We’re big fans of singular bites of food – especially when they involve a piece of fatty bluefin tuna belly or buttery Hokkaido scallop.

Sushi takes on many faces in Dallas, and many places do it justice despite our closest beach being Galveston. Luckily, we don’t get our seafood from there; instead, many restaurants on this list source the best fish from famous Tokyo markets and have it flown in daily.

We didn’t include omakase restaurants in this list because, well, they would clean the house. Luckily, we already made a list of the best omakase in Dallas.

Pearl Sushi
4640 McKinney Ave., Uptown
Pearl Sushi has an undeniable charm that will give anyone’s staple sushi restaurant a run for its money. Owner-chef Shine Tamaoki was with Nobu for several years before honing his signature style and partnering with Todd Landis to open Pearl. Grabbing a seat at the sushi bar will have you in for a spoiled evening with interesting neighbors. The menu is pure but offers flexibility and versatility for those willing to explore or stick to what they know. And while we’re here to talk about sushi, the Japanese fish and chips are next-level good, so come hungry.

Tei Tei Robata Bar
2906 N. Henderson Ave., Knox-Henderson
When you’re at Tei Tei Robata Bar, you’re almost in Japan. This longtime neighborhood restaurant doesn’t shy away from its roots, and serves a mostly seasonal menu of what perhaps most would consider weird, unusual or unique, but it’s a treasure for those who can appreciate the art of Japanese cuisine, and a lack of cream cheese. A night out here is best enjoyed with a group so you can divide and conquer the menu of small plates. Don’t miss the miso-marinated sea bass, any form of fresh Hokkaido scallop and wagyu on the rock, which chef Teiichi Sakurai brought to Dallas in 1998.

Tei-An
1722 Routh St., Arts District
When chef Teiichi Sakurai left Tei Tei in good hands to open Tei-An in 2008, he continued nurturing his legacy of spreading authentic Japanese cuisine to Dallas, this time through soba and the fine art of sushi and yakitori. Going the yakitori route gives you an entirely custom dining experience where you build your own roster of small plates or shareables. Ordering soba has just as much detail, and you can customize your bowl by both temperature and taste. Three days’ advance notice is required for the omakase here, and it is worthy of the splurge.

Nori Handroll Bar & Sushi
2814 Elm St., Deep Ellum
Nori Handroll Bar & Sushi offers three distinct experiences when it comes to dining at their sushi bar-only restaurant: izakaya plates, a la carte sushi and set menus called temaki. The temaki is tiered according to how hungry you are. It starts with ‘i could eat’, which comes with three hand rolls and ascends to ‘hangry’, that comes with 6 handrolls made with king salmon, negihama, nori scallop, negitoro, red crab and lobster for $49. However, the best value here is in the daily happy hour, which runs from 4-7 p.m. every day and gives diners $12 speciality cocktails and half-off nigiri (Monday to Thursday only). Pieces of Japanese sea bream, hamachi, Hokkaido scallop and chutoro all go for around $3 during this special. 

Komé Sushi and Handroll Bar
8041 Walnut Hill Lane
Komé Sushi is a sleeper pick when it comes to Dallas sushi. It opened in 2023, and has thrived in its role as the neighborhood sushi spot ever since. Dress it up or dress it down, the quality of the fish and service remain. Try the salmon belly nigiri, hand rolls, scallop foie gras and the popular kome gra, which is oyster, uni and red caviar sushi. Nights here are ended on a sweet note with the rich, purple-toned ube ice cream. 

Domodomo Kō
2681 Howell St., Uptown
Japanese and Korean cuisine aren’t the only two things married at Domodomo Kō; quality and value are, too. Which is why we weren’t shy when we said it was one of the best sushi deals in Dallas. The rite of passage here for first-time diners has to be the three-course sushi dinner, which costs $49 before tax and tip and gets you truffle edamame and hamachi crudo for the first course, nine assorted pieces of nigiri for your second course and two hand rolls for the third course. For the price, it’s a great way to try a bunch of different types of fish, and you most definitely won’t be leaving hungry.

