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Imperia
Categories: Restaurants Asian Fusion Restaurants Chinese Restaurants Sushi Bars Asian Fusion, Chinese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
310 Colorado StAustin, TX 78701
Neighborhoods: Warehouse District, Downtown
(512) 472-6770
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 4:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Thu-Fri 4:30 pm - 12 am
Sat 5:30 pm - 12 am
Sun 5:30 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
244 reviews for Imperia
Review Highlights
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"The Sea Bass skewers were AMAZING." In 32 reviews -
"And we're talking "Happy Hour Heaven", not "The Hills." In 90 reviews -
"Wasabi bloody mary (double yum." In 7 reviews
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244 reviews in English
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Review from Virginia C.
Austin, TX
5/17/2012
Heard a lot about this place and first thought it to be overrated but I have to admit, its damn good sushi. Its definitely more than i would usually shell out for this type of fare but they always seem to have some special or happy hour type of deal that totally makes it worth the walk over.
The waiter we had this particular time going in was so knowledgeable and really present, but not overly so to the point of annoyance.
The ambiance there feels really comfortable but also has a refined upscale air to it. -
Review from Austin P.
Austin, TX
5/6/2012
Four stars for -
The ambience.
The food. Sushi was one of the best we've had. Friecracker shrimp - top class, Cajun reauxll- to die for, 4138 - I'd order it again, Red Devil - overrated.
The location.
Yay for Valet! 7$ on a Saturday...most garages and open lots charge 10+ and you have to walk in your heels! Not fun.
One missing star for the server, who was not very attentive and had to be called to place additional orders.
All in all will be returning soon!! Have to watch groupon regularly now! -
Review from Jason V.
Austin, TX
5/1/2012
We got an early start for my son's birthday dinner on a Sturday night so parking was easy. Happy Hour sushi specials are a great value and the service was fantastic and made our young kids feel at home.
Got some great advice on how to maximize the value of our Groupon and some great suggestion on cooked sushi that the whole family could enjoy.
The nigiri was plentiful and the rolls were substantial and not soggy.
They had toro which was like heaven. Great presentation. Nuf Sed! -
Review from Kelly R.
Austin, TX
5/22/2012
we loved EVERY. FREAKING. THING. here, and that's not too common for us. like others, we bought the groupon and were extremely impressed by the quality, the service and most of all, the taste. we stuck to the sushi choices and found the selections to be both inventive and exceedingly delicious. we had the house edamame (lemon essence and chilis, who would've thought?!), two of the escolar shooters (SO cool, the rice vinegar and sake with sashimi), the spider roll (agree with reviews about it being pretty good, as good as any other spider roll I've had), and the 4138 (soooo yum, it just melted). even the soy sauce was amazing.
our waiter was both kind and attentive (male, shorter, blondish-brown spiky hair), as was the hostess (long, dark hair with bangs) and the bartender (male, huge tattoo on one arm) who explained about reverse happy hour as we were on our way out. I can't imagine why this place isn't packed, if not for overall price point. what they charge is pretty much spot-on, but I can understand people not wanting to spend that amount every night. then again, I also don't own a six-figure loft in the area.
dare I say I liked it better than Uchi? [cue collective gasp from Austin foodie crowd] after scrolling through the other reviews, I'd love to see what the chef would do for the dishes he selects (om...kari something?) that would be perfect for a special occasion. in the meantime, I'll try happy hour... and another groupon, please? : ) -
Review from Jennifer G.
Austin, TX
5/17/2012
Service, ambiance (for a sushi place downtown Austin, anyway) and food is impeccable.
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Review from Chase L.
Austin, TX
5/23/2012
I've been an Austin resident for almost a year now and am quite the sushi connoisseur so I've tried out several sushi restaurants in the Austin area and I've landed on Imperia as my number one choice. Prices are a little steep but it is well worth it considering the quality of food and excellent service both at the bar and elsewhere. My wife and I recently ate here and sat at the bar and were introduced to a male bartender with tattoos on his arm (Believe his name was Paul or Phil) and he was such a good entertainer. We didn't even have to look at the menu because he basically recited it word for word and got my wife drinking the ginger mojito and now she's hooked. He was very pleasant person to be around and informed us of other activities to do for the remainder of our evening. Overall experience was amazing!!!
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Review from Alex L.
