Samurai Blue Sushi & Sake Bar

I love the sushi selection but price comparing, it's not the best for its price. However, the rolls they have there are very unique. It is good sushi. However, anytime it is busy the staff can't seem to cope with it. I reserved for a large group once (it was for a graduation party) and when we got there, they are angry at us needing three table even though we had reserved it and told them how many. At first, the refused!!! When they are not busy, the staff is nice but there should be no difference. I LOVE THE TUNA SUMMER FOR LOVERS ROLL!! I crave it so I keep going back. Oh, well.

I agree that the service is mediocre, but the food and atmosphere definitely make up for this. The loft style restaurant is so cool, that y...

I celebrated a friend's birthday there on saturday. So glad she picked Samuraiblue! I love sushi! The fish was so fresh and the rolls were quite tasty. Yellowtail and uni were the best. I 've been eating there for three years now, still my favorite sushi spot. The oldsmar location is real convenient and has a clean, modern feel. Parking is much more easier.

Where do I start. I made reservations this past saturday (Valentines). I knew it would be busy but my boyfriend and I love sushi and have been here before. We waited well over an hour past our reservation time. No one seemed to care. The hostesses tried their best. No manager in site. once we sat it took our server 15 - 20 minutes before she came over. She took our drink and food order all at once. We waited another 15 minutes until we got our drinks. Again no one seemed to care! Server was rather rude and very short with us but she was busy. After waiting almost an hour for our food it finally came. The rolls looked sloppy and thrown on the plate. Our tempura rolls and conch on the volcano were ice cold. Our server didn't care. We asked to speak to a manager and were told there was none, but the owner was there. We asked to see him but we were told NO!! What the f***. Absolutely the worst dining experience we have ever had. Not even close. They obviously don't care about the custom... Read more

In town for a friends wedding and went for the bachelor dinner at Samurai. WOW!!! Very impressive. Great sushi. I eat sushi a few times a week in Atlanta, this place was one of my best meals. Fresh uni, salmon, and tuna. Order the Summer rolls. Great sake!

We'd been to Samurai Blue several times, but after this most recent experience, we're never going back. We got there, & they told us it would be a half hour wait. We said ok no big deal & sat on the sofa right behind the Hostess. After 40 minutes & watching them sit 2 couples that came in after us before us, we went up there & said, you told us a half hour, & you sat those people who came in after us before us. The lady told us 'you're not on the list,' to which we said, 'you said you put us on the list when we came in & we've been waiting here behind you for the past 40 minutes.' She didn't apologize, & just got us the next available table. Our waiter was bad, but that's nothing new. In the middle of us ordering our food, he walked away. We never even got our appetizer. We ordered the Ying Yang roll, eel roll, tokyo roll (tuna & yellowtail) & a spicy crunchy tuna roll, & 1 order of yellowtail. The yellowtail & tuna were bad. We took one bite & almost threw up. My date did end up s... Read more

I love this place, from the brick walls, to the beautiful people, and not to mention the melt-in your mouth delicious food!! Everything you...

The service at this restaurant is horrible. We always wait for drinks, refills, ordering our food, receiving our food, and the bill. Once ...

I think that my whole family was very surprised! That's never happend before. I was not that crowed. (we went early for dinner) There best d...

After all the hoopla I've heard about how good Samurai Blue is I decided to check it out. To my disappointment it was the WORST sushi experience I have ever had. It started with the service and ended with the lack of innovation and taste of the product itself. The online menu is fairly impressive; too bad half the items listed are no longer being served. The Sushi/Sashimi Dinner (chefs choice) for $19.95 consisted of a sub par California Roll and chunks ( yes chunks people!) of tuna , salmon, shrimp, and imitation crab nigiri thrown over shredded cabbage and carrots (salad heh). The sushi itself was so overpowered by the scent of lemon one could only question how fresh the product actually was. I have never had fish that tasted or smelled that fishy unless it came out of a can. If you aren't a sushi fan and wanted to try one of the dinners offered stay away from the Tokyo Styled Spare Ribs ($16.95) unless you enjoy chewing on raw hide! The dining area itself is tastefully done (proba... Read more

I must say Samurai is ok at best. I live in westchase and much prefer Zen Bistro. My girlfriends and I prefer the quality service and one thing seperates Zen and Samurai and it is the owner or i think he is the owner at Zen. His name is Kevin, how do i know this because unlike samurai he is always out front talking to tables and helping out, it is obvious he operates a quality place and cares. I have never seen a manager at samurai. Lastly we like martinis and Samurai has no bar atmosphere at all, kevin has turned us on to several "wow" martinis at Zen and it is those touches we like. Not bashing but....

