Samurai Japanese Cuisine
Gulfport, MS
A 25th Avenue sushi bar with a sprawling specialty roll menu, teriyaki dinners and a loyal following that rates it among Gulfport's best Japanese kitchens.
Atmosphere
Samurai keeps a low profile from the outside, a small storefront restaurant on 25th Avenue with a sushi bar up front and a handful of tables that fill up fast on weekend nights. It's the kind of place regulars describe as basically unchanged for years, in a good way, the sort of no-frills dining room where the focus stays on the fish rather than the decor. Servers know the regulars, waits can run long when it's busy, and the room gets quiet enough at lunch that you can actually hear the knife work at the sushi bar. There's a private lot out front, so parking isn't the issue table space sometimes is.
What to Order
Start with something that only makes sense here: the Mississippi Roll, tempura-fried salmon topped with snow crab and smelt roe under a B.B.Q. eel glaze, or the Cowboy Roll, which tucks seared filet mignon and asparagus in with snow crab and cream cheese. The Samurai Roll, the house namesake, is chopped fish in a mildly spicy sauce inside a tempura-fried wrap. For something lighter, the Hawaiian Roll leans tropical with coconut shrimp, mango and a pineapple sauce, while the teriyaki dinners, chicken, ribeye, salmon, shrimp, arrive on a sizzling plate with soup and salad included. The poke bowls are worth a look too if you want something non-fried.
Good to Know
Samurai is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:15 p.m., Friday until 10:15 p.m., and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:15 p.m.; it's closed all day Sunday. There's no reservation system, so it's walk-in seating, and with a small dining room, a short wait is normal on Friday and Saturday nights. Takeout and online ordering both work well if you'd rather skip the table altogether. Parking is in a private lot out front. It's casual enough for kids, though the sushi-forward menu skews toward adults and older kids more than toddlers, and call ahead at (228) 214-4049 if you're bringing a group larger than four or five.
Our Take
Samurai has built a loyal following over the years on food quality rather than atmosphere, and that trade-off feels right for what it is: a straightforward, generous sushi kitchen in an unassuming room. The specialty rolls are the reason to go, especially anything that leans into local ingredients like the Mississippi and Gulfport rolls. It's not a place for a big group looking for a show, hibachi grills and tableside theatrics aren't part of the deal here, but for a satisfying, well-priced sushi dinner without pretense, it's one of the more dependable options on the Coast.
Details last verified August 2026. Always confirm current hours and menu directly with the restaurant.