Wow I can't believe I have the privilege to come to my favorite restaurant in the city! Chef's oyster (5/5): Oysters with quail egg and ikura. Wow so much flavor all together. Toro tataki (5/5): I came here to try their new dish and it was mind blowing. The toro is seared with massage and jalapeno. It is also drenched in a sauce similar to like a carpaccio. The smokiness from the sear really elevated the flavor of the tuna. The sauce also added some nice tropical citrus flavors to the dish. Still my favorite sushi spot in the city. read more

Live Sushi Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Happened upon Live Sushi after we finished a SF City Guides Potrero Hill walking tour and so happy we discovered this hidden gem! They have bento lunch specials everyday, even on weekends. 2 items for $19 and 3 items for $24. We each got a 3-item bento and tried the sashimi, mixed tempura, California roll, teriyaki salmon and short ribs. Portions were very generous and sushi tasted fresh. Would love to come back to try their happy hour 5-6pm. Inside is bright and airy and service was really nice and attentive. read more

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Maybe I came on an off day, but service and food quality was disappointing on a Tuesday evening for hh. Regular menu: 49er roll - rice fell apart when I picked it up, making it hard to eat Cucumber roll - rolled with thick cucumbers that threw off the fish to cucumber ratio. hh menu: Gyoza - soggy Sauvignon blanc carafe - we were told it would be 2.5 glasses but barely got two (compared to the sake it was not filled all the way) chicken karaage, tempura roll (small) and sake carafe What made the experience subpar was the service. Our server didn't check up on us and never cleared our plates. Had to flag him down a few times and we had to keep repeating our order. When we asked for a split charge on two cards he came back with one charged card. Didn't offer to help to rectify, just "sorry" (figure it out). For quality of food, prices & service I won't be back. read more

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2.8 / 5 The gyoza wasn't crispy enough for me and the cucumber sashimi roll from the chef's specials was very thick cucumber which felt like a lot with the thick salmon. I did really enjoy the 49er roll with the contrast of the thin lemon slice with the salmon. The karaage was ok but had some dark meat which I don't like. They underfilled our Sauvignon blanc carafe for some reason and service was slow, a lot of our glasses never got cleared. Over $100 tab when the ambiance and quality didn't seem to line up. Won't be back sadly. read more

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Came back again with friends and had to order the chirashi bowl! I would say you get a pretty solid deal. Fresh fish over seasoned rice and even miso soup and a salad to start. You can even upgrade the quality of your fish for I believe $8 more! read more

Live Sushi Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

My favorite roll here was the giants roll along with the spicy scallop handroll. The Hokkaido uni was decent but I was hoping for it to be sweeter. The rolls take a while to come out too. Got 2 more rolls but they tasted the same and you can't really taste the fish due to the unagi sauce. This place is a far trek in the city as eell and overall was a mediocre experience. read more

Live Sushi Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I came here last night for dinner. We ordered the giants roll, Romeo and Juliet roll, and the rainbow roll. I really liked the giants roll! It was very tasty. I wasn't so fond of the other two rolls since they both just taste like unagi sauce and had no distinction. I also got the hotate and toro nigiri. The nigiri here is pretty solid and at a good price point compared to other sushi spots. I got the spicy scallop handroll. I thought that was pretty good as well. I don't think I would come back here, but worth giving it a shot. read more

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Really great spot for a sushi night! I came by with a friend and between the 2 of us we shared an agedashi tofu, ankimo (monkfish liver), the aji tataki (horse mackerel nigiri and sashimi), and fusion combo which came with 2 pieces each of salmon, hamachi, tuna, and unagi along with a dragon roll and rainbow roll. The aji tataki came with the fish bone, making it a fun presentation. The fish itself is a bit fishy but pairs well with the ponzu soy on the side. The staff offered to fry the bone after to munch on but we were full so we passed on that. The agedashi tofu was good as well and nicely crispy on the outside. My favorite had to be the ankimo which was super smooth and velvety with a great briney, buttery flavor. If you haven't tried ankimo before, you must try it here! It was definitely a lot of food for 2, but everything was fresh and we were glad we got to try more of the menu. The service is warm and friendly and the interior is casual but cute enough for date night and we really enjoyed the lively atmosphere! read more

