Ebisu Restaurant

i like it

I honestly do not know what all the fuss is about. I last ate at this restaurant with my husband after a lengthy 1 hour wait. The service was forgettable and the food was nothing special, whatsoever.

Get it together, people! We had out-of-town guests wanting some great sushi. After finding Ebisu listed on this site as one of the top rated sushi places, I was thrilled. It's in the neighborhood! The website said it was getting remodeled, but would be completed the first week of 2009. I called the make reservations, the dialogue went as follows,
Me: "Hi, do you guys take reservations?"
Ebisu: "How many people in your party?"
Me: "Six, for 7:00 pm"
Ebisu: "OK, see you then, thank you."
After taking my name, I hung up, excited that I could get a table for Saturday night. HOWEVER, after arriving promptly at 7pm, they told us that they don't take reservations. I recounted my explanation, then the hostess told me that they only put people's names on the waiting list. To add injury to insult, she said, "I wish you told me sooner, I just gave away a table for 6 people." Inexplicably honest, and incompetent. She did apologize for the person on the phone, saying that they shouldn't have given a reservation. Excuses, excuses. I'm sure the fish is great, thus the line. But if you're counting on making plans in advance, don't count on Ebisu. By the way - the remodeling is not done yet, their website is wrong.

Pros: Wouldn't know, never got our table

Cons: Never got our table, despite a confirmed "reservation"

It sounds cliche, but Ebisu really is the best sushi in SF. I have been going to Ebisu for at least twenty years and I have never been disappointed. The wait can sometimes be long, so if I'm in a hurry, I try to get there right at 5pm for an early dinner. You have to be adventurous here - do not come to Ebisu and only eat California Rolls or Chicken Teriyaki (although I have been here with wimpy friends and the the teriyaki does look good). Everything is always absolutely fresh and the tuna sashimi melts in your mouth. If you can't do "raw" (or even if you can) go for the a Pink Cadillac, the grilled salmon or yellow tail collar, anything with unagi or soft shell crab.

Great sushi, the wait can be very long sometimes, but it is worth it. The dragon roll and 29 roll are some of the best dishes of any kind of food I have ever tasted. Edamame is always fresh and tasty, and if you're a regular, you get a little better service.

Pros: Great sushi, great food overall, fun setting.

Cons: Expensive, very busy, rushed service.

I definitely agree with the food reviews. This is great sushi. The space itself does need to be updated. I'll definitely go back though!

Pros: tasty goodness

Cons: atmosphere = meh

This is a great neighborhood place, although the line is always so long. Try to sit at the sushi bar if you can. Let the sushi chefs take you on a jouney, and sit back and relax.

I have to say that I was really impressed with this place. The sushi was not only amazing, but it was also not overpriced. I was served green tea as soon as I sat down, and was also given edamame at no charge.
The sushi itself was delicious and the fish was fresh. After I was finished, they also gave me a nicely cut orange that had to be one of the juiciest I've ever had.
The service was prompt and friendly, despite it being lunch hour.
Overall this place was awesome, and I would definitely recommend it.

Pros: Great service and food, nice location.

Cons: None that I could tell!

i went to this sushi place because of all of the great reviews. it was literally the WORST sushi i have ever had. the service was just as bad. very rude and short with us. very very over priced. do not waste your time.

Pros: nothing

Cons: everything

I went to Ebisu with several different friends and everybody enjoyed their fresh nigiri and sushi! Tuna belly is one of my favorites. It gets crowded sometimes but it worths waiting. The owner's wife CoCo is very nice and all the Chefs are great! Suzuki San is funny too. I always enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and great fish here!

Pros: Fresh Fish, Cozy seating

Cons: Gets crowded sometimes

This is the simply the best sushi in the city. The service is first class, the fish is outstanding, and the menu has something for everyone. If you are not a huge fan of rolls with sauce all over them then this place has what you need.

The prices are great, the sake is great, the casual atmosphere is great. There is nothing better, don't even bother trying to find something better.

Pros: Its the best, enough said.

Cons: parking can be tough. Its crowded but thats for a reason. Not open on Sunday.

We listened to the strong recommendations this restaurant trumpets---and were very sorry. A few dishes were good--the live shrimp sushi with a tempura-fried head was excellent. The premium toro ($8.50) was a thin "shaving" of fish that had none of the fatty richness or mouth-feel of toro. No one could explain what sort of tuna or cut it was--just that it was "premium." A simple tuna roll was a disgrace. First, ginger bits were strewn all over the plate (sloppy, over-rushed sushi chef). The pieces of the roll were uneven, lopsided, and not properly rolled, since they were coming unrolled on the plate. An aesthetic disaster--and aesthetics are about 40% of the sushi experience. We sent the roll back--it was re-rolled--and came back "re=rolled" in the same dirty plate. A salmon-skin roll was nearly a dangerous experience: I bit into a fin that had not been trimmed from the fish skin. This sloppy preparation is the sign of a poorly trained and extremely cavalier staff that's encouraged to rush and doesn't do the job properly. Moreover, one wonders what short-cuts are being taken with the product. Final verdict: amateurish sushi house that has been able to forge a reputation by passing off inferior food on unknowing clientele that is seduced by the low-key, friendly "fun" of the sushi chefs who are entertainers rather than true sushi masters (average age appeared to be 25-29)

