Tucked away in an office Bldg - it's a gem known to those who frequent the Smith Ranch Road movie theatre. We had one of the best sushi dinners we've had In Marin in a long time. Even the miso soup with mushrooms was special. Prices are very reasonable And staff tries hard to please. We'll be back soon! read more

Salad was good (but how hard is it to put lettuce in a bowl, though it was good lettuce) miso was good and I like how they ask you if you want mushrooms or not and waitstaff was nice but food was horrible!!! Never ever coming back, so disappointed read more

Sakura knows their sushi. Yes, the chef is from Japan and is also the owner unlike other sushi establishments that claim to be authentic. This is the real deal. Down to the details such as using high grade (gold or silver quality) roasted seaweed used on their sushi to having the occasional live UNI and live scallops to having the right amount of seasoning on their sushi rice. They care about the quality of fish. One of the best in the area without paying through the nose. The chef also makes his own soy sauce. read more

Was craving Japanese food so decided to give Sakura a shot. We started with lukewarm miso soup and overdressed green salad. Both tasted very americanized. The tempura shrimp and tempura vegetables were the smallest portion I've ever received in a restaurant. I could have used a microscope to see the two miniscule shrimp! They really need to change the recipe they use for the tempura batter, as it tastes heavy, like fried chicken batter. Traditional tempura batter is light, crunchy, and crisp. The teriyaki chicken wasn't bad, but not good enough to come back. Assorted sushi was decent. Service was friendly enough, and ambiance OK. Will continue on my quest for good Japanese food outside of the city. read more

I live in Los Angeles now and have been away from SF for going on 5 years now, but let me tell you it took a good 4 years before I found a restaurant comparable to Sakura. It was really hard. Sakura was my staple in San Francisco. I would go 2-3 times a week and enjoy every last grain of rice on my plate. It was that good. I lucked out when I started dating a girl whose family lived in Marin County because that meant when we went to visit them for the holidays, I got to visit Michael and Winnie for dinner! Even better, when they relocated to Marin to start a family and open up a new location, it was a 10 minute drive for amazing sushi. "Well how is the Uni?" You won't find any better at this price point. Seriously. I've told Michael on many occasions the sea urchin is way under priced. He didn't budge. I've super greatful, as this means I plan on eatting a whole tray to myself every time I am there. "...and the toro?" Fatty-Tuna-Orgasm-In-Your-Mouth. I always call ahead of time to let them know I will be coming to eat. If you give them a weeks notice, they will make sure to have your favorites FRESH and on the menu (sometimes they can run low on more exotic fish, not necessarily found on their daily menu). But who cares, I love Sakura! Michael and Winnie run this place like a family joint and itt is a treat to go see them whenever I can! read more

My first visit to Sakura was on Valentines Day. The restaurant was full and there were three wait persons working and two sushi chefs. I was seated promptly and placed my order for four pieces of maguro sushi and an order of teriyaki salmon. After half of an hour I still did not receive my sushi. The salmon teriyaki showed up and I was shocked at the diminutive size of the serving. However the bowl of rice was standard size. I told the waitress that my sushi had not been served. "We have a lot of orders. So sorry" she replied in a dismissive manner. "Cancel the sushi order, thank you." I told her. I was not going to eat the sushi for dessert. I ate the salmon in about five minutes and finished off my glass of beer. Waited another 5 minutes for the check. None of the waitresses made eye contact and at no time did any one inquire if I was satisfied with my order. In fairness, the place was busy, however I am not impressed with the result. Not a satisfying dining experience. My first and last time to spend money there. I won't be back. .There are other sushi places to eat at in Marin, with Sushi to Dai For being at the top of my list of repeat places. Paid the check and left 10% tip. read more