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Came by for a quick happy hour just to give it a try. Available Monday-Thursday from 5-6pm. Honestly a really good offering. California rolls and rock n roll for $5. Rainbow roll and dragon rolls for $11. All of these rolls were really good, especially at this price point. One of the pieces of rainbow roll did have a long fish bone in it though that pricked my mouth. Chicken karaage for $8. Not bad, pretty good for the price. Crispy and juicy. Kuromaguro (bluefin) for $15. Leaner cuts of the tuna. Fresh flavor but probably could have done without this. Atmosphere is cozy and there's table seats + sushi bar seats. Friendly and attentive service. read more

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My husband and I first discovered Live Sushi Bar during COVID when we were living in Mission Bay and leaning hard into delivery. What started as a convenient find quickly turned into one of our go-to sushi spots. Once we finally dined in, it completely solidified its place in our regular rotation. Live Sushi Bar is the sister restaurant to Omakase and you can absolutely taste the quality. The fish has consistently been fresh, clean, and beautifully prepared every single time we've visited. We come here specifically for nigiri. Their Tai Nigiri is our favorite -- lightly seared with this deep, savory umami richness. It's one of those things where we order 1 but seem to always go back for seconds. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the nigiri's. We've consistently had the hotate, hamachi, ama ebi, toro, hamachi belly, ikura - chef's kiss! The uni has also always been incredibly fresh and, honestly, more reasonably priced than many other spots in the city. If you're an uni lover, this is a solid place to indulge without feeling like you just made a questionable financial decision. Service is consistently attentive and welcoming without being overbearing. It's the kind of neighborhood sushi spot you can bring family, friends, or just go on a low-key date night. We've taken multiple people here over the years, and it never disappoints. Reliable, high-quality nigiri and a comfortable atmosphere. It's earned its place as one of our staples! read more

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We came here on a Sunday evening, and there were many tables open! The cuts of fish were not only fresh, but super generous. And our service was great. For the price, this is a really cute spot for a date or a meal! read more

Live Sushi Bar - Miso soup and salad - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Live sushi combination is a great a value @$27, 7 pc night, 4 pc sashimi, and a spicy tuna roll. I got the giants roll and sakura petal roll. The giants roll was good but the sauce was slightly too sweet, overpowering the fish. Has me questioning the quality of the fish, if the fish was super fresh, could I still taste it through the sauce ?? The Sakura petal roll was yummy. I like hamachi, so this one hit the spot for me. I'd still take the sushi combo over both rolls due to variety and value. Service was really good, staff were attentive and checked on the table throughout the night. read more

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Ive been there a couple of times. The sushi wasn't quite the same the latest visit. It fell apart easily. Other than that, it was good. I do like the tempura and the gyoza. The service was good. Prices are decent. I would recommend giving this place a try. read more

Live Sushi Bar - Spider Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We live in the shadow of "Live Sushi Bar" in Potrero Hill neighborhood in San Francisco and its our "go to" place with super fresh Sushi, service & Sapparos! Our son had been traveling to the mid West from his place in Honolulu for the past week and missed Sushi! Of course we had to treat him, his girlfriend and his best friend of nearly 20 years. We were happily greeted and seated with our group of five. Desiree was our very attentive server and was able to handle our very hungry group. Seems like we ordered half the menu 15 rolls including: 2 Bergschneider rolls, a DJ roll, Giants roll, 49ers roll, Caterpillar roll, Cruchy Tuna roll, Sweet Potato roll, California roll, Sake sashimi PC, Tranformer roll. All were Extremely fresh! Incredible presentation. All were very delicious! Of course our younger crowd quickly reduced the rolls to vacant plates! Wow! A tsunami feeding frenzy! We have lived in the neighborhood for nearly 20 years and thrilled we have a world class Sushi restaurant a few blocks from our home. Well worth traveling across The City or up the peninsula to enjoy one of our favorites! read more

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This is your reliable hole in the wall sushi spot. The food was good, fresh and satisfying, but nothing mind blowing or wildly different, though it definitely hit the spot and satisfied my sushi cravings. Many diners also praise the fresh fish and beautiful presentation, especially sashimi and special rolls, and note the friendly, attentive service and chill vibe. Some classic rolls can be average, but overall it's a solid choice for dependable sushi. read more

