Don't skip on the Crispy Rice! One of the BEST crispy rices I've had. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the rolls, but we got the Pantera and the Sueño, which were fun and delicious! I will be back for the all of these things! They also have a combo for $30 which includes an appetizer, cocktail, and a roll. Highly suggest getting this as it is a great deal! Drew and another gentleman, who's name I didn't get, were so awesome - very helpful, warm, and friendly! This place needs to be busier! The aesthetic is gorgeous, the food concept is so San Diego, and the staff is fantastic. Tako Management: PLEASE BRING BACK THE CRISPY PLANTAINS!!! These were out of the park! read more

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I know, I know, who goes to Old Town and gets sushi? Well, when it's the only thing open on a Saturday night at 9pm, I do. I'm glad I did! This place is a VIBE. The decor is cute, the music is fun, the service is phenomenal. I ordered two mocktails (the yuzu and the mango), both of which followed through on the promised flavors without being full of sugar. The rolls we tried were all great (Sueno, Caballero, and the Midnight Toro)- my personal favorite was the Caballero! The pineapple added such a different but refreshing touch. I'm really glad we gave this place a chance and can't wait to be back. read more

Tako - Caballero/Midnight Toro/Sueno from top down - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Update ! Nothing has happened !!! Was reached out to and have heard nothing since ! Terrible to think that this establishment is okay with this type of behavior from their staff members. Save yourself the time and stress and just got to harney sushi! I went there after and had a wonderful experience. Drew was the server who was terribly rude and made the video in the first place, following it up with her instagram while publicly shaming me for her own gain. read more

I had this place bookmarked awhile ago after seeing an Instagram reel. Fast forward to today and one of my friends picked this spot to celebrate one of best friend's birthday. First of all, love the vibe with the tropical, dark hallway as you ascend the stairs. As you enter, the place definitely has a cozy vibe and we able to sit in a secluded spot under the disco ball! The service by Maddie and Renzo was amazing! We got to try the new Ube Cocktail but my fave was Beaches be Crazy lol. We were served with a delicious app served on spoon which had yellowtail. Afterwards we had several types of sushi. The XXX, Pantera, Aguachile, Lemon Bomb, The Ronin & Crispy Rice. I don't know which one was my favorite, they were all delicious in their own way. I think the fan favorites were the XXX and Lemon Bomb. I absolutely loved the Matcha Tiramisu. Totally worth sacrificing your diet for! I would definitely come back again for food and drinks! read more

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Best bartenders and the food is reasonably priced. Very cool spot. I honestly wish more people knew about it.

Food: Jungle Cruise was perfect for a group of 4. It says "serves 4-6" on the menu, but I imagine you'd be still be hungry if there were 6 people sharing. Drink: Slow Dancing in a Burning Room is perfect for those who enjoy smokey drinks. Leans slightly sweeter, but still good for mezcal lovers. Parking: It's Old Town so plan to do a few laps around the block for street parking. Definitely doable though. Service: Melissa was great! Super sweet and professional. She actually remembered me from a previous visit! read more

Tako - Jungle Cruise - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I stumbled on accident upon this place on a Sunday night around 8pm. And so glad I did because this place gave me good vibes. There was only a handful of people here but the atmosphere gave good energy, the cocktail list was so hard to choose just one, and the service was quick and super friendly. I was only here for one drink and was in and out in about 25 minutes but in that little bit of time, it definitely left a good impression and I totally would come back here to really dive into their unique drinks and their bites. It's Japanese inspired. read more

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definitely recommend this place ! perfect for date night and the food is delicious. My husband and I love ordering lots of plates and splitting them and the server was so great providing additional dishes to make food sharing easier. read more

Tako - Yellowtail carpaccio , spicy garlic edamame, wontons - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Took one whole hour just to get edamame and my friend didn't get her till 20 min later. The server kept saying they were short staffed and only had one cook but at that point I could have gone elsewhere. It was almost impossible to get anyone's attention my friend and I felt stuck at our seats. read more

