If I could give this place more than 5 stars, I would!! I've come here about 4 times during this year, and every single time the food was amazing, service was amazing, and the two shows that I've been to were phenomenal. The last time I came here was on August 28th around 6pm, for my boyfriend's birthday. Although I made the reservation weeks ahead, I actually called on the day of, and made a last minute request for a nicer table since it was a birthday dinner. I forgot to get his name, but the guy I talked to on the phone said he'll see what he can do, and he delivered! When we got there, we DID get a really nice table even though it was just the two of us. And the Jesse Johnson show that night? Unforgettable. I'll be continuing to take my loved ones here for special occasions since Yoshi's never fail to disappoint me. read more

Yoshi's - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

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I have been here for shows but rarely had time for dinner and a show. It turns out most of the customers were here for the same show (Carl Verhoyen) so there was an extra buzz/excitement in the air. We started with the edamame and veggie tempura for starters. For the mains we ordered the Japonese, Warriors and Veggie roll. All were good but our favorite was the Warriors roll. We got our seat assignment and scored a table for the show. Also, during the show, we were able to order dessert. The chocolate ice cream with Valharona chocolate was decadent but I preferred the banana ice cream. Overall a good time! read more

I had a lovely experience at Yoshis with my husband and two of our friends! We purchased tickets to see Layla Hathaway and decided to meet for dinner before. I was able to secure a reservation just before the show started (about an hour). We were seated upon arrival and promptly greeted. The menu has good options and we decided to get a shared family meal which was super delicious and great value for the price. We finished dinner just as it was time to go into the concert. The concert venue is cozy and all of the seat give a great view of the stage. It's a wonderful ambiance and it was a good crowd. We really enjoyed our time. Parking is super close and convenient and they do validate. read more

The ambiance here is fantastic. It is really pretty and there is great lighting, enormous glass windows, plenty of seating and lovely Japanese themed decor. However, the food is mediocre. We got the omakase that had pork, fish, and duck. The plating was atrocious, the sweet potato looked like slop and play dough. Everything was served on two plates--all the courses, like leftovers. All of it was just super unrefined. The meat was tough--over cooked, the sauce was bland, the egg rolls, or whatever they were, were nasty and mushy inside. I would not go here again. Our waiter was also super weird and rushed us. He wouldn't even let us order dessert at the table. He seemed to be over it before we even started ordering. Furthermore, he seemed to be too comfortable. For example, when I asked for the menu, he said, "just order you dessert at the performance area since you need to purchase something there anyway." WHATTTTT? On another note, the performance area was very intimate and the performances were fantastic. I loved the sound, the band was great, the energy was amazing, especially when the artists walked through the crowd. At the end, when we payed for our food, he asked why I was typing so much when entering my phone number for the receipt. He then proceeded to rate himself highly on the survey prompt that followed. read more

We went out to Yoshi's the other night to check out the Rich Rich concert with the Kevin choice ensemble. While they are, we enjoy the edamame as well as the shrimp tempura and the beef tenderloin. They were all delicious. I also enjoyed a couple of old fashions and my wife had a drink that she really enjoyed. The show was excellent. The service was excellent, and although I couldn't eat all my food that day, I enjoyed the leftovers the next day and I would highly recommend this because the crowd was nice. We settled and shared a table with another couple and really enjoyed our meal and the concert. I gave this a five star not just because of the food in the service but also because of the concert, Richie Rich was on point as usual read more

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Ordered the pork chop and black cod. The pork chop was supposed to be kurobuta pork but was not as big or thick as other restaurants I've had it at. Not as tender also. The black cod portion was kind of small also. Maybe because I ate part of it because the pork chop was not filling. Weak sauce. read more

Yoshi's - Kurobuta pork chop. Smaller and thinner than other restaurants I've been to. Maybe need to be brined? - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

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So grateful to have this local gem still here in Oakland. Idk what happened to the one in SF, but let's keep Yoshi's around forever y'all! I was very impressed with how the wait staff was able to take our orders bring the extra items we requested and get our bills and everything taken care of so efficiently! It was a packed house but they were well trained! We appreciate the vegan sushi options and would love more plant forward desserts and apps. I love coming to Yoshis and have lost count on how many wonderful events we've experienced here. I cherish each night we've spent here this far. Thank you. read more

