Some of the best sushi I've ever had. Absolutely fantastic. A little loud, but food wins out in the end.
(5)
Steve L.
Ah, the freedom of speech and the opportunity to yelp. I have to tempur(a) my yelp here, though....this is my 225th writing since joining this phenomenal exchange with fellow foodie/travel devotees. Drunken Monkey joined our fare community several years ago. For whatever reason, my family and I (with friends visiting) had yet to come and experience Sam's creations. Perhaps I should have done a more thorough discovery (via fellow yelpers, especially elite members) because our experience (for the moment) is only 3 stars (well, perhaps 2 stars) - and here's why: 1. I did not read deeper as to "trend" - but since last December, the various Yelpers ahead of me give their dining experience an average - 3. The 'elite' Yelpers 'a bit lower'. Let's see if the trend moves higher but I can only sustain a 3 for our visit last week.) 2. I scratch my head when I walk into an establishment that has been 'highly rated' and note that there is seating for at least 70 persons and only 8 patrons are present on a Friday afternoon at half-past twelve noon. Where have all the sushi lovers gone? 3. I won't bore you, forgive me though. I am a sushi freak (not a snob). When I travel with family/friends or on business, 99% of the time a sushi lunch or dining opp is our preference. We certainly wanted to have the Drunken Monkey experience, and we did. As Truckee locans, sans at least 2 stars for the following: MINUS - no warm hand towels upon being seated (traditional but obviously Sam's preference. MINUS - miso soup sans dashi stock and chopped green onions - con seaweed strips (not chopped) WITH carrots?? Me thinks not but this is Sam's country style Wakame tofu and vegetables. Perhaps I need to jump on a jet to Japan and experience 'country' style miso.....haven't yet. MINUS - roll out the sushi rolls with better 'rolling'. Perhaps your sushi chef needs another class or two. MINUS - if I were be a sushi bar devotee (which I am), I would prefer not to simply have to stare at a wall as opposed to an openness to the kitchen and/or exterior settings (as at Mamasake, Olympic Valley). PLUS - we will return - perhaps our visit was simply an off day for Sam's (but hopefully not us). PLUS - daily lunch menus are offered at under $10 per person. We will return, Sam, but either I need to know better just what you offer our great community or I need to be more tolerant or I need more sake. PLUS - very nice attention to interior furnishings, lighting, windows, very clean restrooms.
(3)
chad H.
This place is a solid 4. It is so rare to be able to have a really good meal out in Tahoe, and who would think that you could get good sushi up here. But we're happy to say that we did. The meal was great. The guys making the sushi were really friendly as was the wait staff. We will definitely be coming back.
(4)
Erin H.
Came here while staying in Truckee over the weekend because it seemed like a decent place due to the reviews and having vegetarian options for one in our group of five. The place was cute with great ambience and our waitress was friendly and attentive. I found my sushi very tasty and although it was a bit pricey - the portions were generous. One person had teriyaki steak and complained that the price to portion was way off base; and the only other complaint I recall was that the sauce on the ribs (special that night) was too sweet and my poor fiance couldn't handle more than a few. We expected the bill to be fairly astronomical but it really wasn't too bad when all was said and done.
(3)
Don W.
I stopped in on a late weeknight only because the brewhouse next door was already done serving food. After walking in and practically sitting down, I was informed by the hipster handle- bar mustache wearing sushi chef that they were already closed. However, when I inquired about taking something to go, he was quick to say "well I'm still here, so OK." #SMH I proceeded to look at their menu (which consisted of nothing like the Tekkadon that I was craving for) at which point, another gentleman offers to take my order and asks whether I'd be dining in or out (WTF?! I thought they were closed!). Anyhow, because I was really hungry I ordered a couple rolls and took it back to my hotel. Needless to say, I had a bit trouble finishing the stuff and hesitantly put almost half of it in the garbage (and I really don't like to do that!). Oh yeah, did I mention that I spent almost $50 on my dinner?? Inflation like a mutha for the worst sushi I have ever had in my life!
(1)
Brian R.
My wife and I have been here many times, always great food and service. The sushi chefs are very personable and can come up with good concoctions on their own...! It is a must stop if your in the mood for sushi and passing by.
(4)
amy c.
We didn't expect superb sashimi up at Tahoe. Who would? Boy were we surprised when we got our assortment plate of sashimi. Dang, it was shockingly good. Very pricey, but given that we are up in the mountains we can overlook it. The fish, scallop and octopus were some of the tastiest we've had and we just came back from living in Asia for a year. We got a plate of noodles for our carbs since we just got done biking and that was pretty tasty too. Will definitely go back.
(5)
Jennifer H.
Had dinner with a friend (husbands were busy that night) It is a smallish space but they set it up creatively ..small bar is off on the left , away from everyone else. Dining area has 7 or so, 4 seat tables against the windows, then 3 or so, 2 seated tables in the middle and finally down the other side of the room ,was the sushi bar (maybe a dozen stools) I was impressed with the beer selection (got the IPA from 21st Amendment Brewery out of S.F.) Had NO idea what to order, but the waitress was very good describing what each of the different groupings were and indicated the sizing on the particular ones... We go a stir fried shrimp ...VERY Flavorful and garlicky....which I loved...and we got a special on that night of Scallops...very good and flavorful (not as hot as the shrimp...temp wise...)but the flavor was again strong=good...If you have ever tried cooking scallops...you know the majority of the time. they are not that flavorful, unless you deep fry them. We also got the sweet/sour soup...have little fish meats in in...I like it ...soothing, with a kick We didn't pig out here...I was looking forward to NOT overeating...felt good leaving, Service was very good, Kept filling our big water glasses, much appreciated...you forget to drink/ask if they are not there but I must have drank 4 or their 20 oz glasses (helped me wash my beer down...lol) You could spend a fortune here and pig out and try everything at once...but we spend a very reasonable amount , enjoyed the ambiance very much (pretty dark...I like that) and the food was creative and tasty and I am looking forward to going back and sitting at the sushi bar and having them suggest what I should get there. All their items looked tempting....so I will be back to try more!
(4)
Zakk D.
Even inland you can find good sushi. I've had great sushi in Utah and they are way more inland than Truckee. But drunken monkey really leaves a lot to be desired. The fish is of so-so quality and you can immediately taste it. Each piece of the rainbow roll was mediocre and just didn't have that fresh taste snap to it. Rolls were of decent size and I thought fair for the price. The California style sushi seemed to have lots of different takes, but after two rolls, we didn't dare try any more. The bento box-style lunch (or whatever sam o. calls it) came with burnt-grilled chicken thigh meat. Not good. It's like they just flash-charred the chicken and served it. Again the portions were decent, but when you're having to scrape off the black crust to get something to eat, that isn't good. Finally the service was lackluster even though we were one of two tables of two there. 3 people working and I have to get up and ask the sushi chef for more water? Come awn. *edit* so sam o. sends me this message: --- Hi Zakk, I read your comment with curious interest. Are you sure you are writing about Drunken Monkey? We never offered bento box nor rainbow roll in our restaurant since we opened. If you went to other sushi restaurant I really appreciate if you could re-enter you review again. Sincerely, Sam Okamoto --- I'm sure we are all collectively shocked that you can order sushi that isn't on the menu. Yes Sam. I was at your resturant and was underwhelmed both by the service and the food. If you still don't think I was there, please refund the $42 I spent there on 1/2/10, which maybe I should ask for anyway.
(2)
Rick D.
Five stars because it is so unexpected in Truckee. We showed up on a mellow Saturday night after a long week of Spring Break and the staff was attentive and very helpful. The seared/cooked dishes were done to perfection. The Hamachi Shio Kama was absolutely amazing and the beef and green beans appetizer was super tasty. The "famous" calamari earned it's name as the calamari was lightly dipped in tempura and had a subtle, sweet sauce that really made it craveable. My only complaint, and this is a small one, is that I think the sake's were a bit overpriced. However, the 300ml are served in a cool carafe that stores ice next to the sake, without touching the sake, in order to keep it cool as you sip. The sake list is actually somewhat small for a place billing themselves as a "sake bar." Most of the sake's offered are fairly unadventurous and standard but they are quality ones and tasty. This is a San Francisco/LA quality sushi place sitting in Truckee. We'll definitely be back.
(5)
Silke P.
Wow, the food at Drunken Monkey is great. Went there twice now, and each time we ended up having a lot of the tapas and appetizer and only very little sushi. Highly recommended are the kawari edamame, the miso eggplant, and - ohhhhh - the escolar sashimi. Everything else we had there was great, too. 4 stars only because: The first time we were there we got everything nicely spaced out, first one dish, then 2 more, then a few more, and then a last one. The last time everything came at once, which was a bit of a bummer. I like my food to appear slowly, so it's like a multi course meal and my table doesn't get overcrowded.... Seating is sometimes a bit funny, the tables for two are a bit like they are in the hallway. The larger tables are much better.
(4)
Sharon R.
I've been a huge fan of the Drunken Monkey ever since they opened. The decor is understated and elegant. Service is always stellar, especially at the sushi bar. The fish is fresh and delicious, the rolls interesting. I love the shaking beef and the spinach most of all, but like to try something new each trip. Usually, I ask Sam what's particularly good that day and give it a try. On Saturday, we went for lunch. Wow! Such a deal-it was $8.50 for miso soup, a nicely dressed salad, steamed rice and TWO entrees. I had teriyaki salmon and calamari tempura. Everything was delicious! My DH hates miso soup and he enjoyed this version. I am so thrilled to have excellent fresh fish available for purchase. I bought some phenomenal halibut!
(5)
Nyyca M.
The food is an inconsistent 4 stars the service is a consistent 2. We ate here 4 times in the past year and are always amazed by the aloof and slow service. They don't take reservations for groups under 6 (we were 5) but then when we got there there was a large table that would have been perfect for us available - but they said they do not sit groups under 6 people at that table - so we had to wait 20 minutes for a different table. Seriously? Sake is good sushi is pretty good. Kids noodles were charred and they wouldn't eat them (my kids love noodles). Calamari was meh. Overall, if you have kids - I would not recommend this place. If you are just adults and don't mind super slow service then its ok.
(3)
Marissa C.
If you're not a true sushi lover and afficienado, then you'll love it here. It's americanized sushi. I won't rehash all of the service issues as it's been covered quite extensively in previous reviews and it all does defintiely apply. They had aji on the board but refused to serve it sashimi style only nigiri. Thank goodness I later found a true sushi restaurant (mikumi) and ended up spending hundreds of dollars there.
(2)
Devin L.
What a way to RUIN a wonderful vacation!!! We had heard excellent things about the Drunken Monkey and were looking forward to experiencing both Northstar and great sushi. We called early evening and spoke with the hostess to make reservations. She asked how many were in our party and when we said only 3, she responded "Come on in, no need for a reservation". Starving and excited to experience a hyped-up sake bar, we went to Drunken Monkey. Not only was the hostess rude, but she barked, "Do you have reservations?". We said no, we were told just to come in. She then proceeded to tell us that it would now be a 45 min wait for 3. WHAT? WOW? She was unapologetic when we let her know that we had called specifically to make reservations and were told not to. I am appalled that an establishment would be so poorly ran and moreover, the hostess would lack common courtesy. We were offered no apology, solution and left still starving! I will recommend to my friends, that is is manditory to make a RESERVATION. Unfortunately i CANNOT comment on the food since I was not givin the opportunity!
(1)
Sonia H.
Beef stir fry was awesome. We had a noodle bowl that was recommended by the waitress it was insanely fishy we had only a couple of bites of it. The sushi roll was okay but lacked flavor. I heard happy hour is where it's at.
(2)
Steven G.
One word :OUTSTANDING!" Who would have thought such a place would exist in Truckee, CA. My wife, two teenage kids and I went for dinner on a Thursday night in late Aug. and found the atmosphere and service very nice. It's not a big place so you might find yourself waiting in peak season. We had the following dishes: KAWARI EDAMAME garlic and chili zest flavored (best we've ever had) VEGETABLE TEMPURA DREAMING MONKEY A crab avocado roll with hamachi, ahi tuna and salmon Maki roll KARASHI MAGURO Hand Role spicy chili scallion tuna CURRY MOCHIKO CHICKEN (exceptionally good) Crisy fried curry flavored chicken in rice flour with ponzu Everything we tried was fantastic. The fish was very fresh. Prices were also relatively reasonable to boot. I would highly recommend the Drunken Monkey.
(5)
Amy H.
Its almost 9 o'clock in the morning right now, I just finished a training session outside in the freezing cold, and what am I thinking about? Drunken monkey hamachi and salmon sashimi, seaweed salad and miso soup. The sashimi plates come with greens and the fish is incredibly fresh, the seaweed salad is the best I've ever had, I usually get two and the miso soup is perfect. This is the best sushi in the area, and I mean the whole Tahoe/Truckee/Reno area. The inside is beautiful and service awesome, its been too long since my last visit. Oh how a little sake would warm me up on this first freezing day of winter.
(5)
Bryan K.
When you're in Truckee, CA, meaning middle-of-nowhere, and you're staying at a hotel off the beaten path, and right next door is a Japanese restaurant called Drunken Monkey with "Sushi, Sake, Tapas, Noodles," you have to pause and ask yourself, "Do you feel lucky, punk?" The place reaks of fusion. Tons of haoles inside. What are the chances that this place is even remotely edible? I mean, I feel damn lucky in my life, but come on, not this lucky. So with that in mind, I had a choice: This place or the pizza place next door. Or a new Thai restaurant next to that place. So I decided on this place, figuring well if the food sucks I'll just drink sake -- they have quite a few options in stock. Ordered: Curry Mochiko Chicken. Curry flavored chicken, covered in mochiko then fried. This was 7 out of 10. It sounded better than it tasted, but it was still tasty. Hamachi Shio Kama. It was a huge piece for $9.50, a great deal. Comes with some weird sauce but I asked for a side of grated daikon. Black & White Dragon Roll. Crab maki-zushi topped with unagi and a fish called escolar. I had to ask the name for this fish, its called hebi saba. It was tasty. The crab was real, not that kamaboko fake crab crap. They charge $2.25 for green tea and $2.50 for rice. I don't care, I need rice. I need tea. The old asian dude sushi chef Sam is a personable guy. He was cutting up some hamachi and some haole guy at the counter asked him where the fish was from. He said, "I don't know. I don't ask." Everybody nowadays wants to know where their food is coming from. I woulda told him, Donner Lake! Sam reminds me of local guys in Hawaii. Anyway, this place had a vibe like Blowfish Sushi to Die For in SF. Its a cool place to hang out if you're out of town. I wish I didn't have a race the next day or I could totally see myself eating, boozing, and chatting it up with the folks next to me. Well I did all that, minus the boozing. Yep, no sake needed tonight.
(4)
Amanda D.
So here is the truth on Drunken Monkey. Food - Some good, some great- Most of it Pricey Service - HORRIBLE! Let me start by saying we've been coming for a while, pretty much every other weekend for the ski season. We have brought tons of friends, spent some serious money and while we are not locals, we are regulars. We went on a Friday afternoon and there were only about 2 tables and a few folks at the sushi bar. The waitress disappeared for about 15min after seating us. We knew exactly what we wanted and were ready to order. I tried to get the attention of the guy at the sushi bar but no eye contact... quite strange. A few minutes later a family came in and they seated them next to us. Sushi guy was pleased as punch to see them and came over all chatty. Finally our waitress took our order. Our sushi came out rather quick, but then she brought my entree and not my boyfriend's. We overheard the table next to us happened to order the same dish as my boyfriend's main course. Of course the waitress took OUR order to them "friends of sushi guy" and let my boyfriend sit there for 15min while I ate my entree in front of him. When I asked her where his was, she said "it's coming" with a snarky attitude. Both she and sushi guy knew what they had done. He came over and asked me if everything was ok? (not in a genuine way I might add) I said politely "I think that table got our food". With no further response he walked back to the kitchen and came out with our food, put it on the table and said nothing and walked to the next table and started being chatty again. I didn't realize we had entered his private space for entertainment. My Boyfriend thinks it might be a locals vs tourist thing, either way - had we known that nepotism and bad attitudes was the special of the day, we wouldn't have come. It's really too bad, because we like to food here but if the service doesn't change I'd rather have a tuna burger at Burger ME. (Which is fantastic by the way). :) It is so unfortunate that this place can't get the service right, or even at a minimum smile and be friendly to the customers that are dropping some serious coin for sushi. $70 for 2 for lunch with no alcohol. Pretty steep for bad service.
(2)
Jackie W.
Not your normal Sushi Bar. Sam is an accomplished photographer as well as a great host. Many different saki's to choose from and very unusual dishes. Dinner will be pricey but the experience is worth it...
(5)
Vicky C.
I cannot even say in words just how much we LOVE this place. Staff is attentive, ambiance is lovely, and the food is simply spectacular. You must try the calamari! Not certain what is in the sauce that goes with it, but I'm certain it's some sort of addictive substance! Sushi is always fresh and professionally prepared and lovely to look at. Hot dishes are delicious as well. We are Truckee locals so please support this restaurant!
(5)
Mari C.
For every yin, there is a yang. For every Sonny, there is a Cher. For every crappy sushi joint, there is a Drunken Monkey. In Truckee, at least. Well thank god (and the devil) for the Drunken Truckee Monkey. (does that rhyme? i can't quite tell...) Previously, the only sushi I had consumed in this town was like a dead fish floating on a bed of electric pink mayo sauce: yelp.com/biz/java-sushi-… How is it that Truckee hosts both the best and worst sushi ever? I mean, who could have known that inebriated primates could be so savy about fish dishes? A little pricey, but the quality of the food is spectacular. And they're all avante-garde about their combinations, so its more like what these kids are calling "Asian Fusion" than your typical sushi joint. Forget the thick sauces and the deep frying (unless you're into that), here you get great quality fish presented beautifully and tastefully. Oh, how tastefully...
(5)
Lisa T.
Holy brown Tuna...I thought maybe they had seasoned or sauced it but noooooooo! It was the most horrible quality fish EVER. I can't believe when we asked for the check they actually made us pay? I was trying to be polite and said we weren't overly impressed with the quality of this visit. They said oh cool story bro...here's your bill. I will never eat here again.
(1)
Mike Z.
I just can't for the life of me understand the last reviewer. Compelled me to write a review defending my beloved sushi place. I'm a frequent flyer at Drunken Monkey where the food ranges from very good to spectacular when you catch them on a fish delivery day. My favorites...the albacore w/ cerrano roll, eggplant, beets, unagi. This week they had king salmon in addition to regular salmon which rocked. You simply have to ask the sushi chef's what they think is best on that day and get that as nigiri or sashimi. Their sushi rivals anywhere in S.F. and the wait staff and sushi chef's are VERY friendly in my opinion.
(5)
Judy L.
The menu is unique compared to other sushi restaurant. No imitation crab is used. The sushi is pretty fresh, and the presentation is great. My friend and I ordered a maki sushi (Spicy Serpent: spicy tuna with regular tuna on top), a broiled hamachi neck, 2 spicy scallop hand rolls, and some nigiri eel rolls. It was a really full dinner for two. The decor is quite interesting. It is a combination of contemporary decoration with interesting rustic table tops. Oh! Our waitress is very cute and friendly. I would definitely come here again! ; )
(4)
Marc R.
This is my first rant about a place on yelp but its necessary. Wanted to have some sushi for dinner after a full day on the slopes at Northstar. Went with wifey and 3 kids but didnt get far. They wouldn't accommodate us at a table seating four (3 were open based on what I have seen). When I asked of we can pull up a chair I got a snotty response that Don't like that as it blocks walkways for other guests. Well. I am happy to take my money elsewhere. in this case to the Thai place adjacent to the Drunken Monkey Sushi
(1)
Lute F.
I went here last summer, and keep finding myself reminiscing about it. I enjoyed it so much I thought maybe I should write a positive review in the hopes they'll still be there next time I visit. I was (car) camping in the mountains locally, dropped into town for the night to get a taste of urbanity. Was craving sushi, though couldn't imagine what Truckee would have to offer in that way. Now, I'm not much of a Yelper, but when I'm not from the area I often find myself on their website, and I suppose with a little practice (sorting out the ego issues) it can be a helpful tool. So, there's the Drunken Monkey, getting good reviews. I decide to try them out... First impression walking in is it's a classy joint. Feels like you're in some upscale Marin community, like Mill Valley maybe. But in a good way, don't get me wrong. Not gaudy, just classy. Not what I expected having driven 5 miles off the freeway, in the middle of the Tahoe National Forest, surrounded by pine trees. Then I notice the jazz. I'm not much of a jazz buff, but it sounded like edgy avant-garde jazz, cranked up. Very cool. Based on ambiance alone, they get 5 stars. But, of course, you can't eat the ambiance... I'm starting to get the idea that you can tell a lot about a Sushi restaurant by what they do with edamame. I s'pose some restaurants make great sushi but pedestrian edamame, but I'd say every restaurant that has pedestrian sushi also has pedestrain edamame. And so it seems that every restaurant that has a unique and tasty take on edamame also has excellent sushi, and so it is with this place. Their Kawari Edamame is possibly the best variation on edamame I've had, a tasty garlic and chili delight. And everything else that followed was either excellent or exceptional, both the cooked food and the sushi. Nice ambiance, excellent food, great service, what more could you want? Oh yeah, how 'bout a view of pine trees? They have that, too! I live in Oakland, CA, one of the urban hubs of the world, and I can say this place is as good as anything around me, and better than most. Five stars for being an excellent restaurant, six stars for being an excellent restaurant with a view of pine trees.
(5)
Jason S.
Went again this week on Friday afternoon. Still impressive. The tempura calamari ($9.50) was excellent and uniquely presented. I had a Yakiniku beef Donburi bowl, which only has a handful of ingredients but was expertly prepared ($8.50). Finished it all off with a Golden Tiger Roll ($9.50). There is some flavor in the sushi rolls I can't put my finger on. It isn't unpleasant, but it isn't desirable either. This is the third time I've had a roll here, and each time that flavor appears. It isn't in the calamari, so I know it isn't the tempura batter or oil. But, it appears no matter what roll I order. The flavor has a musky aroma, like black truffle, but very subtle...Hmmmm.....the mystery continues. Otherwise, and excellent excellent place. And by the way, warm sake is like white zinfandel in the sake world: Gross! Good sake is always room temp or ice cold. I ALWAYS have mine as cold as possible. Drunken Monkey has zero warm sake, and I appreciate their knowledge in this area. Warm sake on any menu is an insult to American palates!!
(5)
Tysen C.
You MUST order the oven roasted honey cha-shu pork donburi dish!!! Perfection in a bowl. Yum! The menu is large and it is difficult to decide. The sake list is great and the one we chose was so smooth and wonderful. The miso was a great way to warm up after a long day of skiing--lots of tofu and onions, yum! My Dad ordered the donburi dish and I helped him eat it, lol. I ordered the golden crystal salad roll w/ crab salad, shrimp tempura, avocado, lettuce and it was good--crispy, light, fresh. My fiance ordered a salmon skin hand roll which was tasty but his nabe-yaki udon was almost inedible. He had to pick out all of the shrimp because they were bad. Despite the udon, the rest of the food and service was very good! Our waitress was super sharp and very attentive. We were impressed by Drunken Monkey and will definitely return next time we are in the Truckee/Tahoe area!
(4)
D. M.
Great assortment of good quality authentic sushi and other Asian food, delicious cocktails, and both adults and the kids loved it. We'll definitely go back!
(4)
Food C.
Drunken Monkey. Proving that mediocrity is totally acceptable in Truckee.... Seriously. How on earth is this place still in business? Went there a few nights ago. Between two of us we had a few pieces of nigiri, a roll, some soup, pot stickers, serano shrimp and one of their special seared tuna plates. First, I'd like a little soup with my salt.... Pot stickers. I'd SWEAR they were from Trader Joes. At very least, cook them so they are warm inside, if not dare I say hot! Seared tuna. In a word, disgusting. I believe the fish was taken out of the freezer and then seared. The fish was tough and ice cold and made us gag from the texture-and since it was so cold there was almost no taste. The serno shrimp were undercooked, slimy and nearly impossible to eat with chopsticks and a total mess to eat with your fingers. If they were good it would have been worth the effort. IF... They weren't spicy and didn't have much flavor. I questioned whether they were even safe to eat. The sushi. I've had as good if not better from the all you can eat joints in Reno. With some of the most expensive prices for sushi between Reno and San Francisco it better be worth it. It's simply not. The long roll. I've had better at the takeout from Safeway in one of those pre-packaged styrofoam setups. I ordered the Demon Slayer, supposed to be a spicy roll, which was very mild. When's the last time you had leftover sushi at your table? Yeah, it was that bad. Wow, really?? For two of us with a third joining for two rounds of drinks our bill with tip was $150.00. Not even remotely worth it. I will NEVER go back there. I know it's not entirely fair to put Truckee restaurants up against those in San Francisco but, if you are going to charge city prices you had better produce the same quality. In conclusion. If you are looking for bland tasting food that is undercooked this is your new favorite spot. Now I remember why it's been about a year since I last went....
(1)
Simon M.
Awesome sushi, a real gem.
(5)
Christine H.
Just had an awesome sushi lunch here, sitting at the sushi bar ... letting Sam delight me with delicious dishes!
(5)
Adam A.
I went for the sushi but there is so much more. Grilled beets, shaking beef, and kimchee all excellent. The muddy garlic ahi is an interesting dish similar to a poke. The service was good but our server seemed a bit annoyed for some reason and not overly friendly. Small place. Go straight from the slopes if you want a table. Not a large place.
(4)
Ketie A.
Oh, I had such great expectations coming back there after a great first experience but you failed me Drunken Monkey big this time. My friends and I (5 people total) came into the restaurant around 5pm or so, the place was not busy (one table of two people). We waited about 15 minutes to get our table ready. Which I believe is a little long wait for an empty restaurant, but whatever not too bad. After we placed our order, two of the first dishes came out pretty quickly and they were good. Our waitress skipped my miso soup, but again I said "whatever not too bad" from there it went down hill. There were 2 other chefs at the bar not including the owner standing there. After 25 minutes the other dishes are not out yet. We see the waitress standing right by the owner munching on food. By that time everybody was pretty pissed and hungry. All the other dishes came out 40 MINUTES LATER! I'm gonna remind you that we were the only table besides the couple that was there before we got there. The waitress didn't even apologized, did not refile our glasses. But then when one of my friends asked her why it took so long her response was "We are very busy, I know it doesn't seem that way but there is a lot going on in the back" But lets talk about the food: wasn't that amazing as I remembered it! As a matter of fact the spicy tuna in some of the dishes had a shady taste to it! At least the waitress was quick with the check thing and knew how to split it quickly. I don't have to mention that she did not get a tip... Fail, epic fail.
(1)
Uno L.
One of the best japanese restaurants. Dreaming monkey maki was phenomenal as well as their seared ahi tapas. Shabu was pretty impressive as well with a reasonable portion for two. The coconut tapioca dessert was the best choice to end our meal. Overall, it's probably our favorite restaurant at Lake Tahoe.
(5)
Myle S.
Great ambiance and sushi in Truckee! We met up with some friends here and they gave us an awesome table. We had a great time and ate so much sushi....we were there for 3 hours I think. Fresh sashimi, specialty rolls, noodles, etc......great if you need to escape some cabin fever!
(4)
sanj k.
Still like the food but its become too popular and the quality is sliding a bit. And, a thought - they should add take-out (for when people cannot get a spot and don't want to wait for a table).
(4)
Kristin P.
Tasty sushi in a pleasant atmosphere, but nothing truly exceptional. Would give it a 3.5 if I could. Got the salmon nigiri (the waitress told us it was EXTREMELY fresh, and it tasted like it), some Inari and a specialty roll with salmon, tuna and something else on top. All were delightful. The inari had sesame seeds on the bottom, which was new to me, but pretty good. We also got Miso soup, which was among the best I've ever had, as well as some sort of noodles (Shanghai?) and a chicken dish. The noodles were good, but not at all exceptional. I really didn't like the chicken very much -- although the flavor was nice, the texture was unpleasant for me -- sort of fatty and rubbery. Also, I really wanted a mojito (and they had one on their drink list), but they were out of mint. We will go back, but I will probably stick to the miso soup and sushi from now on.
not bad for a Sushi bar in Tahoe. I would go back.
(4)
Forrest T.
Service was terrible and waitress was very unhelpful.
(1)
Rick S.
Their sushi pricing is better than mist other mountain resorts. Their 3 lunch specials are an even better value. I had their $8.95 lunch bento box which pretty good although it didn't really match up with the menu description. Summer lunch service was fast. I'd come back.
(4)
Fro S.
I still really like this place, but last time I went the boss wasn't behind the sushi bar, and the sushi wasn't as good- the rice didn't hold together, and the shape wasn't right. Again the service was a bit sloppy- we were impressed when we walked in and were asked if we wanted kid chopsticks, we said yes please, but mid way through the meal had to remind them. The staff still don't know much about Japanese food, but I guess that's not surprising.
(4)
Patrick B.
Good food. Great staff! Let us stay well after closing and drink sake until we couldn't sit up straight anymore :-)
(4)
Aaron S.
After driving by the Drunken Monkey on a daily basis, we finally decided to give it a try as we have heard very positive feedback from friends. So the other week we had some guests in town and suggested we head out to the Drunken Monkey. We ended up having a negative experience. We brought our one year old to dinner and asked if we could have some chicken added to her noodle dish. We are talking one or two bites for a baby..nothing to extravagant, and we explained this to our waitress (who was very nice). What we got not only shocked us but was so gross that I would not have feed it to our neighborhood dog. They put what looked to be the leftover chicken fat nubs on top of my daughters noodles. The so called chicken was literally not edible. So at first I was like what ever since I just asked for an add on..but then we got the bill and we were charged for these chicken scraps! I was in utter shock and disbelief that the Drunken Money had the audacity to charge us $15 for a kids noodle dish with left over chicken scraps added. Needless to say, we won't be going back. There are plenty of good restaurants in Truckee that appreciate their guests and don't feel a need to nickel and dime the customer. As a side note, I called a few days later to let the manager know this happened and he could not figure out why I was upset...
(2)
Lin Z.
Great sushi and tapas...best during the shoulder season when not crowded with tourists and they have reduced prices.
(4)
Rahul K.
Beautiful restaurant really nice sushi menu. Service was great as well. Had to wait 30 minutes for a table so the maître de said he'd come get us from the brew pub when our table was ready since there were 6 of us and all the big tables were full. If you go you must try the garlic edemame they are to die for!! Also the pork and rice tapas were excellent. Prices were very reasonable as well for quality Japanese food.
(4)
Stacey F.
Sometimes the hostess can be "distant" but waitstaff is great (love Katie and Jamie) and the fish is fresh and excellent here! hebi saba nigiri, I cannot get enough of you! Great atmosphere. As usual you get what u pay for, bit spendy, but it is not your run of the mill sushi.
(4)
Sarah H.
Everything we had was outstanding- the servings of nigiri are enormous, the ginger is fabulous, all the fish super fresh. You MUST GO!!
(5)
Pete G.
This restaurant is just okay. I ordered the Calamari and the only real taste was the sauce. California roll was fresh and well prepared. I ordered a drink that was infused with something still haven't figured that one out yet. The pork donburi was pretty good. What meat that was available had a good taste. For what you pay I would have expected a little more.
(3)
David C.
I''m glad to see this kind of quality japanese food in a small town like Truckee. The table next to us ordered fresh dungenous crabs received that day. It looked so good but I didn't want to satisfy my hunger with just one dish. So we opted for tapas style. The hamachi kama was one of my fav of the night. Agadashi tofu was a bit firm but the broth was flavorful. Sushi all tasted pretty fresh. One spinach and sesame dish was a bit on the salty side. Would've liked to taste more of the sesame. Overall, a great experience. Looking forward to go back and try some other interesting dishes.
(4)
Patrick H.
Bad service, medicore food and a dull atmosphere. Definitely avoid.
(1)
Lauren L.
Wow! Impressive is right! This place is not only amazingly delicious, but totally reasonable. Some of the best sushi I've had in the area along with a well rounded menu of noodle bowls, rice bowls, and apps. Sake isn't my thing, but the list was extensive. I had a stir fried street noodle bowl with pork and basil, along with two excellent pieces of tuna nigiri that made my night. Prices were super reasonable ($8.95-11.95 for the non-sushi entrees) and all the rolls coming out of the bar looked incredible. Overall, this place is just ace - from the decor, to the menu, to the service. We can't wait to return again next week!
(5)
Teresa C.
Wonderful dining and great food. It is a fresh and delicious Japanese restaurant. we went there again yesterday while we were staying in the cedar sports hotel. I , my husband and my son were sit in the sushi bar. we had a wonderful dinner, our sever was nice, sushi chef even gave us some extra delicious dish from house. we love sushi there... Can't wait for next Tahoe stay.
(5)
S J.
Good 5 portion meals. Service is fast and staff are friendly great Asian fusion restaurant.
(4)
Paul H.
Impressive? Hardly. One evening while here on a ski vacation, and trying to decide just where to go, my wife found great reviews for the Drunken Monkey right here on Yelp. Well, we were both craving sushi and decided to give it a try...only to be disappointed. The Miso Soup that we ordered for our son was very bland, and the Udon noodles that my wife ordered were overdone. The Nigiri and rolls that I ordered were just ok, nothing memorable, but good enough I guess for a town like Truckee. The decor is well done, and the two sakes that we had from the sake menu were very good. Personally, I would come back myself if I had the craving, but my wife is a bit more selective, so it will take some convincing.
(3)
Tim M.
Great sushi in Truckee. Nice atmosphere. Eat at the Drunken Monkey.
(5)
Bill K.
The sushi might be excellent, but we never had a chance to find out. After taking our drink orders, we sat at the sushi bar for more than 20 minutes without ever being acknowledged by the young sushi chef - no ginger, no eye contact, nothing. This despite the fact the place was not crowded - people who were seated at tables well after us were receiving their sushi orders. Maybe this was an anomaly, but we ended up leaving and going to another sushi bar were the service was excellent.
(1)
Don N.
Most of the time, mountain sushi = not so good. After three visits, I can honestly say this place will surprise you. I am a bit of a sushi purist (meaning I prefer nigiri and sashimi over rolls) and I've had excellent fish every visit. Kudos to Sam and the crew for keeping it real! Side dishes are great too -- 'Monkey Cleaned Out the Refrigerator' and flash fried edamame -- YUM!
(5)
Matt S.
My wife and I recently went to Truckee/Tahoe to celebrate our anniversary and found the Drunken Monkey on a chance. We ordered a tapas dish, salad and a sushi roll. The sushi was good, in it's own right however the thing that impressed us the most was the salad and tapas. We highly recommend the goma-am spinach was amazing and noodle salad we ordered was equally impressive.
(5)
Michele D.
I am local Truckee sushi fan and I love Drunken Monkey. I have been numerous times with friends and family and the fish is as fresh as it gets. If you have the chance to sit at the bar and visit with Sam it makes the meal even better because he is such an incredible chef and takes pride in what he does. Be sure to enjoy the great variety of sake they offer. The atmosphere is very calming and you are not blasted out by loud music, so you can truly enjoy your food. If you are looking for a fresh new experience in Truckee you need to give Drunken Monkey a chance, you will not be disappointed.
(5)
Debra D.
The Drunken Monkey is a great new addition to our local dining options - the menu is unusual and wonderful - Sam Okamoto is the ultimate host and just kept the incredible Sushi coming. Our favorite was the Calamari and the unfiltered Saki we had for dessert. Every piece of fish was so fresh it seemed right off the boat and the presentation of each dish was unique and beautiful - so happy the "Monkey" came to town!!!
(5)
Greg G.
C+ execution of fusion Japanese cuisine. Will not return.
(2)
Gerardo C.
Not you typical sushi, but different and good.
(4)
Michel F.
Yelp led us to this slightly off the beaten path restaurant in Truckee a couple weekends ago. Great decor and ambiance and fabulous food. Not at all your traditional sushi place. The dishes are very unique and different, with an interesting selection (sushi is only part of the story).
(5)
Jeni B.
Deeelish! This place is really good. We are from the bay area where you can really get top notch Sushi if you know where to go and this place could rub elbows with the best of them. The fish is fresh and the menu is innovative with plenty of interesting dishes to tempt your pallet. They get an extra star for knowing how to tempura a roll while keeping the fish in the center raw, which most places get wrong.. The ambiance is like a hip nightclub but with toned down music so you can hold a conversation. The only downside of the place is that the service can be a bit hit and miss depending on your server but most of the time the service is great. I set up a b-day there for my hubby and the server we had was absolutely awesome and the restaurant was patient with my bringing in a special cake and ridiculous balloon hats and such. I recommend trying the sesame spinach, the ura-maki hamachi hotate and the seaweed salad for a start.
(5)
Rachel P.
delicious sushi- so tender and fresh, the salmon practically swam off my plate
(4)
Alisa K.
