Ben Chen, owner and chef at Kintaro prepares fresh sushi rolls for afternoon patrons, 5975 East Speedway Boulevard, Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 23, 2025.

You’re scrolling through Instagram when you come across a video showing off plates full of fresh, vibrant sushi rolls.

The rolls are perfectly cut, with stripes of soy sauce drizzled on top, and there's so, so many options. You’re mesmerized by the immaculate meal as you watch the video on loop, making a mental note of the restaurant before continuing to scroll.

Soon, another video pops up on your feed, with the same picture-perfect sushi rolls as the previous post.

Then you see another one. And another one. AND another one.

Before you know it, you’re waiting in line at Kintaro, patiently awaiting your chance to taste these Instagram-famous rolls.

Kintaro, located at 5975 E. Speedway, is Tucson’s newest all-you-can-eat sushi, sashimi and hibachi spot that is going viral thanks to its fresh flavors and never-ending plates of spicy tuna rolls.

You may have seen videos of Kintaro flooding your Instagram feed lately. Many Tucson influencers have been highlighting this new restaurant, giving it glowing reviews.

Kintaro Sushi owners: Ben Chen, left, Thao Huynh, and Alan Ren, right, pose for photo inside of their restaurant, 975 East Speedway Boulevard, Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 23, 2025.

Thao Huynh, one of Kintaro’s owners, beamed with pride when asked about his restaurant’s popularity, saying he had no idea how viral it had gone on social media.

β€œI would say, probably about 50% of our customers that walk in here and say, I saw you on Tik Tok,” Huynh said. β€œWe really love that our customers support us.”

Kintaro moved into the building that once housed Serial Grillers and Lotus Garden at the end of October. Β Shortly after opening to the public, customers were flocking to the restaurant for one thing: all-you-can-eat-sushi.

From Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., lunch service costs $21.99 per adult, $13.99 for kids ages 7-10 and $8.99 for kids ages 3-6.

Dinner services starts immediately after 3:30 p.m., where adults can eat for $31.99, kids between the ages of 7-10 eat for $17.99 and kids between the ages of 3-6 eat for $12.99

By 10:50 a.m., there’s already a line forming outside of Kintaro. For the next 10 minutes, customers will be eagerly awaiting their chance at never-ending plates of Vegas rolls and sashimi.

Fresh salmon nigiri and yellowtail nigiri are available at Kintaro Sushi, 5975 East Speedway Boulevard, Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 23, 2025.

On their menu, they have everything from the classic California roll to their lobster roll, which is made with real, fresh lobster. Huynh loves the sashimi, and said that the yellowtail and salmon are his favorites on the menu. Β 

If sushi isn’t your style, don’t worry! They have all kinds of hibachi plates including steak, chicken and salmon, as well as appetizers like gyozas and crab puffs for those who want to make the most of the all-you-can-eat fun.

Everything at Kintaro is made to order, something that Huynh takes very seriously. He wants to ensure that every customer is getting the freshest, most flavorful meal possible. Which is why they’re already growing a dedicated fan-base here.

β€œAt other all you can eat places, sometimes the quantity is less and the quality is even less, but ours is totally different experience,” Huynh said. β€œWe don't like to hold back on our customers.”

Thanks to their addicting flavors, wait times at Kintaro can be a bit long, but that doesn’t seem to deter customers, with some making the trip from Sierra Vista to treat themselves to a shrimp tempura roll.

β€œWe have people from Phoenix driving down here just to eat,” Huynh said. β€œThey wait for an hour and a half just to get a seat, then they eat for another hour and a half and then they drive back home. They’ve come back and told us that was the best experience they ever had.”

It’s those interactions with customers that bring a smile to Huynh’s face. Seeing families return on a weekly basis, ready to scarf down some sushi rolls, is exactly why Kintaro strives to bring a homey, comfortable feeling to their all-you-can-eat experience.

β€œI love when customers walk in with a bright smile and say, β€˜Hi Thao!’” Huynh said.

When it comes to Kintaro, it seems like the verdict is in: their sushi is worth waiting for.


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Jamie Donnelly is the food writer for #ThisIsTucson. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com