(713) 528-8998

3401 Kirby Dr
Houston, TX 77098 29.7349 -95.4187

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Neighborhoods: Greenway/ Upper Kirby, Central

SUSHIKING.US

Years in business

Established in 2004

Hours:

SUN-THURS 11:30AM TO 11PM/ FRI-SAT 11:30AM TO MIDNIGHT

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard

Cuisine:

Japanese, Sushi

What People Are Saying About Sushi King

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – The modern decor of black tables and artsy, sea-green Plexiglas partitions extends to the sushi bar at the rear. White tablecloths and a piano player add to the elegant atmosphere. Executive Chef Sam Wu prepares traditional Japanese food with a careful eye toward the aesthetic. Choose from a wide variety of sushi and sashimi and close to 40 rolls. Creative entrees include kami nabe hot pots, Chilean sea bass and ishiyaki (beef cooked on a hot stone).

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
If you're over on the west side of town, try sister restaurant Kaneyama for more standout sushi.
ambiance
85.0% positive
  1. nice decor, piano bar is interesting.
  2. Not the best spot, pricey with average atmosphere and average sushi.
  3. loved the atmosphere and I thought the piano was an excellent touch of class.
  4. The piano music made for a romantic atmosphere, but unfortunately there were some issues.
  5. The waitstaff went out of their way to make us comfortable in our own area and the sushi was great.
  6. Everything else is wonderful and often they have a live pianist and the ambiance is amazing.
  7. Unfortunately, the ambiance didn't make up for the unpalatable food.
  8. Sushi King has a great ambience to it.
  9. found the ambience excellent!
  10. Michael, the manager of this fun, beautiful restaurant makes our visits fit for a Queen.
drinks
75.0% positive
  1. The whole drink menu was really extensive and I enjoyed a couple of nice martinis.
  2. Despite the long wait, we were seated promtly after we had some cold sake at the beautifu bar.
  3. The bar is nice and has decent prices compared to some other places.
  4. nice decor, piano bar is interesting.
food quality
81.89999580383301% positive
  1. If you're a fan of rolls, order the Cowboy (tuna/beef) , Lion (crab), and Julie Crunch (don't know, but it rocks!)
  2. eat in or out about once a week and the sushi is always fresh, especially the yellowtail.
  3. have enjoyed everything I have ever ordered on the menu and I agree that the food and sushi is consistently good.
  4. We are always greeted with a hug, great suggestions regarding new dishes or specials and topped off with champagne.
  5. The food is fresh, creative and we are constantly learning about new dishes.
  6. (On that note, I would highly recommend Oishii on Richmond for those who want great sushi).
  7. It does have a corny name, but the food here is very good.
  8. If you love a great sushi place, go here.
  9. Not only was the service subpar but the sushi just didn't taste fresh.
  10. highly recommend this sushi for all sushi goers whether new or experienced.
  11. Very good sushi
  12. From the wonderfully crafted Chawa mushi (Japanese custard) to the expertly prepared sushi, Sushi King has captured the perfect taste of Japanese flavor.
  13. Sushi King has the best sushi in all of Houston.
  14. Stick with the sushi and avoid peak times (Sunday) for best service.
  15. Overall, the sushi was not bad.
  16. The sushi is excellent.
  17. The spicy tuna roll was fresh and tastey.
  18. Atmosphere was great, our waitress was really helpful and attentive, and the food she suggested was just top of the line.
  19. The sushi was great.
  20. It is pricey (as all good sushi is), but you do get what you pay for and the freshness is excellent and well worth it.
  21. But EVERYTHING is delicious!
  22. Great great food
  23. And so far sushi king is the only place I discovered that has the best and freshest uni (sea urchin) all the time!
  24. This is my favorite sushi restaurant in Houston.
  25. This is the upscale version of Kaneyama but both are great quality, healthy food.
  26. The food is overpriced and the service (totally separate from our semi-rude waiter) was a bit slow.
  27. The food is always so fresh and they make these amazing sauces for different types of rolls.
  28. This is where I go when I want to eat good sushi.
  29. The best sushi in houston
  30. liked the design aspect, but bad service and far below expectaions quality of food.
  31. Inside it is beautifully decorated and the food is awesome.
  32. Good sushi, slow service
  33. The service was decent, but does not make up for the food at all.
  34. Unfortunately, the ambiance didn't make up for the unpalatable food.
  35. enjoy the sushi here.
  36. This was an amazing meal.
  37. The sushi is also pretty good.
  38. Food was delivered promptly, the sashimi was very fresh and well presented adn the service was outstanding.
  39. They have so many varieties and creative rolls and even have kobe beef and a bunch of grilled entrees.
  40. haven't had truly amazing sushi yet in Houston (except maybe at one place that is too pricey for me), but I was not disappointed with anything that I tried here.
  41. After living in San Francisco for a few years eating very fresh sushi, Sushi King is one of the few places in Houston that even comes close and is affordable for sushi.
  42. This is the consistently best sushi in Houston; from the rolls to the sushi, I haven't had one I didn't like yet.
  43. also hear they have hired a new chef for the kitchen who has worked at a rival place in town and I LOVE his food.
  44. THe sushi was so fresh and delicious, I'm craving it now!
  45. Service was excellent, layout of the restaurant is breathtaking, food was delicious and amazing and the perfect temperature and texture!
  46. It is not as trendy as other sushi places in Houston, but the food is the best I've had.
  47. My wife and I have visited a number of Japanese restaurants in Hosuton and this one has one of the best and freshest selections of sushi in the city.
  48. We love sushi.
  49. seeing the fat manager and food is no longer great
  50. poor rolls, bad fish (fishy) even the soy sauce was watery.
  51. The sushi was great once it was brought to us, but customers who showed up 30 minutes after us, received their food before we did.
  52. Poor quality and overpriced sushi
  53. The place looks great and all the sushi we ordered was really good, but the service was really terrible.
