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Wayo Sushi
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
1407 Van Ness AveSan Francisco, CA 94109
Neighbourhood: Pacific Heights
(415) 474-8369
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 2 pm
Mon-Sun 6 pm - 10 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:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
About This Business:
At Sushi Time, we think your dining experience should be fun. Our menu makes you feel like a kid again, with sushi rolls named G.I. Joe Roll, Hello… read more »
392 reviews for Wayo Sushi
Review Highlights
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"The Brown Rice Sushi is unique and great too." In 57 reviews -
"I love their spicy tuna and their sashimi is delicious." In 49 reviews -
"This might be the best sashimi you'll have in SF." In 79 reviews
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392 reviews in English
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Review from Rebecca A.
San Francisco, CA
3/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
A rare gem of a reasonably priced sushi restaurant that serves fantastically fresh sashimi and sushi, simple, beautifully prepared, with less of those fried mayo-laden faux rolls that sushi bars seem so fond of serving. Since BF was set on having a roll I decided to give them a chance despite usually abstaining from fusion-style sushi. Since our arrival in SF this has been the best sushi we've ever eaten.
We had the House Roll (spinach, cucumber and unagi), Spicy Tuna and Mango Roll, and an order of some of the freshest and most tasty maguro sashimi I've had. The flavors were straightforward and fresh, pure on the palate like Japanese food should taste. Tea came in a large earthenware mug (no tiny cups here) and the miso soup was delicious. While this is a small restaurant with the husband preparing the sushi and the wife serving, so you have to be patient given the wait of about 30 or so minutes - we were well content given the quality of the food. I'd have liked some regular sodium soy sauce as well. -
Review from C C.
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2012
fresh sushi
cozy atmosphere
bit of a wait
we will be back! -
Review from Derek N.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Not bad of a place. The Nigiri was fresh. I like how there is wasabi in each roll.
Wait time was 45 minutes for the food. The waitress did warn us about the long wait before we ordered which is very appreciated. It seems there was the old man preparing the sushi, the one waitress and a dishwasher in the back. They seem a bit understaffed but nonetheless they were very nice.
I wouldn't come here for a quick bite due to the time it takes to sit down and get the food.
I'll definitely be back :) -
Review from Karena Q.
San Francisco, CA
4/29/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Tiny gem on Van Ness that's worth checking out.
I've been here a few times and have always had a great experience. Fresh fish, reasonably priced, good balance of creative and simple/basic rolls, cozy space. Definitely one of my go-to sushi spots in the city. -
Review from Daniel B.
San Francisco, CA
4/4/2012 3 photos
All the fish in the sushi place say,
Waayyoo wayyooo o waayyyo wwayyoooo!
Wait like a cus to mer.
chka-chka-chka-chka-chka-chka-chka-chka
Wait like a cus to mer.
Are you reading a novel? Did you not finish your homework?
When did you last check your Facebook? Are you crafty?
Angry Birds? Stalking people on OkCupid? Scrabble?
DMV papers? Gossip on workmates / classmates / roommates?
* It's 30-40 minutes between ordering and receiving food. *
So whatever it is that you've got to do, bring it.
Seriously. Next time I walk by, I'd better see some AAU students laying out projects over the bar.
Or hipsters doing a photo shoot with the light-bouncing umbrella and everything.
It doesn't matter.
You know the date behind me was the opposite of happening.
Neither of them wore a smile when they got up to leave.
The server woman and sushi maker antennae man were polite.
Food was homey rather than flashy - I respect that.
The caterpillar roll didn't look like a bug.
But I ordered it because I'd wanted a bug.
My mango spicy tuna roll was _____. That is a blank space.
Pieces were also smaller than at other places.
There were a few funky art pieces, one drawn by a customer's child.
While the kid waited for sushi, I bet.
Approximately 2 3/4 stars.Listed in: People Watching, Asia is Huge, Small Shops, Pray for Japan, Games
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Review from Melv L.
