Just last night we stopped in this very attraitive restaurant.Having been there last year and enjoying ourselves we thought this would be a fun start to our date night out.Entering it was very busy at 7:00pm and a waitress pointed for us to sign up on a sheet in the corner.We did and after waiting for 10 minutes a lady the owner/manager asked us what we were doing standing here? I informed her we signed the wait list and she abruptly stated that it was on the other side and we had at least 6 couples ahead of us and to come back later which we agreed.Re-entering 45 minutes later it was much less busy and were seated in a nice table.After ordering wine glasses and sitting there over 10-15 minutes without much as a glance and feeling very awkward we called over a waitress to ask can we order.She gave us the look like this is not my table but will get someone.The lady manager did take our order and we waited patiently for over 20 minutes before asking again where is our food? She stated it has been sitting on the counter and would bring it to us.Food arrived and was extremely dissapointing overpriced etc.We have sushi at least once a month and this was the worst food and service in many years....
(1)
Allen S.
I just ate here with my folks this weekend and I give it a thumbs up. Food was good and pretty cheap, a surprising combo especially in Half Moon Bay. I had some of these interesting rolls that had papaya (or guava, I get them mixed up) and one that had macademia nuts shredded over the top of the roll (style points). Parents went more traditional with a nigiri combo and nabeyaki udon which they both approved of (and they are tough critics). Some hot sake and a sapporo to top it all off. I just wish the tables were a flatter surface b/c we had to keep watching where we placed our cups. :P
(4)
Tom D.
Hippie sushi!! The sushi is very good -- and I like the atmosphere....
(4)
Emily C.
This place is very vegetarian-friendly. They have a few unique vegetarian rolls, like the Half Moon Bay (artichoke heart, avocado, and radish sprout) and wild mushroom (mixed sauteed wild mushrooms with green onions), both of which were very tasty. There is one with fried jalapeno and cilantro, the Oaxaca Mexico, that we did not try but wished we had. The kelp salad is good as kelp salads go (and I love seaweed salad). The cucumber roll is surprisingly flavorful--the cukes are julienned and a few pieces are put in the roll, so it has a good texture, too. The asparagus salad had a sesame dressing that was kind of sweet, almost like a delicate peanut sauce. The miso, edamame, and traditional Japanese cold spinach (forgot that had bonito in it, whoops) were all pretty good.
(4)
Susan D.
This is the sushi that dreams are made of. The Dragon roll is absolutely amazing. I also recommend the potstickers (just the right amount of ginger), the spicy California roll is sooo good. Sometimes it takes a little while to get your food but it is well worth the wait. This is my very favorite sushi restaurant.
(5)
Brandi P.
We decided to give this place a try because of all of the great reviews on Yelp. After spending an unusually warm day in HMB we went to Sushi (around 6:30pm on a Friday night). It felt like we were in a sauna when we walked in. Clearly the place does not have AC or it was not working. It must have been 90 degrees inside. The waiter sat us down and did not come back for 10 minutes (too long). We were sandwhiched between an older man who would not stop staring at us and a family in which the Mother was eating standing up with a baby in a sling and her backside inches from our table. When the waiter came back we told him we had a family emergency and quickly left. It was not worth the money to stay one more minute.
(1)
Amy W.
This place is one of our favorites - the fish is fresh, service is decent, sake selection is pretty good. Love the salads, rolls, sashimi. Nice, relaxing atmosphere. Great to go to later in the evening. They never rush us out.
(4)
Yummy P.
The best Japanese restaurant in the Bay Area, the sushi is always fresh but tends to be on the smaller side, the hot dishes are not the usual terri-yacky you find everywhere else
(4)
Amy G.
Sushi Main Street is quite literally world class sushi. I was pretty amazed at the incredulous tone expressed by KB; in fact that is what prompted me to write this review. I have eaten sushi all over the world, including at Edo Gin in Tokyo in the Tsukiji fish markets, and I can tell you that Sushi Main Street has comparable sushi. The only item that I ate in Tokyo that was actually better was the toro. I've only been back in the Bay Area for a little over one year, but certainly Sushi Main Street is the best sushi I've had in its price range. I think the only fish I've eaten that is in its class is from Nobu in London or L.A. (and I presume therefore NY!!), but of course the price is also over double.
(5)
Dan L.
The hostesses here have the worst attitude I have ever experienced. Time and again, attitude. Why do I come back? Good sushi. Waitresses seem like they usually are unhappy to be here too. Eat at the bar and forget the rest of the staff except the sushi chefs. Relatively expensive too but there is only one other sushi place on the coast, so you don't have a lot of options
(2)
Melissa W.
I love this place, driving out to Half Moon Bay doesn't take very long but makes dining here seem like more of a big event. The rolls are all so good! My favorite is the spider roll with soft shell crab, and the one with mango is really good too. Basically you can't go wrong. Love the new spinach is sesame oil they serve as a side. The prices are very reasonable. Love it.
(5)
K B.
One of the best sushi places in the Bay Area... wow, no offense, but guessing these are friends of the management. It's "good", but for sushi.... eh... it serves it's purpose for the coastside.... "The usual nigiri, sashimi, sukiyaki, teriyaki, tempura and sushi rolls. The quality is "good", but I will say there seems to be a slight twist to the "taste" of their sushi, that I can only define as 'fragrant', in a pleasant way. Portions are on the smaller side, too. The service is "satisfactory", nothing more nothing less. The decor is the reason for much of the allure of this place. It provides a very deep and wet Balinese look and feel, replete with other slight Asian accents, very few of which come across as Japanese, but quite rustic at times. That ... and a soundtrack for Deadheads playing lightly over the stereo. We don't have many choices for sushi on the coast, but the ambience and feel make it a great place for out-of-town guests, when you aren't willing to trek up to the City. Just set the bar very high or low on expectations."
(3)
Angi C.
one of my fave sushi places in the bay area. freshest seafood (saba, uni, toro, you name it), interesting rolls, unique decor with pieces from southeast asia (none of that generic rice paper screen crap here). i almost wanted to give this 1 star just so it won't get too crowded, but then i decided a) that's really mean, b) they take reservations so what do i care? and c) it's in freakin' half moon bay!
(5)
A B.
Unplanned trip; long line - popular place! The sushi and the nabeyaki udon were reasonably good, although the small stone slab table we were placed at was unstable (shaky) and way too small to comfortably accomodate all our plates.
(3)
J E.
I'm not a sushi expert, but I have to say this is the best sushi place that I've been to and it is affordable (compared to blowfish in SF and fuki sushi in palo alto). The decor sets a cozy mood for the night which allows for great conversations. One particular thing I like about this restaurant is the consistently good sushi and service. Every time I am greeted with warmth and I always get the feeling that my order was handled with special care. You may want to make reservations for a Friday or Saturday night because it gets full. Other nights you can always expect people to be there, but you will always find a table.
(5)
Mike D.
Despite all the rave reviews, we had a pretty disappointing experience. The sushi was pretty good but it took about an hour to get our first order of sushi. I didn't think it was too big of a deal, but some of the people in our party were not happy. It was incredibly affordable, so maybe I'll give it another shot sometime.
(3)
Micki S.
This is one of the best Sushi places in the Bay Area, and worth the drive for me from the city. The sushi is very fresh, they have several unique rolls, and the atmosphere is very relaxing. The slate table tops are a crowning feature.
(5)
Suzy G.
Really this place does have very fresh seafood and everything is very good here. Seaweed salad is the best I've had. If you like tempura you'll love it here. Try the Goyza (pot stickers) or the Pork Dumplings for apps. Yum! We 've worked our way through most of the rolls on the menu. Favs are Hot Tuna (my husband alone can do two orders of these!) The Caterpillar and Rainbow rolls are great to share. Other good rolls: Spider (soft shell crabs), Spicy Scallop or Tuna; New York, Philly, Hawaiian...OK I'll stop... now I'm hungry! The noodle bowls and Don Buri (rice bowls) are also very good. We STILL haven't made it to the Entrees on the menu..... The Wine list is simple but works. My husband & son really like the Japanese beer. Dessert, you must do dessert. The Banana Tempura is a must and the Mochi are very refreshing. I should mention that the service can be slow, sometimes really slow. It's kind of hit & miss, especially on Fri & Sat. nights. You definitely should make a reservation otherwise you won't get a table until 8 or so. We go here when we're not in hurry and want to just hang out trying different rolls all evening and drinking wine & beer. (Hey it's tough assignment but someone's got to do it!) They are opening a Sake Bar next door that will 21 over only.Oh yeah, the bento boxes are a GREAT deal at lunch! A few things other details about this place..... It's not the only sushi place in HMB. There is Shiki over at Stone Pine Center. The restaurant is called "Sushi Main St." because it shared a common space with HMB Coffee on Main St. between the Buffalo Shirt Co & Pasta Moon back in the day. The owner works most evenings and they used to sell the type of furnishings you see at the restaurant at a shop on Main St. (now closed).
(4)
Chris D.
Decent food, horrible service, expensive. Waited and waited for our order to be taken and it went downhill after that. Our entire order never did show up. I'm still here sitting waiting for my check.
(1)
Erin D.
The food is great but the service not so much. The waitress left the wine bottle for us to pour it ourselves. Half of our group got their food long after the others. The major problem is that there was one waitress with nearly not enough help. It did not help when the manager was rude and unprofessional.
(2)
Dante S.
I love Sushi Main Street, it's practically perfect. The fish tastes fresh, the ambiance is lovely, the wait staff are attentive and quick. It's always the perfect cap to a day on the beach for me. No house iced tea (only expensive little bottles) and putting both an ebi AND a tobiko roll in the same "chef's choice" assortment kills a little of the love for me. But I'll be back, and I'll surely dream of those delicious little fishies while I'm away.
(4)
Bill O.
Good sushi, but INCREDIBLY slow service. So slow that I suspect they take the order for unagi, fly north to find an eel, kill it, prep it, fly back, cook it, then do the final prep. Yes...that slow.
(2)
Hannah P.
super SMALL portions for the price, my boyfriend and I both ordered the lunch special that was about $8. Although there were only about two waitresses, the place wasn't busy and it took about 30 minutes for our food to come out.... The shrimp tempura is the only thing that worked. Everything else (teriyaki salmon, teriyaki chicken) were ridiculously small in portion and NOT tasty; both were dry and not fresh tasting. The green tea ice cream that came with the special was so... tiny. sigh. it was barely 1 scoop! And it wasn't even fresh ice cream - it had those ice chips that show up in old ice cream -_____- the caterpillar roll wasn't bad, but I get better at sushi boat, and that's saying a lot! Decor is nice, seating is nice (just FYI, those funky driftwood wood chairs aren't comfortable! sit on the cushions!), music was country (??). yeah, weird. Not authentic japanese food but I guess location is expensive and they have to make do by serving sub-par food. Definitely gonna try eating somewhere else next time I visit HMB
(2)
Alice H.
I'm giving this three stars instead of my intended 4, because I have not been in over a year (maybe 2?) and it sounds like there are some major service problems. What a shame. I used to drive from San Francisco to eat here - sometimes more than once a month. It was that good. I started at the original location back in 1995 when it literally was on Main Street and only three or four tables, and I rode it over to the current location. The owner was a woman who loved to travel and she brought back the amazing wood carvings from her many trips. Food was to die for. Service simple and competent, and well, you just had to come back. I will go and check it out, but when a good place opened in my neighborhood in Bernal, I just didn't have the same drive to drive that far. I hope they clean up their act - this was an incredible gem and it made me enjoy a little coastal town I might never have gotten to know as well.
(3)
Nicole G.
C and I met up for dinner, and soon we were driving down Highway 1 with a gorgeous view of the cliffs and ocean below. I wondered to myself where we were going, and then just settled into the ride. When we parked in Half Moon Bay, I knew right away where we were headed. Main Street Sushi! Our friend Shy had recommended it, which meant we could expect only excellence. Still, I never expected to walk into such an exotic restaurant. The woodwork was stunning and the place had obviously been curated by a well traveled artist. We found out from our waiter that the owners had gone to Bali on their honeymoon, and had been importing exquisite Indonesian antiques ever since. It was a week night, so were immediately seated on pillows at a low table. Soon our specials arrived, fresh and tasty. Lounging on silk eating sashimi... *sigh*. I could do this a lot more often. If you have a date you want to impress, Sushi Main Street is the place. You might even get a little kiss for your creativity.
(4)
Peter A.
After going here now for 14 years I can no longer even step in the door. They had a great product and have destroyed it, they can't even afford to replace their broken refrigeration system and I am worried about the quality of the fish kept on ice now. I had dinner there several months ago and was disgusted by the service and shabby quality of about everything they served us. The size of the sashimi pieces was disgustingly small, the quality of the nori bad. This place is cutting costs everywhere since their sake bar has failed. They have had a terrible time keeping staff because their product has gone south so you can't make money as a server if no one comes. Stay Away there is a better value in the Strawflower Village.
(1)
Jeff W.
Good food, nice atmo in a downtown location.
(4)
Kara H.
The secret to a good experience at Sushi Main Street is simple. 1) You need to come on a weeknight. That's no surprise about any restaurant, especially to anyone who has read Kitchen Confidential, but it's really true here. 2) You need to dine in the the lounge part of the restaurant. Not only is the decor beautiful, tranquil and inspiring, but the food actually tastes better. I know, it makes no sense given they share the same kitchen with the regular restaurant, but it makes a difference. I swear. Plus, we just adore the charming Japanese waitress who only works during the week. The weekend experience is completely different and should be avoided. The food is not so good, the service is bad, it's just completely different... I like a completely different restaurant! On a personal note, we like sake and wish they'd bring back their imaginative sake tasting menu, but at the same time understand there is probably a limited market for it.
(4)
Sabine S.
Excellent. I would drive from the city to eat here. Heck, being from Texas, the drive isn't even that big a deal. The menu isn't the most creative, but the fish is so fresh, its practically still flipping on the plate. If you are big into sushi, you will also appreciate the excellent knife work. I have never had such melt-in-your mouth sashimi. It's amazing how something as simple as raw fish can taste so different depending on the cut and quality of the fish. If raw fish is not your thing (I mention this because a lot of people end up at sushi restaurants who, in fact, do not enjoy raw fish--like the guy beside us who didnt like fish, avocado, rice or soybeans), they have an ample menu of other non-sushi items, like littleneck clam miso soup (excellent) and a variety of flavorful rolls (the one with papaya and bbq eel blew me away). when you are done with dinner, the dessert menu is equally deserving of praise--fried bananas with a custard sauce and vanilla ice cream with plum sauteed strawberries were an excellent way to end our dining experience. I'll admit, I was a bit nervous that this place would be too trendy for its own good. It certainly does seem like "the place" to have dinner in Half Moon Bay on a Friday night. Despite its popularity, the food here was so good and fresh, and way cheaper than what I pay for so-so sushi in the city.
(4)
Emily G.
We have eaten here many times, and the experience is always top-notch. Tonight we tried the very high-end addition, beautifully decorated, and we were waited on by the decorator/co-owner herself. The staff was friendly and the food was excellent. A consistently reliable source for Japanese food, with the finest ingredients and superior presentation.
(5)
Shawna M.
Wow - this place used to be so great. Well, that was then and this is now, and it is horrible! I won't even bother explaining what we got and what was wrong with it. Suffice it to say I will never go back. The food and service has declined slowly over the past 8 years. Awful.
(1)
Sean P.
The idea for driving out to this place from the Silicon Valley came from a colleague (thanks, Kurt!), and it exceeded even his recommendation. The sushi and sashimi were excellent. I tried escolar for the first time, prepared as sashimi, and it practically melted in my mouth. The other unusual find, at least for me as an East Coast guy, was the Half Moon Bay Roll -- artichoke heart, avocado and radish sprouts. It was fantastic. Don't leave without also trying the banana tempura. I think I am going to try making that at home. They serve it with a custard, but I think the kids will prefer the less Japanese chocolate sauce. The decor is very unique, with stone tables and rustic wood throughout. It's a cozy spot, but there was no wait on a Tuesday night. It was well worth the extra drive.
(4)
Stephanie P.
Very cool environment, beautiful decor, and a truly unique dining experience. Some of the best sushi I've ever had and the clay pot bowls were delicious!
(5)
Alisa S.
We ate at Sushi Main Street yesterday and weren't overly impressed. Their udon was delicious and the fish was also tasty, but the quality of their rice ruined any rolls that we ordered. The rice was hard and fell apart as soon as you dipped it in the soy sauce. The service also left something to be desired. We were served our udon, but it took another 5 minutes to get a spoon. Additionally, we had to ask for plates to eat our sushi. I am sure there are other places where you can enjoy a nice meal if you are visiting half moon bay.
(3)
Ankle B.
3.5. "Good", teetering on "almost very good", I suppose. Not bad, just feels like it should be better. Atmosphere is fantastic, chef is Japanese (rare), the menu and sake selection is nice, but the flavors weren't quite there. We ordered a pretty extensive cross-section of food including sake, sushi, soba, yakitori, and a combination plate w/whitefish and tempura, and it just wasn't as flavorful as it all looked (or costs). There wasn't enough oomph in dishes where there should've been, and the whitefish was just plain bland. The service was fine, but all the high chair buckles were broken, which they were aware of. I find this particularly annoying, as frankly, broken highchairs shouldn't be offered knowingly. It's dangerous for us and a liability for them. It may also speak to the lack of urgency with which they approach correcting problems. Coming from out of town, I will definitely look for another Japanese restaurant the next time, but wouldn't be too bummed if I had to settle for Sushi Main Street again, provided they addressed the above.
(3)
Nizaria D.
Disclaimer: White people sushi... but the good kind, not the bad kind. Heavy emphasis on the marine & algal stuff, befitting the coastal location, i.e. Little Neck Clam Miso Soup, Kelp Salad, etc. Cool geograhpic themed special rolls, faves including the Princeton by the Sea and the Oaxaca roll. A little heavy on the white people sauces (see above disclaimer). Nice ambience when not overflowing with big parties, hectic when crowded. Super cool, new-agey earth mama decor with lots of raw materials and earth tones. If someone asked me where I would most prefer to eat in the HMB area, it would be a toss up between here and Cafe Gibraltar in El Granada. With a stop at the San Benito House for sandwiches in between.
(4)
Lauren B.
Cute Sushi restaurant. We were growing tired of the fried seafood so decided to go Japanese on our last day in HMB. The decor was really interesting and quaint. First thing we noticed that the unagi handrolls were wrapped not in seaweed but in a yellow soy wrapper. Was delicious. Sashimi was fresh and the service was superb! We shall return
(4)
Matt S.
I ate here last night and most of the items that I ordered were really great. We ordered some edamame to start, the pork shu mai w/ mustard sauce appetizer, halibut nigiri, yellowtail nigiri. mackeral nigiri, spider roll, spicy scallop roll and the special salmon aburi roll where they blow torch the fish lying on top of the roll. M'lady had a glass of white wine and I, a Sapporo. All of the fish was top of the line in terms of freshness and taste. Thus, the nigiri was wonderful. The spider roll was tasty. The scallop roll had a bit too much of that spicy mayo sauce that is all too common at sushi restaurants. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that sushi places tend to over do it. I still enjoyed it though. The salmon aburi roll is pretty darn spicy, yet very tasty. I recommend it if you like spice. However, save it as the last roll or else you won't be able to taste anything else. Last but definitely not least, the fried shu mai dumplings were the best dumpling-thingies I have every tasted. They are crispy balls of pork-and-other-stuff goodness. It's basically pork shu mai with a crispy fried shell. They stayed extremely crispy throughout the entire course of dinner (I was sparing them!) Man...you HAVE to get them. You just have to. To summarize: PROs: *Speedy service *Fresh & tasty fish *The shu mai!! *Creative rolls *Nice ambiance/decor CONs: *Limited tables (you may have to sit at the bar) *My halibut nigiri had too much wasabi balled in one spot + the mint leaf on it...why a mint leaf? Let me taste the fish (Just being nitpicky) *Can't order sushi over the bar (takes away from the whole sushi bar experience) *No Japanese music playing quietly in the background (Okay...maybe this is too nitpicky) I'll definitely be back again if I'm in town.
(4)
Season F.
Great ambience for such a sleepy town...tummy was happy, rolls were creative and the fish was still jumpin' fresh...
(4)
chris s.
My very favorite sushi joint in the bay area - friendly service, unique atmosphere, and original great tasting food for a righteous price. Main Street expanded a short while back, so no waiting. The unagi papaya is to die for, love it and I never saw it anywhere before. A great place to wrap the day up after a trip to the beach.
(5)
Setareh N.
I definately thank the hot man that brought me here last Saturday ;) I love the ambience.....I could stare at that elegantly carved wood behind the sushi bar for days as I eat excellent sashimi/sushi and enjoy a really nice crisp salad. Actually this is one of my top 5 favorite sushi places EVER!!!!! They were pretty nice about serving us when we walked in at 9:30pm to and the service was phenominal. We had this fabulous unfiltered sake that I wish remembered the name of it so i can make a bev mo run
(5)
Huy N.
This place actually should get 4 stars, but I gave it one extra star based on Chris L.'s typo in this review ( yelp.com/biz_share?bizid… ), which indicates that at Sushi Main Street they serve "soft shell crap." He or she must have been having a really SHITTY day because that phrase is used not once, but twice in the review. Sweet.
What a fascinating old world Japanese place to eat! Great experience, friendly service anf the prices were reasonable. The food was good but not as spectacular as the environment. Still, I will visit again when Im in the area.
(4)
Ashley G.
Love the Sushi here! The plates are beautiful and taste yummy!
(5)
Vaska R.
Though sushi has become as common as dirt in northern California finding good sushi is frustratingly rare. This restaurant escapes the trap of mediocre sushi by using excellent ingredients and being presided over by good chefs that know how to cut, wrap and present, although they are overly fond of avocado. Even better, the place also has some great food to offer as well such baked oyster, tempura and a number of small appetizers and all cooked just right. There can be a wait at night so reservations are a good idea.
(5)
Jan H.
Great place to get some excellent sushi in beautiful Half Moon Bay! Great food, good prices, friendly service.
(5)
Ashley E.
Love the decor here; very cozy and quaint; crowded on a Friday night and I sat with my date at the sushi bar where we got great service; loved the food. Very zen atmosphere.
(4)
Ted C.
Great decor, excruciatingly slow service and food delivery--and the place was empty! Very nice waiter. Food was average but not fabulous, and my bento box chicken/been was on the cool side. They save money by walking food across the street from their main kitchen at a different restaurant. I would love to return but probably won't.
(2)
Michael O.
The worst Japanese food experience to date. After waiting 20 minutes our order arrived. My wife's bento box contained what was ordered, but instead of Katsudon, i received another bento box with shrimp tempura, and chicken teriyaki My wife said her food was not very good, and I could not eat mine. The "chicken" tasted like a processed meat. The server did take the cost of the second meal off the bill, but at half price we paid too much
(1)
Josh C.
Sushi Main Street is not only the most vegetarian-friendly of my (admittedly limited) experiences with sushi restaurants, it is also by far the most well-decorated and designed. Granted, the tables are a little small for a place where you are guaranteed to be juggling several plates at a time, but all the carved woodwork, art on the walls, and mild lighting provide so much better of an atmosphere (by the way, the photo on their website doesn't do it justice) than the far-too-many sushi places that are too bright and dominated by tacky decor. The Kelp salad was exceptional, and the miso soup even managed to stand out. I ordered the Vegetarian Nabeyaki, a clay pot dish of vegetables and tofu over udon noodles and vegetable tempura served to the side. Thank you Sushi Main Street for not leaving out the flavor when you leave out the meat (i'm looking at you, Cha Ya - your droves of hipster faithful won't fool me!) A great variety of vegetables, good taste to the broth, and noodles that were just the right texture. And here I am forgetting the main appetizer of the night - fried Japanese eggplant with garlic soy sauce. It was as good as it sounds. Finally, the sushi. I did not have any, but my companion did, and had a great review of her sashimi and scallop nigiri. It was very fresh and, like everything on the menu, quite reasonably priced. This was the perfect place to go on our quick weekend trip to HMB. I would give it a big thumbs up especially to anyone looking for a good surprise date place south of the city.
(5)
David V.
A local favorite. Fresh local ingredients, friendly and accommodating staff, and a pleasant atmosphere.
(4)
George L.
Sushi Main Street is a great place to wrap up a nice afternoon on the beach. They have a terrific sake selection and delicious sashime. The staff are very friendly and attentive (he made sure we never ran out of sake). The decor is beautiful and rather unique for a sushi restaurant. I would highly recommend making a reservation if you plan to go. There is usually a long line just for the bar.
(4)
Andrew B.
Tiny portions, high prices, HORRRRIBLE SERVICE! I will say that the tiny portions are very good, but that can't overcome the exorbitant prices and horrible service. Sad because this place has so much potential.
(1)
Denise W.
My disappointing meal last night finally prompted me to join/write a Yelp review to discuss my dismay with Sushi Main Street. First of all, I want to say that this place used to be one of my favorite sushi places. And it saddens me greatly that it is no longer the case. Sure there are great places in S.F. and East Bay, but Sushi Main St. had an exotic casual feel to it, plus parking was easy. It has a wonderful ambiance created by the irregular natural stone tables and the beautiful wood carvings that make up the decor of the interior. But most of all, the quality of the fish has always been fresh and they mixed in some really great nontraditional items on the menu. And best of all, it was a great price for the quality of the sushi. It is hard to find places like this anymore where great quality is not overshadowed by high prices. My husband is a hard core sushi lover and I worked in professional kitchens in my former career, so we know when food is great vs. sub par. We are not food snobs, nor do we call ourselves "Foodies"...we prefer hole in the wall finds that offer one of kind foods you can't find elsewhere. But we have no problem plunking down some serious cash at French Laundry either for the ultimate dining experience. So when we my husband introduced me to Main Street Sushi 6 years ago, I was in love. It was a nice drive to see the coast during the day and eat some excellent sushi before driving back to the east bay. What happened last night? Ok, I must admit that I sensed something was terribly wrong even before last night. We had eaten here a month prior and it was bad. We just thought it was an off night, it was busy. Sure there is always a wait and yes the service isn't the fastest, but we never cared because we loved the food which has always been consistently good. These are some of the typical menu items that we order: Nigiri sushi: Shiro Maguro, Toro, Escolar, Uni, Saba, Amaebi with fried Heads, Spicy Scallop Handrolls. Throw in some specialty rolls and we are good to go. Other items we have tried which have become faves: Mushroom Bacon Salad, Hawaiian Poke, Jalapenos Stuffed with Shrimp, Fried Eggplant with Ginger Soy Dressing... WHAT WENT WRONG?: The nigiri sushi fish was horribly sliced and over handled. Just plain sloppy. Rice was under seasoned and too compressed. My 9 month old daughter could have squished out better rice than that. And because the rice was so compressed it looked smaller than usual. The rolls were hideous to say the least. There was hardly any rice on the roll...a slight one grain thickness of rice which equated to a roll the size of a quarter...only 4 pieces per roll. Yes, no lie! And the nori was damp and rubbery. My fave salad: Mushroom and Bacon Salad. I don't care if it not a traditional Japanese menu item. It is damn tasty! I was hooked the first time I had it. Crispy bacon hot out of the pan with browned mushrooms cooked in the same pan of drippings. Cool crisp lettuce with a slightly sweet tangy pureed onion dressing. Last two occasions it was bland and lacked the acidity of the onion dressing...so in the end it tasted like greasy lettuce. Fried Eggplant was just that...fried plain and oily with no flavor at all. If there was any soy ginger dressing on it, I couldn't taste it. I had to doctor it up with some of the pickled ginger sitting on the table to get it down. My husband just gave up and stopped eating it. In this economy...we paid for it...eat it! I don't think we were the only ones who noticed the severe change in the food quality here. We made a reservation to guarantee us a quick seating, but it was totally unnecessary because what used to be a line out the door sensed with anticipation was now lonely and eery. Only a third of the bar was seated and only half the tables were occupied. This was on a Saturday at 7pm. In the restaurant world that is prime time dinner service. I am greatly saddened and hope this plea/review will find the sushi chefs at Sushi Main Street to dig deep to recreate what once used to be a great place to eat.
(2)
Chris A.
A bit slow and disorganized. Great sushi! Better service the second time we came.
(4)
Hanna W.
I haven't had take out from here in years, so I decided to try it again. I got the Hawaiian special rolls and spicy california rolls to go. I was shocked to find a small box with tiny rolls inside them. The rolls were never this small in the past and for paying $5.00 an order, this definitely wasn't worth it. I do not recommend going here unless you wanna spend a lot of money on barely any food.
(1)
Jonathan C.
This place is stealing my business from other restaurants in Half Moon Bay. No lie - it's that good. I digress, I can't afford much, but eating at Sushi Main Street is my treat for being poor and fabulous. My usual order: Shortneck clam miso soup - screw the chopsticks, sip and pry the flesh with your fingers and enjoy, that's how real men eat (and certain ladies too) Kelp salad - I think this is standard everywhere you go, but still, it's kelp salad, impress your friends Half Moon Bay - If you don't like artichokes, I don't like you. If you do like them, I think you should order an extra order because I'll be joining you, in spirit, of course Hawaiian Special - I love nuts! Nuts and tuna and nuts and tuna - I go bongo for both of them, you just might too Tuna Tataki w/ Ponzu Sauce - I judge a sushi bar by their tuna tataki, so if there is one plate you order at SMS, it's this one. The tuna is seared perfectly and the owner must seriously catch his own fish on an hourly basis because it's just that fresh. The ponzu sauce goes great with the above mentioned rolls Coconut gelato - low air content makes for a really creamy treat that will make me run an extra mile down Cabrillo Hwy (thanks). Oh, it's served in a fake coconut shell, at least I think it's fake I won't mention my alcohol consumption - it's sad how much I drink alone. **Please don't tell my mom what Sushi Main Street is, she's convinced the charges on her credit card are from a grocery store with a funny name.
(5)
Julian T.
Good service & fresh well-prepared sushi. I tried halibut nigiri for the first time & was delighted by the fresh mint under the meat. Equal to any sushi I have enjoyed. Delicious & moderately priced. My spouse enjoyed a soba noodle soup with tempura shrimp.
(5)
Veronica M.
I had a fantastic meal here years ago, & I was struck by what a great value it was. Seriously, the 2 of us ate like friggin royalty, had a bottle of sake, & it was only about a hundred bucks. The sushi was high quality & fresh. The 2 things that matter most w sushi, right? The space is gorgeous. It's unique & unforgettable. I may be romanticizing, but it's so amazing that it affords forgiveness of minor things. Operative word being minor. After having had a late Labor Day lunch @ Alice's in Woodside, we stopped here for a drink. I had the Japanese equivalent of a margarita; frozen lemonade w sake. It had just the right amount of tangy & sweet. It was fabulous! Uber refreshing. Too delicious, too dangerous. They could have been snooty & given us attitude for not ordering food. But they didn't. Props for that. I studied the menu & saw that it's still a good value today. Rolls starting at $5.95 & lunch bento boxes at around $10.95. And special rolls & mains averaging at $14? I'm there. 5 stars.
(5)
Nathan T.
Came in today and got the bento box, what a great deal for lunch! Came in and was immediately seated at the bar. There was only one person working the house at the time, but service was pretty quick -- I wasn't kept waiting at all. The miso soup had great depth of flavour, and everything in the box (rice, vinegared cucumber, grilled whitefish, and vegetable tempura) was delicious and properly prepared. I will be coming back next time I am in HMB!
(5)
Gabriella V.
My boyfriend and I have come all the way from Oakland three times just to eat at Sushi Main Street. It's our favorite place and we LOVE sushi! The fish is always fresh and the prices are good, too. The chefs clearly take great care in the preparation of their food. One of my favorite items on the menu is the salmon miso soup; packed with perfectly cooked seafood and under $5! The daily specials are always worth checking out and the variety of fish here is much better than most restaurants in the same price range. Furthermore, you can order a sushi platter and choose your own fish!
(5)
Judith Q.
This place is amazing!!! Been here a couple times, loved it!!! Quality and presentation is amazing, love Chef Buddhi. What a culinary artist!!!
(5)
Bori B.
Pretty average. Service was slow and our food came out at separate times which I didn't like. I was the last one served so I had to wait a while. The restaurant is dead during the lunch hours on the weekdays. The sushi is pretty mediocre as well and slightly overpriced.
(2)
Jacqueline H.
Terrible. Don't ever go there. Flies everywhere and the food is not worth your time. Ordered a catch of the day which was salmon. Plain, small and was not anything special. Literally boiled salmon. Had a dinner combination as well.it was not fulfilling and everything was in teeny tiny portions for $20. My friend who ordered catch of the day had the same exact thing I had in the dinner combo and it costed him 20$ for just the salmon. I would not recommend anyone to go here EVER.
(1)
Patch L.
My girlfriend and I went in impromptu for sushi. We sat at the sushi bar and were treated with pretty good service. The food was good and the prices were great. We ended up getting two sets of sushi and a dinner combination plate all for under 35 bucks. Not too shabby for a dinner in the Bay Area. The ambiance was nice and it wasn't too loud.
Unbelievably delicious. The freshest (in both senses of the word) ingredients. Really a great dining experience!
(5)
Doug K.
Had dinner last night and it was wonderful. The only critique was the Maine lobster roll that was listed on the menu for 22.95 and was listed as having 8 Oz of Maine lobster. The lobster was a spiny lobster as indicated by the tail garnish. Pink in color and small. Maine lobster cooks out bright red. I am a Chef and I had a Bistro in Maine for 10 years. I know my Lobster. Although the roll was very good, it was not as described. Thus 4 instead of 5 stars. I will definitely return when I return to Half Moon Bay and I hope this critique is resolved.
(4)
Julia P.
My favorite sushi place!!! I come here once a week because it is a quality experience for very reasonable prices. The atmosphere, fish, and service keep me coming back. Oaxaca (roll with cilantro jalapeño and more) and Princeton by the Sea rolls are my favorites. Very interesting rolls!
(5)
Russ V.
We had lunch today I had the Udon combo. I admit I am a bit of a Udon snob-but...the broth was lacking flavor. My wife had the Bento box which was fair though the fish was bland and I am sure it was frozen. The atmosphere and decor is very nice and unique and they have an extensive Sake menu. There were no flies, perhaps the problem others wrote about is due to the very slow closing door.
