Maki Fresh - Birmingham — Restaurant in Mountain Brook

I stopped at Maki Fresh for the first time a couple of nights ago because my friends and I were looking for a healthy, super-quick meal for a good price -- and this is definitely the place for that.

I had a Samurai Roll and a Blossom Roll (the first was my choice and the second was recommended by the staff), and they were both fantastic. The service was very good and friendly, our meals were served almost immediately, and the sushi was incredibly tasty.

Maki Fresh is certainly fast food -- it's fast, for one thing, and they're definitely geared more toward quick meals than a sit-down dining experience -- but they do seem to take extra care with making things special. The sushi tasted fresh (even though we stopped by pretty late in the evening), and it was presented with nice little extra details that made the food taste even better.

Can you find more authentic sushi places in Birmingham? Of course you can. But Maki Fresh isn't trying to be fine dining. They're trying to be a good new option for a quick lunch or dinner, and I think they excel...

I have always been a big fan of Maki Fresh! But as of recently, I have noticed a change in something about the way they operate and their food, and it’s for the better. I’m not entirely sure what the change is but I’m so glad for it! The meat tastes better than it ever did before and, most notably, the service is a lot better. The staff is so accommodating, friendly, efficient, and helpful. If you are looking for recommendations of what to get, I am a huge fan of the crispy Brussels bowl (their Brussels sprouts are incredible), and they now have the Brussels sprouts available on their own as a side. I always really enjoy the crunch crunch roll (I especially recommend if you like sushi but prefer rolls that are milder)! The prices are good, the food’s good quality, and the portions are pretty substantial as well....

This is not exactly a fair review since my co-worker only let me try his food and I've actually never entered Maki Fresh. I've learned from Birmingham residents that they'll give any crappy restaurant a good review (cite: Superior Grill). The Brussels sprout I tried was cooked perfect, but was seasoned with what I believe to be french fry oil. It was horribly awful to a person who occasionally throws a pound of Brussels sprouts in the oven with nothing more than olive oil and salt. I had a piece of beef as well. Nothing in the form of "fresh" was present. Very tough. Like a brisket cooked on high in...