Squid Ink - What I Liked
- Casual
- Good specials, offered more than just at traditional happy hour
- Reasonable prices
- Full menu all day
- Scheduled entertainment
- Not necessarily a traditional sushi place
- Plastic furniture
Squid Ink - The Mood
Squid Ink is a modern, urban-style restaurant located in Peoria, Arizona northwest of Phoenix. It is a casual place with sports bar design on one side, and white tables with plastic chairs, spaciously arranged, in the main dining room. Clear plastic chairs can probably never look clean as long as people use their hands on them! There is an outdoor patio, which doesn't directly face a highly trafficked road or a parking lot.
Squid Ink Sushi Bar is not a chain. It is owned by Schuyler Estes who opened Squid Ink Sushi Bar in 2010 to "create new and interesting ways to interpret that vision through sushi, contemporary design and music."
Squid Ink Sushi Bar is not a chain. It is owned by Schuyler Estes who opened Squid Ink Sushi Bar in 2010 to "create new and interesting ways to interpret that vision through sushi, contemporary design and music."
Squid Ink - The Damages
Tuna Bowl Lunch Special at Squid Ink
© 2011 Judy HeddingMy friend and I tried a variety of items at Squid Ink. We had an appetizer, a salad, a lunch special, a house roll, 2 pieces of nigiri sushi and a dessert. The total, excluding beverages, tax and tip, came to about $26 per person. That was a lot of food!
Although we didn't try any, the drinks on their special drink menu seem low-priced for this market, ranging from $7 to $10 per drink.
Although we didn't try any, the drinks on their special drink menu seem low-priced for this market, ranging from $7 to $10 per drink.
What I Thought of Squid Ink Sushi Bar
Squid Ink represents a pleasant alternative in the northwest Valley of the Sun for sushi, sashimi and rolls, as well as a variety of items that you might not expect to find at a place with Sushi Bar in its name. We were there to try the sushi-related items on the menu, so we skipped the Grilled Chicken Wings, Sweet Potato Fries and the Grilled Filet. I headed right for the Marinated Squid Salad ($5) which was one of my favorites of the day. The Crab Rangoon ($7) was fried to a golden brown and crunchy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. A winner.
For the lunch special I ordered the Spicy Tuna Bowl ($12) which had a large quantity of sushi rice, topped with a hefty portion of what looks like ground meat (in this case, tuna), accompanied by tempura-battered eggplant pieces, sliced avocado and asparagus spears. The dish was a lovely, and yet very filling, combination of hot and cold temperatures. Lunch specials come with miso soup or salad.
The Seafood Dynamite Roll ($14) could be a meal unto itself with a hefty load of warm crab, scallops, yellowtail and tuna with eel sauce. It is one of 15 house rolls offered. Nigiri Yellowtail was flavorful and very tender ($7 for 2 pcs). Bread Pudding with Ice Cream ($9) might not sound like typical sushi bar after dinner sweet, but we enjoyed it. Still, $9 is more than I would usually spend for a dessert.
We were pleased with all the food we tried at Sushi Ink. I found the items to be artistically presented without seeming pretentious. The menu might not be as extensive as some other sushi restaurants, but it is a place I can definitely recommend if you are looking for a nice, casual, off-the-Scottsdale-beaten-path sushi bar where you can watch football or go on a date, or take advantage of happy hour (or reverse happy hour) with some friends.
Check the schedule online for live entertainment, open mic night, bike nights and more.
For the lunch special I ordered the Spicy Tuna Bowl ($12) which had a large quantity of sushi rice, topped with a hefty portion of what looks like ground meat (in this case, tuna), accompanied by tempura-battered eggplant pieces, sliced avocado and asparagus spears. The dish was a lovely, and yet very filling, combination of hot and cold temperatures. Lunch specials come with miso soup or salad.
The Seafood Dynamite Roll ($14) could be a meal unto itself with a hefty load of warm crab, scallops, yellowtail and tuna with eel sauce. It is one of 15 house rolls offered. Nigiri Yellowtail was flavorful and very tender ($7 for 2 pcs). Bread Pudding with Ice Cream ($9) might not sound like typical sushi bar after dinner sweet, but we enjoyed it. Still, $9 is more than I would usually spend for a dessert.
We were pleased with all the food we tried at Sushi Ink. I found the items to be artistically presented without seeming pretentious. The menu might not be as extensive as some other sushi restaurants, but it is a place I can definitely recommend if you are looking for a nice, casual, off-the-Scottsdale-beaten-path sushi bar where you can watch football or go on a date, or take advantage of happy hour (or reverse happy hour) with some friends.
Check the schedule online for live entertainment, open mic night, bike nights and more.
How to Find Squid Ink Sushi Bar
Squid Salad at Squid Ink Sushi Bar
© 2011 Judy HeddingSquid Ink Sushi Bar is open for both lunch and dinner seven days per week. It is open late on weekends.
There is only one Squid Ink Sushi Bar in Arizona.
Squid Ink Sushi Bar Address:
9947 W. Happy Valley Rd.
Peoria, AZ 85383
Phone: 623-561-7747
There is only one Squid Ink Sushi Bar in Arizona.
Squid Ink Sushi Bar Address:
9947 W. Happy Valley Rd.
Peoria, AZ 85383
Phone: 623-561-7747
All dates, times, prices and offerings are subject to change without notice.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with a complimentary meal for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.
