Sawa Sushi

Went here to celebrate my boyfriend's 16th birthday, met his whole family and made a core memory…read more Also sushi, green tea ice cream and other food was bomb

This is the second time my husband and I were here. Didn't want to do a review until giving it a…read moresecond chance; We walked in at 4:30pm, Keep in mind they open at 4pm, so there is only a couple tables with customers. They said go ahead and sit wherever you'd like, it took them awhile to come over, when we asked for the menus they said scan a tiny square on the right side on the wall & they asked if we wanted anything to drink. We asked for water, again it took them a bit. We then ordered an appetizer, the stepped jalapeños, and only then did they bring silverware, napkins, and things for the food. There was two waitresses very disorganized. Something was going on with a customer's bill and they were both involved as well as chefs. In the meantime, we waited and more people had started coming in. I remember last time the same issue the food excellent but the service is horrible! Finally, they brought the stuffed jalapeño peppers and walked away didn't give us a chance to order a couple more things. Finally, we had asked one of the waitresses to come back and we gave her our order. They continue discussing a discrepancy with somebody's bill and I could see the food being put out and just waiting while they continued whatever was going on; we finally got our food. The food did not disappoint delicious but the service continued to lousy finally, a third waiter. A young gentleman came out, served us more water we asked for napkins. He immediately gave us napkins, but the two girls were completely distracted by whatever was going on. I really wish that someone else are the owner would've taken matters into their own hands so that the waitresses with wait on other people I could see around me how the customers were getting. I'm not sure I wanna come back at third time and witness crappy customer service.

Mamacita

Fresh water eel roll, $15.

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Bbq eel yummy

Okura Robata Grill & Sushi Bar

3.8(1.5k reviews)

0.6 mi

Excellent service and even better meal. If possible, try and sit at the chef counter. They're very…read moreinformative and have lots of great recommendations. Some of the best uni I've had in a while. Yellowtail and salmon were also delicious

Good food, presentation of sushi was good. Fish was excellent seams to be a good grade. Needs a…read morelittle better grade of sushi rice though. Service needs a little improvement. Ambiance needs some improvement looks a little tired.

The main seating area

Volcano Baked

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Restaurant during sunset

Sams Sushi

3.5(397 reviews)

0.6 mi

This one of our go-to sushi spots. Our favorites are the bento boxes, cucumber salad, and Red…read moreDragon roll. I also enjoy their ramen and other noodle dishes.

*Rude inattentive forgetful judgmental staff * Sticky tables…read more * need to wear a mask in restrooms due to unpleasant odors. A bit of bleach would work wonders *scary parking at night * flavor not worth the price * Who buys sushi in the middle of the mainland desert?! * Kauai Safeway sushi is better. * Won't ever be back but will definitely laugh about this place back home on the island. * NO ALOHA

Deep Fried Cali Roll

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Shrimp Tempura Crunch Roll at Sam's Sushi.

Sushi Bento

4.3(315 reviews)

3.4 mi

Wow! What a small gem! This place had the best salmon nigiri I've ever had in my life! The service…read morewas excellent, ran by a wonderful and friendly team. They kept the Diet Pepsi's coming! The below picture is the inside of the restaurant, very cute aesthetic!l (see below picture)! My boyfriend and I will be back!

One of the best sushi places! Great food, wonderful service…read more Will be back here for sure!

Inside

Baja Fresh Roll

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Missing menu picture

Pokehana

4.4(618 reviews)

0.4 mi

The food was so refreshing, perfect for this warm day! The customer service was excellent , George…read morewas very helpful and made a GREAT bowl! He was communicative and attentive to customers needs. Overall the environment is very light and airy, the place is CLEAN (restroom and all) !!! We will definitely be back! THANK YOU AGAIN GEORGE! You are AWESOME!

Pokehana is a solid choice in La Quinta if you want a big, customizable poke bowl with fresh fish…read more QUICK TAKE Get: Build Your Own Bowl Skip: Nothing specific, but check the veggies before loading up Know: Portions are generous, and the fish tasted very fresh. The Build Your Own Bowl is the way to go. You can choose two or three scoops of protein, including ahi tuna, salmon, seared albacore, shrimp, spicy tuna, and octopus, then add rice or greens plus toppings like edamame, seaweed salad, avocado, and mango. The fish was good. It tasted fresh, and the portions were bigger than I expected. My only caution is with the vegetables. Some looked and tasted noticeably fresher than others, so I'd pay attention when choosing toppings. Overall, a little overpriced but okay quality.

