Great happy hour M-F 2:00-6:00. Half price beer, wine, sake and apps. Shumai and gyoza are great. Sushi is fresh and good. Great place to stop after work for a quick bite and drink!
(4)
John M.
everything was edible and the service was decent. tried it on a groupon for some pretty good value. after working at a japanese restaurant, i have certain expectations. the food here was a bit further from the originals than i could appreciate. a lot of great japanese staples were missing from the menu which wouldn't be crazy if they're just a sushi place. the shrimp in their soup was not tempura, edamame and soft shell crab were basically their only appetizers, their hot sake was pricy for such a small container. the sushi was okay but not thrilling. st louis has other places i will go for sushi and japanese food. mizu was not the best quality, variety, or the best value.
(2)
Kel Vin W.
Tried this place with a livingsocial on a Thursday night. There were 2 other tables in the restaurant. Staff was friendly and sat us promptly. The prices for the sushi were certainly on the higher end in St Louis. We got 3 of the special rolls. The quality of the food was really not worth half the price of the sushi. There was hardly any taste to the sushi ingredients, any taste we could get was from the sauces doused on it. We also ordered a stir fried udon noodle with chicken. It was just noodles sitting in a puddle of teriyaki sauce, overly salty with no other flavor. Not to nitpick but the bottle that the sake came in was chipped, and a couple of the plates that the food was served in were chipped, minor details, but it adds up. Well, the livingsocial served it's purpose of getting me to try the place. I'm sorry, but I wont be back.
(2)
Caprice F.
I came here tonight with a friend for dinner using a Groupon. It was my first time coming here. I had the New York Roll and the Mizu special roll. both were quite good. Once we got the bill, I was shocked to see that my martini was $11. that seems way too much for a cocktail. Because of the cool atmosphere, friendly service, and good sushi, I will probably come back. Now I at least know better than to order a signature martini there.
(4)
Samantha A.
I found a Living Social deal for this place, so I decided to check it out. First, they have a really good selection of sushi (over 30 rolls) from your typical rolls (e.g., California, Shrimp Tempura) to more interesting rolls like a roll with chicken tempura. They also have several spicy rolls. Second, their menu has quite the variety. In addition to sushi, they also serve burgers, salads, and a variety of appetizers. Third, I really liked the ambiance. I know part of it may be the fact that we went on a weeknight, but I really enjoyed the calm, quiet space. It was clean and pretty sleek. Fourth, our server was very attentive and friendly. I will say that our food came out in a reasonable amount of time, but I wouldn't say it was quick. I found this surprising given how few people were dining at Mizu the night we went. Even with all of these positives, I still think this place probably isn't over 3.5 stars. The sushi was pretty good with a reasonable amount of fish in each roll, but it wasn't anything spectacular. Also, the prices are pretty typical. I got 4 rolls, my friend ordered the Japanese Chirashi, and our bill was $60 before tax. While I enjoyed my time here, I'm not sure I would come back without a Living Social or Groupon.
(3)
Chris M.
I didn't have sushi, but their calamari appetizer was great. Happy Hour offers a great value, and service at the bar was friendly and speedy. If I lived in the area I could see myself being a semi-regular.
(4)
Sarah M.
Every time I come here I feel at home. Good food, good atmosphere. The miso soup is highly recommended, it's cheap and is a huge portion! I usually get the rolls, my husband gets the sashimi. The rolls have always been awesome, with a good proportion of fish to rice. Never been disappointed here. Also, try the sake, especially for happy hour. 1/2 price!
(5)
Ira S.
A friend recommended me this place while I was on a business trip in St. Louis but this place is average at best. Special chef roles are not that special...
(2)
Xibei D.
Went for a weekday lunch. Our order started to come out after an hour and I got mine in one hour and half when my friends had finished theirs. There was nothing special about my order, just lunch box with grilled salmon. Could not understand why it took 90 minutes to grill a piece of salmon. It was not a full house at all. The waiter seemed to forgot our table he did not refill our water nor brought any silvers or plates to the table. We basically self-serviced. The only thing he did is to drop our dished to the wrong person. DOES NOT RECOMMENDED AT ALL!!!!!!
(1)
Cynthia B.
Food was good. Waitress very attentive to accommodate our vegan and vegetarian needs. First time I had saki and she made a nice recommendation. Place filled up after we got there. Wasn't loud at all.
(5)
Phil B.
Good food, wonderful staff. VERY CLEAN. Me and the wife come here often. I highly recommend monkey brains!!
(5)
Shinwa C.
Pretty disappointed. We came here for dinner. Sushi rice was dry and barely any avocado in my sushi. And we also order Yaki udon is just way to salty!
(2)
Rich K.
When we're downtown and craving some sushi, we usually try to stop in here. Service is always great, and on a calm weeknight in the city its a great place to sit out front and take in the city. Sushi selections always have a fresh flavor, and their rolls are flavorful and have great presentation. Atmosphere is normally great with the occasional busy evening where the noise level is a little higher. Highly recommend stopping in for dinner while on Washington Ave.
(5)
Cindy A.
Sushi is ok, do not order anything tempura, greasy nasty, service is very very slow. Don't expect much.
(2)
Sarah B.
This is one of my favorite sushi places in STL! The wait staff is always amazing and the sushi is to die for!! I have even gone in here alone to eat at the bar bc I was craving the food so badly. It IS a little pricier than some sushi places, but I think it's worth it. The nigiri is the best I have ever had. In addition, every now and then I see a groupon for Mizu. I usually buy two bc I KNOW I will be eating here. Make sure you try the Imperial Guard roll.. It comes out on fire, but tastes AMAZING and is my favorite thing on the menu. If you don't like one of the ingredients, they are more than willing to substitute or you have the option to "build your own roll"!
(5)
Jon A.
Went a little after 3 pm on a Thursday. Only a couple patrons, so no surprise the service was good. Had the New Style California Roll, Sex in the City Roll, Rainbow Roll, and the Spicy Salmon Roll. All were good. Nice atmosphere. Would definitely eat there again.
(4)
Mv B.
We went here with a groupon. Service was good, food was very good. Definitely worth a stop by. Fish was fresh. Toro was good and the blue fin was a little better than good.
(4)
Paul I.
Sushi looked pretty darn fresh and tasted good too. The ramen is something I could make at home in 5 minutes, so don't waste your time on that. Not busy at all on week nights. Didn't have any wait or trouble getting a table. Places is huge and would work for larger groups.
(4)
Marilynn P.
Pros: Good Sushi, good service, decent prices. Cons: Ambiance is tacky, parking can be difficult. I really love the crunchy tuna roll! But every sushi dish I tried here was delicious.
(3)
Ellie H.
Great sushi but awful service. We got asparagus roll, vegetable roll, miso soups, and edamame. The vegetable roll is the best I've ever had. But, our waitress seemed high or something. She literally kept forgetting things, bringing people the wrong food, ect and didn't greet us, introduce herself, anything. She was very quiet and rude. Overall a good place, we just got a bad waitress
(3)
Brooke B.
Fantastic! The spicy tuna is delicious! Their rolls are so impressive and the one I had came out on fire! I've been there twice in the last three days. It's delicious!!!
(5)
Betty I.
the food was okey & a bit pricy. We spent 90s something for dinner for 2. We had Gyoza for appetizer, it was deep fried & pretty big then regular gyoza, taste is not that great. i order several maki roll, like Imperial, Volcano, Guardian, Hurricanne for me & my husband to try. It was okey. My husband also order some nigiri, dragon roll & shrimp tempura roll that he likes. Atmosphere is good, but service is slow & parking is hard to find.
(2)
Dan M.
So this is a mediocre sushi joint sitting on Washington Ave and I know that is a poor starter but let me support the statement. The only reason we decided to come to this joint was because of a few things. We had never been here before, the cigar bar we were hoping to hit up was right across the street, and we were trying to eat a lighter fare. We stroll into the restaurant and it is absolutely huge inside. A huge tv projection is up on the wall and this place has an extensive sushi bar and alcohol selection on the wall. We were easily able to sit down as the place was pretty empty and a server immediately came over. So this server was brand new and I could see she was very sweet and trying to keep up but she honestly did not know anything about the menu or what the restaurant offered. We felt bad because she looked very nervous and she repeated a few times that it was her first week working. Not a huge issue for us but maybe the restaurant should think about training their employees a bit more? Anyway we ordered a slew of rolls to try out various flavors. Honestly, all of the sushi was very bland and a very poor ratio of fish to rice with them overkilling on the rice. There was also a roll which was filled with imitation crab which was just absolutely terrible. The rolls here are also very small in comparison to the Wasabi or Sushi Ai. A lot of the sushi itself here tasted frozen and a lot of the rolls had a strong fishy taste to it showing that it is just not fresh. The issue on top is that this place charges the standard prices for rolls which means very expensive for what you are getting. Honestly I just suggest that you avoid this place all together and stick with the other sushi joints in the city.
(2)
Kimberly W.
Decided to hit up Mizu for the first time around 8pm Friday night. To my delight they were playing the Cards game on a huge wall at the back of the restaurant... with the sound on! Normally this would bother me at a place like this, but during post season it was much appreciated! The staff was super nice and attentive. Our server apologized that it took so long to bring out our sushi, when in actuality it came out crazy fast. We went with some sort of dumpling appetizer and 3 rolls, one of which was presented in foil shaped like a peacock engulfed in flames. I had never seen anything like it (and by the reactions of the tables around us, neither had anyone else). Sadly, the flames over cooked the roll a bit, but not enough to keep us from eating pretty much the entire thing. The Spider Roll was one of the best I've tried, covered with a really delicious sauce. My only complaint there was that it wasn't a bigger roll! Our third selection was something involving spicy tuna, which had a great flavor. My glass of wine was a huge pour (always appreciated!) and the kept our waters filled the whole meal (a small thing, but something I always find noteworthy). Good atmosphere and we didn't feel at all rushed to leave once we were finished eating. Great experience!
(4)
Bonne L.
A little pricey, but really good food. We started with the dragon ball appetizer and it was delicious! I just wish there was more or that I didn't have to share it! I had the small sashimi platter and the portions of fish were very generous. My husband had the fire cracker roll with sliced jalapeño and extra saracha on top, he likes it really spicy, and he said it was great! He also had salmon roll, yellowtail roll, and phili roll, he said the rice was a little sweet, but the fish was very fresh. Overall I think we'll be back. :-)
(4)
Hang T.
Skip everything else and get the Hurricane Roll!!! Most popular and absolutely delicious! I went here for lunch with my sister. We order the bulgogi, the shrimp tempura roll, and the yaki udon (stir fried udon noodles). On the recommendation of the waiter, we got the hurricane roll. It was the best part of the meal. Scallops and crab with this awesome spicy sauce on top. Yummm! There was complimentary miso, but it needed more miso or salt. The bulgogi was bland, the noodles was salty and had more vegetables than I would have liked, and the shrimp tempura roll was a shrimp tempura roll. The waiter was really nice, but when it came time to pay, my credit card was rejected twice. I started freaking out. Wasn't sure if it was because I was in a different location. Turns out that their credit card machine was being stupid and had to be restarted. Freaked out for nothing. This restaurant is decent, but I think I will go somewhere else for my Korean food needs.
(2)
Bryan K.
I am from out of town and I have been going here for the last three nights in a row and have tried different rolls each night so I have tried a good majority of their Sushi and I must say it has been consistently above average taste for all of the rolls I have ordered. The service is pretty good as well as they always ask you if you need anything else and the waiters/waitresses are very friendly. Id recommend to anyone in the area.
(4)
Jacqueline K.
Food was pretty good, and our server was attentive. For sushi in the midwest, it definitely satisfied my craving. The blue roll was delicious! But the rolls in general are small for the price, and don't bother with the cocktails ... they are $10 - $12 (at least the ones we got) - so more expensive than some rolls, and mine tasted like cough syrup!
(3)
Neal N.
If I could post zero stars, I would. Wow! Very disappointing. Had been here several times before and enjoyed it. Tonight, not so much. Service wasn't awful nor were the rolls. But the rest, not good! The sashimi seemed frozen and thrown on the boat. The gin was not Hendricks and should have been. The teriyaki vegetables were cold and not well prepared at all. Unfortunately, I'll never go back!
(1)
Drew T.
You know what's awesome about living downtown? There's a sushi joint right underneath me. Needless to say that Mizu gets a fair share of it's business just from me. The owner is friendly and acknowledges me by name. The staff is also friendly, and will usually stop and chat with me if I'm chilling by myself. Their sushi is good and their happy hour is what keeps me coming back. They offer 1/2 off appetizers, beer, sake, and wine. I'll usually treat a few of my friends due to this inexpensive offer. It's a pretty plain, clean interior and if you need to watch the big game they do it in grand fashion by projecting a big screen on the back wall. This is a great place for a date, fun with friends, or (as mentioned above) a great stop to enjoy some sushi and a game. If you're downtown and looking for sushi, skip over Wasabi and make your way into Mizu. You won't be disappointed.
(4)
Erin G.
Mizu is my to go spot for sushi- they have have BLUEFIN nigiri, and its just the most wonderful piece of fish you can ever imagine, its worth the price. They also have ramen here which most people dont know about, but they do and its really good. The portion is HUGE, we get some nigiri and share this ramen, and make sure to get it spicy, thats the best. They also have my favorite sake, Hana Awaka, its like sipping heaven, and its pink. At happy hour, till 6 you can get them half off, but if you get there at say 5:45, you can order 3 bottles at one time, which I recommend because they are expensive. My only gripe with them is they have in the nigiri section giant clam and they never, ever, ever have it, like a year later and they still never had it and I am there 3 times a month, its time to take it off the menu because its disappointing every time.
(4)
Eddy L.
I went here a few days ago ignoring the warnings from my coworkers that this place had bad sushi. But I went and was disappointed. They have the saltiest rice and the sushi seems like processed fish. I feel like they just get some frozen fish and grind it up and make the sushi.
(1)
Dez E.
I actually REALLY like this place ... a lot. A friend and I purchased a Groupon and headed to this place for a meal this evening. This place is a bit expensive, but is actually worth it. In all, our bill was about $74 (before the $30 Groupon was applied). However, we purchased the following: -1 Crazy Roll - $8.95 -1 Spicy Tuna Roll - $6.95 -1 Spicy Salmon Roll - $6.95 -1 Spicy California Roll - $5.95 -2 Mizu Special Rolls - $10.95 (each) -1 Hurricane Roll - $9.95 -2 Bowls of Miso (larger than the average) - $1.95 -1 Soft Drink - $1.95 Overall, everything was fantastic! The Miso was the BEST I've ever had. The service was fantastic, as previously mentioned. The Mizu roll was amazing ... so amazing, in fact, that we purchased two. The crazy roll was amazing and the spicy tuna was, as well. The fish was so fresh, and it just made me so happy. This is one of the better sushi places in the St. Louis area. I would recommend going during happy hour to save a little money, but if not, it's worth the splurge. Also, it's located in the heart of Washington Avenue, and it's got classy decor ... and a huge TV. Just saying.
(5)
Michelle B.
Went there a few times for dinner. Our experience went from good to bad. We will not be going back. Here's why: The hot tea tasted stale and like stale coffee not green tea. must be using the same pot or some funny "green tea" The sushi rolls were horrible--the avocado was brown and its rotten flavor overwhelmed the freshness of the raw fish. some of the fish on the rainbow roll was very fishy. the rice was overcooked. it was mushy and lacked any acidity or flavor.the salmon looked really pale and had no flavor. seems like the owners are trying to cut corners underestimating their clients' taste... sadly the space was full Nice ambience and owners but not a sushi place. a good daring spot if you're not hungry.
(2)
Abby S.
5 stars for the service, hands down! Came here on a busy Tuesday afternoon around lunch time and this sushi spot was bangin'! There must have been a convention going on, because the restaurant was swarming with people who had on those dorky lanyard name tags. I have a few of those myself, but make it a point to take them off as soon as I've left the premises of the conference. But back to the service. So it's busy, even at the bar. But the guy behind the bar helped me right away with my to-go order. He offered to let me sit and wait, but I told him it was no problem to come back in 20-30 min. He apologized for the wait, but it was a gorgeous day and I was happy to wander Washington for a few. When I came back, the order was ready and the guy behind the bar remembered me right away. Don't you hate it when they can't even remember your face, let alone your order? Not a problem with this gentleman. Maybe it's the heart-shaped sunglasses or maybe he just has an amazing memory... who knows? Sushi was OK. It could be because I ordered a kind of crazy roll - Sex And the City. It was breaded in corn flakes and once it cooled off (and taken to-go), it wasn't so great. But I bet it'd be much better if I had dined in. Either way, I was really impressed with the friendly, personable service. Would definitely go back on a day that wasn't so crazy busy.
(4)
Cara H.
I visited this restaurant with my boyfriend on a Friday afternoon. We had seen it several times before while out and about on Wash. Ave and were finally making a point to try it. Overall, I was really impressed. I am usually pretty selective about sushi joints, and since moving to the St. Louis area, this is by far my favorite. Their lunch menu was very reasonably priced, and I ordered the Shrimp Tempura bento box. Like some of the other reviewers mentioned, there was a TON of food. The serving of tempura was very generous, and the batter was perfectly crisp. It did not become soggy as it cooled off, as some batters tend to do. The dumplings were a nice touch, and the miso soup was more flavorful than other versions that I have tried. The service was friendly and helpful, and our waitress was very knowledgable about the different specialty rolls. This was the only downside - the list was so extensive that we had trouble deciding what to order. It was a little overwhelming, and some of the rolls seemed very similar to others. But this just means that we will be making a return trip to try some other menu items. Overall, very good choice for lunch if you can afford to take a 45-60 minute break from the office.
