Usually this place is top notch- in fact, my husband and I have been here several times and totally LOVED it. Unfortunately this experience on 3/17 was so terrible we couldn't get out of there fast enough. I believe our server was Jamie? (on the ticket it said "Server 302"- short blonde hair with glasses). From the moment we sat down I could tell that this was not going to be the best experience, judging by the servers attitude. She gave us some menus and asked what we wanted to drink. We opted for a bottle of red. If you have dined here before you will know that the wine list is very small, so small in fact that if they are out of a certain bottle- the server should know about it. Of course, our server didn't know and came back to report the news that they didn't have it. We found an alternative and as she poured the wine we ordered the vegetable Gyozas. As she started walking away my husband asked if htey had any specials - she looked very annoyed- stared up at the ceiling and started ranting off the specials as quickly as she could. Once she finished she simply walked away. While we waited for her to come back and take our order I watched her interact with the other tables- I was not impressed. She didn't seem to genuinely care about any of them and the guests actually seemed annoyed with her. She came back, took our order and shortly after the Gyozas had arrived. Shortly after the Gyozas my husbads noodle dish had arrived- when she placed it in front of him she said that mine was on its way. TEN minutes later- after my husbands noodles were cold- she arrived with mine. I also ordered a noodle bowl; however, mine came out burnt- completely black. I smelled it before taking a bite and even had my husband smell it just to make sure I wasn't crazy. He agreed it smelt burnt. I didn't want to be that person that sends their food back- so I ate around the burnt noodles. Of course- the server did come by and ask how everything was but she came before I even had time to take a bite- seemed a bit planned now that I think about it. When she took our plates away she didn't say anything or ask as to why I didn't touch the noodles... we paid our bill and got out of their as fast as we could. Very unfortunate experience- I will probably go back since its been great before but if I am given the same server I will walk out. read more

Just had an awesome sushi lunch here, sitting at the sushi bar ... letting Sam delight me with delicious dishes!

We've been here several times and the food is always reliable, and often great. Expect a wait on a weekend. And yes, sometimes they leave tables open and have folks wait to keep the servers sane and the kitchen from being overwhelmed. Just chill and enjoy the scenery. In the summer there is outdoor seating and your pup is welcome on the patio with you. We started with drinks - the first was I think called Ginger in the Rye, which was of course a mixture of ginger and rye. Flavor was good, but you need to like rye (not my fave- my hubby loved it). I had the Tea Garden which had jasmine tea, elderflower liqueur and prosecco. It also had a little aromatic tea floating on top. The drink was refreshing, light and slightly sweet. Perfect to end an 80+ degree day. Dinner - Pork gyoza were very tasty with a great ginger flavor, and a nice crunch from pan searing - Hot and sour soup- it was a very savory soup, but really not much heat and just a hint of sour. It was tasty, but if you really are going for hot and sour flavors, you may want to pass - Poke bowl- served in an abalone shell, with quite a bit of avocado, and wasabi on the side to add some heat. Fish was very fresh. We'd order it again - Sunset roll- beautifully presented, the tuna and salmon were on alternating pieces so you get a little of each - donburi rice bowl with the char-shu pork- This is a decent sized bowl with a lot of sliced pork in it. The vegetables were still a little crunchy which was nice. There were onions, carrots, cabbage, bell peppers and mushrooms. The dish is delicious, but is sweet (there is "honey" in the title after all). I enjoy slightly sweet savory dishes and clean my plate on this one. Next time I'll ask for a little chili oil or wasabi though to balance it out. All in all, a great meal, in a fun atmosphere. read more

I understand with slow economy and no snow it is hard to turn your stock over but you owe it to your few customers to serve fresh fish, not the fish with the haze on it. The rice tasted like Minute rice. I did see one gal getting a great looking roll, I guess my cup size was not large enough to get the special service. read more

Living in San Francisco, I realize that I'm a food snob. I'm almost always disappointed with the food in other places and fully expected to be disappointed with a Japanese place in Truckee. However, I was actually blown away by the quality and delicious food we were served. We had the gyoza that tasted homemade, the shrimp and avocado salad that was generous and served partially warm (Yum!) and a special that day - Panko crusted scallops. It was all scrumptious! Not cheap, but what Japanese restaurant is? We will be back when we return to Tahoe. read more

Beef stir fry was awesome. We had a noodle bowl that was recommended by the waitress it was insanely fishy we had only a couple of bites of it. The sushi roll was okay but lacked flavor. I heard happy hour is where it's at. read more