For the adventurous sushi eaters (and I am not talking about the saki bombers) Ebisu is the place for you. They have the regular sushi menu as well as a special menu, which consists of so many different items not found elsewhere. To name a few, live uni (YES its still moving), Kobe beef sushi, live scallops, and sardines. When my wife and I go, we usually order the special items, since they are so yummy and hard to find, but their hamachi and tuna are also very good and fresh, just not moving.
After going there for over 2 years, I have to say that the service and attention to sushi details has suffered. This is probably due to the large number of sushi eaters coming here. If you go on a busy night, you may feel like you are being rushed out the door to make room for the next patron or you'll be waiting between your orders since there are so many orders to fill, but if you manage to go on a light night the sushi is neat and oh so tasty.
I highly recommend Ebisu if there's not a lot of people, but if there is I would say its average. Parking is easy in Golden Gate Park.

The food was okay at best...

and the service was the worst I have had in the city. Plus the price was three times what it would have been anywhere else.

Pros: miso soup, fast seating

Cons: Service, sushi, service

I have been coming to Ebisu since it opened (1986?). The sushi and other fresh fish
are superb. Sit at the bar for a most entertaining experience. Ambience is a little stale.
Could use a remodel. Other than that everything is great, especially the service and of course
the sushi chefs!

Pros: Fresh fish, great sushi chefs

Cons: ambience is a bit "tired"

This place simply had the very best Sushi I have *ever* had. Everything was just so delicious it was amazing. Everything we had was so full of freshness and flavor that your mouth will think it's died and gone to sushi heaven. The rolls were good, but the Nigiri is really where it's at. We didn't order anything from the kitchen, so can't really comment there.

Expect to wait a while for a seat on busy nights as they don't take reservations and to fork over some cash - this place is definitely not cheap, but it's worth every penny AND the wait. :-)

Pros: Simply the best sushi ever

Cons: Long wait for a table, parking can be hard, and rather pricey

My boyfriend and I went here because it seemed like we always heard how fabulous it was.
We left $50 poorer after a meal of tepid miso soup, vinegar-y salad, very average spicy tuna, rubbery and fishy smelling seafood tempura, and fatty, over cooked chicken teriyaki- even the rice was crunchy like it had been sitting out too long. Furthermore, seating is extremely crowded, the waiters had to be flagged down for any kind of service which usually consisted of hurrying us through our meal- it is a mystery to me why this place is so popular. I have heard that the sushi is the only thing to go to this restuarant for, however, a few days after we ate here a friend told me she had gone to Ebisu solely to have sushi and had essentially the same experience I had and was extremely unimpressed and bitter about the money she had paid for sushi that was obviously not made with fresh ingredients. The only difference I could find between Ebisu and the most average of Japanese restuarants is that the sushi comes with an orchid on the plate- pretty but not edible.

I am Japanese and think this restaurant is way over rated. The sushi is bellow average and the whole restaurant stink like vinegar. Bad sign for a sushi bar!

went to Ebisu on 6/22/06... service was shotty and food average. we had a new server who didn't know what Albacore was. the rolls were ok... had way too much rice on them. sushi was ok as well. what i'm saying is i think this place is way OVER-rated. the worst of all was when people (who may have been locals) shook hands with the sushi chefs!!! that's digusting! those hands should not be touching anything but the fish and rice! i feel like i know my sushi... and i've been to many a sushi restaurant in the city, and i would never go back to Ebisu. with so many good restaurants in the city, i don't want to waste any more meals by going back here. My advice: go elsewhere.

Pros: neighborhood

Cons: service, food, parking

This place has great fresh nigiri specials. The fish is fresh and tasty. Last time I tried the kobe beef nigiri and it was excellent. If you sit at the bar the sushi chef will let you know what is freshest. The rolls aren't anything special and I can't speak for the entrees or appetizers since I've never tried them. Service is pretty good. It gets crowded so it's best to go during off-peak hours.

The entrees had a subpar quality and were too pricey. The sashimi and the sushi was not very fresh, a cardinal sin if you specialize in Japanese cuisine. The tuna sashimi looked like it had been left out because it looked really pale and tasted very gamey. I don't mind paying high prices for good food but this was just a horrible experience. The staff though was very accomodating despite the throngs of people lining up to get a table. But there are other way way better Japanese restaurants out there with cheaper prices.

