Best Denver sushi
Always fresh fish but always a wait for a table. Gorgeous decor, very classy feeling. Always have drink and sushi specials that are different so I like to try those and I've never been disappointed! Must try the sea urchin! The jalapeño sashimi is one of a kind, I haven't found anything like it.
I love this place!!! Ive only lived in Denver for 1.5 months and I've been to this restaurant twice. Â Great to go on a weekday when it's not super packed, otherwise on the weekend definitely try to make a reservation! I just finished living in California for the last year, and I still think this is the best sushi Ive ever had.
I went last night with 4 other girls from work and we ordered a boat load of sushi. Â The manager promptly came and spoke with us ( I love this) Â I asked him about all the rumors that I had heard about sushi Den. Â He said that 30% of the sushi is shipped daily from Japan. Â The owners brother lives there. Â They are number one in the fish shipping industry and will pay any price ($17,000 for tuna!) Â Their tuna is sustainable (as is everything else) and they have a tuna farm in Croatia. Â The chef, Toshi, is the ONLY master chief in the United States. Â This is all straight from the managers mouth! Sushi Den is the number one sushi restaurant in America, it's also the BUSIEST restaurant in the US. Â
SOooooooo with all that, if you are still second guessing if you should go, don't, save space for me and my friends. Â I could eat here daily!
I've been hearing about Sushi Den for a year now since moving to Denver, and now I understand why. I met three colleagues here for a business lunch, and we had a wonderful experience. Showed up at noon, and the place filled up within 10 minutes - I knew it was a good sign.
The restaurant was much bigger than I expected, with a sushi bar that stretched the entire length of the resto and a large, bright dining room. It was classy and modern. Our server Joe was very friendly and attentive. Everything came out, rapid fire. So impressed.
The Big O (and I don't mean Oprah) roll was perfection. I would order it any day of the week. The fish tasted fresh, the roll was perfectly tempura'd and the flavors of the roll and sauce were well-balanced. Three of us split 6 rolls, and embarrassingly there wasn't a single piece left on the plate when we finished. It was fantastic.
This is the kind of place I'd take good friends with an affinity for good food, or my husband on a special occasion. I can see why they've been in business for almost 30 years. Well done, Sushi Den. I will be back.
I used to really like the Sushi Den especially because of the atmosphere. We would go there often and have some cocktails while we waited for our table. After our last visit we all had some major indigestion. I have been told this often attributed to receiving a cheaper fish than what was ordered. I'm not sure anymore that the Sushi Den is not replacing what I order with cheaper fish - hence the indigestion. I recommend you know what you are getting into when you order fish from any restaurant and don't just trust what the menu says.
Review Source:I came here a month ago with my good friend. I brought her here and it was my first time, and I wish I hadn't. I'm sorry, but the rolls weren't that great to me. I'd rather go to Tokoyo Joes . I wasn't a fan of the roll with the beef in it. But, that was completely my fault for getting that in the first place at a sushi restaurant. Oh well, it was a nice place to have lunch, but I wasn't a fan of the food. My friend didn't like it either.
Review Source:Coming from Southern California, I have high expectations when it comes to Sushi and Sushi Den literally made me feel at home again. Even when being next to the ocean you would be surprised how unfresh fish can taste at places sometimes and for being located smack dab in the middle of the United States Sushi Den delivered some of the freshest sashimi I have ever tasted! The prices were a little high, but what do you expect when fish has to be flown in fresh on a daily basis!?! Well worth the price! The fish melted in my mouth and was filled with bold flavors in every bite. I would highly recommend the Ginger Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi Plate and the Red Dragon Roll! I also tried the Kobe beef roll and it was delicious! Not to mention I came to Sushi Den on probably the busiest night of the year (Valentines Day) and not once did I feel like I was not getting 100% of my servers attention. Fast service, great food, and an awesome ambiance...there's not much more you can hope for at a restaurant!
Review Source:This place was so prepared that we walked in on VDay without a reservation and without a wait.
