Sushi Stop — Restaurant in Mesa

I have been coming here for months under the previous owners. The new owner(s?) have friendly service and reopened dine-in. Their sushi rolls are nothing special so far but you should still give them a shot.

I paid $42 plus tip for to-go: 1 crunchy roll, 1 spicy tuna roll, 1 salmon roll.

All of the rolls are significantly smaller now. Yes there are more pieces of the rolls - now there are 10 pieces of roll vs 8. However the width of the rolls has changed significantly. For reference, the old rolls were thick - approximately the diameter of a coke can. These ones are the same size that you find most places: about 1 inch by 1.5 inches. This wouldn’t matter as much if not for two factors.

the old rolls gave me 2 meals - 1 per roll. Cost per meal was approximately $10-14 depending on what rolls I got. I bought 3 new rolls today and barely have two meals. That means my cost per meal has just jumped up to $20 per meal.

There is significantly less fish. The old rolls were so large because you got thick pieces of fish. I loved their salmon and tuna rolls because the fish was tasty and at the forefront of the roll. For reference, I dissected a few of the new salmon roll pieces and the salmon was 1cm by 3 cm by maybe a 1/4 cm.

I understand they probably want to save money - I would rather pay more per roll for the old rolls though because you could really taste the fish and its quality. OR get the old rolls at 6 pieces instead of 8 to be honest. In these new rolls. I could barely taste the salmon at all. Just rice.

Overall, am I extremely sad that the rolls have changed - yes. But if you never got to experience the old rolls, you should give these a shot before ruling them out. I have yet to try the katsu curry again and the crunchy roll was small but...

First, I never write reviews, and this review is not meant to disparage the new owners (I wish them the best of luck) but more to let old fans of Sushi Stop know that it has changed menu and ownership. Sushi Stop was my go-to place when Jay and Mei owned it. Unfortunately, they sold it in Oct. 2024 (best of luck to them on their new adventures!)

For those of you who were fans of the old Sushi Stop--you know exactly what I mean when I say this place was special. Double portions of fresh fish on top of plumply perfect nigiri. Monster speciality rolls (the J roll was my fav!) and amazing soups and curries rounded out the menu. Jay and Mei were special people--running their business with pride and greeting you with a smile. Mei would even text me when they had my favorite fish on special --monkfish liver pate!

The sushi I had in early Jan. 2025 under the new ownership wasn't bad, per se. It was "fine." The rice was a bit cold and undercooked and the miso soup was underwhelming. The fish was edible but not something I'd crave. If you're looking for affordable "basic" sushi Sushi Stop will be adequate. But that's what it is--adequate. No better or worse than your average low-cost sushi joint. (Personally, I'd prefer Bloomy Kitchen across the street--as the menu is a bit more extensive if you want katsu, udon soup, or...

Under new management. Portion size used to be amazing but now they’re like any other run of the mill place. They also raised prices from what they used to be. Definitely not the same quality either. So you get way less fish for even more money. The nigiri almost doubled in price and shrunk to less than half the size. The rolls used to be the size of my palm, now it’s about a quarter to third of the size. I am definitely missing the old owners. I’d love to know if the old owners are opening another spot! Don’t come if you used to love the old food. You will be sorely disappointed. Otherwise they’re an ok spot to go too. I’d still go to an all you can eat place at their pricing and size of rolls though.

Edit: I agree with the previous reviewer, the rice is stale as hell. It would’ve been better if they reheated it with water. I know, I make sushi at home sometimes when I’m up to it. Will definitely have to do so after this not so great experience. The sushi I make tastes way fresher. I had a modified J roll(not sure what they call it now) and an Alaskan roll that used to be called the Washington roll. The picture is of the J Roll with crab instead of spicy tuna. Their jalapeño bomb was really good though. Still not worth the price in my opinion. Now I need to find a new spot that can compete with...