what a pleasant surprise. my spouse and i went here for dinner and had the $60+ meal for two and she had a $1 beer. it was filling. the food was excellent and the servoce was outstanding. the atmosphere was outside was quiet and it was a warm evening...a perfect night. don't let the exterior make you think..."let's pass on this place"...it would definitely be your loss. give them a try! read more

So delicious and best service! They are always amazing here. My son is a brave eater and was really excited to try the live prawn tonight. The chef was wonderful and made his experience incredible. Highly recommend! read more

Ugly Roll - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I'm always on the hunt for a new sushi spot in the area and finally got around to trying this spot. Note: there's tons of parking in the lot so that's a non-issue. The store itself is a quirky lil hole in the wall. Outside, there's a tarp playing a show/movie out into the parking lot (awesome), 2 fire pit tables outside with heaters, and a TV playing a different show/movie. When you walk inside, you're immediately greeted by a large touchscreen monitor with the quirkiest UI ordering interface to order your food (awesome part 2). We were seated outside so didn't get to chat with the chef while he was preparing our sushi, but he was super attentive and guided us through the menu. By the time we finished ordering, the server had already brought out cut oranges, ginger, wasabi to our table + poured out hot tea. Super nice touch. Our food came out quickly soon after. Edamame was perfectly salted. Miso soup was among some of the best I've ever had -- didn't have that sour bite after that you get sometimes when the miso paste is cooked down at too high of a temperature. Now the sushi. The fish was super fresh, and the rice ratio was spot on. Our only notes were that the tuna did taste a little chewy and the spicy tuna wasn't too spicy, but minor grievances. The albacore nigiri with the ponzu green onions was our favorite nigiri of the night. Sooo good. The ugly roll is yummy too. We ended the night with some shrimp and veggie tempura that was freshly fried with a nice thin and crispy batter. Yum. Great spot and will be back to support! read more

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This place is a Culver City staple if you are local and in the mood for something fresh and delightful then come here - the menu has a not of options and the restaurant is intimate so it won't be overly crowded- the staff get right to the point you order and they deliver. It's a win win for all involved. read more

Sushi itself was fine. Was disappointed to see one of the rolls I ordered on my takeout was missing. Tried calling a couple times to get a refund for the missing roll but was sent to voicemail; no way to contact them. Will not be going back. read more

I do love the tenacious owner Kagaya, who has kept this local gem open through thick and thin times. I am a big fan! Today I ordered an albacore cut roll and a tuna, avocado cucumber roll. I love my food hot and spicy ordinarily, but these darn antibiotics I am taking are wreaking havoc inside my stomach... thus, I am going spiceless in Palms California! Everything was delicious and I am satiated and smiling... Plenty of parking! Great prices! Phenomenal quality! read more

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I really don't want to be writing this but I dined here today with my gf and everything was good until the last minute. My gf got a fish bone stuck in her tonsils, I had to take it out with a tweezer as soon as I got home. Overall the service was good in this small restaurant. I wanted to write this so the owner is aware of that. It could have been a lot worse luckily it was just the one in her tonsil. read more

Ugly Roll - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I moved away from LA 15 years ago, used to be in here weekly. Well it has remained just as amazing through the years, the prices are affordable, the food delicious, and the chef even remembered me! This is one of those hole in the wall spots that really hits in all the best way. Parking is always easy, there's never a wait when I've been in, and they stock the best beer with frosty cold glasses. Hands down my favorite place for a roll and a kirin. Thank you Ugly Roll for remaining so delicious through the years and your staff always makes me feel right at home. read more

Had an amazing time. Chef and waiters were great. $1 beer!! Turned on the SpongeBob movie on a personal TV and feasted.

I couldn't believe this place was right around the corner from my house! It is such a nice little addition to the Palms area. I really enjoyed all the food, and the very unique ordering experience from a giant touchscreen out front! In addition to that, the staff was extremely helpful and very kind and the food came out, wicked fast. We'll definitely be back. Next time I want to sit on the cute patio with the fire pit on the table! read more

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Hidden sushi spot gem!! Super affordable sushi at such amazing quality. The place is very cozy and the owner is genuinely so sweet. The quirky touch screen menu order system out front with the pointers is honestly so iconic I love it. I love this place with my whole heart and come here once a week. I've had sushi in Japan and this place is the closest I can get to it in the west side without going broke. Give this place a chance!! read more

Ugly Roll - Volcano Roll and Philly Roll - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

THEY GAVE ME WHATEVER THEY WANTED WHILE CHARGING ME THE PRICE OF CRAB AND SALMON. Drove 30 minutes and ordered $50 worth of food Togo with high hopes. A order of salmon and rice along with the soft shell crab spider roll BOTH the traditional and the hand roll. I received a SALMON SKIN traditional roll, a CALIFORNIA hand roll, and CHICKEN AND RICE!!!! Extremely unacceptable in this economy not to mention the risk for those with allergies. Thdn wouldn't answer the phone when I called 0/10 read more