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Yoshi's had long been on my Oakland must-visit list, but I was waiting until I saw a recognizable name, typically R&B for me since I respect but don't really know jazz. My partner found and hyped up a good artist that I didn't know but was willing to take a chance on. The artist himself was fantastic, and it seems that Yoshis certainly books reputable or talented acts, but overall the experience needs improvement. We did not have a dinner reservation and were entering for the show only. It was baffling why they waited until the time that the website/tickets said the show was starting to actually start letting people in. It quickly became chaos and half-baked lines disappeared as everyone pushed forward to try to get good seats if they didn't have reserved spots (as we did not). We lucked out with a gracious usher who seated us at the front of the mezzanine level, with an excellent view and far back enough that our ears were not blasted off - though I do recommend grabbing some free ear plugs at the front/ticketing desk. As everyone else has noted, the drink minimum is a bit annoying and nothing is actually good. We ended up getting sake to avoid overly sweet or imbalanced cocktails. Even though they seem like they want to be pushy and make money off of drinks, it took forever to place an order with anyone. This was frustrating because I wanted to be sure to get it done before the show started and avoid talking during the performance. Of course, once the show started I didn't expect anyone would come by to check on us for the same reason and didn't hold that against them. The only thing they were prompt and attentive about was bringing the bill and running our card. Again, it was an enjoyable night thanks only to the performer, and not as much to the venue's credit. read more

Yoshi's - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

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The sushi was ok nothing special just pricey for what it is, drinks were ok the service is very well managed. They take care of you. Is best to go when your favorite singer or bad plays there venue is not that small but is more intimate giving a good ambiance. The only thing is needed here is good food otherwise it's just a good venue read more

Yoshi's - Hailey Reinheart - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

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Yoshi's is the perfect intimate venue to catch a concert. I have been several times, on dates, by myself and with friends and the artists have been amazing! The shows are a bit shorter than a normal concert so some of the artists will do multiple shows a day. If you dine in the restaurant you can sit a little closer in the reserved seats. To me any seat in the venue has a really good view of the stage. They have a limited menu in the music venue so I usually order the soy garlic edamame, the snow monkey roll and a glass of wine. The food is solid and is a nice treat to enjoy during the show! They also have a ton of servers and they always magically manage to deliver your food and close out your check right before the show ends. I've never eaten in the actual restaurant but the bar near the concert venue has great drinks and is good spot for people watching before and after the shows. read more

Located in the heart of Jack London Square, Yoshi's is definitely the place to be when it comes to the center of jazz and hip-hop culture, especially with the select amount of local and international artists they select. They also have a wonderful selection of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic? It in itself is also a restaurant outside of the concert scene -- serving Japanese delicacies, entrees, and more. This past weekend I went to Yoshi's to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the Pacific Mambo Orchestra, which is a Latin jazz orchestra based out here in the Bay Area. The staff were very kind and very helpful when it came to choosing which seats best fit for us so we were able to see all of the performers. It was a sold-out show indeed, but that did not hinder them from helping us choose the best spaces in the house. The overall experience of the show was that they were all very professional and did SUCH a fantastic job. I wanna give a shoutout to the Yoshi's Oakland team for being so hospitable, asking us what drinks were best catered to the mood of the show, and so much more. I have yet to try a dine-in experience soon, but I will save that for another review. read more

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We're here for a DJ Quik so last week and a wonderful time. The venue is well laid out and to get it in and out was really easy. They're very organized and very friendly and attentive. The whole menu was super clean. Everything was great. read more

My first time at Yoshi's was one-to remember! A not-too-long line stretched afore the entrance (indicative of a really good time!) I attended a Jazz show and was blown away by the musical selection of the Stanley Clarke band! Waitresses were superb, very-friendly and accommodating! Ambiance was beautiful. A cascading waterfall-fountain greets you upon the entrance to the performance stage room-offset from the main restaurant with sports playing on the tv displays-placed around the bar & dining area. I'll have to try some of the cuisine next time! read more