5/17/2012
Cons:
Long wait
Overpriced
Average sushi
Pros:
Courteous service
Cozy place
Wasabi in sushi -
Review from Ryan T.
4/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was on a vacation visiting SF looking for a few places to eat. The first night we found ourself here at a single-room sushi restaurant run by a husband and wife team. We arrived a bit later in the night so service issues noted before were not an issue. The sushi was, as most people have stated, good, cheap, and expected. Nothing was too creative but I did enjoy the absence of mayo-sauce on every dish. Being from LA I might be a bit biased but I thought the fish was sold at an incredibly reasonable price. Although this wouldn't be a place I had to revisit, it was a quality meal and would highly encourage anyone who wants well priced sushi to head over to Wayo Sushi!
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Review from Hiromi N.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
I still find this place very affordable (as far as SUSHI goes) and maintains a very no frills sushi bar atmosphere. It is a small neighborhood joint. I've been here a few times with a few people and alone. Service is always courteous, not always fast (especially, if there is a crowd), but the sushi is good. The Sushi Chef is Japanese and so is the waitress (his wife?). The fish is fresh. There is not an extravagant list of rolls, so don't expect that. There is not a big menu, so don't expect that, either.
They offer "brown rice" sushi. Oh...and yes, they have vegetarian options, too (shiitake roll, mango roll...etc). East meets West sushi without too many crazily obnoxious rolls.
For enough food to keep me full for 3 days (and a beer) = $25.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/11/2007
Amongst the hustle and bustle of catching Muni buses on Van Ness, I had never taken a pause to try… Read more »
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Review from John M.
Fernley, NV
5/2/2012
Good prices. Not very fancy, a small shop, but good food. There aren't any specialty rolls, just the basic ones offered at most sushi restaurants, but they do it well!
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Review from Jean Y.
3/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
There is nothing about Wayo's simple lettered sign or its location on a messy stretch of Van Ness that would suggest it was better than any other neighborhood sushi restaurant. I would never have thought to walk into Wayo had I not remembered that a friend recommended it to me.
That friend warned me, and I will now warn you that service is extremely slow. There was no wait to be seated, but we were told we would have to wait half an hour if we wanted sushi. Looking over the menu, items that didn't require a half hour wait = beverages, cold tofu, rice...? We sat down to wait anyway.
The menu is very simple: appetizers, rolls (mostly just fish + rice), nigiri, sashimi. I was happy with the portions and the quality of the fish. We requested salmon skin hand rolls that weren't on the menu once the chef looked less busy, and they were delicious!
Dinner for 2 with an octopus salad, 4 orders of sashimi, 2 rolls, 2 hand rolls, 2 orders of hot sake, and green tea came out to $102 (including tax and tip). Seems reasonable to me for good sushi in SF! -
Review from Mona W.
Looking for a decent place to grab some late dinner after a movie, Wayo pop up on top of my search. I am always in mood for sushi so I ventured into this little restaurant.
First impression was mixed. On one hand, I was happy to find a small local restaurant ran by a genuine Japanese couple. On the other hand, restaurant was rather quiet at that point and there were no Japanese customers. The menu also offered too many fusion rolls for my comfort.
I decided against getting any of their rolls and went for a straight nigiri fare. 13 pieces later, I was happy and satisfied. The nigiri were authentic. Good sushi rice, perfect fish to rice ratio and all in small bite size pieces. Even the quality of the fish was much better than I have expected. The shiro maguro that night was excellent. The uni was fresh. Hotategai, kani and amaebi all nice and sweet. I also appreciate how everything was served in the logical order starting with lighter shiromi (white fish) and slowly progress to stronger flavors.
I like the intimate ambiance of the restaurant. If you sit right at the sushi bar you get to watch the chef in action. He is a man of few words but works diligently (despite a bit slow) to prepare your delicious meal. Customers were later informed of a longer wait (40 minutes) for sushi and that eventually turned away some potential customers. Those who were willing to wait, will be rewarded in my opinion. Food was good and the price was very reasonable.