The interior is indeed beautiful (if you can get past being attacked by flies). However the service was super slow and the food was mediocre at best. The service: Very slow. Painfully slow. The server was polite and sweet, and it really wasn't her fault. She was the only server at 12:30 pm on a Friday afternoon. I counted she had a total of 7 tables, and 2 counters she was managing by herself. No bus boy, just her running the floor. Flies, oh my gosh the flies! It was a cool, foggy day, shut the darn door! Geez! We constantly had to swat at flies landing on our faces, the table, our glasses. Super annoying and really gross. If they were that bad in the dinning room, how were they in the kitchen? Which brings me to the food: The 3 of us ordered 2 bento boxes and udon soup. The meat in the bento boxes (teriyaki steak, chicken, cutlet) all were dry and cold. The 2 tiny pieces of California roll with fake crab meat was just whatever. Salad limp and old. My Daughter who loves bento boxes, didn't touch most of it. The udon had a weird smell to it and the broth was pretty flavorless. My husband didn't eat it. He never leaves food behind! We usually go to Shiki when we want sushi, but, it was my Daughter's 16th birthday and I wanted to take her somewhere a little more upscale for her special day. I really felt bad about my choice and had to take her to the bakery to make up for the poor lunch choice. Honestly, the flies were the real killer here. It was so hard to relax, making our long wait even harder. I really hope the owner takes note and does something about this. Also, staff your restaurant better. That poor server shouldn't have to manage the whole place by herself, at least give her a bus boy! Don't think we will be back.
(1)
steven p.
Loved the spider rolls and spicy tuna rolls. Tempura was good too. Service a little slow but worth the wait.
(5)
Shzz R.
food is good, but sadly if you can catch them open , they close early and they don't open early.. Tough for working people to make their schedule.
(2)
Karen U.
I have eaten here occasionally, for decades, and it used to be very good. In 1997 chose to hold a dinner here for a work retreat; a large group, spent plenty of the company's money, and it was still good then. Recently I had a terrible meal, and don't plan to return. Nothing was good. Nothing was up to my expectations. I no longer eat fish, but vegetarian Japanese food is usually simple and tasty. Not this time. A sample of our food: The grilled eggplant tasted good, but was dripping in oil. The miso soup was too salty, and I am a salt-lover. The Oaxaca Mexico sushi roll (Fried Jalapeno Pepper, Broiled Green Onion, Tomato, Cilantro, lettuce and Avocado) had no heat and no pepper. We looked in vain and asked the server twice about it. Service was okay, but who cares. If the food is awful, who cares about good service. Never again.
(1)
Jennifer F.
Good, fresh, reasonably priced sushi. Wonderful decor. Great service. I'll come here again when I'm back in town.
(4)
Sam M.
Dinner for 2 is gonna cost you $100+ if you stick to drinking water! Ordered 2 rolls and they came together on the same plate there were only 7 pieces/slices! I seriously thought it was one puny roll...but NO it was two! ! With water = $20. Sushi is so much better and way more economical at every single sushi place in Reno, NV. This place has never even heard of all you can eat. What?! Skip it. You are welcome.
(1)
Sam M.
Fabulous sushi. I particularly loved the Tropical (yellow tail & mango). The food and service were slow but the flavor more than made up for it.
(5)
Matt F.
This is the worst sushi I have ever had in my life. Don't let the amazing interior fool you. The beef tasted like rubber, they false advertise crab and give you imitation crab. Nothing was done right. The rolls are mostly rice, and the rice is awful too. Avoid this place.
(1)
Christina Y.
The interior design of the restaurant is really unique and interesting. Everything is made of either stone or wood. It's definitely a good place to stop by if you go to Half Moon Bay for a day trip. I ordered the rainbow roll. The plating was beautiful and the sashimi on top of the roll is really fresh and they put masago inside of the californian roll, which I love it a lot since I like masago. My friends all ordered different bento box for lunch specials. The plating was amazingly beautiful and the tempera was crispy but not oily, which cooked perfectly and the teriyaki meat was seasoned well. The only downside is the portion is not big. But given the cheap price, I am satisfied. We ordered Japanese draft beer Sapporo, which has a little bit rice flavor within it. It works well with sushi. I would definitely go back for both food and the atmosphere.
(4)
Ken S.
This is one of the rip off and unauthentic sushi restaurants. Anybody who had real sushi before would know this place is a joke. I ordered the catch of the day, indeed I was the "catch of the day", 20 dollar for a tiny broiled salmon with no seasonings at all, tiny scoop of rice with mushrooms and spinach. I honestly didn't feel like i ordered a dish from a sushi restaurant. There were flies flying around, i had to protect my food from them constantly. this place is just plain awful
(1)
J R.
Problematic table service and overpriced selections. :-/
(2)
Kristi T.
Amazing! Great atmosphere, great service, and great food. I've been here twice now and felt like I had to spread the word. Short and sweet review. Totally worth trying!
(5)
Tomoko R.
I expected more because of Japanese owned. Ordered blue fin tuna and tamago sushi to try. Decent but rice wasn't right portion. Bento box ... Salad and California rolls weren't great. Grilled Wht fish was good but very small portion. Nice waitress and service was great. Just food was ok.
(2)
Lyndsay M.
First time here. My daughter and I couldn't get over how beautiful this place is. Even the restroom is a work of art. Staff is super friendly and sushi was amazing. Clean and pure not over loaded in sauce like most places! Yum!
(4)
Dorothygale T.
Hmmm, I came here to review after dining on Friday night and it looks like we ate here (or tried to) 8 years ago. Funny, bc as we were sitting there we were trying to remember if we'd eaten here when we were younger. We just moved back to the area and went out for dinner. There are 2 separate restaurants right next to each other. If you have reservations you go to one side and they only serve beer and wine. The walk-in side has a full bar. We only had sushi and we were very happy all around. Everything was very fresh. The place wasn't busy, but the waitress was slow...she was very nice, but not very attentive...we had to flag her down for more drinks. The only complaint I have is that the seaweed used for the rolls was very tough, I've never encountered such a texture with seaweed wrapped sushi. I can't imagine that it was stale as the place seems to have a lot of turn over.
(4)
Ironman K.
Sushi Main Street is a gem. Maybe not everyone will "get" Sushi Main Street. The front bar is fun for a drop in for a drink/sushi fix but the side restaurant sushi bar is my go to dine. Disclaimer, yes the service is oft inconsistent but hey it's HMB, chill and relax with a cool drink and friends. Nice selection of beers, sake and drink concoctions. The unique Indonesian decor and the food art (sushi) is really unmatched in quality/creativity, you just have to wait for it. Tasty use of fish and vegetables. Ask the sushi chef Shige for any special requests or recommendations, very cool guy! Also a sure vegetarian's find, especially their rolls.
(5)
Eli G.
Already had 1 not so great experience here, and one Ok experience.... but came in last week, 30 min before closing (i called to make sure it was ok).. they said it was ok since there was only 2 of us... right after we get seated, 2 other parties come in... a party of 4 & a party of 2... seated squished right next to us... we had already ordered our sake...& closed our menu. The table to the right of us were already to order so when the waitress asked them for drink order, they ordered food... ok no problem... as we sat there waiting for our order to be taken..... another waitress walks up to the party of 4, who orders a bunchhhhhhh of stuff.... as we are STILL waiting to order.... keep in mind we came before these 2 parties... and finally a long few minutes later they come to our table to ask us to order... i was already annoyed, so just asked for the check, paid for the sake & walked out.... I live in hmb, been here 3 times, and 2 out of the 3 had a crappy experience... I want to like this place but oh well.. Shiki is way better... not to mention this is a latin run sushi place it seems like, and they dont have it down very well... nice decor though
(2)
Maddie R.
I went to Main Street Sushi last week and was excited to show my friend how delicious the sushi was. Unfortunately, we never got to taste it as we sat at our table for 15 minutes without being helped or looked at once, even after trying to flag down the waitress while she was taking the order of the customers next to us who had JUST sat down. The food is good, but the service was so unattentive we left after 15 minutes of being ignored.
(2)
Mikey B.
Let me be clear: The sushi is FIVE STARS. no doubt. The service is ONE STAR. Averages out to 3 Stars. There is no hostess. There are no bus-boys. There are typically 2 waitresses for the entire restaurant (and they have to bus the tables). The 2 waitresses don't seem to have any concern for how long guests are waiting for food, drinks, appetizers, etc. It really is unbelievable how bad the service is. The main sushi chef is a GENIUS. it is the best sushi around (good enough that I drive over the hill to eat).
(3)
Stephanie W.
I really want to give this place four stars. The sushi is so fresh and tasty... But, the service is just painful. It isn't the wait staffs fault, they have too much to take on.. heck, even the food takes forever. My husband and I use to come every single weekend for lunch and get their bento box but the teriyaki chicken got so dry (and the other japanese place in town is the same way...). So we are picky about what we order So, when I go, I make sure a) I have a lot of time b) make sure I order as fast as I can c) Stick to sushi and udon noodles (their veggy tempura udon is the BEST). Honestly, I love this place, just wish things moved a bit faster in the kitchen and in the front of the house.
(3)
Jennifer A.
Beautiful decor inside but terrible food. Felt bad having so much sushi go to waste but it was inedible. I was excited for the lobster roll, but the taste of butter is overwhelming and does not blend well with the other flavors.
(2)
John M.
Wow. Thought this place was great from a visit a couple years ago, but, no! Oh, my, the absolute worst service I have ever experienced in a restaurant, period. Got seated for a late lunch at 2:00, and we were famished and excited (based on past experience). Alas, had the waitress from Hell, who seemed to be working inside a nightmare dream, with absolutely no idea what was going on. At twenty minutes past ordering, she brings my beer, saying, "Do you still want?" At 40 minutes past ordering, after delivering some food to some people at our table, I see what looks like two noodle dishes brought in. One gets delivered, the other one not. At this point, everyone but me has food. At 50 minutes, I flag her down and say that I am waiting for my food. Nothing happens. Ten minutes later, she asks if everything is okay. I indicate that I have not been served, and that my 10 year old is still waiting for a bowl of rice. It only goes down hill from there. My noodle dish has been on the counter for 15 minutes, but waitress can't find it. My wife pushes hard for a single bowl of rice for our daughter, and the waitress says, "It's not my job. I put the ticket in. And the kitchen, blah, blah, blah," A second waitress, just coming on duty realizes what a disaster is underway goes back to the kitchen, and gets a bowl of rice. She also brings my now 20 minute old noodle dish from the counter, along with my now cold tempura. And on, and on, and on.
(1)
Markus H.
This is great sushi, very reliable quality, by an internationally experienced sushi chef. New places pop up in the area, and this place continues to be above the rest. The table service can be hit or miss, usually it is good. But the food is great. (This is one of the few places that has Morimoto Ale, made in Oregon, highly recommended). I consider this a jewel in the area if not the Bay Area as a whole. The Indonesian decor is different and fun, too.
(5)
Marissa S.
This is my second time visiting Sushi Main Street, and I have the same takeaway as before. They are understaffed--no hostess, no busser, no bartender. The waitress does it all, which would normally work, but not with a full restaurant and a wait list. Our group ordered a couple of noodle soups, green salad, kelp salad and asparagus salad and they were all delicious with good size portions. We also ordered a platter of sashimi--very fresh and extremely tender. We also ordered a handful of special rolls, tuna tataki, tempura and a handful of Japanese desserts. The food is wonderful, nothing bad to say there. Had to ask for water three times, the tables are uneven so a glass fell off out table, and the wooden seats are uncomfortable. Nice decor and ambiance. Good for small groups who want great food, but not necessarily great service. I'm sure we'll be back again someday....
(3)
Darci R.
My favorite sushi place . Sashimi yellowish is the freshest and the best I have on the coast.
(5)
Stephanie C.
Great interior, service, prices, drinks, sushi. The ambience is very nice and I had the best nigori cocktail ever (the cloud 9). The menu is huge and they have a lot of vegetable rolls too. If you want a solid place with great food and legit prices, go here.
(4)
Mel C.
Great customer service (I recommend sitting at the sushi bar, we got real good service there), beautiful interior design, and melt in your mouth sushi. Totally recommend.
(4)
Koala P.
Menu items are mediocre and definitely overpriced (we tried rolls, sushi, udon, tsukemono, teriyaki). Service was the worst every experienced. Had to chase down the waitress to order additional items and ask for water. Then, we left a minimal tip and an employee forged a larger tip. When we called to follow up on the fraudulent tip, owner never called us back. :(
(1)
Maya K.
Really interestingly-designed interior. The vegetarian sushi combo is the best vegetarian sushi I have had.
(4)
Simone O.
Natural modern decor. Good service and food. Okay for well behaved kiddos too. Try the mushroom salad--it's hearty and yummy! Sexy me roll is nice too.
(4)
Emily P.
The sign was hard to find. We ended up walking around looking for it until the smell caught us and drew us in. Ambiance was fun and the sushi was innovative and tasty. I liked the rock and roll and the one with unagi and papaya. Gyoza was good too.
(4)
Sandra L.
My wife and I have been frequenting Sushi Main Street often on the week nights and boy have we found the perfect times to come in! Your now not dealing with the tourist in town, the service is way better and the folks there actually start to begin to recognize you and talk to you, because they have time to! The quality of the seafood is always fresh, and we really enjoy the fact that they don't rush you out of the joint to turn the table over. The house saki is good and the green tea is warming especially when it's a nice foggy evening in HMB. We enjoy the specialty rolls, especially the dragon and caterpillar rolls, along with the Hawaiian style Poki, that is a must have when your there!
(4)
shayne h.
We had been talking about trying this place for some time as we had heard good things. it's a nice place with interesting furnishings. No seats available so we sat at the bar. No bartender and we waited 10-15 before a waitress asked us our drink choice. We had our sushi and miso soup and a couple of drinks but then had to wait for awhile for the tab as the waitress sat with the other waitress and laughed and joked with the sushi Chef's at the far end often bar. Won't go back but the sushi was good. They need a lesson on customer service !
(1)
Steve D.
This truly is heart breaking. Long ago in a galaxy far far away I had the best California roll ever created at Main St. Sushi when it was just a whole in the wall located where Pasta Moon now has a bar. I went back recently and ordered a California roll, and it was made with logs of that disgusting red fake crab!!! I promised to never go back. A month later my friend wanted to go and I reluctantly agreed. I ordered a Sashimi Salad... what could go wrong? I was floored when they served me a salad that included 2 logs of that same fake crab! In what world is FAKE CRAB considered Sashimi?!?!?!?! I will never go back. I hope that they find their path again.
(1)
Patrick S.
Best sushi in Half Moon Bay, hands down.
(5)
John M.
After working up an appetite hiking amongst the coastal redwoods, the girlfriend & I stopped in Half Moon Bay on the way home to get something to eat. Though it had been a while, we'd eaten at Sushi Main Street before & had generally positive memories of it, so we decided to eat there again. Not actually located on Main Street but, instead, just around the corner on a side street, we quickly found nearby street parking. As soon as we walked in, I remembered how much I love Sushi Main Street's decor. The whole place is decked out in a rustic Japanese nautical theme with lots of rough hewn stone, distressed wood & oxidized iron sculptures. Service was nice but not completely on top of things. We didn't have reservations so we were directed to sit at the bar. Throughout our whole meal, there were plenty of open tables so why we didn't get a table was a head-scratcher. Whichever, sitting at the bar was fine. The girlfriend opted for a seafood clay pot dish. I had no interest in anything like that. I came for sushi rolls so I went roll crazy. I had Ebiten: Shrimp Tempura, Avocado and Cucumber Hot Tuna: Tuna Tempura, Avocado, Spicy Sauce and Shiso Leaf Rock 'n Roll: Broiled Eel, Avocado, Cucumber with Teriyaki Sauce Oaxaca Mexico: Fried Jalapeño Pepper, Broiled Green Onion, Tomato, Cilantro, lettuce and Avocado & immensely enjoyed all of it. For dessert, the girlfriend & I split an order of Banana Tempura with Custard Sauce & that was delicious. Sushi Main Street is a really cool looking place with slightly off service & yummy sushi. How does the sushi here compare to truly great sushi? To be honest, I (like virtually all other sushi critics) am gaijin so I'm not trying to be a sushi authority. I only know what tastes good & what I had tasted good.
(4)
Mariam S.
Giving this one star because servers were very nice but food was horrible. Fake crab, extremely flavorless & dry chicken in the bento box. The decor is cool but uncomfortable to sit in & impractical. Flies were everywhere because doors were left open. Server should have taken the nasty chicken off of my bill but instead gave a sad face & said "oh sorry, we'll let the chef know." Yucky waste of my money!
(1)
Eddie M.
My wife and I are in town for our anniversary and had walked by Sushi Main Street a couple of times. Each time, we mentioned that we had to check this place out because of the beautiful decor you can see through the windows. We stopped in for a quick bite before a show and it delivered. The staff was very friendly and professional and the sushi was top notch. Highly recommend.
(5)
Michael C.
My wife and I have been going to this sushi restaurant since moving to Half Moon Bay early last year. The decor is great - handcrafted tables and pillows make for comfortable seating. Sushi is fresh and tasty - favorites of ours is the lobster roll and the sexy me roll but everything on the menu tastes great. They have really inexpensive sake and a selection of beers and sake cocktails. The one thing that people mention about is the service - Half Moon Bay is a laid back relaxed town not Los Angeles, where we moved from, and when you are having dinner here you want to enjoy it. The wait staff is very friendly but they are busy when the place is full, but I have always found when you need them they are there. Relax, have dinner, have a drink and enjoy yourself! Oh, and Thursday and Friday evenings they have a 3 piece band that plays music in the restaurant from 7pm until closing. Wonderful!
(4)
Christine E.
I REALLY hope that one of the servers called out sick or something last night and that it isn't usually such bad service. We came for dinner around 8:00 and had to wait about 10 minutes to even be acknowledged, then another 15 to be seated. Finally seated and had to wait another 15 minutes to place our order. The waitress was super apologetic and sweet, but she was the only one working in the whole restaurant. She forgot some of the things we ordered and we had to ask many times to get things that should have already been on the table such as plates etc. The food was really delicious and beautifully presented. And the decor of the restaurant was amazing, which is why it is getting 3 stars. But please, please hire some more servers!!
(3)
Cheryl H.
A beautiful restaurant with poor service. I was looking forward to trying "Sushi Main Street," after reading positive reviews and seeing how close it was to the B&B we were staying at, just up the road. I wanted a romantic place to have dinner with my spouse for our special weekend. We had reservations for 7pm and were promptly seated right away. However, after 20 minutes (It was actually 7:21pm by then) of waiting to give our drink order and/or at least be given a glass of water and/or a "hello," from our server. Upon looking around at the other tables, the table next to us was still waiting for their drinks/water etc... even though their plates without the sushi were brought out. The other couple at the table looked irritated because they had finally received their drinks, but were still waiting to place their order. We ourselves, were tired of being ignored by staff and walked out. Please note, I have never walked out of a restaurant before in my life! I understand that restaurants are sometimes short staffed, however a manager should at least let the customers know and bring glasses of water out while everyone is waiting. Luckily our romantic evening was not ruined, we found a great sushi place North on Main Street, near the Pasta Moon with excellent customer service!
(1)
Zeth K.
Took about 8 minutes to be greeted when walking in. Directed to sit at dirty table. When cleaned it smelled like dirty mop bucket. Waited 10 minutes for server to come to table. Another 10 to get our tea and had to ask for water. Waited another 30+ minutes to receive our food. Food was bland. Then discovered fish eggs in our vegetarian rolls. Returned rolls. Left hungry. Only 2 servers that were clearly over worked. Uncomfortable cramped over the top decor that doesn't really make up for poor service and food quality. Tables are uneven. Caused table next to us to spill soy sauce all over. And us to break a dish. Not a good experience. They need to hire more workers. Another reviewer notes lots of flies. I don't care to much about this but I noticed it as well. Probably attracted to the mop water used to clean the tables.
Used to eat here frequently, back when Katherine and Shige were running things hands on. Unfortunately, things have been sliding down hill for many years. Used to be some of the best tasting sushi, well worth the price. Everything on the menu was delicious. Used to be great waitresses waiting on you, bringing you delicious food in a timely manner. Used to get a really cheery smile from owner Shige (the cool old Japanese surfer dude with the ponytail, making sushi) when you walked through the door and got seated promptly. Those were the days... Now, not so many smiles, not such tasty food, way smaller portions at a higher price than before, slow as molasses service, good odds that you wont have Shige making your sushi, and a guaranteed case of diarrhea the next day (with out fail!). Sorry guys, not goin' back.
(1)
Robin K.
I lived in Japan for two years, and have had Japanese food (particularly sushi) at some of the best restaurants in NYC, SF, LA, Seattle, San Diego, etc. The fish at Sushi Main Street is incredibly fresh, and Chef and Owner Shige has come up with some unique, gorgeous and incredibly delicious dishes. And he is actually Japanese! I passed by this restaurant probably 20 times before I finally went in, just because the decor is so gorgeous, I figured it must be incredibly expensive. It's not. Not only do they have some of the freshest fish I've had in years, but also at the most reasonable prices. Great place!!!
(5)
Ashleigh K.
The details put into this restaurant by the owner are incredible. It's a BEAUTIFUL restaurant. The owner is an incredible sushi chef, and extremely kind, courteous, and welcoming. He has the freshest sashimi I've ever had, and the details he puts into his creations are impressive to say the least. Everything is delicious. Must go!
(5)
Christine P.
Came back after many years. Still love this place! Excellent choices for vegetarians. They expanded but I actually prefer their original location better. Love their hot soups -their vegetarian stir fry appetizer is really good too. Flavors are fresh and creative.
(5)
Lucas And Christie H.
After reading the menu and reviews we thought this sushi place would be really good. But unfortunately that wasn't the case. Only 2 out of 4 rolls were decent , we had to wait 23 min for a bowl of rice. Our waitress never checked on us, served people that were sat 10 min after us. We will never go back and never recommend this place. Customers are what makes you business prosper so it is best to have excellent customer service.
(2)
John D.
Have come here since I moved. High quality food and presentation in a gorgeous location. Spicy tuna and Futomaki are among my favorites to order. Today I got some amazing squash rolls (added a pic of the order too).
(5)
Jessica A.
1) When we went in at 5pm, the restaurant was mostly empty. The waitress asked if we had reservations; uh... no, we didn't, so she sat us in a secluded, drafty corner by a door. Thanks! It was also really great being by that door when a little boy outside kept opening the mail flap to peek in at us. Not so cute when it's EFFING FREEZING OUTSIDE. And my friends just sat there, waving and egging him on. A-holes. 2) The green salad (just the generic one) was awful. For $4.50, we were presented with limp romaine lettuce with a terrible sesame dressing. TERRIBLE! It was mouth puckering due to the acidity, and tasted like it was drenched in soy sauce. There was absolutely NO sweet note to balance the saltiness! When we asked to send them back, the waitress had to go ask (?!), and then told my friend she couldn't exchange it for a (cheaper) salad. What? Then she offered me the kelp salad (also known as WAKAME/seaweed salad. KELP salad makes it sound unappetizing to me). It tasted generic; the same kind of wakame you can buy at any Japanese market. It did have a slightly bizarre aftertaste, though. 3) My friend and I also ordered rice with a side of teriyaki sauce. Granted, the teriyaki sauce at most Japanese restaurants is not very traditional, I wasn't expecting the crap that ruined my rice. Thick, black as tar, with a strange alcoholic note, and an extremely unpleasant BURNT taste. Considering the small amount of rice we were given for $1.75 (and believe me, rice must cost 10¢ a bowl), there was no fresh rice to mix in to dilute the terrible flavor, so it went uneaten. 4) I ordered INARI. Such a simple, simple dish! It was something like $4.50 for 2 pieces, which is kind of insane, but I love the stuff and figured I'd get it anyway. The pouches tasted like they had been SOAKED in white wine. I am not exaggerating at all! They were not even remotely sweet, and the rice inside tasted like it had been seasoned with plain rice vinegar (sweet rice vinegar would taste much better). I left that, too. 5) I ordered the Green Roll and an avocado roll. The Green Roll was a veggie tempura roll, and it was dusted with some kind of weird green shit that I assume was some sort of seaweed powder. That roll was the most mediocre vegetable tempura roll I've ever had. It wasn't awful (THANK GOD, I was starving), but it was bland. The avocado roll was the same; I think that they need to use sweet rice vinegar or no vinegar at all. The acidity is just BIZARRE mixed with soy sauce and wasabi. All in all, new favorite restaurant! Loved it!
(1)
bob o.
Great sushi, and that's the focus. The decor is enough to make you leave or not enter, "demented '60s", so eat the sushi and look down at your plate. Don't have anything else, the tempura was by far the worst I've evr had, in 50 years of tempura.
(3)
jazzy l.
Fresh sushi with a unique Nepalese inspired ambiance twist. I would definitely come back again. Salmon Collar Spicy Tuna (Not the grounded up tuna)
(4)
Dean M.
Great sushi chefs (the guy with the ponytail is AWESOME) good vibes and a really cool design for the restaurant. I felt like I was eating sushi in the Flintstones...everything was made of Stone or Wood Branches...so cool. With Chillout music playing softly in the background its just nice and tranquil then you get the sushi and OMG look out. so fresh, so clean...its like they caught it minutes before serving it to you. We've eaten here twice and I have yet to say anything bad about what i've eaten Hot Tuna Roll - crispy (seaweed), soft, delicate and swimming with flavor, you can actually taste the tuna and its not fishy in any way...super clean Spot Prawn - AMAZING...was like butter and even the HEAD wasn't fishy or oily (they fry the head) MonkFish Liver - Foie gras from the sea...so clean again and so buttery and tasty. It was like Fish butter. LOL we had other rolls but I can't remember their names...I will say that no matter what you order, its probably going to be amazing. Check this little place out on Main street in Half Moon Bay...then go to the bar across the street and get a killer bloody mary.
(4)
Travelmeister T.
Outstanding sushi as always! It had been 7+ years since my last visit. The restaurant has grown but the sushi quality remains one of the best I've ever eaten. My first stop was for two take away caterpillar rolls. Outstanding. My second visit was a late lunch with a caterpillar and a papaya unagi roll that was also outstanding. I love the sushi at Sushi Main!
(5)
Colleen S.
Been here at least a dozen times and it's not always consistent. There are two dining areas, one off Main st., the other off the side entrance and both are completely different. The one on Main St. looks very cool and hip but the stone tables are perpetually sticky and the"tree" chairs are always uncomfortable. But as Billy Crystal said "It's always bettah to loook gooood than to feeeel gooood". There's one shorter delightful Latina girl (I believe from Columbia) that will take EXCELLENT good care of you. She's amazing, funny and helpful. She'll always remember your regular order if you visit often, not sure how she does that. If she isn't working, good luck, the help is ALWAYS bad. You will wait until you grow a beard, seriously. The side street dining room is very warm and woody. It's louder and more family style while the other is chic and hip. The sushi is not the best in the world but it tastes good and it's presented beautifully. It's probably the best in H.M.B. They have a lot of spicy options that are quite different and their sake blended Mint Julip is really nice! We will return but we'll expect whatever comes our way.
(3)
Eddie S.
The food was okay, and the decor was better than average, but service was so slooooooowwww. The waitress may have been spread too far over too many tables, but I suspect that the kitchen was to blame. We were there for approx. 2.5 hours for a not very large order that any other restaurant could have wrapped up in less than 1 hour. Other tables came and went as we sat there. The terms "marathon," "long march", "trail of tears", etc. were all used by the our group before we finally got our food and paid our check. Never again. You have been warned.
(2)
JOSELYN Y.
Let me start by saying we drove a distance to HALF MOON BAY just to get away. We came across to this restaurant. So my husband and I decided to check it for ourselves. When we were outside we were SHOCKED to see the place looks so out dated. Doesn't look like a Japanese restaurant. So we went inside. My thought was..what the heck is this place? When we received our green tea, I was very SHOCKED TO see the container of the tea. It looked liked they dug it out from a pile of garbage. Thankfully at this point the tea was the ONLY thing that tasted good. I couldn't believed the reviews people are saying about the food. Must be ones who doesn't know what. ...AUTHENTIC FOOD is. Green salad tasted stale. CHICKEN teriyaki tasted like plastic. Honestly I don't even know what sauce they put on it. Just didn't taste like what it should be. To make it simple. ..both my food and my husband was DISGUSTING !! We paid more $$ for that lunch when we could have paid less for an AUTHENTIC Japanese food other than this place. So for anyone looking for real JAPANESE food. ..run away from this.
(2)
Michael R.
This place has amazing food and presentation is awesome. Very relaxed yet fancy decor and atmosphere. Highly recommend it!
(5)
Jeff C.
Starts with excellent, friendly staff. Amazing hip decor. Fresh, tasty sushi at the right price point.
(5)
Phacops T.
8/21/2012 Just ok... I would probably not go back. Atmosphere was much better than the sushi.
(3)
K A.
Very reasonable, very fresh! Great ambience with no wait. The portions were generous and they had a nice selection to chose from. I wish we had a sushi place like this close to where we live. We will definitely come back when visiting. Anything less than four stars is not justified.
(5)
Heather K.
We stopped in last night on our way home for a late dinner. It was like 8:45 and I was half expecting to be turned away (it was Memorial Day to boot) but the server told us to have a seat. The bar/lounge area is SUPER cool, all decorated with concrete slab-tables and driftwood chairs and other such twaddle. Swanky funky chill beats played in the background (I swear, they played "Shaft"). My husband ordered the seafood udon and I had the chirashi. We also got an order of hamachi kama to share. The kama was WAY delicious, and the sauce it came with was a perfect compliment to it. The chirashi was also very good, although (and this is my reason for knocking one star off) it was pretty small for the price. Most sushi joints charging the same for chirashi ($16.95) provide more than one slice of each type of sashimi. Here, there was only one piece of each kind of fish. I was kinda bummed. But - the variety was pretty awesome. Tamago, ebi, unagi, hamachi, sake, maguro, escolar, tai, and hokkigai. Presentation was also very nice. I'm pretty sure we'll be back, especially if I get the urge to sip sake and groove to the theme from Shaft again. Smoooooooth.
(4)
Matthew J.
THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!! I think this is hands down my favorite sushi place in the bay area. The moment you walk through the front door you are transported to some crazy far away destination. The tables are giant slabs of stone, the chairs are giant pieces of wood. I wish I had the artistic ability to make stuff furniture like this. Giant "doors" hang from the walls. Can't even begin to describe just how cool the place looks inside. (check out both "ends" of the restaurant as they have a lounge and a restaurant right next door to each other. Now if it stopped there and the served mediocre food I would be still impressed BUTNO JOHNNY... THE FOOD WAS PERFECT... Every roll came out tantalizing my eyeballs with flavor... If I can find out how to upload photos I will because they may cause you to drool all over yourself as well...
(5)
Michelle B.
This place has the most amazing atmosphere. It is unlike any other sushi restaurant I have been too. I understand there are two different areas to eat in. I ate in the one with all the wood...wood tables, seats, lighting, etc. I went on a Friday night with no reservations and was quickly seated at the counter. The waitress was friendly and answered all our questions. I was looking for a particular roll I didn't see on the menu and she suggested something similar. But they pretty much made the roll I wanted. I also ordered the spicy tuna and caterpillar roll. The sushi was so fresh and delicious! I really liked the fact they had ginger available in a class jar on the counter so I didn't have to ask for more! I tried an oyster shooter which was pretty darn good! That was one large oyster! For the quality, it was reasonably priced and I would definitely come here again!
(5)
Rick L.
I want great local sushi sooooo much. Such a shame that Sushi Main Street has vanished from my list of top quality contenders. I went in hungry a few days ago and was floored by the outrageous prices. Lunch mid-week it was totally empty. Charming little hole in the wall that should cater to us locals, but I reckon they are only focused on the tourist clientele. Their prices are equal to the only other 1-star Sushi review I have written for an equally empty mid-day and way overpriced Japanese restaurant. Note to Sushi Main Street: Your Nigiri prices are 2x what I pay everywhere else on Earth! Safeway 2 minutes away serves very sound Nigiri for far less than half your prices. You cannot survive long term if you are in the top 1% of food charges and are not in the top 50% of ratings.
(1)
Krista N.
I was quite pleased by this sushi place -- the staff were friendly, the service was excellent, and the food was delicious! Highly recommended.
(5)
Curt S.
Went here with my wife this weekend. Sat at the bar and ordered Blue Fin, Hamachi and Scallop nigiri. Shortly after I ate the scallop I watched the chef pull a container of scallops from the fridge to restock the display case. He proceeded to drop a scallop on the floor, pick it up, rinse it under the sink for 5 seconds and then place it in the display case with the rest of the raw scallops. OMG, this is food he plans to serve RAW in a few minutes. That's totally unacceptable and disgusting. My wife and I had just eaten one of those. The owner may be a great sushi chef but he is a terrible manager who has done a horrible job training his staff. That is the worst thing I've every seen while sitting at a sushi bar. I'll not be eating here again if that's the level of care they have for food and customer. Yuck.
(1)
Joseph M.
Despite the bad reviews I thought this place was pretty good. The sushi I ordered came quickly and with a smile from the server. She wasn't the best server ever but she certainly has her hands full being the greeter and the server and busser. Anyway the decor is straight out of the Flintstones with crazy gigantic pieces of rock formed into booths. There is also hanging wood pieces from Nepal or some temple scattered about. It is eclectic with a touch of WTF. And I Like crazy so I could overlook all the inefficient uses of space. The Fish we had was great and not only that but the Uni came with a small piece of shiso, which is like Japanese Mint, super tasty and creative addition to a very traditional sushi roll. Also the pricing was great for tataki, agedashi and sushi compared to SF Japanese restaurant prices. I would say give this place a try and you will be surprised at how good it is for the price. Its a great deal for a unique experience. But definitely DO NOT BRING BABIES. There is no space and it aint a family type restaurant its more of a couples spot.
(4)
B R.
I adore the sushi chefs here. I make it a point to stop in here every time I'm in the area and always with a friend so they can pass on the secret! Sushi always tastes fresh and the sushi chef that never takes a day off is more than happy to make me recommendations or share facts about the fish :) I'd ask him out if he weren't so busy ;) Try a ponzu uni shooter...mmmmmhmm. They get me drunk sometimes by bringing me samples because I'm a bartender! Stop here!
(5)
Mike T.
Great food. Great service. Great decor.
(5)
Eric H.
"Swapni and Shegai are the friendliest and best sushi chefs in the Bay. The quality is tip notch!"
(5)
Marguerite G.
Have not been for a while and when we returned we were disapointed, to put it mildly. 1. Soup was oversalted. 2. Entree of $17.00 consisted of one tiny piece of tuna with some type of lettuce and sauce which I could not identify. 3. One cup of green tea $3.00. 4. Bento box - nothing in it but a lot of rice and lettuce. No one was there except for another table and this was around 12:15 p.m. We left around 1 p.m. and no one else had come in. We talked with some local people who said they no longer go there because of the overblown prices and the lesser portions. They go to Shiki down the street which has fresh fish at reasonable prices.
(1)
Jack C.
