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Bamboo 52
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Nightlife Bars Lounges Sushi Bars, Lounges [Edit]
344 W 52nd St(between 8th Ave & 9th Ave)
New York, NY 10019
Neighborhoods: Hell's Kitchen, Midtown West, Theater District
(212) 315-2777
- Nearest Transit:
-
50 St (A, C, E)
50 St (1, 2)
7 Av (B, D, E)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 4 am
Sat-Sun 4 pm - 4 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
245 reviews for Bamboo 52
Review Highlights
"Bamboo 52 is the best place ever for happy hour."
(in 118 reviews)
"The lovely roll is soooooooooo good."
(in 10 reviews)
"Volcano bowl was awesome, especially when we had two for..."
(in 7 reviews)
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245 reviews in English
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Review from T G.
Bronx, NY
Updated - 1/12/2012
Went here on Friday and again we had a great time...
Food was awesome, waiter was awesome and drinks, you already know.
Its great to return to an oldie but goodie and realize they are still a goodie!!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/5/2010
I just love Happy Hour and when it goes until 9, oh what a great time...
I shared drinks here are so… Read more »
Comment from Chris K. of Bamboo 52 2/8/2012
T.G. we are overjoyed and glad that you had a good time… More » -
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Review from Cynthia M.
Long Island City, NY
1/7/2012
What we ordered:
Steamed Shrimp Shumai
Chicken Gyoza
Bagel Roll eel, smoked salmon, kani and cream cheese with crunchy tempura
Dragon Roll kani, cucumber and avocado topped with eel and avocado
Naruto Roll tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, wrapped in thin sheet of cucumber
Overpriced and just plain bad. The shumai and the gyoza were obviously the frozen kind you buy at any asian or american grocery. The "special" rolls were the size of regular rolls, but maybe even smaller. How do you fit so many ingredients into such a tiny roll and still retain the flavor of each? You don't. The fish was mushy, the rolls were sloppily prepared with just traces of each ingredient, the service was brash and rushed, and all of it was 3 times the price of what it should have been. I came here on an internet deal and thank goodness that I didn't have to pay full price at least. My mom, brother and I all left the place hungry and if the food was good, we would have just ordered more, but it was just not worth it. Oh well, not every meal can be great. I'll just chalk this one up to a loss. -
Review from Mary W.
Ellicott City, MD
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Definitely not a good place for actual food. Sushi is limited, small and way expensive.
The only plus is the decor/atmosphere (more like a club) and one person in my party ordered something off the menu that they were able to randomly make (teriyaki chicken). BUT, it looked like Wendy's fried chicken patty placed on top of rice. Eh.Comment from Chris K. of Bamboo 52 12/27/2011
Mary we appreciate your visit to the establishment & your… More » -
Review from Lucy M.
Brooklyn, NY
2/9/2012
Stay clear of this place if you are looking for good sushi. I had purchased a coupon here and decided to give it a try. Well, I definitely should have read the reviews closer before my purchase. As soon as I got to the front of the restaurant I knew I was in for a crappy meal. The place looks like a sports bar with a small sushi counter in the back. The entire time I was eating my food, I kept thinking that I would certainly get sick after eating this meal because the fish did not taste so fresh. Thank god I was okay the next day, but I will definitely never go back to Bamboo 52 again.
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Review from Susanna C.
Manhattan, NY
2/5/2012
The sushi rolls are small but yummy -- my favorite is the Lovely Roll. Our server recommended that we try it with black rice and it was awesome! Downsides are that it can be really noisy -- the music is loud, the tvs are on and people are talking so it creates quite a din. Last time we went early for dinner, and a bunch of kids were running around playing!
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Review from Linda T.
Princeton, NJ
2/3/2012
Cool atmosphere/decor. I have been several times for work functions and always enjoy myself. Would go back again. That being said, I've never actually eaten here, just drinks.
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Review from Janice D.
