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Saburo's
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
1667 SE Bybee BlvdPortland, OR 97202
Neighborhoods: Southeast Portland, Sellwood
(503) 236-4237
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri 5 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat 4:30 pm - 10 pm
Sun 4:30 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
321 reviews for Saburo's
Review Highlights
"the salmon belly melted in my mouth."
(in 13 reviews)
"Spicy Tuna Salad - This is exceptionally delicious."
(in 6 reviews)
"My favorite is the creamy scallop roll."
(in 9 reviews)
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321 reviews in English
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Review from Kimberly P.
Portland, OR
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I don't know how I had never been to this place before now!
Before you go, don't be surprised that there is a long wait. This place is well known and very popular, so it's no surprise that you may be waiting well over an hour. You can leave your phone number with them, go down the street to one of the shops or bars and they'll call you when your table is about ready.
What you can expect here is some fantastic sushi - in American sized portions! You have to be a little strategic in what you order. You are only allowed to order the one time, so if you didn't get enough then tough luck. But at the same time you wouldn't order nearly as much as other sushi restaurants. Their sushi rolls are more like logs. The fish comes in slabs. It's pretty incredible.
What keeps me from giving this place five stars is that you really do feel like you're being herded in and out of this place. I understand where they're coming from, they have a lot of patrons and they want to get everyone in. But it's also not very friendly that right after paying the bill, the busser asks you to please leave as other people are waiting for your table. -
Review from Nichole H.
Portland, OR
1/28/2012
I love Saburos. Yes, the line is freakin long EVERY single night, but it is worth every minute. The portions, quality and price are excellent. I really like the ordering system, how you write what you want on the actual menu.
The signature big O roll is delicious. The calamari is out of this world. Actually, pretty much all the rolls are out of this world.
All the bad reviews because of the long lines are bogus...just go there expecting to wait and savor every bite. :) -
Review from Amy A.
1/24/2012
Saburo makes you feel like you've magically learned to unhinge your jaw and have opened wide to face an ocean of sushi!
Let these huge pieces of buttery raw fish slide down your gullet! -
Review from Luna C.
Portland, OR
2/2/2012
Saburo's is my favorite sushi restaurant in Portland. Yes, there's always a long line- it's there for a reason; this is food worth waiting for! Just put your name on the list and go to the bar up the street for a couple appetizer drinks.
I took a sushi loving friend there last time, and when our order arrived, he was almost in tears of wonderment, exclaiming "this is sushi steak!" The proportions are Ginormous, tasty wonderfulness, and the staff is efficient and friendly.
....oh wait, did I say all that? I meant it's terrible, don't go. The line is long enough ;) -
Review from Mitch A.
Portland, OR
1/30/2012 2 Check-ins Here
You get a lot because they use a second rate fish. Next time you order salmon belly, salmon or tuna look to see if there are cut marks in it.
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Review from Adam S.
Portland, OR
1/17/2012
Our search for a go-to sushi bar continues. Having heard good things, we came here at 4:45 on a Saturday expecting to waltz right in. The massive line came as a bit of a shock, but I was encouraged that a fairly high number of those waiting appeared to be Japanese (which is sometimes an indicator of authenticity). For half a moment I thought we'd found a gem.
Our wait turned out to be 2 hours but fortunately we were able to grab a couple glasses of wine next door. When we were finally seated, I got a good look at the food being eaten by the people around us and at the work being done behind the bar. The nigiri was comically large and the rolls were larger. This wouldn't be an authentic experience, but I'm not such a snob that I can't enjoy some good rolls and a few glasses of sake, authenticity be damned. I asked the server if she could recommend a sake and her response was to ask whether I'd tried sake before. Forget authentic, this was going to be amateur hour.
My hand roll was the size of a baby's leg. Nonetheless, it was decently tasty. The few pieces of nigiri I ordered (as a quality barometer) were massive but quality was decent. I ended up cutting some in half, making two normal sized pieces. The seared salmon actually had a very good flavor, as did the creamy scallop. Uni was not good and the actual sea urchin helping was surprisingly far smaller than what is typical. Then again, what the heck was I thinking ordering uni at this place anyway? Sweet shrimp was OK and came with the fried head, which is my favorite part. One of our rolls was very good and the other was not nearly as good. Everything had a ton of rice and, again, was ridiculously proportioned.
