Kai Ola Sushi

Fish quality and flavor was amazing. Service efficiency needs a lil work, but still a great overall experience.

would recommend to anyone who loves sushi. rolls are and look amazing. i had the california roll. it was great. so were the avocado rolls <3 Ashley is super nice. lots of seating. many different menu options. not bad prices. opened up about 2 weeks ago.

Best sushi I’ve had in a while! The sushi was fresh and delicious, and the portions were generous. Our server, Sebastian, was super friendly and attentive. I highly recommend trying the sunset or grandview roll – they were both incredible.

Wow, great Sushi! I definitely would recommend.

Delicious sushi, incredibly welcoming service, and convenient, easygoing, but trendy vibe. Loved the Kook roll (pictured), as well as the Crispy Rice and Agedashi Tofu (which was eaten too quick to photo). Highly recommend for families or a casual date night.

Good sushi place. Everything we ordered was delicious

I promise you, best and highest quality fish/sushi you’ve had in a LONG time. Owner and staff are the best at what they do and are so nice. I’ve been going to Kai Ola since they first opened in Leucadia and they never disappoint. So happy to see their now third location open up. This is a must-visit spot right in the heart of Carlsbad Village.

The food is sooo fresh. Not a roll person typically but theirs actually tastes like sushi, not mayo and decoration. The bluefin tuna special was incredible

This is my second time here and far from my last. The spicy garlic edamame was the best I've had, the crispy rice and crunchy roll were so amazing, and our service from Ashley was the best. She explained different rolls to us and helped us make some good choices. Also, the live music made it so fun! Can't wait to come back.

I will be thinking about this meal for a long, long time. And looking forward to the next time I get to eat here. We got the saimen, and the broth is unbelievable! And full of all the stuff. Cucumber salad with sesame dressing--so yummy! Shrimp Tempura roll-- so good! Shrimp Gyoza--I LOVE. Excellent, efficient, friendly service!

I want to like this place but the service here is horrible. I called to put in an order. They kept me on hold for 10 mins. Tries to call back no answer. Put another order in another day. They said 20 mins. It took them over an hour. Even when we sit down and eat there they get the order wrong or forget a roll.

I've tried the Encinitas location before and wasn't the biggest fan, but the Carlsbad Village spot feels much better--more spacious, comfortable, and newer overall. The sushi here is decent, but what really stood out was the bluefin tuna flight--it was delicious and definitely worth ordering. I also tried the yellowtail roll, which was on the smaller side but very fresh and flavorful. Still fairly new location, service was friendly but pretty laid back. A nice easy vibe for lunch Overall, a nice spot in the village with good sushi and a couple standout items that made the visit worthwhile.

I'm glad to see more sushi spots in the Village area. Kai Ola Sushi took over the chocolate shop that used to be there...can't remember the name. We came across this place after coming from an event in the area. We were craving some premium sushi. When we stepped inside, it had a casual atmosphere with Hawaiian vibes. The service was pretty good...didn't have to wait too long. I ordered the Moonlight roll which was sooo fresssh and yummy to my tummy...yesss. Loved the creativity and flavors! I'll be coming back for more ;-)

Pretty good. Nothing to come out of your way for, but solid if you're hankering for sushi in this area. Slightly pricey for what you get, but fair for the neighborhood and inflation.

I was in the area due to an event and decided to check this spot out. Service was good, I really liked the decor. I ordered the flaming ahi and my friend got the moonlit something in honor of the full moon. Both were decent, the flaming ahi had a bit a kick to it so that was nice. Overall, okay sushi spot, if in the area I may stop by again.

New cool spot in downtown Carlsbad. Decided to try it out and it did not disappoint. I had the edamame, with the yellow tail roll and shrimp house specialty with mango sauce. Both were very good. I will definitely go back to try other items in the menu as it is close to my house. It is conveniently located in Downtown Carlsbad. It is modern and nicely decorated. I highly recommend give this a try. Also, the service was pretty good as the hostess was able to accommodate my party quickly.

Decided to pop in to this local spot for a celebratory lunch and was not disappointed. Large menu to appeal to folks but small enough it's not overwhelming, felt like a genuine sushi experience. Our server was busy yet attentive and the tuna and omakase tasted fresh and delicious. We were also able to snag a plate (for an upcharge) of real wasabi which added to the experience. Plenty of bar seating and table seating, despite being a little corner spot. Located right in the hustle and bustle of the main street in Carlsbad, I would def dine here again!

