I am the biggest sushi fan I have to say...this is one of the best spots I've eaten at! They perfectly curated a menu with their own unique styles (e.g. pressed sushi, nigiri medley, etc). Everything has so much immense layers of flavor with their own twist on the traditional style of sushi. And if you're a truffle lover...they have sushi that will satisfy your craving! The wait staff and sushi chefs were all beyond friendly, kind, and knowledgeable. I sat at the bar for the full experience and I highly recommend it if you want the full (but casual) experience. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with sitting in the dining room with the beautiful ambience! I already bookmarked this restaurant in my files to eat at again and recommend to others who visit the lovely Laguna Beach! read more

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The food was good and well-prepared, but the prices are on the higher end. We chose to dine here mainly because I had a credit card offer. While we enjoyed the meal, the pricing might be a consideration if you don't mind spending. read more

Pretty view from the patio. Food was excellent, and staff was very quick and helpful. We asked for recommendations and were very satisfied!! read more

Seabutter - Laguna Beach - We got the salmon avocado roll, daddy long legs & the crispy tuna rice and Marlyn Monroll (was the highlight!!) - Japanese Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Came here on my birthday for a date dinner. I must say the place is really cute and cozy, and service was above average. We ordered few rolls and sashimi and everything we had was very fresh and tasteful. We liked their Sea weed Salad, I can easily say it's best I've had in OC. Another favorite was their Yellowtail Carpaccio. It was infused with truffle soy sauce and topped with the crispy onions. The only thing that this places lacks a good selection of desserts, other than that it's one of my favorite sushi spots in OC read more

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Unfortunately, some of the slowest service I've ever received. There was no consolation received from the manager at all.

Melt in your mouth sushi. Lots of variety. Service was excellent. Kind of difficult to find at first - on second floor. read more

Seabutter - Laguna Beach - View - Japanese Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

We really enjoyed our dinner here this past Friday evening. We made a same-day reservation easily online prior to arriving; however, they were not very busy yet at 6pm on Friday. We sat at a nice table near the window with a view of PCH and the Pacific. Our server was very sweet and attentive. She also provided excellent recommendations. We had a small house hot sake ($9), Kanpachi Yuzu sashimi style ($22), Sunset Roll ($19), Salmon Avo Pressed Sushi ($19.50), and Rainbow Pressed Sushi ($19.50). The Salmon Avo Pressed Sushi was our absolute favorite (highly recommend - order it!). All in all, a low key, nice sushi spot in Laguna Beach! read more

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Wow...! My bf and I came here for our anniversary dinner. We got a 6:30 reservation through RESY (which I highly recommend getting). We were seated pretty quickly. As the night went on and got busier, it would take longer for the rolls to come out. But it was alright because it gave us time to chat and enjoy date night. The rolls were amazing for a decent price. We were expecting to pay a lot at the end but it wasn't too bad. Everything is so fresh and just melts in your mouth!!! I would highly recommend the following as they were my favorite-- salmon medley, pressed toro, negi toro, A5 Wagyu. Definitely recommend coming here for ANY occasion. FYI There is no parking lot so expect to look for street parking. read more

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TLDR; Wonderful sushi place with dog-friendly patio in Laguna! Innovative rolls, incredibly fresh fish, and generous portions. It's always a huge plus when a sushi joint has outdoor seating. Our party of 4 got everything to share, as the portions were quite generous and we wanted to try everything. FOOD: I feel that usually when a place offers fancy fun rolls, their quality of fish isn't that great and so they have to rely on fried stuff and sauces to make things taste good. This place is NOT like that. They have an assortment of fun rolls and pressed sushi, but the fish is always fresh and the main focus of the meal. The sauces and extra stuff are not overpowering, and complement the fish beautifully. Our favorites of the night had to be the Salmon Avo pressed sushi, the Sexy Albacore, and the Toro Nigiri. Just so fatty and fresh! Also, the salmon collar I ordered as an appetizer was HUGE. Just beautifully cooked - still soft and tender in the center despite the thick cut they gave. SERVICE: Attentive and friendly! Our server came to remind us when last call for food is. He was also patient as we tried to figure out what to order. Food comes out decently fast - never felt like we were waiting on anything for too long. The food here is on the more expensive side, but I don't feel like it's a ripoff or anything. Quality and quantity definitely holds. I recommend! There is a parking garage below the plaza, and also several street parking spots. read more