Austin, TX
4/28/2012
This place has its great and mediocre points. The sea bass skewers are tender and well seasoned. The sauce on them is a less sweet terikayi style sauce which compliments the white fish really well. I could eat like 3 servings of there. The imperia house edamame is a welcome change from the traditonal boiled edamame. This one is served warm with hints of spiciness from the chilies and just a presence of lemon. So it's spicy and refreshing all at the same time. The only specialty roll that I can tolerate here is the pablo escolar. Use the dipping sauce it comes with instead of the wasabi/soy sauce.
The dumplings were too doughy, mayo and cream cheese in rolls are not my thing, and I've had freshly nigiri at other sushi restaurants. I'll be back for happy hour, but won't be eating in the regular hours anytime soon. -
Review from Chelsea V.
Austin, TX
4/5/2012
I never knew scallops and barbeque sauce could make me feel this way. It almost makes me identify with that ridiculous Jack-in- the-crack commercial.
Not sure why reviews are so low for this place. The service was great. Parking downtown aside, this is my ideal sushi joint. We showed up, didn't have any wait at all. Were seated in a private section of the restauraunt, our waiter was incredibly friendly. We only waited about 10 minutes for our appetizer to come out and honestly it was the best part of our meal. It was grilled scallops with japanese bbq sauce, asparagus, and jumbo shrimp. It was seriously the most amazing meal. I could have just eaten that and been just fine. We also ordered an assortment of rolls which were slightly less memorable, but nonetheless delicious. The only roll I didn't particularly care for was the Longhorn Roll. The place was pretty expensive. Don't go here and expect to spend less than 60-70 total for 2 people, so I can't go all the time. But all in all it was a pretty great experience. -
Review from Susannah R.
Austin, TX
5/10/2012
The Chilean Sea bass was one fo the best meals I have ever had. Delicate ingenious flavors in every dish. Also great service.
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Review from Julia P.
3/7/2012
Wow, I came to Imperia this weekend for the first time in years and this place has really gone downhill. I can't believe people are giving this place more than 1 star because this is probably one of the worst restaurants I've ate at.
First off, every single dish we ordered was extremely salty probably because the quality of the food is so poor they want to disguise it. Even the edamame was bad. Who the hell screws up edamame? Imperia does.
Also, I can't even begin to describe how poor the service was and our waiter screwed up left and right and didn't even know what items were on the menu when we asked to describe it. Okay, so maybe we were being a little snobby but we have to be with the outrageous prices they charge for crappy food.
I AM NEVER COMING HERE AGAIN! I call that this place will be out of business by the beginning of summer and it deserves to be. -
Review from Zach M.
3/9/2012
I guess I went here at the wrong time.
Had a 7:30 reservation and arrived to an empty restaurant. That's not always a bad thing, but when I try out a new place I'd like the reassurance that other people eat here and I'm not the last person to find out it sucks. Luckily, Imperia didn't suck. It was actually quite good. I ordered an assortment of rolls from spicy tuna and spider to the pablo escolar and red devil. I liked everything except for the BLT. Don't get it. There is something disappointing about tasting a BLT while eating sushi. Not surprisingly, our service was great and the place began to fill in as we were leaving. I just may get grouponed into this place again sometime. -
Review from Krista K.
2/28/2012 2 Check-ins Here
One of my favorite sushi spots downtown. It's usually easy to get a reservation and I love the low tables in the back. something about sitting low down makes the sushi taste better. It's a proven fact.
Anyhow, I really like the variety of specialty rolls that are offered. Between the Hot Mess, 4138 and Pablo Escolar, you really can't go wrong. Also, be sure not to miss out on some of the delicious starters like the spicy edamame, firecracker shrimp and avocado rangoon. Crap, now I'm starving.
They are usually pretty heavy on the wine pour, so that scores some bonus points with me. Although, I've yet to make it to their happy hour, I hear it's DA bomb. Enjoy! -
Review from Kerry B.
Austin, TX
3/7/2012
Came here after a completely lame experience at La Condesa, left there hungry and came to Imperia to hit up their happy hour. The house edamame is delicious, and so are their sea bass skewers. They don't discount drinks until reverse happy hour at 9pm, but they offer some decent food discounts 5-7pm. They do buy one get one free nigiri and sushi rolls, as well as discounting many of their appetizers. My fiance's mom ordered the chicken lo mein and it was really good, we all tried a bite. The chicken was cooked perfectly, the portion was generous.
