Zu Izakaya Asian Kitchen Bar (Tempe)

The worst sushi in Arizona.. if you don’t know what Alaskan rolls is , you should not be a server at a sushi restaurant.. sushi is the most mediocre food in my opinion yet it is popular and I understand that but if you think what I am going post is sushi, I think you need to change your profession.

Zu Izakaya in Tempe is a mixed bag - great food, good vibes, but a not-so-great surprise: the infamous "Large Party Tax". I mean, 20% extra on a table of 4+? That's like telling friends not to come with you 😐. The Fried Sushi was a highlight (crispy, perfection!) with crab and jalapeños, and the egg roll was deliciously flaky. Chicken Karage was so good that we ended up ordering twice. Tofu was great as well. However, the veggie gyoza was a letdown - dry and oily. Server was knowledgeable and friendly, but that tax still stings 🤑. Ambiance was lively. Overall, 3/5 stars - good food, but that tax is a major drawback. Would I go back? Yeah, for the Fried Sushi 🤤.

Went for the first a couple of nights ago with 40 min of happy hour left, and we were in and out in less than an hour. Everything came out quickly, the service was amazing, and the atmosphere was so chill. Definitely recommend! We got two sushi rolls, spam musubi, two sake bombs from happy hour, and the bulgogi, and our total was $60 with some bulgogi leftover.

Stopped here after shopping at fashion square to grab a bite to eat. Extremely impressed with the quality of sushi, quick service, and ramen. We came at 5 pm on a Friday. I tried the spicy ramen, lollipop roll, and spicy salmon roll. The lollipop roll was so yummy, would definitely order again. Ramen comes in a metal bowl so it stays hot the entire time. Everything was delicious and i will definitely come back!

Our server Annacey was the best. A lot of fun and got us what we needed quickly. Kudos to the kitchen for backing her up with some of the best sushi we’ve had in a while. Definitely recommend if you’re in Tempe looking for a good atmosphere at a great price.

Annecy is an amazing waiteress! We’ve had her a couple times now, and she just keeps up smiling and having a good time with ease! 11/10 to her! The food here is also great! Ive had dang near the whole menu at this point, and that Glazed Salmon is spectacular. And of course, i gotta get a miso soup every single time

My wife and I love Zu Izakaya. We have been coming here for the past 5 years. I have some things that I will criticize but no to deter me from going back. At first sight it has a very unassuming facade, very demure. Its parking lot is worn down and has no parking lines, it might even look like an abandoned business. This place has a good vibe to it. It's busy, clean, dimmed. The service is phenomenal, by now we recognize the servers and the hosts and vice versa. Professionals in the trade. It has a dark interior and is kept dimmed. They have a tv on one of the wall to watch sports. There is a communal high table in the middle of the room and a bar at the back of the building, if there is no tables at the front there is an option to go to the bar section where there is more tables and tv's. Sushi is delicious, I have had the hot pots which it was very good as well. The other food that I have had is bulgogi served with vegetables on a skillet and rice. There has been occasions that the vegetables need more time to cook and bulgogi need to be less fatty. Miso soup we order every time, sometimes is not so hot. Gyoza is always great as well as the calamari tempura. I usually get a beer. The draft beer needs a lower temperature to my liking, but the bottled beer is perfectly cold.