Tanaka Japanese Restaurant

Tiny place, great flavor! The real deal sushi

Tanaka is one of the higher rated Japanese restaurants OTP. It is located in an unassuming shopping center that is half empty and half filled with ethnic oriented businesses. I have skipped over it on Unilocal for no reason in the past and finally decided to take the plunge. Ordered the lunch special of chicken teriyaki, which comes with a sushi roll, salad and miso soup. The miso soup was pretty good, while the dressing for the salad was not as good. The sushi roll seemed sub-​par compared to the other reviews I had read on Unilocal.I attribute this to the fact that it was the most generic roll since it comes as a side on a lunch special. It is probable that the roll was pre-​made too, although it had a vibrant look to it with the fish egg decoration topping. The chicken itself was pretty average too. Inside the place it was small and they had normal table seating with an additional 4 – 5 seats at the bar. The staff was friendly and the inside was clean. No unique decorations, but not overwhelming with the stereotypical Japanese look either. The clientele seemed to consist primarily of business people, at least at the hour I stopped by. Will have to give this place another shot so look out for an updated review in the future.

Thanks to the Talk Board, I found this gem in a corner of an unassuming strip mall. It can be difficult to find, but it’s an absolute must try if you enjoy traditional Japanese fare. The quality of the sushi was absolutely first rate. In the short time that we have lived in Marietta-​Roswell-​Alpharetta, this is the undoubtedly the best sushi joint. The freshness was amazing.

This is the best sushi place I’ve been to. Ever. EVER! It’s always busy, so get there early. I’ve only gotten their sushi, nothing else, and have been impressed every time. One time, my husband had the sushi chef pick his selections. The waitress came back to our table to ask us a question, and pointed to their (top-​secret/​cool) menu that was in Japanese. Us, not understanding any Japanese, nodded and agreed that it sounded good. And oh man it was. No clue what it was though! We go back as often as we can, and show it off to friends. Great prices too. Check it out!

Visited Tanaka for the first time. It’s tucked away in a corner of a strip mall, hard to see from the street. We didn’t have reservations, but there were tables available (It was the middle of the week). It’s a small place but comfortable. There’s a small sushi bar looks like about 6 seats, only 1 person was at the bar. We only saw two servers but they were able to handle the room. We started off with cucumber salad then shared a «karokke (sp?)» stuffed with crab. Maybe the best I’ve ever had! (Including the ones I’ve had in LA!) Creamy and rich! They have Black Cod (broiled) on the menu, one of my favorites. I Think it’s flavored with miso. Really enjoyed this piece. Spicy tuna roll was really spicy!
My companion had a selection of Sashimi, she was very pleased with it.
We spent about 40 each, but felt it was well spent (no alcohol).
I think you’ll be surprised at the image of the sushi rolls, they are kind of «loose», they held together but not nice and tight. But, every roll we had was very tasty!
We’ll be back!

I go here a couple times a month, usually for lunch. I love sushi and this food is always fresh. They have lunch specials that are a good bargain because you get a LOT of food and it’s always nicely presented. If I had one complaint it is that sometimes (not always), they get a little backed up, so it’s better to get in before noon or after one if you’re short on time.

I have been going to Tanaka for years and love the family owned vibe this restaurant gives me. Most Japanese restaurants that I have been to either are not authentic or try to sell their authenticity to you to the point where the restaurant does not feel very honest. The food is always great and i always leave feeling satisfied. I don’t quite agree with some of the comments regarding the portion sizes. It seems that the ones complaining about the portion sizes are just used to the over wasting amounts of food other restaurants seem to give. part of the American dream i suppose. Im guessing they can go to McDonalds for Super Size options. Anyways. Great restaurant!

V good food, authentic Japanese setting, sushi bar staffed by whom I assume is Tanaka-​san and a supporting sushi chef. I lived in Tokyo three years and loved these small, family style places. For lunch Chirashi lunch is bowl of rice w assortment of sashimi on top for $ 17. I also like the salmon teriyaki lunch ($ 11) which I unusually upgrade to dinner portion.

Sushi used to scare me. The idea of raw fish was so unappealing to me. Then my best friend convinced me to go to Tanaka.
This is the restaurant that made me LOVE sushi.
While it looks super modest from the outside — all but hidden from Alpharetta Hwy — this place is a gem. Limited seating, but incredible quality. I’ve been going there for years now and the food and service is always super consistent. I’ve heard nothing but good things about their other food, though I typically stick to seaweed salad and as much sushi as I can handle. They’ve got some really good lunch pricing as well and I frequented it for lunch when I lived closer.
Awesome quality food OTP, moderate price tag, and authentic.
Great, Now I’m craving sushi…

Great quality food.
Tanaka is a family-​owned restaurant, and the employees are always very polite.
I usually order their tempura udon soup because I love their particular udon recipe. The only downside is that this is a small location. If you’re planning on going there with a group of 6 or more I would highly recommend calling in a reservation or arriving around 5pm before they fill up.

What a great hidden gem! For less than $ 40 my finance and I were able to eat delicious miso soup and salad, a rainbow roll and crunchy salmon roll and salmon nigiri. The rolls were very good and the service was quick. Presentation wasn’t over the top but at the end of the day taste is more important. I am giving this 3 stars because there is a lot of fantastic sushi in Atlanta. If this place were elsewhere I might be giving it 4 or 5 stars.

