Sushi Hai

Maybe this is the place to go during the week but definitely not the weekend...nor if you have a party over 4!! There were 14 of us...split into three tabs by the waitress. My friend and I ordered a California roll, Philadelphia roll, and spicy tuna roll. In addition we had two drinks each...vodka tonic and stella. It took only a few minutes for our first drink then 10 minutes for our second drink, we waited almost an hour for our order. When our order came it was mixed in with the other two orders (what's the point of splitting the tabs and tables if they were going to get mixed. Not only did my friend and I get to share 1 California roll, we got two pieces each of the spicy tuna and 1 piece each of the Philly roll! When asked how they were going to correct the error, they simply said that the cooks saw one table number for all three orders and mixed it up! We paid over $40 each for one roll each and two drinks!!!! REALLY! The best she could do was discount each of our tabs...but alas...there were items on our tab that weren't even a part of our table! If you can't handle large groups...go to Denny's they'll teach your company a few things about larger orders and multiple tabs! Seriously! more

Ok the Sushi is excellent but the night scene at Haibar (the bar in the bottom of Sushi Hai sucks. The music, the music videos played on the tv's are awful and make you feel as though your back into the late 80's/90's MTV era. So I would say yes to Sushi and definitely do yourself a favor and skip Haibar!! more

4 friends decide to go to Sushi Hai and we will never go back. 1. The waitress (2 tone, bangs with pig tails) was overly rude. This started because we requested 2 tickets for our table and the waitress rudely explained that wasn't their policy. Really? Dumbfounded, I wondered if they would have rathered us take up an additional table?? She blamed the ""kitchen"" stating ""it was too hard for the kitchen to separate the bills""? REALLY? 2. After a half hour of joking about ""how long does it take to cook sushi"" - we finally received our food 75 minutes later. Really? 3.The bill took 20 minutes to get. Really? 4. We never saw our waitress. The manager never came over to ask how things were going. I even asked if the manager was in!!! There were only a couple other tables as it was nearing closing time. Really? more

Here are the details: I normally don't take time to write this but finally decided to share our experience. BTW - not looking for any comp from Sushi Hai!\r \r Sat down at 4:35 for happy hour sushi. Finally waitied on at 4:45 with water and a happy hour menu. Ordered cocktails which arrived at 4:55. Ordered sushi which ultimately took 35 mins to arrive after 2 simple fish tacos that arrived in 15 mins. So basically sitting there for almost an hour to get simple sushi rolls.\r \r Was not happy with the service so I called using my cell phone to speak with the manager as there was no one around asking if we needed anything. Manager came to our table after speaking to her on the phone. She expressed her apologies and paid for our drinks. Didn't really care about them paying for our $4 drinks, really wanted some service. She told us she would bring us her business card....which NEVER happened. \r \r Skip forward 20 mins and she came by again and asked if we needed anything. We had been waiting for a 2nd bud light and asked her to bring one. She replied no problem. \r \r Skip forward 7 mins and our waiter asked to bring our check. We said sure as by this time we were done with dealing with over promised service...especially by the manager.\r \r We paid, tipped well as the waiter was obviously overwhelmed. We never did see the manager again. She was about 28 years old and really didn't have the experience to handle a restaurant this size....perhaps Chipotle next door :)\r \r Seriously though, good food but TERRIBLE service. We live a few blocks away and will travel to Sushi Den next time!\r \r Same price, much better service.\r more

We had a Living Social coupon and decided to try it out..turns out L.S. was having another unrelated event that night that pulled staff away and left us waiting over an hour for our food. Not one word throughout our entire wait but the waitress and hostess both apologized and offered a free desert. Wait staff are young skater-types widely found in this area...not much on customer service, but not snobs either. Just ..kind of bleh. \r \r The food: SMALL portion on the rolls and sushi. The unagi looked like cute litte, little baby unagi. I called it vealnagi. Everything just ok, which is not good enough to compete with in the Denver market ...there is way better sushi here in town and I think this place survives because of location. If you want better quallity for the money go to Sushi Den or another unnamed place that is too good of a secret to let out here! \r \r overall: average, not so great. more

We really enjoyed ourselves while at Sushi Hai. I would have given 5 stars while we were there, but shortly after getting home my husband and I were both sick to our stomachs...and stayed sick through the night until the next morning. We definitely won't be risking it by going back, we'll just stick with our ""regular"" sushi joint, Namiko's. Pros: the food tasted great... Cons: ...then we got sick! more

