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Name: Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar
Address: 619 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA, 94102
Telephone: (415) 775-1028
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.64

Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar

619 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA, 94102

(415) 775-1028
Store is closed

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Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar Menu

Starters

Hiyayako

Natto

Edamame

Ohitashi

Wakame-su

Hiyashi Wakame

Moro-q

Yakitori

Fried Cheese

Agedashi Tofu

Gyoza

Chicken Teriyaki

Beef Teriyaki

Chicken Karaage

Saba Shioyaki

Tempura

Iidako

Shrimp Garlic

Tonkatsu

Tako Wakame-su

Tuna Natto

Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab

Ika Maruyaki

Tuna Yukke

Beef Oroshi

Deep Fried Oyster
Soups & Rice

Miso Soup

Kai Miso Soup

Ochazuke

Steamed Rice

Yaki Onigiri

Onigiri
Salads

House Salad

Wakame Salad

Tofu Salad

Tomato Salad

Ryokos Salad
Sushi Plates

Unagi Plate

Sashimi Dinner

Tekka Plate

Nigiri Sushi Dinner

Chirashi
Sushi & Sashimi

Tamago

Inari

Saba

Ika

Ebi

Shiromaguro

Tobiko

Mebachimaguro

Honmaguro

Hirame

Ikura

Uni

Mirugai

Toro

Tako

Sake

Unagi

Hotate

Hamachi

Amaebi

Kihadamaguro
Sushi Rolls

Kappa

Kanpyo

Umeshiso

Humboldt

Pier 39

Asten

Alacatraz

Sabagari

Alaskan As

Philadelphia

Hamachi Roll

Big Mama

Shiitake

Oshinko

Natto Roll

Vegetable Melody

California Roll

Salmon Skin

Unakyu

Spicy Scallop

Shrimp Symphony

Spicy Golden Gate

Tekka

Negihama

Hot Tuna

Futomaki

Jumping Tuna

Jumping Veggie

Tiger

Kentucky

Pokemon

Caterpillar

Orange Delight

Sexy

Hot Tail

Tahoe

Jumping Unagi

Jumping California

Sakepper

Crunchy Crab

Dragon

Volcano

49ers

Checkerboard

Rainbow

Healthy Meal suggestions for Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar

Starters

Hiyayako [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Natto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Edamame [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ohitashi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Wakame-su [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hiyashi Wakame [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Moro-q [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Yakitori [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fried Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Agedashi Tofu [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Gyoza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Teriyaki [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beef Teriyaki [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Karaage [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Saba Shioyaki [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tempura [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Iidako [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Garlic [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tonkatsu [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tako Wakame-su [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tuna Natto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ika Maruyaki [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tuna Yukke [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beef Oroshi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Deep Fried Oyster [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Soups & Rice

Miso Soup [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kai Miso Soup [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ochazuke [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Steamed Rice [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Yaki Onigiri [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Onigiri [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Salads

House Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Wakame Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tofu Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tomato Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ryokos Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sushi Plates

Unagi Plate [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sashimi Dinner [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tekka Plate [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Nigiri Sushi Dinner [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chirashi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sushi & Sashimi

Tamago [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Inari [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Saba [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ika [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ebi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shiromaguro [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tobiko [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mebachimaguro [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Honmaguro [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hirame [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ikura [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Uni [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mirugai [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Toro [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tako [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Unagi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hotate [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hamachi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Amaebi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kihadamaguro [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sushi Rolls

Kappa [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kanpyo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Umeshiso [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Humboldt [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pier 39 [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Asten [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Alacatraz [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sabagari [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Alaskan As [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Philadelphia [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hamachi Roll [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Big Mama [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shiitake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Oshinko [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Natto Roll [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Vegetable Melody [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

California Roll [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Salmon Skin [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Unakyu [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spicy Scallop [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Symphony [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spicy Golden Gate [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tekka [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Negihama [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hot Tuna [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Futomaki [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jumping Tuna [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jumping Veggie [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tiger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kentucky [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pokemon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Caterpillar [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Orange Delight [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sexy [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hot Tail [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tahoe [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jumping Unagi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jumping California [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sakepper [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crunchy Crab [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Dragon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Volcano [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

49ers [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Checkerboard [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rainbow [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

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Write An Anonymous Review

Michelle A.

The food here is good but the service last night was the worst thing that ever happened to me. They are severely understaffed and getting your server's attention is like trying to get a celebrity autograph at the Oscars...not happening. Everyone raves about the sushi here and quite frankly it's not worth the wait. On Friday/Saturday nights you can expect to wait for an hour or more. Was not pleased with the experience. Boo.
(3)
Eric H.

Ryoko's is delicious. Really delicious, however it loses a lot of points based on their service and their outrageous prices. I came one day on Saturday at 12:45 am to miss the dinner crowd. It still took 15 minutes to get seated (plenty of bar + table seats open). Then it took another 30 minutes to get my sushi when the place was pretty empty. I also came in with a friend around 8pm once. After we got seated, it took about 35-45 minutes once we ordered to get sushi. Unfortunately we got more hungry from waiting so long, that we ordered additional sushi. That took another 35-45 minutes to get.
(3)
Cam V.

Grat atmosphere and very attentive staff. The fish offerings are great, but the rolls I tried were a little too involved and random ingredients masked the fish. Great spot for late night sushi though. Maybe next time I'll stick to the nigiri
(3)
Sorrel G.

Fresh tasty sushi, creative combos of ingredients, fair prices and decent services. Except for the 10-15min wait, we enjoyed our dining experience here. Worth the wait!
(4)
Sui N.

Fresh sushi and very good toro! The place is always packed when I'm there (around dinner time)
(4)
Cristina D.

Awesome late night spot in the city. Went last night after a long day of work and it was just what I needed. Awesome rolls, good background music, and surprising good service. I got the Checkerboard roll and the Pokemon roll and they were both delicious!
(4)
Cyndie L.

Loved this place. We missed our reservation by a lil, and they were able to squeeze us in for the next open spot. The vibe was great and service was good even though the place was waaaayy crowded. They even have a DJ spinning. Sat at the bar, can't remember what we ordered but it all tastes great. I do remember the salmon sushi to be just fatty enough. Nothing was over complicated and we were very happy with food and service.
(4)
Elly C.

So, I come here quite often. On average, at least once a week. Tonight I had a very special experience of watching other people walk in, get seated immediately while the rest of us still waiting. When I spoke up to question the hostess, I feel like she gave me a weak excuse how the people that were seated immediately were here before but they stepped out and missed their call. In my experience, if you leave, you forfeit your place in line, and if you come back, you start from the end of the line again. I'm almost certain these people weren't here before. I love coming here, the food is always so consistently great. Is it really frustrating to be so hungry, come here to wait for great food, then have someone just walk in, and cut right in front of you. No mistake admitted, no apology given, and no wrong righted.
(3)
Jenny M.

Great place, underground and they play good music. The service is great, and for appetizers, 2 rolls and dessert we paid a pretty cheap bill for great quality, would definitely bring more friends to this place
(5)
Michael C.

Most of us have tried hot or cold sake Ryoko's also has ShÅchÅ« a Japanese distilled beverage like vodka made from either rice, potato or barley which is best savored straight up or on the rocks. For starters I recommend the deep fried oysters and deep fried soft shell crab served with soy vinaigrette. I sat at the left side of the bar so I could look at the white board for today specials. I worked my way through the sashimi list of fresh fish. I tried the Halibut, Big eye red tuna, Mackerel, Yellowtail, Smoked Salmon and Uni. If you sit at the sushi bar Ryoko's sushi chefs create all the sushi rolls and hand them to your waiter at the bar. So there is not much interaction between the customers and the sushi chefs. But I did not mind because the food was coming out at a nice steady pace. Sushi rolls recommendations. Alacatraz Tahoe Spicy Golden Gate Hot Tuna Hot Tail Pokemon Orange Delight 49er's Caterpillar Dragon NOTE: For all you drunk ass bitches eating sushi and you know who you are!! You must be really high to try these crazy ass sushi rolls with chicken, peanut butter for god sake and cheese!! What is wrong with you people LOL Kentucky Roll Deep fried chicken, green leaf lettuce, and tonkatsu sauce Volcano Roll Deep fried shrimp, and jalapeno, with peanut butter, cucumber, and flying fish roe on top Sexy Roll Crab and avocado with salmon and cheese on top (baked)
(5)
Stephanie C.

To be honest, I am actually surprised to see how many reviews this place got. I expected the roles to be very delicious and filling, but I definitely left feeling unsatisfied. The fish did taste fresh, however, they were really small. I was really disappointed by the Sexy roll because of how small it is, and it literally had a slice of American cheese just placed on top and not really melted at all. Their jumping unagi tasted like an egg roll to me, especially with the sweet and sour dipping sauce that was paired with it. I think the dragon roll was the best out of the ones I've tried, but it is definitely not the best roll in SF unfortunately. I do like the service that was provided. The waiters are very attentive, making sure our water is constantly refilled and coming by to pick up our plates frequently. Not sure if this is a place that I would wait a long time for in the future however.
(3)
Meagan T.

Such a busy little restaurant! The long wait time was totally worth it. The sushi absolutely fresh and tasted amazing. We took the recommendation of our server and got the 49er roll... greatest.decision.ever! One of the best rolls I have ever eaten... so definitely a winner!
(5)
Kimberly H.

The atmosphere is adorable and quaint, with small tables cramped up against each other. The sushi is okay, and the servers are extremely friendly. The place has declined in quality, maybe in part due to the departure of their chef who went to go open his own place in Sunset (so goes the rumor). It's still popular, and the wait can be quite long.
(3)
Anni T.

The food was really good, totally enjoyed it. During the weekend the service was a bit slow but you cannot blame the waiters, they were working like crazy. It was a little quieter during the week.
(4)
Stephanie M.

This sushi place was okay. We waited very long to get seated, I mean about an hour and a half. There is not a waiting area, you wait at the stairs while people are entering and exiting. We decided to wait because of the rave reviews. Once we were seated we ordered the edamame and miso soup. Nothing special. We then ordered a roll with mango, that roll was good. We ordered a few fried rolls and they were all tasty but nothing too amazing. I really love sushi, so my expectation is pretty high when it comes to rolls, I feel like this place is over priced. It's great that it's open late. I wouldn't recommend it for big groups as it was only 3 of is and the waiting took forever. They do have a "specials" menu which has some yummy items you can select that's fresh.
(3)
Scott H.

Absolutely delicious, FUN, great. I seek this place out when I'm in town. I love when they greet you in Japanese as you walk down the stairs. Everything on the menu melts in your mouth, and the lychee martinis are strong and tasty. Love the environment, the friendly atmosphere if you sit at the bar, and everything else about Ryoko.
(5)
Anna A.

I tried this place around 7-7:30, as a party of two on a Thursday. The wait wasn't too bad, it was just about 10-15 minutes for us. This is a lively place, had a DJ there which I didn't pay too much attention to, because the place was already very lively from the chatter of the restaurant patrons. Seating is a little cramped but we didn't mind it, because the sashimi was so good. We had the sashimi dinner which had 14 generous pieces with a side of rice for $39.95 and two other rolls, which we enjoyed. The highlight of my dinner was the Saba sashimi. I am a lover of Saba, and this is the best Saba I've ever tasted. It was creamy and the salinity was perfect; it melted in my mouth. I love that this place give finely chopped scallions and diced almost to a pulp pickled radishes. The wasabi was particularly spicy! Much better quality than any other place I've been to. The salmon was also very creamy, and went down like a dream~ I didn't have to dip my sashimi in soy sauce like I normally do. It was perfect just the way it was cut and served to us. I enjoyed putting some garish on my sashimi that was provided. But I didn't need to, because sashimi just stood out all on its own. Love this place. Definitely quality!
(5)
Clara L.

Please is crowded. The environments are pretty loud. The food is really good but on the pricy side. The Uni and Salmon are to die for it is really really fresh! The raw scallop roll is very good also!
(4)
Cynthia F.

Uni is so good.
(5)
Andrew K.