(4)
Steve W.
This place is the worst sushi bar in downtown. Service sucks. Owner picks his nose around the place. Their ramen comes from the package and the server told me it wasn't. Just not good.
(1)
Anna A.
We loved this place! The prices were generally under $10 for meals and under $5 for a roll of sushi. The vegetarian tofu burger was honestly the best I've had! To top it all off, the staff was super pleasant and attentive and the general atmosphere was very hip. I highly recommend this place.
(5)
Gaetano A.
There was one special sushi roll (they cover with aluminum foil and set on fire at the table) that tasted good. The rest was not that great, and the sashimi wasn't good. Our waitress was nice, though. We like Wasabi better, and it's only a few blocks away, if you're looking for sushi in the downtown area.
(2)
Kate B.
I have not eaten here in years and I've been meaning to go back! I think I ate here around the time when they first opened. I recall them being known for their very well made fusion rolls. The decor is sort of modern and trendy with a hint of "zen" for good measure. The prices are kind of outrageous but what do you expect? The words "downtown" and "sushi bar" should key you in there. I forgot the name of the roll I ordered but it was basically a roll baked inside aluminum foil and the aluminum foil was fashioned into the shape of a viking boat or something, was salted, and then lit on fire. It was......pretty crazy! I remember the menu listing the ingredients for it and then saying "Plus a surprise!" And I wondered what "the surprise" is....now I know!
(4)
Chris Z.
Aside from a few negatives, I really enjoyed this place. Mizu is at the end of the Washington Street bars across from Prime 1000. We had a reservation for the night but were seated at the table right by the front door. The hostess (who I think was the owner) understood that this was problematic as the door closes slowly and it was under 20 outside. When another table in a better part of the restaurant opened up, she reseated us. Our server was very nice and accommodating. We started off with an appetizer of dragon balls and seaweed salad. Both were very good. The server also brought a complimentary order of miso soup. For our entrees, we had the Imperial Roll, Volcano Roll, and salmon skin hand rolls. The Imperial Roll and Volcano Roll both are served over a plate of fire which makes presentation unique. Although the Volcano Roll was good, it was exceeded by the flavor in the Imperial Roll. It had an open BBQ taste which was unique for a sushi roll. Prices were adequate for what we received especially since we were eating off of Washington St. For all of the items above (no drinks) we spent ~$60 plus tip. If you are looking for a downtown spot for sushi, Mizu offers a unique experience with a large selection of items and good service. The only negatives are parking (as with all the Washington establishments) and the seating. I know it seems petty but the whole place gets cold when that door is open. Even in the new seats at the other end of the restaurant we could feel a draft. My GF wore her coat throughout the meal.
(4)
Timothy G.
It's time for a St. Louis sushi review! Do I make a point about how we're in the middle of the United States? Hell no. Because they don't catch yellowfin in the East River. Hell, there's fish and seafood that they catch in the USA and ship to Japan. Are they complaining? No. So in case I haven't been clear, I don't care if you've eaten snow monkey balls on Mt. Fuji (which really has nothing to do with sushi), just shut up about St. Louis not being next to an ocean. Please. Mini-rant over. So, on to the goodness that is Mizu. So the beautiful wife and I finally hit Mizu, and I'm glad we did! First off, they have a happy hour that runs 2:30 until 7:00. 2:30! That's not a happy hour, it's a freaking happy half day. And what do you get? 1/2 off wine, beer, sake and appetizers. So that crazy expensive sake you've always wanted to try? It's cheap(er)! I'm going to refrain from an extraordinary long review because many others have covered the positive points. I just have to add that I had some of the best bluefin ever. And the sweet shrimp, amazing. Oh, at the recommendation of our server, they deep fried the shrimp heads for us. Delicious! And the wife discovered the Hana Awake sake. It's carbonated and sweet. Only minor negative was that they were out of both the sea urchin and anago (sea eel).
(4)
Joshua C.
A friend of mine told me that we were going to "Mizu" to eat. Not gonna lie, at first I thought she meant "Mizzou," which clearly didn't make sense. Who goes to a university to eat? When I learned that she was taking me and a couple others to eat at Mizu Sushi Bar, I was pretty excited! The location is great and the atmosphere is very nice. The service was good and super friendly. They also have a giant screen for sports fans, which is also a plus. When the food came out, I was very excited. We had an assortment of sushi pieces (tuna, salmon, etc.) as well as some great rolls. I am a huge fan of unagi (eel), and was very pleased with the rolls that had it. We also had the classic Spider roll as well as few others. The coolest roll by far is called "The Imperial Guard," which came wrapped in foil that was shaped like a swan and had a fire going underneath it! I know it sounds amazing, and the taste was also just as good as the presentation. It has shrimp tempura, crab meat, avocado on the inside and eel, tobiko (fish eggs) and spicy mayo and special sauce on top. I'd recommend you try it! It could add to the fun if you're out on a date. All in all, the night was very fun and enjoyable. The atmosphere was nice and the sushi quality was all very good and fresh. With all that in mind, it is definitely a notch above the other sushi places i have tried so far. Go check this place out if you get the chance! Special thanks to my friend for taking us here! Extra Tip: I realize that it is a sushi bar, but if you enjoy cooked fish, you have to try their "himachi," which is cooked yellowtail. It was cooked so well and the taste was amazing! It wasn't gamy at all and was so soft. I would even go back just for some more of it!
(5)
Chris B.
Mizu is located a half-block from where I live and I love sushi, so it would have to be pretty bad for me to give this place a bad review. Eating a boat load of sushi and waddling home is my idea of a good Tuesday. The service is friendly and the sushi, while not the best I've had, is very good. I also like that (unlike most sushi restarurants) there are TVs so I can watch the game while I devour sushi. My personal favorites here are the Rams Roll, the Vegas Roll and the Imperial something or the other (which comes in a big foil thing and is on fire). All in all, between sushi, tv and proximity to my home, this is the sushi restaurant I patronize most often.
(4)
Paolo D.
Not sure what compelled me to go for sushi in the the farthest point from any ocean. Perhaps west coast homesickness? I went in with low expectations, which were well met: the fish is OK and the prices are outrageous for nigiri. Something noteworthy? well, the ikura was actually fresh, and that took me by fishy surprise!
(3)
Justin S.
Wait staff is friendly and attentive but prices for frozen fish are a bit outrageous. You won't find much better but then again, that's not saying much. I find Mizu to be a bit of a gouge and believe the location to be the only reason worth a return visit.
(2)
Albert M.
I ordered a set of sashimi labeled the "Chef's Choice" and it was not up-to-par for an upscale sushi restaurant. The fish is certainly not sashimi grade and like the other reviews about the taste, it was cold, bland and had a freezer burn texture. The chef didn't cut the fish to the right dimensions either, it looked like somebody took a slab of fish and chopped it up on a block. Particularly with the yellowtail, you can tell the knifework was godawful as some bits of the fish got sheared off. Good sashimi comes from good knifework and careful cutting. Either the chef preparing the fish was lazy or did not have that passion. I had a couple pieces of the sashimi and was so disgusted by the taste I ended up not finishing 5 pieces, what a waste of money... I ended up ordering room service dessert from my hotel to wash out that taste. Like all great restaurants, you have to have the basics right. If you can't even get the fish right, then you don't deserve to be called a japanese sushi restaurant. A bit of business advice to the owners, don't feel obligated to sell sashimi because you're labeled a sushi restaurant, especially if you lack the expertise or discipline to prepare the product. If you're going to sell half-ass sashimi, don't bother selling it at all. I would even go as far stop selling raw fish in general if you're skimping on quality and preparation. People who know what they're eating WILL call you out.
(1)
Kristin W.
Very very slow and poor service. Food came out at completely different time. Half the table was finished eating by the time the rest of the food came. though it's Saturday night, it shouldn't have taken so long. Food was okaym
(1)
Paul M.
Bottom-line-up-front (BLUF)--If you live downtown or nearby, you can't go wrong with Mizu. I'm gonna pile on the Eli-is-a-douche-bag bandwagon before I start my review. I've lived in Japan (and been treated to sushi elite), CA, RI, VA, DC, FL, TN, MO and IL and enjoyed sushi in every one of my adopted cities at a local favorite sushi bar/restaurant. I've also enjoyed sushi in dozens of cities around the world as a one-time visitor. What I have found, is that sushi is sushi is sushi...and it's all pretty great (save for my first ever visit to Sushi-go-round in Sasebo, Japan...which almost ruined sushi for me forever). I have spent over $100 for one or as little as $29 for an all-you-can-eat experience...and it was all just about delicious. I will say, that because of my above opinion, once I find a place that is close by and relatively low-cost, I'm not going to be too anxious to run all over the city looking for a better place. They are all within small degrees of each other and driving 15 miles for minutely better but pricier isn't going to do it for me. If you walk in the door with a chip on your shoulder, you're gonna find a way to be a hater. So...stay home Eli. Mizu is great to outstanding. I've never been to Wasabi or Drunken Fish. I suspect they are good/great too. I just don't want to wait in line or drive 5 miles and sweat parking when I can walk or cab downtown and find ample parking. Mizu goes way above and beyond to ensure a great dining experience. As mentioned, the daily Sushi Happy Hour means half-price drinks and apps from 2:30-7 p.m. Large bottles of Asahi or Can of Sapporo for $3.50 is a great draw. Plenty of interesting original rolls or standard sushi items. Everything tastes great to me and I have brought in out of town sushi fans and they loved it too. Darn it...I'm feeling a sushi crave coming on.
(4)
Fei-Fei K.
Like any of my other food experiences, I went with my friend Mary to this place. I was totally in the mood for something Asian. Just not Chinese (since I'm Chinese) and not Vietnamese (since Mary's vietnamese). So Japanese sounded perfect!! I was searching a heck of a lot of places before I had to go and pick Mary up. I finally came up with this place. It looked super yummy, and one of my biggest food favorites is BBQ short beef ribs. They're like...my drug or something because I always order that if I find it on the menu. So let me start with when we arrived. I was driving (so obviously parking might've been an issue). Mizu doesn't have a parking lot, so it's all street parking, luckily Mizu is near a street intersection so I got a very good parking spot on that street and we just walked on over to Mizu.The host was very friendly as was the waitress. Some reallllllly good service here. She even helped Mary (who always loves to try new things) with what she should pick. So when I looked at the menu they had both tempura and BBQ short ribs, and I was in a knot as to what to choose. So I decided to order both, bringing back the BBQ Short rib back to my brother because he's as obsessed with them as I was! I ordered the Tempura (which came with vegetables and shrimp...only since I'm allergic to shrimp, I got all vegetable instead). I was a bit disappointed that the tempura wasn't an option for an appetizer so since both the tempura and short ribs were entrees, I ended up paying about $40 just for myself and my brother. It's not that it was bad, it's just that I feel like it would've been better if either the portions were larger to fit the price, or the price was lower. All in all, I enjoyed my experience here. Maybe when I get more money, I'll come back. Haha.
(4)
Mina I.
I am definitely a new fan of this place. Some girlfriends were in town so we decided to grab dinner before heading to the bars before the eve of Thanksgiving. I am so glad we decided on this sushi bar because when we all got there at 8:00pm, there were only 3 other tables busy which meant we would get great service. There were 6 of us there and our drinks and dinner order came out very quickly. Our server was very attentive and was quick to make sure we were all happy. I ordered their chocolate martini, which was devine and their edamande and their California, Philly and shrimp tempura rolls which were all delicious! I highly recommend this place and will eat here if I am in the downtown area!
(4)
Makakaualii R.
I visited this establishment a few times when I was on business there. Me coming from Hawaii and enjoy asian food, this establish had the great asian food and it was worth going there for the second time. The prices were reasonable and the servers were great and attentive. But it was slow and need to boost up customers but that's just my suggestion or better marketing. But I enjoyed it. I won't be in St. Louis for awhile but if I do I'll surely come in for the short ribs!!!!
(4)
Eva N.
I went during lunchtime and ordered their chicken teriyaki lunch box. It was tasty, but more important, I couldn't believe how much food came with it, especially for being so cheap! (Definitely check out their online menu to get a sense of what they offer). I will definitely come back for good food and great deals. Also, I want to share that the wait staff was very accommodating and friendly. I felt well taken care of, making for an enjoyable lunch-time visit.
There is MUCH better sushi and service to be had on Washington Ave. Go to WASABI where the sushi is fresh and service is always honest. I have gone to this place, regretfully, three times. The first was to try it, the other two were because I was in a group of people and had no choice. I tried to warn them... I have to say that EACH TIME I have been here, I've been ripped off. It is apparent that they have a "system" that a lot of people must not catch onto. In each instance, I ordered a roll (and remembered the ingredients of each) and was served something that looked similar, but clearly was not the $12 roll I ordered. Some were missing the tobiko, some the tuna (really?), some did not have a sauce as promised. Each time I'd mention it: "Excuse me, didn't this roll have tuna?" and I'd either be told I was wrong, or they were out. Really? Out of tuna? I ordered a roll that had salmon and tuna and you just decided to serve me a roll with salmon in it and not mention the lack of tuna in the restaurant today? And/or I would order a certain piece of sushi or an extra roll, never get it, then find it on my bill. Which, by the way, would never be removed. They don't do that at Mizu. You will pay for it no matter how much you complain. Nice, huh? At the end of each visit, I would complain (this is NOT something I do regularly. But I was seeing a pattern..). I told them I did not get what I ordered, and each time was addressed the same way: I was wrong. I didn't order that. I must think I ordered something I didn't. Or that's what I ordered, and that's what I'm paying for, even if I didn't get it or they were out of a main ingredient. So the third time this happened, I left no tip. Also something I NEVER DO and something I'd never done before. That was my way of showing I was dissatisfied 100% with the service. And I consider that kind of huge, coming from a person who insists on tipping 20% even for somewhat average service. This place is just... different. Further, the food is gross. Anyone who gives this place a good review on flavor clearly has no knowledge of sushi or taste buds. The fish is always tasteless, the rice is sometimes not fully cooked (ew), and for the fish that isn't tasteless, it's just purely fishy, like it's not fresh (double ew). Like I said, go to Wasabi. It's the only place we go, and we are never let down (after 7 years of being regulars). I have not been to Mizu in quite some time, and honestly I have no idea how they stay in business, but diner beware.
(1)
Andy C.
Very nice people, great service and great Sushi. Had the Hurricane Rolls. Excellent as always. Also the Sexy Girl Rolls. Place very comfortable. Angela , who served me, pleasant and outstanding. Look forward to my next visit, which will be soon! Can't go wrong. I really enjoy Mizu.
(5)
Andy T.
This place used to be good, and I felt they had a bright culinary future, but when I re visited STL I ate here and was in horror. The previous time I was there (several months prior) I was overcharged by $100 by a server, and never fully refunded until I filed a banking dispute. The waitress somehow 'mistakenly' tipped herself too much, uh huh. I was told later that I would be 'taken care of" when I came back in. This never happened, and all I was offered was a "free desert". The rolls we ordered were tasteless, and poorly presented..and seriously lacked the freshness it previously had. The quality was just no longer there, and keep in mind we used to drive 15miles each way to eat here. This place went completely down the drain.
(2)
Timothy A.
Mizu is a great sushi bar to go to, don't know if it's because they never close between lunch and dinner. Their nigiri tastes as fresh as can be for being in the middle of the U.S. they have plenty of variety for their rolls and are nice and attentive! Highly suggest here for yummy sushi!
(4)
Jolena S.
We redeemed our Groupon for Mizu last night and had a terrible experience. I made a 7pm reservation and mentioned the Groupon per the instructions. We got there on time and were seated immediately by very harried staff who complained about how busy they'd been. This should've been our first warning of what was to come. I am understanding of a busy restaurant and the strain that puts on the staff, I used to work at restaurants in high school and college. So I gave them a little leeway for the wait we experienced just to order. We got the Dragon Ball appetizer and it took upwards of 20 minutes to come out. It tasted excellent. Then we had another 20 minute wait after it had been cleared before we got 2 of the 3 rolls we ordered. The waitress said our 3rd roll would be out soon. We finished the 2 rolls (they were tasty), they cleared the dishes and at 8pm we asked the waitress about our 3rd roll (the Imperial Guard roll). She said the sushi chefs had forgotten it and asked if we still wanted it. I asked how long it would take. She said 10 minutes and we said sure (at this point we had invested enough time that another 10 minutes would be fine). She talked to the kitchen. We were in earshot of this conversation and the kitchen fought with her that she didn't put the order in. So the 10 minute wait turned into another 20 minutes and we finally got our waitress and told her never mind that we wanted the check (sans 3rd roll). We overheard her talking to the kitchen again and they fought with her again. We got our check and left. We will not go back. During our prolonged wait for the 3rd roll I inquired with a person bussing the table next to us about a really neat roll that was delivered in aluminum foil and flaming. That was the roll we never got. We had watched 3 other tables get that roll delivered to them while ours never was. We also watched the tables around us get their entire meals and leave in the time it took us to get 1 appetizer and 2 rolls. We invested an hour and a half and ended up stopping at White Castle on the way home.
(1)
Kerry T.
I get the tonkatsu lunch bento box and it is super crispy and not over-cooked. Their salad is the best I've had in a Japanese restaurant with a fresh spring mix (as opposed to iceberg) and a creamy ginger dressing. They also serve 2 pan-seared pork gyoza and 4 pieces of California Roll with lots of avocado. For $10, you cannot beat the amazing taste and quality! I have also tried several sushi rolls including the crunchy, which is amazing! Instead of the typical shrimp tempura roll with tempura flakes on top, Mizu serves a spicy tuna roll plus avocado with crunchy tempura flakes on top and it is mouth-watering! The philly roll, tempura-fried, is fantastic as well. Service is always great- you are in and out at lunch time! I have been here for lunch 4-5 times and it is just as phenomenal each time. I recently went twice after having not been for over a year. We went on my recommendation, with several very picky eaters, so I was hoping that it would be as great as I remembered. Everyone loved it!
