50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Pinole

“We came here for lunch right when they opened at 11 AM. There were no guests yet, so we were seated and served right away. The place was cozy, comfortable, and clean — even the bathroom was well maintained. They served water first, which was a nice touch.

We ordered the sake nigiri and were surprised by how big the salmon pieces were — definitely worth trying! The tempura appetizer was also great — light, not just all breading — and came with their own special sauce.

The katsu curry came with a generous serving of rice. It was good, though I found the katsu sauce a little bland for my taste. Still, the portion size was satisfying. It also came with miso soup and a salad on the side — both were delicious, especially the salad dressing!

My husband ordered ramen, and the meat was so tender and flavorful that I might try it next time. :)“

“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.“

“This was the first time my husband and I ever heard of this restaurant. We were a little worried about coming in as the closing time was only about 30 minutes after we arrived. We were welcomed and sat immediately. The Nigiri was absolutely amazing for AYCE. The pricing was decent for two people. Sure the rolls are smaller but it makes sense for an AYCE establishment. The service was pretty good just a very minor issue of waiting between orders but that is understandable.
I highly recommend this place should you have the urge to eat 45 pieces of nigiri 🤣“

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

“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 🌯“

“LOVE this place—we’ll be back again for sure!

Top notch food, and
Service was super-fast & polite.

Really outstanding sushi rolls.
Beautiful presentation, fresh popping flavor,
High quality tender fish.

Miso soup was simple but tasty, not too salty.

The *cloudy sake* was nice, a more earthy version of the typical sake flavor i’m used to.“

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

“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!“

“During the week I spent visiting my daughter, a student at Berkeley, we went there twice: delicious, everything fresh, huge portions. After Europe, this is unreal quality for reasonable money. Thank you so much! I hope to visit you again, and more than once!“

“This is a great spot! The service was great and very fast. The person serving us was very nice and attentive. We had the karage and sushi combo which came with more fish than we were expecting! Everything was very fresh and nicely presented. They had a lot of different seating areas -- it was two of us this time but would be suitable for bigger groups too. I always love getting an Andes mint after dinner too:) Definitely recommend and will be coming back!“

“Came in this small but cozy restaurant for a quick lunch bite and was surprised by the ambiance. I got the pork chop over rice and was surprised on how authentic it tasted. Crispy and homey - good blend of veggies and meat. Definitely a spot for casual get-togethers or a quick lunch. I would come back to try the food they didn’t have in stock (certain foods weren’t available depending on the days of the week or month)“

“The best omakase around!!“

“This a tucked away gem. The Salt and Pepper Shrimp. Its the best I tasted, and the hot pepper slices gives them the extra kick of you desire extra hot. 12 juicy peices, the perfect texture. If you haven't it's a must. But be mindful , you will have the need to have them often they are soo delicious.... Vallejo a large city with a small town ambiance...“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“I've been a regular customer for 20 years. I've been going to Katana-ya with my parents since I was little, and even now, after getting married, I bring my wife back. Tokyo Feng is still as delicious as ever. Their sushi has been infused with innovative elements, and the flavor and texture have improved. The portions are generous, and the prices are affordable! Tokyo Feng, we hope you continue to do better and continue to do well for another 20 years!“

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

“service and quality are top notch“

“This place has been on my want to go list for a while, and I finally got to try it! We didn't make a reservation and walked in instead. We waited for about 30 min and the restaurant texted us once the table was ready.

We ordered quite a few dishes and started with Omakase gushi, which came with chicken breast, thigh with leek, heart, cartilage, and minced chicken. We also ordered the oden set, sasami, tori tataki, gyu-tan, enoki bacon, and buta bara.

Evertyhing tasted pretty good, but the most impressive dish was sasami with umeboshi, which was inner bresat with umehad was the inner breast with umeboshi. It was my first time trying raw chicken, and it tasted really good. The chicken breast was really tender, with a tuna-like texture, and without any slimy or odd flavors. Ever since then, I've been telling my friends to try it. The Tori Tataki was seared chicken breast sashimi with ponzu, which tasted a bit plain compared to the sasami. So I would highly recommended to get theeir sasami!“

“If you come here for your birthday, you can get a free dessert (1 ice cream mochi with whipped cream). I love salmon and I think all the salmon dishes were good! The salmon sashimi was thick and excellent. The rolls we tried were both good. My brother said he enjoyed the teriyaki chicken plate. I only wouldn’t recommend the tempura udon- too sweet on the sauce and broth, too heavily coated & oily on the tempura. The wasabi was not the quality pure wasabi, likely made mostly of radish, but it won’t bother you unless you love wasabi.
The service was great and came to refill our glasses and check in with us several times.“

“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.“

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

“Great fried chicken place! They serve freshly fried chicken. I usually order a bowl that comes with rice and salad. The staff are all super kind. Adachi is a great person and very generous. Free tea is also nice. Highly recommend for weekday lunch in Berkeley.“

“I had the pleasure of trying the food from Darina Kiosk today and to say it was amazing does not even adequately describe it! I had the wagyu filed with rice and egg and the chicken katsu. It was some of the best food I've ever eaten! Highly recommend!“

“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.“

“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.“

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

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

“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“

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

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

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

“Very good quality of food 👍“

“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!“

“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.“

“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!“

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

“This is our fourth time coming here and we're always so impressed with the delicious, fresh, creative,unique dishes that are beautifully presented. It's an unpretentious atmosphere and a great value as well. A true Berkeley institution!“

“This sushi spot is pretty great! I'm a big sushi lover and had never been here before. The restaurant itself is small inside but the sushi is well made and you can tell they put effort into it. All the sushi and sashimi was fresh and tasted great. I would definitely recommend this place and I will definitely be back. Thank you!“

“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!“

“Small shop with warm food and an open fridge section of sushi. There was also a wall of snacks. Prices are very reasonable. No verbal communication which I think is fine but the woman dropped my packed sushi upside down and then tossed it into a bag. Sushi rice was a bit too hard for my liking.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Came here for sushi and was honestly impressed. The fish was very fresh, and you can tell they care about quality. Every piece was clean, well-cut, and nicely balanced — nothing was overloaded with sauce, which I really appreciate. The sushi tasted simple and authentic, letting the ingredients speak for themselves.

The atmosphere was another big plus. The space is clean, calm, and comfortable, making it easy to relax and enjoy the meal. It’s not too loud or crowded, and the overall vibe feels welcoming and unpretentious. A great place to sit down, take your time, and actually enjoy good sushi.

Service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Overall, this is a solid sushi spot with great food and a really pleasant atmosphere. I’d definitely come back and recommend it if you’re looking for quality sushi in a comfortable setting.“

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

“I've been going to this sushi restaurant for many years and each time, I've loved my experience. The fish is extremely fresh, the vegetarians and vegan rolls are inventive (not just your typical avocado roll with some rice). And the price is extremely fair, especially in the Bay Area.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Excellent service and very friendly staff. The bento box was absolutely delicious and the portion was very generous. My son greatly enjoyed the fresh salmon. The complimentary ice cream provided for him was a thoughtful and impressive gesture. Highly recommended!“

“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.“