The only reason I give 1 star is the SERVICE. My hubby and I went here today for dinner. Food is good, but the service was really bad. Our server (blonde hair forgot her name) didn't get to us until after 20 mins, she was very attentive to other customers that was seated around us, we were seated outside towards the end...I gave her the benefit of the doubt, that it was just pretty busy due to the holiday, but then my husband started noticing that she's being biased towards us, like you can tell and feel the vibe was wrong, she ask other customers around us if they want dessert or if they need anything else and keep refilling their drinks, while with us she only walked up to us 2 times- first, take our order, what's worst she actually ask a different person to take our food out unlike the other customers where she served them each table (we have been observing) and Second, the bill-without offering dessert and refills and that's it. It's sad to get this kind of service, even though food is good we would never go back and dine at this place again. Can't tolerate this type of service. read more

Avoid This Place Like The Plague!! I had previously not wanted to write a negative review about this restaurant. But, after giving management ample time to correct their mistakes and having customers of mine complain as well I have to say my piece. My Father-in-law and I were having our first dinner together and I thought sushi and sake would be a great way to get to know each other. I knew it was going to be expensive but after speaking with one of the cooks on the chairlift I thought let's give it a shot!! The food was good, the service was slow and our waitress seemed to have trouble remembering our order. Must've had something to do with the slurring of words and glazed over eyes. After she disappeared for over 20 minutes I asked the busser if he could please tell the waitress that we would like another round of sake and water. When he returned to fill our glasses he said when he spoke to our waitress she responded, stating that I could walk to 7-11 if I couldn't wait... I was so glad that my Father in law didn't catch what he said. The bill was $260, my Father in law is Dutch and doesn't understand the tipping industry. I left a 20% tip and explained to him why I tip. I've worked in the service industry before. Although I would have been perfectly justified in leaving a dollar and a note. I found it better for me to discuss this with management at a later date and not sour which otherwise was a great evening. Wrong, they haven't apologized and have been just as rude as their server was during our overpriced dinner and horrible service. Shame on you... read more

Good 5 portion meals. Service is fast and staff are friendly great Asian fusion restaurant.

Went in for lunch, one waitress who seemed to be trying her best to run around to the 10 or so tables she had... Drink I ordered never came so I Cancelled it, there was bones that cut the roof of my mouth in the Hamachi sashimi... Their way of making up for it on a 60 dollar order? Giving me 6 bucks off... The hipster douche chef with the YMCA biker hat was extremely rude and said since I ate the other fish(the one with no bones) that it was on me. Very rude. Very pricey. That's the last time I let a YMCA reject prepare my sushi! read more

Was excited to finally try this place after so many times driving by, but the experience was just meh. Not enough servers left us trying really to get ours' attention and just giving up. We ate inside but spent our whole meal swatting flies away, which was really unappetizing, and I don't just mean one or two pesky bugs, they were everywhere and super persistent! The food was extremely bland, with the rock crab being the only flavor I could distinguish and I'm not a huge fan to begin with. The shrimp spring rolls were actually good and our server was really nice when she did come by. $90 for lunch for 2 people is pricey, but its sushi and to be expected. All in all I'd probably give this place another try if a friend really wanted to go, but doubt I would go back again on my own. read more

Considering their location, the fish and sushi was pretty fresh and good. Fair prices for Truckee. The side dishes were surprisingly good.... read more

The sushi really had no taste. I the calamari was really good but i will probably never go back. read more

Drunken Monkey - Japanese Near Me - Truckee, California

okay. pretty bad service. made us open our own bottle of wine. fish didn't seem like best quality. rolls were falling apart. overall definitely okay to fulfill your sushi craving if you're in tahoe but will not be coming back. read more

I finally was able to try the Drunken Monkey and was thoroughly impressed with the food they are putting out. Truckee was in dire need of a Sushi place that isn't outrageously expensive or just plain bad. I love that they have more than just sushi on the menu and love the idea of Japanese tapas. The fish quality is definitely the best I've had in Truckee and they don't use imitation crab! The nigiri servings are quite impressive and the rolls aren't covered in crazy amounts of sauces like a few other places I might mention... They are pretty decently priced as well, but of course won't satisfy the strictly all-you-can-eat sushi lovers. It's definitely a refreshing change to the Truckee restaurant scene. The atmosphere is really cozy as well, I like that It's small inside without feeling cramped and their chairs are sooooo comfortable. On a strange side note, their wasabi is curiously strong ... use caution. I'm only giving it 4 stars however, because I can't give any restaurant a 5 star rating based on one visit. I will definitely be back! read more

Food is pretty good but takes a long long time even when the place isn't busy. Not a good spot for kids. Its pricey and the service is about as warm as a Truckee winter. Been going here since they've opened and it's been about the same story since day one. read more

this is an absolutely fantastic restaurant. I am a bit of a sushi fanatic and have high standards of restaurants. It is very rare that something jumps out at me enough to get me to write a review but this did it. Wonderful food, great portions for a sushi place, awesome lounge style atmosphere and ridiculously amazing staff. Most highly recommended. read more

