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    Kai Ola Sushi

    4.2 (600 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 week ago

    Order Kai Ola Sushi Takeout or Delivery

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    KAI OLA SUSHI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Kai Ola Sushi

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    Spicy Tuna Roll and Swamis Roll
    Ariana B.

    Popped into Kai Ola after being in the area for an appointment and I'm so glad we did! This sushi was incredibly fresh, tasty, and filling. I was so pleased with the whole meal and I cannot wait to come back. The server was not the friendliest and our water stayed unfilled for a bit but it's no problem. The restaurant itself is a cute small little hole in the wall style. Overall, very good sushi and would come back for that alone.

    Garlic butter Edamame
    Jenn B.

    Tried Kai Ola Sushi for the first time on a date night with my daughter, who had raved about it. And it did not disappoint! We loved the black cod appetizer (incredible, just wish there was more) and the garlic butter edamame, which was some of the best I've ever had - chunks of garlic I happily ate on their own. We got the Moonlight and Swami's rolls. Both were tasty, though the Swami's was a bit too spicy for my 11-year-old. A few small misses...no ginger or wasabi served with the rolls, loose rolls, and parking is tough. But overall, it's bumped Sushi Lounge off as #1 on my list. I'll definitely be back!

    Grandview roll
    Lily S.

    Really delicious!! So fresh!! 11/10 recommend, best spot in town. Glad we finally came in.

    Flaming Ahi Special!!
    Salma Z.

    Get the Flambing Ahi - so Delicious & Spicy! We paired it with the Beacon's roll & it was the perfect Balance! Miche11e is a great server!

    Moonlight Sunset Swamis
    Stephanie L.

    Exceptional service! Delicious rolls! Had the moonlight, swamis, and sunset. All were amazing but I especially loved the sunset. The rolls were huge and I was shocked I finished all three. The waitress was very attentive and really made an enjoyable experience. I highly recommend and will definitely return the next time I'm in the area. Parking is a little tricky. I parked across the street in the dirt by the railroad tracks and had no issues.

    Deliciousness on a plate!

    This place NEVER disappoints. Every thing I have tried has been amazing. Always enjoy sitting at the sushi bar so can get a great view of the food and ask about the rolls that just look good!! Had their summer special tonight and it was so good. Can't wait to see what they put up for their Fall Special.... I've said it before and I will say it again. The BEST sushi in Encinitas!!

    Rainbow Roll and Crunchy roll

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    1 month ago

    Sushi good. Service was mid. I unfortunately had to keep asking for water lol. The food runner was on her A game tho

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    3 months ago

    THE BEST GARLIC EDAMAME!!! We travel from south OC for this and the fresh FRESH spicy scallops handroll.

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    6 months ago

    Did not enjoy the condescension this evening. Poke bowl ok. Expensive. Value proposition terrible.

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    6 months ago

    Food was very good! Not much for ambiance but we enjoyed the meal. Service was attentive. We would recommend and go back.

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    Page 1 of 15

    Kai Ola Sushi Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kai Ola Sushi

    Accepts dogs in outdoor seating?

    Yes

    How is the fish sourced? Any wild caught options?

    Absolutely! Tons of wild-caught Pacific options. Their yellowtail and their toro are consistently… 

    Do they serve beer?

    Yes. I know they have some local craft beers on tap, since that's what I get.

    Do they have gluten free options or tamari?

    Yes! That have Tamari!! And the protein roll is soy paper/cucumber wrap!

    Do they have all you can eat if so how much is it?

    No Kia Ola is not an all you can eat restaurant.

    View All 6 Questions

    Sushi Kuchi

    Sushi Kuchi

    4.0
    (840 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    Boyfriend and I, LOVE sushi kushi !!!!! We come here often and we ALWAYS enjoy our meal and the…read moreatmosphere. Diverse menu options, all good. The owner, I think, is always here and she is SUPER kind and welcoming, and there is always good vibes in the restaurant. Restaurant is always clean inside and outside. Restrooms are always clean and service is always fantastic and fast. The food is super fresh and satisfying. High quality sushi. Great portions for price. They always accommodate us with extra ginger or spicy mayo upon request, free of charge. We experience today birthday here and they go above and beyond to make the moment super special. Music playing , Hawaiian hats , a big show. Great vibes. (Even coming from someone who doesn't like attention drawn to them) This place deserves 5 stars!

