Sakana Grill
• 116 - 2 Ave SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0B9
Average User Rating:
7.24/10
7.24/10
Recommended by:
63%
63%
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"Good udon"
Mary
April 2012 — "We visited the Sakana Grill in Crowfoot location during happy hour (after 9PM) for cheap udon and salmon sashimi.
I like the beef udon here because the broth is not too salty and not too greasy but with great flavors. The pieces of beef inside could use a little more generosity though. I also found myself scooping the bowl for more udon noodles.
The tempura udon has a clear broth with some flavor to it but I still prefer the beef udon. The tempura pieces included 2 prawns, cucumber, yam and brocolli.
I have nothing to complain about during this visit. The salmon sashimi was mediocre. The slices of sashimi is usually thin at Sakana so it was not unusual."
User Rating
7.33/10
7.33/10
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"Average service. Average food"
Mary
March 2012 — "We love happy hour at Sakana Grill Crowfoot location. This restaurant has a more modern feel than the downtown location.
We ordered a love boat to share between the two of us. I also ordered a scallop sashimi because I like to see how the quality differs from every japanese restaurant. The piece of scallop sashimi at Sakana was average. I did not find it to be extra special. The texture could use some improvements.
Service at Sakana is not fast paced for sure. We find it extra hard to flag down our server. She was helping more than 4 tables around us and we could see that she was busy.
The sushi rolls which came with the love boat was not that great. The sushi rice was mushy and felt like it was too moist and clumped. I like to eat sushi rice when I can taste each grain. This feels too much like rice soup (congee). The other sushi nigiri pieces were okay. I like the sashimi portion."
User Rating
7/10
7/10
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"Slow service"
Mary
January 2012 — "Sakana Grill at Crowfoot location has happy hour past 9 on weeknights (unsure about weekends). We decided to give it another try since last time was not too bad.
We arrived at the restaurant at 9 sharp and was surprised to find a large crowd at the front entrance already. We were quoted with a wait time of 15 minutes but it was really 30 minutes. There was sufficient seating for us so we did not complain too much.
The service at our table/booth was extremely slow. We ordered our meal right away as soon as she offered drinks because we knew it would be another 30 minutes before we see our server again. Our food was out within 20 minutes (not too bad given the volume). The sashimi slices and sushi was not too bad, tasted somewhat fresh. The price of tuna has gone up for happy hour, increased back to its original price such that there is no real happy hour discount.
When we finished our meal and was ready to pay our bill, we could not find our server anywhere. We waited patiently for 20 minutes before we decided to get up and leave because it was getting rather late (10:20 PM). We wore our jackets and walked to the register and waited for our server to show up. I paid at the front entrance and of course did not leave a decent tip. Our server did not thank us for having us, neither did she apologize for the wait."
User Rating
5.33/10
5.33/10
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"It was okay but nothing special..."Andrea
September 2011 — "We visited Sakana Grill for an early dinner. Our parents like going early because if you order before 4:30, some of the "Happy Love Boats" are half price. The food was okay - nothing to rave about. The boats come with an assortment of sushi, dumplings, caifornia rolls, tempura and teriyaki chicken. All I can say is that I am happy the food was half price - because it's not really worth paying full price for. There are many great Japanese / Sushi restaurants in the city, and this is not really one of them. The service was fine, and overall ambiance was good. I would not recommend this place because there are so many better restaurants to visit that are within the same price range."
User Rating
6.83/10
6.83/10
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"Slow"Mary
July 2011 — "We visited Sakana grill during happy hour at the crowfoot location. Even though it was happy hour, it was not that busy. There were five other tables that were empty.
We waited for a while before our server introduced herself and offered drinks. We ordered our usual, sushi boat, good enough for two people.
The sashimi that came in the boat was not all that good. Tuna was too salty and texture seemed funny. Must be a bad day or something.
Our green tea was not refilled until we asked for it and our server took 10 minutes to get it filled with hot water.
