Akira Seabright

Very fast, friendly service and generous positions at this popular spot. Pretty good with dietary restrictions: most of the menu is gluten free (or can be adjusted to be GF), although celiacs should know that the fryer does have cross contamination so avoid the tempura, etc (personally I’d label that as “low gluten” but the staff seems knowledgeable so just be sure to communicate what kind of restrictions you have). The food was a bit more mixed: really nice appetizers (salads, Akira fries, etc) and the fish is pretty fresh (the hamachi was especially tasty), but despite the rolls being very large (seriously we probably could have had 1 per person) they seemed surprisingly lacking in flavor, almost bland. Also I liked my sashimi but it came with rice that was downright bad: stuck together and overcooked. I’m half Japanese so maybe I’m picky, but people forget that “sushi” refers to rice, not fish, so it’s disappointing when a sushi place gets rice wrong. Overall a good experience, albeit with some caveats.

I ordered the dark slide roll and it looks really good but it wasn't my favorite. It had a very smokey flavor that just was kind of overpowering but my daughter got the fire dragon and it was delicious! My son got the teriyaki tofu and loved it. The menu names are very cute anime names and the staff are so nice. The blonde girl who seated us and our waitress were both awesome. The atmosphere is cool and they have really dope artwork on the wall. The dazed and confused drink was also very refreshing 😌

Very casual place to go out to eat after we go to the beach - I love the vibe. Pretty small place, so I’m sure sometimes it’s a bit cramped but the sushi is so unique it’s crazy. We got two rolls, the Cowboy Bebop (love the reference, by the way) and the Burnout. I did like the Cowboy Bebop more than the Burnout, but both were pretty good. Service was great and very attentive.

Wow!!! The rolls were amazing! Had the Life Aquatic and Natural Bridges rolls with the largest salad I’ve ever seen which was also super yummy! The reviews are as they say! It’s a bit of a wait but well worth it! Service once you’re seated is pretty fast even though they were crazy busy!

Great Sushi place in the heart of Santa Cruz. They have plenty of Sushi varieties to cater to all types of crowd. Even they have veg and GF options available. The best part is their happy hour even on weekends.

Got the Bento Lunch Box. Described on the menu as Miso soup, salad, and rice with choice of protein. The salad was just a box of wilted lettuce. Very disappointing since the description on the menu of a salad includes beets, onions, mushrooms, cucumbers, broccoli, and avocado. Considering the price, I thought I'd be getting a decent amount of veggies in my lunch. Rather than a bento box, it's 3 separate containers. The salmon teriyaki is 2 servings, with just a loose teriyaki sauce poured over it and floating on the bottom of the box. Too much white rice is given. Would have traded some of those in for vegetables in the salad.

All the rolls we ordered were amazing. Service was super friendly and atmosphere was vibey and fun.

Good food and atmosphere, I recommend this! I had the Spider-Man Roll (soft shell crab tempura) and it was very good.

I ordered many things i was starving lol forgot to take photos Shrimp dumplings- delicious Calamari- very light and cooked perfectly Fried gyozas -yums Ninja sticks - good Steak roll - good but not meant to go on sushi lol Fire dragon- frieckn delish Dragon lady- definitely my favorite super tasty My daughter got the bento teriyaki chicken very tasty cooked perfectly Service was great our server(saul) recommendations were tasty He was on it , sauces , drinks anything we needed :) Everyone smiled and felt welcomed always a plus! Decet lil spot. Will definitely be back when in town for my daughter.

Sadly I don't think my glowing review from 2019 applies anymore. The quality of the food here has degraded drastically while prices have almost doubled. First of all, do not try the salmon -- I've tried all the rolls -- basic, special, hand, every variety they have -- and each has been a letdown. Which sucks because I've given them so many chances to get it right and have just come to accept that this is a place to skip the seafood rolls (granted I usually stick mostly to salmon). The veggie rolls really shine here, but even my fave -- the T-Pain -- is hit or miss these days. Ambiance is blah (it IS too noisy and crowded, like all the freakin time). I'm just sad that this went from a place I'd proudly declare as my favorite to not thinking twice about them these days and actually driving far distances out of SC just to find better sushi.

