Sushi Garden deserves 5 stars. The service is great, it's my favorite sushi place and I don't even live in Santa Cruz. Great sushi!!!

If you want great sushi with superb service, go to Sushi Garden! Esther really takes care of you, so ask for her recommendations if you dont know what to order. They have good selection of creative rolls and fresh fish for nigiri/sashimi. Yum! I will definitely be back soon. Thanks Esther & Sushi Garden! read more

I went here last night with my fellow sushi fanatic, we spent the day is SC and were fiending for our sushi fix. This place has fantastic sushi! Miso soup can use some help though, it seemed a little watered down. The sushi chefs at the bar were talkative and joking around with the patrons wich is always nice and our waitress was pretty good aswell. its nice and small which gives it a personal feeling although it seems like it would fill up fast. Weak dessert menu. Exceptional sushi! try the Mr. Nobu roll! Oh and they give you a menu but look at the menu under the glass on the table they have a list of about 20 new rolls that are not on the menu. read more

The best. Consistently good. Try the Ika Sansai appetizer, or Broiled Mussels- so delicious! Everything on the menu is great and they often treat you to free edamame. read more

You MUST have the Shiro Maguro. Absolutely heavenly.... and I love you roll, Itallian Stallion, Eye of the Tiger, Eternal Sunshine... read more

Let me start of by saying that I love sushi. This place has the best sushi I've had in a long time. The salmon and hamachi sashimi just melts in your mouth, the best ever. Most of the rolls are fantastic. Some are just average. The service is incredible. This place just rocks. Try the dinner special, it's an awesome deal. Two items for about $17, with soup and salad, add another item it's only about $20. read more

I love sitting outside. It's so peaceful and relaxing. The real reason I gave this place five stars though, is because it's the Second best sushi I've ever had. Yum. read more

I went 1/10/2018, got the Udon bowl as well as food poisoning. Still recovering from it today. I like it there a lot which is why it annoys me to write this, but it's not their first mistake in my experience. Found a piece of plastic, told the waitress, she came back and told me it was onion skin. The cooks probbaly told her to say that. Poor girl. It was a nice meal with my friend, but I have to knock some points off. read more

So delicious, the best sushi in Santa Cruz! Tons of options huge menu... not your average boaring place. Try the" what the jal " apetizer, jalepeno stuffed with cream cheese and spicy tuna deep fried. I will be back many more times read more

I am a HUGE sushi fan and I have been spolied since my friend owned a super place in Half Moon Bay. I recently moved to Aptos, and not willing to drive to HMB for sushi I checked yelp and found this place. It is SCREAMIN' good! I have already gone twice with a friend and had two different meals, which were both fabulous! The fish is very fresh, the rolls are the right size and the price is reasonable. I would definitely recommend this to everyone. read more

Amazing sushi, the best in the Santa Cruz area, in fact. Seriously, like 200 rolls! It's in an unusual, though nice location. Ambiance was good. On-tap beer selection is minimal, with Kirin and Sapporo the only options but those are great with sushi in my opinion, so not too big of a deal. Definitely a locals spot. read more

The food was okay but the service is what really annoyed me. We literally waited for an hour after ordering before we received our food. The sushi okay but not super memorable. The place was packed, which still has me puzzled - subpar service, average food and really long waits. Not my scene. read more

We waited way too long for just two rolls. The waiter was rude as hell. Just cause we're Asians he doesn't serve us but only the table next to us which were all white people. He only asked how they were doing and didn't bother serving us water even when our cups were empty. Felt really disrespected will never come again. read more

Love the sushi, but not the wait to be seated. Yes, there always seems to be a wait (which I guess is a testament of how popular the place is). Get there early or don't go at all. 4 stars for the Sushi Garden. Irashai masai!!! (or whatever they say when you walk in). read more

Best sushi place in town. Service is sometimes hit or miss, but the variety on the menu more than makes up for it. Try the eternal sunshine. You won't be bummed. read more

Love this sushi place. If it is the weekend you always have to wait being as they are so busy. But always well worth the wait. I have never been disappointed. read more

The best sushi resturaunt ever! The staff, atmoshphere and food is always amazing. Even when I get it to-go the food is always made impecably. We have gone on the busiest night and the quality is always great and staff welcoming. One tip I would have for them is fixing the lighting in the resturaunt, its a bit bright... but other than that, after travelling all over the state, united states and to other countries their food is number #1 in my book. My favorite the El Camino and Hamachi Nigiri washed down with their unfilitered cold sake!!! read more

