We eat a lot of sushi and this was one of the best, small and not much for looks from the street but it was fresh and delicious.

love mama Vin. Always takes care of us when we come in great atmosphere and great food read more

Goleta Sushi House - Sushi Bars Near Me - Goleta, California

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My go-to place for Sushi. High quality fish and for a great price. They don't skimp on the portions either. Been coming here for 10 years and it has always been consistently good. The owner Vinh is the sweetest lady too! read more

staff is amazing and the sweet old lady is so nice and silly. food is amazing. the fish is so good and the miso soup is one of the best i've had. love love love this place read more

This place went down hill from the moment we walked in. Don't come here if you have two families of four (with kids). Apparently it's too much for the owner to handle. She ordered us around with no tact whatsoever, micromanaging where each person should to sit. She nickel and dimed us for every miso soup, edemame, and bowl of rice, but apparently lost count of what was served, leading to a long unnecessary "discussion" over how many we ordered. She took forever taking our orders, telling us what we should order, again with absolutely no tact! When the food finally comes out, she served the wrong orders but scolded her staff in front of the whole restaurant for her oversight. My husband and I both ordered the chirashi but my bowl looked more full than his. The owner tells me that she put more rice in my dish - which led me to wonder why??...should I now count the number of fish in each bowl to make sure we received the same amount? After all, she scrutinized every soup and rice bowl (then lost track from the neuroticism) and now adds more rice free of charge? Or is she skimping on the fish? Worst of all, this owner is so busy yapping away in the peanut gallery that she completely missed my 7 year old daughters order. The kitchen missed the order , says the owner, "it's not my fault" she says. So my daughter sat through the entire meal, waiting patiently, while I gave her a few scoops of rice to hold her over. And, yes, we got charged for it, if course. Meanwhile, the owner now randomly solicits one of our family members to buy fruit brought in by a street vendor. I have never had to yell at a waiter, let alone, the restaurant owner, to "focus" on getting the food out instead of selling us strawberries! Finally, her ramen comes out, just in time for all of us to have completely finished our meals!! Great, our whole group has to sit and wait for my daughter to eat. As expected, the delay now has the other kids getting ancy. I rush my daughter to eat but there's no need. She barely touched her ramen because she was now full on white rice. We spent waaay more time at this restaurant than I would have ever wanted, only to find dead bugs trapped inside and under the salt/sugar containers. Why am I not surprised? Maybe these little guys added to the semi-flavorful food, who knows! The owner single handedly ruined the entire experience for us and I feel bad for the staff who work under her. They were courteous and professional but looked miserable interacting with her. Thanks to a previous review, we were deliberate to double check our tab to make sure the charges were accurate. Just to be safe, I paid cash with a generous $10 tip. read more

I placed a takeout order and I didn't like the quality of sushi at all. The tuna had a raw meat smell and pink liquid oozing from it. Like how meat/fish has that liquid sitting at the bottom of the packaging when it's been sitting without an absorbing pad. The wasabi and ginger were wrapped in plastic wrap separately but was sitting in that liquid in the takeout container. I ate a few pieces of nigiri but felt put off by the smell and taste. I felt ill till the next day. The sashimi is just the same pieces sliced for the nigiri. I ordered a udon which was decent but was surprised the noodles weren't packed separately. I imagine that the rolls would camouflage a lot of the freshness of the fish. I won't be eating here ever again. read more

What a great place! Great sushi and staff! Assuming she was the owner, but very friendly woman asked where we were from and why we were in town when we told her we were celebrating our anniversary she brought us a monstrous dessert on the house! Sushi was fresh and reasonably priced. We highly recommend this restaurant! read more

We ordered takeout last night from Goleta Sushi House and were so pleased that they still have a full menu (unlike what you see listed for them under door dash). We waited in the shade of their awning out front and they brought our food out to us. We had incredible yellowtail nigiri, some rolls, and sunomono salad. Vinh even gave us a special treat! Everything was delicious! read more

Love LOVE LOVE this place. Customer service is amazing and we love the sushi. Spicy mayo is BOMB.