When we had some left overs and decided to pack it to to go, our server was no where to be found. We waited for 15 minutes before we found our server and finally stopped her as she walked passed us without paying attention to our table. Our bill didn't take long though, she knew we wanted to leave. How realistic. "
User Rating
5.33/10
5.33/10
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"Great Sushi for a reasonable price!"
Elaine
June 2011 — "Sakana Grill has happy hour which means the sushi is usually just a little bit more than half the original price. You can check times of the happy hour on their website. The quality of the sushi isn’t great but because of the great price that I am paying, I always go back. I wouldn’t pay full price for this place though as I do think there are other sushi restaurants with better quality sushi. You can get an enormous boat for about twenty something dollars with the special. We ordered the boat during happy hour and that was more than enough for the two of us to share and we had a few pieces of rolls and sashimi left over. Service is usually very good and I haven’t ever had to wait too long for a seat. Overall, I was very satisfied and will always return to this place. "
User Rating
8.33/10
8.33/10
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"Happy Hour Specials"
Henry
March 2011 — "Sakana Grill is a small chain of Japanese restaurants which has two locations in Calgary. One is located at Crowfoot Circle in the NW quadrant and the other is located a block away from Chinatown. They are known to have happy hour specials which is the best time to visit. Happy hour specials are available between 3pm and 5pm and after 9pm in the evenings. Sushi boats and other items are offered at a steep discount during these times. Their sushi is about average and overall a little on the plain side. A sushi boat during happy around is around $25 and is enough to fill up two people. There is also a side salad and soup which comes with the meal. Restaurant decor strives to be authentic Japanese and offers booths as well as regular tables. Call them before leaving to confirm the happy hour times as it may change."
User Rating
7.17/10
7.17/10
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"Good sushi, reasonable price"
Christopher
September 2010 — "Dropped in here the other evening with two kids. One was shouting and the other was full of energy. The kids did not affect the service, and the restaurant noise was enough to shield their noise. Food was good, delivered quickly, although pieces of sushi are smaller than I like. At the end of our meal, they gave us a fruit bowl and some Pocky sticks, which was a welcome, but unexpected surprise. Overall, good sushi, great ambiance for kids!"
User Rating
7.83/10
7.83/10
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"Sushi for less"Ricky
June 2010 — "Sakana Grill currently has a special where after 9pm every night there's a pretty good discount for sushi boats and combos. Only $23 for a sushi boat that'll easily feed 2 people. Coming with both salad and your choice of egg drop or miso soup, that's a pretty good deal. Especially when the sushi there is actually pretty good. Our service was good and the food came out fast as well. We got there about 5 minutes after 9pm. At that time about a 3rd of the restaurant was seated. By 9:30 it was packed, so if you're planning to have some sushi for less you probably want to get there early. I don't think you can get there before 9pm and just sit there till 9pm to order the special. It wouldn't look very good anyways. Over all the food was good, service was great and the best of all, the price was right. "
User Rating
9.17/10
9.17/10
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"Welcoming and Unique"
Ellen
June 2010 — ""Favourite food, favourite place ^-^"
This is my favourite reastaurant to eat, the staff is friendly, welcoming atmostphere, beautiful decorations, everything you would have expected. The happy hour helps you save a lot, a lot of variety, it's like heaven on earth for me! xD Love boat/ love boat deluxe for only $22.95 during happy hour is the best! That's not the only thing, the food is Delicious! yummy in my tummy =) "
User Rating
10/10
10/10
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"Affordable low grade sushi"Albert
September 2009 — "Your selection of Japanese restaurants is very limited if you want to find something very filling for cheap. This is where Sakana Grill comes in. The sushi in my opinion is awful. The salmon looks slimy and the fish in general is not fresh. The main draw factor for this restaurant is the price. I have been to Sakana during normal evenings and their popular “Happy Hour”, where you can buy salmon sushi, combos, and love boats for a fraction of the price. The quality of food seems to be about the same no matter what price you’re paying or time you’re going at. So of course, it's normal for people to pack the place during Happy Hour. As bad as the food is, it is what it is. The price for a big love boat that will fill two people beyond comfortably at late hours is only $22. That's a pretty good option for those that want to save money."
