I'm Nona have to agree with Mike L. on this one: Nagano was my sushi regular and although the service sometimes lacked it was almost always tasty and quick. Sadly however, it's not the case with "New" Nagano. Wifey and I went out last night - the service was ok, friendly and polite but the sushi left something to be desired. Who serves cold tempura? Bleh. With a $90 dollar tab I expected a hell of a lot more than what we got - both service and food quality. Oh well - won't be back.
I can't say much about the space, I have been there only once in my life and I find it pleasant and normal. I buy home delivery and they are sooo great. Love their sushi rolls. I'm a weekly client, and they are the only ones I call.
(5)
Stewart M.
Ordered a couple of bento boxes and some tempura for delivery. Took ages, food was cold (we're 1 mile away), Maki was rolled worse than supermarket sushi then to top it off it was pretty tasteless. Maybe it's better eating in the restaurant?
(1)
Pasha G.
The assorted sashimi were pretty good. They were a little too cold, but given that I ate there at 11am, way before lunch starts, I think it is forgivable.
(5)
S K.
Would strongly advise NOT to order from here. A bunch of issues repeatedly: A) charging different prices than what's on the menu (unacceptable!) and refuse to clarify when we called re: the discrepancy B) rude customer service C) very slow delivery and often late D) very cheap on the ginger and wasabi allocation. For a dinner order for 3, they gave only enough for 1!person despite our request for more
(1)
Dayna D.
Awesome sushi! The service was a bit slow but not too bad. Loved the spicy tuna and shrimp tempura! Fish was so fresh. Will definitely return.
(4)
Gilda W.
Ate lunch here with a friend and got the 2 order lunch box special for $9.95. I chose chicken teriyaki and mixed tempura, which comes with 1 shrimp tempura, and a few string beans(?) and sweet potato tempura. The tempura was pretty fresh since they make it when you order, but the chicken teriyaki was pretty dry. They didn't really put enough dressing on the salad, so you can request to get more dressing if you want... If you want, they also have spicy mayo. Overall decent meal and I got pretty full off of the 2 item combo. If I return, I think I'd try something else like the ramen. :)
(3)
Larry K.
I work in the neighborhood so I've only been here for lunch, but I go often. The food is certainly decent, maybe not mind blowing but very good and I have no complaints. So while the food is good enough to keep me coming back, the service fails to impress. Here's the problem with the weekday lunch shift. There is only one waitress and I certainly can't fault her for trying. She runs around staying busy and it seems like she is usually busy with take out orders even when the dining room is empty. My rule is only to go right at 11:30 when they open. If you are the first and only table in there you'll be OK, but I wouldn't recommend going during the peak lunch hour nor would I recommend going with a large group where you will need attentive service. I have my routine dialed in. I walk in (sometimes you have to cough or say something to get someone's attention to get seated), I decide what I want quickly, I order, eat, pay, leave. Pretty simple. But if you're a squeaky wheel who expects several table visits and water refills and clearing of plates and for the waitress to chit-chat with you, this probably isn't the place for you. Maybe it's partially my fault for being such an easy customer, but I find that getting water and/or tea is inconsistent and the table visits are kept to a minimum. Maybe things are better at dinner, but the bottom line for me is that it works for a quick lunch during the work day as long as it isn't busy.
(2)
Seth K.
I have a theory that a person could go to a new restaurant in SF without ever repeating their visit for as long as they live in SF. However, Nagano Sushi is worth going to again and again. It's clear that their chefs care about their craft, the fish is incredibly high quality, and the atmosphere isn't too shabby either. Sushi is my favorite food and so I do have high standards, which Nagano meets. If you have never eaten here then it's time to visit.
(5)
HelpYelpsters D.
What a horrible place! I ordered through eat24 and my $50 order was 2 hours late! By the time the sushi got to me it was warm and gross, I had to throw it away! They kept on making excuses that eat24 sent the order in late. And whenever eat24 would call them they kept on saying the driver left that he should be pulling up any minute now, well 1.5 hours later! Good still hasn't arrived! I called for a refund and they said they authorized it with eat24, but lied! No authorization! Shady as hell! Never getting food here again!
(1)
Christina R.
More like a 1.5, but I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt considering I was super "hangry" and that could have clouded my judgment. Went here after the Ramen Festival crowds scared us away in Japantown and we were in a desperate search for anything ramen. After seeing that Kaiju had a 2 hour wait, we walked down the street to stumble upon this place and noticed it was nearly empty. No one greeted us or made eye contact even to acknowledge that we're waiting, but we do get seated quickly as there was an empty table. *He also didn't wipe down the table at all and left unused dishes from the previous diners, which I thought was a little unhygienic but not a huge deal. From the minute we sat down, it was like we didn't exist. I had to flag someone down to take our order, to get us water, to get utensils after our food had already been delivered, and even to pay. A table that sat down before us had already eaten and were ready to leave before all of our food had come out. I think we ended up waiting about 30-40 minutes for our ramen and one of my friend's dish came out about 10 minutes after we had already been given our food (a personal pet peeve of mine). They admittedly looked understaffed, but the waiters didn't really seem to be rushing around. Just from observing, they seemed very unorganized. For example, I watched them tell people there was going to be a 30 minute wait , while there were two empty tables that hadn't been bused for the past 15 minutes. Overall, some of the worst service I've received in a while. As for the food, meh, I've had better and it was a touch bland for me. I ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen and it just wasn't anything special. My friend ordered the plain ramen and they put sesame oil in it, which I thought was unusual but smelled delicious, so maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. Other pros: they deliver (but can't guarantee how long it would take), one of the staff was apologetic about the wait...after I flagged her down for the 3rd time.
(2)
Gee H.
Such a long wait for food. Seems understaffed but the existing staff doesn't seem to be in any rush. First restaurant I am literally thinking of leaving because it's taking so long. Or they are trying to make their food tastier by using my growing hunger. Eg: there are empty tables but people are being told to wait 30 min because they haven't been cleared off yet. Food is decent. I would go here if you are not in any rush and are more looking for a place to sit and talk with friends. Do not go when you're hungry.
(2)
Carmellina E.
This little neighborhood gem is one of my favorite spots to eat. The food is fresh, the pricing can't be beat, and the restaurant itself is small and nice. I very much recommend them - love the firecracker roll - yummy! I don't know the owners (although I hear he makes the sushi rolls) - but I really want to see them stick around .... so go! Go and get your sushi on!
(5)
Sothary C.
Sushi was ok. I think that the place could have been a little cleaner. But then again it was in San Francisco. The service was cut and dry nothing too special about this place. I would eat there again if I was in the area.
(3)
Jiewen X.
Bad service!!!! He didn't give us chopsticks, plates, and napkin until we asked for them. But this didn't on every table!! Just ours!
(1)
Mike L.
Years ago (before I started Yelping), Nagano was one of my semi-regular sushi joints in SF. With their long list of specialty rolls, they were the closest thing I could find in SF to Sushi House in Alameda (one of my favorites back then). Fast forward to the present, and my friends and I found ourselves at Nagano more because we hadn't been back for so long than to satisfy any sort of cravings. While heavily sauced or cooked rolls like the Lion King used to be so appealing, I'd much rather stick with ones using raw fish nowadays. Huh...I guess you really do get wiser as you get older. - ROCKY ROLL - Unagi Roll wrapped with Assorted Fish...$13.95 (4 stars) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/naga… ) Essentially a Rainbow Roll, but with unagi instead of shrimp tempura. The slices of fish were pretty fresh overall, and the unagi was quite tasty. A decent roll, though a little pricy. - VOLCANO ROLL - Spicy Mayo, Assorted Fish...$7.95 (2 stars) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/naga… ) The menu lists "assorted fish", but ours was filled with spicy tuna (not sure if that's how my friend ordered it). Personally, I just wasn't a fan. The spicy tuna and mayo actually had some kick, but I don't get all of the tempura bits they threw on... - COMBO RAMEN (Soy or Miso, Rich or Light Broth) - Corn, Fried Chicken, Seaweed, Scallions and a Boiled Egg...$11.95 (3 stars) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/naga… ) The bowl was large and full of goodies (including fried gyoza, which wasn't listed), but it was mediocre overall. I ordered the miso broth rich, but it didn't taste all that different from anywhere else. The noodles had a decent consistency, and the chicken was good, but everything else left me rather indifferent. If you're looking more for hot food/entrees, I haven't tried most of what they have, but the bento box combos are pretty large from what I remember. Otherwise, rolls are pretty safe - just don't expect to be blown away. Still, they're better than some of their nearby competitors (Ichiraku and Midori to name two...ugh).
(3)
To u.
If I can give zero stars... this would be the place to receive it. I've only ordered take out from here with coworkers for lunch. Food is not worth it as the taste is bland and nothing special. Portion amount is small. -skimpy with sauce and dressing on salad. I placed an order for 8 3 item bento lunches at 11:11am. Place opens at 11. The girl on the phone said it would take a 40 minute wait. ..... 1 hour and 30 mins later... hmmm.. no show. I call the lady back. . She says the order went out already... it is 115..... 2 hours wait and STILL NO SHOW. I call again.. "driver is coming, coming, coming..!!!!" 15 mins after.. delivery is here. . But only 7 bentos show up and 3 orders are completely wrong! No bueno. 4 people.. got the correct order only. End result.. "what do you want to do?!, says the unapologetic voice on the other line. Some bentos got kept.. we paid for the correct orders and got 10 percent off the bill. .. Needless to say- 4 people didn't have lunch today and the restaurant lost out on our office of ever ordering from them. Never ever again! Oh, and the missing 8th bento box? I called and the lady on the other side says," oh it's right here!" Total HORRIBLE SERVICE! My coworkers and I will definitely NOT be ordering from here.
So good! Hole in the wall casual spot (dont expect super fancy atmosphere). Fairly cheap and amazing sushi. I recommend the spider roll and shrimp tempura role. Caution, the spicy tuna is really spicy
(5)
Kaitlyn P.
Ordered delivery that was confirmed to take 45 minutes. After two phone calls it arrived 40 minutes late. Which means it took almost an hour and a half to arrive. When it finally did arrive my order wasn't even correct. Overpriced for mediocre taste too. I have never written a bad yelp review but this was pretty terrible.
(1)
MickYee M.
Haven't been here in a long while so we decided to try it after new ownership. Wow...what a surprise. There's nothing Japanese about it...except fir the writing on the wall. Chinese wait staff and chinese cooks. It took 15 minutes for the first plate to drop. When we asked why such a long wait with only 2 tables occupied, the answer was we have a lot of to go orders. Really...nice use car salesman line It took over 20 minutes for the rest of the order to arrive. Are you ready for the next use car salesman line....we had to make sure the fish was cooked. Really...20 minutes to cook a fish? The dinner comes with miso soup and salad. Guess what, the dinner vegi was also salad. Yes...the same salad I ate served with the soup. Really cheap chinese. How cheap can you get or what a lack of plate planning? SALAD AND THEN MORE SALAD!!!! Million dollar question...would I come back. HELL NO!!!!!
(1)
Rich G.
This is the best sushi ever!!!!!!! I will now become a regular. The sashimi is very fresh and the chef knows what he is doing. The dragon roll and lion king is a must!!!!!
(5)
Amy S.
Amazing place, my new favorite sushi restaurant! Ordered delivery and it was just in time, food still hot. Everything was really tasty and fresh, we even got a free soup! It's really good!
(5)
Sondra M.
Food was good, but didn't make up for the overall experience. Service was very slow, and we had to wait 35 min for our food.
(3)
MyHanh H.
Great sushi and nice people! I ordered the chirashi and they hooked up the good stuff- sake, butterfish, albacore, etc... I was in heaven! My husband got the bento and loved it too. We were too stuffed to finish all of it. Come hungry
(5)
Finn T.
We got a flyer for delivery and decided to try Nagano Sushi. After waiting more than an hour, we called them back and they said it had been delivered! They said somebody in my house had paid for it - which was pretty ridiculous as there are two of us. It would have taken another 45 minutes to "redo" the order so we decided not to wait and ate something else. I really don't think that some random person would have accepted delivery and paid in cash for something they didn't order - I think they forgot to make it. Tonight, we decided to give them another chance - they remembered us but there was no consideration of giving us something extra or thanking us for trying them again. So, this time the delivery came and my tempura was missing! It was a two-item bento box (they don't sell one-item bento boxes!) so that was just bad quality control. In addition, the delivery person insisted that he keeps the receipt (he actually rang the doorbell a second time because he forgot to take it from the order!) - so we couldn't even check what was on it - and you are supposed to get a receipt for anything you pay for. Called them back and it would have taken another hour to get the tempura so now we have a small "credit" for a place we are not likely to ever use again. Oh, the food: The beef teriyaki was tender and good, but everything apart from the rice was insanely salty. Everything was cold, including the rice and teriyaki. Really cold like it had been sitting for awhile. Not worth my money.
(1)
Vicki T.
Delivery - Friday at 4:30p - pretty fast delivery, less than an hour as it states. I ordered the forest roll and the so good roll, both pretty good. The two rolls were too much for me. They do its job and maybe a bit more. I do plan on ordering delivery from them again. (Eat24 has deals and coupons) - I'd say it deserves the 3.5 star rating it currently holds.
(4)
K M.
Well, first of all, the sushi and teriyaki chicken bento box was sub-par to say the least. Second, they came 45 mins late AND when the guy got here he asked for a cash tip. (I informed him that I had tipped online already, but obviously that was not to his liking). One star :(
(1)
Arnida S.
This is a great place to eat sushi. The owner of this place is always nice. Fresh and good sushi. Love the lion king roll. I would definitely be back here again. Nice & clean too.
(5)
Mi M.
Popped in here while I was waiting for my car to be fixed. Had the sake (salmon), ikura and unagi nigiri. It was just okay...didn't seem the freshest I've ever had, but then it was the day after new year so maybe they didn't get their fish in that day or the day before. Also, the waitress was yelling in Chinese at the delivery guy which was a bit off-putting. Still, it filled a spot, but I won't go back.
(2)
damien f.
Great place Great customer service ! Food is really good and generous .... Take out is fast also .....overall a good place to come !
(5)
Donna W.
Went here at lunchtime. We were the only table until about 20 minutes into our lunch wait when another 2 people came in. Had to flag down waitress to order. I kept checking to see when our food was ready to come out. Watiress was bagging up take-out & after that we were finally served. I peeked back and our food was just setting there for I don't know how long. Bento boxes were okay. Spicy tuna roll was disappointing. It was a mushed up concoction of tuna. Ehh, not was I was hoping for. On a positive, the miso soup, salad, and sauce on the teriyaki salmon were okay. I just didn't like feeling that we were bothering the waitress & other man behind the counter. Asked for our check when finally she came to clear our plates, and unfortunately, we needed change. It took so long I finally went back & got the change from the waitress. There are so many other great sushi places. I won't be coming back here.
(1)
Justin S.
Hum. Done after two? Thats not good. I had Maguro Sashimi that was very fresh. The Uni on the other hand wasn't the best so I finished and left. It wasn't bad but really not worth having again. Maybe they were just having a bad day. I will be back to update this review and hopefully have a better experience next time.
(3)
Bobby L.
Meh certainly describes the food I got, although if it came to just reviewing the delivery service I would give it 5 stars - they literally got the food to me in 20 minutes. But the bad is that I'm pretty sure this place gave me food poisoning. I could tell something was a little weird when I was eating my roll but 6 hours later when I was leaning over the toilet puking my dinner back up it was clear something was wrong. Since I love sushi you can imagine my heartbreak, so given all the other sushi places out there I'm quite confident I won't be returning to this place. :(
(2)
Lambchop B.
Have gone here a few times for lunch because I am a ramen addict. Noticed a decline in service lately. Last time ordered seafood ramen and a order of unagi sushi . Soup was below average with a bland broth. Seafood was a mix which seemed boiled in the soup rather than added unagi was cold which probably means it was pre made server came by and asked if I had enough to eat yet which I found annoying. I will probably find another lunch place.
(1)
Alice C.
Thought we'd try a different restaurant in our neighborhood. Never eaten here before and will never return. Tried to order vegetarian sukiyaki, but restaurant was not flexible and can only cook items from the menu, so I settled for chicken sukiyaki. When the food arrived, it looked like boiled chicken teriyaki...no soup or stew, which I'm used to receiving. The chicken was partially raw; when my dish was returned, they gave me the same chicken, but now it was dry. The waitress tried to convince us that sukiyaki is not soup-based...(irritating!)......see definition below. "Sukiyaki is a popular one-pot meal which is usually cooked at the table as you eat. The word "yaki" means "sautee" or "grill" in Japanese. The word is used because meat is sauteed in the hot skillet. The main ingredient in sukiyaki is usually beef which is thinly sliced. Meat slices and ingredients are simmered in soy sauce based soup. In different regions of Japan, sukiyaki is cooked differently." Bad dining experience.
(1)
A F.
Nagano used to be our go to place for good Japanese food. It's under new ownership now and not the same good food or service anymore. Portions are much smaller and it took the server twenty minutes to give us tea. Which was cold and not hot. Nagano now feels like a fast food Chinese restaurant. Too bad, we will have to find a new Japanese spot.
(2)
Eric D.
Sashimi is very unfresh! Ordered a Sashimi deluxe and most of them are Tuna and Salmon. And they call it deluxe?
(1)
Amanda M.
Yum! Went here after a long day of work on the way home for take out. Ordered a cucumber roll, a fancy roll and some white tuna sushi. Was very satisfied and wait wasn't so long since I ordered there and waited for my take away. Waitress brought me some green tea while I waited. Sushi was alright. Enjoyed the tuna and the extra ginger they gave me!
(4)
John L.
Ramen was subpar, tasted like it was watered down and bamboo shoots came from a can. Soup wasn't even hot. Tasteless and noodles weren't very fresh. No garlic, no chili pepper, do not come here for the ramen.
(1)
Tiffany L.
I was here few days ago and it was my worst experience ever. I've been here twice; first time was mediocre because the udon was okay that was why I came here the second time. (Bad decision) I was planning to grab some quick sushi and sashimi for my second visit. I sat at the sushi bar so I can see the chef make my sushi. Usually when I sit at the sushi bar, I like to communicate with the chef like asking about the fish. And I feel like this is the purpose of it. However, I ordered a sashimi plate, some rolls and some nigiri. As usual I tried to chat and ordered directly with the sushi chef who is a old bald guy, but he doesn't understand a word I said and that was the most awkward moment, maybe is that he don't speak English or he don't care about customer services. Oh well, so I was watching him slicing the fish and I saw there were a lot of black things on his finger nails which really disgusted me and I almost puke. The spicy tuna seems very orangey and has a weird smell, way different from other sushi places' spicy tuna. And I requested light spicy mayo on the rolls but there were huge chunk of it on top of every single rolls. So I ended up rarely touching the food. However the server was really attentive, he asked me what was wrong with the food because I rarely ate. I didn't want to trouble him too much so I just said I don't really like them. He seemed sorry and asked if I want to order any kitchen food so I just ordered a ramen for to go. At end when I saw the check, I saw that they charged me 12.95 for 2 pieces of Toro which I didn't touch at all. More specifically, I DIDN'T RECALLED ABOUT ORDERING THE TORO, I ASKED THE C HEF ABOUT THE TORO WHICH I DIDN'T WANT! WHAT A SCAM! He didn't understand what I said so he just scammed me! So I paid $80+ basically just for the ramen which was not good too. I gave the sever $10 because he has good service, other than that everything was horrible!! To sum up, this place is nasty, unorganize. Food is dirty, disgusting, and not worth it. The only reason I gave one star was because of the service that the waiter provided. I don't recommend this place at all, there are many way better sushi places in that district. I will never return to this place, and I already blacklisted this place.
(1)
Alex C.
Delicious sushi. And cheaper than I thought it'd be.
My parents used to bring me to this restaurant sometimes when I was a teen. I didn't really like it at first, but then I started liking it. Plus, we also used to see our family friends in there most of the time. I also liked the miso soup as well as the teriyaki dishes. I might consider going there again sometime, even if I might then need to talk myself into trying some more in there.
(4)
Camille B.
Given that this place is clearly Chinese owned and run, the sushi is surprising good. It's not the best sushi, but if you're having a craving, it'll do just fine!
(3)
Tommy C.
I didn't necessarily think the food here was anything to write home about (which says something since I'm from Boston). I went at lunch time and ordered the bento box which included salmon nigiri, spicy tuna maki, salad, and miso soup. I also ordered a maki roll with cream cheese, salmon, and jalapeno pepper. The food was not poor by any standards; my only complaint was that the jalapeno peppers tasted more like green bell peppers and the maki rolls were not rolled tightly (they would fall apart whenever I picked them up). As for service, the waitress was very friendly and constantly filled my water cup and even brought me more ginger upon request. The bento box was reasonably priced (about $11 with the nigiri). In short, I would come back because of how close it is to my living space; other than that, there are better sushi places in SF.
(3)
Racerboy B.
Cleaniess - 5 stars (We went there at today friday at 1pm and it wasn't a lot of customers there. Services - 4 stars (The server were friendly but kinda slow when taking orders. I took the new chef not to put wasabi on any of my sushi; of course, every single one has wasabi on it and instead of him initiating redo our sushi, I had to wipe off wasabi from every sushi, pretty annoying. I knew it was a honest mistake but it happened repeatedly during our meal, I wonder if he was paying attention enough to our order) Food Taste - 4 stars (Fresh!)
(4)
Pauline N.
I'm a big fan because my friend knows the boss real well, so each time we come here, he makes the food for us personally. Under this premise, my experience has always been consistent and satisfying. Parking - SF street parkings; depend on your luck Seats - Comfy Service - Mine were always excellent Food - Hamachi toro - amazing! Ikura - not the best Uni - standard Unagi - delicious! Spicy tuna handroll - LOVE it! The rest - avg to above avg. Not a big fan of their deep fry food though. So I only order their sushi. They are not the best sushi for sure, but quality has been very consistent, avg to above avg, and really good price.
(4)
Bridget H.
Sushi for 2 - $50 yummy! There was so much sushi, sashimi, and nigri! We left very full- $50 included miso, salad, sushi, sashimi, nigri and ice cream...tea of course! The place wasn't packed, but the fish was fresh! Waitress was very nice. Only complaint would be the pop music and football game on the tv, but it wasn't horrible.
(4)
Justin G.
Food was just OK. Service was terrible. Our entrees came out 25 minutes apart and they kept bringing my friend's dinner in different stages. Would not come back here.
(1)
Jennifer O.
So I had a free afternoon which doesn't happen frequently so I treated myself to lunch at Nagano. I ordered a **huge** plate of sashimi and asked Mr. Lee if he recommended the toro and sea bass, which is not always available. To that, I ordered hamachi, albacore and red snapper, a huge plate for $40 which is more than a solid deal. Mr. Lee added a couple of slices of monk fish liver, too. As I devoured my sashimi, Mr. Lee gave me a couple of pieces of the Lion King roll, which I never had. I think it's a California roll with hamachi, sauced with a spicy mayo and heated. Wow. I was so impressed and I missed Nagano so much that I ordered dinner to go. I tapered way back on the sashimi (as I totally pigged out for lunch), a Lion King roll and added two menu items new to me, Nagano's homemade gyoza and their crab/cream cheese puffs, ostensibly for my little boy. (But I did nip a couple of those and wow, you could taste the difference). The menu prices have definitely increased this past year, which is not surprising, but for the quality, it's still a deal. Nagano satisfies!
(5)
Danielle L.
I've ordered twice from this sushi restaurant, both times the delivery guy forgot a portion of my meal. I call to get a status and they tell me it's going to take 45 additional minutes. Don't bother, I won't be spending $40 for my partially delivered sushi dinner anytime in the near future.
(1)
Rosalind S.
An order each of maguro and hamachi nigiri, volcano roll, and albacore tataki for dinner with my boyfriend. It wasn't horrible and we ate everything but it also wasn't great. The sushi took forever to come out and the rice also seemed old. The tataki dish was a big disappointment. The portion was smaller than other places and it wasn't lightly seared like it's suppose to be. I also don't think they're Japanese because, well, they spoke Mandarin. But then again, they could be Japanese and also speak Mandarin. It's not unheard of. And there's nothing wrong with Chinese folks running a Japanese restaurant but when I want to eat Japanese food I just , well, you know....
(3)
Amy L.
I went there at late Saturday night. It was great experience. First of all, I am a very picky person. I wanted to try multiple sushi so I asked the waiter that Is possible to order 1 piece for the sushi( usually 2 pcs per order). He said yes that he can ask the chef to make me half order for all the sushi I I order. I order Blue Fin toro, Ika, Hamachi, Akinmo, Uni, hamachi Kama and a cold sake. The sushi came out quickly and tasted great and I like the way the waiter introduce me which one is which. So I know what to order next time. Overall, I like all the sushi, especially the Uni, BF tuna and Akinmo. But the hamachi Kama is little bit pricy. Anyway, I will definitely come back or order for delivery since I live couple blocks away.
(4)
Joseph M.
We love this little Japanese restaurant. The sushi/sashimi offerings are excellent, fresh and well prepared. Their cooked items are equally good. The staff are all courteous and friendly, we always feel welcome and appreciated. We have also done delivery and that service has worked very well--hot food arrives hot, cold food arrives cold and there is not an inordinate wait--always arrives in about 45 minutes.
(5)
Erica W.
Sushi was Great, very fresh. The staff was friendly and brought food out in a timely fashion. Restaurant was clean, highly recommended.
(4)
Peter F.
I had ramen here on saturday early evening. The one reason I came here was there were people inside as opposed to the next door chinese place which was empty. They probably have better noodles and I'll head there next. The food was very blah. The best part of it was noodles and its temperature. But then again, who gets ramen at a sushi place. The pork was too tough and the egg looked deviled. It came with some green onions and bamboo shoots and a few spinach leaves. Broth was supposed to be miso, but it ended up some strange mix of powdered base(I make soup all the time). They also added an extra zero to the end of my tip(15% which made it 150%). I am hoping my three star review helps avoid filtering and detection since my real rating is 1 star.
(3)
May G.
As I indicated on my original post, I have been coming here since it was opened many years ago. I use to be part of a group that met here every Tuesday but the food started to go downhill and I didn't come as often. I decided to give it another try last week and it was SO DISAPPOINTING. I don't know what the hell happened but I won't be back. All the sauces are different (in a bad way). The fish was not fresh, there was no taste to any of the sushi. even the rice was sad. If it's been awhile since you've been here, don't go. If you've never been here before, don't go.
(1)
Timothy L.
Lots of non-traditional rolls... and so good! Lion King Roll. Get it. Get any roll here really.
(5)
Hanna Y.
Korean owned sushi restaurant I was introduced to years ago by an old friend and went to again due to nostalgia 3 com roll - spicy tuna topped with salmon and yellow tail (I think) was absolutely hands-down, my favorite. No Name roll - a fried roll with tuna and the orange spicy sauce in the center. It was simple but the pieces weren't so large that you felt like you had to shift various parts of your mouth around to make it get into your mouth, as with most fried rolls. Delectable crunchy yet warm roll with no real name. House Sake - I am no expert at knowing what is "good" sake. But I've had my share of "House Sake" from various restaurants and by far, this one was the smoothest. $7 for large. If we only could have stayed for desert - People were raving about the tempura ice-cream.
(4)
L. D.
It was very good! Excellent service. I had the basic ramen. The pork slices were thick and delicious and the soup was well-balanced with enough noodles, spice & greens. Clean, quiet atmosphere. Next time I'll try the sushi. Nice find.
(4)
Erika C.
This place serves everything. Sashimi, sushi, roll mash-ups, soba, ramen, udon, donburi... It is a one-stop shop. They do it with low prices and a smile. As with most places that do it all, there are no standout dishes. Amazingly, though, they do everything pretty damn well. I haven't had a bad dish here, and I left with most of my wallet intact. I haven't been back since I moved out of the hood, but I would recommend it to anyone craving Japanese. You don't have to decide what exactly to order till you get there... They'll probably have it. Keep in mind that you're getting a great value for the food. Don't eat at McDonald's and expect a Michelin-rated burger. It's comparable to similar joints, but if you're looking for great ramen, go to Katana-ya or Genki. If you want great sashimi, go to Zushi Puzzle, Sushi Bistro, Ino, etc. You get what you pay for, and in Nagano's case you get a bit more without having to dodge menu land mines.
(4)
V T.
Nagano Sushi is always fresh! I come here for lunch and always find the seat in the sushi bar or table without a long wait. The chief is very nice and gives us extra pieces and sometimes special on the house. During the season, I order the Mirugai (Giant Clam) which is the best since the chief usually gives fresh and big pieces. Ika is awesome! Amaebi is great. Spicy tuna is spicy. The most important is the sushi here is always fresh!
(4)
Christy A.
Decent sushi. We got some sort of spicy salmon roll with tempura batter, which was our favorite, the caterpillar was ok but I loved that they put a lot of sliced avocado, and the spicy tuna roll was average. We also ordered the 4 piece salmon sashimi. It was alright, a bit chewy though. Not sure if we will return.
(3)
Joel M.
Okay, just had to make sure that last week's experience was not a fluke. Came back tonite with wifey and had another try. This time around we had...hamachi kama (grilled hamachi collar), fried oysters, uni nigiri, sake toro nigiri, hamachi toro nigiri, hirame nigiri, albacore nigiri, and the cursory California roll. The owner gave a complimentary order of pickled carrots (spicy), egg custard sushi, and miso. Pretty good I must say. That hamachi kama was perfectly seasoned and grilled. The nigiri were all good. The service is very friendly and efficient. I'm sure we'll be back to try the rest of the menu.
(4)
Wendy M.
This is a sushi place that also has a variety of other japanese foods. I was especially happy to see they had ramen because I LOVE ramen. There menu of sushi rolls was pretty extensive - I didn't personally have any rolls or nigiri but my friends did and they were very happy with their meal. I had the chasui ramen with kimchi added in (shoyu broth). It was around $9 and the bowl was pretty huge. The chasui was tender so that I didn't have to go caveman on the meat. I thought the broth was pretty flavorful at first, but for some reason it started going bland on me. I can't explain that one - probably a midmeal hormonal change. The servers were polite, but I think there were only two people for the whole restaurant so service wasn't particularly speedy at times.
(3)
Christina B.
After reading all of the reviews here, I really made an effort to try this place out - especially since I will be moving out of the inner Richmond in a couple of days... I walked in and there were a couple of tables occupied (not bad for ~1pm). We sat down and saw the normal Japanese fare. We ended up ordering chicken katsu donburi, hamachi maki, alaska roll, tempura roll and spicy scallop roll. Katsu donburi - Katsu wasn't crispy on the outside, kind of soggy. They sure put a lot of shiitake mushrooms in this dish too, which made my boyfriend gag since he hates them. Hamachi maki - nothing special, a little bit small on the rolls too. Alaska roll - your typical roll, good sized and decent tasting. Tempura roll - probably my favorite of the four. Not exactly the best sushi I have had but it was tasty. Spicy scallop roll - Also good, but not the best I've had. I didn't get any free stuff like everybody was talking about, which made me sad. Unfortunately, I don't think this is a restaurant that I would make an effort to go to again. The food was just meh and nothing spectacular. The fish is fresher than other places, but of course there are better places out there. I'd definitely go here instead of Ichiraku. After all, Ichiraku is the worst Japanese restaurant I have ever been to.
(3)
K C.
THIS IS THE BEST SUSHI PLACE I GO TO. Try the Lion King Roll - Yummy! The food here is awesome - sushi, ramen, sashimi you name it they're all there. The sushi selection is BIG (maybe 4 times more than your average sushi place), and they're all awesome. You can't go wrong with this place. The price is maybe little bit more than other sushi places but with the atmosphere you'll feel like you're in Japan not on Geary. The customer service here is fantastic. Comprising that quiet accomodating Japanese flair. I love this place.
(5)
Josh B.
Good lunch option, particularly if you don't want to walk all the way up to Clement street. Bowls of ramen are huge and quite good. Agedashi tofu was better than a most of the Japanese diners in town ... actually properly fried in rice flour! No idea how the sushi is. Warning, though: don't come here for lunch if you're in a hurry. It's fairly popular for lunch, and they have only one server. Took us 20min to get the check.
(3)
Tracy N.
Neighborhood Gem! I've been coming here since childhood and I have to say this place is very consistent! High quality fish and rolls. Very friendly sushi chefs and hit or miss wait staff. I really love their akimbo (monkfish liver) and salmon nigiri/sashimi here. Everything is always very fresh. Decently priced sushi in a good neighborhood near major buslines that run often. Come check it out when you're in the area!
(4)
Demanding T.
It's ok, place needs a redo. I swing by here every two years.
(3)
Yvonne Y.
I used to be a regular and our Monday night waitress was very friendly and pleasant. We always ordered the usual (oysters, salmon nigiri, spicy scallop/tuna roll, etc) Beware, one of those chefs make the spicy rolls SPICY so it can be slightly inconsistent depending on which chef's working that night. There are definitely great sushi some nights but not all. Overall, the fish is good and the oysters on the half shell are wonderful with the tangy sauce. I tend to like their spicy scallops more than spicy tuna. I think the staff's Korean, not Japanese including the chefs. Parking is actually not too bad here before 7pm.
(3)
Mr Bolo B.
the service was excellent, they were also extra courteous and I was also very satisfied with the quality of the food , I notice this place always has a good amount of business, thats how I knew it must be good, I was right this was a very good sushi restaurant. very clean, nice decor, good atmosphere with a tv to watch while enjoying your meal the food was fresh and another thing I liked was the rice was very fresh, Ive been to other places that served me old rice, a good restaurant would never serve old rice to customers I would recommend this place, I'll be comming back for more
(4)
Adam C.
I used to come here often years ago, and loved it, thought it was five star. The fish was always fresh, the space was clean and pleasant, and the staff created a great dining experience. I often felt it was worth spending a bit extra compared with the other sushi places I more usually frequented. I visited for the first time in about three years tonight, and it was a letdown. I wonder if there was an ownership and/or management change. All the fish (salmon, hamachi, tuna, ebi, etc) looked and tasted gamey, unfresh, and slimy (and ewww I even bit into a small bone in the maguro nigiri). The eggplant tempura was undercooked, and there were other little things wrong. I guess I can say that the salad, rice, miso soup, and shrimp tempura were all fine. Our main waitress seemed sweet, but it took her quite a while to come and take our order. The older lady who took over for her at the end was stress inducing, coming by and hovering with a frozen grin and stiff movements literally fifteen times to see if we were finished eating, and then to see if I had signed the credit card slip. It was almost like she was in a comedy routine. Also: the space doesn't seem clean and well taken care of like it used to. As other commentators have pointed out, Nagano is not the cheapest sushitronic in the mix, so one would expect more for the money.
