Cobo Sushi Bistro And Bar

No idea about the dishes… The tuna sushi is composed of saku blocks that are treated with carbon dioxide to keep it bright pink, and it’s already sliced in the showcase. Showcases are VERY limited on supplies. They are not half full, and the tuna is NOT from a filet of tuna that is fresh. It’s I.Q.F. Tuna that’s treated, and if you are comfortable eating that go right ahead… Just know that they charge a LOT (even more than fresh fish prices) for what you get! I walked in, saw the tuna, and walked out. No thanks! It was decently busy though… It’s the mountains… Nice staff members!

I hate writing negative reviews for local places but I had a bad experience. My mom lives in the Boone area and I’ve been to COBO many times. I’ve always had a great experience until a few weeks ago.
I ordered the Miso Salmon and about ¹⁄₃ of the way through, I realized most of the dish was raw. I didn’t make a big deal about it because it’s salmon and can be consumed raw. If I were a non-​sushi eater though, raw salmon would be a huge deal.
When the server came over (Arrington?) I showed her the salmon and said it was good but mostly raw. She was very dismissive and said she’d tell the kitchen.
We never heard another thing about it. No apology, no replacement and nothing credited on the check. In this case, I blame the server. I don’t think it even made its way back to the kitchen.

Best sushi I’ve ever had. The New Yorker is phenomenal! The COBO rangoons blow my mind every single time. I always look forward to my next visit. I love their drinks as well– the atmosphere always leads me to get their tasty grapefruit gimlet! The staff is always super friendly and professional, I’ve never felt unwelcomed or disrespected. Must go if you are in town!

The food is fantastic (one word: cheesecake), the staff is beautiful, and the women’s bathroom is complete with glittery wallpaper.

First, let me start with, it is about time downtown Boone had a legit sushi joint without all of the theme park touristy frills of American style hibachi.
Creative menu, vibrant atmosphere, friendly staff.
You can conduct a business meeting, bachelor party, date night or just sit at the bar solo.
Price is equivalent to the quality of the sushi, the nightly specials are worth taking a look, and don’t forget that the bartenders can customize creative cocktails for you.
Thanks COBO for stepping it up!

I’m about to rip into this place. Take warning.
This is Boone, people. It isn’t NYC or even San Fran. It’s a mountain town in the American south where, despite what ASU wants the world to think, people still work for a living where wages don’t go up often.
My cousin and I dropped $ 94 here on sushi — no drinks — and then stopped for tacos on the way home. Half a days wages for dinner… and that’s if you make a decent wage in a county where most don’t. How could someone have the nerve to charge such a price for some rice, sauce and uncooked fish?
Because it’s rolled by authentic Japanese craftsmen and served with warm Sake like on Kill Bill? Nope. Try again. Those guys behind the counter are greasy pot smoking college students and/​or drop outs who are functioning like trained monkeys on strings.
Its because you’re paying for the atmosphere, not the food, which is pointless to comment on, other than to say it tastes good and if it’s atmosphere you seek, don’t expect to grossly over pay for bad food that will kill you. But if you’re looking to fit in… if you’ve got just the right shoes and your hair is trendy enough… and your credit card (or your parents’ card) isn’t maxed out yet… then you might rather enjoy forking over a Benjamin so all the other goons like you can see you doing it.
If you’re a mountain boy like me though, you find yourself losing a wad of cash to eat rice and seaweed in a place where you feel… out of place. Places like this are a big part of what has gone epically wrong in Boone. The attitudes pervasive among both the restaurateurs and the clientele are a big part of what is wrong with the world.
Fifty bucks can feed a small family in an under developed nation for more than a week. For a meager couple in Watauga County, it could buy a week’s groceries. At COBO, it couldn’t even buy dinner for me. I had to hit El Paso Taqueria on the way home.
And one last thing… what sort of mealy mouthed trout sniffer would have the audacity to open a restaurant in the American South and present a glass of iced tea with no apology nor warning that it’s made from a mix?

