50 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!“

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

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

“Absolutely love Tabu Sushi Bar & Grill.
The food is consistently fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented — some of the best sushi in the area. Service is attentive without being overbearing, and the staff is always friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere is modern, relaxed, and perfect whether you’re out on a date or grabbing dinner with friends. Every visit has been a great experience. Highly recommend.“

“Right as I walked in, the person was already there! I said, table for two because I went with a friend, they sat us down and they took our drink order and after that they took our food order, and them we ate and it was amazing! Overall, this a great place for sushi, definitely recommend going.“

“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.“

“Delicious ramen. Staff is very friendly and welcoming. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because they made errors on our order. The restaurant was clean and comfortable. I will definitely come back again because the ramen is the BEST.“

“We had a great experience at Jump Tokyo Sushi. The tonkotsu ramen was rich, comforting, and full of flavor—exactly what you want from a good bowl of ramen.

The truffle edamame was so good and addictive, and the chef’s pick sashimi platter was amazing with super fresh cuts and a nice variety. I also loved the shishito peppers—simple but perfectly done.

I was there in February 2026 and they had a happy hour (Mon-Wed) and it definitely looks like its worth checking. They had $1 off sashimi, nigiri, and special rolls, which is a great deal. Service was quick and friendly, making the whole experience even better. Solid spot for both sushi and ramen.“

“Amazing vegan sushi !! Definitely coming back!“

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

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

“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😃“

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

“Pranzo spesso da Sai Japanese Bistro con i colleghi e mi piacerebbe usare i buoni pasto Coverflex, sapete se li accettate? Non vi trovo nell’app e sarebbe comodo poterli usare qui.“

“We got there around 800 or so. At about 830 we were told that they would be closing soon so we needed to order anything we wanted and close the bill. Oops, our bad. There was 4 of us and we just got the bill and paid in order to be out at 9pm. The food was great. The staff, were trying to get out of there so they probably weren't as friendly as they would have been had we come earlier. Overall the price was great, food was excellent and fast plus you get a discount if you pay with cash. Can't beat it. This was my first time here, although my kids have eaten here numerous times.“

“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.“

“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!!“

“Food already great here 💕 🍣 🍱“

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

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

“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.“

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

“I stumble across this place while running errands in National City and I really enjoyed the sushi!

Staff were great and friendly, my order was prepared in a timely manner and the prices were great!

Will definitely come back with my husband here often.“

“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!“

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

“I didn't have the sushi, maybe next time. I went with the chicken curry katsu, spicy. The flavor was very good but I think they forgot to make it spicy. I didn't detect any spice to it. They have a nice selection of craft brews on tap and the service was very friendly. Overall I liked this place and will go again.“

“This is one of the best sushi spots in San Diego as far as I'm concerned, I've eaten from here numerous times and my order has always been perfect. The staff here are diligent and prompt, the menu is versatile and delicious, I reccomend this place to everyone!“

“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.“

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

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

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

“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.“

“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.“

“Came by when I saw they had a happy hour menu from 3-6pm for $5-6 standard rolls and appetizers. For a smaller additional cost, you’re able to test out a selection of their premium rolls for $9. Restaurant is clean, service was passable but the highlight was the food - the quality of the appetizers and sushi was outstanding, fresh, and creative. The BOGO 50% off draft beer paired well with the delicious meal. Overall excellent value for both the happy hour and also the lunch menu.“

“Went for the first time the other day, not normally a fan of sushi but the sushi was Delicious, prepared and cut well, Miles and Hannah were our servers and gave us great customer service and very attentive. Good atmosphere and music, glad the sushi place wasn’t complicated ordering and had clear rules unlike other sushi places. Every item we had was delicious ,warm and had good flavor Hannah and Miles need a raise they were awesome!“

“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!!“

“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 spot for sushi, the food was good, the vibes were there although they could have a better music selection, the servers were super sweet and personable, I would definitely go back especially that the prices are very reasonable and the quality is there.“

“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😍“

“Definitely surprised to see so many one star reviews. If you’re looking for succulent, juicy tacos on a taco Tuesday, THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE. All the staff was friendly and nice. But if I’m grading, I’m grading. It’s hard to maintain perfection in a dine in setting.
Juicy fish and shrimp tacos. Chowed down 4 big tacos with the delicious salsa that comes w the chips.
If I was paying. I would have definitely grabbed 6. Next time. Sigh….. next time.“

“Very good service and great food. We are planing to go back for lunch or dinner. The prices are Awesome, my Salmon was delicious and the salad all our food was good.!!!♥️ Thank you Del & Dora Delgado 🥰“

“You need to remind the waiters or waitressess because they get lost in conversations with other employees about their life story. Took 15min to get change from our waitress and she was locked in with the bartender talking at the bar and when my partner looked at them they got into gear and started taking care of us. Why do we need to remind the employees that they have customers that are waiting on them to finish their duty? I feel for the most part it is poor management because the male manager or supervisor on duty was flirting with two other female employees. Worst experience in my dining history that I can recall.“

“It is my favorite ramen place, I always come here to socialize with friends, and I love how spacious it is. Even on a busy day it doesn't feel cramped up. Their food is excellent, both ramen and sushi.“

“the bestttttt japanese food!“

“I LIKED ONE OF THE BEST 🥰“

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5-Star Lunch Gem in Santee!
Had a wonderful lunch at Okawa Steak House & Sushi today! The service was excellent—attentive and friendly from start to finish.
The food was delicious! We had the shrimp and steak, and it was perfectly cooked and incredibly flavorful. It's so nice to know that this little place sits right here in Santee and is not overpriced for the great food and the fun hibachi show you get.
A little detail that really stood out was the iced tea; it was wonderful and you could truly taste the fresh brew.
They also have lunch specials which are very reasonable, making this a great value for the quality. We will definitely be back!“