Special shout out to Joy, amazing waitress with a great sense of humor and service! Would come again just for her!

First time visiting and on a Wednesday evening. No wait for a table of six. There is a QR code to place your order but we didn't know it was limited to four separate checks. So the two of us left trying to place an order had to find someone to double up and place our order. I ordered the fried oysters and it was done well. I also ordered the Mixed Tempura which was okay. It was on the limp side - especially the shrimp. But the portion of shrimp was generous and tasty. I would rather have a potato instead of two eggplants in the mix. They also included onions and green beans but I always look forward to the potato which was lacking in this mix. Service was prompt, attentive and friendly. I would comeback to try other menu items. My party of six seemed to enjoy their food and it all looked yummy read more

Hinotez - Mix Tempura - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Low-key spot that's perfect for meeting up with a small group for yakitori and drinks. The ramen, noodles, and rolls are fine, but the real reason to come is the yakitori. We especially liked the pork collar with sesame oil and salt, chicken thighs with sauce, and bacon-wrapped asparagus. I also enjoyed the shiso pork--the ume sauce had a lot of flavor, though I needed to order rice and it was lovely together. The ramen was perfectly fine too. Nothing blew me away, but everything hit the spot and made for a satisfying, comforting meal. A solid, casual place when you're craving skewers and something cozy. The service is nice and ambiance is very cozy. Parking is pretty good! We were able to secure a spot around 8:30 on a sat night! read more

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The food here is amazing. It's a great place to eat On Balboa. The service is right on time. Very sweet. The ambience is loud but then again it is Friday night and busy, busy busy come on out and eat at Hinotez On Balboa ave!!! read more

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I love this place! Tuesday is a great day to go if you do not want to wait for a table like on the weekend. I have to admit, I'm sad they removed the potato croquettes from the menu. Ham croquettes is not the same, but still yummy. I LOVE the tempura fried avocado. It may have a bit of a kick with spice, but full of flavor. It's like fireworks in the mouth. I noticed today that they have 2 tables that are the traditional Japanese height, the short ones. Someday, I'd love to sit there for a traditional seating experience. If you have never been here, you must go! Worth it! read more

Hinotez - Fried avocado SOOOO good! - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Hinotez is still that comfort spot for me. It's the one restaurant I love coming to after a long week. The service is great and food is so consistently good that it almost washes away the exhaustion from the week. I came by for some skewers, miso soup, some takowasa and just a drink. The restaurant was not too busy and not too loud so it was nice to be able to decompress. Will be coming back again soon. As usual LOL read more

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I haven't been in here years and don't recall trying much but back then I was younger and everything was pricey for me and my young self's wallet lol. We came the other evening and I had such a good time! First off I like how it's in the outskirts of convoy so not too crowded. They have their own parking lot with ample parking. When you enter, the left side is the restaurant side and the right side will be the bar side but you can still order food items. This was my first time requesting the floor seating and it was a no nice! I'm short so comfy for me and my toddler. The table was the perfect height for him without having to use a booster. Also there was still space behind us so he could play or roam around for a bit and not bother other guests so I definitely want to sit here again! I believe they just have the two floor seating tho. They also have happy hour from Sunday through Thursday from 5-7pm and late evening from 11-12pm. It's been so long since I've been here that you order on your phone with the QR. Which was nice and the menu items typically had a photo reference so I liked that. They have a realllly big meh selection. I will say I guess because it's a QR now, they don't really wait on you so if you need them it can be a bit. But once you put the food order in it comes pretty quickly. Also we are all able to order on our own phones and they can be paid out separately (so a plus if you come in groups etc) or combined at the end and paid together. Which we paid together since it was a family meal. Overall all of the food was very good. I'm surprised at how good the ramen were we each got our own and I would come back for them. Spicy tuna roll was not spicy tho. Spicy tonkotsu ramen was so good and very spicy! The quail eggs tasted like quail eggs so kind of expensive when I can grill them at home but we came to the experience so it's ok. The beef was so soft and flavorful. I'm definitely coming back for the ramen lol. Just check your order if you can during happy hour. Luckily I need so I now the few hh items were not discounted which she corrected read more

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Restaurant is a nice place for snacking and drinks. I liked the curry cause it's comforting, but nothing super special. I liked how the curry had ground meat in it, which made it flavorful! read more

Hinotez - Melon soda with ice cream. Curry and pork tonkotsu - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

