Went here with my mom cause she recommended it and was pleasantly surprised, the atmosphere was amazing, the people working were all friendly especially our server. She was very friendly & talkative which I enjoyed. She checked on us the perfect amount. The dim sum sampler was delicious, the chicken pad Thai was also very delicious it was also the perfect portion for one. My mom got their salmon bento box and she really enjoyed it, she got her salmon cooked medium well and it was perfect.

The server was not very pleasant and seemed impatient. The sushi was good, and the dim sum was ok. The presentation of both was great, the sushi especially looked nice. The price wasn't worth the overall experience, though. I would be willing to try other items on the menu, provided a different server waited on me.

We were impressed with the Bento Box! The sushi was delicious and fresh and nicely plated. We got several different rolls and they were all great! We also tried the chocolate potsticker dessert and the mochi ice cream, both really good!

My husband and I were seated quickly. The tables are kind of close. Next time, we might sit at the bar, but it didn't deter us from staying. Be careful with the menus. If you drop one, you might break a toe. They weigh at least 5lbs, lol. We ordered crab salad, veggie egg roll, Hawaiian crunch roll, and salmon tempura roll. Our waitress was very attentive, knowledgeable, and always had our drinks full. The food came quickly and was fantastic. We will be back.

Beautiful spot with a huge sushi bar, and alcohol! Between two people we devoured 4 specialty rolls. I could eat this everyday! Friendly staff and not too high prices. Highly recommend!

The food looks better than it tastes. The hot and sour soup was bizarre. It had weird small noodles floating on top. Too sour also, & very small portion considering it was an upcharge. The chicken bento box: chicken was dry and over browned. Terriaki sauce was nicely flavored, not too sweet. The dumplings were good. The California roll was standard. Salad was not overdressed with a very mild ginger dressing. My companion had the shrimp "tempura," except it wasn't. The shrimp was Panko breaded. The tempura veges were somewhat oily. Otherwise, the restaurant was cold but seemed clean with modern decor. But I won't be back for these high prices for mediocre food.

The Bento Box Sushi Bar and Asian Kitchen is where my love for sushi began a few years ago, and it’s still my favorite spot! A friend recommended it when I decided to try sushi for the first time, and I’m so glad they did. I started simple with a salmon cream cheese roll and a tuna roll, and they were absolutely delicious!

Since then, I’ve tried sushi at other restaurants, but nothing compares to the quality and atmosphere at The Bento Box. The food is always fresh, and the vibe is welcoming and next level. I also love their lunch specials—they’re a great deal and perfect for a midday treat.

On my most recent visit, I brought my 11-year-old son, Wesley, who’s crazy about sushi. He loved watching the chefs prepare the sushi at the bar, and the chefs were so kind, chatting with him and even offering a free dessert since it was his first time there. Moments like that make this place truly special.

If you’re looking for incredible sushi and top-notch service, The Bento Box is a must-visit. We’ll definitely be back!

I wanted to share how great of an experience we had here last night. We’ve been here multiple times and every single time it’s so good. Easily the best sushi in Wilmington. I want to brag on the staff as well. We sat at the sushi bar and Ashley was our waitress and Matt was the sushi chef in front of us. Both of them were so nice and personable. They went above and beyond and it’s some of the best service I’ve had in Wilmington. I highly recommend this place! Everyone is super nice and hardworking. Also the chocolate potstickers and chicken wings are amazing!

Maddy was amazing! I’ve never had a server as confident in the menu at any restaurant before. She was so knowledgeable and provided such great recommendations.

Opted for this restaurant after a 3 hour drive to Wilmington and we have a dog, and this apparently is a dog friendly restaurant, I walk in and ask for 2 and let him know we have a dog, host goes "uh unfortunately dogs aren't allowed in here" DUH that's why he's outside
waiting for the patio. Guy working was so unhelpful I didn’t even want to order takeout but I really wanted to try this place.

Best sushi place in ILM. We love sushi & frequent quite a few places in Wilmington, however, this place is hands down our favorite place. It is incredible every time.

The sushi was amazing. I am overall very disappointed by the sauces that came with the chicken satay and the Pu pu platter. None of the sauces were good, but the sushi was excellent!

Used to be a great restaurant. Key word: used.

Went here with my mom cause she recommended it and was pleasantly surprised, the atmosphere was amazing, the people working were all friendly especially our server. She was very friendly & talkative which I enjoyed. She checked on us the perfect amount. The dim sum sampler was delicious, the chicken pad Thai was also very delicious it was also the perfect portion for one. My mom got their salmon bento box and she really enjoyed it, she got her salmon cooked medium well and it was perfect.

