Bad service made the experience very unpleasant. The food was great. Waitresses were unorganized and didn't attend anyone at the entrance.

I like the authenticity of Dana kai compared to many of the fusion restaurants around. I am purely a sashimi water, and more of the exotic types are my preference. The uni is fresh and amazing, and the bluefin with uni sushi special is to die for. The prices are pretty high, but you get what you pay for. read more

Pleasant find in Dana point!! Fresh and delicious! Ordered poke roll, it was spicy but good. And sashimi combination which was $22 and came with 12 pieces of very fresh fish! Came with 2 kids and they were happy too! read more

This spot is one of the best sushi restaurants in South OC. Their fish is always fresh, the rolls are well thought out and taste fantastic, and their service is wonderful. Love the Dana Kai yellowtail roll and albacore carpaccio. read more

My girlfriend and I love right around the corner from this place and we love it. The restaurant is full of welcoming staff and they serve you QUICK! You will not need to search for a server because they get to you in a hurry. I would strongly recommend the mountain roll. All of their rolls are really delicious though and frequently they will offer some edamame on the house. If you are looking for a sake bomb, you can get one but you have to buy a miniature carafe of sake and individually order the beers. The effect is the same just a little less straight forward. They have many specials to choose from and the classics as well. They are somewhat pricy but I would say fairly comparable to any other true sushi restaurant. read more

Incredible sushi the best ive had in southern california. The complete experience miso soup and all.

Good prices and decent sushi, very clean and nice place. We not super impressed with the sushi chef that helped us at the bar. We asked what he recommended and he had no suggestions. Prefer a more interactive sushi bar, but maybe that isn't their style? If we go again it will just be a normal table, the table service looked great. Had to ask for more beer then wait for the tab... read more

The food it's ok also the service. The price is ok and the restaurant clean. But I really like the spot it's very beautiful . Try the Philadelphia roll it's really good . And if you want desert everything is made from green tea haha but it's nice. read more

Dana Kai Sushi - Feels like home - Japanese Near Me - Dana Point, California

Great place! Stopped by here on a whim craving sushi. We liked it! The prices are decent ($50 for two at dinner) and all the food seemed very fresh. The waitress was kind but a tad overworked (lots of tables for one person). The options are standard w/ a few signature rolls. Worth a visit- you may just have to flag down the waitress a bit. read more

The sushi used to be great the last time I was their it was warmer and seemed old or left out a little to long.

My husband, little girl and I came here when we visited CA last week! One of the best Japanese restaurants we've been to and we've been to quite a bit! The sushi is so fresh and the food is delicious! The staff is so friendly and very welcoming! The servers kept coming over and playing with our daughter! They're so nice and the restaurant is very clean! Wish we had this restaurant in Chicago, but we will definitely be back when we visit! Thanks for such a wonderful experience!!!! read more

I know that this is a rough time to be in the restaurant business, so you would think they would try to put out the best. We picked up a to go order and it was just a bit below average. The last two times we had dinner there before all of this COVID-19 took over it was only so so. Very nice staff and close to home but I don't think we will be back. read more

This is my favorite local Japanese/Sushi sit down RESTAURANT in town. I've never been disappointed. I think the dish I ordered was the tuna lover sushi...YUM. They have a bunch of great combo lunches to choose from too. Friendly staff nice ambience. read more

My daughter and I came here for lunch and the lunch specials were super reasonable and every detail was spot on. Clean and fast, friendly service. My daughter ordered the $13.99 lunch special and got a ton of food. I ordered the Tuna sashimi and the crunch roll and they were perfect. Beautifully presented and fresh and delicious. Love this place. Will come again. read more

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This is my favorite sushi place in Orange County. Service is incredible, always can get a reservation, and the food is great! There is literally something for everyone on the menu. Even if you don't like raw fish, there is something there you will find which will work for you. Such a good place! read more

I've enjoyed sushi for many years. So I've eaten at some of the best sushi houses in LA and Orange County. Last night Dana Kai became my all time favorite! From the staff, the menu, the decor, an awesome choice of sakes, and of course the fantastic sushi, sashimi, and rolls Dana Kai has it all! Don't waste your time or money going any where else. read more

