Beloved Gentilly Sushi Spot Stages Big Elysian Fields Comeback

Gentilly’s sushi drought is officially over. Good Time Sushi quietly reopened this week on Elysian Fields, bringing back the neighborhood’s casual sushi bar and hibachi spot that had been dark since the pandemic. Neighbors say the refreshed dining room and fully staffed sushi counter started drawing regulars back almost as soon as the lights came on, restoring an affordable BYOB favorite many in the area had been missing for years.

Inside the new space

A staff photo by Ian McNulty in The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com shows a rebuilt dining room centered on the sushi bar and counter. Operator Jaimie Zhong told What Now New Orleans that the new building more than doubles the footprint of the former space and adds hibachi tables to the front dining area. Zhong also said the team plans to bring back longtime menu staples that regulars had come to expect.

Months of delays and community buzz

The reopening caps months of slow, very public progress. Axios New Orleans reported plans for Good Time Sushi’s return back in March, and local forum posts chronicled every visible step, from final utility hookups to word of a reported June 1 opening. Residents on neighborhood threads traded photos and status updates as permits and utility work wrapped up, treating each small advance as one step closer to finally getting the longtime spot back in service.

Why Gentilly cares

Good Time Sushi has long filled a specific niche in Gentilly: a BYOB, budget-conscious option for sit-down sushi that still gets mentioned in coverage of the city’s broader sushi scene, according to WWNO. Local reporting and neighborhood chatter say city officials and nearby residents helped keep the project moving after the old building was torn down and rebuilt, restoring a dependable sit-down restaurant to a strip that has seen more than its share of turnover, as noted by What Now New Orleans.

Practical details

Menus and operating hours are listed on directory pages such as Sluurpy, which also posts the restaurant’s phone number for takeout orders. For a closer look at the rebuilt sushi bar and dining room, check the staff gallery at The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com.