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. Pros: ""Tuna Summer for Lovers"" and ""Blue Crab Rolls""! Cons: Less than great service more

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. Pros: food & atmosphere more

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 customer. We aren't the only ones that feel this way. I just hope more people come forward. NEVER AGAIN!!!! Cons: Service, sushi, nobody cares about customer experience. server, manager & owner 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! Pros: great food and decor Cons: parking more

We'd been to Samurai Blue several times, but after this most recent experience, we're never going back.\r \r 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.\r \r 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.\r \r 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 sick there & we were both ill once we got home. We told our waiter this is horrible, we don't want it, we're sending it back. The supposed manager came over & told us 'the fish came in this morning, it's not bad, you just don't like it.' We said, 'that fish was bad, we don't want it.' She argued with us & finally walked off. We finished the eel rolls, but both of us felt ill. We asked for the check & they'd wanted us to pay for the 2 bad rolls & the yellowtail, & I refused. Finally they removed the 2 bad rolls & the nigiri. However, the manager was unconcerned with us being unhappy, & the waiter was unconcerned with his bad service.\r \r The manager didn't even seem willing to consider the fact that the yellowtail seemed dried out, had a film over it. I don't care if the food came in that morning, if it wasn't chilled or prepared properly, that could account for the food being bad. When we asked if the manager had tried the food, she said, well, no. But she wasn't willing to. Pros: The food used to be good, and make it ok to overlook the bad service. Cons: The food appears to be bad now, the service is bad, overpriced more

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 (probably to mask the garbage that they serve).\r If you are in the Ybor area I would recommend Sushi Raw on 7th Ave. 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.... more

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! Pros: Value Cons: Leave before Ybor city gets crowded more

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. \r \r Pros: Food, service, ambiance, location Cons: Parking more

Excellent fresh, well-prepared and tasty sushi. Highly recommend this unique sushi restaurant! Excellent experience! \r \r Pros: Good sushi, decor, atmosphere Cons: parking more

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! Pros: Unique Menu more

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. Pros: food, service, atmosphere Cons: parking in ybor more

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. Pros: Location- but that's not the case anymore, ZEN is right down the street. Cons: SERVICEis absolutely HORRIBLE more

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. more

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. Pros: the FOOD! more

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. Pros: Ambience, prices Cons: Food more

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! Pros: very contemporary looking, seemed clean. Cons: Sushi, appetizers more

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"". \r 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! Pros: Great ambience, a great date place, the best sushi Tampa has to offer Cons: Parking (most likely in Centro Ybor Garage) more

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

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. Pros: Great Sushi, Great value Cons: Neighborhood more