Nijo Sushi Bar & Grill

We had a very nice dinner here. The fish was fresh, good service, good atmosphere, and reasonably priced for sushi. We will be back!

Good spot for happy hour. Good deals on drinks and decent Japanese bar food for the money. The gyoza potstickers are legit and the chicken karaage is tender and delicious. If you get there early enough get the salmon kama (grilled collar) it’s insane.
Bartenders make good very reasonably priced specialty cocktails during happy hour.
It’s kinda tucked away and dark but they play good music and have a cool vibe.

Stopped by for dinner when visiting Seattle and enjoyed the cosy, neighborhood-​y restaurant vibe. Seems like a great place to catch up with a friend after work or even dine solo — the place is both fun and relaxing at the same time.

We went for their happy hour and most of it was pretty reasonably priced. There wasn’t anything too adventurous on it, but we tried a number of different items.
The first round of food was way too salty, though. Their goyza were chock full of sodium. They didn’t even bother with a dipping sauce, and I can understand why. We also tried the tempura roll. Again, this did nothing to help my blood pressure. Just chock full of salt. The flavor wasn’t even very good, the prawns were very bland so the only thing that stood out was that they were incredibly salty.
Their diablo shrimp were better, almost like honey walnut prawn bites, but they used a wasabi sauce. The shrimp on these were nice and plump, but eating more than a few at a time left a cloying taste, I’m not sure how else to describe it. These would be best with a larger group so everyone can have a few and that’s it.
The spicy tuna roll, much like the tempura roll, had very little flavor. The tuna was also a bit mushy, and was not our favorite.
Things picked up after this though. We had the Seattle roll with fresh salmon and the California roll, which had a good amount of crab in it. I guess these two rolls helped save the meal since they were more flavorful than the other things we tried.
Ambiance of the space was okay, but it is never a good thing when you have to clean a few bugs off the window that have been there who knows how long. The service was friendly, but very slow. We didn’t order everything at once, so it took a long time for the second round of rolls to come out, even though the place wasn’t all that busy.
This place wasn’t bad, but with lots of sushi happy hours around town, Nijo didn’t do anything to really distinguish itself from the other spots. I wouldn’t go out of my way to make this a regular stop.

I eat lots of sushi and give most of them great ratings, but this place fell somewhat short. The service was okay, and the food was good … but just good. For a relatively expensive restaurant, I expected something more. We got a few different things (see photos), and though there was a reasonable quantity of fish, there was just too much rice. It made things hard to eat. I would look up the names of the rolls we got (seeing a menu would jog my memory) but their website seems to have disappeared.

Happy hour menu is well priced. Love the spicy tuna roll.

Nijo is a little bit off the beaten path, which makes it feel exclusive. The inside is modern and trendy. The staff and service are great. Happy hour prices were good for Seattle. The sushi was fresh and satisfying. The hot sake was decent. An all around great place to have mid-​level sushi in Seattle.

Nijo is all about the happy hour. So, I’m all about Nijo’s happy hour.*
*Disclaimer: I have ONLY been to Nijo for happy hour. This review is based on those happy hour experiences.
Here are the things that Nijo delivers and why I return:
— It’s two blocks from where I live and they give residents of our building 15% off. Yaaas sushi gods.
— The price is right. It’s one of those times you can just go nuts and order all the things on the menu. We always end up full and our wallets never leave empty. 10−11PM happy hour, too!
— The happy hour menu itself is pretty large and includes some creative, delicious twists on sushi/​Japanese small plates. I love the decedent crunchy roll, which is like a shrimp tempura spicy tuna mashup that’s just amazing. The pork gyoza are also delicious and they taste homemade. The spicy, garlic-​y edamame is one of my favorites. And the chicken karaage is hit or miss. The first time we ordered it, it was salty and chewy – which probably sounds terrible, but it was so good. The second time the chicken was more tender, larger hunks of soy-​marinated dark meat. But it wasn’t as flavorful. We’re not dessert people, but we tried the fried banana dish. That ish was BANANAS. I mean, it was really good. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t really like bananas.
— You have to order a drink to enjoy the happy hour prices, but that’s A-​OK with me. Especially since their cocktail and sake offerings are impressive for the discounted prices. One thing I might skip on: J-​pop. We were told it was a sparkling sake. It’s not. It’s a malt beverage. I’d definitely stick to the house hot sake for the best bargain.
— The service is really great!
— I also appreciate the seating options. I love the patio and the sushi bar, tucked in a separate room from the projector/​big screen with sports on it.
TL;DR: Nijo is great for happy hour. It’s not the best sushi or Japanese food in Seattle, but it’s great for the prices. Plus, it’s tucked away. That means it’s not as busy with tourists as many of the other downtown sushi restaurants can be.