10-19-2025 My son had just returned from his vacation the night before. We decided to come here for dinner on a Sunday. Just as the place opened for the evening, I was the first one of my party to walk in; right away, the musty smell didn't give me a good impression. Still, I kept an open mind. Ordered: -Edemame- steaming hot, we enjoyed it. -Salmon Roll HH- small, just tasted rice. -Yellowtail Roll HH- also tiny. -Gizzard- smoky, spouse liked it. -Chicken Heart- yummy snacks. -Pork Shiso- my most favorite of the 3 Yakitori. -Fried Gyoza- oily -Mushu Roll- not worth $19.95 -Peach Float- refreshing drink. Service: Cordial staff. However, after we finished with all the food the staff still didn't serve the Gyoza. We checked with a different server. It took 10min for our order to come out. Note: Prices on the menu I am posting are not updated. Don't think I will be returning. read more

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Hinotez is an awesome Japanese restaurant on the eastern side of Kearny Mesa near the 163. They have a huge selection of yakitori, ramen, and rice dishes. I really like their fried gyoza, which they serve with a nice mustard. The spicy miso ramen is great too. They serve pitchers and large beers as well. They even have an interesting tempura selection, including mixed vegetables, sweet potato, and avocado. I highly recommend it! Just try to come later at night after the dinner rush--wait times can stretch to around an hour if you come at 5 or 6. Update: The yakitori is pretty solid as well. The eggplant, beef tongue, bacon-wrapped asparagus, chicken heart, and Brussels sprouts--all of them are great. If you go right after entering, there is a bar area and you can order there as well. It's nice to do yakitori with Sapporo in there. read more

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I've been to Hinotez twice now with friends, and it's always a special experience on my San Diego trips. The most recent time, we came in around 7:15pm on a Friday and we're seated right away inside the bar. It's great that you can order food at tables in the bar side. We've dined on both sides of the restaurant. The whiskey highball drinks and yakitori are some of our favorites. I love the fresh lemon hi and the chicken cartilage and pork shiso. Everything is super flavorful and fresh, including the ramen and tempura. The bar can get noisy and packed as it gets later, so if you want a quieter dining experience, eat on their restaurant side. It's still fun to sit in the bar area, and staff were very friendly and attentive, even as the night got busy. We've never had trouble finding parking in their lot or getting seated within 0-15 minutes. Their menu is a bit pricey, so it's definitely a special occasion get together. For 3 people for drinks, entrees, and appetizers, the total came out to around 200$ including tip or 67$ per person. read more

Hinotez - Fresh lemon hi - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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I really love this place! They have their own little parking lot. Service is always fast and friendly. I love that you can order through your phone. Lots of seating inside. I always order a bunch of little side dishes and eat it with rice. The price isn't bad either! read more

Hinotez - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

They took away the egg appetizer which is the only thing I would ever get for my main dinner, also changed other parts of the menu for the worse. This used to be my favorite restaurant in the area and thanks to management it's now a major disappointment. Why in the world would you change something that was so great. ALSO horrible pricing, now just three items cost me $40!! I also used to love their tomato avocado salad, now it's just a big bowl of lettuce with a couple Tomatoes scattered on top and you have to pay several dollars more if you want to add avocado. This place has completely ruined what it used to be . What a waste of my money. Credit or credit is due the chicken wings were cooked perfectly but the sauce which I thought was going to be semi-sweet with some kind of soy sauce based concoction that left a weird taste in my mouth. I'll be leaving the restaurant feeling hungrier than when I arrived. Furthermore the spicy mayo that they gave me which was supposed to be a sauce for another dish tasted like some kind of hot mustard . I love spicy mayo , loved theirs, even that's different, bad read more

Expensive and good but not the best yakitori in town for sure. Good for big groups because they have lots of seating and easy to park. The service is great, staff is friendly. The best thing we ordered was the pork neck skewers with sesame salt. Then is the pork skewers with plum sauce. Udon was ok, would order again but not super. Gizzard was also just ok, just not well salted. Sushimo was good but didnt come with lemon read more

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Food never disappoints here. Prices are about average. Lots of seating, they have their own parking lot. Open late which is a plus. read more

