(404) 875-7042

1529 Piedmont Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30324 33.796 -84.369

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Neighborhoods: Piedmont Heights, Northeast, Northeast

RUSANS.COM

Price:

$

Last updated 10.15.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Late Night Dining, Cheap Eats

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Japanese

Smoking Permitted:

Yes

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Rusan's

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – A blisteringly white room, rounded out by bar stools and your own live version of a wa-saaa-bi commercial, RuSan's noisy, bright and brash appeal winds up being a guilty pleasure. Blacklisted by the serious sushi set, it cranks out entry-level, heavily Americanized sushi. The menu reads like a racing form: Mad Max's Special, Flying Kamikaze, Lady Killer. Plenty are fully cooked (grilled or fried) in case you've got some beginners in the crowd.

Editor's Tips

Where to Sit:
You're at a sushi bar, so sit at the sushi bar. Table service offers the former without the view.
ambiance
93.17999839782715% positive
  1. “Sushi is delicious and the atmosphere is all fun.”
  2. “This is the place to go if you are looking for pretty good sushi with a fun atmosphere!”
  3. “It's not a romantic place, but it is a nice place to hang out, especially in the summer when its nice to sit outside.”
  4. “It is a perfect location to combine with a night at Buckhead.”
  5. “We had a dinner in Dec 16 @ this location, 4 off us we were sick, including my pregnet wife.”
  6. “gave this place (either location) 5 stars because for me it is one of the most enjoyable places to go grab a bite, and I always look forward to it.”
  7. “the atmosphere is very fun.”
  8. “The atmosphere is fun and loud.”
  9. “The fish is usually pretty fresh, and it is a relatively fun place to go.”
  10. “This atmosphere makes it difficult to concentrate on the menu, and very difficult to enjoy a meal,”
  11. “Nice ambiance is nonexistent.”
  12. “Let the elitists go to Soto's, when I want sushi I want quick service, great original meals, a fun atmosphere all at a great price.”
  13. “It tastes great, the atmosphere is very fun, and the proprietors are exceedingly gracious and hospitable.”
  14. “good sushi, great atmosphere”
  15. “Bad sushi, great party atmosphere”
  16. “Rusans is fun and cheap good fun.”
  17. “Great atmosphere for a Friday night.”
  18. “no longer feel comfortable recommending this restaurant without giving my friends a small disclaimer.”
  19. “They have a great atmosphere either in their Midtown or Buckhead locations.”
  20. “Drinks are very good; sushi is only okay, but the lively music, great servers, and fantastic atmosphere make up for it.”
  21. “Cheap, great atmosphere, and good service.”
  22. “Great location for city view.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “Sit at the sushi bar and enjoy the show as well as some extra samples you won't get at your table.”
food quality
87.95000076293945% positive
  1. “the spicy mayo is awesome!”
  2. “For authentic sushi try Sushi Yoko in Norcross.”
  3. “have eaten sushi at almost all of atlanta's other big/popular sushi restaurants, but rusan's by ansley mall is my favorite.”
  4. “While I admit this is not 5 star sushi it is great food.”
  5. “Good sushi but not great”
  6. “Warm saki was delicious.”
  7. “This is the best damn sushi place in ATL.”
  8. “If authentic sushi is filet mignon, this pseudo-sushi was a Big-Mac”
  9. “and just can just relax and chill with some good sushi!”
  10. “The sushi don't taste fresh and sometimes they put so much stuff on the sushi you don't even know what you're eating.”
  11. “This is where I learned to eat sushi it is my favorite.”
  12. “think the food quality is poor.”
  13. “went to rusan's about a week ago and the sushi was warm.”
  14. “good sushi, great atmosphere”
  15. “This is the place to go if you are looking for pretty good sushi with a fun atmosphere!”
  16. “This atmosphere makes it difficult to concentrate on the menu, and very difficult to enjoy a meal,”
  17. “Is the worst food ever”
  18. “best sushi!”
  19. “Sure its cheap compared to other sushi resturants but thats only if you order the really basic stuff and basic sushi is no good unless its fresh.”