(5)
Julianne M.
Loved the sushi! We sat outside on a nice day, great atmosphere downtown!
(5)
Kelly B.
Holy fresh calamari!! Mizu is a traditional sushi house located on Washington Avenue. It's a fairly large venue with outdoor seating and a large screen TV. Service is great and the sushi is good, as well. Prices are average. The stand out item for me is the calamari. This is some of the best/freshest calamari I have had. Tempura battered calamari that they prepare from scratch and it tastes fresh. How can it get any better? Weekdays they offer it at 1/2 price during happy hour. I wish they had happy hour specials on the sushi here, but I'll settle for cheap, awesome calamari. YUM!
(4)
Jessica B.
This is the best sushi in the city. It is delicious and you get a TON for the price. I have always had attentive, excellent service. They helped me use my chopsticks, suggested the right saki, always came by to make sure everything was okay, gave plenty of refills etc. I have never had bad food from there. I got sushi and fried rice once and had enough for three days meals! So good.
(5)
Jukes N.
The most impressive part of Mizu is the excellent hospitality and service. The wait staff is as good as it gets. The atmosphere is great too. Good music playing, but not too loud so it's easy to have a conversation. They also have a big screen projection tv. The food was good and not too expensive. I got the crunch roll which was very good and the tempura udon which was HUGE and good. The owners are Korean so they serve Korean bbq as well. The short ribs were good but too fatty for my liking. Be sure to ask for the spaghetti pretzels. They're good and also fun to munch on before your food arrives.
(4)
Nowell G.
Downtown can be dead on Tuesday nights, but that didn't stop Mizu from offering a wonderful experience with great food. For some reason or another, a few of its servers were hanging outside. They smiled and one of them opened the door for us, which is surprising since that rarely happens for me Downtown. Our server was very polite and offered us a seat at the sushi bar so we can see our food in action. At first, I thought she was just pawning off a two-top off to another server but she stuck with us to the end. Her knowledge of the menu and the genuine way she described her favorite items sold us on a Dragon Ball, which was supposed to be an appetizer, but can be eaten as a meal. It was a tempura battered, deep-fried monster roll that seemed more like a burrito than sushi roll... Until they let it rest and cut it into ginormous, futomaki-on-steroids slices. Inside was a mass of neo-sushi, spice-creaminess finished with a crisp. Lovely... But was a TON of food. Thankfully, a cup of very strong green tea hit the spot after that kind of spicy madness. We ordered a chef's choice sushi plate and unagi (eel) bowl. What I really liked was that the server suggested that we share the sushi plate and treat the unagi bowl like another course, which is what we normally do at sushi places but was a welcome understanding of the logistics of preparing sushi (fast) compared to the assembly of a good unagi bowl (more about that in a bit). The sushi chef was friendly and let us take photos of him while he sliced his way into our heart via sushi, which was fresh and just above room temperature. The delicate nigiri and rolls were served on top of a drizzle of sweet soy sauce, which just the right amount to accent the fish and rice without dipping them into soy ourselves. Our unagi bowl was simply fantastic. Probably the prettiest unagi bowl in town in my opinion. The eel wasn't overdone and was a healthy portion. It was garnished with two large slices of VERY tasty tamago (japanese omelet), shrimp, seaweed strips, and a wonderfully seasoned rice (not my favorite sushi rice, but up there). My only concern was that the plate might have been a little too busy for what I might consider a comfort food. Now, on to dessert! Our server suggested that we get the deep fried green tea ice cream. Yes, it was more fried stuff, but hey, she was on a roll with her menu choices. When this "dessert" came out, I blurted: "You're f***ing kidding me??" She smiled and set down this bowl, containing a meteoric fried ball of green tea ice cream, which seemed to be coated in white cake batter, panko crusted and deep fried. Slice that in half for a dramatic effect and throw some whipped cream in there and you have yourself a COMMITMENT. The only downside to Mizu is that while I love the way they're liberal with their portions, it's not what I want when I go out for sushi (most times). A sushi outing should be an appreciation of fresh sea food, and complete satisfaction. While I experienced both fresh and satisfaction, my distended belly made me realize that I over ordered. The next time around, I'll be more conservative on what I order. Great place!
(4)
Sara L.
This place is weird. It has the ambience of a hip restaurant and a sports bar at the same time. It's just strange. For that reason, and the fact I don't eat sushi, I would give it three stars. BUT, my husband, who has taken me now to several sushi spots in St. Louis, thinks THIS place is his favorite. Go figure. So I guess it's really good. The tempura here isn't as good as at Kampai by far. But it wasn't bad. It was just standard.
(4)
Lia L.
This is one of my mom's new favorite places since she works in St. Louis and has been trying new places in the city to visit. I came to visit in November and asked that she take me there for some sushi. We brought my dad along and we weren't sure if he'd enjoy trying sushi, so we ordered several appetizers including the calamari, soft shelled crab, and the mussels as well as a few rolls of sushi. Everything we ordered was magnificent, the service was fine, they played cool music, and I was happy that my dad even enjoyed the sushi (and he's a guy who won't eat tomatoes because they're "slimy"). I'll definitely go again when I'm back in town! Go during "happy hour" and appetizers are half off. Our dinner was such a good deal because we were there at the right time.
(4)
Megan K.
Good spicy tuna! Fun cocktails and chill environment!
(3)
Ben S.
Great place - great service - great food...what more needs to be said?
(5)
Ryan L.
I'm not a huge sushi fan, so this review may be biased. However, the restaurant was still pretty good. The atmosphere is nice, with a fully-visible sushi bar. The service was fairly good, but not overly attentive. Because I don't eat much sushi, I got a fusion bowl, which was fairly good, but didn't have a whole lot of flavor. The steak that was in the bowl was good, but it was otherwise somewhat bland. Also, for the price, I would have expected a little more food. Nonetheless, it was fairly good, and everyone who had sushi said they really liked it.
(3)
Leslie B.
Thursday night at Mizu was a wonderful experience. This was my second visit and the service both times has been impeccable. The wait staff are very nice and attentive and I've never been unhappy with the service. I'm a recent convert to sushi so I can't really grade the food but the bf is a sushi fan and he loves this place so it must be good. Last night we went during happy hour when apps are 1/2 off and they have drink specials. We had miso soup, edamame and two apps - Fire Cracker & Heart Attack- to start. YUM! Everything was delicious. By the time we got done with apps we were pretty much done for.. We did have a rainbow roll which was also very tasty. All in all, another wonderful meal at Mizu. We'll be back fo sho.
(5)
John B.
Very good service - friendly and efficient. Sushi is average and not overly expensive for the area. I hated the blaring rap music, which was especially jarring in a sushi place. Nothing to go out of your way for. About equal quality to Drunken Fish, without the pretension and price.
(3)
Kristin L.
Went here 3 times while in town for a convention, and it was delish! They have a great happy hour with 1/2 price wine, beer and apps from 5-7pm which was great. The quality of the sushi and sashimi was fantastic and the prices were right on too. Definitely stop in and try it! Mizu is way better than Wasabi just FYI.
(5)
Stephen G.
Outstanding Sushi! I have been to many sushi restaurants in the area this one is by far the best! Great atmosphere, and great patio dining on a gorgeous day. Try the Mizu special roll....you will not be disappointed!
(5)
Jon J.
Mizu Decent food and service ruined by ownership cheapness. The beautiful wife and I decided to try this place out the other day as it is nearby our usual Japanese place (Wasabi) and wanted to try something different. The place has a nice overall look and feel. The servers were pretty good. We ordered a spicy tuna roll, udon noodles, and the Mizu fusion bowl which was basically like bulgogi with rice and some veggies. Kind of like a bibimbap without the egg. Overall the food was decent but nothing amazing. The spicy tuna tasted good, but the rolls weren't as tight, and the sushi tended to fall apart a little more than it should. Also, the thickness of the rice layer in the sushi was more variable and generally thicker than at other Japanese restaurants such as Wasabi or Chi. This caused the flavor to be a little more lost. The spicy tuna filling was comparable to Wasabi. The bulgogi in the fusion bowl was a little dry and kind of bland compared to other places such as JuJu's or Hoagie city. The quality of the udon noodles was a little less than Wasabi as was the broth but still pretty decent. Overall I'd give the food a solid 3 stars. The servers were 4 star. So why the 1 star review? Unfortunately there was an issue with the diet coke I ordered. After taking a sip it was clear to me that the fountain that it came from was not using enough syrup. Hence the soda was much more watery tasting. Not a problem. I sent it back, explaining to the server what the situation was and asking for some coffee instead. Well a few minutes later the server came back to explain that the they had "fixed" the soda machine and that I should try it again. I took a taste, and while it seemed a little better it still wasn't what it should be. So I said that I would prefer it be taken off my bill and that I didn't want it. The server explained to me that in any case, the owner refused to give me a refund on my soda and left the "soda" on the table. This is completely unacceptable. I have never once heard of a restaurant that wouldn't cancel a soft drink order when the soft drink doesn't taste right. That the owner would charge me for a soda that likely costs him 20 cents at most to make instead of just take it off my bill is not only bad service but downright insulting. When I calmly pointed this out to the server, she said that she would approach the owner about this a second time but was not looking very hopeful that he would change his mind. I told her not to worry about it. At nearly every restaurant, removing a charge for something that tastes bad and is returned uneaten is standard operating procedure. Not so at Mizu. It seems that the owner would do anything to save 20 cents even if it means insulting his customers. Bottom line, the food and service were still not as good as Wasabi so I doubt we will be going back any time soon. I probably would have returned every so often just for something a little bit different but at this point, I have no interest in rewarding an owner like that with repeat business.
(1)
Stuart C.
I had dinner here on a Tuesday night. The experience was pleasant and the food was good but not spectacular. I had a tempura roll that was okay - the tempura shrimp seemed to have a heavy batter coating, not a light tempura coating. A Firecracker appetizer of spicy tuna and chopped tomato, served with won Tom chips, was tasty, but the chips were very dense. The bulgogi entree had beef sliced so thinly that it almost shredded, and the meat didn't carry the barbecue flavor well. The restaurant is spacious with high ceilings. The staff are friendly. I recommend the restaurant as a good basic Japanese place.
(3)
Jenny P.
Came here for lunch with a girlfriend and had an enjoyable experience! We had the edemame, california roll, shrimp tempura roll, and sex and the city roll and they all were fresh and delicious. Prices were very reasonable too as we had all of the above items and it only cost $30 before tip. Not too shabby! Great location right in the heart of Washington Ave., which means street parking only. This can be difficult in the evenings or during the lunch rush. The service was prompt and friendly. They have several basic non-sushi selections on the lunch menu for those of you who may get tricked into coming here and don't like the idea of a raw meal. The look of the place inside and out is nothing special, but I came here to eat yummy sushi and the mission was accomplished! Would like to come back again and try them for dinner and cocktails.
(4)
Michelle M.
Did you know? Mizu has happy hour Monday through Friday 4:30pm to 7pm which offers half off appetizers, beer, and drinks! It's a cute little restaurant my boyfriend and I went to in downtown St. Louis. The decor is nice, but its kinda out of place. It just doesn't match the Japanese aura that they tried to set. It's clean, but kinda weird. We started off with the half off appetizers which are an okay deal. Most of the things ended up being $5 even though it was on special. We first got the dragonball, which isn't really an appetizer. It's just a roll that has been deep fried and covered with aioli and siracha (spicy sauce). We also got the monkey brains, which is the same thing but mushrooms deep fried and covered with sauce. They didn't have like tuna tataki or whatever. I just felt like they could have just been regular rolls on the sushi menu. Actually, I prob would have gotten one of those and would have enjoyed it more. For our main dish, we got an unagi bowl to share. It did come with lots of unagi, but I didn't really get a good char on mine. It was also a bit fishy, just like how our crazy roll was. It was also really small and skinny. I didn't feel really impressed with all of the spicy aioli sauce they put all over the top and covered it with tempura crumbs, which looked like hamster bedding. Overall, I wasn't really impressed. The prices were okay and the food was okay too. I got what I paid for... and it wasn't awful, but I wouldn't return again.
(2)
Christine M.
I've been in the 'Lou for almost a whole week now! Having relocated due to my husband's transfer and promotion, we are now permanent St. Louisers or St. Louisians... whatever you want to call us. To be honest, I'm not sure how I felt about the move from the suburbs of Washington, DC to the Midwest. I just keep hoping for the best. I kept waiting for a sign... for something to tell me, you're not alone... you belong. That's when we stumbled upon Mizu, conveniently located right downstairs from my loft! I'm not gonna lie. I was disappointed when I read Eli's review. I started doubting how likable this place was, I started thinking to myself, do you even KNOW sushi?! But the fact of the matter is, everyone's a critic these days, and sometimes, it's unfair to review a place after just eating there for one lunch or one dinner. Which is why... I can review Mizu, because it has become my staple this week! Okay, okay... I'm not a sushi master, but I do know what tastes good and their rolls are delicious! Besides their quick, friendly service and their warm, clean and high ceilinged-loft style decor, their food is actually really good! Their appetizers consist of your traditional edamame and fried calamari, as well as soft shell crab, Monkey Brain- lightly fried mushrooms stuffed with spicy tuna and crabmeat, and my fave, the Fire Cracker- spicy tuna mixed with chopped tomato and served with deep fried egg roll chips- spicy, savory and sweet all on one dish to allow a beautiful symphony in your mouth!! As for their Rolls, I've had their Crunch Roll- spicy tuna, avacado with little bits of fried panko on top- twice, their Ram's Roll- spicy tuna, cucumber, avacado with avacado on top, their SamurI Roll- shrimp tempura, avacado with kani salad on top. None of them disappointed. In addition to their rolls, they also offer Nigiri sushi, lovely selections of bento boxes, salads, rice and noodle dishes and "dinner specials" consisting of Teriyaki selections and Bulgogi-type meats. (my stomach is growling... just to let you know) And... get this! Happy Hour is 2:30pm - 7:00pm, Monday through Friday! Half price appetizers, beer and wine! WHUATTT?! I know. I thought the same thing. It's not even like Mizu is pricey: their appetizers range from $4.50 to $8.95 and their rolls range from $6.95 to $10.95. I've also ordered take out from Mizu. How great is it to hear that your food will be ready in 5 minutes? That's pretty amazing! All in all, I give Mizu two thumbs up! Thanks for the warm welcome!
(4)
Jen B.
I lovvvve this place! The atmosphere is so open and comfy! And the sushi is awesome!! Not too pricey at all and the appetizers are half off before 7. We got the fried calamari and it wasnt chewy like some others ive had. And it comes with this sweet sesame sauce. Yum. You can also get any roll deep fried for a dollar more. We took advantage of this and got a philly roll fried with the california and alaska roll. The salmon is so fresh and tasty! And service was soooo fast! I think we got our food in 5 minutes! 3 rolls in 5 minutes!! I love this place. Hands down. And our waiter was extremely helpful and friendly. :)
(5)
Howie F.
My review: Mizu is pretty good and relatively cheap (for sushi) This is a rant to the first guy to review Mizu. To sum up your review: I'm from California and sushi sucks in St. Louis because you don't live near an ocean. Man do I love those, thanks Eli for your insightful look into how you'rre from California and that makes you cool and a sushi expert, by the way, what is Lawndale, CA anyway? I feel I can comment on this as I lived by the ocean in CA for years so I once too was cool and knew the taste of magical California sushi. Let's take a look at the fish you ordered Eli, how many of those fish came off the docks in Lawndale? Wait Lawndale doesn't have docks, but regardless, looks like none to maybe one, so that awesome sushi you're eating in Lawndale, is yes, wait for it..the same freaking fish flown in! You see, they have these things called planes now, what they do is, they load a plane to a glitzy metropolis called Lawndale and another for St Louis. Our plane probably arrives a few hours later, so you do have us there. Some of the best sushi restaurants are in NYC (I've been to this magical place) and guess what pal, they ain't pulling those fish out of the Hudson River. To be fair, I have no basis on Lawndale sushi, because I have never been to Lawndale, let alone hear of Lawndale. I work in Santa Monica some times, perhaps I will avoid those places to try the magical Lawndale Sushi that tastes like you're eating it out of Zeus' butthole. Perhaps you can bring that cool yellow hat, I am very interested in it as my sister loved Strawberry Shortcake and it seems you shop at the same hat shop as her. I guess it must be a California store.
(4)
Eli G.
I have found it, after years of searching I found it. It's no surprise that the worst sushi dinner of my life was in St. Louis. Why did I even bother trying sushi I knew would be bad? When you're almost 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean, how can any raw fish be "fresh" or "good"?! But it was 99F out with equal humidity, and raw fish sounded refreshing. I did not exercise the best in judgment that night. Not only was the meal terrible, it was expensive! Here's a breakdown of my meal: Large Asahi - $3.50, it's beer, it's good. Yellow Tail - $5.95, it tasted like frozen nothing. Japanese Snapper - $5, it tasted like frozen watery, nothing. Mackerel - $3.95, it tasted like frozen, watery, fishy, nothing. Sweet Shrimp - $7, this was the only item that seemed okay. Fresh Water Eel - $5.95, hard to mess it up when it's saturated in unagi sauce. Clam - $4.95, this was the chewiest, toughest, most disgusting "clam" I've ever eaten. Fatty Tuna - $15.95, pure robbery! The color was dark red and the flesh had zero fat. Salmon Egg - $5.95, mushy, slimy, and no satisfying pop. Smoked Salmon - $5.95, yeah I can put some lox on dry rice too. After Tax, before tip - $70. For that price I could have, and should have, walked the extra mile to White Castle and gotten 120 burgers for the same price. If you think this place is good, or has any merit as a sushi bar, you need help.
