yoshi's has the distinct identity of being the second* place where an older black man in a fedora (complete with feather) and crisp white suit told me i am, "the finest white girl he's ever seen." now, had i not been with someone else at the time, i might have been interested. i mean, he had a g-d purple pimp hat on and we were watching margo timmins of the cowboy junkies and that woman's voice is walking sex. or um, singing sex? crooning sex? excuse me to please explain, how do you say? sushi is okay...decent vegetarian roll selection but nothing that will blow your mind. i prefer the veggie tempura udon...they have a really good vegetarian broth here. broth is such a gross word. tickets are fairly pricey but if it's someone you really want to see, i say go for it because it's a great, intimate space. *oh and that's right, i said SECOND place. the first place was down the street at the now defunct and former BEST BAR ON EARTH, "moe's", with grumpy moe the owner and his delicious snacks and sleazy old man smarm charm and cute ass dog. it was like c. bobby's owl tree in SF but with a side of, "no, really, i'll fuck your shit up. this is oakland, son." read more

Yoshi's is a unique place. Japanese and jazz. In this place I think it works well the food is great, staff friendly and atmosphere trendy but good. Price to quality is good but it is a bit expensive. If you're in Jack London and craving sushi try it out. read more

I went to Yoshi's for the very first time 2 nights ago on Monday for my birthday dinner with a great friend of mine. The atmosphere was great, the staff were very friendly and professional. The service was excellent, and the food was absolutely amazing!!! Without a doubt, the best sushi I've ever had!!! I can't wait to go back again!!! read more

Smooth jazz, plentiful cocktails and sexy sushi - sounds like a perfect night, right? And theoretically it most definitely is! It was this very theory that kept me lusting for and daydreaming about an evening at Yoshi's for many years. Finally the day came when the act, the companion and the pocketbook were in perfect alignment! At the end of things, it was a pleasant night out - but the movie in your head is always better than the ACTUAL movie, right? Ahhh if only reality could be as glamorous as a daydream, or a good Sex and the City episode. Someday! My friend and I scored last minute tickets to see Molly Ringwald (!!!) in her new incarnation, platinum blonde jazz diva, at the Oakland original Yoshi's. We parked at the connected Port of Oakland garage (SUPER easy to access from the freeway and there are always spots in my experience, day or night) - you can get your parking validated after your show as well, though it will still cost at least a little. You can score premium seating if you dine at Yoshi's prior to the show, but this is the big spender option - plus the performance room is super cozy, there really are no bad seats. Save a little money and dine before you arrive, or at least spend your money on tastier fare at the other nearby Jack London Square eateries (more on that later). Unless you want to see right up the nose of the performer, first come first served seating is 100% sufficient. Seating is very cozy too, so any groups of less than 4 need to be prepared to rub and likely bang elbows with the new friends that will be sharing your table. The show itself was great, the sound in the venue is wonderful, and the dark lighting and red velvet curtains add the perfect speakeasy vibe. The only thing to maybe be improved upon is sound insulation - I know jazz isn't as loud as a rock show, but even over vocals and instruments we could hear the horn and clatter of a freight train plowing by on the tracks outside. Maybe with this location it just is what it is, but it does pop your fancy bubble a little bit. I'm sure if Molly hadn't been singing in the spotlight, she would have facepalmed at least a little. Unless I hit them on a genuinely off night, I would NEVER return to Yoshi's for anything other than music - their food and cocktails were both quite disappointing. They generously offer edamame free with your Yelp check-in, which was tasty and served warm (a first for me). To nibble and sip, I ordered the tempura roll and the Mambo Margarita. The cocktail, though pretty, tasted like equal parts hard alcohol and ice water, which leads me to believe it was made by the bartenders then left to die by the servers for a good couple minutes before it was delivered. Long after drinks, our server arrived with a veggie roll and a tempura roll. Both I AND one of our tablemates ordered the tempura roll, which doesn't explain why the veggie roll arrived but our tablemate graciously offered me the tempura roll. Our server seemed confused though, repeatedly asking who ordered the veggie roll and not getting that no one at this table did. This is all happening mid-show as well, so I'm sure we were pissing off all our neighbors. The server finally seemed to get it, but he put the veggie roll on our table anyway and left. None of us touched it, so way to waste food. My tempura roll was quite small, sliced thin and weakly packed so picking up slices was impossible - it all just fell apart in my chopsticks and tumbled back onto the plate. I gave up and just ate it bit by bit in the dark since I was hungry and was trying to enjoy the show. Eating sushi in this bizarre way led to me accidentally shoving the wasabi blob in my mouth thinking it was a piece of avocado. NOT RECOMMENDED! But it made for a funny story after. ;) Keep your expectations reasonable, scour Goldstar for reduced price tickets to your jazz show of choice, stick to the drinks that don't require mixing, and eat elsewhere - that will be my plan for all return trips to Yoshi's, and I recommend you do the same. read more

