We were traveling south and wanted to grab some sushi for lunch. Best sushi I've had in a long time. Highly recommend the OMG roll and Druken Tiger Roll. Customer service was exceptional! read more

A-Ru Sushi - Druken Tiger Roll (on left) and Crazy Boy Roll (on right) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buellton, California

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Sushi and service were good. However. Ramen is simply Costco boxed ramen. We saw the box in the kitchen. When we were asked how the food was we pointed it out to the waitress who said, maybe next time you come back and try something else. Also the vegetables in the Korean hot plate were a vegetable frozen melody you can get from Costco. We were not impressed with all the cooking shortcuts. The miso soup was salty as well. read more

Food is good but the portions are way to small for the price you pay. Bibimpap is $16, unagi is $21 . read more

A-Ru Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buellton, California

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Soo expensive! $6 for an iced tea?? Overall sushi was decent but not anywhere close to worth the price we paid!

I have given this restaurant a second chance and will not go back, I ordered through door dash. The food was ok but the service does not make me want to go back. I stood at the door for a good 10 minutes, the server and the sushi chefs made eye contact with me multiple times but did not acknowledge me. I had to go up to the server to ask her for my food. To top it all off I had requested the spicy Mayo on the side and double checked with the server before I left, got home and there was spicy Mayo all over it. I was already late for work so I had to throw it out. read more

I have read couple of negative reviews with previous owner. Now A-Ru Sushi is open with the new owner and I have visited with my family today. The restaurant was clean and quite. We were welcomed by the workers when we stepped in. The servers were friendly and quick. Food was delicious with freshness! I would recommend to others! read more

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Come on guys... why can't you get the customer service together. They made me wait tens of minutes with open seating around me... "Manager is too busy" ??? This was just disappointing. If you need to hire a host because you can't figure out how to seat your guests while serving, then do it. Yelp matters, I've never been so angry at a restaurant... So here's your bad review... Get your sh*t together. read more

Decent but lackluster atmosphere and service. I would drive to Lompoc for Sushi Terri.

Great value. Delicious rolls. Awesome service. Surprised this exists in Buellton, but I am thankful it does. Spider roll is soooo yummy btw.

If you're an impatient person, move on. The food quality was great, staff were friendly but the only drawback was service. Logistically and priority-wise came at varying rates. The rolls are made fresh and the sushi was good quality. Come for the food, pace yourself and enjoy! Maybe have a hot sake to ease your day! read more

One of the best sushi eal I've ever tried, great service and food, a bit pricey but worth it 5 starts all the way!!! read more

A-Ru Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buellton, California

I hate writing bad reviews, and want to be supportive during covid but these guys were very poor. We stood there for 5 minutes being ignored, sat ourselves, then were ignored for 10 more minutes. There were 5 seated tables counting inside and outside, and 2 waitresses. We really wanted sushi so flagged someone down to order. Neither of the waitresses cracked a smile once. We were 2 people and received 1 glass of water, and when we went inside to ask for it to be filled we were met with confusion. It's just baffling that struggling businesses during covid will allow such bad service. read more

Yummy and love that they tell you what the freshest fish is because with sushi, it's all about super fresh!

The sushi is great and the outdoor dining is very pleasant! I in really enjoyed the California Rolls and Tempura veggies.

Called this place 1p times to get some take out they have 2 different phone numbers i guess one on their website and one on yelp. Nobody answered. read more

Gina very passionate sushi chef women very sweet!! such an amazing Experiance.. thank god for this place in such rule area!!!! it's a great place to catch a bite of really yummy sushi! defiantly if your looking for a sushi restaurant in the area this is your place!!! they serve SAKE & Wines as well! ENJOY!!!! read more

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The food was delicious but the service was terrible. They brought my dinner without rice and said it would come shortly. It never came and they then avoided my table and never offered anything in its place. When I asked for the Manager she really didn't offer a reasonable response or help. read more