Stopped by for dinner and decided to try their three item bento box, which two of us shared. It was the perfect amount of food for us. We went on a Saturday night, so it was very busy. We were seated at the bar which was perfect because the game was on. Only downside was that the space is very limited. We were having a bit of trouble fitting our bento box. We started off with edamame which was delicious. Always a must have for me. The bento dinner comes with miso soup, a salad, and rice. We chose to add chicken katsu, skirt steak teriyaki, and their cali roll. Everything was very tasty. I did ask for the sauce that usually comes on the chicken katsu on the side, as I'm not a fan. The service was quick, and we were able to see how the sushi was made since we sat at the bar. While there is a lot of parking, it is located in a shopping center with plenty of other shops around so it can be difficult to find a spot. Everything was so good, we had to try their Aptos location too.

Who ever was making the sushi tonight is an absolute pro!!!! Thank you !! Take our service was great as usual. This place is the best sushi I have ever had. Will be back again soon! Highly recommend this place

Absolutely amazing sushi. Highly recommend their jalapeno mango combination sushi. Absolutely worth the trip to santa cruz.

This place gets so crowded and it's LOUD. They do have a patio outside in the back, think we'll eat outside next time, as it was too loud for me inside. But the food is excellent! Good portion size too. The service is ok considering how busy they are. We'll be back!

We stopped here to satisfy our sushi craving and left wondering why all sushi restaurants don't have rolls like Akira Seabright. They offer the most unique flavor combinations I've ever seen for sushi rolls and they all worked beautifully together. The fish was fresh as well as the other ingredients. If I lived in Santa Cruz, Akira would be my go-to sushi spot. No questions asked.

Enjoyed dinner here by recommendation. The moment we walked in & saw that the restaurant was packed, we knew this restaurant was not going to disappoint. The restaurant itself gives off young and hip vibes. And, although all tables were full, we probably waited 20 minutes to be seated. I enjoyed watching the cooks create delicious sushi rolls. I'm still thinking about those delicious shrimp dumplings, they were tender and juicy - so good!

Akira Seabright is located in the Seabright Plaza, off Soquel Ave. This small, funky, laid-back sushi eatery serves up a tremendous amount of must-try sushi and veggie specialties. Some of the selections contain non-traditional ingredients that make their sushi rolls a big hit. There is a very large veggie roll menu for those who prefer not to eat fish. Happy hour every day, except Friday and Saturday, is from 2 PM to 5 PM with specials on appetizers and drinks. The service at Akira is attentive and efficient. We greatly enjoyed our 3 selections of Chicken Karaage, their specialty roll The Creature, and the Mushaboom from their Veggie roll menu. The Chicken Karaage was perfectly fried, while the chicken was moist and tender. The Creature roll consists of spicy tuna, avocado, cream cheese, krab salad, unagi topped with unagi sauce, spicy mayo, green onion, and tobiko. A single word to describe this roll, would be - Magnificent. Mushaboom roll contains shiitake mushrooms, tempura green beans, fried garlic, spicy nuts, and topped with avocado, lemon, chili-lime salt, honey, Ryu sauce, and toasted sweet coconut. What a great, flavorful combination.

I went here on a first date, there was a bit of a wait but not too long, the service and food were simply amazing. We had some sushi rolls, sashimi and sake, totally recommend this place! I didn't like that it was super loud, but maybe I'm just old and grumpy now the decor and art work they had on the walls was pretty cool too!!!

Delicious and great service! The ambiance is a little loud but was manageable and the food made up for it. Would go back!

If you're looking for traditional sushi, this maybe isn't the place, but if you're up for some crazy and delicious rolls, this spot is so fun! I will say the rolls are enormous. If I order two, I end up bringing a box of food home. I love the tsunami roll. I was eating there alone and I think my server kinda forgot about me...took about 15 minutes to get a water and place my order. But I still recommend! The sushi chef facing me was so kind. I unfortunately don't remember his name but he was lovely!