This place is AMAZING!! The sushi is phenomenal, the place is pretty cute and the service is great. 10/10 would recommend this place for anyone looking for great sushi!! read more

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The sushi here was so fresh and the rolls were really unique. The entire staff were very kind and I loved being able to look at the sea while I had sushi. I would definitely go back any time I'm in Laguna Beach and I want good sushi! read more

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Blue crab roll? Super dope. Surprisingly inexpensive, quality sushi. Fairly small menu, but everything we tried was fantastic read more

Always delicious!! Reservations recommended, especially if it's nice weather. Ask your server for suggestions, they are well informed.

Having read so many reviews absolutely raving about this place, we decided to try it out since we were staying nearby for a few nights. The restaurant is located in a commercial building along with other businesses and restaurants and can be a bit hard to find, if you haven't been here before. We finally found our way to the third floor, found the inconspicuously hidden location, and just waited till they opened at exactly 5pm.....we were the first ones here to avoid any dinner time crowds. I'll start out with the positives. All the staff and sushi chefs were absolutely amazing.....so nice, friendly, polite, welcoming, helpful, and attentive. We also liked the decor with its clean, modern, open and airy interior, with big windows allowing for some nice peek-a-boo ocean views. Oh yea, cool name for a Japanese restaurant too...."Seabutter".....kind of reminds me of a movie about a thoroughbred racehorse :) As for the food, we specifically chose this place because of some of their sushi roll offerings that did not use seaweed or rice....due to diet restrictions, I need to stay away from these for now. I am referring to their rolls in their low carb roll category such as The Hottie.....spicy tuna, avocado, scallions in a cucumber wrap. Note that the menu lists Gobo (burdock root) as included in the roll too, but it was carrot used instead....most people have no idea what Gobo is so probably wouldn't even have noticed the difference, which the chef is totally entitled to decide on. The other roll that we tried in this category was the Marlyn Monroll....tuna, salmon, yellowtail, albacore, avocado, scallions wrapped in thin shavings of radish. Again, the menu lists Gobo as being included, but obviously wasn't. To sum up our feelings about these rolls, they were pretty darn creative and very thoughtful for diet conscious diners, and they tasted wonderfully delicious too! We then ordered some tempura....namely, the mixed fish tempura and vegetable tempura. For the mixed fish tempura, it came with three different kinds of fish....salmon, albacore, and yellowtail fish. All the tempura was fresh and tasted very good, although the tempura batter was a bit thick and as such, not very crispy. We still enjoyed the taste though. Ok, and now for the not so positive. We also ordered a combination of salmon, tuna, and yellowtail sashimi that was prettily served on a bed of ice. It was kind of fun sitting at the sushi bar counter and watching the chef skillfully preparing the sashimi, and my wife even had a good chat with him in Korean. Unfortunately, we thought the sashimi was just ok....decent quality and nicely presented, but we've had better. The most disappointing part was that the sashimi pieces were sliced so thin that you could almost mistake it for thinly sliced carpaccio. This is not the correct thickness that sashimi should be sliced, and to make matters worse, the price of this plate of sashimi was about $75! This is way way way too expensive for this quality and portion size of sashimi.....even for Laguna Beach. Yes, we already knew before coming here that this place would be expensive. However, our expectation was that the quality and portion size would be proportional to the price, but it clearly wasn't. It was a good experience overall and we are glad we got to try this place, but we don't think we will be back here again since we get very good quality sashimi near where we live. But unfortunately, where we normally go to for good sashimi, the service sucks. Oh well. read more

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So disappointed in quality of fish and service. We have been going to seabutter for years and always sat at the bar and loved the experience and thought the fish was top notch. We went back tonight after about 6 months (our longest stretch of not dining there) and were very disappointed. The fish did not taste as good as in visits past. Even the way they cut the fish was off. Some pieces were huge while others were slim. It was all off. So bummed out by this experience and don't think we will go back read more

Best sushi! Sexy Albacore is delicious. And the service is top notch. We go every week.

