50 Best Japanese Restaurants near San Pablo

“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.“

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

“service and quality are top notch“

“Nigiri combo is excellent! I can’t wait to try the sashimi combo next. I came just before they were closing for lunch and people were steadily coming either to pick up or eat-in up until their closing time. It seemed they were regular customers who are keeping this place a secret and happy to say, I am on it already. Can’t wait to go back.“

“While pricese were a bit higher than I expected for the portion size, the quality was surprisingly good for take-out sushi. We spent over $60 on two omakase selections, 1 tiny uni don, 1 tiny toro don, and really small seaweed salad.

I wish they sold the scallop nigri a la carte because that was one of my favorite omakase items! Also liked one of the salmon in the omakase better than the other salmon (it looked like 2 different salmon were used). Husband raved about the toro pieces in the toro don and I enjoyed the uni don.“

“This place is always so good, creative sushi options with high quality fish. While it has minimal atmosphere, everyone is super friendly visit after visit there is something yummy and unique to try. Like the deep fried shisho leaf with salmon and hamachi toro appetizer pictured.“

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

“Food was fresh! Service was great. The tables were clean!“

“This is one of my favorite sushi place to go. I love how fresh and well balanced the nigiri and rolls are. Seasoned just right to bring out the fish's flavor. The wasabi is not overly strong and has a very nice kick to it, even with some texture too.“

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

“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 🌯“

“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!“

“Everything. Best of everything.“

“Life without sushi is no fun. That's why Manpuku is so needed. Whether pieced or in bowls, Manpuku brings both traditional and fusion in a delightful and pleasant way.“

“Kotobuki is our go to sushi spot. We eat there regularly, eat in and take away. The sushi is always fresh and very good -- sashimi & rolls. My kids like the generous combo boxes. They have a great variety of rolls, Ramen, and plated meals. The staff is friendly and service is excellent! A plus, we can watch a sporting event there. ;)“

“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“

“I’ve had the great joy and pleasure to eat omakase all over the world - including Japan, and this was the best meal of my life. The thoughtfulness, sustainability and conscious touch to every little thing made this Omakase experience above the rest. Additionally, our wonderful Chef sang accolades/praises about all of the sources he gets the pieces of the meal from, but did not once brag about himself. He needs to be bragged about! Chef Joji Nonaka is incredible. The art, precision, talent, and thoughtfulness he has is unmatched.
I’ll be chasing this meal for the rest of my life.“

“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.“

“Chef recommended Soft Shell Crab. Definitely will add to the roto. Perfectly light, crisp and oh so, tasty. Age Dashi Fried Tofu is perfect for first-timers. Paper thin dried fish is ambrosia. Perfect hide-away to enjoy food made from the soul. Encountered trainee. Your patience will bring happiness.“

“Came here for drinks and some small plates after dinner and had a great time. They played good music and the bar sitting area is very nice. The drinks are also amazing as they have a very unique selection of Japanese cocktails and other stuff. Highly recommend!“

“This place is very cute and casual, and the food is tasty and fresh. Excellent salmon nigiri today, very luscious. The freaky brussels (lol) were shockingly good, unusual on a sushi menu but so garlicky and good.

I’ve been here a few times over the years, but I’m leaving a review today because they go above and beyond in one particular way. They have an actual separate gluten-free menu and gluten-free soy sauce upon request. Note that we dined right when they opened so I didn’t ask about cross-contamination. However, the consideration made me feel really good about taking someone with celiac to dine here. So thoughtful. We will be back!“

“thank you katsu sora Trinoma. maraming salamat din sa nag assist samin na si Claire. sobrang attentive and friendly.“

“It was a great experience to eat at Tgi Oni,y friend and I searched it up on yelp and just want to try it out, but it really more than we expected! Sashimi combo was very big portion, and rolls too. All the employees there are very welcoming. Only thing I want to say if I’m being pickup, will be the cups I like it traditional Japanese cup instead of plastic cups, and nice Japanese chopsticks instead of to go chopsticks. Other than that, everything was good.“

“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.“

“This place is gas ⛽🔥 quick takeout. No seating besides a side table for eating while standing. Buldak chicken rice place regular size was hella good. Tasty, flavorful, a bit of spice not too much, nice portions and I like the edamame with a side of lime to sprinkle all over your plate. Saw some girls eating this and had to try it out!“

“My first time here. Looked like such a hole-in-the-wall from outside, but fantastic food quality.

