Service was great but....This had to be the worst sushi I've ever head. And I'm not joking! Sushi or fish was dried out. We kept ordering to see if the dishes improved but it remained bad. We decided to switch to the hot entrees, and equally as bad. No seasoning on the meat and rice was weird. Lastly,they had some kids running around the restaurant. Is this a playground? Same kids were at the sushi bar and climbed up with shoes on the table where folks eat. Really? This place needs an overhaul...sorry Samurai. This dining experience is not acceptable. read more

My family of 5 had a dinner at Samurai. The restaurant is very nice with a large circular fire place in the middle of the restaurant. The Waitress, Haley G, did a very good job. She gave us good recommendations and we had a fun conversation. The food was very good. It was a good night!! read more

Samurai Restaurant - This is the fireplace in the middle of the restaurant. Pretty cool! - Japanese Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Servers are nice, long wait time. Very dry sushi, like the fish is insanely dry. I never even had this bad of a sushi before... and my tuna was brown.. read more

Samurai Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

We came here based on the recommendation of hotel staff and they really met our taste buds! I wonder why they don't have higher reviews. I'm a regular visitor of Tahoe and though there are many Japanese restaurants here, this 1 tops our list so far. I loved the agedashi tofu so much I ordered seconds! read more

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Table for 10! We opted to get Japanese food after a morning full of adventure. There was a small but mighty staff so service was as expected. It allowed up to talk about our morning experience and helped work our appetite! I didn't capture all the food, but we enjoyed four different sushi rolls, chicken and steak dinner combo plates and the kids had chicken teri & tempura plates. When we saw the tempura kids meals, I think that could pass for a satisfying meal for an adult as well at a fraction of the cost. The tempura had a good assortment of nice lightly battered variety of veggies and shrimp. read more

Samurai Restaurant - Delicious sushi - Japanese Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

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Sushi was honestly very good. We got some cooked rolls- friend calamari, shrimp tempura, and a couple others. But we were here on a weekday, was not busy, seemed to be enough servers and it took FOREVER to get our food. I'm patient but this was really bad. I had my 7 month old baby with us and it got really hard to keep him entertained for over an hour. It took 50 minutes to get our appetizer or sushi. We ordered noodle soup and it did come out quickly. Everyone was pleasant, good service just slow food delivery. Maybe something was going on in the kitchen? There were only 2 sushi chefs working. Also, the bathrooms are pretty gross and need good cleaning and updating. But prices were very fair. So there are pros and cons. If you come be prepared to wait for your food and try not to have to use the bathroom. read more

A Heavenly Contrast: Fried Banana Vanilla Ice Cream Delight in South Lake Tahoe If you're in Tahoe and craving a dessert that delivers on both flavor and texture, look no further than the fried banana. This treat is a warm, deep-fried banana--crispy and golden on the outside, irresistibly soft and gooey on the inside. What truly elevates it is the brilliant contrast of temperatures: the warm banana is nestled between scoops of cold vanilla ice cream, then topped with a rich drizzle of hot fudge. read more

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I feel bad writing this review as I really wanted to like this place. However, the sushi was just simply so bland, dry, and the fish just did not seem to be the freshest. Hoping it was a one off experience but I do think there are probably other better places to go if you are looking for actual good sushi. read more

Hidden gem in Lake Tahoe. Stopped here for lunch after a soccer match, and our family loved it. Sashimi appetizer (12 pieces) is a great and delicious value. Kids enjoyed the tempura, and AJ's Roll is pretty special. Other rolls are delicious too. Service is good, and ambiance is simple and nice. Unlike many other restaurants in the Lake Tahoe area, the prices were fair for what you get. I would recommend checking this place out. read more

Best and freshest sushi in town. Only sushi in Tahoe that I will go. Born and raised in Tahoe. Been everywhere. This place is definitely the best. Great job samurai I appreciate you!!!! read more

On their specials. They had Sea Trout and Chu Toro. They both tasted like they were previously frozen. I also had the Tako Sunomono, which lacked flavor. The service from Makaturo was....uhm....OK at best read more

Samurai Restaurant - Sea Trout - Japanese Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

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Delicious! The food was good, the service was friendly and prompt. Best Japanese on Tahoe! read more

One if not only Japanese restaurant to enjoy in Tahoe! We travel from Carson Valley to a fantastic restaurant with great Sushi with real crab! Live the ambiance and service!! read more

Agree with Nate D. Subpar sashimi quality - unsure why this restaurant is so well-rated. The only reason we give 2 stars is for the warm sticky rice and delicious mango sorbet. read more