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If you're coming to see a show at Yoshi's I'd recommend having dinner there before the show. It's a nice atmosphere and a blend of Japanese American food. On top of that, you can reserve a seat(s) in the theater and walk straight from your table to the theatre, instead of waiting in a long line outside. For appetizers, loved the Shrimp & Scallop Kakiage Fritter. A shrimp and scallop tempura blend drizzled in teriyaki sauce that compliments any of your cocktails or wine. Yes, I'm that guy! Every time I eat here, I order their Cheesburger as an entree. I know you're probably thinking, who orders a burger at a sushi restaurant. But trust me, don't sleep on their burger. It's always cooked to perfection, charred the proper way and juicy. You can't go wrong w/ any of their sushi rolls either. But then again, what do I know. I'm the guy ordering a hamburger at a sushi restaurant:) read more

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It's the experience The sushi was just alright But the location and the venue is gorgeous The service was fantastic read more

Yoshi's - Sushi - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

This spot is awesome for live music. Sound is great and every seat is a good seat. Intimate setting, attentive service. However, I wouldn't order the food here again. We ordered steak skewers which were ok and sushi rolls which did not taste great. 5 stars for music venue, 2.5 for the food. read more

I want to give it 5 stars because it's basically the premier live jazz spot on the west coast but there were a couple things that could have been better like the way they explain seating. We got tix to Goapele show (the later one) and read that if you get a restaurant reservation you're guaranteed a seat but you have to be there an hour early. That turned out not to be the case because there's seats all through out and we just waited in line for an hour and a half. Also the rainbow roll was ok but not great and they took forever to bring water and drinks. The fries and the sauce are bomb. The venue itself and the performances are legendary. Not a bad seat in the house. I would be willing to try the restaurant and definitely come back for performance but I got notes in my mind of what to expect now. Ultimately still had a good ass time. read more

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Came here w/o a reservation and was able to be accommodated for 3. Reservations are recommended though! We had the Fried calamari & Hamachi Crudo for appetizers. I had the Miso Caesar Salad that's hard to stay away from especially with its fried wonton strips. It's not pictured because it didn't last. There is a roll pictured but I cannot tell you which one because I had moved onto dessert by then. I had a Yuzu Crème Brûlée and my daughter had the Beignets. The ambiance is romantic and lowly lit. I love how some seating is lower and slightly more traditional. Great place for an intimate setting imo. read more

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Food was not good at all. atmosphere was amazing. We came in to see Robert Glasper. this is definitely not my first time coming to Yoshi's however it would be my last time eating here. when you come from a background of eating quality sushi and then you come to this place you're very disappointed. read more

One of my favorites spots for entertainment. It's usually not the best dining experience for me ONLY because I don't eat seafood so my options are limited. This weekend I tried something new (not sure it it was new to me or new to the menu) and I actually liked it. It was the Black Garlic Veggie Ramen. Not bad at all! read more

Yoshi's - Black garlic veggie ramen - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

Two years later, my mom and I were back to see the same artist. Our dinner reservation was at 6, so we had plenty of time to eat dinner and relax beforehand. We got almost the exact same food, too! Instead of the hamachi crudo this time, though, I got a Warrior roll to go along with my 49er roll. Then for dessert in the venue, we both got gelato which was delish! read more

My wife and I went to dinner and then a concert. We saw a lot of bad reviews for the restaurant and were skeptical at first. My wife and I are happy we tried it, the reviews were wrong and the food was excellent. The music venue was just as impressive, a little on the expensive side for drinks, but what music venue isn't? The service was excellent as well. read more

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Pathetic attempt at a spider roll. Manager swears that this is what they sell as their spider roll. second time in my life I've sent food back. Buyer beware. The sushi chefs are frauds. read more

Yoshi's - Sushi chefs - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

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We came here for a birthday tonight. We hadn't been here in over ten years, the food is still delicious and our waiter was very attentive. The menu is great as I am not a fish lover, nor a meat eater at this point and my child and husband love sushi. They have a separate vegetarian menu which is helpful. We ordered the agadashi tofu, which they make vegetarian, they also have a vegan version. The version we had was delicious. My daughter proclaimed there were few things better than tofu in broth. The table also ordered the 49er roll, rainbow roll and nigiri sampler. I ordered the Arare Geosha roll, a vegetarian roll. The rolls came out super fast. Unfortunately I was brought the spicy geisha instead, which contains fish. I hate to send food back or complain, but I did bring this to our server's attention and he took it back. I was brought a new item, which was also not the item I ordered. And on the third try my order came out and it was absolute delicious. 100% worth the wait. I get mistakes happen, and apparently there was a new sushi chef who was maybe not as familiar with the vegetarian menu they offer. It was also quite busy as there was a show tonight. However, shout out to how gracefully everyone moved through this. The birthday dessert was on the house, which was a nice gesture. We will be back. This is a solid restaurant that accommodates a variety of dietary needs/requests. read more