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Honestly had such a wonderful experience, thank goodness I didn't read the bad reviews before coming here. Plenty of parking in their lot. Came for dinner. Place seemed full but we waited a few minutes and then were seated in the back area with the tatami. Absolutely beautiful, I love the tradition. Food you order on your phone (QR code on table), and drinks with the waitress. Drinks came quickly and everyone seemed to be open to help when i asked for something (napkins, more drinks, etc), i didn't have to only speak with my waitress. Food was salted and spiced wonderfully except the beef udon soup which was a bit salty so i added some hot water - problem solved. Overall a great experience for our first dinner in San Diego. read more

Hinotez - Lychee shouchu - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

Hinotez will always be a favorite spot when I'm craving yakitori! I've been coming here for 12 years & the quality has stayed pretty consistent. My favorites are the pork neck, beef tongue, chicken cartilage, quail eggs, & bacon wrapped asparagus. A good amount of drink choices, too. I'll get ramen for the kids & they enjoy it as well. The service is always fast & everyone is nice. After all these years, they still have a long wait going out the door on weekends. Parking might be difficult when it's busy. Ambiance is cool & laid back. Always a great spot to bring the kids or have drinks late at night with friends. read more

I was craving noodles and this was one of few places open late, and the menu had what I wanted. I was worried the negative yelp reviews would mean that the food was bad, but it was decent. The service was also great and I did not experience the bad smell other reviews mentioned, but I was also seated near the door rather than further back. It didn't seem dirty, rather than old and rundown. The food was good, but the portion was small so I would recommend ordering appetizers with the mentaiko udon. Not sure if other dishes are on par though, but it's nothing too crazy or awful either. read more

Hinotez - Mentaiko udon - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

Easy izakaya spot! Food is yums. Paired with a refreshing beer -- this place is always a hit! For a izakaya, they have more seating. And their own parking lot. Which is why I say it's an "easy" spot, relatively speaking. Service can be meh sometimes, hit-or-miss. But you come to a place like this to take it easy and casually eat to your hearts content, order as you go. read more

Hinotez - Egg tamago - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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This will always be one of our favorite spots. Love the many options on the menu. Jellyfish Salad -- Since our last time coming here, they've made this dish bigger! We used to get a tiny amount and were super excited with how much more they give now. Love the textures and flavors of this dish. Spicy Tuna Roll -- A bit more expensive compared to other places but the roll is pretty big. The spicy tuna flavor is great. Gizzard Yakitori -- LOVE. The reason we even started coming here. We always have to order at least three orders. Must eat fresh and with salt. Black Garlic Ramen -- We recently got the double portion and the bowl was HUGE. We got a good laugh. Love that they even have that option. The soft boiled egg in the ramen is perfection. Curry Tonkatsu -- Their curry is pretty good here. The tonkatsu was juicy which I appreciated. No one likes dry pork. Portions were big. Our server was great. She was attentive and sweet. Checked in on us even though we were ordering through the QR code. The smell outside of the restaurant from the yakitori grill will have you drooling! read more

Hinotez - Everything is a 10/10 - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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I've had this bookmarked for years because they used to serve Japanese breakfast. Fast forward, they don't serve it anymore, but we decided to try something new. As soon as we walked in the place felt a bit unclean. My wife said it smelled like dirty mop water. I went to wash my hands before dinner and the bathroom had no working paper towel machine, and the paper towel roll was on the floor (opted to air dry my hands). Food: 2.5/5. The pork and shiso is a savior - juicy and has a nice tart flavor. Fried chicken (3.5/5), hamachi (4/5), udon carbonara (2/5), tempura (2/5), chicken thigh (3/5) and beef (3/5) were for the most part just okay. Their sister restaurant yakitori taisho is MUCH better. read more

Hinotez - Fried Chicken Mix Tempura udon carbonara Hamachi Serrano - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

I am happy to see that Izakaya Hinotez is still going strong, this place really feels like a little slice of Japan. That said, Im so sad that they've discontinued my favorite drink, the Nama grapefruit sour with honey. It was seriously the best- refreshing, slightly bitter, sweetened just right. Ugh I'll miss it! On the bright side the atmosphere is still amazing and most of the servers are Japanese, made me feel like I was in Japan for a moment. The cucumber salad was super refreshing, and their nasu and shiso yakitori are still top notch. Now the quest begin finding another Izakaya that serve Nama grapefruit sour. But until then Hinotez still has my heart. Good job to Norie she was our server last night. Domo Arigatou Norie san. read more

