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Yanagi
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
4404 W William Cannon DrSte B
Austin, TX 78749
(512) 891-0989
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu 4 pm - 10 pm
Fri 4 pm - 11 pm
Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
131 reviews for Yanagi
Review Highlights
"Rolls: I almost always order the Las Vegas roll."
(in 9 reviews)
"And the miso soup is delish."
(in 23 reviews)
"I can't wait to try their happy hour."
(in 17 reviews)
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131 reviews in English
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Review from Pop E.
Austin, TX
1/2/2012
I like Yanagi because it's near my house. Like others have mentioned, some of the rolls (ex those topped with tiny pieces of scallop) aren't the greatest but I've never had bad sushi here.
My biggest pet peeve about this place is when I order take out they ask how many chopsticks I need. Hmm just one set. ALL the food is for me! But I kinda feel like they are shaming me about all the food I order (that's probably my own issue). Solution: put a cup of chopsticks on the to-go counter and let people pick up however many sets they need. -
Review from Cathy B.
Huntsville, TX
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm fairly particular about Japanese restaurants, starting with if it's owned by or run by Japanese people. Yanagi is not run by Japanese but it's not bad at all. My parents and I had several different off the menu (no sushi tonight) and it was all fairly good! Mom and I had tempura and it didn't come with grated daikon, which is traditionally served with tempura in Japan, but they had it available upon request. Bonus!! The tempura wasn't greasy so the oil was fresh and nothing tasted over cooked.
The only real negative (but for us, it's a biggie) was they were sweeping and cleaning the restaurant while customers were still eating. In a way that felt like they were in a hurry for us to leave. That's a bit of a double-edged sword I know because you don't want the restaurant dirty and you want to keep the staff busy as things slow down but it didn't feel right for several waiters to be sweeping around us while we were still eating and there's at least 2 hours before the restaurant closed.
But the food was good and our waiter was attentive and we are happy that there's a decent Japanese restaurant this far south. Give it a go. -
Review from Jocelyn T.
Austin, TX
1/4/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I'm totally sorry that I chose to dine at Yanagi this evening for my birthday. My 13 year old son and I wanted something in our neighborhood that would be relatively fast and healthy. The food here is good, but definitely not top notch- but I knew that going in, and that's ok.
We went in for happy hour, which is from 4:00 to 6:00pm. We arrived at 5:34pm, and we were seated promptly. Our waitress took our initial order at around 5:45pm. She announced at 5:50pm that it was last call. At that moment, we didn't order. At 5:55pm, my son wanted to order another Las Vegas roll. We ordered it immediately after our waitress took the order from the table across from us. They too, had ordered off the Happy Hour menu. At that time I believed that we would be getting the happy hour price (which is $3 less than normal price) as it was still five min to 6pm.
When I got the check, they charged me full price for the LV roll. I asked my waitress to make an adjustment, she initially refused. I then requested that she ask her manager and she did- Only to get the response of "NO." I brought up the point of telling them that I ordered it before 6pm, they said that it didn't matter, that there was no way for them to override the price. When I asked why they honored the other patrons order, at that specific time, she stated that it was the hostess's fault for giving them that happy hour menu, therefore she had to offer the deal.
So much for customer service. I can't believe that they were willing to loose me, or any customer at that, for $3! Going forward, I'll take my business elsewhere. The worst $47 dining experience of my life. -
Review from Amanda M.
Austin, TX
2/6/2012
I've been to Yanagi a few times now and think it is good sushi for the price. I go once in awhile because the food is good, the service is friendly, and it is very close to my house. The happy hour menu is quite reasonable. I took my baby out with us for her first restaurant experience and it is pretty child-friendly there, at least in the early crowd. I did not feel like I was crashing a party even when she started fussing a little; there were plenty of kids there. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here or say that there is anything outstanding about the sushi. It's not worth a drive across town, but it's worth a drive down the street.
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Review from shannon p.
Austin, TX
1/29/2012
I simply love their divine food. Everything I order is delicious and the presentation is gorgeous. Try the happy hour, good prices where you can sample a few items you have not tried before at a great price, Waitstaff is VERY attentive in a unobtrusive lovely manner. You need to give this a try if you like sushi.
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Review from des c.
