Sushi Time
Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Castro2275 Market St
(between 16th St & Noe St)
San Francisco, CA 94114 (415) 552-2280
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
191 Reviews for Sushi Time
One of Sushi Time's Favorite Reviews
This is a great date spot.
Great fresh items.
Original rolls.
Snarky decor.
Needs more ventilation!
Sit at the bar and you'll be able to have a conversation
without straining your voice, save it for whispering
sweet nothings in the ear of your admirer later in the evening.
Especially if they have picked up the tab.
Order lots of sake(I like that they let you pick out your sake cups)
and be sure to order the baked mussels-they are divine. . .
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Goodness! Thanks yelpers - you were right again! Being four undecisive girls, we always have difficulty settling on a place to eat...thank goodness we all felt like sushi! This place is cozy with its own brand of charm...def felt at home - esp since the owner was so kind and fatherly to us. Slightly on the pricey side - we were very satisfied with our dinner.
We ordered the rolls - barbie roll (highly rec), the crunchy roll, the astro roll...The nigiri just melts in your mouth...we couldn't get enough of the hamachi and white tuna...sake was a bit salty for some reason..being a cold day in SF - the miso soups were yummy...just right =)
Good times, Sushi Time.
This place is super cute, warm, cozy, and inviting. The sushi is tasty (there's tastier, but they do it pretty good here), the staff friendly, and the vibe is warm. We enjoyed the seasonally excellent albacore nigiri, in addition to a variety of roles. Seaweed salad also the yummies.
We waited for about 40 minutes, on a Friday night around 8:30pm, but it was worth it. Prices are right (with tip we were at $22 per person not bad given that we got edamame, two seaweed salads, five rolls, 3 nigiris, and a beer).
What is the hype all about? The food was fine, but after reading all the Yelp reviews I thought I would be amazed. I didn't mind the 30 minute wait to get seated, but waiting 20 mins to get the waitress to notice us, followed by a 30 minute wait to get our food was unacceptable.
Don't order the tofu dishes, they are not good. The 10 piece sashimi meal was pretty good (but then lead and asbestos would taste good after waiting a millenium to get our 3 ounces of raw fish).
You want amazing sushi? Kiss Seafood. And good luck getting a seat.
Who would have thought an underground sushi joint would have traditional and quality tasting sushi. Unlike most restaurants that have unique rolls, theirs are limited to the conventional. The atmosphere is intimate and cozy, so if you're not claustrophobic I recommend you try it out.
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Useful (1)
It's been a while since I've been to Sushi Time - almost one year if I recall correctly. A bit shocking since this is our most regularly visited restaurant in the neighborhood. So I was pretty excited when we finally made plans to come back. I wasn't sure what to expect since the recent feature in Yelp. The place is small and a lot of traffic can cause changes.
1) They don't take reservations anymore - not a big deal
2) They don't carry any more of my favorite Udon noodles, which were just as good as the special rolls - much sadness on my part
3) Special Rolls were still good - love the barbie and crunchy
4) Other Rolls were disappointing - made kind of sloppily, what happened?
I did notice they have a new sushi chef and maybe that's why the quality of the workmanship isn't where it used to be.
But I'm not sure if this is one of my favorite go-to restaurants anymore - boohoo!
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
01/09/2007
It's like eating in a Japanes themed submarine. The place is part of a commercial building… Read more »
It took us about 6 months in the city until we found Sushi Time. Six months of eating yelp-suggested, yet uninspiring or over-priced sushi. Bummer!
Then we found tiny little delicious Sushi Time. Basically, if we are planning to spend more than $20 on dinner, we can't justify eating anyplace that isn't Sushi Time. It has kinda hindered the process of becoming a San Francisco foodie, but oh well! I get delicious hamachi!
Try the crunchy roll & the magoro zuke, please!
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By far the BEST sushi restaurant I've been to. The food is amazing and visually pleasing. I would definitely recommend trying the special rolls they have, but then again everything that we ordered was delicious. The service was also a plus to this place; it may be due to the fact that the place can only fit about 20 or so people but all of the staff were still friendly and attentive.
Totally worth an hour drive to eat here. Good find Q.
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I really like saying the name-- Sushi Time Underground. It makes me feel like I'm part of something secretive and special. And who knows, maybe I am. Afterall, how often do you eat sushi in a plexiglass hut in the basement of a small shopping center and its a good thing?
