Went for dinner on Wednesday evening My sister was a little early and they sat her in table. When my wife and arrived the wait staff all but ignored us for 15 min. I felt they were waiting until happy hour was over before coming back to take our order. with just over a minute remaining we flagged down a server to place an order. Within a minute or two we received one item of our order. it was ten or so more minutes before we were served the main portion of our meal. after ten maybe fifteen minutes we had to try to flag down the server to get our drinks and the remaining items of our order. After finishing our meal and waiting another ten minutes a bus boy was looking and we asked for a to go box. We sked for the check and the manager showed up within seconds to get our payment. When told of our service issues he said the server was in training and took our payment. this was a favorite restaurant of our family and I will not be returning! Sadly the staff and their attitude will over ride a pretty good dinner. read more

Overall, a positive 1st time expereince. Portions are definitely more than traditional. Everything I tried was as expected: tuna, yellowtail & Toro. Mussels were great, 5 pcs vs some places I've been at, where you get only 2 pcs b/c they're 2 'large pcs' - that's horrible. Service was great, food came out VERY timely. Definitely a spot I'd revisit!! 4/5 b/c for a place w so many reviews I expected "more". Dont ckme expecting for an epiphany ... good food, great service. read more

I don't understand why this place is always busy. Tried here for the first time. Sushi was horrible. Not fresh and the ingredients used in the Ninja roll was below the standard. I felt that the sushi that you can buy over the counter at Mitsuwa was better at half the price. I will never eat here again! read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Gross . Absolutely disgusting. Your goodness is beyond unacceptable. How could anyone take that kind of food you provide? Within 1 min we placed our order, the baked scallops & mussels came to our table. Another minute came the sushi combo. The fish were old & dull in color. The baked stuff were cold. It was a total disaster. The tempura was soggy. Taiko, you can charge a little more but provide your customers with quality food. We know what you're doing, you just want to throw the crappy food at us quick, yank our wallets out & kick us out the door. C'mon Taiko, the customers are smarter than you think. read more

I've been going here for years and I really like this place. Don't let the line and people outside deter you, it moves quick. Also, they seat the dining room and sushi bar separately, so make sure to ask about either. The salmon sushi is some of the best I've had. Their brine or whatever they do to it is great. The rest is so-so. Their lobster boat is pretty good, but the meat they give you as part of the combo is a bit chewy. Overall their boat combos are a decent value and quite good. If you want a no frills, good, not douchey sushi place, this is it. Service is always very friendly. At times it can be slow, but it's always good. read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Really great sushi place with a relaxed vibe and friendly staff. Wait time wasn't too bad for an early weekend evening.

So good! I LOVE their House cut rolls. Super fresh fish! Healthy cuts of Toro every time I order! The staff is very attentive and makes sure to have your order correct and they do it quickly! read more

Their sushi is just so fresh and so clean. My biggest bet peeve for sushi places is when you can tell that it has been previously frozen. If you are like me, you dont have to worry cause this place is as fresh as it gets. Ok, so its a little bit expensive. I'll admit the $10 sashimi is a little bit high, but they do give you huge fresh slabs if you really appreciate fresh sashimi. For an appetizer, the baked scallops were absolutely AMAZING. It felt like a homecooked dish cause it was basically a ton of scallops topped with this creamy CRACK based sauce served piping hot in aluminum foil. I also ordered the tempura and it was good but nothing spectacular. The rainbow roll here is legit. It was huge and provided me with a nice variety of different fishes to try. Whenever I come to a sushi place, I always order the chirashi sushi if its on the menu. If you do not know what this is, its basically a collection of different sushis served over a ton of vinegar seasoned rice. My rationale for ordering the chirashi sushi is that this dish is like the chef special; the chef will only throw in their favorite and best fishes. Taiko's Chirashi sushi was absolutely spectacular. They gave you a ton of the freshest fish I have ever had. I ordered it all the neighboring tables envied my order. If you are budget minded, make sure to order the chirashi sushi and try splurging a bit on the baked scallops. I really want to try the other baked dishes cause its very unique. read more

Taiko - Chirashi sushi - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

The food is decent here; not amazing but still a good place to go if you're craving some sushi. The prices are a bit high and the wait is insane but their rolls are pretty tasty and they have one of the best green tea ice creams around. solid 3.5 stars read more

