I had great time this restaurant with my family! Their signature Japanese style Hamba-gu is so soft and fluffy. To pair with it, our waitress gave us excellent descriptions about the six different sauces we could pick from. There was the Red Wine Demi-glace, Tomato Marinara, Gorgonzola White Cream, Soy-Onion, Oroshi Ponzu, and Chimichuri. She had recommended me the Soy-Onion sauce. And let me tell you, I am so glad I went with that sauce. It was truly exceptional! It had the perfect balance between it being salty and sweet, pairing perfectly with white rice. Although, I absolutely have to go back to try the other sauces as well! Their Tonkatsu (Pork Cutlet) reminds me of when I had it in Japan, crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside. For the side dishes, I recommend are Karaage (a Japanese style of Fried Chicken) and Yuzu Tomato. I also saw some other people having Toro Tartare and Yellow Tail Jalapeño and it looked so delicious!! Another reason to go back!
Had such a great dining experience at this restaurant. Staff was very welcoming and friendly. I'll be thinking of the tuna tartare for awhile. It was very good.
I thought I wouldn't be full for the hamburg set but boy I was wrong. The whole meal was very very filling and absolutely delicious. We'll definitely come back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Greg Peterkin
Nice modern Japanese style decor, the staff is very friendly and speaks Japanese. There is street parking which can fill up on a weekend. I have never been a big fan of Japanese style Hamburgs, until today. Everything was so good its as if we took a mini trip to Japan. The sets take some time to come out as everything is made fresh, but it is well worth the wait. We got the original Hamba-gu sets with Red Wine Demi-glace and the Ponzu, both fantastic! The portion size is great! The Hamburgs are absolutely juicy, tender and packed full of flavor! The chawanmushi side is perfect with a nice umami mushroom flavor. I wholeheartedly recommend Sazanami. I look forward to coming back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Ravenell
After spending that last few weeks in Japan, we weren't ready to let go of the feeling. Coming home we had a new appreciation for places that sold authentic Japanese food.
The clientele appeared to be mostly Japanese families when we arrived, and that put us at ease.
The food and presentation was as familiar as the places we experienced in Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka to name a few.
We'll definitely be back to enjoy the food and vibe again soon.
My belly is full and pleased.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
HZ
Sazanami Hamba-Gu has a solid flavor overall — the hamburger steak was juicy and the sauce was comforting and satisfying. The set meal was nicely presented and tasted good.
However, the service felt a bit unfriendly, which took away from the dining experience. Also, for nearly $30, the size was on the smaller side and I didn’t leave feeling very full. Good quality food, but the value and atmosphere could be improved.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Soona Kim
I honestly don’t understand why this place has such high ratings. The experience was disappointing both in food and service.
There were two female hosts at the entrance, and one of them spoke Korean while seating us, so I assumed they were both Korean. When another server came to take our order, I spoke to her in Korean, but she just stared at me with a confused expression without saying anything. When I asked if she was Korean, she then said she was Japanese. I apologized and switched to English, but the interaction was already awkward.
Since this restaurant specializes in hamburg steak and offers several sauce options, I asked which sauce was the most popular or what she would recommend. Instead of offering any guidance, she said she couldn’t recommend one because it depends on personal preference. I found that response a bit surprising, but ended up just choosing one myself.
After about a 25-minute wait, our food arrived. As the tray was being placed on the table, I noticed a hair attached to it. I had to point it out and pick it up myself to show the server, but she walked away without apologizing or reacting at all, which felt very unprofessional.
The hamburg steak itself was nothing special. Another dish we ordered, the pork cutlet, came with a sauce that tasted very much like a store-bought sauce and was extremely salty—so salty that it was difficult to eat.
Overall, between the unfriendly service and underwhelming food, this is not a place I would return to.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Sombath Tran
Great spot for a casual meet up. Stopped here for lunch with a friend and the beef patty is so moist and tender. I also enjoyed the egg pudding, it was packed with flavor. The customer service was on point.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
M P
The hambagu is ok, but I believe it's a bit pricy. I actually can make better hambagu at home with better sauce.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
yang zhang
Good food. Nice place
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Joseph Heo
New fav sushi spot. Gotta try the Hamburg next time.
Japanese hamburger set, juicy and good quality patty with variety of sauces to choose from, will charge extra if choosing more than 1 sauce. Portions are decent but could be more filling given the price. Appetizers took a long time to come, and I think servers almost forgot about us as we sat in the corner, had to ask multiple times for tea/water refills.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
HAHA
I think it’s average
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Min Park
The Hamburg steak was juicy on the inside, and the demi-glace sauce was rich and pleasantly sweet. The rolled omelet and miso soup served alongside it completed the experience, fully capturing the comforting essence of Japanese home-style cuisine.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrew Stanish
Great spot! Went on New Years Day and they were super busy, the staff were weeded but had great attitudes and kept it together. Had a delicious Karaage and a Hamba-Gu steak that came with some great sides. Definitely will be coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jason Sh
This place is quickly becoming a go to spot for me. Everything is absolutely delicious! But my biggest thing is their chawanmushi. It's been years, decades since I found a restaurant that serves it.
