This place is absolutely insanely good. Place is so fire that I'm actually in the process of moving in downtown and I almost thought about staying in PB because of this spot. Lol fish was fresh food was fresh service was amazing. People were nice. Good vibes at the restaurant very clean. There's nothing wrong about this place. This place is absolutely five out of five stars.AMAZING read more

Service was very good, food was good. Note: purchased the teriyaki chicken bento box. The food was good, the salad was not great

Been a regular here for over 30 years. If you're going to go to the effort of being a sit-down restaurant, then figure out how to serve everyone at the table at the same time. Dining sucks when two of three meals come out, and the third takes so long to materialize that the first two are practically done with their meal by the time the third meal comes out. And when the owner doesn't apologize for the issue, and won't even look me in the eye on my out, suggest you get your get your act together,.or go back to your original method of casual service where there wasn't a layer of waitresses inserted into the process. That worked successfully for many, many years. Looking forward to Ichiban resolving their inability to time in-house meal delivery so the entire table can eat at the same time instead of in shifts. read more

Fresh sushi! Quality saki! Friendly service. The ambiance is low key casual. Great place to dip into when you want a chill sushi meal.

Ichiban PB is a fast casual inexpensive sushi spot and hits just right when you are looking for the "bread and butter" of Japanese cuisine faves such as Lion King, California Roll, tempura, and bento boxes. We ordered the Lion King roll, Alaskan roll, and some Mixed Tempura to share. We received our order within 10-15 minutes and were satisfied with everything! The Lion King roll is made differently here; they deep fry it and serve it with a side of sriracha mayo. Different, but good! The Alaskan roll also had a considerable amount of imitation crab stick in it. Not a big fan, but the roll was still good! Ichiban has a good number of booths and two tops to choose from. Great family restaurant and noticeably a lot of phone/to-go orders! read more

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Lion king roll is SUPERB. Honestly one of my fav spots for sushi in SD. It's not the fanciest by any means, but the food is always awesome and the service is great. Also for sushi you can't beat the price. The rolls are huge so it's an all around win for me read more

Ichiban PB - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Always a fun and friendly experience I love the staff, and the roles I ordered are always good

We live this place! Parking- No parking lot, look for street parking. It can be challenging as it's by the beach and a very busy area. Times- Not they have lunch until 3 and close and reopen at 5 Food- Husband really enjoys the sushi, and we really like the teriyaki beef bowls. All the food is yummy and good quality. Service- I've never been disappointed in their service and always have a friendly staff Ambiance- Very beach casual. Gets a little loud as it's not a huge place read more

The sushi is decently priced and really good. I've been coming here from time to time for years now. But this time around, I ordered takeout and it took nearly 30 minutes for my food to be ready (for one person) and the restaurant wasn't *that* busy. It probably wouldn't have been a big deal, but when I got home, I noticed I got the wrong sushi roll, and the one I didn't get is the one I wanted to try the most :'( read more

Ichiban PB - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

good variety of a japanese menu. lots of choice! casual family neighbourhood vibe. super friendly service and atmosphere.

First, I want to mention that the folks working here are really nice. This is not a review against them but for everything else. I am not sure how this place has so many good reviews. We found the food just about average. I saw two small roaches in the women's restroom. If it wasn't for the misleading reviews, I would never have visited this place when there are so many other sushi places I could have gone to, instead. read more

Had an amazing experience with this place on my trip to San Diego. I would truly recommend. Food was fresh and delicious

The staff were lovely and enjoyable. I wish I could say the same thing about the food.

I haven't been back to this restaurant in a 3-4 years and I feel the prices are still the same. Still much lower than other Japanese restaurants and the food was good! read more

First time there a couple of weeks ago and did not like the ambiance, it looked dark and dirty. I noticed several customers complaining of not having the food served after a long wait and even people who, like us, were there to get to-go food there were waiting a long time. Including my boyfriend and I. He wanted me to try the Ichiban experience as he used to go often when was a young surfer dude years back. We got several items from the menu and everything was subpar in my opinion. Not food I would crave. read more

I've been coming here my entire life and it's one of the best hidden gems. All La Jolla/PB natives know and love Ichiban. The food is great and a lot of the staff have worked here forever and are the best. We love Ichiban! read more

I have to say, I had a very bad experience here. I am going to cut to the chase however, and make it clear that I did receive a full refund, hence the two stars in lieu of the one star. 1. The place needs to be renovated 2. Has an old musky scent inside. 3. The fried calamari strips were not only over fried and chewy, but had that I have been in the freezer to long texture and taste 4. The Salmon Maki Roll had a gnat inside the salmon roll upon deliver to my table. Top right roll....refer to pic. 5. The Tuna and Salmon in the rolls where if poor quality. 6. The plate they used to serve the fried calamari is hideous. Base on the above, I do not plan to return. On a good note, the young lady who served me was super sweet and very apologetic. read more