Such a great sushi restaurant. I haven't been to any other sushi place as good and as fresh as this one in the area. The service is usually really good, it's just a bit slow when they have a full house. They give you a lot of sushi in a roll so the prices are fair. My favorite rolls are the avocado roll, yam tempura roll, hurricane roll, pasatiempo roll, and ebi carnival. The katsu donburi is also very good, it just takes a while to make it. We also sometimes get the 2-item combination dinner and we split it because it's so much food! The one in Watsonville is just as good and they have some different rolls too. read more

I love Sushi Garden. Everything we ordered was amazing. My favorite roll was The Grinch Roll...supper delicious. Our sever was great and the other employees seemed really friendly and courteous as well. I'm already planning a return trip next week to try out more of their fantastic looking rolls. Update: My only critique would be that the last few times I've eaten at Sushi Garden their nigiri wasn't as fresh as I had hoped. read more

A gem! I have been coming here for over 6 years and the food has consistently been over the top good! If you are going here on Fri/Sat make sure you get there early because this place gets packed. Luckily I arrived at 530pm on a Sat night and I got seated right away. I had the veggie tempura, mussels, & avo rolls, & the new Mariposa roll. Everything was delicious. Good food & friendly wait staff. It is one of those places that you are happy to pay a little bit extra because the food is just that darn good. Thank you Sushi Garden! See you as soon as I can! read more

By far our favorite sushi restaurant ever!!! We have never had better rolls or service! Nicole is fantastic and we highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great sushi and a laid back environment! read more

Nice Santa Cruz vibe. Great food. Super easy menu, Just really really loud. Was here around closing with around half of the tables full and had to repeatedly shout. read more

Fresh fish, good portions. Ideal for parents that like sushi and have children. Parking is easy and plentiful. The koi pond is popular with the kids. The location makes it nice if you're a parent with a fidgety kid. The koi pond is a nice distraction. read more

Used to be a quality restaurant. Recently the service has gone way down and the prices are very expensive. Don't mind paying for good sushi but not when the staff is constantly turning over, the training for new staff is inadequate and the management doesn't seem to care. There are better options close by for the money you will spend. read more

Sushi Garden was an accidental discovery for my family and me, on our way to the Beach. The wife and I had been talking about sukiyaki, and how we hadn't had it forever. When we saw the sign for Sushi Garden, I didn't think they would have it. The wife thought they might. She prevailed. We pulled over to inquire. After finding the actual location ( a wee bit confusing,) we were told they did, indeed, make sukiyaki. We had the beef sukiyaki. It was great. In fact, it was superb! Succulent beef and lots of it. Rich broth. Lots of mushrooms, tofu, carrot, onions, and bean thread noodles. It was served in a big cast iron cauldron ("careful - it's hot!"). We also sampled some of the premium sake. (They have many selections of sakes). We were pleasantly amazed by this restaurant in every way. We will be back for sure and soon. read more

Sushi Garden is the best! Great selection of rolls, great service and probably the best sushi chefs in town. Greyson is the man behind the sushi bar. Been going since my son was a baby and they've always made us feel welcome. Thank you Sushi Garden. read more

This is our 'go to' sushi joint. Outstanding special rolls. Only reason I don't give it a 5 is the service can be lacking.

Currently this is my favorite sushi place. The fish is always very fresh and they put together great combinations for rolls. Not only is the fish fresh but they are very generous with the portions. The staff is always entertaining especially at the sushi bar. The service is excellent. I look forward to the day another sushi bar can give them a run for their money but I haven't seen it yet. Because of course that would mean I would have two great places to go. This place has me hooked and I will continue to keep coming back. read more