(1)
Tess E.
A friend and I returned here for birthday sushi last week, because Wasabi down the street was closed. We had a much better experience this time than I had before. We had 2 salmon rolls(the spicy and regular), a califoria roll, and the tako salad(of course!) and they were all delicious. I can't comment on the drinks this time as we both only had water. Service was a lot better, but we were also the only oes in the place so I wouldn't expect anything less. All in all, I was pleased with this return visit.
(3)
Amy E.
Being new to sushi, I decided to have my birthday dinner (January 2010) at a sushi place to satisfy my new sushi craving. My friends were so excited, they recommended I have it at Drunken Fish, I had never been, so I called to make a reservation for 20. When I called the Drunken Fish staff was rude and said they couldn't accept my reservation or even hold separate tables for my party. Being upset, I quickly googled sushi places, and I came across Mizu. The website, menu and location instantly attracted me. I called Mizu and asked for a reservation for 20 on a Friday night and they happily accepted. When we arrived at Mizu, the staff had our table completely set up and were very welcoming, nice and attentive to my large group. It was great to be able to relax and enjoy all my friends that had joined me for my birthday dinner. That day all of us decided that Mizu was our favorite sushi place and still continue to eat there and recommend it to all of our friends. Everytime I have been, I still receive the same warm and welcoming treatment. The sushi is delicious and the prices are reasonable. Thank you Mizu Sushi Bar!
(5)
Marissa A.
I have had Sushi but I have never been converted in to being a "Sushi Lover", and well this place made me a believer! Customer Service was amazing, Happy Hour 3-7pm (I believe), good selection on wine, FREE perfectly seasoned and warmed soup, but more importantly AMAZING SUSHI! Recommended by the chef "JAKE", I had a "Hurricane" and my boyfriend had an exclusive (off the menu) "Las Vegas"...these two choices will convert anyone! I loved the Hurricane, it was superb. I live in California, originally from Philadelphia, went to visit St. Louis for the weekend and am so happy I found this place! I wish this restaurant all the luck in the world---very awesome experience.
(5)
Kirsten J.
While I felt that the price should have yielded slightly higher quality fish, I did enjoy my lunch here. There side salad is a nice portion, although I prefer ginger or carrot dressing. The nigiri was okay (I had Japanese snapper and Unagi), and the roll I had was tasty (New York roll if I remember correctly). I wasn't very excited about the hand roll--it was bigger than it should have been. Bottom line: it wasn't too bad, but not my favorite sushi, especially for the price.
(3)
Pam H.
I don't know why it was so empty (was a Mon night with both Rams and Cards playing in town), but the sushi and fish quality were great. Great service too.
(5)
Paul C.
Ambiance - Perfect. With a high ceiling and slightly darkened lighting, it feels like an upper class sushi house. The bar has large flat screens to allow access to those oh so special blues/cardinal nights. Location - 5/5 There is street parking as well as parking structures all around. Although it is quite surprising to think you would find this little gem of a restaurant on the side of the street. Service - 6/5 Perhaps I'm being bias because I am asian. However, there is a cultural familiarity that I can sense when I walk into this place. The heart behind the staff is that of servitude and humility. This is expected in asian culture but is also welcome to see they bring it to their restaurant. Being born and raised in America I have both affinity for different parts of all kinds of culture. Price - 5/5 For what you are getting the price makes sense. Now I am more of a dollar menu guy to be honest. However, I did not feel any regret paying what I did at Mizu. The food was well worth it and comparatively it beats out much more expensive sushi restaurants. Food - 5/5 My mom ran a sushi restaurant in Naperville, IL for a long time. I understand the difficulty of sushi in the midwest. It is true that coastal sushi is the best. That being said, if you want sushi in the St. Louis area, Mizu is it, bar none. The sushi itself is excellently prepared. I got to speak with the sushi chefs for a while during a break in the Cardinals game and the amount of preparation time almost doubled the time the chefs at my mom's place worked and it shows. I have had over $400 worth of dishes from here over my many visits and I have to say the thing that sets Mizu apart from other places is the inventiveness of the chefs. They strive to try new combinations and displays to entice the taste buds and eyes. This is not a fast food sushi spot. Final Thoughts - I truly enjoy my several visits to Mizu. The kicker for Mizu is the inventiveness of the chefs as well as the polite welcoming staff that work there. I would suggest since it is in the metropolis area that this is a perfect spot for business professionals that need a break during lunch or after work as well as those blue collar folks (like me) that sometimes crave a bit of different culture and fun.
(5)
Bob D.
Went in on a Friday night and the place was surprisingly empty. Great service and very quick to get a whole lot of sushi out. We had a bottle of wine and some sake (hic!) and a bunch of different rolls, plus some sashimi. The one roll that comes out in the aluminum foil duck with flames underneath (!) was pretty interesting, but the other random stuff we ordered was even better. When we were finished the chef sent over a couple special desserts. I guess it was because the place was empty, or maybe it was my pretty date, but hey, that was nice. I will definitely go back.
(5)
Michelle S.
Having tried MANY sushi restaurants all over St. Louis, Mizu is quickly rising to top of my list. I think the ambiance is great and even when it is busy, there is plenty of space between tables so it does not feel overwhelming. Their rolls are awesome and the price is right where is should be. They have outside seating right on Washington Ave which is always nice. I also know they have non-sushi options for the non-sushi fans, so there is a little something for everyone.
(4)
Aitor R.
It was a Thursday night. My wife and myself wanted some sushi for dinner and the only open place downtown was Mizu Sushi bar. The waitress was super nice and she suggested some sushi rolls that we loved. We had our first 'edamame' and it was delicious. After we ordered, they served a really good soup as an appetizer. The food was served fast and the sushi rolls looked and tasted great. We share 3 rolls and I was full. I wasnt really hungry, but I ended eating everything. The food was little bit expensive, but Ive never paid less than that for a good sushi. The place was pretty empty because it was kind of late, and the only thing that we didn't like it is that they picked up while we and some customers were still there. But a part of that, the place is really nice and the food was great. I'm pretty sure we are going to be back soon.
(4)
Allison B.
Just came back from our first visit to Mizu Sushi Bar. What a great place for sushi. Used a Groupon and they still honored happy hour prices on my husbands Sapporo and our appetizer. We had six rolls and all were delicious. Standouts being the Cardinal and Mizu Special. Service was outstanding and cannot wait to return.
(4)
Steve B.
Great sushi, friendly staff, and a cool environment for lunch downtown or heading out for the night on Wash St. I'll definitely be back.
(5)
Betsy R.
This place was delicious. I had the seaweed salad, spicy tuna roll and dragon roll. All great. The service was quick and the servers were very accommodating. I will go here again next time I'm in the Lou.
(4)
Brianne B.
Food was very good. Service was good & their happy hour is a great deal! On the downside...my first glass of wine was just plain bad. Second one was much better. I plan on returning!
(4)
Samantha S.
Too expensive for amount and quality of food. Good sushi but entree was just ok.
(3)
Jacqui C.
Loved it! The food, service and drinks were all perfect. We had a group of 7: 5 of us are sushi lovers, 1 person said she did not like sushi and the other had never had sushi and was very skeptical. By the end of the night, they both tried a little of everything and were making suggestions to eachother about what to try next. The Imperial roll (or something close to that) has a great presentation: wrapped in foil shaped like a duck (we thought it looked more like a dragon), flaming and mouth watering good (once the flames go out). The martinis were delicious too!
(4)
anna k.
I am a sushi fanatic and was so please with the atmosphere, service, and quality of the food. It was the best sushi i have ever eaten and I will continue to dine here!
(5)
D H.
Really like this place when I visit St Louis. One of the major factors is a great happy hour with half price beer and apps.
(4)
Brainmist K.
I notice a lot of these begin with "I'm new to sushi". Just to be clear, I am not new to sushi. I've been eating sushi heavily for about 2 decades, on both coasts, throughout the Midwest (don't laugh, some of the Midwestern cities have large Asian populations and fantastic sushi) and in Japan. I make my own sushi (usually chirashi, because, well, lazy, plus love that style of rice). And I simply like to eat raw food, including steak, so I'm finnicky about freshness. Mizu looked like it would be a nice spot to hit in St Louis; easy to find, and as a city-center restaurant, presumably pretty good to compete. But it turned out to be pretty much all location. I wouldn't go back, especially with so many other nearby options. First, let's start with service. Yes, they were absolutely understaffed. Although the place was barely full (we were the only ones waiting) it still took a long time to get people their bills, get the table cleared, and get us seated. Then, it took even longer for our waiter to get to us. For some reason, he decided the girls at our table were in charge of ordering, and, after getting only part of their orders, scurried off....without even checking with the guys. This sort of uncoordinated, fragmented, inefficient back-and-forth continued the whole time....in the end, we had orders we didn't make arriving at our table, orders we did place not showing, and absolutely no effort to keep us all eating at the same time. They skimp a bit on the food; standards like miso and salad weren't included, but hey, fine. Tea was not replenished. We ordered a few different appetizers and meals; because there was no tempura appetizer, we got that as a meal (appetizer quantity, plus rice). Pretty much anything deep fried tasted fine. Not mind-bending, but fine. The pepper-based appetizer was lovely. But you come to a sushi restaurant for some high quality fish and unique, tasty maki. This place had neither. The maki were bland, no unique flavoring even with unusual names and descriptions. The sushi...well, I got my usually chirashi, and I wish I'd stuck to deep fried, because that might have covered the low quality of the fish. Oh, one or two types were good...but the majority were mediocre. Squashy and stale-tasting, with that crumbly texture that suggests freezing and freezer burn; the salmon tasted washed out, the tuna was definitely going off, and these are high-use sushi mainstays; of all the fish there, these should have been the types least likely to be sitting for the week it tasted like they'd been sitting. How would it compare to my local sushi? It had nothing on the Quad Cities area's two top competitors, Shogun and Osaka, in terms of quality and freshness, despite beating them on price by about 25-30%. Sad to say, it didn't even exceed my expectations for one of the QCA's older sushi restaurants, SuperTarget. Yeah, that's right, SuperTarget outdoes this place on everything but style; they have an onsite chef who takes personal pride in his work and his fish, and I've almost never had less than fresh offerings there, although nothing so stellar as our actual Japanese restaurants. The atmosphere leaves something to be desired, but it's a freakin' SuperTarget; the service is better. In the end, the hostess came over to apologize, but it was waaaay too late. And too little; I had a minor misorder issue at Taki in Des Moines, and despite it being a busy night, that restaurant's head chef took a personal interest, sent us over the best fish they had in that night, treated us to another appetizer and a round of drinks, came over to apologize personally, and did an impromptu round of sake bombs with us. And we hadn't even been kept waiting long, had other food in the interim, and might never have realized our order hadn't come on time. We essentially never stopped eating (especially once the free appetizers started showing up)...we just weren't eating in the order that chef felt best represented his restaurant, and he expected better from his staff. He took so much pride in his work that, while busy, he noticed an issue and corrected it before it was an issue to us, and he did it in such a way as to make me supremely confident of good service and sushi at his restaurant. (I will say that for take out, I favor Appare's chirashi. It just...doesn't...end. And has multiple types of preserves/ salads (octopus and seaweed). And more sushi than even I know what to do with.) Mizu is probably a fine place to go to be seen, hang out at the bar with a cocktail, and pretend you're into sushi, if that's still a reason to pay for a high-priced dinner and lousy service. But if you actually like sushi, I wouldn't recommend it, and if you're just starting out on sushi, absolutely not! you'll never eat it again. Wait, more for me. Yes, newcomers to sushi, you go there.
(2)
Tami P.
I've been here twice & absolutely loved it both times! Went on a Monday & a Thursday. The place was fairly empty so we were sat immediately. The wait staff was very quick and attentive.
(5)
Rachelle M.
I also rated wasabi with 3 stars. But the service here is much better. However, prices are in the extreme side. Servers are great and the food is good, but it is just a lit money wise for what you get. We usually get it to go, but have dined in a few times. The atmosphere is great when we have been there! But I would rather go to drunken fish for a better experience and more bang for our buck!
(3)
Nicki J.
Amazing! I have never liked sushi because I am super picky but I will come back so often now bc I ate the sex and city roll and it is heaven!!! The honey kiss martini is awesome too!!!! Thank you for a great first experience!
(5)
Tina P.
Excellent sushi!! Service was really good. Nice presentation. Would definitely go back!
(5)
Brendaa E.
Definitely a 5 star place, Great vibe, Amazing service and my teriyaki chicken entree was delicious. Their was a lady walking around making sure everything was good and our server was very polite.
(5)
Dana D.
Pretty good food. Great service. The best thing was their tempura, very crisp and fresh tasting.
(4)
Lauren M.
This place was amazing! And they honor groupon which is a great deal! The boyfriend and I bought the $20 groupon for $40 food. We enjoyed every minute of being there and every bite we took! You just have to get the hurricane roll, it's the best. And as for the California roll.... spicy is the way to go! Let's just say were coming back sometime this week but we're bringing 2 more couples with us! And let's not forget the $40 groupon for $80 worth of food. Also, happy hour.. 2-6 I believe? 1/2 off appetizers.... made my mouth water just reading about them!
(5)
Jen C.
We've been here about 6 times and every time it's excellent! The sushi is delicious and service is fantastic! Our go to for sushi :)
(5)
Elizabeth M.
Come here about once a month with the bf. Always good. Always pretty quick. I love that I can make my own veggie roll.
(4)
Yeqing T.
We went here for lunch on a Tuesday and we ordered the lunch specials. It took an hour for us to get our first dish out. Yes that's right. Our orders were out one by one and when I got mine others have already finished. The ramen tasted like supermarket ramen and the sushi is very dry and not fresh at all. Maybe there is only one chef in the kitchen. If you want a quick lunch, DO NOT COME HERE!!!!! In fact, DO NOT COME HERE NO MATTER WHAT!!
(1)
Rick W.
The service here was really great. My wife had never tried sushi and the waitress was very patient with us. Though she failed, she tried to point out some things that my wife would most likely be able to tolerate. I thought the sushi was delicious and would like to go back to try some of their specialty rolls. The only reason I held back from 5 stars is that it took a little while to get the check and pay. It wasn't a big deal because the basketball games were on but on any other night it would've been annoying.
(4)
Manzi M.
Tried this place last weekend. Contrary to many reviews, the service was good and very fast. We ordered 4 rolls, noodles, fried rice and chicken kabobs and surprisingly we got everything in less than 10 minutes! I had prepared my husband for a long wait and we were pleasantly surprised when our food showed up so fast. But that is where my good experience ended. The sushi was okay...we ordered emperial guard, sexy girl and Hurricane roll. My favorite was the sexy girl. The emperial guard's presentation was good and our son was very happy to see it, but it did not taste that good. As for the rice, I couldn't even eat it. The worst chicken friend rice I have ever had. It was too sticky. The kabobs...same story...one bite and I refused to eat. They were covered with some kind of sweet bbq sauce! And the Udon noodles, although edible, but nothing to be ordered again. On the whole, it was an okay experience for us. If I happen to go here next time, I will stick with the sushi menu.
(2)
Peter P.
I would say the lunch is really good for the price I had the tonkatsu lunch and it filled me up and I eat a lot lol
(4)
Sherry Y.
Just waited for over an hour for grilled mackeral. The Imperial, despite its popularity, was little bits of rice drenched in sauce. The edamame was monsterously salty. Tempura and vegetable appetizer was $15-- for barely anything!! The shrimp was literally the width of my wooden chopsticks. Waiter and manager never checked in with us either. Never coming here again.
(1)
Bo H.
I ordered ramen when I was there. The ramen was very disappointing. It is literally the instant ramen from supermarket. It's not Japanese ramen at all and it costs $9. I feel cheated when I was there. Never ever order the ramen!!!!!!!!!
(1)
Arin M.
Ate here one evening while in town on business. Had a couple rolls - Las Vegas and one recommended by the waiter. Woke up the next morning as sick as I've been in a long time. Stomach and Guts were killing me. Puked and spent 20 minutes trying to rid myself of this food. I will not be returning.
(1)
M J.
Pricey but worth it! Spicey Volcano Roll was outstanding. Best sushi I've had in a long time.
(5)
Allen H.
Poor, too bad, the service is very good. The sushi is sub-par and that is generous. Out of too many types of fish, some not fresh too. Most importantly, poorly made. They do not have good sushi chefs. If California rolls and spicy tuna rolls is what you search, ok. Again, nice staff and restaurant, however terrible sushi. I am pretty sure this place won't make it.
(1)
Beck E.
The service was friendly and fast, and the spicy yellowtail roll was legit spicy... but that might be the only positive things I have to say. I ordered one of the vegetarian sushi combos along with the aforementioned roll, and the vegetarian rolls were just not very good. The cucumber was dry, and the vegetable roll was unexpectedly sweet. Not terrible (hence 2 stars instead of 1), but I'm sure there is better sushi somewhere nearby, especially for the cost.
(2)
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Address :1013 Washington Ave
Saint Louis, MO, 63101
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Paul H.
Great happy hour M-F 2:00-6:00. Half price beer, wine, sake and apps. Shumai and gyoza are great. Sushi is fresh and good. Great place to stop after work for a quick bite and drink!