    This was my second visit to Sushi Kuchi in Carlsbad, and while the food was once again excellent,…read morethe service unfortunately wasn't on the same level as my first experience. We started with edamame and miso soup, followed by the Pink Roll and my returning favorite, the Vegas Roll. The Pink Roll was fresh and flavorful, with spicy tuna and cucumber topped with salmon, avocado, and spicy mayo. The Vegas Roll was just as good as I remembered, salmon, crab, avocado, and cream cheese, deep-fried and finished with eel sauce and spicy mayo. There's a reason I ordered it again, and recommend it to anyone going. Unfortunately, customer service was noticeably lacking. We honestly couldn't tell you who our server was. Four different employees seated us, took our order, brought the food, and eventually brought water. Nobody checked on us during the meal or asked if we wanted anything to drink. I finally had to flag down a random waitress just to get water, which was never refilled. It was busier than my previous visit, so I understand the staff may have been stretched thin, but the level of customer care definitely slipped on this visit.

    Photos
    Sushi Kuchi
    Lips!!!! Yes
    Lips!!!! Yes
    Sashimi 3 ways.... Woe

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    Sashimi 3 ways.... Woe
    Birdseye Kitchen

    Birdseye Kitchen

    3.7
    (910 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Ignore all the 1-star reviews. If you want something fast on a Friday-Sunday night go to McDonalds…read more There is a reason things can take some time and why they are always packed - ITS GOOD FOOD (and it's a scratch kitchen where everything is prepared fresh). This is some of the best food in north county. Great vibe, indoor, patio and side walk seating. Just a straight up great locally owned and operated business - nothing else to it - Every dish I've had is phenomenal - Pad Se Ew, Chow Mein, Beef Pho, Pineapple Fried Rice with Curry powder is exquisite, bring a date and split a few plates. Or order for pickup and eat it at home. Eating in wait time for food usually like 20-30 mins (order an app, or a drink and chill). Togo orders usually around 45-90 mins. Thanks for all the hard work and incredible food Birdseye staff!! Encinitas loves you.

    I am not sure even this place has so many starts. I get that we came on a busy night so the wait…read morewas expected and we planned for it. We looked at the menu while waiting so we knew what we wanted to order, food and drinks. Once seated, our server went to get us waters. We told them that we were ready to order. He said he'd be right back. So then we wait again. 5mins go by, 10 mins go by. We tried to flag him down but he was busy with other tables. When he came back, he took our drink order and ran off again. We were upset at this point because we told him as we were sitting down that we ready to order. We tried to flag another server and noticed that there were only 3 servers for the entire restaurant. 45 mins in we finally got to place our order. I was really turned off by the service. Their food is good but the service is just awful. Maybe they ought to hire more help.

    Photos
    Too cute
    Too cute
    Beef Pho, and drunken noodle
    Beef Pho, and drunken noodle
    Inside

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    Inside
    Blue Ocean Robata & Sushi Bar

    Blue Ocean Robata & Sushi Bar

    4.2
    (1.8k reviews)
    7.1 mi
    $$

    If I could give 10 stars, I would!!!…read more Blue Ocean is easily our favorite restaurant, and my boyfriend and I make the drive to Carlsbad every single month just to eat here. It's become our favorite date night spot, and after all this time, we've never had a bad experience. Our absolute favorite appetizer is the pork belly skewers. They are seriously unreal--they legit melt in your mouth and are packed with so much flavor. We also love the pork belly bao buns, which are just as delicious. The Brussels sprouts are another must-order. They're hands down the best Brussels sprouts we've ever had, and we can't come here without getting them. We also always order the spicy garlic edamame. The sauce is so good that we actually dip our sushi rolls in the leftover edamame sauce, and it's honestly a game changer. (The pricing is also unbeatable for how good the food is). Every sushi roll we've tried has been incredibly fresh and beautifully made. We always end up ordering way more food than we planned because everything is just that good. For drinks, the Cracked Summer is our go-to cocktail every single visit. It's refreshing, delicious, and pairs perfectly with the food. The atmosphere is perfect for a date night, the staff is always friendly and welcoming, and the quality is consistently amazing every time we visit. Blue Ocean has become more than just a restaurant to us--it's one of our favorite monthly traditions. If you're anywhere near Carlsbad, do yourself a favor and eat here. We recommend it to everyone, and we'll definitely be back next month for another amazing meal.