This place has so much potential but didn't live up to what my boyfriend and I were expecting for a nice date night. Let me just say first that I am a server myself in the lake tahoe area and as far as food service goes I tend to be laid back. This experience was terrible from the minute we walked in. We went to the Drunken Monkey based on some recommendations from friends who have eaten there before. The restaurant has nice decor and a calm, tranquil ambiance. The restaurant was not busy, maybe a couple at the bar, a four top, and three two tops. All of the "two top" tables were taken. The hostess offered us either the bar or an awkward triangle table in the corner. When I asked if we could sit in the dining room area (where there were several tables set and available) she rudely responded that she had to ask the server if she would mind serving us. As a server myself I understand that you are there to make tip based money, so a two top can be more work for less payoff, but regardless you are there to SERVE customers. The server poked her head around the corner, looked us up and down, and then coldly replied "well I'd prefer not, but since we aren't busy I guess I can take them." I was appalled to say the least. The host took us to our table and left without saying anything. I tried to look past this initial incident in order to enjoy our date but our server made no attempt over our meal to make up for her attitude. As for the food it was good but way too overpriced. Tiny portions were given for the seaweed salad and avocado/cucumber roll. I enjoyed one of the noodle bowls which was decently priced for the portion. My boyfriend got two rolls but nothing special about them for being $10-15 each. I did really enjoy the cocktail (lychee lemonade) but thats about the only thing I would return for. The dessert menu had some interesting items, all sounded great but we went with the coconut tapioca. Tasty but not memorable. Our bill came out to about $80 (we typically shoot for bills around the $40-50 range but had no problem with this one). As far as two tops go, I feel like we spent a good amount of money for a server to treat us a little better but nothing ever changed in her attitude. Who knows if she was just having an off day or if she was always this rude, but regardless we left a 20% tip. Hopefully she learns to have a better respect for people or not to judge a young couple as obviously as she did. Needless to say, I have no plans on returning or recommending this restaurant to my friends or tourists who I serve asking for good local restaurants. read more

This restaurant can't decide if it wants your take-out business or not. It's frustrating to call and be told "we aren't doing take-out right now. call back in an hour." I understand the desire to take care of your dine-in customers first. Makes sense. But I've also dined in the restaurant and found the service to be slow and forgetful. Food is great, but the service makes me pass. read more

For being so far away from the ocean, this place was a sleeper hit. I was honestly surprised to find this quality of fish at a reasonable price near Truckee. Some of the people leaving bad reviews probably have no tastebuds; Japanese flavors are much less intense than typical American flavors, hence you see those folks complain "no flavor, no flavor". We had the Nasu (Japanese eggplant), which was well done, if a little on the sweet side. The golden tiger black dragon roll had the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and crunchy. The Chirashi had a beautiful presentation and included crab, which isn't something I usually see with this dish. It had a very generous fish to rice portion; I usually run out of fish before rice, but had the opposite problem here. The rice itself had that delicate balance of saltiness with the sourness from the rice vinegar. My only gripe was that some of the fish slices were a little large and too big for a mouthful. They don't seem to have a sushi set, so the chirashi is the good to if you want some variety. Reviewing the other areas, they have a very good selection of alcohol, and we saw plenty of people ordering drinks. Nice relaxed ambience with soothing music in the background. I also like that the green tea is brewed and not from a pack. Their quality can be competitive in a market like Honolulu or San Francisco (so many crappy Japanese places in those cities that survive), so this was an amazing find for being out here. read more

I will never return. The service is slow and the place smells like urine. Way overpriced for small portions.

This place is so OVERPRICED and the food was not that great. Because we were paying 15 and up for sushi, we were expecting so bomb delicious food but we got the opposite. It was mediocre. The fish didn't taste fresh. The sushi was plain and not flavored right. One roll had lemon on top of it and you were to eat it with the sushi. That was just odd. We order some sashimi that had some sort of parasites in it and that cost us $20 for like 5 tiny piece. Worst sushi place ever. Oh and they do not know what spicy mayo is because their version was the worst I have ever had. How do you even go wrong with making spicy mayo? NOT AUTHENTIC AT ALL. Not Asian own that's for sure. Wanna be sushi place. Overall not worth stopping here read more

We had really good Shabu Shabu saki and nigiri. I recommend it to everyone visiting Truckee or North shore of Tahoe! Quality outstanding, portions large and staff very attentive! read more

Called tonight for takeout and was told they were not doing take out because they had to many dine in customers. What? You're kidding right? Why do you call yourself a take out restaurant if you are not equipped to do takeout. read more