  20. “found RuSan's to be crowded, noisy, the sushi was bland and the service was awful.”
  21. “The sushi tastes good.”
  22. “The fish is usually pretty fresh, and it is a relatively fun place to go.”
  23. “If you are looking for some good and cheap sushi, RuSan's the place to go.”
  24. “The rolls themselves are way to large also, but nevertheless, the firecracker rolls were yummy (it's all in the sauce).”
  25. “Although the sushi was good, the whole experience was unpleasantly loud!”
  26. “The fish was not fresh, and the preparation was overkill.”
  27. “This is a great place to introduce yourself to a lot of different kinds of sushi.”
  28. “see and hear, the place has the god ol tradition of great food, combined with a little (funny) madness.”
  29. “They have a huge menu filled with delicious choices from sashimi to fried rolls filled with tempting ingredients.”
  30. “There are too many other really good sushi spots in Atl to go that are not so invasive.”
  31. “i've been to rusan's about 8 times and every time i absolutely love the variety of sushi.”
  32. “I've heard people rave about the value of the meal there, but my advice is to skip the third sake bomb and use the money to treat yourself to better quality sushi.”
  33. “Hardly the best sushi in atlanta, but it is affordable.”
  34. “But at Rusan's the sushi was warm and it felt really nauseating and uncomfortable to eat.”
  35. “Lots of good food and good times.”
  36. “There are some good special sushi rolls - try the rock n roll.”
  37. “rather drive a few extra miles and enjoy a meal of much better quality.”
  38. “lover of sushi, such as me, may love it, if they get past the fact that the sushi is cooked.”
  39. “the chicken fried rice is the best i've ever had.”
  40. “It may be cheap but the sushi is not very good.”
  41. “Coming from Sanfran I have been eating Sushi since I can remember, and this is some of the best sushi in town.”
  42. “Excellent presentation of a delicious variety of sushi delicacies!”
  43. “Ru San's is my favorite sushi place.”
  44. “For the best value, and if you don't anything raw or wrapped in seaweed, try the chicken fried rice.”
  45. “If, however, you love sushi with a ton of choices & twists in addition to other excellent non-raw Japanese cookin' - AND you like to actually PARTY!”
  46. “Sit at the sushi bar and enjoy the show as well as some extra samples you won't get at your table.”
  47. “Great sushi, excellent cooked dishes.”
  48. “although this place serves sushi for really reasonable price,”
  49. “Also, crunchy salmon rolls were great.”
  50. “If I want food with awesome flavor and texture, this is the place.”
  51. “But it is good for big crowds, I went once in a group of 26 and we had a great time, but the food is gross.”
  52. “The nigiri on the buffett is always fresh and wonderul.”
  53. “The food is great.”
  54. “Perhaps not for the purists, Ru San's is consistently tasty and definitely the best sushi for the dollar in Atlanta.”
  55. “Let the elitists go to Soto's, when I want sushi I want quick service, great original meals, a fun atmosphere all at a great price.”
  56. “Instead of relying on fresh ingredients and simple presentation, the rolls were prepared with overpowering sauces, preventing the diner from enjoying the flavors of the primary ingredients.”
  57. “haven't got a bad meal there.”
  58. “Sushi is delicious and the atmosphere is all fun.”
  59. “Drinks are very good; sushi is only okay, but the lively music, great servers, and fantastic atmosphere make up for it.”
  60. “Bad sushi, great party atmosphere”
  61. “fish is not very fresh.”
  62. “Granted, I don't eat the traditional sushi here, when I want cold, raw, mostly flavorless fish, I eat it on business trips to San Francisco or New York.”
  63. “guess this is kindof "cute" for some folks, but the food was not so great for me that I would want to go back and sit through a whole meal of that.”
  64. “Its okay for a quick bite to eat and the price is reasonable, but I wouldnt take anyone here for authentic sushi.”
  65. “the food is great.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “i've been to rusan's about 8 times and every time i absolutely love the variety of sushi.”
  2. “Incredible menu, about 300 items on it.”
  3. “Their sake menu is pretty good though.”
  4. “Excellent presentation of a delicious variety of sushi delicacies!”
