Musashi's Reviews

Ever since I found this Japanese restaurant decades ago, I've hardly been to another one. The food is fresh and all hand made on the spot. There's nothing fancy but good food. When ever I go back to Seattle, I must eat there and they still accept personal check.

We walked up to the restaurant and it was full. When we asked how long the wait would be, the server responded, "About 20 minutes." I seriously doubted her, but she was spot on, if not overestimating. We looked at the menu while we were waiting and one of the servers asked if we were ready to order. Uh yes, please! We were only sat for about 5 minutes before our food was out. We both ordered enough for 2 people, literally, and our bill was still only ~$35. It was a great meal; I enjoyed my onigiri, nigiri, soup, and veggie skewers and my husband very much enjoyed the chicken skewer meal and assorted sushi plate. My absolute favorite were the onigiri with smoked salmon, my mouth is watering just thinking about them! If I were in town this would be my sushi place and I would probably never go anywhere else.

Great sushi - especially the albacore. Long wait, though, so don't go hoping for a quick bite - the tables are packed in a small area, the bar seats 5 tops, but good stuff...and not expensive at all. Hot tea already waiting for you, so there's no waiting for a drink.

Hole-in-the-wall Japanese dinner with great food.

uncomfortably small, but great sashimi and beef/chicken skewers.

After my son picked me up at the airport, it was a race against the clock to make it to Musashi's before their lunch closing time at 2:30 pm. Thankfully arriving late ensured that there was no wait time and we were served promptly. The Chrirachi bowl has a good amount of sushi for a decent price and is served over rice. It's not the BEST sushi I have ever had, but it was a quaint, authentic place with good food. The rice was a tiny bit tangy, as if they had added vinegar (or was just going "off" a bit), which wasn't my favorite, but we didn't get sick. I liked that they were small and made the sushi right in front of you. Each place setting also had it's own carafe with piping hot green tea. And yes, it's cash only, so don't wait in line and find you can't be served because you only have a credit card!

Fresh local fish - great value and excellent quality. This is very traditional with Japanese owner and kitchen staff. Came for lunch at opening and a line was forming - worth the wait.

One reviewer said "best sushi in Seattle". That wasn't what we experienced. The restaurant is tiny and when we were there for lunch, jam packed. I ordered a spicy tuna roll and a roll similar to a Philadelphia roll but with salmon instead of tuna. The spicy tuna roll was not the least bit spicy. The other roll, the Philadelphia type, was dry as a bone. My wife had a similar experience with the tools she ordered. Maybe we ordered the wrong stuff. You can't beat the process, however. 4 rolls and a diet Coke was a whopping $21.

Very very small restaurant but excellent sushi for a very reasonable price. Quick and friendly service, always fresh fish, and good tea.

cheap sushi

Sushi is very good. Especially like the Chirashi. Price is very reasonable. The only thing is that there are normally a waiting line. So be patient.

Brilliant and straightforward sushi. Large pieces of fresh, well chosen fish, rocking rice, fast service, and cheap. It's among the best stuff I've had.

It's super cheap. I'm Japanese and I grew up eating sushi in both Japan and in the US, and yes the food is average, but the price is right ...plus the atmosphere of the restaurant kind of grew on me after going there a few times.

Small, cozy with great mix of people you would expect to find near a University. The special was a great way to try several different pieces. They open at 5:00. By 5:02 all the tables were full. Seriously, looked at my watch. The tables turned over quickly so the wait wasn't bad. Love this place.

As a poor college student, I love to visit this place to get chirashi bowl from this place. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes if you take 44 from UW campus.

Musashi's has 3 restaurants in Seattle, but one is a franchise. The best spot is the original on 45th St. in Wallingford. There will be a line but hang in there as it moves quickly and it is definitely worth the wait. It's all good---no need to worry how good your favorite is there---you'll leave completely satisfied. Portion sizes are excellent, prices very reasonable and obviously the best part of the experience is TASTE.

Generous helpings of sushi served in a tiny tiny space. Best to get it to go!

This is a pretty good place for sushi--the fish is fresh and they give you a lot for what you pay. I have to admit it came off as maybe a bit unclean, though, since there was rice gunk in my tea cup and I had to ask for another. I'm not really sure how they would've missed the large chunk of rice in there if they had been washing up properly. Other than that, it was a pretty good experience. Good food, fresh fish, and a decent price.

