50 Best Sushi Bars near San Juan Capistrano

“Good sushi. I liked their specialty rolls. They let me substitute crab stick instead of that crab meat/mayo i detest. We had Hawaiian roll, Washington roll, and paradise roll. I liked all three. We sat at the bar and the sushi came fast. They had college football on TV. It doesn't have the traditional Japanese tables. My knees are too old for that and I prefer a backrest, so I didnt mind. But if you insist on tatami tables I didnt see any.“

“An absolutely exceptional omakase experience that defines luxury dining. From the first course to the last, the sushi was nothing short of extraordinary—impeccably fresh, masterfully prepared, and thoughtfully composed to highlight the purity of each ingredient. Every bite reflected true craftsmanship and precision.

The sake pairing was perfectly curated, enhancing the flavors of the sushi without overpowering them and adding a refined rhythm to the entire experience. Each selection felt intentional and elevated the progression of the meal.

The dessert was a stunning finale—elegant, balanced, and a brilliant complement to the journey of flavors that came before it. It tied the entire experience together in a way that felt both indulgent and refined.

This is not just a meal, but a world-class omakase experience. Ideal for special occasions or anyone seeking the highest level of sushi and hospitality. Sue and her husband have something very special that they want to share with all their customers. This is a foodies paradise.“

“So happy that we discovered this SJC neighbourhood gem! Expect authentic, fresh, no-frills sushi and maki rolls, with wonderful chef and staff service (at the sushi bar). Our fave this visit was the 'Aburi Hamachi Roll', but we are looking forward to coming back often to try all the menu options!“

“We found this gem after a long fun beach day. We had two hungry little ones. Server was so sweet with the kids; food was excellent and came out fast. We ordered chicken udon stir fry (for the kids and we all loved it, flavor was great and lots of mixed in veges); we ordered several rolls and all were devoured. Will definitely be back“

“Their Omakase is one of the best.“

“The food is amazing!!! Knee is the best waitress ever👏👏👏👏🥰🥰“

“Great little gem! It’s more like eating Art! The photography is breathtaking Every menu item is a work of Art and tasty! No dish is the same 😋😍“

“Absolutely loved it. great taste good portion. Tuna and salmon chunks are pretty decent personally I think it’s tastier than poke n half they have a sushi like thing in the tofu skin two for six bucks that taste good too, but I didn’t like the Hawaiian shrimp hot plate.“

“Fresh fish expertly prepared by friendly chef with equally cheerful service staff! We will be back“

“I want my review to literally reflect the 4.8 currently for this restaurant. The food is good, but with some reservations. First off, the sushi was fresh and tasty. My daughter loves sushi and they did not disappoint. I ordered the Bento box with the beef teriyaki upgrade. The teriyaki was fantastic, definitely home made and had superb flavor. The problem was the meat. It had the distinctive taste that it had been left to marinate in the blood of the meat. Understandable, while it didn't ruin the meal, the taste did give me pause. Everything else, the tempura, salad, and California rolls; were excellent. The service left me puzzled. The young lady at the counter was friendly and helpful. However, it would have been nice to know we could have ordered at our table instead of the counter. Minor quibbles aside, the food is great and the service was excellent. Definitely a place to check out in Laguna Beach.“

“The vegetarian rolls are so flavorful and the staff is super friendly! Definitely going back.“

“I’ve visited several times, and each time I’ve tried different dishes. Every staff member is very friendly, and the food never takes too long to be served. The food is authentic and delicious, and you can really feel the chefs’ dedication in every dish. It’s hard to find another Japanese restaurant with such great quality and value!“

“I spent years in Japan and for an hour I forgot I was in California! The food is outstanding and authentic. ありがとうございました!“

“We came for dinner on Sunday night and got seats at the sushi bar. Chef took our order and promptly rolled the sushi in front of us. He said he is from Northern Japan, and a pro at rolling and chopping the good stuff. We'll be back! 🍣“

“Nice atmosphere and the food was very tasty 😋“

“Restaurant is clean and open. Their sashimi bento box lunch special [includes miso soup, cucumber salad, tempura, half CA roll, and seven slices of quality sashimi served with real wasabi!] is the best and it was only $20. Thank you to sushi chef Obi for his recommendation. Now if they only served Kuronama or any other Japanese dark beer, they'd be perfect.“

“José is the most artistically creative sushi chef we have ever come across and had the pleasure of being served by! His sushi creations are amazingly flavorful and to die for! Definitely suggest letting him pick for you, if you would like to try something new! I can't say enough nice things about this place. Its reasonably priced, and all the staff are nice and courteous. Love the yuzu pepper!!“

“When we searched for the best sushi place in San Clemente, Malulu Sushi came up first on the list.