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Large Bowl (Three Scoop Protein)

Katsuyama

4.1(368 reviews)

5.3 mi

Arrived at 7:40ish. Last call for food was at like 8pm? Restaurant closes at 9 pm…read more.. Seems okay until I kept noticing the waiters staring at us. Pretty uncomfortable situation. Ramen needed salt. Like a lot. Spicy was not too spicy... Didn't come with many toppings. Pork chop was huge though! Lacking flavor as well though. 6.8/10 Crispy Shrimp Roll. Perfect. 10/10 Wontons (beef) 7/10. Seemed burnt. Lacking flavor.

Located in a shopping plaza. Got the Tori Katsu chicken cutlet set and a spicy tuna roll…read more The chicken katsu was done right. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and not greasy. It came together perfectly with the sides and felt like a complete, comforting meal. Everything on the plate tasted fresh and well prepared. The spicy tuna roll was a nice addition. Clean flavors with just enough spice, and it balanced out the richness of the katsu. The restaurant has a calm, casual feel and it's easy to sit and enjoy your food. Staff was friendly and attentive, and service was smooth. Definitely a spot I'd come back to when I'm in the mood for a solid Japanese meal.

Inside restaurant

Cheese Galbijjim

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Inside

Nobu - Indian Wells

Nathan made our entire experience unforgettable. We decided to trust all of his recommendations,…read moreand every single dish was incredible. His knowledge of the menu, attention to detail, and genuine enthusiasm completely elevated our dinner. The meal honestly felt like fireworks of freshness, and several dishes were so good they were almost emotional. Nathan guided us perfectly through the menu and made the whole experience feel special from start to finish. If you visit, ask for Nathan, he made what was already an amazing dinner truly exceptional.

Bit pricy but glad we got to try the experience at Indian wells…read more My hubby and I walked in and only waited 30 minutes. We were seated outside the restaurant was super packed. We got the new sashimi style, miso cod, spinach salad, couple of sushi and sake. Service is fast and food came out within 15 minutes. New style sashimi (7/10)-fresh but nothing special don't think it's worth $30 Spinach salad (9/10)-super refreshing best thing we had on the menu, the dressing is very flavorful. Miso cod (5/10)-pretty disappointed being the top item ordered. Bland and overall nothing special Sushi (7/10)-not the best we have had but portion was good fish to rice, liked the yellowtail the best. I think it's worth going once but probably not multiple times. Overall a good place to try for a first timer at Indian wells.

This was the lobster special that I can't even describe but was flavors we've never experienced. Wow!

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Fujisan - Indio

3.7(3 reviews)

4.6 mi

Everything h was good here very chill nice and fun I just hope we ordered more because it wasn't…read moreenough for all of us.

Restaurant quality, great for a to go sushi. Salmon is fresh and great. Talked with itamae few…read moretimes and he worked on well know sushi restaurants in the desert. He owns the shop and always takes care of us with some extra sauces. very knowledgeable if you want to try to do poke at home.

Spicy Tiger

Rainbow Roll

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Tiger/Crunch Roll

Sushi ON

3.7(411 reviews)

1.7 mi

Broadening my Sushi search from La Quinta to Indio. Dropped in for take-out from Sushi ON. I've…read moredriven by it many times, but never noticed it. Although I was getting it to go, Sushi ON is more of an "out to dinner" place. Relaxed atmosphere, quiet, lots of dark wood. I'll definitely eat in next time. Service was quick and friendly. I was there 15 minutes from ordering to getting my food. Everything was pricy, but all sushi is pricy now. This sushi was worth it. Extra large rolls and a huge Beef Teriyaki Bowl. Fish was fresh, the crab in the California Roll was delicious. Beef Teriyaki was wonderfully seared and combined with crispy veggies. Will be back.

Did a take out and was happy to see fresh live seafood. The quality of fish is fresh and they have…read morelive shrimps . Everything I ordered was great. The restaurant itself is clean and dining space is nice. Customer service was also great. The lady at the front and the sushi chefs were all friendly. Definitely a must.