Overall the sushi was decent. The ambiance was super cute since they have seating around the fire pit so it does get a little toasty and the quality of service was good. Out of everything I ordered, the raw oysters were my favorite. The sauce was amazing and the oysters tasted really clean and fresh. The gyoza will be second. They had a nice crunch and the dipping sauce had a nice kick to it. The miso soup and sushi were okay. Unfortunately there was nothing special about them. read more

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20mins wait to get our order. 1hr 14mins wait to get our food. No apologies given. Three other tables came after us and served ahead of us. Only five orders of sushi rolls ordered. An embarrassment in sushi quality. We paid less and got better quality/quantity in our last Vegas trip just weeks earlier They were lucky we still paid for our food because our three kids were hungry and wanted sushi. Never coming back and kids know not to come back too. They may not care about one bad review but I hope it sheds light on their way of business and deter others from wasting their time or money here. We certainly will never come back and certainly lose generations of business in our family. read more

Sat at sushi bar for 30 Minutes. The chef didn't acknowledge us and kept himself busy but there were only two other people in seated at a table Rude, and weird read more

Mmmm A's rolllll. Sashimi here is top notch too! Cool little circle fire area in the center too!

BEST SUSHI AND EXPERIENCE IN TOWN!!! Love them all so much! Service is always so fun and cute!!! Most fresh sushi.

Cute place! We called to check if there was a wait time and there wasn't. We ordered appetizers and once they came out we were finally able to order. Sushi chefs look very uninterested in their job. We waited around 30 min for our first order of food. Rolls were good, but tiny... not a lot of food in them and cut super thin. We ordered a second order which was also good but when we ordered the Sushi chefs were not making our food? They must've been out back, it took 30+ min for them to get our order made. Waitress was so kind, but the service didn't appear to be the best for a spot that is not as busy as other spots. read more

The sushi rolls are pretty traditional and very good. The himachi was wonderful and the saké? Perfectly pared. My family and I have been coming for years. We love to sit by the fireplace and its always good, the staff is awesome! See you soon! read more

The sushi was pretty good. But what I mostly enjoyed was the mango sticky rice!! sooooooooo yummy!!!

This is the first time I've been to a restaurant that served everyone at the table one at a time, waiting till each person had finished before the next person's food arrived. I spent years living in Japan and have to say this is the first time I've encountered this fascinating tradition. Between the time the last of the others had finished eating and the time the waitress checked in to see if we needed anything else (just my order!) I did have time to write up a review here and one on Google. When it was finally ready, I was told another server had accidentally delivered it to another table. At that point I finally gave up and asked for the bill. :/ The server was actually very nice and was apologetic about the whole thing and hopefully dealing with a kitchen that was backed up/disorganised. read more

Samurai Restaurant - Empty place setting. - Japanese Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

I've been meaning to try this place a good while. This review is of no reflection on the food--but of the service. We were sat rather quickly which was nice considering they just opened for dinner and I heard the place does tend to get busy. My family who was visiting out of town were with me and we enjoyed the sushi but unfortunately the service fell a little flat. At points it was a little awkward and I kind of got the feeling we were being annoying by the reaction from the staff. I just didn't get a welcoming vibe. I could be wrong here--maybe we came on an off night--I'm not sure. Hopefully they can improve upon their service--that was the only thing I was bothered by. read more

Samurai Restaurant - the interior of a restaurant - Japanese Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

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This is my go to place for Japanese food... staff is the best. Food is always fresh and prepared great...

Worst service ever. We had a group of 8. Some ordered sushi some ordered meals. The sushi came out soon and half of us watched them eat. After 30 min the other orders showed up and then half watched the others eat. read more

This Sushi place is a Gem! Luis and Isiah were the perfect host! They served the most delectable food! The uni was very good as well as the rest off the dishes that was served. The service is absolutely impeccable - Must try! read more

I have been going here for 10 years. I cannot believe the soft shell crab roll was over $13.00 and was only 5 pieces and no claws at the ends. I am so disappointed, how chintzy!!!!! Alena Steiner read more

Samurai Restaurant - 1 soft shell crab roll and 4 raider hand rolls - Japanese Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Chef embarrassed a patron about a month or so ago because apparently the patron didn't tip the waiting staff. That patron was spending over $100 literally every week, but still the Chef thought it wise to call him out because apparently spending over $400 a month at their business wasn't enough for him. How about instead of ridiculing the customers that keep your business afloat, you instead just pay your staff a livable wage so they don't have to go begging tips from patrons? read more

The rolls were decent. I got the avocado and cucumber roll, SO got AJs special roll. Those were tasty. If you are a picky vegan (absolutely cannot have anything) touching ask for a separate container. The Tako sunomono the SO also liked although the portion was small. Miso soup according to him was on point. Not a lot of vegan options- order multiple rolls. read more

