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O-Toro Sushi
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
205 Oak St(between Gough St & Octavia St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
Neighbourhood: Hayes Valley
(415) 553-3986
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
272 reviews for O-Toro Sushi
Review Highlights
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"Bi-Rite Ice Cream - Toasted Coconut ($4): YUM." In 8 reviews -
"...the garlic albacore, i tend to stick to the hip hop roll." In 7 reviews -
"You've got to try to special nigiri, Seared Hamachi Belly." In 4 reviews
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272 reviews in English
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Review from H K.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Finally, I discovered an excellent place for sushi within walking distance of Davies Symphony Hall for nights that I crave for sushi dinner before a performance. It's a small restaurant with a very nice interior. The seating is limited, but since I came by myself I was easily seated at the sushi bar, with an empty seat beside me providing some space.
I'm used to ordering combo or chirashi plates, but here they didn't offer either during dinner. That's fine, it forced me to think more and be more creative in my ordering. :) I ordered a variety of nigiri sushi and a spicy hamachi roll. All were fresh and delicious.
The size was very size also. On top of that, the two young ladies working the tables were cute, in particular I admired the one with a touch of non-Asian look. :-D -
Review from Adam R.
Hermosa Beach, CA
5/8/2012
Me and a buddy stumbled upon this gem on cinco de mayo.
Our Orders:
Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms - My favorite of the evening
Monk fish Pate
Chicken Udon
Blue Fin Tuna
Giant Scallop
Lava Roll
Rainbow Roll
Something that looked really good that we didn't order was the lollipops, if it's not a special they don't have very often these looked very appetizing.
Everything was excellent, the service was friendly and prompt. Most importantly (especially with sushi) the place was immaculate, I liked the semi-open kitchen where you could see that it was just as clean and orderly in back as out front.
I will definitely be back! -
Review from Nadiyah S.
Imperial Beach, CA
4/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Not that great. The sushi was mediocre..as were all the hot dishes we ordered. Sad to say I also had the worst bowl of ramen I've ever had here. Even instant noodles tasted better than the Miso Ramin I got. Yuck.
That said, the staff is very accommodating and fast! -
Review from Stephanie A.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2012
Everything was fresh, staff was on top of things and friendly but damn their portions SMALL. We ordered from the hot and cold plates as well as sushi.
I went with three other adults and I know we all went home hungry and not satisfied. Not knocking the quality of the food just the potion sizes. I'm not a big eater either so if I'm complaining about small portions then trust me, they are microscopic. Maybe a good joint to go for a snack, not a meal. -
Review from James V.
Garden Grove, CA
5/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Service was terrible. Food was just okay. Sushi in SF is not that good compared to socal
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Review from Mary W.
San Jose, CA
4/12/2012
Small sized restaurant but delicious and well priced for SF.
Our order:
1) Go Green roll: spicy hamachi, cucumber, top with kiwi - spicy fish contrasts with refreshing kiwi fruit!
2) Takashi roll: pumpkin tempura, topped with garlic albacore - yum, pumpkin!
3) Spicy tuna roll: good
4) Shishito (sweet pepper) stuffed with spicy albacore - good
5) Beef tongue - overcooked, kind of chewy -
Review from Ann L.
3/20/2012 2 photos
Went for a late lunch at O-Toro to try them out. Had the worst service from the bald Asian guy. I took some pics and the guy yelled at me "no pictures" oh right, cuz he hasn't seen the 77 pics on Yelp right?
Then he asked if I wanted table or bar. As a single diner bar is always the better spot. He didn't ask the other single people after me.
FREE tea but only if you ask for it. Water not given automatically.
Got the chirashi $16.75 - instead of making my meal, he makes the table behind me first even though they had just ordered more food, but I hadn't gotten anything yet. Only 7 small slices of fish & lots of rice. Guy had to remind him to put ginger & wasabi.
Garlic albacore $4.50 - 2 pcs of nigiri, nothing special.
One unisex bathroom. Charged it.
Not a satisfying meal, wish I went somewhere else. -
Review from Michael C.
San Francisco, CA
3/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Caught in a bind here. The food here is awesome, but was pretty expensive!
The spot is a very clean and trendy alcove in the middle of the street. Really like the dark greyish tones that are set off by the lights in this place. There are about 6 or 7 four person tables and about 8 spots along a bar area. This tends to be a popular place to eat so a wait should be expected if you don't have reservations.