Our bartender did not know how to make a martini but she was very nice and attentive with service.
Was definitely NOT impressed with their spider roll. Mostly rice, absolutely no crab meat, mostly just fried batter. I have been here before and we've tried the spicy tuna roll, this is good. Overall, for asian fusion they are okay, but we have had times where the service is lacking if you come before 7pm because the place is just dead until the night crowd comes in. -
Review from Spring S.
Austin, TX
4/9/2012
I'm a sushi fiend, but had been in Austin for a year and a half and still hadn't tried this place. When the Groupon came up, the bf and I decided to check it out. We were going to be downtown last night anyways for a movie at the Ritz, so we decided to stop in around 7. Beginning of the prime dinner service, right? Wrong. The place was completely empty. It was weird, and kind of off-putting. My bf, who is a chef at another popular restaurant, was like "bad sign".
First off, the pro's. The interior of the place is really pretty. Very dark with heavy details, but I liked it. Our server, bless his heart, was great and was doing the best he could. I thought he said his name was Dave or David, but our ticket at the end said Michael, so who knows. Anyhow, Dave/David/Michael, please take your server talents elsewhere. This place is a sinking ship.
The con's. The food! It was just not good. We ordered a squid salad, picturing the delicate white rings of squid atop some other cold veggies or whatever. What we got was something akin to chicken salad or cat food. The texture of the squid was like old chicken, something that my vegetarian palate was having a hard time with. It smelled bad. It looked really gross. It was super chunky. I've never sent anything back to the kitchen, but this stuff had to go. Next came to Bank roll. It tasted ok, but the presentation was awkward. The pieces were big and kind of buried under this glob of shredded beets or cabbage or something. The spicy tuna roll was ok, but nothing special. We got some sort of cajun roll and it was ok but mushy and awkward because the shredded veggie junk on top kept falling off while in transit from plate to mouth. The tempura veggie appetizer was fine, but it's hard to mess up tempura veggies.
I don't know, this place was just bad. It was my third sushi stop of the week, but this definitely wasn't a case of saving the best for last. The bf made me promise to never take him there again. -
Review from AMY D.
Updated - 12/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Whoa, this review is overdue for an update! I recently attended Kelly S.'s CMYE at Imperia and everything was absolutely perfect.
They have an extensive drink and food menu. I enjoyed one of their new drinks the pomegranate lemon drop. A lot of sushi restaurants lack in the wine menu but Imperia's wine list is pretty decent.
They serve dim sum plates and we tried three of them. I highly recommend the avocado Rangoon which were the best Rangoon I have ever had. The edamame with fresno chilies had a nice spice and were addicting.
One of my new favorite rolls is Imperia's Red Devil roll. The Red Devil is as stunning as it is tasty. It has spicy tuna, black sushi rice, roasted peppers topped with specialty sauces.
You cannot come here without ordering the giant fortune cookie dessert! The plate comes with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, raspberries and is huge.
The service was tops and the lounge section we had was super comfy. I will definitely be back to try their awesome happy hour of 2 for 1 rolls and you can bet I will be ordering the Red Devil. Martinis and 2 for 1 sushi sounds like a winner to me!Listed in: Best Austin Sushi
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/24/2010
Last night I tried Imperia for the first time. I really wanted to like Imperia but left less than… Read more »
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Review from joseph k.
Austin, TX
2/20/2012
We went here for sushi about 5 on a Friday. There was just two of us and we sat at the sushi bar. Tim a.k.a. O.T.O. behind the bar made sure we were fed and happy.
The rolls: an area of contention for some. They are well made and made with quality ingredients; however, some will say "authentic" and others will not be thrilled.
The Nigiri: some of the best I've had here in town. Recommended.
So, sit in front of Tim at the sushi bar and ask him for all kinds of Nigiri. -
Review from Tim L.
11/22/2011
The food and service were above par even though we came at the busiest part of the evening. Imperia successfully blends a good Japanese restaurant with a lounge-like atmosphere to create a unique experience. We tried the Red Devil, A Hot Mess, and the 4138 just because of the name. They were all pretty good and we definitely enjoyed it.
