BUBU

Came here for happy hour with my friend, and I'd say we were pretty satisfied with the food overall. The overall atmosphere and service was pretty nice, and the interior was clean as well. The rolls were pretty good (definitely recommend the ones where it is 2 for $5), and I will definitely come back again.

The food sucks. We ordered 80 dollars worth of HH food, the quality of the sashimi sucks and the taste even worse. this place has been viral on social media regarding to their $5 HH. After having the food, i have a very bad diarrheal, so is my partner. We won’t be back! Do not come here oh gosh i dont understand the hype.

Went here for their happy hour deal which has been going viral all over social media. Tbh it was alright. The fish quality was underwhelming, especially when trying the sashimi. Didn’t taste fresh. The non fish items like the fried chicken and gyoza were much better. I think those were worth it. Even though it was happy hour. Our group of 5 still ended up spending $200+, without drinks lol. Not sure if I’ll go back but worth trying once. Also the service wasn’t that great and they didn’t seem super happy to serve the people there for the happy hour deal.

I have been wanting to try their happy hour deals for a while now & was finally able to yesterday! We got there 15 minutes after they opened and were already the 18th group on the waitlist, it’s a small restaurant and they do their best to seat people quickly and accommodate the influx of guests. I thought the food was great for the price & the experience was definitely worth the wait! If you put your name on the waitlist I recommend waiting in the line outside, if they call your name and you’re not there they will skip you!

Located on California Avenue in the Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood. This is an excellent sushi restaurant. I highly recommend their 8 piece Omakase, which includes a fresh selection of choice cuts of seafood: uni, ikura, blue fin tuna, scallops, ama ebi to name a few! Their shishito peppers were perfectly grilled and seasoned with a shoyu sauce. The Hamachi Kama was the best that I ever had! Seasoned and grilled to a crispy outer shell, but soft chunks of hamachi. Paired perfectly with their shoyu ponzu sauce. We loved the Nabeyaki udon with shrimp tempura and shoyu soup.

Came here to try their happy hour. It was not worth it. The seating is so incredibly limited that if you don’t arrive 30 minutes before the waitlist gets put up, you’re basically out of luck. They made us sit outside, on a wet and windy day, and didn’t even turn on a heater. Hand rolls were alright, wasn’t super impressed. We got one spicy and one regular salmon, but they forgot to make one spicy. The Bubus (crispy rice nigiri) were acceptable, but rather expensive ($5 for two small pieces). I started to realize the happy hour wasn’t as good of a deal as I thought. Service was incredibly slow — we hadn’t received all our food and it was literally time for last order, at which point we inquired and they said they ran out. They said they didn’t tell us because they forgot which tables ordered it… even though they had the sheet where we placed our order. They didn’t bother removing the item from their menu chalkboard either. That was the only thing I was looking forward to & it absolutely ruined my night. In the end we spent around $80 for two and left still hungry. I don’t think I’ll be back.

Fantastic in every sense! Come early (or late) for the happy hour, starting at 4:30pm on M-Th or 3:30pm F-Su. All of the $5 food options were delicious, and the fish all tasted fresh. The service was good despite just two folks handling the whole place, including the waiting list. Fun ambience, and drink options (Asahi, Sapporo, hot sake, NA) for $5 as well. Can’t wait to come back with a friend! (Would recommend coming in pairs)

Came here twice. The first time as a group of 4, we had to split up into two groups of 2 in order to get seated before last call. The second time, we were lucky to be the last pair to be seated at the last call at 9:15pm! For both times, we only ordered from the happy hour menu. Overall the food quality gets a 4-4.5 but the happy hour deal is such a steal. I've had better fish but this is excellent for the price point. The takoyaki is okay--my standard is Yama Chan's in Japantown. The yuzu sparkler really quenched my thirst (had a workout prior), would def recommend a try. We actually wanted more of this when we got home after lol. One thing to note is that they advertise $5 hand rolls, but it's $5 for two, i.e. each handroll is 2.50! You do not have to order an even number of handrolls. I got 7. Everything else on the HH menu is $5.

Bubu is a small sushi spot with about a dozen indoor seats and a few more outside. The space feels cozy, with Japanese lanterns and a banner hanging over the sushi bar. I arrived just before 6 p.m. and was pleasantly surprised to find a $5 happy hour menu. I tried the jalapeño hamachi hand roll and the spicy tuna hand roll, and both were tasty. The walu sashimi was especially delicious. For anyone who enjoys crispy rice, the Crispy Bubu is a great choice; it is basically nigiri served on a crunchy rice base. We also liked the Melted in Your Mouth Roll. The servers were friendly and gave off a warm neighborhood vibe, and I was impressed by how quickly the food came out. It is a fun and casual spot worth checking out.

