Sushi Monk

Great and friendly service and staff. Fantastic food. Try the «No name» roll. If you decide for lunch and only have 30 minutes, call ahead. The info is on their Facebook.

Maybe it was an off evening for the restaurant. After reading the Unilocal reviews we had high hopes and ordered several rolls to go. First of all, they got most of our order wrong. The «Go Green» is supposed to have avocado but ours did not and just tasted terrible. We also ordered the «White Dragon» and instead got the «Orange Dragon» which has shrimp in it which we don’t eat. Finally, the «Crispy Roll» which is thinly sliced white fish tempura was too much whitefish in it and the fried battered tempura was cold and chewy. The price was too high for the meal we did not order.
I don’t think I’ve ever been as disappointed in a restaurant as much as Sushi Monk. The search continues for the best sushi in Greater Cincinnati!

Our favorite place for sushi in the entire Cincinnati area. We’ve been to all of them and this place stands out. Don’t let the outside fool you because you will be missing out on a great meal.

Such nice people and a cute little space. The food was average though. Not real ramen (tasted eggy) and the sushi was cold, avocado under ripe and very expensive.

Absolutely great experience today. Unilocal never lets me down. AND I can bookmark to make sure I come back someday like Frosty. Yo experience started by asking the sushi chef «no offense, but can a white guy make sushi?» His great reply of «I guess you’ll find out right?» He not only made great sushi he was interesting and a fantastic host making this lonesome traveler at home. The two locals that sat next to me were as super nice and made for a great sitdown.
Marc suggested the Franklin-​something roll and it was spot-​on a perfect meal. The guy next to me ordered something the owner recommended and I’m trying that next time I’m in. Raman made with pork belly if I got it right. It looked delicious and I was told it was. Until next time!!!

My husband loves sushi and was told about this place so we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I was not very impressed. The place is right by a gas station and its tiny. We came on a Saturday evening and almost all the tables were taken. Service was horrible. And no wonder, there was only one woman waiting tables! She was quick to get us water, but then she disappeared for like 30 minutes. Literally. We ordered the gyoza, which was really good. The sushi itself was also pretty good. They served it to us on a little wooden bridge which was really cute and fun.
But you can’t just have good food. 3 stars is for the lousy service and the atmosphere was a little «clubbish». I mean, halfway through the night she dimmed the lights and put on a disco ball (lol). We spent nearly 2 hours here – about 90% of that time was spent waiting. It was so bad I saw a young child bring food to the couple sitting behind us. Also this place is kind of overpriced. I would expect a lot more, including service, for the price we paid.

The atmosphere was as enticing as the location permits, the menu had some interesting options, and the price was reasonable. I had the lunch crab and tuna roll combo. It was the best sushi I’ve had in quite some time. I’ll definitely be back.

Good sushi and owner/​chef was really nice. Had two rolls and seaweed salad. Will be back!

After reading the reviews, we were pretty excited to stop in for a girls night of sushi! We stopped in on Friday @6pm and they had a few tables open. Since it was girls night, we were in no rush, but of course we were hungry! While the rolls were pretty good, the service was extremely slow as there was only one server. Ordered a glass of water with my wine. Had to ask for the water 3 times, which took about 45 minutes to finally get.
Between the slow service, high prices (there was a $ 3 difference for the eel roll that had avocado vs the one that didn’t) and average taste, not sure I’ll be back.
The place is small and quaint. Large menu of rolls. The majority of the people eating were regulars.

Hands down the best sushi in the area! We just moved to the area and have looked for quality sushi at many different restaurants. So glad we finally found sushi monk! We will definitely be returning :)

Great sushi in a tiny restaurant. Some of the best sushi I’ve had in the Cincinnati area. Unfortunately due to their small size and low visibility from SR747 I had never paid much attention to it. I’m glad I found Sushi Monk on Unilocal and gave it a try. Friendly atmosphere and nice décor.

Since he moved to the area a few months ago, each time I visit, we’ve been working our way down a LONG list of restaurants, bars, and hang-​outs we want to try. Sushi Monk was next up on the list, and we were very happy it was!
Small, quaint, friendly, personal, and attentive. On a Friday night at 6pm, this place should have had a line out the door, but it was about half full. Like another Unilocaler said, Calvin’s business would explode if he were just in a more visible area. Then again, we like it small and out-​of-​the-​way. We have a favorite sushi spot in Sylvania, OH (Kotobuki), and this experience was equally as good. This is definitely the best sushi we’ve had in the area, hands down.
We sat at the bar, ordered tea and a variety of rolls. Even though we eat everything on the menu, we like to try specialty rolls and experience something new. We ordered Snow White, Godzilla, Red Snow, TNT, Black Dragon, and Lakota rolls. One was truly more delicious than the other. Presentation was beautiful and timely.
For folks who think this place is overpriced, they’re crazy. If you want half-​off sushi, then go to a half-​off sushi place, get half-​off quality, and half-​off creativity. This place is NOT that. This is top notch sushi at a fair price. We love the atmosphere and the food. We will definitely be back.