I recommend taking a look at the specials before taking a look at the menu itself, because I ended up ordering several specials. The menu does have some of the standard rolls that one might be looking for at other sushi restaurants. With my friend, we ordered some individual orders of Sashimi and about 4 rolls, the Grasshopper and the Negi Toro off of the set menu, and two rolls of the specials menu, which I cannot remember off hand. The sushi was very fresh and this amounted to a very fulfilling meal. We were not able to try their tapas, which is actually more what this place is known for, so there will most likely be a second trip involved. Otherwise, the food provided was good. We supplemented this with a sampling of sake from the "gold" list.
The waiter and waitresses were very nice and courteous. The owner asked us how we were doing. He even told us about the significance of the $1 dollar bill on the registrar, ie the first dollar registered at the restaurant. A lot of places do this... I know, but it's still respectable and down to earth. However, like I said before, the value is somewhat hard to justify as the meal ended up being upwards of 35 dollars each person. Hard to say I'll be back here soon, but I'd like to come back to try the tapas, and when my wallet stops hurting. -
Review from Kelly B.
3/9/2012
This place was pretty good - good service and a nice sushi selection.
I've had better in the city, but for a place in Hayes Valley on Oak and Gough, it was tasty.
It was a great spot to hit up before going to the ballet! -
Review from Ying F.
2/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here for my best friend's 30th birthday dinner. Just me and here for a light dinner before a night of drinking.
Reservation is a must! Very small restaurant and very limited seating.
Dinner:
-Agadashi tofu - not bad.
-Seaweed salad - yum!
-Dragon Roll - HUGE! I love crunchy texture so this roll and the spider roll are the two rolls I know that has a crunchy deep fried seafood in the center.
-Otoro Sashimi - Fatty tuna... oh it melts in your mouth. So good!
-Downed two Sapporo beers and off to a night of fun! -
Review from Aki N.
2/29/2012 Seated via OpenTable
A good Japanese restaurant in an unlikely location on Oak and Gough. I had high expectations for an authentic Japanese izakaya experience, and the food was good but not exceptional.
Four of us met for a weekday dinner with a reservation. No problem with the reservation or service. There is a specials menu on a chalkboard by the sushi bar, with some interesting additions
We shared all of the dishes and a bottle of sake (I think it was Masumi) and came out a little over $30 per person, which is very reasonable
-Miso soup, standard and good to warm up
-Whole grilled squid with ginger (ika maruyaki), squid was cooked well, still soft
-Pork belly (buta kakuni) was quite delicious, two pieces which we split
-Beef tongue (gyutan) was on a skewer and good, though didn't bring out the flavor it could have
-Several rolls - yellow tail with scallion (negihama), spicy tuna, one of the eel rolls, salmon skin - quite good -
Review from Dennis L.
2/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Made a dinner reservation for 7:15 on Friday night. Arriving right on time, we hardly were able to open the door. The restaurant itself is extremely small and on this night, the entrance was packed with people waiting to be seated. Clearly, the waitstaff was overwhelmed because it took them a while to even acknowledge us and ask if we had a reservation. I happened to glance at the OpenTable monitor and thought no big deal, we're at the top of the list anyway and since two tables just got up to leave, we'll be seated right away. Better yet, they had preassigned us to one of the tables that left already.
Then we waited for 15-20 minutes. It's funny how you can look at a restaurant and judge them by how good or bad they would be at Diner Dash. They would probably get a low score here. After giving our table away to a larger walk-in party, we were finally seated at the bar.
FOOD:
Miso Ramen - filling and large for one person but forgetful. We wanted to replace the urge of ordering miso soup. Pass next time.
*Cucumber with miso sauce - very thinly sliced cucumber with a good amount of the miso dressing that was refreshing and a great start
*Chicken Skin - horrible for your health but done well. Crispy on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside. Can't be worrying about what it says on the scale after this one.
Cherry Blossom Roll - typical roll with tuna and salmon but the flavors blended together, canceling out anything special about the roll
*HIP HOP ROLL - The best thing about Otoro may just be anything with their GARLIC ALBACORE
Despite the disappointment early on, Otoro made up for it with their food. And that's how I feel restaurants should be judged. Good luck finding a reservation and a parking spot though.
FYI
Health score - 94 as of 12/2011
Parking - extremely difficult in this area at night
Wait times - longer than preferable -
Review from Meg W.
