11 japanese rooms worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked. All cuisines in United States.
UNI ★ 4.7 · Boston
back-bay · 370A Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
Ken Oringer's UNI inside the Eliot Hotel on Commonwealth Avenue has run the city's contemporary izakaya programme in Boston since 2002, expanded 2016. Nigiri, sashimi, late-night ramen.
Tip: Late-night ramen menu kicks in at 22:00; the room is at its best after the dinner rush clears.
Sushi Ota ★ 4.7 · San Diego
pacific-beach · 4529 Mission Bay Dr, San Diego, CA 92109
Sushi Ota in San Diego is Yukito Ota's Mission Bay Drive room since 1990, the strip-mall sushi counter that has trained more San Diego sushi chefs than any other kitchen in the city.
Tip: Book the counter, not the dining room. The strip-mall location is intentional; ignore the parking lot and step inside.
Cafe Sushi ★ 4.6 · Boston
cambridge · 1105 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138
Brothers Kenshi and Seizi Imura run Cafe Sushi on Mass Ave near Harvard Square in Cambridge since 1984. A James Beard finalist sushi counter; in-person dining returned December 2025.
Tip: Twelve counter seats only; book on Tock 30 days ahead. Take-out bento boxes are the off-menu deal at lunch.
Kisser ★ 4.6 · Nashville
east-nashville · 747 Douglas Ave, Nashville, TN 37207
Brian Lea and Leina Horii's 40-seat Highland Yards Japanese comfort-food room earned a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand and Garden and Gun Hot List in Nashville.
Tip: Lunch only Wednesday through Sunday. No reservations; queue starts before opening on weekends.
Kisser ★ 4.6 · Nashville
east-nashville · 747 Douglas Ave, Nashville, TN 37207
Brian Lea and Leina Horii's 40-seat Highland Yards Japanese comfort-food room earned a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand and Garden and Gun Hot List in Nashville.
Tip: Lunch only Wednesday through Sunday. No reservations; queue starts before opening on weekends.
Sushi Tadokoro ★ 4.6 · San Diego
old-town · 2244 San Diego Ave, Ste C, San Diego, CA 92110
Sushi Tadokoro in San Diego is Mitsui Tadokoro's Old Town omakase counter, the long-running Michelin Guide-listed Japanese kitchen with traditional Tokyo-style preparation.
Tip: Reservations strongly recommended; the counter seats twelve and books out a week ahead.
Umi ★ 4.5 · Atlanta
buckhead · 3050 Peachtree Rd NW Suite 1, Atlanta, GA 30305
Umi in Buckhead's Charles H. Candler building, Atlanta runs a modern Japanese kitchen with sushi, robata and wagyu service since 2013. Long the city's polished sushi destination.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable. Dress smart casual; the room runs Buckhead-elegant.
Umi ★ 4.5 · Atlanta
buckhead · 3050 Peachtree Rd NW Suite 1, Atlanta, GA 30305
Chef Fuyuhiko Ito's modern Japanese counter in Buckhead, Atlanta opened 2013 with sushi, robata and wagyu. Long the city's polished sushi destination before Mujo arrived.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable. Dress smart casual; the room runs Buckhead-elegant.
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka ★ 4.5 · Boston
allston-brighton · 169 Brighton Ave, Boston, MA 02134
Santouka on Brighton Avenue has poured Hokkaido tonkotsu shio ramen in Boston's Allston since 2022. The 20-hour pork-bone broth and salt-only seasoning is the signature bowl.
Tip: Lunch at 11:30 is the easy walk-in. Order extra noodles only after you finish the bowl; the broth is the menu.
Maneki ★ 4.5 · Seattle
international-district · 304 6th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Maneki in Seattle's International District is the oldest Japanese restaurant on the West Coast: opened in 1904, surviving wartime internment, tatami rooms still running.
Tip: Reserve a tatami room four to six weeks ahead; the bar runs walk-in but the room shapes the meal.
Yume Wo Katare ★ 4.3 · Boston
cambridge · 1923 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140
Yume Wo Katare on Mass Ave has poured Jiro-style tonkotsu ramen in Porter Square Cambridge since 2012. One menu item, 14-hour broth; speak-your-dream workshops included.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday through Sunday from 16:30; no reservations, cash only, line forms 30 minutes before doors.