  54. The sushi good enough to make up for the slow service in my opinion.
  55. The waitstaff went out of their way to make us comfortable in our own area and the sushi was great.
  56. Not the best spot, pricey with average atmosphere and average sushi.
  57. The Sushi was fresh and the rolls they made to order (I replace the Avacado in the Cali roll with Jalapeno)
  58. The sushi is always fresh and presented masterfully.
  59. It's easy to serve good sushi for one day, but it's hard to serve good and fresh sushi everyday.
  60. Very fresh sushi and good portions on the rolls.
  61. No doubt the best sushi joint in Houston.
  62. the downside: i still had my appetite even though the food took so long, but after seeing the nasty fat manager, i totally lost my appetite.
  63. The food was mediocre, nothing that really blew me away as far as sushi goes.
  64. Big Tex does not like to smell fish when he enters a sushi restaurant.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. The new menus are exquisite.
  2. have enjoyed everything I have ever ordered on the menu and I agree that the food and sushi is consistently good.
  3. My wife and I have visited a number of Japanese restaurants in Hosuton and this one has one of the best and freshest selections of sushi in the city.
  4. The whole drink menu was really extensive and I enjoyed a couple of nice martinis.
  5. They have so many varieties and creative rolls and even have kobe beef and a bunch of grilled entrees.
  6. We went for lunch and they had great service, a big selection and some really good combos.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. Its a great place to meet singles and mingle too, nice crowd!
  2. This is my favorite sushi restaurant in Houston.
  3. If you love a great sushi place, go here.
service
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. Waitress was attentive until it got pretty busy, but she was still within the bounds of respectable service.
  2. took my wife to Sushi King for her birthday, and the entire staff made it a great evening!
  3. One of the best servers, and Stormy the bartender is as nice as they come.
  4. The sushi good enough to make up for the slow service in my opinion.
  5. Our most gracious and professional waiter Gabriel is the best and I highly recommend asking for him.
  6. The waitress was really nice with my friend about changing his order at the last second.
  7. We went for lunch and they had great service, a big selection and some really good combos.
  8. Good Sushi but bad service
  9. Not only was the service subpar but the sushi just didn't taste fresh.
  10. liked the design aspect, but bad service and far below expectaions quality of food.
  11. Stick with the sushi and avoid peak times (Sunday) for best service.
  12. The interior was pleasant, the staff friendly, and the piano man was a comical, entertaining feature.
  13. Good sushi, slow service
  14. slow service
  15. The place looks great and all the sushi we ordered was really good, but the service was really terrible.
  16. Atmosphere was great, our waitress was really helpful and attentive, and the food she suggested was just top of the line.
  17. Michael, the manager of this fun, beautiful restaurant makes our visits fit for a Queen.
  18. Service is WONDERFUL, the hostess' are very attentive.
  19. the downside: i still had my appetite even though the food took so long, but after seeing the nasty fat manager, i totally lost my appetite.
  20. The waiter was very attentive and fulfilled our every request.
  21. have lunch here about once a week and the service is excellent, not ever too crowded.
  22. seeing the fat manager and food is no longer great
  23. The food is overpriced and the service (totally separate from our semi-rude waiter) was a bit slow.
  24. Strangely enough, when I went one afternoon and there were very few people there, the service was horrendously slow, but I was with a good friend and we had had lots to talk about, so I was okay with it.
  25. To top it off, service was painfully slow.
  26. The service wasn't great either - lots of harrassed looking waitresses.
  27. Food was delivered promptly, the sashimi was very fresh and well presented adn the service was outstanding.
  28. The Shushi is tremendous and the staff is extremely friendly.
  29. horrible service
  30. It's not the best but the qulity is consistent adn the service is good.
  31. The service was decent, but does not make up for the food at all.
value
56.82000160217285% positive
  1. The susho wasn't so good either for the price they charge.
  2. Poor quality and overpriced sushi
  3. Not the best spot, pricey with average atmosphere and average sushi.
  4. The food is overpriced and the service (totally separate from our semi-rude waiter) was a bit slow.
  5. After living in San Francisco for a few years eating very fresh sushi, Sushi King is one of the few places in Houston that even comes close and is affordable for sushi.
  6. The bar is nice and has decent prices compared to some other places.
  7. Very fresh sushi and good portions on the rolls.
  8. everything is good, nothing is great, prices are kind of high for what you get.
  9. Feel like a million bucks while dining here!
  10. It is pricey (as all good sushi is), but you do get what you pay for and the freshness is excellent and well worth it.
  11. haven't had truly amazing sushi yet in Houston (except maybe at one place that is too pricey for me), but I was not disappointed with anything that I tried here.
wait time
15.0% positive
  1. the downside: i still had my appetite even though the food took so long, but after seeing the nasty fat manager, i totally lost my appetite.
  2. The food is overpriced and the service (totally separate from our semi-rude waiter) was a bit slow.
  3. The sushi was great once it was brought to us, but customers who showed up 30 minutes after us, received their food before we did.
  4. Service is a bit slow.
  5. The sushi good enough to make up for the slow service in my opinion.
  6. Strangely enough, when I went one afternoon and there were very few people there, the service was horrendously slow, but I was with a good friend and we had had lots to talk about, so I was okay with it.
  7. slow service
  8. To top it off, service was painfully slow.
  9. Good sushi, slow service
  10. Despite the long wait, we were seated promtly after we had some cold sake at the beautifu bar.
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/24/11

