Great service, polite staff, huge portions. Its a small, family-run business right off of Capitola.

5 stars sushi & services the best! One wish, can we have the rice bowl like this from another sushi restaurant? read more

Naka Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Capitola, California

Walked in after 8 pm and got a table immediately. Server was quick to bring menus. Food came quickly after ordering. First miso soup, then green tea, and finally the rolls: tempura eggplant and "naka #1" tuna, salmon, krab (?) cucumber and avocado. The rolls were fat four pieces instead of long eight pieces typically served at other restaurants. The roll pieces are so large that one must use fingers--the menu encourages one to do so. The fish pieces were sashimi sized so I chose to use chopsticks to deconstruct the roll. I experienced the distinct flavors more intensely that way. The room was not too loud for conversation with my partner with only nine diners. read more

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I am not a sushi lover but I am now. An intimate casual environment that's unexpected from the outside. The service was cute and friendly and the food came out beautiful and timely. These are only some of the things tried. But I would go back again for the grilled eel (not pictures) it was DIVINE! read more

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Fish was very fresh and fine. Service was polite and efficient. Not cheap, but worth it and portions are large. Excellent, will certainly be back. read more

This is the best sushi in the world, bar none. As a person who loves to complain, I've been to Naka many times and can tell you that I am unable to complain! The sashimi is glorious, cuts of fish are exquisite and fresh. The presentation is aesthetically beautiful. The service is always friendly. Hours of operation are somewhat limited, but that should not discourage you from going, in fact, it should be an intentional destination that you make time to enjoy. read more

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We had takoyaki, spider roll and Chirashi dinner set ( comes with salad and miso soup). Best sushi I have had outside of Japan. The fish is so fresh and the seasoning of the rice is just right. Service is exceptional as well. The restaurant is located in a strip mall. Free parking. Price wise- about $20 for a roll and $50 for set dinner. Portion is huge. There are also origami ( Japanese folding art) available at the entrance if you would like as a souvenier ( so pretty. The owner's wife even give us an extra one) Highly recommend. read more

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Sushi had little flavor. The ingredients weren't fresh. Service was good. Won't be back.

The chef refused to give us unagi sauce. Also the poor kid serving us was terrified to ask the chef for the unagi sauce. I've never been to a place that serves sushi that's this big. If you like sushi like that and you don't need unagi sauce go for it but it's insane that they straight up say no to giving you sauce. I also would like to add that the fish is farm fish which is gmo af and there charging so much for it. At least serve wild fish for that price. I'm not a rookie sushi eater I eat sushi multiple times a week from Rumble Fish in SV but was in Capitola and a friend recommended this place. But she hadn't been here in 3-4 years since she moved away. She was super disappointed in her favorite appetizer which is fried chicken. She also said that the rolls never used to be this big when she came. read more

Naka Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Capitola, California

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This is only restaurant in Santa Cruz I would give 5 stars. Fresh big fish cuts, consistent and delicious. read more

Excellent sushi, excellent service, in a wonderful environment. *Enormous* portions, so plan ahead! But you can expect high-quality fish combined with experienced preparation and presentation. It's a small place with a small staff. You will have the most enjoyment if you can go with the flow of things. This review is based on ~10 visits. read more

I got the Chirashi sushi. While the sashimi that it came with was excellent, the servings weren't very big. However the quality was excellent. I was not a fan of the egg and rice. They were deliberately vague when I asked what the difference was in the amount of fish served between the sashimi plate and the Chirashi plate, which was weird and not appreciated - their response was "people seem to like both", which in retrospect was rude and disregarding - they can do better. My cup of water was dirty when I was first served. The chef is literally an online troll who comes on here to respond to customer reviews in a berating manner. It's embarrassing for them. The waiters were good and attentive. read more

My boyfriend and I were visiting Capitola and decided to try Naka Sushi--and we're so glad we did! We ordered the spicy hamachi roll and futomaki, and both were excellent. The rolls are definitely generous in size (two rolls were enough for 2 of us) and the quality was super fresh. You can really taste the care in each bite. It's a small, family-owned spot with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The servers were friendly and attentive, which made the experience even better. We'll absolutely be back next time we're in town! read more

This place is hands down the best sushi in Santa Cruz county! Don't miss out! Naka rules!!

