New chef Daniel is amazing. Even though the restaurant itself has a really good value (especially with specials and happy hours), i only go when Daniel is working because he is one of the best chefs that i know in San Diego. Don't let his young age fool you. He has been in the game for 10years and is better than some of the OGs. And i know this as a sushi chef myself. Just check out the photos... All made by Daniel on the same night. Sashimi and nigiri made to perfection with excellent presentation. And some fancy rolls to top it off. All dishes were very satisfying. Leave the selections for your dinner next time, and you won't be disappointed.
(5)
Claudia B.
In my opinion, this place doesn't get enough credit...the food is good, prices are reasonable, and ambiance feels great! I've tried different rolls every time I've come in so far and I haven't been disappointed yet. They have happy hour everyday throughout prime times! I guess the one thing keeping this place from receiving a full 5 stars is that they need to tidy up their service a little more. Our waitress was super friendly, but stopping by to check in on us more often or bringing the soy sauce and napkins without having to ask would be great! They respond well and get on top of it once asked, but these are things that are part of the expectations when you go out for dinner...I mean, that's a big reason why most of us go out right? To not have to cook ourselves and be treated with service. Other than this last caveat, be prepared to eat delicious sushi, have a good drink, and have a great time!
(4)
Jon Y.
This place is a little out of range just outside of the Gaslamp but its worth the walk. It's about 3 blocks away from Horton Plaza and it is the best Sushi in Downtown SD. They recently put Japanese Ramen and Yakitori on the menu and I was lucky to have tried the Shoyu Ramen. I always try the sashimi at any sushi joint. The salmon was very fresh and went well with the raw wasabi. No soy sauce needed. They have great happy hour prices on the craft beer. They have a decent selection of craft beer on draft. I love Sculpin, so I was happy to see they have it on draft. I don't normally eat rolls, but I really like the ceviche roll, it's got a Latin flavor with the ceviche and cilantro. Pretty good stuff!
(5)
Keisha P.
Super disappointed! We came here awhile back and had the Citron Roll which was delicious and was actually the main reason we returned for this trip - we get there and get seated only to find out they no longer make the roll...bummer. We decided to stay and try out the rest of the menu anyway. It was about an hour and half before closing and no other customers were inside...should've been the first clue. We are seated and then left sitting for about 25 minutes without being checked on or asked for our order, no drinks offered, nada...we are looking around and the only visible staff are a few sushi chefs and that's it. Finally, we see the hostess but this time she is behind the bar cleaning and refilling ice and completely not interested in helping us again. The chef's finally help us and get a waitress, who I think is actually the owner - she finally takes our order. When she comes back to check on us (we still haven't had our food delivered to the table yet) she tells us that if we want anything else we have to order it now because they are going to be closing soon (this is still an hour prior to their closing time), we tell her no problem that we are ok just eating what we ordered (even though we haven't tasted it yet). Our rolls arrive and she places them on the table without telling us what is what - when we ask she quickly sounds off several names like she is unsure and we begin to notice she is giving us names of rolls we never ordered. We ate the rolls without complaining because we were hungry after waiting and felt rushed since she was continuously reminding us when they were closing even though we showed up way before closing time and only ordered maybe 4 rolls total. The rolls were mediocre and overpriced - service was slow and the entire visit was awkward. Staff was more interested in super cleaning behind the bar than servicing us...I am all for cleanliness but it was like they would rather close early to clean than to have us in their business dining. Won't be back unless that Citron Roll reappears on the menu.
(2)
Brent G.
Great overall experience at Ogawashi. Cool looking modern restaurant/bar. Friendly staff and good tasting sushi. They presentation of the food on the plates really impressed me. The value/price for the quality/taste of the sushi is probably the best in Downtown. I will definitely start coming here more often. I recommend it if you like good sushi at a reasonable price point in a fun and hip atmosphere. Their happy hour is 4pm to close and the prices for food and drinks are amazing during that time.
(4)
Precious T.
This place has become one of my "go to " lunch spot. Sashimi salad is always on point. Need a downtown employee discount for the regulars ;)
(5)
Laney S.
Great service with Chloe. Really fresh sushi and they have Ramen. Danny is great behind sushi bar. Large menu selection, very good prices. Lunch service much improved. In and out in less than an hour. Great location downtown for sushi and ramen. I think it's same or similar to the one in PB.
(5)
Paulina G.
This place was so bomb & Daniel the sushi chef was super cool & friendly! We sat at the sushi bar & he rolled up 4 amazing rolls very quickly. Super fresh and prompt service. Definitely coming here again
(5)
Ernesto C.
We lived in Asia many moons ago and Korea was actually one of the biz stays for one year. I mention Korea because I want to say there were many Koreans working OGAWASHI. Perhaps the owner group and/or management are Korean. I'd bet the ranch this is the case. That's ok, no worries, because we've had sushi in Korea that rivaled many of the places we experienced in Japan. Korean's are very hard working, gentle, kind & hospitable people. And, great sense of humor they have........ we experienced a lot of this again, last night, @ Ogawashi. Out of our front door, we wandered across downtown, over to the boogie town section of SD Core....by the train tracks, near the the House of Blues. There is nothing wrong with a jaunt over to a more edgy and gritty part of the city. Our evening can se summed up in one word: evolution. Our evening evolved from "WTF" is with this place to "WOW", yummy yummy in the tummy & some of the best sushi we've had in San Diego, hands down & chopsticks up. The place was not very busy, had an off the wall feel like we just could not place ourselves.... were we back somewhere in Seoul, off the beaten path or who knows? The techno music in a sushi place added to the off kilter, pseudo-eccentric vibe....in all fairness though, I want to say this place is probably very busy and somewhat clubby-like on weekends, hence the music that let's say must be part of the joint's branding DNA.....definitely not elevator Lawrence Welk music nor Kyoto Zen sounds with cute little birds and waterfalls in the background. The gals serving us were a bit quirky in a sweet kind of way. Our man behind the counter, where we sat and always sit when patronizing a sushiya, was from Tokyo. Very welcoming and attentive, not to mention a good sense of ( ditto ) quirky humor. So, off we went to the sea races, to indulge in some raw fish, rice and flavors. FRESH comes to mind, all in this order: 1) Ankimo ( that's monkfish liver to the vanilla crowd ) was a nice start 2) the daily board showed flounder aka Hirame, as a choice pick and was it good 3) as for our Amaebi- very large, cold water spot prawns - well, we actually got to meet the poor buggers when they very alive and twitching, after which we were honoured by Sushi Chef-san, via his slaying of these beautiful and delicious creatures, onto to the rice and our plates and then into our mouths for a mouth watering and delish experience 4) we always savour Hamachi and this nigiri choice was absolutely perfect 5) closely competing with the Amaebi was the Toro.... the Crown Prince of sushi fare.....oh boy & girls, this was the prize of the evening - succulent, luscious, tender and I could live on this for a week, along with Japanese beer and fine sake I like this place - it is not tourist frou frou fare nor is it a fancy Mickey Mouse trendy joint....It's raw, no pun intended & gets down to business serving some damn good sushi in downtown SD. The price to 'value/quality' ratio was also a-ok. Next time I will give the rolls a go, which flew past us a few times - rather large too. Kampai / Gun Bae.
(4)
Stephanie M.
My boyfriend decided to take me here after a rough week. The atmosphere was great. Good music. Nice flow. We came here at happy hour and I have to say I was confused as to what was on happy hour. There was a small list but no description or picture. After finally choosing the food came quick. It was good and what we expected. I did not give this 5 stars because of the service. The owner could barely understand English and it was hard to communicate with her. Other than that.......great place!
(4)
J M.
I went during comic-con week - we stayed because of the happy hour and it ended up being the best part of our night! Happy hour prizes are amazing (9 dollar specialty rolls + 5 dollar cocktails) and I really enjoyed the food and the cocktail I had (Cucumber martini is made with grey goose as well and it tastes amazing)! I asked for it to be not too sweet and they actually made it not too sweet for once (most bartenders usually fail at this for some reason). The food we had was pretty good as well and we really loved chef Daniel! I loved his rolls and he was literally the nicest and most personable chef ever. He talked to us during our meal and made sure we were taken care of properly. I'm really giving it 5 star because of chef Daniel, haha. I would totally visit this spot again when I'm back in San Diego!
(5)
JoseElizabeth F.
The food was beautifully prepared and it was delicious. The prices were reasonable. The restaurant itself was lovely but finding a parking downtown?! lol also the waitress didn't know as much about the menu as she should.
(4)
Elizabeth T.
This place really deserved four stars because of the great dishes and service we chose, but lost one for one dish that was a complete failure. First of all, this is not your typical sushi joint as it is hopping and has a lot of people coming in and out. Secondly, no Japanese pop music. It has the lively, upbeat, catchy EDM jams that makes this place feel like a nightclub. The colorful and flashing lights off from the ceiling does not help. The food we ordered off their happy hour menu was excellent. Fresh fish and fruits for the mango tuna tower, the teriyaki salmon with fresh avocado, and a few others off of the $7 and $9 selection. Fresh sashimi on the sashimi sampler. Their rolls that were spicy are indeed spicy. Not too much, but has a good kick. The one dish that failed was the scallop boat. You can tell from the texture of the scallops that they were not fresh. Neither was the salmon that came with it. It had a strong fishy smell and a weird chewy texture to it. I gagged trying to eat it. Serving old fish and covering it up with sauce is a sin in a sushi joint. Hence, the loss of one star. We spent $45-50 bucks a person. Not bad deal for all the sushi we ate. We shall be back again!!!
(3)
Angela P.
This place has legit happy hour. Get the ex girlfriend roll! Also, their baked mussels, baked langostina roll is good too. Be careful though because you will go order crazy and get everything because it's cheap! The only downside is that the place is hit, so they have fans circulating hot air. I can live with that.
(5)
Ena Y.
Not a bad sushi place. Great happy hour menu. Food: they have pretty good inexpensive happy hour menu items. Sushi was not bad. Ordered a pacific citron roll, dragon roll, red dragon roll, and yellowtail roll. Also ordered the tin tin salmon special with sauce on the side - which was basically salmon sashimi with sauce. Ambiance: young, hip, casual dining. Large screens that play sports games and slightly dark (but not too dark) lighting. Service: One of the servers was in training. The servers were very kind and let us take the happy hour menu to go in to-go boxes even though happy hour menu items were eat in only.
(3)
Laksen R.
Walked in here randomly when looking for a quick bit in Gaslamp and we're so glad we did. We made it for the start of happy hour and decided to take advantage of the food specials even though we weren't drinking. We ordered and ate so many of the cheap specials that the chef decided to comment on how big our appetites were (decided to take this as a compliment). On to some details: We sat at the bar where we received prompt service, good conversation- the food also came out quickly as we cut out any type of middle man which was great. To start we got the sashimi sampler and nigiri sampler which were both really good. We decided to eat more plain fish and not multi-ingredient rolls so we stayed away from the special rolls. I was very satisfied with the meal and the quality of the fish we received. Towards the end of the meal we ended up ordering a bunch of hand rolls (spicy tuna and salmon) which were a another standout of our experience. The only item I wouldn't recommend is the octopus salad which was $7 (Happy special). You get a lot of octopus for a low price but there was something missing with the dish. Definitely come here for happy hour if you want quality food. Also their drink specials were really cheap and I will definitely take advantage of them next time.
(5)
Kevin R D.
This Sushi restaurant is a solid 4 stars in my book. We had the Hot Night Out tempura roll and the Sweet Sixteen roll. the Sweet Sixteen was awesome. The Hot Night Out was good too, especially with the cream cheese inside. Garlic edamame is the bomb, if you love garlic like we do. Bonus points for serving at 4 unlike other sushi places that don't serve til 5. Could be a 4 and a half to 5 star place if they used more sauce on the rolls instead of a strip down the side. Minus points for our appetizer coming after our meal. Also asked for extra ginger and didn't get it. Over all, good food. Fish was fresh and tasted clean. Worth checking out.
(4)
Andrea A.
Is an hot day so I stop here for a fresh plate and a beer , sushi is OK and the beer it was really nice and cold as I ask, price is in the average of the sushi place , I like the food and the service where fast and silente .I will be back . thank you
(4)
Annel R.
Amazing Sushi place! Great service. Great prices. And everything we tried was delicious! If you're into spicy rolls try the Caliente Roll. We also tried the tempura appetizer and Miso ramen. All great choices. Will definitely be coming back when I'm in SD again. Give it a try! Their happy hour prices are really good.
(5)
Ryan V.
Really good sushi, the environment is very welcoming, and the happy hour is unbelievable. I don't know how they do it. A lot of tvs! So I can definitely watch some sports and eat good at the same time. 6:40pm on a Saturday night and it's not that busy in here. Still trying to figure out why, but from my experience, it was nothing less than perfect.
(5)
Janelle C.
Stopped here for a quick lunch while in town for business. They were pretty busy. Wait staff was rushing around. ordered a 3 item bento box for lunch $14. The tempura was crunchy and spot on. Spicy tuna roll was good too. All in all a pretty good meal and price for this area. They also have a full bar which i don't always see for a sushi place but nice.
(4)
M M.
I came here the other night to get my sushi fix on. First, the menu. I love that it's all pictures, a-la Denny's. For the first time in months I ordered based off of the menu and not Yelp pictures. That being said, they should give you a complementary magnifying glass to read it with. After scanning the selections, I have to say this is not necessarily an inventive sushi spot (if you discount the pico de gallo sushi rolls, which I was not going to venture into, they're all mostly cali roll variations). My boyfriend and I finally settled on a citron miso roll, one of the most "unique" on the menu, which was essentially a super fresh cali roll with snapper and tangy-sweet citron miso sauce on top. It would have been enough food for two people, but I went for another roll - a spicy tuna with shrimp tempura, eel sauce, and spicy mayo. This one was also pretty good and I really liked the consistency of their spicy tuna. It was super soft and flavorful and went well with the crunchy tempura. Both of these rolls were so good that I completely skipped out on the soy sauce which I hardly ever do. They were also super large rolls and could've been cut a little smaller but that's a minor detail. I topped the whole order off with a vodka mule. WIth the flavors of jalapeno and ginger it went really well with the whole order. I definitely suggest it. Finally, the ambiance. You're right next to the trolley and 5th ave so you get some interesting foot traffic outside. Inside, it's electronic music and pinky-purple lights. They have several TVs up for sports, and we were watching bull riding (and tennis) the other night. Quirky, and I love it. I have now decided that bull riding is the perfect thing to watch in a sushi bar, and I'm also thinking PBR should start doing their bull riding to electro house music. It fits, trust me.
(3)
Joy A.
Pros: Quality sushi, friendly waiter, good music, dim lights, plenty of tables, Happy Hour 3 - 7pm daily: baked mussels ($5/4 pc)--amazing, garlic albacore roll--fresh & delicious ($9), fire fire roll is flavorful ($13.50), everything is good for sharing between 2 or 3, hand rolls are only $3, total came up to only $32 plus tax & tip Cons: happy hour menu has no pictures
(5)
Kristal R.
So lucky to find this place in such short notice, the rolls were amazing! Got 4 rolls from the menu. The special dynamite roll, spicy crunchy roll, samurai roll, and the spicy albacore. I would say the spicy crunchy and the samurai were the most best out of the 4.... I wish this place was close to where I lived. The service was great! Got our waters refilled consistently, we got the spicy garlic edemame which was also delish. The fish was super fresh, the jalapeño in the spicy crunch was the prefect heat. Just all in all a great place. The birthday music they play when they come out and wish someone a happy birthday, was on the loud side lol scared my date and I lol but I'd recommend this place to anyone!!!!!! Seriously.... Go here for some bomb sushi
(5)
Kristen L.
Good sushi for the price! We always come here. We tried the moon sushi up the street for a change and left and came here. Def best sushi at the best price in downtown. The place is really cute too!
(5)
Summer T.
Humongous entrance door! Good service. Quite pricy! Decent foods! Great atmosphere. Nice ambiance. Nicely decorated. Yakisoba was delishhhh! Yellowtail sashimi was fresh & good w sliced jalapeño & ponzu sauce. Blue Tuna Fin sashimi was fresh & good. Grilled Mackerel combo was good. Ceviche cut-roll wasn't good :( Sunset cut-roll was ok. Green Tea & Vanilla Tempura Ice-cream were alright. The best Oreo Tempura Ice-cream was in Orange County. .. in the city of Tustin or Anaheim.
(4)
Will V.
A nice spot downtown for a mid-afternoon bite. Service was friendly and the agedashi tofu starter was excellent: lightly crispy, creamy on the inside, and with a great dipping sauce. Hamachi and unagi sushi both were good enough, but the pieces were on the small side. Outdoor street-side patio as well as indoor dining. Nothing spectacular, but a solid find amidst the mass of touristy places nearby.
(4)
Danny B.
Came here for lunch last week, I ordered a rainbow roll, sexy roll and sashimi salad. Both rolls were great. However, I was a little disappointed in the salad used for the sashimi salad. It was almost as if it came straight out of an insta-salad bag from the grocery store. Other than that good food!
(4)
Anuh-mai T.
Food is amazing! Udon soup on point, sashimi is fresh. A lot of variety for Happy hour. I had to give 2 stars because service was not so great. We were the only party in the restaurant and no one gave us a menu.. they kept walking pass us and looking. Finally took our order, never brought out our water. They totally forgot to put in two orders. I waived at the girl, she saw me but continued to talk to other people.
(2)
Courtney H.
This place is in an odd spot nearly the trolley tracks and across from the CVS, but it's a cool little restaurant. There is definitely a good variety of sushi. And they have crispy rice with spicy tuna, which is one of my favorite things! They have a mango and tuna tower which includes fresh chunks of both in a martini glass. We ordered a few of the rolls and the gyoza all of which was delicious. The only miss was the tuna dish we ordered that was a bit on the salty side for us. Happy hour goes until 7, which is awesome. The parking in that area is a pain. But I'll definitely be back to this place again to try more.
(4)
Haleh S.
Overpriced, subpar food and terrible service. The lady forgot our order all together and then, after bringing it out, ignored us the rest of the time. Disappointed is an understatement. Sushi deli is 100 times better.
(1)
Brett R.
Good, consistent food for reasonable prices. Great lunch and happy hour deals. Best part: fast, friendly services. They hustle here which I appreciate.
(4)
Isabel C.
Came here on a Saturday with 3 others. The place was not very busy except for a loud birthday party going on at a nearby table. Sushi and miso soup were good. We all just ordered simple rolls, shrimp tempura and California rolls so nothing special or unique but at least they tasted good. The service however, was very strange. The hostess ended up being our waitress even though there were others working in the not so busy restaurant. Then as were waiting for our food other staff members came up and asked us to order or what we had ordered. They were all very pushy and impatient even after we told them we already ordered and we were all set. The water refill guy was weirdly enthusiastic and the bartender tried to tell me I couldn't use the bathroom because I wasn't a paying customer even though I had just gotten up from a table nearby. At the end we were saying our goodbyes to our friends and the staff kept pushing us to leave. Very weird experience but decent food.
(3)
Cerena G.
Loved the environment. Loved the music and service. Food was amazing as well!
(5)
Sabrina D.
I'm taking a break from the goodness that is my "Big Shot Roll" to write this review. I found this place on yelp (duhhh). It was about a block from our hotel, the US Grant, and sushi sounded fantastic before a night of bar hopping in Gaslamp. Upon walking in, I was nervous the sushi wouldn't be very well made or delicious, because the restaurant had a bit of a fusion-y vibe. Needless to say, my fear instantly quelled. The fish was fresh and everything was mega yummy! Despite being a bit warm and the patio being closed, we had a great time. We sat at the sushi bar, and the let me just say, the sushi chefs are fantastic! Super attentive, quick, and friendly. I love the creativity of some of the rolls and their names, for example the "Son of the beach." This spot takes original rolls and steps them up a notch, without going too far to make this a "fusion" spot. Best part? You can get drinks from their FULL bar. Definitely a plus since most sushi spots just have a limited alcohol menu... Beer, some wine, and saki usually. Here, you can get anything your sweet, little heart desires.
(4)
Patricia Patti P W.
Wait, I ate here??? Whoa... Okay I did eat here when I was on Jury Duty two weeks ago, I forgot that I checked in here for lunch one day. I had a really good sushi roll that was very spicy and filling, their rolls are pretty huge so be warned. I accidentally over ordered because I was so hungry. I ended up leaving half of my lunch behind. Great service and it's nice during the daytime although they fill up at lunchtime pretty quickly so get there before 12:00 pm.
(4)
Jasmine D.
Going to be a quick review because I'm still eating.. Lol. Ambiance is nice. Their rolls, I find, are bigger than other sushi joints I've been at. I'm ASSUMING the guy at the front was the owner was very friendly, so was the waitress that led us to our table. The owner (again assuming) checked on us frequently and took our orders. Small talk and jokes which is always appreciated. Great place. Totally recommend. Happy hour 3-close. :) enjoy!! Sorry so short. Still stuffing my face with sushi and drowning in $2 sake bombs.lol
(5)
Jack M.
To some this up, the food was pretty good, but service was a little lackluster. I mean it was just okay, however, I felt more as a burden being there to my server. I came in during happy hour and ordered the mixed tempura which included vegetables and a couple of shrimp for $5 and the Tin Tin Salmon Salad for $9. The shrimp tempura was very good with an average amount with the serving ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). The tempura batter was light and not oily and provided a nice crisp ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). I really liked the way all the vegetables were not over cooked and had a good vibrant color. In fact, the broccoli had a good crispiness to it ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). I enjoyed all the vegetables and the asparagus was my favorite. The shrimp was just as good with a nice tenderness and sweet shrimp flavor balanced with the crispy tempura, made for some good eating ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). The Tin Tin Salmon salad was good, perhaps a little heaving with the sauce, but the presentation was very nice and the salmon was very good ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). The salmon was rich and had some nice fatty lines which I really appreciate ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). The spicy sauce made from a base of Sriracha and mixed with a number of other Japanese ingredients was very good, but just a little heavy handed on the plate ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). The avocado was beautifully presented and at a perfect ripeness, not to mention quite delicious and perfect for this salad ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). If you like raw salmon, I recommend this dish. Even though I did not believe service was up to par, I have to give justice to the food's preparation and flavor, so my over all feeling given the service, I feeling 3.5 ish, but at the higher end..
(4)
Drew M.
Had a sushi craving recently so I found myself at OGIWASHI, and was very pleased by this place. I happened to arrive at Happy Hour, which is 3-7pm everyday! They have $4 draft beers, $3 sake, nice discount on some good rolls! I ordered a spicy crispy roll as well as a Dragon roll and both tasted like magic. The fish was really fresh and the service was top notch. Also, can't beat the price of this place for downtown. I will definitely be coming back!
(5)
Jah L.
I've been here a few times. One of the better sushi spots I've been to. It's a good spot if you're in a hurry. The prices aren't too bad considering the quality. The customer service could be better. I love the look of the place. This is my go to sushi spot if I'm in the area.
(4)
Peter C.
Subpar sushi for subpar value. Like the atmosphere though and it's a good, neutral spot to take clients over lunch. Apparently has a decent happy hour but I've never been.
(3)
Fermin V.
The food was barely edible. Place had a peculiar smell. Gave this place a second chance and they disappointed yet again. If you're looking for a mediocre sushi experience, this is your spot.
(2)
Benjamin K.
Good sushi, great happy hour, central spot. And they don't mind large and rowdy groups ripping sake bombs and banging on the table like affable heathens! Hoot and holler! I mean for Pete's Sake!
(5)
Manilyn S.
This spot is conveniently located right next to my work so I thought I'd give it a shot one day for lunch. It seemed like a really nice spot to enjoy some drinks with a few friends, but I went alone (as I usually like to spend my lunches). I sat by the sushi bar and they were attentive. I ordered the spicy tuna salad, which wasn't spicy at all to me, but was still filling. It was different and you could tell it was more of an Americanized dish because of the chunks of lettuce and pieces of tomato. Still good. I also had a scallop hand roll which was good. Overall, it was nice. Perhaps I should come back in the evening or try some other things out on the menu to give this place a better review but for now, it was just okay. I think there are better sushi spots in downtown, but they definitely have more on their menu I have yet to try. I am willing to try this place out again.
(3)
Dustin G.
Had a few rolls. All pretty good.. Happy hour beers are four bucks.. Bunch of rolls on happy hour for 9$.. They have real crab in some of their rolls.. Had the spicy crunchy roll, was pretty solid.. The asian ladies that work there are cute and they have adorable asian accents.. Will probably be back..
(4)
Catherine E.
Just had the worst service of my life and had some of the worst sushi too. I've been here before and loved it. This time the waitress tried to take our menus before we even ordered. Should've been a red flag. They never checked up on us (and we had issues with a roll - not like as described in the menu at all), we had to flag down a different waitress just to add more to the order as they never took an order beyond drinks and apps, and had to grab a third waitress to get our bill - which we were seconds away from leaving cash on the table and leaving as they wouldn't look at us for ten minutes. We left no tip as the waitress was a fucking disaster, also left hungry. We wanted another round of food and drinks but we were over waiting. The restaurant wasn't even that busy. I'm mortified.
(1)
Audrey A.
The boyfriend and I ate here while visiting San Diego and it pretty good! Really close to our hotel (Courtyard- Marriott) which is convenient. They have pretty good prices for their happy hour, which is from 3pm to 7pm. Break down of what we had: -Spicy Lobster Roll ($12): it was good, wasn't very spicy though. -Shrimp Lovers Roll ($9): very good, we enjoyed the sauce on it. -Oysters ($2 each): Boyfriend says they are "okay" and that they could have used some more seasoning and lemon. The oysters were fairly big though! -Mixed Tempura: the shrimp was very good! Veggies were good too. -Baked Mussels: saved the best for last! This was by far our favorite. Very yummy! We liked the extra touch of crab. Om nom nom... The service was great (definitely a reason for the four stars instead of three!). We had two waitresses that really husseled and constantly made sure that we were okay.
(4)
a s.
Writing this review makes me sad as I've been a regular customer at Ogawashi, eating there at least once a month since they opened. Went there recently with my boyfriend and the menu has changed. They no longer serve a lot of staple Japanese food items, like nigiri or cucumber salad. The service was also disappointing, our soup never came and we were charged twice for rice. But what threw us over the edge was the 2 1/2" ROACH that was flying around the restaurant and LANDED IN OUR FOOD!!!!! End of story, I will not be going back.
(1)
Jacqueline L.
This place definitely has a lot of potential. Love the chefs who are here!
(3)
Jonathan M.
Stomach is churning..... **Barf** Nothing really great about this place. Service is average. sushi is mostly rice with thin/little pieces of fish. got a crown and ginger and it came as a double shot glass (one oz. crown and one oz. Ginger ale). . . I think the worst part is the fish was "fishy" and tasted past is prime. Left with a sick feeling. . .
(1)
Vanessa B.
Ordered takeout from here and it was fairly good. Nothing amazing, but most of the rolls were good. One of them was fishy so I had a couple of pieces before I decided that I shouldn't risk it and threw it out. Unfortunately, I became pretty ill not too long after eating the sushi. I don't know for sure that it was the sushi that made me sick, otherwise this would be a 1 star review, but it is definitely possible. Since I can't say with 100% positivity that it was the sushi, I'm treating this review as though the sushi did not cause it. The crispy rice roll was awesome and probably my favorite thing I got. Big chunks of spicy tuna are on these giant balls of crispy rice. So decadent. I also got the tuna garlic roll which was really interesting and was a nice roll on the lighter side. The pokie roll is what tasted fishy and I had to throw out.
(3)
Marvelous M.
Ogawashi is my favorite sushi spot in San Diego. The sushi is fresh and is made with expertise and love. They have a reasonably priced happy hour from 3pm to 7pm. The wait staff is always attentive and courtesy. I always feel welcome with each visit and appreciate being acknowledged by name. The Manager Bobby is quite friendly and doesn't hesitate to cater to his customers. Overall, I would recommend anyone wanting delicious sushi with a great atmosphere to visit Ogawashi. Its conveniently located off of Fifth Ave & C st.
(5)
Nicky L.
Went here for lunch and the food was MEH. First of all, their lunch specials were bento boxes that were all MORE than $10, which I think is kinda pricey for this spot. We decided to share a couple of rolls... and I could NOT believe how fast they came out of the kitchen. Ever heard of fast sushi? Me neither. The spicy yellowtail roll was sloppily made but ok. The Rainbow Roll was just plain sad. The piece of tuna had a vain going through it... EWE. The rest of the fish did not taste super fresh. I would not recommend this place for lunch, to anyone. Note: I've heard they have great drink specials during happy hour. Might go back for some drinks.
(2)
Teresa N.
Had lunch here last week. It was a couple days before Halloween and the place was all spooky and nicely decorated. A little surprising to me because it's a Japanese restaurant. It was noon on a Tue but there was no wait for a table! There were a handful of tables filled only. Probably not a good sign, I still gave a shot cos they have good reviews on Yelp. I ordered the sashimi bento lunch and my friend got the Tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet) bento. We also ordered a veggie tempura to share. Since some yelpers were raving about the pumpin tempura, we specially asked for more pumkin in our veggie tempura. Veggie tempura came after 10, 15 min. I think 6 out of 8 pieces were pumpkin, great! The order was still hot and crunchy. The first bite was just phenomenal! The pumpkin was soooo flavorful! I recommend you getting it even if you are a carnivore. My sashimi bento was okay, nothing special about it, I tried a bite of my friends tonkatsu, didn't like it because the breading was way too thick. By the way I think they raised their price on the lunch menu significantly compared to just a few months ago. Yeah I think I will come back for more pumpkin tempura!
(4)
Jay D.
Not a terrible little spot, it's got a cool looking bar and plenty of tv's.
(3)
Don T.
Went twice (for lunch) in 2 days while on a recent business trip --- need I say more? Only comment is that it is very busy for lunch. They will look to flip your table do don't expect to dawdle
(4)
Carlene G.
Cute, easily accessible! It was a nice little spot to stumble upon on our family vacation. The food was good and the staff was nice.
(4)
Bob N.
Excellent. Great selection of firm fresh fish, beautifully presented. Chef's selection of tuna, snapper, whitefish each with its own delicate sauce. Terrific salmon skin hand-roll. Broad selection of rolls. We ate at the bar and had great service from bartender Erika, who also made terrific agave-sweetened mojitos. Not noisy, but right on the trolley line, so save gas and avoid expensive downtown parking by hopping on the Orange or Blue line to Fifth Avenue station
(4)
David B.
Highly recommended! I have been to so many restaurants in Downtown SD and so many disappoint. It seems like everywhere i go I get bad service (Can't find my server, drinks take 15 minutes to get to table, etc) or the food is overpriced and poor quality. OGAWASHI'S is not that type of restaurant (thankfully!) and they get a 5/5. The service is AMAZING. Your water and drinks won't get below half way before they rush to fill it up, and they always check on you to see if you are good. The sushi is really good (Baja Roll and Garnet) and the taste stays very consistent. They also have great happy hour prices even on Friday and Saturday nights. I will be coming here for years to come. A+.
(5)
Jonnie D.
Very nice server at the bar. Cool ambience. Amazing nigiri. Garlic tuna roll....meh. I'll get a raw roll next time. Great happy hour prices. Parking sucks!!! Like....a vacuum.
(4)
Sara G.
We sat at the sushi bar. Only two sushi chefs working on a busy Friday night. A third sushi chef stood to the side the entire time we were there, which was about 3 hours because we waited so long for some of our orders. We speculated that the idle sushi chef was in training,, but we thought they needed at least 3 sushi chefs working. Overall, the sushi was pretty good and with the exception of our incident, the service was also pretty good. However, I don't think the salmon roe was very fresh, and I won't go back to this place. Oh btw, the music was very loud rave music, which I know is popular in the Gaslamp. We ordered live shrimp. The presentation wjth the heads and tails was nice, and the tails were delicious. I then confirmed with the waitress that they would then take our shrimp heads back and deep free them for us (my favorite part, which I was building up to our sushi novice family members). After they took our shrimp heads away to deep fry them, we waited at least half an hour with none of our order forthcoming. During this time, I watched them getting peep's sushi orders all mixed up then the waitress coming to the sushi bar and barking orders at the chefs, who in turn rushed to make the screwed up orders right. Once they got the screwed up orders resolved I thought sure they would turn their attention to our shrimp heads and uni. When I finally asked where our shrimp heads and uni were, the chefs looked panic-stricken with a small flurry of activity behind the sushi bar. The waitress that had been barking orders then came over and told us they apparently served our shrimp heads to someone else and asked if we wanted a dessert instead. I said, I don't want no stinkin' dessert! I want my shrimp heads! But they wouldn't take that loss to make it right and prepare four more shrimps for us (how about a free shrimp tail for our wait?). So they asked what we wanted them to do instead. I said at least a refund on our shrimp, so they said, you ate half of them when you ate the tails so we'll give you half a refund! Never mind that we sat there half an hour waiting and wondering and finally had to ask. I guess in the end the joke was really on them because they were so discombobulated that they neglected to charge us for some of our sushi. Ahhh... sweet revenge.
