This was one of the most disappointing sushi experiences we've had in awhile. We used to go to Poway Sushi Lounge about 8 years ago and it was incredible, but stopped going around 2019 because we noticed a decline in quality and service. We had hoped that Encinitas would be different as we live in the area and have been trying to find a good sushi place for some time but we were severely disappointed tonight. First, when we entered the restaurant the floor in the dining area was filthy. Covered in food, wrapper bits, and crayons that kids had thrown/dropped. The table the majority of the mess was under was empty and remained empty the entire time we were there. No one bothered to clean the mess. It was only about 5:45pm when we arrived, so before the true dinner rush. Second, the service was mediocre at best. We saw our server 3 times total, once to take our drink order, once to order rolls, and the third time to get our check. I had to flag down another server to get a refill on my drink (he was very kind and by far the best server at the time we went but I don't know his name) while our server stood at the sushi bar on his phone. Lastly, our sushi was both overpriced, and warm. My salmon hand roll was room temperature and I only took two bites before I decided not to eat the rest because I could tell it already wasn't sitting right in my stomach. We spent 71$ pre tip for 2 rolls, 2 hand rolls, and 4 Ikura. The ikura were by far the most expensive, which is to be expected, but they were also the only thing that came out cold and not room temperature like it had been sitting out for a long time. We got our food about 10 minutes after we ordered, which isn't a long time. So I don't know if a fridge of theirs isn't working correctly, or what was up with that. I've never received warm sushi from a restaurant before unless it was a cooked roll. I think it's fair to say we will not be returning to Sushi Lounge Encinitas, or any of their other locations. read more

Haven't been back to Sushi Lounge since before the pandemic, for the most part not much has changed. I went by myself with a plan to sit at the sushi bar but was told, and 7:30pm, that they were no longer seating at the sushi bar??? The restaurant was half full, and although there were a couple people at the sushi bar already, it was more than half empty. Thought that was strange, and a little put off because the rain provider was that the sushi chefs were busy. Anywho, I sat at the bar bar and the bartender was friendly and accommodating. Many of the same rolls as before, and a couple new ones. Quality is good, good options are good, wasn't thrilled with the beer selection but that a personal preference thing and they had the basics. All in all, it was good and I'll be back, hopefully with the ability to sit at the sushi bar. read more

Plenty of outside and inside seating I had the green monster and miss soup..it was good but I thought it would be a little bigger. It was light so liked that. The miss soup was good..it had mushrooms and tofu and seaweed. I also Had the hot green tea. read more

Sushi Lounge Encinitas - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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This has been my go to sushi place for many years now. I come often and bring company when they are in town. The last 2 times have been pretty awful. After the first bad experience, I was told by an apologetic waiter they were training new people and that explained the poor quality of the sushi we received, particularly the rolls. Understood and I came back a couple of weeks later. I specifically mentioned to our waiter last time the experience was not great and we had a "new" chef, so could they please make sure it was someone experienced. The sushi rolls were far worse this second time, literally falling apart at the bottom and the fish on top was cut in tiny pieces and not very attractive at all. It was tough to eat and we were quite disappointed. I have not returned since nor do I plan to. I think the quality has gone down quite a bit while the prices seem to increase, like everything else. Very disappointing as I now need to find a go to place for sushi. Just not willing to try a third time. read more

Well, I have to say the staff is always pleasant. The drinks are well poured and reasonable. But the sushi is sadly very disappointing. I felt like I was eating rice rolls. I had to poke around for the actual fresh fish. It's a bummer that everything's getting more expensive. yet you get less. read more

I'm not a huge fan of sushi. Love Japanese food in general but have never been a big fan of sushi. Well that changed a bit yesterday. Met a group of friends and a number of different rolls and raw dishes were served. Typical of me I ordered some yakisoba but ended up being a little adventurous and tried some sashimi, a roll with freshwater eel, one with shrimp and honestly I'm not sure what else I tried but it was all pretty good and not fishy as I thought it would be. Also tried Kama and it was absolutely delicious. Service was excellent (Jessica I think) and the whole place had a very chill vibe. Enjoyed the food as much as the company. Will be going back I'm sure. You should check it out too. read more