The decor was above par and had a great atmosphere.
The service was some of the best I've had in Denver, and the food came out surprisingly quick for being a holiday.
The only negative I would have here is that 2 rolls came with wasabi which isn't a big deal if you're a wasabi fan, but we aren't. So, I wish it just came on the side like normal.
That being said, If you go here you need to get the Big O. Trust me on this. A double wrapped tempura roll. Get in your car and go now for this.
Yup, all that hype you've heard about Sushi Den is true. Â It's about as good as it gets when it comes to sushi in Denver. Â I've been coming to Sushi Den for the past ten years and have never had a bad experience here. Â (Granted, I only come two or three times a year). Â Everything from the food, drinks, wait staff and atmosphere is really top notch. Â There is never an empty table and the whole enviroment of Sushi Den is always abuzz with life.
For all those haters out there who say "I've had better in San Francisco or Japan", I won't debate that. Â But we're in Denver, not on the ocean. Â
For all those who've said Sushi Den is overpriced. Â I'm sure a place like Sonoda's would be more to your liking. Â Sushi Den's prices are not that much higher than your typical strip mall sushi place.
And for all those who complain about wait times to be seated, what do you expect from such a popular place? Â Even places like Olive Garden have wait times during peak hours, so get over it and yourselves :)
Prices are high but the sushi is melt in your mouth soft, fresh, and often paired with a tiny bit of garnish or sauce that makes it taste amazing! Â We were blown away by the red snapper with scallion, shad with a bit of bean paste (I think?), yellowtail belly cut (wowzers), and salmon nigiri. Â We didn't bother getting rolls because I wanted to taste the quality of the fish itself. Â The happy hour set (6 pieces of sushi with a tuna hand roll) for 14 bucks and change is a good deal, imho, for the quality. Â Trendy but service is still friendly.
Review Source:Sushi Den is a trendy sushi joint located in a charming little neighborhood. Â It's been difficult to find a decent sushi place in Denver, so I decided to give this place a try based on the great reviews.
The food was good, but not great. Â Maybe that's because I'm from Southern California where there are a plethora of sushi joints to choose from. Â The fish was decent, but I've definitely had fresher fish, especially when it comes to sushi. Â They have a ton of novelty rolls which seems to be popular as we saw tons of orders going out to neighboring tables. Â
Our server highly recommended the New Style Salmon roll; don't waste your money. Â It has too many bold flavors like cilantro and onion that mask the taste of the fish.
Try to snag street parking, or they offer valet service.
A great experience overall!
I have wanted to try Sushi Den since I moved to Denver a couple of years ago. All I ever heard were great things about the place (the fish is flown in from a Japanese fish market daily, best sushi in Denver). Â Finally, I got the chance to go when my date took me there not too long ago! Â Lucky for him, he made a good choice!! The date went well and in part because of the experience at Sushi Den.
As you can imagine, this place was packed on a Saturday night and we weren't sure we would get seated for at least an hour. I understand they do not take reservations. We were seated 20 minutes later in the upstairs part of the restaurant. The upstairs area was a little quieter than downstairs.
The service was excellent. Our Server was very helpful and suggested her favorite dishes and sake. I am usually that pain that asks a lot of questions, but I didn't have to!
I ordered Sunomono for starters....a common Japanese chilled seafood salad. Their Sunomono was mostly seafood, not veggies, and contained crab, shrimp and octopus in a vinaigrette type dressing. Very good! We ordered the Volcano Roll and Red Dragon Roll; both are quite good but also quite different. I am one who prefers more traditional sushi rolls with a variety of raw fish (Red Dragon) and my date likes the cooked and saucy rolls (Volcano). Â Sushi doesn't get any fresher then this! My only complaint, if you can really call it that, is I would like to see a better selection of raw fish rolls. The Volcano Roll for what it was, is amazing, FYI.
I would give this place 4.5 stars if I could. This is now by far my favorite sushi place but I will not stop searching for sushi perfection in Denver!