Just had dinner at Sea butter restaurant in Laguna Beach. This is on the third floor of the building with Gina's Pizza. They have been open for four years now, but this was my first visit. I simply had not noticed it had reopened under a new ownership. The food is excellent, and the weight staff very, very good and attentive. We started with edamame beans, add baked scallops roll. We had a 911 roll, which was excellent. We finished our meal with the blackened cod. I am fussy about fish so I was reluctant to try it, but it was excellent. This is a hidden jam in Laguna Beach. As many locals know, Laguna Beach has not known for having great restaurants. But here is a very fine restaurant, with prices that are reasonable given the level of food quality. Highly recommend you give it a try. They have indoor dining and a nice outdoor patio that is covered. read more

I'm so so so happy that Laguna has a new sushi spot. I was sad that San Shi Go and 243 Sushi Laguna closed. Seabutter is a solid addition. The sushi is so fresh and the flavors are really delicious. We always order the Sunset roll, the Salmon Supreme, the Miss Salmon, the Crispy Albacore and the Yellowtail and Spicy Tun crispy rice. Hot house sake and Fried Green Tea ice cream with chocolate drizzle (good but would love crisper and warm tempura instead of cold) Honestly, everything is delicious! If I were to pick just one item. to get it would be The Sunset. I also love the 2 pc sushi the Yellowtail Belly is wonderful and Fatty Toro. The kids get Seabutter's version of a California Roll made with blue crab not imitation crab. They love it. They also love the Miss Salmon, the Beef Gyoza and the Garlic Edamame. We have tried the Hye, the Shiso Special, Yellowtail Scallion and the Tuna Explosion too! Love the fresh wasabi! Staff is great. The bus boys are really efficient, observant and kept out waters filled. read more

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This is not authentic sushi. The rice was stale and the fish was not fresh. We ordered over $100 worth of sushi rolls and whole foods sushi rolls are honestly better. read more

Our waitress Yukino was extremely rude and rushed us to finish our meal. Not to mention she seemed sick because of how often she was sniffling, which is extremely unprofessional and put my baby at risk of getting sick. The table we sat at was covered in dried soy sauce and the menus were sticky....food tasted great but this place is honestly disgusting. Would not recommend AT ALL!! read more

Good food, pretty, clean and comfortable furniture, good service. It's worth a visit.

Left confused I have been wanting to try Seabutter for quite sometime. However, the sushi was quite underwhelming. I'm not sure if take out ruined the experience? Perhaps the elevated plating with dine-in adds an illusion to the subpar sushi? There was a Lack of flavor in nearly everything we ordered. Dry, falling apart, and not fresh. The Price did not reflect quantity nor quality. The additional cut rolls were slithers and disappointing. Grocery store sushi is more generous with their portions. The Sauces for the sushi were a bit artificial tasting. The truffle salmon was decent but I'm sure it was solely because the truffle compensates in flavor. Lastly, the wait to go was unusually long for non-peak hours. I genuinely wanted to love Seabutter but I am unsure where all the stellar reviews come from. read more

My husband and I went here and got some rolls and sushi. You know when it is an authentic Japanese sushi place by the consistency of the rice. The rice was hard and the fish was absolutely sub par. We usually go to otoro in Irvine, a more high end sushi restaurant and maybe we are spoiled. But the lack of freshness of the fish is smothered with American tasting sauces. If you want Americanized rolls that taste like Whole Foods rolls then this is the place. read more

In love with this place for real. They're tucked up on the third floor of a shopping plaza and offers a great respite from a day in the city. They have a gluten-free menu (just ask for it), and all the servers and chefs are well-versed in taking safety precautions for celiac disease. We came on a Saturday afternoon and got seated right away at the bar, our water was never empty, and all the servers were very attentive to our needs. The 911 roll was the best thing we got, it has a great spicy/citrus flavor that my husband and I went nuts for, though we also enjoyed the pressed sushi rolls and the uni-scallop as an appetizer. The vibe is best described as dressy-casual, I saw folks in everything from casual evening dresses and button-up shirts to boardshorts and tank tops. So I'd say just come as you are and enjoy! read more

Sushi nigiri was surprisingly good. All of the cuts was well done. I asked for no garnishes of any lemon or lime. Ratio of rice n fish was perfect. read more

