Tanuki Sushi Bar & Garden
1221 E Fry Blvd, Sierra Vista, AZ, 85635
Tanuki Sushi Bar & Garden Menu
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Address :
1221 E Fry Blvd
Sierra Vista, AZ, 85635 - Phone (520) 459-6853
- Website https://www.tanukisushi.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Rachel L.
I was not happy. The size of the sushi was small and it was tasteless. bleh
(2)Christopher S.
This place is definitely overrated. Many of my friends rave about it but I don't really see why. They make a great effort to have fresh sushi as they ship it in every morning. Even though I am sure it's safe, it just doesn't taste as fresh as many of the places that i've been. For Sierra Vista or any other Arizona desert town, it's not bad but I can't really say I am thrilled to go there. Service was good. No issue with parking. Never had to wait in line but it's never empty either.
(2)Nina M.
I'm a fan I love the atmosphere and food.
(4)Nida K.
This place has really amazing lunch specials! I now go here about once a week for the teriyaki chicken lunch special. They have multiple combinations and other options for really great prices. The one I typically go for includes a great portion of teriyaki chicken, a large helping of tempura vegetables, and a slice of watermelon. The meal also comes with white rice, and your choice of miso soup or salad.
(5)Yakuza R.
I'm definitely a fan of this place. Arguably the best sushi in Sierra Vista. In fact, I don't know if that can even be argued. The owner gets her fish overnight delivered fresh regularly. Just as some of the other reviewers mentioned, some of us are used to very good, fresh sushi. I'm from the Bay Area, so I, too, am a tad on the spoiled side. With that said, I don't think anything in Phoenix and around Scottsdale can come close to the freshness and the cutting method of Tanuki's. The salmon literally melts in your mouth as it should. The texture and flavor here is perfect. Absolutely wonderful. In fact, they have the best Tamago (egg) sushi I've ever had. And that includes L.A. and San Jose. There's only one other sushi place in Arizona that beats out this place, and that's Takamatsu in Tucson. But hey, Tanuki's is the best sushi in Sierra Vista. Period. The staff is amazingly attentive and helpful. And the owner is just a genuinely nice person. I feel weird not giving this place a 5 star rating, but I'm letting it compete with places in Tucson which is a mere one hour away. So, perhaps I'm being a bit hard on it, but again... Tanuki's is amazing. I cannot stress that enough.
(4)Jason T.
This place is awesome! Maggie is the sweetest lady! We love her and her food is some of the best and most affordable in town. I love their lunch specials in particular. You get a huge Teriyaki Chicken, rice, tempura veggies and even a slice of watermelon for under $8.00!
(5)Adam B.
I lived in Japan for three years, this place is the real deal. The sushi is fresh, the prices are very reasonable and the people are friendly. You won't be disappointed!
(4)Michael P.
Wasn't blown away but the sushi was good and the standard fare was too. Service was great. I would return if back in the area.
(4)Jason M.
I was surprised to find this place already had reviews done on it...and now I'm not sure what I can say that hasn't already been said. For that reason I won't bother with restating what the others have already said, but will leave anyone looking for a place to eat with this...if I was in Sierra Vista for just one night and was looking for a great place to go out for dinner, Tanuki would be it. While the food gets 3 stars, the service and personalities is what makes this an overall experience that goes unmatched by any other place in town.
(4)Justin L.
The great Sushi makes up for all the crap on the walls.
(5)MiYong E.
The BEST Albacore Sashimi HANDS DOWN!!!!!! I know! Really? Who would have thought?! Far from the closest "city" of Tucson (and come on, is Tucson even really a CITY???). Far from the OCEAN and Fresh Albacore..... But it is the absolute BEST Albacore Sashimi! And I speak with authority. Who gave it to me? I did. thank you very much. One of my two favorites at sushi joints. I test out places based on how well they make spicy tuna rolls and albacore sashimi. Tanuki takes the cake, oh, wow, let the valley girl in me out, Like totally, oh my gawd! It is drool worthy!!! If, I forbid, you have to go to Sierra Vista (near Fort Huachuca), you must check this place out. And it does get busy. But people are pretty good about turnaround. Thank you! I've only had to wait for about 5 minutes max. Don't worry! It is not the only tasty thing on the menu! I've had a wide variety of dishes off the menu and even some chef surprises off the sushi menu, and it was all tasty!! Only downside is that they do not have green tea ice cream or mochi. Darn. But they do have other desserts. Ooh, and iced green tea mmmmm
(5)Jack W.
I go to Tanuki every time I am at Fort Huachuca. For the past thirteen years this place has been my favorite restaurant in Sierra Vista. The food is delicious, the service awesome and the staff incredibly nice!
(5)Logan M.
Great sushi place. At night parking lot is always full with customers. Plenty of seating and good atmosphere. The servers are very friendly and helpful. The food is great they have many traditional Sushi rolls, sushimi, as well as many cooked entrees and soups.
(4)Raul O.
Sushi was good service was great! Nothing fancy about the decor. But it felt comfy to me, kinda like going into your grandmothers house. Lots of little interesting things to look at on the walls. Doug & Meano were the sushi chefs they made me feel right at home. I had the squid salad which was very tasty & a roll of some sort cannot remeber the name but it had lobster, shrimp, crab and ahi. It was very tasty. Now I'm not a huge sushi eater but, I did live in Hawaii for a few years and the quality of the sushi was right up there. In fact one of the Sushi Chefs is actually from HI, you can tell that they take pride in what they are serving. I did order off the regular menu, with that being said I wont be making that mistake again! I believe I had Chicken and yokasobi, it was not very appealing to the taste buds.. Overall I had a great Sushi dinning experience and would not hesitate to bring others who want to eat some good sushi.
(4)Brian M.
The family and myself ate here a few months back. Food was good, and seemed very home style. Though, if you have a good appetite then eat before coming as portions are oddly small. Great flavors though. Staff attentiveness was so-so at best but the waitress did go out of her way to interact with my 4 year old and brought him treats. The fact she went out of her way and made him so happy means more then anything. Ill return just because of that.
(3)Luci S.
I've been to so many sushi places but this little cute place has so many different unique options that were amazing. They have a garlic sauce for the Sashimi and a Japanese martini consisting of plum wine and sake. Who knew such a combination would be so good! As for their sushi, it's about average and the display of the food is as well mediocre, but their service makes up for it. Some of the must tries include the squid salad, Japanese martini, and their ultra strong wasabi (if you're a fan of it).
(4)Jayna S.
Legit Japanese sushi! Great service and atmosphere. One of the best in Sierra Vista!
(5)Chris M.
Decent sushi for Sierra Vista, but that isn't saying much. It was mediocre, really. The "spicy tuna roll" was nothing special and lacked flavor. The story doesn't change much for the "tempura roll." It was okay, but $8+ for 6 pieces of that? Never again. Total price for these two rolls: $15+... Not worth it. I wanted give other sushi spots in the area a shot. This place just didn't do anything for me. Service is lacking and the sushi is on the bland side. I'll make this my only visit and stick to Hana Tokyo for Sierra Vista sushi.
(2)Ambrosia R.
My husband Brian is half-Japanese, and while we both love seafood and sushi, when we moved to this area from Southeast Alaska (one of the fishing capitals of the world) we weren't expecting to find any good examples of either. (On the other hand, the steak in Arizona is amazing, so I guess it evens out.) I'd heard good things about this place, though, so we decided to try it for his birthday. The sushi was surprisingly excellent - no, it wasn't quite up to par with what we were used to, but compared to anywhere else we'd been in Arizona, it was amazing. The owner (who is extremely sweet and friendly and will ask after your family and life, and remembered us on our second visit even though it was six months later) told us that she goes to get it from the airport every morning, and it shows in the quality. It's a bit pricey but a nice option to have now and then this far out in the desert. Now, a funny story - Brian's grandmother is (by all accounts; I've never met her) an incredibly snobbish and mean imperialist Japanese woman. She now has Alzheimer's, but growing up in her family has given him several hilarious, and frankly amazing, stories to tell. When we first went to Tanuki, Brian looked remarkably nonplussed. As other reviewers have mentioned, the decor is rather kitschy - lots of Asian knickknacks and such all over the place. When I asked him what was up, he said "This place looks just like my grandmother's house." Later on, when the food arrived, he looked even more confused. "This food tastes just like my grandmother's food!" (This isn't a knock against it, as his grandmother, whatever else her faults, was apparently quite the cook.) And then the owner came by the table to greet us, and introduced herself - "Hi! I'm Michiko!" ...You guessed it, that's his grandmother's name as well. We had a good laugh over that later - lots of people have awful relatives, but how often do you get to meet their *good* twin?
