RA Sushi Bar Restaurant
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MY REVIEW: I travel all over the country and hit sushi bars wherever I go, and Ra was definitely on the mediocre side. First off, the place is a 'trend' spot, nothing traditional about it, so if you're looking for that, don't go. It's as one reviewer said before, a 'hip' spot to hang out before wherever you're going. I sat at the sushi bar and put my order in with the waitress.
They have a decent sake list. The gyoza was deep fried to a crisp dark brown (which it should never be), the tako sunomono (octopus) had 2 big slabs of tako on top of a bed of cucumber, which isn't so bad except the point of the sunomono is to be able to get the sauce on your tako, which was difficult to say the least. I ordered a spicy tuna roll, which came in about 15 seconds, so I can't vouch for it being 'freshly made', although it wasn't bad. The miso was standard, hot, and good.
The kicker was I ordered a sashimi assortment, which never came. As I watch two guys next to me get served over and over, I finally asked for my check and of course she billed me for it, but took it off after I told her I never got it. All in all it's not a bad place per se, but it's certainly not a Japanese sushi bar. If you're looking for trendy and hip, this is your place. If you're looking for good sushi and service, I've no doubt there are better places in Houston to visit.
NAME: Eric
SUBMITTED: 8/14/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: Aug 2008
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: RA is a wonderfull sushi resturaunt!! The sushi is great you just have to know what to order! Spicy lobster roll and viva los vegas rolls are good! ATmosphere is fun! I recommend it to all my friends!
NAME: :)
SUBMITTED: 6/4/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: 6/1/08
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times
MY REVIEW: I went there to check out the new hip sushi spot but was very disapointed. it was just a place to hang out before people hit the club. pretty much you are just paying for the decor and not the food quality. the fish quality that i had was average nothing special about it. it seems to me that the appetizers were much better than the sushi and that was a big suprise. overall not worst spending your money here. it seems that they were understaff in the kitchen and sushi bar because it took them about 30 min alone for the appetizer sushi and salad and some tempura to come out when it wasnt a full house.
NAME: KING
SUBMITTED: 5/13/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: 05/08
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: This is the first time I've read reviews on this site. I have to say, I'm more disappointed in the reviews here than with RA. The reviews leave me gobsmacked - they are 100% opposite my experience.
I've eaten at RA in Scottsdale and was excited about the one opening here. The food quality is very good, well presented and with interesting combinations of flavors. Its not a traditional sushi menu, by a long shot. I would not recommend it to hard core, "make everyone around you gag" sushi eaters who are looking for a traditional upscale sushi restaurant. The menu for them lacks many key choices that would make them truly happy. Any pedestrian sushi eater would be delighted with the menu and choices.
It is also a great place for non-sushi eaters, first timers and kids to get an appreciation for sushi-style cuisine. The menu is loaded with cooked sushi choices, low "fish taste" items and blends that barely make you notice the fish. I do enjoy sashimi - which I generally use as a gauge of the freshness of the food since it can't hide behind other flavors. I grew up on sushi in Hawaii in the early 80's where sashimi was on the menu at M*cDonalds. I've not be disappointed in the quality or freshness of their sashimi. I've consistently found all of their food fresh, well presented in reasonable portions and interesting. Which is why I will make the drive from Friendswood consistently to eat there. Big bonus that it makes my wife really happy.
The restaurant has a big presence, as you would expect. The entry is a loft lobby with floating lilly lamps, big ones, leading upstairs. In the evening when the weather is nice, the entire wall of windows are open to give it an alfresco feel. The layout is split between high table, seating on one side with traditional seating on the other with available seating at the sushi bar. The decor is contemporary Asian that creates an upbeat, cool style when you're inside that feels very nice. The lighting is interesting. Although its usually packed, you don't feel crowded while you're eating; in fact, you don't really notice the people around you.