Service was great until I got my food and there was 2 pieces of hair inside of my sushi roll. Didn't ask for a remake just sent the food back, but they made it anyways and charged us for it as the sushi chef cussed us out said "you annoying piece of shit" so on and so forth. Paid $85 for a meal nobody ate and got cussed out. All because of a service mistake and unhygienic food preparation methods. read more

While the kids ate ramen from next door, the adults ordered from here as we were craving Japanese food. While it's a little pricier the food here is worth every penny. Super fresh high quality sushi and also generous cut We got - hotate scallop nigiri - Hokkaido scallops $9 - hamachi yellowtail nigiri - huge! See photo -$11.50 - hamachi collar $16.99 - dinner salad - very fresh with ginger dressing on the side - size of rice - we even love the rice. So fluffy Definitely plan to be back if we are in Santa Cruz again. They only had take out since this is still COVID time so glad our hotel was across the street at Fairfield inn. read more

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Naka Sushi serves the finest fish in town. I had the salmon sashimi appetizer and it was soooo good, we agreed that we could've just ordered a few more and made it a meal. The unagi nigiri was delicious and glad we ordered 2 pair. The uni, Ikura with quail egg, and maguro were so so tasty. The show stopper was the daily special, toro nigiri and it was so good I squeed myself. If you like toro, you already have an idea of what I'm talking about. Imagine toro wearing a cape whipping in the wind. Yes. We went on a Friday night at 6pm and were seated right away. Service was quick and attentive. Easy casual vibe with happy diners all around. read more

The sushi here is incredibly fresh and authentic. Some of the rolls are larger than usual, but they're delicious. The service was excellent! My only issue is that a $20+ roll only includes four pieces. Although they are sizable, I would prefer more bite-sized portions. read more

I've had some good food here but also questionable interactions.I've had take out from here 5 or 6 times . They warn you the rolls are large and as others mention almost impractical. So I usually deconstruct them or order hand rolls. Knowing this I usually enjoy this place and its solid for the area. I think sometimes their large portions cause the customer to receive large sinewy pieces that have horrible mouth feel. No one wants to chew a piece of tuna for minutes and still have it be intact. I alerted them to this and they basically told me I was crazy. I might be but I've eaten a lot of sushi and usually a section like that won't make it into a plate. The place has been there forever, is small and often crazy busy where they won't take phone orders. read more

Naka Sushi - Very chewy tuna. - Japanese Near Me - Capitola, California

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This was one of my worst dining experiences ever. Shameful and so embarrassing for the employees. I have seen other so-called "chefs" throw tantrums at their employees, but not from the sushi bar in the middle of the restaurant. This was because I had to send back a simple roll I had ordered gluten-free but arrived covered in tobiko. Shameful is the only way I can describe the way the drunken owner/"chef" screamed on and on, in Japanese, at my poor server - with the rest of the staff cowering while all the customers watched uncomfortably. He refused to remake the roll. We paid for the sashimi and sake, have our condolences to the server and left for good. The fish may be fresh but there is no excuse for verbally abusing staff. read more

Hands down the best sushi that you are going to find here in Santa Cruz and Capitola! But it does come at a price. Having lived in Japan and always searching for the best sushi wherever I go, it is safe to say that I've finally found my spot here in this small town. Run by what seems to be a small Japanese family, Naka is a no-frills Japanese restaurant that does what it does best, and that is serving up some really good portions of fresh sushi. My friend and I came here towards closing and ordered three sets of nigiri for each of us, and shared their Ebi Fry Curry. The nigiri come at a stepper price than normal (ranging from $7 - $11) and our curry was around $21, but for good reason. The nigiri here is massive and at least four mouthfuls worth of sushi in my opinion. Don't come here expecting to eat those fancy American maki rolls, because the true core of Naka is with their amazingly fresh fish. Sake nigiri was delightful and mouthwatering delicious. I also really loved their hamachi and ika, which was some of the best I've had in the States. As for the curry, while quite pricy, the quality of the rice and curry itself was definitely reminiscent of what I'm used to enjoying in Japan. The ebi fry itself seemed to just come out of a package so it isn't anything special. I'd stick with just the sushi next time. Thank you Naka Sushi for an incredibly high-end sushi meal. I definitely hope to return back as a "treat myself" kind of meal. read more

