Aja Restaurant & Bar

Very sad about the closing of Aja. While the quality seems to have been going downhill for some time, I’ve always had great meals and service here. Most recently a party of 10 enjoyed in excess of $ 1K in food and drink and we thoroughly enjoyed the sushi.

I’m giving this place a 3 star right now because even though I’ve been here about a few times before, right now I’m feeling extremely hesitant in going back at all. I went there tonight for dinner with a big group. Service was excellent. Server was knowledgeable and sweet & took care of us nicely.
I ordered the sweet and sour pork dish BUT I substituted the pork with Chicken instead + white rice. I also ordered the vegetable spring rolls (came with 3 pieces) and a coke to drink.
I come home and around 3AM (hence this super late night review), I woke up from my sleep sweating and feeling super weak and having a REALLY Bad stomach ache.
Fast forward: I ended up throwing up A LOT and I was in so much pain from eating this food. And the reason I KNOW it was from Aja is because I did NOT have anything else all day. (Except water and some cheese its) so I’m very certain it was from Aja. I honestly don’t think I’ll go back just because it was concerning my health.
If it was bad service, I’d give them a second chance then but this was about my health and I don’t play around with that. Sorry Aja– you didn’t really do it for me this time with the food.

I used to love this place but it has really gone down hill. We used to come here all the time and gradually stopped… and now I remember why! At dinner tonight, we waited over an hour for our food and one of my friends never got his and had to remind the waiter twice to finally get it 30 mins later. Even so, most of the orders in the group (including ours) was still incorrect and nothing was done to rectify this. After all of this, we had to wait another 30 minutes for our checks, which were ALL incorrect. We waited another 30 minutes for the revised checks, where they charged us for the rolls we never got.
UPDATE: it has been 20 minutes and we still haven’t received our 2^nd round of revised checks and the chefs have all left

Aja is a restaurant I’ve wanted to try for some time and finally had a chance to visit for lunch with co-​workers. The restaurant itself is beautiful, cavernous and trendy looking (if you like that kind of thing LOL)! It’s definitely a cool place to enjoy visually and we actually opted to sit on the patio, which was a terrific choice on a lovely day. Our party of 8 was graciously accommodated and we were able to move to a shaded, couch space with little fanfare, so that was appreciated.
For lunch, we kept it super simple and ordered two Sushi Boats ($ 75 each boat) to share. I actually also ordered a Nori Salad, which mysteriously never came. Nonetheless, we were all full from the sushi, so I let the salad go. The beauty of the sushi boat is that you get to try a variety of sushi rolls, nigiri and sashimi – so that part was great! The sushi was solid and tasted fresh, with some creative options like the Miami Vice, B52 and Ocean rolls which were fairly popular with some in our group. Personally, I like to keep it simple, so the Nigiri (Scallop, Yellowtail, Tuna and Salmon) and sashimi did it for me, honestly.
Overall, my experience was solid and I would definitely come back. If I could give 3.5 stars I would, but 4 stars is a bit much since I’ve had just as good sushi for less $$$. I will mention that I got a bit turned around coming here, until I realized the restaurant is in the old Emeril’s location (I should have read more reviews and could have caught that). The valet parking line was long, but I guess it’s complimentary at lunch because I didn’t see the $ 5 signs that others mentioned. There is also a parking deck, which Aja will validate your parking ticket. No complaints for me and a very enjoyable lunch at Aja. Happy Eating!

The food is amazing, nice environment but the service took so long.
Overall we go back here!

The quality has really gone down, not sure what happened but the prices went up and the taste didn’t. And paying $ 5 for valet when it used to be complimentary, meh.
Sorry Aja but get your act together.

