Banbu Sushi Bar & Grill

Our first time coming here. We tried seared this roll and the Banbu roll. Amazing! So much flavor! Our server Chloe was great! She provided lots of recommendations and was very helpful.

I had an incredible dining experience at this sushi bar & grill. The ambiance is sleek and upscale. It’s definitely not your typical sushi joint. You can tell right away that they take pride in quality, especially with the sushi rolls. The fish was incredibly fresh and flavorful. Our server, Nia, made the experience even better. She was attentive, friendly, and genuinely helpful. I asked for a recommendation and trusted her pick, and I’m so glad I did. Every bite exceeded expectations. If you’re looking for a refined sushi experience with great service and premium ingredients, this spot is a must visit. They also offer a spacious outside dining area. As I mentioned, this is not your typical sushi joint. The prices are much higher here, but the quality is superb!

Banbu sushi isn't my favorite sushi place. It's my mom's and it's a great place to hang out with friends have a nice meal and enjoy a game. The atmosphere is nice and calm and has that outside patio seating with warm lighting and a fire pit that makes it a great place for a birthday, celebration or even watching a game at their bar. The food is good and flashy, beautiful rolls with all the style and swag that pleases the eye. Not fancy sushi? How about some ramen? A burger maybe? they have it. Their tonkotsu ramen felt like something was missing for me though not bad, but not the traditional flavor I was looking for. The soup was runny and looked more like cereal than ramen. They added like half a pound of cabbage which ruined it for me. I got to try their surf and turf roll which was good, steak seared nicely with hints of lobster and crab. I also tried their new york steak and it was cooked nicely. The food is good for the price but if you're looking for a more traditional flavor I would try some other places in SD for a smaller price. The atmosphere is nice and friendly and the rolls are flashy but the presentation is half the battle. Their staff is nice and wait times can get prolonged if it's a holiday. For a nice outing with your loved ones check it out, and enjoy the scenery. For taste and price there are other options I would recommend.

It was first time I visited Banbu, and I hope last. Salmon rolls were with overcooked strange rice. Sushi set was better, but it all really overpriced! We paid more than 100$ for 2 persons.. And at least they didn' t have hot black tea 🤬😓

Great little sushi spot for a quick lunch. A bit pricey but good eats. Small restaurant with a relaxed vibe.

Jackie is the best server ever, she treated us so well. The food was amazing too.

My Partner and I attended Banbu on 4/8/25 as a celebration of our first anniversary together. We have been there 3 times now. Food was wonderful , weather and ambience was great . Our sweet server Cassidy was such a great Server. She constantly checked up on us and made sure we were happy. She offered the special of the day , asked how we liked the food and drinks, she always had a smile on her face. At the end before getting the check she offered Dessert , we had to go but we did not turn down the offer. Had the Volcano cake to go and OMG! the best we've had. The ice cream didn't even melt after an approximate 30min drive . Definitely visiting more often. Appetizer : Jalapeño Poppers Roll: Mt. Fuji Roll Entree: Emperor's fried rice Drink : Passion Fruit Sake Dessert: Banbu Volcano Cake

Always delicious sushi rolls. Yakosobi (spelling?) noodles both had dry chicken and dry steak, probably the only dishes we would not order again. Female server Sam was beyond awesome and took care of our needs before asking for anything. The Kobe beef roll was the table favorite along with the sesame chicken. We had two sake, 6 dishes, and 4 rolls and it ended up being about 460 without tip yet. Worth it and we're definitely going back.

Amazing and delicious! Thank you, Robbin (the waiter) for giving us the best experience ever!

Food was very good! What made the experience even better was our server Cass, think her full name was Cassidy was very attentive and had a positive attitude at all times even though we were very indecisive. Definitely recommend her as your server

Excellent service from Robin S! Visited our table and ensured we had everything we needed multiple times.

