Sakura Sushi — Restaurant in West Des Moines

The sushi itself is great. I loved it. The service on the other hand isn't the greatest. I will list the things that really bother me. The forced tipping. Why do I have to pay you a tip based on the percentage you set? At first you didn't let us know up front that the tip is included. Then you add 18% tip with another option to add additional tip of 20 or 23%. How much more do you want? And how is this legal? It is now a law that I have to tip at all. You are a disgrace when it comes to this. There were times when the service wasn't good and yet Im still forced to tip. How is this fair? Tipping is my free will. You are robbing people. Shame on you. Please change your false advertisement. Your "All You Can Eat" special is so wrong. You claim it is all we can eat but yet there is a 5 sushi roll limit. That is false advertisement. You are lying to people. I usually call in and reserve a seat and yet I still have to wait sometimes up to 30 minutes to be seated. That is just weird. It's really annoying. I have seen some of the other similar comments to mine and you are so rude to anybody who tries to tell you what you do wrong. People aren't trying to be mean but rather want to tell you what you can do to better your business. Can you not take any critisizm? You call them fake and rude. That is very funny in my opinion. I have seen bugs in the bathroom. When I told the server she told me that I should not come back if I don't like it. Someone should report you to the FDA. In the past you have failed compliance. It would be a shame if you got your restaurant closed. Why do you keep on deleting the comments that...

This is the only sushi restaurant I go to in Des Moines now. I've been to a plethora of sushi restaurants, but most are over-priced, have bad ambiance, and have rude service. The waiters and waitresses there remember my boyfriend and I when we come in, and even remember what we usually order. They also remember what I like to drink, and ask me if I'd like some before I have the time to ask for it. I enjoy the fact that they remember us, even though we only come in every two weeks or so. Not only is the service good, but the ambiance is the best I've seen in Des Moines. It's not overly cluttered, loud, and its lighting is neither dim nor bright making it ideal to sit and chatter without getting a migraine or wanting to leave. Granted the servers aren't always pestering you similarly to other sushi joints, but they don't butter you up for tips, they're genuinely interested in talking to you or getting to know you. I have always enjoyed the fact they don't come over multiple times a minute to ask how the food is, as I get bothered quite easily when someone disrupts my meal. They also notice when I am done with my meal, collect my plates, and are quick when getting the tab and taking the money.

Enough about the service, the food is absolutely delicious, too. My personal favorite is the spicy chicken ramen, but I personally love all of the dishes. My boyfriend says their chicken fried rice is the best he's had. I recommend getting a serving of vegetable tempura, miso soup, a couple of rolls (any of them are good, as their sushi is high quality and delicious), and some fried ice cream. Their mochi is...

Summary: Great food and even better service.

My nephew, who is a chef, is a sushi fiend. He had heard good things about Sakura Sushi and picked it for our shared birthday celebration. My parents were treating, and as fans of frequently dining out, they are very attentive to detail. So, going in, the bar was high.

Lulu and the team at Sakura delivered a fun, incredibly tasty, and even educational meal.

My family ordered beef ramen, shrimp teriyaki, and several types of sushi. I had Japanese fried rice. Everyone loved their dishes, and shared them with each other as they became full, because the portions for non-sushi were big. (The sushi rolls were the size you would expect.)

When my parents had questions about the sushi Lulu not only cheerily explained the ingredients, she was ready with pictures on her phone.

And, as the meal finished, they brought out tempura fried cheesecake for my nephew and I to share, while they sang.

Despite being in a strip mall, once you are inside the city washes away. The atmosphere is relaxing and pretty. It was very affordable - the orders for my nephew and dad always skew the bill because they can EAT.

My summary from above stands, this has been added to our family's list of go-to places after just one visit.

Hot tip: They have sushi roll specials on...