We come in here quite a bit and over the past few years its seemed that Sushi Hai has just been flying under the radar and not taking much seriously. The food has been fine, generally consistent but nothing to write home about and nothing really exciting on the menu. The service has been consistent as well, consistently bad that is. Last night we were seated in the lower dining area, this is when we almost called it quits. They had just opened for the night and we were one of about 7 tables sat in the entire place. It took our server almost 20 minutes to come and take our drink order because apparently folding napkins is more important to her than making money. Since we really wanted sushi we walked upstairs and sat at the sushi bar, this is when the evening really turned around. The sushi chef was extremely helpful and refreshingly attentive always checking to see how our sake levels were and if we needed more of anything. Our meal went flawlessly once at the bar, our chef who was the college aged guy with tattoos made sure that everything came out with perfect timing. My date ate an entree from the kitchen and I ate sushi. We got our food at the exact same time and everything was great. It seems that Sushi Hai might be getting a second wind. Things are really turning around, cool different and innovative new items at the sushi bar and quality of fish that cant be found anywhere else in Denver. Although we didn’t order any of the specials they were offering that night, they looked really great. We’re pulling for these guys and as far as were concerned we will be back. If I can offer one word of advise, sit at the sushi bar if you want a good experience. They’ve obviously done a good job finding great chefs, so if you can phase out the generally crappy wait staff by sitting here it will be a good experience. Pros: Great Food Cons: so-so service more

I recently moved to Denver and have tried a few different sushi joints out. Sushi Sasa was way to overpriced and Sushi Den was even more expensive than that! Sushi Hai was recommended to me by a friend that lives in the neighborhood. My girlfriend and I decided to try it out last Friday night. We were promptly seateed downstairs by the friendly hostess. Our server described many different sake's to us and we found one that was perfect for our meal! We ordered a few of their specialty rolls (they had like 11 or 12 of them) and a few pieces of shashimi style fish. Our meal was amazing! I have heard also that in the past people have had very poor service but our was flawless! A few servers even asked how my meal was as I was walking to the restroom! Our night went so well that we went next door and had a few drinks in the very swanky Hai Bar. It was a perfect night and I will be returning for sure! Pros: Best surf 'n turf in town Cons: No outdoor seating more

I have lived near Sushi Hai for about 3 years now and couldn't be happier to have this business as a neighbor. Friday of last week my girlfriend and I went in to sit at the sushi bar and enjoy the funny and crazy antics of two of our favorite sushi chefs. The food by the sushi chefs is always amazing and the chefs in the kitchen do a great job also. I think the last ad was probably written by one of the $hitty neighbors that lives close to Sushi Hai that seems to send out a petition to harass this joint on a monthly basis to the surrounding neighbors. We love this place. The service has always been bad, but seems to be getting a little bit better in the last year. The drinks are great, and the location is to die for. The fish is as fresh as it is anywhere else. I have personally had some of the best fish I have had anywhere, at Sushi Hai. We were having a great time at dinner on Friday but during our dinner we were continually interrupted by a high pitched shrieking noise, that probably could have shattered our wine glasses. It was the new manager. She was standing behind us literally yelling at the sushi chefs and clapping her hands to get them to hurry up. These guys are artists lady!!!! I eat out 95% of the time, and sushi is the one foods I don’t mind waiting 30-40 minutes for, and I am sure most of your customers don’t mind either. We will return but we will make sure it is on one of the days when the manager is not working. It made our entire dinner stressful, it was like sitting down listening to my mom yell again!!! UGH how does this business run like this? We started thinking about it on our walk home that night and we came up with the number 12. We were able to count 12 managers that we have seen come through that place in the last few years, this must speak wonders about the upper management and owners. Pros: Sushi and Steaks Cons: Staff more

We have waited so long for a sushi restaurant to open in the Highlands that we welcomed Sushi Hai with open arms even though we knew it was run by the same people that run the ineptly run Heidi's across the street. At first Sushi Hai was great refreshing change on 32nd street, but slowly and surely over the years that quality has gone down hill to the point that I don't think it is safe to eat there. I now hear about more people getting sick off the fish at Sushi Hai than I ever hear about someone enjoying a meal there. I still go down stairs to enjoy a drink or two at the comfy tiled bar adjacent to the new club section. The bench seats are some of the most comfortable tables in town but I will no longer eat the fish. Pros: Nice Space Cons: Quality of fish more

