Akebono Photos
Business Info
Akebono Popular Dishes
AKEBONO ATMOSPHERE
What's the vibe?
You might also consider
More like Akebono
Recommended Reviews - Akebono
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Akebono is a huge Japanese eatery that's brightly lit with tons of framed pictures and tapestries of geishas, samurai, and sumo wrestlers. They even have a second dining room just past the kitchen. We came here for lunch after a really hot day checking out Sac Zoo. We always love Japanese food when needing low fat but high protein and moderate carb meals. The food was excellent, and with generous portions: 1. Plain Sunomono - Is nothing but plain. Sliced cold cucumbers in a sweet vinegary sauce served in a huge martini glass. Super refreshing on a hot day and excellent shareable appetizer. (5 stars) 2. Kid's teriyaki meal are designed for under-7 kids but could have easily fed a teen. Generous amount of moist, juicy chicken breast slices, cup of crunchy salad with Asian sesame creamy dressing, huge bowl of rice, and lots of tempura (2 shrimp, one brocolli, and a sweet potato). (5 stars) 3. Sushi Moriwase B was 10 pieces of chef-selected nigiri. Not bad - rice was well seasoned and soft, generally very fresh fish. I'm less a fan of imitation crab and was surprised to see tamago - but hey, protein is protein. (4 stars) 4. Some dishes were on the saltier however, such as the free miso soup and soba noodles - the large comb one with chicken, mushrooms, veggies, and a separate dipping sauce. Definitely recommend Akebono. It was pretty empty when we arrived but during our meal more families and customers began filling in. Guess they need all the space after all!
*** Vegetarian Review *** Would I come back? Yes, friendly service. They can accommodate their broths for vegetarians. If you can handle it, always ask for a medium spice level. Tips for first-timers: 1) Plenty of free parking 2) They accept reservations The Food: Vegetable Tempura ($18.95, Grade A): I like how they cut the vegetables--not too chunky. There is nothing worse than a chunky carrot that isn't cooked to its core. The tempura batter doesn't pull off when you bite into it, and it isn't oily at all. Yasai Ramen ($17.95, Grade A): Asked for a water broth to make this safe and vegetarian-friendly. You would think it would be tasteless, but it was surprisingly packed with flavor. The medium spice level definitely helped, but even for people sensitive to heat, this would be a tasty dish. It says water-based, but it still has a deep, eye-appealing dark color. The noodles have a great bite. Not overly mushy. And they stay that way for the entire meal. Broccoli, zucchini, bean sprouts, wood ear mushrooms, and cabbage. The cubed tofu is fresh and wasn't spoiled which often happens with tofu in restaurants that a lot of people don't order daily. Jungle Roll ($14.95, Grade A): Avocado and cucumber, topped with a seaweed salad. Most Japanese restaurants fail to understand that vegetarians also want a fun roll! We asked if they could include a vegetable tempura inside the roll so there would be a good textural component, and added a drizzle of teriyaki and spicy mayo. Good news--they were able to do it, though having to check with the sushi bar is always an adventure ($1 extra for each request). Sidenote: Why do all Japanese restaurants need to ask the sushi bar? One-hundred percent of the time, we eagerly have to wait for the sushi court to give a "rolling." (Ruling if that was too vague). The rolls are made fresh and many meat-based rolls include a tempura element rolled inside. I could understand if we're asking to deep fry the roll, but just adding a tempura and a drizzled sauce? Ok, hopping off my soapbox. Bottom Line We've been coming to this place on and off for over ten years. It's been at least 2 years since our last visit, and there are some noticeable changes. Portions are smaller; the ramen bowls used to be the size of a food challenge. The restaurant itself is looking older and not quite as cared for, but the flavors remain excellent and the friendly, attentive service is completely unchanged.
Nice staff. Wasn't too crowded for a Friday night. Food is good as always. Happy to see there is a kids menu, I want sure when I decided to come here.
Akebono is one of those spots I keep in rotation because the portions actually match the price. I've had their sushi rolls, ramen, and curry, and out of everything on the menu, I keep coming back for the sushi rolls and the curry. It's just good value for what you're paying. The restaurant is clean and has ample room, which makes it a great option when you're going with a group. We usually have no problem getting seated together, but I'd still recommend calling ahead during peak hours just to be safe. Parking usually isn't an issue either, at least at night. Overall, it's a dependable spot when you want a comforting meal, solid portions, and prices that still feel reasonable.
They couldn't have chosen a better name for the Dream Come True roll, because it truly is such a dream come true to taste this delicious roll. It has all the cuts of fish, which makes it so worth it. Feels like getting sashimi inside the roll!! Every bite felt like a dream and couldn't stop talking about it after getting home! Also, I enjoyed the other dish we got such as the creamy albacore for appetizers and the soba tempura noodles. The tempura was perfectly fried! Overall, Akebono remains at the top of the list for best sushi spots in the Sacramento area!