(4)Frank R.
I think it's impossible to get better sushi anywhere else within a 200 mile radius that will be as good as this place, possibly even further. Talk about a TOTAL gem in the ruff. This place rocks... I know, I know, sushi in the middle of nowhere. If you know your facts about how sushi is handled, you'd be running to this place to get it because they do it right. These guys have a unique interior since they have been there for a long time, collectibles, pictures, etc. There is a small sushi bar and there are lots of tables for groups. Pay attention, I live in Los Angeles and I've been eating sushi for a long long time and I love nothing better than to direct someone to some good fish and service (my Yelp motto). I don't know how they did it but I probably had the best Uni I ever had there. GO NOW if you are in the area (why would you be? LOL)..... Enjoy
(5)Shawn G.
If there were any GOOD restaurants in the sucking maelstrom that is Sierra Vista, I'd have considered giving this place three stars, on account of the crippling diarrhea I suffered upon returning to my dorm after dining here. All that non-sense aside, though, the food was actually pretty good. Good sushi, authentic decor (it's basically a hole in the wall decorated like a japanese attic) and friendly service. If you're in the Sierra Vista area for any length of time, you'd better try this place.
(4)Steve M.
I grew up on the West Coast, went to school on the East Coast, and found the best Sushi and Sashimi I have ever had in the middle of the desert in Sierra Vista. Tanuki sushi wins top marks for fresh, excellent tasting, and extremely generously cut Sushi and Sashimi. Their sashimi cuts are like little steaks of fish rather than the micro-tome slices I've received elsewhere. The service is friendly and the proprietor is always out mingling with the customers.
(5)Niki F.
I've been dropping by to pick up the most delectable Vegas Roll in Cochise County, and be flattered by the delightful Maggie, for nearly 8 years now, so I've only one revision to my review from several years back.... DON'T CHANGE A THING! Not a quirky, kitschy, endearing thing! Not a fresh, favorable scrumptious thing! Not a small town, genuine, friendly thing! It's been working for 20 years. Because it's the BEST thing!
(5)Lacey N.
Tanuki has potential. My husband and I ate here a few weeks back and sat at the bar. The waitstaff are really sweet and the chef was funny. Unfortunately, I just wasn't a fan of the sushi. Granted, I only had rolls - 4 of the specialty ones which I shared with my husband. But they were so big that I could hardly fit them in my mouth. The taste was fine but overshadowed my my fear of choking to death while trying to swallow :/. They also asked if we wanted miso soup and brought it anyway even though we said we didn't want any - and then charged us for it. We didn't mention it because it was good soup and was probably an honest mistake.
(3)Stodd B.
Awesome fresh sushi in Sierra Vista. I had the chirashi bowl, miso, gyoza, softshell crab and yummy rolls. Food is great. Service great as well. I wish they had more beers to choose from.
(4)George L.
An authentic Japanese restaurant with great food and service. You won't find Sukiyaki on the menus of many Japanese restaurants: theirs is hot and delicious. Oishikata!
(4)Steve W.
Great Vegas Roll, fresh sushi, good menu of drinks, friendly staff and owner, cool atmosphere, cool chefs... this place rocks! Kid friendly or perfect for date night with the spouse.
(5)Lindsay W.
The 8pc California roll was what I expected but the 6pc yum yum roll was really good. It had shrimp tempura inside. I'd definitely recommend that. The spring roll was a little peppery & was in a egg roll wrapper. I was expecting a wonton type wrapper. Staff was very nice & atmosphere was very welcoming.
(3)Christopher Y.
This is one of those restaurants that I recommend to everyone when I find out that they are going to Sierra Vista. I always tell them to not judge the place by what it looks like from the outside because the atmosphere inside is hard to beat. This is a quaint location where everyone is friendly too include the woman who owns the place. This is also the one spot that actually reminds me of some of the places I ate at while in Japan a few years ago. When you walk in stay observant because the sushi chefs like to write up their rolls on pieces of paper and hang them up behind the bar. They also like to add new rolls that they do not have on their menu no on their traditional sushi ordering sheet.most importantly this place will not break the bank when you eat there which is also an added plus. I highly recommend just asking the chef what they recommend and you will not be disappointed. I also recommend the Alaskan roll if you are looking for a lot of flavors that all compliment each other. Go try it out for yourself.
(5)Josh B.
Very good fresh sushi and high quality food and the best teriyaki sauce I've ever had. The owner, Maggie, is genuinely caring and makes a point to say hello. The lunch special is great and comes with chicken, rice, soup or salad, tempura vegetables, and yakisoba noodles for under $10. My favorite roll is the Las Vegas. Deep fried goodness!
(5)Rumna C.
Warm, inviting, cozy and incredibly good, authentic sushi! It's the kind of place that changes a one hour meal to a three hour hang out with friends. Love the friendly staff!
(4)Lee R.
I enjoyed the quaint atmosphere and the friendly staff most of all here. I have had the tempura and was very delicious. Generous portions with a tasty dipping sauce, it is my favorite dish at Tanuki. The miso soup is fantastic. It is full of bold flavor and not just clear broth with a few green onions floating it in. Tonight, I ordered the sushi to try it out because I have seen and heard rave reviews about it. I can't say that I agree with those reviews. The rice was superb; it held up well to being dipped in soy sauce. The roasted sesame seeds add an unexpected and welcomed flavor. But the fish part of the sushi (which is kind of important) was not so great. I didn't think it had the taste and texture of another sushi place in the area. The three stars I am giving Tanuki is for everything other than the sushi. I am a fan; I'll just be sure to order something other than sushi next time!
(4)JP G.
Great Sushi, Great service, Cool atmosphere. I was a little skeptical but am definitely glad I pulled the trigger and went. The owner is really nice and the sushi chef was awesome. If you are ever in Sierra Vista, AZ and want some sushi, this would definitely be safe bet.
(5)Josef L.
By far the best sushi in town. The staff are always super nice and Maggie is the sweetest. Definitely the benchmark by which I judge all sushi.
(5)Bridgette N Anthony M.
Authentic Japanese. The sushi, and the Chicken Katsu Curry is awesome.
(5)DV C.
I first came here with my in-laws a few months after I had my son. The owner lady was so nice and she took my son and walked around the restaurant so I could actually eat-it was WONDERFUL !! I have been back a few times since and I love it
(5)Be S.
We walked in and the sushi chef was cussing...from what I gathered he was fired or quitting. The yummy roll aka shrimp tempura was ok, the Vegas roll was to die for. Skip the teriyaki beef, if you have ever had it in Seattle it will not meet your standards. Also could've used a refill. And as I sit here waiting for my check they lost another star.
(2)L K.
I had never tried the Dynamite dish until today. I don't know what it is, well other than AMAZING that is. I am tempted to order only the Dynamite dish next go around. I will be here again, many times over. I have never had a average meal here, it has always surpasses expectations.
(5)Janine M.
Love this place for sushi in this area. Food is always fresh and staff is always nice. Prices are legit too. Can't beat that when you are trying to eat seafood nowhere near water and the ocean.
(5)Dean V.
So far so good. Looks kind of cruddy on the outside but has a great menu and great tasting food. Will definitely be back.
(5)Amanda W.
I guess I should have known that this is Sierra Vista Japanese Restaurant. I will not go back there. Everything about this place is small. Parking - small, restaurant - small, portion - small. Food is not all that great. I guess if you live there and don't want to drive to Tucson to get semi-decent food, this is a place for you. If you think you can get fresh seafood in Arizona is delusional (Think about the distribution system. How did those seafood get there?)
(1)Tera E.
I would love to give this place a 5 just because the people there are really nice but I can't say its the best sushi I've ever had. The owner (I think she's the owner anyways) seemed to be sitting at one of the tables out front working on something and customers would come in and give her hugs and what not. I guess that's what you get in a small town :) I just ordered a few basic rolls one night to take home. I told them I was driving back to Tucson and they put a bag of ice under the sushi for me to keep in cold. The rolls were decent, nothing fancy but like I said.. I just got basic stuff (Tuna, Yellowtail and Salmon rolls). They were a little more rice heavy than I prefer. I've heard good things about the squid salad so I want to try that next time and perhaps order some non-sushi items off their menu - its fairly extensive. Price wise it seems decent as well!
(4)Jason E. L.
fantastic sushi! reasonably priced. the staff is charming.
(5)R L.
You want sushi? You want sushi in Sierra Vista? Come here. Great atmosphere. Friendly service.
(4)Julie T.