(1)
Tonneli G.
The spacious patio was great for people watching and made for a dog friendly dinner. candles or lights at outdoor tables would be nice, it was really dark by the end of my meal. Prices were very fair, $10-$14 range for premium rolls. It seems to be a trend down south but sushi chefs adore fake crab (the bologna of the sea) and chopping tuna into a mushy puree. That being said i did find a few options here which were suitable for what i'd see as quality sushi. the serrano roll was delish so was the agedashi tofu, i liked the food here and will be back... i just wish there was more quality food to choose from on the menu. sushi in san diego does leave me scratching my head tho, is there no quality fresh fish on the south coast? is frying, battering, covering in mayo, pureeing, and stuffing with processed fillers like krab the only option?
(4)
Erin R.
I haven't been here for a while because the hand rolls were getting a little sloppy, but I went with friends Friday and was pleasantly surprised. I partook in 2 Sapporos, 4 hand rolls and a couple pieces of veggie tempura. All had great presentation and flavor. Plus it was happy hour from 3 until close! Best time ever!
(4)
Robin E.
Disappointing. Waitress was nice, but quality of food wasn't the best. We were there for HH - got the ceviche, which was too sweet, Vegas roll- which didn't taste like the 'typical' roll, couple hand rolls- over rated. Nothing too special about this place. Most likely won't go again.
(3)
Lola B.
Friendly service and good food. Unfortunately the beef tataki was far too cooked. Should have been a lot more raw. Otherwise the nigiri was fresh and tasty. Sashimi was good. I'd go back again.
(4)
G. R.
Food was delicious and happy hour prices are great. Service was slow and inattentive.
(3)
Kimmy Y.
Came here for a friend's birthday and I really liked this place! They have an AMAZING happy hour (I cant remember what time it starts but it goes all the way to close!). Draft beers are $3 or you can get a sake bomb (beer and sake shot) for $6. They have different prices (happy hour prices) depending on what you get. Parking can be a bit challenging because they don't have a private lot. They're located on the outskirts of downtown so pre-gaming here with happy hour sake prices are a great way to start the night. However, I will note that the service was little bit slow. We constantly had to seek out the waitresses to ask for more water or more utensils or more sake/beer. I can't really say that they were that bust during the time we were there.
(4)
Kristy A.
I had the Charishi bowl, and the fish was sub par. The service was ok. It was dark. Below average for me. Plus a homeless guy flashed his dong at us from the street through the ground to ceiling windows.
(2)
K J.
Okay, I've been here twice and although the service was rather slow, the food was good. So, I decided to have lunch with my mother and sister. I was bragging about the food at this spot and didn't expect what happened. See, we arrived at about 1:10 and since we've been there before, we already knew what to order. All of us ordered Teriyaki dishes (i.e., chicken, salmon, etc.) and nothing else. Seems simple enough. Anywho, ordered immediately and at 1:50, no food arrived. Only noticed because other diners were leaving AFTER having a meal. Asked about our dishes and was told that it was "coming" which it never did. After some scambling, the owner offered to give us the meal at 50% discount. Really? No thanks. Wow, some folks will do whatever to get a profit. The service WAS LOUSY and they never came back to our table to ask about anything. Long story short, we left after an HOUR with no food. No luck and no apologies. DON'T EAT HERE unless you have a few hours to kill for eating or you just want to try your luck at getting served. RIDICULOUS, really? No courtesy, no concern, no nothing. With all the sushi places around the area, go there. Don't waste your time here.
(1)
Elle J.
Happy Hour Review: In their ads they call their happy hour the most "aggressive" in San Diego. While I could argue with this, I will concede that they do have a long happy hour times and also offer it on the weekends which is a treat. Draft beers are $3 and you have a lot of great choices from Stone Brewing to Sapporo to Blue moon. I have been on a stint of visiting restaurants that don't have the best draft selection so this is a welcomed good deal. Agadashi Tofu ($3): Four large silky tofu pieces and a delicious broth. Be careful and let your tofu cool down! If you like tofu you could do a lot worse than order this dish. Hand Rolls ($3): I did not try them but they looked big and while the freshness wasn't being raved about, they were edible. Veggie Tempura ($5): Large portion! I liked that sweet potatoes made it in the mix. Everything was crispy and good. Seaweed Salad ($5): Standard. Not really a deal at $5 Heart Attack ($5): This was actually pretty spicy upon first bite. This dish was alright but not very healthy. I felt sort of guilty eating it but that guilt wasn't so strong as to stop me. The fish was more like a meatball and over cooked for my liking but for those who liked cooked fish then this might be a fun choice. Don't get me started on "authentic." Such an annoying thing to read in reviews. I seriously doubt anyone in their right minds hoofs it downtown to a trendy looking place like this expecting to have the most authentic sushi in the world. The whole notion of "authentic" as being the set bar for places is alarming and sort of one step thinking. Unless a place is touting itself as traditional it shouldn't be judged on it. I will say if you are a purist than this Happy Hour might not be for you, and good luck in your search.
(4)
Megan T.
Some of the best sushi I've ever had. Their specialty rolls are amazing - I had the Vegas roll (Crab, cream cheese, spicy sauce, avocado- tempura fried) and the Dragon Roll (standard topped with eel) and it was all fantastic! Good price, great happy hour specials and excellent sushi. Their Sake bombs are.... underwhelming. But for $3 on happy hour you can have 10 of them!
(5)
Michael S.
Wow. This place is a joke. The servers had no Idea what they were doing. I had to get my own plates & chopsticks. Of course they gave me the wrong order & then tried to charge me for extra rolls. Then when I put my credit card on the check the server decided to check their facebook for 20 mins. Don't go here.
(1)
Rick N.
Happy Hour Specials worth their weight in Gold!! Authentic cuisine at a reasonable price. I had the Nigiri sampler and the Pacific Citron Roll. Fresh wasabi and ginger slices were served along side all dishes. I would definitely recommend to anyone who knows/loves sushi. : ))
(5)
Audrey C.
Came here for Happy Hour and they have a pretty good menu. HH is from 4-7pm, but then they have HH from 7-10pm as well. HH prices break down between $3, 5, 7 and 9. They have appetizers, sushi and other small plates on the menu. We had the Vegas Roll (it only comes as 4 pieces), spicy crunchy roll, spicy tuna handroll and a Fire fire roll (which wasn't HH pricing). All sushi was delicious and hearty. Will def be coming back for more. The regular prices for the sushi are pretty steep. I don't think I would order much from the regular menu. Parking can be a hassle, but remember you can park in yellow and green zones as well after 6pm.
(4)
Amanda L.
Came here the other night with my sister and a buy one get one free coupon. Coupon allowed us buy one roll + 2 drinks, get one roll free. We ordered the PB roll (I think), it was a fresher option with yellowtail on top & shrimp tempura on the inside, and the baked salmon roll with ingredients similar to a California roll in the center. Plus a sprite & ginger ale. Since it was Happy Hour we also threw in an order of gyoza. Rolls were tasty. The baked one was a little heavy but good flavor. Sodas came in an over sized mug full of ice that watered it down quickly. Service was okay, nothing to write home about. Can't say it was a bad experience but I do know that I have had better sushi elsewhere. The coupon made the meal worth it...but I can't say I would return for a full prices meal.
(3)
Alex A.
I can't believe I haven't been here before! Amazing sushi! Everything was so fresh! Happy hour is from 4-7 and there's plenty to choose from! Prob my new favorite sushi spot
(5)
Olivia L.
Closest place I can get to from my office for a good quick lunch! This location has been through at least 3 owners in the past 2 years, so hopefully this place sticks around. It's located right off the 5th ave. trolley stop, connecting to the Wells Fargo building. They have a whole list full of 10$ lunch specials, with their bento box being the most filling for your money! The one I got was served with chicken teriyaki, salad, California rolls, tempura, miso soup, noodles with seaweed, and rice. Sounds like a lot didn't it??? The noodles were pretty good, salad had a weird ginger sauce I didn't really like, and everything else tasted more or less like your typical bento box combination. Can't complain too much! Haven't yet tried the sushi, but next time I get I chance I will. Overall food was good, service was great, and I hope this place sticks around in this location longer than the rest!
(3)
Alicia L.
I've been to Ogawashi maybe 4 times now, and it just keeps getting better. The food and the service is always on point. We always get the tin tin salmon sashimi and the live uni. They have a full bar but we just stick to their draft selections. Angie happens to be our server every time and I love it. Weekends can get a little rowdy but still is fun and adds a bit of a funk! Happy Hour Everyday From 3-7.
(5)
Louella D.
Eh I don't know how this place got four stars. The place was OK. I don't think I'll be coming back to this place again.The sushi didn't taste fresh and the service was horrible.
(2)
Hillary C.
This place has a decent happy hour (good specials) and a pretty good lunch menu, so if you live or work downtown and you happen to be walking by, it's worth a try. It is not, however, worth driving far or in any way inconveniencing yourself. Whatever you do, please do not order anything that requires frying. Gyoza. Egg rolls. Tempura. They have not mastered the art of "changing the oil in the fryer" and anything fried in oil is horrific. The salads and most of the rolls are tasty ... I say most because although it looks like they have a huge menu with a lot of selection, really every roll is a California roll with something else added. Seriously, check it out and you'll see. The only saving grace here is the service; the waitresses/ bartenders are always fast and attentive and helpful.
(2)
Jada S.
Excellent rolls. The Sunset and Spicy Crispy Dragon are amazing! Happy hour everyday from 3-7. Lots of great items on the menu.
(4)
Glenna K.
Food was delicious (I had a chef's special albacore sashimi plate -- beautiful presentation and generous serving) but was instantly put off when I was seated and given a menu of ONLY rolls. Yes, it had like a bazillion choices on it, but they were ALL rolls. I asked if that was the only menu they had and was told yes. I repeatedly asked "you don't have sashimi?? you don't have appetizers?? you don't have traditional sushi??" Girl kept pointing to my menu and turning it back over (I kept turning it over to stare perplexed at the back at yet more rolls). She finally slapped it, stormed off, and returned with 3 more menus......1) a "normal" menu of apps, salads, sashimi, etc. , 2) the traditional little paper menu that you mark up and give to sushi chef, 3) a beverage menu. Was that so hard???? Also, after taking and bringing my drink order, this same girl never checked back in on me. I will not be back when there is practically a sushi place on every corner.
(2)
Rico B.
So I work nearby and thought I would try this place out. First I walk in and don't get seated for about 5 minutes. No clue where the hostess was. I sat ordered off the happy hour menu and waited. After 29 minutes (I checked because I got a phone call right after I ordered) still no food. I paid for my gfs sake bomb and walked out. As I walked out the server asked if I ate my roll, which is weird because if your my server I would think you would know you never gave it to me. The food looks ok but I will never know. They need to definitely get it together when it comes to customer service. And btw the place wasn't even busy. Because of this they get one star
(1)
Matt R.
Went here on New Years Eve since most sushi places DT were booked all night. We got a reservation and were quickly seated. Unfortunately the rest of the night we were waiting a long time just to get a drink order, not to mention ordering food nearly 20 minutes later. I know you may be thinking they were super busy because it was New Years, but that's the thing the place wasn't even packed. The service was just slow. When we got our food, the sushi was pretty average, so I doubt I'll be back. Also, everyone keeps raving about their awesome door setup. My suggestion is not to go during winter because that door is essentially the entire wall so it exposes the entire restaurant to the outside temp whenever new customers roll in. I can see how it would be fine if the weather wasn't so extreme, but it wasn't working when it was 40 degrees outside.
(2)
Jose C.
Delicious! I can't complain! Service is good and food matches the service and a good spot for groups!
(4)
Kathleen C.
Great bento $10 lunch specials and the Waitresses there are all super friendly. If you ever go for drinks, get the Wasabi bloody Mary. Giving 4 stars instead of 5 because of the happy hour prices being too high.
(4)
Jonard T.
Located between C street and 4th avenue (along the trolley tracks), Ogawashi is a small and convenient restaurant for those that want quick Japanese food. I ordered the spicy chicken bento box and was surprised by how large the portions were. I didn't think I was going to finish it (but I did). It was definitely possible to save the bento box for dinner, but I was really hungry. The food itself was just okay. I'm more impressed by how fast the food came. I'll have to try the sushi next time. The only reason I didn't is because it's pricier than Sushi Deli, only a few blocks away.
(4)
Jane S.
After apartment hunting downtown, we were totally stoked to go to RA happy hour...until we passed Ogawashi and made the correct decision to actually dine here as opposed to RA. I had read something about this place on Yelp and the luring purple LED lights sold us. This is where we were going to have dinner. And it was 20% of the entire menu (until 7pm daily) so we were sold. To start, we got the Poke Salad which was amazing. Fresh sashimi over a seaweed salad, and there was a lot of both. Enough for me and my friend to split without having to ration it. In terms of sushi, we got the crispy rice roll (spicy tuna on a friend rice cake thing), tuna garlic roll, and the sunrise roll. My favorite was the probably the sunrise roll, but the crispy rice roll was significantly better than that ones at RA. The sushi was on par, but is a much better price. So far, I'm feeling Ogawashi over RA any day. To add to the experience, it was great to meet the owner and have him welcome us in is restaurant. Mr. Yi is incredibly hospital and knows how to run a great restaurant! One suggestion: Try playing a different genre of music. For some reason, the Nickleback and Incubus were not meshing well with the ambiance, which is awesome. I would try some "lounge" type music or even trance...especially since it's in the Gaslamp. I think diners would be more receptive to that!
(5)
Karen M.
Terrible sushi rolls. We could taste that the fish on the rolls was not great quality, with the exception of the shrimp and imitation crab, which seemed safe. Service was also pretty bad.
(2)
Jennifer N.
Great happy hour! Gotta love sitting at the sushi bar. The guys there that night ( I think it was a friday night) were really fun and helpful. The food was really good and fresh and reasonably priced. I think downtown finally has sushi I can go to regularly!
(4)
Adele T.
I have to say this place was very good. The rolls were very unique and very presentable. We got a handful of rolls and a yaki soba noodle dish. All were very good. My only con is that this place is very expensive with an average of about $13 a roll. You can get cheaper elsewhere and have it be just as good. I suppose they charge extra for the nice modern look of the restaurant.
(4)
Lalo B.
All I can say is sake bombs !!!!! Good sushi good service .Nice clean. bar tenders are super nice go here with my girl a lot happy hour is the bomb.
(4)
Amanda B.
I love this place! Feels super classy because it is so modern inside. The son of a beach roll is really the best sushi roll I have ever had- it has all my fav stuff- eel, avocado, shrimp, and love! The owner is a sweet little man who is always there. He is really generous. They have a great happy hour- half off rolls and cheap drinks. It is located in the Ross building on C and Broadway.
(5)
Kimberly W.
We are planning to eat at Ogawashi for dinner tonight...we like it so much I decided to see what other people were saying about it and it prompted me to leave a long overdue review. I have lived DT for a long time, and this is by far my favorite sushi place and the only spot we frequent when we are having sushi downtown. The rolls are consistently great, the prices are fair, the Happy Hour is really good, and the service is awesome (Angie is the best!) We've brought other people in, too, and they have all become customers as well. Though we are usually there for dinner I have also had the bento boxes for lunch and those are delicious and a extremely good value, too. Thank you for being a great place downtown that is well-suited for tourists and locals alike!
(5)
Kathleen P.
The vibe of this place reminds me of a futuristic hole in the wall Asian place on a space station or something. You can feel the rumbling of the tracks, it is very urban, there are neon lights over each table, and monitors for sports games. The service is great, and the portions were super gigantic. I've never seen a bento box that took up half the table. Definitely recommend the place and would go back again.
(5)
Nancy C.
Very good (fresh) sushi! I came with my daughter, and thanks to the Yelp reviews, we ordered three rolls instead of the usual four. They are very generous with large rolls! The Las Vegas roll was huge! We also loved the spicy tuna and the Pacific citrus. I don't think you can go wrong here!
(5)
Sarah L.
I went here for the first time today and was pretty disappointed. The atmosphere was nice, but I likely won't be coming here again. I ordered a vegetarian roll that was supposed to have quite a few veggies in it, but most of it was just lettuce. Lettuce is a bizarre sushi ingredient anyway. The rolls were way too big and very loosely packed, like it was done in a rush or by someone inexperienced. Everything just fell apart and so I was just eating rice and lettuce off of my plate, which isn't easy with chopsticks. I think I would've been better off just ordering a salad.
(2)
Tamar F.
We ate here while in SD because of the good reviews. However, while it was an OK dinner I probably wouldn't return. The rolls are HUGE. Like, one is a meal. The quality of the fish is okay, but I'd rather have better quality fish and smaller rolls if I'm going for sushi. The music was really loud and we kept being short on napkins. The service was fine... I guess I'm more interested in going to a sushi place that has really good food over a ton of food for the same price.
(3)
Rob W.
I'm somehow always here. And it's somehow always happy hour. Coincidence. Maybe. Not really. I'm an alcoholic.* As far I can tell, the best bang for your buck on the menu are the hand rolls. $3 apiece and stuffed with big chunks of seasoned fish. Jesus. You need to try this place. You might also try showing up on your birthday for the most awkward birthday celebration you've ever had, followed by the best deep fried ice cream you've ever had. Don't fight it. Just let it happen. As far as places in downtown SD goes, this place wins all kinds of awards for being perplexing. One of the walls is actually just composed of like 4 giant doors, which on busy nights are constantly opening and letting in gusts of goddamn ice air. Don't sit by the entrance. Do eat here. ----------------------------------------- * Fun Fact. I can have A beer. As in ONE before I turn bright red, go insane, and fall asleep. It's a good party trick.
(4)
Paola N.
The sushi was fresh. I tried the tuna garlic roll because I saw reviews about it and it was good. Only thing is that the rice was soft and made the roll fall apart easily. I also tried the sushi combo bento box lunch special. The miso soup was a definite miss. They need to work on that. It was bland and watery tasting. Not good. On the other hand, I REALLY enjoyed the veggie tempura, especially the pumpkin! Usually the veggie tempura is whatever at sushi spots but here it was delicious! The sashimi variety was (2) salmon (2) tuna and (2) albacore. I've realized I'm not a big albacore fan so next time ill see if I can sub the albacore for a different fish. Had a nice Sapporo to wash it all down. :) Overall, would come back again to try a new roll.
(4)
Emy C.
Great food and great service. AMAZING happy hour. Baked muscles, vegas roll, mixed tempura, and SAKE BOMBS! I'm very happy with this place. Lived up to expectations. Give it a try!!!
(5)
Kelly B.
I went here for my birthday dinner last week because I'm a huge sushi fan and l Wanted to try something new. Service was pretty good no complaints. Sushi was very delicious and fresh. Salmon sashimi was so fresh and was cut in very thick pieces-yum! Great presentation for all the rolls and dishes as well. Would definitely come back again :)
(5)
Tonya M.
So happy that a decent sushi place has finally opened in downtown SD. This is not a fancy sushi joint, but a fun, little, everyday sushi spot. While there are a lot of commercialized rolls, their fish is fresh. They have a decent sake selection and they are reasonably priced. Great happy hour specials. Definitely a step up from RA.
(4)
Johnny P.
Happy hour includes local san Diego craft beer buy 1get 1 for $1. All sushi is very large slices, almost double the size I usually see at restaurants. The tuna garlic roll is delicious, its on happy hour, and I will get it every time I return. Consider sitting at the sushi bar. The sushi chefs are very friendly and will always make sure you enjoy your experience.
(5)
Tison V.
Great food and great happy hour specials. All draft beers are $3.00 and great sushi from 3pm- close.
(4)
Kayla R.
Came here for sushi ONLY because I saw the "Mango Tango Roll" on the menu and it is my boyfriend's FAVORITE (we have had it once in Simi Valley) Mango Tango roll was big. It was not as good as Simi's but was yummy. I wanted more taste of mango, personally. Good Choice Roll was suprisingly AMAZING. I really loved this roll (And on happy hour!) I do not remember what was on it... fresh fish, avocado, cucumber, eel sauce. Again BIG pieces (hard to fit in your mouth) I was annoyed at the HH Menu. Alot of the sushi was not on the menu so I did not know what was on them and had to keep asking the waitresses (hence why I don't remember what was on the Good Choice roll.) The service was also slow. 2 dollar saki bombs. Friendly people. Overall... good stuff. Not the best sushi by any means and but still pretty good.
(4)
SF Foodie L.
If I could give NEGATIVE STARS, I would. Ogawashi is not worth even the one star. Pros: 1) Great location in that there's a need for sushi in the neighborhood since there's no other sushi joints near by. 2) Pretty layout of the restaurant. 3) Comfy chairs. CONS: 1) Service is horrid: nonchalance to neglect of customers. 2) Probably racist. I'm a dark woman of color. I came in to order a lot of food (cha-ching) since I love sushi, and have the money to spend. Yet, the male server preferred to ignore me instead of taking my order. 3) Slow/no service. 4) No social skills. 5) Almost an empty restaurant, yet lackadaisical with service. *It's a shame that Ogawashi doesn't value their customers because it only takes one time to leave a bad impression. Moreover, customers like me - tell other customers - about bad experiences like this :-) **In the ALTERNATIVE: If you are up for a short walk (10 minutes), I recommend going to a DIFFERENT sushi restaurant. I wandered over to "Sushi Lounge" in the Gaslamp Quarter located on 411 Market St, cross street: 5th St. Superb service + Delicious food + Great ambiance + Cool art + Comfy chairs + Attentive servers. Ogawashi, here's the recipe for a successful restaurant. A recipe that you (Ogawashi) are not following: Delicious Food + Great Customer Service = Money
(1)
Joseph B.
Decided to change happy hour up a little bit and try out this place. The happy hour was good, cheap prices and $3 saki bombs is awesome. There appetizers during happy hour tho are hit or miss. Gyoza wasn't a lot but the hand rolls were great! Ending up spending more than I wanted too but I would go back
(4)
Cara H.
They have a pretty cool all day happy hour menu! I liked the tuna tartar it doesn't come with wonton chips, but you can ask for it. The sushi was ok, but good for the price.
(3)
Adam H.
Food is very good, and the prices are also for the quality. I eat here frequently for lunch, and I'm never disappointed!
(4)
Sunny Z.
Came for happy hour 3 dollar beers. Got the sculpin stone white rascal and a pale ale. Cool fun bartenders. Nice joint next to the trolley station.
(4)
Nette B.
3 1/2 Stars! Came here a couple of times and the last time I visited I was a little disappointed to find out that they no longer served fried calamari (which was the best I've ever had). Now, they only have tempura calamari. :( Service: Very nice servers and always stopping by to see if we need anything Food: Tuna Garlic Roll Crunch Tempura Roll Kalbi (Why is there Kalbi in a Japanese restaurant? And stupid me I ordered it ERR irking) Tempura Calamari The food to me was alright but the Tuna Garlic Roll was good. HH is also good and it ends at 7:00PM. I'm glad that they have CROWN on the HH menu = HAPPY ME. When in the downtown area and I want Sushi, this is the place I'd go. A lot of the other places in downtown is overrated other than Sushi Deli.
(3)
Kendra R.
The one thing I have noticed about San Diego is that I really haven't had bad sushi yet here. Ogawashi was one of the first sushi places I tried in San Diego, and I was (hyperbole coming) blown away. It may be some of the best sushi I have had, and I think I've eaten my fair share of sushi. I got a California Roll, a Salmon Skin Roll, and one of their specialty rolls. My husband also got a ton of sushi (none of which I remember the names of). We also got gyoza. I have zero complaints about any of the food, and think it was all delicious. I know everyone calls the California Roll the American's idea of sushi, so take this with a grain of salt (or buy into it wholeheartedly), but their Cali Roll was friggen amazing. The restaurant also had really good happy hour deals on drinks and food, so our bill ended up being pretty reasonable. The restaurant itself is right downtown and in a prime location, if you love the trolley and downtown San Diego. It is very nice on the inside - has that trendy, Asian restaurant vibe, with music to match. I also consistently get take out here during my lunch hour at work, and the wait isn't too, too bad, so if you want to eat on the run, it's a good option, as well.
(5)
Sophie S.
I have to admit that I am not a sushi fan at all! But all of my friends love it so I went here on Friday night. The place was not crowded at all. Music was cool, I remember they played "ni***as in paris" and all that shit. As for the food, as I already said I'm not a huge fan but I enjoyed it though! Sake Bomb 2$ during happy hour = awesome.
(4)
Sarah T.
Seriously amazing! Poki Roll was my favorite! The service was wonderful, would recommend to anyone.
(5)
Gary S.
Just stopped by because my two favorites were closed on Monday's. This place is a great bang for the buck. The service was fair at best, atmosphere OK, but the quality of the sushi was excellent. You'll save $$ and enjoy the food.
(4)
Jesse I.
Ogawashi = its Japanese for "the dopest sushi spot in DownTown SD". period. Here's the alchemy of sushi experiential success: 1) Get me the freshest fish. I want to believe that I am swimming just outside the surf and happened upon a freshly carved sashimi when it hits my lips. 2) A highly trained, professional, friendly staff (doesnt hurt to have a hands-on owner who is there every time we go to ensure our experience is 5 star no matter what). 3) Make the aesthetics of the restaurant something that I am proud to go and bring friends to (which is easy because its one of the most unique designs in town) 4) ... and please don't gouge me with the prices. Make it fair; we know what fair is. = do this and you got me. The other spots in DownTown are either too focused on "the party" and the product suffers. Or, they are too stuffy and there's no entertaining value. Ogawashi gets my only 5 star vote for down town sushi because they accomplish all this, and they do it with style and panache that makes it fun to come back. *They are good for groups, too. We hosted a birthday party there for 20+ and they made it work with ease.
(5)
Christina D.
I used to love this place because it was decent food for a fair price but they have recently raised their prices up to 3 bucks a roll, literally overnight! What! They are decent but not that great! If you are willing to venture a bit further from downtown, you'll find better sushi spots at better prices.
(3)
Ronza Y.
Nice interior design and large selection on menu but 1. Bad location 2. Bad food 3. Expensive for quality or lack thereof
(2)
Rebecca C.
I love there sushi it pretty good . It keep getting additing to it iv been there twice and ate sushi they good it keeps me wanting more
(5)
Oleg S.
Food is delicious at affordable price. Staff is friendly. I like design Recommend this place
(5)
Jorgess M.
I have yet to find a place that can beat the way I feel about Mikuni (unless I go to Japan and look for Jiro's Sushi), but this place was pretty good, not 5 stars just yet but I liked it. I ordered their Tuna Garlic Roll, Garnet Roll, and of course what I always order at any sushi restaurant, a Rainbow Roll. As usual, I enjoyed the rainbow roll; the tuna garlic roll was just okay --- it was ridiculously too garlicky for me; and the garnet roll was okay also --- to be honest, it didn't really stick out to me. For okay-tasting sushi rolls, the place is pretty pricey, but what I liked is the size of their rolls --- it was frikken huge (thick). The restaurant and the ambiance was great and service was good. I'd come back if I was in the area again and because I love sushi!
(3)
Joshua S.
We eat a lot of sushi and we were excited to try this new spot and although the atmosphere was cool we were extremely unimpressed with the food and service. We sat at the sushi bar, so lets start with the menu, can you say boring? Nearly everything on it was a California roll with something added on top or a spicy tuna roll with something else added. We struggled to find three different types of rolls and the result was a terrible presentation, burnt rice and fish that was not very fresh. As far as the spiciness, on the menu they have the rolls ranked, 1 pepper for mild and 4 for spicy. Much to our disappointment, the 2 pepper roll was much, much spicier than the 4 pepper roll. In fact, the 4 pepper roll wasn't spicy at all. We were also extremely disappointed when we notice a tray behind the sushi bar with pre-made rolls. As far as the service, when the server approached us, the second one, she was very pleasant and explained the happy hour menu and answered our questions, that was the last time we talked to either of them. Not once did someone ask how our food was and I had to ask the sushi chef for a water refill, which he came from behind the sushi bar to fill on his own...really? Also, as we were walking out, the hostess didn't even look at us or thank us for coming in. In all, it wasn't a very good experience and needless to say, I wouldn't recommend this place or visit here again, there are too many great other options for sushi in San Diego.
(1)
Cassandra L.
New favorite everyday sushi joint. Good bye, sushi deli! Prices are more expensive, but not by too much. And there is a reason. I ordered the salmon sashimi platter - $9 for 8 SLABS of FRESH FAT SALMON. Win. And it's not tonight, the happy hour is every day 3pm-closing time. Their fish is fresh as Faulkner, and the rolls are huge. The waiter warned about their monstrosity and he delivered. I could barely finish my Alaska roll. But I kept eating because it was delicious. The music was jumping, and they have multiple flat screens for sports. This is a trusty stand by. It has it all.
(4)
Mayzie T.
Awesome doors, but that's all. Came here with some friends after watching the Nutcracker Ballet. We couldn't think of anywhere to eat, but hey, sushi is always a good idea! I got some seaweed salad and a roll (I forget the name but it was on their happy hour menu and had a soy wrap on it and I think tuna). The service was friendly, but kind of slow, even though it was only our table and two people at the bar. The seaweed salad was nothing out of the ordinary, pretty alright, somewhat weepy in a way idk why, but the taste wasn't bad. It did feel like it wasn't fresh though. The sushi roll also was very bland. There really was no good flavor. It tasted very ordinary. Like it was "sushi flavor" or something. The tuna was very mushy in consistency and just didn't taste fresh. I just felt like there was no good craftsmanship in my order! Everything was really just kind of blahhh. And really, I absolutely love sushi so it was kind of disappointing not to see any good oomph in the art! My cousin even said that some of the California roll was on the sour side. Worst of all, the food here gave me some major bubble guts! Like yeah, it may be gross to say, but it's the truth! So please Ogawashi, use fresh food for paying customers! It's only customary! Don't know if i'll be coming back, because I'm a loyal customer to other sushi joints, but do it for your future guests!
(2)
Anine Y.
I am more a sashimi type person but my friends are more rolls type people, so we ordered a wide variety of items as a result. The thing that stuck out to me the most about this place was the size of the sushi rolls. The rolls here are huge, I have never seen such big rolls (in diameter) before, they were at least two to three times the size of regular sushi rolls. The sashimi here is pretty good in quality for the price and they had interesting roll flavors and combinations. We came during the happy hour special period, so the food prices were very reasonable for the quantity and quality.We all had drinks and were stuffed to the gills for about $25 per person. Definitely one of the better places to dine near the Gaslamp/Downtown area.
(4)
Grace C.
HH here is pretty awesome. I say get the handrolls~ by far best $3 you will spend. Regular rolls were mediocre, and I don't like rolls and I typically like to stick to onigiri or sashimi. It's a plus they also have beer on tap and not just traditional sapporo or kirin like most japanese restaurants. Pretty cool place with good service.
(4)
Ramiro M.
Great food. I was the only one there when they opened so my food came out quick. I had a problem when paying though. After telling me my card was declined, I called my bank and they said the transaction went through. I verified this via the chase app. I guess their machine was on the fritz but it was a major hassle/waste of time. The hostess was understanding and we left it at that, plus I left a hefty cash tip because she felt bad for what happened. Once again, great food!
(3)
Jena V.
I've had a few rolls and their lunch special. Nothing stands out but nothing was bad either. Great spot in downtown.
(4)
Pong C.
The rolls are ok, nothing to write home about but the location, service and the happy hour pricing makes this a great place if you want to hang out/chat with your friends and have something to eat. Some rolls I tried were a bit heavy/greasy though. If you are a sushi purist, then don't expect to be satisfied here The staff was great!
(4)
Anand A.
