Sakura

This isn’t a complaint—I actually like this restaurant. It’s just a heads-up ⚠️ I arrived at 2:37 pm to order just one roll. They close at 3:00 pm on Saturdays. The lady at the entrance seemed a bit uncomfortable when she saw me and told me I could stay only if I finished eating by 3:00. I asked if they could prepare the order quickly, and she said probably not. So I asked if she preferred that I leave, and she politely nodded yes. I understand the timing was tight, but I always thought that if a place closes at 3:00, you can still order until then, not just stay until then. Just a warning for anyone planning to come here: they may not accept orders close to closing time. It’s now 2:50 pm as I’m writing this, and another couple just came in and were also turned away. So I’d recommend not coming too close to closing if you want to be served.

I might be biased. My granddaughter and daughter met me there after I got here from the airport. When they came through the door everything was perfect in my world. The Sushi rolls were very good. I had the ninja roll and it was light, tasty, and a bit creative with the cucumber wrap instead of nori. It was a little dark for my old eyes to read the menu but exactly what my home town Sushi restaurant should be for casual dining .…

Recommended by a local. Sashimi was very fresh and had an amazing presentation. Seafood miso was very tasty and unique. Green tea ice cream was bomb. Sake was good quality. My new favorite place on big island!

This has become our regular go to sushi restaurant. Since it caters mostly to locals, the staff recognizes us as "regulars". The food is always fresh and tasty. Of all the places we've eaten here on our home island, they have the best rice. I grew up in Japan and recognize excellent rice--they serve it here. Give them a try and find out for yourself how good their food is and how attentive their wait staff is.

I had the seared tuna and a Philly roll. The food was good, but service took a while to get going. There is ample free parking onsite.

By recommendation we decided to try out Sakura. Our group of 5 was seated immediately and had great service. We all ordered a Chef’s Special Roll for 5 Rolls total and had an amazing dinner. Each roll has a unique flavor and was super filling. My favorite roll for sure was the Godzilla Roll. We also had to order the famous Tempura Cheesecake, and that was by far the best thing I have ever had. I’d highly recommend and if I’m ever back in Kona, I will be stopping in to Sakura.

What a delightful place to eat! I got the Godzilla Roll and the spicy Volcano Roll, they were excellent! Our waitress was at the top of her game, making sure we had what we wanted. The seating was good, with plenty of room, and we got our food very quickly! My buddy says the lunch special is an amazing deal, you get 2 or 3 rolls for under $20, but I couldn't resist all the specialty rolls. The miso soup was also amazing, and they have multiple other options if you aren't in the mood for sushi!

First night on the big island and stopped by Target to grab some snacks for our hotel stay. I asked one of the employees, who was local and grew up on the island, where he would grab dinner if he could at the moment. His recommendation was Sakura… After locating the small restaurant, we were greeted nicely at the entrance and seated immediately. The longest wait was for someone to take our order which was probably between 6-8 minutes but the food was served even faster. I ordered some gyoza 🥟 as an appetizer and within a couple minutes, they were brought out fresh, hot, and delicious as ever. The soy sauce served in the mini pota at the table taste completely different (in a good way) compared to other soy sauce I’ve had before. No clue why it was so good. My dinner was the sushi platter which had multiple nigiri and a simple spicy cali roll. The platter was great and filling, served at a proper temp and did not seem overly fishy like it had been sitting for a long period of time. Other orders were the Chicken teriyaki and Tofu teriyaki. Both came out extremely hot and the chicken was very tender/moist. Both cooked perfectly to our liking and not overly sauced with teriyaki. Overall a great experience at this restaurant and no complaints regarding food or service.

These sushi rolls are HUGE! You really get a lot for your money. We ordered a ton of different rolls and they were pretty quick and very delicious. We also got soup and appetizers that were great. If you are a sushi fan you will enjoy.

Lunch prices are pretty unbelievably low for such high quality sushi and service. The staff were friendly, available, and helpful, and indulgent of the 6 month old in our party. The restaurant was clean and safe, and the food was very tasty. The fish was high quality and the rolls were made to order in front of us. I highly recommend Sakura!