Taiko - Assorted sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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I love taiko!! Seriously their proportions and quality of sushi you can't find anyone else around the OC area. Seafood salad-loaded with Tuna yellowtail and salmon goodness Yellowtail sashimi- big chunky fresh pieces Tuna hand roll-delicious Uni sushi-so fresh!! Hamachi Kama (yellowtail cheek) the best I've ever tasted!! We also got a combo of sashimi teriyaki tuna and sesame chicken but I preferred the other stuff I'd just order off the sushi menu and stay away from the combo stuff read more

Taiko - Yummm - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

One of the best spots to eat sushi at the bar! This is a review solely for the bar! All the times I came here, we ate at the bar. I personally never tried their table service before but what I've heard is that the food tastes a lot better if you get seated at the bar. Plus it makes it more enjoyable seeing the chef make your own food. BUT... As you may already know.. THE LONG LINE... Yes, the line for the bar is way much longer than getting seated at the tables but honestly you're going to have to wait regardless since they don't take reservations. The quality of the sashimi/sushi is pretty good. I tried many other places and this place does not disappoint. One main reason why I enjoy this place besides their quality is that the chef can custom make your order. There is no limit on what they can do. If you like your fish a certain way or want certain toppings on it, they will do it as long as it's reasonable. I would always see other people at the bar ordering some crazy custom order and I would think to myself.. "What are thooooose?!?" Pretty much, their quality is above average and their price point is not that bad at all. Sashimi/Sushi is a type of food that is QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. If you aren't trying to spend a MINIMUM of $20 a person then just go elsewhere and get a poki bowl. Other than that, the pricing is not bad compared to their quality. The only thing I was not used to at all was their style of ordering. Since you sit at the bar there is no server walking around. You just have to wait until one of the Chef gives you the "look". Once he gives you the look that basically means he is ready to take your order. Just be patient. He will come to you when he is ready and is much more attentive than you really think. OVERALL - 4.5 stars. I be backkkk read more

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Since growing up in Irvine from late 90's, this was my go to Japanese restaurant. I'd recommend eating at the sushi bar instead of the dining room cause their sushi is better than their entree items. Fresh fish all the time. read more

I really don't understand what merits all of the long lines and great reviews. I've always been curious about this place because I live in the area and always see the insanely long line for dinner. We finally tried it, but I really don't have anything good to say. The service was very slow, from the time it took us to get a menu to the time the waitress came to take our order, to the time the food came out. We ordered a sashimi platter. I didn't feel that the fish was particularly fresh, but what bothered me most was how thick the cuts of fish were. Even the yellowtail, which is usually my favorite, was disappointing. Not worth it! read more

Wow, could not believe that people would wait in line for this place. We were advised to get there before 5:00 p.m. on a Monday night to get a seat in the dining room. Okay, we were there at 5:00 and immediately got seated in a comfortable booth. There was no room in the sushi bar as it was totally occupied. I ordered a few pairs of nigiri and it was okay for the price. The rice was a bit too mushy for my taste, but I liked the fact that the rice portions were small. Spouse ordered a cooked dish which included a side of bean sprouts, hijiki, konyaku etc. The presentation could have been better as a large lettuce leaf was just thrown in to fill the plate. Miso soup is not authentic at all! It was watered down with too much bonito (fish powder) and lacked the richness of miso. Although it was printed on the menu as "all you can eat" ,it was never offered as an option for us which was a good thing. For all the business they have, the bathroom can use a bit of cleaning and updating IMO. read more

Spencer, you were right! I have a same feeling that management has been changed, I'm a regular customer for over 15 years or more, but I found out sashimi ridiculously not the same like a month ago. sushi bar chiefs are new faces, somehow waiters are still there. 1. Miso soup was cold not like before 2. Kids combo plate totally out of my mine 3. No: 4 special taste funny 4. California Roll really bad 5. Rainbow Roll needless to say 6. Sashimi Salad not fresh at all Conclusion is really disappointed but I will try one more time couple weeks later, I will modify my review if those situations changed! ** Jay B, you may need to revisit again this place since you're a PRO on Yelp. read more

Some of the best sushi in Irvine. Large portions of fish and high quality. There is a reason there is always a wait.

Amazing food - quick service. Wait is worth it as is the sushi and sesame chicken and hamachi sashimi

This is an OC legendary place for high quality, fresh fish. Great sashimi. Go somewhere else if you want a California roll.