Food is fresh alright and the service is ever so friendly. But I wouldn't run my business like this place purely by the books. Here's why. They basically have a policy to hold tables for people that don't show up. Walk in customers only get to stare at those empty tables in vain unless they jump onto the sushi bar. Whoever said the price was just right? $13+ for a 6 piece dragon roll (it was fresh) certainly isn't "right" in my books. Sashimi platter was priced okay ($19+) but didn't fill me up like some other hole-in-the-walls cuz it doesn't come with a miso soup nor rice. Decor is fabulous with stone tables and tin kettles. But if this restaurant continue skimping on it's food portions and the seating policies, customers might start wandering out in hunger hunting for pizzerias or burgers.
(2)
Nicolas L.
Came for lunch on a Monday. There was only one waitress and another table with customers, and it took forever to get our food. Bento boxes were OK, Seafood Nabeyaki was excellent, but won't come back.
(3)
Belyj P.
My girlfriend and I stopped here for lunch after spending a weekend in Half Moon Bay. We were really surprised by the unusual decor and the cool driftwood chairs and stone topped tables. They have a helluva sake menu, broken down by style and taste. The bento box lunch special had an extensive list of things to choose from and a great value. Nice place overall.
(4)
christiana k.
Love this place! Have been coming here for years and very rarely am disappointed. My favorite perfect miso and best roll ever the White Dragon!! If you love shiso and burdock this roll is amazing. Thanks for making my belly happy!
(5)
Vivek P.
After a day at the beach, the last thing you want to do is sit in traffic all the way over the hill on 92. Sushi Main Street is a perfect place to end the day and avoid the traffic. The first think you'll notice as you enter the restaurant is the unique decor. It feels as though you're entering a beautiful antique store between the intricate wooden carvings and stone lamp shades and tables. I've eaten here several times and the sushi always tastes great. In fact, I'd even recommend the place for vegetarians. One time I tried their vegetarian sushi combo and the artichoke and avocado roll really worked well. Oh, and their seaweed salad is a great starter. I was happy to see that they might be expanding next door into what appears to be a cool bar/lounge that's under construction!
(5)
Élan B.
Locals Only!? I can't figure out the deal... but we were given horrible entry service... sadly... because this place *looks* so freaking rad! The decor is stunning! It was about 9pm on a Saturday night... As we walked in, we were near the front of the 'bar'... in which there stood a server taking a couple's order... she *did not* look up or acknowledge us. We were greeted by a bus boy who was clearing spaces at the other end of the bar... he came up and said he'd seat us in a few minutes. After he'd cleared those seats, he did not return to us (there was no one else awaiting seating). In fact, both he and the original server came towards the front of the place to tend to tables & guests right in front of us!!?? We stood there, looking like eager little puppies, for about 8mins. Nothing! We left... will not be back... sad :( About a week later, I learned from a friend, whom has worked & had family in HMB for 25yrs that this place is very geared towards Locals and if you are not such, then you will not experience good service... don't know how much weight this holds on a continuous basis... but it certainly felt like that to us & explains a lot!! (this review has nothing to do with the food.... just the service)
(1)
Rich G.
Really good fish! We were there off season, so didn't have any issues with service. It is a small place and can get noisy, but the food! Had a Hawaiian roll, really good and interesting.
(5)
J To The K.
I absolutely love Sushi Main Street. I am really surprised to see that it doesn't have a better rating on yelp! I literally have been eating here for the last 10-15 years. I have never had a bad meal here. The Sukiyaki is delicious, all the rolls are delicious, some of the appetizers are my favorite though; the Kimiyaki and cabbage salad are a few of my favorites. The spicy rolls are delicious. The new sake bar is really fun and charming to sit at also. Half Moon Bay just runs at a little slower pace than the rest of the Bay Area. Sometimes the service can be slow, but most places are on the coast, unless it is one of the really nice restaurants that is geared toward tourists. So the fact that people aren't all over you the minute you walk in the door or buzzing about your table...well that is just HMB. So don't get offended, the 'locals' get exactly the same somewhat slow service, it's just that we are used to it. Because that's how all of HMB runs.. I really think this place doesn't have a better rating because coastside peope that frequent this place would never go on yelp. Too bad, because if I was coming to Half Moon Bay as a tourist I would sooo want to go to Sushi Main Street.
(5)
Gayle M.
Best sushi in most beautiful surroundings.. Have loved this place for five years- always chill and perfect beautiful sushi...There is another sushi place in downtown Half Moon Bay, that is down the street - but is not as beautiful of an experience. Both have good sushi, but Main Street is extra special in my opinion - the decor and presentation is unique .
(5)
Kelly W.
This place was okay. We went with our 10 month old and the highchair straps were broken so we ended up having to hold him the whole time. We ordered 3 rolls and were brought out two trays. They failed to tell us that they'd stacked two of the rolls together, so I ended up eating one of my hubby's rolls. It didn't seem too fresh either. :(
(2)
H K.
I told myself that I would try this place per former co-worker's recent recommendation. She's non-Asian, and at first when I went into this restaurant I wondered if I made the right decision because I saw there that the only Asian there is the sushi chef. For people like me, that sometimes serves as a potential warning sign. Still I told myself I'm doing it for the experience of dining in this small town. Also by the time I got there I was craving for sushi after a good hiking workout at nearby Purisima Creek Redwood Park just a few miles away. Overall it turned out the sushi was pretty good. I ordered the chirashi, which the rice had about the right amount of vinegar taste. The price was $14.95 which was low compared to many restaurants, but it turned out I only got about six pieces of fish along with two cooked eggs. I also ordered the wild mushroom roll per reading other reviews here (along with the fact that I'm a mushroom fan). It was okay but nothing that makes me feel I need to order it again should I visit here. In the end, after a sputtering start, the service was pretty good also. One thing I almost didn't realize is that this business has two sections. The part facing Main Street (which is what I've seen in the past when driving by) is more of a bar and music scene. The actual restaurant is around the corner on Mill Street. Good thing I saw two different listings and addresses here on Yelp for this business, otherwise I might have walked away from the bar part not knowing the restaurant has another entrance.
(3)
Gabriel D.
I lived in half moon bay for a year and a half, and have returned to this place for years since. Sushi Main Street is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in the bay area - like Top 5. The settings is great, the food quality high, the price good - I highly recommend eating here if you are moving through half moon bay. Well paired with a trip to the ocean (before or after) and also a walk down the main street which is lovely (there is a large garden right across the street from main street sushi in fact). Bottom line: eat here.
(4)
QuodE D.
Japanese food in Half Moon Bay? If you don't expect a lot, sure, why not. The space is quite attractive with heavy, rough-hewn, stone-top tables. There are also cool looking lamps throughout. Service is casual and easy going. The lunch bento box special is the way to go: miso soup, small salad, pickled vegetables, two proteins (from a generous list of options), rice, a couple of pieces of California roll and green tea ice cream. Not a bad deal. The food isn't bad. My teriyaki beef was a bit on the tough side and kinda dry, but the tonkatsu was tasty. While there are a lot of options along Half Moon Bay's Main Street, consider giving this spot a try.
(3)
S.K. Y.
October 2010 - Half Moon Bay Pumkin Festival 1st and Rough visit ... usually anything I give lousy review ... I do a 2+ month later redemption review ... not possible because of distance. It could be they were overwhelmned from the festival ... who knows Sorry, it was terrible. Nomally I would not post bad review ... not my thing (bad karma). I rather give feedback so they could improve and I would have more place to enjoy good meal. Just bad mouthing is a waste of time and posting exagerated good reviews are just as bad ... lost confidence on the reviewer. Unless it is a feedback to the owner and/or staff for improvements. Place have great potential... Near source ... hello ... Half Moon Bay Beautiful interior Staff did try hard and was friendly Main lunch entrees Wait for the dishes were 25+ minutes for 4 person! Sushi The sushi did came less than 10 minute Basic sushi was average The non-traditional sushi was not working Beautiful interior Unique wooden furniture Not sure ... half of the decoration was more Southeast Asia style not Japanese ... the decor patterns see in Thailand, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries. Been eating many different Japanese restaurants in the SF region and some other places. Do not have the time to post all and they are too old to post. Maybe around 100+ Japanese restaurarnts alone. There are so many could pass this place. Maybe, like I said ... overwhelmned during the festival? Was the place used to a different restaurant? New owner or staff? Certain things kind of point torward there. Only the locals would know.
(2)
Melanie L.
I like it here. It's all about the sushi. I'm vegetarian and they have delicious veggie options: Spicy avocado roll is my fave! Oaxacan mexican roll is delish Green dragon roll rocks They also have a tasty wild mushroom roll, futomaki, and some other veggie rolls too. The rolls are especially good because their rice is just perfect! Portions are on the smaller side. I would pass on the hot entrees and just fill up on sushi. Even though their veggie tempura is good, the sushi is still better. Skip the super healthy salad. Kelp salad is great. For dessert, banana tempura is the way to go! Comes with lightly powdered sugar and a custard sauce. Definitely one of my go to spots when I'm in town.
(4)
Megan D.
It was pouring. We were hungry. We found parking right out front. We decided to give it a try without consulting Yelp. Womp womp. The atmosphere is nice -- kind of temple-esque, cool stone tables. It was fairly crowded, though, and pretty loud. The service was friendly, but pretty slow and inattentive. Not sure if they were short staffed or what, but we asked for more water multiple times, asked to put in our order, asked for the check, etc. They also waited to bring all 6 of our rolls at once, instead of bring them 1 or 2 at a time as they were ready, so it felt like we waited forever without any food. The sushi was okay. No one got sick or anything, but it just didn't taste that good. They had ginger on each table in a little container, which I thought was nice at first, since I'm always asking for more ginger. But it was pretty dry and not super tasty, so this probably isn't the best plan. The 4 of us got a bottle of sake, a bottle of Sapporo, and 6 rolls for $16 each, including tax and tip, which is reasonable. . .but I'd have rather spent the money on food somewhere else.
(2)
Sheila W.
This is the second time and last we will eat here. I trust yelp and go to this site often for dinner recommendations so I thought I would tell you that we had an awful experience here. We had made 6:30 reservations and they did not have a table for us. They seemed to seat walks ins and then ran out of room for us even though we had made a reservation. They offered us a low Japanese style table you had to sit cross legged at to eat and it was very uncomfortable. We asked to wait for an actual table and we waited 1.5 hours for our entire meal to arrive. Our sushi order did not come out all at once so that we were full and were at the end of our rope when the rest of the order came. Poorly run and they just don't care! Food is acceptable but eat here if you have hours and hours to kill. Trust me you will wait that long for your meal!
(1)
thomas g.
On 8/19/2009, I posted a review here for Sushi Main Street. After reading the recent posts made by others, I suggest that you disregard what I posted before. Go give them a try. I suspect that my previous post is no longer relevant, but am currently not in the region to find out. I will certainly dine there the next time I am nearby. (My rating of 5 stars is based on how I remember Sushi Main Street before the summer of 2009.)
(5)
Nicole W.
The best sushi me and hubby ate.. The food is so good and the restaurant design is amazing ..
(5)
Mark E.
The decor is really amazing, if you don't mind that the chair you're sitting on weighs as much as a small car. The rolls (ordered Spicy Tuna and something with artichoke hearts topped with escolar) were good, not great. All in all the experience was pleasant enough. The single star is due to the fact that I was barfing my guts out a few hours later. Thanks, Sushi Main Street!
(1)
Petunia L.
We ordered the spinach salad& pork gyoza, both were delicious especially the salad! Sushi: Philadelphia roll, tempura roll, spider roll& Hawaiian roll all great! The haiwaiian was the best! Service was great& ambience is casual!
(5)
Nikol Z.
This place was delicious, not only was the sushi tasty it was also so pretty haha they took ages to get us our food but when it arrived it was fresh and yummy. The decor was also really nice. The group of 5 mostly had the lunch specials which was 8.95 for two entree choices, soup, salad and 2 piece cali roll. I decided to have the siracha tuna which was big chunks of tuna which was a lot better than most places and a caterpillar roll, which was cute becase they put eyes on it and it also had tons of fish. If Im ever around Half Moon Bay again Id check it out.
(5)
Kassandra P.
The last time I ventured into Sushi Main street was about 2 years ago before they remodeled. Since the remodel, the inside looks exquisite and lush! The tables are beautiful, the bar is stacked with gorgeous bottles of sake, the walls have stone and wood designs, and I love all the beautiful, dark ceramic dinner ware. Since I went on a Friday afternoon for lunch, I anticipated a relatively short wait. There was one waiter and maybe about 8-12 people inside. Not too bad. So I sat at the bar and waited for the server. And waited. And waited. AND WAITED. WOW, guy! Worse yet, he passed me about 5 times and didn't even acknowledge my presence. Not even a "hi, I'll be right with you." So I immediately deducted one star right there. Finally, the guy behind the bar took pity on me and asked if I wanted anything to drink. I smiled and said, "Actually, just a water and could I get a bento box?" I was there for lunch after all, I knew exactly what I wanted. Two seconds later, "Mr. Oblivious" asks if I have been helped. YEAH, duh, no thanks to you dude. So "Mr. behind the bar" brings me water. A nice older lady came in, sat down close to me and, GEE, "Mr. Oblivious" came up to her pretty quick. I was seriously annoyed by that, lol. I deducted a dollar from his tip in my head at that point. Ms. Lady was very sweet and chatty. That I liked about this restaurant, lol. Meanwhile, about 25 minutes later my Bento box finally came out. I could not believe it took so long! And the portions were so small! I weigh about 115 lbs, so it was enough for a light lunch, but for anyone else I can imagine it would have not enough at all! It was tasty but the beef had a lot of fat on it. So 2 points deducted from that as well. To recap: "Mr. Oblivious" waiter. You had all of 10 people in there, it's not that hard to acknowledge people as they enter. If I was your boss I would have giving you a warning to shape up a bit more and say HI, or I'd fire you. Plenty other people out there that can do a much better job! Portions are small. Go for lunch, not dinner. Bento was tasty but overall, I wasn't impressed. There is another sushi place in Half Moon in the Stone Pines shopping centre that is excellent quality with good portions.
(2)
Jon S.
No help no thankyou. Management help your wait staff out.
(1)
Cindi M.
Very nice decor, love it! Went there for a nice lunch and ate at the older section, because between the 2 different locations that are right next door to each other this one had actual available seating. Very good selection of Sushi rolls: Philadelphia roll, tempura roll, spider roll and their lunch box comes with green tea ice cream. Good for vegetarians, and for fish lovers, the fish we had tasted very fresh.
(4)
Angelique F.
Beautiful decor. Super-duper sushi. It's our local go-to but it never fails to wow the out-of-towners we bring. It's fresh and tasty. Escolar nigiri is a nice treat that is usually available. Their albacore nigiri is stunning. Service can be a little slow once they're about 3/4 full or on some weeknights when they're short staffed. Hot items entrees are only average and can be a little lack-luster.
(5)
Chelsea L.
I came here a couple weeks ago with a couple friends for a fun girls night out dinner. Sadly it wasn't much fun and we were all pretty disappointed. The highlight of the night was when the salads came! The regular green salad was leafy romain lettuce with soy sauce poured over it. SO GROSS!! When I politely explained to the waitress that my friend and I were not happy with our salads she just looked confused and didn't offer any suggestions. When I asked if I could exchange mine for a different salad she said she'd have to go ask. She came back saying she could exchange it for a seaweed salad. I told her that I don't like seaweed and asked if I could exchange it for the cabbage salad (which costs LESS than the regular green salad) she said no!! WHAT?? So then I just said that I couldn't eat this salad and didn't want the seaweed salad so please just take it off my bill. She was fine with it!! So she wouldn't exchange it for a cheaper salad but she will take it off the bill?? I could have then ordered the cabbage salad (which would have resulted in the same outcome as her exchanging it) but by this time I was too annoyed and figured the cabbage salad probably sucked too. Now this obviously could have been an isolated incident. I've eaten at Sushi Main Street multiple times over the last 10 years and have always loved it. But this was my first time back to this location (rather than the new one that opened around the corner) so maybe they're going down hill? No idea. But this visit definitely annoyed the crap out of me. NOTE TO ALL WAITERS: if a customer tells you that their food tastes disgusting it's probably a good idea to just offer to take the dish away.
(2)
Julie W.
A must try if you are in the area! they might not have the best service, or hours of opperation, but their sushi rolls make up for that! My husband and I stop in everytime we are in HMB even if we have eaten somewhere else. There is a sushi roll called Sexy Me and one called Sexy You... to die for! We are both sushi lovers, and these are the best rolls we have had! They are very creative with their rolls and it makes for beautiful presentation and some amazing mouth watering bites!
(4)
Jason S.
First the good part: the interior is a beautiful mix of wood and stone -- modern and serene. The edamame was good. And the rest: Caroline was the worst server I've had in years, and the sashimi was so bad that we couldn't eat more than a few pieces. I hesitated to even bring it home for our dog. Really. At the end, an inflated bill for dessert. You couldn't pay me to eat here again.
(1)
Britt B.
After spending the afternoon with the bestie roaming Main Street, we decided to stroll in here and take care of our sushi craving. The ambiance is actually more memorable than the food. The service was a tad slow considering the fact that it wasn't even that crowded when we went. It's not your typical Japanese restaurant. The decor is very beachy and modern, which suits the neighborhood. Despite the nontraditional look of the place, the food was tasty and the sushi held up to my sushi standard.
(4)
Jennifer d.
The interior decoration here tries really hard. Too bad the service didn't as well. And I didn't really find the decoration very comfortable. I had to edge my away around huge driftwood chairs and slate slab tables, and our table was slanted. (It also had rice stuck to it.) We ordered salads, fresh spring rolls, vegetable tempura and tempura donburi. Everything came out all at once (except for my salad, which never came at all -- the table next to us had the same problem with one of their items). I thought they must have been trying to hurry us out of there, but then it took a very long time to get our bill when we were obviously finished eating. The food wasn't anything special. The salad with beets was good, but the spring rolls were just like the kind I've gotten at hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurants. The donburi was just tempura on top of rice with sauce. There was no egg or green onions. The tempura was good, but tempura is hard to mess up. Also, they charged for tea. I don't know if it's fair for me to expect tea to be complimentary at Japanese restaurants, but that seems to be standard, along with a bowl of miso soup with entrees (which was not included). I found it kind of amusing, too, that I was the most Asian person in the restaurant (I'm half Filipino).
(2)
Judy M.
This is my favorite Japanese restaurant that I know of in the area. Sometimes I drive all the way from San Jose to Half Moon Bay to come here. The food is so fresh, the menu so creative, the ambiance so wonderful... the owners are the chef and the designer. Both the first restaurant and the saki bar/restaurant next door are beautifully designed with largely Balinese/Japanese aesthetic. I highly recommend them. Have been going to them for many years and bring my friends. yummmm.... getting hungry just thinking of it! Lets go! :)
(5)
Holly B.
Amazing!!! Great price and great service!! The decor is great and the Hawaiian roll is a favorite!Its not your typical sushi joint and worth the drive over the Devils Slide!
(4)
Zeena V.
First time back in a few years - since Shiki moved into HMB. But thought we'd give it another chance after so long. Service used to be snotty and tables sticky, but things seemed much brighter and cleaner since their remodel. Service was very very friendly, though I was glad we were the first in there for service - I think it would have been slow with multiple tables going. That said, our waitress was very attentive to my allergy issues and saved me from one dish that did not announce soy sauce in the dressing (wheat component). We had the beet salad - great. Custom California hand-rolls for me without the rice. Sashimi was great. But the "Sexy Me" roll was excellent - spicy salmon, cilantro, and an jalapeno slice, among other ingredients, blended perfectly. Amazing presentation. What I really wanted tonight was to escape, and the atmosphere allows you to do just that at Sushi Main Street - just beautiful! Will definitely give it another visit.
(4)
Kate T.
After a long day at the Pumpkin Festival, we went here for a late dinner. From the get go, the waitress was cold and unfriendly. My boyfriend was given sea urchin by another waitress and upon telling our waitress that we hadn't ordered this she insisted we did. We figured that we would try it if we were going to be charged for it.... boy did we regret that!! A few minutes later the other waitress returned and apologized for the mix up... she incorrectly gave us the sea urchin. Our waitress continued to give us attitude through our appetizers, so we decided not to stay for dinner. Upon asking that the sea urchin be taken off the bill, she uncooperatively said "FIne" and slammed the corrected bill down on our table before swiftly turning her heel and stomping away. Needless to say we didn't leave a tip and we won't be returning to this establishment again - with so many sushi options in the bay area we will patronize those with mature servers.
(1)
Eivind S.
Fantastic Shushi restaurant. Sit at the bar and you will have a great experience.
(5)
Christina B.
My boyfriend and I decided to escape the heat of Woodside and head over to Half Moon Bay. We haven't really eaten on Main Street and decided to try it out. We were lured in by the cool look of the place - plus we love Japanese food. We should have known from the start...it was packed but there was one empty table. Since no one was around we weren't sure if this was a sit yourself type of place or wait to be seated. We decided to wait until finally a lady came out and seated us. That wasn't really that bad...but it definitely foreshadowed the rest of the evening. The waitress was super nice...BUT...the service was very bad. She didn't write our order down...instead memorizing it. Which is fine if you have a good memory. She missed an order of mine but I didn't bring it up because I wanted the meal to end ASAP. (If there was another waitress, I think the service and timing would improve a lot.) It was just OK. The food was OK. Nothing to convince me to go back, coupled with the very mediocre/slow service.
(3)
Chris H.
This is one of our favorite haunts from the owner Shige-San to the two Nepalese sushi chefs Bhuddi(sp?) and Shwopneal(sp?) this place is, pardon my language "amazballs!" They have some fun rolls on the menu that are must tries (the Sexy Me, Lady Gaga, Jade Dragon) and some off menu specials (Firecracker Salmon Roll, B-roll Special, Umami Roll just to name a few) that are pretty darn tasty. Also if you want an amazing and tasty treat try their Sukiyaki it is out of this world and a darn good price also a great way to warm up on one of those cool coastal nights. If they have available they may be able to let you try some local wasabi (grown right here on the coast) which is not anything like the green paste that most of us are used to. This is definitely our favorite sushi place and the staff make it all the better. If you are in the lounge try a sake flight if you are in the restaurant try some other sakes they stock some really nice ones. Enjoy!!! (Basically same review as for the lounge as the are next to one another). Great place!!!!
(5)
Malin K.
Anytime someone visits me in Half Moon Bay I make sure to take them to Sushi Main Street and then proceed to ask them if it was the best sushi they've ever had. I'm at three yes's and zero no's. The sushi is the freshest I've ever tasted so you can stick with the plain rolls and be more than satisfied. The environment is lovely if not a bit cold. The only downside is the service which ranges from horrible to excellent depending on your server.
(5)
Mark V.
Great atmosphere and excellent service. The portions are a bit small but very tasty
(4)
Stacey C.
I had lunch here the other day and was totally satisfied with my experience. First let me just gush about the decor and ambiance. Kudos to the interior designer who did this job, can they do my house? The fish is fresh, they don't drown everything in sauce like so many ameri-sushi places I've been subjected to recently. This is a little closer to authentic though I am completely guilty of ordering an enjoying the papaya unagi roll. I have been warned that this can be busy place for dinner and that one should make a reservation.
(4)
KM A.
Best sushi I've ever had. Wild mushroom rolls are to die for. Fish is fresh, they mix new and traditional favors for a truly unique experience. Service is sometimes great, other times really bad. But the food is so good it's like crack and you'll come back for more. My wife and I ate at a sushi place in Sausalito that was some 5 star restaurant and supposedly people came from all over to eat there. However the food at Main Street Sushi was overwhelmingly better, better priced, and thus a much more satisfying place to eat. Highly recommended. Would give 5/5 stars for the food and 3/5 for service if they let me break it down by category.
(4)
Christi W.
The food & ambiance are great. Really good cocktails and sake selection. What isn't so great is the service (it's slow). Several times they forgot my order. Don't be in a hurry is you go. If you do go I'd suggest the Wasabi Pork Balls to start!
(3)
Hristo M.
Great sushi -more than terrible service! We waited to be sat for 15 minutes prior to me calling the restaurant from the front door and asking if they took reservations! On that note, the food was spectacular! generous portions and extremely fresh sashimi. Recommend take out!
(3)
Tina B.
Very nice decor, love it! Went there for an early dinner and ate at the newer addition, but it was hard to choose between the 2 different locations that are right next door to each other because they are both so nice. One a little warmer and quieter than the other. Very good selection of rolls, and creative. Good for vegetarians, and for fish lovers, the fish we had tasted very fresh. A little expensive, but not unusual for fresh good sushi. The service sucked. Needless to say we will go back.
(4)
Ottis M.
So sad it has gone downhill so much. On my most recent visit, I was immediately greeted by a friendly waitress who apologized saying she had just been swamped and cleaned off a table for me, no need for the apology in this case. There was one other occupied table, a party of six, that was waiting for their check. They waited and waited and finally went into the kitchen to ask for it. Lots of dirty dishes on their table hadn't been removed. They paid and left so I was the only customer left in the main restaurant. There I sat for 25 minutes and never saw the server, I even asked the sushi chef to send her out and waited another five minutes and no server. I finally left with a heavy heart :(. I think the food here is superior to Shiki, the other Japanese restaurant in town. Either Sushi Main St is understaffed or the servers need to be better trained and that is up to the management.
(2)
William H.
Late afternoon lunch..she and I had the bento box special...good deal. I wanted more so I ordered the sashimi combo..$22.00...bad move on my part...anyway, when the plate came I noticed the fish was sliced verry thin. Yes verry with two rs. Is there a standard for sashimi slices? I'm not sure, but this was the thinnest I've ever had. Note: I've been eating sashimi for 30 years in this country and others , including Japan. Never had it this thin. Thin equates to less, a lot less. Or : I paid more for less I have eaten at Main Street Sushi many times and it's been ok. Perhaps this was just a bad day. Maybe I will try again.
(1)
Alex G.
Despite small portions, one of the best sushi restaurants (in terms of flavor) I've been to. The decor is super funky and hip, with stone tables, comfy banquettes, and wooden elements throughout. Cool chill music played on the sound system. The seaweed (kelp) salad was cold, crisp and delicious; but the aspargus salad was a gem! Sliced asparagus with a roasted sesame dressing - wow! The grilled, local shitake mushrooms were incredible, with a real meaty, earthy flavor. For rolls, the Hawaiian roll satisfied (love macadamia nuts!) and the tempura shrimp roll (ask for eel sauce) was well made and flavorful. The salmon nigiri was two huge, fresh slices. The unagi (eel) papaya roll was served in yellow soy paper instead of seaweed - a real treat. Besides the small portions, they ran out of draft beer (really? It's that hard to monitor?) and dirty/used bowls sat the entire meal on our table. However, despite ONE waitress for the whole place, the food and drinks came out super quick. For a special treat, order one of the unfiltered sakes!
(5)
Amanda K.
Upon moving back to the sometimes quaint, always sleepy town of Half Moon Bay, I had a sushi craving and thought is would be a good idea to grab some to go from Main Street Sushi. Although I haven't eaten there in a few years, I remember it being pretty good. My fiance called three times and after no answer we drove down to the restaurant to order. After a long wait in an empty restaurant we got our food. The bill came to $59! Our order was not extensive (edamame and four rolls). I was so appalled I could barely eat. The edamame were chewy and funny tasting and the rolls were subpar at best. Appetite unsuppressed, we had to make a frozen pizza a few hours later. Bottom line: an astronomical amount of money spent on minimal, low grade sushi and bad service. I'd call to complain, but I know they won't answer.
(1)
Matt K.
This review is more in regards to the service than the food itself. The food was decent. There is no reason to make the trek from SF down to Half Moon Bay for Sushi Main Street. The server took our order fairly promptly. We ordered, received a couple of miso soups right away along with sake. We ordered four rolls, and received three of them within 15 minutes. As we were eating them, the server assured us that the caterpillar roll was on its way. After another few minutes, we again asked about the caterpillar roll. Another hour goes by, and the server brings by the bill, which included the roll that we never received. He took the bill back, and we assumed that the roll was on its way, but we instead received the bill minus the caterpillar roll. It may have just been a bit of miscommunication, but the service was so slow that there's no way to know for sure.
(2)
Cher S.
This place was ok. Service was not great. Never refilled our water glasses. Had to remind the waitress we ordered wine. Made a mistake and gave us cucumber sushi instead of tuna roll. Tempura and beef teriaki was ok not great. Ok for HMB but not worth the drive from Oakland.
(2)
Carrie S.
Sushi Main Street is so good it's hard to believe it's tucked away on a side street in Half Moon Bay. My bf and I were staying at Costanoa and we drove the 20 miles BACK to HMB just to have dinner at Sushi Main. The rolls are inventive and delicious (the salmon aburi was awesome - slightly seared salmon with avocado tempura inside); the service is top notch (we never had to wait for anything, i.e., drinks are promptly refreshed, orders are taken without hesitation and food servers are even patient as you vacillate over the many delcious menu options); and the decor is beautiful with amazing woodwork. I highly recommend this place - even if you live in SF (which we do) it's worth the drive over and you can take the scenic route.
(4)
Zuzzi E.
A sushi restaurant with south-of-the-border flair. The interior is quite interesting, and evocative of a fancy Mexican restaurant. But the sushi was fresh and the service was friendly (although he forgot one of our orders). The place is clean and the prices were surprisingly low. I would definitely eat here again.
(4)
Celeste S.
This is my favorite sushi place ever! I have been to Blowfish, Nobu (in NYC), and a few "nice" ones in SF. This place is way better. The fish is always incredibly fresh and the different types of rolls they offer are awesome. And, unlike the others mentioned above, this place is quite affordable. The poki is quite yummy. They get very, very crowded with tourist traffic on the weekends but even going on a Tuesday night can be crowded. Reservations are smart for Friday and Saturday nights for sure. But worth the wait if you don't have them. Plus it is very relaxed and a fun place to sit and enjoy your food. They have tables plus the sushi bar. The sushi chef and assistants are fun to talk to and watch when seated at the bar.
(5)
Aiko L.
i got the veggie tempura udon (hot). it was pretty good - the consistency of the udon was perfect. the broth could have used a little more taste, but it tasted healthy. the tempura was just ok, if not a little greasy. the main sushi chef is a japanese dude with a bad dye job, but he was really nice. the service was good, and we were seated right away at the bar. the decor is different from other japanese restaurants i've been to. they have lots of furniture made out of intricately carved out wood. very pretty. my sister and i shared the ice cream with ume & strawberry something on top. the ice cream was very tasty, almost like home made. the topping was kind of like strawberry jam, and could barely taste the ume. interesting combo, though.
(4)
David E.
BAD FISH. Don't be fooled by the nice decorations on the walls and on your plate. Their good reviews talk about the ambiance, the bad reviews talk about the FISH. I'm a sushi lover living w/in 2mi of this place and this is the 4th time in 10yrs I"ve sworn I'll never go again. My most recent visit after a 5 year embargo was miserable as follows: * Uni: totally runny and starting to turn color but I tried it anyway. It was really bad so I sent it back but the "chef" refused to take it off the bill saying it was fresh, (this was a SUNDAY!!!) and he said I just don't like the taste of uni. WTF! I've been eating uni for decades all over the world and can even tell you if it's CA north coast or south coast. I sent it back because I DO know uni. * Sake (salmon) - This is the only place I know that sells only marinated or smoked salmon. Marinated was ok - but after the uni I'm guessing he marinates to sell bad fish. * Hamachi (yellow-tail)- very thin, short slices and 100% tasteless. * Ikura: shriveled, clearly not fresh, but tasted ok. * Amaebi (sweet shrimp): was actually pretty good. Shrimp keeps well. * Udon noodle soup: was very good.
(1)
Allyce B.
Love the decor, which is my favorite feature here. Knobby wooden table legs with table tops that mimic reefs and ocean rocks are perfect for a beach town, and the bar area is stunning. Sushi is very good, but i recommend staying away from rolls that are over the top (i.e. special lobster roll) since it isn't worth the extra money. Stick with the basics. Service has always been very friendly but sometimes i've waited longer than seems necessary. All around a very good dining experience.
(4)
Steve G.
Excellent sushi. Come over the hill to sushi main St. It's worth the drive over the hill.
(4)
Pamela M.
Best sushi in the world. Wish I got the name of the guy whole put this delicious dish in front of me. Great performance and customer service!
(5)
Stephanie K.
Been eating here for years, and usually enjoy it very much, all more so after an afternoon at the beach! The sushi is consistently fresh and well prepared. They have several interesting rolls as well. And bonus, you can get shiro maguro (white tuna) nigiri that is not seared!! Green tea, which can be had free of charge, is very good. Unagi donburi (grilled eel coated with a sweet sauce over rice) is very good, but seems to have gotten more expensive lately ($16).
(4)
David P.
OK, let me try and be balanced in my review and start with some positives. The Good: The fried sui mai was fairly tasty although a bit odd for a Japanese place. The bottle of beer I had was nice. The Indian wall decorations are interesting, although rather odd for a Japanese place. The Bad: The sushi was really rather bland. Not the worst I've ever had but it just didn't have any pizzazz. The unagi and papaya roll I had just tasted like a wad of rice. I could barely taste the papaya and I'm not even sure if there actually was unagi in it. Also, presentation was on the sloppy side. The Ugly: It took the waitress over half an hour to take our food order. The only reason we waited was because we had already been served our drinks. During that time we saw her seat other people and take their orders before ours. Once she did finally take our food order, it took another hour to actually get our food!!! During this time, we were served food on three separate occasions that were not our orders, which they took back. We only got our food when I had to get up and complain directly to the sushi chef. After all that I asked her if they were going to comp any part of our meal given that we had to wait an hour and a half to get our food and she gave me a dirty look as though I was in the wrong. When I spoke to the head chef, he told me that the waitress had forgotten to actually turn in our order for almost an hour. He was only willing to give us a 20% discount given our horrific experience there. If you dare eat here, I hope you have A LOT of extra time on your hands.
(1)
Mark H.
My first sushi experience (born and raised in Texas) I went with a friend from Pacifica. Naturally, i was a bit freaked about eating raw fish as my diet generally consist of some form of smoked or grilled dead cow. Because it was a date, because she said i had to try it, and because im new to California etc etc....Seriously, i was worried. I cant tell you what i ate as my "guide" ordered everything but the atmosphere of the joint, the presentation of the food, the affect of the saki, gotta say it was an overall great experience. Because im not a sushi eater or experienced one, i gotta say i do not know crap from crisco, but i gotta tell ya, i LOVED it. Im studying and consulting with my friend about "safe" Sushi joints in North Hollywood where i live :) Anyways, my first experience at a Sushi Place and i am more than thrilled to say Main Street Sushi was my first .
(4)
John G.
Excellent place to take people to, I always eat the soba and the sushi combo with salmon roll and this place never disappoints and I have been to Sushi Main St. many times. The sushi itself is excellent, they use fresh quality fish, very delicious.
(5)
Justin S.
Great sushi!! Can get a little noises when busy, otherwise just a great place for either lunch or dinner. Bento box is very healthy and affordable lunch choice.
(5)
Debbie T.