Fantastic place with a great happy hour! I spontaneously went here with friends without taking a look at the menu or any reviews. We didn't plan for it but we came just in time for happy hour and were luckily given the last table for the first seating after 30 minutes of waiting. here's my food ratings: jalapeno hamachi avo, 10/10 - great quality fish and i give a sushi place extra points when they pair my fave couple: jalapeno + hamachi spicy negi toro avo, 9/10 - delicious! i'm a big fan of tuna salmon sashimi, 8/10 - thick cuts with a standard but yummy taste from the salmon. tbh i ate up all the seaweed on the side so im happy they give that with the sashimi i can't recall which bubu we ordered but that was a 10/10, we should've ordered more but we were yapping and ended up being just full enough for dessert after. we didn't order a ton and our bill came out to a lil under $40 for 3 people wow. the price influenced my high ratings for the food, because i appreciate leaving somewhere feeling satisfied instead of remorseful. the service was good too, everyone who helped us were very kind. i only wish they had more outdoor seating so we weren't crowded onto the side walk. otherwise the place is super cute and a great restaurant to hang out at with your friends! will be back

We arrived Thursday at 4pm where the happy hour line was already out the door. Luckily, we were sat pretty swiftly. I want to highlight the customer service as the staff was friendly, prompt, and empathetic the entire duration of the meal. The place is small with a home-like touch. However, the food is where I had to dock some down. The salmon sashimi was the highlight as the salmon was fatty and fresh. The other hand rolls and fish were tarnished. It felt disgraceful to apply that much spicy mayo onto fresh fish. It's like getting a well done steak at house of prime rib. Good stuff but man, the poor fishy

Came for dinner, but I'll say this from looking at the happy hour line that formed as I ate - I'm definitely coming back to try that next time. Even for dinner this is an amazing pick. Very fresh and quality fish used, and staff are all super friendly. Better sushi and sashimi here than many places in Japantown!

Prime example of why social media cannot be trusted. I've seen this place hyped as one of the best HH in SF so I tried it today. We arrived 25 min before opening on a Thursday and were seated with no issues. Everything on the menu was $5, while hand rolls were 2 for $5. Because the portions were so small our total came out as $78 anyways so I wouldn't consider that cheap by any means. I wouldn't have minded the price if the quality was good. Most of the items were not good. The handrolls all had soggy seaweed, meager fish and heavy on the rice. The cuts were not uniform and the negi toro was doused in spicy mayo which ruined the taste as I've never had anywhere else serve negi toro drenched in sauce. Actually a lot of items were served with spicy mayo which I thought was really weird, especially for the bubus which were just a slice of sashimi on top of soggy crispy rice. It just took away from any natural flavor of the fish and made everything taste like eggy spicy mayo. The jumbo shrimp had a burnt taste on the outside and was just mid in general. The only good thing was the salmon sashimi, which was buttery and good quality. Overall disappointing and would not recommend even considering the happy hour price.

Visited Bubu for their happy hour (which IS available on the weekend!) and feasted on their 2 for $5 hand rolls. The hand rolls have the perfect amount of delicious sushi rice inside as well. My favorite was the hamachi and spicy salmon. There are also premium hand rolls options at a different price point. Besides the hand rolls, you'll find sashimi, rolls, bubus, fried appetizers, drinks, and more on the HH menu. Their bubus are crispy rice topped with fish, which were fine but I didn't like enough to order more of. The chicken karaage and gyoza were good! My group of three lined up about 30min before opening and we were able to write our name on the sign-up sheet once the staff was began setting up. We were seated in the first round of calling parties. You are given an ordering sheet and we were able to order more after our first order came out. There is a 1hr time limit and the servers let you know when is your last call. We did not feel rushed at all and were stuffed before we finished all our food.

I arrived on a Wednesday night at 7:50pm for the 8:30pm happy hour and there was no line. The line started forming around 8:05pm. By 8:11pm people were starting to crowd and cut by hovering at the door instead of in a line as directed by a sign outside. The staff were professional; they kept track of who the first few parties were so there wasn't an issue about cutting but people were still nervous before the official paper waitlist came out. Inside is super casual so dress warm as you brace the sf cold waiting outside. The quality of the fish is pretty decent. $2.50 for a regular hand roll is unbeatable! - My brother was surprised by how much he liked the salmon skin - The uni was good and not fishy - GET THE YUZU HONEY SPARKLER drink! It was light and refreshing At $10, my favorite item was the unagi fries (not on the happy hour menu). It's not fries with unagi on top like the name suggests. It's unagi, battered and fried. The batter tasted good and was light. I'd get an order of this per person next time.

We came for $5 happy hour around 8pm and we were second in line. We waited a while to get seated, but not too long. The restaurant was small and cozy with cute decor. The food quality was average but valid for the price What we ordered: 1. spicy butterfish bubu: best item we ordered. The rice was super crispy and the sauce on top of the fish had perfect amount of spice 2. snow crab hand roll: hand rolls were served on a plate, so we were confused which one was which. snow crab hand roll's ratio of snow crab and rice was off. i was excited for this hand roll but snow crab was lacking flavor 3. spicy salmon hand roll: didn't have a lot of spice and only a small amount of salmon

Went for 8:30 happy hour, got there 7:45 and there were 3 groups in front of us already. Got in quickly but the line got line around 8:15! Cute and cozy little spot. Really friendly service. Handrolls were good, some better than others. We tried the salmon, spicy salmon, spicy scallop, spicy tuna, ikura uni, truffle wagyu, fresh snow crab and baby lobster. Uni was really good. Crab was just okay. We got the spicy tuna bubu and salmon bubu. Also got the Takoyaki. Really enjoyed these. Hamachi and salmon sashimi were good