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here before a show and had a few cocktails. It was Sunday and happy hour all day. Drinks were a steal pretty strong too. They have a decent cocktail list that is included in the happy hour and with premium liquors.
Did not have the sushi, but from what I saw the rolls looked tiny.
Id come again for cocktails. -
Review from Crystal L.
Queens, NY
Seriously, this place is like a club + sushi.
Definitely not the place to go if you are looking to have quiet and intimate conversation. Why? Techno beats and loud house music per a DJ is why. I could hardly hear myself think. BUT this was entirely my fault as I knew this place would be loud before coming here.
I came here with a girlfriend I hadn't seen in a while, so naturally there was tons to catch up on. It was conversation fail all night long--she and I screaming at each other over the music.
But other than that the food was good. We ordered the Hell's Kitchen and Fantasy Roll (shrimp tempura, banana, and spicy tuna--so good!) A diverse and eclectic crowd, it was a really lively atmosphere. Decor was nice and trendy. There is an outside patio and a large room in the back with additional seating.
Service was awesome from the hostess to our server Craig. He was SUPER nice and had tons of helpful suggestions.
Happy hour is until 9pm--$3 off most martinis and drinks regularly priced at $9-10. We tried the ginger and lychee martinis--both were excellent!
The table next to us has some crazy burning volcano drink with 151. I was a creeper and asked to take a picture just because it looked so cool.
All in all, good food, great happy hour, great service, and loud music! I would come back! -
Review from Nancy S.
11/10/2011
Came here for a friend's birthday two nights ago and had a pretty great time! You definitely need to come check this place out if you have a birthday coming up! They check your ID and if your birthday is that day, they give you 3 free drinks off the menu! It's a pretty sweet deal and there's a great choice of pretty good drinks.
The vibe of the place was a little weird. It didn't look too fancy, but they definitely tried to put on a fancier vibe. There was a DJ playing bad top 100 music and kind of a weird crowd. There was a nice open backyard with little wall waterfalls which was kind of cute but it was just a little bit too cold to enjoy.
They have happy hour til 9pm every night, which is 3$ off all drinks on the cocktail menu (excluding certain special ones marked with an asterisk), beers are 4$ and certain other drink deals.. They should really get a happy hour menu so that their waiters don't have to repeat all the specials.. a couple times.. to people like me who can barely hear over the music.
They also have drink specials per the day of the week. On Tuesdays, mojitos are 5$ so I decided to try one out. It was substantial.. very sweet for a mojito and not enough mint. The Birthday girl did get a Lychee Grapefruit Martini which was fantastic!
We also got the "Volcano" drink to share, which came in a bowl with fire in the center and three long straws for us to share. It was a pretty great and fun presentation and even more fun to drink!
The food was pretty great too and had great plating but was a little pricey. The Sushi Dinner (6 pieces sushi and Spicy Tuna or California Roll) was only 15$ but their special rolls are around 10-13$, normal rolls 6-8$, and apps 6-10$.
I would say. Come for the cocktails! but maybe not anything else.. -
Review from randy k.
New York, NY
12/11/2011
Not a CLEAN Restaurant!!!!
My partner and I siting at the sushi bar and I saw a few things that bothered me.
1) The Sushi chefs chatting, texting and touching there mouths. When an order came his they grabbed "used" plastic glove. Never washed there hands.. (Not a huge deal but still)
2) The area was in quite cluttered and I the Scallops were left out kind of falling out of the container and was was on the rind of a piles of limes.
3) I watch them take a peace of fish out cut it and didn't wrap it and put in on the floor of the cooler area then a few minuets later he used it. Normally they keep all parts wrapped so there isn't contamination of the fish.
4) There was a bucket of Chicken legs sitting by the wash basin. Just odd to have raw chicken next to raw fish.
Yes I took pictures just for fun...
Then I Google'ed the NYC health board and reason they have a be is disturbing for a Sushi restaurant.
Violations recorded in the following area (s) and a Notice of Violation issued at the re-inspection conducted on 06/21/2011.
1) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.
2) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
3) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
This was what I experienced and thought Id share. I'm bummed because I've been going there for years. -
Review from Richard D.
New York, NY
Updated - 9/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came back here for my birthday.
For those of you following my free birthday list,
YOU HAVE TO COME HERE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY TO CLAIM YOUR 3 FREE DRINKS.
Other restaurants on my list give you a couple week leeway to get your party on, but this place is strict and checks your ID and also hands you 3 coupons for 3 drinks.
So the 3 free cocktails are their normal drinks, normally priced at $10+. Their drinks here are pretty good and the restaurant and bar always seems to be hoppin.
I haven't tried the food yet, but I'll have to check it out when it's less busy.Listed in: Free on your Birthday
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/15/2011
Many people stumble onto this place while waiting for Totto ramen.
The bartender was super friendly… Read more »
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Review from Gracie G.
Hoboken, NJ
10/2/2011
HH goes on until like 9pm EVERY night so plus. Their drinks are great and strong - at least the ones I had. The decor is cute - very trendy and posh. Good location to Theater District, which is why we came here after watching Zarkana (which was awesome).
However, food is really just so substandard and average. it's not awful, but it's your typical cheap sushi joint food.... for like 3x the prices. This was a serious markup of very mediocre food. And I know this because we ordered 3 appetizers, and 3 different rolls. Nothing stood out.. and our bill was around $100 for 2 people, not counting our cocktails.
Service wise, our waitress was just sooooo incompetent and inexplicably slow! I refuse to believe she was that busy as all she had to attend were 3 tables in our section. Had to ask her 4 times for chopsticks, plates and napkins. Had to ask 3-4 times for a glass for our beer. Had finished 1/2 bottle by then!
Adding to shoddy service, was the female bartender with the French accent. She made good drinks but had this weird attitude and condescending smile every time we asked a question about the drink selection. My BF, a beer expert, let her know that his beer tasted weird and that most likely their tap was old and she gave him this huge, snickering smile. No apologies for their old tap, just a snicker. What??
Lastly, their ceiling was leaking on top of us randomly to which our waitress did nothing about (i.e. re-seat us) and everyone around us was gay after 10pm. Will still reserve full judgement and go again in the hopes it was an off night.. Until then, A very 'meh, I've experienced better' night. -
Review from Leslie W.
Manhattan, NY
12/13/2011 Seated via OpenTable
LOVE! My neighborhood staple!!
Comment from Chris K. of Bamboo 52 12/27/2011
Leslie We are happy to be your staple establishment and… More » -
Review from laura s.
Manhattan, NY
12/10/2011
I came here with friends for a pre-birthday celebration. We got some sake and sushi rolls. First of all, there was a leak from the air conditioning above us. So water was plopping down extermely close to us. Not fun. Second, the sushi rolls were a huge dissappointment. I ordered the tempora roll-it had the right ingredients, but it didn't taste that great. Plus everyone's rolls were extremely small and expensive for the portions. The atmosphere was okay, nothing special. I wouldn't come back here by choice.
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Review from Cliff K.
7/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm not gonna lie, it's never easy to give a place 1 star. But when I do... I really enjoy it. haha.
The sushi here is honestly terrible. It's worse than the cheap stuff you can get at St. Marks. Not only is the sushi terrible, it's ridiculously expensive. I mean, you don't even get two pieces of sushi per order! Yet, you pay the same amount for low quality stuff! I mean COME ON. I ordered a piece of Salmon, 2 pieces White Tuna, 1 piece of Yellow Tail, a spicy tuna roll, and a shrimp tempura roll. Came out to a whopping 35 bucks! I mean... That would be fine if each piece of spicy tuna wasn't the size of my pinky toe. It would also be fine if the rice or sushi was fresh. But none of that happened! All I got was a platter of crap. I should have used it as artillery at the sushi chef, but I chickened out. I know. My bad ya'll. My bad.