Great food which was super savory.Additionally, it was very traditional with various traditional Japanese cuisine.The service was great with kind servers and the chef giving gracious amounts of food.Finally, besides the faint hum of the fridge is was otherwise quiet.

Very surprised to see this Kai Ola Sushi in Carlsbad location. Corner store Ambiance is inviting. Service was good. Sushi rolls seem to have too much rice and not enough fish. Overall nice location and hope it does well. Rainbow salad was good. Pass on the Omakse.

I was able to sit at the sushi bar without waiting for more than 5 minutes. The chairs at the sushi bar are a bit too close to one another but we made it work. Our sushi chef was super nice and was able to explain what each piece of fish was on the omakase plate. The time it took for our drinks/food to come out was longer than I had expected, but I did keep in mind that they JUST opened 2 weeks ago and probably still getting the hang of the pace. The fish was so fresh! I just kept saying that I'm not usually a fan of albacore, but when I ate the albacore belly on my omakase plate, my mind changed so quick!! I want to go back just so I can get a taste of their locally caught tuna.

Great place with fantastic sushi. It has a nice casual vibe and a diverse menu full of fresh fish options, including omakase. I got the tuna flight with three different nigiri pieces of tuna with the fatty, leaner, and most lean cuts. I also tried the A5 wagyu beef ($25 in 2042), two small little cuts. Was it legit? I hope so, but I'm not totally sure. The omakase has three options: light medium and heavy. I went for the medium and got a good diverse mix of everything from ikura, snapper, tuna, sea urchin, and it was presented beautifully. No regrets. A great place for a traditional sushi lover, which also has some more Americanized roll options. Recommended! Oh -- and the extra star is because they offer real wasabi.

Food was good. Not amazing. Service is just average. Maybe this is normal for a sushi place in Carlsbad Village.

This new sushi spot in the village is great! The chef and staff are always friendly and welcoming and waitress is very knowledgeable on food allergies or sensitivities. I came in recently on a rainy day and the sake was nice and hot! To the gluten free people out there: they do not use gluten in the crab in their rolls so most of the rolls are ok AND they have gluten free soy sauce! The rainbow roll and cucumber-avo roll did not disappoint! Soooo good and they have a nice happy hour where they offer simple rolls and discounted beer/sake! Check it out you'll be glad you did!

Really fresh yummy sushi. Beautiful inside. On the pricier side but it is downtown Carlsbad. Probably would only go here for a special night as there are several other local spots that are a little more reasonable. Service was hit or miss. We had to ask about a few things that were forgotten. We also got charged for 2 things that we didn't realize we didn't receive until we got home, which was unfortunate.

Rolls Perfect. Wait time for to go order, Quick. All of the staff were bubbly and smiling when I arrived, for my order. Place is open layout and I love the light wood everywhere. The box the sushi comes in if you take it to go will have people asking you where it's from, Kai Ola baby!!! We took it to Crackheads bar, across the street, and had it with some beers.

I came in on a Tuesday afternoon hoping to get another taste of Hawaii after having just returned from vacationing there; I was NOT disappointed. We got three different speciality rolls: The Flaming Ahi (not shown on the menu that particular day), Special Hawaiian and Kook, each unique but also very complimentary of each other. I thought all three were a perfect blend of spice and flavor, with the Flaming Ahi obviously being the spiciest consisting of spicy ahi, spicy mayo, jalapeño and other ingredients, and the Kook being the sweetest with its coconut-flavored shrimp. Ashley, although her name was spelled different, was a great server and quickly brought out our food as they were prepared behind the sushi bar. Pair your sushi with their house blonde or various non-alcoholic drinks, and you'll be taken to your favorite poke/sushi spot in Hawaii!

Filling that void Yoshino left. The special salmon skin roll 10/10. Bluefin tuna flight was good. Gonna c9me back tomorrow too.

Ok, coming from SF I'm kind of a food snob. On top of that I made reservations for my husband and I, so I felt the pressure to make a good decision on our dinner reservation. Kai Ola Sushi exceeded our expectations. I'm GF--so kind of particular. I felt safe. I loved the wave and surf art. The food and service was stellar. It felt like a local place where returning customers were welcomed as family. We are definitely coming back.