My family and I decided to try this place after reading a review in the local paper. As Japanese foodies we were excited to try out their exciting menu. We were very disappointed. Our first dish was the goma-ae spinach, It was way too salty. The calamari was ok but I was not crazy about the spicy sauce. Would be better on the side as a dipping sauce? The vegetable noodle dish (something drunken monkey) had a horrific odor and my mother had to spit it out. The waitress noticed that we didn't eat it and took it off the check. She did the same for my husband's tuna nigiri. The biggest issue with sushi at high altitudes is getting the rice cooked right. The rice was too mooshy at Drunken Monkey. The meat in the yaki niku domburi was ok but the again, the rice was mooshy. The age-dashi tofu was ok. The grilled beets tasted like they were out of a can. The eggplant was mooshy and over-salted. The vegetable gyoza were super spicy, which is weird. I've had kimchi flavored gyoza before at a specialty gyoza restaurant in Japan but this was a different kind of spicy, not in a good way. The tempera came with some misc. fish nuggets, a little odd. We couldn't tell what it was. The salmon based on it's color appeared farm-raised. To close on a positive, the service was pretty good although my mother had to track our waitress down to pay the check. The sake was good. I was not crazy about the pineapple -vanilla bean shochu martini but my stepfather liked it. The subtle flavors grew on me a little too. On our drive home we discussed what we loved about Japanese food was the subtle flavors. The best Japanese food I've eaten had very little added to it. Usually simple ingredients of the highest quality cooked just right. If you drown it in sauce, salt, mayonnaise and hot sauce what's the point. Everything begins to taste the same. We will not be returning.
(1)
Meadow M.
Ok so last night I took my man-friend out for his birthday dinner. We have been talking about having sushi for a while now and his b-day was the perfect time to crush the craving. I actually looked on Yelp to figure out where to take him. I have been to many restaurants in Reno and have found a few that I enjoy but I wanted to try something new. We ended up at The Drunken Monkey. It was a little hard to find for me but I get lost taking a new route to my own home so that isn't saying much. We were seated immediately and greeted just as quickly. I started my dinner with a ginger and cucumber martini which was so refreshing I could have chugged it with a straw. It went down way to easy. My date and I shared fresh oysters that slid down with ease. For dinner we shared the Chefs choice sashimi and a delish spicy monkey something or other roll. Fantastic!!! the fish was fresh, the roll was flavorful and the wasabi was a kick in the nose. To finish things off we tried the chocolate mousse and a twist on a strawberry cheesecake. Both had amazing flavor but I wouldn't exactly call the cheesecake...cheesecake. The texture was more gelatinous and the flavor was very light. I love the creaminess of cheesecake so this wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be. The mousse was perfect. Overall, I would take a road trip to try this restaurant again. Price range was a little more than I can spend monthly but I will start saving my change for the next big date.
(4)
Rob H.
If given the choice between Drunken Monkey and Mikuni in Northstar (basically the main competition for nouveau-sushi in the area), I'd pick Drunken Monkey hands down.
(4)
Kristy K.
I finally was able to try the Drunken Monkey and was thoroughly impressed with the food they are putting out. Truckee was in dire need of a Sushi place that isn't outrageously expensive or just plain bad. I love that they have more than just sushi on the menu and love the idea of Japanese tapas. The fish quality is definitely the best I've had in Truckee and they don't use imitation crab! The nigiri servings are quite impressive and the rolls aren't covered in crazy amounts of sauces like a few other places I might mention... They are pretty decently priced as well, but of course won't satisfy the strictly all-you-can-eat sushi lovers. It's definitely a refreshing change to the Truckee restaurant scene. The atmosphere is really cozy as well, I like that It's small inside without feeling cramped and their chairs are sooooo comfortable. On a strange side note, their wasabi is curiously strong ... use caution. I'm only giving it 4 stars however, because I can't give any restaurant a 5 star rating based on one visit. I will definitely be back!
(4)
Nicole P.
Though my husband and I have defended Drunken Monkey's tasty fare to our friends, we've recently been disappointed by the managements poor decisions. While happy hour is advertised to run from 4-6, we've shown up multiple times and been told they've either cancelled happy hour for that night or cut it short, leaving us, of course, to pay full price. This is simply unacceptable and unkind. Being a local of over 15 years who goes out to dinner at least once a week, I yearn for a restaurant with consistently great food and considerate management. Unfortunately, Drunken Monkey has fallen off our list of great Truckee restaurants.
(2)
Knit s.
Great menu, good ambience, interesting flavors, decent food, abominable service. Two stars for the service and four for the food, so two overall, unfortunately. This is a great restaurant...for Truckee, which is probably where the other reviewers got their collective four star rating. I called two days ahead of our planned meal there to make a reservation for three. I was told they do not accept reservations for parties under six people, but that they are not typically busy at the time we would be coming (on a Tuesday night at 5:45 p.m.). When we arrived, we could see the place was hopping. It didn't look like there were any tables available, but we did see two tables with "reserved" signs on them. We were told by the hostess that it would be 15-20 minutes (which was not a good estimate because she knew damn well the other four tables were ones she JUST sat within the ten minutes before we got there...some of them were just ordering drinks). We were told we could wait at the bar, which we did. The bartender (Melissa) didn't look up at us initially when we sat down. After three or four minutes, she asked if we were eating dinner there. We said that we were waiting for a table. She kept disappearing into the back (I think she had more than one job), and on one of her trips back out to prepare drinks, she asked if we wanted anything. I ordered a drink, and after a minute, she said they were out of a key ingredient so she couldn't make it. She had a rude tone and a constant scowl on her face. It seemed as if her boyfriend broke up with her earlier in the day. She disappeared immediately so we didn't get a chance to order any other drinks. One person in my party did manage to tell out a drink to her and she brought it 15 minutes later (no joke, especially considering it was WATER). After we had been waiting for 25 minutes (during which time I even vacated my barstool, feeling bad that there might be actual bar patrons who could sit there), we asked the hostess how much longer it would be. She said about 30 minutes more. What???? That would mean 50 minutes of waiting for a table? No way. We were ready to leave and as we were making our way toward the door, the hostess caught us and said there was a table who was just paying so it would only be a few more minutes. I didn't believe her and still wanted to leave, but the other people in my party thought we should give it another minute or two. We did, and we were sat at a table within a minute. Fortunately, our waitress (Hannah) was great and kept apologizing for the wait (to us as well as to the tables around us). In fact, Hannah was the best part of the dining experience, other than the food. We ordered two main dishes and three appetizers. One appetizer came 15 minutes before anything else. That was followed by one of the main dishes, and then, 20 minutes later, another appetizer and the other main dish. The final appetizer (the largest, most substantial one), arrived exactly 40 minutes after the first appetizer. Unbelievable, really, especially because the food was good. Our visit was at the beginning of the busy Christmas week, which was likely why they were slammed, but still, the kind of service we received from Melissa and the hostess were unacceptable. Too bad Hannah can't run the place all on her own. Bottom line: they need a bigger kitchen and three more servers, and they need to take reservations, even for smaller parties, because they are clearly popular (due to pretty good food). A note to the owners...ever heard of Open Table?
(2)
Marek B.
for a place in the hills off the beaten snow path this is the go to for fresh inspired sushi. they have a great staff and amazing selecion of sushi from the standard to the exotic. will say they have a great selection of booze as well. but as for most this last tid bit is key the price is very fair for what they provide id almost say its cheep price wise being from SF, i loved the food the service the casual essence do go if you are in the area
(5)
Jessica L.
sushi here us awesome and reasonably priced!
(4)
Jeff K.
My wife and I have been fans of Sam's for many years. He used to be the head chef at a sushi bar on the Washington coast. We are such fans of his food that when he moved from Washington we continued to travel to enjoy his wonderful food and style when time allows. We recently had the good fortune to visit Sam's new place, The Drunken Monkey. We were totally blown away. The atmosphere is great, elegant, but not at all stuffy, very, very comfortable and soothing. The staff is extremely well trained and attentive, and always smiling. The food is incredible, from very well prepared sushi stand-bys to very unique and delicious sushi creations, to the wide variety of hot items available. Sam is extremely talented and creative, and he creates dishes that are out of this world. We dined for five hours and enjoyed every moment. The staff is lively and fun, just like Sam himself. It is an experience that transcends just eating and is very much a pleasurable undertaking. We can't reccomend The Drunken Monkey highly enough.
(5)
Loni H.
I just went here last Thursday for the first time. I would like to preface this review by saying I lived in Tahoe for quite some time, a few years back. I was shocked that there was civilization past the 7-11 on Brockway, not to mention a sushi restaurant. I was with a couple of Tahoe residents buddies, and they were confident in the place. I played it safe, ordering the TOGARASHI JAPANESE LINGUINE and a spicy tuna roll. The noodles were fantastic. I was completely blown away. Despite Togarashi (Japanese seven spice) being one of my favorite Japanese staples, it's surprising how underused it is in most Japanese restaurants. Then, the roll came, and the fish was great. Most importantly, the roll was a generous one, so lots of bang for the buck. I was really surprised to read that San Josean's review (below) of the Monkey... seriously? Pretty sure that the word "reservation" isn't even in the Truckee Dictionary. I guess the fact that the same person also came to Truckee to enjoy Northstar is a dead pan expression that leads one to believe that this person is just another gaper from the Bay. Whatever, I'm claiming it. This place is great.
(5)
Marie B.
Ever feel overwhelmed by the amazing sake selection at Drunken Monkey? Fear the menu no more! Take Sams Sake Class (offered Tuesday nights this month) and feel like an expert next time you select your Sake. The class was fun, tasty and educational. But Sam is generous with the tasting pours, so pace yourself or take a cab! This class is also a great chance to sample some of Drunken Monkey's great food.
(5)
Shivon M.
My husband and I tried the Drunken Monkey because of the reviews on Yelp and because we were excited to have a good sushi place in Truckee. Unfortunately, we were very dissappointed in the quality of the fish, the portions and the service. This made us especially disappointed in the price - it was very expensive for the quality and service. They do have a very nice list of sake. We haven't been back.
(1)
Ryan K.
Wow! I just had one of the best meals that I have had in a long time at Drunken Monkey. The food was fresh and very creative. We especially loved the tempura calamari. Our server Cari went out of her way to make us happy by suggesting her favorite cocktails and food and was very attentive. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Brenton W.
can't say i like the name, but the sushi is good and the small menu is welcome (2 pages). would definitely come back again.
(3)
Gi Y.
Found this sushi restaurant right next to our hotel. Just walk across the street and we were there. We went in for lunch on weekend and nobody was there, just us one table. So I thought this place is not good or overpriced?? Well, after I checked the menu, all the items are decent price. So ordered ama ebi, spider roll, ca roll, noodle for kids. Ama ebi was on a bit small but it was fresh, the deep fried heads were tasty. The spider roll and ca roll came out nice. My 5 yrs old son just kept eating the ca roll. Then the noodle for kids is basically plain udon noodle with soup, no veggie or meat in the bowl. But the noodle soup came out hot and soup base tasted really good. My one year old daughter likes the soup. Although it was $5, I felt better because it was actually good. Well, I guess the best time to go maybe is lunch so there's no need to wait for table like other reviewers at dinner time. It's a small restaurant, so I can see it might get very crowded at night. Glad we went in for lunch and not the the peak snow season.
(4)
Cecile H.
the salmon sushi was delicious!!
(5)
Ashwin S.
Iam not a big fan of Asian food, japanase food to say the least, but this place was just fantastic. Being a veggie, my choices are, generally, pretty limited but the number of veggie dishes here was impressive. But, I was really blown away by the quality of the veggie dishes. The veggie tempura, the grilled beats, the veggie gyozo, and the avo-kyun rolls were simply amazing. To top it off, the ginger and coffee icecream was just so full of flavor.. The staff even served us some fantastic tapioca pudding on the house which was greatly appreciated. Thanks folks for such a fantastic dinner.
(5)
Gabby K.
its not often im excited to get sushi in an area thats not remotely near the ocean. that being said, i seem to always get sushi whilst visiting the tahoe area after a day of boarding. the reviews were what drew me away from the lake, and into truckee to this spot & im glad we went! first and foremost, the service was top notch. the waiter shared with us his personal favorites & even said which items could be hit or miss. did i mention we were seated immediately, too? the tapas style portions were a it more than we had expected, but proved to be just perfect. we started with the sea salt crusted hamachi collar, which was grilled to perfection... on a bed of yummy greens, too! the sesame spinach & garlic infused olive oil roasted beets didnt seem like your typical sushi restaurant fare, but were ordered...twice...with an additional order to take back to our hotel. the chef's choice sashimi plate proved that the fish could match the quality of thier other dishes. my spicy scallop hand roll was quite possibly the best ive had, too. top it off with a carafe of premium sake... and when the check came, the surprise was how despite gorging ourselves, everything was less than $70...we both were guessing the bill would be much more. all the entrees, tapas dishes, rolls & sashimi are well priced, in fact... so mebbe that shouldnt have been so much of a shock. stuff adds up, when youre in tastytown. seriously, no bs... this place is the best in the area & i look forward to visiting it may more times! ps, i forgot to mention the soundtrack to all this.. wonderful drum and bass and mark farina's mushroom jazz! right on.
(5)
Leslie T.
This is some of the best sushi I have ever had! And I have had pretty damn good sushi in SF! But, then, of course, Sam Okamoto is behind the sushi bar and has a vested interest in the place succeeding. I have been there 3 times to eat at the sushi bar, and I have ordered sushi to go since I work just down the street. Everything is always incredibly fresh and beautifully prepared. Decent prices for large rolls and pretty much everything else, too. Their Temaki (cone-shaped hand rolls) are to die for! I've tried other things on the menu and enjoyed them, too. The "Anti-Cucho Miso Beef" off the tapas menu was perfectly seasoned and very tender. The "Drunken Monkey Calamari" off the tempura portion of their extensive menu was the best calamari I have ever eaten and I have had it twice now! It is lightly battered with a honey lemongrass sauce and served in an edible rice flour (?) bowl. The "Tempura Soba" was also a nice light soup with the noodles perfectly cooked, although I don't know if I like soggy shrimp tempura, so I probably would not have that one again. Very friendly staff, too, and that is always a plus in any restaurant. They also have a sake bar, but I have not tried what that has to offer. I have had a few interesting and innovative cocktails at the sushi bar though....just don't remember exactly what they were! ha ha ha
(5)
Diane Z.
Today we found Drunken Monkey open for lunch and plenty of tables available. We enjoyed Kawari Edamame (spicy with garlic and chili) more than any edamame anywhere. Also the calimari tempura was delicious-- hot, light, served with a "honey-lemongrass" but pink(?) sauce. We weren't so much fans of the Dreaming Monkey roll but will definitely try this place again.
(4)
Vixen C.
The menu looked fun and interesting so we decided to give this place a try. We were seated pretty quickly and waters came out almost immediately. After that, service went downhill. Our sake and beer took over 20 minutes. We ordered the edamame because Yelp reviews said it was the best they've ever tasted with garlic and chili. We didn't realize they offered two types and we received the plain one. Too bad our server didn't mention there were two types. We assumed we were getting the garlic one. The server finally came back around after 10 minutes but by that time we settled for it. When I told the server that we wanted the Kawari edamame, instead of switching it out, she asked if we wanted to order that type as well. Whaat? Yeah, no thanks. I'm not spending $9.50 on edamame- something that is usually complimentary! After waiting another 35 minutes, our sushi and other items arrived. The sushi was disappointingly bland and the sushi rice was mushy. Can't believe the sushi didn't match up to the menu descriptions. Bummer.
(2)
Warren M.
We decided to try this location as it was recommended by friends in the area. It was very quiet for the lunch hour so we were seated immediately. The waitress was friendly and took our order within fifteen minutes. We ordered a Red Dragon roll. The fish was fresh but the roll itself had no flavor. The spicey tuna hand rolls were the same along with the two other rolls ordered. The presentation was excellent. The fact that there was no flavor baffled us completely. The rice wasn't even seasoned with the usual touch of vinegar. The Madera Serpent was disappointing flavor wise as well. The other disappointment was the volume of flies in the restaurant. I killed three during my meal which took the appetite away rather quickly. I would like to try this location again as it might have been an off day for the Drunkin Monkey. It was a $70.00 lunch though (No alcohol) and again very disapointing.
(3)
HMari P.
I really like Drunken Monkey. Great wine, great sushi. They are totally helpful to alter rolls to make them gluten free. The service is great too. Yummy wine. We eat here at least twice a month. I just wish you could reserve a table but the wait is not that long.
(4)
Nick A.
Best sushi I've ever had. And it's in Tahoe major plus. The spider roll was one of the best on the menu. Definitely make a trip here if you are in the area. Good prices and great service. Also in a good area of truckee with tons of parking in the back.
(5)
Stacy H.
Called tonight for takeout and was told they were not doing take out because they had to many dine in customers. What? You're kidding right? Why do you call yourself a take out restaurant if you are not equipped to do takeout.
(1)
D S.
Have a snack before you go, we waited 20 minutes to be seated (not even 1/2 the tables were taken) then another 15 for them to even say hello. The drunken monkey has no real alcohol, only strange wine cocktails. I could have overlooked everything if the food was good, but it wasn't.
(2)
Jana L.
With the limited selection in Truckee, CA, Drunken Monkey Sushi is really good! A group of friends and I were craaaaavin' some raw fish. Thank you to yelp for finding this place for us! We drove exactly 8.2 miles from our cabin in Tahoe in order to get this delicious sushi! The Dreaming Monkey roll ( yelp.com/biz_photos/drun… ) is like THE BEST ONE you can get. It was raw tuna, salmon, and hamachi. But wait. There's more. AVOCADO too???? :D That's like, the ideal roll! Unfortunately, it was a bit pricey for $14.50, but after actually tasting it in my mouth.... ahhh, so good. In addition to that, the crab they used wasn't the gross fake crab and mayo mix. It was reaaaal crab! And I think that's what really made my taste buds god WOW! :P In terms of Donburi, I wish they had served some egg. I got the Cha-shu donburi ( yelp.com/biz_photos/drun… ) and it was very very tasty. However, there wasn't any good egg with it! Overall, the meats came in good portions and the zuchinni was a bonus! :) I may have just been craving some fish on this day, but man oh man were those two things good. The set-up and design was interesting to me since it didn't give a traditional vibe to that city-like, modern ambience. In the middle of a snow maze, we have this really good sushi restaurant. Haha. Oh wells, good food is a must right? :)
(4)
Andrew H.
I came here with a group of family and friends and had some of the best sushi I've ever had! Service was great and the food was delicious. Although great, the rolls that we ordered were nothing to brag about. The nigiri sushi is what's to brag about. My favorite sushi is albacore sushi and until my visit to this restaurant, I didn't realize it could get any better. But here it did. The albacore was melt in your mouth good, and there's this garlic ginger type of sauce that they dab on top that really gives it flavor. It was so good that I had to ask exactly what it was. In addition to the albacore, I ordered wild caught salmon sushi which was on special. I never new salmon sushi could be this good! And the color.. It was dark orange like I've never seen. So delicious. I'll definitely be back here!!
(5)
Jena M.
This place is good for being so far from the ocean. I enjoyed my rolls. They have options for vegetarians too, which is always nice. Our waitress was friendly but took a while to notice that we were in desperate need of water refills and our cocktails had been empty for too long. We probably would have had another round of sake if we were tended to a little better. Overall our experience was good and we will be back.
(3)
Sonia J.
Best sushi in Tahoe, in my opinion. The closest you'll get to San Francisco quality sushi, and I mean SUSHI (raw fish, not any of that deep fried filler stuff). I usually get their Dreaming Monkey Roll, SO GOOD and a few orders of sashimi. I've tried their Ramen a few times in the winter time when I was sick. Definitely ask for their spicy sauce on the side to clear up any sinuses! They have really yummy cocktails too! What I really don't like about this restaurant is how dark it is inside during dinner time. The lights are way too dim. I feel kind of embarrassed having to place the menu so close to my face to get a better read haha! Also, they are a little pricey but you pay for quality! Overall, if you are looking for a yummy sushi spot in the North Lake area, definitely stop here!
(4)
Kelli H.
I was pretty happy with my experience here. Came in on Memorial Day and it was pretty dead, so maybe that's why service wasn't as bad as so many complain. All of our rolls were super delicious. Especially the red dragon and black dragon. Our calamari had a delicious spicy sauce over it, and the miso soup was some of the best I've had. We also really enjoyed our spicy edamame. Only complaint would be that our calamari appetizer came out at the same time as our rolls which was pretty annoying. It made us not even want the calamari anymore. Also, one persons roll came out about 5 minutes after everyone else's. So, besides those 2 little mishaps, we had a delicious dinner. We'll definitely be back for more sushi in the future.
(4)
Tim Y.
Great food and service! The sushi and food was fresh. Nice hip local joint. The prices are a bit high but then again you're getting sushi in Truckee! I'll be back next time I'm in the area!
(4)
Lindsey S.
By far this place needs five stars. It is one of those best kept secrets that's not a secret. The staff is really nice and knowledgable. They give recommendations based on what you tell them you like or dislike. There is NO fishy smell. Perfect sign for good sushi. The atmosphere is very relaxed. I love the monkey theme. Very fun. Highly recommend!
(5)
Natalie S.
Delicious, nice people, good service. Love it!
(5)
Loren T.
Considering their location, the fish and sushi was pretty fresh and good. Fair prices for Truckee. The side dishes were surprisingly good....
(5)
Kim E.
We were in town for a mini vacation and was recommended to this restaurant by a local business owner. The Singapore street noodles with shrimp was very tasty. GET THE CALAMARI. It's the best we have ever had and claims to be their most popular dish. I see why. Lightly tempura battered, tender meat, and perfectly complemented by the sauces on top.
(4)
Jas W.
Solid 4 stars. This place has good sushi for the area of Truckee. You cannot go wrong with any dish you order. We had 2 sushi rolls, kids size udon (too small), donburi, and the rock cod clay pot. Everything tasted good. I wouldn't say excellent, but I would definitely come back here next time we come back to ski at Northstar. Comparing Drunken Monkey to Mukuni at Northstar Mukuni has great service. Food was OK. It is convenient since it's at the village, but the food was just not that great. The tempura batter was a bit sweet (not in a good way). The sushi rolls were not that fresh and the california rolls had too much mayo Service was good and food came out fast. Drunken Monkey was definitely much better. The rolls, the entrees all were good. You cannot go wrong with anything you order. Wait was a bit longer, but service was acceptable and food came out fast. All in all, for Truckee, Drunken Monkey has pretty decent sushi. I see a bunch of locals come here, so that says a lot.
(4)
Allie A.
3.5 Came here for a work event - not sure what the tab was for 5 people who each ordered 1 alcoholic drink, plus 3 appetizers and a bunch of sushi, but I did see my boss's eyeballs bug out when the bill finally arrived. The dishes themselves were fine, all were good considering we shared a bunch of dishes and tried all sorts of different things. I particularly liked the calamari as an appetizer. The vegetarian dumplings were good, but fell apart each time on its brief journey from the dish to the soy sauce and before it got to my mouth. Finally, a big THUMBS DOWN to the bus boy, who was diligent about coming around and filling our glasses with water, but several of us ended up with soaking wet sleeves because of his ineptitude. Don't you love getting dressed up to go out to dinner only to spend most of your meal with wet sleeves because the bus boy can only seem to get 89% of the glass filled while the rest of the water from his carafe spills onto the table? He did this not once, not twice, but three times during our dinner meal. When I called him out on it, he just stared at me blankly and didn't even offer to wipe off any of the spills.
Service was a little slow given that there weren't many tables. Amazing quality sushi. Great rolls and was surprised to find such quality in Tahoe. A++
(5)
A V.
Amazing place! The sushi is so fresh and delicious. The presentation of the food is also very appealing. I greatly recommend to order their special edamame for an appetizer. Delicious and great customer service!!
(5)
David Z.
Drunken Monkey is one of those places where they do very good Japanese sushi (nigiri and sashimi) with high quality fish and great presentation. Where things get interesting is when they start getting creative with the rolls. I had a "madara serpent" roll which was spicy tuna with shallots and then escolar on top - it was excellent. We also had a special spicy salad which was excellent. This was my 2nd time eating here and it was great! The quality of the sushi is very good and the menu items are creative and different.
(4)
Robert C.
So far from fish sources and yet sushi that is extremely fresh and well priced. Don't forget to order the homemade ramen noodles. A trip to DM with a ramen bowl is a miss. I've been there every time I visit, and, in an area where tourists and chefs come and go, this place is a pillar of consistency and excellence.
(5)
Gertie S.
It's been awhile since I had a meal this creative and delicious. We had lunch here on Sunday October 19th and besides a (presumed) friend of the staff talking to loudly from her seat at the bar the entire time it was fantastic. Varied options from Vietnamese to Korean to inventive Japanese fare. I tried the new Beef Pho advertised on the website and loved it. I also had the Poki Tataki and some Kimchi. My daughter exclaimed over her oh so fresh tobiko roll and the hubby loved his rolls. Fabulous!
(5)
Greg S.
Awesome!. Great service, atmosphere, and amazing food. I totally was not expecting this for Truckee. Price is typical for a Sushi Restaurant. Would return on my next visit.
(5)
B A.
This place has so much potential but didn't live up to what my boyfriend and I were expecting for a nice date night. Let me just say first that I am a server myself in the lake tahoe area and as far as food service goes I tend to be laid back. This experience was terrible from the minute we walked in. We went to the Drunken Monkey based on some recommendations from friends who have eaten there before. The restaurant has nice decor and a calm, tranquil ambiance. The restaurant was not busy, maybe a couple at the bar, a four top, and three two tops. All of the "two top" tables were taken. The hostess offered us either the bar or an awkward triangle table in the corner. When I asked if we could sit in the dining room area (where there were several tables set and available) she rudely responded that she had to ask the server if she would mind serving us. As a server myself I understand that you are there to make tip based money, so a two top can be more work for less payoff, but regardless you are there to SERVE customers. The server poked her head around the corner, looked us up and down, and then coldly replied "well I'd prefer not, but since we aren't busy I guess I can take them." I was appalled to say the least. The host took us to our table and left without saying anything. I tried to look past this initial incident in order to enjoy our date but our server made no attempt over our meal to make up for her attitude. As for the food it was good but way too overpriced. Tiny portions were given for the seaweed salad and avocado/cucumber roll. I enjoyed one of the noodle bowls which was decently priced for the portion. My boyfriend got two rolls but nothing special about them for being $10-15 each. I did really enjoy the cocktail (lychee lemonade) but thats about the only thing I would return for. The dessert menu had some interesting items, all sounded great but we went with the coconut tapioca. Tasty but not memorable. Our bill came out to about $80 (we typically shoot for bills around the $40-50 range but had no problem with this one). As far as two tops go, I feel like we spent a good amount of money for a server to treat us a little better but nothing ever changed in her attitude. Who knows if she was just having an off day or if she was always this rude, but regardless we left a 20% tip. Hopefully she learns to have a better respect for people or not to judge a young couple as obviously as she did. Needless to say, I have no plans on returning or recommending this restaurant to my friends or tourists who I serve asking for good local restaurants.
(1)
amber f.
Well this is why reviews can vary so much depending on the experience! But I was pretty disappointed with the service this time! I ordered a full glass of wine vs the half glass, but it def looked like a half when it came. Ordered one of the more expensive rolls that when it came it had mayo (not listed on menu) when I asked the waitress about it she gave me some attitude so we just kept it. The other few rolls we got were pretty good, I would just say my whole experience there today was mah!
(3)
Keegan U.
Went in for the second time, after an ok first experience. Again too much mayo in their rolls, Gyoza came out all stuck to each other like it was literally dumped directly from the bag, into the fryer. And bc I just moved from Hawaii my standards of Ahi are extremely high, I stuck to their salmon sashimi and "golden dragon" roll, which has spicy salmon inside it, with an injection of...mayo. I woke up this morning sick and I have NEVER had food illness before but I could def taste the salmon(not pleasant at 8am) and had noticed my stomach feeling pain in bed last night and again when I awoke this morning. Service from the bartender was great, sushi chef seemed to be un-interested. During the meal I made eye contact and even flagged him over, he started to come but was distracted?? And never returned. Unfortunately good food is hard to come by in this town, I'll choose somewhere different for my next sushi experience.
(2)
Kelsey F.
Holy Calamity! Number one reason to go to the Tahoe Area is DRUNKEN MONKEY SUSHI. Okay okay the skiing is pretty fun too, but if you are in the area make sure to stop by Drunken Monkey Sushi. You will not regret it. I went with a group of seven on a Wednesday night. We had reservations for 6:45, but because of snow and traveling we couldn't make it in until about 7:45. We called ahead and they were happy to move our reservation. Larger groups need a reservation here but small groups should be fine as walk-ins. So, I'm just gonna put it out there that we ended up ordering a lot of food. This was in part because we had been skiing all day and hadn't eaten but also because we wanted to try basically everything on the menu. The garlic and spicy Kawari Edamame along with some Gyoza started our meal off on a tasty note. At some early point the fresh Shrimp and Avocado Salad along with the miso braised eggplant also made their way to our table. All of the appetizers were super stars that I would order again. Our Sushi orders are where we really struck some gold. The best piece of sushi that I have ever put into my mouth was a slice of the Tomoe Maki roll. Every sushi lover at our table was freaking out about how amazing this roll is. I'm usually opposed to "lightly fried" rolls but this one is different. The combination of fresh fish with the slightly crispy outside, proper ratio of rice, and subtle aioli earned its diner the prestigious "best order of the night" award. We also had the Dreaming Monkey, Golden Tail Black Dragon, and Tate Maki Spider at our table. I know you are feeling full but alas, the meal persists onward. We ALSO had some Singapore street noodles which turned out to be my least favorite dish, the shrimp and vegetable tempura, a tofu and veggie rice bowl, a beef rice bowl, and two other dishes that have just become a blur at this point (I think one came in a sea shell?). The sushi and the apps were my favorite part of the meal though. Our server was great. We clearly had a lot of food coming to our table and she got every single aspect of order correct. She kept our waters full without being obnoxious a rare skill among waiters. Overall, such a win. I'm feeling very full again and a bit like a drunken monkey just thinking about this meal but whoa it was sooooo good.
(5)
Erika B.
Great sushi, sashimi and OMG the best tempura batter, had the vegetable tempura and it was amazing. Also ordered the yellow fun and the Alpenglow roll. The Wasabi Bloody Mary was also a nice twist on the basic Bloody Mary, nice atmosphere also, we sat at the sushi bar and watched. Great
(4)
Sarah K.
We just went there for lunch today after searching on Yelp. The experience was pretty bad for us. We were the very first customers for the restaurant during lunch hours. The waitress was not trained well or just wanted to ignore us. She didn't get our order until we complained after we saw her getting the forth customer's order in. The food was really bad as well. The pricey tempura soba and udon were just too salty, tasting like just noodles mixed with soy sauce broth. I would give them zero stars if Yelp had that option.
(1)
Jeff D.
A subsequent visit after last review, this time it was two adults at the sushi bar. The fish was excellent but the owner was serving us and he was cranky so it was a bummer.
(3)
Kenneth M.
Alex and Sam are great behind the sushi bar. This place was awesome. The fish was so fresh, and the people who work there are fantastic. I look forward to returning to this place to have some more sushi. The other buys in my group really enjoyed the food as well.
(5)
Dave C.
This place is legit. Some really cool twists on sushi that I have not seen before. Specials are my favorites and never disappoint.
(5)
Scott F.
The ramen is excellent: yelp.com/biz_photos/drun… The broth is super addictive: once you start slurping it, you can't stop until it's all gone. I love how they add a bunch of roasted garlic cloves, which you can mix around to amp up the flavor. They also prepare their own char-siu (BBQ pork), and it's tender and flavorful. I tried the Ginger Cucumber Martini, which uses ginger-infused shochu: yelp.com/biz_photos/drun… I felt the ginger was very spicy, and too overpowering.
(4)
Mary Ann M.
I am a very positive review person and usually don't write bad reviews but this time I was Very disappointed. The restaurant was filled w/ screaming out of control kids that were so loud we couldn't even hear each other talk. The sushi wasn't fresh, it tasted fishy. We had the rib appetizer, they were good, therefore we are giving you a 1 star. We have been here several times in years past. I'm trying to find something good about sushi here, but it was all bad, and to top it off, it was $80 for 2 people. If we had not ordered Sushi it would have been better. Truckee needs a good Sushi place.
(1)
Misti H.
Very yummy and good quality sushi. Nice atmosphere and decent pricing. I come from L.A. Where Sushi is very popular and this place definitely stands up to the places down there. Great place for a nice date.
(4)
Kevin B.
Brought my fiance here for her birthday, along with some of our friends. We basically had a Salmon feast. We had salmon belly nigiri (oh my god, this was amazing), salmon collar, fried salmon with a mint sauce which tasted very Indian, and several rolls: golden tiger, dreaming monkey, and alpine... something. The highlight was the salmon belly nigiri. Coming from San Francisco, I'm familiar with very good sushi, and this was some of the best single pieces I've ever had. Granted, it was on special so won't always be there, but if they have it, get it. And at $7 for two pieces, was very reasonable for "belly" (if you've ever had Tuna Belly you know it can easily be over $10 for two pieces.) Really everything was good, but the appetizers and the dreaming monkey roll were probably our favorite. We also had two different bottles of very good nigori sake. At the end of the night, splitting a sushi feast for four people, with two bottles of sake, was under $180, so without the sake we spend about $25 per person. For the amount and quality of sushi we had, I'd say that was a very good deal. Absolutely if you are in the Truckee/ Tahoe area, I'd say give Drunken Monkey a try.
(5)
Shariyah M.
I give this place a solid 4 stars; 3 for the food and an extra one for the service. My husband and I went here during our quick vacation in the snow. Coming from the Bay Area, I was starving and the menu looked the best out of the options I saw. We placed the order over the phone and was told it would be 25mins. We arrived at the time was supposed to be ready but had to wait a little longer. I would complain about how long the actual wait was once we got there but the bartender was so cool (I forget her name) that she helped pass the time by giving me a couple of free flights of their white wine. I liked one so much that we bought a bottle to take back to the hotel. On the way back to the hotel we could smell the food and thought if it tasted as good as it smelled, we were in for a treat. We got back to the room and dug in. Thr potstickers were really good, not the best I ever had but really good. The tempura was ok. Probably something best eaten at the restaurant due to the type of containers they use; it was pretty soggy by the time we got back and it only took 3 mins from there back. I also didn't care for the tempura dipping sauce, a little too salty/tangy for me. The spicy garlic shrimp was more garlic than spicy but since I love garlic, I wasn't complaining. My husbands chicken dish was eh. The sushi (dragon roll and some other crab roll) were really good as well. Nice size portions and quite fresh, especially for being a mountain location. They lost points for the long wait, not having forks (sorry but I'm not trained to eating rice with chopsticks, took 2 hours to eat it!) and for the soggy tempura. Maybe if I wasn't so hungry I might've thought otherwise of the food (or maybe not) but I would say the place is worth a shot if you're in the area. Pretty good bang for your buck, especially if you're used to the prices in the Bay Area.
(4)
Tim M.
I don't usually like to write negative reviews unless it's really warranted. We decided to pick up some to go good on the night of Monday August 25th. We have been here a couple times to eat in the restaurant as we are full time residents of truckee since 99' and it's always been mediocre but tonight was particularly bad. I understand "to go" food is never quite as hot or tasty as the food you get while eating in the restaurant but I'm paying full price and tipping just as much so a little bit of love for your product that your putting out would be nice. We ordered about 70$ worth of food and when I arrived to pick it up 3 of the items were not in the bad the beets were sitting on their side I had to repack an entire bag with no care given by dave the bartender. He wasn't mean or rude but obviously cared less about presentation or getting me home with out all my food ending up on the bottom of the bag. When I got home and unpacked 5 out of 6 of the items were absolutely disgusting. I'm not lying when I say Panda Express would have been half the price and twice as good. We called to asked if we could get a refund or maybe some kind of compensation but the pre- Madonna chef that night wanted me to bring everything back so he could see this nastiness that he sent us home with. Normally I would but I live at the top of Tahoe donner so that's another 30-40 minutes round trip and my entire family was really hungry at that point. We ended up trashing everything except the tempura veggies and getting Zanos pizza. I'm not looking for a free meal I wanted a refund because the product was so poor. Because of drunken monkeys douchey chef myself or my family will never eat there again. Ps we offered to bring back the food in the morning believe me it would have been just as bad and just as cold. But they were not having it. Oh and sauce was everywhere when I got home
(1)
Ann S.
Oh. My. God. I can't say enough good about this place, best sushi I have ever had. Affordable, amazing presentation. Even though the place was packed the wait staff did an amazing job of taking care of us. 2 thumbs up!
(5)
Rieko H.
They serve cheaper quality rice and rice was undercooked. I don't really understand why they want to save money on rice. Sashimi was fresh. The wait to receive food was really long. I would not come back.
(2)
Kate W.
Our kids ask to go to Drunken Monkey every time we're in Tahoe. Not that we mind, mind you.... We love the ambiance -- hipster x spa natural--the calamari (oh God, they're good), the warm and spicy edamame, and the spicy tuna handrolls. I'm not so in love with the service. Sometimes it's awesome. Sometimes, it's not. Inconsistency makes it hard for this momma to plan. Do I break out the iPhones because we're going to be here a while, or not? Tip: Don't let the kids menu fool you. There's only one item, "Kids Noodles" but it can be prepared a zlllion ways. Just ask.
(4)
Wherez_Andy T.
The sushi men are not friendly at all. The owner has a real attitude. Happy hour is good. Food is decent. Prices not too bad. When I'm in Truckee skiing for the winter, this is one of my regular spots.
(4)
Jennifer L.
Could not have asked for a better location (across the parking lot from our hotel) nor better food. The dude swooned over the nigiri, claiming that the sake was like "biting into a cloud". The miso soup was delicious, the "Golden Crystal Salad" roll was yummy and the yogurt cheesecake was icing on the cake.
(5)
Christopher B.
Great sushi spot in Truckee, CA. I got the Demon Slayer roll which consisted of spicy tuna and cucumber and a half dozen oysters that were on special. Everything tasted good and the price was fair. I will definitely be returning here if I am in the area. Great sake list wish I would not have been driving, I will have to check it out next time.