I was craving sushi for dinner and based on some of the outsatnading reviews, decided to give this place a go. Like another reviewer said, this place is a hole in the wall but all the staff was attentive and very welcoming. We ordered the yummy roll (shrimp tempura), the soft shell crab roll and the terriyaki chicken. The sushi was ok. Kind of bland. I've seen better presentation and better flavor elsewhere, I'd give it a B-. The terriyaki chicken was served with a large bed of rice and an orange. The Terriyaki sauce was really good. I'd give it a B+. Bottom line: I would come back for a lunch special and give this place another go but not sure I'd come back for dinner and fork out another $40.
(3)Sarah S.
Unbelievably good sushi for middle-of-nowhere Arizona. Their tako (octopus) is always fresh and beautifully cooked, filleted and served sashimi or sushi-style. The bar is the best place to sit as the chefs are more engaging than you tend to experience in most places. Highly recommended, particularly as most other places in SV can leave much to be desired.
(4)Heather F.
If you're looking for sushi, you're better off buying it from the supermarket. We didn't realize that no one was ordering sushi until after we ordered. When we got it, my husband said their salmon was good but aside from that, the rice was mushy, the tempura roll was dry and over battered, and I'm pretty sure that the fish was a few days past due. Based on how busy it was, I am guessing their Japanese, non-fish dishes are good since that's what everyone was eating, but I don't intend to go back to find out.
(1)Bruce M.
Japanese Food, Sushi, Sashimi, Rolls, Appetizers or Just Drinks . . . you cannot go wrong with Tanuki. The service is always attentive, friendly and relaxed. The Sushi Chefs are the best you'll find in the area. Maggie, the owner, who is often present, is just a delight and adds charm to the place which is whimsy, albeit a bit quirky; but I would not have it any other way - this restaurant just seems to find its way into your heart Small, a Sierra Vista Landmark, Consistent, Fresh, and an eye for Quality, Tanuki is the place to satisfy your Japanese cravings. Five Stars, well, because, it is truly as good as it gets in Cochise County for Japanese.
(5)Denise W.
Went here once with one of the waitresses at Hana Tokyo Everyone was very friendly, we were seated at a table, but when we asked to move to the sushi bar, they moved everything over there for us, no trouble at all. We ordered lots of different kinds of sushi, I didn't like a lot of them, but they were very accommodating! The owner was super friendly and the sushi chefs were great. I had a nice time and was pleased with the overall experience.
(4)Erin O.
My favorite place for sushi in Sierra Vista! Great food, good prices and super friendly people.
(5)Ryan A.
where do i need to start with this place... by far the best sushi in SV, or southern AZ for that matter! I was shocked to find decent sushi this close to Mexico!...... wait not decent sushi. BOMB! i went to Hibanchi up the road and it was good don't get me wrong but it doesnt have anything on Tanuki. Call me a spoiled Californian lol whatever, we have good sushi but this is as good as it gets in this part of AZ. The spicy tuna is a fav. must try. also the Vegas roll is to die for. If your a sushi fan. go here before Hibachi. cheaper prices and all around better food :)
(5)Donna N.
All food was perfect and made old style. The rice is actually eddible with chop sticks and the freshness was evident in all foods. Sushi was delicious. I highly recommend this family owned sushi bar - GREAT Japanese food, the real thing. Great service and incredible selection of sake. You'd never know it by looking at the outside, but trust me, clean and yummy.
(5)Steven A.
Pretty decent sushi for a place deep in the heart of the Arizona desert. It isn't going to compete with a place in California or New York but a guy has to make allowances. The reason I liked it is that after sitting down and ordering some nigiri off the a la carte menu, I asked the chef if he could do something with salmon skin, which I think is highly underrated as an ingredient. He simply nodded his head and set out to grill some skin in his mini-broiler. He then rolled it up in some dried seaweed with rice and dabbed it with a sauce he had at the ready. It was freaking delicious. So simple yet so good. He even concocted another dish with the leftover skin, topped it with bonito flakes, and offered it to me on the house. That was awesome. The decor is a little kitchy but all in all, this is a fairly solid sushi joint. I enjoyed my meal and did not have to pay a lot of money for it.
(4)Kayley N.
I'm a sushi fiend. I love it. The simpler the better. I've been craving sushi since I moved out Sierra Vista from Houston and ventured to Tanuki on a tip from a friend. Upon first sight, you may question is this a legit place or should you just go to Fry's and pick up some instead. Don't'! Stay! I'm a HUGE, HUGE fan of nigiri. Nothing compares to melt in your mouth salmon or scallop. This is not the place for that. What I did enjoy though was the spicy tuna roll. It had a wonderful kick and was delicious. Not quite as good as my beloved Nippon in Houston but very delectable for the desert of Arizona. The service was incredibly friendly and attentive. This is the best place for sushi in southern Arizona (nothing compares even when I went on the hunt in Tucson) and will fulfill my sushi craving until I move back home.
(3)Chris S.
So since my wife's birthday this past year, we have fallen in love with Japanese food. We find ourselves walking into restaurants we had passed up for years, cramming tons of raw fish and exotic seafood into our mouths, and enjoying every minute of it. That is what finally brought us to Tanuki. In all the years I've lived here now, we've driven past it a million times and never thought to go in. Boy what we were missing out on. Read on to see what you might be missing out on too! Service: 5/5 Outstanding service. We arrived about 8pm on a Friday night and were told we could sit anyplace we liked. Despite the fact they closed in an hour, the place was easily two-thirds full or more, and all the workers seemed happy to see us. We had hot tea and water immediately after being seated. Our order was taken quickly, they were happy to answer any questions we had about the menu (always important with sushi places I find, as every place has different types of rolls,) and our food arrived fast and hot. Right as we were about to leave, we were visited by one of the owners who asked us about our meal and chatted with us about our son. Yes he's a big boy. Can't say enough about how well we were treated. Food: 5/5 My wife and I have a "set" of dishes we order at Japanese places to give us a feel of how much we will like the place. We get the miso soup, shrimp tempura, Caterpillar roll, and spicy salmon roll. At Tanuki, the soup was excellent, the tempura was the second best we've ever had (Kazoku in Tucson is still tops for that,) the spicy salmon was the best I've had yet. I really liked how the salmon was sliced thin and not just a pulp. The last couple places I've ordered it, the texture was just... off. But Tanuki did it great. My wife loved her Caterpillar, second best for her after Yukari in Tucson. We also ordered some pork curry and some dynamite seafood. The pork was cooked perfectly and the curry had good flavor. My only complaint here might be the HUGE mound of rice to go with the portion of meat. That's just more rice than a normal person needs. The dynamite was baked seafood with a spicy mayo. It was good but I don't think I'd order it again. Not because I didn't like it, but it just wasn't quite what I was looking for. For me, I always come back to the sushi. Overall Impressions: 5/5 Other reviewers have mentioned that this place is just packed with Japanese art and "knick knacks," and they are absolutely correct. Every square inch of wall space and every nook and cranny is full of some odd piece of art. I loved it. Everywhere you looked you saw something that came from Japan. I think it works beautifully and really reinforces the atmosphere. But then again, I also loved the old clowns at the Landmark. So to each their own. :) Everything about our experience here was great. In fact, the first thing my wife said to me after we left was, "Oh yes, we're definitely coming back." I don't know how else to sum up a five-star review other than that. Well done, Tanuki, see you again soon! :)
(5)Lisa S.
Tanuki is the best! Maggie, the owner, is a wonderful, sweet lady and always treats us well. The staff is awesome and the food is fantastic. My favorites are the salmon sashimi, it is melt in your mouth delicious, and the tempura udon. The tempura shrimp is crispy and the udon soup is flavorful. Best sushi in Sierra Vista!
(5)Battle B.
I have eaten here several times over the years and I am always amazed that you can get good sushi in the desert. Ordered take out this time, although I usually like to eat there since the staff and owners are fun and attentive. I ordered the tuna roll, salmon roll, nigiri (usually fish over rice) ebi (shrimp) and maguro (tuna), as well as fried rice. Everything was good except I didn't check the boxes before leaving and somehow got (sake) salmon instead of tuna on one of the nigiri orders. I would have minded since my I like all of them, but this was for my wife and she doesn't like salmon. The fried rice was actually really good with interesting flavors. We will eat here again!
(4)Leah C.
This is one of the best restaurants I've ever been too, not to mention the best sushi place. The food is great and authentic, Michiko's late business partner had all the recopies written in this Transformer's notebook. too cute. Anyway, everyone there treats you like family, the food is fantastic (even though they run out of canned green tea sometimes) and all the knicknacks in there are Michikos. It's really a Japanese family restaurant.
