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Niko Japanese Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
8450 Baltimore National PkEllicott City, MD 21043
(410) 418-8400
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
27 reviews for Niko Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
"I used to love their lunch buffet when I was in college..."
(in 5 reviews)
"Really good selection of sushi and tempura."
(in 10 reviews)
"Still great sushi and sashimi being served here."
(in 4 reviews)
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27 reviews in English
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Review from Jason E.
York, PA
1/17/2012
Quantity, decent quality, and opportunity to expand your horizons. 3.5 stars.
Niko's is not the best sushi I've had, and it's surely not the best in the world. But it was decent. Much better than most of the sushi you find at the chinese buffets.
I've eaten here three times, and never been sick. I was leery at first when I went with co-workers as I tend to always get sick at Chinese buffets. But this is really not an asian buffet, but a sushi bar buffet. While there is a small buffet stand of non-sushi items, these are really just accompaniments and desserts.
The portions are smaller than a normal sushi order. And lots of people seem to complain about this, and I am really not sure. I could understand if you were paying a fixed price per roll. But you're not...you've got an unlimited pass to eat.
Rather than complain a piece is small, take two. The point is to sample a variety of sushi rolls. And that's just what I did.
Why do I give the rating I do? Because I've discovered rolls that I like, that I would NEVER have ordered. Including one featuring cream cheese and sirachi sauce that has become one of my favorites.
Niko's provides an opportunity to taste an abundance more of dishes than one might normally order. And that's a very good thing.
While I am sure you can find better sushi. Niko's provides an excellent deal for those hungrier eaters. If you're an individual who simply eats one or two simple rolls. Go to a sushi house and spend the $4-$5 per roll and be happy. But if you're one, like me, who enjoys a variety, consider Niko. For $10-$12 you get to sample dozens of rolls - both simple and elaborate. And you get a bowl of soup to boot.
Not saying it's for everyone, elitists will find themselves disappointed (perhaps by the price alone). But it's good fare, and quite a bit of fun. -
Review from Victoria C.
Ellicott City, MD
1/3/2012
I went in for the lunch buffet after hearing about it from a friend.
For a buffet, and the price, it was pretty amazing. I've been going to Chen Hibachi buffet, and am always grossed out by the dry, warm sushi, and feeling bad about myself when I leave.
In comparison, this place had a great selection of fresh, yummy sushi. I came near the end of lunch (2pm) so I was worried it might be kinda old, but everything tasted great. You get a bowl of miso soup to start with, and then you can peruse the sushis. There were the simple rolls near the front - cucumber, avocado, inari, etc., then went to a variety of fun rolls - not all of which were labeled, so I just went for it. A lot of spicy mayo, sriracha topped or fried rolls. And then at the end, tiny versions of salmon and tuna nigiri.
On the other side was a hot bar, with edamame, vegetable tempura, fried dumplings, salad with ginger dressing, spicy tofu, sauteed string beans, orange slices, etc. and FRIED BANANAS with cinnamon sugar. Loved those fried bananas - perfect finishing touch.
So is this high-quality, super fancy sushi that you would want to spend $50 on? Maybe not. Some of the rolls were a bit cold, of course. But you have to take into consideration that it is a buffet - never gonna be as great as individually ordered and freshly made food. BUT, for an $11 sushi buffet, this place made me incredibly happy. I'm swearing off those greasy Chinese buffets that cost the same price or more. For good! -
Review from Erin S.
Columbia, MD
6/21/2011
I've read some of the other, not so complimentary, reviews on Niko and must say I'm a little surprised. Although they don't serve the best sushi I've ever tasted, I can't say it was the worst. After all, this isn't New York and we're not paying $50 a plate.
For the money, it's not bad. The waitresses were attentive without being intrusive and the atmosphere was conducive to good dinner conversation. I had the Bento box with Salmon and it was cooked a lot better than what they serve at Red Lobster's. The tempura vegetables were very crunchy and the sushi was more than edible. The dumplings and salad could have been less generic but they were prepared well and fresh.
As for Koreans owning Japanese restaurants, for most people , this is the only way most people can even afford to eat Japanese.
Niko is not gourmet but is priced accordingly with the quality of the food. -
Review from Jessica F.
Columbia, MD
10/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
When I am jonesing for a non stop sushi binge, the Ellicot City joint is the place to go. Decently priced, they offer freshly made sushi and a small hot bar as well featuring things like tempura and noodles. They are far better than the "sushi" you find at your typical Asian buffet and I feel much healthier for it in the end.
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Review from Trang N.
Hyattsville, MD
7/30/2011
I was looking for a sushi place by my school and someone recommended to me to go to Niko.
Sushi was alright, the rice was kind of dry, and my tonkatsu was sooo bland. The sauce that came with it also didn't really tickle my fancy and I think I was just kind of disappointed.