Has good sushi but HORRIBLE customer service. Don't even bother calling ahead to pick up food. When I arrived I told the server, "do you know your phone isn't working?", The server told me that "sometimes we turn the phone off when we're super busy". It was NOT busy. There were like 2 out of 12 tables filled, no one sitting at their bar, and their staff was nonchalantly wiping tables and standing near the back. He told me "you can order through DoorDash" and I said "ya but it's like an additional $4 per roll even if I select pick up"... didn't even ask for my name for the order, didn't bring the bill so I could pay before my food was done to expedite the process. Just me and 3 other people standing outside going through the same ridiculous process because they chose to turn their phone off and have no idea how to run their kitchen and staff efficiently. read more

Tasty fresh sushi And we especially like their baked rolls. The service is always pretty good they get busy so sometimes you need to be patient. And we especially like their bibimbap. It comes out in a little hot plate type of bowl that's sizzling and it's like a rice bowl with an egg on top and then you chop it up mix it all together and you have this type of bowl that has crispy rice and vegetables and little pieces of egg and I think you can choose the meat you get in it. One of the ladies there makes the plum sauce for this dish and it's really tasty. You can tell it's made with love. I usually try to stop there on our way to Santa Barbara. read more

Great sushi! I was worried because it is under new ownership and I loved the previous owner, but it is really good. The staff are very friendly. read more

This was quite a find - we had some doubts because it is in a strip mall. But the sushi was fresh, the rolls expertly made, the prices A-OK for the quality. Good service, and we kept ordering because the sushi was very good! read more

To begin with, this is a $$$ restaurant for sure, yelp plz make the correction I would have given 5 star if any of following happend 1. larger food size ( the size very small ) 2. cheaper ( way more expensive than what a $$ restaurant should be ) 3. better taste ( the taste is good but not enough to match it's price ) The service is 5 star tho read more

Friendly staff but way overly attentive. Someone would ask do you need something and as soon as you say, "we are fine" another ask you the same thing. Strange because place was slow. Flys buzzing around, some confusion if you sub anything in a roll. I will say the Asparagus was raw and ruined the roll. read more

Good old place sitting in a very pretty valley not to far from the beautiful Marriot I stayed . The place was really crowded and full and that tells you how much the food is liked . As other reviews have indicated the place is slow in serving you because of less no of employes . But be patient and you will be rewarded . Drink some good sake and enjoy the happy people around . read more

Come on guys... why can't you get the customer service together. They made me wait tens of minutes with open seating around me... "Manager is too busy" ??? This was just disappointing. If you need to hire a host because you can't figure out how to seat your guests while serving, then do it. Yelp matters, I've never been so angry at a restaurant... So here's your bad review... Get your sh*t together. read more

First time here! Friendly and inviting atmosphere with excellent service! Chef came out to our table a few times! Multiple selections on menu! Can't wait for next visit here!! read more

A-Ru Sushi - Salmon skin roll... - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buellton, California

A-RU Sushi is same restaurant as A-RU Japanese restaurant (so look at that one for more reviews). I was pleasantly surprised by A-Ru, after a friend recommended it. We have a vacation house in Santa Ynez and have been looking for good sushi up in Valley for 3 years. We typically go to Kabuki in Solvang (pretty good too) and Arigato in Santa Barbara (excellent). Location not so great, A-RU is located in Buellton strip mall across from CVS. That said, they do a nice job with inside, low ambient lighting and somewhat contemporary style inside (nice clean bathrooms!). Lighting inside is so low, that it appears they are closed from outside, so you really have to look for this place (signage is very high on building). Sushi quality is VERY high, and servings of sashimi are very large (next time I'll order smaller portions). It is expensive, considering the location, our total bill for 2 person take out was $181 (no alcohol). I ordered too much, so next time I'll cut back order a bit, but I'd still be into it for $150. We order expensive Sashimi, so if you're just getting rolls, price is a bit more reasonable (and rolls are large). I'll definitely go back. read more

Love the quality of the food here! They really try very hard to accommodate and they are really, really nice when you go to the restaurant. BUT... The challenge we have is trying to call in to do take-out as inevitably you can't get through, or like tonight someone answered and then asked me to wait and then forgot I was on the phone. Luckily someone else saw that the phone was off the hook and picked it up so I was able to order... Again, the food is delicious... very fresh, yummy rolls. You won't be disappointed but as others say, just be patient! Glad they are able to open up outside again... read more

The sushi is WAY WAY WAYYYYY too expensive! Definitely not worth the price. I've eaten at some very high end sushi spots in LA and they were not even as much money as this place. Food was okay but not the best. And definitely not worth it for the price. I won't be coming here anymore. I'll drive to Mikado sushi in SM or Sushi Terri in Lompoc. read more

The owners are really nice and inviting. Great sushi dishes and nice seating outside for those that would like to eat there.