Granted, the atmosphere is pretty nice, and the drink menu is extensive for a happy hour. But seriously... BAD FOOD = ANGRY ME.
Would I ever go here again? Methinks not. -
Review from Matthew C.
Manhattan, NY
12/6/2011
This is a great sushi place with fantastic drinks as well. I would definitely recommend the lovely roll and the love boat and almost every cocktail on the menu!
Oh and did I mention you get three free drinks on your birthday!!Comment from Chris K. of Bamboo 52 2/8/2012
We are overjoyed that you had a good time during your visit… More » -
Review from kel h.
New York, NY
8/16/2011
Service was lacking
Don't solo volcano bowl
DJ: "no requests" -
Review from Maresa T.
Albuquerque, NM
11/21/2011 Seated via OpenTable
The food and drinks here were just OK, nothing really special or notable and the drinks were a bit two sweet, OK prices for NYC and we got in easy before the theatre.
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Review from Geoff D.
Manhattan, NY
5/20/2011
Let me start off by saying my Wasabi Cocktail was delicious. However, the waiter's rudeness completely tainted this restaurant making me not want to come back. When I asked for a glass of water with my martini, I was told with complete seriousness that "water is not a priority" and that when he got around to getting water, that's when I would get it. On the waiter's second visit to our table, I again asked for a glass of water. The waiter (who had a Justin Beiber haircut) was again terribly rude. He did eventually bring me a bottle of water, but then said, he didn't have glasses to bring. When our table ordered a second round of drinks, he brought out the wrong cocktails, but made us feel that we had made the mistake.
Overall, very strange experience. I still can't believe I was told "water is not a priority." At least I was with a great group of friends, so we did our best to let it roll off our shoulders. -
Review from Lily K.
New York, NY
9/2/2011
I went here due to a recommendation from a friend and because I had a coupon that allowed me to eat here cheaper. I gave it a three star because of the nice service.
Environment: It's next to the post office but upon entering, this place is pretty jazzed up with neon lights and gives a comfortable modern lounge-y feeling. I went during dinner time, and much of the light source came from the neon lightnings and the candle on the table. They got a DJ that definitely added to the mood. I saw that there was a back area that's probably used accommodate larger groups.
Service: The waiter that serviced my boyfriend and I was super friendly. We got our drinks and entrees pretty quickly. There is a bar but we didn't sit there.
Drinks: The drinks were so-so (White Lotus and Bamboo-tini) It is watered down and although the flavors of these drinks seems nice. It would be nice to experience the full flavor rather than hints of fragrance.
Food: Ordered the love boat with spicy salmon and eel. (A lil expensive for the amount served $33 bucks) In addition, we got the Naruto rolls because my boyfriend wanted to try something without the rice. I got the miso soup and salad. Everything was AVERAGE, The ginger dressing was thicker than the usual traditional way, it's alright. The rolls and sushi was average. Nothing noteworthy to be mentioned.
Desert: We weren't feeling full, so we ordered the chocolate ganache on top of cheese cake. It was delicious and thick. Probably the best part of the meal. Though it was strange having lettuce as garnish.
Overall: Even with the discounted pricing from the coupon, and spent about 60~70 all together. (Tipped for the full amount) I don't think I will be returning here anytime soon. It feels like the same quality of food as I get in St Marks for half the price and probably more in quantity and be full after. -
Review from Tina L.
The food is not worth it here. The Hell's Kitchen Chirashi was a $27 disappointment of small sashimi cuts.
Service is meh. Whether intentional or not, there was definitely a hint of condescension and/or lack of finesse.
Bamboo 52 is definitely more of a lounge than restaurant. Come here for the happy hour drinks while you wait for your turn at Totto Ramen down the block. -
Review from stacy k.
