Ninja Sushi — Restaurant in Auburn

Our party of 4 dined at Ninja Sushi on a Saturday evening and we ordered the "Ninja Boat" along with some additional items. Our server was working the floor by herself at the time (although the owner and/or manager was there and sitting at the front). The server accidentally thought we ordered the "Ninja Family Boat". I can understand how the mistake would happen and, honestly, they probably need to change the names of those 2 boats to avoid future confusion. With that said, when things started to arrive, we were slightly confused as something seemed off, but we also didn't receive all the items that come with the "Ninja Family Boat" so despite our confusion we didn't ask questions. In hindsight, that was our mistake and I own that. When we got the bill it was obviously much higher than expected. When I asked the owner about it and pointed out that we hadn't actually received everything in the higher priced boat, she got incredibly defensive and said it was up to the server to decide what to do because the server would have to pay out of pocket for the mistake. As someone who has spent half my life working in restaurants I was appalled that they would make their servers pay for honest mistakes (especially when it would be so easy to make as the boats are virtually named the same thing and the server was working the floor by herself with very little support or help). I have never in all the years I've worked in a restaurant had someone tell a customer that or treat their staff in that manner. I was, of course, totally uncomfortable with the server having to pay the difference. She did the best she could and had given good service despite the mistake. I told the owner I would pay the full amount despite not ordering that item or receiving the full item anyway, but that I couldn't in good conscience return to the restaurant. It's too bad as my husband and I really liked going there. After much back and forth she begrudgingly agreed to give me 10% off the boat, but I still just can't support a business that treats their customers AND employees so horribly. That server deserved better. The 3 stars for service is only because of the server. I'd give 0 stars for the owner...

The service by the waitress was excellent. The manager ignored me when I came in and continued ringing up numerous things, not even a "Welcome" or "Hello" nor a "Thank you for coming" when I left, even though she stayed parked at the cash register by the door the whole time I was there. The salad I ordered was good, but the plate was too small for it and part of it ended up on the table because of the wrong sized plate. I ordered vegetable tempura, and having eaten at Japanese restaurants around the globe, I have to say this was absolutely, hands down the WORST tempura I have EVER had. It was greasy, overcooked, and it tasted like it was cooked in OLD oil. There was no Kuri Squash, which is the primary vegetable I order tempura for, the broccoli was slightly burned and the dipping sauce was salty and too rich to the point of almost being inedible. As far as ambiance, boxing was on the TV - not what I want to watch while I'm eating, there were drip marks from something on the wall next to where I sat and the front door was dirty. I'm giving two stars because, like I said, the waitress was excellent, and the salad, although...

Not even worth one star. This place is a disgrace to Japanese cuisine. Period. Full-Stop. Staff is fine; food is disgusting. I've been eating Japanese food, Sashimi & Sushi since 1973 where I began in Boston. Have primarily lived in Boston, New York City & San Francisco, so yes, I know this cuisine. I certainly didn't expect this to come close to the excellent restaurants I've been fortunate to frequent, but if McDonald's is a 2 to what a good burger is, this is a -10 to what good Japanese food is. Seaweed salad was dull. Fried soft shell crab was absolutely gross. Think of good tempura and that was the opposite of what comes to your mind, soggy and fishy. Sushi was low grade. The sushi rice was soggy and used to excess. I'll just stop here and take no delight in trashing any establishment, but this should be a wake up call for the owner. Honestly, the only sushi restaurant that is good in the entire area is Kaido in Grass Valley. For superior sushi/sashimi, the to-go place is Sushi In The Raw in Nevada City. I've tried many in the Placer County area and frankly, I'd rather go to...