Refusing to take pickup orders until after 9 pm ??? What a way to have people not come back!

My family and I are sick and someone offered to pick up dinner for us so we called to place a to go order and the young woman who answered the phone refused to take our order telling us that they were only currently serving their “in-house customers” and carry out orders would not be taken until after 8:50 PM.
WTH?????
I have never heard of this Idiocracy ever! Their food is not that good. Will Never go back!

The Bento Box Sushi Bar and Asian Kitchen is where my love for sushi began a few years ago, and it’s still my favorite spot! A friend recommended it when I decided to try sushi for the first time, and I’m so glad they did. I started simple with a salmon cream cheese roll and a tuna roll, and they were absolutely delicious!

Since then, I’ve tried sushi at other restaurants, but nothing compares to the quality and atmosphere at The Bento Box. The food is always fresh, and the vibe is welcoming and next level. I also love their lunch specials—they’re a great deal and perfect for a midday treat.

On my most recent visit, I brought my 11-year-old son, Wesley, who’s crazy about sushi. He loved watching the chefs prepare the sushi at the bar, and the chefs were so kind, chatting with him and even offering a free dessert since it was his first time there. Moments like that make this place truly special.

If you’re looking for incredible sushi and top-notch service, The Bento Box is a must-visit. We’ll definitely be back!

Brussel sprouts were AMAZING....very good overall

My husband and I were seated quickly. The tables are kind of close. Next time, we might sit at the bar, but it didn't deter us from staying. Be careful with the menus. If you drop one, you might break a toe. They weigh at least 5lbs, lol. We ordered crab salad, veggie egg roll, Hawaiian crunch roll, and salmon tempura roll. Our waitress was very attentive, knowledgeable, and always had our drinks full. The food came quickly and was fantastic. We will be back.

Had dinner there last night outstanding service the waitresses was very knowledgeable on everything on the menu. The food was unbelievable some of the best sushi I have had. The cost was reasonable for the quality of food.

great sushi, duck spring rolls, and pork belly lo mein

The food there is really good and I love there desserts

Best sushi all around and probably better than all of North Carolina. We come here all the time when we come to Wilmington to visit.

Fresh fish and parking at the front door!!!!!

Great gluten free options plus wide variety of foods

Don't waste your time and money. Attitude

Good sushi, with a large menu. Excellent service, waitress was very helpful and friendly

Amazing experience with Chef Lee, thank you sir for sharing your knowledge and skill with us!

The food looks better than it tastes. The hot and sour soup was bizarre. It had weird small noodles floating on top. Too sour also, & very small portion considering it was an upcharge. The chicken bento box: chicken was dry and over browned. Terriaki sauce was nicely flavored, not too sweet. The dumplings were good. The California roll was standard. Salad was not overdressed with a very mild ginger dressing. My companion had the shrimp "tempura," except it wasn't. The shrimp was Panko breaded. The tempura veges were somewhat oily. Otherwise, the restaurant was cold but seemed clean with modern decor. But I won't be back for these high prices for mediocre food.

Very welcoming restaurant and staff. Some items on the menu were unavailable, portions were small except for the sushi. What we had was delicious.

The server was not very pleasant and seemed impatient. The sushi was good, and the dim sum was ok. The presentation of both was great, the sushi especially looked nice. The price wasn't worth the overall experience, though. I would be willing to try other items on the menu, provided a different server waited on me.

We were impressed with the Bento Box! The sushi was delicious and fresh and nicely plated. We got several different rolls and they were all great! We also tried the chocolate potsticker dessert and the mochi ice cream, both really good!

DELISH!!
My husband and I finally had an opportunity to try this place out after a friend recommended and we were not disappointed! This place has some FANTASTICALLY fresh and delicious sushi! We thoroughly enjoyed The Dynamite, The Delicious and The 3 Gen Salmon rolls.. they were decently sized and enough to satisfy us both for dinner.. Do try the dessert pot stickers!
Service was also excellent!
We will definitely not wait to return!

Great food every time I go

We had an amazing meal at Bento Box. Our Server Michele was friendly, attentive, but best of all she gave us first timers fantastic advise to enjoy the best of what Bento Box has to offer. The fish was extremely fresh. The sauces were unique and very complimentary to the fish. The sushi was presented on a Surf Board which was fun and made it easy to share. Michele paced the meal so well that we had room for dessert - Which I highly recommend you try. I can’t wait to go back and try more of the special rolls and fresh sashimi. If you enjoy Sushi you must try Bento Box.

