Ordered 22 rolls at an average of $ 14/roll and 9 quail eggs @ $ 3/egg. They advertise buy 1 get 1 free, but since the eggs were only $ 3 each that’s 9 of the 15 items they took off. If we would have ordered 9 rolls instead of eggs the price would have been half of what it was even though they would have given us much more. Bill was $ 400 instead of just over $ 150 Lesson learned won’t be back
Jesse H.
Place rating: 1 Durham, NC
They claim buy one get one free but find out at the end they charge you for the half that is most expensive and give you the half that is least expensive free. So we bought 5 $ 15 rolls but they gave us the 5 $ 4 sushi free :/will never go back. An honest business would not do this. It looks to me they are out to get you. It used to be my favorite place…
MarcusandKelly O.
Place rating: 1 Durham, NC
If I could rank it a zero I would. What kind of business claims buy one get one but charges you full price for all the rolls and then gives you all the cheap 3 dollar sashimi free. Then they won’t even let you split the bill. This was the one place my friends and I would meet up to hangout and catch up on life. We will never go there again.
Keenan B.
Place rating: 1 Springfield, MO
Claim Buy one get one but only use the low priced items for this deal and then charge for the high priced rolls. Sushi is good but price plan needs to be reevaluated. Then when we had an odd number they claim ordering one more would be a better deal. Come to find out in the end they were cahrging an arm and a leg. Only go if you have a heavy wallet.
Crystal H.
Place rating: 1 Greensboro, NC
Really wanted to like this place, after all who doesn’t like sushi and beer? They had Kirin Ichiban on tap, which was exciting and the highlight of my visit. However, the service was lackluster(had to flag down a staff member for refills and utensils), as other Unilocalers have identified. The sushi was decent, but will a bill for one toppling over $ 35, the experience not enough for me to ever come back again. Onward!
Charmey M.
Place rating: 1 Asheville, NC
Service is horrible. I sat at the empty bar for 10 minutes without any acknowledgement. Two bartenders just walked back and forth.
Rebecca B.
Place rating: 2 Harrisonburg, VA
When they fall behind, they will lie ton your face. Waited a long time for takeout and got cold Mongolian beef.
Summer H.
Place rating: 2 Allston, MA
The menu was creative~ Sushi mostly are good, ~But I could only give one star for. the service and altitute of the manager. Because you really really need patience to wait for them, mentally prepared for one hour was pretty appropriate. When we complained, the manager take her time to walk out and even emphasized three times to us that their sushi need 30mins to cook and how their average waiting time is 40mins+. The manager thinks our 40mins does not even worth the compensation of one 5 dollar seaweed salad. And, her reason is– everyone else who is waiting for 40mins or even longer did not get anything, so we are not supposed to get anything~Honestly, that should mean everyone should get something free. Or you should get more employees. I have been to so many sushi restaurants across the U.S., not any one of them is as slow as this one. Flavor is good, but 100% sure not going to come back~
Sarah S.
Place rating: 1 Durham, NC
I came here because I saw good reviews on Unilocal.I work at a sushi restaurant and I was very disappointed. We walked in and were welcomed by a nice young lady with pink hair. She was friendly and promptly seated us near the bar. That is where the good service ended. Took a long time to get drinks. Ordered sake because we were in a restaurant named«sake bomb» after all. Got one round and when we ordered the next sake we didn’t hear anything for more than 20 minutes. We were informed that there was no more sake… for the rest of the night Saw servers rolling silverware a few tables away, txting and calling people on their phones. Unprofessional staff, mediocre sushi, stay away. There are way better places to get sushi in Durham.
Jasmine M.
Place rating: 5 Durham, NC
I’ve heard so much about how this place is great so I decided to check it out for lunch one day. I went in to order take out, and was super pleased that they offer BOGO even for take out(unlike some sushi places in the area). I ordered the Land and Sea roll and the Dynamite roll. They were both so delicious! Fresh, tasty and came with plenty of wasabi and ginger. I will definitely be back.
Donya s.
Place rating: 3 Durham, NC
Generally I like this place, but tonight was a bit different. The sushi was good, but not as good as it has been. The salmon didn’t taste fresh and there was too much rice in the rolls. They have also discontinued their martini special which many others had come for that special as well. We spoke to the manager and she had a very bad attitude and generally said oh well. The special they replaced it with was horrible. I don’t expect a deal every time I go somewhere but this was a several year old special that brought in business and the managers attitude was horrible. They still have the buy one get one free special and that alone may or may not keep our business.