Ive been coming here forever and i have had recent check in but this last time i wanted to update my review. I love all sushi rolls here but my go to is the dream come true roll. It's one of those rolls that's twice the size of a regular roll for $22.95. I feel like the sushi wasn't as fresh as it once was and the roll which I thought was gigantic shrank in size. While there we also ordered the steak lunch box and the steak was not hot and small portions. The service is so and so and feel like the place has changed, for me anyhow.
Celebrated a birthday here! It has been a long standing tradition for them but was new to me. I was excited to see what all the excitement was about. We had a triple roll (devoured before picture)! We also had the katsu chicken and shrimp and veggie tempura. The servings were generous and the everything was delicious! We had leftovers and were able to enjoy some tempura and chicken for lunch rhetorical next day. They have seating around the sushi bar, in the front and a buffer room in the back. The staff were attentive and the service was quick.
A very popular sushi restaurant! Came here with my cousin for dinner to try and branch out from our usual spots. The sushi was tasty and they have tons of options. It was very busy the day we went but they have a lot of seating to accommodate. The staff were nice and the restaurant definitely has a high busy kind of energy to it from the decor to how many people were there. Have only been here the one time, so I want to come back to try some other options. The roll I got (sorry can't remember the name) had fresh sliced lemon on top which I love. We did get one roll that had cream cheese in it and it honestly was too much cream cheese that we poked it out. Would come back!
Came here for udon. Will come back for the sushi. Ordered the udon, bento box, and a spicy tuna roll. Udon was ..... very underwhelming. The chicken is straight up boiled breast. Tough. Dry. Flavorless. Broth was lacking in flavor. Noodles were good but can you really mess up noodles? Safe to say I will NOT order this again. Bento box was good. Nothing crazy. Wish the meat portions were a bit bigger but then again it is a bento box. Chicken katsu was juicy unlike the chicken in the udon. Spicy tuna roll was DELICIOUS. Fresh fish everything wow. Will definitely be back to try the sushi. Bill was about 65$ so average dinner price. Service was quick but nothing outstanding as they were very busy. Lots of extra seating the back. I'll be back to try more of the rolls but will be avoiding the udon.
Sushi craving? Ramen craving? Or how about a bento box? Come here for your Japanese fix. They have an abundance of options and none disappoint.
Our go-to for Japanese food! Love their sushi, particularly their awesome rolls. The kids are fans of their katsu curry and katsu don. Service was ok on a Saturday night. It definitely wasn't busy at all; however, for some reason the sushi rolls took forever. Practically arrived when the kids were almost done with their dinner. The restaurant is always clean and pretty spacious. The service is usually good. Maybe it was an off night for them?
I'm not overly impressed, but the food is okay. I think the sushi might be better than the ramen. You can tell how "precious" their broth is when they overfill your bowl with soup. Based on the high ratings I was expecting more, but the few times I've been here it's been average. Nice sized parking lot for Freeport area. Inside is big enough to accommodate large groups.
This restaurant is our family favorite and have dined here for many special occasion. Service is always great, staff are always pleasant. My Go To: Dream Come True - this doubles the usual sushi roll and my favorite roll! It has everything which maybe a turn off for some but not for me. You can't go wrong with any of their dishes. Portion is above average! Photos were from our latest visit: 4/12/25
5 years ago
The place looked really full at around 715 but we had a five minute wait. It was quick. The tables are clean and I saw the ladies cleaning the tables after customers. They have more tables toward the back and big screens. The rolls were okay. I had a California roll which was very plain and a caterpillar, too sweet for me but it was okay. Food was served quickly. I also had a Hana Awaka sake and was very good! Try it! We ordered more rolls but this time it took way to long to get our order out. We almost canceled the order. Overall the place was clean, big and good customer service. Sushi can be better tbh read more
3 years ago
This is my family's go to spot for sushi. Good quality fish & good selection of sushi rolls. Also love that they use real crab instead of imitation crab. The prices have unfortunately gone up a bit, so it's not as affordable as it used to be, but there's usually a 10% coupon from the neighborhood ads in the mail which is nice. However, I also wanted to give a shout-out to the dinner combos! I decided to branch out and take a risk the other day and try the teriyaki chicken/sashimi combo, thinking I'd probably regret it because normally I only get the sushi rolls, but it was actually really good! The chicken was well cooked and tender, and the sashimi was surprisingly cut into generously thick slices! Great option for if you want more protein and want the best of both worlds with cooked meat and raw fish. read more
2 years ago