Atmosphere: Walking in felt magical. It was like going through an enchanted forest! And the entrance is a bit hidden as well. It's actually behind another restaurant in a small parking lot so keep that in mind. Then going inside felt very nice, they have a cool disco ball seating area typically reserved for groups of 6-8 people. They have nice date night seating. It wasn't packed when we went. The music is slightly loud but it's loud enough to not hear other people talking while being quiet enough for you to hear whoever you came with. Food: a lot of it was great! Definitely enjoyed it all. Now I would say the drink was overhyped a bit. I got the drink where they light some stuff around it on fire but that was pretty much it. It was pretty quick honestly and the drink wasn't exactly to my preferred taste but it was still good enough for me to drink. Now it was our anniversary and they actually gave us a sparkler and provided us with a free shot each for free! That was pretty awesome. It went down easy too. Likely a lemon drop shot. Sushi was pretty flavorful and unique as well. Service: They were a bit slow but it was pretty much 1 server working only and 1 bartender. They might need more employees to help with this issue because the server was already working pretty quickly by himself. They were very friendly though and I know they did their best to ensure we had a great experience. Recommendation: It is a bit pricey and I probably wouldn't come here again any time soon but it's somewhere you should at least try once. Their menu is a bit small for a sushi place so consider that as well. It's a unique blend of sushi and Mexican food so that's another reason why I'd say to try at least once! read more

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Do not go to this place. They can't run a business and their love island watch parties are a NIGHTMARE. They only staff 2 people for the entire restaurant and only have 1 cook. It took 2 hours for our food to come out and it wasn't even good. My friend sent me a tik tok talking about this place a few days later and we were shocked because these servers are very unprofessional and I can't believe they make videos like this about customers. I will never be returning here again!!!! If you're going to staff servers this unprofessional and keep your restaurant understaffed then no one will want to go here. read more

Tako - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Sushi and drinks were phenomenal! Not to mention the view and decor are killer. Highly recommend to all who enjoy quality sushi and cocktails. read more

Tako - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Tako has been on my list to try for a while. We got there early (because parking can be difficult) and got a drink at the bar. We got a few different drinks between us including the slow dancing in a burning room. For food we got a mix of apps and rolls. My two favorites were the plantains and the xxx roll. The vibe was funky and cool and the dj played great music. The servers seemed a little confused and service was a bit slow but that was the only down side and definitely not a deal breaker. We would go back read more

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San Diego's newest speakeasy located in Old Town @tako is a Japanese-Mexican fusion hot spot that is hip and vibey with a DJ, drinks that brought a show to the table, and one of the best sushi rolls we've ever had! We went here to start our night so we only ordered drinks and an appetizer, but based on our experience we are definitely looking forward to trying more of their food options. We ordered: Slow Dancing in a burning room Message in a bottle ‍ Yur talking to me Suntory Toko smoked Old Fashion 10/10 XXX Roll - with Lobster, Wagyu Beef, and white truffle... so bougie read more

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This was a really cute spot. I loved the tropical entry way. The staff were sweet and attentive. My drink the " dirty pop" was absolutely delicious. I also had the chirashi which was kinda like a sushi bowl with sashimi and that was really yummy too. Overall, I definitely will be back. read more

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Came here on a Friday night to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday. Party of 5, I believe she made a reservation. Located in old town. It's at the 2nd story of El Sueno. I think there's free parking on the street but it gets filled up quick. So we did the valet parking (forgot to check how much) but the crazy thing is, valet ended at like 830. Yet the restaurant is still open. I saw a parking lot of the other side of the building, which I'm not sure if that was also valet. Ambiance is very nice, very instagrammable. Starting from the stairs leading up to the restaurant. They had a live DJ playing good music. We had friendly customer service from Vito, he seemed knowledgeable of the menu and was able to give us his recommendations and they did not disappoint. We ordered: Miso soup Shishito peppers (they say 1 in 10 peppers are spicy) Yellow tail appetizer- we ordered this 3x Rolls: XXX- also a favorite but pricy pantera - ordered 2x Caballero Aguachile (this one too maybe like a mild kick as it has salsa verde) Sueno (has Serrano, so a little kick) Drinks: Slow dancing in a burning room (record this) Cool as a cucumber (a group favorite- very refreshing, light) They give u a slender pitcher of water for the table. I always appreciate when restaurants offer this, so I don't have to hunt down the waiter. I did have to ask for a cup of ice tho as I like chilled water. Birthday girl: they gave two ice cream mochi strawberry and chocolate and a lit sparkler. Would definitely come here again. Great for date night as well. read more