Ichiban PB - Maki Rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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We ordered food to go and picked it up at the restaurant. The Yakisoba with chicken was mostly missing evidence of chicken. It seemed to be very old with soggy broccoli. The ginger dressing on the lettuce was good. The egg roll was passable. The tuna roll had no flavor. Overall, pretty disappointing. read more

We used to eat/get takeout here regularly and then for whatever reason, had not dined here for a long time. With family visiting and hungry for dinner, we ordered takeout. We ordered over the phone and went to pick it up. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes beyond the time she suggested we arrive for the food. This was a large order, so we understood that the food prep might take longer. Other than the long wait, the food was tasty and everyone enjoyed the food. read more

As a Japanese I can confirm the quality of this restaurant. Honestly the best American sushi I ever had. I was impressed by the variety of items on menu, freshness of sushi, and the price! For its price, THE BEST sushi restaurant in PB. read more

Ichiban PB - Kamikaze Roll Albacore Supreme Roll Crunchy Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I've come here with my boyfriend twice for sushi now. The servers are always super friendly and welcome you right as you enter. They have lots of seating so getting a table hasn't taken too long either time we've gone. The prices are affordable and reasonable to the pacific beach area. The seats are comfy and they have seating both indoors and outdoors. As far as the sushi goes it's good!! Not the best I've ever had but it's fresh and satisfies my craving. read more

Ichiban PB - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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This is my moms favorite place for California rolls, so we made sure to eat here again while we were in town. Honestly, their crab mix is truly stellar, and they really do have amazing California rolls. She also raves like crazy about their fried shrimp appetizer. On this trip, we also got chicken katsu (son said A+) and the paradise roll and the Alaskan roll. And I had 3 pieces of yellowtail. Everything was good and fresh. Of course the sashimi used isn't mind blowing, and it's pretty much a solid California roll holding down some toppings. BUT. We loved it. And 13$ for a roll isn't much crazier than the grocery store for sushi that's a lot better. read more

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Their food is excellent. I have lived in PB for 6 years and Ichiban is one of my favorite places. Incredible staff, kind and generous with great customer service. read more

Drove all the way from Lakeside to be told lunch ended and they were closed until dinner (we missed it by 10 mins). Didn't see anything posted. PB traffic is so fun.. smh. Yep this trip sucked. read more

Ichiban PB - We actually got there at 2:40 and was told lunch was over... baloney!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

My granddaughter loves this place so what can I say? She loves the Bento Boxes. Food is OK. Ambience is OK. Service is OK. Love that there's a very large booth that can accommodate a large group as we sometimes meet up with another family. This is a good spot in PB for weeknight dinner. read more

Good sushi for an affordable price! If you're looking for fancy/high grade sushi, you'll have to go somewhere else and be willing to spend. You pay for what you get. But if you're on a budget and looking for happy hour deals, Ichiban is a great choice! You order up at the counter, and they'll bring the food to your table. Service is friendly and fast. I like how they put spicy mayo on the side instead of dousing the whole roll, so you don't lose all the flavor. I love unagi, and the Dragon Roll was yummy! Decor is outdated and dim (but not in romantic way), so not necessarily a first date kind of scene. Street parking can be a struggle, but that's typical PB for you. Come here if you're looking for a quick/casual/decently-priced meal! read more

Ichiban PB - Dragon roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here for lunch. It was pretty good. I got the teriyaki bowl which came with a ginger salad and soup. I liked the ginger salad but the orange with ginger was kinda weird. The teriyaki chicken was kinda salty. Service was pretty quick and the people were nice. It was a decent meal for under ten bucks. I would have gone to a different place with all the choices around. Next time I would probably get sushi cause that looked good. read more

We came as a party of 9 from a long day at Sea World and we were hungry; 3 adults and 6 kids ranging from 6-13 years old. The service was speedy even with a nearly full house. The food was great, delicious and the prices were reasonable. My kids are asking when can we go back to ichiban. read more

Great Japanese Grub Sushi Bar Great for small friend gatherings really good prices and healthy options. read more

Great service & really good California maki rolls. I also suggest the lion roll too !:)

False advertising was the first red flag. I ordered from their online menu, called and pLaced my order. Asked what the total was and was told they would have it ready for me when I came to pick up the food. I picked up the food 15 minutes later per their instruction. I was gob smacked when they said the total was $55. I added my order up and it should of been $35. They said that was old pricing and they need to remove that from the web. They wouldn't honor their online pricing. My family and I were famished and I couldn't see wasting already prepared food. I was really bothered paying more than what was presented to me online still. Now the quality of our food was extremely disappointing. Second strike. If the food was even remotely good I wouldn't bother reviewing, but they sent seaweed and paste in a plastic container and wrote on the lid " add hot water". That was my SOUP! Assuming I had hot water to add which I didn't that's why I ordered take out. The avocado was brown and our vegetable tempura was flaccid. Our sushi rolls tasted fishy and like bleach. Absolutely the worst meal of my life. I gave them a chance to refund my money to which they refused. Buyer beware and foodies please avoid this place. Left me with the worst taste in my mouth!!! read more