When we first arrived to Ryoko's we saw that was crowded out the door. I took this as a good sign, especially for a place serving raw fish. The hostess was nice and very accommodating for our large group. She had a large private seating area ready for us when we were called. The ambiance is that of an authentic japanese sushi bar+restaurant. As for the dining experience I was left underwhelmed. The waitress taking our order was pressured on time and hesitant to answer questions about the food. Service was slow even for a Friday night. The sashimi combo and chirashi combo were both smaller than expected. Of the two, I'd recommend getting the chirashi for the sushi rice. The ochazuke (soup+rice) dish was hearty and filling. The quality of the food was about on par with most mid to low-tier sushi restaurants. Unfortunately, nothing really stood out here. Pros: Fresh fish, location, back rooms excellent for large groups Cons: Crowded, relatively small portions, service.
(3)
Kristina T.

The sushi is worth the long wait. Very fresh, and have a special menu of fish flown in from Japan. A must go if your in San Fran, volcano roll with peanut butter was my favorite !
(4)
Shay T.

My favorite place to go out to eat. The sushi is delicious and the green tea is AMAZING- just the tea totally justifies a trip here. Plus, open late... Perfect!
(5)
Sara K.

Doesn't worth the time and money. The quality is ok, the variety is low, and the service isn't that good. The only positive thing about this place is you can get late night sushi! In general I don't recommend this place.
(1)
Bonnie Z.

I was in need of a little food and drink splurge after a long week at work and came across this little sushi spot. A girlfriend and I stopped here for dinner on a Thursday night and it was the perfect pick-me-up! My favorite dishes: + TAKOYAKI: one of my favorite dishes of the night. It was basically eight large takoyaki balls and they did not skimp on the octopus. The overflowing pile of bonito flakes on top made this a very aesthetically pleasing dish too. + ANKIMO (monkfish liver): mmmm...this is a truly decadent Japanese dish that is different from your typical sashimi, rolls, udon, etc. The scallions and ponzu sauce paired well together with the richness of this dish. My second favorite of the night! Honestly I would come back again just for the two dishes above. We also tried a few rolls and the toro (fatty tuna), but they were a bit more on the lackluster side. I would recommend coming here for either the chirashi bowls (if you feel like really splurging) or for a quick bite of the takoyaki and ankimo. Things to note: - Come here early!! This place definitely already had a line at 6pm when we first arrived. However, you will be seated earlier if you choose to sit at a bar instead of a table.
(3)
Lindsay N.

A friend recently suggested this place and it is, quite possibly, the best sushi I've ever had. Don't be discouraged by the long wait time or sometimes chaotic facade, this place is a hidden gem.
(5)
Christina H.

Damp, dingey, almost cramped seating. The specialty rolls weren't that special in appearance or taste for its price. Ordered the Sexy, Pokemon, Checkerboard, Negihama and one of their daily special items. The place was packed though. Waited close to an hour for a table for 2 on a Wednesday.
(2)
Santoki A.

The saba nigiri was so tasty!! I also enjoyed the volcano roll. The atmosphere was fun and it stays open really late!
(4)
Stuart R.

The atmosphere isn't much to speak of but dinner was great. We spanned the gamut from nigiri to rolls to sashimi. Service was very nice. A little slow but worth the wait. If it was a little cleaner I'd give it five stars.
(4)
Heejin L.

It's not bad except the fact that they were out of almost everything when I came here late night. It's not amazing, but decent. You get what you pay for.
(3)
Monica T.

This time I tried non-sushi options. My boyfriend and I really loved the gyozas the first time we tried Ryoko's so this time we ordered 3 orders of gyoza. It was wonderful! We also tried: Tofu salad It was okay. It was very small, but the sesame vinaigrette dressing was pretty good. I would skip this. Chicken karaage (Japanese fried chicken) - $8.50 The chicken was soooo soft! It's probably the best fried chicken I've ever had (and I don't really like fried chicken..) It was pretty delicious with a lemon wedge. Chicken yakitori (chicken skewers) - $5 This was okay. It tasted pretty much like chicken teriyaki. Each order comes with 2 small skewers of chicken and scallions. Tip: try the gyoza!!!!!!! : D
(4)
Angelica C.

I don't know how this place has 4 stars. 3 star is generous enough! The sushi is fresh, but it's hard to enjoy when you have UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ music blaring. Don't even think about having a conversation with your friends, it's not going to happen. That aside, the food is great.
(3)
Bob D.

Wow! At a conference this week and had a taste for Sushi. Happened upon this place and at first glance was a bit concerned but once inside the place was packed with a 40 min wait. sunday evening at 8:30 so the place had to be good. Had a couple of rolls one with peanut butter and jalapeno's with some Fatty Tuna on top...Outstanding. All around great vibe and fantastic sushi.
(5)
Raquel T.

3.5 we put our name down and walked around for a bit.. since they called our party while we were still out they gave us the back room just for us 3! ordered: -garlic shrimp -edamame -gyoza -chicken teriyaki: standard -deep fried soft shell crab: yum -grilled mackerel: so good -specials: barracuda; and some other fish with deep fried shallots.. love! -fried shrimp heads: mm head sushi/sashimi: -toro: 2 types -salmon -mackerel -halibut -eel -scallop -uni -yellowtail -albacore -sweet shrimp there was prob 1-3 other things i forgot we had everything was good and i'd come back if i was in the area notes: -lines are always long
(3)
Aditi C.

Ryoko's probably doesn't need another review, but we got here thanks to Yelp (and the really helpful guy at Flax - the art store), so it's only fair we give back. Sign up on the clip board and get on the waiting list as soon as you enter. The fish was f.a.n.t.a.s.t.i.c! We had the chef's selection sashimi plate, which comes with spicy roe, tako something (octopus and seaweed with a tangy vinaigrette) and beef oroshi. Everything was fresh and had just the right amount of 'sea' in it. The line's long, but the food's completely worth the wait.
(4)
Helen J.

Wait was long (although very worth it) and the hostess and staff were friendly. The fish (sushi) was extremely fresh and not made with too much rice like a lot of other sushi places. The fried chicken was surprisingly tasty that we had to order 2 orders. I ordered beef teriyaki well done and it was cooked perfectly well done yet still juicy which is not easy to do (was very impressed).
(5)
Marcela P.

Great quality and great service for such a CRAZY BUSY PLACE ! all the servers were great and super fast. The sushi was exceptional. My first time here and I'll definitely come back when I'm back in the city
(5)
Rufeng C.

I am kind of confused why this place is so so popular. The price is more than $$. I had the sushi rolls called Pokemon but had no idea why it's called so. Kind of disappointing because it's listed as only $$ but not true!
(2)
Nelson W.

An excellent underground spot that resembles a Japanese jazz bar slightly hidden off Post and Taylor. Fun vibe and great music that adds a lot of noise but good energy to the dining experience. Excellent, fresh sashimi, especially the sake which is prepared slightly seared on top. The whole grilled squid is a personal favorite at Japanese restaurants that serve it back in NY. A fun, upbeat spot that is open late and not overpriced is definitely an attractive option for the younger crowds.
(4)
Elizabeth J.

Some of the best sushi I've had in awhile. The wait can be long, and they don't take reservations, but you can always get a round of drinks while you wait. Try the fried cheese for an appetizer - Jack cheese wrapped in wonton and deep fried, and comes with delicious Japanese mayo sauce with a twist. It's also great to dip the sushi in! The chicken teriyaki was great - chicken was moist and tender. Ryoko's has really tasty, fresh nigiri. If they have it, I always get the tuna belly over rice. For sushi, I recommend any jumping roll, and any roll that is fish over California roll (49ers, checkerboard, etc). The crab in the California roll is very creamy, and occasionally they let you substitute real crab if they have it. The sexy roll keeps me coming back!
(5)
Kaya K.

We went there on a Wednesday night around 9:30. Their food is NOT worth the hour long waiting. Sauraka down the street serve equally good sushi.
(3)
Hana S.

Got here right when it opened and it was already half filled. By the time our food arrived there was a long line, and when we left the restaurant the wait was ~40 minutes. I came here with higher expectations, being that I saw many authentic Japanese dishes and rolls on the menu before I ordered and also because of the good yelp rating. The chicken karaage was pretty good but it was a small serving of five pieces or so nestled next to lots of cabbage. I also enjoyed the kanpyo maki (gourd) as I can never find this in American sushi restaurants! But this too was a small portion: a thin roll with four long pieces, I don't get why they couldn't cut it like the other rolls. I got a hamachi tori nigiri that was on the daily specials board, since I figured that would be SPECIAL...like it said. But instead it was bland/thin and the rice fell apart with one touch. It also came with SUUPER thin lemon slices on top, wtf?!? The spicy golden gate roll (spicy salmon, shiso, cucumber & roe) wasn't rolled tightly enough so it also fell apart but it did taste good. The final roll I ordered was the Alcatraz (eel and avocado with sauce on top), pretty basic and gaijin oriented lolol. But both of these came with 4-6 pieces, if I remember correctly, Disappointing experience, I will not be back here. Maybe if you need a really late sushi bite you should come here, hopefully you won't have to wait long...
(2)
Heidi L.

Super crowded and a LOOOOONNG waiting line, since this is the only place opened til late hours. The ambience was okay, crowded. The food was okay, but not the best. I had upset stomach the next morning, maybe its because of Ryoko's.....but its not a bad place to go for late night sushi!
(3)
Nicole V.

We went at 10pm on a Tuesday with an hour wait. It was well worth it! It's downstairs, hole in the wall kind of place, with a lot of mirrors, and can be confusing after a few of their delicious Mai Tais. We ordered all of their available sashimi specials, (you knew they were fresh because when they were out they were out- a good sign of quality) and at the end asked for two more rolls and said, "just surprise us and make something special." They brought out 2 special rolls one was lemon and asparagus based and the other was smoked salmon, raw salmon, and crispy salmon skin. The staff were all friendly and attentive. We were in the back room, on a busy night and didn't have a problem with great service. Highly recommend!
(5)
Michael S.

The sushi itself is pretty decent, wasn't overly impressed compared to what all the five star reviews were calling out. I would say it is on par for the price they are charging. $15 for a pitcher of Asahi was the best bargain for the evening by far. The interior is pretty unique for SF. Very dim, underground with lounge music playing in the background. Had more of NY feeling than anything else. Lots of couples there on dates dressed like they were going out afterwards, which is a nice change from the typical dressed-down attire of most every other place in the city. The waiting list is a royal pain tho. Having to get there and wait for 45 minutes before you want to eat is annoying enough, but then after seeing people that showed up after us being seated already we went to check. They told us they had called our party twice already, even tho we had been waiting in the restaurant next to the hostess. The food was good, but not something I'd want to wait through their seating process again for.
(3)
M H.

Just fantastic. Be prepared to wait for over an hour..don't be a jerk about it. You'll be waiting on a tiny staircase and getting to the bar isn't totally easy, but this food is WORTH IT. Peruse the specials, order sake, tip well!
(5)
Drew K.

Great suggestion from our concierge for late night sushi. We had flown in late and were starving. I was really holding out for sushi at least once while in San Francisco and the hotel pointed us down the hill to Ryoko's. The entrance is a step down into a dimly lit narrow room. There is a good amount of seating at the bar on the left and then maybe 8 or so tables on the right. It felt like an izakaya, or essentially a japanese gastropub. We sidled up to the bar and got to ordering. We tried an assortment of sushi, rolls, and tempura dishes. Everything was very very good. We were both impressed by the freshness of the fish. Furthermore, behind the sushi bar on the wall was a white board of specials flown in same day from Japan. Sushi chefs were very interactive and friendly. They spent time showing us a few special fish and crabs they received from japan that day, including a hulking sea monster crab that I didn't recognize. For those reviewing this place as a "sushi restaurant" where you're expecting a certain well lit aesthetic and presentation, I think you'll be disappointed. If you want to eat somewhere that is more reminiscent to a late night drinks and eats place in Japan, you'll be right on target.
(4)
Annie V.