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My husband and I had a wonderful time here. The sushi was fresh, big portions, and well priced. We enjoyed the Cuban style decor and the hidden upstairs atmosphere. Our service was impeccable and the drinks were top notch. We enjoyed our server, Vito, who gave important cues as to what to order since we are fish lovers. We appreciated the upscale environment but the home style service. We would definitely recommend! read more

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Old town's best kept secret! Come to the second floor of El Sueño and enjoy the most top quality sushi! Tako is a small but very beautifully decorated restaurant. Coming up the stairs and entering the beautifully decorated space felt like discovering a whole other secret world. The atmosphere is too cool to call it a restaurant. Not your average sushi place, that's for sure! Very attentive service. Highly recommend! If you're looking for great sushi in a different atmosphere, Tako is the place! Can't wait to return! read more

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My friends and I came here to celebrate my husband's birthday on a Sunday night. I thought this would be the perfect place for a sushi lover. The ambiance is very unique, love the Jungle theme, and there's a DJ. We were seated close to the DJ, but we were still able to talk and hear each other. Our waitress was nice and helped me out with a special request to surprise my husband with the Slow Dancing in a Burning Room drink. We also ordered several other drinks-- Halle Berry, Dirty Pop, and Dragon Tales. We liked all of them, but think the drinks were pretty weak. Aside from the drinks, the rolls were delicious. We ordered the Spicy Tuna, California, Caballero, and Pantera. The Spicy Tuna is definitely spicy. The waitress apologized for the kitchen being backed up and treated us to shots with a sparkler, which was really fun! Other notes- I will say it is pretty pricey and parking in Old Town is always a little tricky. read more

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Fantastic food Service is also great. It's very clubby. Dress nice. Music loud and up beat Ambience dark red velvet seats FUN! we will come back. read more

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I was excited to finally try the viral sushi fusion restaurant. We made reservations for 10pm but arrived at 9 and managed to snag a table right away. The vibes of the restaurant were immaculate. It felt like being in tulum with the live dj playing and all the natural decor. Drinks were average, a bit sweet for both cocktails we tried and we didn't really get much attention from the server in regards to the drinks. The quality of the fish and rolls were also average. Nothing to rave about, especially when you are paying $24+ per roll. I could tell the rice texture was definitely leaning towards Mexican rice compared to Japanese, which is expected with a fusion. The service was fine, again nothing to excessively to rave about. Im glad I tried it though. For sure worth going once. read more

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This has turned into my #1 fav sushi spot. My boyfriend and I have already gone here twice! If you don't like loud music during your meal- this place isn't for you. It's super vibey, great music, amazing food & even better drinks! We don't drink alcohol so we were able to get all the drinks from the menu NA/virgin style. The servers have been excellent every time! Super quick and timely service. The second time we went we were starving and were in and out of there in 45 minutes!l lol read more

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First time at Tako and was so excited to try the Japanese and Mexican fusion. Ambiance: good vibes all around, live dj and loud music, a little hard to hear your friends but good music! The aesthetic of the place was cute and dark. Food: we had some appetizers and sushi. Mediocre sushi, I won't be coming back for the food I was expecting better for place but I guess you're paying for the ambiance :) I got the dancing fire drink. I thoguht we would get the drink with the fire around it but we don't , the light it up for you and it sparks then the waiter gives you the drunk afterward. One of the servers bringing us the water cups did not have a great attitude seemed like he was having a bad day and taking it out on the other staff and customers. Overall cute spot to check out ! read more

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We visited this restaurant on a IG recommendation. The ambiance was nice and cozy. It was a bit cool outside and they had the door open that brought in a breeze. We had a Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, along with several different sushi plates. The waiter was friendly. read more