Not much love coming from other Yelpers though, so this place is definitely a hit or miss. It's not my first choice for Japanese cuisine, but we had a good enough experience to warrant a second try to sample some other entrees. -
Review from Gayathri B.
Austin, TX
1/17/2012
Delicious food .. great ambience .. excellent service.
Went over the weekend in a group of 9 and was very pleased with our server. She was helpful, accommodating and didn't show her irritation with the indecisive us. :)
All the rolls the boys ordered got amazing reviews. The drinks, jade margarita, ginger margarita and mojitos all were loved.
We had a buddhalicious roll - which was to die for.
We also had the tofu clay pot .. which was decent - lots of fresh veggies .. kind of like a sweet thai curry.
Also got the pad thai which was the only sub-standard dish. We weren't pleased. Shouldn't be called a pad thai. Was very mildly flavored noodles.
Dessert - Chocolate cake was great but the show stealer was the half baked cookie. It's literally a whole skillet - so be sure there are plenty in your group to share. That got 5/5 rating from all. -
Review from Misti B.
Austin, TX
3/11/2012
I ate here with a group of friends last night and it was amazing... We had the spicy tuna rolls, many kinds of nigiri, crab rangoons and kobe beef that you cook yourself on a sizzling hot rock!! I am from Hawaii and really needed my sushi fix, they did not let me down. So far the best sushi I've had in Austin, I will definitely go back and enjoy again... Our waiter was very attentive to all of our needs and kept the plates coming at our request. Imperia is also reasonably priced with great portion sizes and excellent presentation.
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Review from Rawhide W.
Los Angeles, CA
3/14/2012
This was the very first restaurant I patronized in Austin. Was taken by a coworker..fun environment and great sushi
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Review from Eliza H.
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Been here twice and have to say this place is more like a 3.5
VENUE: Dark, intimate, cozy. Come here in small groups or on a date.
FOOD: Nothing really stood out to me. I really like the crab rangoons and the egg rolls (honestly can't remember the name of them). The Peking duck was kind of dry and they serve it with tortillas instead of the usual doughy bread i'm used to. Drinks were STRONG (Dreamsicle was awesome).
SERVICE: Our servers both times were friendly and helpful. -
Review from paul s.
happy hour (s)? well, yes, we were quite happy coming in and we left happy... pretty good stuff here, and reasonably priced too.
we come here for happy hour, have never sat in the formal dining areas. we've sat at the bar, at the tall bar tables, in the lounge area... we order sushi and apps. mostly. OK, my son ordered the pad thai and I was shocked by the price (around $15) but the portion was big, they all said it was delicious and it had some good sized shrimp in it.
sushi, for happy hour the rolls are 2x1 (you order one and get two, paying only for one). beer/wine/sake are $5 and regular apps are half price.
we loved the warm edamame with fresno chilies. they warm it on the grill and it does pick up that grill flavor, also garlic and chili... we loved this.
they have some specialty rolls we enjoy (we are happy to pay full price for these) we like the Red Devil and the Hamachi-potle
we took the kids this last trip, we had two large comfy couches that face each other with a low coffee table between. it was perfect for our family. we lounged and played and laughed.... the kids loved it. my daughter was very happy that they had wi-fi.
we will be back. -
Review from Chris G.
San Antonio, TX
3/18/2012
ate here last night,, walked in to a rude hostess,, went straight to the bar to eat,,,the tall blonde waitress (that hates her job) decided to clean liquor bottles instead of give me a menu,,, five minutes later,,, she took my order. Did i mention she hates her job, the noodles were ok for the price,,, the sushi was average. the waitress then sat at the bar trying to make plans for her evening. someone else gave me the check without asking if I would like dessert. many other restaurants within two blocks with better food and service,,, oh and the bathroom was filthy with no soap.
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Review from Salsa A.
Austin, TX
3/8/2012
This place has pricey but tasty drinks, & rolls ( hot mess , red devil to name a couple ). Beware, their kitchen tends to take time getting the food on the table. But the really fun ambience makes it worthwhile at the end :)
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Review from Alexandra A.
Houston, TX
2/26/2012
I came here based on a friend's recommendation. The 10 Treasures Fried Rice was a little too salty for my taste but everything else was delicious! Our waitress was great, very personable and helpful in making recommendations. I love that everything comes out when it is ready instead of all at once. I felt like I was having a never ending feast of really fresh fish. We tried four different rolls, which were all good, but the nagiri blew them all out of the water.