I know I am really in the minority here, but I really was *not* impressed with this place. I have been making it my quest to check out the many different sushi places, so this is far from being my first place. My first experience with sashimi was when I was just a little kid while in Hawaii...
The food here was okay, but the corresponding prices just were outrageous. I love fresh fish, don't get me wrong, but when it costs $16 for a sashimi plate for 6 thinly sliced pieces of fish with some jalepenos and sauce drizzled over it, it just seemed a bit foolish...especially if you put together all of the pieces of the fish, it would probably equal only 2 or 3 pieces at best, at other quality sushi places.
Their smoked hamachi and tuna roll was okay (finished it 'cause I felt I had to). I tried their Kobi roll since so many others seemed to like it. It was tasty, but reminded me of bulgogi (Korean marinated beef dish) rolled up in rice (Note: if you liked the Kobi roll but haven't tried bulgogi, I suggest you go to a Korean restaurant and try it). We got a few more rolls and a couple of other dishes which seemed okay (e.g. it wasn't that it was bad...just not a good value).
The environment and service was pretty average too. The only difference from other sushi restaurants I saw, through their sea of many tables, was that they had 2 bars...the one upfront was a sushi bar and the one in the back was a "drinking" bar.
If I were to guess, those who frequent this place do so for the "to be seen there" reason. If you fit into this category, or are just curious to see it for yourself, I suggest you check it out! Doubtful I will go back, but at least I can say I was there once :).
I was in Denver visiting a friend who recently moved there. He said he has yet to find a good sushi place. After looking up reviews and various places, I told him we were going to Sushi Den for dinner.
This place didn't disappoint. Good sushi at reasonable prices in a nice restaurant. Some say it is expensive, but depends on what you get I suppose. Check out their website and menu for prices and compare that to other sushi places. I found their prices to be similar to others I would go to.
The sushi chefs were nice, but the downside at sitting at the sushi bar is the waiters place order to the chefs right behind  you. So the waiters, food runners, and plates of food are being passed over you. We were bumped a few times and had to dodge here and there some. Next time, I'd rather wait and sit at a table to bypass that.
Friends with us raved about the duck udon and scallops over risotto. Thumbs up all around from our group for Sushi Den!
Like Zina said. . . Â "Kobe beef sushi!" Â This, for me, was probably the best thing (and there were so many to choose from) that I had this day for lunch. Â I am not a fan of fish, particularly raw, and especially anything that reminds me of salmon (Lobster, Shrimp and Scallops are to my liking, however). Â But, I do love sushi, even though I typically go for a vegetable roll, or a tempura roll. Â The Kobe beef sushi may sound odd to some, but I thought it was like a Philly cheese steak meets sushi, and I really liked it. Â I also had the shrimp tempura roll, and it was great. Â I got to share a fair amount of a fellow diner's Lobster Ramen, and it was wonderfully flavorful and rich in the flavors of butter and love. Â In fact, I would say it was the best Lobster Ramen I have had, but I went to Bones the next day, and had one just as good (if not better). Â
The service was very good. Â I can see why Sushi Den gets such good reviews. Â I would definitely come here again.
Impeccable sushi is what you'll find at Sushi Den. The fish is flown in daily from Japan and the difference is clear. The standouts: red dragon roll, crunchy tuna, new style salmon roll and the lobster roll. They sold out of the Big O but that would have been on my list to try. Great lively atmosphere; John Fox was at the table next to us with lots of kids- probably grandkids- which was cool. We wouldn't hesitate to return. With 5 of us eating apps, lots of sushi (at least 10+ rolls) beers, wine and cocktails we got out of there for about $360 which included a 20% tip. Not cheap but it's not a meal we'll soon forget. We decided to forgo Christmas presents and instead indulge in a truly memorable experience. Best decision we made this year.
Review Source:By far the best service and Sushi I have had in a long time.
Great Neighborhood, though there is some difficulty finding parking you can always use the valet. Make the time to take a stroll down the street, it is romantic at night but don't forget a coat :-)
Belly up to the sushi bar and get the full experience.