(5)Nicolas F.
I have loved this place ever since I was a kid. This was the first place I've tried sushi, and since then I have loved sushi ever since. The vegas roll is the bomb!!! I can't believe how awesome it is. The sashimi here is always fresh and the Japanese chefs that work here are all awesome as well. Great japanese food for a great price. Easily my favorite restaurant by far in all of Sierra Vista.
(5)Irina L.
Passing through Sierra Vista on the way to customer meetings in Mexico, my colleague and I were in the mood for sushi dinner. Not knowing a soul, and too hungry to go to the hotel and ask, I consulted my trusted Yelp for recommendations. Tanuki came up with the highest ratings and most consistent praise from its diners. Off we went. The restaurant does not present well from outside: maybe it's the unattractive teal paint, maybe the fact that it does not stand out prominently ( the way the majority of Japanese restaurants in PA do). But the parking lot was full, and looking through the windows, we saw the place was quite busy. We noted right away the quirky / kitsch decor - but all Japanese-themed, and some pieces were quite lovely. What struck us the most, in a positive way, was that all staff were Japanese, with the exception of one waiter. Another very interesting observation was that 99% of patrons appeared to be regulars: the staff warmly greeted each one (or group) as they walked in, and it was obvious we were the only one ones who walked in off the street. Having read all about the food "raves", we quickly decided on the Boat, which sited to include the famous spicy tuna roll, California roll, Dynamite roll, one more roll, and an assortment of sushi and sashimi. We enjoyed the miso soup - very flavorful and satisfying. The Boat arrived within 15 minutes of placing our order, delivered by the very attentive staff. We were ready to dive into an abundance of delicious offerings and experience the same fantastic meal as noted by some reviewers. The Boat did not live up to our expectations. The rolls were on the small side, a bit too much rice for the ratio of fish offered, and sashimi choices were quite limited. The rolls appeared somewhat sloppy, and the Dynamite roll, which for us means an actual ROLL, was presented as cut up clams and scallop, mixed with (not at all) spicy mayo / creamy concoction, all warmed up and presented on a large faux scallop shell, topped with minced scallion and red roe. Did not impress and didn't hit the spot. In my experience, a Boat dish is meant for two, i.e. each Nigiri is doubled, so each diner sharing the dish can have one of each flavor. Not here. 5 mixed Niggiri, one of each. Sashimi had 6 slices of tuna, 4 of salmon ( quite "rich" and fatty). We did finish everything - as we were quite hungry, and the offerings were less than the Boat dishes we are used to. But again - 99% of diners that evening were regulars: so maybe we didn't know what to order, the chef /staff had no idea what our preferences are, etc etc etc. In fairness, the 3 stars are based strictly on our disappointed experience. But a lovely couple dining next to us was absolutely adamant that Tanuki is the best in town. Go judge for yourself. Unfortunately, I won't have a chance to try it again, to see if the second time around would be more enjoyable.
(3)Tara B.
The servers were helpful when I was about to order way more than I could eat on my own. The handrolls were boring, though. I'm used to rice, fish & an assortment of veggies (carrots, daikon, etc.) These just had fish and rice. I'll be back to try a combo plate or something...maybe I just didn't know what I was doing.
(3)Lindasauce B.
The inside looks like an authentic lil' Japanese sushi place- with all the nick-nacks etc. They have cheap & yummy lunch specials. I had the beef teriyaki; it was very good. The sushi is good too; they fly the fish in from LA. :O) & the owner (lady) is cute & very friendly!
(4)Master B.
Great sushi. When you order one you get two pieces. You can tell this is a local place. It's a little comfy and many of the servers are teenagers. Still, I forgive them for their prices and quality of food.
(4)E B.
I would give it 0 stars if I could. I'm from San Francisco and currently reside in Los Angeles... I was in the area and I went to Tanuki after hearing their radio Ad about being fresh and as great as LA Japanese restaurants. Being cautious about Japanese food in the desert, I decided to order the simplest thing... chicken teriyaki and yakisoba on the side. It tasted horrible. You could tell that the chicken was boiled (possibly that morning to decrease cooking time) and thrown on the grill for a quick re-heat. The teriyaki sauce was more like bad soy sauce-- very watery and salty. They dared to serve me soggy ramen noodles and pass it off as a side of yakisoba... and to make it worse, the serving was super tiny but cost $4. I don't know how people gave this place good ratings, but after my experience with the very simple dishes... I am definitely not brave enough to try their sushi.
(1)Khristine T.
A little small and crowded but the food is definitely authentic! The owner is always nice to me and my family. Service is great! I've ordered the Tempura Shrimp Dinner Plate, House Squid and Seaweed Salad w/Cucumber, Tempura Roll, Yakisoba, and Teriyaki Chicken, and I LOVE it! A little expensive but the BEST I've had in Sierra Vista. :) We're definitely REPEAT customers
(5)Sarah A.
The building itself, I'm sad to say, probably violates a ton of building codes..but the food is great! Their main dishes aren't half-bad. I ordered the Chicken Katsu and it was served nice and fresh. This place is always packed and you get great service with your meal. Their sushi, as someone mentioned, caters a lot to Western tastes but it's still fantastic food. When you go, order a Kirin with your meal. :)
(4)Erica C.
Lovely, slightly hidden gem! Who would have thought you can find delicious sushi in the middle of the desert? Spicy tuna roll was tasty, as was the the California roll. The nigri was also quite yummy. The ambiance is great with Japanese nick nacks. Sit at the sushi bar!
(4)Julie C.
My whole family loves Tanuki's! Maggie (the owner) gets to know all of her customers and gives them personal attention! The food is the best and the service is wonderful! We go there for every birthday and whenever we want to treat ourselves for a great meal! I highly recommend Tanuki's!
(5)Ty C.
Great little place in Sierra Vista, probably the best game in town !! They are all actually Japanese!!!! Great sashimi here...
(5)Kyle O.
Great little sushi joint in Sierra Vista about a mile or so outside the main gate. No complaints. Service was friendly and prompt. Sushi, salad and soup were great. Will go back again.
(5)Juan R.
Great owners, great good, and a fun atmosphere makes me want to return to Tanuki as often as possible. If they only had real tables in the back BUT its ok. Only real sushi option in Sierra Vista..
(4)Caroline N.
Ok. This is one of the most disappointing sushi places I have ever been to, but that is probably because I am from CA. The menu is whack. It's mainly courses, not sushi, which really screams not authentic. Secondly, they reallllly should have pictures of their rolls. For 3 people, we got 5 rolls. Miso soup - how do you mess up miso soup?! This is the first time I could NOT eat my miso because it was so inedible. Salty like the Dead Sea. Terribad. Dynamite - This was ok/good in flavor, but WHY SO SMALL? This dynamite was a little bigger than the size of my fist, which is half the size of other places. Tempura roll - 5 pieces... really? Lacking flavor. It was wrapped in soy paper, which made it taste dry. Please drizzle on tempura sauce. Spicy Tuna - it tasted fresh..avg size.. ok Spicy Salmon roll - I liked this roll. It was a regular roll stuffed with spicy salmon and cucumber. Spicy All Star roll - This was one of their specials. It was pretty good. I think it was spicy tuna stuffed with octopus, cucumber, and a few other delicious things. Decent roll. Oh yeh, closed on Sundays. What the heck?? The place got pretty crowded during lunch hour.
(2)Highdesert J.
I've eaten sushi at over 50 different restaurants in several different countries. I don't eat California rolls, I eat the real stuff, including alot of sashimi, sweet shrimp, beef tataki, etc. To put it another way, I know what I'm talking about. With that said, I visited Tanuki with two other people who are not sushi regulars. We ordered a variety of sushi and sashimi, almost one of everything on the menu. We also chatted with the owner who is a charming lady and really takes pride in her establishment. The place is loaded with nic-nacs and authentic Japanese items and I found it to be quite attractive. We sat in the rear garden area where the tables are bigger and more spaced apart; the front room has the typical small tables spaced closely together. There were two sushi chefs working at the time and like five or six servers, so they are well staffed. One member of my party ordered shrimp tempura and teriyaki chicken; said it was excellent. The other person ordered sashimi over rice, also excellent. They also had salad and miso soup, said they were great, (I don't like either). I had various pieces sushi; tuna, yellowtail, salmon, eel, sweet shrimp, and some others too; and a few rolls. Relatively speaking, the quality isn't what you'll find at a high-end place in Little Tokyo or Seattle or San Francisco, but for way out in the middle of the Arizona desert, in the town of Sierra Vista, I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness and selection. The staff was fast and friendly and the place was clean. Prices were about average, not cheap but not too bad either. If you want something better you'll have to drive to Los Angeles. For now, I'll stick with this place. I felt great after eating here and I look forward to returning.
