Oishi Japanese Sushi Bar and Grill — Restaurant in Spanish Fort

Most of the restaurants in my part of Baldwin County are either pan-Asian (and therefore not very good at Japanese food beyond sushi) or beyond my budget, so finding Oishii has been a pleasant surprise. The sushi prices are a little higher than what I am used to seeing, but it is absolutely worth the extra money because the quality and amount of food you get is quite good. I feel like this is definitely a step up from the “other food plus sushi” type places I normally see in my area.

I’m a big fan of unagi (eel) and tried both the eel nigiri and the Dancing Eel specialty roll. Both featured tender, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth grilled eel that tasted very clean and fresh. The Dancing Eel also has tempura shrimp and tobiko (flying fish roe), and the three items combine to make one savory main dish. My dining friend tried the pork katsu bento, and got a giant meal — in addition to a tender fried pork cutlet, there was also sushi, mixed vegetables, two gyoza and two sauces. One sauce was sweetened with honey, the other was more of darker and more savory sauce. Both were surprisingly good. The gyoza was also excellent, with tender pork inside and a crispy but not crunchy exterior.

The sweet tea was very good, too. Yes, I know the “right” thing to do is have sake or a Japanese beer with the meal, but I’m just too southern to forgo the tea. Sorry.

If there's one thing to complain about, it's the tempura which is a bit greasy. Tempura should be light and crispy but if it's fried at too low of a temperature the oil soaks into the batter. The vegetables I tried were a bit mushy, too.

Overall, it was a very good experience. Service was just a wee bit slow to check up on things after being seated and then later after being served, but was by no means bad. Just relaxed, that’s all. It certainly wouldn’t stop me from returning the next time I find myself...

I do not often give 5 stars due to my personal belief that 5 stars means that there is no real room for improvement. But, every single time I've gone to Oishi, I've had an incredible experience. Every time I have my birthday I come here to celebrate, every time my friend comes to town from across the state we come here to finish off his visit. I've seen MANY other patrons praise this place time and time again, and I'm right there with them.

Their food is some of the best Japanese cuisine around. The house ginger salad uses a ginger vinaigrette that is superb, the miso soup is thick and rich, the udon soup is flavourful and filling, you could order a nice drink of hot sake to add to the meal, the rice is soft and fluffy, the tempura ice cream is delightful to see and sweet on the tongue, honestly I could go on and on! But the Sushi rolls are the real star. If it's your first time, get a Tsunami Roll or Tuna Deluxe for the best experience as both are amazingly tasty and very filling.

My only minor gripe with this place, and it really is extremely minor, so please don't focus on this part much. But I wish there was more of an authentic japanese restaurant atmosphere. I am probably in the minority, but I wish It felt like walking into a Sushi bar in Okinawa with music from Japan, or changing the decor to a more Eastern style. Something to capture the essence of Japanese culture to add to the atmosphere and experience!

Otherwise, there is nothing more I have to say. I look forward to coming again soon, and I hope Oishi doesn't close for a very, very, long...

Stopped here for some food while visiting Mobile/Spanish Fort Alabama. We were greeted promptly and quickly seated. Waitress took our order and drinks and let us know how long food would be. Drinks were free refills. They serve hibachi, but it's not a live hibachi demonstration. Overall, the food was great. The fried rice could use some work as it was pretty plain. We ordered the steak and shrimp hibachi (came with soup, salad rice, veggies), kids shrimp hibachi (came with soup, rice and veggiee), kids katsu meal, and a California roll. The California roll was a good size and tasty. Very well put together. The chicken soup and salad with honey mustard was probaly the best I've ever had at a hibachi place. The steak was juicy, and the shrimp were perfectly grilled. My son enjoyed his katsu chicken and ordinarily not a fan of sushi, but he tried the California roll and asked for more. The waitress forgot our extra side of fried rice, but she brought it out for us to take home. Im glad I was able to "hook it up my way" at home! I would recommend this place for a quick...