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Wow!! I highly recommend this hidden gem in Potrero Hill. Cozy interior and great for family meals or date night. High quality fish with very skilled chefs making unique dishes! Chef's Omakase-style Tasting Box (5/5): This was definitely the star of the show!!! A huge box full of luxurious cuts of fish. We're talking sea urchin, amaebi, salmon belly, oyster, and even wagyu! My favorites were the hamachi belly and amaebi... and the toro sashimi always hits of course. I definitely recommend for special occasions! :) A few things that also impressed me were the Uni Scallop, Giants Roll, and the #1 Handroll! Freshly prepared and each item was perfectly balanced. I would order all three of these items again! On a budget, and want a good variety of fish? Try the Live Sushi Combo! It comes with various nigiri, sashimi, and a spicy tuna roll! If you can't drop money on the omakase, this is the way to go!!! read more

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Came here exclusively for their happy hour specials from 5-6:30 PM and had an amazing experience overall. I was seated immediately at the bar, though it felt a bit awkward at first since the sushi chefs didn't acknowledge me at all until I was leaving. That said, the food more than made up for it, so I didn't mind too much. I ordered down the happy hour menu and thoroughly enjoyed every dish. The flavors were simple yet delicious, with excellent prices and satisfying portion sizes. The chicken karaage was lightly battered and perfectly cooked--none of the pieces were dry. The dragon roll was tasty and filling, and the mix tempura was incredibly generous for the price. Pairing everything with a large house hot sake really hit the spot. The restaurant itself is cozy, with a relaxed vibe and music that fits the atmosphere well. There's plenty of free street parking nearby, which is a huge plus. I also noticed nightly specials on the wall that looked intriguing, and based on photos from other diners, they're worth exploring. Next time, I'll definitely try their udon and specialty items of the night. Although the service started off slow, it improved over time with a very kind and attentive lady who took care of me throughout the meal. Even as a solo diner, I felt comfortable and enjoyed myself. Live Sushi Bar has incredible happy hour offerings, and I can't wait to return. read more

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I discovered this restaurant through Blackbird app since they have buy 1 get 1 free roll promotion through the app. When I came at 5pm, I discovered only 3 most expensive rolls qualify for the promo but not the happy hour rolls. I read about the happy hour menu from Yelp acquaintances reviews. Also, the server said I can only get the promo if I dine in even though I was planning to do take out initially. I decided to dine in to get the promo and ordered SFPD and Giants roll. I was surprised SFPD roll is only 7 pieces instead of 8. I was the only one there maybe because it's the day before Thanksgiving. The rolls were yummy especially SFPD, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again without the promo or if I were to come for happy hour since I live in the Richmond district. The happy hour menu does say dine in required, but Blackbird promo didn't say that on the app. They also add 6% SF health care fee. I do appreciate the Blackbird promo (today was the last day of the promo) though to get 2 rolls for the price of 1! read more

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Came here for Happy Hour on a Tuesday night with 2 friends. We were seated immediately, but got busier as the night went on. We ordered a wide variety of items from their Happy Hour menu, and we were pleased with everything that we had: Rainbow Roll (5/5): My personal favorite thing that we ordered, best bang for your buck on the HH menu Dragon Roll (4/5): Solid, nothing special Rock N' Roll (3/5): Mainly ordered because it was cheap, but again nothing special Salmon Sashimi (4/5): Appreciated the large portions Overall, a very solid spot in SF. Can't really go wrong with it. Great vibes inside and fast service. Try it out! read more

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The servers were friendly and prompt. The inside ceiling of the restaurant is unusual. The different sushi rolls tasted similar. The tempura and other appetizers are pretty good, and the overall meal was unremarkable... read more

I absolutely loved my lunch here with girlfriends. The fish was really fresh ( not fishy ) and the rolls had the most wonderful flavors. To be honest, there aren't so many restaurants that I give five stars to in San Francisco unless they're a fine dining experience, but this casual spot has knocked my socks off. Excited to continue to come back here! I am officially making this place one of my places. read more

Live Sushi Bar - Spicy Scallop Hand Roll and Romeo and Juliet Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This place is a hidden gem. It's in a very lowkey area. I'm happy I stumbled upon here during lunch. The fish was fresh, the music they were playing was cool and the service was great. I'll be back! read more

Live Sushi Bar - Salmon Skin Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great prices for SF sushi! The most bang for your buck would be the Aji Tataki (comes with nigiri, sashimi, and the extra fry course at the end) - for the price of this, it makes the whole dinner worth it! I also got the firecracker roll (fried, interesting and new to me!) and the Romeo and Juliet. Both were delicious but I would pass on the karage since it was on the dryer side. I will definitely come back since I'm in the neighborhood and am interested in their happy hour! - sadly I couldn't find a menu IRL to take a picture of for you guys! read more

