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Furusato Japanese Restaurant
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11 am - 3 pm
Tue-Sun 5 pm - 9:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for Furusato Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
"...that she's found her new favorite sushi place in Edmonton."
(in 19 reviews)
"Nice thick cuts of salmon sashimi."
(in 12 reviews)
"It is by far the best Japanese food you can get in this..."
(in 3 reviews)
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26 reviews in English
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Review from Jo-ann S.
1/14/2012
Best Japanese food I've had in Edmonton!
This little restaurant looks like a dive from the outside but it has a super cute inside with lots of fun decorations to look at while you wait. It has a very warm and comfortable feel to it. Not modern and trendy if that's what you're looking for.
This place has the most variety I've seen in a sushi place from a long list of appetizers, to rice bowls, regular entrees, and various types of sushi, sashimi, cones, bento boxes and other items you see at other sushi places.
We had the grilled squid appetizer. It was perfectly cooked with a sweet savory sauce. Very good! I ordered the spicy grilled squid and really liked it. Very flavorful. I only wish it came with chunks of fresh veg. My husband had the teriyaki seafood dish which had the veggies I was longing for in a tasty sweet sauce.
We also received a free salmon ball appetizer which we both really liked.
We did wait a little while for our appetizer and they brought the entree while we were working on the appie, plus the bathrooms could use a bit of a makeover.
Overall, both my husband and I agreed that we would give it 4 stars and can't wait to go back to try other dishes which all looked amazing as they were going by us! -
Review from Geoff L.
Edmonton, AB
11/21/2011
Great food but its busy for a reason. Reservations are almost mandatory and it takes a while to get what you ordered but very appealing dishes, nice portions, courteous service make it all worth it
-1 star for seeming like you're always understaffed -
Review from Peggy L.
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was really excited to try out this restaurant after reading all the good reviews. Unfortunately, while the food was up to snuff, the service was really abominable. It began upon our arrival. The restaurant was really busy, and it took a while for them to even get our names down, but the woman taking names actually completely bypassed us to reach a group behind us, until we told her that we had arrived first.
When we were seated. I ordered the 'Special Box' bento, my boyfriend ordered the chicken bento, and our two friends shared a variety of rolls. Well, their food and my boyfriends bento arrived, and mine did not. I assumed it would be a short lag, but I ended up waiting about fifteen to twenty minutes, and then it only came out because we informed our waitress that it had not yet arrived. When it did come out, three things were missing: the soup, the rice, and the salad. It probably took her about twenty minutes to get the soup and the salad out, while the rice never came (she also forgot my boyfriends soup, but it was brought out eventually). She then promptly forgot that my bento included ice cream, and dropped the bill off at the table before bringing that, or asking if anyone else wanted dessert. It took about ten minutes for her to bring out the ice cream (it was not busy at this point), and then an additional twenty to bring the bill and the debit machine over (which she only brought because we were getting dressed to go) (we weren't dining and dashing, just going up to pay).
Overall, the food would probably warrant a 3.5 star, but the service was really untolerable. I don't want to come off as nitpicky, but the number of small mishaps that our waitress had was just not acceptable to me. My group and I will not be returning on the mere chance that she serve us again.Listed in: Beware!
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Review from Brittany K.
Edmonton, AB
10/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was skeptical of Furusato because of the whole, you-can't-see-in-through-the-windows thing. It's also past the tracks, and almost directly under Candy Spa. So, y'know, it's a bit iffy when you're walking by. But I'm very glad I decided to venture in.
This is definitely some of the best Japanese food I've ever had. We started with complimentary fish balls (I didn't try, but my husband loved them), then mixed tempura (pricey for a full order, but delicious), and a couple of big plates of maki that were pretty tasty, too.
The whole place feels very authentic. It's got a cool, wood-and-bamboo typed decor with lots of kitschy Japanese decorations all over the walls.
Our waitress was friendly, service was fast, and overall we were very impressed. Pro tip: get there early! We scored the last two-seater and the next couple that arrived had to wait 20! -
Review from Rachel F.
