Mike’s Sushi & Sake Bar

I can’t believe I’ve been missing this gem since living less than a mile from it for the past year!
I haven’t had sushi this good in a long time! Had the Arizona roll and the crazy roll. Both were a perfect size to fill me up without being stuffed and were so light and refreshing tasting. The crazy roll was especially good with a lovely tuna taste, but then the spicy flavor and light but crunchy flakes on top. I also highly recommend the shrimp shumai. It’s been over 10 years since I’ve had such light and fluffy shumai at a restaurant!
The service and atmosphere were also very pleasant. Prompt, pleasant, and helpful service and although there are tvs on so you can watch the game, there is only light music playing in the background, which makes conversation very easy.
I’ll be looking forward to coming back!

Their sushi is so good. They have a create your own roll section which lets you make anything you’d like. The staff is always friendly and even when they are busy they get your sushi out quickly. Very clean and prices are average for a sushi restaurant.

First of all I have been living in Tampa Bay for 6 years now and after living all over the world with the military finding good sushi was a must for me and my wife. After searching for years I have finally found a sushi bar that has the quality, care and environment that we were looking for. This place is very authentic and the staff are so great. The owners Ivy and Sam are wonderful people and it really shines through with their food. The nigiri is perfect and the tomago is on point. Love this place and I am so happy that they are open for lunch now.
This is a must for all who live and visit Tampa Bay!

Service is decent, could be better
Prices are cheap to decent compared to others
Atmosphere was odd because you have the sushi chef staring at you constantly
Food is above the average sushi. Even comparable to Kobe Steakhouse’s sushi
Overall it’s a really good place, could be better if they opened a bit earlier.

This used to be my favorite sushi place but since Mike retired, its no where near as good. The rolls are pretty tasteless and the service is now really slow. Its a shame. I will miss the old Mikes and probably wont return.

Finally. We have been looking in the area for a sushi restaurant that was good. And we’ve had some swings and misses. BIG misses. We walked in and were instantly a bit more at ease — a beautiful sushi bar, several tables that were secluded by drapes, and an inviting staff. The menu: perfect! Wasabi shumai (yum!), perfectly cut sushi, and some interesting rolls. It was happy hour so we tried a few of the ones on that menu — I really liked the pepper tuna and avocado roll and my husband had a delicious cali roll with eel on top. But what got me: all the nigiri sushi that we ordered was picture perfect and delicious and fresh, so very fresh, from snapper to tuna to tamago. Go here. Definitely go here.

Mike’s Sushi & Sake Bar
Palm Harbor, Florida
Okay, this is it. I am a sushi fanatic, and have found some pretty good sushi places here in Florida… but Mike’s is absolutely the best around. I keep telling Mike that he is the only reason I won’t move back to NY! His fish is so fresh, it’s still quivering. First, there’s the atmosphere. What’s not to love about a sushi bar with blues playing on the stereo system?
Most of the regulars sit at the sushi bar, where it’s not unusual to pass tastes of dishes or shots of sake up and down the bar. Strangers become friends immediately. I usually start with Poke, which is served in a martini glass, succulent bites of perfect tuna with macadamia nuts, cucumber and hot sauce. Then maybe a small plate of that fabulous marinated sea bass… can’t pass up Mike’s incredible dynamite roll, the special scallops, incredible sweet shrimp with tempura fried heads (and they’re really baby shrimp, the way they’re supposed to be), but the best is when all the regulars are sitting at the bar awaiting the Uni Man. When the delivery of sea urchin arrives, you can hear a pin drop. We’re all too busy salivating to say a word. Then he serves it up, plain and simple, the perfect bite. Mike taught me to really appreciate uni, not even to have it sushi, but just plain sashimi, perfectly perfect.
And then, the last perfect bite, is Mike’s Wasabi Tobiko. Flying fish roe marinated in wasabi, a gorgeous emerald green, topped with a quail egg. That wasabi rush will bring tears to your eyes, and you will instantly crave your next ride. Ahhhh, Mike’s. Mike and his son Sean or his sidekick Tony are behind the bar. Mike’s lovely wife is in the kitchen. Staff is warm and friendly. The sake selection can’t be beat. I’ve got a giant bottle with my name on it in the fridge, and chopsticks with my pic at the front of the place. Ahhhh, Mike’s. Nothing better, anywhere.