Dublin, CA
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Stopped in here for lunch with a co-worker base don the reviews and was decently impressed. We had the rainbow roll and the golden state roll wit some miso and tea. Just a light lunch. The rolls are not very large so one person could realistically eat two rolls to themselves and not feel like a water buffalo. Fish was fresh which is always key, and the flavor of the rolls was quite good. Rice wasn't too heavy either. Miso was perfect imo, not too salty but nice and piping hot. The don't dye their ginger( yey) but the wasabi had more of the horseradish paste taste than actual wasabi :( (boo). The service was attentive but not overbearing. Took a little long to get our check once we finished but that being said it came promptly once we flagged someone down to request it. We also weren't told about any of the specials or different items not on the menu which was a bummer : / We didn't notice the board listing these items either right away as a person was sitting at the bar in front of it. Was good for a last minute impromptu lunch, but not a place I would say I'd journey back into the city for. Def one of those stop by if I am in the area types.
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Review from Jenn Y.
2/13/2012 1 photo
GREAT sushi place in Hayes Valley. This restaurant is about a block away from my boyfriend's place, which makes me a very happy girlfriend. The fish is always fresh and the prices are super reasonable. Anyone who thinks they can get sushi better than this for less $ are insane.
Minus one star because this place is always packed and they're not open on Sundays. -
Review from Takahiro K.
San Francisco, CA
2/26/2012
My Favorite Japanese restaurant in San Francisco.
Sushi has ALWAYS been the freshest, and they have some hidden menues for hardcore Japanese like myself :) Staff are extremely helpful and cheerful. Just everything about this place is awesome.
Try their Hamachi Belly, and Nasu (Eggplant) sushi. What, Eggplant sushi???? Yup, it's THE DIE FOR!
Be sure to get the reservation before you go. -
Review from Jennifer O.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2012
I drove down Oak Street en route to do a quick errand and O-Toro's elegant, inviting space made me do a double-take. I made a quick mental note to swing by "soon."
Funny thing is, when you least expect an obsession to take root, I decided that "soon" had to be that night, no exceptions.
I found parking right away around the corner on Gough Street (beware the crazy drivers careening down that street to cross Market and get onto 101).
As I walked in, the entry was sexy and stunning, a beautiful yellow orb and sleek black stools and tables with gorgeous lights gently illuminating the bar and the tables.
The atmosphere is really amazing, very inviting. My only complaint is I had a damn hard time reading their menu given the low lighting. I guess that's a small price to pay to soak up some great ambiance.
I admit, I went a little nuts ordering both a large plate of sashimi and two speciality rolls. I first started with butterfish, toro and hamachi sashimi and then their O-Toro roll (spicy tuna, avocado topped with cooling mango) and the Lava roll (shrimp tempura and cucumber inside with tuna on top with spicy sauce).
As another Yelper mentioned, I liked how O-Toro does their rolls: They're tightly packed so you can pop a whole piece in your mouth without looking like a fool.
My little one had O-Toro's yakatori (I sampled, it was tender and delicious) and he very adventurously (hey, he's only 4) had their Bi-Rite black sesame seed ice cream that he really liked.
I really love that there's a superb sushi restaurant in my neighborhood. This is going to be my "go-to" spot when I'm really craving sashimi and sushi.
I'm going back "soon." So that means, probably tomorrow night (O-Toro is closed on Sunday). -
Review from Susy C.
Consistently good.
I'm always torn between ordering sushi or an actual entree. Lucky for me, Jocelyn W is always willing to split a roll with me ^_^
Service is always great here and he's always smiling!
Saba shioyaki. DO IT.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/29/2011
O-toro, arigato!! ITADAKIMASU! ^_^
My tummy is so happy!
This restaurant is very very small so it… Read more »
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Review from Veronica H.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
My friend and I came here after going to Sushi Zone (1-hour wait!) and Domo (30-minute wait!). At O-Toro, it was 15-minutes. Note to self... Thursdays are busy sushi nights apparently.
O-Toro is pretty small and we ended up sitting at the bar which I liked. It's a tight squeeze at the bar too but we were at the end so a little more breathing room there.
We had a few appetizers - pork belly and seaweed salad. Pork belly was good though the meat a little overcooked when it was thicker. The fatty part was yummy. Seaweed salad is pretty routine - a small portion though. We got a few simple roles - none of the specialty roles. Roles were fine - nothing stood out but nothing to complain about either. I had an order of salmon sashimi which was good and fresh - thinner slices but decent portion.
