Sonobana Japanese Restaurant
| Address: | 40 White Bridge Rd, Nashville, TN 37205, USA |
| Phone: | +1 615-356-6600 |
| Site: | sonobananashville.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 4:30–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 13
BR
Brittany Smith
I had a friend who had been begging me and our group of friends forever to go to Sonobana instead of our normal sushi restaurant, and last night, we finally gave in. Most of us in our party of six who had been there before hadnt eaten here for over a decade. While I didnt have bad memories of this restaurant, I didnt have any stand-out ones either. We were sat in the back, and the atmosphere, while nothing remarkable, was cozy and relaxed. Well-loved would be describing the interior nicely with smudged walls and duct taped upholstery. This would all be easy to over-look if the food and service had been worth our time. Our waitress came by to take our orders in good time, but she was mostly absent for the majority of the meal. I asked for a soda which she brought back a glass filled to the top with ice and the open bottle of a 20-oz Sprite from which she filled the glass. This itself isnt really a big deal, but the soda was flat, and the glass having been filled with ice watered my drink down a lot. During the meal, I was able to catch her and asked for another glass with less ice, but the waitress must have misheard me because she brought back another glass full of ice. Whomp-whomp. I ordered the steak Bento box and some nigiri from the sushi bar so that I could try as many things as possible to get a well-rounded experience for their offerings. First, the salad, which had more-runny-than-other-restaurants ginger dressing at least had a fresh, crisp spring mix of lettuce instead of just iceberg. The miso soup looked promising with mushrooms, scallions, and tofu floating about, but at first sip, I had my first, "What is THAT!?" moment. Something about the soup immediately tasted off, and this was a precursor to the rest of the meal. My Bento box came next, which contained steak, cold-on-purpose broccoli, carrots, and bean sprouts, an orange, vegetable tempura, and an avocado maki roll. Then, the fresh salmon and tuna nigiri came. I had to wait a while after receiving the Bento box for the steamed rice and the dipping sauce for the tempura. Everything with the exception of the maki and nigiri was underwhelming with small portions, under-seasoned, and all lukewarm to cold when they shouldnt have been. The maki and the nigiri were the only saving grace of the whole experience. All pieces tasted fresh and were prepared well. Should I ever be dragged back (kicking and screaming), Ill stick strictly to the sushi, and Ill bring my own cold, 20-oz Sprite.
JO
Joseph Coco
The food was great. There was a large variety of sushi and all of the fish tasted fresh. The waitress of very attentive and the green tea wasnt from a tea bag. The atmosphere was nice though it was a bit awkward at the front to walk around people. The sushi bar was beautiful and all of the staff was fluent in English. It had some of the best salmon Ive ever eaten. My fiancee was in the hankering for some sushi after reading Oishinbo, especially aften having been to Japan, and was very satisfied with this establishment. Make sure to check out the Japanese restaurant next door.
WI
Wiggle Thy Booty
The best sushi place ever. The vibe and food is both authentic and pleasant. The service was also very pleasant. Honestly, words cant describe how amazing our experience eating there was. Even my family members, who arent extremely fond of Japanese food, enjoyed the exquisite taste of everything served and the food bought in the Japanese market right next to the restraunt. Everything was freshly made. We had the Emma roll, Sunflower roll, Daisy roll, Sonobana roll, Nabeyaki Udon, Gyoza, and the crispy spicy shrimp roll. The green tea was also the best we ever had.
MU
MurmursofTheSoul
Granted, when I came here, it was a Saturday night, so it was a little busy and our waitress seemed a little flustered. Very busy. Like someone said before, there was a wait. Very casual atmosphere. My husband got the eel bento box, I decided to try a traditional food (soba). I loved the texture of the noodles, but the dipping sauce was potent. Bad stomach cramp the next day. Everything else was yummy, especially the rolls that came with the bento box. This is a good place for sushi, and if you know what kind of foods agree with you!
EM
Emily Lemmon
I had pretty much despaired of finding truly good sushi in an area as landlocked as Middle Tennessee, but Sonobana is great. Service is kind of hit or miss, but the food is on point. They have a great selection as well, ranging from simple authentic sushi all the way to the creative and outlandish rolls. Their fish is fresh and the rice is right. I love their nigiri, and also the sablefish. The grocery next door had some Japanese ingredients I couldnt find at other markets. Overall, Sonobana is great and I keep going back.
A
A Private User
I LOVE sushi! I used to frequent Benkay several times per week. When they changed names I went there, it had been a while since I was last there. The restaurant was FILTHY dirty and we sat for over 45 minutes (our plate of sushi was on top of the sushi bar waiting to be picked up for 45 minutes) and it was awful. I was actually fearful of eating fish that had been sitting out for 45 mintues. I will NEVER go there again.
JA
Jason Maynard
Decor and finishing are a bit dated (though Im not sure about the Japanese style dining rooms, as Im just talking about the main dining area). However, dont let that turn you off. The food is very good. My sushi-eating compatriots give the freshly made sushi a big thumbs up. Very good value for the money as well. Tempura is great for the kids. A very solid choice.
JO
John Nguyen
Lunch combination specials here are really good and are relatively cheap for what they are. Dinner prices is about 5 dollars more but includes more food. Their california rolls are kinda sloppy and mushy, but their other rolls, sushi, and nigiri dishes are pretty good. Definitely recommended if youre craving some Japanese food in the area.
TI
Tiffany Pleasent
Though the environment is not high class, the food is certainly high class. This is by far my favorite Japanese restaurant in Nashville. They dont serve hibachi, mainly sushi and other traditional Japanese meals... very delicious! The quality of service depends on how busy they are, but its usually great.
TA
Tamer M
WOW... There is a little wait sometimes, but trust me it is worth it. The food here is just really good. If you want sushi or just want Japaneses this is the place in Nashville. This place has a authentic vibe this is no grocery store quality kinda place. Great quality and delicious
NI
Nikki DeMesa
This is one of my favorite restaurants. Friendly owner and staff. Food is always fresh and delicious. I always get the salmon bento box (Hiroshima). It includes all that is pictured as well as a miso soup, salad and a bowl of steamed rice for less than $15.
BR
Brian Galloway
Please go here. You wont regret it. The atmosphere is great and the food is amazing! There are many traditional Japanese dishes and this might be the best sushi in Nashville. Stop by the Japanese market and pick up something you cant get anywhere else!
DE
Devora Fish
The only decent part of this restaurant was our waiter. The hostess was incredibly rude, the chicken terriyaki was burnt, the vegetables were dry and hard. We all felt somewhat sick later that night. It was overpriced and overall disappointing.
