Restaurant

Blue Ribbon Sushi

Name: Blue Ribbon Sushi
Address: 500a Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, US
Price range: $$$$

Blue Ribbon Sushi is one of the best sushi restaurants in Boston for date night, especially if you want a strong option in Back Bay.

Blue Ribbon Sushi isn't a Boston original — it's a New York institution's first move into the city, and that lineage matters.

Editorial review•Nov 6, 2025

Blue Ribbon Sushi isn't a Boston original — it's a New York institution's first move into the city, and that lineage matters. The Bromberg brothers launched the original Blue Ribbon Sushi in Manhattan in 1995, building it around the vision and technique of the late Master Sushi Chef Toshi Ueki, whose spirit remains the explicit guiding force of the brand. The Boston outpost opened in Kenmore Square on June 23, 2022, anchored to Hotel Commonwealth at 500A Commonwealth Ave — technically on the Back Bay–Fenway border, steps from Fenway Park. This is a 120-seat room built with evident intention: handmade Japanese red brick cladding, walnut tables, walls of imported Japanese ceramic tile, and a back room mural by artist Katherine Meredith depicting a Japanese wave scene with Boston elements and a boat carrying Toshi himself. That mural isn't decoration; it's an argument about what the restaurant considers its own history. The menu pairs traditional sushi — nigiri, sashimi, maki — with cooked plates that reflect the Brombergs' French-American instincts: Atlantic salmon with yuzu beurre blanc, filet with black truffle sauce, prime New York strip with sansho butter. This is a room for people who want serious fish and aren't opposed to a steak. The dishes that define Blue Ribbon Sushi's reputation here track closely to what the New York location built its name on, translated to the Boston room. The Blue Ribbon roll — lobster, shiso, and black caviar — is the signature maki, a combination that signals the kitchen's price point and its ambitions simultaneously. Among starters, the crispy rice with spicy tuna is the item diners consistently point to as the entry-level test of the kitchen's standards: the contrast of textures and the tuna preparation are what the dish is known for across the brand. The miso butter sea scallops and fried chicken wings with wasabi honey round out a starter section that leans into the Bromberg habit of mixing Japanese technique with crowd-friendly formats. For dessert, the Chocolate Bruno — named for one of the founders — has followed the brand from New York and functions as a loyalty marker for regulars who know the original. The back room, with Meredith's mural, is where you want to be for a longer meal — request it when you book, particularly on nights when the Fenway crowd creates volume at the bar. The move that regulars returning from the New York location tend to prioritize: anchor the table with the Blue Ribbon roll and the crispy rice, then let the nigiri selection do the heavy lifting in the middle of the meal rather than loading up on maki. Reservations via OpenTable are available and advisable on game nights, when Kenmore Square absorbs a considerable crowd that the room isn't built to absorb at walk-in pace. Call ahead: (617) 264-0410.

Marcus Chen, Senior Restaurant Critic

Methodology•Boston guides•Editorial team

date night

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Taste ID

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Rating (Google) 9.2

415 reviews

Boston

At a glance

The fastest read on whether this place fits tonight.

9.2

Rating

Based on 415 reviews

Best for

date night

Price and pace

Splurge territory

Neighborhood

Back Bay · 500a Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Price

Splurge territory

Google rating

9.2 from 415 reviews

Address

Back Bay | 500a Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Watch

Blue Ribbon Sushi on video

Short: Zackaryeats (third-party feature) · plays on YouTube

Video: Blue Ribbon Restaurants (third-party feature) · plays on YouTube

Short: Laura Crowe (third-party feature) · plays on YouTube

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Video: Playbook Production (third-party feature) · plays on YouTube

What to order

Signature dishes at Blue Ribbon Sushi

Blue Ribbon roll (lobster, shiso, black caviar)

Crispy rice with spicy tuna

Miso butter sea scallops

Fried chicken wings with wasabi honey

Chocolate Bruno (dessert)

Why go

What makes Blue Ribbon Sushi worth the move

Blue Ribbon Sushi looks like a good night-out option in Back Bay in Boston because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Blue Ribbon roll (lobster, shiso, black caviar) and Crispy rice with spicy tuna also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 415 Google reviews.

What to know fast

Public rating

9.2 from 415 Google reviews

Best for

date night

Style

Sushi in Back Bay

Spend

Splurge territory

Best for

date night

Know before you go

Google rating: 9.2 from 415 reviews

Popular dishes: Blue Ribbon roll (lobster, shiso, black caviar), Crispy rice with spicy tuna, Miso butter sea scallops

Website linked on this page

TastyPals Reviews

What diners are saying

0 diner reviews · reviewed by Marcus Chen for Blue Ribbon Sushi

Google snapshot

9.2 from 415 reviews

TastyPals notes

Editorial review by Marcus Chen

No diner notes for Blue Ribbon Sushi yet.

Every note in this section is written by a diner who actually ate here, so we leave it empty until there's a genuine one to share.

For now, Blue Ribbon Sushi holds a 9.2 rating across 415 Google reviews.

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Plan the visit

Quick details

Visit Website Directions

Address: 500a Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Price: $$$$
TastyPals score: Coming soon
Google rating: 9.2 (415 reviews)
Cuisine: Sushi
Neighborhood: Back Bay

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Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does Blue Ribbon Sushi serve?

Blue Ribbon Sushi is a Sushi restaurant located in Back Bay, Boston. Blue Ribbon Sushi isn't a Boston original — it's a New York institution's first move into the city, and that lineage matters.

What is Blue Ribbon Sushi best for?

Blue Ribbon Sushi is best for date night. Blue Ribbon Sushi looks like a good night-out option in Back Bay in Boston because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Blue Ribbon roll (lobster, shiso, black caviar) and Crispy rice with spicy tuna also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 415 Google reviews.

How much does it cost to eat at Blue Ribbon Sushi?

Blue Ribbon Sushi is in the Splurge territory price range ($$$$). Google rating: 9.2 from 415 reviews

What should I order at Blue Ribbon Sushi?

Start with Blue Ribbon roll (lobster, shiso, black caviar), Crispy rice with spicy tuna, Miso butter sea scallops and Fried chicken wings with wasabi honey. These dishes are shown from TastyPals notes or restaurant data on this page.

Is Blue Ribbon Sushi worth visiting?

Blue Ribbon Sushi holds a 9.2 Google rating from 415 reviews. Blue Ribbon Sushi looks like a good night-out option in Back Bay in Boston because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Blue Ribbon roll (lobster, shiso, black caviar) and Crispy rice with spicy tuna also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 415 Google reviews.

Where is Blue Ribbon Sushi located?

Blue Ribbon Sushi is located at 500a Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Directions are available via Google Maps.

Is Blue Ribbon Sushi good for a date night?

Yes — Blue Ribbon Sushi is tagged for date night dining. Blue Ribbon Sushi looks like a good night-out option in Back Bay in Boston because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Blue Ribbon roll (lobster, shiso, black caviar) and Crispy rice with spicy tuna also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 415 Google reviews.

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