I bet the sushi is good. Never got a chance to get any. We went out for my birthday and my gf wanted to take me some place local and close to the Marin Civic Center. We went to see Wanda Sykes, hilarious, by the way. After sitting ourselves and waiting 20 minutes we had to leave. Never got water and was never able to catch the waitress' eye. Serious staffing issues here. They weren't too busy but man they looked lost. They better turn things around or they will lose a lot of business. read more

First time here with my husband and fifteen month old daughter. The place was empty when we got here at 630pm. Appetizers: We ordered gyoza, which were full sized pot stickers and teriyaki chicken skewers. Rolls: rainbow roll, Hawaiian pearl roll, and Tokyo roll. The food was good, liked the Tokyo roll best. The cook (Hispanic guy) came out to joke around with the sushi chefs and kept starting at us. Felt very creeped out. Not my favorite place by far and the prices were a couple dollars more than other places I like better. We came here because a friend recommended them, but we won't be coming back. read more

Food is okay, nothing special. The reason for the 2 stars is because of the lack of service. There were two waitresses and one bus boy. After 15 minutes of sitting at our table, we had to flag someone down to order, and it to be the bus boy who only took our drink order. A waitress finally came by after another 10 minute wait. After placing our order, we received a lot of other people orders and not our own. We then received our orders. We attempted to order some more food, but it never came. After a long wait, we inquired with the waitress about our order. The waitress suggested that we forget the additional orders or take it to go. We were highly disappointed with this restaurant. It could be a lot better if the service was better. read more

Amazing sushi chefs serving the freshest fish and rolls plus attentive and great services!!! Thank you for an amazing time always!!! read more

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We went here last weekend for dinner, after a movie, and were very pleasantly surprised. This is our new favorite sushi place in Northern Marin! The restaurateurs, Michael and Winnie, are very nice and we loved everything they recommended. They are quick to point out what is especially fresh and which items are popular. I think this was instrumental in our loving everything they served. (The Shiso Tartare and the Black & White were fantastic! ) The location near the Century Regency 6 theaters is great as there are not many places to eat around there. It is so convenient if you are catching a movie. We can't wait to explore more of the menu and hang around longer next time for a beer or two! read more

Not very good. Nothing bad but I spent $80 for three and were still not full. I know it's sushi but Hisui 2 in Vacaville is a much better deal. Also the rolls just weren't that tasty. We tried it as we just moved here but won't be going back. Just a blah experience. If you think this is good sushi you gotta get out more. read more

From the waitress who, when I asked her what beer they had, told me to look at the beer menu which literally only said "beer", to the crappy overpriced combination rolls, which were just boring Nigiri, to the two sushi chefs staring people down from behind their bar, I detested this place. So much great sushi in Marin, this place isn't fit to wash their dishes. Honestly, the Whole foods stores nearby have far better sushi. read more

Terrible sushi and the prices are insanely high for the quality! The place was very tiny and dark! Would never recommend someone to come here read more

A VEGAN Sushi restaurant. I couldn't believe my very own eyes. After finishing a restorative yoga class in the area, I Yelped for a Vegan restaurant, and this place came up. I wandered over to the restaurant, thinking it couldn't be too busy on a Sunday night at 8 p.m. I moved to San Francisco from New York a couple months ago, and I've found that restaurants either are closed, close early or not busy on Sunday nights ... so, I was surprised when it was busy and there was a 15-20 minute wait for just me. Wow. Casson, the host/manager (?) was super accommodating and sat me at the sushi bar within 10 minutes. The fact that this place - and it's fully VEGAN - was so busy - confirms that San Francisco needs more QUALITY VEGAN restaurants. The demand is there - please, please, please open more restaurants like this one. I ordered probably the best miso soup I've ever had - the mushroom (forgot the Japanese name) miso soup. I also ordered two rolls (I didn't have lunch - was starving). I got the Proud Peacock and the Boddy and Soul. Both were good; and every other roll I saw coming out looked amazing. I will definitely be back - possibly making this my Sunday night ritual. I just hope it doesn't get too busy and hard to get in - I see it could have the potential to be very busy (they've only recently opened)... read more