My husband and I happened to be near this restaurant at noon on a weekday and decided to go in for lunch. The small, narrow room had a few vacant tables when we arrived, but the place filled fast. After looking at the limited menu and not in the mood for sushi, my husband opted for a sukiyaki beef bowl and I chose chicken teriyaki skewers that came with a mound of rice. Both our meals included plenty of hot tea, miso soup and a rice noodle salad. Service proved to be extremely fast and efficient, and our meals came almost immediately after placing our order. The best part of our meals turned out to be the tasty salad. The soup was decidedly average and my chicken came burned and tough. The zucchini slices that came with it had a sour flavor. I sampled the sukiyaki and found it to be flavorful but with fatty and poor-quality meat. The diners around us were eating sushi. Prices here are quite low for the Seattle area and the restaurant has been wildly popular for years. It is not unusual to see lots of customers outside at both lunch and dinner, waiting for a table. Many appear to be university students. Together, our lunches cost $17, which would have been extremely good value had the food been better. This restaurant accepts only cash and checks. It is closed on Sunday and Monday.

I love everything about this place except for that they don't have too much space for people to sit down. They have good menus with good prices and lot of college students love to visit this place since they have such good prices

Try chirashi bowl period. It's really good and fresh and cheap for the quality and portion of the food. Be sure to bring cash! They accept cash only

I have been going to Musashi's for years. It is a small cash only, excellent sushi place. I had not been in couple of years and just returned last week. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it is actually better than I remembered. The nigiri sushi is excellent, fresh and the fish pieces are huge compared to other places. The thermos of green tea on the table, the efficient service and the good sushi! Still the best! best priced and best value. No need to go to Belltown.

This restaurant is amazing: fish quality is very high, portions are big, and prices are very reasonable. The only downside is that the restaurant is very small, and lines are often long.

Musashi's is a hidden gem of a sushi place in the Wallingford neighborhood in Seattle. The chrirashi bowl is your best bet for a good amount of sushi (~20 pieces) over a bed of rice for an affordable price. Their rolls are all simple, but they satisfy. If you go at a popular hour, expect to wait. Their takeout is lightning fast, however. Highly recommended.

I was going to UW 3 years ago and this was the place where I was always going. Sushi here was super thick and enough to split it in a half to share. I will never forget that soft melting taste of sushi there. Recommend you to eat sushi here and then go to Molly Moon's which is just few blocks away.

This place is so cute, cozy and comfortable. The staff was friendly and attentive. The seating is a little tight but the food is SOOOO worth it. Food quality and quantity is excellent and so delicious. There was a small wait when we first arrived but I would say it was well worth the wait.

Our visiting family enjoyed a diverse, fresh and unique dinner by just ordering Chef bowls and the Chef sushi. Fabulous and fresh. Flavors were complex. It was a tiny bit crowded and we felt the staff were hurrying people in and out. It made for a rushed dinner. We would have preferred to be able to savor each dish.

Chirashi is what you want here. They do it very well. $20 for lunch with a generous chirashi bowl. Yum. I wish they would take cards but that’s the one major drawback. The food however is very good.

This place is a gem. Don't let the long lines scare you, it goes fast! If you are looking for basic sushi with fresh fish this is the place. You are not going to find designer spider rolls etc... on the menu. There is no fancy restaurant. But the fish is fresh and the staff cares! I am an Alaska native and worked on fishing boats for many years. The fish is great quality! I have never been able to eat my way out of a $13 meal. The noodle salad is absolutely awesome. I no longer live in Seattle but after 25 years I still love the noodle salad! You can eat off the menu if they have the stuff to make it. I often order unagi avocado rolls. I have pretty much tried everything and all is great. One typical lunch at Musashi's might be. Miso Soup, Noodle salad, 1/2 California roll, Eal Avocado Roll, 2 tuna, tuna roll. Warning* you may have to take some home. Under $15 Bravo to the Mushashi's staff for providing great food for a heck of a long time. BTW takeout is an option if there are lines! Do it!

This small restaurant (a few stools at the counter and about nine tables) serves up fairly average food at bargain basement prices. I'm not a fan of the sushi here but was in the neighborhood at lunchtime today so decided to go in and try something else. I ordered chicken teriyaki on a skewer, mixed vegetables on a skewer, a big helping of rice and a Diet Coke. The cost: $7. Unfortunately, both the chicken and vegetables had many scorched pieces, which detracted from the taste. I went late enough (2 p.m.) so I didn't have to wait in one of the long lines that I often see outside this eatery. Service proved to be excellent. Many customers came in to pick up orders to go while I was eating. For those on a budget, who can go at non-peak times, Musashi's would likely be a good place to go for an OK meal. I don't think, however, that the experience is worth any wait at all. The restaurant is located at the corner of North 45th Street and Interlake Avenue North in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood. Parking can be found on some of the side streets.