This place is one of my favorite Sushi restaurants in the country. Â I think they give Nobu a run for their money. Â Their fish is super fresh, sashimi or rolls, you can't go wrong. Â Love the Scallop Handroll (get it with spicy mayo), the Kobe Beef Roll (seriously amazing), and for dinner their Sukiyaki (it has NY Strip in there). Â Place gets really crowded for dinner, really need a reservation. Â They also have Valet Parking for dinner.
Review Source:very cool neighborhood. Quiet, warm, friendly.
I love wandering around on a quiet evening as the sun is setting and a cool breeze starts in. You can get in some great conversation while you're waiting for your reservation call.
The atmosphere inside is a bit loud and energetic. It's difficult to have a normal volume level conversation. The decor is loud and widely varied. Like 4 restaurants mashed up together.
Lots of hip young people out to see and be seen.
Sushi is quite expensive. For the most part I would say it's good. They have some vegetarian options, but nothing overly impressive.
My Boyfriend wanted to take me out for a fancy meal, and decided to go to Sushi Den. Â I have never been, but he had, and said I was in for a treat. Â
 We went on a budget - including tip, tax and food for $70.  (Yes, that actually is a budget for Sushi Den)  We talked with our waiter, and told him what out budget was, and he immediately gave us his suggestions for the best bang for the buck.  I loved that!  We had a good meal, and got to try loads of different fish and dishes.  The seaweed salad is great!! Â
 We didn't have a wait at all and had a wonderful time.  Thank you Sushi Den!
Great atmosphere and amazing Sushi. I was pleasantly surprised to find this wonderful sushi place tucked away in CO. Huge selection of creative rolls and wonderful fresh fish.
I like to baseline my Sushi on the California Rolls and this was one of the best I've ever had! Traditional and absolutely delicious. I would recommend staying away from the Kobe Beef roll which sounds intriguing but really doesn't come through in terms of taste.
My BFF and travel/life partner came to town, and we hit up Sushi Den on a strong recommendation from a buddy at my gym in Parker. He couldn't have been more accurate in describing how awesome it was.
We sat at the sushi bar, there was almost no wait. We went on a Weds at about 5 PM. The Chef started us off with some amazing appetizers he whipped up, and we ordered some rolls and watched as he made them with precision and detail. The volcano roll was to die for.
The Chef finished off our meal with a chilled orange that was diced and served in the  peel, which we ate while awaiting our dessert, which was also really good.
A lot of people complain about the price or the wait or the atmosphere or the staff, and I have been back again since she flew back out, and I have no complaints about any of that.
For quality sushi in a land locked state like Colorado, I have no problem paying for it. I thought it was top notch and one of the best sushi places I've ever been to. The second trip was on a Saturday at about 5:30. We sat at the bar for about 10 minutes before our table was ready, and again had a great experience.
Both times our waitstaff was very attentive and took excellent care of us. I highly recommend Sushi Den. Believe the hype. It's that good.
I just spent $138 here...by myself! Â Here's how I did it...sat at the sushi bar and told the sushi ya to just make me stuff. Â Whatever he felt like making. Â
A wonderful experience because each dish he made required him to explain to me what the dish was and why he chose to make that particular dish. Â Kinda felt like being a judge on the food network. Â
Hints: Â Don't do this unless you are prepared to drop major chedda...
Baked Dynamite (Seafood medley in creamy, garlicy, fantastic flavor - $8) and Signature Rolls ($15-18) are amazing. I really mean AMAZING. I wish it was a couple dollars cheaper, but its sushi...and its fresh, and delcious. Great date spot!
From what I've heard, Izakaya which is across the street, a little less busy, better happy hour times and a little less pricey - is owned by the same people? I've had both places and love them both.
I've only been to Sushi Den a few times, mostly because I love its sister restaurant Izakaya Den. That isn't to say Sushi Den isn't good, it is. There is a reason why people will wait hours to get in (they don't take reservations for parties under 8). It is trendy and busy, nothing is going to be bad, and the menu is full of good options.
