Chef is a nice person. Their sashimi is fresh and well cut. Their roll selection is not that creative and poorly combined with flavors/ingredients. Their secret cream sauce is too creamy for my personal like. We ordered three different rolls with diff. Sauces to try their menu, all three rolls were not well put. The mix of flavors was not to my liking. Some of the flavors like lemon over power the entire roll. We ordered shishito peppers, they had a very strong flavor of Mirin, no soy or garlic or anything else. Their version of it was certainly missing some flavor. We ate them as best we could, I love the pepper taste but it certainly had an over powering taste of sauce. Their green tea was luke warm, didn't have much taste to it. Overall, it's a cool little hole in the wall, but the place lacks service, waiters that can maybe explain their menu a bit. Staff is mainly Hispanic Spanish speaking and don't know the menu or rolls etc. Chef speaks little English, wasn't able to explain much. My two cents on this place. read more

Used to be a fun, lively place to go with the fam for happy hour and reasonable prices. Looks like a lot of changes including MUCH higher prices. Food and service are improved for sure but think there are too many other options in the area to keep this as a go to. read more

I have been a customer here for more than 20 years. And as a full-time sushi fan, who is always looking for the next great place, I always wind up using Hapi as my comparison standard. The chef Sato, and the server Mario, have always made the experience not only tasty, but fun and welcoming. I think a sushi fan would be hard-pressed to find better sushi in the whole Beach communities. Make sure to try the Japanese burrito... read more

Well here is the story we where at the beach and we like what should we eat my bro was like damm dawg let's go sushi I was like damm let's go so we can here and it was hella food so you all should come here it's fire read more

Fire fire fire. We got the Japanese burrito, spicy tuna roll, and the Fuji roll. The Japanese burrito was fantastic with the soy paper. Spicy tuna was classic, light roll. The Fuji roll was heavier than expected, but so so delicious!! read more

6/26/20 - this place is great. Reasonably priced and the music is great. Had me feeling like Hawaii. The menu is simple and the staff is friendly. The sushi chef is the man. This guy will treat you like family. I think if anything, the hostess could've used work, but it seemed like a new guy. And if you just sit at the bar, the chef treats you well. read more

Small little sushi bar in downtown LB but not in a super-busy area. Friendly chef and waitstaff. Decent selection of rolls but not the best in the area. Was tempted to try Omakase but not with 2 semi-fussy kids. My wife was telling me that she tasted something bitter in the Reverse Rainbow roll. We also got the 49 special and the Tuna Dream. We liked the 49 special the most. Size of the rolls left something to be desired, especially for what we paid. As someone else pointed out, this is probably not the best spot for Nigiri/Sashimi which is a bit surprising considering it's a small joint and in my experience, smaller joints tend to specialize in that stuff. But the clientele of Laguna Beach (and immediately surrounding areas) are likely more interested in rolls. Therefore, this is what they cater towards. Not sure if we'd come back, especially with Costa Mesa not too far away. read more

My boyfriend took me here on 4th of July before we head out to the beach. He probably doesn't know this and probably thinks I didn't really like this place because prior to coming here, we got into a teeny tiny argument and he kinda sorta surprised me with this place because I had no idea we were supposed to go eat here. But anyway, I just sat there and ate.. didn't talk much to him but OMG, while I was eating, I kept telling myself "damn, this place is BOMB!" Seriously, the food was great. Service was okay, the chef didn't really talk to us and his waiter didn't really talk to us either. LOL, oh well we didn't mind because we were too busy eating anyway. read more

Hapi Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Ughh... this place is pretty bad. I'm Japanese and I would like to support my fellow Japanese establishments but ethically... I just can't. The place has been around for over 25 years and well it certainly looks like it. They may have been a decent sushi establishment at one time but they could definitely use a remodel and an overhaul. Sushi restaurants are supposed to be pristine, spotless and clean; they are handling and preparing raw product after all. Nor should ANY sushi place have a fishy odor. Hapi Sushi has an unappetizing fish and decaying wood smell about the place which is not good. The wooden plates, the "geta", are loosing their clear coat lacquer and falling apart at the seams for potential bacteria to collect. The soy sauce dishes are chipped which is a big no-no. The sushi is poorly cut and prepared since the knives appear to be dull. Major connective tissue in the fish should be trimmed off neatly and not dangling off the side. The grain of the meat should be symmetrical or neatly lined up. The only positive thing I can say is that the chef-owner is nice and friendly. It's a real shame because this place is in a great location and has so much potential. I hope to someday find this place in better condition. read more