Sushi was delicious at a great price. Highly recommend! For $12.50, it is an unbelievable deal. Thumbs up

Yummy and cheap, big slice of sashimi, the price is average for japan resto, for 16$+ got unagi, salmon, scallop and octopus

The food was extremely affordable and now I know why. It was the worst sushi I have ever had. I have heard really good reviews about this place, but unfortunately I will not be going back. The 4 different rolls we got were all dried fish and tasted/smelled like canned fish.

Great for cheap, basic sushi.

So fresh, simple presentation. Worth the wait outside in the rain. Staff very attentive and helpful. Loved looking at all the concert posters on the wall to plan for some theater outings. Soup was a welcome addition. My favorite was the scallops. Rice was perfection.

This small sushi restaurant packs them in for some of the best sushi in Seattle.

Musashi is not what it used to be. The sushi is still very affordable, but the quality has gone down considerably. The sushi rice is really overpowering with vinegar and lacks sweetness. Most of the dishes like the sukiyaki bowl also seem to be made with less effort and carelessness. The one dish that seems to have survived the wrath of the new management or chefs is the onigri. I would still highly recommend this item. Overall the food quality has gone down considerably. Although it is still worth trying if you haven't tried Musashi's the veterans can probably tell a big difference.

Musashi is a very small place so good as long as a group is 4 or smaller. Expect a wait during prime times. Outstanding value for sushi and love the Hamachi Kama.

Curry had an unpleasant aftertaste - my friend enjoyed his sushi. I think they do carryout sushi as well.

-Incredibly cheap prices -Decent cuts of fish (the chirashi zushi includes unagi, tobiko and hamachi!) -Fast, efficient service *The place is small (holds up to approx. 25 people) so, you may end up waiting an hour for a table if you don't arrive just before opening. Still worth the wait.* **Cash Only**

Really fresh salmon. Both quality and quantity were good for the price. $1.80 a piece of Nigiri, but it really a sashimi at some other place. Big piece of salmon on a tiny bit of rice. 10/10 would return.

Great prices, great service, fresh sushi, but these days we opt for togo. There's always a line outside the door. Cold or not.

best sushi for the best price in town

I'm a frequent visitor to Seattle (kids live here). No visit is complete without lunch at Musashi's on NE 45th Street near Stone Way. Musashi has been there a long time, since before Wallingford got trendy, I'm sure. There's seating for about 25, and always a line waiting outside at lunch and dinnertime. OK, to get to the point: this restaurant serves first class traditional sushi -- big fresh slabs of it, draped over perfectly vinegared 'sushi rice.' The best salmon sashimi I've tasted in 40+ years of tasting (including seven while living in Japan). Excellent sushi rolls, too, assuming your taste doesn't run to wraps dripping with avocado, mayo, barbecue sauce and other barbarisms. Excellent quality to price ratio -- that is, normal prices but extraordinary sushi.

It’s a little gem in a little corner of seattle. The restaurant itself is very small and has very limited seating. The Chirashi bowl itself is the champion , it’s really delicious , you get a lot of portion of great fish over sushi rice . We also try their non sushi meal and is also delicious. Very recommended !

Deal of the century

Several of my friends and I had terrible food poisoning from here a few years back, and I just had some simple kappa maki. Granted it was a while ago, but I won't go back.

When I go, I usually pick sushi nigiri plate or chirashi bowl. Both of which are below $20 and come full of good quality sushi. I guess my favorite is chirashi bowl as they don't come with cooked sushi. If you are a real sushi enthusiast (and not just cooked sushi rolls), you can substitute the shrimps and other cooked items with fish. They are always really full as value and food is great so make sure to arrive early! good for both lunch AND dinner

I'd been to Musashi's three or four times in the past and always enjoyed the good cheap sushi despite having to wait on the sidewalk with no place to sit down. One time there was a spot at the bar, so my friend and I ate there even though it wasn't very comfortable. We ate between 8:30 and 9 p.m. Around 11 p.m. I started vomiting uncontrollably and kept it up for half an hour, including dry heaves after my stomach was empty. After that I was OK but exhausted. My friend didn't get sick - she'd had different food. The next day I called and spoke to the manager, or whoever the man was that came to the phone. He didn't seem very concerned and seemed rather curt with me. I will never go there again.

