Sakura Japanese Cuisine

I’m glad this place looks completely unassuming as I worry it would be crazy busy if more people knew better! This place is located in a house and is small and casual but the food is great! My boyfriend and I went for their all-​you-​can-​eat sushi dinner and what an experience it was! For $ 21 you can order not only all the sushi you want, but also many items from the kitchen, such as appetizers and entrees (fried rice, teriyaki chicken, etc.). They give you a paper and you just check off whatever you would like. They have a little note on their menu that states in order to avoid waste, you will be charged $ 1 for each piece of sushi you don’t finish. I think this is totally fair, but my boyfriend and I took that very literally and walked out of there beyond full! The food just kept coming and coming to the point we got nervous every time the kitchen door opened. My boyfriend at one point actually stated that he would rather pay $ 1 than have to finish the last piece of sushi, haha. As a side note, I don’t think they actually charge $ 1, but rather use that as a reference to avoid people wasting too much food.
The sushi is amazing and you can watch the guys making it behind the counter. The kitchen items are equally delicious and big portions. This is our favorite sushi place as most other sushi places we spend at least double what we spend here.

Great place for a date or small group! The all-​you-​can-​eat «buffet» is great if you’re looking to shamelessly binge and/​or try some new items. Because ordering sushi a la carte is so expensive, I’ve generally been hesitant to branch out and explore when out for sushi; Sakura, however, allows you to experiment a bit and still get your money’s worth. Ingredients were fresh and flavorful, and everything arrived at our table relatively quickly. Waiter was attentive. Because of its size, I would probably want to avoid Sakura on a busy night, but it was quiet and relaxed on a Tuesday night. They modified one or two of the rolls for us with no trouble and at no extra cost. We’re definitely planning on returning!

Decent food, but delivery is horrible! Took over an hour to get sushi and habachi, my fried ice cream was melted and my sushi not as cold as I would have liked… And they did not follow directions when I asked for something ‘extra’ and were none too happy when I complained… Twice! They just didn’t get it the first time… It will probably be a long while before I order there again, and I definitely will not do take out anymore.

Hidden gem! My husband and I love this place. The sushi is out of this world and the price can truly not be beat. My favorite if the shrimp tempura maki — it is phenomenal! The staff is super friendly and they make ordering so easy by giving you a sheet that you check off what you would like. In my opinion the sushi is MUCH better than the kitchen food. Check it out. Support local business!

We didn’t do the buffet and ordered individual meals but looking at back the price would have been better if we did the buffet. My husband’s katsu was alright for him. The alligator roll and spider roll were fresh and decent amount size. The presentation of the meal were great. Only negative thing I had was the time it took for the meal to come out and the service.

This is the most horrible experience I have ever had. We have been here for AN HOUR and none of our food is served, not even the appetizer. We asked the waiter many time, and he would just told us that they are very busy. People in the table next to us also complained and left.

Allergies or intolerances, NEVER order here. Unfortunately they don’t seem to understand the importance. (I know: don’t eat in restaurants if you have allergies — well, most places are usually very convenient)
I asked no egg and no sesame, well there was sesame and mayo everywhere.
I asked to do it again, still, mayo.
They did it a 3^rd time.
It’s ending up being very stressful.
But, except this, we are usually satisfied.

We have been eating here for the past 4 years. The food never disappointed us. The sushi and maki rolls are always fresh, and with all the other kitchen items, you can not beat the price! What gets even better, is the waiter — he seems to remember everyone’s name! Every time we come, he would remember our names, and is super friendly all the time. Would highly recommend this place!

Four stars for good selection of standard Japanese fare (and couple with a Chinese twist such as the beef udon soup), as well as the option for an all you can eat menu with good selection and value. Very good first time meal, and we’ll be back for another meal soon!

I’ve had repeated excellent service here and it gets better each time I come back.
The quality of the food is excellent with fair pricing and an amazing staff, very glad to have found Sakura.