If there is one word that sums up how I felt upon leaving Saburo's it is "ashamed". Ashamed that I waited 2 hours. Ashamed that I gorged on mammoth nigiri whose very existence is an affront to the art of sushi making. Most of all, ashamed that I sort of enjoyed it.
If you measure the "value" of your sushi by the size of each piece, by all means this is the place for you. If you know better but need to squelch your sushi cravings for the next 6-8 weeks, this may also be the place for you. -
Review from Nicole L.
Lake Oswego, OR
1/31/2012
In my book, you can't get any better quality for the price!! Yes, if you go there at the wrong time, you'll be stuck in line for 45 mins or more, but if you hit it just right you can get right in. If you want to be stuffed with sushi and you're on a budget, I highly recommend you check out Saburos.
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Review from Shane S.
Oregon City, OR
Updated - 1/26/2012
After a couple more visits I would like to downgrade my original rating. The nigiri is very good but the rolls are lackluster and bland. Seating is too cramped and wait too long. Its good but I would much rather go where I can sit comfortably and get a better variety.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/15/2010
Just ate at Saburo's for the second time last night and felt compelled to right a review. The only… Read more »
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Review from Jen g.
Portland, OR
1/9/2012
Super-sized rolls. Fresh tasting and very flavorful!!
Great prices, long wait times -
Review from Erika G.
Portland, OR
1/19/2012
Best sushi in Portland !
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Review from Abbe and Jebby E.
Portland, OR
12/30/2011
My family moved to Sellwood when I was eight years old, and the most consistent thing about this neighborhood has been the masses of hungry people lining up outside Saburo's. Shitty Thai restaurants come and go, the space on the corner of 17th and Sherrett has been a thousand things while I've lived here, but the little sushi shop on the corner of Bybee and Milwaukie has endured, and so have the hordes of customers. Not rain, nor sleet, nor driving wind can keep them away - in the dead of winter or the middle of a heatwave, it doesn't matter, there will always, without fail, be a line outside Saburo's.
So, you could say that this review has been seventeen years in the making. Honestly, the thing that makes Saburo's so distinctive, their enduring line, is the very thing that has kept me away. When you see a line in front of a place, it usually means it's good, but it also usually means a long wait. In our case, it was also a really unpleasant part of our dining experience. I expected friendly banter with the other customers waiting to dine, but Abbe and I were pushed and jostled, and when we got inside and saw how small the space was, it became a bit of a nightmare. The place was jam-packed full of people, and seemed short staffed. We were hurried to a corner and treated as though our presence was a nuisance.
The décor of the restaurant was pretty awesome, with a full wall ukiyo-e style mural in the back. Unfortunately, the layout went beyond "leaves something to be desired." We were crammed into the tiniest space possible and I could literally feel the next diner over breathing on my hand they were so close. I just don't understand. The restaurant is obviously successful. If you have enough diners that you have a line of people outside every night waiting to eat there, you should consider expanding to a space where your diners can be comfortable and enjoy their company while they eat your delicious food.
I did happen to think the food was delicious. Abbe and I varied wildly in our level of gustatory enjoyment, but my overall opinion of the food was very favorable. Our appetizers, miso soup and edamame, were well-prepared and arrived hot, cooked well, and liberally seasoned. The sushi and sashimi we ordered were fresh as fresh can be. The salmon sashimi was the highlight of my meal. The chunks were admittedly a bit large, but the fish was beyond fresh, with just the right amount of unctuousness, and tasted as good naked as it did with a few scant drops of soy. It was the perfect accompaniment to the fresh cucumber rolls we ordered. They were liberally stuffed with cucumber matchsticks and wrapped in a thick layer of faintly vinegary rice. They were excellent for cutting through the richness of the salmon. The Alaskan roll was ample and tasty, if not especially memorable. The spicy tuna roll, for me, was the only thing that wasn't particularly delicious. The fish was fresh and tasted good, but the spicy tuna mixture was a bit bland, and I'm being kind. It really could've used a generous dose of soy or more spice. It didn't have fabulous mouth-feel either... the spicy sauce had an almost watery texture that didn't cling to the fish very well and was unpleasant on the palette.