We decided to try Mijo through Über Eats. I am not a huge sushi fan, but my wife is and I thought other items looked good.
My wife liked her sushi (I think Flaming Fire, spicy tuna). I had Beef Tataki, Kushi Kushi, grilled beef wrap, and gyoza.
The beef Tataki was outstanding, flavored and cooked to perfection. It was also a good sized portion. The gyoza were also above average, nice and crispy.
Both the Kushi Kushi and the grilled beef wrap were slightly overcooked – and the grilled beef wrap was a little bit flavorless.
Overall, definitely a place we will try again (and Über Eats us good service).

This was an awesome find. Delicious, fresh food. Impeccable and friendly service. Best Toro nigiri I’ve had in a while. This place is a great find.

Average sushi with a good location. Greeted by friendly staff. Happy hour menu didn’t have much on it that I wanted but the regular menu sushi was good.
Went on a Monday night and place had 10+ patrons. Basketball game was on and bar crowd was excited.

It was with cautious optimism that we went to Nijo; after seeing the see-​saw of reviews (mostly about the service) I was hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. I was glad that my caution was unwarranted during this visit.
We were quickly seated about 10 minutes before our reservation time. Our server was really, really friendly and our food got to us lightning-​fast.
After an appetizer of totally decent gyoza (not the best, but still very very good) I stuck entirely to nigiri; the first round, a mix of menu items and chalkboard specials. The next round was finishing off chalkboard items that I missed the first time.
All the fish was ridiculously fresh. The specials, in particular, had flavors that were spot-​on.
My dining companion enjoyed everything he ordered, from the California roll to the broiled salmon to the salad items.
While it’s not the best sushi I’ve had in Seattle, it’s still a great place to get your fish on.

I would happily eat sushi every day of the week. The location is near Pike Place which makes it a great spot to swing by after a day wandering the market and aquarium. The staff was super friendly and the sushi and seafood salad were delicious.
Our only complaint was that the tiramisu was really chilled, making it hard to eat and not as flavorful as it should be.

Good quality sushi. Quantity was ok. People seemed friendly however. I would try again. Had some ramen also which was good.

The staff was on point tonight! The service from Sean was amazing he was personable and genuinely cared about our drinks, the food and still have us suggestions and recommendations for next time! I hope my friend tipped him well!
The sushi for HH was delicious. The lychee martini was ammmmaze balls! I loves everything about our experience tonight! The HH is food and drinks and reasonable prices and options! They have it all! I was a happy camper!

Crazy awesome happy hour specials! Includes appetizers and sushi! I’ll continue to keep coming back here for happy hour for sure.

Not sure what the big deal about this particular sushi restaurant is. The restaurant itself is very trendy, and the ambience is casual.
Coming in, the hostess was very welcoming and greeted us fairly. However, our waitress was not so pleasant. Seemed to be paying more attention to another customer (who she seemed to know) rather than us, and another party she was serving.
When ordering, I asked for no avocado (unfortunately allergic). She refused, and this was when the attitude started. Later on, I asked for another order of the ‘Crunchy’, and she barely stopping by to hear what I had to say.
Happy Hour menu was fair, good prices along with a great selection of food. I ordered the ‘Crunchy’ and the 3 Piece Salmon Sashimi. They serve cucumber water which was different and refreshing.
I personally would not make a hassle to come back here again unless I was in the area. Maybe I’ll give it another try some other time.