Good things come in small packages, right? Well, this is a small place, but it doesn't matter because the food & service are excellent.

To me, service is very important!!! At Malulu, the Japanese hospitality is on full display. Then, the food came, and we realized that we had found our favorite sushi place in SC.

Everything we ordered was tasty. And to our surprise, the female sushi chef made the best spicy yellow tail handroll. It reminded us of a sushi roll that we could only get at a sushi restaurant in Laguna Niguel (sadly, the chef moved to Japan).

We are already planning to go back this week & bring some friends along.“

“We ate dinner here last night. Probably the best sushi we’ve ever had. The staff was great as well.“

“Don't sleep on Lemon & Life Sushi!
After 4 visits with consistently outstanding food quality, we've decided that Lemon & LIfe is our family's go-to. We've tried sashimi, sushi, ramen, appetizers, drinks, mochi dessert - pretty much everything on the menu and not had a disapointing meal yet. The portions of fish are pretty large - shocking actually. For that quality, it's a bargain. If I had one recommendation, it would be to soften the lighting for dinner service and turn the music up a bit just to create more ambiance.“

“The service here is so nice and fast. You can’t beat the lunch special deals! ($10-13 for entree with soup and salad) I love coming here for lunch, I want to try all their deals haha. If I didn’t make it for the lunch specials I would definitely try one of their specialty rolls!“

“The Ladyfingers are divine and no one else has them on the menu that I've ever seen. The Chefs are top notch and we've never been disappointed.“

“Oh My Sushi is a hidden gem tucked away in a strip mall in Laguna Niguel. They serve incredibly fresh fish, beautifully presented in both classic and creative sushi rolls. The Toro Tasting is amazing. The décor is modern and inviting, the drinks are inventive, and the dessert selection is a sweet surprise. Their sake list is impressive — don’t miss the sake flight, it’s a must-try!”“

“We sat at the sushi bar and Joe-san was our sushi chef. He was fast, efficient and everything was tasty. We chose the Oh My God roll towards the end and honestly folks? It is OMG spectacular! And so was the Queen Imperial with yellowtail and mango. Great service!!!“

“Went the other night and food and service was amazing. Everything tasted super fresh and they even finished the meal with a scoop of green tea ice cream. I was surprised to see it empty on a Saturday night cause it was one of the best times ive had at a sushi place :]“

“I’ve been going here for years and years. This staff is incredible. They are about to change management and I hope you keep all the same ladies that have been there for years. I get treated badly at so many restaurants because of how I look and they are always so kind and always have a smile on their faces when I walk in because I used to be a super regular. These are incredible women and I hope they stay if they want.“

“We LOVE it here! Weekly dinner! Baked lobster roll, baked salmon roll are impeccable. Never disappointed! We swear it gets better every time! Also the seared garlic albacore is like butter. So delicious. Absolutely eat here. Jenny & Michelle are absolute angels!“

“Cool little hole in the wall place down the street from my parents place. Got the bento box and it hit the spot. I don't live there, but if you are looking for a random place, this isn't a bad place to check out. Only dig is they close early. Probably because they are in the back spot of a complex. So staying open late would be tough if folks don't know you are there.“

“🔥 Must-Visit Cozy Sushi Spot

Loved the cozy atmosphere—perfect for a chilly night! The sushi is top-notch with generous, thick cuts of fresh, soft fish. Service was lightning fast; hot dishes (like the delicious sizzling black cod) arrived with the sushi. The only slight miss was the A5 Wagyu, which was chewy despite its great umami seasoning. Overall: Excellent food, great service, and highly recommended!“

“Best Sushi ever, have been there 4 times in two weeks of vacation with friends and family. Great & friendly staff, too!“

“Love our little sushi spot. Best sushi! We get no rice rolls and we cannot find the selection elsewhere. They r fantastic with kids“

“Very high quality / fresh combined with highly skilled chefs“

“Good food and friendly service“

“A Beachside Sushi Gem! My girlfriend and I recently visited this sushi spot by the beach, and we were absolutely blown away. From the moment we arrived, everything felt like a dream — the ocean breeze, the sound of the waves, and the beautiful view perfectly set the mood for a relaxing, romantic late lunch. The sushi was incredible — fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. You can really tell the chefs care about the quality and creativity behind each dish. We tried a variety of rolls and every single one was a hit, but the Sunshine roll was unforgettable. The service was just as great — friendly, attentive, and chill, never rushed. It really added to the whole experience. We left full, happy, and already planning our next visit. If you're looking for top-tier sushi with a stunning beach vibe, this place is a must!“

