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Sea Lion Sushi
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Liberty Tree Mall - Food Court100 Independence Way
Danvers, MA 01923
(978) 774-5976
- Nearest Transit:
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Liberty Tree Mall @ Best Buy (435, 436, 465)
Endicott St @ Route 128 (435, 465)
Commonwealth Ave @ Endicott St (435, 436, 465)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 9:30 pm
Sun 11 am - 6 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
41 reviews for Sea Lion Sushi
Review Highlights
"I love their spicy tuna rolls and recently tried their..."
(in 3 reviews)
"The rolls are FULL of great fresh fish and veg."
(in 3 reviews)
"So good and great prices."
(in 3 reviews)
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41 reviews in English
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Review from Jess H.
Lynn, MA
8/28/2011
So you're in a mall. You just saw "Thor" at the local theater and now you're hungry. Oh what's that? A food court ten seconds away? Sweet, let's grab some Mcdonalds.
Oh my god. Is that a sushi place? Ew, in a mall? No way. Well, maybe. Okay, yeah, let's do it because lol it's sushi in a mall! It has to suck, right?
Can I have the Alaskan roll? And some ika, I loves me some ika. Ooh, you have a dragon roll? And a Mexican roll?! Oh damn! And can I have this and this and this and...
Oh man. Why did I order so much sushi from a mall? Yikes. Kind of expensive, it had better be worth it. Oh, he's waving us over. Come on, let's grab it and go.
It doesn't look bad. Cheers, bro.
Oh my god. Did you just eat the best sushi in Massachusetts? Yes. Yes you did.
Sea Lion Sushi is the best sushi place in MA, or at least the North Shore. Don't let the fact that it's in a mall scare you off: it's fresh, it's clean, it's presented beautifully and handmade on site upon ordering. It's perfect.Listed in: My Favorite Sushi Spots
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Review from David C.
Peabody, MA
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Always kind of skeptical of mall sushi. This. However wasn't all that bad. It was how ever a lot pricier than my normal sushi bar. I think I will continue to get sushi from regular place and eat the other crap at the mall.
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Review from Brian R.
Lynn, MA
7/10/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Best sushi in New England.
Yup, I said it. The best sushi place is in a mall.
The philly roll, mexican roll, trio rolls are to die for. I love this place. I used to eat here every day, but the price started to hurt my wallet. Sushi does not fill me up either so it was pricey for how much I would eat.
However, when I want to treat myself.....this IS the place to go. Every roll I've had here is epic.
Note: A little warning. If you get the younger guy rolling your rolls, they will not be very tight and a little loose. Sometimes your sushi will actually fall apart. Prepare for it. Stick with the older gentleman who works days. -
Review from Apolinaras S.
Somerville, MA
6/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Folks, put your prejudices away! If it was not in the mall, you would be much more positive about it. It is the damn McDs and pizza joints that "bring down the neighborhood".
For the price you pay, you should be basically getting a crappy crabstick California roll.
AND you can get it with BROWN rice! Nice touch.
Yes, the plates are paper.
Yes, soy sauce comes in a plastic cup.
BUT, look at what you've paid and think of it as you have got a choice to exclude "ambiance" from your bill. -
Review from Zoe P.
Arlington, MA
5/20/2011
I can see why this place gets 5 stars. Sea Lion Sushi is a charming and incongruous delight in a decaying mall food court that also boasts an army recruiting center and a cell phone stand. Yum!
The guy who runs the place is friendly and fast and the sushi is pretty good - the sauces help with the less than remarkable fish. I think we got the rainbow roll and the house roll and something with avocado on the outside. And a seaweed salad that was icy.
I'd make Sea Lion Sushi a destination if I was seeing a movie at the mall theater. And I might make time to stop in the Marshall's right across from the food court too, because I do love a bargain. -
Review from Kat M.
Peabody, MA
9/27/2011
I love this place. The location does not bother me one bit. So who cares if something is in the mall. Thats nothing to complain about because its convenient. If it wasnt there, people would still complain about not enough choices. The sushi is fresh, the drinks are cold and the staff are very polite. The manager was working when I went there for lunch, and he took 5 different orders from different people all at the same time. Remembering everyone, not screwing anything up. You can't get that kind of service anywhere else. My favorite dish is the seaweed salad and I love the bean cakes. Great choice of vegetarian sushi plates too. I highly recommend people who love sushi to try this place before they judge it because of the location.
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Review from Sean P.
Gloucester, MA
8/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great stuff!
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Review from Lita K.
