The sushi here is fantastic. Great quality, large rolls, fresh fish and tasty eel. Great choice for takeout or dine in, real sushi chefs making these masterpieces. Highly recommend this place to go out or just takeout. Will definitely be coming here again. P.S. the dragon is twice more than the usual rolls so watch out, but its worth it. read more

Amazing sushi and sashimi. Fresh and good portion. Not cheap, but u get what you paid for. Sweet shrimp, toro, uni, kanpachi, oysters are excellent. Mackerel was recommended by some reviewers but to me it is rather tasteless and flat. There r plenty of better choices. Great service and nice ambiance. This is the place to have top notch sushi and sashimi. read more

If you're in the San Diego downtown area and are looking for authentic and delicious sushi, do yourself a favor and skip the hundreds of others in town and take yourself to Taka! My husband and I, along with our two year old, were able to get a table as a walk in on a Friday night even though their tables seemed to be full. We were seated right away and our waiter was so great with us and I appreciate those who are understanding and accommodating with young children. We ordered some gingo cold sake as well as a number of their nigiri and hand rolls. I throughly enjoyed every single piece which had a great rice to fish ratio. Almost every piece didn't even need soy sauce, which is a testament to their quality and flavor. To finish our meal we went with their assortment of mochi ice cream and were on our way back home to our hotel. I am so thankful our concierge recommended this sushi restaurant and I can't wait to visit again (either before we leave or when we come back to San Diego!). read more

Taka - Our two year old LOVED their rice and miso soup! Mix the two together and it's the perfect meal! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Wonderful dinner here with delicious freshness. The Hamachi sashimi was outstanding quality and flavor. The uni was absolutely delicious as well. Great quiet ambiance and very friendly staff. read more

Had a blast with sushi Chef Makoto The live shrimp and squid is seasonal but good Frying the head is the best and you can eat just about everything. ..,,, next time in San Diego I will definitely be back read more

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This place was very satisfying. I wanted to try some sushi downtown and I planned to sit outdoors with my mobility device but it began to rain, The staff was very accommodating and allowed me to park it indoors while i moved to a seat at the bar. It was not very busy and I'm happy with their letting me and my things inside keep dry. The sushi chefs were so kind and great to talk. I enjoyed a lot more than i usually would in a single sitting, it was delicious! I plan on visiting again. read more

Very good sushi albeit slightly overpriced for nigiri, however the sashimi is very well priced. Definitely a great spot but it's still 2nd to the legendary sushi ota and is more on the level of hirimatsu (however hirimatsu is better value) read more

Service and ambiance were great. I ordered a miso soup and red snapper dinner. However, the red snapper didn't smell right. Let staff know and they took care of the issue. Maybe it was an off night. read more

The quality of ingredients is exceptional, but for the high price, I expect much better service. They need to get a better dental plan for their employees. read more

Terrible location! It is right next door to a Cigar Lounge and the Cigar smell is inside their sushi restaurant. I have no idea how people can eat inside there. So we asked if we could eat outside, but of course, people were outside of the cigar lounge smoking so we smelled cigar smoke while eating. It was a terrible experience. Not a good place for kids. Not very much selection for rolls. Pricey and catered for adults. read more

I'm a foodie and am conservative with 5 star ratings - which this place truly deserves. It's a hidden gem in a not so hidden location in Gaslamp, conveniently located next to places to wine and dine. As I ate here tonight for the second night in a row (yes - it was that good and last night was my first time), it reminded me of the fish quality at Nobu. You can always judge a place by how well they make their spicy tuna (i.e. does it have a lot of sinew, is it fresh tasting, proper color, over or under seasoned?) and both the roll and the tartare (with avocado, gold flakes, a little seaweed for presentation and a quail egg) were perfectly seasoned, not too spicy (I do love my spice) and had no noticeable sinew. After ordering a few dishes my first night, I had to order more as if I were creating my own 4 course meal. The Hamachi Kama was fresh and delicious, soft shell crab rolls perfectly cooked, and nice hot agedashi tofu with mushrooms. The staff are all so friendly and on my second visit, the chefs or staff sent me spicy albacore to try at the beginning of my meal and a fried mackerel at the end. It looked like a fried fish skeleton (that's how it's supposed to look) but they said it tastes like chips so I tried it and mmmMMMMMM. What a treat! I live a block away and I have been missing out all summer. If you're hesitant to eat sushi in Gaslamp and don't want to spend Nobu prices, this is the place to go. Because of the excellent service, great food quality and cleanliness, I would also recommend this for dates. read more

Fantastic fresh fish. Chefs at the bar were welcoming and friendly. I definitely plan to come back.