Five Stars isn't enough! Always great

Beautiful spot with a huge sushi bar, and alcohol! Between two people we devoured 4 specialty rolls. I could eat this everyday! Friendly staff and not too high prices. Highly recommend!

Loved the veggie rolls

I LOVE Bento Box. It is my go to restaurant to eat and to take people when they come to town. Great atmosphere for dates and other events. Service is always great and the food is amazing. I love their tunazilla roll and their pad thai.

Food was fantastic, a good selection of sake for people to find the type of sake they like. Food was fast and perfectly as ordered despite how busy it was.
$10-20 for dinner. $10-20 more if you add drinks from the bar. I will definitely be back when visiting the area again. B.Eel T roll is my favorite.

Been twice this summer with parties of 6 and 8. Everyone has been very happy at the least with food, sushi & otherwise, and service. Kitchen came out to be sure they understood a food allergy before they prepared. Servers know the menu and the drinks. Vegetarian friendly as well.

Great place to eat.

My husband and I decided to try this restaurant for the first time, and it was an absolute disaster from start to finish. We arrived around 5:30 pm with our baby and requested a table with space for a stroller. Instead, we were seated outside at a table with no shade. It took the waitress 15-20 minutes to bring us water and menus.

After placing our order, we waited 30 minutes for an appetizer that was recommended as sashimi style. We noticed other tables in the shade became available, so we asked the waitress if we could move. She was disorganized and, in the process of moving our items, dropped the water cup onto our appetizer. When she finally brought the replacement, it was clearly the same exact plate as it was soaked in water still. I mentioned it to the waitress and she mentioned in a bad demeanor how we would have to wait another 15-20 mins for them to remake another plate.

Our “new plate” appetizer took another 20 minutes, and by then our sushi had arrived. After we finished, the waitress apologized and said dessert would be on the house. We had been there since 5:30 pm, and by now it was past 8 pm. Our baby was fussy, and the dessert—a tiny portion of caramel and a single fried wonton—was hardly worth the wait. We waited even longer for the check, and by the time we finally left, it was nearly 9 pm.

If you enjoy spending hours waiting for mediocre food and dealing with chaotic service, this place might be for you. Otherwise, save yourself the time and try a restaurant with better service and more efficient operations. What an experience I will never forget.

This establishment is highly over rated. My husband and I went on a Wednesday evening and it was steady, we waited for 15 minutes to be sat at a dirty table with dried up food incrusted on the wall with of view of their blinds that were covered in left over food. The menu was hard to read as the stainless steel booklet menu pages were in worn out sheet protectors. We ordered an appetizer of calamari which was just crumbs of breading over cooked in old oil. The dishes that we had were underwhelming of flavor, curry was watery and bland. The manager on duty was clueless and at the table visit he just asked if we received our salt and pepper, which was clearly on the table. Server was nice and reassured him that did a great job.

First time here. OMG ITS SO GOOD!!! Our waitress Maddie was amazing, she helped us with our dinner choices as there was alot of things we wanted to try out, but we will next time!!! And will def ask for Maddie as our server shes awesome.

This place is the definition of detrimental... I mean It really is. I have never been this disgruntled in my entire life. I've been eating sushi around the world from the West Coast to across the world in Japan. When i ate at this restaurant there was something very different. Everything here had made me want to hurl. NO exaggeration. I am in a Group Page on Facebook with 20k people and they have spread the word about this dirty unsanitary, rude, "business". No one smiled at me once. Maybe they will get it together soon, seems like that would take a whole face-lift though they'd need a whole complete new staff. Don't Waste your TIME.

My goto sushi spot!

Server was up charging my son’s order. She double up the sushi plate & told us the whole sushi order is about $40. At the end the bill was over $133.+ & my son’s order is over$72.50. What a scrammer she was. Very slow service. My worse dining experience in Wilmington.

Best sushi I've ever had

So so. Nothing to bring me bk anytime soon

Ordering take out is impossible. Food was solid though, sat next to a captain so I knew I made a good choice. Food obviously looked better at the restaurant, wish I could've eaten there

Food was spot on! PadThai was fantastic and the Sushi was delicious! Staff excellent Kasarah was a great waitress!

My husband and brother in law visited Bento Box on Monday evening to order takeout for our family. Upon being told to order from the bar, the bartender refused service to my husband saying “I was told not to take any take out orders” yet the other patrons at the bar were helped promptly. We were continuously ignored until we asked for service and once we asked service was refused. It’s hard to believe that service this discriminatory is still happening in 2024. If I could give negative stars I would.

Some of the best sushi and drinks I've ever has. Service was great and staff is friendly. Will be going back!!