We came here for dinner one night last week. The place was easy to miss at night as the area was relatively dark. Fortunately, parking was quite easy. It was easy to find seats that night and there were already a few regulars. We ordered the Love Boat item and were quite impressed by how many pieces of raw fish was included. I especially liked the raw salmon as both the taste and texture were good.

Literally the only place I’ll bother doing AYCE sushi at since no where in the immediate Boston area is any good.
Also beyond excellent service.

Sakura is a pretty good. Inside is small and almost house like, I came here on a Thursday afternoon for lunch and it was completely empty.
They’re very crafty with their menu, allow me to explain. For lunch, they have a regular buffet for $ 15 and a deluxe buffet for $ 22. The regular buffet is decent… as in it includes your basic sushi (tuna, eel, spicy salmon, the usual fare). While the deluxe buffet includes speciality rolls. All the speciality rolls was delicious and well worth the upgrade to deluxe. Regardless of lunch or deluxe buffet you get access to kitchen items like pork gyoza, chicken teriyaki, curry tofu, etc. Highly recommend the gyoza and the unagi nigiri.
What really made me gave this place 3 stars instead of 4 was the tragic shrimp tempura they have. It was like 70% batter and 30% shrimp. Severely disappointed.

Epic!!!
I recently had their beef udon noodle soup via delivery. Not only was it fast, but it was also delicious. Spicy with lots of flavor and not too much sodium. Perfect blend.
Hubby had some big similar with less soup, his was dry. He LOVED it.
The sushi we ordered was fresh. I always worry with delivery on the sushi but it was fresh and delicious. We had spicy tuna & salmon sashimi.
The gyoza wasn’t greasy but rather steamed nicely with lots of flavor. The accompanying sauce was a perfect bite.
Loved this and LOVE that they do delivery. Not many places around here that deliver fresh sushi.

It’s an all you can eat buffet. Check what you want, wait a few minutes, and then a boat full of food comes. I really enjoyed the place because the owner/​server was friendly and constantly made sure we were satisfied. Water was always topped off and he was always aware of when we needed more paper for the next rounds.
You get very big slices of sashimi and the maki rolls are well worth it. If you order the kitchen dish, be aware that it comes with other things. Like I ordered the steak teriyaki and it came with LOADS of stir fried veggies. They aren’t that strict about finishing everything or you will be charged. Like any normal place you would eat, just be mindful of your portions and ability to consume everything you eat.

Ordered delivery online at 7:30 and called at 9 after not receiving. They said they didn’t have my address for delivery, but they had my phone # and never called. I asked if the food would be hot and they said yes. I should’ve known better when they showed up with ice cold food. Chicken was gummy and inedible, as was the shumai. The rest of the food was as mediocre as usual. Never ordering or going there again.

Fresh, friendly, inexpensive… fantastic place!

Sakura is the best sushi in Winchester, I go there every week.
I hope everybody can go and know this place!!!