Despite this one shortcoming, I felt the food was top-notch in quality and had obviously been prepared by someone who knows what they are doing. Will I return to Saburo's? Maybe. Like I've said before, a restaurant is a melding of food and atmosphere, and Saburo's is seriously lacking in the atmosphere department. It's also expensive. I'd expect that for the quality of the food, but the dining experience we had there was one of the worst in recent memory. I'm willing to sit in a shitty place to eat amazing food, and especially CHEAP amazing food, but there's really no excuse for the lack of service and terrible atmosphere at such a successful restaurant.Listed in: Where we've eaten so far.
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Review from Mitchell F.
Lynnwood, WA
12/3/2011
The last year and a half I have been here three times. To make it better, I have been here twice in a month.
Though the wait takes forver, the value and the quality is so much better than any other sushi place that I have been to.
For a table of two or five, you really are trading time for the food! Thick pieces of seafood, and not to mention super fresh. The staff is super friendly and is very helpful with seating you at the next available table.
Ever since Ive been here to Saburo's I eventually stopped going to sushi places here in Seattle. -
Review from Eric F.
Portland, OR
10/28/2011
This is a place whose calling card is super-sized sushi. The price is reasonable and the taste decent which makes this a favorite of so many.
The décor, service, and taste is unremarkable.
This place is a tremendous hit with college students, for whom the pleasure of eating to complete and absolute fullness for not-so-much money is particularly important.
I am a crusty middle-aged guy who tries to avoid overeating. The pleasure of sushi is that so many different tastes, textures, ingredients can be experienced at a sitting. Having gigantic pieces of fish limits the variety of my meal, so despite the good value, the large pieces are ultimately a drawback.
Another problem with the huge pieces is that they are difficult to eat, usually falling apart from plate to mouth. When I eat sushi rolls I like the pieces not to fall apart so all ingredients can combine in my mouth.
Also problematic, the chefs assemble the complete sushi order before sending it out. Some of the sushi may have been sitting on the serving platter for 10 minutes or so, making the nori soggy and chewy, exacerbating the falling-apart problem.
I would prefer to have sushi be a rarer experience and pay more for it - I feel Americans reflexively super-size things to the detriment of cuisine and to our waistlines. -
Review from Allen K.
The photos of the sushi posted here really don't do it justice.You just can't appreciate the sheer SIZE of the sushi until it's right there in front of you. Saburo's goes against all convention and offers huge slices of fish and giant rolls while keeping their prices cheaper than most sushi restaurants out there. It's easy to get carried away with ordering because of the low prices, but at least you get to go home with tons of leftovers. Just look at my picture :)
I would rate this place a 5, but I've reserved that for the best sushi I've ever tasted in Seattle at Umi -
Review from Lily J.
3.5
What ever u were going to order, cut the order in half!
3 rolls are enough for 2 people or just 2 rolls and
We ordered 4 nigori and 4 rolls: 2 rolls were really good, one was just okay and the other one wasn't very good.
The flavor of the fish was just okay, the size of the pieces was just too big to eat... don't get me wrong the fish was fresh, the quality was good (not great) but the sushi had no flavor and is just way too big to eat in one bite so I would have been nice if they use the same amount of food and just made multiple bite sized peaces.
I need to try more of their rolls to give a better review tho. -
Review from Josh G.
Portland, OR
12/23/2011
I have been coming to Saburo's for over 4 years. I have eaten at sushi restaurants all over the country and the world (London, Turkey, Poland, LA, Seattle, New York, and many many more). There is no place I've been that compares to Saburo's. The quantity to quality ratio is extremely high. The rolls are so huge that the biggest mouth couldn't take them down in one bite. This is why I mostly forgo the rolls for the nigiri, and the sashimi. Also, try the fried tofu, it's the bomb diggity. Try the salmon belly nigiri too.
I know the 45 minute+ wait sucks but now they take phone numbers on their list (they will call you and give you a chance to show up!). I just drive over an hour before I want to eat and put my name on the list. I plan to have a few drinks elsewhere and go back.
TL;DR Order the Salmon Belly Nigiri and Fried Tofu Appetizer. Show up 45 minutes before you want to eat, and then go have drinks elsewhere. -
Review from John R.
Vancouver, WA
1/8/2012
My 5 star rating is based in their food and food alone because there are several other things one could nit-pick about Saburo's which I'll mention, but my rating is based only on their food.
The wait- expect to wait up to an hour to eat. This place always has a long, long wait. I believe it opens at 5pm, and the wait probably starts around 4.