Music is great. This time, I had the Bento box. The chocolate truffles were amazing. Great place to visit when in Wilmington.

Probably the best sushi in Wilmington, and a little different than all the rest. Exceptional service, great decor and atmosphere. It's always busy, recommend calling for reservations.

Great food!

Been running down the list of pretty much every sushi joint in Wilmington. Highlighting as I go along. I ordered the Katsu roll here, as pictured. Everything was very fresh it had a nice crunch. Of all the establishments I’ve visited this place has the best ginger salad dressing. It’s not too thick, a little runny with a nice vinegar punch and ginger. Delicious.

Good today again I will update when it sucks. Thurs always ♥️.

great food , just a little loud around dinner time.

We could not consume the sushi. Whole Foods sushi is better. We got six or seven rolls for takeout. Drove home and ended up throwing 90% of it out. Maybe it was a bad night, but I would not go back, and at the moment, sushi is a bit ruined for me after this experience.

The laid-back California vibes at Bento Box in Wilmington have truly won me over. As a California native, I'm used to having sushi spots on every corner, so finding the perfect spot in a new city can be a challenge. But let me tell you, Bento Box has exceeded all my expectations.

The owner's passion for his craft is evident in every dish served. From the fresh sashimi to the perfectly rolled sushi rolls, every bite is a taste of the West Coast. The California feel at Bento Box is truly unmatched.

I've found my new go-to spot for sushi in Wilmington, and I couldn't be happier. If you're looking for a taste of California right here in North Carolina, look no further than Bento Box. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks Josh for the great service 🙏🏼

Sat at the sushi bar and had a delicious meal. Sushi bar staff were super friendly.

Good food. Good vibe

Best Sushi!

Bento Box continues to amaze with exceptional sushi! We ordered 5 rolls between my wife and I and it was all delicious. Sat at the Sushi Bar and spoke with the chef for the whole meal. He was spectacular as a sushi “guide” Even though my wife and I have experience in the Far East.

Completely enjoyed our meal.

Food is excellent as always. Bartender, Joshua, is not very attentive. Dropped the food and he didn't acknowledge me again until plate and glass were empty with my card in the bar ready to pay. Food here is really good. Service today was not.

I wanted to share how great of an experience we had here last night. We’ve been here multiple times and every single time it’s so good. Easily the best sushi in Wilmington. I want to brag on the staff as well. We sat at the sushi bar and Ashley was our waitress and Matt was the sushi chef in front of us. Both of them were so nice and personable. They went above and beyond and it’s some of the best service I’ve had in Wilmington. I highly recommend this place! Everyone is super nice and hardworking. Also the chocolate potstickers and chicken wings are amazing!

We had some of the worst service I’ve ever experienced tonight. Our waitress was very short, literally walking away while taking our order, barely said anything to us for our entire meal. I 100% was giving her the benefit of the doubt but then a large party was sat beside us and they got the red carpet rolled out for them. Specials were listed, there was an introduction and conversation from our waitress. Maybe it was because we didn’t order drinks or because we had a toddler? I’m not sure, but the service for this visit was enough to make me never want to come back. Positives were the food (as always) and the very very sweet food runner and sushi chef who treated us like humans. I hope things can improve one day.

We have dined inside here before and were very happy with the portion size and taste of our sushi. But, today we ordered take out for our son’s birthday and were very disappointed with the size of the sushi and how bland it tasted. We spent $50 for lunch for 3 people and received enough food for 1 1/2 people. I had to cook more food because we were all still hungry. Maybe it was due to take out instead of dining in, I am not sure.

Always a 10/10. I come here all the time after work and it gets better each time! I always customize my roll and it’s always made to perfection! Easily my favorite restaurant in Wilmington.

Despite the long wait times, the food was decent, but the service and environment was not enjoyable.

Great food. I usually do not like Sushi, but the tempura catch of the day was legit. The lumpia is also a must have.

The best sushi in town

This is my wife and I's favorite restaurant in Wilmington. Always good, always consistent and the crab salad is the best I've ever had! And we've tried alot. The menu is solid and staff is always nice. Go early on weekends or you will have to wait for a seat.

Awesome food, and wait staff.

This place is a Wilmington best-kept secret. The fish is fresh, the people are friendly, and the food is great (whatever you get). It's very consistent. Worth the wait. Have a seat on the patio or at the bar for an even better experience!

I had stopped going to the Bento Box a couple years ago because the food and service had fallen abysmally low, but I was very happy too see they have found a new path. My last experience was actually wonderful. The service was excellent (thank you Rosemary!) and the sushi rolls were quite good, although the tuna could've been better. Also, with all these new places opening around Wilmington, I simply forgot how expensive going out has become and it was nice to find a place that is still reasonable. Our meal consisting of multiple rolls and salads, a bottle of wine and a few cocktails came out to $55/person. I will return and hope to have a similar experience the next time around.