My family absolutely LOVES this place. IT's a hidden gem on mid-Hollister, but is about as authentic as Japanese cuisine gets. The owner is a sweet woman who takes very good care of her customers; she always brings our table a fresh house salad topped with local fruit (strawberries or mango). Whatever we order is always delicious -- our favorites are the Chicken Teriyaki house special, (comes w/ California roll) their Curries, and the Freshwater Eel. I couldn't recommend this place more, please give it a visit and see for yourself! read more

Sushi was good but not as good as the prices made it out to be. Customer service is hit or miss depending on the employee and how busy the restaurant is. Very small dining area which can feel very crowded at times. There are better places to get sushi in SB than here. read more

My fiancé and I happened upon this place because the sushi house we had wanted to go to was closed. We walked here from our hotel and placed an order to go after looking at their menu. While we waited the staff gave us two bowl of miso soup -which not only was kind but also delicious! I got the ahi salad and it was phenomenal! My fiancé got two spicy rolls and loved them as well. I'm very glad we stumbled upon this restaurant, and will definitely keep it in mind next time we're in town craving sushi. read more

Goleta Sushi House - Sushi Bars Near Me - Goleta, California

This is the only sushi place I go to in Santa Barbara! Its located in the middle of Hollister Ave. right in Old Town Goleta. It's really a hole in the wall but it's HUGE on flavor, authenticity and friendliness. The owner is a sweet older woman that is always happy to see everyone. Their service is great and really give "service with a smile" meaning. The sushi is some of the best I have ever had. I always get the Deluxe Tiger Roll and it's fantastic. The fish is so fresh and melts in your mouth. The Pizza roll is also super popular and it's amazing. My boyfriend doesn't like sushi but smells that (yes it smells like pizza) and his mouth waters! If you find yourself in Goleta (or even Santa Barbara) and are looking for good sushi GO HERE!! read more

Really bad experience with the sushi. The rolls were great however, the fish was definitely not fresh and was warm when served to my table. The salmon I ordered tasted like dirt was sprinkled on it. The tuna and yellowtail was too fishy and tasted the same. Yes it is fish but these three fish have very distinct tastes. I've gone to many sushi restaurants and I understand what proper sushi should taste like. Even mediocre sushi. I don't know if it was the owner or the manager but I talked to her about it and she went on blaming me. I was told that I ordered "too much" and that I waited too long to eat the sushi. The sushi was the last thing that was brought to my table and I ate it immediately. She made her first mistake blaming a customer. Will not be coming back here for sushi. read more

Horrendous. Sushi tastes like those over the counter and discounted AFTER 9. Wake up people, this is sushi for those who can't even spell sushi! The place is more oily than the whole of Japan combined, also expensive as fuck! read more

Went in with my sister and the owner brought us over complimentary edamame to say congratulations (I'm 38 weeks pregnant). They are always so inviting and kind. Food is excellent! Thank you for such great service! read more

Really cute gem in the middle of Hollister. The older lady who waitresses is SUPER nice. They remember familiar faces once you go often enough!! Fresh nigiri and sashimi. Not a lot of "fun" rolls, but I'm more interested in the freshness of the fish anyway! read more

Not traditional type sushi but nevertheless this place rocks! We had chefs special and soba ramen, with a side fire roll! All was super delicious! Would go back! read more

We wanted to try a new Sushi spot and how can you go wrong in old town goleta but this place blew our socks off!! Everything we ordered was delicious and the you could tell the fish was good quality and melted in your mouth. Not to mention the great hospitality from the staff and I think the owner! This will definitely be our go to sushi place in town. If you don't try your missing out and that's a promise! read more

I've been here many times, and it's honestly pretty good. Not the best sushi in the world, but not bad by any stretch of the imagination. The owner is really nice and remembers you after you've been there a few times. I like the lunch combo, and the sushi. Very Goleta, well priced, reasonable. read more

The sushi is way too expensive for the subpar quality. The California roll had avocado in it that wasn't fresh - it was brown before it got to the table. The "salad" that came with the specials was a bunch of shredded cabbage and strawberries absolutely drenched in dressing. The curry chicken looked unappetizing, and so did the salmon teriyaki. For a location near the ocean, you would expect a higher quality and standard of sushi. read more

Great food, great service, great portions. Friendly and family owned. Really enjoyed our time

Quality sushi for a good price! The service was good & food came out at a reasonable time! Banana roll is my favorite! The eel was amazing.