RYOKO sushi was delish. It definitely has that local feel. Great honest service and great quality sashimi. I recommend everyone try the Pokemon, the flying California and the one that has peanut butter. The peanut butter sounds weird but it's a perfect touch. I wish they took reservations. However, the wait isn't too bad if you come early but they are also open late. Great sushi spot.
(5)
Peter S.

Hot Tuna, jumping Tuna and the Tahoe roll also ordered hot green tea.
(4)
Blake B.

Awesome atmosphere. Even better food. Make sure you write your name on the chalk board. Love it!
(5)
Debbie P.

So I read all the reviews and this place sounded great so while I was in the city I made sure to go. It was a Friday night we put our name on the clipboard at the bottom of the stairs- make sure you do this- and waited. The hostess will ask if you want a drink while you wait randomly throughout the evening but you're going to be waiting for a bit. We waited an hour to be seated another 15 to get water and then about 25 minutes after ordering to get our food. Yes the fish was fresh and yes the sushi rolls I ordered were good but nothing that blew my socks off. The sashami was excellent but more costly than I have paid at most places and the rolls were cheap- about 5 or 6 pieces each but was it worth the wait- hell no. Not sure what the fascination with this place is- maybe everything else in the area sucks when it comes to sushi but I wouldn't bother.
(2)
Noah W.

Very overpriced for "alright" sushi. Stay away from ordering sashimi dinner, where they choose 14 pieces for you. The chef will choose the cheapest kind of fish. You can tell what kind of place this is by the selection of sashimi they serve you. Not worth paying 100 dollars. Better to just choose the fish yourself for 7 dollars per 2 pieces.
(1)
Christina G.

I would give this place 3.5 stars, but have to round down to 3. Came here on a crowded Friday night and had a good time. It was a happy, slightly dim atmosphere with bar seating and tables. My friend and I ordered: salmon white tuna toro pokemon avocado unakyu Alaskan Overall, the sushi was alright and reasonably priced but didn't blow us away. The wasabi was a bit overpowering in the salmon and white tuna, and the Alaskan roll was way too salty. The Pokemon roll seemed like the roll to get. The soy paper and mango combination was interesting. Another thing I noticed were that the rolls were very unevenly cut. Nonetheless, if I'm downtown and craving sushi, I will be coming back here.
(3)
Christina L.

0meeeps. i havent been to ryoko's in forever, so decided to stop by last night and fulfill my sushi craving! there is usually a line out there door on friday and saturday nights, and it's a really divey for a japanese restaurant! wait for two on a wednesday evening at 7 30 was 10 minutes for a table, not bad. we ordered - 2 pitchers of sapporo (such a deal at $15 a pop), 4 rolls - including the orange blossom, lots of eel and salmon stuff. in hindsight we should've just ordered nigiri because the rolls were really disappointing and had poor execution - i mean they werent even cut evenly! i wont be returning in the near future...
(2)
Yanni L.

If you're starving and just happen to be in the area, this isn't the place for you. The wait time is super long and you will be forced to wait awkwardly on a flight of stairs, trying not to make eye contact with all the food that is passing by. The environment is fun and laid back so it's not a bad place to have a casual dinner with friends. In terms of food though, I don't think there's anything particularly memorable, authentic, or amazing. TL;DR-Good if you just want to grab sushi with friends. Bad if you are starving upon arrival, be prepared to wait. Keep looking if you are searching for sushi that rivals your study abroad trip to Japan.
(3)
Annie K.

Quality late night Japanese food? YES PLEASE. Their extensive menu lists a variety of hot and cold appetizers, soups, sashimi, sushi rolls, salads, and drinks with reasonable prices. It's a fun ambiance, especially because there's a DJ spinning while you're eating. We ordered: chicken kara-age, Ryoko's salad, ochazuke (with salmon), spicy scallop roll, jumping tuna roll, and volcano roll. The food arrived in a random order, but everything was tasty nonetheless. My favorite dish was definitely the ochazuke, especially I haven't had really memorable ochazuke in awhile! The service was spotty, but it was pretty busy for 1AM. You should add Ryoko's as a definite go-to after a night out!
(4)
Selina W.

Came here on a Sunday night...I know I know you aren't suppose to get sushi on a Sunday night..but I took a chance on Ryoko's! Fish was still very fresh even though we walked in around 11:45pm. Place was busy but there was no line ( unlike usually..this place gets bumpin' so get here early..or late). I order the Hot Tail roll and my friend ordered a huge selection of nigiri. Service wise: the staff here are very friendly and accommodating. However I felt that the nigiri came out just a tad bit late. We waited probably around 20min after ordering and we sat in front of the chef. They were busy and it was late so it wasn't a biggie. The rice on the nigiri was just a little bit off..maybe because end of night? I ordered a SoChu drink and the drink special of the night. Both were very tasty and they definitely did not skimp on the alcohol :P Our bill came out around $90 not including tip. Will definitely come back & hopefully earlier to see if rice/service is different :) I would say this is more of a 3.5 vs 3 star rating. Thank you Ryoko's for a great late night bite!
(3)
Jackie O.

I've heard such raving reviews from friends and of course from Yelp, but oh was I fooled! I'll never go back, the food made me sick and the service was a joke. A group of 6 of us got seated pretty quickly. We got tons of beer and sake, which was the best part of our dinner! Each couple ordered different items: - Sashimi dinner combo: Wouldn't allow us to sub one item, we both didn't like mackerel but she wouldn't let us even remove it. We just didn't want to waste the fish, but oh well. The dish came with a bowl of rice and miso soup, we only ate 6 pieces of the fish when it came with 14 (maguro, sake, hamachi, tako, hotate, and mackerel) - Nigiri: Amaebi (mediocre, the fried heads were so greasy it made me sick), Salmon (a little fishy, but manageable), Maguro (flavorless and tough texture), Mackerel (couldn't even eat it because of the smell), Uni (not terrible, but the size of your thumb), Hamachi (I spit it out because the texture freaked me out and it tasted fishy), Tobiko, Tamago, and Unagi (tasted like eel sauce). - A couple rolls: No comment from me because my other friends got them, but they said they weren't very good My friends were so shocked and embarrassed, they were convinced that it was a new chef! We asked the waitress and she immediately got defensive and just smiled and said, "Management has not changed, sorry you didn't like food." That's fine, not her fault and we don't blame any of the waiter/waitresses but the last lady that came in to check in on us. I can't even explain how... rude she was. She kept saying, "Oh yeah I don't know, so sorry. So so sorry." With the most sarcastic tone I've ever heard... AND I'M SUPER SARCASTIC! LOL We all left starving because we barely touched our food, we went to Jack in the Box after spending $400 at this place. So, if you want sushi go to: Wayo, Elephant Sushi, Sanraku (around the corner) for a better experience and better food! Good luck...
(1)
Sammy D.

Like the place but not sure it's worth the long wait
(3)
Zachary S.

I don't live in San francisco but over the years I always stop in to Ryoko a couple times while in the city. Before coming on this trip I was suprised to see a flurry of bad reviews, I'm even more suprised after going there last night. The music wasn't load, the service was super friendly and efficient, and the food was great. I have been to a lot of sushi restraunts that try to swish up the interior, this is not what you will find at Ryoko, the interior space is not glamorous in any way, in fact bits of it feel like the basement of a college frat house, but this is not what I base my reviews on. If your going out for an aniversary in a suit and dress, and want a piano man, and an intimate quit setting, don't expect it here, come here for good quality sushi that will not cost you a fortune, with friendly service.
(5)
Christina F.

Loved this place... Total hole in the wall- the BEST salmon! We had a short wait and then we were seated at a small wooden table with wooden stools. Definitely added to the experience. I had the salmon rolls and they were amazing! One difference with the edamame is that it is served cold.
(5)
Nicolas C.

Cool little place. Don't forget to just head straight downstairs to sign up on the list, especially if there's a line. The fish is really fresh and the food is well prepared. Portions are a little to small for me, bit it was great for the kids.
(4)
Rose P.

What a disappointment! I had a lot of expectation from this place considering its reaching close to 2k reviews and 4 stars. My bf and i were craving sushi after having drinks at Press Club and we yelped was what good in the area and we saw this place. The place itself reminds me of a tiki bar. The wait wasn't too long considering it was still packed pass 10pm. We ordered sashimi and the popular orange roll. From our first impression when the food arrived we knew it was not going to be good. First of all, the food came and it looked nothing like in the pictures, totally deceived! The miso was super salty and service was terrible. It took a while before we were able to get our servers attention. WILL NOT COME BACK OR RECOMMEND. GO TO EBISU :)
(1)
Jessica F.

Ryoko's regularly draws a long line out the door, so come right at opening time if you want to be seated immediately (worked for us on a Friday night). I'm not sure why it has rave reviews, because it's not too much of a step up from any other Japanese restaurant in SF. The plates are mostly tapas-style, so you'll be getting less for your money than anticipated. I got the Orange Delight roll ($13/6 pieces), which had fresh salmon but was nothing too mindblowing. We also tried the gyoza ($6/5 pieces), which is supposedly homemade but I would have believed you if you told me it came from the frozen section of Costco. Overall, I'm not impressed by the food and I don't think Ryoko's is worth a wait. It's decent and unoffensive, and that's pretty much the best thing I have to say about it. The decor is interesting - we sat next to a grand piano with an assortment of skulls perched on the cover.
(3)
Jenni M.

Love this place! Sushi is one of a kind and have always had great service. Only reason not giving it 5 stars is the wait time but it's definitely worth it! The 49ers roll is a crowd pleaser and pairs very well with warm saki.
(4)
Diana L.

The sushi was good. I tried the eel, the waiter told my boyfriend and i that the eel was all the way from Japan! We were so excited to try it. The deep fried rolls were delicious and so were the fried octopus balls. I recommend to try and get there about 20 mins before the restaurant opens to get a seat, the wait is a little long if you dont.
(3)
Teree H.

Good sushi. Great vibe. The staff is awesome. Came here alone during a work trip but it seems like a great date night spot. Will definitely be back.
(4)
Jess C.

For some reason this place is so popular there was a line for the restaurant 10 min before opening. The sushi is pretty good and they serve a bunch of combination rolls, but it's nothing out of the ordinary.
(4)
Nik N.

Great sushi. Kind of chaotic and very bar-like, but is expected for a late night eatery. Good place to eat if you don't mind the smell of booze and hot musky atmosphere. P.S. The soy sauce is really salty!
(4)
Raquel Y.

Food is whatevers. The only thing good about this place is that it serves sake and pitchers of beer and is located in union square, so it's close to nightlife. But don't come here just for the food. I'm warning YOU tourists!!! PROS: 1. Location close to Downtown SF 2. Sake (XL $10) and pitchers of beer ($14) CONS: 1. Mediocre food 2. Expensive price per value 3. Long wait 4. Poor service APPETIZER: * Tuna Yukke $14 (3 stars, I was expecting some delicious sauce, but none for $14?!) * Yaki Onigiri $2.50 (2 stars, I was expecting some type of fish inside, but it's literally just a grilled rice ball :( ROLLS: * Crunchy crab $10 (3 stars, only 5 pieces?!) * Spicy scallop $5.50 (2 stars) * Jumping Unagi $8.50 (3 stars, only 6 pieces) OVERALL: I wanted this to be a place to pregame before nightlife in downtown SF...but the food will not get you full or satisfied :(
(2)
Andi S.

I was in town for work, and did a little yelp research before going to find a good sushi place, because lets face it we've all heard that the best sushi can be found on the coasts, right? I found this little place with raving reviews, within a couple blocks of my hotel and decided if I got the chance I was going to have me some amazing west coast, San Francisco sushi! Well the opportunity arose, and myself along with a coworker and a couple guys from our conference ventured on over for a little late night snack somewhere between 10 & 11pm ISH. The place was packed, with a short wait. GOOD SIGN? I thought so... First Impression: small, divey, dark, not dirty - but dingy? (if that makes sense), could use some TLC Now, let me start by saying. It was all good sushi - I just wasn't blown away or amazed by anything we had. To be honest, I felt like it was similar to what I can get back home in the Midwest, which left me a little disappointed.. We ordered a couple rolls, some sashimi, and of course a couple bottles of Saki. The staff was very patient with us, as we seemed to be chatting more than deciding on what to eat. The food came out in a weird order - we ordered the saki and a roll right away while we perused the menu a bit more, the Saki came right away, but that original roll came last out of everything we ordered... which was odd seeing we ordered it probably a good 15 minutes prior to ordering any other food. Now the burning question... Would I go back? Sadly... probably not. If i lived in the area I might, but seeing as I don't make it to the SF area often, I will probably look elsewhere next time I'm in town.
(3)
PNUT M.