This is a review based on the food of Yoshi's itself, the jazz shows are on a whole different level. They do a number of rolls that while they are inventive can sometimes drown out the flavor of the fish which is what I want to taste. The nigri pieces are fresh and pretty good, the menu is designed for you to order numerous little dishes you can share, that way your whole meal's experience will have quite a bit of diversity. That said, some of the portions = price ratio seems a little off, in other words the two of us, not including drinks had already hit the 100.00 mark. And considering we enjoyed some of the dishes like the hamachi carpaccio and Sendai miso chicken, we where a little hungry after the show let out and did seek some extra sentience from a local burger joint. The service that night seemed a little rushed, or server seemed pretty busy covering her tables, so it was a little difficult ordering additional food and drinks while we were waiting to kill time before the show started. I've been back to Yoshi's numerous times to catch the jazz shows that said, I've haven't eaten here since. I think it has to do with the fact that while I don't mind spending money for a meal, I just didn't care to much for the new menu, maybe if they change it Ill give it a try again. read more

In the last year, I have had the dining pleasure of Yoshi's about five or six times. It is always the most fresh and delicious sashimi. Tonight, I was able to enjoy pure deliciousness again with a few other friends, (before seeing Robert Cray) and it did not disappoint! I want to give praise to our server, Madori. The front hostess didn't really know what was going on with reserved seating before the concert but Madori, after taking our table's high maintenance order, was like a magician! She got everything right and assured us our seats would be most excellent. The food was amazing and our seats for the show were perfect. Yoshi's, you are a class act! Thank you. read more

I wasn't sure how to rate this because I had a fantastic time seeing Acoustic Alchemy again. The venue was awesome and had a great evening enjoying the music. However, we'd gotten a reservation to eat at Yoshi's before the event and when we arrived we were told there were no tables because a lot of people had walked in?? Isn't that why you get a reservation? Room was offered at the bar, or sushi counter, but we declined and had a wonderful dinner a few blocks over at Scott's Steak and Seafood. Sadly, the added delay made us late and we missed about a 1/3 of the performance. I thought I might give it a try again sometime, but we'd had a 1.5 hour drive each way, so probably not going to happen. Which is sad because we'd heard good reviews from friends. read more

Had a great time listening to Avant. The food is well worth the price. Good for a date just can't get too intimate because all the seating in the restaurant, lounge and bar are very close to each other. read more

I have always wanted to attend an event here at Yoshi's in Oakland. I know we have one in the city but I had not found an artist that made me want to jump up and scream... then I saw Jose Gonzales on the bill and could not contain my joy. So much so that I bought tickets to a night when I already had a show lined up, Journey, Cheap Trick and Heart... and there was no way in hell I was gonna miss that one. So I quickly called Yoshi's and explained my deli ma and how I was click happy and just clicked away without thinking. All I saw was NO REFUND, NO EXCHANGE. I thought I was royally effed. But I was not, since I called moments after purchasing, they helped my happy little self out and I was delighted. We arrived, as usual not as early as we would have liked. But we got our tickets and stood in line, so excited for the show that was about to blow our minds! We got a good seat up high so we could see and browsed the drink menu (you do have to buy one drink). I got a blueberry one which was great! I was a little hungry as usual and so we decided on the sweet potato fries, which were huge and wonderful! Jose was so great, he got up there and went right into it. He sang all of my favorite songs and more! He was funny and engaged the crowd. The best part about it was the fact that we were so close and it was so intimate, I found myself closing my eyes and then opening them even more excited every time that it was real. They validate parking, which is nice... but we found street parking. It was a quick and easy drive from the city. We really enjoyed ourselves and will be back. In my opinion there are no best nights, just amazing nights with your favorite artists, up and close! read more

