Definitely a hole in the wall! Was in town for the weekends and found this sushi place. We waitlisted via Yelp around 7:10 pm and arrived at 7:30 pm. Upon entering, the place is small and it was packed as expected. We then checked in and waited. Was seated by around 8:00 pm. The menu had a variety of selections of sashimi and rolls, as well as alcohol. We ordered hamachi otoro (fatty yellowtail), otoro (fatty tuna), sweet shrimp, fried mackerel, hot tail roll, and spicy golden gate roll. The otoro were delish! They were rich and melt in your mouth. Second time I had this and boy I love it! The fried mackerel and the rolls were yummy as well. I would definitely recommend this place with two thumbs up! Fresh and scrumptious read more

Ryoko's - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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TL;DR - Perfect after a concert at the Masonic This place is open late (until midnight, with the kitchen closing around 11:30pm) on a weeknight. It's the perfect stop if you're parking around the area for a concert at Masonic (which by the way you should find because they are way cheaper than event parking at Masonic). There was no wait when we got there, with plenty of small seats (2-seaters or 4-seaters, and even bar seating). They had live music on a Monday night, and a bouncer at the entrance. We had a great time eating here, their menu is extensive and has fun twists. Like they have a yellow tail roll that's spicy! From what I saw, their menu uses imitation crab, but if you're ok with that, then there are great choices here. We found ourselves surprised that the prices were extremely reasonable for SF! But it may be because this is a great tourist stop, but don't let that fool you, the food was very delicious. Big Mama: By the time we got there, they didn't have the egg, but this roll was very delicious and flavorful! Highly recommend. Crunchy Crab: Get this - wow, the batter on this was FANTASTIC. I loved it! Salmon nigiri: Buttery soft salmon. YUM! Umeshiso: We love shiso, it has such a refreshing taste. I totally love this palette cleanser. Onigiri: For $4... this is great as an appetizer. Really salty, but I don't mind. I got the salmon. I totally recommend this place. We'll come back after another concert again. read more

Ryoko's - Sides menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Food is delicious. I liked everything we got (the sashimi dinner, grilled squid, and fresh oysters). They are busy!! The place is a bit dark/stranger than my personal taste and the music could use some slowing down...but good experience (better food than anything else) and would recommend! read more

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Man this place was busy!! We joined the waitlist on yelp and luckily we only had to wait 10 min. We got seated and the vibes were so fun! Upbeat music, fun place to talk and catch up with some friends. We got a roll, some nigiri, adegashi tofu and a few other things... but my favorite was the adegashi tofu!! So flavorful, with little mushrooms. The sushi was good, it isn't your typical sushi roll sport, and it was fresh and tasty! read more

Ryoko's - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've come here a handful of times with my boyfriend, all during late night hours. Really convenient to have a decent sushi spot open until 2am. It sorta feels like Japan in here-- walking down into the establishment, how it gets packed and the tables are close together, tiny bathroom, etc. They also have a dj, which is always fun. It can get loud though. Service is usually great as well. On a weekend Ryoko's can get really crowded, so be sure to make a reservation through yelp! Last weekend we were grabbing drinks at a bar, got hungry, made a res. via yelp, and killed time until our name was closer to the top! Worked out really well since we were able to quickly find street parking. On another occasion, we came here after a concert just before midnight. It was pretty empty and we were seated right away. While ordering, our server told us that the kitchen was about to close and reminded us again while bringing our food to the table. We thought it was weird bc it was barely midnight and parties were still showing up way after us?? Felt like she was rushing us. Aside from that, the sushi is good. I really like their miso soup. So far I've tried: - Chirashi bowl ($30) a couple times, which includes assorted cuts of sashimi over sushi rice, with large roe and tamago (sweet egg). Really filling! - Chicken teriyaki was tasty also. - Miso Soup, I love how they have different types of seaweed! - Wakame salad was basic - Spicy Golden Gate roll, the better of the rolls I've tried here - Hot Tail roll, just ok - Philly Roll, salmon was too overpoweringly smokey for my taste - Jumping Salmon roll is deep fried and tasty I'd still come here when I'm craving fresh sushi late at night, def recommend! read more

