1225 Raw Sushi & Sake Lounge

Recommends

centercitytastebuds

Joined 3 years ago

Yes, the service can be lacking but...... if you know what you are looking for the food is actually quite good. They do seem to need some better management of the crowds they get. I never went with a party just a few of us and the wait staff often did try to seat us within 20 mins. I would avoid the happy hour, drinks not as good and the food very ordinary. But if you stay and try their sake and the speciality maki- yum!

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Tara Nurin

Joined 5 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. This swank Asian eatery is known as much for its food as its nightlife. With a lively bar scene unto its own right, a spacious courtyard equipped with a bar, and a nightclub in the back with a separate entrance, patrons can earn cool cache by dropping that they were here last night. Decor is classic 21st century sushi lounge: walk through a heavy drape to encounter polished woods, deep reds, striking sconces, bamboo accents, sharp angles smoothed by unexpectedly rounded edges and seating areas positioned at wayward yet complementary odds with one another. A massive sake list, with many avail by the bottle, gives this American take on a Japanese concept even more of a lounge feel.

Doesn't Recommend

runner111

Joined 4 years ago

Horrible service!. Friends and I went to Raw on a Friday night. We were told it would be 45 minutes for a table and so we said we'd wait at the bar. After an hour, we still hadn't been seated. When we asked the manager, he thought we decided to eat at the bar. Since he realized now we didnt, he would seat another table and then, us right away. Another 30 minutes go by and nothing. In that time, the other group (which should be noted came in after us) was seated as well as numerous others. When we told the manager we were leaving, rather than an apology, he proceeds to tell us that we were the only walk-ins for the night and that he already told us there was a wait. Definitely an unacceptable response and horrible customer service. There are plenty of great sushi restaurants in the city and my friends and I will never go back.

Doesn't Recommend

meesch1

Joined 5 years ago

what happened?. what happened here? i haven't been to raw in several months, and was looking forward to sushi with a very good friend...i'm fine with their prices, but the sushi (and everything else we ordered) lacked the luster that i was expecting. moreover, our waitstaff was slow and aloof; when we told him our dumplings weren't hot, his response was "oh", and he walked away!! i wished i had gone to vics - may not have raw's atmosphere, but their sushi is far better....

Doesn't Recommend

Petradakia

Joined 4 years ago

HORRIBLE SERVICE WILL MAKE YOU LOSE YOUR APPETITE!. <3 sushi live 1.5 blocks away from Raw been wanting to try it for some time. Passed by before & looked chic/good quality & menu seemed reasonably priced. Proposed Raw to my friends on a special occasion, called & got a reservation for table inside at 10PM. Despite the late reservation we were all (7 of us) excited & arrived by ten oclock with an appetite! Informed our table wasnt ready we were asked to have a seat. We were never told how much longer the wait would be, indeed we hardly had the opportunity to ask the girl who welcomed us as after about 20 minutes she avoided us like the plague when she must have sensed our frustration rising. The only explanation we got was that there wasnt a table available yet because the reservations before us were still eating. By half past ten our patience was tried & we asked to speak to the manager about our socalled reservation. She gave a halfhearted apology but said there was nothing she could do (though we could think of a few things such as seat us at the bar for drinks/appetizers). Finally we were asked if we'd mind sitting outside though in the middle of winter & were assured of heat lamps; eager to be seated we said fine imagining that we were agreeing in order to be seated immediately! On the contrary another quarter hour passed before we inquired into our table again & after some time we were led to the patio where we watched the waitstaff haphazardly clean the table...& observed there was one heatlamp to heat our table of 7! In the time we stood waiting we realized how freezing it was & that we would not be able to eat in that temperature. At 11PM an hour after our "reservation" with no idea when "our table" would be ready we walked out empty-stomached with no intentions to ever return. By that time it was too late to find anywhere else to go so we got takeout from the pizzeria around the corner. Our fancy dinner plans were utterly ruined! If you plan on an enjoyable experience out w/ friends don't go to Raw!

Doesn't Recommend

lotus15

Joined 5 years ago

Not worth it. It food was less than mediocre. It food wasnt worth it and overprice. (who charges &12 for two shrimp tempura. And there was no indication of it). So not worth it.

Recommends

mw202

Joined 5 years ago

Great sushi. Creative and delicious rolls, nice environment, and fantastic service...I will definitely be back! I didn't have reservations but I was still seated promptly. The booths along the opposite side of the restaurant seemed much more comfortable than the more crowded tables where we sat though.

Doesn't Recommend

HawaiiBabe

Joined 5 years ago

Inept Managers. I had high expectations for this place given the ratings....I was so wrong.

Ambient: dark and narrow in the inside (waiters bumping into you as you eat - no apologies ), chilling outside (if you're like you get to sit near a heater, otherwise bring a blanket)

Food: good, but below POD

Service: OMG!!!!!! we get in with a reservation, we wait 25 MIN to sit (I remind you: we had a reservation), while the girl at the entrance clearly avoids our faces everytime she steps into the room. We finally get the food, and after less than 45 min the manager comes and basically urges us to wrap up!!!!! Why? apparently, they screwed up the reservations and there's an angry mob at the entrance (my guess: with reservations).....

Friendly advice: price/food quality but especially /service quality VEEEEEERY below par

Doesn't Recommend

frastellina

Joined 5 years ago

worst customer service ever. Worst experience ever. I've never been treated so badly in my all life. We reserved a table for 10 PM and at 11 PM we were still waiting and they didn't offer us anything...no drinks, no appetizers...we were starving!!!

How is the food?I cannot tell...we left after more than one hour of waiting. They should learn how to treat customers!!

Doesn't Recommend

filodemos

Joined 5 years ago

Speechless - worst dining experience ever. I reserved a table 3 hrs in advance.

I waited for 1 full hour with no drinks, water or apologies from the staff.

I left embarassed after they were trying to kick out a table to have me sit.

Just don't get into the restaurant business if you can't sit clients.