Tako - Slow dancing in a burning room - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Their social media game is strong, 'cause we came here after watching an insta reel. Yeaaaah... this place is crap. It's got the vibes. But food was whatever (and pricey). Drinks were average -- pretty sweet and had that sweet artificial taste. Worst of all was the music volume. Wish I had earplugs, because my ears were buzzing when we left. That's a big no-no in my book for any sit-down dining establishment. If they posed themself as a club, then sure. But they serve food, and it was normal dining time (not some late-night snack). We couldn't hear each other, and why else would I come to dinner with friends but to chat and catch-up over a meal. In the end, we just ordered a round of drinks and a couple sushi rolls to share, then left swiftly to hit up another food spot in Convoy. Overall, not worth and won't come back. read more

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Location: Tako is on the side of El Sueno in the valet parking lot. It's not necessarily a speakeasy because it's clearly marked with an orange neon octopus sign. Take the flight of stairs to the upper level. Parking: Street parking and nearby free lots. If that's full, park at the trolley lot and walk 6mins over. Or pay $8 to valet in the El Sueno lot. Food: The food was amazing. The rolls had a Mexican flare by adding certain meats. -Ahi poke: Fresh. Perfectly pre seasoned. -Sueno roll: Yellow tail, spicy mayo and Serrano peppers had a nice kick. -XXX roll: Wagyu beef was seared on top, lobster, shrimp tempura. Tasted light and delicate from the truffle oil. -Nigiri set: This was chef's choice and market price. Least favorite of all. -Crispy plantains: All time favorite! So much flavor in the deep fried caramelized plantains with spicy tuna and avocado. Shout out to Pietro for this comp dish! Service: Definitely needs improvement in this area. We did not get our water cup refilled at all. The gentleman who cleared out our plates came by more often than our server. We asked him to refill our water. We would have ordered another drink but we finished our food by the time our server came to check up on us so I just asked for the check. Highly recommend to make reservations on Open Table. Bar seating seems to be open but every table was taken. Overall, great food and night club kind of vibe with the deejay. The ambiance is really dark with a small lamp on the table. Food is 5/5 and service 3/5. Solid 4. read more

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I wish it had said on Maps that it was inside/a part of El Sueno restaurants. When I was driving by it looking for parking, I didn't see it at first and wasn't quite sure where it was. The outside of the restaurant is simplistic, but has a fun neon sign. The stairs inside to go to the second floor is probably my favorite part of the restaurant itself because of its uniqueness. The dark tunnel with the jungle noises covered in leaves and floral and lights was very cool. The inside of the restaurant was fun as well, but not as unique. They have a drink that is wrapped in steel wool and I asked to change the drink from a Mezcal drink to a rum drink, but they couldn't do that which was a bummer. The rum drink was very cute and tasted almost like a smoothie, but with alcohol and it was very good. The tuna tiradito was plain, but had fresh fish. The purées were hardly noticeable, and I wish there was more flavor. The miso soup was the very first thing brought out even before our drinks which I thought was odd. But the soup had a great flavor to it. The Pantera roll had a bit of spice to it, but then the cream cheese was a nice add on and I thought it had great flavors all around. The service was friendly, but not very attentive as it took a bit longer to get our check. I would recommend checking this new spot out! read more

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Came for a bday dinner and I'd come back for drinks (not for food). Parking is TOUGH. There's a tiny lot around the building but it's very tight. So come early in case you need to look for street parking... the entrance is really cute and almost had a speakeasy feel. You go up the stairs into a jungle type theme with starry lights. Beware the restaurant is TINYY and the music is LOUD. There's disco lights on too so it felt like a dinner to club vibe. I ordered the dirty pop (MUST GET) and a chirashi bowl. The drink was so good! Almost like a passion fruit sherbet/pina colada. Chirashi bowl was good, nothing crazy and idk if I'd get for $23. The salmon was so buttery! But the ahi and yellowtail were just okay. Service was pretty good as well, our host checked on us periodically. I'd come back for drinks and I'd recommend making a Reservation just in case. read more

