Izakaya Maíze

Food here is mediocre; the meat didn’t seem fresh or of high quality, the frying pan’s oil likely needed a refresh, and the flavors of the dishes were not well balanced. Cocktails were interesting but not sophisticated. Given the quality of this food, the dishes were extremely overpriced. We visited at 8:30 PM on a Sunday evening, and the restaurant did not have any other customers. On top of that, I did not feel welcomed by the waiter who didn’t seem amused that we walked even though we had a reservation. The bartender was friendly though. Great ambiance and relaxing vibe.

My gosh. Or should I say OMG. This.place.slaps. While you may wonder that this place serves sharing-style or Tapas-style servings or that the place only has 35 seats, it is big on flavor and service. We tried almost half their menu and were just blown away. We had the scallop skewer, the Wagyu skewer, along with the Wagyu egg rolls, sliders, crudo and other items that at this point we can't remember because it was so good. We also had a few of their libations which were extremely tasty. Pretty much a repeat for us next time we visit. The staff are polite and professional. They are following current respiratory hygiene guidelines. Extremely recommended.

I was very hesitant when my wife said we are going to eat at a Mexican/Asian fusion restaurant. However I am So glad we drove an hour a ten minutes, so worth it. The combination of flavors Chef Nate throws together, absolutely incredible. Service was amazing, food was the best and it made it even better when Chef Nate takes the time to talk with each customer. Props kind sir for your creation, we will be back for sure.

A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure to dine in for their 1 year anniversary dinner. Chef Nate Horton served us some of his best Japanese-Mexican infused cuisine. For the dinner feast, we had their welcome drinks, which was delicious! He started off by serving us the wagyu eggrolls, blistered shishitos, fried calamari, and bruesselsprouts, which all of it tasted great! Next, we had the izakayasliders (my favorite of the night), mushroom karrage (which we thought was a little too salty), and the duck fried rice (the duck was too dry for us). Lastly, he served us albondigyus, austrialian NY steak, and we had pre-ordered the 3lb wagyu. Overall, this experience was wonderful and such a pleasure to be served by the chef. Most of the time, we don't see them. However, disappointed that they told us we were done when we didn't get the dessert, which was included in the dinner feast. First, the server said chef is making some browning with miso ice cream, then he told us they didn't have brownie and gave us some ice cream. You think with such an elegant place, they would serve you a more delicate dessert. However, I have great experience and would recommend trying !

Great experience eating here! We came to celebrate a birthday and were pleasantly surprised by every dish. The takoyaki fries and karrage mushrooms were both amazing. The wagyu dishes are really good, and the cocktails are great! Nice servers and relaxed atmosphere. The bar seating is a nice set up as well but we did sit at a table.

My boyfriend and I had the pleasure of dining at Izakaya Maize for Valentine's Day. We have been to a lot of restaurants both locally and regionally, and this place has easily become one of our top restaurants we've been to. The Valentine's menu was amazing! Our favorite BY FAR was the Wagyu Sliders - words cannot describe how amazing it was. There was not one dish that was disappointing. The atmosphere was cozy, intimate, and clean, and all of the waiters were very attentive and polite. The chef/owner was super friendly making sure everyone was taken care of. I highly recommend this place for a casual, upscale date night!

I just recenty heard about this spot in an article about the hottest newly opened restaurants in SD. It's close by so I had to try it out. Located in an unassuming strip mall, we weren't even sure which door was the front door. Once inside, it's a simple small space. We ordered the VIP margarita and the mole old fashioned. Both were tasty, definitely not your traditional old fashioned but still good. We also ordered the gem salad, sliders, duck fried rice and Australian wagyu. I gotta say that I'm craving that duck fried rice right now, wow! The wagyu had a nice char on it and was cooked perfectly. The chef, Nate, welcomes all guests and describes the food which is a really nice touch.

The restaurant is truly unique with a private “speak easy” dining experience. The food is absolutely incredible with all the right flavorings and pairings. I would highly recommend doing the private dining area with a group of friends.

An amazing culinary experience is what we had here. The food is so flavorful and so well put together. We tried 80% of the menu because I can't help myself at new places. Anything we order was fantastic! The service was great because I believe it was the owner/head chef who was taking care of us and explaining every dish in detail! The food was made with love! The love of someone who truly wants to please his guests every plate at a time. The ambiance is a cozy small place so reservations are limited plan in advance if you plan to enjoy this amazing place! Being In La mesa I was puzzled because a place like this should be in La Jolla or on the harbor! I am happy it's close to home because I'm an East County boy!