Nia, You WIN!!! Thank you for waiting on us The food was delicious . Thanks for keeping us hydrated

Sushi was delicious and restaurant had a nice, breezy, and relaxing environment. I remember when this building used to be a movie theater! The quality of the fish and vegetables was good. Service was also very friendly. Prices were quite expensive, much more than other restaurants in the area. It would be great to have some appetizers or specials with a lower cost.

This is my friends favorite sushi spot in La Mesa, now I know why! This place is so cute we sat ourside and the patio is well decorated, quiet and calm! The inside was nice! We got a bunch of rolls to share for the table and I also got a cup of miso soup! This was by far one of the best miso soups I've ever had! The rolls were really good. The service was great! Some of the best sushi I've had in awhile!

Arguably the best sushi in San Diego. The King Salmon citrus sashimi special was as delicious as it was beautifully presented. The fish, rice and veggies were all SO fresh and flavorful. I loved the salmon belly and toro! Good news - if you're not a sushi-goer, they have PLENTY of other delicious entrees and even RAMEN to choose from. All of the portions are generous relative to other sushi restaurants, so don't let the prices scare you away. They have an expansive cocktail, beer, wine, and sake menu. The only roll I did not like was the ABURI SALMON ROLL -- the bonito shavings taste extremely fishy and smoky. Shortly after taking a bite, I started to itch and my tongue started to tingle, so on top of it tasting like feet, I might be allergic. I even mentioned this to my waitress, but she didn't offer to switch the dish at all, so service probably could improve there (especially since my party spent SO MUCH and ordered practically everything else on the menu). Also wish she would have told me one of my dishes included some seaweed salad when I asked her so that I didn't need to order another side of it and have it go to waste. They also have desserts, but the tempura banana was probably fried in the same oil as shellfish because I broke out in hives on my way home shortly after. This bit on the service was truly a disappointment because I mentioned several times to the waitress ABSOLUTELY NO SHELLFISH. Location is a bit interesting, as it's located in a strip-mall by the trolley station. Don't expect an upscale, trendy, or romantic ambiance. Think casual / modern. Go for the food. Be loud if you have any allergies/restrictions. Don't expect anything with service / ambiance. Take some Benadryl with you and an epipen ;)

First time here while in town visiting. We had dinner here and my party of 5 all liked their food and drinks. The waitress was great very attentive! The restaurant was decorated nicely, very clean and also clean bathrooms. The food was a little expensive for what you get but it was still tasty. The edamame was very good. The drinks were all great and tasted very good. Our food came out at different times but our waiter told us that ahead of time so we expected which was nice since we knew. Great experience!

Finally went back 07/11/25 and they still left the sauce out, I guess if you know it's going to be missing you can just check, it is listed as part of the roll on the menu.

Since I came alone, I decided to sit at the bar. I was seen right away by the bartender (Zach) and he asked right away if there was anything I wanted so definitely quick on service. Made me a spring fling very quickly then followed up with me to check if I was ready to order anything. I ordered the fried calamari and sashimi combo along with a melrose roll and cobe style beef roll. The sashimi was all delicious. I enjoyed every bite of it! The melrose was delicious too! Definitely recommend! Throughout my time, it seemed like many people relied on Zach and yet he was quick to help me when I asked for anything and constantly checked on me but not in an overbearing way at all. The overall vibe was the place was great and I would recommend coming by here. My total was about $187 for everything I ordered. The only thing I didn't post a photo of was the Cobe since I got that to go. I also got a Kirin. The place is a lil expensive but it's not surprising considering the vibe I get here.

Very trendy spot tucked in the back of a busy shopping center. The service was great, food was decent. Sushi rice was a more on the mushier side. My daughter picked the rice off of her rolls and ate it without. Presentation is beautiful.... The pricing was on the higher end for sushi, but not comparable to other higher end sushi restaurants.