Sushi Bar

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Dinner Combo (beef teriyaki and salmon sashimi)

Coral Sushi & Sake Bar

3.8(107 reviews)

1.8 mi

wanted to leave a review of this awesome sushi spot in the valley my partner and i tried out! tian…read morewas our server and he was very attentive, kind and fast with our orders. we enjoyed our meal here and were fortunate enough to have tried their yummy green tea ice cream on the house! 10/10 experience and the food was great. would come here again if in the area

Always an amazing meal! This time tried the yellowtail carpaccio which was incredible, flavors were…read morewell balanced and let the fish shine. Will be ordering that every time! Another highlight is the hideaway roll, simple but very tasty!

Sushi bar seating

Chicken teriyaki

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Shrimp Tempura Roll

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17 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Jackie M.

47

18

9

4 months ago

My family and I had an awful experience at Sawa Sushi today after church, and we will never be returning. First of all, the restaurant was NOT busy at all, which makes the lack of service and rude treatment even more unacceptable. We walked in with our children and politely asked for two high chairs. The waitress immediately responded with attitude, rudely saying they did not have any and simply pointing toward a table for us to sit down. No greeting, no hospitality, nothing. Later, to make matters even worse, my husband discovered that they actually DID have a high chair when he got up to change our baby's diaper. So not only were we treated rudely, but we were apparently lied to for absolutely no reason. We sat there in an extremely hot restaurant with apparently no AC running while it was already over 90 degrees outside. Despite sitting there waiting with small children, nobody came to offer waters or even acknowledge us. My husband even took our baby to change her diaper and discovered there wasn't even a changing station available. After waiting and still receiving no service, I finally had to ask for waters myself. Instead of apologizing, the waitress rudely told me to "wait." When she eventually came back, she asked how many waters I needed. At that point, I asked her how many people she saw sitting at the table because it was honestly unbelievable that I even had to ask for basic water service in the first place. Rather than handling the situation professionally, she became argumentative and hostile. She stated they had the right to refuse service to anyone and pointed toward the door as if we were the problem for expecting basic customer service and common courtesy. I understand restaurants can get overwhelmed sometimes, but this place was practically empty, so there was absolutely no excuse for the attitude, neglect, dishonesty, and disrespect we experienced today. Families deserve better treatment than this. Completely unacceptable service, and we will not be back. read more

Steven H.

7

6

0

10 years ago

One of my favorite sushi places. Have been going since they opened and Joyce was pregnant. We get bummed when we see the "we are on vacation sign" lol but they are there all day long 6 days a week so kudos to them. Very friendly family and attentive, when i order to go and if i forget to add side of spicy mayo and eel sauce like i always do, when i pick up and ask for it she says i already put it for you. Thats awesome! The lunch bento is a great deal, it used to be available for dinner as well. The salmon sushi is a good size some places do big rice small fish or tiny ball of rice to make the small piece of sushi look bigger. I love the dressing they make for their salad. Its just iceberg lettuce but that dressing is tasty, even dip my sushi in there lol. Mexican roll is really good and if they don't have the specials board up, just ask and they'll whip something up. I recommend you try it, not the fanciest place but it's good. read more

Layla M.

Elite 26

257

358

1059

2 years ago

Sawa Sushi still delivers! Nestled in the heart of La Quinta off Highway 111, this local gem continues to impress. The ambience is laid-back and inviting, perfect for a casual night out. Tonight, we popped in for a quick bite, and I'm so glad we did. The salmon sashimi hit the spot--fatty and bursting with flavor. Perfection! My husband ordered the Miami Vice roll and was equally satisfied. A big shoutout to Joyce, who provided great service as usual . She was attentive, kept our drinks topped off, and made sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal. If you're in the area, don't miss this local staple. Just a heads-up--they're closed on Mondays! read more

Richard I.

0

2

0

8 years ago

Best sushi place in the desert. Moderately priced, high quality ingredients. Heart-warming staff. Sawa is my go to sushi place down in the desert, and I always enjoy my experience there. Not to mention they do a pretty tasty tonkatsu as well. Godzilla Roll is a 10/10 roll if you're looking for something fried. read more

Josh L.

0

38

1

3 years ago

This is one of our favorite hole in the wall type sushi places. The service is prompt and efficient, the ambiance is basic, but the sushi (what is most important) is always fresh and consistent. We get the same rolls repeatedly and we are never disappointed. read more

Larinda W.

0

11

15

8 years ago

Best sushi in the desert! Everything I've ordered, new & my usuals (American Dream Roll and Mexican Roll), have always been fresh and delicious. I highly recommend giving this little hole in the wall a try. read more

Jackie B.

