Roll On Sushi Diner

I really love their creative menu and the fact that happy hour is all day on Mondays! Parking here is free on the lower level of the garage labeled for retail so major points there too.

They have so many items I still want to try like fried ice cream and the Elvis which is peanut butter, bacon, a banana egg roll, chocolate sauce, white chocolate shavings, and chili dust. For real?! I was way too full to order it when we came but next time it's on.

As for everything I did try, it was all delicious! Even a roll that I didn't want to like because it's such a rule breaker was out of this world good. The one I'm talking about is the Cholesta Roll which has chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green bean, soy paper, and white pepper gravy. A secret of mine is that I hate my food to touch so essentially this roll was my worst nightmare. It totally worked though! It tasted like a plate of southern comfort food with a fried crunchy outside. Just awesome y'all.

The brussels sprouts are also phenomenal. Yes brussels sprouts, try them I promise. I couldn't stop going back for more. The sticky ball had great flavor too.

I raved about this place to my husband and now he's excited too so we shall return on another Monday in the near future. I will be ordering the BelLychee cocktail again that's for sure. It was lychee infused sake with champagne and a lemon lime twist. So refreshing (and dangerous).

Thank you Roll On for the wonderful food and thanks to Dawn H and her hubby Bobby for the fun company (and for not laughing too hard witnessing my lack of chopstick skills)!!! It was a great night.

Came here for happy hour. Note: They do not have brussel sprouts at HH anymore. We tried the hamachos, sticky ball, and (loburn roll?). The most that I tasted was the fried crunchy goodness, which masked the flavors of the fish inside. A good fast meal when you're super hungry and have a fried sushi craving.

The cooks were very friendly and helpful even though they were almost closing.

I had a Groupon for this restaurant, so my boyfriend and I decided to check it out. Usually, I assume there's some underlying reason a restaurant is advertising through Groupon. So, I had low expectations. Well, Roll on Sushi Diner really impressed me! When we were walking up to the restaurant, I noticed it was over half full. Good sign. When you walk in, it's got a cute diner feel going for it (hence the restaurant name). We chose to sit at the counter where we could watch the sushi chefs create delicious rolls. I was impressed by the cheap prices for happy hour (nothing under $4 on the list!) and enjoyed the cute names given to the different sushi rolls.

Miso Soup: Best miso soup I've had in awhile. Perfect amount of saltiness and tofu. Loved that there were mushrooms in it. 5/5

Brussels Sprouts: I'm a huge fan of fried brussels sprouts and these are no exception. The only thing is they could use less sauce. 4/5

Panko Fried Pork Belly: Exciting because I had never had fried pork belly. It was yummy! Though, fried things aren't overly impressive. 4/5

Guaca-Rolly: So delicious. I didn't need any soy sauce! So much flavor between the guacamole, shrimp tempura, jalapeños, and chipotle mayo. 5/5

Beefy Texan Roll: This was my least favorite roll of the night (but bf's favorite, of course). It was fairly good but nothing really stood out to me. The brisket blended into the taste of the rice and just served to make the roll a little chewier. 3/5

Spicy Tuna Roll: Just a typical spicy tuna roll. Basic and yummy. 4/5

The servers were very attentive. I never had to ask for my water to be refilled and dishes were whisked away when we had finished.

At the end of the dinner, I gave in and signed up for their rewards program. Bonus points that I can choose to receive texts from the rewards program instead of carrying around some sort of punch card.

The good: Roll on Sushi is doing its part to "keep Austin weird" sushi version. I love the unique (but still classic) option offered on the menu. A must try is the Jalapeno Nigiri, not too spicy and holds a lot of flavor in each bite. Also fell in love with the edamame dipped in butter & garlic! I'm a fan of anything garlic and for some reason never thought to add it to edamame's, glad Roll on Sushi did though. Also Roll-on-Rita is a must try.

The bad: I was not a fan of the Panko-fried pork belly. Thought it was a little dry, the sauce on the side was delish though so paired together it was a bit more enjoyable.