Norman’s Japanese Grill
4002 Oak Lawn Ave., Uptown
A restaurant doesn’t have to dedicate its whole menu to sushi to serve some of the best in Dallas. Even though Norman’s Japanese Grill is robata first and sushi bar second, the menu for the latter is anything but an afterthought. The sushi here is served by way of purists: nigiri or sashimi only. But like the robata menu here, even the sushi fuses Japanese and Texas flavors. Bluefin tuna is served with beef bacon furikake, snow crab has its own dashi hollandaise and tako octopus is garnished with salsa roja and verde. 

Naminohana
5521 Greenville Ave., Northeast Dallas
Naminohana could be the unsung hero of sushi restaurants in Dallas. It’s the least talked-about restaurant on this list, but its loyal following tells you all you need to know. There are only 14 bar stools, but don’t mistake this spot for an omakase experience. They are best known for handrolls, and the small audience ensures consistency and quality. Many of the staff here came from a renowned handroll bar in Fort Worth called Hatsuyuki. A casual sushi night has never looked so good.

Sushi Nunu
12275 University Drive, Frisco
If a sushi purist and a sushi enthusiast wanted to get dinner together, they’d end up at Sushi Nunu. For a time, it was only the most expensive restaurants in Dallas that were recognized for having their fish flown in from Tokyo each day, but ever approachable Sushi Nunu may have changed the status quo. Fish is flown in daily from Toyosu Market, but there’s no dress code or status you have to uphold to try it. Families, couples and large groups come here like it’s an average Tuesday night. Also, they don’t shy away from putting cream cheese in their rolls.

Aaren Prody

Namo
3699 McKinney Ave., Uptown
Namo came swinging into Dallas’, at the time, blossoming Japanese scene. Higher brow than most, they say they serve extraordinary sushi with uncommon care. Nearly all of the fish and supporting ingredients are sourced from Japan and reflect what’s best according to the season. Each visit here can be completely different due to the hyper-seasonality, which is only part of the reason why a night here is so special. The only seats available are at the sushi counter, although there is a covered patio outside also. You can join them for Á  la carte lunch or dinner, nightly dinner omakase (“nigiri course” or “signature namokase”), prix-fixe lunch omakase or once a month omakase that’s announced on Instagram on the first of the month. What else? They also do up-close bluefin tuna breakdowns.

Mr. Max Izakaya
3028 N Belt Line Road, Irving
Mr. Max Izakaya is the near-perfect embodiment of a true Japanese restaurant you’d stumble into while abroad. The wooden detailing, Japanese-style seating and hand-picked menu by chef Tokeshi form the trinity of authenticity at this little gem. It opened in 2014 and has thrived since despite its unassuming exterior and dinner-only service. As much as we’d love to call this place a hidden gem, it’s quite the opposite, and seats fill fast for their small window for dinner. Get there early, and you can snag a seat at the bar or make a reservation to secure your sashimi.

Sasa Sushi
6340 Gaston Ave., East Dallas
Sasa Sushi is another little gem whose atmosphere is unabashedly Japanese. They cater to a wide audience of sushi lovers with sashimi, fried and fresh rolls, fried rice, ramen, dinner combos, salads and an entire raw bar for things like raw fish carpaccio and other offerings. A lunch combo here is not to be overlooked, as you can order two sushi rolls for $20. Or you can grab a box combination, which can include a four-piece chef’s choice sashimi and beef teriyaki for $24. Dinner prices are just as reasonable, and the casual atmosphere makes it perfect for any night out.

Mr. Sushi
4860 Belt Line Road, Addison
Mr. Sushi has been a longstanding destination for raw fish and rice in Dallas since the ’80s. Its journey began in the heart of Hiroshima, and this family-owned spot continues to stay true to its traditions while embracing innovation over the last 40 years, like how they use techniques passed down from generations to serve you sushi on a large wooden boat. The restaurant has that perfect, lived-in feel, and the dinner menu font is reminiscent of Microsoft PowerPoint’s peak. Much of the menu is flown in from Japan, including the fun order that is (sawagani) live crab served with sea salt and lemon.