Rate-A-Restaurant, #80 in a series

Restaurant: Sushi Roku

Location: 8445 W. Third St. (Mid-City)

Type of restaurant: Sushi

We stipulated: In honor of our 80th Rate-A-Restaurant, it was time to revisit an old favorite. It had been so long since our last Roku experience that it pre-dated the blog's March 2003 launch (meaning we've never had a chance to review the old standby). We were also looking to mark our anniversary with some decent sushi.

They stipulated: Not quite the scene it once was, it's much easier to get a table these days at Sushi Roku's original 3rd Street location. Parking's not a problem at the moment -- with the Beverly Connection undergoing a massive renovation, they've torn out the parking gates there (which means parking for free).

What we ordered: salmon sushi ($5.50); eel avocado cut roll ($7); Spicy Canadian rock shrimp cut roll ($9.50); Roku & Roll ($9); Spicy tuna cut roll ($7); Spicy scallop cut roll ($6)

High point: Sushi Roku doesn't come close to serving the best sushi in L.A., but it's definitely above average, and given its scenster image, is surprisingly affordable.

Low point: With so many locations, Sushi Roku has diluted its brand -- giving it a slight chain feel.

Overall impression: Still one of the best spicy tuna rolls out there. And now that Roku is less trendy and has been usurped by newer comers, there's less desperate energy there, allowing for more focus on the food.

Chance we will go back: Sure, although there's an equal chance we'll also simply carry out.

For a complete archive of our Rate-A-Restaurant reviews, check out our newly revised companion ratearestaurant.blogspot.com website.