I recently stopped by to try Bubu's happy hour from 4:30pm-5:30pm where handrolls, drinks, sashimi, etc. were all $5. We arrived a bit earlier around 4pm and there were already some people waiting for their happy hour to start. Once it got closer to 4:30pm, the restaurant posted a sign up sheet for you to put down your name and party size. We were one of the first few parties to be seated. The restaurant overall was pretty small and the tables were pretty close to each other with little room between. In terms of the food, we ordered the salmon, hamachi, XL amaebi shrimp, and walu sashimi. Each order of sashimi came with 3 pieces except for the XL amaebi shrimp which only came with one piece, but it was huge and they also fry the head for you to eat! Most of the sashimi seemed pretty fresh and the walu was extremely buttery, as was the salmon! I think a few pieces of the salmon did not have that fresh crisp to it though. The amaebi shrimp on the other hand was really sweet. We also ordered a few handrolls -- salmon avocado, spicy scallop avocado, truffle wagyu, and uni ikura. The more basic handrolls such as the salmon avocado and spicy scallop were $5 for two, while the more premium handrolls such as the truffle wagyu and uni ikura were $5 each. Overall, I'd come to Bubu again if I'm in the area and looking for a cheap place to grab some sushi with friends! :)

Bubu has become my new go to for my sushi cravings! I've taken several friends here and they've loved it as well! The staff is so kind and welcoming as well as incredibly patient. There is a wait every time you go especially for the happy hour times. I would highly suggest going by 4 pm to get in line if you want to get a table at 4:30 for your group. Any later and you'll most likely have to wait for the second round of seating to begin. However, this has been worth it for me each time. I've gotten the spicy tuna, spicy salmon and hamachi hand rolls and they've all delivered. They're soo delicious and the tuna is actually my favorite because of how creamy and spicy it actually is! I absolutely have fallen in love with their bubus which are fish on a bed of crispy rice and I'm not usually a big fan of crispy rice but this was incredible and I regularly crave this dish! The bubu's are so crunchy and fresh and light all at the same time! I also really enjoyed their chicken karage. I cannot wait to come back and would highly recommend to another who's enjoys sushi or wants to give it a try!

Wow Instagram really hyped this place up. Got here about an hour early just to get in for their Happy Hour. Think cheap handrollls. Not much fish, flimsy, cheap handrolls. Skip the horrible Brussel sprouts with their weird dressing. They also charge $4 for a teabag and hot water for tea. Skip that. The rolls were meh. The snow crab with hardly any crab is $5 a roll. Not filling and not very tasty. I think of this like fast food sushi. They get you in with tge cheap prices. The spicy tuna cripsy rice was horrible. Grainy spicy tuna on a cold fried rice. What a sad meal. There are so many sushi places in the Bay Area, without the happy hour hype I wonder how long this will last. They only give you an hour and two rounds before they cut you off so decide quickly what you want.

4.5 STARS $5 HH at Bubu. 60 minute limit. We finished in 30 minutes. Nothing gets you out of there ASAP like a group of hangry diners staring at YOU eat! The BOH is fast so 60 minutes so it's more than doable so they can turn over tables. Bubu is one of the most popular spots for HH in the city from the owner behind Party Pig, Public Izakaya, NONO, and Shoryuken. To make the first seating, get there 20 minutes before opening on weekdays and at least 30+ minutes on weekends. Recommended for solo diners or pairs, not large groups. * * * $5 HH DEAL * * * Monday - Thursday, 4:30 pm - 6 pm, 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm & Friday - Sunday, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm, 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm - Two handrolls (mix 'n match) - 3 pc Sashimi - 2 pc Crispy Bubu - Hot Apps: Wings, gyoza, takoyaki, karaage, etc - Beer, sake, sake shot, etc. F O O D * 3 pc Fried Chicken Wings ($5): https://tinyurl.com/2zv98vw7 Hot, crunchy, and juicy. Lowkey reminds me of S&P wings. * 4 pc Takoyaki ($5) Hot soft balls with a slightly creamy center and tender piece of octopus. Topped with sweet, umami rich sauces. * 3 pc Sake Sashimi ($5 x3): https://tinyurl.com/mrxa5t2a Fresh and deliciously buttery. * 3 pc Hamachi Sashimi ($5) Fresh, mild flavor. * Handrolls (2 pc-$5 x4): https://tinyurl.com/muejkbm2 - Salmon Avocado x2 - Spicy Salmon Avocado x2 - Negi Toro x2 - Jalapeño Hamachi - Spicy Scallops While a great deal with a good amount of filling, the nori sheets aren't crispy. * Crispy Salmon Bubu (2 pc-$5 x2): https://tinyurl.com/59pmjtfu - Choice of various fish (spicy tuna, spicy salmon, spicy hamachi, etc) Bubu's Nobu dupe of spicy tuna crispy rice, the sushi rice pads are fried to a golden brown and served warm with a slice of sashimi. Topped with spicy mayo and masago. Great contrast of textures and flavors. S E R V I C E Very friendly, fast, and efficient. Love that upon sitting, they give you a warm towel to wipe your hands. There's only two servers running around so place your entire order in the beginning. A M B I A N C E Lively, indoor seating can accommodate 20 people and there's four tables outside. P A R K I N G Challenging street parking. Overall, Bubu is hyped up for good reason. They offer one of the best HH deals in the city that will leave you full without breaking your wallet. Kanpai!