Fabulous ambience/decor; good food and plenty of vegetarian options. Price was reasonable. The service was slow as molasses, though. Mine was a leisurely dinner (more due to neglect than choice) and I would recommend coming here only when you have plenty of time.
(3)
D M.
Best sushi on the coastside, some of the best decor I've ever seen in the world, excellent service. Food was fresh, creative and yummy!
(5)
W J.
VERY VERY BAD SERVICE!!!!!! Waiter with attitude, careless owner it's supposed to be a good sushi place but we had a VERY BAD experience. I have to say we NEVER HAD SERVICE THIS BAD ANYWHERE. The were there on a not very busy night, we ordered our food, the appetizer came late, and we waited and waited for our entree. after 45 mins we asked the waiter about our food the 2nd time. He was trying to ignore us. When I finally got his attention he was claimed "we had a special dish and it takes longer". The owner and chef was only 10 feet away from us. I'm sure he heard us but did nothing. 25 mins later the waiter, no apology, no food. Even though we were super hungry and and it's too late to go anywhere else we had to leave because we could take it anymore. I don't care how good the food is this place is. There is no justification for their rudness. This happen 6 months ago and I'm still quite mad when I thinking about this.
(1)
Katrina W.
I am a big fan of good sushi. The owner is a real Japanese sushi chef who learned his trade in Japan. The sushi is fresh and tastes excellent. They take there time to make a good presentation with every dish they serve. I will return back there for another meal with my boyfriend soon.
(4)
Cesar E.
Great place for lunch . they give u exactly what u need include that green tea ice cream dessert. defitivamente i will stop again when i go to south of california. The city is boring nothing to do there. just eat there thats all.
(5)
jon c.
This place used to be a 4 star sushi place, which to me means nearly as good as the best I've ever had. (Which, for the record, is a tie between Sushi Yasuda and Kuruma Zushi in NYC, with an honorable mention for Zuma in London) Unfortunately it is now a 3-star for food (slightly better than grocery store sushi) and a 2-star for service. I'll almost certainly not go to this place again. Which is unfortunate because I've been probably 10 times all of which were excellent (although they were all in years prior to 2007)
(2)
Stan C.
I admit, it is a beautiful restaurant. That being said... 1. The server was pleasant, but not just a little bit slow. My young son loves salmon nigiri. We always make a point of ordering it without wasabi. No six year old I know likes a big unexpected whallop of wasabi. Not only did the presented nigiri have wasabi, which I can understand (mistakes happen).. the FOLLOWUP order again had wasabi. Miscommunication is one thing, but geez. 2. The fish was generally very good quality. However, while the salmon sashimi I received was excellent, the salmon pieces on the nigiri were discolored and had an odd flavor. Upon asking, I was given a lecture about how we should "never" order fresh sashimi.. that the cured sashimi was muuuuch safer. Look, I don't care.. if you want to serve only smoked and "super-cured" salmon, fine.. just let us know in advance and save the lecture? We'll order something else. 3. The portions are small and a little pricey. 4. There was not even one other asian customer in the entire restaurant. This is always a warning sign for me. The theory held up again. We won't go back. We'll go to tried-and-true Shiki instead. yelp.com/biz/shiki-japan…
(1)
Cat R.
Not good. Certainly not as good as it used to be. And definitely not worth the drive from Pacifica. We've been going for years - tonight's meal was the first bad one we've had. But it was consistently bad. First sign was the restaurant was empty which I've never seen before in the past. The waitress mentioned that they were expanding their restaurant (maybe they are cutting costs with the food?) Grilled shrimp was obviously frozen - if we'd thrown it against the wall it would have bounced back. Probably could have gotten something better at Red Lobster. Wasabi shu mai were smaller and overcooked and had no meat stuffing; it was fried breading. Sushi tasted good but the portions were miniscule. Usually we leave wishing we had space to order one more thing. This time, just happy to leave. $67 plus tip for the privilege. Added note: My husband and I were reeling as we drove home, because when we expressed our disappointment the waitress said that no one else complains. In most restaurants, a manager will come to the table and take it off the bill or bring a dessert. I had to call when I got home. The employee who answered the phone said the owner was busy and would call me back (no call). So, I called the next day and we'll see if he calls back. It's really disappointing that as a regular customer, you get this kind of response. I've spent so much money at their restaurant to get a non-caring attitude. (never called back; the owner just doesn't care).
(1)
Katharine A.
This is my favorite sushi place in the bay area. I love the wide selection of ingredients and uncommon maki sushi rolls. I love the atmosphere and it really is hard to believe that you are in this small oceanside town and not in Japan. The designer of this restaurant gets HUGE kudos from me.
(5)
David B.
We love to come here every time we are around Half Moon Bay. This is a cool Sushi place that has a nice array of interesting and somewhat unusual/different rolls. The bottom line is that they serve good quality Sushi at a good price (we usually spend 25% less than in Mountain View) Someone else said they were fond of Avocado... we are too. Maybe it is why we love it so much!
(4)
jenn w.
Went here last weekend while staying in Half Moon Bay. This was a great find. The fish was very fresh, the menu varied and interesting, and we had a great meal. We ordered the sashimi platter and some rolls. We will definitely make the drive to go here. Make reservations - we had a reservation and then changed the time and either our hotel or the restaurant screwed up so when we showed up we didn't have a reservation at the correct time and had to sit at the sushi bar. It was ok, but near the restrooms and the back door was open letting in freezing cold air...but I digress. Definitely worth trying and enjoying!
(4)
Dave S.
Latino/French music at a Japanese restaurant? A little weird. But this place is cool. When you walk inside you feel as if you entered an ancient house in Japan. It has a very Old World feel to it, felt Samurai-esque. Dark woods everywhere and a nice wrap-around sushi bar. The GF and I came in and they sat us at the big table. Very nice spot in the restaurant,in the corner ,raised level and the table is built out of a slab from a tree! We had to sit kneeling or indian style there. Only that was weird was the music in the background, a little too loud and just through me off for a Japanese restaurant. Let's get to the food. Spicy Hamachi and Spicy Scallop Rolls. For those of you who like a zingy, yet smooth creamy mayo peppery taste..these rolls hit the spot. Add the wasabi soy and your'e good to go!! It reminded me of a small place in SF called Yum Yum Fish. Tasted just like it!! Soooo good. Their Gyoza was nice and the Chicken Teriyaki & Shrimp Tempura Bento box lunch was better than average. It came with a chicken breast that tasted smooth as butter ,good CA roll pieces and the Shrimp tempura was light and crispy. The green salad dressing could use a little work. For $8.50 the lunch box even comes with soup and green tea ice cream! Although service was a little sketchy at times, I'd definitely return for the sushi!!
(4)
Maggie L.
The lunch bento boxes are definitely a good deal. For $8.95, you get two choices of the usual Japanese fair of meat teriyakis, tempura, etc. However, that is the only high point of this restaurant. The specialty rolls are a huge rip off. For the amount of money that we paid, we only got four pieces per roll. I had the misfortune of ordering their salmon skin roll. It was as if the sushi chef had used some sort of salted preserved fish rather than crisping up some salmon skin. Horrible! Throughout our entire meal, the waitresses were conversing with a friend who had dropped by to visit. Though this did not in any detract from the service, but it just did not seem very professional. We had visited during a weekday afternoon and did not encounter a lunch rush at all, yet our food took ages to come out. I will not be coming back here any time soon.
(1)
Olma M.
Haven't dined in - YET - But, had dinner at a friend's house and they generously obliged me with a wonderful dinner from Sushi on Main. We had a wonderful, filling and tasty meal which satisfied three HUGE appetites. The one serving of Kelp Salad for $3.75 was adequate for two of us and very refreshing. The Goma-Ae (Spinach Salad) was also very tasty ($3.75). We had the following nigiri: Tuna, Yellow Tail, Unagi and Salmon. One order of the Assorted Sashimi ($19.50). We also had the following Special Rolls: Alaskan, Baja California, Dragon, and Spider. We had an order of Shrimp Tempura for $8.75 and I thought the portion was rather generous (almost positive it was only one order, but I felt like there might have been anywhere b/w 8-12 huge pieces!). The absolute highlight, however, was nowhere to be found on their website. But, it nearly accounts for all four of my stars: The Wasabi Dumplings. Mmmm Mmmm - this was crazy delicious!!! The wasabi was infused in the sauce AND the dumplings. imho, it was not too hot (spicy), but JUST RIGHT! It had just the right amount of "kick." I can't wait to experience this again... NOTES: - Their website is a bit quirky and desperately needs to be updated; - They don't allow take-out orders via email or fax; - Hours: Open 7 days a week: Lunch 11:30 - 2:30 / Dinner 5:00 - 9:00 * Closed Sunday Lunch
(4)
Lawrence T.
Worth the time to get out here on a week night from Sunnyvale. The place is wonderfully warm and inviting with a Japanese pagoda feel and large stone tables... watch where you put your sake. The staff are helpful but always seem rushed for a place that is very relaxing. I know driving over the hill is the beginning of the relaxing experience. I love the green salad here!! They use real micro greens, NOT iceberg, and a wonderfully light sesame / soy dressing. The sushi is fresh and presented nicely and relatively big pieces. If you have the time, make the drive and eat sushi they way it should be experienced and enjoyed. Thank you Kathleen S. for getting me hooked. Eating here once every 1-2 weeks would be perfect.
(5)
Suepattra M.
Indeed, when people say that this is one of the best sushi restaurants in the Bay Area, they are not lying. The sushi and sashimi dishes are gorgeous, beautiful and any other comparable description one can label them as. Let's just say the to die for Toro sashimi special was so exquisite that we ordered a second (rather excruciatingly expensive) plate, but boy was our palate pleased. I love the Balinese decor (the owner evidently owns a Balinese furniture store down the way) and pseudo tropical feel that is so very different from the usual, often austere, Japanese restaurant decor. Reservations are a must on weekends. Lastly, I'd give this place 5 stars if it wasn't for the uninformed service that I had on a second visit (a weeknight). We were in the mood for rolls so we ordered a tuna maki (tekka) and a spider roll. The waitress said here's your tekka maki and spider roll....uh, no that would be KAPPA (cucumber) and spider roll. When we pointed out that we ordered tekka, not kappa, she said, yes, that's tekka. No, it is not. So they whisked away the whole platter, including our spider roll, only to return it 10 minutes later with tekka maki, and a very cold spider roll. Not cool, and not even an apology. So for that, 4 stars. But the sushi is still kick booty.
(4)
Las V.
I got a kick of the first review on top (Mexican themed decor). It is actually from Bali, but, hey, what's the difference... Sushi Main St. decor is actually stunning and tasteful, with the Balinese originals well placed in an understated way. We been eating at Sushi Main St for the last 15 years and find it one of the best sushi places in the Bay Area (we also sampled many times in Tokyo, where it would also stand up nicely). Fresh, nice, friendly, classy - visit it (but not when we are there:-)
(5)
Sara G.
I have been going to Main Street sushi when it was located on Main Street by Buffalo Clothing Co. It was just a little hole in the wall. The quality of sushi (in my opinion) was much better when they were smaller, but they quickly outgrew the location and went down the street. It is difficult to get a table on a Friday/Saturday night without a reservation, so be prepared to wait for hours. This is the place where all the HMB locals go and an area favorite. Great sushi, okay service, and great ambiance.
(4)
Garth A.
The sushi is amazing here but the service is somewhat lacks. It seems like they know they serve great food so they don't have to be too concerned with attentive service. That being said, if you set an appropriate expectation when it comes to service, your experience will be very pleasant. I would suggest ordering the rolls that combine fresh fruit & fish with interesting texture elements like macadamia nuts. Also, be prepared to wait because as you can see, this place is not a secret.
(4)
Gabe G.
My wife and I had another great dinner here last week. We ate in the new wine bar, and had a great time. Service was friendly and responsive. The food is always good and we had a really enjoyable night!
(4)
Patrick L.
What a great restaurant! A friend turned me onto this place recently. The sushi is fresh and absolutely tasty. I'm not a big sushi expert but this was definitely better than some of the places I have been to. The decorations and atmosphere are all pretty good. Definitely a place you can take a date for a nice meal. We sat in the front area where you get to sit on the floor. That was nice because it was away from everyone else.
(5)
Miss H.
Yes, I agree with everyone, the fish is very fresh, but there's just too much RICE!! The rolls are monstrous in size (4 pieces in each roll); each piece is 2 inches in diameter and an inch thick filled mostly with rice! It seemed like the fish to rice ratio for both the rolls and nigiri pieces were 1 to 4. For the sashimi, each piece was barely half the size of typical sashimi cuts elsewhere. So all in all, lots of fillers and not enough fish. Go if you are in the area for the day, but don't make the drive out there, it isn't that fabulous.
(2)
s p.
My favorite sushi in Half Moon Bay. The sushi has been fresh every time. That's a must. The atmosphere is unique, good service and good prices. I love the Hawaiian Roll made with tuna and topped with macadamia nuts. Another fav is the Tropical Roll, made with Hamachi and mango.
(5)
Junkfoodie Q.
3.25 stars. We shared a California roll, spicy tuna roll, and ordered a sashimi platter with tuna, yellowtail, octopus, and shrimp. The rolls were tasty and freshly made, and the sashimi was pretty good overall, but I've had fresher sashimi elsewhere.
(3)
Guido v.
Maybe we were just unlucky, or maybe it's changed, but I would never go back here. It smells unsanitary, and that's a no-no for a Sushi place. Try Chez Shea next door instead.
(2)
Jim L.
A very unique sushi restaurant with an exotic balinese-japanese-pan asian ambiance and a distinctively laid back Half Moon Bay character. Very good food. There are some really interesting makis here including the Sanban (broiled salmon skin, burdock, shiso leaf, dried bonito, green onion, radish sprouts and sesame seeds), the Muy Bonito (Bonito with fresh ginger, green onions and lemon peel), and the Tempting Tentacle (broiled octopus and avocado with teriyaki sauce), among others. Super popular, so be prepared for a sometimes lengthy wait and it can be a bit disorganized.
(4)
N A.
Excellent Sushi Yo ! Here are the positives: 1. Fresh and exquisite sushi: I recommend the Philly roll and the Caterpillar. For those not into Sushi or would like to try something else, set your sites on the Seafood noodles, put it in your mouth, chew, then swallow (Warning: follow the preceding steps only in the order prescribed). 2. Excellent ambiance: stone slab tables and unique stone walls contribute nicely to the traditional Japanese vibe. Here are the negatives: 1. Veggie noodles: Bland, bland, bland ( that is the south Asian in me talking) 2. Service: lackluster performance from the blonde waitresses; poorly staffed establishment contributes to waitresses who are trying to juggle too much at one time; more often than not, these waitresses resort to being rude so that they can get to the next thing on their long list of things to do. 3. Tiny establishment: book a reservation or you will never get a table. Keep it real until the DOJ N to the IZM
(4)
Shayna K.
I went here after a great hike.The sushi is fresh, the service is good. I wouldn't come here from San Francisco for sushi, but if I'm in Half Moon Bay again, I totally plan to go here!
(4)
Steven T.
Ok, here's the thing you have to know before you walk in - the service is slow. There, I've said it, so we can move on. The sushi is worth the wait, as it's always fresh (be sure the check the specials board), but here's the secret - as soon as you sit down order some beer and/or sake and everyone has to get a kimiaki appetizer. Just do it. After they get that order in and come back with the drinks get your first round of sushi orders in. Now sit back and enjoy the next few hours. You'll like it.
(4)
Matt W.
The food here is really terrific, and the decor is enjoyable. I think their hamachi is the best I've ever had. Warning...always call ahead. It's a small restaurant and they can get very busy even on a week night.
(5)
Jessica S.
After hearing good things about sushi main street, i decided to make a reservation for valentine's day since my boyfriend and I were taking a weekend trip to half moon bay. Really, when it gets down to it. Sushi main street is a good place to go, providing that they're not crowded. The fish is super fresh. The rolls are pretty creative. The food is inexpensive and the decor is really cute. My only issue is that they're understaffed. Even though we made a reservation, we had to wait about 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledged that we were there and then seated us. Initially we were sat at the sushi bar and the waitress promised to seat us at a table as soon as one was available. After seeing a couple seated and raising the issue, the waitress apologized but didn't really make up for it. Eventually, over a half an hour later, a table opened up and we were moved. At that time, most of the restaurant had cleared out. The place was packed that night so orders took a while. Once we got our waiter for the evening, he was actually really nice and accommodating. We ordered the toro, the spicy tuna, the hot tuna, the spicy snow crab, the spider and the oaxaca (which we added shrimp tempura to). My favorite of the night was definitely the spicy tuna. Super fresh and flavorful. The tuna wasn't diluted by the spicy sauce since it was placed separately within the roll instead of being mixed in as it usually is. spider roll and oaxaca roll were nice as well. While we had a semi bad experience, I'd consider going back. Just on a less crowded night.
(3)
Julie O.
I have been going here on and off for about 10 years. It used to be a great date place but I went for my husbands birthday and the food was just ok.
(3)
Nicole F.
Only sushi in town but high quality. Very good food. If the restaurant isn't totally packed the service is stellar. This restaurant is very popular and if fully seated you may have a considerable wait for a table and for food. Regardless, the food and the presentation is worth the wait. If you're Local and it's a Friday or Saturday night, order in your food for pick up and you won't have to wait. And to toursits, it's not ON Main Street....I know, it's confusing.
(5)
Donna D.
Like many of the other reviews of this place, the sushi was good and creative but the service was not. We asked about one item of our order three times and were told, "it's on the way" each time. When we were almost finished, we asked for the bill and to have that item deleted from the bill. We were told they were cooking it and it would be out soon. So, while some of us were having dessert, others were eating that final item. Try Shiki Sushi for good sushi and consistent service.
(2)
Marisa C.
The feeling - "We are god and you must obbey" Why? - Cause they are the only ones in town The sushi can be excellent if the service followed, but it does not. My friend went there with a large group, and were in a way told to leave after eating since they were done. The point of going to a restaurant is to relax and enjoy. Pointless!! The idea here is we don't care...
(3)
Jeannie K.
Love them. Great casual atmosphere. The food is all excellent. Also a plus, you get to watch the chef as he works, not Benihana-style, thank God! The only minor downside: the restaurant is small and fills up quickly.
(5)
Ashley J.
got food poisoning from amaebi. gross
(1)
Alexander S.
My friends and I always come here when we're in the area and craving sushi. The fish is very fresh, and the spicy scallop roll is the best! The atmosphere is cozy, and it's right off Main Street, so you can walk off your huge meal while window shopping.
(4)
La M.
Romantic, beautiful, and incredibly tasty sushi. Whenever my Sweetie and I drive down the coast for some more remote beach fun (or to bowl at Pacifica Bowl woo!), we come back at and stop here for dinner, to gaze into each others' eyes.. except when we are gazing at our super-tasty food. Although the decor is nice too - it's warm, lots of aged wood, not shiny and bright and clinical. No neon! And the sushi chefs (some of them) sport some impressive mustachioes. The miso soup is light and tasty, with a few chunks of tofu and some small flaps of seaweed to keep in interesting. The kelp salad is truly terrific - sort of tangy and crunchy and not too slimy. the special rolls aren't the carnivalesque cocktail-umbrella-and-googly-eyes, more-stuff-is-better-plus-cutesy-names kind of thing. They are really thoughtful and creative and taste amazing. The winners this time: papaya and unagi, and the Hawaiian with tuna, avocado, macadamia nuts and a special sauce that wasn't mayo based (hurrah!). tay. stee. And the other ones were pretty darn good too: hamachi and mango in a soy wrap, salmon skin roll.. yum. I haven't had any entrees except the rolls and nigiri because I see so many I want that I don't have room for anything more. But I still plan to come back for the Unagi don-buri (as a pescetarian it's the closest I get to BBQ). And they have some dessert with strawberries poached in plum wine over ice cream that I always plan to get.. but then eat JUST ONE MORE BITE of sushi and have to give up before dessert time.
(5)
Cris L.
One word: wow! (is that an actual word?) Whoever decorated this place knew what (s)he was doing. It has both a very traditional asian feel (not exactly Japanese) and a very modern feel to it. Very welcoming. The staff was friendly and helpful, the food excellent, and be bill rather small. I wish they were closer by. One of the things we had here was soft shell crap. I hadn't seen this on a menu since I had it for the first time about 6 or 8 years ago. Well, some sushi places put it inside their rolls, but you really need to eat this by itself. Soft shell crap is amazing. They serve it ever so slightly battered and fried just right, but with a soy-based dipping sause that was too salty for our tastes. The sushi was not only very good, but also beautiful. We got there rather early and could be seated right away at the bar, but this seems like a place that has long waiting lists. They do take reservations, though.
(5)
Laura T.
My fiance and I had lunch here the day we got engaged so I have very happy memories of it. but really the sushi was very fresh and the ingredients were also very fresh and light. a cute little place, it wasn't very crowded at all but we were on the early side. The only thing I wasn't too fond of were the tables, they were a little awkward being that they were tree rings and ours was unbalanced.
(4)
Christina B.
I had lunch here today and the sushi was AMAZING! I had the BEST seaweed salad I have EVER had, and I have tried lots of seaweed salads from a lot of different places. We ordered several rolls which included the Tropical, Spicy Tuna, Hot Tuna, and the Spider roll all of which were amazing! The sushi is a bit larger than the average roll but super fresh and just enough for two. I walked away already planning my next visit.
(5)
Laura O.
I love the new side of the restaurant with the Main Street entrance, much more quiet and better lighting. The staff is friendly and sweet. I'm vegan, and love that I don't have to pick my way around the menu or substitute here. I can fill up with vegetable broth-based tofu and udon soups served in clay pots, miso soup, yummy (and beautiful) salads and veggie roles. I didn't try the home-grown, grilled shiitake mushrooms, but look forward to it next time! The inari tofu role is not on the menu, but they have it. Overall, a satisfying and friendly experience.
(5)
M L.
We had visitors from Atlanta over the 4th of July week-end and on Saturday evening (7:20pm) we entered the Main Street entrance of Sushi Main Street. It was full and we were directed to the "other" side. Granted it was a Saturday and we did not have rservations but were willing to wait a bit. The hostess/wait person explained they had no seating except at the bar. Four of us sat down and waited. And waited. We finally got the dirty dishes from the previous customers cleared and waited longer for a menu. We did finally order and waited. In the mean time, a party of four was seated at a table which became available as well as a party of two who sat at the bar alongside us. Still we waited. When the party of four was served several dishes I felt slightly annoyed but when the party of two next to us got their order before we had gotten anything I really got upset. We then got one order. Then we waited again. I finally asked for the remaining orders to be take-out as we had spent over an hour for just one order. Bottom line....I think the fresh sushi is good and possibly worth the wait, the service is absolutely terrible. Either they should not seat clients when they are busy or arrange for more staff during obviously busy times.
(1)
Don E.
We have been going there on special occasions for over ten years and have always been pleased with everything but the wait. The wait was always worth it.... what happened? When we arrived on a Tuesday night were both hungry and so pleased because the place was half empty. After standing in the entry for five minutes not able to make eye contact with anyone working there we seated ourselves. We waited for 25 minutes to be acknowledged by a waiter. Our first instinct was to leave, but our many past great experiences kept us in anticipation at our table. Always trust your first instincts. I had one of the broiled fish specials and my wife had four different roles.The portions were slow to arrive, small, less than attractive,and nothing like we had always enjoyed in the past. My question is when did this place change ownership? If it hasn't change ownership, what happened?
(1)
Nora S.
Wonderful ambiance and service. Food great. Tempura was delicious and the sushi was very good. Was easy to park on the street. Nice place for a romantic dinner.
(5)
Lisa R.
A SUSHI LOVER'S MUST-G0 Since our favorite place, Hanabi, in West Portal came under new management, we have been looking for a new "Best Sushi Place Ever." So far, Sushi Main Street is it. If you don't have a reservation, put your name in and go for a nice walk. Everything from the sake, to the yellowtail, seaweed salad, Oaxaca roll (a fried Jalapeno, avocado, lettuce & tomato roll), and papaya & mango roll were de-lectable. My favorite part was when they didn't mind making my favorite Hanabi treat--mango and fresh salmon. You can truly taste the freshness in the seafood and all the ingredients, for that matter. Although I didn't pay, my friend that was treating looked at the bill and said, "We did not order enough. We should have ordered more." Definitely worth the drive.
(5)
L K.
I love this place. It's been awhile but we used to go here every Valentine's & special location. I love that its out of town (for me) and off the beaten path. The ambiance is fabulous, carved wood tables, funky plates...and the sushi is fresh, creative (one roll has macadamia nuts) & delicious. A truly special place!
(5)
Susan M.
This is my favorite sushi place in all of SF Bay Area And I must eat sushi at least once a week. I love the Balinese door panels and the Asian decor and ambiance. Great affordable, fresh sushi and other nice entrees. Everytime I am in Half Moon Bay, I would love to eat here.
(5)
ari a.
First off the atmosphere is great. There are plenty of amazing dishes to choose from. Try the eggplant appetizer I wish I could make an eggplant taste like that. I ordered a sweet sake and it was very yummy and I got the whole bottle to myself for under $6. It was my girlfriend's birthday and I snuck a cake over to our wonderful waiter. He was super cute about putting some candles in there and bringing out the cake at exactly the right time. He even got some of his co-workers to sing happy birthday. It was perfectly embarrassing and sweet. We all ordered to our hearts delight and I was amazed at the very reasonable price at the end.
(4)
j l.
Only ate here once but it was fantastic. Loved the building and decor, and the food was perfect. They use lots of fresh shiso, which not every sushi place does. There was a long wait to be seated (even at the sushi bar) but was eventually worth it. I got some sort of cucumber appetizer that I still think about every now and then. It was really really good.
(4)
Harry Y.
Respectable sushi per California standards. It would be better if they returned to not charging extra for tea, like they used to. My favorites are the Sashimi and Nigiri. The Bento boxes during the weekly lunches are a good deal. I'll continue to go here as I have for many years.
(3)
Kelly M.
I went here with a group of friends and was impressed. On first impresssion, I loved the decor. I had the rainbow, Hawaiian and Spider rolls and was very satisfied. I can't wait to go back and try different rolls, they have a selection for everyone.
(4)
Don W.
This is a really good Sushi restaurant with a laid-back atmosphere and ambiance heightened by authentic Indonesion and other artifacts, slate tables, and a trad'l kotatsu table for 6-8 in the corner. Very busy Thurs-Sun nights as it's one of the better restaurants in town as well as it's the only sushi/japanese cuisine in HMB. Sit at the counter and enjoy the show instead of waiting for a table. This is not as great as Kabuto on Geary in SF, my favorite sushi restaurant of them all, but it's darn good and the owners/chefs/waiters are really, really nice. Try the Gomaae - Japanese spinach salad.
(3)
Natasha Anna A.
Portions are TINY! We got the bento boxes and I was literally served 2-3oz of Salmon and maybe 3 oz of chicken and 2 small pieces of California rolls with huge scoop of rice (which I don't really eat) and a salad mix. It was absurdly scarce. I ordered a rock and roll because I was still so hungry and it was also tiny. What would be 2 pieces in a normal high end Japanese restaurant ended up being cut down to 4 pieces here (Rolls are normally 6 pieces. This was maybe a 1/2 of a normal sized roll). Here's the thing, the miso (also super small), the salmon, and the rock and roll were very tasty (the chicken was terribly dry and bland), but the portions are tiny. I wouldn't mind paying more why don't you listen to your reviewers and make a meal that is satisfying! If it's too costly just charge more. Or, at the very least, don't call that mockery a bento box, and describe to your customers your portion size so they know how to order appropriately. I won't go back again we've been here 2xs and am too frustrated with it to bother again. I'll wait until the yelp reviews reflect a substantial change before giving them another try.
(3)
gnat c.
This is the *best* sushi around. It's well worth the drive from the city. The staff are friendly and give great recommendations. They have quite an extensive menu with reasonable prices. Go early as the place fills up quickly every night of the week. It's a perfect date location with the pacific only a short drive away....we all love long walks on the beach.
(5)
Maureen H.
Very rustic. Wonderful location right in downtown HMB. Excellent quality tea. Kelp salad and spinach salads are amazing. Very fresh fish. Yum yum yum!
(5)
Len B.
Best sushi I've had! The decor of the restaurant was great, I wish my home looked like that. All of the rolls I've had have been good, esp. the rainbow roll which is always the first thing I order at sushi. Their appetizers are great, I had the mussels special and they were broiled with a hot sauce along with a few other things. It's nice to have mussels served a way other than steamed. Service is great although it seems to get very warm in there.
(5)
Kathryn M.
Today me and the bf set out for a fun day at the beach. Little did we know it was going to start raining on us! We found Sushi Main Street on a walk in down town Half Moon Bay. When we walked in, we were instantly impressed by the atmosphere. We sat up at a traditional table where we sat on the floor with pillows all around us. The menu was large and full of great choices. We got a Benito box to share, with a wonderful chicken terriaki, tempura shrimp, a decent salad, but the best part was the rolls. We got a spicy Hitachi, and a spicy salmon. Wow. Wonderful. And the price was great!The service was okay but could have been better. All in all, great place to go if you are in the area..
(4)
Janine M.
It's all about the Unagi Papaya. I love this place. I go there when I need a little pick-me-up. There Bento Box is so good and has a super reasonable price. The atmosphere is unbeatable too!
(5)
Jeff R.
Kind of reluctant to write a review about Sushi Main Street, since it will probably make it a bit tougher to get my fish, but what the heck.. For me this is simply the best Japanese restaurant I have eaten at in the Bay area. There may be others with better ambiance or sashimi, or size of fish slices or prices but when taken all together Sushi Main Street rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been eating here for over 10 years. Fish is SUPER fresh, the negative - service can get slow as the restaurant fills, but you can beat that by going in late (after 8) or call in your order for take out. They have a Nigiri Combination (8 pieces) with miso for under $16 wide range of sushi rolls, it is kid friendly, the Balinese style decor with slate tables are unusual and truly neat. If you love Japanese raw fish, this is a winner.
(5)
Jules B.
YUCK! Went for lunch today and it was NASTY! Please know, I used to love this place and have been here several times, but not in the last year. I was so excited to go again and we made a special trip to HMB just to eat lunch here. We arrived at 12:30pm and thought it would be very busy. Walked right in and had our choice of a few tables or several seats at the sushi bar. We sat at the sushi bar. Ordered hot tea a large beer and appetizers - 2 orders of agedashi tofu (we love agedashi tofu) and a japanese eggplant appetizer. The agedashi tofu was $4.95 each and it was way below par - they gave four tiny cubes of hard tofu in a ponzu sauce. First, it is usually made with a very soft tofu and is very delicate and twice the amount. The eggplant was oily and other than the oil flavor, that was it. Next we ordered 1 order each of hamachi negiri, hawaiian special roll, spicy scallop roll, caterpiller roll, unagi and papaya roll, spider roll. ALL the rice in every roll and the negiri fell apart and was hard. NOT sushi rice at all. Everthing was also flavorless. It is no longer good inexpensive sushi. Our bill was $62 for lunch and that was only for two people! SKIP this place for sure. Sorry, I won't be back - ever again. Sad.
(1)
Takaki K.
One of the best suchi restaurants I know in the Peninsula, and it's pretty reasonably priced. Their miso soup is WAY too salty but the sushi is good. It's worth the drive.
(5)
M. S.
This restaurant is definitely 4 1/2 stars. I love the decor in this restaurant -- it is warm and inviting as noted in a couple reviews. The sushi is delicious -- fresh! The price is also very reasonable. My favorite rolls are: Tropical, Oaxaca Mexico, Hawaiin, and spicy hamachi. Definitely worth the drive. 1/2 star off for the long wait a lot of the time.
(4)
Sheri N.
i ate here years ago.. don't remember what i ate, but i remember really enjoying the place. i would definitely would go back if i was in half moon bay and wanting sushi. it's dark and everything is made out of cool wood. make reservations because this place is crowded @ night. cool tables where u take off your shoes... i'm sure u need a reservation for those tables too.
(5)
Erika T.
Sushi Main Street is definitely one of the best sushi joints in the Bay Area. I am very picky about my sushi and know sushi very well. They really know waht they are doing. The sushi rice is perfect, the fish is fresh and the sushi chefs are very experienced. They are all Japanese, trained and apprenticed in Japan and have experience working in Japanese restaurants in the US. The head sushi chef co-owns the restaurant with his wife who is the interior decorator. You definitely can't miss the interesting Balinese decor of the restaurant. It actually make the restaurant feel bigger than the tiny space that it actually is. Back to the food... The fish is so fresh it melts in your mouth - everything from the maguro to the hamachi to the scallop and clam. They serve all the classic sushi in addition to the trendy rolls. You should also explore the rest of the menu like the hot pot or "nabe" dishes. The soft shell crab entree is wonderful too. Eating at Sushi Main Street is a great excuse to visit the coastside or to linger along the coastside for just a few more hours.
(4)
kavi r.
My husband and I were on a weekend getaway to HMB, and I dragged him to Sushi Main Street based on all the reviews on Yelp. And I kind of sort of got busted. Yes the decor is funky and cool, but not particularly practical. We were seated at a table for two where my 6'4" husband just didn't fit and I, a mere 5'2", like the local village hick, had to sit with my legs splayed out to accomodate the thick table base. Good thing I wasn't wearing a skirt! The tabletop was so small that they could not fit our order on it without taking away the extra plates, the teapot and putting the soy sauce and wasabi on the adjoining bench. So not particularly comfortable... We started with a really yummy asparagus gomaee, which I've only previously tried in its spinach version. It was very fresh and presented nicely. Then we had salmon miso, which came as pretty large bowls of soup (if you use a normal cup of miso that you get at a sushi restaurant as a comparison). Tasted ok -- but I needed a shot of the spicy pepper to cheer it up a bit. Everyone around us seemed to be happily inhaling the little neck clam miso soup, so maybe we should have paid more attention to the specials board. We ordered 3 rolls to share - octopus, oaxaca (jalapeno pepper-based), and spider. It was really hard to appreciate the flavour because it just seemed like there was WAY too much rice and not enough inside "stuff". What bits I did notice tasted fresh but the sensation was alas all too fleeting. Overall, I think I might go back with a group (so we could get a bigger table and actually be comfortable!), and maybe make a meal of the appetizers and entrees and just skip the sushi altogehter.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
fenton a.
Just last night we stopped in this very attraitive restaurant.Having been there last year and enjoying ourselves we thought this would be a fun start to our date night out.Entering it was very busy at 7:00pm and a waitress pointed for us to sign up on a sheet in the corner.We did and after waiting for 10 minutes a lady the owner/manager asked us what we were doing standing here? I informed her we signed the wait list and she abruptly stated that it was on the other side and we had at least 6 couples ahead of us and to come back later which we agreed.Re-entering 45 minutes later it was much less busy and were seated in a nice table.After ordering wine glasses and sitting there over 10-15 minutes without much as a glance and feeling very awkward we called over a waitress to ask can we order.She gave us the look like this is not my table but will get someone.The lady manager did take our order and we waited patiently for over 20 minutes before asking again where is our food? She stated it has been sitting on the counter and would bring it to us.Food arrived and was extremely dissapointing overpriced etc.We have sushi at least once a month and this was the worst food and service in many years....
