Mura Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar

I've been dining here since 3 years ago and I have to say the food quality has been going down hill since a while back. I used to rave and recommend this place to people even just a year back. The restaurant is beautiful and is at a prime location..maybe that's why they are still busy. But when your food gets inconsistant, serves fishy yellowtail, and rolls that sometimes look messy(at slow hours), you start to think they really don't care. I ordered nigiri sushi from them and I think two of the chefs made them. When I got the sushi I noticed that some of the sushi was pressed so hard it tastes like rice cake and the rest were falling apart. I also know better then to bother with their arrogant managers. This place is the most expensive sushi restaurant in the triangle but they are now serving mediocre sushi that is comparable to shaba shabu, shiki sushi, wasabi bistro, and many other below average sushi joints. Atleast some of the others are not too expensive. I just noticed they also raised most of their prices. I don't mind paying extra to dine at a fancy restaurant but the food better be worth it. I live near by and visit northhills often so it's a shame but I'll just have to make the trip to my other regular sushi joints. Pros: Nice ambience and design at a prime location Cons: food not worth the money more

Make sure to try one of their special sushi rolls, a must try. It's a great spot to take a first date. Don't go here to eat and run, sit and enjoy the atmosphere, people watch, have great conversation, and eat good food! Cons: Might have to wait for seating, gets busy on a Friday/Saturday nights more

A restaurant with too much alcohol in their drinks and waiters who actually attend to you? Where do I sign up!?! I eat at Mura all the time and have never had a bad experience. I too went last Friday- there were super busy even with the fair in town, not "empty". I had the Screaming O and a Crunchy Salmon roll and they were both awesome. My carrot was cut like a butterfly and my husbands volcano roll looked like, well- a volcano. Our waiter was named Lauren, and she was one of the friendliest I have ever had.It's true there was a wait but only maybe twenty minutes or so to get sat, during which I had a peach martini which was also delicious. Normally I would not respond to somebody hating on a restaurant but I don't see how we could both be in the same place and read such a hateful review. Go Mura! Still my favorite sushi place! Pros: Best sushi Cons: Took my favorite wine off the menu :( more

I was really excited to go here. I love Japanese food and had found this place online, highly recommended. I made a reservation online, but upon getting there and despite it being empty and slow for a Friday night, the hostesses had trouble seating us. The servers actually kept coming up to our table to the point of annoyance. The sushi was okay, no artistic presentation in the actual rolls, just a garnish to distract you. My soup was way too salty - I don't know how you can mess up miso soup. I couldn't even eat it and neither could my boyfriend. The drinks were also reminiscent of a cheap college bar where they just add extra liquor to get you drunk, not exactly romantic, for me anyway. It seemed to be run by college kids who have never worked in a restaurant before,completely disappointing and took away from what could otherwise have beena cool new hotspot. Pros: convenient location Cons: everything else more

My friends took my out to dinner for my birthday and I must say that it was an awesome gift. The sushi and wasabi (not the paste) were very good and moderately priced. They have a wide selection of sushi and non-sushi items on the menu. My wife enjoyed a teriyaki chicken salad while the rest of us dove into a beautiful kane boat. Everything was great. The service was professional and knowledgeable. The atmosphere is warm and would suit any occasion. On the way in I noticed that they do have a nice sized bar and lounge area with a large sushi bar. I will definitely be going back. Pros: Fresh sushi, knowledgeable staff Cons: Parking at North Hills more

This place rocked!!! Finally got to go with some friends who have been raving about this place. We sat in the lounge area and I was surprised to see how many wonderful things were on their menu. I just thought it was a little sushi joint, but it's not. This place has everything from sushi to Kobe beef. The waiter suggested the screaming "O" Roll and Piano roll since all I wanted was sushi and both were excellent. Definitely want to try some of the non sushi items on the menu next time. Can't wait to go back. Make sure to call ahead if you have a large party. The place was pretty busy and we did have a bit of a wait before we sat. Make sure to ask for the fresh wasabi!!! Pros: Real wasabi Cons: parking more

Mura's dining experience is top notch. The dining room's decor is inviting and tasteful, but if you like a more "public" dining experience, the lounge and sushi bar are great places to sit as well. The sushi was fantastic. I highly recommend the piano roll for avocado lovers and the surf and turf roll is a personal favorite that boasts a sliver of steak across the top of each piece. The service is always prompt, friendly and courteous. By far one of the best dining experiences in Raleigh and THE best sushi in Raleigh. Pros: great environment, great food, friendly people. Great location at North Hills plaza Cons: none to think of more

I was taken to Mura by a coworker for lunch. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the food. The piano roll was excellent!! Service was very quick and nice decor too. Not the cheapest place in town, but definitely worth the price. more