This place was recommended to us while we where staying at Hyatt. Man it was good! We where trying to find a place to dine that had good sushi and this place is it! When we arrived, the GPS sent us to the feont door on the main street, however, the hosts stand is located where the back door is at where the parking lot is located at. We waited, maybe 15-20 mins. The place was full of people. We where truly excited to see what this place had to offered, and it didn't disappoint. Our server was prompt and sweet, and answered our questions, and when I requested a spicy item, she made sure I was OK eating spicy food first as the item was spicy (little did she know I actually enjoy eating spicy food) Both rolls where delicious and the miso soup didn't disappoint. We where glad our friends over at the Hyatt recommended this sushi place, therefore I recommend this place also!

Delicious sushi. The rolls are creative and huge. The chefs choice nigiri was really good quality and portions of fish. Oddly, the salad was the best part. Just some baby spring mix with sesame dressing but it was so fresh and delicious.

So yummy! We had the magic carpet and karage chicken. From the happy hour menu. Great service . Cool atmosphere. Our go to spot for a quick special bite.

Yes , it's busy when we got here. Trying another Japanese for sashimi. Price is average but $2 to $3 less than others. I like their combo price for sashimi selection. Um, it's loud busy for dinner. Need to come here before 5 pm. Might be a bit quieter. Too k menu pics for up to date menu. Since they are 1 yr old are posted. Also, no need to scan

Great food, great atmosphere, and great happy hour. The serving portions are huge so bring an appetite!

The space is pretty crowded and packed. It's noticeably a little difficult for staff members to walk up and down the restaurant to accommodate guests which explains the rather slow service but understandably. Take out would probably be the best option. Food wise, the fried shrimp dumplings are to die for and an absolute must try. I love the dipping sauce they use for the dumplings, calamari, and the salad. Delicious. The calamari was decent, nothing authentic at all about it since they cut it thicker and coat it quite generously in the flour batter so I'd say it's pretty Americanized and not worth the price. The miso soup was also up to par I loved the slight sweetness but strong flavor of it. Unfortunately, the main reason of why we came here, to try to sushi, was not to my satisfaction. I expected much fresher tasting fish since we're only a couple minutes from the ocean. We got two rolls, The Dark Side and The Creature. So the Dark Side had a very very unpleasant texture and the flavors did not mix well together at all. My sister ordered that roll so I don't recall exactly what was it in but I instantly regretted giving that roll and second try the second I put it in my mouth. One of the worst rolls I probably ever had in my life. The Creature took a little longer to come out because it gets deep fried and I had high hopes for it since it's about $25 for that roll alone and additional $1 to add lemon. $1 for 2 thin slices of a lemon. I wish I had the initial hunger I came in with so I could give it a better rating but to be honest, again the sushi was just mid. The rice is a little hard as stated in some other reviews. We also got the Sashimi Combo large for $35 and when I tell you it was the smallest sashimi platter ever. I'm glad the combo came with the side salad and miso soup otherwise complete rip off. Overall pretty pricey for mid tier food. Five items total came out to about $125. I would come back maybe in a few months to try other rolls but I wouldn't exactly recommend this place to a friend. The shrimp dumplings were amazing though. Service was also extremely pleasant and kind just a little slow. There's just a lot of room for improvement. The best sushi I've had is still in Oahu and Sacramento, California. Sacramento is about a two hour drive from here further from the ocean but delicious fresh light but filling rolls at a reasonable price.

Akira is a small gem in Santa Cruz! If you blink, you'll miss it. They have an array of sushi from tempura'd sushi, to house sushi, and specialty rolls. Not feeling sushi? They have vegan options too that sounded delicious. They even had noodle bowls and plates or even small rice bowls! We settled for a few sushi rolls. I had the baby yoda and the spicy jay oh. Both were delicious and beautifully displayed with tempura veggies inside along with different fish.

A little crowded, ( although we did go on NYE) and wait times are a bit long but service was good. Got the Kogan sushi but I substituted it with salmon instead of spicy tuna, and it did not disappoint. Will definitely come back here whenever we're in town.

