This is the worst place I have been to in my life. I've never had a chef come up to me and tell me that I was wrong about the order that I placed. I came for lunch today and ordered the lunch special sushi boat. I told the server that I was allergic to shrimp and in that case I cannot have the shrimp in the boat and to substitute it out with anything like tuna and salmon. But after making that comment I told her that I was also allergic to all shellfish so if you need any of other substitution it would have to be efficient with scales. I also ordered a rainbow roll and told her the same substitutions because of my allergies. They brought up both of the orders. The boat which contained shrimp was substituted for octopus. The octopus is also shellfish. In the rainbow roll there was regular shrimp even though we were told them otherwise. After informing our waitress she took back the food. But moments later the chef came from behind the bar and started yelling at us. I have never felt so offended. I left hungry. 10/10 do NOT recommend. read more

Terrible place for vegetarians!!! They can't even provide a "VEGGIE udon noodle" order without Fish broth!!!! I simply ordered the veggie udon dish with broth on the side since I knew it was made with fish powder and they said there's no way to cook it without, when in reality noodles can cook in water without the fish powder OBVIOUSLY ! Terrible customer service and would do nothing for providing me the incorrect order ! read more

Good service, great food! I would consider this place my favorite place for sushi. It's not too expensive for the high quality, and I would definitely recommend this place for sushi lovers. I've never had a bad experience here. read more

Went here on a Monday night for a birthday dinner. We sat at the bar and were served by sushi chef Robert. Service was quick and friendly but I almost felt a bit rushed because the food came out so quick. Although, I have to say this is still better than other sushi restaurants in town which cannot seem to get their timing down. Nevertheless I enjoyed the sushi and variety of rolls. I didn't like the steamed clams, but the sushi was all fresh and well priced for Santa Barbara. I would come back if I were on the Mesa and had a craving for sushi :) read more

Super over-priced. Good sushi but does not stand up to the other dozen or so spots in town, especially when the sashimi is the size of a thumbnail. The dragon roll was excellent but we won't be back. read more

Food was not fresh. The Jalapeños on my Cliff Drive roll looked like it had been out since last night. I did not trust eating the food.

This restaurant provides some of the best sushi I have ever tasted and wonderful customer service from the waiters and servers. On the other hand, the management is difficult to aware financial mistakes with. With my credit card being over charged and a long dispute with the owner taking place, I was disturbed to recommend this restaurant for a while. However, my experience is rare, so I do recommend people to stop on by and give this place a try. read more

One of my favorite sushi places on the Mesa. Quality sushi and service, with moderate prices.

My daughter and I had lunch here. It rocked!!! We had seaweed salad and green salad with delicious ginger dressing! Then we shared the Ichiban roll and the Volcano roll. Both were delicious, but the Volcano was AMAZING, our favorite! The Ichiban roll had a little too much crab for me. I would have liked more fish and less crab in it. Other than that, the whole experience was great! Can't wait to go back!!! read more

The Star rate would have been 5 because the food ( sushi is delicious) but the rather iffy' treatment made me want to eat and go about my day quickly. We bought a deal through a third party promotion and unfortunately that was not fully honored, but when we asked for our free Edamane when you check in with Yelp they refused. We asked again if they can work the Yelp deal out and they did with an uncomfortable attitude. I'm not a destructive Yelper but It's my first and last time I'll eat at Ichiban. I do however wish them luck. read more

This is my favorite sushi in town. Good quality and a good price. Staff is all very nice and love the traditional shoes of tables. They're uni is great which is hard to fine. read more

When I have the $$ to spend, this is my favorite place for sushi in Santa Barbara. Their prices are normal for sushi, not as low as Something's Fishy's 50% off specials but better quality (though I love Something's Fishy too. Omar is the best chef they've got my far. Have him make your food and it'll taste like a different place.) Their spicy tuna roll rocks, as does the rest of their food. I could go on about what makes this place great for a while, but that wouldn't be helpful. 5 stars for the food quality alone. The service is good, the decor is nice, and the location is ok. If this place was, for instance, to move to a swanky, dimly lit bar like location with trendy, modern decor, I think it'd add that extra spark, but then again, it wouldn't be the Ichiban I love. read more

I'm little disappointed with the sushi roll selections (really sticking with the basics) but the fish has been consistently fresh. The service is great, my hot green tea runneth over...and the prices are very reasonable. Very cute and fun little place in the Mesa. read more

Had lunch here it was ok nothing specail but very reasonably priced

Cliff drive roll and 007 roll are very good! Great service and a good option for take out on the mesa.

Ichiban is the Mesa sushi joint, the food is really good and I like the setting too, and the waiters take good care of you. My personal favorite is the 007 roll, these guys will always have my business. :) read more

Not a big fan since the food is not worth it's expensive price. The sushi is the best to try in the menu.