Austin, TX
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Seeing other Yelp reviews on the ride down (ride, yes, I was not driving) to meet friends, I was not as excited to eat here as I was to meet friends. I was pleasantly surprised. Fresh offerings, a Saturday happy hour menu, and tasty fish! We had the Vegas roll, a variety of sushi, and I sampled a friend's lychee martini. Yum and yummy yum! Their escarole was wonderful. I've had it prior at quite a few places, and know that it should be a bit rich, and melt in your mouth. We ordered more, and I even shared with two friends.
We'll be back. -
Review from Amanda W.
Bastrop, TX
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
We came here for date night because I was craving some sushi. It was great! We ordered the spicy garlic edemame (I think that's what it's called) and it was delish but definitely spicy. It cleared my sinuses in the first few bites. Then my hubby got a pork dish, which he said was really good, and I got some sushi. It was fresh, tasty, and presented well. It wasn't terribly busy and the noise was not a problem. We ended up talking for a while and did not feel rushed. The server was pretty busy (maybe they were short staffed that night) so we had some moments of needing more drinks, but overall, it was a great date night.
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Review from Crystal W.
Austin, TX
12/20/2011
I used to pop in every few weeks- after tonight's service I'll NEVER GO BACK!
I don't ask for much in a sushi place- 1)provide adequately good food that won't make me sick, 2)provide adequate service that will address problems should they arise.
Tonight Yanagi dropped the ball on both accounts. The primary reason for the review is this- After a long day at work and a Mopac-traffic ride home I decided not to cook, so I called in a take-out order from Yanagi. Its in a convenient location & has not failed me yet.
I ordered the Philadelphia roll, the Las Vegas roll, the Crunchy roll & spicy garlic edamame. I also asked for extra soy sauce, noting laughingly that we were out at the house.
My husband stopped in to pick up shortly after I called. After a short wait he returned home with our order.
The bag was knotted shut or else maybe he'd of checked it before he left the restaurant. Not thinking he'd have to look for an impending mistake, he brought the bag in and we checked it out.
Inside was 1) no chopsticks (the girl I ordered from mentioned they would be) 2)no soy sauce (even though my request for extra was not going to be a problem) 3)edamame that was not cooked through 4)only two of our three rolls we ordered.
The food was alright- edible for sure, but lacking that sparkle you expect when you spend $40 ON TAKE OUT!!!
Here's THE WORST PART- If I come across a mistake like this, all I ask is to fix it. I left with $25 worth of merchandise- you should reimburse me for the product I did not receive. When we called the restaurant we explained what happened and we were told they'd call us back. 20 minutes later the phone rang and they apologized but offered no recourse. We pushed further for a solution and were placed on hold while the hostess talked to the "manager". When the hostess told us there was nothing she could do we got upset and decided NOT to drop it. We demanded to speak with the manager- a man came on the line and we explained what happened- then he laughed, "I am just the waiter- the managers not even here tonight..." We about flipped out. All we wanted was to be reimbursed for the food we never got- thats practically like stealing RIGHT out of our pocket.
They were not willing to even provide another roll- something we may have (begrudgingly) accepted. Bottom line- if you can't serve your customers needs when an issue pops up then you "have no business being in business!" -
Review from Margaret M.
Austin, TX
1/24/2012
The space is really nice.
Went in for lunch, pretty empty - needless to say, attentive service. Got the shrimp & sushi lunch special. But, and this goes to all restaurants, just because the lighting is low doesn't mean I'll miss the black lettuce. Shame really the dressing was yummy.
Other than that - tempura pretty good; sushi pretty good, miso nice and comforting, Kirin light deliciously cold; roll not so good (oxidized avacado), rice stale starchy mess.
Before I can make a true recommendation/or advice to avoid, I'll try out a dinner service BUT I sure hope they fix the lettuce. -
Review from Kassi D.
Austin, TX
1/22/2012
We ate here last night and really liked it. The food was great and the service was excellent. We had a few noodle bowls and a sushi roll. We also loved the spicy garlic edamame. The miso soup was weak and one of the noodle dishes had the tiny baby shrimp, which we don't like, but otherwise it was great. One thing that would help the atmosphere at night is to turn the lights down a bit.
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Review from Kris U.
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Depends on what you order. Don't get the edamame; it lacks taste, the correct texture, and salt. Do get the sashimi maguro (tuna) and escolar. The uni and unagi were okay. Do not get the cooked scallop, unless you like mayonnaise sauce over cubed scallops (not exactly what I was expecting).
