TAMPA, Fla. (BLOOM) – When your server is a robot, your food arrives on a conveyor belt, and you’re rewarded with toys for eating more sushi, you know you’re in for something different.

That’s exactly what my girlfriend and I signed up for when we visited Kura Sushi, the semi new high-tech sushi spot that recently opened in Tampa. I had a $100 gift card to check the place out. I thought, “Sure, we’ll nibble on a few rolls, grab a couple nigiri, maybe a miso soup.”

Instead, we crushed 27 plates.

We also added on miso soup, fried softshell shrimp, fried softshell crab, and a gooey butter cake for dessert. The final total was just over $135, which means we went about 35 dollars over the gift card. No regrets.

A tech-powered sushi playground

If you haven’t been to Kura before, here’s the concept: Each booth faces a double-decker conveyor belt. Sushi, sashimi, and rolls glide past at eye level. A screen lets you order hot food, drinks, and anything not already zipping by. When your order is ready, it shoots out on the top track like it’s being launched by a sushi train.

Drinks? A robot brings them.

Order enough food, 15 plates, to be exact, and a screen above your table plays a little animation before dropping a capsule toy down a chute as your prize. It’s like being in a sushi arcade, and yes, we got our prize.

What we ate

The sushi here isn’t what you’d find at a high-end omakase spot. You’re not getting toro or hand-sliced uni. What you are getting is solid, simple nigiri and rolls served fast and fresh.

We sampled just about everything. The salmon nigiri was a standout. So was the seared scallop, and the spicy tuna roll delivered more flavor than expected for a $3 plate.

The fried items, especially the softshell crab, were golden and crispy, served hot, and offered a welcome break from the endless rice parade. And the butter cake at the end? It was like biting into a hug.

Is it worth it?

Absolutely. The place isn’t trying to be a fine dining sushi restaurant, and that’s what makes it work. It’s casual, fun, affordable, and honestly, a blast.

For people looking for delicate cuts of sashimi and artfully plated rolls, you’re still better off going to a sit-down sushi joint. But if you want to eat your weight in nigiri and tempura while a cartoon tells you you’ve earned a prize, Kura delivers.

It’s great for a date, a family night, or anyone who just wants to try something different. Pro tip: come hungry, and maybe wear pants with a little give.

Kura Sushi is located at 1544 N Dale Mabry Hwy in Tampa.