This was the best sushi place we tried in the San Diego location. We have family that live in Encinitas so, we tried a few sushi places in the surrounding San Diego area but this place was the best for taste and freshness. I still prefer the sushi restaurants in Oklahoma City as we for some reason have more fresher sushi, but I was happy to try this place out and be pleasantly surprised it was better than the other larger surrounding cities. Sometimes smaller cities and towns have better food options. read more

Sushi Lounge Encinitas - Takeout - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

I always come around lunch time for the past 7+ years, super fast friendly service and super good sushi! read more

Sushi Lounge Encinitas - Chronic Roll made with soy paper. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

Sushi was good as usual - we love this place. But... We had to wait almost an hour to pick it up and it was not prime time by any means. We ordered three rolls and were given only a tiny sliver of wasabi. Will probably just do in restaurant dining here going forward... read more

Another day, another passageway to block. this time, at my favorite sushi spot by my favorite doggy park. I love it here on this patio. Shade, a good breeze, and every once in a while a shrimp tail to nibble on. I always encourage my humans to have sushi for dinner as I know running at the park is certain to happen. My humans rave about the sushi rolls and the great beer selection. I always order the dog water bowl, delicious! ensure you encourage your humans to come here for dinner so we can meet up at the encinitas dog park after! read more

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The sushi here was absolutely phenomenal! I'm a simple pleasure man, I ordered the Philly roll and it was one of the best roll's I've ever had. The rice was nice and sticky, the cream cheese & smoked-salmon portions were generous, and everything about it hit the spot! The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was nice and relaxing. You could come here with friends & family or bring a date here. It's an all around cool place to eat delicious sushi! read more

We were in the area for time away to regroup as a family as we prepare for the coming new year. My husband loves sushi so we stopped in at this spot. We ordered: 2 rainbow rolls - 5 stars 1 sushi plate (raw fish and rice) - 5 stars Tempura Udon - 1 star (the portion is quite large but it is very salty for me; even after dumping the broth, he noodles were still very salty) Crispy Calamari - 5 stars (crispy) Matcha Brown Rice Green Tea - 5 stars (As a first timer, I loved it.) PORTION TO PRICING (5 stars): 5 stars: The size and quality of the fish. 5 stars: The ratio of the food items portion size to the price. 5 stars: The calamari was portioned, priced and tasted better than King's Fish House in Carlsbad that we tried earlier this week. DINING AREA (5 stars):The dining area is clean and updated. PARKING (5 stars):Parking was easily accessible and close in proximity to the entrance. SERVICE (1 star): The reason why the overall review is not a 5 star rating was the service. It wasn't as friendly given that we were the only patrons for about 15 mins before others came in. When my husband was placing our order, the server made a comment, "You're hungry, huh?" Although the server came by once to ask how the food tasted, no one came back to check on us for refills, etc. It was nice to see how the table near us was being served. That helped me see what the service could've been like. Will we be back? Yes. We just know not to expect the welcoming and friendly service we get back at home at my husband's usual sushi spot. read more

I'm always looking for a good sushi joint. I found out that sushi lounge showed up on San Diego's top list so I had to check them out! And especially that I now work at scripps and it's just right down the street! There are a few out door seats that you cab sure at but I think they should add maybe heat lamps since it's going to be getting colder soon (and I'm sure COVID isn't going anywhere). I ordered off their lunch special (spicy tuna and crunch) I did feel that it was small rolls but it is also lunch. I also upgraded to the salad (which is totally worth $1) and their ahi tacos. Everything tasted delicious but nothing spectacular. I wasn't awed by anything but I want to go back and try their specialty rolls. read more

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We were here yesterday on Black Friday for lunch. Went to the restaurant based on their star ratings and they did not disappoint with the food and service. Although the restaurant was sparsely occupied due to Covid-19 yet they had a lot of customers coming for takeaways. We were seated outside in the patio. We ordered their vegetarian sushi rolls, garlic edamame and bento lunch with Chicken Teriyaki. The food was very fresh and had the right flavors. The only reason I gave them 4 star is because the bento lunch had a lot less chicken and more vegetables. The server was very courteous and helpful. I would recommend this restaurant as yourgo to place for Sushi. read more