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Review from Samantha O.
Austin, TX
8/25/2011
I'm very disappointed.
I ate there about a month ago with my friend and I had high expectations because when I went there over a year ago the sushi was pretty good. Well I was in for a HUGE letdown. I got simple basic rolls, a spicy tuna, and a salmon roll. My biggest issue was the consistency of the rice. It was terrible and not properly cooked. Also the seaweed. Since the rice was a bit on the moist side it made the seaweed wet, and anyone who knows ANYTHING about sushi should know that when seaweed gets damp it also gets chewy. But that wasn't my only problem with the seaweed. It tasted as if they use a cheap brand because it had a very... oceany taste.
I find most people get those god awful specialty rolls that are smothered in calories and other things, and those are always well received because I can only guess all that sauce and cheese and what not covers up the fact that the actual sushi is poorly made. So when I buy plain simple rolls it is so glaringly obvious that the ingredients in the sushi are not properly prepared and the sushi doesn't taste good.
Really, the only saving grace was the fact that I went during Happy Hour and didn't pay full price for the sushi.
-Back story- I am a sushi chef (yes people you don't have to be Asian to be able to make sushi), so I know what a proper roll should look and taste like. So in my being a chef my standards for sushi are high and I expect a lot, and Yanagi didn't deliver. -
Review from Stephanie I.
Mountain View, CA
11/26/2011
I loved everything here! The atmosphere was quaint and quiet and a nice place for a romantic date. The Happy Hour prices were nice, we got the cucumber sunomono (sp?), california roll, and vegetable dumplings, and edamame to start. I had the salmon teriyaki and it was probably the best I've ever had!!! I definitely recommend this place! :) The service was very good too!
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Review from melissa c.
Austin, TX
1/4/2012
way over priced for a neighborhood sushi joint. rice is improperly cooked and extra thick and sticky, you basically choke on each bite. service was "meh" not going back.
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Review from Sam C.
Chicago, IL
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good price for sushi and enjoyed eating there.
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Review from Jeremy J.
Austin, TX
10/31/2011
Mediocre sushi, at best. I'm being generous with the 3 stars, I think it's more of a 2 1/2 star restaurant. The food was unremarkable, the wait staff seemed disinterested, and the decor is boring. With so many other options out there for sushi, why choose this one?
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Review from Steve E.
2/28/2011
Damn...it sure is hard to find a decent bowl of ramen in America, let alone Austin! By pure luck, I think I might've found the best bowl in Austin--even if it isn't 100% Japanese authentic.
Here's my breakdown of Yanagi's version:
1) Broth. Yanagi is a Korean run Japanese restaurant (which is actually quite common here in Austin), therefore they serve more of a Korean style of ramen (or "ramyeon" in Hangul) which consists of a red miso base that's available served regular or spicy. I ordered the spicy and was actually a bit surprised by how hot it was. The color is a rich crimson and the flavor (both from the chili oil and miso) was quite strong with a bit of an earthy, bitter aftertaste. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.
2) Noodles. This would probably be the low-point of the dish, since Yanagi uses store-bought ramen noodles. I can understand why they do it: Ramen isn't very popular. It's acceptable, but it doesn't offer the texture or taste of a homemade noodle. 3 out of 5 stars.
3) Toppings/ingredients. Nice bits of squash, onion, Kimchi, and carrot present. One hard boiled egg and some of the best tasting chashuu pork I've tasted in many, many years (although not nearly enough!). Quite delicious! 5 of 5 stars.
This was my first time tasting a Korean ramen and, even though it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I was pleasantly surprised with the end result. The soup costs about $9, is a decent portion size, and appears to be available for both lunch and dinner. If you're the kind of person who considers themselves an adventurous eater, I'd highly recommend trying a bowl from Yanagi. You might not look at ramen the same way again!Listed in: A Long-Winded Search for…
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Review from Lee M.
Updated - 2/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Since my kids are getting interested in different foods, the wife and I decided to take them here for dinner on Valentine's Day. This was my second visit here, but my first for dinner. I was really interested to see if this place was going to make the cut into our regular sushi 'rotation' (ok...not that we have a rotation, but when we occasionally go out for sushi, it is usually only to 2 - 3 places we prefer).
