Sakura SMA — Restaurant in San Miguel de Allende

Ok I’ve been wanting to try this place for while now due to the glowing reviews my family I went yesterday for and early dinner, unfortunately we were truely disappointed on all levels, especially of the service given my a young boy with glasses. I would normally talk directly with the owner or manager but i don’t think they were present at the time and I was really annoyed by then end of the whole experience and I didn’t think I would waste my time talking to a young guy with no personal skills as this is the kind of reception we received throughout the whole sitting. When arrived to the restaurant the welcome was not the warmest as per the reviews, so not off to the greatest start. We were in early so we were the only customers in at the time so you would have thought the service would be even better we were the only customers in and it wasn’t! A lot of the time I had to talk to the waiter from across the room, we did not get water upon arrival just the whole start was off to a bad start! I asked the waiter if he had juice for the kids and they didn’t, which was fine and offered a rice drink and gave my son a taste which was accomodating, the drink was quite sugary but that wasn’t the real issue, it was the service, as the time went on the server seemed more disinterested with us being there. He finally took our ordered for food, i asked if they had sushi for the kids, he replied with a California roll I said the kids don’t like prawns and if he could do a chicken and avocado roll which they could, he had no suggestions and again just his whole attitude towards us was rude and pretty dismissive, I order the large pork ramen and my wife ordered the gyoza, whilst we waited for our food I then asked if he sold beer again from across the room as he didn’t ask if we wanted drinks at the time of taking our order, he replied with two options, one being a Mexican beer and a Heineken, i ordered the Mexican beer, my wife was unsure what she wanted and wanted to try it before ordering one so she did, the waiter asked if she liked it, she didn’t, I said to the waiter that it was similar to an amber or dark beer and he then screwed up his face and then said it was a Mexican beer which we had established that from the beginning! The kids sushi arrived first no side plates given and I then asked the server but he rushed off out the door and fully ignored me and my wife then asked the chef and he kindly delivered them, sushi was fine enough, rice a little over cooked but fine enough, my ramen followed, the broth was tasty, pork was sparingly and tough, the egg fully cooked and not marinated or traditional with a runny centre also not as large as I thought it would be for the 290 pesos, then my wife dish followed which were not gyoza, they were presented in a Chinese steam basket but they weren’t steamed or pan fried, they were fried and resembled nothing of a gyoza! So didn’t hit the expectations at all. Also during time of waiting for our food a reviren showed up and was greeted with the warmest welcome, got his order taken at the table, his beer poured for him, just a difference of reception and service given by the same server, at this point I was absolutely fuming!! Come time to pay we had cash he responded he didn’t have change and had to pop out to grab it and he was also expecting us to leave the change for a tip which I thought was really bazar for the service we just received, the reviren at the neighbouring table gave change and my wife gave him a tip of 5% which I feel he didn’t even deserve that!!! I’ve been in hospitality a long time, worked managed and currently owner of several hospitality establishments, this sort of behaviour and service is not acceptable and I am spending money in your establishment and should be treated with respect and kindness as this is the business of hospitality. Overall disappointing and wouldn’t ever go back or recommend. I hate to write reviews as I know how damaging it can be but I am frustrated about the whole experience and the server I would fire him in...

A “Japanese” restaurant that misses the mark completely

Sakura is a wannabe Japanese restaurant that clearly has no clue about authentic Japanese cuisine or culture.

First of all, the food took 2 hours to arrive, and when it finally did, it was poorly presented and completely lacked flavor. To make matters worse, they blamed the delivery driver, which is simply false—I have written proof from the driver stating the restaurant didn’t have the ingredients and had to go buy them. If you don’t have the ingredients, don’t list the items on your menu. That’s basic restaurant management.

They also failed to include soy sauce—a basic staple when ordering sushi—even though I specifically messaged to request it. The owner is rude, never accepts responsibility, and just blames others. Read other reviews and you’ll see a pattern: instead of addressing concerns, they attack the customers and shift blame. Some of the owner’s responses are frankly xenophobic, which is completely unacceptable—especially in a diverse, international town like San Miguel de Allende.

If you’re looking for real Japanese food, avoid this place. And if the owners respond to this review claiming I’m rude or exaggerating—well, just read their other replies. It says everything you...

This is our favorite neighborhood sushi place. We have been coming vhere for over a year and we have never been disappointed.

Gerardo has been our server every time we have dined here. He always checks on how we like our meals, on whether we want our drinks refilled, or if we need anything. He doesn't hover, but he is very efficient.

As far as atmosphere, they have done a decent job with a relatively small space. If I had a single complaint about the entire place, it is a double edged sword--their location. One the one hand, the corner of the Ancha and Cardi is very convenient. On the other hand, the traffic noise coming into the restaurant can be somewhat loud.

The food is excellent. We have tried all of their sushi rolls over the last year+ and they have always been excellent. We usually order the sauteed edamame, which are awesome. This time we thought we would try the ramen. Stacy had the pork belly ramen and I had the brisket ramen. The broth, veggies, noodles, and meat were superb. The portions weren't huge, but they were sufficient.

While their beer selection isn't great, they do offer two for one beers...