49 Best Sushi Bars near El Cajon

“Yi Sushi Review

Today I stopped in at Yi Sushi for a quick bite and ended up staying for an experience! I was greeted by a young lady with such a kind spirit, which set the tone for the visit.

They had plenty of specials and happy hour deals that immediately caught my attention. The Shrimp Consomé soup intrigued me right away, and there was also a Salmon Kama special that sounded amazing. I had originally planned to get my food to go, but since the salmon was dine‑in only, I decided to stay—and I’m so glad I did!

I sat at the sushi bar, where the chef served each dish directly to me, fresh from his hands. Let me tell you, that Shrimp Consomé soup was chef’s kiss! The flavor, the texture, and the crunch of the patty with the green onions on top—it was absolutely perfect. I could have easily gone for a second bowl.

Next came the Unagi, served as a pair. Fresh, rich, and so satisfying. Then came the star of the night: the Salmon Kama. I didn’t know what to expect, but it did not disappoint! The salmon was grilled to absolute perfection—tender on the inside with just the right amount of char. Honestly, all it was missing was a side of rice, which I’ll make sure to order next time.

I was so full by this point that I had my Crunch Roll packed to go. But before I left, I couldn’t resist trying a piece of Yellowtail tuna. It was exquisite—soft, delicate, flavorful, and not fishy at all. That’s definitely on my list for my next visit!

Special shoutout to my server, Anne, who was an absolute darling—kind, attentive, and made the whole experience even better.

I came for a quick sushi stop, but Yi Sushi turned it into a memorable meal. I’ll definitely be back!“

“We do love Hana! However they do a few things that irk us. The first is they RUSH you. You sit down and they ask you a million times if you’re ready to order. Then your food comes way too fast. No separation of appetizers and meal. It all just comes out. They also put the rolls too close next to each other. And the rolls usually fall apart wince they smash the roll into the warm or cold plate interacting with the temperature of the roll. Their sushi making is just inconsistent.

Other than these specific annoyances which I will just start addressing when I come; we really do love Hana. The sushi is good but it has gone way down hill over the last year for some reason.“

“One of my favorite sushi restaurants in East county! The food is amazing, the chef's definitely know what they're doing, they're quick, polite, friendly and great at what they do!
Only problem from time to time is the service. Lots of teenage servers but they aren't all very attentive. Granted, it's probably most of their first job's but trying to get their attention shouldn't be that tough.

Kid-friendliness: Plenty of options for non sushi eaters, teriyaki chicken, ramen, fried rice and simple things.“

“Fast and friendly service, Great tasting food my favorite is the honey walnut shrimp💜“

“personale gentilissimo. qualità del pesce ottima e.menu molto vasto e di qualita“

“I have eaten Vietnamese cuisine throughout California, and Grandpa Tao ranks among the best. In addition to the amazing tastes, the casual restaurant is friendly and comfortable. Ingredients are fresh, the environment clean and relaxing. I particularly recommend the Pho, the Rice Vermicelli (try it!) and the Shaking beef. You'll like it.“

“The food was amazing! The owner was so kind and accommodating to customers. He even gave me a free meal because of an issue with my rice. I will definitely come back again! We recently moved from Japan to San Diego and were craving ramen. Their ramen is the best! You should try it.“

“Sushi is DELICIOUS! Customer Service is Awesome! Place is Mellow and Relaxing and very Enjoyable!“

“Eaten here numerous times. Excellent quality food, and service. Equivalent to San Francisco Bay Area Japanese restaurants..which are outstanding.“

“The sushi was amazing! We tried the power roll, energy roll, and Mexican roll, and each one was delicious. Sara was super helpful with recommendations since it was our first time visiting. The sushi tasted really fresh, and the rolls were well-made. The atmosphere was also great—very chill and welcoming. Definitely recommend checking this place out!“

“Very simple, casual Japanese dining. The food and service are great. It has a wide selection of Japanese meals, and one of the larger and varied sushi roll menus in town.“