Had such a great time here with my coworkers. The food and service was phenomenal.

We LOVE getting sushi from Bento Box! We have traveled all over the world and tried sushi in many places and few can compare to the quality of sushi at Bento Box. The Bonsai, Miami Vice and Salmon Tempura are our favorite rolls. Don't forget Crab Salad and Stolli Dolli to drink!

Great drinks. Food was good, there were some misses though, like the lo mein.
I would definitely return though and I have, so I guess I'll give it a four out of 5 for its options and pricing and vibe

All the food was great, service was exceptional.

Great food, Great service, and good atmosphere.

Wonderful place for sushi. My friends and I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the food...loved the edamame

Best sushi in Wilmington.

Great sushi and authentic southeast Malaysian type cuisine.

I wish I could give a better review, but the food was bland. The miso soup was watery & the fried rice was dry & flavorless. The service was good, as was the saki. We'd come back for drinks only.

Great food, great service and a great place

Incredibly picky sushi eater. Best sushi in Wilmington, some of the best I’ve ever had. The omakase (not on menu) makes me want to move to Wilmington. 25% of the omakase I haven’t had before (and I’ve had a lot of sushi), and all of it was amazing. Only place with Sapporo on tap in NC. 10/10 will be eating here every time I’m in town.

Theo was great, he turned me onto the miami vice roll to upgrade from my usual shrimp tempura roll - I loved it! Delicious dim sum as well. Will be back!

I’ve always loved the food here but recently they changed their “to go” order protocol to where it can no longer be called in and you have to go in person. Totally fine with me in the beginning, I did this and there were weird questions asked to me by the staff of whether or not I “got permission” to order take out…hmm. I went with the flow and didn’t comment on how weird that was to ask me. I was able to get my order in at the bar (where they take to go orders now) then I ended up waiting an hour for 4 sushi rolls. The bartender is super sweet and this is in no way a reflection of him he was trying his best to accommodate but other staff seemed to care less. I had just gotten off of a long shift working in healthcare and it’s just unfortunate because I used to love this place but this makes me not want to come back. Sorry bento! Hope you guys improve this soon.

We visited for 1st time Wednesday night. We had just come from our daughters gymnastics class felt a bit underdressed but was treatwd ao nice greeted friendly and seated promptly for our party of 5. Our waitress was amazing so friendly and recommended some great dishes and dessert. Will definitely be back. Thank you so much, everyone loved it

Ridiculously good sushi!

It's just not what it was... rolls are small and fishy... go to Nori, Ghenki, chow thai...

Was delicious!

Stopped in for a late lunch to get some Pho and Salmon sushi. The service was great and the food was fantastic! I highly recommend

Considering this is in Wilmington, we didn’t have too high an expectation when we went for lunch today, but it definitely exceeded our expectation on how bad it can be.
We ordered a bento box for each of us, an calamari appetizer, and a spider roll. The bill came down to $58 plus tips.
The calamari was fine. But the server delivered it with his thumb touching the food.
While enjoying the appetizer, I saw a staff member in the kitchen making a dish. It appeared that he was using a torch. He was using the tool, blowing on the food, and repeating this a few times.
These two sort of gave us a hint if what was to come.
The spider roll came out next. The soft crab in spider roll was neither crunchy nor warm. I was sure that the soft crab was not prepared quite a while ago.
The came the bentos. The sashimi in bentos was fine. The California roll and Futomaki looked like they have sat there for hours, judging by the dryness on the surface and the look of seaweed wraps. All supermarket sushi we had in the past looked and tasted better than those.
The salad was too sour for us. My wife managed to finished hers, but I gave up after one bite.
This was a special date for us. At the end, we did enjoy our time together and the shared a common amazement on how bad food was in this highly recommended restaurant. But we won’t voluntarily go back there again.

On a business trip to Wilmington, myself and my colleague had received a recommendation to try this place. We ordered an app, app arrived and 20 mins later we got plates. Waitress could care less to serve us. Rude staff including the food runners. We walked out shortly after. I would not recommend this place! Manager asked at the end if he could do anything, does he watch his staff? It was obvious the waitress was awful even the table next us recommended we say something. Personally we were only table of color in the place and definitely felt we were not served on purpose!

