Goshi | Japanese Restaurant

while goshi tends to have a longer queue than most other SLO spots, it is 100% worth the wait. the fish was notably fresh, all the rolls had a very clean, carefully crafted taste and the salmon nigiri literally melts in your mouth. the rolls were wonderful because of their simplicity, three to four good quality ingredients that all complimented each other perfectly. though the sushi was the clear star of the show, i highly recommend the garlic edamame which was extremely flavorful and absolutely delicious.

so fresh and so good, best sushi in SLO! Super friendly owners and staff. Highly recommend and must visit! Huge portions for lunch special too 👍👍 Will definitely be back 🍣 shrimp, salmon roe, Toro hand rolls, chirashi, seared salmon nigiri

The Sushi was fantastic, I'm impressed! The atmosphere was a little small town sushi joint, but the food was excellent. Took us awhile to find it, it's hidden in a food hall so parking is tricky. Our fav was the toro tuna. Worth a visit!

The best sushi in SLO!!! This spot has the highest quality sushi, peaceful atmosphere, and super friendly service. If you are looking for fresh delicious sushi you have to come here.

One of the popular restaurant in SLO. Had to wait as we did not make a reservation. It was definitely worth it, the food is great. Totally love the sushi, it's fresh and delicious.

THE BEST SUSHI BY FAR! Fresh, delicious, clean, and one of a kind. The service could be better sometimes but I’m sure they can’t help it when they get so busy. If you want to be seated right away, I recommend going 30-40 min early and putting your name on the waitlist right outside of the restaurant. If not, you’ll have to wait a while but def worth it if you’re looking to eat the BEST SUSHI EVER!

I really wanted to enjoy this sushi place because I’ve heard high praises in the past, but a $50 sushi quickly turned into a $3000 ER bill. I ordered the Kanpai gozen, and soon after eating, I developed terrible stomach pain, nausea, chills, a high grade fever of 104.5. I was unable to sleep throughout the night and eventually ended up in the ER where I was found to be severely dehydrated to where I became tachycardic. The doctors couldn’t do much to ease my symptoms other than giving me 2 liters of fluid and I was sent home to sit through the rest of the food poisoning. It took me at least a week to fully recover. Because I’m currently in school, I missed important midterms and other coursework, and now I have to pay a significant amount of money for medical bills my insurance doesn’t fully cover. I understand eating sushi carries a risk when, but this could have all been avoided with proper food safety and handling. Given the quality of the sushi and the service, I’m disappointed with how it turned out. I’m lucky to feel much better now, but food poisoning can be especially dangerous for older adults and those who are immunocompromised. So please, if you value your health, time, and sanity, do not eat here

Sooo good. This spot serves Authentic Japanese food in the SLO area. Fresh seafood, and very kind service. Will definitely take time to have a meal hear any time i visit the area. Thank you!

Ordered: - Lunch Special Chirashi with Tofu and Pickled Cucumbers (5/5): Most worth of all the lunch specials, probably the best chirashi I've had at this price. Loved the variety of the cuts including scallops and some other unique cuts that we didn't recognize. The way the rice was prepared was a standout too. I did find a fish scale in my bowl though which was unfortunate. - Lunch Special Salmon Roll + 5 Nigiri (4/5): Solid generously portioned fish on the rice, but nothing else wowed us. Still satisfied. Nigiri included Tuna salmon, amberjack, yellowtail, and golden eye snapper. Overall (5/5): Came here on Friday for lunch and was seated after a short 15 minute wait - it was a lot busier than we expected! The parking lot was pretty small and full so we had to find metered parking nearby as the nearby parking structure was also closed. Service was good, though it was a bit hard to hear over the noise and music. The sushi felt super fresh and we loved the portion sizes - we were pretty impressed and we hope to return if we're ever in the area!