(4)John M.
everything was edible and the service was decent. tried it on a groupon for some pretty good value. after working at a japanese restaurant, i have certain expectations. the food here was a bit further from the originals than i could appreciate. a lot of great japanese staples were missing from the menu which wouldn't be crazy if they're just a sushi place. the shrimp in their soup was not tempura, edamame and soft shell crab were basically their only appetizers, their hot sake was pricy for such a small container. the sushi was okay but not thrilling. st louis has other places i will go for sushi and japanese food. mizu was not the best quality, variety, or the best value.
(2)Kel Vin W.
Tried this place with a livingsocial on a Thursday night. There were 2 other tables in the restaurant. Staff was friendly and sat us promptly. The prices for the sushi were certainly on the higher end in St Louis. We got 3 of the special rolls. The quality of the food was really not worth half the price of the sushi. There was hardly any taste to the sushi ingredients, any taste we could get was from the sauces doused on it. We also ordered a stir fried udon noodle with chicken. It was just noodles sitting in a puddle of teriyaki sauce, overly salty with no other flavor. Not to nitpick but the bottle that the sake came in was chipped, and a couple of the plates that the food was served in were chipped, minor details, but it adds up. Well, the livingsocial served it's purpose of getting me to try the place. I'm sorry, but I wont be back.
(2)Caprice F.
I came here tonight with a friend for dinner using a Groupon. It was my first time coming here. I had the New York Roll and the Mizu special roll. both were quite good. Once we got the bill, I was shocked to see that my martini was $11. that seems way too much for a cocktail. Because of the cool atmosphere, friendly service, and good sushi, I will probably come back. Now I at least know better than to order a signature martini there.
(4)Samantha A.
I found a Living Social deal for this place, so I decided to check it out. First, they have a really good selection of sushi (over 30 rolls) from your typical rolls (e.g., California, Shrimp Tempura) to more interesting rolls like a roll with chicken tempura. They also have several spicy rolls. Second, their menu has quite the variety. In addition to sushi, they also serve burgers, salads, and a variety of appetizers. Third, I really liked the ambiance. I know part of it may be the fact that we went on a weeknight, but I really enjoyed the calm, quiet space. It was clean and pretty sleek. Fourth, our server was very attentive and friendly. I will say that our food came out in a reasonable amount of time, but I wouldn't say it was quick. I found this surprising given how few people were dining at Mizu the night we went. Even with all of these positives, I still think this place probably isn't over 3.5 stars. The sushi was pretty good with a reasonable amount of fish in each roll, but it wasn't anything spectacular. Also, the prices are pretty typical. I got 4 rolls, my friend ordered the Japanese Chirashi, and our bill was $60 before tax. While I enjoyed my time here, I'm not sure I would come back without a Living Social or Groupon.
(3)Chris M.
I didn't have sushi, but their calamari appetizer was great. Happy Hour offers a great value, and service at the bar was friendly and speedy. If I lived in the area I could see myself being a semi-regular.
(4)Sarah M.
Every time I come here I feel at home. Good food, good atmosphere. The miso soup is highly recommended, it's cheap and is a huge portion! I usually get the rolls, my husband gets the sashimi. The rolls have always been awesome, with a good proportion of fish to rice. Never been disappointed here. Also, try the sake, especially for happy hour. 1/2 price!
(5)Ira S.
A friend recommended me this place while I was on a business trip in St. Louis but this place is average at best. Special chef roles are not that special...
(2)Xibei D.
Went for a weekday lunch. Our order started to come out after an hour and I got mine in one hour and half when my friends had finished theirs. There was nothing special about my order, just lunch box with grilled salmon. Could not understand why it took 90 minutes to grill a piece of salmon. It was not a full house at all. The waiter seemed to forgot our table he did not refill our water nor brought any silvers or plates to the table. We basically self-serviced. The only thing he did is to drop our dished to the wrong person. DOES NOT RECOMMENDED AT ALL!!!!!!
(1)Cynthia B.
Food was good. Waitress very attentive to accommodate our vegan and vegetarian needs. First time I had saki and she made a nice recommendation. Place filled up after we got there. Wasn't loud at all.
(5)Phil B.
Good food, wonderful staff. VERY CLEAN. Me and the wife come here often. I highly recommend monkey brains!!
(5)Shinwa C.
Pretty disappointed. We came here for dinner. Sushi rice was dry and barely any avocado in my sushi. And we also order Yaki udon is just way to salty!
(2)Rich K.
When we're downtown and craving some sushi, we usually try to stop in here. Service is always great, and on a calm weeknight in the city its a great place to sit out front and take in the city. Sushi selections always have a fresh flavor, and their rolls are flavorful and have great presentation. Atmosphere is normally great with the occasional busy evening where the noise level is a little higher. Highly recommend stopping in for dinner while on Washington Ave.
(5)Cindy A.
Sushi is ok, do not order anything tempura, greasy nasty, service is very very slow. Don't expect much.
(2)Sarah B.
This is one of my favorite sushi places in STL! The wait staff is always amazing and the sushi is to die for!! I have even gone in here alone to eat at the bar bc I was craving the food so badly. It IS a little pricier than some sushi places, but I think it's worth it. The nigiri is the best I have ever had. In addition, every now and then I see a groupon for Mizu. I usually buy two bc I KNOW I will be eating here. Make sure you try the Imperial Guard roll.. It comes out on fire, but tastes AMAZING and is my favorite thing on the menu. If you don't like one of the ingredients, they are more than willing to substitute or you have the option to "build your own roll"!
(5)Jon A.
Went a little after 3 pm on a Thursday. Only a couple patrons, so no surprise the service was good. Had the New Style California Roll, Sex in the City Roll, Rainbow Roll, and the Spicy Salmon Roll. All were good. Nice atmosphere. Would definitely eat there again.
(4)Mv B.
We went here with a groupon. Service was good, food was very good. Definitely worth a stop by. Fish was fresh. Toro was good and the blue fin was a little better than good.
(4)Paul I.
Sushi looked pretty darn fresh and tasted good too. The ramen is something I could make at home in 5 minutes, so don't waste your time on that. Not busy at all on week nights. Didn't have any wait or trouble getting a table. Places is huge and would work for larger groups.
(4)Marilynn P.
Pros: Good Sushi, good service, decent prices. Cons: Ambiance is tacky, parking can be difficult. I really love the crunchy tuna roll! But every sushi dish I tried here was delicious.
(3)Ellie H.
Great sushi but awful service. We got asparagus roll, vegetable roll, miso soups, and edamame. The vegetable roll is the best I've ever had. But, our waitress seemed high or something. She literally kept forgetting things, bringing people the wrong food, ect and didn't greet us, introduce herself, anything. She was very quiet and rude. Overall a good place, we just got a bad waitress
(3)Brooke B.
Fantastic! The spicy tuna is delicious! Their rolls are so impressive and the one I had came out on fire! I've been there twice in the last three days. It's delicious!!!
(5)Betty I.
the food was okey & a bit pricy. We spent 90s something for dinner for 2. We had Gyoza for appetizer, it was deep fried & pretty big then regular gyoza, taste is not that great. i order several maki roll, like Imperial, Volcano, Guardian, Hurricanne for me & my husband to try. It was okey. My husband also order some nigiri, dragon roll & shrimp tempura roll that he likes. Atmosphere is good, but service is slow & parking is hard to find.
(2)Dan M.
So this is a mediocre sushi joint sitting on Washington Ave and I know that is a poor starter but let me support the statement. The only reason we decided to come to this joint was because of a few things. We had never been here before, the cigar bar we were hoping to hit up was right across the street, and we were trying to eat a lighter fare. We stroll into the restaurant and it is absolutely huge inside. A huge tv projection is up on the wall and this place has an extensive sushi bar and alcohol selection on the wall. We were easily able to sit down as the place was pretty empty and a server immediately came over. So this server was brand new and I could see she was very sweet and trying to keep up but she honestly did not know anything about the menu or what the restaurant offered. We felt bad because she looked very nervous and she repeated a few times that it was her first week working. Not a huge issue for us but maybe the restaurant should think about training their employees a bit more? Anyway we ordered a slew of rolls to try out various flavors. Honestly, all of the sushi was very bland and a very poor ratio of fish to rice with them overkilling on the rice. There was also a roll which was filled with imitation crab which was just absolutely terrible. The rolls here are also very small in comparison to the Wasabi or Sushi Ai. A lot of the sushi itself here tasted frozen and a lot of the rolls had a strong fishy taste to it showing that it is just not fresh. The issue on top is that this place charges the standard prices for rolls which means very expensive for what you are getting. Honestly I just suggest that you avoid this place all together and stick with the other sushi joints in the city.
(2)Kimberly W.
Decided to hit up Mizu for the first time around 8pm Friday night. To my delight they were playing the Cards game on a huge wall at the back of the restaurant... with the sound on! Normally this would bother me at a place like this, but during post season it was much appreciated! The staff was super nice and attentive. Our server apologized that it took so long to bring out our sushi, when in actuality it came out crazy fast. We went with some sort of dumpling appetizer and 3 rolls, one of which was presented in foil shaped like a peacock engulfed in flames. I had never seen anything like it (and by the reactions of the tables around us, neither had anyone else). Sadly, the flames over cooked the roll a bit, but not enough to keep us from eating pretty much the entire thing. The Spider Roll was one of the best I've tried, covered with a really delicious sauce. My only complaint there was that it wasn't a bigger roll! Our third selection was something involving spicy tuna, which had a great flavor. My glass of wine was a huge pour (always appreciated!) and the kept our waters filled the whole meal (a small thing, but something I always find noteworthy). Good atmosphere and we didn't feel at all rushed to leave once we were finished eating. Great experience!
(4)Bonne L.
A little pricey, but really good food. We started with the dragon ball appetizer and it was delicious! I just wish there was more or that I didn't have to share it! I had the small sashimi platter and the portions of fish were very generous. My husband had the fire cracker roll with sliced jalapeño and extra saracha on top, he likes it really spicy, and he said it was great! He also had salmon roll, yellowtail roll, and phili roll, he said the rice was a little sweet, but the fish was very fresh. Overall I think we'll be back. :-)
(4)Hang T.
Skip everything else and get the Hurricane Roll!!! Most popular and absolutely delicious! I went here for lunch with my sister. We order the bulgogi, the shrimp tempura roll, and the yaki udon (stir fried udon noodles). On the recommendation of the waiter, we got the hurricane roll. It was the best part of the meal. Scallops and crab with this awesome spicy sauce on top. Yummm! There was complimentary miso, but it needed more miso or salt. The bulgogi was bland, the noodles was salty and had more vegetables than I would have liked, and the shrimp tempura roll was a shrimp tempura roll. The waiter was really nice, but when it came time to pay, my credit card was rejected twice. I started freaking out. Wasn't sure if it was because I was in a different location. Turns out that their credit card machine was being stupid and had to be restarted. Freaked out for nothing. This restaurant is decent, but I think I will go somewhere else for my Korean food needs.
(2)Bryan K.
I am from out of town and I have been going here for the last three nights in a row and have tried different rolls each night so I have tried a good majority of their Sushi and I must say it has been consistently above average taste for all of the rolls I have ordered. The service is pretty good as well as they always ask you if you need anything else and the waiters/waitresses are very friendly. Id recommend to anyone in the area.
(4)Jacqueline K.
Food was pretty good, and our server was attentive. For sushi in the midwest, it definitely satisfied my craving. The blue roll was delicious! But the rolls in general are small for the price, and don't bother with the cocktails ... they are $10 - $12 (at least the ones we got) - so more expensive than some rolls, and mine tasted like cough syrup!
(3)Neal N.
If I could post zero stars, I would. Wow! Very disappointing. Had been here several times before and enjoyed it. Tonight, not so much. Service wasn't awful nor were the rolls. But the rest, not good! The sashimi seemed frozen and thrown on the boat. The gin was not Hendricks and should have been. The teriyaki vegetables were cold and not well prepared at all. Unfortunately, I'll never go back!
(1)Drew T.
You know what's awesome about living downtown? There's a sushi joint right underneath me. Needless to say that Mizu gets a fair share of it's business just from me. The owner is friendly and acknowledges me by name. The staff is also friendly, and will usually stop and chat with me if I'm chilling by myself. Their sushi is good and their happy hour is what keeps me coming back. They offer 1/2 off appetizers, beer, sake, and wine. I'll usually treat a few of my friends due to this inexpensive offer. It's a pretty plain, clean interior and if you need to watch the big game they do it in grand fashion by projecting a big screen on the back wall. This is a great place for a date, fun with friends, or (as mentioned above) a great stop to enjoy some sushi and a game. If you're downtown and looking for sushi, skip over Wasabi and make your way into Mizu. You won't be disappointed.
(4)Erin G.
Mizu is my to go spot for sushi- they have have BLUEFIN nigiri, and its just the most wonderful piece of fish you can ever imagine, its worth the price. They also have ramen here which most people dont know about, but they do and its really good. The portion is HUGE, we get some nigiri and share this ramen, and make sure to get it spicy, thats the best. They also have my favorite sake, Hana Awaka, its like sipping heaven, and its pink. At happy hour, till 6 you can get them half off, but if you get there at say 5:45, you can order 3 bottles at one time, which I recommend because they are expensive. My only gripe with them is they have in the nigiri section giant clam and they never, ever, ever have it, like a year later and they still never had it and I am there 3 times a month, its time to take it off the menu because its disappointing every time.
(4)Eddy L.
I went here a few days ago ignoring the warnings from my coworkers that this place had bad sushi. But I went and was disappointed. They have the saltiest rice and the sushi seems like processed fish. I feel like they just get some frozen fish and grind it up and make the sushi.
(1)Dez E.
I actually REALLY like this place ... a lot. A friend and I purchased a Groupon and headed to this place for a meal this evening. This place is a bit expensive, but is actually worth it. In all, our bill was about $74 (before the $30 Groupon was applied). However, we purchased the following: -1 Crazy Roll - $8.95 -1 Spicy Tuna Roll - $6.95 -1 Spicy Salmon Roll - $6.95 -1 Spicy California Roll - $5.95 -2 Mizu Special Rolls - $10.95 (each) -1 Hurricane Roll - $9.95 -2 Bowls of Miso (larger than the average) - $1.95 -1 Soft Drink - $1.95 Overall, everything was fantastic! The Miso was the BEST I've ever had. The service was fantastic, as previously mentioned. The Mizu roll was amazing ... so amazing, in fact, that we purchased two. The crazy roll was amazing and the spicy tuna was, as well. The fish was so fresh, and it just made me so happy. This is one of the better sushi places in the St. Louis area. I would recommend going during happy hour to save a little money, but if not, it's worth the splurge. Also, it's located in the heart of Washington Avenue, and it's got classy decor ... and a huge TV. Just saying.
(5)Michelle B.
Went there a few times for dinner. Our experience went from good to bad. We will not be going back. Here's why: The hot tea tasted stale and like stale coffee not green tea. must be using the same pot or some funny "green tea" The sushi rolls were horrible--the avocado was brown and its rotten flavor overwhelmed the freshness of the raw fish. some of the fish on the rainbow roll was very fishy. the rice was overcooked. it was mushy and lacked any acidity or flavor.the salmon looked really pale and had no flavor. seems like the owners are trying to cut corners underestimating their clients' taste... sadly the space was full Nice ambience and owners but not a sushi place. a good daring spot if you're not hungry.
(2)Abby S.
5 stars for the service, hands down! Came here on a busy Tuesday afternoon around lunch time and this sushi spot was bangin'! There must have been a convention going on, because the restaurant was swarming with people who had on those dorky lanyard name tags. I have a few of those myself, but make it a point to take them off as soon as I've left the premises of the conference. But back to the service. So it's busy, even at the bar. But the guy behind the bar helped me right away with my to-go order. He offered to let me sit and wait, but I told him it was no problem to come back in 20-30 min. He apologized for the wait, but it was a gorgeous day and I was happy to wander Washington for a few. When I came back, the order was ready and the guy behind the bar remembered me right away. Don't you hate it when they can't even remember your face, let alone your order? Not a problem with this gentleman. Maybe it's the heart-shaped sunglasses or maybe he just has an amazing memory... who knows? Sushi was OK. It could be because I ordered a kind of crazy roll - Sex And the City. It was breaded in corn flakes and once it cooled off (and taken to-go), it wasn't so great. But I bet it'd be much better if I had dined in. Either way, I was really impressed with the friendly, personable service. Would definitely go back on a day that wasn't so crazy busy.
(4)Cara H.
I visited this restaurant with my boyfriend on a Friday afternoon. We had seen it several times before while out and about on Wash. Ave and were finally making a point to try it. Overall, I was really impressed. I am usually pretty selective about sushi joints, and since moving to the St. Louis area, this is by far my favorite. Their lunch menu was very reasonably priced, and I ordered the Shrimp Tempura bento box. Like some of the other reviewers mentioned, there was a TON of food. The serving of tempura was very generous, and the batter was perfectly crisp. It did not become soggy as it cooled off, as some batters tend to do. The dumplings were a nice touch, and the miso soup was more flavorful than other versions that I have tried. The service was friendly and helpful, and our waitress was very knowledgable about the different specialty rolls. This was the only downside - the list was so extensive that we had trouble deciding what to order. It was a little overwhelming, and some of the rolls seemed very similar to others. But this just means that we will be making a return trip to try some other menu items. Overall, very good choice for lunch if you can afford to take a 45-60 minute break from the office.
(4)Steve W.
This place is the worst sushi bar in downtown. Service sucks. Owner picks his nose around the place. Their ramen comes from the package and the server told me it wasn't. Just not good.
(1)Anna A.
We loved this place! The prices were generally under $10 for meals and under $5 for a roll of sushi. The vegetarian tofu burger was honestly the best I've had! To top it all off, the staff was super pleasant and attentive and the general atmosphere was very hip. I highly recommend this place.
