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Surfside Sushi
Category: Restaurants Sushi Bars Sushi Bars [Edit]
4527 Mission Blvd(between Felspar St & Garnet Ave)
San Diego, CA 92109
Neighbourhood: Pacific Beach
(858) 273-2979
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Fri 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat-Sun 12 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Validated, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- 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:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
289 reviews for Surfside Sushi
Review Highlights
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"The crunchy roll is definitely my favorite." In 44 reviews -
"Caterpillar, Rainbow, Crunch, Soft shell crab." In 14 reviews -
"Spicy tuna: tuna was so soft and was perfect for me." In 26 reviews
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289 reviews in English
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Review from Christina K.
El Cajon, CA
Its my fault for getting drunk while eating here & then waiting too long to write the review, i fogot everything we ate and everything that happened.
HOWEVER, i do remember it was good sushi, i was pleased at the end of my meal. I did not end up with food poisoning ( and lets face it, 90% of the time we read yelp reviews on restaurants is to make sure no one has died here from eating the food), and i remember i was full. ( and thats hard to come by when having sushi for dinner)
Im certain we will be back. and this time I will drink less & take more notes.
edit: After submitting my review, i noticed i previously made a photo upload of a crunchy roll while i was eating here. So, apparantly i had the crunchy roll, and apparantly it was delicious.
man, how much did i drink? -
Review from Erica P.
Carlsbad, CA
5/8/2012
You can't beat 70% off. I had a crunchy roll (REALLY good!), spicy tuna roll and a hot tea for $9!
We sat at the sushi bar and got our food quickly. The chefs are back there cranking them out ahead of time because of the crazy amount of people that come through. We had to seek out a waitress for our check because of how ridiculously busy it was, but otherwise a good experience and an excellent deal. I'll definitely go again! -
Review from J. M.
San Diego, CA
I really wanted to like this place after seeing the 4 star rating, but I've definitely had better sushi & service. As my boyfriend put it "slow to serve, but fast to grab the check"!
The only thing we really liked was the Dragon Roll - well plated, and the eel was great! All the other rolls were just okay - not as fresh as other places, and it seemed that each roll was just a cali roll plus whatever fish was in the description.
The ambiance wasn't really a huge deal for me since it was a casual dinner, but the music they were playing was regular radio music, meaning listening to commercials, and it would frequently go in-and-out of the station causing annoying static.
Lastly, the waitress only came by once to check if we needed a drink refill, and that was towards the end of our dinner (the place wasn't even that busy); but once she dropped the check, she came running right back to run the transaction. Overall the servers/waitress/hostess were all nice, but just the ambiance, freshness of food, and overall menu could be improved.Listed in: Savory Sushi
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Review from ameer n.
San Francisco, CA
4/12/2012
This is what I think of when I picture sushi in Dan Diego. It's the go-to spot. Parking behind the building is key in this area.
The only downside for me is the drunk dbag culture that swarms in this area. -
Review from Dan D.
3/21/2012
The one star is for the price...and when I say price I mean 70% Monday pricing.
Got there around 5:30ish...no line to speak of really since I was there when the doors opened. Location and inside of the place is cool...however when I saw the mass produced pre-made rolls they made I knew I was in for trouble. The rolls were small and not very fresh tasting. Aside from not being fresh they were downright bad. I would even go as far as saying it was the worst sushi I have ever had...worse than supermarket bad. I left feeling like there was a 51% chance I'd be hugging some porcelain later...thankfully I would have lost that bet. Never again.....not even for free....seriously. -
Review from Christopher P.
La Jolla, CA
3/15/2012
This place is pretty well known for their Monday happy hour, bringing down their rolls to a sweet 70% off, a deal I decided I couldn't help but try (again). Of course, you don't expect the best sushi at these prices, but hey, it's cheap! And so, we took a crew of three to Surfside, and even scored a parking space right outside the restaurant - a rarity, considering there's like...three spaces.
