I went there with a co-worker for lunch. The setting was nice. Parking was acceptable. Wait time was not a problem. Food was good, but not great. To be fair, I had the ramen because I had Sushi at a different place the night before. The ramen was just okay. The soy eggs had a hard middle (not creamy or soft), the shrimps were very small and limp. The pork and broth were both very good. I am not sure I would go back again for the food.... read more

Excellent sushi -- extensive and creative menu with friendly attentive service. I loved the "Moonlight", light veggie tempura and a chef's special with blue fun and inoki mushrooms -- I mean REALLY?!? I won't be happy with sushi at any other place! And it's a 10 minutes walk from my house! Set me up a weekly table! read more

Kai Ola Sushi - Who else gives you an Orchid with your blue fin?! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Terrible service for tourists! They seem to only cater to locals that they know, or large parties.

Best sushi in Encinitas. Tiny restaurant, recommend having reservation before showing up. Great service!

Kai Ola is our favorite sushi restaurant -- before, during and after the coronavirus. We love the food! The service is excellent. The vibe is all right and for us it's Leucadia, delicious, relaxed & friendly, We highly recommend one of the people that works there because the whole culture of Kai Ola is "KAZ" because he is the most courteous, professional and competent restaurant employee that we know. Arigatou Gozaimasu! read more

This place is alright, the inside looks like they never really finished it sort of construction like. They didn't have some of the specials on the board and the wait to get any food at first was like 20 mins or more. Once we got the salads they were crisp and fresh, but both were very similar to each other. The fish was fresh but very mediocre and the roll was over stuffed with too much rice. read more

Kai Ola Sushi - Seaweed salad - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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The Chef made me a vegetarian roll and then deep fried it, this place is a gem!! My daughter doesn't eat fish, and she ate her entire chicken plate, my husband had real sushi and raved about it, we will back for sure! read more

The restaurant is small so I thought it would be a gem of a place. I pass this place every single day on my commute or morning run. We finally decided to try it out. Customer service was friendly. Unfortunately, the food was unimpressive. For the prices, I expected better quality. The menu looks creative and the font suggests the prices are justified. But we found the raw fish to be okay. Raw fish tasted fresh, but nothing spectacular. The rolls had too much rice. So I will not mention specific ones because I don't recommend any. Due to the prices and lack of good food, we do not plan on visiting this restaurant again. read more

Tierra (hope we spelled that correctly) was our server and we had a wonderful experience. The support staff was so friendly. Got to talk To some of the chefs too which was so fun. Lucille is the absolutely best! Our meal was so tasty, we will be dining here again :) read more

Wonderful service, great quality sashimi ( large portions) and good rolls We will be back again read more

Kai Ola Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Food is fresh. That is the best part. The restaurant is a small so it's stuffed on busy nights. Can feel cramped. But the food is pretty delicious. Moonlight is the absolute best roll I've had. read more

Cute spot but pretty expensive for basic sushi. They craft their rolls well but I don't think the flavor justified the price.

Great little sushi spot! A little pricey imo, but you pay for the quality. Make reservation or call ahead as it's usually pretty packed. Service can be a little slow when they're busy, so be ready to take your time. read more

Fantastic sushi on the Hwy 101 in Encinitas/Leucadia. Great service, reasonable prices and excellent quality food. Small place which adds to the authenticity of a Japanese sushi restaurant. read more

Kai Ola Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

Always a great time at Kai Ola Sishi, staff are fun & friendly. Sushi is amazing and saki is oh soo smooth. Love this spot when I have a craving for yummy sushi read more

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Best sushi I have had in San Diego! Amazing fresh fish! Matthew, the sushi chef, was friendly and extremely knowledgeable.

Mediocre food. Beer price is great. Green is good. Sushi prices... ??? No thanks. Walked in- no wait. Had to ask if someone could take our order because we waited so long for someone to pay attention to us in our table. read more

We live in Carlsbad and I have driven past Kai Ola thousands of times but never stopped in. This week we finally tried it and the 5 star rating above says it all. Everything is awesome. I have lived in Japan and Hawaii and I feel the sushi is on par with the best of those locales. But let me start with the vibe: Small, busy and vibrant. Lots of people and lots of fun and good energy. When we walked up three different people offered to seat us within seconds. That's rare! Server was Everett who acted like he was the owner with his personal touch and energy. I would say this place had the best team work of any restaurant I have seen. The only place I have seen even close is Campfire. All the staff work together to make you feel attended to and happy. I counted 5 chefs up front, at least 4-5 servers, bussers, etc. all working a small number of tables. It was amazing to watch. Definitely want to return soon! Kai Ola is a hidden gem. read more

Unfortunately we had a very bad experience from the start ! I called ahead and made reservations in advance ! Once we arrived the staff told us they have no table for us inside and we can only sit outside or by the bar ! Considering the 47 degrees of outside temp and no heater that wasn't going to work for us ! This is called bad customer service! We walked away ! If you can't keep a table for your guest then perhaps don't make them any reservations! read more