We came here because we were in the mood for some ramen to make our tummies warm. The ramen didn't disappoint. They have about 4 different ramen-like dishes to choose from. I got the tempura veg and shrimp with udon noodles while my friends got the house ramen. I would have liked more vegetables with the udon soup dish, but it still hit the spot. This place seems to be very popular so they may have a wait...We waited about 25 min for a table for 4 on a Saturday night. The service here was great. read more

I come here regularly and can't believe there are any bad reviews! Yes the wait can be long but that is because it is extremely popular! This is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants of all times! Sit at the sushi bar and have them create a roll for you and they never disappoint...my most favorite roll on the menu is the Alpenglow served with lemon zest on top...love the garlic edamame, the sake kama, the dandan noodles to name a few! But have yet to be disappointed here...highly recommend this place! read more

Sometimes the hostess can be "distant" but waitstaff is great (love Katie and Jamie) and the fish is fresh and excellent here! hebi saba nigiri, I cannot get enough of you! Great atmosphere. As usual you get what u pay for, bit spendy, but it is not your run of the mill sushi. read more

This was a good sushi place. Lots to choose from and the fish was fresh. (Which is the most important thing). Kids liked it.

Over rated and understaffed. We waited almost an hour for mediocre sushi and overly salted hot food. Don't waste your time

We drove over from north Lake Tahoe based on the reviews. It was a bit disappointing. The kids noodle soup tasted like bell pepper broth. The beef dish was not that great. The Calamari appears to be fried in tempura batter had absolutely no flavor though the sauce it was served in was decent. The salmon nigiri had parts that were gray....the pieces just looked dull. The shanghai street noodles were not very good. Thankfully we were seated right away cause we would have been upset if we had to wait for this quality of food. read more

Came here while staying in Truckee over the weekend because it seemed like a decent place due to the reviews and having vegetarian options for one in our group of five. The place was cute with great ambience and our waitress was friendly and attentive. I found my sushi very tasty and although it was a bit pricey - the portions were generous. One person had teriyaki steak and complained that the price to portion was way off base; and the only other complaint I recall was that the sauce on the ribs (special that night) was too sweet and my poor fiance couldn't handle more than a few. We expected the bill to be fairly astronomical but it really wasn't too bad when all was said and done. read more

I brought my mom here on a recent visit, and we really enjoyed ourselves. The wait staff is nice and attentive, and the menu has tons of choices. Everything we got was delicious. I can't wait to go back and try more! read more

Drunken Monkey is one of those places where they do very good Japanese sushi (nigiri and sashimi) with high quality fish and great presentation. Where things get interesting is when they start getting creative with the rolls. I had a "madara serpent" roll which was spicy tuna with shallots and then escolar on top - it was excellent. We also had a special spicy salad which was excellent. This was my 2nd time eating here and it was great! The quality of the sushi is very good and the menu items are creative and different. read more

I went there after snowboarding with my boy. We ordered Saki and rolls. The food was really good and so was the atmosphere. At home I'm definitely more of a sashimi, but it's good to be a little more decadent away from home. read more

Really surprised to find a good sushi place in Truckee. The fish is fresh and the cuts are very generous. The rice is the thing that is surprisingly lacking though. For sushi rice, it was a little bland and not quite the right texture. I'd say stick with sashimi! read more

Most of the time, mountain sushi = not so good. After three visits, I can honestly say this place will surprise you. I am a bit of a sushi purist (meaning I prefer nigiri and sashimi over rolls) and I've had excellent fish every visit. Kudos to Sam and the crew for keeping it real! Side dishes are great too -- 'Monkey Cleaned Out the Refrigerator' and flash fried edamame -- YUM! read more

Still like the food but its become too popular and the quality is sliding a bit. And, a thought - they should add take-out (for when people cannot get a spot and don't want to wait for a table). read more

The menu is unique compared to other sushi restaurant. No imitation crab is used. The sushi is pretty fresh, and the presentation is great. My friend and I ordered a maki sushi (Spicy Serpent: spicy tuna with regular tuna on top), a broiled hamachi neck, 2 spicy scallop hand rolls, and some nigiri eel rolls. It was a really full dinner for two. The decor is quite interesting. It is a combination of contemporary decoration with interesting rustic table tops. Oh! Our waitress is very cute and friendly. I would definitely come here again! ; ) read more

Hostess was very attentive and was able to get us a table pretty quickly. She was 3 weeks on the job and great!! waitress not so much. However, once we got our food, everything was fantastic! the tempura was fresh, not greasy. the calamari delicious and flavorful. Our sushi was divine. If you get a good server, you will be in heaven! read more

Great food, cool atmosphere. my daughter loved the beet dish. My wife loves the salmon appetizer. We would have been super thrilled with it but they don't honor the happy hour listed on their web site. That irked us. If you don't have a happy hour on certain days, fine! don't advertise it as such. We also had mixed service here. Sometimes a real hit, sometimes a real miss. (mostly hits) read more