387

11

7 years ago

Yummy sushi and at a decent price! My boyfriend and I really enjoyed our lunch bentos. I enjoyed the tempura and spicy tuna rolls the most, but the chicken katsu was also delicious. read more

Cindy H.

6

5

0

14 years ago

This is now our favorite sushi place! Great food and even better friendly people!!! They are very accommodating and we had fun while stuffing ourselves on deliciousness!! read more

Cindy H.

0

6

3

15 years ago

My daughter and I have found our new favorite sushi place!! Great food Friendly people. Great little hole in the wall family place!!! Love it!!! read more

Armando T.

0

25

1

2 years ago

It was so great. The people were so great and the food was delicious. Smaller restaurant and we actually liked the intimacy. Great spot!

Leanne K.

54

77

18

9 years ago

Very small but, really good. The fish was very fresh and portions large. We will be back soon.

Eve M.

14

54

25

5 years ago

Very good sushi in the desert. Fresh and flavorful. Service is very good and very fast. read more

Love B.

371

138

105

13 years ago

They don't accept Amex? Their sushi was decent. Nothing to brag about.

Blithe B.

0

20

0

12 years ago

Great little sushi restaurant. Quick, good food, & good prices.

Sandra L J.

0

3

4

5 years ago

EXCELLENT - from the 1st bite to the last

Dianna L.

2

12

10

13 years ago

soooo delicious!!!

Tian Y.

0

1

15 years ago

good sushi

Sawa Sushi - sushi - Updated September 2026

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Broadening my Sushi search from La Quinta to Indio. Dropped in for take-out from Sushi ON. I've…read moredriven by it many times, but never noticed it. Although I was getting it to go, Sushi ON is more of an "out to dinner" place. Relaxed atmosphere, quiet, lots of dark wood. I'll definitely eat in next time. Service was quick and friendly. I was there 15 minutes from ordering to getting my food. Everything was pricy, but all sushi is pricy now. This sushi was worth it. Extra large rolls and a huge Beef Teriyaki Bowl. Fish was fresh, the crab in the California Roll was delicious. Beef Teriyaki was wonderfully seared and combined with crispy veggies. Will be back.

Did a take out and was happy to see fresh live seafood. The quality of fish is fresh and they have…read morelive shrimps . Everything I ordered was great. The restaurant itself is clean and dining space is nice. Customer service was also great. The lady at the front and the sushi chefs were all friendly. Definitely a must.

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Terrible service. Old lady was racist and mean…read more Waited over an hour and was ignored.

Sushi Bento

4.3

(315 reviews)

Wow! What a small gem! This place had the best salmon nigiri I've ever had in my life! The service…read morewas excellent, ran by a wonderful and friendly team. They kept the Diet Pepsi's coming! The below picture is the inside of the restaurant, very cute aesthetic!l (see below picture)! My boyfriend and I will be back!

One of the best sushi places! Great food, wonderful service…read more Will be back here for sure!

Joe's Sushi

3.4

(274 reviews)

Joe's Sushi The Cabo Way is a must-visit spot in the Coachella Valley…read more The Food: The fish is incredibly delicate and fresh. They offer an amazing variety of creative specialty rolls, but my personal favorites are the Cheh Cheh and the Horacio roll containing a masterful blend of ingredients. Whenever I want to treat myself, I order the Ceviche de Pescado. It's a completely unique menu item that showcases their incredible Japanese-Cabo fusion. The Service and Environment: I can't go without mentioning the casual and cozy atmosphere and the incredible sushi chefs (Leo, Alonso, Phillip, and David) as well as the wait staff like Jesus, Freddy, Kris and Nikki just to name a few. They always make you feel incredibly welcome like family. I have been going to Joe's for some of my favorite sushi for over 23yrs now and hope its around for 23 more!

My favorite sushi dish in the whole world is Joe's Roll. All seafood wrapped in mango and rice…read morepaper with a cilantro dipping sauce. I could eat it every day. Such fresh, delicate flavors. Busy place with great bar seating and friendly chefs. Love this place so much!

The Venue

(622 reviews)

•$$$

Parking was easy. Waitress was easy going and informative. We ordered way more nigiri's, but top…read morefavorites were salmon, scallop, and yellowtail. Quality is great. Edumame was pretty plain with salt. And the tuna taco was not for me but nice to try. Ambiance was good, pretty busy when we went for dinner last on Sunday night. Small on the inside. We sat right by the middle tree and was a bit uncomfortable but I would come back to try again.