Have been to Yoshi's a few times and always enjoyed it. The venue is great acoustically and small enough that you can be really close to the musicians. Also they usually book first class musicians. One of the better jazz clubs in the US. We usually eat at the restaurant ahead of time. Sushi is their specialty and it is really fresh and good there. Lots of different options and chef's do a great job. If you buy tickets to the show then your dinner server will give you your seating for the show. This usually works out great as you know you have reserved seats. The seating at the venue is generally good with just one exception. If you are in sections 67-76 then you might not have a good view to the stage. The issue is the seating in the section directly in front is at the same level and makes it hard to see over those people. Other than that it is a great place to listen to live music. read more

I've caught several shows here and I absolutlove LOVE the atmosphere. Tip-i recommend eating there prior to the show. No waiting and they reserve your area as soon s you walk in. Parking is close and there really is no bad spot to sit. Very intimate setting. Goapele is a must see here! read more

5 course valentine's day prix fixe was spot on! koko is the sweetest waiter ever! we had such an amazing time-- promptly seated at our reservation time, attentive and warm service, amazing food (sushi was mediocre, but everything else was great), excellent reserved seating at the 9:30p show. dwayne wiggins of tony toni tone was in the audience, celebrating his birthday with us on valentine's day. he came up and played a set, which was suuuuch a treat. the location of yoshi's is right on the port side of jack london square, so we were enjoying a beautiful sunset stroll before heading in for dinner and a show. we'll definitely be back for another wonderful evening. read more

See all

I've been a patron of this establishment for years mostly have great memories of some incredible jazz performances here. Lately however it's left me disappointed in the last couple of shows I came to see here beginning last year up to this point. We always come for dinner and although the dinner service is not the best it's the only way to guarantee great seats and so we always make reservations. The knock for me is how the performances have been cut considerably short. The house has very strict rules for shows being rather short and abrupt. I remember in years past shows here we're geared and focused on quality making sure that artists' connecting with the audience was paramount and there we're always encores to end performances. Nowadays? None! Shows are ended abruptly and sessions almost never lasting more than an hour! Artists always comment that their time is up as if a timer alarm goes off that signals them to stop. This is true for even single event nights. Too bad the owners have lost touch what this establishment meant from the beginning and what it once was as a great place to enjoy great jazz performances. It has now left me with such disappointment and dissatisfaction that I may have seen my last show here last night. It's obvious they only have one purpose is to sell as much mediocre food and drinks per show without any regard of the quality of service they provide which makes it not worth the the time and effort. read more

Came here with a fairly large party for a birthday dinner. The food was fine. Not amazing, not awful, just fine. If you are looking for sushi there is much better, much cheaper sushi in Oakland. The service was NOT GOOD. Plates were cleared while people had food in hand and it was not busy or late. There seemed to be a stream of people clearing stuff off our table and none of them were our waitress or could help us with ordering which was annoying. The real problem was at the end of dinner. We had some people in our party with food allergies - wheat, dairy, corn, eggs - including the birthday person so we brought some cupcakes that were 'safe' for all. The waitress made an immediate b-line to our table when she saw this to tell us they had a policy and there was a charge for outside food. I explained that it was a birthday, food allergies etc but say 'fine' to the charge. She then sends over the super condescending manager who proceeds to lecture me for 10 minutes about the policy! It even included the gem "you would not bring art to a museum" uh..... people create art in museums and omg relax it's cake. Other people in our group had ordered desserts, coffee, tea etc so it was not like they were missing out on $$. He ended up crediting us for the cost of a dessert and then charging us $2 a cake for each person eating cupcakes. In the end it evened out which was I guess nice of them. When the waitress came with the bill she explained the policy yet again. It was absurd. I have no issue with a 'cake' charge (I guess, although really for a larger party just waive it!) but the multiple lectures really dampened the evening and it is not like we will ever be going back so overall I could give a crap about their policy and certainly did not need it explained 3 times. read more

I saw Tuck & Patti here a million years ago. I didn't even know who Tuck & Patti were at the time, but my friend had tickets and I was curious about Yoshi's. It turned out to be a great show in an intimate venue. I don't remember what we ordered, but it was the first time I had sake. Lots of firsts at Yoshi's. Good times. read more

