Insider Pages Reviews for Douzo

5 Stars: delicious! great decor! great service! (by wbarnstable)

wbarnstable — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:00:00 GMT

my favorite sushi in town, by far.

5 Stars: Best sushi I've had so far... (by MizZim)

MizZim — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:00:00 GMT

The sushi was so fresh, it melted in my mouth. The waitress was wonderful & very helpful, and her suggestions were on point. Their Cocolate Volcano Lava and Banana Tempura were out-of-this-world-delicious. I have tried my share of Martinies and had not found a Martini I could say I like, but after having their Green Tea Martini, I can now say I have a Martini of preference. It was all worth every penny.

MizZim

5 Stars: Best Sushi I have ever had (by Melissa63)

Melissa63 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:00:00 GMT

This was the best sushi I have ever had and the service was great as well.
If you are in the mood for good sushi and are in Boston, do not miss this place!

3 Stars: Overrated (by ChoiChoi)

ChoiChoi — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Fish on sushi is quite thin. You are certainly paying more for the rent, location and the decor than the food.

3 Stars: Very Average Sushi (by aaa1aaaa)

aaa1aaaa — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:00:00 GMT

I live in NYC but travel to Boston every week and since I am a sushi lover, I go to Douzo (I know of no other sushi place near my hotel). I like the ambience but I am afraid the sushi and maki is sooo average. Too much rice on the maki---much more rice than actual fish. To top that, the maki rolls just collapse as soon as one picks them up and dips them in soy sauce. Last night, I ordered some miso cod--which is supposed to me soft and buttery but Douzo's cod was dry and overcooked. I can order better maki and sushi from the small takeaway shop near my apartment at 1/3 of the price.

5 Stars: great restaurnat I love it (by joshua_yashiro)

joshua_yashiro — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:00:00 GMT

I been going to Douzo since they open the door for business almost 2 years ago, Im huge huge fan of Douzo. great drinks & fresh sushi & great food, excellent service and freindly hostest. 3 hours parking for $5.00, very trendy, for the price you are paying for it, what can we ask for more, ,,,,,except they need more seats for restaurant , Keep up Douzo, Excellent Job

5 Stars: Douzo is great (by takuyaitaki)

takuyaitaki — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:00:00 GMT

Personally I love Douzo, has been goinng since they open, Food and Service is great, drink as well
it is my regular spot, been internatioal student from Japan, I love Douzo, Keep up the good work

1 Stars: Unprofessional management, frozen shumai, hair in sushi - appetizing, don't you think? (by pegs1123)

pegs1123 — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 09:00:00 GMT

I had the most heinous experience at Douzo. And I mean heinous. After waiting an hour (which is fine and normal in Boston), we order and my friend and boyfriend's sushi arrive 40 minutes after we order. Shockingly late, I know. The waitress then informs us that the fish he ordered as well is no longer available. Why was he not informed right after he ordered....instead of 40 minutes later? Clearly a kitchen and communication problem. Then, the manager comes over and insincerely offers free dessert. What he should have offered was a comprable fish on the house. My boyfriend then finds a piece of hair strewn across his sushi - after he has already eaten 2 pieces - yes, disgustingly, he ingested this hair. How does the owner respond? By offering a new plate of sushi. PLEASE. Who can have any appetite after realizing they've ingested hair. The owner is so offended by my boyfriend's refusal for a new plate, that he walks away and never returns to ask "What can I do to make this better?" Only after I approach the owner and cajole him into understanding my boyfriend's viewpoint does he begrudgingly agree to comp my boyfriend's meal and take-off a round of drinks. The owner even had the audacity to say he was going to offer a $15 gift certificate, but decided against it because he felt offended by my boyfriend's response. Who would return to this unrefined, ill-managed place to use a $15 gift certificate? And one more thing - as a Chinese-American, I know some Asian food well, and I can tell you that the shumai that you pay $6.50 for, tastes eerily familiar - from the frozen section at the Chinese grocery store familiar. Consider yourself warned - your precious money and time are better spent elsewhere.