I went here for the first time on Friday night with my girlfriend. The décor was really upscale and modern, unlike most restaurants in Boone. We waited 30 min for a table, very reasonable for the crowd that was there. We sat at one of the high top tables between the bar and the booth area. I’m not a huge fan of high tables, but the chairs were comfortable enough.
I am a tough food critic and I must say, I was very impressed with my meal. I ordered the Burning Man roll and the Beef Tataki, both of which were absolutely fantastic, especially the beef. The marinade kept it really juicy and it was seared beautifully.
My date had the habachi chicken (she’s not a sushi fan). She said it was really great and had lots of flavor.
Surprisingly, we had room for dessert, so we ordered the tempura cookies with ginger ice cream and wasabi whipped cream. It was very different than anything we had ever had before, but was really delicious nonetheless.
Overall I was extremely satisfied when we left and would recommend COBO to anyone looking for a great date night restaurant.
TL;DR
Great Atmosphere
Delicious food
Reasonable prices
I will be back very soon!

Was rudely told at 10:45 as me and my wife sat down that it was last call for food, not the kind of welcome I would expect from I place I plan on spending $ 50 – 90 bucks for «date night» with the wife.
I’m a respectful customer having worked in the service industry and have done my research. Unilocal says they close at 12:00 and their website says they close at 12:00 kind of misleading considering since they are open and serve food till 12:30 on Sat. Disappointed to say the least. Will call in advance if for some reason we want to come back. Across the street found a decent spot Ale house on river st. They serve food as late as they say they do. I won’t be eating sushi unless I’m in Charlotte or Raleigh… I’m using mine and my wife’s date night budget here instead.

I would actually give it a 3 ½…totally good quality, but not amazing. Tofu in my seaweed salad and a tomato slice was pretty random. Ragoons were pretty good, but needed more stuffing. I’d go back for sure, but not the best sushi ever.

I have now been here 3 times and I cannot stop raving about this place to all of my friends and my boyfriend! It has a beautiful, sophisticated interior that makes you feel as if you are in Charlotte or another big city. The service is always so friendly and knowledgeable about everything on the menu. Last but not least the sushi is delicious! By far the best I’ve ever had. I highly recommend the Yosef, Appalachian and the Philly.

This place is seriously great. The location is excellent, right in the heart of downtown Boone among other shops and eateries. The inside is awesome, rock on the walls and water, etc. wait staff are very helpful and knowledgable, willing to suggest different wines to pair with sushi, etc. good selection of wine, other drinks. The sushi is great, very fresh and well prepared. The Appalachian and the Yosef roll are two of my favorites.

Although you wouldn’t even know the store is open from the outside, when you walk in you’ll be surprised. The front door had one of those realtor locks you see on houses when they are on the market or in foreclosure, lol — that was a bit deceiving. But open the door and surprise! The Décor is a combination of natural elements with misshapen wood table tops to posh with velvet seating and sleek modern backsplash behind the bar, somehow it all comes together to a romantic and comfortable atmosphere. Staff is friendly. Menu is fairly simple — which is a plus! Total of 4 hungry guests we tried the calamari appetizer, Red Dragon, Burning Man, 720 and Crunch Time rolls. My favs were Burning Man and 720 — they were delicious. The calamari was alright. I would recommend this restaurant.

For boone, I was incredibly impressed wth the classy décor and food here. Being an alum, I asked around to what the hot new place to check out is. The overwhelming response was cobo. So we went for dinner with fairly low expectations since, again, it’s boone and so far from fresh fish. We ordered 2 rolls — red-​orange, Black dragon, and seaweed salad, squid salad, and tempura chocolate chip cookies with ginger ice cream and Wasabi whipped cream.
The service was good. Mood was great. Only complaint were the tvs. Unless there’s a big game on, a restaurant of that class shouldn’t be playing Netflix movies or TV shows…

Wonderful sushi! This is the only place in boone I have had quality sushi that I really enjoyed. They have wonderful desserts as well. The atmosphere is sexy and upbeat. Great place to take a date. My only complaint is that it’s SO much more expensive than it should be.