I wanted to write and give a little credit where credit is due. I have read a couple of these reviews and think that Sushi hai has made quite an improvement to where they were one year ago. We had our new years dinner up in the dinning room, where although busy, seemed to be running very smoothly. Our server was Jen and she took great care of us, making sure we had a great time. After dinner, we went into the Hai bar where we had a table reserved for bottle service. The manager Benny was awesome setting it up. Our friends joined us and we had one of the best new years experiences ever. We will definately be coming back but way before the next new year!!! Thank you sushi hai! Pros: Great service, good food and great times more

I've seen the positive reviews of Sushi Hai and frankly don't see what the big deal is. Recent tried them out with my wife and I have to say the sushi was not all that fresh and was bland. Now when I'm with my wife I don't get much sashimi (or Nigiri) - she will only eat rolls. We do order some of the fancy rolls such as the caterpillar and the Tidal Wave. These are supposed to be flavorful and they just weren't. We also had the dinner salad, it too was rather bland. The busser cart filled with dirty dishes sitting across from our table didn't exactly add to the ambiance. Don't get me wrong - Sushi Hai is a nice restaurant, and our server was friendly and speedy. I just think there is better sushi and a generally better experience for the same money elsewhere. I suspect this place's popularity has more to do with its location and image than anything else. Pros: Nice interior, good service Cons: Bland not-entirely-fresh sushi, some unprofessional touches, overpriced more

My wife and I were regulars of one of the sushi chefs at sushi hai, and I was sad to learn over our absence from Sushi Hai, Our Sushi Chef(A young guy, can't remember his name but we always talk harleys, tall, brown hair)Had moved up to the new Sushi Hai location. Its a bit to far out of the way for us to go get sushi, but maybe sometime. Hopefully he will make the change back at some point and if he does I strongly recommend sitting with him! But otherwise the food is still good, but the conversations with the chefs are no longer entertaining, everyone seems to be a bit dry and not social. We wound up sitting with the only familiar face at the sushi bar, and he is always great. I cant remember his name but he is an Asian guy that has been there since we have been going(over 3 years) so at least they still have that going for him. As far as we are concerned he is probably the only asset that Sushi Hai has in the kitchen. We are rather disappointed. Pros: Good Food Cons: Bad Convo more

Went to Sushi Hai for the first time tonight, but almost changed plans due to negative ratings for service. Soooo glad I didn't. The food was outstanding; the service very attentive. Cannot think of one thing that I disliked. The party consisted of my husband and I, and our 20 year old son (who chose the place) and 18 year old daughter. All were very satisfied. Service was really good; we asked if they had sake flights, and our waiter said no, but he would be happy to bring us a sampling so that we could decide what we liked. Very accommodating. The sushi was really fresh, attractively presented, and did not have a lot of rice filler. Very good value, and very good food. Maybe on a weekend night it can be very busy and service can suffer, but for midweek, it was perfect. And, you can book on OpenTable. Pros: food Cons: none from the first visit. more

I have to disagree with the previous review. I frequent Sushi Hai on a weekly basis and have taken numerous friends/relatives there. We have NEVER had a bad experience. We have always been treated with courtesy and respect. On our most recent visit (last weekend) the restaurant was extremely busy, we first encountered the hostess, she acknowledged us with a smile and a nod as there were 2 groups ahead of us. We were given a beeper and went to the smaller bar to wait for a table. The bartender was attentive to us and our drinks arrived in a timely fashion. Again, the bartender served us with a smile and conversation. Our beeper went off and we were seated within 30 minutes. Our server arrived at our table, asked us about our day, even though she and all the other servers were busy, she took the time to listen and remember what we told her. Our order was taken, the food arrived and it was as always, delicious. The server checked on us 2 times and when she brought the check she commented on what we had told her earlier. Good memory. Good Service. Good Tip. \r \r The prior revue almost sounds like it came from a disgruntled former employee. I commend a business that has a turnover, it shows me they strive to have only the best employees representing the establishment. I have experienced a server not charging me for food ordered. Of course he mentioned it to me in hopes that I would give him a larger tip. I was glad on my next visit that he was no longer an employee. That is stealing. I respect a manager that takes these things serious and corrects them. As a retired business owner, I only wanted honest, trustworthy and people with integrity as employees. As does Sushi Hai. I feel the employees of Sushi Hai deserve a ""JOB WELL DONE"". more

