I went here for the first time yesterday and really liked it. I got the 2 item dinner bento box. The chicken teriyaki was especially delicious, but everything was very good. The service was exceptional. Both servers were very friendly and attentive. I'm adding this to my regular restaurant rotation! read more

I really, really wanted to like this place - but I will never go back. I wish we'd had the experience others apparently had! Service was horrible....in all fairness, it was crowded when we first got there, but we were still seated right away - which was the only thing I can say was good about this place - oh, and the prices were good, too. But when you don't really like what you're eating, is that still a good deal? Even though things thinned out considerably while we were there, the service still sucked...it took a long, long time for our food to come, and when it did, it was cold. Rolls, tempura rolls and the unagi were all cold, and they got our order wrong by putting the tobiko on the wrong roll. Just not good...all the way around. read more

I have been going to Matsuyama for many years and the staff is very kind and patient. Service is pretty prompt. This is not super fancy food. This is the kind of food a Grandmother from Japan would make you. This is the kind of place you could show up in your PJs and nobody would bat an eye (I have seen a few PJ wearing diners there). Have some miso, get some tempura and relax. read more

My favorite Japanese restaurant going on seventeen years now first at their old location and now at this location. My daughter and I have been eating there since she was born and the food is always always been excellent and the prices are always great for lunch. I've tried other places occasionally sometimes we have to go to the Robata Grill and although we go there sometimes we much prefer Matsuyama when we're in Novato read more

Everytime I come here they remember me. Best, hands down veggie tempura, and star roll ever.

Don't judge a book by it's cover on this restaurant. I've driven by this restaurant for many, many years, but never went inside as it always looked dark and quiet. Strangely enough, there were always many cars parked out front and in the parking lot. I finally decided to give it a shot and was very pleasantly surprised!!! Not only was the price incredible, but the amount of food I was able to get was also fantastic! I love Japanese food, but rarely get it because of the cost. With Matsuyama, I can now enjoy Japanese food more frequently! read more

Went to pick up an order and a saw one of the workers serving salad with her bare hands , not even gloves . That was enough to never ever go back . read more

I love Matsuyama. The sushi is fresh and generous. The staff is super friendly and remembers our order when we come in. I love the Sundrop Roll, Double Hamachi Roll and tempura yam appetizer. read more

This is a really good japanese restaurant. Their food are excellent , such as different kinds of sushi, mixed tempura, beef teriyaki, chicken teriyaki, salmon teriyaki, sukiyaki, udon, ramen, yakitori. Every time when I step into the restaurant, everything, which is on the table of their customers, smells so good. Their sushi also very good. The maki (rolls) is very delicious, the sashimi is fresh. Everything is very good, especially the different types of dressing. I saw some reviews said that the salad dressing is awful and like the McDonald's honey mustard, but the true thing is that the salad dressing is tasty, and it is the special homemade dressing from the chef. All the different types dressing on the food in Matsuyama are handmade by the chef, for example, spicy sauce for the sushi, garlic sauce, teriyaki sauce. Someone said Matsuyama is under new ownership. What I know is that Matsuyama have served in Novato almost 5 years. The same chefs and almost the same servers have served us for a long time. Yes, the old Matsuyama located in San Marin, and the owner was someone else. The owner in Novato Matsuyama used to be the chef of the old Matsuyama, and now he still is a chef of his own restaurant. Someone said there were Japanese men in the old Matsuyama. I am not sure about that, but what I knew is that the old Matsuyama was owned by a Chinese. But, no matter what has changed, the food is still delicious. They also have good service. I celebrated my birthday in this restaurant last year with my family. The servers sang a birthday song to me and said 'happy birthday' to me, and I got a very tasty green tea ice cream from them as a birthday present. I felt so warm and happy. This is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Novato. This place was really good. I highly recommend this place. They have reasonable prices, the prices have never gone up since they opened. Also, I have a good news for everybody, and it is that they have brown rice now. So, let's go to this restaurant to enjoy a wonderful meal !!! read more

Cheap decent sushi and the only place in Novato to get Ramen. Great value.

I eat at Matsuyama fairly regularly. Their sushi is okay, but their entrees are quite good. Also, I really like their gyoza, despite hating it everywhere else, so it is likely very different than other places. But here it's super tasty. The service is quick and the people are friendly. It's definitely worth a try. The best part is the french dressing on the salads, it's so strange and yet tasty, LOL. read more

Food is great! I work close by and we always come here for lunch. Service is slower but they want everyone to have a great experience. Still perfect timing for an hour lunch though. And way better than sushiholic! read more

We really enjoyed Matsuyama for the first time last evening. They were very courteous and polite. The food was fresh & magnificent. Lots of dishes to choose from at reasonable prices. The atmosphere was pleasant and low key. We will surely go back! read more

We had a BIG group-- 20 gals. They were a bit overwhelmed, and service was expectedly slow. Food was excellent though--everyone was happy with their meals. Potstickers were different, as they use a thinner 'skin' than usual, but I liked that. read more