***Review Update***
Okay, my wife and I eat here a lot! Here’s why: simply put, you cannot find sushi anywhere else in Boston for such exceptional value for the quality and quantity!
What sets Sakura apart from other sushi venues is its lunch ($ 14.95) and dinner ($ 21.95) all-​you-​can-​eat (AYCE) menu. That’s right, menu! This is not a buffet where low quality sushi has been sitting out all day getting warm. Whatever you order from the AYCE menu is made fresh after you place your order. I highly recommend the salmon and tuna sashimi. If the sashimi has been frozen, it’s very hard to tell as the quality, taste, and texture are well above average. Owner Allan specializes in Japanese sushi fusion, so you’ll find an even mix of fresh raw and cooked roll offerings on the menu. Additionally, the menu contains more than just sushi. Noodles, rice dishes, and curry are also offered, just to name a few.
Seating in the restaurant is very limited and usually not accommodating to groups of more than 6 people. There are about 7 seats at the sushi bar. Owner Allan has assembled and excellent team that has been work at the restaurant for many years. Behind the sushi bar you’ll find Allan himself and Alex. Working as greeter, head waiter, server, and cashier is Jay. Jay is the friendliest restaurant professional I’ve ever come across! He’ll never forget your name and always recognizes you the second you walk in the door. The quality of the sushi and Jay are the reason we keep coming back week after week.
Good to know upon arrival:
For dinner, the earlier, the better. The restaurant is usually full by 7pm. There is additional parking in the street and at adjacent businesses. Allow one and a half hours for your meal, especially if going with a group of more than 4 people. Jay is the only one working the floor and the tables. Be patient. I’ve witnessed some very snooty folks give Jay a hard time in the past due to the slower pace when it gets busy (and he was still very kind to them). Keep in mind you are eating very high quality sushi, and as much of it as you want for a fraction of the price you’d pay in downtown Boston or Southie. Also, there is only one sushi chef behind the sushi bar: Allan or Alex. It’s impressive to sit at the sushi bar and watch them crank out order after order. Although you may wait up to 30 minutes for your sushi, they do not lower their standard of quality and presentation.
I will continue to eat at Sakura weekly. The sushi is fresh, the price is right, and the staff is very friendly.
Enjoy!

I’m usually not a fan of all-​you-​can-​eat sushi restaurants because the sushi is usually a lower-​quality and they usually leave me wanting to puke afterwards. However, Sakura is an exception of that. I was reluctant to do buffet-​style due to past experiences, but my friend kept assuring me that their sushi is amazing. The first thing I’ve noticed was that the staff was really friendly. The restaurant is small, but that’s because it is family-​owned — something that I really like about this place. It gives it a more authentic feel. My friend and I ended up ordering a lot of different kinds of sushi including hand rolls, maki rolls, sashimi, and onigiri. Everything tasted amazing, especially the hand rolls. It was my first time eating one so I was really satisfied. The sushi tasted really fresh and it literally melted in my mouth. On top of that, the appetizers were really good and there wasn’t too long of a wait for the food. Our waiter was really good at filling our waters whenever it was empty. I left this restaurant feeling super satisfied and happy. To be honest, I’m not even a fan of sushi, but this place converted me. I can’t wait to come back. I just wished it was easier to get here, since I don’t have a car.