One of the BEST Happy Hours in town - hands down! Love the interior design and the vibe, definitely for the hip and trendy crowds. Their food is awesome! They have everything from creative rolls for the American palette to live Uni and Toro for the traditionalists. I mean, you have Kazumi san working there as a sushi chef who is a godfather figure for many sushi lover San Diegans. I've been there many times and the service was top notch every time. It's one of my favorite spots to hang out. $3 Sculpins, bomb food, and great service. What else can I ask for?
(5)
Jenni H.
Service was great!!! The food came out fast (the bartender did say the kitchen was slow when they first opened-they've clearly corrected that) on to the sushi: fresh fish, nice portions, good prices-what's not to like?! Oh, in case you aren't already convinced, bomb ass happy hour special on local brews (ballast sculpin, racer 5, etc.) buy one get one for a penny 3-8 M-F
(4)
Natalie K.
The sushi was not what I expected after seeing that this place got an average of 4-stars on yelp. The sushi in VA is way better than this and I expect a lot from CA sushi since the food in CA is usually better. After speaking to the manager it seems that one of their sushi chefs wasn't in so that may be a legitimate excuse, but to be honest it must be the best chef ever if he was gonna make up for what we had. If you're not used to eating sushi this would be okay. There was one thing that was tasty and that was the crispy rice roll...it just wasn't enough to carry the mango tango, protein roll, etc.
(1)
Helen P.
The food is super fresh and the location is great! Everything we ordered, from the albacore sashimi to the garlic tuna roll, they would all just melt in our mouth. The service was good but we had to ask a couple Of times for extra napkins and ginger. Overall it was a very good experience.
(4)
Heather W.
My husband I and I are in here at least once a week. The service is very friendly and the happy hour is good. Hailing from Miami I had yet to find a decent mojito in the almost five years I've lived in San Diego. Well, leave it to Ogawashi to make one that's actually pretty good! Good roll selection. Edamame is spot on. Timing of baked rolls getting onto the table could use some improvement (regular rolls come out in five minutes; you're finished and sometimes twenty to twenty-five minutes later you finally get the baked rolls - we just usually skip baked altogether now). All in all a thumbs up. Hopefully a restaurant has finally opened on the corner of 5th and C that is here to stay!
(4)
Darci D.
Love it. Happy hour is extra long and the sushi was really good! Also, who could say no to $3 fireball shots on a Saturday night? We got a lot of really good rolls for a really good price and the girl helping us was super nice. Overall, quality was good, atmosphere was nice, and the prices were definitely reasonable for downtown.
The only nice thing I can say is the hostess was pleasant and accomodating. The Sushi is the same high quality sushi you can find in a place like podunk, Iowa or nowhere, Wyoming. Definitely not impressed. The manager on duty was rude and walked around looking like she just bit into a turd. I dont live close so I wont have to worry about going back here. if you are considering Ogawashi go to Ra instead.
(2)
Jorgeanne C.
So happy that there is another sushi place close to work! My other options were Ai Sushi which is good dont get me wrong but is always ALWAYS packed with the whole restaurant with foregin students. Then there's RA Sushi but that's a trek from my office. So im happy Ogawashi is here and hopefully stays for a long time. The location in itself has seen lots of turnover but my recent visit ensures me that this place will be around. Must come for lunch as their prices and menu options (bento boxes and sashimi) are great. For dinner they hike it up and turn more into a club scene. Definitely a great place to come for groups and chow down on sushi, bento boxes, etc.
(4)
Keith M.
Service was excellent. Food was horrible!!! Absolutely horrible. The fish is not fresh at all and the produce they used for the salad was old vegetables and tomatoes. Very soggy and NOT crisp.
(2)
Johanna H.
Awesome, delicious happy hour menu, great prices and the amount of food, it's perfect!!
(5)
Brandon A.
Loved it. I can't remember the name of the roll I ordered, but it was a big roll and delicious. I also ordered the Terriyaki chicken bento entre' and I didn't realize that it was a huge serving; I couldn't even finish it, but like the roll, it was absolutely amazingly fantastically de-li-cious!! The hostess/waitress Amanda, very nice, remembered my name the second time around, very beautiful too, took great care of me and my friend. I had to ask for her number, but unfortunately for me she was already taken, but ya know, that's not going to stop me from going back there to enjoy the food haha. Overall a nice place out of the hustle and bustle of downtown, but still not too far from where I live and the busy parts of the Gaslamp Quarter. Great food, excellent customer service, huge rolls and entre's, not too bright and not too dark, so yeah I am a fan.
(5)
Elizabeth C.
Fantastic sushi! I love coming here, especially for their happy hour, great deals. The sashimi is always so fresh and tasty. A couple of my favorites would be the ceviche and the poke salad!
(5)
Ashley G.
We were staying at a hostel downtown and wanted to snatch up some sushi that was nearby. For some reason, a lot of the sushi places along Gaslamp closed early, or didnt open at all, on Sundays so when we stumbled across an open one ~ ogawashi ~ we piled in. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the food ~ it was fresh and the spicy rolls were definitely spicy. I give it three stars because the service was not good. Period. The waitress was nice enough but she just wasnt interested in her surroundings and didnt pay much attention to anything at all and she was just slow. Slow to take an order. Slow to fill water. Slow to answer questions. Maybe she was new or just having a rough day. Either way, service was still awful and that's a shame.
(3)
Nayita B.
Just tried it. I work around the corner. Very good and great pricing for lunches.
(5)
Kevin L.
Good for lunch at work or as a starting spot for happy hour. The fish and rolls at Ogawashi are ok. But I would recommend the bento boxes and happy hour specials. 3 dollars for a sculpin draft is really good.
(3)
W C.
Came here yesterday w/ the wife on date night...we're locals in downtown, live in East Village. It's difficult to find quality food at fair prices down here, I guess 'cause we're such a touristy/destination location. These guys, however, do a great job. They have gracious happy hours & very good quality food. Yesterday the beer was fresh & cold & so was our spicy Tuna roll. We ordered an entree which had varied and enormous amount of sides. Our 2 waitresses were super helpful, friendly & had lots of smiles; always makes the experience of dining more pleasant. So all in all, highly recommend the joint.
(5)
Valentina M.
I had walked past this place on a number or occasions and had wanted to try it since it was new and I love checking out new sushi places. I came here with my fiance and another couple for dinner and we were seated immediately. Even though it was a Saturday, this place was pretty empty which is a shame because it has the same exact menu as its sister restaurant PB Sushi in Pacific Beach. There is a great selection of sashimi, crunchy/mayoish rolls and baked rolls. Being fans of PB Sushi we were presently surprised. In fact, the quality of the sushi was comparable but I felt that this place had better service and a better selection of cocktails/wine. In addition, this place has great happy hour specials around dinner time which its sister restaurant does not. Will definitely be back!
(4)
Julie Q.
service was great, loved the sushi salad. loved the happy hour and sports channel. parking is a pain in DT though...so be careful
(4)
Ahmed E.
Food poisoning, again never trust the server when they recommended any item especially during happy hour. A week a go in went with my girl friend. It was happy hour and the server " recommended" protein role. I had an aggressive episode of food poisoning that I am still recovering from till now. Never trust that place, and would never recommend even trying it.
(1)
Ritz D.
Came here for happy hour with some friends. Variety of different rolls, drinks, salads and other tapas sized dishes on their HH menu ranging from $5-10+. A lot of the rolls I wanted to try were not included in HH so I might have to go back. I would recommend the Vegas roll and the sashimi bowl, both off the HH menu. A nice and different ambiance from a more traditional Japanese restaurant but I wouldn't expect anything less from a downtown location.
(3)
Dyane P.
The bf and I love this place. As a Japanese girl, I can readily admit that they don't have the best sushi around. Yet, this place is always chill, has cheap drinks, and seems to always be on happy hour. For cheap, good food and cheap drinks, we love this place. They have a pretty good mix of rotating beers (Sculpin, Ballast Point) and strong well drinks. I think that it would do much better if wasn't on C Street, but the boyfriend and I come here time and again when we want something where we can have fun together without a noisy, busy crowd around us. The service is always on point (we always sit at the bar) and we always have a good time. We definitely will return.
(4)
Ashley S.
Come here for their happy hour! HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS: $2 Sake Bomb (house sake) $3 Well Spirits All Draft Beers Fireball $5 Patron, Grey Goose, or Crown (single shot) $7 Handcrafted Cocktails HAPPY HOUR FOOD SPECIALS: $3 Gyoza Edamame Agedashi Tofu Hand Roll (excluding soft shell crab) $5 Nigiri Sampler (3 pieces / one per person) Mixed or Vegetable Tempura Heart Attack (spicy bomb) Seaweed Salad Seafood Spring Roll $7 Happy Ceviche Happy Oga Roll 20% off Sushi Roll Menu 3pm-7pm We came in for their happy hour which starts at 3PM until closing and lemme just say, it's totally worth it!! Sushi is one of my favorite foods. So I've tried A LOT of it and I know whats fishy/un-fresh. Hmm, cheap sushi.. so that raises an eyebrow.. You'd expect it to be un-fresh! I got 3 hand rolls and a sushi roll. I got two spicy tuna hand rolls, and a salmon roll. The sushi roll was OK, it had more rice than expected, but the fish was definitely fresh. I picked all the rice out of my hand rolls and just ate the fish and seaweed, and it was amazing. $2 Sake bombs, $3 drafts, along with $3 fresh fish hand-rolls and mini-appetizers, you can't go wrong! They also have specials that are less than $10 so you can really leave there getting a fill and your money's worth. I'm from Vegas and I've never been anywhere that had $2 sake bombs! The service was awesome. I can't remember the girls name, but she was super nice and patient- even offered to take photos of our group that night. One of our friends didn't get a hand roll he ordered, and she quickly made sure he got it as soon as she realized he did not get it. Glad we stumbled upon this place in Gaslamp. I didn't break the bank, and it satisfied my sushi craving. I only wish they had more sushi rolls on their happy hour. This place is the next best thing, to AYCE sushi.
(4)
Leonard S.
By far my favorite sushi place in the city. Their happy hour prices are great and the sushi is always bountiful and fresh. My favorites are the protien roll, the happy oga roll, and the yellowtail collar (Hama Kama).
(5)
Andrew S.
I've gone here three times, and the experience gets a little bit more sloppy each time. I think the problem is in the wait staff, rather than the food itself (which is solid, but not too memorable). Between very slow service and having to get my drink from the bar myself, I'm feeling like the waitresses are always in a panic. To be fair.... I've been a waiter, and I was fired after 6 months for the same thing.. even when you're completely swamped, you have to take a few moments and collect yourself before calmly approaching your table.. otherwise you look completely chaotic and disorganized. The sushi won't kill this place, it's going to be the service.. and YES get rid of the PB and Garnet roll.. we're downtown!
(3)
Amber E.
Came back almost a year later, and Ogawashi still has really good lunch specials - good quality, great value. You can still get a bento box for $10-13 ($10 chicken teriyaki, $12 salmon teriyaki, and $13 beef teriyaki), and now they have a cut roll special for $10 that includes your choice of about 6 specialty rolls, very tasty miso soup, little trio of cucumber salad, seaweed salad and edamame. I'm still a fan!
(5)
Roland A.
Really good sushi. But pricey for an everyday lunch.
(4)
Meredith F.
This restaurant has an interesting vibe - loudish current pop music, lights, and sushi. We were seated right away with our backs to an open window that the san diego tram thing passed by. We were seated and I immediately saw a small thing on the table listing happy hour specials 'every day from 3 pm til close.' At first I said "Wow, awesome!" then thought "hm, it needs to be discounted every single day? Does it suck?" Hoping it didn't suck, we ordered some things from the $3 column (gyoza and salted edamame - both yum!), a spicy tuna roll (which was one long rolled up tuna seaweed thing, not a hand roll like I pictured) and 2 normal size rolls each for $9. The "oh no" roll was very tasty - california roll with tuna on top and scallions. The fried....something roll (yummy?) which was a $7 deal was okay, but the fried-ness of it took away from any of its flavor. Everything fried essentially just tastes like fried oil. But all in all, we had a bunch of food, were plenty full, and only spent $35 including a beer ($3) and a mixed drink ($3). Not bad for a night out! I only gave 4 stars on my review because the waitstaff was all over the place. We got seated by once person, handed menus by another, at least two others tried taking our drink or food orders, got served by one of the waitresses, asked for our bill from two different waitresses. Not great communication, but we did get all our food and drinks without much stress!
(4)
Ashley G.
Love the look of this restaurant. It is never really busy so I have never had to wait. It's really close to my house so we often visit here to pregame before we head out. The happy hour here is amazing! After 7pm they have $3 beers and $2 shots. The food is ok. I had the lobster roll. It was ok. Nothing too special. They do have good deals on small bites too
(4)
Michael G.
A co-worker had recommended Ogawashi to me for lunch, so I took the plunge and ordered Bento for lunch. The portions were HUGE, therefore I had leftovers for dinner...always a bonus. The tempura was not greasy, but rather light and crispy. Everything else was spot on and quite delicious. One thing needs particular mention, the service from when I walked in the door to the individual who handed me the order was some of the best around. Other places of business should take notice.
(4)
Malcolm J.
Went for HH 3/8/13 and several other times Service is good, I usually sit at the sushi bar and the chefs are friendly (not overly friendly) but cool. The older guy on the end seems like he might have an attitude but really warms up to you after a while. I like that. The waitresses are all very cool and friendly The food is much better than you would expect. something about going north of Broadway on 5th street immediately lowers your expectations, but the quality and presentation are just as good as places further south or at the beach. Good service+good quality fish+ good prices+low-key atmosphere= really good HH spot.
(4)
Edward C.
A terrific lunch spot. The lunch specials are a great deal- reasonably priced and lots of food.
(5)
Annie C.
I have been to Ogawashi three times. And every time I went, I had a great experience! The interior is sophisticated, the food is good, there is a bar, and they have some of the nicest servers! Angie (who I think is the manager there) has the sweetest and friendliest personality! She has made the service excellent, which made me go back there in the first place. It doesn't hurt that she is hot too :) good to have an eye candy while you're eating. When you're craving sushi at downtown check the place out! I totally recommend it.
(5)
Ben H.
Awesome place! Rolls are huge, you really only need one per person l promise! Awesome drink specials, good music (though a bit loud) and classy service! Not a romantic spot but definitely a fun and solid place to start a night out!
(5)
Steven F.
Either this place is new or the location just wasn't great, also I passed by two other sushi places before reaching ogawashi.. The interior is pretty nice, restaurant looks small, they have an upstairs for what I assume big/private parties. The sushi bar is directly in the back, good large selection on sashimi and sushi rolls, i ordered the spicy yellow tail roll, it was pretty good. Prices on pitchers are the same for their draft beer even though a pint of their draft varies...waitress said pitcher could fill probably 5 glasses, barely filled 3 glasses and 3/4 in the 4th glass.
(3)
Heather M.
This place was pretty irritating especially because the decor is beautiful and the location is amazing. My group of three walked in 45 minutes before closing (I had called ahead to make sure this would be fine- they said of course). We were promptly seated and the doors were closed and locked behind us. A little weird but ok... We sat and the waitress asked us our drink orders.. pretty standard...As we skimmed the menu we threw around what looked good to us and as the waitress brought us waters (not our actual drink orders- 2 teas/1 soda) she asked "Did I hear you say you wanted hand rolls, I can put the order in now?" Uhhh no, we're not ready yet but thanks? Strange.. so a few minutes later she asks if we're ready yet.. we place an order for appetizer. Before the appetizer is out she's asking again for our orders, this time we're ready. A bit later the appetizers come out, but still no drinks. We flag her down and ask about drinks and she rushes out saying since the bar was closed the paper didn't print out to remind her. Uhhh ok. So here come the teas and soda and she asks if we want sugar/honey.. Honey would be great! Here come a few of the rolls.. then I see the waitress wiping down tables, etc. We flag her down asking about the honey. She forgot. She comes back saying they ran out, but here's the check NO RUSH. Wait- we're still missing rolls!?! She scampers off with a look of bewilderment. She comes back saying she somehow didn't write them down and now the kitchen was closed. Wow. I'm glad I was able to fill up on appetizers because I was SOL. At this point I'm so irritated by this server I want to just go, but she keeps apologizing for mistaking a sugar box for honey. What?! You forgot my drinks, my food, and now you're annoying me. Believe me, I've made mistakes with the best of them.. but sheesh. I hate to say this place is just meh because from the rolls i mooched off of it is really good food, but the service is so terrible that I would not come back. In terms of sushi restaurants, there are other fish in the sea, and I do not have to settle my standards.
(2)
Lesley D.
Stumbled upon this little gem after getting off at the Fifth Street trolley station. We live in L.A. and were in SD visiting friends and planned on just grabbing a beer and then heading into Gaslamp. The bartender, who was really friendly, informed us they have Happy Hour everyday after 3p.m. - Happy Hour included ALL draft beers for $3, including Stone IPA, Kirin, and a few other great craft beers. All Grey Goose drinks were $5 and were a very substantial pour. We ordered some of the appetizers including the Gyoza and baked mussels off of the HH menu and they were delicious and cheap!!! We also ordered a couple of rolls which were also HH pricing - they were delicious! We stayed for much longer than we anticipated because everyone was friendly, drinks and food were yummy and cheap, and the place was just had a great vibe. We eventually left and went bar hopping in Gaslamp but came back to Ogawashi as our last stop. The owner/manager remembered us and gave us a very warm welcome back as did the same bartender. Our little group loved this place and it's definitely on our must visit list each time we're back in SD!!!!
(5)
Kimmy B.
I'm giving it two stars because of the appearance of it. The service was beyond AWFUL. The guy seemed like he was the only server on a Wednesday! You have two hostess and probably the man who was the manager/owner. He sat down to chat with one of the hostess. Awesome. All while my experience was awful! The server brought out the wrong items. I ordered a house salad which comes with cucumbers and onions and the dressing. Ask me what it came with. Lettuce. a small bowl of lettuce. I kid you not. It was bad enough the house salad was bare, it came out looking as if it was from a bag they sell at Vons! We ordered the Spicy tuna hand roll... the server brough us tuna cut rolls. There was a roll wrapped in soy paper and had sesame oil and all the protein as any protein rolls would.. awful. The blandest thing ever. It was all around just boring food. It looked good on paper but when it came out for you to eat, don't expect much excitment. Ps. when the orange slices came out, we didn't even get to finish it before the server decided for us that we were done eating!! Ridiculous. I still think RA will do better. This is just a little competition as they want the nightlife to branch out near the trolley tracks and the homeless..
(2)
Jackson I.
Ive been here for lunch twice now because of the proximity to my work. On the first visit i was pleasantly surprised. I ordered the Kalbi bento box for $10. Although it was more expensive than the RA Bento box that I usually get, the food was pretty good and included a generous portion of mixed Tempura. The service was OK. On the second visit, they were much less busy and the lunch menu had already been changed. Kalbi box...gone. Prices... up. I got the salmon bento box for $12 and this time it was far worse than RA. Miso - not as good, Rice tasted funny, Salad- no dressing, Cali roll - loose, fell apart. The true loser was my friend who ordered the grilled chicken salad and got some precooked chicken on a bed of mixed greens and some oily dressing on the side. . Not other veggies at all. I was shocked. Overall if they want a strong lunch crowd - I think they need to consider revising the pricing to compete with other Japanese that is 1 block away, expand their selection and fix their salads. I hope the owner reads this because I want to like this place.
(2)
Darling E.
Service sucks, rolls/sushi is ok, but all OVERPRICED. $48 for 2 rolls and 2 glasses of house wine...???? Ur better off at SUSHI DELI.... food is better, & we always pay $20 for 2 rolls & 2 glasses of wine. Ogawashi is about 228% the cost of a similar meal elsewhere. Rip off
(2)
Kelsey S.
Great happy hour specials on drinks and appetizers. The food is pretty good and the drinks are cheap. The service is pretty mediocre, not terrible but not great. Great for late night happy hour.
(3)
Ann H.
My family has been to Ogawashi three times. Once was soon after they opened, and then twice more recently- once to dine-in and once as take out. The first time we went, it was ok. The sushi was fine, service was good. More recently, the sushi was very good as was the service. This is the type of sushi place with complicated rolls, most involve krab, and there are a lot of rolls that feature cooked ingredients. I really like the calamari roll, PB roll, Alaska roll, and Baja roll. If you want a loud, trendy Californian style sushi restaurant, rather than a traditional Japanese style sushi bar, Ogawashi is what you're looking for. That's what they do, and they do it well.
(4)
Miriam C.
Been here since it opened and place used to be great until business started picking up... They regularly put out coupons and they regularly make up rules that are not written on the coupon and therefore do not apply. An example is the server Jay said one had to order two nonalcoholic beverages for a coupon to count. No manager was conveniently available for comment so be aware of tricks when eating at this location.
(3)
Maneh B.
We're new in town from LA and found this place on yelp, tried it last night. Pretty dissapointed and probably wont come back. Service was great, friendly, nice employees. BUT the food was just not good. The pieces of the sushi rolls were HUGE, not fun trying to stuff a giant piece in your mouth, then have to cover your mouth because you know you look like an idiot chomping away like a cow LOL. We also left about 6 different pieces of rolls behind, which is basically a whole roll. The waitress knew it too, when she came to clear the plates "too big huh?" she asks. UHH YES, yes they were. I should've known better when I saw all the TVs and what the waitresses were wearing. Basically booty shorts. I eat out often and those 2 things just tell me the establishment is more concerned with being hip/trendy/distracting rather than focusing on the quality of the food thats served. I just don't know how to describe the Its just one of those sushi places that you know uses cheap fish, and if you know a little better, you can taste that its just bland, nothing special sushi. I'm not a sushi connoisseur but I could just tell it wasn't the quality that I want. So we're still on the hunt for a decent casual sushi spot and I thought based on the ratings this would be ok, but I guess I just need a bit better quality.
(2)
Tony D.
Awesome place, with really good food. I had a bento box and it was awesome. I was there during the soft open and it didn't fail to please. Quality and not to over priced. If you haven't been there, you lucked out.
(4)
mercy f.
I find this place thru Yelp... Food was great!!! Service was great ... Really good sushi!
(5)
Justin H.
Best sushi in San Diego. Sit at the sushi bar though...and look for the older sushi chef, he's quite the expert!
(5)
Big T.
This was great! A real value at Happy Hour. Very good sushi - exactly as advertised! And very nice setting inside. Location just north of Broadway a little rough with the beggars and homeless, which might explain why there is a high male-to-female patron ratio. I look forward to venturing back here.
(4)
Nicole K.
Great service and food. Happy hour is awesome and the protein wrap is worth fighting over. (Yes it's on happy hour )
(5)
Kari M.
If there was a no star option, I would chose that. Sushi was terrible. I had a feeling it was going to be bad when I walked in and should have listened to my gut. We tired two rolls and both were terrible.
(1)
Julz M.
I'm always a little worried to try a sushi spot I've never heard about but I was pleasantly surprised with everything! Our server was very sweet. The rolls were yummy! Not filled with fluff or skimpy on the good stuff!.. The chef even threw in an appetizer for Free! My boyfriend wasn't only excited to see vegetarian rolls/options but, to pay $35 for beer, sakes, and rolls!! We definitely found our new sushi spot downtown!
(4)
Brian A.
Never have had sushi before and the waiter was so helpful with me not knowing anything about it. Very large rolls. The place is very easy to find and it has a huge fan on the ceiling! Great place.would definitely recommend it to others.
(4)
Amy S.
Such a good variety of food and service. They surprised me with a birthday treat too. Awesome vibes.
(5)
Mz. J.
The happy hour prices don't make up for the greasy, under-seasoned food. My husband and I both had the yakisoba which we found disappointingly short on noodles and flavor. My seafood yakisoba had 2 shrimp. It may be that their sushi is delicious. I certainly hope so. Otherwise, the main reason to come here seems to be cheap drinks--and I can drink for "free" at home.
(2)
Nathan B.
Came in the other night with a buddy of mine and had MJ as our server and host. She did a great job making us feel welcome and was able to explain the menu very well even with all of my crazy questions. The food was good especially the veggie tempura. I would recommend this palce if you are in the area and want some good service and some tasty food.
(5)
Carrie B.
Finally nice to have a sushi restaurant nearby my office! However, they just opened so I think they still have a few 'kinks' to work out. The $10 bento box lunch special gets you a lot: miso soup, salad, rice, tempura mix, Cali roll, and your choice of a main (I chose the Sashimi). However, there were a few disappointments. Main thing: the miso soup wasn't hot. Just lukewarm. Not just my bowl, but the rest of my group's as well (7 total). I didn't bother finishing mine and gave the rest to my co-worker who wasn't happy with his lukewarm soup either. The rest of the food arrived a few minutes later in bento boxes. It was alright, but I wouldn't get it again despite the deal. Once the official grand opening happens, I will return to try out their happy hour and try some of their sushi rolls. Although I did like the TVs with each one showing a different game, the music seemed a little too loud and it's annoying to have to shout at your co-workers at lunchtime (any other time is fine).
(3)
Kate K.
I come to ogawashi twice a week and I have to say the food is really good. I never have any complaints! Service is always on point and the wait staff are very attentive. Especially the manager angee. They have good happy hour 3-closing every day!
(5)
Deb H.
Not a great experience. First, no acknowledgement from the guy at the check-in desk while a waitress passing by did realize I'd been waiting and said someone would be right with me. Finally seated and asked for iced green tea. Waiter said it was brewing and brought water with about 4 ice cubes. It was too warm inside considering the temp outside and other guests were fanning themselves. Sushi roll (cut) I ordered fell apart when I tried to pick it up, and it was too big for a normal bite. Had to bite off a chunk, which caused it to fall apart more. Waiter comes by again to say green tea isn't ready and offered regular tea. It was bad, at least to me because I like brewed tea, not canned. Took a long time to get my card back once I paid. Not going back.
(1)
Ribbs C.
Last minute Birthday dinner with friends. They were able to accommodate us since we were a big group. Sushi was good. Happy hour was good also. Service was good. I would definitely come back.
(4)
Brandy S.
Great experience here today. Good sushi and they have great lunch specials so it wasn't too expensive...the restaurant is very clean, as well as the restrooms. Will definitely come back!
(4)
Breea B.
Beautiful presentation! Delicious fish. Very cool decor and good beats playing in the background. I like.
(3)
Temuka B.
I stopped by Ogawashi to have some sushi with my friends one night and we had a blast. I was surprised that they had happy hour on drinks and food so later on the day but they have happy hour until they close. Officially the best happy hour ever!!! And the service was very good with friendly and welcoming staff. This has become one of my favorite places to go in downtown.
(5)
Aimee M.
This place has a great happy hour deal! Went here a couple of weekends ago. The food was pretty good and the service was awesome. Three waitresses running the floor and they were all over the place helping us out. We ordered some rolls and sake bombs, a lot of food. But when the bill came it was so much less than expected, which is always a plus. Would be a fun place to hang out with a group of friends!
(4)
Clara L.
Tried some sushi today in SD downtown and loved the place! New Sushi Restaurant in San Diego with high quality food and reasonable price!! Very delicious and fancy sushi & Sweet and tasty cocktail! Cool and modern new interior with tree shape column and open window to the patio! Most of all, the best customer service in SD Downtown!
(5)
Jason C.
The food here is really good, there is no doubt about it. The prices are a little bit expensive compared to other sushi spots in Downtown SD. And through no fault of their own, the parking sucks. There is no street parking, you have to park at least 3-4 blocks away.
(4)
Genevieve C.
My boyfriend and I randomly stopped in here because we saw they had a happy hour. It is everyday from 3-close. How awesome is that? It wasn't very crowded and we were seated immediately. The hostess who was our waitress, as well, was so nice and friendly. The food was delicious and happy hour prices were awesome! $2 sake bombs are pretty great. We got the ceviche which was delicious and visually appealing. Top that off with a couple of $3 hand rolls and we left there happy campers.
(4)
Chris N.
BEST HAPPY HOUR PRICES: Ogawashi is the best Happy Hour in downtown San Diego. $3 pints of micobrew, you can't beat that. Just a block down the street the same beer is going for $7. After a couple of brews one can enjoy some fat delicious sushi. The staff are helpful and professional. It is right on the trolley so there is good people-watching. Make this place a regular stop. I'll see you there!
(5)
Les V.
Came during Happy Hour and enjoyed some of their specials. The fish was fresh and well cut and tasty. Only bummer was the "tempura" calamari. It was not the customary light tempura batter. It was instead the dark crispy TONKATSU style coating. So my advice is don't order the tempura calamari.
(4)
Nina L.
Came here for happy hour with some girlfriends. The happy hour deals were awesome...we all had $3 glasses of Chardonnay and it didn't give us a headache the next day. The food was just okay. We started off with the edamame, which was a little salty but decent. I ordered the protein wrap sushi and boy was it fishy! It was not terrible, but the roll had a good amount of liquid that came out every time I squeezed it with my chopstick to pick it up. I decided to order the gyoza afterwards and it was super oily. Overall, I would not come back for the food. Maybe just a quick stop in for some drinks, but that's about it.
(3)
Greg K.
I'm a regular and go there all the time. The best sushi happy hour in downtown. Reasonable prices and the quality of the fish easily beats Ra Sushi and others in the area. Get the sushi chef's choice on 6 piece sashimi - the best!!!!
(5)
Veronica P.
Pretty disappointed!! It was a pretty modern / contemporary looking restaurant - easy access in downtown; however, what turns me off was their utensils specially the glasses taste fishy - which made my drink taste horrible and made my taste bud unpleasant through out my dinner. and i think the food is okay. need more improvement - sorry.
(2)
Min L.
My husband and I just randomly decided to check this place out since we were in downtown and got hungry. I am so glad we went here!!! Fish was very fresh first of all, which I think is the top priority when it comes to go eat sushi. We ordered Salmon salad, which was served as a generously portioned crunch lettuce bed completed covered with nice thick salmon sashimi slices and some avocado slices. I don't know what the dressing was --probably ginger? -- but it was really delicious. There was $3 special menu so each of us got a nigiri sampler -- very fresh tuna, yellow tail and salmon nigiri for just $3, which I thought was a really good deal. Other dishes were all very reasonably priced, actually pretty inexpensive for downtown. And they offer 20% off happy hour till 7pm everyday. Their bar had all kinds of fancy European and Japanese draft beer. I forgot the name of it but this beer we ordered was sparkling honey-flavored super refreshing beer. I loved it!!! Definitely will go back.
(5)
Alina B.
Well yesterday (Saturday) I was planning to go to a sushi bar in downtown with a few friends. Of course the first thing I did was going on yelp, read the reviews of my fellow yelpers. Ogawashi seemed very intriguing. I called the restaurant right after they opened up at 12:15pm to make a reservation, nobody picked up, instead a VM greeted me and promised to get back to me as soon as they can. I assumed they must be very busy that's why they could not pick up the phone. Well at 2:30pm still no call back from this restaurant. After calling them again, waiting till 6pm and still no answer I gave up. I was super frustrated because I really wanted to check out this place but was disappointed of their "no" service policy. And to all of you who think, well maybe they were closed or had some private party going, I really don't care. If that's the case at least what you can do is put a quick message on VM to let people know that they will not be taking reservations for that day. Just common sense! I guess it's up to them now to make it up to me now :) I apologize for this bad review b/c I do not like to leave bad reviews but I seriously was annoyed with this whole situation.
(1)
Caroline V.
I work across the street from this place - may not be the most happening street in Downtown San Diego but this hidden gem is worth the visit. Just a few steps away from the heart of Gaslamp Ogawashi serves one of the freshest sushi and craft drinks around. The lovely decor is aesthetically pleasing as you scarf down a filled to the brim bento box and sake bombs. Only downfall is that the prices are a bit pricey :(
(4)
Lauren H.
I hate giving bad reviews about restaurants, but I think everyone needs to be warned. I cannot believe this place has 4 stars on Yelp! My husband and I went here last weekend for my birthday dinner, hoping to enjoy some great sushi. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with loud club music.. which was strange for a restaurant. We ordered edamame, and it never came out. We ordered it again when we ordered our dinner, and it was a very dark brown color. It was cold, so I didn't eat much of it. I asked about the aloe martini, and she said there are globs of aloe in it... really?? Are you supposed to eat that stuff? I ordered a dirty martini instead. The sushi was HORRIBLE. LOTS of thick sauce, and tempura crumbs covering up fish that was less than fresh. I was SO sick the next morning... I won't go into the details, but it was bad! I would NEVER EVER recommend this place to anyone.