Really delicious sushi in a casual environment. I would definitely come back the next time I'm in the area for work. Miso soup - 5/5 lots of tofu cubes and seaweed. Great flavor. Good on a cold rainy night. I got one of the 5 nigiri plates - I asked to replace the salmon piece bc I'm not a salmon fan. They gave me a different cut of toro instead. Excellent quality fish, melts in your mouth. Ratio of fish to rice was perfect Then I got two of the hand rolls from the special menu. Spicy toro garlic roll and the seared wagyu. Both fantastic and would get again.

Always transports me to another land.... The atmosphere, the service, the offerings, the vibes... Then there's the amazing quality of sushi. Omekase is an often ordered dish for me. I learn to love new types of fish here.

A very popular sushi place in SLO so be sure to arrive early or be prepared to wait for a table. Don't worry it is worth it. We had great service and fresh fish in our sushi. What more can you ask for. We ordered a couple of rolls including the rainbow roll. We enjoy this roll as it offers a variety of fish to eat. Along with the rolls came the traditional cucumber salad which always gets my appetite ready for sushi along with a tasty bowl of miso soup. For dessert I enjoyed a matcha mochi ice cream. So yummy! They offer daily lunch specials, Goshi combos, various broiled fish, noodles, rice bowls, sashimi, alcohol and desserts. Service was top notch and friendly. Restaurant is small and intimate with a cozy vibe. Location is a little hidden as is at the back of The Creamery Marketplace. This marketplace offers other of dining options too and I want to try them all. Parking can be a challenge since the parking lot is small and fills up very fast on a summer evening. We parked on the street and walked over to the restaurant.

We came to Goshi on our last night in SLO because it seemed to be a local's favorite. The interior was quaint and authentic - that classic sushi bar feel. As a vegetarian, I usually opt for Veggie Tempura, Miso soup, & an Avo roll. However, the server let me know the veggie tempura is cooked in non-vegetarian stock and the Miso soup is made with fish broth... I had never experienced this before and definitely limited my options. Even ordering the Avo roll with garlic chips; they let me know the garlic chips are usually cooked with chicken... I appreciated the heads up. My boyfriend enjoyed the sushi boat and noted the fish was super high quality. It's a great place for fish lovers and non-vegetarians, but would probably be a skip for vegetarians.

Food and service is always superb. Definitely the only Japanese style sushi restaurant in SLO. Only place I know that starts you off with a hand towel when you get seated. Most other area sushi places the food is Korean inspired fusion, but that is not Goshi. Also a great place for non-sushi Japanese dishes. I really enjoy their Udon and Tonkatsu dishes.

The most amazing sushi I've ever had. I felt like I was in Japan just being inside the restaurant. Waiters were friendly and helpful with recommendations. We had the garlic chip and salmon avocado roll and roll lunch special, and the toro-taku hand roll.

Came here for lunch and it was so good!! It opened at 11:30 and there was already a huge crowd waiting to go in! I would highly recommend making a reservation if you can because we came in as walk in at 11:30 and put our names down for a party of two and waited about 30-40 min to be seated at the bar. It was definitely worth the wait but just in case you didn't want to! The parking lot is small and limited parking so probably will need to find some street parking elsewhere and walk there. We ordered the agedashi tofu, seared salmon belly nigiri, seared halibut fin nigiri, ikura nigiri, miso black cod, and sukiyaki. We also split a hot sake to enjoy the Japanese food with! Everything was absolutely delicious and fresh! Give them a solid 5 star for food, service, and vibes inside :) so glad to find a good sushi place in town!

