Nijiya Sushi

BEST AYCE SUSHI IN GREATER BOSTON AREA
I have been to Yamato, which some think is better than Nijiya, but they lack the sushi: rice ratio and service that Nijiya offers. If you can drive and get to Medford, you can get the following prices for all you can eat sushi:
$ 14.50 Weekday Lunch
$ 16.50 Weekend Lunch
$ 21.99 Weekday Dinner
$ 23.99 Weekend Dinner
They have a lot of space in this restaurant and it is ideal for groups. If you have a party with 6+ people, you will be charged 18% gratuity. The staff was super friendly, quick, and accommodating. This definitely can’t be said of Yamato, where they want you to leave quickly and take longer and longer to bring out sushi after each additional order you put in. Everyone who took our order, brought our food, and cleared our table were smiling and always willing to bring us more food!
highlights:
+ SALMON MAKIMONO: I preferred the plain rolls here. This roll is just salmon wrapped in sushi rice and nori, but it didn’t have too much rice and the salmon was really good.
+ HAND ROLLS: All the hand rolls were good! There was way more fish than rice, which is unheard of at AYCE sushi restaurants. The entire opening of the hand roll is all fish, and as you get near the bottom of the roll, there is not too much rice. I liked the EEL, SPICY TUNA, SPICY SALMON, AND SALMON SKIN in particular. The spicy tuna and spicy salmon had a lot of tempura flakes on it. There were no plain salmon and tuna hand roll options.
— NIGIRI: There was a lot of rice that came with each one, but I was able to take off a lot of the rice and the staff didn’t scold me for it. Otherwise, it’s almost like you’re getting sashimi?
tips:
* Dinner price includes sashimi & special rolls.
* If you like traditional rolls, the plain makimono rolls are great!

Every piece of sushi was amazing. Super delicious. Appetizers were all great and the dessert (friend ice cream) was super good too! Very quick service and friendly people. We got everything quick. I highly recommend this restaurant!

Meh. Very average quality sushi. I got take out, the delivery process was good but the quality of the sushi was mediocre. It lacked flavor. Although, the ell avocado roll and the crab salad were good. Overall — just average as are their prices.

The delivery time is a complete lie. After an hour and a half, we decide to call the restaurant. They grab the manager who says «just wait. A driver will be there». And hangs up! 2+ hours later… still no food. We call, and just tell them to cancel the order and give us the money because its not worth it. Only then do they arrive to give us the food.
The sushi was alright, but not worth a 2 hour wait. On top of that. they sent us the WRONG order. Hopefully their in-​house service is better.

Great sushi experience! Delicious and high quality food! The wait staff is very nice and attentive. We’ve been there twice in the last 3 months. We also splurged and got the extra uni! We can’t wait to go back again!

This is one of the very few times we relied on Unilocal rating and reviewers and got things wrong about an eatery. We still can’t believe how Nijiya got 4 stars. We read one reviewer say this place is far better than Yamato. We took her word and expected something comparable to what we typically get at Yamato.
We have to say that their lunch price is very low at $ 16.50 on weekends but there’s not much choice on the lunch menu. No desserts, no special rolls for the lunch price. Their sushi menu looked typical but the quality of fish was subpar. All the rolls you order are composed of bloated fried tempura bits and low-​quality smashed up fish. See photo below for reference. Their hand rolls tend to be relatively better. We were happier eating left over plain rice and seaweed of our hand rolls than continuing with oily, bland blob that barely tasted like fish. While we typically order 3 – 4 rounds but at Nijiya, we were done after our first.
We were utterly disappointed and thought we would have gotten higher quality sushi and rolls at Whole Foods for the same price. If you are looking for cheap, ok-​quality sushi with lots of fried noodles and dumplings, this might be a place for you. Otherwise, we strongly suggest opting for other locations. Any hardcore sushi lover would call this place a disappointment.

literally my favorite, #1 place to go to for sushi now. the price is amazing for the quality of sushi and sashimi they offer, not to mention their hot food selection is WONDERFUL. and they have fried ice cream! ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend, 6 stars, hands down perfect for any hardcore sushi lover. i’m pretty sure the waitstaff knows me by now, i’m there so often.
also, not to encourage/​perpetuate the competition between sushi places, but — suck it, Yamato. seriously.