Hands down, BEST SUSHI in Dana Point. The fish is always fresh, the prices are great, and the service is unbelievable. They have an amazing $13 lunch special, and a great happy hour as well!! read more

This is my new favorite place to get sushi in the south OC area. The servers are so nice and the sushi was fresh and delicious. I got a crunch roll and a crazy monkey roll. My friend got a crutch roll and a Philadelphia. We have been searching for a good sushi place in the area and we are so glad to finally find one that lives up its reviews. read more

I used to love this place. Unfortunately it has changed ownership and food quality and service has really dropped off. Bummer I'll have to find a new sushi place. read more

BUYER BEWARE! Sushi was just ok, but the service was the rudest I've ever encountered...anywhere! I arrived late afternoon to just have a quick sashimi and seeweed salad. I would rate the food a 6 on a 1-10 scale. I ordered a small sake and only had a couple sips with my meal. The nice sushi chef wrapped it up for me. The waitress, who came on after I ordered, argued about the sake I ordered, charged me $25 for a $10 bottle of sake then told me, in a loud voice assuming to embarrass me, that I couldn't take it with me. When I tried to explain what I ordered she huffed off, leaving me standing there and proceeded to help other tables before returning, which made me late for an appointment. Instead of crediting the transaction, she voided the original charge then charged me "again" for my order. Still waiting for credit to show in my account. A $72 lunch transaction, a rude waitress, and an embarrassment was not what I was looking for. They need to brush up on their customer service, to say the least! read more

Excellent sushi! Better prices than I expected for the area. I wish we lived closer, as I would be here weekly if I could. The staff was super friendly and attentive. read more

I keep putting this off and I don't why. Warning: this one has a lot of rambling before I get to the point! ;p This place is one of the best sushi places out there. Ok, so maybe we haven't been to very many, but that's because when we find one we love we stick to it. We've made this our "go to" sushi spot since we moved here from Huntington beach a little under a year ago. We actually tried a couple other spots before we got to this one, but once we found this one, there has been no other since. First of all, friendliest staff ever! So welcoming and kind! They make you feel right at home! They all say hello to you - even the sushi chefs from behind the bar - the second you walk in. We prefer to sit at the bar because when we do, we have a better chance of getting a free sample of something new one of the chefs is trying out. (rambling gonna happen here)quick tid bit about me: I practically have to be FORCED into trying something new. Especially when it comes to sushi! (it's actually how I started liking REAL sushi, not just California rolls. Shout out to the hubs for that! He succeeded, I normally don't take kindly to people who try to force me to eat something new!) It was hard for me to get into it to begin with because I'm huge into the whole TEXTURE thing. Certain foods just creep me out! Especially squishy foods! So to try something new at a sushi restaurant takes a lot! I've learned to just not question it, not stare at it for too long and just go for it! It's worked out nicely each time. I'm proud to say I've loved everything they have given us to try! So normally I stick to what I've liked so far, spicy tuna, Philadelphia roll (I love that they put asparagus in theirs), crunch roll, halibut & red snapper. Recently I have started to like their rainbow on spicy tuna roll too. Aside from the sushi, it is the only place I love getting the teriyaki chicken dinner. If you know me, you know I love my sauces/condiments and what not. Well, theirs is THE best teriyaki sauce I've ever had the privilege of tasting! Something about it... Kinda maybe cinnamon? something so different than other teriyaki sauces I have to order it every time! And the salad dressing! YUM! Gingery and sweet. I love mixing my rice in that too! The vegetable tempura is another favorite of mine here! The prices are descent too! For fresh sushi like this! I never leave unhappy or feeling like they overcharged! In fact I always leave with a full happy belly! Also, everyone says thank you and see you later when you're leaving. I kinda feel special when they do this! They really take the time to appreciate you for being there and eating their delicious food! It's almost like you've been friends forever! thank you Dana Kai for making this girl and her boy so very very happy! :) read more

This is the best sushi spot for lunch. They have 1/2 priced sushi, sashimi, and rolls for CHEAP! The quality is excellent and the staff is wonderful. The woman always working the front desk is so friendly and never misses the chance to offer a hug. We love this place and go there as much as we can. read more