Was invited back by Chef Nate and our evening was redeemed. This restaurant is a great add to the area. The flavors and items add a fun flare to the growing la mesa/east county restaurant community. Highlight of the night was the wagyu eggrolls. A MUST TRY! Id go back for those alone. The small plates are a great chance to try it all. Special shoutout to Zara whose service and pleasant demeanor really added to the experience.

Really cool place! The owner/chef was right there chatting with us and explaining the dishes. Tables limited to 4 people. FYI The fried mushroom karage was very very good. All the dishes were good. I realized I didn't really finish this review so I'll have to go back and update this later. This place is a bit pricey though. I included the pictures but it was too long ago and I don't remember what they were. Sorry! Failure on my part

This spot was on my list for a while. A couple of friends joined me to celebrate my birthday. The space is intimate and cozy. I got the blood orange creamsicle, which tasted like the popsicle! My friends got an old-fashioned and a ramune, but she thought it was going to be a mocktail from the way they were describing it haha. We started with the mushroom karaage and tuna crudo. The crudo was light and citrusy. I didn't care for the karaage. There wasn't much to choose from on the menu, so I ordered some skewers. We got the pollo, pork belly, and scallops. These were pretty good! We also tried A5 wagyu and it melts in your mouth, but I think we ordered too much ahah. I was happy with just a couple of slices. They ordered dessert for me, but too bad there was no candle to blow out. Service was a bit slow at times, but overall, it was pretty good here!

Just ok. Definitely not traditional Izakaya vibes. We went here on a Friday night after making reservations. They specialize in wagyu options. Which we did try wagyu skewers. They were just ok 3/5. The best thing we did eat was the mushroom karaage. It was fried perfectly and was probably the best fried mushroom I've had in a while. However, the rest of the food was just ok. Nothing worth going there for. The staff was also just ok, nothing spectacular to say about the service. Also, the cocktails were overly sweet. Overall, it's just not an Izakaya worth checking out. There are so many other better izakayas in San Diego.

This place was really good. This was fusión done right. Service was great. Our sever was very helpful when we were deciding on what to order. The wagyu sliders were my favorite bite of the night. Those were amazing. A MUST order. The albóndigas was delicious a very homey plate. The skewers were good too. The scallop was my favorite. The pork belly was ok. A couple pieces were a little dry, but all the skewers are way over priced in my opinion. I'll be back to try more of the menu and order more sliders.

We only tried the drinks tonight and will definitely be back for the food. Both the drinks and the service are on point. It's an intimate space and the staff are friendly. The blood orange creamsicle mocktail was refreshing. I'm a nursing mom so it was awesome to have such a delicious non-alcohol option. The stainless steel straw was a nice added touch!

We visited from Texas so our expectations for steak were very high. Loved the look of this restaurant and so we came for dinner! This is a very small, very cute place. Immediately the staff were all super nice and informative. The server got our courses out extremely quick! We ordered the gem salad and scallop skewer to start. The salad was light, refreshing, and huge! Lol. The scallops were tender and savory. The meat sweats were the highlight of our choices! The steak almost melts in your mouth and to finish it off with some bone marrow? It was heaven!

Walked in on an unassuming Wednesday right when they opened. Definitely has a happy hour and izakaya vibe to it - being small, not brightly lit (but not arguably too dark), and overall just a few places to sit. With no reservation we were seated immediately in the nearly deserted space - this would fill up by the time we left about an hour and a half later. The drinks looked pretty from other diners but we weren't quite in the mood this evening and opted to focus on the food. Masa dumplings - like American chicken and dumplings, NOT like gyoza. After we got over our own misunderstanding, they were fairly decent - about the size of a donut hole, more or less dunked in a salsa verde, with cheese inside. A nice starter but not necessarily mind blowing. Takoyaki fries - Fries dude, really? Yes. Great sauce and incredible texture and taste from the wagyu flank steak it's sprinkled with. Great for just snacking. Pollo skewer/wagyu skewer - this is counter intuitive, but at this wagyu-centric izakaya, we actually thought the yuzu habanero of the pollo skewer was much fuller and satisfying. The wagyu of course was prepped perfectly, but the truffle shoyu just didn't taste as complex as we'd hoped. Duck fried rice - beautiful jasmine rice, fried egg, and duck leg. The portion is enough for one person (despite being called a side) and the flavors are really great (XO sauce on the duck was balanced well). The two food critiques that I have (that would've together cost Izakaya Maize a half star) are: 1. In isolation, each dish was well seasoned. In totality, the entire set of dishes leans towards being salty. 2. I would confit or otherwise slow roast the duck leg so that it falls off the bone to match the texture and effort of the fried rice.

