13 Best Japanese Restaurants near Isla Vista

“Food with great service with great“

“I will admit I pretty much have only come here for the boba and have yet to try their food. But the boba is AMAZING. Their quality is very consistently good, both the drinks and the boba pearls themselves, which are always just sweet enough and chewy enough. Would recommend!!“

“I lived in SB my whole life up until 4 years ago and have been going to edomasa for near 30 years now. The food is incredible!! Santa Barbara offers many other sushi restaurants but none come close to comparing to edomasa. They are mostly too expensive, not fresh, extremely packed with tourists, etc. Edomasa is the real deal when it comes to a locals spot with even the famous that live there frequenting (they skip the fancy frills for quality too �)... Edomasa will always be my FAVORITE restaurant in SB! �“

“Wonderful, thoughtful, and kind. And great food! Pleasant atmosphere.“

“Good food fast and inexpensive.“

“The older Asian lady here is so nice.I come here just to say hi.The food is what you expect from any Yoshinoya operated properly.If you don't mind the thinly sliced beef, I absolutely love their beef bowls.Large beef, no juice, extra grilled onions is the way to go!“

“Probably one of the best if not THE best sushi I’ve ever eaten! My first time, and now I’m a lifelong customer!“

“A mí me gusta que me traten bien cuando voy a comprar algún lugar y en este lugar siempre lo hacen es algo por lo cual yo vuelvo, y la comida pues me encanta todo muy Rico“

“Awesome! First experience with sushi!“

“Excellent service the food awesome I recommend the playboy roll ❤️“

“Sushi Teri has been a mixed bag of tricks their whole life. The food is great, comforting and delish. The service is mid, but what the hell. They can NEVER get the sushi bar food and kitchen food synchronized. Sometimes hot food first, then sushi then appetizers. No shits given, what comes out, comes out. When with a gathering of people it is a disaster of some eating, some waiting, some wondering if their order was even received. Again...WHEN it arrives it is great.“

“Hassle-Free, Relaxing Dining

We moved to the neighborhood on Valentines Day 2026, and Ichiban quickly became one of our new local favorites. It's laid-back, welcoming, and a refreshing change from the bougie Coast Village Road dining scene.

The food is always delicious, and the service is consistently friendly. Each meal has been excellent, and we've never had to wait for a table. Even the wine list feels like a throwback to a simpler time, with prices by the glass that don't rival the cost of an entire bottle.

Ichiban is a true Mesa gem!“

“Commercial sushi resturant. Nothing interesting, nothing unique. Open mall style as well as open mall quality. Not sure if its chain or what, yet the entire working team seems to be non Japanese origin. Again nothing is wrong but also nothing is genuine .
If you are willing to fill your tammy amd move on you can try this place , if you are looking to have true sushi experience this is not the right place.“