Overall it's not your usual sushi shop so be prepared to take some "risks". You won't be let down!

The house saki is Gekkeikan. Saki is served warm to reduce the harshness. Most high quality saki is served cold. I enjoyed it because it has a nice buzz.

The Beefy Texan: (house braised brisket, wasabi coleslaw, avacado, crispy shallots, bbq aioli) The rolls are small and did not impress. It's just as described, brisket rolled in rice with bbq aioli. It's nothing special that pops out and makes your taste buds want more.

California roll: crab, cucumber, avacado. Generally this roll is served chilled, but it was warm. Many traditional rolls benefit from it being chilled. It depends on the ingredients and these ingredients called for this roll to be served chilled.

I'm not sure why every restaurant gets soy sauce wrong. Soy sauce is supposed to be refrigerated after opening, read the label next time you go grocery shopping. Refrigerated soy sauce is much more robust and full of flavor because it is preserved.

The wasabi is a little dry. The ginger is not dyed pink, thank goodness. They skimp out on these items, ask for more. The rice is a little dry and I can tell it's been sitting in the open air, it's getting a little hard. The rice is just low quality.

Wow to the Elvis dessert Egg Roll! Banana, peanut butter with bacon and chocolate syrup. This is the most delicious item I had. I would come back for this.

So what do you call it exactly when you're at every new bar & restaurant opening in town, but moan & groan how Austin's changed since you moved here - is that irony? Dichotomy? Just another day on Austin Yelp? We could have it a lot worse, you know.

But you gotta feel for people who bet it all when they open their own restaurant. They may have some leeway if it's a corporate franchise, but it's still going to be long days & nights, and the money keeps going out until customers come in. That fried arugula may indeed be the best thing since goat cheese ice cream or whatever, but if it isn't selling, something better change, or you'll be downloading that app for Team Day Job.

So among the zillion eateries here in Austin, I've always been most fascinated with the sushi places. We have a lot of them, but sometimes it seems it's not about simple fish & presentation, but colorful rolls & cute names. I get that it's easy for me to say "Less is more," and "If you filet it they will come" - I understand when Jiro comes to Austin, even he's gotta do what he's gotta do.

And this update is becoming longer than necessary, so I'll cut to the chase. Is Roll On Sushi Diner still a player? Yes. Can you still bring your sushi-wary friends here? Yes, let them go nuts with those chicken fried steak & BBQ rolls and enjoy their expressions. But can you still ask Roll On to hold the show biz and make you a serious sashimi platter? Yes, because deep in his heart of hearts, Chip Reed takes his sushi seriously, he gets great fish, and all you have to do is ask. That's pretty much what I do when I'm here.

I guess I could point out the changes I've seen during the last three years, and dole out a star for this and that. It'll be quicker just to ask me sometime. The bottom line is whatever Roll On needs to do, I'm happy they're doing it. All I really care about in my world of sushi is can they still back it up with their food. And the answer is yes. How trite would it be if I ended this with "Roll On keeps rolling on?" Nah, don't answer that, we'll just all keep moving on.

Onward and upward with my new sushi fetish. And what better way to experience and learn about this popular food than to team up with the King and Queen of Austin Sushi. Oh, you know who they are. They who are not to be named. I'm cool enough not to mention by name Errol M and Amy D. Oops.

The Beefy Texan (sounds like a Texas wrestler or a John Wayne movie but it's so much better) landed in front of me due to the owner, Chip's encouragement. Delicious brisket with a crispy slaw, shallots and spicy mayo. The Crispy Brussels Sprouts were amazing with a sweet and tangy sauce.

Sushi, I think I love you.

We bought a Groupon for this place sight unseen. Sometimes those things really pay off. So many innovative choices, but still have the classics. Great menu. Pro tip: try the Crispy Brussels Sprouts... you're welcome!

Friendly staff, clean and somewhat open location, though a little small. The location is nice, in one of the mixed use on Burnet. Bravo for doing your part to save Austin!!

All in all, a lovely dinner experience!