Hinotez - Pork shiso and nama grapefruit sour... - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Hinotez is a solid jack of all trades izakaya It does everything solid but nothing is spectacular. Their yakitori is good but isn't always top quality or truly well cooked like its sister restaurant hino Its tempura and gyoza are solid but not as good as other places. But what it has is options; if you have a party that everyone wants different stuff ranging from curry rice to yakisoba to ramen to sushi to yakitori this is the place to go where everyone can get everything and its all done solidly well. That versatility is incredibly useful and very positive to any big group or people who want variety. Nothing there is particularly amazing but it'll hit all your needs and do it very well. The ambiance is nice, love how they really focus on Japanese style with even a table you sit on the floor for. And the servers are all pleasant and positive. read more

After 5 years, we finally returned to Hinotez to celebrate our friend's birthday dinner. It was so nice to relax and dine at the traditional Japanese low table, where you sit on the floor (I forgot the name hehe). You can scan the menu or ask the servers for one. They used to have small monitors for ordering, but not anymore. We ordered a lot, garlic edamame, ramen, noodles, momo skewers, asparagus bacon skewers, and more! The staff were friendly and easy to talk to, even letting us know when happy hour was almost over, haha!. Overall, it was such a great night with good food, good vibes, and a great place. read more

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went to the bar side of hinotez, and had a good experience! the garlic edamame was a good starter and very garlicky. i also enjoyed the veggie sushi, though it was a bit sweeter than what i was imagining. i was bummed they were out of omurice, so i tried the curry, and thought it was pretty solid. i wish it was more customizable with spice level or toppings, but overall happy with my meal :) service could be a little slow at times, but not too bad. ample parking in the lot, which is a huge plus in the area!! read more

Hinotez - Veggie Sushi Kyoto Sour - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food was amazing! A San Diego gem, will definitely be coming again for years. Nothing we ordered was short of amazing! read more

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We got the kimchi,cucumber salad, garlic edamame, tonkatsu Ramen, &spicy Ramen We were sat within mins on a Monday evening, got our appetizers within 10 mins of placing our order and then got out ramen shortly after. They were also very on top of making sure our waters were filled read more

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Cute little gem located on balboa Ave, there's a hidden speakeasy when you walk into the entrance and swing right. You can dine/ hang out for a drink. We opted for the main dining area. You can order your food from the app and also pay at your convenience. The Takoyaki is one of the best I've had in a while! Ramen portions are a little small but I guess I understand due to food prices? read more

Hinotez - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Been here a few times. Good comes out fast and is generally good. Spicy ramen is great. Service tonight was awful (everyone was complaining, some waiting 1.5 hours). They need more servers. It took forever to flag them down for my check so I can get out of there. The speakeasy side has much better service. read more

Horrible I drove all this way because they say they're open on Google, but they are not open.

I had such a wonderful experience at Hinotez! To start off, my friends and I were initially seated at a corner table, but when we asked to move to a different area (where you can sit on the floor), the host was super friendly about it and allowed us to move. The service was excellent, and all of the workers were extremely kind. This was so refreshing because I feel like that is a bit more difficult to come across nowadays. Additionally, the place was fairly crowded and lively around dinner time! I ordered the Zaru Soba, which my server recommended, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The dipping sauce that it came with was very delicious, and I loved that the noodles were cold and had seaweed on top. The dish also came with cut onions, which I believe paired perfectly with the noodles and sauce. The dish was about $11, which I believe is fairly reasonable for a meal in San Diego. Overall, I had an incredible experience, and I would love to return with a few new friends the next time! read more

Hinotez - Zaru Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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After seeing family and friends coming here so often especially for late night eats, finally got a chance to try this place. Came for happy hour (M-Th, 5-7pm) with a friend and was pleasantly impressed. They have plentiful parking in the back. Huge booths and an iPad with seran wrap for items not included on the happy hour or weekly deal menus. I hope they change the wrap after every table because that'd be superior in my books. They have a small section for happy hour of appetizers, drinks, and basic sushi rolls. Of course wanting to try a lot of things at once, I over order. We ordered the avocado tempura, a Philadelphia roll, seaweed salad, another fresh roll I forgot the name of that's not on happy hour, and an assortment of yakitoris such as bacon wrapped asparagus, chicken thighs, squid, scallops, beef, pork belly, and some other pork with basil wrap. I brought home leftovers and my son loved the yakitoris. Will definitely be going back for some late night eats whenever I'm in the area. read more