Sushi Time doesn't have the crazy waits of a Sushi Zone and the fish here is high quality in its own right. The menu is fairly traditional and you can get all of the staples you would want to satisfy a sushi craving. It's a good spot for sashimi/ nigiri and the prices are very reasonable. I've always been impressed with the service here as well. The staff is very friendly and attentive. Lots of smiles, helpful with questions and they just make you feel welcome. The atmosphere inside is really great too. It's a small area w/ alot of seating packed in so there's a very cozy and intimate feeling. You feel like you're in some cool little nook rather than a modern shopping center building. If you're into sushi, definitely try it out.
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This cozy sushi spot was one of those places that I had desperately hoped would stay under the radar because I selfishly want it to myself. Even when I ate here for the first time a couple years ago, me and my girlfriend at the time refused to write a review on Yelp to help keep it under cover. Well, now it's blown open and everyone knows about this secret little spot. Most of the time the rolls and sashimi here are great for a little weeknight dinner on the cheap. I like that it's tucked away underground and has roughly four and a half tables and a cool little sushi bar. Not necessarily a date place so much as a fun little spot to make it sushi time with a friend.
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Went here with my boyfriend last night. Really cramped, but cozy, intimate, and cute. Good, fresh sashimi. Only problem was that the barbie roll was half the size but twice the price of Philadelphia roll. bleh.
Sushi Underground is the most awesomest. They will pour your nigori in a glass. The chefs are friendly and smile. The fish is real good. The place is tiny and off the street. It will get full because it is yummy, but it does not tend to get as crazy packed as the other good sushi places that are more accessible.
The happy hour is also pretty special;)
Love the location! It's just not someplace you would think to find a restaurant and that adds to the atmosphere, which is secretive and intimate.
They stick to conventional rolls and they serve quality and yummy sushi.
Go during happy hour and you can have your fill of rolls, sake and/or asahi and not bust your wallet.
A great place and a definite recommend!
Great little spot in the Castro. Fish was fresh and the service was attentive, but not pushy.
It's small too! Felt right at "home". I would go there again and it actually feels like you are underground!
Absolutely one of the best sushi experiences I've ever had. Every piece of fish was fresh and non-fishy smelling or tasting. No bite was wasted.
Sushi Time is my favorite time on earth!!
Food: 5 stars, including good-sized veggie dish selection
Seating: 5 stars because it's so intimate and clean and stylish
Service: 5 stars because the waiters are so attentive, expert on the menu, and cuuuuute
Music: 5 stars due to the always unusual always excellent music
Price: 5 stars as it's excellent, well-priced, delicious food
Is it Sushi Time yet?? Is it is it is it???
The rolls are fresh and well made without costing too much. The most expensive roll is $10, and there are several ones less than $5. I recommend you try the eel, and I hear the crunchy roll is great. They've also got a nice variety of sake (about 12 types).
Only downside is the place is very cramped, capable of seating possibly 25 people, with people next to you able to hear what you're talking about.
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Good sushi, nice employees, little cozy environment.
AND! it's not that expensive.. so very niiiiiceee.
I once bought my fellow sushi whore friend a watch with pieces of nigiri instead of the numbers on the dial. Why did I do this? Well, because we are dorks and dorks like goofy stuff like that, but more importantly, so that we could always say...
"Que tiempo, Stephy?"
"It's sushi time, fother mucker!!"
Well, finally there is a sushi joint that gets it and named itself appropriately, because when it comes to sushi, anytime is a good time and I have the dwindling bank account to prove it!
Last night, I was taken here by a coworker and was definitely curious as he billed it, "Underground sushi" Ooooh, how mysterious. Well, underground I don't know. I mean, it's actually just down a flight of stairs, but hey, I'll go with it.
The place is about the size of my livingroom and totally charming. It's cozy, it's kinda dark and you are practically sitting on top of the person next to you. Last night we were seated next to two lesbians that absolutely refused to smile all night and I think their names were Debbie Downer and Depressing Dolores, but even in spite of their negatory vibes, we still had a nice time.
As for what we ordered, the 5 fish sashimi plate, a yellowtail roll, something with eel for my buddy and some edamame. All were decent. Not exceptional, melt in your mouth worthy, but for a Monday nigh meal on the cheaper side with booze, it was a fine deal and I will be back. Oh yes, I will. What?