9/23/2011
Furusato is a fabulous place to go for a fabulous girls' night out! They easily accommodated our party of nine in an area set apart from the main restaurant. The restaurant also gave us all complimentary salmon balls. Nice!
The food was delicious. Portions were huge. I don't think one person in our group finished her meal. One gal is from Vancouver and considers herself a bit of a sushi snob. She was hesitant to get one of the combos with multiple sushi pieces, just in case it wasn't up to her standard. After I told her that the place had great reviews and after another lady mentioned that the owners were Japanese, our friend gave in and got a combo. She said that she's found her new favorite sushi place in Edmonton.
I had the vegetarian combo with a side of miso soup. The soup was warm and satisfying with the added touch of spinach. Nice. And the vegetarian sushi box was outstanding: rolls, cones, and sashimi, with fresh avocado, cucumber, yams, and carrots. Oh, it was delicious.
The prices were quite reasonable, unlike other Japanese restaurants in the city. And considering the size of the meals, I think Furuato is a great value. A pot of brown rice tea for our entire table was $2.50. Seriously.
I look forward to returning to Furusato with my partner very soon. -
Review from Mark L.
Edmonton, AB
8/22/2011 4 photos
I don't want to be that jerk who prefaces every sushi review by alluding to the fact that he used to live in Vancouver, so I'll only do it this one time. The sushi was fine; actually, for the most part it was good. I just don't like paying $20 for what used to be me like $8.95.
I had a sushi combo. It had 8 pieces of nigiri and a 6 piece tuna maki. The nigiri portions were generous. They were all well cut. Some of the pieces just lacked flavour though. One white piece (I'm not sure what kind of fish it was) was like a tasteless blog. The tuna and octopus were great. The tuna maki was also quite good, but the pieces were tiny compared to the nigiri.
I don't normally care too much about presentation, but I thought Furusato was quite weak in this regard. The combo was served on a plate that was too big. It really drew attention to how little I was getting for my sweet, sweet cash. And it was placed kind of haphazardly.
The service was good and I did not want for anything other than a decimal point being moved one spot to the left.Listed in: 30 day challenge
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Review from Bee R.
Edmonton, AB
12/20/2011
Although I'm sure there's only a handful (if that) of seafood distributors in the city, somehow Furusato has life changing fatty tuna belly every time I go there. It's my favorite as either nigiri or sashimi - I can't resist its mesmerizing fattiness and fresh saline flavour.
Furusato isn't the most beautiful restaurant in the world, but it's cute, comfortable and the food is really top notch. Service is fine - no miracles but few missteps too, which is all I ask in a place like this.
Do yourself a favor and check it out. It's the place I go when I'm craving good sushi above all other things. I haven't found better in the city actually. -
Review from Adam S.
9/1/2011
My current go-to sushi place.
Truth be told, I'm not an expert on sushi - I'm a recent convert and man do I like it. The decor is all done in wood and looks really cool - it is a cozy place and feels really alive when it is full (which is often).
Miso soup is hearty and full of goodies - you can tell this soup is done right by the tingly warm sensation you get on your first sip. Their tempura is crispy and just right. They also have a big selection of appetizers - they like to bring out free ones now and then which is nice.
Their nigiri is well sized - for 6 pieces it usually works out around $12-16. -
Review from Heather T.
8/3/2011
I trudged through the slush filled street to get some takeaway. Sarah requested Avocado rolls (without the tempura as she can't have gluten) and I decided on the Tempera & Sashimi combo that includes 3 types of fish and prawn, prawn and veggie tempura, rice and miso soup. I watched the chef make the avocado rolls - chunks of avocado spread across an inner sheet of nori on a thin blanket of rice. Once it's rolled, he cut paper thin slices of avocado at an amazing speed and fanned them over the top of the long roll. He then rolled it one last time and sliced them into 8 pieces. He left out the prawn tempura but Sarah said it was definitely delicious without it.
