Sushi Station — Restaurant in Riverside

Don't eat here unless you're cool, special, and VIP enough to have their private hotline for reservations. I called at 4pm today and was told they don't take reservations, it's first come first served. I showed up right when they opened at 5pm. There was a line waiting at the door. I heard the guys in front of me say they were glad they had called and got a reservation, which made me wonder what was going on. When I got inside to the host stand, the restaurant only had a few tables seated. So naturally I expected to be seated as there were supposedly no reservations and the men in front of me had been sat right away. But I was told by the host that it would be a 30-45 minute wait. And I saw he had a list of names in front of him, so I asked if he had taken reservations. He said only for those that have their "personal number". I asked what do you mean your personal number, I called an hour ago and you told me no reservations. He brushed me off, dismissed my question, and rudely repeated it would be a 30-45 minute wait. After being made to feel less than worthy to eat there, I opted not to spend another minute or dollar there.

So apparently there are only some people who are special enough to get reservations. Terrible way to run a local business and to treat your locals who have been supporting you for years. Wish I could take back the money I've spent there over the years. Guess my money isn't special enough for them anymore. I'll take my undesired money elsewhere next...

Pros: It's pretty inside. The staff was considerate and helpful. They have a few imitation crab-free rolls They are open on Mondays. Complimentary miso soup with lunch.

Cons: The sushi here is overpriced (150%-200% compared to average). There is much less selection than there is at other sushi places. Mackerel, clam, and other sushi staples are not offered. The imitation crab is too sweet, and somewhat slimy. Their avocado was old, and on the verge of going bad. There were so few Korean options it is not even worth mentioning. Their lunch specials are a joke. The prices are average for the restaurant, offering no discount, and you can only choose from the cheaper items anyways. It is pointless. The green tea they served was so stale it was yellow and had a grease-looking film over the top.

Overall: Wish we went...

At first it seemed nice. The service was so so. It took a considerable amount of time to receive our food. The order was minimal during what seemed to be a slow time for the restaurant (there weren't many people seated). The sushi chefs seemed more concerned with talking to the people sitting at the bar and we only received our food after we had complained. Rolls were sloppy, drinks went empty and we had to ask for refills. We ate the green tea fried ice cream which took roughly 10 minutes to get after we ordered it. It wasn't worth the wait. Eventually another server had to come and assist our table since it was taking so long to get everything. Prices weren't great and compared to other sushi spots we frequent, this establishment was by far the slowest and least friendly. Definitely will...