(1)
Liz Z.
Had a fabulous time at this place!! Went there for my birthday dinner and they were swamped but our server, Hannah still got to us in a timely fashion. She was very knowledgeable about which rolls tasted best and gave us some great recommendations. She recommended the tuna garlic and samurai rolls, and they were bomb!! They have an awesome happy hour too!! Will definitely be returning!
(5)
Jeffrey E.
New sushi restaurant 5th & C. Excellent sashimi (salmon, tuna, etc.) Great sushi bar and sit down bar for drinks, Definitely , high class restaurant at a reasonable price. Great ambience inside. Highly recommend!. p.s. Patio seating also. European feel!
(5)
M A.
I have to be honest here. My experience here was a terrible one. The restaurant is a little dark for lunch hour. It took probably 20 minutes or so for my food to finally arrive. The chicken katsu was still pink on the inside and not fully cooked and appeared to be all dark meat. The egg rolls were gross. Very soggy on the inside and didn't have a taste. The miso soup was so so gross! It wasn't soup, it was water! The staff is not friendly at all. I won't be back but I do wish this place the best.
(2)
Yi F.
The price is good due to happy hour promotion. But the rolls are far bigger than I've ever seen.
(3)
N N.
Came in for HH on a Saturday. HH is from 3-7pm with 20% off rolls $3 hand rolls and draft beers and a few other specials. We tried 3 different hand rolls: unagi, spicy yellow tail and tuna. All were of a good size, fresh and meaty. We also tried their rainbow roll and it was really fresh with lots of fish. Service was good also. 4 stars bc prices for rolls are slightly above what I'm used to paying and they keep the large entrance door open and it's freezing inside! I really want to give this place 3.5 stars but since that's not possible on yelp, I rounded up :)
(4)
Jessica B.
Ambiance was great! But both times we ordered a beer, they were out. Ordered blue fin sashimi, they were out. What they did have however, was great. Customer service, eegh, not the best.
(3)
Jim H.
A must for my sushi lovin friends.
(4)
MIchele W.
Outstanding!!! This place has it all!!!! The decor is gorgeous, the food is amazing, the staff could not be nicer and more helpful and last but not least the drinks are sooooooooooooo good!!!!! and it helps that everyone that works there is just pretty!
(5)
Bobby C.
I've stopped by here twice now on a weekday night with my wife. I have to say it has the potential to become my favorite restaurant in downtown. It's a very unique experience eating here on a summer night. They have huge windows that flip all the way open that makes they entire place very open and charming. I felt like I was dining out on the patio even though I was eating inside. The place had just opened and the waitress and waiters all seemed inexperienced. Our waiter forgot a few of our requests and seemed rather nervous. They said they were going to have their grand opening in a few weeks. Sushi was great. I really enjoyed the dinner with my wife there. I would like to go back soon.
(5)
Sasha A.
happy hour today (friday) from 3pm to closing! salmon was fresh and buttery but it came in 8 pieces with slices of avocado for only $9! sushi was poorly wrapped.. the rolls fell apart because there was too much inside. doesn't matter! it was still delicious. the venue is small, but they building a second level soon!
(5)
Joe W.
Lunch Friday. Very busy. Nice decor but noisy. Extremely poor service. Food average. The Bento box lunch $10 for chicken. Lots of items but nothing special. Everything just OK but not of high quality ingredients or preparation. $13 for Bento Box sashimi. Fish average. Everything average. Nothing where you felt they were making an extra effort to make it special. $10 Vegawashi Salad. Average size and quality. Dressing inferior. Tasted like soy sauce and sugar. So price average and food average. Why one star. Service terrible. They didn't deliver the salad when they delivered the Bento boxes. They didn't notice. Then never checked in with us. I got up and found waitress. They hadn't placed the order for the salad. Finally when salad came it had dressing on the salad instead of on the side as requested. Finally a good 10 minutes after the Bento boxes came did the salad finally come. They didn't apologize or offer a discount or free desert or anything. This is a serious flaw in service. First not putting in the order correctly. Then not checking in to see that the third person at the table had no food. Then after having to chase down the waitress they still didn't get it right.
(1)
Brissia J.
Ogawashi is a hit or miss, their protein roll is amazing, but everything else is not anything out of this world,. proportions are generous and prices are reasonable. Though Ive gotten a little sick last two times I went I will go back at some point
(3)
Saleka B.
THANK YOU OGAWASHI! I went here with an intimate group of seven at exactly 10pm, knowing the restaurant closed at 11, we were celebrating my brothers birthday and I knew the place had a nice vibe and the sushi (last time my boyfriend and I went there) was amazing! The staff and servers were more than happy to take us in and really showed us some awesome hospitality. We are young and were looking for just a good time and the server (small beautiful woman! Wish I remembered her name because she was awesome!) catered to our tables every need and want including a couple of pitcher's of beer and some yummy saki's for the whole table. We ordered a ton of sushi rolls, which were amazing and everyone loved it! The kitchen started to close at 11 but it was all good because we were stuffed and ordered one last round of drinks. At the end, the servers surprised us with a yummy green tea ice cream wrapped in like a fried cinnamon roll, with a candle on top just for my brother and everyone sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY. He was blown away and we all left with smiles and I just want to thank the people at Ogawashi Sushi in Downtown San Diego for an awesome night and a lovely dinner, my brother and friends will never forget!
(5)
Bradikulus H.
Yes I'm picky, ok for a visit but nothing to write home about.
(2)
Mari S.
This place is fantastic! Delicious sushi, and the happy hours prices were incredible - very cheap for huge rolls with fish of very high quality, and $2 sake bombs! They have a wonderful outdoor patio with heat lamps that will keep you cozy even on chilly nights. Our waitress was MJ and she was PHENOMENAL! Super fast service, very friendly, had great recommendations on which rolls to get, and was very accommodating even as we got a little rowdier into the night. Would definitely come back! If you get MJ as your server you're in for a treat!
(5)
Amy L.
Went in for an early happy hour on a nice, sunny San Diego day. Sushi was great, service was good and there were plenty of tv's to watch whatever game you want. I love that the dining area opens up and you can people watch, however, they need to do something about the flies that like to dive bomb your food.
(4)
Pilar E.
INSANE! This place is so awesome. Japanese owner and sushi chefs, totally LEGIT. The ambiance is ultra hip too.
(5)
Ed C.
Trendy restaurant and really cool looking inside, located between gaslamp and the business district, with good looking waitresses/hostesses, so it's got a sort of fancy-casual vibe. I ordered the ceviche, which I really liked, and the garlic tuna roll, which I thought was good. It's a little pricey, but the service was REALLY excellent...and they have a good selection of beers on tap. I work in the area, so I'll go back when I have another sushi (or ceviche) craving...
(4)
karla n.
This place was MEH.. My boyfriend and I were looking to try a new sushi place out (We usually go to RK sushi in Hillcrest, RA , or Sushiya in Eastlake) What attracted us were the lights and the place seemed nice... On a Saturday night this place was pretty empty, the music kept switching from top 40 to Nickelback and slow music... FOOD: We ordered 2 rolls, a crunchy lobster one $13 (MEHHHH) and a Tuna one (forgot the name) $13.5 I would understand if this was in a better location (ie. not right outside the trolley tracks) but EVERYTHING is overpriced! Don't even get me started on the drinks! UHG seriously they need to add more detailed descriptions to their drink menu! I ordered a Sake bomb ($5) I thought, wow what a good deal! The server comes out with a beer glass that was 1/4 full, and a mini shot of hot sake.... ARE YOU SERIOUS? ONE Sake bomb literally was $5! ? Our bill (we ordered one appetizer, 1 sprite, 2 rolls, 1 beer) and it was close to $50! Never coming here again, service was average. Nothing special.. Just looks pretty from the outside.
(1)
Brandi M.
LOVE LOVE LOVE! My husband, son and I ended up here on Christmas night and everyone was so friendly and helpful. Not to mention the food and its variety was sensational! They have a GREAT happy hour menu and a lot of variety. We inhaled everything and the service was spectacular! This is definitely our new sushi joint!
(5)
Jamie H.
Nice place, great decor....friendly servers, but need to be better informed about food and their beverages. Our waitress thought "well drinks" only included vodka. They haven't officially had their grand opening (Nov 10th), so they have time to work out all the kinks! Went in for happy hour with some girlfriends. Decent food but overpriced! All I saw was rice in my rolls. Yeah, sorry that's not going to fly when competition is so thick in Gaslamp. My vodka/soda, was all soda and ice.... Miso/edamame - decent Spic Tuna Tartar - Delicious OMG - Delicious Beef Tataki - Was not sliced properly or that was a bad cut of steak...and no flavor even with all the toppings you guys included Tempura - Good Monster Roll - Rice...was there anything else in there?
(2)
Nate G.
Cool atmosphere, good service, fresh sushi, and tasty specialty cocktails.
(4)
Joanna M.
There's nothing more irritating than parking downtown, and then walking several blocks, to find that an establishment closes 3 hours earlier than is advertised on their website and yelp. If you're going to close at 10pm on Sunday, that's fine, but don't advertise otherwise.
(2)
Mike O.
The Japanese sushi chef was excellent at his job and personable. The restaurant, incidentally, is Korean-owned, but Korean sushi restaurant are sometimes OK, and they apparently dominate in San Diego, so I don't hold that against them. The miso-marinated fish was decent, the sushi was quite good, and some of the wait staff is quite pleasant. Others were not, in particular the young orange-haired guy who seemed to be in charge (I assume he's a son or nephew of the owner.) On my rating system, they lose two points for surliness and lack of manners, acknowledging that they have some decent food and competent staff at the sushi counter and in the kitchen. I won't, however, go back.
(2)
Heather Anne B.
Yum! My husband and I have been craving sushi and found ourselves in the area, and Ogawashi didn't disappoint. At first we couldn't even get inside. We couldn't find the doors because there weren't any (the walls just open up), but once we sat down we were very impressed. The restaurant was dark and intimate, but having a basketball game on made the meal feel a lot more fun. To start I ordered the superfruit mojito, and our waitress was nervous because she was just learning to make the cocktails, but it was fantastic and I give her a huge thumbs up. I ordered the avacado roll (my absolute favorite, even in restaurants with super fancy rolls) and pokie roll, and he ordered the baja veggie roll and some roll I can't remember, which was wrapped in soy and didn't taste very good. Three rolls got us plenty full though, and as we left we actually managed to open the door properly. I was really impressed with Ogawashi and I'll surely visit again next time I'm in town.
(5)
Jacqueline C.
good for large parties! lots of options on the menu.
(5)
Lisa w.
Ogawashi has great food. They have fabulous lunch specials as well. I was a big fan of the Bento boxes but then they changed them up and not as much of a fan. Hope they change those back soon. Still worth coming to. Fresh and delicious.
(4)
Alex H.
delicious food overall and amazingly creative sushi rolls
(5)
Quincey Q.
This place had a cool, intimate vibe and the food was good. I got a bento box I didn't realize it had so much food. I like the place the only problem is I felt rushed out. I couldn't savor the meal because I felt rushed to get out.
(3)
Kevin J.
Clean and cool atmosphere. Great happy hour prices. Food is good and sushi was fresh.
(4)
Melissa H.
Been here a couple times and would give this place a solid 3.5 stars. The atmosphere is pretty good. Nice modern decor. As soon as you walk in, you have hopes that this restaurant is going to have awesome food but then as you start to eat every last bite, you end up realizing that this is just another average Japanese restaurant. I had the Ogawashi Bento box which is pretty good deal for $20. The husband had the Chicken Soba which he absolutely loved and for $8, how could you go wrong! We really didn't have to order anything else, but decided to splurge and get the amaebi (sweet shrimp nigiri). Was surprised to see that they deep fried the shrimp head for me which I've only seen done at a traditional Japanese restaurant so this was a bonus! We really didn't like the scallop tempura roll---it was just a shrimp tempura roll with scallops on the side. To end on a positive note, the prices at Ogawashi can't be beat---especially for happy hour! Service can be hit or miss but overall great place close to home.
(3)
Christina C.
This place is really good. I've tried several sushi rolls all of them were very good. I love the atmosphere and the music they play. The service is fast and very friendly. I recommend this place for a get together with friends very loud for family gatherings. Their drinks aren't very good though.
(4)
Antonio A.
Ogawasi Sushi absolutely rocks!!! The location, food, menu selection, happy hour (3p to closing!!!) decor, floor plan, staff, music, and massive flat screens are all unbelievably awesome!!! The food and drinks are brought to your table lightning quick. The food is always jaw dropping delicious as are the drinks. I always order the Poke Salad, Sunrise Roll and Samurai Roll, which are all mind blowing deliciousness. I make it a point to eat and enjoy drinks at Ogawashi at least once or twice every weekend.
(5)
Samantha G.
Ok..update to my previous review. Came this past weekend, the restaurant has undergone it seems a couple updates. 1. Seems they have new waitstaff..our waitress was amazing! Attentive, Suggested various items, put up with our incessant questions. 2. The menu has been redone & has pictures of all of their delicious rolls..fantastic idea. I often am hesitant to try new rolls unless i can view them. Some how missed the ice cream shipment...can't wait to try the Red Plum ice cream next time.
(5)
Ted D.
Good spot for lunch, better spot for happy.Spicy Chicken Bento box was more than enough food for lunch. Nothing was exceptional, but it's a $13 bento box at a quick lunch spot, get over yourself sushi snobs.
(4)
Bernie R.
This place is awesome. Great value friendly service great vibe! The chicken teriyaki dinner had so much food it can be shared all for $14 bucks. Drinks at happy hour prices all night when we were there before House of Blues concert just across the street.
(5)
Sonya D.
I am a huge fan of Sake Bombs. They are my favorite drink, hands down. I realize that is kind of a weird favorite drink to have since it's definitely (probably) an Americanized tradition - to fist the table, chant loudly, drop your sake cup into your beer and then chug until your glass is empty. Yes I realize it is weird. But I still love them. However, I have since stopped doing the whole pounding table chant part, and have just stuck to the chug the bomb part. Why do I love them? Because they taste really good, they are interactive, and they pump me up for the night. Ogawashi rocks because their Happy Hour Sake Bombs are only $2. This place also has a lot of other good drink specials and food specials. The sushi is pretty good and I like the little orange man dessert they give you after you're done eating. It's a great place to frequent with coworkers on Fridays after work. That's pretty much the only day I go.
(5)
Rebecca N.
A-OK. I think I'm spoiled in with my little hole in the wall up in North County. If I'm going to spend a lot of cash for raw fish it better be good with good prices.
(3)
Lola Z.
Went for HH which goes until closing (score!). Parking was challenging. Had high hopes but the food was average, at best. Ordered a bunch of rolls and sashimi. Friendly service and I liked the ambiance but the HH menu was a bit confusing. Tiny writing on a tent-like display on the table. There were a lot of options but not everything on the HH menu had a description, or it wasn't listed on the regular menu. Luckily the server was helpful in answering our questions. Had heard their lunch bento boxes are good, but based on this visit I sadly probably won't be back.
(2)
Monique B.
Just finished lunch at this place. I have NEVER in my life not given a tip, but the service was so terrible that I had no other choice. I went with two of my coworkers for lunch. We were seated quickly (as there were no other people anywhere to be found). Our order was taken, food came, but other than that, we didn't see our server again. I had to hunt someone down to get me a water refill, and when my coworker finally saw our server and asked for the check, the server yelled across the restaurant to another girl to get the check for us. I have had bad service before, but never to the point where I actually thought the server hated life. I won't return.
(1)
Jerm J.
Beautiful space. Nice open dining room. Right off the trolley tracks (eww). Tasty sushi and a great happy hour. They have a lot of food items on special too so that makes it extra tasty. Really enjoyed the personal service by the Sushi-maestro while sitting at the sushi bar.
(4)
Danielle C.
Great location right at the end of the trek down Gaslamp District, right in front of the Trolley station. Great Happy Hour! Korean people work here :) Sushi is gooooooood. I'm a pretty picky sushi fan and this place is one of the best for it's prices, better than Ra or Kamakaze 7. Go here to start off the night drinking, eat and drink, be merry :D
(5)
Diana W.
I said I loved you, but I lied... Why Ogawashi, Why! I thought we had a good thing going, I thought I meant something to you...but now I see it was just a sham, you're just like the rest o them! This place started off so wonderful. Their menu was new, their fish was fresh and the rolls were a delight. There was a toasted garlic roll that was so good, we ordered a second. The menu has now been revised, it's PB sushi's menu - their exact menu. That's right, there's a PB roll and a Garnet roll...downtown. Now, my beloved toasted garlic roll is still on the menu, but it's only a shell of it's previous glory. You were doing so well! All the innovation is gone, and so begins its descent into mediocrity. My search continues again.
(2)
Jennifer W.
Super cheap sake bombs during happy hour!! We came.. mostly to drink. lol The interior is very modern and clean. Servers were really nice though and checked on us often. Only downside is that there is only one women's and men's restroom/stall :\
(4)
Jacqueline K.
I eat sushi at least 3 times a week, and make sure when I'm in town I come here! Besides the amazing food, the customer service is amazing! Love it here! Ps. Happy hour is great!
(5)
Vinh H.
Ogawashi is in an odd location since there's not a lot going on in these parts of the neighborhood. it replaced Red Zone, which probably went out of business for that very same reason. the inside is dark with soft lighting - sushi bar in the bar, and private parties are upstairs. anyhow, i came here for their Grand Opening. unfortunately, they were still working out the kinks since everyone's food orders were heavily delayed. however, they offset that by serving free appetizers to make up for it. regardless, i try not judge them too much on that. their sushi was somewhat decent - though a bit pricey as expected from a downtown location. the owner was having a blast - needless to say he stopped by and shared some fine quality sake. like most traditionally japanese people, he was quite humble and was a great host. i'd definitely come back in the near future.
(4)
Jackie B.
Came here before the Rush on NYE and they still had a great happy hour!! The whole menu is 20% off and some of the rolls and appetizers on special are even lower. Sake bombs- $2, top shelf specialty cocktails $7 and beer specials. Our server was also super nice and knew her stuff. Loved the ceviche and the Sun of the Beach roll. The crispy rice roll (with tuna) was quite late coming out (think they forgot about it). But we had PLENTY to tide us over. It was spicier than I would have liked and was very deep fried compared to what I've had in the past. Tasty still though.
(4)
Mary C.
Let me start by saying the food was great. Fish was fabulous. The hostess station, however, was a different story. Rude, condescending, rushed and acted like we were bugging them by asking for a table for two. It was our first time there, and I am not sure I will go back. A woman came in, walked around the hostess station - and the hostess barked at her 'you can't use our restrooms!' - when, in fact, she was there looking for someone. We saw her tell the other woman who was helping the hostess about it, and she walked out and left the restaurant. I don't blame her. Just a total disappointment when the food is great, to have that kind of experience when you walk in. Bummer.
(3)
Joe S.
Ogawashi is a beautiful sushi restaurant. And the sushi is decent. This place didn't waste anytime or money trying to cut corners, it's a super-classy-modern/rustic build out. With a gigantic steel enterance door and inviting-huge-open-windows with raw steel and reclaimed wood.....it all makes for serious ambiance. I would recommend Ogawashi. However, I'd like to explain why Ogawashi isn't a 5 star reconmemdation and instead a 3 star reconmemdation. One word-- IDENTITY. Yes that's right, it doesn't know what it wants to be, this is the most dangerous situation for a restaurant to be in, especially after getting through all the hard work of building the place, concept, licenses, hiring, the whole nine. It's this easy, be a sushi joint. Stop with the top-40 music blasting, stop with the over exuberant rolls that cost as much as an entree at a highend spot and please stop with the TV's being on or off and then on again. Or showing infomercials! Here is my resepctful advice with the music, turn the music down a few clicks, nobody wants to scream over their sushi. RA AND SUSHI DELI are in their own category, do your own thing. Music is nice and needed while your eating (it actually aids in digestion) however "call me maybe mix-tape" doesn't do the trick. I personally would play JAPANESE music yes JAPANESE music, it makes perfect sense, Japan has tons of modern music as well. TV's, they are either on or off, AND NEVER LET YOUR CUSTOMERS DICTATE the channels EVER! This is a sure way to fail, you cannot please everyone, so simply have an action plan and TV schedule and stick to it, surely there will be special events IE Olympics etc, but other than that you will be surprised how the average customer likes the consistency and common sound and feel, this is where your identity comes into play. By alllowing customers to dictate what is on what TV you will attract people who don't own a TV and will turn your bar and eating place into their personal living room of 5 free plama TV'S. What you can do is designate a couple TV'S for SAN DIEGO sports teams or high profile events IE Olympics, World Cup, World Series etc, and the rest should be long play footage of San Diego or JAPAN "Japanese cities" aerial footage showing beautiful landscape and topography, it's very simple to find hours of great footage of this type of video-play, also there are tons of classic Japanese movies, think Godzilla. Food, keep up the good work, however try your hardest to do one thing very good and keep doing that. I am perfectly aware where you are located, and with time that area will get better, especially with classy places such as yours opening up, again, the place is great, don't get sucked into the trash-lamp..... That place has gone downhill, you should be happy that at this stage in the game, you get to CHOOSE your clientele, that is a gift. Not anybody can simply stumble into your spot, they have to somewhat make Ogawashi a destination.
(3)
Kylie B.
Having a sushi place this close to home is dangerous! It is really hard not to walk past and not want to get dinner here multiple times a week but trying my best not to for my wallet's sake. My boyfriend and I have been to Ogawashi about five times and have had a great experience every time. This place just opened a few months ago and it is our new favorite sushi spot. The portions are good and the food has been super fresh every time we've had it. We typically get the same items are other sushi places and hasn't really come close. Also, we heard that if you like them on Facebook you get sake when you come in. We thought it would be just a shot but both got a full bottle of sake on our first trip in. Not sure if that was just a promotion but definitely worth asking about if you haven't like them yet and want to do so next time you go in. Another item to note is the atmosphere. I just love the look and feel of this restaurant. It is super trendy and clean! Lastly, prices are very fair, especially for downtown San Diego. RA Sushi is only a block away from this place and my experience there was small portion sizes for higher prices, so I'll stick with Ogawashi. They also have given out coupons a couple times that I've gone there which is a nice bonus!
(5)
Annie H.
sushi sushi sushi they have the best happy hour, especially for the beers and drinks $1 kirins and $3 wells. this is M-F 3-8 and weekends 12-7, they have a lot of tv's and the service is excellent. the food is super yummy too! we went two days in a row ( yeah we had to bring some friends here to prove that it was all that it was made up to be ) i have tried the following: miso - good edamame - good / standard sashimi : snow white + albacore lover - excellent and fresh omg salad : yummy good rainbow roll : hefty and fresh lady oga roll : good but not my fav the baked lobster : good but too creamy for me nigiri : octopus - yummy all in all a good place to go with friends or with your bf. super cost effective and reasonable prices for downtown. please dont change anything :)
(5)
Stephanie T.
We were in town for my sister's bachelorette and she wanted to have sushi for dinner one night. We had a group of 9 girls and I was able to get a reservation for us on a Saturday night without a problem. We stayed at Hotel Palomar so it was very convenient for us since it was literally across the street at the corner! This is a new sushi restaurant in the Gaslamp. Lots of options and very inexpensive. I mean VERY good pricing. I ordered the 12 piece sashimi (Chef's choice) and it was only $15.....yes you heard me right....a whole $15 bucks! Can you believe that? That would easily be upwards of $25 anywhere else. The fish was fresh and delicious. No complaints here. The rest of the ladies enjoyed their food as well. Check it out you won't be disappointed.
(4)
Cathy D.
Favorite : lobster roll ! Is it just me or do I just think their sushi is just SO DARN GOOD. SO so so so GOOD!!!! no. AMAZING. Atmosphere: For dinner time its quite dark... not a lot of people in here haha.. shrugs Random Fact: There are 3 HUGE HUGE doors. they're glass doors. And its trippy because... the doors are literally the sides of the wall.. I don't know you just have to check it out ... I was just so amazed by the doors... woooow.... BUT NO THE FOOD was just so dang good and the SERVICE was wonderful so I thought they deserve a 5 ! There wasn't anything I didn't like or found wrong with it... We were also lucky to find CLOSE PARKING. STREET Parking that is.
(5)
Jen L.
The boyfriend took me here since he always passed by it and has been wanting to check it out. I'm always down to try a new spot so we hit it up. The restaurant was really pretty and loved the ambiance. The LED lights, openness and helpful staff was great. We ordered a good amount of food and all came out timely. It wasn't crowded and it was a plus for us since we could relax and didn't have to wait for a seat, however, I hope they stay in business cause this is going to be my new go to for sushi. Happy hour specials all days of the week between 5-7 I believe and if you're able to order during that time, you're gold with the sake specials. We made friends with the owner and one of the managers and they were very hospitable and friendly. Another plus when you feel welcomed and they don't try to snub you. Location is a little off, next to the trolley tracks and away from the main drag but if you love to people watch, this is a great location for you.
(4)
Mike W.
At lunch: I'll start by saying what you actually want to hear (read the whole paragraph, you lazy bum!): It's better than Ra, which makes it much better than Sushi Deli. It's also more expensive. Sushi Deli is likely still a better value for the money, but if you can make it out on someone else's dollar(s) then I recommend this place over both. That said, my opinion might be a little clouded by the small bottle of Kurosawa I had with lunch. The ambiance is a tad hipster, the rolls are decent, the lunch specials are decent, the edamame is good and they have Kurosawa! I had the chance to grab a piece of hamachi from the plate of one of the clients I was eating with and it was quite good, albeit served a bit below the temperature I thought it should be. I got the CN Tower roll and the Dancing Spicy Tuna thing, and both were OK but nothing I would likely order again. I'm no sushi purist, but the quality of the fish here kind of compels me to say that I'll likely just order nigiri on my next several visits to the restaurant. The fish is better than mediocre, so it's good enough to say that you don't need to slather it in Jayo-Mayo or some other concoction of sauces and juices to ruin the flavor. Also, Kurosawa deserves its own paragraph. KUROSAWA!
(4)
Jay E.
Great atmosphere. Separate sushi bar and regular bar. Cozy seating upstairs and below. Great service (however it is a bit longer to get food on 'slow' days). Good menu (pics of all rolls is great!). If you're looking for a great sushi restaurant downtown...I def suggest it!
(4)
Christina W.
Place has amazing happy hour huge rolls!!! Friendly staff and did i mention the happy hout haha they have like 20 things on happy hour something for everyone and it includeds cgeap rolls to beer and liquor!! I cant stay away from this place or stop bringing people.
(5)
Geoffrey L.
This restaurant is a beauty in every way. The design is clean and cool as the trendiest corner of Seoul at midnight. The lighting is amazing. The dishware is creative. And the food presentation is impressive. Sushi likers will surely be pleased. But sushi lovers will surely be disappointed. The cuts of sashimi were obtuse and rough from bones being violently torn. Regular sodium soy sauce is hard to find. The spicy tuna is not spicy. And far too many dishes are buried in heavy sauce, including a disappointing chili oil that would not be fit for two dollar dim sum. I applaud the variety of rolls - including ones with soy paper and cucumber - but each seems to be one or two ingredients shy of memorable. The service was ridiculous, but, granted, it was midweek. I can only hope that the other servers know the difference between sushi and sashimi and a hand roll from a cut roll. Old dishes sat not bussed for far too long; cocktails sat sweating in the bar window. The ultimate offense was delivery of sliced oranges presented as "compliments of the house." Please. If you've ever been to a real Asian restaurant, I won't need to explain the ridiculousness of this gambit. Overall, this spot is a nice contrast to Ra Sushi down the street . . . if you stay inside. This street corner is still too rough and loud to accommodate patio diners, who will surely be harassed by the passing homeless. Even the inner diner can be bombarded with train tracks squealing, cars zooming, and gnats flying from the gutter. But this little sapphire has the ability to be an exclusive Shangri-La of the concrete jungle with a few modifications.
(3)
Sunny J.
Great ambiance, service was on top of it. My boyfriend and I split the Oh no roll and Vegas roll lunch special. Freash fish, we'll be back!
(4)
Tania H.
I absolutely loved it here. The service is really nice, the rolls we ordered were gigantic and super fresh and tasty. The food was served in no time, so there was no waiting time. We also had a round of drinks and for the quality that we got the price was surprisingly low! Overall, highly recommended. Will be coming back soon for sure!
(5)
Gina C.
Food is pretty great (their ceviche and the little fried won tons!). I can't complain. But, they do have a few things service oriented that they need to work out. We ordered a ceviche, a bento box (which i didn't think was worth it...$20 bento box?!!?) and the ogawashi plate. There's a little discrepancy on their menu. The Ogawashi Plate is listed under the Sashimi section, but the description said "8 pieces of sushi, choose from nigiri list." So one would assume after glancing briefly that one was ordering sushi and not sashimi... Nope. It was 8 pieces of sashimi. Which wouldn't be so bad if they hadn't given us a plate with 4 pieces. At first we thought we got a special, you know, on the house. But since they gave us the fish we ordered, we were a bit confused. We asked our server wth?Unfortunately, he didn't know. After going back and forth to us about 3-4 times, we finally figured out that they ran out of our fish choice and so gave us a 4 piece sashimi plate and were going to give us a discount for 50% off. We ordered 8 pieces and you gave us 4. 50% off for 50% of the plate is not a discount. -.-;; Our server was gracious enough to get them to take it off our bill while we ordered something else, but a little more communication on the manager's side would've helped the situation greatly.
(4)
Roy K.
Another sushi joint downtown... or so you think! I've dropped in a few times now (it helps I live a block away) to try out the various items on their menu (both lunch and dinner). The lunch bento boxes are a ton of food for a pretty great price (I prefer the $10 salmon teriyaki!), so definitely a great lunch option. For dinner, the chicken teriyaki provides a lot of value - $8 for a solid amount of food, and it was pretty good. If you're a health nut, try some of the vegetarian rolls - I found the spa roll very refreshing. As far as sushi goes, their fish is all pretty fresh - much higher quality than the surrounding sushi joints (Ra or Sushi Deli) - the chirashi bowl was pretty good (although it's more of a chirashi plate). The interior decoration is fantastic - I love how the front windows open up and how open the whole place feels. Nothing like feeling the nice SD breeze at dinnertime! But the secret sauce? Free street entertainment - people watching has never been more fun. This one time, I saw a housing-challenged lady dancing around with a traffic cone on her head for a solid 10 minutes (curse the trolley construction on 5th!). You're not going to get that type of show anywhere else - trust me, I've lived here for a while and the best you see at other places are drunk bachelorettes (which I guess is its own form of entertainment). Also, if you're with a big group, have them do a sake bomb domino. It's pretty sweet. I kind of wish I had 100 friends so they would do 100 sake bomb dominoes...
(5)
Adrianne D.
Totally not busy on the Saturday afternoon when I decided to pay a visit. The sushi was decent, there was a roll or two that were so flavorful, but other than that, nothing to really rave about. The waitresses were super nice though! An okay experience, overall.
(3)
Justin B.
I hope this place keeps it up. So far I've been twice in their first week if that says anything. Nice staff, great drinks and the lunch box special was stellar. The coworkers and I just found a new lunch/happy hour spot to throw in the mix! Had to change my review to 3 instead of 5 stars. Prices on lunch went up and they wouldn't take my 9 days expired $5 off coupon. Why give out coupons if you are super stickler with the "rules"? Isn't the point to get people into the place? I've brought several people here but I got burned on a coupon and, like Peter Griffin...that really grinds my gears.
(3)
Bridgette B.
I have been in a few times now. I really enjoy the friendly staff and laid back atmosphere. I am not a big sushi fan myself but my friends love the sushi. I have seen the vendors drop it more then once seems to be still alive=VERY FRESH. You can't beat the prices in town. I highly recommend this to all of my friends!!
(5)
Lauren B.
I've been twice now and both times my experience was great. Once during lunch time with my coworker and another with my daughter for dinner. For lunch my coworkers and I shared some rolls and it was good. The waitress took care of us and it was fine. When I went back in a few days later for dinner we had a waitress named Hannah who really took care of us. My daughter always wants to get the same thing and I'm always trying to get her to try new rolls. Hannah suggested a few that she might like and we ended up getting the Pokie Roll and my daughter loved it. We had a few other rolls and were delighted with the knowledge Hannah had about the food. She made sure we were taken care of. My daughter since then has requested we go back soon. If Hannah is there we will be there. She is AWESOME and the food was great.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Music : Background Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
HW Y.