When you get there, there's an inevitable 45min+ wait, where most people either hang out or go to Urban Outfitter across the street. You likely bump into someone you know, and sit there complaining, as your stomach starts to whine all the more. Surely anyone this hungry could eat anything and be satisfied, right?
Once seated, it's hard enough to try and get the waittress flagged. We ordered sushi and waited probably another 30 minutes, sitting next to a table of friends. And when our first roll did come, we had to actually ask for enough utensils, cups of water, and steal wasabi from our friends at the table to my left, because the waitress neglected any of that. One could even spy other customers sneaking around and stealing pitchers of water from the service area.
But wait, it's just so busy that it's just difficult to serve that many tables, right? Busy is a good thing! Perhaps so. But they're also busy enough to have 2-3 people at the front desk, and busy enough to bring room temperature rolls to the table (so...not busy enough to have to make them fresh - why did it take so long to bring to the table?). The crunchy roll had no crunch whatsoever (soggy...?), the avocado was a delicious yellow and brown, and all of the rolls came out...yes, warm, leading to some awkward tasting raw fish. And no, it didn't taste remotely good or fresh. Is this even safe?
Now, I try and justify that this is a great deal. 70% off for sushi! It's not like I had very high expectations. But the table I was eating with was so miserable that hardly any conversation was spoken during the meal, and we basically left feeling cheated out of 30 bucks.
If you want some cheap and good sushi, try the happy hour at Ki Sushi, in the Costa Verde plaza, or maybe Sushi Deli. Either way, the food will be leagues better than this experience, and you might even walk out with more money. I'd even stick to a college dining hall. -
Review from Tiffie L.
3/1/2012
I was overall, disappointed. My boyfriend and I wanted to grab some sushi and decided to try Surfside based on the good reviews. However, I'm not sure if it was an off day or perhaps the restaurant was short staffed, but the service was incredibly lacking. We called ahead to make a reservation for 7, but upon arrival there was a wait -- we were not seated until 7:20. Not too sure if making reservations here will help you much.
Once seated, we continued to have to wait for servers to come with menus, tea, take our order, etc. It was difficult to catch their attention in general. The food itself was okay - we made it in time for happy hour, so we had a couple of half off rolls,which were big and filling. We decided to try the Kobe Beef special, but it was super chewy... I would stick to the rolls. -
Review from Gracie M.
San Diego, CA
3/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place has an amazing deal on Mondays- 1/2 off a bunch of rolls! But, you have to get there by 5, wait in line until the doors open at 5:30, and eat off the 1/2 menu until 7:30 when the special expires.
It's kind of a hole in the wall across the street from Urban Outfitters. The sushi is good and always tastes better when on special! -
Review from Kristiana A.
San Diego, CA
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love this cute little sushi place. The atmosphere is casual and inviting, the staff very friendly. The prices are standard for sushi places, though some of the combination plates are super cheap ($12 for california roll, teriyaki bowl, big thing of salad and miso soup).
My last visit really left the best impression on me. Friend ordered the sweet LIVE shrimp and we had a lot of fun trying to get him to actually eat it. Our waitress had a lot of fun with us too and she ended up having to show friend how to pull the head off to eat it. After he ate the shrimps, she took the heads and returned one deep fried and one in a bowl of miso soup, on the house. She was really sweet and made our dinner that much better. -
Review from Tina N.
San Diego, CA
2/7/2012
I'm only reviewing this for Happy Hour on Mondays, when it's 70% off a selection of rolls. That's the only time I've ever been here, and I think it's prob the only time it's worth coming here.
Considering the most expensive Happy Hour roll is like $11.50 originally, the most you'll be paying is $3.50/roll after the 70% off. Cheapest sushi you'll find anywhere! It's not the best quality sushi you'll find, but it tastes good, especially for the price. My friends and I always get the Crunch Roll (shrimp tempura with tons of these crunchy flakes and sauce), Rainbow Roll, Caterpillar, Soft-Shell Crab (which is a big roll diameter-wise and it's wrapped in pink/yellow soypaper so it looks pretty interesting), and the other options are basic rolls so it's just personal preference. We get yellowtail and spicy tuna too to even it out. A couple times I've been here though, yellowtail wasn't available.