I've never felt strongly enough to write a restaurant review before but I want to warn people how awful Mura is. I was EXTREMELY disappointed in the Spider roll that came with my sushi/roll combo. It had 2 1" long bits of soft shell crab in the whole roll (sticking out the ends) and these bits had almost triple the amount of tempura proportionate to the soft shell crab. The rest of the roll had the fake crab stuff. Definitely not an improvement on the traditional Spider roll. The sashimi pieces were large, but one was old - not worth $25!!! Cons: Expensive, bad sushi more

I just ate at Mura with a friend. The decor is nice. The hostess was somewhat unfriendly. I had the Mura roll and my friend had the O roll. Both were great. I also had the miso soup, which was just ok. Our server was super, Tyler. He was very helpful and gave us some great suggestions. Overall, I liked it, but is not my favorite sushi place in raleigh. Pros: Good variety Cons: Crappy hostess -- but maybe she was having a bad day. more

we've tried every sushi place in town! Mura is the best. We like it. We like it a lot! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm more

I Just came back from Muras and it was great! I had their O roll and the roll with avocado on it (i don't remember the name). I didn't even know they were there, used to go to other sushi places, but the place was rockin for a thursday night! i have told everyone to check it out and someone said put it on citysearch, so here i am! they even had a live guitar singer.. too cool.. i am a fan now... the only thing is, sushi took a little while, but it was worth it... more

I read the other two reviews, and I can't disagree more. I was also at the sushi event at Mura, and because the line was long, I didn't get any sushi, but when I told the servers about it, they offered me a gift card, refunding all my money for my trouble. more

"So what if you have good sushi, is it worth it if you are treated poorly as a customer? Mura has a nice atmosphere and pretty good sushi, but their hostesses and wait staff are snobby and rude. I keep going back hoping to have a better experience than the last, but each time I return I am more disappointed than before. I think I am going to give up on this place changing. There are just as good places around to get sushi that do not make you feel inadequate (Shiki and Akashi in Durham, Sono in Raleigh which ironically is owned by Mura but they seem to be a bit nicer). Mura needs to learn how to treat their customers with respect and realize customers are a big portion what makes their business a success. " Pros: O Roll, close to my house Cons: Terrible service will ruin your meal more

So what if you have good sushi, is it worth it if you are treated poorly as a customer? Mura has a nice atmosphere and pretty good sushi, but their hostesses and wait staff are snobby and rude. I keep going back hoping to have a better experience than the last, but each time I return I am more disappointed than before. I think I am going to give up on this place changing. There are just as good places around to get sushi that do not make you feel inadequate (Shiki and Akashi in Durham, Sono in Raleigh which ironically is owned by Mura but they seem to be a bit nicer). Mura needs to learn how to treat their customers with respect and realize customers are a big portion what makes their business a success. more

Loved the food and the knowledgeable and attentive personnel. Would most definitely recommend the seafood salad and any of the maki rolls. Ask for the home made wasabi. It's a little extra, but well worth it. I doubt there is another restaurant in the area that offers this alternative to the pea-grean horseradish paste that usually accompanies sushi. The quiet and subdued atmosphere inside the restaurant was a welcome contrast to the pace of the North Hills shopping center where the restaurant is located. Will certainly visit this wonderful spot again. Pros: Sushi is fresh and authentic. Fresh wasabi! Cons: Restaurant is located in a busy shopping center. more

This was my first experience of eating sushi. I just loved it!!! Mura's is a very upper class restaurant that makes you feel like you belong there. They service was great.. more

I didn't think I could love Sushi so much. Everything I sampled here was excellent and bursting with flavor. The drinks were well made and the waiter was knowlegable of the wines. I highly reccomend Mura. Pros: Exciting food Cons: None more

LOVE the blue lights at the bar. Good food. Nice staff. BUT... try to reserve their tatami room and they act like THEY'RE doing YOU a favor. They demand a 20% tip (I thought tips were for good service after the fact!!), won't separate checks more than 4 times, then tell you you have an hour and a half time limit. Seems they take care of THEMSELVES, not the customer. Pros: Ambience Cons: Snobby owner, have THEIR best interests in mind (not the customer's) more

I'm sorry, but I am going to have to disagree with most of the reviews on here. I thought the sushi was below average at best. First of all, sushi should not come out less than 10 minutes after you order it. Maybe some people like that but I think it's a sign of pre-made rolls. The restaurant was busy yet our three rolls came out in less than 10 minutes. Plus, they were SMOTHERED in sauces. Sauces that were bland and uninventive. It seemed like they were trying to cover up the fact that their fish wasn't fresh. Speaking of the fish, there was barely any in or on the rolls. Our server barely spoke to us and when he did he would quickly turn away as if he was too busy to chat with us. I will never go back. If you want high quality sushi go to Waraji. It is by far the best sushi in Raleigh and puts Mura to shame when it comes to food and service. Pros: trendy look and feel Cons: food, service more