Overall, a nice meal, service was excellent, and HH priced rolls and apps helped make it affordable for the fam.
Tempura roll, Las Vegas roll, and Crunchy roll were all OK, but not quite great. All came wth eel sauce and spicy mayo to spice-up the flava and presentations. However they did not taste quite as good as they looked, but Las Vagas was probably best of the 3.
Calamari was different, but in a very good way. It was long pieces instead of the traditional 'little rings' and tempura was light....yummmmm.
Potstickers were also quite good and the kids were on them like a bum on a baloney sandwich.
I had 4 pieces of shashimi (salmon and yellow tail). Not the biggest pieces of fish, but were certainy fresh, and not too much rice!
Also, they a pretty Cool bar area, but we both thought that having a big TV in the dining room was a bit strange and took a bit away from their traditional decor. Service, as usual, was tip-top.
So overall, a good experience and worth 3.75 stars.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/5/2011
Don't tell my wife, but I went here for lunch on Thursday, 2/3/11 with a coworker. She would be… Read more »
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Review from Mer S.
Austin, TX
3/15/2011
What's with me and strip mall sushi?
Yanagi did a great job of delivering consistently good food with thoughtful preparation in a relatively nice atmosphere. We ordered plenty of Sushi, and several different rolls, and even tried the ramen noodles! All were well executed.
I'll start with the sushi. We ordered jumbo scallop, tuna, salmon, red snapper, and I think some crab. All were pretty good, not as high quality as, say, D K Sushi on S 1st. At least in my opinion. But overall really fresh, good taste, decent cutting technique.
For our rolls, we went a little bit crazy. I believe we got the Sexy Roll, the Spider Roll, the Tiger Roll, the Yumi Yumi Roll, and the Yanagi Roll.
My personal favorite was probably between the Tiger and the Sexy. The others were good, but not really my thing. The Tiger was just downright delicious. Great flavor combinations, nice crunch from the tempura shrimp and cucumber, and the sesame oil sauce was perfect on top. The Sexy Roll is not your ordinary roll. Instead of rice and seaweed, the delicious tuna, salmon, and white fish are surrounded by thin strips of cucumber, and served flat on the plate with masago and a quails egg. Absolutely wonderful. The crunch, the clean flavor, just delightful. And great for a low-carb diet! ;)
The ramen soup ain't your college ramen! Give it a try! It's wonderful!
I highly recommend this place. I only give it four stars instead of 5 because I think the Sushi/Sashimi could have been a litttttle bit better. But the service here was top notch, quick and friendly and the rolls were delicious! -
Review from Bob H.
Austin, TX
4/12/2011
Alrighty,
This restaurant has made for an enjoyable experience every visit. I'm a big fan of everything that they have to offer, and I think at this point we actually have sampled at least everything on the menu. The prices are very reasonable and there has never been a wait to be seated. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and make it a great experience. Good times and great oldies! -
Review from allison j.
Austin, TX
This place is excellent for lunch. Sushi was fresh, nice to kids, and it was quiet. Tempura was crunchy and delicious.
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Review from Melissa F.
Austin, TX
6/6/2011
DELICIOUS!!!!
Got lunch take-out. A bento box of bulgogi, miso soup and an extra golden california roll. All super fresh and yummy!
Staff is very friendly and the place is very clean, even smells clean.
Definitely going back! -
Review from Kasey G.
Austin, TX
10/17/2011
Wife and I have been there 5-6 times. Love the tempura as an appetizer or meal, the gulbi has good flavor and texture, and their sushi is inventive and tasty. Even their Philly roll is a good take on a classic roll.
I was surprised to see such bad reviews about their staff. Our servers have been knowledgeable, attentive, and have gone out of their way to make sure we can get in & out when we have the little one.
Our best experience was when we went with a group of 6 adults and when the bill came they had credited one of our gulbi meals. Apparently one of our diners had not completely eaten one of the ribs and the staff noticed that it was slightly undercooked. While it wasn't prepared perfectly the rest of the meal tasted fine and we didn't even hint that there was a problem with the plate. That was the first (and likely last) time we've had a $15-$16 entree credited without even a whimper. -
Review from Stephanie S.
Austin, TX
Quick update. Although I hate the fact that their sashimi salad became a micro-plate, I just discovered a new dish that you just HAVE to try.