I hate to do this…
Aja is the one place I have been to the most over the years in Atlanta. Thee most. And when I pulled up on Friday, I was very disappointed.
I didn’t go in. One thing that has stood out for me is the valet. They were always hard working, attentive and friendly. One time I had a car issue and one of the guys was under my car helping me out. But to pull up and see a $ 5 sign? I was not happy. There is nowhere else to park. You either pay valet or you pay in the lot. Seriously, there is nowhere to park due to its location. So you are being forced to pay. And that is not cool.
Aja has changed their menu. And I get it, you have to keep things fresh and new. But some things should always remain the same. Their spicy duck fried rice was amazing. Now, it’s some BBQ Duck rice… I don’t know I was just so disappointed after having it when I did go last time. And a chicken and waffle fried rice? What part of Asian influence is that??? Another stellar dish on the menu was the Mongolian Shredded beef. That appears to be gone. Why? I have no clue. Maybe they just gave it a fancy name and I am missing it. Who knows. The sushi has been pretty good and for $ 5 you get some good choices. That’s if that is still a running special. See comments below.
And this next point is geared more at Here to Serve then just Aja. There used to be a section on the website where you can see the specials they were having at all the restaurants. Like $ 5 Sushi at Aja on Monday, $ 6 Oysters at Coast on Wednesday. That section is gone so I don’t know what the specials are or if they even exist. And let’s be honest, we all like to take advantage of specials. Hiding them does what?
There has been a change of ownership of H2R and David Abes who was a manager at Aja is gone. Obviously the changes haven’t been good ones because my once favorite restaurant has gotten a two star review from me. I have had issues before because with anything the more you use it the higher the chance of a poor experience. And each and every time it was handled with some level of courtesy and I appreciated that about Aja. Now, I don’t know if it would be the same. I think one of the last times I was there, it was Friday and there was a group of us at the bar having a great time laughing and talking, until the bartender told us to keep it down. *Insert look of confusion here*

Been here a couple of times. Atmosphere is great! Very trendy feel to it. My first time was not a good look at all but this time was great. Our server, Maria, was so sweet and helpful to us! Redemption!
I took my sister here for day #1 of her 21^st bday celebration. My mom tagged along, but she doesn’t like really trying new foods. I had the Benton Bacon bowl (YUM). I usually try to save some, but I was famnished, it was yummy, and the rest is history. My sister had one of their newer plates, Chicken and Waffles (YUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!) and my mom had sweet and sour chicken with fried rice. She didn’t like it that much (although I tasted it and loved it. Plus she’s a picky eater at times). So she ended up getting a Chicken and Waffles Bowl as well. Cost about $ 55 to feed 3 people. Including tax and tip. Very affordable. Would be a nice group outing or date, if you get one of the booths off to the side.
Also, Aja has been seen on several reality tv shows filmed in Atlanta, one of which (Married to Medicine) was being filmed when we walked through the door. I tried to get a peek at who it was but to no avail. lol
Will definitely be going back soon!

First, they have chicken and waffle fried rice. Yep, you read that right. (And it is good.) Even on crowded nights, I’ve never had to wait long to get a table. Love the ambiance. The food is good and drinks are delish. The sushi is pretty good too.

What a neat place to grab a bite! I came here for the first time with Mish K. to try their happy hour specials which run 4 — 9 pm on Mondays. Everything we tried was really tasty!
Seating is first come, first serve in their bar area so we chose a high top table to settle in at and peruse the menu. This was the first drawback — apparently they have really scaled down their choices from what the HH menu used to be (including sushi, drinks, and apps). There were still a good number of choices but it was much slimmer than previously advertised according to Mish.
I started with a glass of the red sangria and while it was tasty it was exactly like juice. Super sugary, it could have used a better ratio of wine to other ingredients. We decided to try a few apps and split some sushi rolls so we picked a few standards that Aja is known for and some fun newer things to try. First up — the apps! We split the edamame which was perfect to snack on. It was cooked well and had a spicy sea salt mixture sprinkled on top which gave it a nice punch of flavor without being overwhelming. We also tried the steamed pork buns. The filling on them were fantastic and the meat was caramelized well. The onions and spices rounding it out were well balanced, but the bun itself was just OK. It didn’t blow me away, but then again it is the vehicle to the inside deliciousness!
Next up was our sushi rolls. Sitting at the high top you could see the sushi chef not far away preparing everything which was a nice feature. We went with 4 of their rolls — the crunchee, queen salmon, B-​52, and a spicy tuna. My favorites were the crunchee and queen salmon — the fish they included had larger portions and had lots of fresh avocado and only a light touch of sauce dressing. The other two rolls were good but I probably wouldn’t go for them again. On the B-​52 the spice was really overwhelming and while the spicy tuna was tasty, it appeared lackluster with the other gems on the plate.
Aja has a really pretty patio area that will be nice to use in the summertime evenings as the weather gets warmer and neat lounge couches on the inside for mingling with friends. I will say I was disappointed with the valet. Previous Unilocalers tipped that they had a free valet service available (otherwise you would be paying outrageous fees for the parking deck) but when I arrived it seems they’ve bumped it up to $ 5. That was an unexpected drawback, but worth the hassle of trying to park myself.