(4)
Andre C.
Love this place. Good quality sushi. Decent service. EXCELLENT happy hour! Best sushi in town! Not the best I've had personally had but it's definitely up to par... if not... above par. Chef's do a great job... kudos to them.
(4)
marne s.
The food is really great here, however the management is not so good, which is why I only rated this restaurant 3 stars.
(3)
Benjamin S.
Best sushi in North Lake Tahoe. Huge fan and eat there often. Their specialty rolls are really good and huge to boot. Personal favorite is the Tomoe Maki, I get it every time. Their nigiri is super awesome too. Usually it's pretty crowded even in the off season. My advice would be to go about 30 min before you want to sit down. Great sushi at a decent price but not "cheap" sushi. Highly recommended!
(4)
Don T.
We decided on this restaurant because of the generally good reviews on yelp. We ordered the hot and sour soup (yeah I know, not Japanese) and agedashi tofu as appetizers. The alpenglow and demon slayer maki were our sushi choices. The service was about average although we had to flag a busboy down to get more wasabi during dinner. The portion sizes were about average but the wasabi was a bit flat. We arrived around 8:00 pm and the restaurant closes at 9:00. We had hot tea for beverages and they were served in individual pots, loose leaf style. Definitely a nice touch. The hot and sour soup was good with an abundant amount of ingredients. The agedashi tofu was another story. Just four medium pieces of deep fried tofu. The tofu batter wasn't the normal light panko as expected. It wasn't bad I just prefer a lighter, crispy coating. What made it unappealing was the sauce. It was mostly soy sauce with very little mirin which made it very concentrated and stout. The thinly sliced ginger along with the chopped green onions was a nice touch but didn't make up for the sub standard sauce. The demon slayer was basically a spicy tuna nori maki roll. While it had a good taste, that taste was overwhelmed by sodium. I'm not sure what made it so salty. It wasn't inedible, but this is a basic roll, and I can't help but downgrade my review of the DM because of it. It's ironic that we had ridden the Tahoe Flume bike trail that day and needed the salt. Otherwise we might have returned the order. The alpenglow was the star of the evening with a good presentation and flavor. The roll had salmon and possibly hamachi, a tasty sauce and visible lemon peel. The evening's damage was around $45. Overall, our experience was mixed. The atmosphere was young and contemporary and along with that, the food seemed to stray from traditional lines to appeal to a "wider clientele". For my time and money, the next time we go on the hunt for sushi, it will be somewhere else.
(2)
Qing L.
love the Grilled beets and spicy edamame The hand roll is good too but the famous calamari is too sweet, too oil, too processed. Anyway overall food quality is 4.5 but service is 3.5(the lady everytime came to our table made us feel like she can't wait to leave right away, Sat. night we tried to understand it)
(4)
Jeannie C.
This is a beautiful restaurant. If you try it out, be forewarned. You will be there FOREVER. to make 1 roll and one tempura plate, we waited an hour. The one roll we ordered was great. The tempura plate was disgusting. It was so greasy! They put a napkin in the bottom of the plate, on top of the napkin there was still a lake of pure grease. It was inedible. The waitress was kind, professional and working like crazy. She ended up making an error and gave us a California roll by mistake. It was such a nice gesture. She didn't charge me for the tempura either. Although I made it very clear that I would have happily paid. I hate to say anything about free food, but the California roll was supposed be made with rock crab, and it tasted like canned oily tuna. :( I know it was crab, but something was sooooo wrong with it. So, in short, the service was 10 star. The food was absolutely disgusting. The restaurant was outstandingly decorated, but I go to a restaurant to eat.
(1)
Razee, S.
The service was friendly, the food was good.
(4)
Julie C.
Maybe my expectations were a little too high. Coming from the bay area where there are plenty of authentic and good japanese food, this place was a complete let down...especially for the price they were charging. - Presentation was terrible, why was my ginger and wasabi dripping in water? Why did my spider-something roll look so smashed together, I couldn't tell what the ingredients were? - A very mediocre ramen that I could replicate using nongshim ramen, bean sprouts, kimchi, and store bought bbq pork - Spider roll tasted okay, but it was probably the worst looking roll I've ever seen...in my life. Everything was so smushed together you couldn't distinguish what was what - The chirashi... well, they gave a lot of rice. The fish tasted okay...nothing amazing but not terrible TLDR: College-level sushi joint marketing itself as a high-end restaurant
(2)
April W.
I like to think of myself as a sushi snob. So when I tried Drunken Monkey when I was on a business trip, I have to be honest and say I was shocked how by delicious it was. Going based on a hotel recommendation ( Hampton suites thank u!) tends to be over priced and over rated. I found the prices low and atmosphere hilarious. Great chefs Alex and Matt took great care of me. Strong martinis and tasty rolls! I even went to visit their food tent the very next night in town ( Truckee Thursday event) and had a replay of more rolls! Excellent hidden gem of Truckee.
(4)
V M.
The experience was rather disappointing. I really wanted to enjoy the food, but there was consistently something more to be desired. Where do I start ... the gyoza was all stuck together as if it went straight from the freezer to the frying pan, the Singapore street noodle dish tasted burnt, and the agedashi tofu was incredibly soggy. There are only a few pleasant highlights worth noting, including the green tea and the sunomono. These complaints were relayed to the waitress and instead of offering a solution (i.e. notifying the kitchen), she defended the techniques and just apologized, wishing she "could do more." I feel something more COULD have been done, and I thought the her role was to help ensure a positive, enjoyable experience. In any event, I wasn't looking for a free meal, and made this clear. There are not many sushi options in Truckee, and so I thought voicing my concerns to help them improve from mediocrity was constructive (but I left feeling I was perceived as a mere complainer).
(1)
Adrian P.
Tried Drunken Monkey based on other reviews. Definitely deserves its stars!
(4)
Amy C.
Really surprised to find a good sushi place in Truckee. The fish is fresh and the cuts are very generous. The rice is the thing that is surprisingly lacking though. For sushi rice, it was a little bland and not quite the right texture. I'd say stick with sashimi!
(4)
Ganna B.
I think this place deserves even less than 1 star review! AWFUL, really AWFUL! My husband and I decided to eat some fresh and healthy food on our way home. It was a huge mistake to visit this place! The server was slow and not very friendly. But it was not a big deal for us. The worst thing was the food. Rolls were not freshly made and tasted like defrosted. The fish was like a rubber! Tasteless and not fresh at all! Also, the plate was covered with canola oil. I wonder why?! This oil made rolls really heavy for our stomachs. It is hard to spoil miso soup, but they made it! They put potatoes and carrots there, which changed the taste not to the better side. Also, they priced soup for approx. $4! Not so cheap, hah? It was the worst sushi place I've ever been! After this meal I felt really bad and "heavy" and my husband has a stomach ache! NEVER GO THERE! NEVER!
(1)
Ian C.
Damn this place serves good food. Go with nigiri or sashimi. Their fish is incredibly flavorful. This place could compete with sushi joints in San Francisco. Service was pretty bad though. But this was some of the best fish I've ever had. And in Truckee no less. So I'll go back 4 stars for great nigiri and well cut fish Missed the 5th star because entire staff would often disappear to the back. Where did they go?
(4)
Brian L.
Great Japanese tapa fare. The food is excellent. Our kids really enjoyed the place. It tends to be busy because it is good and service can sometimes be slow but always worth waiting for.
Great menu, great sushi chefs. On the pricey side, but so is every other restaurant in the area. I think I'll go tonight...
(5)
annalynn b.
I ordered carry out from this place the first day of our vacation. First of all compliments to the chef! Food was excellent you know your sushi. I'm really sorry that you have to work with some of the people that I had to deal with. The person who took our take out order was rude. On top of it all, one of our orders was missing.
(2)
Nick W.
Best sushi I've had yet in Truckee. Get off the beaten path and try this place out!
(4)
Debbie L.
HOLY CRAP, unless you want a whole salt shaker in your foods, then you would like this place. Everything we ordered from Miso soup, rice bowl, and noodles were all pure salt that both my husband and I were only able to eat half of our dish that we ordered. Almost every three bites I had to take a sip of water. Worse experience ever on my trip. We didn't order any sushi rolls so I am sure that's your safest things to order if your here. The atmosphere was nice and sushi chefs were friendly. HOLY CRAP, unless you want a whole salt shaker in your foods, then you would like this place. Everything we ordered from Miso soup, rice bowl, and noodles were all pure salt that both my husband and I were only able to eat half of our dish that we ordered. Almost every three bites I had to take a sip of water. Worse experience ever on my trip. We didn't order any sushi rolls so I am sure that's your safest things to order if your here. The atmosphere was nice and sushi chefs were friendly.
(1)
c s.
The food and ambience were excellent. The outdoor patio seating is very serene. Our server Becky was very kind and accommodating.
(4)
T. W.
Fantastic food and service.
(5)
Chad H.
Good salmon skin roll. Really good Singapore Street Noodles. Hamachi Kama was just okay. Service was great. Really nice people.
(4)
Karla R.
Fast service. Too fast. But better than too slow, right? Food was pretty good. Sushi was meh (salmon and mackerel nigiri). Seaweed salad was ok, although the tub you can buy at Costco is better. The Char-Shu Donburi was pretty good and a lot of food. A bit too much five spice, but I would get it again. The Shaking Beef was my favorite. Quite good!
(3)
Ashley P.
Stopped in here for happy hour yesterday with my bestie. The restaurant was doing happy hour from 3-6 with a variety of sushi, tapas and beers for $3-6 each. The sushi was fresh and creative, the tapas were really fun, I loved the tofu beet salad. The atmosphere was awesome and the food great, at happy hour prices that no one could complain about. I enjoyed it.
(4)
Alvin D.
I was extremely disappointed by the very slow service and so-so quality of food at Drunken Monkey sushi. If you really have no choice, avoid ordering items that comes from the kitchen and just pick items made from the sushi bar. My wife ordered the manila clams special, waited nearly 30 minutes for it (another 10minutes for a bowl of rice), and then she was surprised to find out a big chunk of mud came with her clams. They offered to replace it and we patiently waited for another 5-10mins later. I, on the other hand, waited 40minutes for my ramen only to be informed that they ran out. After the mud-in-the-clam episode, and after waiting for so long, i was just ready to get out of this place and just to skip dinner altogether. I had high hopes and was really looking forward to a good meal that night, but both the kitchen staff and waitresses were off that day. whatever it was, i would hesitate and think hard before i recommend this place to anyone i know, sorry.
(1)
Tiffany L.
Wow! I LOVED this place! I came with a big group of 8 people, so we ordered lots of dishes to try. I sounded like a broken record. Each dish that came, I had the same comment: "I really like this!!" We didn't get any of the traditional menu items, like sushi rolls. Considering we fed 8 people for $150, including tax and tip, that was a pretty good deal. I can't remember the names of all the dishes we got but one that stood out to me was: Monkey Jumps Over the Fence (something along those lines). There was also a Pork and Miso Soup dish that was delicious. I don't remember the names of the rest. Their online menu doesn't have the same items. Grilled beets were good. We had to wait longer than you would expect for the food to come out. Maybe we were just starving after a long day of snowboarding. Other than that, service was good. They even gave my cousin a huge bowl of rice to put his wet phone in.
(5)
Dee L.
Fantastic hospitality & service, friendly crowd, great atmosphere & large windows to look out at the falling snow. So pretty! Their dinner special (not sure if they're in the menu or not) braised hotpot lamb was delicious. It could be more tender & the portion is large, though it doesn't come with rice, so we had to order one. My companion ordered a variety of sushi & oyster shots, and shared wonderfully crispy-cold filtered sake. Will definitely come back to try other items in their menu!
(4)
Michelle F.
Sushi was excellent, very fresh. Yummy cocktails (especially lychee coconut) Calamari a little soggy but overall the food was very good. Would definitely come back here.
(4)
James C.
This place is consistently good. The food is fresh and interesting. The service is great. The ambiance is pretty good too. I definitely recommend it.
(4)
Norm H.
Our server (Katie) was very knowledgable, and on top of everything The food was fresh, and nicely prepared. The extensive menu had everything one would want in a sushi restaurant. Pricing was reasonable, in relation to the quality. We were a diverse group, with three adults and kids (7 and 10). We will definitely return
(4)
Jeff J.
We've ate here a few times and each time it was excellent. We've sat at a table and sat at the sushi bar and each time the service was very good. The sushi we've had has been extremely fresh and tasty and their rolls are very good also.
(5)
Eli D.
So far the best sushi I've had in the area including Reno. Lots of other food choices available for non sushi lovers as well.
(5)
Grace C.
Went to Drunken Monkey with my husband after a long day of snowboarding at Northstar. We arrived around 6pm, and there was no wait. FOOD The food was spectacular. We didn't have any sushi because we figured we can get sushi anywhere - so we ordered only from the Tapas section. All 3 of the tapas dishes we got were delicious - couldn't pick a favorite. - Curry Mochiko Chicken: SO crunchy, comes with leafy greens. the curry flavor is barely spicy, which is perfect for a wimp like me, but my husband loved it as well (he's normally a hotsauce-monger) - Triple Seasoned Herb Salmon: the herbs were delicious but didn't overpower the salmon. comes with leafy greens. - VegetarianNoodleDishWithAWeirdLongName (something about a monkey and a tree?): tasty! even my husband, who "hates" vegetarian stuff, loved it. AMBIANCE Rustic yet classy... lots of wood everywhere, but it had an almost upscale feel to it. A nice place for anything from a family gathering to a group of friends to a date. The one drawback was that it was kind of loud (small restaurant) so you have to speak up if you want to be heard. SERVICE No complaints. The next time I'm visiting the area, I definitely plan to eat here again. Drunken Monkey, you made me one happy camper.
(5)
Jam Z.
This place is xcellent!!! Sit at the sushi bar and just let them serve u their call. Always perfection.
(5)
T M.
Favorite sushi place in all of Truckee/North Tahoe. Their sushi is flavorful, normally priced, and their happy hour is incredible.
(5)
Brannon F.
Ordered the special himachi toro nigiri. It had a bone in it. I alerted the waitress and she didn't apologize nor did she take it off the bill?? Are you guys serious?
(1)
Kenan A.
The food here was actually pretty good--hence the one extra star--but the service was HORRIBLE. This is the first time in my adult life (many years) that I have actually tracked down a manager to complain, and--surprise--he gave me a whopping dose of attitude. We actually only ended up eating two rolls and then asking for the bill. I'm not a fan of supporting businesses that act like they could give two craps about you. Went down the street to downtown Truckee and had some nice hamburgers instead. I would avoid this place.
(2)
Larry R.
Easily some of the best sushi and tapas I've come across, had the shaking beef and the ika nigiri, managed to find some oysters as well, did not disappoint. A++ would dine again.
(4)
Brian M.
Drunken monkey sushi offers relatively decent sushi, at a relatively decent price. It's a good option for people when they're up skiing in the Truckee area.
(3)
Thomas N.
Drunken Monkey is not your typical sushi joint. It embraces the whole fusion sushi concept, and I must say, embraces it damn well. I highly recommend this spot if you are ever in the North Lake Tahoe, CA area. It can be a little pricey, but the atmosphere, the food and the design makes everything worth it. I came here with a friend and I will admit, my eyes were WAY bigger than my stomach. I saw the menu and was like "I want it all!" but had to control myself.... wish I were still a chubby kid sometimes. The old me could put down half the menu, no prob. Well, on to the highlights of the menu! Honey Black Bean Spare Ribs - Okay, this is really really really good. Had it at dinner but couldn't finish them so took home about 6 ribs to go. Had one cold out of the fridge at about 1:00 am because I had the drunk munchies, still freaking delicious. Had one the next morning for breakfast, luke warm, STILL DELICIOUS! Grilled Beef Donburi Bowl - This is one filling, delicious and loaded bowl. There are a lot of flavors going on between the beef, vegetables and sauces and is a good order. SHIO KAMA HAMACHI - So my guilty pleasure at Japanese restaurants is the hamachi kama (or yellow tail collar, which is the most delicious part of the fish!). I ordered this and was blown away. Definitely a must order. The fish is moist, rich and grilled to perfection with a light salt flavoring. Done! Special Sashimi - I had either trout or arctic char, I do not remember, but it was DELICIOUS! Drunken monkey, I will be back!
(5)
Heather K.
Hostess was very attentive and was able to get us a table pretty quickly. She was 3 weeks on the job and great!! waitress not so much. However, once we got our food, everything was fantastic! the tempura was fresh, not greasy. the calamari delicious and flavorful. Our sushi was divine. If you get a good server, you will be in heaven!
(5)
Max K.
I'm always suspect of Sushi places buried deep in small Mountain resort towns. Memories of strip mall sushi boats, dry imitation crab, and brownish, rotten avocado (not to mention Hamachi that long since seen it's golden days) abound. So it was with trepidation that I approached Drunken Monkey. And I was pleasantly surprised... Chef Okamoto-san is from Kyushu - the southernmost Island in the Japan Archipelago. They know their stuff when it comes to Sakana (fish for you Gaijin...) I did my usual "yardstick test" of Ankimo to start and...hey...I'll be...it was not bad. Then we moved on the more adventuresome dishes. The Bincho - seared white tuna with a miso paste, was excellent. I tried the black cod maki as well....while it's not served raw, it was bloody good. Hotate (scallops) didn't quite do it for me...they tasted a bit off. Gyoza was a bit ho-hum. Hamachi was excellent. Had the Dragon Monkey roll which had plenty of Hamachi and fresh crab (not imitation)....stellar stuff. Really. And this is coming from a guy who's spent countless days / weeks / months in Japan from end to end... So don't believe the lousy charlatan reviews. Drunken Monkey is actually pretty good.
(3)
Corey L.
I usually get 'Monkey Jump Over the Fence' when I go. The Calamari is really good too. The location is small, so seating is limited. However, they have a small bar area you can hang at while waiting for a spot to open up.
(4)
Wilma G.
My boyfriend came here with his brother in March and suggested we come here. The food was tasty and very fresh! We started our meal with one of their specials... a seared tuna belly (don't remember the exact name, but damn it was tasty!) The sauce they had was ever so light and complimented the tuna very well. I had the chirashi sushi (assortment of sashimi over sushi rice) and boyfriend had the Tomoe Maki and Mile's High Maki. The food hit the spot! We were enjoying our time so much, we ordered dessert. Boyfriend had the handmade vanilla bean ice cream and I had the tapioca topped with mango, goji berries, and toasted coconut. Again, our tastebuds were satisfied! The place is really clean and had a steady flow of customers while we were there. We had great customer service and the food was on point. Would we come here again? YUP! Good job boyfriend! =)
(4)
T G.
Would like to give 2 1/2 stars, but will round up to a 3 because the waitress and overall service was nice. I would've given a 4, but the sushi we had was really bad and because sushi is a significant part of their menu, there's no excuse for serving stale sushi rice! Went here for dinner on a Saturday night. We ordered: Avocado Shrimp Salad - yum, would order this again Shaking Beef - nice and tasty, but would've preferred the meat to be medium or medium-rare (it was medium well) Dreaming Monkey Sushi Roll - horrible! the rice tasted very stale...it was very cold, so I suspect that the roll was sitting in the refrigerator. There's a reason why I never buy pre-made sushi from Costco or any supermarket...refrigerated sushi rice tastes awful. Seriously, I felt like I was eating leftover sushi...and I was not happy to have spent $13 on a roll made with old rice. I'd probably give this restaurant another try when we're back in town, but I'd stick to their non-sushi menu items...
(3)
Steve L.
Cozy with good ambiance. We were concerned when we saw Caucasians as the two sushi chefs. But then we ordered a few sushi rolls, both maki and hand. Liked the real crab in the california roll. Spicy tuna had a bit too much onion flavor in it. Good tempura and noodle dishes. You can't go wrong there. The shaking beef could be better. Beef was very tough. Service was good and friendly. We would definitely return. Watch out for a wait - it can get crowded.
(4)
N L.
Hands down best sushi in Truckee. Actually, some of the best sushi I have had period (friends visiting from LA have said that as well). Melt in your mouth fresh fish. No AYCE (you'll have to go to Java sushi to get AYCE in Truckee), but the prices are reasonable and the quality unmatched. Nice dining area. A couple of big booths, a lot of tables, and then the sushi bar. Nice ambiance.
(5)
S C.
I was in the area for business and found this place for dinner and was extremely satisfied with what I ordered. There is a lot to choose from and the waitress was nice enough to explain each item to me and made excellent menu suggestions. It was a very fun place to eat and I will certainly go back again.
(4)
Randall F.
There is no need to worry or wonder if Drunken Monkey (altitude 6,330 ft. above sea level) is the real deal for the freshest of sushi and authentic Japanese inspired creations that would rival any big city Sushi/Fusion place. Sam, owner/chef was kind enough to stop by to say hello to us and recommend the fresh fish and two of the signature appetizers. Kawari Edamame is not your usual soy pod, perfectly cooked with chili spiced garlic makes them tough to put down. One order will satisfy a party of four easily, so save room to sample as many dishes to satisfy your appetite. The other was the Tempura Calamari, light and tasty. Our server was excellent, allowing our party of 6 to order ala carte as if we were sitting at the sushi bar, adding along the way. The Hamachi Collar and Seared Escolar were both over the top...how do they get fresh fish to the mountains so quickly? Don't tell any decendants of the Donner Party that they serve anything fresh! Don't forget to sample their extensive collection of Sake, our server was very knowledgeable and even allowed us to sample before drinking...my favorite was the unfiltered, because of the 'graininess' adding to the overall character of Sake. Oh, the large Maki Rolls were very good also and I recommend any that have real crab meat. Plenty of locals and regulars go to relax in a calmly lit dining room with enough activity to keep your attitude positive and wanting to try more from the menu.
(5)
Max D.
Went here for a Sunday night dinner with the wifey, the place was packed and we waited for about 30 minutes to move from our sake bar seats to sushi bar. We had the chirashi, tako salad, and one of their rolls. The fish was fresh and I enjoyed the salad, but the cuts of fish were too large. Maybe some people like their sashimi like that, but not me. Sounds: Di Johnston and the Shanghai Restoration Project Sushi Chef: Sam Waitress: Super tall, extra nice woman
(4)
Kristin G.
I went there after snowboarding with my boy. We ordered Saki and rolls. The food was really good and so was the atmosphere. At home I'm definitely more of a sashimi, but it's good to be a little more decadent away from home.
(4)
Laura L.
sushi was great! the price is reasonable. i also enjoyed their non-sushi fare, like the fish collarbone. we liked it so much that we went two nights in a row! the servers were hit or miss. they would often disappear and there would be no one available to help. the sushi chefs liked to talk to their regulars, and hardly spoke to us. I will definitely go back.
(4)
Cara G.
We have tried this place a few times, and the service is lacking but food is pretty good. On our first visit our appetizers and sushi came out together followed by our drinks (45 minute wait for 4 martinis). Overall a very unpleasant dining experience at a very small table that was so crammed full that it was commical. The second visit was a little better, but the sushi was faster than the entree off the menu and we were all finished eating before the other person even got their food. The third attempt was a to go order, and I was put on hold several times before being hung up on after 10 minutes of waiting. Never got the food. The food is good or we wouldnt keep trying it out, but the service and miscommunications among the staff make it not worth the effort.
(2)
Janell D.
Usually this place is top notch- in fact, my husband and I have been here several times and totally LOVED it. Unfortunately this experience on 3/17 was so terrible we couldn't get out of there fast enough. I believe our server was Jamie? (on the ticket it said "Server 302"- short blonde hair with glasses). From the moment we sat down I could tell that this was not going to be the best experience, judging by the servers attitude. She gave us some menus and asked what we wanted to drink. We opted for a bottle of red. If you have dined here before you will know that the wine list is very small, so small in fact that if they are out of a certain bottle- the server should know about it. Of course, our server didn't know and came back to report the news that they didn't have it. We found an alternative and as she poured the wine we ordered the vegetable Gyozas. As she started walking away my husband asked if htey had any specials - she looked very annoyed- stared up at the ceiling and started ranting off the specials as quickly as she could. Once she finished she simply walked away. While we waited for her to come back and take our order I watched her interact with the other tables- I was not impressed. She didn't seem to genuinely care about any of them and the guests actually seemed annoyed with her. She came back, took our order and shortly after the Gyozas had arrived. Shortly after the Gyozas my husbads noodle dish had arrived- when she placed it in front of him she said that mine was on its way. TEN minutes later- after my husbands noodles were cold- she arrived with mine. I also ordered a noodle bowl; however, mine came out burnt- completely black. I smelled it before taking a bite and even had my husband smell it just to make sure I wasn't crazy. He agreed it smelt burnt. I didn't want to be that person that sends their food back- so I ate around the burnt noodles. Of course- the server did come by and ask how everything was but she came before I even had time to take a bite- seemed a bit planned now that I think about it. When she took our plates away she didn't say anything or ask as to why I didn't touch the noodles... we paid our bill and got out of their as fast as we could. Very unfortunate experience- I will probably go back since its been great before but if I am given the same server I will walk out.
(2)
Zachary H.
Awesome sushi! Located 5 minutes from downtown Truckee. I had the seaweed salad and a roll with scallop and yellow tail! Really fresh and flavorful. Some of the best sushi i have tasted. Great ambience and attentive staff. My wife ordered something off the menu and they had no problem creating the roll. Thanks! We made it take out this time, but next time I want to eat in and try some sake!
(5)
Darcy L.
AMAZING!! We were in the area participating in an event . Craving Sushi I searched yelp. Well let me tell you the reviews were spot on!! The fish was so fresh and just melted in your mouth. I am a Sushi FREAK and let me tell you Now I am going to have to drive to Tahoe to get Sushi. :( Cant wait to get up there again!
(5)
Brian P.
I've come to this small tucked in restaurant in Truckee twice and both times I've been extremely impressed. Their sushi rolls pack a flavorful bite and they give you a generous portion. To my surprise the rolls were heavy in fish and light in the extras that other places will try to add in to save money. When you order something so basic as a California roll and the roll has real crab and a lot of it you know they care more that you enjoy your meal than their margin on fish/roll ratio. I can usually put back 4+ rolls when I need my sushi fix, but Drunken Monkey only required two. So even though the rolls are $9-15 each you won't need to buy 6-7 for you and your date to walk away satisfied. Two large sushi rolls, green tea, a donburi pot and spicy edamame came to about $40. Which was actually the first time in a long time I've been underwhelmed when flipping open the bill after dinner. I enjoyed the experience so much that I'm trying to convince my friends who just came up to come back with us tonight.
(5)
Hunter S.
The Place looked promising after searching for 30 mins in an unfamiliar lake Tahoe. I Was severely mistaking after the "chunky" taylor swift looking waitress grabbed my yarmulke and proceeded to use it as a cloth to wipe tables. Tempted to stand up and leave after thAt incident, she basically forced me out as she rudely made fun of me and my partners sexuality. The name of the restaurant finally made sense. She acted like a drunken monkey
(1)
Hanna K.
Their foods are pretty overpriced. They charged $4 for a Miso soup refill. Ramen was too sweet. The broth was not authentic. It has Chinese flavor.
(2)
Roxy B.
PERFECT! Fantastic ambiance, not one bad thing on the menu !!! Start your meal with the most flavorful edamame, with the spicy edamame.Order the delicious shaking beef (great quality steak with a zesty lime dip) and garlic shrimp as some tapas. We ordered a half portion of the calamari - fused with a pesto/mayo/almond sauce that still lingers in my mouth! I don't even like sushi that much but this place changed that - the high monkey maki roll was flavorful with a punch of spice and crunch from the shrimp tempura. Will definitely come every time I'm in this area !!!
(5)
Jim F.
Best sushi I have ever had. Would not have expected to find that in Truckee! Owner, Sam, is a great guy.
(5)
Laurie J.
I've had 5 star and 1 star experiences here. Im giving them a 3 for their inconsistency. Ive gotten the alpenglow roll 3 different times and each time it is different. Their udon and noodles have always been good and the service is always pleasant.
(3)
Stephanie B.
Loved this restaurant! My girlfriend and I got into town a little late and settled into our spot. We found this restaurant and called to see if they would still seat us and said to come on over. The sushi was amazing! Tuna Belly Special melted in your mouth and their menu has a great selection and we were pleased with our rolls, kimchee, seaweed salad, and champagne style sake. Can't wait to go back...
(5)
Tommy W.
I had both doubts and high expectations with this place. Doubt came from my reluctance to accept that good Japanese style seafood can be found away from the coastline. High expectations from all the rave Yelp reviews I read. But this place was off the charts good . . . the food and service in particular. The house special calamari was fried to a perfect light crisp and had a unique tangy sweet flavor I've never tasted before on calamari. The gyoza had generous filling, a thin skin, and a perfect crispiness on the pan fried side. The udon soup, donburi, and maki rolls were just one delectable surprise after another. Coming from San Fran, I tend to think I've had the best of the best already, but I stand very corrected. I gotta say the service was the other success factor here. Our server, Lexi, was as genuinely friendly as strangers can possibly get. We sat in a corner make-shift table away from the main dining floor, yet she still took care of us with service professionalism that exuded a sense of urgency and a touch of personal character that made our experience that much better. I could honestly say she's the best server I've had in years. I won't get back to Truckee very often to support this restaurant, but I highly recommend anyone in the local area searching for a Japanese restaurant to give Drunken Monkey a shot. I just don't see how anyone could be disappointed.
(5)
Jenny P.
I would come back. Nothing really wow'd my boyfriend and I, but the sushi tasted fresh, and it was a good experience overall. The service was great. The hostess was friendly and accurate in her estimate of the wait for a spot at the bar. We were seated, and had someone taking our drink and app order within 5 minutes. They were pretty busy, but the staff seemed friendly and happy to be there. The ahi poke bowl special was delicious, probably the highlight of the meal. A little too much heat for me, but the bf loved it. Next we had the Dreaming Monkey and the Golden Tiger, which were tasty, but again, not something amazing. We were impressed, like the others on Yelp, with the amount of fish on the rolls. Gave an additional star for the fact that this is sushi in Truckee. The quality was much better than I had anticipated.
(4)
Bob N.
After my wife and I visited The Drunken Monkey 2 years ago, we knew we'd have to come back as often as possible. Living 5-1/2 hours away made that vow hard but, considering the awesome food and service we had just had then, we were determined to do so. This time six of us dropped by on a Wednesday evening and, even with the place 1/2 empty, service was slow. We sat for over 10 minutes before the waitress finally appeared; but that was just to take our drink and appetizer order. It was literally another 10 minutes before she would take our main meal order. Then the food took 1/2 hour to arrive, but only part of it. The rest trickled in over the next 15-20 minutes and we still had to ask for our seaweed salad. 1 out of 3 sushi rolls came with no wasabi and no pickled ginger. The $13 shrimp and vegetable tempura plate was ridiculously small and consisted mainly of greasy shrimp and green peppers. None of the entrees came with anything; we had to pay extra for plain steamed rice and miso soup. EVERY other sushi place we've visited (all with better food, service and prices) included steamed rice and/or miso soup with the meal... FOR FREE. Out of the 10-12 DOZEN sushi restaurants in CA, NV and AZ that I've visited, The Drunken Monkey had the worst food and service I've ever experienced this time. Plus it was overpriced for what we got. Sadly, we won't be back again.
(1)
Alison T.
Best sushi in Truckee, the spider hand roll for a little over $5 sooooo amazing. It has 1/2 a perfectly fried soft shell crab and a generous dose of fresh crab meat. A place that doesn't use imitation crab, sushi goers take not, and this makes a HUGE difference! Monkfish liver handroll was bland. Loved the URA-MAKI HAMACHI HOTATE , sooo fucking tasty, not the best spicy scallop I've ever had but it comes close. Also had the Dreaming Monkey roll, which was not as good, but still tasty. Had a curry miso soup with clams that was waaaay to garlicky, a common theme in many of their dishes that have garlic. Monkey cups for happy hour, so much garlic that your date will not want to kiss you afterwards. Dragon ballz at happy hour were delicious, cheap Sapporo beer, altho when I asked what kind of Sapporo she couldn't tell me. Gyoza at happy hour was decent. Happy hour stuff really wasn't that good, but I did like the dragon ballz. Dinner was awesome. I might be tempted to give drunken monkey 5 stars for dinner, but average it with happy hour and it's a solid 4 stars.
(4)
The S.
Ok, restauraunt. They were understaffed.
(2)
Dana M.
Love this place, it's always my first choice in Truckee, great service, everyone is nice and helpful, great atmosphere and the food, the sushi are great, very nice selection of sake and if you don't like sushi, no worries, you'll find something on the menu.
(5)
Kristen S.
I'll be a drunken monkey...i was pleasantly surprised by this place! Usually, the words "tapas" "sushi" and "Asian fusion" don't mesh well together. But in the case of Drunken Monkey, they do! The drink menus are impressive- they have many different types of sake (filtered, unfiltered, etc), shochus (flavored- yum!), wine, plum wine, and cocktails! Really puts the "drunken" in "monkey" if you know what i mean. We ordered a flask of unfiltered sake, a few shots of shochu (one regular, one strawberry), a Clementine Crush, and a margarita. Be careful with the shochu- it literally tastes alcohol-free, but packs a punch after a few rounds ;) The tapas, or small plates, that we tried were: the shaking beef w/lime, cha shu pork, and the gyoza. In addition we each ordered a noodle dish as a personal entree. My nabeyaki udon came with plentiful pieces of fish, but one thing i wasn't a fan of was the use of basil in the broth. I get that this is where the "Asian fusion" comes into play, because Thai and Vietnamese food frequents the use of basil, but I didn't expect it in udon. It just didn't work for me. The other noodle dishes were delicious, though- the yakisoba (although on the salty side) and the tempura soba (replaced with udon noodles) are good. We also ordered maguro sushi. it was fresh, tasty, melt-in-your-mouth status. Not what we expected to find in Truckee of all places, definitely a hidden treasure! This place just opened 4 months ago- be prepared to wait in line to get a table. It's a small joint with a few tables and a few seats at the bar. Also good to note: they only take reservations for parties of 6 or more. Once you get tired of the pizza parlors, greasy chinese hole-in-the-walls, and the delis that seem to overcrowd the little town of Truckee, give this place a try. You won't be disappointed.
(4)
Laura Y.
Holy sushi! Boyfriend and I went here after skiing and proceeded to do the whole "our eyes are way bigger than our stomachs" routine. What ensued was a meal of sushi bliss... This was my first trip to Truckee, and when boyfriend mentioned "sushi," I didn't expect much. Boy was I wrong. This place was really great. The miso soup is really flavorful with fresh tofu and seaweed. The cuts of fish are massive -- I had a chirasi platter and was floored by the amount of fish in each slice, same with the individual sushi pieces we ordered. We had a special butterfish sashimi that was on the menu -- delectable. Dumplings were fresh (but in our over order, this probably would have been what I skipped). They have a great sake list as well. Easily could recommend this place if you're in town and want fresh, tasty, well priced sushi.
(5)
Kim N.
Though I'm sad to see a breakfast joint selection go away, that's two now that Buckhorn has been replace here and Truckee Diner is empty, but Drunken Monkey is a winner. Now I've spent many snow seasons in Truckee and not thought of ever getting a good Japanese food experience here until now. Had passed this place a number of times over the last few months while it was under construction and the menu looked intriguing. Since no one wanted to boarding with me, I headed up myself and as I reached the city limits I was unusually hungry so I drove over to get my sashimi on. The good thing about sushi joints is that if you're a solitary diner (or up to three people) the counter makes for a good way to get insights on whats good that day by conversing with the chefs. Not only did I get that, I somehow managed to get seated in between two different cute "girls night out" groups who also gave me insights on what they thought was tasty and a whole lot of sake drinking. Between the chefs, the groups, and my curiosities of the specials board. I ended up with: - Sake Toro - Grilled Salmon Belly - Gindara - Tempura fried black cod hand roll - Hebi Saba - Seared rare escolar with sriracha sauce (small dabs actually) - Sashimi Moriawase- Maguro (tuna), Hamachi (yellowtail), Hotate (scallop), Sake (salmon), Shiro Maguro (albacore), Maguro Zuke (marinated and seared tuna) - Almond espresso cake Everything was indeed tasty and the fresh was good quality. Not really anything outlandish here (except for the Ankimo hand roll) but it was all solid. There was only one master chef, Sam Okamoto (who also has classic French cuisine training and came out of Dragonfly downtown which I need to still try) with his many apprentices, so for you purists, the cuts aren't perfect and the small fusion element in some of the dishes/rolls might scare you off, but I'd say leave those thoughts behind and give it a try. The space is sleek contemporary, with some minor Japanese touches here and there. The staff are all clad in black and coincidentally (ok maybe not) all guys in the back of the house and attractive young women for the wait staff. I don't think the word has gotten out past the locals yet as everyone here was a Truckee local except for me. Everyone was very friendly both staff and patrons, and they made me feel like one myself. Good fun place, with solid food, and a very good price point. 4.5 stars
(4)
Karen P.
Yummy! The fish is always fresh, and the custom sauces are delicious.
(5)
Marina C.
The food was very enjoyable. The fish was very fresh; nigiri and rolls were very nice size and delicious. So why only three stars? Because the service was horrible. I understand it is a popular restaurant and deservingly so but... when we were told that the wait would be around 30 minutes and our exhausted young children started wining about standing for all this time after a full day of skiing, I had to beg the not so friendly hostess for a chair for them. Her response: "We are busy now, so if you can find a chair, feel free to grab it." Really? Finally, we were seated. They were awfully understaffed. Our waitress Mellisa did not even bother to say hello. Not sure if it was us, but she seemed in such a rush, that we had to practically yell after her running away to ask for forks for the kids. She was very expeditious with the bill, though. Overall, I would say, come early to enjoy the delicious meal, but don't count on good service. You won't get it!