The food is way over priced. 28 dollars for a lemon sushi roll.. service was great though but it didn't feel like an authentic sushi place more like a chain corporation You come here for the variety of sushi

We went and picked up food from the sushi place a couple of weeks ago and I've been meaning to write this review. What a fantastic experience from the beginning of the phone call to when we picked up the food. I think we spoke to the young lady her name was Valencia and she was on top of it with the order and the food pick up. Great experience and we also really like the way the restaurant looked and we were handled. We will be back because the sushi is amazing.!

Great food and great service! Brooke was our server and did a great job. She made sure we had everything we needed and knew the menu well. Would definitely recommend and will be coming back.

My experience was amazing thanks to Kelly!!! She was amazing, you could really see how hard she was working on a Sunday!! But enjoyed sushi prices were pricey but enjoyed the drinks and the service!!

From the amazing food to the amazing customer service, our dinner tonight was absolutely wonderful! As always the sushi here never disappoints! Always fresh, creative and beautiful, and of course...tasty! What made the evening even better was our server, Kayla. Courteous and friendly as well as funny! Kayla was prompt and efficient without being rushed or put out if we had questions. Thank you Banbu for another fantastic meal and do everything you can to hold on to your employee Kayla. She emulates the true definition of excellent customer service!

Good, service, ambiance is fire! Check this place out. Jackie is absolutely the best! You should def check this place out, don't wait.

Had an absolutely wonderful time yesterday! Had late lunch on the patio with my mom and daughter and Kayla was a joy to have as our server. She was very personable as well as professional. We had edamame and tuna poke salad. We also ate amazing sushi rolls; lemon cilantro roll, protein roll and seared ahi jalapeño roll - all delicious! I highly recommend Banbu for their delectable food, excellent service and lovely location. Kudos if it's a sunny day and you snag a table on their outdoor patio! Make sure to ask for Kayla as your beautiful server! AAAAA+

The food was amazing! Jacky our server made the experience even better, was very nice and suggested great menu items.

Banbu Sushi is our ride-or-die spot! We've been coming here for years and it's the only place we'll eat sushi--nothing else even comes close. The food is always fresh, creative, and ridiculously good. Big shoutout to Cass--she was so sweet, attentive, and genuinely made us feel like VIPs. She took the time to walk us through the menu, gave awesome recommendations, and checked in with the perfect balance of care without hovering. You can tell she loves what she does, and it made our lunch feel extra special. (Cassidy K) Service like that is why we keep coming back (well, that and the spicy edamame we're lowkey addicted to). We also tried Nori fries for the first time--Delicious! Banbu, you've got us for life!

Amazing amazing! Last year we celebrated my sister's birthday here . Everything from cocktails to entrées were absolutely good. During the Christmas holiday my brother came in from the East Coast and we decided to have dinner at this restaurant. All entrées we ordered were absolutely delicious. I cannot wait to return & have some more delicious sushi . Nothing we ordered was disappointing. Everything was absolutely amazing.

The katsu sandwhich on the special list was literally the best sandwhich I've ever had. I didn't even get that - it was my husbands meal lol I got the inferno roll (I think that's what it was called) and it was really good. We had a great lunch here. Prices are high so be prepared to spend quite a bit , but it will be worth it.

Banbu is amazing. I've been coming since I was little and it always satisfies. The calamari and GTS extra sauce and rolls are delicious. Ally gave phenomenal service. She was very attentive and made sure we enjoyed our dining experience. 5 out of 5 all around.

Great food, great service, great atmosphere!!!... Nia was exceptional!!! Hokkaido ahi roll was fire !!!

Good sushi. Plating is pretty. Great service. Best of all close to us. Love the cone beef roll and cilantro lime and salmon belly. Popcorn chicken yummy. Seaweed salad refreshing.