For those of you who aren't "in the know": Sushi Den is located on South Pearl. Â This neighborhood is the opposite of downtown; a cute little four block area with a selection of great restaurants, cute coffee shops and adorable shops. Â While there are currently a few store fronts open and waiting for new restaurants, I know they will fill quickly and the block doesn't seem hurt by it. Â Parking can be difficult but it's worth it; Sushi Den offers valet parking if you get desperate.
Sushi Den and Izakaya Den are both on Florida and S. Pearl. Sushi Den is the more well-known of the two and busier for it. Â The ambiance is trendy and dark but with big windows looking out on to the street, its pleasant and welcoming. Â The bar is packed with those waiting for a table or just waiting to be seen.
On my latest visit, we ordered the Sushi Den Ceviche, an assortment of sushi and two specialty rolls. Â The wine list gave plenty of options; I always like to see that there is at least one bottle in the $30 range even if the bottle prices escalate in to the hundreds. Â The ceviche was packed with assorted fish, mango and cucumber but frankly lacking flavor. Â I won't say that I didn't finish every last piece of fish, I don't like to waste after all, but both my dinner companion and I were left longing for a shrimp and scallop ceviche we had once in a dive bar a long time ago (I need to remember to ask why that never made their regular menu). Â The sushi was good, absolutely fresh. Â
The owners have their fish flown in daily (or so I hear) and it absolutely makes the difference. Â The Kobe roll was a little bit of a shock to my system, my own fault I'm sure for ordering all fish and then meat but still good. Â There was nothing special about it though. Â To our dismay, the Volcano roll lacked the kick we had anticipated. Â It was creamy and good but inappropriately named. Â Feeling disappointed, we ordered the rainbow roll which was fresh and yummy.
All in all, its good sushi, no question. Â Is it worth all the hoopla, nah. Â If you want to impress someone, sure it has a well deserved reputation. Â But if you want a nice night out in that neighborhood, with quality Japanese, walk across the street and belly up at Izakaya. Â The less discussed sister restaurant has the same quality of fish, it came off the same exact plane, and more variety to the menu.
Ok so I know (along with most) that this place has great sushi but this place has horrible customer service. My family recently went to this place for fathers day and as this place does not take reservations for parties less than six so we knew we would have to wait. According to the hostess thirty to forty five minutes. However, after waiting forty minutes we see several sat before us that were not groups of six. I understand you have to seat the guy who valeted his beautiful Bently and a party of three would be sat before us as I understood the fact he has money and restaurants have to cater to them a litte. However when this happened another two times with the hostess individually picking out who would be sat next with parties less than six and arrived after us it is just downright bad management. Â
The server we had was nice and quick but as for "normal" people (like me) expect a long wait and be treated like you don't matter.
Bottom line - Sushi again is great but not worth the discourteousness and slightly overpriced.
Imported from Japan? Why, yes please.
With fish this fresh and crowds extra hungry swarming the outside of their doors, you would think that this was some kind of sushi festival waiting inside.
And you might be right. It's pretty insane inside with every seat taken, servers running all over the place, and me having the urge to yell over everyone to make sure my date hears what I'm saying.
"This is a bit expensive for a roll, don't you think?!?" I would yell.
"Yes, but it's sooooooo goood!" she responds.
"This cheaper roll actually tastes a little better than these expensive ones."
"I knowwww!"
Perhaps I just wasn't into what the server recommended -- they were pricey and just wasn't worth it in my opinion. But then again, it's all about the fish, and you can rest assured the fish is damn good.
Just make sure you go with your gut when choosing items on the menu and you'll be more than pleasantly surprised.
Sushi Den doesn't need another review, but here's my two cents.
I will be craving and counting down the days until I come back for the yellowtail collar and the crispy spicy tuna. Hands down, I could just eat that, like five orders of each! Must have.