I usually come with 3-4 people and we get about 17 rolls which comes out in a big platter and we all share .. which always ends up filling us up too much. You know, "eyes are bigger than your stomach" and whatever. And with it being so cheap it's easy to go overboard. For the most comfortable level of fullness (and this is tried and true from experience) 3 rolls/person is the optimal number (some of my friends still complain about being too full even with that), and you end up paying about $11 + tax/tip.
The only bad thing is the wait -- which varies. Usually, there's a huge waiting list, and the past few times we've gone, we've had to wait about 45+ minutes. But it's not bad if you go with cool people and you guys pass the time chillin' or going to Urban Outfitters across the street or bringing notebooks to study for classes (I've done all of the above). Today, though, we only had to wait 15 min before we were seated, so I guess it just depends. Maybe it's cuz we came at 6:45 today instead of last-minute towards the end of Happy Hour at 7:30ish like usual. ( btw as long as you get your name on the list before 7:30 you'll still get HH prices even if you get seated way later).
The only bad thing is the service -- the waitresses never check up on you and you only see them when they take your order and bring food. We had the hardest time flagging down anyone to get extra ginger or to ask for things. But whatever, I'd come here again -- it's dirt-cheap sushi and it's fun going with friends and sharing a ridiculous amount of rolls to get all food-comaed out. -
Review from Genevieve C.
San Diego, CA
2/27/2012
I have only eaten here for the 70% off sushi on Monday nights.
Get here early to get your spot in line---I advice by at least 5pm, if not earlier.
The rolls are decent size and taste so so so delicious.
Service is hit or miss.
My favorite is the crunch roll!!
If the line wasn't so long, I would eat here every Monday. It is a cheap meal of good quality. -
Review from Heidi G.
Go for the happy hour, stay for how ridiculously fast you get your food. Their happy hour is ridonculous (50% rolls during the week, 70% off on Monday!) so the wait is pretty long. They found us two spots at the sushi bar so we took it because I'm more of a sushi bar type of girl anyways.
Even though they were packed full, we handed our order to the sushi chef and he immediately started making our rolls and within minutes he handed it back to us. Later when I ordered another roll, I swear he handed me my order in less than 60 seconds. Now that's service! I felt like I could just wiggle my nose and *pop* there it would be right in front of me. So you have to wonder, the food comes out almost unreasonably fast, and the price is so cheap, it can't be good. And that's where you'll be wrong. I got a rainbow roll and all the different fishes on top were delish. It melted in my mouth!
My recommendation: The Rainbow roll and Hamachi Kama
PB is still PB so imagine having a hard time parking and a crowd of twenty and thirty somethings doing sake bombs. -
Review from James D.
San Diego, CA
4/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was very disappointed with surf side sushi. I had received several good references but did not enjoy our dinner. The service was slow and it was not busy. The prices were inflated as well. We paid over $70 for two people. Usually when we go out to sushi it costs around $50. We had a spicy yellow tail roll that look like mashed tuna and we found several silver scales in it. Gross. On the positive the location is cool and we did like their crunchy roll.
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Review from Christopher C.
San Diego, CA
12/22/2011
Yum! Sushi! My apartment mate and I came here after finding out the place we originally wanted to go to closed at 5pm instead of 6. Then I remembered some of my friends telling me about Surfside Sushi and super cheap happy hour on Monday. And what do you know? It was a Monday! 70% off on select rolls, can't get any better!
We walked over since the original restaurant was super close. But I could imagine parking to be horrible. We got there around 5pm and there was a huge line in front of the door! Happy Hour started at 5:30pm so we had to wait for 30 minutes.
We were able to make it in the first wave. We got a Crunchy Roll, Spicy Tuna, Spicy Yellowtail, Soft Shell Crab, and Rainbow Roll. The service was also insanely fast. We got the rolls in maybe 5-7 minutes after ordering.