New chef Daniel is amazing. Even though the restaurant itself has a really good value (especially with specials and happy hours), i only go when Daniel is working because he is one of the best chefs that i know in San Diego. Don't let his young age fool you. He has been in the game for 10years and is better than some of the OGs. And i know this as a sushi chef myself. Just check out the photos... All made by Daniel on the same night. Sashimi and nigiri made to perfection with excellent presentation. And some fancy rolls to top it off. All dishes were very satisfying. Leave the selections for your dinner next time, and you won't be disappointed.
(5)Claudia B.
In my opinion, this place doesn't get enough credit...the food is good, prices are reasonable, and ambiance feels great! I've tried different rolls every time I've come in so far and I haven't been disappointed yet. They have happy hour everyday throughout prime times! I guess the one thing keeping this place from receiving a full 5 stars is that they need to tidy up their service a little more. Our waitress was super friendly, but stopping by to check in on us more often or bringing the soy sauce and napkins without having to ask would be great! They respond well and get on top of it once asked, but these are things that are part of the expectations when you go out for dinner...I mean, that's a big reason why most of us go out right? To not have to cook ourselves and be treated with service. Other than this last caveat, be prepared to eat delicious sushi, have a good drink, and have a great time!
(4)Jon Y.
This place is a little out of range just outside of the Gaslamp but its worth the walk. It's about 3 blocks away from Horton Plaza and it is the best Sushi in Downtown SD. They recently put Japanese Ramen and Yakitori on the menu and I was lucky to have tried the Shoyu Ramen. I always try the sashimi at any sushi joint. The salmon was very fresh and went well with the raw wasabi. No soy sauce needed. They have great happy hour prices on the craft beer. They have a decent selection of craft beer on draft. I love Sculpin, so I was happy to see they have it on draft. I don't normally eat rolls, but I really like the ceviche roll, it's got a Latin flavor with the ceviche and cilantro. Pretty good stuff!
(5)Keisha P.
Super disappointed! We came here awhile back and had the Citron Roll which was delicious and was actually the main reason we returned for this trip - we get there and get seated only to find out they no longer make the roll...bummer. We decided to stay and try out the rest of the menu anyway. It was about an hour and half before closing and no other customers were inside...should've been the first clue. We are seated and then left sitting for about 25 minutes without being checked on or asked for our order, no drinks offered, nada...we are looking around and the only visible staff are a few sushi chefs and that's it. Finally, we see the hostess but this time she is behind the bar cleaning and refilling ice and completely not interested in helping us again. The chef's finally help us and get a waitress, who I think is actually the owner - she finally takes our order. When she comes back to check on us (we still haven't had our food delivered to the table yet) she tells us that if we want anything else we have to order it now because they are going to be closing soon (this is still an hour prior to their closing time), we tell her no problem that we are ok just eating what we ordered (even though we haven't tasted it yet). Our rolls arrive and she places them on the table without telling us what is what - when we ask she quickly sounds off several names like she is unsure and we begin to notice she is giving us names of rolls we never ordered. We ate the rolls without complaining because we were hungry after waiting and felt rushed since she was continuously reminding us when they were closing even though we showed up way before closing time and only ordered maybe 4 rolls total. The rolls were mediocre and overpriced - service was slow and the entire visit was awkward. Staff was more interested in super cleaning behind the bar than servicing us...I am all for cleanliness but it was like they would rather close early to clean than to have us in their business dining. Won't be back unless that Citron Roll reappears on the menu.
(2)Brent G.
Great overall experience at Ogawashi. Cool looking modern restaurant/bar. Friendly staff and good tasting sushi. They presentation of the food on the plates really impressed me. The value/price for the quality/taste of the sushi is probably the best in Downtown. I will definitely start coming here more often. I recommend it if you like good sushi at a reasonable price point in a fun and hip atmosphere. Their happy hour is 4pm to close and the prices for food and drinks are amazing during that time.
(4)Precious T.
This place has become one of my "go to " lunch spot. Sashimi salad is always on point. Need a downtown employee discount for the regulars ;)
(5)Laney S.
Great service with Chloe. Really fresh sushi and they have Ramen. Danny is great behind sushi bar. Large menu selection, very good prices. Lunch service much improved. In and out in less than an hour. Great location downtown for sushi and ramen. I think it's same or similar to the one in PB.
(5)Paulina G.
This place was so bomb & Daniel the sushi chef was super cool & friendly! We sat at the sushi bar & he rolled up 4 amazing rolls very quickly. Super fresh and prompt service. Definitely coming here again
(5)Ernesto C.
We lived in Asia many moons ago and Korea was actually one of the biz stays for one year. I mention Korea because I want to say there were many Koreans working OGAWASHI. Perhaps the owner group and/or management are Korean. I'd bet the ranch this is the case. That's ok, no worries, because we've had sushi in Korea that rivaled many of the places we experienced in Japan. Korean's are very hard working, gentle, kind & hospitable people. And, great sense of humor they have........ we experienced a lot of this again, last night, @ Ogawashi. Out of our front door, we wandered across downtown, over to the boogie town section of SD Core....by the train tracks, near the the House of Blues. There is nothing wrong with a jaunt over to a more edgy and gritty part of the city. Our evening can se summed up in one word: evolution. Our evening evolved from "WTF" is with this place to "WOW", yummy yummy in the tummy & some of the best sushi we've had in San Diego, hands down & chopsticks up. The place was not very busy, had an off the wall feel like we just could not place ourselves.... were we back somewhere in Seoul, off the beaten path or who knows? The techno music in a sushi place added to the off kilter, pseudo-eccentric vibe....in all fairness though, I want to say this place is probably very busy and somewhat clubby-like on weekends, hence the music that let's say must be part of the joint's branding DNA.....definitely not elevator Lawrence Welk music nor Kyoto Zen sounds with cute little birds and waterfalls in the background. The gals serving us were a bit quirky in a sweet kind of way. Our man behind the counter, where we sat and always sit when patronizing a sushiya, was from Tokyo. Very welcoming and attentive, not to mention a good sense of ( ditto ) quirky humor. So, off we went to the sea races, to indulge in some raw fish, rice and flavors. FRESH comes to mind, all in this order: 1) Ankimo ( that's monkfish liver to the vanilla crowd ) was a nice start 2) the daily board showed flounder aka Hirame, as a choice pick and was it good 3) as for our Amaebi- very large, cold water spot prawns - well, we actually got to meet the poor buggers when they very alive and twitching, after which we were honoured by Sushi Chef-san, via his slaying of these beautiful and delicious creatures, onto to the rice and our plates and then into our mouths for a mouth watering and delish experience 4) we always savour Hamachi and this nigiri choice was absolutely perfect 5) closely competing with the Amaebi was the Toro.... the Crown Prince of sushi fare.....oh boy & girls, this was the prize of the evening - succulent, luscious, tender and I could live on this for a week, along with Japanese beer and fine sake I like this place - it is not tourist frou frou fare nor is it a fancy Mickey Mouse trendy joint....It's raw, no pun intended & gets down to business serving some damn good sushi in downtown SD. The price to 'value/quality' ratio was also a-ok. Next time I will give the rolls a go, which flew past us a few times - rather large too. Kampai / Gun Bae.
(4)Stephanie M.
My boyfriend decided to take me here after a rough week. The atmosphere was great. Good music. Nice flow. We came here at happy hour and I have to say I was confused as to what was on happy hour. There was a small list but no description or picture. After finally choosing the food came quick. It was good and what we expected. I did not give this 5 stars because of the service. The owner could barely understand English and it was hard to communicate with her. Other than that.......great place!
(4)J M.
I went during comic-con week - we stayed because of the happy hour and it ended up being the best part of our night! Happy hour prizes are amazing (9 dollar specialty rolls + 5 dollar cocktails) and I really enjoyed the food and the cocktail I had (Cucumber martini is made with grey goose as well and it tastes amazing)! I asked for it to be not too sweet and they actually made it not too sweet for once (most bartenders usually fail at this for some reason). The food we had was pretty good as well and we really loved chef Daniel! I loved his rolls and he was literally the nicest and most personable chef ever. He talked to us during our meal and made sure we were taken care of properly. I'm really giving it 5 star because of chef Daniel, haha. I would totally visit this spot again when I'm back in San Diego!
(5)JoseElizabeth F.
The food was beautifully prepared and it was delicious. The prices were reasonable. The restaurant itself was lovely but finding a parking downtown?! lol also the waitress didn't know as much about the menu as she should.
(4)Elizabeth T.
This place really deserved four stars because of the great dishes and service we chose, but lost one for one dish that was a complete failure. First of all, this is not your typical sushi joint as it is hopping and has a lot of people coming in and out. Secondly, no Japanese pop music. It has the lively, upbeat, catchy EDM jams that makes this place feel like a nightclub. The colorful and flashing lights off from the ceiling does not help. The food we ordered off their happy hour menu was excellent. Fresh fish and fruits for the mango tuna tower, the teriyaki salmon with fresh avocado, and a few others off of the $7 and $9 selection. Fresh sashimi on the sashimi sampler. Their rolls that were spicy are indeed spicy. Not too much, but has a good kick. The one dish that failed was the scallop boat. You can tell from the texture of the scallops that they were not fresh. Neither was the salmon that came with it. It had a strong fishy smell and a weird chewy texture to it. I gagged trying to eat it. Serving old fish and covering it up with sauce is a sin in a sushi joint. Hence, the loss of one star. We spent $45-50 bucks a person. Not bad deal for all the sushi we ate. We shall be back again!!!
(3)Angela P.
This place has legit happy hour. Get the ex girlfriend roll! Also, their baked mussels, baked langostina roll is good too. Be careful though because you will go order crazy and get everything because it's cheap! The only downside is that the place is hit, so they have fans circulating hot air. I can live with that.
(5)Ena Y.
Not a bad sushi place. Great happy hour menu. Food: they have pretty good inexpensive happy hour menu items. Sushi was not bad. Ordered a pacific citron roll, dragon roll, red dragon roll, and yellowtail roll. Also ordered the tin tin salmon special with sauce on the side - which was basically salmon sashimi with sauce. Ambiance: young, hip, casual dining. Large screens that play sports games and slightly dark (but not too dark) lighting. Service: One of the servers was in training. The servers were very kind and let us take the happy hour menu to go in to-go boxes even though happy hour menu items were eat in only.
(3)Laksen R.
Walked in here randomly when looking for a quick bit in Gaslamp and we're so glad we did. We made it for the start of happy hour and decided to take advantage of the food specials even though we weren't drinking. We ordered and ate so many of the cheap specials that the chef decided to comment on how big our appetites were (decided to take this as a compliment). On to some details: We sat at the bar where we received prompt service, good conversation- the food also came out quickly as we cut out any type of middle man which was great. To start we got the sashimi sampler and nigiri sampler which were both really good. We decided to eat more plain fish and not multi-ingredient rolls so we stayed away from the special rolls. I was very satisfied with the meal and the quality of the fish we received. Towards the end of the meal we ended up ordering a bunch of hand rolls (spicy tuna and salmon) which were a another standout of our experience. The only item I wouldn't recommend is the octopus salad which was $7 (Happy special). You get a lot of octopus for a low price but there was something missing with the dish. Definitely come here for happy hour if you want quality food. Also their drink specials were really cheap and I will definitely take advantage of them next time.
(5)Kevin R D.
This Sushi restaurant is a solid 4 stars in my book. We had the Hot Night Out tempura roll and the Sweet Sixteen roll. the Sweet Sixteen was awesome. The Hot Night Out was good too, especially with the cream cheese inside. Garlic edamame is the bomb, if you love garlic like we do. Bonus points for serving at 4 unlike other sushi places that don't serve til 5. Could be a 4 and a half to 5 star place if they used more sauce on the rolls instead of a strip down the side. Minus points for our appetizer coming after our meal. Also asked for extra ginger and didn't get it. Over all, good food. Fish was fresh and tasted clean. Worth checking out.
(4)Andrea A.
Is an hot day so I stop here for a fresh plate and a beer , sushi is OK and the beer it was really nice and cold as I ask, price is in the average of the sushi place , I like the food and the service where fast and silente .I will be back . thank you
(4)Annel R.
Amazing Sushi place! Great service. Great prices. And everything we tried was delicious! If you're into spicy rolls try the Caliente Roll. We also tried the tempura appetizer and Miso ramen. All great choices. Will definitely be coming back when I'm in SD again. Give it a try! Their happy hour prices are really good.
(5)Ryan V.
Really good sushi, the environment is very welcoming, and the happy hour is unbelievable. I don't know how they do it. A lot of tvs! So I can definitely watch some sports and eat good at the same time. 6:40pm on a Saturday night and it's not that busy in here. Still trying to figure out why, but from my experience, it was nothing less than perfect.
(5)Janelle C.
Stopped here for a quick lunch while in town for business. They were pretty busy. Wait staff was rushing around. ordered a 3 item bento box for lunch $14. The tempura was crunchy and spot on. Spicy tuna roll was good too. All in all a pretty good meal and price for this area. They also have a full bar which i don't always see for a sushi place but nice.
(4)M M.
I came here the other night to get my sushi fix on. First, the menu. I love that it's all pictures, a-la Denny's. For the first time in months I ordered based off of the menu and not Yelp pictures. That being said, they should give you a complementary magnifying glass to read it with. After scanning the selections, I have to say this is not necessarily an inventive sushi spot (if you discount the pico de gallo sushi rolls, which I was not going to venture into, they're all mostly cali roll variations). My boyfriend and I finally settled on a citron miso roll, one of the most "unique" on the menu, which was essentially a super fresh cali roll with snapper and tangy-sweet citron miso sauce on top. It would have been enough food for two people, but I went for another roll - a spicy tuna with shrimp tempura, eel sauce, and spicy mayo. This one was also pretty good and I really liked the consistency of their spicy tuna. It was super soft and flavorful and went well with the crunchy tempura. Both of these rolls were so good that I completely skipped out on the soy sauce which I hardly ever do. They were also super large rolls and could've been cut a little smaller but that's a minor detail. I topped the whole order off with a vodka mule. WIth the flavors of jalapeno and ginger it went really well with the whole order. I definitely suggest it. Finally, the ambiance. You're right next to the trolley and 5th ave so you get some interesting foot traffic outside. Inside, it's electronic music and pinky-purple lights. They have several TVs up for sports, and we were watching bull riding (and tennis) the other night. Quirky, and I love it. I have now decided that bull riding is the perfect thing to watch in a sushi bar, and I'm also thinking PBR should start doing their bull riding to electro house music. It fits, trust me.
(3)Joy A.
Pros: Quality sushi, friendly waiter, good music, dim lights, plenty of tables, Happy Hour 3 - 7pm daily: baked mussels ($5/4 pc)--amazing, garlic albacore roll--fresh & delicious ($9), fire fire roll is flavorful ($13.50), everything is good for sharing between 2 or 3, hand rolls are only $3, total came up to only $32 plus tax & tip Cons: happy hour menu has no pictures
(5)Kristal R.
So lucky to find this place in such short notice, the rolls were amazing! Got 4 rolls from the menu. The special dynamite roll, spicy crunchy roll, samurai roll, and the spicy albacore. I would say the spicy crunchy and the samurai were the most best out of the 4.... I wish this place was close to where I lived. The service was great! Got our waters refilled consistently, we got the spicy garlic edemame which was also delish. The fish was super fresh, the jalapeño in the spicy crunch was the prefect heat. Just all in all a great place. The birthday music they play when they come out and wish someone a happy birthday, was on the loud side lol scared my date and I lol but I'd recommend this place to anyone!!!!!! Seriously.... Go here for some bomb sushi
(5)Kristen L.
Good sushi for the price! We always come here. We tried the moon sushi up the street for a change and left and came here. Def best sushi at the best price in downtown. The place is really cute too!
(5)Summer T.
Humongous entrance door! Good service. Quite pricy! Decent foods! Great atmosphere. Nice ambiance. Nicely decorated. Yakisoba was delishhhh! Yellowtail sashimi was fresh & good w sliced jalapeño & ponzu sauce. Blue Tuna Fin sashimi was fresh & good. Grilled Mackerel combo was good. Ceviche cut-roll wasn't good :( Sunset cut-roll was ok. Green Tea & Vanilla Tempura Ice-cream were alright. The best Oreo Tempura Ice-cream was in Orange County. .. in the city of Tustin or Anaheim.
(4)Will V.
A nice spot downtown for a mid-afternoon bite. Service was friendly and the agedashi tofu starter was excellent: lightly crispy, creamy on the inside, and with a great dipping sauce. Hamachi and unagi sushi both were good enough, but the pieces were on the small side. Outdoor street-side patio as well as indoor dining. Nothing spectacular, but a solid find amidst the mass of touristy places nearby.
(4)Danny B.
Came here for lunch last week, I ordered a rainbow roll, sexy roll and sashimi salad. Both rolls were great. However, I was a little disappointed in the salad used for the sashimi salad. It was almost as if it came straight out of an insta-salad bag from the grocery store. Other than that good food!
(4)Anuh-mai T.
Food is amazing! Udon soup on point, sashimi is fresh. A lot of variety for Happy hour. I had to give 2 stars because service was not so great. We were the only party in the restaurant and no one gave us a menu.. they kept walking pass us and looking. Finally took our order, never brought out our water. They totally forgot to put in two orders. I waived at the girl, she saw me but continued to talk to other people.
(2)Courtney H.
This place is in an odd spot nearly the trolley tracks and across from the CVS, but it's a cool little restaurant. There is definitely a good variety of sushi. And they have crispy rice with spicy tuna, which is one of my favorite things! They have a mango and tuna tower which includes fresh chunks of both in a martini glass. We ordered a few of the rolls and the gyoza all of which was delicious. The only miss was the tuna dish we ordered that was a bit on the salty side for us. Happy hour goes until 7, which is awesome. The parking in that area is a pain. But I'll definitely be back to this place again to try more.
(4)Haleh S.
Overpriced, subpar food and terrible service. The lady forgot our order all together and then, after bringing it out, ignored us the rest of the time. Disappointed is an understatement. Sushi deli is 100 times better.
(1)Brett R.
Good, consistent food for reasonable prices. Great lunch and happy hour deals. Best part: fast, friendly services. They hustle here which I appreciate.
(4)Isabel C.
Came here on a Saturday with 3 others. The place was not very busy except for a loud birthday party going on at a nearby table. Sushi and miso soup were good. We all just ordered simple rolls, shrimp tempura and California rolls so nothing special or unique but at least they tasted good. The service however, was very strange. The hostess ended up being our waitress even though there were others working in the not so busy restaurant. Then as were waiting for our food other staff members came up and asked us to order or what we had ordered. They were all very pushy and impatient even after we told them we already ordered and we were all set. The water refill guy was weirdly enthusiastic and the bartender tried to tell me I couldn't use the bathroom because I wasn't a paying customer even though I had just gotten up from a table nearby. At the end we were saying our goodbyes to our friends and the staff kept pushing us to leave. Very weird experience but decent food.
(3)Cerena G.
Loved the environment. Loved the music and service. Food was amazing as well!
(5)Sabrina D.
I'm taking a break from the goodness that is my "Big Shot Roll" to write this review. I found this place on yelp (duhhh). It was about a block from our hotel, the US Grant, and sushi sounded fantastic before a night of bar hopping in Gaslamp. Upon walking in, I was nervous the sushi wouldn't be very well made or delicious, because the restaurant had a bit of a fusion-y vibe. Needless to say, my fear instantly quelled. The fish was fresh and everything was mega yummy! Despite being a bit warm and the patio being closed, we had a great time. We sat at the sushi bar, and the let me just say, the sushi chefs are fantastic! Super attentive, quick, and friendly. I love the creativity of some of the rolls and their names, for example the "Son of the beach." This spot takes original rolls and steps them up a notch, without going too far to make this a "fusion" spot. Best part? You can get drinks from their FULL bar. Definitely a plus since most sushi spots just have a limited alcohol menu... Beer, some wine, and saki usually. Here, you can get anything your sweet, little heart desires.
(4)Patricia Patti P W.
Wait, I ate here??? Whoa... Okay I did eat here when I was on Jury Duty two weeks ago, I forgot that I checked in here for lunch one day. I had a really good sushi roll that was very spicy and filling, their rolls are pretty huge so be warned. I accidentally over ordered because I was so hungry. I ended up leaving half of my lunch behind. Great service and it's nice during the daytime although they fill up at lunchtime pretty quickly so get there before 12:00 pm.
(4)Jasmine D.
Going to be a quick review because I'm still eating.. Lol. Ambiance is nice. Their rolls, I find, are bigger than other sushi joints I've been at. I'm ASSUMING the guy at the front was the owner was very friendly, so was the waitress that led us to our table. The owner (again assuming) checked on us frequently and took our orders. Small talk and jokes which is always appreciated. Great place. Totally recommend. Happy hour 3-close. :) enjoy!! Sorry so short. Still stuffing my face with sushi and drowning in $2 sake bombs.lol
(5)Jack M.
To some this up, the food was pretty good, but service was a little lackluster. I mean it was just okay, however, I felt more as a burden being there to my server. I came in during happy hour and ordered the mixed tempura which included vegetables and a couple of shrimp for $5 and the Tin Tin Salmon Salad for $9. The shrimp tempura was very good with an average amount with the serving ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). The tempura batter was light and not oily and provided a nice crisp ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). I really liked the way all the vegetables were not over cooked and had a good vibrant color. In fact, the broccoli had a good crispiness to it ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). I enjoyed all the vegetables and the asparagus was my favorite. The shrimp was just as good with a nice tenderness and sweet shrimp flavor balanced with the crispy tempura, made for some good eating ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). The Tin Tin Salmon salad was good, perhaps a little heaving with the sauce, but the presentation was very nice and the salmon was very good ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). The salmon was rich and had some nice fatty lines which I really appreciate ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). The spicy sauce made from a base of Sriracha and mixed with a number of other Japanese ingredients was very good, but just a little heavy handed on the plate ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). The avocado was beautifully presented and at a perfect ripeness, not to mention quite delicious and perfect for this salad ( yelp.com/biz_photos/ogaw… ). If you like raw salmon, I recommend this dish. Even though I did not believe service was up to par, I have to give justice to the food's preparation and flavor, so my over all feeling given the service, I feeling 3.5 ish, but at the higher end..
(4)Drew M.
Had a sushi craving recently so I found myself at OGIWASHI, and was very pleased by this place. I happened to arrive at Happy Hour, which is 3-7pm everyday! They have $4 draft beers, $3 sake, nice discount on some good rolls! I ordered a spicy crispy roll as well as a Dragon roll and both tasted like magic. The fish was really fresh and the service was top notch. Also, can't beat the price of this place for downtown. I will definitely be coming back!
(5)Jah L.
I've been here a few times. One of the better sushi spots I've been to. It's a good spot if you're in a hurry. The prices aren't too bad considering the quality. The customer service could be better. I love the look of the place. This is my go to sushi spot if I'm in the area.
(4)Peter C.
Subpar sushi for subpar value. Like the atmosphere though and it's a good, neutral spot to take clients over lunch. Apparently has a decent happy hour but I've never been.
(3)Fermin V.
The food was barely edible. Place had a peculiar smell. Gave this place a second chance and they disappointed yet again. If you're looking for a mediocre sushi experience, this is your spot.
(2)Benjamin K.
Good sushi, great happy hour, central spot. And they don't mind large and rowdy groups ripping sake bombs and banging on the table like affable heathens! Hoot and holler! I mean for Pete's Sake!
(5)Manilyn S.
This spot is conveniently located right next to my work so I thought I'd give it a shot one day for lunch. It seemed like a really nice spot to enjoy some drinks with a few friends, but I went alone (as I usually like to spend my lunches). I sat by the sushi bar and they were attentive. I ordered the spicy tuna salad, which wasn't spicy at all to me, but was still filling. It was different and you could tell it was more of an Americanized dish because of the chunks of lettuce and pieces of tomato. Still good. I also had a scallop hand roll which was good. Overall, it was nice. Perhaps I should come back in the evening or try some other things out on the menu to give this place a better review but for now, it was just okay. I think there are better sushi spots in downtown, but they definitely have more on their menu I have yet to try. I am willing to try this place out again.
(3)Dustin G.
Had a few rolls. All pretty good.. Happy hour beers are four bucks.. Bunch of rolls on happy hour for 9$.. They have real crab in some of their rolls.. Had the spicy crunchy roll, was pretty solid.. The asian ladies that work there are cute and they have adorable asian accents.. Will probably be back..
(4)Catherine E.
Just had the worst service of my life and had some of the worst sushi too. I've been here before and loved it. This time the waitress tried to take our menus before we even ordered. Should've been a red flag. They never checked up on us (and we had issues with a roll - not like as described in the menu at all), we had to flag down a different waitress just to add more to the order as they never took an order beyond drinks and apps, and had to grab a third waitress to get our bill - which we were seconds away from leaving cash on the table and leaving as they wouldn't look at us for ten minutes. We left no tip as the waitress was a fucking disaster, also left hungry. We wanted another round of food and drinks but we were over waiting. The restaurant wasn't even that busy. I'm mortified.
(1)Audrey A.
The boyfriend and I ate here while visiting San Diego and it pretty good! Really close to our hotel (Courtyard- Marriott) which is convenient. They have pretty good prices for their happy hour, which is from 3pm to 7pm. Break down of what we had: -Spicy Lobster Roll ($12): it was good, wasn't very spicy though. -Shrimp Lovers Roll ($9): very good, we enjoyed the sauce on it. -Oysters ($2 each): Boyfriend says they are "okay" and that they could have used some more seasoning and lemon. The oysters were fairly big though! -Mixed Tempura: the shrimp was very good! Veggies were good too. -Baked Mussels: saved the best for last! This was by far our favorite. Very yummy! We liked the extra touch of crab. Om nom nom... The service was great (definitely a reason for the four stars instead of three!). We had two waitresses that really husseled and constantly made sure that we were okay.
(4)a s.
Writing this review makes me sad as I've been a regular customer at Ogawashi, eating there at least once a month since they opened. Went there recently with my boyfriend and the menu has changed. They no longer serve a lot of staple Japanese food items, like nigiri or cucumber salad. The service was also disappointing, our soup never came and we were charged twice for rice. But what threw us over the edge was the 2 1/2" ROACH that was flying around the restaurant and LANDED IN OUR FOOD!!!!! End of story, I will not be going back.
(1)Jacqueline L.
This place definitely has a lot of potential. Love the chefs who are here!
(3)Jonathan M.
Stomach is churning..... **Barf** Nothing really great about this place. Service is average. sushi is mostly rice with thin/little pieces of fish. got a crown and ginger and it came as a double shot glass (one oz. crown and one oz. Ginger ale). . . I think the worst part is the fish was "fishy" and tasted past is prime. Left with a sick feeling. . .
(1)Vanessa B.
Ordered takeout from here and it was fairly good. Nothing amazing, but most of the rolls were good. One of them was fishy so I had a couple of pieces before I decided that I shouldn't risk it and threw it out. Unfortunately, I became pretty ill not too long after eating the sushi. I don't know for sure that it was the sushi that made me sick, otherwise this would be a 1 star review, but it is definitely possible. Since I can't say with 100% positivity that it was the sushi, I'm treating this review as though the sushi did not cause it. The crispy rice roll was awesome and probably my favorite thing I got. Big chunks of spicy tuna are on these giant balls of crispy rice. So decadent. I also got the tuna garlic roll which was really interesting and was a nice roll on the lighter side. The pokie roll is what tasted fishy and I had to throw out.
(3)Marvelous M.
Ogawashi is my favorite sushi spot in San Diego. The sushi is fresh and is made with expertise and love. They have a reasonably priced happy hour from 3pm to 7pm. The wait staff is always attentive and courtesy. I always feel welcome with each visit and appreciate being acknowledged by name. The Manager Bobby is quite friendly and doesn't hesitate to cater to his customers. Overall, I would recommend anyone wanting delicious sushi with a great atmosphere to visit Ogawashi. Its conveniently located off of Fifth Ave & C st.
(5)Nicky L.
Went here for lunch and the food was MEH. First of all, their lunch specials were bento boxes that were all MORE than $10, which I think is kinda pricey for this spot. We decided to share a couple of rolls... and I could NOT believe how fast they came out of the kitchen. Ever heard of fast sushi? Me neither. The spicy yellowtail roll was sloppily made but ok. The Rainbow Roll was just plain sad. The piece of tuna had a vain going through it... EWE. The rest of the fish did not taste super fresh. I would not recommend this place for lunch, to anyone. Note: I've heard they have great drink specials during happy hour. Might go back for some drinks.
(2)Teresa N.
Had lunch here last week. It was a couple days before Halloween and the place was all spooky and nicely decorated. A little surprising to me because it's a Japanese restaurant. It was noon on a Tue but there was no wait for a table! There were a handful of tables filled only. Probably not a good sign, I still gave a shot cos they have good reviews on Yelp. I ordered the sashimi bento lunch and my friend got the Tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet) bento. We also ordered a veggie tempura to share. Since some yelpers were raving about the pumpin tempura, we specially asked for more pumkin in our veggie tempura. Veggie tempura came after 10, 15 min. I think 6 out of 8 pieces were pumpkin, great! The order was still hot and crunchy. The first bite was just phenomenal! The pumpkin was soooo flavorful! I recommend you getting it even if you are a carnivore. My sashimi bento was okay, nothing special about it, I tried a bite of my friends tonkatsu, didn't like it because the breading was way too thick. By the way I think they raised their price on the lunch menu significantly compared to just a few months ago. Yeah I think I will come back for more pumpkin tempura!
(4)Jay D.
Not a terrible little spot, it's got a cool looking bar and plenty of tv's.
(3)Don T.
Went twice (for lunch) in 2 days while on a recent business trip --- need I say more? Only comment is that it is very busy for lunch. They will look to flip your table do don't expect to dawdle
(4)Carlene G.
Cute, easily accessible! It was a nice little spot to stumble upon on our family vacation. The food was good and the staff was nice.
(4)Bob N.
Excellent. Great selection of firm fresh fish, beautifully presented. Chef's selection of tuna, snapper, whitefish each with its own delicate sauce. Terrific salmon skin hand-roll. Broad selection of rolls. We ate at the bar and had great service from bartender Erika, who also made terrific agave-sweetened mojitos. Not noisy, but right on the trolley line, so save gas and avoid expensive downtown parking by hopping on the Orange or Blue line to Fifth Avenue station
(4)David B.
Highly recommended! I have been to so many restaurants in Downtown SD and so many disappoint. It seems like everywhere i go I get bad service (Can't find my server, drinks take 15 minutes to get to table, etc) or the food is overpriced and poor quality. OGAWASHI'S is not that type of restaurant (thankfully!) and they get a 5/5. The service is AMAZING. Your water and drinks won't get below half way before they rush to fill it up, and they always check on you to see if you are good. The sushi is really good (Baja Roll and Garnet) and the taste stays very consistent. They also have great happy hour prices even on Friday and Saturday nights. I will be coming here for years to come. A+.
(5)Jonnie D.
Very nice server at the bar. Cool ambience. Amazing nigiri. Garlic tuna roll....meh. I'll get a raw roll next time. Great happy hour prices. Parking sucks!!! Like....a vacuum.
(4)Sara G.
We sat at the sushi bar. Only two sushi chefs working on a busy Friday night. A third sushi chef stood to the side the entire time we were there, which was about 3 hours because we waited so long for some of our orders. We speculated that the idle sushi chef was in training,, but we thought they needed at least 3 sushi chefs working. Overall, the sushi was pretty good and with the exception of our incident, the service was also pretty good. However, I don't think the salmon roe was very fresh, and I won't go back to this place. Oh btw, the music was very loud rave music, which I know is popular in the Gaslamp. We ordered live shrimp. The presentation wjth the heads and tails was nice, and the tails were delicious. I then confirmed with the waitress that they would then take our shrimp heads back and deep free them for us (my favorite part, which I was building up to our sushi novice family members). After they took our shrimp heads away to deep fry them, we waited at least half an hour with none of our order forthcoming. During this time, I watched them getting peep's sushi orders all mixed up then the waitress coming to the sushi bar and barking orders at the chefs, who in turn rushed to make the screwed up orders right. Once they got the screwed up orders resolved I thought sure they would turn their attention to our shrimp heads and uni. When I finally asked where our shrimp heads and uni were, the chefs looked panic-stricken with a small flurry of activity behind the sushi bar. The waitress that had been barking orders then came over and told us they apparently served our shrimp heads to someone else and asked if we wanted a dessert instead. I said, I don't want no stinkin' dessert! I want my shrimp heads! But they wouldn't take that loss to make it right and prepare four more shrimps for us (how about a free shrimp tail for our wait?). So they asked what we wanted them to do instead. I said at least a refund on our shrimp, so they said, you ate half of them when you ate the tails so we'll give you half a refund! Never mind that we sat there half an hour waiting and wondering and finally had to ask. I guess in the end the joke was really on them because they were so discombobulated that they neglected to charge us for some of our sushi. Ahhh... sweet revenge.