2 stars for the cleanliness of the place and the service. Food? Meh... I think I'll just make the drive to Columbia for some sushi! -
Review from Starr C.
Ellicott City, MD
6/28/2011
I have only come here for their lunch buffet, but I enjoy it. For a decent price, you get all you can eat sushi, plus a bunch of other yummies like fried dumplings, vegetable tempura (sweet potato, onion, and broccoli), rice, string beans, watermelon, salad, and other items that I can't quite remember. The quality of the food isn't fancy or amazing, but considering the price, I always leave really satisfied and wishing I had more room in my stomach.
I like the variety of sushi that they have prepared here, also. It starts with cucumber and avocado rolls, works through some more interesting rolls (like a crab cake roll?), and ends with your salmon and tuna and stuff.
Long story short, it's a bit pricey for lunch (for a college student on a budget), but it's a really nice treat if you pace yourself and enjoy having a large quantity of sushi. (I usually eat too fast because I get a little excited. ^^;)
Also, I believe they have a bar. When I'm feeling super special, I get a Shirley Temple. Yum!
Business is usually really good, so get here early for lunch.
Niko's isn't open on Sundays.Listed in: Asian Cuisine
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Review from Greg F.
Raleigh, NC
Hi Guys,
Still great sushi and sashimi being served here... I stopped by to upload to more photos of their work.... It tasted great...2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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9/21/2011
The sashimi here is great. I posted a few pictures of the boats and the great food I have eaten. I… Read more »
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Review from Abigail O.
Baltimore, MD
10/5/2010
Let me just put this out there: I'm not a sushi person. I'm probably in the mood for sushi about once or twice a year. Fortunately for my boyfriend, one of those times was last night, and we headed to Niko's.
Overall, I enjoyed myself and would probably recommend it. The service was timely and charming, the selection decent. Staples like miso soup and standard spicy tuna roll were more or less on point.
We had the volcano roll (crab, shrimp, cream cheese, avocado, and some spicy red-pepper-based sauce on top), the vegas roll (see above, sans the sauce and with the addition of eel), and the spicy tuna roll. The former two were tempura fried, a nice touch. For someone like me who usually isn't into sushi, the volcano and vegas were a great transition, although I'm well aware they aren't authentically Japanese.
The beverage selection could be better. I've had sake while in Japan, and while I'm far from a connoisseur, the stuff at Niko's really wasn't very good. Same with the wine and beer (just because Sapporo is Japanese doesn't mean you have to drink it and pretend to like it. It's Japanese Natty Lite. Crapanese.).
I wouldn't complain if someone wanted to go again, but I probably wouldn't choose it. After all, if I'm only going for sushi once a year, I'd like to mix it up a bit. -
Review from Ryan D.
Sinking Spring, PA
8/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went on a day when it was really hot and the air conditioning in the restaurant was out due to the power saving program from the power company. Miso soup was good but that was about it. My teriaki chicken was dry and my wife's sushi was warm and made us sick. Won't go back again.
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Review from Samuel C.
Ellicott City, MD
11/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Have not been to the Japanese for a long time for like 1 month. The restaurant is fancy. the waitress are nice. I eat lots of sushi alot. so many of them. my favorite is california rolls. The waitress are nice and helpful..!
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Review from Maria L.
Marriottsville, MD
12/18/2010
Niko's sushi isn't the greatest in Howard County, but for a buffet it's pretty good. The sushi is tiny ("Barbie sushi") and the selection is very good. The buffet also comes with a bowl of miso soup and a selection of non-sushi items like gyoza, tempura, and wings.
The first plate is great! By the second plate, everything tastes the same (because the last half of the sushi buffet is spicy). I generally always leave Niko feeling like puking, but I always come back. -
Review from Richard T.
Gaithersburg, MD
3/30/2010
After indulging in the lunch buffet multiple times, I've devleoped a pretty cemented opinion on this establishment. This is a Korean-owned Japanese restaurant. For ~$10, you get access to a buffet of hot dishes and appetizers (tempura, gyoza [dumplings], veggies, etc), a long counter of hand-prepared sushi, and a bowl of miso soup.
Long story short: The sushi is sub-par - The texture and flavor immediately reveal the fish isn't fresh while the color and dry, wilted appearance of each tray further lead to the same conclusion. With the exception of a few varieties, the pieces are mostly bite-sized. While not a particularly pointed issue at a buffet, it lends a "held-back" or "budgeted" (read: cheap) impression to the meal that mentally deducts some satisfaction points. I found myself loading up more on fillers from the appetizer counter, which also consists of the cellophane noodles and side-dishes reflecting the Korean proprietorship (EDIT: to clarify, Korean dishes are also served).