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Wow! Super pleased with what I ordered. I love how they are open late, and the food I got was exactly what I was craving. I ordered the pork cutlet with curry and gyu don. Man were they good! Flavorful and rich. The pork was so tender and juicy too. The gyu don is hearty and taste exactly how I expected. Generously portioned. It was so good, I already can't wait to try more food from their menu. Service was fast and efficient, I called in my order and they texted me about 15 minutes later to tell me it was ready. It was still hot after my 20 minute drive home. Definitely recommend! read more

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Tucked away in the back of Hinotez, the speakeasy section was a pleasant surprise. We didn't expect to have access to the full restaurant menu at the bar, but it was a great perk. The pork katsu was the star of the night--massive, perfectly crispy on the outside, and incredibly juicy on the inside. It's definitely a must-order. The inner tongue skewer was another standout, impressively tender and packed with flavor. On the other hand, the pork skewer and scallop skewer were just okay--not bad, but not memorable enough to order again. That said, the overall experience was solid, and we'd definitely return for the speakeasy vibe and that amazing katsu. The bartender was great and helpfully and I really liked the matcha sour. It was strong and flavorful. I would definitely want to go to try his other drinks. If you're looking for a unique spot with quality food and a cozy bar setting, Hinotez is worth checking out. read more

Hinotez - Pork Katsu - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Hinotez is honestly my favorite Japanese restaurant in town! Food is always delicious and so much variety. Last night we got two curries, the crunchy roll, and gyoza. Def recommend going during happy hour for good deals on the apps and drinks. Waiters were really nice and checked up on us often. The place is a great spot to hangout and have a beer with friends. Open late night. The only thing is their parking is very limited so carpooling is good, or finding street parking. read more

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Big parking lot but packed and super dark/sketchy at night. Lots of tables to sit inside. We happened to get a table in a separate room. Ambiance inside is giving true Japanese vibes like you're not in San Diego. You're able to order food through QR code or thru your waitress however u are not able to pay with the QR code. Overall the food tasted great. We got a white ale, Omu rice, miso ramen, Moterhead sushi roll & pork yakitori. Although I thought the price for the yakitori was a little absurd. I enjoyed my time here however was disappointed with the service. Our waitress was only present when we first got seated then completely forgot about us. I think we waited about 45 minutes for another server to come by who wasn't even taking care of us. read more

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Love this Japanese restaurant where you find your cravings fulfilled . Whether it be sushi, ramen , yakitori , curry , they have it all My personal favorite ( only when the grill master is in ) is a few skewers of yakitori. My 3 go to's are; Chicken momo ( thigh ) try it with sauce Beef yakitori - plz pay the animal respect and choose the salt option Last but not least the pork shiso - the ume paste on top just explodes the bite with flavor read more

Hinotez - Pork shiso, harami beef, chicken momo - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

My favorite thing about this restaurant is that they have traditional seating in it, which is so cute and comfy and reminded me of Japan. The service was well, nothing too great and the food was good as well. I would go back just for the looks of it. I believe my favorite thing. Here was the Ramen although I haven't had better Ramen and other places, but I would recommend the Ramen and the sushi. read more

Hinotez - Traditional Japanese seating - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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The family and I are starting to dine at more Asian establishments which are abundant in San Diego! One of our favorites for Japanese cuisine is Hinotez on Balboa Avenue. The restaurant is beautiful with a charming, authentic Japanese vibe. The staff are all so welcoming, friendly and genuine. Hinotez features a variety of tasty menu items, including appetizers, yakitori, ramen, sushi, and rice dishes. On my most recent visit I enjoyed an outstanding "Pepper Tuna Roll". Shrimp tempura, avocado and crab inside; topped with seared tuna, green onion and a sweet chili sauce. Beautifully presented and so delicious! read more

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Had an early dinner at Hinotez with my band mates. Service was great and quick. You order through your phone which can be good for splitting checks but not so great for having a phone less dinning experience. Food was overall very good but a couple of the items were a little too salty for me which is saying a lot. Also minus a little bit for not putting bonito flakes on the takoyaki. (Come on!! Lol). I am giving it only four stars though because for the three of us the bill came to roughly $175 which was a little much in my opinion. All that being said don't take this review too harshly. All-in-all good food, nice atmosphere, and good service. read more