Crunchy Roll: Favorite. We got another one after we finished our initial 5 rolls. I loved the sauce, although I'm pretty sure it was just spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce. And who doesn't love shrimp tempura in their sushi?
Spicy Tuna: Nothing special, just spicy tuna. It was good.
Spicy Yellowtail: Probably my second favorite. I love yellowtail so I'm biased. And the fact that it was spicy. Yes!
Rainbow Roll: I smelled the fish. I think maybe one piece was SLIGHTLY just barely fishy smelling. But it's okay, I forgive them since it's SUPER CHEAP.
Soft Shell Crab: My least favorite. I thought I would like the crab more and the roll would have more flavor but it fell short of my expectations. It also had a pink "paper" (maybe rice paper?) wrapped around it which was cute but it was flavorless. I tried the crab on it's own and it was kind of meh.
Overall, great place for cheap sushi! Great first experience here! I realized how much I miss sushi! Yum! -
Review from Ellen P.
San Diego, CA
2/3/2012
I was very skeptical about this place because of how cheap the rolls are especially on Mondays with their 75% off all rolls during Happy Hour. But, I was very pleasantly surprised.
SERVICE: The service was pretty good for a japanese place. The wait on Mondays during Happy Hour is around 30-40 minutes. So I suggest getting there at 5;30 sharp if you want to avoid the wait.
FOOD: The rolls were all delicious. My friends and I ordered multiple rainbow rolls, multiple caterpillars, multiple spicy tuna, multiple crunchy, etc. We basicaly ordered all the rolls on the menu. My favorites were the caterpillar and rainbow. The sushi was actually pretty good quality. Because of the price, I thought that the quality would be bad, but the sushi wasn't bad at all. Also, the rice was pretty good. All in all, I enjoyed the rolls and the extremely cheap price was also a plus :)
I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS PLACE! -
Review from Kayla K.
La Jolla, CA
3/25/2012
The quality of the food is mediocre and the sushi doesn't seem too fresh, especially if you come on Monday's for their happy hour specials. i noticed the rice being harder than usual from leaving it out for too long. But I understand that it's not easy to make rolls when there are so many customers coming and out for the 75% deals. COME AND WAIT EARLY. You'll regret coming late because the line curves all the way to the outside parking lot, and it's cold since it's near the beach. This place does a good job since it's so busy on Monday's, and your orders do come out fast. But as I see it, if your food comes out fast (esp. sushi), it's probably pre-made from hours before.
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Review from Christina K.
La Jolla, CA
I am reviewing based on the 70% off sushi rolls on Monday nights.
If you love cheap sushi, it doesn't get any cheaper than Monday nights at Surfside Sushi. I've explored various happy hour specials at various sushi places in San Diego but Surfside Sushi is now my favorite! Not only do they have cheap prices (at least $3-4.50 per roll on the 70% off sushi menu), but they didn't skimp on the quality. It isn't top notch fresh out of the ocean of course, but for $3-4.50, it is pretty damn good! When majority of the customers during the special are college students, you know it is a good deal!
Tips: ARRIVE BY 5pm because the line will get long and if arrive by 5:10pm latest, you will get in probably by 5:45 or so. Also, think about the time it will take to find decent parking in PB. I am glad they did the special early because going to PB around 7pm is crazy with traffic.
My friends and I (seven people) ate 21 rolls for about 65 bucks! My favorite rolls of the night were eel roll, shrimp tempura, soft shell crab and crunchy roll. One of the better crunchy rolls I've had because they used large sized shrimp. The soft shell crab roll wasn't too bad but the flavor didn't pop like the eel roll.
The service was good and not too slow. It is now going on my list of cheap eats! -
Review from Channele L.
Henderson, NV
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here on a Sunday night to get my fresh fish fix in while I was by the ocean. Us Las Vegas types can't get it fresh like in San Diego, so this was one of my goals this weekend.
