What to Expect at Umami Revolving Sushi on Mesa Street in El Paso

It is not every day you find a restaurant in El Paso that changes how you look at dinner, but my family found one just a few weeks ago. We needed a place to celebrate my son’s birthday, and since he and my daughter are huge sushi eaters, we finally decided to check out Unami Revolving Sushi on 6540 N. Mesa Street.

I had heard some talk about the place since it opened, but we had never tried it. If you want a unique dining experience right here in the Sun City, this place is worth a look.

The first thing you notice is the setup. 

A conveyor belt runs completely around the restaurant, carrying a steady stream of different sushi rolls right past the tables. You sit there, watch the options roll by, and simply pick whatever catches your eye.

But the real highlight for the table is how the custom orders arrive. Your food delivers on a small, automated train that zips right up to your booth. When it pulls up, a loud announcement plays specifically for your table so you know your order has arrived. It makes the entire meal highly interactive and enjoyable, especially for a celebration.

The kids stayed focused on the sushi track, while I went for the teriyaki salmon hibachi. If you aren't a big sushi fan, they have plenty of other food choices. The restaurant menu covers soup, salad, appetizers, egg rolls, and spring rolls.

The service structure is a bit different from that of a traditional restaurant. Because the conveyor belt and the train handle the heavy lifting, the wait staff only stops by once in a while to check on you or to take drink orders.

When you finish a dish, you slide the empty plate into a specialized opening right at your table. The system automatically scans the plate and calculates your bill. It is a seamless process, but you do need to keep an eye on how many plates you are stacking up. The pricing is tied to the color line on each plate, meaning the bill can climb fast.

We ended up spending about $140 for the evening. If you have kids who can eat their weight in sushi, it can definitely get pricey.

But don’t let the price get you. 

They also have a lunch special with 20% off Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The restaurant was quite busy when we went, which makes sense given the originality and the fun experience. Everyone in my family thoroughly enjoyed the meal. If you are looking for a unique dining experience in El Paso, I highly recommend trying Unami.