Sushi Kuma — Restaurant in Monterey

I rarely leave reviews, but this experience was so disappointing I feel compelled to share in hopes others don’t make the same mistake — or that the restaurant takes this as constructive feedback.

We were told the wait would be about 20 minutes, but it ended up being closer to 45+. Once seated, I immediately noticed how unclean the space was — the baseboards were visibly grimy, and the whole place looked like it hadn’t had a deep clean in a long time. Still, I was willing to look past that, thinking maybe it’s one of those hole-in-the-wall spots with great food.

Unfortunately, it only got worse from there. The layout is wide open, yet a server somehow slammed into me as I was sitting? Then came the biggest issue: everyone at my table received their food, but mine was nowhere to be found. After an awkwardly long wait, I spotted my sushi just sitting on the counter. Multiple staff walked right past it, doing everything but bringing it over — cleaning the floor, standing around, doing non-priority tasks. When I finally asked our server, she noticed it sitting there and said, “Oh, I think I do know where it is…” ?/

By the time I got my food, everyone else was halfway through theirs and sadly, it wasn’t even worth the wait. It was honestly maybe the worst sushi I have ever had. The crunch roll had a bizarre taste — I can only describe the taste as sawdust. I even had someone else try it to confirm I wasn’t being dramatic, and they agreed. The spicy tuna roll wasn’t any better — strange texture, rice that tasted stale, and even the pickled ginger tasted off. Others at the table also had underwhelming meals. And all of this for $40+ per person.

Needless to say, I won’t be returning. There are plenty of spots nearby in the same price range with much better food, service, and cleanliness. It’s a shame — the location has potential. With a good interior designer, deep clean, a better-trained staff, and a major food upgrade, it could actually thrive. But as it stands now, there’s nothing redeeming here. Save your...

My brother and I were back in Monterey.... as adults, for family business. We both now live on the East Coast, but spent many a summer in Monterey/Seaside as children when our Father was stationed at Fort Ord. We researched the best sushi restaurants in Monterey, and Kuma was highly rated. We had a great time at dinner! Parking was a challenge, but we enjoyed the relatively short walk from our coveted on-street parking space to the restaurant.... We're East Coasters now, afterall! The menu was extensive with a great selection of sushi - maki, nigiri, and we were very lucky that they had excellent, fresh uni the night we were there. Because it is so coveted, uni (sea urchin) can be and was expensive. We couldn't help ourselves, we went for it and had 2 whole orders. Delicious - just a little $$$ painful, but well worth it! The service was lovely, and we really enjoyed our after dinner chat with one of the owners. Part of the charm for us was that Kuma is a casual, lively restaurant. Not at all formal, quiet, or stuffy as many upscale Japanese and sushi restaurants can be. I am looking forward to my next business trip to Monterey/Seaside later this month and another wonderful...

I was in town for the weekend and stumbled upon the positive reviews for Kuma, so I decided to check it out. I'm so glad I did and felt compelled to add to the positive reviews so that more people can experience this place.

I ended up sitting at the bar and was lucky enough to be served by Dylan (he and his brother Dominic opened up Kuma just over a year ago). I was having a difficult time choosing which role to go with since all of them sounded so good (they have a great selection of uniquely assembled roles). Dylan recommended the Spicy Paula, which was excellent. I was also blown away by the depth of flavor in the miso soup. It was well beyond your traditional miso, highly recommend that. I also had the albacore nigiri, which was fresh and delicious.

I also ended up hitting it off with the other folks sitting at the bar, all of whom were locals, and they let me know that they quickly became regulars at Kuma. It's no surprise why.

Thank you, Dylan, for the great experience! Will definitely be coming back (and sending others your way) the next time...