THIS PLACE NEEDS TO SHUT DOWN AND GO LEARN ABOUT CUSTMOMER SERVICE. NO RESPECT FOR CUSTOMERS; I WANT A REFUND FOR MY EL DEBARGE CONCERT TICKETS AND DINNER!!! On July 29, 2018 I went with my daughter to an El DeBarge Concert (she WAS a fan). We were the first ones to arrive early at Yoshi's to get good seats. They advertised the tickets online as first come first serve general admission, and that all you needed to do was reserve your seating upon arrival with a waiter at the bar. I reserved our front row seats as instructed at the bar. I also ordered food and bottle water while waiting for the concert to start. The Food was COLD and the $7.00 bottle of water was outrageously overpriced. Yoshi's management approached us very loudly which caused others to look and stare and said the artist El DeBarge did not want my daughter and I to sit on the front row. They gave us two choices to either sit in the back or LEAVE. No reason was given as to why. My daughter asked if there was any way she could still sit on the front row and he told her all seats had been reserved. We were the first ones to arrive and reserve front row seating so we knew that was a Lie. Yoshi's management said that we could sit on the front row if we sat over in the corner. We said fine since we traveled all the way to Oakland just to see the concert. Our seats ended up being THE WORST SEATS IN THE HOUSE BEHIND THE LOUD SPEAKERS WITH AN OBSCURED VIEW. The whole concert experience was humiliating and Disrespectful. We asked for our money back and they would not give us a refund. Other people got a refund for other reasons but they would not give us our ticket refund for not allowing us to sit in our reserved front row center seats that we paid for. We also had tickets for another El DeBarge concert the next day at Yoshi's(Yoshi's Did refund those tickets) and Yoshi's management still said El DeBarge said we had to either sit in the back or in the corner for that show as well. We will never go to this place again for food or a El DeBarge concert. El DeBarge and Yoshi's gave our front row center seats aways to others who came and reserved seats after us. No explanation was given. We Ask and pray that Yoshi's would give us our money back. El DeBarge and Yoshi's Restaurant needs to Learn to have some respect for people who buy tickets and learn how to treat people right. This place and El DeBarge needs prayer! read more

I dined at Yoshi's specifically to get a reserved table in the nightclub. They were definitely understaffed as we waited a good while for our drinks and dinner took a good 1.5 hrs. I'm not sure what the advantage was in getting a reserved table in the club since we ended up at the back against the wall. I was surprised to see "halibut cheeks" on the menu since I never see it locally, so I ordered that. I've had halibut cheeks many times and theirs was nothing like what I've ever had. As far as I could tell, it was just halibut, and not the "scallop like" cheek that I was expecting. It tasted ok and I was very disappointed. Service in the night club was even worse. The show was almost over before they took our mandatory drink order. It was also a full house so it was very crowded and hot. The entertainment however, was fabulous. I'd go back for good music, but I'd probably pass on the dinner. 12/30/16 read more

General Manager Hal was rude, condescending, and not accommodating when it was beyond easy for him to be helpful and exude customer service so we moved from the restaurant section to the lounge area. What a great start to our New Year's dinner! Let's say I won't be eating dinner at the restaurant ever again. Thank God our waitress in the lounge area is nice, she saved the night for Yoshi! read more

I saw Elvin Bishop here at one time and Boz Scaggs and a few other memorable legends of days gone by.! Eating area is kinda small,cozy and you were close to the stage!! and even closer if you eat first and ask.I love some of the sushi entries and yet some are super average. The beef and some continental dishes here are really good.It's a higher end date atmosphere with a classic entertainment feel that has been around for a long time now.You can easily see other dishes you'd also like to order if you had an extra stomach and and another 50 spot to boot! :). That's cool because I came back to try a few.The Kobe beef smelled great the first time when I had sushi only but tried it on another concert enjoyed.This is a great place and I am sure has some upper class regulars that can suggest all you need.I do not drink but see they offer and sell plenty of mixed drinks and people love them here.I will go back for another vintage concert some time in the not too far future.I can't see anyone who has a cue not loving this place!~ read more

It's great to go to the restaurant before a show because they reserve a table if you eat there, but the food was pretty pittiful. I give it 2 stars for the food and 5 stars for the venue. The sound there is amazing and they get great bands. One of the best shows I have ever seen was at Yoshi's (Orchestra Baobab) from Senegal. Just amazing.. Highly recommended, but just be careful about the terrible food. :) read more

