This place is 10/10. The food is melt in your mouth delicious. Our order came out at a reasonable time. Their restaurant is small but they have outdoor seating as well. Loved the self serve water, they even added cucumber & lemon. This is definitely a must when craving sushi in Capitola! read more

See all

This food was not good, and I genuinely pity all the reviewers on here speaking to the contrary. Wasabi Sushi is an order-at-the-counter sushi joint. Yet when you pay at check-out, the tip amount defaults to 18% (yes, a default 18% tip at a fast-casual restaurant), with the alternatives being 20%, 25%, or custom. The lone employee who made eye contact with us was nice, but again--this is a fast-casual restaurant! The edamame was soft and unseasoned. The only condiment on the table was soy sauce (no low-sodium options available) and sushi rolls do not come with wasabi nor ginger. "Bento boxes" are essentially combo meals. When we sent the first edamame back because it was mushy, we received another bowl of flaccid beans back moments later. I suspect they are steamed in bulk, possibly in a bag in a microwave. My gripe with this place that finally pushed me to publish this review was the fried soft shell crab roll. PLEASE, for the love of cuisine, spare yourself from this roll. The crab is fried harder than a well-done Kentucky fried chicken leg, with a sweet sauce smeared over the top to distract from the flavorlessness of the contents. To add insult to injury, one piece had unfurled when this landed at our table. I have never, ever received a deconstructed sushi roll that was not immediately replaced. A minor aesthetic inconvenience for me; but a good illustration of the lack of concern for attention to detail here. I did not enjoy any part of this meal, which cost over $100. My biggest takeaway from this dinner is to never take Reddit reviews of Santa Cruz restaurants seriously again. Of course, nobody asked how my food was. read more

Wasabi Sushi - spider roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

The Jamba Juice of sushi (per my husband). I used to live somewhere which actually good sushi and it was everywhere. This has ruined me for the prolific mediocrity of sushi in Northern/Mid California. If you don't really like sushi, it's probably because of places like this. If you like sushi, don't come here or you'll leave upset that you spent $100 on under-seasoned rice and soft shell crab that tasted and looked the same as the (dry) katsu chicken. It makes me sad that the people eating here don't know that it can be better than this. Ambience was comfy and nice. Pretty chill, you order for yourself and they bring it to you. Staff was nice and replaced the mushy edamame upon request. (With more mushy edamame) If you want good sushi, leave the country, spend alot of money at an omakase place or go to Las Vegas. If you want to put food in your stomach after giving someone money, this place will do. read more

A friend from church brought me there yesterday. I love the big colorful menu on the walls. Makes it easy to order. The owner (Kevin?) is very nice and friendly, always smiling. Ok, the food, amazing! We order some rolls with salmon and a big entree of sashimi. Everything was so good! The rolls just melt in your mouth. The sashimi are all so fresh! I have tried many sushi places in the Bay Area, Wasabi Sushi is one notch better than the best I had tasted. read more

Wasabi Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Man this sushi was good! Contrary to others, I feel like price wise, you can't beat the amount of fish they give you. I was expecting the portions to be small, but the cuts I got were big and hearty. I ordered at the front and sat outside. The restaurant itself is small so it seems more like a takeout spot however I enjoyed the patio. I definitely recommend if you're a fish lover like myself and I'll be back the next time I'm in town. read more

Wasabi Sushi - Rainbow Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

I forgot to take a picture of my roll. It was super good. Service was good. And ambiance is ok. Nothing spectacular. All my food was great! read more

Wasabi Sushi - Miso was bomb! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

OVERALL 3.5 STARS ==Service: 4 stars== Someone greeted us when we walked in; we were able to order quickly; we received our food in a timely manner; and workers were very friendly. ==Food: 4 stars== My salmon was small but it tasted good. The deluxe roll was tasty and a decent size. The "basic" roll was small. The miso soup hit the spot on the cold night. My green tea was hot, but I was surprised to see the charge on my check. ==Venue/ambiance: 3 stars== Cute casual place with outdoor seating but it is very small with no bathrooms. ==Location: 4 stars== Easy parking; easy to find; lots of shops nearby ==Cleanliness: 2.5 stars== There were menu "placemats" on the tables though they didn't look clean (ie, there was a scallion or something green on one), so we moved them. We noticed customers at other tables moved theirs too. Also, the disorganization made the place feel unkempt (ie, piece of wood and iPad mini over the door with electric cables haphazardly spilling over looked unsightly and unsafe). Overall I think Wasabi Sushi is worth giving a try if you're in the area or a local. The people who work here are nice and the food is tasty! For me, it will be a great takeout place, and I will be back! read more