Wait time is typically said to be "45mins to an Hour" but most of the time you'll be seated within 20 mins. You can order drinks while you wait. Amazing fresh fish, order everything you want in one shot, because it can take awhile to get any additional things you might request. Chill cool traditional Japanese vibe with a DJ.
(4)
Megan K.

I love sushi so I was very excited to try out Ryoko's. It was recommended to me by someone who lives in the city, touted as "the best sushi place in San Fran". I did read the reviews on Yelp so I wasn't sure how my experience would be. The restaurant was just around the corner from my hotel which was convenient. It was approximately 7:30 pm on a Sunday evening and I had to wait for 20 minutes for a table. You walk down a set of stairs and loiter about until it's time to be seated. It's kind of chaotic and the hostess is trying to seat people and lets the name sign-up sheet float around. It looks like a basement, I mean it is a basement, but it's dark and cramped, kind of had a musty odor where I sat. They had bumping music blaring from the speakers because they apparently only have the DJ on certain nights. I sat for about ten minutes before anyone came over. I ordered a beer and that took another ten minutes to arrive and the server didn't even take my food order, he just flitted away. He did drop off a small bowl of cold edamame with my beer which was on the house, apparently. It was alright, nothing special. The beer was a draft, cost $4.50 which isn't unreasonable at all. Finally, after I flagged him down another 10 minutes later, I placed my order. I decided to play it safe and order a few things to see how good it was. I had the Flying California roll, two orders of salmon sushi (4 pieces), and an order of gyoza. The Flying California Roll came out first, much to my surprise. I thought the appetizer would come out before the rolls. It was deep fried, with crab and avocado on the inside. It was okay, the tempura batter wasn't too thick but there wasn't much avocado. After I finished that, my salmon sushi came out. They were so small, like the size a freaking carrot stick! Three pieces had no wasabi underneath but one piece had a shitload of it. I had to scrape it off because it was overflowing from underneath the fish. Then ten minutes later I get the gyoza. They were small and greasy, nothing special. This place was very disappointing, we have better sushi in Michigan. The service was abysmally slow, the food wasn't good, and it was way too expensive for the tiny portions they give you.
(2)
Alisa L.

My friend brought me to that place , she said it should be good because of yelp reviews. We were waiting like 40 min before seated ( which is understandable it was Saturday evening ) . Seat for 2 people was terrible . I felt like I am sitting in the bart after football game . From my understanding sushi restaurant should be more relaxed atmosphere . Costumer service is so so. I got starters after my sushi rolls . My friend ordered miso soup and never get it ( but of cause they didn't forget to include it in to my check ) . We spend $89+ tip and we left starving .. It was just 5 small rolls and taste of it wasn't that great. As a result I don't think I will be back to that place .
(2)
Henry S.

Came to Ryokos after watching Elf at the Curran around 10:00PM. We walked in and the place was packed. I put our name on the list and we were seated about 30 minutes later. There was a DJ spinnning a whole bunch of "classics" (90's hip hop) so my wife and I were enjoying the jams while waiting. Service was a little slow but still very acceptable. Our waitress was super friendly, nice and always apologetic about the slow service. We ordered 5 items Agadashi Tofu Sexy Roll Jumping California Philly Roll Orange Blossom EVERYTHING was delicious. Although the portions were not that big we still left full and satisfied. The prices are very reasonable and the food was great!
(4)
Karen L.

I came here before it was open, and there was a line already. That's a good sign, right? I came with a party of 4, and we decided to order an appetizer and then 4 rolls. The rolls came out and we were all surprised by how small each roll was. 5 pieces each, barely enough to fill us up, so we had to order more. For the price of each roll, we were expecting more than 5 tiny pieces. Aside from the small portions, the sushi was delicious. We just weren't very full.
(3)
Tom F.

Without a doubt the worst sushi I've ever choked down. We were seated, then moved by our sever to accommodate a bigger group. It was all downhill from there. The middle room we were moved to smelled like sewage and we were essentially forgotten about. After about 20 minutes, the sever finally stopped walking by us long enough to take our order. We ordered two rolls. They were served about 20 minutes apart and both were terrible. The group beside us had a similar experience. I guess this place survives on some sort of hipster dive bar ambiance, because the food and service were bottom of the barrel.
(1)
Sam L.

Came here with my sister based on Yelp reviews, and it was slightly disappointing. The food was average, the prices were a little high, and portion size was fairly small. They seemed to have forgotten about us several times, with missing appetizers and sushi rolls - after spending more than $70 on just food alone, we were still a little hungry. The one bright side was the atmosphere, as this restaurant resides in a dark-lit Japanese sushi bar basement style. The bar area looks fun, but the dining tables/chairs were not comfortable. Tips: look for the specials posted behind the sushi chefs - they have much more imaginations there than their regular dinner/sushi menu.
(3)
Ahmed A.

I got the chefs choice sashimi plate which came with 9 pieces, I think. It was very fresh and very good. $30 bucks. Not too bad. 4 stars. I also got the novelty Volcano roll. Don't waste your money. It sounds interesting and funky with jalapeÃ±o and peanut butter and tempura, but it's bland and uninteresting. 2 stars. The wait staff was fairly nice. 3.5 stars The sushi chefs were sort of rude. They didn't even yell in Japanese at me as I left :( I wish a sushi chef somewhere in the world could love me just for a moment... 1 broken hearted star :(
(3)
Elizabeth S.

I had heard and seen how crowded this place was, so I never planned to go during my visit. However, I walked by looking for some desert - it was 7pm on Friday and there was no line. Ok - sushi for dessert. I ordered 3 of their recommended sashimi and it was the best fish I've ever had (and properly served at room temp). Eat here if you can. The green tea was super earthy and delightful too.
(5)
Tala H.

The first star goes for the food , gets 5 stars from me . Second star goes to the atmosphere .. I don't care how good your sushi is , millions of other good sushi places .. What a bad service !!! The waitress poe pea I don't even want to remember her name , after being late 20 minutes to come to the table , she was in a rush we were ready to order but I had questions . I am visiting San Francisco and didn't really expect a "Sushi NAZI " ! So I am ready to get the fish chef s selection . She said she doesn't know what's in it .. Not even an effort to find out what of kind fresh fish they have or might be a $40 plate that I have to be surprised with , she kept repeating in hurry " we donnoo we donnoo " anyway she was horrible the food was good though ... Turns out that they have a special fish that u need to ask for fifty times before they mention it ! Never going back
(2)
Hannah B.

This is my second time here and I love this place. The sushi isn't by any means the best that I've ever had, but it is tasty enough. It's a bitch to get in to though and there is always a queue. We put our name on the list and asked how long the wait would be. We were told 45 minutes, so we hopped back outside and down to Owl Tree for a beer. We were less than half an hour by the time we got back and they had just called our name. I felt pretty smug because it looked like I just walked in and got a table. The power of past experience because I HATE queuing for anywhere. It is quite loud in there, not a calm zen environment, but that was OK for a late night saturday dinner date when we'd been drinking all afternoon. I've got a big thing for prawns at the moment and the Shrimp Garlic helped sate the craving. We also had the gyoza which was delicious. I'm not sure what else we had because I was pretty drunk, but I remember thinking it was awesome and I felt full. Oh and beer pitchers. ^__^
(4)
Lexxie B.

Amazing place to celebrate my birthday! Visiting San Fran for the first time and was definitely impressed with the menu variety and how fresh the fish was. Like butta in my mouth! Jenny our server was a doll and super friendly. Thanks for the great experience!
(5)
Jenn T.

My boyfriend & I wanted something walkable from our hotel so we decided to yelp something nearby and we stumbled across the gem! It's a great little hole in the wall restaurant where you would probably walk right past it but I'm so glad we went in! Their sashimi is one of the best that I have ever had! It was so fresh that it tasted like the just caught it that morning. The staff was amazing and our server was super attentive to our table. All the sushi rolls we ordered were all delicious!
(4)
Debby S.

Giving it only 3 stars because of the long wait and the skimpy pieces of sashimi. We arrived at the wrong time which was when the all the tables were just filled and there were 4 of us. If we were just 2 we could've sat down way earlier. We waited at least an hour which is never my policy to wait more than 30 min. However, my husband found this highly rated place on Yelp and we were visiting SF and did not have a plan B. We were the first party to write our names down. If you dine here, know that if you have to wait for a table YOU have to write your name down yourself and don't stray too far away from the front of the line or else you will not hear your name being called and they will call the next party on the list. I witnessed they sat people down who were later down the list first because the waitress had so much to do. As for the sushi, my husband said its the best sushi he has ever had but you have to know that he is not much of a sushi aficionado. Me, on the other hand (worked in a Japanese restaurant owned by Japanese sushi chef) thought the fish was very fresh but was very skimpy. I do have to say their wasabi was the real deal. Being the place was so busy, the service was very slow. We didn't get a refill of water, didn't see our waitress way long after we finished our meal. There was still a long line out the door after we left and believe me we were ready to leave long before we got our check. I wanted to go get sushi one more time before leaving SF but would not go back here. Not that memorable to wait an hour for a table.
(3)
Mark C.

Every restaurant that bakes and fries sushi as if they invented it should cower in fear when they find out I love Cha Cha Sushi in San Jose, because NOBODY does it better. Yet I can't help but go into this type of restaurant every time expecting a Cha Cha-level experience. Unfortunately, this place just can't compare. The rolls are priced similarly, but that's where the similarities end. The rolls are much smaller, and the WOW factor just isn't there. My girlfriend enjoyed the Kentucky Roll, which has fried chicken -- but I mean, how wrong can you go with fried chicken. I enjoyed the creamy Sexy Roll. The Fried Cheese appetizer was also decadent. The service was extremely friendly, and unlike most places in San Francisco, this place is open until 2 AM. If I'm hankering for untraditional sushi and in the city, I would probably go to Ryoko's again. But if I want a truly amazing dining experience, I'll make the trek down to Cha Cha in San Jose.
(3)
Jeremy H.

Stopped in for a quick bite of Sushi and this was super fresh and delicious. The prices are a bit high and the portions are a bit small. Also, around 6 there was a good 45 minute wait, which I fortunately missed by arriving just before the rush.
(5)
Tamia G.

You come downstairs into this hidden gem. There are lots of tables and multiple rooms to the rear of the restaurant. Ryoko's is an excellent choice as compared with some of the more modern or chic sushi bars in the area. It offers very affordable salads, rolls, sushi and sashimi. It is typical to wait a few minutes before being seated. However, while you wait, you get to watch the knife-wielding sushi masters hard at work. I was seated after about a 10-minute wait. Almost as soon as I sat down, the waiter brought water and a complimentary bowl of edamame. Score! They satisfied my immediate thirst and hunger. I chose their sashimi dinner, which is about 18 pieces of chef choice fish for $30. Yum! Fresh! What a joy to have stumbled across this spot! Plan to wait a few minutes for a table. You'll be glad you did! Plus, they don't do carry out orders, so relax and enjoy the whole Japanese experience.
(5)
Jillian C.

AMAZING ! well worth the wait. Definitely get the jalapeno peanut butter roll. Soudns weird but the mix of flavors is awesome. I also really like the pokemon and salmon mango avocado roll I have been here multiple times because it is right in my neighborhood and it never disappoints. Only thing I would change is for them to take reservations!
(5)
Cordikat C.

I am not a sushi fan, but my bf is, and he has been wanting to visit for a long time. We came in at 7 on a monday, thinking it would not be as long of a wait, but I think that everyone else had that idea, too. Wa waited about 40 minutes for a table, which is fine, because in SF we apparently wait for everything quality food related. Anyways, we ordered the fried oysters and raw oysters to start, which were both amazing. Bf ordered numerous nigiri, and was very happy with the quality. we also ordered a roll, and i had some unagi. Service was very efficient, and sake was priced nicely. Atmosphere is great, would recommend for a date or maybe take some out of town visitors. Really enjoyable experience!
(5)
Myk S.