The decor is nothing special, with some cafeteria style seating and very small two person tables scattered around the place.
All that said the sushi is the best I've ever had. It always seems prepared fresh and the serving sizes are quite big. Keep this in mind when you order. I have never not ordered way too much. I recommend you under-order and plan on ordering more should you still be hungry.
Saburo's is my favorite sushi restaurant around, and their prices are reasonable. -
Review from hannah k.
Portland, OR
10/12/2011
One of my favorite sushi restaurants in PDX! They are a unique sushi place where the nigiri cuts of fish are huge and delicious. One order of nigiri (2 pieces) will equal to about 4 pieces of nigiri at any other sushi restaurant.
I always order uni and yellowtail nigiri, Hawaiian Roll, Sabu Roll and Salmon collar. The salmon collar is some of the most delicious salmon i've ever had. It's fatty, soft, so flavorful and i love it. I don't think you could order something here that you wouldn't like.
My friend who's a sushi chef said their sushi rice is exceptional! -
Review from Leah K.
Saburo's only has hype due to large portions and thats about it. Their motto is obviously QUANTITY over QUALITY.
Sushi is an art. It's about the simplicity, quality and freshness. Being able to take a roll in one bite is crucial in japanese-sushi eating etiquette. The portions here are ridiculously large, too large. Instead of one bite, it is more like 3 bites and yes of course, everything falls apart. There is nothing I hate more than that. For those of you who love Saburo's I understand... you may feel like you're getting more due to the large portion but remember that you are also paying more. Double the size, double the price. I can't eat sushi without ginger like I can't eat Korean food without kimchee. We asked the waitress for extra ginger and got charged for it (first time being charged for extra ginger at a sushi restaurant). Her response in questioning the charge was that Saburo's has once again raised prices.
One thing I did like is the Hawaiian roll, thought it was unique using a thin slice of cucumber instead of the regular nori. And no charge for green tea, surprising.
Overall, a disappointment. It doesn't matter what kind of food it is, large portions can ruin any dish. Overkill. This is one of those places that have HYPE, but don't live up to it. I've been here twice now and will not be returning. I would rather spend my money else where.
PS. This place only opens for dinner at 5pm. Expect long lines. -
Review from Christina L.
San Jose, CA
9/23/2011
Haven't been in a while but I love it every time we get the chance to go. I think this is one restaurant where their hype translates into their ambiance, if that makes any sense.
Their service is good and they get to you quickly. The line is a bit of a hassle, but it's part of the fun, I think.
Food is goooooood. -
Review from Pui S.
Big pieces of sushi - TOO BIG!!!
You will have to cut it in half (I hate doing that)! :(
Long wait for a hype up place!
Taste bland.
Flat coke.
We over ordered it because we were way too hungry!
Nothing much about it but no-taste large sushi gimmick! Blah!!! -
Review from Aaron L.
Portland, OR
10/26/2011
Good sushi at reasonable prices. The sushi is HUGE! as everyone else has said here. So, we went on a Friday which I thought was going to be a big mistake. I live in Westmoreland so I drive by here all the time and see the line out on the sidewalk. Now, I'm not like the majority of Portlanders who will stand in line for a meal. I just don't think most things are worth standing around like cattle. However, it was my sister's birthday and she wanted to go there. Anyways, the line wasn't all that bad. When they opened the doors at 5PM they were able to seat almost everyone in line.
After marking your orders down and giving them to the server, the food comes out pretty fast. Don't expect over-the-top service, but it is fast, friendly and efficient. That staff really moves some fish!
So go, wait in the line, check it out, eat too much fish and leave happy! -
Review from Raja S.
Hillsboro, OR
12/16/2011
This place has good sushi and the size of some of the rolls is huge. I tried quite a few of my favorite rolls like Unagi (eel), California, Spicy Tuna - all of them were good. The salmon raw sushi was also good. In general, all of the sushi was decent to pretty good. The vegetable tempura was just okay. Would definitely go there again (only wished it was closer). The downside of the place is the wait - about 45 minutes or more on Friday evening. However, the service is quite fast, the wait is primarily from the place being small (in other ways, cramped). The other thing that I found weird with the place is that you have to get all of your order in one shot - so, we just ended up ordering more than what we consumed and had about 2-3 servings of sushi as to-go (which was the case with many other customers). Street parking is plenty.