Initially I didn't want to come here bc it didn't look like anything special...well, boy was I wrong. You know the drinks are going to be good when the bartender claps at the mint and smells the liquor before he poors. The waiter was so nice, very attentive. The calamari is a must get, so crispy. All around a great place, reasonable prices. Only the meat sweat would be the most priciest item but worth trying, it did not disappoint if you wanted to try kobe beef. For sure would come back for the drinks. Even the non alcoholic drinks are worth getting, Creamsicle was out of this world

If you're looking for a great tasting fusion restaurant with quality food this spot is it. This place is a Latin and Japanese fusion restaurant that is extremely flavorful. Being Asian, trying many fusion restaurants, I usually am not a fan but this time Izakaya Maize takes the top of on fusion restaurants. There is always wait staff to clean up your tables and fill your waters always. This spot is also local ran so it feels like the owners put a lot of heart and soul into here. The ambience feels like a classy bar in downtown. In regards to what I recommend, I really enjoyed the mushroom karage and the takoyaki fries. Those were different and had sweet,salty, and crunchy all in one dish. I would definitely recommend this spot.

I recently tried this place for our anniversary dinner and found it quite interesting. Service was prompt and we were seated right away as we had our 6:30pm reservation but the place looked quite empty, save for a few people at the bar. Once we were midway through our meal, more people were trickling in. We tried the -Mushroom Karrage: delish -Masa Dumplings: interesting but not something I'd order again - Wagyu Shiro skewers: my favorite among the skewers - Pollo Yuzu Habanero skewers: very moist and succulent but had no hint of habanero or any heat whatsoever - Pork Belly Al Pastor skewers: quite disappointing as it was rather tough - Albondigyus: packed with flavor, absolutely amazing to keep scooping up all the deliciousness with the crunchy toast. - Duck Fried Rice: we felt quite let down by this dish as it was quite salty and heavy handed with the soy sauce - Takoyaki Fries: yum yum yum! Ordered this toward the end of our meal as the kiddos were still hungry after the items above. The entire family dug into this plate of fries loved every last bit! - Miso Brown Butter Brownie with a Mole inspired Ice cream- I was rather taken back to learn that there was just one dessert offering on the menu but it turned out to be the absolute star of the evening... the only draw back being the portion size. We were warned they are small so chose to do 2 among 2adults and 2kids but we could have easily polished off 4. All the servers were very knowledgeable about various components of the dish and took their time to detail it at the time of service. Overall a solid 3.5

This place is worth the hype. The food quality is excellent for the money and the service is top notch. It's a bit far for me living more north but definitely worth the trip for anyone who lives nearby. Recommendations: Tuna Crudo, Albondigyus, Duck Fried Rice, Scallop & Pollo Skewers

Showed up @ 5pm there is no one here .... Funny how people take business more serious than the business owners do better.

Went for our date night and it was pretty good. The service was great and very attentive. The food was okay, I think because I read about the chef and knowing his background I expected more. Overall it is a good place for a date night. I will go back again to try the food.

Interesting place I just happen to run across. The menu was very minimal however the food was not lacking flavor. I would call this more of a tapas and bar than full restaurant. We tried the shishito peppers, the fries, and the meatballs. Each had very unique flavors. The ambience is very dark. Was almost too dark for me to see, lol. Service was exceptional.

All I can say is wow. My wife and I came here for our anniversary dinner and we were absolutely blown away. Can't believe that we have something this good so close to our home. All the dishes tasted incredible and the plating done extremely well. After we finished eating we had some time left before they closed (and before the babysitter had to leave) so we sat at the bar for a couple drinks. My wife just told the bartender a few things she liked and he crafted one of the best tasting concoctions either of us have ever had. An amazing experience overall and we will definitely return. The owner said he was opening up a deli style lunch eatery next door so we're excited for that too.