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Review from Mike M.
Austin, TX
9/26/2011
This review is specifically for those of us who sit at the sushi bar. The rest of you can roll down to those folks who are concerned with vegetarian options or whatever.
We discovered this place, like many locals, via the Groupon offer. Simply put, sit at the sushi bar, preferably toward the seat closest to the entrance, which is where the chef works. Order the Omakase, either 3 course for one person or 5 course for two. This is the "chef's choice". What they should say is it is the IRON Chef's choice. Forget what you thought about sushi if you generally order off of the "normal" menu.
My son and I ordered the 5 course Omakase, having arrived early on a Friday evening, and every course was mind expanding. We agreed that for both of us, it was the most delicious and illuminating meal we had ever had, and we are pretty serious about food. Because we ordered Omakase, nothing that we ordered was on the menu, and THAT is the point. The chef is free to create at the sushi bar, and while I am sure that he has a playbook, it's a damn good playbook. So that you best understand, there wasn't anything weird or off-putting. Just incredibly fresh seafood paired with creative counterpoints that brought out the best flavor of the featured ingredient.
I went back on a Monday evening, but it was the night before the Groupon offer was to expire. It was not a problem getting a seat at the sushi bar. (On both evenings, I just walked in and found a seat at the sushi bar.). The chef immediately recognized me, and told me in advance that they were shorthanded and slammed and that I could expect my courses would come more slowly. I told him that I had more time than money, and would be willing to wait. I was not disappointed. (BTW, he only repeated one of the dishes that I had previously for Omakase, and it was one of my favorites from the previous visit.)
If you are serious about sushi and are delighted by creativity, this is your place. Groupons generally cover the tip in my culinary trips, but they encourage me to try places I may not have been aware of. This time, it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
If you aren't the type of person to sit at the sushi bar, you can disregard my review. On the other hand, if you really enjoy both raw and cooked fish (there was at east one cooked dish each time, and it was great both times) this is the place to have your palate expanded. I haven't been to Uchi yet, but Impera offered a great experience for what looked like a lot less $. The guys at the sushi bar are unintimidating, speak great English, and work hard to provide you with a first class experience. I highly recommend them. -
Review from Atx F.
Austin, TX
4/11/2012
Great place to meet for happy hour, love the atmosphere, the sea bass skewers are a must!! Rolls aren't the best but sushi is always fresh and customer service is always great, overall.... Great place
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Review from Melise L.
Austin, TX
6/28/2011
Came in to try the sea bass skewers since I love sea bass and I trust people on Yelp to give good reviews of food.
Having only passed this place about 50 times getting to Sullivan's and tiptoeing around the giant potholes nearby that collect day old rain and homeless gin-laced urine, I was excited to finally make it inside. Walking in, the place is really beautiful. The music beat was a little frantic and irregular. Felt like I was Magic School Bus-ing it inside the cardiovascular system of Peruvian coca leaf picker who decided to indulge himself.
When you walk in, the bar area swivels around to the right and makes a backwards L shape. I take a bar seat across from the entrance to the kitchen. Our bartender came out from the kitchen to the bar right after I seated myself and did not acknowledge me or say "I'll be right with you". I REALLY hate this. I was myself once a bartender and I've never outright ignored customers like that. Also, having been in the service industry, I tend to overtip, like WAY overtip, so a little courtesy goes a long way with me. On the other arm of the L shaped bar were 3 girls so I guess he had better things to do like try to pick up on drunk ladies who'll probably never give him the time of day.
He came over with some menus and explained to my friend and me the happy hour specials without so much as a smile or any enthusiasm. And actually, when we first sat down, there was a couple next to us already eating/drinking and he went to them to ask if they wanted another round. Messed up, I tell ya.
We look over the menu and she orders some fruity drink and I just have some water b/c I really was there to eat some sea bass skewers. The happy hour/reverse happy hour was really confusing. It goes from 4-7 daily, but everyday Sunday, but I didn't know if that was considered happy hr or reverse happy hr. Reverse happy hour starts at 9. Also, the sea bass skewers were the only thing not included in the reverse happy hour. What a mind f*ck. I can't be bothered with a happy hr menu that requires you to have a doctorate in time travel or quantum physics or string theory or whatever to understand it. I drank my water then went over to Sullivan's where the service was spot on like always. -
Review from Jessica F.