(4)Ryan A.
where do i need to start with this place... by far the best sushi in SV, or southern AZ for that matter! I was shocked to find decent sushi this close to Mexico!...... wait not decent sushi. BOMB! i went to Hibanchi up the road and it was good don't get me wrong but it doesnt have anything on Tanuki. Call me a spoiled Californian lol whatever, we have good sushi but this is as good as it gets in this part of AZ. The spicy tuna is a fav. must try. also the Vegas roll is to die for. If your a sushi fan. go here before Hibachi. cheaper prices and all around better food :)
(5)Julie T.
I was craving sushi for dinner and based on some of the outsatnading reviews, decided to give this place a go. Like another reviewer said, this place is a hole in the wall but all the staff was attentive and very welcoming. We ordered the yummy roll (shrimp tempura), the soft shell crab roll and the terriyaki chicken. The sushi was ok. Kind of bland. I've seen better presentation and better flavor elsewhere, I'd give it a B-. The terriyaki chicken was served with a large bed of rice and an orange. The Terriyaki sauce was really good. I'd give it a B+. Bottom line: I would come back for a lunch special and give this place another go but not sure I'd come back for dinner and fork out another $40.
(3)Sarah S.
Unbelievably good sushi for middle-of-nowhere Arizona. Their tako (octopus) is always fresh and beautifully cooked, filleted and served sashimi or sushi-style. The bar is the best place to sit as the chefs are more engaging than you tend to experience in most places. Highly recommended, particularly as most other places in SV can leave much to be desired.
(4)Heather F.
If you're looking for sushi, you're better off buying it from the supermarket. We didn't realize that no one was ordering sushi until after we ordered. When we got it, my husband said their salmon was good but aside from that, the rice was mushy, the tempura roll was dry and over battered, and I'm pretty sure that the fish was a few days past due. Based on how busy it was, I am guessing their Japanese, non-fish dishes are good since that's what everyone was eating, but I don't intend to go back to find out.
(1)Bruce M.
Japanese Food, Sushi, Sashimi, Rolls, Appetizers or Just Drinks . . . you cannot go wrong with Tanuki. The service is always attentive, friendly and relaxed. The Sushi Chefs are the best you'll find in the area. Maggie, the owner, who is often present, is just a delight and adds charm to the place which is whimsy, albeit a bit quirky; but I would not have it any other way - this restaurant just seems to find its way into your heart Small, a Sierra Vista Landmark, Consistent, Fresh, and an eye for Quality, Tanuki is the place to satisfy your Japanese cravings. Five Stars, well, because, it is truly as good as it gets in Cochise County for Japanese.
(5)Denise W.
Went here once with one of the waitresses at Hana Tokyo Everyone was very friendly, we were seated at a table, but when we asked to move to the sushi bar, they moved everything over there for us, no trouble at all. We ordered lots of different kinds of sushi, I didn't like a lot of them, but they were very accommodating! The owner was super friendly and the sushi chefs were great. I had a nice time and was pleased with the overall experience.
(4)Erin O.
My favorite place for sushi in Sierra Vista! Great food, good prices and super friendly people.
(5)DV C.
I first came here with my in-laws a few months after I had my son. The owner lady was so nice and she took my son and walked around the restaurant so I could actually eat-it was WONDERFUL !! I have been back a few times since and I love it
(5)Be S.
We walked in and the sushi chef was cussing...from what I gathered he was fired or quitting. The yummy roll aka shrimp tempura was ok, the Vegas roll was to die for. Skip the teriyaki beef, if you have ever had it in Seattle it will not meet your standards. Also could've used a refill. And as I sit here waiting for my check they lost another star.
(2)L K.
I had never tried the Dynamite dish until today. I don't know what it is, well other than AMAZING that is. I am tempted to order only the Dynamite dish next go around. I will be here again, many times over. I have never had a average meal here, it has always surpasses expectations.
(5)Janine M.
Love this place for sushi in this area. Food is always fresh and staff is always nice. Prices are legit too. Can't beat that when you are trying to eat seafood nowhere near water and the ocean.
(5)Dean V.
So far so good. Looks kind of cruddy on the outside but has a great menu and great tasting food. Will definitely be back.
(5)Amanda W.
I guess I should have known that this is Sierra Vista Japanese Restaurant. I will not go back there. Everything about this place is small. Parking - small, restaurant - small, portion - small. Food is not all that great. I guess if you live there and don't want to drive to Tucson to get semi-decent food, this is a place for you. If you think you can get fresh seafood in Arizona is delusional (Think about the distribution system. How did those seafood get there?)
(1)Tera E.
I would love to give this place a 5 just because the people there are really nice but I can't say its the best sushi I've ever had. The owner (I think she's the owner anyways) seemed to be sitting at one of the tables out front working on something and customers would come in and give her hugs and what not. I guess that's what you get in a small town :) I just ordered a few basic rolls one night to take home. I told them I was driving back to Tucson and they put a bag of ice under the sushi for me to keep in cold. The rolls were decent, nothing fancy but like I said.. I just got basic stuff (Tuna, Yellowtail and Salmon rolls). They were a little more rice heavy than I prefer. I've heard good things about the squid salad so I want to try that next time and perhaps order some non-sushi items off their menu - its fairly extensive. Price wise it seems decent as well!
(4)Jason E. L.
fantastic sushi! reasonably priced. the staff is charming.
(5)R L.
You want sushi? You want sushi in Sierra Vista? Come here. Great atmosphere. Friendly service.
(4)Sarah A.
The building itself, I'm sad to say, probably violates a ton of building codes..but the food is great! Their main dishes aren't half-bad. I ordered the Chicken Katsu and it was served nice and fresh. This place is always packed and you get great service with your meal. Their sushi, as someone mentioned, caters a lot to Western tastes but it's still fantastic food. When you go, order a Kirin with your meal. :)
(4)Erica C.
Lovely, slightly hidden gem! Who would have thought you can find delicious sushi in the middle of the desert? Spicy tuna roll was tasty, as was the the California roll. The nigri was also quite yummy. The ambiance is great with Japanese nick nacks. Sit at the sushi bar!
(4)Julie C.
My whole family loves Tanuki's! Maggie (the owner) gets to know all of her customers and gives them personal attention! The food is the best and the service is wonderful! We go there for every birthday and whenever we want to treat ourselves for a great meal! I highly recommend Tanuki's!
(5)Ty C.
Great little place in Sierra Vista, probably the best game in town !! They are all actually Japanese!!!! Great sashimi here...
(5)Kyle O.
Great little sushi joint in Sierra Vista about a mile or so outside the main gate. No complaints. Service was friendly and prompt. Sushi, salad and soup were great. Will go back again.
(5)Lindasauce B.
The inside looks like an authentic lil' Japanese sushi place- with all the nick-nacks etc. They have cheap & yummy lunch specials. I had the beef teriyaki; it was very good. The sushi is good too; they fly the fish in from LA. :O) & the owner (lady) is cute & very friendly!
(4)Juan R.
Great owners, great good, and a fun atmosphere makes me want to return to Tanuki as often as possible. If they only had real tables in the back BUT its ok. Only real sushi option in Sierra Vista..
(4)Rachel L.
I was not happy. The size of the sushi was small and it was tasteless. bleh
(2)Christopher S.
This place is definitely overrated. Many of my friends rave about it but I don't really see why. They make a great effort to have fresh sushi as they ship it in every morning. Even though I am sure it's safe, it just doesn't taste as fresh as many of the places that i've been. For Sierra Vista or any other Arizona desert town, it's not bad but I can't really say I am thrilled to go there. Service was good. No issue with parking. Never had to wait in line but it's never empty either.
(2)Nina M.
I'm a fan I love the atmosphere and food.
(4)Donna N.
All food was perfect and made old style. The rice is actually eddible with chop sticks and the freshness was evident in all foods. Sushi was delicious. I highly recommend this family owned sushi bar - GREAT Japanese food, the real thing. Great service and incredible selection of sake. You'd never know it by looking at the outside, but trust me, clean and yummy.
(5)Chris S.