They do play this kind of techno, disco, rock dance mix of of music and at an obvious volume. Large groups would have a difficult time chatting down the table. I'm a low talker and for two to four people I've not found the music level a problem. The place definately has a club vibe to it and appears to be a pre-club favorite for the 20 and 30 something crowd on the weekend. I found the vibe very upbeat and natural to the style of the restaurant to a level that lifts its status to cool and chic when combined with the decor.
The dress style is casual to dress to be seen. Shorts are fine if you're going by at the last minute. The staff wear black tee shirts with cool sayings on the back and jeans.
The wait staff I've found friendly, accurate, attentive and informed. Service is timely. They do a good job of dropping a wide variety of items, e.g., hot, complex, cold and hand rolled, in a reasonable time window so that you can enjoy bouncing between the different flavors. Last night we had seven different plates that all showed up within about three minutes of each other.
There are two ares that I don't like: The wait and the prices. However, given the type of place it is, the coolness factor of it and where it is, I would expect a wait. You're not going to do any better for wait time going to any other restaurant in the area, often even with a reservation. We've been early on a Saturday night - around 7'ish and there was no wait.
As for the prices, the prices are consistently $2 higher than you would expect at other places. Menu items range from $5 to $12. $12 being the lobster and shrimp roll. But the prices didn't shock me given the Highland Village location and the style of the restaurant.
If you want fun, hip and cool vibe sushi that isn't traditional 'fishy' sushi to enjoy with some friends who are not sushi fans - this is your place. If you're a real sushi eater and want to enjoy it with some friends - this is your place. Remember, some of the reviews in here I found really odd and are what sparked me to write this review. I'm not saying that they're wrong, but I've been there about seven times in last fall and have no experiences like those expressed - especially the one comment about being pre-prepared and frozen.
NAME: Wow
SUBMITTED: 4/13/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: April, 2008
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times
MY REVIEW: I had high hopes for RA sushi and have tried it a few times, but do not like it. It's not bad as a lunch spot when the crowd is mostly older and the place is quieter and the location is excellent if you are shopping in the Heights Village. The sushi is decent - as good as you can expect from a trendy chain restaurant - but not worth going out of your way for.
At night however it is far too loud and obnoxious to have a conversation without yelling at the other people at your table. Summary: Okay sushi for lunch if you happen to be around, turns into a young singles club at night.
NAME: Chris
SUBMITTED: 3/31/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: Dec 2007
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: Visited RA for the first time a few weeks back. Went with a group of 4 and the wait was about 1 hr. Of course it was a Saturday night which wasn't a problem as the atmosphere was fun. The sushi was good, slightly pricey in my opinion but once again its the atmosphere you are paying for. The biggest complaint would be the service. Our waiter was never quite on "the ball" and seemed very flustered. When it was time to pay the bill and split things up he had no clue how to manage. Long story short the manager had to come out and assist and I could tell he was disappointed. I give RA a 7.5 out of 10.
NAME: B10
SUBMITTED: 9/26/2007 LAST VISIT WAS: 9/15/07
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: My husband and I met up with a group of people to this place for one of our friend's birthdays. The place is beautiful and the food was excellent. My only complaints was that the waitress kept getting our orders wrong but would quickly correct it in a begrudged manner. Other than that the the service with her was fine.
Our other problem was that their bathrooms were not working for a good portion of the evening. We were told to go to the business next door, which were angry that we were only there to use their restrooms. Apparently the restaurant did not make arrangements with the business next door to allow their customers to use their restrooms. We made sure that the restaurant knew how the business next door felt.
When that business closed for the evening, we were told to walk to W*algreens, which was located towards the back of the restaurant. The restrooms were repaired shortly before we left for the evening. We thought they would at least give us some sort of discount for the inconvenience, but they did not which disappointed our party. Our friends that had been there before did say that the place is excellent, we just happen to be there on a bad night.
We would probably go again, but it will probably be a while before this happens.