It's what my old favorite Korean Sushi place in Oakland called a sashimi salad. At Yanagi, it is called a Hoedeopbap. It is basically a bibimbap bowl, except with raw fish cubes with seaweed and bonito flakes. It is FANTASTIC! They do not serve it with egg, though, but you can get them to put some raw quail eggs on top -- totally worth it. It is kind of expensive - a few dollars more than my favorite place in Oakland, but they make it very nicely. It is a nice bowl of food. One of the few dishes lately at Yanagi that actually make a meal. (And I am a relatively not-very-big female). Yanagi is back in my good graces.Listed in: Good Asian Food in Texas?, Bibimbapping my way through…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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8/24/2010
Well, I still like Yanagi, but it is not the same as when they first opened up. I got a sashimi… Read more »
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Review from Dawna W.
Austin, TX
1/16/2011
Since 2009, south Austin has been graced with the blossoming of a number of highly-rated Japanese restaurants. Yanagi, located at William Cannon west of Mopac, is the perfect neighborhood spot for sushi aficionados As I reviewed the Yanagi Happy Hour Menu., I learned that the restaurant's name Yanagi, refers to a type of sashimi knife. The versatile Japanese knife, ideal for everyday slicing, is the perfect blade for slicing long pieces of fish. On this rainy Friday evening, I wanted a warming yet light meal. I ordered hot sake, miso soup, and two six-piece Nigiri-sushi platters ($1.75 per piece). Danny provided great wait-service and the chef presented beautiful, fresh, proportioned, and succulent nigiri morsels that exceeded my expectations.
The flavors and textures of the Albacore, Escolar (my favorite), Sake (Salmon), Dai (Red Snapper), Suzuki (Sea Bass), Ebi (Shrimp), Masago (Smelt Eggs), and Seared Tuna nigiri were exceptional. Another party at the sushi bar mentioned that their favorite after-dinner treat to order is the Panda Bear (it's not listed on the menu). The chef carves a whole orange into the shape of a Panda. It is a whimsically, delightful dessert with juicy citrus slices that cleanse the palate and have just enough sweetness to satiate the appetite.
To be able to order appetizers, sushi, rolls, and drink specials from the daily 4-6 pm Happy Hour menu is a fantastic way to be introduced to the restaurant. I am glad that I arrived early and could be seated at the sushi bar. I enjoyed the friendly experience so much that I'll return soon.
I look forward to hosting a group dining experience, sampling from the extensive dinner menu, and exploring the versatility of the Yanagi chef's preparations of appetizers, soups and salads, tempuras, rice bowls, teriyakis, bulgogi, sashimi, sushi rolls, house special rolls (35 selections), and desserts. -
Review from Kimberley F.
Driftwood, TX
8/3/2011
Ugh. So disappointing.
Craving a nice sushi lunch on my day off, I went here and ordered my favorites: a sashimi salad, a salmon skin handroll and unagi (eel) for my "dessert fish."
All four sashimi slices on the salad tasted mushy and dull: far from firm or fresh tasting. No sparkle to any of the fish. Despite the pretty presentation, it was all soft, mushy and disappointing.
Even the ususally hard-to-screw-up Unagi was bland--despite the huge globs of sweet sauce laddeled over it. Yuk.
When the demure server asked how it was, I told her it was disappointing. She said, "Oh, sorry!" and brought me my check.
As I was leaving, I mentioned to the hostess that I'd just spent $32 bucks on a really lame lunch, she asked if I wanted to tell the manager. I said YES. The kid appeared, listened and asked me to wait.
When he came back, he shook his head and said, "This fish is still fresh" and that therefore my complaint was unwarranted. He refused to offer me anything else or another chance to give them a shot.
Bad business, mushy fish, plus $32 bucks and an hour wasted. Dismal atmosphere.
Will not be back. I'd rather drive another hour than go here again. -
Review from Micaela G.
Austin, TX
12/13/2010
I've been here once because I heard people rave about it, and I will never go back again.. the staff is utterly incompetent.
We went in for dinner and were one of two tables in the whole place, and with three servers I finally had to get up and go find someone to take our drink order.. after another ten minutes someone else reappears with water and I asked about some of the "specialty drinks" on the menu, of which he had no idea what they were or what was in them. I ask the bartender the same thing and get the same response along with "we don't have anything to make that stuff". WHAT?! So I go with sake, which I figure they can't screw up because they didn't make it. WRONG. It was blistering hot.