(3)
Sarah K.
Ohhh Drunken Monkey, how I throughly dislike thee...let me count the ways. I rarely get this pissed, but you brought it out of me! (The best part is that after I checked in here with a comment on the terrible service, I had several friends reply and said they had the same experience) 1. The restaurant is small, yet you somehow were able to COMPLETELY IGNORE us for 45 minutes AT THE SUSHI BAR...45 Freaking minutes! 2. The couples on BOTH sides of us were served by 2 different waiters - but apparently neither of them felt it was their duty to do their job and help us out - WTF?? 2. When I confronted the manager, telling him that we've been sitting there for 45 minutes with no help but the sushi guy (he was amazing) he gave me a whopping dose of attitude. Seriously? 3. The only food we got in 45 minutes was a roll..it happened to be good, but it couldn't overcome the fact that I had to track down the hostess just to get a glass of water. Overall, I wold not recommend this place. Literally the only guy trying to help us was the sushi guy, and he was having a tough time, since his main job is to make sushi, not order sake for pissed off customers. Everything was terrible, and I would not recommend it. There's nothing like coming down off the mountain hungry, and then having to wait forever for food.
(1)
Lori S.
Great food! Well worth the visit. We had the Vietnamese wings, seafood udon, honey garlic pork rice bowl and a roll. It was all absolutely delicious (and not just because we skipped lunch). 5 stars!
(5)
Kim S.
This is by far THE worst sushi restaurant I've ever had the misfortune of wasting my time and money trying. Miso soup not prepared in traditional way; looked and tasted like it had been boiled- terrible. We ordered rolls that menu stated had Alaskan king crab but it had artificial crab with premium price on it. The rolls we ordered had shredded iceberg lettuce in it...wth?! That was not listed in description of what we ordered. The seafood in our meal was not fresh. The food we ordered was so terrible I lost my appetite and felt ill before leaving the restaurant. I couldn't finish my meal and taking leftovers home was the furthest thing from my mind- it was that bad. Expensive, poor quality food and super slow/poor service to match it. Never again!
(1)
Sara T.
The kitchen was out of commission when we visited tonight :( I had really been looking forward to trying this place after researching dinner ideas from afar (we live ~5 hours away). So no tempura, no potstickers, etc. The hostess did warn us but we figured what the heck, we're here already. The miso soup was delicious! The cucumber salad was really good but a little too big...the vinegar became overwhelming after eating about 1/2 of it; the goji berries & rice noodles were a nice addition to it though. I ordered a Golden Tail Dragon Roll (eel, avocado, crab, tempura shrimp & mango)....it would have been EPIC with tempura shrimp but with plain cooked shrimp (because kitchen wasn't working) it lack a crunch and was very bland. The staff was very friendly. Service was spotty. Seated quickly, a longish wait to order, our starters came out quickly, then all my husband's food, but it was a good 15 minutes after that before I got the single roll I ordered. I'd try it again with a working kitchen, but as we live far away and are just having a weekend away I doubt it will be soon.
(3)
Cady M.
I'm so disappointed in this place... The first 3 times my husband and I dined here, we had fabulous experiences with delicious food. Our favorite was always the tempura calamari as an appetizer followed by splitting the tempura shrimp and vegetable donburi rice bowl. Then all of a sudden this place went downhill - new menu? new chef? new ingredients? I don't know why, but this place is no longer on the top of our list of places we love to dine in Truckee. We should've learned our lesson when we had gone and our normal order wasn't prepared the same as the few times before: the calamari serving was smaller despite the price being the same, and the rice bowl had sauteed vegetables in place of the tempura battered (and the waitress had the nerve to tell us that it was always how it had been prepared - since when? because in our experience of ordering it multiple times, it was never prepared with sauteed vegetables). Regardless, we decided to try it again this past weekend - whatta disappointing mistake. The rice bowl is no longer a rice bowl, and is instead just a pile of tempura battered veggies and shrimp on a plate (not as split-able anymore; we would've really liked the rice, too). The calamari was soggy and poorly prepared, and the serving was even smaller than before - literally the amount we were given was laughable. It was barely an appetizer, and, of course, the price was still the same as always despite having cut the amount of calamari in half. This comes across as them just being stingy and cheap! Adding to that is the tempura shrimp and vegetable no-longer-a-donburi-rice-bowl also still being the same price despite missing the rice. To top it off, there were several open tables when we arrived but we were told we had to share a wobbly long table with another group of four by the bar that was oddly slanted (seriously, the waitress set down my glass of water and it started sliding towards me - if I hadn't caught it, it would've slid off the edge and spilled in my lap - not cool). There were no reservation signs on the tables, and they weren't sat to any of the numerous customers coming in the door over the hour we were there (were they just short staffed and trying to slacken the load on their server staff? understandable, until you think it's a Sunday night in the Tahoe summertime and that they should be prepared accordingly...). Anyways, to wrap this up, the Drunken Monkey has progressively downgraded from a great dining experience (it was one of our favorite places) to a pricey disappointing meal (I really don't like leaving a restaurant having paid over $30 for a meal and yet still being hungry). We will not be returning any longer.
(2)
Mark L.
Being from the Bay Area, and had tried many good Japanese restaurants, I was quite surprised for the quality of food here. Service: I've read some of the comments on yelp about Drunken Monkey, it was really bad. However, our waitress was wonderful. Food: That was a surprise. This is a Fusion Japanese restaurants, to taste food in this kind of restaurants in Bay area (with lesser quality), you will have to pay more than twice. Thus, I was quite surprised with the quality of food here. - Curry fried chicken: This is not the chicken karage with some curry spice I expected. It's more like a orange chicken only crispier. Different, and I'm ok with it. - Coconut Chili Clam: When I first heard her saying something about clam in broth, I didn't even ask for the name and ordered it. There is a traditional way to make clam soup in Japan and that's what I expected. I was very excited to found they have clam soup because many very authentic and good Japanese restaurants don't know how to make them. The last time I had it was in Japan. However, this one was also very good. They use spicy miso soup based with rather flavorful chili (not spicy hot chili flavor, but flavorful). I later found out it has coconut in the name but I taste nothing of that. I thought it was very well made dish. Tons of clams too! - Roll: I forgot the name but I ordered something with unagi on top which is always my favorite. The quality of the unagi was very good... hm... now I wonder if they were imported by Japan. Probably not since they are more than twice the cost. Anyway, the flavor of the rice can be improved but it's better than most good sushi restaurants out there. - Japanese style cheese cake: My wife said it was good, but I have to honestly say no. It's ok but I expected my cheese cake is rich and soft. This cheese cake is too contemporary, too fusion. I'm ok with it. - Latte: Why said about Latte? I'm a picky espresso/latte drinker. I don't like Starbucks Latte but prefer Peet's latte. I had Latte from Satura (Los Altos, Ca) and sometimes they are good, sometimes not. When you tasted good latte, you know. And I was very happy with this latte. All in all, I'm quite pleased with this place. Next season when we come over to ski again, we will be back.
(4)
Thomas B.
Great food, cool atmosphere. my daughter loved the beet dish. My wife loves the salmon appetizer. We would have been super thrilled with it but they don't honor the happy hour listed on their web site. That irked us. If you don't have a happy hour on certain days, fine! don't advertise it as such. We also had mixed service here. Sometimes a real hit, sometimes a real miss. (mostly hits)
(4)
Betty C.
Solid choice for sushi in the North Tahoe area. It's located in a strip mall and there are quite a variety of rolls as well as nigiri sushi. There's also hot plates and appetizers as this is more of an Asian Fusion restaurant as opposed to just a regular Japanese restaurant.
(3)
Megan Q.
I will still give 'em five stars, because it is just SO good. But, it wasn't as good as my first time. It was still amazing though...let me tell you... We got the pot stickers again, but they were a little crispy on one side rather than cooked evenly. Just not as fabulous as last time, but still good. My friend ordered the fried calamari with the lemongrass sauce. I'm on this lemongrass kick. It was good. I'm not a big fan of fried food, so my review is biased. But, if you can handle a lot of fried-ness...it was good. The presentation was phenomenal. The calamari came in this rice paper that looked like a paper towel but it was edible! Sweet!! Our green tea was great, of course. Whole leaf! NOT a damn tea bag! THANK YOU, PEOPLE. The dragon whatever sushi roll with mango and water eel was delicious once again. Get it. It will change your day! Gosh, we should have ordered two of those things. Yum yum! The chocolate mouse I had was amazing! GAhhh, so good! The cream brulee was like I had died and gone to heaven. Rich, creamy, deliciousness with bits of carmel candy. Ahh! SO GOOD! I am dying to try their lovely little adult beverages. Next time, I WILL. Another successful meal. On a side note, our table was slightly dark...they may want to think about turning up the lights a little bit for food presentation? And, that's it. P.S. Our waitress was incredibly bubbly and full of excitement! Craziness! I can't believe she's really that happy to work there! She must have been having a fantastic day! Woohoo! Good for her! YEAH!
(5)
Amanda L.
I always have a nice time at Drunken Monkey. Walking in the door I don't think I've ever been greeted quickly but I don't think they have a hostess either (maybe I just go when it's slower relaxed nights). The food I love, staff is overall friendly and helpful. And as for staff I MISS JAY! Where'd you go!? :( I'll still be back but if I find out JAY is at a new sushi spot I might just have to switch. Anyone out there know? Not to take away from DM. I'll be back soon and often. Thank you guys
(4)
Myly P.
If you're staying at Northstar resort and want a fantastic and creative selection of sushi, or delicious Japanese fusion food, skip the overpriced-yet-average Village sushi place and drive ten minutes into Truckee for a truly-worth-every-penny feast. This place gets packed, so plan ahead or be prepared for a very long wait. The miso is delicious with tofu, thinly sliced root vegetables, and noodles. We had the Nabe Yaki and spicy serpent roll. Delicious! Everything on the menu sounded great, so it was hard to choose. Take my advice and venture out of the Village. You won't be disappointed.
(4)
Dawna Y.
What a cozy little spot, especially on a cold snowy night!! We had the Beef Yakisoba ~the beef was tender and flavorful, Stir-fry Garlic Prawns, Temaki Sushi and Kimchi!! All were wonderful and the prices are affordable!! Also, Katie was our server and she was equally amazing!!
(5)
Jen C.
We've been here three times now and each time I leave shaking my head. The food is good, I'll give you that. The service is hit or miss. If it is busy service is horrible. My one HUGE complaint though is the NOISE level. OMG. My ears were bleeding while I was eating. No joke. Sadly, during our dinner service four "people" (I am using that term lightly) wandered in. Baseball caps on, pants sagging and attitude raging. They were drunk when they crept in and sat down and were incredibly loud. These people were not asked to leave, nor asked to lower their voices they were just served more alcohol to the horror of those sitting around them. I felt that action by the restaurant staff demonstrated poor judgement. We could not get out of there fast enough.... and we won't chance it again. If you are fine with the noise level and ok spending your hard earned money on dining out with gang bangers, then go. The food is good as long as you can deal with all that goes with it...
(2)
doug h.
Drunken Monkey is attempting to do the impossible - provide good Asian food and sushi in a resort mountain town. And, on the whole, they do a damn impressive job. I've been there 3 or 4 times now, and with each visit I find Sam's cooking more creative and robust. I'd say their weakest spot is sushi, which may just be a factor of their location - though it's not bad. Where they shine, however, is in their pan-Asian offerings - street noodles, gyoza, anything with their prepared pork. They compliment their quality food with super-friendly servers and a slightly bland but good enough setting at The Rock. DM is now one of our favorites and staples for both lunch and dinner.
(4)
LifeIsGood A.
After a bad experience at Java Sushi, The Druken Monkey saved the night!! Great service and amazing quality! All fresh and tasty!!
(5)
Heidi P.
EXCELLENT QUALITY, VALUE & SERVICE. Delicious thoughtfully prepared and served Asian food. To my surprise and delight the portions were fairly large. Two of us spilt a couple tapas and one dessert and we called it dinner. The bill was less than $20! A third dish or a sushi roll might be necessary if we had been starving. Can't wait to return. Lovely ambiance. I just want to go in there and soak up the atmosphere and be in the presence of the nice wait staff.
(5)
ShreddyBetty B.
Although Truckee is such a small town, we definitely have quite the pick of sushi restaurant selections, Dragonfly, Java Sushi, Moody's has an amazing ahi 4 ways dish...and as of last year, Drunken Monkey. We tried this place when it first opened, while we found the tapas selections to be tasty, the sushi was definitely lacking flavor & creativity when compared to the other spots in town. The restaurant is cute, it has a nice ambiance for such a small space. But all in all the experience lacked & we didn't return until this past Sunday. We wanted to give it another shot & ordered the Hor-Fun noodle bowl (came with shrimp, calamari, albacore, salmon) & spicy ahi roll, and another roll with ahi, salmon and escolar. I have absolutely nothing positive to say about any of the fish we tried, besides that it all looked really pretty. The shrirmp & salmon in the noodle bowl tasted very fishy & all the rest of the fish was completely bland. You'd find better rolls & value at both Java & Dragonfly, which is where we will be the next time we get a sushi craving.
(2)
S C.
I went when this first opened and not that impressed, we gave it another try and now we go at least once a month for date night or with our two kids. I like the ambiance and the fish is SUPER fresh not to mention sushi Sam always teaches me something new either about a particular sake, using my chopsticks more efficiently, etc. My two year old will eat sushi only here as long as he can dip it in soy sauce :) My sushi experience came late in life when I lived in San Francisco and Vancouver but now I love it and won't eat it just anywhere (read: snob). Venture for one of Sam's fresh creations. Oh yeah and I love the home made sauces on the calamari and the tofu appetizer. I think one thing that sets this restaurant apart from others in the Tahoe area is that the owners present and know/care about their customers.
(5)
Marie N.
Shared the Kawari Edamame (garlic and lime zest), Escolar sashimi, and Unagi nigiri among other things with friends. The fish was fresh and delicious, the Escolar texture was awesome. Our waitress was really friendly and fast too and the atmosphere in here was great. I'm impressed Truckee! Bonus: They also had a seriously yummy sake, which is the only [cold] sake that I've tried and liked! And of course I cannot remember the damn name, but the fact that I had a few cocktails before dinner has NOTHING to do with it. Ahem.
(5)
Scott S.
"Sam" was rude since I wasn't a regular (a few 'regulars' sat down next to me at the sushi bar and he was all friendly and chatty). The sushi was mediocre at best and overpriced. For the prices they charge, Morimoto should be making it. Happy to skip this place on my next trip.
(2)
Natalie T.
I am offically jaded on all other sushi restaurants east of San Fran. This spot was amazing. I loved the atmosphere and everyone was really friendly. By far the freshest fish I've ever had, apparently it just came In that day. Score! All the nigiri was beautiful, and huge slices, they def don't skimp. The king salmon, and otoro.... Incredible!!! Plus I tried the spinach tapas with sesame, it was delicious. They have a great sake selection and have wonderful gluten, dairy, and nut free options... Extra point! I wish this spot wasn't so far away from me=( can't wait to go back!
(5)
Rachel A.
I brought my mom here on a recent visit, and we really enjoyed ourselves. The wait staff is nice and attentive, and the menu has tons of choices. Everything we got was delicious. I can't wait to go back and try more!
(4)
Jon O.
I understand with slow economy and no snow it is hard to turn your stock over but you owe it to your few customers to serve fresh fish, not the fish with the haze on it. The rice tasted like Minute rice. I did see one gal getting a great looking roll, I guess my cup size was not large enough to get the special service.
(2)
Leeann P.
The staff deserves 5 starts due to great customer service but the food I'll give 2/3 stars. I was looking forward to catching dinner here after reading reviews and checking out the pictures on yelp but was quite disappointed with the sushi rolls. The miso soup and calamari was great. I was even happier when the rolls came to the table fresh with real crab meat. But the rolls lacked flavor. They tasted very bland that I literally only ate a couple pieces and took home the rest only to throw them away. Loved the ambiance though.
(2)
Jeremiah E.
I think this will be a usually place to go when in the North Tahoe area. Place is always packed with people whether it is skiing season, the summer, or the off-season. They have you seated fairly quick. Services is good, may miss an empty glass but no one is perfect. Food delicious as always. Started with ahi tataki which is seared ahi tuna, cube and tossed in spicy chili-garlic oil, artichoke hearts and fresh cilantro. Entree my girlfriend got Singapore Street Noodles while I got the Hor-Fun and we shared Alpeglow sushi roll. The Singapore street noodles had a curry flavor to it, to go with season vegetable and a lot of shrimp. The Hor-Fun, I thought I was getting noodles but I seems like I got more of mixed seafood than noodles. Not complaining I love seafood, it came with squid, shrimp, salmon, tuna, bass, ect. Thank you. The Alpenglow sushi roll, a very tasty roll with salmon, scallop, don't quite remember the inside but the lemon gave it the touches it needed to be a great dish. For dessert was handcrafted icecream coconut lychee flavor, looks kind of plain but it is tasty. We'll be back to when in the area to try some other delicious food. goal to try everything on the menu.
(5)
Leah P.
There's a reason you sit at the sushi bar - so you can get the recommendations from the chefs themselves. Daniel was a find in Truckee - a sushi foodie after my own heart. He served up the albacore belly, monk fish liver, and his original Truckee truffle. Delicious all around! The cherry on top - the bill. Surprisingly affordable with excellent service. Thank you for a great dinner - can't wait to to return.
(5)
Angiel A.
Great service! Great food!! whenever in the area we will be back to this spot.. Ahi poke great presentation in a seashell and the taste match the presentation
(5)
Kelly L.
Drunken Monkey was always a favorite spot to get together with friends when we lived in Truckee and it still is. Good service, great food. Prices are high, but that's the norm in Tahoe. It's a small place so best for smaller groups. Be prepared to wait cause they're always busy!
(5)
Rebecca E.
Love the food at this Asian fusion (ish?) restaurant. 4 rather than 5 stars because it's pretty pricey for Tahoe, and wait times can be lengthy. I guess that this is what the market prevails, but I wish it were not so. Anyway, it's so popular because the food really is great. Enjoy.
(4)
Steve K.
Now THIS is sushi done right! Sam and his team skillfully prepare it, and the fish is oh-so fresh and tasty. Their toro was the absolute best I've had ANYWHERE and that's really saying something They also have a very good sake menu What a gem... too bad it's so far from home, but I will happily make the effort to return
(5)
William C.
I was really looking forward to try this place out after reading the yelp reviews and visited their website, everything looked so good. Came on the not so busy Tuesday night, was seated right away, the waitress was very friendly and attentive. We started with grilled beets and gyoza, but I am pretty sure they were made ahead of time and microwave heated.... but that's ok since they tasted just fine. Then we ordered the hamachi kama, which was on par with other Japanese restaurants. For the main course, my wife ordered the Ramen noodle, can't say they tastes as good as the ones in the bay area but for a place like Truckee, it is pretty good. I ordered the Yakiniku grilled beef, which is a rice over some grilled beef and vegi, the beef was way too dry and to be honest this dish reminds me of the Chinese Mongolian bbq, where you mix your own vegi and meat they cook it on the grill for you. On the sushi side, we ordered tamago, which is good, Unnaju maki and hamachi sushi, all tastes pretty good. We skipped dessert since all the dishes above pretty much stuffed us. Overall a-ok place but again to find a restaurant serves somewhat authentic japanese food like this in truckee is pretty good. We will be back again to try other dishes.
(3)
Michelle L.
A fave place for dinner when in the Truckee area. This latest visit, shared an order of ahi tataki (seared ahi tuna, cube and tossed in spicy chili-garlic oil, artichoke hearts and fresh cilantro) to start. J ordered the Hor-Fun Noodles (shrimp, calamari, assorted seafood stir-fried with fresh wide rice noodles) entree and I got the Singapore Street Noodle (cumin, turmeric, herb-zested thin rice noodles with seasonal veggies and char-shu pork or shrimp) that came with bellpeppers, mushrooms, asparagus, bamboo shoots, and I chose shrimp rather than char-shu or tofu. They were extremely generous with the amount of seafood in both dishes, and they were both very filling. I especially enjoyed the dry curry flavors on the noodles, similar to what a Thai restaurant might do with their fried rice dish. We also split an Alpenglow sushi roll (spicy salmon, spicy scallop, salmon/escolar/thin lemon slices, shredded daikon topping) which ended up being a little bit too spicy for me so I only had a few pieces before giving up, but it was tasty. The lemon slices brighten the fish flavors and the daikon topping provided crunchy texture. Can't get enough salmon if you ask me. To finish the night we also got the handcrafted ice cream from the dessert menu, specifically the coconut-lychee flavor. Two scoops came in a bowl, not really garnished but did have real bits of coconut and lychee fruit mixed in, flavors not too overwhelming. Maybe some toasted coconut would have been nice as a topping, or mango instead of lychee. Overall, always great seafood at this spot right off Highway 267. Noticed that all the photo prints hanging around the restaurant were taken by the owner, Sam -- pretty neat! So far have tried their soba noodle soup, sushi rolls, calamari, ahi, a few desserts, and noodle dishes without any complaint. They also have rice donburi bowls, tapas, sashimi, nigiri, hand rolls, and sake. Very good in my book.
(4)
Lisa R.
Was excited to finally try this place after so many times driving by, but the experience was just meh. Not enough servers left us trying really to get ours' attention and just giving up. We ate inside but spent our whole meal swatting flies away, which was really unappetizing, and I don't just mean one or two pesky bugs, they were everywhere and super persistent! The food was extremely bland, with the rock crab being the only flavor I could distinguish and I'm not a huge fan to begin with. The shrimp spring rolls were actually good and our server was really nice when she did come by. $90 for lunch for 2 people is pricey, but its sushi and to be expected. All in all I'd probably give this place another try if a friend really wanted to go, but doubt I would go back again on my own.
(3)
Chad S.
Great food, we all ended up sharing dishes because they were so good. Fun atmosphere! Highly recommend having dinner here if you get to Truckee!
(5)
Ariel B.
My sister and I came on Sunday night. Sushi was delish. I ordered the nigiri idako - I would definitely order that again. It wasn't tough or too chewy. My sister ordered the red dragon. That was super good as well. The fish tasted super fresh. We also got the hot and sour soup - came hot and was also good. Dessert - I got the green tea panna cotta. Everybody has to try it. It's so good! And we had the coconut tapioca pudding. It also has shredded toasted coconut and goji berries in it. It was pretty good but kinda heavy since it had rice in it. The staff was on point. The sushi chefs were on point and super nice. They even gave us some advice and info on snowboarding and Squaw Valley. Only downside - price but you are paying for quality. Our food came out to be about $44.
(4)
Hayk P.
I kept trying to give this place another try this was the last time I am going to come here the food has no taste customer service suck beyond they said couldn't do a custom roll cause they were busy I had to be sitting in the bar for that I waited 30min for my food I said I just want to pay for my drink and go because they were taking forever to bring it they still charged me for the food they didn't bring in forever so I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone ur better of with McDonald's
(1)
diana l.
Just had to go back and once again we had a great experience. The sushi was very fresh and delicious. Good wine and beer selection. We arrived between lunch and happy hour but the service was still excellent at this off time. We'll be back !!
(5)
Celeste D.
I was so excited to try this spot because of the high reviews. The food was soooo bland I only finished my food because of the soy sauce and wasabi. To top it off, my $13 drink which was supposed to be a Japanese style mojito tasted watered down and flavorless as well. Not worth the $40!
(1)
Rod C.
My family and I love this outstanding Asian Fusion restaurant. The menu has an incredibly diverse selection that makes us want to come back again and again. There is also great selection of sake including the Nigori (cloudy) variety that is silky smooth. Presentation and service are very good too.
(5)
Taryn L.
Hands down freshest fish around Truckee. Nigiri portions are very generous, not some small piece of fish on a huge clump of rice. The uni they get is the freshest I have ever tasted, if you haven't tried it before this Is the place! Their rolls are all creative and full of flavor, the chirashi sushi is delicious as well (assorted fish served over sushi rice). Not into sushi? They have something for everyone, along with gluten free and vegetarian options. The kawari edamame is one of my favorite snacks (garlic and chili tossed). Their rice bowls and noodle dishes are also delicious, and available in multiple flavors. Along with great food they do offer multiple sake options and wine. Enjoy!
(5)
Tony R.
I just paid $16.50 plus tax, plus delivery, plus tip for a tiny appetizer portion of "shaking beef" with a few shreds of vegetable and no rice. I was starving, didn't want to leave the hotel and I ordered this dish, which, by the way, is priced at only $14.50 on Yelp, expecting a hearty beef laden entree with rice and an abundance of veggies. Instead I got a pauper's portion of meat, no rice and not even a napkin with the dish. I was so angry I called the Drunken Monkey to complain whereupon I was informed that this was just their "style," small dishes called tapas. Excuse me, but I thought I was ordering from a Japanese restaurant, not a Spanish tapas place. They have some nerve to charge $16.50 for a tiny appetizer portion of food that wouldn't satisfy a pigeon. When I thought about how absurd it was, I had to laugh... It was comical looking at the few tablespoons of meat I had purchased for a sum total of nearly $25. Thanks, Drunken Monkey, for giving me a good laugh. But I'm still never ordering food from you again.
(2)
Alex A.
The sushi really had no taste. I the calamari was really good but i will probably never go back.
(1)
Kyr L.
...yes, if you read my reviews over the past few years, it's been up and down a bit. I frequent this place now. Service is much better now. I have eaten at many a sushi restaurants in Tahoe/Truckee/south lake areas. Drunken monkey has the best quality fish in these mountains, hands down! The Calamari is delicious, and the nigiri can't be beat. Try the Sake Kama or Hamachi Kama too, great deal, and tasty! ...and they play my kind of music :)
(4)
Katriona L.
This was some of the best sushi I have ever had ... and I have been to Japan... Love the atmosphere, the server was fun and the food was amazing. Worth the trip for sure... Will be back again.
(5)
Brian C.
We had really good Shabu Shabu saki and nigiri. I recommend it to everyone visiting Truckee or North shore of Tahoe! Quality outstanding, portions large and staff very attentive!
(5)
Cathie N.
Sushi rolls are mediocre but the sashimi was delicious and fresh. The waitress was a bit slow and forgetful but the sushi chef was attentive and helped us instead.
(3)
Hungry H.
Amazing Happy Hour on weekdays from 3:00-5:00 PM beer, wine, and food specials. A friend and I sat at the sushi bar yesterday for Happy Hour and ordered one of each Happy Hour Appetizer, and wow, were we impressed! The sushi roll was superb seared ahi and dungeoness crab was fresh and delicous. I highly suggest ordering the dragon balls, tempura fried rice, crab, and shrimp balls and the monkey cups a crisp bowl filled with ahi poke well seasoned with fresh vegetables. After 6 appetizers and 2 drinks our bill came out to 39$!!! Such a great deal, if you go for happy hour remember to tip your server above 20% they are so attentive and helpful in choosing the best items and you are getting a significant discount eating at happy hour prices. Our server Katie was awesome she helped us choose the ginger brew drink, which is ginger infused sake in a Sapporo beer it was light and refreshing; great suggestion on her part. If you find yourself looking for a bite to eat or a quick drink I suggest going to Drunken Monkey, the ingredients are fresh and high quality and the atmosphere is casual and calm. The restaurant across the parking lot Fifty fifty is no competition and every time I have eaten there I have wished I had gone to Drunken Monkey!!!
(5)
Tracy W.
The fact that this place has 3 1/2 stars makes me lose all faith in yelp. This is one of my favorite restaurants in tahoe. They offer tasty, fresh food with unique flavors. The restaurant has great atmosphere and the staff is awesome. A few of my favorite dishes include the famous monkey calamari, singapore street noodle, agedashi tofu, grilled beets. There are so many other dishes I can't wait to try.
(5)
Linda B.
The ambiance has a cool vibe and the people are nice but the food was very mediocre and the service was very slow. We went there because their website say's that they have perfected the beef Pho. The server said that they didn't have beef but they had salmon skin/fried lotus root instead of beef. The salmon skin came on a side plate and was soggy & cold as was the lotus root. I was told to put it in the hot broth ( which was luke warm ) which only made it worse. After fishing that out with my chop sticks she came out with a side plate of sliced rare beef and said she hoped the broth was hot enough to cook it! It wasn't so I just ate the noodles etc. The bento box my husband had was served with salmon collar and chicken. I think they received a fresh salmon for sushi, hence the salmon skin / collar bone offering. We'll give it one more try because they seem be "trying" to get it right. I hope they work it out. Pork pot stickers were good. Thin skin, crispy, good flavor.
(2)
Marty J.
Went in for lunch, one waitress who seemed to be trying her best to run around to the 10 or so tables she had... Drink I ordered never came so I Cancelled it, there was bones that cut the roof of my mouth in the Hamachi sashimi... Their way of making up for it on a 60 dollar order? Giving me 6 bucks off... The hipster douche chef with the YMCA biker hat was extremely rude and said since I ate the other fish(the one with no bones) that it was on me. Very rude. Very pricey. That's the last time I let a YMCA reject prepare my sushi!
(1)
H D.
This is not a take-out place. Do not do it. Do not ask for it. Having eaten there I would see it as unthinkable. This is a small, intimate, ambiance filled haven off Brockway in Truckee. This is not a grab and go, it is a great place for a nice casual dinner or a date. I was nervous for the food authenticity because all the servers were white young people but that soon was no worry. The sushi chefs were Japanese men who carefully put together the rolls. The rolls were fresh, delicately prepared and delicious. The noodle dishes were superb as well. The server was attentive and polite. The other guests were couples on dates and families. The older couples frowned on a small toddler shrieking but honestly so did I. Well behaved kids only or take them outside to the pretty courtyard to get their wiggles out or eat al fresco to begin with on their patio. Their patio is nicely done. The food, the ambiance and the polite service make this a great place to go. We are so glad we went.
(5)
Monica H.
I come here for lunch all the time. Today I came for dinner on a Saturday night. I was worried that I wouldn't get the same service. I was worried for no reason. Service was excellent as always
(5)
Margaret B.
This probably would have been a 4 star review if it hadn't been for our server. The food was between 3-4 stars, the cold sake list is extensive and our sake was excellent. The service was rushed, at best, and I called before leaving Incline Village to make sure that we had enough time to eat without rushing, if we got there at 8:45. We arrived at 8:40 on a Tuesday night and it was very slow. I was told that the kitchen closed at 9 so we hurried to get our order in. The server was doing "ok"- not great, but ok- until she dropped the check. We still had two full rolls and another plate at the table, and we were not taking our time because it was clear that she wanted to leave. As soon as we received all of our food we got the check. The unfortunate statement that came out of her mouth was, after the 2nd time to the table, "Can you sign this now so I can go home?" My friend waited for a moment and then responded that he wasn't quite ready and when she walked away I asked him if I had just heard her correctly, because she didn't say it in a joking or kind way- it was so rude that I was sure she must have been kidding. He said, "oh, yeah, she said that". Wow. Is all I have to say. When we left, just 40 minutes after we had arrived, she made a point of yelling after us, "Have a great night!!" But the food was pretty good, and now that Yoshimi Sushi is gone from Incline Village, there aren't many other options as Tahoe City Sushi closes at 8 pm.
(3)
Alli G.
Easily the best sushi in North Lake Tahoe. Always a lot of specials - we never have the same meal twice. Staff is great. Even on nights when it is packed you never feel rushed. Love that!
(5)
Dan G.
This place has a real sexy vibe to it. The decor, the lighting, the bar, the plating, the staff...all point to this place being sexcellent. Sadly, it is all a shiny veneer. The small plates jolted us back into reality: the gyoza tasted like the frozen Trader Joe's variety and were plasticky, the mochicko chicken was overpowered by, and drenched in, some mayonnaise based sauce, the edamame was over seasoned, and the ramen broth was way too sweet. If we hadn't already ordered sushi we would have asked for the check. The sushi came out and it was absolutely beautiful. The hand rolls, big rolls, sashimi and nigiri all looked fantastic. The taste was mediocre at best however. If I were to return I would get a beer and some nigiri. Maybe a simple hand roll. Don't be distracted by the sexiness! Keep it simple when ordering if you go to this cheeky little monkey.
(2)
Melissa M.
Living in San Francisco, I realize that I'm a food snob. I'm almost always disappointed with the food in other places and fully expected to be disappointed with a Japanese place in Truckee. However, I was actually blown away by the quality and delicious food we were served. We had the gyoza that tasted homemade, the shrimp and avocado salad that was generous and served partially warm (Yum!) and a special that day - Panko crusted scallops. It was all scrumptious! Not cheap, but what Japanese restaurant is? We will be back when we return to Tahoe.
(5)
Sonya Z.
pretty good sushi, very classy ambiance, solid service... a bit expensive for the everyday though.
(4)
Lenelle C.
I went here for lunch with my 13 year old son. We ordered the Sierra Sunset and Golden Tiger cut rolls. A miso soup and the chicken teriyaki appetizer. That is the stuff cravings are made of!! And Rebecca, our server, was excellent!! We will be back the next time we are in town!
(5)
Paula D.
Appetizers were amazing - eggplant and garlic edamame. But I wouldn't order their soups again. (Was March 2013 - just saw I never finished the review)
(4)
Jennifer U.
Really great food and ambience. We had a wide variety of dishes including the shrimp and avocado salad, aplenglow roll, the golden tiger roll, the street noodles, lunch spring roll and the bento lunch plate. All were very full of flavor and portion size was excellent. Only wish they had a few more lunch specials. Service was a little slow, but not horrible. We will definitely be back!
We wound up at Drunken Monkey on a whim. We have our usual spots we eat when we are in Truckee, but we branched out and I'm so glad we did. If you're up for a little fancier feel dining in the rugged free spirited town of Truckee, this is the place for sure. The atmosphere is really nice, but still casual and it was packed in the middle of the week. As for the stars.... I am a sushi snob. Big time. I will only eat at one or two sushi places in our area. So either Drunken Monkey had its best night ever when I happened to be there, or they have excellent sushi. And I mean excellent. I was actually blown away. Highest recommendation goes to the calamari. Trust me, you haven't had it like this before and it was like butter on the inside. Perfect. As for the rolls, we got quite the variety and tried a lot of things, and there wasn't anything I didn't want more of. We will be returning next time we're up.
(5)
Eric B.
This restaurant can't decide if it wants your take-out business or not. It's frustrating to call and be told "we aren't doing take-out right now. call back in an hour." I understand the desire to take care of your dine-in customers first. Makes sense. But I've also dined in the restaurant and found the service to be slow and forgetful. Food is great, but the service makes me pass.
(2)
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Address :11253 Brockway Rd Ste 105,Ste 105
Truckee, CA, 96161
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
David M.
Some of the best sushi I've ever had. Absolutely fantastic. A little loud, but food wins out in the end.
(5)Steve L.
Ah, the freedom of speech and the opportunity to yelp. I have to tempur(a) my yelp here, though....this is my 225th writing since joining this phenomenal exchange with fellow foodie/travel devotees. Drunken Monkey joined our fare community several years ago. For whatever reason, my family and I (with friends visiting) had yet to come and experience Sam's creations. Perhaps I should have done a more thorough discovery (via fellow yelpers, especially elite members) because our experience (for the moment) is only 3 stars (well, perhaps 2 stars) - and here's why: 1. I did not read deeper as to "trend" - but since last December, the various Yelpers ahead of me give their dining experience an average - 3. The 'elite' Yelpers 'a bit lower'. Let's see if the trend moves higher but I can only sustain a 3 for our visit last week.) 2. I scratch my head when I walk into an establishment that has been 'highly rated' and note that there is seating for at least 70 persons and only 8 patrons are present on a Friday afternoon at half-past twelve noon. Where have all the sushi lovers gone? 3. I won't bore you, forgive me though. I am a sushi freak (not a snob). When I travel with family/friends or on business, 99% of the time a sushi lunch or dining opp is our preference. We certainly wanted to have the Drunken Monkey experience, and we did. As Truckee locans, sans at least 2 stars for the following: MINUS - no warm hand towels upon being seated (traditional but obviously Sam's preference. MINUS - miso soup sans dashi stock and chopped green onions - con seaweed strips (not chopped) WITH carrots?? Me thinks not but this is Sam's country style Wakame tofu and vegetables. Perhaps I need to jump on a jet to Japan and experience 'country' style miso.....haven't yet. MINUS - roll out the sushi rolls with better 'rolling'. Perhaps your sushi chef needs another class or two. MINUS - if I were be a sushi bar devotee (which I am), I would prefer not to simply have to stare at a wall as opposed to an openness to the kitchen and/or exterior settings (as at Mamasake, Olympic Valley). PLUS - we will return - perhaps our visit was simply an off day for Sam's (but hopefully not us). PLUS - daily lunch menus are offered at under $10 per person. We will return, Sam, but either I need to know better just what you offer our great community or I need to be more tolerant or I need more sake. PLUS - very nice attention to interior furnishings, lighting, windows, very clean restrooms.
(3)chad H.
This place is a solid 4. It is so rare to be able to have a really good meal out in Tahoe, and who would think that you could get good sushi up here. But we're happy to say that we did. The meal was great. The guys making the sushi were really friendly as was the wait staff. We will definitely be coming back.
(4)Erin H.