(2)
Kristy R.
I'm a big fan of Nagano. Why? - EXCELLENT service - Great sushi that is always of consistent quality - Totally reasonable prices Enough said.
(4)
Taylor E.
Best Sushi Spot ive EVER been to. Service was great, place was REALLY clean. Sushi chef was really nice and engaged in conversation. Even gave a complimentary tempura roll which was delicious. I WILL be coming back often!
(5)
Dominic T.
The lunch variety is pretty good, featuring ramen, udon, soba, sushi+sashimi, and more. There is also Japanese curry but I'm not at a sushi joint for curry. The hot tea is good and doesn't cost extra like Kitaro. I was deciding between the caterpillar roll, the lion king, and the Nagano maki. I chose the nagano b/c I love the taste of tempura crunch in my sushi. Nagano maki: shrimp tempera roll with unagi and avocado on top. Could use a bit more rice on the exterior and better batter for the tempura. My sister got combo bento box but it didn't look very fulfilling for $9.95.
(3)
Moraia W.
3.5 stars, but rounding up because this has been a staple for me for yeeears. My favorite roll to get here is the Nagano maki. There's something about tempura shrimp wrapped in unagi & avocado that makes me go gaga. The agedashi tofu is probably the best I've had in the city. The shoyu saba is also a favorite of mine here (think salty mackerel grilled to perfection). On my most recent visit here, I noticed they had added a ramen section to their menu. (I haven't been here for a while so I don't know how new this is). Tried the butter corn ramen and was left desiring something more. The clear broth did not make an impression on my palette. I will stick to getting rolls and sashimi here. The fish is ALWAYS fresh and top notch.
(4)
Jennifer B.
This place is such a find! With so many trendy sushi places that are way overpriced and low in quality, this place stole my heart! Located right on Geary, I probably drove past Nagano a zillion times without giving it a second look. Last Saturday afternoon we decided to give it a try. The sushi is incredibly fresh and hand-picked by Chef Lee, a seasoned pro in his 60s with several sushi joints under his belt. This man is a force when it comes to quality and authenticity. We were informed by one of the many loyal regulars that Chef Lee actually teaches sushi techniques at the culinary academy and now his son who is a formally-trained Cordon Bleu chef is joining his dad. Do not let the plastic menus with pictures of sushi frighten you. We had some of the freshest halibut and aji this day. If you're going for rolls you'll be satiated, but if you're going for nigiri or sashimi, you'll be overjoyed by its quality. When we walked in around noon the place was pretty empty, yet by 2pm it began to fill with some regulars...even a couple who just flew back from NY made a beeline for this place because they love it so much. Service was warm and genuine. Nice sake selection too without the pretense. Ask for the bottle infused with lavender oil, delicate, light, balanced and clean. And if you see David, a regular who sits at a table by the kitchen and foremost expert on all things sushi, send him a shot...you'll be glad you did!
(5)
Y M.
It's alright. Fish is fine and the prices are ok. Also it's never too crowded which is nice. I go intermittently when I'm in the area. They score well on SFDPH which is reassuring:http://dph-extranet2.sfdph.org:7777/Âpls/eeop_htmldb/f?p=132:1:7103381575079481
(3)
Sara T.
Found out about this place from a menu left on my door. It was surprisingly good especially for a place that delivers. We came on a Friday night and the fish was extremely fresh. We tried the 49ers roll and double hamachi roll. The 49ers was good but the double hamachi was excellent. The service was also very good. I will definitely be back or order in.
(5)
Janu A.
This is my favorite sushi spot in SF. I've been going there since back in the back in the day when I was in college. EVERYTHING is good and fresh. I especially like that the spicy rolls don't use spicy mayo but actual chili sauce. The last time we went we sat at the sushi bar (which I think is the way to always go if you're in a small group) and the sushi chef gave us his special of the day...complimentary! It was a piece of tuna served over watermelon. YUP, that's what I said. Watermelon! It was the best thing I've ever eaten there, or any sushi restaurant for that matter. The freshness of the fish and the watermelon with the light sauce, WOW! Just when I thought I loved this place they went and pulled this card! Now I don't just love it but I think I'm IN love with it. I love you Nagano!
(5)
emily g.
BETTER THAN SUSHI BISTRO (food wise anyway) If you drool for fancy rolls and the absolute best sashimi platters in the bay area, you have hit home at Nagano. The owner and his son who work at the sushi bar are extremely generous towards regulars, big ballers, and noobs. If you order approximately $30 dollars to yourself (which wouldn't be hard) , you'll probably get free miso soup and ice-cream. Mr. Lee is always feeling frivolous so delectable concoctions are always given to customers on the house. He is generous with alcohol too, if you order 4 or 5 beers/sakes, you'll probably get one free. The generosity that Nagano has to offer will surely balance out their prices. BTW. They have a great deal on the LIVE LOBSTER that they execute right before your eyes!
(5)
Vithiet L.
Weird. I definitely remember writing a review for this place, but it's now gone :( I've been going there for years. While not the best sushi place in town, it's still very good and fresh. It's also the place that introduced me to Ankimo (monkfish liver), and it's still the place with the best quality/quantity/price ratio I've found for that dish. The service is not the greatest. It was always older ladies (owners?) more or less friendly. On my most recent visit, there was a younger girl, much more friendly, but I'm guessing she's new because she didn't seem to know what she was doing; give her time though, and I think it will fix the mediocre service issue. In any case, you can always sit at the sushi bar and order directly from the sushi chef, which is what I do. Ok, I hope this review will stay!
(4)
Lawrence G.
Nothing special but nothing bad. Timing of dishes brought to our table was bizarre, the sushi meals came way ahead of the tuna salad ordered by one of our party (almost refused as it took so long to arrive). Grilled squid was plainly cooked ahead as it was tepid (but tasty). Better have a fist full of quarters for the meters, 8 min per 25c and even on Sunday.
(3)
Punkster S.
This place was AWESOME!! Dose anyone ever notice at most sushi/Japanese restaurants they use a ton of rice on their rolls?!? After trying Nagano I noticed that they use just the right amount. Not to much & not to little. Just enough so you can taste whats inside the rolls. I LOVED IT!! I've been to my share of sushi bars in the bay area and this has got to be one of my favorites. A must try!!
(5)
Danny P.
Finally another good sushi joint in the inner Richmond other than Sushi Bistro. I've been so disappointed with the sushi around this area. Inner Richmond is cluttered with cheap and fast sushi. So when I finally stumbled on this place I was ecstatic. * Rocky Roll - unagi roll wrapped with assorted fish 12.50 - The fish just melts in your mouth. Each individual roll had a unique taste because of the assorted fish they put on top. * Snow Cone - hamachi, spicy scallop, shiso, tobiko - This hand roll was almost perfect. The mix of hamachi and spicy scallops were a perfect mix. However, the seaweed was a little too chewy.
(4)
Jason C.
I love nothing more than a good conversation and good eats. it's truly one of the finest things in life. Last night, I came to Nagano after a 16 hour workday and an empty stomach that had nothing but Snickers, Butterscotch candies, and Coke. The diet of champions. But I wasn't a champion. I was a hungry ass mofo and I needed to reward myself despite the economy. By chance I found myself at Nagano chatting with the owner, Yong. 11 years ago, Nagano was created when Yong, of Korean decent, decided to bring his Japanese trained sushi skills to San Francisco. And when I mean trained, if you've ever had the pleasure of sampling Take in Oakland or Sushi House in Alameda, well, Yong trained the chefs, up to 21 years. That's the typical age of a sushi "snob" who's fresh out of college and thinks good sushi is proportional to portion size. If you come to Nagano, you're not going to get that. Over a handpicked chef selection of wonderful Uni, Hamachi Toro, White Fish, and some of the freshest Sake I've ever tasted, as well as some house freebies, I learned about the careful process of fish selection (purchasing), skinning, cutting, knife and hand prep (the towel is very important), and customer care. I learned about how during Yong's youth, he learned how to make sushi in his native country of Korea during the Japanese occupation. That's probably why there are quite a few Korean chefs who excel in making sushi. His towel is cleaned often, the knife never is wiped between cuts so as never to get water on the fish from washing, and he even put his son through the rigors of making countless rolls before moving onto the prize: nigiri. A few beers, laughter, and a closed up shop later, Yong, his son and I parted ways. After a hard day at work, there's no better way to end the day.
(5)
Phil C.
Uniformly awful. Probably the worst ramen I've ever had, and that includes the instant cup-a-soup I lived on during college. The broth was bland and tasted more like onions than shoyu. (Who puts onions and mung beans in ramen?) My tonkatsu ramen came out just after the sad plate of sushi, and my wife's butter-corn ramen came out 15 minutes later. No apology, no explanation. The butter-corn ramen certainly had corn (and onions and mung beans), but no butter. It was essentially the same as the tonkatsu ramen, except for the two lovely pieces of fatty gristly pork. Outright unappetizing. Now, let's talk about beer logic. $1.50 draft beer sounds like a good deal, until they brought me the thimble-sized portion. Fair enough. So I ordered the big draft beer, which the menu states is 16 ounces for $3. First, the waitress mistakenly brings me the big bottle instead, which is $7, which I return. She then brings the "big" draft, which is just shy of 13 ounces. So much for economies of scale.... "Indifferent" is the key word for this place. It didn't seem like anyone cared about anything--not the chef serving those sad rolls, nor the waitresses unconcerned with poor service. These customers, though, are not indifferent; we won't ever go back.
(1)
Ronald T.
I generally don't give anything more than 3 stars for sushi joints, so this is a SOLID 3 for Nagano. This is my go-to sushi place. The quality of their fish is always consistent. ALWAYS order the nagano maki, and your second roll can be something different. I also saw a customer customize their roll, no questions asked from the sushi chef. Extra stars would go to the service, but the waitress gets too stressed out if there are more than 3 tables to serve.
(3)
Peter-Christian P.
I really hate giving this place a bad review but I have to be honest with myself. This place has really, really declined in my opinion. I rarely give 1 star reviews, as I know how much bad reviews can deter customers and ruin businesses. But Nagano needs to get its act together. The last 3 times I've gone to Nagano I've primarily had lunch specials, where the Miso soup tasted like lukewarm saltwater, the teriyaki chicken was soggy, and the tempura overly greasy and overly fried KFC style. It was gross. Both times. Not to mention that although the employees are very nice, they look extremely frantic and run up and down the corridors, making you feel almost uncomfortable in asking for something. It always seems as if they are understaffed. However what really has done me wrong was when I ordered the Sashimi salad. It. Was. Inedible. Maybe it was an off day, but there is nothing more disgusting than raw fish that isn't fresh. And I've eaten at all the best sushi restaurants there is, including Nobu and places in Japan, so I know what is fresh and what is not. The actual salad leaves were extremely bitter, but the assortment of fish was unlike anything I've ever had before. It was strangely too cold (freezer?), but had an extremely rubbery texture and a foul aftertaste. It was bad. I then asked the waitress if it was "fresh", and she didn't give me a y/n answer, and looked nervous as she shouted something towards the sushi chef in another language, where he was kind to offer me a discount. But honestly? This place isn't exactly a top bargain, so if they're going to charge high prices, the quality must coincide. It saddens me to write this review as I live on the same block and used to be a regular here, but the quality as rapidly declined in the last few months. Nagano, shape up! Soggy sushi no like! ::bends knees like a harajuku girl and throws a peace sign::
(1)
Tony L.
To sum up Nagano Sushi in a word: messy. Came here with a friend for a late bite to eat. Ordered four rolls, avocado, volcano, salmon skin, and 49er. The salmon was alright. The spicy mayo was also pretty awesome. But the salmon skin was tough and overcooked. And overall, the rolls were packed pretty unevenly, some had wads of rice, others had some bald spots. They fell apart when picking them up with chopsticks. And to add insult to injury, the tab, with a large beer, came out to forty bucks. Not worth it. Not coming back, either.
(2)
SF U.
Fresh, Supple, Large Cuts of Fish. Prices are reasonable, staff is good and food is Super Duper fresh. Been here 4 times now and Nagano has been consistent each time. Parking is always available on the block.
(5)
Jennifer D.
This restaurant is right next to my work, where my coworkers and I eat often. Depending how busy they are, this is always our go-to! Friendly service, yummy bento boxes, affordable and the waitress Carmen, hustles serving tables by herself!
(5)
Angela W.
Terrible. We ordered from Eat 24 and it came decently quick but the quality was horrible. Hamachi kama was so dry, parts of it was rock hard. And it was so heavily salted and peppered. Chicken skewers were cold and tough, also way over salt and peppered. But even all the salt and pepper couldn't cover the taste of old chicken. Salmon sashimi had no flavor and had a tough sinew bit running through it. We got the dynamite roll and spicy dragon roll. They were just drenched in an oddly semi sweet sauce and you can't even tell what was in the super dynamite roll, it certainly didn't look or taste like spicy salmon. Needless to say, we're never ordering from here again.
(1)
Elisa A.
The food is fine, no complaints there.. The service however, is very bad. The older waitress ignored my sister and me, took her sweet time to take our order (all of this with the unfriendliest attitute and face), and was overall unfriendly. The worst is that she seemed fine with everyone else, and it's not the first time she treats me this way. Don't know if it's a question of race or what, but I've decided to keep away from this place, at least until they get staff that treats customers in a decent matter.
(1)
Robbin A.
I came back to San Francisco full of heavy thoughts. I wanted to place those thoughts elsewhere and decided to go for a drive. I invited the boyfriend to come along if he so chose, and we drove down to the Inner Richmond since I was hoping to clear my mind a bit. Originally, I wanted to find Okina Sushi. Though I found it, I also found that the parking around there was terrible, so we decided to try our chances on Geary to see if anything looked interesting. With the help of our smart phones and excellent parking on a Friday night (to be fair, it was 2 January, which meant most people were still playing hooky from work), we found ourselves less than a block away from New Nagano Sushi. It was hard to miss with the bright yellow sign. I'd seen it before and wondered what it was like, so I was happy to see that the interior was very warmly designed. It's not overly artsy, and it was nice and quiet since there was only one other party in the restaurant. Now, I know that usually an empty restaurant isn't a good sign, but I figured since almost the entire block of Geary had suspiciously easy-to-find parking, I decided that it was probably due to the city still being in vacation mode. We were seated right away by the sushi chefs, and the waitress brought us menus and water right away, followed by some tea while we were browsing through the vast menu. It's nice when restaurants aren't crowded; as you'd expect, you get really excellent service. After about 15 minutes of perusing through the menu (we had to figure out what I could eat, since I don't react well to large amounts of mayonnaise), we decided on three rolls: the Zebra Roll, the King Kong Roll, and the Salmon Delight Roll. After a final look at the menu, we also ordered the Salmon Skin and Snow Cone handrolls. The waitress was also patient and kind while she checked with the chefs to see what had mayonnaise and what didn't. The waitress was quick and attentive, and the food came rather quickly. The Zebra Roll came out first, which was basically a crab roll with seaweed salad on it. This was tasty, though we were a bit worried at first since she informed us that anything with crab in it had a bit of mayo to hold it together. Thankfully, whatever amount they used was perfect. I could still taste the wonderful mayo flavor and I didn't get sick. The next ones were the King Kong and handrolls and the Salmon Delight...oh my goodness. So delicious. I wish I had taken pictures, but we were hungry and the food was gone within minutes. The King Kong roll was definitely my favorite. It had everything I loved in a roll: a bit of crab, some unagi, some snow crab, avocado, tobiko, unagi, and unagi sauce. Perfect. I didn't even have to worry about the mayo drizzle that many sushi restaurants usually use. I had a bite of the boyfriend's Snow Cone roll, which included some hamachi...which was excellent. What I really enjoyed about the food was that they didn't overdo it with the rice. Some restaurants use way too much rice and it becomes filler; they use just enough, and it tastes just right. All in all, everything was delicious. The service was also excellent, and I hope that it will continue to be excellent whether the restaurant is busy or not. They treated us very well, and I felt like I was back at my boyfriend's favorite sushi place back in his hometown where everyone was extremely kind and wonderful. Good service really makes food taste better. I will definitely be coming back, especially now that I know they have ramen as well!
(5)
Joe N.
Unfortunately this review is in line with much of the other reviews in regards to service. We ordered fried oysters for appetizers, a bento box, three hand rolls, apple juice, green tea, and draft beer (16 oz). The juice and beer came first, no green tea. Then the bento box came next. The hand rolls arrived a few mins later. The 16 Oz draft beer was served in a 12 Oz glass beer tankard with 3/4 inch of foam on the top. See the pic of the tankard. More than halfway into the meal, still no green tea and no appetizers. The guy said that it's still frying. We finished the entire meal and still no appetizers and no tea. After 10 mins, we had to asked for the tea which was about to be served to another table. 10 mins after. Still no appetizers. Still frying. I must say that I can cook up potstickers straight from the freezer and perfectly browned on one side in less time than 20 minutes. 60 mins after ordering the appetizers. I asked for the check. Instead they delivered fried oysters and said that it was on the house. I checked the bill and they still charged me for it. Anyways, you get the idea about this place. Was the food good? It was average.
(1)
Jaime W.
If you want some reasonably priced sushi on Geary st., Nagano is a good option I ordered the "Cherry Blossom" roll (tuna, salmon) and the "Mother and Son" roll (salmon, tuna, mango). Cherry blossom roll, as the name implies, is arranged in a pretty little arrangement fanning outward to resemble a flower. The tuna on the outside of the roll was slightly dry. It didn't have that fresh fish shine that all sushi lovers look for. The Mother and Son roll, is a really interesting mix of salmon tuna and MANGO! At first it seemed like a bit of a stretch mixing mango with fish in a roll, but it was tasty! The mango gave the roll a nice sweet kick to it that I've never tasted before. Service was a little on the slow side. I had to ask the waiter to come refill my tea a couple times since he didn't check up on the tables. Bottom line: Try the Mother and Son roll.
(3)
Kate G.
Ordered Delivery (yes. I know. Sushi delivery). Arrived after 1.5 hours. Was messy/completely smooshed in container. Quality debatable. Will not order again.
(1)
Tao Tao W.
I'm giving this place a 3 because I specifically asked for no sesame oil for the sashimi salad but it somehow still had sesame oil on it! I got a chance to try this place this past weekend and for the price you get a good quality and quantity of parts. They were very nice and acomodating when i said no rice and sub for salad. They also have a twist to it and add garlic to the top. The sashimi salad also comes with seaweed salad and roe. You get a good amount of sashimi for $15. However the sesame oil which they told me they do not use irked me quite a bit. otherwise great place. tasty and worth it. I'm not sure if the oil came from the garlic though but the garlic did give it a different touch to it
(3)
Kevin W.
Pretty pricey honestly, and for not that much food. I had the tekka don, which had only 8 very thin slices of maguro, and TONs of rice. It was like I was eating rice, with some tuna as a garnish. The ikura handroll was okay. Not that fresh though, very salty. The GF had two rolls, both of which were pretty mediocre. Not the worst place on earth, but there are better sushi spots in the area and I won't be back.
(2)
Kayla N.
Good sushi, close to home! Service is generally good- we were given free ice cream one night, just because. Hubby always gets chicken teriyaki and it's very good. The rolls and nigiri that I've tried have always been good as well. The price is a bit steep but the closeness to my place makes up for it. I'll be back to Nagano, fo' sho!
(4)
Kat M.
Not that great. Service was very poor! And we all know that service says a lot about a dining experience. Food was ok. I felt the sashimi was not fresh with the exception of the salmon. The soft shell crab was mediocre, but the miso soup was good. How can you go wrong? On a more positive note, the restaurant is clean. The server forgot our saki and most of our dishes came separately. I kind of felt like we were being a pain in the rear, having to ask for things we ordered. Bummer. Normally, we're an easy going crowd. i doubt I'll be back. Nothing about this place gave me the "wow" factor. You'll definitely find better sushi in this city, no doubt!
(2)
Maria C.
We went on a Sunday night and we couldn't find parking near Sushi Bistro, so we went to that part of Geary that has, like, 5 Sushi restaurants within 2 blocks. We picked the right place! The sushi was good, reliable, but it was the service and the comfortable feeling of the restaurant that won us over. Our server was jovial and we enjoyed her attention. The sushi chefs chatted with the folks at the bar. We actually imagined that the sushi chef (who we believe was the owner - his photo with a younger version of him was displayed on the wall behind him) came to the US and opened his restaurant in the 70s and has been there ever since. There isn't nouveau fusion cuisine-y sushi and we really liked the feel as well as the food here. I found the prices to be market rate. OH!!! Almost forgot! They have Green Tea ice cream for dessert!
(4)
Jason H.
Food: The food was pretty well prepared. We had a Katsu Don, Sashimi platter, Spicy Tuna roll, Tempura roll, Mt. Fuji, and Fish liver (akimbo). We throughly enjoyed the food. 5 Stars. Service: The staff and waitress were friendly (btw the waitress is really pretty), but the food that we ordered kept going to the wrong person that actually ordered it. My tea was empty and have to kept asking for refills. It would of been better if it was proactive since it wasn't busy. 3 Stars (An extra star for the pretty waitress). Overall: Great food and mediocre service.
(4)
Michelle D.
I had my doubts when I was handed a menu with pictures of sushi on it. Made me flash back to my college days. My skepticism increased when I spied group of loud, giddy college girls across the room trying to figure out how to pronounce the items in said pictures. Yes, this place is a hole in the wall in a college neighborhood, but I gotta give it to them, the sushi was solid. I couldn't find anything wrong with anything we ordered. Very tasty! They had nice selection of sake, and the bill was one of the cheapest we've seen for sushi in a very long time! Doesn't hurt to hang out with the college crowd from time to time.
(3)
Robert C.
I just don't understand why this place doesn't have better reviews. went with a couple sushi snobs (my sis and bro in law) and we LOVED it. can't say anything on the maki but the Nigiri is solid! Get the aburi!
(5)
Mrs F.
Based on one dine in weekday lunch with my kid. There was one other table occupied at 12 PM. Maybe they get more take out customers. We ordered a vegie udon and lunch box with salmon teriyaki and tempura ($11). I thought the food was really flavorful, especially the udon soup. The portion was also generous. My kid is really into noodles now and he really enjoyed the udon noodles. Without the soup, they still retained much of the flavor from the soup. We finished everything for $24. I thought it was a good deal. A couple of dollars more than other Japanese lunch boxes, though. I would definitely return here and try the rolls and udon.
(4)
Joseph S.
I been here with many of my friends, both accidentally and on purpose. To truly explain Nagano is to delve deep into my past. Nagano seems to be entrenched in my failures of character, as well as my accomplishments of purity. That is, if my failures of character include Sake (sometimes + bombs) and sometimes females, and the accomplishments of purity include...Sake and sometimes females... Seriously though, when I think about Nagano the fantastic sushi and fun-loving staff is not what comes first to mind (although it probably should for yelp purposes). What comes to mind are my early and mid twenties. All the mistakes and successes. They were all had somehow in this city, around this district and within this sushi bar. Even when I left the city for a spell, I found myself accidentally returning to Nagano with another friend or an old friend by chance. Nagano's like gravity. Once you go there and celebrate a gain or a loss, you realize it's easy to call it home...You're always welcome, they remember you and its warm (with exception for the sushi except when tempura'd). Jason C knows what I'm talking about... It's places like these that make the City, the City. It's places like these that always more than satisfy the body and mind. Do a dinner here and get your 'ish straight...or do a dinner here and pre-funk to get yourself crooked for the club. Nagano ain't there to judge. Nagano's there to play host to whatever the night's holdin'... Holla if y'ear me!!!
(5)
Thommy V.
I have never been frustrated at a restaurant until I came here. Here's a summary of my worse experience. I'm unable to give a 0 but they are lucky to even get a 1 and this is due to their service. There was barely 10 people in the restaurant. We got sat down at a table and server came back in a few mins to ask what we wanted to drink. We ask for iced tea but received hot tea instead, which I was fine with. A group of 4 comes in after us and places an order. Roughly 10min goes by and the server finally takes our order. We had order only 3 things, cherry blossom roll, yellowtail nigiri and monkfish liver. 15min goes by and I haven't receive any of my order. I've notice all the other people had gotten their food and was trying to wave the waitress over to ask what's going on. Another 15-20min goes by and everyone is finishing up with their food and we still have yet to receive any of our order. Everyone begins to leave and the server finally makes her way to us and I've ask her what is going on with our food and she goes back and looks and notice she didn't even put the order in and places it in. She comes back and tells us that she had not put in the order. I was literally about to scream and at this moment I really wanted to walk out and I wish I had. I've work as a waiter at a restaurant before and how the hell do you not remember to place an order!? Especially when its not even busy!!! The food comes out in the next 5 minutes. I'm beyond frustrated to even care about the food now. It could've been the best food of my life or the shittiest I was to irritated to even finish it. I ask the waitress if she was going to comp us for anything and she said no. In the end she didn't get any tip. We left and never plan on returning to this shitty service.
(1)
Wendy B.
They have a ramen set with sushi or some other things for $6.99. Do I need to say more. It's inexpensive and not horrible tasting. Fun to go with co-workers. Gets us out of the office and we get a nice cheap lunch. The ramen is just okay, but I am a stickler for my tasty noodles. Everything else is pretty good and well worth the $6.99.
(3)
Fontane L.
Generally, my expectations of sushi on Geary is rather low. I usually expect that the quality of the fish is such that it needs to be hidden in a roll with tons of condiments. Nagano was a pleasant surprise. I walked in and found many patrons eating sashimi, and it looked pretty fresh. Sweet! I feel there are four categories of restaurants that I have seen with respect to sashimi/raw fish quality: 1) super-fresh, high-quality fish with a number specialties that only raw fish lovers enjoy (usually pricey at $60/person or more, not some place I could go to often) 2) fresh fish that hits the spot for raw fish cravings and does a few staple items really well (pricey-ish at $30/person or so) 3) fish is okay - would need to be hidden in a roll to distract from the quality 4) fish is unappetizing to say the least - looks like I bought it off a sushi cart on a college campus Nagano is a solid 2 on the above scale, with large slices of good fish. We ordered a sashimi platter for two ($30), sunrise sushi (salmon, tobiko and quail egg, ~$7), unagi/avo roll and spicy tuna w/ seaweed salad roll (~$6/roll). All were delicious, but the sashimi platter and sunrise sushi is what I think I'll go be going back for. They served escolar (white) tuna, which not all places have and is incredibly delicious! :) Also: the place has a decent selection of sashimi, sushi and cooked foods - will find something to please everyone if that is a concern.
(4)
Bobby B.
A bit pricey for the quality of food and location Tuna was fresh and rolls were above average but nothing extraordinary
(2)
chris l.
I know the owner. He has 40 years culinary experiences in many different Japanese restaurants. There is no argue in that.
(5)
Kandace K.
Nagano is a solid choice for reasonably priced, fresh sushi. It's a tiny little restaurant and I always have a good experience there. My favorite rolls are the Double Hamachi & Lion King. I strongly suggest sitting at the sushi bar because the chefs will give you the best pieces of fish and usually offer samples of some yummy stuff. Parking along Geary is usually pretty easy. My husband and I spend about $50-60 with tip whenever we go.
(4)
V M.
I ordered the Tempura California roll, Spicy Tempura roll, and the Nagano Maki roll (I think that's the name of it). It was YUMMY!!!! =) My best friend ordered the bento box. I thought the bento box was kinda pricey. The waitress was nice...she gave me a bowl of miso soup even though my order didn't include it. Prices were fair and the wait staff were attentive. I would come back in the future.
(5)
Jin S.
Been here twice, wish I can give this place a 3 1/2. The first time was better than the next. Everything I ordered was good and fresh. I get the same nigiri at every restaurant, aji, uni, ameabi, sake.... however, uni was out when i ordered it. half way through my meal, I see a messenger looking guy walk into the restaurant. Out of his bag, a dozen boxes of uni. the chef grabs it, and made most of the people at the bar who wanted uni before the other chef finish signing for the package. it was great! the second time, it was mehh.. not bad, but not great.
(3)
Kei K.
Just thinking about Nagano makes me drool. So far, I've been here countless times (I go to USF and this is right down the street so I go here very often) and every time it's been awesome. I love their sashimi, it's usually very fresh though after reading other reviews I suppose some might have gotten bad ones.... Lucky I didn't though. I'm usually picky with restaurants when it comes to seafood because I get allergies easily, but so far nothing has happened to me with Nagano. I think their prices are reasonable, though they're not exactly cheap either, at least you're not getting crap quality either. I love their lunch boxes, where you could choose two things out of the list they have + mixed tempura + soup + salad + rice all for something like $17.95 or almost $20. It's awesome. My favorite would have to be their Chicken Karaage because it's not too oily, not too hard, just the right crispiness, juicy-ness, and flavoring. Usually the chicken karaages I've had at other places are too hard, too oily, or the juice from the meat has been sucked dry from them so it's not yummy anymore. I love the chicken karaage a Nagano. Their service is really dependent on who's there that day, I think there's like 2 young girls working part time, and one of them is really nice. The other one is fairly new but you can tell she's trying to work hard. If you get anyone else like the old lady they might not be so courteous to you.. So if you get lucky, you'll get the nice girl though I don't have a picture of her. Overall, I think it's a really good place to have lunch or dinner (I think they close around 10-11? That's pretty late!) and they have really good quality food at reasonable prices. I'm definitely a loyal customer!
(4)
Yodel A.
Been back a handful of times since first review and just can't report good stuff anymore. Too many great sushi places in this city to settle for mediocre.
(2)
P C.
Great Sushi, I have been to Nagano many times and never once disappointed. The grilled Hamachi is .....yum yum good., sashimi is so fresh, can be a bit on the pricey side depending on what you order. Everytime when we go there, we can never hold back, every thing is so good. Casual setting make you feel right at home. Friendly service.
(3)
Grace K.
I hate it when this happens. Service - - gone down the drain here. One waitress, albeit she said she just started a few days ago, was impossible. Don't have them taking orders if they are not READY to take orders. Appetizers came out AFTER the nigiri - she had no idea which sake was which but then couldn't even spell it on her notepad, and then a couple of the items we ordered never showed up, so we had to remind another waitress. Twice. Quality of the fish was lackluster. Uni and Toro were very good, though the Toro took 15 minutes to come out - - but everything else including the hamachi and rolls were seriously dull. Too much rice, and just dull. The spicy tuna roll left a lot to be desired.... in tuna, spice, and taste. I can still eat here - - it's still acceptable - and some things were good. It's just not great.
(3)
Tracy T.
If I could give this restaurant ZERO stars, I would. BF and I were deciding between this restaurant or the one across the street from it, this one was closer, so you know which one I picked. =) Walked in, the sushi chef behind the bar saw us, the waitresses in the back saw us, NOBODY acknowledged the fact that we were there (no greeting/no seating). We just sat ourselves at an empty table and waited for someone to give us menus. I looked around, the table of 4 behind us were playing with phones like they have been there forever with menus still on their tables. Other tables around only had drinks. A lady comes in walks to the back and was immediately greeted, because she had a To Go order pick up. The waitress finally walks right passed us to the table behind and takes their order, still NOT acknowledging that we were there, let alone ignoring the fact that we were there and WITHOUT menus. Walked out and went to the restaurant across the street. It was meant for us to go to the other one to begin with! I do not plan on coming here ever again due to such bad service!
(1)
Katya B.
This is one of my absolute favorite sushi restaurants in the Richmond. The quality is very very good - well worth the price. An additional plus is that they're open pretty late, 11pm on a weeknight (and 10 pm on Sundays). By far the best Sunrise Roll I've had in San Francisco. Also incredibly fresh (consistently, time after time) fish. I would highly recommend you try the double hamachi roll. The rainbow roll is great (its about $12, but of a pretty generous portion). They serve very large pieces of fish - about twice the size of the rice, which is a nice change of pace. The spicy tuna hand roll is also really good. If half stars were allowed I'd give it a 4 1/2 because the last time we went the service was pretty slow. but we did get free ice cream as an apology.
(5)
Jed E.
This place is more like three stars: -Pricey. -Fish is not super super fresh, but there is a lot on the menu to choose from. -Pretty clean for a restaurant in the Inner Richmond. An extra star for the service (great when it's not crowded obviously) and all the free goods- tempura and crab salad on the house!
(4)
Richard H.
Okay, Yelpers, I only hope you read some of the negative reviews on this site in the vein in which they were written ( by spoiled children with no sense of anything beyond their own suburban taste buds, that are, at best, "stuck" in dorm food and ready to criticize.) How could we be dining in the same place??!! I had years in a successful restaurant business, as well as been fortunate to dine in some of the best sushi restaurants in most of this country's major cities. I have been here many times now, and I must say this is the VERY BEST sushi restaurant I have been to - ever, in San Francisco - reasonable, fresh, creative, great service, and oh so helpful if you just open your eyes and ears to what has just come in and they recommend -- "But... IIII wwwhhhhannnnt Terayaki CHICKEN!!" Oh course you do - so please don't grace us with your presence and come here with your stupid attitude; I rest my case. Sublime, perfect combinations, always fresh, GREAT Saki list and oh so reasonable. Even the miso soup sings!! Love sitting at the bar and can't wait to go back again, and again, and again.....
(5)
Alina M.
My fav little sushi restaurant in SF! I've been going here for 3 years now and I used to go here almost every night with my girlfriends! Sashimi is fresh and thin, just the way I like it! There was a waitress that worked here that I liked but she ended up opening her own sushi place that I haven't been to yet. The service is pretty good. The waitress could be a little more nicer, but she's decent. The cooks behind the sushi bar are always sweet. There's never a wait here. You can ususaly get a parking spot after a couple min of driving around. Oh and if you park in front of the restaurant, make sure you turn your wheels or else you'll get a ticket like I did! (even though i still dont think there's much of a slope, but whatev.) Yah, so go here and try their lion king roll too!
(4)
Nish N.