Updated post owner response … first of all you have your opinion and we have ours! We were on the receiving end I am so happy I did not pick your place for the client lunch and dinner we hosts in the area. It would be embarrassing have this happen during a client meal. ( I saw the waitress go to other tables and pass straight by ours not once but three times.) This feedback gives an opportunity to make improvements but saying why sharing it on Facebook hmm … let’s say got your attn didn’t it!

Their fried rice is the best! High quality food, amazing atmosphere. Great date night location.

The food was fantastic! Best Japanese food I’ve ever had! Well worth the money and the service was amazing! Our waiter, Ben, was awesome and helped us out a ton with the menu and was great to talk to!!

Sushi was average... waitress said we picked their best but we felt it was very average. Needed sauce .... too much rice flavor

Our table of 4 was served 50min after ordering. We didn’t order anything extravagant or off-menu. The kitchen staff, even on a Saturday night, was entirely too slow and/ or small. The food, when it finally arrived, was ().

Sushi is always delicious and Korean fried wings are so delicious and crunchy. However, ask for more daikon.

I was absolutely devastated to learn they always use 'wheat powder' in their food making their menu NOT GLUTEN FRIENDLY. Was a sad day.

Nothing but positive Here. The food and chef are top knotch. I am definitely coming back here.

Great sushi. Loved egg rolls

Just all around great! Exceptional food.

It was an hour wait & worth every minute.

Really good! We normally go on special occasions here. Nice to eat by the fountain.

I tell everyone... this is where you go for the super posh sushi! I took my 15 yr old nephew there and he was floored! It's always the best sushi or anything else on the menu that you've ever eaten. And it's so beautiful inside and out! They have a new little dining patio that's gorgeous. I love to follow their socials because they post the fresh fish they get in! The Delicious roll is my fav... because it's so DELICIOUS! It's just a little higher priced than other places in town, but it's worth every single penny! (Lunch has totally affordable Bento Boxes!)

The food is absolutely fantastic!

Super place to go. We enjoyed ourselves. Awesome food!

I wanted fried rice. I was told no substitution. My dinner was $17.95. A few minutes later, I was told that for $5 more, I could get fried rice. I agreed. The rice was terrible. I would never recommend this restaurant.

Great food - but sticky floors and the tables smell like old rags. Doesn’t smell like a “$$$” restaurant.

We've enjoyed Bento Box for years. Didn't have reservations last night and sat at the bar. I think we will try to sit at the bar from now on. Amazing service, great food and lots of fun watching the talented bar staff work thier magic.

Date night!

Inside the restaurant it is super cold and very loud. Outside seating was very relaxed and enjoyable. Food issue: ordered the appetizer platter and we nearly finished the food when they brought out the tray of sauces. A bit backwards.

The lunch bento boxes are a perfect go-to option if you're looking for a great lunch on a busy day. The sushi always tastes super fresh and for ~$14 you just can't find a better weekday option. One of my favorite spots for a refreshing mid-workday meal.

Sadly, their soup game has been sub-par lately, either cold or completely lacking in flavor on my last few visits. Would be a 5 star review without this small disappointment, hoping things get back to better quality soon.

Good overall experience. Order was not correct and service was average.

I wish I could give this place a higher review. I was in Wilmington about 2 months ago for my bf’s birthday and we found this place last minute and honestly regret nothing about going here. I’m writing this review now because I’m still thinking about the food we had that night till this day. We sat at the sushi bar and the chefs were soooo nice and accommodating. They even suggested somewhere for us to go after we ate to grab a drink and we had a blast there too. So, not only are they amazing chefs, they’re great local guides too lol. Our waiter was so freaking awesome too, I can’t thank him enough for the outstanding service he provided us with (I think his name was Spencer. Thank you!!). On top of all of this, the food was impeccable, like legitimately some of the best and freshest sushi I’ve ever had. I’ve yet to come across a restaurant in my city that has sushi this good, so I would personally drive the two hours just to eat here again. The drinks were bomb as well, and the free dessert we got with our meal just topped it all of! Don’t even think twice about eating here, just go and thank me later!

Great sushi. Good service. Sapporo on tap! Can get very busy. Reservations recommend.

Great food for a long long time. Little too reliant on rolls though. Tables are a bit cramped and the noise level is high.

Everything was delicious, but rice. It seems like they are using the wrong type of rice. It wasn't sushi rice, and it wasn't cooked enough. I will give it another try.

Everything was absolutely amazing! My husband and I stopped in for lunch today and sat at the sushi bar, our server was great, very attentive and on top of everything. We met Lee and he was incredibly kind and humble, we ate based on his recommendations and everything was so delicious, there aren’t enough words to describe how impressed I am.

Best sushi in town!