Super yummy! We got the Hamachi Kama, Sweet & Spicy edamame, shrimp tempura, sashimi, a roll and uni. Everything was excellent. And our poor server was working by himself but still provided great service! We will definitely be coming back!! read more

Kai Ola Sushi - Grandview Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

So I researched this place for a long time and have been really looking forward coming here and I tried there Omakase. I have had this in many respectable sushi Restaurants to this review and caliber before. And I have to sadly report this was the biggest ripoff and joke I think I have ever seen. I waited for nearly 40mins to get one plate of five selections of cut fish and some Salmon roe thrown on a plate. I had two people sit down next to me at the sushi bar order and finish their meal before I even got a plate. The case in point this is not a real sushi restaurant, it's a fun surf side slop house. read more

Found this place by chance on a stay in San Diego on way home to Hawaii. Lane was an awesome host! read more

This is going to be one of my new go-tos whenever we're in the Encinitas area. The fish was super fresh, the people were really nice and it has an awesome laid back vibe. We got a little bit of everything (edamame, tuna sampler, poke bowl, teriyaki chicken and salmon), and we finished it all!! Also, because they are a newer restaurant they gave us all samples of a couple of the drinks that they make fresh, the cucumber lime drink was really good...on the fence with the watermelon black tea. read more

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I am so happy to see this place succeed! I had the pleasure of sitting down with the owner following a laundromat encounter. We happen to both sit down for sushi at a new place and we got to chatting. He was telling me about his place he was opening but faced so many obstacles. At that time. I was goi f through my own hell. He had caring insight and positivity, speaking of his family and their risk of many thing to allow him this dream. Well I ordered out due to Covid and was nothing short of amazed! The flavors were a masterpiece! I will continue to support my local establishments and pray the workers remain safe and the owners remain open. I don't recall your name. But thank you for being brave and following your dreams. Food is one of the many traces of Art. Cheers to your success #Stayinyurlane read more

Friendly wait staff. They are happy Poke bowl was disappointingly bland Same with chicken katsu My chicken came out first. I was almost done eating and was able to ask the waitress for my partners poke bowl. It was sitting up on the counter $11 for 2 pcs of sushi. Too much It was Monday evening and the place was full. read more

Favorite sushi in town- always super fresh. Their specials are alway on point. For some reason, there's always a table of assholes here that need to chill out read more

Amazing little place with really great sushi and unique rolls! My 8 year old tried the saimin and loved it. We also had chicken Katsu, poke bowl and the Grand View roll, all reasonably priced for lunch. Super delicious; I didn't want to stop eating. The little details like special ginger dipping sauce and light potato salad sides really stood out from other restaurants. The watermelon green tea was a perfect balance and very refreshing. The environment is warm and I loved the slightly higher seating options. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. If you are near Encinitas I'd recommend seeking this place out. read more

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My husband and I went for the first time tonight for dinner and absolutely loved it! We got 2 sushi rolls ( Grandview and Beacons) and one nigiri roll. The fish was very fresh and everything tasted great! Everyone who works there is so nice and welcoming. It's a perfect addition to leucadia because it has a very family-like vibe to it. We can't wait to go back read more

Kai Ola Sushi - Beacons Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Incredible sushi, good music, fun place. We had a special hot ginger roll, swami roll and beacon roll. All so good. Good service too!

If you want sushi ... go to Kai Ola! So good and fresh. Rolls to recommend: The Moonlight, The Sunset, and The Kook. All of the fish is delightful, and the space is so cute and welcoming with a surf/Hawaiian vibe. I take every opportunity I can get to come here for dinner. read more

Debating between 3 and 4 stars, but going with a 4 because I have high hopes that their rolls will improve and that they will get their beer/wine license. As for my experience last night, lets start with The Good: The "Good" (all worth ordering again): Jalapeno Bomb -- like a Jalapeno popper, but much much better! This was my favorite dish. Hangover [large soup bowl] -- like a cross between a wor wonton soup bowl and a ramen bowl, but much less salty. Very filling, and it seemed way healthier than the aforementioned (less salty than wor wonton, and less fatty than ramen). Really enjoyed it, but would have liked it more if it would have come with a bottle of sriracha sauce on the side to give it some kick. Spicy Scallop handroll sans rice -- tasted very fresh, and it melted in my mouth. The "Needs Improvement": Their rolls pale in comparison to Encinitas Sushi Lounge (IMHO). We had two of them...the first has lots of potential, the second didn't agree with us at all. The Moonlight: This roll seemed to contain a set of ingredients that should mix well together, but the very small cuts of kanpachi failed to provide the proper balance of flavors and textures. In some bites the jalapeno overwhelmed the fish, and in other bites the rice overwhelmed the fish. I think this roll has the ability to be excellent, but it needs larger cuts of kanpachi to reach its potential. As it stands, it is lacking......and at $16 a roll, it really deserves more kanpachi. The Grandview: It looked nice, and maybe that is where the name came from, but we didn't enjoy this one. We would not order it again. Other: I asked for their cold Sake list only to find out that they don't yet have a beer and wine license. I was told they expect to get their license in February. Until then, maybe you can bring in your own flask......as for us, we were relegated to water with our sushi. It did save us money, but I was disappointed not to have a good cold Sake with my sushi. Our server was extremely friendly, as were the chefs. As Arnold said, "I'll be back." read more