Sushi Lounge Encinitas - Entrance - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Really enjoyed the sushi here. Came with a party of 5 and we all got different rolls and sashimi. I got the Tsunami Tataki sashimi, I highly recommend this one, the sauce on it was so flavorful and yummy. The Happy Wife roll was super good to. The other must try is their garlic edamame. read more

Sushi Lounge Encinitas - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Hidden towards the back of a small strip mall. Seems to be a popular place for locals. I would not know this place was even here, if I was not searching online for a sushi place in the area. Plenty of parking. Restaurant seems clean and spacious. No wait to sit at a table, but once ordered, food did not show up at the table till at least 30 min after ordering. This was on a weekend and the restaurant was a little busy, but the wait seemed extremely longer then expected. Once the food showed up, we were pleasantly surprised of how good it was. Great presentation and tasty food. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable, but could have communicated better why the wait was so long. Good place, but the food wait could be a mood killer. read more

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Stopped here to get lunch/get work done. No internet... wth. I'd leave but I already ordered. Good service. Food fresh

It was ok, would probably go back to try different/more sushi. The bento I wouldn't get again wasn't worth it price wise kinda skimped with the teriyaki chicken & katsu and lacked flavor. It also wasn't made like you would think it would be, the katsu as well... My favorite thing about the bento was the rice and the sushi was ok on it. The miso soup it came with had mushrooms never had miso with mushrooms before.. It was bad though just different. Also got a separate plate of yakisoba it was ok my husband liked it. I wasn't a huge fan. The service wasn't bad they were nice. Food though, sushi is definitely a only goto so far for us. read more

Sushi Lounge Encinitas - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Absolutely love this place. I went once a couple of years ago and never returned because there are so many sushi restaurants closer to me. I went again recently when I was in the area and fell in love. The sushi is so fresh, such high quality and the portions are perfect. The pricing is better than many other sushi restaurants in the area as well. I got the uni the past two times I have gone and it is DELICIOUS. Tasmanian devil and albacore special are my go to rolls. The servers are also so wonderful. They're incredibly kind and attentive. read more

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Celiac, this is not the Gluten free place for you. Waitress did not know anything. We almost got up and walked out and should have. Anyway, All I have to say is this. Not celiac friendly, waitress was worthless when it came to her knowledge on gluten free. For example if the fryers are separate or not? When some says, the fryer "should" be... we should have walked out. GF menu is confusing. Rolls with Ponzu (not GF) and Soy Sauce (NOT GF) should not be on the menu. Again another sign we should have bailed. I think the GF rainbowroll had fake crab in it which is NOT GF and has wheat gluten in it. WTF??? It's on the GF MENU as "CRAB"!!!! Fuckers! Waitress was not interested in working that day and took forever with things. Never checked on us if it was good or not. Just LOUSY service. I gave her a 10% tip anyway as I am not completely heartless, we all have our bad days but spending $80+ kind of sucks especially now that my wife is sick. Won't return! read more

Disclaimer: this is a review for the veggie sushi so I can't speak on the quality of the fish or anything else that might be important to people who eat actual sushi It's pretty rare to find a sushi place that has a variety of vegetarian sushi outside of the typical avocado roll or cucumber roll. We had all three vegetarian rolls and they were pretty decent. The ingredients were very fresh, but there wasn't any unique flavor or sauce or anything. The stars for flavor by far were the nori fries and garlic edamame! The fries were so crispy and fresh I would totally go back. Overall the service was pretty quick and the restaurant is following Covid precautions. I would definitely go back! read more

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Great food! Hot sake was good too! Great prices! Service was good. Yakisoba was delicious! read more

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Sushi Lounge came in clutch after our attempt to grab Japanese food and the restaurant was closed. Luckily, a passerby heard my child's groan of dismay and directed us to Sushi Lounge. At 2PM on a Tuesday afternoon, there were very few patrons, but by the time we left, tables were filling. I ordered the blackberry jasmine green tea and it was refreshing -- the perfect unsweetened liquid refreshment to accompany a light meal. Our group of four ordered three lunch combos, a sashimi salad, and mixed tempura. The seafood was fresh, the deep fried components were crunchy and not greasy, the dressing for the salad was light, and the miso soup was not your average miso soup. The only thing I didn't care for was the seared fish in the salad, but that's more of a personal preference, and my husband ate it up for me keeping his membership to The Clean Plate Club up to date. Our server was fantastic! I believe her name was Sara. She went above and beyond when she went to the back to find the packaging then share the brand of iced tea with me. All in all, we left satiated and ready to hit the road to our destination. It's no wonder there are multiple locations in San Diego. read more