User Rating
6/10
6/10
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"Happy Hour!!"Mary
August 2009 — "If you are looking for a cheap sushi restaurant, Sakana Grill is the stop for you! Everyday, their Happy hour, which runs from 2 pm - 4 pm and 9pm-12am, has special bento boxes, love boats and individual sushi in for about 50% of the original price. Our order of choice is usually the love boats. The love boat deluxe consists of teriyaki chicken, tempura, dumplings, and sushi rolls and the second choice is more raw fish - sushi and sashimi based. Along with the boat, the meal also comes with rice, soup and salad. That salad dressing is super yummy!
Other choices on the menu, like the beef tataki is good, but in very small proportions. The individual pieces of sushi are not bad either, but nothing too special.
For the most part, the service at Sakana is not bad, although it seems like the longer you sit, the less attention you get. That includes when we go to pay for the meal. Otherwise, Sakana is definitely worth a second, third and forth visit. "
User Rating
7.17/10
7.17/10
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"Get the Love Boat"Mary
August 2009 — "I’ve been to this place several times; my friends and I often go for late night sushi. Their Love Boat is $21.99 after 10pm. We went last week after having watched a movie. The reason I like this place so much is for two reasons. Firstly, the price is fairly decent for what you get, I never end up finishing it all. Secondly, I’m not a hardcore sushi fan so I don’t actually know what I like. I just know that I like the stuff in the boat. So it makes it really easy. Plus, my boyfriend is not a fan of seafood and the Love Boat deluxe (same price) has cooked stuff like teriyaki chicken and tempura. So it works out for us both. I get sushi and he gets whatever else there is. The food itself is fairly decent and the service is good. We’ve been there before and will definitely be heading there again. "
User Rating
7.83/10
7.83/10
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"Authentic Japanese Cuisine"Tamara
July 2009 — "I loved the atmosphere and the decor, it was beautifully authentic. The staff and service was friendly, helpful and quick. We ordered a lot of different sushi, sashimi, dinner items, as well as, hot sake. Prices equaled the portions and the quality. The food presentation was appetizing and the food was absolutely delicious. I would definitely return and would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves sushi or would like to try a different cuisine. "
User Rating
9.33/10
9.33/10
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"Sweet, Late-Night Happy Hour!"Keith
June 2009 — "Went here around 10:30 with a bunch of people after a night of bowling, and am happy to report, that when it comes to cheap, late-night sushi, Sakana Grill is THE place to be.
For approximately $23 bucks I was able to get a "love-boat" which contained more than enough sashimi, nigiri and rolls for two, if not three people. Now keep in mind, the quality of the sushi is maybe a 6 or 7, but considering the cheap price and the time of night we got it at, it was pretty darn good.
Our service was concise and our servers were really good at keeping all our orders straight (there were 12 of us at the table).
If there's one complaint I have with Sakana, and it's a complaint that could be applied to every Japanese restaurant; the drinks are still too pricey.
$10 bucks for a bottle of Kirin and $7 bucks for the worst hot sake on the planet is simply too much.
I'm just saying."
User Rating
6.17/10
6.17/10
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"Not recommended."Susan
June 2009 — "Me and a couple of friends tried out the Sakana Grill at the Crowfoot location for dinner since we heard it’s much better than the downtown location. The restaurant was very big and nicely renovated. We ordered two different boats, a love boat and a deluxe boat. The food was OK, nothing to rave about but does the job and fills you up. The service is not very good, even though I didn't expect much from an Asian restaurant (with lots of Chinese servers). There was ice cream shown in the love boat pictures, but when we asked about it at the end of the night, the waitress was really rude towards us in saying it didn't exist and questioning us like we made up this picture. It was quite amusing but obviously not the best experience. There's nothing really good about this place that would warrant going back, hence, not recommended."