My dish was epic - definitely Alberta sized portions. I had at least 10 pieces or so of tempura and 10 pieces of Sashimi plus an ample portion of rice. They did forget to include wasabi so I didn't get that extra hit of hot that I love but I had more chance to taste the sashimi. It was thicker than I was used to but still tasted fresh and went down well. The salmon had a few stringy bits so it wasn't as smooth as I've had before. The most disappointing was the miso soup. As one of my favourite soups, I look forward to it as a start to any sushi meal. This version had a handful of spinach added. To most people, this would be an amazing addition. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to Spinach and all green leafy lettucey type veggies. So no soup for me.
In total everything came to $28 with a tip and I walked away with 2 full bags of food. Brilliant. -
Review from Ted S.
Calgary, AB
4/25/2011 1 photo
This place is seriously overrated. We had the chicken karaage, salmon and fatty tuna sushi, unagi and spicy tuna rolls, a salmon skin roll, and a plate of yakisoba.
The chicken karaage was just a plate of 6 chicken wings, instead of boneless pieces of chicken like it is at most Japanese restaurants. The fish in the sushi was not that flavourful, and they forgot to put any wasabi in the sushi. Plus the rice was hard. Ditto for the rolls. The yakisoba tasted like what would be served at Edo Japan - decent by fast food standards but not what I would expect at an actual restaurant.
Overall, it was a below average meal for a total of about $50. -
Review from Gord L.
2/14/2011
Let me start out by saying that I DO NOT like sushi. In fact, I don't like seafood at all, so I can't comment on how good the sushi is here, because I've never tried it.
My wife loves sushi, and this is her favorite Japanese restaurant. I used to always get the teriyaki chicken when we went, but started eating the beef shoga instead (it's delicious). It's nice to be able to visit a Japanese restaurant and actually have some choices when you don't eat seafood (there are other non-seafood dishes as well, but those are my favorites). It doesn't look great from the outside, but the inside has a lot of charm. -
Review from Jessica L.
Edmonton, AB
I eat a lot of sushi. A lot. I am in love with salmon sashimi in particular and crave it to an unhealthy extent. I am borderline obsessive about it. Couple that with a really strong sense of smell and an even more delicate palate, and freshness becomes a MUST. This is one of the reasons I think Furusato has the BEST sushi in Edmonton. It is always fresh and flawless. The prices are decent as well and the portions are very generous. The service is always quick and friendly as well. There is often a wait at the door as this place is popular. Reservations are a must if you are eating in a hurry.
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Review from Donnette T.
Edmonton, AB
7/26/2011
My very picky daughter and I have been searching for a good bowl of udon since we moved here from Los Angeles three years ago. My daughter, now a teen, considers tempura udon her ultimate comfort food, and has sampled udon all over the world since she was old enough to eat solid food. She is very picky, and has not liked any of the udon we tried in Edmonton - until we found Furusato, which we found quite by accident while looking for a different Japanese restaurant, which when we got there, my daughter remembered not liking. My hard to please daughter called the decor 'sketchy,' but to me it looked like all of the Japanese restaurants in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Anyway, the food won her over. I'm actually shocked to report that she loved this place (she hates almost all restaurants). Tempura Udon ($10.95) comes in a generous portion bowl with the tempura on the side, nice and crispy. Since my daughter doesn't like shrimp, they gave her vegetables only, no problem.
Well, though I am not nearly as picky, I have to eat, too, so I ordered the Special Box ($19.95). This came with a lovely bowl of miso soup, which my daughter immediately swiped, so I don't personally know if the miso soup was good or not, but my daughter loved it, so I suspect it was delicious. The combo also included a very generous portion (about a full measuring cup's worth) of beansprout salad, which was spicy with fresh ginger and a little rice vinegar and some other magic stuff, which I loved, but the picky daughter wouldn't even taste. I was surprised to be offered a nice large bowl of teriyaki fish balls, which I had never tried or even heard of before, and these were so yummy I can't even express it.