Food here is mediocre; the meat didn't seem fresh or of high quality, the frying pan's oil likely needed a refresh, and the flavors of the dishes were not well balanced. Cocktails were interesting but not sophisticated. Given the quality of this food, the dishes were extremely overpriced. We visited at 8:30 PM on a Sunday evening, and the restaurant did not have any other customers. On top of that, I did not feel welcomed by the waiter who didn't seem amused that we walked even though we had a reservation. The bartender was friendly though. Great ambiance and relaxing vibe.

Went here for a late valentines dinner and everything exceeded our expectations! The staff were all very professional and accommodating. Upon arrival of the food, the server explained each dish and its ingredients. Snax: Blistered Shishitos: pretty standard but tasty. Given the ambient lighting, we didn't notice that there was sauce on the plate until several bites in. Shares: Brussel Sprouts: quite possibly my favorite item on the menu. The brussel sprouts were slightly crispy and paired nicely with the sauces. Mushroom karaage: big pieces of what I believe were oyster mushrooms. Big and crispy pieces of mushroom. They were way too salty for my liking so I probably wouldn't order it again. Skewers: Wagyu: an order came with 2 skewers so it's great for sharing. Waguy was tender. Wasabi and pickled vegetables were nice in cutting the fattiness of the wagyu. Pollo: our favorite!! The chicken was so juicy and flavorful. I could see myself only ordering this and being satisfied. Pork: thick cuts of pork. We thought they were just okay, nothing spectacular compared to the other two skewers. Drinks: Matcha's ikigai: sweet yet strong tasting cocktail. I wish it tasted more like matcha. Dad's Carajillo: tastes just like a dessert! The cocktail had little to no alcohol taste. I really enjoyed the salted foam and marshmallow on top.

Wow. Where to even begin? My wife and I came down on our annual trip to SD from LA. We will always throw in a favorite plus a new spot we haven't had the pleasure of trying yet. Izakaya. WOW. our new favorite spot in San Diego. Everything was absolutely delicious. The Tuna Crudo, accompanied by the soy sauce pickled tomatoes. The Gem Salad with the hibiscus vinaigrette. The skewers. The rice bowl. The dessert.... Oh my. It's been a good while since a meal hit like that. Our servers were awesome. Service was top notch. Sake was great. This place is an absolute knock out. It is not hyperbole for me to say that the food alone is worthy of a Michelin Star. Amazing. We'll be back.

My wife is from this neighborhood. Born and raised. Dailard, Pershing, Henry. I'm from the Bay Area. We moved here 6 years ago. We've moved 3 times. Jackson and Mission Gorge, San Carlos Drive, now Jackson and Navajo. Being from the Bay Area I was always longing for more from San Diego food wise. My go to dad-only spot is Rare Society. Sit at the bar. Always. For fancier away dinners we like to hit Trust spots. Fort Oak, Trust, etc. Izakaya really hits the nail on it's head when it comes to food quality. It's a 10/10. I heard stories about North County folk venturing down here just to try Izakaya. The food is soft and proud. Every element on each dish is executed with perfection. There is balance. There is texture. There is flavor. Everything is so damn good. The restaurant is small, to the point where the chef actually sat us and was shocked to hear we live nearby. That is where there is a slight downside to Izakaya. The location. The chef chatted with us for a while. Kindly boasted about his resume which was impressive (we've been to all his restaurants) and mentioned that he wants to bring the food scene "out here." while "out here" is nice to hear, (pun) and nice to experience - man out here is far from the beach, far from the tourists, and far, honestly, from the well off Sorrento Valley folks. What is well adjusted to "out here" is the marginally small menu selection and the prices. While pricey, it is not overblown at all. You pay for what you get. As mentioned previously the food is magnificent. The tuna crudo, the a5, the Australian wagyu, the tots, we got every decadent item on the menu along with (4) total drinks. Our bill was so well priced at $200 bucks. I would love for Izakaya to become my rare society. A couple scotches, a ribeye, a side, $125 solo, but the location in this shopping center and the small lack of warmth from the restaurant decor - it's not very La Mesa approachable. Add some wood, add some music, insulate the doors. Go for warmth and "home" versus commercial and efficient and you will win. The food and service here was top top tier. Far above what the area has to offer. It's a treat and anyone will love the food. The location just needs a bit of a lift to breathe in the real life to the restaurant. Still, congrats chef. The first shot is a strong 9/10 - you WILL hit a 10/10!