Beverly, MA
8/2/2011
THE BEST! I love Sushi, but even better is CHEAP Sushi, because most places where one can eat Sushi are expensive, but not at Sea Lion in the food court of the Liberty Tree Mall. The food is fresh and tasty and you just can't beat the price. I've eaten Sushi at many places, but not for these super low prices.. You can't even buy it at supermarkets this cheap.. and you even get to see them make and roll it. Sure the location sucks, but who cares if you just want to grab some cheap Sushi
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Review from Thomas E.
Prides Crossing, MA
3/27/2011
I recently ate here, and have a few times before. There was extremely limited availability of menu items. I tried a couple of things. The rice was not very fresh, and the fish seemed old .. though not off.
There are better choices on the north shore. -
Review from Heather S.
Salem, MA
8/11/2010 18 Check-ins Here
I'm a mall employee and I love that there's a place in the food cout that offers something different. Some people would thik that sushi you can get a mall wouldn't be that good, but it's honestly the best sushi I've ever had.
Everything is so fresh. Their meus consist of a huge variety of maki and shashimi rolls, a couple of hand rolls, dragon rolls, all of which have a brown rice alternative. Appetizers like sea weed salad, calamari salad, gyoza (chicken/shrimp dumplings), shumai (shrimp dumplings), tempura and miso soup.
Also the big perk, abosuletely everything is affordable. For just a classis 8piece california roll is $3.99 (tax not included)
They also make party platters, so if you you're planning on throwing a soiree of sorts where your guest love sushi, check out Sea Lion -
Review from S. C.
Salem, MA
11/22/2011
My first impression of Sea Lion is - mall sushi?? No thanks! I am a very discriminating sushi lover who's been to 8 different places in the North Shore and numerous other places in Boston. I have never had a good experience with mall sushi. So, how did I ended up trying Sea Lion? I don't remember, but I am glad I did. I have to say, this is the tastiest sushi in the North Shore. Mall sushi price but better than the fancy places in the North Shore. I guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover!
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Review from Matt C.
Amherst
9/27/2010 5 Check-ins Here
Sushi, much like craft beers, can be hard to get into due to the price and the expansive styles and flavors. Sea Lion sits in a beautiful place where it is a great place to try sushi for the first time due to the price and knowledge of the staff, as well as great for people who have long loved sushi and just need a quick lunch.
The prices are low low low and you get alot for what you pay. 8 California rolls (a good place to start for all you sushi novices out there) are only $4. You can't beat that.
The owner/manager is amazing and is more than willing to give recommendations. Ended up trying spider rolls on his recommendation and loved it.
Sushi is to be tried by everyone, start your new favorite habit at Sea Lion -
Review from Stevie S.
Beverly, MA
8/4/2011
I was hesitant to ever try this place - because it's food court sushi - but I'm glad I did. My only criticisms are that sometimes they don't roll the rolls very tight, which can make them hard to eat, and that the put a LOT of cream cheese in the rolls that call for that as an ingredient. But overall, I've never had a bad dining experience here. And I'm guilty of many stops here :) Great selection, good prices, always delicious.
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Review from Andrea M.
Somerville, MA
Updated - 8/1/2008
They now offer brown rice sushi! It is unseasoned, however. It's not the weird, overwhelmingly heavy, squishy stuff I seem to get with Whole Foods sushi, but not quite the happy refined brown rice of Snappy Sushi in Davis Sq. My two pieces of nigiri salmon kinda came apart, but the veggie maki kinda held together (use your fingers instead of chopsticks), and the brown rice didn't add unnecessarily heaviness to my inari. Yay! They do charge $1 extra for brown rice; however, he charged me $1 *total*, even though I had 3 different brown rice sushi items... not sure how that works.
The calamari salad, by the way, is lovely. The squiddy bits were yummy and not too chewy, the dressing has a little kick from ginger and hot pepper, and there are finely-sliced bits of shitake mushroom throughout. nom nom nom
I must say, though, I'm leaving my rating at 4 stars. When I got there, you could tell they just had a huge rush, since there were people waiting around for orders. But, there were only 2 people waiting to place orders, myself and another woman. Along came a 3rd gal, and while I'd been trying to get their attention to place and order, they took the 3rd gal's order right away, even though she was shorter than me and everything. So yeah, I shed a little star tear for Sea Lion. Perhaps next time..
Don't forget to grab one of their spiffy new color menus while you're there. :)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/7/2008
I did not expect fantastic quality fish at economy prices in a mall food court, but that's exactly… Read more »
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Review from Brian W.
