20 Best Sushi Bars in San Mateo

“One of my all-time favorite sushi restaurants. Always busy and always worth it! Haven’t had anything there I haven’t liked yet.We typically order the omakase and add a couple more items like the toro and blue shrimp. Their plates are delicious as well, but I definitely recommend the omakase hands down.The reason I love their omakase so much:1. Always fresh, always yummy2. They season based on the fish. So, they don’t just have one sauce that gets added to everything. There is a journey to taste.3. You get a dessert!As I said, place is always busy. If you are able to make reservations, recommend that but I sometimes have a hard time reaching them over the phone. Otherwise, get there 15-20 min before they open and prepare to stand in line for a bit.“

“Tiny restaurant with a smattering of tables and a chefs counter. Definitely try for the counter if you’re alone or a party of 2 (or 6)Do not attempt to walk in at least on a weekend; saw 2 or 3 couples make an attempt only to be sent away“

“We felt so lucky that we were able to catch this place on a busy Sunday afternoon with barely any wait. The food tasted so authentic in a setting to match. The chefs are exposed and you can watch them work their magic. We tried the tapas, the sushi, the specials - nothing disappointed! It came out quick and hot with bold flavors. Just how we like it. Highly recommend checking this place out! Very cozy, intimate vibe with smooth jazz over head. Coming back soon!“

“Sashimi is generally good quality here though I had a large bone left in my sashimi piece last time. Tempura is good ingredients with crispy coating but lacking a lot of lace. Dining room is very small with the tables very close together. Sometimes that’s fun, sometimes not. Menu specials are a good bet for fresh, unique dishes.“

“Found this spot on yelp. My friend made a reservation over the phone. It wasn't that busy for a Thursday evening. The fish tasted fresh. We mainly got nigiri. Also tried one of their daily special hand roll. It was uni and toro. Soooo good!! The service was a little slow but food was good.“

“You only realize why it’s hard to score a reservation at this 8 seater sushi counter until you try Chef Yoshizumi special sashimi and nigiri tasting menu. Nestled in downtown St Mateo, this Japanese oasis that looks like your neighborhood sushi joint have some of freshest & tastiest seafood I have ever tried. From the Japanese delightful Amberjack to buttery Kinki(Japanese rockfish) to delicious Bonitos nigiri to sea eel nigiri from southern Japan that literally melts in your mouth. Watching the knife action of Chef Yoshizumi was a real treat, he was kind, nice and always smiling. Service was on point and their Sake tasting and choices were delightful and complimentary to the fish courses. The egg custard cake at the end was scrumptious but we didn’t really like the almond custard dessert. Definitely worth the trip and worth another visit.“

“I don’t normally write reviews but this place I just HAD to. I didn’t take pictures of all the food but we got the black truffle edamame, uni nigiri, sweet shrimp nigiri and the 20 pc sashimi. All of the food was too good! I was very very impressed, the sashimi melted in your mouth and perfect texture and the uni was just perfect. When I tried the edamame I was very impressed and it was very reasonably priced! I will say going into it I was definitely a little annoyed since we waited a lil long ngl and so was my mom due to being really hungry but the staff was still very sweet and accommodating, she even gave us free shots and tried to get us a table asap !! I will definitely be coming back and recommending this place to my friends :) it was raining really hard and super windy when we came as shown in the video but still definitely worth the meal.“

“Whoa! 5☆ Excellence! Great Fresh Fish on a Monday, let me tell you: When you order something CRUNCHY here, it is! No cold, soggy dish room tempura or deep-fried - it is HOT and CRISP - crackle in my mouth GOOD. So excellent here - fantastic bar service, great comfy vibe and deeeelicious sushi. I will be back fo' sho'!“

“Was around the San Mateo area and decided to try this new place. They have a variety of Japanese food options but doesn't specialize in anything. They have fried/grilled tapas, sushi, ramen, donburi, bento boxes, and more. They open until midnight which will be great for late night eats with a couple of drinks. Service was decent and space was large. Ankimo - great deal (10$) for a decent size and taste fresh. Curry with pork Katsu - not much meat and it was a lil tough to chew. It seems like the cutlet was uneven fried. Curry was not anything special. Crazy monkey roll - eel inside and hamachi/sake on top. Classic roll, I would recommend ordering a side of spicy Mayo for extra flavor!“

“Joy has been my wife and I's go to sushi spot for over 6 years now. We are always happy with their quick service, accuracy of our orders, and the size, price and quality and variety of the rolls. Even our to-go orders are always complete and accurate, which is hard to come by these days. We enjoy the low-key ambiance and the upstairs seating section.“