Austin, TX
2/22/2012
Nothing special. Imperia is trying to make average food upscale with nice decor and fruity alcoholic drinks.
Service was poor. I went in with a Groupon that had expired the day before. It's printed directly on the Groupon that the purchase value has no expiration date but the server wouldn't take it & told me to contact Groupon. I contacted them & Groupon confirmed that Imperia should have accepted it. Lame.
Groupon headache aside, there are far, far better & more reasonably priced places in town to patronize. Don't bother with Imperia. -
Review from Hael F.
8/28/2011
S.O.S. (Style Over Substance)
Being a recent transplant to Austin I didn't have any good personal recommendations for a good sushi bar. I relied on a recommendation from a friend of my only friend in Austin (I know... I should have trusted Yelp).
I wanted to take my partner to a nice sushi dinner for his birthday and we landed at Imperia based on said recommendation. Let's just say it went downhill right from the beginning when we were seated in the back of the lounge (AKA "No Man's Land") next to a lovely middle aged couple making out.
Next up, Jeff Spicoli's distant cousin was our waiter. When I inquired about which items on the menu were vegan, he didn't know. He had to go ask the chef. What the what?!?! When he returned I was informed that the sushi rice was not vegan. They use honey in the sushi rice. Really? What the hell?!
Things just went further down hill from there. Saying that service was spotty would be overcompensating. With such a large menu, it was disappointing to everyone to see that sushi/maki rolls only comprised about 7% of the available dinner options.
I guess if you want to feel like you're a part of the scene then this is the place to be. Otherwise, don't waste your time here. I wouldn't go back unless I left my credit card there... oh wait, I did leave my credit card there. -
Review from Chris M.
I kinda stumbled over to Imperia looking for a sushi happy hour worth while since I had just found out Kyoto's Downtown was closed down. What a bummer, now I need a drink to deal with the depression and abrupt change.
It was early, around 5ish, I walked into the place to find a girl named Ashley greet and seat me in the lounge area. This place has a bit of a hip feel to it, I can dig it. The music playing was pretty good, a bit faster paced but instrumental. Thank God no synthesized vocals.
I have never been here and had no idea what to get, but to no avail Ashley had all the angles covered. She sensed my fickleness and immediately ran down the specials and pointed out a few suggestions: the Sea Bass Skewers and the Firecracker Shrimp. Okay, I'll try the Sea Bass for sure, a Yin Yang Chocolate Martini, a Spider Roll, but let's hold off on the shrimp.
My items came out in sequence, the Yin Yang was my first Chocolate Martini ever - - not too shabby, especially for $5. The Sea Bass was the absolute BOMB! So awesome that it melted in my mouth like butter, and for $5 I could easily do some inventory damage here. The Spider Roll was good - - albeit not the best, but respectable. For the HH price it's reasonable, but I was expecting a tad bit more (quality-wise).
This could have easily been a 4-star experience, it was pleasant and nice, the sea bass was awesome and everything else was good. But what made this 5-stars was the excellent spot-on customer service by Ashley. This Kristin Cavallari look-a-like was every bit as sassy and cute minus the stuffiness and attitude. She sensed my fickleness and made a dilligent effort to ensure my time there was well spent with her excellent suggestions - - all of which panned out perfectly. She was so good that I knew I had to take her up on the Firecracker Shrimp suggestion, which was also quite tasty. I couldn't eat all of this food - - but Ash says "no problemo", and brings me a take-home box. I felt like I was Jay Cutler for a moment....kewl beans!
I think I'm going to make Imperia a regular part of my weekly HH binge. Awesome sea bass, well priced cocktails, and a hostess with the mostess named Ashley who will definitely lead you to the promise land. And we're talking "Happy Hour Heaven", not "The Hills".Listed in: My ROTD's, Best Happy Hour
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Review from Jason H.
Austin, TX
6/16/2011 3 photos
I've been reading some of these reviews, and I'd love to actually reach through the computer and smack a few people upside the head.
I can say quite honestly without a doubt, that anybody that questions the sushi at this place has absolutely no clue whatsoever. I'm particularly a fan of the person complaining that it had been suggested he not drown his sashimi in soy sauce. If your negative review is based on your opinions of a california roll and just how much soy sauce the rice can soak up, move on and go get a slice of pizza somewhere.