This place seems to be known for their cheap rolls but with a small price comes with small portions. Our group decided not to order the sashimi/Nigiri die to its higher than average price. I'm more into authentic style Nigiri sushi so I have a bias against rolls. anyways this place seems to cater to a crowd that enjoys Americanized sushi with their rolls not showcasing the flavor of the fish and letting all the other flavors that make their rolls unique do the heavy lifting. I would recommend this place to people who are afraid to dive in to sushi and find it too exotic. The rolls here remind you of familiar flavors while adding just a bit of exotic flavors. So if you are new to sushi but don't wanna jump in go authentic getting a mouthful of intense fish flavors try this place first. of their rolls I think the pokemon stood out well for me showcasing the fish flavor and complimenting it's savory flavor with the sweetness of the mango. people are saying the fish here is really fresh and maybe I should come back again and try the Nigiri even though it's on the pricier side but not too pricy with a salmon Nigiri at $6. All in all i feel their rolls need to be more unique. it has its staple rolls all other sushi bars have and a some unique but not very complicated rolls that won't really blow your mind.
(3)
Tal T.

This place exudes cool. You think you're walking down into a dark, dingy dungeon when you first enter. And you kind of are. But it's cool, because the food is amazing, the vibe is chic, and even the music is fun. It's young and hip without being trendy or pretentious. Score! Toro (fatty tuna) - simply the best. you must order this if they have it. Check the board Spicy scallop - simple but delicious. supple texture Hot tail - spicy sauce, well balanced Checkerboard - creative, beautiful, yummy Volcano - inventive, but wasn't my favorite. Hubby loved the peanut butter There were no leftovers. The price was right. Service was adequate and friendly. And the DJ is set up at the front of an old piano. I mean come on, it doesn't get any better!
(5)
Nara A.

Love this place ... My favorite always :)) one of the best Japanese restaurant for me ..
(5)
G. F.

Mmm! Great late night option. Open til 2 AM! Had to come here after a Giants Game! Had good food and it was a very nice staff! Our waitress didn't understand us well so she was a little put-offish.. But we worked through it. Fun food experience. Will go back. Got to meet a member of the family that owns it. She was very nice and wonderful to talk to. White Tuna Toro was AMAZING. Very bummed that I couldn't get Ama ebi.. she said they were out, but I don't know... And the whole grilled squid was awesome. But I would have liked it to be served with something else than mayo.. I'd rather some wedges of lemon and shoyu. Can't wait to go back when I'm in the city.
(4)
Jane A.

LATE NIGHT DELICIOUSNESS (4.25 stars) Yummy food, DJ, hip hop, hilarious conversations. - FOOD, crackin - PRICES, affordable - SERVICE, good - AMBIANCE, hmmm the basement I found my new favorite "hole in the wall sushi joint". I hear HIPHOP?! and see a DJ spinning on the piano. Interesting! variety on the menu, maybe we ordered too much. Our bill was heavy, nearing $250 but well worth it. HEFFER STATUS * ANKIMO (8.95) - monkfish liver. we had several orders of this and i was skeptical to try it. liver? i just dont do. BUT WHY WAS IT SO CREAMY AND GOOD?! that was interesting. SASHIMI (several order of) * UNAGI ($7.50) - ate so much, can't remember what i ate * TORO (seasonal) - ate so much, can't remember what i ate * SHIROMAGURO ($4.25) - ate so much, can't remember what i ate * HONMAGURO (seasonal) - ate so much, can't remember what i ate ROLLS (several orders of) * SPYICY SCALLOP ($5.50) - marinated scallop in spicy sauce, shiso, and cucumber. WOW seriously? This was so good. yummy. * TAHOE ($7.00) - tuna, avocado, and flying fish. my favorite roll of the night. something about it was just so damn delicious. i coudn't stop eating it. * CRUNCHY CRAB ($10.00) - deep fried soft shell crab, cucumber, and mayonnaise. this was pretty good too. * PHILADELPHIA ROLL ($6.50) - Smoked salmon, cucumber, and cream cheese. not much of a fan of this one. wasn't feeling the cream cheese in the roll. * BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS I LOST COUNT OFF - all were good Will I be back? Yup. I think this could be an every Friday evening spot for me. Love it. JABA APPROVED. Until the next review....
(4)
Nik S.

Awesome food and quick service. Visiting from out of town and the reviews were right on. If you're staying in town near Union Square this is a must. I had the marinated scallop roll and yellowtail....amazing!
(4)
Erik H.

Wow, what an amazing sushi restaurant! At first I was scared we weren't gonna get a table. The line was huge, Saturday night at 8pm. But I put our name down and then after that the server was getting drinks for everyone waiting at the door. Amazing, by doing that it really made the time go by fast. After about fifteen minutes, we were able to get a table. The food was really great, maybe not the Alcatraz. That one was a little less flavorful. But all the rolls after that were amazing! The Jumping California was the best sushi roll I've ever had. Just ridiculous how good it was! The one problem and reason why it's not five stars for me. There were a few flies flying around. This is something they need to take care of immediately. I will come back again and hopefully next time there will be no more flies.
(4)
Patrick W.

Went on a Friday night with some friends after work. Didn't call ahead and waited about 20 minutes for a table, which was entirely reasonable. Other reviewers have mentioned the volcano roll, with good reason. I can only describe this roll, which features shrimp, jalapeÃ±o, and peanut butter, as an experience that should not be missed. Only complaints are that the restaurant was uncomfortably warm and the atmosphere left a bit to be desired.
(4)
Leena B.

I'm not sure what the hype is. The first time I came here, they were out of uni. There was a huge wait but lucky for my single self, I rolled in to get my prime time seat at the bar. The second time I came, it was with a group of friends. We waited for about 40 minutes but we got our table. It was right after a birthday night so frankly, we all were exhausted. We opted for green tea (not your typical St. Patrick's Day drink) and were quite eager to call it a night. When the bill came, it was about $79. I was like woah! We didn't even order that much AND we didn't even drink! Here's what we ordered: Food: We ordered the sexy roll - nice, fattening, with melted cheese Pokemon roll - meh ...nice mango Seaweed salad - can't mess that up... Some other roll...but it had crunchy shrimp...also meh... The rolls were in SUPER small portions. I was still hungry after... At this point, I just wanted to go home. I think that the bill was a little pricey but I just want to sign and peace out. My friend got charged $26, the other got charged $36, and then I got charged $36. I don't think we noticed we weren't charged the same thing (who look's at their friend's bill all nosey...right? You just trust that the people can divide by 3...) My friend woke up on her walk home and was like we got over charged! She called the restaurant and said that she and her friend (me) got overcharged by $10. My friend lives down the block so she easily went in the next day and the people were super nice! They refunded her her money and settled the case. I then manage to take 2 buses to get back to the restaurant and finally make it by Tuesday! 1) They asked for an itemized receipt...what? I only have my signed copy... 2) The manager told me that the case was already settled. Uh yea! With my friend, but she called for me too! 3) I said the bill was $79 and 79 divided by 3 is $26! Then the manager says "I remember the bill being $90 something OKAY...let's do some math... If you refunded my friend $10 from $36...that leaves you with $26 + $26 + my supposed $36 DOES NOT EQUAL $90 SOMETHING! Then she said "oh well then I don't remember I have to check. ANd I was like wouldn't the prices between the three of us be equal SINCE WE SPLIT THE BILL?!?!?! Anyway, she said she would go to the "corporate offices" and inquire about my $10. Which means another 2-bus bus ride, just to get a refund when they clearly do not know arithmetic. Ugh, not even worth the stupid $10 anymore...jeez! -Long wait -Meh food -Over-charging -HELLA inconvenienced to fix the over-charging.. I'm going to Sudachi...I love that place! :)
(2)
Jacob S.

Came here after a long flight of delays into San Fran. Needed something open late. Wait was short. Music great. Atmosphere cool. Food quick & delicious. Highly recommend whether you're just passing through or a local who's never been.
(5)
Eugene L.

I had just left a YEE and was a little Hungry.So I rolled my Whip Old Blue to Ryokos Japanese Restaurant . I was able to park right in front. The placed was packed.. I put my name on the Wait list . 40 Minutes later I had a table. I ordered a Coke while I perused the Menu. The DJ there is pretty good . Played some Hip Hop. I ordered the Soft Shell Crab and the Sashimi Dinner . I liked the Vibe and the Atmosphere of the place . I also had an interesting conversation with some French Girls at the next table. Very Amusing. My Soft Shell Crab Arrived it was very good. My Sashimi plate arrived. Disappointing very small portions , High Price Yikes Service was good . Paid by Discover Card and Rolled out.
(3)
Erica L.

Came here for a friend's birthday on Fri 3/28/14 - party of 10. Got seated in the back room. Extremely stuffy, with no ventilation whatsoever. Eh, whatever right? We ended up finding a fan in the room, so that solved that problem. Food was decent...but nothing special. We ordered a bunch of stuff. I shared the Nigiri Dinner, Jumping Tuna Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, and Alcatraz Roll. Our server...well, she was horrible, actually very disgruntled. Not sure what her problem was, but she obviously didn't care because why? Gratuity automatically included since we were a table of 10. Might as well recommend one of the most expensive sakes on the menu right? Well that's exactly what she did. Thai lady, hair was tied in a bun, you know, the one who didn't smile even once. Anyways, not worth the drive across the city considering the ok food, crappy service, and no where to park. Will I be back? Probably not. First and only experience here. Can you say, tourist trap?
(1)
Christina V.

It just wasn't as good as I expected. I compared mostly everything here with sushi restaurants in LA and it wasn't hitting the right spot. The service was nice, but mostly all sushi restaurants are. The ladies restroom was at the top of the stair case and soo tiny! If you have a phobia of falling down stairs, beware! (lol). The soft shell crab was ok, the sauce didn't help. Everything else was ok, we ordered mostly rolls. I wasn't impressed with any of them. The drink I ordered was the Peach Tea Shocu... and it was nasty! I had to down it as fast as possible. Overall, I probably wouldn't come back. I'd definitely want to check out another spot.
(3)
Smruti A.

Huge wait on a Friday night. My only real complaint is how small our uni portions were.
(3)
Nova C.

Food is decent, but much more expensive compare to other sushi bar around SF. -open late. -loud music (con for me)
(3)
Joe W.

Sushi is great and cooks are super friendly (if you sit at the bar they'll check on you, it's not their job they just do it because they are awesome). Also there is frequently a DJ for late night, not sure why but who cares it's fun! (Don't worry it's mellow tunes, no EDM when you're trying to have a nice meal.) The only thing that prevented the 5-star rating is the hostess. She seems inexperienced in the service industry, she was rude and sassy to my group of friendly guests as well as everyone I saw in front of us. Also beware that you will have difficulty getting seated if you don't personally go add your name to the list because she will likely not ask you (assuming you're not a first time customer). This complaint is again not with the restaurant but with this one staff member individually. Overall a cool underground spot with above average quality sushi at below average prices.
(4)
Tony B.

Visiting from out of town, we figured we would check out the "hole in the wall" sushi joint with over 1700 reviews. THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! Make sure you sign up on the clipboard when you enter, there is no host, just someone that seats people who are signed up. If the line is to the door, they will tell you the wait is "45 min to well over an hour", but I feel like we waited maybe 25 minutes (some people on the list decided to leave as well). It is well worth the wait. Probably the best sushi I have ever had, as well as some of the friendliest service. Surprisingly cheap for the quality of sushi.
(5)
Jessi N.

My favorite sushi spot in the city. It's crowded, loud, open late, and has the most flavorful, fresh fish around. Expect a wait, and get at least a couple items off the specials list at the bar. The back room is great for a group!
(5)
Nick C.