$5 hh from 4:30-6 (m-th), 3:30 (fri-sun) and 8:30pm daily. Fish was fresh and staff are friendly. We tried the yuzu beer which was refreshing and cold sake. I liked their soy sauce a lot. Food wise: Gyoza Salmon sashimi Chicken karaage Hand rolls: Salmon with avocado Hamachi with jalapeño Spicy scallop Uni ikura Negi toro Spicy salmon Waitlist opens 15 min before hh but I recommend coming at least 30 min prior. Place is small about 10 tables (6 inside 4 outside) so come early.

Came here for the 8:30PM-9:30PM happy hour and it was a blast. I really enjoyed the adrenaline of the whole setup. Each item during Happy Hour is $5 (other than the first 2 handrolls, which comes as $5 for 2) and some items are more worth it than others. Considering the chaos of the happy hour line and the price for what you get, I wouldn't make this a regular place. What we ordered: + Hamachi Sashimi [5/5] + Shiitake Miso Soup [5/5] + Roasted Brussels [4/5] + Chicken Kara-age [5/5] + Assorted Handrolls: Spicy Tuna [5/5], Hamachi Jalapeño [5/5], Spicy Salmon [4/5] + Sake Shots [5/5] + Hamachi Bubus [4/5] For the sides: - The Shiitake Miso Soup [5/5] is a bit expensive for a soup, but I thought it was really delicious. It comes warm and hearty, and even has small slices of shiitake mushrooms. - The Roasted Brussels were surprisingly pretty yummy! They aren't like American brussel sprouts; they're much more juicy and less flavorful. Some of ours were under-cooked but I still appreciated the one veggie dish on the HH menu. - The Chicken Kara-age is totally worth it in my opinion. The chicken is pretty tender and the portion size is great for $5. The sauce it comes with is lightly spicy and flavorful. For the handrolls: I thought the Hamachi Jalapeno handroll was the best by far. It was a perfect blend of fatty fish and spicy freshness. In general, I thought the rolls could've used a bit more meat or even some fresh veggies (like sliced cucumber) but hey, it's $5! For the sushi: The Hamachi Sashimi was very worth it IMO. The slices of hamachi were quite large and tasted pretty fresh. Apart from the pricepoint, the only other thing I thing could use some improvement would be the waitlist line. There is a paper on the door that people sign their names on. On the day I tried Bubu, the groups also waited in a line. However, not everyone in line wrote their name. The waiter wasn't the best at resolving this mishap quickly (he was super busy attending tables) and skipped over a couple of parties, including my partner and I. Luckily someone told us that we had gotten skipped but if we hadn't reminded them multiple times, we would've never gotten seated despite writing our names on the list.

Came for what might be the most talked about happy hour in SF, $5 dishes! We came on a Friday when HH is 3:30-5:30 and arrived around 3:15 and put our names down on a list. We were the eighth party to put our names down and were seated at 3:30 when they opened. About 20 people were sat to begin because the inside is very small, the rest had to just wait outside because they only announce waitlist status in person. The food was great!! Definitely get one of their BuBus and the scallop hand roll was a favorite!! I got 12 pieces of sashimi, 2 handrolls, and 2 BuBus $30!! Super great deal and everything was good. Definitely recommend for the happy hour!

This is my third time here for the happy hour and I'll keep coming back! It's definitely a place you need to prepare and time well if you're doing the happy hour. First off, I'm not even sure how they profit off the $5 happy hour especially in this economy but the fish and al the food is such high quality and tastes absolutely delicious, it's a must try for sure. Service is okay, they are a small restaurant so everyone is usually really busy helping around and running food so you might have to wave down if you need something. Ambiance is super small and cozy, I've sat outside before in the afternoon and it was nice! Wouldn't recommend on a cold day though as they don't have many heaters. Things to note... for happy hour get there a bit early as they will put a list out on the door for you to write your name down and people usually start a line before it's even up! Once you've placed your first order, the second order will be last call which includes any drink or food. They recently added/changed their happy hour menu so I'll add a photo!

went during hh and what a great deal for delicious hand rolls! there was a waitlist on the door when we walked in but the wait wasn't too long. The shishito peppers were really good with the glaze and blistered well. My favorite handroll was spicy scallop, but can't go wrong with any of them! also got the yuzu sparkler which was like a lemon sparkling soda drink and that was refreshing.

This place has a insane happy hour and everything is $5. $2.50 per handroll, $5 3-piece sashimi, $5 2-piece bubu, drinks, and other appetizers. Ambiance: the place inside is small and there's seating outside as well. There are mostly 2-person tables and a bar. Place is clean. Service: Be aware the line to enter is very long, there is a waitlist you write your name/party on. I arrived around opening time and there was already a long list. It took about an hour wait, there are people who don't bother to stay so sometime it quickens up in queue. It takes about 20 minutes to get your food served. There is a 60 minute stay limit, last orders are 30 minutes within seating. Handrolls $2.50 (5/5): Wow these rolls are legit and decently sized for the price. Had the spicy fried salmon skin, spicy scallop, California, salmon, and negi toro. You can mix and match, especially it's 2 for $5. They all tasted pretty good! Bubu $5 (4/5): These are fried rectangular pieces of rice topped with fish and spicy sauce. Had all but the tuna, in my opinion Hamachi tasted the best with in this format. Sashimi $5 (5/5): you get 3 pieces per fish. The options are salmon, Hamachi, walu, and albacore. These were of good size and tasted fresh! My favorite was the walu, it tasted smooth, clean, creamy fish. Definitely would recommend to try if you haven't before. I recommend to arrive to the scene before opening to get a good seat inside. This is a steal of a place to eat at for large quantity and quality.