(1)Tonneli G.
The spacious patio was great for people watching and made for a dog friendly dinner. candles or lights at outdoor tables would be nice, it was really dark by the end of my meal. Prices were very fair, $10-$14 range for premium rolls. It seems to be a trend down south but sushi chefs adore fake crab (the bologna of the sea) and chopping tuna into a mushy puree. That being said i did find a few options here which were suitable for what i'd see as quality sushi. the serrano roll was delish so was the agedashi tofu, i liked the food here and will be back... i just wish there was more quality food to choose from on the menu. sushi in san diego does leave me scratching my head tho, is there no quality fresh fish on the south coast? is frying, battering, covering in mayo, pureeing, and stuffing with processed fillers like krab the only option?
(4)Erin R.
I haven't been here for a while because the hand rolls were getting a little sloppy, but I went with friends Friday and was pleasantly surprised. I partook in 2 Sapporos, 4 hand rolls and a couple pieces of veggie tempura. All had great presentation and flavor. Plus it was happy hour from 3 until close! Best time ever!
(4)Robin E.
Disappointing. Waitress was nice, but quality of food wasn't the best. We were there for HH - got the ceviche, which was too sweet, Vegas roll- which didn't taste like the 'typical' roll, couple hand rolls- over rated. Nothing too special about this place. Most likely won't go again.
(3)Lola B.
Friendly service and good food. Unfortunately the beef tataki was far too cooked. Should have been a lot more raw. Otherwise the nigiri was fresh and tasty. Sashimi was good. I'd go back again.
(4)G. R.
Food was delicious and happy hour prices are great. Service was slow and inattentive.
(3)Kimmy Y.
Came here for a friend's birthday and I really liked this place! They have an AMAZING happy hour (I cant remember what time it starts but it goes all the way to close!). Draft beers are $3 or you can get a sake bomb (beer and sake shot) for $6. They have different prices (happy hour prices) depending on what you get. Parking can be a bit challenging because they don't have a private lot. They're located on the outskirts of downtown so pre-gaming here with happy hour sake prices are a great way to start the night. However, I will note that the service was little bit slow. We constantly had to seek out the waitresses to ask for more water or more utensils or more sake/beer. I can't really say that they were that bust during the time we were there.
(4)Kristy A.
I had the Charishi bowl, and the fish was sub par. The service was ok. It was dark. Below average for me. Plus a homeless guy flashed his dong at us from the street through the ground to ceiling windows.
(2)K J.
Okay, I've been here twice and although the service was rather slow, the food was good. So, I decided to have lunch with my mother and sister. I was bragging about the food at this spot and didn't expect what happened. See, we arrived at about 1:10 and since we've been there before, we already knew what to order. All of us ordered Teriyaki dishes (i.e., chicken, salmon, etc.) and nothing else. Seems simple enough. Anywho, ordered immediately and at 1:50, no food arrived. Only noticed because other diners were leaving AFTER having a meal. Asked about our dishes and was told that it was "coming" which it never did. After some scambling, the owner offered to give us the meal at 50% discount. Really? No thanks. Wow, some folks will do whatever to get a profit. The service WAS LOUSY and they never came back to our table to ask about anything. Long story short, we left after an HOUR with no food. No luck and no apologies. DON'T EAT HERE unless you have a few hours to kill for eating or you just want to try your luck at getting served. RIDICULOUS, really? No courtesy, no concern, no nothing. With all the sushi places around the area, go there. Don't waste your time here.
(1)Elle J.
Happy Hour Review: In their ads they call their happy hour the most "aggressive" in San Diego. While I could argue with this, I will concede that they do have a long happy hour times and also offer it on the weekends which is a treat. Draft beers are $3 and you have a lot of great choices from Stone Brewing to Sapporo to Blue moon. I have been on a stint of visiting restaurants that don't have the best draft selection so this is a welcomed good deal. Agadashi Tofu ($3): Four large silky tofu pieces and a delicious broth. Be careful and let your tofu cool down! If you like tofu you could do a lot worse than order this dish. Hand Rolls ($3): I did not try them but they looked big and while the freshness wasn't being raved about, they were edible. Veggie Tempura ($5): Large portion! I liked that sweet potatoes made it in the mix. Everything was crispy and good. Seaweed Salad ($5): Standard. Not really a deal at $5 Heart Attack ($5): This was actually pretty spicy upon first bite. This dish was alright but not very healthy. I felt sort of guilty eating it but that guilt wasn't so strong as to stop me. The fish was more like a meatball and over cooked for my liking but for those who liked cooked fish then this might be a fun choice. Don't get me started on "authentic." Such an annoying thing to read in reviews. I seriously doubt anyone in their right minds hoofs it downtown to a trendy looking place like this expecting to have the most authentic sushi in the world. The whole notion of "authentic" as being the set bar for places is alarming and sort of one step thinking. Unless a place is touting itself as traditional it shouldn't be judged on it. I will say if you are a purist than this Happy Hour might not be for you, and good luck in your search.
(4)Megan T.
Some of the best sushi I've ever had. Their specialty rolls are amazing - I had the Vegas roll (Crab, cream cheese, spicy sauce, avocado- tempura fried) and the Dragon Roll (standard topped with eel) and it was all fantastic! Good price, great happy hour specials and excellent sushi. Their Sake bombs are.... underwhelming. But for $3 on happy hour you can have 10 of them!
(5)Michael S.
Wow. This place is a joke. The servers had no Idea what they were doing. I had to get my own plates & chopsticks. Of course they gave me the wrong order & then tried to charge me for extra rolls. Then when I put my credit card on the check the server decided to check their facebook for 20 mins. Don't go here.
(1)Rick N.
Happy Hour Specials worth their weight in Gold!! Authentic cuisine at a reasonable price. I had the Nigiri sampler and the Pacific Citron Roll. Fresh wasabi and ginger slices were served along side all dishes. I would definitely recommend to anyone who knows/loves sushi. : ))
(5)Audrey C.
Came here for Happy Hour and they have a pretty good menu. HH is from 4-7pm, but then they have HH from 7-10pm as well. HH prices break down between $3, 5, 7 and 9. They have appetizers, sushi and other small plates on the menu. We had the Vegas Roll (it only comes as 4 pieces), spicy crunchy roll, spicy tuna handroll and a Fire fire roll (which wasn't HH pricing). All sushi was delicious and hearty. Will def be coming back for more. The regular prices for the sushi are pretty steep. I don't think I would order much from the regular menu. Parking can be a hassle, but remember you can park in yellow and green zones as well after 6pm.
(4)Amanda L.
Came here the other night with my sister and a buy one get one free coupon. Coupon allowed us buy one roll + 2 drinks, get one roll free. We ordered the PB roll (I think), it was a fresher option with yellowtail on top & shrimp tempura on the inside, and the baked salmon roll with ingredients similar to a California roll in the center. Plus a sprite & ginger ale. Since it was Happy Hour we also threw in an order of gyoza. Rolls were tasty. The baked one was a little heavy but good flavor. Sodas came in an over sized mug full of ice that watered it down quickly. Service was okay, nothing to write home about. Can't say it was a bad experience but I do know that I have had better sushi elsewhere. The coupon made the meal worth it...but I can't say I would return for a full prices meal.
(3)Alex A.
I can't believe I haven't been here before! Amazing sushi! Everything was so fresh! Happy hour is from 4-7 and there's plenty to choose from! Prob my new favorite sushi spot
(5)Olivia L.
Closest place I can get to from my office for a good quick lunch! This location has been through at least 3 owners in the past 2 years, so hopefully this place sticks around. It's located right off the 5th ave. trolley stop, connecting to the Wells Fargo building. They have a whole list full of 10$ lunch specials, with their bento box being the most filling for your money! The one I got was served with chicken teriyaki, salad, California rolls, tempura, miso soup, noodles with seaweed, and rice. Sounds like a lot didn't it??? The noodles were pretty good, salad had a weird ginger sauce I didn't really like, and everything else tasted more or less like your typical bento box combination. Can't complain too much! Haven't yet tried the sushi, but next time I get I chance I will. Overall food was good, service was great, and I hope this place sticks around in this location longer than the rest!
(3)Alicia L.
I've been to Ogawashi maybe 4 times now, and it just keeps getting better. The food and the service is always on point. We always get the tin tin salmon sashimi and the live uni. They have a full bar but we just stick to their draft selections. Angie happens to be our server every time and I love it. Weekends can get a little rowdy but still is fun and adds a bit of a funk! Happy Hour Everyday From 3-7.
(5)Louella D.
Eh I don't know how this place got four stars. The place was OK. I don't think I'll be coming back to this place again.The sushi didn't taste fresh and the service was horrible.
(2)Hillary C.
This place has a decent happy hour (good specials) and a pretty good lunch menu, so if you live or work downtown and you happen to be walking by, it's worth a try. It is not, however, worth driving far or in any way inconveniencing yourself. Whatever you do, please do not order anything that requires frying. Gyoza. Egg rolls. Tempura. They have not mastered the art of "changing the oil in the fryer" and anything fried in oil is horrific. The salads and most of the rolls are tasty ... I say most because although it looks like they have a huge menu with a lot of selection, really every roll is a California roll with something else added. Seriously, check it out and you'll see. The only saving grace here is the service; the waitresses/ bartenders are always fast and attentive and helpful.
(2)Jada S.
Excellent rolls. The Sunset and Spicy Crispy Dragon are amazing! Happy hour everyday from 3-7. Lots of great items on the menu.
(4)Glenna K.
Food was delicious (I had a chef's special albacore sashimi plate -- beautiful presentation and generous serving) but was instantly put off when I was seated and given a menu of ONLY rolls. Yes, it had like a bazillion choices on it, but they were ALL rolls. I asked if that was the only menu they had and was told yes. I repeatedly asked "you don't have sashimi?? you don't have appetizers?? you don't have traditional sushi??" Girl kept pointing to my menu and turning it back over (I kept turning it over to stare perplexed at the back at yet more rolls). She finally slapped it, stormed off, and returned with 3 more menus......1) a "normal" menu of apps, salads, sashimi, etc. , 2) the traditional little paper menu that you mark up and give to sushi chef, 3) a beverage menu. Was that so hard???? Also, after taking and bringing my drink order, this same girl never checked back in on me. I will not be back when there is practically a sushi place on every corner.
(2)Rico B.
So I work nearby and thought I would try this place out. First I walk in and don't get seated for about 5 minutes. No clue where the hostess was. I sat ordered off the happy hour menu and waited. After 29 minutes (I checked because I got a phone call right after I ordered) still no food. I paid for my gfs sake bomb and walked out. As I walked out the server asked if I ate my roll, which is weird because if your my server I would think you would know you never gave it to me. The food looks ok but I will never know. They need to definitely get it together when it comes to customer service. And btw the place wasn't even busy. Because of this they get one star
(1)Matt R.
Went here on New Years Eve since most sushi places DT were booked all night. We got a reservation and were quickly seated. Unfortunately the rest of the night we were waiting a long time just to get a drink order, not to mention ordering food nearly 20 minutes later. I know you may be thinking they were super busy because it was New Years, but that's the thing the place wasn't even packed. The service was just slow. When we got our food, the sushi was pretty average, so I doubt I'll be back. Also, everyone keeps raving about their awesome door setup. My suggestion is not to go during winter because that door is essentially the entire wall so it exposes the entire restaurant to the outside temp whenever new customers roll in. I can see how it would be fine if the weather wasn't so extreme, but it wasn't working when it was 40 degrees outside.
(2)Jose C.
Delicious! I can't complain! Service is good and food matches the service and a good spot for groups!
(4)Kathleen C.
Great bento $10 lunch specials and the Waitresses there are all super friendly. If you ever go for drinks, get the Wasabi bloody Mary. Giving 4 stars instead of 5 because of the happy hour prices being too high.
(4)Jonard T.
Located between C street and 4th avenue (along the trolley tracks), Ogawashi is a small and convenient restaurant for those that want quick Japanese food. I ordered the spicy chicken bento box and was surprised by how large the portions were. I didn't think I was going to finish it (but I did). It was definitely possible to save the bento box for dinner, but I was really hungry. The food itself was just okay. I'm more impressed by how fast the food came. I'll have to try the sushi next time. The only reason I didn't is because it's pricier than Sushi Deli, only a few blocks away.
(4)Jane S.
After apartment hunting downtown, we were totally stoked to go to RA happy hour...until we passed Ogawashi and made the correct decision to actually dine here as opposed to RA. I had read something about this place on Yelp and the luring purple LED lights sold us. This is where we were going to have dinner. And it was 20% of the entire menu (until 7pm daily) so we were sold. To start, we got the Poke Salad which was amazing. Fresh sashimi over a seaweed salad, and there was a lot of both. Enough for me and my friend to split without having to ration it. In terms of sushi, we got the crispy rice roll (spicy tuna on a friend rice cake thing), tuna garlic roll, and the sunrise roll. My favorite was the probably the sunrise roll, but the crispy rice roll was significantly better than that ones at RA. The sushi was on par, but is a much better price. So far, I'm feeling Ogawashi over RA any day. To add to the experience, it was great to meet the owner and have him welcome us in is restaurant. Mr. Yi is incredibly hospital and knows how to run a great restaurant! One suggestion: Try playing a different genre of music. For some reason, the Nickleback and Incubus were not meshing well with the ambiance, which is awesome. I would try some "lounge" type music or even trance...especially since it's in the Gaslamp. I think diners would be more receptive to that!
(5)Karen M.
Terrible sushi rolls. We could taste that the fish on the rolls was not great quality, with the exception of the shrimp and imitation crab, which seemed safe. Service was also pretty bad.
(2)Jennifer N.
Great happy hour! Gotta love sitting at the sushi bar. The guys there that night ( I think it was a friday night) were really fun and helpful. The food was really good and fresh and reasonably priced. I think downtown finally has sushi I can go to regularly!
(4)Adele T.
I have to say this place was very good. The rolls were very unique and very presentable. We got a handful of rolls and a yaki soba noodle dish. All were very good. My only con is that this place is very expensive with an average of about $13 a roll. You can get cheaper elsewhere and have it be just as good. I suppose they charge extra for the nice modern look of the restaurant.
(4)Lalo B.
All I can say is sake bombs !!!!! Good sushi good service .Nice clean. bar tenders are super nice go here with my girl a lot happy hour is the bomb.
(4)Amanda B.
I love this place! Feels super classy because it is so modern inside. The son of a beach roll is really the best sushi roll I have ever had- it has all my fav stuff- eel, avocado, shrimp, and love! The owner is a sweet little man who is always there. He is really generous. They have a great happy hour- half off rolls and cheap drinks. It is located in the Ross building on C and Broadway.
(5)Kimberly W.
We are planning to eat at Ogawashi for dinner tonight...we like it so much I decided to see what other people were saying about it and it prompted me to leave a long overdue review. I have lived DT for a long time, and this is by far my favorite sushi place and the only spot we frequent when we are having sushi downtown. The rolls are consistently great, the prices are fair, the Happy Hour is really good, and the service is awesome (Angie is the best!) We've brought other people in, too, and they have all become customers as well. Though we are usually there for dinner I have also had the bento boxes for lunch and those are delicious and a extremely good value, too. Thank you for being a great place downtown that is well-suited for tourists and locals alike!
(5)Kathleen P.
The vibe of this place reminds me of a futuristic hole in the wall Asian place on a space station or something. You can feel the rumbling of the tracks, it is very urban, there are neon lights over each table, and monitors for sports games. The service is great, and the portions were super gigantic. I've never seen a bento box that took up half the table. Definitely recommend the place and would go back again.
(5)Nancy C.
Very good (fresh) sushi! I came with my daughter, and thanks to the Yelp reviews, we ordered three rolls instead of the usual four. They are very generous with large rolls! The Las Vegas roll was huge! We also loved the spicy tuna and the Pacific citrus. I don't think you can go wrong here!
(5)Sarah L.
I went here for the first time today and was pretty disappointed. The atmosphere was nice, but I likely won't be coming here again. I ordered a vegetarian roll that was supposed to have quite a few veggies in it, but most of it was just lettuce. Lettuce is a bizarre sushi ingredient anyway. The rolls were way too big and very loosely packed, like it was done in a rush or by someone inexperienced. Everything just fell apart and so I was just eating rice and lettuce off of my plate, which isn't easy with chopsticks. I think I would've been better off just ordering a salad.
(2)Tamar F.
We ate here while in SD because of the good reviews. However, while it was an OK dinner I probably wouldn't return. The rolls are HUGE. Like, one is a meal. The quality of the fish is okay, but I'd rather have better quality fish and smaller rolls if I'm going for sushi. The music was really loud and we kept being short on napkins. The service was fine... I guess I'm more interested in going to a sushi place that has really good food over a ton of food for the same price.
(3)Rob W.
I'm somehow always here. And it's somehow always happy hour. Coincidence. Maybe. Not really. I'm an alcoholic.* As far I can tell, the best bang for your buck on the menu are the hand rolls. $3 apiece and stuffed with big chunks of seasoned fish. Jesus. You need to try this place. You might also try showing up on your birthday for the most awkward birthday celebration you've ever had, followed by the best deep fried ice cream you've ever had. Don't fight it. Just let it happen. As far as places in downtown SD goes, this place wins all kinds of awards for being perplexing. One of the walls is actually just composed of like 4 giant doors, which on busy nights are constantly opening and letting in gusts of goddamn ice air. Don't sit by the entrance. Do eat here. ----------------------------------------- * Fun Fact. I can have A beer. As in ONE before I turn bright red, go insane, and fall asleep. It's a good party trick.
(4)Paola N.
The sushi was fresh. I tried the tuna garlic roll because I saw reviews about it and it was good. Only thing is that the rice was soft and made the roll fall apart easily. I also tried the sushi combo bento box lunch special. The miso soup was a definite miss. They need to work on that. It was bland and watery tasting. Not good. On the other hand, I REALLY enjoyed the veggie tempura, especially the pumpkin! Usually the veggie tempura is whatever at sushi spots but here it was delicious! The sashimi variety was (2) salmon (2) tuna and (2) albacore. I've realized I'm not a big albacore fan so next time ill see if I can sub the albacore for a different fish. Had a nice Sapporo to wash it all down. :) Overall, would come back again to try a new roll.
(4)Emy C.
Great food and great service. AMAZING happy hour. Baked muscles, vegas roll, mixed tempura, and SAKE BOMBS! I'm very happy with this place. Lived up to expectations. Give it a try!!!
(5)Kelly B.
I went here for my birthday dinner last week because I'm a huge sushi fan and l Wanted to try something new. Service was pretty good no complaints. Sushi was very delicious and fresh. Salmon sashimi was so fresh and was cut in very thick pieces-yum! Great presentation for all the rolls and dishes as well. Would definitely come back again :)
(5)Tonya M.
So happy that a decent sushi place has finally opened in downtown SD. This is not a fancy sushi joint, but a fun, little, everyday sushi spot. While there are a lot of commercialized rolls, their fish is fresh. They have a decent sake selection and they are reasonably priced. Great happy hour specials. Definitely a step up from RA.
(4)Johnny P.
Happy hour includes local san Diego craft beer buy 1get 1 for $1. All sushi is very large slices, almost double the size I usually see at restaurants. The tuna garlic roll is delicious, its on happy hour, and I will get it every time I return. Consider sitting at the sushi bar. The sushi chefs are very friendly and will always make sure you enjoy your experience.
(5)Tison V.
Great food and great happy hour specials. All draft beers are $3.00 and great sushi from 3pm- close.
(4)Kayla R.
Came here for sushi ONLY because I saw the "Mango Tango Roll" on the menu and it is my boyfriend's FAVORITE (we have had it once in Simi Valley) Mango Tango roll was big. It was not as good as Simi's but was yummy. I wanted more taste of mango, personally. Good Choice Roll was suprisingly AMAZING. I really loved this roll (And on happy hour!) I do not remember what was on it... fresh fish, avocado, cucumber, eel sauce. Again BIG pieces (hard to fit in your mouth) I was annoyed at the HH Menu. Alot of the sushi was not on the menu so I did not know what was on them and had to keep asking the waitresses (hence why I don't remember what was on the Good Choice roll.) The service was also slow. 2 dollar saki bombs. Friendly people. Overall... good stuff. Not the best sushi by any means and but still pretty good.
(4)SF Foodie L.
If I could give NEGATIVE STARS, I would. Ogawashi is not worth even the one star. Pros: 1) Great location in that there's a need for sushi in the neighborhood since there's no other sushi joints near by. 2) Pretty layout of the restaurant. 3) Comfy chairs. CONS: 1) Service is horrid: nonchalance to neglect of customers. 2) Probably racist. I'm a dark woman of color. I came in to order a lot of food (cha-ching) since I love sushi, and have the money to spend. Yet, the male server preferred to ignore me instead of taking my order. 3) Slow/no service. 4) No social skills. 5) Almost an empty restaurant, yet lackadaisical with service. *It's a shame that Ogawashi doesn't value their customers because it only takes one time to leave a bad impression. Moreover, customers like me - tell other customers - about bad experiences like this :-) **In the ALTERNATIVE: If you are up for a short walk (10 minutes), I recommend going to a DIFFERENT sushi restaurant. I wandered over to "Sushi Lounge" in the Gaslamp Quarter located on 411 Market St, cross street: 5th St. Superb service + Delicious food + Great ambiance + Cool art + Comfy chairs + Attentive servers. Ogawashi, here's the recipe for a successful restaurant. A recipe that you (Ogawashi) are not following: Delicious Food + Great Customer Service = Money
(1)Joseph B.
Decided to change happy hour up a little bit and try out this place. The happy hour was good, cheap prices and $3 saki bombs is awesome. There appetizers during happy hour tho are hit or miss. Gyoza wasn't a lot but the hand rolls were great! Ending up spending more than I wanted too but I would go back
(4)Cara H.
They have a pretty cool all day happy hour menu! I liked the tuna tartar it doesn't come with wonton chips, but you can ask for it. The sushi was ok, but good for the price.
(3)Adam H.
Food is very good, and the prices are also for the quality. I eat here frequently for lunch, and I'm never disappointed!
(4)Sunny Z.
Came for happy hour 3 dollar beers. Got the sculpin stone white rascal and a pale ale. Cool fun bartenders. Nice joint next to the trolley station.
(4)Nette B.
3 1/2 Stars! Came here a couple of times and the last time I visited I was a little disappointed to find out that they no longer served fried calamari (which was the best I've ever had). Now, they only have tempura calamari. :( Service: Very nice servers and always stopping by to see if we need anything Food: Tuna Garlic Roll Crunch Tempura Roll Kalbi (Why is there Kalbi in a Japanese restaurant? And stupid me I ordered it ERR irking) Tempura Calamari The food to me was alright but the Tuna Garlic Roll was good. HH is also good and it ends at 7:00PM. I'm glad that they have CROWN on the HH menu = HAPPY ME. When in the downtown area and I want Sushi, this is the place I'd go. A lot of the other places in downtown is overrated other than Sushi Deli.
(3)Kendra R.
The one thing I have noticed about San Diego is that I really haven't had bad sushi yet here. Ogawashi was one of the first sushi places I tried in San Diego, and I was (hyperbole coming) blown away. It may be some of the best sushi I have had, and I think I've eaten my fair share of sushi. I got a California Roll, a Salmon Skin Roll, and one of their specialty rolls. My husband also got a ton of sushi (none of which I remember the names of). We also got gyoza. I have zero complaints about any of the food, and think it was all delicious. I know everyone calls the California Roll the American's idea of sushi, so take this with a grain of salt (or buy into it wholeheartedly), but their Cali Roll was friggen amazing. The restaurant also had really good happy hour deals on drinks and food, so our bill ended up being pretty reasonable. The restaurant itself is right downtown and in a prime location, if you love the trolley and downtown San Diego. It is very nice on the inside - has that trendy, Asian restaurant vibe, with music to match. I also consistently get take out here during my lunch hour at work, and the wait isn't too, too bad, so if you want to eat on the run, it's a good option, as well.
(5)Sophie S.
I have to admit that I am not a sushi fan at all! But all of my friends love it so I went here on Friday night. The place was not crowded at all. Music was cool, I remember they played "ni***as in paris" and all that shit. As for the food, as I already said I'm not a huge fan but I enjoyed it though! Sake Bomb 2$ during happy hour = awesome.
(4)Sarah T.
Seriously amazing! Poki Roll was my favorite! The service was wonderful, would recommend to anyone.
(5)Gary S.
Just stopped by because my two favorites were closed on Monday's. This place is a great bang for the buck. The service was fair at best, atmosphere OK, but the quality of the sushi was excellent. You'll save $$ and enjoy the food.
(4)Jesse I.
Ogawashi = its Japanese for "the dopest sushi spot in DownTown SD". period. Here's the alchemy of sushi experiential success: 1) Get me the freshest fish. I want to believe that I am swimming just outside the surf and happened upon a freshly carved sashimi when it hits my lips. 2) A highly trained, professional, friendly staff (doesnt hurt to have a hands-on owner who is there every time we go to ensure our experience is 5 star no matter what). 3) Make the aesthetics of the restaurant something that I am proud to go and bring friends to (which is easy because its one of the most unique designs in town) 4) ... and please don't gouge me with the prices. Make it fair; we know what fair is. = do this and you got me. The other spots in DownTown are either too focused on "the party" and the product suffers. Or, they are too stuffy and there's no entertaining value. Ogawashi gets my only 5 star vote for down town sushi because they accomplish all this, and they do it with style and panache that makes it fun to come back. *They are good for groups, too. We hosted a birthday party there for 20+ and they made it work with ease.
(5)Christina D.
I used to love this place because it was decent food for a fair price but they have recently raised their prices up to 3 bucks a roll, literally overnight! What! They are decent but not that great! If you are willing to venture a bit further from downtown, you'll find better sushi spots at better prices.
(3)Ronza Y.
Nice interior design and large selection on menu but 1. Bad location 2. Bad food 3. Expensive for quality or lack thereof
(2)Rebecca C.
I love there sushi it pretty good . It keep getting additing to it iv been there twice and ate sushi they good it keeps me wanting more
(5)Oleg S.
Food is delicious at affordable price. Staff is friendly. I like design Recommend this place
(5)Jorgess M.
I have yet to find a place that can beat the way I feel about Mikuni (unless I go to Japan and look for Jiro's Sushi), but this place was pretty good, not 5 stars just yet but I liked it. I ordered their Tuna Garlic Roll, Garnet Roll, and of course what I always order at any sushi restaurant, a Rainbow Roll. As usual, I enjoyed the rainbow roll; the tuna garlic roll was just okay --- it was ridiculously too garlicky for me; and the garnet roll was okay also --- to be honest, it didn't really stick out to me. For okay-tasting sushi rolls, the place is pretty pricey, but what I liked is the size of their rolls --- it was frikken huge (thick). The restaurant and the ambiance was great and service was good. I'd come back if I was in the area again and because I love sushi!
(3)Joshua S.
We eat a lot of sushi and we were excited to try this new spot and although the atmosphere was cool we were extremely unimpressed with the food and service. We sat at the sushi bar, so lets start with the menu, can you say boring? Nearly everything on it was a California roll with something added on top or a spicy tuna roll with something else added. We struggled to find three different types of rolls and the result was a terrible presentation, burnt rice and fish that was not very fresh. As far as the spiciness, on the menu they have the rolls ranked, 1 pepper for mild and 4 for spicy. Much to our disappointment, the 2 pepper roll was much, much spicier than the 4 pepper roll. In fact, the 4 pepper roll wasn't spicy at all. We were also extremely disappointed when we notice a tray behind the sushi bar with pre-made rolls. As far as the service, when the server approached us, the second one, she was very pleasant and explained the happy hour menu and answered our questions, that was the last time we talked to either of them. Not once did someone ask how our food was and I had to ask the sushi chef for a water refill, which he came from behind the sushi bar to fill on his own...really? Also, as we were walking out, the hostess didn't even look at us or thank us for coming in. In all, it wasn't a very good experience and needless to say, I wouldn't recommend this place or visit here again, there are too many great other options for sushi in San Diego.
(1)Cassandra L.
New favorite everyday sushi joint. Good bye, sushi deli! Prices are more expensive, but not by too much. And there is a reason. I ordered the salmon sashimi platter - $9 for 8 SLABS of FRESH FAT SALMON. Win. And it's not tonight, the happy hour is every day 3pm-closing time. Their fish is fresh as Faulkner, and the rolls are huge. The waiter warned about their monstrosity and he delivered. I could barely finish my Alaska roll. But I kept eating because it was delicious. The music was jumping, and they have multiple flat screens for sports. This is a trusty stand by. It has it all.
(4)Mayzie T.
Awesome doors, but that's all. Came here with some friends after watching the Nutcracker Ballet. We couldn't think of anywhere to eat, but hey, sushi is always a good idea! I got some seaweed salad and a roll (I forget the name but it was on their happy hour menu and had a soy wrap on it and I think tuna). The service was friendly, but kind of slow, even though it was only our table and two people at the bar. The seaweed salad was nothing out of the ordinary, pretty alright, somewhat weepy in a way idk why, but the taste wasn't bad. It did feel like it wasn't fresh though. The sushi roll also was very bland. There really was no good flavor. It tasted very ordinary. Like it was "sushi flavor" or something. The tuna was very mushy in consistency and just didn't taste fresh. I just felt like there was no good craftsmanship in my order! Everything was really just kind of blahhh. And really, I absolutely love sushi so it was kind of disappointing not to see any good oomph in the art! My cousin even said that some of the California roll was on the sour side. Worst of all, the food here gave me some major bubble guts! Like yeah, it may be gross to say, but it's the truth! So please Ogawashi, use fresh food for paying customers! It's only customary! Don't know if i'll be coming back, because I'm a loyal customer to other sushi joints, but do it for your future guests!
(2)Anine Y.
I am more a sashimi type person but my friends are more rolls type people, so we ordered a wide variety of items as a result. The thing that stuck out to me the most about this place was the size of the sushi rolls. The rolls here are huge, I have never seen such big rolls (in diameter) before, they were at least two to three times the size of regular sushi rolls. The sashimi here is pretty good in quality for the price and they had interesting roll flavors and combinations. We came during the happy hour special period, so the food prices were very reasonable for the quantity and quality.We all had drinks and were stuffed to the gills for about $25 per person. Definitely one of the better places to dine near the Gaslamp/Downtown area.
(4)Grace C.
HH here is pretty awesome. I say get the handrolls~ by far best $3 you will spend. Regular rolls were mediocre, and I don't like rolls and I typically like to stick to onigiri or sashimi. It's a plus they also have beer on tap and not just traditional sapporo or kirin like most japanese restaurants. Pretty cool place with good service.
(4)Ramiro M.
Great food. I was the only one there when they opened so my food came out quick. I had a problem when paying though. After telling me my card was declined, I called my bank and they said the transaction went through. I verified this via the chase app. I guess their machine was on the fritz but it was a major hassle/waste of time. The hostess was understanding and we left it at that, plus I left a hefty cash tip because she felt bad for what happened. Once again, great food!
(3)Jena V.
I've had a few rolls and their lunch special. Nothing stands out but nothing was bad either. Great spot in downtown.
(4)Pong C.
The rolls are ok, nothing to write home about but the location, service and the happy hour pricing makes this a great place if you want to hang out/chat with your friends and have something to eat. Some rolls I tried were a bit heavy/greasy though. If you are a sushi purist, then don't expect to be satisfied here The staff was great!
(4)Anand A.
One of the BEST Happy Hours in town - hands down! Love the interior design and the vibe, definitely for the hip and trendy crowds. Their food is awesome! They have everything from creative rolls for the American palette to live Uni and Toro for the traditionalists. I mean, you have Kazumi san working there as a sushi chef who is a godfather figure for many sushi lover San Diegans. I've been there many times and the service was top notch every time. It's one of my favorite spots to hang out. $3 Sculpins, bomb food, and great service. What else can I ask for?
