Ponzu Sushi & Grill

I’ve been here a few times because it is close to work. I like it but it isn’t a wow. The Thai Chicken sandwich is actually really good. There is a great selection of sushi. They have a sushi roll and saiad lunch special which is a good idea.

I love this place. I used to work across the street and went alllllllllll the time over lunch.
They have a great lunch special. I always got two rolls (crazy crab and spicy tuna) and the salad with carrot ginger dressing. The crazy crab is very popular and the salad is awesome and fresh. Their dressing is AMAZINGGG. It’s pretty expensive but it didn’t stop me from going (atleast once a week).
When I’m there for dinner I usually get the Seattle
Roll (asparagus, salmon, cream cheese), which is AWESOME and some tuna sashimi — very good. My boyfriend got quail eggs and a scallop once and they were both awesome. Highly recommend.
For a special occasion they have a very good (and very rich and chocolatey) dessert — cookie dough stuffed dumplings with ice cream! I got one on my birthday once. Caution: you WILL go into a food coma.
They have a great reverse happy hour which would be fun if you were going or had just gone on a date to a movie and wanted a drink before or after to talk.
It’s a very nice and clean place and I am growing to like the area more and more as better businesses are coming in. The staff is also EXCELLENT. There is one waiter in particular who is fantastic.
One thing I had and HATED was the strawberry Bellini — but it was partially my fault for ordering it.
There are also some options other than sushi which seem to be pretty popular and always look good.
I recommend!

I’ve been to Ponzu numerous times now, but was recently here for some happy hour food and drinks. While I don’t think they have the best happy hour menu in town, they have a pretty darn good one with a large number of their rolls on the happy hour menu for $ 5 and several other rolls for $ 8. Their mixed drinks are priced at $ 5.50 for happy hour, which is still a little more pricey than other places.
A friend and I shared four rolls, some spicy edamame, and each had a mixed drink. Our bill with tax came to $ 40, so not horrible for a lot of food and some drinks.
For rolls we tried the firecracker and the crazy crab which were both very good. The happy hour menu in the restaurant lists two rolls that aren’t on the menu online nor are they actually in the full menu in the restaurant, so I don’t recall the name of them. We had to ask the waitress what was in the roll since they weren’t in the regular menu, but she described them and they sounded good – so we ordered them! I believe they were both salmon, but it would be helpful if Ponzu updated their regular menu to include these rolls!
All the rolls we ordered were delicious! I was very happy with them. Service was good. The owner, Jimi (of Jimi D’s on Center – another favorite of mine), was in the restaurant helping the staff. He was walking around filling waters and checking on guests, so it was nice to see him and interact with him.
Overall, I like Ponzu and definitely recommend it. We went on a Tuesday evening at 5pm for happy hour, and the place was empty. However, I do know on weekends and during events in the area that this place will quickly fill up.

A quality sushi diner that is just down the street from Baxter Arena and that made it very convenient to eat here before a hockey game (or after).
Food quality was great, service was equal, there would be no reason for me not to return in the future
Visited November 2015

I have been going here for years now and I love this place. I come here probably at least once a week (I was just here Monday) and I am never disappointed. Not sure what to get? I got your back…
Appetizers: I love their ceviche, edamame, truffle fries, and/​or and lobster rangoons
*If you like sushi: philly roll, flame-​thrower, and/​or Coco Loco. This is my order almost every single time.
*If you don’t want sushi but you want seafood: fish tacos with truffle fries. Maybe ask for extra tortillas because they pack in those tacos!
*If you hate fish and your friends dragged you to Ponzu: Kobe burger with truffle fries. What my husband gets when he’s tired of sushi.

This place turned a sushi hater into a sushi lover! Very casual atmosphere with a modern vibe and great service. We have almost never had to wait for a table which is great, and it’s conveniently located in the heart of Aksarben Village next to the movie theater. The Crazy Crab is a roll you can’t skip. Very, very good. The Cancun is also great with guacamole on top! They make all rolls fresh in front of the tables. This place is top notch and creates so many fun twists on traditional sushi. Again, this is coming from someone who didn’t ever like sushi until trying this place. They have a happy hour daily from 3 – 6 daily (I think) where a lot of rolls are discounted. Definitely give this place a shot! We are regulars!