​I believe here got the best chirashi bowl in Seattle! You can choose type of fish from 7 types they normally provide. Eel rice was nice too, but chirashi is kinda more classic here. For dinner, it'd be better to go before 5.30, which starts getting crowded, it's worth queuing though :) The size of sashimi was large and it was fresh! Don't ever overlook this miniscule without decor place!

This restaurant is a well-kept secret. There is almost no street parking, the dining area is very small, and they are cash/check only. Given that, you will not find cheaper prices anywhere. Additionally, their portion sizes are huge and the quality of the fish is high. If you are doing take-out, it is worth the drive.

This is Cody's absolute favorite sushi place!

Price is very reasonable. The line is ALWAYS long though. Very limited menu for sushi lovers mostly. I have been there many times and I will go back again soon.

Cheap, fresh, masterfully made. Musashi's is easily one of the best Japanese places in Seattle. They don't take reservations and the place is small, so be prepared to wait a little bit. Cannot recommend highly enough.

This place is small but worth the wait. We came for one thing and one thing only: the Chirashi. It is a bowl of rice with sashimi on top, salmon, tuna, shrimp and such. I highly recommend it.

Although I have never dined at the restaurant, I think this place is a local gem for sushi lovers. I frequently order a chirashi bowl for a take out and it is always amazing! This restaurant is very small and has very limited seating, which is why you normally see a line of people waiting outside for their seats. I'm not a fan of sitting in tight spaces and having people walk behind my back super closely, but most of authentic local Japanese restaurants seems to be like this. The chirashi bowl itself is such a great deal. For about $16 after tax you get a large portion of great fish varieties over sushi rice. The original bowl has many varieties of fish, some scallops, shrimp, eel, etc, but after you figure out what your favorites are, you can change your order to only have those "proteins" in your bowl, so you have more of them. You can also add seared salmon if you'd like it instead of something else, the price doesn't change. If you are out and about, this is a place worth trying out. They do have non-sushi options as well, chicken cats, curry, etc, but I have not tried those, so can't tell you how good those are. If you are looking for something more spacious and fancy, try Gokan by Musashi, it is a sister restaurant by the same owner, and they also offer the same awesome chirashi bowl along with a large variety of amazing sushi rolls. Happy eating!

great sushi for the price

Very good and reasonably priced sushi.

One word: CHIRASHI! To die for! Best chirashi i've ever tried in my entire life. Good price too! If you're a big fan of only one type of sashimi, you can tell them to make your chirashi only with that type of sashimi. I normally order the normal chirashi, but my friends always order all-salmon chirashi. Sounds legit? I know right?!? Their salad is really good too! It's not the typical American salad, trust me. It's just plain mouth-watering and addictive. P.S.: they accept cash and checks only. Come early, they're always packed

...from what I recall. I can't eat sushi anymore but i remember enjoying it when i did go there

its not as good as everyone says it is...im not very impressed. takes a long time to wait for a table, and the prices are a bit steep...i like cheap sushi, haha...thats bad.

The Uber took us much further around the edge of town than I thought and dropped us outside Musashi’s, a tiny restaurant on a street corner with a squadron of what looked mainly like university students waiting outside. My first thought was ‘wrong place, I’ve stuffed up’, but we were there and decided to take our chances. What a great call. Musashi’s was packed with people inside and out, but we only waited about 10 minutes for a table. Oddly, a waiter handed out menus on the footpath and we ordered before locking in a table. Due to the high table turnover, the idea seems to be to have your order ready almost as soon as you sit down. Works well for all concerned. Most importantly, our sushi was outstanding, with some of the biggest pieces of salmon and tuna I’ve even seen laid across our nigiri. It was fresh and the rice was beautifully prepared. Pork gyoza and teiyaki chicken were also excellent. And finally, the prices were some of the lowest we had encountered in any Japanese restaurant in North America. Musashi’s is a different restaurant experience and thoroughly rewarding.

We walked by the 1st night to Molly Moon ice cream and this place was crowded though there were 3 other Japanese restaurants on same block. We came back the 2nd night and there was a crowd outside waiting,but turned out only a 5 min wait. We had only sushi though we saw everyone eating the chirashi bowl special(we didn't see the special sign)..but next time. Anyway, the sushi pieces were huge and thick and tasted fresh. I'm only giving it 3 stars because we didn't try the other items on menu. The service was quick and attentive. Place is small, no reservations. Lots of locals and Asians...We sat at the counter, better for small groups

If you are looking for an affordable lunch in the Wallingford area, Musashi's is a great option. Get the chirashi bowl...so big you can almost share!