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This is such a great local sushi place! It has such great sushi roll selections and the go-to, if you're into oysters, you MUST have their oysters options. Pre-Covid they did have a happy hour menu and not sure if it is back on the menu, but oyster shooters are PHENOMENAL! Also, their nigiri and sashimi is served fresh and is always delightful. This is definitely the place you go to for sushi for all type of events and always fantastic quality. Their service is great, with servers and staff going above and beyond catering to whatever it is you may need at the moment. I have been here multiple times and definitely is a return-to sushi place. Highly recommend! read more

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I added one additional star because of the price being reasonable but soon found out why an hour later. Got sick after eating at this restaurant- not good! Only felt somewhat better after downing half a bottle of Pepto. The service was substandard as well. Not a friendly host and server took a long time with no apology. read more

Well, the streak has been broken. After years of going here, we finally had a bad experience. Typically, this is the place that has gone for the underpromise/over deliver on both service and food quality. Short side of the story is simple. Prices went up, quality & size of fish went down. Sorry, plumping the rolls with extra rice doesn't make it better. On the service side, they (seemingly) had only one waitress to serve the entire restaurant. So, I'll cut her some slack & not go into that. Pretty sad that our conversation shifted to talking about the value of Costco & Stater bros sushi. 3 stars because of past experiences. Today was 2 stars. read more

Sushi Lounge Encinitas - Wound up getting Costco sushi later. Sad day for our former favorite sushi joint. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

Our favorite sushi restaurant! Our favorite wait staff, JENNIFER (who is here Monday-Thursday, btw!)! We celebrated our 14th Anniversary here because since it opened in 2012, we have been coming back and not once have we been disappointed. A favorite wrap of ours, the Sashimi Q is no longer on the menu, but she had it made for us! This establishment is top notch. The food is amazing. The staff is wonderful, but JENNIFER IS THE BEST! ASK FOR HER! She will enhance your dining experience!!! read more

Came in for happy hour and was charged incorrectly by 3 different servers. Place is a zoo with kids running in the restaurant and yelling. For premium prices, you could be somewhere else read more

This place has always had ordinary quality sushi and been useful because we live nearby. Other than that, there is nothing exceptional about this establishment. The service is the same. One or two servers doing their best. Today we were one of two tables and our sushi took forty minutes to arrive, but the kitchen was well staffed. They were either all doing prep work or working on door dash orders. It became awkward and rude of them as we sat there with our kids waiting. read more

very disappointing lately. charged double. food took twice as long. This will be my last visit to this place. not sure if they got new management or need new management . in any case- i am done. read more

Came in for a quick bite to eat early Sunday afternoon. There were only 8 customers in the entire restaurant and half already had food. There were also about 8 workers. I ordered 2 simple rolls from the lunch special list. Forty five minutes later I had to find my server to inquire where my food was. Unfortunately the quality of the food was not worth the wait--incredibly sub-par. Don't waste your time or money here. read more

Yum!! We're from Los Angeles, and have our favorite LA sushi spots but this one is now on our list when we come into town. We were pleasantly surprised as we come to Encinitas often for my sons skateboarding & have never tried this spot. Don't let that it's in a shopping center fool you! I highly recommend the ponzu salmon. The tempura was delish too! If I had to complain it wouldn't be on the food, it would only be that they close at 9 pm. And the bathrooms may need some closer attention. Trash cans were over flowing & out of towels in the men's. Cant deduct starts on that. Server was super sweet! And food was delicious! read more

Skip the salad and tekka maki. Each were ~8 dollars with take out (Uber eats). Rip off Sushi rolls were decent. There are better options in the area for the price Edit: they also forgot to include salmon sushi. Will be asking for a refund for this read more

