Kinjo Hand Roll Bar — Restaurant in Sacramento

Very nice place. It is small so it's not good for a large party. We sat at the bar and watched them make the rolls. The concept is like Sugarfish. You can order all at once or add to your order. They will serve you your had one one at a time so that the seaweed stays fresh. The chef was nice enough to cut the hand roll in half because we ordered a bunch of different ones to share. We didn't try any of the hot dishes but saw someone eat the pork belly fries and it looked good.

We shared the 3 rolls (spicy tuna, yellowtail, and salmon) and tried most of the specials but our favorites were the zig zag hand roll, salmon skin, and taco trio. The ones with jalapeños are spicy so if you dont like spice don't get it. I personally like the albacore and the spice level. Everything was fresh and sushi chef was very attentive to us though I can see it getting really busy. They did use some sauces on some of the rolls so it would get soggy on some parts. But again it's freshly made so not a huge problem. Another difference compared to Sugarfish is the seaweed isn't as crunchy. So when you take a bite, you do have to cut with your teeth. So that was nice of the chef to cut it in half for us; otherwise I can see it being messy. They are not big hand rolls so I would say about 5 to 6 rolls each and a hot plate to share would be good. Each roll is about 7 to 10 dollars so this place isnt cheap. But I would...

Great karaage. I didn't know the gyoza would be deep fried, but the filling was tasty. Friendly staff. The patio looks so cool. Nice weather on a Friday night, so I asked to sit outside. Since it wasn't open, and staff dragged their feet saying it's not open now but they could open it if we really wanted to, I politely backed down. Same exact scenario with another customer 20 minutes later. I wonder how many times a night that happens. I ordered a yuzu lager (12 oz. Hitachino) and was served a yuzu white ale (16 oz. Onibi). The can arrived already open. I'm sure they want customers to correct them, but I prefer not to be wasteful even if they get the order wrong. Finally, from sitting at the bar I saw one chef rest his kitchen towel on the prep surface, moving it and wiping down. This wet towel with fish and seafood touched my partner's raw radish garnish. I made sure we didn't eat that (normally would) for fear of cross contamination. Hand rolls were okay. One seaweed was properly grilled and easy to bite through, but the other remained raw and rubbery. Scallops had an extra fishy flavor. Unagi was good. I did like the...

I live only a few blocks away and it’s my partner’s favorite. The last time I went, the service was atrocious, and I say that as someone who consistently tips over 20-25% and am fairly easy to please. I’ve only tipped below 15% once in the past 2yr, but the service was so far below satisfactory I’ve broken the streak.

Our appetizer was forgotten, they took a long time to take our order, they forgot wasabi/ginger, and my water was never refilled. During a busy hour this is plenty excusable, but we were one of three parties in the whole restaurant.

The prices have slowly crept up over the past couple of years, which is to be expected. But at the price point they offer, the atmosphere and service no longer justify the price. With tax and tip, a date night with an appetizer and a drink will run you $100. Plenty of “nicer” restaurants will cost the same.

Unfortunately, with the service I got last time, Kinjo may drop out of the regular date night discussions.

I’m open to revisiting this post after a positive visit, but for now I’m disappointed to say I’ll be looking for other hand roll restaurants...