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Review from Paul S.
Portland, OR
8/8/2011
Wow! With all the hype and the long lines I expected some decent sushi. Even if I were to excuse the hour plus wait, the cramped environment inside and the rushed feeling of the dining experience, I couldn't give them over a 2 star rating. This isn't sushi, it's huge slabs of blah fish on blah rice crammed onto a plate. The should forgo the chopsticks as they have the art of sushi, and give you a fork and steak knife with which to stuff your face.
Ah well, with as many high ratings as they get it is obvious to each their own. Me, no thanks. -
Review from Lily Y.
Salem, OR
7/17/2011
So we got there 30 minutes before opening! (huge line) we were by the garbage area when we lined up.
Got in 2 HOURS later. so during the 2 hours, we walked around qfc( so tempted to just buy food cause we were hungry already!, the antique shop (thrif store) and talked to neigboring people about the long wait..
So we got seated. waitress/waiter came by 10 minutes later. we got our first plate of sushi 5 minutes later since we all order the big o roll. ( I recommend it) so saburos made a batch of it. After that it took 20 minutes then another 20 mins for the rest to come out.
Con:
-you cant take "to go", just get boxes at the end.
-the graditude charge. (16 dollars for 5 people) and honestly Mcdonalds has better service then the people working.
need wasabi?- too bad for you, need a box, wait 10 minutes +
- no parking, so good luck with finding street parking which isnt too horrible but hard to find.
- the seared salmon is reallly really fishy X.x
-their back dining room forces you to cross the small kitchen area
- lack of privacy, the tables were serisouly less than a feet from each other
- the sushi doesnt fall apart, but it is hard to pick up, the rice is too sticky to the plate and each other!
Random:
-4 chefs, 1 is asian, the rest is mexican
- all waiters and disherwashers are mexican
- the miso soup comes out of a machine (like those coffee machines where you find at a gas station, hold this button, it comes out.)
- you can only order once, so make up your mind!!
- you cant really split the bill, 2 debit/credit cards per a table.
This place is for people..
- who have time
- dont have little kids ( so many kids whined and hated the wait)
- arent disable/wheelchair (sorry the place is small and crowded)
- who have less than 4 people, since it takes forever for a party of 6+ to get in.
- who have some money, plan on atleast 15-20 per person
Why the low rating?
It's not authentic.( I had better, I am not Japanese but I can tell you it's not authentic..) It's edible, but I wouldnt get cravins about it. There's not much to praise about it. -
Review from jayR f.
Oregon City, OR
7/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
With all the hype I have been hearing about this place. If I could I would give this place a negative rating. I was hoping it would have met or exceeded my expectations. But no this place is the biggest EPIC FAILURE of a sushi restaurant I have ever been to in my life. Seriously.. how do ou mess up on edemame? The smoked salmon wasnt smoked. The seared salmon had no flavor. The cuts of sashimi were cut like a slab of beef.
All I can say is if you are looking for a good sushi restaurant this is NOT I repeat NOT the place to go.. I would have rather eaten track sushi instead of this place.!! -
Review from R S.
West Linn, OR
12/4/2011
People rant and rave about this place and I can see why. Yes, the portions are huge, and the sushi is delicious and worth you dollars but we had a very hard time ordering. The menu's need to be re-vamped with more descriptions and the wait staff needs to be able to communicate more efficiently with each customer. The lines are always long and the staff cannot accommodate the amount of people that enter the building. We will be back, hopefully the menu's have been updated. Also, my husband is lactose intolerant and the waitress told us that only a couple rolls are made without cream cheese or mayo sauce, which I though was odd.
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Review from Pete F.
Portland, OR
12/4/2011
They have the largest sushi in town, not really a fan of their sushi rice breaks too easily. Be there early, other wise expect a long wait in line.
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Review from Beth W.
Portland, OR
6/20/2011
I'm no sushi expert, but my girlfriend and I LOVE this place. Biggest rolls in the universe filled with jumbo deliciousness. And it's SOOOO cheap.
Here's a list of some of my favorite things:
a) Side salad with the peanut dressing.
b) Dofu soup with tofu.
c) All the veggie rolls are divine.
d) House sake.
