Saburo's

I have been going to Saburo for many years now and their service has gotten so much better! Service was attentive and great lately. The restaurant is small, but it gives a cozy vibe. The restaurant is always busy so I would recommend coming at 5:00 when they open or be prepare to be on a waitlist!

Parking spot is also small - but you can find street parking which is not too bad!

Come in with an empty stomach! The sushi portions are huge and is so tasty. I love the salmon belly nigiri. It is so fatty and will melt in your mouth! I enjoyed every bite!

I can't wait to come back again and again!

My only regret is not coming here sooner!

Saburo's did not disappoint at all. Came in on a Saturday with a 5 person group. We knew there would be a wait, but we didn't mind because of the raving reviews.

The inside is small, with a really tiny waiting area in the front. You put your name down on a waitlist on a clipboard at the front. You won't get seated until your entire party is present, so definitely keep that in mind.

Our wait ended up being ~20 minutes.

I didn't know what people meant when they said the sushi rolls are massive. It's hard to fully appreciate in the photos. But wow, there truly is no other way to describe it.

We got 5 rolls, 6 pieces of seared salmon nigiri, and an order of the takoyaki to share between the 5 of us.

All of the rolls here were so fresh. I was shocked by some of the prices here (some rolls were $25), but when I saw the size of these rolls it made sense. The pricier rolls were definitely bigger where each piece is double of your regular sushi piece, justifying the $25 price tag. The nigiri here is also so fresh and generous in portion. Each seared salmon was longer than my palm, and approximately half the width.

There is an automatic gratuity of 20% for parties of 5 or larger.

During our visit, we also noticed a lot of people coming in for take out orders. I imagine this would be a great option if you don't want to wait.

Don't make the same mistake I did by waiting to finally visit this place. You will not regret it!

This place = Quality sushi on a budget.

After many years I have returned, the sushi portions here are still ginormous and akin to what I imagine food in the one piece anime are like. Happy the food here is still very high quality. Service was super friendly and we got seated pretty quickly.

***Some new updated tips for 2023***

- get here before they open, if you arrive anytime after 5:30pm expect to wait outside for a long time.

- the parking lot is very small, if you haven't come before 6pm don't bother and go find street parking.

- one slice of sushi here is the equivalent of two pieces; examples being: seared salmon nigiri one piece is the same as eating two regular pieces. One slice from a 8 pcs roll is the size of two slices at a regular sushi joint.

- you don't have to unhinge your jaw to eat here but it's recommended if you are attempting to one shot bite a piece of sushi. Jokes aside don't cry if the sushi breaks in your chopsticks as you attempt to bite half of it.

- when you arrive head inside and write your name and number on the clipboard. If you are a larger party expect to wait as this is a small place.

We got the seared salmon, creamy scallop, mt hood roll (deep fried), and the other roll I can't recall the name of but is delicious. We also got the agedashi tofu which was a wonderful starter with a side of miso soup!

Absolutely love this place! The portions are insane and everything tasted amazing! Waited about 45 minutes and you have to be present to be seated. Came in with a party of 3 and we had to take leftovers home. The inside of the restaurant is super tight with barely any indoors wait area, so it was a struggle waiting outside in the cold. Make sure to dress warm!

I'm a huge fan of this place! The servings are huge and every dish was delicious! We waited around 45 minutes to be seated, and remember, you need to be there in person to get a table. We were a group of three and ended up taking leftovers home because the portions were so generous. The restaurant's interior is cozy but a bit cramped, especially since there isn't much space to wait inside. Be prepared to wait outside, so dress warmly if it's cold!

Without a doubt, the BEST sushi I've had in Portland. Period. Come prepared with an empty stomach because these pieces are THICK.

Perhaps what is the trickiest aspect of dining at Saburo's is the high demand for being in a small location. My group and I lined up probably about 30 or more minutes before open and still did not make the first wave of customers let in the restaurant. This could definitely be taken as a negative, having to get there that early, but to me, there was something oddly special about this. Knowing that, despite the undeservingly low Yelp review, the quality of Saburo's is second to none, made the wait worth it all. Whether it's fable or actual fact, I had heard the cooks take such care and attention to their quality that they will only buy the fish they deem good enough to serve-- a sort of Jiro Dreams Of Sushi mentality, if you've ever seen that documentary. So, there is a chance that a certain type of fish can sell out, which I believe we ran into when we were ordering.

