Zuma Sushi
Sushi fans are cheering for fresh combinations in a trendy eatery on Highland.
(404) 381-1180
701 Highland Ave
(at Samson Street NE)
Atlanta,
GA
30312
33.7613
-84.3643
Neighborhoods: Northeast, Old Fourth Ward, Northeast
Reviews & Ratings for Zuma Sushi
37 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 37 reviews
Zuma Sushi Body Piercingly Bad
by iZENstein
December 20, 2008
I'm from Los Angeles and to some they will say, "So what." To them I say, "We know sushi." Well, actually, not all Los Angelinos know sushi, but those that do always have "their sushi place". Zuma would not be one of them. I came to Atlanta the beginning of Oct to work for 4 months and the first place I tried was Zuma with their all you can eat lunch. The rolls seemed adequate and typical -- specialty rolls wrapped in a lot of nori and rice -- not so special. For lunch time the atmosphere was empty and cavernous so also not very welcoming more like a cafeteria with accented black and red walls. While eating, Hamachi, (yellowtail, my fave) I bit into a large piece of bone. It was pretty spiky. I can deal with an occasional bone but this was not thin it was body piercing huge.
After the potential body piercing experience, I turned off from Zuma and decided I'd rather play the video game of the same name than revisit my experience at Zuma. It is a shame because I live in the apartment complex which Zuma is connected to. In the same, Inman Park, area are far superior restaurants including PaCheen, Johnie's Pizza, Across the Street, and Highland Bakery which is where I'm going to go now to get an amazing cupcake.
- Pros: None
- Cons: Whole Experience
Sooo Good! by Samantha R. at InsiderPages
Contributor
November 16, 2008
Excellent Atmosphere and great service. Some of the best Sushi I have tasted in Atlanta. Very fresh fish. The edamame was perfectly cooked and the Spicy Tuna was just right!
not fresh sushi
by yumyum37
August 21, 2008
was there one evening and my friend and myself were the only two in sight. tuna tar tar was awesome - spicy, salty, melt in your mouth. a few of our items had not yet come out and in the quiet of the dining room i heard the beep of a microwave. out came our eel, octopus and sea bass and they had obviously come out of the microwave - some of it still frozen in the middle. i know that's the case in many sushi spots but at least keep up the image.
- Pros: tuna tartar
- Cons: frozen fish arriving at the table
pretty good sushi
by badm00n
July 15, 2008
I am considered a "sushi snob" by friends because of how selective I am. Most people will think Zuma is the best sushi they have ever had, but I cannot agree. I will say it's pretty good, but there's better in Atlanta (although not many places). They do have a very good selection of fish, but some of their pieces are pricey. Overall I would definitely go again just because the best sushi restaurant in Atlanta is a long drive now.
Yummy sushi, good service
by miserusb
June 27, 2008
My husband and I went here on Wednesday night around 7:00 and it was a good experience. There was no wait at all and we were promptly seated. The service was good - they were very attentive and the sushi chef answered our questions. Food was good - I'm a novice sushi eater so I ate the flash fried California roll and a bagel roll but my husband got the big combination plate of sushi (it's like $39 bucks) and he thought it was great. They brought out our miso soup/edamame in seconds after we ordered it which I liked.
My only complaints -- when my husband ordered a 2nd beer they brought the bottle and poured it into the same glass instead of getting him a cold one. And -- they had ultimate fighting on at the sushi bar where we were eating. Not exactly appetizing!
- Pros: A+ service, nice staff, no wait
- Cons: Bad television choice by the sushi bar, no cold glass for beer
Good, but results awful.
by harkinsa
April 15, 2008
Not a professional reviewer myself, nor a sushi-phile, but must commend the sushi. Some of the best that my naive palate has enjoyed.
However, I was curious the moment I stepped in the door as to why the place was an absolutely barren empty and how the restaurant could turn any sort of profit on an "all-you-can-eat sushi for 15 dollars" lunch. Is it the best-kept secret in Atlanta that Zuma serves day-old (or older) sushi as their lunch course?
I cannot attest to this, but I can attest to the fact that within four hours, I needed to leave work violently ill. I drove home shaking, sweating and luckily, without staining the upholstery, but probably could not bring myself to eat at Zuma again.