This place is a must visit! The food is so delicious and flavorful it's worth the drive even if you don't live close by! I recommend making a reservation to be sure you are able to dine when you are wanting! we had the Shishito skewers, meatball appetizer (honestly so good the flavors were out of this world), mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, duck fried riceand Wagyu NY strip. As well as SOTO sake Honestly it was so delicious I can't wait to go back. The chef was very knowledgeable and came out to the tables to let us know about the dishes. Such a nice touch. The servers were *almost* as knowledgeable as him but im sure that will come with time! 5/5 stars for sure

Good service and great food. The bartender and chefs were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Such an excellent experience.

We had the wagyu egg rolls, tuna crudo, scallop skewers, and duck fried rice. For dessert we had the special brownie. I also tried their Molle old fashioned. It's was all off the charts delicious. Highly recommend this place. The place is new so they could do better with the decor but the food and service were top notch.

First things first, the ambiance is nice and quaint. However, my experience here left me quite irritated with the lack of organization as to what the policies were. I walk in at 8:55p and up to The bar to order a meal "to go". The restaurant closes at 10pm. The bartender tells me I could order from the bar but not "to go" food, only dine in as they do not have the "set up" for to go food yet. So I try to sit to order food to eat there, when another staff member tells me that I can't order food at all, I can only Order drinks at the bar. And that they close at 10pm but sometimes 9:30 if no one is there. We had this conversation at 9:02.

I wish I could give them 100 stars. INCREDIBLE experience from start to finish. An unassuming, intimate restaurant. We had the tuna crudo, mushroom karaage, Brussels sprouts, filet, Australian Wagyu, brownie dessert and a couple of cocktails. The crudo melted in your mouth. The Australian wagyu was cooked to perfection, had a slight char and was superb. The Brussels sprouts were another highlight. Seriously everything was 10/10! The service was warm, friendly and attentive. Loved the music. Great vibe overall. We're looking forward to our next visit!

Intimate setting, strict reservations keep it organized, but comfy yet trendy ambiance. Many places have great food but there are always a few "meh" items...not this place. Every single item had perfect texture and detailed flavors. Everyone has their favorite proteins, but you can't go wrong with any. My personal favs were the wagyu egg rolls (11/10), tuna crudo and duck fried rice. Bar manager was passionate and excited to talk about the Japanese Whiskeys and origins of their curated bar program. It's always more fun to drink when the tender is excited to see how you like everything!

Had dinner tonight and needed to review again. The cocktails were excellent! The masa dumplings were well seasoned but mushy and grainy. The wagyu meatballs were dry but in a nicely seasoned red sauce. Wagyu sliders were rich and heavy but a nice bite. The host person tried to send us away saying that reservations were full but what he should have said is, "Welcome to Izakaya Maize; our reservations are booked but the bar is open with a full menu, please enjoy!" It's in a strip center next to a barber shop and not charming or well designed. The acoustics are terrible and you have to shout to talk. The cocktail was EXCELLENT however. Not for us but it's worth a one time visit to decide for yourself. Just lower your expectations.

Went here with my wife for date night. Had a fantastic time. All the food was very tasty with some very interesting flavor pairings. My favorites were the Albondigas and Wagyu Sliders, hers were the skewers and brussel sprouts. All the cocktails we had were great and the bartender even came up with a few custom ones for us too. Service was very quick and on top of it. Will definitely be back when we're in the area.

I absolutely had to write a review about this diamond of a place we just found minutes away from our home. First thing I would like to say, the staff is phenomenal, probably the best personal service I ever had. Sit at the bar and chat with Angel and Joe and you will be taken care of especially when it comes to the drinks. They are very well thought out, presentation of the drinks are photo (and video) worthy. Second the food of course, we ordered the Wagyu Egg-rolls - absolutely delicious. Since we haven't been there we went for the Meat Sweats (we shared it between two of us) - if you are a Wagyu person, the cuts are just so perfect, the bone marrow is delicious especially adding it on top of the cuts. Melts in your mouth, just heaven. We met the owner and talked to him for a bit as well. Everyone we spoke with was down to earth, they love talking about what they are doing and when you have a passionate bunch, it means you need to eat, drink, hang here. Ambience was classy, relaxed, yet refined. We most definitely will come back!