[IN A NUTSHELL] fresh sushi, soft fish, great udon flavor [VERDICT] - APPROVED [RUN-DOWN] This place was a restaurant my friend was raving about in SLO and I finally go to try it. It was a really good place and the sashimi pieces were really good. Overall, I think that this place was really good and if you are ever in town, then you should come and try this place out. There are other dishes but I think the Chirashi bowl gives you a variety of the fish that they have. They also have real wasabi which was the first time having it, and then it was different than normal sushi restaurants. [SCORE & ORDER] OVERALL: 4/5 Wakame Noodle $14 (4/5) -wakame seaweed and fish cake udon -This was a good warm dish of udon and great soup flavor. The soup was super delicious and I think it even had some ponzu flavor to it. The noodles were also soft and chewy but not too soggy. I would recommend getting this if you come here. Chirashi Bowl $45 (4/5) -varieties of sashimi, shredded egg, kanpyo, and shiitake mushroom over sushi rice -I honestly really enjoyed this dish. The variety of the different sashimi pieces. I am someone who loves a variety and this was it. I got to share with my friend and we each got a piece each. The pieces were so soft and buttery and honestly it was really good. There were about 10 different pieces which was very enjoyable to eat. I would highly recommend this dish. It's a little pricey but at the same time I think that for once in a while, this is a good dish and you are craving quality sushi. I have yet to come back and try the other sushi pieces. [SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE] (not reflected upon review score): Service was really good and they give you free tea. They also have this very interesting soy sauce that's not the typical kikkoman. The waiter we had was super nice. The atmosphere was super nice and home like. It's a medium size place so seats are somewhat limited. My friends who go to SLO say that this place is normally packed and we came at 5 PM, and there were already people there. [TIME STAMP] APRIL 2025

Food is always so consistent. Easily the best sushi in the area and on par with sushi in major's cities. Service is kinda whatever but the food is amazing and that's what matters the most. Always come as soon as they open bc it's nearly impossible to get a table here.

Dinner with family at the best Japanese restaurant on the Central Coast. If you like Uni, it is beautifully presented, and so incredibly fresh that they must shuck it in the kitchen. I love the ambiance as it truly has the sense of exploring a Japanese town. The entrance is modest and very Japanese. As the waiter takes you to your table, you walk through narrow to wide spaces. The next expansion is the sushi bar. The final expansion is the dining room each with its own distinct experience. The food is exquisite! There could be no better place for Japanese food in town.

So, so good. Great atmosphere, wonderful and kind staff and amazing selection of fresh fish. The wait times can be long if you're a walk-in but they told us 1 -1.5hr wait at 5:32pm and we got seated 20 minutes later so i would just wait and not be deterred by that quote. You won't be disappointed trying this spot.

December 11 was my birthday. That day, I was in a very low mood and felt like the whole world had abandoned me. Today, I finally felt strong again. I had an appetite, came alone to my favorite restaurant, and the chef gave me a beautiful surprise. He doesn't talk much, but this was the warmest meal I've had in days. The ingredients were, as always, outstanding. Thank you, Chef. Thank you all.

I just came back from Japan and I have to say that Goshi is Japan. Their service, food, ambiance, personnel, attention to detail and quality offers a rare but pristine glimpse into Japanese culture at its best. If you haven't had the chance, this place is a must go while in SLO.

Gotta give props to a place that doesn't treat vegetarian food as an afterthought. This place has the best vegetable omokase nigiri. I've never found that at any other Japanese place in the US. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it also varies with season and includes things you won't find everywhere like lotus root. Nice cozy atmosphere. Definitely tucked away like a secret passageway. Just beware that they close in the afternoon between lunch and dinner, so check before making the trip.

Awesome and authentic. Great service, family style cooking and excellent sushi. Line out the door and always packed. Please go. You'll be happy you did.

I had a really positive first experience here--the food was genuinely good and enjoyable. Unfortunately, my second visit today was so disappointing that I won't be returning. We were a party of three and were told there would be a short wait for a suitable table. We waited well beyond the estimated time, only to watch several later-arriving parties and groups get seated ahead of us. When we checked in again, the host said a table would be ready soon. Moments later, a new group of three walked in, asked about the wait for a table, and was immediately seated. It felt disrespectful and unfair, especially after standing patiently for so long. The way the staff handled the seating made the entire experience frustrating. After reading other reviews mentioning similar issues with rude or inattentive staff, this unfortunately makes sense. The food may be good, but poor management of waits and customer treatment is a deal-breaker for me. Best of luck to the restaurant, but I won't be back.

Such a great find and cute little area. Sushi is so fresh omakase and monk fish are a++++++++++.