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Been here a couple times now in groups and for 1:1s! Great sushi spot with fun ambience (live DJ sometimes). This place has one of the best chicken karaages - the meat is soo hot and tender and the tempura crisp is noticeably better. I would recommend the dragon roll and 49ers here! read more

Ryoko's - 49ER's, Spicy Golden Gate, Dragon - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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10/10 great service, good food, and nice ambiance. Everyone greeted us on the way in and out of the restaurant and the food was amazing. read more

Ryoko's - Dragon roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I really regret spending a Friday night here. The food objectively tasted decent, but it was extremely overpriced. That's the only good thing I have to say about this place. The dining area is cramped like a Japanese subway car. You need to turn your body to avoid knocking other guests' table over. The absolute worst part about this place is the loud music and live DJ. The music (which is more noise than anything else) is extremely loud and everyone else is talking louder to speak over the "music". At this volume, it's unhealthy for your ears. That being said, save your ears from unnecessary damage and your wallet from piss poor value at this restaurant. I'm not coming back. read more

Ryoko's - Noise - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Dope last minute find in downtown San Francisco best vibe for food and music. Service was fast and very friendly. You won't be disappointed! Gem! read more

Tucked underground with no cell service is quite literally a hole in a ground. Dive bar meets sushi, dim lighting and close quarters left us feeling cozy with our neighbors. That's SF for ya - wouldn't recommend for folks who can't use stairs as women's restrooms is up a flight and accessing the space requires you to go downstairs. While the space felt like a neighborhood dive bar the food gathered these judgements. The rainbow roll had 7 different types of fish with large fish eggs on top, my friend ordered a fried roll that was divine. Miso soup was too salty for us but I'll be coming back to order more things!!! Or maybe just the rainbow roll again read more

Ambiance: 2 stars, they play loud edm music the entire night. It was bumping when you first sit down but after a while it's hard to keep conversation with out yelling. The place reminds me of a old pub thaT they turned in to a restaurant. It's very cramped. Not a place you go in flip flops and leggings. There was also live music (a dj) Food: 4 it's very good. They ship their fish all the way from japan so not the most fresh. But so authentic. All of their chefs aRe japanese Service: 1 Star, service here is ridiculously slow. The sushi takes atleast 40 minutes to make it to your table and it doesn't come all at once. So you have people waiting to be polite. Price: expensive. Portions small (it's sushi) I'll come back when I get a promotion, not a place I'd go to regularly read more

Ryoko's - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I haven't been to Ryoko's for quite some time, so when I went recently, it was nice to see it as lively as ever! I love Ryoko's for the fun ambiance with live music, as well as delicious food that is fun to share with friends with good conversation. Their service is also relatively fast given the number of customers they have! One downside is that the wait time can be a little long (around ~45 minutes to 1 hour), so plan ahead, or even join the waitlist as you're walking over from the Powell Bart Station... Definitely check out the Chicken Karaage, but also the various rolls that they have available! read more

Ryoko's - Top: Soft Shell Crab, Bottom: Chicken Karaage - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came to Ryokos for a quick solo dinner and glad I did . A semi traditional sushi bar with a bar like feel and it works . Very friendly , and fast service with a upbeat vibe . I ordered green tea, miso, some salmon sushi and a Caterpillar roll - everything was fresh and fast , exactly what I wanted . I would certainly return for a lunch Or dinner Sushi Rendezvous ! read more

Ryoko's - Caterpillar and Salmon - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Wanted to like Ryoko's but was ultimately disappointed by the misleading Yelp hype. There were a couple of flags I chose to ignore but will share them here so you can save yourself the trek. 1) the location is in a highly touristy area. this means many people come in and visit, and may be swayed by the fact that California generally serves fresh produce and fish - in comparison to where they may usually reside. this many explain the high volume of reviews 2) prices are insanely cheap for sushi, and especially in SF. this may skew a person's perception of overall value vs quality and taste Service was very friendly and fast so I dont' want to knock the restaurant for that reason. However, my friend and I stepped away from the restaurant disappointed with the lackluster quality of the fish. Flavors of the roll were only okay and nothing memorable - to the point where I honestly can't even remember what we ordered to reiterate it here now. Sushi WAS cheap and it is open late - so these are HUGE factors that bump my review up to 3 stars though the food sits around 2 stars. Would I ever come back? Probably not because if you can venture a little deeper into the city, it'll be well worth the extra $ spent. read more