The quality of the food is fantastic- however their sushi.. Holy Wasabi! I enjoy wasabi a little more than the average person, but Sushi Den's spider roll made me cry in pain with the globs of wasabi hidden behind the crispy crab. Also, the Kobe beef roll, unimpressed. It was like an ok philly cheesesteak. Save your money on the Kobe beef roll and order yourself another round of the crispy spicy tuna!
Last night in celebration of Juliet accepting an extension to keep us here in Denver through the summer we dined at the highly touted Sushi Den. Long regarded as one of the most excellent examples of great fish service in the USA we have anticipated this experience for nearly 9 months before finally taking the plunge.
Sushi Den is known for their daily arrivals of fresh market fish flown in from Fukuoka on Kyushu Island, Japan. The brother of the two chefs and owners of Sushi Den selects the fish and manages the fresh packing and direct shipments to Denver. The results are unique varieties of fish and exceptional examples of location which to many of us who adore sushi are the keys to excellence (along with the skills of the chefs and the handling of the product).
As soon as we rolled in the door at half past eight there was not a seat in a restaurant that was much larger than anticipated. The GM met us at the door and immediately complimented me on my Rockmount shirt (I am not kidding). He then told us we should sit at the owner, Yasu Kizaki's station which we of course accepted. The hostess said it could be an hour wait for his station so we plopped down at the bar and started on Sake' a 300ml bottle of Suijin Junmai (+10) Iwate, Japan. Crisp and brilliant I knew I was in the right place. In only 1/2 an hour we were seated.
Chef Yasu looked us over immediately and  probably assumed I was a bit of a DB in my loud and beautiful stitched shirt. When I told him I wanted him to drive the truck he seemed very skeptical. He asked me to tell him what we eat. I told him we are adventurous and he said, "No, tell me what you eat!" I said seriously we are wide open. "Where you from?' He belted! I said, totally wanting to set a picture I would not have to explain, New York City! "Where you eat there?" he said still very uncertain of our experience level. I fired back calmly 'Sushi Yasuda".
With that he said "ahhh Yah-soo-da...now I know where to start"
We began with oysters and finished with literally a bowl of unreal Uni. As the night progressed he began to love us, lighten up, and eventually invite us to meet his brother (the founder, Toshi) and enjoy a level well above his own, as he put it. I can say in all honesty this was a Top 10 sushi experience in a canon of eating that has bordered on obsessive for the past 7 years
I've been waiting to try Sushi Den for a long, long time. Fortunately, I have an awesome boyfriend who treated me to a night out, making all my sushi wishes come true.
I was surprised by the wait on a Wednesday evening, even moreso by the noise level inside. Even though we sat next to one another, we still had difficulty sharing conversation without raising our voices. Better acoustics to compliment the ambiance would be appreciated.
Service was . . . odd. Our server seemed put out that we ordered the sushi deluxe dinner, apparently a meal for one (though plenty for the two of us.) We had to ask for forks to eat our salads with; I know that diners are expected to use nothing but chopsticks, but for salad . . . salad is rough to eat with chopsticks, and a great server would have asked if we'd like them before we had to ask ourselves.
The sushi was amazing and lives up to it's reputation. I will definitely be back, hopefully when it's less busy and quieter.
This place is very trendy which means 3 things. First, it's gonna be expensive. It was but not excessively so. Second, you're gonna have to wait. My first attempt to eat here was aborted 45 minutes into our wait. Third, it is a place to "see and be seen" which means it attracts a crowd that may or may not actually be interested in the quality of the food.
My way to bypass at least the last 2 of my concerns was to order carry-out from them at 5pm. I had the fatty tuna, the salmon, the "rock and roll," the tuna firecracker roll, and the black miso cod.
The cod was fantastic. Got it on the recommendation of a coworker and I'm glad I did. The salmon and fatty tuna were both nice as well. Each of the rolls were good with the rock and roll being notably good.
Bottom line: it's good (not amazing) sushi, but expect headaches unless you get it to go (like me).
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