Sushi Ave — Restaurant in Gilbert

1st experience: Food was great, and company made it even better! I love sushi and these prices are the best! Especially for being as good as it is! I recommend the California roll or the tempura California roll if money is an issue but if money isn't then go for the eel or tuna or rainbow! Finish it off with a tempura cheesecake! SOOOOO GOOD!!! I'm sure everything else is fantastic, but that's what I've tried!

2 years later…

Latest experience: Usually, I’ve had a wonderful experience with Sushi Ave. in Gilbert, but unfortunately, this time was very unsatisfactory. We had a homecoming party for a family member we haven’t seen in a few years and most of us hadn’t eaten all day. The majority of our group had a big table and a few more of us ended up getting a small table next to them when we arrived about 45min. (Give or take) later. It was busy and most of the big table was done eating by the time I arrived. We quickly ordered food and then waiting quite some time for it to be brought. All 3 vegetarian rolls my mom ordered went to the big table and it took a while to figure out which ones were actually vegetarian, which wasn’t great for someone who has dietary restrictions. I ordered 2 California rolls and 1 tempura Cali roll knowing I was very hungry having gone with nothing until 5pm ish when we finally went to find food. 3 plain California rolls were brought to my table. Since my grandparents each ordered one of those at the big table, I guessed 2 were theirs and I ate the last. I waited…and waited, trying to check to make sure my order wasn’t taken to the big table. Finally, everyone was done and ready to leave, so we went to take care of the check. I never saw the other two rolls I ordered. We talked to them about it and they claimed they went to the big table, but I kept checking and never saw them, so I paid for them hoping someone in my family got to enjoy them, but again, the big table was mostly done eating by the time we got there and no one thought they got my order. I left the restaurant hungry since our server claimed it was brought and the receipt showed they charged us for it and I was too tired and hungry to argue. I found out later that my sister at the big table only ordered one roll that wasn’t brought out until everyone was almost done eating and even food was brought to the small table who ordered at least 45min later than the big. I understand that mistakes can be made when a restaurant is busy, but wish they would keep better track of what food goes to which table because that was a pain. Perhaps, I will just recommend going when they’re less busy and with a small group so you can keep track of what food is consumed and they won’t mix up tables. I left hangry and had to find something else to eat. Never again with a big group during a busy time. At least the few bites I had...

Our recent dining experience at this establishment proved to be significantly disappointing. Upon arrival at approximately 7:30 PM, the restaurant presented an unusual paradox: a noticeable queue of patrons awaiting entry contrasted with a visible abundance of unoccupied and prepared tables. Despite this, seating appeared to be inexplicably delayed. After requesting to be added to the waiting list, we were provided with a sign-in sheet without any accompanying explanation from the hostess. Concurrently, another couple expressed dissatisfaction with the protracted wait for their meal, opting instead to settle their bill and depart. This incident should have served as a cautionary signal, yet our hunger led us to persevere, anticipating a reasonable wait time given the available seating.

After a considerable delay of 30 minutes, during which numerous patrons exited the restaurant, a staff member emerged to select guests for seating. Despite this, we were not escorted to a table. Instead, we were instructed to locate an available table ourselves while the staff prioritized seating their acquaintances, one of whom was dressed in attire that was inappropriate for a dining establishment. We proceeded to seat ourselves at a table devoid of menus and attentive service for a full ten minutes. Subsequently, the assigned waitress, upon finally appearing, unceremoniously deposited the menus and abruptly departed. When she next attended to our table, she took our drink and food order and vanished, never to be seen again during the remainder of our meal.

My husband and I ordered four sushi rolls, three of which were standard California rolls and one fried roll. The anticipation turned into an hour-long wait for our order. Regrettably, the fried roll was served ice-cold, suggesting it had been prepared in advance and allowed to sit. While delays can be excused due to high demand or staffing shortages, it appeared that the staff was more preoccupied with entertaining their social circle, as they prioritized delivering multiple dishes to their table, even though they had arrived later than other patrons, including ourselves. We were not alone in experiencing dissatisfaction. A couple seated nearby also voiced complaints regarding the prolonged wait times for their food, and later, discrepancies were noted on their bill, as the restaurant's website displayed inaccurate pricing that was significantly lower than the actual charges.

This particular visit represents the nadir of our experiences at this establishment, and we have no intention of returning in the foreseeable future. A fundamental shift in the staff's priorities is warranted, focusing on providing equitable and attentive service to all patrons, rather than exhibiting preferential treatment towards specific...

To begin with, we only tried this particular restaurant because it was so highly rated and it is right around the corner from us. I am only giving our experience one star because the rating option does not give the option to give ZERO, however if I could- I would. I came in with my family hoping for a nice evening out, we were sorely disappointed. From the moment we walked in with our young kids, it was obvious the waitress was less than thrilled to have children to serve. Before we had even finished taking our seats, she rudely came over and asked “what do you want”. For real. “What do you want”. I was so taken aback that I didn’t even know how to respond and asked her if she could please give us a moment to look over the menu.

She brought over plates, soy sauce dishes, big cups of water, etc and placed them all in front of my TWO YEAR OLD, then had the nerve to look mad when various items promptly ended up on the floor. Upon asking if they had any mixed drinks, I received a terse “no”, then moments later while I was chatting with the sushi chef the chef handed me a DRINK MENU listing several specialty drinks…

We ordered various appetizers thinking the kiddos would probably eat them as their meal, but when those items arrived, they were very obviously frozen items that had been tossed into the deep fryer, then thrown on a plate. Needless to say, we were not impressed. The sushi itself was not horrible, but nothing to write home about, either. Coming from the East Coast with a husband who lived in Hawaii for a few years, we both found it lacking.

At the end of the meal we figured we couldn’t go wrong with dessert. We ordered the Tempura Cheesecake, which the menu advertises as tempura fried on the outside, with a warm cheesecake center… we put the forks in to take a bite and found the forks wouldn’t move. Essentially it was a completely frozen slab of cheesecake.

Throughout the entirety of our meal, our waitress was either in a very bad mood, or was just not pleased to have us as patrons. As a family with two young kids, going out for dinner is hard enough. In reality- it’s a treat when we get a rare night out to enjoy ourselves. Rather than feeling like our dinner out was a “special occasion”, it just felt like we were an inconvenience to our waitress. What a...