Arrive when they open because people know that Saburo's is the ticket and you could seriously wait 1.5 to 2 hours. Service has always been nice but one time the server recommended sweet potato and it was delicious, but the addition was more expensive than the roll! Wish he'd told us it was $4 more dollars.
I always leave this place with a box of leftovers and major sake high. -
Review from Danielle K.
Portland, OR
5/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Since I've moved to upstate New York, I've acquired an affinity for sushi. I really like it a lot, and many of my friends in New York go regularly.
In Portland, I rarely, if ever, go. But now I'm making a new commitment. Because sushi is great. And healthy.
So the other night, I go to Saburo's. I was born and raised in this part of the hood, and I've always seen the long lines for this place and wondered what the hell was so great. It's been like this for years. So finally, after 26 years of watching people stand outside for sushi, I finally go to check it out with a few homies in tow.
While we had about a 25 minute wait, this place did not disappoint. The prices were comparable to any other sushi restaurant I'd been to in Albany (perhaps even slightly cheaper), and there is lots to choose from. The big difference is actually a HUGE difference. A GINORMOUS difference. Yup, it's the size here that counts. The rolls and nigiri are the size of your head. No joke. There is so. much. fish. So come hungry!
Now, a few people have told me that it's not the best sushi they've ever had. I've never had flat-out bad sushi, so I am not the best person to attest to the quality, but I did think that everything from the miso soup and seaweed salad to the spicy tuna and salmon rolls were damn tasty. And I definitely got my money's worth.
Also worth noting, while the line may be long, the service is quick!
Definitely will be wanting to come back here before my return to NY. -
Review from Jessica P.
Portland, OR
10/1/2011
Do not go here on a first date.
Go here once your significant other is well accustomed to you stuffing your mouth with too large of portions and having chipmunk face until you've sufficiently chewed.
The portions are humongo.
No, no. That doesn't quite explain the enormity of these rolls.
The sushi here is some kind of rice roll/titan hybrid. Ginormo. Ridiculo. but, Delicioso.
As a disclaimer- I am a vegetarian sushi enthusiast. I loved sushi before I quit eating meat, and I still want to get my fix, just sans fish. The vegetarian selection is limited (as should be expected) but there are some good choices. My favorite was just the simple avocado roll. The seaweed salad was also delectable.
My friend got the sashimi and he said it was delicious and by far the biggest portion he has ever received.
The service is a bit slow because the place is packed! But considering the amount of people, I think the food came out relatively quick.
It isn't my favorite sushi place in Portland. But the place is still quite tasty and the portions (have I mentioned?) are gigantuam. Seriously, we're talking Hulk here. You wouldn't like them when they're mad.Listed in: Veghead friendly, Cheap Eats, Sue She
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Review from Shay F.
I was told that this is the best place for sushi in Portland...so I went. I like the TORO, and I'm so glad they had it...because that was pretty much all that was good. The rest were....just ok...and they put sooooo much rice with the sushi I ended up just eating the fish part towards the end.
Oh, but their Shrimp Purses are yummy!!! Love it. -
Review from Hayden N.
Portland, OR
Large, great quality sushi at ridiculously affordable prices. My favorite sushi restaurant in Portland! The only negative is that it's small and the wait could be up to an hour and a half on a busy day. I recommend going when it first open, on rainy weekdays, or with a friend that has connections :) Heads up, the sushi is HUGE--people have the tendency to over order!
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Review from Alan F.
Ridgefield, WA
11/23/2011
There are so many great reviews about Saburos here I figure no point in being repetitive. So I will try something a little different and put in my two cents from a vegetarian perspective.
So vegetarians and vegans take notice, the vege sushi is great, absolutely wonderful, tasty and filling! Saburos has a very decent selection of food for us vege types.
Some folks here on Yelp have criticized Saburos for having "quantity over quality". Well, I respectfully disagree. I think the popularity of the restaurant speaks for itself about both the quantity and quality.
Okay back to a vegetarian's perspective. The vege rolls are not only generous in size but delicious. They seem to get how to make tasty vegetarian rolls. Look, I'm not a big guy, but I appreciate a Japanese restaurant where I can get a reasonable sized, non-budget breaking, order of vege sushi and not come out hungry. I especially like the vege roll and Budokhon roll. The vegetable tempura is wonderful - crisp and not greasy.
