Kura Revolving Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Bloomington

I've visited this location of Kura Sushi plenty of times since it's opening. I'm hopping on to write a review due to a recent experience we had when coming for lunch yesterday, Sunday, June 11th at around 1:30 PM. First of all, me and my family love this place! We love the small portions so everyone can eat a little bit of everything. We love the variety of the food offered, from the appetizers to the rolls to dessert! We also love the price of the place! Apart from AYCE sushi, this is one of the cheaper places to find sushi in the twin cities. Yesterday I had a sour experience that will likely make me think twice about wanting to eat at this place in the future. It started with their waitlist system. The place had a long wait time from when the opened. In the beginning, if you come an hour after opening, you'll likely wait two to three hours to be sat. I felt that this was reasonable, the place was small (please expand to the space next door) and extremely popular but you were given a number and they sat by the order of signing up on the waitlist. last week they decided that not only did you have to sign up for the waitlist, you also had to check in with the host which bumped you up to the top of the list. The wait time showed on the screen was 45-60 minutes. 50 minutes in, we came back to check in with the host and was told "ok, ill bump you up the list. You will be seated second. It'll likely be twenty minutes." I felt it was unfair but what could i do? I hung back and waited longer and watched as the host called name after name and did the same thing to other people who checked in. He said to everyone, "Ok, i'll bump you up the list. You can choose to hang back or walk around and I'll call your name." We were told we were gonna receive a text but we never did. Another thirty minutes passed and I was getting HANGRY. I stood next to the host in hopes of catching him to ask when it was our turn. He called another name and when that person wasn't available, I was about to say something and he finally called my name. He smirked as he walked us to our table. Like sir, no, you didn't get me, I literally waited an hour and fifteen minutes to be sat. We finally got settled and started to order. There was plenty of things out of stock. The monthly discovery items, I get but these were regular items. There was no Inari, no Tamago, no Tuna nor Taiyaki. How disappointing. Lastly their conveyor belt became faulty! Someone on the bar side of the dining area got their purse caught on a plate, I think, and the plates backed up and started to pile up. Rolls and plates fell down on our table as well. I didnt know what to do with the plates and I definitely wasnt paying for food I didnt eat so I set it aside. It was not the store's fault of course but it definitely added to the experience. The only pleasant interaction we had was with the man who checked us out. No one checked in with our table throughout our meal but his pleasant and attentive demeanor made is feel a little better about the place. Every time I come to Kura Sushi, I notice the host also having to bus the tables and keep an eye on the to go window. I wish they staffed more people, especially during rush hours like lunch and dinner time. It also allows diners to be checked in with more during their meal. It also allows the people picking up to go orders to be paid attention to. Once I was told a time to pick up my order and waited an extra fifteen minutes! I'll still definitely come to this place. I still love the concept and the food offered. Maybe next time we'll come not as hungry and check in more with the host to be sat quicker. I think the app waitlist check in is also functional now, maybe we'll also make use of that more often as well.

EDIT: I find it quite funny the owners seem to respond to my review with a nonsolution to the issue. Even with checking in on the app, i waited longer than the supposed wait time. I was even told "you'll be sat fifth so long as no one checks in...

Well, the concept is a great addition to the Mall of America.

Tough servers and front of house. Poorly run line. Cute robots. I spent 3+ hours total - this included waiting in line, dining in, and making/waiting for a take-out order. I ended up paying twice.

Not sure who they are catering to - solo diners and couples or families? Outcome: The table turns were unusually slow with numerous, unoccupied solo seats.

Prices are advertised upon ordering. Desserts range from fresh watermelon to sesame balls. The sashimi is limited to online orders, or else were unavailable on the dine-in menu, or never reached the table. Nigiri selection is good with some sold out options.

Ramen was good. Chewy noodles, flavorful broth, acceptable meats, egg, toppings. Karaage was unexpectedly juicy, crunchy, and flavorful.

I'm always skeptical of seafood in the Midwest. It's just not a forte for obvious reasons. However, the nigiri ranged from ok/decent to good.