Here at Banbu everything is very tasty... especially the SESAME CHICKEN OMG!! We ordered it twice LOL. In other words, we ordered one plate first as an appetizer(ask them to add veggies) and gobbled it up real quick. Then we ordered a second plate but with no rice but instead extra veggies. Our server highly recommended it. He said it was his fave dish. So thank you mister server!!! I forget his name but he is asian young guy black hair courteous guy and helpful. Then we ordered this cucumber Martini wow!! Also very tasty. But beware ... each sushi roll is about $30. I have never seen specialty rolls at this price!! Not even in LA Garlic edamame is $13. Can you believe it. That's my entire combo meal at In N Out .....My cava bowl is $13. But garlic edamame should be max $9. But anyway I'm not complaining too much..... more like I'm shocked at the inflation here in San Diego now! We came here on New Year's Eve just the other night ... they have lovely indoor and outdoor ambiance...even on cold winter night they have cozy outdoor heat lamps! Def need to visit next time I'm in sd!

Lot of parking in structure across the restaurant Very friendly service Large seating areas Indoor / outdoor Creative sushi rolls Restrooms inside Large selection Fresh wasabi or wasabi paste Alcohol available Dessert available Heat lamps for outside Vegan options

Always a great experience at Banbu but Cass was one of the best servers I've had. Her recommendations were on point! I rarely get something different than my favorite rolls but today we did mostly new items and did not regret it. Definitely request Cass if you go in and she's there..

My boyfriend and I were craving sushi and wanted to try a different spot versus our favorite sushi joint. We both have been wanting to try this place since it always pops up on our Yelp. The restaurant is cute, quaint and quiet. Can feel very intimate. They also have outside seating with warmers. They have blankets to use as well if the warmers don't help which I think is pretty thoughtful. The service was great. Their drinkware is stainless steel or something cause it kept everything nice and cold. The menu wasn't anything crazy. They had a great list of starters and other items aside from sushi. The sushi menu was a little small for my liking. I ordered the 5 piece salmon sashimi. My boyfriend and I both ordered a rainbow roll and miso soup. My boyfriend also had a tuna roll and crispy rice. You can definitely tell everything is fresh. As soon as I bit into my rainbow roll.. I looked at my boyfriend and I said "is this real crab?" I didn't ask but it was so good and so fresh. The cucumbers in the roll... perfect. Nice and crisp. Gave a good little crunch. We decided to indulge in their dessert for the night. I can't remember the name of it. What I do remember is that it was a white chocolate dessert with cookie butter. It was very rich. But omg if I could I would've eaten them all. However, I am a sweets person soooooo

Host (Reece) was very rude, I was ignored for 5 min. Bad hospitality. I felt insulted and embarrassed. Chicken teriyaki bowl. Chicken was hard as rubber (overcooked) My teeth hurt and were sore after trying to eat hard chicken. Never again. Yikes!

Came here with a couple of friends and everything seemed to be much better than the last time. Fish was fresh nicely prepared. Enjoyed the experience.

Nicely tucked away and easy to get to with a huge variety of rolls but I wouldn't say that the fish is of the highest grade but still very creative rolls which punched a pack in flavor. Had 5 rolls and they were all generous portions and each did have their own specific flavor profile which was a nice surprise. Favorite was the Hokkaido Ahi roll as it was a unique surf & surf with a crunch of fried calamari and the combination of sweet & spice made this a definite winner. The other rolls were all equal in flavor and excellent presentation. Great service and friendly staff made it a good experience.

Back in town, had to stop here. Once again, did not disappoint. No pics this time but I tried the sesame chicken this time, hubby had sweet n sour chicken and he and our adult son had four different sushi options. We def did dessert again too. Every bite: fresh, delicious, perfection! EMMA was our server this time and she was amazing! She answered all my questions (I always have questions lol) and communicated everything with us so well. Her attention to our party was perfect... stopped and checked on us several times but didn't over-visit and not once did I feel like "where's our server?" Just an overall impeccable experience.