Ryoko's - Spicy Golden gate roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Casual late-night sushi/Japanese restaurant. They get packed in the evenings, but not a long wait (10-15 min wait at 9pm Friday). They tend to have a DJ playing, so you'll hear Bay/party music. Sushi is not top-rated, but it is still delicious and better value than other places in the city. We got sake and beer for the table, and they were great. read more

Most of the stars go to the ambiance, which reminds me a lot of the hole-in-wall places in Tokyo. I didn't know this until the end of the meal, but they have a live DJ spinning some good jazzhop. I highly rec the bar seating for an even more intimate experience. The sushi itself was unfortunately mediocre. The fish wasn't the freshest, and the rolls weren't creative. Run of the mill flavors and I found bones in one sashimi piece. But the prices aren't outrageous, making this a decent late night spot. Just expectation set before you walk in. read more

Ryoko's - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Good vibe, decent sushi. Not going to blow you away, but they use quality fish and the underground part makes it fun. Have been there a few times, and will keep coming back. read more

The ambiance and service are amazing. Bianca is the best! We sit down and she brings our drinks and food without ordering lol. Thank you Bianca we come back for you and the food. read more

Great service, great sushi, great ambiance! My fav sushi spot In the city by far. This place has been here for years. It's pricey, but well worth the money. Highly recommend. Don't waist your money anywhere else read more

Favorite place for late night sushi! I am super frustrated about San Francisco's early closing hours for restaurants. It seems like since Covid, everything closes by nine and the city shuts down. This is absolutely ridiculous to me. Ryoko's is open late! They are open on weekends until 2am and I think weekdays they might close earlier, but maybe not, I was just there on a Tuesday night and they were open at midnight -ish so they have guts! It seems like the rest of the city's restaurants need to learn from these guys! Ryoko's is a total party! Some nights they have a DJ and every night they are playing music, the bar is rocking, and it's got a really exciting vibe, like old school San Francisco Sushi restaurants! On the edge of the tenderloin and downtown, Ryoko's keeps it real. Oh, let me not forget that the sushi is freakin amazing, high quality, impressive sushi chefs, and the sweetest waiters/waitresses around. I often go alone, and I work at a table for a few hours on my laptop while I people watch (ADD) and every time I go, I always think "How is this place so cool, and why isn't everyone talking about it!?" It's busy but usually there's one table left. read more

If you're looking for a fun time, Ryoko's is just the place. Located underground, the interior is dimly lit and pulsing with loud live DJ music. I came here on a Friday night at 7:30 pm expecting a wait but actually only had to wait 5 minutes. I ordered a Kirin draft beer pint ($6), spicy golden gate ($12), hot tail ($10). My friend who doesn't like seafood was able to order a chicken teriyaki ($10, doesn't come with rice), and Kentucky fried chicken roll ($9). Each roll had ~6 pieces of sushi, so I would definitely recommend ordering at least 2 rolls for one person. It is a bit pricey, but as to be expected with sushi, right? The food was good, not great, but the vibes / live music here definitely make the experience a great one. read more

Ryoko's - Bottom - Spicy Golden Gate Top - Hot Tail - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ryoko's sushi is a hidden gem. Not only is this sushi restaurant a tad hard to find as it requires going down a steep set of stairs into a small dimly lit tavern style restaurant, almost being completely underground, it creates a cosy vibe and has delicious sushi dishes! The sushi rolls are buttery and divine and the fish is always fresh. The salmon sashimi is to die for as its fatty buttery essence overwhelms you with each bite. My go to orders include the crispy sushi rolls, usually with unagi or spicy chipotle mayo sauce, agadashi tofu, or a chirashi bowl. Every since piece of sushi is articulately curated and the restaurant definitely does not skimp on portions when it comes to rolls or the chirashi bowls, with the bowls being full of sushi rice and a vast array of fresh fishes including salmon, ahi tuna, and hamachi. The agadashi tofu is also perfectly crispy and toasted with just the right amount of slip and sweetness to balance out the soy based broth it comes in. Everything is always delicious, the staff is very attentive, drinks are great, and the atmosphere is always cozy. I highly recommend Ryoko's!! read more

