Sushi Gato — Restaurant in San Diego

I don’t usually write reviews, but my experience at Sushi Gato in San Diego was so exceptional that I had to share it. From the moment we walked in, it was clear this wasn’t just a sushi restaurant—it was a labor of love.

The space is immaculate, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The beautiful artwork adorning the walls caught our eye, and we later learned it was crafted by the owners themselves, a talented and dedicated couple who pour their heart into every detail of the restaurant.

The food? Absolutely incredible. Every meal was thoughtfully made, showcasing the freshest ingredients and impeccable presentation. We tried nearly everything—various types of sushi, spicy tuna salad, fatty tuna, miso soup, and edamame—and I can honestly say there wasn’t a single dish that didn’t impress. You can taste the passion and precision in every bite.

The staff, dressed in crisp uniforms, were incredibly friendly and attentive, making the dining experience even better. It wasn’t just us enjoying our meal—looking around, you could see the same satisfaction on the faces of other diners, creating a sense of shared joy.

One of the biggest surprises was the price. For the quality and experience we had, the cost was much more affordable than I would have expected. It’s rare to find such a perfect balance of exceptional food, great service, and reasonable pricing.

Having been to the previous sushi restaurant at this location, we can confidently say Sushi Gato is in a league of its own. They’ve transformed the space and raised the bar with their quality and care. This is hands down a 5 out of 5 experience, and I can’t...

If something has wasabi on it, I feel that should either be mentioned very clearly on the menu, or at the very least, mentioned to the customer when they are ordering. Telling someone that every piece of the overpriced sushi they ordered has wasabi on/in it as you are putting the sushi in front of them is too late. I have never asked to speak to a manager in my life, but I seriously considered doing that tonight. I spent over $42 for a set of 10 pieces of sushi, only to discover that I couldn't eat any of it without opening up each piece, taking off about half of the rice, and using my napkin to wipe off every piece of fish, right in front of the other sushi chefs (we were seated at the sushi bar/counter), and even then had to struggle as I was unable to get rid of all of the wasabi. Not only was it deeply frustrating as a customer, it was deeply embarrassing to have to do that in front of the chefs, as it is extremely rude to do so. I highly doubt I will ever come back as there are so many better, more reasonably priced places in the area. I'm not even sure if I'd recommend this place to anyone to...

The staff was friendly. Very attentive. They were so nice, it makes me a bit sad to have to give the food a negative review. However, as a sushi consumer for the past 30 years (20 of those right here in Carmel Mountain), I have to say, it was sub par. The rolls were small. Not even a lot of rice. The fillings were bland. Heavy use of imitation crab. One of the happy hour tuna rolls we got was tuna. It was not whole pieces of fish. It was a mash of tuna, garlic and something else. Not fresh tuna. Similar with the Yellowtail hand roll. There were pieces of fish in it, but the fish was not super fresh. The vegetable tempura was also very bland. The potato was undercooked, and there was more potato than anything else. One onion ring. One piece of broccoli. We went during happy hour. Maybe they skimp on the ingredients during happy hour? Not sure. I would have paid full price for good sushi. There are so many great sushi places in the area. It makes it difficult to give this place a 2nd chance. 3 stars until...