Collegiate Times

I have only had Poor Billy’s once, but I can certainly see why it won first place for Best of Blacksburg in the sushi category. Its menu provides a lot more variety than its competitors, Sushi Factory and Green’s, which won second and third place, respectively.

Though you might see more adults than students at Poor Billy’s on a given night, it would still be a prime choice for those who want to get fancy and step away from the takeout menus.

Its classy atmosphere fits its prices, which may be a little out of reach for students like me who generally can’t afford to shell out tens of dollars on raw fish, but it is certainly worth your money. 

Green’s is also a popular choice for students, as it is close to campus and next to many other popular downtown restaurants. Green’s is located in a little niche, and I had no idea it existed before a friend asked me to go there, because its location was so inconspicuous.

When I first went to Green’s, I was slightly put off by the menu, which was just a laminated sheet of paper with another taped onto it. Perhaps that says I’m somewhat pretentious, but I thought the place was a bit too casual as I took care to make sure the poor little menu didn’t fall apart into shambles while I was reading it.

However, first impressions are not always correct. Green’s has specials every day, and its food quality was better than I had expected. It have a pretty decent variety in sushi, and its wait-staff is friendly.

I personally prefer the Sushi Factory overall because I’m always on the go, and let’s face it, I’m a college student on a budget. It’s a quaint atmosphere that might not be suited for people who would prefer something a bit more formal (as is usually the case with sushi), and for that type, I recommend Poor Billy’s, which is a nice sit-down restaurant with options on the menu other than sushi.

But the Sushi Factory is just that: Its menu consists solely of sushi and sashimi/nigiri, with a few items. It’s cheap, and the quality is pretty good for the price. The food might not be as big as that of other sushi places, but you get what you paid for. The food is also prepared in a good amount of time as well (as opposed to Poor Billy’s, where I had to wait about 30 minutes for my food to be prepared).

An honorable mention goes to Sake House, to which I have never been myself, but it is brought up frequently for its sushi. Looking at the online menu, I can tell it is also a spot worth going to. The food is affordable, and they even have a special roll called a “Hokie roll.” Its menu consists of soup, appetiziers, sushi, desserts, wine, various dinner items, and
of course, sake.

A version of this article appeared in the Oct 19 issue of the Collegiate Times.