“Great Sushi and lots of fun.“

“Fast ... very friendly... great foods and great prices... A+++++....“

“Best lunch bento box. Miso soup was very tasty. Spicy tuna roll was delicious!“

“I enjoyed the smoked spare ribs and the spicy stir fried prawns with veg Dessert was great too“

“This place is adorable. We've been here a few times now. Food is good and drinks are great. I mean who wouldn't like googly eyes on their sandwich bun and coconut drink?!“

“Super delicious, great big portions, affordable and authentic. The folks running this are Japanese, super friendly and accommodating, and super quick and efficient too. Everything was delicious, we had the California spicy roll, king tiger, Philadelphia roll, and an eel dish. I will 100% be back to bring them business, this is now my go-to sushi restaurant in Irvine forever.“

“We have been there many times and love it! One of the best sushi restaurants I know! I prefer sashimi and the presentation is beautiful and mouthwatering!“

“always fresh delicious friendly staff.All you can eat Monday and Tuesday 👍“

“It's a lovely sushi place. Went on a weeknight early evening and sat by the sushi bar. Had the chefs choice and it was a delight. I find it to be a. Ice gem for a sushi place. It's not a place I would expect to have chef choice sushi but it was a nice surprise. Will go back and will bring friends and family.“

“honestly the first time coming here was a horrible experience, but that was three years ago I gave this place a second chance and honestly you can get cheaper sushi but if you eat as much its gonna be the same price…i love sushi and this place worth your buck for lunch..dinner time is a little pricey but thats okay make it worth it if your gonna eat here..keep up the good work guys and keep the food fresh as you should…“

“My family and I usually love Jizake and have been to this place multiple times over the years. However after last nights dinner not sure if we will come back. The first issue is that the server forgot to bring us 3 of our appetizers. I also noticed that my hot sake wasn't very hot and that they have trimmed down the size of their rolls. During the meal it became obvious to all of us outside that they were using a wifi speaker and whoesever phone it was hooked up to must have been moving around since the music was going in and out. Lastly while asking for the check I instructed the server to take the appetizers off our bill since we didn't receive them. He said he would and when he came back I was given a hand written bill with the break down. To his credit those appetizers were shown but not charged. I totaled up each line item and everything seemed correct as the subtotal was $170 with tax total should have been $183.17. However after taking my credit card he came back saying they totaled our bill incorrectly and apologized. Our new printed bill after charging my credit card didn't show the pricing break down for all the items but it appears that they added back in the money for the appetizers as with tax it came to $196.11 plus tip. By this point we just wanted to leave. After getting home we started not feeling so well. We don't usually have any bad reactions to sushi so maybe it was some sort of cross contamination issue. Either way I would caution everyone while eating at this establishment.“

“The sushi is so fresh and everyone is so friendly, It is obvious that there are many regulars in there. So many groups of customers were talking and joking with each other, it is a very friendly atmosphere. It is a small place with only one Sushi chef and it appeared that many customers knew each other, the chef seemed to know most of the customers, the customers knew the chef……you get the picture. Seeing the place full of so many regulars was reassuring on its own but the food spoke for itself.“

“Really enjoyed my stay! The rooms were quiet and comfortable, the hotel bar was fantastic, and the room service was excellent. Loved the thoughtful little amenities—they really made a difference.“

“We visited this place today with our whole family and had a wonderful experience. Even though it was a busy time, they were able to find us a table quickly, and we didn’t have to wait long.

Our server was very kind and attentive — he helped us choose our dishes, gave great recommendations, and answered all our questions.

The food was absolutely delicious, and the entire staff made us feel welcome and well taken care of. Everything was just perfect.

We highly recommend this place and will definitely be coming back, especially since we live nearby!“

“The service was very good, and the overall taste was impeccable; the food was delicious and well-balanced, but it lacked the authentic and refined Japanese flavor. It was also unusual that the rolls fell apart. They gave us two eggs with the oden... The bonito broth tasted exactly like the one from Lawson convenience store, haha. The sake-steamed clams really tasted strongly of sake! The sukiyaki was quite impressive, a huge bowl! The only downside was the lack of a raw egg accompaniment, which felt like something essential was missing“

“My husband and I stopped in on a Friday evening. We were the only patrons which made me a little concerned at first but there was consistent takeout pickup the whole time we were there. Our apps were fresh and prepared to order. I had the green curry and my husband had the KUA-KRING SIAM, both had incredible flavors and just straight up delicious!“