It was about 6 or 7 when I went in and the restaurant wasn't even half full so I got seated right away. Ordered a green tea that was delightful as well as a crunchy roll, eel sushi, and tuna sashimi. The crunchy roll was hilarious and tasty! When it came out, it just looked like a plate full of panko. I poked around with my chopsticks and found the rolls, which were so so good. The eel was exceptionally fatty which was a little sad, but the sashimi made up for it at least.
Now, here in Vegas, they give you sashimi that's, like, pink eraser sized. Does anyone use these anymore? Oh well, at least some of you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, my tuna sashimi comes out and there's 3 pieces that are like 3/4" thick and definitely require 2+ bites. What I am trying to get at is it is LARGE. And awesome. And everything sashimi should actually be.
For everything it was around $20 or so before tip, so I wouldn't call that terrible. Fix your eel and I'll make you a definite stop on my next trip! -
Review from Debbie O.
3/8/2012
This place is only good for their happy hour 70% off sushi rolls on Monday. It starts at 5:30 and ends at 7:30, but if you want to get in the first round, you gotta get in line before 5. I mean, service here is fast (more on that later), but they don't limit you from ordering seconds or thirds so you could be waiting a while. One thing is DO NOT come here and wait in line while your friend is "on his way". It's just too risky because the Japanese waitresses here are SO strict. We had a group of six and one person was on his way. Instead of letting the six of us first sit and order, we had to wait until the last person came, even if that meant waiting for the second round. Hmm... ditch your friend and start stuffing your face with sushi or be a good friend? We chose the latter but all agreed the smart decision was to start eating. Man, watching each party get seated before you is pure torture, but that's why I'm here to warn you guys. Be warned.
The sushi rolls are very limited, and they are definitely far from fresh. The good thing is, they are cheap and they satisfy your craving for imitation crab meat wrapped in rice. As I stated above, the service is fast but that's because everything, and i mean EVERYTHING is premade for the 70% off rolls. What does that mean? That means you're probably eating leftover shrimp tempura from yesterday in your crunchy roll. We know this because my friend complained that his crunchy roll had a stale shrimp tempura in it. The waitress just smiled and said, well, it's 70% off.. we're not going to make it fresh for you. It was kinda hilarious in a shocking way. I mean, her response is only understandable because you simply get what you pay for. Therefore, come early, don't expect too much, and prepare to ditch your friends if they're not standing next to you when the line starts moving. Enjoy! -
Review from Victor C.
CA
Updated - 11/15/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Yep, I'm a loyal fan of Surfside. The people giving the 2-3 stars are all crying because they couldn't get to the restaurant and get in line by 5pm. Crybabies. psh.
On this particular occassion I got here at 5pm and out of the handful of time's I've been there, I was the first in line! Incredible! I was so surprised that I thought they ended the 70% off Mondays and even went to check their website. But sure enough, my paranoia was misplaced and they were indeed open. I think the crowd goes down slightly simply because it's not summer anymore and it gets dark later...
Our group of four did some minor damage as we were the first to order that night. We ordered a total of fifteen rolls which only totaled to around $45 after the discount. Crazy huh?
In the end, our party left satiated and filled by 6:30pm. But really, to all the people that give this place 3 stars or below, don't gripe because you can't beat the rest of us there. :] Get here BY 5pm, and you'll be sitting pretty.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/10/2010
Excellent place to come on a Monday evening for good quality cheap eats. I would definitely… Read more »
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Review from Shirley L.
Baldwin Park, CA
1/16/2012
I will probably never be back..
1. Seating not comfy
2. Overpriced higher than the roof prices for rolls
Don't get the San Diego roll...tastes like a plate of rice soaked in lemon juice
We ordered 3 rolls and fried rice for 50
Each roll had six pieces
3. Terrible service
Didn't get anyone to give us the check for a while and took them a while to pick up the check
However I will say the 10ingredient fried rice was good compared to sushi but for 13 I'd rather have a 3x3 at innout -
Review from Kirhan C.
South Pasadena, CA
3/18/2012
The place has good value during happy hour, but if you're looking for A-quality sushi this is not really the place. The fish isn't the best quality and the rolls have a high rice to fish ratio.
