​avocado), California, kona kampachi, spicy tuna & a dragon roll (our fave) we waited a bit after ordering which was fine because we weren’t too hungry. The sushi had a beautiful presentation. We were still a bit hungry so we ordered an extra Baja California (classic California with spicy aioli) & a spicy dragon which is the dragon with spicy aioli. Both of these extra rolls were 3.99 ea.
Our total came out to be 24.97 including tax. That is pretty good for decent sushi for two. I have one star off because it was a bit warm in there, other than that the affordability & presentation is good.

I was really excited that I stumbled across this place. I’m from Oahu originally so new places are always great in hilo.
Went on a Saturday night with a friend & and my husband. There was only about 10 other people there. The waitress was quick to seat us and give us water. She seemed nervous and kind of knew about the menu & the types of fish. My husband ordered a miso soup, which wasn’t that great. We ordered 7 rolls, they came pretty quickly. The rolls were good. I like the rice to filling ratio.
Honestly, I wish they had better ways to distinct between the rolls with ethier a sauce or topping. They didn’t look fun or appealing.
Bottom line: you get what you pay for. The rolls run from about $ 5-​$ 7. So you can’t expect much. The ambience was great. I would come back again.

This is the new delicious «it» sushi place to go in Hilo but it feels like it’s been at home in its location forever. And, is definitely the best in town.
If you look at the pictures and think, «this food looks delicious!» It’s because it is delicious. Everything is very high quality. The fish is so fresh it’s gleaming and the chefs really know their craft with cuts and top notch presentation.
Our service was very good, and when I left my credit card our kind waitress literally ran down the street to catch us.
The décor is perfect for families or a date night. And, I appreciated that it was authentic and homey.
Highly recommend you check it out and make reservations on Friday and Saturday evenings to ensure you can get in.
Thank you! We can’t wait to come back!
Feel free to reach out to me with questions about each place or destination. I only write 5 star reviews to help you find the best each city has to offer.

New sushi joint in Hilo downtown.
Authentic Edomae style Sushi prepared by the skilled, kinda old, Japanese sushi chef (He used to make sushi at «Sasabune» in Honolulu.)
Sushi ONLY. no noodle, no Donburi.
No alcohol. but they welcome you to bring your own drink. (BYOB OK!)
The price is very reasonable. (ex; 5.99 for 2pc Uni. 2.99 for 6pc California roll)
Better to call to reserve seats for weekend nights.