Once our order goes in I look over to see the two cooks (who are in full sight of the entire restaurant) ignoring my ticket and watching the Lakers game. At this point I was one minor irritation away from walking out.. I have been in the service industry for years, and I am really patient-but this was out of control.
The food finally comes out and it was okay, there was one roll with tempura on it that was particularly good, but I think I was too blinded by my anger to care or remember.
The entire time we are being feebly "waited on" by two different servers, and got better service from the non english speaking busser.
It may come as a shocker, but I am NEVER going back. -
Review from Angela H.
Austin, TX
5/20/2011
It's nice that this is close to my house. Don't think the 3 stars means it's bad. It was pretty good actually. It's just that it's hard for ANY sushi place to compete for my affections with Uchi being so close.
Many have complained about poor service here but I didn't have that problem. Our waitress was very nice and attentive. Food came out quickly and all too.
As for the food being pretty good. I thought the fish was fresh enough...though not 100%. The rice wasn't really sticky enough to keep the rolls from falling apart but it tasted decent...Decor was ok for the stripmall setting too. -
Review from Alexandra R.
Austin, TX
12/27/2010 1 photo
Decent sushi, sweet service, a powerful martini menu (and like, specialty cocktails served in a martini glass that are mostly chilled liquor but with chocolate or sour mix so they shouldn't be called martinis), and a very good Korean menu.
My favorite Bi Bim Bap is still DK's, but Yanagi is great as well. I like how the spicy sauce comes in a little squeeze bottle with a pink top - it seems so home-made and cute.
Yanagi used to always put coupons in the local paper and they were always cool about redeeming them for us. And the happy hour is pretty great for a low price with good quality sushi and hot, goopy appetizers that make the cheap drinks go down that much easier. I can only have two of the "martinis" here, and they always make me giggle. -
Review from Jimmy M.
Austin, TX
2/26/2011
Good sushi, good apps. It's not FANTASTIC, but it's not terrible either. It also happens to be one of the only sushi places in this part of town.
Ambience is OK too.
It's a good backup restaurant when you're feeling sushi but don't want to drive far. -
Review from Wes A.
Austin, TX
8/22/2011
There's nothing out of this world about Yanagi. But I have faith that their sushi is fresh and that their lunch specials are reasonably priced and predictably tasty. I love sushi but don't eat it as much as I like. I usually weigh the cost of going to an Uchi and spending an entire paycheck on dinner versus going to a strip mall restaurant with a potentially questionable background. You can probably guess that Yanagi wins out 9 times out of 10.
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Review from Lindsay J.
Austin, TX
8/24/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Yanagi makes me proud to live in the '45. Thank you, South Austin gods! We finally have a fabulous little sushi joint right in the neighborhood.
The staff recognized my boyfriend and I on our second visit-- no joke. And our favorite waiter, Danny, is as fabulous as they come, funny and warm. He even remembers our favorite rolls and is easily able to recommend something different, based upon our changing tastes.
I adore the fact that the prices are fit for a strip mall, but the quality and presentation of the sushi surpasses that by quite a lot. The same goes for the interior. The owners really took their time to develop a floor plan and lighting that exudes a romantic ambiance. Hell, I even love the music they choose to play (everything from AIR to Postal Service to Depeche Mode).
I keep going back, again and again, and have yet to be let down. And now that I know they offer Happy Hour on Saturdays, I'm afraid my addiction is only going to grow. -
Review from Joe C.
Irving, TX
5/18/2011
Been here a couple of times thinking that the first few experiences we're not enough to judge a place but now I know this is not the place for me. The sushi is very marginal and only certain sushi chefs have the skill to make sushi and unfortunately the talent is not there. There was only one chef there who had talent but I don't believe he works there anymore. Prices are fair but as you know there is a correlation between price and quality for most places in austin. I don't necessarily believe you have to go uber expensive but I think imho there are better places in the atx.
The staff is not necessarily rude but they seem understaffed which is a big no-no in my book. Anyways, try it if you want. -
Review from Tia M.