New York, NY
1/2/2012
This place is forgetful. We had a $50 Groupon, so we tried. We came during happy hour and it was pretty loud. Between the two of us, we ordered 3 rolls and 2 cocktails. Still came to over $20 out of pocket and another $20 in tips. Rolls were puny and overpriced. The cocktails (Volcano & the frozen Lycee Cosmo Swirl) were pretty good and were discounted for Happy hour. Overall, an okay place, but overpriced for what it is.
Comment from Chris K. of Bamboo 52 2/8/2012
Stacy Your review is appreciated and will teach us ways to… More » -
Review from Christopher M.
Bronx, NY
7/25/2011
Seriously, the only reason I go here is because I have close friends and acquaintances that come through here Friday evenings.
However, the food here is sub par. Only people who don't have an idea of what good sushi is would even consider sushi here to be good.
Bartenders tend to have an attitude at times. One Bartender lost my credit card and had the audacity to defend herself by saying "these things happen"
On another night a different bartender showed me attitude the other day by "saying maybe i don't need to server you after 9 PM. This is after I had a simple question about my 75 dollar bar bill. She was Just full of bitchy PMS attitude.
Place is over rated, and there although the music is good there are tons of better sushi restaurants, better music lounges, and even better bar tender service on a whole.
Not really worth going.
The lounge is a hangout spot for a lot of homosexual men. Which may probably not be a problem for most but can possibly be a turn off to others. -
Review from Rosa C.
4/5/2011
I haven't been here for the sushi.
Sadly the only thing I did try was the volcano bowl. So much fun. Definitely something to try. My group came during January and so we couldn't go to the outdoor area. The place gets really crowded during the weekend. Maybe on a weekday I would stop by for dinner since I love sushi but not on a weekend. When they host parties the place gets super loud.
Come here on a weekend to party and try their volcano bowl.
happy eatings~ -
Review from Juan H.
New York, NY
3/30/2011
Been coming here for the past 2 yrs. Like any relationship, we've had our ups and downs. We've taken breaks, needing time apart, to eventually reconcile. We are currently on the reconciliation upswing.
Biggest catch about this place is the Happy Hour: 7 days a week from Noon til 9pm. Can't beat that! And they give you pretty stiff drinks.
#1 Recommendation is the Volcano. 1 and you're feeling nice, two you will be leaving with a Kool-Aid smile from the libations. Oh, and 3 and well - enough said. All for just $7 a pop.
I almost forgot to write about the food. There you have it - they serve food. Nothing to write about except that it's bad - subpar. I don't go for the average sushi. Usually when I'm with friends I'll order my Volcano, drink some, and tell them I'll be right back in a few minutes....grab me a burger right next door from Lucky's and then keep the party going at Bamboo while my peeps guard my drink. If someone has to do all that to eat while they drink it should give you an idea of what the sushi taste like.
Staff is excellent, or maybe I've been there long enough to build a rapport. Attentive and always take care of me. Had it out with them once or twice (the breakup) because they messed up my drinks and weren't accommodating. Actually, twice in a row which caused my hiatus from there.
Ambiance is very LOUD, DJ, Lots of TV's at the bar and has a cool lounge-feel in the back of the place (couches and what not). The tables in the front have candles and gives it an intimate vibe. So it's a good spot for large groups or small more personable times. Pretty cool. -
Review from Joanne B.
8/16/2011
Bamboo 52 sucks. I've been here four times over the last couple months with different groups. Believe me, if I had any choice in the venue it would definitely not be this place.
First of all, the drinks are horrible. Stick with bottled beer. The mixed drinks are straight out of a college fueled spring break getaway in Cancun. Overly sweet and bottom shelf liquor or under the trap door liquor...if that's even possible. Don't even bother with the haiku bowl or whatever it's called with the 151 in it. It will get you drunk and you will be throwing up all over the bathroom and knocking over the front sign. (No, it wasn't me.) The wine is not good and gives you a headache. If you have to go there, heed my warning and just stick with the beer.
On one occasion, I tried the food. Sushi roll had mushy rice and everything else was just mediocre.
