Zuma Sushi

Like the previous reviewer, i've been to most of the sushi restaurants in the citysearch top 10 and i'm not sure how Zuma can be considered one of the best sushi restaurants in Atlanta. I went with my girlfriend on a thursday night. The restaurant wasn't that busy (maybe half of the tables were empty), but the service was still really slow (took a while to get the food, had to wait to get the check). There appeared to have been two servers for the whole restaurant, but they still did not manage to make it to my table often. Other than a few of the usual japanese appetizers, the menu did not offer anything other than sushi (sashimi, nigiri, maki). So if youre looking for rice dishes, youre out of luck. this isnt necessarily a bad thing, but if you are going to specialize in sushi, at least do it well. One positive is that there were a lot of different rolls i had never seen at other restaurants before. after trying a few, i now realize why other restaurants dont have it on their menus: the combinations dont work well. We ordered five different rolls to get a variety (im not a really big fan of nigiri and sashimi). The first two rolls arrived and the rice was too cold. one of the rolls had too thick of a layer of rice. (one piece in the roll didnt even have any fish in it - it was rolled unevenly). while the fish tasted fresh, the combination of flavors did not mix well (ex. for one roll, the spicy flavor overpowered the flavor of the crab/fish and all you could taste was the pepper. you could not taste the rice or fish/crab at all.). another problem: we ordered the fried calamari roll and were not told that calamari was not available until we got our first two rolls of sushi. we ordered a different roll as a substitute and did not get it until we had finished all of our other food. by the time we got it, we didnt even really want it anymore. our tab ended up being $52 (no drinks) and i was still hungry. i had to stop by micky d's to fill up Pros: decor, fresh fish, creative rolls (but not tasty) Cons: slow service, cold rice, no non-sushi options more

I cannot believe that Zuma is considered one of the ""best"" sushi establishments in Atlanta. I went there Saturday night at around 9:30PM, and the staff acted as if we had walked in at closing time. Mind you, they are supposedly open until 1:00AM on Saturday evenings. I would like to point out that Zuma had only half of its tables occupied with guests, but it still took 10 minutes for a waiter to approach our table. When we finally received our food, we were VERY disappointed. First of all, we were brought a roll that we didn't even order and on top of that, it was the most bland sushi we had ever tasted (or attempted to taste). While we were waiting for our food, we ordered a sake to share. This never made it to the table, but successfully made its way onto our check. When we pointed the mistake out to the waiter, there was no apology whatsoever or an attempt to remedy the situation. Bottom line: we were extremely disappointed with the service and the quality of sushi at Zuma. NOT RECOMMENDED AT ALL! Pros: decor Cons: everything else more

if you're looking for a great sushi and sake bar.... look no further! \r \r my beau surprised me by taking me to this new sushi and sake bar. it was our first time at zuma and we loved it! this is the best sushi i have had in atlanta next to nakato! it's a toss up between the two, but these are the only places i will go for sushi! \r \r +trendy\r +intimate\r +great date spot\r +the best sushi!\r +and they're open late! Pros: FRESH sushi, presentation, ambience more

I have now visit Zuma twice and had an even better experience the second time. It has quickly surpassed other sushi restaurants as my favorite in town. Both times, there was no wait and when it is warm the patio seating is delightful. To me, the sushi if very filling and large. My personal favorite is the Trust Me Roll and I highly recommend it if you like spicy sushi. The wait staff is very courteous and will let you be. Both times I have closed the restaurant down and they were in no hurry to run us out. Pros: Great food, good ambience, lesser known location Cons: A bit pricey but worth it more

This place couldn't be better! I am so glad they opened! I heart MF is the best but I have been there, and it's great, but this place is the BEST for many reasons. I liked it in the beginning when the hostesses would dress more like geishas and back away from your table like the traditional custom. Unfortunately they have gotten more relaxed. I am not sure why this place is not more crowded but it will be soon I am sure. Unfortunately. VERY romantic place. Shows style antd taste. Dress HIP, please don't ruin the vibe!!! and eat fresh and delicious sushi. Pros: Ambiance and open late!!! Cons: None yet... more

We loved the fact that this place was open late (til' 2am on Saturdays) so now we know where to go for a late-night sushi craving. The atmosphere is very sleek and romantic, with small plasma tv's lined along one of the walls as well. But it's also a good place for a group or just a single person as well. We had the miso soup, a Salmon roll, Tuna sashimi pieces, Unagi, and the Trust Me roll. The miso soup was very good and fresh tasting. The salmon roll, a great deal for $5, was excellent. A good amount of rice and fish, so pretty filling for just $5. The tuna sashimi was very fresh. The unagi pieces were excellent with larger pieces of eel than i've had elsewhere. The only thing we didn't care for was the Trust Me roll off the Chef's Special rolls side of the menu. The roll has yellowtail on the outside and tuna on the inside. The menu indicates that it will be spicy, which is OK, but it came out literally covered and drowning in the spicy orange cream sauce. The sauce was so heave and spicy that the taste and freshness of the fish was completely hidden in the heavy sauce. They need to revamp this menu item by maybe just lightly drizzling the sauce AROUND the roll but not covering it with what seemed like a ladle-full. We appreciate inventive but not over-done sushi. Overall though we really enjoyed the food and will go back! Pros: ambience, unagi, tuna sashimi, salmon roll, miso soup Cons: ""Trust Me"" roll more