(1)Allen S.
I just ate here with my folks this weekend and I give it a thumbs up. Food was good and pretty cheap, a surprising combo especially in Half Moon Bay. I had some of these interesting rolls that had papaya (or guava, I get them mixed up) and one that had macademia nuts shredded over the top of the roll (style points). Parents went more traditional with a nigiri combo and nabeyaki udon which they both approved of (and they are tough critics). Some hot sake and a sapporo to top it all off. I just wish the tables were a flatter surface b/c we had to keep watching where we placed our cups. :P
(4)Tom D.
Hippie sushi!! The sushi is very good -- and I like the atmosphere....
(4)Emily C.
This place is very vegetarian-friendly. They have a few unique vegetarian rolls, like the Half Moon Bay (artichoke heart, avocado, and radish sprout) and wild mushroom (mixed sauteed wild mushrooms with green onions), both of which were very tasty. There is one with fried jalapeno and cilantro, the Oaxaca Mexico, that we did not try but wished we had. The kelp salad is good as kelp salads go (and I love seaweed salad). The cucumber roll is surprisingly flavorful--the cukes are julienned and a few pieces are put in the roll, so it has a good texture, too. The asparagus salad had a sesame dressing that was kind of sweet, almost like a delicate peanut sauce. The miso, edamame, and traditional Japanese cold spinach (forgot that had bonito in it, whoops) were all pretty good.
(4)Susan D.
This is the sushi that dreams are made of. The Dragon roll is absolutely amazing. I also recommend the potstickers (just the right amount of ginger), the spicy California roll is sooo good. Sometimes it takes a little while to get your food but it is well worth the wait. This is my very favorite sushi restaurant.
(5)Brandi P.
We decided to give this place a try because of all of the great reviews on Yelp. After spending an unusually warm day in HMB we went to Sushi (around 6:30pm on a Friday night). It felt like we were in a sauna when we walked in. Clearly the place does not have AC or it was not working. It must have been 90 degrees inside. The waiter sat us down and did not come back for 10 minutes (too long). We were sandwhiched between an older man who would not stop staring at us and a family in which the Mother was eating standing up with a baby in a sling and her backside inches from our table. When the waiter came back we told him we had a family emergency and quickly left. It was not worth the money to stay one more minute.
(1)Amy W.
This place is one of our favorites - the fish is fresh, service is decent, sake selection is pretty good. Love the salads, rolls, sashimi. Nice, relaxing atmosphere. Great to go to later in the evening. They never rush us out.
(4)Yummy P.
The best Japanese restaurant in the Bay Area, the sushi is always fresh but tends to be on the smaller side, the hot dishes are not the usual terri-yacky you find everywhere else
(4)Amy G.
Sushi Main Street is quite literally world class sushi. I was pretty amazed at the incredulous tone expressed by KB; in fact that is what prompted me to write this review. I have eaten sushi all over the world, including at Edo Gin in Tokyo in the Tsukiji fish markets, and I can tell you that Sushi Main Street has comparable sushi. The only item that I ate in Tokyo that was actually better was the toro. I've only been back in the Bay Area for a little over one year, but certainly Sushi Main Street is the best sushi I've had in its price range. I think the only fish I've eaten that is in its class is from Nobu in London or L.A. (and I presume therefore NY!!), but of course the price is also over double.
(5)Dan L.
The hostesses here have the worst attitude I have ever experienced. Time and again, attitude. Why do I come back? Good sushi. Waitresses seem like they usually are unhappy to be here too. Eat at the bar and forget the rest of the staff except the sushi chefs. Relatively expensive too but there is only one other sushi place on the coast, so you don't have a lot of options
(2)Melissa W.
I love this place, driving out to Half Moon Bay doesn't take very long but makes dining here seem like more of a big event. The rolls are all so good! My favorite is the spider roll with soft shell crab, and the one with mango is really good too. Basically you can't go wrong. Love the new spinach is sesame oil they serve as a side. The prices are very reasonable. Love it.
(5)K B.
One of the best sushi places in the Bay Area... wow, no offense, but guessing these are friends of the management. It's "good", but for sushi.... eh... it serves it's purpose for the coastside.... "The usual nigiri, sashimi, sukiyaki, teriyaki, tempura and sushi rolls. The quality is "good", but I will say there seems to be a slight twist to the "taste" of their sushi, that I can only define as 'fragrant', in a pleasant way. Portions are on the smaller side, too. The service is "satisfactory", nothing more nothing less. The decor is the reason for much of the allure of this place. It provides a very deep and wet Balinese look and feel, replete with other slight Asian accents, very few of which come across as Japanese, but quite rustic at times. That ... and a soundtrack for Deadheads playing lightly over the stereo. We don't have many choices for sushi on the coast, but the ambience and feel make it a great place for out-of-town guests, when you aren't willing to trek up to the City. Just set the bar very high or low on expectations."
(3)Angi C.
one of my fave sushi places in the bay area. freshest seafood (saba, uni, toro, you name it), interesting rolls, unique decor with pieces from southeast asia (none of that generic rice paper screen crap here). i almost wanted to give this 1 star just so it won't get too crowded, but then i decided a) that's really mean, b) they take reservations so what do i care? and c) it's in freakin' half moon bay!
(5)A B.
Unplanned trip; long line - popular place! The sushi and the nabeyaki udon were reasonably good, although the small stone slab table we were placed at was unstable (shaky) and way too small to comfortably accomodate all our plates.
(3)J E.
I'm not a sushi expert, but I have to say this is the best sushi place that I've been to and it is affordable (compared to blowfish in SF and fuki sushi in palo alto). The decor sets a cozy mood for the night which allows for great conversations. One particular thing I like about this restaurant is the consistently good sushi and service. Every time I am greeted with warmth and I always get the feeling that my order was handled with special care. You may want to make reservations for a Friday or Saturday night because it gets full. Other nights you can always expect people to be there, but you will always find a table.
(5)Mike D.
Despite all the rave reviews, we had a pretty disappointing experience. The sushi was pretty good but it took about an hour to get our first order of sushi. I didn't think it was too big of a deal, but some of the people in our party were not happy. It was incredibly affordable, so maybe I'll give it another shot sometime.
(3)Micki S.
This is one of the best Sushi places in the Bay Area, and worth the drive for me from the city. The sushi is very fresh, they have several unique rolls, and the atmosphere is very relaxing. The slate table tops are a crowning feature.
(5)Suzy G.
Really this place does have very fresh seafood and everything is very good here. Seaweed salad is the best I've had. If you like tempura you'll love it here. Try the Goyza (pot stickers) or the Pork Dumplings for apps. Yum! We 've worked our way through most of the rolls on the menu. Favs are Hot Tuna (my husband alone can do two orders of these!) The Caterpillar and Rainbow rolls are great to share. Other good rolls: Spider (soft shell crabs), Spicy Scallop or Tuna; New York, Philly, Hawaiian...OK I'll stop... now I'm hungry! The noodle bowls and Don Buri (rice bowls) are also very good. We STILL haven't made it to the Entrees on the menu..... The Wine list is simple but works. My husband & son really like the Japanese beer. Dessert, you must do dessert. The Banana Tempura is a must and the Mochi are very refreshing. I should mention that the service can be slow, sometimes really slow. It's kind of hit & miss, especially on Fri & Sat. nights. You definitely should make a reservation otherwise you won't get a table until 8 or so. We go here when we're not in hurry and want to just hang out trying different rolls all evening and drinking wine & beer. (Hey it's tough assignment but someone's got to do it!) They are opening a Sake Bar next door that will 21 over only.Oh yeah, the bento boxes are a GREAT deal at lunch! A few things other details about this place..... It's not the only sushi place in HMB. There is Shiki over at Stone Pine Center. The restaurant is called "Sushi Main St." because it shared a common space with HMB Coffee on Main St. between the Buffalo Shirt Co & Pasta Moon back in the day. The owner works most evenings and they used to sell the type of furnishings you see at the restaurant at a shop on Main St. (now closed).
(4)Chris D.
Decent food, horrible service, expensive. Waited and waited for our order to be taken and it went downhill after that. Our entire order never did show up. I'm still here sitting waiting for my check.
(1)Erin D.
The food is great but the service not so much. The waitress left the wine bottle for us to pour it ourselves. Half of our group got their food long after the others. The major problem is that there was one waitress with nearly not enough help. It did not help when the manager was rude and unprofessional.
(2)Dante S.
I love Sushi Main Street, it's practically perfect. The fish tastes fresh, the ambiance is lovely, the wait staff are attentive and quick. It's always the perfect cap to a day on the beach for me. No house iced tea (only expensive little bottles) and putting both an ebi AND a tobiko roll in the same "chef's choice" assortment kills a little of the love for me. But I'll be back, and I'll surely dream of those delicious little fishies while I'm away.
(4)Bill O.
Good sushi, but INCREDIBLY slow service. So slow that I suspect they take the order for unagi, fly north to find an eel, kill it, prep it, fly back, cook it, then do the final prep. Yes...that slow.
(2)Hannah P.
super SMALL portions for the price, my boyfriend and I both ordered the lunch special that was about $8. Although there were only about two waitresses, the place wasn't busy and it took about 30 minutes for our food to come out.... The shrimp tempura is the only thing that worked. Everything else (teriyaki salmon, teriyaki chicken) were ridiculously small in portion and NOT tasty; both were dry and not fresh tasting. The green tea ice cream that came with the special was so... tiny. sigh. it was barely 1 scoop! And it wasn't even fresh ice cream - it had those ice chips that show up in old ice cream -_____- the caterpillar roll wasn't bad, but I get better at sushi boat, and that's saying a lot! Decor is nice, seating is nice (just FYI, those funky driftwood wood chairs aren't comfortable! sit on the cushions!), music was country (??). yeah, weird. Not authentic japanese food but I guess location is expensive and they have to make do by serving sub-par food. Definitely gonna try eating somewhere else next time I visit HMB
(2)Alice H.
I'm giving this three stars instead of my intended 4, because I have not been in over a year (maybe 2?) and it sounds like there are some major service problems. What a shame. I used to drive from San Francisco to eat here - sometimes more than once a month. It was that good. I started at the original location back in 1995 when it literally was on Main Street and only three or four tables, and I rode it over to the current location. The owner was a woman who loved to travel and she brought back the amazing wood carvings from her many trips. Food was to die for. Service simple and competent, and well, you just had to come back. I will go and check it out, but when a good place opened in my neighborhood in Bernal, I just didn't have the same drive to drive that far. I hope they clean up their act - this was an incredible gem and it made me enjoy a little coastal town I might never have gotten to know as well.
(3)Nicole G.
C and I met up for dinner, and soon we were driving down Highway 1 with a gorgeous view of the cliffs and ocean below. I wondered to myself where we were going, and then just settled into the ride. When we parked in Half Moon Bay, I knew right away where we were headed. Main Street Sushi! Our friend Shy had recommended it, which meant we could expect only excellence. Still, I never expected to walk into such an exotic restaurant. The woodwork was stunning and the place had obviously been curated by a well traveled artist. We found out from our waiter that the owners had gone to Bali on their honeymoon, and had been importing exquisite Indonesian antiques ever since. It was a week night, so were immediately seated on pillows at a low table. Soon our specials arrived, fresh and tasty. Lounging on silk eating sashimi... *sigh*. I could do this a lot more often. If you have a date you want to impress, Sushi Main Street is the place. You might even get a little kiss for your creativity.
(4)Peter A.
After going here now for 14 years I can no longer even step in the door. They had a great product and have destroyed it, they can't even afford to replace their broken refrigeration system and I am worried about the quality of the fish kept on ice now. I had dinner there several months ago and was disgusted by the service and shabby quality of about everything they served us. The size of the sashimi pieces was disgustingly small, the quality of the nori bad. This place is cutting costs everywhere since their sake bar has failed. They have had a terrible time keeping staff because their product has gone south so you can't make money as a server if no one comes. Stay Away there is a better value in the Strawflower Village.
(1)Jeff W.
Good food, nice atmo in a downtown location.
(4)Kara H.
The secret to a good experience at Sushi Main Street is simple. 1) You need to come on a weeknight. That's no surprise about any restaurant, especially to anyone who has read Kitchen Confidential, but it's really true here. 2) You need to dine in the the lounge part of the restaurant. Not only is the decor beautiful, tranquil and inspiring, but the food actually tastes better. I know, it makes no sense given they share the same kitchen with the regular restaurant, but it makes a difference. I swear. Plus, we just adore the charming Japanese waitress who only works during the week. The weekend experience is completely different and should be avoided. The food is not so good, the service is bad, it's just completely different... I like a completely different restaurant! On a personal note, we like sake and wish they'd bring back their imaginative sake tasting menu, but at the same time understand there is probably a limited market for it.
(4)Sabine S.
Excellent. I would drive from the city to eat here. Heck, being from Texas, the drive isn't even that big a deal. The menu isn't the most creative, but the fish is so fresh, its practically still flipping on the plate. If you are big into sushi, you will also appreciate the excellent knife work. I have never had such melt-in-your mouth sashimi. It's amazing how something as simple as raw fish can taste so different depending on the cut and quality of the fish. If raw fish is not your thing (I mention this because a lot of people end up at sushi restaurants who, in fact, do not enjoy raw fish--like the guy beside us who didnt like fish, avocado, rice or soybeans), they have an ample menu of other non-sushi items, like littleneck clam miso soup (excellent) and a variety of flavorful rolls (the one with papaya and bbq eel blew me away). when you are done with dinner, the dessert menu is equally deserving of praise--fried bananas with a custard sauce and vanilla ice cream with plum sauteed strawberries were an excellent way to end our dining experience. I'll admit, I was a bit nervous that this place would be too trendy for its own good. It certainly does seem like "the place" to have dinner in Half Moon Bay on a Friday night. Despite its popularity, the food here was so good and fresh, and way cheaper than what I pay for so-so sushi in the city.
(4)Emily G.
We have eaten here many times, and the experience is always top-notch. Tonight we tried the very high-end addition, beautifully decorated, and we were waited on by the decorator/co-owner herself. The staff was friendly and the food was excellent. A consistently reliable source for Japanese food, with the finest ingredients and superior presentation.
(5)Shawna M.
Wow - this place used to be so great. Well, that was then and this is now, and it is horrible! I won't even bother explaining what we got and what was wrong with it. Suffice it to say I will never go back. The food and service has declined slowly over the past 8 years. Awful.
(1)Sean P.
The idea for driving out to this place from the Silicon Valley came from a colleague (thanks, Kurt!), and it exceeded even his recommendation. The sushi and sashimi were excellent. I tried escolar for the first time, prepared as sashimi, and it practically melted in my mouth. The other unusual find, at least for me as an East Coast guy, was the Half Moon Bay Roll -- artichoke heart, avocado and radish sprouts. It was fantastic. Don't leave without also trying the banana tempura. I think I am going to try making that at home. They serve it with a custard, but I think the kids will prefer the less Japanese chocolate sauce. The decor is very unique, with stone tables and rustic wood throughout. It's a cozy spot, but there was no wait on a Tuesday night. It was well worth the extra drive.
(4)Stephanie P.
Very cool environment, beautiful decor, and a truly unique dining experience. Some of the best sushi I've ever had and the clay pot bowls were delicious!
(5)Alisa S.
We ate at Sushi Main Street yesterday and weren't overly impressed. Their udon was delicious and the fish was also tasty, but the quality of their rice ruined any rolls that we ordered. The rice was hard and fell apart as soon as you dipped it in the soy sauce. The service also left something to be desired. We were served our udon, but it took another 5 minutes to get a spoon. Additionally, we had to ask for plates to eat our sushi. I am sure there are other places where you can enjoy a nice meal if you are visiting half moon bay.
(3)Ankle B.
3.5. "Good", teetering on "almost very good", I suppose. Not bad, just feels like it should be better. Atmosphere is fantastic, chef is Japanese (rare), the menu and sake selection is nice, but the flavors weren't quite there. We ordered a pretty extensive cross-section of food including sake, sushi, soba, yakitori, and a combination plate w/whitefish and tempura, and it just wasn't as flavorful as it all looked (or costs). There wasn't enough oomph in dishes where there should've been, and the whitefish was just plain bland. The service was fine, but all the high chair buckles were broken, which they were aware of. I find this particularly annoying, as frankly, broken highchairs shouldn't be offered knowingly. It's dangerous for us and a liability for them. It may also speak to the lack of urgency with which they approach correcting problems. Coming from out of town, I will definitely look for another Japanese restaurant the next time, but wouldn't be too bummed if I had to settle for Sushi Main Street again, provided they addressed the above.
(3)Nizaria D.
Disclaimer: White people sushi... but the good kind, not the bad kind. Heavy emphasis on the marine & algal stuff, befitting the coastal location, i.e. Little Neck Clam Miso Soup, Kelp Salad, etc. Cool geograhpic themed special rolls, faves including the Princeton by the Sea and the Oaxaca roll. A little heavy on the white people sauces (see above disclaimer). Nice ambience when not overflowing with big parties, hectic when crowded. Super cool, new-agey earth mama decor with lots of raw materials and earth tones. If someone asked me where I would most prefer to eat in the HMB area, it would be a toss up between here and Cafe Gibraltar in El Granada. With a stop at the San Benito House for sandwiches in between.
(4)Lauren B.
Cute Sushi restaurant. We were growing tired of the fried seafood so decided to go Japanese on our last day in HMB. The decor was really interesting and quaint. First thing we noticed that the unagi handrolls were wrapped not in seaweed but in a yellow soy wrapper. Was delicious. Sashimi was fresh and the service was superb! We shall return
(4)Matt S.
I ate here last night and most of the items that I ordered were really great. We ordered some edamame to start, the pork shu mai w/ mustard sauce appetizer, halibut nigiri, yellowtail nigiri. mackeral nigiri, spider roll, spicy scallop roll and the special salmon aburi roll where they blow torch the fish lying on top of the roll. M'lady had a glass of white wine and I, a Sapporo. All of the fish was top of the line in terms of freshness and taste. Thus, the nigiri was wonderful. The spider roll was tasty. The scallop roll had a bit too much of that spicy mayo sauce that is all too common at sushi restaurants. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that sushi places tend to over do it. I still enjoyed it though. The salmon aburi roll is pretty darn spicy, yet very tasty. I recommend it if you like spice. However, save it as the last roll or else you won't be able to taste anything else. Last but definitely not least, the fried shu mai dumplings were the best dumpling-thingies I have every tasted. They are crispy balls of pork-and-other-stuff goodness. It's basically pork shu mai with a crispy fried shell. They stayed extremely crispy throughout the entire course of dinner (I was sparing them!) Man...you HAVE to get them. You just have to. To summarize: PROs: *Speedy service *Fresh & tasty fish *The shu mai!! *Creative rolls *Nice ambiance/decor CONs: *Limited tables (you may have to sit at the bar) *My halibut nigiri had too much wasabi balled in one spot + the mint leaf on it...why a mint leaf? Let me taste the fish (Just being nitpicky) *Can't order sushi over the bar (takes away from the whole sushi bar experience) *No Japanese music playing quietly in the background (Okay...maybe this is too nitpicky) I'll definitely be back again if I'm in town.
(4)Season F.
Great ambience for such a sleepy town...tummy was happy, rolls were creative and the fish was still jumpin' fresh...
(4)chris s.
My very favorite sushi joint in the bay area - friendly service, unique atmosphere, and original great tasting food for a righteous price. Main Street expanded a short while back, so no waiting. The unagi papaya is to die for, love it and I never saw it anywhere before. A great place to wrap the day up after a trip to the beach.
(5)Setareh N.
I definately thank the hot man that brought me here last Saturday ;) I love the ambience.....I could stare at that elegantly carved wood behind the sushi bar for days as I eat excellent sashimi/sushi and enjoy a really nice crisp salad. Actually this is one of my top 5 favorite sushi places EVER!!!!! They were pretty nice about serving us when we walked in at 9:30pm to and the service was phenominal. We had this fabulous unfiltered sake that I wish remembered the name of it so i can make a bev mo run
(5)Huy N.
This place actually should get 4 stars, but I gave it one extra star based on Chris L.'s typo in this review ( yelp.com/biz_share?bizid… ), which indicates that at Sushi Main Street they serve "soft shell crap." He or she must have been having a really SHITTY day because that phrase is used not once, but twice in the review. Sweet.
(5)René M.
What a fascinating old world Japanese place to eat! Great experience, friendly service anf the prices were reasonable. The food was good but not as spectacular as the environment. Still, I will visit again when Im in the area.
(4)Ashley G.
Love the Sushi here! The plates are beautiful and taste yummy!
(5)Vaska R.
Though sushi has become as common as dirt in northern California finding good sushi is frustratingly rare. This restaurant escapes the trap of mediocre sushi by using excellent ingredients and being presided over by good chefs that know how to cut, wrap and present, although they are overly fond of avocado. Even better, the place also has some great food to offer as well such baked oyster, tempura and a number of small appetizers and all cooked just right. There can be a wait at night so reservations are a good idea.
(5)Jan H.
Great place to get some excellent sushi in beautiful Half Moon Bay! Great food, good prices, friendly service.
(5)Ashley E.
Love the decor here; very cozy and quaint; crowded on a Friday night and I sat with my date at the sushi bar where we got great service; loved the food. Very zen atmosphere.
(4)Ted C.
Great decor, excruciatingly slow service and food delivery--and the place was empty! Very nice waiter. Food was average but not fabulous, and my bento box chicken/been was on the cool side. They save money by walking food across the street from their main kitchen at a different restaurant. I would love to return but probably won't.
(2)Michael O.
The worst Japanese food experience to date. After waiting 20 minutes our order arrived. My wife's bento box contained what was ordered, but instead of Katsudon, i received another bento box with shrimp tempura, and chicken teriyaki My wife said her food was not very good, and I could not eat mine. The "chicken" tasted like a processed meat. The server did take the cost of the second meal off the bill, but at half price we paid too much
(1)Josh C.
Sushi Main Street is not only the most vegetarian-friendly of my (admittedly limited) experiences with sushi restaurants, it is also by far the most well-decorated and designed. Granted, the tables are a little small for a place where you are guaranteed to be juggling several plates at a time, but all the carved woodwork, art on the walls, and mild lighting provide so much better of an atmosphere (by the way, the photo on their website doesn't do it justice) than the far-too-many sushi places that are too bright and dominated by tacky decor. The Kelp salad was exceptional, and the miso soup even managed to stand out. I ordered the Vegetarian Nabeyaki, a clay pot dish of vegetables and tofu over udon noodles and vegetable tempura served to the side. Thank you Sushi Main Street for not leaving out the flavor when you leave out the meat (i'm looking at you, Cha Ya - your droves of hipster faithful won't fool me!) A great variety of vegetables, good taste to the broth, and noodles that were just the right texture. And here I am forgetting the main appetizer of the night - fried Japanese eggplant with garlic soy sauce. It was as good as it sounds. Finally, the sushi. I did not have any, but my companion did, and had a great review of her sashimi and scallop nigiri. It was very fresh and, like everything on the menu, quite reasonably priced. This was the perfect place to go on our quick weekend trip to HMB. I would give it a big thumbs up especially to anyone looking for a good surprise date place south of the city.
(5)David V.
A local favorite. Fresh local ingredients, friendly and accommodating staff, and a pleasant atmosphere.
(4)George L.
Sushi Main Street is a great place to wrap up a nice afternoon on the beach. They have a terrific sake selection and delicious sashime. The staff are very friendly and attentive (he made sure we never ran out of sake). The decor is beautiful and rather unique for a sushi restaurant. I would highly recommend making a reservation if you plan to go. There is usually a long line just for the bar.
(4)Andrew B.
Tiny portions, high prices, HORRRRIBLE SERVICE! I will say that the tiny portions are very good, but that can't overcome the exorbitant prices and horrible service. Sad because this place has so much potential.
(1)Denise W.
My disappointing meal last night finally prompted me to join/write a Yelp review to discuss my dismay with Sushi Main Street. First of all, I want to say that this place used to be one of my favorite sushi places. And it saddens me greatly that it is no longer the case. Sure there are great places in S.F. and East Bay, but Sushi Main St. had an exotic casual feel to it, plus parking was easy. It has a wonderful ambiance created by the irregular natural stone tables and the beautiful wood carvings that make up the decor of the interior. But most of all, the quality of the fish has always been fresh and they mixed in some really great nontraditional items on the menu. And best of all, it was a great price for the quality of the sushi. It is hard to find places like this anymore where great quality is not overshadowed by high prices. My husband is a hard core sushi lover and I worked in professional kitchens in my former career, so we know when food is great vs. sub par. We are not food snobs, nor do we call ourselves "Foodies"...we prefer hole in the wall finds that offer one of kind foods you can't find elsewhere. But we have no problem plunking down some serious cash at French Laundry either for the ultimate dining experience. So when we my husband introduced me to Main Street Sushi 6 years ago, I was in love. It was a nice drive to see the coast during the day and eat some excellent sushi before driving back to the east bay. What happened last night? Ok, I must admit that I sensed something was terribly wrong even before last night. We had eaten here a month prior and it was bad. We just thought it was an off night, it was busy. Sure there is always a wait and yes the service isn't the fastest, but we never cared because we loved the food which has always been consistently good. These are some of the typical menu items that we order: Nigiri sushi: Shiro Maguro, Toro, Escolar, Uni, Saba, Amaebi with fried Heads, Spicy Scallop Handrolls. Throw in some specialty rolls and we are good to go. Other items we have tried which have become faves: Mushroom Bacon Salad, Hawaiian Poke, Jalapenos Stuffed with Shrimp, Fried Eggplant with Ginger Soy Dressing... WHAT WENT WRONG?: The nigiri sushi fish was horribly sliced and over handled. Just plain sloppy. Rice was under seasoned and too compressed. My 9 month old daughter could have squished out better rice than that. And because the rice was so compressed it looked smaller than usual. The rolls were hideous to say the least. There was hardly any rice on the roll...a slight one grain thickness of rice which equated to a roll the size of a quarter...only 4 pieces per roll. Yes, no lie! And the nori was damp and rubbery. My fave salad: Mushroom and Bacon Salad. I don't care if it not a traditional Japanese menu item. It is damn tasty! I was hooked the first time I had it. Crispy bacon hot out of the pan with browned mushrooms cooked in the same pan of drippings. Cool crisp lettuce with a slightly sweet tangy pureed onion dressing. Last two occasions it was bland and lacked the acidity of the onion dressing...so in the end it tasted like greasy lettuce. Fried Eggplant was just that...fried plain and oily with no flavor at all. If there was any soy ginger dressing on it, I couldn't taste it. I had to doctor it up with some of the pickled ginger sitting on the table to get it down. My husband just gave up and stopped eating it. In this economy...we paid for it...eat it! I don't think we were the only ones who noticed the severe change in the food quality here. We made a reservation to guarantee us a quick seating, but it was totally unnecessary because what used to be a line out the door sensed with anticipation was now lonely and eery. Only a third of the bar was seated and only half the tables were occupied. This was on a Saturday at 7pm. In the restaurant world that is prime time dinner service. I am greatly saddened and hope this plea/review will find the sushi chefs at Sushi Main Street to dig deep to recreate what once used to be a great place to eat.
(2)Chris A.
A bit slow and disorganized. Great sushi! Better service the second time we came.
(4)Hanna W.
I haven't had take out from here in years, so I decided to try it again. I got the Hawaiian special rolls and spicy california rolls to go. I was shocked to find a small box with tiny rolls inside them. The rolls were never this small in the past and for paying $5.00 an order, this definitely wasn't worth it. I do not recommend going here unless you wanna spend a lot of money on barely any food.
(1)Jonathan C.
This place is stealing my business from other restaurants in Half Moon Bay. No lie - it's that good. I digress, I can't afford much, but eating at Sushi Main Street is my treat for being poor and fabulous. My usual order: Shortneck clam miso soup - screw the chopsticks, sip and pry the flesh with your fingers and enjoy, that's how real men eat (and certain ladies too) Kelp salad - I think this is standard everywhere you go, but still, it's kelp salad, impress your friends Half Moon Bay - If you don't like artichokes, I don't like you. If you do like them, I think you should order an extra order because I'll be joining you, in spirit, of course Hawaiian Special - I love nuts! Nuts and tuna and nuts and tuna - I go bongo for both of them, you just might too Tuna Tataki w/ Ponzu Sauce - I judge a sushi bar by their tuna tataki, so if there is one plate you order at SMS, it's this one. The tuna is seared perfectly and the owner must seriously catch his own fish on an hourly basis because it's just that fresh. The ponzu sauce goes great with the above mentioned rolls Coconut gelato - low air content makes for a really creamy treat that will make me run an extra mile down Cabrillo Hwy (thanks). Oh, it's served in a fake coconut shell, at least I think it's fake I won't mention my alcohol consumption - it's sad how much I drink alone. **Please don't tell my mom what Sushi Main Street is, she's convinced the charges on her credit card are from a grocery store with a funny name.
(5)Julian T.
Good service & fresh well-prepared sushi. I tried halibut nigiri for the first time & was delighted by the fresh mint under the meat. Equal to any sushi I have enjoyed. Delicious & moderately priced. My spouse enjoyed a soba noodle soup with tempura shrimp.
(5)Veronica M.
I had a fantastic meal here years ago, & I was struck by what a great value it was. Seriously, the 2 of us ate like friggin royalty, had a bottle of sake, & it was only about a hundred bucks. The sushi was high quality & fresh. The 2 things that matter most w sushi, right? The space is gorgeous. It's unique & unforgettable. I may be romanticizing, but it's so amazing that it affords forgiveness of minor things. Operative word being minor. After having had a late Labor Day lunch @ Alice's in Woodside, we stopped here for a drink. I had the Japanese equivalent of a margarita; frozen lemonade w sake. It had just the right amount of tangy & sweet. It was fabulous! Uber refreshing. Too delicious, too dangerous. They could have been snooty & given us attitude for not ordering food. But they didn't. Props for that. I studied the menu & saw that it's still a good value today. Rolls starting at $5.95 & lunch bento boxes at around $10.95. And special rolls & mains averaging at $14? I'm there. 5 stars.
(5)Nathan T.
Came in today and got the bento box, what a great deal for lunch! Came in and was immediately seated at the bar. There was only one person working the house at the time, but service was pretty quick -- I wasn't kept waiting at all. The miso soup had great depth of flavour, and everything in the box (rice, vinegared cucumber, grilled whitefish, and vegetable tempura) was delicious and properly prepared. I will be coming back next time I am in HMB!
(5)Gabriella V.
My boyfriend and I have come all the way from Oakland three times just to eat at Sushi Main Street. It's our favorite place and we LOVE sushi! The fish is always fresh and the prices are good, too. The chefs clearly take great care in the preparation of their food. One of my favorite items on the menu is the salmon miso soup; packed with perfectly cooked seafood and under $5! The daily specials are always worth checking out and the variety of fish here is much better than most restaurants in the same price range. Furthermore, you can order a sushi platter and choose your own fish!
(5)Judith Q.
This place is amazing!!! Been here a couple times, loved it!!! Quality and presentation is amazing, love Chef Buddhi. What a culinary artist!!!
(5)Bori B.
Pretty average. Service was slow and our food came out at separate times which I didn't like. I was the last one served so I had to wait a while. The restaurant is dead during the lunch hours on the weekdays. The sushi is pretty mediocre as well and slightly overpriced.
(2)Jacqueline H.
Terrible. Don't ever go there. Flies everywhere and the food is not worth your time. Ordered a catch of the day which was salmon. Plain, small and was not anything special. Literally boiled salmon. Had a dinner combination as well.it was not fulfilling and everything was in teeny tiny portions for $20. My friend who ordered catch of the day had the same exact thing I had in the dinner combo and it costed him 20$ for just the salmon. I would not recommend anyone to go here EVER.
(1)Patch L.
My girlfriend and I went in impromptu for sushi. We sat at the sushi bar and were treated with pretty good service. The food was good and the prices were great. We ended up getting two sets of sushi and a dinner combination plate all for under 35 bucks. Not too shabby for a dinner in the Bay Area. The ambiance was nice and it wasn't too loud.
(4)Karishma K.
Yum, Yum, Yum! Interesting décor, delicious food and reasonably priced!
(5)Emily D.
Unbelievably delicious. The freshest (in both senses of the word) ingredients. Really a great dining experience!
(5)Doug K.
Had dinner last night and it was wonderful. The only critique was the Maine lobster roll that was listed on the menu for 22.95 and was listed as having 8 Oz of Maine lobster. The lobster was a spiny lobster as indicated by the tail garnish. Pink in color and small. Maine lobster cooks out bright red. I am a Chef and I had a Bistro in Maine for 10 years. I know my Lobster. Although the roll was very good, it was not as described. Thus 4 instead of 5 stars. I will definitely return when I return to Half Moon Bay and I hope this critique is resolved.
(4)Julia P.
My favorite sushi place!!! I come here once a week because it is a quality experience for very reasonable prices. The atmosphere, fish, and service keep me coming back. Oaxaca (roll with cilantro jalapeño and more) and Princeton by the Sea rolls are my favorites. Very interesting rolls!
(5)Russ V.
We had lunch today I had the Udon combo. I admit I am a bit of a Udon snob-but...the broth was lacking flavor. My wife had the Bento box which was fair though the fish was bland and I am sure it was frozen. The atmosphere and decor is very nice and unique and they have an extensive Sake menu. There were no flies, perhaps the problem others wrote about is due to the very slow closing door.
(3)Melissa T.
We came in on Mother's Day thinking that the dinner rush would have the place slammed at 7 when we arrived. Luckily, we seemed to have avoided the rush and were immediately seated. The décor of the restaurant was very nice, with the tabletops appearing to be made from poured cement. The server came immediately to us and took our drink orders and when the drinks arrived she took our food order. The sushi came out quickly and was nicely prepared. The fish was very fresh and we left very happy. Although I enjoyed the sushi here I will say I prefer another local sushi spot over this one, at least in the rolls. The rolls here were on the smaller side (nothing wrong with that, though, really) and I thought they were really lacking much flavor outside of the fish. The rice was cooked well but everything could have used just a bit more....Ooomph, I guess. However, the one dish that I absolutely loved and would tell everyone they must have is the mussels. So wonderful! The sauce poured over them is spicy, without being too spicy. A perfect balance to the texture of the mussel. Yay for that one! I would highly recommend this restaurant for the fresh offerings and the amount of items to choose from. The prices can't be beat, either. We were shocked to see our total was only $53 before tip, even knowing that we had a beer on our tab and lots of sushi. That made us very happy and ensured that we will return.