Came here while staying in Truckee over the weekend because it seemed like a decent place due to the reviews and having vegetarian options for one in our group of five. The place was cute with great ambience and our waitress was friendly and attentive. I found my sushi very tasty and although it was a bit pricey - the portions were generous. One person had teriyaki steak and complained that the price to portion was way off base; and the only other complaint I recall was that the sauce on the ribs (special that night) was too sweet and my poor fiance couldn't handle more than a few. We expected the bill to be fairly astronomical but it really wasn't too bad when all was said and done.
(3)Don W.
I stopped in on a late weeknight only because the brewhouse next door was already done serving food. After walking in and practically sitting down, I was informed by the hipster handle- bar mustache wearing sushi chef that they were already closed. However, when I inquired about taking something to go, he was quick to say "well I'm still here, so OK." #SMH I proceeded to look at their menu (which consisted of nothing like the Tekkadon that I was craving for) at which point, another gentleman offers to take my order and asks whether I'd be dining in or out (WTF?! I thought they were closed!). Anyhow, because I was really hungry I ordered a couple rolls and took it back to my hotel. Needless to say, I had a bit trouble finishing the stuff and hesitantly put almost half of it in the garbage (and I really don't like to do that!). Oh yeah, did I mention that I spent almost $50 on my dinner?? Inflation like a mutha for the worst sushi I have ever had in my life!
(1)Brian R.
My wife and I have been here many times, always great food and service. The sushi chefs are very personable and can come up with good concoctions on their own...! It is a must stop if your in the mood for sushi and passing by.
(4)amy c.
We didn't expect superb sashimi up at Tahoe. Who would? Boy were we surprised when we got our assortment plate of sashimi. Dang, it was shockingly good. Very pricey, but given that we are up in the mountains we can overlook it. The fish, scallop and octopus were some of the tastiest we've had and we just came back from living in Asia for a year. We got a plate of noodles for our carbs since we just got done biking and that was pretty tasty too. Will definitely go back.
(5)Jennifer H.
Had dinner with a friend (husbands were busy that night) It is a smallish space but they set it up creatively ..small bar is off on the left , away from everyone else. Dining area has 7 or so, 4 seat tables against the windows, then 3 or so, 2 seated tables in the middle and finally down the other side of the room ,was the sushi bar (maybe a dozen stools) I was impressed with the beer selection (got the IPA from 21st Amendment Brewery out of S.F.) Had NO idea what to order, but the waitress was very good describing what each of the different groupings were and indicated the sizing on the particular ones... We go a stir fried shrimp ...VERY Flavorful and garlicky....which I loved...and we got a special on that night of Scallops...very good and flavorful (not as hot as the shrimp...temp wise...)but the flavor was again strong=good...If you have ever tried cooking scallops...you know the majority of the time. they are not that flavorful, unless you deep fry them. We also got the sweet/sour soup...have little fish meats in in...I like it ...soothing, with a kick We didn't pig out here...I was looking forward to NOT overeating...felt good leaving, Service was very good, Kept filling our big water glasses, much appreciated...you forget to drink/ask if they are not there but I must have drank 4 or their 20 oz glasses (helped me wash my beer down...lol) You could spend a fortune here and pig out and try everything at once...but we spend a very reasonable amount , enjoyed the ambiance very much (pretty dark...I like that) and the food was creative and tasty and I am looking forward to going back and sitting at the sushi bar and having them suggest what I should get there. All their items looked tempting....so I will be back to try more!
(4)Zakk D.
Even inland you can find good sushi. I've had great sushi in Utah and they are way more inland than Truckee. But drunken monkey really leaves a lot to be desired. The fish is of so-so quality and you can immediately taste it. Each piece of the rainbow roll was mediocre and just didn't have that fresh taste snap to it. Rolls were of decent size and I thought fair for the price. The California style sushi seemed to have lots of different takes, but after two rolls, we didn't dare try any more. The bento box-style lunch (or whatever sam o. calls it) came with burnt-grilled chicken thigh meat. Not good. It's like they just flash-charred the chicken and served it. Again the portions were decent, but when you're having to scrape off the black crust to get something to eat, that isn't good. Finally the service was lackluster even though we were one of two tables of two there. 3 people working and I have to get up and ask the sushi chef for more water? Come awn. *edit* so sam o. sends me this message: --- Hi Zakk, I read your comment with curious interest. Are you sure you are writing about Drunken Monkey? We never offered bento box nor rainbow roll in our restaurant since we opened. If you went to other sushi restaurant I really appreciate if you could re-enter you review again. Sincerely, Sam Okamoto --- I'm sure we are all collectively shocked that you can order sushi that isn't on the menu. Yes Sam. I was at your resturant and was underwhelmed both by the service and the food. If you still don't think I was there, please refund the $42 I spent there on 1/2/10, which maybe I should ask for anyway.
(2)Rick D.
Five stars because it is so unexpected in Truckee. We showed up on a mellow Saturday night after a long week of Spring Break and the staff was attentive and very helpful. The seared/cooked dishes were done to perfection. The Hamachi Shio Kama was absolutely amazing and the beef and green beans appetizer was super tasty. The "famous" calamari earned it's name as the calamari was lightly dipped in tempura and had a subtle, sweet sauce that really made it craveable. My only complaint, and this is a small one, is that I think the sake's were a bit overpriced. However, the 300ml are served in a cool carafe that stores ice next to the sake, without touching the sake, in order to keep it cool as you sip. The sake list is actually somewhat small for a place billing themselves as a "sake bar." Most of the sake's offered are fairly unadventurous and standard but they are quality ones and tasty. This is a San Francisco/LA quality sushi place sitting in Truckee. We'll definitely be back.
(5)Silke P.
Wow, the food at Drunken Monkey is great. Went there twice now, and each time we ended up having a lot of the tapas and appetizer and only very little sushi. Highly recommended are the kawari edamame, the miso eggplant, and - ohhhhh - the escolar sashimi. Everything else we had there was great, too. 4 stars only because: The first time we were there we got everything nicely spaced out, first one dish, then 2 more, then a few more, and then a last one. The last time everything came at once, which was a bit of a bummer. I like my food to appear slowly, so it's like a multi course meal and my table doesn't get overcrowded.... Seating is sometimes a bit funny, the tables for two are a bit like they are in the hallway. The larger tables are much better.
(4)Sharon R.
I've been a huge fan of the Drunken Monkey ever since they opened. The decor is understated and elegant. Service is always stellar, especially at the sushi bar. The fish is fresh and delicious, the rolls interesting. I love the shaking beef and the spinach most of all, but like to try something new each trip. Usually, I ask Sam what's particularly good that day and give it a try. On Saturday, we went for lunch. Wow! Such a deal-it was $8.50 for miso soup, a nicely dressed salad, steamed rice and TWO entrees. I had teriyaki salmon and calamari tempura. Everything was delicious! My DH hates miso soup and he enjoyed this version. I am so thrilled to have excellent fresh fish available for purchase. I bought some phenomenal halibut!
(5)Nyyca M.
The food is an inconsistent 4 stars the service is a consistent 2. We ate here 4 times in the past year and are always amazed by the aloof and slow service. They don't take reservations for groups under 6 (we were 5) but then when we got there there was a large table that would have been perfect for us available - but they said they do not sit groups under 6 people at that table - so we had to wait 20 minutes for a different table. Seriously? Sake is good sushi is pretty good. Kids noodles were charred and they wouldn't eat them (my kids love noodles). Calamari was meh. Overall, if you have kids - I would not recommend this place. If you are just adults and don't mind super slow service then its ok.
(3)Marissa C.
If you're not a true sushi lover and afficienado, then you'll love it here. It's americanized sushi. I won't rehash all of the service issues as it's been covered quite extensively in previous reviews and it all does defintiely apply. They had aji on the board but refused to serve it sashimi style only nigiri. Thank goodness I later found a true sushi restaurant (mikumi) and ended up spending hundreds of dollars there.
(2)Devin L.
What a way to RUIN a wonderful vacation!!! We had heard excellent things about the Drunken Monkey and were looking forward to experiencing both Northstar and great sushi. We called early evening and spoke with the hostess to make reservations. She asked how many were in our party and when we said only 3, she responded "Come on in, no need for a reservation". Starving and excited to experience a hyped-up sake bar, we went to Drunken Monkey. Not only was the hostess rude, but she barked, "Do you have reservations?". We said no, we were told just to come in. She then proceeded to tell us that it would now be a 45 min wait for 3. WHAT? WOW? She was unapologetic when we let her know that we had called specifically to make reservations and were told not to. I am appalled that an establishment would be so poorly ran and moreover, the hostess would lack common courtesy. We were offered no apology, solution and left still starving! I will recommend to my friends, that is is manditory to make a RESERVATION. Unfortunately i CANNOT comment on the food since I was not givin the opportunity!
(1)Sonia H.
Beef stir fry was awesome. We had a noodle bowl that was recommended by the waitress it was insanely fishy we had only a couple of bites of it. The sushi roll was okay but lacked flavor. I heard happy hour is where it's at.
(2)Steven G.
One word :OUTSTANDING!" Who would have thought such a place would exist in Truckee, CA. My wife, two teenage kids and I went for dinner on a Thursday night in late Aug. and found the atmosphere and service very nice. It's not a big place so you might find yourself waiting in peak season. We had the following dishes: KAWARI EDAMAME garlic and chili zest flavored (best we've ever had) VEGETABLE TEMPURA DREAMING MONKEY A crab avocado roll with hamachi, ahi tuna and salmon Maki roll KARASHI MAGURO Hand Role spicy chili scallion tuna CURRY MOCHIKO CHICKEN (exceptionally good) Crisy fried curry flavored chicken in rice flour with ponzu Everything we tried was fantastic. The fish was very fresh. Prices were also relatively reasonable to boot. I would highly recommend the Drunken Monkey.
(5)Amy H.
Its almost 9 o'clock in the morning right now, I just finished a training session outside in the freezing cold, and what am I thinking about? Drunken monkey hamachi and salmon sashimi, seaweed salad and miso soup. The sashimi plates come with greens and the fish is incredibly fresh, the seaweed salad is the best I've ever had, I usually get two and the miso soup is perfect. This is the best sushi in the area, and I mean the whole Tahoe/Truckee/Reno area. The inside is beautiful and service awesome, its been too long since my last visit. Oh how a little sake would warm me up on this first freezing day of winter.
(5)Bryan K.
When you're in Truckee, CA, meaning middle-of-nowhere, and you're staying at a hotel off the beaten path, and right next door is a Japanese restaurant called Drunken Monkey with "Sushi, Sake, Tapas, Noodles," you have to pause and ask yourself, "Do you feel lucky, punk?" The place reaks of fusion. Tons of haoles inside. What are the chances that this place is even remotely edible? I mean, I feel damn lucky in my life, but come on, not this lucky. So with that in mind, I had a choice: This place or the pizza place next door. Or a new Thai restaurant next to that place. So I decided on this place, figuring well if the food sucks I'll just drink sake -- they have quite a few options in stock. Ordered: Curry Mochiko Chicken. Curry flavored chicken, covered in mochiko then fried. This was 7 out of 10. It sounded better than it tasted, but it was still tasty. Hamachi Shio Kama. It was a huge piece for $9.50, a great deal. Comes with some weird sauce but I asked for a side of grated daikon. Black & White Dragon Roll. Crab maki-zushi topped with unagi and a fish called escolar. I had to ask the name for this fish, its called hebi saba. It was tasty. The crab was real, not that kamaboko fake crab crap. They charge $2.25 for green tea and $2.50 for rice. I don't care, I need rice. I need tea. The old asian dude sushi chef Sam is a personable guy. He was cutting up some hamachi and some haole guy at the counter asked him where the fish was from. He said, "I don't know. I don't ask." Everybody nowadays wants to know where their food is coming from. I woulda told him, Donner Lake! Sam reminds me of local guys in Hawaii. Anyway, this place had a vibe like Blowfish Sushi to Die For in SF. Its a cool place to hang out if you're out of town. I wish I didn't have a race the next day or I could totally see myself eating, boozing, and chatting it up with the folks next to me. Well I did all that, minus the boozing. Yep, no sake needed tonight.
(4)Amanda D.
So here is the truth on Drunken Monkey. Food - Some good, some great- Most of it Pricey Service - HORRIBLE! Let me start by saying we've been coming for a while, pretty much every other weekend for the ski season. We have brought tons of friends, spent some serious money and while we are not locals, we are regulars. We went on a Friday afternoon and there were only about 2 tables and a few folks at the sushi bar. The waitress disappeared for about 15min after seating us. We knew exactly what we wanted and were ready to order. I tried to get the attention of the guy at the sushi bar but no eye contact... quite strange. A few minutes later a family came in and they seated them next to us. Sushi guy was pleased as punch to see them and came over all chatty. Finally our waitress took our order. Our sushi came out rather quick, but then she brought my entree and not my boyfriend's. We overheard the table next to us happened to order the same dish as my boyfriend's main course. Of course the waitress took OUR order to them "friends of sushi guy" and let my boyfriend sit there for 15min while I ate my entree in front of him. When I asked her where his was, she said "it's coming" with a snarky attitude. Both she and sushi guy knew what they had done. He came over and asked me if everything was ok? (not in a genuine way I might add) I said politely "I think that table got our food". With no further response he walked back to the kitchen and came out with our food, put it on the table and said nothing and walked to the next table and started being chatty again. I didn't realize we had entered his private space for entertainment. My Boyfriend thinks it might be a locals vs tourist thing, either way - had we known that nepotism and bad attitudes was the special of the day, we wouldn't have come. It's really too bad, because we like to food here but if the service doesn't change I'd rather have a tuna burger at Burger ME. (Which is fantastic by the way). :) It is so unfortunate that this place can't get the service right, or even at a minimum smile and be friendly to the customers that are dropping some serious coin for sushi. $70 for 2 for lunch with no alcohol. Pretty steep for bad service.
(2)Jackie W.
Not your normal Sushi Bar. Sam is an accomplished photographer as well as a great host. Many different saki's to choose from and very unusual dishes. Dinner will be pricey but the experience is worth it...
(5)Vicky C.
I cannot even say in words just how much we LOVE this place. Staff is attentive, ambiance is lovely, and the food is simply spectacular. You must try the calamari! Not certain what is in the sauce that goes with it, but I'm certain it's some sort of addictive substance! Sushi is always fresh and professionally prepared and lovely to look at. Hot dishes are delicious as well. We are Truckee locals so please support this restaurant!
(5)Mari C.
For every yin, there is a yang. For every Sonny, there is a Cher. For every crappy sushi joint, there is a Drunken Monkey. In Truckee, at least. Well thank god (and the devil) for the Drunken Truckee Monkey. (does that rhyme? i can't quite tell...) Previously, the only sushi I had consumed in this town was like a dead fish floating on a bed of electric pink mayo sauce: yelp.com/biz/java-sushi-… How is it that Truckee hosts both the best and worst sushi ever? I mean, who could have known that inebriated primates could be so savy about fish dishes? A little pricey, but the quality of the food is spectacular. And they're all avante-garde about their combinations, so its more like what these kids are calling "Asian Fusion" than your typical sushi joint. Forget the thick sauces and the deep frying (unless you're into that), here you get great quality fish presented beautifully and tastefully. Oh, how tastefully...
(5)Lisa T.
Holy brown Tuna...I thought maybe they had seasoned or sauced it but noooooooo! It was the most horrible quality fish EVER. I can't believe when we asked for the check they actually made us pay? I was trying to be polite and said we weren't overly impressed with the quality of this visit. They said oh cool story bro...here's your bill. I will never eat here again.
(1)Mike Z.
I just can't for the life of me understand the last reviewer. Compelled me to write a review defending my beloved sushi place. I'm a frequent flyer at Drunken Monkey where the food ranges from very good to spectacular when you catch them on a fish delivery day. My favorites...the albacore w/ cerrano roll, eggplant, beets, unagi. This week they had king salmon in addition to regular salmon which rocked. You simply have to ask the sushi chef's what they think is best on that day and get that as nigiri or sashimi. Their sushi rivals anywhere in S.F. and the wait staff and sushi chef's are VERY friendly in my opinion.
(5)Judy L.
The menu is unique compared to other sushi restaurant. No imitation crab is used. The sushi is pretty fresh, and the presentation is great. My friend and I ordered a maki sushi (Spicy Serpent: spicy tuna with regular tuna on top), a broiled hamachi neck, 2 spicy scallop hand rolls, and some nigiri eel rolls. It was a really full dinner for two. The decor is quite interesting. It is a combination of contemporary decoration with interesting rustic table tops. Oh! Our waitress is very cute and friendly. I would definitely come here again! ; )
(4)Marc R.
This is my first rant about a place on yelp but its necessary. Wanted to have some sushi for dinner after a full day on the slopes at Northstar. Went with wifey and 3 kids but didnt get far. They wouldn't accommodate us at a table seating four (3 were open based on what I have seen). When I asked of we can pull up a chair I got a snotty response that Don't like that as it blocks walkways for other guests. Well. I am happy to take my money elsewhere. in this case to the Thai place adjacent to the Drunken Monkey Sushi
(1)Lute F.
I went here last summer, and keep finding myself reminiscing about it. I enjoyed it so much I thought maybe I should write a positive review in the hopes they'll still be there next time I visit. I was (car) camping in the mountains locally, dropped into town for the night to get a taste of urbanity. Was craving sushi, though couldn't imagine what Truckee would have to offer in that way. Now, I'm not much of a Yelper, but when I'm not from the area I often find myself on their website, and I suppose with a little practice (sorting out the ego issues) it can be a helpful tool. So, there's the Drunken Monkey, getting good reviews. I decide to try them out... First impression walking in is it's a classy joint. Feels like you're in some upscale Marin community, like Mill Valley maybe. But in a good way, don't get me wrong. Not gaudy, just classy. Not what I expected having driven 5 miles off the freeway, in the middle of the Tahoe National Forest, surrounded by pine trees. Then I notice the jazz. I'm not much of a jazz buff, but it sounded like edgy avant-garde jazz, cranked up. Very cool. Based on ambiance alone, they get 5 stars. But, of course, you can't eat the ambiance... I'm starting to get the idea that you can tell a lot about a Sushi restaurant by what they do with edamame. I s'pose some restaurants make great sushi but pedestrian edamame, but I'd say every restaurant that has pedestrian sushi also has pedestrain edamame. And so it seems that every restaurant that has a unique and tasty take on edamame also has excellent sushi, and so it is with this place. Their Kawari Edamame is possibly the best variation on edamame I've had, a tasty garlic and chili delight. And everything else that followed was either excellent or exceptional, both the cooked food and the sushi. Nice ambiance, excellent food, great service, what more could you want? Oh yeah, how 'bout a view of pine trees? They have that, too! I live in Oakland, CA, one of the urban hubs of the world, and I can say this place is as good as anything around me, and better than most. Five stars for being an excellent restaurant, six stars for being an excellent restaurant with a view of pine trees.
(5)Jason S.
Went again this week on Friday afternoon. Still impressive. The tempura calamari ($9.50) was excellent and uniquely presented. I had a Yakiniku beef Donburi bowl, which only has a handful of ingredients but was expertly prepared ($8.50). Finished it all off with a Golden Tiger Roll ($9.50). There is some flavor in the sushi rolls I can't put my finger on. It isn't unpleasant, but it isn't desirable either. This is the third time I've had a roll here, and each time that flavor appears. It isn't in the calamari, so I know it isn't the tempura batter or oil. But, it appears no matter what roll I order. The flavor has a musky aroma, like black truffle, but very subtle...Hmmmm.....the mystery continues. Otherwise, and excellent excellent place. And by the way, warm sake is like white zinfandel in the sake world: Gross! Good sake is always room temp or ice cold. I ALWAYS have mine as cold as possible. Drunken Monkey has zero warm sake, and I appreciate their knowledge in this area. Warm sake on any menu is an insult to American palates!!
(5)Tysen C.
You MUST order the oven roasted honey cha-shu pork donburi dish!!! Perfection in a bowl. Yum! The menu is large and it is difficult to decide. The sake list is great and the one we chose was so smooth and wonderful. The miso was a great way to warm up after a long day of skiing--lots of tofu and onions, yum! My Dad ordered the donburi dish and I helped him eat it, lol. I ordered the golden crystal salad roll w/ crab salad, shrimp tempura, avocado, lettuce and it was good--crispy, light, fresh. My fiance ordered a salmon skin hand roll which was tasty but his nabe-yaki udon was almost inedible. He had to pick out all of the shrimp because they were bad. Despite the udon, the rest of the food and service was very good! Our waitress was super sharp and very attentive. We were impressed by Drunken Monkey and will definitely return next time we are in the Truckee/Tahoe area!
(4)D. M.
Great assortment of good quality authentic sushi and other Asian food, delicious cocktails, and both adults and the kids loved it. We'll definitely go back!
(4)Food C.
Drunken Monkey. Proving that mediocrity is totally acceptable in Truckee.... Seriously. How on earth is this place still in business? Went there a few nights ago. Between two of us we had a few pieces of nigiri, a roll, some soup, pot stickers, serano shrimp and one of their special seared tuna plates. First, I'd like a little soup with my salt.... Pot stickers. I'd SWEAR they were from Trader Joes. At very least, cook them so they are warm inside, if not dare I say hot! Seared tuna. In a word, disgusting. I believe the fish was taken out of the freezer and then seared. The fish was tough and ice cold and made us gag from the texture-and since it was so cold there was almost no taste. The serno shrimp were undercooked, slimy and nearly impossible to eat with chopsticks and a total mess to eat with your fingers. If they were good it would have been worth the effort. IF... They weren't spicy and didn't have much flavor. I questioned whether they were even safe to eat. The sushi. I've had as good if not better from the all you can eat joints in Reno. With some of the most expensive prices for sushi between Reno and San Francisco it better be worth it. It's simply not. The long roll. I've had better at the takeout from Safeway in one of those pre-packaged styrofoam setups. I ordered the Demon Slayer, supposed to be a spicy roll, which was very mild. When's the last time you had leftover sushi at your table? Yeah, it was that bad. Wow, really?? For two of us with a third joining for two rounds of drinks our bill with tip was $150.00. Not even remotely worth it. I will NEVER go back there. I know it's not entirely fair to put Truckee restaurants up against those in San Francisco but, if you are going to charge city prices you had better produce the same quality. In conclusion. If you are looking for bland tasting food that is undercooked this is your new favorite spot. Now I remember why it's been about a year since I last went....
(1)Simon M.
Awesome sushi, a real gem.
(5)Christine H.
Just had an awesome sushi lunch here, sitting at the sushi bar ... letting Sam delight me with delicious dishes!
(5)Adam A.
I went for the sushi but there is so much more. Grilled beets, shaking beef, and kimchee all excellent. The muddy garlic ahi is an interesting dish similar to a poke. The service was good but our server seemed a bit annoyed for some reason and not overly friendly. Small place. Go straight from the slopes if you want a table. Not a large place.
(4)Ketie A.
Oh, I had such great expectations coming back there after a great first experience but you failed me Drunken Monkey big this time. My friends and I (5 people total) came into the restaurant around 5pm or so, the place was not busy (one table of two people). We waited about 15 minutes to get our table ready. Which I believe is a little long wait for an empty restaurant, but whatever not too bad. After we placed our order, two of the first dishes came out pretty quickly and they were good. Our waitress skipped my miso soup, but again I said "whatever not too bad" from there it went down hill. There were 2 other chefs at the bar not including the owner standing there. After 25 minutes the other dishes are not out yet. We see the waitress standing right by the owner munching on food. By that time everybody was pretty pissed and hungry. All the other dishes came out 40 MINUTES LATER! I'm gonna remind you that we were the only table besides the couple that was there before we got there. The waitress didn't even apologized, did not refile our glasses. But then when one of my friends asked her why it took so long her response was "We are very busy, I know it doesn't seem that way but there is a lot going on in the back" But lets talk about the food: wasn't that amazing as I remembered it! As a matter of fact the spicy tuna in some of the dishes had a shady taste to it! At least the waitress was quick with the check thing and knew how to split it quickly. I don't have to mention that she did not get a tip... Fail, epic fail.
(1)Uno L.
One of the best japanese restaurants. Dreaming monkey maki was phenomenal as well as their seared ahi tapas. Shabu was pretty impressive as well with a reasonable portion for two. The coconut tapioca dessert was the best choice to end our meal. Overall, it's probably our favorite restaurant at Lake Tahoe.
(5)Myle S.
Great ambiance and sushi in Truckee! We met up with some friends here and they gave us an awesome table. We had a great time and ate so much sushi....we were there for 3 hours I think. Fresh sashimi, specialty rolls, noodles, etc......great if you need to escape some cabin fever!
(4)sanj k.
Still like the food but its become too popular and the quality is sliding a bit. And, a thought - they should add take-out (for when people cannot get a spot and don't want to wait for a table).
(4)Kristin P.
Tasty sushi in a pleasant atmosphere, but nothing truly exceptional. Would give it a 3.5 if I could. Got the salmon nigiri (the waitress told us it was EXTREMELY fresh, and it tasted like it), some Inari and a specialty roll with salmon, tuna and something else on top. All were delightful. The inari had sesame seeds on the bottom, which was new to me, but pretty good. We also got Miso soup, which was among the best I've ever had, as well as some sort of noodles (Shanghai?) and a chicken dish. The noodles were good, but not at all exceptional. I really didn't like the chicken very much -- although the flavor was nice, the texture was unpleasant for me -- sort of fatty and rubbery. Also, I really wanted a mojito (and they had one on their drink list), but they were out of mint. We will go back, but I will probably stick to the miso soup and sushi from now on.
(3)A W.
Same owner's as Fifty Fifty have opened up this restaurant. The "plaza" this restaurant is in is very nicely done. There is a village mountain house feel to the setting. The restaurant is set back and faces a small atrium/courtyard area. Nice ambiance, large windows, beautiful wooden tables (we found out they were custom made out of cottonwood - which created somewhat of a Ouija board with our drinks *caution*) The staff here was warm and friendly. Everyone was interested in knowing how our experience was....bartender, waitress, hostess, and Sushi Master...and we were happy to let them know. EXCELLENT!! We went on the second night of the grand opening. Word seems to spread fast in the Truckee/Tahoe area of a new restaurant being opened, as the place had surprisingly filled up fast. I am sure this will be the normal occurrence from now to the future as the food was exceptional and the sushi was awesome! We did a good job on ordering/trying just about everything on the menu from the Edamame to the desserts. The serving sizes were just perfect to generous. Some of the favorites included the Maki roll Dreaming Monkey ($10.25) =crab(real!) avocado roll with hamachi, ahi tuna and salmon , the Shaking Beef ($9.50)=wok sautéed with lime salt dip, Hamachi Sashimi ($12.50). The Hot Sake was very good as was the Shochu Cocktail/s and the variety of beers they serve. Dessert was alright, it satisfied our sweet tooth's, but did not stand out as exceptional like the rest of our meal did. Can't wait to go back!!!!
(5)Gina H.
not bad for a Sushi bar in Tahoe. I would go back.
(4)Forrest T.
Service was terrible and waitress was very unhelpful.
(1)Rick S.
Their sushi pricing is better than mist other mountain resorts. Their 3 lunch specials are an even better value. I had their $8.95 lunch bento box which pretty good although it didn't really match up with the menu description. Summer lunch service was fast. I'd come back.
(4)Fro S.
I still really like this place, but last time I went the boss wasn't behind the sushi bar, and the sushi wasn't as good- the rice didn't hold together, and the shape wasn't right. Again the service was a bit sloppy- we were impressed when we walked in and were asked if we wanted kid chopsticks, we said yes please, but mid way through the meal had to remind them. The staff still don't know much about Japanese food, but I guess that's not surprising.
(4)Patrick B.
Good food. Great staff! Let us stay well after closing and drink sake until we couldn't sit up straight anymore :-)
(4)Aaron S.
After driving by the Drunken Monkey on a daily basis, we finally decided to give it a try as we have heard very positive feedback from friends. So the other week we had some guests in town and suggested we head out to the Drunken Monkey. We ended up having a negative experience. We brought our one year old to dinner and asked if we could have some chicken added to her noodle dish. We are talking one or two bites for a baby..nothing to extravagant, and we explained this to our waitress (who was very nice). What we got not only shocked us but was so gross that I would not have feed it to our neighborhood dog. They put what looked to be the leftover chicken fat nubs on top of my daughters noodles. The so called chicken was literally not edible. So at first I was like what ever since I just asked for an add on..but then we got the bill and we were charged for these chicken scraps! I was in utter shock and disbelief that the Drunken Money had the audacity to charge us $15 for a kids noodle dish with left over chicken scraps added. Needless to say, we won't be going back. There are plenty of good restaurants in Truckee that appreciate their guests and don't feel a need to nickel and dime the customer. As a side note, I called a few days later to let the manager know this happened and he could not figure out why I was upset...
(2)Lin Z.
Great sushi and tapas...best during the shoulder season when not crowded with tourists and they have reduced prices.
(4)Rahul K.
Beautiful restaurant really nice sushi menu. Service was great as well. Had to wait 30 minutes for a table so the maître de said he'd come get us from the brew pub when our table was ready since there were 6 of us and all the big tables were full. If you go you must try the garlic edemame they are to die for!! Also the pork and rice tapas were excellent. Prices were very reasonable as well for quality Japanese food.
(4)Stacey F.
Sometimes the hostess can be "distant" but waitstaff is great (love Katie and Jamie) and the fish is fresh and excellent here! hebi saba nigiri, I cannot get enough of you! Great atmosphere. As usual you get what u pay for, bit spendy, but it is not your run of the mill sushi.
(4)Sarah H.
Everything we had was outstanding- the servings of nigiri are enormous, the ginger is fabulous, all the fish super fresh. You MUST GO!!
(5)Pete G.
This restaurant is just okay. I ordered the Calamari and the only real taste was the sauce. California roll was fresh and well prepared. I ordered a drink that was infused with something still haven't figured that one out yet. The pork donburi was pretty good. What meat that was available had a good taste. For what you pay I would have expected a little more.
(3)David C.
I''m glad to see this kind of quality japanese food in a small town like Truckee. The table next to us ordered fresh dungenous crabs received that day. It looked so good but I didn't want to satisfy my hunger with just one dish. So we opted for tapas style. The hamachi kama was one of my fav of the night. Agadashi tofu was a bit firm but the broth was flavorful. Sushi all tasted pretty fresh. One spinach and sesame dish was a bit on the salty side. Would've liked to taste more of the sesame. Overall, a great experience. Looking forward to go back and try some other interesting dishes.
(4)Patrick H.
Bad service, medicore food and a dull atmosphere. Definitely avoid.
(1)Lauren L.
Wow! Impressive is right! This place is not only amazingly delicious, but totally reasonable. Some of the best sushi I've had in the area along with a well rounded menu of noodle bowls, rice bowls, and apps. Sake isn't my thing, but the list was extensive. I had a stir fried street noodle bowl with pork and basil, along with two excellent pieces of tuna nigiri that made my night. Prices were super reasonable ($8.95-11.95 for the non-sushi entrees) and all the rolls coming out of the bar looked incredible. Overall, this place is just ace - from the decor, to the menu, to the service. We can't wait to return again next week!
(5)Teresa C.
Wonderful dining and great food. It is a fresh and delicious Japanese restaurant. we went there again yesterday while we were staying in the cedar sports hotel. I , my husband and my son were sit in the sushi bar. we had a wonderful dinner, our sever was nice, sushi chef even gave us some extra delicious dish from house. we love sushi there... Can't wait for next Tahoe stay.
(5)S J.
Good 5 portion meals. Service is fast and staff are friendly great Asian fusion restaurant.
(4)Paul H.
Impressive? Hardly. One evening while here on a ski vacation, and trying to decide just where to go, my wife found great reviews for the Drunken Monkey right here on Yelp. Well, we were both craving sushi and decided to give it a try...only to be disappointed. The Miso Soup that we ordered for our son was very bland, and the Udon noodles that my wife ordered were overdone. The Nigiri and rolls that I ordered were just ok, nothing memorable, but good enough I guess for a town like Truckee. The decor is well done, and the two sakes that we had from the sake menu were very good. Personally, I would come back myself if I had the craving, but my wife is a bit more selective, so it will take some convincing.
(3)Tim M.
Great sushi in Truckee. Nice atmosphere. Eat at the Drunken Monkey.
(5)Bill K.
The sushi might be excellent, but we never had a chance to find out. After taking our drink orders, we sat at the sushi bar for more than 20 minutes without ever being acknowledged by the young sushi chef - no ginger, no eye contact, nothing. This despite the fact the place was not crowded - people who were seated at tables well after us were receiving their sushi orders. Maybe this was an anomaly, but we ended up leaving and going to another sushi bar were the service was excellent.
(1)Don N.
Most of the time, mountain sushi = not so good. After three visits, I can honestly say this place will surprise you. I am a bit of a sushi purist (meaning I prefer nigiri and sashimi over rolls) and I've had excellent fish every visit. Kudos to Sam and the crew for keeping it real! Side dishes are great too -- 'Monkey Cleaned Out the Refrigerator' and flash fried edamame -- YUM!
(5)Matt S.
My wife and I recently went to Truckee/Tahoe to celebrate our anniversary and found the Drunken Monkey on a chance. We ordered a tapas dish, salad and a sushi roll. The sushi was good, in it's own right however the thing that impressed us the most was the salad and tapas. We highly recommend the goma-am spinach was amazing and noodle salad we ordered was equally impressive.
(5)Michele D.
I am local Truckee sushi fan and I love Drunken Monkey. I have been numerous times with friends and family and the fish is as fresh as it gets. If you have the chance to sit at the bar and visit with Sam it makes the meal even better because he is such an incredible chef and takes pride in what he does. Be sure to enjoy the great variety of sake they offer. The atmosphere is very calming and you are not blasted out by loud music, so you can truly enjoy your food. If you are looking for a fresh new experience in Truckee you need to give Drunken Monkey a chance, you will not be disappointed.
(5)Debra D.
The Drunken Monkey is a great new addition to our local dining options - the menu is unusual and wonderful - Sam Okamoto is the ultimate host and just kept the incredible Sushi coming. Our favorite was the Calamari and the unfiltered Saki we had for dessert. Every piece of fish was so fresh it seemed right off the boat and the presentation of each dish was unique and beautiful - so happy the "Monkey" came to town!!!
(5)Greg G.
C+ execution of fusion Japanese cuisine. Will not return.
(2)Gerardo C.
Not you typical sushi, but different and good.
(4)Michel F.
Yelp led us to this slightly off the beaten path restaurant in Truckee a couple weekends ago. Great decor and ambiance and fabulous food. Not at all your traditional sushi place. The dishes are very unique and different, with an interesting selection (sushi is only part of the story).
(5)Jeni B.
Deeelish! This place is really good. We are from the bay area where you can really get top notch Sushi if you know where to go and this place could rub elbows with the best of them. The fish is fresh and the menu is innovative with plenty of interesting dishes to tempt your pallet. They get an extra star for knowing how to tempura a roll while keeping the fish in the center raw, which most places get wrong.. The ambiance is like a hip nightclub but with toned down music so you can hold a conversation. The only downside of the place is that the service can be a bit hit and miss depending on your server but most of the time the service is great. I set up a b-day there for my hubby and the server we had was absolutely awesome and the restaurant was patient with my bringing in a special cake and ridiculous balloon hats and such. I recommend trying the sesame spinach, the ura-maki hamachi hotate and the seaweed salad for a start.
(5)Rachel P.
delicious sushi- so tender and fresh, the salmon practically swam off my plate
(4)Alisa K.
My family and I decided to try this place after reading a review in the local paper. As Japanese foodies we were excited to try out their exciting menu. We were very disappointed. Our first dish was the goma-ae spinach, It was way too salty. The calamari was ok but I was not crazy about the spicy sauce. Would be better on the side as a dipping sauce? The vegetable noodle dish (something drunken monkey) had a horrific odor and my mother had to spit it out. The waitress noticed that we didn't eat it and took it off the check. She did the same for my husband's tuna nigiri. The biggest issue with sushi at high altitudes is getting the rice cooked right. The rice was too mooshy at Drunken Monkey. The meat in the yaki niku domburi was ok but the again, the rice was mooshy. The age-dashi tofu was ok. The grilled beets tasted like they were out of a can. The eggplant was mooshy and over-salted. The vegetable gyoza were super spicy, which is weird. I've had kimchi flavored gyoza before at a specialty gyoza restaurant in Japan but this was a different kind of spicy, not in a good way. The tempera came with some misc. fish nuggets, a little odd. We couldn't tell what it was. The salmon based on it's color appeared farm-raised. To close on a positive, the service was pretty good although my mother had to track our waitress down to pay the check. The sake was good. I was not crazy about the pineapple -vanilla bean shochu martini but my stepfather liked it. The subtle flavors grew on me a little too. On our drive home we discussed what we loved about Japanese food was the subtle flavors. The best Japanese food I've eaten had very little added to it. Usually simple ingredients of the highest quality cooked just right. If you drown it in sauce, salt, mayonnaise and hot sauce what's the point. Everything begins to taste the same. We will not be returning.
(1)Meadow M.
Ok so last night I took my man-friend out for his birthday dinner. We have been talking about having sushi for a while now and his b-day was the perfect time to crush the craving. I actually looked on Yelp to figure out where to take him. I have been to many restaurants in Reno and have found a few that I enjoy but I wanted to try something new. We ended up at The Drunken Monkey. It was a little hard to find for me but I get lost taking a new route to my own home so that isn't saying much. We were seated immediately and greeted just as quickly. I started my dinner with a ginger and cucumber martini which was so refreshing I could have chugged it with a straw. It went down way to easy. My date and I shared fresh oysters that slid down with ease. For dinner we shared the Chefs choice sashimi and a delish spicy monkey something or other roll. Fantastic!!! the fish was fresh, the roll was flavorful and the wasabi was a kick in the nose. To finish things off we tried the chocolate mousse and a twist on a strawberry cheesecake. Both had amazing flavor but I wouldn't exactly call the cheesecake...cheesecake. The texture was more gelatinous and the flavor was very light. I love the creaminess of cheesecake so this wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be. The mousse was perfect. Overall, I would take a road trip to try this restaurant again. Price range was a little more than I can spend monthly but I will start saving my change for the next big date.