Japanese restaurant and one of the most popular in Land Park, the menu offers a variety of sushi, tempura, teriyaki, udon, ramen & bento boxes. Came here on a weekday evening and shared several rolls with my party. Really enjoyed the dream come true and lobster delight. The all hamachi sashimi was very tasty as well. Food is moderately priced and well presented. Would definitely return. read more
8 years ago
Real authentic Japanese food. This is more of the traditional kind of Japanese food. I loved the sukiyaki I had the last time I came here. The Katsu don buri was very tasty. Probably my daughter's favorite. This time I ordered the pepperfin tuna. It was tasty, and the peppers were spicy, but if you don't like hot and spicy, you can push them off to the side of the dish. It's still savory without the pepper slices. The katsu donburi was just and tasty as the last time we came. My kids loved it. The curry was tasty, but not spicy, which I'm sure my husband appreciated. Lastly, the spider roll sushi was so yummy. The tempura batter was light in flavor, and it wasn't too greasy either. My family was very happy with the food, and I loved the traditional flavors. We will return! read more
We ordered the Rainbow Roll, Fire Salmon Roll, Tonkatsu Ramen, and the Red Dragon Roll. I had the Crazy Crab Roll and the Gyoza. I thought my roll was pretty good. It had a lemony taste. The gyoza was good. My sister ordered me the Chicken Curry to go and I thought it was okay. read more
5 years ago
Came in with 2 friends for lunch around 12:45 on Monday and we were seated immediately. It may not look like it on the outside but the place is huge! There are 2 separate dining areas with plenty of tables in each. Located in a strip mall with decent amount of parking. All of us ordered off the lunch menu and the prices for those options were reasonable! I got the sashimi combo for $20.95 which came with miso soup, salad, and a bowl of rice on the side. The cuts of fish were big and it tasted very fresh. Our order was taken quickly and the food came out fast. Our server was very friendly and attentive the entire time. Overall great experience! My friends and I are looking forward to returning so we can try the sushi boats! read more
Family felt like something other than Thanksgiving leftovers. Came here a few day after Thanksgiving. Still crowded on a Tuesday night after the holiday. Long waitlist. Shows this place still has great food! Just wanted to add to my original review. Restaurant is crowded. Tables are slightly separated with a little more distance due to the pandemic. Staff are super busy and fast to serve. Food is still very tasty! One recommendation is to come early! Waiting list grows very fast during dinner time any day! Still highly recommend! read more
3 years ago
Delicious Japanese restaurant that we decided to try tonight. For how long I've lived here I'm so disappointed in myself for not trying this place earlier! Heard great things about it and met all my expectations. It feels very homey, the people are very kind and service was great. We ordered some Horin sake, geso, karaagge chicken, mixed sashimi (with a side of pickled wasabi,of course) and an order of their Akebono roll. The sashimi and rolls were so fresh! Melt in your mouth type deal. And the appetizers were crunchy, not too oily and just right! Their menu is very extensive and we plan on coming back to try more items like their curry dishes, ramen and more rolls! read more
Always a great go to for a Bowl of Ramen with quick service. We always usually get the Champon Ramen which has tons of fresh vegetables, fish cake, slice pork, squid, scallops, and shrimp... I usually get the spicy Champon Ramen and it's a BIG BOWL and you'll be Full for sure when you leave or you'll be bringing home leftovers for sure! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
It's been five years since we last set foot in this restaurant, now under new management. The interior looked unchanged, still decorated with an impressive array of Japanese paintings and pictures. Like the previous occasion, we came to a reception in one of several private rooms. The buffet featured sushi rolls, tempuras, teriyaki chicken, fried rice and yakisoba noodles. Food was tasty and well prepared. Service was attentive, including replenishing of the hot food items. Parking in the strip mall had gotten worse. Finding a space on this Saturday afternoon was challenging. read more
First time here! And I love sushi so I have no idea how I've never been here. Then again, the drive is pretty far for me considering I live in the other side of town. Entering, we didn't have a wait and were directed to the back of the restaurant where there was extra room/tables. The restaurant is actually really big!! I was not expecting that much room. Luckily we came when we did because it got packed real quick. This place is def a hot spot. My party of 4 ordered 5 rolls and they were huge portions!! But, we actually finished it all. Their rolls are unique and we did modify it a bit. They all tasted different and had their own style. I'm so bad at names that I can't remember what they were all called but whenever I'm in the area I'd come back! read more
Ordered a big boat for 52 bucks .im not a big fan. Not fresh at all and not good.i know my sushi I'm not expecting really good fresh seafood since we live in Sacramento but I'm expecting better quality.. and also ordered dream come true roll for 17 bucks and it's big sushi that sushi was decent taste not not too bad .1/5 for the food I would say the service here is pretty good. They all made sure we got our order and made sure we doing good. 4/5 for the service. Ambiance it's big cool restaurant... With the experience of the food I probably not go back here.. I almost read more