(4)Lenore S.
The interior is indeed beautiful (if you can get past being attacked by flies). However the service was super slow and the food was mediocre at best. The service: Very slow. Painfully slow. The server was polite and sweet, and it really wasn't her fault. She was the only server at 12:30 pm on a Friday afternoon. I counted she had a total of 7 tables, and 2 counters she was managing by herself. No bus boy, just her running the floor. Flies, oh my gosh the flies! It was a cool, foggy day, shut the darn door! Geez! We constantly had to swat at flies landing on our faces, the table, our glasses. Super annoying and really gross. If they were that bad in the dinning room, how were they in the kitchen? Which brings me to the food: The 3 of us ordered 2 bento boxes and udon soup. The meat in the bento boxes (teriyaki steak, chicken, cutlet) all were dry and cold. The 2 tiny pieces of California roll with fake crab meat was just whatever. Salad limp and old. My Daughter who loves bento boxes, didn't touch most of it. The udon had a weird smell to it and the broth was pretty flavorless. My husband didn't eat it. He never leaves food behind! We usually go to Shiki when we want sushi, but, it was my Daughter's 16th birthday and I wanted to take her somewhere a little more upscale for her special day. I really felt bad about my choice and had to take her to the bakery to make up for the poor lunch choice. Honestly, the flies were the real killer here. It was so hard to relax, making our long wait even harder. I really hope the owner takes note and does something about this. Also, staff your restaurant better. That poor server shouldn't have to manage the whole place by herself, at least give her a bus boy! Don't think we will be back.
(1)steven p.
Loved the spider rolls and spicy tuna rolls. Tempura was good too. Service a little slow but worth the wait.
(5)Shzz R.
food is good, but sadly if you can catch them open , they close early and they don't open early.. Tough for working people to make their schedule.
(2)Karen U.
I have eaten here occasionally, for decades, and it used to be very good. In 1997 chose to hold a dinner here for a work retreat; a large group, spent plenty of the company's money, and it was still good then. Recently I had a terrible meal, and don't plan to return. Nothing was good. Nothing was up to my expectations. I no longer eat fish, but vegetarian Japanese food is usually simple and tasty. Not this time. A sample of our food: The grilled eggplant tasted good, but was dripping in oil. The miso soup was too salty, and I am a salt-lover. The Oaxaca Mexico sushi roll (Fried Jalapeno Pepper, Broiled Green Onion, Tomato, Cilantro, lettuce and Avocado) had no heat and no pepper. We looked in vain and asked the server twice about it. Service was okay, but who cares. If the food is awful, who cares about good service. Never again.
(1)Jennifer F.
Good, fresh, reasonably priced sushi. Wonderful decor. Great service. I'll come here again when I'm back in town.
(4)Sam M.
Dinner for 2 is gonna cost you $100+ if you stick to drinking water! Ordered 2 rolls and they came together on the same plate there were only 7 pieces/slices! I seriously thought it was one puny roll...but NO it was two! ! With water = $20. Sushi is so much better and way more economical at every single sushi place in Reno, NV. This place has never even heard of all you can eat. What?! Skip it. You are welcome.
(1)Sam M.
Fabulous sushi. I particularly loved the Tropical (yellow tail & mango). The food and service were slow but the flavor more than made up for it.
(5)Matt F.
This is the worst sushi I have ever had in my life. Don't let the amazing interior fool you. The beef tasted like rubber, they false advertise crab and give you imitation crab. Nothing was done right. The rolls are mostly rice, and the rice is awful too. Avoid this place.
(1)Christina Y.
The interior design of the restaurant is really unique and interesting. Everything is made of either stone or wood. It's definitely a good place to stop by if you go to Half Moon Bay for a day trip. I ordered the rainbow roll. The plating was beautiful and the sashimi on top of the roll is really fresh and they put masago inside of the californian roll, which I love it a lot since I like masago. My friends all ordered different bento box for lunch specials. The plating was amazingly beautiful and the tempera was crispy but not oily, which cooked perfectly and the teriyaki meat was seasoned well. The only downside is the portion is not big. But given the cheap price, I am satisfied. We ordered Japanese draft beer Sapporo, which has a little bit rice flavor within it. It works well with sushi. I would definitely go back for both food and the atmosphere.
(4)Ken S.
This is one of the rip off and unauthentic sushi restaurants. Anybody who had real sushi before would know this place is a joke. I ordered the catch of the day, indeed I was the "catch of the day", 20 dollar for a tiny broiled salmon with no seasonings at all, tiny scoop of rice with mushrooms and spinach. I honestly didn't feel like i ordered a dish from a sushi restaurant. There were flies flying around, i had to protect my food from them constantly. this place is just plain awful
(1)J R.
Problematic table service and overpriced selections. :-/
(2)Kristi T.
Amazing! Great atmosphere, great service, and great food. I've been here twice now and felt like I had to spread the word. Short and sweet review. Totally worth trying!
(5)Tomoko R.
I expected more because of Japanese owned. Ordered blue fin tuna and tamago sushi to try. Decent but rice wasn't right portion. Bento box ... Salad and California rolls weren't great. Grilled Wht fish was good but very small portion. Nice waitress and service was great. Just food was ok.
(2)Lyndsay M.
First time here. My daughter and I couldn't get over how beautiful this place is. Even the restroom is a work of art. Staff is super friendly and sushi was amazing. Clean and pure not over loaded in sauce like most places! Yum!
(4)Dorothygale T.
Hmmm, I came here to review after dining on Friday night and it looks like we ate here (or tried to) 8 years ago. Funny, bc as we were sitting there we were trying to remember if we'd eaten here when we were younger. We just moved back to the area and went out for dinner. There are 2 separate restaurants right next to each other. If you have reservations you go to one side and they only serve beer and wine. The walk-in side has a full bar. We only had sushi and we were very happy all around. Everything was very fresh. The place wasn't busy, but the waitress was slow...she was very nice, but not very attentive...we had to flag her down for more drinks. The only complaint I have is that the seaweed used for the rolls was very tough, I've never encountered such a texture with seaweed wrapped sushi. I can't imagine that it was stale as the place seems to have a lot of turn over.
(4)Ironman K.
Sushi Main Street is a gem. Maybe not everyone will "get" Sushi Main Street. The front bar is fun for a drop in for a drink/sushi fix but the side restaurant sushi bar is my go to dine. Disclaimer, yes the service is oft inconsistent but hey it's HMB, chill and relax with a cool drink and friends. Nice selection of beers, sake and drink concoctions. The unique Indonesian decor and the food art (sushi) is really unmatched in quality/creativity, you just have to wait for it. Tasty use of fish and vegetables. Ask the sushi chef Shige for any special requests or recommendations, very cool guy! Also a sure vegetarian's find, especially their rolls.
(5)Eli G.
Already had 1 not so great experience here, and one Ok experience.... but came in last week, 30 min before closing (i called to make sure it was ok).. they said it was ok since there was only 2 of us... right after we get seated, 2 other parties come in... a party of 4 & a party of 2... seated squished right next to us... we had already ordered our sake...& closed our menu. The table to the right of us were already to order so when the waitress asked them for drink order, they ordered food... ok no problem... as we sat there waiting for our order to be taken..... another waitress walks up to the party of 4, who orders a bunchhhhhhh of stuff.... as we are STILL waiting to order.... keep in mind we came before these 2 parties... and finally a long few minutes later they come to our table to ask us to order... i was already annoyed, so just asked for the check, paid for the sake & walked out.... I live in hmb, been here 3 times, and 2 out of the 3 had a crappy experience... I want to like this place but oh well.. Shiki is way better... not to mention this is a latin run sushi place it seems like, and they dont have it down very well... nice decor though
(2)Maddie R.
I went to Main Street Sushi last week and was excited to show my friend how delicious the sushi was. Unfortunately, we never got to taste it as we sat at our table for 15 minutes without being helped or looked at once, even after trying to flag down the waitress while she was taking the order of the customers next to us who had JUST sat down. The food is good, but the service was so unattentive we left after 15 minutes of being ignored.
(2)Mikey B.
Let me be clear: The sushi is FIVE STARS. no doubt. The service is ONE STAR. Averages out to 3 Stars. There is no hostess. There are no bus-boys. There are typically 2 waitresses for the entire restaurant (and they have to bus the tables). The 2 waitresses don't seem to have any concern for how long guests are waiting for food, drinks, appetizers, etc. It really is unbelievable how bad the service is. The main sushi chef is a GENIUS. it is the best sushi around (good enough that I drive over the hill to eat).
(3)Stephanie W.
I really want to give this place four stars. The sushi is so fresh and tasty... But, the service is just painful. It isn't the wait staffs fault, they have too much to take on.. heck, even the food takes forever. My husband and I use to come every single weekend for lunch and get their bento box but the teriyaki chicken got so dry (and the other japanese place in town is the same way...). So we are picky about what we order So, when I go, I make sure a) I have a lot of time b) make sure I order as fast as I can c) Stick to sushi and udon noodles (their veggy tempura udon is the BEST). Honestly, I love this place, just wish things moved a bit faster in the kitchen and in the front of the house.
(3)Jennifer A.
Beautiful decor inside but terrible food. Felt bad having so much sushi go to waste but it was inedible. I was excited for the lobster roll, but the taste of butter is overwhelming and does not blend well with the other flavors.
(2)John M.
Wow. Thought this place was great from a visit a couple years ago, but, no! Oh, my, the absolute worst service I have ever experienced in a restaurant, period. Got seated for a late lunch at 2:00, and we were famished and excited (based on past experience). Alas, had the waitress from Hell, who seemed to be working inside a nightmare dream, with absolutely no idea what was going on. At twenty minutes past ordering, she brings my beer, saying, "Do you still want?" At 40 minutes past ordering, after delivering some food to some people at our table, I see what looks like two noodle dishes brought in. One gets delivered, the other one not. At this point, everyone but me has food. At 50 minutes, I flag her down and say that I am waiting for my food. Nothing happens. Ten minutes later, she asks if everything is okay. I indicate that I have not been served, and that my 10 year old is still waiting for a bowl of rice. It only goes down hill from there. My noodle dish has been on the counter for 15 minutes, but waitress can't find it. My wife pushes hard for a single bowl of rice for our daughter, and the waitress says, "It's not my job. I put the ticket in. And the kitchen, blah, blah, blah," A second waitress, just coming on duty realizes what a disaster is underway goes back to the kitchen, and gets a bowl of rice. She also brings my now 20 minute old noodle dish from the counter, along with my now cold tempura. And on, and on, and on.
(1)Markus H.
This is great sushi, very reliable quality, by an internationally experienced sushi chef. New places pop up in the area, and this place continues to be above the rest. The table service can be hit or miss, usually it is good. But the food is great. (This is one of the few places that has Morimoto Ale, made in Oregon, highly recommended). I consider this a jewel in the area if not the Bay Area as a whole. The Indonesian decor is different and fun, too.
(5)Marissa S.
This is my second time visiting Sushi Main Street, and I have the same takeaway as before. They are understaffed--no hostess, no busser, no bartender. The waitress does it all, which would normally work, but not with a full restaurant and a wait list. Our group ordered a couple of noodle soups, green salad, kelp salad and asparagus salad and they were all delicious with good size portions. We also ordered a platter of sashimi--very fresh and extremely tender. We also ordered a handful of special rolls, tuna tataki, tempura and a handful of Japanese desserts. The food is wonderful, nothing bad to say there. Had to ask for water three times, the tables are uneven so a glass fell off out table, and the wooden seats are uncomfortable. Nice decor and ambiance. Good for small groups who want great food, but not necessarily great service. I'm sure we'll be back again someday....
(3)Darci R.
My favorite sushi place . Sashimi yellowish is the freshest and the best I have on the coast.
(5)Stephanie C.
Great interior, service, prices, drinks, sushi. The ambience is very nice and I had the best nigori cocktail ever (the cloud 9). The menu is huge and they have a lot of vegetable rolls too. If you want a solid place with great food and legit prices, go here.
(4)Mel C.
Great customer service (I recommend sitting at the sushi bar, we got real good service there), beautiful interior design, and melt in your mouth sushi. Totally recommend.
(4)Koala P.
Menu items are mediocre and definitely overpriced (we tried rolls, sushi, udon, tsukemono, teriyaki). Service was the worst every experienced. Had to chase down the waitress to order additional items and ask for water. Then, we left a minimal tip and an employee forged a larger tip. When we called to follow up on the fraudulent tip, owner never called us back. :(
(1)Maya K.
Really interestingly-designed interior. The vegetarian sushi combo is the best vegetarian sushi I have had.
(4)Simone O.
Natural modern decor. Good service and food. Okay for well behaved kiddos too. Try the mushroom salad--it's hearty and yummy! Sexy me roll is nice too.
(4)Emily P.
The sign was hard to find. We ended up walking around looking for it until the smell caught us and drew us in. Ambiance was fun and the sushi was innovative and tasty. I liked the rock and roll and the one with unagi and papaya. Gyoza was good too.
(4)Sandra L.
My wife and I have been frequenting Sushi Main Street often on the week nights and boy have we found the perfect times to come in! Your now not dealing with the tourist in town, the service is way better and the folks there actually start to begin to recognize you and talk to you, because they have time to! The quality of the seafood is always fresh, and we really enjoy the fact that they don't rush you out of the joint to turn the table over. The house saki is good and the green tea is warming especially when it's a nice foggy evening in HMB. We enjoy the specialty rolls, especially the dragon and caterpillar rolls, along with the Hawaiian style Poki, that is a must have when your there!
(4)shayne h.
We had been talking about trying this place for some time as we had heard good things. it's a nice place with interesting furnishings. No seats available so we sat at the bar. No bartender and we waited 10-15 before a waitress asked us our drink choice. We had our sushi and miso soup and a couple of drinks but then had to wait for awhile for the tab as the waitress sat with the other waitress and laughed and joked with the sushi Chef's at the far end often bar. Won't go back but the sushi was good. They need a lesson on customer service !
(1)Steve D.
This truly is heart breaking. Long ago in a galaxy far far away I had the best California roll ever created at Main St. Sushi when it was just a whole in the wall located where Pasta Moon now has a bar. I went back recently and ordered a California roll, and it was made with logs of that disgusting red fake crab!!! I promised to never go back. A month later my friend wanted to go and I reluctantly agreed. I ordered a Sashimi Salad... what could go wrong? I was floored when they served me a salad that included 2 logs of that same fake crab! In what world is FAKE CRAB considered Sashimi?!?!?!?! I will never go back. I hope that they find their path again.
(1)Patrick S.
Best sushi in Half Moon Bay, hands down.
(5)John M.
After working up an appetite hiking amongst the coastal redwoods, the girlfriend & I stopped in Half Moon Bay on the way home to get something to eat. Though it had been a while, we'd eaten at Sushi Main Street before & had generally positive memories of it, so we decided to eat there again. Not actually located on Main Street but, instead, just around the corner on a side street, we quickly found nearby street parking. As soon as we walked in, I remembered how much I love Sushi Main Street's decor. The whole place is decked out in a rustic Japanese nautical theme with lots of rough hewn stone, distressed wood & oxidized iron sculptures. Service was nice but not completely on top of things. We didn't have reservations so we were directed to sit at the bar. Throughout our whole meal, there were plenty of open tables so why we didn't get a table was a head-scratcher. Whichever, sitting at the bar was fine. The girlfriend opted for a seafood clay pot dish. I had no interest in anything like that. I came for sushi rolls so I went roll crazy. I had Ebiten: Shrimp Tempura, Avocado and Cucumber Hot Tuna: Tuna Tempura, Avocado, Spicy Sauce and Shiso Leaf Rock 'n Roll: Broiled Eel, Avocado, Cucumber with Teriyaki Sauce Oaxaca Mexico: Fried Jalapeño Pepper, Broiled Green Onion, Tomato, Cilantro, lettuce and Avocado & immensely enjoyed all of it. For dessert, the girlfriend & I split an order of Banana Tempura with Custard Sauce & that was delicious. Sushi Main Street is a really cool looking place with slightly off service & yummy sushi. How does the sushi here compare to truly great sushi? To be honest, I (like virtually all other sushi critics) am gaijin so I'm not trying to be a sushi authority. I only know what tastes good & what I had tasted good.
(4)Mariam S.
Giving this one star because servers were very nice but food was horrible. Fake crab, extremely flavorless & dry chicken in the bento box. The decor is cool but uncomfortable to sit in & impractical. Flies were everywhere because doors were left open. Server should have taken the nasty chicken off of my bill but instead gave a sad face & said "oh sorry, we'll let the chef know." Yucky waste of my money!
(1)Eddie M.
My wife and I are in town for our anniversary and had walked by Sushi Main Street a couple of times. Each time, we mentioned that we had to check this place out because of the beautiful decor you can see through the windows. We stopped in for a quick bite before a show and it delivered. The staff was very friendly and professional and the sushi was top notch. Highly recommend.
(5)Michael C.
My wife and I have been going to this sushi restaurant since moving to Half Moon Bay early last year. The decor is great - handcrafted tables and pillows make for comfortable seating. Sushi is fresh and tasty - favorites of ours is the lobster roll and the sexy me roll but everything on the menu tastes great. They have really inexpensive sake and a selection of beers and sake cocktails. The one thing that people mention about is the service - Half Moon Bay is a laid back relaxed town not Los Angeles, where we moved from, and when you are having dinner here you want to enjoy it. The wait staff is very friendly but they are busy when the place is full, but I have always found when you need them they are there. Relax, have dinner, have a drink and enjoy yourself! Oh, and Thursday and Friday evenings they have a 3 piece band that plays music in the restaurant from 7pm until closing. Wonderful!
(4)Christine E.
I REALLY hope that one of the servers called out sick or something last night and that it isn't usually such bad service. We came for dinner around 8:00 and had to wait about 10 minutes to even be acknowledged, then another 15 to be seated. Finally seated and had to wait another 15 minutes to place our order. The waitress was super apologetic and sweet, but she was the only one working in the whole restaurant. She forgot some of the things we ordered and we had to ask many times to get things that should have already been on the table such as plates etc. The food was really delicious and beautifully presented. And the decor of the restaurant was amazing, which is why it is getting 3 stars. But please, please hire some more servers!!
(3)Cheryl H.
A beautiful restaurant with poor service. I was looking forward to trying "Sushi Main Street," after reading positive reviews and seeing how close it was to the B&B we were staying at, just up the road. I wanted a romantic place to have dinner with my spouse for our special weekend. We had reservations for 7pm and were promptly seated right away. However, after 20 minutes (It was actually 7:21pm by then) of waiting to give our drink order and/or at least be given a glass of water and/or a "hello," from our server. Upon looking around at the other tables, the table next to us was still waiting for their drinks/water etc... even though their plates without the sushi were brought out. The other couple at the table looked irritated because they had finally received their drinks, but were still waiting to place their order. We ourselves, were tired of being ignored by staff and walked out. Please note, I have never walked out of a restaurant before in my life! I understand that restaurants are sometimes short staffed, however a manager should at least let the customers know and bring glasses of water out while everyone is waiting. Luckily our romantic evening was not ruined, we found a great sushi place North on Main Street, near the Pasta Moon with excellent customer service!
(1)Zeth K.
Took about 8 minutes to be greeted when walking in. Directed to sit at dirty table. When cleaned it smelled like dirty mop bucket. Waited 10 minutes for server to come to table. Another 10 to get our tea and had to ask for water. Waited another 30+ minutes to receive our food. Food was bland. Then discovered fish eggs in our vegetarian rolls. Returned rolls. Left hungry. Only 2 servers that were clearly over worked. Uncomfortable cramped over the top decor that doesn't really make up for poor service and food quality. Tables are uneven. Caused table next to us to spill soy sauce all over. And us to break a dish. Not a good experience. They need to hire more workers. Another reviewer notes lots of flies. I don't care to much about this but I noticed it as well. Probably attracted to the mop water used to clean the tables.
(1)Beverly M.
Very good sushi. Really cool décor, though honestly I usually just get their sushi to go just because sushi is so well suited to that. The fish is extremely fresh (that means it's firm and doesn't smell and just looks good). Actually so are all the ingredients, and the preparations are artful and delicious. Big thumbs up. Has been a favorite for many years.
(5)K F.
Used to eat here frequently, back when Katherine and Shige were running things hands on. Unfortunately, things have been sliding down hill for many years. Used to be some of the best tasting sushi, well worth the price. Everything on the menu was delicious. Used to be great waitresses waiting on you, bringing you delicious food in a timely manner. Used to get a really cheery smile from owner Shige (the cool old Japanese surfer dude with the ponytail, making sushi) when you walked through the door and got seated promptly. Those were the days... Now, not so many smiles, not such tasty food, way smaller portions at a higher price than before, slow as molasses service, good odds that you wont have Shige making your sushi, and a guaranteed case of diarrhea the next day (with out fail!). Sorry guys, not goin' back.
(1)Robin K.
I lived in Japan for two years, and have had Japanese food (particularly sushi) at some of the best restaurants in NYC, SF, LA, Seattle, San Diego, etc. The fish at Sushi Main Street is incredibly fresh, and Chef and Owner Shige has come up with some unique, gorgeous and incredibly delicious dishes. And he is actually Japanese! I passed by this restaurant probably 20 times before I finally went in, just because the decor is so gorgeous, I figured it must be incredibly expensive. It's not. Not only do they have some of the freshest fish I've had in years, but also at the most reasonable prices. Great place!!!
(5)Ashleigh K.
The details put into this restaurant by the owner are incredible. It's a BEAUTIFUL restaurant. The owner is an incredible sushi chef, and extremely kind, courteous, and welcoming. He has the freshest sashimi I've ever had, and the details he puts into his creations are impressive to say the least. Everything is delicious. Must go!
(5)Christine P.
Came back after many years. Still love this place! Excellent choices for vegetarians. They expanded but I actually prefer their original location better. Love their hot soups -their vegetarian stir fry appetizer is really good too. Flavors are fresh and creative.
(5)Lucas And Christie H.
After reading the menu and reviews we thought this sushi place would be really good. But unfortunately that wasn't the case. Only 2 out of 4 rolls were decent , we had to wait 23 min for a bowl of rice. Our waitress never checked on us, served people that were sat 10 min after us. We will never go back and never recommend this place. Customers are what makes you business prosper so it is best to have excellent customer service.
(2)John D.
Have come here since I moved. High quality food and presentation in a gorgeous location. Spicy tuna and Futomaki are among my favorites to order. Today I got some amazing squash rolls (added a pic of the order too).
(5)Jessica A.
1) When we went in at 5pm, the restaurant was mostly empty. The waitress asked if we had reservations; uh... no, we didn't, so she sat us in a secluded, drafty corner by a door. Thanks! It was also really great being by that door when a little boy outside kept opening the mail flap to peek in at us. Not so cute when it's EFFING FREEZING OUTSIDE. And my friends just sat there, waving and egging him on. A-holes. 2) The green salad (just the generic one) was awful. For $4.50, we were presented with limp romaine lettuce with a terrible sesame dressing. TERRIBLE! It was mouth puckering due to the acidity, and tasted like it was drenched in soy sauce. There was absolutely NO sweet note to balance the saltiness! When we asked to send them back, the waitress had to go ask (?!), and then told my friend she couldn't exchange it for a (cheaper) salad. What? Then she offered me the kelp salad (also known as WAKAME/seaweed salad. KELP salad makes it sound unappetizing to me). It tasted generic; the same kind of wakame you can buy at any Japanese market. It did have a slightly bizarre aftertaste, though. 3) My friend and I also ordered rice with a side of teriyaki sauce. Granted, the teriyaki sauce at most Japanese restaurants is not very traditional, I wasn't expecting the crap that ruined my rice. Thick, black as tar, with a strange alcoholic note, and an extremely unpleasant BURNT taste. Considering the small amount of rice we were given for $1.75 (and believe me, rice must cost 10¢ a bowl), there was no fresh rice to mix in to dilute the terrible flavor, so it went uneaten. 4) I ordered INARI. Such a simple, simple dish! It was something like $4.50 for 2 pieces, which is kind of insane, but I love the stuff and figured I'd get it anyway. The pouches tasted like they had been SOAKED in white wine. I am not exaggerating at all! They were not even remotely sweet, and the rice inside tasted like it had been seasoned with plain rice vinegar (sweet rice vinegar would taste much better). I left that, too. 5) I ordered the Green Roll and an avocado roll. The Green Roll was a veggie tempura roll, and it was dusted with some kind of weird green shit that I assume was some sort of seaweed powder. That roll was the most mediocre vegetable tempura roll I've ever had. It wasn't awful (THANK GOD, I was starving), but it was bland. The avocado roll was the same; I think that they need to use sweet rice vinegar or no vinegar at all. The acidity is just BIZARRE mixed with soy sauce and wasabi. All in all, new favorite restaurant! Loved it!
(1)bob o.
Great sushi, and that's the focus. The decor is enough to make you leave or not enter, "demented '60s", so eat the sushi and look down at your plate. Don't have anything else, the tempura was by far the worst I've evr had, in 50 years of tempura.
(3)jazzy l.
Fresh sushi with a unique Nepalese inspired ambiance twist. I would definitely come back again. Salmon Collar Spicy Tuna (Not the grounded up tuna)
(4)Dean M.
Great sushi chefs (the guy with the ponytail is AWESOME) good vibes and a really cool design for the restaurant. I felt like I was eating sushi in the Flintstones...everything was made of Stone or Wood Branches...so cool. With Chillout music playing softly in the background its just nice and tranquil then you get the sushi and OMG look out. so fresh, so clean...its like they caught it minutes before serving it to you. We've eaten here twice and I have yet to say anything bad about what i've eaten Hot Tuna Roll - crispy (seaweed), soft, delicate and swimming with flavor, you can actually taste the tuna and its not fishy in any way...super clean Spot Prawn - AMAZING...was like butter and even the HEAD wasn't fishy or oily (they fry the head) MonkFish Liver - Foie gras from the sea...so clean again and so buttery and tasty. It was like Fish butter. LOL we had other rolls but I can't remember their names...I will say that no matter what you order, its probably going to be amazing. Check this little place out on Main street in Half Moon Bay...then go to the bar across the street and get a killer bloody mary.
(4)Travelmeister T.
Outstanding sushi as always! It had been 7+ years since my last visit. The restaurant has grown but the sushi quality remains one of the best I've ever eaten. My first stop was for two take away caterpillar rolls. Outstanding. My second visit was a late lunch with a caterpillar and a papaya unagi roll that was also outstanding. I love the sushi at Sushi Main!
(5)Colleen S.
Been here at least a dozen times and it's not always consistent. There are two dining areas, one off Main st., the other off the side entrance and both are completely different. The one on Main St. looks very cool and hip but the stone tables are perpetually sticky and the"tree" chairs are always uncomfortable. But as Billy Crystal said "It's always bettah to loook gooood than to feeeel gooood". There's one shorter delightful Latina girl (I believe from Columbia) that will take EXCELLENT good care of you. She's amazing, funny and helpful. She'll always remember your regular order if you visit often, not sure how she does that. If she isn't working, good luck, the help is ALWAYS bad. You will wait until you grow a beard, seriously. The side street dining room is very warm and woody. It's louder and more family style while the other is chic and hip. The sushi is not the best in the world but it tastes good and it's presented beautifully. It's probably the best in H.M.B. They have a lot of spicy options that are quite different and their sake blended Mint Julip is really nice! We will return but we'll expect whatever comes our way.
(3)Eddie S.
The food was okay, and the decor was better than average, but service was so slooooooowwww. The waitress may have been spread too far over too many tables, but I suspect that the kitchen was to blame. We were there for approx. 2.5 hours for a not very large order that any other restaurant could have wrapped up in less than 1 hour. Other tables came and went as we sat there. The terms "marathon," "long march", "trail of tears", etc. were all used by the our group before we finally got our food and paid our check. Never again. You have been warned.
(2)JOSELYN Y.
Let me start by saying we drove a distance to HALF MOON BAY just to get away. We came across to this restaurant. So my husband and I decided to check it for ourselves. When we were outside we were SHOCKED to see the place looks so out dated. Doesn't look like a Japanese restaurant. So we went inside. My thought was..what the heck is this place? When we received our green tea, I was very SHOCKED TO see the container of the tea. It looked liked they dug it out from a pile of garbage. Thankfully at this point the tea was the ONLY thing that tasted good. I couldn't believed the reviews people are saying about the food. Must be ones who doesn't know what. ...AUTHENTIC FOOD is. Green salad tasted stale. CHICKEN teriyaki tasted like plastic. Honestly I don't even know what sauce they put on it. Just didn't taste like what it should be. To make it simple. ..both my food and my husband was DISGUSTING !! We paid more $$ for that lunch when we could have paid less for an AUTHENTIC Japanese food other than this place. So for anyone looking for real JAPANESE food. ..run away from this.
(2)Michael R.
This place has amazing food and presentation is awesome. Very relaxed yet fancy decor and atmosphere. Highly recommend it!
(5)Jeff C.
Starts with excellent, friendly staff. Amazing hip decor. Fresh, tasty sushi at the right price point.
(5)Phacops T.
8/21/2012 Just ok... I would probably not go back. Atmosphere was much better than the sushi.
(3)K A.
Very reasonable, very fresh! Great ambience with no wait. The portions were generous and they had a nice selection to chose from. I wish we had a sushi place like this close to where we live. We will definitely come back when visiting. Anything less than four stars is not justified.
(5)Heather K.
We stopped in last night on our way home for a late dinner. It was like 8:45 and I was half expecting to be turned away (it was Memorial Day to boot) but the server told us to have a seat. The bar/lounge area is SUPER cool, all decorated with concrete slab-tables and driftwood chairs and other such twaddle. Swanky funky chill beats played in the background (I swear, they played "Shaft"). My husband ordered the seafood udon and I had the chirashi. We also got an order of hamachi kama to share. The kama was WAY delicious, and the sauce it came with was a perfect compliment to it. The chirashi was also very good, although (and this is my reason for knocking one star off) it was pretty small for the price. Most sushi joints charging the same for chirashi ($16.95) provide more than one slice of each type of sashimi. Here, there was only one piece of each kind of fish. I was kinda bummed. But - the variety was pretty awesome. Tamago, ebi, unagi, hamachi, sake, maguro, escolar, tai, and hokkigai. Presentation was also very nice. I'm pretty sure we'll be back, especially if I get the urge to sip sake and groove to the theme from Shaft again. Smoooooooth.
(4)Matthew J.
THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!! I think this is hands down my favorite sushi place in the bay area. The moment you walk through the front door you are transported to some crazy far away destination. The tables are giant slabs of stone, the chairs are giant pieces of wood. I wish I had the artistic ability to make stuff furniture like this. Giant "doors" hang from the walls. Can't even begin to describe just how cool the place looks inside. (check out both "ends" of the restaurant as they have a lounge and a restaurant right next door to each other. Now if it stopped there and the served mediocre food I would be still impressed BUTNO JOHNNY... THE FOOD WAS PERFECT... Every roll came out tantalizing my eyeballs with flavor... If I can find out how to upload photos I will because they may cause you to drool all over yourself as well...
(5)Michelle B.
This place has the most amazing atmosphere. It is unlike any other sushi restaurant I have been too. I understand there are two different areas to eat in. I ate in the one with all the wood...wood tables, seats, lighting, etc. I went on a Friday night with no reservations and was quickly seated at the counter. The waitress was friendly and answered all our questions. I was looking for a particular roll I didn't see on the menu and she suggested something similar. But they pretty much made the roll I wanted. I also ordered the spicy tuna and caterpillar roll. The sushi was so fresh and delicious! I really liked the fact they had ginger available in a class jar on the counter so I didn't have to ask for more! I tried an oyster shooter which was pretty darn good! That was one large oyster! For the quality, it was reasonably priced and I would definitely come here again!
(5)Rick L.
I want great local sushi sooooo much. Such a shame that Sushi Main Street has vanished from my list of top quality contenders. I went in hungry a few days ago and was floored by the outrageous prices. Lunch mid-week it was totally empty. Charming little hole in the wall that should cater to us locals, but I reckon they are only focused on the tourist clientele. Their prices are equal to the only other 1-star Sushi review I have written for an equally empty mid-day and way overpriced Japanese restaurant. Note to Sushi Main Street: Your Nigiri prices are 2x what I pay everywhere else on Earth! Safeway 2 minutes away serves very sound Nigiri for far less than half your prices. You cannot survive long term if you are in the top 1% of food charges and are not in the top 50% of ratings.
(1)Krista N.
I was quite pleased by this sushi place -- the staff were friendly, the service was excellent, and the food was delicious! Highly recommended.
(5)Curt S.
Went here with my wife this weekend. Sat at the bar and ordered Blue Fin, Hamachi and Scallop nigiri. Shortly after I ate the scallop I watched the chef pull a container of scallops from the fridge to restock the display case. He proceeded to drop a scallop on the floor, pick it up, rinse it under the sink for 5 seconds and then place it in the display case with the rest of the raw scallops. OMG, this is food he plans to serve RAW in a few minutes. That's totally unacceptable and disgusting. My wife and I had just eaten one of those. The owner may be a great sushi chef but he is a terrible manager who has done a horrible job training his staff. That is the worst thing I've every seen while sitting at a sushi bar. I'll not be eating here again if that's the level of care they have for food and customer. Yuck.
(1)Joseph M.
Despite the bad reviews I thought this place was pretty good. The sushi I ordered came quickly and with a smile from the server. She wasn't the best server ever but she certainly has her hands full being the greeter and the server and busser. Anyway the decor is straight out of the Flintstones with crazy gigantic pieces of rock formed into booths. There is also hanging wood pieces from Nepal or some temple scattered about. It is eclectic with a touch of WTF. And I Like crazy so I could overlook all the inefficient uses of space. The Fish we had was great and not only that but the Uni came with a small piece of shiso, which is like Japanese Mint, super tasty and creative addition to a very traditional sushi roll. Also the pricing was great for tataki, agedashi and sushi compared to SF Japanese restaurant prices. I would say give this place a try and you will be surprised at how good it is for the price. Its a great deal for a unique experience. But definitely DO NOT BRING BABIES. There is no space and it aint a family type restaurant its more of a couples spot.
(4)B R.
I adore the sushi chefs here. I make it a point to stop in here every time I'm in the area and always with a friend so they can pass on the secret! Sushi always tastes fresh and the sushi chef that never takes a day off is more than happy to make me recommendations or share facts about the fish :) I'd ask him out if he weren't so busy ;) Try a ponzu uni shooter...mmmmmhmm. They get me drunk sometimes by bringing me samples because I'm a bartender! Stop here!
(5)Mike T.
Great food. Great service. Great decor.
(5)Eric H.
"Swapni and Shegai are the friendliest and best sushi chefs in the Bay. The quality is tip notch!"
(5)Marguerite G.
