Okay, so that’s a little dramatic, but half-priced sushi is a pretty great deal. Who doesn’t like that? Wait a minute, just don’t answer that one. I don’t understand you people who don’t like sushi.

I’d been hearing for a couple of years that Tomo on the south end of town (like REALLY south, across from the south Albertson’s) does half-priced sushi on Monday nights. Since I live on the south end, it’s not far for me to travel and yet, for two years, I hadn’t done it. I had even heard they had a decent happy hour and I have a kid who could eat sushi every day and I still didn’t go. A couple of months ago I decided enough was enough and the kid and I made our way over to Tomo to test it out.

I am going to tell you the one extremely negative thing first and get it over with and then you can enjoy the rest of my thoughts. The wait is LONG and we went at 5:30 the first time. It’s a small restaurant with almost no waiting room and can feel a bit claustrophobic. Seriously, the second time I went I almost had a panic attack and had to go outside just to breathe. If you really, really hate waiting, this is not your best dinner option. In fact, avoid it like the plague; never, ever go there. That way the rest of us can get to what is worth the wait.

Did you notice in the part above where I complained about the wait that I not only had a first visit, but a second visit as well? That’s because it really is good sushi and the price makes it totally worth it! Their online menu doesn’t list all of their sushi rolls, but I got a couple of interesting rolls I hadn’t had before for about $4 each. How can you pass that up? You can’t. My favorite was the ginger tempura roll, made with hamachi, cucumber, avocado, green onions, and topped with magi sauce. The Thai tempura roll is also delicious if you like spicy. I do. The creamy scallop Nigiri is also scrumptiously spicy and only 2 bucks. Two dollars! Seriously!

I will be totally honest and tell you it isn’t the best sushi I’ve ever had. There are better. But they’re not all in Bend and I really want to emphasize the value of the Half Price. Plus the people working there are used to the rush by now and have it handled pretty well, all while being friendly and helpful. I even left my debit card there the first time (don’t even ask!) and my server had noticed and locked it up safely so that it was still there when I discovered my loss and returned the next day. Hopefully you won’t need your server to be that attentive in a crowd, but there it is, just in case.

If you like cocktails, like I do, they’ve got you covered there too. I had a pretty refreshing sake lemon drop and then there are the typical Japanese beers, including the giant can of Sapporo. That thing is ridiculous!

Half-priced sushi and cocktails? What sounds better than that? Not much. So go. Go on any Monday night, it’s the perfect way to start your workweek. Just don’t go tonight. I’ve got a mother/daughter date and I don’t want to wait too long for my ginger roll.