The good: the sushi actually tasted good. My favorite was the volcano roll. It is nicely made, nicely filled with fish, and tastes fresh. The service is friendly, they are incredibly helpful, and the prices aren’t too bad. They have a make your own sushi roll option. I will definitely try that next time. The food comes out pretty quickly as well, and they give you some nice bites to start your meal out with. We got some bean sprouts and some rice noodles. The clear soup here is so yum. Warm, incredibly flavorful, with nice shreds of mushroom.
The bad: lack of variety. The sushi is broken up between cooked and uncooked and most of it is cooked. I love me some raw sushi rolls. Additionally, almost every roll has crab stick. I try to avoid imitation crab in favor of actual nice fish but that is pretty hard to do over here. The sushi variety as a whole is just a bit uninspiring.
Will I go back? Probably. That make your own roll sounds appealing, but I am definitely open to suggestions.

Really does not understand the concept of gluten free. We brought our own gf soy sauce, explained to waitress about husband’s celiac disease, discussed several options with her and decided against several of them due to them having tempura crumbs which she told us were regular flour, not rice flour. Then brought us a big boat with several of the rolls sprinkled with crumbs. Sigh. So why the 5 stars? Cuz they fixed it. They remade the ones that had flour on them. They didn’t try to brush off the tempura. This is a neighborhood gem. Great food, fast service, interested in doing things correctly. If they have it as a special, make sure you have the Fire Island roll. Just make sure to ask for it without the topping if any of your party is gluten free. ;)

Good lil sushi bar. Sushi is pretty good especially the creat your own option. Great idea. Rolls are a lil small so definitely order two.

I just really, really love sushi. The rolls are colorful and look like works of art. It’s also taste great, the only thing that set it apart from many other sushi places is the Yellowtail Cheek.
Cheek, is usually a mystery if you are actually getting cheek or just a «cheek-​shaped» nugget from the filet. You can see just by the presentation you are in all actuality getting cheek.
We were the only one in the restaurant and it seems to me that they way to go is to get your order to-​go. During our diner 3 to-​go orders were served. I would definetly have them again, but I would go the to-​go route.

Great sushi! You really need to go to Mike’s if you are a sushi lover. Service excellent also!

Delicious!!! Staff was very friendly and the sushi was amazing. Happy to have found a place close to my home!

Yummmmm!!! Nice little Restaurant/​Sushi Bar with Super Fresh Delicious Food… The Rolls are Tasty and Presented Beautifully… My Dragon Roll was Shaped into a… Dragon!!! The Marinated Sea Bass was Delicious though Cut a Bit Differently than I’m Used to… and the Bottle of Nigori (Cold Unfiltered Sake) was Served in a Glass Ice Bucket to Keep it Extra Cold… a nICE Touch :)
Servers were Friendly and Accommodating… I Will be Back when I am in the Area Again :)

I hate that they are not open on Mondays! This caused me to go to a different place in east lake woodlands area and it was awful!!! Not gonna waste my time talking about them because they don’t deserve the Unilocal… On the flip side, mikes is the best sushi in the tri county! As I mentioned, closed on Mondays is not convenient for your guests. All this does is make your guests’ divert to a new place… Eventually they will find something comparable or better. Maybe I’m just bitter because I run s restaurant and don’t have the luxury of being closed one out of seven days…

Liked Mike’s sushi. Server for one had a great personality and was fun. My sister and I went for happy hour so all the rolls were $ 5! All very tasty, and despite it being so busy (line at the door) they had it under control. Sushi came out in a timely manner. Every customer who came in had smiles on their faces, greeted and were greeted by other customers and staff. Everyone knew everyone, a very popular place amongst the locals. Wow, who knew?! I seen this place while going to Carrabas, and heard about Mikes sushi, but didn’t know this was the spot. Sign outside in the plaza just reads Sushi (no Mikes anywhere lit up visibly) FYI. I’ll definitely have this spot on sushi rotation. Between specials and service, Mikes and Hot Tuna, best places for sushi in the local area so far.