Don't judge it by the exterior. Very unassuming frontage but the food was excellent as was the service. The quality of the fish was great and the portions also. Will be back when we visit our daughter at college! read more

Amazing food and Service!! I have been a regular customer and the taste + service has always been consistent... I would highly recommend this place read more

Tempura not cooked all the way. All the sushi is the same color and bland that came to our table. No Good at all. read more

Amazing service!! The owner, Vinh is an absolute delight. She made my friend's birthday a night to remember! I will definitely be coming back!! read more

Amazing service and yummy food! The owner was so sweet and the atmosphere is so warm :)

I was definitely not a fan. I ordered a chicken bento box. The ambiance itself is so underwhelming and the food was underwhelming.... Service was underwhelming.... Nah. read more

Bottom line: a very small, very classy place to get some very yummy food! I "rolled" up in here (I know, I know..... tip your waitress) for lunch one day having never been before. The girl came over and asked with I would like to have. Im a huge fan of the spicy tuna bowl and I didnt see it on the menu. As I was trying to explain it to the server, the owner came over and asked if she could help. I explained it to her and she said she had something better. She went behind the line, and personally made me a bowl of sushi. All different kinds of fish and it was incredible. She also whipped up this incredible avocado app for me that was.... well incredible! It was a little expensive but when the owner comes over and makes your food and its amazing..... that is fantastic service and even better food. Other sushi places in the area could stand to take a few lessons from this place. Well done!! read more

It's really 3.5 stars. Maybe it's because I'm from LA and I'm spoiled by all the good sushi I get down here, but the sushi at Goleta Sushi House was not great....I might even say "too fishy." Maybe we just ordered wrong. The service was also slow but the owner lady that everyone talks about on here was there and she was great. The place fills up fast so if you do go, go early or plan to wait outside for a table. read more

I'm always worried to get sushi in Isla Vista so finding this hidden gem in old town Goleta was the best thing that happened all day! I will always recommend this place to friends in Santa Barbara if they don't want to go all the way down to State Street. It's a hole in the wall but has quality sushi and is quite quaint. It only has a few small tables and a sushi bar so you really do get good service. I would recommend this place if you're looking for authentic and yummy tasting sushi! read more

I really don't know why anyone goes anywhere else for sushi in Goleta. I love Goleta Sushi House. The fish is fresh and they give HUGE portions! I highly recommend their rolls because you really get the bang for your buck. I am a huge fan of their nigiri of course. The size of the fish they give is double what you get at other sushi restaurants. The service is even better than the food. Vinh is this sweet woman that runs around with the waitresses as well. She works hard and I remember, on more than one occasion, she was behind the counter making sushi! She tries her very best to please her customers and it's no wonder that she has a fair amount of regulars. After graduating from UCSB, I still come back to Goleta Sushi House to have the food and see Vinh in action! read more

Not sure why the reviews are so mediocre, but it's probably cuz this place is amazing. Big, fresh pieces of sushi and rolls with less rice so you can eat more. Everything I ordered from appetizers to sushi to dessert was absolutely delicious. Recommendations: Orange dragon roll, eel, salmon, tuna, tempura ice cream (huge) Best sushi spot in Goleta read more

I'm not sure if we happened to go on an "off day" or what... We were looking for a close by decent sushi place where we could be regulars, and based on the reviews the Goleta Sushi House sounded like it could be it. Unfortunately, I will never go back to this place again, can't be regulars when ya don't go can ya?... We wandered in about 7:45 on a Wed night, tired and it was too late to throw something together at home. I've been meaning to try this place out so I thought: perfect! we found parking right in front, walked in and were seated by the front window. the gal took our order: one sushi combo and one spider roll. (after all, it was sorta late, don't want to stuff ourselves). Our orders came and I was not impressed. the miso was average and the rice in the rolls were way too sticky. not only that, the girl NEVER CAME BACK TO CHECK ON OUR ORDER. WTF. about 15 mins passed and pretty soon we and one other table were the ONLY people in there. the owner, a middle aged Vietnamese woman went around to EVERY table BUT OURS. WTF are you racist? It just so happen that every other guest was non asian. Or is it b/c you know your sushi is crap? and b/c we ARE asian we'll be able to tell?? I said quietly to my dinner date, after the owner lady had already made TWO rounds to EVERY table (but ours that is) IF that lady does not come to talk to us, we are never coming back to this shit hole. Lo and behold she didn't even come to fill our water glasses, not to mention, neither did our server. I don't think I have experienced such reverse racism as I have here. the non asians are so sensitive they treat everyone super nice. in the bay, everyone is from somewhere else so everyone is treated mean, at least it's democratically mean! Total bill about $30 plus a 10% tip b/c I'm not a total a-hole, at least she did her job. read more

