Sushi Bar Bloomington

Reviews 4

EM

Emily Hunt

For the first few years I was in town, Sushi Bar was my sushi joint of choice. The decor is lovely: mellow, soft lighting, with booths that, while not enclosed, give the illusion of privacy. The clientele was never really my scene (lots of long tables packed with sorority girls) but the consistency of the product made up for it. I cant comment on the freshness of the fish as its been a fair amount of time since Ive actually eaten it, but from what I recall it seemed fresh and well-made. At any rate, it wasnt the food or the decor that brought me here. I usually give restaurants the benefit of a doubt when I get bad service. After all - one servers bad day shouldnt tarnish an entire companys image. However, I think Sushi Bar deserves the call out. I had a bad experience over a year ago when I went during their rush. My sushi took over an hour and a half to come out, as I was watching other (huge) tables that had come in after us receiving their meals. A couple of other smaller groups were having a similar experience, and I remember distinctly sharing annoyed glances with those also suffering without their food. But, being that I hate walking out on a meal (especially sushi) I stuck it out until our server finally delivered our food. It was fine, except we had gotten a wrong roll. We, being mild-mannered despite our crankiness, asked if there was something that could be done in the way of taking the roll off our bill, being that we didnt want it and wed already waited forever. What we got, instead, was an argument. The woman (the manager?) said that it was, in fact, what we ordered, and that we wouldnt have anything taken off our bill. Well, okay. We dealt with it, left, and I hadnt been back since. Until last night, on my birthday. It was a little after 9PM and Sushi Bar closes at 10PM. Usually Id go to Asuka, but they close at 9:30PM, and I didnt want to be *that person* showing up minutes before they close for a labor-intensive meal. I hadnt been to Sushi Bar in a long time anyway so I figured Id give it the benefit of a doubt. Poor choice. We got there before 9:30 and there were no cars in the parking lot. We went in and the place was empty - not a single table there. We could feel the kitchen and the servers staring us down as we went in. We were given a booth. The server (a guy) was alright, not exactly jolly but not unpleasant either. He got us waters. The next fifteen minutes were an exercise in surveillance. While we sat, deciding what to eat, I watched the same woman who Id encountered in my last visit pacing back and forth, glaring at us from various positions around the restaurant. They were clearly very annoyed that we were there, and they did not hide it. I could hear her and the kitchen bickering in the distance. While we were looking at the menu an our server, suddenly exasperated, came by to tell us that the kitchen was closing at 10 and that wed better get our food in. It wasnt a kind warning, and it wasnt that late. We did put an appetizer in, and while that was in the works another couple came in, who the manager-woman tried to shoo out the door, even though they were still open. I dont know what ended up happening with that couple. We got our appetizer and returned our menus. It was fried tofu, and it was alright - I dont like tofu, but it was well-presented and (according to my roommate, who ordered it) tasty. We didnt get any entrees. I was still being watched from around the corner by a very angry group of workers, which wasnt exactly the atmosphere I was looking for on my birthday. So, we left. Bottom line: The food is good, and the atmosphere is my favorite of all the sushi places in town, but the service has completely turned me away. Asuka is my place of choice now, because despite the gamble that is ordering sushi from them (Ive often received a wrong roll) theyve always been accommodating and pleasant when they make a mistake, or even when they dont. Thats what service is, and Sushi Bar doesnt have it.

A

A Private User

Some friends and I were planning on going out to Asuka to eat, but one of us got held up at work and didnt get home until well after it had closed. Someone suggested we try that sushi place near the bypass" and so over to the Sushi Bar we went. And wow. We werent going to go in at first, thinking it was closed, but a waiter actively came ou to get us and take us in noting that they were still open for a few hours yet. We went inside where we were promptly seated and had a very attentive waitress come up to take our orders. We ordered some sake (we had never had it before -- the waitress made sure to tell us it was a really small bottle, which we were okay with having never had it of course), some gyoza, some edamame, and about ten different kinds of sushi (Dragon, Philadelphia, Dynamite). Every single thing was delicious. I will especially recommend the Dynamite roll -- we tried it on a hunch and it was absolutely spectacular. Afterward, as all of us had been starving all day, we all shared some icecream with banana tempura. The staff was great, the food was great, the atmosphere was great--well be going back here again!

KE

Kevin Tsoi

Good sushi from landlocked Indiana? You really have to compare it to what is possible for a place like this, and when you do, its pretty good. Youre not going to find fish like you would in California or even Chicago where they can get fresh fish daily. But they work with what they have and they make it pretty tasty. Rolls cost around 4 dollars for normal ones and 6-8 dollars for their specialty ones. Its on the cheaper side of sushi places in Bloomington I beleive. I would recommend trying at least one of the specialty rolls to see their creativity. The Sun roll, Dragon roll, and Spider roll are all really good. Service is decent. Sometimes it feels like they rush you when ordering, but Ive never been treated badly. Due to its price and proximity, it seems to be a popular place for sororities. Sake bombs can get pretty loud and obnoxious quickly. Aside from that, decor and atmosphere is nice. They have 3 rooms in the back that can be used for parties and fit about 10 people, more if youre creative. It would be a good place to try and its my go to sushi here.

A

A Private User

Amazingly for being a college town, Bloomington doesnt have great sushi options. My husband and I tried many through town before stumbling upon an online review for Sushi Bar. The outside of the building looks rundown and small. The location isnt always ideal because that intersection gets backed up. But the parking lot has lots of room and the building is larger inside than we thought. The sushi has always been good. I wont say great because their hot rolls that have tempura often have had a "soggy" texture. The service is probably the only downfall. Their servers try their best, but I dont think they have enough to serve the number of customers they get. Overall, I would recommend.