Americanized Japanese here IMO. Service will be slow if it's a full house there since there's only 1 sushi chef. If you want sashimi/sushi, this isn't the place to go as you can only get the basics here. We couldn't even get toro when we went there :( Rolls seem to be the main seller here, so if you like rolls, then maybe this is the sushi place for you. If you want sashimi, then it's not. read more

4.5 Stars for Hapi Sushi. This place holds some special memories because this was the first sushi place I had eaten at when I first moved to CA. (I liked it enough I bought one of their wacky godzilla t-shirts.) This place really is a sort of hole-in-the-wall like others have said, considering it is in posh Laguna Beach. The food here though is absolutely knock-your-socks off delicious. The rolls are so creative. On Valentine's day I ordered the 79 roll for the first time. An eel and avocado roll paired with strawberry. Sounds strange, but the mix of flavors just works. The saltiness of the eel, the creaminess of the avocado, and the sweetness from the strawberry and sauce is heavenly. The 69 special roll is also another favorite. Baked eel on top of california roll...mmm. The 97 special is a tempura tuna roll with a creamy sauce on top. The chef recommended this roll "to help warm me up" since I was sitting next to the door and felt the cold draft each time the door opened. The staff are entertaining and very friendly. The place is very small and has a very quirky, kitchy feel to it with all of the wacky signs. Prices are moderate, but cheap compared to most of the restaurants in Laguna. The fish here is always fresh and the staff is always very accommodating. If you are in Laguna and are craving sushi, but not all the pretentiousness of other Laguna restaurants, check out Hapi Sushi. read more

I came to this place because I had heard a couple good things about it but I was not impressed a bit after going. My girlfriend and I went on weekday around 7pm and there was only 7-10 people dining. The bad part was that there was only one sushi chef! It took entirely too long to get our dishes because the chef had to prepare everybody else's dishes before getting our next order. I ordered the Monk Fish Liver to start, and it was disgustingly chewy and seemed rather old. The specialty roll we ordered was very small and not special whatsoever. So without even being full, we finished our beers and left in a mood that was unfitting to say the least. We stopped at Del Taco on the way home to quench our appetite. Sorry Hapi Sushi; you recieve 2 THUMBS DOWN!!! read more

If you fall more on the sushi purist side you won't like this place but if heavy sauces, mayonnaise and cream cheese are some of your favorite ingredients you might agree with other 4 and 5 stars reviewers. here are 5 reasons NOT to go Hapi Sushi: 1-Miso soup and tea were not hot 2-Miso soup had spaghetti style noodles instead of tofu. 3- Almost every roll had sauces over it, even when not clearly stated. I ordered a Nigiri salmon and it came with sauce and tempura bits. Gross, Nigiri salmon is about tasting the freshness of the salmon. Why the need to mask with sauce? 4-Sushi bar area where sushi was made did not appear clean 5- no prices on the menu so what appeared to be a cheap place turned out to cost $80 for 2 people without alcoholic drinks. I was shocked! In summary I would never come back here and would not reccommend to any of my friends. read more

This used to be a great hole-in the-wall stop for sushi after a day at the beach. Although over priced and Americanized, as many reviewers pointed out, their food is tasty and we have generally been pleased. Sadly, tonight, I stopped in with some girlfriends and out kids (sushi eaters themselves) and were told we couldn't eat there!! I looked, disbelievingly at the chef and asked why, he said we had too many people! There were only eight of us and only ONE other table (also with children) eating in the entire restaurant. I am sure he was put off by our children but I was angry and sad to be turned away as we walked in the door. Sadder still having to explain to our kids why the man wouldn't let us eat there! Wth?!?! They lost our business permanently tonight. Too bad for them, we were fairly regular. read more

The food is just so-so. I had better sushi from Ralph's supermarket. I ordered the 97 roll that says it has tuna in it but all I got was a tempura battered imitation crab. There was no tuna in it. I wish Laguna Beach would have a newer, more exciting sushi place than this! The chef and the server were pleasant but if you want good and fresh sushi, skip this joint. The chef was very unsanitary. He touched the door handle, a pen, the refrigerator then went back without washing his hands to make sushi. It was pretty disgusting to say the least! read more