Natick, MA
12/29/2008 1 Check-in Here
Seeing Sea Lion a few years ago made me think that it was definitely a goner in the Liberty Tree Mall (see review). Most of the restaurants that open in that food court, die in that food court. The exceptions being McDonald's and a few of the standard Asian restaurants. I really didn't know how it was going to survive.
A few years later, I actually gave it a try. Boy is it good. The prices are extremely fair and the sushi rolls are being made in front of you. You can see the quality as well as taste it. The rolls don't have that "prepackaged" feel you get with other sushi restaurants in other malls. They are freshly rolled and they sure taste like it. They can do the casual sushi fan favorites such as Philly rolls well, as well as more elaborate things like Rainbow Rolls and their Sea Lion special. I had the Miso soup there too, because I love Miso soup. It didn't disappoint.
So for anyone willing to venture into the hell that is the Liberty Tree Mall, please give this spot of heaven a shot. Well worth it. -
Review from Amanda F.
5/27/2009
Amazing for a sushi place in a mall food court. I understand that they moved from Front St in Peabody to the Liberty Tree Mall because they kept getting broken into.
I love their spicy tuna rolls and recently tried their salmon Alaska roll. The rolls that are made right in front of you are large. When I order spicy tuna rolls from places like the Tokyo Steak House, the rolls are small and very easy to maneuver with chopsticks. However, I have heard that it's also to eat sushi with your hands. In this case it's certainly true because these are 2-bite rolls! I've read other reviews about how the fall apart, but I simply feel that it's because they are so big.
Great prices, great sushi, a little hard to get to but definitely worth it!Listed in: Best Eats
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Review from Joe V.
Middleton, MA
8/31/2009
I'm utterly shocked by all the 5 star reviews. Seriously? SERIOUSLY?
Sure, I can see how this place can help satisfy a fix for the spicy tuna roll folks, but sushi/sashimi/maki aficionados who view spicy tuna rolls and California rolls as bush league will not like this place. Yes, it's better than supermarket sushi because the rice is not sitting in a refrigerator, but that's not saying a lot. I'd put their sushi at about the same level you'd get at "Chinese" or "Pan-Asian" restaurants that also have sushi on their menus along with crab rangoon and pu-pu platters. The nori in my rolls (tried the Rainbow roll and the Garden roll) was chewy and the rice was undercooked. The rice also wasn't seasoned properly so I had to fight the rolls from coming apart. Take a Japanese person fresh off a plane from Narita here and he or she would be horrified.
No way this place compares to Blue Fin--or even Asahi, Sake, or Kame.
Sorry, I wanted to love it. That said, it beats all the other horrendous Food Court options. -
Review from Jenn S.
Danvers, MA
2/19/2011
SWEET JESUS! this place is fantastic. Yes it's in the Ghetto mall, yes it's cheap. But it is pure yummy-ness
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Review from Lauren K.
Cambridge, MA
7/25/2009
Sea Lion is the best thing that has ever happened to Liberty Tree (well..the second best-The Rack is great too).
The staff is very friendly and the sushi is fresh and delicious! What more could you want? (Besides not having it be located at Liberty Tree?)
The miso soup and seaweed salads are great, and they don't charge an arm and a leg for them either. My sister got the Shrimp Tempura/Eel and Avocado roll which is one of the best rolls I have ever had. The spicy tuna and salmon rolls were excellent as well.
When it comes to sushi, this place blows Boston places like Snappy Sushi out of the water. From now on when it comes to sushi I am either going to Sea Lion or Duozo in Boston.
I can't wait to try more! -
Review from Joe B.
Boston, MA
1/1/2010
I love this place so much. I work a short drive from the Liberty Tree Mall, and I get lunch here at least once a week. The same two chefs seem to work here almost all the time, and they are awesome. Well, the older guy is awesome. The younger guy is really quiet and I always think he's annoyed with me. I don't know. But the older guy knows my order by heart, so I don't even have to order when he's working (which is pretty much all the time).
Nowadays I really only get cucumber maki and inari. Both are awesome, and the older chef really loads up the inari with tons of rice. The cucumber maki are nice and big, too -- and they give you nicely sized pieces of cucumber, not julienned cucumber peel. Why do some places just give you julienned cucumber peel?? WHY?!?
Anyway, back before I went veg, I really enjoyed the tuna, spicy tuna, and California rolls with tobiko. If I remember correctly, the shrimp tempura was refrigerated, not freshly fried, so keep that in mind. But otherwise, it's pretty hard to go wrong here. -
Review from Carolyn P.