The Bento Box is a must whenever we travel into town. The food is incredible, and the staff are top-notch. I can't say enough good things about this place.

We LOVE this place. Reservations are a MUST as wait time can get crazy. If we have an opportunity, we love to sit at the bar. Beef & broccoli meal is 👌🏼! Staff is very friendly & attentive. Attire is equivocal to a business casual but in off season a dark pair of jeans, nice blouse (button up for men) are acceptable.

DEFINITELY recommend trying it out. We were supposed to be going to a different Sushi place up the road but didnt realize they were closed (new to the area). Googled this place and it was fate!! My new favorite Sushi place! We sat at the bar on the chef side and met Gus. I didn't catch our waitress' name, but between both of them alone they MADE the experience fantastic! The food of course we would return for, but the interactions were ON POINT. Gus made sure as soon as we sat down in front of him to check in with us, ask if we had been there before. During our early dinner/late lunch, he checked in continually as well as our waitress. We tried both the Tuna Tartare and Tuna Tataki (my favorite of the two) as appetizers, then had two rolls to share: the Dynamite and the Hawaiian Crunch. (Hawaiian was my favorite). They also offered us dessert but I was so full after all that!

Drinks were also great so if you just need a good cocktail it is a great place to go. We tried four different ones (can't remember the names), but all were great.
-One was a lotus, sake, prosecco
-One was cucumber, mint, vokda
-One was lemongrass and vodka

Will definitely visit again. 6/5 stars! Thank you to Gus & our waitress for our excellent first time!

Ryan was our waiter!! We had am amazing First time and will definitely be back.. definitely a great date night… he must have is the New York roll…

Fantastic place. Atmosphere was great, we ate outside and had great food and great service

Completely disappointing experience. I called a day ahead to ask how they wish to go orders to be handled. I was told to call promptly at ten am on the day of the order.

I called the next morning at 10 am to place the to go order for pick up at 12:15 pm. The order was for ten people. After placing the order there were four calls back from the restaurant as the online menu was out of date and people had to change their orders. In one case the same person had to change their order twice, as it appeared the online menus were out of date.

The employee handling the order was very nice However it seemed he was completely overwhelmed. Upon arriving for pickup, no employee was greeting guests and I was able to see the gentleman trying to organize the order and again seemed overwhelmed. I did all I could to assist. I emailed to let my clients know the restaurant was having a difficult time and I would deliver as soon as I could.

Every employee seemed either stressed or unhappy. The bartender was two ft away and never spoke or cracked a smile. I smiled at her and said hello thinking that might help. Another employee came up to the gentleman packing this $200 plus lunch order and asked him to go check on two tables, which he did and said he’d be back to help me load up. I was late delivering to my clients and so I wanted load up. The young man went to the tables and never returned . No one said thank you or offered an apology.

While their food is often good, the experience is underwhelming and disappointing. I am hopeful the management will benefit from this feedback and be able to make positive changes.

Just had a great experience eating here. Sushi was fresh and well made! My meal was top notch. Dessert was really good. Stephanie, sushi chef Gus and chef Lee made me feel very welcomed and I had excellent service.

This is our second time at this establishment. The first time, the food was good and the service was as well, although it did take nearly 45 minutes to get our food and the waiter needed someone to teach him how to do laundry, that said, this time was an incredibly poor experience. In addition to what I assume is the standard 45 minutes+ to get our food, our waitress (1) messed up our order not once, but twice...one item was wrong and the other she had simply forgot (her own words), (2) let our tea glasses go dry, with no water backup, for over 20 minutes, (3) didn't bring courses together so my wife was eating for over 10 minutes before I got mine, and (4) the seat 1 and 2 item list on the receipt was so inaccurate, that it took us probably 5 or 6 minutes just to make sure what we pay for was actually what we got (just imagine if we weren't a married couple and we were paying separately). And to beat it all, the octopus salad had an incredible 6 whole pieces of octopus in it...pieces about the size of your little finger's fingernail...it shouldn't be called octopus salad if all there is in it is cucumber. And to beat it all (as if all this weren't enough), there was a child screaming at the top of their lungs for the first 30 minutes we were there and no one did anything about it! It was so bad that when the child finally left, people openly clapped!

I don't normally write reviews of this nature, but this visit was such a bad experience, I felt I had to. I'm assuming the typical check is over $50 per person (ours was about $130 for two), and when you are spending that kind of money, you would expect better service (i.e., better training and oversight) and a better environment (i.e., better management).

If you want the best sushi in Wilmington there's no other place to go than Bento. Side note for you vegan/vegetable lovers - the fried tofu and tropic thunder roll are amazing options!