Sushi here is totally fresh and the presentation is excellent. The portion is definitely on the generous side for Santa Barbara. We were greeted and seated pretty fast and server was friendly and attentive for a busy Friday night. I had Ikura Donburi and sashimi plate--wow, both were amazing. The only downside here is you can't try more dishes in smaller portions before getting stuffed! Will definitely be back soon! read more

Came with a group of 4 and had a coupon deal. I would say overall food was just so so, ok service but felt rushed. Salmon sushi, spicy tuna roll, chicken teriyaki combo - I'm struggling to say anymore more that... read more

A friend and I went here one night just to try it out for the first time, and we were not disappointed. The staff was amazing. I have never had such sweet kind hearted individuals help me out! They even accept axxess cards! which is amazing. If you have not gone here. Please try it at least once. I think you'll enjoy the service and delicious food they have to offer. read more

The place was great! and quick.. It was surprisingly empty when I walked in, but it was a Monday! We were seated in the cushion table area, which I thought was fun. The only thing was the waitress didn't believe my ID was valid - which indeed it was, so besides that it was an overall great experience. I ordered the Katsu Dinner, and the portions were great. I left being very satisfied with my experience. read more

We love this place! The owner is so welcoming and should we decide to bring our kids they always make space for them. Favorite items: box sushi, all rolls, scallops. read more

My friend and I were greeted by the nice Japanese workers and the Japanese style seats which made the whole experience more amazing! I would recommend the seafood tempura platter. Roll seemed small for the price. Even though everything was a bit pricey, they compensated with their customer service and the great food read more

I frequent Ichiban because it's consistently good, reasonably priced, and the service is great. I recommend trying their spicy edamame.

Always good service, very kid friendly and really good food! We like the tatami tables and usually opt for a boat dinner which is more than enough for 2 adults and 1 child. read more

This place is great! I recently had their Volcano roll and I couldn't get it in my mouth fast enough--YUM. They have a pretty simple menu, which makes deciding much easier than the sushi places with epic lists of special rolls. Excellent quality fish. Good service. read more

The sushi is delicious and they always have great service. We like going here because it's never over crowded like a lot of sushi restaurants near state street. Try the spicy edamame! read more

I came here for lunch with a Groupon deal. The service was very poor, with the waitress taking 15 minutes just to bring water, then disappearing before we could order. A quick sushi lunch took over an hour due to the delays in waitress service. The food was not anything special and overpriced for what you got. read more

Let me preface this by saying that I've been coming to Ichiban since I was kid, so maybe I have a bit of a biased opinion, but here it goes: I conveniently live just down the hill, so I'm here about two or three times a month. It's a great, casual spot. The service is always good. They have an ongoing 10% off deal with Axxess. Overall my favorite, "where do you want to go for dinner?" "I don't know, anywhere" restaurant. I would be willing to bet a delicious Box Roll that most of the commenters below that say "the service felt rushed" have probably never worked in the restaurant industry and don't understand that when it's busy... the service will understandably be rushed. Better than shitty service, in my opinion. I've had Lucy serve my table several times, and she's always on point. Always very polite. The prices are a little higher, and when I'm looking for a more upscale restaurant I'll swing by Sakana or Arigato. But hey, the fish is fresh and there's plenty of parking. 4/5! read more

Good sushi, great customer service, nice atmosphere. 4 stars because the fish quality isn't as good as some of the other sushi spots in town. read more

My husband and I live 3 blocks away from Ichiban. 2 years back I gave an unfavorable review for "bleachy" smelling t-cups and earthy tasting imago. As of today, they get my nod of approval! Hurray! We had a great dinner! We had the Cliff Drive Roll: wonder mix of heat, great flavor and lovely presentation! Fantastic cucumber salad, plus excellent chicken ton katsu. Green Tea...as it should be. Keep up the great food Ichiban! read more

Delicious California roll, chicken teriyaki is much better than the beef teriyaki. Great value for such delicious food

One of my lunch meeting spots. I work out of my home so I need a place to meet clients where we can talk, spend a lot of time and - my preference - that has great food. Ichiban is one of the best. Delicious sushi, I can almost always get a table without waiting (at lunch) and, pretty reasonable prices.......... read more

Husband and I finally tried Ichiban tonight, and I just had to comment that it blew us away! Nice place, super clean, and mouth-wateringly delicious. We finally found our favorite Japanese sushi place in SB after moving here a year ago! read more

Great date night spot! Speedy service, enthusiastic staff, and delicious food. I recommend the Ichiban roll and Box sushi roll. If you're feeling adventurous ask about the chef special, made especially for you! read more

Really good food but not great service. Waitress told us our rolls would be 8 piece but they were 6, and another staff member would not allow more than 1 mint to be taken from the mint bowl... it's a mint! read more

The miso soup was like dish water. The sushi was made with poor quality ingredients. They did not honor the Axxess special as advertised. There are far better Japanese restaurants in town - forget this one. read more

Sushi is not very fresh, edamame was over cooked and over priced and the rolls aren't fairly priced for what you're getting. I won't be coming back again. read more

Great staff and atmosphere. Good price for what you get. The BEST sushi chefs in Santa Barbara by far. Sushi is made like a pro and tastes delicious and fresh every single time I go there. Has never let me down. Not many people know of it because they will go to Sushi Teri or Something's Fishy, but nothing will ever beat Ichiban. They know their stuff. Avoid downtown like the plague and all that tourist crap, and go to the mesa. It's one of the few places left in Santa Barbara that hasn't been "Los Angelized" and you don't have to deal with awful people. read more

Fish at Ichiban is some of the freshest in town and the low table seating adds a warmth and coziness to the ambiance you don't usually find at sushi restaurants. Ichiban is my second favorite Japanese restaurant after Sakana, but the price point is high for what you get. Two glasses of white wine, an eel avocado roll, and two pieces of yellowtail sushi will set you back about $40. Not to say the fish isn't - indeed - extremely fresh and beautifully sliced, but the overall experience doesn't merit the price tag. Despite the freshness of the fish, the ambiance is just a little too similar to the many other, generic sushi houses around town to earn such a bump in price. read more