Parking is a bit of a hassle, but totally worth it.
I had great time this restaurant with my family!
Their signature Japanese style Hamba-gu is so soft and fluffy. To pair with it, our waitress gave us excellent descriptions about the six different sauces we could pick from. There was the Red Wine Demi-glace, Tomato Marinara, Gorgonzola White Cream, Soy-Onion, Oroshi Ponzu, and Chimichuri. She had recommended me the Soy-Onion sauce. And let me tell you, I am so glad I went with that sauce. It was truly exceptional! It had the perfect balance between it being salty and sweet, pairing perfectly with white rice. Although, I absolutely have to go back to try the other sauces as well!
Their Tonkatsu (Pork Cutlet) reminds me of when I had it in Japan, crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside.
For the side dishes, I recommend are Karaage (a Japanese style of Fried Chicken) and Yuzu Tomato. I also saw some other people having Toro Tartare and Yellow Tail Jalapeño and it looked so delicious!! Another reason to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hamba-Gu, Miso Soup, Chicken Karaage, EBI Fry
Had such a great dining experience at this restaurant. Staff was very welcoming and friendly. I'll be thinking of the tuna tartare for awhile. It was very good.
I thought I wouldn't be full for the hamburg set but boy I was wrong. The whole meal was very very filling and absolutely delicious. We'll definitely come back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nice modern Japanese style decor, the staff is very friendly and speaks Japanese. There is street parking which can fill up on a weekend.
I have never been a big fan of Japanese style Hamburgs, until today. Everything was so good its as if we took a mini trip to Japan. The sets take some time to come out as everything is made fresh, but it is well worth the wait. We got the original Hamba-gu sets with Red Wine Demi-glace and the Ponzu, both fantastic! The portion size is great! The Hamburgs are absolutely juicy, tender and packed full of flavor! The chawanmushi side is perfect with a nice umami mushroom flavor. I wholeheartedly recommend Sazanami. I look forward to coming back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
After spending that last few weeks in Japan, we weren't ready to let go of the feeling. Coming home we had a new appreciation for places that sold authentic Japanese food.
The clientele appeared to be mostly Japanese families when we arrived, and that put us at ease.
The food and presentation was as familiar as the places we experienced in Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka to name a few.
We'll definitely be back to enjoy the food and vibe again soon.
My belly is full and pleased.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sazanami Hamba-Gu has a solid flavor overall — the hamburger steak was juicy and the sauce was comforting and satisfying. The set meal was nicely presented and tasted good.
However, the service felt a bit unfriendly, which took away from the dining experience. Also, for nearly $30, the size was on the smaller side and I didn’t leave feeling very full. Good quality food, but the value and atmosphere could be improved.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
I honestly don’t understand why this place has such high ratings. The experience was disappointing both in food and service.
There were two female hosts at the entrance, and one of them spoke Korean while seating us, so I assumed they were both Korean. When another server came to take our order, I spoke to her in Korean, but she just stared at me with a confused expression without saying anything. When I asked if she was Korean, she then said she was Japanese. I apologized and switched to English, but the interaction was already awkward.
Since this restaurant specializes in hamburg steak and offers several sauce options, I asked which sauce was the most popular or what she would recommend. Instead of offering any guidance, she said she couldn’t recommend one because it depends on personal preference. I found that response a bit surprising, but ended up just choosing one myself.
After about a 25-minute wait, our food arrived. As the tray was being placed on the table, I noticed a hair attached to it. I had to point it out and pick it up myself to show the server, but she walked away without apologizing or reacting at all, which felt very unprofessional.
The hamburg steak itself was nothing special. Another dish we ordered, the pork cutlet, came with a sauce that tasted very much like a store-bought sauce and was extremely salty—so salty that it was difficult to eat.
Overall, between the unfriendly service and underwhelming food, this is not a place I would return to.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Great spot for a casual meet up. Stopped here for lunch with a friend and the beef patty is so moist and tender. I also enjoyed the egg pudding, it was packed with flavor. The customer service was on point.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The hambagu is ok, but I believe it's a bit pricy. I actually can make better hambagu at home with better sauce.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Good food. Nice place
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
New fav sushi spot. Gotta try the Hamburg next time.
Restaurantji Recommends
Japanese hamburger set, juicy and good quality patty with variety of sauces to choose from, will charge extra if choosing more than 1 sauce. Portions are decent but could be more filling given the price. Appetizers took a long time to come, and I think servers almost forgot about us as we sat in the corner, had to ask multiple times for tea/water refills.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
I think it’s average
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
The Hamburg steak was juicy on the inside, and the demi-glace sauce was rich and pleasantly sweet. The rolled omelet and miso soup served alongside it completed the experience, fully capturing the comforting essence of Japanese home-style cuisine.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great spot! Went on New Years Day and they were super busy, the staff were weeded but had great attitudes and kept it together. Had a delicious Karaage and a Hamba-Gu steak that came with some great sides. Definitely will be coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is quickly becoming a go to spot for me. Everything is absolutely delicious! But my biggest thing is their chawanmushi. It's been years, decades since I found a restaurant that serves it.
Parking is a bit of a hassle, but totally worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hamba-Gu
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