This used to be my favorite sushi in Novato. Last time I was in town, my mom and I had a hankering, so I went and picked it up. It's under new ownership!!! I didn't see the funky Japanese gal who always rocked the side pony smiling as I walked in the door. Nor the slight, sweet looking Japanese man that I'd see if the side pony gal wasn't there. They both worked or owned the original location in San Marin plaza. I was so happy to learn that they re-opened at the Front St. location several years ago. Now, it seems, it is under new ownership. Though friendly, the food was, well, bad. Nothing tasted good or fresh. Just blah. Next time I'm in Novato, I'll make the trek to Take in Ignacio. It's always been a good second to Matsuyama. read more

I got the beef sukiyaki lunch to go, and it was some of the best sukiyaki I've had besides my mom's (my personal gold standard). My previous visits here have always been awesome, and the service is always welcoming and nice. read more

This is my favorite place to get a Bento Box. (chicken teriyaki, rice, vegetable tempura). The sushi here is not good though, but if you're looking for a Bento meal to fill you up for only $12 its a steal. The service is amazing here, the staff always friendly, and the Bento Boxes are reasonably priced. Just stay away from the sushi and you'll be okay. read more

When I lived in Novato, this was my sushi place. I don't typically order rolls and tend to stick to the Nigiri (usually hamachi, ebi, anago, hirame, katsuo, maguro, sake, toro and katsuo) AND NOT ALL AT ONCE; just a list of my typicals! :-P I've never had an issue with the fish not tasting fresh. They have other items on the menu for the non fish lovers. Udon is one of my favorties on a cold day and this is not your typical plain fish stock and noodles; it's jammed packed with yummies- my favorite is the Nabeyaki udon that comes with a poached egg atop chicken, squid, bok choy, broccoli and a side of tempura. It's a lot of food for $13. The donburi is also very good. The last time I was there was for my going away/birthday dinner. I had the udon and a few pieces of nigiri with tons of leftovers the ladies also brought me a scoop of green tea ice cream with a candle in it and sang me happy birthday; very sweet! I'm surprised that others had such negative experiences. read more

I used to eat at Matsuyama all the time, especially for their lunch and dinner combo specials which are really affordable. I always knew that the quality of their sushi wasn't great, but its a good place to get teriyaki, tempura, noodles, etc. About a month and a half ago I went in and was really unimpressed with the sushi I got there--the rainbow roll I got was so skimpy with the sashimi slices on top, and the tuna roll didn't taste great. However, I still thought it was a decent place to go, again because they have good food besides sushi. A few weeks ago I decided to get one of the lunch specials to go, with chicken teriyaki, california roll, and hamachi (yellowtail) roll. I bit into my first piece of hamachi and it was like biting into a tough piece of fat in a steak--it was so bad that I spit it out. I looked at it, and it pretty much was a lumpy piece of fat. When I looked at the other pieces, I noticed that they were equally as bad. I've never been served sushi that was as disgusting as that was, it was completely unedible. I felt like because I was getting my food to-go they felt that they could give me a cut of fish that really should have been thrown out since I wouldnt be there to send it back. I was highly disappointed, and won't be ordering any sushi there again. read more

My Bento box was very good. The miso soup was that is to be expected nothing more. The service here is also very good. My favorite is the temperature shrimp. Very good quality. read more

Why had we not discovered this gem of a restaurant in the 2.5 years since moving to Novato? Having left the East Bay, we'd been mourning our go-to sushi spot. Having not found an AMAZING sushi restaurant after trying the local spots, we just resigned ourselves to the fact that this may be our new normal. Matsuyama changed all of that. We'd driven by them about a million times, and had absolutely no idea that they served sushi. And not just any sushi, PHENOMENAL sushi. Quaint interior... friendly, attentive service... and some of the most delicious sushi our tastebuds have ever experienced. Very reasonably priced, and large rolls... a combo that you don't find often. Our hunt is over. Consider us new regulars. Oh, and if you like to pair your sushi with unagi sauce instead of soy (as I do), they make their own and it's about as close to perfect as you'll find. Wish I could give them more than 5 stars, since they deserve it. read more

They get five stars for the price of food and the friendliness of the waitstaff. This isn't high end sushi. This is good sushi, don't have any money sushi, my kids are dying for Japanese and I don't want to spend an arm and leg sushi. The food is always consistent does not vary either way. Enjoy read more

They have really good bento boxes!! The service is really good, we enjoy eating there at least once a week!!

ZERO STARS! I only marked 1 star because I had to. This was the most horrible restaurant experience I have EVER had, and I am a low maintenance customer. When I politely shared how dissatisfied I was with their "ramen", they basically told me too bad. I didn't eat more than 2 bites and they still made me pay for half of it. I am not looking for a free meal anywhere, but in my 10+ years in the restaurant service industry, we would never treat a customer like this. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR REAL JAPANESE RAMEN, DO NOT COME HERE. I understand that we aren't in Japan, but they all looked authentically Japanese. I guess I am just accustomed to the San Francisco ramen houses who know how to properly execute their dishes. The manager wouldn't even come out and talk to me. The employee REFUSED to go back and talk to him/her after I said it is not okay that you are handling business this way. She said. "That's fine. We have regulars." I got to see some of their regulars about to leave the place as I sat down. Drink enough sake, I guess anything tastes good. I will NEVER be coming here again. And I HIGHLY suggest you dont waste your time or money. What a crappy scene in one of the best days ever. read more