I'm so old-fashioned about sushi, but even I can appreciate these elaborate, modern, delicious and filling rolls. I had the Dragon Lady, which was a meal unto itself, and the local Tanuki cider. My son had the cider too and the Call of the Hunter roll. Excellent! Or do I have to say 'Epic'? In retrospect, we shouldn't have filled up on the $5 gyoza and ninja sticks special, since it was difficult to finish the generously proportioned entree rolls. The decor is remarkable too, with netting hanging from the lights over the bar, a brilliant local version of surfing on Hokusai's famous wave, and exceptional manga and other modern art. Fun place, glad to be back.

Sushi is great, but atmosphere sucks. Very loud,couldn't hear myself think... waiters are ok..

As anime fans, we thought the name of the place and roll were interesting so decided to check it out. Service: It was a Wednesday night around 6pm and it was starting to get busy. Kind of loud and a more casual restaurant to go with friends rather than a date. Was Seated quickly and ordered but waiter forgot to check on us after the food arrived and didn't refill our waters or give us our check so we had I flag someone down. Saw them running back and forth down the hall past us several times which seems hectic. Food: Ordered Calamari, golden Frieza and Akira roll. Food came out fairly fast. The calamari was hot crunchy and great. The rolls were interesting and good enough to fill the craving but I've definitely had better. Liked the crunch on the golden Frieza and the steak was interesting but was a bit dense. Akira was average and was missing something to elevate it... tasted kind of like slightly better version of a California roll. The rolls were about $23 each which is kind of pricey but they are quite big and requires two bites. Worth a try but don't think it was good enough to come back again.

We came in around 8pm in a Saturday night. The restaurant was packed! I think there was a reservation/wait list for 4 that didn't come because we got a table without waiting too long. There were 3 of us. It's very casual inside. One large TV screen. The menu is huge with lots of regular and vegan sushi options. This is a great place for those with good sensitivities since many items are labeled as GF, vegan etc. I wanted the donburi but when I asked about bathe veggies and eggs in it, they said this was a different kind of donburi without veggies or eggs so i skipped it. We ordered 4 rolls: Midtowner Tsunami (out favorite!) Dynamite The Shota All were great! Lots going on with lots of sauces and toppings. We would definitely come back! Just 1 bathroom so there was a line. Just be prepared to wait.

Akira has a special place in my heart and is my goto sushi place in town. They have a very gluten-free/allergen friendly menu which is much appreciated. Treat yourself to hot sake and truly, you cannot go wrong with the food menu. I've tried so many rolls and apps at this point and I've always been delighted by the outcome. Sometimes, I notice that the raw salmon tastes different. I don't like any sort of fishy smell or taste and while it is definitely fresh, my taste buds react differently. I've only ever noticed this with their salmon. Something to consider and perhaps explore on your own. :) Otherwise, this place is doing it well and I highly recommend it.

My favorite sushi restaurant here in Santa Cruz!! I love taking people here and all my friends love the restaurant as well. I went on a Thursday night and it was quite packed and busy but if you are a college student they have special deals on Thursday nights which I would come again for! They also have happy hour everyday as well. I ordered the electric eel roll which is my favorite and will always order again and again. My favorite appetizer is the ninja sticks and also a must order. I also got the hamachi roll which was tasty as well. I will say that if you come during busy hours there is a wait, it's very loud in the restaurant & the food took some time to come out but still my favorite sushi restaurant in Santa Cruz!

Ordered take away at about 6:40pm, to be collected 45 minutes later. If you are planning on eating in, I recommend seeing if you get go early or get a reservation as there was a line out the door on pick up. We ordered a variety, and were happy with everything. We ordered ten things for 5 people and that was the perfect amount. The favourites of the group were the midtowner, the maximus salmon hand roll, the dark slide (nice and spicy), and the tsunami. The tempura was good, but the sushi was better, in my opinion. The mango in the Santa Cruz roll created a lovely sweetness, if you enjoy unusual sushi options. The golden frieza was delicious, but too large to eat in one bite and fell apart. The level of spicy varied between items listed as spicy quite a lot, so keep that in mind.