5 Stars: if you're in Boston, this is a MUST-GO (by fine_chocolate)

fine_chocolate — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT

I am a HUGE fan of douzo, and now I miss it so much after I moved. I used to go there every other week. The food is DELICIOUS. the starters are amazing. The spicy seafood salad is heavenly. The fried shomai too, the othe spicy shrimp something i forgot the name.

As for the rolls, I love the PHOENIX roll you HAVE to try it. the shrimp tempura roll ofcourse, and the volcano, everything is nice there. And the desserts are also amazing.

if you wanna have a great sushi experience,authentic, and a beautiful atmoshphere, it's the place to go.

3 Stars: Great Atmosphere... good sushi (by jksushi)

jksushi — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 09:00:00 GMT

We went here for the first time and it was tasty. There were some creative rolls, however, it was very pricey. I guess you are paying to eat in Back Bay.I recommend this restaurant for people on dates, rather than for families. I liked their Snow Mt Roll.

3 Stars: food was okay, paying for ambiance (by joyly80)

joyly80 — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMT

I went to Douzo for the first time last night and it was decent... the food was pretty solid, but certainly nothing to rave about. I've definitely had better at Oishii or even Fugakyu for that matter. That being said, they have great drinks, a nice ambiance and pretty good service. It''s modern and trendy and it's obvious that's what you're paying for. My only caveat: Some of the tables are squished so closely together that you can hear exactly what the people next to you are saying... it's a little uncomfortable and definitely somewhat intrusive when you feel like you have to whisper. Overall though, if you're looking for superior sushi, Douzo is not it, but if decent sushi, in a great location and a nice setting is up your alley then Douzo is the place to go.

4 Stars: Great sushi, great service (by lbor)

lbor — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 09:00:00 GMT

After reading several of the previous reviews, I felt motivated to offer my own perspective. I eat at Douzo a least twice a month, and have come to feel as though I'm part of the Douzo Family. The service is prompt, friendly, and witty; the food is always good; and the bartenders, while always eager to offer suggestions, vary in their skill. My favorite items to order are the seafood kaiyaki--a mix of spicy mayo, octopus, tobiko, and daikon radish warmed in the oven and served with cheese on top, the escolar sashimi--rich, buttery white fish (sometimes refered to at other places as "super white tuna") with a mild but satisfying flavor, and the snow mountain roll--shrimp tempura on the inside, with flakey snow crab topping the outside of the roll, in a mountain-like (get it?) formation. Also good is the summer roll--avocado and cucumber on the inside, spicy tuna on the outside, the dragon roll--sweet potato tempura on the inside, water eel and avocado on the outside, and the nabeyaki udon--thick udon noodles in a mild broth with seafood and various Japanese veggies.

I think the place still has a few kinks to work out-- sometimes the sushi line gets really delayed, and the place tends to get positively packed on weekend nights--but it really is one of my favorite places to dine out.

3 Stars: Where is Quality? (by fajitatrio)

fajitatrio — Fri, 25 May 2007 09:00:00 GMT

All i can say is the worst lunch i ever had. I eat there once, didn?t like it. For the hell of it i give it a chance to go try again. The lunch that i order today was Spicy SEAFOOD Don. I was disappointed to see what I have in front of me. All they put in with rice were spicy mayo imitation crabstick with some fish eggs and it cost 8.95. Hey! if there are some real seafood there, i won't have anything to say about it. The quality of the food is bad. I would rather pay more money to eat at Oishii, to have some great quality food at least it will satisfy my ONLY stomach.

