Sakana Sushi Bar & Grill — Restaurant in San Francisco

I agree with the other less than complimentary reviews below. I've lived and traveled throughout Japan; after dining here, this restaurant's 4.4 star rating and what I saw to not match up.

I had an assorted sushi plate. For some place so close to the ocean and with such a large Asian population, the sushi was shockingly not fresh and had a bland flavor. Perhaps part of the flavor was in the poor technique -- folks, sushi is just NOT eating raw fish. It's how the rice is prepared, how the fish is cut, etc. The sushi rice here is not authentic and the fish appeared to be not sliced with good technique.

Tempura was serviceable as well. The batter was something more like you'd get at a fish and chips joint rather than what is authentic, light and crispy, tempura.

The one thing going for this place is the service was warm and friendly -- that part was much appreciated.

If you've been here before and enjoyed it, great! Keep coming!!! But for some of these reviews to say what great sushi can be had at Sakana, in my experience, is misleading...

Sakana is a low risk high reward sushi find in San Francisco. Not many sushi restaurants are run by Japanese folks but this is one of them! It’s usually Chinese or Koreans so this was a pleasant surprise. The lady serving us was nice and attentive as well. Overall a good experience for us.

We have a thing for soft shelled crab and squid. They have a special going on for squid skewers but we went for the soft shelled crab and fried squid legs. The soft shelled crab was good and the dipping sauce compliments it well. The squid legs were alright - nothing great but nothing bad either. The omakase was the selling point for us. They offer 9pc for $35 AND it comes with UNI as well. $35 omakase sounds too good to be true right? Well I did say there’s some risk involved 🫠. A lot of reviewers highlighted the cuts and freshness but we found the color to be a little off today. Luckily, the flavors weren’t off. Some of the pcs have more wasabi than desired but this is a preference thing. We would definitely come back...

If you are missing Japanese authentic sushi, Sakana is the place to go. I ordered Omakase Sushi Nigiri ($35 as of August 2025). All sushis will meet your expectations, including taste, freshness (I believe this is the most critical factor in judging a sushi restaurant, and Sakana met my standards), and presentation. I did not expect to find fresh, high-quality sea urchin.

If you're looking for tasty side dishes, I recommend Nanbanduke or Hamachi-kama. On the healthy side, you may try Eggplant Nibitashi or Ohitashi. If you try rolls, I recommend the California Roll.

This may not be the fancy, top-end restaurant for your first date. Instead, you want to go there every Tuesday for a cozy atmosphere and affordable fresh fish. I ordered hot green tea, which was filled constantly and very hot, a tradition at Japanese sushi restaurants. Small details matter, and I liked them...