Wow what a complete disappointment. We were referred here by the bell men at our hotel. We assumed with the line to get into this place that we were in for a great treat. The sushi was extremely basic, I have had all you can eat sushi better than this stuff! My point being all you can eat sushi sucks! The fish was small and bland. Not even the rolls were good. I wish I could say the staff was better but they weren't either. I am not one to write reviews unless they are good but this was an awful experience.
(1)
Christopher R.

Great late night ambiance. Beautiful food and good prices. The staff is always on their game. Cool spot!
(5)
Kate W.

the last time i visited ryoko's was on valentine's day in 2003 or 2004. boy, has it changed since then. it was SO crowded compared to when i came here in the past. i remember the food being fairly good but it was 10+ years ago so my memory is hazy. fast forward to now: it looks like they expanded this place? but i'm not sure. there was practically a line out the door and it was very crowded inside. we ended up being seated right near a kitchen window pick-up area so it was high traffic. this place is like a maze. i think they'd benefit from putting less tables in the space because it's kind of difficult to maneuver and the servers do not always give you the right of way. anyway, the service was good, no complaints about that. the food was good, though i've had better, but my biggest complaint is that it's overpriced. had it been a bit cheaper i probably could've given it at least 3 stars, but the portions were small, and it just wasn't worth it to me.
(2)
Julia H.

I'm really not sure why this place has 1500+ reviews and 4 stars...is everyone drunk when they have their sushi?? I read a few bad reviews on Yelp before coming here but didn't think anything of it since there were so many great reviews. If you are reading this review now and debating if you should go...DON'T GO. The rolls are overpriced and so small!! For example, the volcano roll that everyone raved about was $13 and only came with 5 pieces.... And why would anyone pay $20 for a rainbow roll?? Overall, I thought this place was a waste of money!! The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is because the fish was fresh at least. I can understand why some people would like this place because of the fun underground vibe, but if you're trying to find a good sushi place-this is not the place!! You can get way better sushi for a much better price anywhere else in the city. I would not recommend coming here unless you are drunk and craving sushi after midnight.
(2)
Cherylynn N.

Mr. NSS: "Who's Atsushi Matsuda?" Me: "Huh?" Mr. NSS: "Atsushi Mastsuda...it says, 'call me' with his name on his business card." Me: "Uhh, why are you snooping?!?!" Mr. NSS: "Your purse fell and a wad of business cards came out." Me *Grabs business card*: "Ohhhh, he's the sushi chef at Ryoko's. He said to call him beforehand if we want to do omakase so he can have the specialty fish in stock." Mr. NSS: "Are you sure you just weren't drunk again?" Me: "No, it's not what you think. I always get random numbers...remember last week? I asked for our taxi cab driver's number so we can hook up L." Mr. NSS: "Yes...but baby, you're not Patti Stanger so please stop trying to play matchmaker." It's been nearly four months since I been to Ryoko's but what better reminder than last night's incident for me to finally write a review. First things first, don't come to Ryoko's without a reservation. We had reservations for the sushi bar for Sunday night at 6 pm. We walked into a half empty restaurant only to later have a swarm of tourists and foreign exchange students anxiously waiting on the stairway gawking at us as techno music blared in the background. Definitely feels like eating in an underground 90s club with cramped tables and a wobbly staircase to the bathroom upstairs. Needless to say, this is not the best date place unless you plan to get your date drunk with sake bombs and take her to the nearest Motel 6. Don't be surprised if you're the only local here which may explain the pricier than usual menu (e.g. Rainbow Roll is $20). I've said this a million times (or at least it feels like it) but the only way to go at a sushi restaurant is omakase or order from the "White Board Specials": bit.ly/11Qa3KI . We requested that Atsushi-San, our awesome sushi chef create an Nigiri Omakase ($50 minimum) for us and gave him a budget of $60 a person. For the Nigiri Omakase, we each received 10 pieces consisting of Hirame (Fluke/Flounder), Mebachi Maguro (Big Eye Tuna), Hamachi Toro (Yellowtail Belly), Wild Sockeye Salmon, Uni (Sea Urchin), and Tamago (Egg Omelet): bit.ly/VGzZ4j . Additionally, we received Aji (Horse Mackerel) w/ Fried Carcass: bit.ly/14VjGaH , and Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp): bit.ly/YWDcDf w/ Fried Heads: bit.ly/WRov1r . The nigiri was good but not spectacular especially for the price. All the fish was fresh and the shari were nice bundles of seasoned rice but each mouthful was not *eyes roll back into your head* orgasmically buttery. However, my favs of the night were the sockeye salmon (the buttery-est of them all) and sweet amaebi with accompanying deliciously crunchy heads. I didn't care for the watery guacamole-like wasabi though. I'm not a fan of jive ass rolls but we ordered one as a filler since we were still hungry. The Orange Delight Roll ($13) was f*cktastic: bit.ly/VZMNVx . Atsushi-san was kind enough to top the avocado and cucumber roll with fatty slices of salmon belly (instead of regular salmon) which made each bite sublime. Silky, and intensely buttery, this was the BEST roll I've ever had and definitely made our visit to Ryoko's worthwhile even though we initially came for the omakase. The staff was super sweet and you won't find a pretty solid sushi place that's open till 2 am so 4 solid stars for Ryoko's. Side note: If you're looking for the best sushi in SF (Japanese owned), head over to Ino (J-town), Koo (Inner Sunset) or Okina (Inner Richmond). Be forewarned though, Ryoko's is NOT a place to come drunk because you can easily run up the tab to $100-$150+ a person or end up with random business cards/numbers like "some" people... *Embarrassingly hides face with jacket*
(4)
Tiffany Michelle L.

Sushi tastes good, but is small for the price, dimly lit place with tables close together I came here with my boo, this place has great sushi rolls, but is not a good place to get full, it's more of a snack. We ended up going here because some other place that we wanted to go to were full or had a long line/wait. the food we had tasted great: fresh, and tasty. We had the Volcano 5 piece spicy crunchy roll which was great and the 49er roll was good. There is not much room in this place to walk around the tables are placed closer together than they should be. When I got up to go to the bathroom I realised how dimly lit it really was. It was hard to see. The bathroom is located upstairs and there was only one for the women's bathroom. This place was pretty full on a Saturday night. There was mostly people aged 25-35 here. Some people there for birthdays, catching up with buddies, and dates. Because the tables are so close together it's hard to not hear peoples conversations, the table near us the guys were talking about things guys would usually not talk about around girls. I certainly didn't want to hear that, but there is not much choice when the tables are so close together. A dimly lit place could offer an intimate setting for a couple to have dinner but romance is lost when the tables are so close together, and everyone can hear each others conversations. Personally I think it's more comfortable to be able to eat with my boyfriend and feel comfortable to have an open conversation. I notice that we both talk less in places where people can hear everyone's conversations, but maybe that is just me.
(3)
Sam Z.

This is a terrific and very quaint sushi restaurant. Small, somewhat low key, authentic, and very delicious. The rolls are really creative and quite tasty, and the sashimi and nigiri are super fresh. This place tends to get really busy and hectic, so arrive early and be prepared to wait. Not a place to go with family, but great for a casual business dinner or a meal with your significant other.
(5)
Jaclyn N.

Fun restaurant with sushi for cheap! This place had a line from midnight to its closing time when I went. There was a DJ there which makes waiting not so bad. You could get rolls for only a few bucks and they have a lot of options under $10. The staff is friendly and everyone there just wants to have a good time. Its the best for late night cravings!
(4)
Mark D.

Best sushi bar in the city in my opinion. Great atmosphere, friendly and knowledgeable staff and skilled chefs. I have never had a bad experience here. Wait time can be daunting at peak hours, but the experience can be enjoyed with a drink from the bar on the stairs meeting new friends. Sushi selections here are fairly wide ranging from the typical kitschy roll combos like the volcano roll with peanut butter to the more traditional fare of nigiri and sashimi offerings which are all fresh and flavorful. I recommend the omakase offerings to allow your chef's choice which I have never been disappointed with. You gotta love a sushi place in the heart of San Francisco in a basement, on the outskirts of the Tenderloin with a DJ playing music. Classic.
(5)
Kat M.

This is definitely one of my favorite sushi places. I go here when I have the time and money. Be prepared to wait for a table and spend $$ if you're eating to get full. The venue is below street level and they usually have a dj playing deep house music to get you in the sushi eating mood. Very chill Favorite thing to order is the ami ebi. 2 pieces of nigiri with deep fried shrimp heads for $8. Sooooo good! Definitely something worth trying if you've never tried it. Staff is always very attentive and friendly.
(4)
David T.

This is my favorite goto place for Gyoza and Sushi at 1am in the morning. For late night munchies with a good atmosphere this is hard to beat.
(4)
Miranda T.

I would give this place a solid 3.5 stars. Food is about a 4+ - very good sushi, fresh tasting and creative at a really reasonable price. However, the crazy long wait definitely sours the overall experience of what seems like a pretty cool place w/a good vibe. Actually the wait would have been more tolerable had I had faith in the wait list. However, there is no host/hostess per se, you have to put your own name down on the list and indicate whether you want bar or table, and unless you are waiting on the stairs listening very carefully for them to mispronounce your name when they remember to check the list, you are SOL! 45+ minutes for a party of 1 willing to sit anywhere just doesn't seem reasonable for a Monday night.
(3)
Taylor D.

This is one of the best Sushi joints I have been to in my life. The Sushi is phenomenal, the ambiance is the most authentic I've experienced. The wait is extremely long and the staff is on par. I'd recommend!
(5)
Lina P.

I was visiting SF on Valentine's day and wanted to find a chill fun place for dinner where they wouldn't have an overpriced pre fixe menu. This sushi spot came up and was super close to our hotel. I knew the wait would be long and they don't take reservations so we put our name down and went to a near by bar for a quick drink. Came back 45 minutes later, right in time for us to be seated. Everyone is seated really close to one another and we actually ended up making friends with a couple that had the table next to us. Could have been awkward though as you can hear other people's conversations. Lots of sushi roll options. We got a few and they were all good. Miso soup was a bit too fishy for me. Not what I am used to. Didn't really like it. DJ was awesome!
(4)
Eric L.

If you're a serious sushi lover like me, don't come to this place!!! Decor 1 out of 5 Service 1.5 out of 5 Food 2 out of 5 The place is like a creepy karaoke bar inside a basement, not a proper atmosphere to eat authentic sushi. Arrived around 8pm Wednesday, we waited for more than 1hr. The system is disorganized, the hostess is also a waitress. If there is an open table and she is taking care of other tables, you will need to wait at least 10 more mins before she realizes the table is available. If you have a long line everyday, get a dedicated hostess!!! Our waitress(not that hostess) was very friendly, but the service was kind of slow. We only ordered nigiri, their fish was fresh, that's why I gave them two stars. The chef's technique was ok, but the portion of the sushi rice was way off. First, you can hardly taste the fragrance of sushi rice, second I can't feel the satisfaction of my mouth by eating the undersized nigiri. Their uni was fresh, but also expensive,14.80 for two pieces!!!! I don't know where does the uni come from. I've tried uni from Hokkaido and santa barbara, none of them are that expensive. Plus the seaweed was soggy!!!! About the on house Edamame, it was cold, like they got it from costco's fridge. The soy sauce was so salty, even with me who has high tolerance. They fried amaebi's head without clean the gut properly, you can see the black stuff after they fried and it didn't taste good. I don't understand all the good reviews, this place is so overrated. All in all, the food doesn't worth the wait, I won't come back. :(
(2)
Olivia H.

Horrible. First of all, the wait was ridiculously long partially due to the inefficiency of the staffing. The host was not attending and very disorganized. Several tables opened up for at least 20 minutes but she was busy chatting with people on the other table instead of sitting people waiting in the queue outside. Second, the food was below average. The fish and uni are very fresh but the rice was disproportionately small, far from being authentic. And the price was not cheap given the quality. Uni nigiri was 15 dollars per pair in a very small size. There are so many good sushi restaurants in the inner Richmond or the Mission that offers far more authentic food at a cheaper price than this. Do not understand why this place was rated 4 stars by over 1.5k reviewers, maybe because it outopens other restaurants till 2am? Sigh. Disappointed.
(1)
James T.