Already feeling pretty full, my actual entree - the Special Box - arrived. It had loads of stuff in it, thick tender slices of sashimi, morsels of lovely sushi dotted with tiny roe, and of course, the super crispy and light golden tempura. The wasabi was a generous portion, probably a tablespoon (I usually have to grovel for more wasabi), and the ginger is fresh and light beige, not the pink stuff that is sometimes fresh, but is much more often right out of a jar. I tried hard to eat my whole meal, but I just couldn't - and I was not complaining! Such sushi abundance was a unique experience for me. This is the first time in my entire life I've had leftover sushi. Leftover sushi - you're kidding, right? Oh man, the leftovers were like a serious bonus. The sushi was so fresh that even hours later from my refrigerator, it tasted better than much of the sushi I've had elsewhere. Anyway, back to dinner. Full as I was, the meal came with ice cream. It wasn't the most amazing ice cream I've ever had, just plain vanilla, but it was still nice, made me feel loved, like a little kid who has been good and gets ice cream.
We loved this place. I loved the excellent value, my daughter loved the udon. We got out of there for under $50 including drinks and tip. So happy to have found Furusato. -
Review from Chris V.
Edmonton, AB
9/1/2011
If you want some of the best sushi and sashimi in town, this is where you have to go... and the salmon 'slabs' are not only huge but tasty! I have to admit that I've not tried a ton of different selections here, but the ones I've had, have been great!
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Review from Jason L.
Edmonton, AB
8/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
I had lunch at Furusato today. I had the lunch-sized assorted sashimi. I have to say that the pieces of fish were perfect. I was a little disappointed that the chef's selection was heavy on the salmon and tuna with only one or two pieces of mackerel, shrimp, scallop and yellow tail.
While good, I've never understood why Furusato is touted as the best in the city by Yelpers. It is good, and it's good value for money, but there are better presentations of both sashimi and nigiri all over town, certainly with better variety in selection. That's no reason not to go to Fursato, but doesn't recommend it as "best".
The service is friendly and attentive. The food is good, but can be disappointing. Our gyoza, for example, was a disaster today.
One note ... all sushi fish, if properly prepared, has been frozen. The freezing process kills all the nasty parasites that exist in all fresh fish. Sushi chefs use very expensive flash freezers to prepare the fish. In Edmonton, where there is no fresh fish market, I expect that most if not all sushi restaurants buy already frozen fish. As far as I know only the Mikado flies in fresh fish and freezes it themselves. It's the thawing and storing process that's important, so that the fish doesn't end up too "watery" or with strange flavours. Remember, fresh sushi = bad sushi. -
Review from Ed L.
Edmonton, AB
8/15/2010
You gotta be kidding me... 5 stars? You yelpers are WAY too generous. This place has VERY average sushi.
The location and ambiance is average.
Maki rolls are large. Toro sushi / sashimi is frozen and doesn't have the texture like it should.
There's NO good places for sushi in Edmonton. Period. -
Review from Brad B.
Edmonton, AB
8/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Well heres a gem of a sushi joint. Of course the staff are Korean nowadays but thats a good thing. Fish is fresh. Rice is ok. Atmosphere is cool. They have temperature problems though and there are cold spots so bring a jacket...oh and the seaweed salad kicked a**. We hit this on a Friday night and there was plenty of good tables.
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Review from Aditya R.
7/19/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Well - simply put... it's got great food at great prices. The food is extremely fresh, from what I've experienced. I've been to several expensive sushi places and can make out very little difference between those places and Furusato.
I love the variety in the menu, in particular the plates that they have. For about $20, you can get a plate that consists of a few pieces of sashmi/sushi/maki and combinations that include roast beef, tempuras, soups and ice cream as well. That's my favorite part of the menu.
I'm usually big on sushi, maki and sashmi. If ordered separately, tends to come out a tad more expensive but still really worth the price. It would be hard to spend more than $30 per person, without drinks, at this place.
Definitely the best sushi in town. Have been to a few others and can't see the point of going there anymore. -
Review from Tim R.
Edmonton, AB
2/3/2010 ROTD 4/5/2011
It may look like a hole in the wall, and the interior may be cramped as well, but Furusato has some of the best Japanese food in town, if not the best. The service is great, and if you don't mind small tables, the close proximity allows you to easily communicate with your guests.