Their $5 happy hour is unbeatable in SF. Everything on their happy hour menu is $5 which is an amazing deal. I tried a variety of their handrolls, sashimi, chicken karaage, and crispy bubu. My favorite handrolls were the salmon skin and spicy scallop avocado. I recommend coming early to snag a seat for happy hour. A lot of people put their name on the waiting list but they end up leaving so the wait wasn't too long. I came at 5:10pm on a Wednesday and was seated in about 30 mins, right before happy hour ended.

My friends and I were spending a day in SF and decided to try our luck getting on the happy hour waitlist at Bubu. We got there about 30-45 minutes before they opened and there were only 6 parties ahead of us on the waitlist. We stopped by some of the local stores while we waited, and once the restaurant opened, we got seated indoors immediately! The interior is small with a few tables, and they have some outdoor seating, as well. Everything on the menu looked incredible. We ordered some gyoza and brussel sprouts, and then some Handrolls and some crispy rice with fish. Genuinely: everything was delicious. The Handrolls were large, and the brussel sprouts may have been the best I've ever had. I don't know what that sauce is, but it's incredible. I've heard a lot about Bubu and I'm honestly surprised we got in so easily. I definitely recommend showing up a little early to put your name on the waitlist, because we had no issues! Highly recommend.

Heard about Happy Hour at this place and had to check it out! I visited with a friend on a Saturday. There are two time slots for Happy Hour on Saturdays: 3:30-5:30 PM or 8:30-9:30 PM and we opted for the second one. From other Yelp reviews, we learned that Bubu uses a sign-up sheet for Happy Hour, and it fills up very quickly, so we arrived about 20 minutes early and were ~10th on the waitlist. When we asked how long the wait might be, the staff recommended returning ~30 minutes after the start time. As all the stores in the Fillmore area were already closed, we passed the time at a bar nearby and came back around 9 PM. When we checked the waitlist, only around 5 parties had been seated by then. Wondering if we would even get to dine here after all, we asked one of the staff and were told that last order would be taken at 9:15 PM and we wouldn't be able to dine after that time, which was only 5 minutes away. We decided to be patient and give it a chance, and were finally handed a menu and placed our order at around 9:25 PM, which meant that we were going to be able to dine for sure. Shortly after, we were seated. We were seated outside. Although it was a chilly night, we were not uncomfortable thanks to the heater located right beside us. Service was fast and efficient. Here is our order: Handrolls (salmon avocado, spicy salmon avocado, spicy tuna avocado, California avocado, and negi toro avocado): 2 for $5 is definitely a steal! My favorite was negi toro, but all of the flavors were equally good. Fish was very fresh! Sashimi (salmon and hamachi): Very fresh! Both just melted in the mouth. Spicy Tuna Crispy Bubu: This was a very interesting dish, featuring tuna and tobiko on crispy rice, but I personally found it a bit underwhelming. Miso soup: Loved that it was served in a mug! Takoyaki: Very crispy! Lot of mayo, but very little sauce. Karaage: Perfect portion for sharing, and came with a piece of tempura. Chicken Gyoza: Generous portion (6 pcs) and solid quality. We definitely over-ordered and left extremely full with leftovers to take home. In my very honest opinion, the hand rolls and sashimi are must-try dishes but you could skip any of the hot foods as they are more standard. Overall, we definitely enjoyed the good deals and great food, but thought that the sign-up and seating process lacked organization.

Small small interior!! It's a cute happy hour place with good sashimi quality for the price. We arrived around 3:15pm on a Sunday and there was already a signup sheet with two parties ahead of us. The place is so small - can probably seat 8ish parties of 2-4? We ordered our food on a sheet of paper - everything was listed as $5 but it'll tell u how many pieces comes with 1 order (2 handrolls for $5, 3 price sashimi for $5). The good: The handrolls came all in one stack and no voiceover of what was what but it didn't take long to figure that out / we took a pic of our order before handing it in. The salmon sashimi was yummy and the handrolls were pretty good/standard! Karaage was also nice. The okay: Miso soup might not be as worth it - came in a small cup.The Brussels sprouts were huge but it was also rllllyy drenched in a honey mustard-like sauce. Wish there was less sauce or it came on the side. Wasn't able to try the crispy rice bubu bc they forgot and we were good to just get the check by then. It all came out to be around $20 after tip and tax - not bad for a light pre dinner! But maybe not worth waiting an hour for

The staff here is very friendly and attentive. The food was great and yummy, but nothing really stood out to me except their bubus. Make sure to come early before their opening so you can write down your name and get seated right away. Otherwise the wait can be long bc the store is not that big. The food does take a while to come out so it's hard to try all the food at once. The premium rolls were pretty good as well, and you could only do 2 rounds of their happy hour. Make sure to check it out!!