Fresh, excellent quality fish that doesn't compare to anything in town. The ahi was so beautifuly red and delicious that my non-sushi eating girlfriend was tempted to try. Very impressed with our 3 visits so far. House infused teas are great, the rolls are great, and the rainbow poke bowl looked beautiful. I prefer sashimi and they really save the best cuts for that, so worth it. Just need some good sake to go with great sushi and all is well in sunny Leucadia. read more

Kai Ola Sushi - Delicious nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

Fantastic sushi! So fresh . The menu has a wide selection of entrees also. So happy to have it close enough to walk to ,this is my go to sushi place. read more

OVERPRICED!!! Sushi was mostly RICE, but LESS and SMALL and THIN fish meat. Servers DO NOT WEAR masks. And even if they do, they pull it down when they talk. Venue is cramped and small, so you're like sardines. No spacing between tables. Also servers can be impatient with customers who are selecting items on the menu if you don't know what you want right away. Loud music plus yelling staff! Ayayay! The sushi pieces were SMALL, and pricey! They don't even have "ocean views" so I don't know the hype with high prices! Take it from a sushi veteran here. read more

WTF happened? This place has gotten worse with each passing year. I arrived at the otherwise auspicious time of 4:20pm on a Thursday. The restaurant was empty. No one in sight but the staff killing flies with an electric flyswatter. I placed an order for a roll within the first five minutes of sitting. And then I waited 23 minutes. To get one roll. By the time it arrives I'm hangry but it doesn't look like what I thought I ordered so after a waiting a few minutes for the server to come to me she doesn't. So I get up and it turns and the server and I had a miscommunication about what was in the roll so I order another. And I wait another 20 minutes. I see two small to go orders leave the place but still no other customers. I sat outside sipping my water, swatting away flies and trying not to breathe when the classic cars choked out my air with gasoline. (The flies and the exhaust from cars is not the restaurant's fault, of course, but ugh.) My roll finally arrives missing the avocado and the masago. Once again my server does not approach the table to see if my food is ok so once again I get up and go inside. The sushi chef asks me if I need help and we discuss that he forgot to put avocado on my sunset roll. (Apparently masago isn't gluten free so he omitted that so fine.) (I googled it and I'm not sure if it is or isn't but it depends on what it's packaged in.) He asks me if I want the avocado on the side. Ummmm no, I don't. So he offers to remake the roll. (Yes please it's a twenty dollar roll you can remake it correctly.) And of course... I wait another almost twenty god damned minutes. I considered leaving the table altogether and just throwing a twenty on it for what I already ate but I stuck it out. No one offered to refill my water. No one brought me so much as a complimentary shot of sake. I ate my roll which was fine but not great and also falling apart at the bottom so pretty messy to try to eat and again I waited for someone to ask me if I wanted the check. Nope. I got up and walked inside and asked for it. When checking out my only option was to tip the 15% or above which I thought was BS. This place is packed all the time and I have no idea how they keep up since I spent one hour waiting for two rolls. Just no. Nope. read more

Average food at best. Overpriced for what it is. Server was v distracted and got order wrong even though we were only ones in restaurant. Wouldn't recommend when there are so many other sushi places around. read more

Best sushi I have had in a long time. Service is excellent and friendly. Going back tomorrow.

Matthew is at the helm now and he is a creative and talented chef. He is also a thoughtful and lovely person. He created a sushi roll based on some of my favorite flavors (salmon, mango, cilantro and jalapeno). He also served up some beautifully fresh local yellowfin nigiri-syle. I left Kai Ola feeling like I finally found my local place for sushi. Thank you, Matthew. read more

Kai Ola Sushi - Custom roll with salmon, mango, cilantro, jalapeno and ponzu. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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We'd go back to the place and fly out just for This place! Our server was excellent. He gave us the best recs, was super tolerant of the 3 kids we had, and took care of us. I would not ask for more! Every single dish was amazing. Ambiance was casual. Parking was prob the hardest part of the trip there! read more

Super disappointed with this place. The waitress didn't speak clear English and messed up my order. I repeated it multiple times to make it clear. I asked her to split our bill, and she brought out one bill, making the situation very uncomfortable. We also had to physically get up to get our waitress' attention , as she left us outside and didn't check on us. For such a pricey place, it was an awful experience. Food was not even that great . Will not be returning. read more