Inexpensive sushi and large portions. The sushi chefs there were actually Japanese, which was refreshing. I really like this place. I was one of the first customers here, and the woman, who I still affectionately call "mom", would come and talk with me and my group of friends whenever we were there. The first time I was there, I ordered some curry noodles, and mom magically guessed I was vegetarian and brought out a plate of vegetable tempura, on the house. I've loved this place since. One time, when I was a high rolling ladies man, I came through with just me and 5 girls. We all ordered sushi, mom comes out, says hi, tells them in great detail why I'm such a great guy and how beautiful the ladies I'm with are... I swear to god she was my best wingman in Santa Barbara. On top of that, she paid for a round of sake bombs and made my night that much more enjoyable. The sushi is pretty good, but the service was astounding. read more

This is definitely the place to go for sushi for Goleta residents/UCSB students who don't want to make the trek downtown SB. Serves the standard selection of sushi and nigiri which is decent quality (I always go for the salmon), as well as a nice selection of fancy rolls, like the dynamite dragon roll which is tempura fried goodness packed pretty large. Each roll is around 9-13 bucks. I usually end up spending ~20 total here. You can find better quality sushi downtown SB for a similar pricetag, but this is the best for the Goleta area, and it's do-able. The owner is incredibly friendly and accommodating, like a friendly grandma who just wants you to eat sushi and be happy. Atmosphere is casual. Parking is a bit hard to find if you're new to the area, but it exists! There's a small parking lot (6-7 spots) just right next to the place that I always park at. Never had any problems. They also have a back room that you can reserve for larger parties AKA birthday celebrations to do sake bombs and whatnot. read more

The absolute worst meal we've ever had. Maybe the sushi, which we didnt order, was passable, but the other dishes, omg! Katsu curry looked like pig slop and tasted even worse (sour, not japanese curry at all); beef in my teriyaki was tough as hide, cheapest cut no doubt, hard to swallow, tasted horrible: chicken katsu, the breading was falling off and the cuts were sloppy, again terrible. We were charged for things that did not even make it to our table. We had to point that out and get our check adjusted. Big mistake. After 10 hours of being i. Traffic and driving so far, this restaurant was the only one open. We should have just gone to McDonalds. read more

Goleta Sushi House - Disgusting katsu curry - Sushi Bars Near Me - Goleta, California

First of all, I don't have high standards for most food places. But I do have high standards for customer service. We walked in and stood there awkwardly for about 3 minutes before anyone acknowledged us. We ordered the spicy tuna salad with spicy dressing. The tuna was just sliced tuna, and the dressing was regular ponzu sauce. We asked why the dressing was not spicy at all, and our server went to ask the sushi chef why there was no sauce (which wasn't even our question) then he openly yells across the restaurant, I GAVE YOU THE SAUCE WHERE DID YOU PUT IT?! Dude. Chill. That wasn't the problem. They literally gave us a sauce platter with the ponzu sauce and half a bottle of Sriracha and just told us to mix it overs elves. The servers were super nice and tried to help out. And I understand the miscommunication, and I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is being yelled at across a restaurant full of people. There is no need to be rude because we asked you a question. So if that's the atmosphere you guys are looking for. This place is the place to go. read more

Best local joint and best sushi in Goleta! The Goleta Sushi House is the place to go if you want quality sushi, great service, and a relaxed environment. Vinh, the owner, goes above and beyond to provide her customers with a pleasant meal and more than enough food! She will make you anything, even if it's not on the menu. You can call ahead and she will have a table waiting for you. The negative comments are hilarious. Amanda complaining about free miso soup and comparing It to Panda Express (note: Japanese is not Chinese food). And Kiyan, plenty of people order ice tea in the winter. This is 70 degree-all-year-round Goleta/Santa Barbara we're talking about, not the blustery mid-west. Bottom line, the complaints are menial. If you are a laid-back local who enjoys getting to know your neighboring business owners, and of course if you enjoy good Sushi, you will love this place! read more