We found out about the happy hour deal via social media, and we knew we had to check it out! People started lining up before the 4:30 opening for happy hour, and we were tenth in line. It is a smaller place, so we got seated outside and within about 10 minutes. No complaints though as today's weather was pretty nice. Each item for happy hour is $5 per item, except the handrolls which are $2.50 a piece. Here are the following items we got: 10/10: Salmon with avocado and negi tuna handrolls. Flavored well and perfect size, and even better with a touch of wasabi. 8/10: mackerel, salmon, and tuna sashimi. Great texture, more on the chewier side. 7/10: chicken kaarage with spicy mayo sauce and brussel sprouts. Super good crunch, but on the saltier side. Still delicious though! 6/10: spicy tuna bubu, which is ground up tuna sashimi with a kick and the kaarage sauce all on top of a small piece of crispy rice. Great flavor, but I found it slightly underwhelming. Nonetheless, all of this cost about $46 including tip for two people. We left rather satisfied and would highly recommend this place!

I had a really good experience at Bubu's happy hour. $5 handrolls and sashimi? You really can't beat it in this city. We got there about an hour or so before happy hour on a Saturday and we were able to get a table easily. They give you a piece of paper and you write down what you want to order - preferably your whole order so it all comes out in time. Fish quality was super fresh and handrolls were packed with fish and avocado. I'm not the biggest fan of crispy rice but it was pretty good here! I would definitely go here again and it was super nice going w/ some friends so we can try everything.

came for happy hour ($5 for 2 hand-rolls!) & everything we ordered tasted very fresh & there i rly enjoyed the mayo on top of the nigiri. fish melted right in your mouth, yum! took a moderate amount of time for the food to come out however service overall was good. a small restaurant with not a ton of seating, so definitely come early if you want to get seating during happy hour. overall, quality was great & would definitely return

I waited for an hour, got there near 5:20 and waited until around 6:20, then the waiter told me happy hour wouldn't be granted despite me waiting an hour.

Was on my way to try out their happy hour but the line was too long, then I saw a mouse running outside by where people were sitting. No thanks

We came during happy hour..but wasn't able to sit bc they open right at 4:30pm (we got there at 3:45 lol). You can sign your name on the waitlist at 4:15pm. It can get pretty crazy when they open so, I definitely would recommend coming earlier (but not that early) plus there are shops all along the streets and corners. The service was good they were really busy so we had to wave the servers down a few times which is fine. It's a pretty casual and kind of loud atmosphere. Not really a romantic spot but definitely a good hang out spot. Their happy hours are: M-Th 4:30-6pm & 8:30-9:30pm F-Sun 3:30-5:30pm & 8:30-9:30pm We ordered 4 sets of hand rolls, Wulu sashimi, gyoza, and chicken wings. Hand rolls we got were Spicy Salmon Avocado, Negi Toro Avo, Spicy Negi Toro Avocado, and the Spicy Scallop Avocado they were all okay but for the price it was great. I think if you want a quick snack and craving sushi this would be the place to go. The sashimi we got was the Wulu and that was so freaken good!! It was buttery and soft, the cuts were pretty thick too. You get 3 slices for $5 which is not bad. We never tried it so I'm glad we got to try something different today. The gyoza was also pretty good. My son and bf loved it. BUT THE CHICKEN WINGS!!!- they were in my opinion SCRUMPDILIUMPTIOUS! It was almost like a karage style fried chicken wings....ugh so good! All in all, I would definitely come back primarily for their sashimi and chicken wings. Of course a few hand rolls too! Next time I'm going to try their salmon skin one and the jalapeño Hamachi.

A good yummy HH spot! Some of the sashimi was weird for us, so I don't know if it was the fish or we're not used to the texture. Make sure you come at least 30 mins before HH time, so you can be seated within the HH time because the line gets long!

Came to their Happy Hour on Saturday which starts at 3:30pm. We arrived at the restaurant at around 3 which is when they post a sign up sheet at the entrance. We recommend getting there early to get your name down on the list as wait times can be quite long. The restaurant does not have a lot of seating, making wait times even longer. However, their happy hour prices make it worth it! Their hand rolls were good, especially when it's 2 hand rolls for $5. The seaweed does get chewy pretty quickly so eat them as soon as they're served! Their Salmon nigiri tasted pretty fresh. Very smooth! And lastly, you have to get their Bubu. I liked the salmon Bubu the best, but try them all. Their spicy tuna is just okay. We got their chicken karaage and takoyaki -- pretty solid. Their strawberry matcha was yummy. The matcha is not the highest quality but it wasn't gritty at all. Good amount of sweetness too.

I've been waiting for such a long time to get the happy hour at bubu! My friend and I came on a monday evening and made it to be the last people to get the happy hour for the first session (4:30-6). The servers were efficient and attentive. Food also comes out pretty quickly. The space is small so it's better to come early if you want to make it for happy hour. The party just after us missed it since it was already past 6. For the price, it's really worth it! We ordered 11 handrolls ($5 for 2, so $2.50 each), 9 pieces of sashimi, 6 pieces of bubu (crispy rice), and brussels sprouts. It was a little too much for the two of us because we left totally stuffed. Of course, don't expect superior quality fish at this price, but I think it's good enough to make it really worth it! I would come again.

Went here for a Happy Hour deal on a Thursday. happy hour is from 4:30-6pm, we arrived at 4:20 and were the last to sit at 4:30 - we barely made it. The food itself was tasty - I loved the handrolls but I don't think it's worth waiting 1hr+ for the happy hour deal. The service was great but slow and it was hard to get the server's attention. Overall, happy I went and loved the food!