8 years ago
Always a great meal whenever I eat here. Whether it was the massive sushi boats for Laney and T's wedding rehearsal dinner, dinner dates with friends, or just-because treats after a run at William Land Park, Akebono hits the spot. Want a real splurge? Not sure if it's a secret menu item, but get the whole grilled squid, you will not regret. The Akebono Roll is unique. I'm a sucker for the Salmon Lovers combination roll + sashimi personally. California roll comes with real crab, no imitation here! They also have some of the rarer items such as hamachi toro. If you're not into sushi, then there are bento boxes, hot and cold noodles (ramen soups, soba, udon), curry/rice, donburi and more. Fun fact, the servers at Akebono are the same you'll sometimes see at Ryujin and Raijin Ramen Houses (same owner, I think)! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
I ordered to go at this establishment earlier this week and decided to try out their rolls, in my experience of eating better quality sushi rolls in the Bay Area the highest I've ever paid for a roll was $13 and it was jam packed with filling and fresh ingredients especially sashimi. I ordered the crazy crab roll and karaage, the roll was $16 but the roll was small for how much it was. There was very thin slices of salmon on top hidden under all of the sauce and toppings, it was still good but too expensive for one roll even when there was fried crab in it. The karaage was a 7/10, nothing special just fried chicken. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
Sushi is just okay. Not the best place in the Sacramento area... I also felt like the sushi rolls were overpriced for how small the roll is (average $16/roll). Very little fish, and rolls were not that creative. We were really impressed with their ramen though! The flavor of the broth, egg, and the portion amount is good for the price. We'll be coming back for that and try out some new things. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
update- the pandemic has been deemed over so and i am making a conscious effort to revisit several restaurants to see if the 3 year pandemic has impacted their service and cuisine. So let's get started. We were welcomed as we arrived and promptly seated with a table for 5 in the back room. Although it was hectic, overall service was ok especially, it appeared the waitstaff had more patrons w/large parties than they could handle- that's a management issue...perhaps in finding employees willing to work. So here are the entrees that we ordered: 1) no unagi donburi on the menu - darn. So i ordered the "all hamachi sashimi". I know it may not be fair, but i am comparing the freshness of the hamachi with the ones I would order from a restaurant in maui, although the pieces of hamachi were good, it still was not as fresh as the ones from maui- however, it does seem fresher than the hamachi served at mikuni's. Given that, i would order again. 2) salad w/grilled chicken-our friend is allergic to soybeans so the chicken is just grilled w/no sauce. it was pleasantly moist and satisfied our friend. 3) sushi/chicken teriyaki combo- some of the pieces of sushi was a bit tougher than usual. The teriyaki sauce on the chicken seemed a little thick too. Fortunately the flavor was there. 4) Stamina Ramen- just ok. had better ramen from other establishments. Probably would not order again. 5) seafood tempura- majority of the items were fine. But the soft shell crab was over cooked and inedible. The panko breading also seem to dominate the over all dish. our friend literally peeled off the breading from the various seafood pieces to consume her seafood. Although the dish looked fantastic when it arrived, the pablo breading should have been lighter to make the seafood pieces as the main focus and not the breading. Based on my last review (a few years ago), i would have remove a star and now give a 3 star review. sorry. perhaps i will try this location again and hopefully future entrees are better...or did we just ordered the wrong entrees? read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
4 years ago
The food here is amazing! Very fresh and the proportions are generous. Highly recommend the Dreamer roll- it's huge!!! We also loved the chicken Katsu. Good service friendly and fast. read more
4 years ago
More info about Akebono
4960 Freeport Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95822
South Land Park
Directions
(916) 731-8288
Call Now
Visit Website
https://akebonojapanesesushi.com
Full menu
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
More Info
Health Score
Akebono Reviews in Other Languages
Ask the Community - Akebono
Did they recently switch new owners or managers?
Yes they did. I wrote a review about it, the food clearly lost quality.
Could someone post a menu picture? The online site lists names of rolls, but no details.
I posted several shots of the menu for you.
Do you have keto friendly selections in your menu?
Seriously? It's Japanese food.
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
73 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
3 years ago
14 years ago
9 months ago
12 years ago
12 years ago
15 years ago
9 years ago
15 years ago
8 years ago
12 years ago
9 years ago
9 years ago
16 years ago
12 years ago
13 years ago
13 years ago
15 years ago
2 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