I can't believe that I've lived in Marin for over 15 years and somehow managed not to visit Sakurai until last night! Shame on me.... My husband took me there on our date night...what a great hidden gem! We had reservations at 7pm on a Friday night and were given a cozy table near the window. There isn't a whole lot of room, but the ambience is very comfortable. The food was delicious! We had their Ahi and Salmon Tartar appetizer to start. Both were delicious, but the salmon seemed to have more flavor than the two. We also had their Salmon Lovers Roll and Butterface Roll....so yummy! I had another of their hamachi sashimi which came in 5 pieces which were both fresh and fairly thick slices. Desert was nice. We shared the banana tempura and green tea ice cream. Our waitress may have been a tad "busy" at the time, as we did need to ask for our water 2 or 3 times and she didn't have any support (busser/runner) to refill our water throughout the evening and waited a bit for our napkins as well. All in all, a great evening with great food! So glad he found this for us... We will be back!!! read more

Disappointing. Standard decor. Small-ish portions. Service was friendly but server was overworked and a bit forgetful. I don't think all the fish was entirely fresh. Texture softening and a bit of an odor and aftertaste. Salads overdressed. But oddly the biggest downer was the condition of the men's room. The porcelain basins were clean, but dust was settled on everything. The area around the faucets on the sink had cakes of dirt and soap built up. The big giveaway was the plastic plant in the corn, covered in dust, several months worth at least. It's a sign to me of how they approach the other aspects of their business. Someone at the top is not paying attention. read more

The most bland, underwhelming chicken teriyaki plate I have ever received. This is my second time ordering this dinner and I am still underwhelmed. Teriyaki Chicken is lackluster with hardly any flavor, the only veggie (which is advertised as a salad) are cut up cucumbers and on the other side is rice. The only good thing about this meal is the miso soup. Will never order again. Waste of money, thanks! read more

I can't give it any less than 3 stars because each time I have been there (granted that's only two times) the service was excellent and the chef and staff are extremely kind. If i could give a review for just the service, it would definitely be 5 stars. However, no matter how nice they are, for me it all boils down to the quality of their sushi (that's the only thing I've ordered both times). And the quality of the sushi given the price is like 1.5 stars. Both times I have ordered, their sushi has had a very strange fishy/lemony/idk wtf that bad taste is and I think maybe it's the flavor of the rice or they don't properly clean the fish. Whatever it is, it totally ruins the flavor of the sushi because it just masks everything and I feel like the sushi would be good without that flavor. Additionally, due to the quality I find the price a bit high. Maybe I'm being unreasonable here: I mean it's sushi and that's always gonna expensive no matter where you go but it still is kinda high. I don't know, I'll just say that the last time I went there, I bought two dragon rolls and two spider rolls and the total was $58-$60. You decide if that's worth it or not. All I know is the service is great but the sushi is not. Hope this helps read more

Fantastic, amazing, phenomenal sushi. Seriously some of the best I've ever had. The only complaint I have is that their wait times for pick up orders are consistently wrong. I know times are tough right now, but when wait times are double what is indicated on the app on 3-4 consecutive occasions something needs to be improved. It doesn't stop me from ordering though, because the food is that good. read more