Excellent japanese food with serene chic atmoshphere. Veggie rolls are delicious. they deliver via eat 24 and grubhub which is convenient

I’ve been going back to Nijo for more than 3 years now. This review is way over due. I think they earned their 5 stars over and over again though.
Parking? Uhm, it’s downtown Seattle. So it depends. It’s one block away from the Alexis’ so… I’ve been valeting at the hotel to go to Nijo ;) $ 7 – 15 plus tips. Trust me, worth it to not having to deal with the headache, and they keep your car dry, and warm for you!
Services? Hell yes! Summer? Sit outside! Winter? Sit at the sushi bar!
Great selection of filtered, unfiltered sake.
Outstanding sashimi selection. Idk about other people but I judge a plate of sashimi by the quality of their saba. Why? I don’t think the saba swims all the way over here to be caught, you know. If their saba tastes awesome, you will know it (saba is very strongly flavor fish) easily. And if in fact does taste awesome, you know the restaurant really goes way out there to make sure their fish sources are great.
All of that just to conclude that yes, Nijo’s saba is always the best! (even better than Shiro’s…). I grew up where saba are everywhere… I know what ‘em fish taste like fresh.
Awesome brown rice green tea. Relaxing atmosphere — well, I avoid rush hours, so I only dine when the restaurant is almost empty.
I hope I’ve written enough to give them all the credit they’ve earned over the years.
Go give them a try, guys. I think you’ll like it.

They have great selection of sushi and they are fresh. They have variety of other dishes that are cooked for non sushi lovers.
Service is a little slow considering it was late at night and was not too crowded.

Nijo is my safety sushi place when other places are too busy or closed for New Year’s Day. It’s rarely my first choice for sushi, but not bad.
Most recently I got the Combo B which is a roll and 8 pieces of nigiri sushi, all chef’s choice. Also comes with a choice of salad or miso soup for $ 21.
The best way to describe that experience is three stars. A-​OK. I’m usually obsessed with salmon, but it really didn’t do anything for me here. I’m pretty sure I’ve had cheaper and better sushi. I’m not sure what else came out on the plate because I didn’t recognize it and they didn’t tell me haha. The roll was good though but you’d probably be better off choosing your own.
I also ordered hot tea, and that was barely warm. I asked for another pot, thinking I was babysitting my beverage again, but no. Not hot.
Next time: sake bombs.

Not sure what all the commotion is about. We found the food average at best. Friendly staff and a warm ambiance. One chicken dish was plain, and the tempura seafood special was more English fish and chips than a Japanese dish.
Good HH specials, and maybe that’s the best option for going here.
Projection TV at the bar (unintentionally) wraps around the curved wall, distorting the picture. Easy fix.
Unlikely to return.

Great happy hour deals on drinks and food. The Seattle tempura roll was amazing. Also had great nabeyaki udon soup.

Not much I can add that others haven’t already mentioned, but their HH is really good. Good inventive cocktails, okay beer and wine selection.
Only thing I miss is the fact that they rarely, if ever, serve specialities such as: kazunoko kombu, uni, kohada, unago, etc. But have yet to stop serving unagi which is on Japan’s fear of becoming an endangered species list.

Super nice looking place and a happy hour menu that happens nightly from 4 – 7 and then 10−11pm. Ever wonder where you can chow down on Japanese food while catching the game on a flatscreen? Voila– Nijo is the place. Excellent service, and we enjoyed a mix of both trad and HH menus, large sashimi platter (amazing yellowtail and medium fatty tuna), and many of the cooked and fried or grilled items like the chicken karaage, grilled yellowtail collar, takoyaki, calamari, and spicy shrimp. Both flavors of oyster shooters were deelish (ponzu and also tomato).
So here’s why the 2 stars and not 4: during our chat and while enjoying the super tasting food, I had to kill a small bug that resembled a beetle or roach crawling along the bar where we sat. 10 minutes later I saw another one on the counter making its way into some cucumber on the opposite counter. –2 Stars for each bug that I saw on the food counter. I’m not trying to burn the place but it’s a tough vision to eliminate and I’m apprehensive about returning. Please fix the sitch, Nijo!

To say that Ni Jo met my expectations would be a very accurate depiction of my experience. Not bad, not good.
The wait staff were extremely friendly prompt and kind.
The sushi, average. The shrimp tempura tasted like movie theater popcorn. The atmosphere mediocre. With many other highly rated sushi and Asian fusion restaurants abound, I would advise giving those a shot.

UPDATE:
We went back on Friday night. YAY
1: They changed the seats back to comfortable chairs with full backs!
2) The sushi cuts were bigger and acceptable. The flavor and freshness has always been good.
3) No more lemon slices between the cuts of sashimi. That was awful.
We will be back on a regular basis!