Have not been for a while and when we returned we were disapointed, to put it mildly. 1. Soup was oversalted. 2. Entree of $17.00 consisted of one tiny piece of tuna with some type of lettuce and sauce which I could not identify. 3. One cup of green tea $3.00. 4. Bento box - nothing in it but a lot of rice and lettuce. No one was there except for another table and this was around 12:15 p.m. We left around 1 p.m. and no one else had come in. We talked with some local people who said they no longer go there because of the overblown prices and the lesser portions. They go to Shiki down the street which has fresh fish at reasonable prices.
(1)Jack C.
Food is fresh alright and the service is ever so friendly. But I wouldn't run my business like this place purely by the books. Here's why. They basically have a policy to hold tables for people that don't show up. Walk in customers only get to stare at those empty tables in vain unless they jump onto the sushi bar. Whoever said the price was just right? $13+ for a 6 piece dragon roll (it was fresh) certainly isn't "right" in my books. Sashimi platter was priced okay ($19+) but didn't fill me up like some other hole-in-the-walls cuz it doesn't come with a miso soup nor rice. Decor is fabulous with stone tables and tin kettles. But if this restaurant continue skimping on it's food portions and the seating policies, customers might start wandering out in hunger hunting for pizzerias or burgers.
(2)Nicolas L.
Came for lunch on a Monday. There was only one waitress and another table with customers, and it took forever to get our food. Bento boxes were OK, Seafood Nabeyaki was excellent, but won't come back.
(3)Belyj P.
My girlfriend and I stopped here for lunch after spending a weekend in Half Moon Bay. We were really surprised by the unusual decor and the cool driftwood chairs and stone topped tables. They have a helluva sake menu, broken down by style and taste. The bento box lunch special had an extensive list of things to choose from and a great value. Nice place overall.
(4)christiana k.
Love this place! Have been coming here for years and very rarely am disappointed. My favorite perfect miso and best roll ever the White Dragon!! If you love shiso and burdock this roll is amazing. Thanks for making my belly happy!
(5)Vivek P.
After a day at the beach, the last thing you want to do is sit in traffic all the way over the hill on 92. Sushi Main Street is a perfect place to end the day and avoid the traffic. The first think you'll notice as you enter the restaurant is the unique decor. It feels as though you're entering a beautiful antique store between the intricate wooden carvings and stone lamp shades and tables. I've eaten here several times and the sushi always tastes great. In fact, I'd even recommend the place for vegetarians. One time I tried their vegetarian sushi combo and the artichoke and avocado roll really worked well. Oh, and their seaweed salad is a great starter. I was happy to see that they might be expanding next door into what appears to be a cool bar/lounge that's under construction!
(5)Élan B.
Locals Only!? I can't figure out the deal... but we were given horrible entry service... sadly... because this place *looks* so freaking rad! The decor is stunning! It was about 9pm on a Saturday night... As we walked in, we were near the front of the 'bar'... in which there stood a server taking a couple's order... she *did not* look up or acknowledge us. We were greeted by a bus boy who was clearing spaces at the other end of the bar... he came up and said he'd seat us in a few minutes. After he'd cleared those seats, he did not return to us (there was no one else awaiting seating). In fact, both he and the original server came towards the front of the place to tend to tables & guests right in front of us!!?? We stood there, looking like eager little puppies, for about 8mins. Nothing! We left... will not be back... sad :( About a week later, I learned from a friend, whom has worked & had family in HMB for 25yrs that this place is very geared towards Locals and if you are not such, then you will not experience good service... don't know how much weight this holds on a continuous basis... but it certainly felt like that to us & explains a lot!! (this review has nothing to do with the food.... just the service)
(1)Rich G.
Really good fish! We were there off season, so didn't have any issues with service. It is a small place and can get noisy, but the food! Had a Hawaiian roll, really good and interesting.
(5)J To The K.
I absolutely love Sushi Main Street. I am really surprised to see that it doesn't have a better rating on yelp! I literally have been eating here for the last 10-15 years. I have never had a bad meal here. The Sukiyaki is delicious, all the rolls are delicious, some of the appetizers are my favorite though; the Kimiyaki and cabbage salad are a few of my favorites. The spicy rolls are delicious. The new sake bar is really fun and charming to sit at also. Half Moon Bay just runs at a little slower pace than the rest of the Bay Area. Sometimes the service can be slow, but most places are on the coast, unless it is one of the really nice restaurants that is geared toward tourists. So the fact that people aren't all over you the minute you walk in the door or buzzing about your table...well that is just HMB. So don't get offended, the 'locals' get exactly the same somewhat slow service, it's just that we are used to it. Because that's how all of HMB runs.. I really think this place doesn't have a better rating because coastside peope that frequent this place would never go on yelp. Too bad, because if I was coming to Half Moon Bay as a tourist I would sooo want to go to Sushi Main Street.
(5)Gayle M.
Best sushi in most beautiful surroundings.. Have loved this place for five years- always chill and perfect beautiful sushi...There is another sushi place in downtown Half Moon Bay, that is down the street - but is not as beautiful of an experience. Both have good sushi, but Main Street is extra special in my opinion - the decor and presentation is unique .
(5)Kelly W.
This place was okay. We went with our 10 month old and the highchair straps were broken so we ended up having to hold him the whole time. We ordered 3 rolls and were brought out two trays. They failed to tell us that they'd stacked two of the rolls together, so I ended up eating one of my hubby's rolls. It didn't seem too fresh either. :(
(2)H K.
I told myself that I would try this place per former co-worker's recent recommendation. She's non-Asian, and at first when I went into this restaurant I wondered if I made the right decision because I saw there that the only Asian there is the sushi chef. For people like me, that sometimes serves as a potential warning sign. Still I told myself I'm doing it for the experience of dining in this small town. Also by the time I got there I was craving for sushi after a good hiking workout at nearby Purisima Creek Redwood Park just a few miles away. Overall it turned out the sushi was pretty good. I ordered the chirashi, which the rice had about the right amount of vinegar taste. The price was $14.95 which was low compared to many restaurants, but it turned out I only got about six pieces of fish along with two cooked eggs. I also ordered the wild mushroom roll per reading other reviews here (along with the fact that I'm a mushroom fan). It was okay but nothing that makes me feel I need to order it again should I visit here. In the end, after a sputtering start, the service was pretty good also. One thing I almost didn't realize is that this business has two sections. The part facing Main Street (which is what I've seen in the past when driving by) is more of a bar and music scene. The actual restaurant is around the corner on Mill Street. Good thing I saw two different listings and addresses here on Yelp for this business, otherwise I might have walked away from the bar part not knowing the restaurant has another entrance.
(3)Gabriel D.
I lived in half moon bay for a year and a half, and have returned to this place for years since. Sushi Main Street is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in the bay area - like Top 5. The settings is great, the food quality high, the price good - I highly recommend eating here if you are moving through half moon bay. Well paired with a trip to the ocean (before or after) and also a walk down the main street which is lovely (there is a large garden right across the street from main street sushi in fact). Bottom line: eat here.
(4)QuodE D.
Japanese food in Half Moon Bay? If you don't expect a lot, sure, why not. The space is quite attractive with heavy, rough-hewn, stone-top tables. There are also cool looking lamps throughout. Service is casual and easy going. The lunch bento box special is the way to go: miso soup, small salad, pickled vegetables, two proteins (from a generous list of options), rice, a couple of pieces of California roll and green tea ice cream. Not a bad deal. The food isn't bad. My teriyaki beef was a bit on the tough side and kinda dry, but the tonkatsu was tasty. While there are a lot of options along Half Moon Bay's Main Street, consider giving this spot a try.
(3)S.K. Y.
October 2010 - Half Moon Bay Pumkin Festival 1st and Rough visit ... usually anything I give lousy review ... I do a 2+ month later redemption review ... not possible because of distance. It could be they were overwhelmned from the festival ... who knows Sorry, it was terrible. Nomally I would not post bad review ... not my thing (bad karma). I rather give feedback so they could improve and I would have more place to enjoy good meal. Just bad mouthing is a waste of time and posting exagerated good reviews are just as bad ... lost confidence on the reviewer. Unless it is a feedback to the owner and/or staff for improvements. Place have great potential... Near source ... hello ... Half Moon Bay Beautiful interior Staff did try hard and was friendly Main lunch entrees Wait for the dishes were 25+ minutes for 4 person! Sushi The sushi did came less than 10 minute Basic sushi was average The non-traditional sushi was not working Beautiful interior Unique wooden furniture Not sure ... half of the decoration was more Southeast Asia style not Japanese ... the decor patterns see in Thailand, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries. Been eating many different Japanese restaurants in the SF region and some other places. Do not have the time to post all and they are too old to post. Maybe around 100+ Japanese restaurarnts alone. There are so many could pass this place. Maybe, like I said ... overwhelmned during the festival? Was the place used to a different restaurant? New owner or staff? Certain things kind of point torward there. Only the locals would know.
(2)Melanie L.
I like it here. It's all about the sushi. I'm vegetarian and they have delicious veggie options: Spicy avocado roll is my fave! Oaxacan mexican roll is delish Green dragon roll rocks They also have a tasty wild mushroom roll, futomaki, and some other veggie rolls too. The rolls are especially good because their rice is just perfect! Portions are on the smaller side. I would pass on the hot entrees and just fill up on sushi. Even though their veggie tempura is good, the sushi is still better. Skip the super healthy salad. Kelp salad is great. For dessert, banana tempura is the way to go! Comes with lightly powdered sugar and a custard sauce. Definitely one of my go to spots when I'm in town.
(4)Megan D.
It was pouring. We were hungry. We found parking right out front. We decided to give it a try without consulting Yelp. Womp womp. The atmosphere is nice -- kind of temple-esque, cool stone tables. It was fairly crowded, though, and pretty loud. The service was friendly, but pretty slow and inattentive. Not sure if they were short staffed or what, but we asked for more water multiple times, asked to put in our order, asked for the check, etc. They also waited to bring all 6 of our rolls at once, instead of bring them 1 or 2 at a time as they were ready, so it felt like we waited forever without any food. The sushi was okay. No one got sick or anything, but it just didn't taste that good. They had ginger on each table in a little container, which I thought was nice at first, since I'm always asking for more ginger. But it was pretty dry and not super tasty, so this probably isn't the best plan. The 4 of us got a bottle of sake, a bottle of Sapporo, and 6 rolls for $16 each, including tax and tip, which is reasonable. . .but I'd have rather spent the money on food somewhere else.
(2)Sheila W.
This is the second time and last we will eat here. I trust yelp and go to this site often for dinner recommendations so I thought I would tell you that we had an awful experience here. We had made 6:30 reservations and they did not have a table for us. They seemed to seat walks ins and then ran out of room for us even though we had made a reservation. They offered us a low Japanese style table you had to sit cross legged at to eat and it was very uncomfortable. We asked to wait for an actual table and we waited 1.5 hours for our entire meal to arrive. Our sushi order did not come out all at once so that we were full and were at the end of our rope when the rest of the order came. Poorly run and they just don't care! Food is acceptable but eat here if you have hours and hours to kill. Trust me you will wait that long for your meal!
(1)thomas g.
On 8/19/2009, I posted a review here for Sushi Main Street. After reading the recent posts made by others, I suggest that you disregard what I posted before. Go give them a try. I suspect that my previous post is no longer relevant, but am currently not in the region to find out. I will certainly dine there the next time I am nearby. (My rating of 5 stars is based on how I remember Sushi Main Street before the summer of 2009.)
(5)Nicole W.
The best sushi me and hubby ate.. The food is so good and the restaurant design is amazing ..
(5)Mark E.
The decor is really amazing, if you don't mind that the chair you're sitting on weighs as much as a small car. The rolls (ordered Spicy Tuna and something with artichoke hearts topped with escolar) were good, not great. All in all the experience was pleasant enough. The single star is due to the fact that I was barfing my guts out a few hours later. Thanks, Sushi Main Street!
(1)Petunia L.
We ordered the spinach salad& pork gyoza, both were delicious especially the salad! Sushi: Philadelphia roll, tempura roll, spider roll& Hawaiian roll all great! The haiwaiian was the best! Service was great& ambience is casual!
(5)Nikol Z.
This place was delicious, not only was the sushi tasty it was also so pretty haha they took ages to get us our food but when it arrived it was fresh and yummy. The decor was also really nice. The group of 5 mostly had the lunch specials which was 8.95 for two entree choices, soup, salad and 2 piece cali roll. I decided to have the siracha tuna which was big chunks of tuna which was a lot better than most places and a caterpillar roll, which was cute becase they put eyes on it and it also had tons of fish. If Im ever around Half Moon Bay again Id check it out.
(5)Kassandra P.
The last time I ventured into Sushi Main street was about 2 years ago before they remodeled. Since the remodel, the inside looks exquisite and lush! The tables are beautiful, the bar is stacked with gorgeous bottles of sake, the walls have stone and wood designs, and I love all the beautiful, dark ceramic dinner ware. Since I went on a Friday afternoon for lunch, I anticipated a relatively short wait. There was one waiter and maybe about 8-12 people inside. Not too bad. So I sat at the bar and waited for the server. And waited. And waited. AND WAITED. WOW, guy! Worse yet, he passed me about 5 times and didn't even acknowledge my presence. Not even a "hi, I'll be right with you." So I immediately deducted one star right there. Finally, the guy behind the bar took pity on me and asked if I wanted anything to drink. I smiled and said, "Actually, just a water and could I get a bento box?" I was there for lunch after all, I knew exactly what I wanted. Two seconds later, "Mr. Oblivious" asks if I have been helped. YEAH, duh, no thanks to you dude. So "Mr. behind the bar" brings me water. A nice older lady came in, sat down close to me and, GEE, "Mr. Oblivious" came up to her pretty quick. I was seriously annoyed by that, lol. I deducted a dollar from his tip in my head at that point. Ms. Lady was very sweet and chatty. That I liked about this restaurant, lol. Meanwhile, about 25 minutes later my Bento box finally came out. I could not believe it took so long! And the portions were so small! I weigh about 115 lbs, so it was enough for a light lunch, but for anyone else I can imagine it would have not enough at all! It was tasty but the beef had a lot of fat on it. So 2 points deducted from that as well. To recap: "Mr. Oblivious" waiter. You had all of 10 people in there, it's not that hard to acknowledge people as they enter. If I was your boss I would have giving you a warning to shape up a bit more and say HI, or I'd fire you. Plenty other people out there that can do a much better job! Portions are small. Go for lunch, not dinner. Bento was tasty but overall, I wasn't impressed. There is another sushi place in Half Moon in the Stone Pines shopping centre that is excellent quality with good portions.
(2)Jon S.
No help no thankyou. Management help your wait staff out.
(1)Cindi M.
Very nice decor, love it! Went there for a nice lunch and ate at the older section, because between the 2 different locations that are right next door to each other this one had actual available seating. Very good selection of Sushi rolls: Philadelphia roll, tempura roll, spider roll and their lunch box comes with green tea ice cream. Good for vegetarians, and for fish lovers, the fish we had tasted very fresh.
(4)Angelique F.
Beautiful decor. Super-duper sushi. It's our local go-to but it never fails to wow the out-of-towners we bring. It's fresh and tasty. Escolar nigiri is a nice treat that is usually available. Their albacore nigiri is stunning. Service can be a little slow once they're about 3/4 full or on some weeknights when they're short staffed. Hot items entrees are only average and can be a little lack-luster.
(5)Chelsea L.
I came here a couple weeks ago with a couple friends for a fun girls night out dinner. Sadly it wasn't much fun and we were all pretty disappointed. The highlight of the night was when the salads came! The regular green salad was leafy romain lettuce with soy sauce poured over it. SO GROSS!! When I politely explained to the waitress that my friend and I were not happy with our salads she just looked confused and didn't offer any suggestions. When I asked if I could exchange mine for a different salad she said she'd have to go ask. She came back saying she could exchange it for a seaweed salad. I told her that I don't like seaweed and asked if I could exchange it for the cabbage salad (which costs LESS than the regular green salad) she said no!! WHAT?? So then I just said that I couldn't eat this salad and didn't want the seaweed salad so please just take it off my bill. She was fine with it!! So she wouldn't exchange it for a cheaper salad but she will take it off the bill?? I could have then ordered the cabbage salad (which would have resulted in the same outcome as her exchanging it) but by this time I was too annoyed and figured the cabbage salad probably sucked too. Now this obviously could have been an isolated incident. I've eaten at Sushi Main Street multiple times over the last 10 years and have always loved it. But this was my first time back to this location (rather than the new one that opened around the corner) so maybe they're going down hill? No idea. But this visit definitely annoyed the crap out of me. NOTE TO ALL WAITERS: if a customer tells you that their food tastes disgusting it's probably a good idea to just offer to take the dish away.
(2)Julie W.
A must try if you are in the area! they might not have the best service, or hours of opperation, but their sushi rolls make up for that! My husband and I stop in everytime we are in HMB even if we have eaten somewhere else. There is a sushi roll called Sexy Me and one called Sexy You... to die for! We are both sushi lovers, and these are the best rolls we have had! They are very creative with their rolls and it makes for beautiful presentation and some amazing mouth watering bites!
(4)Jason S.
First the good part: the interior is a beautiful mix of wood and stone -- modern and serene. The edamame was good. And the rest: Caroline was the worst server I've had in years, and the sashimi was so bad that we couldn't eat more than a few pieces. I hesitated to even bring it home for our dog. Really. At the end, an inflated bill for dessert. You couldn't pay me to eat here again.
(1)Britt B.
After spending the afternoon with the bestie roaming Main Street, we decided to stroll in here and take care of our sushi craving. The ambiance is actually more memorable than the food. The service was a tad slow considering the fact that it wasn't even that crowded when we went. It's not your typical Japanese restaurant. The decor is very beachy and modern, which suits the neighborhood. Despite the nontraditional look of the place, the food was tasty and the sushi held up to my sushi standard.
(4)Jennifer d.
The interior decoration here tries really hard. Too bad the service didn't as well. And I didn't really find the decoration very comfortable. I had to edge my away around huge driftwood chairs and slate slab tables, and our table was slanted. (It also had rice stuck to it.) We ordered salads, fresh spring rolls, vegetable tempura and tempura donburi. Everything came out all at once (except for my salad, which never came at all -- the table next to us had the same problem with one of their items). I thought they must have been trying to hurry us out of there, but then it took a very long time to get our bill when we were obviously finished eating. The food wasn't anything special. The salad with beets was good, but the spring rolls were just like the kind I've gotten at hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurants. The donburi was just tempura on top of rice with sauce. There was no egg or green onions. The tempura was good, but tempura is hard to mess up. Also, they charged for tea. I don't know if it's fair for me to expect tea to be complimentary at Japanese restaurants, but that seems to be standard, along with a bowl of miso soup with entrees (which was not included). I found it kind of amusing, too, that I was the most Asian person in the restaurant (I'm half Filipino).
(2)Judy M.
This is my favorite Japanese restaurant that I know of in the area. Sometimes I drive all the way from San Jose to Half Moon Bay to come here. The food is so fresh, the menu so creative, the ambiance so wonderful... the owners are the chef and the designer. Both the first restaurant and the saki bar/restaurant next door are beautifully designed with largely Balinese/Japanese aesthetic. I highly recommend them. Have been going to them for many years and bring my friends. yummmm.... getting hungry just thinking of it! Lets go! :)
(5)Holly B.
Amazing!!! Great price and great service!! The decor is great and the Hawaiian roll is a favorite!Its not your typical sushi joint and worth the drive over the Devils Slide!
(4)Zeena V.
First time back in a few years - since Shiki moved into HMB. But thought we'd give it another chance after so long. Service used to be snotty and tables sticky, but things seemed much brighter and cleaner since their remodel. Service was very very friendly, though I was glad we were the first in there for service - I think it would have been slow with multiple tables going. That said, our waitress was very attentive to my allergy issues and saved me from one dish that did not announce soy sauce in the dressing (wheat component). We had the beet salad - great. Custom California hand-rolls for me without the rice. Sashimi was great. But the "Sexy Me" roll was excellent - spicy salmon, cilantro, and an jalapeno slice, among other ingredients, blended perfectly. Amazing presentation. What I really wanted tonight was to escape, and the atmosphere allows you to do just that at Sushi Main Street - just beautiful! Will definitely give it another visit.
(4)Kate T.
After a long day at the Pumpkin Festival, we went here for a late dinner. From the get go, the waitress was cold and unfriendly. My boyfriend was given sea urchin by another waitress and upon telling our waitress that we hadn't ordered this she insisted we did. We figured that we would try it if we were going to be charged for it.... boy did we regret that!! A few minutes later the other waitress returned and apologized for the mix up... she incorrectly gave us the sea urchin. Our waitress continued to give us attitude through our appetizers, so we decided not to stay for dinner. Upon asking that the sea urchin be taken off the bill, she uncooperatively said "FIne" and slammed the corrected bill down on our table before swiftly turning her heel and stomping away. Needless to say we didn't leave a tip and we won't be returning to this establishment again - with so many sushi options in the bay area we will patronize those with mature servers.
(1)Eivind S.
Fantastic Shushi restaurant. Sit at the bar and you will have a great experience.
(5)Christina B.
My boyfriend and I decided to escape the heat of Woodside and head over to Half Moon Bay. We haven't really eaten on Main Street and decided to try it out. We were lured in by the cool look of the place - plus we love Japanese food. We should have known from the start...it was packed but there was one empty table. Since no one was around we weren't sure if this was a sit yourself type of place or wait to be seated. We decided to wait until finally a lady came out and seated us. That wasn't really that bad...but it definitely foreshadowed the rest of the evening. The waitress was super nice...BUT...the service was very bad. She didn't write our order down...instead memorizing it. Which is fine if you have a good memory. She missed an order of mine but I didn't bring it up because I wanted the meal to end ASAP. (If there was another waitress, I think the service and timing would improve a lot.) It was just OK. The food was OK. Nothing to convince me to go back, coupled with the very mediocre/slow service.
(3)Chris H.
This is one of our favorite haunts from the owner Shige-San to the two Nepalese sushi chefs Bhuddi(sp?) and Shwopneal(sp?) this place is, pardon my language "amazballs!" They have some fun rolls on the menu that are must tries (the Sexy Me, Lady Gaga, Jade Dragon) and some off menu specials (Firecracker Salmon Roll, B-roll Special, Umami Roll just to name a few) that are pretty darn tasty. Also if you want an amazing and tasty treat try their Sukiyaki it is out of this world and a darn good price also a great way to warm up on one of those cool coastal nights. If they have available they may be able to let you try some local wasabi (grown right here on the coast) which is not anything like the green paste that most of us are used to. This is definitely our favorite sushi place and the staff make it all the better. If you are in the lounge try a sake flight if you are in the restaurant try some other sakes they stock some really nice ones. Enjoy!!! (Basically same review as for the lounge as the are next to one another). Great place!!!!
(5)Malin K.
Anytime someone visits me in Half Moon Bay I make sure to take them to Sushi Main Street and then proceed to ask them if it was the best sushi they've ever had. I'm at three yes's and zero no's. The sushi is the freshest I've ever tasted so you can stick with the plain rolls and be more than satisfied. The environment is lovely if not a bit cold. The only downside is the service which ranges from horrible to excellent depending on your server.
(5)Mark V.
Great atmosphere and excellent service. The portions are a bit small but very tasty
(4)Stacey C.
I had lunch here the other day and was totally satisfied with my experience. First let me just gush about the decor and ambiance. Kudos to the interior designer who did this job, can they do my house? The fish is fresh, they don't drown everything in sauce like so many ameri-sushi places I've been subjected to recently. This is a little closer to authentic though I am completely guilty of ordering an enjoying the papaya unagi roll. I have been warned that this can be busy place for dinner and that one should make a reservation.
(4)KM A.
Best sushi I've ever had. Wild mushroom rolls are to die for. Fish is fresh, they mix new and traditional favors for a truly unique experience. Service is sometimes great, other times really bad. But the food is so good it's like crack and you'll come back for more. My wife and I ate at a sushi place in Sausalito that was some 5 star restaurant and supposedly people came from all over to eat there. However the food at Main Street Sushi was overwhelmingly better, better priced, and thus a much more satisfying place to eat. Highly recommended. Would give 5/5 stars for the food and 3/5 for service if they let me break it down by category.
(4)Christi W.
The food & ambiance are great. Really good cocktails and sake selection. What isn't so great is the service (it's slow). Several times they forgot my order. Don't be in a hurry is you go. If you do go I'd suggest the Wasabi Pork Balls to start!
(3)Hristo M.
Great sushi -more than terrible service! We waited to be sat for 15 minutes prior to me calling the restaurant from the front door and asking if they took reservations! On that note, the food was spectacular! generous portions and extremely fresh sashimi. Recommend take out!
(3)Tina B.
Very nice decor, love it! Went there for an early dinner and ate at the newer addition, but it was hard to choose between the 2 different locations that are right next door to each other because they are both so nice. One a little warmer and quieter than the other. Very good selection of rolls, and creative. Good for vegetarians, and for fish lovers, the fish we had tasted very fresh. A little expensive, but not unusual for fresh good sushi. The service sucked. Needless to say we will go back.
(4)Ottis M.
So sad it has gone downhill so much. On my most recent visit, I was immediately greeted by a friendly waitress who apologized saying she had just been swamped and cleaned off a table for me, no need for the apology in this case. There was one other occupied table, a party of six, that was waiting for their check. They waited and waited and finally went into the kitchen to ask for it. Lots of dirty dishes on their table hadn't been removed. They paid and left so I was the only customer left in the main restaurant. There I sat for 25 minutes and never saw the server, I even asked the sushi chef to send her out and waited another five minutes and no server. I finally left with a heavy heart :(. I think the food here is superior to Shiki, the other Japanese restaurant in town. Either Sushi Main St is understaffed or the servers need to be better trained and that is up to the management.
(2)William H.
Late afternoon lunch..she and I had the bento box special...good deal. I wanted more so I ordered the sashimi combo..$22.00...bad move on my part...anyway, when the plate came I noticed the fish was sliced verry thin. Yes verry with two rs. Is there a standard for sashimi slices? I'm not sure, but this was the thinnest I've ever had. Note: I've been eating sashimi for 30 years in this country and others , including Japan. Never had it this thin. Thin equates to less, a lot less. Or : I paid more for less I have eaten at Main Street Sushi many times and it's been ok. Perhaps this was just a bad day. Maybe I will try again.
(1)Alex G.
Despite small portions, one of the best sushi restaurants (in terms of flavor) I've been to. The decor is super funky and hip, with stone tables, comfy banquettes, and wooden elements throughout. Cool chill music played on the sound system. The seaweed (kelp) salad was cold, crisp and delicious; but the aspargus salad was a gem! Sliced asparagus with a roasted sesame dressing - wow! The grilled, local shitake mushrooms were incredible, with a real meaty, earthy flavor. For rolls, the Hawaiian roll satisfied (love macadamia nuts!) and the tempura shrimp roll (ask for eel sauce) was well made and flavorful. The salmon nigiri was two huge, fresh slices. The unagi (eel) papaya roll was served in yellow soy paper instead of seaweed - a real treat. Besides the small portions, they ran out of draft beer (really? It's that hard to monitor?) and dirty/used bowls sat the entire meal on our table. However, despite ONE waitress for the whole place, the food and drinks came out super quick. For a special treat, order one of the unfiltered sakes!
(5)Amanda K.
Upon moving back to the sometimes quaint, always sleepy town of Half Moon Bay, I had a sushi craving and thought is would be a good idea to grab some to go from Main Street Sushi. Although I haven't eaten there in a few years, I remember it being pretty good. My fiance called three times and after no answer we drove down to the restaurant to order. After a long wait in an empty restaurant we got our food. The bill came to $59! Our order was not extensive (edamame and four rolls). I was so appalled I could barely eat. The edamame were chewy and funny tasting and the rolls were subpar at best. Appetite unsuppressed, we had to make a frozen pizza a few hours later. Bottom line: an astronomical amount of money spent on minimal, low grade sushi and bad service. I'd call to complain, but I know they won't answer.
(1)Matt K.
This review is more in regards to the service than the food itself. The food was decent. There is no reason to make the trek from SF down to Half Moon Bay for Sushi Main Street. The server took our order fairly promptly. We ordered, received a couple of miso soups right away along with sake. We ordered four rolls, and received three of them within 15 minutes. As we were eating them, the server assured us that the caterpillar roll was on its way. After another few minutes, we again asked about the caterpillar roll. Another hour goes by, and the server brings by the bill, which included the roll that we never received. He took the bill back, and we assumed that the roll was on its way, but we instead received the bill minus the caterpillar roll. It may have just been a bit of miscommunication, but the service was so slow that there's no way to know for sure.
(2)Cher S.
This place was ok. Service was not great. Never refilled our water glasses. Had to remind the waitress we ordered wine. Made a mistake and gave us cucumber sushi instead of tuna roll. Tempura and beef teriaki was ok not great. Ok for HMB but not worth the drive from Oakland.
(2)Carrie S.
Sushi Main Street is so good it's hard to believe it's tucked away on a side street in Half Moon Bay. My bf and I were staying at Costanoa and we drove the 20 miles BACK to HMB just to have dinner at Sushi Main. The rolls are inventive and delicious (the salmon aburi was awesome - slightly seared salmon with avocado tempura inside); the service is top notch (we never had to wait for anything, i.e., drinks are promptly refreshed, orders are taken without hesitation and food servers are even patient as you vacillate over the many delcious menu options); and the decor is beautiful with amazing woodwork. I highly recommend this place - even if you live in SF (which we do) it's worth the drive over and you can take the scenic route.
(4)Zuzzi E.
A sushi restaurant with south-of-the-border flair. The interior is quite interesting, and evocative of a fancy Mexican restaurant. But the sushi was fresh and the service was friendly (although he forgot one of our orders). The place is clean and the prices were surprisingly low. I would definitely eat here again.
(4)Celeste S.
This is my favorite sushi place ever! I have been to Blowfish, Nobu (in NYC), and a few "nice" ones in SF. This place is way better. The fish is always incredibly fresh and the different types of rolls they offer are awesome. And, unlike the others mentioned above, this place is quite affordable. The poki is quite yummy. They get very, very crowded with tourist traffic on the weekends but even going on a Tuesday night can be crowded. Reservations are smart for Friday and Saturday nights for sure. But worth the wait if you don't have them. Plus it is very relaxed and a fun place to sit and enjoy your food. They have tables plus the sushi bar. The sushi chef and assistants are fun to talk to and watch when seated at the bar.
(5)Aiko L.
i got the veggie tempura udon (hot). it was pretty good - the consistency of the udon was perfect. the broth could have used a little more taste, but it tasted healthy. the tempura was just ok, if not a little greasy. the main sushi chef is a japanese dude with a bad dye job, but he was really nice. the service was good, and we were seated right away at the bar. the decor is different from other japanese restaurants i've been to. they have lots of furniture made out of intricately carved out wood. very pretty. my sister and i shared the ice cream with ume & strawberry something on top. the ice cream was very tasty, almost like home made. the topping was kind of like strawberry jam, and could barely taste the ume. interesting combo, though.
(4)David E.
BAD FISH. Don't be fooled by the nice decorations on the walls and on your plate. Their good reviews talk about the ambiance, the bad reviews talk about the FISH. I'm a sushi lover living w/in 2mi of this place and this is the 4th time in 10yrs I"ve sworn I'll never go again. My most recent visit after a 5 year embargo was miserable as follows: * Uni: totally runny and starting to turn color but I tried it anyway. It was really bad so I sent it back but the "chef" refused to take it off the bill saying it was fresh, (this was a SUNDAY!!!) and he said I just don't like the taste of uni. WTF! I've been eating uni for decades all over the world and can even tell you if it's CA north coast or south coast. I sent it back because I DO know uni. * Sake (salmon) - This is the only place I know that sells only marinated or smoked salmon. Marinated was ok - but after the uni I'm guessing he marinates to sell bad fish. * Hamachi (yellow-tail)- very thin, short slices and 100% tasteless. * Ikura: shriveled, clearly not fresh, but tasted ok. * Amaebi (sweet shrimp): was actually pretty good. Shrimp keeps well. * Udon noodle soup: was very good.
(1)Allyce B.
Love the decor, which is my favorite feature here. Knobby wooden table legs with table tops that mimic reefs and ocean rocks are perfect for a beach town, and the bar area is stunning. Sushi is very good, but i recommend staying away from rolls that are over the top (i.e. special lobster roll) since it isn't worth the extra money. Stick with the basics. Service has always been very friendly but sometimes i've waited longer than seems necessary. All around a very good dining experience.
(4)Steve G.
Excellent sushi. Come over the hill to sushi main St. It's worth the drive over the hill.
(4)Pamela M.
Best sushi in the world. Wish I got the name of the guy whole put this delicious dish in front of me. Great performance and customer service!
(5)Stephanie K.
Been eating here for years, and usually enjoy it very much, all more so after an afternoon at the beach! The sushi is consistently fresh and well prepared. They have several interesting rolls as well. And bonus, you can get shiro maguro (white tuna) nigiri that is not seared!! Green tea, which can be had free of charge, is very good. Unagi donburi (grilled eel coated with a sweet sauce over rice) is very good, but seems to have gotten more expensive lately ($16).
(4)David P.
OK, let me try and be balanced in my review and start with some positives. The Good: The fried sui mai was fairly tasty although a bit odd for a Japanese place. The bottle of beer I had was nice. The Indian wall decorations are interesting, although rather odd for a Japanese place. The Bad: The sushi was really rather bland. Not the worst I've ever had but it just didn't have any pizzazz. The unagi and papaya roll I had just tasted like a wad of rice. I could barely taste the papaya and I'm not even sure if there actually was unagi in it. Also, presentation was on the sloppy side. The Ugly: It took the waitress over half an hour to take our food order. The only reason we waited was because we had already been served our drinks. During that time we saw her seat other people and take their orders before ours. Once she did finally take our food order, it took another hour to actually get our food!!! During this time, we were served food on three separate occasions that were not our orders, which they took back. We only got our food when I had to get up and complain directly to the sushi chef. After all that I asked her if they were going to comp any part of our meal given that we had to wait an hour and a half to get our food and she gave me a dirty look as though I was in the wrong. When I spoke to the head chef, he told me that the waitress had forgotten to actually turn in our order for almost an hour. He was only willing to give us a 20% discount given our horrific experience there. If you dare eat here, I hope you have A LOT of extra time on your hands.
(1)Mark H.
My first sushi experience (born and raised in Texas) I went with a friend from Pacifica. Naturally, i was a bit freaked about eating raw fish as my diet generally consist of some form of smoked or grilled dead cow. Because it was a date, because she said i had to try it, and because im new to California etc etc....Seriously, i was worried. I cant tell you what i ate as my "guide" ordered everything but the atmosphere of the joint, the presentation of the food, the affect of the saki, gotta say it was an overall great experience. Because im not a sushi eater or experienced one, i gotta say i do not know crap from crisco, but i gotta tell ya, i LOVED it. Im studying and consulting with my friend about "safe" Sushi joints in North Hollywood where i live :) Anyways, my first experience at a Sushi Place and i am more than thrilled to say Main Street Sushi was my first .