See all

Super delicious and well done thank you for the amazing rolls wasabi! Highly recommend trying a deep fried California roll with cream cheese... amazing!! read more

Wasabi Sushi - California roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Food is always fantastic and reasonably priced. My mom absolutely loves the Gyoza. I have enjoyed everything I have ordered here - sushi California rolls, Ramen bowls. Very highly recommend read more

This is a fusion of Korean and and Japanese And I will not be very willing to go back Good food is good This a not the case here. read more

I've tried their sashimi, baked sushi, bento box, and teriyaki chicken. The sushi chef is consistently exceptional in all of the rolls. They commend their prices with the quality and deliciousness of their sushi. I've taken my picky-with-food daughter here a few times and she really likes eating here. I highly recommend this place and there's always customers. The service is great and overall one of my favorite places to eat in Capitola. read more

Wasabi Sushi in Santa Cruz deserves a solid five stars. I tried the baked salmon roll and it was excellent - rich flavor and perfectly prepared. The edamame was very unique, seasoned with sesame seeds and miso, which gave it a really great taste. The miso soup was also super tasty and comforting. Overall a great experience with delicious food and a nice atmosphere. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in Santa Cruz. read more

Great service and food. Finally a sushi spot priced right. Last minute decision to eat here and didn't regret it. Will definitely be back. read more

Wasabi Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

Great last-minute sushi spot! They made me a custom roll with cucumber, fresh fish, and cream cheese--no rice, just how I like it. Super fresh and full of flavor. I also tried their edamame, which was unique and delicious--warm, with smoky toasted sesame seeds and hot oil. The owners and staff were incredibly friendly and made us feel very welcome. The restaurant is clean, cozy, and has both indoor and nice outdoor seating. It's a smaller place, perfect for a quiet, top-notch dinner. Huge menu too! Definitely recommend-- we really enjoyed it. read more

I tried the volcano and the dragon and they were really good. I was going to get more but am too fat so decided to hold back for the day. Obaachan helped me and was the sweetest lady ever. Reminds me of my granny sitting at home right now. So if you like sushi, go here not just for the great rolls but for obaachan as well! read more

New owners, not the same quality. Better off going to sushi garden for awesome sushi. read more

Wasabi Sushi - This is the Lion King roll and it's so amazingly delicious. Gotta try it. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Very delicious! Fast service and kind staff. We especially loved the bento box, BSCR, and miso soup.

Pros: bento box portions are generous and a good deal for the price. You get to choose three different mains. Cons: When we ordered a 12oz beer the owner tried to pressure us into ordering a larger 24oz beer. He asked us "Are you sure that's enough for you?"--Please don't tell us how much we should be ordering, especially when it comes to alcohol! We had to repeat that we wanted a 12oz beer after that. Fresh sashimi is not supposed to smell fishy. Well, some of the sashimi smelled fishy and was browning on the edges. They cut some of the sashimi so thin on the rainbow roll that I could see the rice underneath. Penny wise, pound foolish: we won't be coming back here. read more

I tried it multiple times and every time it was amazing! I got bento box for lunch and portion is huge! Generous amount of filling in sushi. It's also very fresh and tasty. One of the best sushi around! read more

Wasabi Sushi - Bento box with chicken Katsu, spicy tuna and California roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

This has been our go to spot for American Sushi for the last 8 years. They do have authentic sushi options like sashimi, fresh rolls. Good portions, good fillings (not caked on rice like some of the other places in town). Fillings are fresh and plentiful. Their appetizers are delicious as well, we didn't get any this time around. The shrimp tempura was crispy, well seasoned. Baked salmon roll was amazing with good portion of fresh salmon. People are welcoming and service is fast. Remember this is eatery style restaurant so drinks and self served. read more

