Date Night: Uchi

Are you looking for an awesome date night spot with your significant other or a cool place to eat out with friends? Are you looking for the most AMAZING sushi in Austin? If you answered, “yes” to any of these then you have to keep reading!!!

I’m pretty sure anyone who knows me well knows I have a complete infatuation, obsession, and love for the sushi restaurant, Uchi. I tell friends, family, neighbors, visitors, and complete strangers about Uchi and how their food is absolutely TO DIE FOR! Uchi is so amazing that when I found out we were expecting a baby I was actually depressed… only because that meant NO Uchi for almost a year! I told my husband, Wesley, that I demanded Uchi as soon as I had my 6 week post baby check up…and as usual, he delivered. So, if you mommy and daddys are looking for a great date night or if you’re just looking for a cool spot to get together with friends, you HAVE to go to Uchi!

Uchi really is the epitome of a date night; in all my years of going to dinner there I don’t think I’ve ever seen kids… it’s just not that kind of restaurant. Don’t worry, the divine food will make you forget you’re missing your little one(s) and you can focus on adult time… or what I like to call, “maintaining my sanity time!”

Uchi is located off South Lamar in an old house turned adorable, romantic, and shabby chic restaurant.

They have a precious outdoor waiting area where you can sip on a glass of wine, completely down a sake bomb, or you can hang out in the wine and sake only bar area inside. Either way, be prepared to wait… Uchi takes very limited reservations, has extremely limited seating so you are almost guaranteed to wait at least one hour during peak dinner times–so make sure you have a sitter without a curfew. But trust me, I’d wait three hours just to eat there… it’s THAT amazing! You’ll have the choice to eat at the sushi bar or in the main dining area. Wesley and I have learned “first available” is the way to go, but then again, we’ve had both experiences. We actually prefer the sushi bar, because you have direct interaction with the peeps making your food… and it’s just cool to watch them do what they do best. But be prepared, their knives are slightly freakishly long and sharp.

Some menu items that I think are pretty tasty include, the Maguro Sashimi aka Heaven In Your Mouth. They describe it better than me on their menu, but basically it consists of goat cheese and tuna. Another must try is the hot rock… they bring you Wagyu Beef and you get to sear it yourself on a sizzling rock. It’s a lot of fun to do with your partner and you get to choose how raw or how cooked you want it. And a last must try is the Crunchy Tuna Roll. This item hasn’t been on the menu for a while…they have a different version called the Spicy Tuna Roll, but if you order this “off the menu” item you won’t be sorry. Just make sure you ask for extra spicy mayo, because the small portion they give you just isn’t enough…Trust me; you’ll want to slather it all over every bite. I practically bathe in the stuff it’s that good.

Now with all yummy tasting things, it comes with a price. Uchi is definitely one of the more expensive sushi spots, but it’s a great place to go for a date night and you won’t be disappointed… it’s worth every penny! In fact, Wesley knows not to take me anywhere other than Uchi when we actually get to splurge and have a date night… he’s learned the hard way that the saying “Happy Wife=Happy Life” really is true.

All in all…I think it’s safe to say that Uchi gets a “Five Rattle Rating*” from Austin Moms Blog.

*Austin Moms Blog is excited to introduce our “Rattle Rating System.”  Anytime we talk about date night spots, family fun spots, etc. we will “Rattle Rate” the location mentioned with a 1-5 “Rattle Rating” (one being eh and five being spectacular), so be on the look out for those 4 and 5 Rattle Ratings!