Salem, MA
3/13/2011
Who would of thought that the words awesome and food court could be used in the same sentence. They can be when describing Sea Lion Sushi. If you can overlook the fact that they are located in the Liberty Tree Mall you'll experience amazing sushi. The quality is always fresh, so incredibly tasty and you can't beat the price. I highly recommend Sea Lion sushi. I really think they give some local sushi places a run for their money. I find their quality to be better than Kame in Beverly.
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Review from Danie R.
ALLSTON, MA
11/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
Inexpensive! Huge portions. Loved the avocado rolls. Yes, it is mall sushi, and no, I did not have the fish, but I liked it a lot and wouldn't think twice about saying yes to go there again!
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Review from Bryan C.
Las Vegas, NV
7/28/2010
Good sushi on the cheap. Everybody had it right. Surprisingly good for sushi in a ghetto mall in the middle of nowhere MA.
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Review from Sean H.
Danvers, MA
10/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
Sushi was very fresh. Extremely tasty and reasonably priced.
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Review from William Christina G.
Salem, MA
1/15/2007
Best sushi in the North Shore. I go there all the time. Fresh ingredients, great service and very nice people. You got to love it!
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Review from michelle d.
Danvers, MA
3/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
OK so everything about this place is wrong! A sushi "stand" in the crappy liberty tree mall...should be horrible right??? WRONG!! It is great! The older gentleman who is there almost all the time makes some of the best rolls I have ever had.. Outside Hawaii that is! The rolls are FULL of great fresh fish and veg. They also have a brown rice option that is great!! The sushi is never pulled from a case its made fresh for you! The wait can be a little while so you can always call ahead if you are in a rush! I love this place and go to the mall just for them!
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Review from Jen K.
Beverly, MA
10/26/2007
A family favorite since the days on Front St. in Salem. I love the people who run this place and you cannot beat the quality and price! So good and great prices! I dont like that its in the food court, but what can you do? Nicest people and real talent and generous sizes. yum!
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Review from Rachelle H.
Salem, MA
1/18/2009
it bums me out to no avail that sea lion had to move from front street in salem to the liberty tree mall (the lechmere mall/the ann & hopes mall). they kept getting broken into on front street and therefore had to move to the mall where all the hoodlums play. bad news bears. :(
anyway, sea lion does things right. the owners are easily the sweetest people on the planet. everything is fresh and is prepared well. the miso soup tastes like the miso soup you can get at most other places, but i like consistency, dammit.
i've had high class sushi and i've had supermarket sushi. although this is not fancy-establishment sushi, it comes really close. it's not anywhere near the supermarket classification. everything is excellent.
not that it's difficult to prepare edamame on your own, but i love their edamame. i think it's the additional pinch of love they toss in there. the seaweed salad is also very crunchy and tasty as well. the only thing i'd warn you against is the garlic noodle bowl. i don't know if that's the exact name for it, but it's noodles with a ton of garlic on top. just be super careful with it because my boyfriend got this once and, i shit you not, he had garlic breath for THREE DAYS. he tried absolutely everything and could not get rid of the garlic smell. maybe he shouldn't have eaten ALL the garlic, but that's neither here nor there. at least we know the garlic was super fresh and delicious.
i really like the sea lion and, as i said, i'm sad it's at liberty tree because i go there very rarely. the people are so nice and i enjoy giving my business to a family-run place and not a friggin chain. the freshness, expertise, and true love make sea lion the best place in the liberty tree food court.
oh man, that last line does NOT sound like a compliment. eff liberty tree. -
Review from Barrett H.
Cincinnati, OH
5/23/2010
Sea Lion really is what people say it is. Good sushi for cheap money. Not having to go to a depressing mall food court for it would probably bump it up to 5 stars. That, or a change to a name that isn't a tiny bit creepy.
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Review from Veronica P.
Bradford, MA
10/14/2008
Yes, it's in the food court and yes, this is some of the best sushi I've ever had.
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Review from Louis P.
Peabody, MA
4/17/2010
I read such great reviews and I was excited to try it. I'm thinking, great sushi with great price, I can't go wrong... But I wasn't too impressed. I guess it is bit cheaper than other sushi places, but taste wise? I've had better. It tastes like cheap sushi....
So if you want some cheap sushi, that's quick, then I'd recommend here...
Although, I ordered quiet a bit of rolls from this place, our bill was still $37 for lunch for some orders of different specialty rolls....
Trust me, it's not anything fancy... It's like fast food version of sushi... -
Review from Beth-Ann Q.