I don't know why people on yelp complain about the stupidest shit ever. This place is a sushi diamond of orange county. people should have to wait in line to get into this place. honestly, they have the best selection of rolls and sushi. If you can think of a better place at the price point(which isn't expensive, unless you're cheap) then by all means list it. I've been coming here for 12 years, and there's a reason why I go back. 1. the ambiance is unique 2. I can never understand what the hell the sushi chefs are saying even to this day. 3. they play great music 4. the service is unbeatable 5. by the beach it's great for a date or just to get some great sushi. period. if it's too small for you then lose some weight or go to todais. The quality of the food here speaks for itself. read more

Wow -- I did not imagine this kind of place could exist in one of the OC's highest-rent zones! I had high expectations. The name and decor made it obvious that Hapi Sushi is Japanese owned. And it's Laguna Beach, for crying out loud! The locals generally are well-traveled, educated types, their surfer 'tudes notwithstanding. My guess is most of the business comes from folks on day outings to the beach, because there's no way the food we were served would satisfy anyone who has experienced top-flight sushi. The chef puts on a show, but one has to wonder whether he's smirking behind all his antics at the clueless patrons munching on their cream-cheese stuffed makizushi and slurping their subpar miso shiru (which they idiotically order as an appetizer, of course). Appealing presentation is an essential element of the sushi-making profession and the sushi-eating experience. Presentation here totally sucks. Hoshi B. nailed that: http://www.yelp.com/biz/hapi-sushi-laguna-beach#hrid:n2psB6t9eazVSvLXkfH5WQ. He knows of whence he speaks. There's a terribly limited selection of fish here, so few choices for anyone inclined to order nigiri. I can offer one positive observation: the surf city/countryside Japan combo decor is funky and fun. That's not nearly enough, though, to earn Hapi Sushi a two-star rating. What a shame. read more

I really like the look of the place. It's very small restaurant with a very cool look. The sushi was okay as was the service. We had to be pretty aggressive to get the waiters attention to place our order and then to get the complete order. read more

Come here a lot. This is the best sushie place ever. My sister has had sushie from all over she is a sushie addict and this is the best place she has ever been to. That says a lot... the sushie burrito is phenomenal. Please do yourself a favor and drop in. You will not regret it. It's small but spacious. The service is excellent. I highly recommend hapi sushi! read more

Why is this still rated as 4 Stars? Yelp needs to take a look at all the 1 Star reviews. HANDS DOWN THE WORSE SERVICE EVER. (Read the entirety of this review before you come!) * This is the FIRST TIME in my life that I walked out of a restaurant within 20 minutes of sitting down. * We came into this establishment with optimism, an eager smile and an empty stomach. I read only the good reviews on Yelp and was hoping to get a similar experience. I LOVE and completely support little ma'n'pop restaurants. But this time it took a turn for a worse that made me wish I read the bad reviews. The service was just... So rude. The sushi chef ignored us and was too busy talking to the 2nd table. I don't mind if the chef is the quiet type, but completely ignoring us to talk to someone else? He intentionally served the table that came in before us. I'm not sure why we were being treated that way.... Maybe he just didn't like the way our faces looked? We asked for the tuna and snapper which was sitting right in front of our faces but he told us he had none available, insisting that he "only had halibut" despite the fact that we had ordered and consumed a rainbow roll (20 minutes prior, mind you we were sitting at the bar). Why would you intentionally lie to your customer? What's really sad is that the food was phenomenal. Delicious and unique. The rolls we managed to get from the chef was absolutely stellar. I don't understand why the service was so poor. There was only one.. (Let me emphasize) ONE other table that was there besides us. The place was empty! When we asked for the check, the chef suddenly perked up and rushed to present us the bill. Yet again, strange behavior that I cannot understand. In no time we paid and we were out. No "arigatou" "come back soon" no nothing. It's like he wanted us to leave in the first place. Alas, we ending up walking to another sushi restaurant down the street where their patrons aren't marginalized. I will absolutely not be returning to this "establishment", and I certainly recommend anyone else who would think about trying this place out to give it a serious second thought, there are certainly better places in the area where your hard earned money could be spent. This place holds a 4 star rating because all of the local laguna beach regulars giving it 5 stars. If you're a new comer and you end up going here, I strongly hope that you receive a better experience than we did. read more

It's been a year since we've eaten here (we live pretty far from Laguna), but the rolls were outstanding. I had the 69 special and another roll and my boyfriend, who was avoiding carbs at the time, had sashimi - which is just slices of raw fish. It wasn't on the menu but we just asked if they had it and they did. The fish was very fresh and melt in your mouth! I would give this place 5 stars except the menu doesn't have prices. How can there be no prices?! For two, we paid between $40 - $50, no alcohol. So a bit pricey, but we totally felt for the quality of the fish and the tastiness of the rolls it was worth it. read more