Ebisu is a great little sushi place in the inner sunset. They have quieter back area where guests take off their shoes and eat at traditional low tables while sitting on cushions. I really enjoyed the experience and the sushi, though guests do pay more for the high quality meal.

Pros: great ambiance, wonderful sushi, varied selections

Cons: high cost

We went last night and were so happy. The fish is so fresh and clean tasting. We ate too much. We drank too much. Service was perfectly timed and very friendly, always important to us - Why sit at the bar if the chefs don't interact with you? These guys were perfect! Thanks for a sushi good time.

I can see why Ebisu was rated #1. I've been there a couple times now. The place is always packed, but the wait isn't very long. Service can be a little slow because it's busy, but it's always friendly. My favorite is the salmon sashimi and unfiltered sake!

Pros: fresh, friendly

Cons: parking

We went early, and sat at the sushi bar, so we beat the crowds. The sushi was excellent, with the right amount of rice. Excellent toro and aji - aji so good I wanted a second order. Spicy tuna roll is just spicy enough. Sushi chefs were excellent - very busy, but willing to chat. We'll go back each time we visit the city.

Pros: sushi, chefs

Cons: busy

We've been comming here for years..the food is excellent, A+, everything from imaginative rolls to sashimi; they do get Very crowded and there're no reservations, so come early, around 5:30 for a good spot at the sushi bar..talk to the chef, and enjoy! Yes, this place is a bit pricey, and you can easily leave $45-70 for a dinner for two (with drinks), but it's WORTH it!

Pros: Sushi

Cons: Parking

The service was excellent, but then again, my sig. other's mom is personal friends with the owner...so we got the works. The sushi is average - I've had better. If I had paid for the sushi, I'd be pissed because for what you get, it's over-priced. Skip Ebisu.

Pros: service, fast service, variety

Cons: average sushi, pricey

Slices of fish were cut so thin that you could almost see through them! The quality was generally OK but not great - ikura appeared old because the eggs were shrivelled. Ebisu's non-sushi items are generally not very good. Ebisu used to serve good sushi, but now it is below average (but still pricey) that I will not go there any more.

Cons: Difficult parking, Thin slices of fish, Pricey

O mi God ! I love the nigiri sushi. They're all fresh and hand made perfected by the cool and friendly sushi chef Suzuki san. The Hamachi, Toro, and Aji were among the best nigiri sushi i've ever had. Uh! the Roll #29 rocks! You better sit on the sushi bar, I bet u'll get the special treatment from Suzuki san.
The service was fast, the waitress were cheerful, the glass was never empty even for a minute. coz they're always filling it right away. Worth every bucks

Pros: nigiri sushi, rolls

Cons: crowded

I found ebisu to be far less of a great sushi restaurant and far more of a SF scene. It's totally corwded, the staff is way too busy to give you attention and it's loud as ever. True, the food was good, but the prices are out of control. I think this place is resting on it's "#1 sushi" status a bit too much and diners are falling for it. I'd say check out some of the others before rushing here.

Pros: Fresh fish

Cons: Cramped seating, Wait time, Unattentive waiters

I haven't eaten at the restaurant because the wait has always been long. But when I need my fix of sushi and rolls, I call in an order for pickup. I've tried many other places in the city and NONE compare to how fresh and delicious the food here is. I can't speak about dining experience IN the restaurant but if you want DELICIOUS, FRESH, and UNIQUE kinds of sushi for takout without the long wait, go here! I highly recommend the 49er Roll, Hannukah Roll, and Bonsai Roll.

Pros: Unique rolls, Fresh Ingredients, Takout

Cons: LOOOOOOOOONG WAIT, crowded

I lived about 4 blocks from this place for 5 years. Naturally in the course of those years I was dragged to this place multiple times. Every time it was the same: I had to wait a long time, the sushi was small and thrown together, the rolls were poorly formed and chewy, the waitstaff were rude and impatient, the decor was dull at best, the prices were high. Once, I had to return my saba (a good test of sushi freshness if there ever was just one) for being SO fishy (usually a sign its been sitting out a while). A waiter spilled a glass of water on my shoulder and barely glanced at me as he hurried off.
There are a dozen (no kidding) good sushi restaurants around. Try Kiki next door. It's better and significantly cheaper.

Pros: decent sushi

Cons: poor service, long wait, high prices

This is one of my favorite two places in San Francisco. Sushi is always fresh and entrees aren't bad either. I prefer sitting at the bar and chatting it up with the chefs - they treat you well. The wait is usually really, really bad - so try to go during off hours.

Sushi was average. Fish freshness ok but slices are thin. Environment was...let's say, it's more of an eat-and-get-out environment. There are many more better sushi places in the city, so I don't think I'd go back to this. Overall not a bad place but extremely overrated.