  5. “They have a huge menu filled with delicious choices from sashimi to fried rolls filled with tempting ingredients.”
  6. “This atmosphere makes it difficult to concentrate on the menu, and very difficult to enjoy a meal,”
  7. “If, however, you love sushi with a ton of choices & twists in addition to other excellent non-raw Japanese cookin' - AND you like to actually PARTY!”
  8. “Huge menu.”
  9. “There is a huge menu but if anything it is extremely distracting and hard to find certain rolls.”
overall
87.5% positive
  1. “If you are looking for some good and cheap sushi, RuSan's the place to go.”
  2. “This is a great place to introduce yourself to a lot of different kinds of sushi.”
  3. “It's not a romantic place, but it is a nice place to hang out, especially in the summer when its nice to sit outside.”
  4. “This is the best damn sushi place in ATL.”
return potential
0.0% positive
  1. “guess this is kindof "cute" for some folks, but the food was not so great for me that I would want to go back and sit through a whole meal of that.”
service
78.5699987411499% positive
  1. “the staff is friendly.”
  2. “After reading some of the not-so-complimentary reviews on here, I am shocked and appalled at the fact that Certain people have put this Wonderful Restaurant down.”
  3. “Worst service ever!”
  4. “Hopefully Ru-Sans may either expand, or get more attentive dining staff.”
  5. “The wait staff can be slow and forgetful.”
  6. “I've heard people rave about the value of the meal there, but my advice is to skip the third sake bomb and use the money to treat yourself to better quality sushi.”
  7. “Cheap, great atmosphere, and good service.”
  8. “found RuSan's to be crowded, noisy, the sushi was bland and the service was awful.”
  9. “The foods great at an awesome price and the service is top notch.”
  10. “Let the elitists go to Soto's, when I want sushi I want quick service, great original meals, a fun atmosphere all at a great price.”
  11. “Very friendly waiters.”
  12. “Great people, great service, and most of all, great Sushi”
  13. “find the staff very polite and helpful.”
  14. “Drinks are very good; sushi is only okay, but the lively music, great servers, and fantastic atmosphere make up for it.”
value
96.87999725341797% positive
  1. “Hardly the best sushi in atlanta, but it is affordable.”
  2. “If you are looking for some good and cheap sushi, RuSan's the place to go.”
  3. “The first few times i went for dinner and everything was wonderful and relatively inexpensive.”
  4. “Rusans is fun and cheap good fun.”
  5. “Its okay for a quick bite to eat and the price is reasonable, but I wouldnt take anyone here for authentic sushi.”
  6. “Sure its cheap compared to other sushi resturants but thats only if you order the really basic stuff and basic sushi is no good unless its fresh.”
  7. “For the best value, and if you don't anything raw or wrapped in seaweed, try the chicken fried rice.”
  8. “The foods great at an awesome price and the service is top notch.”
  9. “I've heard people rave about the value of the meal there, but my advice is to skip the third sake bomb and use the money to treat yourself to better quality sushi.”
  10. “Let the elitists go to Soto's, when I want sushi I want quick service, great original meals, a fun atmosphere all at a great price.”
  11. “It may be cheap but the sushi is not very good.”
  12. “although this place serves sushi for really reasonable price,”
  13. “There is a huge menu but if anything it is extremely distracting and hard to find certain rolls.”
  14. “They have a huge menu filled with delicious choices from sashimi to fried rolls filled with tempting ingredients.”
  15. “The value is reasonable and the sake list is good.”
  16. “Perhaps not for the purists, Ru San's is consistently tasty and definitely the best sushi for the dollar in Atlanta.”
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. “Its okay for a quick bite to eat and the price is reasonable, but I wouldnt take anyone here for authentic sushi.”
  2. “Waiter was a little slow but made up for it.”
  3. “The wait staff can be slow and forgetful.”
  4. “Let the elitists go to Soto's, when I want sushi I want quick service, great original meals, a fun atmosphere all at a great price.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