This is my to go sushi place for my sushi cravings. Out of the many all you can eat sushi restaurants that I’ve been to, this one is probably the best out of all of them. One thing that you may experience in other all you can eat sushi places is the long wait time. That’s one of the things that annoy me the most. However, this place is pretty quick and consistent. The only thing I don’t like is the amount of rice that goes with the nigiri. The rice on the nigiri doesn’t have enough seasoning and the rice doesn’t feel soft. The thing that I do like about the nigiri is the amount of fish you get. It’s pretty huge compared to other sushi restaurants. I’ve been only getting the lunch option since I think that is the best option for me. In my opinion, I don’t think the dinner price is worth it. Whatever you do though, don’t over stuff yourself or you’ll ruin your experience!

Do NOT eat here. Just don’t do it. Why, might you ask? I think this one deserves a deconstruction via list:
1. The fish isn’t fresh!
In fact, I sit here writing this review a mere 30 minutes after eating at N, & I’m experiencing an intense stomach ache. If you need reason beyond fish that isn’t fresh at a sushi joint, read on.
2. There was a fly in my Pellegrino.
That’s right. A goblet, a lemon wedge, sparkling water, and a fly. The server didn’t flex a single facial muscle as I informed her of this; she mechanically lifted my glass and brought me a new one. Weird…
3. The server spoke so little English that it was actually almost impossible to understand what she was saying. Now, this would never be a reason for me to feel put out as I love traveling and people from any parts of this world. My issue is that she barely moved her lips, like a bored Simpsons character, and didn’t put forth any effort into communicating with us.
In summary, Boston is full of restaurants. Skip this one.

Sushi is one of the best I’ve eaten in all of Boston area. And it’s AYCE! The service is very good and attentive. They encourage ordering multiple times by coming back fast with new empty order sheets instead of ordering too much at once. Which is good because if you don’t finish an order you pay double for it.
Not only is the sushi delicious but there are many great other appetizers and entrees in the AYCE order sheet as well and a few dessert options.
Definitely going back!

Finally got to eat here and it was such a nice experience. I never feel like I get my value in for AYCE places because I don’t eat a lot to begin with, but if you go really hungry, that have some tasty food here, and a really nice variety. Big restaurant with plenty of seating. Staff are super helpful, friendly, and quick. It’s never so crowded here that you have to wait long for a seat, which is nice. Great addition to the Square.
Food: California Roll, Salmon Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Spicy tempura roll, Tamogoyaki, Sushi Rice, Yaki udon, chicken yakitori, 2 pork katsu, 2 pork gyoza, edamame, tofu, matcha ice cream, and fried bananas were all delicious.
I like how easy it is to order by checking off boxes and getting new slips for subsequent orders. I would definitely recommend coming here at least once to try a little of everything, and than once you know what you like, coming in the future to order just what you like to save money, if necessary. Can’t wait to go back soon!

Preface this post w/​that I did not do AYCE sushi which was probably my mistake (although I have gotten AYCE here when it just opened and I’ll touch on that later). But for the other food my review still stands at 1 star because you have such a small menu how can you just mess up so hard. Literally everything was a miss.
Had takoyaki, salmon nigiri, salmon maki, tuna maki, pork katsu, and chicken yakitori. Holyyyyy SOOOO overpriced for the katsu and yakitori. $ 12 for 2 thin slabs of pork and $ 12 for 2 skewers of chicken? Are you kidding me? That’s just obscene. Takoyaki was not good, tasted like it was from the frozen food section of an Asian market. Grrhh just such a disappointing meal. The 2 pieces of nigiri might have been the only good part of the meal.
As for the AYCE, I’d rather pay out for better quality elsewhere. It’s $ 23 for AYCE sushi dinner here and when you see that the nigiri and sashimi are very different colors for the tuna that’s just a bit questionable.
Can’t believe I’ve come here twice but I don’t think I’ll come back again.

