Sushi Garden

Always great. Fresh sushi. Great service.

Eternal Sunshine roll is always fantastic and the service is happy and helpful.

Great service and delicious food! Highly recommend the Magic Dragon roll!

food is great and affordably priced, huge pieces of sashimi in my hwaedupbap (korean chirashi). great bartender who was iconically playing biggie. however i must side eye the ramen (i didnt order it)... them noodles instant... also i did a soju bomb and definitely scared some locals.

Everything I had was really good! The tempura, sushi, even salad. I've been looking for a really good tempura place and finally found one. The tempura sauce was perfect (a tad on the sweet side which I like and not bland like most). The combo came with only one shrimp, but it was huge and well made, so that made up for it. I got the dinner combo/bento and it was huge! I usually don't expect much from the salad nor California roll with these combos, but they were both amazing. I'm not a salad guy, but this one was really good (a tad on the sweet side, which again I like). The Cali roll was probably one of the best I've had... didn't skimp on the crab like most and had a really good unique flavor that I couldn't quite figure out. To top it off, service was really good. Front staff was very attentive about us having to wait a bit for a table. Server was super friendly. The sushi chef gave my daughter dessert sushi of some sort on the house. The only negatives are that the place is hard to see/find from the street (at night at least), and that it isn't close to where I live so I can visit more often.

Delicious fresh sushi, full sake bar, terrific friendly staff. It's always crowded but the wait isn't long to be served once you order, even with a full table. Multiple sushi chefs are super skilled and efficient. Tucked away from the street, and offers a coy pond and tons of flora & fauna outside for (supervised) little ones to enjoy while the meal is being prepared. One of only two sushi restaurants in the area I enjoy (and the other one is owned by someone who got his start here!).

One of the best sushi places around. Get there early - it gets crowded - especially during the tourist season. Really good fish. Hasn't changed a bit since the pandemic. Lovely wait staff, great service and wonderful food.

Great sushi place in Capitola they have a large variety Fancy Sushi. The quality is great and so is the service. It's hidden back in a business center and somehow it's such a large restaurant with a bar attached to it. The menu is quite eclectic and the dishes are done with flavors and presentation. The best part is the service.

Summary: Our favorite Japanese restaurant in town. You have to try their lunch entrée special. The price and the quality is exceptional. Super fresh sushi and they have the best tempura ever! If you want to substitute your California roll for better specialties you just pay for the price difference. Super Fur babies/ pet friendly with outdoor seating. If you can find a local magazine ‘Good times’, you will find coupons for $5 or $10 off.

One if my favorite stops in the area. Great service, good food options, and lovely koi on the patio! It has been here over 20 years. Look for the specials but if you're craving a smattering or a few goodies, the Bento Box is a good choice. Fresh and beautifully presented, this location excels over some of the others as food and service are consistently great.

Sushi Garden is amazing!! It has a super cute garden with a koi pond and an inviting outdoor patio seating. Inside, natural light floods in through giant windows overlooking the garden. Time to try sushi: - Chirashi - Sushi Garden Special (sashimi + nigiri combo) The fish is incredibly fresh and clean! For either of these, you get thick cuts of buttery melt-in-your-mouth fresh salmon, toro (tuna belly), hamachi. There were other cuts of fish but these truly stood out. For such premium cuts, it's a pretty good deal! Their tamago/egg was tasty and sweet - delicious. The rice itself could use a bit more flavor, but the rolls, on the other hand, were so deliciously flavorful! Overall, the sauces on all the rolls delivered excellent flavor. Not too heavy, salty, or spicy. Great balance and ratio of fish : rice : sauce. the ROLLS we got: - Magic Dragon - This is like a spicier dragon. Great combo of spicy and sweet. Yum! - Trio (from the special menu) - A lighter, all-protein option with no rice. Again, quality buttery salmon right here. - Dr. Woo’s - yellowtail inside with albacore outside, great combo with spicy mayo - Volcano roll - spicy tuna topped with seared salmon - like when salmon gets slightly seared, it absolutely is the best! All the rolls were great, but the Magic Dragon and Volcano Roll were my favorites because their flavor profiles were chefs kiss. The staff was incredibly nice and generous. This local establishment has been a staple here for years! Their menu is massive, and while the names of the rolls could be more straightforward, their website has pictures, which helps! They truly have options for everyone, from classic to fusion.

I've been a regular here since moving from over the hill, and this is easily one of the best sushi spots in the area. The fish is always fresh, the plates are beautifully presented, and the dining experience is consistently excellent. While it’s part of a chain, each restaurant has its own unique charm. This particular location stands out for its great ambiance and speedy service. I highly recommend the Korean chirashi with extra seaweed salad and spicy sauce on the side—just ask them to hold the lettuce. The presentation is stunning, and the flavors are exceptional. We'll definitely keep coming here for our date nights!

We get take out from here every time we're in Santa Cruz. Midori Michi has that perfect combo of sweet and savory, avocado, tempura, with a sweet sauce and macadamia nuts. The vegetable tempura is huge! Inside seating is comfortable and bright.

First time at Sushi Garden. Stopped by for dinner around 5pm. Not busy at all. Staff is friendly and was patient with our newbie selfs. We searched on Google for images of the different rolls. I would have liked images on the menu of the rolls, but google did not dissapoint. Joe tried the Spider roll $15 and I tried the Ebi Carnival roll $16. Both very good. We also had the fried Gyoza pork Appetizer $8. Love them! Next time we will stop by the Watsonville location too.

Unbelievable quality and taste! The toro is super fresh and fat, even the salad and its source tastes so much better than expected.