Austin, TX
11/26/2011
Most forgettable $85 dinner as my husband said. Sushi was okay, certainly nothing special. However, the miso soup was surprisingly good. Save you money and get sushi at HEB.
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Review from Brandie R.
Austin, TX
6/26/2011
Maybe it's that we don't eat sushi, maybe it was that it was late on a Saturday, but our visit was mediocre. Food was okay, but I felt like it was overpriced for the portions. I also didn't feel very good later in the evening after eating here. We probably won't be back.
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Review from Scott K.
Austin, TX
7/14/2010
Holy cats.
So the plan was to spend $20 on a light meal of happy hour sushi, see how good the food was. First and last parts worked great, nice happy hour prices, food was delicious, waiter kept my water glass full (not easy).
Middle part got stomped into flat bloody goo by their insane kitchen; one appetizer, one roll, two nigiri, and I'm stuffed. I'm a 240# lifter, this is ridiculous. That delicious Las Vegas roll was eleven BIG - Scott-sized! - bites. The two nigiri (sea bass and red snapper, really good and WOW!, respectively) were nicely sized, the appetizer (heart attack, yum) was big but not Godzilla-sized. Happy hour's 4-6 weekdays and 12-4 Saturdays, I'm going back a lot. Two rolls might be too much for me to finish! Happy hour nigiri are $1.5 each, maybe next time I'll just get ten, or six and a roll. Or forget the $20 limit and keep eating until I fall down and they have to roll me to the motorcycle... Please note the price range is moderate for the happy hour menu, later would be pricier. -
Review from Justin S.
Austin, TX
10/27/2010
I've finally found my Sushi spot in Austin!
Being from Dallas, I'm pretty spoiled when it comes to Sushi. I've eaten a lot of bad sushi in Austin, and until I found this place, I didn't think I'd ever find anything that could compare to what I get when I'm back home.
They have really cheap $5 standard rolls, and then the more exotic rolls are $10. I recommend the Albacore Delight, its the best (and only) albacore I've had in Austin.
The waiter was super-friendly and attentive, too. I plan to become a regular here, and eat here as often as I can afford it. -
Review from Andre L.
10/9/2010
On a beautiful Friday night, myself, my girlfriend and a couple of our friends found ourselves at Yanagi for a sushi dinner.
One of my friends and I noticed how they had toro on the menu, something that's a delicacy and usually not widely available. After ordering a boat and exalting how good everything had tasted until that point, we were grossly disappointed when the toro came out and tasted fishy, like it had been sitting out for days.
Our server, who had assured the toro was delicious, took little responsibility for the poor taste of the fish, only offering to comp for two of the four orders.
I would give four stars if it weren't for the crappy toro or the server's lack of concern for our feedback. -
Review from Ashley S.
Austin, TX
8/12/2010
Somehow I'm always surprised when I get the bill after eating sushi. I mean I know it's notoriously expensive, but really... was it *that* good?
At Yanagi I wasn't disappointed. I split one of the sushi boats with a friend and the quality of the sushi was really good. We also asked for a recommendation on sake and wow, what a nice treat -- and for only $13 a bottle. The total bill was around $80 (including tax and tip), I was stuffed to the gills and we had a box to take home.
Nothing went really wrong here, but there was some room for improvement. The restaurant wasn't crowded and this plus the decor had me feeling like I was in a lunch room. Also for an almost empty restaurant they put us right next to another full table and in the walkway. Plus they started shutting the restaurant down a little early since not very many people were there. Maybe that's a petty complaint, but I always feel awkward when I'm still eating and the kitchen is closing (we arrived at 8:30 and the restaurant closes at 10). -
Review from Rina L.
Austin, TX
11/22/2010
Lunch specials are pretty good here.... pricey for lunch, but for Japanese food, it's not bad. Bento boxes are big enough to make you doze off when you get back to work.
We recently tried their happy hour. Specials are about $2 off the regular menu prices. The Monkey Ball (Fried mushroom with spicy tuna served with masago, scallion, & sesame) and Heart Attack (Fried jalapenos with spicy tuna & cream cheese served with masago, scallion, &
sesame) appetizers were interesting. Our party seemed to enjoy the Heart Attack... I think we had about 4 orders of it. The happy hour sushi was pretty good too. They had $1.50 nigiri and specialty sushi rolls for around $5-8.
The waiters are usually really friendly here too and service is quick most of the time.