This is not the first time but over the years I've given the bad service a break but this is the second time I've had horrible service in a week. Also spending over $70 as a single person at the sushi bar . I have been a local customer since day one and will never eat there again. The sushi bar chiefs are great the servers are to busy messing around and socializing among themselves instead of doing their job. I was a sever for 15 years in Capitola back in the day so I know what good service should be and I give people the benefit of doubt but not anymore . Lots of other great sushi restaurants who care about service . The server sniffed my sauce and his nose was way to close for my comfort. I was there for over two hours for for two rolls and nigiri at 6 pm . Also had to find server for my check and ask sushi chief for a togo box . Good luck with your over priced so so sushi and bad service . I have to leave a star to pst review but if I had a choice it would be minus 5 stars .

I've lived in Santa Cruz all my life and this was the first time I've been to Akira- I HAVE NO IDEA why I never been here! So glad i finally tried it. My friend and I came s during lunch time! We ordered the edamame as starters. The menu has so many delicious rolls to pick from with unique names. We decided to get rolls that had a little spice to them (I can't remember the names). The portion size of each roll was great. I ended up taking 6-7 pieces home because I could not stuff myself anymore. The sushi is fresh and taste amazing. I love how you can watch the chefs making the rolls. There is plenty of parking on the street or behind the restaurant. 10/10 would come back and recommend. The service, quality, portions, cleanliness and creativity were amazing. BEST SUSHI IN SANTA CRUZ!!

Ambiance is energetic and the food is fresh and has traditional as well as some new flavors.

I used to get takeout from Akira Aptos and loved the sushi. This was my first time dining in person at the sushi bar in Seabright. I give the sushi quality and menu 4 stars, especially at an affordable price. I give the venue and ambiance 2 stars. Here is my constructive criticism for team Akira. 1) No one greeted me when I walked in, or when I left (which is big in Japanese culture). I had to find the host after a few minutes. 2) Music was loud hip hop. Might be festive for some, but not me 3) No Japanese vibe at all. Sushi chefs were talking in Spanish most of the time amongst themselves. My chef didn't know where the fish was sourced. 4) Behind the sushi bar were shelves packed with to go boxes and equipment, a bit chaotic. More the vibe of a pizza joint than a sushi bar.

Akira has always been my favorite sushi restaurant in Santa Cruz! They have the best sushi by far, the fish is always fresh and I've never had a bad experience. The service is amazing as well, the staff have always been so kind and accommodating! The vibes inside are great, always playing great music, and a great place to go with friends or family. The happy hour prices are amazing as well, the drinks are so good! I'd like to give a shoutout to a server named Saluo, he is so amazing and kind! Absolutely love this place, please give this place a visit!

Legit our numero uno sushi spot in Santa Cruz! Best rolls ever and the servers and owners are THE best. Vegan options are bountiful and oh so good! Would highly recommend.

People told me this restaurant is the best sushi spot in Santa Cruz. I gave it two tries. The first time, I noticed a huge gap in their knife skills compared to a real sushi chef. The second time, I actually found fish bones in the sashimi and the salmon had a gritty texture, something very unusual. I guess people in Santa Cruz aren't too picky about what they eat.

Disappointing. This place used to be much better years back. Ordered 4 rolls. Poorly rolled (fell apart really easily), way too much rice, and too big in general. The fish wasn't great quality either. Needed soy sauce to make it taste okay. I'd probably give it more a 2.5 stars if I could.

Sushi-this was a great experience. Enjoyed the food, atmosphere and no wait! Service was prompt, thorough and the place ran with attention to customer satisfaction & details!

Everything was amazing. Went on a Friday night and was greeted by the amazing Natalie. We were seated at the bar and the waitress was also just a great young woman - kind, attentive and offering good recommendations from the menu. I ordered the grilled hamachi (wow!), the tempura sweet potato fries (the aioli is delish), and the natural bridges and spicy tuna/asparagus roll. All were *incredible*. I'm a Santa Cruz regular tourist so I'll definitely be coming back

Absolutely delicious food! Portions are a lot bigger than you anticipate and one roll will leave you full. The vibe is cute and casual. Not very crowded during lunch.