The food was good and the place was clean. We enjoyed the atmosphere as well. I would recommend this place to everyone who comes to visit Boone. I love their seaweed salad and the potstickers the most. If you have a chance to try them, please do so.

The food was good but not worth a 2 hour wait. The waitress and hostesses were very rude and repeatedly refused to seat us unless our party of 8 was split up into fours. Overall I was extremely disappointed in their customer service or lack there of.

Always great to find good sushi in unexpected locations — COBO delivers the trifecta — great food, ambience, and staff. A hidden gem in Boone! Whether you enjoy dinner at the bar with the big screen tv’s, chill in a booth or sit at a high top, the food is great and so are the people. If you like sushi or even Japanese entrees check it out.
Red dragon and sunrise rolls are yummy!

Some of the best sushi I’ve ever had! This place is a MUST if you’re a sushi lover like me. Amazing décor, great drink list, and rolls to die for. A+

the BEST sushi & such a great environment. I only wish that they would be open for lunch & offer more specials (instead of just doing half off after 11pm on saturdays, a little earlier would be perfect. Even if it’s only changed to 10pm)!! When I lived in Boone I would constantly be in the mood to go here. My favorite roll is the tempeh roll. tempeh is a vegetarian soy protein substitute and the roll is amazing– haven’t been able to find it anywhere else. I always add red pepper to this roll. Another favorite is the New Yorker– SO delicious! After 10+ visits here the food has been 100% consistent and amazing– I recently learned that their fish is flown in from Hawaii on the daily, very impressive and it shows!!! Love COBO can’t wait to come back & visit!
There should be a 6 star rating.

A top tier sushi bar in Boone, NC? I never thought it would happen, but it’s there… and the patrons are going in droves.
Being an alum from Appalachian State, I grew accustomed to food being just ‘okay’ in the region. Sadly this was largely acceptable to the public. Foodies like myself and my bride rejoice over a revived culinary scene and new restaurants just like Cobo.
We went this past Saturday night to spend some quality time with her parents. They had been and raved about how great the sushi was and how the service was excellent. Even though food has improved substantially, I had my doubts as sushi is one of those genres that can be very difficult to be above average, much less excellent. We had recently taken them to our favorite sushi location in uptown Charlotte where we live and they said that we would not be sorry as it was comparable. Challenge Accepted.
I was blown away by the crowd, the décor, the cleanliness, the sushi, and the staff. The place was packed but the hostess had everything nailed down and all was in order. The music felt fitting for the environment and it felt like it had a larger city vibe but with the relaxed atmosphere that we all love in Boone. It has been open for a couple months now but the place was perfectly clean, even at 9pm after a few hours of dinner service.
Now the best part. The service was excellent. Smiling faces, helpful with the menu, and nothing lacking in terms of our needs being met. I ordered the Miso Soup with tofu and it was very good. The salads going by looked great as well but it was a cooler evening so I went for the soup! We all shared the Yosef, the Burning Man, the Appalachian, the Red Dragon, and the Dynamite. My favorites were the Yosef, the Burning Man, and the Appalachian (all of which I photographed). I like complex rolls like this with great balance of fish, toppings, tight roll, with softness, and good crunch from tempura. They were very evenly put together so each bite of the roll was on point.
If you are having a later dinner as we did at 8:30ish and debating between Char and Cobo, pick Cobo. The vibe stays consistent throughout whereas Char basically turned into a club as time went on. Cobo definitely is now the new star on the block and will certainly remain a favorite to the locals. I’m back in Charlotte now but already excited to go back.
In summary, highly recommended. Go and enjoy!