This place is small and intimate, and the food was amazing!. We had the sliders in the picture, Brussel sprouts, sake, tuna, and one each of the 4 skewers. We both enjoyed it. Definitely will go back.The staff was welcoming and very attentive.

This place was fun! So, I just moved to the area and had been waiting to try this place. It's tiny (handful of tables and bar seating) and they take reservations for 12 or less but getting a bigger reservation is harder. Service was great. They had some interesting cocktails which we tried: VIP margarita with pineapple infused tequila was pretty good. The mole old fashioned...when I looked at it looks like there is mole in it so I was a little hesitant but it was really good. Hints of chocolate in an old fashioned. Worth the try. For food we had 1) Masa dumplings (not so much like a typical dumpling but really interesting and good flavors none the less) 2) Wagyu egg rolls - super juicy and meat is excellent. Didn't seem like there was any of the other ingredients in there so they must have been blended up or something. Tasty. 3) Duck fried rice- super tasty and a unique twist on fried rice using the duck. 4) One each of the skewers. The Wagyu was great, chicken had a good taste and a little spice, scallop was cooked well as the texture was doable for me, and the pork belly I think was done fairly well with it being crispy but I couldn't do more than one or two pieces with the fat..just not my thing. Overall this was a great experience.

Surprise Saturday night date night by my bf, I had to admit I was a little skeptical when he said it was all the way out in La Mesa. Even more skeptical when we pulled into a strip mall but OMG was I entirely blown away by this place!!! From the delicious drinks to the amazing food not to mention the very attentive chef that takes the time to come out and explain the dishes!! Highly recommend this place for an upscale adult's night

I had Dinner at Izakaya last Sunday night and it was a delightful experience. Great atmosphere and Service. The food is amazing!! Thank you.

My husband and I tried this restaurant recently, as it is close to our house. We were very impressed with every bite. The drinks were delicious as well. The chef came up to us towards the end of our meal, and introduced himself. We were very pleased with the experience all together. We ordered the Takoyaki Fries, the Scallop and Pork Belly Skewers, and the A5 block Wagyu steak. For drinks: The VIP margarita, and the Mole Old Fashioned. Would definitely recommend trying this place!

Maybe the best food I've had in a while! DEFINITELY worth checking out. The menu is a Mexican/japanese fusion. EVERYTHING was amazing and the service was great.

Came with 2 friends. We got the Takoyaki Fries, Duck Fried Rice, Wagyuu Egg Rolls, and USA Tomahawk (And a couple of drinks) The Takoyaki Fries were delicious and would be the only item I'd ever get again from here. The wagyuu was very tasteful and fit well with everything else that came with it. The duck fried rice was very basic and you're paying basically $25 for a small piece of bland duck. Wagyuu Egg Rolls didn't taste great at all, I guess that's why they gave a ton of sauce so you can mask the blandness. Lastly, the USA Tomahawk was burnt and was medicore overall at best. It sadly feels like the Japanese-Mexican style is all that was interesting to it, and my friend believes the drinks weren't worth it either. If you want a somewhat classy/expensive looking vibe with mediocre food, with cheap paper towels in an expensive bathroom, this place is for you.

Walked in tonight for a bite and specifically for an espresso martini. Treated like royalty from the host to the mixologist Angel and even was table tapped by one of the partners. Sliders and calamari are not-to-be-missed. House made pickle and presentation screamed from top of the attention-to-detail mountaintop. The martinis were the best we have ever had. Will be back for the full experience! (If we can get a rezo!) Shoutout the ingenuity and dedication to the the art of the craft. Exciting decor (the bathroom is also not-to-be-missed) and honestly more than anything it's about time someone had the beef dumplings to bring this concept to this suburbiarea. It is more than past due for an elevated dining experience in this neighborhood. Kudos to @izakayamaíze

A hidden gem with excellent service, outstanding food, and great drink......................

I think my girlfriend & I had a different expectation so we were caught off guard. With the social media & reservation system, we were thinking somewhat of a fine dining (especially with wagyu) but got more of a causal vibe. We walked in & they were blasting hip hop. I would not recommend this restaurant for a date where you are getting to know one another or catching up with friends. The staff was friendly but again, we were getting like bro casual vibes. Nonetheless, the service was nice but I think we just expected something else. The food is Japanese with a Mexican flare. The appetizers were tasty but a bit underwhelming considering the price tag. I would just stick to the wagyu! Tender, slightly fatty, flavorful.