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We were craving sushi so we thought we'd check out this nice little spot. We got patio reservations for 1945 on a Saturday. When we go places, parking is one of the first things we take into account if it's worth coming back to regardless of the quality of food and service. Luckily, this place has ample parking downstairs and they do validate. Now onto the food! My partner had the tuna and salmon sashimi with a side of rice, and I had the salmon avo and shisho special. They have gotta be the freshest and tastiest fish we've ever had. Presentation was nice and simple. It was almost perfect except for some unknown reason, they served the side of rice first knowing that we had nothing else on the table. As a former server, busboy, food runner, expo, and an everyday rice enjoyer, this was disappointing. I know it may be a small thing for some people, but not for me. I thought "okay, maybe the rest is coming shortly!" but no, it took around 5 or more minutes before they served the sashimis. So basically we were sat there out in the patio just staring at a bowl of rice that's getting colder every minute. I get busy days and all but this kinda thing irks me. You just don't serve rice by itself especially when the rest of the order are way behind. I know that sushi rice is supposed to be served slightly warm or room temperature at least. We still enjoyed the food of course. It was still phenomenal even with cold rice. I just wish it didn't and shouldn't happen. We then decided to order the black sesame tempura ice cream for dessert. It was good but we asked for no whipped cream and it still came with it. It also took a while. So again, we were just sitting there with no one assuring as that it's coming any time soon or what. I can see our server just checking in on other tables. I can say I'm a patient person, but after maybe 15 minutes, I asked one of the bussers/runners if it's still on the way and he told me it's gonna be 5 more minutes. Overall, it was still a good experience despite the rice issue and the ice cream issues. Hopefully that was just a one time thing. Would probably come back here even though it's like a 40 minute drive. Maybe next time I'll have a reason to change my rating to 5 stars. read more

This little place is right above Ginos pizza. On the top floor . on PCH... If you get there before 5:30 you will see a gorgeous sunset. The sushi is very good. We had the Truffle salmon roll, 911, Dragon and crispy avocado rice. All delish! Definitely a local vibe... read more

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Bad service despite huge number of employees around me. Gotta be bad management. sushi was also below average. Not worth visiting

I would have to say this is a hidden gem when visiting Laguna. Secretly placed upstairs, no signs, you just have to figure out how to find it, and it's worth it! The sushi is fresh and full of flavor. So many different options. Our server Huey was helpful with top selections that didn't disappoint. Depending where you sit, you can have a beautiful view of the ocean to make it a perfect dining experience. Great prices! read more

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This is an excellent date night location! They have a really cute patio with a nice view, and the quality of the food is wonderful! It's a little pricier than your average sushi place, but it's totally worth it! And I'd say it's actually reasonably priced for being located in Laguna Beach! They also have a small parking structure in which they validate parking. read more

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This is a review of their menu items during OC Restaurant week. Honestly I was blown away by the quality of the fish. This place is located on the third floor of an old wooden plaza on the corner of Coast Highway and Brooks Street with validated parking. It was a bit confusing to find as the place on the third floor, but once you arrive at the correct floor it's easy to locate. I highly recommend trying the bluefin toro nigiri. Everything was delicious. The only reason this is a 4/5 stars is because service was average for its price point. Our reservation was at 7:15pm, but we were stuck in traffic. I called the restaurant before the reservation time to let them know we'll be running 15 minute late. They marked us as no show on OpenTable so I had to dispute it. There were plenty of tables open for 2 so I wasn't exactly sure why this had happened. Overall, if you're in the area, it's a great place. Is it worth spending over an hour driving to Laguna? Debatable. read more

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Seeing the reviews I was very excited to try Seabutter for the first time. I came for an early dinner on Saturday. I will preface the rest of my review by highlighting that the service was excellent, everyone was very nice and attentive and the dish we enjoyed the most was the Hye which was delicious. The rest of our dinner experience was very disappointing otherwise. Of the dishes we tried: The dragon roll and unagi sushi were extremely fishy. Not sure if this was just a one off but it was very unappetizing, both smelling and tasting unusually fishy and non-fresh (unagi is usually my favorite so this was a bummer) The hamachi and salmon sashimi plates we ordered were flavorless. The toro hand roll and hamachi belly sushi were good, but not great, especially for the price point Quite disappointed by my first experience here; our total was 160$ for two but felt like it wasn't worth half that in quality or taste. read more