Nothing fancy here, just good and fresh sushi. While I love sushi rolls in general, sometimes the combined tastes take away from the taste, texture, and flavor of the individual ingredients. That doesn't necessarily happen at Nagano - take their Godzilla, Spicy Country or Crazy Rolls as examples - but I'd still recommend going with sashimi or nigiri here. We ate here last night and were blown away by the butter that was their albacore tuna, highly highly recommended. The hamachi toro we tried was also delicious, and the salmon we had was soft and melt-in-your mouth supple. Yeah, this is a sushi orgasm. Again, there's not a lot of atmosphere at Nagano, but with fish like this, who really cares?
(5)
Joey H.
Always a fan of this place. I first started going here way back in 2004. I saw it on yelp and tried it. It was one of my favorites because the service was awesome and the food portions was always fair. Although, after grasping different sushi joints, the price did seem a bit higher than the norm. There variation of fusion rolls are out of the ordinary. There price of rolls are fair, but bento box meals are higher, but the sashimi is between fair and high. Watch your wallet, but know that you will eat well. You could even try the Tray dishes. They're goodly priced and good selection of different soochi.
(4)
Candy T.
-the place: is clean -the service: is ok -the food: ankimo is not fresh; oyster is too salty; the other sashimi are just average
(2)
Esmeralda N.
One star is even too much for the quality of sushi this place makes! Disgusting!!! I never regret about the money I pay to enjoy good dinner, this was a waist I wanted to throw up from.... Never again!
(1)
Alex H.
Hands down the worst sushi I've ever had in my life. The uni was spoiled and had the most disgusting foil taste like rotten, molding fish that they pulled out from the fridge months after its expiration. I wish I spit it in a napkin instead of swallowed it because I went home feeling ill that night. The rest of the sushi was hardly mediocre and suffered from the same problems. It tried to make up for its lack of freshness with its spicy mayo sauce, but any sushi eater can tell the difference between good fish and bad fish. And Nagano was so bad I have no idea why they stay in business. Someone should do a health check there because it was dreadful.
(1)
Archie R.
On the Friday and Saturday nights of my birthday weekend, I powered down almost 25,000 calories. Between the taco lady, the BBQ, and Original Joe's, you would think that I would rest on Sunday with a magazine and some fiber supplements. You would think. The last thing I remembered was a txt from Grace saying "come starving." Always trying to give the lady what she asks for, I did the one thing I am REALLY good at, I got hungry. Good thing too. I left the ordering to her and I was at the same time impressed and frightened. I think she ordered 40 pieces. Have I mentioned that for all of her wonderful qualities, Grace is, at the same time, equally as sadistic with her food peer pressure? By no means am I complaining. I am just saying. Dinner + Grace = Stuffed. Personal favorites were the monkfish liver, the salmon skin fried "white boy" roll, the super fresh raw shrimp sushi, and the fatty Toro tuna. Oh, and the spicy scallop roll, that was a winner too. In fact, it was all really good. Sake, great food, and a wonderful "Japanese speaking" dinner companion who treated me. It doesn't get much better that that. Can someone email me the brand of lotion that prevents stretch marks? You know, the kind pregnant women use? If I keep eating this way, I am gonna need it. Fatty.
(4)
Nantas S.
Stopped in for some sake and appetizers, the food is superb.
(4)
Michelle H.
Grooooooosssssss. The sushi was old, stringy, and definitely not the freshest. The miso soup had these gross tofu bits in it that definitely weren't the firm diced tofu bits that I'm used to. The chicken terriyaki is flavor-less and tastes worse than something you could have purchased at a grocery store. I wouldn't recommend it.
(1)
Barrett I.
A sushi positive for San Francisco in my book. You could easily associate this restaurant with the other sushi places along Geary, but Nagano Sushi is of pretty good quality. Their service is adequate and their menu goes beyond sushi. I recommend you consider Nagano if you're in the area.
(3)
Jenny T.
We love Nagano! Frequent diners there, always sat at the sushi bar. We have gotten to know the chefs there and have enjoyed every meal we had. What we love about this place is that they can make you any rolls without rice, so it's great for those low carb dieters out there! The tuna salad is to die for! I love how sometimes the chefs would give you something new to try at the bar. Last time we were there, they gave us this smoke salmon spring roll to taste. It was delicious! It had no rice, just smoke bbq salmon pieces wrapped in lettuce in a rice wrap. My boyfriend loves the lion king, but hey, anyone who puts mayo on salmon on top of a california roll and then baked it to perfection can't really go wrong!
(4)
Kat C.
Nagano is my sushi of choice for the city; the fish is fresh fresh fresh and the rolls are good. The Spicy Sushi Rice is a standout, which while is a tad pricey, has an excellent selection of sashimi, veg and rice smothered in a spicy tomato-y chili sauce. The sauce makes it with a bit of spice mixed with a good amount of sweetness. Service alternates between acceptable and down right horrifying. They're never outright mean (well except one time, but that waitress seems to have left), but there's an air of aloofness amongst the wait staff; my tea cup has stood empty many a visit. The chef overcompensates and is usually welcoming and friendly, so that's one ray of sunshine. Nothing else on the menu is that much more spectacular, some rolls are a bit unique to this establishment (such as the Double Unagi, Tempura Roll and the Chef Special Roll, several of my favorites), but as a whole, Nagano doesn't stand out much beside its quality, quanitity (their noodle dishes are huge) and the fact the proprietors are Korean. An nyoung ha seh yo.
(4)
Sarah F.
I was really impressed with this sushi place. It's cute, small, and most importantly, the sushi is delicious. I love the california rolls here; they melt in your mouth and are not salty at all. The crab steamed shumai are delicious. Basically everything I've tried here is a go. The service is fast, and they are friendly. I am constantly craving this sushi! Also I have to add that they are really cool here, and gave us free edemame and miso soup. Love that!
(4)
A and K W.
Neighborhood sushi places are a dime a dozen in the city and this happens to be the neighborhood sushi place we frequent. There are other places in the Richmond that are cheaper (Ichiraku, Kitaro, etc), but I think the quality is fresh and the ratio of fish to rice in their rolls is good. I hate the places that serve monster rolls that are stuffed with more rice than fish. Nagano is Korean owned and our favorite dish is the spicy chirashi (or sashimi salad in the new menu) that you only see in Korean sushi restaurants. It's a spin on the standard Japanese chirashi, but served with lettuce, hot sauce and sesame oil. The ankimo (monkfish liver) is also a favorite served with a tangy dressing and is good value for the quantity of ankimo they serve you. Most of the rolls that we've had are solid and the donburi and udon dishes have been consistently good also.
(4)
Claudine C.
Whenever I think of Nagano I get a craving for ankimo... or is it the other way around? I and the boy love the way Nagano serves up this delicate treat -- softly smothered in crisp shredded daikon and scallions, and served up with a light, refreshing ponzu. We like that they're open late; that nabbing a table is almost never a problem; that service is brisk, but warm, and that the food arrives very expeditiously.
(4)
Andrew C.
Solid fresh sushi. I always have gotten very good service but that might be from sitting at the bar and . . . well, I'm Korean and the place is run by Koreans. Usually a couple bonus samples of what the chef thinks is great. Those have been hit or miss (I'm not an uni fan, but i ate it anyway. it was aight), but the regular sushi items are very good. Shiro Maguro, Hamachi, Hirame, Amaebi, Hotate. Order the live scallops special, if they have it available.
(4)
Bella A.
When we feel like some sushi and if we were in the neighbourhood we'll usually stop by Nagano Sushi. This is the only sushi place I remembered that has wheelchair friendly automatic door in the city! The food itself is very nice with lots of variety. We usually ordered different style of sushi to share and always leave with a happy stomach. Service is not bad, as they always remember to come by to fill your tea cup. I like that.
(4)
Lindsey S.
I'm not much of a sushi connoisseur, but this sushi is really tasty. I love the lion king roll. It is a little expensive, but most sushi is. The combination plates have a ton of food and really fill you up, which they should for $17. I wouldn't come here just for a combination plate as most places have the same kind of thing for less. We came here once with a big group and they were helpful in seating us and dividing the check. Come here and get the lion king roll!
(4)
Jessa B.
"To go please" still got a warm welcome. I surveyed the menu, pleased with the bright colors and descriptions (two of my favorite things about ordering Japanese food in the U.S. - and yes, I also own a lot of coffee table books with pretty pictures). I said out-loud, "I will never be able to eat all of this". Famous last words. I ordered my old-faithfuls - tekka maki and a roll involving unagi. Both were incredible. Seriously, I think it was some of the better sushi I have had in a while. Though at the rate of consumption, I may have just been REALLY hungry. While waiting, I also couldn't help but notice that about 65% of the clientele were Japanese. Can't be a bad sign. Five stars...can't wait to go back!
(5)
Gilbert C.
I believe this place is Korean owned. Not sure right now tho. Tried this place out once with my bro since he was said it was good but more expensive than Ichiraku across the st. I like Ichiraku but I like trying new places so we chose to go here instead. Service here wasn't the warmest Ive ever had but it got the job done. The food was your typical avg Japanese sushi and bento stuff. Ive heard other people say bad things about them here and there but the 1 time I went it was ok. I remember this one guy went into Ichiraku while I was eating there and went straight to the hostess/waitress whom I assume he spoke to before and started talking abt his horrible experience service wise while at Nagano and praised Ichiraku for being across the street. Made me chuckle.
(3)
Viktoria K.
Out of all sushi places in Richmond district this is my favorite! Their suhi and rolls are always fresh and tasty, service is very prompt. They also open all day long, so we can drop by between 3pm and 5pm, . when a majority of other sushi places are closed
(5)
Minette C.
Everyone needs to try the Uni here! Sooo good. It's like buttery and sweet, just melts in your mouth. Mr. Lee is super nice too, always eager to provide service. Only thing is that I think it's a bit pricey, and can definitely stack up in the bill when ordering nigiri pieces.
(4)
Dik Shun K.
I'm kinda surprised by the wide range of ratings here. We have been here a quite a few times since it's a convenient spot in our hood and come here when we have cravings for rolls and/or oyako or niku donburis. Also, there always seems to be a decent number of Japanese dining at the sushi bar. Whenever I see a restaurant pass this "ethnic taste" test, I give it additional points. Who would know better if a restaurant's cuisine is legit? Although it's a simple dish, I think they have one of the best donburis. Love the mushrooms with the runny eggs and sauce. Food has always been consistently solid for us, though I do admit the service is not always the greatest. They seem short staffed whenever we are there. DSKO favs: Oyaki donburi, lion king roll (if you want a cooked roll), uni and great white tuna sashimi or nigiri
(4)
Lana L.
My friend has literally dragged me to Nagano. Well, the experience matched my expectations. OK sushi for a very reasonable price. Better than your average cheapo sushi place, but nothing to write home about. The place is nothing fancy, but reasonably clean, our server was friendly and professional. In two words, if you are into sushi, on a tight budget and appreciate ample portions - you may give it a try.
(3)
Ethan L.
Dropped in on a Monday nite, party of three... SERVICE: Okay. Our cups of tea were refilled once, cool, I dont expect to drink that much anway. It's easy to flag down a waittress. Food arrives at a quick enough pace. But, they did forget one of our orders, the Lobster Paradise Roll, and had to remind them at the end of our meal... INTERIOR: Very nice. I can't remember all the details, but the restaurant was pretty clean, inviting colors, noise level was calm enough to dine and chat, good separation between other tables, plasma TV hanging in one corner showing Food Network, and a mirrored wall opposite the restaurant to watch the TV reflection, sugoi... FOOD: Huge menu listing! Edamame, was edamame. Spicy Tuna Salad was perfect, near similar to Chirashi Salad I ordered from a different shop. Half-Salmon sashimi was alright, sashimi lovers would enjoy that more than me, of course. That Lobster Paradise roll was honestly the most beautiful looking roll I've ever seen, but the taste was kinda off, contradicting flavors in the ingredients. Double-Unagi Roll was delicious, fresh, best unagi roll I've eaten, wasn't over-sauced like other places do because this one tasted just right.... Shiiiiiet, wat else did we order?... will update as soon as I remember... =============== UPDATE 03/15/08: I remember now! It was the Fuji Roll! Excellent baked roll, dont recall what was in it, but topped with that spicy mayo aka dynamite sauce. That was the highlight of the entire dinner...
(4)
GHADA Y.
I hate leaving bad reviews, but I got food poisoning from the food here last night (1/09/09). I'm still sick. Otherwise, this place would still have received a mediocre rating since it is way overpriced and obviously no good. It was $20.00 for 12 pieces of bad tuna, a cup of miso, an iceberg lettuce salad with a ton of dressing on it, and a bowl of rice. I shall never return. I will also be refraining from eating my beloved sushi for a very long time.
(1)
Kate K.
I've been to this restaurant a couple of times now and it's pretty good. A no-nonsense sushi joint in the Inner Richmond... I used to teach at Roosevelt Middle School right across Arguello and sometimes if I worked particularly late I would just pop in there and sit at the bar to have some sushi before going home... the sushi chef is very amiable and it is best to just let him prepare what he feels like making for you. Was there last weekend with the lovely Sasha during the I32 DYL - we both thought it would be a good idea to eat a little summtin'-summtin' before guzzling booze and watching Festizio and sushi fit the bill quite well. The service was okay - a smidge on the slow side... the fish was fresh and really that was what mattered the most. Nearly orgasmic fresh fish... le yum.
(4)
Hannah P.
We went here last night. We were looking for a nice sushi place so we tried out Nagano sushi because the review was pretty good. But people, seriously? It was owned by a Korean owner which is ok but the waitress who was working there was a chinese girl who doesnt know anything about sushi. First, she didnt know what we ordered. it took almost 10 minutes to bring our food( I saw our order waiting for us at the bar) took alot of time to bring our bill and didnt even pick up our bill so I had to get my ass off to give it to her. This is only the service part. About the food- We ordered uni, hamachi nigiri both was good. It was quite fresh. But then, we ordered sashimi deluxe. it look dead. The colors were really dark. so we had to wrap it up to take em home for soup or stew. tuna poki was... eww the tuna was bite sized like m&m it was too sweet i wonder why cuz it should be spicy. They gave us fried pieces of vegetable which were on the house which we were really thankful but overall they foods were bad. Im a huge fan of sushi and im a pretty hardcore. But it was one of my worst experience. The bill came out to over $200 Its pretty pricey for that quality.
(2)
michael s.
We eat at Nagano Sushi several times a year and are usually very happy with the experience. This evening was no where near previous visits. The restaurant was fairly empty so there is no excuse for poor service and sub-stand food. The green tea tonight tasted as though it had been mixed with the dishwater. Our spicy poke salad had good tuna but absolutely no spice and the salad part consisted of some good daikon and a piece of wilted lettuce. The wasabi must have been from 2009 New Year. Everything was served at once after a long wait. Usually, the edamame is served immediately and tonight it was desert. (We waited twenty-five minutes before we got any food.) We had hot and cold food stacked up by serving everything at the same time. There are dozens of sushi places in the Richmond. We will try some of the other places next time.
(2)
Vitamin C.
I love Nagano so much that I would almost go as far as giving it a really negative review just so others would stay away and I could have it all to myself... but no, I am not that mean. The sushi here is so good and so fresh, yet I've never had to wait for a table (I'd love to keep it this way, but the bigger person in me wants to share this with my fellow Yelpers)! Service here is friendly though some of the servers here struggle with English, but it's all good... I come here for the sushi.
(4)
Shirley F.
My regular neighborhood sushi joint... You can find me there at the sushi bar for a few hours with friends on a Thursday or Friday night... and the sushi chefs don't mind us just sitting there watching them making rolls, asking them random questions, or catching a game on TV if you sit in the back of the sushi bar. The best of all, you can score some freebies (salad, appetizers, soup, green tea ice cream, ..etc.) if they like you enough. Of course, it helps to be a regular and be a good tipper. Last night, we got baked skin salmon with some funky sauce to try. It was interesting. I recommended to the sushi chef NOT to put that on the menu. The sushi quality is usually fresh. For exceptional sushi quality at good value -- go on a Thursday or Friday night. (The trick of this place, which is the same as most other sushi places I know, is to avoid it on Sunday or Monday night. Questionable on a Tuesday night.) I also highly recommend the sushi bar over regular table. The sushi chefs are usually very straight up about what is good for the day. Just don't take my TV seats. Please.
(4)
Lisa D.
I used to like Nagano. It's in my neighborhood, has fast service, yes, I also always liked the cute father-son team, and for some reason it used to taste good to me. But my recent visit here tasted blah...the nigiri sushi had very little flavor and the rolls were just average. The poke appetizer had very nice flavor, but the fish itself was limp and did not taste very fresh. The fish basically had no flavor! And I thought it was a bit pricey (about $30) for what I got. There are definitely better sushi places in Inner Richmond for the money.
(2)
Kara H.
It's an acceptable sushi place, but just that. Everything tasted OK, but the service was quite slow. I could understand had it been crowded, but it wasn't. Perhaps it was because I was dining alone... I waited a long time for my wine and then a long time for my food at which time my soup was served with the sashimi dinner.
(3)
Sergey A.
This has been my go to spot since this girl showed it to me in march of 2009, forward to January 2010 and I and that same girl still go here, the menu is the same, the chef is the same and she has been my girlfriend for nearly a year. After coming here for roughly 9 months to get my sushi fix i've realized and appreciated just how good this place is. Yes I have strayed away from Naganos on many occasions but I always seem attracted back to it because others dont compare. Mr Lee the main chef and his son are extremely nice and always chat us up. We've seen a waitress get married and move away during our time. To me this will always be my go to sushi spot because of the spicy scallop roll, the valcano roll, and the lion king. At other sushi spots these favorites are often imitated but never duplicated.
(5)
Lauren C.
I had never been a big sushi fan; and my boyfriend who thoroughly enjoys his sushi was hell bent on reintroducing me to it, hoping to make me a fan. We didn't really know where to go, but he had remembered eating at Nagano a year or two back and said it had a been a "decent" experience. Arriving at Nagano, we waited a while before being seated, even though they weren't overwhelmingly busy. We sat down and eventually, someone came over to take our order. My boyfriend got a few rolls and I ordered a bento box - figuring that if I didn't like the sushi, at least I had some tempura and chicken teryaki to munch on. The sashimi that came with the bento box was supposed to be tuna - but I'd had raw tuna before - in fact, I like tuna tartar quite a bit, so I figured this was a safe bet. Never has raw tuna tasted like this before - bland, yet fishy, and stringy. But I ordered the bento box you say... what of the teryaki and tempura? Well, the tempura was fine, but what deep fried morsel doesn't taste at least "fine?" The chicken teryaki was pretty pathetic. The sauce was thin and lacking flavor and the chicken was of poor quality. My boyfriend didn't fair much better. After noting that their roll menu was limited and rather "uncreative" he ordered a couple of rolls, one being the rainbow roll. The fish that came on top of the rolls was suspect to say the least. Some pieces of fish were actually opaque and left him wondering whether he would suffer from food poisoning the next day. I can't remember what day of the week it was exactly, but as a rule, I don't eat fish on Sunday or Mondays - fisherman haven't been out fishing since Friday if you're lucky (but more likely, delivery was on Thursday). But being that this wasn't a Sunday or a Monday, there really is no excuse for the lack of freshness. He wanted to order a soda after our food arrived, but couldn't manage to get the attention of a server until we were almost finished with our meals, despite the fact that our table was right by the kitchen and servers were passing us regularly. We waited equally long to get our check. Overall - a very poor experience - service and food. My boyfriend was rather upset and disappointed that this hadn't been the place that would open my eyes to the wonders of sushi. (luckily, we finally found a place that has - see my other reviews) Needless to say, we won't be coming back.
(1)
Calvin L.
I went back for the 5th time last nite (fri nite). In my opinion, it is probably one of the better sushi restaurants in SF. Sashimi and hand-rolls were fresh and tasty as usual, service wasn't too bad either. The interior design felt decently warm like any traditional Japanese restaurant. Noise level is usually low which is a good thing. I was able to having a good conversation w/ my friends without hearing other tables' conversation. Last but not least, FREE green tea ice cream for dessert FTW!
(4)
Amy J.
I came here for lunch and it was great. Great super white sashimi! Everything was fresh and really tasty. Our waitress was really sweet, too.
(5)
Christine A.
Nagano used to be one of my favorite restaurants. Not so much anymore. The qualities of both the service and the food have been going downhill, more so with the staff. There is this one lady that has been serving us for years, whom I love, but she's always so busy with other tables that she doesn't have time for us anymore, *sadness*. But that's not why I think the service sucks now - the new staff is unfriendly and doesn't really serve the dishes "all the way"... as in, they come to the table and hand you the dishes instead of setting them on the table for you, wtf?! With that said, I highly recommend the Nagano Maki - it is amaaaaazing, even though it is kind of pricey (I think it's $12 for the roll - not a huge portion but so delicious). The sashimi and udon are both good as well.
(3)
Nick C.
Totally starving and headed to To Hyang, which unfortunately was closed. Popped in this place and with only 2 other tables in the place it took 20 mins for the kitchen to put out the worst ramen I've ever had in a restaurant. Awful.
(1)
Joyhan S.
My friend swears one of the servers has a crush on him, so i decide to go with him to check it out. She's really cute and really nice, and kind of abusive, but maybe in a good way.... regardless, i approve! The food here is pretty good for the price and i liked how the sushi chef was this older scraggy Korean dude shoottin the shit with some of the patrons.
(4)
Nobu K.
100% all Korean sushi. How do I know? It says on the front door in Korean writing! Oh, right, you don't know what the Korean writing looks like. Well, Too bad. This place have everything. You can order Tenpura in stead. Nothing wrong with that. But, Who wants to order Tenpura at Sushi place, you dumb ass! This place should say " Nagano Japanese Restaurant". Then I understand you have Tenpura in there. I thought this place is Sushi. Right, I am in SF, USA. Sushi place must make tenpura in USA. I forgot about that. But That is pseudo. Another pseudo. Nothing bad nothing good. Mediocre. So why bother? Why not go to a good decent sushi place. Is that hard to find? Yes, it is hard to find. Most of Sushi place on Geary Blvd is all so-so-mediocre amature sushi. But, I am still looking for good pseudo sushi because I believe there are Non-Japanese Good Sushi Master somewhere.
(2)
Mrs. S.
Came here on a Thursday night, only a few tables were occupied. It was very calm, quiet. We got edamame, miso soup for free, Had a large sapporo beer. Sushi WAS AMAZING. !!!!!!!! I will recommend to all!
(4)
S J.
I wasn't going to write a review b/c this place seems to be pretty well covered: decent sushi, Korean, lotsa spicy rolls, slow service. But I didn't see any mention of The Beats! Nagano drops The Hits. I'm talking Def Leppard and Old School Janet. That's all.
(3)
Hannah T.
visited this place quite a lot since it's near, they always give us complimentary green tea ice cream! it's pretty good for a quick meal, good service. if you're gonna pick a decent sushi bar in the richmond with a budget, i suggest nagano sushi! plus the chef has his own picture on the wall haha
(4)
Antoi C.
I have consistently had a great dining experience here. The sushi is delicious and fresh, and my recent discovery of the Korean-style chirashi hits all my spots: a big bowl of fresh fish, spicy sauce, seaweed salad and shiso leaf on vinegared rice. Yum! I usually order up raw fish & seafood nigiri, or the chirashi dish and wash it down with tea. This is the one place I've tried the ika (squid) nigiri and found it fresh and tasty. Not my usual order, but my ika-lovin friend suggested I take a bite, and I'm glad I did. From the tone of other reviews, I deem myself lucky for having good service each time I've eaten here. My only complaint is this place is not on my home commute --- damn you Nagano!
(5)
Allan R.
Was good, very disappointing now. Good portions but too heavy. I did not taste the rainbow in my roll. The Alaska roll and Spider roll were decent. Their service was horrible we waited at least 20 minutes before ordering and another 20 for the check. We were shunned, shunnnnnnnnnned I tell you! Would only go back b/c my friend likes the spicy tuna.
(2)
Allison K.
I really like this place. Finally I've found a sushi place that's right near my apartment. The fish is always fresh, and their tempura is good too. It's a little pricey, but totally worth it! I'd definitely recommend going here.
(4)
Drue C.
So, I found myself here after driving around town and discovering that, for some reason, many sushi restaurants are closed on Sundays. Hellllooooo - Sunday is still the weekend last time I checked, and the weekends are when people like to eat out the most. At least this place has that figured out. We sat at the sushi bar, which was probably a very good choice. The service from the waitress was slow and pretty bad, and the bill was inaccurate so she took it back to add to the total. I think that if they make a mistake and undercharge that should be an automatic give me, but they didnt seem to see it that way. On the flipsde we got a whole lot of freebies from the sushi chef just for asking about things on the special board. The fish was fresh and tasty. The quantities were good. The sake selection was not the best, and they didnt seem to be able to speak to it very well either. Overall not a bad place, good sushi, but the waitresses need some remedial efficiency training, or just a higher IQ.
(3)
Jay H.
I judge a sushi place by four things. 1) Tempura....has to have NO eggplant and be lightly breaded. -this place failed on both 2) Maguro Sashimi....has to be dark red and melt-in-your-mouth tasty delicate. -this place has good Maguro Sashimi! It was so pretty, I didn't want to eat it! But of course I did...cuz you know...I love me some Maguro Sashimi! 3) Service...it was really good. She smiled and kept on pouring the tea throughout the whole meal. 4) Price vs. Sushi...it was a little expensive for what it was but not anything outrageous.
(3)
Lauren D.
OMGSH!!! can I just say this place has the best SUSHI EVER. I am totally hooked on this place. The fish is fresh and tastey the rolls are amazing. I cant go any where else now because no other place compares .... LOVE IT!!!
(5)
Kevin G.
Great quality fish for the price. I'm particularly keen on this place as it so conveniently located near my apartment. Its easy to park at the Wells Fargo and walk over. I also like ordering by phone and grabbing take out (usually takes no more than 10 minutes for them to prepare the food). The service is great. The waitresses always give me green tea when I arrive early for my phone order. They are a bit eccentric though. One kept trying to tell me about her favorite cartoon and that I should watch it. Bizzare, but she was very friendly and just trying to make conversation. The sushi chefs always greet you when you enter the restaurant. Its very cozy inside and the sushi bar is very long and almost always has an open spot. The sushi quality is surprisingly good for the price. The maki selections are not too creative nor extensive, but they are good versions of the classic sushi dishes that you love to order over and over (who really wants to get overly creative with sushi - stick to what works!)
(4)
Rebecca H.
Even though I love sushi, sometimes I don't crave it just because I hate the hype. Like paying $15 for a roll with some cheesy name like Rock n' Roll. Ahem... Mas Sake is the WORST. I'd rather stab myself with my own sword, or something. Nagano is the opposite of that. If there is a standard Japanese food that you like, they have it, and it's not expensive, and it's really good. The staff are friendly and you can always find parking there in the Inner Rich. It is comfort food for sure; the tuna melts in your mouth. Thank you Nagano.
(4)
James B.
If your only criteria for sushi is that it's cheap and in large quantities, this is the place for you. Otherwise stay away. Not only do they use inferior cuts of fish, they don't even serve it at the right temperature, resulting in unpleasant texture and taste. Rice in the rolls is soggy, leaving a lot to be desired both in the taste department and how your stomach feels afterward. Service is non-existent. They completely forgot to prepare one of the dishes we ordered, but didn't forget to try to charge us for it. If summary, life's too short to eat the shite that they dish up at Nagano. For real sushi, head for Deep Sushi in Church St, Noe Vallley.
(1)
Kissyfit M.
this is another sushi restaurant that I like to go to sometimes. They have the Korean style sashimi salad that I love to order everytime! I missed it last time I went somewhere else... And the waitress always gives us free ice cream since they recognize me and my friend who one might call semi-regulars. =)
(4)
Candace F.
Sushi and sake anyone? I was first introduced to this place by a friend. I had passed by so many times but never walked in due to the many sushi places in the area. The best place to sit is at the bar. The 2 guys rolling up the sushi is the owner and his son. They both were very friendly. The fish here is very fresh and just "melt in your mouth" good. My friend and I shared a few shots of sake with the guys behind the sushi counter. My 2 faves: the Lion King roll and the Rainbow Roll (a good variety of fish). This is place provides the perfect remedy to a long week of work. Sushi and sake with green tea ice cream, an unbeatable combination.
(4)
S.K. Y.
2012 I have tried the ramen based on the owner recommendation. The special ramen was pretty good. I am no expert on ramen, but it was one of the better tasting ramen joint. I have tried Katana-ya, Izuya (will correct spelling) ---------------------------------------------- Pre- 2012 Pretty fresh sushi. The make one of the best tasting SABA to my taste. The SABA was not over marinated that it still have the raw texture. Most of the other nigiri was pretty good and fresh. I usaully order the sushi deluxe.
(4)
Evelyn V.
Best Teriyaki Beef and Vegetable Tempura I have ever had!!!! Service was excellent and food was absolutely worth coming back for!!
(5)
Mike G.
Fresh, generous portions of sashimi and very good rolls. Friendly and fast service as well.
(5)
Eileen L.
Came here with three of my friends for lunch . & I absolutely love this place ! Ordered some sushi with raw fish on top and some oysters . My goodness , they were SO freshh ! I can't stress that enough . . freshest sushi I've ever had . My heart was pumping with satisfaction . And to top it all off .. mango mochi ice cream ! The workers here are pretty friendly too which is why my friend keeps coming back . If you like sushi with raw fish and oysters , this is the place to go ! Since too much sashimi and oysters are bad for you , don't forget the wasabi !
(5)
Phil Y.
This place is the s*%t! When I say that I mean it in a bad way. I had lunch with a friend there the other day. I ordered a couple of rolls and a bento box. The food wasn't that great and the service was even less satisfactory. It wasn't so much that they were rude but it must have taken them 25-30 minutes to get my damn bento box! I had to ask them 3 separate occasions before I finally got it. The rolls came out in a timely manner but 30 minutes for rice and fish? I didn't even get a simple apology.
(1)
Lisa H.
I've been frequenting here since m college days. Try the Lion King Roll! Mmmm :)
(4)
S T.
A live worm was found in my sushi, which was not very fresh to start with (the sushi, not the worm :)). Service was slow and I was charged with items that did not even arrive. On the plus side, the food is fairly inexpensive, but I just can't get the image of the worm out of my mind. You may want to check the sushi as well as the bill carefully if you dine here, but there are many better choices for sushi that I can think of within a 2-mile radius.
(1)
Steffy W.
Ever since we stumbled across it after a bad experience at a nearby fusion restaurant, we've been coming back at least once a week. I recommend sitting at the counter. The chef will always comp you with a special dish. Buy them a beer if you're the kind who enjoys being interactive with your chef. Their sashimi is always fresh. Fulfilling my toro craving perfectly. Rolls I've tried so far: 49ers (highly recommended), Lion king (I love the spicy mayonaise) Nigi-toro (fresh toro.. oh so good!!), 3com (spicy!!) was fun, Dragon roll (too big, too much sashimi to take in one bite), Spider roll (mmmm crab). Matched with a jug or two of hot sake, it's the perfect sushi-craving fulfillment. Place is really small, so not recommended for a big group. But perfect for a cozy dinner for two
(5)
Athos K.
Personally, I've stopped judging sushi restaurants based on whether they offer the dreaded Philadelphia roll or not. I guess they have to keep up with demand, and some sick people really want to have their sushi also be their lox bagel. So... whatever. Let them. Here is what I do know: it's not easy to make good ankimo - and their ankimo kicks ass! Also, based on being here one time only (disclaimer), the sushi was very fresh, and the fish on the nigiri literally drowned the rice it was such a generous helping. The toro and salmon were particularly delicious. And the aji sashimi came with the fried fish bone - as it should! In addition, any place that serves pearl white tuna is a-OK in my book! (The rice can use improvement, so minus a star for that.) Thanks for a tasty Mother's Day, Nagano! See you again!
(4)
A W.
ehhhh. just an ehhh. not a mmmmmmm. The rolls are typical, standard, average, but good. The bento boxes were a bit pricey, compared to other restaurants. The service was good though. The server took the udon off the bill because she forgot to bring it out until later. I dont think I would be coming back though, not that it was horrible, just not much of a wow factor to warrant another visit
(3)
Miller H.
This is sushi for men with appetites. I have a lot of nostalgia for this restaurant. When I first moved to SF in 99, my friends and I would frequent this place on about a weekly basis. Our appetizers always included a large Sapporo and Miso Soup each. We would attempt to share some edamame, but this was always powered through so quickly between the three of us, that we always got a second bowl. Then it was on to the main course. This always began with another Sapporo each, a Sashimi combo platter, and then as many rolls as we fit into our stomachs. This would often end up being about 7-9 rolls between the 3 of us after about 2 hours. Finally we would end with complimentary Green Tea from our hosts, and stumble home full sated and satisfied. Well, it's been years since I've had the pleasure of enjoying sushi with those friends, and so I haven't gone back to this particular restaurant because I knew that I'd be disappointed without their company. Nevertheless, I was in the neighborhood this Sunday, and decided to give it a try. It was as good as I remember. But I discovered there's another reason besides nostalgia that I should only go to this joint with friends with healthy appetites. The rolls there are at least a third bigger than any other sushi restaurant I've ever been to. The price is adjusted accordingly, so it isn't like this is giving you a value benefit, but these rolls were made to be shared if you want variety in your meal. Therefore I'm not going here without group of sushi lovers, but I will be back :)
(4)
Jim L.
This is really just another typical neighborhood sushi house. Quality is not that special. Spicy tuna, way too spicy. Tanuki is a better spot if you're in the Inner Richmond.
(3)
Wilson L.
Sushi has a corrolation with sex. Sometimes its great and other times, it just plains sucks. Nagano off Geary in the Richmond is what I'll consider consistant great sushi. Miya-san is the sushi chef you would go there for. He's a great act, and sometime will offer you foods off the menu that he is testing out. One time, we had some shrimp salad sushi he was creating. Fresh fish, the rolls are typical, but get the sashimi if you want something more powerful. The Ikura is great too, and straight from Japan. Waitresses were always there to take my order, and refill my lonley green tea. All, in all, it's a wonderful small place to get sushi if your down with the buffet style sushi that is To Dai.
(4)
Juliane N.
Definitely not the cheapest rolls here. They are quite expensive if I must say. Chef's special roll, cherry blossom, crazy roll is what I like to order. the fish is fresh and the portion is good for the price. Service is always friendly.
(3)
Bruce B.