Dwight B.
Place rating: 3 Durham, NC
Sake bomb has a lively and energetic atmosphere. They have done a great job with the décor and the service was excellent. We were less impressed with the sushi. There is an extensive selection of rolls and their buy one get one deal kept our bill really low. But, every roll we ordered had a sweet sauce drizzled on it which wasn’t necessarily in the description. The restaurant was packed when we went, so there’s definitely a demand for their style of sushi. It’s just not for us.
Jennie B.
Place rating: 4 Durham, NC
I will admit that I am biased toward Sake Bomb because it is the closest sushi place to my house and I go there often. They consistently make good sushi, their other meals are also delicious and have huge portions, and they have fairly good drink specials during the week. The outside of the building does not look attractive, however, once you are inside the décor is very nice. They have a bar side and a restaurant side and I like that the bar side has both sports and Food Network playing on the tvs so my husband and I can both watch something. The service is usually good, although when they are crowded I have had a few bad experiences. They also recently raised their prices which was a little disappointing.
Shirlyn D.
Place rating: 5 Goldsboro, NC
I LOVE this resturant. If you are not eating here, you’re missing out. I’ve looked everywhere in the Triangle for good sushi at a reasonable price – so my friend, look no further. Sake Bomb has a variety of sushi options(my favorite being the Thai roll, which I dream about when I’m not eating it) and a great atmosphere. Their service has never been anything to complain about, and they’re pretty fast. They are so reasonably priced! You would find similar sushi rolls in Briar Creek for $ 5 more, but Sake Bomb is reasonably priced and has BOGO sushi – even on take out! I’m a huge fan, and I’m making a point to take all of my friends.
Calvin M.
Place rating: 5 Hummelstown, PA
Great service, even better sushi! I’m visiting from PA and chose this place on Unilocal because of distance from the Marriott and«Sake» in the name… More than pleasantly surprised by my experience here. The Sake list alone is unreal and takes up a full page of the menu. The sushi rolls took up 3 pages! Loved everything I ate, the bartender(Jesse) was awesome and the fact sushi rolls were half off today made my night! I’ll be back!
Sean B.
Place rating: 5 Durham, NC
I have been here many times and hope this place continues to grow in popularity. Other cities I have lived in other states, Sake Bomb would be packed! It’s a great atmosphere, hard working owners who put out great sushi and cooked dishes as well. Enjoy the Acapulco roll and drink specials are pretty fair! Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed.
Danyelle S.
Place rating: 5 Durham, NC
Excellent sushi! Great atmosphere. Always enjoy coming here. Tuesday is ½ off all rolls. Good food great service!
Tiffanie U.
Place rating: 3 Durham, NC
First time going here. I order take out, my food was hot and tasty. The only down side was I find a few pieces of plastic in my meal. Other then that the food not bad I probably wouldn’t mind eating here again. 3.5÷5
Andrew K.
Place rating: 1 Durham, NC
I don’t often feel such strong negativity towards a restaurant, but this was really bad. I ordered the 3 roll lunch special, which seemed like a great deal! Unfortunately, the tuna was VERY light pink instead of a deep red, the rice was wet, the rolls were drenched in soy sauce, and the eel had a lot of slimy skin. The worst part was the Hot and Sour soup, which smelled so bad that I had to take it out of the office. I didn’t even consider eating the soup based on the smell. The sight of the low quality tuna kept me from eating that as well. I just hope I don’t get sick from what I did eat before throwing it away. My two other coworkers had similarly bad experiences with their orders. One coworker ordered the Land and Sea roll that had very dry filet over top, and a greasy roll beneath. The lady that took our order was friendly, but that is the only positive thing I can say about this experience. Maybe it was bad because it was slow at lunchtime? Maybe it’s different in the evening? Either way, we will not return again. Stick with Peony Asian Bistro if you want to grab some quick sushi for lunch in the area.
Sam J.
Place rating: 5 Durham, NC
I ordered the Pad Thai; it was great. My waiter was super nice and friendly! You would never guess how nice this restaurant is compared to the outside. For dessert, red bean ice cream. Yum! disclaimer: pad thai makes your breath smell awful
Vigor L.
