Bonzai - Kirksville, Missouri

Lia U.

My fiancé and I come here as often as we can since it was the place we had our first dinner date. We have never had a bad experience and the food is always spectacular.

Ben F.

I always enjoy grabbing sushi rolls for my wife and I for lunch. They are always so helpful and friendly. 10 out of 10 do recommend

UPDATE- Went and had a sit down dinner on Saturday night. Had to wait a little bit which is normal for Saturday evening. Greeted with a warm welcome. Great people with a great vibe and great food. Been doing take out for a while and they stepped it up with the dine in setup. The rolls were absolutely delicious and the Bang Bang shrimp appetizer is phenomenal! If you want sushi rolls in kirksville, this is the spot. Pictures of Bang Bang shrimp, OMG Tuna Roll, and Crispy Cream Roll. The deep fried rolls are to die for

Carl L.

It’s easy to be hesitant when eating at a sushi place that is new and not in your hometown or an area you are familiar with, but we heard lots of great things about it and the hype was true! It’s a small, cozy environment. Service was prompt and friendly. The atmosphere was exactly what we expected and the food was all top notch. We even tried the sake which was served in a traditional manner.

Pictured is their Special Roll, but we also had the NYC Roll, Mt. Bonsai, and Firecracker Roll. The last was supposed to be their spiciest and it did have heat, but a good kind that doesn’t overpower the senses. Definitely plan to come back (assuming they are open since hours vary) the next time we are in town.

Kevin M.

I’m happy that I am able to pay this restaurant the highest compliment I possibly can—it’s CONSISTENT.

Every single time you eat here—it will be EXACTLY the same. And that’s VERY hard to find.

Plenty of other reviews will tell you how excellent the food is. But this place shocks me with how standard their processes must be to deliver such a consistent product, ever time, no matter what day or who is working. That’s a mark of true excellence in the food industry.

Iris K.

Absolutely delicious food! I come here atleast once a week and it's my favorite thing ever!! Price is a bit high, but expected for good food!

Chase A.

It’s quite delicious, it’s not like any mid-western sushi place! Real Authentic! Worth a visit for sure!!!

Richard J. V.

Rating: 4.7 Stars

Update 11/18/2021: This place is still fantastic. I had to go again when I was in town for work. I again ordered the A.T. Still Roll and California Roll! At this visit, the environment was very festive for Christmas. It is hard to beat the quality, quantity, and price!

This place is fantastic. Although they have odd hours and the inside ambiance leaves a little to be desired, I will forgive it because it is downtown Kirksville and because of the quality of the sushi. I have been to expensive sushi places in big cities, and I frankly find this sushi superior. I have ordered the A.T. Still Roll, California Roll, and Spicy California Roll. The quality is fantastic, and it is also a nice quantity. Best of all, the price is very reasonable. Their menu and sushi offerings are quite extensive, so it would be worthwhile trying other ones. When I am back in Kirksville, I will definitely be back. Hopefully, they are open when I stop by.

Collin V.

TLDR: Try the sumo roll, the Truman roll, the spider roll, and anything tempura. Lunch is take-out only. Get a reservation for Friday or Saturday evening.

MENU: Bonzai has an extensive menu, complete with most of the things you customarily find at a sushi spot.

Let's talk about how confusing the text of the menu itself is. If I were to mention "orange sauce", what would you think that is? You might assume it's a sauce made with orange juice, maybe something like Americanized Chinese style orange chicken. But it isn't. It's actually spicy mayo. Likewise the "white sauce" is plain mayo, and the "brown sauce" is some sort of teriyaki glaze. They insist on giving rolls quirky names that don't tell you anything about what the dish actually includes, so if you're new to the menu, you're going to spend an hour reading and re-reading a dense list of the same dozen or so ingredients in very slightly different combinations. Look at the menu online and decide what you want in advance.

COMPETITION: Now that we have two sushi places in town, I can't help but compare them. IMO, both are good, and are both worth visiting for different things, depending on what you like.

Go to Bonzai: for OMG tuna or OMG salmon (both are better than the tuna lover/salmon lover versions at Mizu); for unagi (grilled eel); for masago (flying fish roe - better than it sounds); for soft-shell crab; for anything tempura, including whole deep-fried rolls; if you like seaweed salad but don't want it watered down with iceberg lettuce (otherwise, it's the same restaurant supply product at both places). Overall, Bonzai has a much better diversity of options.

Go to Mizu: for the yum yum sauce, that alone is worth the trip; for fried calamari; for gyoza; for their seafood salads (the tuna mango tataki it my favorite); for escolar or anything with smoked salmon; and for larger portions in general. IMO, the dishes at Mizu tend to have a fancier presentation, if you dine-in. Overall, their sushi options are kinda same-same. They're also open seven days a week.

FOOD QUALITY: Can't complain, except that it seems clear to me that they have gotten more stingy with filling ingredients in the last year or two.

MENU FAVORITES: When it comes to sushi, standouts for me are the Truman roll (unagi and California salad), the fried Philly, and the spider roll (fried soft-shell crab) - my personal favorite roll is the sumo roll. I highly recommend any of the tempura items, and I especially love the seasoned dipping sauce that comes with it - they give you a generous portion, and I always save about 2/3 of it to use in a homemade meal such as scrambled eggs; same with the extra soy sauce, I haven't bought a bottle in forever because I have so much of it from this restaurant, because I usually get food to go.

MENU FAILS: I just think it's odd that the sign outside describes the restaurant as a steakhouse... I mean, steak is the first thing on the list, and maybe that was true in ancient times, but in the eleven years I have lived in the area, I don't recall ever seeing steak of any kind on the menu.

FRONT OF HOUSE SERVICE: The main staff are (I suppose) a husband and wife team. Both are cordial and efficient. No complaints. The restaurant itself is small, and on more than on occasion I have seen a line queuing up before they open at 5:15pm - if you want to be guaranteed a place, especially on a Friday or Saturday evening, get a reservation. Lunch is take-out only.

KITCHEN SERVICE: I have to say, they are superb when it comes to consistency, on the whole. There was one occasion when I ordered the OMG salmon and it came covered in a PILE of chopped scallions, but I chalk that up to training a new hire. Overall, everything I have gotten here has been well prepared, and accurate to what was ordered (which isn't easy, given the dozens of slightly different variations of rolls to choose from.)

ATMOSPHERE: The restaurant is always dimly lit, which I find a little annoying, especially with the black walls. The decor is nice, if a little plastic. A+ for really clean bathrooms.