5 Stars: Best Sushi in Town, Great Atmosphere (by abeaudry)

abeaudry — Wed, 02 May 2007 09:00:00 GMT

I dine at Douzo frequently and have never been disappointed... in fact, each time I go, I love it even more! I admit that I am a bit of a sushi snob and Douzo is my absolute all time favorite in Boston. Last Thursday I was in with friends and was taken away by how INCREDIBLE the sushi tasted, but also how beautifully it was presented ? try the Toro Torch Roll and the Scallop Kiwi Roll? my all-time favorites. I was also pleasantly surprised by Douzo?s new wine and cocktail list? the Gingertini tastes like absolute heaven. There are some really great ? and affordable ? wines that really compliment the dishes. I highly recommend Douzo for any occasion ? drinks with friends, a special occasion? and it?s a great place to bring a date. On top of the great food, the atmosphere is trendy but still cozy and the staff is really friendly. Obviously, I?m hooked ? just wanted to spread the word if you?ve not yet discovered the place.

5 Stars: Best Sushi in Boston. (by tylersloan)

tylersloan — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:00:00 GMT

Douzo is a new trendy sushi restaurant in Boston. Everything is delicious and fresh. I would recommend making reservations.

2 Stars: Has really gone downhill since opening! (by masik12)

masik12 — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:00:00 GMT

This was my second time at Douzo: the first time I loved the food and the service. This time showed that like many restaurants that get popular quickly, Douzo has not been able to accommodate that popularity. The food was still good, but the sushi bar was running about an hour late on a Monday night! There was no valet parking and staff could not recommend a garage. The hostess that put us on the list gave us one wait time, but when we parked and came in, we were given a new time, one that was over 20 minutes longer from the original estimate.... Had we known, we might have gone to another restaurant before paying for parking. Service at the bar was slow too, it took 10 minutes just to put in a drink order and there was a shortage of drinks menus. The only bright spot of the whole experience was our waitress (Jeanine) who was incredibly attentive, pleasant and honest about the sushi bar delays. Otherwise, this was a dissappointing experience that put a damper or our celebration.... A place at this pricepoint should really be better at operational stuff. Next time, it's off to Osushi!

5 Stars: Great Food-- Definately a place to be seen (by germaine915)

germaine915 — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 09:00:00 GMT

The crowd is great and the sushi is even better! The fish is wonderfully fresh and the rolls are creative. Try the spicy yellowtail cucumber handroll-- made with thinly sliced cucumber instead of seaweed-- it's to die for!

5 Stars: Best Sushi in Town (by missboston)

missboston — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 09:00:00 GMT

LOVE this place! Freshest sushi in town. Great decor--very modern, minimalist with tasteful asian touches. Great for dates, dinner with friends, or even take out. Ambience is upscale but prices are on the cheap side for the back bay. Definitely Recommended!

2 Stars: Fish not fresh, good drinks/lounge place, bad daytime service. (by nyerbostonlover)

nyerbostonlover — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 09:00:00 GMT

I went to Douzo twice; first for drinks, and second for lunch. Going here for drinks was okay. The decor is nice pretty chic-- unique for the boston scene. Prices were normal for cocktails. Background music is good for a lounge place-- that is, not obnoxious. However, this is just a pregame for the night and definitely should not be your final destination for your wkend night. After this good experience, I decided to come here for lunch. HORRIBLE. I ordered sashimi, sushi rolls, and tempura dishses. The tempura was cooked well though the prices were def an overcharge and not worth it. I dont even mind that, it was the FISH was the killer. The fish is not fresh and I along with my friend just left it to the trash. It was terribly disappointing. Service was also not so hot. Our waitress was brusque and not pleasant whatsoever. And yes, to the previous review; they charge for green tea. What kind of japanese place is this.

5 Stars: Great Japanese Food, Fantastic Sushi! (by alysonbl)

alysonbl — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 09:00:00 GMT

This was a wonderful restaurant. The sushi was fresh and portions were big. Special roles had 10-12 pieces so be careful not to over order! Everything was delicious, we ordered two fantastic apps: Filo Shrimp and Gyozo we had the Blackened Miso Cod and sushi as main courses, both were great. The deserts sounded fantastic but we didn't have room. The atmosphere was trendy but approachable, our waitress was very nice. There was a wait at 8pm on a Tuesday so arrive a little early or enjoy a drink at the bar. The lychee martini was very good and so was the saketini.