Musashi's has the best and most reasonably priced sushi in Seattle! Anytime I have friends/family in town visiting, I take them to Musashi's.

Great, fresh, delicious fish. Of course wait time is almost a must). As good if not better than the Factoria offshoot. Highly recommended.

Good sushi, also some traditional asian foods that are harder to find like rice balls & seeweed salads. Long lines but worth the wait.

Quick & easy sushi that is good quality. Not easy to come by!

I love sushi and make sure I find a place in every city we travel. This restaurant was one of the best I have found. The prices are extremely reasonable and the sushi was delicious. I wish we could have gone back! The restaurant is very small with only a few tables, but the wait is reasonable and worth it. I didn't feel like we didn't have privacy. Service and management are very nice and accommodating. Definitely recommend going.

They dont have many options. The place only seats about 20 people so you are often times stuck waiting outside with no where to sit. The people who run it are great and always so friendly. It is a great place if you get a craving for sushi and dont want to have to go to a mega sushi house. The cost is very cheap as well.

A small, cozy restaurant that serves fantastic sushi and very consistent in quality everytime!

my favourites here are the chirashi bowl and unagi don. apparently on my last visit they have uni sushi, which i tried and apparently good too. even though there is always a long queue, the food tastes so good it's worth to wait.

I recommend the chirashi.

The Chirashi bowl (with seared salmon and tuna) is absolutely delicious. Although it doesn’t look like much on the picture, it’s a lot, enough to fill two tummies! And it only costs $15! Great price and quality. Highly recommended!

Awesome!!!!

it's worth the wait

We were starving after a day of touring the city and this place filled our sushi and teriyaki cravings! Prices can’t be beat as the fish is fresh and meat grilled to perfection!

Bring cash. Get the chirashi bowl

We'd been warned that this little place gets crazy busy for dinner, so we went super early on a Friday (before 6pm) and were seated immediately. The rolls were plainer than I'm used to, but delicious. Friends ordered sushi nigiri--the biggest slabs of sushi I've ever seen, presented on tiny portions of rice. We were all very happy with our meals. Where can 3 adults eat dinner out for $24??

I like cheap Chirashi.

A hole in the wall giant among sushi places! Tiny cramped little sushi place, a bunch of 2 top tables and a 4 chair sushi bar. People were friendly, especially with the close proximity, get to know your neighbor! Small menu but they have good stuff as specials, ask the waitperson and be prepared for a goodly list. We ordered 5 pieces of salmon nigiri, butter tender and at least 2 to three times the size found in other abundant wasabi and thinly sliced ginger, a salmon cheese roll, a spicy tuna roll and off menu a broiled yellow tail collar with rice. The most amazing pieces of tender, sweet fish with the texture of custard in spots (love sucking bones) accompanied by a sweetish sauce, the star of the meal..The large thermo-carafe on the table had lots of hot green tea, a nice help yourself option. Once wait staff brought the food and glasses of water they never came back to fill the water or ask if we wanted something else but with such great food I can forgive them. If I could I would have deducted a quarter star for this little gaff. We will return more than once, especially when we spent less than $30..

The line moves quickly. They take your order while you wait in line and you're seated as your food is served. The price is fair and the food is outstanding. These guys KNOW how to prepare famously good sushi. I love this food.

The staff was amazing. I was looking for a light nibble and to escape for a bit. Had a Seattle roll which was fantastic and they also treated me to dessert. Exceptionally friendly and helpful staff. Great prices. I will return again.

Having dinner with family we ordered cirashi. Sashimi over rice. The food it's excellent sashimi they cut it very big. The service was very good, they were very nice and polite. The bad things they don't take credit card, ONLY CASH

I had chirashi bowl, which was one of the icons of this place, for my first visit. Fish was fresh although not of outstanding quality. And the rice underneath was flavorless, which was its largest drawback. It's really cheap so I guess I can't really expect too much. However, there were people telling me that this is one of the best sushi places in Seattle and there was also a long line in front of the restaurant...so I was kind of disappointed.

WE felt rush through most of the time. We go there in down time because the food is good but the customer service sucks. Good portions of fish.