Bubu is a great happy hour! I found Bubu to be the perfect spot before a night out in the city. Their $5 happy hour is a great deal for high quality food. Their spicy scallop hand rolls and yuzu sparkler are staples amongst my friend group. The tacos (even though ordering tacos at a sushi spot is insane) are surprisingly good, with heaping amounts of avocado and sour cream that pack in flavor well. Bubu is super tiny with no more than 4 or 5 tables inside the whole restaurant. This means there is usually a long wait, especially since this place has been blowing up on Tik Tok lately. It did feel a bit crammed but was so worth it. Regardless, the food came out really quick despite a packed restaurant. The staff was super friendly and playful and made the experience even better - the warm hand towels were also a delightful touch. Can't wait to come again!

Bubu is my boo for being such a wonderful spot to get an affordable yet delicious bite. On a Monday at around 4:45pm, the wait for a table of 2 was 40 minutes. We wanted to make sure we came just in time within happy hour. The hand rolls were our favorites. The takoyaki was well done. The sashimi was ok but who can complain when it's $5.

The quality of the food and the friendly staff made this an amazing visit. We came on a Sunday (Easter Sunday) and the wait for a table was pretty long. This is a tiny restaurant, advise getting there at least 30 minutes before Happy hour starts and sign up. Once seated your order comes out pretty quickly. Everything was delicious and affordable. I never had the octopus balls before and now I am hooked on them. Happy Hour 4:30-5:30 and 8:30-9:30 daily. They also have a regular menu with many choices.

We came here around 4/4:30pm for their happy hour. There was a long list of people ahead of us already and we were worried about we wouldn't get seated in time. Thankfully lots of people left because of the long wait time and we got seated (def head there early if you are going for HH). The place is very chill and the waiters are friendly. We ordered a bunch of things and everything came out super fresh. Appetizers: Gyozas - crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside 3.5/5 Takoyaki - nothing special, could skip honestly 2/5 Sashimi - very fresh, our favorite was the albacore and walu. Impressed with the amount we got for the price 5/5 Crispy bubu - Star of the show! The prefect bite of fish to crispy rice flavored well 10/5 Yuzu sparkler - light and refreshing Overall would come back for the crispy bubu!

Bubu has gone viral for their $5 happy hour, with that price for sashimi, small appetizers, drinks or handroll of your choosing, it can't be beat especially in this economy. HAPPY HOUR: Mon-Thur 4:30-6:30 PM Fri-Sun 3:30-5:30 PM Highly recommend lining up at the storefront to place your name on the list. Showed up right at 3:30 on a Sunday and a 7 parties ahead of us. For a party of two, we were seated at around 4:30 and left as happy hour ended. The space is incredibly small with 3 tables out front. So expect a wait. Their menu has a good amount to choose from and honestly, everything was pretty good! Brussel Sprouts w/ Yuzu Mustard Dressing Hamachi Sashimi Salmon Avocado Handroll Spicy Tuna Handroll Salmon Avocado Roll Bubu Crispy Rice with Spicy Salmon x 2 Takoyaki Read a review that the Brussel Sprouts were good and though it was surprising to see this on their menu, I'm so glad I ordered it. Perfectly roasted with a delicious yuzu mustard aioli sauce on top. The fish quality is fresh, not fishy. Takoyaki is to be expected, but slightly crisp exterior, tender interior with chunks of octopus inside. I do admit that the Handrolls were a bit of a let down, the nori was not crispy and was super chewy. The handrolls were falling apart. I would say pass on these. You can definitely order outside of their happy hour, but with a $5 happy hour why not? Such a good deal. If you get there in the right time, it's worth a try. Many parties ended up leaving during their wait as it was 45+ wait time and would soon miss the window. Service is as attentive as it could be with a warm towel upon seating, waters refilled, additional orders taken and bill brought out promptly.

After seeing an Instagram post about Bubu's happy hour, I knew I had to check it out. With inflation these days, where else can you find a deal like this? Happy hour runs Monday through Thursday from 4:30-6:00 PM and 8:30-9:30 PM, and Friday to Sunday from 3:30-5:30 PM and 8:30-9:30 PM--all with $5 specials. Deals like this? Maybe 10 years ago, but definitely a rare find today! Bubu is a small spot tucked away in Lower Pacific Heights, just a short walk from Japantown. Arrive early because this place is tiny, and the line builds up fast. I was the sixth person in line and managed to snag a seat--any later, and I would've been waiting. Now, let's talk about the food. The portions were enough to leave me satisfied, and at these prices, why not order more? The sashimi was incredibly fresh--just three pieces for $5? A no-brainer to get extra. The Brussels sprouts were a standout, tossed in a delicious sauce that tasted like a mix between yuzu and honey mustard. The crispy butterfish literally melted in my mouth, packed with umami flavor. And the takoyaki? Perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, making it even more filling. To top it off, the yuzu honey sparkler was light and refreshing, reminding me of a spritzer. Would I come back? Absolutely. A steal like this, with quality food to match, is worth revisiting.