A-Ru is quite simply a gem! We have eaten here twice during the past year while passing through the area. The quality of the sushi & sashimi is wonderful. Tonight we had rolls including Ar-Bky and Dragon. All were exceptional in flavor & freshness. The tobiko was so good that I had to order a second! Our sushi chef was a joyous lady who kept us entertained at the bar while working her craft before us. The staff is very attentive with constant topping off of tea & water. We finished the night with the chef's signature homemade cheese cake. A perfect closing to great meal. Wish that A-Ru was closer for us to visit. read more

A-Ru Sushi - Tobiko! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buellton, California

Amazing place, good food, funny and friendly female sushi chef and staff. Small space, but gives more attention to customers that way. Service might be a bit slow, but food is amazingly delicious and well prepared. Recommend their sunset roll I believe it was called, it was bake scallop on a California roll with spicy sauce. Even though it seems like little amount of rolls, they're surprising filling. I especially love the cheesecake they serve. Told they're made daily by the chef herself and they're perfect way to end your meal. I suggest sitting at the bar to be able to chat with the chef. If I could, I would go there every 2-3x a week, but sadly I'm going there once a week. read more

Guess what the best change that happened to A ru recently. The management changed and the place is like reborn :O Y'all better try these OMG rolls, gotta have 10/10 read more

Don't let the exterior fool you. This small Japanese restaurant tucked inside of a strip mall with a chain grocery store, will definitely not disappoint you. After a day of wine tasting and touring Solvang, we wanted to look for a local spot, that is NOT a tourist trap. Recommended by a local wine shop, we visited A-RU and were so impressed and pleasantly surprised! Perfectly fresh ingredients coupled with friendly and prompt service made our dinner experience very enjoyable. We opted to try daily special, chef's choice items and enjoyed every bit of variety of dishes! I was so impressed, I did some internet search afterwards and found some local articles about this restaurant. I read that owner of A-RU Restaurant, drives two-plus hours twice a week to the fish market in Los Angeles. There, she selects all of the top grade seafood for her tantalizing Japanese menu. The owner's effort really reflects on the quality of food, and I cannot wait to go back to this restaurant next time we visit Santa Barbara county for another wine tasting trip. read more

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Extremely overpriced and not everything in the menu was in the rolls. Just because it was a to-go order does not mean we should get shorted on sauces and ingredients. Extremely plain and small cut rolls for the VERY high price. Disappointing. The sashimi cut fish was fresh and tasty, that was the only saving grace. read more

Great bimibap. It's a hot stone pot that cooks while they stir it tableside. Think fajitas but Korean. Veggies were super fresh and tender. They mix in soy sauce and chili sauce to your comfort level. Appetizers were good. Sushi was expensive but good quality. Definitely worth a return visit. read more

Fresh, delicious sushi! Delightful staff, expansive menu and always a wonderful experience! It's hard to find good sushi in the Santa Ynez Vally, but A-Ru, under their new ownership, is fresh and affordable. Our new, favorite spot! read more

Amazing place! Highly recommend. I eat a ton of sushi and this place was amazing. Tiger, the cook, was very friendly as well

This was the first time we have tried A RU, it will definitely not be the last. The staff is very accomodating and the food was extremely fresh and wonderful! During these hard times we appreciate a place to go and enjoy our experience. A RU takes the initiative to go above and beyond to make this happen for their guests. Thank you folks! read more

Overpriced! Good food , very tasty, expect to pay double the price you'd pay in a "strip mall" sushi place! Had the spicy tuna roll $12, I've never seen a roll this small!!! A $12 micro-fucking roll!!' Felt cheated! One waiter, one chef expect to wait! Bullshit at an inflated price! read more