50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Pinole

“Delicious, friendly, and peaceful since the first time we went here in the 90s, had 2 bday dinners, and had lunch with my childhood friend from Asia. But recently, the sushi, it's like I was playing Barbie meals with my date but at adult price. No other places I've been, served good sushi smaller than average.“

“I love this sushi and ramen spot! I haven’t tried the ramen yet, but I keep coming back for the sushi. It’s officially become my new go-to spot. Their garlic edamame is amazing too. It’s absolutely smothered in garlic, which I personally love, so it’s always a must order for me. Their presentation is so cute, they really pay attention to the little details.“

“Food is always fresh and is Always made to order. Never disappointed me.“

“Had a delicious dinner here with friends/family! It’s all-you-can-eat pricing (though you will be charged extra for anything you do not eat).
There is a senior discount for age 65+, and free meal on your birthday (day of, day before, or day after) if you bring four paying customers.
Good range of items on the menu; quick service; came back to check in regularly so that we could add more!“

“Fresh ingredients, friendly staff, and delicious food and veggie options!“

“service and quality are top notch“

“Excellent take-out. Love their unagi, spicy crab salad, every roll that I’ve tried. And they are so nice!!“

“This is me and my husbands absolute favorite sushi spot in all of the bay! The fish is so fresh and the rolls are so creative and delicious! I only have a picture of empty plates because we are too excited whrn it comes. The people there are also so friendly and welcoming. We love it here!! I would give them 10 stars if i could“

“Outstanding personal service. Sushi Burrito (several to choose from) are my favorite, Miso Soup, and a Beer or Sake. I recommend that you come and get some 🌯“

“The 10 piece nigiri set is an amazing deal. I added an uni nigiri and was happy I did. Itani was recommended to me by a friend and I had it bookmarked - so glad I did! I was in the area and this was the perfect quick and delicious meal I needed. If I lived closer, I’d be here all the time. I highly recommend giving it a try!“

“I had a really cool time here !!! The chefs are amazing so kind and understanding. I was losing my voice and he was very patient and the second
Chef was really fast . I think this isn’t favorite sushi place now ! The staff really looked out for me and I don’t think they k pa
How much it meant to me . Sometimes I show up places and people treat me negatively for no particular reason but I felt the love in there food“

“Had the sashimi bento and a little bottle of sake (nihonshu), perfect amount of everything. The bento usually comes with chicken teriyaki, which was delicious, making the whole meal sizeable. Having just returned from Japan, I was pleased and the compact, quiet atmosphere was exactly what I needed! Friendly staff :) Tucked away in the little food court off Hearst, this is a gem.“

“Super delicious 👍 I never eat Japan food super good like this before.“

“The best omakase around!!“

“Authentic Japanese cuisine and warm environment near downtown Berkeley. Servers are always welcoming and friendly. I love how fast the food is well prepared and served at Musashi. My friends and I often come here during lunch hours, and although the restaurant is packed, we never felt less attention or being rushed. Also the noodles are very delicious!“

“Absolutely loved this restaurant! The sushi was incredibly fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. Every dish we ordered exceeded our expectations. The staff were friendly, attentive, and made us feel very welcome. The restaurant was clean, comfortable, and had a great atmosphere. We will definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place to anyone looking for quality Japanese food.“

“i remember going here during high school and decided to stop by since i was in the area. i feel like the food has even gotten better (it’s always been delicious). the general chicken is still amazing quality for the price. the staff are very polite as usual. lovely spot for rice bowls.“

“I got the chicken katsu curry and it was phenomenal, best I’ve ever had. Chill atmosphere, friendly staff, it felt like I was sitting down for a home cooked meal. Any time I’m in the area for work I’m coming here to explore more of the menu items. The chicken katsu curry came with a salad, miso soup, rice, and curry separate from the chicken. The hot tea was good too“