Samurai Restaurant - Fruit salad w tamarind was a disappointment. Upside we had fruit for breakfast - Japanese Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

FAIL..... ouch. Went on a busy night, they had one adult waitress the rest were kids who had no idea what was going on. Needless to say it was a disaster, waited 45 min for anything to come out and ended up going to the bar myself to get drinks. Looked around the restaurant and everyone was not happy. All this continued so we went elsewhere. Someone trying to cut corners by having cheap labor from inexperienced kid staff. Shameful! Go to OFF THE HOOK SUSHI right up the street. Great vibe and adult staff service and food. read more

Staff are very friendly and polite. Price is very affordable and food is delicious. It was our first time and we really had a good experience. read more

Best Japanese dining in Lake Tahoe. Dined at samurai several times before and after Covid. The food is always delicious. It's a gem in South Lake Tahoe. Samurai has a central fireplace seating area and sushi bar seating along with normal tables. Sapporo beer there was one server and assistant for all tables when I last visited. Our waitress and her assistant did great. It's not fair to compare samurai to other Bay Area Japanese restaurants. I will return to samurai next time I'm in South Lake Tahoe. read more

3 of us for dinner. The place wasn't really crowded, no wait for a table. The busser/helper was non responsive, seemed lost. The waitress was good. We ordered a teriyaki salmon dinner and 2 simple rolls. I could hear the 2 sushi chefs behind me in deep conversation with a guest. My wife's salmon dinner arrived, without rice, and she started so it would be warm while we waited for the rolls. She finished her dinner and finally the 2 rolls arrived on one plate, not convenient. The rolls weren't very good. It could have been a lot better. They gave me a $5 discount as an apology. read more

We had a reservation for a party of 8 and was told we would have a private room. Reservation was held with a deposit. When we showed up the room had been given to another party. This was corrected and we were seated. We ordered appetizers and drinks. Service was good, food was also good. We ordered seven sushi rolls but got charged for 8 and were charged for the room fee even after the deposit. Rolls were delicious and good choices. Potstickers were awesome. Overall we enjoyed our meal and the privacy of the room. It was next to the kitchen so a bit loud. Parking was not good but there was a snow storm but because it was late we parked next door and walked over. I would definitely go again. I liked the sign in the lobby read more

Samurai Restaurant - Lobby - Japanese Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Let me start with saying this is only my second time here. The first time was great. Tonight was pretty bad. The place was packed when we walked in. I total understand many places are understaffed. We had to wait over an hour to get our food and I could forgive that because of understaffing issues. What sucked was the sushi. While presentation was fine, the rolls were very small compared to other sushi places in the Tahoe area and the rolls simply didn't taste that good. We ordered seven rolls and two nigiri for 5 of us and it all fit on a large dinner plate. 7 rolls from Yugen would be served on a massive boat. It was all pretty disappointing after waiting an hour. Our waitress was great and very apologetic for the wait. Possibly an off night. Not ready to write them off just yet. read more

Samurai Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

We've been here several times and have always had good food and good service . I only gave it a 3star due to the curbside appeal. Awful ! If this was my restaurant I'd clean up that entry . That broken yellow bucket of trash has been there since I've been going there which has been three years ! It just bugs me to think they can't spend a couple minutes to clean up the planter bed and a few bucks to put some plants in instead of all those weeds !! Also , they've had dirty sand bags right by the front door that aren't needed everyday . It's just laziness to not clean up and take pride in your restaurant. read more

My go-to Sushi spot. Ajay is also a funny guy at the bar while him and his team of sushi chefs craft some very tasty rolls... but with sushi i think its also about the fish quality. keep up the good quality fish guys!! PS- try the Cosmic hand roll :) read more

We arrive at this place 603pm, not even pack yet waiter took our order maybe within 20 minutes later. It took about an hour to have them bring the first three order out of 12, another 45 minutes, six of 12 orders, half an hour more for the rest of our order by this time our friends are done eating and waiting for us three to finish eating and thats about 9pm. Within half an hour of us seating down, nine more people came in and sat down. They got all of their food first and left within an hour. Waiter telling us they only have one chef. read more

This restaurant came highly recommended, sadly it was terrible! We ordered our food waited a very long time to be served. Couples that sat down ten minutes behind us had their food on the table. Of the four of us my food never came to the table. The server even came over to ask how everything was??? Um hello?? I ended up telling her to scratch my order since everyone else was done with their meals. How generous to give my husband the locals discount for the inconvenience a four dollar discount... Super bummed about the entire experience. Currently eating sushi from Whole Foods! read more