Second time coming here and I am definitely going to revisit! Went here for date night yesterday night and ordered some tempura bacon, sushi (B-​59), and Mongolian Beef. Everything was delicious, although the sushi had a little too much cream cheese. The tempura bacon was very tender and crispy– wouldn’t change a thing about it and was probably my favorite for the night! I also heard they have a $ 5 sushi special every Monday!

Took boyfriend here for his birthday celebration on Sunday ⁴⁄₁ and have to say both of us were truly blown away. We are big fans of romantic restaurants with pretty decors and nice atmosphere’s…well Aja fit the bill!
Let me begin by saying that I am glad we went on a Sunday night… no crowds or long waits to be seated and the dim sum was $ 5. The valet parking was definitely a nice touch too. 2 orders of fried shrimp dumplings, one order of veggie spring rolls, a beef and rice bowl and the fantastic chicken n waffle fried rice… grand total $ 80.46.
Had the volcano drink and it was great!!! We will return…

It’s cute inside but THAT’S ABOUT IT. THE FOOD HERE IS TERRIBLE. Seriously. Come here to take cute pics, do not come here to have a good meal.

Came to Aja to celebrate a friend’s birthday and had a fairly decent experience. The prices were reasonable and usually when there’s a big party, the servers sometimes have hiccups with people’s orders but Devon was pretty awesome. She handled things in a very timely manner and was a sweetheart.
Nice open space, not too loud, not too crowded… oh and even though I didn’t drink while sitting on the bar waiting for the birthday girl to arrive, the waitress was pretty friendly and didn’t make me feel crazy about sitting at a bar and not drinkin. I had the lettuce wraps (kinda salty), the crab Rangoon (really good), and the crunchee roll (which of course I couldn’t eat all of it but it was pretty good). Overall the food was good.
The only thing I didn’t like was the whole you can’t sit unless you have ²⁄₃ of the party with you and after 15 minutes, you’re a no show and they cancel your reservation but I get it… its a business… be on time or go elsewhere!

Aja is a very solid sushi spot. It’s in the former Emeril’s restaurant and is a pretty gigantic restaurant and bar. It’s a Here2Serve restaurant, so in a nutshell it’s a pretty good but not great meal like all of their concepts.
I went for a business lunch last week, as did half of Buckhead based on the crowd. We were seated immediately, which is always a plus during a lunch rush. The lunch menu is very expansive and borderline overwhelming. They have something for everyone (including my coworker who ate a California roll with a fork). I opted for the lunch combo. $ 10 for a spicy tuna roll, seaweed salad, and miso soup is a fantastic lunch deal as far as I’m concerned. All three dishes were spot on. Maybe it was because I had a cold, but I thought their miso soup was particularly excellent. The spicy tuna roll was your average good sushi. It’s no Sushi House Hayakawa, but it’s also way better than Ru San’s. Service was efficient and friendly. Honestly it was a really great bang for the buck.
The interior of Aja looks a lot swankier than the price point of the menu. Between the high ceilings and somewhat cliché red and black Asian décor, you could definitely go here on a date. Personally I’d prefer it for a Buckhead business lunch, but it is worth noting that it’s definitely a nice enough place to go for a date. If I still worked in Buckhead, I would go here for lunch on a regular basis.
One final note for would be Aja patrons: Do not park in the Monarch Parking Deck. Despite the fact it’s the one closest to the restaurant, they do not validate parking for this lot. This error effectively got me up to a $ 15 lunch. Oh well, you live, you learn.

