Uchiba Is My Favorite Of The Uchi Restaurant Empire
I recently went on a double date to Uchiba Austin, and I feel compelled to write a quick blog post about why this restaurant is in my top 10 in Austin right now. It was the most magical evening of food, service, drinks, ambiance, and fun. And although the Uchi restaurant group is nothing new (they’ve been around since Chef Tyson Cole started the original Uchi in 2003!), they seem to be thriving more these days than ever before. Here’s why I think you need to book a reservation at Uchiba.
About me: I’m Kelsey, a bestselling travel book author and the creator of 3 Texas travel websites. As a native Texan, I spend my own time and money exploring this state to help millions of readers find the best food, things to do, places to stay in Austin and beyond. Check out my other sites: TheSanAntonioThings.com and TheWacoThings.com!
The Space: Downtown Austin Buildout In a Modern Highrise
It’s no surprise that Austin restaurants are spending more and more on their buildouts. Uchiba was a brand new restaurant in fall 2023 at the ground floor of Block 185 highrise, aka the “Sailboat Building” on the edge of Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin.
The design is completely original, but the decor mimics the original Uchi on South Lamar, except instead of the iconic red wallpaper, Uchiba’s walls are covered in a similar pattern but in a tan/black color scheme.
From the seductive lighting, the low-seating lounge area, and the sushi bar tucked in the back to the large central bar, every part of Uchiba just feels sexy. It’s a beautiful restaurant space.
What Makes Uchiba Different From Uchi or Uchiko?
Uchiba loosely translates to “Uchi Bar,” and from the beginning they’ve called this one a Japanese Izakaya. It still features the hot and cool tastings you’d find at Uchi or Uchiko, and there’s a robust sushi program, including sushi flown in from Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo.
But the difference at Uchiba is it’s a bit more Izakaya-focused, which roughly means “stay-drink-place” in Japanese. So you’ll find skewers, buns, sliders, and a wide selection of Japanese whisky. It’s all meant to be shared, almost tapas-style, with the table. Which makes dining here on a double date really fun because you get to order a bunch of stuff and share it all.
The Best Part Of Uchiba: Perfect Pairs
This concept is so simple yet so much fun! I don’t know why more restaurants don’t do it.
Perfect Pairs is a section on Uchiba’s menu that features 1 bite + 1 small drink, paired together. There are a couple options available, and each one is meant for one person (not to be shared with the table like most other things on the menu.)
When we dined, every guest at our table ordered our own perfect pair. And they were, well…perfect!
I got the corndog + sapporo shandy, just because it sounded so fun. And it was! It was the fanciest corndog bite of my life, served with miso mustard and jalapeno aioli, and the perfect little sip of sapporo shandy on the side.
My friend ordered the oyster + martini with mignonette onion. It was the cutest little martini to pair with a single oyster.
Uchiba Delivers The BEST Hospitality, Every Time
When you confirm your reservation at Uchiba, they ask you if you’d like to upload a photo so they can greet you by first name when you walk in the door. Just so you can feel like you’re a VIP, the "1% of the 1%" if you will, for one night.
We were seated at our table and our server came to chat with us about the menu. When it became clear that we had more questions than answers, she grabbed a pen from her pocket and said, “ok, I’m not technically supposed to do this, but I’m going to write on your menu.”
She proceeded to make little notes all over the menu of top 3 sushi items to order, how many pieces/buns/bao come in every order, how much to get of everything, etc. It was so helpful because she basically created our own little tasting menu for us, and and we all kept referencing that menu all night when we needed to order more food.
Uchiba was slammed during our dinner reservation, and I could tell our server was working hard. But it was clear that everyone on staff in the building, including every food runner who brought us our next dish, was well trained in the menu and details. We were given a careful explanation of every dish as it was placed on our table.
Once, a few seconds after a runner placed our nigiri dish on the table, our server popped over and said, “wait, did he tell you how to eat this one? Be sure to flip it upside-down so the fish melts on your tongue a little bit.” I loved that she gave us that detail.
I’ve mentioned this before, but it seems that it’s getting harder to find absolutely incredible hospitality while dining out in Austin.
Yet that’s exactly why we dine out…for the experience. We pay these high ticket prices for a meal, but not just for great food. (You can obviously get great food for a much lower bill, if that’s the goal.)
We want to feel cared for, just for a couple hours. And we want a beautiful, memorable space. And a friendly, helpful human to help guide our meal.
With mandatory gratuity being added in more and more often, even for fast-service and counter-service meals, it just feels nice to have a really good reason to add that tip at the bottom of the check.
Of All The Hai Hospitality Restaurants, Uchiba Is My Favorite
I love the original sushi experience at Uchi, and I think that Uchiko is the coziest of all the restaurants. And Loro is forever one of my favorite casual patios and kid-friendly restaurants in Austin.
But Uchiba is my favorite of the Uchi restaurants right now. I think it’s the perfect combination of upscale sushi experience + unique menu items. I love that I can get all of the sushi offerings and hot + cool tastings that I’d find at the other Hai Hospitality restaurants, but I can also enjoy the fried chicken sliders, bao buns, and those amazing Perfect Pairs.
It’s not stuffy or overly formal. Uchiba is just fun!
Uchiba Austin, 601 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701 | WEBSITE
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