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So this wasn't my first choice.. by any means.
My boys and I have a sushi spot down the street aka heaven aka Sushi Zone.. And we've always waited at least an hour and a half (which is well worth it!). So we put our names down.. pounded a few at zeitgeist.. and came back to Sushi Zone. "WE RAN OUT OF RICE" Give me a break! I didn't eat anything all day.. because i was looking forward to some mango and macadamia nut rolls!!... Ugghh.
So we raced over to Sushi Time... and thank god they seated us even though it was 10:15 and they shut at 10:30 (we needed to fulfill our sushi craving!). So although we were trying to rush it cos we felt bad for keeping them open so long.... them rolls are GOOOODD!! I can't really remember much of what we ordered except for the hello kitty roll and crunchy roll which was SUPER BOMB!!.. I think we annihilated the "house special rolls" section.
The staff was awesome!! and accommodating!.. even though we were the assholes keeping them from going home on time.
Anyway!! Overall.. A+!! Thank you Sushi time for being super rad!
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Tried this place because of Yelp. And once again I was not disappointed. I have to say this is now my favorite all around sushi place in SF.
This is not one of your trying to be the next trendy restuarant in SF. Or where you go to be seen. It is actually very hidden from the street. But It makes it more of a gem.
This place has great quality of fish, nice selection of rolls, and a price that is pretty inexpensive. The employees are very nice, and service was great. The only minus was that it was tight but I think it gave the place a nice ambiance.
We put our names on the waitlist when we got there and stepped outside to wait. Thirty minutes and three departing parties later, looked at the list, and they had flipped the page to add names to the next page, and sat three other tables that had arrived after us. Poor organization. Don't mess with my sushi fix like that.
Fish ranged from good to very good. Nothing that melted in my mouth this time.
It IS stuffy in there.
Our initial order came right away, and after we finished, we ordered another three orders. After twenty minutes, we cancelled it and asked for the check.
Seemed kind of hit-and-miss here tonight.
This is my go-to sushi joint--always fresh, solid nigiri and rolls. The GI Joe is always a hit when I bring friends. And everything from the basic yellowtail to the more exotic sea urchin and octopus are fresh and seriously tasty. Did I mention fresh?
I love the shoebox atmosphere and they've always got the coolest tunes playing; feels like a slice of hipster Tokyo with an undertone of speakeasy.
Don't neglect the sake list - but my inside tip is that the first one on the list (and, incidentally, the cheapest) is the way to go. Love it.
We came during happy hour when the sake was cheap, but a warm buzz in such a small place with little ventilation can really make you burn up. Over the course of the night I tried 7 rolls, and to be honest, I thought they all pretty much tasted the same. Maybe it's the American in me, but the rolls were tiny, therefore hard to distinguish in flavor, especially since I was popping them in like M&M's.
I did also have some nigiri and sashimi, some of which was okay (hotate, saba), and some of which was really good!! We ordered the Sashimi 5 happy hour special (3 pieces of white tuna, 2 pieces of salmon, 5 buckaroos) and at least on this night, the white tuna was a real star, very fresh!
when i think of sushi time, i think of their mouth watering/ melt in your mouth sashimi, top notch service and decent prices.
it definately makes my top 3 favorite sushi places in the sf.
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Really excellent sushi, service, and atmosphere. The food was absolutely delicious!
The staff was very accomodating and really friendly and nice.. including the sushi chefs.
The one downside is how small and stuffy this place is. I guess I don't really mind that it is so small, but it's more the fact that it's very humid and warm in there because of the size. Needs some ventilation or something.
You get the feeling that when you leave, your clothes will smell of raw fish (love eating the stuff, but not so much smelling like it). I considered removing one star because of this, but the incredible tasting sushi and nice staff has me giving them the full on FIVE stars!
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Just go. This place is fun, cheap and my favorite sushi in the city. Ok...Sebu and other good places are definitely competitive, but this place is absolutely awesome. Despite being in a weird looking mini mall, the atmosphere is actually pretty fun and intimate .
Definitely go. This is coming from a guy who eats sushi all the time and has been around the world eating sushi...
