My best friend and I came here last Friday night after checking into our hotel a few blocks away. We needed a weekend getaway although we only live 45 minutes away in San Jose. The front desk associate at the JW Marriott recommended Ryoko's as a good late night sushi spot so we headed there and almost missed the entrance! Once inside, we waited about 5-10 minutes before being seated. Our server was pretty good but I admittedly don't expect TOO much out of busy spots like this. We ordered the Volcano Roll out of curiosity and the fried California Roll (it might be a different name). Both rolls were great, if a tiny bit small for the price. Our cold sake was nice and smooth and got us plenty buzzed! We also got an order of sake (salmon) nigiri and uni, both of which were fresh and flavorful. Lastly, we decided to try their oysters and had 2 each (they only charge $1.90 per piece) and we were pleasantly surprised at the wonderful taste and size of the oysters. On top of that, we got complimentary edamame when we were first seated. Sorry, this review is all over the place but if I'm in the city, I would definitely go out of my way to come back here again! read more

While visiting the beautiful city of San Francisco we stumbled across this joint. Being night owls, we arrived a little past midnight and felt no rush to order or to eat. This was great because after eating everything we had ordered we re-ordered, the sushi is just that good! Everyone raves about the volcano rolls, and yes it's good, but explore the menu. Any choice here is a right choice. At $2 you can order an oyster shot and cheer with your mates, guaranteed freshness. The fact that this sushi restaurant is in the heart of SF I expected nothing but the best, and that's exactly what I got. Sushi meets hipsters. The ambience was upbeat and the music was bumping. They had a dj spinning records but the music wasn't loud, I was able to chat with my table without having to yell into their ears. San Fran locals, I envy you all. Best sushi I have ever had! read more

Ryoko's is a great place to grab dinner in the city. The entrance is a little hard to get into but once you get seated they had a live DJ playing so the place gave me a great vibe. I ordered the cheese wontons and teriyaki chicken both of which were really good. read more

This is hands down my favorite sushi restaurant in the bay area! The sushi is fantastic and very reasonably priced. (Try the checkerboard and volcano rolls... they're the best!). The staff is very friendly and quick once you have a table. If something is running slowly, they let you know and check on you (they dont just leave you sitting with no idea of whats happening). While they have traditional rolls, they also have very creative rolls (which I love). The volcano roll that I mentioned has both penut butter and jalapeño! On top of the great sushi and staff, the atmosphere is very fun and unique. It is kind of quirky, in a good way... but im not even sure how to describe it... you'll just have to see for yourself! The only downside... this place is so awesome, you should usually expect a wait. Unless you go very early, there are always people waiting on the stairs/outside. The good news is... the quick service helps to move people along and open tables up relatively quickly... so put your name on the clip board and go have a drink at Owl Tree... just remember to keep checking in because they wont call you. read more

Burp into a pink balloon and smear lipstick on it. I dated the human equivalent of that. Anyways, i got this place from my female confraternite like that scene in romancing the stone where Michael Douglas snatches a ruby from the belly of an alligator. subterranean by design (~pm dawn), you step past some hanging Noren curtains and down a long, narrow-boarded flight of stairs into an indigo whalebelly of a restaurant, greeted by a smiling staff, softly buzzing diners and... overbearing gym music? it feels hip and out of touch at the same time, just like the piano that sits inexplicably in the middle of the restaurant - it's presumably to class up the joint, but they top it with a bowl of dum-dum lollipops that wouldn't be out of place in a Supercuts. It all manages to be amusing more than detracting. they're not traditionalist. one of my favorite rolls may have been designed by a 12 year old: peanut butter, jalepenos, GI Joe legs. otherwise, hot sake, edamame and "jumping tuna" should start you off well, and if the owner (the only older chef) is there, you should sit at the bar and ask him to invent something new while you oggle his daughter at the other end. she's the guy with the ponytail. give it a tug. the only downer is that the crowd can be iffy, given that tendernob people seem to be broke & half-backwashed versions of marina crowds sometimes. but you'll probably be too engrossed in the food to notice. read more

One of ,if not the best meals of my life... this place is authentic has really really good food and is reasonably priced. 100 recommended--it is not fancy and it's perfect. read more

This place is THE scene for hipsters on a Friday night. Very small, good DJ, a kooky old lady (Ryoko) who will kick people out if she doesn't like the look of 'em. But best of all is the rock 'n roll sushi chef, with like 1000 metal bracelets that make lot's of noise when he prepares food. OK, the sushi: good, but not great, you are going for the low prices and the cool atmosphere. read more