Went here finally after I was told this place was amazing and certainly it was! I've had fresh sushi in Japan so know what amazing sushi can taste like and this place was comparable, possibly better. Place was small and cozy. Only a few tables and seating at the bar. But love places that service only a few so they can focus on the quality of the food! We ordered the spot prawn or ebi shrimp sushi. It was so fresh and delicious. We were messing around and the head was still moving! Also had the uni which was served in the shell. Along with the mackerel sashimi, served bone side with the fish head. After we finished the sashimi on both the mackerel and prawns, they fried the shrimp heads and mackerel bones, served it with ponzu sauce! The live soft shell crab was very succulent as well! Service was great and the food was spectacular! I'd say best sushi in San Diego yet! read more

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I think this was my favorite stop in San Diego! Chef Masa and Taka did an outstanding job! I went with the 130 omakase, and I sure felt as though I got my money's worth, and beyond. Every piece they put out had good work done to them. Soy sauce was not needed, and he even told me to not use it on specific nigiri. Great conversational service and a real fun time. I will go back whenever I'm in town. read more

Perhaps it's from the noise of neighboring bars and restaurants that we always somehow manage to walk past Taka every time without realizing what we're missing out on! We were staying at Pendry round the corner and craving for uni, so we managed to get in right as they opened on a Saturday! Totally didn't expect to be served the BEST uni of my life! Chef Taka was awesome, he was very friendly and engaged in conversation with us while preparing our sushi. When all the chefs speak Japanese, you know you're in for the real deal. Staff were kind and attentive. I also tried live shrimp and it changed my life! I don't think I can ever eat amaebi back in Vegas ever again! The menu is simple and everything you would expect for a traditional Japanese restaurant. Live lobster and even ankimo (monkfish liver- kinda like the foie gras of the sea!) were just some of the special findings on the menu. What you won't find are deep fried rolls, or any rolls for that matter, stuffed with cheese (so gross!) HOWEVER, if you're looking for truly authentic Japanese, you won't be disappointed at Taka!! Thank you so much for such a pleasant experience! We're making this our must go spot every time we visit! read more

Taka - The amazing Chef Taka! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Don't listen to any cry babies complaining about their California rolls or how the place isn't LGBT-who cares anyway-trash reviews. If you care about authentic, Japanese sushi cuisine--this is the best in a hundred mile radius. The chefs dress and serve with pride and care. The food is sourced, fresh and perfectly curated. They have a wide range of local and Japanese selections of fish. This is not to say you cannot get good tempura or rolls, but if you are going to judge this restaurant, you must order what is their "bread and butter" and that is sushi. I think the only complain I ever have is the cigar smoke from the bar next door and that their draft beers are freakin ridiculously tiny. The food covers any little issue and you will be doing yourself a favor if you love sushi and go here. read more

First the service was super slow. Secondly, food was good. The rice on the rolls was really good, and the black cod was tasty. Lastly, it's pricey and did I mention service was poor, and slow even with no crowd. read more

Taka - Black cod. - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

The best food I've had my whole life. Very good excellent yummy scrumptious delicious food.

We loved Taka so much we had to go back. We were down for convention and I was craving sushi so I looked it up on Yelp. Though there were only about 800 ratings but sounded great. Tuesday 8/24, some friends and I decided to go and were completely satisfied and impressed. Everything was super fresh and tasty. We are from Seattle and are typically able to get super fresh fish as well. Loved everything so much we came back with more friends on Thursday 8/26. Again everyone was satisfied! Thank you Martin and the Taka crew and chefs, you are top notch and I will be returning EVERY-TIME I come back to SD! read more

Sushi was absolutely amazing. Server was fantastic. Don't sit at end bar by owner/manager. Very mean & made us feel very uncomfortable... Otherwise, 5 stars... read more