Cute, small, neighborhood sushi spot on Market Street. Great prices, fresh fish, good for a group of 2-4 people. I'd definitely go back.
"What do you want for dinner?"
"I don't know..how about japanese?"
"Amici's?"
"Japanese?"
"Amici's?"
"Japanese?"
"Okay."
"WoohoO! ^_^" (I turn manga when this happens)
Zaoh was closed. So in comes the power of yelp and m3h 1337 skillz of t3h haxx0rz--and I find Sushi Time.
Turns out, no delivery. No problem, I have a CAR! TAH DAHHHH (I'm really excited about this because I haven't had a car for like, a year). So we ordered edamame, the Kenchin Miso Soup, Mango roll with avocado and cucumber, Maguro nigiri, the Barbie roll, and Crunchy roll.
The maguro was super fresh and tasty, and my favourite was the Crunchy roll. I've never had BBQ eel before, so this was an interesting take on flavor that totally appealed to me. The kenchin miso soup was also super delicious, I highly recommend it instead of just plain ole miso. When we went inside to pick it up, it was such a SMALL space, but so intricately decorated with trinkets that we decided we would be back for a sit down dinner.
Also, their wasabi IS hot. If it isn't, it probably just means you hardly put any on there, and so your next decision SHOULD NOT be to put a crapload on your piece of sashimi. If you make that decision, be prepared for the consequences and me laughing at you.
...I mean WITH you. That's what I meant.
Just sayin.
Oh and I saw Heat! Like, a few years too late. But why was that woman so attracted to Robert De Niro?? He's not George Clooney, so come on.
WTF.
(this review was brought to you by Jaime's PMS)
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R says:
The sushi is great but the venue is tiny. It's also not that easy to find if you don't know the place.
Definitely my favorite sushi place to eat at thus far.
I have to admit, this place wasn't that easy to find--especially since my date and I were from out of town. When we were finally able to locate the place, we entered and were greeted by a kind Japanese man. He told use that that the last table was currently reserved for three people but then he kindly informed us that if we would wait just 10 minutes, a table should be ready. So after about five minutes, the waiter showed us our table and we were seated.
The decor around the small restaurant gave the place a really cultural and traditional feeling. The paintings of samurais behind the chefs, the japanese dolls that were placed on the shelves, the pictures of japanese families, everything was pretty interesting to look at. The restaurant was fairly compact and it kinda feels like you're sitting in an underground greenhouse without the plants.
For dinner, we ordered the goma miso soup, uni nigiri, barbie roll, maruko zuke sashimi, astro boy roll, speed racer roll, and the hello kitty roll.
The miso soup was the best I've had so far. As for the rolls, all the rolls were nicely displayed and each had something very distinct about them. For the barbie roll, each piece of sushi had a small piece of lemon on top which the made the roll taste very fresh and provided a unique after taste. The hello kitty roll was delicious. The fresh fish eggs that just pop in your mouth and the fish that just melts in your mouth makes this a very surprising dish despite it's name. The red snapper from the maruko zuke sashimi was very tender and fresh. The unagi in the astro boy roll, topped with the spicy mayo and avocado, was a great combo of flavor that just melted in my mouth. The tuna in the speed racer roll was just succulent and I can still taste the unique texture of it within my mouth. Lastly, the most surprising dish in my opinion was the uni nigiri. This was the first time my date and I had tried sea urchin. The sea urchin was coated with a creamy sauce, which my date considered to taste like the "entire ocean". I don't think I felt that splash of flavor but I have to admit that the flavor was completely unique (in a good way) and something that I could not compare the taste to.
I would definitely go here again, probably with a different date. Have fun reading this patty :D
Love this place! My friends took me here for a light dinner. We had various sushi rolls (just $3.75 each). I loved the mango rolls, and the philly rolls--cream cheese in a sushi roll? I'd probably have thrown up in my mouth had someone told me about such a concoction before today, but they were nice. Some A/C or fans would've been good, especially since it was 1000 degrees outside today, but the ice cold Diet Coke kept me nice and cool.
Come for happy hour for the best prices!
Because of Sushi Time, I now look down upon other sushi places. Okay maybe not look down upon, but they really can't compare. On first walking in, I really didn't expect it to be THAT small, so I was quite shocked. I then ordered a Rainbow and GI Joe Roll, which were amazing. The fish is so fresh, and tasted amazing. On top of all this the staff was friendly and there was not one problem with the service. Definitely plan on going back. Prices were not that bad for sushi either.
