Restaurant in Minneapolis, United States
Sushi and robata, low booking friction.
Masu Sushi & Robata on Hennepin Ave covers Japanese sushi and robata grilling in a mid-energy room that works well for dates, casual celebrations, and weekend brunch. Booking is easy with a few days' notice. A reliable Japanese option in a city where the format is less common — not a destination meal, but a confident local choice.
Masu Sushi & Robata at 330 E Hennepin Ave is one of Minneapolis's more reliable options for Japanese-style dining that covers both sushi and robata grilling in the same room. If you're planning a weekend brunch, a date night, or a low-key celebration and want something more atmospheric than a strip-mall sushi spot but less formal than a full omakase counter, Masu fits the gap. Booking is easy — this is not a venue where you need to plan weeks in advance — but weekend evenings and Sunday brunch slots fill faster than weekday windows, so aim for a reservation a few days out rather than banking on a walk-in.
The format here is Japanese-American: sushi alongside robata-grilled dishes, a format that gives groups and couples alike more flexibility than a straight sushi bar. The room carries a mid-energy feel , not the pin-drop quiet of an omakase counter, and not the wall-of-noise you get at a crowded izakaya. It lands somewhere that works well for a date or a birthday dinner where conversation still matters. For solo diners, the bar is the right call: you get the action, a shorter wait, and a more natural way to eat through the menu at your own pace.
Minneapolis's Japanese dining options are thinner than you'd find in coastal cities, which makes Masu a more prominent fixture in the local scene than it might be elsewhere. If you want to explore the broader range of what Minneapolis does well, Owamni is the city's most talked-about tasting-format restaurant right now, and Spoon & Stable is the benchmark for polished New American. For a full picture of where to eat, drink, and stay, see our full Minneapolis restaurants guide, our full Minneapolis bars guide, and our full Minneapolis hotels guide.
Weekend brunch at Masu is worth considering if you want something beyond the standard eggs-and-mimosas format. The combination of Japanese technique and a more relaxed daytime energy makes it a solid pick for a celebratory brunch , better suited to a small group or a couple than a large party. If you're visiting from out of town, it pairs well with time in the Northeast Minneapolis area. For comparable creative dining experiences across the US, Hai Hai in the same neighbourhood is worth knowing, and further afield, 112 Eatery offers a different but equally considered approach to the Minneapolis dining scene.
Booking difficulty is low. A few days' notice is usually enough for weekday tables; aim for three to five days ahead for weekend brunch or Saturday dinner. No awards are on record for this venue, but its position on Hennepin Ave gives it solid foot-traffic visibility and a consistent local following. Dress expectation is casual to smart-casual , in line with most Minneapolis neighbourhood restaurants. For context on how Minneapolis compares to cities with higher-profile Japanese dining programs, see venues like Atomix in New York City or Smyth in Chicago, which represent the upper end of the format spectrum.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masu Sushi & Robata | Easy | — | |||
| Kincaid’s | Steakhouse | Unknown | — | ||
| 112 Eatery | Italian | Unknown | — | ||
| Brasa Rotisserie | American Creole | Unknown | — | ||
| Lobby Bar at the Peninsula | Modern American | Unknown | — | ||
| Punch Neapolitan Pizza | Pizzeria | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Yes, it works well for solo diners. The bar setup at 330 E Hennepin Ave is suited to eating alone without awkwardness, and the menu spans individual sushi orders and smaller robata dishes rather than forcing a large-format meal. You won't feel like a party of one is an afterthought here.
The format is Japanese-American, which means you get both sushi and robata-grilled dishes on the same menu. That flexibility is the main selling point: you're not locked into an omakase or a single format. Come with a group or a partner and order across both sections to get the most out of the kitchen.
It works for a low-key celebration, but not for a big-ticket anniversary dinner. The format is relaxed and the booking difficulty is low, so it won't feel like an event in the way a reservation-only tasting menu restaurant would. If you want something more formal for a special occasion, the East Hennepin corridor has other options worth considering.
Bar seating is available at Masu and is a practical choice for solo diners or couples who want to eat without a full table reservation. It's a reasonable way to get in on a weekend without fighting for a table, especially if you arrive earlier in the evening.
For different cuisines at a comparable price point, 112 Eatery on North 12th Street is the stronger pick if you want New American cooking with more culinary ambition. Brasa Rotisserie is the better call for casual group dining with a focus on grilled and roasted proteins. If you want Neapolitan-style pizza in a relaxed setting, Punch Neapolitan Pizza is the practical alternative.
A few days is enough for weekday tables. For weekend brunch or Saturday dinner, aim for three to five days ahead. Booking difficulty is low compared to most Minneapolis restaurants worth visiting, so last-minute is often possible on weeknights.
Order across both sides of the menu: sushi and robata-grilled dishes together is the point of coming here. Focusing only on sushi means missing the format that sets Masu apart from a standard sushi restaurant. The kitchen handles both, so use it.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