Im not going to lie, this place is kind of ass if you're used to sushi from sf or around the bay. The amount of rice in the sushi rolls is incredibly excessive and the rolls are super overcomplicated. If you're into unique untrad types of rolls, this is your place. The unagi bowl my friend got was presented well and he said it was decent. Service was also decent and the ambiance was rather chill. Personally wouldn't come back for the rolls though.

While the sushi isn't phenomenal this is the best sushi I've had in Santa Cruz! While here we ordered three special rolls: the Dragon Lady, the Spiderman, and the Kogan. Favorite out of these was probably the Spiderman, I'm still thinking about that soft shelled crab! The rolls are thick, probably some of the thickest sushi rolls I've eaten to where you might need two bites to eat one piece which isn't exactly my preference but still yummy! For three rolls I think we paid around 70-ish dollars. Ambiance is cute. I would come back to eat here.

Excellent, fresh, and delicious in a super laid back location. Worth the drive "over the hill". +++++++++

We come to Santa Cruz a few times a year and have been looking for a good Japanese restaurant. We found it . They do the classics and they do them right. The restaurant is fun and the staff are attentive and nice. The rice bowls are big and the quality of meat and fish is great.

This place doesn't offer reservations, and that's a good thing, because if they did you'd be lucky to get one within 2 weeks. They have an insane library of sushi's, everyone I've tried has been nothing short of amazing, and sitting at the bar watching the artists work is an awesome experience. 10/10 would recommend.

Love this place! I've been here twice and my food was fresh and delicious both times. The servers are always nice & knowledgeable. It's a sports bar as well so it's a little loud; not the place for a quiet dinner. If you're looking for the best sushi though you've gotta try this place! Enjoy!

My Dad and I stopped by here and it was very popular. It was my first time eating at this restaurant and I was impressed. Parking was relatively straightforward in the back. We sat at the bar and it had a good ambiance. The food was fresh and delicious. I would highly recommend to people craving sushi, but I would advise them that it can get busy since there aren't a lot of seats inside the restaurant. It is kind of loud and busy inside so keep that in mind, I wouldn't go there if you're trying to have a quiet conversation. I liked the menu selection, and I can't wait to try more food from their menu!

I was here with my friends for lunch but they didn't even say to wait. Instead they said we don't know and just left us hanging. We left without eating at this place.

A great option for sushi in Santa Cruz! Free Parking is in the back. You can enter from the back or the front of the restaurant. It's a trendy casual comfortable sushi restaurant. Customer service was friendly and attentive. The menu did consist of a lot of rolls so if rolls are your thing this place could be a match! Our food came out in a timely fashion. Our rolls were fresh. They have a large assortment of rolls that contain different ingredients not commonly found in sushi rolls which is exciting to try! The reason for the 4 instead of 5 is that because of the extensive choices of rolls using unfamiliar ingredients going over the menu was challenging and a little overwhelming. I imagine if someone is a frequent customer this would no longer be a challenge.

It was my first time visiting here on my mini post-holiday trip to Santa Cruz. I was craving sushi and found this gem nestled in the Seabright neighborhood. I ordered their Dinner Bento Box w/ the Teriyaki Beef and Mixed Tempura and WOW! Talk about BIG portion sizes! Back in San Jose, we don't have such huge portions like this at sushi restaurants. I definitely had leftovers considering that my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I also ordered the "Catapiller Roll" which I think was the simple one w/ Unagi and cucumber. The staff was great & friendly and I appreciate them keeping my umbrella in their "Lost & Found" rather than tossing it. So glad I was able to retrieve it the next (rainy) day. Wouldn't mind coming back next time I'm in town!

Had a really great experience here, the food cane out fast and actually got our appetizers forst instead of with our entrees (usually other restaurants just serve it altogether which defeats the purpose of an appetizer). We had the akira fries and chicken karaage as appetizers and it was delicious! The sauce that came with the akira fries, bottle it up! It was such a compliment to the sweet potato fries. Most of our party got bento boxes and it came with miso soup which we all found to be VERY salty. Other than that, the portion sizes were big that we couldnt even fit all our plates on the table, needing to rearrange ourselves. The chicken katsu and tempura were crunchy and delicious, would come again if we are in the area!