I was very excited to try this sushi bar after seeing the pics and good star rating. Unfortunately the food didn't wow me. We ordered 3 rolls of which only one was good, the Moonlight roll. The Kook roll lacked flavor and the third was a special. The Special was the worst. It had pico on top which was grey in color and did not look appealing and tasted even worse. The restaurant was clean and the waitress made some recommendations but overall a 1/3 so unfortunately we won't be back

First off, very mediocre sushi. Could have been better for sure. But the biggest complaint is they were not careful at all for my wife and son who have celiac. We asked 2 times about about making sure things were safe, they assured us. My wife and son got sick after and are still sick 2 days later. So, we will not be coming back. Waiter seemed confused about GF to be honest and we should have got up and left. When we asked the sushi chef about a sauce being GF he looked up and the ceiling and said yes. Did not really check to be sure. Overall experience was not that enjoyable. The male server just seemed like he went out too late the previous night and did not really want to be working. Not very knowledgeable on the food either. Sushi? As noted it was just OK. Nothing special nothing Bad, just OK. So I think that will be the first/last time we go. Hope they can use this info to improve.

Had a girls night and dined here on a Saturday evening in Carlsbad Village. Everything was so good! I'm sad I didn't take any photos, but I remember everything we enjoyed! -Watermelon Green Tea -Spicy Garlic Edamame -Cucumber Salad -Moonlight Roll -Crispy Rice Roll -Beacon's Roll The standouts were The Crispy Rice Roll, Watermelon Green Tea and Moonlight Roll! 10/10 would order again! Service was great too, the team working was friendly and food was delivered quickly.

incredible!!! if i could eat here every week I would. Awesome ambiance, fresh sushi, prices are not Terrible but definitely splurging a little.

High quality fish for sure. Like what they did with the interior too. To accurately rate any restaurant in Carlsbad Village in terms of price, you've got to compare them to other nearby establishments. A few blocks away is Sushi Taisho (right above the Coyote) so I think they're a fair comparison: Kai Ola definitely beats them in terms of quality. Not that Taisho is lacking there, but Kai Ola's fish quality really stands out. Like look at this Maguro (blue fin tuna). It tasted even better than it looks. Melt in your mouth, amazing. Price-wise, a little higher than I'd like. For a similar price (for nigiri) you could go to Wrench and Rodent if you're a bit more adventurous. However, here you could get their Lite Omakase for the substantial cheaper $75 ($90 at WR if memory serves). So all in all, very high quality and you pay for it. Fair. I'll be back for sure. Will probably try their omakase next time.

I come in here all the time with my friends, service is always so amazing. Ashley was our server tonight a she absolutely killed it, she's always so kind and attentive! Food here is always so good as well, the chefs really know what they are doing! We got lucky tonight the had live music so the ambiance was a vibe for sure! I would highly recommend you coming in to check out this wonderful place.

The original location is in Encinitas, and this new location is located in the heart of Carlsbad. Ryan knows how to do sushi the right way. If you want to have an awesome experience, this is the place for you. Fresh fish, beautiful presentation and delicious, what more could you ask for. I have also had the pleasure of his catering side of the business from his other location. If you want to wow, your coworkers pick up a few boxes for the office.

We checked this new place out today. It's their soft opening so not their complete menu as their other locations They've done a great job reworking the old tried chocolate shop that sat at this location for years. Here's the run down: * Clean and fresh decor * Attentive staff * Food appealing (presentation & tastes) * Worth a second look.

Great service, fresh and delicious sushi and beautiful location. We had the kook and a couple of other rolls. All really great mix of flavors.

Very disappointed in our sushi considering this place is averaging 4.5 stars. Went here on NewYearsEve and tried a bunch of nigiri as well as one of the rolls. I'll start with the positives: - All the servers were very friendly, and we liked the atmosphere - The carafe of craft sake that we got was very tasty. - In the BlueFinSampler (three types of blue fin) one of the types had excellent flavor and texture Now onto the rest: - in the BlueFinSampler one style seemed completely flavorless, while the Otoro was pretty typical for Otoro Kook Roll was fine: liked the mango topper a lot, but the roll as a whole didn't really wow us. Salmon nigiri was okay Yellowtail Belly nigiri was a thumbs down The Jalapeno Roll was fine, but paled in comparison to the one we had at the Kai Ola in Leucadia a few weeks prior. My mom (a non-sushi eater), ordered the cooked Teriyaki Salmon; she was quite disappointed with it (not enough to send it back, but we heard multiple times that night and the next day how much she didn't like it. We tasted it, and thought it was fine, but she didn't care for the fish nor the sauce (she orders grilled salmon almost every place we go, and this is the first time she has been really disappointed in one). We won't be returning here. Not sure how this sushi place is averaging 4.5 stars; other reviewers must have very different taste buds.