4 Stars: Great experience (by tigrlily51)

tigrlily51 — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Went here for dinner with two friends and it was better than expected. Although the menu wasn't very extensive and not too traditional, my food was well-prepared and interesting (it was the first place I was served soup in a teapot!). Would recommend if in the area.

5 Stars: great sushi + ambience. a little crowded though on a friday night (by liucipher)

liucipher — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 09:00:00 GMT

I randomly walked into this place on a Friday night and wow was it packed. They said it'd be a 45 minute wait but luckily we got a table in about 15 minutes. Unfortunately it was by the window so it was a touch cold but oh well.

I thought the ambience was very nice. Definitely a lot of modern minimalist design. A little loud though (unavoidable given the crowd) made it somewhat less ideal for a date, but it definitely would shock + awe (particularly given the prices).

Sushi was quite good, on par with my other fave place (ma soba and Zen, haven't tried Oishii yet). I got the sashimi platter and it was quite good particularly the salmon (though on the $$$ side).

Service was swift as well. All in I recommend the place.

4 Stars: great dining exprience (by knch_oikawa)

knch_oikawa — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 09:00:00 GMT

it is my 1st time to this place last week , I'm aldreay in love w/ this place, since that I have been back 3 times and every time service is great, food is great,I also has been there with other 8 people, everyone loves theDouzo, Douzo rocks Boston Sushi
Great food, friendly service, great wine list

1 Stars: beware of hidden costs. (by laire)

laire — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:00:00 GMT

A Japanese restaurant that charges $1.50 for green tea without even listing beverages on the menu. Sushi chefs that do not even greet you at the sushi bar but chatter loudly and gesticulate wildly among themselves. If that's what you want, this is the place.

This is a restaurant aiming to serve high-end nouveau Asian cuisine to a posh sushi-loving crowd. Euro-pop booms in the background even during lunch in a dimly lit space full of faux leather. Location is convenient (couple steps from Back Bay) so the location may pull in many new customers. Food aims for the not-so-ordinary (uni tempura) but nothing tasty. The sashimi scores higher on the presentation, but is not flavorful. Chefs do not take the time to wipe off the knife after slicing a lemon, so tuna tasted like lemon.

I'll definitely go elsewhere to satisfy my sushi cravings. If you are all about style and want to be surrounded by mock modern decor, have no desire for substance, this is your place. You also must be open to be charged with loads of hidden costs for basic items, such as wasabi and ginger. I won't be surprised if you get charged for extra pairs of chopsticks.

3 Stars: Good sushi, but not worth the hour+ wait (by interactive_chick)

interactive_chick — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 09:00:00 GMT

A friend of mine and I went over to Douzo for lunch during the work day. After hearing that it was opened by one of the former owner's of Fugakyu (the best sushi in town) we couldn't wait to try it. The restaurant was maybe 1/3 full. Pretty mellow overall. We ordered 6 sushi maki rolls (various kinds) at 12:15 pm. At 1:10 pm, we still had not received our meal and no one had come by to explain what was taking so long. I didn't understand what could be taking so long because everyone else in the restaurant was already eating so what could be the hold up? I got up from the table, asked the host...told her we'd been waiting 55 min. As soon as I did, our sushi was delivered....withOUT any apology or explanation. Again, good sushi, but make sure you have a 2 hours blocked off on your calendar before you head in for lunch.

5 Stars: Best Japanese in Town, Great New Addition to Back Bay (by richi_rich)

richi_rich — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Douzo offers modern dining in an unparalled environment, great crowd, extensive menu offerings and nice selection of sake. It is arguably the best Japanese Restaurant in town and I was impressed by their extremely knowledgable staff. Our waitress made some great suggestions and we were very happy with each of them. Be sure to ask for sushi specials available that night (not listed on menu).

The Chawan Mushi here is excellent, as is the yellow tail yuzu-suzuki (sp?). I suggest the Lobster Sashimi for an interesting appetizer, there's no questioning how fresh it is.

I disagree with another review that said the fish isn't fresh - we had the back bay and jalapeno maki, torched hamachi, escolar, madai, tilefish, toro and mirugai sashimi - all were great! Few places will come close in quality.