- Pros: some
- Cons: SOME
Zuma Sushi: the place for sushi in atlanta
by Ttaylor1313
February 27, 2008
I do not wish to personally cirticize a fellow critique, but i do not agree with the review underneath me. Out of all the sushi restraunts that i have been to in Atlanta, i find Zuma sushi very pleasean and enjoyable. Yes i do agree my past experiences with Zuma sushi a around a year to two years ago was unpleasant; the food was great, but the service was not up to standards; however, i dined at Zuma sushi with a couple of my friends after the new years, and i felt great improvement. They provided very good and comfortable service, and the waitress and at some times waiters were very polite and helpful. The food was once again spectacular, and the atmosphere was someplace i would love to spend a special occasion at. The only flaws i could think of would be the television near the far end of the table that i sat at near the entrance was unable to play the animation that they were showing. Overall, I would definetely recommend Zuma sushi to other people
Terrible service, decent sushi
by mostarnes
February 20, 2008
My husband and I tried Zuma shortly after they opened, and the service was terrible, and the fish wasn't much better. We recently decided to give them another chance since they have gotten such great reviews recently. The first thing I noticed when we walked in was a strange heavy odor- almost like Clorox. Our waitress was very confused about their drink offerings. She explained, "I don't think we really do that anymore" about the drink specials listed at the front door. She spilled a decent portion of our mediocre vodka-tonics on the table as she served them, and didn't seem to notice. Our waitress disappeared shortly after we ordered, and after waiting for about 10 minutes we had to catch another waiter to ask for dishes and soy sauce after our food was served. The food itself was decent, but not any better than you can get at Rusan's for a good bit cheaper. The ginger dressing was flavorless, and the lettuce was old.
Overall, it was a disappointing experience. We spent the same amount as you would at a place like MF Sushi, but had terrible service and food that was mostly fresh but nothing spectacular. The restaurant itself was an interesting concept, although the tables were cramped and uncomfortable. There are a bunch of flat panel tvs on the wall, but they were kept on a DVD menu screen the whole time we were there with the movie title "Appleseed" flashing throughout our meal. I'm not sure if that was their intended effect, but it was quite irritating.
After two tries, I will not return to Zuma. There are too many really good sushi places in Atlanta to waste your time and money on this one.
Good, good sushi
by thundersroar
November 24, 2007
Dear past reviewer on <said>typed "stringy toro",
You probably misheard O-toro for their Chu-toro, since Chu-toro can contain a little bit more sinew than aforementioned O-toro, which said O-toro from MF is MOST DEFINITELY frozen, thus breaking down cell walls with improper defrosting procedures(I know how MF operates), gives you that oh-so-awesome melt-in-your-mouth feel. Even though most fish for raw consumption NEEDS to be frozen before eaten, there's one rule in japanese cuisine-YOU NEVER FREEZE TUNA, EVER!
Sincerely,
A.S. thundersroar, your sushiman
With that off've my chest, never believe the hype of the "Top 3". So what Zuma looks like an arcade from 1995....They are an honest mom n' pop n' son operation that churns out great, buttery sushi with no strings attached(except for the occasional sinew[it happens])! Prices can be wary, but they do a better job than 96% of sushi places in Atlanta. Even better than at least 9 actual Japanese-owned places!
- Pros: Good late-night sushi, decent alcohol list (from the best junmai sakes to PBR), parking's decent, minutes from everywhere that's worth mentioning
- Cons: P'Cheen next door has average food, average bar
Not the Best, but Not Bad Either
by teacozy
September 10, 2007
We went to Zuma to see if it really lives up to being the best sushi restaurant in town, while sometimes the people who judge these things know a thing or two about food, I would hesitate to say if Zuma is indeed the Best in Atlanta. The service was brisk, but not haughty or slow. The couple we dined with ordered several pieces of nigiri and maki, and everything came at appropriate times. The prices on the menu seemed slightly higher than other places around town, but our total bill seemed on par, though we didn't have any sake, so that may have put us over the edge. Their miso was actually pretty good, and the kappa and avocado maki rolls I ordered were fresh and rolled precisely. Nothing seemed sloppy about any of the presentation or flavor. We did notice however that the cuts of nigiri was very generous. So, if people are complaining of price, they should also note that the fish is almost double what other restaurants serve. I would come back to Zuma if I was in the neighborhood, otherwise I'd still make the trek to my favorite sushi restaurant up on the northside, Sushi Huku.
- Pros: Fresh fish, good rolls