Hands down the best Sushi in the Cincinnati Area! Forget the popular chains, this is where its at.
The menu selection is fantastic, they got the classics, but they also have their own twist. Its a little on the pricey side but its completely worth it. The fish is fresh and taste is spot on.
The location is small, but you can always seat at the bar or order take-​out. The staff is super nice and friendly.

After moving here from Chicago, I was sure I wouldn’t be able to find real Japanese ramen anywhere close. However, after some searching I stumbled upon Sushi Monk.
I had the following items for lunch: Tonkotsu ramen, salmon nigiri and tuna nigiri. The nigiri was so good! Fresh fish and HUGE pieces. Very yummy! The Tonkotsu ramen was good as well, however, the noodles were very overcooked and way too soft for my taste. I like a nice, firm noodle with ramen. Also, I was missing scallions and bamboo shoots which is pretty standard in any Japanese ramen. But overall, it was a great meal and very filling!

The atmosphere itself was a little weird at first only because it’s so small, but the service soon made up for it. The waitress (maybe owner)‘s kids were helping out & it was adorable. The food was soo good (you should try the «crack» before your meal) and I left very content.

First time being here. I will say the food was delicious as far as quality, but it was way overpriced. My husband and I went with another couple. Just the bill for the two of us was $ 60 before tip. It didn’t seem like we had really had enough food to merit that high of a bill.
We had edamame, one of the specialty rolls (bullseye), and 5 of the standard rolls (spicy tuna, philly, etc.) and two bud light bottles. Definitely not worth the money. We are used to going to sushi places that have half price options and they do not offer that.
The service was ok, nothing over the top, but good. Atmosphere of the restaurant was a lot better than imagined considering it’s inside a strip mall next to a gas station. If the price wasn’t so high I could definitely see us going back, but until they offer some sort of deal we will probably stick to our half price places we like.

Came here the other night with my gf & her mom for dinner. The sushi was fresh and delicious, and I swear the gyoza were handmade by someone in the shop. You definitely pay for the quality — prices are a little higher than elsewhere (but not too high). It would be a five star review if it weren’t for the totally weird club feel and lackluster service. I don’t need waitstaff that pampers and fawns over me, but we had to ask for any service we needed… ordering, getting checks, refills on water, etc. Finally, the club ambiance is just kind of weird in a strip mall. It’s not my personal preference, and for everyone else, this is just a warning.
Bottom Line: I’ll be back for the awesome quality sushi if I’m in the mood to tolerate the service, ambiance, and prices.

This is definitely a go-​to place for me when I want sushi. They have great lunch specials on rolls, and lots of creative and fresh sushi choices for dinner. So many yummy options. The melting roll is very good and the «crack» appetizer is definitely worth paying for. This place is tiny so call ahead if you’ve got a group.

This was my second visit in the last month to dine at Sushi Monk and once again the service and food was excellent. When you walk in the door, you are greeted warmly by the staff and the environment makes you feel like you are at home. It is nicely decorated restaurant that has an authentic feel.
The sushi is prepared for looks and taste with fresh ingredients. Also, the chicken fried rice is extremely delicious.
I would advise checking out this hidden gem if you are in the area!

A lot had been said about other reviewers, and I do agree with them for the most part. There’s a huge selection of sushi here. The quality of the fish is great, and the prices reflect the quality of the sushi.
Just a few notes:
— Sushi Monk definitely has the right ratio of rice-​to-​fish. The vast majority of sushi places in Cincinnati tend to overwhelm their sushi with rice. But not Sushi Monk. The rice-​to-​fish ratio steadily lowers as you progress from regular to house to special rolls.
— Their wasabi is not the green death type of potency. Instead, it delivers a satisfying kick but has a sweet horse radish taste. If you’re a wasabi purist, you won’t like it. But for the vast majority of people out there, you’d find this more tolerable than most.
— Service is very fast here. Took them about 10 minutes to prepare a phone order for 2 rolls.
— Most of the toppings for fancier rolls are fish and sauces. To my best knowledge, caviar does not make an appearance on any of the rolls.
— Don’t be concerned about prices when you order pricier rolls. You get what you pay for here. Their ingredients are definitely very high in quality and give you a satisfying amount of fish/​crab/​shrimp/​scallop in the rolls.
I will probably update the review when I have some of their nigiris, ramen, and fried rice.