NAME: Vet
SUBMITTED: 9/22/2007 LAST VISIT WAS: 9/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: My husband would never eat sushi with me... until one day he came home and said "baby I did something you will probably never forgive me for. Normally, the first thing to a womans mind would have been cheating. I immediately said you had sushi. He smiled and said that one of his (male :) co-workers took him to RA's and he had the Shaggy Dog. I met him there the next week and had the same and found unique and tasty. We took our kids a month later for lunch and neither of them like sushi, but they loved the Shaggy Dog and Wasabi Mashed potatoes. We have always had a wonderful expierence when dining for lunch. I have yet to go for dinner but plan to very soon. I hear the Tsunami punch is a knock out. Oh and did I mention that my husband won a free lunch.
NAME: K. Palmer
SUBMITTED: 9/4/2007 LAST VISIT WAS: 06/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: Very impressed with atmosphere and contemporary style. We went on a Sunday night and were seated immediately...no wait. The server was very nice and attentive to our needs...answered questions well and was very polite. We had the Lobster spring rolls for appetizer and they were amazing. For main meal: The SCALLOP DYNAMITE, SPICY LOBSTER AND TEMPURA SHRIMP were all amazing. The scallop one was very filling and was cooked the others were great as well. The service was lacking sometimes but it did start to get a little busy. I was very shocked at how full we were in regards to the price. Only $50 for all we had. I thought it was a great deal. I loved it and will be back.
NAME: C. Smith
SUBMITTED: 7/8/2007 LAST VISIT WAS: July/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: My wife really wanted to go RA's for her birthday, so I called and tried to get reservations and was told they don't keep reservations. So we, friends and family, head over. Well, it was crazy, line out the door but it's sweeties birthday and it is what she wants. We stood in line for 15 minutes and then a bunch of guys cut in front of us and speak to the doorman, who then lets them inside! Needless to say there were upset people, I asked him why did they get in, he replied they are friends of the owner and shrugged. Two couples behind us left the line and went elsewhere.
So we finally get inside after 30 minte wait and go upstairs to WAIT some more...another 20 minutes waiting upstairs with the bar smoke and overly loud music to finally get seated. The decor was interesting but the arrangment of the bar and food area left alot to be desired. And the noise/ music volume made it nearly impossible to hear each other at the same table.
We order food, our server was very nice and efficient but was overwhelmed by the amount of people, they need someone there to bus tables and refill waters! The food arrives, I had grilled salmon, which was very good and everyone loved their sushi. And even though we were a party of 8 our waiter split the bill up and was rewarded for it.
Overall:: Good food but the service department needs alot of work, I work in management and we NEVER let friends or family in front of customers, especially on a busy night.
NAME: Bighaff
SUBMITTED: 3/12/2007 LAST VISIT WAS: 03/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Fun atmosphere. Went last week for Happy Hour. Great service. The sushi (from the HH menu) was terrible. Had to have been prepared long before and refrigerated as it was brought to our table what seemed like seconds after ordering. It was mushy and not at all fresh. Even the drinks were a rip as we were there past HH, we ordered the same drink and it was MUCH more potent post-happy hour when the price went up.
NAME: M
SUBMITTED: 1/22/2007 LAST VISIT WAS: Jan 2007
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: They have an amazing cheap and good happy hour! I've ordered almost everything and my favorite is the SCALLOP DYNAMITE (juicy scallops and mushrooms drizzled in a creamy white sauce). I love the crispy SOFT SHELL CRAB, too.
I've been there at least four times and the service has always been good. It's noisy so bring some friends. The last time was for a birthtday party on a Monday and we must have had 20 people and we were well taken care of.
Highly recommended and easy to go shopping pre or post as it's in the Highland Village shopping center!!!
NAME: drfoodie
SUBMITTED: 12/28/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 12/06
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times
MY REVIEW: Nice decor, nice view. Long wait, very, very slow service. Very expensive drinks and food - $11.50 for a Grey Goose apple martini! Who puts mango in a sushi roll? Probably won't be back.
