Sushi 4 Reel — Restaurant in Oceanside

Sushi, like most art forms, and it truly is an art form, isn’t just about having fresh fish. It’s about an experience, the balance of flavors, the creativity, the beauty in plating’s, vibrant colors, etc.

Being here in Socal you expect fresh seafood. Having so many sushi restaurants here in San Diego you are inundated with rainbow rolls and spicy tuna hand rolls and super boring menus, so to have a new place open up, you really are wondering. What are they going to do differently, will I see something I haven’t seen. Taking a play out of the already proven and popular they use a lot of sauces that don’t scream traditional sushi. They use a carmel sauce on 1 of their rolls. I’ve been to hundreds of places and never seen that, it’s a totally different sweet complexity than the usual eel sauce which we all know. What about their honey sauce, or garlic butter sauce, you get where I’m going.

Service is excellent from the managers to the servers. The owner is always there to serve and ensure you have a good time. All too often owner/operators don’t press the flesh enough, but when your newer and this small, super small, it’s very welcoming. Prices are reasonable and a true neighborhood place. I live down the street and frequently call in a pickup order to go.

Some items I recommend are the bad girl (sans honey), you mad bro, caramel love (at least once). Their lunch specials are the typical 2 rolls, soup and salad, but they also have some plates like the salmon cheeks (not quite on that collar level, but something different than most). I did find their bento box a little pricey. Their samplers, roll platters, and the like are probably your best bet unless you are adventurous enough to really eat your way through their entire menu. I do find their sushi rice a little light on the vinegar and while their nigiri pack is dense, some rolls fall apart due to over saucing, so I generally stick with more basic rolls an ask for sauces on the side.

The décor is very cool with more modern art than most any Japanese place you’ll go to. The clientele are very much regulars and locals because of where it’s positioned and how well you are treated here. What survives in this shopping complex does so on their own merit because there is no anchor. If you want more plate offerings, try Teri, if you want better ramen try Wulan. If you want more traditional sushi try Waraii, if you want more expensive try Love boat. Coastal sushi is a whole other thing with places like Blue, Wrench, Hooked on, Harney each catering to their own...

If you're someone who has been eating sushi your whole life or are avid about the entire experience, you may not enjoy Sushi 4 Reel. The pictures online may be a bit deceiving as it is a very small place and doesn't have the feel you'd expect from a Japanese restaurant.

The atmosphere didn't lack friendliness, but instead felt unwelcoming. Walking into the restaurant, we weren't directed whether we were seated by the waiter/waitress or if we could seat ourselves. Alongside this, we didn't receive a greeting when we entered nor a goodbye and thanks when leaving.

The quality of the fish is mediocre, not bad, not great. It didn't taste fresh, as you'd expect from a restaurant being so close to the coast and major port cities in southern California. It's not something that is noticeable off the bat, but the more you eat the more you'll realize it. The issue with this isn't just that it should be better quality for the area, but the pricing as well. $13+ for base special rolls, going up to $20~ is a bit ridiculous, and their "happy hour" isn't much of a deal at all besides maybe the alcohol. Furthermore, a fair amount of rolls seemed made up without keeping taste in mind -- weird combinations that aren't authentic Japanese.

Some smaller details are the taste of the water isn't good if you're the type of person that is specific about it. It tastes like tap water filtered through ice you use for coolers. Another issue was tables were missing their chopsticks, napkins, and soy sauce bowls. It wouldn't be that big of a deal, but I only saw the waitress twice (besides when asking for the check), so when we got our food, by the time I looked for the chopsticks, the waitress was gone, so I had to find spare ones on another table.

Some positive things are that when interacting with the employees, they were nice. The food didn't take too long to come out either. Yet my favorite part was the art on the walls.

In conclusion, Sushi 4 Reel is an alright place to stop by for sushi if you're looking for a quick bite and don't require better quality food...

4 Reel! I can’t believe there wasn't a review before this. Fantastic is an understatement. They are passionate about sushi, and their service. I highly recommend the “super homeless” roll, and the “187” roll.

O.K. so now down to it, I live nearby and its convenient, the first time my wife and I tried to stop by they were full so we left, our mistake... had I known then how good it was, I would have waited an hour (not because we had to wait, we never even went inside) The venue is small and I surely see them out growing this place in the near future. There are TV's on the wall to watch sports and a bar that seats about 6 ppl. The place itself seats about 40 total, and that would be packed. By the way the painted wall is great and I'm not being funny, stop by just to check that out, way cool for décor! The service is outstanding, they are extremely professional and yet kicked back and personal which is hard to do, basically you feel like you have known them for years and they are some extended family. Everything is prompt, you are greeted when you walk in and seated ASAP, Drinks and food are quick and delicious. They have accommodated my family several times now and with three young kids in a small place, I can say they are more than patient!. They even made special noodles for the kids which are not on the menu so i could get my kids to eat when they were being difficult. I have seen other large families in here as well and they had zero problems accommodating. I just ordered take out for the first time tonight and it was ready for me at the door! WOW. Ridiculously fast! When I got home and opened the order it was perfection. The portions are great they don't skimp on anything. I cannot sing the praises loud enough for the world to hear but if this helps anyone to get their butt in to Sushi 4 reel, then run down walk for a great meal. Thank you for my dinner and the great treatment we look forward to dinning here...