Now, to top it all off....the service awful. The hostess doesn't let you walk in. She's quick to tell you there's a wait when there's obviously not. The servers have issues. Seriously. On one occasion they told my friend to quiet down and use his inside voice. What? We're in a bar and he wasn't yelling. We packed it up right after that. Another time they wouldn't let our group sit in the back because it was "reserved" but no one ever showed up. It started pouring so they let us stand in the hallway because there were no seats at the bar and then they kept yelling at us because we were in the way. Want our business or not?? This last time, a group had a spot in the back actually reserved for a certain time frame and the guy told us to leave an hour before because "we weren't drinking enough". He was even nice enough to give us a bill broken down individually but failed to mention that the gratuity was already included...what a happy hour special. Luckily we noticed just before we paid.
And when I say they have issues, they seriously do. A week after visiting this spot, my group of friends noticed in the NY Post a picture of the one server.....he was the guy that trashed David Letterman's joint.
PS. The DJ doesn't have a mic. -
Review from Manny S.
Jersey City, NJ
6/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food met my expectations. The shrimp tempura and yuzu yellowtail tasted fresh and were creatively presented. However, the chirashi special was not-so-special for the price: tuna, salmon, y-tail, shrimp, tamago, and kani. Perhaps, the chef will give you something more exotic if you ask? (I'll find out next time we go...)
Our server checked in frequently to ensure we had what we needed. Managers placed another table next to us to ensure we had enough room for our plates. Great service!
I enjoyed the ambiance: trendy, TV's at the bar for sports, and big party room in the back for large groups. But, if you're going there for dinner, you can find more variety for your buck! -
Review from Ron L.
ASTORIA, NY
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am not a big fan of Sushi but this place makes it taste yummy.....
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Review from Lili K.
3/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've been meaning to try this place, since I see so many ads for it on amny and random lounges I go to.
It's spacious, has a semi-fancy decor, etc. We came in for drinks as we were waiting for Totto Ramen a few doors down. It was pretty empty around 5pm on a Saturday night, and we sat by the bar.
Their happy hour's pretty good, it's pretty much all day until ~9pm. Beers are a few bucks, and I got a strawberry mojito for $6-7, and it was yummmmy! I love my strawberry mojitos, and I know people like to charge more for 'em. So this was a pretty good deal.
Bartender was great, services were nice, bathrooms were clean, etc etc. I'd come back again.
Btw, you get any 3 free drinks on your bday! -
Review from William C.
Brooklyn, NY
1/21/2011
First thing you notice when you walk in is that, wow, despite having the pricing of a dive bar, it's actually a decent looking venue with decent looking staff.
Even the Irish bartender was dressed clean and neat, as opposed to the tank top and jeans bar type of Irish bartender.
The hostess was a very pretty chic with blue eyes and... okay, I'm losing track...
... the next thing you notice is, "Hey... what's up with this crowd?" It's one of the most diverse crowds that I have seen next to my own parties. You'll find black, white, indian, asian, gay, tranny, thug, prep, dominicans, house heads, rastas, and anything else you could conjure up.
Other highlights include:
Cheap drinks, great music, and one of the most gigantic black bouncers outside that I have ever seen that was probably also the most awesome one. Super polite, courteous, and constantly smiling while he listened to music on his headphones and (I guessed) sent texts to his friends. Kind of tells you how laid back this place is.
I'd def come here as a good pre-game spot. -
Review from Am I.
Fairview, NJ
6/5/2011
Great Food, Fun Atmosphere and if you are adventurous, eat the mini octopi, they are awesome!
I am also a fan of the volcano roll and the spicy tuna :D -
Review from Kero K.
Jamaica, NY
9/28/2011
Food is meh service slow drinks watered down
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Review from Chita B.
Philadelphia, PA
Either we picked Super-Fun-Night, or we picked Super-Q-Night. (Wait, aren't those the same thing?)