We live in the 'hood', and are frequent customers of Sushi Hai. We learned a long time ago to sit downstairs in the bar instead of a table to get the right service. Usually they have kung-fu or animation films going, and the bartender/server makes sure you have a great time. However, this place cannot seem to keep their staff. The two bartenders that we regularly stopped in to see have been replaced with rude, unknowledgable ones. When we ordered the bottle of wine we usually do we were asked ""What's that?"". When I told him he asked me ""red or white?"". We are very upset our bartender friend left, and will probably not go back now that she's gone. The sushi is great, but the staff seems to be going downhill. The new bar adjacent to the exsisting one is great for pool if you order your drinks from the bar. Pros: Ambience Cons: Revolving staff more

When we first walked in we were greeted by a young hostess who told us it would be about a 20 minute wait and we could go downstairs and get a drink until they paged us. We went to the bar and it was full of other customers waiting for a table, the bartender seemed put out when we asked what they had on tap. He handed us a menu and said ""everything is on there"" and walked away. About 5 minutes later he came back and asked if we decided what to drink. I ordered a beer but my friend was still unsure. the bartender just looked at us and said "" I'll be back"" and never brought me my beer and after that he never came back to us. Finally we got our table, and when nobody came to us we flagged down a girl who was serving people next to and asked if she was our server she said "" no"" and walked away. Another girl came by a few minutes later and asked what we wanted to drink without saying hello or how are you tonight. She brought us our drinks and we ordered an appetizer which she never ordered. We asked about the appetizer and she flat out told us "" oh yeah I forgot"" with out apologizing and set down the bill right after the sushi arrived. My friend asked if he could order another drink and she gave us the same look the bartender did, she brought the drink and set down the bill again. I told here that I would probably be ordering another drink and just to hold onto the bill until, she gave me a dirty look and walked away. Finally the kicker was when another server came to the table and asked me ""are you ready for your drink yet ?"" Are these the kind of people they hire? They are unprofessional and rude. I know that servers talk about their customers but to show that much disrespect is terrible. I will never go back to Sushi Hai and I intend to tell everyone that I know that there are better restaurants with better service than this place. The sushi was decent but not good enough to go back and be treated like that again. more

I thought the poor service we had last time might have been a fluke. (Waitress forgot about our appetizer, then brought it after our meal, charged us for it and never even apologized. We emailed our complaints the next day and never got a response.) So, I took my sister-in-law who was in from out of town there Thursday night. It was embarrassing. We were told it would be 20 - 30 minutes for a table and were given a pager. We sat in the bar for almost an hour and a half with the pager on the tiny table right between us. It never went off. I went to ask about our table and was told they had been trying to page us (although I also told them we were in the bar). Then, we sat at our table for 20 minutes before I flagged down a waitress to ask if we had a server. She said, ""Hmmm... let me find out."" Food was good. But, we won't be going back. There are definitely other sushi places in the area that are as good or better food with much better service. Pros: Ambience, Bar Cons: Poor customer service more

I've tried every sushi place in Denver and this is the only one besides Sushi Den that even compares to the sushi in San Francisco. The rolls are great (try the salmon avocado).......but, the service is horrible. I've visited the place for over two years and there hasn't been one time were we were satisfied with the service. We live in the area so it's much closer than Sushi Den. If you want to eat here on a Friday or Saturday I recommend coming in as early as possible (5pm). If you show up anytime after 6 or 6:30 you will be waiting for at least 45 minutes to be seated. May not be an issue except for the fact that there is no waiting area! Your standing near the sushi bar and a few tables where others are trying to enjoy their dinner (obviously annoying to anyone trying to eat). If it's cold weather (most of the winter in Denver) then your half standing in and out to accomadate people trying to come in, there just isn't enough room! Be prepared that you will be waiting at least 20 to 30 minutes after ordering for you sushi to arrive. We usually have to flag down someone to then bring our check and pick it up. If you wait for someone to come around you'll be there all night. \r \r If you want great sushi this really is a place to visit.... but.... be prepared that you will be waiting for awhile. If you've got the time then what the heck, but, if your in a hurry..........then you may as well try another place as you will be dissapointed in the time it takes to get in, seated, fed and payed. Pros: Great sushi, adult atmosphere Cons: Poor service, long wait time, no waiting area more

I am an avid sushi goer and have eaten at every Sushi place in town. Sushi Hai is an okay place to eat, the sashimi is terrible but the rolls are good, and the calamari appetizer is great. However it is over priced for an over pretentious neighborhood and the service is sooooo HORRIBLE. I've given them a couple of chances to redeem themselves, however after 5 times or so I don't know if I'll ever go back, just because the service is that bad. Cons: Minimal parking available. more