Rolls are large in size and packed with flavor. I especially appreciated the veggie tempura roll which was perfectly battered and had the most satisfying crunch! The special veggie, honeymoon, Spider Tempura Roll, salmon sushi and baked salmon roll were also a hit. The Miso soup was nice and hot with well balanced flavors. The poke bowl was not my husbands favorite with the seaweed causing the rice to go soggy . Restaurant is small with indoor and outdoor seating, clean with a casual ambiance. Service was friendly and fast and we look forward to returning the next time we are in the Santa Cruz area! read more

See all

This was my first time trying Wasabi Sushi and I am not inclined to come back. The sushi rolls here weren't great. I tried the 911 and the honey moon rolls. My partner had three rolls as well although I am not confident in what they were (a baked roll, something with soft shell crab, and a roll with spiced or seared tuna on top). The imitation crab meat tasted fishier than typical. The rice layer was fairly thick and bland. Nothing was bad or spoiled, but none of it was good either. read more

Very cute little place in a strip mall by the Capitola Mall. You can order to go or eat at the tables inside and out. Sushi tasted fresh and had the right amount of garnish. The server was very nice and helpful. read more

Wasabi Sushi - Hot Night Roll Red Dragon Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

This is one of my favorite places to order from, I typically get the yam maki or asparagus roll, I love to order them together and use the sauce from the yam maki on both. SO AMAZING. I usually order online then go in but I had gone in maybe a month ago and the person at the counter showed me they were having two specials for yam rolls. I got them both, they were absolutely DELICIOUS! Ladies and gentleman, please step into the relaxed atmosphere as you enjoy beautiful tasty rolls by a wonderful set of people. I will always recommend this place to friends. Great prices, great food, great service! read more

Great place for lunch. Huge portions of tasty, fresh food, and friendly service. Absolutely no atmosphere, they probably do mostly takeout. A lot of menu choices for such a small place. I like the chirashi and tempura the best. Rolls are good too. No bar. If you're not looking to impress a date, and just want good eats, definitely give Wasabi a try. read more

AMAZING I have never had fresher sushi then this place it's incredible!!!!! The service was SOO FAST!! It was so nice outside and indoors and nice entrance! read more

Wasabi Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Stopped by for some sushi and bento. Fish was fresh and rolls were super flavorful. Bento came with salad and delicious miso soup. Good portions for the price, would come again! read more

People, Do not waste your time eat there. They stole money from you. Their menu prices will trick you. They had 2 different price hide from you. They will not provide you receipt so they can take trick and take advantage of you. So super disappointed. Their place look nice and super friendly from the staff but their two face is so not. If you have to go there, Be careful. read more

Got the Yellow Tail Delight roll, which I assumed was would have yellow tail. It came with very little yellow tail which was very dissatisfying. Instead it had some mushy fish in the middle with a sliver of yellow tail on the outside, sorry can't recommend this place. read more

We were trying to find a quick sushi lunch before walking on the Santa Cruz boardwalk and found Wasabi Sushi. Upon reading the reviews of previous Yelpers, this placed seemed promising: great prices, great food, and smooth service. I definitely did enjoyed the Baked salmon, likely one of the best I've ever had, and recommend any of the salmon items to anyone looking to try this place out. Yet we were in for a pretty big surprise. First of all, the server gave us the wrong order and did not realize it, so I had to march back to the restaurant and let them know the wrong item was given. A mistake like this is understandable. But then something else happened: a piece of metal had been wrapped into one of the rolls, to only be discovered by my wife. When I had brought up this issue to the sushi chef, I was only given a nod. No apologies, no refunds, absolutely no response on a mistake that could have caused injury or an upset stomach. Although the food here is not bad, I would definitely be careful in terms of safety and service consistency. read more

See all

Every time I come here i am so delighted!! The service is always amazing, quick and friendly:). Every roll and dish I have tried has been amazing! Portions are generous and delicious. 10/10 recommend!! read more

Amazing sushi place with lots of parking, amazing for takeout or eating in!! On top of the delicious food, they have great service and tons of parking - so it is not stressful to go out to eat or pick something up. Super yummy:) read more

Wasabi Sushi - California Roll & Las Vegas Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Need new furniture outside. We sat outside since it was a nice day. Our favorite is the popcorn roll. Great service and pretty decent price. $60 and sone change. We didn't like the salmon skin roll I figure we can try it as I was looking for the salmon skill hand roll for the crunch. I definitely will come back. They are open when all the other sushi places are not open. Easy place to get to with lots of parking and pleasant servers. read more