Fish quality is great here. Their cooked items don't fare as well though. Just not as tasty. Try the scallop salad hand roll if you're a scallop fan. Service takes a while sometimes, but it's usually one lady working the place. So I can understand but I also don't come here when I need to leave quickly. Prices are pretty high but when is sushi ever cheap and do you really want to eat cheap raw fish? Oh, and their music selection is awesome.
(3)
niki p.
was in with my, (grown), son last week sitting at the bar just after 4 o'clock. ordered several rounds of various nigiri sushi with some nice hot tea. we enjoyed viewing the platter of sushi and sashimi which came out for one of the 3 tables while we waited for our own. the quality is high. the portions are nice and ample in that the rice is not so big and the sashimi is lovely. mmmmmm.... delish.. also, chef added a couple of freebee's to our plates.. tastes even better. :o) obviously, the sushi chef is a talented and seasoned individual. i look forward to returning to Nagano Sushi for another late lunch sometime in the near future. :o)
(4)
G W.
Service was atrocious and the food was mediocre (at best). Overall this was a disappointing place to stop and you'd do better elsewhere. Parts of the same meals were delivered separately over a long period of time. Some at our table waited and waited and waited for their orders to arrive. No thought to apologize for the poor service nor offers to make things right after an order was cancelled due to the long wait. It seemed like they were doing me a favor by pointing out that they had voided an order I cancelled. Meanwhile, what came to the table had disgusting amounts of mayo (California Roll) and over sweetened rice (yuuuuuck!). Thought that 3.5 stars on yelp might suggest the pace was acceptable -- will think again next time. One saving grace: cancelled order spared me what would've been likely another lousy dish.
(1)
PT B.
We eat a fair amount of sushi, and this is our favorite moderately priced sushi joint. The staff is great and have been there for years, and the sushi is great. Our favorite in the Inner Richmond!
(4)
Sam W.
Popped in on a Saturday night with gal pal round 9p for sake and quick eats as we had to pick up a friend nearby on our way to Matrix. We took a scientific approach to choosing this place, bcuz it happend to be on the right side (no u-turns) and we scored on a parking spot out front. As we stepped in, the place was sparse so instead of a table, opted to belly up to the sushi bar. "what would you like to order?" we were quickly greeted by the sushi check behind the bar. "whatever you recommend...u da boss" I snap back to his delight. Noticeably pleased, the man behind the counter quickly singled out 2 types of toro, and the white tuna and a bottle of clear cold sake to wash it down. Man o man, was it delicious. Good stuff. With such a good first choice, we encouraged him to get creative. As we struck up a conversation, we found out that Mr. Lee owned the place, and that he and his colleague, Mr. Cho were Korean. There was one other gentleman working the bar who was Japanese. Why 3 sushi chefs when there were no more than 6 diners including us 2 at the time, I'm not sure, but they were attentive and made good conversation. It turns out Mr. Lee use to own Sushi O Sushi on El Camino before turning it over to an in-law. After trying the nigiri, we had a lion king roll and sashimi plate which included the usual suspects (maguro, hamachi, etc), but also included uni and some type of yellow fish eggs with herring. A little too fishy for me but I smiled and manage to down at two of the 4 pieces we were given. Next Mr. Lee suggested the monk fish liver. Sure I thought. Why not try a piece. Mr. Lee proceeded to cut the whole dang liver roll...9 pieces worth. "whoa.." i thought knowing full well i wasn't gonna eat it all, but assertively popped the first piece into my mouth with both Mr. Lee and Mr. Cho watching my every bite intently. I managed a smile, while wondering how I was going to force it down, without blowing chunks. As I gave them a universal thumbs up sign, I quickly quickly chased it down with more Sake before it washed back up. Worth a taste, but liver texture combined with the that same fishy taste, meant there was no way were were gonna eat all 9 pieces. All out of Sake we ordered a bottle of unfiltered sake, only they were out of the small glasses and poured it in a wine glass all the way to the top. By the time we finished it was 10:30p with most of the time being passed chatting with Mr. Lee and Mr. Cho behind the bar. We were late to pick up our friend and had to go. The total bill came to $100 which amounted to 2 bottles of sake, 6 pieces of nigiri, a 20 piece sashimi plate, 1 lion king roll & 9 pieces of monkfish liver. No idea what things cost on an individual basis as we were going with chefs recommendations but not too bad I thought. Overall, the recommendations were good. The monkfish liver wasn't my favorite nor were the yellow fish eggs with herring, but why not try something new. This was a charming little sushi joint, with nice attentive sushi chefs. If I'm ever in the area again, I would definitely make it a point to stop in, but it's nothing I would necessarily go out of my way for. Overall I give it 3 stars: 1 star for the nice engaging sushi chef 1 star for the quiet, cozy atmosphere 1 star for good food at a reasonable price
(3)
super b.
The sushi nigiri was fresh & good size. service was not bad for a somewhat busy weeknight. Will come back again if im in the area.
(4)
cynthia h.
I would really like to start off with something nice to say about this place, but I can't. First of all, the service was horrible - only two waitresses in a full restaurant. We had to remind the wait staff about the sake we ordered after a good 30 minutes of waiting. Then when we finally did receive our order, we noticed halfway through eating nigiri a long, fleshy, wiggly worm reaching up and out from one of the pieces, which put an end to our appetite. We were offered green tea ice cream on the house which was a nice gesture; however, when we did receive our bill, we noticed that they charged us for orders we made but did not receive. Our waitress was apologetic and corrected the error, but our night had already become quite an ordeal. My bottom line: Don't eat here unless you want to be punished.
(1)
Nik T.
Great neighborhood spot... good quality fish...reasonable prices
(4)
Meghan P.
This place is right around the corner from my place and I went there the first time a couple weeks ago. So good! I only had an hour to eat before a concert and it worked out great. First thing they do is serve you some hot tea, which I never have happen at a sushi restaurant. My friend and I got the 2 person meal and the food was way more than enough. It came with edamame, miso soup, salad and a whole lot of sashimi, ngiri and a couple rolls. $49 for the whole thing! Of course, we ordered some hot sake and beer, which racked up the price. Overall, great sushi, nice service and stumbling distance home.
(5)
Jackie G.
i went back to this richmond sushi joint after a 3 year hiatus and was surprised to find the place just as cozy and delice as i had left it. it was a late night snack for buddy and i so we went light and got the godzilla roll and no name roll. both were mouth-watering. i especially liked the deep fried no name roll, comfort food to the max. nagano is a good choice and staple for any sushi-lover.
(4)
calvin c.
Their ramen is truly amazing! (only $7.50)
(5)
Sherry G.
There's no doubt that this is my favorite sushi in San Francisco. I come from a fishing family in Japan and know my sushi and this is the best I have found in the U.S. so far. It could easily be five stars, but the service is all over the place. While having such good sushi, we were also constantly wondering where our waitress went. If that kind of thing doesn't bother you, the sushi here is still the best and I guess we'll be back even though the service is so bad.
(3)
Allan T.
Service is not the best but then again this isn't a fine dining place. Sushi is pretty good but still very fresh. Lion King roll is the best roll they've got. It's got this smoked salmon with this killer sauce (mayonnaise and hotsauce mix) all over it and is probably the best roll they've got. Parking is sorta difficult since it's in the inner richmond area so make time to park. I'd come back seriously for that Lion King Roll ;P
(3)
Thy G.
This is the BEST sushi place! The sushi rolls are very delicious. We got hooked on this place since 1999 when we were poor grad students. My husband went broke taking me to this sushi place all the time while I was a student at UCSF. hehe...Actually, the price is very reasonable. The rolls ranges from $7 to $12 depending on how big the rolls are. The sushi are very fresh and tasty. You got to try out their rolls. We usually eat the scallops rolls, Da bomb rolls, crazy rolls, Hamachi over hamachi roll, rainbow roll, spicy tuna rolls, spicy country rolls and caterpillar rolls. They are all yummy. My favorite is the hamachi over hamachi roll. The place is a little bit small, but very cozy. If you have a small party of 6 or so, you can reserve a tiny room in the back; very cozy. Check them out, you would not be disappointed.
(5)
Mojo L.
I've been there twice, but the first time I drank at least half a 720ml bottle of Wakatake by myself. At that point, anything I ate would have been good. Since tell I've been back once. The food was ok, but nothing special. The uni was good, but I think all uni coming from Santa Babara is good as long as they are fresh. The hot food from the kitchen was ok, but not very tasty. Their selection of fish is very limited, but their rice is pretty good.
(3)
Sang N.
Pretty decent sashimi portions, friendly staff, except for one lady with crazy eyebrows.
(4)
Wil M.
Do not come here if you like to be treated well and receive decent service. The waitresses here were pompous and the food was utterly dissatisfying. I received 2 out of 4 rolls ordered in 35 minutes. Definitely not a couples place. This is the definition of a crap eatery. I would highly discourage anyone from trying their mediocre sushi despite the establishments title. Good luck staying open.
(1)
james m.
pretty lame-sushi was of questionable quality.Ordered the "chefs choice"(bad idea)and it was very sub-par,boring and not too fresh looking or tasting and for 21 bucks....rip-off there are far too many better places to go here.Miso soup terrible and salad looked like they used the worst part of the cheapest lettuce-iceberg wont be back
(1)
Elena G.
i impressed my japanised-korean friend with this place. she usually goes to the pricey places in japantown so i thought she may be left unsatisfied. she even said they had stuff she hadn't seen on the menu before and never even tried. i converted another friend here. how is she now you ask? addicted. the decor is simple, service could be a little slow if they are busy (or chatting it up ion the back), but the sashimi is soooo fresh, the rolls are big and you def get your money's worth. if you are adventurous try the ankimo (monk fish liver) and hamachi kama (it's just a big piece of cooked hamachi). if your not sure that you'll like it, take me with you, i'll take care of those for you ;)....in general, they have the freshest sashimi (and the best assortment) i've tried and the most satisfying rolls. for some extra fun do some sake shots with the sushi chef....
(4)
tammy w.
you'd like this place if fresh is your thing. I won't give it a 5 star because waitresses take a while to actually notice you.
(4)
Audra E.
Yummmeee sushi, fresh and lots of it. Went here with 5 other friends and the bill was like $170, which was super cheap - considering we ate a bucket o fish and drank a gallon of sake. I'll be back.
(5)
J J.
Very fresh sushi and the chefs are friendly and can get creative if you ask. Ambiance is okay but the lighting is too bright... at least you can see its very clean.
(3)
Anya E.
I love Nagano. It's one of the top local sushi places on my list. The place is small, but the menu isn't. They have a large and creative sushi roll menu. Their combo lunch and dinner are good, too. If you go here during lunch time, you will find about 99% Japanese customers in there. That's a very good sign. Their house genmaicha tea (roasted brown rice green tea) is very good. This place can be packed on a week night, and service can be a bit slow. But they are always friendly, and their sushi is always fresh and good.
(4)
spot d.
Fish (maguro, toro, surf clam) was firm but remarkably flavorless. Much too cold. Cuts were often tough and stringy. Delicious Yellowtail was a notable exception. I guess you take your chances. The cooked Japanese standards are, well, standard. Or so I've been told. Unfortunately, San Francisco's unfair and discriminatory health codes prohibit me from actually entering this restaurant.
(2)
Ellie Y.
such good sushi! everything they make here is soooo delicious and the futomaki here is soooooo goood!!! the only thing is that the service here is pretty poor and the waitresses kinda ignore you but if you can get over that or if you're not in a rush, this is one of the best places to get a good japanese meal! it's a tad expensive but seems like everywhere else around here charges about the same for their special rolls. one word: YUM!
(4)
Heather F.
Nagano Sushi, you disappoint me with your under-achieving ways. I was thrilled by your perfect hamachi sashimi, but it can't make up for your other shortcomings. The service is extremely slow, which I find especially irritating when a place is only half-full. The sake list is depressing -- "hot" and "cold" are the lone options. True Sake, where are you when I need you? Nagano also commits what I consider to be the second biggest sushi crime -- giant, too-big-for-one-bite rolls -- which at a place capable of serving such great sashimi seems more like a sign of laziness than poor sushi-rolling skills. I understand why yelpers give this place good reviews -- it's the perfect, diamond-in-the-rough kind of place to recommend and the sashimi is excellent -- but Nagano just isn't as fabulous as you all wish it was.
(2)
Jennifer N.
Decent selection of sushi. It's nice for those who enjoy pictures of the sushi because they have a picture of all their rolls. The ambiance of the place is very cozy and most importantly, the service was VERY VERY good. Courteous, helpful and kind service. The best roll I tried here is their Nagano Roll.
(4)
Hunter H.
you get what you pay for - in the best way possible. this place is expensive, but man, do they ever deliver on quality. the salmon, all the different tunas - fantastic. some of the highest grade i've seen, and good portion size too. the owner's begun to recognize my roommate after seeing him come in with coworkers, his uncle, me, dates, several different groups of friends, etc. they obviously think he's good for exposure because every time we near finish and decide we should probably ask for the bill soon, out comes a big round of sushi and another bottle of sake - compliments of the house. and this is after we've stuffed on our own over-ordered dinner and got good and tipsy on a few bottles of sake already. that pushes me from stuffed to *gorged.* from tipsy to *plastered.* good thing those lanes on geary are so wide. the bill is always steep, but definitely worth it when i compare the excellent meal i just finished with the kind of frozen-and-thawed, rubbery, flavorless crapfish served up at 'affordable' sushi joints like no-name.
(5)
Cathy T.
I went here because my favorite sushi place Kabuto was closed, totally average sushi place. The sushi won't kill you but really it doesn't taste that fresh to me. Everything was decent enough but there are so many better sushi places that you really shouldn't go here unless you are about to pass out right in front of the place. They have a lot of rolls though including the dreaded cream cheese enhanced philly roll. That roll's mere presence should give you an idea of what kind of place this is.
(3)
Kimi M.
This is not the best sushi joint in the city, but they are good enough to go back multiple times. The one thing that keeps us coming back for more is the spicy tuna salad...MMM.
(3)
Seung Hyun Y.
This is a Korean owned sushi place. How do you know? The spicy sushi rolls. Also, the restaurants banner is in Korean, not Japanese. tsk tsk. Well anyways, food here is mediocre and I highly advise not going here unless you like Americanized Korean sushi with alot of tabasco sauce. like geez people, lay off the hot so I can eat in peace and taste the flavor. Hard to find good Japanese places these days.
(3)
Hen A.
it's korean style japanese restaurant....decent sushi...and pretty good "hwe-dup-bap"..korean style chirashi....sashimi and veggie over rice...with sweet hot paste to mix it all in together.....
(4)
Rego S.
Ditto on Miller, this place will feed you well, even if you're just having sushi. The roll selection is good, but watch out for the rolls with spicy mayo in red...they use *tons* of mayo. Obviously not traditional fare.
(4)
Darren I.
Nagano sushi was not that memorable. We went here after we found out that Kabuto was closed. The sushi was edible, but not the freshest fish. The price was reasonable. It was just okay but not great.
(3)
Sandra C.
great service, friendly staff, and reasonable price. recommended.
(4)
stephanie r.
Go mister Lee(owner and resident chef) -he will hook you up with some fine sushi!!
(5)
Tinou B.
Stop by for an early lunch. Had the chicken don and ramen special. The ramen is awful. The chicken don is edible. Service is really bad. The server never came by to refill my tea, and this was when the restaurant was completely empty.
(2)
estebe v.
Point Blank. Best Sushi in San Francisco and by far and one of the Best East or West of Japan! Its unassuming location belies it pleasing decor and ambiance. It's not fancy pants mind you. It's more drop in and have a great bite and a drink or two. Think of it as the Cheers of Sushi Joints! The quality of the fish is unsurpassed. They order most of their fish from Japan save Salmon, Halibut, and the like. The portions of all of the food, yes Sushi and Sashimi included, are very generous and are what you would expect if the Chef were also a Yokozuna Sumotori. Nagano's Master Chef is Miya-San. He is quick to laugh and even quicker to serve you a fantastic treat from his considerable arsenal of personal and off the menu favorites. If Miya-San happens to not be there, you are still in good hands as his counterparts are fast and generous with their portions. The service is as excellent as the food. If you can, ask to be served by Donna. She has a great smile and demeanor that makes you feel like you are a welcomed guest in her home. And, as with the Chefs, if Donna is not available, you are still in good hands with any of the other servers. They all are pretty darn nice. If it seems like I am gushing about this place I am. It's hard to find a place that serves great food, in a reasonable amount of time, with excellent service, and a good price. And since I mentioned it, let's talk price. You could have dinner for two with a beer or sake for around $40. You could also do it for $10 bucks cheaper or $10 buck more depending on your taste and appetites. This is more than reasonable for what you get in return. You leave feeling like you got a good deal! In conclusion, I must say that I wasn't surprised to learn that Nagano's has a sizeable amount of return customers who frequent this place so much they are on first names with the staff and owner, (Mr. Lee)! Feel free to tell them "Steve and Mary" sent you!
(5)
Vivian C.
So its a fact that Nagano is probably owned by Koreans, but whatever. Their food is pretty good and the price was decent. The get extra props because they have a lot of different "styles" of sushi (compared with other Japanese restaurants who only have like five rolls of sushi in their menu). Also, their tempura ice cream is the best thing on earth. It has green tea ice cream coated with syrup? and then deep fried into a golden brown color and damn is it tempting or what??!! but the only thing i would complain about it is that the green tea ice cream they use kinda sucks..
(4)
Vienna X.
Nagano has good, standard sushi. Nothing wacky, but fresh tasty fish. And the servers are very nice (they even gave me some complementary green tea while waiting to pick up a carry-out order once). Nice.
(4)
Sunny Y.
I'm sorry to say that my fellow Yelpers have it wrong, or I'm crazy... because I went to Nagano with a few friends last Friday and was not particularly impressed with the freshness or quality of the sushi. The best thing that I ordered was the special negi-toro roll... everything else was what I would characterize as "average". The prices were reasonable, but I guess you get what you pay for.
(2)
brenda b.
When I ordered a tempura roll, I sorta expected to see some raw fish peeping out to greet me. So I was a bit disappointed in that respect. On the other hand, I thought that the sashimi tasted fresh, so it evened the score. The chicken teriyaki donburi was tender and the sauce was sweet enough for me and my non-sushi eating family, so I give the chicken a thumbs up worthy of any hitchhiker. Service is hit or miss, but not so bad that I would never come back, as I keep returning.
(3)
jj c.
Decided to retry after a long hiatus. Now I remember why we stopped going there. Hostess tried to stick us by the freezing cold window table, insisting it wasn't cold. It was freezing. She reluctantly allowed us to move to the sushi bar. It was not crowded on a Saturday night. The owner's "#1" son and sushi chef kept wiping his nose (yech) and making our sushi. Yes he washed his hands (but did not dry). He also used bad avocado on a caterpillar roll. What? Did this guy think we weren't watching? Yelp readers, do not go here. Gilbert C's assessment of "not very warm" service is an understatement. Food was mediocre. We just didn't feel like going to our regular fab spot, Taraval Okazuya...
(1)
Frank W.
This place has consistently good sushi. I used to frequent the same bar seat and noticed that they start to appreciate your repeat business quickly. Don't let trendier places rip you off!
(4)
Zoe J.
These other review must have been written by Nagano's owner because this restaurant has terrible sushi . The fish they serve is clearly frozen and the tuna is obviously dyed. As somone else wrote , the spicy tuna is WAY too hot , always a sign of bad fish . And to top it all off the service is horrible.
(1)
Aaron F.
Nagano is great, a stellar combination of relaxed (read: no frills) atmosphere and quality ingredients that make for a good time. Yes, it is Korean Sushi. I guess since I'm "roundeye", I don't fully understand that beef. I've been eating here for five years, I can't say it's any worse than a similarly situated place in J Town. The head sushi chef has been honored for his craft (ask him about the huge glossy on wall in the back), and the sushi is served with simple extra touches that demostrate the kitchen's added attention. Try the red snapper tempura appetizer, you won't regret it!
(4)
kelly p.
i love nagano..i have been coming here for about 9 years now and never been disappointed...when friends or family come to town...nagano... for birthdays...nagano. i've told many people about it and they love it to.. its become there spot..i have even be introduce as "this is who told us about nagano" ...they always have my favorites giant clam, scallop handroll, albacore sashimi...mmmm i have to stop writing now so i can go get some sushi at nagano....
(5)
Mary T.
This place is really good if you are looking for good formal quality of sushi! this place actually have real Japanese people working as a chef no offense to other places but i always see a lot of people that are not Japanese working as a chef in a Japanese restaurant I'm just saying! but back to the point, the food quality, they use the best fish for everything. the service wise some time is great some time kind of rude i guess they act on how you order some times. The price is pricier then every other sushi place you go to maybe because of the fish quality. The place actually seem more like a high class people will go to! i actually celebrate my anniversary there every year with my boyfriend because it was the first place he bought me there for a date but i wouldn't say positive things about this place because i go there every year to celebrate my anniversary and have great memories there i just want to point that out but you know i will recommend this place if you want high quality fish and for special event!
(4)
Derek Alistair J.
its great for sushi. big servings. nice staff. the sushi chefs are cool too.
(5)
Tami Y.
This generic-looking sushi joint hides the fact that this Inner Richmond gem is a find for sushi lovers. While the menu is not terribly inspiring, the quality of the sashimi totally rocks. I've never tasted such smooth bites of salmon or fresh hamachi. The oysters are very tasty, gotta try those. Love the dragon rolls. A much better choice than any of the fancy places in town.
(4)
Rick H.
kick ass. fast and good.
(4)
David G.
good sushi, quick , inexpensive and for a quick bite this is the place...no attitude just good food
(4)
Bias W.
I go to Nagano when I don't want to travel to Kirala (Berkeley) or Sakae (Burlingame). If it's not the bad service, it will be given four stars.
(3)
jennifer y.
one of the best restaurants to have in your neighborhood. yet another reason why the richmond is splendid. nagano is nothing fancy, but they serve good, adequate sushi. i can walk in almost anytime when i'm craving fresh fish and get what i'm looking for. once in a while, the maguro will taste/feel a bit off, but the sweet and fun dragon roll makes up for that. one of my favorites is the spicy tuna handroll here, accented with crunchy, soothing cucumber slivers. it's like a savory seafood ice cream cone. but not really. i won't say this is anything up to par with kiss, but they're two different animals. now that kabuto has changed, and hama-ko is too purist and in an impossible parking neighborhood, i rely on nagano or chika to get my downhome sushi kicks.
(3)
Roger C.
Richard H. couldn't of said it better: yelp.com/biz/nagano-sush… Each time I've been here I've been happy. - Sure the wait staff is sometimes scattered. (a full/busy restaurant can do that). But the charm, and sincerity that Nagano offers is genuine. Their fish is always fresh and tastey. Their food is well prepared from the udon soups to the edamame and dinner boxes with a wonderful selection of sake and desserts.
(5)
Karen Y.
Came here on a Sunday around 2pm and there was only a couple of tables of people. I just wanted some udon, a quick and simple comfort food, so I ordered the Chicken Udon. My boyfriend ordered their ramen, and I added a side of salad to mine (the kind that you have with the bento boxes). What I DIDN'T order was withered, brown lettuce for salad or an extra topping of bug in my udon.. and my boyfriend didn't order spoiled bamboo in his ramen. To be fair, the udon was decent.. normal, safe, and nothing to complain about except for the little bug that was floating around in my soup.. I got a very good look at it when I put my face extremely close to the soup while drinking it. I guess it's not a big deal since it appeared cooked and lots of vegetables have bugs. But my entire salad bowl that consisted of very brown, soggy pieces of lettuce was the saddest salad I've ever had.. was going to let that go until half an hour later, the boyfriend had a stomachache at Best Buy and later again that night. So yeah, they get to keep two stars- one for my edible udon and another for decent service.
(2)
Jessica K.
I went here for the first time after a 6km run last week; the waitress was super friendly, asking how my workout was and she was so cute making sure that I had sunscreen on. I ordered the yellowtail sashimi lunch, which comes with seven pieces but I wanted three pieces of hamachi as a substitute, which she agreed to. When the sashimi came they had given me the seven pieces of yellowtail AND three extra pieces of hamachi, all for the same price. The meal also came with soup, salad and rice and they threw in a desert as I was a first time customer. I eat a lot of sushi and this was fresh to the max and delicious, factor in the fantastic service and you've got a five star sushi spot in my books!
(5)
Julie C.
Our server was a younger girl who didn't seem to have a clue what she was doing there. She was nice enough, but kept forgetting to bring things that we had ordered and we had to repeat our order a few times for her to get what we were saying. The food is decent, and the bento box is a pretty good deal for a lot of food.
(3)
Vera P.
Nagano's was my favorite neighborhood sushi-tempura-teriyaki place until today. They have decreased the quantity of everything and their salmon teriyaki was overcooked, bordering on salmon jerky. Not at all happy!
(3)
Don B.
Decent sushi. The Godzilla was tasty but nothing spectacular. The Lion King had too much mayo on it. Lots of specialty rolls available, and it looks the sashimi could be the way to go. Service is friendly but kinda slow.
(3)
Rick A.
I've been here a handful of times now and it's consistenly "A-OK", as the three star rating suggests. I like it, but I don't love it, so the only times I find myself here are when I happen to be passing by and I'm a little hungry. It's not my first choice when I'm looking for a really good sushi dinner. While I've only ever had the sushi here, there are loads of appetizers and non-sushi dishes from the kitchen that I'd love to try some time.
(3)
Lola D.
I hardly write a bad review. But this def takes it. Came here for a quick sushi dinner and it wasn't a busy night at all. There were maybe 7 other diners before we arrived. The 2 of us get in and take a seat, excited to grab some sushi. Right when waitress takes our drink orders, 5 guys walk in and get a seat towards the back. We get our drinks and order our food. -monkfish liver -yellowtail nigri -cherry blossom Small order, nothing wow or spectacular. The most annoying thing is that we didn't get our monkfish liver until 45 mins after we had sat down! I was on a work call, but I did notice the 5 guys got their food already?! I asked the waitress what happen and she said our order was never put in. WTF. So I told her to cancel the damn order then. But she insisted that it was on its way. FINE, I'll take it. Geez! I'm not expecting a fabulous meal but there are some small places that offer exceptional food despite the decor or location. This place sucks!!!!! At the end of our meal, I spoke to the same waitress asking her why she didn't let us know that our meal is going to take longer. She simply replied "Oh, they forgot to take your order" Grrrrrrr.... so do I get a discount or anything?? Oh of course not, well damn, then no tippy for you!
(1)
Diane L.
Korean owned Japanese restaurant. Weak. Not worth it for what you're paying for.....just another sushi restaurant on the block.
(3)
Eugenia G.
ARRIVAL: I don't know why, but I had high hopes for this place. Upon arrival, we were greeted in Japanese by one of the waitresses and was quickly seated (we got there in the nick of time before dinner rush). We were asked what we wanted to drink after being seated (YAY!). After we ordered, we were given edamame, which just tastes like any other edamame. I heard the sushi chef speaking in Japanese, which made me really happy because I hate going to Japanese places and having Chinese people run the place. FOOD: We got the lion king roll, cherry blossom roll and the rocky roll. I thought the rocky roll was really good, the lion king was gross (and for the price of it, NOT worth it) and the cherry blossom was alright. The avocado in the cherry blossom roll was a bit hard... however I would have to say the fish was pretty fresh. TRYING TO LEAVE AND OVERALL SERVICE: We were never once asked after we got our food how our food was. Oh yeah, and about liking the place because the sushi chef spoke Japanese? Well, the waitresses were not. They were Chinese and were speaking Cantonese. Anyway, we started starring up at the ceiling and watching the waitresses every move because we wanted our bill and wanted to LEAVE. We tried several times to flag one down but she would quickly walk pass us and what seemed to favor the Cantonese speaking party (ironic because I'm Chinese myself). I surveyed the place and noticed two other tables wanting/waiting for their bill. Another table had been waiting for over 10 minutes since being seated and still had nothing to drink, not even WATER! Finally after about 15 minutes, we got our check. Oh yeah, I guess the waitresses don't know how to prioritize. I say this because it came to the point where there wasn't a line anymore and tables were empty. We had our hands raised and they chose to clean a table up rather than take orders or get/process someones bill. UNACCEPTABLE. I'm just pissed. I hate it when it takes forever when you just want to LEAVE a restaurant. Would it have been wrong to have just walked out? Probably, huh?
(2)
Lisa H.
Tonight was my first experience at Nagano's and will probably be my last. Here is a semi-long detail of my experience: -1 didn't receive the tea we ordered until the food arrived (we had nothing to drink for the most part that we were there) -1 food was SO OVERPRICED $19 for a Hamachi Sashimi meal. $8 for 5 pieces of sushi -1 the hamachi meal on my menu was marked at $18 but the server insisted that I pay for the more expensive amount going into some story about the yellowtail being imported from Japan blah blah blah. (okay i sound super cheap over a dollar but seriously?!?!) -1 we never got the water we ordered even after ordering it a second time -1 the food was not that crackin and my sashimi still had the scales on it!! THE SCALES! -1 we waited nearly 10 minutes after we were done eating for the check and could not see our server anywhere (she was the only server). We ended up calculated how much our food cost. Around $30 ish dollars and with tax $32. We threw $35 on the table and bounced. No one noticed. seriously. not one person working there was paying any attention. All i could think of at the end of our meal was MEH. MEH. MEH. They probably deserve 1 star, but i felt bad for our server. Having been a server for several years myself, I felt a little sorry for her. But, man she was so SLOOOOW and the food didn't make up for anything.
(2)
Jo'an R.
Don't visit this place if you're looking for decent customer service or for sushi. Visited the restaurant since it had decent reviews at yelp. However, i was greatly disappointed as soon as we stepped in the restaurant. We were greeted by the server who stated "sit anywhere you'd like". Since she said this, I grabbed the seat with 4 chairs and a table but as she saw me do this, she instantly said, "that's a big table for just you two!" I looked at her and said, "well, you said to sit wherever we'd like to". She then, pointed to a table in the corner of the restaurant and I immediately said "no" and found a table next to the counter.....with light. We sat down and looked over the menu. The sushi looked very good and moderately priced. My boyfriend and I told ourselves that maybe the food is excellent but the service is awful. We ordered the salmon/lemon on top roll, kappa, spider, and another roll. The kappa, spider and the other roll came; we assumed that the salmon/lemon on top roll took longer to make which was why it didn't come with the rest. In the middle of our meal, we kept wondering why the salmon/lemon on top roll still did not come. We flagged down our server and told her about it. She said that she would ask. Two minutes after, we saw her leave with restaurant, with bag in tow....We were of course, surprised at this. We flagged down the other server (the one who we first met) and told her about the missing roll. Since we were seated next to the counter, we could see everything. She asked the sushi chef about the order and he said that he will make it right away. Apparently, it was left out of our order and our server did not even bother checking with him after we asked her about it. RUDE! I will NEVER come back to this place, and if I were you....don't come here. There are so much Sushi places around the area that there should be one or two that rightly deserves a four star rating.
(1)
Anthony L.
One of my favorite sushi spots anywhere. I've been many times and the quality of what they serve has been consistently good. Their prices are very fair. I will continue to go back so long as that doesn't change!
(4)
Dessa S.
I LOVE NAGANO b/c my Best Friend works here & she got me super addicted!!!! Anyways the only thing I've had on their menu is the Fuji Roll & it's delicious. I've been meaning on going back but I don't really go out to Geary & the Richmond very much. Regardless though this roll is AMAZING! their Unagi, Scallops & Spice Mustard makes for a Yummy Roll I could eat over & over again.
(4)
Michelle N.
A friend of mine introduced me to Nagano the other day. The place was small and quiet and reminded me of sushi places in San Jose. My mouth dropped and I actually made a *gasp* sound when I looked at the menu. They had many specialty rolls under 7 bucks. Everything was so effing cheap! I always say the first sign of good sushi is their miso, which happened to be flavorful and tasty here. Our group of 5 people ordered 10 rolls, enough to taste a bit of everything. Portions: good Taste: delicious Price: cheap (but I don't know if it compares to other places in this neighborhood) Anything with spicy mayo sauce on it was delicious. Things with unagi were also good but once again, ugnai with bones sadden me. I also didn't think their spicy tuna was spicy enough. Other than that I was pretty happy. Dinner was $18 per person and that included edamame, miso, a wide variety of sushi, tip, AND tax. YAY!
(4)
Brian M.
We have been coming here forever, and Nagano Sushi is our favorite sushi restaurant in town. The fish is incredibly fresh, the rolls are creative, and the prices are reasonable. The owner is "old school." He picks the fish out by hand first thing every morning, he makes his sauces by hand, and he has been in the business for 30 years.
(5)
Jen M.
I was craving for some sushi and i did promise my cousins I go get some, so I did. When I went in I was greeted by a friendly lady. She was helpful and took my orders quickly. I got some california rolls, spider roll, tempura rolls, california tempura rolls and some chicken yakitori. I love the spider rolls, they are delicious and so were the tempura rolls. The chicken yakitori was yummy. My cousins like the california rolls, got enough because I know they wouldnt want to share. The california tempura roll is yummy too. All the sushi is fresh and not like some places that dont use fresh ingredients. Im sure Ill be back here again if I ever need a sushi fix.
(5)
Miss C.
I LOVE, LOVE NAGANO! The hotate sashimi is very fresh and delicious! The spicy tuna is good, and the rolls.... omg the variety of the rolls. I tasted Volcano Roll and I fell in LOVE. I went there a couple of times and it was good. The place is bigger than it looks from the outside. The food is kinda pricey. If you want some fancy roll it's gonna cost you up to $12. But, hey you get what you paid for right? and the rolls never disappoint me! and the SASHIMI is always GOOD! Amazing uni too! :) Oh, and it's Korean owned so beware of Korean old men coming in to get drunk on some nights!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
D C.
I'm Nona have to agree with Mike L. on this one: Nagano was my sushi regular and although the service sometimes lacked it was almost always tasty and quick. Sadly however, it's not the case with "New" Nagano. Wifey and I went out last night - the service was ok, friendly and polite but the sushi left something to be desired. Who serves cold tempura? Bleh. With a $90 dollar tab I expected a hell of a lot more than what we got - both service and food quality. Oh well - won't be back.
(3)Coté M.
I can't say much about the space, I have been there only once in my life and I find it pleasant and normal. I buy home delivery and they are sooo great. Love their sushi rolls. I'm a weekly client, and they are the only ones I call.