(5)Jenni H.
Service was great!!! The food came out fast (the bartender did say the kitchen was slow when they first opened-they've clearly corrected that) on to the sushi: fresh fish, nice portions, good prices-what's not to like?! Oh, in case you aren't already convinced, bomb ass happy hour special on local brews (ballast sculpin, racer 5, etc.) buy one get one for a penny 3-8 M-F
(4)Natalie K.
The sushi was not what I expected after seeing that this place got an average of 4-stars on yelp. The sushi in VA is way better than this and I expect a lot from CA sushi since the food in CA is usually better. After speaking to the manager it seems that one of their sushi chefs wasn't in so that may be a legitimate excuse, but to be honest it must be the best chef ever if he was gonna make up for what we had. If you're not used to eating sushi this would be okay. There was one thing that was tasty and that was the crispy rice roll...it just wasn't enough to carry the mango tango, protein roll, etc.
(1)Helen P.
The food is super fresh and the location is great! Everything we ordered, from the albacore sashimi to the garlic tuna roll, they would all just melt in our mouth. The service was good but we had to ask a couple Of times for extra napkins and ginger. Overall it was a very good experience.
(4)Heather W.
My husband I and I are in here at least once a week. The service is very friendly and the happy hour is good. Hailing from Miami I had yet to find a decent mojito in the almost five years I've lived in San Diego. Well, leave it to Ogawashi to make one that's actually pretty good! Good roll selection. Edamame is spot on. Timing of baked rolls getting onto the table could use some improvement (regular rolls come out in five minutes; you're finished and sometimes twenty to twenty-five minutes later you finally get the baked rolls - we just usually skip baked altogether now). All in all a thumbs up. Hopefully a restaurant has finally opened on the corner of 5th and C that is here to stay!
(4)Darci D.
Love it. Happy hour is extra long and the sushi was really good! Also, who could say no to $3 fireball shots on a Saturday night? We got a lot of really good rolls for a really good price and the girl helping us was super nice. Overall, quality was good, atmosphere was nice, and the prices were definitely reasonable for downtown.
(5)Brandon T.
Very disappointed in the sushi! Came here for their awesome happy hour, which is pretty good, especially the different drink selections. We ordered a few of the happy hour rolls. The sushi was not fresh, and I definitely did not feel good later that night. I couldn't even finish the hand roll because it was so awful. The décor and service was nice, I really wanted to try more of their Japanese beers, but because of the food, I will not be coming back.
(2)Thomas H.
The only nice thing I can say is the hostess was pleasant and accomodating. The Sushi is the same high quality sushi you can find in a place like podunk, Iowa or nowhere, Wyoming. Definitely not impressed. The manager on duty was rude and walked around looking like she just bit into a turd. I dont live close so I wont have to worry about going back here. if you are considering Ogawashi go to Ra instead.
(2)Jorgeanne C.
So happy that there is another sushi place close to work! My other options were Ai Sushi which is good dont get me wrong but is always ALWAYS packed with the whole restaurant with foregin students. Then there's RA Sushi but that's a trek from my office. So im happy Ogawashi is here and hopefully stays for a long time. The location in itself has seen lots of turnover but my recent visit ensures me that this place will be around. Must come for lunch as their prices and menu options (bento boxes and sashimi) are great. For dinner they hike it up and turn more into a club scene. Definitely a great place to come for groups and chow down on sushi, bento boxes, etc.
(4)Keith M.
Service was excellent. Food was horrible!!! Absolutely horrible. The fish is not fresh at all and the produce they used for the salad was old vegetables and tomatoes. Very soggy and NOT crisp.
(2)Johanna H.
Awesome, delicious happy hour menu, great prices and the amount of food, it's perfect!!
(5)Brandon A.
Loved it. I can't remember the name of the roll I ordered, but it was a big roll and delicious. I also ordered the Terriyaki chicken bento entre' and I didn't realize that it was a huge serving; I couldn't even finish it, but like the roll, it was absolutely amazingly fantastically de-li-cious!! The hostess/waitress Amanda, very nice, remembered my name the second time around, very beautiful too, took great care of me and my friend. I had to ask for her number, but unfortunately for me she was already taken, but ya know, that's not going to stop me from going back there to enjoy the food haha. Overall a nice place out of the hustle and bustle of downtown, but still not too far from where I live and the busy parts of the Gaslamp Quarter. Great food, excellent customer service, huge rolls and entre's, not too bright and not too dark, so yeah I am a fan.
(5)Elizabeth C.
Fantastic sushi! I love coming here, especially for their happy hour, great deals. The sashimi is always so fresh and tasty. A couple of my favorites would be the ceviche and the poke salad!
(5)Ashley G.
We were staying at a hostel downtown and wanted to snatch up some sushi that was nearby. For some reason, a lot of the sushi places along Gaslamp closed early, or didnt open at all, on Sundays so when we stumbled across an open one ~ ogawashi ~ we piled in. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the food ~ it was fresh and the spicy rolls were definitely spicy. I give it three stars because the service was not good. Period. The waitress was nice enough but she just wasnt interested in her surroundings and didnt pay much attention to anything at all and she was just slow. Slow to take an order. Slow to fill water. Slow to answer questions. Maybe she was new or just having a rough day. Either way, service was still awful and that's a shame.
(3)Nayita B.
Just tried it. I work around the corner. Very good and great pricing for lunches.
(5)Kevin L.
Good for lunch at work or as a starting spot for happy hour. The fish and rolls at Ogawashi are ok. But I would recommend the bento boxes and happy hour specials. 3 dollars for a sculpin draft is really good.
(3)W C.
Came here yesterday w/ the wife on date night...we're locals in downtown, live in East Village. It's difficult to find quality food at fair prices down here, I guess 'cause we're such a touristy/destination location. These guys, however, do a great job. They have gracious happy hours & very good quality food. Yesterday the beer was fresh & cold & so was our spicy Tuna roll. We ordered an entree which had varied and enormous amount of sides. Our 2 waitresses were super helpful, friendly & had lots of smiles; always makes the experience of dining more pleasant. So all in all, highly recommend the joint.
(5)Valentina M.
I had walked past this place on a number or occasions and had wanted to try it since it was new and I love checking out new sushi places. I came here with my fiance and another couple for dinner and we were seated immediately. Even though it was a Saturday, this place was pretty empty which is a shame because it has the same exact menu as its sister restaurant PB Sushi in Pacific Beach. There is a great selection of sashimi, crunchy/mayoish rolls and baked rolls. Being fans of PB Sushi we were presently surprised. In fact, the quality of the sushi was comparable but I felt that this place had better service and a better selection of cocktails/wine. In addition, this place has great happy hour specials around dinner time which its sister restaurant does not. Will definitely be back!
(4)Julie Q.
service was great, loved the sushi salad. loved the happy hour and sports channel. parking is a pain in DT though...so be careful
(4)Ahmed E.
Food poisoning, again never trust the server when they recommended any item especially during happy hour. A week a go in went with my girl friend. It was happy hour and the server " recommended" protein role. I had an aggressive episode of food poisoning that I am still recovering from till now. Never trust that place, and would never recommend even trying it.
(1)Ritz D.
Came here for happy hour with some friends. Variety of different rolls, drinks, salads and other tapas sized dishes on their HH menu ranging from $5-10+. A lot of the rolls I wanted to try were not included in HH so I might have to go back. I would recommend the Vegas roll and the sashimi bowl, both off the HH menu. A nice and different ambiance from a more traditional Japanese restaurant but I wouldn't expect anything less from a downtown location.
(3)Dyane P.
The bf and I love this place. As a Japanese girl, I can readily admit that they don't have the best sushi around. Yet, this place is always chill, has cheap drinks, and seems to always be on happy hour. For cheap, good food and cheap drinks, we love this place. They have a pretty good mix of rotating beers (Sculpin, Ballast Point) and strong well drinks. I think that it would do much better if wasn't on C Street, but the boyfriend and I come here time and again when we want something where we can have fun together without a noisy, busy crowd around us. The service is always on point (we always sit at the bar) and we always have a good time. We definitely will return.
(4)Ashley S.
Come here for their happy hour! HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS: $2 Sake Bomb (house sake) $3 Well Spirits All Draft Beers Fireball $5 Patron, Grey Goose, or Crown (single shot) $7 Handcrafted Cocktails HAPPY HOUR FOOD SPECIALS: $3 Gyoza Edamame Agedashi Tofu Hand Roll (excluding soft shell crab) $5 Nigiri Sampler (3 pieces / one per person) Mixed or Vegetable Tempura Heart Attack (spicy bomb) Seaweed Salad Seafood Spring Roll $7 Happy Ceviche Happy Oga Roll 20% off Sushi Roll Menu 3pm-7pm We came in for their happy hour which starts at 3PM until closing and lemme just say, it's totally worth it!! Sushi is one of my favorite foods. So I've tried A LOT of it and I know whats fishy/un-fresh. Hmm, cheap sushi.. so that raises an eyebrow.. You'd expect it to be un-fresh! I got 3 hand rolls and a sushi roll. I got two spicy tuna hand rolls, and a salmon roll. The sushi roll was OK, it had more rice than expected, but the fish was definitely fresh. I picked all the rice out of my hand rolls and just ate the fish and seaweed, and it was amazing. $2 Sake bombs, $3 drafts, along with $3 fresh fish hand-rolls and mini-appetizers, you can't go wrong! They also have specials that are less than $10 so you can really leave there getting a fill and your money's worth. I'm from Vegas and I've never been anywhere that had $2 sake bombs! The service was awesome. I can't remember the girls name, but she was super nice and patient- even offered to take photos of our group that night. One of our friends didn't get a hand roll he ordered, and she quickly made sure he got it as soon as she realized he did not get it. Glad we stumbled upon this place in Gaslamp. I didn't break the bank, and it satisfied my sushi craving. I only wish they had more sushi rolls on their happy hour. This place is the next best thing, to AYCE sushi.
(4)Leonard S.
By far my favorite sushi place in the city. Their happy hour prices are great and the sushi is always bountiful and fresh. My favorites are the protien roll, the happy oga roll, and the yellowtail collar (Hama Kama).
(5)Andrew S.
I've gone here three times, and the experience gets a little bit more sloppy each time. I think the problem is in the wait staff, rather than the food itself (which is solid, but not too memorable). Between very slow service and having to get my drink from the bar myself, I'm feeling like the waitresses are always in a panic. To be fair.... I've been a waiter, and I was fired after 6 months for the same thing.. even when you're completely swamped, you have to take a few moments and collect yourself before calmly approaching your table.. otherwise you look completely chaotic and disorganized. The sushi won't kill this place, it's going to be the service.. and YES get rid of the PB and Garnet roll.. we're downtown!
(3)Amber E.
Came back almost a year later, and Ogawashi still has really good lunch specials - good quality, great value. You can still get a bento box for $10-13 ($10 chicken teriyaki, $12 salmon teriyaki, and $13 beef teriyaki), and now they have a cut roll special for $10 that includes your choice of about 6 specialty rolls, very tasty miso soup, little trio of cucumber salad, seaweed salad and edamame. I'm still a fan!
(5)Roland A.
Really good sushi. But pricey for an everyday lunch.
(4)Meredith F.
This restaurant has an interesting vibe - loudish current pop music, lights, and sushi. We were seated right away with our backs to an open window that the san diego tram thing passed by. We were seated and I immediately saw a small thing on the table listing happy hour specials 'every day from 3 pm til close.' At first I said "Wow, awesome!" then thought "hm, it needs to be discounted every single day? Does it suck?" Hoping it didn't suck, we ordered some things from the $3 column (gyoza and salted edamame - both yum!), a spicy tuna roll (which was one long rolled up tuna seaweed thing, not a hand roll like I pictured) and 2 normal size rolls each for $9. The "oh no" roll was very tasty - california roll with tuna on top and scallions. The fried....something roll (yummy?) which was a $7 deal was okay, but the fried-ness of it took away from any of its flavor. Everything fried essentially just tastes like fried oil. But all in all, we had a bunch of food, were plenty full, and only spent $35 including a beer ($3) and a mixed drink ($3). Not bad for a night out! I only gave 4 stars on my review because the waitstaff was all over the place. We got seated by once person, handed menus by another, at least two others tried taking our drink or food orders, got served by one of the waitresses, asked for our bill from two different waitresses. Not great communication, but we did get all our food and drinks without much stress!
(4)Ashley G.
Love the look of this restaurant. It is never really busy so I have never had to wait. It's really close to my house so we often visit here to pregame before we head out. The happy hour here is amazing! After 7pm they have $3 beers and $2 shots. The food is ok. I had the lobster roll. It was ok. Nothing too special. They do have good deals on small bites too
(4)Michael G.
A co-worker had recommended Ogawashi to me for lunch, so I took the plunge and ordered Bento for lunch. The portions were HUGE, therefore I had leftovers for dinner...always a bonus. The tempura was not greasy, but rather light and crispy. Everything else was spot on and quite delicious. One thing needs particular mention, the service from when I walked in the door to the individual who handed me the order was some of the best around. Other places of business should take notice.
(4)Malcolm J.
Went for HH 3/8/13 and several other times Service is good, I usually sit at the sushi bar and the chefs are friendly (not overly friendly) but cool. The older guy on the end seems like he might have an attitude but really warms up to you after a while. I like that. The waitresses are all very cool and friendly The food is much better than you would expect. something about going north of Broadway on 5th street immediately lowers your expectations, but the quality and presentation are just as good as places further south or at the beach. Good service+good quality fish+ good prices+low-key atmosphere= really good HH spot.
(4)Edward C.
A terrific lunch spot. The lunch specials are a great deal- reasonably priced and lots of food.
(5)Annie C.
I have been to Ogawashi three times. And every time I went, I had a great experience! The interior is sophisticated, the food is good, there is a bar, and they have some of the nicest servers! Angie (who I think is the manager there) has the sweetest and friendliest personality! She has made the service excellent, which made me go back there in the first place. It doesn't hurt that she is hot too :) good to have an eye candy while you're eating. When you're craving sushi at downtown check the place out! I totally recommend it.
(5)Ben H.
Awesome place! Rolls are huge, you really only need one per person l promise! Awesome drink specials, good music (though a bit loud) and classy service! Not a romantic spot but definitely a fun and solid place to start a night out!
(5)Steven F.
Either this place is new or the location just wasn't great, also I passed by two other sushi places before reaching ogawashi.. The interior is pretty nice, restaurant looks small, they have an upstairs for what I assume big/private parties. The sushi bar is directly in the back, good large selection on sashimi and sushi rolls, i ordered the spicy yellow tail roll, it was pretty good. Prices on pitchers are the same for their draft beer even though a pint of their draft varies...waitress said pitcher could fill probably 5 glasses, barely filled 3 glasses and 3/4 in the 4th glass.
(3)Heather M.
This place was pretty irritating especially because the decor is beautiful and the location is amazing. My group of three walked in 45 minutes before closing (I had called ahead to make sure this would be fine- they said of course). We were promptly seated and the doors were closed and locked behind us. A little weird but ok... We sat and the waitress asked us our drink orders.. pretty standard...As we skimmed the menu we threw around what looked good to us and as the waitress brought us waters (not our actual drink orders- 2 teas/1 soda) she asked "Did I hear you say you wanted hand rolls, I can put the order in now?" Uhhh no, we're not ready yet but thanks? Strange.. so a few minutes later she asks if we're ready yet.. we place an order for appetizer. Before the appetizer is out she's asking again for our orders, this time we're ready. A bit later the appetizers come out, but still no drinks. We flag her down and ask about drinks and she rushes out saying since the bar was closed the paper didn't print out to remind her. Uhhh ok. So here come the teas and soda and she asks if we want sugar/honey.. Honey would be great! Here come a few of the rolls.. then I see the waitress wiping down tables, etc. We flag her down asking about the honey. She forgot. She comes back saying they ran out, but here's the check NO RUSH. Wait- we're still missing rolls!?! She scampers off with a look of bewilderment. She comes back saying she somehow didn't write them down and now the kitchen was closed. Wow. I'm glad I was able to fill up on appetizers because I was SOL. At this point I'm so irritated by this server I want to just go, but she keeps apologizing for mistaking a sugar box for honey. What?! You forgot my drinks, my food, and now you're annoying me. Believe me, I've made mistakes with the best of them.. but sheesh. I hate to say this place is just meh because from the rolls i mooched off of it is really good food, but the service is so terrible that I would not come back. In terms of sushi restaurants, there are other fish in the sea, and I do not have to settle my standards.
(2)Lesley D.
Stumbled upon this little gem after getting off at the Fifth Street trolley station. We live in L.A. and were in SD visiting friends and planned on just grabbing a beer and then heading into Gaslamp. The bartender, who was really friendly, informed us they have Happy Hour everyday after 3p.m. - Happy Hour included ALL draft beers for $3, including Stone IPA, Kirin, and a few other great craft beers. All Grey Goose drinks were $5 and were a very substantial pour. We ordered some of the appetizers including the Gyoza and baked mussels off of the HH menu and they were delicious and cheap!!! We also ordered a couple of rolls which were also HH pricing - they were delicious! We stayed for much longer than we anticipated because everyone was friendly, drinks and food were yummy and cheap, and the place was just had a great vibe. We eventually left and went bar hopping in Gaslamp but came back to Ogawashi as our last stop. The owner/manager remembered us and gave us a very warm welcome back as did the same bartender. Our little group loved this place and it's definitely on our must visit list each time we're back in SD!!!!
(5)Kimmy B.
I'm giving it two stars because of the appearance of it. The service was beyond AWFUL. The guy seemed like he was the only server on a Wednesday! You have two hostess and probably the man who was the manager/owner. He sat down to chat with one of the hostess. Awesome. All while my experience was awful! The server brought out the wrong items. I ordered a house salad which comes with cucumbers and onions and the dressing. Ask me what it came with. Lettuce. a small bowl of lettuce. I kid you not. It was bad enough the house salad was bare, it came out looking as if it was from a bag they sell at Vons! We ordered the Spicy tuna hand roll... the server brough us tuna cut rolls. There was a roll wrapped in soy paper and had sesame oil and all the protein as any protein rolls would.. awful. The blandest thing ever. It was all around just boring food. It looked good on paper but when it came out for you to eat, don't expect much excitment. Ps. when the orange slices came out, we didn't even get to finish it before the server decided for us that we were done eating!! Ridiculous. I still think RA will do better. This is just a little competition as they want the nightlife to branch out near the trolley tracks and the homeless..
(2)Jackson I.
Ive been here for lunch twice now because of the proximity to my work. On the first visit i was pleasantly surprised. I ordered the Kalbi bento box for $10. Although it was more expensive than the RA Bento box that I usually get, the food was pretty good and included a generous portion of mixed Tempura. The service was OK. On the second visit, they were much less busy and the lunch menu had already been changed. Kalbi box...gone. Prices... up. I got the salmon bento box for $12 and this time it was far worse than RA. Miso - not as good, Rice tasted funny, Salad- no dressing, Cali roll - loose, fell apart. The true loser was my friend who ordered the grilled chicken salad and got some precooked chicken on a bed of mixed greens and some oily dressing on the side. . Not other veggies at all. I was shocked. Overall if they want a strong lunch crowd - I think they need to consider revising the pricing to compete with other Japanese that is 1 block away, expand their selection and fix their salads. I hope the owner reads this because I want to like this place.
(2)Darling E.
Service sucks, rolls/sushi is ok, but all OVERPRICED. $48 for 2 rolls and 2 glasses of house wine...???? Ur better off at SUSHI DELI.... food is better, & we always pay $20 for 2 rolls & 2 glasses of wine. Ogawashi is about 228% the cost of a similar meal elsewhere. Rip off
(2)Kelsey S.
Great happy hour specials on drinks and appetizers. The food is pretty good and the drinks are cheap. The service is pretty mediocre, not terrible but not great. Great for late night happy hour.
(3)Ann H.
My family has been to Ogawashi three times. Once was soon after they opened, and then twice more recently- once to dine-in and once as take out. The first time we went, it was ok. The sushi was fine, service was good. More recently, the sushi was very good as was the service. This is the type of sushi place with complicated rolls, most involve krab, and there are a lot of rolls that feature cooked ingredients. I really like the calamari roll, PB roll, Alaska roll, and Baja roll. If you want a loud, trendy Californian style sushi restaurant, rather than a traditional Japanese style sushi bar, Ogawashi is what you're looking for. That's what they do, and they do it well.
(4)Miriam C.
Been here since it opened and place used to be great until business started picking up... They regularly put out coupons and they regularly make up rules that are not written on the coupon and therefore do not apply. An example is the server Jay said one had to order two nonalcoholic beverages for a coupon to count. No manager was conveniently available for comment so be aware of tricks when eating at this location.
(3)Maneh B.
We're new in town from LA and found this place on yelp, tried it last night. Pretty dissapointed and probably wont come back. Service was great, friendly, nice employees. BUT the food was just not good. The pieces of the sushi rolls were HUGE, not fun trying to stuff a giant piece in your mouth, then have to cover your mouth because you know you look like an idiot chomping away like a cow LOL. We also left about 6 different pieces of rolls behind, which is basically a whole roll. The waitress knew it too, when she came to clear the plates "too big huh?" she asks. UHH YES, yes they were. I should've known better when I saw all the TVs and what the waitresses were wearing. Basically booty shorts. I eat out often and those 2 things just tell me the establishment is more concerned with being hip/trendy/distracting rather than focusing on the quality of the food thats served. I just don't know how to describe the Its just one of those sushi places that you know uses cheap fish, and if you know a little better, you can taste that its just bland, nothing special sushi. I'm not a sushi connoisseur but I could just tell it wasn't the quality that I want. So we're still on the hunt for a decent casual sushi spot and I thought based on the ratings this would be ok, but I guess I just need a bit better quality.
(2)Tony D.
Awesome place, with really good food. I had a bento box and it was awesome. I was there during the soft open and it didn't fail to please. Quality and not to over priced. If you haven't been there, you lucked out.
(4)mercy f.
I find this place thru Yelp... Food was great!!! Service was great ... Really good sushi!
(5)Justin H.
Best sushi in San Diego. Sit at the sushi bar though...and look for the older sushi chef, he's quite the expert!
(5)Big T.
This was great! A real value at Happy Hour. Very good sushi - exactly as advertised! And very nice setting inside. Location just north of Broadway a little rough with the beggars and homeless, which might explain why there is a high male-to-female patron ratio. I look forward to venturing back here.
(4)Nicole K.
Great service and food. Happy hour is awesome and the protein wrap is worth fighting over. (Yes it's on happy hour )
(5)Kari M.
If there was a no star option, I would chose that. Sushi was terrible. I had a feeling it was going to be bad when I walked in and should have listened to my gut. We tired two rolls and both were terrible.
(1)Julz M.
I'm always a little worried to try a sushi spot I've never heard about but I was pleasantly surprised with everything! Our server was very sweet. The rolls were yummy! Not filled with fluff or skimpy on the good stuff!.. The chef even threw in an appetizer for Free! My boyfriend wasn't only excited to see vegetarian rolls/options but, to pay $35 for beer, sakes, and rolls!! We definitely found our new sushi spot downtown!
(4)Brian A.
Never have had sushi before and the waiter was so helpful with me not knowing anything about it. Very large rolls. The place is very easy to find and it has a huge fan on the ceiling! Great place.would definitely recommend it to others.
(4)Amy S.
Such a good variety of food and service. They surprised me with a birthday treat too. Awesome vibes.
(5)Mz. J.
The happy hour prices don't make up for the greasy, under-seasoned food. My husband and I both had the yakisoba which we found disappointingly short on noodles and flavor. My seafood yakisoba had 2 shrimp. It may be that their sushi is delicious. I certainly hope so. Otherwise, the main reason to come here seems to be cheap drinks--and I can drink for "free" at home.
(2)Nathan B.
Came in the other night with a buddy of mine and had MJ as our server and host. She did a great job making us feel welcome and was able to explain the menu very well even with all of my crazy questions. The food was good especially the veggie tempura. I would recommend this palce if you are in the area and want some good service and some tasty food.
(5)Carrie B.
Finally nice to have a sushi restaurant nearby my office! However, they just opened so I think they still have a few 'kinks' to work out. The $10 bento box lunch special gets you a lot: miso soup, salad, rice, tempura mix, Cali roll, and your choice of a main (I chose the Sashimi). However, there were a few disappointments. Main thing: the miso soup wasn't hot. Just lukewarm. Not just my bowl, but the rest of my group's as well (7 total). I didn't bother finishing mine and gave the rest to my co-worker who wasn't happy with his lukewarm soup either. The rest of the food arrived a few minutes later in bento boxes. It was alright, but I wouldn't get it again despite the deal. Once the official grand opening happens, I will return to try out their happy hour and try some of their sushi rolls. Although I did like the TVs with each one showing a different game, the music seemed a little too loud and it's annoying to have to shout at your co-workers at lunchtime (any other time is fine).
(3)Kate K.
I come to ogawashi twice a week and I have to say the food is really good. I never have any complaints! Service is always on point and the wait staff are very attentive. Especially the manager angee. They have good happy hour 3-closing every day!
(5)Deb H.
Not a great experience. First, no acknowledgement from the guy at the check-in desk while a waitress passing by did realize I'd been waiting and said someone would be right with me. Finally seated and asked for iced green tea. Waiter said it was brewing and brought water with about 4 ice cubes. It was too warm inside considering the temp outside and other guests were fanning themselves. Sushi roll (cut) I ordered fell apart when I tried to pick it up, and it was too big for a normal bite. Had to bite off a chunk, which caused it to fall apart more. Waiter comes by again to say green tea isn't ready and offered regular tea. It was bad, at least to me because I like brewed tea, not canned. Took a long time to get my card back once I paid. Not going back.
(1)Ribbs C.
Last minute Birthday dinner with friends. They were able to accommodate us since we were a big group. Sushi was good. Happy hour was good also. Service was good. I would definitely come back.
(4)Brandy S.
Great experience here today. Good sushi and they have great lunch specials so it wasn't too expensive...the restaurant is very clean, as well as the restrooms. Will definitely come back!
(4)Breea B.
Beautiful presentation! Delicious fish. Very cool decor and good beats playing in the background. I like.
(3)Temuka B.
I stopped by Ogawashi to have some sushi with my friends one night and we had a blast. I was surprised that they had happy hour on drinks and food so later on the day but they have happy hour until they close. Officially the best happy hour ever!!! And the service was very good with friendly and welcoming staff. This has become one of my favorite places to go in downtown.
(5)Aimee M.
This place has a great happy hour deal! Went here a couple of weekends ago. The food was pretty good and the service was awesome. Three waitresses running the floor and they were all over the place helping us out. We ordered some rolls and sake bombs, a lot of food. But when the bill came it was so much less than expected, which is always a plus. Would be a fun place to hang out with a group of friends!
(4)Clara L.
Tried some sushi today in SD downtown and loved the place! New Sushi Restaurant in San Diego with high quality food and reasonable price!! Very delicious and fancy sushi & Sweet and tasty cocktail! Cool and modern new interior with tree shape column and open window to the patio! Most of all, the best customer service in SD Downtown!
(5)Jason C.
The food here is really good, there is no doubt about it. The prices are a little bit expensive compared to other sushi spots in Downtown SD. And through no fault of their own, the parking sucks. There is no street parking, you have to park at least 3-4 blocks away.
(4)Genevieve C.
My boyfriend and I randomly stopped in here because we saw they had a happy hour. It is everyday from 3-close. How awesome is that? It wasn't very crowded and we were seated immediately. The hostess who was our waitress, as well, was so nice and friendly. The food was delicious and happy hour prices were awesome! $2 sake bombs are pretty great. We got the ceviche which was delicious and visually appealing. Top that off with a couple of $3 hand rolls and we left there happy campers.
(4)Chris N.
BEST HAPPY HOUR PRICES: Ogawashi is the best Happy Hour in downtown San Diego. $3 pints of micobrew, you can't beat that. Just a block down the street the same beer is going for $7. After a couple of brews one can enjoy some fat delicious sushi. The staff are helpful and professional. It is right on the trolley so there is good people-watching. Make this place a regular stop. I'll see you there!
(5)Les V.
Came during Happy Hour and enjoyed some of their specials. The fish was fresh and well cut and tasty. Only bummer was the "tempura" calamari. It was not the customary light tempura batter. It was instead the dark crispy TONKATSU style coating. So my advice is don't order the tempura calamari.
(4)Nina L.
Came here for happy hour with some girlfriends. The happy hour deals were awesome...we all had $3 glasses of Chardonnay and it didn't give us a headache the next day. The food was just okay. We started off with the edamame, which was a little salty but decent. I ordered the protein wrap sushi and boy was it fishy! It was not terrible, but the roll had a good amount of liquid that came out every time I squeezed it with my chopstick to pick it up. I decided to order the gyoza afterwards and it was super oily. Overall, I would not come back for the food. Maybe just a quick stop in for some drinks, but that's about it.
(3)Greg K.
I'm a regular and go there all the time. The best sushi happy hour in downtown. Reasonable prices and the quality of the fish easily beats Ra Sushi and others in the area. Get the sushi chef's choice on 6 piece sashimi - the best!!!!
(5)Veronica P.
Pretty disappointed!! It was a pretty modern / contemporary looking restaurant - easy access in downtown; however, what turns me off was their utensils specially the glasses taste fishy - which made my drink taste horrible and made my taste bud unpleasant through out my dinner. and i think the food is okay. need more improvement - sorry.
(2)Min L.
My husband and I just randomly decided to check this place out since we were in downtown and got hungry. I am so glad we went here!!! Fish was very fresh first of all, which I think is the top priority when it comes to go eat sushi. We ordered Salmon salad, which was served as a generously portioned crunch lettuce bed completed covered with nice thick salmon sashimi slices and some avocado slices. I don't know what the dressing was --probably ginger? -- but it was really delicious. There was $3 special menu so each of us got a nigiri sampler -- very fresh tuna, yellow tail and salmon nigiri for just $3, which I thought was a really good deal. Other dishes were all very reasonably priced, actually pretty inexpensive for downtown. And they offer 20% off happy hour till 7pm everyday. Their bar had all kinds of fancy European and Japanese draft beer. I forgot the name of it but this beer we ordered was sparkling honey-flavored super refreshing beer. I loved it!!! Definitely will go back.
(5)Alina B.
Well yesterday (Saturday) I was planning to go to a sushi bar in downtown with a few friends. Of course the first thing I did was going on yelp, read the reviews of my fellow yelpers. Ogawashi seemed very intriguing. I called the restaurant right after they opened up at 12:15pm to make a reservation, nobody picked up, instead a VM greeted me and promised to get back to me as soon as they can. I assumed they must be very busy that's why they could not pick up the phone. Well at 2:30pm still no call back from this restaurant. After calling them again, waiting till 6pm and still no answer I gave up. I was super frustrated because I really wanted to check out this place but was disappointed of their "no" service policy. And to all of you who think, well maybe they were closed or had some private party going, I really don't care. If that's the case at least what you can do is put a quick message on VM to let people know that they will not be taking reservations for that day. Just common sense! I guess it's up to them now to make it up to me now :) I apologize for this bad review b/c I do not like to leave bad reviews but I seriously was annoyed with this whole situation.
(1)Caroline V.
I work across the street from this place - may not be the most happening street in Downtown San Diego but this hidden gem is worth the visit. Just a few steps away from the heart of Gaslamp Ogawashi serves one of the freshest sushi and craft drinks around. The lovely decor is aesthetically pleasing as you scarf down a filled to the brim bento box and sake bombs. Only downfall is that the prices are a bit pricey :(
(4)Lauren H.
I hate giving bad reviews about restaurants, but I think everyone needs to be warned. I cannot believe this place has 4 stars on Yelp! My husband and I went here last weekend for my birthday dinner, hoping to enjoy some great sushi. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with loud club music.. which was strange for a restaurant. We ordered edamame, and it never came out. We ordered it again when we ordered our dinner, and it was a very dark brown color. It was cold, so I didn't eat much of it. I asked about the aloe martini, and she said there are globs of aloe in it... really?? Are you supposed to eat that stuff? I ordered a dirty martini instead. The sushi was HORRIBLE. LOTS of thick sauce, and tempura crumbs covering up fish that was less than fresh. I was SO sick the next morning... I won't go into the details, but it was bad! I would NEVER EVER recommend this place to anyone.