(5)Gaetano A.
There was one special sushi roll (they cover with aluminum foil and set on fire at the table) that tasted good. The rest was not that great, and the sashimi wasn't good. Our waitress was nice, though. We like Wasabi better, and it's only a few blocks away, if you're looking for sushi in the downtown area.
(2)Kate B.
I have not eaten here in years and I've been meaning to go back! I think I ate here around the time when they first opened. I recall them being known for their very well made fusion rolls. The decor is sort of modern and trendy with a hint of "zen" for good measure. The prices are kind of outrageous but what do you expect? The words "downtown" and "sushi bar" should key you in there. I forgot the name of the roll I ordered but it was basically a roll baked inside aluminum foil and the aluminum foil was fashioned into the shape of a viking boat or something, was salted, and then lit on fire. It was......pretty crazy! I remember the menu listing the ingredients for it and then saying "Plus a surprise!" And I wondered what "the surprise" is....now I know!
(4)Chris Z.
Aside from a few negatives, I really enjoyed this place. Mizu is at the end of the Washington Street bars across from Prime 1000. We had a reservation for the night but were seated at the table right by the front door. The hostess (who I think was the owner) understood that this was problematic as the door closes slowly and it was under 20 outside. When another table in a better part of the restaurant opened up, she reseated us. Our server was very nice and accommodating. We started off with an appetizer of dragon balls and seaweed salad. Both were very good. The server also brought a complimentary order of miso soup. For our entrees, we had the Imperial Roll, Volcano Roll, and salmon skin hand rolls. The Imperial Roll and Volcano Roll both are served over a plate of fire which makes presentation unique. Although the Volcano Roll was good, it was exceeded by the flavor in the Imperial Roll. It had an open BBQ taste which was unique for a sushi roll. Prices were adequate for what we received especially since we were eating off of Washington St. For all of the items above (no drinks) we spent ~$60 plus tip. If you are looking for a downtown spot for sushi, Mizu offers a unique experience with a large selection of items and good service. The only negatives are parking (as with all the Washington establishments) and the seating. I know it seems petty but the whole place gets cold when that door is open. Even in the new seats at the other end of the restaurant we could feel a draft. My GF wore her coat throughout the meal.
(4)Timothy G.
It's time for a St. Louis sushi review! Do I make a point about how we're in the middle of the United States? Hell no. Because they don't catch yellowfin in the East River. Hell, there's fish and seafood that they catch in the USA and ship to Japan. Are they complaining? No. So in case I haven't been clear, I don't care if you've eaten snow monkey balls on Mt. Fuji (which really has nothing to do with sushi), just shut up about St. Louis not being next to an ocean. Please. Mini-rant over. So, on to the goodness that is Mizu. So the beautiful wife and I finally hit Mizu, and I'm glad we did! First off, they have a happy hour that runs 2:30 until 7:00. 2:30! That's not a happy hour, it's a freaking happy half day. And what do you get? 1/2 off wine, beer, sake and appetizers. So that crazy expensive sake you've always wanted to try? It's cheap(er)! I'm going to refrain from an extraordinary long review because many others have covered the positive points. I just have to add that I had some of the best bluefin ever. And the sweet shrimp, amazing. Oh, at the recommendation of our server, they deep fried the shrimp heads for us. Delicious! And the wife discovered the Hana Awake sake. It's carbonated and sweet. Only minor negative was that they were out of both the sea urchin and anago (sea eel).
(4)Joshua C.
A friend of mine told me that we were going to "Mizu" to eat. Not gonna lie, at first I thought she meant "Mizzou," which clearly didn't make sense. Who goes to a university to eat? When I learned that she was taking me and a couple others to eat at Mizu Sushi Bar, I was pretty excited! The location is great and the atmosphere is very nice. The service was good and super friendly. They also have a giant screen for sports fans, which is also a plus. When the food came out, I was very excited. We had an assortment of sushi pieces (tuna, salmon, etc.) as well as some great rolls. I am a huge fan of unagi (eel), and was very pleased with the rolls that had it. We also had the classic Spider roll as well as few others. The coolest roll by far is called "The Imperial Guard," which came wrapped in foil that was shaped like a swan and had a fire going underneath it! I know it sounds amazing, and the taste was also just as good as the presentation. It has shrimp tempura, crab meat, avocado on the inside and eel, tobiko (fish eggs) and spicy mayo and special sauce on top. I'd recommend you try it! It could add to the fun if you're out on a date. All in all, the night was very fun and enjoyable. The atmosphere was nice and the sushi quality was all very good and fresh. With all that in mind, it is definitely a notch above the other sushi places i have tried so far. Go check this place out if you get the chance! Special thanks to my friend for taking us here! Extra Tip: I realize that it is a sushi bar, but if you enjoy cooked fish, you have to try their "himachi," which is cooked yellowtail. It was cooked so well and the taste was amazing! It wasn't gamy at all and was so soft. I would even go back just for some more of it!
(5)Chris B.
Mizu is located a half-block from where I live and I love sushi, so it would have to be pretty bad for me to give this place a bad review. Eating a boat load of sushi and waddling home is my idea of a good Tuesday. The service is friendly and the sushi, while not the best I've had, is very good. I also like that (unlike most sushi restarurants) there are TVs so I can watch the game while I devour sushi. My personal favorites here are the Rams Roll, the Vegas Roll and the Imperial something or the other (which comes in a big foil thing and is on fire). All in all, between sushi, tv and proximity to my home, this is the sushi restaurant I patronize most often.
(4)Paolo D.
Not sure what compelled me to go for sushi in the the farthest point from any ocean. Perhaps west coast homesickness? I went in with low expectations, which were well met: the fish is OK and the prices are outrageous for nigiri. Something noteworthy? well, the ikura was actually fresh, and that took me by fishy surprise!
(3)Justin S.
Wait staff is friendly and attentive but prices for frozen fish are a bit outrageous. You won't find much better but then again, that's not saying much. I find Mizu to be a bit of a gouge and believe the location to be the only reason worth a return visit.
(2)Albert M.
I ordered a set of sashimi labeled the "Chef's Choice" and it was not up-to-par for an upscale sushi restaurant. The fish is certainly not sashimi grade and like the other reviews about the taste, it was cold, bland and had a freezer burn texture. The chef didn't cut the fish to the right dimensions either, it looked like somebody took a slab of fish and chopped it up on a block. Particularly with the yellowtail, you can tell the knifework was godawful as some bits of the fish got sheared off. Good sashimi comes from good knifework and careful cutting. Either the chef preparing the fish was lazy or did not have that passion. I had a couple pieces of the sashimi and was so disgusted by the taste I ended up not finishing 5 pieces, what a waste of money... I ended up ordering room service dessert from my hotel to wash out that taste. Like all great restaurants, you have to have the basics right. If you can't even get the fish right, then you don't deserve to be called a japanese sushi restaurant. A bit of business advice to the owners, don't feel obligated to sell sashimi because you're labeled a sushi restaurant, especially if you lack the expertise or discipline to prepare the product. If you're going to sell half-ass sashimi, don't bother selling it at all. I would even go as far stop selling raw fish in general if you're skimping on quality and preparation. People who know what they're eating WILL call you out.
(1)Kristin W.
Very very slow and poor service. Food came out at completely different time. Half the table was finished eating by the time the rest of the food came. though it's Saturday night, it shouldn't have taken so long. Food was okaym
(1)Paul M.
Bottom-line-up-front (BLUF)--If you live downtown or nearby, you can't go wrong with Mizu. I'm gonna pile on the Eli-is-a-douche-bag bandwagon before I start my review. I've lived in Japan (and been treated to sushi elite), CA, RI, VA, DC, FL, TN, MO and IL and enjoyed sushi in every one of my adopted cities at a local favorite sushi bar/restaurant. I've also enjoyed sushi in dozens of cities around the world as a one-time visitor. What I have found, is that sushi is sushi is sushi...and it's all pretty great (save for my first ever visit to Sushi-go-round in Sasebo, Japan...which almost ruined sushi for me forever). I have spent over $100 for one or as little as $29 for an all-you-can-eat experience...and it was all just about delicious. I will say, that because of my above opinion, once I find a place that is close by and relatively low-cost, I'm not going to be too anxious to run all over the city looking for a better place. They are all within small degrees of each other and driving 15 miles for minutely better but pricier isn't going to do it for me. If you walk in the door with a chip on your shoulder, you're gonna find a way to be a hater. So...stay home Eli. Mizu is great to outstanding. I've never been to Wasabi or Drunken Fish. I suspect they are good/great too. I just don't want to wait in line or drive 5 miles and sweat parking when I can walk or cab downtown and find ample parking. Mizu goes way above and beyond to ensure a great dining experience. As mentioned, the daily Sushi Happy Hour means half-price drinks and apps from 2:30-7 p.m. Large bottles of Asahi or Can of Sapporo for $3.50 is a great draw. Plenty of interesting original rolls or standard sushi items. Everything tastes great to me and I have brought in out of town sushi fans and they loved it too. Darn it...I'm feeling a sushi crave coming on.
(4)Fei-Fei K.
Like any of my other food experiences, I went with my friend Mary to this place. I was totally in the mood for something Asian. Just not Chinese (since I'm Chinese) and not Vietnamese (since Mary's vietnamese). So Japanese sounded perfect!! I was searching a heck of a lot of places before I had to go and pick Mary up. I finally came up with this place. It looked super yummy, and one of my biggest food favorites is BBQ short beef ribs. They're like...my drug or something because I always order that if I find it on the menu. So let me start with when we arrived. I was driving (so obviously parking might've been an issue). Mizu doesn't have a parking lot, so it's all street parking, luckily Mizu is near a street intersection so I got a very good parking spot on that street and we just walked on over to Mizu.The host was very friendly as was the waitress. Some reallllllly good service here. She even helped Mary (who always loves to try new things) with what she should pick. So when I looked at the menu they had both tempura and BBQ short ribs, and I was in a knot as to what to choose. So I decided to order both, bringing back the BBQ Short rib back to my brother because he's as obsessed with them as I was! I ordered the Tempura (which came with vegetables and shrimp...only since I'm allergic to shrimp, I got all vegetable instead). I was a bit disappointed that the tempura wasn't an option for an appetizer so since both the tempura and short ribs were entrees, I ended up paying about $40 just for myself and my brother. It's not that it was bad, it's just that I feel like it would've been better if either the portions were larger to fit the price, or the price was lower. All in all, I enjoyed my experience here. Maybe when I get more money, I'll come back. Haha.
(4)Mina I.
I am definitely a new fan of this place. Some girlfriends were in town so we decided to grab dinner before heading to the bars before the eve of Thanksgiving. I am so glad we decided on this sushi bar because when we all got there at 8:00pm, there were only 3 other tables busy which meant we would get great service. There were 6 of us there and our drinks and dinner order came out very quickly. Our server was very attentive and was quick to make sure we were all happy. I ordered their chocolate martini, which was devine and their edamande and their California, Philly and shrimp tempura rolls which were all delicious! I highly recommend this place and will eat here if I am in the downtown area!
(4)Makakaualii R.
I visited this establishment a few times when I was on business there. Me coming from Hawaii and enjoy asian food, this establish had the great asian food and it was worth going there for the second time. The prices were reasonable and the servers were great and attentive. But it was slow and need to boost up customers but that's just my suggestion or better marketing. But I enjoyed it. I won't be in St. Louis for awhile but if I do I'll surely come in for the short ribs!!!!
(4)Eva N.
I went during lunchtime and ordered their chicken teriyaki lunch box. It was tasty, but more important, I couldn't believe how much food came with it, especially for being so cheap! (Definitely check out their online menu to get a sense of what they offer). I will definitely come back for good food and great deals. Also, I want to share that the wait staff was very accommodating and friendly. I felt well taken care of, making for an enjoyable lunch-time visit.
(4)Mary D.
I wish I could give this place 3.5 stars instead of just three! Mizu is a great choice if you're looking for a place with a stellar atmosphere and chic decor. But, if you're looking for a quality dining experience, go elsewhere. The waitress looked as if she wanted to pull her hair out whenever she was running between tables, but once she arrived at the tables, she was all smiles and sunshine, haha. I don't know what that does to the emotional/psychological health of a person, but she seemed to be holding it together. I ordered the "California Hand Roll" and the "Shrimp Tempura". The food arrived in about 13 minutes which is average waiting time. The roll was fine but not outstanding; it was on the level of sushi plates at the mall's food court. The entree plate wasn't worth the $16.95. I could have spent that money at a different sushi restaurant and been more satisfied. I understand that the dishes are supposed to display a trés contemporary look, but it wasn't working for me; and, the sauce was extremely sweet, almost in a high-fructose corn syrup way :/ The service and everything else was fine. I will give this place another chance in the future. Hopefully they improve.
(3)Tiffany H.
There is MUCH better sushi and service to be had on Washington Ave. Go to WASABI where the sushi is fresh and service is always honest. I have gone to this place, regretfully, three times. The first was to try it, the other two were because I was in a group of people and had no choice. I tried to warn them... I have to say that EACH TIME I have been here, I've been ripped off. It is apparent that they have a "system" that a lot of people must not catch onto. In each instance, I ordered a roll (and remembered the ingredients of each) and was served something that looked similar, but clearly was not the $12 roll I ordered. Some were missing the tobiko, some the tuna (really?), some did not have a sauce as promised. Each time I'd mention it: "Excuse me, didn't this roll have tuna?" and I'd either be told I was wrong, or they were out. Really? Out of tuna? I ordered a roll that had salmon and tuna and you just decided to serve me a roll with salmon in it and not mention the lack of tuna in the restaurant today? And/or I would order a certain piece of sushi or an extra roll, never get it, then find it on my bill. Which, by the way, would never be removed. They don't do that at Mizu. You will pay for it no matter how much you complain. Nice, huh? At the end of each visit, I would complain (this is NOT something I do regularly. But I was seeing a pattern..). I told them I did not get what I ordered, and each time was addressed the same way: I was wrong. I didn't order that. I must think I ordered something I didn't. Or that's what I ordered, and that's what I'm paying for, even if I didn't get it or they were out of a main ingredient. So the third time this happened, I left no tip. Also something I NEVER DO and something I'd never done before. That was my way of showing I was dissatisfied 100% with the service. And I consider that kind of huge, coming from a person who insists on tipping 20% even for somewhat average service. This place is just... different. Further, the food is gross. Anyone who gives this place a good review on flavor clearly has no knowledge of sushi or taste buds. The fish is always tasteless, the rice is sometimes not fully cooked (ew), and for the fish that isn't tasteless, it's just purely fishy, like it's not fresh (double ew). Like I said, go to Wasabi. It's the only place we go, and we are never let down (after 7 years of being regulars). I have not been to Mizu in quite some time, and honestly I have no idea how they stay in business, but diner beware.
(1)Andy C.
Very nice people, great service and great Sushi. Had the Hurricane Rolls. Excellent as always. Also the Sexy Girl Rolls. Place very comfortable. Angela , who served me, pleasant and outstanding. Look forward to my next visit, which will be soon! Can't go wrong. I really enjoy Mizu.
(5)Andy T.
This place used to be good, and I felt they had a bright culinary future, but when I re visited STL I ate here and was in horror. The previous time I was there (several months prior) I was overcharged by $100 by a server, and never fully refunded until I filed a banking dispute. The waitress somehow 'mistakenly' tipped herself too much, uh huh. I was told later that I would be 'taken care of" when I came back in. This never happened, and all I was offered was a "free desert". The rolls we ordered were tasteless, and poorly presented..and seriously lacked the freshness it previously had. The quality was just no longer there, and keep in mind we used to drive 15miles each way to eat here. This place went completely down the drain.
(2)Timothy A.
Mizu is a great sushi bar to go to, don't know if it's because they never close between lunch and dinner. Their nigiri tastes as fresh as can be for being in the middle of the U.S. they have plenty of variety for their rolls and are nice and attentive! Highly suggest here for yummy sushi!
(4)Jolena S.
We redeemed our Groupon for Mizu last night and had a terrible experience. I made a 7pm reservation and mentioned the Groupon per the instructions. We got there on time and were seated immediately by very harried staff who complained about how busy they'd been. This should've been our first warning of what was to come. I am understanding of a busy restaurant and the strain that puts on the staff, I used to work at restaurants in high school and college. So I gave them a little leeway for the wait we experienced just to order. We got the Dragon Ball appetizer and it took upwards of 20 minutes to come out. It tasted excellent. Then we had another 20 minute wait after it had been cleared before we got 2 of the 3 rolls we ordered. The waitress said our 3rd roll would be out soon. We finished the 2 rolls (they were tasty), they cleared the dishes and at 8pm we asked the waitress about our 3rd roll (the Imperial Guard roll). She said the sushi chefs had forgotten it and asked if we still wanted it. I asked how long it would take. She said 10 minutes and we said sure (at this point we had invested enough time that another 10 minutes would be fine). She talked to the kitchen. We were in earshot of this conversation and the kitchen fought with her that she didn't put the order in. So the 10 minute wait turned into another 20 minutes and we finally got our waitress and told her never mind that we wanted the check (sans 3rd roll). We overheard her talking to the kitchen again and they fought with her again. We got our check and left. We will not go back. During our prolonged wait for the 3rd roll I inquired with a person bussing the table next to us about a really neat roll that was delivered in aluminum foil and flaming. That was the roll we never got. We had watched 3 other tables get that roll delivered to them while ours never was. We also watched the tables around us get their entire meals and leave in the time it took us to get 1 appetizer and 2 rolls. We invested an hour and a half and ended up stopping at White Castle on the way home.
(1)Kerry T.