Listen, this place is what it is…
Is the sushi the best I’ve ever had? No.
Could they use another person serving tables/​working the front? Absolutely.
Are their non-​sushi options good? Nothing to go crazy over.
Is this the best place in the area to get delivery on a Thurs-​Sat night? Probably not a good idea just like any place.
Will you, at one point, nervously think to yourself, «I am eating sushi on, which looks to be, the first floor of someone’s house». Yes.
Is it odd that they serve ice out of a Igloo cooler? Uh-​huh.
Will the décor make me feel like I am eating at an authentic sushi restaurant in Japan? The children’s drawings on the walls of just absolute randomness will tell you otherwise.
Now that expectations have been realistically set, let me just lay it to you straight…
YOU. GET. ALL. YOU. CAN. EAT. SUSHI. MADE. FRESH. TO. ORDER. FOR. $ 26.
Where else can you find a deal like that within 10 miles of Boston?! If you’re coming here to not do buffet, I am sure there is better Asian cuisine options in the area. But if you are… Oh boy you’re in for a treat.
The sushi is VERY good here. Like i said, not the best, but its just a notch below. Its a great place to try new types of sushi without fearing price tags on something you may or may not like. Its still fresh, tastes great, and comes out fairly quick once you order. I’d recommend the Spicy 2 in 1, Angel, Winchester, Sakura Ichiban, and all the Sashimi. I’ve yet to find any sushi that I didn’t like there.
The buffet menu is HUGE. Tons of options and not just limited to sushi. I’d recommend the seaweed salad. I haven’t tried the orange (yes the fruit) yet but I do, I’ll be sure to review it. Edamame is decent but everything else I’ve had gets the pass mostly because I need the room in my stomach to eat more delicious raw fish. Screw the fillers, I come here to deplete fish populations and Moby Dick sushi boats.
Onto the wait staff… of one. The man, the myth, Jay. He will know your name by the end of your first visit and will not forget it every time you come back. He’s the busboy, the hostess, the bartender (beer, sake, and wine only), and your waiter for the evening. He says «thank you» after every interaction with him and you have to respect someone who kills you with politeness. He will always only give you one, single pencil regardless of how many people are sitting at your table which adds to the suspense and drama. That dude gets so much snoody attitude from patrons that know he’s running EVERYTHING, that I’m surprised he can go to work day in and day out. The man is a SAINT. The sushi chef’s in the back don’t typically interact with you, but they do a good job cranking out sushi.
This place is tiny. It might hold 30 people max. Most tables are 2-​seaters. Only a few that can fit 4. I would avoid doing anything with this place between 6:30−8 on Fridays and Saturdays. You’ll be waiting a long time to either sit, get take out, or delivery. Too much demand and not enough man power. Outside of those hours on those days, the place is fairly easy to just walk in and sit or get take out. However, I’ve never waited for more than 30 minutes for a table for just my fiancé and myself. Because it is so small, this place tends to get loud or you hear everyone’s business. Which is great if you’re into that sort of stuff, not so much if you’re trying to have a quiet meal.
So why the 5-​star rating on a place that has all these flaws? The experience. Its a dive. Its bad in all the right places and great everywhere else. Get over yourself if you come on here to drop a crappy review because you set your expectations too high. You’re just not experiencing it in the right way. Sit down at this place, get the buffet, and enjoy the fact that you can order as much great sushi as you can humanly stuff yourself full with for just $ 26.
Eat so much raw fish that you hate yourself, say «bye» to Jay on the way out, roll yourself into your car, and go your merry way. That is what Sakura is all about!!!

It sure has been a while since my last visit here. I came into the restaurant and there was no one at the counter. I stood for for a little bit feeling a bit awkward just standing there waiting for someone to seat me. I quickly made my order and waited for at least 40 minutes… before my food came. The wait here is just too long and I didn’t like that at all. The sushi tasted pretty good and I liked it, except for the one salmon piece that tasted a bit old. That was pretty nasty.
I don’t think I will be coming back here again due to the incredibly long wait time. There was only 1 person making sushi for the entire restaurant. Another worker eventually came in to help out as they were so behind. This restaurant can do better. They need to hire more sushi chefs.

very good place to eat. HIGHLY Recommend this place. the service is incredible !

I wanted to write an update and say how much I still LOVE this restaurant. The food is delicious for a good price. The waiter is absolutely nice however I do notice that they sometimes have a waitress working as well. The waiter is definitely a lot nicer and friendly. He even remembers my name too. Every time I come here, I get really the buffet and you can’t go wrong with it because you get to order the specialized rolls — this only applies to the dinner buffet. I also order tea that has a hint of rice sesame flavor. I absolutely love it. In addition, if you have a big party, you should call ahead or make a reservation. It can get really packed during the weekends and busy, so please be patient if your food takes a bit longer for it to arrive — it will be worth the wait. Pleasant atmosphere and delicious sushi. Worth a shot :)

This was a great experience for my family. We were able to eat made-​to-​order sushi for $ 30 as a family. It was good food, the atmosphere was great, and the service was wonderful!
We will definitely be visiting again for a great family sushi date.

Amazing all you can eat sushi restaurant!!! The owner is such a great guy, very sweet and very hard working. The sushi is delicious and their green tea ice cream is to die for! This place is perfect for FRESH all you can eat sushi. Five stars and five thumbs up (:

Blah–
Overpriced for what you actually get. A huge portion of foods that should have been hot were lukewarm at best. I wouldn’t make a special trip to eat here.

