43 Best Japanese Restaurants near San Marcos

“We frequent this restaurant often during weekends. We typically come early part of lunch time, so we never have to wait for a table. Our go-to is usually Show You Ramen, Katsu Curry, Tonkatsu, Salmon Onigiri, and Umeboshi Onigiri. And from time to time, I would order the special Tan Tan Ramen. We love that the Ramen is always piping hot, which is much appreciated. Service is always great, and staff is attentive.“

“Stopped here randomly after driving by. Small restaurant that really surprised me with its quality of food and generous portions. Had a poke bowl and a spicy tuna roll both had ingredients that were very fresh. The service was great too. Food came out relatively quickly especially considering there were only two people working.“

“yellowtail roll is amazing!“

“Loved this hidden gem. We’ll be back! Everything including wine was delicious. 🥰🙏🏼“

“Today was our first time visiting, and to be perfectly honest, this will be our new go to for sushi, even though we live in Ramona. Everything from the appetizers to the drinks and service was great. It seems like it would be a great spot for game or fight nights as well!“

“good sushi, and the teriyaki samon is delicious.“

“This spot is SO tough! Been coming in for almost two decades… Chris is a true pillar of how to run a business, even through tough times! Food is TOP notch, and I know, I know, there’s SO many Sushi spots in North County. DONT sleep on this place.. I will not falter.. Best Mom and Pop sushi spot in North County period! Fight me!“

“absolutely great. if ever back in Cali will definitely do again“

“This place is always amazing. The staff are always great and the food is so good it’s absurd. Ninja rolls all day long! Mmmmm“

“this is my favorite local sushi spot in Carlsbad! they have amazing options and all of the sushi i’ve tried is delicious (i recommend the awesome roll and the white house roll!) this is the spot if you want fast and efficient service and delicious food“

“They have great quality fresh fish and love fresh oyster order as well. Yummy 😋!“

“5-star review... My daughter accidentally left her purse at Teri Cafe (Plaza Location) on Saturday. Since the cafe was closed Sunday due to a scheduled power outage, I stopped by Monday morning to ask whether it had been turned in. Thankfully, the purse had been given to management, and everything inside, including a substantial amount of cash, was still there. We are very grateful to the honest person who returned it and to the Teri Cafe team for keeping it safe. This experience demonstrated genuine trust, honesty, and integrity. Thank you, Teri Cafe!“

“Fresh sushi. I loved the fish selection. If you want the freshest fish, this is a go to place.“

“1st timer here!

I read through the bad reviews and happy to share some advice. As far as wait time, it’s to be expected for this type of dining. I went in with the expectation of waiting, just check in and they will text when ready. As far as the quality, everything tasted fresh!! You get a full plate of veggies with tons of oils, sauces, and spice to add to your broth. Make sure to ask questions about the broth, some are simple so that you can add your preferred flavors. It seems like this isn’t a typical traditional hot pot set up and I’m totally okay with it. I actually enjoyed having my own pot and I was able to eat the entire thing.

Paid a little more for the premium meat, ribeye and short rib… I regret NOTHING! I guess I’m only sad that I didn’t have more of their pumpkin slices - pairs so well with the meat!!“

“This place was a 10 upon walking in. Super Friendly and welcoming staff and great lunch specials. Portion sizes are opulent and food quality is superb. I happened upon this place, and will be a frequent patron. I highly recommend the Caterpillar roll.“

“I recently visited Genki Sushi at Bernardo Center Drive with my colleague, and we had a fantastic experience! The food was great—everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. The sushi was expertly prepared, and the variety on the menu made it hard to choose!

The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, ensuring we had everything we needed. A special shoutout to the sushi chefs, who clearly take pride in their craft; their skill and passion really showed in the presentation and taste of the dishes.

Overall, I highly recommend Genki Sushi for anyone looking for a delightful dining experience. I can't wait to come back!“

“Food is awesome n delicious“

“LOVE the order ahead pick up drive through! Food is delish and service is on point! Thank you Mirin you never disappoint“

“Everything we ate was excellent!“

“It’s been years since I last visited. It’s smaller and different. I ordered mostly sushi rolls and sashimi and they were good. I liked that sliced fish is bigger than rice for nigiri which is how it’s done in Japan. I ordered a bulgogi bibimbap from Korean menu. It’s good but not so much bulgogi in it. The service was ok, nothing special. I think waitress could be a bit more friendly. Overall, it’s a good place in the area.“