We decided to try something new in downtown Palm Desert! And as it was hot outside we felt sushi…read morewas perfect item to have for dinner! And this place sounded like the perfect venue to stop in as they were having all day Happy Hour on Sunday that included drinks and food items, including a selection of sushi. The restaurant offered quite a list of items to choose from (see pictures) for happy hour menu. The restaurant is quite small. The restaurant features a bar that had about 10 seats. Plus a small dining room and an outdoor space. I assume the outdoor space will only be good for winter time as no misters or fans. The single server was very attentive. She was practically doing everything: waiting on guest, playing hostess and making drinks. As for food and drinks: we were both please with our drinks off the happy hour menu. We got a large bottle of Sapporo for 10 dollars and a lychee cocktail for 11 dollars which was refreshing. As for food: well we didn't particularly like our food. The edamame was solid, but how can you mess that off. The two sushi rolls were quite small for 14 dollars on happy hour. We ordered one that had tuna on top with fake crab mix inside with a couple of sauces. The tuna color looked to perfect to be real. The tuna was not really tender. The sauce did not complement the sushi well. We ordered another role that came with four pieces and I could not distinguish the flavors within the rolls. The presentation of the rolls could be better. Based k. Our experience: we would stop in for drinks but probably skip food as the taste was not to our liking.

Sushi Kawa

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Great food; great ambiance. Food came out really quick! Waiter was really nice as well.read more

Just had an incredible experience at Sushi Kawa in Desert Hot Springs…read more The sushi was absolutely amazing -- easily some of the freshest fish I've had. Being out here in the desert, I wasn't expecting sushi this good, but it was perfect and honestly the best thing to eat in the heat. Everything tasted super fresh and clean. And the highlight of the night was the person serving us, who goes by "the old man." He made the whole experience even better -- great service and a great personality. If you're anywhere near Desert Hot Springs and craving sushi, Sushi Kawa is 100% worth the stop. I'll definitely be coming back.

Glo Sushi

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(48 reviews)

Glo Sushi: Eat at the sushi bar--the experience is more…read moreintimate, and the chefs are excellent. I recommend this place. Kind of pricey, but also delicious. Recommended

YELP SHORT ANSWER: No... one of the worst sushi experiences I have ever had. Maybe a bad day but…read moreguessing on our visit the people working there hated us for their own reasons and it showed. Being there at 4:30pm and being the first and only customers we were greeted with 15 minutes of being ignored with some guy behind the counter being a dick. Not sure what the problem was but it became very apparent they did not want to serve us and hoped we left. Some other guy came up finally and took our order and got us water. LOCATION: very nice, located on the lower lobby of the Renaissance Resort. FACILITY: excellent, clean, and authentic similar to a small bar you'd find in Japan. MENU: resort expensive but we had a few days to enjoy relaxing at the resort. I was not so concerned with the cost, rather the customer service and the quality of the food both not happening here. FOOD PREP: ordered hamachi sashimi, $26 and plate appeared with such a small amount it looked like a joke. About 1/3 the size of nearby Japanese restaurants. FOOD QUALITY: some of the worst, fishy smelling hamachi I have ever had. Maybe the guy was trying to kill us. It had so much lemon juice on top it did not even taste like hamachi... one and done we did not finish the small portion served just paid our bill and walked away, yes we did leave a nice tip. LIBATIONS: we did not try here, thankfully. WAITSTAFF: terrible, if you trained someone to be a jerk, well the lead guy must have graduated with honors. OVERALL VALUE: so not worth it and I know that is not the intent of this great resort but they have a serious F&B staffing problem as least at Glo Sushi on that day. TIP: avoid unless they get their stinky fish act together. I must add, Autumn who was kind enough to check us out was a great ambassador to the resort and brand, she was great and we followed her to The Place and ended up having a great time with great food.

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I was having a craving for curry katsu so I thought I'd check out Sakura Palm . It's in a large…read moreshopping area and easy to get to . It was a one man show until I saw the wife come from the back to the front . The inside was fairly large but with few patrons . There was no ac except a large fan . I had hopes of a tasty katsu curry over rice but instead a lukewarm dish with minimal curry flavor . It was kinda skimpy for the price and I'm sorry it didn't meet my expectations .

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