See all

Happy Veteran's Day! I have a day off today so I'm trying to catch up on my reviews. But, really, teachers DON'T have a day off. We're always thinking of lessons, and there's always something we NEED to do for school. But, I decided to take a mental day off, which I'm most likely going to regret later. Oh well, at least I'm not wasting the day. I'm supporting restaurants because they need it more than ever. Wasabi Sushi was a great spot for lunch, but I have to say a couple of things that bothered me before I get to the good part. First of all, I have to say their menu needs improvement. It's kinda hard to order when there's no description or picture under the names on their menu board. We had to ask the guy behind the counter what's this or what's that. Good thing there was no one else behind us. Second of all, we were kind of uneasy about how the guy making sushi had his mask under his nose. Third, there was a guy hanging out behind the counter chatting with the workers without a mask. But we were hungry so we took a risk. I almost gave them three stars for carelessness, but the food was freakin' great! Okay, the Edimame was not that special, but the sushi was fresh. Between the three of us, the Mango Roll was the most popular. I also liked how they sprinkled crunch on top. The Black Tiger roll also had fun sprinkled crunch on top, and so tasty with shrimp tempura, eel, spicy crab, and avocado. The Rainbow and California Roll satisfied our taste buds as well. We didn't get sick so I gave them four stars instead of three, but they should be more careful with masks. Like our new president Joe Biden said, "I implore you, wear a mask. Do it for yourself. Do it for your neighbor. A mask is not a political statement, but it is a good way to start pulling the (our?) country together." read more

See all

Second time visiting this place. The woman working there wasn't very friendly. She was more friendly to the white customers lol.. The fried topping on my sushi was burnt with black dots on them. I thought they were all like that but online pictures suggests otherwise. Both times experiences were uncomfortable. Will not return again. read more

Imagine, it's been a long day. You pop into the shopping center to pick up some pathetic staples at Trader Joes. But, then you remember! There is a Wasabi Tapas here! Place your order at Wasabi ...do your Trader Joe's...or more dangerous... BED BATH and BEYOND Descent...and then pick up your food and retreat to your lair. This small mom and pop restaurant boasts excellent service. Although the ambiance is not romantic, I've eaten here and enjoyed myself. Personally, I prefer eating delicious sushi in simple setting over eating mediocre sushi in an over the top establishment... However, generally I prefer to take out. This way I can pick up my chirashi and retreat to my lair with my unoaked chardonnay and netflix like the goblin I am!!!!! The chirashi is EXCELLENT! I'm talking thick cuts of fresh salmon, tuna, yellow tail, and Hamachi. I appreciate the little additions of roe, and generous sprinklings of seaweed salad and ginger. All of this fresh, succulent, sumptuousness over a bed of sushi rice. Now, that is a meal! The prices are expensive but more reasonable than Sushi Garden - who has upped their prices and mysteriously shrank their serving sizes. Miso soup and rolls are also delicious. However, I find Chirashi a difficult thing to master, and this place has mastered the art. Thank you Wasabi Tapas, for your amazing food and friendly service. read more

Wasabi Sushi - Chirashi bowl to go - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

Nice little mom and pop sushi spot tucked between a taqueria and tanning salon. Just happend to need to run to Target and stumbled upon this place. I had a riceless roll--the Honey Moon Roll. No rice, just crab salad/kani, avocado, cucumber in a roll topped with salmon. Not great just because it was a little much for me as far as heaviness. I thought I would curb it by not getting rice, but the mayo in the roll was pretty heavy. Hard to hold together with chopsticks without falling apart. My sister ordered the gyoza appetizer to share. These were good. It came out in a boat dish with dipping sauce. Nicely seared and flavorful. I usually order hot water with my meal. The only water available here is tap or bottled water. May be a pandemic thing. Parking is not a problem. Large shared lot in a huge plaza. read more

Hands down the best sushi place in the county. The staff are polite and attentive, the ambiance is nice, and the quality of the sushi is amazing for the price. Hoping they stay open for a long time to come! read more

Great tasting sushi but really high prices. Also in need of better customer service, needs more energy and happier environment

Delicious ... open late... locally-owned... a must if your in Capitola! We had Philadelphia Roll yum, Yam Maki, Salmon Skin roll, Tempura Shirt... crunchy and delicious! SAY HI TO SUSAN! read more

Wasabi Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California