As is always the case, sit at the sushi bar, tell the chef Omakase, relax, have a chat, and be absolutely amazed. They use techniques here that you simply won't find outside of Japan. The combinations of flavors are amazing. The rice is perfectly seasoned, and the nigiri are all dressed exquisitely. Each chef has their own style, and what they decide to prepare, and serve in what order is always a treat.
This is not a place for the squeamish when it comes to that style of eating sushi however. If you're not down with pretty much everything... you're probably going to be unhappy with some of the more exotic preps.
Perfect Ankimo? Check. Uni that will stop your heart? Got it. Amaebi served with the fried body? Nom. Quail egg over Salmon Roe? Squishy.
The negative reviews for this place seem to boil down into a few categories.
Too many yuppies. Well it's downtown, it's expensive... whatever.
Too empty, or too busy. Which is it? I've seen it be both, but I've never had to wait for the sushi bar. I'm just confused by these complaints.
The Happy Hour sucked. Seriously, Austin, is Happy Hour the only thing any of you think about? Half of the reviews for any place down here are either complaining, or complimenting some places Happy Hour.
Apparently this place is also too "Dallas." I'm not from Texas, but your insult is too "Austin." Get a grip hippy.
Any place that has Oshizushi wins in my book. Did I mention they have fresh chopped wasabi? Drool. -
Review from Cynthia J.
Austin, TX
1/29/2012
Horrible. Horrible food. Horrible service. And super expensive considering this kind of quality of food and service. Our waiter was awful. It took him 15 minutes to get us water. another 20 minutes for him to stroll to our table and take orders. another 40 minutes to serve all the food we had. Plus by the time some of us finished our food, our other friend had just gotten theirs. the sushi wasn't that great and expensive. their noodle dishes were so bad. I could've gotten the same thing that tastes 10x better from panda express.
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Review from Colleen L.
Austin, TX
7/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been to Imperia for dinner and it was a great experience, great service, great sushi, and a fun night. But after visiting for happy hour, I can't say it was as enjoyable. So, in an effort to keep you, fellow yelpers, informed, happy, and full, here is what you should keep in mind when visiting for happy hour:
Issue #1: Seating
First, let me explain to you the siting area for happy hour:
There are three different sections: The restaurant, the lounge, and the back room by the sushi bar. The restaurant does not serve happy hour, the lounge does. The back room (which is connected to the lounge) serves happy hour sushi, but not happy hour drinks. So if you sit in the back room, and order your HH sushi from your waiter, you then have to walk over to the bar to pay separately for your HH drink and take it back to the table. A bit of a pain and completely unnecessary.
Issue #2: "2 for 1 sushi".
When they say "2 for 1 sushi", Imperia means you will get twice as many rolls for the price listed on the menu. (you get 12 instead of 6 rolls). They DO NOT mean that you will order 2 different rolls off the menu and only pay for one of the rolls (like when you buy 2 for 1 shoes, you get two pairs for the price of one). To me, this is somewhat misleading. When I ordered a spicy tuna roll and spider roll off the menu, I was expecting that I would be getting 2 rolls for the price of 1 (which would be $11). I did not expect that I would be ordering 4 rolls, and paying for 2 (which came to $22). Has your head exploded yet?
Another thing to keep in mind - beer prices. The prices are not listed on the menu for beer, and my boyfriend accidentally ordered a beer that was $8.50. Ouch.
So, in conclusion: Sit in the lounge, bring friends to share all the sushi you are going to get, and don't order beer. the end. -
Review from Laura G.
Austin, TX
4/27/2011
Place smells like a kim chee warehouse (to me). I had won a sake carafe (or something like that) from Dot512.
Not only did they not honor it (& I had called ahead to confirm it), the food took forever, I had the distinct sensation from the staff that my coolness factor was too low to even get my overpriced bill in a reasonable amount of time.
Imperia...I'm not impressed-ia. -
Review from Josh S.
Austin, TX
7/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Let me start off by saying, this is one of the best sushi places in the ATX, no doubt! They have an awesome atmosphere, good service, and even better sushi. We tried about 8 different rolls, and 4 different appetizers, and everything was good.