“Very beautiful!!!! Vale a pena conhecer“

“This is a quick serve onigiri restaurant in downtown Berkeley. It's awesome to be able to get fresh onigiri in the East Bay and they include edamame as well. We split a plate of 3 and got the short rib(x2) and the unagi. Very small inside the restaurant, very much a get your food and go type place, but there is some room to eat standing up. They were quick, well priced and delicious. The perfect quick bite.“

“Insanely good. Overall. Best fried chicken I’ve ever had, 2nd favorite were the skewers. Onigiri, Scallion Pancake, Chicken Skin, Bacon Wrapped Mochi were all insanely good. Only things I would have skipped were the mushrooms and eggplant. Mushrooms were very interesting, didn’t like the eggplant tho. All 3 of us ended full and it was very reasonable price, not expensive at all. Top 3 best if not the best restaurants in the bay.“

“Delicious gluten free fried chicken. I have celiac and had a surprisingly hard time finding good gf places to eat in the Bay Area so this was a relief. Very reasonably priced for the area. I found the chicken at this location to be more tender than at their other location, but have only been to each once.“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“Cool sushi spot, atmosphere was very chill. I was pretty much the only one eating at the time. Sashimi was good, the 49er roll wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be but this pace was still great. Staff was very courteous and the food came really fast. They also give you large portions. You'll get full fast at this spot.“

“The food is great!!! Crew is awesome!!! Dine by the sea!!! Highly recommended!!!“

“This place is so worth it. My family has been going for 10+ years, almost since the beginning of the restaurant when it was in a different location. Aki-San will tell you when you’re eating something wrong, but it’s not mean-spirited. You should definitely ask him about his life and his journey to becoming a sushi chef. The sushi is the best you will ever have, even better than sushi I had when I visited Japan. It may be very expensive, but if you have the means it is extremely worth the price. Don’t ask for specific things, get what he recommends (but don’t be scared if you have diet restrictions to ask for something that works). Is is an amazing experience so if you go really enjoy it.“

“My Husband and I have been looking for a solid sushi place for us and our two teenagers. As you can imagine finding a place to suit everyone can be a challenge. After 2 misfires we landed here and though the other two might be nice for an array of other reasons, this fits all expectations across the board.

The environment is very cute and like being immersed in a sushi place in Japan(Gorgeous woodwork). The staff was friendly and there was a lovely live musician that really said the environment to the next level for a Friday night out with the family.

The food was incredible and since we went for happy hour, everything was priced better than just about any Restaurant we’ve been to recently. The rations in the rolls were proper nice chunks of avocado!!! GET THE SPIDER TACO!!!

Kk byeeeeee“

“Customer friendly & quick service. Food is great.😋“

“My family and I come here about once a month, and it never disappoints. We love ordering the salmon belly, lomi lomi, Philadelphia roll, and trying other rolls depending on what we’re craving. Everything is always fresh and delicious, and the staff is consistently warm and friendly. I absolutely love this place. Having come from LA, where there are so many great sushi restaurants, I can honestly say this spot measures up. I’m so glad to have such an amazing local establishment nearby.“

“Amazing food and service. Ambiance on point as well“

“The best sushi in the bay. The salmon nigiri is incredible. The rolls are also delicious. Fastest sushi in the world. Just walk in pick your roll, pay and depart. There is also a wonderful selection of candy, packaged snacks, and soy sauce etc… I always try and use cash to support small businesses.“

“Very good quality of food 👍“

“Cha-Ya is very good traditional Japanese food that is all vegan. All of their food is excellent from the sushi to the udon to the various small plate offerings. The ingredients are so fresh and high quality and the food is so comforting and delicious. Prices are quite reasonable, but be aware that it is cash or venmo only. There is rarely a wait for a table, and the service is quick and friendly. It's got a homey/old school vibe and isn't a chic modern place, but that's a good match to the very homey traditional food. Highly recommend if you want a big meal that will leave you feeling great at the end.“