We came here to watch the spinners with 12 other friends. I made dining reservations for 14 people at 5:30pm. We were watching the spinners at 7:30pm. Four of us opted for the Tokyo Omakase for $150. It was the right amount for 4 People. The hamachi was very fresh. There were a lot of Rolls. The lychee Tini was very good a bit on the pricey side. Since we dined there, our seats at Yoshi's were Very good. Near the back row in front of the band but in an elevated row. Even the main singer came by singing and high 5ing us! read more

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Dinner consisted with platter of Snow Monkey and shared a bowl of Black Garlic Vegetarian Ramen with my hubby. Went to see Eric Darius, my favorite global saxophone player. The meal was scrumptious and enticing served by Owen. Love Yoshi's as it's such an intimate venue, a Goldilocks place; not to big, just right. Service was on point @ the restaurant. At the nightclub venue, Frankie checked in on us without being too fussy. All in all, we had a delightful evening. read more

Yoshi's - Eric Darius - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

Why has it taken me 20+ years of living here to FINALLY come to this iconic gem of the East Bay? We saw a great show (one of the original ska bands Skatalites) in a cozy venue with great seats. Dinner before the show in the dining room was delicious and perfectly timed to get us to our seats on time. Servers in the restaurant and the music venue were efficient and helpful. And it was super easy to park (street or garage parking). To top it off, all that happened and we were out the door by 9:45 (weekday)! The live music is every night so there's no excuse to wait as long as I did to come visit read more

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I was there to see Melba's Kitchen, an all-women's big band. If you eat there, you get preferred seating. I had a 5:45 reservation. I had the Kobe beef skewers with the sauce in the side, with rice, a mocktail, and pomegranate spritzer. Food was great service awesome and ambience wonderful. read more

Yoshi's - 5 Piece Kobe Beef Skewers - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

Stopped by here for dinner with a couple of friends this past Friday. This was an impromptu dinner we decided on when a friend from college came into town. We were luckily able to make a reservation for 6. When we arrived the place was fairly quiet - but don't let that fool you. On show nights this place is popping , and throughout our meal more and more People came in for dining and the show experience as well. For our meal we shared two orders of tempura laminate, an omakase, and an extra role. We also all ordered drinks (they have an extensive sale list, and cocktail selection) . Overall the food was solid - portions on the non sushi items were generous and the ribeye from the omakase plate was a stand out item for sure. The sushi was also pretty decent but I wish there was more - also we never ended up getting one of the rolls we ordered but the restaurant was able to take that off our bill with no issues. All in all, given the quality of the food and the price (about 50 dollars per person), I'd definitely stop by here again. Next time though I'd like to see what the show experience is like. 4/5 read more

Yoshi's - Black Cod and Steak - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

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We made dinner reservations before the Troop show. We've dined here numerous times and this time was by far the worst service we've ever received. Our reservation was at 7:30. By 7:50 nobody had come by our table to take even our drink order. I had to get up and physically find our server. We decided to place our drink and food order together so that we have time to enjoy our food before the show at 9:00. They decide to bring out one roll, the snowy monkey, which we devoured in 2 minutes. We then waited a ridiculous 20 minutes for the lobster roll. Luckily we've been married for 30 years and shared the first roll. But we are two people. Why bring out only one entree?? What if we weren't sharing? One person finishes their food while the other waits 20 whole minutes for their entree?? Absurd. But that wasn't even the kicker. The much anticipated lobster roll was, for lack of better words, WHACK. Not delicious. For the $26 price point they need to do better. read more