It's hard to say what to order here at Furusato as everything tastes great. They do not skimp out on their sashimi (raw fish) slices- they're nice and thick, and taste really fresh too. Despite the size, the sashimi slices seem to just melt in your mouth. Their sushi rolls are great too, as they put in more meat than rice. If you're feeling hungry, go for the Bento Box combo. With that you get Miso soup, gyoza, assorted sushi and sashimi, and a choice of teriyaki chicken, beef or salmon. The prices are about average in terms of Japanese restaurants, but they serve generous portions and you feel like you get what you paid for.
The only problem I have with this location is that it always seems busy. You either need to come here early or late if you want to avoid the wait. They can seem slow at times, but this is most likely due to the restaurant being at full capacity. -
Review from Lauren N.
9/14/2008 2 photos
Furusato is one of Edmonton's best-kept secrets. It is by far the best Japanese food you can get in this city. And I know good sushi -- I lived in Vancouver for a few years.
The sashimi is always fresh, so you don't get that just-out-of-the-freezer taste. The maki has other stuff besides rice in them, and the amount of food you get for the price you pay is definitely worth it.
I don't usually like to go anywhere else for sushi; this is as good as it gets, folks. The service is fast and friendly, and the quality never disappoints. Be sure to arrive before the 7pm rush though , otherwise you could be waiting close to an hour, especially on weekend nights. 5pm to 6pm is best. Also, don't hope for reservations on weekends, because they won't take them -- they'll be too busy. Another note: they are closed Sundays.
If my memory is correct, "furusato" is the Japanese word for one's home in the countryside. It doesn't matter if you're not really from the countryside, it's more of the idea that it could represent the roots of home. Or else it could mean something entirely different, and I just never paid enough attention in my Japanese culture class.
Either way, you feel at home when you eat at Furusato. The restaurant's atmosphere is bustling but comfortable, because you know everyone else is into the food just as much as you are. The restaurant is also quite small and discreet. If you didn't know of it and passed it on the street, you probably wouldn't even notice it because its windows are covered up (I always look for the off-white awning). But behind those windows is the best Japanese food you will taste in Edmonton!Listed in: A Walk Thru Whyte, Best Eats
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Review from Ricky Z.
3/30/2011
Furusato is one of many sushi restaurants i have tried in Edmonton. Not sure why it is the highest rated Japanese on Yelp, there are my 2 cents on this place:
Pros:
Price/food ratio is good
Size of sashimi (esp. salmon) is very generous
Food arrives pretty quick
Complementary grilled salmon is pretty taste
Cons:
Not freshest fish in town
Doesn't look very nice outside and inside
Cooked food a bit too salty
Doesn't take AMEX -
Review from Jack G.
Edmonton, AB
2/12/2010
Looks do not do this restaurant justice. On the outside its looks are really enough to make you turn away but this place is a gem. It is a cozy little place and is VERY popular. Reservations are recommended if not required.
They have great food and service to match. which makes for a great experience. The menu has tons to offer which is great for people who aren't into sushi. I am so I have tried nothing else. The sushi is delicious. If you aren't into it or are afraid to try it I urge you to make that step. You won't regret it.
They also have take out.. in case you were wondering. -
Review from Laura D.
Toronto, ON
10/18/2009
I have to agree with the reviewer above, this really is the best place in Edmonton for sushi! I've been to several other restaurants and none of them have even come close in terms of taste, atmosphere, staff friendliness and price.
When I first walked in, I was totally taken in by the atmosphere of the place... it was really, really cozy. Nothing really fancy, but it felt very traditional somehow and there were a lot of people there that really looked like they were at home enjoying themselves. The staff was very friendly too!
I had ordered the miso soup, gyoza, ebi nigiri and a dynamite roll. The miso soup was really good with sizable portions of seaweed and tofu. It was just the right amount of salty and I really enjoyed it. The gyoza looked like they were definitely made there, and they were fantastic. I've had a lot of different gyoza in the city and none even came close to these... they were just the right amount of fried.
