Fresh Fish In Big Fat Rolls of Sushi — Sam’s Sushi Bar and Grill (Seattle)

Headed to Seattle and looking for a good sushi place?

You’ll wana hit up Sam’s Sushi Bar and Grill in Ballard. Fresh fish you can see on display and rolls so fat you need a couple of bites to eat one piece of a roll. 

Unfortunately, we’ve tried a few sushi places around Seattle that had very small rolls and cost more than we’d like to pay. We’re always on the hunt for a good deal on sushi and I think we’ve found it.

Sam’s has been recommended to us by numerous Seattleites, including a retired chef of 20 years. So you know it had to be decent.

Based on cost, quality, portions, customer service, and location, we give Sam’s Sushi 5 stars, hands down! 🙌

Here’s why.

Cost

Sam’s sushi rolls range from basic veggie rolls that start at $5.50 to $16.95 for their most expensive specialty roll. Bento Box meals come in at the most expensive time on the menu at  $26 with your choice of chicken or salmon. 

Pricing is definitely relative. Depending on where you visit from, these prices might be a sticker shock to you but I guarantee they are some of the best in the city, especially for quality sushi rolls. It’s our new favorite.

Quality Ingredients

Sushi should be made with sushi grade fish to reduce the risk of parasites. After all, you are eating raw fish. Sushi can be served raw or cooked but either way, it should be light, flaky, and silky with a mild, nonfishy flavor. And that’s exactly what Sam’s serves!

The fish was sitting on ice, just as sushi grade fish should be. That speaks volumes about the quality of their ingredients. Most places showcase their chefs preparing the sushi but who knows where the fish is stored. At Sam’s it’s right in front of you all pink and beautiful waiting for you to eat it.

We can’t forget about their wasabi. As soon as we put a little fluffy green dab on our sushi, we noticed an immediate difference in quality. The waitress told us that wasabi is made from a powder and they use the top shelf brand. Instead of tasting like some jar of wasabi that’s been sitting on a shelf for months at the grocery store, the wasabi was fresh, like it had just been prepared along with our sushi. 

Mmmm. So good.

Portions

If you’re like us, you don’t want to pay for food and still be hungry afterward. That’s literally impossible at Sam’s Sushi. We each ordered two rolls and were so stuffed we had to go home and take a nap. The rolls were packed full of yummy ingredients. We both had to take multiple bites because the rolls couldn’t fit into our mouths.

Not a fan of sushi? No worries! They have bento boxes, grilled meat and seafood, and yakisoba meals that I’m sure you’d enjoy. Although we didn’t order an entrée, we saw the steaming hot, aromatic dishes as they came out to other tables and I’m telling you, it’s a mountain of food. 

You can definitely get two meals out of one entrée or share with another person to cut your bill in half.

Customer Service

We went in between the lunch and dinner rush so it was pretty slow and there was only one waitress for the entire place. But she kept an eye on each and every table. As soon as someone needed a drink refill or an empty plate taken away, she was right there to take care of you. Very attentive.

And she answered all of our menu questions, giving us recommendations and telling us about the fresh wasabi (seriously, make sure you try it).

Location

We love the location because it’s about a 15 minute drive from major Seattle attractions.  

Sam’s is right off Market street, one of the main roads in Ballard, so it’s easy to find. We got a parking spot right around the corner. I could see parking potentially being hard to find if you go during the lunch or dinner rush or on weekends. 

Our sushi rolls

We got the Seattle, spicy tuna, dragon, and house roll.

The spicy tuna roll had giant pieces of tuna and you can also get spicy salmon if you prefer.

The Seattle roll was an excellent balance of creamy, smoky, and nutty with a light and crispy fried batter on the outside. 

The dragon roll was our favorite because it has barbequed eel on top of the roll that added a silky, buttery texture to it.

The cilantro and cucumber in the house roll added an herby freshness to the fish that’s perfect for a summer day.

A perfect bite in each piece.

Have you been to Sam’s Sushi?

Drop your favorite dish in the comments below!