Even though I can't give Wayo a solid 4 stars review, I still highly recommend this place. I might even try some of their rolls next time I am in the neighborhood.Listed in: Sushi and Sashimi
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Review from Nita K.
San Francisco, CA
3/3/2012
What an unexpected find on kind of yucky Van Ness. From the outside the restaurant doesn't look like much, but don't let that fool you. It has the best SASHIMI! We had both the HAMACHI and SALMON and they did not disappoint. We also had the Mango/Salmon roll and the Sea Fairy Roll. Everything was delicious...which made us order even more food. We left stuffed and happy.
Yes, the food takes a long time to get to you, but it's totally worth the wait. The lone sushi chef takes such care preparing your food and it's fun to watch him create your meal. I will definitely be back! -
Review from Shuang C.
Cambridge, MA
4/24/2012 3 photos
Good sushi and sashimi, but I don't understand the hype. The wait was manageable at 30 minutes, but any more than that and it wouldn't have been worth it. Maybe I just suck at telling apart mediocre raw fish and awesome raw fish. /shrug
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Review from Dirty D.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
In one word?
Fresh.
In two words?
Hella fresh.
Three?
Fresh to death.
Wayo is on a relatively dead stretch of Van Ness and when you walk in there's two dozen seats, about half of which are at the bar. There were only two people working - the chef and a server but luckily we came in late enough on a Friday night that we were seated right away.
Everything on the menu is reasonably priced and all the fish put in front of me was super fresh, including some of the best mackerel sashimi I've ever had. Wayo Sushi isn't trying to reinvent the wheel and they stick mostly to tried and true rolls but you won't care about the lack of originality when the sushi comes to your table. All the nigiri and sashimi I had was excellent, and though I've had better constructed rolls in my days of sushi eating, they stayed together fine and the quality of the fish was so good I barely noticed. And while we didn't partake of any, we noted that brown rice sushi was an option.
One of the only drawbacks is that service is slow, as there only seems to be one guy making sushi behind the bar but you can take the edge off your hunger by ordering some miso soup, edamame, and sake - all of which come to the table quickly. If you don't like hearing your neighbors' conversation, don't sit at the bar as it's pretty tight.
The bottom line is if you want incredibly fresh sushi, come to Wayo and you won't be disappointed. -
Review from Vickie Z.
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm going to make it short:
The food was worth the 1 hour wait!
Everything was sooo fresh!
Will be back again for Sure!!! -
Review from H K.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is okay, at least a solid 3+ stars but not much more. I don't know what I was expecting, but somehow for a sushi-only place I was expecting something better. The fish was good but (at least in my mind) not much beyond that. It could be just what I ordered. I usually like to go for chirashi of a sashimi combo. Neither was on the menu but I did see someone order it, so they did serve it. That might have given me a better perspective than the items I ordered. half of which were rolls.
Also this place apparently can be slow even when it's not fill. I saw the hostess advise an incoming party that sushi would take an hour (they then decided against waiting and left), and then advised the next party 40 minutes (they decided to stay). At least I give the sushi chef credit for personally bringing me my items to my table despite being so busy.
As for staff, it's just the chef and his assistant (who was pretty nice). This is despite a negative first impression of not much of a greeting or smile by either when I walked into the initially-empty restaurant (I was the first guest this past Friday evening). -
Review from Molly T.
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
What a great find!
I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh the sushi was. You can't beat the price too! For this sushi quality, I expected $10-15 an order. However, most dishes were about $5-8. My favorite was the hamachi. Overall, the menu is nothing fancy. It's just simple, good sushi!
I suggest sitting at the sushi bar. Watch the sushi chef in action. He's a man of few words and so is his helper. The place is very small but very intimate. I like it. I can actually have a decent conversation without shouting. Service is great! Never needed to ask for more tea or water. Food came fast.