“Island Special Rolls are amazing!!! Phoenix, Pearl, Orinda and Super Star are a few of our favorites!!! #sushigood“

“Great food and quick service! A must try place if you’re in the area!“

“经常更新季节性的鱼类…😋新鲜…主要的是老板很帅☺️…😜“

“Excellent foods, friendly staffs! We really love to have dinner here~ Absolutely, I will visit again when I come back to Berkeley!“

“Loved the food, I got the prime rib steak teriyaki and the mango ice cream. Service was great and waitresses were very friendly. Atmosphere was great, I love the light fixtures. Music was a little loud, though. I’d prefer jazz or an instrumental track over lyrical music.“

“This was our first time here and I placed an to go order. Walked right in and was quickly greeted and placed my order with the friendly worker. I ordered a caterpillar roll, Fortune roll, Giants roll and a Sake avocado making roll. Everything was delicious and I want to return and try so other items. Beware parking is extremely difficult to find when I arrived around six pm.“

“I've gone to all of the sushi restaurants in Pinole and I even though this one is a little further away in Hercules, it is by far the best. The fish is so fresh, the rolls are delicious and the prices are reasonable. This is my go to place for sushi.“

“This hole in the wall has sushi with fluffy warm rice, thick slices of fresh fatty fish, fresh avocado and lemons, and yummy ginger. I recommend the 49er role. I’ve had way more expensive sushi that was not this good. Classic restaurant sushi can be cold and stiff, this is way better. The couple who runs the store are kind and good cooks.“

“There was an important item left out of my order last night. But when I went back today, the Asst Manager Brandon went over the top. He really hooked me up. Their food is good, but their service and attitude is the best!“

“Love this little mom and pop sushi spot! The food comes out quick and they make me custom rolls due to dietary restrictions and preferences. The service is great, it is kind of place that makes you feel like family. I usually stop in for a quick bite and a chat on my lunch breaks!“

“A good place to taste Korean and Japanese cuisine with a twist.“

“So glad to find out they reopened after being closed a while during the pandemic. Currently you have to pre-order a day in advance for pickup so it takes a little planning but so worth it.Their fried chicken is so crispy. I ordered it with waffle fries and they say they only fire up the fries just before your pickup time so that they're fresh. When I went to pick up my order, they let me know it would just be a few minutes because the fries were finishing and when he came out with my order, he said he accidentally made the salad but included both the fries and salad and threw in a vanilla pudding. Everything was so delicious. Even the bonus pudding had flecks of vanilla bean and tasted so much better than the instant stuff. The chicken and fries were enough for 2 meals.“

“I have been coming to Nikko Sushi for years. It is a no brainer for an easy and delicious lunch. I make use of the parking lot, the restaurant is clean, the staff is friendly, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the food is great! I always order the basic rolls as they are priced well, and their tea is wonderful.“

“A sushirito -like place with cheaper prices. $8 instead of $13. Try the B8, which has both salmon and tuna sashimi inside. Added bonus points for carrying takoyaki.“

“Cozy neighborhood corner restaurant that punches way above its weight in quality of fish and preparation. Particularly great cuts of tuna (especially fatty otoro and chutoro). Price was probably a little on the higher side and the place is definitely on the smaller side, but those downsides are dwarfed by how good the fish is. Do yourself a favor and splurge on some of the market price blackboard specials!“

“Their onigiri is really good! I’m not always in the mood for spam, but they have plenty of options without spam too, and I haven’t had anything I haven’t liked yet. They partner with several delivery services and their food always is packed well and is ready quickly for the drivers. Definitely recommend!“

“Great lady who gave me her charger since I was stuck there in Albany area with a dead phone and in need of getting an UBER. So I went in, asked for charger and ordered their chicken+Beef Teriyaki lunch box. And it was delicious. Got my phone charged too. Happy customer here. Will eat there again if in the area.“