Thank you Mr. Sato for a GREAT time. Apparently he's never been on yelp, but his customer's tell him he has great reviews, and Hapi Sushi definitely deserves it! The place is small and seats like 20 people at most or something, and there are all sorts of fun, interesting knickknacks on the walls...like a sign that says "We speak english here" and someone scrawled "barely" on it in marker. And there's the picture of a guy holding a big butcher knife saying "No cell phones! or else!" or something along those lines. The owner is one of the nicest, friendliest, most animated old japanese guys i've ever met. He's like a more smiley Mr. Miyagi except that he doesn't do karate and his name is Mr. Sato. My favorite roll we got was the 79 roll which had eel, avocado, and strawberry!! Sounds a little weird but it's deliciouuuuuuuuuus. He told us that he made the roll ten years ago, when someone asked him to do something special for valentines. And it's been a keeper ever since! I will definitely be back, try all the interesting rolls. Such a great hole in the wall, fun sushi place with so much character, and within walking distance of other fun places! read more

The only reason this restaurant deserves any stars is for the delicious sushi. If anything order take out because I have never experienced such horrible service at any restaurant, especially in Laguna. I would never go back. We waited 25 minutes for the waiter to take our order after he gave us the menu, and after he finally delivered the sushi he never once came back. After waiting impatiently for another 10 minutes with our empty plates beckoning him in front of us we had to ask for our check. Rude all around. read more

EEK, indeed. This is definitely my scariest food expedition. My friend and I came across this hole-in-the-wall, desperate for a snack. The exterior and interior was old and dilapidated. The sushi chef was actually sleeping when we arrived. When he realized we were there, he jumped up and wailed, "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, Happpiiiiii.....!" ....this may have been comical in other situations, but it just notched up the creepiness factor. We both looked at each other. We wanted to flee. But it was too late, a stoic, grim-looking male had already served us water. We opted to split a salmon skin roll and grab some better food elsewhere after. When the roll came, it looked sloppy. My friend summed it up the best: "This is the saddest skin roll I've ever seen." Our bill came, and our jaws almost dropped. Very expensive for such a crappy roll! Thanks but NO thanks! read more

This is a hidden gem. Probably shouldn't post because I don't want the secret to get out. This is a classic sushi spot that is not overly hyped. Family owned and operated with great authentic feel. We've had great meals with a great vibe. Great tuna, albacore, rolls etc. read more

Tiny place with delicious sushi. We've been coming here for years. Fresh fish, good service, no frills.

After failing to locate another sushi joint, my friend and I decided to try this place at the beckoning of our hunger pains. Small place, dingy with a old man yelling random vowels loudly across the room. the Menu has no prices---not cool...should have known The crunchy rolls was super good and the seaweed salad was awesome with chopped cucumbers and a light dressing. the 69 roll wasnt so good though. after 3 rolls and 2 seaweed salads our total was $48.50.what?! really!? Needless to say although some of our meal was good , the strange atmosphere and the general feeling of being scammed--- wasnt worth fifty bucks. So unless you like to throw away money and have an abundant supply of ear plugs, find another sushi place!!!!!!! read more

Overpriced, lacking in quality, yet slightly charming run down ambiance. Oh they play cops the TV show while you eat. Rolls are somewhat small, but decent in flavor. The fish should have looked fresher and the assembly area cleaner. read more

Hapi Sushi, what a great discovery! Four of my girlfriends and I were off to have lunch at Sushi Laguna before hitting the Sawdust Festival today. We left our cars at the Festival, and walked to the restaurant, only to discover they didn't open until 1:00 for lunch on Sundays. I knew Hapi Sushi was only a block down, so I suggested we walk over there and see if it was open. It was, and several people were eating at the sushi bar, and some people were just finishing their lunches as we walked in. The sushi chef said he couldn't seat the five of us at the sushi bar, so instead the one waiter pulled the two tables they have together, and four of us sat on a bench parallel to the bar and one sat in a chair next to us. We still ordered by telling the sushi chef what we wanted, so it was like we were in the second row of the bar. This place is really small, so I would imagine the wait could get long for dinner. We ordered five rolls to share. They were all amazing! We had a 49 Special (halibut, mint leaf, and lemon over a California roll), a 69 Special (Eel over a California roll), a 79 Special (Hapi Special caterpillar roll with eel, avocado, and strawberry), a crunchy roll, and a Japanese burrito (salmon, tuna, and crab wrapped in soy bean paper). Yum!! What I really liked was that the rolls were neatly made and cut in bite-sized pieces without the ingredients falling out all over the place, and they each tasted very distinct. It seems like at a lot of places, all the rolls taste the same and you can barely tell one from another. I highly recommend trying the Japanese burrito and 79 Special. You would not believe how good strawberries taste with sushi! For the five rolls and two sodas, lunch came to $15 per person including tip. We'll definitely be back again to Hapi Sushi! read more