I get the tonkatsu lunch bento box and it is super crispy and not over-cooked. Their salad is the best I've had in a Japanese restaurant with a fresh spring mix (as opposed to iceberg) and a creamy ginger dressing. They also serve 2 pan-seared pork gyoza and 4 pieces of California Roll with lots of avocado. For $10, you cannot beat the amazing taste and quality! I have also tried several sushi rolls including the crunchy, which is amazing! Instead of the typical shrimp tempura roll with tempura flakes on top, Mizu serves a spicy tuna roll plus avocado with crunchy tempura flakes on top and it is mouth-watering! The philly roll, tempura-fried, is fantastic as well. Service is always great- you are in and out at lunch time! I have been here for lunch 4-5 times and it is just as phenomenal each time. I recently went twice after having not been for over a year. We went on my recommendation, with several very picky eaters, so I was hoping that it would be as great as I remembered. Everyone loved it!
(5)Julianne M.
Loved the sushi! We sat outside on a nice day, great atmosphere downtown!
(5)Kelly B.
Holy fresh calamari!! Mizu is a traditional sushi house located on Washington Avenue. It's a fairly large venue with outdoor seating and a large screen TV. Service is great and the sushi is good, as well. Prices are average. The stand out item for me is the calamari. This is some of the best/freshest calamari I have had. Tempura battered calamari that they prepare from scratch and it tastes fresh. How can it get any better? Weekdays they offer it at 1/2 price during happy hour. I wish they had happy hour specials on the sushi here, but I'll settle for cheap, awesome calamari. YUM!
(4)Jessica B.
This is the best sushi in the city. It is delicious and you get a TON for the price. I have always had attentive, excellent service. They helped me use my chopsticks, suggested the right saki, always came by to make sure everything was okay, gave plenty of refills etc. I have never had bad food from there. I got sushi and fried rice once and had enough for three days meals! So good.
(5)Jukes N.
The most impressive part of Mizu is the excellent hospitality and service. The wait staff is as good as it gets. The atmosphere is great too. Good music playing, but not too loud so it's easy to have a conversation. They also have a big screen projection tv. The food was good and not too expensive. I got the crunch roll which was very good and the tempura udon which was HUGE and good. The owners are Korean so they serve Korean bbq as well. The short ribs were good but too fatty for my liking. Be sure to ask for the spaghetti pretzels. They're good and also fun to munch on before your food arrives.
(4)Nowell G.
Downtown can be dead on Tuesday nights, but that didn't stop Mizu from offering a wonderful experience with great food. For some reason or another, a few of its servers were hanging outside. They smiled and one of them opened the door for us, which is surprising since that rarely happens for me Downtown. Our server was very polite and offered us a seat at the sushi bar so we can see our food in action. At first, I thought she was just pawning off a two-top off to another server but she stuck with us to the end. Her knowledge of the menu and the genuine way she described her favorite items sold us on a Dragon Ball, which was supposed to be an appetizer, but can be eaten as a meal. It was a tempura battered, deep-fried monster roll that seemed more like a burrito than sushi roll... Until they let it rest and cut it into ginormous, futomaki-on-steroids slices. Inside was a mass of neo-sushi, spice-creaminess finished with a crisp. Lovely... But was a TON of food. Thankfully, a cup of very strong green tea hit the spot after that kind of spicy madness. We ordered a chef's choice sushi plate and unagi (eel) bowl. What I really liked was that the server suggested that we share the sushi plate and treat the unagi bowl like another course, which is what we normally do at sushi places but was a welcome understanding of the logistics of preparing sushi (fast) compared to the assembly of a good unagi bowl (more about that in a bit). The sushi chef was friendly and let us take photos of him while he sliced his way into our heart via sushi, which was fresh and just above room temperature. The delicate nigiri and rolls were served on top of a drizzle of sweet soy sauce, which just the right amount to accent the fish and rice without dipping them into soy ourselves. Our unagi bowl was simply fantastic. Probably the prettiest unagi bowl in town in my opinion. The eel wasn't overdone and was a healthy portion. It was garnished with two large slices of VERY tasty tamago (japanese omelet), shrimp, seaweed strips, and a wonderfully seasoned rice (not my favorite sushi rice, but up there). My only concern was that the plate might have been a little too busy for what I might consider a comfort food. Now, on to dessert! Our server suggested that we get the deep fried green tea ice cream. Yes, it was more fried stuff, but hey, she was on a roll with her menu choices. When this "dessert" came out, I blurted: "You're f***ing kidding me??" She smiled and set down this bowl, containing a meteoric fried ball of green tea ice cream, which seemed to be coated in white cake batter, panko crusted and deep fried. Slice that in half for a dramatic effect and throw some whipped cream in there and you have yourself a COMMITMENT. The only downside to Mizu is that while I love the way they're liberal with their portions, it's not what I want when I go out for sushi (most times). A sushi outing should be an appreciation of fresh sea food, and complete satisfaction. While I experienced both fresh and satisfaction, my distended belly made me realize that I over ordered. The next time around, I'll be more conservative on what I order. Great place!
(4)Sara L.
This place is weird. It has the ambience of a hip restaurant and a sports bar at the same time. It's just strange. For that reason, and the fact I don't eat sushi, I would give it three stars. BUT, my husband, who has taken me now to several sushi spots in St. Louis, thinks THIS place is his favorite. Go figure. So I guess it's really good. The tempura here isn't as good as at Kampai by far. But it wasn't bad. It was just standard.
(4)Lia L.
This is one of my mom's new favorite places since she works in St. Louis and has been trying new places in the city to visit. I came to visit in November and asked that she take me there for some sushi. We brought my dad along and we weren't sure if he'd enjoy trying sushi, so we ordered several appetizers including the calamari, soft shelled crab, and the mussels as well as a few rolls of sushi. Everything we ordered was magnificent, the service was fine, they played cool music, and I was happy that my dad even enjoyed the sushi (and he's a guy who won't eat tomatoes because they're "slimy"). I'll definitely go again when I'm back in town! Go during "happy hour" and appetizers are half off. Our dinner was such a good deal because we were there at the right time.
(4)Megan K.
Good spicy tuna! Fun cocktails and chill environment!
(3)Ben S.
Great place - great service - great food...what more needs to be said?
(5)Ryan L.
I'm not a huge sushi fan, so this review may be biased. However, the restaurant was still pretty good. The atmosphere is nice, with a fully-visible sushi bar. The service was fairly good, but not overly attentive. Because I don't eat much sushi, I got a fusion bowl, which was fairly good, but didn't have a whole lot of flavor. The steak that was in the bowl was good, but it was otherwise somewhat bland. Also, for the price, I would have expected a little more food. Nonetheless, it was fairly good, and everyone who had sushi said they really liked it.
(3)Leslie B.
Thursday night at Mizu was a wonderful experience. This was my second visit and the service both times has been impeccable. The wait staff are very nice and attentive and I've never been unhappy with the service. I'm a recent convert to sushi so I can't really grade the food but the bf is a sushi fan and he loves this place so it must be good. Last night we went during happy hour when apps are 1/2 off and they have drink specials. We had miso soup, edamame and two apps - Fire Cracker & Heart Attack- to start. YUM! Everything was delicious. By the time we got done with apps we were pretty much done for.. We did have a rainbow roll which was also very tasty. All in all, another wonderful meal at Mizu. We'll be back fo sho.
(5)John B.
Very good service - friendly and efficient. Sushi is average and not overly expensive for the area. I hated the blaring rap music, which was especially jarring in a sushi place. Nothing to go out of your way for. About equal quality to Drunken Fish, without the pretension and price.
(3)Kristin L.
Went here 3 times while in town for a convention, and it was delish! They have a great happy hour with 1/2 price wine, beer and apps from 5-7pm which was great. The quality of the sushi and sashimi was fantastic and the prices were right on too. Definitely stop in and try it! Mizu is way better than Wasabi just FYI.
(5)Stephen G.
Outstanding Sushi! I have been to many sushi restaurants in the area this one is by far the best! Great atmosphere, and great patio dining on a gorgeous day. Try the Mizu special roll....you will not be disappointed!
(5)Jon J.
Mizu Decent food and service ruined by ownership cheapness. The beautiful wife and I decided to try this place out the other day as it is nearby our usual Japanese place (Wasabi) and wanted to try something different. The place has a nice overall look and feel. The servers were pretty good. We ordered a spicy tuna roll, udon noodles, and the Mizu fusion bowl which was basically like bulgogi with rice and some veggies. Kind of like a bibimbap without the egg. Overall the food was decent but nothing amazing. The spicy tuna tasted good, but the rolls weren't as tight, and the sushi tended to fall apart a little more than it should. Also, the thickness of the rice layer in the sushi was more variable and generally thicker than at other Japanese restaurants such as Wasabi or Chi. This caused the flavor to be a little more lost. The spicy tuna filling was comparable to Wasabi. The bulgogi in the fusion bowl was a little dry and kind of bland compared to other places such as JuJu's or Hoagie city. The quality of the udon noodles was a little less than Wasabi as was the broth but still pretty decent. Overall I'd give the food a solid 3 stars. The servers were 4 star. So why the 1 star review? Unfortunately there was an issue with the diet coke I ordered. After taking a sip it was clear to me that the fountain that it came from was not using enough syrup. Hence the soda was much more watery tasting. Not a problem. I sent it back, explaining to the server what the situation was and asking for some coffee instead. Well a few minutes later the server came back to explain that the they had "fixed" the soda machine and that I should try it again. I took a taste, and while it seemed a little better it still wasn't what it should be. So I said that I would prefer it be taken off my bill and that I didn't want it. The server explained to me that in any case, the owner refused to give me a refund on my soda and left the "soda" on the table. This is completely unacceptable. I have never once heard of a restaurant that wouldn't cancel a soft drink order when the soft drink doesn't taste right. That the owner would charge me for a soda that likely costs him 20 cents at most to make instead of just take it off my bill is not only bad service but downright insulting. When I calmly pointed this out to the server, she said that she would approach the owner about this a second time but was not looking very hopeful that he would change his mind. I told her not to worry about it. At nearly every restaurant, removing a charge for something that tastes bad and is returned uneaten is standard operating procedure. Not so at Mizu. It seems that the owner would do anything to save 20 cents even if it means insulting his customers. Bottom line, the food and service were still not as good as Wasabi so I doubt we will be going back any time soon. I probably would have returned every so often just for something a little bit different but at this point, I have no interest in rewarding an owner like that with repeat business.
(1)Stuart C.
I had dinner here on a Tuesday night. The experience was pleasant and the food was good but not spectacular. I had a tempura roll that was okay - the tempura shrimp seemed to have a heavy batter coating, not a light tempura coating. A Firecracker appetizer of spicy tuna and chopped tomato, served with won Tom chips, was tasty, but the chips were very dense. The bulgogi entree had beef sliced so thinly that it almost shredded, and the meat didn't carry the barbecue flavor well. The restaurant is spacious with high ceilings. The staff are friendly. I recommend the restaurant as a good basic Japanese place.
(3)Jenny P.
Came here for lunch with a girlfriend and had an enjoyable experience! We had the edemame, california roll, shrimp tempura roll, and sex and the city roll and they all were fresh and delicious. Prices were very reasonable too as we had all of the above items and it only cost $30 before tip. Not too shabby! Great location right in the heart of Washington Ave., which means street parking only. This can be difficult in the evenings or during the lunch rush. The service was prompt and friendly. They have several basic non-sushi selections on the lunch menu for those of you who may get tricked into coming here and don't like the idea of a raw meal. The look of the place inside and out is nothing special, but I came here to eat yummy sushi and the mission was accomplished! Would like to come back again and try them for dinner and cocktails.
(4)Michelle M.
Did you know? Mizu has happy hour Monday through Friday 4:30pm to 7pm which offers half off appetizers, beer, and drinks! It's a cute little restaurant my boyfriend and I went to in downtown St. Louis. The decor is nice, but its kinda out of place. It just doesn't match the Japanese aura that they tried to set. It's clean, but kinda weird. We started off with the half off appetizers which are an okay deal. Most of the things ended up being $5 even though it was on special. We first got the dragonball, which isn't really an appetizer. It's just a roll that has been deep fried and covered with aioli and siracha (spicy sauce). We also got the monkey brains, which is the same thing but mushrooms deep fried and covered with sauce. They didn't have like tuna tataki or whatever. I just felt like they could have just been regular rolls on the sushi menu. Actually, I prob would have gotten one of those and would have enjoyed it more. For our main dish, we got an unagi bowl to share. It did come with lots of unagi, but I didn't really get a good char on mine. It was also a bit fishy, just like how our crazy roll was. It was also really small and skinny. I didn't feel really impressed with all of the spicy aioli sauce they put all over the top and covered it with tempura crumbs, which looked like hamster bedding. Overall, I wasn't really impressed. The prices were okay and the food was okay too. I got what I paid for... and it wasn't awful, but I wouldn't return again.
(2)Christine M.
I've been in the 'Lou for almost a whole week now! Having relocated due to my husband's transfer and promotion, we are now permanent St. Louisers or St. Louisians... whatever you want to call us. To be honest, I'm not sure how I felt about the move from the suburbs of Washington, DC to the Midwest. I just keep hoping for the best. I kept waiting for a sign... for something to tell me, you're not alone... you belong. That's when we stumbled upon Mizu, conveniently located right downstairs from my loft! I'm not gonna lie. I was disappointed when I read Eli's review. I started doubting how likable this place was, I started thinking to myself, do you even KNOW sushi?! But the fact of the matter is, everyone's a critic these days, and sometimes, it's unfair to review a place after just eating there for one lunch or one dinner. Which is why... I can review Mizu, because it has become my staple this week! Okay, okay... I'm not a sushi master, but I do know what tastes good and their rolls are delicious! Besides their quick, friendly service and their warm, clean and high ceilinged-loft style decor, their food is actually really good! Their appetizers consist of your traditional edamame and fried calamari, as well as soft shell crab, Monkey Brain- lightly fried mushrooms stuffed with spicy tuna and crabmeat, and my fave, the Fire Cracker- spicy tuna mixed with chopped tomato and served with deep fried egg roll chips- spicy, savory and sweet all on one dish to allow a beautiful symphony in your mouth!! As for their Rolls, I've had their Crunch Roll- spicy tuna, avacado with little bits of fried panko on top- twice, their Ram's Roll- spicy tuna, cucumber, avacado with avacado on top, their SamurI Roll- shrimp tempura, avacado with kani salad on top. None of them disappointed. In addition to their rolls, they also offer Nigiri sushi, lovely selections of bento boxes, salads, rice and noodle dishes and "dinner specials" consisting of Teriyaki selections and Bulgogi-type meats. (my stomach is growling... just to let you know) And... get this! Happy Hour is 2:30pm - 7:00pm, Monday through Friday! Half price appetizers, beer and wine! WHUATTT?! I know. I thought the same thing. It's not even like Mizu is pricey: their appetizers range from $4.50 to $8.95 and their rolls range from $6.95 to $10.95. I've also ordered take out from Mizu. How great is it to hear that your food will be ready in 5 minutes? That's pretty amazing! All in all, I give Mizu two thumbs up! Thanks for the warm welcome!
(4)Jen B.
I lovvvve this place! The atmosphere is so open and comfy! And the sushi is awesome!! Not too pricey at all and the appetizers are half off before 7. We got the fried calamari and it wasnt chewy like some others ive had. And it comes with this sweet sesame sauce. Yum. You can also get any roll deep fried for a dollar more. We took advantage of this and got a philly roll fried with the california and alaska roll. The salmon is so fresh and tasty! And service was soooo fast! I think we got our food in 5 minutes! 3 rolls in 5 minutes!! I love this place. Hands down. And our waiter was extremely helpful and friendly. :)
(5)Howie F.
My review: Mizu is pretty good and relatively cheap (for sushi) This is a rant to the first guy to review Mizu. To sum up your review: I'm from California and sushi sucks in St. Louis because you don't live near an ocean. Man do I love those, thanks Eli for your insightful look into how you'rre from California and that makes you cool and a sushi expert, by the way, what is Lawndale, CA anyway? I feel I can comment on this as I lived by the ocean in CA for years so I once too was cool and knew the taste of magical California sushi. Let's take a look at the fish you ordered Eli, how many of those fish came off the docks in Lawndale? Wait Lawndale doesn't have docks, but regardless, looks like none to maybe one, so that awesome sushi you're eating in Lawndale, is yes, wait for it..the same freaking fish flown in! You see, they have these things called planes now, what they do is, they load a plane to a glitzy metropolis called Lawndale and another for St Louis. Our plane probably arrives a few hours later, so you do have us there. Some of the best sushi restaurants are in NYC (I've been to this magical place) and guess what pal, they ain't pulling those fish out of the Hudson River. To be fair, I have no basis on Lawndale sushi, because I have never been to Lawndale, let alone hear of Lawndale. I work in Santa Monica some times, perhaps I will avoid those places to try the magical Lawndale Sushi that tastes like you're eating it out of Zeus' butthole. Perhaps you can bring that cool yellow hat, I am very interested in it as my sister loved Strawberry Shortcake and it seems you shop at the same hat shop as her. I guess it must be a California store.
(4)Eli G.