Considering I've been back more than three times to bring back more friends to try Bubu, I feel obligated to emphasize again how IMPECCABLE their $5 happy hour is--especially for the unmatched quality at that price point. We always scarf down the sashimi (3 pieces for $5--so unheard of in the bay!!!) before I remember to take a picture, but the salmon and hamachi are my favorites. The butterfish and spicy tuna crispy rice are to die for, and I honestly think about them regularly. These are some of the better crispy rices I've tried, especially for only $5 for 2. They are perfectly crunchy on the outside and oh so hot and fluffy on the inside. The handrolls are pretty satisfactory and filling. The spicy scallop and spicy salmon were scrumptious, especially with the fresh avocado, which definitely added to the overall appeal. My only qualm is that the seaweed is pretty chewy and not the crisp bite I'd ideally hope for in a handroll. But 2 whole handrolls for only $5--again, I can't complain. This time we also tried the brussel sprouts, and surprisingly, they were such a delightful hit! They were just charred enough to have a slight crisp, and the sauce on them was perfectly balanced for a sweet n' savory bite every time. The waiters were all so friendly and attentive, and the warm handtowels were such a welcoming and refreshing touch to add to the overall charm of the place!! Even though there's usually a wait, I haven't had to wait more than 40 minutes, but there are lots of shops neighboring the restaurant to fill your time (however, I've noticed they've stopped taking numbers, so just a heads up, you'll have to stay around the area).

- they did do carryout, but we decided to just write our names down and wait to get a table :-) - lion queen (4/5): scallop instead of salmon, and cream cheese i believe inside! not my cup of tea but i absolutely adored how it was called "lion queen" instead of lion king, bc i never have ever seen lion queen at a sushi restaurant before!!! :0 - unagi avocado simple roll (4.5/5): simple, easy, yumz - honey yuzu sparkler drink (5/5) would always come back for this would come back for more!! super cute restaurant, and even saw a painting of Gaspard and Lisa!!! i was SOOOO hyped when i saw the photo framed up bc wow this place is so cultured LOL

Great food with Ana amazing price for happy hour! The fish was fresh and a decent size for the price. The service was quick and the servers were ready to help. It gets crowded so I recommend getting there at least 30 minutes before it opened. We got there 20 minutes before and were 8th in line. A fun experience for a good price.

Wish I had more pictures! Came here a few weeks ago and was able to line up early enough to be seated within the first few minutes of opening. By 3:30 there was already a group of people lined up, by 4:00, there was a full line. They let us sign up on their sheet of paper around 4:15 and then seating started as they opened. Definitely get y at least 45 minutes earlier on a weekday to secure an inside table. It took awhile for our first round to come, almost 25 minutes. The bubus were super yummy (probably our favorite item on the HH menu) with big slices of fish on everything. I loved the crispiness of the rice and the softness of the fish. We tried all of the bubus but loved the hamachi the most. The hand rolls were also were a nice way to fill up. Our favorite was the truffle beef that we accidentally received (it was not something we ordered lol). We also had their strawberry matcha drink and it was sooooo good! Not too sweet and the matcha was flavorful. We asked if it was a can or bottle because we really wanted to be able to purchase it but couldn't provide us with clear answers. (Can/bottle + syrup is what we understood). Overall 4.5/5 because the server moved the heating lamp directly beside my seat and I couldn't get up without my partner having to move it lol... I'd definitely come back here!

Awesome happy hour deal!! Great chance to try a bunch of things and get fresh fish on a budget. I particularly enjoyed the butterfish bubus and the lemon yuzu sparkler! Be prepared to wait a bit if you go for happy hour because it is quite popular and seating is pretty limited. The host was very kind and let our group of 4 pull a bench outside to get us seated earlier at a 2 person table! They also give you warm towels after getting seated which is a nice touch.

Great happy hour, had good quality fish and a good selection on the HH menu. The fish taste fresh, avocado was also perfectly ripe and creamy, rice was decent and the seaweed was actually crisp, not soggy. We really enjoyed the handrolls and the portion sizes were relatively generous. The dumplings and bubu (crispy rice) were alright but not our favorite. They gave a warm towel to start which was really nice. Small shop with some good bites, worth a visit.

first and foremost, i have been waiting for so long to try this place. the wait was worth it because it did not disappoint! the restaurant is small so get there early if you want to hit up happy hr! the wait time wasn't too bad. I would say it does get quite busy & we did have to get servers attention to get some things. Now for the food, my highlight would be the salmon skin roll, takoyaki, the brussel sprouts (YUMMY SAUCE), the bubus, and sashimi. the quality of fish was so fresh & i'm coming back to try more!!

Went to Bubu's for their happy hour on a Monday. Got there at 4:20PM and was 18th on the waitlist. We were seated exactly at 6PM and were allowed to order from their $5 menu (unlucky for the people behind us, as we were the last ones to order happy hour). It's a very small restaurant with limited seating and staff (only 2 waiters). The service was okay, but we didn't expect much as it was busy. It took around 20-25 minutes for the food to come out. Honestly, the $5 happy hour was not super worth it in my opinion. I ended up spending $40 and left a little hungry (granted I didn't eat the entire day, but still for $40 I expected to be full). This spot is nice to try out, but I probably won't be coming back. Not worth the drive for me.

I had dinner here on a Wednesday evening (to avoid the weekend crowds) & was happy that we made it in time for their Happy Hour menu (which resulted in a bit of over ordering). We had: unagi avocado hand rolls, salmon avocado hand rolls, salmon & hamachi sashimi, calamari, chicken kara'age, takoyaki, gyoza & crispy bubu with spicy ahi. We ordered chicken tacos & beef bulgogi tacos but I didn't partake. My favorite items were the hand rolls, takoyaki, crispy bubu (deep fried rice cake) with spicy ahi. Service is friendly & helpful. Very cozy (small restaurant) but cute place.