So since my wife's birthday this past year, we have fallen in love with Japanese food. We find ourselves walking into restaurants we had passed up for years, cramming tons of raw fish and exotic seafood into our mouths, and enjoying every minute of it. That is what finally brought us to Tanuki. In all the years I've lived here now, we've driven past it a million times and never thought to go in. Boy what we were missing out on. Read on to see what you might be missing out on too! Service: 5/5 Outstanding service. We arrived about 8pm on a Friday night and were told we could sit anyplace we liked. Despite the fact they closed in an hour, the place was easily two-thirds full or more, and all the workers seemed happy to see us. We had hot tea and water immediately after being seated. Our order was taken quickly, they were happy to answer any questions we had about the menu (always important with sushi places I find, as every place has different types of rolls,) and our food arrived fast and hot. Right as we were about to leave, we were visited by one of the owners who asked us about our meal and chatted with us about our son. Yes he's a big boy. Can't say enough about how well we were treated. Food: 5/5 My wife and I have a "set" of dishes we order at Japanese places to give us a feel of how much we will like the place. We get the miso soup, shrimp tempura, Caterpillar roll, and spicy salmon roll. At Tanuki, the soup was excellent, the tempura was the second best we've ever had (Kazoku in Tucson is still tops for that,) the spicy salmon was the best I've had yet. I really liked how the salmon was sliced thin and not just a pulp. The last couple places I've ordered it, the texture was just... off. But Tanuki did it great. My wife loved her Caterpillar, second best for her after Yukari in Tucson. We also ordered some pork curry and some dynamite seafood. The pork was cooked perfectly and the curry had good flavor. My only complaint here might be the HUGE mound of rice to go with the portion of meat. That's just more rice than a normal person needs. The dynamite was baked seafood with a spicy mayo. It was good but I don't think I'd order it again. Not because I didn't like it, but it just wasn't quite what I was looking for. For me, I always come back to the sushi. Overall Impressions: 5/5 Other reviewers have mentioned that this place is just packed with Japanese art and "knick knacks," and they are absolutely correct. Every square inch of wall space and every nook and cranny is full of some odd piece of art. I loved it. Everywhere you looked you saw something that came from Japan. I think it works beautifully and really reinforces the atmosphere. But then again, I also loved the old clowns at the Landmark. So to each their own. :) Everything about our experience here was great. In fact, the first thing my wife said to me after we left was, "Oh yes, we're definitely coming back." I don't know how else to sum up a five-star review other than that. Well done, Tanuki, see you again soon! :)
(5)Lisa S.
Tanuki is the best! Maggie, the owner, is a wonderful, sweet lady and always treats us well. The staff is awesome and the food is fantastic. My favorites are the salmon sashimi, it is melt in your mouth delicious, and the tempura udon. The tempura shrimp is crispy and the udon soup is flavorful. Best sushi in Sierra Vista!
(5)Steven A.
Pretty decent sushi for a place deep in the heart of the Arizona desert. It isn't going to compete with a place in California or New York but a guy has to make allowances. The reason I liked it is that after sitting down and ordering some nigiri off the a la carte menu, I asked the chef if he could do something with salmon skin, which I think is highly underrated as an ingredient. He simply nodded his head and set out to grill some skin in his mini-broiler. He then rolled it up in some dried seaweed with rice and dabbed it with a sauce he had at the ready. It was freaking delicious. So simple yet so good. He even concocted another dish with the leftover skin, topped it with bonito flakes, and offered it to me on the house. That was awesome. The decor is a little kitchy but all in all, this is a fairly solid sushi joint. I enjoyed my meal and did not have to pay a lot of money for it.
(4)Kayley N.
I'm a sushi fiend. I love it. The simpler the better. I've been craving sushi since I moved out Sierra Vista from Houston and ventured to Tanuki on a tip from a friend. Upon first sight, you may question is this a legit place or should you just go to Fry's and pick up some instead. Don't'! Stay! I'm a HUGE, HUGE fan of nigiri. Nothing compares to melt in your mouth salmon or scallop. This is not the place for that. What I did enjoy though was the spicy tuna roll. It had a wonderful kick and was delicious. Not quite as good as my beloved Nippon in Houston but very delectable for the desert of Arizona. The service was incredibly friendly and attentive. This is the best place for sushi in southern Arizona (nothing compares even when I went on the hunt in Tucson) and will fulfill my sushi craving until I move back home.
(3)Battle B.
I have eaten here several times over the years and I am always amazed that you can get good sushi in the desert. Ordered take out this time, although I usually like to eat there since the staff and owners are fun and attentive. I ordered the tuna roll, salmon roll, nigiri (usually fish over rice) ebi (shrimp) and maguro (tuna), as well as fried rice. Everything was good except I didn't check the boxes before leaving and somehow got (sake) salmon instead of tuna on one of the nigiri orders. I would have minded since my I like all of them, but this was for my wife and she doesn't like salmon. The fried rice was actually really good with interesting flavors. We will eat here again!
(4)Leah C.
This is one of the best restaurants I've ever been too, not to mention the best sushi place. The food is great and authentic, Michiko's late business partner had all the recopies written in this Transformer's notebook. too cute. Anyway, everyone there treats you like family, the food is fantastic (even though they run out of canned green tea sometimes) and all the knicknacks in there are Michikos. It's really a Japanese family restaurant.
(5)Nicolas F.
I have loved this place ever since I was a kid. This was the first place I've tried sushi, and since then I have loved sushi ever since. The vegas roll is the bomb!!! I can't believe how awesome it is. The sashimi here is always fresh and the Japanese chefs that work here are all awesome as well. Great japanese food for a great price. Easily my favorite restaurant by far in all of Sierra Vista.
(5)Irina L.
Passing through Sierra Vista on the way to customer meetings in Mexico, my colleague and I were in the mood for sushi dinner. Not knowing a soul, and too hungry to go to the hotel and ask, I consulted my trusted Yelp for recommendations. Tanuki came up with the highest ratings and most consistent praise from its diners. Off we went. The restaurant does not present well from outside: maybe it's the unattractive teal paint, maybe the fact that it does not stand out prominently ( the way the majority of Japanese restaurants in PA do). But the parking lot was full, and looking through the windows, we saw the place was quite busy. We noted right away the quirky / kitsch decor - but all Japanese-themed, and some pieces were quite lovely. What struck us the most, in a positive way, was that all staff were Japanese, with the exception of one waiter. Another very interesting observation was that 99% of patrons appeared to be regulars: the staff warmly greeted each one (or group) as they walked in, and it was obvious we were the only one ones who walked in off the street. Having read all about the food "raves", we quickly decided on the Boat, which sited to include the famous spicy tuna roll, California roll, Dynamite roll, one more roll, and an assortment of sushi and sashimi. We enjoyed the miso soup - very flavorful and satisfying. The Boat arrived within 15 minutes of placing our order, delivered by the very attentive staff. We were ready to dive into an abundance of delicious offerings and experience the same fantastic meal as noted by some reviewers. The Boat did not live up to our expectations. The rolls were on the small side, a bit too much rice for the ratio of fish offered, and sashimi choices were quite limited. The rolls appeared somewhat sloppy, and the Dynamite roll, which for us means an actual ROLL, was presented as cut up clams and scallop, mixed with (not at all) spicy mayo / creamy concoction, all warmed up and presented on a large faux scallop shell, topped with minced scallion and red roe. Did not impress and didn't hit the spot. In my experience, a Boat dish is meant for two, i.e. each Nigiri is doubled, so each diner sharing the dish can have one of each flavor. Not here. 5 mixed Niggiri, one of each. Sashimi had 6 slices of tuna, 4 of salmon ( quite "rich" and fatty). We did finish everything - as we were quite hungry, and the offerings were less than the Boat dishes we are used to. But again - 99% of diners that evening were regulars: so maybe we didn't know what to order, the chef /staff had no idea what our preferences are, etc etc etc. In fairness, the 3 stars are based strictly on our disappointed experience. But a lovely couple dining next to us was absolutely adamant that Tanuki is the best in town. Go judge for yourself. Unfortunately, I won't have a chance to try it again, to see if the second time around would be more enjoyable.
(3)Tara B.
The servers were helpful when I was about to order way more than I could eat on my own. The handrolls were boring, though. I'm used to rice, fish & an assortment of veggies (carrots, daikon, etc.) These just had fish and rice. I'll be back to try a combo plate or something...maybe I just didn't know what I was doing.
(3)Ambrosia R.