This could have easily stayed a five-​star rating, but after our dinner at Nijo last night, I just don’t think we will be back. My brother was in town for work, so my family met him for dinner. We knew we would get sushi but weren’t sure where we were headed, and we ended up at Nijo knowing they have solid food and great happy hour prices. Meaning, we did not have reservations. That is fine, I understand that they did not have a large table for six readily available for us. What I don’t understand is why they offered us a four-​top and the two-​top near it, but they refused to put the two tables together. There were no tables in between, and there was no pathway concern for waitstaff carrying food around (they were both against the front window). But they would rather split up a party of 3 adults and 3 young children to two tables.
So, where did we end up? At the sushi bar. With a 2-​year old, 7-​year old and 9-​year old. A party of six. Trying to catch up, share food at awkward angles and making sure the kids didn’t fall off the stools. (Yeah yeah, we could’ve gone elsewhere, but after parking during rush hour downtown, we decided to give it a go.) Now, if we had been sitting at a normal table, then we would not have seen the huge cockroach crawling around the sushi bar. Ewww. (Yes, we could’ve left then but had already ordered a bunch of food, and again, didn’t want to bother finding somewhere else to accommodate us.) Again, if we were seated on the floor, then we would’ve missed this, and I wouldn’t be telling everyone I know to stay far away.
The reason I won’t knock this review to one rating is because the food is still good. Seriously, the uni was so creamy, sweet and luscious, we couldn’t leave without another order of it. At the end of the meal, my husband noted that when he reviewed the bill, there was no tip added. When the credit card slip came back, there was tip included in the amount. He could have easily double-​tipped if he hadn’t been paying attention. Shady.
Nah, we won’t be back.

We go to nijo once a week for our date night. Really like the «hidden» restaurant feel that attracts working professionals.
This is probably the freshest fish and best oysters I have tasted in Seattle. I would highly recommend their unfiltered sake and lychee martini.
Great for date nights and hanging out with friends. They also have a big screen projector for local sport games. Good ambiance.

I came here for a work group lunch with my team. It was packed (reservation is recommended!)
Food was pretty good! I ordered the lunch combo with nigiri. Compared to other sushi places I have been to, I thought the amount of fish I got was plenty for the money. I also ordered toro on the side and it was yummy — although it was slightly colder than I prefer.
Service was also pretty good as well. Nothing memorable in a good way.
Not the best Japanese restaurant I have been to, but it was very solid. Recommended.

My guy knew this one little sushi spot,. but didn’t quite know the name. We trekked down to Nijo Sushi for a late dinner and sat near the bar.
We ordered a couple Kirins on draft and a bottle of Sake. We decided on a couple plates each and placed our order right away.
We ordered the miso soup which was good and just your typical miso, The beef skewers, the special which was hamachi sashimi with jalapeño and a spicy tuna roll. Our meal was good, but the stand out was the hamachi jalapeño sashimi, which was excellent.
Overall good meal, good service and a nice dinner night out.

One of my friends came here for happy hour before and recommended it so I decided to come here with my friend. When we came at 10PM or so on a Saturday night and we were surprised there was nobody here! Apparently they close at 11PM, instead of midnight as listed on the site. We ended up ordering two rolls, Agedashi tofu, and takoyaki. We also ordered a «Yuzu Sparkling Sake» which the waitress said was supposed to taste like champagne… but it really just tasted like lemon soda… imagine something like Squirt. It wasn’t that good.
The Agedashi tofu was okay, it wasn’t overly fried which was good. However, I’ve had better agedashi tofu so I wasn’t too impressed. The takoyaki was pretty good and the flavors were there. It was solid, but not amazing. We ordered the Seattle Tempura roll, which had salmon, avocado & cream cheese coated with tempura batter & fried. My friend loves fried stuff and cream cheese, and he still didn’t find the roll to be good. So that’s saying something. Personally I didn’t like it too much. There was way too much batter on it. Plus I could barely taste the salmon. I think we also got the Bainbridge Islander, but I don’t really remember it as it wasn’t that impressive. The roll was decent, but definitely not amazingly fresh.
Overall, I thought their happy hour was cheap, but I don’t know if I’d come back. The food was okay and not as good as other Japanese places I’ve had. The service wasn’t amazing either, so I can’t say I recommend this place. Safe to say that I’ve had better.