I have found it, after years of searching I found it. It's no surprise that the worst sushi dinner of my life was in St. Louis. Why did I even bother trying sushi I knew would be bad? When you're almost 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean, how can any raw fish be "fresh" or "good"?! But it was 99F out with equal humidity, and raw fish sounded refreshing. I did not exercise the best in judgment that night. Not only was the meal terrible, it was expensive! Here's a breakdown of my meal: Large Asahi - $3.50, it's beer, it's good. Yellow Tail - $5.95, it tasted like frozen nothing. Japanese Snapper - $5, it tasted like frozen watery, nothing. Mackerel - $3.95, it tasted like frozen, watery, fishy, nothing. Sweet Shrimp - $7, this was the only item that seemed okay. Fresh Water Eel - $5.95, hard to mess it up when it's saturated in unagi sauce. Clam - $4.95, this was the chewiest, toughest, most disgusting "clam" I've ever eaten. Fatty Tuna - $15.95, pure robbery! The color was dark red and the flesh had zero fat. Salmon Egg - $5.95, mushy, slimy, and no satisfying pop. Smoked Salmon - $5.95, yeah I can put some lox on dry rice too. After Tax, before tip - $70. For that price I could have, and should have, walked the extra mile to White Castle and gotten 120 burgers for the same price. If you think this place is good, or has any merit as a sushi bar, you need help.
(1)Tess E.
A friend and I returned here for birthday sushi last week, because Wasabi down the street was closed. We had a much better experience this time than I had before. We had 2 salmon rolls(the spicy and regular), a califoria roll, and the tako salad(of course!) and they were all delicious. I can't comment on the drinks this time as we both only had water. Service was a lot better, but we were also the only oes in the place so I wouldn't expect anything less. All in all, I was pleased with this return visit.
(3)Amy E.
Being new to sushi, I decided to have my birthday dinner (January 2010) at a sushi place to satisfy my new sushi craving. My friends were so excited, they recommended I have it at Drunken Fish, I had never been, so I called to make a reservation for 20. When I called the Drunken Fish staff was rude and said they couldn't accept my reservation or even hold separate tables for my party. Being upset, I quickly googled sushi places, and I came across Mizu. The website, menu and location instantly attracted me. I called Mizu and asked for a reservation for 20 on a Friday night and they happily accepted. When we arrived at Mizu, the staff had our table completely set up and were very welcoming, nice and attentive to my large group. It was great to be able to relax and enjoy all my friends that had joined me for my birthday dinner. That day all of us decided that Mizu was our favorite sushi place and still continue to eat there and recommend it to all of our friends. Everytime I have been, I still receive the same warm and welcoming treatment. The sushi is delicious and the prices are reasonable. Thank you Mizu Sushi Bar!
(5)Marissa A.
I have had Sushi but I have never been converted in to being a "Sushi Lover", and well this place made me a believer! Customer Service was amazing, Happy Hour 3-7pm (I believe), good selection on wine, FREE perfectly seasoned and warmed soup, but more importantly AMAZING SUSHI! Recommended by the chef "JAKE", I had a "Hurricane" and my boyfriend had an exclusive (off the menu) "Las Vegas"...these two choices will convert anyone! I loved the Hurricane, it was superb. I live in California, originally from Philadelphia, went to visit St. Louis for the weekend and am so happy I found this place! I wish this restaurant all the luck in the world---very awesome experience.
(5)Kirsten J.
While I felt that the price should have yielded slightly higher quality fish, I did enjoy my lunch here. There side salad is a nice portion, although I prefer ginger or carrot dressing. The nigiri was okay (I had Japanese snapper and Unagi), and the roll I had was tasty (New York roll if I remember correctly). I wasn't very excited about the hand roll--it was bigger than it should have been. Bottom line: it wasn't too bad, but not my favorite sushi, especially for the price.
(3)Pam H.
I don't know why it was so empty (was a Mon night with both Rams and Cards playing in town), but the sushi and fish quality were great. Great service too.
(5)Paul C.
Ambiance - Perfect. With a high ceiling and slightly darkened lighting, it feels like an upper class sushi house. The bar has large flat screens to allow access to those oh so special blues/cardinal nights. Location - 5/5 There is street parking as well as parking structures all around. Although it is quite surprising to think you would find this little gem of a restaurant on the side of the street. Service - 6/5 Perhaps I'm being bias because I am asian. However, there is a cultural familiarity that I can sense when I walk into this place. The heart behind the staff is that of servitude and humility. This is expected in asian culture but is also welcome to see they bring it to their restaurant. Being born and raised in America I have both affinity for different parts of all kinds of culture. Price - 5/5 For what you are getting the price makes sense. Now I am more of a dollar menu guy to be honest. However, I did not feel any regret paying what I did at Mizu. The food was well worth it and comparatively it beats out much more expensive sushi restaurants. Food - 5/5 My mom ran a sushi restaurant in Naperville, IL for a long time. I understand the difficulty of sushi in the midwest. It is true that coastal sushi is the best. That being said, if you want sushi in the St. Louis area, Mizu is it, bar none. The sushi itself is excellently prepared. I got to speak with the sushi chefs for a while during a break in the Cardinals game and the amount of preparation time almost doubled the time the chefs at my mom's place worked and it shows. I have had over $400 worth of dishes from here over my many visits and I have to say the thing that sets Mizu apart from other places is the inventiveness of the chefs. They strive to try new combinations and displays to entice the taste buds and eyes. This is not a fast food sushi spot. Final Thoughts - I truly enjoy my several visits to Mizu. The kicker for Mizu is the inventiveness of the chefs as well as the polite welcoming staff that work there. I would suggest since it is in the metropolis area that this is a perfect spot for business professionals that need a break during lunch or after work as well as those blue collar folks (like me) that sometimes crave a bit of different culture and fun.
(5)Bob D.
Went in on a Friday night and the place was surprisingly empty. Great service and very quick to get a whole lot of sushi out. We had a bottle of wine and some sake (hic!) and a bunch of different rolls, plus some sashimi. The one roll that comes out in the aluminum foil duck with flames underneath (!) was pretty interesting, but the other random stuff we ordered was even better. When we were finished the chef sent over a couple special desserts. I guess it was because the place was empty, or maybe it was my pretty date, but hey, that was nice. I will definitely go back.
(5)Michelle S.
Having tried MANY sushi restaurants all over St. Louis, Mizu is quickly rising to top of my list. I think the ambiance is great and even when it is busy, there is plenty of space between tables so it does not feel overwhelming. Their rolls are awesome and the price is right where is should be. They have outside seating right on Washington Ave which is always nice. I also know they have non-sushi options for the non-sushi fans, so there is a little something for everyone.
(4)Aitor R.
It was a Thursday night. My wife and myself wanted some sushi for dinner and the only open place downtown was Mizu Sushi bar. The waitress was super nice and she suggested some sushi rolls that we loved. We had our first 'edamame' and it was delicious. After we ordered, they served a really good soup as an appetizer. The food was served fast and the sushi rolls looked and tasted great. We share 3 rolls and I was full. I wasnt really hungry, but I ended eating everything. The food was little bit expensive, but Ive never paid less than that for a good sushi. The place was pretty empty because it was kind of late, and the only thing that we didn't like it is that they picked up while we and some customers were still there. But a part of that, the place is really nice and the food was great. I'm pretty sure we are going to be back soon.
(4)Allison B.
Just came back from our first visit to Mizu Sushi Bar. What a great place for sushi. Used a Groupon and they still honored happy hour prices on my husbands Sapporo and our appetizer. We had six rolls and all were delicious. Standouts being the Cardinal and Mizu Special. Service was outstanding and cannot wait to return.
(4)Steve B.
Great sushi, friendly staff, and a cool environment for lunch downtown or heading out for the night on Wash St. I'll definitely be back.
(5)Betsy R.
This place was delicious. I had the seaweed salad, spicy tuna roll and dragon roll. All great. The service was quick and the servers were very accommodating. I will go here again next time I'm in the Lou.
(4)Brianne B.
Food was very good. Service was good & their happy hour is a great deal! On the downside...my first glass of wine was just plain bad. Second one was much better. I plan on returning!
(4)Samantha S.
Too expensive for amount and quality of food. Good sushi but entree was just ok.
(3)Jacqui C.
Loved it! The food, service and drinks were all perfect. We had a group of 7: 5 of us are sushi lovers, 1 person said she did not like sushi and the other had never had sushi and was very skeptical. By the end of the night, they both tried a little of everything and were making suggestions to eachother about what to try next. The Imperial roll (or something close to that) has a great presentation: wrapped in foil shaped like a duck (we thought it looked more like a dragon), flaming and mouth watering good (once the flames go out). The martinis were delicious too!
(4)anna k.
I am a sushi fanatic and was so please with the atmosphere, service, and quality of the food. It was the best sushi i have ever eaten and I will continue to dine here!
(5)D H.
Really like this place when I visit St Louis. One of the major factors is a great happy hour with half price beer and apps.
(4)Brainmist K.
I notice a lot of these begin with "I'm new to sushi". Just to be clear, I am not new to sushi. I've been eating sushi heavily for about 2 decades, on both coasts, throughout the Midwest (don't laugh, some of the Midwestern cities have large Asian populations and fantastic sushi) and in Japan. I make my own sushi (usually chirashi, because, well, lazy, plus love that style of rice). And I simply like to eat raw food, including steak, so I'm finnicky about freshness. Mizu looked like it would be a nice spot to hit in St Louis; easy to find, and as a city-center restaurant, presumably pretty good to compete. But it turned out to be pretty much all location. I wouldn't go back, especially with so many other nearby options. First, let's start with service. Yes, they were absolutely understaffed. Although the place was barely full (we were the only ones waiting) it still took a long time to get people their bills, get the table cleared, and get us seated. Then, it took even longer for our waiter to get to us. For some reason, he decided the girls at our table were in charge of ordering, and, after getting only part of their orders, scurried off....without even checking with the guys. This sort of uncoordinated, fragmented, inefficient back-and-forth continued the whole time....in the end, we had orders we didn't make arriving at our table, orders we did place not showing, and absolutely no effort to keep us all eating at the same time. They skimp a bit on the food; standards like miso and salad weren't included, but hey, fine. Tea was not replenished. We ordered a few different appetizers and meals; because there was no tempura appetizer, we got that as a meal (appetizer quantity, plus rice). Pretty much anything deep fried tasted fine. Not mind-bending, but fine. The pepper-based appetizer was lovely. But you come to a sushi restaurant for some high quality fish and unique, tasty maki. This place had neither. The maki were bland, no unique flavoring even with unusual names and descriptions. The sushi...well, I got my usually chirashi, and I wish I'd stuck to deep fried, because that might have covered the low quality of the fish. Oh, one or two types were good...but the majority were mediocre. Squashy and stale-tasting, with that crumbly texture that suggests freezing and freezer burn; the salmon tasted washed out, the tuna was definitely going off, and these are high-use sushi mainstays; of all the fish there, these should have been the types least likely to be sitting for the week it tasted like they'd been sitting. How would it compare to my local sushi? It had nothing on the Quad Cities area's two top competitors, Shogun and Osaka, in terms of quality and freshness, despite beating them on price by about 25-30%. Sad to say, it didn't even exceed my expectations for one of the QCA's older sushi restaurants, SuperTarget. Yeah, that's right, SuperTarget outdoes this place on everything but style; they have an onsite chef who takes personal pride in his work and his fish, and I've almost never had less than fresh offerings there, although nothing so stellar as our actual Japanese restaurants. The atmosphere leaves something to be desired, but it's a freakin' SuperTarget; the service is better. In the end, the hostess came over to apologize, but it was waaaay too late. And too little; I had a minor misorder issue at Taki in Des Moines, and despite it being a busy night, that restaurant's head chef took a personal interest, sent us over the best fish they had in that night, treated us to another appetizer and a round of drinks, came over to apologize personally, and did an impromptu round of sake bombs with us. And we hadn't even been kept waiting long, had other food in the interim, and might never have realized our order hadn't come on time. We essentially never stopped eating (especially once the free appetizers started showing up)...we just weren't eating in the order that chef felt best represented his restaurant, and he expected better from his staff. He took so much pride in his work that, while busy, he noticed an issue and corrected it before it was an issue to us, and he did it in such a way as to make me supremely confident of good service and sushi at his restaurant. (I will say that for take out, I favor Appare's chirashi. It just...doesn't...end. And has multiple types of preserves/ salads (octopus and seaweed). And more sushi than even I know what to do with.) Mizu is probably a fine place to go to be seen, hang out at the bar with a cocktail, and pretend you're into sushi, if that's still a reason to pay for a high-priced dinner and lousy service. But if you actually like sushi, I wouldn't recommend it, and if you're just starting out on sushi, absolutely not! you'll never eat it again. Wait, more for me. Yes, newcomers to sushi, you go there.
(2)Tami P.
I've been here twice & absolutely loved it both times! Went on a Monday & a Thursday. The place was fairly empty so we were sat immediately. The wait staff was very quick and attentive.
(5)Rachelle M.
I also rated wasabi with 3 stars. But the service here is much better. However, prices are in the extreme side. Servers are great and the food is good, but it is just a lit money wise for what you get. We usually get it to go, but have dined in a few times. The atmosphere is great when we have been there! But I would rather go to drunken fish for a better experience and more bang for our buck!
(3)Nicki J.
Amazing! I have never liked sushi because I am super picky but I will come back so often now bc I ate the sex and city roll and it is heaven!!! The honey kiss martini is awesome too!!!! Thank you for a great first experience!
(5)Tina P.
Excellent sushi!! Service was really good. Nice presentation. Would definitely go back!
(5)Brendaa E.
Definitely a 5 star place, Great vibe, Amazing service and my teriyaki chicken entree was delicious. Their was a lady walking around making sure everything was good and our server was very polite.
(5)Dana D.
Pretty good food. Great service. The best thing was their tempura, very crisp and fresh tasting.
(4)Lauren M.
This place was amazing! And they honor groupon which is a great deal! The boyfriend and I bought the $20 groupon for $40 food. We enjoyed every minute of being there and every bite we took! You just have to get the hurricane roll, it's the best. And as for the California roll.... spicy is the way to go! Let's just say were coming back sometime this week but we're bringing 2 more couples with us! And let's not forget the $40 groupon for $80 worth of food. Also, happy hour.. 2-6 I believe? 1/2 off appetizers.... made my mouth water just reading about them!
(5)Jen C.
We've been here about 6 times and every time it's excellent! The sushi is delicious and service is fantastic! Our go to for sushi :)
(5)Elizabeth M.
Come here about once a month with the bf. Always good. Always pretty quick. I love that I can make my own veggie roll.
(4)Yeqing T.
We went here for lunch on a Tuesday and we ordered the lunch specials. It took an hour for us to get our first dish out. Yes that's right. Our orders were out one by one and when I got mine others have already finished. The ramen tasted like supermarket ramen and the sushi is very dry and not fresh at all. Maybe there is only one chef in the kitchen. If you want a quick lunch, DO NOT COME HERE!!!!! In fact, DO NOT COME HERE NO MATTER WHAT!!
(1)Rick W.
The service here was really great. My wife had never tried sushi and the waitress was very patient with us. Though she failed, she tried to point out some things that my wife would most likely be able to tolerate. I thought the sushi was delicious and would like to go back to try some of their specialty rolls. The only reason I held back from 5 stars is that it took a little while to get the check and pay. It wasn't a big deal because the basketball games were on but on any other night it would've been annoying.
(4)Manzi M.
Tried this place last weekend. Contrary to many reviews, the service was good and very fast. We ordered 4 rolls, noodles, fried rice and chicken kabobs and surprisingly we got everything in less than 10 minutes! I had prepared my husband for a long wait and we were pleasantly surprised when our food showed up so fast. But that is where my good experience ended. The sushi was okay...we ordered emperial guard, sexy girl and Hurricane roll. My favorite was the sexy girl. The emperial guard's presentation was good and our son was very happy to see it, but it did not taste that good. As for the rice, I couldn't even eat it. The worst chicken friend rice I have ever had. It was too sticky. The kabobs...same story...one bite and I refused to eat. They were covered with some kind of sweet bbq sauce! And the Udon noodles, although edible, but nothing to be ordered again. On the whole, it was an okay experience for us. If I happen to go here next time, I will stick with the sushi menu.
(2)Peter P.
I would say the lunch is really good for the price I had the tonkatsu lunch and it filled me up and I eat a lot lol
(4)Sherry Y.
Just waited for over an hour for grilled mackeral. The Imperial, despite its popularity, was little bits of rice drenched in sauce. The edamame was monsterously salty. Tempura and vegetable appetizer was $15-- for barely anything!! The shrimp was literally the width of my wooden chopsticks. Waiter and manager never checked in with us either. Never coming here again.
(1)Bo H.
I ordered ramen when I was there. The ramen was very disappointing. It is literally the instant ramen from supermarket. It's not Japanese ramen at all and it costs $9. I feel cheated when I was there. Never ever order the ramen!!!!!!!!!
(1)Arin M.
Ate here one evening while in town on business. Had a couple rolls - Las Vegas and one recommended by the waiter. Woke up the next morning as sick as I've been in a long time. Stomach and Guts were killing me. Puked and spent 20 minutes trying to rid myself of this food. I will not be returning.
(1)M J.
Pricey but worth it! Spicey Volcano Roll was outstanding. Best sushi I've had in a long time.
(5)Allen H.
Poor, too bad, the service is very good. The sushi is sub-par and that is generous. Out of too many types of fish, some not fresh too. Most importantly, poorly made. They do not have good sushi chefs. If California rolls and spicy tuna rolls is what you search, ok. Again, nice staff and restaurant, however terrible sushi. I am pretty sure this place won't make it.
(1)Beck E.
The service was friendly and fast, and the spicy yellowtail roll was legit spicy... but that might be the only positive things I have to say. I ordered one of the vegetarian sushi combos along with the aforementioned roll, and the vegetarian rolls were just not very good. The cucumber was dry, and the vegetable roll was unexpectedly sweet. Not terrible (hence 2 stars instead of 1), but I'm sure there is better sushi somewhere nearby, especially for the cost.
(2)