Service was a bit slow but friendly the first time I came; Much faster yesterday.
Atmosphere was comfortable- it's artsy with big windows in the strip under the AMLI apartments.
Parking is easy in the garage.

I was so excited to come here for dinner, especially given all the stellar reviews.
Wanted to order some simple maki rolls because sometimes, you don't feel like a fried roll with a gazillion ingredients inside.

Sometimes, you just want to enjoy some fresh fish and sushi rice.
Ugh. Really disappointed. Got the yellowtail, escolar, and salmon. The portions are TINY, the fish is not very fresh. You have better luck getting HEB sushi.

I would've given this place just 1 star based on my first experience alone, but yesterday's experience redeemed this place a little. I really only came back b/c we already bought a groupon.

This experience was better- food-wise. Realized that portions here are pretty tiny. Left the evening slightly hungry. Got tempted to go get some Torchy's queso to get full.

Cholesta Roll- it is what it is. if you like CFS, you'll like this roll, but I personally prefer an actual chicken fried steak. Esp since for $7, you only get like 1/4 of an actual CFS.

Rasta Roll- probably my favorite roll we ordered. It was creative & weird but it worked in your mouth. Blackened shrimp, pepper, mango, some other stuff I can't remember with a curry aioli sauce. Again, not REAL sushi, but I guess this is what this place specializes in. $8

Spicy salmon maki- was actually a decent portion. Pretty tasty.

Salmon Nigiri & Yellowtail Maki- just ok.

Overall- if you are acquainted with sushi & you want real sushi, this is definitely not your place. If you're looking for creative "sushi" & only eat cooked stuff, you'll probably like it here.

What do you get when you cross a sushi restaurant with a diner? Rolls named after Elvis and perhaps some mashed potatoes on your plate is what!

I attended a pre opening event at Roll on Sushi Diner and was blown away by the menu, concept and dining experience. The seating, tables, menu is all set up like a diner with chefs moving around busily preparing food.

Our waiter Logan, which he noted that he was the only male waiter at Roll On, was on top of things as he served us a tasting of 8 menu items.

The starters were the Goin' Nuts and a Spicy Tunalicious Salad. Goin' Nuts is an addicting snack mix of gold fish, wasabi peas & red hot candied peanuts. The Salad was served up in a small martini shaped glass and filled with two types of fresh cabbage, avocado, onions with a delicious Thai vinaigrette. The salad's ingredients perfectly complimented each other and the fish was a beautiful red sushi grade tuna.

Roll On Sushi serves both your traditional rolls and "Austin" fusion rolls. The three traditional rolls I tried were the California, Philly Roll and the Guaca-rolly. Both the California and the Philly were great but the stand out was the Guaca-rolly. The Guaca-rolly had tempura shrimp on the inside with a zesty guacamole and flavorful spicy tuna on top with a bit of spicy mayo drizzled on the side. I don't do to well with tempura, however the chefs prepare the shrimp light on the tempura, not overpowering the roll.

The two fusion rolls I tried were the Cholesta Roll and The Hippie. The Cholesta roll is southern comfort food at it's best. Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes rolled up, sprinkled with chives and placed in creamy gravy. The gravy was so thick and creamy, the steak tender and the mashed potatoes slightly oozing out the side and tasted like Grams used to make. The Hippie is a nice vegetarian option and more interesting that the regular old cucumber roll. The Hippie roll consists of cucumber, avocado, sprouts, shisho, rice and a few other other veggie ingredients.

Dessert was Amy's Mexican vanilla, tempura fried, with a strawberry sauce and balsamic reduction. It was 2 minutes of bliss (how long it took to devour it), shoving my spoon into the tempura shell, scooping out the ice cream and dipping in the sauce. This dish has me thinking skinny is overrated, give me mo' dessert!

The menu prices were not listed but the owner's intend for the prices to be reasonable. The plate color next to the menu item will indicate the prices. The restaurant is inside the AMLI building and there is a free parking.

I can't wait to go back after they roll out the entire menu. First on my list, the Elvis roll themed after his favorite sandwich.

(Note: The grand opening is August 18th)