Best sushi in town! Dragon scales soo good

My boyfriend says that I have ruined him due to my love of REALLY fresh sushi. No more 'I Love Sushi' for us!! Sushi Garden is our spot in Santa Cruz for sure!! With the recent expansion, Sushi Garden really has hit all the points for a great restaurant. The place is always super busy, which gives a great vibe and fun energy since they are staffed well enough to properly manage, and at the same time we never have to wait for seating because of the new back sake bar. The female server back there (I swear she works every single day) has impeccable timing and great knowledge of the different sakes. One night as soon as we sat at one of her tables we noticed it was off balance- this is annoying and something we would have had to ask a server for something to wedge in there, but before we even made eye contact she came up and shimmed the table without even saying anything...my BF and I just looked at each other with such astonishment as she perfected the foundation to our future meal and went on to greet us. Such a simple thing, but really went far in our books. She is always so calm and cool, but gets everything right the first time with great speed. In the past I have been irritated with the other female servers here...before the remodel quite a few of them seemed to always be pissed off. I am not sure if this is still the case, b/c now we always go to the sake bar with the awesome server who can walk on water. Hopefully those girls up front got over what they were so pissed about. Or they have learned to not bring that energy to their tables. Either way. Now- the FISH....My standard for sushi restaurants is quite simple- do they serve Uni, and will they serve it to me if it is old. Sushi Garden understands that this amazing fruit of the sea can only and should only be tolerated same day, maaaaybe day after it is brought in. This is the difference between the taste of a fresh sea mist on your sun kissed face, and the taste of stagnant tide pools that have been cooking in the hot sun all day. Obviously the preference is for the prior sensation, and that is what you get every time at SG. I like to keep it simple when I eat at a sushi restaurant- mostly nigiri and sashimi, so I REALLY appreciate how fresh their fish tastes and the nice thick cuts they serve. LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! read more

Absolutely the best sushi in Santa Cruz!! Love the bamboo curtain roll. Wish master chef, Tae, still worked at this location! read more

Probably the best spot for sushi in Santa Cruz. Lots of good rolls and if you eat at the bar the chefs always give some great recommendations. Sapporo on tap too! read more

Great sushi. Really kicked it up a notch. Chef went to open fresh Uni for me and clearly was triple the amount of any other Uni sushi I have ever eaten. The grinch role was very nice and I met the "Mean One" who made it. I am considering going back again in the same week. Maybe it was the saki bombs we had with my new friends I met at the bar. But what an experience. read more

Sg is the best! I've eaten their twenty times since moving to town. Great rolls and the staff is fantastic. The baked muscles are insane and the carpaccio specials are fantastic. read more

We absolutely have to go there every time we travel over the hill from San Jose. The assortment of sushi is overwhelming. We stick pretty much to our favorites (midori michi is absolutely the best), but always try to get at least one new roll to try. We have yet to be disappointed. The staff is young, but nice and the place has a welcoming atmosphere. If it wasn't for the constant fog, the outside eating area is nice to relax in. read more

All I can say is YUMMMMM. I went in with my boyfriend one day for lunch on a whim and we were very pleased with the food. I got a Philadelphia Roll and... something else... Sorry. The staff was very friendly, however the service was a bit slow. He was on a 45 minute limit and it took about 25 - 30 minutes for two rolls and a lunch combo box. Miles ended up getting his own water because the waitress was "pre-occupied"? There was only one other group seated. If you have time to sit, I recommend going there. I'm planning on getting a few platters later this week for a sushi party - I'll let you know how it goes! read more

Hands down my favorite sushi restaurant, anywhere! We've been going there for 4 years now, and we can always count on the food to be amazing. When we have guests we always bring them to Sushi Garden and they rave about it, too. Unique combinations and flavors if you are looking for something that isn't your "typical" sushi restaurant. But be careful, it will spoil you! read more

My first time here - I'm visiting for one quick night on my way south, and so I did a quick Yelp search for sushi. I loved the look and feel walking up - the buzzing energy and wait list - always a great sign. On a Sunday night at 7:30 there was also a 45 minute wait for take out! I'm traveling alone so I was open to bringing it back to my hotel. I asked about a bar seat, and several staff said to sit in the Sake bar to be served full menu. So I did, and was promptly greeted by Nicole, who was working the bar and the tables. Nicole was so friendly and energized - and despite the packed bar and table area - always managed a hug smile, a great attitude and prompt service. Nicole really impressed me with her ability to stay calm and friendly despite the super busy evening - a total pro. I highly recommend bypassing the busy front wait list and sitting in her bar area to anyone. I loved my rainbow roll. I didn't love my seaweed salad as much, which is strange to imagine, but there was something about it that wasn't as good as others I've had - and I'm a big fan of this dish. A huge portion, just not an excellent version, at least this night. This and the lack of hostess system/greeting you, is why I'm giving it a 4. But the roll and my glass of chardonnay and Nicole's service was excellent - highly recommend!! read more

Loved the food! It's a tad pricey but it was worth it. It's a very nice environment. I sat at the bar where you can see the chiefs cooking it was fun to watch the them they were very entertaining. They had one chief out, So It took a while to get my food, But I understood and I waited patiently. Waitresses were very nice and friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

This is THE BEST SUSHI and SASHMI in Santa Cruz...it beats out Akira, Takara and all the rest!!