(5)Stewart M.
Ordered a couple of bento boxes and some tempura for delivery. Took ages, food was cold (we're 1 mile away), Maki was rolled worse than supermarket sushi then to top it off it was pretty tasteless. Maybe it's better eating in the restaurant?
(1)Pasha G.
The assorted sashimi were pretty good. They were a little too cold, but given that I ate there at 11am, way before lunch starts, I think it is forgivable.
(5)S K.
Would strongly advise NOT to order from here. A bunch of issues repeatedly: A) charging different prices than what's on the menu (unacceptable!) and refuse to clarify when we called re: the discrepancy B) rude customer service C) very slow delivery and often late D) very cheap on the ginger and wasabi allocation. For a dinner order for 3, they gave only enough for 1!person despite our request for more
(1)Dayna D.
Awesome sushi! The service was a bit slow but not too bad. Loved the spicy tuna and shrimp tempura! Fish was so fresh. Will definitely return.
(4)Gilda W.
Ate lunch here with a friend and got the 2 order lunch box special for $9.95. I chose chicken teriyaki and mixed tempura, which comes with 1 shrimp tempura, and a few string beans(?) and sweet potato tempura. The tempura was pretty fresh since they make it when you order, but the chicken teriyaki was pretty dry. They didn't really put enough dressing on the salad, so you can request to get more dressing if you want... If you want, they also have spicy mayo. Overall decent meal and I got pretty full off of the 2 item combo. If I return, I think I'd try something else like the ramen. :)
(3)Larry K.
I work in the neighborhood so I've only been here for lunch, but I go often. The food is certainly decent, maybe not mind blowing but very good and I have no complaints. So while the food is good enough to keep me coming back, the service fails to impress. Here's the problem with the weekday lunch shift. There is only one waitress and I certainly can't fault her for trying. She runs around staying busy and it seems like she is usually busy with take out orders even when the dining room is empty. My rule is only to go right at 11:30 when they open. If you are the first and only table in there you'll be OK, but I wouldn't recommend going during the peak lunch hour nor would I recommend going with a large group where you will need attentive service. I have my routine dialed in. I walk in (sometimes you have to cough or say something to get someone's attention to get seated), I decide what I want quickly, I order, eat, pay, leave. Pretty simple. But if you're a squeaky wheel who expects several table visits and water refills and clearing of plates and for the waitress to chit-chat with you, this probably isn't the place for you. Maybe it's partially my fault for being such an easy customer, but I find that getting water and/or tea is inconsistent and the table visits are kept to a minimum. Maybe things are better at dinner, but the bottom line for me is that it works for a quick lunch during the work day as long as it isn't busy.
(2)Seth K.
I have a theory that a person could go to a new restaurant in SF without ever repeating their visit for as long as they live in SF. However, Nagano Sushi is worth going to again and again. It's clear that their chefs care about their craft, the fish is incredibly high quality, and the atmosphere isn't too shabby either. Sushi is my favorite food and so I do have high standards, which Nagano meets. If you have never eaten here then it's time to visit.
(5)HelpYelpsters D.
What a horrible place! I ordered through eat24 and my $50 order was 2 hours late! By the time the sushi got to me it was warm and gross, I had to throw it away! They kept on making excuses that eat24 sent the order in late. And whenever eat24 would call them they kept on saying the driver left that he should be pulling up any minute now, well 1.5 hours later! Good still hasn't arrived! I called for a refund and they said they authorized it with eat24, but lied! No authorization! Shady as hell! Never getting food here again!
(1)Christina R.
More like a 1.5, but I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt considering I was super "hangry" and that could have clouded my judgment. Went here after the Ramen Festival crowds scared us away in Japantown and we were in a desperate search for anything ramen. After seeing that Kaiju had a 2 hour wait, we walked down the street to stumble upon this place and noticed it was nearly empty. No one greeted us or made eye contact even to acknowledge that we're waiting, but we do get seated quickly as there was an empty table. *He also didn't wipe down the table at all and left unused dishes from the previous diners, which I thought was a little unhygienic but not a huge deal. From the minute we sat down, it was like we didn't exist. I had to flag someone down to take our order, to get us water, to get utensils after our food had already been delivered, and even to pay. A table that sat down before us had already eaten and were ready to leave before all of our food had come out. I think we ended up waiting about 30-40 minutes for our ramen and one of my friend's dish came out about 10 minutes after we had already been given our food (a personal pet peeve of mine). They admittedly looked understaffed, but the waiters didn't really seem to be rushing around. Just from observing, they seemed very unorganized. For example, I watched them tell people there was going to be a 30 minute wait , while there were two empty tables that hadn't been bused for the past 15 minutes. Overall, some of the worst service I've received in a while. As for the food, meh, I've had better and it was a touch bland for me. I ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen and it just wasn't anything special. My friend ordered the plain ramen and they put sesame oil in it, which I thought was unusual but smelled delicious, so maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. Other pros: they deliver (but can't guarantee how long it would take), one of the staff was apologetic about the wait...after I flagged her down for the 3rd time.
(2)Gee H.
Such a long wait for food. Seems understaffed but the existing staff doesn't seem to be in any rush. First restaurant I am literally thinking of leaving because it's taking so long. Or they are trying to make their food tastier by using my growing hunger. Eg: there are empty tables but people are being told to wait 30 min because they haven't been cleared off yet. Food is decent. I would go here if you are not in any rush and are more looking for a place to sit and talk with friends. Do not go when you're hungry.
(2)Carmellina E.
This little neighborhood gem is one of my favorite spots to eat. The food is fresh, the pricing can't be beat, and the restaurant itself is small and nice. I very much recommend them - love the firecracker roll - yummy! I don't know the owners (although I hear he makes the sushi rolls) - but I really want to see them stick around .... so go! Go and get your sushi on!
(5)Sothary C.
Sushi was ok. I think that the place could have been a little cleaner. But then again it was in San Francisco. The service was cut and dry nothing too special about this place. I would eat there again if I was in the area.
(3)Jiewen X.
Bad service!!!! He didn't give us chopsticks, plates, and napkin until we asked for them. But this didn't on every table!! Just ours!
(1)Mike L.
Years ago (before I started Yelping), Nagano was one of my semi-regular sushi joints in SF. With their long list of specialty rolls, they were the closest thing I could find in SF to Sushi House in Alameda (one of my favorites back then). Fast forward to the present, and my friends and I found ourselves at Nagano more because we hadn't been back for so long than to satisfy any sort of cravings. While heavily sauced or cooked rolls like the Lion King used to be so appealing, I'd much rather stick with ones using raw fish nowadays. Huh...I guess you really do get wiser as you get older. - ROCKY ROLL - Unagi Roll wrapped with Assorted Fish...$13.95 (4 stars) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/naga… ) Essentially a Rainbow Roll, but with unagi instead of shrimp tempura. The slices of fish were pretty fresh overall, and the unagi was quite tasty. A decent roll, though a little pricy. - VOLCANO ROLL - Spicy Mayo, Assorted Fish...$7.95 (2 stars) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/naga… ) The menu lists "assorted fish", but ours was filled with spicy tuna (not sure if that's how my friend ordered it). Personally, I just wasn't a fan. The spicy tuna and mayo actually had some kick, but I don't get all of the tempura bits they threw on... - COMBO RAMEN (Soy or Miso, Rich or Light Broth) - Corn, Fried Chicken, Seaweed, Scallions and a Boiled Egg...$11.95 (3 stars) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/naga… ) The bowl was large and full of goodies (including fried gyoza, which wasn't listed), but it was mediocre overall. I ordered the miso broth rich, but it didn't taste all that different from anywhere else. The noodles had a decent consistency, and the chicken was good, but everything else left me rather indifferent. If you're looking more for hot food/entrees, I haven't tried most of what they have, but the bento box combos are pretty large from what I remember. Otherwise, rolls are pretty safe - just don't expect to be blown away. Still, they're better than some of their nearby competitors (Ichiraku and Midori to name two...ugh).
(3)To u.
If I can give zero stars... this would be the place to receive it. I've only ordered take out from here with coworkers for lunch. Food is not worth it as the taste is bland and nothing special. Portion amount is small. -skimpy with sauce and dressing on salad. I placed an order for 8 3 item bento lunches at 11:11am. Place opens at 11. The girl on the phone said it would take a 40 minute wait. ..... 1 hour and 30 mins later... hmmm.. no show. I call the lady back. . She says the order went out already... it is 115..... 2 hours wait and STILL NO SHOW. I call again.. "driver is coming, coming, coming..!!!!" 15 mins after.. delivery is here. . But only 7 bentos show up and 3 orders are completely wrong! No bueno. 4 people.. got the correct order only. End result.. "what do you want to do?!, says the unapologetic voice on the other line. Some bentos got kept.. we paid for the correct orders and got 10 percent off the bill. .. Needless to say- 4 people didn't have lunch today and the restaurant lost out on our office of ever ordering from them. Never ever again! Oh, and the missing 8th bento box? I called and the lady on the other side says," oh it's right here!" Total HORRIBLE SERVICE! My coworkers and I will definitely NOT be ordering from here.
(1)Heidi Q.
I came here last week with my boyfriend and it was the most pathetic excuse for a dining experience. First off, we were the ONLY customers there at the time because we wanted an early dinner around 4pm. So we (reasonably) expected average service at the least. I ordered a beef udon specially with no vegetables whatsoever. My boyfriend ordered a mix of things, but one thing in particular was the spicy tuna hand roll. They messed up both orders. Mine came with all the vegetables that were originally listed. His spicy tuna was a weird purée with barely any rice. Also the tempura roll that we got to share was dripping in oil. So gross. At this point, we just wanted to finish and leave. I try to wave to the waiter to ask for a check and he doesn't notice me for at least five minutes. I wait a big before waving more dramatically and he still doesn't notice. My boyfriend tries waving and he still doesn't notice. It was so ridiculous that we actually started laughing. (The reason why we didn't actually get up to go ask the waiter is because we didn't want to walk by this super creepy/sketch man who came in a few minutes earlier decided to sit in the bar area.) Finally my boyfriend decides to get up to get our check and notices that the waiter was totally distracted on his phone. Once we got our check and we both pay with our credit cards. And guess what? The guy brings the receipt back without my credit card. I was so annoyed. This is the first time in my life that I decided to leave no tip. I honestly feel bad giving a one star review but there was literally nothing redeeming about this place. If you read this, please save your money and go somewhere else!
(1)Conor S.
So good! Hole in the wall casual spot (dont expect super fancy atmosphere). Fairly cheap and amazing sushi. I recommend the spider roll and shrimp tempura role. Caution, the spicy tuna is really spicy
(5)Kaitlyn P.
Ordered delivery that was confirmed to take 45 minutes. After two phone calls it arrived 40 minutes late. Which means it took almost an hour and a half to arrive. When it finally did arrive my order wasn't even correct. Overpriced for mediocre taste too. I have never written a bad yelp review but this was pretty terrible.
(1)MickYee M.
Haven't been here in a long while so we decided to try it after new ownership. Wow...what a surprise. There's nothing Japanese about it...except fir the writing on the wall. Chinese wait staff and chinese cooks. It took 15 minutes for the first plate to drop. When we asked why such a long wait with only 2 tables occupied, the answer was we have a lot of to go orders. Really...nice use car salesman line It took over 20 minutes for the rest of the order to arrive. Are you ready for the next use car salesman line....we had to make sure the fish was cooked. Really...20 minutes to cook a fish? The dinner comes with miso soup and salad. Guess what, the dinner vegi was also salad. Yes...the same salad I ate served with the soup. Really cheap chinese. How cheap can you get or what a lack of plate planning? SALAD AND THEN MORE SALAD!!!! Million dollar question...would I come back. HELL NO!!!!!
(1)Rich G.
This is the best sushi ever!!!!!!! I will now become a regular. The sashimi is very fresh and the chef knows what he is doing. The dragon roll and lion king is a must!!!!!
(5)Amy S.
Amazing place, my new favorite sushi restaurant! Ordered delivery and it was just in time, food still hot. Everything was really tasty and fresh, we even got a free soup! It's really good!
(5)Sondra M.
Food was good, but didn't make up for the overall experience. Service was very slow, and we had to wait 35 min for our food.
(3)MyHanh H.
Great sushi and nice people! I ordered the chirashi and they hooked up the good stuff- sake, butterfish, albacore, etc... I was in heaven! My husband got the bento and loved it too. We were too stuffed to finish all of it. Come hungry
(5)Finn T.
We got a flyer for delivery and decided to try Nagano Sushi. After waiting more than an hour, we called them back and they said it had been delivered! They said somebody in my house had paid for it - which was pretty ridiculous as there are two of us. It would have taken another 45 minutes to "redo" the order so we decided not to wait and ate something else. I really don't think that some random person would have accepted delivery and paid in cash for something they didn't order - I think they forgot to make it. Tonight, we decided to give them another chance - they remembered us but there was no consideration of giving us something extra or thanking us for trying them again. So, this time the delivery came and my tempura was missing! It was a two-item bento box (they don't sell one-item bento boxes!) so that was just bad quality control. In addition, the delivery person insisted that he keeps the receipt (he actually rang the doorbell a second time because he forgot to take it from the order!) - so we couldn't even check what was on it - and you are supposed to get a receipt for anything you pay for. Called them back and it would have taken another hour to get the tempura so now we have a small "credit" for a place we are not likely to ever use again. Oh, the food: The beef teriyaki was tender and good, but everything apart from the rice was insanely salty. Everything was cold, including the rice and teriyaki. Really cold like it had been sitting for awhile. Not worth my money.
(1)Vicki T.
Delivery - Friday at 4:30p - pretty fast delivery, less than an hour as it states. I ordered the forest roll and the so good roll, both pretty good. The two rolls were too much for me. They do its job and maybe a bit more. I do plan on ordering delivery from them again. (Eat24 has deals and coupons) - I'd say it deserves the 3.5 star rating it currently holds.
(4)K M.
Well, first of all, the sushi and teriyaki chicken bento box was sub-par to say the least. Second, they came 45 mins late AND when the guy got here he asked for a cash tip. (I informed him that I had tipped online already, but obviously that was not to his liking). One star :(
(1)Arnida S.
This is a great place to eat sushi. The owner of this place is always nice. Fresh and good sushi. Love the lion king roll. I would definitely be back here again. Nice & clean too.
(5)Mi M.
Popped in here while I was waiting for my car to be fixed. Had the sake (salmon), ikura and unagi nigiri. It was just okay...didn't seem the freshest I've ever had, but then it was the day after new year so maybe they didn't get their fish in that day or the day before. Also, the waitress was yelling in Chinese at the delivery guy which was a bit off-putting. Still, it filled a spot, but I won't go back.
(2)damien f.
Great place Great customer service ! Food is really good and generous .... Take out is fast also .....overall a good place to come !
(5)Donna W.
Went here at lunchtime. We were the only table until about 20 minutes into our lunch wait when another 2 people came in. Had to flag down waitress to order. I kept checking to see when our food was ready to come out. Watiress was bagging up take-out & after that we were finally served. I peeked back and our food was just setting there for I don't know how long. Bento boxes were okay. Spicy tuna roll was disappointing. It was a mushed up concoction of tuna. Ehh, not was I was hoping for. On a positive, the miso soup, salad, and sauce on the teriyaki salmon were okay. I just didn't like feeling that we were bothering the waitress & other man behind the counter. Asked for our check when finally she came to clear our plates, and unfortunately, we needed change. It took so long I finally went back & got the change from the waitress. There are so many other great sushi places. I won't be coming back here.
(1)Justin S.
Hum. Done after two? Thats not good. I had Maguro Sashimi that was very fresh. The Uni on the other hand wasn't the best so I finished and left. It wasn't bad but really not worth having again. Maybe they were just having a bad day. I will be back to update this review and hopefully have a better experience next time.
(3)Bobby L.
Meh certainly describes the food I got, although if it came to just reviewing the delivery service I would give it 5 stars - they literally got the food to me in 20 minutes. But the bad is that I'm pretty sure this place gave me food poisoning. I could tell something was a little weird when I was eating my roll but 6 hours later when I was leaning over the toilet puking my dinner back up it was clear something was wrong. Since I love sushi you can imagine my heartbreak, so given all the other sushi places out there I'm quite confident I won't be returning to this place. :(
(2)Lambchop B.
Have gone here a few times for lunch because I am a ramen addict. Noticed a decline in service lately. Last time ordered seafood ramen and a order of unagi sushi . Soup was below average with a bland broth. Seafood was a mix which seemed boiled in the soup rather than added unagi was cold which probably means it was pre made server came by and asked if I had enough to eat yet which I found annoying. I will probably find another lunch place.
(1)Alice C.
Thought we'd try a different restaurant in our neighborhood. Never eaten here before and will never return. Tried to order vegetarian sukiyaki, but restaurant was not flexible and can only cook items from the menu, so I settled for chicken sukiyaki. When the food arrived, it looked like boiled chicken teriyaki...no soup or stew, which I'm used to receiving. The chicken was partially raw; when my dish was returned, they gave me the same chicken, but now it was dry. The waitress tried to convince us that sukiyaki is not soup-based...(irritating!)......see definition below. "Sukiyaki is a popular one-pot meal which is usually cooked at the table as you eat. The word "yaki" means "sautee" or "grill" in Japanese. The word is used because meat is sauteed in the hot skillet. The main ingredient in sukiyaki is usually beef which is thinly sliced. Meat slices and ingredients are simmered in soy sauce based soup. In different regions of Japan, sukiyaki is cooked differently." Bad dining experience.
(1)A F.
Nagano used to be our go to place for good Japanese food. It's under new ownership now and not the same good food or service anymore. Portions are much smaller and it took the server twenty minutes to give us tea. Which was cold and not hot. Nagano now feels like a fast food Chinese restaurant. Too bad, we will have to find a new Japanese spot.
(2)Eric D.
Sashimi is very unfresh! Ordered a Sashimi deluxe and most of them are Tuna and Salmon. And they call it deluxe?
(1)Amanda M.
Yum! Went here after a long day of work on the way home for take out. Ordered a cucumber roll, a fancy roll and some white tuna sushi. Was very satisfied and wait wasn't so long since I ordered there and waited for my take away. Waitress brought me some green tea while I waited. Sushi was alright. Enjoyed the tuna and the extra ginger they gave me!
(4)John L.
Ramen was subpar, tasted like it was watered down and bamboo shoots came from a can. Soup wasn't even hot. Tasteless and noodles weren't very fresh. No garlic, no chili pepper, do not come here for the ramen.
(1)Tiffany L.
I was here few days ago and it was my worst experience ever. I've been here twice; first time was mediocre because the udon was okay that was why I came here the second time. (Bad decision) I was planning to grab some quick sushi and sashimi for my second visit. I sat at the sushi bar so I can see the chef make my sushi. Usually when I sit at the sushi bar, I like to communicate with the chef like asking about the fish. And I feel like this is the purpose of it. However, I ordered a sashimi plate, some rolls and some nigiri. As usual I tried to chat and ordered directly with the sushi chef who is a old bald guy, but he doesn't understand a word I said and that was the most awkward moment, maybe is that he don't speak English or he don't care about customer services. Oh well, so I was watching him slicing the fish and I saw there were a lot of black things on his finger nails which really disgusted me and I almost puke. The spicy tuna seems very orangey and has a weird smell, way different from other sushi places' spicy tuna. And I requested light spicy mayo on the rolls but there were huge chunk of it on top of every single rolls. So I ended up rarely touching the food. However the server was really attentive, he asked me what was wrong with the food because I rarely ate. I didn't want to trouble him too much so I just said I don't really like them. He seemed sorry and asked if I want to order any kitchen food so I just ordered a ramen for to go. At end when I saw the check, I saw that they charged me 12.95 for 2 pieces of Toro which I didn't touch at all. More specifically, I DIDN'T RECALLED ABOUT ORDERING THE TORO, I ASKED THE C HEF ABOUT THE TORO WHICH I DIDN'T WANT! WHAT A SCAM! He didn't understand what I said so he just scammed me! So I paid $80+ basically just for the ramen which was not good too. I gave the sever $10 because he has good service, other than that everything was horrible!! To sum up, this place is nasty, unorganize. Food is dirty, disgusting, and not worth it. The only reason I gave one star was because of the service that the waiter provided. I don't recommend this place at all, there are many way better sushi places in that district. I will never return to this place, and I already blacklisted this place.
(1)Alex C.
Delicious sushi. And cheaper than I thought it'd be.
(4)Alanna R.
WAAAAAAY too much spicy mayo on the Lion King roll. This is my favorite roll I almost always order and this is the worst I've had. I've had better from ghetto suhi places, so this was surprising that this wasn't good as the interior décor is so nice. I was deceived! The salmon sashimi was so itsy bitsy and so overpriced. And, I was extra sad because sashimi is so yummy when done right and you receive a fair quantity. I spent $22.24 including tax and I basically got a couple small pieces of salmon and a whole lotta spicy mayo. BOO!
(2)Francine P.
My parents used to bring me to this restaurant sometimes when I was a teen. I didn't really like it at first, but then I started liking it. Plus, we also used to see our family friends in there most of the time. I also liked the miso soup as well as the teriyaki dishes. I might consider going there again sometime, even if I might then need to talk myself into trying some more in there.
(4)Camille B.
Given that this place is clearly Chinese owned and run, the sushi is surprising good. It's not the best sushi, but if you're having a craving, it'll do just fine!
(3)Tommy C.
I didn't necessarily think the food here was anything to write home about (which says something since I'm from Boston). I went at lunch time and ordered the bento box which included salmon nigiri, spicy tuna maki, salad, and miso soup. I also ordered a maki roll with cream cheese, salmon, and jalapeno pepper. The food was not poor by any standards; my only complaint was that the jalapeno peppers tasted more like green bell peppers and the maki rolls were not rolled tightly (they would fall apart whenever I picked them up). As for service, the waitress was very friendly and constantly filled my water cup and even brought me more ginger upon request. The bento box was reasonably priced (about $11 with the nigiri). In short, I would come back because of how close it is to my living space; other than that, there are better sushi places in SF.
(3)Racerboy B.
Cleaniess - 5 stars (We went there at today friday at 1pm and it wasn't a lot of customers there. Services - 4 stars (The server were friendly but kinda slow when taking orders. I took the new chef not to put wasabi on any of my sushi; of course, every single one has wasabi on it and instead of him initiating redo our sushi, I had to wipe off wasabi from every sushi, pretty annoying. I knew it was a honest mistake but it happened repeatedly during our meal, I wonder if he was paying attention enough to our order) Food Taste - 4 stars (Fresh!)
(4)Pauline N.
I'm a big fan because my friend knows the boss real well, so each time we come here, he makes the food for us personally. Under this premise, my experience has always been consistent and satisfying. Parking - SF street parkings; depend on your luck Seats - Comfy Service - Mine were always excellent Food - Hamachi toro - amazing! Ikura - not the best Uni - standard Unagi - delicious! Spicy tuna handroll - LOVE it! The rest - avg to above avg. Not a big fan of their deep fry food though. So I only order their sushi. They are not the best sushi for sure, but quality has been very consistent, avg to above avg, and really good price.
(4)Bridget H.
Sushi for 2 - $50 yummy! There was so much sushi, sashimi, and nigri! We left very full- $50 included miso, salad, sushi, sashimi, nigri and ice cream...tea of course! The place wasn't packed, but the fish was fresh! Waitress was very nice. Only complaint would be the pop music and football game on the tv, but it wasn't horrible.
(4)Justin G.
Food was just OK. Service was terrible. Our entrees came out 25 minutes apart and they kept bringing my friend's dinner in different stages. Would not come back here.
(1)Jennifer O.
So I had a free afternoon which doesn't happen frequently so I treated myself to lunch at Nagano. I ordered a **huge** plate of sashimi and asked Mr. Lee if he recommended the toro and sea bass, which is not always available. To that, I ordered hamachi, albacore and red snapper, a huge plate for $40 which is more than a solid deal. Mr. Lee added a couple of slices of monk fish liver, too. As I devoured my sashimi, Mr. Lee gave me a couple of pieces of the Lion King roll, which I never had. I think it's a California roll with hamachi, sauced with a spicy mayo and heated. Wow. I was so impressed and I missed Nagano so much that I ordered dinner to go. I tapered way back on the sashimi (as I totally pigged out for lunch), a Lion King roll and added two menu items new to me, Nagano's homemade gyoza and their crab/cream cheese puffs, ostensibly for my little boy. (But I did nip a couple of those and wow, you could taste the difference). The menu prices have definitely increased this past year, which is not surprising, but for the quality, it's still a deal. Nagano satisfies!
(5)Danielle L.
I've ordered twice from this sushi restaurant, both times the delivery guy forgot a portion of my meal. I call to get a status and they tell me it's going to take 45 additional minutes. Don't bother, I won't be spending $40 for my partially delivered sushi dinner anytime in the near future.
(1)Rosalind S.
An order each of maguro and hamachi nigiri, volcano roll, and albacore tataki for dinner with my boyfriend. It wasn't horrible and we ate everything but it also wasn't great. The sushi took forever to come out and the rice also seemed old. The tataki dish was a big disappointment. The portion was smaller than other places and it wasn't lightly seared like it's suppose to be. I also don't think they're Japanese because, well, they spoke Mandarin. But then again, they could be Japanese and also speak Mandarin. It's not unheard of. And there's nothing wrong with Chinese folks running a Japanese restaurant but when I want to eat Japanese food I just , well, you know....
(3)Amy L.
I went there at late Saturday night. It was great experience. First of all, I am a very picky person. I wanted to try multiple sushi so I asked the waiter that Is possible to order 1 piece for the sushi( usually 2 pcs per order). He said yes that he can ask the chef to make me half order for all the sushi I I order. I order Blue Fin toro, Ika, Hamachi, Akinmo, Uni, hamachi Kama and a cold sake. The sushi came out quickly and tasted great and I like the way the waiter introduce me which one is which. So I know what to order next time. Overall, I like all the sushi, especially the Uni, BF tuna and Akinmo. But the hamachi Kama is little bit pricy. Anyway, I will definitely come back or order for delivery since I live couple blocks away.
(4)Joseph M.
We love this little Japanese restaurant. The sushi/sashimi offerings are excellent, fresh and well prepared. Their cooked items are equally good. The staff are all courteous and friendly, we always feel welcome and appreciated. We have also done delivery and that service has worked very well--hot food arrives hot, cold food arrives cold and there is not an inordinate wait--always arrives in about 45 minutes.
(5)Erica W.
Sushi was Great, very fresh. The staff was friendly and brought food out in a timely fashion. Restaurant was clean, highly recommended.
(4)Peter F.
I had ramen here on saturday early evening. The one reason I came here was there were people inside as opposed to the next door chinese place which was empty. They probably have better noodles and I'll head there next. The food was very blah. The best part of it was noodles and its temperature. But then again, who gets ramen at a sushi place. The pork was too tough and the egg looked deviled. It came with some green onions and bamboo shoots and a few spinach leaves. Broth was supposed to be miso, but it ended up some strange mix of powdered base(I make soup all the time). They also added an extra zero to the end of my tip(15% which made it 150%). I am hoping my three star review helps avoid filtering and detection since my real rating is 1 star.
(3)May G.
As I indicated on my original post, I have been coming here since it was opened many years ago. I use to be part of a group that met here every Tuesday but the food started to go downhill and I didn't come as often. I decided to give it another try last week and it was SO DISAPPOINTING. I don't know what the hell happened but I won't be back. All the sauces are different (in a bad way). The fish was not fresh, there was no taste to any of the sushi. even the rice was sad. If it's been awhile since you've been here, don't go. If you've never been here before, don't go.
(1)Timothy L.
Lots of non-traditional rolls... and so good! Lion King Roll. Get it. Get any roll here really.
(5)Hanna Y.
Korean owned sushi restaurant I was introduced to years ago by an old friend and went to again due to nostalgia 3 com roll - spicy tuna topped with salmon and yellow tail (I think) was absolutely hands-down, my favorite. No Name roll - a fried roll with tuna and the orange spicy sauce in the center. It was simple but the pieces weren't so large that you felt like you had to shift various parts of your mouth around to make it get into your mouth, as with most fried rolls. Delectable crunchy yet warm roll with no real name. House Sake - I am no expert at knowing what is "good" sake. But I've had my share of "House Sake" from various restaurants and by far, this one was the smoothest. $7 for large. If we only could have stayed for desert - People were raving about the tempura ice-cream.
(4)L. D.
It was very good! Excellent service. I had the basic ramen. The pork slices were thick and delicious and the soup was well-balanced with enough noodles, spice & greens. Clean, quiet atmosphere. Next time I'll try the sushi. Nice find.
(4)Erika C.
This place serves everything. Sashimi, sushi, roll mash-ups, soba, ramen, udon, donburi... It is a one-stop shop. They do it with low prices and a smile. As with most places that do it all, there are no standout dishes. Amazingly, though, they do everything pretty damn well. I haven't had a bad dish here, and I left with most of my wallet intact. I haven't been back since I moved out of the hood, but I would recommend it to anyone craving Japanese. You don't have to decide what exactly to order till you get there... They'll probably have it. Keep in mind that you're getting a great value for the food. Don't eat at McDonald's and expect a Michelin-rated burger. It's comparable to similar joints, but if you're looking for great ramen, go to Katana-ya or Genki. If you want great sashimi, go to Zushi Puzzle, Sushi Bistro, Ino, etc. You get what you pay for, and in Nagano's case you get a bit more without having to dodge menu land mines.
(4)V T.
Nagano Sushi is always fresh! I come here for lunch and always find the seat in the sushi bar or table without a long wait. The chief is very nice and gives us extra pieces and sometimes special on the house. During the season, I order the Mirugai (Giant Clam) which is the best since the chief usually gives fresh and big pieces. Ika is awesome! Amaebi is great. Spicy tuna is spicy. The most important is the sushi here is always fresh!
(4)Christy A.
Decent sushi. We got some sort of spicy salmon roll with tempura batter, which was our favorite, the caterpillar was ok but I loved that they put a lot of sliced avocado, and the spicy tuna roll was average. We also ordered the 4 piece salmon sashimi. It was alright, a bit chewy though. Not sure if we will return.
(3)Joel M.
Okay, just had to make sure that last week's experience was not a fluke. Came back tonite with wifey and had another try. This time around we had...hamachi kama (grilled hamachi collar), fried oysters, uni nigiri, sake toro nigiri, hamachi toro nigiri, hirame nigiri, albacore nigiri, and the cursory California roll. The owner gave a complimentary order of pickled carrots (spicy), egg custard sushi, and miso. Pretty good I must say. That hamachi kama was perfectly seasoned and grilled. The nigiri were all good. The service is very friendly and efficient. I'm sure we'll be back to try the rest of the menu.
(4)Wendy M.
This is a sushi place that also has a variety of other japanese foods. I was especially happy to see they had ramen because I LOVE ramen. There menu of sushi rolls was pretty extensive - I didn't personally have any rolls or nigiri but my friends did and they were very happy with their meal. I had the chasui ramen with kimchi added in (shoyu broth). It was around $9 and the bowl was pretty huge. The chasui was tender so that I didn't have to go caveman on the meat. I thought the broth was pretty flavorful at first, but for some reason it started going bland on me. I can't explain that one - probably a midmeal hormonal change. The servers were polite, but I think there were only two people for the whole restaurant so service wasn't particularly speedy at times.
(3)Christina B.
After reading all of the reviews here, I really made an effort to try this place out - especially since I will be moving out of the inner Richmond in a couple of days... I walked in and there were a couple of tables occupied (not bad for ~1pm). We sat down and saw the normal Japanese fare. We ended up ordering chicken katsu donburi, hamachi maki, alaska roll, tempura roll and spicy scallop roll. Katsu donburi - Katsu wasn't crispy on the outside, kind of soggy. They sure put a lot of shiitake mushrooms in this dish too, which made my boyfriend gag since he hates them. Hamachi maki - nothing special, a little bit small on the rolls too. Alaska roll - your typical roll, good sized and decent tasting. Tempura roll - probably my favorite of the four. Not exactly the best sushi I have had but it was tasty. Spicy scallop roll - Also good, but not the best I've had. I didn't get any free stuff like everybody was talking about, which made me sad. Unfortunately, I don't think this is a restaurant that I would make an effort to go to again. The food was just meh and nothing spectacular. The fish is fresher than other places, but of course there are better places out there. I'd definitely go here instead of Ichiraku. After all, Ichiraku is the worst Japanese restaurant I have ever been to.
(3)K C.
THIS IS THE BEST SUSHI PLACE I GO TO. Try the Lion King Roll - Yummy! The food here is awesome - sushi, ramen, sashimi you name it they're all there. The sushi selection is BIG (maybe 4 times more than your average sushi place), and they're all awesome. You can't go wrong with this place. The price is maybe little bit more than other sushi places but with the atmosphere you'll feel like you're in Japan not on Geary. The customer service here is fantastic. Comprising that quiet accomodating Japanese flair. I love this place.
(5)Josh B.
Good lunch option, particularly if you don't want to walk all the way up to Clement street. Bowls of ramen are huge and quite good. Agedashi tofu was better than a most of the Japanese diners in town ... actually properly fried in rice flour! No idea how the sushi is. Warning, though: don't come here for lunch if you're in a hurry. It's fairly popular for lunch, and they have only one server. Took us 20min to get the check.
(3)Tracy N.
Neighborhood Gem! I've been coming here since childhood and I have to say this place is very consistent! High quality fish and rolls. Very friendly sushi chefs and hit or miss wait staff. I really love their akimbo (monkfish liver) and salmon nigiri/sashimi here. Everything is always very fresh. Decently priced sushi in a good neighborhood near major buslines that run often. Come check it out when you're in the area!
(4)Demanding T.
It's ok, place needs a redo. I swing by here every two years.
(3)Yvonne Y.
I used to be a regular and our Monday night waitress was very friendly and pleasant. We always ordered the usual (oysters, salmon nigiri, spicy scallop/tuna roll, etc) Beware, one of those chefs make the spicy rolls SPICY so it can be slightly inconsistent depending on which chef's working that night. There are definitely great sushi some nights but not all. Overall, the fish is good and the oysters on the half shell are wonderful with the tangy sauce. I tend to like their spicy scallops more than spicy tuna. I think the staff's Korean, not Japanese including the chefs. Parking is actually not too bad here before 7pm.