I had a pretty good time at Nijiya eating my heart out on the AYCE sushi deal. They’re pretty low key on the rules here… as in there are no rules as long as you finish all your food! No limits on time you can spend pigging out, no maximum number of items per order, no limit on how many rounds of food you can order.
Of course you’re not going to get quality fish if you’re paying less than $ 30 for 20 pieces of fish and multiple maki rolls. But as far as sushi buffet goes, I was pretty satisfied with this place by Boston standards. I think it’s a hit or miss when it comes to seafood quality at restaurants like this, but on Tuesday night that I visited, it was fine. Salmon tasted a little fishy but the tuna and yellowtail was fine. Cuts on sashimi are thick and generous, but you can tell the knifework isn’t the greatest (but what do you expect). This place doesn’t even have a sushi bar, lol. Service was a little slow but friendly and accommodating.
There is a small TV on the wall, and I did watch a little bit of basketball while I was digesting the 50 pieces of sushi I probably ate.
No uni or oysters here (unlike my current AYCE sushi favorite Takusan)

Let me tell you about Nijiya.
It’s a sushi joint hidden behind the construction on the main street in Medford Square. It’s all you can eat where you write down what you want on 2 sheets and the server brings them over when they’re ready.
The appetizers here are delicious. I loved the fried calamari and octopus appetizer. They come with a nice sauce on the side and you can adjust the order quantity per your party size. The miso soup was divine. I wanted to bathe in its glory before commencing with «Operation Stuff-​your-​gluttonous-​face-​with-​endless-​sushi-​until-​feelings-​of-​regret-​take-​over».
The sushi rolls were fine. The nigiri comes with a ton of rice so keep that in mind. You will be charged for leaving behind a substantial amount of food to be tossed, which is subject to the restaurant’s discretion. The specialty rolls arrive in 6 pcs per 1 order you write on the small sheet, so be careful. Also, sashimi and specialty rolls are only available if you elect the dinner buffet option. The salmon, tuna, and red snapper sashimi were exceptional and not slimy or tough at all!
Remember to pace yourself as you eat. Near the end of our meal we struggled with finishing our second round of fried apps, yaki shrimp udon, and grilled steak but it wouldn’t be a genuine buffet if one was not in anguish of persevering through til the last empty plate.
Service was quick when we were the only patrons around 2pm on a Saturday afternoon but slowed a bit when people started coming in around 3.
Street parking is available but we parked at the 2 hour parking lot to your second or third right once you get off the rotary.
Overall, I’m glad our apps and entrees arrived quickly. Their system involves bringing out parts of your order as they are ready versus waiting until every item is ready, so you’re never left starving.
Great find in Medford and definitely worth another trip!

Amazing! So glad I tried Nijiya. the concept is much like Yamato in Brighton where it’s all-​you-​can-​eat but made-​to-​order. Of course, I’d read the warnings before heading in that you’ll be charged for what you don’t eat, and of course, I still made the grave error of ordering WAY TOO MUCH for our party of 4. Somehow though, we powered through the order and got away with not paying for the 10 or so pieces we left over. :)
For appetizers, we got the spring rolls, fried fish & yaki chicken udon all of which were pretty good. We also got spicy tuna salad & spicy salmon salad + spicy tuna handrolls, which were all amazing and super fresh. For sushi, we got a decent variety of items, all of which we really enjoyed (except for the rainbow roll, which oddly had mayo in it). I have to say, the sashimi was really on point– super, super fresh.
The inside of this place is pretty ghetto– reminds me of a painted over papa gino’s or something with red & green paint which didn’t really work for me. it’d be nice if they’d put a little effort into the interior, but at the end of the day, it’s a budget joint so you get what you get.
Overall, very pleased with my experience, totally recommend it and would definitely return. Kudos!

All you can eat for 15.99 but then if you don’t finish what you order they will ask you to PAY your leftover! Who does that!!!
Good sushi but won’t come back anymore! I would never go to a place where you pay what you eat and also pay for your leftover!
Just go somewhere else!