I like Sakura because it’s a family styled restaurant and the waiter there is very nice and friendly.
The space is very small though and the parking is too. I always pray that there’s going to be at least one parking space which there was plenty on a Monday night!
My friend and I were craving sushi buffet (~$ 21 for dinner). I feel like some of our check offs didn’t come. I really wanted my seaweed salad and didn’t get it sadly. Please don’t order from any of the kitchen options on the buffet menu. Please don’t. Most of it is gross and I learned that the hard way with ordering pork dumplings and they tasted like fried plastic.
I was really upset that the spicy salmon had SOOO much rice that all I could taste was the rice :(
After the sushi, they give you delicious green tea/​red bean ice cream (2 scoops) and fruit slices sometimes!
I like this place but I prefer Yamato’s food. Their hand rolls are sooooo much better and the ones here were really weak. Yamato’s waiting is ridiculous though so ask for reservations if you plan on going.

$ 20 for a weekday lunch special. WOW. Without tip, $ 16.
I’ve been here so many times since I wrote my initial review, I’ve lost count.
I’ve never had a bad experience here, customer service wise, food wise, or anything like that. I’ve never had a problem with anything here and almost not complaints. I went here with a table for 10 on a weekday afternoon for their lunch special, and of course it took about 30 minutes for a table to open for 10 people, no problem whoever. There were also about another group of people here so it wasn’t too busy this day. We were seated later and just got water or tea, they also have those little Japanese marble drinks, Ramune, but it costs extra.
We received a piece of paper, with a page full of different sushi selections or appetizers or even entrees to choose from. Round 1, we ordered a great amount of food and I’m never the one to keep track if the order matches with what we were served. They serve the typical edamame, seaweed salad, or just house salad. Really simple starters. But it gets even better with the amount of tempura you can order. Sure it’s mostly batter, but it’s still pretty damn good. Shrimp, crab meat, scallops, squid, and a couple others just deep fried in tempura is amazingggg. My favorite is the squid because it’s shaped like an onion ring and the coating is yummy. Also, don’t order the spring rolls, unless you’re daring.
I’m not really a fan of the entrees because it’s mostly it’s super oily and I choose not to get full off of meh tasting fried rice or something. However I prefer ordering the teriyaki items. The best is the salmon teriyaki because it’s served hot and yummy. Sure it’s a little oily, understating the oily, I’ll still finish it. I really can’t get sick of it. I know there’s almost the grilled salmon that’s served with veggies such as zucchini, broccoli, or carrots. (Unless that’s the teriyaki one…) There’s also the beef teriyaki is really yummy as well! But I think that’s served only dinner… I could be wrong.
All I really know is that when I ordered 3 spider makis or 40 unagi, I am served with just that much. I don’t keep track with what I order versus what I’m served. Please who does that. My favorite sushi rolls served here is the spicy salmon, spicy tuna, spider maki, and the unagi. These select few are the best and these sushi rolls are always made fresh. It’s never premade and stuck in a fridge. I personally don’t like the raw sashimi so much, it’s not really my thing, I mean I’ll eat it, but it’s not the best here. For $ 20, don’t expect too much for the quality, but for the quantity.
Also the waiter and I suppose the owner as well, is always here. Every time I’m at the restaurant, he is always there with a smile on his face serving everyone. Bringing everyone’s food and everyone’s drinks, refilling things, and wiping down tables.

Came here early Friday evening for some sushi and pleasantly surprised. I went with the salmon boy (salmon sushi, salmon roll, spicy salmon hand roll) and the sashimi app, the husband had the kara age (deep fried chicken) app and some tuna/​avo rolls. Everything was arranged beautifully (see pics!) and the portions are pretty good. The waiter brought out salad and miso soup for both of us, as well. The fish isn’t top tier, but at this price point I’m not really expecting that, I just want to stuff my face with raw fish sometime, you know?
The only thing I would not recommend is the deef fried chicken app — it was super tough and hard to eat.
Oh and, using a
certificate makes this a great deal!