Despite the criticisms, Niko is satisfying in the sense that it's all-you-can-eat (this always garners bonus points in my book) and of a good variety. It's a nice change from burgers and subs and located conveniently on Route 40 from anywhere in the Ellicott City/Columbia area. Food certaintly isn't the best, but the service is decent and you leave a belt-notch looser. -
Review from John K.
Rockville, MD
11/28/2009
$11.95/per person sushi buffet.
A little sub par for a sushi restaurant, but I guess you can't ask for much when it's a buffet. Plenty of sushi selection - my first go around, I picked once piece of each type of sushi - by the time I got to the end, my plate was filled to the brim.
I can't hate on AYCE places. And I want to ask to Yelpers out there, does it bother you when Koreans own a Japanese sushi restaurant? I feel like it takes away from the authenticity. But then again, how many Japanese people live on the East Coast? -
Review from Gunnar V.
MD
3/29/2011
One of the dudes I work with loves this place. If you prefer quantity to quality -- by a wide margin -- you'll do okay. Niko is the Golden Corral of sushi, except I am guessing the bathrooms at Golden Corral are in general much cleaner.
The sushi pieces come out on big plates and if they are not mauled by the sushi guys, they are going to get mauled by the diners that tackle them before you. Many of the non-boiler-plate rolls are not labeled and so it's up to you to figure out whether you want to eat it or not after you shove it in your pie hole. Doesn't matter, it's mostly rice, probably dunked in tempura batter and fried anyways. Yes, tempura is in general good, but if there is any way to screw up tempura (or sushi), it's to put it under a heat lamp for a while.
At this time I would like to assert that the worst possible way to deliver soda (that's "pop" if you are from Michigan) to your diners is pour it from a tap into a pitcher with some ice and then go around to the tables refilling glasses. Flat, and watered down. Guess how they do it at Niko?
The icing on the cake is that you're likely out $16 for lunch. Now, I should add that I did not get food poisoning and the food is not miserable. For my money, there are much better options. If you can shovel 4 plates of sushi down and be happy, then maybe your $16 is best spent at Niko. -
Review from Lee P.
Prince William, VA
5/3/2011
Everything we had was delicious. Have yet to try the buffet though! Would def come back again!
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Review from Lola S.
Sacramento, CA
3/18/2008
It's always dead. Maybe 2 other tables there. Niko's does the trick when you're in the mood.
We're mainly sashimi eaters so we can attest for freshness. Niko's has been hit or miss. Sometimes (maybe 2 out of 10 times) maguro, hamachi, toro (when they have it) salmon...etc has been firm or kinda getting to that sticky fish phase. ew. not the sticky phase! I notice they pre-cut alot of their fish. I don't like this. Other times it's been super fresh and wonderful. I've never cared enough to ask when their fish is delivered so it obviously hasn't been a dealbreaker. We still go when in the area. -
Review from Yaka H.
9/30/2009
Came here once for dinner on a weekend night and the place was pretty quiet.
SX ordered the chicken teriyaki and I ordered my usual chirashi.
The chirashi was not very good, as the fish was oddly cut and not too pleasant in taste or visual presentation. The chicken teriyaki was an utter disaster. It seemed like they forced thawed a piece of frozen grilled chicken, microwaved it until warm, threw it on the plate and dumped a gallon of teriyaki sauce on top of it.
Perhaps their rolls are in better shape...
Sadly, SX and I will not be coming back to this establishment anytime soon. I thought we spent too much on the quality of food we received. -
Review from Jeff C.
Rockville, MD
7/10/2008
What you're looking for will influence a review of Niko. If you're hungry and looking to get your fill of some average grade sushi for cheap, you'll love this place. If you're looking for some serious, real deal sushi, look elsewhere. I've visited Niko's buffet a few times, and while I usually stay far away from raw fish sitting around for who knows how long, I can say that I gave them a shot and didn't die. The sushi was OK, but certainly not of quality you would expect from a typical sushi restaurant. It feels like sushi fast food, which I guess is either up your alley or not. They usually have a variety of types, though Nigiri is sliced WAFER thin, and there are far more california/fried type rolls than not. Their "Hot" bar section is pretty sad, and tempora is soggy and tasteless.
Regardless of that, it's cheap for what you get. So, it's up to you, American: Fill your face with all you can eat, or treat yourself and spend the same amount on just a few rolls of something way more tasty.
I'll probably be back, though. ;) -
Review from Hikari K.
Hyattsville, MD
10/5/2009
I personally love this place for lunch. Dinner, I wouldn't recommend so much, as it can get pretty pricey. Personally, I'm a sushi fanatic, and their Sushi buffet during lunch is probably one of my favorites.