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For multiple years now I have taken my Japanese father here when I visit to celebrate his birthday. Tonight was his 89th birthday. I wish I could go back in time and pick a different spot. As much as I'd like to go into great detail of all the issues we experienced, I'll make this as succinct as I can. The owners do not care about your experience, just your money. The chef yelled at us in Japanese (not kind words) not realizing we had Japanese speakers in our group. This happened twice. At the start of our dining, we asked for our group of 5 to not be squeezed into a 4-top when the restaurant was not even a quarter full. They would not accommodate us. At the end of the evening when we commented on this, the server said "you can't expect to have half our our restaurant." This was after they sat multiple parties of 2 at 4-tops as at multiple times during the evening. At no point was the restaurant ever at capacity. After we asked for the bill, they told us a mandatory gratuity would be added to our bill (for 5 people). This was not conveyed ahead of time, nor printed on their menu (not that we wouldn't tip, but it's ridiculous to say this after they knew we were not happy with our experience). This gratuity was added TO OUR CREDIT CARD RECEIPT AS A MANUAL WRITE IN ON THE TIP LINE, not as a line-item on our itemized receipt. It was also made after tax--which is not how it should even be done. I was not allowed to keep a copy of the itemized receipt. When I brought it up to the server, she directed us to the owner who pretended to not speak English. I gave up attempting to explain the situation as it was clearly pointless and a waste of my party's time despite the principle of the situation. As we left the restaurant, the chef said "thank you" in English, then once again yelled at us in Japanese, still not realizing we had Japanese speakers in the group. My recommendation is to stay away. read more

Hi guys!!! Naka sushi is open for dinning!! Will be happy to see you all and watch some sumo and have great food and sake!!! Cheers!!! read more

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Still love this place. If you haven't tried, their Chicken Kara age curry is amazing. Best sushi in town by far.

My kiddo LOVES the sumo wrestling on tv here and wants me to take them back here to eat sushi and watch more matches. I love the toasted sesame seeds on the outside of some of their rolls. I'm not a big sushi person, but I liked my roll, and the kids with me liked theirs. We also liked the edamame and miso soup. The only tricky thing was calling in the order by phone. The connection wasn't very good and it was hard to know if the person on the other line understood/heard me, and vice versa. Not a huge problem, but makes me want to just go eat in person when I can. The folks working there seemed nice, and the atmosphere inside was very warm and relaxed, almost family-like. Will definitely go again and see if the kids like the gyoza, and I'll check out some of the not-sushi options. read more

Please explain to me why sushi rolls need to be this large. Extremely unpleasant eating vibes. Sushi is NOT FINGER FOOD. Bye bye!

Excellent food!!! Just finished having dinner at Naka Sushi and the food and service is fantastic. I have been going to Naka Sushi since 1992 and I have never been disappointed by their service or their food. Unquestionably, Naka Sushi it is the BEST restaurant in Santa Cruz County. read more

Came here a few days ago and have been drafting and re-drafting this review because while everything came out correct, the food here was shocking. Prior to going, my man and I scoured yelp and felt like this restaurant would be the pick to get a steamy night going. Boy were we wrong. Though we had a steamy night regardless, this food did NOT get the juices flowing, if you know what I mean. Many of the yelp reviews either rave or complain about the size of the rolls here. Let me tell you, as someone who absolutely does believe size matters, there is still a limit. The contents of each roll were spilling out of the ends and it was impossible to get my mouth around it... and I pride myself on having an abnormally large mouth. We were warned about the portion sizes here and did not listen. Proceed with caution. Service was great though, the lady was lovely! read more

Great value and atmosphere! High quality sushi and my daughter asks to go eat more often than I say "yes"!!!

Went here tonight for the first time and was completely blown away. After looking all over SF, San Jose, and Santa Cruz for good Japanese food this place wins by miles. Growing up in Hawaii spoiled me with great Japanese food, izakayas, and sushi, but this place is the best I've been to on the mainland. After reading through their yelp page after dining here, I also really appreciate that they don't put up with people's bullshit. Great sense of humor and integrity to boot read more

Wow! On the menu there is a warning that the nigiri is big and they do not joke around! GINORMOUS pieces of fish ...the pictures really do not do it any justice. Fish tasted really fresh, but the thing that stood out for me was the unagi. They make everything to order and so the unagi had this amazing char to it that added both flavor and texture. Best unagi I have ever had and it's a customer favorite for a reason! My server Belinda was wonderful! She was really attentive and checked up on me to make sure everything was ok. When I walked in I didn't know what to get but she guided me through the menu and suggested me some things to try. Great experience! I've been the sushi restaurants that are really dirty but this is one of the cleanest! Can tell that sanitation is a top priority! I believe they even clean/wipe their menus. What I ordered: Unagi Nigiri----must get!! Yellowtail Nigiri Spicy Salmon roll read more

the freshest sushi in Santa Cruz! delicious and generous portions I highly recommend Naka Sushi! the unagi is out of this world!!! read more