(1)Liz Z.
Had a fabulous time at this place!! Went there for my birthday dinner and they were swamped but our server, Hannah still got to us in a timely fashion. She was very knowledgeable about which rolls tasted best and gave us some great recommendations. She recommended the tuna garlic and samurai rolls, and they were bomb!! They have an awesome happy hour too!! Will definitely be returning!
(5)Jeffrey E.
New sushi restaurant 5th & C. Excellent sashimi (salmon, tuna, etc.) Great sushi bar and sit down bar for drinks, Definitely , high class restaurant at a reasonable price. Great ambience inside. Highly recommend!. p.s. Patio seating also. European feel!
(5)M A.
I have to be honest here. My experience here was a terrible one. The restaurant is a little dark for lunch hour. It took probably 20 minutes or so for my food to finally arrive. The chicken katsu was still pink on the inside and not fully cooked and appeared to be all dark meat. The egg rolls were gross. Very soggy on the inside and didn't have a taste. The miso soup was so so gross! It wasn't soup, it was water! The staff is not friendly at all. I won't be back but I do wish this place the best.
(2)Yi F.
The price is good due to happy hour promotion. But the rolls are far bigger than I've ever seen.
(3)N N.
Came in for HH on a Saturday. HH is from 3-7pm with 20% off rolls $3 hand rolls and draft beers and a few other specials. We tried 3 different hand rolls: unagi, spicy yellow tail and tuna. All were of a good size, fresh and meaty. We also tried their rainbow roll and it was really fresh with lots of fish. Service was good also. 4 stars bc prices for rolls are slightly above what I'm used to paying and they keep the large entrance door open and it's freezing inside! I really want to give this place 3.5 stars but since that's not possible on yelp, I rounded up :)
(4)Jessica B.
Ambiance was great! But both times we ordered a beer, they were out. Ordered blue fin sashimi, they were out. What they did have however, was great. Customer service, eegh, not the best.
(3)Jim H.
A must for my sushi lovin friends.
(4)MIchele W.
Outstanding!!! This place has it all!!!! The decor is gorgeous, the food is amazing, the staff could not be nicer and more helpful and last but not least the drinks are sooooooooooooo good!!!!! and it helps that everyone that works there is just pretty!
(5)Bobby C.
I've stopped by here twice now on a weekday night with my wife. I have to say it has the potential to become my favorite restaurant in downtown. It's a very unique experience eating here on a summer night. They have huge windows that flip all the way open that makes they entire place very open and charming. I felt like I was dining out on the patio even though I was eating inside. The place had just opened and the waitress and waiters all seemed inexperienced. Our waiter forgot a few of our requests and seemed rather nervous. They said they were going to have their grand opening in a few weeks. Sushi was great. I really enjoyed the dinner with my wife there. I would like to go back soon.
(5)Sasha A.
happy hour today (friday) from 3pm to closing! salmon was fresh and buttery but it came in 8 pieces with slices of avocado for only $9! sushi was poorly wrapped.. the rolls fell apart because there was too much inside. doesn't matter! it was still delicious. the venue is small, but they building a second level soon!
(5)Joe W.
Lunch Friday. Very busy. Nice decor but noisy. Extremely poor service. Food average. The Bento box lunch $10 for chicken. Lots of items but nothing special. Everything just OK but not of high quality ingredients or preparation. $13 for Bento Box sashimi. Fish average. Everything average. Nothing where you felt they were making an extra effort to make it special. $10 Vegawashi Salad. Average size and quality. Dressing inferior. Tasted like soy sauce and sugar. So price average and food average. Why one star. Service terrible. They didn't deliver the salad when they delivered the Bento boxes. They didn't notice. Then never checked in with us. I got up and found waitress. They hadn't placed the order for the salad. Finally when salad came it had dressing on the salad instead of on the side as requested. Finally a good 10 minutes after the Bento boxes came did the salad finally come. They didn't apologize or offer a discount or free desert or anything. This is a serious flaw in service. First not putting in the order correctly. Then not checking in to see that the third person at the table had no food. Then after having to chase down the waitress they still didn't get it right.
(1)Brissia J.
Ogawashi is a hit or miss, their protein roll is amazing, but everything else is not anything out of this world,. proportions are generous and prices are reasonable. Though Ive gotten a little sick last two times I went I will go back at some point
(3)Saleka B.
THANK YOU OGAWASHI! I went here with an intimate group of seven at exactly 10pm, knowing the restaurant closed at 11, we were celebrating my brothers birthday and I knew the place had a nice vibe and the sushi (last time my boyfriend and I went there) was amazing! The staff and servers were more than happy to take us in and really showed us some awesome hospitality. We are young and were looking for just a good time and the server (small beautiful woman! Wish I remembered her name because she was awesome!) catered to our tables every need and want including a couple of pitcher's of beer and some yummy saki's for the whole table. We ordered a ton of sushi rolls, which were amazing and everyone loved it! The kitchen started to close at 11 but it was all good because we were stuffed and ordered one last round of drinks. At the end, the servers surprised us with a yummy green tea ice cream wrapped in like a fried cinnamon roll, with a candle on top just for my brother and everyone sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY. He was blown away and we all left with smiles and I just want to thank the people at Ogawashi Sushi in Downtown San Diego for an awesome night and a lovely dinner, my brother and friends will never forget!
(5)Bradikulus H.
Yes I'm picky, ok for a visit but nothing to write home about.
(2)Mari S.
This place is fantastic! Delicious sushi, and the happy hours prices were incredible - very cheap for huge rolls with fish of very high quality, and $2 sake bombs! They have a wonderful outdoor patio with heat lamps that will keep you cozy even on chilly nights. Our waitress was MJ and she was PHENOMENAL! Super fast service, very friendly, had great recommendations on which rolls to get, and was very accommodating even as we got a little rowdier into the night. Would definitely come back! If you get MJ as your server you're in for a treat!
(5)Amy L.
Went in for an early happy hour on a nice, sunny San Diego day. Sushi was great, service was good and there were plenty of tv's to watch whatever game you want. I love that the dining area opens up and you can people watch, however, they need to do something about the flies that like to dive bomb your food.
(4)Pilar E.
INSANE! This place is so awesome. Japanese owner and sushi chefs, totally LEGIT. The ambiance is ultra hip too.
(5)Ed C.
Trendy restaurant and really cool looking inside, located between gaslamp and the business district, with good looking waitresses/hostesses, so it's got a sort of fancy-casual vibe. I ordered the ceviche, which I really liked, and the garlic tuna roll, which I thought was good. It's a little pricey, but the service was REALLY excellent...and they have a good selection of beers on tap. I work in the area, so I'll go back when I have another sushi (or ceviche) craving...
(4)karla n.
This place was MEH.. My boyfriend and I were looking to try a new sushi place out (We usually go to RK sushi in Hillcrest, RA , or Sushiya in Eastlake) What attracted us were the lights and the place seemed nice... On a Saturday night this place was pretty empty, the music kept switching from top 40 to Nickelback and slow music... FOOD: We ordered 2 rolls, a crunchy lobster one $13 (MEHHHH) and a Tuna one (forgot the name) $13.5 I would understand if this was in a better location (ie. not right outside the trolley tracks) but EVERYTHING is overpriced! Don't even get me started on the drinks! UHG seriously they need to add more detailed descriptions to their drink menu! I ordered a Sake bomb ($5) I thought, wow what a good deal! The server comes out with a beer glass that was 1/4 full, and a mini shot of hot sake.... ARE YOU SERIOUS? ONE Sake bomb literally was $5! ? Our bill (we ordered one appetizer, 1 sprite, 2 rolls, 1 beer) and it was close to $50! Never coming here again, service was average. Nothing special.. Just looks pretty from the outside.
(1)Brandi M.
LOVE LOVE LOVE! My husband, son and I ended up here on Christmas night and everyone was so friendly and helpful. Not to mention the food and its variety was sensational! They have a GREAT happy hour menu and a lot of variety. We inhaled everything and the service was spectacular! This is definitely our new sushi joint!
(5)Jamie H.
Nice place, great decor....friendly servers, but need to be better informed about food and their beverages. Our waitress thought "well drinks" only included vodka. They haven't officially had their grand opening (Nov 10th), so they have time to work out all the kinks! Went in for happy hour with some girlfriends. Decent food but overpriced! All I saw was rice in my rolls. Yeah, sorry that's not going to fly when competition is so thick in Gaslamp. My vodka/soda, was all soda and ice.... Miso/edamame - decent Spic Tuna Tartar - Delicious OMG - Delicious Beef Tataki - Was not sliced properly or that was a bad cut of steak...and no flavor even with all the toppings you guys included Tempura - Good Monster Roll - Rice...was there anything else in there?
(2)Nate G.
Cool atmosphere, good service, fresh sushi, and tasty specialty cocktails.
(4)Joanna M.
There's nothing more irritating than parking downtown, and then walking several blocks, to find that an establishment closes 3 hours earlier than is advertised on their website and yelp. If you're going to close at 10pm on Sunday, that's fine, but don't advertise otherwise.
(2)Mike O.
The Japanese sushi chef was excellent at his job and personable. The restaurant, incidentally, is Korean-owned, but Korean sushi restaurant are sometimes OK, and they apparently dominate in San Diego, so I don't hold that against them. The miso-marinated fish was decent, the sushi was quite good, and some of the wait staff is quite pleasant. Others were not, in particular the young orange-haired guy who seemed to be in charge (I assume he's a son or nephew of the owner.) On my rating system, they lose two points for surliness and lack of manners, acknowledging that they have some decent food and competent staff at the sushi counter and in the kitchen. I won't, however, go back.
(2)Heather Anne B.
Yum! My husband and I have been craving sushi and found ourselves in the area, and Ogawashi didn't disappoint. At first we couldn't even get inside. We couldn't find the doors because there weren't any (the walls just open up), but once we sat down we were very impressed. The restaurant was dark and intimate, but having a basketball game on made the meal feel a lot more fun. To start I ordered the superfruit mojito, and our waitress was nervous because she was just learning to make the cocktails, but it was fantastic and I give her a huge thumbs up. I ordered the avacado roll (my absolute favorite, even in restaurants with super fancy rolls) and pokie roll, and he ordered the baja veggie roll and some roll I can't remember, which was wrapped in soy and didn't taste very good. Three rolls got us plenty full though, and as we left we actually managed to open the door properly. I was really impressed with Ogawashi and I'll surely visit again next time I'm in town.
(5)Jacqueline C.
good for large parties! lots of options on the menu.
(5)Lisa w.
Ogawashi has great food. They have fabulous lunch specials as well. I was a big fan of the Bento boxes but then they changed them up and not as much of a fan. Hope they change those back soon. Still worth coming to. Fresh and delicious.
(4)Alex H.
delicious food overall and amazingly creative sushi rolls
(5)Quincey Q.
This place had a cool, intimate vibe and the food was good. I got a bento box I didn't realize it had so much food. I like the place the only problem is I felt rushed out. I couldn't savor the meal because I felt rushed to get out.
(3)Kevin J.
Clean and cool atmosphere. Great happy hour prices. Food is good and sushi was fresh.
(4)Melissa H.
Been here a couple times and would give this place a solid 3.5 stars. The atmosphere is pretty good. Nice modern decor. As soon as you walk in, you have hopes that this restaurant is going to have awesome food but then as you start to eat every last bite, you end up realizing that this is just another average Japanese restaurant. I had the Ogawashi Bento box which is pretty good deal for $20. The husband had the Chicken Soba which he absolutely loved and for $8, how could you go wrong! We really didn't have to order anything else, but decided to splurge and get the amaebi (sweet shrimp nigiri). Was surprised to see that they deep fried the shrimp head for me which I've only seen done at a traditional Japanese restaurant so this was a bonus! We really didn't like the scallop tempura roll---it was just a shrimp tempura roll with scallops on the side. To end on a positive note, the prices at Ogawashi can't be beat---especially for happy hour! Service can be hit or miss but overall great place close to home.
(3)Christina C.
This place is really good. I've tried several sushi rolls all of them were very good. I love the atmosphere and the music they play. The service is fast and very friendly. I recommend this place for a get together with friends very loud for family gatherings. Their drinks aren't very good though.
(4)Antonio A.
Ogawasi Sushi absolutely rocks!!! The location, food, menu selection, happy hour (3p to closing!!!) decor, floor plan, staff, music, and massive flat screens are all unbelievably awesome!!! The food and drinks are brought to your table lightning quick. The food is always jaw dropping delicious as are the drinks. I always order the Poke Salad, Sunrise Roll and Samurai Roll, which are all mind blowing deliciousness. I make it a point to eat and enjoy drinks at Ogawashi at least once or twice every weekend.
(5)Samantha G.
Ok..update to my previous review. Came this past weekend, the restaurant has undergone it seems a couple updates. 1. Seems they have new waitstaff..our waitress was amazing! Attentive, Suggested various items, put up with our incessant questions. 2. The menu has been redone & has pictures of all of their delicious rolls..fantastic idea. I often am hesitant to try new rolls unless i can view them. Some how missed the ice cream shipment...can't wait to try the Red Plum ice cream next time.
(5)Ted D.
Good spot for lunch, better spot for happy.Spicy Chicken Bento box was more than enough food for lunch. Nothing was exceptional, but it's a $13 bento box at a quick lunch spot, get over yourself sushi snobs.
(4)Bernie R.
This place is awesome. Great value friendly service great vibe! The chicken teriyaki dinner had so much food it can be shared all for $14 bucks. Drinks at happy hour prices all night when we were there before House of Blues concert just across the street.
(5)Sonya D.
I am a huge fan of Sake Bombs. They are my favorite drink, hands down. I realize that is kind of a weird favorite drink to have since it's definitely (probably) an Americanized tradition - to fist the table, chant loudly, drop your sake cup into your beer and then chug until your glass is empty. Yes I realize it is weird. But I still love them. However, I have since stopped doing the whole pounding table chant part, and have just stuck to the chug the bomb part. Why do I love them? Because they taste really good, they are interactive, and they pump me up for the night. Ogawashi rocks because their Happy Hour Sake Bombs are only $2. This place also has a lot of other good drink specials and food specials. The sushi is pretty good and I like the little orange man dessert they give you after you're done eating. It's a great place to frequent with coworkers on Fridays after work. That's pretty much the only day I go.
(5)Rebecca N.
A-OK. I think I'm spoiled in with my little hole in the wall up in North County. If I'm going to spend a lot of cash for raw fish it better be good with good prices.
(3)Lola Z.
Went for HH which goes until closing (score!). Parking was challenging. Had high hopes but the food was average, at best. Ordered a bunch of rolls and sashimi. Friendly service and I liked the ambiance but the HH menu was a bit confusing. Tiny writing on a tent-like display on the table. There were a lot of options but not everything on the HH menu had a description, or it wasn't listed on the regular menu. Luckily the server was helpful in answering our questions. Had heard their lunch bento boxes are good, but based on this visit I sadly probably won't be back.
(2)Monique B.
Just finished lunch at this place. I have NEVER in my life not given a tip, but the service was so terrible that I had no other choice. I went with two of my coworkers for lunch. We were seated quickly (as there were no other people anywhere to be found). Our order was taken, food came, but other than that, we didn't see our server again. I had to hunt someone down to get me a water refill, and when my coworker finally saw our server and asked for the check, the server yelled across the restaurant to another girl to get the check for us. I have had bad service before, but never to the point where I actually thought the server hated life. I won't return.
(1)Jerm J.
Beautiful space. Nice open dining room. Right off the trolley tracks (eww). Tasty sushi and a great happy hour. They have a lot of food items on special too so that makes it extra tasty. Really enjoyed the personal service by the Sushi-maestro while sitting at the sushi bar.
(4)Danielle C.
Great location right at the end of the trek down Gaslamp District, right in front of the Trolley station. Great Happy Hour! Korean people work here :) Sushi is gooooooood. I'm a pretty picky sushi fan and this place is one of the best for it's prices, better than Ra or Kamakaze 7. Go here to start off the night drinking, eat and drink, be merry :D
(5)Diana W.
I said I loved you, but I lied... Why Ogawashi, Why! I thought we had a good thing going, I thought I meant something to you...but now I see it was just a sham, you're just like the rest o them! This place started off so wonderful. Their menu was new, their fish was fresh and the rolls were a delight. There was a toasted garlic roll that was so good, we ordered a second. The menu has now been revised, it's PB sushi's menu - their exact menu. That's right, there's a PB roll and a Garnet roll...downtown. Now, my beloved toasted garlic roll is still on the menu, but it's only a shell of it's previous glory. You were doing so well! All the innovation is gone, and so begins its descent into mediocrity. My search continues again.
(2)Jennifer W.
Super cheap sake bombs during happy hour!! We came.. mostly to drink. lol The interior is very modern and clean. Servers were really nice though and checked on us often. Only downside is that there is only one women's and men's restroom/stall :\
(4)Jacqueline K.
I eat sushi at least 3 times a week, and make sure when I'm in town I come here! Besides the amazing food, the customer service is amazing! Love it here! Ps. Happy hour is great!
(5)Vinh H.
Ogawashi is in an odd location since there's not a lot going on in these parts of the neighborhood. it replaced Red Zone, which probably went out of business for that very same reason. the inside is dark with soft lighting - sushi bar in the bar, and private parties are upstairs. anyhow, i came here for their Grand Opening. unfortunately, they were still working out the kinks since everyone's food orders were heavily delayed. however, they offset that by serving free appetizers to make up for it. regardless, i try not judge them too much on that. their sushi was somewhat decent - though a bit pricey as expected from a downtown location. the owner was having a blast - needless to say he stopped by and shared some fine quality sake. like most traditionally japanese people, he was quite humble and was a great host. i'd definitely come back in the near future.
(4)Jackie B.
Came here before the Rush on NYE and they still had a great happy hour!! The whole menu is 20% off and some of the rolls and appetizers on special are even lower. Sake bombs- $2, top shelf specialty cocktails $7 and beer specials. Our server was also super nice and knew her stuff. Loved the ceviche and the Sun of the Beach roll. The crispy rice roll (with tuna) was quite late coming out (think they forgot about it). But we had PLENTY to tide us over. It was spicier than I would have liked and was very deep fried compared to what I've had in the past. Tasty still though.
(4)Mary C.
Let me start by saying the food was great. Fish was fabulous. The hostess station, however, was a different story. Rude, condescending, rushed and acted like we were bugging them by asking for a table for two. It was our first time there, and I am not sure I will go back. A woman came in, walked around the hostess station - and the hostess barked at her 'you can't use our restrooms!' - when, in fact, she was there looking for someone. We saw her tell the other woman who was helping the hostess about it, and she walked out and left the restaurant. I don't blame her. Just a total disappointment when the food is great, to have that kind of experience when you walk in. Bummer.
(3)Joe S.
Ogawashi is a beautiful sushi restaurant. And the sushi is decent. This place didn't waste anytime or money trying to cut corners, it's a super-classy-modern/rustic build out. With a gigantic steel enterance door and inviting-huge-open-windows with raw steel and reclaimed wood.....it all makes for serious ambiance. I would recommend Ogawashi. However, I'd like to explain why Ogawashi isn't a 5 star reconmemdation and instead a 3 star reconmemdation. One word-- IDENTITY. Yes that's right, it doesn't know what it wants to be, this is the most dangerous situation for a restaurant to be in, especially after getting through all the hard work of building the place, concept, licenses, hiring, the whole nine. It's this easy, be a sushi joint. Stop with the top-40 music blasting, stop with the over exuberant rolls that cost as much as an entree at a highend spot and please stop with the TV's being on or off and then on again. Or showing infomercials! Here is my resepctful advice with the music, turn the music down a few clicks, nobody wants to scream over their sushi. RA AND SUSHI DELI are in their own category, do your own thing. Music is nice and needed while your eating (it actually aids in digestion) however "call me maybe mix-tape" doesn't do the trick. I personally would play JAPANESE music yes JAPANESE music, it makes perfect sense, Japan has tons of modern music as well. TV's, they are either on or off, AND NEVER LET YOUR CUSTOMERS DICTATE the channels EVER! This is a sure way to fail, you cannot please everyone, so simply have an action plan and TV schedule and stick to it, surely there will be special events IE Olympics etc, but other than that you will be surprised how the average customer likes the consistency and common sound and feel, this is where your identity comes into play. By alllowing customers to dictate what is on what TV you will attract people who don't own a TV and will turn your bar and eating place into their personal living room of 5 free plama TV'S. What you can do is designate a couple TV'S for SAN DIEGO sports teams or high profile events IE Olympics, World Cup, World Series etc, and the rest should be long play footage of San Diego or JAPAN "Japanese cities" aerial footage showing beautiful landscape and topography, it's very simple to find hours of great footage of this type of video-play, also there are tons of classic Japanese movies, think Godzilla. Food, keep up the good work, however try your hardest to do one thing very good and keep doing that. I am perfectly aware where you are located, and with time that area will get better, especially with classy places such as yours opening up, again, the place is great, don't get sucked into the trash-lamp..... That place has gone downhill, you should be happy that at this stage in the game, you get to CHOOSE your clientele, that is a gift. Not anybody can simply stumble into your spot, they have to somewhat make Ogawashi a destination.
(3)Kylie B.
Having a sushi place this close to home is dangerous! It is really hard not to walk past and not want to get dinner here multiple times a week but trying my best not to for my wallet's sake. My boyfriend and I have been to Ogawashi about five times and have had a great experience every time. This place just opened a few months ago and it is our new favorite sushi spot. The portions are good and the food has been super fresh every time we've had it. We typically get the same items are other sushi places and hasn't really come close. Also, we heard that if you like them on Facebook you get sake when you come in. We thought it would be just a shot but both got a full bottle of sake on our first trip in. Not sure if that was just a promotion but definitely worth asking about if you haven't like them yet and want to do so next time you go in. Another item to note is the atmosphere. I just love the look and feel of this restaurant. It is super trendy and clean! Lastly, prices are very fair, especially for downtown San Diego. RA Sushi is only a block away from this place and my experience there was small portion sizes for higher prices, so I'll stick with Ogawashi. They also have given out coupons a couple times that I've gone there which is a nice bonus!
(5)Annie H.
sushi sushi sushi they have the best happy hour, especially for the beers and drinks $1 kirins and $3 wells. this is M-F 3-8 and weekends 12-7, they have a lot of tv's and the service is excellent. the food is super yummy too! we went two days in a row ( yeah we had to bring some friends here to prove that it was all that it was made up to be ) i have tried the following: miso - good edamame - good / standard sashimi : snow white + albacore lover - excellent and fresh omg salad : yummy good rainbow roll : hefty and fresh lady oga roll : good but not my fav the baked lobster : good but too creamy for me nigiri : octopus - yummy all in all a good place to go with friends or with your bf. super cost effective and reasonable prices for downtown. please dont change anything :)
(5)Stephanie T.
We were in town for my sister's bachelorette and she wanted to have sushi for dinner one night. We had a group of 9 girls and I was able to get a reservation for us on a Saturday night without a problem. We stayed at Hotel Palomar so it was very convenient for us since it was literally across the street at the corner! This is a new sushi restaurant in the Gaslamp. Lots of options and very inexpensive. I mean VERY good pricing. I ordered the 12 piece sashimi (Chef's choice) and it was only $15.....yes you heard me right....a whole $15 bucks! Can you believe that? That would easily be upwards of $25 anywhere else. The fish was fresh and delicious. No complaints here. The rest of the ladies enjoyed their food as well. Check it out you won't be disappointed.
(4)Cathy D.
Favorite : lobster roll ! Is it just me or do I just think their sushi is just SO DARN GOOD. SO so so so GOOD!!!! no. AMAZING. Atmosphere: For dinner time its quite dark... not a lot of people in here haha.. shrugs Random Fact: There are 3 HUGE HUGE doors. they're glass doors. And its trippy because... the doors are literally the sides of the wall.. I don't know you just have to check it out ... I was just so amazed by the doors... woooow.... BUT NO THE FOOD was just so dang good and the SERVICE was wonderful so I thought they deserve a 5 ! There wasn't anything I didn't like or found wrong with it... We were also lucky to find CLOSE PARKING. STREET Parking that is.
(5)Jen L.
The boyfriend took me here since he always passed by it and has been wanting to check it out. I'm always down to try a new spot so we hit it up. The restaurant was really pretty and loved the ambiance. The LED lights, openness and helpful staff was great. We ordered a good amount of food and all came out timely. It wasn't crowded and it was a plus for us since we could relax and didn't have to wait for a seat, however, I hope they stay in business cause this is going to be my new go to for sushi. Happy hour specials all days of the week between 5-7 I believe and if you're able to order during that time, you're gold with the sake specials. We made friends with the owner and one of the managers and they were very hospitable and friendly. Another plus when you feel welcomed and they don't try to snub you. Location is a little off, next to the trolley tracks and away from the main drag but if you love to people watch, this is a great location for you.
(4)Mike W.
At lunch: I'll start by saying what you actually want to hear (read the whole paragraph, you lazy bum!): It's better than Ra, which makes it much better than Sushi Deli. It's also more expensive. Sushi Deli is likely still a better value for the money, but if you can make it out on someone else's dollar(s) then I recommend this place over both. That said, my opinion might be a little clouded by the small bottle of Kurosawa I had with lunch. The ambiance is a tad hipster, the rolls are decent, the lunch specials are decent, the edamame is good and they have Kurosawa! I had the chance to grab a piece of hamachi from the plate of one of the clients I was eating with and it was quite good, albeit served a bit below the temperature I thought it should be. I got the CN Tower roll and the Dancing Spicy Tuna thing, and both were OK but nothing I would likely order again. I'm no sushi purist, but the quality of the fish here kind of compels me to say that I'll likely just order nigiri on my next several visits to the restaurant. The fish is better than mediocre, so it's good enough to say that you don't need to slather it in Jayo-Mayo or some other concoction of sauces and juices to ruin the flavor. Also, Kurosawa deserves its own paragraph. KUROSAWA!
(4)Jay E.
Great atmosphere. Separate sushi bar and regular bar. Cozy seating upstairs and below. Great service (however it is a bit longer to get food on 'slow' days). Good menu (pics of all rolls is great!). If you're looking for a great sushi restaurant downtown...I def suggest it!
(4)Christina W.
Place has amazing happy hour huge rolls!!! Friendly staff and did i mention the happy hout haha they have like 20 things on happy hour something for everyone and it includeds cgeap rolls to beer and liquor!! I cant stay away from this place or stop bringing people.
(5)Geoffrey L.
This restaurant is a beauty in every way. The design is clean and cool as the trendiest corner of Seoul at midnight. The lighting is amazing. The dishware is creative. And the food presentation is impressive. Sushi likers will surely be pleased. But sushi lovers will surely be disappointed. The cuts of sashimi were obtuse and rough from bones being violently torn. Regular sodium soy sauce is hard to find. The spicy tuna is not spicy. And far too many dishes are buried in heavy sauce, including a disappointing chili oil that would not be fit for two dollar dim sum. I applaud the variety of rolls - including ones with soy paper and cucumber - but each seems to be one or two ingredients shy of memorable. The service was ridiculous, but, granted, it was midweek. I can only hope that the other servers know the difference between sushi and sashimi and a hand roll from a cut roll. Old dishes sat not bussed for far too long; cocktails sat sweating in the bar window. The ultimate offense was delivery of sliced oranges presented as "compliments of the house." Please. If you've ever been to a real Asian restaurant, I won't need to explain the ridiculousness of this gambit. Overall, this spot is a nice contrast to Ra Sushi down the street . . . if you stay inside. This street corner is still too rough and loud to accommodate patio diners, who will surely be harassed by the passing homeless. Even the inner diner can be bombarded with train tracks squealing, cars zooming, and gnats flying from the gutter. But this little sapphire has the ability to be an exclusive Shangri-La of the concrete jungle with a few modifications.
(3)Sunny J.
Great ambiance, service was on top of it. My boyfriend and I split the Oh no roll and Vegas roll lunch special. Freash fish, we'll be back!
(4)Tania H.
I absolutely loved it here. The service is really nice, the rolls we ordered were gigantic and super fresh and tasty. The food was served in no time, so there was no waiting time. We also had a round of drinks and for the quality that we got the price was surprisingly low! Overall, highly recommended. Will be coming back soon for sure!
(5)Gina C.
Food is pretty great (their ceviche and the little fried won tons!). I can't complain. But, they do have a few things service oriented that they need to work out. We ordered a ceviche, a bento box (which i didn't think was worth it...$20 bento box?!!?) and the ogawashi plate. There's a little discrepancy on their menu. The Ogawashi Plate is listed under the Sashimi section, but the description said "8 pieces of sushi, choose from nigiri list." So one would assume after glancing briefly that one was ordering sushi and not sashimi... Nope. It was 8 pieces of sashimi. Which wouldn't be so bad if they hadn't given us a plate with 4 pieces. At first we thought we got a special, you know, on the house. But since they gave us the fish we ordered, we were a bit confused. We asked our server wth?Unfortunately, he didn't know. After going back and forth to us about 3-4 times, we finally figured out that they ran out of our fish choice and so gave us a 4 piece sashimi plate and were going to give us a discount for 50% off. We ordered 8 pieces and you gave us 4. 50% off for 50% of the plate is not a discount. -.-;; Our server was gracious enough to get them to take it off our bill while we ordered something else, but a little more communication on the manager's side would've helped the situation greatly.
(4)Roy K.
Another sushi joint downtown... or so you think! I've dropped in a few times now (it helps I live a block away) to try out the various items on their menu (both lunch and dinner). The lunch bento boxes are a ton of food for a pretty great price (I prefer the $10 salmon teriyaki!), so definitely a great lunch option. For dinner, the chicken teriyaki provides a lot of value - $8 for a solid amount of food, and it was pretty good. If you're a health nut, try some of the vegetarian rolls - I found the spa roll very refreshing. As far as sushi goes, their fish is all pretty fresh - much higher quality than the surrounding sushi joints (Ra or Sushi Deli) - the chirashi bowl was pretty good (although it's more of a chirashi plate). The interior decoration is fantastic - I love how the front windows open up and how open the whole place feels. Nothing like feeling the nice SD breeze at dinnertime! But the secret sauce? Free street entertainment - people watching has never been more fun. This one time, I saw a housing-challenged lady dancing around with a traffic cone on her head for a solid 10 minutes (curse the trolley construction on 5th!). You're not going to get that type of show anywhere else - trust me, I've lived here for a while and the best you see at other places are drunk bachelorettes (which I guess is its own form of entertainment). Also, if you're with a big group, have them do a sake bomb domino. It's pretty sweet. I kind of wish I had 100 friends so they would do 100 sake bomb dominoes...
(5)Adrianne D.
Totally not busy on the Saturday afternoon when I decided to pay a visit. The sushi was decent, there was a roll or two that were so flavorful, but other than that, nothing to really rave about. The waitresses were super nice though! An okay experience, overall.
(3)Justin B.
I hope this place keeps it up. So far I've been twice in their first week if that says anything. Nice staff, great drinks and the lunch box special was stellar. The coworkers and I just found a new lunch/happy hour spot to throw in the mix! Had to change my review to 3 instead of 5 stars. Prices on lunch went up and they wouldn't take my 9 days expired $5 off coupon. Why give out coupons if you are super stickler with the "rules"? Isn't the point to get people into the place? I've brought several people here but I got burned on a coupon and, like Peter Griffin...that really grinds my gears.
(3)Bridgette B.
I have been in a few times now. I really enjoy the friendly staff and laid back atmosphere. I am not a big sushi fan myself but my friends love the sushi. I have seen the vendors drop it more then once seems to be still alive=VERY FRESH. You can't beat the prices in town. I highly recommend this to all of my friends!!
(5)Lauren B.
I've been twice now and both times my experience was great. Once during lunch time with my coworker and another with my daughter for dinner. For lunch my coworkers and I shared some rolls and it was good. The waitress took care of us and it was fine. When I went back in a few days later for dinner we had a waitress named Hannah who really took care of us. My daughter always wants to get the same thing and I'm always trying to get her to try new rolls. Hannah suggested a few that she might like and we ended up getting the Pokie Roll and my daughter loved it. We had a few other rolls and were delighted with the knowledge Hannah had about the food. She made sure we were taken care of. My daughter since then has requested we go back soon. If Hannah is there we will be there. She is AWESOME and the food was great.
(4)