One of the best local sushi spots that never disappoints! Our server Cass was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, offered great suggestions, and anticipated our needs without ever being intrusive. Highly recommend the pinchen sauce

I almost want to report my credit card as stolen. Overall, food was below average and smaller portion size. Popcorn chicken was bland, tasted like frozen store bought nuggets. We waited a half hour if not more for two simple rolls, one of which was $30, and not worth it. The atmosphere was okay, outside area is pretty.

Amazing food and service. The ambiance is very nice and cozy. Been going here for many, many years and it is even better now. The chicken fried rice is amazing as is their house salad with miso dressing. I always ask for extra garlic butter for my rice, just to jazz it up even more. Their sushi is always so fresh with outstanding flavors! The outside seating is very cozy and even on a chilly evening, the headlamps make it ok. The outside landscaping is beautiful! I really miss their specials because it made it so affordable. Now, it's quite pricey, but because it's so good. That's why I sometimes I just have to bite the bullet and go! (The 4 stars is just because of the prices)

First time here and has seen it before and wanted to go there. Made reservations for the outdoor patio even though it was a bit chilly they had the heaters on high. We got there around 7:06p and Sat down, ordered sake and sparkling waters. My date ordered the sashimi appetizer. 10 mins later I ordered the baked mussels and we each ordered a roll. We didn't get any of our food until roughly 8:10p. An hour with just drinks, even though the sashimi was ordered earlier. We got the sashimi and 20 mins later came the baked mussels and immediately after the rolls. The samurai roll was good but boy was it spicy. The super crunchy roll was okay, not a lot of taste to it even with spicy mayo and soy sauce. But it helped to eat both together. The baked mussels were okay not the best I've had. Our server was nice but she wasn't checking in on the food for us it seemed like... Just checked in for other orders we had. Overall it was okay the ambiance is prettier than the food being good in my opinion.

We had a great experience at Banbu sushi with our kiddos. Our server Jackie was absolutely fantastic -- attentive, friendly, and genuinely cared about making our meal enjoyable. Jackie was always one step ahead, refilling drinks without being asked, checking in just the right amount, and offering great recommendations from the menu.

The best experience with Nia! She creates a wonderful, positive atmosphere and we're coming back all because of her!

Had dinner here for our son's High School graduation on June 5th. We had 15 in our party. We were so lucky to has Cass as our server. She was amazing. It was a busy evening with what I could tell a lot of other parties celebrating graduation as well. Cass was super attentive and was always right there asking if we need anything. The food as always was delish and excellent! If you go there and have Cass as your server you are in great hands you will not be disappointed.

Great sushi, such a good selection. They also have great food for non sushi eaters. I tried the Black Miso Cod sushi it was fantastic. They have good selection of beers on tap and good wine selection. It's usually busy so reservations are a good idea.

Service and food was 10/10 ,drinks were delicious,Robin was amazinggg and was patient while I looked through the menu as I dont eat sushi often. All around great little date night spot:)

Best sushi place in San Diego!!!! Jorge was our server and made our experience amazing. Best service best food hands down. Thanks Jorge for the great experience!!!

Robin was a great waiter. He checked on us often and got us what we asked for as soon as possible. Food was amazing, always is.

Sooooooofreezing Cannot enjoy your Sushi or any other food ! Yes it's fish and we need to keep it cool , how ever everyone we talk to even in the parking lot says cannot take it ! Please consider turning it down a notch! Thank you ,

Extremely Overpriced. Way too expensive for the average sushi and extremely long wait time and it was freezing inside. Almost unbelievable.

the waitresses are very rude and unprofessional. i accidently tipped twice with cash and card and asked for the cash tip back and they had me waiting for 15 minutes and i saw them talking about it, looking at me and hiding away waiting for me to leave so that they don't give the tip back. one of the waiters asked us if we're ready multiple times in a rude manner making us feel peer pressured to order. she then rolled her eyes and took away the menus.

Cass was fantastic, very attentive, and provided excellent service! Food was outstanding, definitely enjoyed the Tonkatsu Ramenw

Food and ambience was awesome! Shout out to Brooke for the incredible service as well!