I came here once or twice many many years ago (I think when I was elementary-school age) with my family and I came here for dinner again today! We got here around 8PM and we waited ~30 minutes for a table. From what I remember when I first came to this restaurant, everything was pretty much the same. The employees are all very welcoming and very HAPPY! We ordered two of their dinner combination plates (#4 and #5) which had: salad, sesame chicken, beef teriyaki, sashimi, and assorted tempuras; we also ordered their cucumber special, fried calamari, and hand rolls (shrimp aspara, crab aspara, and spicy tuna). All of this is served with miso soup (yum!) and pickled cabbage (also yum!). Now that I think about it, all of the food came out rather quickly so my family and I were never really sitting with nothing to eat.. ahaha. The bill came out to be around $85 including tip. So yes...this place is quite pricey. The food itself is good; however, I don't think I will be ordering their combination plates again because most of it is just salad.. The sashimi is very fresh, very delicious. My favorite dish was the fried calamari -- crunchy, veryy flavorful (kinda has a lemon-y flavor). I would come here again! read more

Taiko - Fried Calamari - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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The 5 stars is for the SUSHI BAR! I have been coming to Taiko since I was small, and the quality and service have never wavered! The wait for the sushi bar is long, unless you go early to get first round. However, it is really worth it! The sushi is always fresh and the portions are a good size, not small at all. Some recommendations: - Yellow tail sashimi - Masako w/ squid sashimi (This is my favorite, but some people think it's weird!) - Spicy Tuna cut roll w/ eel on top - Baked salmon skin hand roll They also have a great calamari appetizer and tempura! YUM! read more

Taiko - Masako w/ squid sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Great food & sushi... If you feel like sushi only, sit at the bar & check with the chef what's his recommendation for the day. The quality of the sushi here is always excellent! We also like their combo items (sesame chicken, tempura, beef teriyaki, sashimi, etc). You just can't go wrong here. Come earlier to avoid long wait.. Best is to start line up before they're open & make sure you are in the first group that would get seated, otherwise the wait could be up to 1 hour. read more

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This review is for the sushi bar. The sushi chefs are all legit Japanese dudes who are very friendly and know their repeat customers. The quality of the fish is excellent, and the price is very reasonable for what you get ($12 for a sashimi plate with usually around 6-8 pieces of fish). The chefs are masters of their craft, and always come up with spur of the moment ways to tastefully garnish each plate. The Japanese mackerel, halibut, and bluefin are my favorite sashimi, but I know there are many I still need to try. Highly recommend Taiko for an A+ sushi bar experience! read more

I've been coming to Taiko for 41 years! It has changed owners and is definitely not the same, but still the best place around! We love their California Rolls, Number Four Special, Sweet Shrimp, and Sesame Chicken. Taiko is a family favorite! I also love that we can put our name in online. I definitely recommend this place! read more

Avoid at all costs if you want to save yourself from a night of food poisoning. Ordered takeout for the family - several nigris and rolls - worst idea to try out this place. First of all, they must've severely understaffed and had someone else make the food. The rolls were all broken up and not even fully closed with nori. Probably the least appetizing sushi rolls I've ever see. That should've been our first clue, because we ALL got food poisoning. Definitely not going back to this place read more

Being new here to Irvine, I didn't really have the chance to establish a "home base" sushi spot that I could have confidence in when I needed to fix that sushi craving, so I was very pleased when I can across Taiko! To be honest, I haven't even had the pleasure of dining in at the sushi bar yet, but I am very much so looking forward to that experience. For me when it comes to sushi, two things stand out; Freshness and quality of the fish and also the size of the cut. I'm a really big fan of unagi (freshwater eel) and their unagi is amazing! They give the biggest pieces of meat I've ever seen on sushi! And the freshness of the fish for the amazing price points are hard to beat. And it's not just the sushi that's good, I had the black cod misoyaki and it was melt in your mouth deliciousness! Overall my family is very pleased with Taiko and we will be coming back all the time! read more

After reading all the reviews and the fact that my nephew wanted sushi, I thought I would give it a try. I ordered the sashimi lunch and it was just eh. Fish was sliced very thick & not the greatest quality, I definitely won't order it again, in fact I left a couple of pieces that were too chewy. My nephew ordered two rolls on the lunch special and they were huge. One would have been enough but now he was his sushi fix for the month. I got on the yelp waitlist and that was super easy. Just be sure to check in when you get there. I waited about 5 minutes. Place was packed and I'm sure there are great things on the menu, just not what I ordered. read more