The yuzu and pepper are great during sub-zero temps - a taste of a warmer climate with the yuzu citrus and a moderate pepper pairing. Fresh wasabi!

Space is limited. The line was confusing, but you put your name and number on the list via kiosk/tablet. The host team then yells out / quietly says the number.

The queue was an eta 3.2 hours long on a Tuesday evening. The queue numbers were 200+. Solo people can expect to not have their own counter section. I waited 2.2 hours despite seeing numerous single seats...painful…🥲

I placed a takeout order when I felt hungry, and a name on list for dine in. The dine in queue was faster....Take-out took an eta of 45 minutes, but then hung out on the counter for at least an additional 30+ minutes. No one contacted me. No one helped push the order when asked about seating vs take out and timing while standing in line. There was no email or text. I stood there for over an hour and then another hour and no one said anything except it will be done when it's done. No one recognized me after I sat down at the table and ordered, and this was after 2+ hours of standing in front of them.

I had to inquire about the take-out order during dinner. (I finally paired up with another party and tried to do a two numbers for one table...) All this is definitely a sign of customer desperation…painful. 😓

Slow clap. I will likely not be back. There are better options in the twin cities. Travelers could even take the light rail to downtown Minneapolis and do a chef's menu in the same time it takes to attempt to eat here at a similar price point.

PS: The games at the table did not work. The other party ate more than 15 plates and had to ask about the prizes from a server passing by, but the one advertised was out of stock. The robots serve drinks, and that was the best part of the experience besides the yuzu and fresh wasabi.

PPS: ordered delivery tonight because a friend wanted to try the food. I placed the order online the night before. I live very close by. It’s literally max 10 minutes away. It came 30 minutes late. The party box was smashed in transit.

Not the chef’s fault. It looks like, again, the service is lacking. The food was still good and the friends were...

⚠️WARNING!!!⛔️ Location on Map is wrong!! Please don’t use direction on GPS or else, it will send you to a hotel. They are located inside MOA (Mall Of America) on the north side food, next to Moose Mountain Adventure Golf Course. 3rd Floor, Suite 378.

Upon arrival, check in the kiosk stand in front of entrance. Right away, you will see how long of a wait you are anticipating. (Keep in mind, they can only have a capacity of 68 people inside their restaurant.) You will need to enter a name, phone # and number of people. They will text you when your table is near ready.

My family of 3 waited for about 10 minutes on a weekday during dinner time. The staff that sat us ask if we have been here before or not. We’d said no, he kindly welcome us and explain the process. Everything is order from the kiosk machine or taken from conveyor belt’ (train’s) availability. They serve Pepsi products, Japanese beer and wine. Drinks are sent to us by their rolling robot. Pretty cool. Any alcohol drinks will be ID and delivered by one of the staff to verify age. Their are two conveyor belts, one above the other. The bottom one will constantly be moving serving all types of sushi, appetizers, and desserts up for grabs. Keep in mind, be mindful if you bring little ones to watch for their moving hands or seat them on the outskirts of the booth. These machine does move like a train and the top conveyor belt can move faster than the bottom one. The top conveyor belt serves request items from the kiosk machine. Each booth seat 4 comfortably and will have a kiosk machine to order whatever is available on their menu of the day. Also, they have a capsule machine that spits out a prize once you hit a number of plates deposited in their feeder to be cleaned. The kiosk will keep a tally plates you’ve deposited. Any plates or dishes, that doesn’t fit in their plate depositor will be collected by a staff member. Once you all done, hit the check out icon on the kiosk machine and it will remind you to deposit any remaining plates on your table. You will get to review your receipt and check out two way; by downloading their app and pay through there (only debit or credit card) or ask for a server (no checks).

Overall, my family and I really had a great time and experience at Kura. My son said, their ramen was the bomb and he is a picky eater too. My husband said they serve tuna cheek bone which that was a winner for him. I loved the quick and easy service. All their seafood seems fresh, presentable and yummy!! We did rack up a bill over $100, so, if you are on a budget I suggest eating moderately. Enjoy!!

Oh, they do offer take out too! They have a little side window for online order...