Fish was very fresh. Had some fried baby octopus, which was way better than any calimari imo. Good atmosphere and they keep the place clean
(4)
Ashley N.

Yummm, on a random thursday night, the bf and I decided to make a trip to SF for some sushi. Thinking that it was a Thursday night, we were hoping that there wouldn't be much of a wait.... we were wrong. Luckily, the wait wasn't as bad as it could be - about thirty minutes? It helped that lots of people on the list before us left, ahha. Anyways, it was good time to observe the restaurant @ work. It's a really small UNDERGROUND shop - so no reception for you here.... The sushi was actually really yummy. We ordered a basic california roll, the sexy roll, the volcano roll, and i think the jumping tuna roll, along with some fatty white toro. Out of all the rolls, our favorite was definitely the sexy roll - yummm.. crab, avocado, baked salmon and cheese on top. One of the rolls, I think it was the volcano roll, was SUPER SPICY .. but it might have been our low spice-tolerance. It comes with its own dipping sauce, which was interesting and pretty good. Service was spotty, hard to get someone's attention because they are extremely busy. But when we did manage to talk to someone, he/she was usually polite. For the price (reasonable) and quality, I could definitely see myself returning to Ryoko's!
(4)
Braden S.

Seems to be a local secret, as it's always packed with a line out the door. This is for good reason, of course, since the quality of food is outstanding. Fresh sushi, creative rolls, and a nonconventional atmosphere are what make this place stand out for me. -1 star for the sub-par service, and more importantly for charging by the glass for soft drinks that come from a soda fountain/gun (passable for cans/bottles, inexcusable for a soda fountain).
(4)
Sheera G.

Just came back from dinner here and overall it was 3-star, A-OK sushi. It was a Wednesday night but still pretty crowded. My friend and I had to wait but the staff was visibly working hard to get everyone seated right away. We sat at the bar (which was fine) and our server gave us the choice of moving to a table when one opened up a few minutes later. They did mess up our dessert order and then kind of look at us like it was our fault... but oh well. Ordered the volcano roll with peanut butter for the novelty of it but it was surprisingly tasty. Probably the best thing we ordered. I'd avoid the spicy tuna. It was thick and really mayo-y :(
(3)
Marissa H.

Excellent prices, but the sushi itself is mediocre. Three stars comes from the great service, bar, and pricing. The sushi is less flavorful than most places, and you can really taste the "cheapness" in the rolls. I recommend spending a little more for better quality and taste.
(3)
David C.

Terrific sushi and decent izakaya that attracts quite a crowd! If you are patient enough to get seated, most likely the food will not disappoint. This place is underground and will transport you to Tokyo (or NY) with its ambiance. Intimately lit, tightly packed, Ryoko's offers the nice glow of warm chatter. Beers were always cold, and sakes always warm. Sushi itself was standard quality for SF, definitely competitive with surrounding shops. There are better options around for izakaya. I like that this place offers everything in one stop, so there is something for everyone whether its alcohol, sushi, or hot plates. Service was terrific, and even though it was crowded it never felt short staffed and we never felt pressured to leave. Really enjoyed the experience here, not just the food. PROTIP: Try the monkfish liver. Incredibly fresh. Foie Gras of the ocean.
(4)
Kathy N.

I want to give this place a 3.5, but I don't have that option. First of all the customer service there was not that great. I did not feel greeted at all and on top of that, the host didn't even bother to give me the sign in board to write down my name. If you're going their for dinner, know that you'll be waiting for 45 mins on the stairs. This place is overhyped. My friends and I ordered the VOLCANO ROLL, SALMON AND EEL SUSHIMI, TOFU SALAD, and SPICY TUNA ROLL. There was nothing special about this place. Yes the food was good and fresh but it was pretty average to me.
(3)
Jim D.

Great hole in the wall for Sushi. My female friend said that alot of restaurant workers visit this place after work since they stay open late. We made it to the line a couple minutes after 6pm and the line started to extend out the door. For appetizers we ordered the edamame, the chicken yakitori and the grilled shitake mushroom. All very flavorful. Ordered the Blue fin sushi, hamachi sushi, oshinko rolls and the smoked eel. The blue fin cost a $2.00 more but it was truly worth it. All of the fish was very fresh and flavorful. The pieces were large too! Acourse had to have the Nigori sake..milky not like the clear sake. I had read some bad comments about the service but I thought the service was very good.I wondered what this place is like at 8pm. Definitely returning to this little Japanese sushi restaurant in the Tenderloin.
(5)
Aaron M.

Ryoko's, you're a late night institution... How I adore you. Fast, friendly service and some of the tastiest damn fish ever - props for the super epic fatty tuna (and fatty other fish when you run out of toro). In a basement. With a live DJ.
(5)
Chad R.

Excellent authentic Japanese food. Great staff! Great service! Will be making a return visit soon.
(5)
Taylor S.

Place is great, gets crowded fast. Make sure you know exactly what you're ordering. A mispronunciation made the difference between a $7 nigiri dish and a $27 one. To be fair, it was very very good -- just came as a bit of a shock when the bill came.
(4)
Eva L.

Went with a friend around 1130pm last night. I mean it is nice that it is open till 2am, but for what we got and the price, it wasn't worth it at all. We got a crunchy crab, amaebi and sake nigiri, and a chirashi totaling to about $60 (crazy). It wasn't the usual slices of fish over a bed of rice- it looked more like bara chirashi where they were just leftover scraps of fish all tossed into a bowl- a very messy presentation and expensive ($31). The amaebi head tasted better than the shrimp itself..which isn't supposed to be the case. The salmon nigiri was ok. I will admit that the salmon was buttery which I liked, but I don't appreciate my fish being luke warm like it was popped in a microwave, prior to being served to me. Crunchy crab didn't look appetizing- looked as if it was just cut up and messily thrown on a plate. Wasabi looked/tasted very old to the point that it was starting to turn a bit hard and brown (gross) The space inside is very cramped, so for people that are kind of claustrophobic, it would probably give you anxiety. We sat at a table and were only about 3 inches away from the couple next to us- really awkward and uncomfortable. Pretty dim inside but that is about it. It is for the younger crowd so it isn't really a classy place, it was also cool that they sorta placed electronic/ house music (yay) Service: waiters were pretty oblivious to your needs unless you flagged them down. It was also hard to get them to refill the cups. I was planning originally on 2 stars, but this made me bump to one. When they sat us and placed napkins on the table for us, there was in insect that was crawling around. I know it's not a cockroach but that is the first thing i thought of when I saw it scurrying. I am grateful they smooshed it right away....but that makes me seriously question the sanitation of the place.
(1)
Nihit S.

The best freaking avocado sushi and vegetable sushi in the city.. I went through all the sushi places in san francisco in 2008-2009 and this is the place I settled for for my avocado roll cravings.. I ate there every evening for 3-4 months and every evening i would be eager to eat the food, never got bored.. I had to stop because the white rice and starch was taking its toll on my body.. but if you are looking for japanese dont look further.. second place is Maru Sushi on powell st. but not even close to these guys.. although I can not say much about other real sushis here.. and their mushroom sushi never impressed me much.. and its very busy every day even late at night.. and so its hard to get the waitors attention.. sometimes I had to wait like 20 minutes just to get someone to bring my credit card back.. but 5 stars anyways!!!
(5)
Lisa H.

I will never understand why this place has so many good reviews. Too many people exaggerate how good this restaurant is. The wait is too long which isn't the restaurants fault. The wait on an average night could be anywhere from 15-45 minutes depending on how big of a group you have and the time you arrive. I've tried this place 3 times in hopes that my opinion would change. I still stand by my original decision that this is mediocre sushi. I have tried multiple rolls, various sashimi, tempura and the beef teriyaki. I'll admit that the presentation is adequate but the food lacks flavor. And the portions are ridiculously small. The service could use some help too. Every visit I would have to wave down a waiter or waitress. I understand that the restaurant is busy but that is no excuse for ignoring guests. Overall, this place is very disappointing. They have poor customer service and they lack quality and quantity in their food. You can get better sushi in Japantown or in the Sunset district.
(1)
Hasti J.

Really was not happy with this place. The waitress was rude and when we asked for spicy mayo, she told us they ran out. A minute later, my cousin asked another employee and she immediately gave us spicy mayo. Why did she lie to us?? Also, the edamame was cold and tasteless. The worst edamame I've ever had. The sushi wasn't good either. Overall I was not satisfied with this place and won't come back again.
(1)
Hana K.

We stopped here for dinner and I wasn't too impressed. Based on the rolls that I had, it didn't distinguish itself from any other sushi place. The quality of the fish is good (especially the salmon) and the rolls were delicious but nothing special. I'm giving this place three stars mainly because everything here is overpriced. I was especially upset about how overpriced ochazuke was here. They were charging $6.50 for ochazuke, which was baffling to me because it's only rice in green tea with toppings and pickled vegetables. It is a very simple food that involves hardly any cooking and costs almost nothing. I felt like Ryoko's was taking advantage of customers who don't know the real cost of Japanese cuisine. Coming from Japan, this was really upsetting to see. Also, my boyfriend's brother had the gyoza here and it was dripping in oil. It was hard to eat.
(3)
Jefferson L.

Came here for dinner on my girlfriend's birthday. The atmosphere is pretty cool. You walk down the stairs to the restaurant below street level and everybody shouts a greeting. The lighting is dim and it feels very cozy. We sat down and were helped out quickly. We ordered a Moro-Q (cucumber with miso sauce) appetizer, the Sashimi Dinner, and a Pokemon Roll. The Moro-Q was okay, tasty, but the miso sauce was not my favorite kind of flavor. The Pokemon Roll was also just okay, the flavor is very light and rice-y. The sashimi however was good, and noticeably fresh. We also ordered a glass of wine and a small bottle of Sake. We were in a bit of a rush to make a show time, so we probably didn't have a chance to enjoy it as much as we could have, but it was a good dinner. The main downside to this place is the hefty bill you'll acquire, but it's still alright for special occasions =).
(4)
Ron P.

This review is long overdue since my first and only experience, but here's the short: Sushi quality is pretty decent! Nitty Gritty: Ambiance was very intimate with the low lighting and cozy seating. Definitely good points for a date. The pricing is a little high for the portioning, but the taste of the nigiri were pretty unforgettable. I just remember the fish being super fresh and tasty. No soy sauce needed. Good spot to get comfy with some friends or a date!
(4)
Kenneth B.

Really good. Order the fresh fish from Japan. Fried tofu is great too. Service is not bad. Don't let the decor fool you. Worth it. I will come back.
(4)
Christina D.