Had heard great things about Ponzu… finally had the chance to check it out and it did not disappoint! Outstanding sushi – such variety and so many unique rolls on the menu, hard to pick just a few. The Godzilla roll was our favorite, but sitting at the sushi bar we saw lots of plates come out and everything looked amazing! Will definitely be back.

Love love love
Sitting outside
Great reverse happy hour
Perfect waitress love sliders and coco loco and just about anything on happy hour menu

I understand being busy, but last night was terrible. The food wasn’t worth the 50 minute wait. Our server was horrible. At one point I ran out of ice tea AND ice. Bone dry. Won’t go back.

I really enjoyed my first visit to Ponzu. The server we had was super outgoing and friendly. One of those bubbly happy people who brought a smile to everyone’s face. Service was right on point and perfect. We ordered a couple different items. started with the calamari which was tender nicely seasoned but a bit small on the pieces. I used my chopsticks and should have just switch to fingers, but I kept my manners.
All the sushi we ordered was great. Rolls were perfect. Had some nigiri tuna and salmon the tuna was the best I have had in Omaha.
Drinks were also pretty good. All in all I really enjoyed my stop here and will be back for sure

My favorite sushi so far but only due to the spicy roll options (there were plenty). Modern interior and comfy seating though would prefer a sushi bar seat. Definitely will back many more times.

Best sushi in town! I’ve enjoyed nearly everything on the menu with a wide variety of company and no one has ever been disappointed. Customer for life!

Came in during Happy Hour and I was very pleased with my experience! I’m not much into trendy food, but Ponzu was a good change from my regular sushi outings.
We ordered the spicy edamame, Kobe burger, teriyaki chicken, and three makimono (crazy crab, super asparagus, and unagi). Everything came out very quickly for a rather busy night. Edamame could have been a little spicier and saucier and the Kobe burger was a little dry (had to ask for aioli mayo) but the teriyaki chicken and the rolls were delicious. The teriyaki chicken was grilled rather than stir fried, which is a plus, and was a good mix of sweet and succulent. It came with coconut jasmine rice, and not being much of a coconut fan, it was very mild in sweetness and had green onions which was very good and accommodated the chicken very well. The rolls were decently sized and doused in eel sauce and panko to my liking. Service was friendly. Definitely want to come back and try the udon and ramen dishes!

Great sushi, a fun environment. A bit hidden since it is right next to the theater, it is hard to tell where it is when you walk up. We went with friends, they were happy to split the checks and had a very pleasant server.
The sushi was awesome!

Great meal! Genuinely surprised. Service started a tad rocky but my waitress was great and very nice. Didn’t rush me at all and was fine being on my timeline as I wanted to linger and enjoy.
App: Mussels with coconut curry sauce: salt level 8 — loads of flavor, loved the onion, red pepper, and cilantro. Points for olive oil bread and presentation. Very few closed/​bad shells. Very salty though so not for the salt intolerant (me lol)
Salad: Carrot ginger salad– fresh and tasty — loved the dressing with carrot purée in it
Entrée: Sesame crusted salmon, sticky rice, and slaw– a ten on flavor. Fresh, great great flavor and perfect combos in fresh slaw with cilantro. The edamame purée was top notch and on point.
Nice outside patio and lighting. Overall very happy with the experience! Leaving to the hotel in a great mood :)

