Sushi has been moving on up in the world in the last 20 years. In the late 90s, if you wanted to go find a place to eat sushi, you would have to really look hard. It seemed like only bigger cities or certain markets had sushi bars. These days we are lucky to have numerous options when it comes to getting our roll on.

Hattiesburg is blessed with a lot of places that serve quality sushi. Not all sushi restaurants are created equal, but one thing is true… they all make for some great grub n the hub. Here’s a few of the places I’ve tried:

Sakura (6194 US Hwy 49 N)

Sakura is the first and oldest sushi bar in Hattiesburg. It is one of my favorite restaurants in town and I have been eating there for the last 18 years or so. When I was still in high school, my older brother moved to Hattiesburg to attend USM and my mother would take us out to eat at Sakura. It was the place where I really got to enjoy eating sushi for the first time. When I moved to Hattiesburg a few years later, I would always love to eat there. I celebrated my 21st birthday there and have fond memories of my friend, Pat Zachary, buying me a bottle of sake to help me and my friends celebrate. One of the little things I always like is the little hot towel they bring you. Sakura is home to one of the best Baked Salmon Rolls you will ever try and so much more. The sushi at Sakura is spot on and will always be a place I recommend to people.

Sake Café (24 Cross Creek Parkway, Suite 130)

When Sake Café opened some years ago, I was reluctant to try it. I had heard friends raving about it, but took my sweet time to going. Sake Café did not disappoint and is definitely bringing that quality that you want from a sushi restaurant. When I went most recently, I ordered a Southern Miss roll which comes with crawfish, avocado, and snow crab served with a spicy mayo and eel sauce. This thing was super rich and delicious. I was very happy with the atmosphere I was getting from a not so average strip mall sushi joint.

Wasabi (6096 U S Highway 98 Suite 8)

Also on the West side is a gem called Wasabi Sushi. Located near the Sam’s Club, Wasabi was right on time. My friend Will introduced me to Wasabi late one night.  All I kept thinking was, “surely this place is closed, it’s 9:45 at night.” Well I was wrong. Wasabi stays open a little later on Fridays and Saturdays and offers delicious sushi. I’m a creature of habit and usually order some basic futomaki rolls like Crunchy shrimp rolls, or crawfish rolls. I really enjoyed the sushi at Wasabi and they wait staff was very nice as well.

China Buffet and Sushi Bar (4600 Hardy St Suite 22 – behind Chili’s)

There are a lot of misconceptions about where to get your sushi. One of those misconceptions is buffets. I can tell you that if you want some good bang-for-your-buck sushi, try the sushi at the China Buffet and Sushi Bar. The lunch buffet is roughly nine dollars and I can go get a few plates of sushi and grub to my heart’s content. The sushi is made fresh and I’ve actually asked the chef to make me a hand roll before. You may not be getting those specialty rolls like most places, but China Buffet and Sushi Bar is bringing it with their sushi.

Corner Market (3706 Hardy St)

Continuing with misconceptions about where to get good sushi, Corner Market makes fresh sushi daily. It might be pre-packaged for your grab and go needs, but the new store on Hardy has a really nice little area to sit and eat your food. One of the days of the week, they run a little special on sushi so you can get a little five-dollar box. Although, I’d probably eat two of them.

Rock N Roll Sushi (District at Midtown)

I recently tried Rock N Roll Sushi. I have to admit, and this is my own personal opinion, I was not impressed. The atmosphere was hip, the décor fits the theme, and the music was enjoyable, but I was not too amazed by the food. I ordered a Bob Marley roll and thought it looked beautiful, but the flavor just seemed to be lacking. It didn’t wow me.  I’ll give them another shot one day, but that first impression goes a long way.

A few places I still want to try:

Sky Sushi

Yamato

Oishi