Place rating: 2 Durham, NC
Just moved to the area; thought we’d try this place out. Didn’t realize it was BOGO until our waiter told us. But it also includes the nigiri and hand rolls, so it wouldn’t make sense to get them as you would be paying $ 15 and get your hand roll free(as opposed to getting another special roll). Looking at the menu, realized immediately that Agashi tofu… Should be Age Dashi. Fusion restaurant problems? The ambiance was also… very stock photo centric. Noticing the huge wall photos of pagodas and tea and other Japanese-esqe things. We ordered the vegetable tempura… and it should be renamed to carrot(and broccoli and onion) tempura. The sushi… was definitely sub-par. The fish did not taste fresh. The wasabi was fairly diluted. We also got a beer with our order and there was a promo going on for Lagunitas beer. We got a free glass. Service: A– Ambiance: C Food: C– Not sure if we just came on a bad day for the sushi. It’s a shame that it’s down the street from us.
Heather M.
Place rating: 3 Raleigh, NC
Maybe it was just their sushi rolls but I was left unimpressed. I came with a large group of ~20 so I was extra understanding of the slow service. However, didn’t think they’d slack on the food… The sushi rolls were heavily stuffed with rice. Legit, my maguro tartar roll was far more rice than fish… What a bummer. The fusion roll had slightly more flavor but that’s likely because it was tempura fried. I ended up taking out half of the rice in my maguro tartar roll just to be able to taste the roll. Yes this place is BOGO, but i don’t think its a good deal since the specialty rolls are more of like rice rolls. My friends seemed to enjoy their salad and drunken noodle so maybe their entrée dishes are better than their sushi? Service was very slow but that’s expected with such a large group. 1 hour to get our food, another hour to get our checks. Nevertheless, our server was so patient and kind with us. He always made sure we were well taken care of, which always made the experience better. Atmosphere is classy yet casual. The restaurant is clean and dimly lit. A solid place to seat large groups!
Elizabeth K.
Place rating: 5 Carrboro, NC
Sake bomb has become my go-to restaurant when I’m eating out with a friend. Not only is their sushi good, especially for BOGO, but their other menu items are great as well! We started off with a chicken papaya salad, and although it wasn’t as good as other Thai restaurants, it was still fine(quite sweet) and presented better than I’ve ever seen papaya salad presented. For my entrée, it came with a choice of miso soup and house salad, and my house salad looked fancy compared to other places that offer the same thing. I’m talking about a nice wide bowl, not a cup size, with fresh mixed greens, tomato wedges, cucumber slices, tasty ginger dressing, and topped with fried wonton strips. The massaman curry was SO good and also beautifully presented. I decided to go with veggies and no meat, and I received lots of colorful veggies! Another pleasant surprise! My curry had potatoes, onions, green beans, broccoli, orange/red bell peppers, roasted cashews, and topped with avocado slices. And it was all delicious. Even the service was fantastic. Our server paced everything perfectly. Our appetizer came out first and then our miso soup/salad, and when we were finished with the starters, our entrees arrived. Wonderful! I underestimated Sake Bomb, but they have more than sushi that’s delicious as well with great sushi every time I go.
Ursula L.
Place rating: 4 Hillsborough, NC
We ordered take out and found it difficult to choose sushi that was gluten free. We ended up ordering 4 sushi rolls and some Massaman(sp?) Vegetable Curry. The sushi was buy one, get one free which made for a nice price. It was pretty tasty too, though I don’t much like the spicy mayo many sushi restaurants are using. The curry was delicious and loaded with veggies. The ginger dressing for the salad was very good. The customer service was outstanding, and we were greeted with smile. We were offered a seat while we looked over the menu and then given water while we waited for our order. The order came out super fast and we were on our way. For the sushi lovers out there, I recommend giving this place a try, but not if you are gluten free.
Ali R.
Place rating: 4 Fort Lauderdale, FL
After a year in the area I think Sake Bomb has the best sushi in Durham. It has a very classy interior, great hours — open throughout the day and also all weekend — and great food. The cuts of fish to me are always most important and they haven’t disappointed me yet. I tend to go for sushi, nigiri selection, and they do a great job making the rice, balling it just right, and providing a nice selection in the sushi combination. A little bonus, the included salad is done very well, well cut veggies and the dressing has more flavor than the competition. It’s not the on menu, but if you ask they have hamachi kama, and they grill it just right. The staff is very friendly. The ambiance is a little dark but it’s part of the classy feel. I highly recommend anyone who wants sushi in Durham to come by Sake Bomb. You’ll have to drive pretty far to beat this place. Oh and before I forget: the Sake selection is great. The staff is easy to get advice from if you’re not sure what you want. Just describe what you like, ask for advice, and start sampling their menu!