Best place for sushi! Servers are so cool!!!! Short walk from The Hilton. Been there for 38+ years

If you come here, add contingency time. I've been here twice and the service has been very slow. They have a variety of sushi, which I've found ok. Cool blue club ambiance. Open late. read more

After a night of boozing it up at Bourbon and Branch and looking for a place for dinner and you already had Indian food for lunch this is a great place to go. I have actually been going here for many years especially when I lived 4 blocks up. It is large room. Great for groups. Fun and lively music. Friendly waitstaff. Best to sit at the bar and/ order the chef specials. I was impressed that they had Aji ( my fav spanish mackeral) However, they would not fry up the skeleton for me like Shin does at Sushi Bistro. Overall fantastic experience. Perfect place to dine after 1 st Thursdays. read more

Did I give this place four stars? No, I meant to give it one. That's right, don't go! Back off! There are too many people waiting on the steps for a table as it is! Seriously, these guys are great. The sushi chefs are very friendly and, importantly, thoroughly Japanese. The selection is not stunning, but everything is of very high quality. I often finish a meal with ikanatto (I won't tell you what it is, because it may gross you out.) It was topped with the most perfect, orange raw egg yolk I ever did see. Last visit, I went with a group of eight, and they put us in one of the private rooms in back. Loved that room! It made me feel like a rock star. read more

Everything was AMAZING. I will definitely be returning when we are in SF. They had a DJ in there food was great the service was great! The food came out fast. Drinks are good and the prices you can't beat. Only downfall was that we waited for a while it was so packed. I would suggest reserving your spot on Yelp. We didn't know they had that. Definitely worth the wait! read more

In the past years, nothing has drawn me to the Tenderloin past sundown. Despite it's appetizing name, the sheltered little Asian girl inside of me has prevented me from venturing it's seedy streets once the stars are out. But tonight, that all changed thanks to Ryoko. Because of Ryoko, I might even consider moving to the Tenderloin. I don't know their reservation policy, all I know is is that they told my boyfriend they don't do them (despite what Yelp says). They open at 6. We got there at 6:25 and it was already at 90% capacity. It's set up in an old house, so quarters are tight, ceilings are low and the music is loud. Luckily we were just a party of 2 and got to sit at the bar. The beginning of our meal here started off HORRIBLY. We sat there for 20 minutes, completely unacknowledged. The sushi chefs gave us the customary nod upon sitting down, but they were so swamped that they just kept their heads down and hands going. Since we sat there unacknowledged for so long, I noticed my napkin was already used. Gross. Finally a lady instructed our waiter to actually pay attention to us, and while we were ordering we were interrupted THREE TIMES but other servers. The intrusive servers didn't even apologize for being so rude-- they literally stepped in between us and our waiter and started talking to him. I really couldn't believe it. I decided right then and there that service there sucks. They are nice people but incredibly oblivious, like many of my Asian peeps, when it comes to customs regarding interrupting conversations. The saving grace of Ryoko is the food. OH. MY. GOD. The fish is stupid fresh. It's like the sushi chefs (who are actually very nice and social when the incoming tickets start slowing down) went out into the marina and sang the fish to sleep only to slaughter them later for my culinary pleasure. They have a menu, but they also have a white board informing you what fish they have fresh from Japan. Unfortunately, the 'good things come to those who wait' bullshit holds true here, because we waited a solid 30 minutes for our food. Prepare to wait longer if you get anything baked or fried, as there are only 3 sushi chefs who do all of the prep and work involved in the sushi. We decided on the sashimi dinner ($30.25), chu toro/fatty tuna (2 ps/$13), white tuna toro (2pc/$6.95). Both the nigiri MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. I couldn't even handle it. I nearly fainted. It was THAT good. The fat content would make even Paula Deen swear. The sashimi dinner was INCREDIBLY fresh, I was even stoked about the tuna, which normally doesn't tickle my pickle all that much. We were also drunk by this time thanks to the large Sapporo ($6) and large hot sake ($7) so I was on cloud freaking nine. We ordered an additional dinner of another large Sapporo and sake, Ryoko's Roll ($15--special roll), shima aji (2 pc/$9.30) and hamachi toro (2 pc/$9). I didn't know you could go beyond heaven but apparently ou can. The shima was firm and reminded me of hamachi, and the hamachi toro was nothing short of orgasmic. The Ryoko's roll had cucumber and pickled daikon on the inside, fatty tuna and red onions on the outside. SHUT. UP. YES. I think I've found my new favorite sushi spot in The Bay. Next time I will be lining up at 5:30 to secure my spot in this hidden gem. Oh and they're open until 2 AM so you know where you can find me until then. read more