I am a little choosy when it comes to sushi places. Il begin with that. Ever since the explosion of terrifying sushi risk articles splattered all over Facebook, I have held back when people have asked me if sushi sounds good for dinner. With that being said, I am a movie person and naturally I couldn’t help but notice this cute lit up glass restaurant every time I visited Aksarben Cinema. Curiosity kind of took over me. I wondered if this cozy but upscale looking restaurant was any good. One night after celebrating the victory of purchasing my mom a new car, my boyfriend and I decided to give this place a try.
Five stars. Why? Because there’s absolutely nothing to complain about here and we had a ton of fun. Strong tasty cocktails worth the price? Check. Two drinks were enough to make me feel good. Tasty appetizers? You got it. Try the ceviche or blue point mussels with crusty bread you can soak in a curry cream broth. Sushi better than Blue? Check. Good service? Check. Beautiful atmosphere? Yes.
Our server was a blond outgoing friendly gal who attentively waited on us. She was warm and friendly and QUICK. We didn’t wait hours for sushi like you do at some other places. Sitting on the patio for a warm pleasant summer night. Perfect night and money well spent. Yes they don’t offer a happy hour, but I’m not a cheap person obsessed with money. If you have good quality service, you deserve what I pay you. We will be back!

Am I the odd one out who was not impressed by Ponzu Sushi and Grill?
Decided to grab a grub here because Unilocal has been very good with the suggestions on where to go, what to do, and where to eat during our trip. This one, eh, was a fail for us.
The attire is casual but it felt trendy. Our waitress was nice to us and we did not feel rushed. I feel like we rushed her because we were starving.
We started with the chicken teriyaki lettuce wrap. My lady ordered the teriyaki chicken because she has been craving rice and a side of miso soup. I had the ramen noodle bowl because why not.
Lettuce wrap arrived and it was mighty colorful. There was lettuce, sliced red bell peppers, vinegar with chopped green onions, carrot strips, and white rice. The teriyaki chicken was sliced like Mcdonald’s grilled chicken on their salad. It looked like it too. Meh.
Our dinner arrived and my lady’s food looked identical to the lettuce wrap, but without the lettuce and vegetables. I was sorry for her. She tasted her miso soup, and I swear she did not taste it again.
My ramen bowl with meat (I forgot if it was beef or pork) was, for the lack of other words, weird. It had red cabbage, peas, chopped green pepper, 6 minute egg, ramen noodles with some kind of soup at the bottom, and meat. The good thing about this meal was the meat tasted like pork adobo (a Filipino dish) and it was pretty good. The rest, eh. Actually the dish was cold. Forgive my ignorance, but was it supposed to be cold?
Will look for a different place to eat at if we ever stop by in Aksarben. Probably eat popcorn in the nearby movie theater.

Let me start by saying they were very accommodating to an in-​on-​off-​the-​street large party of 8. We had finished Jurassic World and wanted to hang out a little longer. The staff made us feel it was no problem to put a couple of tables together and to do separate checks.
Service was a little slow but the food was okay. So far they are the only place in Omaha I have found cold soba noddles. I wasn’t overly thrilled but the company was great. I would go back only if I was invited. It wouldn’t be my first choice.

A good choice for sushi. For drinks, I had the Red X IPA (from Infusion in Benson). My wife had the Goose Island Matilda. There’s nothing better than going to a place that has a diverse beer selection.
The edamame is a good appetizer while perusing the sushi menu. The selections are limited and that’s okay. I would rather have a smaller, quality menu than one that is overwhelmingly large and then the sushi is just mediocre. Make sure to order some curry fries, too. Keep it up, Ponzu!

We had an enjoyable evening, but I went with sushi in mind. Friends wanted an entrée, and they thought that $ 12 – 18 entrees were a bit steep for the venue. I would have to agree. This is not fine dining, but nice casual. Dessert was lovely, a nice take on something interesting to go along with ice cream and the presentation was terrific. I must say, though, they make a mean traditional martini (friends had those fruity «martini’s» and said they were deelish, but I’m a straight up dirty martini fan and it was perfect.
Back to Sakura Bana for my authentic sushi, trust me. Ponzu’s take on sushi was just average. It was underwhelming and uninspired… not awful, but okay. I mean — who wants deep fried sushi??? Weird. It would not be «top of mind» if someone asked me, «Where should we go for sushi?»
Waitperson was very attentive and did everything he could to make our experience positive — but there is only so much he could control. Their entrée menu is limited and pricey, sushi menu is quite large, but in all the items we tried, none especially knocked our socks off.
Note: On our recent visit, we tried the Grouper and fries as well as the Shrimp Enchiladas. The best part of the meal? Drinks and appetizers. Truth.