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Review from Yen T.
San Diego, CA
My friend and I came here at 5:45 for the Monday special. Register to the hostess at about 6:05. The hostess told us that it was gonna be a 30 minute wait, but we didn't get in until nearly 7:00. Got our food at 7:08. Finished at around 7:30 and didn't get out until 8:00. I was very detailed in the times because I wanted to show that it was gonna be at least a 2 hour meal, so if you're in a hurry, don't come here.
Some tips to speed up the process:
-come early (happy hour starts at 5:30, I recommend being there at 5)
-go with a small party (the smaller the better but don't go by yourself, that's just lonely)
-sit at the bar (the sushi chefs will take care of you, you will get your food and access to the waiters faster)
-ask for check while eating, or like 20 mins before you wanna leave (they take forever to get the check out)
Okay, now on to the food.
From the 70% off menu, I recommend:
-crunchy roll (they don't give you as much crunch as they used to :() , eel roll, caterpillar roll, rainbow roll.
-rolls are small, me and my guy friend ate 6 rolls total.
-Like I said before, you should prob take off some of the rice, they give you WAY too much.
-Ask for ginger, I love their ginger!
-The sushi is obviously not like OMG, buts it the deal that makes me keep coming back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/15/2011
Let me explain how much I love this place:
I went there 6 mondays consecutively for the 530-730 happy… Read more »
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Review from Sara S.
2/28/2012
Came here on Monday for the 70% off sushi (5:30pm-7:30pm). It was raining when we came so the wait was only about 15 minutes but apparently normally the wait is a lot longer (like an hour). We got six rolls and the bill was $20. WHAAAAT? Such a good deal. The sushi is pretty good. I loved the crunchy roll! Definitely good for that price but maybe a bit expensive without the 70% off. The service was good. Overall, very satisfied!
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Review from Marc P.
Del Mar, CA
12/12/2011
We walked in on Friday night at 6:40pm. The wait for a table was quite acceptable at around 10 minutes.
They gave us the sushi menu and informed us of the rolls that were available at half-price until 7pm, and also let us know that you could get a full pitcher of Kirin beer for $6.
The Kirin tasted pretty bad (wondering if the tap needed to be cleaned) to me. I'm glad we also ordered some cold sake, since that is what I found myself drinking throughout the meal.
Although we didn't try any sashimi, all of the fish in our sushi was of good quality, both in taste and texture (the salmon was perfectly buttery the night we went).
The 2 Rainbow Rolls that we got at half-price were very tasty, and were an absolute steal at half-price. Glad we ordered two of them.
The other half-price roll that we got was the Crunchy Roll. It was good; not great, but good. We really did enjoy the peanut sauce and the tempura crumbs that covered it.
The 911 roll was our favorite item. It was spicy, but delicious.
The style of the captain Mimi didn't personally appeal to us (we generally enjoy the 'raw' sushi feel, where as this had a 'cooked' fish feel to it), but I could see those who enjoy cooked fish appetizers enjoying it.
I look forward to heading there again and trying some more of their stuff. -
Review from Mazda A.
San Diego, CA
1/1/2012
Fresh high quality sushi. Liked all the rolls and nigiri sushi we had except captain's mimi, which was some sort of fried sushi. The presentation of dishes were also nice.
Our only complaint was that there was about 15 minutes lag between delivery of our first and last roll. -
Review from Deborah L.
San Diego, CA
9/20/2011
I had really high hopes and the 70% off sushi rolls on Mondays seemed too good to be true..
Well, it was.
First off, we got there 5:17 pm & we didn't get served until 6:50pm! Ridic, I know. We had a party of 8 and even split up our party so so it'd be easier to get seats. I do agree that the price is incredibly cheap, but the sushi pieces are..rather dinky (kind of reminds me of Niban but even smaller..). I've tried many sushi places and this place serves mini-sized samplers as their sushi rolls..