An excellent sushi experience that I didn't expect in San Luis Obispo. Honestly, probably one of the better sushi spots I've been to. Every piece of fish was fresh and all the flavors meshed well together. I think they use real wasabi too? I may be wrong though.

TL;DR: A surprisingly memorable and delicious chirashi lunch experience at a good price nestled in downtown San Luis Obispo. The Details: I mean no disrespect for the city of San Luis Obispo, but if you told me that a truly memorable sushi experience could be found there I'd be a bit skeptical. I'm willing to eat this slice of humble pie though, because what me and my family experienced was quite memorable. Their chirashi bowl lunch was so remarkably generous for the price, and the fish quality was excellent and varied (e.g. my first time trying fresh saba, which I find to be a rare item at sushi places). They also serve nodoguro nigiri, which needs to be imported from the western Pacific--a testament to their devotion to sourcing excellent ingredients (not to mention unctuous and deliciously prepared, by the way). Service was good and ambiance is welcoming for a sit-down establishment. Overall, this ranks among my top chirashi bowl experiences.

recently got the chirashi bowl to-go from Goshi, and it was just as good as dining in. I've been there in person before, but I wanted to try takeout this time, and it didn't disappoint. The fish quality is always top-notch, fresh, and vibrant. There's sometimes a mackerel included, which I'm not a huge fan of, but everything else is great. Since the bowl comes with a random assortment of fish, you get a nice variety, which is always a fun surprise. The portion size is good, and I always feel like it's worth what I'm paying. Goshi remains my favorite spot for sushi in San Luis

the omakase is a must. 30$ for 5 pieces but the fish is soooo good. chutoro, uni, scallop etc. so worth. Goshi is a must everytime I come visit slo. I love to sit at the sushi counter and see the chef make the food. all the waiters are super nice & they seem to be Japanese. authentic!

Disappointing. The food was perfectly fine, but nothing special -- while still very expensive. The atmosphere leaves quite a lot to be desired, especially if you're in the back room by the kitchen. But what I think really made this a bummer was the poor service. Not warm, not attentive. This was a birthday dinner and it was just a bummer all in all. I don't think we'll be back.

Food was great. Service is excellent. Place is not big, but it's a typical Japanese restaurant style

SO BUMMED! What is happening to my favorite sushi restaurant. I drive over from Fresno just for this sushi restaurant. However, this time was different. Then menu changed slightly. It was interesting to say the least, but I stuck with albacore tataki and spicy albacore lunch special. What made me take a star away is the new staff (namely very young waitresses). I had a very young waitress who came to our table every 5 mins. Now this place gets crowded, but it wasn't surprisingly this Saturday afternoon. But I reserved on OpenTable stating it was a date ... it's frustrating when you cannot converse with your partner without someone coming to interrupt the conversation. That is the point of dining at a restaurant. She came 3 times and we were barely looking over the menu. Mind you, the changes to the menu were slight, so we really needed to look at what was added (i.e. cheesecake). Then when my lunch special was served ... usually you get the miso soup and they give you time with that. But then less than 10 mins later, EVERYTHING came at one. Salad, entree rolls. The table was so crowded and I hadn't even finished the miso. The salad was sprigs ... not like how it was before again. There was no lettuce and hardly any dressing. I've never had to ask for more dressing. I don't know what's happening, but it's not going in the right direction. The tataki was amazing still ... but my spicy albacore roll wasn't right like my first postings. It tasted a little fishy and how it was dressed was just different. I will still come back for my Tataki ... but hopefully ownership is reading this. I'm not sure about what was added to the menu, but the feel of a Japanese restaurant is leaving ... that's what it felt like to me at least. Tataki still amazing, miso soup amazing ... but please fix your salad. I usually would take one to go. Its really hard and messy to eat a bowl of stems. The chefs are still amazing. But I think the new waitresses and waiters need training on how to read the room. My favorite person is the gentleman with the facemask. Someone described him negatively, but whenever he has served me ... everything was perfect and on time. Please stay true ... if anyone knows what changed (management?) ... please let me know. :(