As Jeff C. Stated, its not serious, real deal sushi, but it sure is tasty. At least in my book. I've been to other Japanese resturaunts' sushi buffets, and usually they're awful, with a minimal selection. Niko's has the basics, in addition to sushi I don't typically find on menus elsewhere. Their spicy flounder is to die for, along with various other rolls I wouldn't even know the name of. I've found that's for the better though, I'll eat any kind except for those with cream cheese. And if you're into that, they have some for you too.
Their lunch hours are from 11am-2pm everyday excluding Sundays, though its better to go earlier than later, and better to go on weekdays. My friends have been here over and over, as I used to live right across the street. We've stumbled upon crappy service once or twice during busy hours, but the sushi has always been good, which is whats really important.
I'm giving Niko's 4 stars- because the sushi isn't hardcore authentic, and the waitresses can be moody if you catch them at stressful times. All in all, great prices for the amount of food available, a nice selection of sushi, and it definitely fills the craving if anyone else knows what I mean.
Gao, now I'm hungry. -
Review from Chris V.
Columbia, MD
6/28/2010 2 Check-ins Here
What can I say, I love this place! Lunch is about 12 bucks all you can eat sushi, can you really complain? The buffet sushi is def not amazing but its not bad and worth the money. Also they always have a few gems hidden in the table so I never leave cheated. I will say if you make it to dinner the quality bar def raises. It's some of the best I've had in Howard county. You won't leave angry.
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Review from John C.
Frederick, MD
5/29/2008
I went to Niko for their buffet at the beginning of the lunch hour, when things should be fresh and hot.
There is a long sushi bar to your left, filled with about two dozen kinds of rolls and nigiri sushi. On the right are the plates and a buffet of side-dish type foods. This side-dish buffet was about 50% fried foods with cold tempura, overly greasy gyoza, and soggy fried bananas. There were some salads, assorted vegetables sitting in questionable gray water, and some dry meat which may have been called "teriyaki" in the mind of whoever made it. They also had white rice in a chafing dish, which is apparently a bad idea, because it was pretty crunchy.
I would say that at least the sushi buffet is "quantity over quality" but (when it comes to the fish) they don't seem to offer either. The tiny nigiri sushi combined rather thin (1/8 inch?) slices of questionable-looking fish with tiny malformed balls of rice. Imagine your average piece of nigiri sushi, and shrink it down by about 40%. The maki are mostly filled with pencil-thin pieces of fish, and yet manage to be bigger than the average restaurant roll, thanks to the packed-on rice.
What was possibly the last straw was what can only be described as an "inarizushi roll." Any sushi fan knows (and loves!) inarizushi: little brown packets of fried tofu, filled with sushi rice. Well, this was a *roll* with a few slices of flat inarizushi wrapper *inside* of it! Did they just have a junior chef on deck today or what? This just went to drive home my feeling that the staff at Niko just don't get it. -
Review from Todd R.
Columbia, MD
4/30/2007
Amazing all you can eat lunch buffet for just over $10 per person. This includes all the T-to-the-A-to-the-ST... wait there's no E in "tasty" sushi that you can devour. Atmosphere is very nice and cozy. Get there early before the crowd sets in.
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Review from Hansoo J.
Baltimore, MD
12/13/2009
Niko's is a great place to go if you enjoy eating raw fish and rice. Not so good if you're looking for actual sushi. I used to love their lunch buffet when I was in college cause it was so cheap. But after I tasted real sushi I never looked at Niko's the same way... I still go once and a while when I feel the need to pig out. But honestly, I could probably just buy a fish from Lotte or H-Mart and cut it up as well as the chefs do at Niko's. Like I said, it's a good place if you want to eat raw fish and rice. If you want good sushi in HoCo, check out Sushi Sono or Sushi King.
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Review from John S.
Mount Airy, MD
9/4/2007
Great little all you can eat sushi buffet restaurant. Really good selection of sushi and tempura. Good value for the money.
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Review from Sean L.
Chester Springs, PA
4/11/2010
I go here for the lunch buffett. Sushi rolls are tiny and fish looks old. Not much of a selection but for just over $10 bucks, can't complain.
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Review from Stephanie S.
Laurel, MD
4/6/2009
Used to be good. Service, cleanliness, price. However, they've all gone down. The sushi is not as fresh. The service is negligent, AND today while leaving (I forgot to leave a tip), the waitress ran after us out of the door to tell us we had to leave one for her. CHUTZPAH!
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Review from Great E.
Ellicott City, MD
7/5/2008
This restaurant is located in the Normandy Shopping Center on Baltimore National Pike. In the past, I've ordered the "bento box" dinner, tempura dinner, Chirashi, fish dinners, various sushi as well as their luncheon buffet. I have yet to be disappointed! Their lunch buffet is a bargain as they have a wonderful variety of unlimited sushi as well as salads, soup, tempura, fish, etc. Check this place out!