My husband Brian is half-Japanese, and while we both love seafood and sushi, when we moved to this area from Southeast Alaska (one of the fishing capitals of the world) we weren't expecting to find any good examples of either. (On the other hand, the steak in Arizona is amazing, so I guess it evens out.) I'd heard good things about this place, though, so we decided to try it for his birthday. The sushi was surprisingly excellent - no, it wasn't quite up to par with what we were used to, but compared to anywhere else we'd been in Arizona, it was amazing. The owner (who is extremely sweet and friendly and will ask after your family and life, and remembered us on our second visit even though it was six months later) told us that she goes to get it from the airport every morning, and it shows in the quality. It's a bit pricey but a nice option to have now and then this far out in the desert. Now, a funny story - Brian's grandmother is (by all accounts; I've never met her) an incredibly snobbish and mean imperialist Japanese woman. She now has Alzheimer's, but growing up in her family has given him several hilarious, and frankly amazing, stories to tell. When we first went to Tanuki, Brian looked remarkably nonplussed. As other reviewers have mentioned, the decor is rather kitschy - lots of Asian knickknacks and such all over the place. When I asked him what was up, he said "This place looks just like my grandmother's house." Later on, when the food arrived, he looked even more confused. "This food tastes just like my grandmother's food!" (This isn't a knock against it, as his grandmother, whatever else her faults, was apparently quite the cook.) And then the owner came by the table to greet us, and introduced herself - "Hi! I'm Michiko!" ...You guessed it, that's his grandmother's name as well. We had a good laugh over that later - lots of people have awful relatives, but how often do you get to meet their *good* twin?
(4)Frank R.
I think it's impossible to get better sushi anywhere else within a 200 mile radius that will be as good as this place, possibly even further. Talk about a TOTAL gem in the ruff. This place rocks... I know, I know, sushi in the middle of nowhere. If you know your facts about how sushi is handled, you'd be running to this place to get it because they do it right. These guys have a unique interior since they have been there for a long time, collectibles, pictures, etc. There is a small sushi bar and there are lots of tables for groups. Pay attention, I live in Los Angeles and I've been eating sushi for a long long time and I love nothing better than to direct someone to some good fish and service (my Yelp motto). I don't know how they did it but I probably had the best Uni I ever had there. GO NOW if you are in the area (why would you be? LOL)..... Enjoy
(5)Shawn G.
If there were any GOOD restaurants in the sucking maelstrom that is Sierra Vista, I'd have considered giving this place three stars, on account of the crippling diarrhea I suffered upon returning to my dorm after dining here. All that non-sense aside, though, the food was actually pretty good. Good sushi, authentic decor (it's basically a hole in the wall decorated like a japanese attic) and friendly service. If you're in the Sierra Vista area for any length of time, you'd better try this place.
(4)Brian M.
The family and myself ate here a few months back. Food was good, and seemed very home style. Though, if you have a good appetite then eat before coming as portions are oddly small. Great flavors though. Staff attentiveness was so-so at best but the waitress did go out of her way to interact with my 4 year old and brought him treats. The fact she went out of her way and made him so happy means more then anything. Ill return just because of that.
(3)Steve M.
I grew up on the West Coast, went to school on the East Coast, and found the best Sushi and Sashimi I have ever had in the middle of the desert in Sierra Vista. Tanuki sushi wins top marks for fresh, excellent tasting, and extremely generously cut Sushi and Sashimi. Their sashimi cuts are like little steaks of fish rather than the micro-tome slices I've received elsewhere. The service is friendly and the proprietor is always out mingling with the customers.
(5)Master B.
Great sushi. When you order one you get two pieces. You can tell this is a local place. It's a little comfy and many of the servers are teenagers. Still, I forgive them for their prices and quality of food.
(4)E B.
I would give it 0 stars if I could. I'm from San Francisco and currently reside in Los Angeles... I was in the area and I went to Tanuki after hearing their radio Ad about being fresh and as great as LA Japanese restaurants. Being cautious about Japanese food in the desert, I decided to order the simplest thing... chicken teriyaki and yakisoba on the side. It tasted horrible. You could tell that the chicken was boiled (possibly that morning to decrease cooking time) and thrown on the grill for a quick re-heat. The teriyaki sauce was more like bad soy sauce-- very watery and salty. They dared to serve me soggy ramen noodles and pass it off as a side of yakisoba... and to make it worse, the serving was super tiny but cost $4. I don't know how people gave this place good ratings, but after my experience with the very simple dishes... I am definitely not brave enough to try their sushi.
(1)Khristine T.
A little small and crowded but the food is definitely authentic! The owner is always nice to me and my family. Service is great! I've ordered the Tempura Shrimp Dinner Plate, House Squid and Seaweed Salad w/Cucumber, Tempura Roll, Yakisoba, and Teriyaki Chicken, and I LOVE it! A little expensive but the BEST I've had in Sierra Vista. :) We're definitely REPEAT customers
(5)Nida K.
This place has really amazing lunch specials! I now go here about once a week for the teriyaki chicken lunch special. They have multiple combinations and other options for really great prices. The one I typically go for includes a great portion of teriyaki chicken, a large helping of tempura vegetables, and a slice of watermelon. The meal also comes with white rice, and your choice of miso soup or salad.
(5)Yakuza R.
I'm definitely a fan of this place. Arguably the best sushi in Sierra Vista. In fact, I don't know if that can even be argued. The owner gets her fish overnight delivered fresh regularly. Just as some of the other reviewers mentioned, some of us are used to very good, fresh sushi. I'm from the Bay Area, so I, too, am a tad on the spoiled side. With that said, I don't think anything in Phoenix and around Scottsdale can come close to the freshness and the cutting method of Tanuki's. The salmon literally melts in your mouth as it should. The texture and flavor here is perfect. Absolutely wonderful. In fact, they have the best Tamago (egg) sushi I've ever had. And that includes L.A. and San Jose. There's only one other sushi place in Arizona that beats out this place, and that's Takamatsu in Tucson. But hey, Tanuki's is the best sushi in Sierra Vista. Period. The staff is amazingly attentive and helpful. And the owner is just a genuinely nice person. I feel weird not giving this place a 5 star rating, but I'm letting it compete with places in Tucson which is a mere one hour away. So, perhaps I'm being a bit hard on it, but again... Tanuki's is amazing. I cannot stress that enough.
(4)Jason T.
This place is awesome! Maggie is the sweetest lady! We love her and her food is some of the best and most affordable in town. I love their lunch specials in particular. You get a huge Teriyaki Chicken, rice, tempura veggies and even a slice of watermelon for under $8.00!
(5)Adam B.
I lived in Japan for three years, this place is the real deal. The sushi is fresh, the prices are very reasonable and the people are friendly. You won't be disappointed!
(4)Michael P.
Wasn't blown away but the sushi was good and the standard fare was too. Service was great. I would return if back in the area.
(4)Jason M.
I was surprised to find this place already had reviews done on it...and now I'm not sure what I can say that hasn't already been said. For that reason I won't bother with restating what the others have already said, but will leave anyone looking for a place to eat with this...if I was in Sierra Vista for just one night and was looking for a great place to go out for dinner, Tanuki would be it. While the food gets 3 stars, the service and personalities is what makes this an overall experience that goes unmatched by any other place in town.
(4)Justin L.
The great Sushi makes up for all the crap on the walls.
(5)MiYong E.
The BEST Albacore Sashimi HANDS DOWN!!!!!! I know! Really? Who would have thought?! Far from the closest "city" of Tucson (and come on, is Tucson even really a CITY???). Far from the OCEAN and Fresh Albacore..... But it is the absolute BEST Albacore Sashimi! And I speak with authority. Who gave it to me? I did. thank you very much. One of my two favorites at sushi joints. I test out places based on how well they make spicy tuna rolls and albacore sashimi. Tanuki takes the cake, oh, wow, let the valley girl in me out, Like totally, oh my gawd! It is drool worthy!!! If, I forbid, you have to go to Sierra Vista (near Fort Huachuca), you must check this place out. And it does get busy. But people are pretty good about turnaround. Thank you! I've only had to wait for about 5 minutes max. Don't worry! It is not the only tasty thing on the menu! I've had a wide variety of dishes off the menu and even some chef surprises off the sushi menu, and it was all tasty!! Only downside is that they do not have green tea ice cream or mochi. Darn. But they do have other desserts. Ooh, and iced green tea mmmmm
(5)Jack W.
I go to Tanuki every time I am at Fort Huachuca. For the past thirteen years this place has been my favorite restaurant in Sierra Vista. The food is delicious, the service awesome and the staff incredibly nice!
(5)Logan M.
Great sushi place. At night parking lot is always full with customers. Plenty of seating and good atmosphere. The servers are very friendly and helpful. The food is great they have many traditional Sushi rolls, sushimi, as well as many cooked entrees and soups.
(4)Raul O.