(3)Mr Bolo B.
the service was excellent, they were also extra courteous and I was also very satisfied with the quality of the food , I notice this place always has a good amount of business, thats how I knew it must be good, I was right this was a very good sushi restaurant. very clean, nice decor, good atmosphere with a tv to watch while enjoying your meal the food was fresh and another thing I liked was the rice was very fresh, Ive been to other places that served me old rice, a good restaurant would never serve old rice to customers I would recommend this place, I'll be comming back for more
(4)Adam C.
I used to come here often years ago, and loved it, thought it was five star. The fish was always fresh, the space was clean and pleasant, and the staff created a great dining experience. I often felt it was worth spending a bit extra compared with the other sushi places I more usually frequented. I visited for the first time in about three years tonight, and it was a letdown. I wonder if there was an ownership and/or management change. All the fish (salmon, hamachi, tuna, ebi, etc) looked and tasted gamey, unfresh, and slimy (and ewww I even bit into a small bone in the maguro nigiri). The eggplant tempura was undercooked, and there were other little things wrong. I guess I can say that the salad, rice, miso soup, and shrimp tempura were all fine. Our main waitress seemed sweet, but it took her quite a while to come and take our order. The older lady who took over for her at the end was stress inducing, coming by and hovering with a frozen grin and stiff movements literally fifteen times to see if we were finished eating, and then to see if I had signed the credit card slip. It was almost like she was in a comedy routine. Also: the space doesn't seem clean and well taken care of like it used to. As other commentators have pointed out, Nagano is not the cheapest sushitronic in the mix, so one would expect more for the money.
(2)Kristy R.
I'm a big fan of Nagano. Why? - EXCELLENT service - Great sushi that is always of consistent quality - Totally reasonable prices Enough said.
(4)Taylor E.
Best Sushi Spot ive EVER been to. Service was great, place was REALLY clean. Sushi chef was really nice and engaged in conversation. Even gave a complimentary tempura roll which was delicious. I WILL be coming back often!
(5)Dominic T.
The lunch variety is pretty good, featuring ramen, udon, soba, sushi+sashimi, and more. There is also Japanese curry but I'm not at a sushi joint for curry. The hot tea is good and doesn't cost extra like Kitaro. I was deciding between the caterpillar roll, the lion king, and the Nagano maki. I chose the nagano b/c I love the taste of tempura crunch in my sushi. Nagano maki: shrimp tempera roll with unagi and avocado on top. Could use a bit more rice on the exterior and better batter for the tempura. My sister got combo bento box but it didn't look very fulfilling for $9.95.
(3)Moraia W.
3.5 stars, but rounding up because this has been a staple for me for yeeears. My favorite roll to get here is the Nagano maki. There's something about tempura shrimp wrapped in unagi & avocado that makes me go gaga. The agedashi tofu is probably the best I've had in the city. The shoyu saba is also a favorite of mine here (think salty mackerel grilled to perfection). On my most recent visit here, I noticed they had added a ramen section to their menu. (I haven't been here for a while so I don't know how new this is). Tried the butter corn ramen and was left desiring something more. The clear broth did not make an impression on my palette. I will stick to getting rolls and sashimi here. The fish is ALWAYS fresh and top notch.
(4)Jennifer B.
This place is such a find! With so many trendy sushi places that are way overpriced and low in quality, this place stole my heart! Located right on Geary, I probably drove past Nagano a zillion times without giving it a second look. Last Saturday afternoon we decided to give it a try. The sushi is incredibly fresh and hand-picked by Chef Lee, a seasoned pro in his 60s with several sushi joints under his belt. This man is a force when it comes to quality and authenticity. We were informed by one of the many loyal regulars that Chef Lee actually teaches sushi techniques at the culinary academy and now his son who is a formally-trained Cordon Bleu chef is joining his dad. Do not let the plastic menus with pictures of sushi frighten you. We had some of the freshest halibut and aji this day. If you're going for rolls you'll be satiated, but if you're going for nigiri or sashimi, you'll be overjoyed by its quality. When we walked in around noon the place was pretty empty, yet by 2pm it began to fill with some regulars...even a couple who just flew back from NY made a beeline for this place because they love it so much. Service was warm and genuine. Nice sake selection too without the pretense. Ask for the bottle infused with lavender oil, delicate, light, balanced and clean. And if you see David, a regular who sits at a table by the kitchen and foremost expert on all things sushi, send him a shot...you'll be glad you did!
(5)Y M.
It's alright. Fish is fine and the prices are ok. Also it's never too crowded which is nice. I go intermittently when I'm in the area. They score well on SFDPH which is reassuring:http://dph-extranet2.sfdph.org:7777/Âpls/eeop_htmldb/f?p=132:1:7103381575079481
(3)Sara T.
Found out about this place from a menu left on my door. It was surprisingly good especially for a place that delivers. We came on a Friday night and the fish was extremely fresh. We tried the 49ers roll and double hamachi roll. The 49ers was good but the double hamachi was excellent. The service was also very good. I will definitely be back or order in.
(5)Janu A.
This is my favorite sushi spot in SF. I've been going there since back in the back in the day when I was in college. EVERYTHING is good and fresh. I especially like that the spicy rolls don't use spicy mayo but actual chili sauce. The last time we went we sat at the sushi bar (which I think is the way to always go if you're in a small group) and the sushi chef gave us his special of the day...complimentary! It was a piece of tuna served over watermelon. YUP, that's what I said. Watermelon! It was the best thing I've ever eaten there, or any sushi restaurant for that matter. The freshness of the fish and the watermelon with the light sauce, WOW! Just when I thought I loved this place they went and pulled this card! Now I don't just love it but I think I'm IN love with it. I love you Nagano!
(5)emily g.
BETTER THAN SUSHI BISTRO (food wise anyway) If you drool for fancy rolls and the absolute best sashimi platters in the bay area, you have hit home at Nagano. The owner and his son who work at the sushi bar are extremely generous towards regulars, big ballers, and noobs. If you order approximately $30 dollars to yourself (which wouldn't be hard) , you'll probably get free miso soup and ice-cream. Mr. Lee is always feeling frivolous so delectable concoctions are always given to customers on the house. He is generous with alcohol too, if you order 4 or 5 beers/sakes, you'll probably get one free. The generosity that Nagano has to offer will surely balance out their prices. BTW. They have a great deal on the LIVE LOBSTER that they execute right before your eyes!
(5)Vithiet L.
Weird. I definitely remember writing a review for this place, but it's now gone :( I've been going there for years. While not the best sushi place in town, it's still very good and fresh. It's also the place that introduced me to Ankimo (monkfish liver), and it's still the place with the best quality/quantity/price ratio I've found for that dish. The service is not the greatest. It was always older ladies (owners?) more or less friendly. On my most recent visit, there was a younger girl, much more friendly, but I'm guessing she's new because she didn't seem to know what she was doing; give her time though, and I think it will fix the mediocre service issue. In any case, you can always sit at the sushi bar and order directly from the sushi chef, which is what I do. Ok, I hope this review will stay!
(4)Lawrence G.
Nothing special but nothing bad. Timing of dishes brought to our table was bizarre, the sushi meals came way ahead of the tuna salad ordered by one of our party (almost refused as it took so long to arrive). Grilled squid was plainly cooked ahead as it was tepid (but tasty). Better have a fist full of quarters for the meters, 8 min per 25c and even on Sunday.
(3)Punkster S.
This place was AWESOME!! Dose anyone ever notice at most sushi/Japanese restaurants they use a ton of rice on their rolls?!? After trying Nagano I noticed that they use just the right amount. Not to much & not to little. Just enough so you can taste whats inside the rolls. I LOVED IT!! I've been to my share of sushi bars in the bay area and this has got to be one of my favorites. A must try!!
(5)Danny P.
Finally another good sushi joint in the inner Richmond other than Sushi Bistro. I've been so disappointed with the sushi around this area. Inner Richmond is cluttered with cheap and fast sushi. So when I finally stumbled on this place I was ecstatic. * Rocky Roll - unagi roll wrapped with assorted fish 12.50 - The fish just melts in your mouth. Each individual roll had a unique taste because of the assorted fish they put on top. * Snow Cone - hamachi, spicy scallop, shiso, tobiko - This hand roll was almost perfect. The mix of hamachi and spicy scallops were a perfect mix. However, the seaweed was a little too chewy.
(4)Jason C.
I love nothing more than a good conversation and good eats. it's truly one of the finest things in life. Last night, I came to Nagano after a 16 hour workday and an empty stomach that had nothing but Snickers, Butterscotch candies, and Coke. The diet of champions. But I wasn't a champion. I was a hungry ass mofo and I needed to reward myself despite the economy. By chance I found myself at Nagano chatting with the owner, Yong. 11 years ago, Nagano was created when Yong, of Korean decent, decided to bring his Japanese trained sushi skills to San Francisco. And when I mean trained, if you've ever had the pleasure of sampling Take in Oakland or Sushi House in Alameda, well, Yong trained the chefs, up to 21 years. That's the typical age of a sushi "snob" who's fresh out of college and thinks good sushi is proportional to portion size. If you come to Nagano, you're not going to get that. Over a handpicked chef selection of wonderful Uni, Hamachi Toro, White Fish, and some of the freshest Sake I've ever tasted, as well as some house freebies, I learned about the careful process of fish selection (purchasing), skinning, cutting, knife and hand prep (the towel is very important), and customer care. I learned about how during Yong's youth, he learned how to make sushi in his native country of Korea during the Japanese occupation. That's probably why there are quite a few Korean chefs who excel in making sushi. His towel is cleaned often, the knife never is wiped between cuts so as never to get water on the fish from washing, and he even put his son through the rigors of making countless rolls before moving onto the prize: nigiri. A few beers, laughter, and a closed up shop later, Yong, his son and I parted ways. After a hard day at work, there's no better way to end the day.
(5)Phil C.
Uniformly awful. Probably the worst ramen I've ever had, and that includes the instant cup-a-soup I lived on during college. The broth was bland and tasted more like onions than shoyu. (Who puts onions and mung beans in ramen?) My tonkatsu ramen came out just after the sad plate of sushi, and my wife's butter-corn ramen came out 15 minutes later. No apology, no explanation. The butter-corn ramen certainly had corn (and onions and mung beans), but no butter. It was essentially the same as the tonkatsu ramen, except for the two lovely pieces of fatty gristly pork. Outright unappetizing. Now, let's talk about beer logic. $1.50 draft beer sounds like a good deal, until they brought me the thimble-sized portion. Fair enough. So I ordered the big draft beer, which the menu states is 16 ounces for $3. First, the waitress mistakenly brings me the big bottle instead, which is $7, which I return. She then brings the "big" draft, which is just shy of 13 ounces. So much for economies of scale.... "Indifferent" is the key word for this place. It didn't seem like anyone cared about anything--not the chef serving those sad rolls, nor the waitresses unconcerned with poor service. These customers, though, are not indifferent; we won't ever go back.
(1)Ronald T.
I generally don't give anything more than 3 stars for sushi joints, so this is a SOLID 3 for Nagano. This is my go-to sushi place. The quality of their fish is always consistent. ALWAYS order the nagano maki, and your second roll can be something different. I also saw a customer customize their roll, no questions asked from the sushi chef. Extra stars would go to the service, but the waitress gets too stressed out if there are more than 3 tables to serve.
(3)Peter-Christian P.
I really hate giving this place a bad review but I have to be honest with myself. This place has really, really declined in my opinion. I rarely give 1 star reviews, as I know how much bad reviews can deter customers and ruin businesses. But Nagano needs to get its act together. The last 3 times I've gone to Nagano I've primarily had lunch specials, where the Miso soup tasted like lukewarm saltwater, the teriyaki chicken was soggy, and the tempura overly greasy and overly fried KFC style. It was gross. Both times. Not to mention that although the employees are very nice, they look extremely frantic and run up and down the corridors, making you feel almost uncomfortable in asking for something. It always seems as if they are understaffed. However what really has done me wrong was when I ordered the Sashimi salad. It. Was. Inedible. Maybe it was an off day, but there is nothing more disgusting than raw fish that isn't fresh. And I've eaten at all the best sushi restaurants there is, including Nobu and places in Japan, so I know what is fresh and what is not. The actual salad leaves were extremely bitter, but the assortment of fish was unlike anything I've ever had before. It was strangely too cold (freezer?), but had an extremely rubbery texture and a foul aftertaste. It was bad. I then asked the waitress if it was "fresh", and she didn't give me a y/n answer, and looked nervous as she shouted something towards the sushi chef in another language, where he was kind to offer me a discount. But honestly? This place isn't exactly a top bargain, so if they're going to charge high prices, the quality must coincide. It saddens me to write this review as I live on the same block and used to be a regular here, but the quality as rapidly declined in the last few months. Nagano, shape up! Soggy sushi no like! ::bends knees like a harajuku girl and throws a peace sign::
(1)Tony L.
To sum up Nagano Sushi in a word: messy. Came here with a friend for a late bite to eat. Ordered four rolls, avocado, volcano, salmon skin, and 49er. The salmon was alright. The spicy mayo was also pretty awesome. But the salmon skin was tough and overcooked. And overall, the rolls were packed pretty unevenly, some had wads of rice, others had some bald spots. They fell apart when picking them up with chopsticks. And to add insult to injury, the tab, with a large beer, came out to forty bucks. Not worth it. Not coming back, either.
(2)SF U.
Fresh, Supple, Large Cuts of Fish. Prices are reasonable, staff is good and food is Super Duper fresh. Been here 4 times now and Nagano has been consistent each time. Parking is always available on the block.
(5)Jennifer D.
This restaurant is right next to my work, where my coworkers and I eat often. Depending how busy they are, this is always our go-to! Friendly service, yummy bento boxes, affordable and the waitress Carmen, hustles serving tables by herself!
(5)Angela W.
Terrible. We ordered from Eat 24 and it came decently quick but the quality was horrible. Hamachi kama was so dry, parts of it was rock hard. And it was so heavily salted and peppered. Chicken skewers were cold and tough, also way over salt and peppered. But even all the salt and pepper couldn't cover the taste of old chicken. Salmon sashimi had no flavor and had a tough sinew bit running through it. We got the dynamite roll and spicy dragon roll. They were just drenched in an oddly semi sweet sauce and you can't even tell what was in the super dynamite roll, it certainly didn't look or taste like spicy salmon. Needless to say, we're never ordering from here again.
(1)Elisa A.
The food is fine, no complaints there.. The service however, is very bad. The older waitress ignored my sister and me, took her sweet time to take our order (all of this with the unfriendliest attitute and face), and was overall unfriendly. The worst is that she seemed fine with everyone else, and it's not the first time she treats me this way. Don't know if it's a question of race or what, but I've decided to keep away from this place, at least until they get staff that treats customers in a decent matter.
(1)Robbin A.
I came back to San Francisco full of heavy thoughts. I wanted to place those thoughts elsewhere and decided to go for a drive. I invited the boyfriend to come along if he so chose, and we drove down to the Inner Richmond since I was hoping to clear my mind a bit. Originally, I wanted to find Okina Sushi. Though I found it, I also found that the parking around there was terrible, so we decided to try our chances on Geary to see if anything looked interesting. With the help of our smart phones and excellent parking on a Friday night (to be fair, it was 2 January, which meant most people were still playing hooky from work), we found ourselves less than a block away from New Nagano Sushi. It was hard to miss with the bright yellow sign. I'd seen it before and wondered what it was like, so I was happy to see that the interior was very warmly designed. It's not overly artsy, and it was nice and quiet since there was only one other party in the restaurant. Now, I know that usually an empty restaurant isn't a good sign, but I figured since almost the entire block of Geary had suspiciously easy-to-find parking, I decided that it was probably due to the city still being in vacation mode. We were seated right away by the sushi chefs, and the waitress brought us menus and water right away, followed by some tea while we were browsing through the vast menu. It's nice when restaurants aren't crowded; as you'd expect, you get really excellent service. After about 15 minutes of perusing through the menu (we had to figure out what I could eat, since I don't react well to large amounts of mayonnaise), we decided on three rolls: the Zebra Roll, the King Kong Roll, and the Salmon Delight Roll. After a final look at the menu, we also ordered the Salmon Skin and Snow Cone handrolls. The waitress was also patient and kind while she checked with the chefs to see what had mayonnaise and what didn't. The waitress was quick and attentive, and the food came rather quickly. The Zebra Roll came out first, which was basically a crab roll with seaweed salad on it. This was tasty, though we were a bit worried at first since she informed us that anything with crab in it had a bit of mayo to hold it together. Thankfully, whatever amount they used was perfect. I could still taste the wonderful mayo flavor and I didn't get sick. The next ones were the King Kong and handrolls and the Salmon Delight...oh my goodness. So delicious. I wish I had taken pictures, but we were hungry and the food was gone within minutes. The King Kong roll was definitely my favorite. It had everything I loved in a roll: a bit of crab, some unagi, some snow crab, avocado, tobiko, unagi, and unagi sauce. Perfect. I didn't even have to worry about the mayo drizzle that many sushi restaurants usually use. I had a bite of the boyfriend's Snow Cone roll, which included some hamachi...which was excellent. What I really enjoyed about the food was that they didn't overdo it with the rice. Some restaurants use way too much rice and it becomes filler; they use just enough, and it tastes just right. All in all, everything was delicious. The service was also excellent, and I hope that it will continue to be excellent whether the restaurant is busy or not. They treated us very well, and I felt like I was back at my boyfriend's favorite sushi place back in his hometown where everyone was extremely kind and wonderful. Good service really makes food taste better. I will definitely be coming back, especially now that I know they have ramen as well!
(5)Joe N.
Unfortunately this review is in line with much of the other reviews in regards to service. We ordered fried oysters for appetizers, a bento box, three hand rolls, apple juice, green tea, and draft beer (16 oz). The juice and beer came first, no green tea. Then the bento box came next. The hand rolls arrived a few mins later. The 16 Oz draft beer was served in a 12 Oz glass beer tankard with 3/4 inch of foam on the top. See the pic of the tankard. More than halfway into the meal, still no green tea and no appetizers. The guy said that it's still frying. We finished the entire meal and still no appetizers and no tea. After 10 mins, we had to asked for the tea which was about to be served to another table. 10 mins after. Still no appetizers. Still frying. I must say that I can cook up potstickers straight from the freezer and perfectly browned on one side in less time than 20 minutes. 60 mins after ordering the appetizers. I asked for the check. Instead they delivered fried oysters and said that it was on the house. I checked the bill and they still charged me for it. Anyways, you get the idea about this place. Was the food good? It was average.
(1)Jaime W.
If you want some reasonably priced sushi on Geary st., Nagano is a good option I ordered the "Cherry Blossom" roll (tuna, salmon) and the "Mother and Son" roll (salmon, tuna, mango). Cherry blossom roll, as the name implies, is arranged in a pretty little arrangement fanning outward to resemble a flower. The tuna on the outside of the roll was slightly dry. It didn't have that fresh fish shine that all sushi lovers look for. The Mother and Son roll, is a really interesting mix of salmon tuna and MANGO! At first it seemed like a bit of a stretch mixing mango with fish in a roll, but it was tasty! The mango gave the roll a nice sweet kick to it that I've never tasted before. Service was a little on the slow side. I had to ask the waiter to come refill my tea a couple times since he didn't check up on the tables. Bottom line: Try the Mother and Son roll.
(3)Kate G.
Ordered Delivery (yes. I know. Sushi delivery). Arrived after 1.5 hours. Was messy/completely smooshed in container. Quality debatable. Will not order again.
(1)Tao Tao W.
I'm giving this place a 3 because I specifically asked for no sesame oil for the sashimi salad but it somehow still had sesame oil on it! I got a chance to try this place this past weekend and for the price you get a good quality and quantity of parts. They were very nice and acomodating when i said no rice and sub for salad. They also have a twist to it and add garlic to the top. The sashimi salad also comes with seaweed salad and roe. You get a good amount of sashimi for $15. However the sesame oil which they told me they do not use irked me quite a bit. otherwise great place. tasty and worth it. I'm not sure if the oil came from the garlic though but the garlic did give it a different touch to it
(3)Kevin W.
Pretty pricey honestly, and for not that much food. I had the tekka don, which had only 8 very thin slices of maguro, and TONs of rice. It was like I was eating rice, with some tuna as a garnish. The ikura handroll was okay. Not that fresh though, very salty. The GF had two rolls, both of which were pretty mediocre. Not the worst place on earth, but there are better sushi spots in the area and I won't be back.
(2)Kayla N.
Good sushi, close to home! Service is generally good- we were given free ice cream one night, just because. Hubby always gets chicken teriyaki and it's very good. The rolls and nigiri that I've tried have always been good as well. The price is a bit steep but the closeness to my place makes up for it. I'll be back to Nagano, fo' sho!
(4)Kat M.
Not that great. Service was very poor! And we all know that service says a lot about a dining experience. Food was ok. I felt the sashimi was not fresh with the exception of the salmon. The soft shell crab was mediocre, but the miso soup was good. How can you go wrong? On a more positive note, the restaurant is clean. The server forgot our saki and most of our dishes came separately. I kind of felt like we were being a pain in the rear, having to ask for things we ordered. Bummer. Normally, we're an easy going crowd. i doubt I'll be back. Nothing about this place gave me the "wow" factor. You'll definitely find better sushi in this city, no doubt!
(2)Maria C.
We went on a Sunday night and we couldn't find parking near Sushi Bistro, so we went to that part of Geary that has, like, 5 Sushi restaurants within 2 blocks. We picked the right place! The sushi was good, reliable, but it was the service and the comfortable feeling of the restaurant that won us over. Our server was jovial and we enjoyed her attention. The sushi chefs chatted with the folks at the bar. We actually imagined that the sushi chef (who we believe was the owner - his photo with a younger version of him was displayed on the wall behind him) came to the US and opened his restaurant in the 70s and has been there ever since. There isn't nouveau fusion cuisine-y sushi and we really liked the feel as well as the food here. I found the prices to be market rate. OH!!! Almost forgot! They have Green Tea ice cream for dessert!
(4)Jason H.
Food: The food was pretty well prepared. We had a Katsu Don, Sashimi platter, Spicy Tuna roll, Tempura roll, Mt. Fuji, and Fish liver (akimbo). We throughly enjoyed the food. 5 Stars. Service: The staff and waitress were friendly (btw the waitress is really pretty), but the food that we ordered kept going to the wrong person that actually ordered it. My tea was empty and have to kept asking for refills. It would of been better if it was proactive since it wasn't busy. 3 Stars (An extra star for the pretty waitress). Overall: Great food and mediocre service.
(4)Michelle D.
I had my doubts when I was handed a menu with pictures of sushi on it. Made me flash back to my college days. My skepticism increased when I spied group of loud, giddy college girls across the room trying to figure out how to pronounce the items in said pictures. Yes, this place is a hole in the wall in a college neighborhood, but I gotta give it to them, the sushi was solid. I couldn't find anything wrong with anything we ordered. Very tasty! They had nice selection of sake, and the bill was one of the cheapest we've seen for sushi in a very long time! Doesn't hurt to hang out with the college crowd from time to time.
(3)Robert C.
I just don't understand why this place doesn't have better reviews. went with a couple sushi snobs (my sis and bro in law) and we LOVED it. can't say anything on the maki but the Nigiri is solid! Get the aburi!
(5)Mrs F.
Based on one dine in weekday lunch with my kid. There was one other table occupied at 12 PM. Maybe they get more take out customers. We ordered a vegie udon and lunch box with salmon teriyaki and tempura ($11). I thought the food was really flavorful, especially the udon soup. The portion was also generous. My kid is really into noodles now and he really enjoyed the udon noodles. Without the soup, they still retained much of the flavor from the soup. We finished everything for $24. I thought it was a good deal. A couple of dollars more than other Japanese lunch boxes, though. I would definitely return here and try the rolls and udon.
(4)Joseph S.
I been here with many of my friends, both accidentally and on purpose. To truly explain Nagano is to delve deep into my past. Nagano seems to be entrenched in my failures of character, as well as my accomplishments of purity. That is, if my failures of character include Sake (sometimes + bombs) and sometimes females, and the accomplishments of purity include...Sake and sometimes females... Seriously though, when I think about Nagano the fantastic sushi and fun-loving staff is not what comes first to mind (although it probably should for yelp purposes). What comes to mind are my early and mid twenties. All the mistakes and successes. They were all had somehow in this city, around this district and within this sushi bar. Even when I left the city for a spell, I found myself accidentally returning to Nagano with another friend or an old friend by chance. Nagano's like gravity. Once you go there and celebrate a gain or a loss, you realize it's easy to call it home...You're always welcome, they remember you and its warm (with exception for the sushi except when tempura'd). Jason C knows what I'm talking about... It's places like these that make the City, the City. It's places like these that always more than satisfy the body and mind. Do a dinner here and get your 'ish straight...or do a dinner here and pre-funk to get yourself crooked for the club. Nagano ain't there to judge. Nagano's there to play host to whatever the night's holdin'... Holla if y'ear me!!!
(5)Thommy V.
I have never been frustrated at a restaurant until I came here. Here's a summary of my worse experience. I'm unable to give a 0 but they are lucky to even get a 1 and this is due to their service. There was barely 10 people in the restaurant. We got sat down at a table and server came back in a few mins to ask what we wanted to drink. We ask for iced tea but received hot tea instead, which I was fine with. A group of 4 comes in after us and places an order. Roughly 10min goes by and the server finally takes our order. We had order only 3 things, cherry blossom roll, yellowtail nigiri and monkfish liver. 15min goes by and I haven't receive any of my order. I've notice all the other people had gotten their food and was trying to wave the waitress over to ask what's going on. Another 15-20min goes by and everyone is finishing up with their food and we still have yet to receive any of our order. Everyone begins to leave and the server finally makes her way to us and I've ask her what is going on with our food and she goes back and looks and notice she didn't even put the order in and places it in. She comes back and tells us that she had not put in the order. I was literally about to scream and at this moment I really wanted to walk out and I wish I had. I've work as a waiter at a restaurant before and how the hell do you not remember to place an order!? Especially when its not even busy!!! The food comes out in the next 5 minutes. I'm beyond frustrated to even care about the food now. It could've been the best food of my life or the shittiest I was to irritated to even finish it. I ask the waitress if she was going to comp us for anything and she said no. In the end she didn't get any tip. We left and never plan on returning to this shitty service.
(1)Wendy B.
They have a ramen set with sushi or some other things for $6.99. Do I need to say more. It's inexpensive and not horrible tasting. Fun to go with co-workers. Gets us out of the office and we get a nice cheap lunch. The ramen is just okay, but I am a stickler for my tasty noodles. Everything else is pretty good and well worth the $6.99.
(3)Fontane L.
Generally, my expectations of sushi on Geary is rather low. I usually expect that the quality of the fish is such that it needs to be hidden in a roll with tons of condiments. Nagano was a pleasant surprise. I walked in and found many patrons eating sashimi, and it looked pretty fresh. Sweet! I feel there are four categories of restaurants that I have seen with respect to sashimi/raw fish quality: 1) super-fresh, high-quality fish with a number specialties that only raw fish lovers enjoy (usually pricey at $60/person or more, not some place I could go to often) 2) fresh fish that hits the spot for raw fish cravings and does a few staple items really well (pricey-ish at $30/person or so) 3) fish is okay - would need to be hidden in a roll to distract from the quality 4) fish is unappetizing to say the least - looks like I bought it off a sushi cart on a college campus Nagano is a solid 2 on the above scale, with large slices of good fish. We ordered a sashimi platter for two ($30), sunrise sushi (salmon, tobiko and quail egg, ~$7), unagi/avo roll and spicy tuna w/ seaweed salad roll (~$6/roll). All were delicious, but the sashimi platter and sunrise sushi is what I think I'll go be going back for. They served escolar (white) tuna, which not all places have and is incredibly delicious! :) Also: the place has a decent selection of sashimi, sushi and cooked foods - will find something to please everyone if that is a concern.
(4)Bobby B.
A bit pricey for the quality of food and location Tuna was fresh and rolls were above average but nothing extraordinary
(2)chris l.
I know the owner. He has 40 years culinary experiences in many different Japanese restaurants. There is no argue in that.
(5)Kandace K.
Nagano is a solid choice for reasonably priced, fresh sushi. It's a tiny little restaurant and I always have a good experience there. My favorite rolls are the Double Hamachi & Lion King. I strongly suggest sitting at the sushi bar because the chefs will give you the best pieces of fish and usually offer samples of some yummy stuff. Parking along Geary is usually pretty easy. My husband and I spend about $50-60 with tip whenever we go.
(4)V M.
I ordered the Tempura California roll, Spicy Tempura roll, and the Nagano Maki roll (I think that's the name of it). It was YUMMY!!!! =) My best friend ordered the bento box. I thought the bento box was kinda pricey. The waitress was nice...she gave me a bowl of miso soup even though my order didn't include it. Prices were fair and the wait staff were attentive. I would come back in the future.
(5)Jin S.
Been here twice, wish I can give this place a 3 1/2. The first time was better than the next. Everything I ordered was good and fresh. I get the same nigiri at every restaurant, aji, uni, ameabi, sake.... however, uni was out when i ordered it. half way through my meal, I see a messenger looking guy walk into the restaurant. Out of his bag, a dozen boxes of uni. the chef grabs it, and made most of the people at the bar who wanted uni before the other chef finish signing for the package. it was great! the second time, it was mehh.. not bad, but not great.
(3)Kei K.
Just thinking about Nagano makes me drool. So far, I've been here countless times (I go to USF and this is right down the street so I go here very often) and every time it's been awesome. I love their sashimi, it's usually very fresh though after reading other reviews I suppose some might have gotten bad ones.... Lucky I didn't though. I'm usually picky with restaurants when it comes to seafood because I get allergies easily, but so far nothing has happened to me with Nagano. I think their prices are reasonable, though they're not exactly cheap either, at least you're not getting crap quality either. I love their lunch boxes, where you could choose two things out of the list they have + mixed tempura + soup + salad + rice all for something like $17.95 or almost $20. It's awesome. My favorite would have to be their Chicken Karaage because it's not too oily, not too hard, just the right crispiness, juicy-ness, and flavoring. Usually the chicken karaages I've had at other places are too hard, too oily, or the juice from the meat has been sucked dry from them so it's not yummy anymore. I love the chicken karaage a Nagano. Their service is really dependent on who's there that day, I think there's like 2 young girls working part time, and one of them is really nice. The other one is fairly new but you can tell she's trying to work hard. If you get anyone else like the old lady they might not be so courteous to you.. So if you get lucky, you'll get the nice girl though I don't have a picture of her. Overall, I think it's a really good place to have lunch or dinner (I think they close around 10-11? That's pretty late!) and they have really good quality food at reasonable prices. I'm definitely a loyal customer!
(4)Yodel A.
Been back a handful of times since first review and just can't report good stuff anymore. Too many great sushi places in this city to settle for mediocre.
(2)P C.
Great Sushi, I have been to Nagano many times and never once disappointed. The grilled Hamachi is .....yum yum good., sashimi is so fresh, can be a bit on the pricey side depending on what you order. Everytime when we go there, we can never hold back, every thing is so good. Casual setting make you feel right at home. Friendly service.
(3)Grace K.
I hate it when this happens. Service - - gone down the drain here. One waitress, albeit she said she just started a few days ago, was impossible. Don't have them taking orders if they are not READY to take orders. Appetizers came out AFTER the nigiri - she had no idea which sake was which but then couldn't even spell it on her notepad, and then a couple of the items we ordered never showed up, so we had to remind another waitress. Twice. Quality of the fish was lackluster. Uni and Toro were very good, though the Toro took 15 minutes to come out - - but everything else including the hamachi and rolls were seriously dull. Too much rice, and just dull. The spicy tuna roll left a lot to be desired.... in tuna, spice, and taste. I can still eat here - - it's still acceptable - and some things were good. It's just not great.
(3)Tracy T.
If I could give this restaurant ZERO stars, I would. BF and I were deciding between this restaurant or the one across the street from it, this one was closer, so you know which one I picked. =) Walked in, the sushi chef behind the bar saw us, the waitresses in the back saw us, NOBODY acknowledged the fact that we were there (no greeting/no seating). We just sat ourselves at an empty table and waited for someone to give us menus. I looked around, the table of 4 behind us were playing with phones like they have been there forever with menus still on their tables. Other tables around only had drinks. A lady comes in walks to the back and was immediately greeted, because she had a To Go order pick up. The waitress finally walks right passed us to the table behind and takes their order, still NOT acknowledging that we were there, let alone ignoring the fact that we were there and WITHOUT menus. Walked out and went to the restaurant across the street. It was meant for us to go to the other one to begin with! I do not plan on coming here ever again due to such bad service!
(1)Katya B.
This is one of my absolute favorite sushi restaurants in the Richmond. The quality is very very good - well worth the price. An additional plus is that they're open pretty late, 11pm on a weeknight (and 10 pm on Sundays). By far the best Sunrise Roll I've had in San Francisco. Also incredibly fresh (consistently, time after time) fish. I would highly recommend you try the double hamachi roll. The rainbow roll is great (its about $12, but of a pretty generous portion). They serve very large pieces of fish - about twice the size of the rice, which is a nice change of pace. The spicy tuna hand roll is also really good. If half stars were allowed I'd give it a 4 1/2 because the last time we went the service was pretty slow. but we did get free ice cream as an apology.
(5)Jed E.
This place is more like three stars: -Pricey. -Fish is not super super fresh, but there is a lot on the menu to choose from. -Pretty clean for a restaurant in the Inner Richmond. An extra star for the service (great when it's not crowded obviously) and all the free goods- tempura and crab salad on the house!
(4)Richard H.
Okay, Yelpers, I only hope you read some of the negative reviews on this site in the vein in which they were written ( by spoiled children with no sense of anything beyond their own suburban taste buds, that are, at best, "stuck" in dorm food and ready to criticize.) How could we be dining in the same place??!! I had years in a successful restaurant business, as well as been fortunate to dine in some of the best sushi restaurants in most of this country's major cities. I have been here many times now, and I must say this is the VERY BEST sushi restaurant I have been to - ever, in San Francisco - reasonable, fresh, creative, great service, and oh so helpful if you just open your eyes and ears to what has just come in and they recommend -- "But... IIII wwwhhhhannnnt Terayaki CHICKEN!!" Oh course you do - so please don't grace us with your presence and come here with your stupid attitude; I rest my case. Sublime, perfect combinations, always fresh, GREAT Saki list and oh so reasonable. Even the miso soup sings!! Love sitting at the bar and can't wait to go back again, and again, and again.....