“Great food...would definitely recommend this restaurant 😍“

“The food is delicious! I love their chicken kelaquen and the pork ribs. Their food is always nicely presented! Highly recommend if you're craving Chamorro food!!“

“Great place. have been here a few times now, staff is attentive, friendly and the food it great. We will be back for sure and highly recommend it!“

“Pleasantly surprised by this place. First time trying it as I’m looking to make 2023 a year I explore new food places. This was my first new place of the year and I’m glad I found them! Friendly people and don’t be fooled by the small frontage. Hole in the wall places are the best. I also liked their happy hour menu….I was there for lunch but will be going back for happy hours and dinners😃“

“Best sushi ever!!! Umami roll is the most amazing roll I’ve ever had with tofu in it!“

“We had my dad’s retirement party here at JJ’s Island Grindz and our host was Ellis I cannot speak highly enough on the service he provided for us it will be unmatched. He treated us like family, very attentive, very respectful, on time with everything very professional. I just want to thank him and his crew for providing excellent customer service love and care to our family and friends. The food was amazing the drinks were delicious and had a great presentation. JJ’s Island Grindz is a good vibe. Thank you again for hosting our event.“

“Very homey spot that I now call my favorite spot. Couldn’t find many authentic locations till this one. Menu is priced “wallet-friendly” in my opinion. Friendly staff and well-prepared dishes at any given time, I comfortably feel right at home the moment I enter. They have decent specials for specific days of the week, do be sure to check them out when you’re in the area!“

“Love they're food and prices are reasonable. Especially with discount of you eat in the restaurant. My favorite sushi restaurant!“

“The food was great. Mango-Mango roll was exceptional!!“

“Food already great here 💕 🍣 🍱“

“I’ve been to this sushi spot several times and always appreciated their variety and freshness. However, during my most recent visit, the rice was noticeably stiff and tasted as if it might have been old. Hoping this was just an off day, as I’ve usually enjoyed their food!“

“San Diego’s best sushi! Get the CATS roll!“

“We ordered food to go from Sushiman and it is one of the best sushi that I have ever had in a long time. The price is also very affordable. This will be my new go to sushi restaurant. The shrimps were extremely fresh and tasty. Just writing this review now days later is already making me hungry. Maybe I'll go there again tonight!“

“Oishii is such a hidden gem! Very clean, and the insanely friendly and attentive staff make you feel right at home. The highlight for me was the pork noodle soup—seriously, it’s the closest thing I’ve found to authentic street noodle soup from Thailand. Such a rare find! Everything we tried was fresh and delicious. I’m already planning my next visit. Highly recommend!

Also 50% off apps and some rolls, beer and Thai tea for happy hour. Can’t beat it. Everyday from 2-5pm.“

“Always great sushi and never too busy. The best hole in the wall sushi place I’ve ever eaten at, and definitely the best sushi joint in east county. It’s also so reasonably priced (feel like it’s honestly pretty cheap) which is astounding because the quality is top tier.“

“Amazing food while we were visiting the area. Best service and the food presentation was perfection. Portions and pricing are both outstanding. 10/10 recommend.“

“Always great food when I stop by #HWMYTastins #HWMY“

“Don't let the rating fool you. This place is great! The staff always takes of me when I go in. I was there tonight.“

“I have been eating here for years and it's always good.“

“One of the best Japanese Restaurant in town, highly recommended!“

“I got the 'Chef's Choice Sashimi Bento Box' with a salad. My boyfriend got 'Katsu Don'. We also shared a bowl of Garlic Edamame and the 'Dancing Tuna' sushi roll.

The bento box was good. The fish was fresh, the gyoza was the perfect consistency and tasty, the side salad was marinated well with the dressing.

The Katsu Don was also really well put together and was super filling and tasty.

The garlic edamame was like no edamame Ive had before. The sauce they put on the edamame made it the best I've ever had and well portioned out.

The sushi roll we shared was the perfect balance of flavor and textures. Not to spicy. It enhanced the fish flavor with accentuation and made it blend well together.