Ryoko's - Shima aji and hamachi toro - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The sushi itself is pretty decent, wasn't overly impressed compared to what all the five star reviews were calling out. I would say it is on par for the price they are charging. $15 for a pitcher of Asahi was the best bargain for the evening by far. The interior is pretty unique for SF. Very dim, underground with lounge music playing in the background. Had more of NY feeling than anything else. Lots of couples there on dates dressed like they were going out afterwards, which is a nice change from the typical dressed-down attire of most every other place in the city. The waiting list is a royal pain tho. Having to get there and wait for 45 minutes before you want to eat is annoying enough, but then after seeing people that showed up after us being seated already we went to check. They told us they had called our party twice already, even tho we had been waiting in the restaurant next to the hostess. The food was good, but not something I'd want to wait through their seating process again for. read more

Restaurant in the basement of a building. Nice security guard who opens the door to everyone coming in and out. Servers are nice & efficient. Rolls are on the small side. Sushi was typical, nothing special. The only issue is I didn't know how much I paid when I swipe my card, suggested tips started at 18% on their tablet, no receipt was offer or given. read more

The customer service at Ryoko's is something you just have to experience to believe. And the food?? Out of this world. I highly recommend.

Ryoko is easy to miss. It's located at the corner before you enter Le Colonial...and you do have to descend down some stairs...but when you do..get ready to taste the freshest sashimi/sushi ever in the town of San Francisco. Also, sit at the sushi bar, you'll get to see the chef in action. (he's young, energetic and plays the guitar on his days off) Weekends are busy as heck but if you go on a slow day (ie: Monday and Tuesday) you'll be able to taste some of his best work. The daily specials are also a great start because most of the fish is imported from Japan. This place is just plain amazing...you've got to try it. read more

Best sushi and sake bombs in town. The flying unagi roll is like an orgasm. Its better than an orgasm. I want to go there now. Their food is the best. An additional bonus, they have a great atmosphere and don't mind very loud and drunk people. And they are open late! AND they are reasonably priced. I fucking love this place. read more

Reviews are correct. You will wait 45 mins but it's worth it. The only weird part is there is no waiting room so people stand on the stairs watching you eat. Music was popping. Servers are running everywhere. It appears they are understaffed as the hostess is also a server for like half of the room too. Recommend the Volcano roll-peanut butter works! Pokémon wasn't as flavorful as I imagined. Other rolls were ok: jumping tuna and Alaskan. Jumping tuna is fried and served with a spicy sauce. Would recommend for the experience though. read more

The only reason my gf and I went here was because it was one of the few sushi places open this late on a Tuesday. There was a nice vibe when you walk in, very friendly staff. there was about a 20 min wait ( for 11pm Tuesday) , so I'm thinking, " dam must be popping and lockin in here then". And then.... No. disappointment was had. Okay, to be as unbiased as possible, there was 3 sushi chefs working and 4-5 servers waiting on roughly 30 people. We had to wait 40 minutes until we finally got our first plate - two piece sake sashimi.... lolwut? It did look like there were a few regulars there who may have gotten preferred treatment, but I duno. All of the problems with wait times, i can understand if the place is busy. that can't be helped. But what also was misleading was the actual prices of the sushi. most of the signature rolls were 7-15 dollars, which I thought was pretty standard. but snap, the portions were tinnnyyyy (5 regular size pieces). This place was def not going up on a Tuesday. If you place more value into a trendy dinner atmosphere and nice vibe, check this place out. If you are looking for more bang for your buck, I recommend somewhere else. Food Presentation: 2/5 Taste: 3/5 Price: 2/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 read more

Insane. Word. Sit at the bar counter, if you can. Thoroughly impressed, regardless of the wait....at any hour of the evening. The BEST presentations, flavors. Satisfied beyond belief. read more

Horrible. First of all, the wait was ridiculously long partially due to the inefficiency of the staffing. The host was not attending and very disorganized. Several tables opened up for at least 20 minutes but she was busy chatting with people on the other table instead of sitting people waiting in the queue outside. Second, the food was below average. The fish and uni are very fresh but the rice was disproportionately small, far from being authentic. And the price was not cheap given the quality. Uni nigiri was 15 dollars per pair in a very small size. There are so many good sushi restaurants in the inner Richmond or the Mission that offers far more authentic food at a cheaper price than this. Do not understand why this place was rated 4 stars by over 1.5k reviewers, maybe because it outopens other restaurants till 2am? Sigh. Disappointed. read more