01/18/12

dont go! very awful service and i used to be a server

by athensiloveyou

The service was horrible! I used to work at a Rusans before and I know what you should and definitely shouldn't do. I went by myself for a quick dinner. Server didnt come to ask me about a drink for 10 minutes. She brought me a water before I even ordered a beverage, so I had that but then, I asked for a sweet tea when she asked my beverage order and NEVER got it. Waited for ever to order food!! She didnt personally bring me the food which is okay since I was at the sushi bar, but she did not ASK me if my food was okay, and never talked to me, so I could not ask for my tea or a STRAW for the water. i was ignored. so at the very end, I had my small empty cup of no WATER which is barely anything with the ice. Tried to flag a manager for 1 water refill. She came after i had been done for a while and asked me if i wanted a box. I said, check please. A few min later she came up; She did not bring me a check, she showed up and said "your total is 12.50." Weird right? and I gave her my card. she then came and got my signed bill before i had even left. rude WORST SERVICE EVER

4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/13/10

Consistently Good, Newly Renovated

by Nephron

Ru San's has been an Atlanta favorite for years, and will all the bad press I'm seeing in these reviews I thought it only right to give my (positive) two cents.

The sushi is consistently good, and very reasonably priced. Out of all of the sushi joints in town -- and I've been to plenty -- Ru San's is certainly my go-to. Staff is generally friendly, particularly any of the chefs behind the bar. If they recognize you from a previous visit they'll greet you like royalty, always a nice feeling! I will admit that service occasionally gets backed up on a busy night -- and many nights are busy -- but they are always kind, fair, and ethical. Never once have I been ignored or overcharged (as some reviews here say they have experienced).

In truly great news, this location has spent the past several months on almost a complete overhaul of the main dining area, including an extended bar, extra dining tables, and a double-doored entryway to diminish those pesky drafts during cold months. Very nice!

Really, this is the best low-key sushi place in the area. If you've had a bad experience in the past, I DARE you to go again! I promise you won't be disappointed twice.

1 Star Rating: Poor

05/13/10

Worst service ever!

by CSMobileUser3

My friend and I went to Ru-sans Monday around 5:30pm. It was raining out so business was slow. We both ordered an appetizer and a sushi roll. The waiter brought me my appetizer and roll. About 15 minutes later he brought my friend's appetizer. We waited about 25 more minutes and flagged our server dowwn to ask where the other sushi roll was. He said it was coming. Well, it neve came and I was finished w/ my meal. We asked for the check and for the missing roll to be taken off. 15 min later we got the check. Our waters sat empty the entire time and our waiter never checked on us once. If we needed anything we had to flag him down. It wasn't busy at all! I'm never going back.

1 Star Rating: Poor

03/30/10

Not so hot

by ATLWake

Been here a few times and like their other locations it is so so. Generally pretty crowded and too loud. Food is ok, but prices are high and service is not real important to them. Seems like they figure they have enough notoriety service isn't all that important....

  • Pros: Sometimes Good
  • Cons: Loud, Service, Prices, Parking
1 Star Rating: Poor

03/20/10

Overcharged me...

by msalexchu

I'm sorry but this place needs to get a big makeover and quick.

I went to rusan's about a week ago and the sushi was warm. Now, I may not be a sushi pro but shouldn't sushi be atleast room temperature or cool to the touch?

But at Rusan's the sushi was warm and it felt really nauseating and uncomfortable to eat.

On top of that, they overcharged me.

I clearly wrote a 3 dollar tip for my 21 dollar bill and they charged my card 27.11. Where did the extra 3 dollars and 11 cents come from, who knows?! I did not leave any extra rice (some people on here mentioned that if you don't eat all the rice that comes with the sushi, they overcharge you so we made sure to eat EVERYTHING).

And I live now where near atlanta (around 30 minutes away ) so I'd be wasting money to drive all the way to Atlanta to argue with them.

I really hope karma gets back at them.

  • Pros: not much...
  • Cons: warm sushi, overcharging

The Details on Rusan's

Place Categories:

  • good damn sushi
  • great party atmosphere
  • great food
  • relatively fun damn sushi place
  • huge sake menu
  • worst service
  • favorite rusan
  • never bad experience
  • great people
  • really reasonable price
  • more attentive dining staff
  • not romantic place
  • great location
  • enjoy meal
  • wonderful everything
  • yummy firecracker rolls
  • delicious warm saki
  • nice calamari tempura roll
  • love ru san
  • fresh ingredients
  • not very good sushi
  • forgetful wait staff
  • wonderful dinner
  • cold fish
  • not recommend restaurant
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