Validated dinner parking in the garage made driving here a no-brainer. I'll definitely be back to visit soon.

5 Stars: Great bar staff, best and most experienced in Boston (by keriboehne)

keriboehne — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 09:00:00 GMT

You can always find room at the bar at Douzo! The bartender there is one of the best in Boston. Quick, efficient and friendly. He's got excellent recommendations too. The food is great and it's in the best location... I highly recommend it.

1 Stars: Average Sushi at best (by dalesr)

dalesr — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:00:00 GMT

I have had sushi in Boston and New York, this is a sad attempt. The sushi is not as fresh as it should be. When you walk in you smell fish, dead giveaway. HINT Great sushi never smells like fish. The hostess and servers must have been new to the business. The tempura is greasy and tired. The best part of the whole meal was the house salad with ginger dressing, that's not saying much. Also noticed on the menu that they charge extra for everything, including spicy mayo! Save the trip and SKIP THIS VERY DISSAPOINTED

5 Stars: Great place not cramped (by jmarcus1973)

jmarcus1973 — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Oishii is the best sushi place in the Boston area. That being said Douzo does a nice job of presentation atmosphere and wait staff. I have been there twice in the last month, recently Janny (waitress) recommened unfiltered Sake. It was great, and she was nice and had good recommendations. I loved the unfiltered Sake. Now down to the most imporant part..The fish. The chefs may not have the finest skill with a knife, but this place definetly has the second best Toro and hamachi in town. Plus they have Dobin Mushi (sp) which if you haven't had is the best broth you'll ever taste. Don't miss out, this place is special

1 Stars: Big Disappointment (by Serendipity)

Serendipity — Sat, 13 May 2006 09:00:00 GMT

I was very excited to try a new Japanese place in Boston. Unfortunately, this place was very disappointing. The appetizers were great, as well as the drinks. But when it came to sushi and sashimi, it was really far from what the real deal is supposed to be. The sashimi was cut wrong and was done in a very unimpressive way. Menu descriptions were missing vital parts of the ingredients. When we complained to the manager, he basically said that we are doing things here to impress the crowd in the United States and he was not very friendly.
Word of advice, go for drinks and appetizers, but skip on sushi, there are a ton more places in Boston where you can get sushi done right.

1 Stars: How old is this fish? (by endnangered357)

endnangered357 — Fri, 05 May 2006 09:00:00 GMT

They say Japanese food is to be eaten with the eyes-- well they got that part right at Douzo, because you definitely dont want to eat their beautiful creations. My friend and I shared the Tuna Sashimi appetizer and a few of the specialty rolls for lunch. The kimchee garlic sauce, although delicious, was a sad attempt at covering up how fishy and slimy the tuna sashimi was. The rolls were no better. Searing raw sashimi and masking with rich citrus and wasabi sauces is no way to resuscitate fish that must have died weeks ago.

Sure, the ambiance is nice, but remind yourself before you come here--why are you going to a restaurant--To eat? Or to look at the pretty ceiling?

5 Stars: Highly Recommended (by shurez)

shurez — Mon, 01 May 2006 09:00:00 GMT

The food and decor may be the best for Japanese in Boston. We sat at the sushi bar and highly enjoyed the chef's recommendations. The flight tastings are fantastic for wine and sake. If I wasn't driving home I would've stayed and had a few more. Really enjoyed the overall experience, you won't be disappointed by the sashimi here - it's extremely fresh

5 Stars: worth the wait (by kobeef)

kobeef — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 09:00:00 GMT

my friends convinced me to check out douzo despite some reviews we saw here and i'm glad they did. we did have to wait 40 mins for our table but there was plenty of room in the bar areas and it gave us a great chance to sample some unique sakes and wines. douzo has a sampler that lets you try 3 different wines or sakes in ascending order and we found the tast tests to be pretty fun. thumbs up for the modern decor and good beats. we thoroughly enjoyed the view once we were seated to our table and found food to be incredible. i tried the eel here and really liked it.