We brought a party of 7 and they got us in quickly in a great little room. The food and service were fantastic and the fish very fresh. I had to call for the receipt and they responded quickly. I highly recommended Ryoko's as a sushi lover! read more

I love this place. This is my goto spot for late night sushi when I'm stuck in town for a business trip. The vibe is fun, they have a house DJ here and there. The sushi chef is also awesome. After a few trips, he recognized me and started to my sushi exposure with new types of fishes and soy sauces, while still fitting within my work travel budget. This is that spot that you can call home when away. read more

Dinner at Ryoko rocks , but get that reservation because the space is small ! Great music , and fun staff in this hidden gem sandwiched between neighborhoods. Music is Retro , Staff is attentive and engaging , it's just a great example of a hole in the wall with character that's fun. As for the food , I gravitate to their Katsudon Donburi , Chicken Karaage, Soft Shell Crab , and rolls with Eel ! Also they have a nice selection of Sake either straight or via a mixed drink. Had a great dinner here , and it's easy to recommend for dinning in. Parking is not horrific, and can normally be found after 6pm within a block. again it's small get a Reservation :) read more

This place is always busy whenever I come. Expect a line and wait during popular nights and weekends. The vibe is more fun and lively and it does remind me of a small Japanese restaurant in Osaka. Sushi is pretty good, I typically come more for the vibe and music rather than the sushi itself. read more

I went to Ryoko's last week because I'd been meaning to go back there forever and now that its open again, I dined in! There was a bit of a wait but we were seated in under 10 minutes and got some drinks/apps pretty quickly. The food we ordered was well prepared and arrived without much delay. They even had a DJ playing which was kinda nice, even though it was a little loud. I'm coming back, I encourage others to follow my lead. read more

I love Ryoko's. Specially on a late evening when it's bumping it's awesome but when it's quiet, it's super cool. You get all the attention of the servers and bartenders. Sushi is phenomenal. Just look on the board for the specials. That's where you get the good stuff. read more

In town for the weekend, decided to try this place out. It has a very distinct vibe with music and carpet in an underground scene. Really enjoy the atmosphere on a cold night. We ordered nigiri sake, the jumping unagi roll, the hot tail roll, volcano roll and tempura. Everything was delicious and fresh. I was surprised that the rolls only had 5 pieces. I'm used to getting minimum of 6-8 pieces per roll. The security guard outside and our waitress were both friendly and attentive. Make sure you add your name to the waitlist using Yelp before you arrive because this place can get very busy. read more

Ryoko's - Hot Tail Jumping Unagi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We decided to try this spot out after seeing all the reviews. It was okay, not the greatest but it was okay. Let's start with the appetizer, the Beef Oroshi - thin slices of "Wagyu" beef with a lump of grated radish on top and some ponzu sauce on the side to dip or pour over, your choice. Honestly, I don't believe it was Wagyu beef, it was so thin you couldn't tell if there was any good marbling to it, also, it was bland; definitely not worth $22. I'd rate that particular dish 2/5. Next is the Jumping Salmon roll - that gets a rating of a big-fat ZERO, 0/5. Unfortunately, it was not a great tasting roll as others have reviewed. I can't explain it other than the fact that it tasted like bad fish, we did not eat it. We ordered the Ryoko's Special Bento, with Tonkatsu and Sashimi. Eh, for $29 it wasn't too bad. Mixed feelings on the tonkatsu, some pieces were a bit over cooked and the pork was dry and chewy; while other pieces seemed to have been undercooked and the batter was still a bit raw and running in the inside. The croquette that came with it had tartar sauce all over it and I did not think it was a good match to the bento. Rice had furikake on it, yum, salad was a bit on the vinegary side and the sashimi, well 4 out of 6 slices weren't bad. The salmon wasn't the greatest, I'm a snob and enjoy when salmon just melts in your mouth like butter, it did not do that at all. The salmon had a strange taste to it, no good. The hamachi and maguro was excellent. I'd rate it at a 2.5/5 because the furikake rice and 4/5 sashimi did well. Lol Last but definitely not least, the Volcano roll. Now, when I hear volcano roll, I'm thinking it's going to be spicy, especially when it says there's jalapeños. But it wasn't as spicy as I thought, but you know what it does have??? Peanut Butter!!! That's right ladies and gents, there's PB in this roll and it is fricken FIRE!!!!! Out of everything we ordered, I wish we had only ordered a few of these rolls and called it a night. The mix of shrimp tempura, jalapeño, cucumber with peanut butter and tobiko rolled up together sounds odd, but it definitely taste delicious! That roll gets a 5 star in its own! I must add, it's pretty dark in there and tiny...BUT.....the music was everything I would not have imagined a sushi spot to have. Talk about all the Bay Area rap hits from the 90s and early 00s. Yes!!! I was loving it. Mac Mall playing in the background while I enjoyed my Volcano roll gives them a rating of 3.5 out of 5. Hahaha Check em out and let me know how it is, maybe I'll try it again. read more

