XO Sushi is the definition of a hidden gem. 

Hanging out with my cousins is a typical weekend activity for me. We decided almost a week in advance that this time we were going to get sushi! Everyone usually looks to me for restaurant suggestions, so I thought long and hard about where we should go. Then I remembered this sushi place I would frequent in 2018. “XO Sushi! Duh!” I said in my head. I would come here for lunch with one of my coworkers all the time because of their amazing lunch special. You can get four different rolls and a soup for only $20 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The place would always be empty and you could sit wherever you wanted. Once I suggested XO Sushi and sent the menu, the rest was history.  

That Saturday, it was raining and we were starving on the way there. I didn’t recall XO Sushi being so hidden; I almost drove right past it! We walked into XO Sushi and the place was EMPTY. My cousins were nervous and asked, “Are you sure the food is good?” I laughed and said, “Yes, trust me.” The man at the front desk greeted us and told us to sit anywhere. We stared at the menu for what felt like forever. They had so many more rolls than I remembered. Peach sparkling sake was our drink of choice, which was brought out in an ice bucket with accompanying tall shot glasses. We ended up having two bottles of the sake because it was that good! The server opened the bottle and poured our first shot. We were enjoying the service already.  

For appetizers, we had chicken gyoza, miso soup, wonton soup (no wontons), and scallion pancakes. We attacked the gyoza and pancake slices as soon as it touched the table! One of my cousins asked, “Is it just me or is this mad good?” My other cousin added, “Maybe because we were starving.” I just laughed at them and said, “Wait until the sushi comes then.” Both appetizers were excellent along with the soup. As expected, we went sushi-crazy and ordered the spicy crunchy kani roll, rock n roll, deluxe spider, angry dragon, tuna lovers, spicy crab, spicy tuna, and Hawaii roll. The honey citrus chicken was also ordered at the table. All of the rolls were delicious and the honey citrus sauce that came with the chicken made the dish amazing. The chicken was fried to perfection and nicely placed on a bed of rice. We were stuffed after eating all this food.  

After our meal, the server brought us a complimentary plate of orange slices, which was nice. Despite missing the lunch special, the food was as great as I remembered from 2018.  XO Sushi is a hidden gem because the place is usually empty, which tells me that not many people know about it and it’s easy to overlook when driving by. The food and service is impeccable. My cousins loved this place and I will definitely be a regular customer again.