I hear it can get crowded here but when I went it was half full. No problem finding a seat even during dinner time.
Don't forget the daily specials near the entrance. They are worth trying.
If you want good sushi at reasonable prices, then try Wayo! -
Review from Sara D.
San Francisco, CA
2/11/2012
The quality of the sashimi was good, and the rolls were decent, but do NOT show up to this place hungry.
They're painfully understaffed, which, on one hand lends to the authenticity of the food and I suppose the experience, but I believe they should at least hire another set of hands to help out.
I had a hard time enjoying my food because I felt so bad for the two people working here. -
Review from Rachel R.
Updated - 2/3/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Gave Wayo another go, so glad I did.
I think the trick with Wayo is knowing what to order, not every single item is amazing (big no to the spicy tuna) but a majority are top notch.
I still can't get over how good the nigiri is here. Also, the shrimp tempura roll is mighty nom-able.
Go to Wayo, get the Maguro Nigiri and Tempura roll for sure!Listed in: SF Sushi reviews
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/9/2011
Torn between 3 and 4 stars. Wayo really is a 3.5.
Really good prices for sushi, most rolls are under… Read more »
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Review from Lorrayne L.
Oakland, CA
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
How do you satiate your hunger before a high energy J-rock concert? Head straight across the street from the Regency and you'll find the answer.
The dive is fairly small, but authentic. The couple running the place are actually Japanese, and that fact alone made the sushi taste all the sweeter. I'll be back again for my next concert at the ballroom. -
Review from Bruce W.
3/19/2012
There are a lot of good sushi restaurants in SF and this is one of them. Went for the first time tonight - tiny little place but the sushi is the real deal. Had Dynamite Roll, maguro, Spicy Tuna Roll and a house special roll with seared albacore. All delicious and well priced for the quality. I'll be back.
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Review from Annie G.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yelp drove us here on a Saturday night. The location is a little odd, right on Van Ness. Place was pretty full, but there was only 1 server and 1 sushi chef.
The server finally made her way to us and informed us it would be 40 min for sushi. This was great to know because we ran and snagged a great bottle of wine from a friend's apt and ordered a whole bunch of starters. Corkage was only $10 which was a plus as well. $10 is nothing in this city for getting able to drink what you want.
On to the food. The starters were awesome! Crab and cucumber salad is a must! We had to order another one because it was so good.
Exactly 40 min later we got our food. It was all great especially for the price!
We will definitely come back, and we ready for a bit of a wait. -
Review from Tasha D.
San Francisco, CA
3/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is the best sushi/sashimi place in the city. Run by an older Japanese couple for the past 20 years in a tiny space at the bottom of a traditional SF apartment block, the fish is fresh and delicious, everything is made wonderfully, the hot sake is hot, the rice is what Japanese rice is supposed to be. Get there early or don't bother, and it's totally worth it.
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Review from Dana S.
1/8/2012
I was in love with the curved bar and cushy stools from the second I stepped inside.
We asked the nice lady what was good that day, followed her directions, and were rewarded with delicious, generous slabs of fish. And it's clear that the focus is on the fish. The rolls are pretty basic (which I consider a good thing) and sake's not their strong suit--you can pick from "hot", "cold", or "unfiltered"--but the cold sake was pretty good.
All that and it's affordable, too. A great new find. -
Review from Stefi C.
1/4/2012
Affordable, authentic and fresh sushi! Wayo's menu consists of various types of maki, nigiri, and sashimi so if you're looking for fancy/baked/rolls on fire, this is not your place.
Somethings to note:
- They also give you the option of using brown rice which is awesome, although it doesn't stick together nearly as well and kept falling apart when I tried to use soy sauce
- Wayo uses real crab meat, not imitation.
- GET THE SCALLOPS. They taste like straight up BUTTER. We tried them on the snow fairy roll (california roll topped with raw scallops). I think that was what it was called.