Jessie B.
Place rating: 4 Durham, NC
Its close to my house, so already I’m a fan. Restaurant itself doesn’t do delivery, but you can order online through Takeout Central, though keep in mind TC doesn’t list basic sushi rolls(think spicy tuna or California roll) but the restaurant does serve them. We ate in store today, trendy sushi joint décor(think clean lines, low lighting, weirdly shaped light fixtures). We were seated in the drink-bar area, which was being waited by the bartender, so things took a little while, but he was really pleasant, knowledgeable, and helpful, so we didn’t mind the wait. 2 standard rolls, 4 specialty rolls, and 4 pieces of nigiri ran us $ 50 before tip, and all were tasty. I was a little disappointed with the craftsmanship of the roll(loosey goosey rice, unevenly sliced pieces, a couple of half-filled end pieces) but that didn’t take away from the great flavors and combinations. Very tasty all around. Also important to note: BOGO is ALLTHETIME. Order an even number of rolls and they will take the cheapest half off the ticket. So, keep in mind that if you order 2 specialty rolls at $ 13 each and 2 orders of nigiri at $ 8 each, your order will be discounted $ 16 not $ 21. Bartender also mentioned that Tuesday is 3 for 1, so that’s awesome. We will be back!
Nina Q.
Place rating: 4 Raleigh, NC
A lot of the other reviews mention that Sake Bomb is similar to Shiki and I have to agree. I came in on a Thursday evening as part of a birthday group with 11 people and overall, I am impressed at how our waitress handled us and a roomful of other guests. First, it took the whole group about 40 minutes to all arrive. Our waitress was super patient and came by each time to explain drink and food specials and take drink orders. On Thursdays, all martinis are $ 5. The BOGO sushi deal was also available. Our food only took about 20 minutes to arrive which was a wonderful surprise. I ordered the Red Dragon roll and Catepillar roll. Keep in mind that their sushi menu puts together ALL the sushi rolls in one menu by alphabetical order which means it doesn’t tell you how many pieces of sushi each roll has. The rolls were absolutely delicious! They definitely didn’t skimp on any of the ingredients so everything was very flavorful. I tried a few of the other dishes such as the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup(Bun Bo Hue) and all were delicious. The food was well seasoned and savory. Try their namesake drink: a sake bomb! Our waitress even showed us how to pound on the table and what to say!
Bruce G.
Place rating: 4 Durham, NC
I’ve been to Sake Bomb a few times for lunch so thought I would update my review. I still think this is a good place for sushi. Lots of choices for all kind of rolls. They also do the bogo thing so keep that in mind. On my most recent visit I ordered the green tea and miso(horny) * soup. Both were a great addition along with the sushi. Sake Bomb can be a little pricey, but worth it for an occasional splurge. * I borrowed this from a ‘celebrity jeopardy’ sketch on SNL. Google it if you haven’t seen it!
Marina Y.
Place rating: 5 Holly Springs, NC
From the outside you can’t see the inside, but on the inside it is decorated nicely. I went there with my girls~ We had ordered crab ragoon and calamari for appetizer. The appetizer came out as soon as we ordered it. We were so surprised that the food came out so quickly. Then our entrée of salmon lover, pad thai, sushi deluxe, and Mogolian beef came out. The food was amazing. Everything tasted so good Definitely will come back for more~
Brenda C.
Place rating: 4 Wilmington, DE
From the outside, I didn’t know what to expect from Sake Bomb, but the interior is a lot nicer than I would’ve imagined. The bar area has a cool lounge feel that looks like I nice place to get drinks after work. The décor in the main restaurant is nice and has a good ambiance. Their sushi is good and is a great value since it’s BOGO free. They have$ 8 lunch specials for Asian dishes such s Drunken Noodles, Pad Thai, Kung Pao, Vietnamese Pork, which include a soup or salad. I’ve had the Drunken Noodles a few times and enjoy. However, the more recent times it’s not been as flavorful and not spicy at all, which is disappointing because the spice is why I order Drunken noodles.