“On the cheaper side for food, and it's amazing. Haven't tried their ramen but tonkatsu curry is great.Takoyaki is more on the soft side, and karaage isn't crispy— but good. It's a different style— liking it would be preference.“

“My fiancé surprised me with this for Valentine's day and I couldn't be happier! He ordered the omakase box & the tuna box and both were impeccable. The flavors were so unique, the fish was so fresh, and the presentation!! Literally gorgeous. Pick Up: They have pickup locations in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Hayward. The SF location is in the Sunset district! They were on time & super easy to find. Pickup was seamless :) Tuna Box: There were so many new flavor combinations in this box that I haven't tried before and that work so well. For example, truffle and parmesan on tuna!? Both parm & tuna have such strong flavors and I was worried it wouldn't mesh well together but it was so delicious. One of my favorite pieces! One of the pieces had this pate on it, it was perfectly salty and creamy. The otoro piece - SO BUTTERY. Literally tastes like the quality of tuna I had in Japan. Omakase Box: I loved the variety in this box!! It was my first time having raw mini octopus and it had the perfect chew to it. I loved the uni w/ ikura piece, the uni was so fresh and creamy and the ikura burst with flavor. Both boxes come with freshly grated wasabi and a cute soy sauce bottle. The pieces honestly didn't even need soy sauce because they had so much flavor. We'll definitely order from here again!“

“Cannot say enough great things about Tokie’s! We find ourselves coming here more and more. Everything here is just done right. It has the dining area with bar seating, frequently playing sports. But it’s sectioned off so it doesn’t impact the diners. Cocktails are great, the sake is great, the food is great, the prices are great, it’s all just great! Our service is always fantastic (Sho is the best) and you can tell the owner not only cares about his establishment, but also his community.“

“Awesome people with good quality food at a reasonable price. Alex and his family have been serving great food for years now and they haven't cut any corners even when produce were at a ridiculous 3x price hike. This establishment is a local favorite and they're worth every dollar.“

“There were only 2 waiters for the whole place. I was already done with dinner when my second beer came. Needed to wait for everything. Food was good but almost eclipsed by not enough staffing. I can't blame the waiters but management yes.“

“This was my mom's favorite place and she's a picky eater. It feels like there is new management or I just came on an off day.The interior has been painted and the old decorations are gone. There are new faces, which make again feel like ownership has changed hands.The sushi seems smaller than before. It's still fresh but the portions seem smaller. I was a bit disappointed. Service wise they brought us a dish from another table and one appetizer didn't arrive until we were almost done.The agedashi tofu tasted more like something wed expect from a Chinese restaurant vs a Japanese restaurant. That said the portion was big and generally ok.Will probably give it one more shot before writing it off.“

“One of my favorite places for poke bowls, perfect for lunch! They have good build your own options as well as "chefs picks" bowls, can't go wrong either way! One thing that amuses me is that it is called Truffle Poké Bar and I believe the only thing I have seen with "truffle" is their truffle aioli? I may be wrong, haha. Anyways, I don't get a strong truffle flavor from their aioli, but it is delicious none-the-less.“

“Ni-mo might be my new go to spot for dinner bentos! The servings are massive and for the amount of items you get, the price is quite good. There are many Japanese restaurants with bentos in downtown San Mateo and I think this restaurant gives you the best value. I have not tried their sushi... from what I can tell, it doesn't seem like they are known for their sushi options. My recommendation for those trying Ni-mo for the first time, definitely go for the bento combos.“

“This sushi place may look like your typical corner sushi joint, but it is actually very authentic. In addition to their delicious sushi, they also offer Korean dishes that are worth trying out. What surprised me the most is that they have gluten-free soy sauce and several gluten-free options on their menu. I have been a loyal customer for the past three years, and I must say that the atmosphere and environment inside the restaurant are pretty nice. The staff is also awesome and very kind, which adds to the overall experience.“

“Saw people bringing up Kazunori but can you really compare the two? Kazunori lacked the specialty sets that Taki Nori offers. We both ordered their premium set, which included Japanese scallops, lobster, wagyu, and uni & toro hand rolls. We also tried a few of their other hand rolls a la carte style. The uni handroll was easily our favorite (Japanese uni btw!).Handroll Project is still the better value, but this is a nice addition to Bay Area. Service was also good - the server we had was very attentive and prompt. We did have a small issue with snow crab running out, but the server resolved it for us. Overall a good experience here for us.“