This place is a hidden gem and you will not regret it! The "meat sweats" plate is unbelievable, the meat melts like butter in your mouth. The drinks are fantastic, we tried almost all of them. Service is exceptional as well. If I could give 6 stars I would!

What a hidden gem in La Mesa! We came for a multi course tasting experience with wine, beer, and sake pairings for a friend's birthday. Each course featured special local produce and unique ingredients. Loved the fusion of Californian, Mexican, and Japanese cuisine that was so thoughtful that it seemed natural and not forced. The Chef and his team are passionate about what they do and it shows. Go now, before they get all the accolades, stars, and awards that are surely coming their way. Reservations are a must, especially for one of the Chef-led experiences like this one.

Our server Eric was real nice and the food from our appetizers to our main dish was amazing!

This place deserves every accolade it has and more. My husband and I came in with no reservation and they happened to have a table we could have for almost two hours. We started with the wagu sliders an old fashioned and a sake. After the drinks came we ordered the karage, blue corn dumplings, the duck and Wagu skewer and the rice bowl. Holy cow everything was phenomenal! I can not rave about this place enough. The wagu was melt in your mouth amazing and everything we had was perfectly balanced. You can tell the owner cares about what he is doing and everything was impeccable and at affordable prices. After we were finished they do a little puff hand washing service table side. I can not wait to go back here! I wish more places followed lead like this, the concept is so unique and the food is made with love and care.

Went here for our anniversary dinner , we had reservations at 6 so we were sat promptly, restaurant wasn't full at that point. There was a few people walking around but not sure what they were doing because we always had to flag someone down if we wanted another drink or wanted to order something else on the menu. Now the food was tasty, we had the sliders , albondiga, pork belly skewer, scallop skewer and 3oz of A5 , our faves was the pork belly and the A5 , it would be nice if the acknowledged when your celebrating a special occasion like most places we go , but definitely a place I won't mind coming to again to try the other things on the menu.

I saw this location pop up on my Yelp page as a new restaurant to check out and was glad we took the recommendation for a weeknight dinner option. I'm glad we looked at the menu photos on Yelp before going so we knew what we were walking into price wise as it's not a cheap dinner option. We ordered 3 appetizers, 4 skewers, and a side for about $180 (no drinks, only water). The food came quickly and service was attentive. Everything was amazingly delicious - familiar flavors but with a twist. I love the marriage between the Japanese and Mexican flavors. The space itself is intimate and a perfect space to enjoy your dinner without the unnecessary loud noise that can be distracting in a larger space. Is this an expensive dinner option - Yes. Was it worth it - Yes.

They are closed! Izakaya Maize is gone. New restaurant going in. Swagyu Burger. Don't know what happened. Any info where the chef went?

Just wow!!!! I've been waiting a long time to write a review like this. Izakaya Maize is absolutely phenomenal! Do yourself a favor and eat here! My husband and I were visiting San Diego and came across this gem! The food is mind blowing. Every. Single. Thing! We had the Blistered Shishito, Wagyu Eggrolls, Albondigyus, Tuna Crudo, and the brownie dessert w/ ice cream. INCREDIBLE! This place belongs in magazines. It was seriously a gem on the outskirts of San Diego. Definitely a MUST!

Hands down one of the best fusion restaurants we have visited in San diego.The food was fresh, delicious,thoughtful and inspired with flavors that represent both mine and my husband's heritage, it also represents our blended family well with our son being both mexican and Japanese. The space is intimate and friendly, so your not feeling like you need to rush through your meal.We all thoroughly enjoyed the food with flavors representing all of our favorite cuisines.The staff was pleasant and knowledgeable on the cuisine being served We will definitely be coming back.Thank you for the great food and service. Mushroom Karrage Blue Corn Dumplings Takoyaki Tuna Crudo Wagyu Egg Rolls

Best hidden gem in La Mesa. Everything about this place was awesome. The service was A+ and loved how the Chef and staff came out and explained the dishes. The flavors are indescribable! Love the Japanese and Mexican fusion and how the different flavors complimented each other. We will definitely make it back for more!