If you have non-vege folks in your party also ordering sushi, its probably a good idea to ask your server to put your vege sushi on a separate serving dish. Otherwise, you may find some fish eggs from a spider roll, for instance, spilling over on to your vege rolls.
As other reviewers have mentioned, it can get crowded, and their can be a long line, so if you don't want to wait too long you should either get their before they open or come for a late dinner. -
Review from Feuy S.
4/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Quantity over quality.
No thanks. -
Review from Dmitri A.
Portland, OR
8/23/2011
Oh wow! I am not a huge sushi fan at all, but this place takes the cake for sushi.
I went here for the first time a few months ago and every chance I get I go back. It is a great place to go to with a group of friends for an awesome and pretty cheap meal.
I am veggie so I usually just order the veggie roll, which is the best I've had anywhere. As is the case with all of their rolls, they are huge, the rice is perfect, and the ingredients inside are top quality. My friends told me the same about their rolls of sushi with fish and other seafood. Also the yakisoba is outstanding, although I wish there were more veggies in it.
The wait is typically pretty long, but that is why it is great to go with a group of friends. For a Japanese restaurant the kitchen is staffed by what seems to be 95% latinos, but you wouldn't have a clue just from tasting the food. -
Review from michael k.
Portland, OR
Cheap Sushi......
Two words that shouldn't be said together.
Big Sushi, another two.....
Sushi is finger food, and a piece should take one, maybe two bites to finish.
I watched the lady at the next table cut her roll pieces with a fork and knife, like it was a steak.
Plus this place is dirty and needs a good cleaning.
The wait station had garbage all over the floor,
which you have to walk thru to get to the back dinning room.
As we were leaving i looked in the display case.
I noticed 7 different types of fish/seafood all piled on top
of each other. Not very sanitary. Check my photo.
I like danger, but I'm not stupid. -
Review from Eric H.
Vancouver, WA
OH. MY. GAHH.
When we arrived, there was a line waiting for the doors to open.
Sadly, my girlfriend and I were one group late and was the first group on the wait list. The restaurant is pretty small, but the wait is totally worth it.
After being sat the waitress kept sweating us to order.. but even with the small restaurant and the heckling of the waitress, the size and taste of the food TOTALLY negates EVERYTHING else.
I have been to quite a few sushi places, and this place is right up there with freshness and taste.
MUST go back. Very excited. -
Review from Trimaine B.
Marina del Rey, CA
5/21/2011
I frequent alot of sushi places as fish is one of my favorite foods. Fish is probably the biggest reason I will not ever become a vegetarian.
With that said, I have notice I have become somewhat of a secret sushi snob. I am particular with sushi, serving it is more than just eating piece of fish rolls and rice, it is an art form and I judge sushi with this in mind.
Overall a OK experience. I have had worse sushi before, but I also have had tons better. The fish was fresh and the pricing was of the norm if not a bit on the cheaper end. The service was generally good as well. However a few things about the place put me off form giving it a higher rating.
First off, the rolls are too big and fall apart. I do not know if this is a thing for this place of not, but these rolls were some of the biggest, if not biggest I have seen in my life. Some may not see this as a negative thing, to each their own. However, in reference to my idea that sushi is an art-form, big rolls are not within that art form and made the experience of eating the sushi awkward.
In keeping with the awkward theme, the set up of the place is awkward, I did not feel like a sushi place to me.
The general taste of the sushi, while not bad, was not anything special. It was somewhat bland. The ingredients did not seem to work together. It was as if something was missing.
But I will say that the ginger was not dyed. Which is a big plus for me.
This place is oddly popular, and I am not sure why, so maybe I am an outlier. Maybe I just had high expectations for this place since it was in Portland. I do not know. I will continue my quest and frequent other sushi places in Portland, but I am not quite sure if I will end up at Saburo's again anytime soon. -
Review from M Y.
Kaneohe, HI
8/11/2011
AWESOME. If you like sushi and you like LOTS of it, this is the place to be. The sushi here is HUGE. Not exaggerating. Literally double the size of a regular piece.
Prices aren't outrageous and you'll definitely leave full. Our group ate until we were stuffed, and averaged $20 per person (that includes tip).
The reality.
You wait a bit to get a table.
Lines can get pretty long from what I hear.
It's not a fancy place.
You can't expect the "genuine" sushi experience
If you're down for a LOT of sushi one night and you have time, hit up Saburo's.
