Nara Ultra Lounge — Restaurant in San Diego

If it was possible I would have done a 3.5 star rating.

Yanni and his staff have always been very accommodating and very friendly, the quality of the hookah was what prompted this rating from me, amongst a few other things.

My girlfriend and I went to go attempt to study at Nara Ultra Lounge, and honestly I love how the lounge is set up and the interior decorating is very nice, I like how open the lounge is. However we were a little hard pressed to find a good spot to sit in since we were sure that we were going to need an electrical outlet at some point for our computers. A lot of the cushions on the circular seating areas are a little worn, and it is kind of noticeable. There were some burn marks in the cushions from people moving coals and accidentally dropping them on to the cushions, which is a bummer.

The lighting within the lounge was OK when we first arrived, it wasn't well enough lit for us to reference our study materials that weren't available on our computers or phones. I know all we had to do was ask, but at the same time we didn't want to annoy other customers/patrons. Later on down the road we gave up on attempting to study and just hung out.

The hookah wasn't bad, but it wasn't a great smoke for me, or for her. Yanni did great on being able to offer Coco Nara coals for those of us who wanted coconut based coals instead of the quick lights that are usually given when you order your hookah. The selection of sheesh wasn't large but it wasn't horribly limited either. I tried Starbuzz Pineapple with the Al Fahker Mint, and I honestly liked the mix of those two flavors, it was just more so an issue of the integrity of the bowl. It was kind of hard to start at first, and then later on down the road it was a little hard to clear the hookah when it was getting a little harsh. However my bowl did last a lot longer for me than it did for my friend, and usually I'm the one who's seriously smoking the hell out of the hookah that I order. Yanni was great about being very prompt on providing new, freshly lit coals and for getting refills out quickly after we asked for them.

The ladies restroom definitely needs a little TLC, I know that it can't be immaculate but at the same time it was a little grody when I used it. There was a decent amount of dirt and grime that were in the corners of the restroom. The bathroom itself wasn't lit very great, and the hallway for the restrooms was a little weird in term of being able to see as well.

I liked Yanni's point of sale system that he uses at Nara Ultra Lounge, pretty sure it was the Clover system. I am familiar with the Clover system since it is something I've had to use on and off for work in my life. It was a little awkward (I guess?) when we went to close out our tab at the end of the evening. Yanni had a hand held tablet for placing orders and for closing out the tab, he had a card reader hooked up to the tablet. But it was a little strange since it kind of seemed like he was assuming that almost everybody would be closing their tab out with a credit card or debit card. Fortunately I had the exact cash when I closed out my tab, but I felt bad and awkward asking him if cash was an acceptable form of payment for my tab.

I really do love Nara Ultra Lounge in my own way for it, but there were just too many small things that detracted from the overall experience that would've made it great.

Thank you Yanni and staff for...

Owner extremely rude, told me to come to him when I was ready to order bc I wasn’t ready within 1 min after sitting down ( meanwhile he was smoking with his friends). After that, I decided to leave and as I walked by, he said, “You need to dress better!” and continued to rant as I walked out, very unprofessional. It was 10pm on a relaxed MONDAY night and no other customers present expect himself and his friends. I had on black leggings, brand new Nike $160 shoes, and a shirt, therefore, his comment was inappropriate. Meanwhile, holes in chairs/booths, ambiance is poor, drink selection is poor, he told me a higher price than what the menu said, and again, from the second he approached the table, very poor customer service and I felt unwanted as if I were an inconvenience to him smoking with his friends. Makes sense why there were 0 other customers. Do yourself a favor and choose a different...

I WISH I COULD PUT ZERO STARS!!! I had the absolute worst experience here. First off, the owner is a total creep who makes girls feel incredibly uncomfortable. He kept making inappropriate comments and invading personal space, which completely ruined the vibe.

On top of that, I discovered that money was stolen from me during my visit. When I approached the staff about checking the security cameras, they flat-out refused and seemed eager to cover it up. It’s clear they have no intention of addressing theft or protecting their patrons.

If you value your safety and your money, stay far away from this place. The atmosphere is toxic, and the management is shady at best. Do yourself a favor and find a better spot to enjoy...