Open late night, always great sevice, but you do need to ask for your check. They don't like to rush you. The hamachi melts in your mouth like butter. more

sup!~ I go to this restaurant very often with my girlfriend who's from alpharetta. yes! i bring her all the way from alpharetta cuz this restaurant has the freshest sushi in town, not to mention a great server who always serves me. If you want the best food and the best service, ask for the waiter named Sean, he will give you the best service you can ever get at a restaurant. His drinks, timing of the appetizer and food is perfect and very very friendly. Oh yeah! he recommends you what's fresh daily. I often go to restaurant for 50 -food, 50- service. I give him a 50, not to mention that i tip him around 40% everytime I go there. Well, enjoy your sushi with an excellent waiter. Pros: Sushi/Sashimi (saba~~! n Ikura) and excellent waiter Cons: whenever my waiter is not there more

My husband and I went to Zuma around Thanksgiving and were impressed by the quality of the sushi. It was beyond fresh and exceptionally prepared. The only thing we were hesitant about returning to was the service. It wasn't bad, but just not the best. My husband and I returned again to give Zuma another try and this time everything was excellent!!!! The best rolls I have ever had. They were big and loaded with fresh, fresh fish. This is by far the best sushi. Pros: fresh sushi, authentic, quiet more

I'd call myself somewhat of a ""Sushi-snob"" and this local joint in the Fourth Ward on Highland Ave is fabulous! Great sake bar and the sushi is fresh, inventive (word maybe borrowed from the Citysearch review?), and above-all, AUTHENTIC!!! more

I love sushi and eat it often- at shout, twist, soto, genki, etc and this is by far the best. Lots of variety and everthing was so fresh and tasty. Wine was very moderatly priced. Service is a little slow, but never rude. Just dont go there if you are in a hurry. But for a great meal and a cool atmosphere, Zuma is perfect. The back patio is so nice and the inside is modern with flat screen tvs but is not loud and obnoxious like Shout. Pros: fresh sushi, great variety, inexpensive wine Cons: slow service more

After reading some of the early reviews I was worried that the service would be horrible but was pleasently surprised by how nice and attentive everyone was. Beyond all that, the sushi is Soooooo good. I am a spoiled sushi fan, having had some of the best in the world, and I'm telling you.. this place stands up. The tuna sashimi app. and the rolls that come with sauces are especially amazing. I highly recommend Zuma and can't wait to go back myself! Pros: Delish! sushi, Good atmosphere, Seriously- the sushi! more

I love Zuma. In the beginning they had a bit of a issue with service - and i think that was mainly due to experience and a bit of a language barrier. But hey - at least you know it's authentically Japanese sushi. The food has always been great. Fresh - masterfully cut and beautifully presented fish. the ambiance is very cool. 15 or so flat screen TVs playing the best of Japanamation - Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, etc... Recently they've gotten their act together with service and my last few experiences have been AWESOME! Zuma is definitely the best sushi in Atlanta. more

If you are a Sushi lover, this is the best in Atlanta in my opinion. Yes it's a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. The sushi is very fresh and the special rolls are accompained with special sauces that leave your mouth watering. Pros: fresh, sauces, value Cons: slow service more

The majority of reviewers have talked about the bad service. Its always hard to tell because you never know when someone has an axe to grind. After going there on an uncrowded evening, I have to agree: The service is really, really slow. On the other hand, the quality of the sushi is excellent. The fish is very fresh and they have a great combination of traditional and trendy sushi. Pros: Excellent food, Great ambience Cons: Slow service more

i just went to eat at zuma and i thought the food was superb. but the one thing that made me very upset is the mean, unfriendly waitress. she had no smile on her face at all. she looked like someone in her family just died. the owner needs to hire someone else if he doesn't want to run out of business. i will not go back there if that same waitress is still there. i want to enjoy my meal without having a mean face who acts like somone is holding a knife up to her throat to serve me. i give a generous tip and i should deserve more than that. and don't order the green tea.... the waitress stuffs it up with tea leaves... it taste so bitter that it taste worst than medicine and they charge a ridiculous $2.50 for only a tiny pot of tea. Pros: good sushi Cons: mean rude waitress more

The sushi was top-notch, the atmosphere was plesant, but the service was horridly slow...and this was with maybe 8 people in the restaurant. But the sushi was very well done. Pros: delicious sushi Cons: slow service more

I always enjoyed sushi but never like this. Every bite was delicious and fresh tasting. I always eat too much and crave their food a week later. The prices are a little steep for sushi but worth it. I cannot wait to share their food with all my friends and family. It is a great place for dates. Pros: food, romantic scene more

I've eaten here numerous times, and usually the service is slow. I kept thinking they'd work it out with time, but it's not getting much better! I was recently there with a party of five, and our dinner took 2+ hours. We waited for 20 minutes after our table was cleared and finally flagged someone down to get the check. The owner watched us lay down the credit card, but we still had to flag someone down again to settle up. It's nice to not feel rushed out of a place, but if you're sending clear ""ready to leave"" signals, they should respond. I also wish they would serve all of the sushi at once, instead of bringing out various plates one at a time. However, I'll keep going back because the sushi is very good. If you're not in a hurry, go for the food & sleek decor. Pros: Delicious sushi, Sexy ambiance more

I decided to try a new place near the highlands area. I picked zuma because they had great business hours. Zuma stays open daily until 12:30 and weekends til 2. I work late, so That is perfect for me. I was dining alone but I had a great time the owner is not only cute, but very friendly and helpful. The waitress was very sweet, and the place was ultra sexy, yet comfy. more