But fret not, the platter of sushi we got was stupendous. I won't go through the hassle of listing every single type, but all were at such a quality I've never had before. Perhaps what is the major selling point of Saburo's to me is how thick the cuts of fish are. They do not skimp out on giving you great quantity that is even better quality.

While Saburo's is definitely not a restaurant I will come to often, as I did end up spending a pretty penny on all of that grub, I can safely say this is my favorite sushi spot I have been to. Sure, you may have to fight to get your way in, but isn't that so telling of how good the quality of the place is going to be?

Best quality best size best sushi always! I love this plave and have been going here for over a decade and it's the best hands down!

The storied sushi history of Portland is incomplete without Saburo's, which has been part of the dining scene for 35 years and counting. My previous review of a lifetime ago still applies, but seeing as it's been a decade plus, there are some pretty significant updates. They now use Yelp waitlist (#1) and also provide online ordering for takeout.

However, some things never change. The parking is still absurdly tight, the lines always form around opening of service, the seating is limited and the place is tiny. Opening 4 hours a night has been a profitable, winning formula for them for so long that the hype has been subdued by longtime Portlanders. The two sushi chefs working in behind the counter are not going to be omakase masters, but are able to keep up with the pace somewhat to keep address the demand.

Their claim to fame has always been their thick cuts of fish. Whenever the quality is questionable, sometimes bigger is not always better. Folks who are not large portions won't enjoy the Saburo experience, however, the key is to come hungry and feening for a sushi craving. The creamy scallop is still one of my go-to choices, along with their intimidatingly long unagi eel and their incredibly popular salmon belly.

I can't say I love their hamachi; yellow tail should have a more translucent cut and their maguro tuna is dyed so heavily red that it bleeds onto the rice more often than not. At the end of the day, I think the rolls are their best option, in particular the spider roll and dragon roll, for its abundance and portion-to-price point.

Price wise, foodflation has been as significant here as it has been anywhere. A meal of various rolls / nigiri / sashimi for 3 several years ago would have been teetering at $100 but was essentially $200 for me recently. The sticker shock (#2) is jarring for many of us who have dined here over the years. The service hasn't improved enough for me to indulge often, even if the tech has made a jump for the better.

Ultimately, I'm not holding my breath for Saburo's and while I still respect the hustle, I will likely indulge in other spots before settling for their small operating window and gargantuan sushi.
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(#1) Gamechanger always.
(#2) $27 for a dragon roll? $28 for a rainbow roll? Might as well replace the nori seaweed with an actual dollar bill.

It's been awhile since we've been back here and crazy how inflation and such has raised the prices so much. Anyways we called in our takeout order and it was ready on the dot for the ETA.

The salmon belly pieces were as plump and melty as I remember. The creamy scallop pieces were nice and plump. The salmon skin salad was packed with the dressing on the side which was really nice for it not getting too soggy.

The scallop was my favorite piece as it was super buttery and just melted in my mouth.

When I got there to pickup, there was a pretty big waiting line as usual but even then the workers were super friendly and the restaurant was bussin and lively.

Was definitely worth it.

When going to Saburo's, expect for there to be a wait... because there likely will be one. The shop isn't very big and a bit rundown, but inside you can tell it has been filled with love and is definitely a local favorite. The staff here are so kind, quick, and easy to talk to.

When you think of Saburo's, you think of good sushi (although not the best)...and LOTS of sashimi. Their portions are gigantic. The first time I saw a nigiri I was stunned (and don't get me started on their rolls)--it takes me 3 bites for their nigiri haha. I love coming here with friends and the atmosphere is always fun and lively. Although portions are big, prices have also definitely rose and that's something you should keep in mind. Overall, this place is best when you are HUNGRY and I highly recommend checking it out.