A friend and his business partner were in town and asked about sushi near his union square hotel. I love in a different part of town, so I wasn't sure what to recommend. I used Yelp and filtered for at least 4 stars in Union Square, and this was was of the top 2 choices. Literally a hole in the wall, looks and feels like a dive bar, the sushi was super tasty, service was excellent, and pricing, well I have no idea, my buddy's business partner picked up the check. We had unagi from Japan, and it was like a foie gras melting in my mouth. The sake and beer was good. Will certainly go back/recommend it to others. read more

Can't believe this place has 4 stars. If you are an experienced sushi goer, don't go here. Fish quality was blah. This was the first time that I sat at the bar and was not allowed to order sushi at the bar! What's up with this place?! I felt disrespected. After an hour of disappointing dish after disappointing dish, I ended up paying $160 for myself!!!! I couldn't have been more disappointed. 4 stars? Nope. The 2 I gave you was a bit much. read more

Good place for a quick bite or light hang out, but not for an actual meal. Can you imagine spending $40 on sushi and still not be filled? Sake was just okay read more

Probably the best Japanese food in a basement dive bar setting. If you're looking for very good sushi in a bar with a DJ setting, and not pretentious in the traditional sense, this is perfect. + Fresh seafood + Good service (for a bar setting) + Nice vibe - missed in a few details - presentation is ok For both negatives it's not their schtick so it works! read more

If you can't get in, try again. Worth the wait. Great casual-style sushi. Noisy, bustling atmosphere. Not a fancy kaiseki type sushi place. Hamachi negi roll was delicious. Spicy scallop roll terrific. Perfect Sapporo beer on tap. Only BIG complaint was they didn't offer oshibori. It waould be nice to clean your hands before (and during) the meal without having to find the bathroom. read more

Rainbow roll was great! Wonderful selection of fish and quality too. The rolls just melted in my mouth. I had the miso soup which was pretty salty so I ended up not really drinking it because I kept needing water. Their deep fried rolls are decent, personally not a fan but they do come out fresh and hot so be careful taking that first bite! read more

Spent some time in San Fran and managed to drop by this pleasant surprise. It was recommended by a friend, and we decided to try it out. Located right on Taylor St. you walk down a steep flight of stairs to get to the hostess stand (it wasn't that bad, it was actually a nice unique touch to the ambiance)---just watch your step. As soon as you enter, the entire staff shouts...I'm assuming welcome or hello in Japanese (I'm assuming). The tables were all taken, so we decided to take two seats at the bar. We chose a perfect time to arrive before the dinner rush, because once 7pm hit, the place was packed and people were actually sitting on the stairs. Now to the food.....the sushi was up to par, and very fresh. We ordered an array of...tuna, eel, salmon roe, and more tuna---all delicious. I pretty much judge a sushi restaurant on their soup and tuna. You'd be surprised how many restaurants ruin simple miso soup. I digress....the tuna was good. So enjoy, watch for the stairs, and order some sake with your meal. read more

I'm no sushi connoisseur by any means but I know what I like. And yes this place looks like an unassuming hole in the wall. But interestingly enough it was packed when we walked in. Apparently this little hole in the wall in not a well kept secret. We ordered two rolls one of course with Unagi pouring out on all sides. YUMMY! And the other had this soybean wrap with mango, lettuce and salmon. It was really fresh and different. Like I said I'm no connoisseur but I'm getting better! We got edamame on the house and the sake was oh so necessary so I had a good time. I would definitely go back if i was in a pinch and needed to eat late. Its always a good idea to find your late night sushi spots. read more

Once again awesome food saves day for poor service. Non-ethnic waiters in SF, you fucking suck as always. After 3 years of dining in SF I'm always underwhelmed. If the food wasn't so damn good to back you up no one would eat out. BTW the Japanesse wait staff rocks. All the white guys/ girls that work there should go work at the Spagetti factory. Please stop working at ethnic restaurants. Great sushi, great ambience, great location, free lolli's after you finish yer meal. read more

This place is like a rave meets sushi bar. We came here the Thursday before Halloween and it was popping. I pretty much have nothing good to say about this place. The service was Horrible, it took forever to get our food. My man's chicken teriyaki came out before my sushi and it was COLD. My sushi tasted like it had raw jalapenos in it. Almost inedible. When we tried to modify our order, asking for only broccoli in the tempura, the waitress told us the cook was too busy and couldn't change anything. On top of all that, the music was so loud we had to scream to hear each other across the table - and listen to our neighbors conversation as well as they were only 7 inches away. Ya, not going back here =( read more