I must say I was impressed by this place, seeing as how it was the first restaurant I went to after moving to Tampa. I would go as far as to say that it has the best I've ever had, but the sushi was darn good. I just wish they had uni and toro (two favorites) when I went. Otherwise, the food was good. My only other complaint is that they label themselves as a "sake bar," their selection was a little lacking. For the money I spent, it was a great experience and I'll definitely go back. Excellent value!

This was probably one of the top 3 meals that I have ever enjoyed. The presentation of the rolls was excellent and the flavors were unbelievable. The service was excellent and helped to make for a great evening. The red devil roll and the volcano roll were the best. When we were leaving the only problem of the evening was encountered when we had to wait 15 minutes to get our vehicle back at the valet stand. Highly recommended.

Excellent fresh, well-prepared and tasty sushi. Highly recommend this unique sushi restaurant! Excellent experience!

My first sushi experience was at Samurai Blue, and since going, I have become addicted to it! I have gone to many other sushi restaurants, and fail to find anything that can even compare to Samurai Blue!!! It's amazing to have such a fantastic place in Tampa! My boyfriend & I had our first date there in Feb. '04 and we're still together! Great date spot!

I just celebrated my birthday at samurai blue. It was great! one of my faves!!! I will not touch sushi anywhere else. Sashimi is always fresh. You have to try the tuna summer rolls and drink up the yummy martinis. They just opened up in Westchase/oldsmar area. Now that I'm close, I a lunch regular, too! Parking is better at this location, but ybor is great to have a movie dinner combo.

The new Westchase location in Tampa is absolutely horrible- staff is horrible and gives you that feeling that your business with them does not matter, no respect. The wait time is beyond understandable- they lose orders and basically think an "oops, I?m sorry -that will be another 30 minutes" will do. Totally bad experience. I love sushi and eat it frequently throughout the month- I will never dine in or take out from Samurai Blue, - poor business etiquette and shady people. If you are looking for a near by sushi restaurant with better service and drink specials try the new place up the road called ZEN (off Linebaugh) SAMURAI is not worth your time or money..... customer service should be #1- they have no clue how to run a business.

The worst sushi we have ever eaten! The service is horrible and the sushi is rubbery. You would be better off just buying some from Publix or some other grocer.

This place is amazing, we eat here at least 3 times a month and it's still the absolute best sushi you can get anywhere. We've dined in all sorts of fancy and traditional sushi restaurants around the world and this one is still the best by far.

I wouldn't call myself a sushi expert, but I do enjoy it pretty frequently. I went to Samurai Blue earlier this year, and I was very disappointed with the food. The sushi was very bland and definitely left something to be desired. The appetizers (such as the tempura) were nothing great, very average. However, the prices were reasonable, and the restaurant itself was beautiful. Decent service, our server was friendly and attentive. Overall, nothing spectacular.

I have had sushi from several sushi restaurants and Samurai Blue was without doubt the worst for the price. We tried the "Summer of Love" rolls and were very disappointed. I don't know who wrote all those good reviews for this restaurant, but it is definitely not a good sushi restaurant I would recommend!

Samurai Blue hits the spot with its creativity, its atmosphere and the friendliness of the wait staff. The sushi is always fresh, the presentation of the sushi is excellent and its definitely an ideal place for a first date that you want to impress. Try the "Summer of Love" roll and "The Volcano". If you don't like the weekend wait that most people are talking about, try to go for an early dinner during the week or possibly at opening on Sunday where you don't have to fight the locals for the next table. Regardless, its worth the wait. I recommend if you are hungry and an adventurous eater, try at least 5-6 different rolls. You won't leave hungry and you will only want to come back for more!

My favorite sushi spot...my favorite restaurant! The rolls are so creative and the salmon is the best. I love their martinis!

I've had sushi in hot spots in NYC and LA and also in countless other cities in the US and this is my new number 1. A local recommended to try it while I was down there visiting and I was thoroughly impressed. Everything from appetizers to saki was right on. The area (Ybor) was a little scary, but Samurai is still a must eat. Bring 5 people with you as they don't take reservations for smaller tables. We waited over an hour, but it was a Friday night and well worth it.