5 Stars: My New Favorite Hot Spot! (by srvcmstr)

srvcmstr — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 09:00:00 GMT

The food here is a 10. This town has been missing fresh sushi and I'm glad Douzo finally opened. Dinner gets packed on the weekends so come early or later in the night. I live in the area and appreciate their later than normal hours.

4 Stars: Great, fresh sushi (by ieatgrass)

ieatgrass — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:00:00 GMT

I was surprised by the negative reviews that I read--I went to Douzo extremely excited, and I was not disappointed. We went on a Friday night, and it was busy, but was able to get a seat in the bar area after waiting less than 10 mins. The food was fabulous--the sushi and sashimi were delicious and very fresh (try the japaleno roll and the spicy tuna and the spider maki). The service wasn't the best in the world, but the bar was packed and our waitress did the best she could and had a great personality, which more than made up for it. The restaurant is still relatively new, so hopefully all the kinks that other diners experienced will be worked out soon. I know I will definitley be back.

5 Stars: I love the suhsi (by takashiokawa)

takashiokawa — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 09:00:00 GMT

This new place is great, I have been to Douzo over 5 times since they open
I love Douzo, and I am sorry to hear other people had bad experience
How ever I think they will do well
Service & food, decor is great.

5 Stars: Great experience (by lucky_11)

lucky_11 — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 09:00:00 GMT

I had a wonderful time at Douzo the other night. First, a friend of mine drove in and was delighted at the parking situation - garage parking for $5 with validation. I liked the interior of the resturant, too - very stylish with the simple and elegant Japanese aesthetic. We had some cocktails in the lounge area before moving to our seats. Our waiter was pleasant and knew a lot about the vast sake list. We loved the food - the sushi and sashimi was so fresh - and really beautiful - and the was tempura light and crispy. Prices are very reasonable, too. Our waiter even suggested we try fresh grated wasabi, which we did, and enjoyed... I've never had it before. I reccomend the Back Bay Roll, Beef Negima, Salmon Spring Rolls and Wild Salmon sashimi.

1 Stars: Long waits !!! (by tatirkc)

tatirkc — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 09:00:00 GMT

I went there with high expectations because Douzo is run by one of the co-founders of Fugakyu, but to my disapointment, the only good thing there is the hip, young and upscale feeling that Douzo gives. The wait there is at least one hour and the food is not worth the wait. The staff was not very polite to our party. I tried to make reservations and they just allow reservation for parties of 5 or more ! If you are a party of 2, they let you wait for tables of two, even though there are tables of 4 open ! It happened to me and I had been waiting for almost an hour ! Since most everyone is enjoying the "vibe" (which is good) once they are seated, table turnover is VERY slow.

1 Stars: Worse Hostess Ever (by captains13)

captains13 — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 09:00:00 GMT

I would have liked to have experienced the food and Ambience, but the moment I walked in the door with a group of 6, we were greated with a cold shoulder and a miserable hostess. We were told not to even consider sitting for an hour. We went for a drink and came back an hour later, to find our name not on the waiting list. A 20 person reservation being sat which was news to us, as we were told they did not accept reservations by the same hostess. This new resturant needs a new beginning. Start with the front of the house.

3 Stars: Sushi--for those who don't know sushi... (by c__town)

c__town — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 09:00:00 GMT

This latest export from the Far-East is brimming with potential but fails to live up to the hype. It is the type of restaurant that one so desperately wants to like: grand and chic yet still beautiful in its simplicity. A place where hipsters, families, and power brokers can all feel comfortable, douzo blurs the line and repeats this theme as it occupies a spot on the back bay/south end border. The only problem is the food. Aside from new-restaurant-type service which has yet to smoothen the rough spots, the food is simply, lacking. Teriyaki chicken served cold, limp noodles (very microwavesque) and just average sushi in this town bursting with new sushi joints do not distinguish Douzo as the new Fugakyu (same owner) just without the drive. Douzo is a place that I really wanted to like, it just left me wanting for more...