The food here is decent however the service is atrocious. The servers are rude To the extreme that I left a one dollar tip both times I went here. I usually am a 20% to 25% tipper Because I believe service also makes a meal. I would never go here again read more

com'on a sushi place in Novato of all places, this is already a disadvantage. I decided to give it a chance, and well I was right. I think the owners are Chinese trying to sell sushi to all the people of Novato. Be warned the fish in the dishes are like artificial crab and the takeout service is horrible. Go here if you want to eat 'sushi' fast food made of artificial seafood... read more

Very much like grocery store sushi. Not bad, but not what you would expect from a sushi restaurant.

Great little Japanese restaurant. The staff is so nice and the food is great. I ordered a sushi boat special the first time I ate here- this was a great deal! More recently, I had the chicken teriyaki donburi bowl, which was also delicious. read more

First off, I like the is place. It was good. Good Sushi, Good Service, Good Prices. Now for my review. I seriously had to talk my coworker into going to this place with me. When we pulled up to it he said "What THIS place!" He and I have both had often driven by this sort of nondescript, semi-dated looking restaurant that had no resemblance to the hip sushi places of modern day. Heck I wasn't sure if it was even open. It look like 1970s Marin, a back in the day place that hasn't kept up with the times. He made me Yelp it to read the reviews before he went in. Good reviews so in we went. Maybe we're sushi snobs and expect the servers to be in all black and the place to be super hip. The servers weren't and the place wasn't. But the server was really really friendly and helpful and the sushi came very quick and it was very very good. The place was quite too, and did not have those tiny narrow tables for two so close to the next tables, so you couldn't hear yourself think. The place was busy, but never too loud. It was actually very pleasant. I sort feel like I found a little gem of a sushi place here, and would recommend it to anyone. Thumbs Up! read more

This restaurant is decent. The food isn't rave worthy, but the various dishes I have had are all good.

This place has the worst customer service I have ever dealt with. I've had the worst encounters with the short hair older lady aka the "manager." Just so disrespectful to say the least. I go in there one day and ask for utensils and she points to the back and says they're over there, um okay I wasn't aware I had to waitress myself. I go back there months later and try it out again hoping to have a better experience and I got an even worse one. They raised there prices and I simply asked when they made the change because I realized they charged me more than the price on the menu. She goes " yeah we did actually," so I ask when that was and she goes well everything went up in price and if you want to blame someone ask your "mommy and daddy." I was appalled how could the so called manager answer so rudely. And what does she mean ask your mommy and daddy. I have no idea what is wrong with this lady but that's no way to treat a customer no matter what kind of mood you're in. I for sure won't be going back and this place is lucky I gave one star because it deserves none. On top of the horrible customer service their kitchen is filthy. Sushi Holic here I come! read more

Great salad! Udon is fresh! Excellent tempura!

The cheers of Novato Japanese restaurants. Love the food and the prices. They make it easy to return again and again.

I went here on a whim for lunch while doing business in the area and was pleasantly surprised with the food and especially the service and cleanliness of the place. I ordered some rolls and the ramen and thought it was great. The prices aren't bad either and you really get a lot of value for the money. I'd definitely come back again and have already recommended it to my coworkers. read more

Novato's hidden gem. I've been going here for years. Small place, good service, not too loud or crowded. Highly recommend the dragon roll and spicy garlic chicken. They have a good menu for the size of the place, and very well priced. If you're looking for Japanese try this place before anywhere else in town. Very reasonable price for Japanese. Two people could get out the door for about $20 depending on how much they got. I really enjoy getting the 3 item Bento Box to go for lunch. read more

Very good tempura, very crispy. Not too many places can make good tempura. This is the best tempura I tried so far. Just go try and you will agree. Good price on sushi and it tasted good. The main dish I tried was the lamb. It was so tasty that I will ordered again next time. The teriyaki chicken was very good too. They make their own teriyaki sauce. I will definitely go back again. read more

BAD BAD BAD Service. Went there for lunch and had to wait literally 45 minutes for them to bring the food. All we ordered was sushi nothing hard to make. Seriously, wtf I think they went fishing for the damn fish and picked the vegetable from the garden to prepare this long waiting meal. And seriously, who puts iceberg lettuce in a handroll? I've never had lettuce before with sushi (weird). The only reason why I went here was because of the reviews, but I just think people who gives them more than a one star have never eaten real sushi before. I would have been better off getting a handroll at Wholefoods, or Sushi at Safeway, they make it way way way better. But damn though, when it came time for the check they were quick on that. Also, my Co-Workers and I got separate checks, at the beginning the lady established and went over who got what, at the end she screws up the separate checks, wtf? she even said i knew i was going to screw this up...seriously you don't want to hear that crap. Overall, i will NEVER EVER go to this place again. They didn't even offer us tea or anything, and we see them bringing out tea to people who just walked in. HORRIBLE SERVICE AND FOOD! read more