After an underwhelming, too short 'Orchestra Aragon' gig (partly ruined by the onstage invasion of the very tedious 'Tito' (of Tito y su son de Cuba fame), at Yoshi's Oakland last Saturday evening, I feel compelled to share my feelings about Yoshi's. On a positive note: Yoshi's regularly has some of the best musicians in the world playing in SF and Oakland. I've probably been to at least 75 shows over the years and have witnessed some phenomenal music, both venues have great rooms and the sound is always good. On a NEGATIVE note: The Yoshi's vibe is always REALLY UNFRIENDLY, the arrogant, surly staff and management seem to hate what they do, taking their patrons for granted, the expensive drinks service is very slow and the waitresses are often inefficient and rude. After all of the shows I've been to and all of the dough I've spent,at Yoshi's, I have never been welcomed, recognized or asked my name. It's hard to choose a one star rating as so many of the shows I've seen at Yoshi's have been musically excellent but even the really good shows are too short, often leaving me disappointed and deflated. For the most part, the musicians often end their gigs just as things are warming up and genuine and exciting encores are few and far between. It never 'goes off' at Yoshi's as the musicians often don't get any juice from the crowd (until the final number, when the audience realizes it's almost over and it's too late!) and the uptight, grumpy staff keep the energy level super low. I know there is an epidemic, in the SF Bay Area, of inexperienced and discourteous staff asking patrons to leave a music venue before they've finished their drinks, had a chance to digest the gig or, God forbid, have some fun after the show! Even after the 'late' show, the miserable Yoshi's staff have no problem rudely asking you to leave your seat midway through a conversation and, more often than not, midway through an expensive round that took forever to arrive! The most irritating thing is that many SF Bay Area 'grownups' seem to passively accept being treated like children and to happily part with their money, apparently thinking that they're having a really good time. Either they don't know what a good time feels like or they're just dumb. Maybe both? Many musical friends of mine have long given up on Yoshi's but I have always been willing to overlook the bad vibes and crap service in search of a fabulous gig.....but I'm losing patience and will be going far less frequently in future....if at all! IT'S A DIRTY SHAME!! read more

Had reservations for 4 at 7pm on a Wednesday evening. The restaurant is very nice and more upscale than your traditional sushi place. Between the 4 of us there were 3 drinks, 2 appetizers, 4 rolls,1 miso soup, 1 Cesar salad, 1 risotto, 1 cream brule and 1 expresso. The total came to $284. I personally had the miso soup that was good and the spicy dragon roll. I enjoyed the roll although it was small compared to what I am used to. The music was a little loud to have a conversation without raising your voice. The train also goes right by which you just have to pause your conversation until it has passed. read more

Best place to have a great meal and see your favorite artist. Love, love this place. Highly recommend especially if you just want to have a great date nite. read more

Soooo..I have heard about Yoshi's for several years but I'm always a little skeptical about trying places for the first time because they seldom live up to my expectaions and honestly? I don't feel the reviews on yelp have been as reliable as they seemed to be a few years ago, But when one of my favorite Blues artists was scheduled to appear there last weekend I decided to go ahead and give it a try, I figured even if the place wasn't so god, at least I would enjoy the music. I purchased tickets online about a month in advance and left them to be picked up at will call. About 1 week before the show we made dinner reservations.We arrived about 15 minutes before our reservation time, picked up our tickets at will call, and the hostess told us they would reserve a seat for us in the stage area for after our meal and we were quickly seated to dinner ahead of schedule . I read some of the reviews here and although it seemed most gave Yoshi's pretty decent reviews, others complained about the seating politics, and the quality of the Japanese food. I have been to Japan many times over the last 10 years, I also lived their a short time, My wife is Japanese American and has spent time in Japan as well, We both love traditional Japanese food and so as such I feel we are reasonably competent judges of Japanese food. We make it at home often,usually go out weekly to try to find decent Japanese restaurants I dont expect it to be just like Japan, but still I must admit that for me at least 90% of the sushi places I try , even those recommended on Yelp, don't measure up. I often wonder just what peoples expectations are of Sushi and Japanese food , I feel many are sometimes disappointed when they don't get the Americanized version of big overstuffed sliced burrito type rolls given some flashy name, with rainbows of colors, loaded with mayonnaise, avocado or other ingredients you would NEVER find in Japan..and rice like mush, WARNING if this your idea of good Japanese food then you might as well not read my review it will be meaningless to you.. The waitress was quick with the drinks and with in 10 minutes was ready for our order.We had questions about the menu and the waitress was very good at answering them clearly to our satisfaction..NOTE: One thing that drives my wife crazy is when the server either looks and communicates just with me or just with her, like the other person isn't there..My wife commented on how THIS waitress addressed up both with eye contact and a pleasant attitude..not like she was rushing off to put out a fire in the kitchen. So with low expectations I ordered the "Classic Sashimi Combo" and an order of Spicy Tuna rolls, I don't usually get rolls, but was extra hungry, My Wife ordered shrimp Tempura roll, and Sake nigiri. The food started coming with in 10 minutes, I had read that you can expect NOT to get all your food at the same time, or in any specific order, which we didn't , however we always share some of our dishes so it was no big deal, and with in 5-10 minutes all the food we ordered was on the table, and decent sized proportions. I am always afraid of that first piece of Sashimi at a new place, ie: will it taste and smell like a week old piece of fish, or will it be to tough and chewy I can barely stand to swallow it without getting nauseous. I was pleasantly surprised to find all my Sashimi was very fresh, soft and tender as it should be, proper temperature, not like it just came out of a freezer or sat on a counter for 30 minutes,and these were probably the first spicy tuna Rolls I had had for quite some time which were quite good, the rice was firm but sticky, not hard and dried out or falling apart like mush, and the Maguro was very good and quite spicy. Half way through the meal the waitress brought us our seating assignment with a chart..it looked pretty good! The wait staff was very attentive through out the meal, every few minutes returning to see if our food was ok? more water?, more drinks? Finally the waitress returned to inform us it was about 20 minutes until showtime. We ordered desert, and split a Brownie concoction with coffee Ice cream and coffe which hit the spot, they brought the bill promptly and we paid and headed out to the performance room... with 10 minutes to spare. I like the room, terraced and in the half round, good lighting and sound..obviously built for semi intimate performances , the lower level is tables for 4, then a level of booths for larger parties, and then another level of chairs in the back..We were seated at a table the center second Row..GREAT! TOMMY CASTRO put on a great show, we had a couple cocktails and enjoyed the evening. I will Definitely go to Yoshi's again! read more