Updating my review because apparently the business owner auto defaults to a defensive, base, fists up approach and speaks in daft, condescending metaphors that is not conducive to progressiveness or improvements. As a business owner, you should be mature enough to open yourself up to feedback and take accountability and ownership. I, along with many of my fellow Yelpers, have sometimes shared less than wonderful experiences at other businesses. Getting less than a rave review is part and parcel of owning one. The true marker of one's character is how you choose to handle critiques, and apparently, you consciously pick the low road based on how you respond to other low star Yelp reviews. Unfortunately, I've learned age does not always positively correlate with class and/or tact. Learn to be humble, gracious, and take your weak points in stride - it will elevate and take you much farther than where you are now. EDIT: Adding a screenshot of the owner's pitiful lash out here. What an incredibly new low to stoop to to imply someone will not be living long on earth. Masao, I've attached a screenshot of your original reply to my OP, as you've since edited as well. Also, telling someone to go elsewhere when they've already committed to never return is a redundancy. You're not adding any value by pretending you have the upper hand. It just really goes to show how much you don't. read more

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Best traditional sushi I've had in Santa Cruz - the hamachi was especially good. Portions were large (huge slices of fish on the nigiri). Quaint environment where one would feel comfortable dressed up or down. Kind service as well! read more

Excellent sushi in Santa Cruz...only place that has real Japanese sushi. But one big BUT! The lady (maybe wife of owner?) is awful. No customer service period. She acts as if she does not want to be there. It's quick quick hurry hurry get out get out!!!! ASAP!!! They didn't even care that we notified that their business was Door Dash even though they never set their system in there. Terrible owners. Terrible attitude. I only order from here when I really really really want sushi. But I would never order if it was on a daily whim. Just her attitude it's soooooo awful. They should be thankful that their sushi is good. If not, they would never survive. Trust me. read more

Very authentic sushi/ nigiri! I've had my fair share of sashimi. The Japanese couple who run this shop works real hard to produce quality Japanese food. Ran into this gem by accident. If I lived nearby, this would be my to go place for great sushi! Their sashimi slices are great quality and huge! The fish itself without soy sauce, just their authentic wasabi hits the spot! Prices are great! And the best part, they use real Japanese wasabi and real Japanese sushi rice! That's a rare combo. read more

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Fish quality is on point. I used to live around Santa Cruz but moved to LA a few years ago. Visited again recently and I was surprised there was an Asian restaurant around this location with food quality this good! It's Japanese owned, instead of the usual Korean owners you often see. It's not going to be Nobu, but everything from the sushi to the cooked, kitchen food was solid enough for this location to be a regular spot. (For context, I absolutely cannot do AYCE anything.) Tuna is usually a good indicator of quality at a sushi joint, and Naka uses real Toro - not the bland pink-dye lookin' fish used at cheaper sushi spots. Hamachi sashimi was buttery, slightly firm at first, then gradually melted into my mouth, all trademarks of good hamachi. OH and the nigiri pieces were HUUGEE. Might seem counter intuitive for a real sushi spot but I sure as hell appreciated it! Hamachi kama can be dry at some locations, but it was flaky, tender, and juicy here. And the sauce.... hoooo boiiiii, the yuzu they add into the sauce gave it just the right enough zest and zing to cut through the fattier kama portion. 2 issues with our visit that I don't think would be a common occurance: they were out of a lot of the fish, and half of our orders were forgotten. The restaurant was packed (all the tables came at once) and there was only 1 waitress, so I can see how that might happen. All in all, I don't think there is a better spot to get Japanese style sushi in this area. read more

Just called to do takeout. Lady said "sorry we only do dine in no takeout" and then hung up on me. Maybe need a lesson in customer service? Gonna throw Sushi Garden my business. read more

Best sushi spot in town! Naka & Kioko are both amazingly friendly & always in good spirits no matter how busy they get. I grew up making sushi at 13, just 37 years ago & totally love the quality that Naka brings to the table. Price can be an Issue for many when it comes to sushi, but if you are looking for best quality in town, the price is always meets the quality that Naka provides! Hope you get a chance to enjoy the best of Santa Cruz @ Nakaz!!!! read more

I searched high and low for the best places to eat near SC on Reddit. We found Naka was recommended as best sushi place and boy, it did not disappoint. The sushi is FRESH. The fish melts in your mouth. This is not your average sushi place, the rolls are big and it is a judgement free zone when using your hands to shove it all in your mouth. I really wish we had a place like this back home. I may have to make several trips out here just for Naka. The waiter/waitress was super tentative and we will be back for sure. Amazing quality. Thank you for the experience! read more

Naka Sushi - Naka's #1 - Japanese Near Me - Capitola, California