This is easily my favorite music venue in the Bay without a doubt. My wife and I used to live in Oakland and could walk here. And we would go once a month at least. First of all, the food is phenomenal. Most live music venues are not known for their food. But the sushi, ambiance and service from this restaurant are top notch. If you make a reservation for food before the concert, you often get priority seating too. The music venue is in a separate room inside the restaurant. Once you enter the music venue, it is small and close knit. There are no bad seats in the house. Bartenders will serve you drinks and food during concerts as well so you never have to leave your seat. I was shocked at the list of artists that come into this place. Artists that can probably fill up stadiums and arenas perform here. Depending on the artists, it can turn into a party. I've seen the audience get up and dance in their seats on plenty of occasions. And the ticket prices are decent. This place is a must try! It's easily what we miss the most from Oakland. read more

Very hip & perfect for dinner if you are going to a concert ! Large dining room but still spacious yet feels intimate ... can be noisy @ times. The servers are knowledgeable & accomodating & I was pleasantly surprised w/ the assortment of vegan options ! Our Go-tos : Veggie lovers platter, Sautéed mushrooms, seasoned edamame , veggie lovers roll... It says no substitutions by they allowed us to sub brown rice for our sushi ( many vegan selections) read more

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I'll start with saying I only had dinner here and didn't attend the jazz show so my review will be strictly on the dinner experience. The restaurant is really big and the portion sizes are decent too. The service was great and our servicer, Steven, was really knowledgeable about the menu, kind, and helpful in ordering. I ordered the Brussels sprouts as a starter and the vegan ramen as dinner. The Brussels sprouts were great some bites and not so great other bites. They were roasted with an oil spiced mixture with a pumpkin crema on top. The stem of the Brussels sprouts were extremely dense and i had to pull them off as they were in chewable entirely. The crunchy bits were delicious. The ramen was made with carrots, mushrooms, tofu, and bok choy. All were well cooked and the ramen was al dente which is how I like it. The broth was okay. It was really heavy on the miso which made it extremely salty and over powering. read more

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Yoshis is one of the unique restaurants that you can enjoy the food and the show afterwords. They always bring of the best shows and fun environments. The food is phenomenal with great taste and always using fresh fish. I will high recommend to check out this restaurants for their amazing food and fantastic shows. read more

Update. Went here again for a jazz show and had a martini, sushi and chicken teriyaki. Still expensive but generous portions and really tasty, fresh food. I was surprised. Something changed since my last visit. read more

Yoshi's - Chicken teriyaki and sushi. I enjoyed both - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Oakland, California

A Bay Area Institution. Enough said. If you haven't been to a show or dinner, stop by the bar and ask for Nessa or Ivan. They will take excellent care of you, I promise. This is a one kind experience, offering music, japanese delicacies, and exotic cocktails. SERIOUSLY! Not enough can be said about the drinks here! Literally something for everyone! Get the snow monkey roll to start! If you haven't been to Yoshi's, have you even been to the bay?! read more

I'm sorry, but the food here is bleeding 1980s American Sushi. The menu, the preparation, the everything was overpriced and not very good. Even the Miso Soup was hugely disappointing. This a place that doesn't seem to try very hard because they have a consistent clientele which is really a disservice to the customer. read more

Good: Food, service, performance Bad: Booth seating We (party of three) were seated at 5:30 in the restaurant with the promise of "best seats available" for the show. Well, yes and no. While we were enjoying the very good food and service, a hostess came and asked if we would be okay with sitting in a shared booth for the performance. Thinking "Hmm, comfy booth seats vs. hard chairs", sounds good. Bad choice. Booth location was perfect, but we were crammed in with three other patrons. Six people in a booth designed for four max, squeezed up against strangers, making any basic movement impossible. Tower of Power was fantastic, but we were unable to fully enjoy the show due to this seating system which is unconscionable and should be disclosed up front, read more

The sushi he at Yoshis is incredible delicious. The Fish is fresh, and you can taste the quality in every bite. The sushi rolls are not only beautifully presented but are crafted with perfect balance of flavors. I highly recommend trying their signature yoshis roll_a flavorful combination of tuna, avocado, and a hint of spicy mayo that will leave you craving more. read more

I was recently there for happy hr. So reasonable and delicious! Also a great place to see music! Highly recommend!! read more