If you love Sushi don't come here. Warning .. not real sushi chefs and horrible fish. Rolls are not real sushi, but even they can't be made right here. #slaughtered The Nigiri is horrible. We order Salmon Belly and we're given a rotten piece of regular Salmon. We told the waitress that this wasn't belly- (we know, we eat sushi about 3x a week at some of the best establishments in LA) She brought it back and the chef argued it was, then gave us another cut even worse. The other nigiri was just the same. Just cuts of fish that looked like they had been purposely unevenly sliced with a butter knife. The toro/chutoro/otoro was garbage. The albacore was brownish. I normally don't give bad reviews but this place deserves it. Wasted $200 on a dinner for two that would have been better spent at McDonalds. The ONLY thing that was good was the over priced Sake. I was actually impressed, but make sure you order two at once if you plan on continuing to drink because the waitress won't be back to see if you want more. By the time she finally checked on us and brought more, it arrived with the check. The service is as bad as the food. The live shrimp is just a novelty item that was semi picture worthy. read more

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This is a solid sushi restaurant with some of thee freshest selections. I was truly impressed with how fresh their tako was. Everything I ordered did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this place for some great sushi in the Gas Lamp. read more

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Sushi was fresh. Rolls were mainly cooked, so stuck with sushi. Fair pricing. Service was ok, restaurant was small but modern and cozy.

Great place for a later dinner in the heart of Gaslamp District. We just got into the city from out of town & were on a mission for sushi tonight, but it was after 9pm already. The first two restaurants were not seating guests anymore so we were a bit bummed. So glad that this restaurant stayed open a bit longer & were willing to serve us. Everything was great! My favorite were the Agedashi Tofu & Special Battera Roll. Their Cucumber Martini was refreshing but also pretty strong. Their Black Sesame Creme Brulee & Panna Cotta were the perfect finale. read more

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Had 7 PM reservation, arrived at 6:50, quickly sat in front window, sat for 15 minutes without being acknowledged and left. Walked down to Water Grill and spent $300+ at the raw bar. We'll go back to Ota, Tadokoro, Hane, Azuki, or Himitsu and skip the cigar smell, homeless and poor service at Taka. Cheers. read more

The best spicy tuna rolls we've ever had!! We live down the street and have ordered for pickup and dine in multiples times! This is our go to sushi spot!! read more

Authentic sushi, the sushi chefs are phenomenal!!!!!!!! Every sushi that I order was a piece of art!!!! The best sushi experience that I ever had. This is not an ordinary sushi restaurant ITS A SUSHI EXPERIENCE. Excellent service and great dishes. The chefs at sushi bar are amazing, they are fun and very professional. Must try oyster shots!!!!! Very friendly, attentive, clean and delicious spot!!!!!!! If you are looking for a great unforgettable dinner experience this is the spot!!!' read more

Wish I could take this place back home with me! Good vibes and very friendly sushi chefs & servers. My meal (2 specialty sashimi plates and Japanese cheesecake) was perfect. They use fresh grated wasabi! read more

I am from Japan and this is what you call Sushi? Small skinny shaped wraps? Just horrible. Ikura and Salmon Service was bad and really slow and the food was not so good. Quality needs to be better. read more

Taka - Ikura and Salmon - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Great location . Everything fresh and very tasty. and sushi chef Mr Taka. Is the best ! read more

Not sure why this place only has 4 stars but it was amazing! We ordered the sea perch, uni, oyster, golden eye snapper, and salmon belly which were all really fresh. Yumm! Our server, Cristina was really sweet and others were very helpful. Will be back :) read more

found our new favorite sushi spot during date night: TAKA we sat at the bar and had chef masa! he was THE nicest sushi chef and made our experience 12/10. we started off with the special battera roll, salmon belly nigiri, and yellowtail nigiri! then we had chef masa surprise us- i believe it was skin on, seared kanpachi with salt and lemon and he instructed us to skip the soy sauce on this one. we also got the soft shell crab handroll and spicy scallop handroll which was phenomenal and actually spicy- one of the best ones i've had. we asked chef masa to surprise us again and we got the spicy cod roe nigiri! he also gave us some firefly squid to try as well! one of the best sushi experiences i've had and i've had a lot- sitting at the bar and talking with the sushi chefs is what made it so fun so 12/10 recommend doing that read more

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There are no specialty rolls or drinks. Everything is very dry. Not even any effort to add flavors to their food? Came here for a birthday dinner and had to almost beg for a scoop of melted vanilla ice cream with a candle in it... No specialty cocktails worth note. Came on a sunday and it was empty, while every other restaurant around is booming with business right after a padres game. The whole place is empty and they are rudely taking our plates away while we are still eating and rushing us. Now I understand why. Truly could not recommend this place to ANYONE. For the price especially, can't believe this place is still open. read more