Best experience at an AYCE for price point and service. It’s essentially a better version of Yamato. In your face Yamato.
I went for lunch on a Friday ($ 15.99) and there were only 4 tables including my own party of 2. Seaweed salad and takoyaki came out very quickly, while our 7 rolls soon followed on a single large platter. All their rolls were fresh, they didn’t pack on the rice or skimp on the fish either.
Everyone who works there was all smiles and Super friendly. They really value and treat their customers well too. There’s parking in the area and the place is spacious and okay clean, could do for some brighter lighting, but nevertheless I actually had an amazing experience stuffing my face.
I can’t see any downs from eating here. I’m definitely going to swing by on a weeknight for dinner to try their sashimi and specialty rolls.
Edit: Their lunch menu only has nigiri, makimono, and hand rolls. Sashimi and specialty rolls are dinner only. If you only order tempura laden rolls then that’s what you get…

Nijiya is the best sushi buffet you’ll find in the Medford/​Somerville area. I usually come on weekdays for lunch when the price is only $ 14, and so worth every penny. The lunch menu only has a handful of their speciality rolls (compared to their dinner menu which has all of them). I always leave this place having over-​eaten because I just couldn’t get enough. If you can get out to Medford Square, and you appreciate some good sushi, then Nijiya is absolutely worth it.
Food: When I went with six friends, we ordered probably about ¾s of the things on the menu. I distinctly remember loving the Caterpillar Roll, but that could just be because I’m a sucker for avocado & eel in any setting. The rolls are a great size, and will have you excited to order more every time. I definitely encourage ordering in several iterations!
Ambiance: They have the strangest playlist running at this place. It’s sometimes classic rock, and sometimes pop music — but generally things that have my head bopping for most of the meal. It is generally built for a very pleasant experience.
Service: Some of the most courteous and friendly wait staff that I have ever had the pleasure to dine with. Greeted with a smile, quickly seated, and always working on getting your order into the kitchen and out to you as soon as possible. I’ve generally been there during lunch though, which is inherently less busy for them so I’m not sure what it would be like at a more crowded hour.

This place is worth checking out and is making some noise in the noisier Medford Square area. Excellent wait staff, prompt service and nice spacious decently lit space. They have all-you-can-mofu**cK***-eat-sushi for lunches and dinner.
It works simple, you have a AYCE menu and you can choose what, how much to get from apps, sushi, sashimi, nigiri, ec etc. You get to repeat the process again and again. Thedifference between a buffet and this place is, the things arent kept waiting for you in the buffet line, they make it to order.
Specialty rolls are good. I took off one star for the over use of rice in sushi! Common, if I wanted to eat vinegary rice I would have boiled it at home!
Now onto the real deal-​Dont waste time on appetizers and soups and if you know your quantity or a ball park approximation, order it at the first go. The trick is after you order it takes about 10 mins to get the stuff. And if you arent hungry then, you will end up wasting food and fish. Which isnt good for mother earth! The more is your resting time, food settles in fast and you loose appetite. So got for it tiger!
Also, dont waste time on dessert!

$ 14 for an all-​you-​can-​eat sushi, maki, appetizer, soup and salad lunch. Made to order. Let’s do this.
I was surprised at how quiet the burnt ember interior of Nijiya was for a prime lunch rush, but then I remembered Medford, and hoped this wasn’t the norm.
Seated immediately, offered a full rundown of the lunch options: AYCE for $ 14, two rolls for $ 10, three rolls for $ 12, or a la carte at list price. We’re two diesel dudes who can pound a pound of rawness, so double AYCE it is.
First, options: while sashimi and dessert aren’t on the unlimited roster (for lunch; included in dinner), what is available is incredibly diverse. Hand rolls and maki, seaweed salad and spicy beef noodle soup, edamame (it’s a junk bean!) and shumai — they’re all included on the bottomless menu.
We’re not talking the utmost in quality, but it’s definitely more than serviceable. Peep the fine print about avoiding waste — you’ll get charged double the a la carte price if you can’t finish what you order, which my half-​Japanese lunch buddy said is common practice in Nippon. I respect it. Didn’t stop me from housing three maki (including the multi-​fish and avocado rich rainbow roll), two orders of seaweed salad, veggie gyoza, four pieces of sushi and half a bowl of soup. Easily $ 25 in goods for a paltry $ 14. Even the fountain drinks and hot tea have free refills.
I keep my fingers crossed this place will make it on this model. I’m a fan, and could easily be brought back to explore the dinner menu. Provided, of course, I fast for a full day. FINISH HIM!