First time here and the sushi definitely did not disappoint! You can tell the fish is extremely fresh! The happy hour menu is also great! The service was lacking a bit... had to track down the waiter twice after waiting for a while but I would definitely come back for more sushi!!!

Excellent service Delicious food! Gorgeous Lots of good energy throughout the restaurant Just a very enjoyable time

So fresh and delicious. Staff was helpful in ordering. Saw so many different platters go by, I'll have to come back again!

We had sushi, poke, ramen, gyoza. The fish was not tasty and a little old. The rice had poor texture. The avocado was brown. The gyoza was ok. The service was poor. All the food came out at different times. The waiter kept forgetting what we ordered. The atmosphere was sterile. I've had worse I suppose

The food is amazing. The ambiance is great. I forgot the waitresses name. But the service was excellent. Definitely coming back.

Great place, great fresh food, service (Nate) and ambiance. Sushi is super fresh... our server Nate was knowledgeable about the menu, dishes and beers.. Totally recommend

First time here. The raw fish was very fresh and taste great. The first round of nigiri, the pieces of fish were big and even the chef threw in pieces extra. I think it was to impress us. Then another chef showed up, and the second round nigiri, the pieces were thin and half the size of previous ones. First sushi row was wonderful and delicious. Second row from the second sushi chef was horrible with very thin layer of fish on top. It was mostly California row. The waiter was deeply engaged in conversation with another customer and didn't pay much attention us. Overall, it was not a great experience. Your chef must be consistent in the portion sizes and your waiter needs to give equal attention to all his customers. I won't be back.

I have to be fair and honest, I went in with high hopes, but left before I even ordered anything. Just did not seem like a quality, traditional sushi bar. The menu and specialty items lacked any creativity, and there were way too many items made with Krab, with a "K". Any respectable Japanese sushi bar might use imitation crab in a California roll, but not in any, and all, of their higher end rolls and menu items, costing $20+. I also found it somewhat odd, that although seated at the sushi bar, that I needed to order from a waitress. All in All, it was just somewhat an off-putting feeling. Again, to be fair, I never did order.

This place is great. It's newly opened in Carlsbad but there are two other locations in Encinitas already. We came on a Tuesday and got seated right away. We ordered the shishito appetizer and the large Omakase which also comes with soup, salad and dessert. Everything tasted and presented great. We love it and will be back.

This has been one of the best experiences for sushi I have had since childhood growing up in Hawaii! This place really upholds a quality for their food and a wonderful aloha experience all around from the staff! I highly recommend for any seafood lover to come experience the love put into the food here!

We tried Kai Ola for the first time for my husband's birthday and had an incredible experience. The quality of the sushi is hands down, among the best in San Diego. The service was perfect as well. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable about the sushi, sake, and more. We will absolutely be back!

Amazing sushi! We had the Sunset and Moonlight roll and they were both outstanding. The staff is super cool and they take a lot of pride on what they do. "Sea bass" was our server and he was very knowledgeable and efficient. Great ambiance. Will definitely come back

This was a great meal for my solo dining experience here in Carlsbad!! The chefs were so kind and friendly, and the fish quality was INCREDIBLE! :) they have lots of sake available too

Amazing sushi and staff, great location for the village and wonderful music. Love the atmosphere. will return

The food was great. The service was excellent. Sebastian was friendly and very helpful. The atmosphere was nice and pleasant.

The Kook roll is my favorite roll of all time, anywhere. Please never take it off your menu! Love the mango salsa. My husband and I have been here 4-5 times since it opened and it's consistent and amazing every time. We also tried the yakitori chicken skewers today and they were so good! My husband loved the bluefin/toro nigiri and their uni is top notch. This is our favorite sushi spot in the village, better than Blue Ocean. Love that they have plates, ramen, and hot items as well.

This place is fantastic. The Moonlight roll is my favorite sushi roll of all time. The sashimi specials were fantastic. I really enjoyed the iced green tea. I will be back many times, for sure!

We absolutely loved this restaurant! We had 6 different rolls and a couple appetizers and everything tasted delicious! Our favorites were the Crispy Rice roll and the Moonlight roll! Tried takoyaki for the first time (I normally don't eat octopus) but I was shocked at how good it was! We loved the server Aschliey! She is so friendly and does a wonderful job!

Food was wonderful and great spin on some classics. Tried the torro, Philly roll, black cod, fried rice and tuna, and the rainbow roll. Good non-alcoholic drinks with various green tea and mixes. Good service, fair prices for Carlsbad. Clean location. Parking right out front is not happening in the summer. Park where you can and walk. Good ambiance. We will come again. Try it you'll like it!!!