Well I decided to see if eating in was any different than my prior take out experience and it was about the same. A solid 4 stars. Nothing special. Kinda heavy on the rice and thinly cut on the fish with a high price. Good flavor though. Just not 5 stars. There's plenty of space to eat inside at the ambiance is very casual. Like you can bring kids and lots of kids here when we came. It's located on the 3rd floor of the center. read more

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Went to this place because my boyfriend had never had omakase and I'd heard great things about this place's LA location. This place has street parking and was a bit confusing to find as it's a couple floors up, but we got there. (Take the stairs, it's much faster than waiting for the elevator). We sat outside because we wanted a pretty view of the ocean, and the waitress was nice enough to turn on the heater for us. We ordered the Baked Lobster Crispy Rice, O.Toro, the Shiso Special, and Omakase (Chef's choice). We also ordered some hot sake to help battle the cold. The sake was fairly priced, but I would say the other things on the menu were a bit pricy (minus the omakase). I have had fresher tasting sushi elsewhere but this place wasn't bad. I will say I was pleasantly surprised by the crispy rice and, along with the omakase, was the best thing we tried. If I was craving sushi or omakase, I probably wouldn't come back and would try elsewhere instead. read more

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Super delicious & fresh sushi in Laguna Beach. Really cozy vibes upstairs with a modern layout inside. Jacob was a great help to go through the menu & find out what's best to eat. Very quick service. Each roll or item came out fresh in lightspeed fashion read more

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Fantastic sushi, but when you get take out or delivery, the rolls stick to the boxes and fall apart. They have a major box problem.

Love Seabutter! Everything is so fresh and delicious. Atmosphere is cool and clean, sushi chefs are spot on. The hostesses are always a little slow, I think they are kind but need a little more experience, but the staff is welcoming and knowledgeable. We eat here often and it is always great! read more

We cannot say enough great things about this restaurant! We have a celiac/gluten free and vegetarian in our group and they did not disappoint. Staff was incredibly knowledgeable and also friendly and attentive! Food was so wonderful!. Followed with black sesame ice cream. So good. We had Mr crab, polar bear, green goddess - so good. Plentiful and tasty. Service was just fantastic! We will definitely be back. Thank you for accommodating our gluten free diet. read more

Seabutter - Laguna Beach - Polar bear! So yummy! - Japanese Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

We sure miss your sushi Chef Henry whenever we are in town we love a visit to seabutter. The food is exceptional. We have not had a bad meal. Looking forward to coming back. The service was amazing, greeted with smiling faces sitting at the sushi bar. The atmosphere is beautiful dim lighting all around wonderful time. read more

The sushi here is very good. Service could be a lot better. That being said You can tell the fish is fresh and there is great balance in the sushi they make. Sometimes places use way too much rice. That is not the case at this place. The place is small and gets busy for dinner so I would recommend a reservation. We were able to get a dinner reservation same day. They offer 2 hour validated parking for the parking lot at this marketplace. The restaurant is located on the second floor. Nothing fancy but during the day looks like there are great ocean views. Some of the highlights were the truffle salmon and the toro they were both very good. Also the volcano roll and the YTJ roles were also very good. The one thing I noticed was the service was not great. It took a while before our order was taken. Probably 15 minutes and then at one point it took about 30 minutes to get a roll we ordered. Looks like the manager is present but not very involved. They should probably look at being a better service based restaurant. This is especially true because the prices are not cheap. If not for the bad service I would have given 4 stars. read more

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First time going into the restaurant and had an amazing experience. Food and service were amazing. Our waitress Summer and manager Yukino had great customer service. They made sure we were satisfied with our food and had great recommendations. read more

So, we have been coming to Seabutter for a few years now and have always thought it was the best and freshest sushi around! Saturday night my husband and I were there and ordered a few of our favorite dishes such as hot night roll and the spicy tuna crispy rice and we each ordered our own Mr Crab because we love it so much! Well , the first bite of the Mr Crab we both knew something was off! It tasted fishy and metallic and that taste that leaves that feeling of wanting to gag in your mouth! We have never sent anything back before but since it was both of us tasting the same thing we told our waiter to take it back (we weren't charged). He commented that the Langoustines had been changed! We couldn't eat anything else after this so we asked for our bill and left hungry! Not sure if we will come back which is soooo disappointing! read more

A solid sushi option in Laguna Beach! Food is really good and fresh. Also some delicious crispy rice options that I haven't really seen and def recommend (I like the classic spicy tuna, but also albacore is really good)! If you are stuck you can't go wrong with the sunset roll, daddy long legs, or a blue crab hand-roll. The people who work here are also very nice. Also they have outdoor seating if you want to bring your doggo! read more

Very fresh seafood. Great options. Friendly & quick service. Small restaurant so if you have a large party definitely would recommend making a reservation. read more

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

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I don't think I've ever been so excited to leave a review in my life. This is hands down the BEST SUSHI I have ever had IN MY LIFE! We also had impeccable service tonight. The sushi is FRESH, service is quick and our server made amazing recommendations. You have to come here ! read more

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The BEST sushi place in OC! Fish quality is consistently amazing, my favorite is usually the nigiri especially the o-toro and salmon belly. All of the rolls I've tried were great too and you have to try the avo crispy rice! It's a cute restaurant set-up too with a nice view from the windows. Dining there is always fun, but I'm glad they're on doordash for times we don't feel like going out and they always put a cute note with the takeout order too! read more

Seabutter - Laguna Beach - Assorted nigiri: Yellowtail Belly, Otoro, Toro, Salmon Truffle, Wagyu, Salmon Belly, Albacore, Amberjack-Kanpachi - Japanese Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Amazing sushi rolls; the best in my life Especially "Dragon" roll Friendly stuff Convenient parking on the street read more

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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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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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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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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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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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Never again will I order Postmates or Uber Eats they should be banned for life. says it will arrive at 7:00 pm, it's 8 pm and they were still preparing. I called at 7:20 they told me it'll be done in 5 minutes. Never will spend another penny here. Take your $ to oto and have a real meal. 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

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

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

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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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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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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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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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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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.

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.

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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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

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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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