Very small - 3 tables, 1 sushi 'bar' that seats maybe.. 12 ? not sure Good. Fresh. The sushi 'chef' is very nice. I noticed the menu only had rolls, which I think was odd. I do not really mind, the friend I went with prefers the rolls. I got a #69 roll, which I think was eel.. maybe crunchy shrimp.. I can't remember. It was good. Got spicy tuna, rainbow roll.. the standards. When we got there, maybe 4 other groups were there, but left, and we were the only ones ( This was Sunday at about 3p - Laguna was crowded, cops were directing traffic, which I've NEVER seen.. but this place.. quiet ) so we got our order quickly. YUM. I would go again. My daughter loves this place and raves about it. read more

Sushi rolls- California roll and crunch roll were average and tempura udon had msg- since we were so thirsty afterwards. Chef was very friendly and bus boy was too. Small small small place... Coming from Sf- not the best sushi I've tasted. read more

Clearly, some midwesterners here are not familiar with the SoCal way of life .. and coming from MI myself, I can definitely say that. Anyhow, the chef is a total sweetheart.. He drinks and jokes around with the customers and seems way too happy lol .. He will try to make conversation with you to the best of his broken English ability and he actually suggested some pretty good Ramen places in the OC area which I was in the search for.. he knows his Asian food restaurants in the OC so ask him for pointers if you're looking for anything particular (or just yelp, whatever lol) The place is small, intimate and I love it. The Spinach Salad they have (must have as an appetizer) I don't know what that salad dressing was but it was aaaaaaamazing. I also love that they add almonds to it cause I loove almonds and spinach mucho. Best salad I've had at a sushi place (but take that with a grain of salt cause I don't go to sushi places to order salads lol) Now the rolls are great and arrive promptly which is important cause I'm impatient especially when it comes to my sushi fix.. the sushi is fresh and prices are reasonable for what you get. If you're looking for cheap but good sushi, don't look for it in Laguna Beach, period. read more

This place is cute and quaint, a very hole in the wall Japanese styled restaurant. Its a great place to go on a date, or with a few friends. The chef was kind and funny and his omakase was delicious :D read more

Hapi Sushi - We got omakase and were given two rolls from his own menu and both were amazingly delicious . We also got two salmon and albacore rolls too - Sushi Bars Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Excellent sushi in a relaxed environment. I ordered the 97 roll to start than tried a few others based on the chef's recommendations and from now on I'll just have them order for me! The quality of the rolls were top notch and just the right size without too much fluff. Best sushi I've tried in Laguna Beach. read more

Walked in the door at 8:40pm and we were rudely dismissed and told they were closed even though there was a lot of open seating, and was pretty lively. People had just gotten their sushi orders. Yelp says they close at 10pm, I'm assuming they close at 9. Which was 20 minutes away from when we walked in the door. It was a total bummer. But looked like a cute spot, very quaint and homey feeling without the server. read more

All CAL alumni and fans are welcome here as Sato's (owner) daughter and son-in-law graduated from UC Berkeley. He even has a CAL banner posted behind the sushi bar. Alright let's get on with the review: Positives: Above average sushi and delicious rolls. If you are a purist, ask Sato to go easy on his various sauces that accompany his sushi and rolls. The Japanese Burrito was excellent. My wife and I came here for lunch and stuffed ourselves and also had beers for ~$50 (tip included). Negatives: Was disappointed that Hapi did not have any Toro or Spanish Mackeral on hand. No prices on menu. read more

LOVE the sushi, careful going here if it is busy, slow service. ALSO BEWARE: Check your bank account after your charge goes through, they are known for adding a dollar or two to your total!!! read more

Not much to say. Service was horrible. They were out of the rolls we ordered. Server was rude and the place is tiny you can't walk by anyone without being uncomfortably close. We ended up walking out and going to Sushi Laguna which was amazing. read more

Apparently if you have 7 people your party is too big. Didn't even let us walk in the door. Rude.

Very rude, unwelcoming service, avoid at all costs. Try other sushi restaurants nearby. Food was mediocre at best.