The Back Porch, Son! - Minneapolis

This is a fantastic restaurant located in a lovely area of Minneapolis. The sushi is incredibly fresh, and they have plenty of other delicious options if sushi isn't your preference. Their happy hour is excellent, and I've discovered that the happy hour specials are available during lunch as well. I overheard someone ordering a lunch sushi combo, though I didn't find it on the menu. The veggie fried rice is exceptional, with perfectly cooked vegetables and a delightful crunch from the sprouts. The sushi here is consistently good, and I appreciate that they accommodate requests to modify ingredients. The atmosphere is calm and minimalistic, and the patio is a wonderful spot on nice days. I can't wait to return!

I visited this restaurant for lunch on a gloomy Monday, with the anticipation of a solar eclipse lingering in the air. To my surprise, the atmosphere inside was vibrant, filled with professionals enjoying their lunch breaks. The prices were excellent, featuring happy hour deals all day—possibly because it was Monday! I would definitely have paid more for the same meal back in California, so this was a nice surprise. My friend and I shared a delicious crunchy roll, a selection of sushi, and an appetizer of crunchy rice, which is a customer favorite (though maybe not everyone at my table appreciated it as much!). The presentation of each dish was beautiful.

The service was incredibly fast. Our server (I didn't catch his name) was very attentive and ensured our drinks were always topped up. The sushi was the best I've ever tasted—it was absolutely fantastic! I can't stop dreaming about the spicy tuna. The rice was also delightful: just the right amount, perfectly wrapped, and not overly fishy.

Finally got here (been meaning to for YEARS). I made a reservation by phone (no online way to submit a reservation request), for 2 people at 6pm. When we got to the restaurant (5:58pm) we were told they didn't have a table for us. They confirmed they had the reservation and had space at the sushi bar. I had assumed a reservation meant a table. Only then did they take my number to text me when a table was ready. Not a great start. Table was ready very quickly and our waitperson turned the experience around quickly. Beverages were well balanced, I had the Shanghai Buck and it had some of the best pineapple flavor I've had in a cocktail in a while. We ordered one of the sushi combos and the quality was quite good. I do wish they had identified what we were eating in the nigiri and the sashimi: I was able to ID some varieties of tuna and the mackerel but didn't know the others and would have very much liked to. Overall a positive experience and would dine again.

I really enjoyed my experience at Wakame! My friend and I had reservations on a Wednesday and were seated right away. We ate at the bar, but it was a decent amount of space for just us. Happy hour ended at 6 so we ordered a few rolls to split, and had some wine! We even squeezed in an espresso martini right before it ended. The rolls were very good! The server was great! Very attentive and friendly. It was pretty packed and not the most spacious restaurant but I enjoyed it!