My friends and I come here every single Monday ($ 5 sushi night) to eat, drink and catch up. The atmosphere is upbeat and trendy, service is ok, people watching is on point… great way to kick off your week.
All the sushi is hit or miss. Not the best you’ve ever had but not bad either. I usually get an order of edamame and I love the seaweed salad.
My advice is to mingle on the couches and park in the parking deck across the street if you want to elude valet: P (don’t forget to get your ticket validated!)

Forgot to take pics of my yummy salt and pepper fried calamari — just wanted to tell my fellow Unilocalers to give it a try!
My friend had a salmon and potato dish. It was tasty as well
We washed down a few Ginger beer and vodka cocktails– this had a strong spicy ginger kick… Think grown up Canada Dry
The place was virtually empty for a Friday night– not much going on. The food was very good… What you would expect for the price
If you are looking for a good space for a birthday or other celebration– this restaurant is decorated beautifully with East Asian décor. It’s slightly dark– but it definitely adds to the appeal of the restaurant
THE BEST
Hands down, the staff! What a nice service team… Quick and attentive and super friendly

I knew that I would run into Jim D. (see manager comment below) sooner or later… well, it happened to be sooner. My company had an after work function at Aja this evening, and I met Jim D. as I walked into the restaurant — we recognized each other immediately. Because I stand by my reviews, I did explain that my review had been my experience, and that my intention had been to stop by and speak with him in person. Because I was attending a work event, I had to get upstairs and schmooz with my co-​workers, so I couldn’t talk right then.
Unexpectedly, Jim D. brought me a plate of Mongolian Beef and a side of rice. He was very professional in his dealings with me, and it was gracious of him to bring the serving and not cause me any embarrassment with my co-​workers. I did explain to them my review, and why I received the entrée.
I have to eat crow, because the Mongolian Beef was what I would normally expect and want to eat — thin slices of beef, un-​breaded, flash fried and lightly sauced. After some teasing with my co-​workers over the safety of the dish, I ate half of it and it was very good. A few of my co-​workers also took bites and thought it was great. One of them said she was pleased that Jim D. had responded to my review and rose to the challenge of creating a Mongolian Beef that was more inline with my expectations as the customer.
The after work event was catered by Aja and held in a private dining room up the stairs above the main dining area. I didn’t eat any of the food (long work day, not much of an appetite…), but my co-​workers were cleaning up on meat skewers, spring rolls and lettuce wraps. Everyone was eating, drinking and enjoying themselves, so it was definitely a success. We had a great bartender and a server working the floor clearing empty plates and glasses.
I’m writing this update faster than I’d expected, but I feel good about it. My immediate follow-​up at Aja was successful with a bit more fan fare than I was expecting with my coworkers hanging around. But it all ended well, and again, I appreciated Jim D.‘s consideration and professionalism.

Visited this place for the first time this evening with friends for a birthday dinner party. There was about 15 of us and I was super impressed with how amazing the service was that we received. I don’t remember our waitress’ name, but we only had one for the entire table, and she was ON IT! She took our orders, the food came out quickly, our drinks were never low, she was great.
Now about the food. I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted so I ordered the pork pot-​stickers, whole fried fish (red snapper), and chicken fried rice. The chicken fried rice and pot-​stickers were good but the fish, not so much. It came with some type of sweet sauce and I asked for it on the side. Alone the fish was extremely bland, but with the sauce, it was ok.
My girlfriend ordered the calamari and roasted sliced pork, I tried them both and they were really good.
The place is beautiful and I certainly want to go back to try some different menu items.

I’m a huge fan of their Monday night happy hour menu. ($ 5.00 on select rolls on Mondays from 4 — 9 pm)
On top of that, their White Lychee Sangria has the perfect amount of sweetness!
One of the first things you’ll notice when you walk into Aja is their modern Asian décor. The warm colors, the tasteful Asian calligraphy displayed in the ceiling and the dim lighting through the restaurant. It’s definitely a chill and relaxing place to visit after a stressful day at work.
I also love their outdoor patio. A great place to enjoy the ATL weather when the weather is just right. The service here is fantastic. All of the rolls on their happy hour menu is great and the valet staff here is always friendly and courteous. I’ve been here several times and have also ordered off their main menu. Love visiting Aja a couple times a month with friends and will definitely return for future visits.