Nakama Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar - Pittsburgh - TravBuddy

If you love sushi and you are coming to the Pittsburgh area, I highly recommend Nakama. I have eaten a lot of sushi in my travels, and I have lived in NYC, where your sushi options are endless, and there are not many comparisons to this restaurant.
Nakama is in Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood on East Carson Street. It opened in 2003 and has pretty much won every year for best restaurant, best Japenese Steakhouse, best Sushi, etc. etc.
Nakama has smoke free hibachi tables, which you should call ahead and make reservations. If you are not having hibachi, there are no reservations, so get there before the evening rush on Fridays and Saturdays. There is a large sushi bar area with seats, there are maybe ten smaller tables in the front of the resaurant, and there is a large bar with seating the entire way around, you can order food at all of these, and they are all seat yourself. Good times to go are weekdays before 6pm and Saturdays and Sundays before dinner time. I personally don't like to have to wait for a seat, so we usually go at these times.
Smoking is allowed at the bar area, but the ventilation system is amazing. You will see no lingering smoke.
The restaurant itself is very trendy looking. Clean lines, warm colors, VERY clean and new looking. There are plasma TV's situated around, but in a non-distracting way. The bathrooms are always spotless and are amazing. Think slate and marble.
Now, the food. Yum. I have eaten here at least fifty times, and I always get the same appetizer. Coconut Shrimp. Sounds too easy, but it's amazing and the sauce they give you is unbelievable. I crave it. All of the sushi is good, seriously. It's always fresh and delicious. The best sushi roll I have ever eaten is their Hanalei Roll. It's their trademark roll, and it's a combination of eel, crab, avocado and cream cheese, and the entire roll is lightly deep-fried tempura style, and is topped with red roe. If you go here, you must try it.
The restaurant does have valet if you don't want to deal with parking, the valet area is on the 16th St. side of the restaurant.
So if you do come to the Pittsburgh area, give Nakama a try, you just might see a Steeler or two. They come here often. :o)