NAME: vbonoan
SUBMITTED: 10/30/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 10/2006
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: After seeing all the reviews about how great the atmosphere is at this place, my expectations were high. I have to say that I was mildly disappointed. I found the space uninteresting and rather flat. The decor is fine, but the arrangement of the restaurant is just a bore. The entrance to the restaurant is a poorly decorated lobby (ground floor). The restaurant is actually on the second floor. Once you get upstairs the decor improves, but the space could really use a little feng shui. The music was good; contemporary but still laid back.
The food was surprisingly good. I ordered the squid salad, the ultimate shrimp tempura roll, and the spicy tuna roll. All were good. I wouldn't call the cuisine "excellent", but I would give it more credit than is represented in the reviews here. My friend and I shared the tempura ice cream dessert which was fantastic.
The service was fair, but not great. I would recommend this joint as an alternate to your favorite, but it probably won't replace it.
NAME: MmmmFoood
SUBMITTED: 7/20/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 07/2006
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Overall amazing! The decour coupled with the fashionable clientel and steller sushi made a lasting first impression. We went to celebrate my birthday and were plesantly pleased with the friendly waitress and speedy service. Allthough very packed, the food was served on time and the service did not skip a beat! RA Sushi desirves much acolades for there stellar sushi hangout and wonderful food!
NAME: Zach
SUBMITTED: 5/28/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 5/20/006
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: We were excited to try this place. Very flashy, very pretty, extremely high "coolness" factor with the bar and music and fancy looking decor.
Unfortuunately, the food was bad. There is hardly any sushi on the menu. There is hardly much of any kind of choice on the menu. Also, the food is bad. Everything we ordered was fishy or overcooked.
We would only go back there if we felt like having drinks and standing around with the beautiful people. Otherwise, this place flunked.
NAME: we love sushi
SUBMITTED: 5/27/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 5/2006
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Pros: Decor, cleanliness, overall atmosphere.
Cons: Service (it took 20 minutes to get my change, and this is includes the time that the waitress took to chat at the hostess stand while we sat next to her with the money in the check presenter), Prices seem cheap until you see the portions.
It seems like RA spends so much on fancy to-go bags and knick knacks that they have to scrimp on portions to cover costs. I have managed 4 sushi bars, and was extremely dissapointed with this establishment.
NAME: Chris
SUBMITTED: 5/17/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 5/16/06
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Disappointed with the price and service. I went for lunch during the week. I like the decor and thought that I would be in for a real treat. Service was bad. The waiter forgot to place our sushi order and wanted to know if we were done eating after our edamame and miso soup. Edamame was too salty. Miso soup was just OK. Sushi finally arrived and was well prepared and fresh. Overall, for the price I won't go back.
NAME: jae
SUBMITTED: 5/5/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: April, 2006
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: I went into RA this past Friday and had an amazing time. There was about 6 of us and we heard that they had a DJ on the weekends so we couldn't wait to check it out. We sat in the bar area which was packed. Make sure you get here a little early if you want a table in the bar. Our waitress was right on time. We all tried some of their specialty drinks. They were tasty. The food was awesome too. You must try the Viva Las Vegas Roll and the Lone Star Roll. Those are two of our favorites. Overall The music was awesome and the service was great. I highly recommend coming here. This scene is really happening.
NAME: reggie
SUBMITTED: 4/25/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: April/2006
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: This place was God-Awful. Me and my Fiance went here for our anniversary and were expecting this to be good, all things considered. Well when we showed up there were two staff members outside smoking cigarettes hob-nobbing, talking loudly and obnoxiously. One of them mentioned some customer that had a "Pumpkin Head". As if this wasn't good enough we had a reservation but still waited 20 minutes for our table. Waiter was completely aloof and knew nothing of the menu. Sushi was bland and uninspired. We will not be returning.