They need to hire more staff members because all the waitresses/waiters were scrambling about. It made me feel rushed just watching the chaos. All in all, the wait just isn't worth it. We only paid $9 per person which is dirt cheap for sushi but I honestly would've paid $9 for one decent sized roll at another sushi joint. Surfside got me full, but not satisfied.
Glad I got to experience the hype, but sorry, this really just isn't my thing. -
Review from Anna E.
2/13/2012
Came here on a Friday for HH (50% off) and it was surprisingly empty. Tried the crunch (yum), rainbow (super fresh and buttery), spicy tuna (ok), caterpillar (eh), softshell crab (ok), green tea mochi (yum). For $40, we had all those rolls, desert and a glass of wine. Definitely worth trying.
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Review from Sonia M.
San Diego, CA
7/23/2011
Summary: mediocre vegetarian sushi with extremely bad service
Where should I start. I came here on a Wednesday Night with a group of 10. It was around 7 30 pm and pretty empty. They accommodated us with seating fairly quickly but then the problems started.
We had to wait 20 minutes to for our waitress to come over and ask us for drinks and food orders. She was nice about giving us veggie options and customizing rolls so that they were vegetarian.
However, we had to wait over an hour for our food. Not only was it relatively empty, but a couple at the table next to us was seated, ate, and left all before we were given our food. I thought it was because she was going to give us all of our orders at the same time (and with ten people that can take awhile), but our orders came 2-3 at a time with long waiting in between.
As a vegetarian, the the veggie tempura sushi we created with avocado and cream cheese was fairly good and the vegetarian roll they had on their menu was okay. I think San Diego has much better to offer.
I was already very upset about the ridiculous amount of time we had to wait, but the fact that we had to flag down the waitress for our bill, and then wait a very long time for her to process the bill, just kind of sent me over the edge.
Maybe I should have gone during happy hour, but I will not be returning. -
Review from Aaron G.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 2/12/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Been going here for years and figured my last review was a couple years ago, will say their food is definitely awesome! Hamachi Kama is like crack to me! Get that and just white rice and you're in heaven! The Bentley roll was pretty awesome... Try going at the non happy hour times and you will see quite a difference in wait time and food quality!!! Been loyal for years!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/16/2010
Mondays are when I go and yea...it's a long wait...but you can't beat the price anywhere so I won't… Read more »
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Review from Fareed T.
Austin, TX
11/18/2011
Limited hh selection.
Average quality.
Decent ambiance.
Great service. -
Review from Tim L.
8/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
So do any of you guys like ridiculously cheap good quality food? Well look no further, because the answer is Surfside Sushi on Mondays! Every Monday, starting at 5:30, their rolls are a whopping 70% off! 70% OFF!
You might think that at these prices, the sushi can't be good. But let me tell you, the quality is actually good. All I have to say is I paid about 3 dollars for a freaking Rainbow roll. That right there pretty much sums it up.
Now the service is obviously not too good. It is always so crowded for happy hour. However, when you're paying this cheap, this honestly isn't an issue. There is also always a huuuuge line. The solution is come 30 minutes before happy hour and you will be fine!
So the next time you're free on a Monday and craving sushi...you now know where to go! -
Review from Steven T.
San Diego, CA
8/9/2011
Surfside Sushi with their awesome 70% off Sushi Mondays! What's there not to love! I think they have some really good sushi, cept Mondays their quality of sushi seems to go down a bit. Here's a review of my 70% Off Monday experience.
The service was okay but they could have been more enthusiastic even if its a busy and packed day.
The interior and decorations are well placed for the cuisine. Tables are small, especially for parties larger than 4 or 6.
I ordered the Caterpillar, Philadelphia, and Crunchy roll. The crunchy roll was as expected (Great!) and the Caterpillar was good as well. What I didn't like so much was the creativity and display of the food. It was not up to notch as most other sushi restaurants I've been to. Some of the sushi were not as proportional, leading it to break. Philadelphia roll was average, fish could have been a little more fresher though.
How to Survive 70% Off Mondays:
+ Arrive early and expect to eat 30-60mins later.