I eat here all the time. The creative rolls are best! Expect exceptional quality, artistic presentation, consistantly above average service. On the weekends, it gets crowded, which means there's usually a wait of an hour or more during prime time, but eat later and you get right in. There is no reservation available unless you have more than 6 people in your party. You must try the "Summer of love" roll. Try a sakitini too. I only wish they had more unfiltered sakis to choose from- they only have Pearl (at least they have that). The location is fun because there's lots to do to combine going to dinner with a fun night out.

My wife and I love this place, they have great Sushi, and the service is always very good. The prices are fairly resonable and the food is always excellent.

I've had sushi from NY to San Francisco. Went to Samurai Blue last night. You know that part in the Big Night when the guy says something like, "i swear to god, you take one bite..its so good you have to literally kill yourself!" Yep - its that good.

Samurai Blue is a MUST DO when in the Tampa Bay area. The service is great and the food, even better. Being unfamiliar with what to order, the waiter took time to explain the menu and even have great recommendations on house specialties. I must say...They had the best rolls I've ever tasted!

i had high expectations. But service was horrible and rushed. The main concern was quality of fish. I've been twice and both times they served frozen tuna. Serving frozen tuna is one of the worst things a sushi bar can do. Eel slices were paper thin also. This place appeals to most people who don't truly eat sushi.

The Scene This cavernous, sleek space features 40-foot vaulted ceilings and exposed-brick walls. A long, tsunami-shaped sushi bar flows alongside the softly lit dining area with a sake bar in the back. Knowledgeable servers cater to an in-crowd of animated groups and whispering couples. The Food Dip natsu-maki--fresh spring rolls--in spicy peanut sauce and munch on boiled, lightly salted edamame. The sashimi dinner is artistically presented with shades of fresh tuna, salmon, grouper, snapper and yellowtail. Imaginative rolls range from the Hawaiian roll with coconut, asparagus and macadamia nuts to the Spontaneous Combustion roll wrapped in Florida grouper and baked with spicy mayonnaise. Meat eaters enjoy Tokyo beef short ribs made by the owner's mother and marinated in ginger soy. The richness of tempura cheesecake, rolled in pound cake then gently fried caps off a light sushi meal.

Brought some family visiting from out of town here last Tuesday. Beautiful interior. Server was friendly and prompt. All the rolls and individual pieces of sushi we ordered were excellent. Everyone enjoyed the food.

I HAVE BEEN HERE APPROXIMATELY 8 TIMES AND EACH AND EVERYTIME THE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING. THE FISH IS AMAZINGLY FRESH AND PREPARED SO WELL. EXPECT A "MODEL" TYPE CROWD. WORTH THE TRIP TO SAMURAI BLUE, EVEN IF IT IS A BIT TOUGH TO GET TO!!!!

Wow, this is one great place for sushi. You want great sushi and sashimi...look not further. Very nice selection and variety , very fresh, well presented, good service despite long wait. I'm not one for patience, but I must say this place is worth the waiting. A triumph in Ybor!

Hands down the best sushi I've had in Tampa. The tempura sushi and the samurai rolls are FABULOUS. It's ruined me for other sushi restaurants.

I now have been here 3 times and each time has been an experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the food, the service has been very personable and the sake list is as detailed as they come. Oh yea, the tempura ice cream is not to be missed.

Samurai Blue has the Best sushi we have ever tasted. Beautiful presentation of delicious food. In addition to sushi there are lots of great entrees. Pleasant, attentive service, clean atmosphere make this place one of our favorite places.

I had dinner at Samurai Blue last Saturday night with a bunch of friends and the whole experience was so great. The food was top notch. Service was very friendly, and the atmosphere fabulous. The restaurant was very crowded but it all seemed to flow nicely and we didn't feel ignored. Great experience.

Fun experience all the way around - quality food, good service, fun decor, great prices.

when samurai blue first opened the waits were forever, the service shaky, food took a little time to come out BUT when it did it was the BEST SUSHI in town and still is. Now, they have their system down, the service and food is consistent and timely,the waits are more managable, and the sushi is still the best.

I'd have to agree with my fellow food critics. This place is awesome. The decor is subtle and tasteful. The sushi chef very pleasant and patient. We sat at the sushi bar and I must've asked him a million questions. I had, among other things, the volcanic explosion (I think that's what it's called) - excellent. A MUST TRY! Also try the watermelon martini! We'll be back....

I took this girl there last night and she loved it...she was really impressed with the atmosphere...good sushi too....i recommend the sesame tuna with ponzu sauce...delicious. Bring alot of money cuz its a little pricey, but in the end, it's all worth it...