This place is fantastic. Such a hidden gem. Went here with the gf for dinner and could not have been happier with our meal. We had heard from a friend that Sakura was good, but due to the location it took us a long time to get there. The restaurant is located in an office building and is barely visible from the street so its easy to miss. The decor is very nice, with a wall covered in mirrors that makes the place look a lot larger than it really is. We were warmly greeted by both the host and the sushi chef when we walked through the door and were then promptly seated. The menu is large and varied. It covers the gamut of standard Japanese fare and sushi. There is also a large and imaginative sushi roll section. Deciding what to order was super hard which is a testament to how good this menu is. I went with the tonkatsu curry and the gf got the teriyaki udon. We also ordered a "Honey walnut roll" from the sushi menu. Wouldn't usually order this sort of roll but so many reviews mentioned it that we had to give it a try. My entree came with miso soup as is standard, usually this wouldn't be worth mentioning but the soup was outstanding. Idk what the difference was but I eat a ton of Japanese food and I've never before wanted a second bowl of miso soup. The tonkatsu curry was simple divine. The meat was perfectly cooked, moist on the inside and lightly crunchy on the outside, even with the sauce. The sauce, the sauce, the sauce... So good, so much flavor depth. The chef perfectly balanced all the notes into the best Japanese curry I have ever had. I wanted to order a second plate but was too full from the giant portion to do so. The udon was great as well. Rich delicious broth and perfectly cooked toothsome udon noodles. The plate of tempura that came with it was everything you could have wanted. Lots of variety and at least two pieces of each type. Like everything else we were served the tempura was perfectly cooked. The "Honey Walnut" roll was fantastic as well. I cannot remember everything that was in it, but the main parts were, tempura shrimp and walnuts, it all worked, not a single off note. To me the most memorable part of it was the walnuts. I've never heard of, let alone seen, walnuts in sushi before, but it was amazing. This place is well worth the, short, trip off the highway. Some of the best Japanese food I've ever eaten. Also the prices were very reasonable, especially for the type of food and the quality. We will definitely be returning. read more

Since the new owners took over a year ago I have to say this is one of my favorite sushi places. This has the best and freshest nigiri I've ever had !! Very clean and very courteous staff. Can't say anything more :) read more

We've eaten this place's sushi once, tried twice. Once we called and asked if we could order and pick it up- they said they were very busy and it would be an hour. we passed. The second time we ordered dinner through EAT24, on which they're listed. We placed our whole order, including tip for the delivery, and it said it would be 45-60 mins. This place is literally five minutes around the corner. So, an hour goes by and no delivery, so I call the restaurant: they haven't even started our order yet. We decide to just go and pick it up. So, based on that I'm already pretty pissed. Hire another chef or change your kitchen workflow. An hour and no call for delivery is unacceptable. I go to pick up the food and the chicken kaarage isn't even cooked. I'm sure it's just battered and frozen and they dip it into the fryer, but they had skipped that last part. The sushi itself was OK. Not great, not bad. I won't go back again, though. Screwing up delivery twice, exceptionally long waits, uncooked portions. No thanks, there are enough choices that I don't have to read more

Very good and fresh. I tried the honey walnut roll (shrimp and walnuts topped with avocado). Delicious. ALSO, I tried their Lychee cocktail; too die for. The only thing about it, I wish they would have served it in the martini glass they advertise instead of the shot glass and little jar... no big deal, the taste is still all there, just saying, serve what you advertise, cause I think presentation adds to the enjoyment. read more

Sakura Sushi - Honey walnut roll, in the back, Lychee cocktail, both were delicious. - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California

We get far better sushi in vegas, I would have expected everything to be fresh and delicious this close to the bay but I would be wrong. Extraordinary slow service and flavorless food. read more

I am very unhappy with this establishment. We went with a group of 8 people to celebrate a co-workers promotion. For starters, we all ordered veggie tempura. We waited, and I am not being sarcastic at all, almost 25 minutes for three orders of veggie tempura. When it came out it was cold and stale as if it were sitting out for a long time. Giving them the benefit of the doubt and knowing they were busy for the lunch rush, we didn't make a big fuss over it and proceeded to order. I ordered: Chicken Katsu with an extra side of Katsu Sauce The food came out about an hour later, and to no surprise, the chicken was COLD! How on earth does anyone think serving chicken cold is anything but acceptable? The top pieces were slightly warm, but the bottoms pieces were ICE cold. Not only is this distasteful, it imposes a serious health hazard to the San Rafael community. Some other co workers didn't even receive their meal. We had to stand up to ask for the check because the waitresses were running around not knowing where things went. The bill was still pretty pricy. Our group could have easily complained but knowing it wasn't right, we paid what we ate and left. The best way to stand right by this is to write reviews and to steer people clear of this establishment supposedly known to be a restaurant. We all work for a pretty big company near by and have already began spreading the word about not being fooled with the surprisingly high reviews. Save your money! You are better off going to Panda Express or McDonald's. read more