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Came here yesterday for a neighborhood happy hour & early date night. Our side miso soup and salad came out first and the rest of our plates came out all at once. Faves were the rainbow roll (HH item) and chirashi - both were super tasty and would order again! The rainbow roll was nicely crunchy and balanced. For the chirashi they had both a regular and an upgrade option - we opted for the regular option which was generously portioned and had a variety of fresh high quality fish including scallops. Chicken karaage (another HH item) was good especially with a little lemon drizzle but I would swap it for another roll next time. We also shared the nabeyaki udon since we wanted hot broth to beat the cold weather. Overall this spot is super cozy and quiet with ample seating. Happy hour is budget friendly and some of their special items might be nice for a splurge. Will definitely be back and I would love to try more of their creative fish options next time- I have my eye on the chef's omakase style tasting box! read more

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This place has cute interior and a chill vibe to it. The food was delicious and the service was great. Amity was very helpful and was able to give great recommendations. The giants roll was so good that we ordered another one! Would definitely come back. read more

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The food was amazing and the service was great to add on. This place was recommended by our friends and it did not disappoint! Would come back again. read more

Live Sushi Bar - Giants Roll (in front) and Bergschneider Roll (in back) - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Tried Live Sushi for the first time today and it was fabulous! I ordered chicken karaage and the portion size was perfect! I love my karaage and needed more of the spicy mayo! Then I ordered the Firecracker roll and it was a good time. It wasn't as spicy as the name implies, but it did catch up to me by the end. While I enjoyed it, I think I'll try another roll next time. When I looked at the menu online, I didn't see any hot sake, so I was happy to see it on the menu when I arrived. I know hot sake isn't fancy, but I like the warmth when I have sushi. The service was lovely. I was greeted and seated immediately. Everyone was friendly and attentive. The restaurant is exactly like the photos online. It looks "sushi" which is important. The place was clean and organized. I was a little cold and almost asked them to close a window, but then grilled food came out and it was a little smokey, so then I understood. I like the tiled wall with the blue fish. It's a statement without shoving it in your face. All in all, I had a good experience and will come back. Covid ended a lot of sushi restaurants, so it's nice this place is still here. I recommend trying it out if you haven't already! read more

Live Sushi Bar - Cute plates! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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called ahead a few weeks ago during weekday lunch hour to confirm they would take a payment style and that they had openings for lunch. they confirmed yes for both. showed up half an hour later and the restaurant was closed for a "private lunch event" that they didn't mention over the phone. was annoyed but tried again last week since i was in the area. pretty good quality fish though i did find a bone in one of the rolls. can't speak to ambiance since i didn't dine in. read more

Live Sushi Bar - Romeo and Juliet Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cute Sushi shop interior. We ordered the lovers sushi for $70. The sushi is great but we did felt like the amount was not worth the price. The service was also great. All the waiters were super sweet read more

Came here during lunch, pretty affordable bento box for $20 with nigiri and short rib. Short rib and sushi were delicious! read more

Live Sushi Bar - Nigiri + Short Rib Teriyaki Bento box - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've DoorDash'd from Live Sushi way too many times. I finally came in for dinner. FYI: the bento boxes that are on DoorDash are NOT available for dine-in. What We Ordered: + Sushi Party; 5/5 + Ankimo Shiso; 5/5 The two guys were hungry, but I eat like a bird, so I joined them on the Sushi Party combo. 18 pieces of sashimi, 12 pieces of nigiri, California roll, avocado roll, and spicy tuna roll. Perfect for our party of 3. We left stuffed! You can also opt to upgrade your selections of fish. Highly recommend for a nominal price. Side Note: I highly recommend the bento boxes on DoorDash, whether it be the 2 or 3 item. I love their beef teriyaki and short ribs. read more