In the past years, nothing has drawn me to the Tenderloin past sundown. Despite it's appetizing name, the sheltered little Asian girl inside of me has prevented me from venturing it's seedy streets once the stars are out. But tonight, that all changed thanks to Ryoko. Because of Ryoko, I might even consider moving to the Tenderloin. I don't know their reservation policy, all I know is is that they told my boyfriend they don't do them (despite what Yelp says). They open at 6. We got there at 6:25 and it was already at 90% capacity. It's set up in an old house, so quarters are tight, ceilings are low and the music is loud. Luckily we were just a party of 2 and got to sit at the bar. The beginning of our meal here started off HORRIBLY. We sat there for 20 minutes, completely unacknowledged. The sushi chefs gave us the customary nod upon sitting down, but they were so swamped that they just kept their heads down and hands going. Since we sat there unacknowledged for so long, I noticed my napkin was already used. Gross. Finally a lady instructed our waiter to actually pay attention to us, and while we were ordering we were interrupted THREE TIMES but other servers. The intrusive servers didn't even apologize for being so rude-- they literally stepped in between us and our waiter and started talking to him. I really couldn't believe it. I decided right then and there that service there sucks. They are nice people but incredibly oblivious, like many of my Asian peeps, when it comes to customs regarding interrupting conversations. The saving grace of Ryoko is the food. OH. MY. GOD. The fish is stupid fresh. It's like the sushi chefs (who are actually very nice and social when the incoming tickets start slowing down) went out into the marina and sang the fish to sleep only to slaughter them later for my culinary pleasure. They have a menu, but they also have a white board informing you what fish they have fresh from Japan. Unfortunately, the 'good things come to those who wait' bullshit holds true here, because we waited a solid 30 minutes for our food. Prepare to wait longer if you get anything baked or fried, as there are only 3 sushi chefs who do all of the prep and work involved in the sushi. We decided on the sashimi dinner ($30.25), chu toro/fatty tuna (2 ps/$13), white tuna toro (2pc/$6.95). Both the nigiri MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. I couldn't even handle it. I nearly fainted. It was THAT good. The fat content would make even Paula Deen swear. The sashimi dinner was INCREDIBLY fresh, I was even stoked about the tuna, which normally doesn't tickle my pickle all that much. We were also drunk by this time thanks to the large Sapporo ($6) and large hot sake ($7) so I was on cloud freaking nine. We ordered an additional dinner of another large Sapporo and sake, Ryoko's Roll ($15--special roll), shima aji (2 pc/$9.30) and hamachi toro (2 pc/$9). I didn't know you could go beyond heaven but apparently ou can. The shima was firm and reminded me of hamachi, and the hamachi toro was nothing short of orgasmic. The Ryoko's roll had cucumber and pickled daikon on the inside, fatty tuna and red onions on the outside. SHUT. UP. YES. I think I've found my new favorite sushi spot in The Bay. Next time I will be lining up at 5:30 to secure my spot in this hidden gem. Oh and they're open until 2 AM so you know where you can find me until then.
(4)
Jennifer J.

This place was super fun for a Friday night date. DJ was awesome, food was hella good. Get the GRILLED SQUID! It's so yummy. Young, hip crowd here.
(5)
Whitney B.

Ryoko's was supposed to be the reward for a day filled with dry-heaving walking uphill and hysterical crying on downhills in San Francisco. Given the grunge, basement vibe, I thought this was going to be a hit. Everything about it looked promising because the place was nearly full when we arrived shortly after they opened. Nevertheless, we both had the come hell or high water mentality of eating our weights' worth in sushi when we sat down, certainly so after having our tits handed to us on on the trek there. Unfortunately, the best roll I had was the Fried Chicken Roll, which is very much the scumbag poser of any food that is wrapped inside rice. Everything else ranged from average to tasteless, even more so than any stale wafer made for teething infants or pigeons. The Scallop Roll had so little meat content and flavor that even a die-hard vegan would eat it. The seaweed salad appetizer that we ordered was one of the most depressing things I have experienced this year. It didn't hold that much flavor and they put cherry tomatoes piled on top of wilting seaweed. What a dick move. Putting cherry tomatoes on a seaweed salad is kind of like rubbing alcohol into a laceration that is on my ass. The second runner-up to the Fried Chicken Roll, and I am honest to god cringing at that sentence, was perhaps the sashimi platter that we ordered. None of the fish were spectacular but they weren't spoiled, sandy, or poorly butchered. You know, not a girl, not yet a woman. Mediocre at its best. Perhaps the cherry on top of it all is that our server moved us to another table because we were in the way of them making more money. That's all good except then I was in plain view to watch and listen to a scrawny, tattooed crapper--whose ego is insurmountable and know-it-all expertise is as sought after as a venereal disease--blabber on and on about his pathetic life. Yeah, I'm judgmental. This place has a little something for everyone and for that I can appreciate. However, the menu is exceedingly lengthy and confusion arose out of trying to differentiate one platter from the other and one roll from the other. It made me momentarily feel like a dumbass and this is why I will likely never visit again. I also never pass up a chance to showcase my undesirable traits like my misplaced righteous indignation. For how hungry we felt, this place did not hit any of the right spots. I'd also rather eat at a conveyer belt sushi place than to pay $13+ for unimaginative, uninspired rolls. Each roll had about 6 small pieces, regardless of the price. Total dicks.
(2)
Mitzi W.

It is a very cute place. The wait was very long. But we still wanted to try it. Thought sushi was okay -- portions are very small, nothing spectacular in our opinon.. But raved about the chicken karaage and the smoked salmon collar -- those were GREAT. Will try again if in the area and when it's not so busy.
(3)
Cindy N.

On our last night in San Francisco, I was hankering for something other than Katana-Ya. Don't get me wrong, as much as it was delicious every trip, I wanted a bit of variety to my meal! Just down the block was Ryoko, a sushi bar, and what seemed to be a local favorite after my constant search for what to eat on my trip. Once you enter, you walk down into a basement suite of pop music, loud laughter, and boisterous orders being called between bartenders. Although not specified anywhere, I definitely consider it an izakaya, a Japanese "pub" where food is to go with sake and drinks. We were tired from the day's trip and the atmosphere of the restaurant definitely elevated my mood! Complimentary edamame beans started the night off in the right direction. Boiled fresh and generously salted, I was addicted and ordered another dish ($3.50 the second time around), which was considerably larger than our first plate. Joe had developed a habit of ordering seaweed salad at every Japanese restaurant we went to, and it went the same for Ryoko. Although it wasn't the crunchy one he preferred, it was well seasoned with sesame dressing. The appetizer menu looked delicious and suitable for sharing over a round of drinks, but I was hankering some sushi. Ordering the salmon, red tuna, and hamachi served it's purpose for me. Fresh cut sashimi, adequately portioned for the rice, with a hint of wasabi in between - win! The rice is something to comment on although I'm not quite sure what to say of it. It's different from your regular sushi rice, with a hint of light brown coloration. Perhaps the marinade is different because I didn't think it was anywhere close to brown rice. Other than the color though, the rice was slightly warm and cooked perfectly for sushi. To go with our nigiri, we also ordered a spicy scallop, hot tuna, and jumping tuna roll. With two full pages of rolls, the selection is extensive and ranged from your basic keppa rolls to elaborate deep-fried maki. The jumping tuna roll was my favorite, spicy tuna, cucumber, and shiso rolled and deep-fried in a light tempura batter. Usually fried rolls are made larger to hold its shape, but there were perfect bite-sized pieces. The spicy scallop and hot tuna were done in the traditional roll style and were delightful. Loosely rolled (some may prefer a tighter package to prevent spills), the highlight of the roll was definitely the use of fresh seafood and lightly seasoned marinades. I absolutely loved this place, both for atmosphere and for the food. Reasonably priced, great service, and great food - all I can ask for! We were there on a Monday night so the wait was a mere couple of minutes, but it was a hot spot nevertheless. I would presume you would need to come early on Friday and weekend nights and don't expect reservations as I noticed a clipboard where you wrote your own name and table size up at the front. With a live DJ on Friday and Saturday nights, a piano right in the middle of the bar area, and open late 7 days a week until 2 AM, no wonder locals love this place!
(4)
Maki K.

I don't think this place is worth the hype. It did not meet my expectations, it was just ok. We (as a party of 3) got: 1) Tofu salad: the sesame dressing was delicious. For $5.95 though, I should just make my own tofu salad at home. 2) Salmon sashimi: 2 pieces for $6?! It was fresh though at least. 3) Unagi nigiri sushi: 2 pieces for $7.50. It was good, but not $7.50 for 2 pieces good. 4) Jumping tuna roll: the tuna was not spicy at all and didn't taste very fresh. 5) Volcano roll: has peanut butter in it, which is surprisingly not bad and pretty creative. It's just 5-6 pieces though (as is the case with most if not all of their other rolls). 6) Orange delight roll: salmon on top was fresh, but 6 pieces for $13? Yikes. They have a DJ every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night from 8 PM to 2 AM. We went on a Sat night 1/25 and whoever was DJ'ing that night was good. The music is loud so this is not the restaurant to have a quiet romantic dinner at. All in all, it was ok. I feel like I can get more quality and quantity from another sushi joint elsewhere for the same price.
(3)
chonn n.

Cheap sushi...or I ordered the wrong things. This is SF, probably should've gone to a different sushi place. However this was the only one open at 11:00pm. Oh well, lesson learned. Peanut butter in sushi? Tried it just in case...yeah Hell No....just don't do it.
(3)
Vinitha R.

Haven't eaten here, but have heard great things. They used to take reservations for parties larger than 8, but apparently that policy has changed. I wanted to bring a group of 12 people here for my birthday dinner. The lady who answered the phone was polite, but suggested we walk in. Too bad- 12 people doing sushi and sake is a lot of business, but I can't risk walking in with that large of a group.
(3)
Tina Y.

Came here for a late night snack since we already had dinner earlier that evening. Saw that this place had delicious looking amaebi so we were sold. Got there, four people were waiting at the bottom on the stairs. We put our names on the clipboard. Two assholes walk in and just stand there. Then when the waitress calls us for our table, they had the nerve to say they were there before us but just didn't put their name down. These assholes were not waiting outside, as there was nobody outside when we came in. Regardless waitress decided to honor the assholes. Not that pissed since i didn't want to be at the bar anyways, but just saying there are plenty of ramen places in NY where those stupid clipboard lists are treated like gold. Not this place apparently. Ordered the amaebi which was delicious. Order other fish, nothing spectacular. Tried some oysters, they could be fresher and better seasoned. Ordered the checkerboard roll just for kicks, but I feel ripped off. Not that special. Service was bad, took forever to get our waitress to get us the check. Food came in random order. How do you get your Amaebi heads before you've had amaebi? Rolls come before Fish? Having been to like every fancy sushi restaurant in NY, this horrible service and lack of decorum would put the Japanese people to shame, but wait, I don't really think they are Japanese here.
(2)
Brittini S.

I've been here twice now, and the first time was with a big group and we were seated in a back room which was really cool! The 2nd time I cam with just my husband and we sat at a small table somewhat close to other couples and small groups. Both times, the food was good. I wouldn't say its great although I was impressed with the Spicy Golden Gate roll which is spicy salmon roll with mint or basil and fish eggs. We also got the pot stickers and the tempura and a pitcher of beer. It was nice. Nothing tasted bad but their spicy tuna, I think has a mayo sauce and I HATE MAYO and spicy tuna is my favorite roll, so I now avoid it at this place. Great atmosphere and can get very busy and loud!
(4)
Amanda F.

This place was an amazing find. Sat on the stairs waiting for a table and was worth the wait. Put your name on the clipboard and it won't be long till you have experienced a gem in San Francisco. This energetic place delivers big in taste. ask the staff for what's good and you will be happy
(5)
LeTran B.

Food was okay. The place is too loud. The wait is too long for very mediocre food. Our waitress showed up once to take our order and disappeared completely. Food is expensive and not that great. Service was terrible.
(2)

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Address : 619 Taylor St
San Francisco, CA, 94102
Phone (415) 775-1028
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :6:00 pm - 2:00pm

Specialities

Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner, Late Night
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Music : DJ
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : No
Best Nights : Wed, Fri, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No

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Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar

619 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA, 94102

Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar Menu

Starters

Soups & Rice

Salads

Sushi Plates

Sushi & Sashimi

Sushi Rolls

Healthy Meal suggestions for Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar

Starters

Soups & Rice

Salads

Sushi Plates

Sushi & Sashimi

Sushi Rolls

Michelle A.

Eric H.

Cam V.

Sorrel G.

Sui N.

Cristina D.

Cyndie L.

Elly C.

Jenny M.

Michael C.

Stephanie C.

Meagan T.

Kimberly H.

Anni T.

Stephanie M.

Scott H.

Anna A.

Clara L.

Cynthia F.

Andrew K.

Kristina T.

Shay T.

Sara K.

Bonnie Z.

Lindsay N.

Christina H.

Santoki A.

Stuart R.

Heejin L.

Monica T.

Angelica C.

Bob D.

Raquel T.

Aditi C.

Helen J.

Marcela P.

Rufeng C.

Nelson W.

Elizabeth J.

Kaya K.

Hana S.

Heidi L.

Nicole V.

Michael S.

M H.

Drew K.

Annie V.

Peter S.

Blake B.

Debbie P.

Noah W.

Christina G.

Christina L.

Yanni L.

Annie K.

Selina W.

Jackie O.

Sammy D.

Zachary S.

Christina F.

Nicolas C.

Rose P.

Jessica F.