Sushi Lounge Encinitas - 8 dollar salad. Rip off - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Still my number one place for sushi in North county San Diego!!! It is always good and fresh. Love that they always have special fish which change weekly / or per season. You can't go wrong with chefs choice sashimi or even leave the creative choice of a roll to the chef. Oh and try the shrimp shumai from the kitchen!!! read more

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Good spot! Fresh fish, well prepared, fairly priced and all with an accommodative service! Additionally, they serve Asahi beer on tap which is a bit of a rarity. Highly recommended read more

Ordered pick up for dinner. It was about an hour wait before we could pick up, but it took longer than projected. We got 4 sushi rolls and 3 bentonite and only got 3 chopsticks. :( The food itself was pretty good. One interesting roll was the happy wife....hahaha. all the kids enjoyed the bento and it came with plenty of food. I would definitely order there again. :) read more

Horrible - barely any protein or veggies. Just rice for their sushi and they charge a handful for it. Really unfortunate. Feel like I got ripped off. read more

Sushi Lounge Encinitas - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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My boyfriend and I came here during happy hour and were pleasantly surprised!! The crunch roll and albacore special was delicious. I also ordered the protein roll which had no rice. The flavor and quality was great! The happy hour deals are really good and there is a lot of indoor and outdoor seating! read more

So to start the service was great our waitress was friendly and helpful even when they messed up my order she tried to fix it so dont blame her at all. Might be a little long but had a lot to say Down to the review it was 2 separate checks for me and my wife and then our friends everyone ordered sashimi plates me and my friend ordered the exact same order it was a 27$ plate chef special assorted fish well the plate came out and we say it and it was a lot of fish I was think wow thats great for 27$ I can't wait for mine ad my friend eats his entire plate 30 mins pass and mine never comes out i asked the waitress and she said she will check i guess the chef decided to put both orders on the same plate and the 2nd waitress did not inform us of it so my friend just are both orders no wonder it was a lot of fish. They tried to give me another order but at that point everyone was done so I didn't want to be waiting to get my food over all very dumb for the chef to put 2 separate check orders on the same plate like we were sharing 2nd part I ordered yakisoba noodles and the chicken was under cooked very rubbery and gross like they rushed it the noodles were fine but the chicken just threw me off overall very disappointed definetly never going back read more

We have been to Sushi Lounge several times and always enjoyed both the quality of food, fish and service, . . . . . . although, our recent visit to enjoy a e-gift I received for my birthday was a disappointment, but not for the service, but the quality of the meal. I am half Japanese and have traveled the world, including decades of business travels in Japan so I think I speak with some authority on Japanese cuisine. While I am a "foodie" I don't think I am a food snob - I go into a restaurant with reasonable expectations based on the restaurant clientele/target market and reviews. For example, I enjoy Macaroni Grill but I don't expect gourmet quality, authentic Italian cuisine. The same goes for my dining at sushi restaurants. The generous e-gift I received for my birthday was a BOGO sushi roll or bento box. My wife and I decided to opt for the bento box as we already had sushi earlier in the week. We selected the chicken katsu. The bento box dinners include miso soup, house salad, tempura vegetables, rice, and 4 pieces of California roll. I also ordered a sushi combo comprising one piece each: tuna, yellowtail, salmon, halibut, shrimp and eel with a california roll. For a dinner-sized bento box, the portions are small compared to other Japanese restaurants. The chicken katsu, while good, is very thin, so the dominant taste is the breading. The use of the salad dressing was really heavy and over-powering. The sushi combo's fish were really excellent; I have never had poor quality fish at Sushi Lounge. What was really a disappointing was the California rolls and the diversity of dryness/wetness with all the rice elements. The rice in the bento box was dry, very dry. The rice for the California rolls in the bento boxes were also very dry. The rice for the Sushi combo was wet, almost soaking wet? Yes, I can figure out why and when they were made, but, . . . . . . . . some consistency is always expected and appreciated when served the same item. Because it was my birthday, we were graciously and generously offered a dessert choice - either ice cream or creme brûlée. However, not to sound unappreciated, the creme brûlée, while very crispy on top, was soupy below. It was still delicious, but this is the first time I've had creme brûlée soup for dessert. read more

Sushi Lounge Encinitas - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California