I was thrilled to see an awesomely diverse, happy, fun crowd - gay couples, straight couples, black, white and brown, all kinds of people that seemed so different from one another but were having a great time together. What an AWESOME vibe! (Yes, I know I sound like I'm describing Imagine by John Lennon.)
Our servers were also super-cool. Friendly, funny (yay!!), cheerful and incredibly helpful.
Sushi was spot on! Delicious. Admittedly, a little pricey, but our LivingSocial deal took care of that.
And that vibe...the DJ was playing some really nice smooth tunes, nodding her head in her Beats Dr. Dre headphones, and the people at the bar were half-dancing, half-swaying, enjoying themselves.
Without a doubt, this is my new favorite New York City sushi place! -
Review from Caitlin V.
Brooklyn, NY
5/28/2011
The sushi was very overpriced and not at all good. the yellowtail fish was chewy, which is worrisome. luckily, i didn't get food poisoning or anything, it just tasted funky. The "special rolls" are very small, not very "special" at all, and certainly not at all worth the prices. I can recommend many better sushi restaurants in the city that are more reasonable and give you way more bang for your buck.
However, it does have a trendy lounge area where you can watch sports on the tube. The waiter was nice. -
Review from Julia G.
1/6/2011
Subpar sushi and food. Really strange layout and vibe. It belongs in the late 90's and so does the clientele.
They knock off a few dollars from the drinks until 9:00, but the drinks are terribly sweet and poorly made. They have the sushi chefs making sushi under a disco ball while blasting awful top 40 music.
What the hell is this place and why was I dragged here? -
Review from Eugene K.
11/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
Uh, according to the bartender: "Happy hour is until 9. Price? Like 70% off."
After our order, she even quoted our drinks.
It's a beautiful thing.
The boys and I needed a watering hole pre-Totto and luckily for us, Bamboo was there to save the day.
Makers on the rocks was like $6.50 (or maybe even $6). Until 9PM!!!! We had 2 drinks each, went to Totto, filled up bellies with ramen, and came back to party. Little did we know that the party had already started.
THIS IS THE MOST DIVERSE AND INTERESTING CROWD YOU WILL EVER SEE.
First off, it's a "sushi bar/restaurant", which they have in the back. But you'll notice that there's a DJ in the middle of the restaurant with people dancing, yelling and smooshing (ok, I'm exaggerating but that would be AWESOME).
This place is LOUD and its patrons are very rambunctious. You'll see the cute little hostess pace back and forth, doing her dance, old momma jones to your right doing her Beyonce uh-oh-uh-oh, and your random old skeevs trying to catch a peek.
I'll definitely come back for their happy hour and barnum and bailey sideshow.Listed in: Best Happy Hour
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Review from Lisa L.
Manhattan, NY
9/25/2011
You have got to be kidding me!!! Where do i start!?! Horrible service, a worse manager, for just ok sushi. Went there this Friday night with 3 friends at 7:30. The first time someone came to our table was 8:00...and that was after asking the hostess what was taking so long. Drinks and apps came to the table at 8:20...apps were cold. Manager came over since we were obviousley unsatisfied and defended her kitchen. We were STARVING at this point...why would we send back food if it was fine!? The only thing I can say is when food finally arrived correctly (they also forgot about one of my rolls) it was good. Notice i use good, there are 100 other places to go in the city to get this level of sushi...AND they probably know what crunchies are!! That's correct...we ordered our spicy rolls with crunchies and when they came without them the waiter and the MANAGER came over to ask what crunchies were!! At the end of the meal, as we urgently tried to depart this establishment, our check arrived and to our dismay, NOTHING was comped...not even an appetizer for the 40 minute wait for drinks. Wait it gets better, we handed our cards to pay the bill and when we got back our receipts we were all charged our bill PLUS the table next to us!! So we had to wait for everything to be re-run and credited. At this point my one friend got up to speak to the manager about the overall experience and she was yelled at!! Great customer service!!
