Yen Sushi & Sake Bar — Restaurant in Phoenix

Whenever we have a craving for sushi, Yen Sushi always comes to mind. The sushi here is incredibly fresh, delicious, and served in generous portions. However, despite the outstanding food, the service was quite horrendous.

Upon our arrival at 7:00pm with a party of 6, we noticed two people ahead of us waiting to be seated. The first person grew tired of waiting and eventually left the restaurant. The second person had to approach the front to get one of the servers' attention, informing them that they had been waiting for 15 minutes just to be seated. To our surprise, the waitress walked inside and delegated the seating task to someone else.

After a 15-minute wait, we were finally seated. The drinks arrived promptly, and we proceeded to order a variety of dishes, including the Dragon Roll, Scallop Roll, Soft Shell Crab Roll, 3 appetizers, a medium sashimi plate, and sizzling Korean beef ribs. The sushi rolls and sashimi were served quickly, but unfortunately, the Korean beef ribs were forgotten. We had no way of bringing this to the attention of the servers as no one came by to check on us. My husband had to approach the sushi bar himself to request a water refill. A lady eventually arrived to refill our glasses but ended up creating a large water spill and left with only half a glass filled. We also ordered two additional items, but they took an excessive amount of time to arrive. Moreover, the waitress had them in hand but seemed to forget which table they were meant for, requiring her to circle back and double-check.

Overall, it was a disappointing dining experience, especially considering the $200 bill, which we felt was not justified. Despite this, the quality of the food itself was...

If you go here, go there during happy hour, which ends at 5pm (not sure when it starts). They have a nice selection of rolls and appetizers which is nice.

If you are looking to be served like you would in a western restaurant, think again. Remember that this is an Asian restaurant where they want to take care of you, yes, but they will not be nearly as personal as you would find, say, at a Carrabba's or Benihana's. They get your order, talk fast, and get to work.

The soda here is not by the tap, but by the can. After the second refill, you have to pay for another soda. Again, that is the asian style of doing the restaurant business.

The sushi really was ok, but the environment is what hurt it for me. This is not the place to have a nice, sweet date. The walls echo every sound and I was frustrated by some customers that didn't mind being quite loud in the restaurant. They really weren't being too considerate of the people around them and I have a feeling this is standard for this place. They do not attract the most professional customers, but customers that you mighty find in a place a step above subway.

The bar itself looked really nice, though. I will give it that.

The only reason for the two stars is simply because I was expecting a nice, comfortable place to have a date, and enjoy quality service. The food was good, but the overall experience of being there and trying to actually enjoy everything...well, it wasn't there for me.

I don't like leaving reviews like this, but that's that. I know this place would be perfect for others, though. It is good sushi and you can...

Changing my 5 star review (from 3 ago) to 1 star based on my recent expirience. My wife and I had a date night so we chose to go to our usual sushi spot, Yen. It was busy and the start of dinner rush so we were put on the wait list. They take your phone number and send you a link that keeps you updated on your position on the list. We were the only party waiting and we were told a seat should open up in 15 minutes. After 20 minutes we were still top of the list, but a few partys of four were behind us. After 20 more minutes those partys were sat and we continued to wait. Another 20 minutes go by (total 1 hour waiting) and we were no longer even listed on the wait list. My wife went in to ask when we will be seated and she waited another 5 minutes and never even saw a hostess up front. We decided to leave after wasting over an hour waiting. We were not happy so we decided to get ice cream at Brusters for dinner, which was excellent. It seems Yen has gone downhill. Their staff all seem to be young kids and it was very disorganized. I have been coming to Yen for 10 years. When the restaurant was half the size, the staff was prompt and courteous, and the sushi was the best in the valley. I won't be visiting either Yen sushi locations nor their ramen shop based on this...