Overall, it was a good meal - 3.5 stars. Nothing over the top, but satisfactory. Staff is really nice so that's why I give a 4. I wish there were more options in SF for sushi/japanese. In comparison with So California/LA, I feel like SF is much more limited. I'm not sure I'd come here again as I don't really live/work nearby, but it's a good option to have if you do. -
Review from Janina T.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2011
One of the BEST sushi experiences I've ever had and that says A LOT bc I live for sushi and eat it every week. The main reason it is so good is the fish is ridiculously FRESH so if you like sashimi and nigiri this is the place to go.
Also, the service is awesome! The waitresses and chefs are all so friendly and very attentive. They immediately refilled our sake glasses every time they were empty and brought us more wasabi without us even asking for it (we use a ton and ALWAYS have to ask for more).
They also have some awesome specials with unique ingredients that change depending on what's fresh, which is how all sushi restaurants should operate.
This place is a must if you are a sushi lover! -
Review from Irenka P.
Oakland, CA
4/3/2012
I'm in love with this sushi place. My favorites are the baked mussels, uni, ocean trout, butter fish, yellow tail and ikura. Their sushi is fresh and melts in your mouth. I usually also get miso ramen with my meal, which is a light and tasty accompaniment to any sushi meal. The garlic soft shell crab comes deep fried and is delightful. Also try the glazed black cod. It's incredibly flavorful. They also have black sesame ice cream, which is the perfect blend of sweet and savory. Get a reservation if you come on a Saturday night.
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Review from Kailyn G.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2012
Came with three friends for dinner on a Saturday night. We decided about 7pm, and the earliest we could get in would be at 9:30p. The place is tiny and gets packed. We didn't get seated until maybe 25 min after our reservation. But the host was very nice about it and really, you can see all the tables, so they couldn't have done anything.
Now, on to the food. We got the Hawaiian poki, spicy tofu salad, pork belly, chicken hearts, yakitori, o-toro (fatty tuna) nigiri, saba (mackerel) sashimi, spicy tuna, salmon avocado, caterpillar and dreamy sensation rolls. So much food.
The standouts: O-toro (so smooth and fatty, just melted in my mouth), pork belly (two huge pieces with a tasty sauce and smear of mustard), saba (first time I've tried it) and all the rolls were delicious.
The ones I would pass on: Not that they were bad, just not as good as everything else. Chicken hearts, hawaiian poki, yakitori. Maybe I was just in a sushi only kind of mood.
Environment: tiny space, loud, some bar seating otherwise in tables.
Service: friendly and prompt. Told us when the kitchen was closing so we could make any last orders. Asked if there was anything wrong with the yakitori since we were too full to finish. -
Review from Monelle P.
San Francisco, CA
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
My dining experience at O-Toro went something like this:
Me (bite into one of O-Toro's dishes)
Me (struggle not to exclaim aloud how good the dish was and then whisper furiously in hushed tones about how good the dish was)
REPEAT
I tried several dishes off the daily specials menu and each item was better than the next. We started off with our least favorite dish of the night, grilled shishito peppers stuffed with spicy albacore. While the grilled peppers were sweet and delicious, the albacore filing was underwhelming. But the dishes kept getting better and better.
Next, came grilled hamachi belly nigiri. The light grilling imparted a smokiness to the hamachi, which was sweet, richly marbled, and creamy.
Then, we had the tori karaage. I'm a dark meat girl. And these were my personal kaarage heaven. Tender, juicy pieces of chicken thigh meat, battered and deep fried until golden. Usually, I prefer a dipping sauce for my karaage, but these were perfect with a light squeeze of lemon.
The 2 sushi rolls we had were so memorable. The combinations were creative, yet simple. First, a black & white roll: asparagus tempura and butterfish. The asparagus tempura was fresh out of the deep fryer and an excellent contrast to the sweet butterfish and salty black cod roe. Next, the takashi roll: pumpkin tempura and garlic albacore. Yet again, the pumpkin tempura was crisp and newly fried. But the garlic albacore was the star of this roll. I've never had anything like it. The albacore was infused with an intense garlic essence that was a surprisingly ideal counterpoint to the sweet pumpkin.
I'm extremely happy to have found a local sushi joint with 1) high-caliber sushi quality and 2) innovative, creative sushi rolls that respect the integrity of the ingredients. I cannot wait to return and try more dishes off the daily specials menu!Listed in: Civic Center/Hayes Valley, Jonesing for Japanese
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Review from Stacey L.