My husband and I had dinner here before a concert last weekend. The food was ok- nothing to write home about. Good service inside the restaurant. Nice ambiance. The restaurant alone I would probably rate 3.5 stars. The concert venue is set up cabaret style- meaning you're shoulder to shoulder & spooning your nearest seat mates. The service inside the venue, however......they take better care of you at Denny's at 3am. A waiter took our order before the show started & brought me a half empty martini. My husband wanted desert once the show started but the server never came back. I tried to get the attention of the server that was taking care of the tables in front of us (and blocking our view for half the show) but was repeatedly ignored. Normally I would say "oh well no desert for you"! But it was my husbands bday & I couldn't stand that he wasn't going to get cake. So I politely tapped the server on the shoulder & he turned around and shouted in my face "IM NOT YOUR SERVER!!!!" I still never saw our actual server until it was time to bring the bill. I asked him what happened to him & his reply was to shrug his shoulders. I would really implore the management of the venue to re-train your staff & hold them to a higher standard. This is not the first time I've been treated poorly in your establishment. We are not high maintenance people, but I expect a certain level of decency when spending hundreds of dollars on what was supposed to be a special night out. It sucks to feel like you are a nuisance to the people that are supposed to be hosting you. read more

I've always wanted to try Yoshi's. I finally tried it last month because I received an Open Table gift card. Being listed as a restaurant on Open Table, I called Yoshi's to ask if they accept these gift cards which are given through email. After talking to the manager, he indicated they do accept it. When we got there, however, that same manager said they did not take it and there was a misunderstanding; they take gift certificates that are printed out, but not this. Worse, he said to me, "what's to stop you from using this again?" How insulting, especially since I took the time earlier that day to specifically ask if they accepted these email gift cards. The food was pretty good, but the experience was not. read more

Love this place. Food was great. Emily was outstanding. I wish i took pictures but the food went to fast.

This was just for the food. I'm shocked how ugly the rolls looked for such a classy establishment. Maybe they ran out of plates or something. Sashmi and tempura dish was presented nicely and tasted good. Their style of rolls are big as in girth but the presentation was bad and taste was average. May need some improvements on the rolls. read more

Arrived about 5:30. Two hours later still did not have all of our order. Had to send out a bounty hunter to get our waiter. When the chicken finally came at the 2 hour mark had to beg someone else's waiter to bring silverware. They made no mention of the birthday occasion my son had advised them of the night before. When I complained to the manager, he listened attentively but did nothing to improve our experience. Gave us his card and said to e-mail him next we're coming in. Here's my advice. Eat somewhere else and then catch the show at Yoshi's. Had heard so much about this place. Boy, did it disappoint. Not the music club, the restaurant. Can't remember the last time I had service so bad I would not leave a tip. Wish they had a minus star rating so I could give less than a 1. read more