Kept it pretty basic with the edamame, chef's choice sashimi dinner platter (which comes with miso soup), rainbow and pokeman rolls, and of course some warm sake. Pokeman roll was salmon, mango, avocado, in soy paper. Definitely worth trying. Beware the rainbow roll which is twenty bucks, still good though. There is tempura ice cream for those who like to finish it off with something sweet. Place can get packed really quick, so plan accordingly. Parking is difficult so better to walk or take a cab. read more

Arrived at 8:30pm reservations. Seated at 8:40pm. Ordered at 8:50pm. Food arrived at 10:10pm. WTF?!? Not worth going there if I have to wait that long for my food. read more

A warm welcome when you come in and fond farewell when you leave. It's what any Japanese place should be in my book. I was pleasantly surprised to find this little gem tucked away just a few blocks from Union Square. More credit to Yelp for finding great places I may never go to otherwise. I booked a spot for 9 people and they were very good about getting us to our table in the back of the restaurant. I'm usually a fan of places with windows, but with Ryoko's being in the basement of a building, I had to make do with the mood lighting in the place, which I actually got used to by the end of my visit. In terms of the food they have here, it was great. Everything I had was fresh and I think the biggest test was that I had some first time sushi eaters with me and in this critical juncture in their lives, I got a tasty nod of approval from all of them at the end of the night. Success! Their selection is great here, they have a crazy variety of rolls here, some experimental, but everything still seems to work. And my favorite part is that the prices are extremely reasonably, I think our bill came out to about 10/15 a person and we were all satisfied with what we got. Come late and enjoy the DJ as well! The music is again another nice touch for this overall great place. read more

My favorite sushi place ever. At first I thought it was a weird vibe, painted dark blue inside, pumping music, but it's just fun. They have some areas in the back where you can fit a pretty large group of people for bithdays or whatever, we had somewhere around 15 once, brought a cake, and everything. There's some roll with peanut butter in it that I always think of when I think of Ryokos. Delicious. Get that one. read more

Trek up a hill... Check Man peeing on side of Ryoko's.. Check Walk into Ryoko's and get a warm Japanese welcome... Check Interesting place with a (baby) grand piano with a LARGE skull on top of it. Food was great. The Japanese saba just melts in your mouth. Fish was super fresh with different types of rolls that I have not seen in other Japanese spots. Fun atmosphere. Loud music. Great service. read more

I guess i set myself up for this. I had passed by this place for a couple years. I had always been against waiting in lines but i do love sushi. I waited forever then finally decided to try the place a couple months ago. I guess It just couldn't live up to the expectations. This place is always crowded. It opens around 6pm and stays open late. You should be able to get a seat after 10pm or before 7pm but that is about it. If you are coming with a group larger than two prepare to wait. You are greeted by the entire staff when you enter but after that it seems like you become just a number. This place is crowded and it is a very small basement area. You will be right next to your neighbor and intimately in their conversation. I was able to get a table without waiting in line but I can't imagine waiting over an hour to get into this place. They are so busy no one stays with you long enough to ask questions and you are rushed to get the next group of people into your seat. The other part is the actual sushi itself. There was nothing to write home about. i ordered several of the basic rolls and I have had better at many places in SF. I just don't understand why this one is so popular and every seems to want to go here. I would never recommend friends to go here especially if you want a lot of sushi because you will be paying an arm and a leg. It is a decent sushi spot but that is really all it is. I don't understand the hype but if you feel like going through the motions for decent sushi then this will be worth it. Otherwise just do a quick search of sushi in north beach and thank me later. read more

I cannot say enough amazing things about this place. We are from the east coast and stumbled across Ryoko's about three years ago. It was amazing then and we've been talking about "that sushi place" since. The fish is extremely fresh. The atmosphere is funky and trendy without trying to be. Hamachi sashimi was amazing and the few rolls we tried were all delicious . Don't let the wait deter you! read more

I can't see myself coming back here, unless I get a raise. I really think this place is overpriced and the portions are small, BUT the food is exceptionally fresh. Despite some comments about bad service, I have to defend the restaurant on that one. Service was impeccable, they were so attentive that I thought I was in an Asian country. That's how good the service is. If your glass was half empty, they fill it. If they've seen you made a mess with the saki bombs, they come running with napkins. I had about 3-4 appetizers shared with my group of 5 and shared one roll, and uni nigiri pieces. I seriously had less than 10 bites during that whole meal and I ended up paying $42. Definitely not worth filling my belly, and ended up hurting my wallet. However, if you have the funds, and you want some FRESH sushi and want to witness true customer service, then this the place to be. read more