First time here. Everything was soo good! It's not cheap but sashimi was very fresh. Haven't had sushi this fresh in a long time. Scallop rolls and salmon/avocado rolls were excellent. They use real chunks of scallops! Tempura was great too, light and crispy and not oily. The udon soup was slightly salty for me, but was good after adding in water. Udon noodle itself was perfect. Dynamite was salty as well though tasted better with a squeeze of lemon on top. They refilled the water and green tea which was nice. I can tell Goshi takes pride in their skills and food. Definitely coming back. Highly recommend!

Pretty good place, the sushi was fresh but the cashier was not patient or informative.

I love Goshi!! The miso soup is amazing... the tofu literally melts in your mouth. I love getting the teriyaki salmon dinner plate. The sunomono (cucumber salad) that it comes with is my favorite. It's not too vinegary to where it becomes unbearable to eat. The service is good. The wait time depends on what time you go because there is a wait list and it does get long. When I plan to go, I make sure to go around the time they open.

Best sushi in California. Michelin star needed ASAP SLO is lucky to have you guys thank you for the amazing food and friendly welcome.

Came here after seeing the reviews and this place did not disappoint. The sushi here is fresh and amazing. The nigiri toro and seared toro nigiri were amazing and I would highly recommend. I will definitely come back when I am in town. The servers were very tentative and super helpful when I had questions about the menu.

Oishi Goshi! Goshi takes the spot for best Asian food in SLO, and that's not just because there are a grand total of less than 10 Asian food places in SLO. They offer a fanfare of great tasting Japanese dishes, from sushi to donburi to udon. Service is impeccable and impressive considering how busy this place gets relative to the wait staff here. It's apparent that they take the extra step to try to source quality, fresh fish and ingredients where they can. I like to order from the colored "specials paper" which has seasonal fish and chef's specials that try to incorporate recent catches/shipments. I will say this, though: Goshi is not a super high-end establishment that crosses every T and dots every I. Just today I had a piece of lotus tempura that was notably old/sour, and that's okay! For the overall quality and cost, I don't think there's a better deal around, and I'm certain that there's nothing comparable as far as JP food goes within an hour's drive. The interior of the restaurant feels nice and vibrant, in no small part due to the crazy hecticness that I mentioned earlier. It's notoriously difficult to get a seat here, so if you're doing a walk-in, come early at the start of lunch/dinner service and expect a 90 minute wait. Otherwise, get a headstart with a reservation online.

Dropped in during their lunch hours. We ordered the chirashi bowl lunch special and it especially filling, delicious, and thick pieces of sashimi. The interior was decorated with traditional Japanese decor and had calm music playing. The quality of the fish was excellent I'd recommend this to a friend wanting sushi in slo.

The best Japanese restaurant you will find. My husband had been here years before and was so excited to come back. The Kanpai Boat for 2 is definitely the way to go. A good variety of various fish, miso soup, salads, and appetizers. It's $90, but the amount of food you get and the high quality of fresh fish makes it more than worth it - especially because it's plenty to share between two people. If you can, definitely make a reservation. Otherwise, we showed up about 5 minutes before opening and put our name on the list when they opened and got seated within about 10-15 minutes. Parking can be a bit difficult in busier times, but we were able to find a spot in the attached parking lot. Highly recommend coming here for dinner.

Goshi is one of the best Japanese sushi restaurant in California as far as we're concerned. Every single item we order is exceptional quality especially the Saba nigiri and the Amazing hamachi nigiri. The rolls are incredible including the spicy scallop roll, and shrimp tempura roll but there are so many great choices we can never get enough at one time so have to go back again and again. We're never disappointed. The restaurant is intimate, relaxing and enjoyable- you can sometimes see steelhead fish in the creek right next to the restaurant. If you're lucky you can park in their parking lot right in front of the restaurant for free. The service is great- we've always had pleasant servers with wonderful attitude. Thank you so much Goshi chefs and staff!