Sushi was good service was great! Nothing fancy about the decor. But it felt comfy to me, kinda like going into your grandmothers house. Lots of little interesting things to look at on the walls. Doug & Meano were the sushi chefs they made me feel right at home. I had the squid salad which was very tasty & a roll of some sort cannot remeber the name but it had lobster, shrimp, crab and ahi. It was very tasty. Now I'm not a huge sushi eater but, I did live in Hawaii for a few years and the quality of the sushi was right up there. In fact one of the Sushi Chefs is actually from HI, you can tell that they take pride in what they are serving. I did order off the regular menu, with that being said I wont be making that mistake again! I believe I had Chicken and yokasobi, it was not very appealing to the taste buds.. Overall I had a great Sushi dinning experience and would not hesitate to bring others who want to eat some good sushi.
(4)Caroline N.
Ok. This is one of the most disappointing sushi places I have ever been to, but that is probably because I am from CA. The menu is whack. It's mainly courses, not sushi, which really screams not authentic. Secondly, they reallllly should have pictures of their rolls. For 3 people, we got 5 rolls. Miso soup - how do you mess up miso soup?! This is the first time I could NOT eat my miso because it was so inedible. Salty like the Dead Sea. Terribad. Dynamite - This was ok/good in flavor, but WHY SO SMALL? This dynamite was a little bigger than the size of my fist, which is half the size of other places. Tempura roll - 5 pieces... really? Lacking flavor. It was wrapped in soy paper, which made it taste dry. Please drizzle on tempura sauce. Spicy Tuna - it tasted fresh..avg size.. ok Spicy Salmon roll - I liked this roll. It was a regular roll stuffed with spicy salmon and cucumber. Spicy All Star roll - This was one of their specials. It was pretty good. I think it was spicy tuna stuffed with octopus, cucumber, and a few other delicious things. Decent roll. Oh yeh, closed on Sundays. What the heck?? The place got pretty crowded during lunch hour.
(2)Highdesert J.
I've eaten sushi at over 50 different restaurants in several different countries. I don't eat California rolls, I eat the real stuff, including alot of sashimi, sweet shrimp, beef tataki, etc. To put it another way, I know what I'm talking about. With that said, I visited Tanuki with two other people who are not sushi regulars. We ordered a variety of sushi and sashimi, almost one of everything on the menu. We also chatted with the owner who is a charming lady and really takes pride in her establishment. The place is loaded with nic-nacs and authentic Japanese items and I found it to be quite attractive. We sat in the rear garden area where the tables are bigger and more spaced apart; the front room has the typical small tables spaced closely together. There were two sushi chefs working at the time and like five or six servers, so they are well staffed. One member of my party ordered shrimp tempura and teriyaki chicken; said it was excellent. The other person ordered sashimi over rice, also excellent. They also had salad and miso soup, said they were great, (I don't like either). I had various pieces sushi; tuna, yellowtail, salmon, eel, sweet shrimp, and some others too; and a few rolls. Relatively speaking, the quality isn't what you'll find at a high-end place in Little Tokyo or Seattle or San Francisco, but for way out in the middle of the Arizona desert, in the town of Sierra Vista, I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness and selection. The staff was fast and friendly and the place was clean. Prices were about average, not cheap but not too bad either. If you want something better you'll have to drive to Los Angeles. For now, I'll stick with this place. I felt great after eating here and I look forward to returning.
(4)Luci S.
I've been to so many sushi places but this little cute place has so many different unique options that were amazing. They have a garlic sauce for the Sashimi and a Japanese martini consisting of plum wine and sake. Who knew such a combination would be so good! As for their sushi, it's about average and the display of the food is as well mediocre, but their service makes up for it. Some of the must tries include the squid salad, Japanese martini, and their ultra strong wasabi (if you're a fan of it).
(4)Chris M.
Decent sushi for Sierra Vista, but that isn't saying much. It was mediocre, really. The "spicy tuna roll" was nothing special and lacked flavor. The story doesn't change much for the "tempura roll." It was okay, but $8+ for 6 pieces of that? Never again. Total price for these two rolls: $15+... Not worth it. I wanted give other sushi spots in the area a shot. This place just didn't do anything for me. Service is lacking and the sushi is on the bland side. I'll make this my only visit and stick to Hana Tokyo for Sierra Vista sushi.
(2)Niki F.
I've been dropping by to pick up the most delectable Vegas Roll in Cochise County, and be flattered by the delightful Maggie, for nearly 8 years now, so I've only one revision to my review from several years back.... DON'T CHANGE A THING! Not a quirky, kitschy, endearing thing! Not a fresh, favorable scrumptious thing! Not a small town, genuine, friendly thing! It's been working for 20 years. Because it's the BEST thing!
(5)Lacey N.
Tanuki has potential. My husband and I ate here a few weeks back and sat at the bar. The waitstaff are really sweet and the chef was funny. Unfortunately, I just wasn't a fan of the sushi. Granted, I only had rolls - 4 of the specialty ones which I shared with my husband. But they were so big that I could hardly fit them in my mouth. The taste was fine but overshadowed my my fear of choking to death while trying to swallow :/. They also asked if we wanted miso soup and brought it anyway even though we said we didn't want any - and then charged us for it. We didn't mention it because it was good soup and was probably an honest mistake.
(3)Stodd B.
Awesome fresh sushi in Sierra Vista. I had the chirashi bowl, miso, gyoza, softshell crab and yummy rolls. Food is great. Service great as well. I wish they had more beers to choose from.
(4)George L.
An authentic Japanese restaurant with great food and service. You won't find Sukiyaki on the menus of many Japanese restaurants: theirs is hot and delicious. Oishikata!
(4)Steve W.
Great Vegas Roll, fresh sushi, good menu of drinks, friendly staff and owner, cool atmosphere, cool chefs... this place rocks! Kid friendly or perfect for date night with the spouse.
(5)Lindsay W.
The 8pc California roll was what I expected but the 6pc yum yum roll was really good. It had shrimp tempura inside. I'd definitely recommend that. The spring roll was a little peppery & was in a egg roll wrapper. I was expecting a wonton type wrapper. Staff was very nice & atmosphere was very welcoming.
(3)Christopher Y.
This is one of those restaurants that I recommend to everyone when I find out that they are going to Sierra Vista. I always tell them to not judge the place by what it looks like from the outside because the atmosphere inside is hard to beat. This is a quaint location where everyone is friendly too include the woman who owns the place. This is also the one spot that actually reminds me of some of the places I ate at while in Japan a few years ago. When you walk in stay observant because the sushi chefs like to write up their rolls on pieces of paper and hang them up behind the bar. They also like to add new rolls that they do not have on their menu no on their traditional sushi ordering sheet.most importantly this place will not break the bank when you eat there which is also an added plus. I highly recommend just asking the chef what they recommend and you will not be disappointed. I also recommend the Alaskan roll if you are looking for a lot of flavors that all compliment each other. Go try it out for yourself.
(5)Josh B.
Very good fresh sushi and high quality food and the best teriyaki sauce I've ever had. The owner, Maggie, is genuinely caring and makes a point to say hello. The lunch special is great and comes with chicken, rice, soup or salad, tempura vegetables, and yakisoba noodles for under $10. My favorite roll is the Las Vegas. Deep fried goodness!
(5)Rumna C.
Warm, inviting, cozy and incredibly good, authentic sushi! It's the kind of place that changes a one hour meal to a three hour hang out with friends. Love the friendly staff!
(4)Lee R.
I enjoyed the quaint atmosphere and the friendly staff most of all here. I have had the tempura and was very delicious. Generous portions with a tasty dipping sauce, it is my favorite dish at Tanuki. The miso soup is fantastic. It is full of bold flavor and not just clear broth with a few green onions floating it in. Tonight, I ordered the sushi to try it out because I have seen and heard rave reviews about it. I can't say that I agree with those reviews. The rice was superb; it held up well to being dipped in soy sauce. The roasted sesame seeds add an unexpected and welcomed flavor. But the fish part of the sushi (which is kind of important) was not so great. I didn't think it had the taste and texture of another sushi place in the area. The three stars I am giving Tanuki is for everything other than the sushi. I am a fan; I'll just be sure to order something other than sushi next time!
(4)JP G.
Great Sushi, Great service, Cool atmosphere. I was a little skeptical but am definitely glad I pulled the trigger and went. The owner is really nice and the sushi chef was awesome. If you are ever in Sierra Vista, AZ and want some sushi, this would definitely be safe bet.
(5)Josef L.
By far the best sushi in town. The staff are always super nice and Maggie is the sweetest. Definitely the benchmark by which I judge all sushi.
(5)Bridgette N Anthony M.
Authentic Japanese. The sushi, and the Chicken Katsu Curry is awesome.
(5)Jayna S.
Legit Japanese sushi! Great service and atmosphere. One of the best in Sierra Vista!
(5)