I love everything about Yoshi's (except that I have to cross a bridge to get there, and soon that will no longer be the case when Yoshi's Fillmore opens!). Superior sushi, delicious slurps, and oh the music.... Joined the green-eyed boy's annual tradition of seeing Tuck and Patti at Yoshi's this last Thanksgiving day wkend and swooned over the great sound and service. read more

This place is really nice. The bar is on one side, restaurant on the other. BUT DAMN! I wish I was old enough to drink. Anyways, this place is beautifully decorated and some of the seating is very interesting. It seems like you are sitting down, Japanese style, but it's actually a platform. It took me a while to figure it out. I wanted to sit there because it was so cool but the lady didn't let because we didn't have enough people. Speaking of the lady, she might be the owner or something but I can't understand a word she is saying. I don't want to seem rude and keep saying,"Wah?" but I did it quite a few times. Other than that, the food was yummy. The rib eye was good but my friend ordered it Medium. I don't like medium but it's ok. I ordered the Spicy Dragon and let me tell you guys, it burns but it's so damn good. I was smiling because of satisfaction but my tongue was burning. I'm exaggerating, it wasn't too spicy. Well that is all for now. read more

Apparently this place is a jazz club in addition to a restaurant. I wish I would've known that because I would have definitely checked one out. Anyways, I came here on a Monday night and it was pretty dead so I grabbed a seat at the bar. Very friendly bartender and staff. I ordered their Alaskan Salmon roll and spicy salmon roll. Super delicious! It's a tad bit pricey just for sushi but I would visit again to check out a concert. read more

Yoshi's,wow....what can I say? I have been somewhat of a habitué of this restaurant/concert hall for the last 12 years or so,and I keep coming back. I have seen Tower of Power,Stanley Clark,Larry Carlton,Vienna Teng,Allen Toussaint,John Scofield,and many others. It can be a little cramped at some of the tables,but remember some of these artists do play much larger venues,so Yoshis must be competitive to assure maximum house revenue for these artists. Everyone is pretty friendly...just say "hi". For anyone coming from Sacramento,like me,consider catching Amtrack,which drops you off 5 blocks from the venue. If you are like me-and who isn't?-you will have quaffed down way too much wine during dinner and the show,..making the boozy trek through Jack London Square back to the train station at 10:30 p.m. a true urban adventure. "Lesseeee...these kids look friendly....wait, is that a Glock in his waistband?" Not to worry,just tell them you love jazz....they'll let you right on through.Yes they will-your new, admiring friends. read more

I don't know how many stars to give because Yoshi's is two different things. As a pure restaurant, three stars. Decor is lovely, but service is unreliable, food is good but overpriced. (Sushi rolls are $15-17 each. That's ok for a world class sushi place, but not at Yoshi's.) Best values are the salads. But as a jazz club, it gets five stars. Sure the food and drinks are expensive, but you expect that at a nightclub. So, bottom line, I don't recommend Yoshi's as a place to go just for food, but if you're going to catch a concert there by all means plan to have dinner there as well. Dining there also gets you the best seats at the concert. read more

I came here on a full night and was seated promptly without a reservation. The service was great; our server was soft-spoken, knowledgeable, and attentive. The panko-crusted scallops were cooked perfectly; seared on the outside and barely cooked on the inside. The tamari, yuzu butter sauce was a delicious complement to the bed of frisee the scallops were on. A hint of sesame oil nicely rounded out the dish. The Kobe beef tataki was delicate and well-balanced with a hint of smokiness from the hickory. The pea sprouts the beef was laid on added a refreshing touch to the dish. I thought the sushi was excellent; each ingredient was effectively showcased. Unless you're a sake connoisseur, I recommend getting the sampler and seeing what sort of taste you prefer. The ambiance was also very nice. They had the traditional tatami mats as well as regular tables. The light fixtures were modern, yet warm and cast a nice glow. The overall vibe is very inviting and comfortable. I highly recommend this place and will return the next time I venture out to Oakland. read more

It's an institution. The Japanese faire is okay. The drinks are good. But I'd go there just for the music.