I found Sakura on eat24.com, and it is the best Japanese I've eaten in San Rafael. I haven't been to the physical restaurant yet; just gotten delivery- but the food is fantastic. They have a good variety of soups, appetizers and specialty rolls that you don't see at many other places. I'd definitely go have a sit-down dinner at some point; and I am pretty positive this will be my 'go-to' sushi restaurant now. Finally! read more

A hidden gem in the North Bay. Came here for dinner today, 12/9/17, and was immediately greet by two sushi chef. Ordered the sake toro, blue fin toro, and the yuki hana special roll and I was not disappointed. The sake toro was dipped into sake followed by being torch for less than a minute. This left the toro creamy, smokey, and it melts in your mouth. The bluefin toro was creamy, delicious, and definitely a one biter. Last but not least, the yuki hana roll, was made with spicy scallop, tuna, and avocado. It was very simple, but very delicious. The great thing about this sushi place, the dishes are simple. Will definitely come back to try the rest of their toro. read more

Yummy, Thank you Mike & Winnie for opening your sushi restaurant in San Rafael. I took my son for dinner tonight to check out the menu and I was pleasantly surprised of the great tasting sushi. This is my first review on Yelp and I want to spread the word to all of my Marin peeps that yes there is affordable great tasting Japanese food in San Rafael. We were greeting so nicely, the menu is affordable! You must have the black and white roll, tender pieces of butter fish, oh my it is my favorite. I had a great conversation with Mike & Winnie the new owners and they are really excited about their new restaurant and I want to help spread the word. We talked about how excited they are to move their restaurant from 26th & Clement to the beautiful Marin county. Please give them a try, order online, get the rainbow roll, dragon roll, say hello to the most gracious host. They were so sweet they sang Happy Birthday to my son with a complimentary green tea cheese cake..........aweee........got to love it! Wednesday they are featuring discounted oysters, they have happy hour during the week 5:30 to 7:30 half off sake & beer. I had so much fun, and I am excited for the great sushi. Enjoy! read more

I wasn't going to leave a review even though the beef teriyaki was dry and tasteless. But when my husband and I both got ill I felt I had to. I hope the owners see this and make sure precautions are taken. I so wanted to love this place. I had just discovered it and it's a cute little spot, though the decor is a bit 80's. There were only 2 other tables full though we were there at 7pm. Upon the recommendation of the waitress, we ordered the Yuki Hana Roll, which was ok tasting, nothing memorable, although she said it was one of their best. My husband and I also ordered teriyaki beef and our daughter ordered salmon teriyaki. The best tasting was the miso soup even though it was lukewarm. It had these cute tiny mushrooms in it. The beef was thin and dry, I told the waitress that it was very dry and she just said 'oh, ok.' My daughters salmon was 2 teeny tiny pieces. I would rather be charged more and get a nice meal. Again, I wouldn't have bothered with a review but both my husband and I had to rush to the bathroom as soon as we got home. I still don't feel well. My daughter didn't get sick but she didn't have sushi or beef. So disappointed, upset and sick! It's 2 am and I can't sleep because my stomach is churning!! read more

Increasingly disappointed over time with Sakura Sushi. Friends and I catch a movie and sometimes follow it up with dinner at Sakura. No more. Last night, we were mostly ignored -- had to get up and pretend to walk out the door just to get someone's attention. All of my food was delivered to the table 10 minutes before the orders of my two friends. Awkward . . . . The seaweed around my roll was unbearably chewy, the potstickers were greasy, and we couldn't get our waitperson's attention for love or money. The bathroom wasn't clean and the door wouldn't lock. Sorry, finished giving these guys one more chance. read more

Food was amazing, really good taste. I like their Lion king rolls. Presentation was good. Fast service.