Always a wonderful experience. ❤️

Used to love going to Bento Box, but it has been some time since my last trip. Tonight we were seated much more quickly then we were originally told, but then a had to wait an hour for two sushi rolls. Literally two tables came in roughly 15 minutes after us, were seated, received their food, ate, and left the restaurant before we got our food. When we we did get our food the portions were half the size I remember. To add insult to injury, the restaurant doesn't even have coffee. With all of the options for coffee makers today, there is literally no reason to not have it. I drink water and coffee. Even Denny's has coffee. Get back in the game Bento Box. Very disappointed.

Follow up: Made the mistake of letting my girlfriend talk me into coming back....still sucks. Still have small portions and no coffee. Won't make this mistake again.

3/16/23: HIGHLY recommend! Ask for Chef Lee! Either you're a local or a tourist visiting Wilmington -- this place is worth checking-out! Ask for Chef Lee's sushi specialties -- HIGH QUALITY sushi!

The price and execution aren't commensurate. Borders on bland.

Wonderful date night here! Our waiter was great and the food was awesome !

Great sushi spot. Arrived at 5pm on a Saturday and sat at the sushi bar. The whole crew could not have been nicer. Loved the Korean Wing starter. The sashimi is the best we have found since moving to NC. From Chutoro , to Salmon, to Hamachi, to Toro. All great. And don't pass up the smores dumpling dessert. Can't wait to come back. Cheers to Chef Lee and his success, place was packed when we left. Definitely snag a reservation as people were waiting early.

First time eating or ordering here Overall an okay meal. I ordered 6 rolls, calamari ( had much better, won't recommend as my calamari weren't even in circles it was pieces of crunchy bits) and short rib dumplings ( had better as well) sushi rolls were okay, nothing special. I had to wait an hour for my order but didn't mind as I read good reviews and after seeing Mark Weins on show was excited to try. I honestly am disappointed, I had better sushi and calamari at other sushi restaurants. Not sure what the hype is about. Prices are a bit expensive. Would I recommend? No
Would recommend trying Cherry Blossom instead.

Always fresh and delicious sushi!

Ahhh! I forgot to take a picture of our meal. Delicious sushi!!

Lively atmosphere. Creative menu. Chef Lee and his team are top notch. Explained different items and made great recommendations.

Chef Lee has the best sushi bar in North Carolina!

I have been a regular for quite awhile and it’s safe to say they’re typically always out of half their appetizers. Well tonight I thought I was in luck as they actually had some dim sum available to order. I took my first bite and could tell the texture was off and as I looked into the other half of my dumpling I realized my PORK dumpling was completely raw… when my server finally came back I brought to her attention that I was unable to eat it due to the RAW PORK inside. She looked at me and said “ that’s weird” and walked off. Luckily I was sitting at the sushi bar and got severed promptly from the sushi chef with my entree. When my server came back she brought up my appetizer I had been served raw and told me that she talked to the back and that “its not like I’m gonna get sick because it was temperature checked before going out”. When she brought the bill they had still charged me for my inedible, not as described on menu, and a complete health hazard appetizer. I paid and left. Moral of story accidents happen but the way the service/management handle is a tell all. I won’t be returning to one of my favorite restaurants after tonight due to the way they handled and tried to belittle me for their simple mistake. Would have loved to see the chef chow down on their raw pork dumpling cause you know “it’s not like you’re gonna get sick”

So delicious and the staff where very friendly, I got some food suggestions and I'll be eating here for the next month 😄 good variety of different sushi, eel options with is my favorite, and the duck springs rolls are so amazing 👏 😋 👌

We came from Jacksonville to eat here and it was worth it. Very nice and clean interior and the sushi was outstanding. We will be back.

It's a lovely place, however the dimsum was subpar and incredibly overpriced...
I can't remember if I ordered sushi - If I did, it wasn't memorable. Husband ordered some kind of bowl, it was spicy... I don't recall him loving it.

The couple beside us wasn't impressed either

I still give a 4 star rating because I'm sure there's something good here, this just wasn't it.

Great food

Spectacular local sushi restaurant located in the heart of the Mayfair district. This place has some of the best, fresh sushi in Wilmington. Just be prepared to call ahead to get a reservation or you may not get a table.

Love the food, but this isn’t a sanitary place. It needs a good washing and the bathrooms are consistently nasty. Menus are pure filth. For such decent food, they could level up and make it fresh and clean particularly when dealing with raw food.

Have eaten here for years. Sushi is quite ok.
However, they are unable to pour a normal size glass of wine. Unfortunate.

This place should just give up.