(4)John G.
Excellent place to take people to, I always eat the soba and the sushi combo with salmon roll and this place never disappoints and I have been to Sushi Main St. many times. The sushi itself is excellent, they use fresh quality fish, very delicious.
(5)Justin S.
Great sushi!! Can get a little noises when busy, otherwise just a great place for either lunch or dinner. Bento box is very healthy and affordable lunch choice.
(5)Debbie T.
Fabulous ambience/decor; good food and plenty of vegetarian options. Price was reasonable. The service was slow as molasses, though. Mine was a leisurely dinner (more due to neglect than choice) and I would recommend coming here only when you have plenty of time.
(3)D M.
Best sushi on the coastside, some of the best decor I've ever seen in the world, excellent service. Food was fresh, creative and yummy!
(5)W J.
VERY VERY BAD SERVICE!!!!!! Waiter with attitude, careless owner it's supposed to be a good sushi place but we had a VERY BAD experience. I have to say we NEVER HAD SERVICE THIS BAD ANYWHERE. The were there on a not very busy night, we ordered our food, the appetizer came late, and we waited and waited for our entree. after 45 mins we asked the waiter about our food the 2nd time. He was trying to ignore us. When I finally got his attention he was claimed "we had a special dish and it takes longer". The owner and chef was only 10 feet away from us. I'm sure he heard us but did nothing. 25 mins later the waiter, no apology, no food. Even though we were super hungry and and it's too late to go anywhere else we had to leave because we could take it anymore. I don't care how good the food is this place is. There is no justification for their rudness. This happen 6 months ago and I'm still quite mad when I thinking about this.
(1)Katrina W.
I am a big fan of good sushi. The owner is a real Japanese sushi chef who learned his trade in Japan. The sushi is fresh and tastes excellent. They take there time to make a good presentation with every dish they serve. I will return back there for another meal with my boyfriend soon.
(4)Cesar E.
Great place for lunch . they give u exactly what u need include that green tea ice cream dessert. defitivamente i will stop again when i go to south of california. The city is boring nothing to do there. just eat there thats all.
(5)jon c.
This place used to be a 4 star sushi place, which to me means nearly as good as the best I've ever had. (Which, for the record, is a tie between Sushi Yasuda and Kuruma Zushi in NYC, with an honorable mention for Zuma in London) Unfortunately it is now a 3-star for food (slightly better than grocery store sushi) and a 2-star for service. I'll almost certainly not go to this place again. Which is unfortunate because I've been probably 10 times all of which were excellent (although they were all in years prior to 2007)
(2)Stan C.
I admit, it is a beautiful restaurant. That being said... 1. The server was pleasant, but not just a little bit slow. My young son loves salmon nigiri. We always make a point of ordering it without wasabi. No six year old I know likes a big unexpected whallop of wasabi. Not only did the presented nigiri have wasabi, which I can understand (mistakes happen).. the FOLLOWUP order again had wasabi. Miscommunication is one thing, but geez. 2. The fish was generally very good quality. However, while the salmon sashimi I received was excellent, the salmon pieces on the nigiri were discolored and had an odd flavor. Upon asking, I was given a lecture about how we should "never" order fresh sashimi.. that the cured sashimi was muuuuch safer. Look, I don't care.. if you want to serve only smoked and "super-cured" salmon, fine.. just let us know in advance and save the lecture? We'll order something else. 3. The portions are small and a little pricey. 4. There was not even one other asian customer in the entire restaurant. This is always a warning sign for me. The theory held up again. We won't go back. We'll go to tried-and-true Shiki instead. yelp.com/biz/shiki-japan…
(1)Cat R.
Not good. Certainly not as good as it used to be. And definitely not worth the drive from Pacifica. We've been going for years - tonight's meal was the first bad one we've had. But it was consistently bad. First sign was the restaurant was empty which I've never seen before in the past. The waitress mentioned that they were expanding their restaurant (maybe they are cutting costs with the food?) Grilled shrimp was obviously frozen - if we'd thrown it against the wall it would have bounced back. Probably could have gotten something better at Red Lobster. Wasabi shu mai were smaller and overcooked and had no meat stuffing; it was fried breading. Sushi tasted good but the portions were miniscule. Usually we leave wishing we had space to order one more thing. This time, just happy to leave. $67 plus tip for the privilege. Added note: My husband and I were reeling as we drove home, because when we expressed our disappointment the waitress said that no one else complains. In most restaurants, a manager will come to the table and take it off the bill or bring a dessert. I had to call when I got home. The employee who answered the phone said the owner was busy and would call me back (no call). So, I called the next day and we'll see if he calls back. It's really disappointing that as a regular customer, you get this kind of response. I've spent so much money at their restaurant to get a non-caring attitude. (never called back; the owner just doesn't care).
(1)Katharine A.
This is my favorite sushi place in the bay area. I love the wide selection of ingredients and uncommon maki sushi rolls. I love the atmosphere and it really is hard to believe that you are in this small oceanside town and not in Japan. The designer of this restaurant gets HUGE kudos from me.
(5)David B.
We love to come here every time we are around Half Moon Bay. This is a cool Sushi place that has a nice array of interesting and somewhat unusual/different rolls. The bottom line is that they serve good quality Sushi at a good price (we usually spend 25% less than in Mountain View) Someone else said they were fond of Avocado... we are too. Maybe it is why we love it so much!
(4)jenn w.
Went here last weekend while staying in Half Moon Bay. This was a great find. The fish was very fresh, the menu varied and interesting, and we had a great meal. We ordered the sashimi platter and some rolls. We will definitely make the drive to go here. Make reservations - we had a reservation and then changed the time and either our hotel or the restaurant screwed up so when we showed up we didn't have a reservation at the correct time and had to sit at the sushi bar. It was ok, but near the restrooms and the back door was open letting in freezing cold air...but I digress. Definitely worth trying and enjoying!
(4)Dave S.
Latino/French music at a Japanese restaurant? A little weird. But this place is cool. When you walk inside you feel as if you entered an ancient house in Japan. It has a very Old World feel to it, felt Samurai-esque. Dark woods everywhere and a nice wrap-around sushi bar. The GF and I came in and they sat us at the big table. Very nice spot in the restaurant,in the corner ,raised level and the table is built out of a slab from a tree! We had to sit kneeling or indian style there. Only that was weird was the music in the background, a little too loud and just through me off for a Japanese restaurant. Let's get to the food. Spicy Hamachi and Spicy Scallop Rolls. For those of you who like a zingy, yet smooth creamy mayo peppery taste..these rolls hit the spot. Add the wasabi soy and your'e good to go!! It reminded me of a small place in SF called Yum Yum Fish. Tasted just like it!! Soooo good. Their Gyoza was nice and the Chicken Teriyaki & Shrimp Tempura Bento box lunch was better than average. It came with a chicken breast that tasted smooth as butter ,good CA roll pieces and the Shrimp tempura was light and crispy. The green salad dressing could use a little work. For $8.50 the lunch box even comes with soup and green tea ice cream! Although service was a little sketchy at times, I'd definitely return for the sushi!!
(4)Maggie L.
The lunch bento boxes are definitely a good deal. For $8.95, you get two choices of the usual Japanese fair of meat teriyakis, tempura, etc. However, that is the only high point of this restaurant. The specialty rolls are a huge rip off. For the amount of money that we paid, we only got four pieces per roll. I had the misfortune of ordering their salmon skin roll. It was as if the sushi chef had used some sort of salted preserved fish rather than crisping up some salmon skin. Horrible! Throughout our entire meal, the waitresses were conversing with a friend who had dropped by to visit. Though this did not in any detract from the service, but it just did not seem very professional. We had visited during a weekday afternoon and did not encounter a lunch rush at all, yet our food took ages to come out. I will not be coming back here any time soon.
(1)Olma M.
Haven't dined in - YET - But, had dinner at a friend's house and they generously obliged me with a wonderful dinner from Sushi on Main. We had a wonderful, filling and tasty meal which satisfied three HUGE appetites. The one serving of Kelp Salad for $3.75 was adequate for two of us and very refreshing. The Goma-Ae (Spinach Salad) was also very tasty ($3.75). We had the following nigiri: Tuna, Yellow Tail, Unagi and Salmon. One order of the Assorted Sashimi ($19.50). We also had the following Special Rolls: Alaskan, Baja California, Dragon, and Spider. We had an order of Shrimp Tempura for $8.75 and I thought the portion was rather generous (almost positive it was only one order, but I felt like there might have been anywhere b/w 8-12 huge pieces!). The absolute highlight, however, was nowhere to be found on their website. But, it nearly accounts for all four of my stars: The Wasabi Dumplings. Mmmm Mmmm - this was crazy delicious!!! The wasabi was infused in the sauce AND the dumplings. imho, it was not too hot (spicy), but JUST RIGHT! It had just the right amount of "kick." I can't wait to experience this again... NOTES: - Their website is a bit quirky and desperately needs to be updated; - They don't allow take-out orders via email or fax; - Hours: Open 7 days a week: Lunch 11:30 - 2:30 / Dinner 5:00 - 9:00 * Closed Sunday Lunch
(4)Lawrence T.
Worth the time to get out here on a week night from Sunnyvale. The place is wonderfully warm and inviting with a Japanese pagoda feel and large stone tables... watch where you put your sake. The staff are helpful but always seem rushed for a place that is very relaxing. I know driving over the hill is the beginning of the relaxing experience. I love the green salad here!! They use real micro greens, NOT iceberg, and a wonderfully light sesame / soy dressing. The sushi is fresh and presented nicely and relatively big pieces. If you have the time, make the drive and eat sushi they way it should be experienced and enjoyed. Thank you Kathleen S. for getting me hooked. Eating here once every 1-2 weeks would be perfect.
(5)Suepattra M.
Indeed, when people say that this is one of the best sushi restaurants in the Bay Area, they are not lying. The sushi and sashimi dishes are gorgeous, beautiful and any other comparable description one can label them as. Let's just say the to die for Toro sashimi special was so exquisite that we ordered a second (rather excruciatingly expensive) plate, but boy was our palate pleased. I love the Balinese decor (the owner evidently owns a Balinese furniture store down the way) and pseudo tropical feel that is so very different from the usual, often austere, Japanese restaurant decor. Reservations are a must on weekends. Lastly, I'd give this place 5 stars if it wasn't for the uninformed service that I had on a second visit (a weeknight). We were in the mood for rolls so we ordered a tuna maki (tekka) and a spider roll. The waitress said here's your tekka maki and spider roll....uh, no that would be KAPPA (cucumber) and spider roll. When we pointed out that we ordered tekka, not kappa, she said, yes, that's tekka. No, it is not. So they whisked away the whole platter, including our spider roll, only to return it 10 minutes later with tekka maki, and a very cold spider roll. Not cool, and not even an apology. So for that, 4 stars. But the sushi is still kick booty.
(4)Las V.
I got a kick of the first review on top (Mexican themed decor). It is actually from Bali, but, hey, what's the difference... Sushi Main St. decor is actually stunning and tasteful, with the Balinese originals well placed in an understated way. We been eating at Sushi Main St for the last 15 years and find it one of the best sushi places in the Bay Area (we also sampled many times in Tokyo, where it would also stand up nicely). Fresh, nice, friendly, classy - visit it (but not when we are there:-)
(5)Sara G.
I have been going to Main Street sushi when it was located on Main Street by Buffalo Clothing Co. It was just a little hole in the wall. The quality of sushi (in my opinion) was much better when they were smaller, but they quickly outgrew the location and went down the street. It is difficult to get a table on a Friday/Saturday night without a reservation, so be prepared to wait for hours. This is the place where all the HMB locals go and an area favorite. Great sushi, okay service, and great ambiance.
(4)Garth A.
The sushi is amazing here but the service is somewhat lacks. It seems like they know they serve great food so they don't have to be too concerned with attentive service. That being said, if you set an appropriate expectation when it comes to service, your experience will be very pleasant. I would suggest ordering the rolls that combine fresh fruit & fish with interesting texture elements like macadamia nuts. Also, be prepared to wait because as you can see, this place is not a secret.
(4)Gabe G.
My wife and I had another great dinner here last week. We ate in the new wine bar, and had a great time. Service was friendly and responsive. The food is always good and we had a really enjoyable night!
(4)Patrick L.
What a great restaurant! A friend turned me onto this place recently. The sushi is fresh and absolutely tasty. I'm not a big sushi expert but this was definitely better than some of the places I have been to. The decorations and atmosphere are all pretty good. Definitely a place you can take a date for a nice meal. We sat in the front area where you get to sit on the floor. That was nice because it was away from everyone else.
(5)Miss H.
Yes, I agree with everyone, the fish is very fresh, but there's just too much RICE!! The rolls are monstrous in size (4 pieces in each roll); each piece is 2 inches in diameter and an inch thick filled mostly with rice! It seemed like the fish to rice ratio for both the rolls and nigiri pieces were 1 to 4. For the sashimi, each piece was barely half the size of typical sashimi cuts elsewhere. So all in all, lots of fillers and not enough fish. Go if you are in the area for the day, but don't make the drive out there, it isn't that fabulous.
(2)s p.
My favorite sushi in Half Moon Bay. The sushi has been fresh every time. That's a must. The atmosphere is unique, good service and good prices. I love the Hawaiian Roll made with tuna and topped with macadamia nuts. Another fav is the Tropical Roll, made with Hamachi and mango.
(5)Junkfoodie Q.
3.25 stars. We shared a California roll, spicy tuna roll, and ordered a sashimi platter with tuna, yellowtail, octopus, and shrimp. The rolls were tasty and freshly made, and the sashimi was pretty good overall, but I've had fresher sashimi elsewhere.
(3)Guido v.
Maybe we were just unlucky, or maybe it's changed, but I would never go back here. It smells unsanitary, and that's a no-no for a Sushi place. Try Chez Shea next door instead.
(2)Jim L.
A very unique sushi restaurant with an exotic balinese-japanese-pan asian ambiance and a distinctively laid back Half Moon Bay character. Very good food. There are some really interesting makis here including the Sanban (broiled salmon skin, burdock, shiso leaf, dried bonito, green onion, radish sprouts and sesame seeds), the Muy Bonito (Bonito with fresh ginger, green onions and lemon peel), and the Tempting Tentacle (broiled octopus and avocado with teriyaki sauce), among others. Super popular, so be prepared for a sometimes lengthy wait and it can be a bit disorganized.
(4)N A.
Excellent Sushi Yo ! Here are the positives: 1. Fresh and exquisite sushi: I recommend the Philly roll and the Caterpillar. For those not into Sushi or would like to try something else, set your sites on the Seafood noodles, put it in your mouth, chew, then swallow (Warning: follow the preceding steps only in the order prescribed). 2. Excellent ambiance: stone slab tables and unique stone walls contribute nicely to the traditional Japanese vibe. Here are the negatives: 1. Veggie noodles: Bland, bland, bland ( that is the south Asian in me talking) 2. Service: lackluster performance from the blonde waitresses; poorly staffed establishment contributes to waitresses who are trying to juggle too much at one time; more often than not, these waitresses resort to being rude so that they can get to the next thing on their long list of things to do. 3. Tiny establishment: book a reservation or you will never get a table. Keep it real until the DOJ N to the IZM
(4)Shayna K.
I went here after a great hike.The sushi is fresh, the service is good. I wouldn't come here from San Francisco for sushi, but if I'm in Half Moon Bay again, I totally plan to go here!
(4)Steven T.
Ok, here's the thing you have to know before you walk in - the service is slow. There, I've said it, so we can move on. The sushi is worth the wait, as it's always fresh (be sure the check the specials board), but here's the secret - as soon as you sit down order some beer and/or sake and everyone has to get a kimiaki appetizer. Just do it. After they get that order in and come back with the drinks get your first round of sushi orders in. Now sit back and enjoy the next few hours. You'll like it.
(4)Matt W.
The food here is really terrific, and the decor is enjoyable. I think their hamachi is the best I've ever had. Warning...always call ahead. It's a small restaurant and they can get very busy even on a week night.
(5)Jessica S.
After hearing good things about sushi main street, i decided to make a reservation for valentine's day since my boyfriend and I were taking a weekend trip to half moon bay. Really, when it gets down to it. Sushi main street is a good place to go, providing that they're not crowded. The fish is super fresh. The rolls are pretty creative. The food is inexpensive and the decor is really cute. My only issue is that they're understaffed. Even though we made a reservation, we had to wait about 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledged that we were there and then seated us. Initially we were sat at the sushi bar and the waitress promised to seat us at a table as soon as one was available. After seeing a couple seated and raising the issue, the waitress apologized but didn't really make up for it. Eventually, over a half an hour later, a table opened up and we were moved. At that time, most of the restaurant had cleared out. The place was packed that night so orders took a while. Once we got our waiter for the evening, he was actually really nice and accommodating. We ordered the toro, the spicy tuna, the hot tuna, the spicy snow crab, the spider and the oaxaca (which we added shrimp tempura to). My favorite of the night was definitely the spicy tuna. Super fresh and flavorful. The tuna wasn't diluted by the spicy sauce since it was placed separately within the roll instead of being mixed in as it usually is. spider roll and oaxaca roll were nice as well. While we had a semi bad experience, I'd consider going back. Just on a less crowded night.
(3)Julie O.
I have been going here on and off for about 10 years. It used to be a great date place but I went for my husbands birthday and the food was just ok.
(3)Nicole F.
Only sushi in town but high quality. Very good food. If the restaurant isn't totally packed the service is stellar. This restaurant is very popular and if fully seated you may have a considerable wait for a table and for food. Regardless, the food and the presentation is worth the wait. If you're Local and it's a Friday or Saturday night, order in your food for pick up and you won't have to wait. And to toursits, it's not ON Main Street....I know, it's confusing.
(5)Donna D.
Like many of the other reviews of this place, the sushi was good and creative but the service was not. We asked about one item of our order three times and were told, "it's on the way" each time. When we were almost finished, we asked for the bill and to have that item deleted from the bill. We were told they were cooking it and it would be out soon. So, while some of us were having dessert, others were eating that final item. Try Shiki Sushi for good sushi and consistent service.
(2)Marisa C.
The feeling - "We are god and you must obbey" Why? - Cause they are the only ones in town The sushi can be excellent if the service followed, but it does not. My friend went there with a large group, and were in a way told to leave after eating since they were done. The point of going to a restaurant is to relax and enjoy. Pointless!! The idea here is we don't care...
(3)Jeannie K.
Love them. Great casual atmosphere. The food is all excellent. Also a plus, you get to watch the chef as he works, not Benihana-style, thank God! The only minor downside: the restaurant is small and fills up quickly.
(5)Ashley J.
got food poisoning from amaebi. gross
(1)Alexander S.
My friends and I always come here when we're in the area and craving sushi. The fish is very fresh, and the spicy scallop roll is the best! The atmosphere is cozy, and it's right off Main Street, so you can walk off your huge meal while window shopping.
(4)La M.
Romantic, beautiful, and incredibly tasty sushi. Whenever my Sweetie and I drive down the coast for some more remote beach fun (or to bowl at Pacifica Bowl woo!), we come back at and stop here for dinner, to gaze into each others' eyes.. except when we are gazing at our super-tasty food. Although the decor is nice too - it's warm, lots of aged wood, not shiny and bright and clinical. No neon! And the sushi chefs (some of them) sport some impressive mustachioes. The miso soup is light and tasty, with a few chunks of tofu and some small flaps of seaweed to keep in interesting. The kelp salad is truly terrific - sort of tangy and crunchy and not too slimy. the special rolls aren't the carnivalesque cocktail-umbrella-and-googly-eyes, more-stuff-is-better-plus-cutesy-names kind of thing. They are really thoughtful and creative and taste amazing. The winners this time: papaya and unagi, and the Hawaiian with tuna, avocado, macadamia nuts and a special sauce that wasn't mayo based (hurrah!). tay. stee. And the other ones were pretty darn good too: hamachi and mango in a soy wrap, salmon skin roll.. yum. I haven't had any entrees except the rolls and nigiri because I see so many I want that I don't have room for anything more. But I still plan to come back for the Unagi don-buri (as a pescetarian it's the closest I get to BBQ). And they have some dessert with strawberries poached in plum wine over ice cream that I always plan to get.. but then eat JUST ONE MORE BITE of sushi and have to give up before dessert time.
(5)Cris L.
One word: wow! (is that an actual word?) Whoever decorated this place knew what (s)he was doing. It has both a very traditional asian feel (not exactly Japanese) and a very modern feel to it. Very welcoming. The staff was friendly and helpful, the food excellent, and be bill rather small. I wish they were closer by. One of the things we had here was soft shell crap. I hadn't seen this on a menu since I had it for the first time about 6 or 8 years ago. Well, some sushi places put it inside their rolls, but you really need to eat this by itself. Soft shell crap is amazing. They serve it ever so slightly battered and fried just right, but with a soy-based dipping sause that was too salty for our tastes. The sushi was not only very good, but also beautiful. We got there rather early and could be seated right away at the bar, but this seems like a place that has long waiting lists. They do take reservations, though.
(5)Laura T.
My fiance and I had lunch here the day we got engaged so I have very happy memories of it. but really the sushi was very fresh and the ingredients were also very fresh and light. a cute little place, it wasn't very crowded at all but we were on the early side. The only thing I wasn't too fond of were the tables, they were a little awkward being that they were tree rings and ours was unbalanced.
(4)Christina B.
I had lunch here today and the sushi was AMAZING! I had the BEST seaweed salad I have EVER had, and I have tried lots of seaweed salads from a lot of different places. We ordered several rolls which included the Tropical, Spicy Tuna, Hot Tuna, and the Spider roll all of which were amazing! The sushi is a bit larger than the average roll but super fresh and just enough for two. I walked away already planning my next visit.
(5)Laura O.
I love the new side of the restaurant with the Main Street entrance, much more quiet and better lighting. The staff is friendly and sweet. I'm vegan, and love that I don't have to pick my way around the menu or substitute here. I can fill up with vegetable broth-based tofu and udon soups served in clay pots, miso soup, yummy (and beautiful) salads and veggie roles. I didn't try the home-grown, grilled shiitake mushrooms, but look forward to it next time! The inari tofu role is not on the menu, but they have it. Overall, a satisfying and friendly experience.
(5)M L.
We had visitors from Atlanta over the 4th of July week-end and on Saturday evening (7:20pm) we entered the Main Street entrance of Sushi Main Street. It was full and we were directed to the "other" side. Granted it was a Saturday and we did not have rservations but were willing to wait a bit. The hostess/wait person explained they had no seating except at the bar. Four of us sat down and waited. And waited. We finally got the dirty dishes from the previous customers cleared and waited longer for a menu. We did finally order and waited. In the mean time, a party of four was seated at a table which became available as well as a party of two who sat at the bar alongside us. Still we waited. When the party of four was served several dishes I felt slightly annoyed but when the party of two next to us got their order before we had gotten anything I really got upset. We then got one order. Then we waited again. I finally asked for the remaining orders to be take-out as we had spent over an hour for just one order. Bottom line....I think the fresh sushi is good and possibly worth the wait, the service is absolutely terrible. Either they should not seat clients when they are busy or arrange for more staff during obviously busy times.
(1)Don E.
We have been going there on special occasions for over ten years and have always been pleased with everything but the wait. The wait was always worth it.... what happened? When we arrived on a Tuesday night were both hungry and so pleased because the place was half empty. After standing in the entry for five minutes not able to make eye contact with anyone working there we seated ourselves. We waited for 25 minutes to be acknowledged by a waiter. Our first instinct was to leave, but our many past great experiences kept us in anticipation at our table. Always trust your first instincts. I had one of the broiled fish specials and my wife had four different roles.The portions were slow to arrive, small, less than attractive,and nothing like we had always enjoyed in the past. My question is when did this place change ownership? If it hasn't change ownership, what happened?
(1)Nora S.
Wonderful ambiance and service. Food great. Tempura was delicious and the sushi was very good. Was easy to park on the street. Nice place for a romantic dinner.
(5)Lisa R.
A SUSHI LOVER'S MUST-G0 Since our favorite place, Hanabi, in West Portal came under new management, we have been looking for a new "Best Sushi Place Ever." So far, Sushi Main Street is it. If you don't have a reservation, put your name in and go for a nice walk. Everything from the sake, to the yellowtail, seaweed salad, Oaxaca roll (a fried Jalapeno, avocado, lettuce & tomato roll), and papaya & mango roll were de-lectable. My favorite part was when they didn't mind making my favorite Hanabi treat--mango and fresh salmon. You can truly taste the freshness in the seafood and all the ingredients, for that matter. Although I didn't pay, my friend that was treating looked at the bill and said, "We did not order enough. We should have ordered more." Definitely worth the drive.
(5)L K.
I love this place. It's been awhile but we used to go here every Valentine's & special location. I love that its out of town (for me) and off the beaten path. The ambiance is fabulous, carved wood tables, funky plates...and the sushi is fresh, creative (one roll has macadamia nuts) & delicious. A truly special place!
(5)Susan M.
This is my favorite sushi place in all of SF Bay Area And I must eat sushi at least once a week. I love the Balinese door panels and the Asian decor and ambiance. Great affordable, fresh sushi and other nice entrees. Everytime I am in Half Moon Bay, I would love to eat here.
(5)ari a.
First off the atmosphere is great. There are plenty of amazing dishes to choose from. Try the eggplant appetizer I wish I could make an eggplant taste like that. I ordered a sweet sake and it was very yummy and I got the whole bottle to myself for under $6. It was my girlfriend's birthday and I snuck a cake over to our wonderful waiter. He was super cute about putting some candles in there and bringing out the cake at exactly the right time. He even got some of his co-workers to sing happy birthday. It was perfectly embarrassing and sweet. We all ordered to our hearts delight and I was amazed at the very reasonable price at the end.
(4)j l.
Only ate here once but it was fantastic. Loved the building and decor, and the food was perfect. They use lots of fresh shiso, which not every sushi place does. There was a long wait to be seated (even at the sushi bar) but was eventually worth it. I got some sort of cucumber appetizer that I still think about every now and then. It was really really good.
(4)Harry Y.
Respectable sushi per California standards. It would be better if they returned to not charging extra for tea, like they used to. My favorites are the Sashimi and Nigiri. The Bento boxes during the weekly lunches are a good deal. I'll continue to go here as I have for many years.
(3)Kelly M.
I went here with a group of friends and was impressed. On first impresssion, I loved the decor. I had the rainbow, Hawaiian and Spider rolls and was very satisfied. I can't wait to go back and try different rolls, they have a selection for everyone.
(4)Don W.
This is a really good Sushi restaurant with a laid-back atmosphere and ambiance heightened by authentic Indonesion and other artifacts, slate tables, and a trad'l kotatsu table for 6-8 in the corner. Very busy Thurs-Sun nights as it's one of the better restaurants in town as well as it's the only sushi/japanese cuisine in HMB. Sit at the counter and enjoy the show instead of waiting for a table. This is not as great as Kabuto on Geary in SF, my favorite sushi restaurant of them all, but it's darn good and the owners/chefs/waiters are really, really nice. Try the Gomaae - Japanese spinach salad.
(3)Natasha Anna A.
Portions are TINY! We got the bento boxes and I was literally served 2-3oz of Salmon and maybe 3 oz of chicken and 2 small pieces of California rolls with huge scoop of rice (which I don't really eat) and a salad mix. It was absurdly scarce. I ordered a rock and roll because I was still so hungry and it was also tiny. What would be 2 pieces in a normal high end Japanese restaurant ended up being cut down to 4 pieces here (Rolls are normally 6 pieces. This was maybe a 1/2 of a normal sized roll). Here's the thing, the miso (also super small), the salmon, and the rock and roll were very tasty (the chicken was terribly dry and bland), but the portions are tiny. I wouldn't mind paying more why don't you listen to your reviewers and make a meal that is satisfying! If it's too costly just charge more. Or, at the very least, don't call that mockery a bento box, and describe to your customers your portion size so they know how to order appropriately. I won't go back again we've been here 2xs and am too frustrated with it to bother again. I'll wait until the yelp reviews reflect a substantial change before giving them another try.
(3)gnat c.
This is the *best* sushi around. It's well worth the drive from the city. The staff are friendly and give great recommendations. They have quite an extensive menu with reasonable prices. Go early as the place fills up quickly every night of the week. It's a perfect date location with the pacific only a short drive away....we all love long walks on the beach.
(5)Maureen H.
Very rustic. Wonderful location right in downtown HMB. Excellent quality tea. Kelp salad and spinach salads are amazing. Very fresh fish. Yum yum yum!
(5)Len B.
Best sushi I've had! The decor of the restaurant was great, I wish my home looked like that. All of the rolls I've had have been good, esp. the rainbow roll which is always the first thing I order at sushi. Their appetizers are great, I had the mussels special and they were broiled with a hot sauce along with a few other things. It's nice to have mussels served a way other than steamed. Service is great although it seems to get very warm in there.
(5)Kathryn M.
Today me and the bf set out for a fun day at the beach. Little did we know it was going to start raining on us! We found Sushi Main Street on a walk in down town Half Moon Bay. When we walked in, we were instantly impressed by the atmosphere. We sat up at a traditional table where we sat on the floor with pillows all around us. The menu was large and full of great choices. We got a Benito box to share, with a wonderful chicken terriaki, tempura shrimp, a decent salad, but the best part was the rolls. We got a spicy Hitachi, and a spicy salmon. Wow. Wonderful. And the price was great!The service was okay but could have been better. All in all, great place to go if you are in the area..
(4)Janine M.
It's all about the Unagi Papaya. I love this place. I go there when I need a little pick-me-up. There Bento Box is so good and has a super reasonable price. The atmosphere is unbeatable too!
(5)Jeff R.
Kind of reluctant to write a review about Sushi Main Street, since it will probably make it a bit tougher to get my fish, but what the heck.. For me this is simply the best Japanese restaurant I have eaten at in the Bay area. There may be others with better ambiance or sashimi, or size of fish slices or prices but when taken all together Sushi Main Street rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been eating here for over 10 years. Fish is SUPER fresh, the negative - service can get slow as the restaurant fills, but you can beat that by going in late (after 8) or call in your order for take out. They have a Nigiri Combination (8 pieces) with miso for under $16 wide range of sushi rolls, it is kid friendly, the Balinese style decor with slate tables are unusual and truly neat. If you love Japanese raw fish, this is a winner.
(5)Jules B.
YUCK! Went for lunch today and it was NASTY! Please know, I used to love this place and have been here several times, but not in the last year. I was so excited to go again and we made a special trip to HMB just to eat lunch here. We arrived at 12:30pm and thought it would be very busy. Walked right in and had our choice of a few tables or several seats at the sushi bar. We sat at the sushi bar. Ordered hot tea a large beer and appetizers - 2 orders of agedashi tofu (we love agedashi tofu) and a japanese eggplant appetizer. The agedashi tofu was $4.95 each and it was way below par - they gave four tiny cubes of hard tofu in a ponzu sauce. First, it is usually made with a very soft tofu and is very delicate and twice the amount. The eggplant was oily and other than the oil flavor, that was it. Next we ordered 1 order each of hamachi negiri, hawaiian special roll, spicy scallop roll, caterpiller roll, unagi and papaya roll, spider roll. ALL the rice in every roll and the negiri fell apart and was hard. NOT sushi rice at all. Everthing was also flavorless. It is no longer good inexpensive sushi. Our bill was $62 for lunch and that was only for two people! SKIP this place for sure. Sorry, I won't be back - ever again. Sad.
(1)Takaki K.
One of the best suchi restaurants I know in the Peninsula, and it's pretty reasonably priced. Their miso soup is WAY too salty but the sushi is good. It's worth the drive.
(5)M. S.
This restaurant is definitely 4 1/2 stars. I love the decor in this restaurant -- it is warm and inviting as noted in a couple reviews. The sushi is delicious -- fresh! The price is also very reasonable. My favorite rolls are: Tropical, Oaxaca Mexico, Hawaiin, and spicy hamachi. Definitely worth the drive. 1/2 star off for the long wait a lot of the time.
(4)Sheri N.
i ate here years ago.. don't remember what i ate, but i remember really enjoying the place. i would definitely would go back if i was in half moon bay and wanting sushi. it's dark and everything is made out of cool wood. make reservations because this place is crowded @ night. cool tables where u take off your shoes... i'm sure u need a reservation for those tables too.
(5)Erika T.
Sushi Main Street is definitely one of the best sushi joints in the Bay Area. I am very picky about my sushi and know sushi very well. They really know waht they are doing. The sushi rice is perfect, the fish is fresh and the sushi chefs are very experienced. They are all Japanese, trained and apprenticed in Japan and have experience working in Japanese restaurants in the US. The head sushi chef co-owns the restaurant with his wife who is the interior decorator. You definitely can't miss the interesting Balinese decor of the restaurant. It actually make the restaurant feel bigger than the tiny space that it actually is. Back to the food... The fish is so fresh it melts in your mouth - everything from the maguro to the hamachi to the scallop and clam. They serve all the classic sushi in addition to the trendy rolls. You should also explore the rest of the menu like the hot pot or "nabe" dishes. The soft shell crab entree is wonderful too. Eating at Sushi Main Street is a great excuse to visit the coastside or to linger along the coastside for just a few more hours.
(4)kavi r.
My husband and I were on a weekend getaway to HMB, and I dragged him to Sushi Main Street based on all the reviews on Yelp. And I kind of sort of got busted. Yes the decor is funky and cool, but not particularly practical. We were seated at a table for two where my 6'4" husband just didn't fit and I, a mere 5'2", like the local village hick, had to sit with my legs splayed out to accomodate the thick table base. Good thing I wasn't wearing a skirt! The tabletop was so small that they could not fit our order on it without taking away the extra plates, the teapot and putting the soy sauce and wasabi on the adjoining bench. So not particularly comfortable... We started with a really yummy asparagus gomaee, which I've only previously tried in its spinach version. It was very fresh and presented nicely. Then we had salmon miso, which came as pretty large bowls of soup (if you use a normal cup of miso that you get at a sushi restaurant as a comparison). Tasted ok -- but I needed a shot of the spicy pepper to cheer it up a bit. Everyone around us seemed to be happily inhaling the little neck clam miso soup, so maybe we should have paid more attention to the specials board. We ordered 3 rolls to share - octopus, oaxaca (jalapeno pepper-based), and spider. It was really hard to appreciate the flavour because it just seemed like there was WAY too much rice and not enough inside "stuff". What bits I did notice tasted fresh but the sensation was alas all too fleeting. Overall, I think I might go back with a group (so we could get a bigger table and actually be comfortable!), and maybe make a meal of the appetizers and entrees and just skip the sushi altogehter.
(3)