ATO Hand Roll Bar — Restaurant in Fullerton

Disappointed with the new ATO

The newly re-opened ATO Hand Roll Bar is a significant downgrade from when I originally visited. There’s been a change in management as evidenced by a sign out front and you can feel it. Food quality and service have gone down significantly from where the restaurant originally started.

To start, they’ve increased their menu options, offering more sushi options. It’s a shame to see as most restaurants benefit from paring down their offerings for the sake of food quality and service. It seems that the head chef has left the establishment and taken some of their best menu items with him. I was looking forward to eating the Hokkaido Scallop hand roll and Truffle Salmon hand roll again, however, those items are no longer on the menu. It’s clear that some of their signature items have disappeared since they temporarily shut down.

The food quality has taken a dip as well. The most noticeable change was the constant stale seaweed that I struggled to bite through with every roll that I received. Hand roll seaweed is meant to give a crisp bite that contrasts with its soft filling. These rolls offered no contrast. It was obvious they had been left out for far too long. In addition, the rolls now have less filling of seafood; they have stayed the same size, however, been significantly fattened up with rice. A surefire sign of cost-cutting from the change in management. Overall, the seafood still felt fresh, however, I couldn’t help compare it to my previous experience.

The service has also suffered. My party and I endured long waits between rolls, wondering when our next bite would come. The chefs were nice enough, but we were constantly confused as to where our rolls were.

Lastly, the atmosphere is still nice and the decor is still in keeping with the previous managements’. I will say, however, that with this sweltering heat we’ve been having lately, the restaurant neglected their air conditioning, allowing their patrons and workers to suffer humid temperatures inside, making our experience more uncomfortable than it needed to be.

Overall, I would not come back. I left ATO Hand Roll disappointed. As much as I don’t like ROL, they provide better quality and service that feels more worth my dollar. I would caution those who have had good experiences with the restaurant previously — you will not be coming back to...

Overall: 5/5

My experience at Ato Hand Roll Bar was all around great! I had no negative notes about the place, and I highly recommend coming by here if you're in the area and craving a good sushi hand roll :)

Food: 5/5

I'm a super big fan of hand rolls and sushi in general, so you already know where my standards could be being someone who frequently eats raw fish. Everything was delicious and fresh! The sushi rice amount and quality was perfect to pair with all their fish. Even though all their hand rolls were good, the one that stuck out to me was the Yuzu Hakkaido Scallop. I only got a 4 Hand Roll mix & match set, but opted to upgrade to 5 as I wanted to order an extra scallop roll after having my 4!

Service: 5/5

The staff were very attentive and friendly from the moment we walked in. They were patient with us when we wanted to add onto our orders and when we had questions about the menu. The hand rolls were made and served at a great pace, and I never felt like I was waiting a long time for the next hand roll.

Ambiance: 5/5

I came here with 3 other people in my party on a Sunday evening around 6:30pm and it wasn't busy at all. The parking lot was small as the restaurant is a hole-in-the-wall, but wasn't full at all and found parking out front immediately. Inside was a very cute bar-seating only restaurant that sits about 15? people. It's moderate in noise level, depending on if it was full or not, but in the end there were only 1 or 2 other parties there with us at a time the whole dinner we were there. It was quite nice!

I would definitely come back again with more people to introduce...

Just found a new handroll spot in my neighborhood, and I’m lowkey obsessed. I’ve been to a bunch of handroll places, and they all have their own vibe, which I love, but the struggle? They’re all so far. Then, by pure luck, I stumbled upon ATO Handroll Bar—literally a game-changer.

First off, the ambiance? Super clean and minimal, but that back wall? Hits different. Looks even better in pics. I went for the 6-handroll set, and WOW. The balance was insane. The nori? Ultra crispy. The rice? Perfectly seasoned. And the fish? So fresh, you can actually taste the quality. Handrolls are tricky ‘cause you gotta get that texture just right, but ATO? They nailed it.

The highlights? ATO Special Tuna, Scallop, and Yellowtail. 🔥 The tuna? Insanely smooth and creamy. 🍋 The scallop? From-Hokkaido, with a yuzu sauce that’s so refreshing. No fishiness at all. 🌶️ The yellowtail? Comes with jalapeño, adding a fun little kick and crunch.

Tbh, I don’t even want people to find out about this place. It’s only been open a month, and it’s still kinda under the radar—so no crazy waits, food comes out fast, and it feels like my hidden gem. But let’s be real, it’s only a matter of time before the hype catches on. Gonna keep hitting it up...