I have yet to find a better sushi restaurant in the Atlanta area. Small, quaint environment with consistently fresh and amazing sushi. My go to place and a must for sushi enthusiasts.

We visited Tanaka today for the first time. We enjoyed the meals and the sushi rolls. Very good quality ingredients. However the service was too slow. The ladies were overwhelmed and could not take care of our order or other requests in a timely manner. Very friendly though…

I can not believe I haven’t reviewed Tanaka yet!
A visit to Tanaka is a MUST for us anytime we find ourselves in the Roswell area.
It is a lovely hole in the wall authentic Japanese restaurant, we schedule our visits around lunchtime and pretty much always opt for the Sashimi Tempura Bento box. It is consistently good and a great value.
I highly recommend that if you like sushi and find yourself in the Roswell area that you find a way to have a meal here.

Great fresh snapper, best snapper sushi I’ve had in some time; hamachi was good too, also extremely fresh.
Loved the gyoza as well, and their green tea tasted very nice.
Simple interior, nothing special, somewhat hidden off Alpharetta Highway.
The sushi wasn’t the prettiest presentation, but it was great quality for sure!
Service was a bit odd initially, I think our waiter was in a bad mood? But we ordered tons and then he seemed fine.

I do not eat sushi but my girlfriend does. She is pretty accommodating in terms of what she eats but when we visit here it’s officially classified as «going out».
She has eaten sushi around the world and says this si the best in North Atlanta hands down.

This cozy little restaurant did not have the same menu we were craving (Japanese curries and seasoned tofu udon), but they served up a delightful lunch all the same. We ordered the fried tofu appetizer, which came out in a soy and vinegar dipping sauce with seasoned seaweed shredded on top. I was skeptical of the flavor combination at first, but it provided a very balanced bite that I enjoyed greatly. My wife ordered tempura udon, which she mostly enjoyed. She wanted a hot broth noodle for the cold day, but the tempura was not as good as she had hoped. Without seasoned tofu, udon can just never be the same! I had the pork chop rice bowl, which was pretty good. The onions definitely stole the dish, drowning out some of the other flavors and leaving a fairly heavy aftertaste, but the pork chop was done well and the rice was good as well.
I have a feeling that if we were more into sushi and sashimi we would have enjoyed this location more, but they do make a small menu of dishes they do quite well.

As do most Sushi lovers, I fancy myself a Sushi connoisseur and active Sushi snob.
I shouldn’t share this secret, but this is the best Sushi restaurant in Atlanta in terms of the quality of the Sushi and preparation of items. In the US maybe San Francisco is on par. The fish here is FRESH and top grade. The Chef has been creating Sushi for decades and is a Master of masters.
Spicy Tuna Nigiri, Spicy Scallop Nigiri, Dynamite Roll, Tobiko with Quail Egg Nigiri, Spicy Crunchy Tuna Roll, Spicy Mexican Roll, Yellowtail Nigiri– my go-to’s. The lunch specials and bento boxes are spectacular. Outstanding Miso Soup, we buy their homemade Ginger Dressing by the quart.
Don’t let the location fool you– Small, quiet, tucked in an unexpected strip mall– you can tell by the high percentage of Asian clientele that this is legit– not some New Age Asian Fusion Americanized fare. Tables and a sushi bar with maybe 6 or 7 stools.
Highly recommended but don’t take my table!

Small little place tucked away in the corner of Roswell Festival Shopping Center. It’s great quality Japanese style cooking including sushi, rolls and udon. I make it a point to stop by when I’m in the area because who does not like good Japanese food?
I start with Agedashi Tofu and Shumai then move onto Spicy Tuna Roll and finish with Nabeyaki Udon. My friends like their Don Katsu (pork medallions served with broccoli and bean sprouts with white rice). I used to get sushi and Udon combo but they don’t offer it anymore on the menu. I might end with green tea ice cream depending on time.
It gets crowded so get there early for lunch or if alone just sit at the bar. I have not tried their Omakase so that will be something to do next time. Happy Sushing!

Great surprise! caught me off guard here.
My wife and I was getting our car tinted across the street from this restaurant, and just out of curiosity and being a lunch hour, we decided to try Tanaka. The space seemed small, but very typical of what you’ll find in Japan. (or tad bit bigger) It’s not so friendly having to carry a baby in a car seat to dine in. The staff was friendly, nothing to write home about.
Miso soup served is Shiro miso, a white version which I rarely see now a days. Most places serve aka miso a bit more stronger in taste, but shiro miso is more delicate for my taste. Wife liked it too.
Side salad’s ginger sauce is vastly an improvement over other restaurant where the main focus is the sweetness, but you can actually taste the bitterness of the ginger at Tanaka. I loved it, my wife preferred the sweeter version at the other restaurants.
We ordered Chirashi and bento box, the portions were good and the sashimi grade was cut above from average. I can’t say it’s one of the best ones, but the basics of making, cutting fish and other ingredient was well practiced. Tamago (egg) was obviously made in-​house and their Saba (Mackerel) was very good! Not overwhelmed with the vinegar, you can actually taste the delicacy of the fish itself.
Overall, very pleasant surprise and will definitely come back if we are in the area.