Everyone needs to try the Hot Mess Roll. I literally have lost sleep thinking about it.. need to get back there to get me a Hot Mess!!!
Josh -
Review from Robin S.
Austin, TX
4/17/2011
I went on a kick pulling all my reviews off yelp for a while, because this site and its policies kind of piss me off and I didn't feel like giving yelp free content anymore, but alas, my desired to remind people of how shitty certain places are bests my interest in not giving yelp ratings.
This was the last review I wrote before I pulled my reviews down, and its been a while, but I was with Husejin and his wife, and everything really did suck just as much as he said. The server all but forgot about us, the order was wrong, the bill was wrong, and the sushi wasn't as good as what I normally get at Central Market but was more than twice the price, and the place was absent of customers.
So, I'd tell you not to go, but you're not going anyway, and they'll close soon, because no restaurant is staying open without customers. Thank god, because Austin doesn't have room for yet another a sucky scenester pseudo-sushi restaurant. There are at least ten sushi restaurants you can go to in this town that are better than this, and half of them are in strip malls.Listed in: This sucks
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Review from Candice M.
Cedar Park, TX
1/15/2012
The atmosphere is hands down amazing. The service was great! The Cajun Reauxl is amazing. i wasnt too impressesed by the mackeral, taste was ok , but the cut was real sloppy. I would return again, but maybe with a smaller group.
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Review from Husejin D.
Springfield, IL
3/15/2011
What a freaking disaster! Please believe me when I say that I have not injected hyperbole into the opening statement for this review. It was a train wreck from the word go.
We met up with friends for dinner and thank God we were in good company with ample and lively conversation, because with the exception of the Escolar Nigiri everything, the food, the service, the follow up, EVEN the bill was either screwed up or totally lacking any value. I am not sure if Imperia is even worth a second trip. I know what kind of restaurant they are trying to be: hip Asian fusion Ala Betelnut on Union Street in San Francisco. But Imperia, you have light years to go before you even reach that orbit.
The restaurant's patron occupancy on that particular night had a + or - margin of error rating that was "not busy" on the plus side with the polar opposite being "closed" ; the average level or mean, however, settled somewhere around "dead". With that in mind, service should have been attentive, responsive, efficient, clear, unencumbered, focused, coherent, etc. etc. Our experience was anything but.
Our food order was screwed up several times; even with numerous carefully worded corrections to our server who, as it seems now, was in deep water way over his head. I am not sure if he suffered from a super early form of Alzheimer's disease that affects victims in their early 20s, but he definitely should have been relying on pen and paper to avoid avoidable snafus. All we could do was joke about the mistakes our server was making and his inability to get ANYTHING right.
Management was absent from the scenario. In fact a call back to the restaurant later that evening resulted in a response that went something like, "Oh, you were that table of four? Uh-huh, you had problems with your order? Uh-huh, okay, yeah....yeah, okay, well sorry. Thanks for calling."
A restaurant is only as good as the manager on duty and his ability to direct his staff. So I place the blame for this catastrophic dining experience on his shoulders alone. If it were up to me, he would have gotten his pink slip long ago. -
Review from Lacey W.
4/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for Yelp Drinks, and those drinks were strong!
I feel comfortable reviewing this place during Drinks week because my group ordered several drinks NOT on special and several things off the menu. By the way, can I just say that their Happy Hour is amazing? Lots of their apps are $5, their cocktails are $5, and their sushi rolls are BOGO. OMGAwesome.
The pork and shrimp shiu mai were served in a bamboo basket and with the tastiest dipping sauce on the side. The dumplings were tender, large, and so so scrumptious. The shrimp tempura roll was pretty standard, and my friends had good things to say about the crab and avocado rangoon, firecracker shrimp, and the veggie roll.
On to the good stuff: They don't skimp on their HH drinks (Unlike some places I know. You know who you are.)-- the Bubble Bath just about knocked me on my butt. My ginger mojito was sort of a let-down; pretty much a standard mojito with a ginger stick in it. I would have preferred a stronger ginger flavor (but for $5, who's counting?). The Jade Pearl martini was similarly strong, but tasted like a pear jolly rancher.
Service: prompt and friendly, though it did take a few minutes longer than I would have preferred to get the bill.
The one downer: their beer prices seem to be out of whack with the market rate in my experience, and only two beers are on special during HH.Listed in: Beer Me