Ended up here by accident when we forgot to make reservations on a busy Saturday night. I am a sushi snob, and was delighted by the quality of the food. The fish was fresh and very tasty. Had the yellowtail and salmon sashimi which was delish. The seared tuna carpaccio was a wonderful surprise. Service was spot on. She was extremely polite and attentive. The chef was a bit quiet but kept his eye on us and kept the order spaced appropriately. Will definitely go back again. read more

This is hands down the best sushi in Orange County. I've tried tons of other places and none of them compare. The Ya Ya roll is my personal favorite roll. Dana Kai Special, and Salmon Lover are also really good. Spicy garlic edamame is a new appetizer they have and it's incredible! read more

Read the reviews and had to give them a visit. Easy access, lots of parking and very nice interior. We thought the menu was excellent, serving size and presentation great. Our waitress was wonderful, explained menu choices, made friendly conversation as this was our first visit. Finally found the quality sushi we've been searching for! AC was not up to par this day but can't blame staff for that. We'll be back! read more

One of the best sushi places in SOC! The Jeff Roll is amazing and Daniel roll! Too many rolls to name but delish! So happy this place is close to home and In Laguna Niguel and Dana Point! read more

My favorite sushi place in south Orange County. The food is fresh, they do an awesome job! I have moved and still make sure to stop here at least once every time I visit! read more

Best sushi restaurant in the area. Great food and service. The owners are always so nice and welcoming. Favorite rolls are Daniels Special and Jeff's Special. The fish is really fresh and the chefs are great at just whipping up a surprise. read more

The food here is just ok. The workers have a terrible attitude. They are rude as heck. I have been living in this town for 20 plus years and have tried to forgive them but every time they are just plain rude. Find a place that will value your money. Don't go to Dana Kai. read more

My husband and I drive 30 minutes to eat here! The best sushi place! Everything from your traditional California roll to fresh sashimi and lots of creative rolls. The presentation of all the dishes is amazing. Service is good but sometimes a little slow because it's meant to be an experience. If you want to treat yourself to a sushi dessert, try the tempura California roll. Definitely on the pricier side for a local sushi restaurant but well worth the money. read more

I love this place! The sushi is excellent and the service and staff is sooooooo welcoming and so kind!

Excellent sushi. Excellent, friendly service. Good prices. I would come here alone a lot for lunch and never left disappointed. Definitely one of my favorite places to eat in Dana Point. Or better yet, pick up your lunch and head to the beach for a picnic - wish I did that more while I lived there ;) read more

This is the best sushi in Dana Point. Sitting at the sushi bar itself is a must. Try the Tiger Roll, Bravo Roll, and Ya-Ya roll. The servers are all very attentive and constantly refill waters and teas. Some say that Ghen-Kai has better sushi - don't believe it. Ghen Kai use to have better sushi under the original owners. I must note, however, that I have only been to Dana Kai for dinner (but I sushi for lunch really doesn't sound that appealing). Anyways, Dana Kai is a must try!!! read more

I'm gonna start my review-rampage here. Dana Kai is top-notch for its price. Even though it's far from Norwalk, it's definitely worth the [calculating] 41.6 mile drive to get away from my everyday Norwalk life. The best thing here (in my opinion) is the Seared Tuna, sashimi or roll. I went here twice, now, and look forward to it. I mean, come on. As a guy, you can't want anything more than good sushi in a clean place with an ambient setting and sports playin' on some good quality TV's. Come on. haha read more

This is now our favorite sushi place! It's a tradition to go to sushi for our birthday and thus place is so impressive. Their red snapper, smelt roe, and spider roll are incredible!! read more

Great sushi! The tempura California is one roll that i get every time! it is a great roll and make sure to get some spicy mayo to accompany it! Dana Kai is the best sushi in southern orange county hands down. read more

Great food! Great service! Found our new favorite sushi place. I recommend the lobster roll it's delicious.

I go for lunch pretty frequently. Amazing lunch prices and great food! Sushi is top notch, very fresh, and beautifully prepared/plated. Great atmosphere, staff is super friendly. Highly recommended! Yummy - I love the handroll combo for lunch! read more

Soooo awesome!! Best sushi in the OC (well I havent tried them all but for this dana point area) I love the amigo roll and there spicy tuna which is really spicy which I love! and the best part is the prices!! Gotta love affordable sushi!! ENJOY XO read more