(4)Rob H.
If given the choice between Drunken Monkey and Mikuni in Northstar (basically the main competition for nouveau-sushi in the area), I'd pick Drunken Monkey hands down.
(4)Kristy K.
I finally was able to try the Drunken Monkey and was thoroughly impressed with the food they are putting out. Truckee was in dire need of a Sushi place that isn't outrageously expensive or just plain bad. I love that they have more than just sushi on the menu and love the idea of Japanese tapas. The fish quality is definitely the best I've had in Truckee and they don't use imitation crab! The nigiri servings are quite impressive and the rolls aren't covered in crazy amounts of sauces like a few other places I might mention... They are pretty decently priced as well, but of course won't satisfy the strictly all-you-can-eat sushi lovers. It's definitely a refreshing change to the Truckee restaurant scene. The atmosphere is really cozy as well, I like that It's small inside without feeling cramped and their chairs are sooooo comfortable. On a strange side note, their wasabi is curiously strong ... use caution. I'm only giving it 4 stars however, because I can't give any restaurant a 5 star rating based on one visit. I will definitely be back!
(4)Nicole P.
Though my husband and I have defended Drunken Monkey's tasty fare to our friends, we've recently been disappointed by the managements poor decisions. While happy hour is advertised to run from 4-6, we've shown up multiple times and been told they've either cancelled happy hour for that night or cut it short, leaving us, of course, to pay full price. This is simply unacceptable and unkind. Being a local of over 15 years who goes out to dinner at least once a week, I yearn for a restaurant with consistently great food and considerate management. Unfortunately, Drunken Monkey has fallen off our list of great Truckee restaurants.
(2)Knit s.
Great menu, good ambience, interesting flavors, decent food, abominable service. Two stars for the service and four for the food, so two overall, unfortunately. This is a great restaurant...for Truckee, which is probably where the other reviewers got their collective four star rating. I called two days ahead of our planned meal there to make a reservation for three. I was told they do not accept reservations for parties under six people, but that they are not typically busy at the time we would be coming (on a Tuesday night at 5:45 p.m.). When we arrived, we could see the place was hopping. It didn't look like there were any tables available, but we did see two tables with "reserved" signs on them. We were told by the hostess that it would be 15-20 minutes (which was not a good estimate because she knew damn well the other four tables were ones she JUST sat within the ten minutes before we got there...some of them were just ordering drinks). We were told we could wait at the bar, which we did. The bartender (Melissa) didn't look up at us initially when we sat down. After three or four minutes, she asked if we were eating dinner there. We said that we were waiting for a table. She kept disappearing into the back (I think she had more than one job), and on one of her trips back out to prepare drinks, she asked if we wanted anything. I ordered a drink, and after a minute, she said they were out of a key ingredient so she couldn't make it. She had a rude tone and a constant scowl on her face. It seemed as if her boyfriend broke up with her earlier in the day. She disappeared immediately so we didn't get a chance to order any other drinks. One person in my party did manage to tell out a drink to her and she brought it 15 minutes later (no joke, especially considering it was WATER). After we had been waiting for 25 minutes (during which time I even vacated my barstool, feeling bad that there might be actual bar patrons who could sit there), we asked the hostess how much longer it would be. She said about 30 minutes more. What???? That would mean 50 minutes of waiting for a table? No way. We were ready to leave and as we were making our way toward the door, the hostess caught us and said there was a table who was just paying so it would only be a few more minutes. I didn't believe her and still wanted to leave, but the other people in my party thought we should give it another minute or two. We did, and we were sat at a table within a minute. Fortunately, our waitress (Hannah) was great and kept apologizing for the wait (to us as well as to the tables around us). In fact, Hannah was the best part of the dining experience, other than the food. We ordered two main dishes and three appetizers. One appetizer came 15 minutes before anything else. That was followed by one of the main dishes, and then, 20 minutes later, another appetizer and the other main dish. The final appetizer (the largest, most substantial one), arrived exactly 40 minutes after the first appetizer. Unbelievable, really, especially because the food was good. Our visit was at the beginning of the busy Christmas week, which was likely why they were slammed, but still, the kind of service we received from Melissa and the hostess were unacceptable. Too bad Hannah can't run the place all on her own. Bottom line: they need a bigger kitchen and three more servers, and they need to take reservations, even for smaller parties, because they are clearly popular (due to pretty good food). A note to the owners...ever heard of Open Table?
(2)Marek B.
for a place in the hills off the beaten snow path this is the go to for fresh inspired sushi. they have a great staff and amazing selecion of sushi from the standard to the exotic. will say they have a great selection of booze as well. but as for most this last tid bit is key the price is very fair for what they provide id almost say its cheep price wise being from SF, i loved the food the service the casual essence do go if you are in the area
(5)Jessica L.
sushi here us awesome and reasonably priced!
(4)Jeff K.
My wife and I have been fans of Sam's for many years. He used to be the head chef at a sushi bar on the Washington coast. We are such fans of his food that when he moved from Washington we continued to travel to enjoy his wonderful food and style when time allows. We recently had the good fortune to visit Sam's new place, The Drunken Monkey. We were totally blown away. The atmosphere is great, elegant, but not at all stuffy, very, very comfortable and soothing. The staff is extremely well trained and attentive, and always smiling. The food is incredible, from very well prepared sushi stand-bys to very unique and delicious sushi creations, to the wide variety of hot items available. Sam is extremely talented and creative, and he creates dishes that are out of this world. We dined for five hours and enjoyed every moment. The staff is lively and fun, just like Sam himself. It is an experience that transcends just eating and is very much a pleasurable undertaking. We can't reccomend The Drunken Monkey highly enough.
(5)Loni H.
I just went here last Thursday for the first time. I would like to preface this review by saying I lived in Tahoe for quite some time, a few years back. I was shocked that there was civilization past the 7-11 on Brockway, not to mention a sushi restaurant. I was with a couple of Tahoe residents buddies, and they were confident in the place. I played it safe, ordering the TOGARASHI JAPANESE LINGUINE and a spicy tuna roll. The noodles were fantastic. I was completely blown away. Despite Togarashi (Japanese seven spice) being one of my favorite Japanese staples, it's surprising how underused it is in most Japanese restaurants. Then, the roll came, and the fish was great. Most importantly, the roll was a generous one, so lots of bang for the buck. I was really surprised to read that San Josean's review (below) of the Monkey... seriously? Pretty sure that the word "reservation" isn't even in the Truckee Dictionary. I guess the fact that the same person also came to Truckee to enjoy Northstar is a dead pan expression that leads one to believe that this person is just another gaper from the Bay. Whatever, I'm claiming it. This place is great.
(5)Marie B.
Ever feel overwhelmed by the amazing sake selection at Drunken Monkey? Fear the menu no more! Take Sams Sake Class (offered Tuesday nights this month) and feel like an expert next time you select your Sake. The class was fun, tasty and educational. But Sam is generous with the tasting pours, so pace yourself or take a cab! This class is also a great chance to sample some of Drunken Monkey's great food.
(5)Shivon M.
My husband and I tried the Drunken Monkey because of the reviews on Yelp and because we were excited to have a good sushi place in Truckee. Unfortunately, we were very dissappointed in the quality of the fish, the portions and the service. This made us especially disappointed in the price - it was very expensive for the quality and service. They do have a very nice list of sake. We haven't been back.
(1)Ryan K.
Wow! I just had one of the best meals that I have had in a long time at Drunken Monkey. The food was fresh and very creative. We especially loved the tempura calamari. Our server Cari went out of her way to make us happy by suggesting her favorite cocktails and food and was very attentive. We will definitely be back.
(5)Brenton W.
can't say i like the name, but the sushi is good and the small menu is welcome (2 pages). would definitely come back again.
(3)Gi Y.
Found this sushi restaurant right next to our hotel. Just walk across the street and we were there. We went in for lunch on weekend and nobody was there, just us one table. So I thought this place is not good or overpriced?? Well, after I checked the menu, all the items are decent price. So ordered ama ebi, spider roll, ca roll, noodle for kids. Ama ebi was on a bit small but it was fresh, the deep fried heads were tasty. The spider roll and ca roll came out nice. My 5 yrs old son just kept eating the ca roll. Then the noodle for kids is basically plain udon noodle with soup, no veggie or meat in the bowl. But the noodle soup came out hot and soup base tasted really good. My one year old daughter likes the soup. Although it was $5, I felt better because it was actually good. Well, I guess the best time to go maybe is lunch so there's no need to wait for table like other reviewers at dinner time. It's a small restaurant, so I can see it might get very crowded at night. Glad we went in for lunch and not the the peak snow season.
(4)Cecile H.
the salmon sushi was delicious!!
(5)Ashwin S.
Iam not a big fan of Asian food, japanase food to say the least, but this place was just fantastic. Being a veggie, my choices are, generally, pretty limited but the number of veggie dishes here was impressive. But, I was really blown away by the quality of the veggie dishes. The veggie tempura, the grilled beats, the veggie gyozo, and the avo-kyun rolls were simply amazing. To top it off, the ginger and coffee icecream was just so full of flavor.. The staff even served us some fantastic tapioca pudding on the house which was greatly appreciated. Thanks folks for such a fantastic dinner.
(5)Gabby K.
its not often im excited to get sushi in an area thats not remotely near the ocean. that being said, i seem to always get sushi whilst visiting the tahoe area after a day of boarding. the reviews were what drew me away from the lake, and into truckee to this spot & im glad we went! first and foremost, the service was top notch. the waiter shared with us his personal favorites & even said which items could be hit or miss. did i mention we were seated immediately, too? the tapas style portions were a it more than we had expected, but proved to be just perfect. we started with the sea salt crusted hamachi collar, which was grilled to perfection... on a bed of yummy greens, too! the sesame spinach & garlic infused olive oil roasted beets didnt seem like your typical sushi restaurant fare, but were ordered...twice...with an additional order to take back to our hotel. the chef's choice sashimi plate proved that the fish could match the quality of thier other dishes. my spicy scallop hand roll was quite possibly the best ive had, too. top it off with a carafe of premium sake... and when the check came, the surprise was how despite gorging ourselves, everything was less than $70...we both were guessing the bill would be much more. all the entrees, tapas dishes, rolls & sashimi are well priced, in fact... so mebbe that shouldnt have been so much of a shock. stuff adds up, when youre in tastytown. seriously, no bs... this place is the best in the area & i look forward to visiting it may more times! ps, i forgot to mention the soundtrack to all this.. wonderful drum and bass and mark farina's mushroom jazz! right on.
(5)Leslie T.
This is some of the best sushi I have ever had! And I have had pretty damn good sushi in SF! But, then, of course, Sam Okamoto is behind the sushi bar and has a vested interest in the place succeeding. I have been there 3 times to eat at the sushi bar, and I have ordered sushi to go since I work just down the street. Everything is always incredibly fresh and beautifully prepared. Decent prices for large rolls and pretty much everything else, too. Their Temaki (cone-shaped hand rolls) are to die for! I've tried other things on the menu and enjoyed them, too. The "Anti-Cucho Miso Beef" off the tapas menu was perfectly seasoned and very tender. The "Drunken Monkey Calamari" off the tempura portion of their extensive menu was the best calamari I have ever eaten and I have had it twice now! It is lightly battered with a honey lemongrass sauce and served in an edible rice flour (?) bowl. The "Tempura Soba" was also a nice light soup with the noodles perfectly cooked, although I don't know if I like soggy shrimp tempura, so I probably would not have that one again. Very friendly staff, too, and that is always a plus in any restaurant. They also have a sake bar, but I have not tried what that has to offer. I have had a few interesting and innovative cocktails at the sushi bar though....just don't remember exactly what they were! ha ha ha
(5)Diane Z.
Today we found Drunken Monkey open for lunch and plenty of tables available. We enjoyed Kawari Edamame (spicy with garlic and chili) more than any edamame anywhere. Also the calimari tempura was delicious-- hot, light, served with a "honey-lemongrass" but pink(?) sauce. We weren't so much fans of the Dreaming Monkey roll but will definitely try this place again.
(4)Vixen C.
The menu looked fun and interesting so we decided to give this place a try. We were seated pretty quickly and waters came out almost immediately. After that, service went downhill. Our sake and beer took over 20 minutes. We ordered the edamame because Yelp reviews said it was the best they've ever tasted with garlic and chili. We didn't realize they offered two types and we received the plain one. Too bad our server didn't mention there were two types. We assumed we were getting the garlic one. The server finally came back around after 10 minutes but by that time we settled for it. When I told the server that we wanted the Kawari edamame, instead of switching it out, she asked if we wanted to order that type as well. Whaat? Yeah, no thanks. I'm not spending $9.50 on edamame- something that is usually complimentary! After waiting another 35 minutes, our sushi and other items arrived. The sushi was disappointingly bland and the sushi rice was mushy. Can't believe the sushi didn't match up to the menu descriptions. Bummer.
(2)Warren M.
We decided to try this location as it was recommended by friends in the area. It was very quiet for the lunch hour so we were seated immediately. The waitress was friendly and took our order within fifteen minutes. We ordered a Red Dragon roll. The fish was fresh but the roll itself had no flavor. The spicey tuna hand rolls were the same along with the two other rolls ordered. The presentation was excellent. The fact that there was no flavor baffled us completely. The rice wasn't even seasoned with the usual touch of vinegar. The Madera Serpent was disappointing flavor wise as well. The other disappointment was the volume of flies in the restaurant. I killed three during my meal which took the appetite away rather quickly. I would like to try this location again as it might have been an off day for the Drunkin Monkey. It was a $70.00 lunch though (No alcohol) and again very disapointing.
(3)HMari P.
I really like Drunken Monkey. Great wine, great sushi. They are totally helpful to alter rolls to make them gluten free. The service is great too. Yummy wine. We eat here at least twice a month. I just wish you could reserve a table but the wait is not that long.
(4)Nick A.
Best sushi I've ever had. And it's in Tahoe major plus. The spider roll was one of the best on the menu. Definitely make a trip here if you are in the area. Good prices and great service. Also in a good area of truckee with tons of parking in the back.
(5)Stacy H.
Called tonight for takeout and was told they were not doing take out because they had to many dine in customers. What? You're kidding right? Why do you call yourself a take out restaurant if you are not equipped to do takeout.
(1)D S.
Have a snack before you go, we waited 20 minutes to be seated (not even 1/2 the tables were taken) then another 15 for them to even say hello. The drunken monkey has no real alcohol, only strange wine cocktails. I could have overlooked everything if the food was good, but it wasn't.
(2)Jana L.
With the limited selection in Truckee, CA, Drunken Monkey Sushi is really good! A group of friends and I were craaaaavin' some raw fish. Thank you to yelp for finding this place for us! We drove exactly 8.2 miles from our cabin in Tahoe in order to get this delicious sushi! The Dreaming Monkey roll ( yelp.com/biz_photos/drun… ) is like THE BEST ONE you can get. It was raw tuna, salmon, and hamachi. But wait. There's more. AVOCADO too???? :D That's like, the ideal roll! Unfortunately, it was a bit pricey for $14.50, but after actually tasting it in my mouth.... ahhh, so good. In addition to that, the crab they used wasn't the gross fake crab and mayo mix. It was reaaaal crab! And I think that's what really made my taste buds god WOW! :P In terms of Donburi, I wish they had served some egg. I got the Cha-shu donburi ( yelp.com/biz_photos/drun… ) and it was very very tasty. However, there wasn't any good egg with it! Overall, the meats came in good portions and the zuchinni was a bonus! :) I may have just been craving some fish on this day, but man oh man were those two things good. The set-up and design was interesting to me since it didn't give a traditional vibe to that city-like, modern ambience. In the middle of a snow maze, we have this really good sushi restaurant. Haha. Oh wells, good food is a must right? :)
(4)Andrew H.
I came here with a group of family and friends and had some of the best sushi I've ever had! Service was great and the food was delicious. Although great, the rolls that we ordered were nothing to brag about. The nigiri sushi is what's to brag about. My favorite sushi is albacore sushi and until my visit to this restaurant, I didn't realize it could get any better. But here it did. The albacore was melt in your mouth good, and there's this garlic ginger type of sauce that they dab on top that really gives it flavor. It was so good that I had to ask exactly what it was. In addition to the albacore, I ordered wild caught salmon sushi which was on special. I never new salmon sushi could be this good! And the color.. It was dark orange like I've never seen. So delicious. I'll definitely be back here!!
(5)Jena M.
This place is good for being so far from the ocean. I enjoyed my rolls. They have options for vegetarians too, which is always nice. Our waitress was friendly but took a while to notice that we were in desperate need of water refills and our cocktails had been empty for too long. We probably would have had another round of sake if we were tended to a little better. Overall our experience was good and we will be back.
(3)Sonia J.
Best sushi in Tahoe, in my opinion. The closest you'll get to San Francisco quality sushi, and I mean SUSHI (raw fish, not any of that deep fried filler stuff). I usually get their Dreaming Monkey Roll, SO GOOD and a few orders of sashimi. I've tried their Ramen a few times in the winter time when I was sick. Definitely ask for their spicy sauce on the side to clear up any sinuses! They have really yummy cocktails too! What I really don't like about this restaurant is how dark it is inside during dinner time. The lights are way too dim. I feel kind of embarrassed having to place the menu so close to my face to get a better read haha! Also, they are a little pricey but you pay for quality! Overall, if you are looking for a yummy sushi spot in the North Lake area, definitely stop here!
(4)Kelli H.
I was pretty happy with my experience here. Came in on Memorial Day and it was pretty dead, so maybe that's why service wasn't as bad as so many complain. All of our rolls were super delicious. Especially the red dragon and black dragon. Our calamari had a delicious spicy sauce over it, and the miso soup was some of the best I've had. We also really enjoyed our spicy edamame. Only complaint would be that our calamari appetizer came out at the same time as our rolls which was pretty annoying. It made us not even want the calamari anymore. Also, one persons roll came out about 5 minutes after everyone else's. So, besides those 2 little mishaps, we had a delicious dinner. We'll definitely be back for more sushi in the future.
(4)Tim Y.
Great food and service! The sushi and food was fresh. Nice hip local joint. The prices are a bit high but then again you're getting sushi in Truckee! I'll be back next time I'm in the area!
(4)Lindsey S.
By far this place needs five stars. It is one of those best kept secrets that's not a secret. The staff is really nice and knowledgable. They give recommendations based on what you tell them you like or dislike. There is NO fishy smell. Perfect sign for good sushi. The atmosphere is very relaxed. I love the monkey theme. Very fun. Highly recommend!
(5)Natalie S.
Delicious, nice people, good service. Love it!
(5)Loren T.
Considering their location, the fish and sushi was pretty fresh and good. Fair prices for Truckee. The side dishes were surprisingly good....
(5)Kim E.
We were in town for a mini vacation and was recommended to this restaurant by a local business owner. The Singapore street noodles with shrimp was very tasty. GET THE CALAMARI. It's the best we have ever had and claims to be their most popular dish. I see why. Lightly tempura battered, tender meat, and perfectly complemented by the sauces on top.
(4)Jas W.
Solid 4 stars. This place has good sushi for the area of Truckee. You cannot go wrong with any dish you order. We had 2 sushi rolls, kids size udon (too small), donburi, and the rock cod clay pot. Everything tasted good. I wouldn't say excellent, but I would definitely come back here next time we come back to ski at Northstar. Comparing Drunken Monkey to Mukuni at Northstar Mukuni has great service. Food was OK. It is convenient since it's at the village, but the food was just not that great. The tempura batter was a bit sweet (not in a good way). The sushi rolls were not that fresh and the california rolls had too much mayo Service was good and food came out fast. Drunken Monkey was definitely much better. The rolls, the entrees all were good. You cannot go wrong with anything you order. Wait was a bit longer, but service was acceptable and food came out fast. All in all, for Truckee, Drunken Monkey has pretty decent sushi. I see a bunch of locals come here, so that says a lot.
(4)Allie A.
3.5 Came here for a work event - not sure what the tab was for 5 people who each ordered 1 alcoholic drink, plus 3 appetizers and a bunch of sushi, but I did see my boss's eyeballs bug out when the bill finally arrived. The dishes themselves were fine, all were good considering we shared a bunch of dishes and tried all sorts of different things. I particularly liked the calamari as an appetizer. The vegetarian dumplings were good, but fell apart each time on its brief journey from the dish to the soy sauce and before it got to my mouth. Finally, a big THUMBS DOWN to the bus boy, who was diligent about coming around and filling our glasses with water, but several of us ended up with soaking wet sleeves because of his ineptitude. Don't you love getting dressed up to go out to dinner only to spend most of your meal with wet sleeves because the bus boy can only seem to get 89% of the glass filled while the rest of the water from his carafe spills onto the table? He did this not once, not twice, but three times during our dinner meal. When I called him out on it, he just stared at me blankly and didn't even offer to wipe off any of the spills.
(3)Richard C.
The Drunken Monkey is our favorite sushi restaurant in the North Lake Tahoe area. We had a hard time finding the restaurant the first time we went because it is not located in downtown Truckee. You need to go about a mile southeast of Truckee on the road towards the Truckee Airport and Northstar. They are located next to the first traffic circle you come to on the road. The selection of dishes includes some wonderful specialties that we don't find at any other Japanese restaurants, including very tasty sautéed eggplant and roasted beets. Their Drunken Monkey calamari served in a fried rice bowl is delectable. We also like their small rolls, which are nice to have a variety without eating too much.
(5)Dan S.
Service was a little slow given that there weren't many tables. Amazing quality sushi. Great rolls and was surprised to find such quality in Tahoe. A++
(5)A V.
Amazing place! The sushi is so fresh and delicious. The presentation of the food is also very appealing. I greatly recommend to order their special edamame for an appetizer. Delicious and great customer service!!
(5)David Z.
Drunken Monkey is one of those places where they do very good Japanese sushi (nigiri and sashimi) with high quality fish and great presentation. Where things get interesting is when they start getting creative with the rolls. I had a "madara serpent" roll which was spicy tuna with shallots and then escolar on top - it was excellent. We also had a special spicy salad which was excellent. This was my 2nd time eating here and it was great! The quality of the sushi is very good and the menu items are creative and different.
(4)Robert C.
So far from fish sources and yet sushi that is extremely fresh and well priced. Don't forget to order the homemade ramen noodles. A trip to DM with a ramen bowl is a miss. I've been there every time I visit, and, in an area where tourists and chefs come and go, this place is a pillar of consistency and excellence.
(5)Gertie S.
It's been awhile since I had a meal this creative and delicious. We had lunch here on Sunday October 19th and besides a (presumed) friend of the staff talking to loudly from her seat at the bar the entire time it was fantastic. Varied options from Vietnamese to Korean to inventive Japanese fare. I tried the new Beef Pho advertised on the website and loved it. I also had the Poki Tataki and some Kimchi. My daughter exclaimed over her oh so fresh tobiko roll and the hubby loved his rolls. Fabulous!
(5)Greg S.
Awesome!. Great service, atmosphere, and amazing food. I totally was not expecting this for Truckee. Price is typical for a Sushi Restaurant. Would return on my next visit.
(5)B A.
This place has so much potential but didn't live up to what my boyfriend and I were expecting for a nice date night. Let me just say first that I am a server myself in the lake tahoe area and as far as food service goes I tend to be laid back. This experience was terrible from the minute we walked in. We went to the Drunken Monkey based on some recommendations from friends who have eaten there before. The restaurant has nice decor and a calm, tranquil ambiance. The restaurant was not busy, maybe a couple at the bar, a four top, and three two tops. All of the "two top" tables were taken. The hostess offered us either the bar or an awkward triangle table in the corner. When I asked if we could sit in the dining room area (where there were several tables set and available) she rudely responded that she had to ask the server if she would mind serving us. As a server myself I understand that you are there to make tip based money, so a two top can be more work for less payoff, but regardless you are there to SERVE customers. The server poked her head around the corner, looked us up and down, and then coldly replied "well I'd prefer not, but since we aren't busy I guess I can take them." I was appalled to say the least. The host took us to our table and left without saying anything. I tried to look past this initial incident in order to enjoy our date but our server made no attempt over our meal to make up for her attitude. As for the food it was good but way too overpriced. Tiny portions were given for the seaweed salad and avocado/cucumber roll. I enjoyed one of the noodle bowls which was decently priced for the portion. My boyfriend got two rolls but nothing special about them for being $10-15 each. I did really enjoy the cocktail (lychee lemonade) but thats about the only thing I would return for. The dessert menu had some interesting items, all sounded great but we went with the coconut tapioca. Tasty but not memorable. Our bill came out to about $80 (we typically shoot for bills around the $40-50 range but had no problem with this one). As far as two tops go, I feel like we spent a good amount of money for a server to treat us a little better but nothing ever changed in her attitude. Who knows if she was just having an off day or if she was always this rude, but regardless we left a 20% tip. Hopefully she learns to have a better respect for people or not to judge a young couple as obviously as she did. Needless to say, I have no plans on returning or recommending this restaurant to my friends or tourists who I serve asking for good local restaurants.
(1)amber f.
Well this is why reviews can vary so much depending on the experience! But I was pretty disappointed with the service this time! I ordered a full glass of wine vs the half glass, but it def looked like a half when it came. Ordered one of the more expensive rolls that when it came it had mayo (not listed on menu) when I asked the waitress about it she gave me some attitude so we just kept it. The other few rolls we got were pretty good, I would just say my whole experience there today was mah!
(3)Keegan U.
Went in for the second time, after an ok first experience. Again too much mayo in their rolls, Gyoza came out all stuck to each other like it was literally dumped directly from the bag, into the fryer. And bc I just moved from Hawaii my standards of Ahi are extremely high, I stuck to their salmon sashimi and "golden dragon" roll, which has spicy salmon inside it, with an injection of...mayo. I woke up this morning sick and I have NEVER had food illness before but I could def taste the salmon(not pleasant at 8am) and had noticed my stomach feeling pain in bed last night and again when I awoke this morning. Service from the bartender was great, sushi chef seemed to be un-interested. During the meal I made eye contact and even flagged him over, he started to come but was distracted?? And never returned. Unfortunately good food is hard to come by in this town, I'll choose somewhere different for my next sushi experience.
(2)Kelsey F.
Holy Calamity! Number one reason to go to the Tahoe Area is DRUNKEN MONKEY SUSHI. Okay okay the skiing is pretty fun too, but if you are in the area make sure to stop by Drunken Monkey Sushi. You will not regret it. I went with a group of seven on a Wednesday night. We had reservations for 6:45, but because of snow and traveling we couldn't make it in until about 7:45. We called ahead and they were happy to move our reservation. Larger groups need a reservation here but small groups should be fine as walk-ins. So, I'm just gonna put it out there that we ended up ordering a lot of food. This was in part because we had been skiing all day and hadn't eaten but also because we wanted to try basically everything on the menu. The garlic and spicy Kawari Edamame along with some Gyoza started our meal off on a tasty note. At some early point the fresh Shrimp and Avocado Salad along with the miso braised eggplant also made their way to our table. All of the appetizers were super stars that I would order again. Our Sushi orders are where we really struck some gold. The best piece of sushi that I have ever put into my mouth was a slice of the Tomoe Maki roll. Every sushi lover at our table was freaking out about how amazing this roll is. I'm usually opposed to "lightly fried" rolls but this one is different. The combination of fresh fish with the slightly crispy outside, proper ratio of rice, and subtle aioli earned its diner the prestigious "best order of the night" award. We also had the Dreaming Monkey, Golden Tail Black Dragon, and Tate Maki Spider at our table. I know you are feeling full but alas, the meal persists onward. We ALSO had some Singapore street noodles which turned out to be my least favorite dish, the shrimp and vegetable tempura, a tofu and veggie rice bowl, a beef rice bowl, and two other dishes that have just become a blur at this point (I think one came in a sea shell?). The sushi and the apps were my favorite part of the meal though. Our server was great. We clearly had a lot of food coming to our table and she got every single aspect of order correct. She kept our waters full without being obnoxious a rare skill among waiters. Overall, such a win. I'm feeling very full again and a bit like a drunken monkey just thinking about this meal but whoa it was sooooo good.
(5)Erika B.
Great sushi, sashimi and OMG the best tempura batter, had the vegetable tempura and it was amazing. Also ordered the yellow fun and the Alpenglow roll. The Wasabi Bloody Mary was also a nice twist on the basic Bloody Mary, nice atmosphere also, we sat at the sushi bar and watched. Great
(4)Sarah K.
We just went there for lunch today after searching on Yelp. The experience was pretty bad for us. We were the very first customers for the restaurant during lunch hours. The waitress was not trained well or just wanted to ignore us. She didn't get our order until we complained after we saw her getting the forth customer's order in. The food was really bad as well. The pricey tempura soba and udon were just too salty, tasting like just noodles mixed with soy sauce broth. I would give them zero stars if Yelp had that option.
(1)Jeff D.
A subsequent visit after last review, this time it was two adults at the sushi bar. The fish was excellent but the owner was serving us and he was cranky so it was a bummer.
(3)Kenneth M.
Alex and Sam are great behind the sushi bar. This place was awesome. The fish was so fresh, and the people who work there are fantastic. I look forward to returning to this place to have some more sushi. The other buys in my group really enjoyed the food as well.
(5)Dave C.
This place is legit. Some really cool twists on sushi that I have not seen before. Specials are my favorites and never disappoint.
(5)Scott F.
The ramen is excellent: yelp.com/biz_photos/drun… The broth is super addictive: once you start slurping it, you can't stop until it's all gone. I love how they add a bunch of roasted garlic cloves, which you can mix around to amp up the flavor. They also prepare their own char-siu (BBQ pork), and it's tender and flavorful. I tried the Ginger Cucumber Martini, which uses ginger-infused shochu: yelp.com/biz_photos/drun… I felt the ginger was very spicy, and too overpowering.
(4)Mary Ann M.
I am a very positive review person and usually don't write bad reviews but this time I was Very disappointed. The restaurant was filled w/ screaming out of control kids that were so loud we couldn't even hear each other talk. The sushi wasn't fresh, it tasted fishy. We had the rib appetizer, they were good, therefore we are giving you a 1 star. We have been here several times in years past. I'm trying to find something good about sushi here, but it was all bad, and to top it off, it was $80 for 2 people. If we had not ordered Sushi it would have been better. Truckee needs a good Sushi place.
(1)Misti H.
Very yummy and good quality sushi. Nice atmosphere and decent pricing. I come from L.A. Where Sushi is very popular and this place definitely stands up to the places down there. Great place for a nice date.
(4)Kevin B.
Brought my fiance here for her birthday, along with some of our friends. We basically had a Salmon feast. We had salmon belly nigiri (oh my god, this was amazing), salmon collar, fried salmon with a mint sauce which tasted very Indian, and several rolls: golden tiger, dreaming monkey, and alpine... something. The highlight was the salmon belly nigiri. Coming from San Francisco, I'm familiar with very good sushi, and this was some of the best single pieces I've ever had. Granted, it was on special so won't always be there, but if they have it, get it. And at $7 for two pieces, was very reasonable for "belly" (if you've ever had Tuna Belly you know it can easily be over $10 for two pieces.) Really everything was good, but the appetizers and the dreaming monkey roll were probably our favorite. We also had two different bottles of very good nigori sake. At the end of the night, splitting a sushi feast for four people, with two bottles of sake, was under $180, so without the sake we spend about $25 per person. For the amount and quality of sushi we had, I'd say that was a very good deal. Absolutely if you are in the Truckee/ Tahoe area, I'd say give Drunken Monkey a try.
(5)Shariyah M.
I give this place a solid 4 stars; 3 for the food and an extra one for the service. My husband and I went here during our quick vacation in the snow. Coming from the Bay Area, I was starving and the menu looked the best out of the options I saw. We placed the order over the phone and was told it would be 25mins. We arrived at the time was supposed to be ready but had to wait a little longer. I would complain about how long the actual wait was once we got there but the bartender was so cool (I forget her name) that she helped pass the time by giving me a couple of free flights of their white wine. I liked one so much that we bought a bottle to take back to the hotel. On the way back to the hotel we could smell the food and thought if it tasted as good as it smelled, we were in for a treat. We got back to the room and dug in. Thr potstickers were really good, not the best I ever had but really good. The tempura was ok. Probably something best eaten at the restaurant due to the type of containers they use; it was pretty soggy by the time we got back and it only took 3 mins from there back. I also didn't care for the tempura dipping sauce, a little too salty/tangy for me. The spicy garlic shrimp was more garlic than spicy but since I love garlic, I wasn't complaining. My husbands chicken dish was eh. The sushi (dragon roll and some other crab roll) were really good as well. Nice size portions and quite fresh, especially for being a mountain location. They lost points for the long wait, not having forks (sorry but I'm not trained to eating rice with chopsticks, took 2 hours to eat it!) and for the soggy tempura. Maybe if I wasn't so hungry I might've thought otherwise of the food (or maybe not) but I would say the place is worth a shot if you're in the area. Pretty good bang for your buck, especially if you're used to the prices in the Bay Area.
(4)Tim M.
I don't usually like to write negative reviews unless it's really warranted. We decided to pick up some to go good on the night of Monday August 25th. We have been here a couple times to eat in the restaurant as we are full time residents of truckee since 99' and it's always been mediocre but tonight was particularly bad. I understand "to go" food is never quite as hot or tasty as the food you get while eating in the restaurant but I'm paying full price and tipping just as much so a little bit of love for your product that your putting out would be nice. We ordered about 70$ worth of food and when I arrived to pick it up 3 of the items were not in the bad the beets were sitting on their side I had to repack an entire bag with no care given by dave the bartender. He wasn't mean or rude but obviously cared less about presentation or getting me home with out all my food ending up on the bottom of the bag. When I got home and unpacked 5 out of 6 of the items were absolutely disgusting. I'm not lying when I say Panda Express would have been half the price and twice as good. We called to asked if we could get a refund or maybe some kind of compensation but the pre- Madonna chef that night wanted me to bring everything back so he could see this nastiness that he sent us home with. Normally I would but I live at the top of Tahoe donner so that's another 30-40 minutes round trip and my entire family was really hungry at that point. We ended up trashing everything except the tempura veggies and getting Zanos pizza. I'm not looking for a free meal I wanted a refund because the product was so poor. Because of drunken monkeys douchey chef myself or my family will never eat there again. Ps we offered to bring back the food in the morning believe me it would have been just as bad and just as cold. But they were not having it. Oh and sauce was everywhere when I got home
(1)Ann S.
Oh. My. God. I can't say enough good about this place, best sushi I have ever had. Affordable, amazing presentation. Even though the place was packed the wait staff did an amazing job of taking care of us. 2 thumbs up!
(5)Rieko H.
They serve cheaper quality rice and rice was undercooked. I don't really understand why they want to save money on rice. Sashimi was fresh. The wait to receive food was really long. I would not come back.
(2)Kate W.
Our kids ask to go to Drunken Monkey every time we're in Tahoe. Not that we mind, mind you.... We love the ambiance -- hipster x spa natural--the calamari (oh God, they're good), the warm and spicy edamame, and the spicy tuna handrolls. I'm not so in love with the service. Sometimes it's awesome. Sometimes, it's not. Inconsistency makes it hard for this momma to plan. Do I break out the iPhones because we're going to be here a while, or not? Tip: Don't let the kids menu fool you. There's only one item, "Kids Noodles" but it can be prepared a zlllion ways. Just ask.
(4)Wherez_Andy T.
The sushi men are not friendly at all. The owner has a real attitude. Happy hour is good. Food is decent. Prices not too bad. When I'm in Truckee skiing for the winter, this is one of my regular spots.
(4)Jennifer L.
Could not have asked for a better location (across the parking lot from our hotel) nor better food. The dude swooned over the nigiri, claiming that the sake was like "biting into a cloud". The miso soup was delicious, the "Golden Crystal Salad" roll was yummy and the yogurt cheesecake was icing on the cake.
(5)Christopher B.
Great sushi spot in Truckee, CA. I got the Demon Slayer roll which consisted of spicy tuna and cucumber and a half dozen oysters that were on special. Everything tasted good and the price was fair. I will definitely be returning here if I am in the area. Great sake list wish I would not have been driving, I will have to check it out next time.
(4)Andre C.
Love this place. Good quality sushi. Decent service. EXCELLENT happy hour! Best sushi in town! Not the best I've had personally had but it's definitely up to par... if not... above par. Chef's do a great job... kudos to them.
(4)marne s.
The food is really great here, however the management is not so good, which is why I only rated this restaurant 3 stars.
(3)Benjamin S.
Best sushi in North Lake Tahoe. Huge fan and eat there often. Their specialty rolls are really good and huge to boot. Personal favorite is the Tomoe Maki, I get it every time. Their nigiri is super awesome too. Usually it's pretty crowded even in the off season. My advice would be to go about 30 min before you want to sit down. Great sushi at a decent price but not "cheap" sushi. Highly recommended!
(4)Don T.