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2nd time here; great overall experience. Last time I had to wait an hour to get seated, this time, signed up on waitlist ahead of time and got here before the rush around 7:15. Was seated when we arrived and our orders were taken right away. The food came out promptly. Salmon toro was awesome! House salad as well.. miso soup too. The agedashi tofu wasn't as great as i remembered it to be.. not as fresh and a little salty. The chef's choice nigiri was alright as well. Some pieces were better than others. Overall, fun vibes always at this sushi spot. :) read more

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Decent sushi spot that is open later than other places. Wasn't too thrilled with the sushi roll selection as many items are deep fried and not a lot of variety in their rolls. The chirashi was okay but nothing to me stood out with any of their dishes. Their beer also had a funky taste and was a bit flat. read more

Normally, I'd remove one star for a hole-in-the-wall type place, but that's part of the ambience here. It's a fun and quirky location and decor that's just what you'd expect from a sushi bar tucked in a downtown SFO building. And the food is incredible. Every single item. We tried a variety of sushi and sashimi dishes, and they were all exquisite. Uni isn't my favorite, so I don't usually order it. But if all uni were as amazingly tender and creamy as this, I'd order it every time. Can't wait for my next visit to SFO to return here. read more

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It's a fine bar. 4 stars. good vibe and service. Ordered : Alcatraz (eel and avocado) Jumping salmon (deep fried salmon) Grilled squid overall quite enjoyable read more

Super fast service, fun atmosphere and great hospitality from the servers! Sushi was delicious as well.

Came here on a weekend and was very loud. The food was okay but there are a lot of sushi places around that has better quality. Sometimes they have live music. Service was good, friendly staff greeted us when we walked in and as we left. read more

Pretty good sushi rolls. Long-ish wait, make sure to get on the waitlist 30 min or an hour or so before you want to eat. Vibe is a nice dive-bar-turned-sushi-place type of deal. Portions are relatively small, but tasty. I recommend this place if you're looking for a casual dinner with friends. DJ played music at about 7. Not super loud or obnoxious! read more

Fantastic sushi and ambiance, excellent service, I've been here multiple times and never been anything less than super pleased.

I got to tons of places for Sushi and Ryoko was a very good experience. The sushi is fresh with the perfect texture. We got both sashimi and nigiri sushi. I thought the fish on the nigiri was generous, the sashimi was about average in size. The edamame was warm and lightly covered with salt (exactly the way I like it). The restaurant feels a bit packed and tight to walk around. While I LOVED their selection of music it was so loud it was hard to have a convo with my dinner date. It's a touch pricy. However Ryoko's will be my FiiDi sushi place of choice going forward. read more

What a gem! Ryoko's is so inconspicuous from street side that one may just pass it up. But there's definitely an allure of hip music and delicious aromas coming up from the stairway that lead down below street level. It is hip, mysteriously sexy, and feels like you're finally in on a secret The City has known about for a long time. We enjoyed spicy beef teriyaki, tempura, vegetable tempura, jumping California rolls, and ice cold Asahi. The hip music was also a major plus. The service was superb! The service was professional, very helpful, and very, very fun. Everyone was wonderful and made our experience an unforgettable one. You'll love this place! We're thrilled we found you, Ryoko's, and can't wait to return! read more