Tako - Chirashi bowl - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Really nice jungle vibe bar and sushi restaurant right on top of El Sueno. This place has its on entrance so you need to enter from the small parking lot on the side, there's a door on the side and you just walk up the stairs all the way to the top. We went there for drinks and had a roll and small bite. Spicy tuna was good and the plantain was amazing! I got a virgin margarita, but had to tell them later that it was just too sweet. Even when they re-made it, it was still a bit too sweet. My partner got the dancing in a burning room drink and it was good. More on the smokey side so be aware. DJ was really good and played some good nostalgic 90s rap. Overall I would recommend and would go again for a hangout. read more

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Tako is a new sushi bar and speakeasy above El Sueño in Old Town. The entrance is located to the right and back of the ground floor Mexican restaurant. You walk up a dark staircase with neon lighting and arrive in an upstairs space that featured a 12-seat bar along the back of the room. The seating capacity was probably around 60 with mostly two and four-top tables. The place was about 1/4 full when I arrived. The interior decor was like a cross between rustic and a modern nightclub. Cocktails, Japanese whisky, and sake were the libations. Small bites, plates, rolls, and a la carte nigiri, sashimi, and hand rolls were the food offerings. The kitchen was out of sight and shared with the downstairs facility. I personally like to see the sushi chefs in action, but you couldn't do that here. For a business named after the Japanese word for octopus, there were limited items that used the mollusk as a protein. I think an opportunity was missed by not having a grilled octopus dish as a choice in the Plates section of the menu. The waitress recommended the Crispy Plantains for a small bite. Fried plantain chips were topped with spicy tuna, avocado, pickled fresno chili, spicy mayo, and eel sauce. The combination had a good flavor contrast with not too much heat from the chili. Fifteen dollars for three pieces was hefty though. I also picked the Nigiri Set that was a chef's daily selection of 12 pieces. The wait time for this order was quite long considering the low volume of customers and the simplicity of the preparation. When the set was brought to my table, it only had ten pieces of fish which I pointed out to the waitress. She apologized and returned to the kitchen to ask for two more pieces to be assembled. The six types of nigiri were Ikura, Tako, Sake, Hamachi, Maguro, and Ebi (brought separately afterward). The price was very inexpensive at $24 for the dozen nigiri. The quality was average compared to sushi I have eaten elsewhere. The service I received was great, however I think the kitchen needs to improve its efficiency and ensure mistakes are not made with the dishes. read more

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I have to give a huge shoutout to Miley, Drew, McKenzie, and Cody for how they handled a situation that was 100% not their fault. I saw an Instagram post for a Love Island watch party and immediately booked. I called ahead to confirm, specifically mentioned it was for the Love Island event, and they confirmed I was on the list. I called again later to add a guest, mentioned Love Island again, and again got confirmation. When we showed up and checked in, we were told to head to their sister restaurant instead, that they had us down over there. We got to the sister restaurant and no one had any idea what we were talking about. Somewhere between two locations, a clear lack of coordination from leadership left this team scrambling to fix a mess they didn't create. They were understandably flustered for a moment, but then pulled it together and worked as a seamless unit to make sure we still had an amazing night. Great energy, great drinks, and genuinely attentive service the entire time. As someone who used to work in the service industry, I know how hard it is to stay composed and positive when you've been blindsided like that. This team did it with grace. We're already planning to come back next Thursday for the next watch party. Go Miley, Drew, McKenzie, and Cody, you deserve every bit of praise for turning a frustrating situation into a great night out. Give them a raise! Hopefully Tako keeps the events going. The girlies loved it! read more

We recently heard about this new spot that opened in Old Town above El Sueño (same owner) and wanted to try it out. The entrance is along the right side, go up the stairs through the jungle. Tako has sort of a clubby vibe with loudish music but not so loud that I couldn't talk to my dinner date. We started with the plantains, interesting combination. And the Slow Dancing in a Burning Room (mezcal cocktail) is served on fire. Very cool and tasty! I also enjoyed the sashimi platter. Pricing was also pretty reasonable and not overinflated. This place is new and our server was new, so I won't critique that too much but it could have been a little quicker (we waited a while for the check) and also the table next to us was so close that once seated the server and busser could no longer reach our table and had to hand the plates from a far. Overall I'd say definitely go check them out. read more