Was expecting so much after seeing the high ratings and strong reviews, but was majorly let down. The food is mediocre, I barely finished my food because it just left an odd taste in my mouth by the end of the my meal. For an hour wait and to see it super busy inside, I don't really understand the hype! Maybe I went on an off day? Service was great and waitresses are nice, but I definitely won't be back. read more

Our favorite Japanese sushi restaurant!! Best fresh sushi and pricing is very reasonable. Even the beef and chicken bento boxes are so delicious! Never disappoint!! read more

The food here really is amazing. I've been to dozens of Japanese restaurants in California and I have to admit that it is quite rare to find a Japanese restaurant where the chefs are Japanese and practice Japanese cooking techniques. The results certainly show and the food is amazing! read more

My family has been dining at Taiko since I was a child. Now that I have a family of my own, my kids have also grown to love Taiko's food. My main complaint is they don't change their cooking oil frequently enough! It's quite discouraging to pick up my order and often find the sesame chicken literally black in color (due to use of old frying oil). I hate to feed my family substandard food. It's bad enough they probably use low quality oil, but to not change it frequently is a turn off. I've mentioned this to management before, but obviously they have not improved their methods. read more

Taiko - Sesame chicken - the chicken in the photo actually looks lighter than in person. - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I ordered sesame chicken w tuna steak to give a try! the chicken was rilli tender, juicy and crispy, not like other japanese places.. where the lunch combo usually is ok n chicken can be dry... i also like the salmon steak that goes w a white sauce. read more

Taiko - Sesame Chicken w Tuna Steak - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Taiko's was purchased a few months ago by what appears to be 'new myopic management Company out of Japan.' It has only taken the new (overseas) Owners, a few months to completely flush this once great restaurant. Appears most of the long-time service people have quit and the remaining employees appear to be clearly unhappy. Beyond not being a happy environment, the deep cost cutting measures have materially affected the dinning experience. Plus the new menus have sent prices to the moon. The new menus show about a 20%-25% increase in most items. My usual bill of $65 was $90. So for me, an increase of 28%. Food quality appears to be the same (for now), but portion size appears to be materially (15-20%) less is my judgment. If you go to Taiko's, wear long sleeves, as the place mats have been removed..exposing the upper arm to a sticky yucky feeling table that needs a deep cleaning. Overall experience at Taiko's has gone from 5 stars to a gift of 2 stars. After eating here three times a week, for over twenty years .... we are sad to say "not going back." HELP.... If anyone knows of a good sushi place, please favor me with the details. Respectfully, I am gone. read more

Man, this place has been around since the 80's. Food is good quality, HUGE portions, good variety, good quality sashimi. I always have leftovers. I recommend the tempura, sesame fried chicken, and sashimi. Get here right when they open because they get packed. read more

Taiko - Combo 5 - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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We have dined at Taiko over the years and have always loved it but this was the first time we ordered delivery. They did get one of our orders wrong and I understand everyone is trying to adapt to the new guidelines. We still enjoyed the food we got at home even though it's never the same as dining in. Just grateful to be able have some delicious, Japanese food for the family! read more

I came here for the first time for lunch. I ordered sesame chicken and beef teriyaki. The beef teriyaki meat was rubbery and lacking flavor. My rice was hard (not fresh). read more

Does taiko need ANOTHER good review? This is an Irvine staple. We usually go for lunch and you just can't beat the price for good sushi.

Everything is always top notch there. Anything you order will be of top quality and good portions sizes. A must when in the area

Not sure why Taiko is so popular and the line is so long. The minute you enter the restaurant, there is a strong fishy smell. And I can understand why because I ordered the $15 lunch sashimi and the fish is not fresh as other sushi restaurants. They cut the pieces of fish pretty thick. The salmon was fine, but the tuna was a bit tough to chew. My daughter ordered the udon with sesame chicken. She thought it was average. I think Taiko is successful because they give big portions that you usually have leftovers to take home. I prefer quality over quantity. There plenty of other sushi restaurants that I'd rather go to. read more

We recently visited Taiko after many years. I recall the food quality being much better in the past. Quantity was good and the service was quick, but the quality could be improved. The tempura vegetables were really big and dense, making it difficult to eat. The salmon teriyaki was dry. Everything was okay, not great. Overall, 3.5 stars. read more

Been here many times. Their sushi and rolls are always fresh. We normally stick to a few choices and their price is super good for the quality. read more