Best bang for your buck maybe in all of SLO. DELICIOUS food and very healthy cuts of sashimi. The staff is very friendly and extremely generous. If you're going for lunch, I would recommend going before they open so you won't have to wait too long.

Amazing service, wasn't left waiting at any point. Food was delicious and so fresh. Would absolutely recommend coming here if in town!

I had been coming here for years when I was a student at Cal Poly. I really enjoy the kanpai boat, scallop roll, special nigiri plates, sukiyaki, and udon. I came for a visit this weekend and stopped by for lunch. Safe to say that the quality has not changed and the food is still excellent. The prices have gone up a lot, but I will always make it a point to stop by here for the delicious food.

The fish was good quality and the takoyaki was delicious . Server was also nice and informative. The interior is very traditional Japanese. Great place for date night!

Spicy Garlic Toro Hand Roll was amazing. Tempura Udon was basic but filling and a good portion. Sukiyaki was so flavorful and comforting. Mini chirashi rice bowl was so fresh and rice was perfect.

During my trip, I happen to found this place and it was huge surprise and success. We arrived at the restaurant before it opened and there was already a long line, which was a sign that it was a great restaurant to me. As soon as the door opened, we put our name on the list and waited patiently to be our turn. At the waiting area, I glanced inside and I couldn't take my eyes off the interior with all the elegant traditional Japanese arts, wood roofs, floor, table, etc. and the spacious sushi bar. I could tell that this was going to be more than a great experience so I got anxious to be seated. We ordered not only the basic Japanese appetizers but also main dishes such as don, chirashi, etc. Every single dish was authentic Japanese gourmet, which melt in our mouths. The service, quality, environment, and presentation was exactly what you get from Japan. That's how phenomenal it was. The way how the chefs/cooks put each dish together just blew not only my mind but also my mother's and sister's. My family and I visited Japan before so I confidently and strongly recommend this place to everybody.

This place is so much more than "5 stars". This is a place where you have to check out. Been here multiple times and NEVER had an issue with customer service or the food. Did I mention the food? There is modern twists to some of his food, but the sushi and sashimi remain authentic

This place is awesome!!!! Great food awesome service! We loved it all. Cozy and comfortable, good with kids

Wife: What do you want for dinner? Me: Let's go to Goshi. Wife:That's two hours away! Me: Yeah, 125 miles. Ready? It's that good. Best Japanese restaurant within at least 130 miles from Salinas. There's also a real good one in Carmel but this one is special good. Check my last two reviews of this restaurant to get a better idea. Last words: Omae!

If you're into authentic Japanese food, this is for you. The staff was absolutely so sweet and very helpful. The food was great quality and tasted amazing. We each had different combo plates and all were very good. I had the tuna roll with garlic flakes and it was delightful. I'd definitely go again!

Delicious and authentic. My son wanted Japanese for his birthday so we tried Goshi for the first time. I'm vegetarian and thoroughly enjoyed the agadashi tofu and vegetable tempura. The omnivores in the group had nothing but good things to say about the beef rice bowl and sushi. I definitely recommend making a reservation but either way it's worth the wait!

First off, people working there are super rude. I mean beyond rude. For a table of 5, we were served one at time at least 5 mins between each guests meal making it super awkward to start eating without everyone's food in front of them. The food itself was very lackluster. Not impressed at all. Lunch prices for "lunch specials " incredibly high for what you actually get. I won't be back.

The best of the best in slo!!! Always delicious and worth the wait. I love the Salmon avocado roll! Personal fav.

Great food, the service is excellent and the ambiance is great. I highly recommend eating here, you just have to be their at least 1:10pm. Be they close at 1:30pm.

amazing food, great quality everything is amazing here. can't recommend more. some of the people complaining about the wait times don't realize there's literal hordes of people trying to fit into a small restaurant. and it makes sense that certain staff are busy all the time because of the sheer amount of people trying to eat at this place. make a reservation, or call ahead or else you will be waiting. i love goshis!!