Ichiban PB - Soup???? Where's the broth? "Add hot water" - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

One of fav sushi spots in PB. Different from the others because you order when you walk in...then sit down. I have found the service to be WAY better ... less of a wait for a server to come to your table... and they clear off the empty plates really fast. The employees are all very nice and the food is really good. I am a sushi LOVER. Their nigiri is fresh I love the albacore and yellow tail. Really good sizes for the price. I love my Philadelphia roll and also the mango roll (I just found out I'm gluten intolerant so I have to stay away from crab mix and spicy tuna mix inside the rolls...and no special sauces). But. those 2 are defiantly gluten free! My friend swears by the teriyaki combo box and their egg rolls. I love their salad too. No parking lot but it's PB....It's street parking everywhere. Or park a street over and walk. Or Uber. read more

Ichiban PB - Philadelphia roll , mango roll, nigiri and teriyaki combo - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Nice little family owned sushi joint in PB. Great service, the ladies went above and beyond to make sure that we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal. We didn't get too much food cause we had another place we wanted to check out but the food was better than expected. Not to say that this comes close to the best sushi I've ever had but for the value this was pretty good. I'd recommend Orange Passion Roll and the Dynamite Roll. We all enjoyed the nigiri, especially the albacore. Went for a special occasion and they did not disappoint. Check it out if you're in the area, but I personally wouldn't drive out of my way to go there. read more

Looooove Ichiban PB, We've been coming here for years! Our favorite is the Fried Calamari roll, but we have tried all of them. They have the best prices and even better during their Happy Hour, the staff is friendly and service is fairly quick as long as it's not towards the end of happy hour. We've also ordered take away with them and service has been great, called ahead and they have always had it ready I thought I wrote a review before, but couldn't find it. read more

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My family and I spent $55. Hoping to get decent sushi to celebrate my son's participation in The Tourmaline Club Challenge surfing competition, we went to this place near our house. The dishes we ordered were inedible. The quality of the food of this place has gone down. Very disappointing. Won't be coming back. read more

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I picked up an order from here two days ago (GOT night) and I'm not gonna do it again. I ordered 5 special rolls and two miso soups and they charged me for spicy mayo even so I ordered 5 rolls! I think it's just being cheap. And I found out after at home that half of the sushi already come with spicy mayo...she could have told me that ‍ Any way...it's not about the money, I don't like when restaurants getting cheap on me ‍ Another thing is..I came home and realized that the miso soup I order is what you see in the photo attached, disgraceful. I think it's low level sushi and I'm not planing to order from here again when you have many other sushi restaurants on the same street. read more

Ichiban PB - Come on!! Seriously? - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Been a regular since they opened in the 80s. Always good. Recommend the Bento C for those who don't know what time have. Ask for extra salad dressing and some spicy mayo cuz they add zip to everything. read more

**UPDATED** I've since gone back to Ichiban three times and quality is back to what I remember. I've updated from my original of two stars to 5, it's back to being my go too sushi in PB! I've been to Ichiban many times to eat in, it's a great local spot for when I want something quick and pretty good quality for sushi given the prices . This was the first time I've ordered take out and got home to find the rolls lack luster. I ordered and Orange blossom, paradise, and Hawaiian roll, $33.90 worth, and this is what it looked like... a ton of rice, shredded fish, and an obvious lack of effort... honestly there's a ton of sushi places here in PB, I won't be back. read more

Ichiban PB - Fish is shredded - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Ichiban PB is one of my favorite places to get sushi in all of San Diego (and this city has a lot of good sushi spots, so this is a high compliment!). The caterpillar and rainbow rolls are my go-tos, but I have tried many of their other rolls and I have never been disappointed. Because it is a little east of the PB madness, there is a calm vibe here that makes for a pleasant dining experience. I have been here many times, including during peak dinner hours, and I have never had to wait for a table. 10/10 date spot! The food comes out quick, is fairly priced, and the servers are so friendly! read more

Ichiban PB - Spicy Scallop Hand Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Revisited another old favorite from my post-college era in the '90s. Hard to find street parking. 100% full at 6:15 on a Saturday night with enthusiastic Happy Hour patrons. Paying when you order is a bit awkward. It took a l-o-n-g time for a vegetable roll to come out. Seemed like most of the cooks don't speak Japanese. My nigiri tuna and yellowtail were good. Shrimp tempura, unagi and California rolls were just OK. I was disappointed to find imitation krab being used in a place i remembered as mostly authentic. I will say that prices during Happy Hour get very reasonable. So if price is your top priority, this place remains a good bet. I expect that was the biggest appeal to the younger me and my friends. read more