(5)Alina M.
My fav little sushi restaurant in SF! I've been going here for 3 years now and I used to go here almost every night with my girlfriends! Sashimi is fresh and thin, just the way I like it! There was a waitress that worked here that I liked but she ended up opening her own sushi place that I haven't been to yet. The service is pretty good. The waitress could be a little more nicer, but she's decent. The cooks behind the sushi bar are always sweet. There's never a wait here. You can ususaly get a parking spot after a couple min of driving around. Oh and if you park in front of the restaurant, make sure you turn your wheels or else you'll get a ticket like I did! (even though i still dont think there's much of a slope, but whatev.) Yah, so go here and try their lion king roll too!
(4)Nish N.
Nothing fancy here, just good and fresh sushi. While I love sushi rolls in general, sometimes the combined tastes take away from the taste, texture, and flavor of the individual ingredients. That doesn't necessarily happen at Nagano - take their Godzilla, Spicy Country or Crazy Rolls as examples - but I'd still recommend going with sashimi or nigiri here. We ate here last night and were blown away by the butter that was their albacore tuna, highly highly recommended. The hamachi toro we tried was also delicious, and the salmon we had was soft and melt-in-your mouth supple. Yeah, this is a sushi orgasm. Again, there's not a lot of atmosphere at Nagano, but with fish like this, who really cares?
(5)Joey H.
Always a fan of this place. I first started going here way back in 2004. I saw it on yelp and tried it. It was one of my favorites because the service was awesome and the food portions was always fair. Although, after grasping different sushi joints, the price did seem a bit higher than the norm. There variation of fusion rolls are out of the ordinary. There price of rolls are fair, but bento box meals are higher, but the sashimi is between fair and high. Watch your wallet, but know that you will eat well. You could even try the Tray dishes. They're goodly priced and good selection of different soochi.
(4)Candy T.
-the place: is clean -the service: is ok -the food: ankimo is not fresh; oyster is too salty; the other sashimi are just average
(2)Esmeralda N.
One star is even too much for the quality of sushi this place makes! Disgusting!!! I never regret about the money I pay to enjoy good dinner, this was a waist I wanted to throw up from.... Never again!
(1)Alex H.
Hands down the worst sushi I've ever had in my life. The uni was spoiled and had the most disgusting foil taste like rotten, molding fish that they pulled out from the fridge months after its expiration. I wish I spit it in a napkin instead of swallowed it because I went home feeling ill that night. The rest of the sushi was hardly mediocre and suffered from the same problems. It tried to make up for its lack of freshness with its spicy mayo sauce, but any sushi eater can tell the difference between good fish and bad fish. And Nagano was so bad I have no idea why they stay in business. Someone should do a health check there because it was dreadful.
(1)Archie R.
On the Friday and Saturday nights of my birthday weekend, I powered down almost 25,000 calories. Between the taco lady, the BBQ, and Original Joe's, you would think that I would rest on Sunday with a magazine and some fiber supplements. You would think. The last thing I remembered was a txt from Grace saying "come starving." Always trying to give the lady what she asks for, I did the one thing I am REALLY good at, I got hungry. Good thing too. I left the ordering to her and I was at the same time impressed and frightened. I think she ordered 40 pieces. Have I mentioned that for all of her wonderful qualities, Grace is, at the same time, equally as sadistic with her food peer pressure? By no means am I complaining. I am just saying. Dinner + Grace = Stuffed. Personal favorites were the monkfish liver, the salmon skin fried "white boy" roll, the super fresh raw shrimp sushi, and the fatty Toro tuna. Oh, and the spicy scallop roll, that was a winner too. In fact, it was all really good. Sake, great food, and a wonderful "Japanese speaking" dinner companion who treated me. It doesn't get much better that that. Can someone email me the brand of lotion that prevents stretch marks? You know, the kind pregnant women use? If I keep eating this way, I am gonna need it. Fatty.
(4)Nantas S.
Stopped in for some sake and appetizers, the food is superb.
(4)Michelle H.
Grooooooosssssss. The sushi was old, stringy, and definitely not the freshest. The miso soup had these gross tofu bits in it that definitely weren't the firm diced tofu bits that I'm used to. The chicken terriyaki is flavor-less and tastes worse than something you could have purchased at a grocery store. I wouldn't recommend it.
(1)Barrett I.
A sushi positive for San Francisco in my book. You could easily associate this restaurant with the other sushi places along Geary, but Nagano Sushi is of pretty good quality. Their service is adequate and their menu goes beyond sushi. I recommend you consider Nagano if you're in the area.
(3)Jenny T.
We love Nagano! Frequent diners there, always sat at the sushi bar. We have gotten to know the chefs there and have enjoyed every meal we had. What we love about this place is that they can make you any rolls without rice, so it's great for those low carb dieters out there! The tuna salad is to die for! I love how sometimes the chefs would give you something new to try at the bar. Last time we were there, they gave us this smoke salmon spring roll to taste. It was delicious! It had no rice, just smoke bbq salmon pieces wrapped in lettuce in a rice wrap. My boyfriend loves the lion king, but hey, anyone who puts mayo on salmon on top of a california roll and then baked it to perfection can't really go wrong!
(4)Kat C.
Nagano is my sushi of choice for the city; the fish is fresh fresh fresh and the rolls are good. The Spicy Sushi Rice is a standout, which while is a tad pricey, has an excellent selection of sashimi, veg and rice smothered in a spicy tomato-y chili sauce. The sauce makes it with a bit of spice mixed with a good amount of sweetness. Service alternates between acceptable and down right horrifying. They're never outright mean (well except one time, but that waitress seems to have left), but there's an air of aloofness amongst the wait staff; my tea cup has stood empty many a visit. The chef overcompensates and is usually welcoming and friendly, so that's one ray of sunshine. Nothing else on the menu is that much more spectacular, some rolls are a bit unique to this establishment (such as the Double Unagi, Tempura Roll and the Chef Special Roll, several of my favorites), but as a whole, Nagano doesn't stand out much beside its quality, quanitity (their noodle dishes are huge) and the fact the proprietors are Korean. An nyoung ha seh yo.
(4)Sarah F.
I was really impressed with this sushi place. It's cute, small, and most importantly, the sushi is delicious. I love the california rolls here; they melt in your mouth and are not salty at all. The crab steamed shumai are delicious. Basically everything I've tried here is a go. The service is fast, and they are friendly. I am constantly craving this sushi! Also I have to add that they are really cool here, and gave us free edemame and miso soup. Love that!
(4)A and K W.
Neighborhood sushi places are a dime a dozen in the city and this happens to be the neighborhood sushi place we frequent. There are other places in the Richmond that are cheaper (Ichiraku, Kitaro, etc), but I think the quality is fresh and the ratio of fish to rice in their rolls is good. I hate the places that serve monster rolls that are stuffed with more rice than fish. Nagano is Korean owned and our favorite dish is the spicy chirashi (or sashimi salad in the new menu) that you only see in Korean sushi restaurants. It's a spin on the standard Japanese chirashi, but served with lettuce, hot sauce and sesame oil. The ankimo (monkfish liver) is also a favorite served with a tangy dressing and is good value for the quantity of ankimo they serve you. Most of the rolls that we've had are solid and the donburi and udon dishes have been consistently good also.
(4)Claudine C.
Whenever I think of Nagano I get a craving for ankimo... or is it the other way around? I and the boy love the way Nagano serves up this delicate treat -- softly smothered in crisp shredded daikon and scallions, and served up with a light, refreshing ponzu. We like that they're open late; that nabbing a table is almost never a problem; that service is brisk, but warm, and that the food arrives very expeditiously.
(4)Andrew C.
Solid fresh sushi. I always have gotten very good service but that might be from sitting at the bar and . . . well, I'm Korean and the place is run by Koreans. Usually a couple bonus samples of what the chef thinks is great. Those have been hit or miss (I'm not an uni fan, but i ate it anyway. it was aight), but the regular sushi items are very good. Shiro Maguro, Hamachi, Hirame, Amaebi, Hotate. Order the live scallops special, if they have it available.
(4)Bella A.
When we feel like some sushi and if we were in the neighbourhood we'll usually stop by Nagano Sushi. This is the only sushi place I remembered that has wheelchair friendly automatic door in the city! The food itself is very nice with lots of variety. We usually ordered different style of sushi to share and always leave with a happy stomach. Service is not bad, as they always remember to come by to fill your tea cup. I like that.
(4)Lindsey S.
I'm not much of a sushi connoisseur, but this sushi is really tasty. I love the lion king roll. It is a little expensive, but most sushi is. The combination plates have a ton of food and really fill you up, which they should for $17. I wouldn't come here just for a combination plate as most places have the same kind of thing for less. We came here once with a big group and they were helpful in seating us and dividing the check. Come here and get the lion king roll!
(4)Jessa B.
"To go please" still got a warm welcome. I surveyed the menu, pleased with the bright colors and descriptions (two of my favorite things about ordering Japanese food in the U.S. - and yes, I also own a lot of coffee table books with pretty pictures). I said out-loud, "I will never be able to eat all of this". Famous last words. I ordered my old-faithfuls - tekka maki and a roll involving unagi. Both were incredible. Seriously, I think it was some of the better sushi I have had in a while. Though at the rate of consumption, I may have just been REALLY hungry. While waiting, I also couldn't help but notice that about 65% of the clientele were Japanese. Can't be a bad sign. Five stars...can't wait to go back!
(5)Gilbert C.
I believe this place is Korean owned. Not sure right now tho. Tried this place out once with my bro since he was said it was good but more expensive than Ichiraku across the st. I like Ichiraku but I like trying new places so we chose to go here instead. Service here wasn't the warmest Ive ever had but it got the job done. The food was your typical avg Japanese sushi and bento stuff. Ive heard other people say bad things about them here and there but the 1 time I went it was ok. I remember this one guy went into Ichiraku while I was eating there and went straight to the hostess/waitress whom I assume he spoke to before and started talking abt his horrible experience service wise while at Nagano and praised Ichiraku for being across the street. Made me chuckle.
(3)Viktoria K.
Out of all sushi places in Richmond district this is my favorite! Their suhi and rolls are always fresh and tasty, service is very prompt. They also open all day long, so we can drop by between 3pm and 5pm, . when a majority of other sushi places are closed
(5)Minette C.
Everyone needs to try the Uni here! Sooo good. It's like buttery and sweet, just melts in your mouth. Mr. Lee is super nice too, always eager to provide service. Only thing is that I think it's a bit pricey, and can definitely stack up in the bill when ordering nigiri pieces.
(4)Dik Shun K.
I'm kinda surprised by the wide range of ratings here. We have been here a quite a few times since it's a convenient spot in our hood and come here when we have cravings for rolls and/or oyako or niku donburis. Also, there always seems to be a decent number of Japanese dining at the sushi bar. Whenever I see a restaurant pass this "ethnic taste" test, I give it additional points. Who would know better if a restaurant's cuisine is legit? Although it's a simple dish, I think they have one of the best donburis. Love the mushrooms with the runny eggs and sauce. Food has always been consistently solid for us, though I do admit the service is not always the greatest. They seem short staffed whenever we are there. DSKO favs: Oyaki donburi, lion king roll (if you want a cooked roll), uni and great white tuna sashimi or nigiri
(4)Lana L.
My friend has literally dragged me to Nagano. Well, the experience matched my expectations. OK sushi for a very reasonable price. Better than your average cheapo sushi place, but nothing to write home about. The place is nothing fancy, but reasonably clean, our server was friendly and professional. In two words, if you are into sushi, on a tight budget and appreciate ample portions - you may give it a try.
(3)Ethan L.
Dropped in on a Monday nite, party of three... SERVICE: Okay. Our cups of tea were refilled once, cool, I dont expect to drink that much anway. It's easy to flag down a waittress. Food arrives at a quick enough pace. But, they did forget one of our orders, the Lobster Paradise Roll, and had to remind them at the end of our meal... INTERIOR: Very nice. I can't remember all the details, but the restaurant was pretty clean, inviting colors, noise level was calm enough to dine and chat, good separation between other tables, plasma TV hanging in one corner showing Food Network, and a mirrored wall opposite the restaurant to watch the TV reflection, sugoi... FOOD: Huge menu listing! Edamame, was edamame. Spicy Tuna Salad was perfect, near similar to Chirashi Salad I ordered from a different shop. Half-Salmon sashimi was alright, sashimi lovers would enjoy that more than me, of course. That Lobster Paradise roll was honestly the most beautiful looking roll I've ever seen, but the taste was kinda off, contradicting flavors in the ingredients. Double-Unagi Roll was delicious, fresh, best unagi roll I've eaten, wasn't over-sauced like other places do because this one tasted just right.... Shiiiiiet, wat else did we order?... will update as soon as I remember... =============== UPDATE 03/15/08: I remember now! It was the Fuji Roll! Excellent baked roll, dont recall what was in it, but topped with that spicy mayo aka dynamite sauce. That was the highlight of the entire dinner...
(4)GHADA Y.
I hate leaving bad reviews, but I got food poisoning from the food here last night (1/09/09). I'm still sick. Otherwise, this place would still have received a mediocre rating since it is way overpriced and obviously no good. It was $20.00 for 12 pieces of bad tuna, a cup of miso, an iceberg lettuce salad with a ton of dressing on it, and a bowl of rice. I shall never return. I will also be refraining from eating my beloved sushi for a very long time.
(1)Kate K.
I've been to this restaurant a couple of times now and it's pretty good. A no-nonsense sushi joint in the Inner Richmond... I used to teach at Roosevelt Middle School right across Arguello and sometimes if I worked particularly late I would just pop in there and sit at the bar to have some sushi before going home... the sushi chef is very amiable and it is best to just let him prepare what he feels like making for you. Was there last weekend with the lovely Sasha during the I32 DYL - we both thought it would be a good idea to eat a little summtin'-summtin' before guzzling booze and watching Festizio and sushi fit the bill quite well. The service was okay - a smidge on the slow side... the fish was fresh and really that was what mattered the most. Nearly orgasmic fresh fish... le yum.
(4)Hannah P.
We went here last night. We were looking for a nice sushi place so we tried out Nagano sushi because the review was pretty good. But people, seriously? It was owned by a Korean owner which is ok but the waitress who was working there was a chinese girl who doesnt know anything about sushi. First, she didnt know what we ordered. it took almost 10 minutes to bring our food( I saw our order waiting for us at the bar) took alot of time to bring our bill and didnt even pick up our bill so I had to get my ass off to give it to her. This is only the service part. About the food- We ordered uni, hamachi nigiri both was good. It was quite fresh. But then, we ordered sashimi deluxe. it look dead. The colors were really dark. so we had to wrap it up to take em home for soup or stew. tuna poki was... eww the tuna was bite sized like m&m it was too sweet i wonder why cuz it should be spicy. They gave us fried pieces of vegetable which were on the house which we were really thankful but overall they foods were bad. Im a huge fan of sushi and im a pretty hardcore. But it was one of my worst experience. The bill came out to over $200 Its pretty pricey for that quality.
(2)michael s.
We eat at Nagano Sushi several times a year and are usually very happy with the experience. This evening was no where near previous visits. The restaurant was fairly empty so there is no excuse for poor service and sub-stand food. The green tea tonight tasted as though it had been mixed with the dishwater. Our spicy poke salad had good tuna but absolutely no spice and the salad part consisted of some good daikon and a piece of wilted lettuce. The wasabi must have been from 2009 New Year. Everything was served at once after a long wait. Usually, the edamame is served immediately and tonight it was desert. (We waited twenty-five minutes before we got any food.) We had hot and cold food stacked up by serving everything at the same time. There are dozens of sushi places in the Richmond. We will try some of the other places next time.
(2)Vitamin C.
I love Nagano so much that I would almost go as far as giving it a really negative review just so others would stay away and I could have it all to myself... but no, I am not that mean. The sushi here is so good and so fresh, yet I've never had to wait for a table (I'd love to keep it this way, but the bigger person in me wants to share this with my fellow Yelpers)! Service here is friendly though some of the servers here struggle with English, but it's all good... I come here for the sushi.
(4)Shirley F.
My regular neighborhood sushi joint... You can find me there at the sushi bar for a few hours with friends on a Thursday or Friday night... and the sushi chefs don't mind us just sitting there watching them making rolls, asking them random questions, or catching a game on TV if you sit in the back of the sushi bar. The best of all, you can score some freebies (salad, appetizers, soup, green tea ice cream, ..etc.) if they like you enough. Of course, it helps to be a regular and be a good tipper. Last night, we got baked skin salmon with some funky sauce to try. It was interesting. I recommended to the sushi chef NOT to put that on the menu. The sushi quality is usually fresh. For exceptional sushi quality at good value -- go on a Thursday or Friday night. (The trick of this place, which is the same as most other sushi places I know, is to avoid it on Sunday or Monday night. Questionable on a Tuesday night.) I also highly recommend the sushi bar over regular table. The sushi chefs are usually very straight up about what is good for the day. Just don't take my TV seats. Please.
(4)Lisa D.
I used to like Nagano. It's in my neighborhood, has fast service, yes, I also always liked the cute father-son team, and for some reason it used to taste good to me. But my recent visit here tasted blah...the nigiri sushi had very little flavor and the rolls were just average. The poke appetizer had very nice flavor, but the fish itself was limp and did not taste very fresh. The fish basically had no flavor! And I thought it was a bit pricey (about $30) for what I got. There are definitely better sushi places in Inner Richmond for the money.
(2)Kara H.
It's an acceptable sushi place, but just that. Everything tasted OK, but the service was quite slow. I could understand had it been crowded, but it wasn't. Perhaps it was because I was dining alone... I waited a long time for my wine and then a long time for my food at which time my soup was served with the sashimi dinner.
(3)Sergey A.
This has been my go to spot since this girl showed it to me in march of 2009, forward to January 2010 and I and that same girl still go here, the menu is the same, the chef is the same and she has been my girlfriend for nearly a year. After coming here for roughly 9 months to get my sushi fix i've realized and appreciated just how good this place is. Yes I have strayed away from Naganos on many occasions but I always seem attracted back to it because others dont compare. Mr Lee the main chef and his son are extremely nice and always chat us up. We've seen a waitress get married and move away during our time. To me this will always be my go to sushi spot because of the spicy scallop roll, the valcano roll, and the lion king. At other sushi spots these favorites are often imitated but never duplicated.
(5)Lauren C.
I had never been a big sushi fan; and my boyfriend who thoroughly enjoys his sushi was hell bent on reintroducing me to it, hoping to make me a fan. We didn't really know where to go, but he had remembered eating at Nagano a year or two back and said it had a been a "decent" experience. Arriving at Nagano, we waited a while before being seated, even though they weren't overwhelmingly busy. We sat down and eventually, someone came over to take our order. My boyfriend got a few rolls and I ordered a bento box - figuring that if I didn't like the sushi, at least I had some tempura and chicken teryaki to munch on. The sashimi that came with the bento box was supposed to be tuna - but I'd had raw tuna before - in fact, I like tuna tartar quite a bit, so I figured this was a safe bet. Never has raw tuna tasted like this before - bland, yet fishy, and stringy. But I ordered the bento box you say... what of the teryaki and tempura? Well, the tempura was fine, but what deep fried morsel doesn't taste at least "fine?" The chicken teryaki was pretty pathetic. The sauce was thin and lacking flavor and the chicken was of poor quality. My boyfriend didn't fair much better. After noting that their roll menu was limited and rather "uncreative" he ordered a couple of rolls, one being the rainbow roll. The fish that came on top of the rolls was suspect to say the least. Some pieces of fish were actually opaque and left him wondering whether he would suffer from food poisoning the next day. I can't remember what day of the week it was exactly, but as a rule, I don't eat fish on Sunday or Mondays - fisherman haven't been out fishing since Friday if you're lucky (but more likely, delivery was on Thursday). But being that this wasn't a Sunday or a Monday, there really is no excuse for the lack of freshness. He wanted to order a soda after our food arrived, but couldn't manage to get the attention of a server until we were almost finished with our meals, despite the fact that our table was right by the kitchen and servers were passing us regularly. We waited equally long to get our check. Overall - a very poor experience - service and food. My boyfriend was rather upset and disappointed that this hadn't been the place that would open my eyes to the wonders of sushi. (luckily, we finally found a place that has - see my other reviews) Needless to say, we won't be coming back.
(1)Calvin L.
I went back for the 5th time last nite (fri nite). In my opinion, it is probably one of the better sushi restaurants in SF. Sashimi and hand-rolls were fresh and tasty as usual, service wasn't too bad either. The interior design felt decently warm like any traditional Japanese restaurant. Noise level is usually low which is a good thing. I was able to having a good conversation w/ my friends without hearing other tables' conversation. Last but not least, FREE green tea ice cream for dessert FTW!
(4)Amy J.
I came here for lunch and it was great. Great super white sashimi! Everything was fresh and really tasty. Our waitress was really sweet, too.
(5)Christine A.
Nagano used to be one of my favorite restaurants. Not so much anymore. The qualities of both the service and the food have been going downhill, more so with the staff. There is this one lady that has been serving us for years, whom I love, but she's always so busy with other tables that she doesn't have time for us anymore, *sadness*. But that's not why I think the service sucks now - the new staff is unfriendly and doesn't really serve the dishes "all the way"... as in, they come to the table and hand you the dishes instead of setting them on the table for you, wtf?! With that said, I highly recommend the Nagano Maki - it is amaaaaazing, even though it is kind of pricey (I think it's $12 for the roll - not a huge portion but so delicious). The sashimi and udon are both good as well.
(3)Nick C.
Totally starving and headed to To Hyang, which unfortunately was closed. Popped in this place and with only 2 other tables in the place it took 20 mins for the kitchen to put out the worst ramen I've ever had in a restaurant. Awful.
(1)Joyhan S.
My friend swears one of the servers has a crush on him, so i decide to go with him to check it out. She's really cute and really nice, and kind of abusive, but maybe in a good way.... regardless, i approve! The food here is pretty good for the price and i liked how the sushi chef was this older scraggy Korean dude shoottin the shit with some of the patrons.
(4)Nobu K.
100% all Korean sushi. How do I know? It says on the front door in Korean writing! Oh, right, you don't know what the Korean writing looks like. Well, Too bad. This place have everything. You can order Tenpura in stead. Nothing wrong with that. But, Who wants to order Tenpura at Sushi place, you dumb ass! This place should say " Nagano Japanese Restaurant". Then I understand you have Tenpura in there. I thought this place is Sushi. Right, I am in SF, USA. Sushi place must make tenpura in USA. I forgot about that. But That is pseudo. Another pseudo. Nothing bad nothing good. Mediocre. So why bother? Why not go to a good decent sushi place. Is that hard to find? Yes, it is hard to find. Most of Sushi place on Geary Blvd is all so-so-mediocre amature sushi. But, I am still looking for good pseudo sushi because I believe there are Non-Japanese Good Sushi Master somewhere.
(2)Mrs. S.
Came here on a Thursday night, only a few tables were occupied. It was very calm, quiet. We got edamame, miso soup for free, Had a large sapporo beer. Sushi WAS AMAZING. !!!!!!!! I will recommend to all!
(4)S J.
I wasn't going to write a review b/c this place seems to be pretty well covered: decent sushi, Korean, lotsa spicy rolls, slow service. But I didn't see any mention of The Beats! Nagano drops The Hits. I'm talking Def Leppard and Old School Janet. That's all.
(3)Hannah T.
visited this place quite a lot since it's near, they always give us complimentary green tea ice cream! it's pretty good for a quick meal, good service. if you're gonna pick a decent sushi bar in the richmond with a budget, i suggest nagano sushi! plus the chef has his own picture on the wall haha
(4)Antoi C.
I have consistently had a great dining experience here. The sushi is delicious and fresh, and my recent discovery of the Korean-style chirashi hits all my spots: a big bowl of fresh fish, spicy sauce, seaweed salad and shiso leaf on vinegared rice. Yum! I usually order up raw fish & seafood nigiri, or the chirashi dish and wash it down with tea. This is the one place I've tried the ika (squid) nigiri and found it fresh and tasty. Not my usual order, but my ika-lovin friend suggested I take a bite, and I'm glad I did. From the tone of other reviews, I deem myself lucky for having good service each time I've eaten here. My only complaint is this place is not on my home commute --- damn you Nagano!
(5)Allan R.
Was good, very disappointing now. Good portions but too heavy. I did not taste the rainbow in my roll. The Alaska roll and Spider roll were decent. Their service was horrible we waited at least 20 minutes before ordering and another 20 for the check. We were shunned, shunnnnnnnnnned I tell you! Would only go back b/c my friend likes the spicy tuna.
(2)Allison K.
I really like this place. Finally I've found a sushi place that's right near my apartment. The fish is always fresh, and their tempura is good too. It's a little pricey, but totally worth it! I'd definitely recommend going here.
(4)Drue C.
So, I found myself here after driving around town and discovering that, for some reason, many sushi restaurants are closed on Sundays. Hellllooooo - Sunday is still the weekend last time I checked, and the weekends are when people like to eat out the most. At least this place has that figured out. We sat at the sushi bar, which was probably a very good choice. The service from the waitress was slow and pretty bad, and the bill was inaccurate so she took it back to add to the total. I think that if they make a mistake and undercharge that should be an automatic give me, but they didnt seem to see it that way. On the flipsde we got a whole lot of freebies from the sushi chef just for asking about things on the special board. The fish was fresh and tasty. The quantities were good. The sake selection was not the best, and they didnt seem to be able to speak to it very well either. Overall not a bad place, good sushi, but the waitresses need some remedial efficiency training, or just a higher IQ.
(3)Jay H.
I judge a sushi place by four things. 1) Tempura....has to have NO eggplant and be lightly breaded. -this place failed on both 2) Maguro Sashimi....has to be dark red and melt-in-your-mouth tasty delicate. -this place has good Maguro Sashimi! It was so pretty, I didn't want to eat it! But of course I did...cuz you know...I love me some Maguro Sashimi! 3) Service...it was really good. She smiled and kept on pouring the tea throughout the whole meal. 4) Price vs. Sushi...it was a little expensive for what it was but not anything outrageous.
(3)Lauren D.
OMGSH!!! can I just say this place has the best SUSHI EVER. I am totally hooked on this place. The fish is fresh and tastey the rolls are amazing. I cant go any where else now because no other place compares .... LOVE IT!!!
(5)Kevin G.
Great quality fish for the price. I'm particularly keen on this place as it so conveniently located near my apartment. Its easy to park at the Wells Fargo and walk over. I also like ordering by phone and grabbing take out (usually takes no more than 10 minutes for them to prepare the food). The service is great. The waitresses always give me green tea when I arrive early for my phone order. They are a bit eccentric though. One kept trying to tell me about her favorite cartoon and that I should watch it. Bizzare, but she was very friendly and just trying to make conversation. The sushi chefs always greet you when you enter the restaurant. Its very cozy inside and the sushi bar is very long and almost always has an open spot. The sushi quality is surprisingly good for the price. The maki selections are not too creative nor extensive, but they are good versions of the classic sushi dishes that you love to order over and over (who really wants to get overly creative with sushi - stick to what works!)
(4)Rebecca H.
Even though I love sushi, sometimes I don't crave it just because I hate the hype. Like paying $15 for a roll with some cheesy name like Rock n' Roll. Ahem... Mas Sake is the WORST. I'd rather stab myself with my own sword, or something. Nagano is the opposite of that. If there is a standard Japanese food that you like, they have it, and it's not expensive, and it's really good. The staff are friendly and you can always find parking there in the Inner Rich. It is comfort food for sure; the tuna melts in your mouth. Thank you Nagano.
(4)James B.
If your only criteria for sushi is that it's cheap and in large quantities, this is the place for you. Otherwise stay away. Not only do they use inferior cuts of fish, they don't even serve it at the right temperature, resulting in unpleasant texture and taste. Rice in the rolls is soggy, leaving a lot to be desired both in the taste department and how your stomach feels afterward. Service is non-existent. They completely forgot to prepare one of the dishes we ordered, but didn't forget to try to charge us for it. If summary, life's too short to eat the shite that they dish up at Nagano. For real sushi, head for Deep Sushi in Church St, Noe Vallley.
(1)Kissyfit M.
this is another sushi restaurant that I like to go to sometimes. They have the Korean style sashimi salad that I love to order everytime! I missed it last time I went somewhere else... And the waitress always gives us free ice cream since they recognize me and my friend who one might call semi-regulars. =)
(4)Candace F.
Sushi and sake anyone? I was first introduced to this place by a friend. I had passed by so many times but never walked in due to the many sushi places in the area. The best place to sit is at the bar. The 2 guys rolling up the sushi is the owner and his son. They both were very friendly. The fish here is very fresh and just "melt in your mouth" good. My friend and I shared a few shots of sake with the guys behind the sushi counter. My 2 faves: the Lion King roll and the Rainbow Roll (a good variety of fish). This is place provides the perfect remedy to a long week of work. Sushi and sake with green tea ice cream, an unbeatable combination.
(4)S.K. Y.
2012 I have tried the ramen based on the owner recommendation. The special ramen was pretty good. I am no expert on ramen, but it was one of the better tasting ramen joint. I have tried Katana-ya, Izuya (will correct spelling) ---------------------------------------------- Pre- 2012 Pretty fresh sushi. The make one of the best tasting SABA to my taste. The SABA was not over marinated that it still have the raw texture. Most of the other nigiri was pretty good and fresh. I usaully order the sushi deluxe.
(4)Evelyn V.
Best Teriyaki Beef and Vegetable Tempura I have ever had!!!! Service was excellent and food was absolutely worth coming back for!!
(5)Mike G.
Fresh, generous portions of sashimi and very good rolls. Friendly and fast service as well.
(5)Eileen L.
Came here with three of my friends for lunch . & I absolutely love this place ! Ordered some sushi with raw fish on top and some oysters . My goodness , they were SO freshh ! I can't stress that enough . . freshest sushi I've ever had . My heart was pumping with satisfaction . And to top it all off .. mango mochi ice cream ! The workers here are pretty friendly too which is why my friend keeps coming back . If you like sushi with raw fish and oysters , this is the place to go ! Since too much sashimi and oysters are bad for you , don't forget the wasabi !
(5)Phil Y.
This place is the s*%t! When I say that I mean it in a bad way. I had lunch with a friend there the other day. I ordered a couple of rolls and a bento box. The food wasn't that great and the service was even less satisfactory. It wasn't so much that they were rude but it must have taken them 25-30 minutes to get my damn bento box! I had to ask them 3 separate occasions before I finally got it. The rolls came out in a timely manner but 30 minutes for rice and fish? I didn't even get a simple apology.
(1)Lisa H.
I've been frequenting here since m college days. Try the Lion King Roll! Mmmm :)
(4)S T.
A live worm was found in my sushi, which was not very fresh to start with (the sushi, not the worm :)). Service was slow and I was charged with items that did not even arrive. On the plus side, the food is fairly inexpensive, but I just can't get the image of the worm out of my mind. You may want to check the sushi as well as the bill carefully if you dine here, but there are many better choices for sushi that I can think of within a 2-mile radius.
(1)Steffy W.
Ever since we stumbled across it after a bad experience at a nearby fusion restaurant, we've been coming back at least once a week. I recommend sitting at the counter. The chef will always comp you with a special dish. Buy them a beer if you're the kind who enjoys being interactive with your chef. Their sashimi is always fresh. Fulfilling my toro craving perfectly. Rolls I've tried so far: 49ers (highly recommended), Lion king (I love the spicy mayonaise) Nigi-toro (fresh toro.. oh so good!!), 3com (spicy!!) was fun, Dragon roll (too big, too much sashimi to take in one bite), Spider roll (mmmm crab). Matched with a jug or two of hot sake, it's the perfect sushi-craving fulfillment. Place is really small, so not recommended for a big group. But perfect for a cozy dinner for two
(5)Athos K.
Personally, I've stopped judging sushi restaurants based on whether they offer the dreaded Philadelphia roll or not. I guess they have to keep up with demand, and some sick people really want to have their sushi also be their lox bagel. So... whatever. Let them. Here is what I do know: it's not easy to make good ankimo - and their ankimo kicks ass! Also, based on being here one time only (disclaimer), the sushi was very fresh, and the fish on the nigiri literally drowned the rice it was such a generous helping. The toro and salmon were particularly delicious. And the aji sashimi came with the fried fish bone - as it should! In addition, any place that serves pearl white tuna is a-OK in my book! (The rice can use improvement, so minus a star for that.) Thanks for a tasty Mother's Day, Nagano! See you again!
(4)A W.
ehhhh. just an ehhh. not a mmmmmmm. The rolls are typical, standard, average, but good. The bento boxes were a bit pricey, compared to other restaurants. The service was good though. The server took the udon off the bill because she forgot to bring it out until later. I dont think I would be coming back though, not that it was horrible, just not much of a wow factor to warrant another visit
(3)Miller H.
This is sushi for men with appetites. I have a lot of nostalgia for this restaurant. When I first moved to SF in 99, my friends and I would frequent this place on about a weekly basis. Our appetizers always included a large Sapporo and Miso Soup each. We would attempt to share some edamame, but this was always powered through so quickly between the three of us, that we always got a second bowl. Then it was on to the main course. This always began with another Sapporo each, a Sashimi combo platter, and then as many rolls as we fit into our stomachs. This would often end up being about 7-9 rolls between the 3 of us after about 2 hours. Finally we would end with complimentary Green Tea from our hosts, and stumble home full sated and satisfied. Well, it's been years since I've had the pleasure of enjoying sushi with those friends, and so I haven't gone back to this particular restaurant because I knew that I'd be disappointed without their company. Nevertheless, I was in the neighborhood this Sunday, and decided to give it a try. It was as good as I remember. But I discovered there's another reason besides nostalgia that I should only go to this joint with friends with healthy appetites. The rolls there are at least a third bigger than any other sushi restaurant I've ever been to. The price is adjusted accordingly, so it isn't like this is giving you a value benefit, but these rolls were made to be shared if you want variety in your meal. Therefore I'm not going here without group of sushi lovers, but I will be back :)
(4)Jim L.
This is really just another typical neighborhood sushi house. Quality is not that special. Spicy tuna, way too spicy. Tanuki is a better spot if you're in the Inner Richmond.
(3)Wilson L.