Salem, MA
5/24/2009
LOVE IT. Very friendly staff. Excellent food. Sushi takes time to make so if you are in an extreme hurry go elsewhere...but this place is worth the wait. I know I know you think sushi in a mall is going to be nasty right? WRONG!!! fresh fish and ingredients make for a tasty meal. I definitely recommend this place!
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Review from Laura D.
Rockport, MA
11/5/2008
I eat here every week for lunch. The sushi is freshly made to order. The ingredients are fresh and consistently great. This is in a mall food court, so it's a perfect stop while shopping or hitting the movies.
I love the spicy tuna rolls made with brown rice and extra sauce. YUM!!! Just as good as Kame in Beverly or Fortune Palace in Essex (but at the mall) -
Review from Lisa C.
Tewksbury, MA
3/7/2009
When I heard from someone earlier this week that Sea Lion Sushi closed, I panicked! There is nowhere else I love to eat as much as here!
I brought my friend from school, an international student from Japan, to Sea Lion Sushi whenever we caught the shuttle from campus to the mall. She said it was the best sushi she's had outside of Japan, and while I'm not from Japan nor have ever gone there, it certainly is the tastiest sushi I've ever eaten. The station is immaculately clean, the assortment broad enough for the adventurous but full of friendly and familiar varieties too for those who just want a comforting California roll. Their ingredients are extremely fresh and tasty, and the best part is that the staff is friendly and helpful (yes, they recognize me by face now, haha).
The only downside is that.... well, it's in the MALL. But the tastiness of the sushi makes up for the lack of glamor in the surroundings. When I tell people my favorite place to get sushi is the Liberty Tree Mall, they often give me a funny look, but I swear by it (and they end up agreeing with me after visiting!).
I've been to Kame before, and it was nothing superb to write home about. Sea Lion Sushi has my eternal love! The best part? It's just the right price for a strapped-for-cash college student. It never hurts my wallet to eat here, and the quality for the price is mind-boggling. -
Review from Kristina L.
Beverly, MA
10/13/2009
When I put five stars up there, let me say that I am doing so with exactly what I'm reviewing in mind: fast-food sushi.
This isn't gourmet, it isn't perfectly pretty every time, and it's definitely Americanized in some cases, but my gosh, it's really, really scrumptious for what it is.
The portions are pretty generous for the price and the service is fast and friendly. I was shocked the first time I went at just how much food I got 11.00 (that was including a drink). Also, I absolutely LOVE that I can order brown rice maki. Everything was the perfect temperature (I don't like my food ice cold or very warm) and nice and fresh.
In short, it's not fancy dining but I absolutely love it and will go back quite a bit, I'm sure! -
Review from Alice C.
Cambridge, MA
2/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Presentation of food not photo-worthy, but the taste is spot on, and with plenty of the ordered tobiko! Texture- wise the rolls could be more tightly packed (they were falling a bit apart) but the kernels of rice are cooked perfectly. All at great prices.
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Review from Phylicia G.
Salem, MA
9/16/2010
The first time I saw this place I thought "Who gets sushi at the mall?" As a sushi lover I decided that I get sushi at the mall. The stuff is the best and so cheap. The Alaskan Roll is probably my favorite. The great thing about Sea Lion sushi being in the food court is the fact it is a healthy option. The only thing in that food court that wont force you to return those skinny jeans you just bought two doors over.
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Review from John n.
Beverly, MA
Updated - 9/2/2008
The awesome couple who used to run this place now have a store at the Meadow Glen Mall in Medford, but the new guy here makes sushi just as great. It's truly a hidden gem and a must try! Great value and quality in a food court, and their not skimpy on the avocado like some "cheap" sushi places.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/30/2007
The rice is better here than at other sushi places, in my mind. The man and the women who own this… Read more »
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Review from Brian L.
Peabody, MA
12/24/2008
Sushi in a mall? This is gonna be a disaster... That's what I thought when I first saw Sea Lion Sushi in the Liberty Tree. I wasn't brave enough to try it until recently. One of my friends, as well as fellow Yelpers, gave this place really strong reviews so I took the plunge. All I can say is Wow, this place is great! The fish is good quality, and the prices are pretty low. $4 for 8pcs Cali roll, $4.75 for Spicy Tuna/Salmon, and some of the special maki rolls range up to around $8 or $9. I decided to go big and tried the Orange Dragon roll. It was delicious. Definitely give this place a try!
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Review from J A.
Marblehead, MA
12/21/2009
Who knew in the best Sushi around would be in the food court of Liberty Tree Mall. great Sushi at food court prices.