NAME: HasLegsBig
SUBMITTED: 4/14/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 04/06
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: I had high expectations of Ra and was extremely dissapointed. A friend and I went on a Thursday night and expected the 30-45 minute wait that the hostess said it would be. After an hour and 15 minutes we asked how long it was until we were to be seated and she said it would take an additional hour. My friend complained and they then sat us immediately. I went straight to the bathroom (where they were comletely out of toilet paper) and when I got back to the table, the waitress asked that my friend order all of our food. She said the kitchen was backed up and it would take over an hour to get our food. Our food then arrived in 5-10 minutes but it took an additional 10-15 for us to get our drinks. The bar was also out of white wine and wine glasses. When we were first seated there were 3 empty tables next to us that had already been cleared and set and they did not sit people there for about 10 minutes even though there was a line of patrons waiting to be seated. Our waitress' service was slow and her attitude was lousy at best. When it came to settle the bill, she took over 15 minutes to bring the bill and charge cards.
While the food at Ra was great I will not return until the kinks are worked out and the staffers attitudes change drastically.
NAME: Ra is overrated
SUBMITTED: 3/31/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 3/06
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: First - the restaurant has a very hip, cool vibe - It seems half of the space is in the bar area. I can see it would be a great place to go on the weekend.
Food- Disappointing. The negiri pieces were very thin and the rolls were just OK. We tried their signature roll- I think it was the Las Vegas roll and it was nothing more than a tempurad piece of seaweed wrapped around some cream cheese with a mound of spicy crab on top. It was rich and heavy - to me it was the anti-sushi.
In sum, for sushi lovers, there are far better options around town. I think RA should be viewed more as a clubby place than a sushi restaurant.
NAME: GMA
SUBMITTED: 3/31/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 03/06
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: I really had better expectations. I know people always say give the restaurant a chance to work out the kinks, but it's been a month since RA opened its doors. The ambience is great. I went for the lunch specials, and the prices were very good, but everything lacked flavor. I'm glad evereything in the restaurant is clean, but I like food for taste! Then again I guess you pay for what you get. The pricing for the lunch bento boxes are a great deal, but really not tasty. So if you just want to go somewhere to look and be seen, then this is the place to be.
NAME: shushi
SUBMITTED: 3/30/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 3/2006
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: good: trendy, tasteful decor, not a spectacular view, but good enough when the weather is fair when the whole wall of windows to Westheimer is opened up, hip music, quality sushi, generally friendly staff, thoughtful packets of condoms disguised as oversized matchbooks on the bar, location location location.
bad: WATERERY DRINKS. I used to bartend, and have imbibed in bars all around the world, so know of what I speak. Been there with friends 3 times (different bartenders each time) in the past week, and each time at least half of us were dissatisfied with the drinks (from the strangely watery yet not ice cold grey goose martini's to inconsitent saki-sangria, to downright weak Maker's and coke). The drinks do seem to be better if you're sitting at the bar as opposed to a cocktail table, so try to keep a close eye on them while they pour. The downside to this is going over the heads of some genuinely freindly and conscientious cocktail waitresses, but if it's the only way to get a good drink, then....
I'll keep going back, but must be wary of barstaff
NAME: kedel
SUBMITTED: 3/15/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: March 2006
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times
MY REVIEW: Thumbs up! I recommend going early before the crowd hits so you don't have to wait. We went at 6PM and beat the mad rush of people that came in soonafter. I also recommend going during happy hour which is from 4-7PM weekdays, or during their reverse happy hour on Sunday nights from 8-midnight... we had two iced teas, edamame, pineapple wontons, salmon wontons, spinach gyoza potstickers, two scallop dynamites, a shrimp tempura roll, a squid salad, and an ultimate shrimp roll, all for about $40, which is a bargain for all that food at a sushi restaurant.
NAME: Long
SUBMITTED: 3/5/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: March 2006
FREQUENCY: Visited once
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