RIP OFF

by MichaelFrankel

I used to love Sushi King, and it used to be my favorite place for sushi and Japanese in Houston, but I will never dine there again. I ate there last week... they charged me full price (listed on the menu) but only gave me half of a roll (four small pieces) of two different rolls. Truthfully, the food was excellent, but a rip off is a rip off. I know that these are half rolls because I've eaten at Sushi king no less than 30 times over the last few years so I am quite familiar with their menu. I brought the issue up to my waiter and he lied and said that the rolls come with only four pieces. Yeah right... so now they lose my business, forever.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/18/10

Great Restaurant

by SushiLover101

If you love a great sushi place, go here. It has the freshest fish in Houston every time. You must sit at the bar next to the man named Juan at the end. He loves to get into conversations, and we ask for him every time. Service is a bit slow. If you sit at the bar, the chefs bring the food out to you. I even sent my cousin here. She was usd to going to Uptown Sushi. She came here and hasn't stopped going. No doubt the best sushi joint in Houston. You must try the Fantasy, Shaggy Dog, Julie Crunch, and Wild Essence. If you're a person that doesn't like the idea of raw fish, try the cooked Spider and Pheonix rolls. The Phoenix roll is served hot with fried white fish rolled in seaweed covered in eel sauce. The eel sauce isn't really made from eel, it's just the sauce they put onto eel (it's very sweet). It's great for cold nights. I won't stop coming/

  • Pros: Food and freshness
  • Cons: Some issues with service
4 Star Rating: Recommended

12/24/09

Awesome

by Chrissylynn324

This place is awesome. It doesnt seem like much on the exterior.. It is in a shopping center. Inside it is beautifully decorated and the food is awesome. If you sit at the bar, you can speak to the sushi chef and get his recommendations. It is also the only place that I have ever been where I will eat the salmon sashimi. It is so fresh and wonderful. It is a place we frequent when in town.

  • Pros: best sushi
  • Cons: parking
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/31/09

horrible service

by emmacpb

we went with our kids for lunch and the server was the rudest person we have had. She never smiled, never came by and gave nasty looks to our kids all the time.

The susho wasn't so good either for the price they charge. Not going there again

3 Star Rating: Average

07/15/09

service is better

by icancooktoo

I came back with some trepidation. Last time service was reaaaaaally sloooooow. That was for lunch in December '08. Ate there tonight and everything arrived promptly. Waitress was attentive until it got pretty busy, but she was still within the bounds of respectable service. Last time, I thought I'd been totally forgotten. Ordered two specials and a sushi roll. Both specials were good (sake steamed clams and a yellowtail roll concoction). Mango sorbet is very good.

The only weird and unpleasant point was that I was struck at the door with that body odor/pencil shaving/cumin smell. At first I thought it was coming from one guy standing near the entrance, but once I was seated I realized it permeated the whole place.

  • Pros: had some interesting menu items & specials
  • Cons: what's that smell?

The Details on Sushi King

Place Categories:

  • great fresh sushi
  • slow service
  • great food
  • great new place
  • impressive sushi rolls
  • delicious everything
  • attentive waitress
  • mediocre food
  • pricey freshness
  • nice bar
  • loved atmosphere
  • great dining experience
  • great new spot
  • great fat manager
  • like setup
  • delicious the sushi
  • order julie crunch
  • freshest sea urchin
  • great ambience
  • extremely friendly staff
  • freshest selections
  • great sushi place
  • favorite sushi restaurant
  • too pricey place
  • tastey spicy tuna roll
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