+ Bring a card game *cough Monopoly Deal!* or just have a nice chat
+ Plan what you're going to get as you wait to be seated.
+ Enjoy your food and be KIND to the chefs and waitresses, it's the busiest day for them! -
Review from Bob S.
San Diego, CA
9/23/2011
Proof that yelp reviews do indeed drive business right here.
I, being fairly new to the sushi scene, was looking for a decent local spot on a Saturday afternoon. After the care and quality put into the rolls I had upon my first visit the wife and I have returned multiple times.
I know this place has crazy happy hour deals (being in PB and all), but what really sold me was the freshness of the fish that entered my gullet. The chefs know everyone and handle everything effortlessly. At no point did I feel any of our rolls/dishes were "mailed in". Care was put into every morsel we devoured.
We'll continue to come back as long as they keep this groove on. Strong work. Please stay strong and keep your commitment to freshness. -
Review from Chrissy N.
San Diego, CA
8/16/2011
Alex T. and I came here for the Monday sushi special...I mean, 70% off sushi, need I really say more?
The wait was a little long ~45 minutes. We got there at 6:00. As long as you're on the list before 7 (I think) you get the 70% off deal, so no worries.
For the Monday special, you have approx 6 rolls to choose from. Caterpillar, Rainbow, Crunch, Soft shell crab...I can't remember the rest.
The service is very fast and the sushi was surprisingly deliciously fresh. No fishy taste and no slimy stuff.
I can't wait to come back! -
Review from Tara T.
San Diego, CA
2/12/2012
By far my favorite sushi restaurant. The service is unbeatable and the food is fresh and delicious every time. Try having the sushi chef making his choice of sushi for you. You will not be let down. Solid every day
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Review from Cui C.
Honolulu, HI
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
It was oishii!!!!! Great quality sushi and sashimi. I will do omakase again.
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Review from Yen N.
Garden Grove, CA
9/25/2011
who doesn't like 70% OFF sushi????????? Definitely NOT ME :D
I almost went here 3 days on Monday in a row, but I only made it twice, and it still didn't satisfy my craving yet. I had crunchy roll with spicy mayo whenever i got there. Drooling... Salmon Rainbow is great, too. Not the best sushi I've ever had, but the price is totally unbeatable! I smiled happily with a big belly after the meal, and only paid around $13-14
Be aware of the line. Plus, they usually don't do multiple checks since this place is very busy!!! Get here earlier before the happy hr, so u dont have to wait too long^^ -
Review from Critic F.
San Diego, CA
7/9/2011
Cheap sushi on Monday for sure but service can be very disappointing especially with this short chubby Japanese waitress who has this really weird eyes and fat face, she is rude and does not care or less about the customer. I'm a regular there and she used to be a host there which was bad enough and she is now a waitress there. She would not care to refill your drinks and she took a long time to bring your food! Good luck with getting this stupid chubby waitress!
But all others they are pretty good with their service. Don't get me wrong I still go there but if We were so unfortunate to have her as our waitress then we would tip less bc of her horrible service. Good luck! -
Review from Ruth T.
San Diego, CA
8/26/2011
70% OFF SUSHI ON MONDAYS FROM 5:30-7:30 PM!
Need I say more? Okay, I guess I'll say a little more.
Don't expect to sidle in at 5:30 and expect to get seated right away. Prepare to wait for a while, and if you come with a large group, prepare to be split up to speed up the process (we ended up sitting close together anyway at the bar, woot).
Although it was really busy, we were attended to and served promptly. Props! I ordered 2 tempura shrimp rolls and 1 Philadelphia roll (I don't recommend the Philly roll, too much cream cheese...yech), and it came out to about $8! WHAT A BARGAIN! Even though the sushi was not top tier, the cheapness made it taste soooo much better.
Students at UCSD who have been living off of Pines sushi, I beg you to try this place out! It definitely won't break the bank if you come during Happy Hour. No car? No problem! I noticed that the 30 stops right outside of the place. There are no more reasons for you to not venture into PB :D