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Sushi fusion...YES, PLEASE!! Walking up to the space is the best part. It's like you're walking into the jungle. The music is fun and lively, and you are greeted at the front by the most sweetest hostess. The menu is not big, which, to me, is great because you know the item they do have will be out of this world. We started with the crispy plantains, which we were told is the house favorite. The flavor was great, and the plantains were cooked just right! We had two drinks, the beaches be crazy and the Yuzu drunk both were great! For the rolls, we had the XXX and the aguachiles roll. Let me tell you, I have never had a till like the XXX, the beef and lobster all in one!? Amazing! The aguachiles roll took me back, same flavor as the aguachiles my dad makes. We ended the night with complimentary dessert, mochi. The staff was attentive and made sure to check in with us often. Overall, great food, great service, and great experience... a must try for sure! read more

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*Ambiance is popping... *great location * drink presentation is fire literally! *Customer service was amazing * bathrooms are clean Will definitely be coming back the drinks we had were great. I want to come back and try the food. The music was great not to loud great music selection. Thank you Don Prieto for taking the time to talk to us while we were there, you have a humble hospitality. We also want to say thank you to Dre are drinks were . A must try spot! We will definitely be back! read more

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Food was great. Drinks were incredible! Our server Drew was so fun, kind, and attentive! I'm tired of crazy wait lines and crazy prices in San Diego , but this was totally different, it felt like a private experience. I'll be back over and over for the bar and service! read more

I really wanted to like the place as the servers were really attentive, helpful, and nice. Also, the place is really cute, with a DJ booth right by the bar, disco ball, fun music, fun and cool decor. But the food and the drinks are mediocre for the price. I did like the small bites plantain, it came with 3 and that was good. The tostada was ok, but the actual tostada was stale. Also got the Aguachile and Sueno which tasted like it was something I could have bought from the fridge area at Ralph's. Pretty pricey for the quality. It's pretty new so I'm hoping it will get better in the future. read more

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10 out of 10. One of our favorite low key date night spots. There is parking which is great. The decor in the restaurant is giving rainforest rave vibes. The drinks are unique and delicious, we are never disappointed by the food either. With food and drinks that good, you know the service has got to be something special as well! If you are looking for a date night spot, make sure to add this one to your list! read more

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Tako has the cutest atmosphere, from the sweet hostess who was so beautiful she looked like Kylie J and the cool bartender we had amazing drinks and food. Sushi was fresh, drinks were awesome and the vibe was vibrant. They decorated the place so well. Try it out for a girls night. It wont disappoint. EL sueno is down stairs and has the same food also very cool atmosphere for old town. read more

Tako - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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My wife got a Valentine's Day reservation here, and we enjoyed it a lot. They had a special V-Day menu, and everything on there was amazing. The only thing I thought was just okay was the Tiradito Roll. Al the Wagyu dishes were delicious, and the Grilled octopus main entree was special. Ambiance is very intimate, meaning the tables are super close together. Our server was pretty bad - she didn't check up on us very often and we had to ask her to check on our next course because we were skipped. (Table next to us with a different server had much more consistent food delivery and service.) Valet parking was $8 and super convenient. Great cocktails - the Slow Dancing in a Burning Room has a super special presentation and I highly recommend it. I like this place and recommend checking it out. read more

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OMGGG!! Best experience ever! Tako offers "Love Island" nights to watch, eat and drink altogether and it's such a fun experience! Maile, Drew and Makenzie were all amazing and took really great care of our table. Sadly, we noticed the table next to us had dine and dashed. I can't believe someone would do such a thing to young servers! You girls should be ashamed of yourselves. If you can't pay for your meal, don't go out to eat. I remember someone calling her name, Kaylee. Kaylee was also making nasty comments that made me and the other tables nearby uncomfortable. We felt SO bad because the servers were sooo sweet and accommodating to everyone with a packed house. Kaylee, made the night a buzzkill. Everything else was amazing! read more