"Steve Scully has run downtown Flagstaff's sushi bar for two decades — go for the Lucy roll, a bowl of ramen and the happy-hour seat."
Karma Sushi Bar Grill has anchored downtown Flagstaff's dining for about 20 years, on Route 66 in the centre of town. The bar grew out of owner Steve Scully's sushi habit — he trained for more than a decade behind Phoenix-area counters before opening his own room — and it now serves sushi, ramen, a Japanese-grill menu and a full cocktail list. Most diners land in the $$ range, with happy hour pulling a regular downtown crowd.
The rolls carry Flagstaff in-jokes: the Lucy roll — tuna, avocado, roasted peppers, mango and citrus ponzu, named for Scully's dog, with a share of sales going to animal rescue — and the Giant Leap roll, a nod to the town's lunar-mapping history, with snow crab, avocado, mango and spicy scallops on top. Beyond sushi there is nigiri, sashimi and bowls of ramen.
The room is lively and casual — a proper sushi bar to sit at, plus tables — and it leans into downtown's after-work and student energy rather than hushed formality. Happy hour is the local move.
For a casual date, a team night or a birthday in downtown Flagstaff, Karma is the easy sushi-and-cocktails call: sit at the bar, work through the signature rolls and stay for happy hour.
Not for diners after a quiet, high-end omakase or a formal tasting — this is a busy, sociable downtown sushi bar that gets loud at peak and happy hour.
Karma is owned by Steve Scully, who trained for more than ten years as a sushi chef in Phoenix-area bars before opening his own downtown Flagstaff room about two decades ago.
The Lucy roll — tuna, avocado, roasted peppers, mango and citrus ponzu, named for Scully's dog — and the Giant Leap roll, with snow crab, avocado, mango and spicy scallops, are the house signatures.
Most rolls and ramen bowls keep Karma in the $$ range, and the bar runs a regular happy hour that downtown locals use for cheaper rolls and drinks.
Karma is at 6 E Route 66 in the centre of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, walkable from the historic train depot and downtown hotels.
Yes. Alongside sushi, nigiri and sashimi, Karma serves ramen, a Japanese-grill menu and a full cocktail list, with happy hour a local fixture.
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Where Karma fits among Flagstaff's tables, ranked by occasion.
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