I think I found another top sushi place.“

“Had the all you can eat/ayce sushi. It was about $37.00 each adult. Had the nigiri, spicy tuna, appetizers, and their milk teas. Love the spicy tuna, the appetizers (takoyaki, cucumber, poke salad, spicy garlic edamame, baked mussels), and their drinks (taro milk tea and Thai milk tea). Ordered the nigir, but too much rice, so not worth ordering the nigiri, unless if you want to get real full. The fish was hanging off the rice, but too much rice. Might go back and order the special rolls instead to try more things. Most things we ordered, we liked, but the best part was the milk teas, LOVE the milk teas. The Taro milk tea had a hint of coconut flavor at the end, which added a special touch to the drink. Would still go back to try more things. Great customer service when we were there (wasn't that busy though).

Vegetarian options: Have some vegetarian dishes, but didn’t see much options.“

“We've enjoyed every roll, every appetizer, every visit. Left this afternoon planning a return trip on Friday.“

“I don't usually give out 5 stars unless it's deserved but, wow this place made me feel like I was living in Japan again! The food tastes exactly the same! I had the teriyaki ribeye steak, my wife had the chicken katsu, and we got a side of tempura & mixed veggies. Will definitely come back again to try something else!“

“Our server seemed to be the only front-of-house employee for most of our visit yesterday, and she dealt with call-ins, walk-ins, sit-downs, and pick-ups gracefully and without faltering for a moment yesterday. Husband & I were very impressed with her customer service skills, the food, the drinks, and the atmosphere (especially the pretty string lights on the ceiling)!“

“Es primera vez que pruebo este sushi y la verdad esta fire 🔥 lo recomiendo al 💯“

“good food, friendly staff and atented“

“The food is amazing, as is the service. My family have eaten there since they opened in 1986. They were small then, when Swenson's ice cream used to be next door. My favorite dish was the champon noodles. It still tastes the same!!“

“I don’t know what happens in SD, but some restaurants (Good restaurants) look empty. This place is nice, good vibe , and good service. I like see restaurants half full, people enjoying food and flowing service and this one has potential for that! 🫶🏼“

“We love Chiba! We lived here 8 years ago and we’re back. I am glad to see the food is still as delicious as I remember! The food was fast and I recommend the sushi! Also, our waitress was great!“

“Great prices! While everything seems to be getting more expensive it's good to know there are some places putting out delicious food for a decent price. The rice is good thats what makes or breaks a sushi spot. We had the Red Dragon roll, Rainbow roll, Philly roll, California roll and some orange chicken all were really good. If you live in National city and want to stay in the area and have goid sushi this is a place worth stopping at.“

“Sushi was very good 😋 edamame green beans also ! Great service 👍🏼“

“Our favorite spot for sushi and sashimi😍“

“Our server was named Winter and she was very attentive, offered suggestions and was very kind. We sat outside in the balcony and the outdoor heaters worked great. They had a live DJ inside the restaurant that had everyone enjoying their meal. Food was delicious!! Cocktails were on point- full bar, beer taps and wine. Would eat there again!“

“Their pork gyoza is the best! We went for sushi and enjoyed everything. Their hand rolls are large and stuffed. My only complaint was that my spicy scallop hand roll had sand or rocks or something in it, I thought I was going to bust out a filling, so I would skip the scallops next time. Lunch was pretty reasonable and wine pours are awesome“

“I recently visited Khanye Ramen Noodles and had a fantastic experience. The staff were friendly, attentive, and went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. The service was quick and efficient, which made for a smooth and enjoyable meal.

As for the food, it was absolutely delicious! The ramen was perfectly seasoned with a rich, flavorful broth, and the noodles had just the right texture. Every dish we tried was fresh and expertly prepared.

Overall, I’d highly recommend Khanye Ramen Noodles for anyone looking for a great dining experience with both quality service and excellent food!“

“the bestttttt japanese food!“