    Boy does this place pack in a crowd! It was just two of us on Wednesday early evening, but we were…read moreseated immediately; no wait time at all. That was a big plus for us because we were hungry. We were seated at the main dining area but when we requested for a table so we could sit side by side versus across from each other (the room was sooo loud that we couldn't hear each other) the waiter (darned we didn't catch his name) acknowledged and rearranged a table nearby so that we could sit beside each other. Another plus! The place was busy busy and sooo noisy. We were fine with the wait to take our order (about 15 minutes), which gave us enough time to peruse the menu. We ordered the Omasake box with side of sushi rice, Salmon Teriyaki entree with xtra veggies and no rice, a side of Kale salad, and Passion Fruit Cheesecake for dessert. No menu drinks; just water, which came aplenty, as our glasses were never empty while we continually guzzled down our h20 (this summer has been such an excruciatingly hot one) - another plus for this continued h20 service! Now for our order: The Box came immediately, and without hesitation my companion dove in with chopsticks already waiting in hand. I picked on his meal, while waiting for mine. The Salmon entree came about ten minutes later, while I salivatingly and happily endulged myself with its delicious flavor. The Kale salad came quite late (almost like an after thought) as we were almost done with our main orders. The salad had an odor that wasn't quite pleasant - as probably most extremely green veggies do smell when grilled. I liked the taste; my companion did not, as he stated it tasted too bitter. I requested a side of ponzu sauce to tame down the bitterness, and I also ended up tossing some shredded white garnished radish noodles (left over from my companion's box meal) to mix in with the kale salad...hmmm, tasted better, but we eventually requested to have our salad to go. My companion was still hungry after his boxed meal; I was not, but we both agreed not to order anything more, a we awaited the dessert. The cheesecake dessert was the best part of our meal here, as the taste really pleased our still hungry palette. And yet another plus! All in all, the meal was pleasant. A little pricey (over $100) - thank goodness we skipped the drinks, less regular h20. Would we return? Sure. Service was great, and food was pretty good. Just a bit pricey... but then again, most sushi and seafood eateries are. There is plenty of parking and a plethora of other eateries nearby. If ones palette begs to differ from sushi or seafood.

    Photos
    Delux sashimi
    Delux sashimi
    Ishiyaki Hot Stone // sliced premium beef to be cooked at the table on a hot stone grill
    Ishiyaki Hot Stone // sliced premium beef to be cooked at the table on a hot stone grill
    Blue Ocean Robata & Sushi Bar

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    GONZO!

    GONZO!

    4.7
    (1.6k reviews)
    7.1 mi
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Locally owned & operated

    This place was SO delicious and great quality. The workers were super nice and the food was…read moredelectable. The service was excellent even on a friday night the workers are so fast! Arigato gozaimas i had SUCH a good dinner today.

    Gonzo Ramen is literally the best restaurant to ever exist. Their atmosphere offers unique decor,…read morenot to mention they have the best food, and the employees there are really nice. I always enjoy dining there with my family because they have good food that we can all enjoy together. Every year for my birthday I go to Gonzo! I simply love eating at Gonzo. First of all, I can't get over how scrumptious their food is, it is so tasty and packed with flavor. If you stand in line to order, as soon as you sit down you will have already been served. I don't know how Gonzo prepares their meals so fast, yet so delicious. Also the fact that they cook their food fresh daily is crazy to me. I've been to many ramen restaurants and no one compares to Gonzo's. My go to on the menu is the tonkotsu ramen with gyoza and chicken karaage. Gonzo also offers a very unique atmosphere that makes you feel like you're in Japan. They have waving cats, a big banana neon light, posters and a floating ball on top of the water station. The ball is so cool but I am still puzzled on how it works. Their decor can not be matched. They also have a TV that is always playing Anime. You can also sit inside or outside so if you feel like sitting inside, sit inside but if you want to sit outside, sit outside. Gonzo also does not offer reservations so there is always a place to sit. If there is nowhere to sit just get It to go, truly there is no other ramen stop better than Gonzo. Lastly, the people there are super nice, and always check up on you, they are very polite, and they always say your welcome. While you wait, you can enjoy your appetizers until your main meal arrives. Also if you ask them for a free ticket to their store, they will give you one, each member of the family gets one. You can go next door and trade them in for tokens, these tokens can be used to play claw machines so you can win stuff. But what tops that off is that all of the employees are welcoming and happy. Gonzo Ramen is the best restaurant in the world. They offer good food, an amazing atmosphere and the people there are super nice not to mention the location is very conveniently located near my house. I seriously think about Gonzo all the time. Gonzo is that go to place for me and my family.