Food is okay. It's not horrible. Very doable. Vibes are a bit weird. Can't really pin point it. I do think the bathroom is disgusting and should get a deep cleaning. The soap in the bathroom is literally watered down with water, which fine. This economy is tough. But it's 90% water, 10% soap. The service in general is very nice. read more

Convenient, Yummy & Fast ! Can't go wrong stopping by here. Great deals & a fun place to watch the baseball or soccer games. The service is always good & the workers are so sweet and helpful. read more

Such a amazing hidden gem . Chef is a hard worker and always gives he's best services. i been coming with my husband for over a year very consistent food and delicious. Prices are very affordable and get your money worth. Ambiance is very home vibes. read more

Ugly Roll - 8 Piece Volcano Roll, 8 Piece Regular Salmon Avocado Cumber - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

A date night staple! Quality sushi, (perfectly cooked rice) inviting atmosphere and service. The owner and staff are great! Despite the name, beautiful rolls! read more

Ugly Roll - Salmon Skin roll, Shrimp Tempura roll & spicy tuna roll! - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Amazing food great atmosphere catch a great day game day or evening. Must have for the location taste and price.. unbeatable

Highly recommend for affordable sushi with great food presentation. We enjoyed the ugly albacore roll and caterpillar roll. The potstickers were good and came on a skillet to keep them warm. The server, Cagayan, was very kind, attentive, and thoughtful. Inside not the nicest, but outside table was beautiful with a fireplace. read more

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Excellent sushi! It is not ugly at all. Great salad and tempura as well. Great value and taste for a take-out meal.

Taiyu has been our concierge sushi-man for many years now. I cannot recommend Ugly Roll more highly. We are super fortunate to have a neighborhood blue-plate sushi bar in our present day dearth of all mom-and-pop shops of all kinds. Great place to stop by for a quick lunch, or hang out for dinner. Recently we've been grabbing Ugly Roll platters to take home when SWMBO does not feel like venturing out the house. Platters are a great deal and a great idea for something to take to holiday potlucks. Did I mention sushi is a lot healthier than a lot of holiday fare? Good times! read more

Amazing service and the food is very authentic. Also how cool is it you can eat great sushi and play Mario cart in the same spot

Fun and unique spot. Really quirky, loved it. Easy parking. My wife and I went for dinner Friday night. Sushi was delicious. Waiter was super nice. Loved the strange menu. Awesome place. read more

Food is amazing reasonable small place but great service love my food hot an fresh this is definetly the place to go

If I'm ever back in LA , def will be back here. Was a bit skeptical in finding a sushi spot that will not disappoint in the area, but this place tasted great. Sushi was honestly so good and fresh. Chef is great. Very easy to find spot and parking. Didn't wait too long for the food and it was made in a decent timely matter (: read more

Ugly Roll - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Everything was great, but the tuna looked a bit off and didn't taste very fresh today. I'll give it another try though. read more

Ugly Roll - tuna - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Are you kidding this is the best sushi spot ever. The whole experience of ordering was so fun and enjoyable and the table we were sat at had PAC MAN!! They even told me if I got the high score I'd get some mochi which they then brought me when I beat it. Not only that the nigiri was so fresh and yummy and the tempura was perfect. 10/10 all the way read more

Ugly Roll - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Well this place at least lives up to its namesake. Came here because another spot I intended to try was closed and this was nearby. Upon arrival the sign said "open" but the door was locked so I headed back towards my car. I was about to leave when I noticed a man in a dancing bear suit on the street waving people in with a sushi sign (seriously). Confused, I walked back to the door where another stuffed bear with a speaker embedded in it asked me if I wanted to come in (again, not making a thing up here). The door was unlocked for me and I was seated at a table in the back. Kinda wish I had just left. The restaurant itself is beat up and to say the open-air kitchen is gross would be an understatement. My instincts told me to bail, but I was starving and seated at this point. Plus, the happy hour menu didn't look too bad so I gave it a shot. I went with a tempura plate and 10 piece nigiri platter. The bowl the tempura batter was in was directly next to me and I watched some serious cross contamination going down right before my eyes. I won't lie though, the final product wasn't bad so I kept going. I was also charged the full price instead of the HH price. Oh well. When the nigiri came out the first thing I noticed was the giant chunks of oddly cut fish all over my plate. I'm talking 2-3x the size of normal nigiri. More is not better when it comes to raw fish and the entire plate of food was tough to get down due to the ridiculous rice to fish ratios. I was not a fan. Honestly it was some of the worst cuts of fish I've ever had. To be more specific, the albacore was dry and tasted old, the eel was cold and mushy, and then there was two pieces of "free toro" the chef put in my plate which looked absolutely awful. I ate one piece of that and have had a stomach ache since I left. I really should have trusted my instincts. To their credit, the server and owner were nice enough and the service was fine. But I really wish I had eaten pretty much anywhere else today. Writing this review hoping I didn't ingest anything weird because this place was not up to standard in cleanliness or fish quality. Yikes. read more