We decided on this restaurant because of the generally good reviews on yelp. We ordered the hot and sour soup (yeah I know, not Japanese) and agedashi tofu as appetizers. The alpenglow and demon slayer maki were our sushi choices. The service was about average although we had to flag a busboy down to get more wasabi during dinner. The portion sizes were about average but the wasabi was a bit flat. We arrived around 8:00 pm and the restaurant closes at 9:00. We had hot tea for beverages and they were served in individual pots, loose leaf style. Definitely a nice touch. The hot and sour soup was good with an abundant amount of ingredients. The agedashi tofu was another story. Just four medium pieces of deep fried tofu. The tofu batter wasn't the normal light panko as expected. It wasn't bad I just prefer a lighter, crispy coating. What made it unappealing was the sauce. It was mostly soy sauce with very little mirin which made it very concentrated and stout. The thinly sliced ginger along with the chopped green onions was a nice touch but didn't make up for the sub standard sauce. The demon slayer was basically a spicy tuna nori maki roll. While it had a good taste, that taste was overwhelmed by sodium. I'm not sure what made it so salty. It wasn't inedible, but this is a basic roll, and I can't help but downgrade my review of the DM because of it. It's ironic that we had ridden the Tahoe Flume bike trail that day and needed the salt. Otherwise we might have returned the order. The alpenglow was the star of the evening with a good presentation and flavor. The roll had salmon and possibly hamachi, a tasty sauce and visible lemon peel. The evening's damage was around $45. Overall, our experience was mixed. The atmosphere was young and contemporary and along with that, the food seemed to stray from traditional lines to appeal to a "wider clientele". For my time and money, the next time we go on the hunt for sushi, it will be somewhere else.
(2)Qing L.
love the Grilled beets and spicy edamame The hand roll is good too but the famous calamari is too sweet, too oil, too processed. Anyway overall food quality is 4.5 but service is 3.5(the lady everytime came to our table made us feel like she can't wait to leave right away, Sat. night we tried to understand it)
(4)Jeannie C.
This is a beautiful restaurant. If you try it out, be forewarned. You will be there FOREVER. to make 1 roll and one tempura plate, we waited an hour. The one roll we ordered was great. The tempura plate was disgusting. It was so greasy! They put a napkin in the bottom of the plate, on top of the napkin there was still a lake of pure grease. It was inedible. The waitress was kind, professional and working like crazy. She ended up making an error and gave us a California roll by mistake. It was such a nice gesture. She didn't charge me for the tempura either. Although I made it very clear that I would have happily paid. I hate to say anything about free food, but the California roll was supposed be made with rock crab, and it tasted like canned oily tuna. :( I know it was crab, but something was sooooo wrong with it. So, in short, the service was 10 star. The food was absolutely disgusting. The restaurant was outstandingly decorated, but I go to a restaurant to eat.
(1)Razee, S.
The service was friendly, the food was good.
(4)Julie C.
Maybe my expectations were a little too high. Coming from the bay area where there are plenty of authentic and good japanese food, this place was a complete let down...especially for the price they were charging. - Presentation was terrible, why was my ginger and wasabi dripping in water? Why did my spider-something roll look so smashed together, I couldn't tell what the ingredients were? - A very mediocre ramen that I could replicate using nongshim ramen, bean sprouts, kimchi, and store bought bbq pork - Spider roll tasted okay, but it was probably the worst looking roll I've ever seen...in my life. Everything was so smushed together you couldn't distinguish what was what - The chirashi... well, they gave a lot of rice. The fish tasted okay...nothing amazing but not terrible TLDR: College-level sushi joint marketing itself as a high-end restaurant
(2)April W.
I like to think of myself as a sushi snob. So when I tried Drunken Monkey when I was on a business trip, I have to be honest and say I was shocked how by delicious it was. Going based on a hotel recommendation ( Hampton suites thank u!) tends to be over priced and over rated. I found the prices low and atmosphere hilarious. Great chefs Alex and Matt took great care of me. Strong martinis and tasty rolls! I even went to visit their food tent the very next night in town ( Truckee Thursday event) and had a replay of more rolls! Excellent hidden gem of Truckee.
(4)V M.
The experience was rather disappointing. I really wanted to enjoy the food, but there was consistently something more to be desired. Where do I start ... the gyoza was all stuck together as if it went straight from the freezer to the frying pan, the Singapore street noodle dish tasted burnt, and the agedashi tofu was incredibly soggy. There are only a few pleasant highlights worth noting, including the green tea and the sunomono. These complaints were relayed to the waitress and instead of offering a solution (i.e. notifying the kitchen), she defended the techniques and just apologized, wishing she "could do more." I feel something more COULD have been done, and I thought the her role was to help ensure a positive, enjoyable experience. In any event, I wasn't looking for a free meal, and made this clear. There are not many sushi options in Truckee, and so I thought voicing my concerns to help them improve from mediocrity was constructive (but I left feeling I was perceived as a mere complainer).
(1)Adrian P.
Tried Drunken Monkey based on other reviews. Definitely deserves its stars!
(4)Amy C.
Really surprised to find a good sushi place in Truckee. The fish is fresh and the cuts are very generous. The rice is the thing that is surprisingly lacking though. For sushi rice, it was a little bland and not quite the right texture. I'd say stick with sashimi!
(4)Ganna B.
I think this place deserves even less than 1 star review! AWFUL, really AWFUL! My husband and I decided to eat some fresh and healthy food on our way home. It was a huge mistake to visit this place! The server was slow and not very friendly. But it was not a big deal for us. The worst thing was the food. Rolls were not freshly made and tasted like defrosted. The fish was like a rubber! Tasteless and not fresh at all! Also, the plate was covered with canola oil. I wonder why?! This oil made rolls really heavy for our stomachs. It is hard to spoil miso soup, but they made it! They put potatoes and carrots there, which changed the taste not to the better side. Also, they priced soup for approx. $4! Not so cheap, hah? It was the worst sushi place I've ever been! After this meal I felt really bad and "heavy" and my husband has a stomach ache! NEVER GO THERE! NEVER!
(1)Ian C.
Damn this place serves good food. Go with nigiri or sashimi. Their fish is incredibly flavorful. This place could compete with sushi joints in San Francisco. Service was pretty bad though. But this was some of the best fish I've ever had. And in Truckee no less. So I'll go back 4 stars for great nigiri and well cut fish Missed the 5th star because entire staff would often disappear to the back. Where did they go?
(4)Brian L.
Great Japanese tapa fare. The food is excellent. Our kids really enjoyed the place. It tends to be busy because it is good and service can sometimes be slow but always worth waiting for.
(5)Alison W.
Okay, yes, I'm susceptible to oysters, especially fabulous oysters at a cheap price. But the experience at Drunken Monkey was so much more than that. Yes, Drunken Monkey is a sushi spot and has some wonderful sushi. But I was particularly partial to the grilled beet salad, the chili-garlic edamame, and, of course, the cheap oysters. Oh, and the dessert. The amazing cardamon creme brûlée. Seven of us went for dinner, and although they didn't have a table in the dining room, they were happy to seat us at two adjoining tables in the bar area. Worked out perfectly, as we had the kid table and the adult table. Kids had avocado thin sushi rolls and kids noodles, which suited them fine. One had the noodles fried and one had the noodles in soup. The soup stock was amazingly flavorful. The adults had the items I mentioned above as well as a couple sushi rolls, which were both lovely to look at as well as enjoy on the palate. We had a wonderful ginger cucumber martini as well. So all seven left happy with sushi and non-sushi delicious dishes consumed.
(5)J B.
Great menu, great sushi chefs. On the pricey side, but so is every other restaurant in the area. I think I'll go tonight...
(5)annalynn b.
I ordered carry out from this place the first day of our vacation. First of all compliments to the chef! Food was excellent you know your sushi. I'm really sorry that you have to work with some of the people that I had to deal with. The person who took our take out order was rude. On top of it all, one of our orders was missing.
(2)Nick W.
Best sushi I've had yet in Truckee. Get off the beaten path and try this place out!
(4)Debbie L.
HOLY CRAP, unless you want a whole salt shaker in your foods, then you would like this place. Everything we ordered from Miso soup, rice bowl, and noodles were all pure salt that both my husband and I were only able to eat half of our dish that we ordered. Almost every three bites I had to take a sip of water. Worse experience ever on my trip. We didn't order any sushi rolls so I am sure that's your safest things to order if your here. The atmosphere was nice and sushi chefs were friendly. HOLY CRAP, unless you want a whole salt shaker in your foods, then you would like this place. Everything we ordered from Miso soup, rice bowl, and noodles were all pure salt that both my husband and I were only able to eat half of our dish that we ordered. Almost every three bites I had to take a sip of water. Worse experience ever on my trip. We didn't order any sushi rolls so I am sure that's your safest things to order if your here. The atmosphere was nice and sushi chefs were friendly.
(1)c s.
The food and ambience were excellent. The outdoor patio seating is very serene. Our server Becky was very kind and accommodating.
(4)T. W.
Fantastic food and service.
(5)Chad H.
Good salmon skin roll. Really good Singapore Street Noodles. Hamachi Kama was just okay. Service was great. Really nice people.
(4)Karla R.
Fast service. Too fast. But better than too slow, right? Food was pretty good. Sushi was meh (salmon and mackerel nigiri). Seaweed salad was ok, although the tub you can buy at Costco is better. The Char-Shu Donburi was pretty good and a lot of food. A bit too much five spice, but I would get it again. The Shaking Beef was my favorite. Quite good!
(3)Ashley P.
Stopped in here for happy hour yesterday with my bestie. The restaurant was doing happy hour from 3-6 with a variety of sushi, tapas and beers for $3-6 each. The sushi was fresh and creative, the tapas were really fun, I loved the tofu beet salad. The atmosphere was awesome and the food great, at happy hour prices that no one could complain about. I enjoyed it.
(4)Alvin D.
I was extremely disappointed by the very slow service and so-so quality of food at Drunken Monkey sushi. If you really have no choice, avoid ordering items that comes from the kitchen and just pick items made from the sushi bar. My wife ordered the manila clams special, waited nearly 30 minutes for it (another 10minutes for a bowl of rice), and then she was surprised to find out a big chunk of mud came with her clams. They offered to replace it and we patiently waited for another 5-10mins later. I, on the other hand, waited 40minutes for my ramen only to be informed that they ran out. After the mud-in-the-clam episode, and after waiting for so long, i was just ready to get out of this place and just to skip dinner altogether. I had high hopes and was really looking forward to a good meal that night, but both the kitchen staff and waitresses were off that day. whatever it was, i would hesitate and think hard before i recommend this place to anyone i know, sorry.
(1)Tiffany L.
Wow! I LOVED this place! I came with a big group of 8 people, so we ordered lots of dishes to try. I sounded like a broken record. Each dish that came, I had the same comment: "I really like this!!" We didn't get any of the traditional menu items, like sushi rolls. Considering we fed 8 people for $150, including tax and tip, that was a pretty good deal. I can't remember the names of all the dishes we got but one that stood out to me was: Monkey Jumps Over the Fence (something along those lines). There was also a Pork and Miso Soup dish that was delicious. I don't remember the names of the rest. Their online menu doesn't have the same items. Grilled beets were good. We had to wait longer than you would expect for the food to come out. Maybe we were just starving after a long day of snowboarding. Other than that, service was good. They even gave my cousin a huge bowl of rice to put his wet phone in.
(5)Dee L.
Fantastic hospitality & service, friendly crowd, great atmosphere & large windows to look out at the falling snow. So pretty! Their dinner special (not sure if they're in the menu or not) braised hotpot lamb was delicious. It could be more tender & the portion is large, though it doesn't come with rice, so we had to order one. My companion ordered a variety of sushi & oyster shots, and shared wonderfully crispy-cold filtered sake. Will definitely come back to try other items in their menu!
(4)Michelle F.
Sushi was excellent, very fresh. Yummy cocktails (especially lychee coconut) Calamari a little soggy but overall the food was very good. Would definitely come back here.
(4)James C.
This place is consistently good. The food is fresh and interesting. The service is great. The ambiance is pretty good too. I definitely recommend it.
(4)Norm H.
Our server (Katie) was very knowledgable, and on top of everything The food was fresh, and nicely prepared. The extensive menu had everything one would want in a sushi restaurant. Pricing was reasonable, in relation to the quality. We were a diverse group, with three adults and kids (7 and 10). We will definitely return
(4)Jeff J.
We've ate here a few times and each time it was excellent. We've sat at a table and sat at the sushi bar and each time the service was very good. The sushi we've had has been extremely fresh and tasty and their rolls are very good also.
(5)Eli D.
So far the best sushi I've had in the area including Reno. Lots of other food choices available for non sushi lovers as well.
(5)Grace C.
Went to Drunken Monkey with my husband after a long day of snowboarding at Northstar. We arrived around 6pm, and there was no wait. FOOD The food was spectacular. We didn't have any sushi because we figured we can get sushi anywhere - so we ordered only from the Tapas section. All 3 of the tapas dishes we got were delicious - couldn't pick a favorite. - Curry Mochiko Chicken: SO crunchy, comes with leafy greens. the curry flavor is barely spicy, which is perfect for a wimp like me, but my husband loved it as well (he's normally a hotsauce-monger) - Triple Seasoned Herb Salmon: the herbs were delicious but didn't overpower the salmon. comes with leafy greens. - VegetarianNoodleDishWithAWeirdLongName (something about a monkey and a tree?): tasty! even my husband, who "hates" vegetarian stuff, loved it. AMBIANCE Rustic yet classy... lots of wood everywhere, but it had an almost upscale feel to it. A nice place for anything from a family gathering to a group of friends to a date. The one drawback was that it was kind of loud (small restaurant) so you have to speak up if you want to be heard. SERVICE No complaints. The next time I'm visiting the area, I definitely plan to eat here again. Drunken Monkey, you made me one happy camper.
(5)Jam Z.
This place is xcellent!!! Sit at the sushi bar and just let them serve u their call. Always perfection.
(5)T M.
Favorite sushi place in all of Truckee/North Tahoe. Their sushi is flavorful, normally priced, and their happy hour is incredible.
(5)Brannon F.
Ordered the special himachi toro nigiri. It had a bone in it. I alerted the waitress and she didn't apologize nor did she take it off the bill?? Are you guys serious?
(1)Kenan A.
The food here was actually pretty good--hence the one extra star--but the service was HORRIBLE. This is the first time in my adult life (many years) that I have actually tracked down a manager to complain, and--surprise--he gave me a whopping dose of attitude. We actually only ended up eating two rolls and then asking for the bill. I'm not a fan of supporting businesses that act like they could give two craps about you. Went down the street to downtown Truckee and had some nice hamburgers instead. I would avoid this place.
(2)Larry R.
Easily some of the best sushi and tapas I've come across, had the shaking beef and the ika nigiri, managed to find some oysters as well, did not disappoint. A++ would dine again.
(4)Brian M.
Drunken monkey sushi offers relatively decent sushi, at a relatively decent price. It's a good option for people when they're up skiing in the Truckee area.
(3)Thomas N.
Drunken Monkey is not your typical sushi joint. It embraces the whole fusion sushi concept, and I must say, embraces it damn well. I highly recommend this spot if you are ever in the North Lake Tahoe, CA area. It can be a little pricey, but the atmosphere, the food and the design makes everything worth it. I came here with a friend and I will admit, my eyes were WAY bigger than my stomach. I saw the menu and was like "I want it all!" but had to control myself.... wish I were still a chubby kid sometimes. The old me could put down half the menu, no prob. Well, on to the highlights of the menu! Honey Black Bean Spare Ribs - Okay, this is really really really good. Had it at dinner but couldn't finish them so took home about 6 ribs to go. Had one cold out of the fridge at about 1:00 am because I had the drunk munchies, still freaking delicious. Had one the next morning for breakfast, luke warm, STILL DELICIOUS! Grilled Beef Donburi Bowl - This is one filling, delicious and loaded bowl. There are a lot of flavors going on between the beef, vegetables and sauces and is a good order. SHIO KAMA HAMACHI - So my guilty pleasure at Japanese restaurants is the hamachi kama (or yellow tail collar, which is the most delicious part of the fish!). I ordered this and was blown away. Definitely a must order. The fish is moist, rich and grilled to perfection with a light salt flavoring. Done! Special Sashimi - I had either trout or arctic char, I do not remember, but it was DELICIOUS! Drunken monkey, I will be back!
(5)Heather K.
Hostess was very attentive and was able to get us a table pretty quickly. She was 3 weeks on the job and great!! waitress not so much. However, once we got our food, everything was fantastic! the tempura was fresh, not greasy. the calamari delicious and flavorful. Our sushi was divine. If you get a good server, you will be in heaven!
(5)Max K.
I'm always suspect of Sushi places buried deep in small Mountain resort towns. Memories of strip mall sushi boats, dry imitation crab, and brownish, rotten avocado (not to mention Hamachi that long since seen it's golden days) abound. So it was with trepidation that I approached Drunken Monkey. And I was pleasantly surprised... Chef Okamoto-san is from Kyushu - the southernmost Island in the Japan Archipelago. They know their stuff when it comes to Sakana (fish for you Gaijin...) I did my usual "yardstick test" of Ankimo to start and...hey...I'll be...it was not bad. Then we moved on the more adventuresome dishes. The Bincho - seared white tuna with a miso paste, was excellent. I tried the black cod maki as well....while it's not served raw, it was bloody good. Hotate (scallops) didn't quite do it for me...they tasted a bit off. Gyoza was a bit ho-hum. Hamachi was excellent. Had the Dragon Monkey roll which had plenty of Hamachi and fresh crab (not imitation)....stellar stuff. Really. And this is coming from a guy who's spent countless days / weeks / months in Japan from end to end... So don't believe the lousy charlatan reviews. Drunken Monkey is actually pretty good.
(3)Corey L.
I usually get 'Monkey Jump Over the Fence' when I go. The Calamari is really good too. The location is small, so seating is limited. However, they have a small bar area you can hang at while waiting for a spot to open up.
(4)Wilma G.
My boyfriend came here with his brother in March and suggested we come here. The food was tasty and very fresh! We started our meal with one of their specials... a seared tuna belly (don't remember the exact name, but damn it was tasty!) The sauce they had was ever so light and complimented the tuna very well. I had the chirashi sushi (assortment of sashimi over sushi rice) and boyfriend had the Tomoe Maki and Mile's High Maki. The food hit the spot! We were enjoying our time so much, we ordered dessert. Boyfriend had the handmade vanilla bean ice cream and I had the tapioca topped with mango, goji berries, and toasted coconut. Again, our tastebuds were satisfied! The place is really clean and had a steady flow of customers while we were there. We had great customer service and the food was on point. Would we come here again? YUP! Good job boyfriend! =)
(4)T G.
Would like to give 2 1/2 stars, but will round up to a 3 because the waitress and overall service was nice. I would've given a 4, but the sushi we had was really bad and because sushi is a significant part of their menu, there's no excuse for serving stale sushi rice! Went here for dinner on a Saturday night. We ordered: Avocado Shrimp Salad - yum, would order this again Shaking Beef - nice and tasty, but would've preferred the meat to be medium or medium-rare (it was medium well) Dreaming Monkey Sushi Roll - horrible! the rice tasted very stale...it was very cold, so I suspect that the roll was sitting in the refrigerator. There's a reason why I never buy pre-made sushi from Costco or any supermarket...refrigerated sushi rice tastes awful. Seriously, I felt like I was eating leftover sushi...and I was not happy to have spent $13 on a roll made with old rice. I'd probably give this restaurant another try when we're back in town, but I'd stick to their non-sushi menu items...
(3)Steve L.
Cozy with good ambiance. We were concerned when we saw Caucasians as the two sushi chefs. But then we ordered a few sushi rolls, both maki and hand. Liked the real crab in the california roll. Spicy tuna had a bit too much onion flavor in it. Good tempura and noodle dishes. You can't go wrong there. The shaking beef could be better. Beef was very tough. Service was good and friendly. We would definitely return. Watch out for a wait - it can get crowded.
(4)N L.
Hands down best sushi in Truckee. Actually, some of the best sushi I have had period (friends visiting from LA have said that as well). Melt in your mouth fresh fish. No AYCE (you'll have to go to Java sushi to get AYCE in Truckee), but the prices are reasonable and the quality unmatched. Nice dining area. A couple of big booths, a lot of tables, and then the sushi bar. Nice ambiance.
(5)S C.
I was in the area for business and found this place for dinner and was extremely satisfied with what I ordered. There is a lot to choose from and the waitress was nice enough to explain each item to me and made excellent menu suggestions. It was a very fun place to eat and I will certainly go back again.
(4)Randall F.
There is no need to worry or wonder if Drunken Monkey (altitude 6,330 ft. above sea level) is the real deal for the freshest of sushi and authentic Japanese inspired creations that would rival any big city Sushi/Fusion place. Sam, owner/chef was kind enough to stop by to say hello to us and recommend the fresh fish and two of the signature appetizers. Kawari Edamame is not your usual soy pod, perfectly cooked with chili spiced garlic makes them tough to put down. One order will satisfy a party of four easily, so save room to sample as many dishes to satisfy your appetite. The other was the Tempura Calamari, light and tasty. Our server was excellent, allowing our party of 6 to order ala carte as if we were sitting at the sushi bar, adding along the way. The Hamachi Collar and Seared Escolar were both over the top...how do they get fresh fish to the mountains so quickly? Don't tell any decendants of the Donner Party that they serve anything fresh! Don't forget to sample their extensive collection of Sake, our server was very knowledgeable and even allowed us to sample before drinking...my favorite was the unfiltered, because of the 'graininess' adding to the overall character of Sake. Oh, the large Maki Rolls were very good also and I recommend any that have real crab meat. Plenty of locals and regulars go to relax in a calmly lit dining room with enough activity to keep your attitude positive and wanting to try more from the menu.
(5)Max D.
Went here for a Sunday night dinner with the wifey, the place was packed and we waited for about 30 minutes to move from our sake bar seats to sushi bar. We had the chirashi, tako salad, and one of their rolls. The fish was fresh and I enjoyed the salad, but the cuts of fish were too large. Maybe some people like their sashimi like that, but not me. Sounds: Di Johnston and the Shanghai Restoration Project Sushi Chef: Sam Waitress: Super tall, extra nice woman
(4)Kristin G.
I went there after snowboarding with my boy. We ordered Saki and rolls. The food was really good and so was the atmosphere. At home I'm definitely more of a sashimi, but it's good to be a little more decadent away from home.
(4)Laura L.
sushi was great! the price is reasonable. i also enjoyed their non-sushi fare, like the fish collarbone. we liked it so much that we went two nights in a row! the servers were hit or miss. they would often disappear and there would be no one available to help. the sushi chefs liked to talk to their regulars, and hardly spoke to us. I will definitely go back.
(4)Cara G.
We have tried this place a few times, and the service is lacking but food is pretty good. On our first visit our appetizers and sushi came out together followed by our drinks (45 minute wait for 4 martinis). Overall a very unpleasant dining experience at a very small table that was so crammed full that it was commical. The second visit was a little better, but the sushi was faster than the entree off the menu and we were all finished eating before the other person even got their food. The third attempt was a to go order, and I was put on hold several times before being hung up on after 10 minutes of waiting. Never got the food. The food is good or we wouldnt keep trying it out, but the service and miscommunications among the staff make it not worth the effort.
(2)Janell D.
Usually this place is top notch- in fact, my husband and I have been here several times and totally LOVED it. Unfortunately this experience on 3/17 was so terrible we couldn't get out of there fast enough. I believe our server was Jamie? (on the ticket it said "Server 302"- short blonde hair with glasses). From the moment we sat down I could tell that this was not going to be the best experience, judging by the servers attitude. She gave us some menus and asked what we wanted to drink. We opted for a bottle of red. If you have dined here before you will know that the wine list is very small, so small in fact that if they are out of a certain bottle- the server should know about it. Of course, our server didn't know and came back to report the news that they didn't have it. We found an alternative and as she poured the wine we ordered the vegetable Gyozas. As she started walking away my husband asked if htey had any specials - she looked very annoyed- stared up at the ceiling and started ranting off the specials as quickly as she could. Once she finished she simply walked away. While we waited for her to come back and take our order I watched her interact with the other tables- I was not impressed. She didn't seem to genuinely care about any of them and the guests actually seemed annoyed with her. She came back, took our order and shortly after the Gyozas had arrived. Shortly after the Gyozas my husbads noodle dish had arrived- when she placed it in front of him she said that mine was on its way. TEN minutes later- after my husbands noodles were cold- she arrived with mine. I also ordered a noodle bowl; however, mine came out burnt- completely black. I smelled it before taking a bite and even had my husband smell it just to make sure I wasn't crazy. He agreed it smelt burnt. I didn't want to be that person that sends their food back- so I ate around the burnt noodles. Of course- the server did come by and ask how everything was but she came before I even had time to take a bite- seemed a bit planned now that I think about it. When she took our plates away she didn't say anything or ask as to why I didn't touch the noodles... we paid our bill and got out of their as fast as we could. Very unfortunate experience- I will probably go back since its been great before but if I am given the same server I will walk out.
(2)Zachary H.
Awesome sushi! Located 5 minutes from downtown Truckee. I had the seaweed salad and a roll with scallop and yellow tail! Really fresh and flavorful. Some of the best sushi i have tasted. Great ambience and attentive staff. My wife ordered something off the menu and they had no problem creating the roll. Thanks! We made it take out this time, but next time I want to eat in and try some sake!
(5)Darcy L.
AMAZING!! We were in the area participating in an event . Craving Sushi I searched yelp. Well let me tell you the reviews were spot on!! The fish was so fresh and just melted in your mouth. I am a Sushi FREAK and let me tell you Now I am going to have to drive to Tahoe to get Sushi. :( Cant wait to get up there again!
(5)Brian P.
I've come to this small tucked in restaurant in Truckee twice and both times I've been extremely impressed. Their sushi rolls pack a flavorful bite and they give you a generous portion. To my surprise the rolls were heavy in fish and light in the extras that other places will try to add in to save money. When you order something so basic as a California roll and the roll has real crab and a lot of it you know they care more that you enjoy your meal than their margin on fish/roll ratio. I can usually put back 4+ rolls when I need my sushi fix, but Drunken Monkey only required two. So even though the rolls are $9-15 each you won't need to buy 6-7 for you and your date to walk away satisfied. Two large sushi rolls, green tea, a donburi pot and spicy edamame came to about $40. Which was actually the first time in a long time I've been underwhelmed when flipping open the bill after dinner. I enjoyed the experience so much that I'm trying to convince my friends who just came up to come back with us tonight.
(5)Hunter S.
The Place looked promising after searching for 30 mins in an unfamiliar lake Tahoe. I Was severely mistaking after the "chunky" taylor swift looking waitress grabbed my yarmulke and proceeded to use it as a cloth to wipe tables. Tempted to stand up and leave after thAt incident, she basically forced me out as she rudely made fun of me and my partners sexuality. The name of the restaurant finally made sense. She acted like a drunken monkey
(1)Hanna K.
Their foods are pretty overpriced. They charged $4 for a Miso soup refill. Ramen was too sweet. The broth was not authentic. It has Chinese flavor.
(2)Roxy B.
PERFECT! Fantastic ambiance, not one bad thing on the menu !!! Start your meal with the most flavorful edamame, with the spicy edamame.Order the delicious shaking beef (great quality steak with a zesty lime dip) and garlic shrimp as some tapas. We ordered a half portion of the calamari - fused with a pesto/mayo/almond sauce that still lingers in my mouth! I don't even like sushi that much but this place changed that - the high monkey maki roll was flavorful with a punch of spice and crunch from the shrimp tempura. Will definitely come every time I'm in this area !!!
(5)Jim F.
Best sushi I have ever had. Would not have expected to find that in Truckee! Owner, Sam, is a great guy.
(5)Laurie J.
I've had 5 star and 1 star experiences here. Im giving them a 3 for their inconsistency. Ive gotten the alpenglow roll 3 different times and each time it is different. Their udon and noodles have always been good and the service is always pleasant.
(3)Stephanie B.
Loved this restaurant! My girlfriend and I got into town a little late and settled into our spot. We found this restaurant and called to see if they would still seat us and said to come on over. The sushi was amazing! Tuna Belly Special melted in your mouth and their menu has a great selection and we were pleased with our rolls, kimchee, seaweed salad, and champagne style sake. Can't wait to go back...
(5)Tommy W.
I had both doubts and high expectations with this place. Doubt came from my reluctance to accept that good Japanese style seafood can be found away from the coastline. High expectations from all the rave Yelp reviews I read. But this place was off the charts good . . . the food and service in particular. The house special calamari was fried to a perfect light crisp and had a unique tangy sweet flavor I've never tasted before on calamari. The gyoza had generous filling, a thin skin, and a perfect crispiness on the pan fried side. The udon soup, donburi, and maki rolls were just one delectable surprise after another. Coming from San Fran, I tend to think I've had the best of the best already, but I stand very corrected. I gotta say the service was the other success factor here. Our server, Lexi, was as genuinely friendly as strangers can possibly get. We sat in a corner make-shift table away from the main dining floor, yet she still took care of us with service professionalism that exuded a sense of urgency and a touch of personal character that made our experience that much better. I could honestly say she's the best server I've had in years. I won't get back to Truckee very often to support this restaurant, but I highly recommend anyone in the local area searching for a Japanese restaurant to give Drunken Monkey a shot. I just don't see how anyone could be disappointed.
(5)Jenny P.
I would come back. Nothing really wow'd my boyfriend and I, but the sushi tasted fresh, and it was a good experience overall. The service was great. The hostess was friendly and accurate in her estimate of the wait for a spot at the bar. We were seated, and had someone taking our drink and app order within 5 minutes. They were pretty busy, but the staff seemed friendly and happy to be there. The ahi poke bowl special was delicious, probably the highlight of the meal. A little too much heat for me, but the bf loved it. Next we had the Dreaming Monkey and the Golden Tiger, which were tasty, but again, not something amazing. We were impressed, like the others on Yelp, with the amount of fish on the rolls. Gave an additional star for the fact that this is sushi in Truckee. The quality was much better than I had anticipated.
(4)Bob N.
After my wife and I visited The Drunken Monkey 2 years ago, we knew we'd have to come back as often as possible. Living 5-1/2 hours away made that vow hard but, considering the awesome food and service we had just had then, we were determined to do so. This time six of us dropped by on a Wednesday evening and, even with the place 1/2 empty, service was slow. We sat for over 10 minutes before the waitress finally appeared; but that was just to take our drink and appetizer order. It was literally another 10 minutes before she would take our main meal order. Then the food took 1/2 hour to arrive, but only part of it. The rest trickled in over the next 15-20 minutes and we still had to ask for our seaweed salad. 1 out of 3 sushi rolls came with no wasabi and no pickled ginger. The $13 shrimp and vegetable tempura plate was ridiculously small and consisted mainly of greasy shrimp and green peppers. None of the entrees came with anything; we had to pay extra for plain steamed rice and miso soup. EVERY other sushi place we've visited (all with better food, service and prices) included steamed rice and/or miso soup with the meal... FOR FREE. Out of the 10-12 DOZEN sushi restaurants in CA, NV and AZ that I've visited, The Drunken Monkey had the worst food and service I've ever experienced this time. Plus it was overpriced for what we got. Sadly, we won't be back again.
(1)Alison T.
Best sushi in Truckee, the spider hand roll for a little over $5 sooooo amazing. It has 1/2 a perfectly fried soft shell crab and a generous dose of fresh crab meat. A place that doesn't use imitation crab, sushi goers take not, and this makes a HUGE difference! Monkfish liver handroll was bland. Loved the URA-MAKI HAMACHI HOTATE , sooo fucking tasty, not the best spicy scallop I've ever had but it comes close. Also had the Dreaming Monkey roll, which was not as good, but still tasty. Had a curry miso soup with clams that was waaaay to garlicky, a common theme in many of their dishes that have garlic. Monkey cups for happy hour, so much garlic that your date will not want to kiss you afterwards. Dragon ballz at happy hour were delicious, cheap Sapporo beer, altho when I asked what kind of Sapporo she couldn't tell me. Gyoza at happy hour was decent. Happy hour stuff really wasn't that good, but I did like the dragon ballz. Dinner was awesome. I might be tempted to give drunken monkey 5 stars for dinner, but average it with happy hour and it's a solid 4 stars.
(4)The S.
Ok, restauraunt. They were understaffed.
(2)Dana M.
Love this place, it's always my first choice in Truckee, great service, everyone is nice and helpful, great atmosphere and the food, the sushi are great, very nice selection of sake and if you don't like sushi, no worries, you'll find something on the menu.
(5)Kristen S.
I'll be a drunken monkey...i was pleasantly surprised by this place! Usually, the words "tapas" "sushi" and "Asian fusion" don't mesh well together. But in the case of Drunken Monkey, they do! The drink menus are impressive- they have many different types of sake (filtered, unfiltered, etc), shochus (flavored- yum!), wine, plum wine, and cocktails! Really puts the "drunken" in "monkey" if you know what i mean. We ordered a flask of unfiltered sake, a few shots of shochu (one regular, one strawberry), a Clementine Crush, and a margarita. Be careful with the shochu- it literally tastes alcohol-free, but packs a punch after a few rounds ;) The tapas, or small plates, that we tried were: the shaking beef w/lime, cha shu pork, and the gyoza. In addition we each ordered a noodle dish as a personal entree. My nabeyaki udon came with plentiful pieces of fish, but one thing i wasn't a fan of was the use of basil in the broth. I get that this is where the "Asian fusion" comes into play, because Thai and Vietnamese food frequents the use of basil, but I didn't expect it in udon. It just didn't work for me. The other noodle dishes were delicious, though- the yakisoba (although on the salty side) and the tempura soba (replaced with udon noodles) are good. We also ordered maguro sushi. it was fresh, tasty, melt-in-your-mouth status. Not what we expected to find in Truckee of all places, definitely a hidden treasure! This place just opened 4 months ago- be prepared to wait in line to get a table. It's a small joint with a few tables and a few seats at the bar. Also good to note: they only take reservations for parties of 6 or more. Once you get tired of the pizza parlors, greasy chinese hole-in-the-walls, and the delis that seem to overcrowd the little town of Truckee, give this place a try. You won't be disappointed.
(4)Laura Y.
Holy sushi! Boyfriend and I went here after skiing and proceeded to do the whole "our eyes are way bigger than our stomachs" routine. What ensued was a meal of sushi bliss... This was my first trip to Truckee, and when boyfriend mentioned "sushi," I didn't expect much. Boy was I wrong. This place was really great. The miso soup is really flavorful with fresh tofu and seaweed. The cuts of fish are massive -- I had a chirasi platter and was floored by the amount of fish in each slice, same with the individual sushi pieces we ordered. We had a special butterfish sashimi that was on the menu -- delectable. Dumplings were fresh (but in our over order, this probably would have been what I skipped). They have a great sake list as well. Easily could recommend this place if you're in town and want fresh, tasty, well priced sushi.
(5)Kim N.
Though I'm sad to see a breakfast joint selection go away, that's two now that Buckhorn has been replace here and Truckee Diner is empty, but Drunken Monkey is a winner. Now I've spent many snow seasons in Truckee and not thought of ever getting a good Japanese food experience here until now. Had passed this place a number of times over the last few months while it was under construction and the menu looked intriguing. Since no one wanted to boarding with me, I headed up myself and as I reached the city limits I was unusually hungry so I drove over to get my sashimi on. The good thing about sushi joints is that if you're a solitary diner (or up to three people) the counter makes for a good way to get insights on whats good that day by conversing with the chefs. Not only did I get that, I somehow managed to get seated in between two different cute "girls night out" groups who also gave me insights on what they thought was tasty and a whole lot of sake drinking. Between the chefs, the groups, and my curiosities of the specials board. I ended up with: - Sake Toro - Grilled Salmon Belly - Gindara - Tempura fried black cod hand roll - Hebi Saba - Seared rare escolar with sriracha sauce (small dabs actually) - Sashimi Moriawase- Maguro (tuna), Hamachi (yellowtail), Hotate (scallop), Sake (salmon), Shiro Maguro (albacore), Maguro Zuke (marinated and seared tuna) - Almond espresso cake Everything was indeed tasty and the fresh was good quality. Not really anything outlandish here (except for the Ankimo hand roll) but it was all solid. There was only one master chef, Sam Okamoto (who also has classic French cuisine training and came out of Dragonfly downtown which I need to still try) with his many apprentices, so for you purists, the cuts aren't perfect and the small fusion element in some of the dishes/rolls might scare you off, but I'd say leave those thoughts behind and give it a try. The space is sleek contemporary, with some minor Japanese touches here and there. The staff are all clad in black and coincidentally (ok maybe not) all guys in the back of the house and attractive young women for the wait staff. I don't think the word has gotten out past the locals yet as everyone here was a Truckee local except for me. Everyone was very friendly both staff and patrons, and they made me feel like one myself. Good fun place, with solid food, and a very good price point. 4.5 stars
(4)Karen P.
Yummy! The fish is always fresh, and the custom sauces are delicious.
(5)Marina C.
The food was very enjoyable. The fish was very fresh; nigiri and rolls were very nice size and delicious. So why only three stars? Because the service was horrible. I understand it is a popular restaurant and deservingly so but... when we were told that the wait would be around 30 minutes and our exhausted young children started wining about standing for all this time after a full day of skiing, I had to beg the not so friendly hostess for a chair for them. Her response: "We are busy now, so if you can find a chair, feel free to grab it." Really? Finally, we were seated. They were awfully understaffed. Our waitress Mellisa did not even bother to say hello. Not sure if it was us, but she seemed in such a rush, that we had to practically yell after her running away to ask for forks for the kids. She was very expeditious with the bill, though. Overall, I would say, come early to enjoy the delicious meal, but don't count on good service. You won't get it!
(3)Sarah K.