    Photos
    GONZO!
    Gonzo red (miso based) with extra egg
    Gonzo red (miso based) with extra egg
    GONZO!

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    Tabu Shabu - Carlsbad

    Tabu Shabu - Carlsbad

    4.5
    (435 reviews)
    5.2 mi
    $$$

    I wholeheartedly agree with a lot of the yelpers on here. I got to take the team out for a great…read morelunch here today. It was absolutely amazing. For $25 you get a starter (think edamame, marinated cucumbers, dumplings, etc.), a choice of Chicken, Pork or Beef, and a soft drink. It also includes all the dipping sauces, broth, rice and vegetables. Everyone loved that you could customize it to their own liking and it was just a fun experience cooking together with everyone. Definitely will come back and it was an awesome value at only $25 a person.

    I want to start by saying that I very much enjoyed eating at Tabu Shabu. It's very fair to state…read morethat my three star experience is mostly my own doing more so than the restaurant itself. Our server was fantastic, the setup clean, and the menu was fairly easy to navigate. Where it fell apart for me all came after that. This is not my style of cooking. So many places I've been to, where you cook your own food on a grill or hot plate at your table, you're mainly dealing with thin cuts of meat, salt and pepper, and possibly a dipping sauce. This makes the cooking simple, a quick sear, a light crust on the beef or pork, and the finished product is basic and delicious. Shabu, though ... it's boiled meat. That's not to say that Tabu Shabu isn't good, but unless you're really adept at making soups, it's easy to be completely out of your element. And I can safely say I was a bit over my head at this restaurant. You start with your broth, where I am ashamed to admit that instead of opting for the Tonkostu with its deep and rich fatty flavor, I chose the basic umami of the White Miso. Because of that, I spent most of my meal mistakenly chasing flavors I would normally find in a Ramen Shop. They give you a plate of chopped herbs to add and some basic instructions ... I like garlic, so I added the whole thing, radish sound alright, so add in the whole ball, what was the last thing I put in? They give you a few squeeze bottles of oils with paper labels ... this one makes it more sour, this one makes it more spicy, this one has sesame, and I'm too timid to add enough of any to truly add to the flavor of the broth, so it just keeps that basic umami flavor without being as salty as it should be. Then you have a plate of vegetables to steep in your creation. Cabbage, broccoli, spinach, bok choy, tofu ... all of it serves as a way of soaking up that broth you've made. Other options, like the carrots, mushrooms, and squash, become sweet and tender after taking their turns in the pot. And they're nice as they offer a different flavor other than that umami. And then there's the meat. A wide variety of options ranging from salmon, to chicken, to pork, all the way down to multiple versions of beef. But, all of the meats we ordered seem to differ only in texture after spending some time in that broth. Some fell apart on the tongue, some still had a nice chew, but all shared that umami from the pot, with an aftertaste of beefy flavor before swallowing. After a few initial pieces, I found myself thankful for the dipping sauces to distract me from how boring I had made my broth to be. You also get a choice of rice, which I don't think you really need. You get a choice of noodles, which they give you a good amount where it doesn't fill you up with carbs. And anything left over is readily bagged up to eat at home after the flavors mix together and mature. In the end, it's a very filling and fairly healthy meal. I think it's difficult to not compare this to eating a bowl of Pho or Ramen. All the ingredients are there, just instead of eating it with a spoon, you pull out the individual bits with some chop sticks and pretend you're not eating boiled beef and spinach. If I were a better cook, or had another ten visits worth of practice, Tabu Shabu could easily be 4-5 stars. As it is, though, I think I would rather just go to GONZO and get another chef's creation to be sure of the flavors I want. Regardless, I want to come back here and try again one day. The variety of options and the wait staff alone are enough for me to learn more and expand my Shabu options, as well as recommend this place to others.

    Photos
    Spicy Miso broth and condiments
    Spicy Miso broth and condiments
    Free mochi with Yelp Check in
    Free mochi with Yelp Check in
    Chicken breast and ribeye

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    Chicken breast and ribeye

    Kai Ola Sushi - sushi - Updated August 2026

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