We decided to come here because it was kind of late and was one of the only nearby sushi joints that wasn't going to close by the time we got there. It's kind of located in an unusual spot...the middle of what looks like a business park but the interior of the restaurant is comfortable and clean. Overall, the service was good and the sushi/food quality is good. Their portions are a bit small so it feels a bit on the pricey side for what you do get. We ordered an avacado roll, tonkatsu pork and chicken terriyaki. The dishes tasted good, but again, portions are a bit small. Overall, it's an average place with friendly service. They are open later than other places so that's convenient. read more

Good sushi, a little on the pricier side but the quality is great. I ordered one special roll ~ $12.50, a green tea and the vegetable tempura(~$7) for a grand total of about $22.50 after tax, that with a 4.50 tip = $27 lunch. Ouch... Also, went there on Monday and they are closed for lunch so I came back the next day and placed the above order. read more

This sushi restaurant is a hidden gem tucked away in an office building. The interior is dark cluttered comfort from the past with lighting that softens the space, creates bright spots and drama but leaves diners and tables in the dusk at night. The menu is interesting and inventive. A large screen TV shows a side show of their menu items. Our sushi was bright and fresh and well made. The service is unobtrusive and attentive. We sat at the sushi bar in the light instead of at a table in the shadows. The sushi chef Michael was warmly welcoming, suggesting all kinds of special treats. We enjoyed his selections and they turned out to be pricey. read more

This was the best sushi I've had in a long time, and the hosts were lovely. The sushi chef gave us his recommendations and we weren't disappointed! read more

Sakura Sushi - Front of the building - there's no sign :) - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California

my Best friend recently moved to San Rafael. I came by to visit and we wanted sushi/japanese food for dinner. We yelped the nearest location (with great reviews) and it brought us here. it was pretty packed for "late dinner" around 730pm. All tables were filled except for one that seats two, we needed 2 and a half - half being my son. we suggested to add a chair to sit next to me.. the hostess didn't mind. well that was nice. What we We ordered :: Teriyaki Chicken dinner w/ salad and miso soup- it was OK My son wanted California Rolls - there were 4.. he only ate 1 Sushi rolls we ordered: Red Dragon roll and Walnut Shrimp Roll.. they were both EH. I really would have gave them 2 stars, but the free ice cream with check in earned the bonus 3rd start... I hope my friend finds another sushi spot next time i visit again. read more

Terrible terrible service, the restaurant wasn't even busy. Wish I could give more stars because the sushi was really good! They brought the order very late didn't offer water we had to ask numerous times for a glass of water, didn't have a ginger wasabi plate!! What kind of sushi restaurant doesn't bring out ginger and wasabi without asking!!! They brought out my sushi without even knowing what the name of it was , luckily I knew what I ordered so I didn't send back.. read more

Great food..... tasted amazing. Only reason for not giving all five stars was that it took awhile to get the food. It seamed as if it was just a husband and wife working feverishly. read more

LOVE this place...my boyfriend used to be a regular at their San Francisco location. No but seriously, they knew (& still know) him by name and his sushi preferences. I am really excited to see that they are now in San Rafael and closer to my parents house! And they are conveniently located across the street for the Regency cinema, which makes it ideal for a dinner & movie kinda night. Unfortunately I don't have names of specific items on the menu that I love (they always bring out random rolls to our table bc they know my boyfriend) I can assure you that everything I've tried is really amazingly good and FRESH! My boyfriend always goes for the uni and won't have it anywhere else! Definitely worth checking out...it's not like there's really anything else to eat around there anyways (except for Mulberry...and that's good too). read more