- Wait can get long as the restaurant has 4 small tables and bar seating only. The waitress kept telling customers that the wait would be ~40 min for sushi since they only had one chef working.
- If you're hungry, rolls are on the smaller size so it'd be better to order more than less since you'd have to wait a while for your order.
All in all, a great establishment. I'll def be back! -
Review from Michelle N.
Beverly Hills, CA
5/9/2012
Super traditional Japanese cuisine. Huge menu. Excellent sake and drinks menu. Karaoke rooms galore. Prices are great. Cooking is well above the average. What else is there? guy below me daniel i think is a child of drinking while pregnant...or is just a plain moron.
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Review from Grant W.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
Fresh Fish and Great Value!
This is my new go-to sushi place. The restaurant is small, so I imagine it is pretty difficult to get a table during peak periods. Luckily, I stopped by when it wasn't too busy. There are a handful of tables and ample bar seating (diner style).
The nigiri (yellowtail, tuna and salmon) was very fresh and portioned just right, not too thin and not too thick. I also tried the spicy yellowtail and mango roll, which was just okay. The prices are very reasonable compared to most of the other establishments in the area.
One of the other reviewers mentioned that it is difficult to reach them on the phone when placing take-out orders, which I found to be the case as well. All in all, a great place to get your sushi fix. -
Review from Stephan H.
Manhattan, NY
4/30/2012
nice, relaxed bar atmosphere, very fresh sushi, jazz music, owner couple operated, wish we had that in NYC
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Review from Judy L.
Cupertino, CA
11/2/2011
I LOVE this place!!!!! Fresh, simple, very high quality, very traditional little neighborhood sushi place. I think there may only be one guy putting the food together so it takes a while, but he takes such great care in making each dish that the wait is worth it (especially from the bar so you can watch). You can tell the chef really takes pride in his work.
I crave this place every week, no joke. And everything I've tried so far is DELICIOUS!!!! -
Review from Patricia M.
San Francisco, CA
3/4/2012
Oooh my roomie and I dropped by Wayo because our movie plans at AMC Van Ness fell through Thursday night! I wasn't disappointed, though, because I got to try Wayo. This is a super cute hole-in-the-wall run by a husband and wife team. We shared a large sake, she had the avocado and tuna roll, I had the snow leopard roll and the spicy salmon skin roll. We sat at the sushi bar while the chef made the rolls in front of us! This is an ideal spot for couples on an intimate date, or friends to sit at the bar. I even saw singles grabbing a quick bite on their breaks or after the gym across the street. Try this unpretentious spot for some high grade, quality Sushi. We both came at about 8:30 pm and were seated promptly but hear it gets awfully crowded at the 6-8 pm period.
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Review from Alex W.
Davis, CA
10/16/2011
My favorite sushi place, hands-down.
It is a no-frills hole in the wall, so if you are looking for a chic atmosphere, this is not your place. If, however, you want cheap (~$5 for specialty rolls like the spicy tuna mango roll and ~$9 for a rainbow roll stuffed with real crab and topped with large chunks of fresh ahi, salmon, and yellowtail), delicious, high quality sushi from a highly-trained Japanese sushi chef, there is nowhere better. (Note: Because the only chef is the owner, be prepared to wait for your sushi... It is worth it.) -
Review from Eric N.
San Francisco, CA
8/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place is great, but not for more than 4 people. Seriously, this place is small. But like it's size, the prices are also small. So small in fact that this place will not break your wallet for indulging your curiosity.
Get everything, it's good. Get here early, it good. I want to live closer to Van Ness just to eat here more often. -
Review from Richa A.
Updated - 10/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Consistently amazing.
Just an FYI that they don't actually open until 6pm now -- business hours listed on Yelp are incorrect.
My friend and I were in a bit of a hurry today when we went, and though there was only one other table seated, since there are only two people that work there we wanted to get our order in as quickly as possible. They were super accommodating and our rolls were immediately made one after another and served to us in sequence.