The paper menu has mostly sushi rolls, apps, and lunch specials. On the walls are the sashimi and nigiri menus, in individual cute stickers. The sampler plates seem to have a huge variety of different fishes, and generous portions, for a reasonable price. Highly recommend dropping by.“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“The food was good and the seating atmosphere was really nice! I feel like every menu choice had a variety of vegetables so I think this would be great for a health-conscious person. We got sushi and really liked the cha ya deep fried sushi. The food overall is very simple and vegetable-centered. Updated from previous review on 2026-08-01“

“Great place to get good and affordable sushi. The rolls are well made with good portions of fish. Service is fast and friendly. Lots of seating available.
Take out/delivery is also fast and fresh. Great deals for party platters and large orders.
Really impressed with this spot and very glad I found it!“

“great food & great service!“

“Quick and affordable made to order onigiri with vegan/plant based options. I like the spicy tofu triangle, the teriyaki tofu and the kimchi tofu triangles are good as well. They usually throw in complimentary edamame if you get a few, and they have other options as well. More of a grab and go atmosphere but they are fast and friendly to me, and the condiment section is loaded with good stuff like free sesame seeds, teriyaki sauce, Japanese spice, Sriracha, shoyu etc. I like this for a nice light meal for some protein and energy after a work out or so.“

“Love this place, I feel safe and the food is incredible“

“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.“

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

“经常更新季节性的鱼类…😋新鲜…主要的是老板很帅☺️…😜“

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

“I’m a fan of Habachi’s and I wanted to put this on the map.

This food at this place $$ - dollar for dollar is worth it.

This is a Street Habachist place. Walk up, place your order and grab it to-go. They provide everything you need - Container + Forks/Napkins.

My girl and I placed each placed an order with all the add-ons, extra rice, extra sauce, butter etc. $~70 total. This is hella economical. There’s also other stands in the area if you want a selection of drinks.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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“

“We showed up just 15 minutes before closing, fully expecting to be turned away, but they still happily took our to-go order and treated us with amazing customer service. The food was absolutely incredible! Every roll was fresh, beautifully prepared, and packed with flavor. The salmon with lemon was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, the eel roll was perfectly balanced, and the baked rolls were rich, loaded with toppings, and seriously some of the best sushi we've had. Nothing tasted rushed, even though they were about to close. You can tell they truly care about their customers and the quality of their food. We'll definitely be back and recommending this place to everyone.“

“This is a hidden gem.. also incredibly fresh and so cheap. 3$ for veg rolls. The owner is not that friendly or warm at all and pretty annoying to interact with but I think that the quality of the food is so good that she is completely entitled to act that way. If I was the owner of an old sushi shop on Solano Ave I would most likely act that way too.“

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

“I have come to this amazing establishment for over 15 years. Delicious. Efficient and amazing staff. Fresh and tummy always pleased. Yes!“

“Nice and accommodating 😘😘😘“

“Very good quality of food 👍“

“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.“

“Cute location in Northbrae, friendly and family oriented location. Sometimes you're lucky and find parking in front, don't park at the grocery store across the street and walk over. The wait for a table is never long, I usually come in dinner on a weekday so there's no wait. Weekend dinners can be a 10-20 min wait, better than many Japanese restaurants. The wait for your order is short too, the ost I've waited was a little less than 15 min. The food is great, the portion is great, the prices are fair, you can be happy with several appetizers to save money. A mixed vegetable tempura plate and house salad is filling. Everything is a win here, haven't had a bad meal yet.“

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

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