San Francisco, CA
11/8/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I've been here twice in the past two weeks. This will probably be my favorite Japanese restaurant within walking distance from the office. I take a late lunch, so by the time I get here it's usually around 1:30 which is perfect because the crowds have died down. Be sure to check out their specials board.
Suggestions: Otoro, Ramen, Any of the rolls, Agedashi tofu.Listed in: I'm a regular here
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Review from Stephen H.
San Francisco, CA
3/16/2012
Great rolls, quality fish, and good service. Glad O-Toro is in my neighborhood - will definitely become a frequent flyer here.
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Review from Rylan C.
12/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Since I live in the Sunset and believe that most Asian cuisine is superior on the western part of the city, I was a little harder on this place in terms of seeing what I'd rate it. I've decided that this place gets three stars because it was good but overpriced. I can get the same quality of sushi just 15 minutes away in the inner Richmond for half the price.
In their defense though, everything I had was quite good though. -
Review from Jennifer F.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2012
SOOOO yummy! I am addicted to their Udon, and their Agadashi Tofu and Vegetable Caterpillar roll are as good as it gets (I'm vegetarian). Not to mention the staff is great, and Jimmy (the owner/manager) is super sweet. Wonderful neighborhood spot. I go at least once a week!
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Review from Alena L.
San Francisco, CA
4/28/2012 Seated via OpenTable
You gotta like sushi. Just a phenomenal restaurant.
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Review from Jenn G.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2011
Mmmmmm....sushi. Just thinking about my dinner on Saturday is making my mouth water. I've been driving past O-Toro for years but have never actually made the trek to Hayes Valley to eat there. I'm usually too distracted by other options, like Absinthe. Anyways, my friend and I decided to finally go in for dinner.
Pros:
- The fish is amazing! Fresh and served in perfect portions. Each piece of the roll was bite sized...didn't have to figure out how to bite it in half and still keep everything together. The rolls were also not overloaded with sauces, which meant you could actually enjoy the flavor of the fish itself.
- The atmosphere is cozy-neighborhoody. There was a large group in one corner that was clearly celebrating and a family with two small boys. It was fun to watch the younger child chow down on the sushi...he could not get enough of the salmon sashimi.
- It was a touch pricier than I usually pay for neighborhood sushi, but the freshness and overall quality made up for that.
- Decent wine list and really well priced...mark up wasn't nearly as high as I was expecting.
Cons:
- Make a reservation. They are on Open Table, and it will save you from a long wait. We had one, but the group of three girls behind us did not. While they were happy spending a half an hour with sake, I would have been annoyed.
- The service was mediocre. The servers were friendly, but slow. I couldn't tell if they were short staffed that night or what, but it took about 20 minutes to have someone take our order.
Overall
A solid sushi choice in Hayes Valley...I'll give it another go if I'm in the neighborhood. -
Review from Grayson K.
San Francisco, CA
From a traditional stand point, I had to admit I was excited about Otoro Sushi. But the uni was from Mendecino instead of Santa Barbara - think bargain over quality. The amaebi was frozen. The ikura was old. Not cheap either.
There was some good parts that I can't take away. The sencha (green tea) was really strong. They had real wasabi, for an extra fee. The rice was high grade and perfectly packed under the sushi, falling apart nicely in your mouth. They were honest about what fish was most recently received. Everyone spoke Japanese. They had otoro (fattiest tuna) and even engawa (halibut wing - the muscle that moves the fin).
But the quality just wasn't there. The selection was, but nothing *popped* freshness. Darn, I really thought I found something good here... -
Review from a a.
San Francisco, CA
2/11/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Good find! It's not that pricey, original rolls, and lots of variations for people who just don't want sushi. I'm putting this at par with Tataki and Kiji (local vibe in Noe). Definitely a solid choice and interesting grub.
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Review from D C.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2012
I loved this place! I came here for my birthday with a group of friends, and we ordered a ton of food. The service was friendly and quick, and the sushi was extremely fresh and creative. One of the rolls had mango slices on top, and another was filled with fried pumpkin. I believe that was one of their seasonal rolls.
Ramen could have been better - the bowl was very pretty but the broth was only ok. It tasted similar to chicken broth with added salt.
They also sell Bi-Rite ice cream for dessert, one of my favorite SF treasures!
The meal itself was a little pricey, but I'll definitely come back again! -
Review from Nathan J.
San Francisco, CA
3/13/2012 Seated via OpenTable
This is probably my fave spot for sushi in the city. Lunch and dinner are always great. The staff are awesome, so friendly! Nothing but love for this place!