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We had the kanpachi Yuzu and sunset roll. Amazing flavor, fresh fish, and a great recommendation by our waitress! If only we lived closer, we'd come back every weeknight. Beautiful patio up top with views of Laguna Beach.... Surf. Fabulous staff! read more

Seabutter - Laguna Beach - Japanese Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

one of the most impressive, butteriest sushi spots I ever had the pleasure of visiting is Seabutter Sushi in Laguna Beach. The service was a little slow, but the sushi made up for it both in quality and in flavor. The only thing I didn't care for was the Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, there was just too much mayo. Now the best bite of the night was the Kampachi in Yuzu, the fish was delicate with some yuzu bringing out the extra bright flavor, and we ended up ordering another round of it, unbelievable. A classic sashimi combo I've seen being served is this albacore with crispy onion, Seabutter did a great job on this too. The otoro nigiri just melted in your mouth, could've bankrupted myself on these easily. The wagyu nigiri had a dragon-like presentation, and the Seabutter Handroll is pretty self explanatory in its madness of ingredients: uni, toro, and ikura. The negitoro handroll was buttery, and my favorite out of the two. read more

Seabutter - Laguna Beach - Albacore with Crispy Onion - Japanese Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Decent sushi, but nothing special compared to other places in Orange County. It's presented very well on the plate, but that's about as far as it goes. It's just average. The salmon sashimi was the only item I liked. The crunchy spicy salmon was so sticky it stayed on my teeth, and the flavor wasn't great. The luxe medley that my husband ordered was also strange. I didn't enjoy the baked scallop roll or the blue crab roll. The spicy tuna hand roll was so spicy that my husband drank a whole glass of water in less than a minute. Service is good, but the ambience is lacking. They went with really cheap dining tables and chairs that are spaced oddly throughout the restaurant, making it hard to navigate through the room. The music is also kind of loud and unexpected for a restaurant. I wouldn't go back unfortunately. read more

Seabutter - Laguna Beach - Salmon sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Loved everything we ordered!!! Went to Seabutter on Saturday night with a 7-person group. They accommodated us well and gave us fast service! I especially loved the Sunset roll, Crispy Albacore, and the 911 rolls. My only suggestion would be to have the hot tea in a bigger pot instead per cup. We filled up and kept ordering more and more! I would definitely come back and try everything again. I didn't order the pressed sushi but it looks so good I need to! read more

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Very disappointed upon my first visit to Seabutter. Brought along my fiancée and best bud who just got back from Hawaii and had an amazing Omakase meal at Sushi Show. Feels Like you are part of a conveyor belt not knowing who will serve u next. Not my style. I prefer the personal touch when I sit at the sushi bar and want to connect with my chef. Usually I get specific in terms of items I tried but I can say overall it was fair at best. Never been to a place that serves a thumb tack worth of uni on 2 piece sushi dish that is north of $30. Pictures say it all. Pass on this one. read more

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My best friend and I have been here a few times and every single time it has been absolutely amazing thanks to our server Adeline! I have celiac disease, so it's always hard to find delicious tasting sushi that meets my needs and she always makes sure that I am safe and picks out amazing recommendations that are delicious and tasty and always sit well with me. We love coming here for the hospitality, her amazing service, and delicious food! Highly recommend! And ask for Adeline, you won't be disappointed :-) read more

Seabutter - Laguna Beach - Salmon Avo pressed roll, a must!! - Japanese Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Very impressed! We have yet to go in person but if delivery sushi is mind blowingly good- I can only imagine it's even more amazing in their restaurant. We love Friday nights at home so we usually order in but their sweet handwritten note reminded us we should come in person! Presentation is high quality and the sushi is so good, it melts in your mouth! Can't wait to come in for a sushi date night! read more

Seabutter - Laguna Beach - Thoughtful handwritten note from our Uber Eats Order. - Japanese Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

The unagi is orgasmic! Definitely going back! Went here on a date with my gf and she loved it.