Finally we found a good sushi place in the city. After having a handful of mediocre experiences, I was ready for some good fish in an authentic atmosphere. Enter Sushi Time.
It sits off the street and you have to navigate your way through a sort of open air mall to find it. It's a tiny spot with only a few tables which fill up quickly, so if you're planning on a group dinner, send someone early to get a table. We opted to sit at the bar in order to get the whole experience and chat with our sushi chef. Unfortunately, you can't order directly from the chef, which was a disappointment.
We were celebrating a birthday and our dining companions are from Nashville and don't get a lot of good quality sushi. They were like kids in a candy store and ordered every time of sashimi on the menu and loved them all.
We ordered a variety of rolls and nigiri. The rolls are a bit small, but the quality of fish is good and the prices are reasonable.
The sushi chef overheard us talking about our companion's birthday and sent out a bowl of green tea and black sesame ice cream as a birthday treat. Nice touch!
Sushi Time is definitely a good spot to get good quality sushi for good prices.
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I feel like it's a 3.5 star. I wish we could give 1/2 a star. why can't i?!
the staff and chef are really nice. it's a tiny hole in the wall place. if you can't find it, it's in this weird plaza that is next to Books Inc. you the stairs in the back. although, it's a tiny little tunnel, you can leave your phone number with them to roam where you want instead of just waiting there.
the tuna-avocado looked so good in the picture on the website and yelp but wasn't as yummy as i expected. i thought i was going to have this piece of tuna with avocado just melting in my mouth = no, wrong. the tuna didn't melt. we got the rainbow roll, ika, smoke sake, maguro, and ako. overall, it's was fair - nothing exceptional. all of that with an iced tea, seaweed salad, and a miso soup cost us $43 + tip. so it's not too bad.
you can make ask conversation with people we seat at the bar also. everyone just seem super friendly at the place. love it.
food = 3.
staff = 4.
Hm found this spot today to grab quick sushi before a flick at the Castro Theater. Anyhow, it's a little spot below a gym and it's easy to overlook. Inside they can fit about 20 people max I think which is kind of nice actually since it's cozy.
The sushi portions were pretty good although the fish is not as fresh as at some places. Or it may be fresh, but isn't the super top highest quality. Of course for the prices they have it's a good deal. I haven't tried too many of the other sushi spots in the Castro so I can't give any other options but if you aren't looking to spend too much, this place fits that bill.
That "omigod I'm going to the food court" feeling quickly goes away when you duck inside. it's cramped (although the bar is fine). the sushi is great and price affordably. the sake flights are a good deal.
I really, really adore this place. The sushi is great (not Nobu great, but great for this price range) and the people are so friendly. The sushi chefs say hi when you walk in. With a place so tiny, they can afford to...nay, HAVE to. The rolls are good, as is the nigiri - you can't really go wrong for a normal night out. Go during happy hour to get a deal!
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Went on a slow day: Wednesday afternoon, but still there were diners there -- even a man reading a book (AT THE SUSHI BAR), which I found strange -- must be a good book.
ANYHOW!
We ordered the following (FYI: THEY DON'T DO OMAKASE, NO BIGGIE) :
(I'm listing the names from the Guest Check which is a little illegible)
Edamame 2.5
Tatsuoki ??? 7.95
GI Joe 7.95
Astro Boy 6.5
Crunchy Roll 8.5
Katsuoko ??? 7.95
Ohitashi Salad (spinach -- it's awesome) 3.75
Spicy Hamachi 5
= $54.36 w/ Tax (60+ with tip)
It's really cheap, two of us ate, and the quality seemed good -- soft, tasty sashimi.
Recommended. It's a cozy little place.
I probably wouldn't try going there on a Friday night; too small -- doesn't accommodate a lot of people.
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My top sushi place in San Francisco now.
I havent had bad sushi in SF yet and most places I have tried are very good; Sushi Time is the best. The prices are reasonable and selections are vast.
The sashimi tuna was great; succulant and meaty. The GI Joe roll was tasty with nice texture.
The Barbie roll was another excellent choice.
Every roll we tried was flavorful and designed well.
Great choice for sushi.
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