Maki Fresh

**Congrats to Jessica Vance for winning our Maki Meal To Go giveaway! Don’t forget to mention The Hill Hangout for $5 off a Maki Meal To Go through the end of 2013.**

Jennifer Mims loves her work, and it showed from the first moment I met her. Her enthusiasm about her restaurant is contagious, and it made me excited to try it. Maki Fresh has been open in Birmingham’s Cahaba Village for about six years. It was the brain child of Mims and John Cassimus, founder of Zoes Kitchen.

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Offering both traditional and innovative Japanese menu items, Maki Fresh serves sushi, sashimi, rice bowls, salads, sliders and more. As the name notes, everything is made fresh in the store. Customers can dine in, take advantage of the quick-pay Maki Market, or call ahead for a Maki Meal To Go. I stopped by on a Monday night when my schedule included driving carpools to ballet and soccer, as well as a trip to the grocery and running errands. My Monday nights are usually slammed with activities, so it was quite nice to have dinner waiting for me at Maki Fresh.

I picked up a Maki Meal To Go, and I cannot tell you how easy it was! Maki Meals To Go are designed to give busy families a healthy, delicious, quick option for dinner. We ordered the Hibachi Bowl dinner for four, which includes filet, cucumbers, yellow bell peppers, edamame, carrots, and tomatoes over a bed of white or brown rice. It is topped with their Maki Spicy Sauce. I don’t even mind telling you that we couldn’t wait until we got home to dig in. We ripped into it right in the parking lot at the soccer field while we waited for our big girl to finish playing. Can you blame us? Look how gorgeous it is!

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They also offer a grilled chicken rice bowl called the Thaiphoon, as well as a panko shrimp version called the Bang Bang.

If it’s sushi you’re after, Maki Fresh aims to please. Jennifer sent us home with a selection of three different types of sushi, and they were each divine. They were fresh and crisp and delicious! The Crunch Crunch is a combo of panko shrimp, avocado, cucumber, and it is served with Maki Spicy Sauce. The Spicy Tuna was rolled with cucumber and served with Spicy Maki Sauce. But perhaps my favorite was a very non-traditional sushi. The Blossom roll combined salmon, green apples, arugula, and goat cheese, and it was served with a Lemon Thyme Dressing that is out of this world. Did I mention that Maki Fresh makes all of their sauces in the store? The Spicy Maki Sauce and Lemon Thyme Dressing are worth the price of admission!

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Maki Fresh tries hard to appeal to everyone, even those who don’t care for Asian food. Among their top sellers are the sliders. They serve burgers, grilled chicken, grilled salmon, and ahi tuna sliders.

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Maki Fresh offers catering as well. In fact, catering is a large part of their business. Whether it is for an office lunch, a tailgating party, or a baby shower, a sushi or slider tray is a crowd pleaser. Besides being inexpensive and healthy, a such tray is a beautifully presented dish!

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Maki Fresh is open 10:00-9:00 everyday. They offer indoor and patio seating. On Sundays, they offer 2 for $10 Maki Rolls. And if you’re inclined, they serve wine and beer selections as well. Stop by and see Jennifer or her manager, Mandy Church. Let the know The Hill Hangout sent you and receive $5 off of a Maki Meal To Go.

Jennifer and Mandy have graciously given us one Maki Meal To Go to give away. Choose from the Hibachi (filet), Tokyo Teriyaki (chicken), Thaiphoon (chicken), Bang Bang (shrimp), or sliders (choice of burgers or chicken) meal to go. These range in price from $25 to $33 per meal and are designed to serve two adults and two children.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many thanks to Maki Fresh for providing the food for this review and giveaway. All opinions about the food are entirely my own.

Comments

  1. Jessica M. Vance says

    I would love to try the Hibachi (filet)!

  2. I LOVE Maki Fresh! I used to eat there all the time when I worked in Cahaba Heights. I didn’t even know they had to go options. I would love to try the Filet you speak of!

    • Ashley Mills Hill says

      They just started the Maki Meals To Go in September, so they are new. I forgot to mention that the meal we got also came with salad.

  3. Love Maki Fresh! I’ve been hoping they’d open a Hoover location! 🙂

  4. Ooops… forgot to answer the question.
    I’d definitely try the BANG BANG!!

  5. I have always wanted to try this. The food looks DELICIOUS! I don’t know what I would choose, but right now, the Hibachi is calling my name!

  6. Michelle Jenkins says

    Never been here before but it looks great!

  7. The crunch crunch sounds divine!!

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