“Hakumaru has some of the freshest fish, with the best cuts in San Diego. On top of that, as a person with gluten intolerance, they have gf marks on the menu, gf soy sauce available, and the chefs and wait staff went above and beyond to make sure nothing I ate had gluten. They even checked to see if we wanted to substitute on the items we shared, that would have gluten on them, giving my companion to option to eat what they wanted as well as giving me warning. (We choose to substitute everything, but it was so refreshing to have options)
All around wonderful and thoughtful experience. Thank you so much everyone at Hakumaru for a wonderful dinner. We will be back!“

“I had such an amazing experience at Ramen Milk! The atmosphere is cozy and modern, perfect for a casual but elevated dining vibe. The ramen was absolutely delicious — rich, flavorful broth, perfectly cooked noodles, and super fresh toppings. You can really tell they care about quality and detail. The service was just as good — friendly, attentive, and welcoming from start to finish. Everything came out quickly, and the staff made great recommendations. Honestly, one of the best ramen spots I’ve tried. I’ll definitely be coming back and bringing friends. Highly recommend if you’re craving something comforting but high quality!“

“Me encanta el sushi y tienes muchas opciones!“

“This place makes the best Tonkatsu ramen (and probably the best ramen period) of 5 different joints I tried in my area including 3go, Ramen Mik, Mirin Cafe, Akita restaurant. The broth tastes the best and they have a special marinated soft boiled egg that no other place knows how to do (so good I order an extra egg). I get mine with chashu (grilled pork) which is also superior in flavor and preparation than all the other places. If you want Japanese ramen, look no further.“

“It's amazing. Simply amazing. Great customer service. Delicious sushi. Good music. Love love love.“

“Our first time after trying places when Akai Hana and we loved it. it's clean, inviting, friendly and the food/sushi is quality! We will be back.“

“Solid neighborhood joint for Japanese and Korean food. The ramen is decent as are the rolls. The staff is always friendly.

We come here on a pretty regular basis for a simple and well priced evening meal out.

Good food but not a destination.“

“LOVE the order ahead pick up drive through! Food is delish and service is on point! Thank you Mirin you never disappoint“

“We came in after a hard day loading and wanted A great meal they went ahead and made our food even thought it was closing time, they could have told us they were closed! What awesome customer service, beautiful and very clean restaurant! Delicious food! Thank You for your hospitality! I wish I could give you 100 star rating!“

“The food is crazy good. I got the Garden Party Ramen with a side of potstickers and a dragon fruit drink, and it was all so so SO good. Honestly, I just got back from a place in Irvine that was (literally) twice as expensive with smaller portions and it wasn't even half as good as Haru Mama.

At $14 to $15 a bowl (large portions, I couldn't even finish it in one sitting) it is totally worth it.“

“This place is amazing. So yummy and the owners and staff are so kind and always attentive and the food is fresh.“

“The sushi is absolutely amazing! I haven't gotten sick once from them, where I have at other sushi places. Service is timely, pickup orders are always ready when they say it will be. I go to the Escondido location 😊“

“The rolls we got were delectable...so yummy and quite large. In fact we had to take home our delicious bulgogy because we were too full from the rolls.
Very nicely decorated and comfortable seating at the bar.
The servers could bring our drinks a bit quicker, but they were very nice nonetheless.“

“I almost didn’t order here because I saw 3 stars. But I saw a lot of people ordering. Glad I did. The place is in the food court. The service was smooth. Plenty of seats. Took about 10 min to get my food.
I ordered chicken teriyaki. It was really good. Delicious at that. The steamed vegetables were seasoned perfect. The rice was cooked good.
I don’t know about the other items. I have to come back to try them. For $13 you cant go around and it’s filling.“

“The staff is vey sweet sand helpful“

“Absolutely Amazing! I've been a 3GO customer for many years and they have always had the best Sushi in Escondido and great prices too! During the pandemic I started ordering their food for delivery and they do an excellent job of packing too! 10/10 don't bother going anywhere else.“

“I recommend the lovely Gloria roll. It is absolutely delicious.“

“Best all you can eat sushi in north county“

“Everything was incredibly fresh and delicious! The appetizers and sushi rolls were flavorful, made with high-quality ingredients, and beautifully prepared! The service was friendly and the overall experience was excellent. I’ll definitely be coming back and would recommend this place to anyone looking for great sushi in the area!“

“Sky Sushi has great service . The staff is great . The food is amazing. If you haven’t been there you need to go and try the food .“

“Absolutely Delicious! SO Fresh! Great Customer service as well!“

“Greeeat food, service and music.- Loved it, I’ll definitely comeback when I’m im town again!! — PS.- Shaky/Shivering tables was weird to my Amigo Joe though.- What was that!? 😆“

“absolutely great. if ever back in Cali will definitely do again“