Sushi has a corrolation with sex. Sometimes its great and other times, it just plains sucks. Nagano off Geary in the Richmond is what I'll consider consistant great sushi. Miya-san is the sushi chef you would go there for. He's a great act, and sometime will offer you foods off the menu that he is testing out. One time, we had some shrimp salad sushi he was creating. Fresh fish, the rolls are typical, but get the sashimi if you want something more powerful. The Ikura is great too, and straight from Japan. Waitresses were always there to take my order, and refill my lonley green tea. All, in all, it's a wonderful small place to get sushi if your down with the buffet style sushi that is To Dai.
(4)Juliane N.
Definitely not the cheapest rolls here. They are quite expensive if I must say. Chef's special roll, cherry blossom, crazy roll is what I like to order. the fish is fresh and the portion is good for the price. Service is always friendly.
(3)Bruce B.
Fish quality is great here. Their cooked items don't fare as well though. Just not as tasty. Try the scallop salad hand roll if you're a scallop fan. Service takes a while sometimes, but it's usually one lady working the place. So I can understand but I also don't come here when I need to leave quickly. Prices are pretty high but when is sushi ever cheap and do you really want to eat cheap raw fish? Oh, and their music selection is awesome.
(3)niki p.
was in with my, (grown), son last week sitting at the bar just after 4 o'clock. ordered several rounds of various nigiri sushi with some nice hot tea. we enjoyed viewing the platter of sushi and sashimi which came out for one of the 3 tables while we waited for our own. the quality is high. the portions are nice and ample in that the rice is not so big and the sashimi is lovely. mmmmmm.... delish.. also, chef added a couple of freebee's to our plates.. tastes even better. :o) obviously, the sushi chef is a talented and seasoned individual. i look forward to returning to Nagano Sushi for another late lunch sometime in the near future. :o)
(4)G W.
Service was atrocious and the food was mediocre (at best). Overall this was a disappointing place to stop and you'd do better elsewhere. Parts of the same meals were delivered separately over a long period of time. Some at our table waited and waited and waited for their orders to arrive. No thought to apologize for the poor service nor offers to make things right after an order was cancelled due to the long wait. It seemed like they were doing me a favor by pointing out that they had voided an order I cancelled. Meanwhile, what came to the table had disgusting amounts of mayo (California Roll) and over sweetened rice (yuuuuuck!). Thought that 3.5 stars on yelp might suggest the pace was acceptable -- will think again next time. One saving grace: cancelled order spared me what would've been likely another lousy dish.
(1)PT B.
We eat a fair amount of sushi, and this is our favorite moderately priced sushi joint. The staff is great and have been there for years, and the sushi is great. Our favorite in the Inner Richmond!
(4)Sam W.
Popped in on a Saturday night with gal pal round 9p for sake and quick eats as we had to pick up a friend nearby on our way to Matrix. We took a scientific approach to choosing this place, bcuz it happend to be on the right side (no u-turns) and we scored on a parking spot out front. As we stepped in, the place was sparse so instead of a table, opted to belly up to the sushi bar. "what would you like to order?" we were quickly greeted by the sushi check behind the bar. "whatever you recommend...u da boss" I snap back to his delight. Noticeably pleased, the man behind the counter quickly singled out 2 types of toro, and the white tuna and a bottle of clear cold sake to wash it down. Man o man, was it delicious. Good stuff. With such a good first choice, we encouraged him to get creative. As we struck up a conversation, we found out that Mr. Lee owned the place, and that he and his colleague, Mr. Cho were Korean. There was one other gentleman working the bar who was Japanese. Why 3 sushi chefs when there were no more than 6 diners including us 2 at the time, I'm not sure, but they were attentive and made good conversation. It turns out Mr. Lee use to own Sushi O Sushi on El Camino before turning it over to an in-law. After trying the nigiri, we had a lion king roll and sashimi plate which included the usual suspects (maguro, hamachi, etc), but also included uni and some type of yellow fish eggs with herring. A little too fishy for me but I smiled and manage to down at two of the 4 pieces we were given. Next Mr. Lee suggested the monk fish liver. Sure I thought. Why not try a piece. Mr. Lee proceeded to cut the whole dang liver roll...9 pieces worth. "whoa.." i thought knowing full well i wasn't gonna eat it all, but assertively popped the first piece into my mouth with both Mr. Lee and Mr. Cho watching my every bite intently. I managed a smile, while wondering how I was going to force it down, without blowing chunks. As I gave them a universal thumbs up sign, I quickly quickly chased it down with more Sake before it washed back up. Worth a taste, but liver texture combined with the that same fishy taste, meant there was no way were were gonna eat all 9 pieces. All out of Sake we ordered a bottle of unfiltered sake, only they were out of the small glasses and poured it in a wine glass all the way to the top. By the time we finished it was 10:30p with most of the time being passed chatting with Mr. Lee and Mr. Cho behind the bar. We were late to pick up our friend and had to go. The total bill came to $100 which amounted to 2 bottles of sake, 6 pieces of nigiri, a 20 piece sashimi plate, 1 lion king roll & 9 pieces of monkfish liver. No idea what things cost on an individual basis as we were going with chefs recommendations but not too bad I thought. Overall, the recommendations were good. The monkfish liver wasn't my favorite nor were the yellow fish eggs with herring, but why not try something new. This was a charming little sushi joint, with nice attentive sushi chefs. If I'm ever in the area again, I would definitely make it a point to stop in, but it's nothing I would necessarily go out of my way for. Overall I give it 3 stars: 1 star for the nice engaging sushi chef 1 star for the quiet, cozy atmosphere 1 star for good food at a reasonable price
(3)super b.
The sushi nigiri was fresh & good size. service was not bad for a somewhat busy weeknight. Will come back again if im in the area.
(4)cynthia h.
I would really like to start off with something nice to say about this place, but I can't. First of all, the service was horrible - only two waitresses in a full restaurant. We had to remind the wait staff about the sake we ordered after a good 30 minutes of waiting. Then when we finally did receive our order, we noticed halfway through eating nigiri a long, fleshy, wiggly worm reaching up and out from one of the pieces, which put an end to our appetite. We were offered green tea ice cream on the house which was a nice gesture; however, when we did receive our bill, we noticed that they charged us for orders we made but did not receive. Our waitress was apologetic and corrected the error, but our night had already become quite an ordeal. My bottom line: Don't eat here unless you want to be punished.
(1)Nik T.
Great neighborhood spot... good quality fish...reasonable prices
(4)Meghan P.
This place is right around the corner from my place and I went there the first time a couple weeks ago. So good! I only had an hour to eat before a concert and it worked out great. First thing they do is serve you some hot tea, which I never have happen at a sushi restaurant. My friend and I got the 2 person meal and the food was way more than enough. It came with edamame, miso soup, salad and a whole lot of sashimi, ngiri and a couple rolls. $49 for the whole thing! Of course, we ordered some hot sake and beer, which racked up the price. Overall, great sushi, nice service and stumbling distance home.
(5)Jackie G.
i went back to this richmond sushi joint after a 3 year hiatus and was surprised to find the place just as cozy and delice as i had left it. it was a late night snack for buddy and i so we went light and got the godzilla roll and no name roll. both were mouth-watering. i especially liked the deep fried no name roll, comfort food to the max. nagano is a good choice and staple for any sushi-lover.
(4)calvin c.
Their ramen is truly amazing! (only $7.50)
(5)Sherry G.
There's no doubt that this is my favorite sushi in San Francisco. I come from a fishing family in Japan and know my sushi and this is the best I have found in the U.S. so far. It could easily be five stars, but the service is all over the place. While having such good sushi, we were also constantly wondering where our waitress went. If that kind of thing doesn't bother you, the sushi here is still the best and I guess we'll be back even though the service is so bad.
(3)Allan T.
Service is not the best but then again this isn't a fine dining place. Sushi is pretty good but still very fresh. Lion King roll is the best roll they've got. It's got this smoked salmon with this killer sauce (mayonnaise and hotsauce mix) all over it and is probably the best roll they've got. Parking is sorta difficult since it's in the inner richmond area so make time to park. I'd come back seriously for that Lion King Roll ;P
(3)Thy G.
This is the BEST sushi place! The sushi rolls are very delicious. We got hooked on this place since 1999 when we were poor grad students. My husband went broke taking me to this sushi place all the time while I was a student at UCSF. hehe...Actually, the price is very reasonable. The rolls ranges from $7 to $12 depending on how big the rolls are. The sushi are very fresh and tasty. You got to try out their rolls. We usually eat the scallops rolls, Da bomb rolls, crazy rolls, Hamachi over hamachi roll, rainbow roll, spicy tuna rolls, spicy country rolls and caterpillar rolls. They are all yummy. My favorite is the hamachi over hamachi roll. The place is a little bit small, but very cozy. If you have a small party of 6 or so, you can reserve a tiny room in the back; very cozy. Check them out, you would not be disappointed.
(5)Mojo L.
I've been there twice, but the first time I drank at least half a 720ml bottle of Wakatake by myself. At that point, anything I ate would have been good. Since tell I've been back once. The food was ok, but nothing special. The uni was good, but I think all uni coming from Santa Babara is good as long as they are fresh. The hot food from the kitchen was ok, but not very tasty. Their selection of fish is very limited, but their rice is pretty good.
(3)Sang N.
Pretty decent sashimi portions, friendly staff, except for one lady with crazy eyebrows.
(4)Wil M.
Do not come here if you like to be treated well and receive decent service. The waitresses here were pompous and the food was utterly dissatisfying. I received 2 out of 4 rolls ordered in 35 minutes. Definitely not a couples place. This is the definition of a crap eatery. I would highly discourage anyone from trying their mediocre sushi despite the establishments title. Good luck staying open.
(1)james m.
pretty lame-sushi was of questionable quality.Ordered the "chefs choice"(bad idea)and it was very sub-par,boring and not too fresh looking or tasting and for 21 bucks....rip-off there are far too many better places to go here.Miso soup terrible and salad looked like they used the worst part of the cheapest lettuce-iceberg wont be back
(1)Elena G.
i impressed my japanised-korean friend with this place. she usually goes to the pricey places in japantown so i thought she may be left unsatisfied. she even said they had stuff she hadn't seen on the menu before and never even tried. i converted another friend here. how is she now you ask? addicted. the decor is simple, service could be a little slow if they are busy (or chatting it up ion the back), but the sashimi is soooo fresh, the rolls are big and you def get your money's worth. if you are adventurous try the ankimo (monk fish liver) and hamachi kama (it's just a big piece of cooked hamachi). if your not sure that you'll like it, take me with you, i'll take care of those for you ;)....in general, they have the freshest sashimi (and the best assortment) i've tried and the most satisfying rolls. for some extra fun do some sake shots with the sushi chef....
(4)tammy w.
you'd like this place if fresh is your thing. I won't give it a 5 star because waitresses take a while to actually notice you.
(4)Audra E.
Yummmeee sushi, fresh and lots of it. Went here with 5 other friends and the bill was like $170, which was super cheap - considering we ate a bucket o fish and drank a gallon of sake. I'll be back.
(5)J J.
Very fresh sushi and the chefs are friendly and can get creative if you ask. Ambiance is okay but the lighting is too bright... at least you can see its very clean.
(3)Anya E.
I love Nagano. It's one of the top local sushi places on my list. The place is small, but the menu isn't. They have a large and creative sushi roll menu. Their combo lunch and dinner are good, too. If you go here during lunch time, you will find about 99% Japanese customers in there. That's a very good sign. Their house genmaicha tea (roasted brown rice green tea) is very good. This place can be packed on a week night, and service can be a bit slow. But they are always friendly, and their sushi is always fresh and good.
(4)spot d.
Fish (maguro, toro, surf clam) was firm but remarkably flavorless. Much too cold. Cuts were often tough and stringy. Delicious Yellowtail was a notable exception. I guess you take your chances. The cooked Japanese standards are, well, standard. Or so I've been told. Unfortunately, San Francisco's unfair and discriminatory health codes prohibit me from actually entering this restaurant.
(2)Ellie Y.
such good sushi! everything they make here is soooo delicious and the futomaki here is soooooo goood!!! the only thing is that the service here is pretty poor and the waitresses kinda ignore you but if you can get over that or if you're not in a rush, this is one of the best places to get a good japanese meal! it's a tad expensive but seems like everywhere else around here charges about the same for their special rolls. one word: YUM!
(4)Heather F.
Nagano Sushi, you disappoint me with your under-achieving ways. I was thrilled by your perfect hamachi sashimi, but it can't make up for your other shortcomings. The service is extremely slow, which I find especially irritating when a place is only half-full. The sake list is depressing -- "hot" and "cold" are the lone options. True Sake, where are you when I need you? Nagano also commits what I consider to be the second biggest sushi crime -- giant, too-big-for-one-bite rolls -- which at a place capable of serving such great sashimi seems more like a sign of laziness than poor sushi-rolling skills. I understand why yelpers give this place good reviews -- it's the perfect, diamond-in-the-rough kind of place to recommend and the sashimi is excellent -- but Nagano just isn't as fabulous as you all wish it was.
(2)Jennifer N.
Decent selection of sushi. It's nice for those who enjoy pictures of the sushi because they have a picture of all their rolls. The ambiance of the place is very cozy and most importantly, the service was VERY VERY good. Courteous, helpful and kind service. The best roll I tried here is their Nagano Roll.
(4)Hunter H.
you get what you pay for - in the best way possible. this place is expensive, but man, do they ever deliver on quality. the salmon, all the different tunas - fantastic. some of the highest grade i've seen, and good portion size too. the owner's begun to recognize my roommate after seeing him come in with coworkers, his uncle, me, dates, several different groups of friends, etc. they obviously think he's good for exposure because every time we near finish and decide we should probably ask for the bill soon, out comes a big round of sushi and another bottle of sake - compliments of the house. and this is after we've stuffed on our own over-ordered dinner and got good and tipsy on a few bottles of sake already. that pushes me from stuffed to *gorged.* from tipsy to *plastered.* good thing those lanes on geary are so wide. the bill is always steep, but definitely worth it when i compare the excellent meal i just finished with the kind of frozen-and-thawed, rubbery, flavorless crapfish served up at 'affordable' sushi joints like no-name.
(5)Cathy T.
I went here because my favorite sushi place Kabuto was closed, totally average sushi place. The sushi won't kill you but really it doesn't taste that fresh to me. Everything was decent enough but there are so many better sushi places that you really shouldn't go here unless you are about to pass out right in front of the place. They have a lot of rolls though including the dreaded cream cheese enhanced philly roll. That roll's mere presence should give you an idea of what kind of place this is.
(3)Kimi M.
This is not the best sushi joint in the city, but they are good enough to go back multiple times. The one thing that keeps us coming back for more is the spicy tuna salad...MMM.
(3)Seung Hyun Y.
This is a Korean owned sushi place. How do you know? The spicy sushi rolls. Also, the restaurants banner is in Korean, not Japanese. tsk tsk. Well anyways, food here is mediocre and I highly advise not going here unless you like Americanized Korean sushi with alot of tabasco sauce. like geez people, lay off the hot so I can eat in peace and taste the flavor. Hard to find good Japanese places these days.
(3)Hen A.
it's korean style japanese restaurant....decent sushi...and pretty good "hwe-dup-bap"..korean style chirashi....sashimi and veggie over rice...with sweet hot paste to mix it all in together.....
(4)Rego S.
Ditto on Miller, this place will feed you well, even if you're just having sushi. The roll selection is good, but watch out for the rolls with spicy mayo in red...they use *tons* of mayo. Obviously not traditional fare.
(4)Darren I.
Nagano sushi was not that memorable. We went here after we found out that Kabuto was closed. The sushi was edible, but not the freshest fish. The price was reasonable. It was just okay but not great.
(3)Sandra C.
great service, friendly staff, and reasonable price. recommended.
(4)stephanie r.
Go mister Lee(owner and resident chef) -he will hook you up with some fine sushi!!
(5)Tinou B.
Stop by for an early lunch. Had the chicken don and ramen special. The ramen is awful. The chicken don is edible. Service is really bad. The server never came by to refill my tea, and this was when the restaurant was completely empty.
(2)estebe v.
Point Blank. Best Sushi in San Francisco and by far and one of the Best East or West of Japan! Its unassuming location belies it pleasing decor and ambiance. It's not fancy pants mind you. It's more drop in and have a great bite and a drink or two. Think of it as the Cheers of Sushi Joints! The quality of the fish is unsurpassed. They order most of their fish from Japan save Salmon, Halibut, and the like. The portions of all of the food, yes Sushi and Sashimi included, are very generous and are what you would expect if the Chef were also a Yokozuna Sumotori. Nagano's Master Chef is Miya-San. He is quick to laugh and even quicker to serve you a fantastic treat from his considerable arsenal of personal and off the menu favorites. If Miya-San happens to not be there, you are still in good hands as his counterparts are fast and generous with their portions. The service is as excellent as the food. If you can, ask to be served by Donna. She has a great smile and demeanor that makes you feel like you are a welcomed guest in her home. And, as with the Chefs, if Donna is not available, you are still in good hands with any of the other servers. They all are pretty darn nice. If it seems like I am gushing about this place I am. It's hard to find a place that serves great food, in a reasonable amount of time, with excellent service, and a good price. And since I mentioned it, let's talk price. You could have dinner for two with a beer or sake for around $40. You could also do it for $10 bucks cheaper or $10 buck more depending on your taste and appetites. This is more than reasonable for what you get in return. You leave feeling like you got a good deal! In conclusion, I must say that I wasn't surprised to learn that Nagano's has a sizeable amount of return customers who frequent this place so much they are on first names with the staff and owner, (Mr. Lee)! Feel free to tell them "Steve and Mary" sent you!
(5)Vivian C.
So its a fact that Nagano is probably owned by Koreans, but whatever. Their food is pretty good and the price was decent. The get extra props because they have a lot of different "styles" of sushi (compared with other Japanese restaurants who only have like five rolls of sushi in their menu). Also, their tempura ice cream is the best thing on earth. It has green tea ice cream coated with syrup? and then deep fried into a golden brown color and damn is it tempting or what??!! but the only thing i would complain about it is that the green tea ice cream they use kinda sucks..
(4)Vienna X.
Nagano has good, standard sushi. Nothing wacky, but fresh tasty fish. And the servers are very nice (they even gave me some complementary green tea while waiting to pick up a carry-out order once). Nice.
(4)Sunny Y.
I'm sorry to say that my fellow Yelpers have it wrong, or I'm crazy... because I went to Nagano with a few friends last Friday and was not particularly impressed with the freshness or quality of the sushi. The best thing that I ordered was the special negi-toro roll... everything else was what I would characterize as "average". The prices were reasonable, but I guess you get what you pay for.
(2)brenda b.
When I ordered a tempura roll, I sorta expected to see some raw fish peeping out to greet me. So I was a bit disappointed in that respect. On the other hand, I thought that the sashimi tasted fresh, so it evened the score. The chicken teriyaki donburi was tender and the sauce was sweet enough for me and my non-sushi eating family, so I give the chicken a thumbs up worthy of any hitchhiker. Service is hit or miss, but not so bad that I would never come back, as I keep returning.
(3)jj c.
Decided to retry after a long hiatus. Now I remember why we stopped going there. Hostess tried to stick us by the freezing cold window table, insisting it wasn't cold. It was freezing. She reluctantly allowed us to move to the sushi bar. It was not crowded on a Saturday night. The owner's "#1" son and sushi chef kept wiping his nose (yech) and making our sushi. Yes he washed his hands (but did not dry). He also used bad avocado on a caterpillar roll. What? Did this guy think we weren't watching? Yelp readers, do not go here. Gilbert C's assessment of "not very warm" service is an understatement. Food was mediocre. We just didn't feel like going to our regular fab spot, Taraval Okazuya...
(1)Frank W.
This place has consistently good sushi. I used to frequent the same bar seat and noticed that they start to appreciate your repeat business quickly. Don't let trendier places rip you off!
(4)Zoe J.
These other review must have been written by Nagano's owner because this restaurant has terrible sushi . The fish they serve is clearly frozen and the tuna is obviously dyed. As somone else wrote , the spicy tuna is WAY too hot , always a sign of bad fish . And to top it all off the service is horrible.
(1)Aaron F.
Nagano is great, a stellar combination of relaxed (read: no frills) atmosphere and quality ingredients that make for a good time. Yes, it is Korean Sushi. I guess since I'm "roundeye", I don't fully understand that beef. I've been eating here for five years, I can't say it's any worse than a similarly situated place in J Town. The head sushi chef has been honored for his craft (ask him about the huge glossy on wall in the back), and the sushi is served with simple extra touches that demostrate the kitchen's added attention. Try the red snapper tempura appetizer, you won't regret it!
(4)kelly p.
i love nagano..i have been coming here for about 9 years now and never been disappointed...when friends or family come to town...nagano... for birthdays...nagano. i've told many people about it and they love it to.. its become there spot..i have even be introduce as "this is who told us about nagano" ...they always have my favorites giant clam, scallop handroll, albacore sashimi...mmmm i have to stop writing now so i can go get some sushi at nagano....
(5)Mary T.
This place is really good if you are looking for good formal quality of sushi! this place actually have real Japanese people working as a chef no offense to other places but i always see a lot of people that are not Japanese working as a chef in a Japanese restaurant I'm just saying! but back to the point, the food quality, they use the best fish for everything. the service wise some time is great some time kind of rude i guess they act on how you order some times. The price is pricier then every other sushi place you go to maybe because of the fish quality. The place actually seem more like a high class people will go to! i actually celebrate my anniversary there every year with my boyfriend because it was the first place he bought me there for a date but i wouldn't say positive things about this place because i go there every year to celebrate my anniversary and have great memories there i just want to point that out but you know i will recommend this place if you want high quality fish and for special event!
(4)Derek Alistair J.
its great for sushi. big servings. nice staff. the sushi chefs are cool too.
(5)Tami Y.
This generic-looking sushi joint hides the fact that this Inner Richmond gem is a find for sushi lovers. While the menu is not terribly inspiring, the quality of the sashimi totally rocks. I've never tasted such smooth bites of salmon or fresh hamachi. The oysters are very tasty, gotta try those. Love the dragon rolls. A much better choice than any of the fancy places in town.
(4)Rick H.
kick ass. fast and good.
(4)David G.
good sushi, quick , inexpensive and for a quick bite this is the place...no attitude just good food
(4)Bias W.
I go to Nagano when I don't want to travel to Kirala (Berkeley) or Sakae (Burlingame). If it's not the bad service, it will be given four stars.
(3)jennifer y.
one of the best restaurants to have in your neighborhood. yet another reason why the richmond is splendid. nagano is nothing fancy, but they serve good, adequate sushi. i can walk in almost anytime when i'm craving fresh fish and get what i'm looking for. once in a while, the maguro will taste/feel a bit off, but the sweet and fun dragon roll makes up for that. one of my favorites is the spicy tuna handroll here, accented with crunchy, soothing cucumber slivers. it's like a savory seafood ice cream cone. but not really. i won't say this is anything up to par with kiss, but they're two different animals. now that kabuto has changed, and hama-ko is too purist and in an impossible parking neighborhood, i rely on nagano or chika to get my downhome sushi kicks.
(3)Roger C.
Richard H. couldn't of said it better: yelp.com/biz/nagano-sush… Each time I've been here I've been happy. - Sure the wait staff is sometimes scattered. (a full/busy restaurant can do that). But the charm, and sincerity that Nagano offers is genuine. Their fish is always fresh and tastey. Their food is well prepared from the udon soups to the edamame and dinner boxes with a wonderful selection of sake and desserts.
(5)Karen Y.
Came here on a Sunday around 2pm and there was only a couple of tables of people. I just wanted some udon, a quick and simple comfort food, so I ordered the Chicken Udon. My boyfriend ordered their ramen, and I added a side of salad to mine (the kind that you have with the bento boxes). What I DIDN'T order was withered, brown lettuce for salad or an extra topping of bug in my udon.. and my boyfriend didn't order spoiled bamboo in his ramen. To be fair, the udon was decent.. normal, safe, and nothing to complain about except for the little bug that was floating around in my soup.. I got a very good look at it when I put my face extremely close to the soup while drinking it. I guess it's not a big deal since it appeared cooked and lots of vegetables have bugs. But my entire salad bowl that consisted of very brown, soggy pieces of lettuce was the saddest salad I've ever had.. was going to let that go until half an hour later, the boyfriend had a stomachache at Best Buy and later again that night. So yeah, they get to keep two stars- one for my edible udon and another for decent service.
(2)Jessica K.
I went here for the first time after a 6km run last week; the waitress was super friendly, asking how my workout was and she was so cute making sure that I had sunscreen on. I ordered the yellowtail sashimi lunch, which comes with seven pieces but I wanted three pieces of hamachi as a substitute, which she agreed to. When the sashimi came they had given me the seven pieces of yellowtail AND three extra pieces of hamachi, all for the same price. The meal also came with soup, salad and rice and they threw in a desert as I was a first time customer. I eat a lot of sushi and this was fresh to the max and delicious, factor in the fantastic service and you've got a five star sushi spot in my books!
(5)Julie C.
Our server was a younger girl who didn't seem to have a clue what she was doing there. She was nice enough, but kept forgetting to bring things that we had ordered and we had to repeat our order a few times for her to get what we were saying. The food is decent, and the bento box is a pretty good deal for a lot of food.
(3)Vera P.
Nagano's was my favorite neighborhood sushi-tempura-teriyaki place until today. They have decreased the quantity of everything and their salmon teriyaki was overcooked, bordering on salmon jerky. Not at all happy!
(3)Don B.
Decent sushi. The Godzilla was tasty but nothing spectacular. The Lion King had too much mayo on it. Lots of specialty rolls available, and it looks the sashimi could be the way to go. Service is friendly but kinda slow.
(3)Rick A.
I've been here a handful of times now and it's consistenly "A-OK", as the three star rating suggests. I like it, but I don't love it, so the only times I find myself here are when I happen to be passing by and I'm a little hungry. It's not my first choice when I'm looking for a really good sushi dinner. While I've only ever had the sushi here, there are loads of appetizers and non-sushi dishes from the kitchen that I'd love to try some time.
(3)Lola D.
I hardly write a bad review. But this def takes it. Came here for a quick sushi dinner and it wasn't a busy night at all. There were maybe 7 other diners before we arrived. The 2 of us get in and take a seat, excited to grab some sushi. Right when waitress takes our drink orders, 5 guys walk in and get a seat towards the back. We get our drinks and order our food. -monkfish liver -yellowtail nigri -cherry blossom Small order, nothing wow or spectacular. The most annoying thing is that we didn't get our monkfish liver until 45 mins after we had sat down! I was on a work call, but I did notice the 5 guys got their food already?! I asked the waitress what happen and she said our order was never put in. WTF. So I told her to cancel the damn order then. But she insisted that it was on its way. FINE, I'll take it. Geez! I'm not expecting a fabulous meal but there are some small places that offer exceptional food despite the decor or location. This place sucks!!!!! At the end of our meal, I spoke to the same waitress asking her why she didn't let us know that our meal is going to take longer. She simply replied "Oh, they forgot to take your order" Grrrrrrr.... so do I get a discount or anything?? Oh of course not, well damn, then no tippy for you!
(1)Diane L.
Korean owned Japanese restaurant. Weak. Not worth it for what you're paying for.....just another sushi restaurant on the block.
(3)Eugenia G.
ARRIVAL: I don't know why, but I had high hopes for this place. Upon arrival, we were greeted in Japanese by one of the waitresses and was quickly seated (we got there in the nick of time before dinner rush). We were asked what we wanted to drink after being seated (YAY!). After we ordered, we were given edamame, which just tastes like any other edamame. I heard the sushi chef speaking in Japanese, which made me really happy because I hate going to Japanese places and having Chinese people run the place. FOOD: We got the lion king roll, cherry blossom roll and the rocky roll. I thought the rocky roll was really good, the lion king was gross (and for the price of it, NOT worth it) and the cherry blossom was alright. The avocado in the cherry blossom roll was a bit hard... however I would have to say the fish was pretty fresh. TRYING TO LEAVE AND OVERALL SERVICE: We were never once asked after we got our food how our food was. Oh yeah, and about liking the place because the sushi chef spoke Japanese? Well, the waitresses were not. They were Chinese and were speaking Cantonese. Anyway, we started starring up at the ceiling and watching the waitresses every move because we wanted our bill and wanted to LEAVE. We tried several times to flag one down but she would quickly walk pass us and what seemed to favor the Cantonese speaking party (ironic because I'm Chinese myself). I surveyed the place and noticed two other tables wanting/waiting for their bill. Another table had been waiting for over 10 minutes since being seated and still had nothing to drink, not even WATER! Finally after about 15 minutes, we got our check. Oh yeah, I guess the waitresses don't know how to prioritize. I say this because it came to the point where there wasn't a line anymore and tables were empty. We had our hands raised and they chose to clean a table up rather than take orders or get/process someones bill. UNACCEPTABLE. I'm just pissed. I hate it when it takes forever when you just want to LEAVE a restaurant. Would it have been wrong to have just walked out? Probably, huh?
(2)Lisa H.
Tonight was my first experience at Nagano's and will probably be my last. Here is a semi-long detail of my experience: -1 didn't receive the tea we ordered until the food arrived (we had nothing to drink for the most part that we were there) -1 food was SO OVERPRICED $19 for a Hamachi Sashimi meal. $8 for 5 pieces of sushi -1 the hamachi meal on my menu was marked at $18 but the server insisted that I pay for the more expensive amount going into some story about the yellowtail being imported from Japan blah blah blah. (okay i sound super cheap over a dollar but seriously?!?!) -1 we never got the water we ordered even after ordering it a second time -1 the food was not that crackin and my sashimi still had the scales on it!! THE SCALES! -1 we waited nearly 10 minutes after we were done eating for the check and could not see our server anywhere (she was the only server). We ended up calculated how much our food cost. Around $30 ish dollars and with tax $32. We threw $35 on the table and bounced. No one noticed. seriously. not one person working there was paying any attention. All i could think of at the end of our meal was MEH. MEH. MEH. They probably deserve 1 star, but i felt bad for our server. Having been a server for several years myself, I felt a little sorry for her. But, man she was so SLOOOOW and the food didn't make up for anything.
(2)Jo'an R.
Don't visit this place if you're looking for decent customer service or for sushi. Visited the restaurant since it had decent reviews at yelp. However, i was greatly disappointed as soon as we stepped in the restaurant. We were greeted by the server who stated "sit anywhere you'd like". Since she said this, I grabbed the seat with 4 chairs and a table but as she saw me do this, she instantly said, "that's a big table for just you two!" I looked at her and said, "well, you said to sit wherever we'd like to". She then, pointed to a table in the corner of the restaurant and I immediately said "no" and found a table next to the counter.....with light. We sat down and looked over the menu. The sushi looked very good and moderately priced. My boyfriend and I told ourselves that maybe the food is excellent but the service is awful. We ordered the salmon/lemon on top roll, kappa, spider, and another roll. The kappa, spider and the other roll came; we assumed that the salmon/lemon on top roll took longer to make which was why it didn't come with the rest. In the middle of our meal, we kept wondering why the salmon/lemon on top roll still did not come. We flagged down our server and told her about it. She said that she would ask. Two minutes after, we saw her leave with restaurant, with bag in tow....We were of course, surprised at this. We flagged down the other server (the one who we first met) and told her about the missing roll. Since we were seated next to the counter, we could see everything. She asked the sushi chef about the order and he said that he will make it right away. Apparently, it was left out of our order and our server did not even bother checking with him after we asked her about it. RUDE! I will NEVER come back to this place, and if I were you....don't come here. There are so much Sushi places around the area that there should be one or two that rightly deserves a four star rating.
(1)Anthony L.
One of my favorite sushi spots anywhere. I've been many times and the quality of what they serve has been consistently good. Their prices are very fair. I will continue to go back so long as that doesn't change!
(4)Dessa S.
I LOVE NAGANO b/c my Best Friend works here & she got me super addicted!!!! Anyways the only thing I've had on their menu is the Fuji Roll & it's delicious. I've been meaning on going back but I don't really go out to Geary & the Richmond very much. Regardless though this roll is AMAZING! their Unagi, Scallops & Spice Mustard makes for a Yummy Roll I could eat over & over again.
(4)Michelle N.
A friend of mine introduced me to Nagano the other day. The place was small and quiet and reminded me of sushi places in San Jose. My mouth dropped and I actually made a *gasp* sound when I looked at the menu. They had many specialty rolls under 7 bucks. Everything was so effing cheap! I always say the first sign of good sushi is their miso, which happened to be flavorful and tasty here. Our group of 5 people ordered 10 rolls, enough to taste a bit of everything. Portions: good Taste: delicious Price: cheap (but I don't know if it compares to other places in this neighborhood) Anything with spicy mayo sauce on it was delicious. Things with unagi were also good but once again, ugnai with bones sadden me. I also didn't think their spicy tuna was spicy enough. Other than that I was pretty happy. Dinner was $18 per person and that included edamame, miso, a wide variety of sushi, tip, AND tax. YAY!
(4)Brian M.
We have been coming here forever, and Nagano Sushi is our favorite sushi restaurant in town. The fish is incredibly fresh, the rolls are creative, and the prices are reasonable. The owner is "old school." He picks the fish out by hand first thing every morning, he makes his sauces by hand, and he has been in the business for 30 years.
(5)Jen M.
I was craving for some sushi and i did promise my cousins I go get some, so I did. When I went in I was greeted by a friendly lady. She was helpful and took my orders quickly. I got some california rolls, spider roll, tempura rolls, california tempura rolls and some chicken yakitori. I love the spider rolls, they are delicious and so were the tempura rolls. The chicken yakitori was yummy. My cousins like the california rolls, got enough because I know they wouldnt want to share. The california tempura roll is yummy too. All the sushi is fresh and not like some places that dont use fresh ingredients. Im sure Ill be back here again if I ever need a sushi fix.
(5)Miss C.
I LOVE, LOVE NAGANO! The hotate sashimi is very fresh and delicious! The spicy tuna is good, and the rolls.... omg the variety of the rolls. I tasted Volcano Roll and I fell in LOVE. I went there a couple of times and it was good. The place is bigger than it looks from the outside. The food is kinda pricey. If you want some fancy roll it's gonna cost you up to $12. But, hey you get what you paid for right? and the rolls never disappoint me! and the SASHIMI is always GOOD! Amazing uni too! :) Oh, and it's Korean owned so beware of Korean old men coming in to get drunk on some nights!
(4)