The albacore sashimi was so delicious. And the spicy yellowtail is still one of my favorites. While everything I've had here is good, at this point I think their basic rolls/ sashimi are far superior to the specialty rolls.
Since the AMC is just down the street, this is the perfect stop for dinner + a movie :)Listed in: Favorite eats in SF
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/14/2011
Okay, I officially adore this place.
I came back on a weeknight at 6pm -- completely empty. Awesome.… Read more »
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Review from Roxy G.
SOMA, San Francisco, CA
7/27/2011
I really wanted to like this place, mostly because it's a mom & pop, my friend's vouched for it, and because when you walk in the decor reminds you of a nice local place that you want to be your next favorite sushi bar.
Things started looking bleak when I saw her microwave my shrimp tempura. When the scallops were microwaved and placed on top of my imitation crab california roll, my nephew asked if it's supposed to be chewy. I was so sad.
When I saw the man put a dirty towel on the white rice he was pulling from to roll our sushi, that's when I had a vision of Gordon Ramsey walking in and shutting the place down. That and the scallop - I just really felt something growing inside of me after that.
The whole experience merited an Eek! Methinks not x 2.
A reminder:
1. Microwaved shrimp tempura
2. Frozen/microwaved scallops
3. Dirty towel on white rice
4. Wasabi in my rolls (weird)
Sorry Mom & Pop....
P.S. Go to Zushi Puzzle, Nama Sushi, or Live Sushi --- neither of those will disappoint. -
Review from J S.
San Francisco, CA
11/9/2011
Very solid 4 stars. This might be the best sashimi you'll have in SF. We got the yellowtail, salmon, and albacore. They all tasted really fresh and buttery. We also got maki unagi rolls, as well as a mango spicy yellowtail roll, but those weren't as good as the sashimi, and were kind of average as far as rolls go.
I also have to second the same warning that all the other reviewers have covered already, in that you should expect a bit of a wait since it's just the one chef and server for the whole tiny place. Totally worth it though for the great sashimi! -
Review from Grant D.
Atlanta, GA
1/22/2012
Complete hole in the wall, very small, excellent sushi, come here for extremely fresh fish, not American rolls. Dynamite roll was great, rainbow roll was one of the best I've had. Very reasonable prices. Highly recommended for fresh sushi
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Review from Yelp T.
San Francisco, CA
3/4/2012
What a great find!
I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh the sushi was. You can't beat the price too! No five star because the place is very small and we often have to wait to be seated. -
Review from De S.
San Jose, CA
9/6/2011
Pro: Fish/sashimi is fresh. Price is $10 max for any roll. Roll has decent size and very tasty. The only place I know that use REAL CRAB MEAT in their rolls. Free green tea and cozy atsmosphere of a family-run joint.
Cons: Only come here when you're not too hungry and have time to waste. There is only 1 chef and 1 waitress!i -
Review from Meredith R.
San Francisco, CA
7/22/2011
This is a lovely mom-and-pop sushi joint; no frills, no loud music, nothing but yummy Japanese food.
3 solid stars for reasonably priced sushi (read inexpensive), a menu of rolls that rivals all the other Star Sushi SF Spots (including lots of mango rolls now that it's summer), and your typical classy Japanese service (read unobtrusive, efficient).
1 solid star for brown rice option with all sushi: just ask.
Give it a try, all the Wayo!Listed in: Japanophile Loves
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Review from Conrad G.
6/16/2011
What did we order?
1 Mango & Spicy Hamachi Roll
1 Takuan Maki
1 Rock & Roll Roll
1 Spicy Maguro Maki
1 Tako Maki
1 Hamachi Sashimi
2 Sushi Rice
How was the taste on a scale from 1 through 5?
5
How was the service on a scale from 1 through 5?
5
Did we feel it was worth the price?
Yes
Will we visit Wayo Sushi in the future?
Yes