Maybe this place getsbits ratings from people who dont eat out often but I do, and when my boyfriend and i spend $95 on 2 drinks, 4 rolls, and an app, this is not what is expected!! The worse part is we all understand situations like this can happen but when you are in the service industry you RECTIFY the problem, you never let a customer walk away like this. -
Review from D P.
Manhattan, NY
9/9/2011
WARNING: RACIST OWNER.
I cannot help but give this place one star. I was offended beyond all belief by the owner. I was sitting at a table by the sushi bar when I overheard a server mentioning something to the DJ about how he didn't want hiphop music played because he didn't want to attract "that kind of crowd." Then, the owner came in and saw a server separating checks, walked up to him, and said "what, are they black?" I am not African American. I know it was the owner, because I asked the waiter who he was. However, after overpriced sushi ($8 or $9 for a spicy tuna roll) and servers telling me drinks are 50% off during happy hour, only to discover they are 35% off, and seeing multiple people go into the bathroom for 10 to 20 minutes, I will be avoiding this place like the plague.Comment from Chris K. of Bamboo 52 9/16/2011
Bamboo 52, since it's opening, has always been a place for… More » -
Review from Jenny W.
2/10/2011
This review comes after my 2nd visit to Bamboo 52. The first time I came was for a light dinner before NYE. The service was SO UTTERLY DISMAL I felt they must've really had something weird going on and thought to give them another chance. I also had a LivingSocial deal I wanted to use (and live around the corner) so I figured I'd drop in again some off day I didn't want to cook.
Anyhow, came here last night totally famished at 9:30PM with my roommate after I got home from the gym. This place apparently turns into a lounge--and a loud one at that--at night because the music was blasting from the DJ and the only places you could sit to eat dinner was next to the door (and it was freezing). There was a legit bouncer at the entrance! So bizarre! We ordered the following:
Spicy tuna: 4/5. Not too much rice, excellent flavor (nice kick at the end, but not too strong at the beginning) and great tuna texture. Nice and soft. This is a staple roll for me so I was pleased.
Salmon roll: 4/5. Again not too much rice, which is very important. Huge chunks of salmon! This really surprised me...they don't skimp on fish here.
Lovely roll: 3/5. The sea bass is totally overpowered by the fried garlic crunchy something in this roll, but it's pretty tasty. The avocado slices are a nice touch, but don't expect to taste much fish.
Toro (sashimi): 3/5. $6 / piece is sort of expensive for a restaurant of Bamboo 52's caliber, even for toro. Still, I had to order it and I didn't regret it. It came out fatty and creamy. Not the freshest or best toro I've experienced, but a solid introduction to toro for my roommate who's never had it before.
Atlantic salmon (sashimi): 5/5. Phenomenal salmon sashimi, and I'm a salmon snob (being from Seattle). Generous slices. Wonderful.
Edamame: 3/5. I really liked their edamame. I think they steamed it with a tad of sugar. It was slightly over-steamed but had a nice zing to it.
Plating: 5/5. Such nice plating for a restaurant where Rihanna is blasting from the bar! Bamboo leaves, nice places, and umbrellas galore!
Service: 3/5. She was busy and it was loud but she was fast and efficient and checked up on us. However she forgot to give us water but I'll let it pass.
I'd say final score is a 3.5/5. I'd probably come here again when it's not a-thumping hour, I was neatly surprised and happy this last visit. -
Review from K M.
Chicago, IL
12/16/2010
The volcano is a must if you like rum. Good God.
I had the worst day ever before coming here to meet someone, and he ordered the volcano and some sushi and all my stress from my awful day melted. :)
The sushi here is really good, though a little pricy; I recommend the Cajun roll and the Dino roll.
I came to the restaurant around 6 on a Thursday the first time, so I didn't get too much of the "loud and rowdy" croud everyone talked about until I left around 7:15. Weekends though its terribly crowded and busy, especially at night.
Overall, I had a great experience and plan to come back sometime with friends.