Some or all of the food you will order or have enjoyed was prepared by a man who beats on women. I support and love music, bars and incredible food programs. This place has all of those things---  however, they also pay a man who beats women. Spend your money however you like, but if you won't drink out of a straw because of sea turtles but will support a man who beats women, I guess you are the 1%. read more

when i ate a sushi here, i experienced complex emotions. i was dining with my family and they were all looking at me as i shrieked at the sky (in rapture?). later on that evening, we watched a white man play the jazz music on the piano. 5 stars. read more

Yoshi's is an Oakland staple! Great food & drinks! We came for a show and made reservations to eat first. The staff reserved our seats so we were able to walk right into the show without any hassle. read more

I just got off from work and was super hungry for some Japanese food. Living in Jack London Square, I decided to make a bee line to Yoshi's for some dinner. I haven't been to Yoshi's for over 20 years and my last visit was at the SF location. I was greeted very politely by their hostess and escorted me to the Sushi bar. Since I was just dining alone because I wanted to try it out first before my gf and I eat there. I ordered just one order of sushi which as the Yoshi roll. It was made by a young lady that looked like fresh out of culinary school. And she did a fine job and it delicious but the price was $12 for that sushi. I also ordered a Kurobota pork chop with fig and thyme sauce ($28), shrimp tempura (5 shrimps) with chili aioli($15), and some white rice. When the Kurobota pork chop arrived, it looked very good but that was about it. When I took a bite, I quickly noticed it was way overcooked. I sliced off another piece and clearly saw the pork was over cooked. The Kurobota chop is from the pork loin with a bone and anyone knows if pork loin if over cooked will be dry as a desert because they are very lean. I showed the piece to the sushi chef and he also said that the chop was overcooked. And when the Shrimp tempura arrived, I also noticed this doesn't resemble any shrimp tempura I've ever seen before. It looked like badly battered fried shrimp made by a very bad chinese restaurant. It was neither crunchy or that very crispy shard look of a well made shrimp tempura. Their shrimp tempura was not light, it was extremely battery, gummy, heavy, and tough. What was even more alarming, I was able to peel off the batter from the shrimp, worse it was gummy and doughy inside. . A proper made tempura, you will never be able to peel off the batter. I also showed it to the sushi chef, and he too was embarrassed to see that awful tempura. He also commented that it didn't look good. I commend his honesty because some employees will not care. I presented the problem with my dinner to my waitress and said she will send me new plate of pork chops and shrimp tempura. This time I told them to cook the kurobota chop medium rare which you can do with this super high end pork chop. After 15 minutes, I got my new pork chops and shrimp tempura. The chops was cooked at medium rare and it was fine. But the sauce was just awful. It was supposed to be thyme and fig sauce. But it tastes more like black bean sauce that you get from a chinese restaurant. Also it was so salty, but lucky I had white rice to ease that saltiness. The chops had baby carrots and snow peas as garnishes and it was even worse. The baby carrots were severely overcooked and had no taste. I swear you could have blind folded anyone and make them taste the carrots, and they will not know what it is. Carrots have a very distinctive taste, even baby carrots. And this one had zero taste. And the snow peas taste like it was near spoiled. I ate around the vegetables and just ate chops. Now I took a bite of the shrimp tempura, same problem. Extremely gummy, doughy, heavy, and tough. I knew then they were using old batter which is beyond serving. The problem with tempura batter sitting too long and used over and over, the gluten in the batter forms and makes the batter extremely tough and doughy. I knew they were using old batter which is basically trash. I was still able to peel the batter from the tempura and it was thick. I could roll it into a dough ball. It was neither crispy or crunchy. I finally had enough and spoke to the waitress and this time she brought the manager. The manager mentioned that I had some problems with my dinner. I told him, my first pork chop was way over cooked and their shrimp tempura was extremely bad, doughy, gummy, and tough. He was telling me and defending thats how they make tempura and their chef is from Japan. I told him I've had countless and countless of shrimp tempura, and I've never encountered a tempura that looked like badly battered shrimp. I told him you can not convince me this is proper tempura. If you have eaten hundreds of shrimp tempura in your lifetime, you know what is shrimp tempura and what it supposed to look and taste like. Crunchy and light. I also showed him why this is not shrimp tempura, I peeled off the batter and showed him the inside. It was doughy, and gummy. I asked the manager, "is this what you call Tempura?" The manager could clearly see the dough of the batter was gummy and looked raw. The manager took away the plate of tempura and came back later to remove the $15 charge for the tempura. I still paid my bill in full even though it was the worse Japanese/Fusion food I've ever had. I asked the manager if the executive chef was in the kitchen and he told me the chef was not here today. Which kind of suggest when their Japanese executive chef isn't there, the quality was not monitored. Later, I sent an email to their executive chef explaining my bad experiencen and have yet to hear from him. Too ba read more