Live Sushi Bar - aug 20, 2024 - sushi party (upgraded to deluxe cuts), highly recommend; 5/5 - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've celebrated two graduation dinners with my family at Live Sushi recently, and both times the food hit the spot! The first time, they didn't let us do one big table of 14, but the second time we were able to. I think it depends on which manager you are able to get on the phone. With a big group, they require that you pre-order most of your items but you can obviously add more on once you are there. You are allowed to bring 3 of your own bottles, so we had 2 white wines and a sake. The service is always really good and everything came out at a good pace. Among the starters, I liked the short rib, ankimo, and tako sunomono. The rolls we got were all really good, including the chef roll, DJ roll, and the transformer roll. We also got the 16-pc chef sashimi selection and the fusion combo and everything was very fresh and the cuts were not too thin. I loved the amaebi (nigiri and fried heads) and the scallop (nigiri and fried pieces) the most, followed by the chutoro and yellowtail. We added on uni nigiri at the end, and it was topped generously with fresh and sweet pieces of uni. Overall, it was such a fun dinner here and we were so glad we could celebrate with a big group. There's a reason my family has been coming here since I was a kid! read more

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Ordered takeout and it was really tasty! I think we got some kind of sashimi and nigiri sampler and all the fish was delicious. I really like how they don't skimp on wasabi and ginger. We also got a couple of crunchy rolls that were yoms but my fave was definitely the sashimi and nigiri. Would for sure order again! The miso soup, edamame, and wakame salad were all good too but nothing spectacular. read more

San Francisco's best kept sushi secret where flavor meets affordability at a casual sushi bar. Service was great and every dish I had here was under $30, with my favorite being the chirashi bowl and live sushi combination. The Chirashi bowl is a vibrant arrangement of 13 thick cuts of fresh sashimi atop sushi rice, and is a feast for the eyes and palate. The Live Sushi Combination is a symphony of flavors and textures, showcasing 6 deluxe nigiris, 4 cuts of sashimi and 6 spicy tuna rolls. #1 Handroll, a true gem of the menu, is an indulgence worth savoring. The creamy uni and quail egg, with seared salmon skin, nestled within a crisp seaweed cone, is a burst of textures and complex flavors. The Albacore Tataki, lightly seared white tuna seasoned to perfection, melts in your mouth with a burst of umami goodness from the sauce. The Crab Napoleon, a delicate construction of crab meat, avocado, and tobiko, is a testament to the chef's artistry. From the freshness of the ingredients to being able to watch the chefs prepare each dish infront of me, it was truly a dining experience that showed sushi can be both affordable and delicious! read more

Live Sushi Bar - #1 Hand Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Nice little spot. Parking was a plus. Everything we had was great. Chef choice sashimi was good. Price was just right. read more

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Fish was nice and fresh, got my lunch order quickly. Will be back for more quality food here!

This is a relatively nondescript Japanese sushi restaurant with no frills. We've eaten here a couple times and have done takeout several times. It's been a success every time in that the chirashi bowl is so soft, juicy, and fresh. I got the chef's special chiarshi bowl for the first time, and all the sashimi pieces melted in my life. I highly recommend this place, especially due to the freshness of the fish! read more

Food: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5 Value: 4/5 Ambiance: Casual-nice, cute ambiance Ordered the chicken karaage, DJ roll, Romeo & Juliet roll, mini scallop burger, and hamachi kama. All items were very flavorful, the menu is extensive and has many options for sushi and entree items. In relation to other similar priced 4-5 star sushi restaurants in SF, I'd say it's very comparable in price, freshness and taste. Aesthetically, the rolls look great and have great presentation. Would come back again! read more

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Food: - I cannot believe such a fresh fish joint is walking distance from me! - the fish quality is similar to what we have received from Japan. I do not say this lightly - our friends swore by the chirashi bowl, so we got the seasonal chirashi. So many of the cuts melted in our mouth and was so fatty in the best way possible - for 4 people, we gor 4 chirashi bowls and 1 sushi roll. The chirashi bowls come with soup and salad, so we left extra full! Service: - not really what you're paying for, we had to flag down our waiter after 30 min to take our order Ambiance: - cute small restaurant, feels like you've gone away to a different place outside of sf read more

Live Sushi Bar - Seasonal Chirashi Combination - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We ordered the Crazy Monkey Roll ($12), Chicken Karaage ($12) and Live Sushi Combo ($27). The Live Sushi Combo is good value for the price. There is even an option for the Live Sushi Combo and Chirashi to upgrade to more premium fish for an additional $8. The restaurant was pretty empty during our visit on a Sunday evening so we were able to get seated right away without a reservation. The decor is cute and nautical and there is lots of natural light. The servers are also friendly. I will be back to try some of their unique appetizers! read more

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