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Review from Kimya P.
10/26/2011
Small portions - seaweed salad was tiny in comparison to the one at Domo but about the same price.
Place is small- probably not ideal for big groups.
Service was great- very attentive staff. Also the green tea was strong (which is a good thing!) and the refills free and continuous.
Spicy tuna roll was good, but I appreciated Domo's more. This one had a creamy consistency (I want to say mayonaise-y but I dont actually think there was mayo in it ), whereas the one at Domo was more fresh, clean cut, pure fish. Spicy tuna roll was reasonably priced. But their specialty rolls were in the $13 range.
I'd be interested to try their ramen - especially on a cold rainy day I think it could be really satisfying.
Finally, they were out of Bi-Rite ice cream. -
Review from Shweta V.
10/21/2011
Awesome sushi place. Great daily specials, good fish. I especially liked the o-toro roll and sake butteryaki. The atmosphere seemed like an interesting combination of zen + yuppie. Super close set tables - expect to hear adjacent conversations.
Only sore point was our server seemed a tad snooty at first, but her attitude seemed to change based on the amount of food we ordered (expecation of a bigger tip?). In any case, the food trumped her attitude, and we'd go back again if we were in the neighborhood. -
Review from Mike C.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
This is one of those places you want to tell your friends about. It's a nice little sushi place in San Francisco that's not trying to rip you off with Philadelphia rolls.
Otoro means Fatty Tuna, and yes they have it. Highly recommended. Also if you have the nerves, try the barracuda. It's not going to blow you away, but you can brag to your friends about it, and that's worth the price alone. -
Review from Erika C.
10/10/2011
The price is right at O-Toro for lunch. If you're getting it to-go, you could probably go somewhere cheaper, but as a sit-down Japanese restaurant in Hayes Valley, this is the perfect combination of convenient, clean and affordable. Plus they have a pretty extensive menu for such a small place.
Service is so-so. -
Review from Christine H.
Berkeley, CA
4/16/2012 Seated via OpenTable
My family was in town so I took them to O-Toro based on Yelp reviews. We were thoroughly disappointed. They seated us quickly but the quality of the sushi was sub-par. The tapas were decent but I will not be coming here again.
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Review from Andrea R.
7/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
While making my way to my table inside the very small O-Toro Sushi, I knocked over the water on the table next to me...with my butt. You'd think this would keep me from overindulging in sushi, but when in California I love my sushi. I love it so much that I even dragged an 8 month pregnant Gabi M along with the promise that there'd be plenty of cooked stuff for her to eat. See Gabi M's review if you're looking for good cooked options at O'Toro.
The non-pregnant girls (so happy to be included in this group this year) ordered way more rolls than we thought we could eat, but somehow had no problem polishing it off. I found the fish to be very fresh (like most sushi I've had in the bay area) and delish.
I'll hit the gym before my next trip at O-Toro, although the people sitting at the table with the spilled water incident were just fine after I sent them apology beers.Listed in: Sushi in SF!
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Review from Mrs. N.
San Francisco, CA
8/27/2011 Seated via OpenTable
This place has become my favorite sushi spot.
It's small on the inside so I would recommend reservations.
The menu comes out on an iPad, which is kinda cool, but the germaphobe in me didn't like it too much.
We were recommended this role that had bits of fried garlic in between the fish and the rice. The burst of garlic was a pleasant surprise.
Side note: they let you order sake while waiting for your table (major points!) -
Review from Gabi M.
7/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
What happens when one pregnant girl goes to dinner with four other girls and four of the five are craving sushi?
You guessed it... they end up at O-Toro!
This was my "girls night out" this past Wednesday night, and it worked out just fine! O-Toro had plenty of alternatives to raw fish which made me (the pregnant one) very happy. I had the mixed green salad, the black cod appetizer, veggie tempura, and a side of rice. The others had lots and lots of sushi including some specialty rolls that looked delicious. O-Toro has quite the variety and great presentation to go with it. I will definitely need to return after Baby M arrives. Oh, and my ice water went down easy but I think everyone else's saki and beer went down even easier!
Service was actually really slow at our corner table, but I was in good company, so I didn't mind. I would suggest either sitting at the sushi bar for faster service or choosing another restaurant if you're not in the mood for a "leisurely" meal.
Oh, and I am referring to myself and the rest of my party as "girls." I hope that doesn't offend anyone!