The ebi nigiri was amazing. The shrimp was really fresh tasting and the pieces were larger than what I'm used to getting at other restaurants. I was happy to see that they didn't sneak any wasabi between the shrimp and rice, too. XD And the dynamite roll? Single-handedly the best dynamite roll that I've ever had the pleasure of eating. I've had some really good ones in Toronto but this one easily took home the prize. The pieces were large, but not too large that I couldn't eat one whole and the tempura shrimp inside was super crunchy. I'm drooling just thinking about eating that again and I'm really eager to go back to try what else they have there!
I went with two friends, one of which ordered the tuna sushi bowl. It was a really, really pretty bowl filled with rice on the lower half and really thick slices of tuna fanned out on the top. I haven't seen generous slices of sashimi like this in a long time and it absolutely just MELTED in your mouth. My other friend ordered the chicken teriyaki, which was all white meat on a bed of vegetables (broccoli, sprouts, the typical stuff). He said it was amazing too, and it really looked like it was, as it was completely slathered in teriyaki sauce.
For the three of us, the bill came out to just over $60. For three people, I think that's really impressive, considering the amount of food (and the super impressive delicious quality of it) that we had ordered. :D
Oh, and we had arrived there after the 7pm rush and we were seated right away, as were the people behind us. The place was very busy, but there were tables that were free and it didn't seem to fill up 100%. There were a lot of people coming in to get take-out orders too. The staff WAS a little bit slow but they were really busy with the amount of other people there. Plus they were just really nice and the food was so amazing that it's worth a little bit more of a wait. -
Review from Koz T.
Calgary, AB
12/28/2010
This is my second favorite Japanese restaurant in Edmonton next to Mikado and this one is much more reasonably priced. Its not really noticeable from the sidewalk but go in and have a nice meal.
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Review from Dave C.
Calgary, AB
6/13/2010 2 photos
Nice thick cuts of salmon sashimi. The seabass with ginger-miso dressing is a must-try. Always great food and consistent, we love to come here!
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Review from Natalie M.
Edmonton, AB
1/5/2010
Well, this is another place that my friends really love to go to when they need their sushi fix. First of all it can get crazy busy up in this place so if you can make a reservation I suggest you do, but then again I don't know if they take reservations! Anyways, when I first walked into this place I thought I was talking into a whole in the wall! Be careful not to miss the door for this place, it's hiding. The outside looks shady but once you walk in you kind of feel at home. I actually like how they decorated their restaurant, some people don't. I think it's simple and homey like. Anyways, I had never been there before but my friends have. They told me this is the best place to come to get melt in your mouth sushi. Well when I told them I'm not a sushi kind of girl they told me that I was on my own. They only thing these two friends of mine very get is the sushi. They love it so much. If you wanted to get some appetizers I suggest the Chicken Kara Age ($5.25), which is just deep fried chicken with a ginger type of sauce. It's pretty good. One of my friends would suggest the Gyoza ($5.95), which is meat and vegetable dumplings. When she's really hungry she'll order these to start. The Mini Spring Rolls ($5.95) are pretty good also. The next time I go there I really want to try the B.B.Q Squid...it sounds good and I like my squid. We all love the tempura so we order a plate for the whole table and everyone shares it. When I go there I seem to always get the Chicken teriyaki. It's pretty good! My other friend is a bento box girl so that's what she will get. She'll get a mixture of sushi, but you can get it with meat too. That's what I'll do next time; her dish always looks so good.
Okay, so because this place is so popular it gets busy, like I said before. You may have to wait for a table and once you are seated you'll have to wait to get served and you'll have to wait a while until your food comes. But like my mama has taught me, good things come to those who wait and the wait is worth it. I really enjoy my dinner and so do my friends. Even though we eat way too much we still order dessert. We like to get the ice cream but act fast before all the good flavors are gone!
The prices are pretty reasonable for what you get. We enjoy ourselves every time we go there and we keep coming back. The staff is pretty friendly but they can get pretty stressed looking because it's crazy busy.
