Raku Sushi — Restaurant in West Sacramento

I have been going to Raku for well over a dozen years. Started going to it when it was located on the west side of Harbor Blvd. Back in those days it was a tiny little operation.

After Raku expanded to the east side of Harbor Blvd, it just got more popular.

In my opinion Raku offers the best authentic AYCE in the area. Sure there are other buffets, but having been to the West Sacramento location (well over 45+ times), I can say the quality is tops.

Inflation has hit a lot of restaurants, but somehow the lunch price remains where reasonable. At $18.99, the selection is amazing. Quite honestly, I would easily pay $2 to $3 more.

As far as the selection goes, there are multiple choices. You first order your drinks/favorite sushi items from the staff. The items are ordered off of a single page menu. One side shows the lunch options, while the flip side offers the dinner options. You tell the staff the item number(s). Realize that each item you select will be masterfully prepared (to order).

Many years ago most buffets just put the prepared items out. You'd grab the prepared items. Raku pretty much started the trend (in Sac) of making each item to order.

After you choose your items, you walk over to the vegetable/condiment area. This self serve area allows you to grab any/all of your favorite vegetables. The wasabi/ginger/sauces are located in this area.

My favorite(s) in this area are the chicken salad (along with the two other vegetables located next to it). There are also spicy and regular cucumbers). I encourage you to try a sample of the others.

You bring your veggies and condiments back up your table, and enjoy...while the team of at least 6+ sushi chefs preps your selection.

Personally I am a nigiri fan, but there of plenty of different rolls.

Also, there are great cooked items. Chicken teriyaki, chicken katsu, fried oysters, plus gizu & miso soup. Mixed vegetable & shrimp tempura is offered.

As far as desserts go, there are donuts, fried bananas, and sesame balls. All very good.

If you go to Raku, I would recommend ordering several different items. Try to be conservative...as you can always reorder/try a favorite item later...and as many times as you want.

The place gets very busy...and so go early (or late) to get the best experience. I usually go around 12:45 to 1:15. The place is usually humming. Staff are amazing...and so I encourage you to tip generously.

Also, Raku has become so popular that the have a 2nd location (near the McDonald's) in Rocklin.

I hope you all enjoy Raku as much as I do!

, then walk over to the help...

I have been following this restaurant since it was Homai Fusion Cuisine in Roseville back in 2005. I have tried sushi in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Reno, and Seattle, and nothing has ever matched this place for pricing, quality, and service.

Why would you go to a restaurant, even an unlimited place, and get two rolls with eight pieces each and be done when you can get five or six different ones here? The smaller rolls offer an opportunity to sample more taste for the money during your visit. I have not found any other restaurant with this format, and this is why I live in elk Grove and drive past a certain other sushi place on my way to Raku.

I have brought no fewer than half a dozen friends here and truth be told, five out of the six said it was the best sushi they had ever had. Can't win them all, I suppose. But when I come here so often that they recognize me and have my preferred beverage waiting on the table before I even sit down, that's what you call service in this day and age of half assed hospitality.

Now, so you don't think this is a bogus review, I will say that there have been times where rolls I have ordered have been forgotten, or never came. There have also been times where it was so busy that it took a long time to get our order in, or our drinks and plates sat empty waiting for the servers to get back to us. Considering how different this is from a traditional sushi buffet, and any other sit down restaurant, and considering I have worked in food service seven years of my life, it doesn't bother me because I know how it goes.

If all you care about is keeping your Coke refilled and getting your food one minute after ordering, do us a favor and go down to elk Grove and open up valuable tables for the rest of us who value this wonderful part of West Sacramento.

You can take my review or leave it, that's up to you. I am not a paid spokes person… In fact, I have probably put down several thousand dollars on sushi here. but I think all these five-star reviews speak for themselves.

And Tony, thank you very much for your hospitality and bringing find food to the metro area. You introduced me to sushi after moving from South Dakota, and I have never been the same since. Keep on doing all that you do, and when you open up in three hours I will be there at the door with my...

I’ve been curious about a well rated all-you- can-eat sushi place located in a strip mall in an industrial part of town. If you read that statement again there are so many things that sound wrong. Hahaha. But the opinions of others did not steer me wrong! Raku is indeed located in a strip mall. But that means there is a parking lot so it makes it much easier to stop by and not worry about parking. Note that the spots are tiny so it can be a tight squeeze if you’re parked next to those monster trucks that seem to populate that part of town. Once you walk into Raku, you notice how clean it is and that there are multiple servers walking around bringing plates to tables. Turns out, it is all you can eat, but you do so by ordering from the staff and they bring you your food. It’s a great idea and it hopefully reduces food waste as people often grab more food than they can eat at AYCE. They bring you a menu which has about 20 types of rolls, and 15 types of nigiri along with some maki rolls and appetizers. The rolls are 4 pieces, the nigiri is 2. This menu includes all of the classic and popular rolls I’ve seen at many restaurants but what really impressed me was the fact that nigiri is included as well! You place your order with your server and in about 5 mins everything comes out. It is amazing! The best part is that the sushi is actually pretty good considering the price. Everything we ordered was really fresh and flavorful. I loved that I ate like $100 worth of hamachi and salmon nigiri for $20.

It can get pretty busy, especially during the lunch rush so plan your visit accordingly. We opted for an earlier lunch when they opened and it was really busy but we didn’t have to wait for more than a few minutes. By the time we left, it was packed and there was a modest waiting line. But the beauty of this place is the food is fast and good, and once you’re full you are ready to head out. It seemed the tables turned over fairly quickly so wait times may not be terrible. I can’t wait to try this place again! Highly recommend if you’re in the area and want a cheap but quality...