User Rating
6.17/10
6.17/10
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"Happy Hour Love Boats"Jason
June 2009 — "What would you say if I told you that you could pay half price for sushi? Is that something you would be interested in? Ok, I stole part of the line from Entourage, but there really is a happy hour at Sakana Grill where you can order the Love Boat that is normally $42.95 for about $22.00 and for that price you get a lot of sushi. There is enough California rolls, tuna, salmon, shrimp, eel..etc to feed at least three people even though the name suggests two. It comes served on an actual wooden boat with rice, soup and salad to get you started. The perfect way to share a romantic meal with your date or just some good eats with your pals. The décor as you enter is quite nice, with a babbling fountain to greet you. There are private sectioned off tables where you sit on traditional Japanese cushions. Service can be a little hit and miss depending on how busy it is. For this price you cant really go wrong. "
User Rating
7.33/10
7.33/10
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"Happy Hour Rocks ;)"Linda
April 2009 — "I've only been to a couple of sushi places but this is by far my favorite one. What else can I say, nice scenery..yummy food. good price, what else can you ask for?"
User Rating
7.83/10
7.83/10
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"Happy Hour is Sweet."Chinface
March 2008 — "Hands down, if you want sushi, and you want it between the hours of 2pm-4pm or 10pm-12am, go to Sakana Grill for their happy hour specials.
During these times the restaurant offers a number of discounts which turn the sub-par pieces of sushi and sashimi, into a passable dinner option.
The service at Sakana has never been an issue. For the most part it remains prompt and friendly.
If you're thinking about going down to Sakana make sure you don't accidentally sit down before happy hour, or they will refuse to give you the discount prices."
User Rating
5.33/10
5.33/10
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"A Good Deal for a Great Amount of Food!"Sarah
November 2007 — "I ventured to Sakana Grill (downtown location) for the first time last week. I don't know why I've never been there... it's a mere block from my office. The atmosphere is very unique - dark and featuring a Japanese motif (fitting since it's a Japanese restaurant!) It is PACKED during lunch and you pretty much won't get in unless you have reservations. Their menu is great because if you're not a Japanese food or sushi afficionado it shows you pictures of their offerings.
When I go for Japanese food, I usually stick to sushi rolls. This time I chose one of their combos that had rolls, sashimi, tempura, salad, rice and soup. All of this for something like $11, which is my opinion is a very good deal. I couldn't finish my meal there was so much. I liked it so much I had to go back the next day for the same thing!
The only downside was that the staff service is not too wonderful... they kind of forget about you after awhile, especially when it's time to pay the bill. I will definitely go back sometime in the future though."
User Rating
7.50/10
7.50/10
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"The Following Only Applies After 9:30pm..."Chin
May 2007 — "...and from 1:30pm till 4:00pm.
See that's when Sakana Grill has their happy-hour pricing.
Love Boats are 33% off, and Salmon Sushi is half-price.
If you're looking for good sushi, this ain't it.
If you're looking for decent sushi, at a good price, you won't be disappointed.
Just remember, this only applies during the hours stated above."
User Rating
5.50/10
5.50/10
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"GREAT Value! GREAT quality! "
September 909 — "Sushi is not really my thing, but my girlfriend really likes it. So I took her out for lunch to Sakana Grille downtown, just off of China Town. I was expecting to leave hungry but was pleasantly surprised. We both had the lunch special and were able to choose different things which was perfect, because she wanted sushi and I didn't. The miso soup to start was great and the sushi my girlfriend had was really fresh. She loved it! Then our main meal had salad, rice, tempura, and teriyaki chicken! My girlfriend had teriyaki beef instead. Both choices were great. There was more food than we could finish and all of it was for under $12 a person! The service was very quick and the restaurant was laid out nicely, with an open area on the middle and then closed, more private booths all around the outside. For someone that doesn't like sushi, it was really nice to be able to eat good food anyways! And for someone that does, it was great quality and value. I won't mind taking my girlfriend back to Sakana. "
User Rating
8.83/10
8.83/10
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DescriptionSakana Grill has a sushi bar with floating boats carrying sushi for patrons to choose from. Meals can also be prepared at the table Teppan Yaki style. A full Japanese menu is available. They are open daily from 11 am to 11 pm.
Location Information116 - 2 Ave SW
Calgary
AB
T2P 0B9