Mike’s seriously has the best sushi!
The fish he uses is never mushy!
I’ve got to be careful not to eat to much,
Or else it’ll go right to my tushy!
Don’t let the name Mike fool you,
This man knows what he’s doing!
You could risk it by eating elsewhere
But that could lead to you spewing!
The quality of the fish used is outstanding!
That’s what his customers are demanding.
Better come early to get a table
Or else you might find yourself standing.
There is a nice selection of raw or fried rolls.
For your soy sauce are these cute lil bowls.
When it comes to eating at Mike’s sushi
I feel like I’ve got no self control!
Mike and his staff are amazing!
So, here on Unilocal I am praising!
And I hope all those who read this
Get a kick out of my phrasing! :)

Based on Unilocal reviews, some people LOVE this place, others don’t care for it so much, and I’m part of the latter. To be fair, we didn’t order anything fancy, just 3 pretty ordinary rolls: CONCH ROLL, SPICY SALMON ROLL and TAMPA ROLL. They tasted just fine, but nothing to write home about. My bf and I were there on a Sunday night but almost all the tables were full. 2 servers present and they were running around quite a bit, so service to us as a bit lacking. After we finished eating we did have to wait for a bit before either one checked on us. We also ordered the Calamari appetizer and it was pretty good, except I wish they offer the tempura dipping sauce like at other restaurants.
The sushi menu is smaller than a lot of sushi restaurants I’ve eaten at. The space is quaint and the booths with curtains are semi intimate. There’s a lot of variety of sake. But, honestly, I wasn’t impressed. There are so many good sushi restaurants in the area to choose from, I probably won’t be back.

My wife and I eat here once a week. Usually on Sunday’s. I have to admit that it is my guilty pleasure to eat here. The food is AWESOME and the staff are wonderful. I have seen the other reviews and I think those customers just do not understand the Japanese way or culture. My experience has only gotten better every time I eat at Mike’s.
I asked Mike to make me a Futomaki which is a giant roll and not on the menu. The first time he made it for me he added a little too much nori (seaweed). So I just took it out and then ate the roll. Still very good. Mike took notice and then next time I asked for it, he changed the roll without saying anything. He watches over his customers with great care and I really enjoy that level of service.
I also like to eat the ginger because I like the taste and it helps with the digestion of the raw food that you are eating. I would ask my server for more and they always get it for me without any hesitation. Again, Mike took notice and the last time I was there, he made up extra ginger and sent it to my table.
Service is awesome and don’t be put off by the other reviews, you just have to understand the culture in which you are now partaking in. Mikes is very authentic.
The food is amazing. The only other place I found the sushi to be this good is in New York and locally a place called Jo-To’s. I recently went back to Jo-to’s and I can say they are not anywhere near as good as Mikes is now. The service at Jo-​tos was terrible and the food lacked the quality it once had. I also found out recently that Mike used to be the general manager of Jo-to’s before he opened his own place. This made all the sense in the world to me, because Mike’s is much more superior quality.
I have eaten sushi for more than 30 years and I was taught by a wonderful Japanese couple in New York how to eat and understand what and why I am eating. Mike’s food is of the highest quality and the servings he gives you are very generous. You will not find another place as good as what he will give you.
I spend on average $ 120.00 to $ 150.00 including tip for a meal at Mike’s for me and my wife. I eat there weekly and plan on eating at Mike’s for many years to come. You will enjoy the food and don’t hesitate to ask the staff for anything, they are very accommodating to you.
Mike is a master sushi chef, and a fun guy to talk to. Go and enjoy the food he offers, it will not disappoint.

My sister and her fiancé are regulars at this sushi restaurant and they gave Mike’s huge praise. When her fiancé and I visited, I decided to give the raw fish a try which I normally avoid on a first visit to a sushi restaurant. Although the California Roll was pretty good, I have to say that my Rainbow Roll was very disappointing, the fish was far from fresh and the nigiri I had was also not up to par. My favorite fish, salmon, was a complete disappointment.
The part that made the visit though was their excellent miso soup, I have not tasted such an exquisite miso soup since my trip to Tokyo in 2011. Some people just shrug when it comes to miso soup, but I honestly believe there is a difference between good and bad miso soup and this soup was fantastic.
Now if only the fish would have been better, I could rate Mike’s Sushi much higher. Maybe next time?