Great food. We sat at the sushi bar and got the chef's sashimi recommendation and also ordered some rolls. The service was wonderful too. Everything was fresh! read more

I always tell myself to beware of eating in the tourist pocket of a city. The food and service is always subpar and that's because they can survive off of one time visits from tourists and not have to worry about returning locals. Taka fits perfectly with this. I assumed Taka to be great due to yelp reviews and the fact it was so busy. But it is the Gaslamp so I should have known better. The sushi is underwhelming, the rolls were okay and the service was so slow. Also don't order the chicken teriyaki, it arrived as fried breaded chicken and sauce poured on top. It looked sad and gross. Our waitress forgot our ginger, our wasabi and our miso soup. If you want good Japanese in San Diego go to Shino. read more

Taka - Spicy tuna roll and the baby ass sushi pieces that would have been acceptable had they tasted great. - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Taka bills itself as the best sushi in San Diego - is it? I'm not yet certain but it is very good. We came in after 10pm on a Friday night and got a table immediately, with no reservation. Service was efficient and friendly - the sushi chefs greet you on the way in and out as is proper in a traditional sushi restaurant. We wanted raw oysters but they were out - we also wanted to try one of the special menu sushi combinations but they were out of these too. Instead, we had the soft shell crab appetizer (Panko mixed seasoning, fried served with ponzu), spicy tuna salad (Yamagobo, yellow onion, seaweed, cucumber, spring mix with spicy ponzu) and yellowtail roll off the special menu. The soft shell crab was the largest meatiest portion I've ever seen especially at that $11. price although it was not Quite the best I've had - was just a tad shy of super fresh (I believe all soft shell crab served in the US is frozen but still some ends up fresher than others). The spicy tuna salad was a good portion too. Parts of the salad were very spicy other parts not at all. Both the salad and yellowtail roll were excellent and very fresh. The green tea came very steaming hot in stemless mugs with free refills. Great tea. It is a small place - the tables are a little close to each other. The bathroom, well, someone had just had a bit of an accident in there and it hadn't been cleaned up yet but I suppose I have to cut the place some slack in that it had just happened. In all, good food, good portions and good service. read more

Glad to see after last I visited this place they still hold their establishment at a very high standard. Still packed and still fresh! read more

Taka - Omakase.. - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Yelp comes through again! In town for a week's work at the convention center, I searched for a good sushi place and found it! I called at 6pm to get a 6:30pm reservation, and they were able to take my group of 4 no problem. We were starving, so while we perused the menu, noshed on edamame and beer/wine. We each got a salad to start (spicy tuna, and albacore). Fantastic, both of them. Not too spicy, and plenty of greens, veggies, and fish. The albacore wasn't spicy, and had a slightly sweeter flavor. Then we got a huge plate of sushi and some rolls. Amazing. Super fresh, not overloaded with sauces or too much rice, these were perfection. We got spicy tuna roll, yellowtail roll, rainbow roll, special battera rolls (which are box-shaped and contain less rice than the others), salmon roe, tamago, and salmon nigiri. We ate it all! This was one of the best sushi restaurants I've been to, ever. And all that food cost $150, which is a great deal in my opinion. read more

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We were in the Gaslamp district and didn't realize that this weekend is the 50th Year of ComicCon. The places were mobbed and decided to try this place. It was packed with customers and since we didn't have a reservation, we had to wait 10-15 minutes. Very limited menu. I had the seaweed salad which had different textures. It came with a sesame dressing which was a bit pungent but added some flavor to the seaweeds. My wife had miso soup and we shared the Spicy Tuna Roll, Rainbow Roll and Soft Shell Crab. The fish was fresh. Also had two bottles of Kirin Light beer. Place is somewhat pricey for your basic rolls. See my pictures for pricing. Our server was accommodating. read more

3.5 star. Came here at the recommendation of a friend. Sat at the bar. Had a 1/2 bottle of sake plus 14 pieces of sushi for about $100/pp after tax. Nigiri was hit or miss. Sushi was slightly dry and flavorless and sushi were on the smaller side IMO. Highlights were the hamachi, salmon belly, uni (local) and hotate (scallops). Sweet shrimp lacked the sweetness I usually expect, but the head was excellently fried. Toro was good, but not exceptional. All in all, a decent sushi restaurant in terms of fish quality, but size and rice flavor left a lot to be desired. I would probably try other sushi restaurants before returning. read more

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