Ugly Roll - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Taiyu-san is the man! Been going to this place for years, and unlike many other things on the west side, it hasn't changed! Same great food, same great service. Much love to all the fam at Ugly Roll! read more

We just went here for the first time and had an amazing experience! The staff was so nice, the food was great and a staff member even came out and gave us game controllers and played mario kart with us! We had so much fun! And 1dollar beers aint bad either read more

I decided to go on a side quest on a week day , on my nightly walk I popped into a sushi spot I had never been to before in my neighborhood. To my surprise... the food was wonderful, the service was excellent, and the vibes were just right. Ugly role sushi is open late so if you're in the mood for sushi in Palms, this is the place to go ! Lots of parking which is nice unlike Sawtelle sushi restaurants. I definitely recommend coming here if you're in the mood for a late night sushi snack ;) 10/ 10 experience. read more

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I saw they had reviews from a couple days ago and it had 5 stars . Not what i expected but in a way better than what i expected . We got the scallop baked roll and it was 10/10 . The presentation was so cute . I got a sake nigori to pair and it was a sweeter version of regular sake but added perfectly.(or so what my boyfriend told me) The server/ cook was so nice and welcoming . It was a good place to come to after i had just taken a final . Recommend to anyone in the area the sushi tasted fresh and delicious! :) read more

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I highly recommend ugly roll sushi. Perfect for getting your lunch or dinner with great fresh and affordable sushi and other Japanese food . The portions specially the side salad with crab and fish eggs is generous and also besides the usual soy sauce , ginger wasabi, I like the addition of large lemon slices and spicy mayo for more flavor options. -The ugly roll combo is excellent and it is a large portion for almost 2.5 people . It is tempura with rolls and a drink, but I can only finish half at a time . -If you want a great balanced lunch option combo I recommend side salad, miso soup and a roll ( my favorite is eel avocado, but you can't go wrong with any roll or sushi) -When you buy food , it is tip-less which is very customary Japanese etiquette of only paying for the service so the total is final price. -The owner is also a great and kind person and strives for great service. Definitely support local businesses and wish ugly roll sushi the most of success and more people ordering visiting . read more

I discovered Ugly Roll right before COVID and it was my family's savior when we wanted fresh sushi when we were on lockdown. The price has gone up considerably since then, which is understandable, but it's still my go to spot when I'm craving affordable rolls that my entire family can enjoy. If you order from their website, they sometimes have deals and free items. I love their ugly combo and their ugly roll special. Everyone is always so nice when I arrive and the place looks sparkling clean. read more

Delicious hole in the Wall. Don't be dissuaded by the ambiance. The chef makes tasty super delish sushi. Also the Hot cloudy Sake was a winner! read more

Great hole in the wall place. All the staff was wonderful, attentive and welcoming. Opened late and $1 beer after 9pm. I was even able to play the against the chef on their Mario kart set up(won a free beer). Good price. Good food. Def coming back! read more

(Transferred from my duplicate account - Aug 5, 2016) It was surprisingly good for delivery sushi, which I have never had before because I didn't live in a city that had this as a thing. I wouldn't go to 4 stars because the miso did not taste very good. But also it is rare that miso tastes as good as my obaa-chan's, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I have had some that was pretty good and this was the opposite of that. But I will say that the flavor was off in some way, like they put an ingredient in there that wasn't typical, ginger maybe? I don't know but if I order from them again I won't get the miso. My other complaint was that the potstickers were very doughy, I like mine crisp but they still tasted fine. We ordered a platter meal which had a lot of different things. Tempura, spicy tuna roll, salmon roll, rainbow roll, etc. I don't usually choose California Rolls but it came with what we ordered and THAT was actually the highlight, like they were REALLY good. I would order from them again but I would mix up the items and try something new. read more

BEST EXPERIECE EVER GOOD BEER owner was so nice and we played Mario kart. Incredible service and 5/5 dining experience

Ambiance: small establishment, only three tables are inside, good for takeout orders, plenty parking spots in the lot shared with other merchants Service: very friendly and fast, served food attentively Food & Drink: simple menu items, happy hour and combo available Nigiri Sushi - *** TUNA, SALMON, ALBACORE, average taste Rainbow Roll - **** fresh and tasty, recommend Chicken Udon - **** chewy noodles, chicken, tofu, and green veggies in flavorful broth, recommend Tempura - ***** 2pc Shrimp and Veggies, deep fried and so crispy, highly recommend Eel Roll - *** average taste Sapporo Beer - *** light taste Price: generous portions and affordable prices, expect about $25+ per person read more

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Incredible hole in wall, very authentic and fresh. Incredible welcome with hot tea and orange, fast and very welcoming service. 10/10 thank you. Price is 10 too. read more

Ugly Roll is a Mar Vista staple. My wife and I have come here several times and the owner is always so friendly and accommodating. The food isn't mind blowing, but if you want consistent, simple sushi, this place is great. Prices are reasonable and the portions are a good size so it's great for a dinner on the late side if you had a long day or just put your kid to bed. Takeout is fast and there's no tipping - so the price on the phone is the price out the door. Support local sushi! read more