Ohhh Drunken Monkey, how I throughly dislike thee...let me count the ways. I rarely get this pissed, but you brought it out of me! (The best part is that after I checked in here with a comment on the terrible service, I had several friends reply and said they had the same experience) 1. The restaurant is small, yet you somehow were able to COMPLETELY IGNORE us for 45 minutes AT THE SUSHI BAR...45 Freaking minutes! 2. The couples on BOTH sides of us were served by 2 different waiters - but apparently neither of them felt it was their duty to do their job and help us out - WTF?? 2. When I confronted the manager, telling him that we've been sitting there for 45 minutes with no help but the sushi guy (he was amazing) he gave me a whopping dose of attitude. Seriously? 3. The only food we got in 45 minutes was a roll..it happened to be good, but it couldn't overcome the fact that I had to track down the hostess just to get a glass of water. Overall, I wold not recommend this place. Literally the only guy trying to help us was the sushi guy, and he was having a tough time, since his main job is to make sushi, not order sake for pissed off customers. Everything was terrible, and I would not recommend it. There's nothing like coming down off the mountain hungry, and then having to wait forever for food.
(1)Lori S.
Great food! Well worth the visit. We had the Vietnamese wings, seafood udon, honey garlic pork rice bowl and a roll. It was all absolutely delicious (and not just because we skipped lunch). 5 stars!
(5)Kim S.
This is by far THE worst sushi restaurant I've ever had the misfortune of wasting my time and money trying. Miso soup not prepared in traditional way; looked and tasted like it had been boiled- terrible. We ordered rolls that menu stated had Alaskan king crab but it had artificial crab with premium price on it. The rolls we ordered had shredded iceberg lettuce in it...wth?! That was not listed in description of what we ordered. The seafood in our meal was not fresh. The food we ordered was so terrible I lost my appetite and felt ill before leaving the restaurant. I couldn't finish my meal and taking leftovers home was the furthest thing from my mind- it was that bad. Expensive, poor quality food and super slow/poor service to match it. Never again!
(1)Sara T.
The kitchen was out of commission when we visited tonight :( I had really been looking forward to trying this place after researching dinner ideas from afar (we live ~5 hours away). So no tempura, no potstickers, etc. The hostess did warn us but we figured what the heck, we're here already. The miso soup was delicious! The cucumber salad was really good but a little too big...the vinegar became overwhelming after eating about 1/2 of it; the goji berries & rice noodles were a nice addition to it though. I ordered a Golden Tail Dragon Roll (eel, avocado, crab, tempura shrimp & mango)....it would have been EPIC with tempura shrimp but with plain cooked shrimp (because kitchen wasn't working) it lack a crunch and was very bland. The staff was very friendly. Service was spotty. Seated quickly, a longish wait to order, our starters came out quickly, then all my husband's food, but it was a good 15 minutes after that before I got the single roll I ordered. I'd try it again with a working kitchen, but as we live far away and are just having a weekend away I doubt it will be soon.
(3)Cady M.
I'm so disappointed in this place... The first 3 times my husband and I dined here, we had fabulous experiences with delicious food. Our favorite was always the tempura calamari as an appetizer followed by splitting the tempura shrimp and vegetable donburi rice bowl. Then all of a sudden this place went downhill - new menu? new chef? new ingredients? I don't know why, but this place is no longer on the top of our list of places we love to dine in Truckee. We should've learned our lesson when we had gone and our normal order wasn't prepared the same as the few times before: the calamari serving was smaller despite the price being the same, and the rice bowl had sauteed vegetables in place of the tempura battered (and the waitress had the nerve to tell us that it was always how it had been prepared - since when? because in our experience of ordering it multiple times, it was never prepared with sauteed vegetables). Regardless, we decided to try it again this past weekend - whatta disappointing mistake. The rice bowl is no longer a rice bowl, and is instead just a pile of tempura battered veggies and shrimp on a plate (not as split-able anymore; we would've really liked the rice, too). The calamari was soggy and poorly prepared, and the serving was even smaller than before - literally the amount we were given was laughable. It was barely an appetizer, and, of course, the price was still the same as always despite having cut the amount of calamari in half. This comes across as them just being stingy and cheap! Adding to that is the tempura shrimp and vegetable no-longer-a-donburi-rice-bowl also still being the same price despite missing the rice. To top it off, there were several open tables when we arrived but we were told we had to share a wobbly long table with another group of four by the bar that was oddly slanted (seriously, the waitress set down my glass of water and it started sliding towards me - if I hadn't caught it, it would've slid off the edge and spilled in my lap - not cool). There were no reservation signs on the tables, and they weren't sat to any of the numerous customers coming in the door over the hour we were there (were they just short staffed and trying to slacken the load on their server staff? understandable, until you think it's a Sunday night in the Tahoe summertime and that they should be prepared accordingly...). Anyways, to wrap this up, the Drunken Monkey has progressively downgraded from a great dining experience (it was one of our favorite places) to a pricey disappointing meal (I really don't like leaving a restaurant having paid over $30 for a meal and yet still being hungry). We will not be returning any longer.
(2)Mark L.
Being from the Bay Area, and had tried many good Japanese restaurants, I was quite surprised for the quality of food here. Service: I've read some of the comments on yelp about Drunken Monkey, it was really bad. However, our waitress was wonderful. Food: That was a surprise. This is a Fusion Japanese restaurants, to taste food in this kind of restaurants in Bay area (with lesser quality), you will have to pay more than twice. Thus, I was quite surprised with the quality of food here. - Curry fried chicken: This is not the chicken karage with some curry spice I expected. It's more like a orange chicken only crispier. Different, and I'm ok with it. - Coconut Chili Clam: When I first heard her saying something about clam in broth, I didn't even ask for the name and ordered it. There is a traditional way to make clam soup in Japan and that's what I expected. I was very excited to found they have clam soup because many very authentic and good Japanese restaurants don't know how to make them. The last time I had it was in Japan. However, this one was also very good. They use spicy miso soup based with rather flavorful chili (not spicy hot chili flavor, but flavorful). I later found out it has coconut in the name but I taste nothing of that. I thought it was very well made dish. Tons of clams too! - Roll: I forgot the name but I ordered something with unagi on top which is always my favorite. The quality of the unagi was very good... hm... now I wonder if they were imported by Japan. Probably not since they are more than twice the cost. Anyway, the flavor of the rice can be improved but it's better than most good sushi restaurants out there. - Japanese style cheese cake: My wife said it was good, but I have to honestly say no. It's ok but I expected my cheese cake is rich and soft. This cheese cake is too contemporary, too fusion. I'm ok with it. - Latte: Why said about Latte? I'm a picky espresso/latte drinker. I don't like Starbucks Latte but prefer Peet's latte. I had Latte from Satura (Los Altos, Ca) and sometimes they are good, sometimes not. When you tasted good latte, you know. And I was very happy with this latte. All in all, I'm quite pleased with this place. Next season when we come over to ski again, we will be back.
(4)Thomas B.
Great food, cool atmosphere. my daughter loved the beet dish. My wife loves the salmon appetizer. We would have been super thrilled with it but they don't honor the happy hour listed on their web site. That irked us. If you don't have a happy hour on certain days, fine! don't advertise it as such. We also had mixed service here. Sometimes a real hit, sometimes a real miss. (mostly hits)
(4)Betty C.
Solid choice for sushi in the North Tahoe area. It's located in a strip mall and there are quite a variety of rolls as well as nigiri sushi. There's also hot plates and appetizers as this is more of an Asian Fusion restaurant as opposed to just a regular Japanese restaurant.
(3)Megan Q.
I will still give 'em five stars, because it is just SO good. But, it wasn't as good as my first time. It was still amazing though...let me tell you... We got the pot stickers again, but they were a little crispy on one side rather than cooked evenly. Just not as fabulous as last time, but still good. My friend ordered the fried calamari with the lemongrass sauce. I'm on this lemongrass kick. It was good. I'm not a big fan of fried food, so my review is biased. But, if you can handle a lot of fried-ness...it was good. The presentation was phenomenal. The calamari came in this rice paper that looked like a paper towel but it was edible! Sweet!! Our green tea was great, of course. Whole leaf! NOT a damn tea bag! THANK YOU, PEOPLE. The dragon whatever sushi roll with mango and water eel was delicious once again. Get it. It will change your day! Gosh, we should have ordered two of those things. Yum yum! The chocolate mouse I had was amazing! GAhhh, so good! The cream brulee was like I had died and gone to heaven. Rich, creamy, deliciousness with bits of carmel candy. Ahh! SO GOOD! I am dying to try their lovely little adult beverages. Next time, I WILL. Another successful meal. On a side note, our table was slightly dark...they may want to think about turning up the lights a little bit for food presentation? And, that's it. P.S. Our waitress was incredibly bubbly and full of excitement! Craziness! I can't believe she's really that happy to work there! She must have been having a fantastic day! Woohoo! Good for her! YEAH!
(5)Amanda L.
I always have a nice time at Drunken Monkey. Walking in the door I don't think I've ever been greeted quickly but I don't think they have a hostess either (maybe I just go when it's slower relaxed nights). The food I love, staff is overall friendly and helpful. And as for staff I MISS JAY! Where'd you go!? :( I'll still be back but if I find out JAY is at a new sushi spot I might just have to switch. Anyone out there know? Not to take away from DM. I'll be back soon and often. Thank you guys
(4)Myly P.
If you're staying at Northstar resort and want a fantastic and creative selection of sushi, or delicious Japanese fusion food, skip the overpriced-yet-average Village sushi place and drive ten minutes into Truckee for a truly-worth-every-penny feast. This place gets packed, so plan ahead or be prepared for a very long wait. The miso is delicious with tofu, thinly sliced root vegetables, and noodles. We had the Nabe Yaki and spicy serpent roll. Delicious! Everything on the menu sounded great, so it was hard to choose. Take my advice and venture out of the Village. You won't be disappointed.
(4)Dawna Y.
What a cozy little spot, especially on a cold snowy night!! We had the Beef Yakisoba ~the beef was tender and flavorful, Stir-fry Garlic Prawns, Temaki Sushi and Kimchi!! All were wonderful and the prices are affordable!! Also, Katie was our server and she was equally amazing!!
(5)Jen C.
We've been here three times now and each time I leave shaking my head. The food is good, I'll give you that. The service is hit or miss. If it is busy service is horrible. My one HUGE complaint though is the NOISE level. OMG. My ears were bleeding while I was eating. No joke. Sadly, during our dinner service four "people" (I am using that term lightly) wandered in. Baseball caps on, pants sagging and attitude raging. They were drunk when they crept in and sat down and were incredibly loud. These people were not asked to leave, nor asked to lower their voices they were just served more alcohol to the horror of those sitting around them. I felt that action by the restaurant staff demonstrated poor judgement. We could not get out of there fast enough.... and we won't chance it again. If you are fine with the noise level and ok spending your hard earned money on dining out with gang bangers, then go. The food is good as long as you can deal with all that goes with it...
(2)doug h.
Drunken Monkey is attempting to do the impossible - provide good Asian food and sushi in a resort mountain town. And, on the whole, they do a damn impressive job. I've been there 3 or 4 times now, and with each visit I find Sam's cooking more creative and robust. I'd say their weakest spot is sushi, which may just be a factor of their location - though it's not bad. Where they shine, however, is in their pan-Asian offerings - street noodles, gyoza, anything with their prepared pork. They compliment their quality food with super-friendly servers and a slightly bland but good enough setting at The Rock. DM is now one of our favorites and staples for both lunch and dinner.
(4)LifeIsGood A.
After a bad experience at Java Sushi, The Druken Monkey saved the night!! Great service and amazing quality! All fresh and tasty!!
(5)Heidi P.
EXCELLENT QUALITY, VALUE & SERVICE. Delicious thoughtfully prepared and served Asian food. To my surprise and delight the portions were fairly large. Two of us spilt a couple tapas and one dessert and we called it dinner. The bill was less than $20! A third dish or a sushi roll might be necessary if we had been starving. Can't wait to return. Lovely ambiance. I just want to go in there and soak up the atmosphere and be in the presence of the nice wait staff.
(5)ShreddyBetty B.
Although Truckee is such a small town, we definitely have quite the pick of sushi restaurant selections, Dragonfly, Java Sushi, Moody's has an amazing ahi 4 ways dish...and as of last year, Drunken Monkey. We tried this place when it first opened, while we found the tapas selections to be tasty, the sushi was definitely lacking flavor & creativity when compared to the other spots in town. The restaurant is cute, it has a nice ambiance for such a small space. But all in all the experience lacked & we didn't return until this past Sunday. We wanted to give it another shot & ordered the Hor-Fun noodle bowl (came with shrimp, calamari, albacore, salmon) & spicy ahi roll, and another roll with ahi, salmon and escolar. I have absolutely nothing positive to say about any of the fish we tried, besides that it all looked really pretty. The shrirmp & salmon in the noodle bowl tasted very fishy & all the rest of the fish was completely bland. You'd find better rolls & value at both Java & Dragonfly, which is where we will be the next time we get a sushi craving.
(2)S C.
I went when this first opened and not that impressed, we gave it another try and now we go at least once a month for date night or with our two kids. I like the ambiance and the fish is SUPER fresh not to mention sushi Sam always teaches me something new either about a particular sake, using my chopsticks more efficiently, etc. My two year old will eat sushi only here as long as he can dip it in soy sauce :) My sushi experience came late in life when I lived in San Francisco and Vancouver but now I love it and won't eat it just anywhere (read: snob). Venture for one of Sam's fresh creations. Oh yeah and I love the home made sauces on the calamari and the tofu appetizer. I think one thing that sets this restaurant apart from others in the Tahoe area is that the owners present and know/care about their customers.
(5)Marie N.
Shared the Kawari Edamame (garlic and lime zest), Escolar sashimi, and Unagi nigiri among other things with friends. The fish was fresh and delicious, the Escolar texture was awesome. Our waitress was really friendly and fast too and the atmosphere in here was great. I'm impressed Truckee! Bonus: They also had a seriously yummy sake, which is the only [cold] sake that I've tried and liked! And of course I cannot remember the damn name, but the fact that I had a few cocktails before dinner has NOTHING to do with it. Ahem.
(5)Scott S.
"Sam" was rude since I wasn't a regular (a few 'regulars' sat down next to me at the sushi bar and he was all friendly and chatty). The sushi was mediocre at best and overpriced. For the prices they charge, Morimoto should be making it. Happy to skip this place on my next trip.
(2)Natalie T.
I am offically jaded on all other sushi restaurants east of San Fran. This spot was amazing. I loved the atmosphere and everyone was really friendly. By far the freshest fish I've ever had, apparently it just came In that day. Score! All the nigiri was beautiful, and huge slices, they def don't skimp. The king salmon, and otoro.... Incredible!!! Plus I tried the spinach tapas with sesame, it was delicious. They have a great sake selection and have wonderful gluten, dairy, and nut free options... Extra point! I wish this spot wasn't so far away from me=( can't wait to go back!
(5)Rachel A.
I brought my mom here on a recent visit, and we really enjoyed ourselves. The wait staff is nice and attentive, and the menu has tons of choices. Everything we got was delicious. I can't wait to go back and try more!
(4)Jon O.
I understand with slow economy and no snow it is hard to turn your stock over but you owe it to your few customers to serve fresh fish, not the fish with the haze on it. The rice tasted like Minute rice. I did see one gal getting a great looking roll, I guess my cup size was not large enough to get the special service.
(2)Leeann P.
The staff deserves 5 starts due to great customer service but the food I'll give 2/3 stars. I was looking forward to catching dinner here after reading reviews and checking out the pictures on yelp but was quite disappointed with the sushi rolls. The miso soup and calamari was great. I was even happier when the rolls came to the table fresh with real crab meat. But the rolls lacked flavor. They tasted very bland that I literally only ate a couple pieces and took home the rest only to throw them away. Loved the ambiance though.
(2)Jeremiah E.
I think this will be a usually place to go when in the North Tahoe area. Place is always packed with people whether it is skiing season, the summer, or the off-season. They have you seated fairly quick. Services is good, may miss an empty glass but no one is perfect. Food delicious as always. Started with ahi tataki which is seared ahi tuna, cube and tossed in spicy chili-garlic oil, artichoke hearts and fresh cilantro. Entree my girlfriend got Singapore Street Noodles while I got the Hor-Fun and we shared Alpeglow sushi roll. The Singapore street noodles had a curry flavor to it, to go with season vegetable and a lot of shrimp. The Hor-Fun, I thought I was getting noodles but I seems like I got more of mixed seafood than noodles. Not complaining I love seafood, it came with squid, shrimp, salmon, tuna, bass, ect. Thank you. The Alpenglow sushi roll, a very tasty roll with salmon, scallop, don't quite remember the inside but the lemon gave it the touches it needed to be a great dish. For dessert was handcrafted icecream coconut lychee flavor, looks kind of plain but it is tasty. We'll be back to when in the area to try some other delicious food. goal to try everything on the menu.
(5)Leah P.
There's a reason you sit at the sushi bar - so you can get the recommendations from the chefs themselves. Daniel was a find in Truckee - a sushi foodie after my own heart. He served up the albacore belly, monk fish liver, and his original Truckee truffle. Delicious all around! The cherry on top - the bill. Surprisingly affordable with excellent service. Thank you for a great dinner - can't wait to to return.
(5)Angiel A.
Great service! Great food!! whenever in the area we will be back to this spot.. Ahi poke great presentation in a seashell and the taste match the presentation
(5)Kelly L.
Drunken Monkey was always a favorite spot to get together with friends when we lived in Truckee and it still is. Good service, great food. Prices are high, but that's the norm in Tahoe. It's a small place so best for smaller groups. Be prepared to wait cause they're always busy!
(5)Rebecca E.
Love the food at this Asian fusion (ish?) restaurant. 4 rather than 5 stars because it's pretty pricey for Tahoe, and wait times can be lengthy. I guess that this is what the market prevails, but I wish it were not so. Anyway, it's so popular because the food really is great. Enjoy.
(4)Steve K.
Now THIS is sushi done right! Sam and his team skillfully prepare it, and the fish is oh-so fresh and tasty. Their toro was the absolute best I've had ANYWHERE and that's really saying something They also have a very good sake menu What a gem... too bad it's so far from home, but I will happily make the effort to return
(5)William C.
I was really looking forward to try this place out after reading the yelp reviews and visited their website, everything looked so good. Came on the not so busy Tuesday night, was seated right away, the waitress was very friendly and attentive. We started with grilled beets and gyoza, but I am pretty sure they were made ahead of time and microwave heated.... but that's ok since they tasted just fine. Then we ordered the hamachi kama, which was on par with other Japanese restaurants. For the main course, my wife ordered the Ramen noodle, can't say they tastes as good as the ones in the bay area but for a place like Truckee, it is pretty good. I ordered the Yakiniku grilled beef, which is a rice over some grilled beef and vegi, the beef was way too dry and to be honest this dish reminds me of the Chinese Mongolian bbq, where you mix your own vegi and meat they cook it on the grill for you. On the sushi side, we ordered tamago, which is good, Unnaju maki and hamachi sushi, all tastes pretty good. We skipped dessert since all the dishes above pretty much stuffed us. Overall a-ok place but again to find a restaurant serves somewhat authentic japanese food like this in truckee is pretty good. We will be back again to try other dishes.
(3)Michelle L.
A fave place for dinner when in the Truckee area. This latest visit, shared an order of ahi tataki (seared ahi tuna, cube and tossed in spicy chili-garlic oil, artichoke hearts and fresh cilantro) to start. J ordered the Hor-Fun Noodles (shrimp, calamari, assorted seafood stir-fried with fresh wide rice noodles) entree and I got the Singapore Street Noodle (cumin, turmeric, herb-zested thin rice noodles with seasonal veggies and char-shu pork or shrimp) that came with bellpeppers, mushrooms, asparagus, bamboo shoots, and I chose shrimp rather than char-shu or tofu. They were extremely generous with the amount of seafood in both dishes, and they were both very filling. I especially enjoyed the dry curry flavors on the noodles, similar to what a Thai restaurant might do with their fried rice dish. We also split an Alpenglow sushi roll (spicy salmon, spicy scallop, salmon/escolar/thin lemon slices, shredded daikon topping) which ended up being a little bit too spicy for me so I only had a few pieces before giving up, but it was tasty. The lemon slices brighten the fish flavors and the daikon topping provided crunchy texture. Can't get enough salmon if you ask me. To finish the night we also got the handcrafted ice cream from the dessert menu, specifically the coconut-lychee flavor. Two scoops came in a bowl, not really garnished but did have real bits of coconut and lychee fruit mixed in, flavors not too overwhelming. Maybe some toasted coconut would have been nice as a topping, or mango instead of lychee. Overall, always great seafood at this spot right off Highway 267. Noticed that all the photo prints hanging around the restaurant were taken by the owner, Sam -- pretty neat! So far have tried their soba noodle soup, sushi rolls, calamari, ahi, a few desserts, and noodle dishes without any complaint. They also have rice donburi bowls, tapas, sashimi, nigiri, hand rolls, and sake. Very good in my book.
(4)Lisa R.
Was excited to finally try this place after so many times driving by, but the experience was just meh. Not enough servers left us trying really to get ours' attention and just giving up. We ate inside but spent our whole meal swatting flies away, which was really unappetizing, and I don't just mean one or two pesky bugs, they were everywhere and super persistent! The food was extremely bland, with the rock crab being the only flavor I could distinguish and I'm not a huge fan to begin with. The shrimp spring rolls were actually good and our server was really nice when she did come by. $90 for lunch for 2 people is pricey, but its sushi and to be expected. All in all I'd probably give this place another try if a friend really wanted to go, but doubt I would go back again on my own.
(3)Chad S.
Great food, we all ended up sharing dishes because they were so good. Fun atmosphere! Highly recommend having dinner here if you get to Truckee!
(5)Ariel B.
My sister and I came on Sunday night. Sushi was delish. I ordered the nigiri idako - I would definitely order that again. It wasn't tough or too chewy. My sister ordered the red dragon. That was super good as well. The fish tasted super fresh. We also got the hot and sour soup - came hot and was also good. Dessert - I got the green tea panna cotta. Everybody has to try it. It's so good! And we had the coconut tapioca pudding. It also has shredded toasted coconut and goji berries in it. It was pretty good but kinda heavy since it had rice in it. The staff was on point. The sushi chefs were on point and super nice. They even gave us some advice and info on snowboarding and Squaw Valley. Only downside - price but you are paying for quality. Our food came out to be about $44.
(4)Hayk P.
I kept trying to give this place another try this was the last time I am going to come here the food has no taste customer service suck beyond they said couldn't do a custom roll cause they were busy I had to be sitting in the bar for that I waited 30min for my food I said I just want to pay for my drink and go because they were taking forever to bring it they still charged me for the food they didn't bring in forever so I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone ur better of with McDonald's
(1)diana l.
Just had to go back and once again we had a great experience. The sushi was very fresh and delicious. Good wine and beer selection. We arrived between lunch and happy hour but the service was still excellent at this off time. We'll be back !!
(5)Celeste D.
I was so excited to try this spot because of the high reviews. The food was soooo bland I only finished my food because of the soy sauce and wasabi. To top it off, my $13 drink which was supposed to be a Japanese style mojito tasted watered down and flavorless as well. Not worth the $40!
(1)Rod C.
My family and I love this outstanding Asian Fusion restaurant. The menu has an incredibly diverse selection that makes us want to come back again and again. There is also great selection of sake including the Nigori (cloudy) variety that is silky smooth. Presentation and service are very good too.
(5)Taryn L.
Hands down freshest fish around Truckee. Nigiri portions are very generous, not some small piece of fish on a huge clump of rice. The uni they get is the freshest I have ever tasted, if you haven't tried it before this Is the place! Their rolls are all creative and full of flavor, the chirashi sushi is delicious as well (assorted fish served over sushi rice). Not into sushi? They have something for everyone, along with gluten free and vegetarian options. The kawari edamame is one of my favorite snacks (garlic and chili tossed). Their rice bowls and noodle dishes are also delicious, and available in multiple flavors. Along with great food they do offer multiple sake options and wine. Enjoy!
(5)Tony R.
I just paid $16.50 plus tax, plus delivery, plus tip for a tiny appetizer portion of "shaking beef" with a few shreds of vegetable and no rice. I was starving, didn't want to leave the hotel and I ordered this dish, which, by the way, is priced at only $14.50 on Yelp, expecting a hearty beef laden entree with rice and an abundance of veggies. Instead I got a pauper's portion of meat, no rice and not even a napkin with the dish. I was so angry I called the Drunken Monkey to complain whereupon I was informed that this was just their "style," small dishes called tapas. Excuse me, but I thought I was ordering from a Japanese restaurant, not a Spanish tapas place. They have some nerve to charge $16.50 for a tiny appetizer portion of food that wouldn't satisfy a pigeon. When I thought about how absurd it was, I had to laugh... It was comical looking at the few tablespoons of meat I had purchased for a sum total of nearly $25. Thanks, Drunken Monkey, for giving me a good laugh. But I'm still never ordering food from you again.
(2)Alex A.
The sushi really had no taste. I the calamari was really good but i will probably never go back.
(1)Kyr L.
...yes, if you read my reviews over the past few years, it's been up and down a bit. I frequent this place now. Service is much better now. I have eaten at many a sushi restaurants in Tahoe/Truckee/south lake areas. Drunken monkey has the best quality fish in these mountains, hands down! The Calamari is delicious, and the nigiri can't be beat. Try the Sake Kama or Hamachi Kama too, great deal, and tasty! ...and they play my kind of music :)
(4)Katriona L.
This was some of the best sushi I have ever had ... and I have been to Japan... Love the atmosphere, the server was fun and the food was amazing. Worth the trip for sure... Will be back again.
(5)Brian C.
We had really good Shabu Shabu saki and nigiri. I recommend it to everyone visiting Truckee or North shore of Tahoe! Quality outstanding, portions large and staff very attentive!
(5)Cathie N.
Sushi rolls are mediocre but the sashimi was delicious and fresh. The waitress was a bit slow and forgetful but the sushi chef was attentive and helped us instead.
(3)Hungry H.
Amazing Happy Hour on weekdays from 3:00-5:00 PM beer, wine, and food specials. A friend and I sat at the sushi bar yesterday for Happy Hour and ordered one of each Happy Hour Appetizer, and wow, were we impressed! The sushi roll was superb seared ahi and dungeoness crab was fresh and delicous. I highly suggest ordering the dragon balls, tempura fried rice, crab, and shrimp balls and the monkey cups a crisp bowl filled with ahi poke well seasoned with fresh vegetables. After 6 appetizers and 2 drinks our bill came out to 39$!!! Such a great deal, if you go for happy hour remember to tip your server above 20% they are so attentive and helpful in choosing the best items and you are getting a significant discount eating at happy hour prices. Our server Katie was awesome she helped us choose the ginger brew drink, which is ginger infused sake in a Sapporo beer it was light and refreshing; great suggestion on her part. If you find yourself looking for a bite to eat or a quick drink I suggest going to Drunken Monkey, the ingredients are fresh and high quality and the atmosphere is casual and calm. The restaurant across the parking lot Fifty fifty is no competition and every time I have eaten there I have wished I had gone to Drunken Monkey!!!
(5)Tracy W.
The fact that this place has 3 1/2 stars makes me lose all faith in yelp. This is one of my favorite restaurants in tahoe. They offer tasty, fresh food with unique flavors. The restaurant has great atmosphere and the staff is awesome. A few of my favorite dishes include the famous monkey calamari, singapore street noodle, agedashi tofu, grilled beets. There are so many other dishes I can't wait to try.
(5)Linda B.
The ambiance has a cool vibe and the people are nice but the food was very mediocre and the service was very slow. We went there because their website say's that they have perfected the beef Pho. The server said that they didn't have beef but they had salmon skin/fried lotus root instead of beef. The salmon skin came on a side plate and was soggy & cold as was the lotus root. I was told to put it in the hot broth ( which was luke warm ) which only made it worse. After fishing that out with my chop sticks she came out with a side plate of sliced rare beef and said she hoped the broth was hot enough to cook it! It wasn't so I just ate the noodles etc. The bento box my husband had was served with salmon collar and chicken. I think they received a fresh salmon for sushi, hence the salmon skin / collar bone offering. We'll give it one more try because they seem be "trying" to get it right. I hope they work it out. Pork pot stickers were good. Thin skin, crispy, good flavor.
(2)Marty J.
Went in for lunch, one waitress who seemed to be trying her best to run around to the 10 or so tables she had... Drink I ordered never came so I Cancelled it, there was bones that cut the roof of my mouth in the Hamachi sashimi... Their way of making up for it on a 60 dollar order? Giving me 6 bucks off... The hipster douche chef with the YMCA biker hat was extremely rude and said since I ate the other fish(the one with no bones) that it was on me. Very rude. Very pricey. That's the last time I let a YMCA reject prepare my sushi!
(1)H D.
This is not a take-out place. Do not do it. Do not ask for it. Having eaten there I would see it as unthinkable. This is a small, intimate, ambiance filled haven off Brockway in Truckee. This is not a grab and go, it is a great place for a nice casual dinner or a date. I was nervous for the food authenticity because all the servers were white young people but that soon was no worry. The sushi chefs were Japanese men who carefully put together the rolls. The rolls were fresh, delicately prepared and delicious. The noodle dishes were superb as well. The server was attentive and polite. The other guests were couples on dates and families. The older couples frowned on a small toddler shrieking but honestly so did I. Well behaved kids only or take them outside to the pretty courtyard to get their wiggles out or eat al fresco to begin with on their patio. Their patio is nicely done. The food, the ambiance and the polite service make this a great place to go. We are so glad we went.
(5)Monica H.
I come here for lunch all the time. Today I came for dinner on a Saturday night. I was worried that I wouldn't get the same service. I was worried for no reason. Service was excellent as always
(5)Margaret B.
This probably would have been a 4 star review if it hadn't been for our server. The food was between 3-4 stars, the cold sake list is extensive and our sake was excellent. The service was rushed, at best, and I called before leaving Incline Village to make sure that we had enough time to eat without rushing, if we got there at 8:45. We arrived at 8:40 on a Tuesday night and it was very slow. I was told that the kitchen closed at 9 so we hurried to get our order in. The server was doing "ok"- not great, but ok- until she dropped the check. We still had two full rolls and another plate at the table, and we were not taking our time because it was clear that she wanted to leave. As soon as we received all of our food we got the check. The unfortunate statement that came out of her mouth was, after the 2nd time to the table, "Can you sign this now so I can go home?" My friend waited for a moment and then responded that he wasn't quite ready and when she walked away I asked him if I had just heard her correctly, because she didn't say it in a joking or kind way- it was so rude that I was sure she must have been kidding. He said, "oh, yeah, she said that". Wow. Is all I have to say. When we left, just 40 minutes after we had arrived, she made a point of yelling after us, "Have a great night!!" But the food was pretty good, and now that Yoshimi Sushi is gone from Incline Village, there aren't many other options as Tahoe City Sushi closes at 8 pm.
(3)Alli G.
Easily the best sushi in North Lake Tahoe. Always a lot of specials - we never have the same meal twice. Staff is great. Even on nights when it is packed you never feel rushed. Love that!
(5)Dan G.
This place has a real sexy vibe to it. The decor, the lighting, the bar, the plating, the staff...all point to this place being sexcellent. Sadly, it is all a shiny veneer. The small plates jolted us back into reality: the gyoza tasted like the frozen Trader Joe's variety and were plasticky, the mochicko chicken was overpowered by, and drenched in, some mayonnaise based sauce, the edamame was over seasoned, and the ramen broth was way too sweet. If we hadn't already ordered sushi we would have asked for the check. The sushi came out and it was absolutely beautiful. The hand rolls, big rolls, sashimi and nigiri all looked fantastic. The taste was mediocre at best however. If I were to return I would get a beer and some nigiri. Maybe a simple hand roll. Don't be distracted by the sexiness! Keep it simple when ordering if you go to this cheeky little monkey.
(2)Melissa M.
Living in San Francisco, I realize that I'm a food snob. I'm almost always disappointed with the food in other places and fully expected to be disappointed with a Japanese place in Truckee. However, I was actually blown away by the quality and delicious food we were served. We had the gyoza that tasted homemade, the shrimp and avocado salad that was generous and served partially warm (Yum!) and a special that day - Panko crusted scallops. It was all scrumptious! Not cheap, but what Japanese restaurant is? We will be back when we return to Tahoe.
(5)Sonya Z.
pretty good sushi, very classy ambiance, solid service... a bit expensive for the everyday though.
(4)Lenelle C.
I went here for lunch with my 13 year old son. We ordered the Sierra Sunset and Golden Tiger cut rolls. A miso soup and the chicken teriyaki appetizer. That is the stuff cravings are made of!! And Rebecca, our server, was excellent!! We will be back the next time we are in town!
(5)Paula D.
Appetizers were amazing - eggplant and garlic edamame. But I wouldn't order their soups again. (Was March 2013 - just saw I never finished the review)
(4)Jennifer U.
Really great food and ambience. We had a wide variety of dishes including the shrimp and avocado salad, aplenglow roll, the golden tiger roll, the street noodles, lunch spring roll and the bento lunch plate. All were very full of flavor and portion size was excellent. Only wish they had a few more lunch specials. Service was a little slow, but not horrible. We will definitely be back!
(4)Louis D.
Sometimes food trucks turn into "brick and mortar" restaurants (Brothers BBQ, Gourmelt created Two Chicks) and sometimes a brick and mortar restaurant will create a food truck to help promote their restaurant (Burger Me, Fatburger, and the odd case of Lincoln Lounge and their rolling sausage-mobile deal, perhaps the first "gourmet" food truck in Reno). If you've been living under a rock these days, food trucks are the craze. Of course, food trucks have been around for a while, formerly known as "roach coaches" serving sandwiches and donuts to construction sites and industrial parks. I fondly remember my first roach coach in South San Francisco and spending a ton of money on donuts, sandwiches, chips, and a soda, probably more than I'd spend at a diner. They morphed into taco trucks, and then Kogi Korean BBQ in Los Angeles was a game changer by not only serving innovative fusion foods (Korean tacos) but using social media to gather a loyal following chasing them all over LA. Both Korean food, fusion, and "gourmet" food trucks then took off. I put gourmet in quotes, because not all new wave food trucks are really gourmet, but I don't know what else to call it and I doubt "new wave food trucks" will catch on. I discovered Drunken Monkey food truck on Truckee Thursdays. Perhaps it's not entirely fitting to have a food festival on Donner Pass Road unless perhaps you have some human taco food truck which would be apropos. Would that be fusion? Ironic they called it Donner Pass, because I'm not quite sure the entire party did pass through, unless you count passing through the digestive tracts of the other party members. Truckee has to be an even odder city than Reno. I've been here three times. I know this is a superficial perusal, but it seems like an odd mish-mash of blue collar local rural folk and white collar Cali-Tahoe folk and hence the bars and restaurants are an odd mish-mash of dive and classy. Unfortunately I went to the Tourist Club and missed the wine bar only a few businesses later. The Tourist Club makes Shooter's look like Roxy. It's a sh thole with sh t-for-service and not even worth flaming on Yelp. There were a few oddball young dudes high off their asses crashing through the crowds almost running into people. I passed a tempting Indian fusion food truck with naan curry tacos. I may have to go back for that. Drunken Monkey, however, sealed the deal with their Vietnamese chicken wings with sweet and salty fish sauce and honey black bean braised ribs. While the chicken wings were not fresh and tender, the sticky, slightly pungent, fermented fish sauce made up for it all. While I'm not big fan of fermented fish sauce, it's like an acquired taste. The more you taste it, the more you'll like it. I like black bean sauce, and I like ribs, so I loved the honey black bean braised ribs, arguably better than any traditional American rib sauce. I mean how many combinations of smoky, tangy, sweet rib sauce are there? Well, this Oakland style is a bit sweeter. This Tennessee style is a bit tangier. This Texas style is a bit smokier. They're all the same thing! Put something else on ribs for crying out loud! Curry, Chimichurri, Bordelaise sauce. They also had Korean tacos which is a bit cliché by now. On their website, it appears we have a little gem of a chef in Truckee "Sam Okamoto is a 27-year food industry veteran who worked as a restaurateur, columnist, author, cooking instructor and nutrition expert. Despite classic French training he focuses mainly in healthy cuisine; and of course sushi, the art of which he learned from his father, a well-known sushi chef in Kokura, Kyushu Japan." I'll definitely have to make a trip to their restaurant, and hence, their food truck promotion actually works.
(5)Adrienne S.
We wound up at Drunken Monkey on a whim. We have our usual spots we eat when we are in Truckee, but we branched out and I'm so glad we did. If you're up for a little fancier feel dining in the rugged free spirited town of Truckee, this is the place for sure. The atmosphere is really nice, but still casual and it was packed in the middle of the week. As for the stars.... I am a sushi snob. Big time. I will only eat at one or two sushi places in our area. So either Drunken Monkey had its best night ever when I happened to be there, or they have excellent sushi. And I mean excellent. I was actually blown away. Highest recommendation goes to the calamari. Trust me, you haven't had it like this before and it was like butter on the inside. Perfect. As for the rolls, we got quite the variety and tried a lot of things, and there wasn't anything I didn't want more of. We will be returning next time we're up.
(5)Eric B.
This restaurant can't decide if it wants your take-out business or not. It's frustrating to call and be told "we aren't doing take-out right now. call back in an hour." I understand the desire to take care of your dine-in customers first. Makes sense. But I've also dined in the restaurant and found the service to be slow and forgetful. Food is great, but the service makes me pass.
(2)