Reasonable price, relaxing ambiance/setting, satisfying portion, and high quality flavor! Must try Gold Philly and Smokey Barrell.

Lunch Special *served with Salad, Miso Soup, and Rice. Combination Bento Box. 2 entrées $13.50 (price on 05/08/2018). My choices shown are Salmon Shioyaki (Broiled, lightly salted) and Sashimi (3 pieces Salmon, 3 pieces Tuna). Comes with a couple medallions of Golden California roll. Enough for a dining in lunch and take-out dinner. Great bargain!

Super M

Summary: Our favorite Japanese restaurant in town. You have to try their lunch entrée special. The price and the quality is exceptional. Super fresh sushi and they have the best tempura ever! If you want to substitute your California roll for better specialties you just pay for the price difference. Super Fur babies/ pet friendly with outdoor seating. If you can find a local magazine ‘Good times’, you will find coupons for $5 or $10 off.

Diana Guerrero

One if my favorite stops in the area. Great service, good food options, and lovely koi on the patio! It has been here over 20 years. Look for the specials but if you're craving a smattering or a few goodies, the Bento Box is a good choice. Fresh and beautifully presented, this location excels over some of the others as food and service are consistently great.

Yoojin S

Sushi Garden is amazing!! It has a super cute garden with a koi pond and an inviting outdoor patio seating. Inside, natural light floods in through giant windows overlooking the garden. Time to try sushi: - Chirashi - Sushi Garden Special (sashimi + nigiri combo) The fish is incredibly fresh and clean! For either of these, you get thick cuts of buttery melt-in-your-mouth fresh salmon, toro (tuna belly), hamachi. There were other cuts of fish but these truly stood out. For such premium cuts, it's a pretty good deal! Their tamago/egg was tasty and sweet - delicious. The rice itself could use a bit more flavor, but the rolls, on the other hand, were so deliciously flavorful! Overall, the sauces on all the rolls delivered excellent flavor. Not too heavy, salty, or spicy. Great balance and ratio of fish : rice : sauce. the ROLLS we got: - Magic Dragon - This is like a spicier dragon. Great combo of spicy and sweet. Yum! - Trio (from the special menu) - A lighter, all-protein option with no rice. Again, quality buttery salmon right here. - Dr. Woo’s - yellowtail inside with albacore outside, great combo with spicy mayo - Volcano roll - spicy tuna topped with seared salmon - like when salmon gets slightly seared, it absolutely is the best! All the rolls were great, but the Magic Dragon and Volcano Roll were my favorites because their flavor profiles were chefs kiss. The staff was incredibly nice and generous. This local establishment has been a staple here for years! Their menu is massive, and while the names of the rolls could be more straightforward, their website has pictures, which helps! They truly have options for everyone, from classic to fusion.

Lukas Swidler

I've been a regular here since moving from over the hill, and this is easily one of the best sushi spots in the area. The fish is always fresh, the plates are beautifully presented, and the dining experience is consistently excellent. While it’s part of a chain, each restaurant has its own unique charm. This particular location stands out for its great ambiance and speedy service. I highly recommend the Korean chirashi with extra seaweed salad and spicy sauce on the side—just ask them to hold the lettuce. The presentation is stunning, and the flavors are exceptional. We'll definitely keep coming here for our date nights!

Kevin Cameron

We get take out from here every time we're in Santa Cruz. Midori Michi has that perfect combo of sweet and savory, avocado, tempura, with a sweet sauce and macadamia nuts. The vegetable tempura is huge! Inside seating is comfortable and bright.

TheBayArea.831

First time at Sushi Garden. Stopped by for dinner around 5pm. Not busy at all. Staff is friendly and was patient with our newbie selfs. We searched on Google for images of the different rolls. I would have liked images on the menu of the rolls, but google did not dissapoint. Joe tried the Spider roll $15 and I tried the Ebi Carnival roll $16. Both very good. We also had the fried Gyoza pork Appetizer $8. Love them! Next time we will stop by the Watsonville location too.

Jay Huang

Unbelievable quality and taste! The toro is super fresh and fat, even the salad and its source tastes so much better than expected.

Ernest S

Reasonable price, relaxing ambiance/setting, satisfying portion, and high quality flavor! Must try Gold Philly and Smokey Barrell.

Rebecca McPhee

Lunch Special *served with Salad, Miso Soup, and Rice. Combination Bento Box. 2 entrées $13.50 (price on 05/08/2018). My choices shown are Salmon Shioyaki (Broiled, lightly salted) and Sashimi (3 pieces Salmon, 3 pieces Tuna). Comes with a couple medallions of Golden California roll. Enough for a dining in lunch and take-out dinner. Great bargain!

This is our go-to sushi spot in the Santa Cruz area. Everything feels really clean, you dont have to wait very long, and the staff is friendly. The Ooh La La roll was a family favorite recently. Highly recommend!

Chantal Schoenherz

This is our go-to sushi spot in the Santa Cruz area. Everything feels really clean, you dont have to wait very long, and the staff is friendly. The Ooh La La roll was a family favorite recently. Highly recommend!

So many things to decide from and all of it good. There is also a great selection of quality sake. I recommend an unfiltered sake if you're getting nigiri! My only complaint is that the staff were slightly unnatentive, but I feel it's understandable considering we ate at 20:00.

This was some fantastic sushi! I'd totally come back and try more when I'm in the area!

Very good rolls, but it is always crowded....which is not a bad thing. Very fresh fish.

The decor outside transports you to your own little place in Japan. It’s serene; calm and quiet, they even have koi fish in the little pond. Inside the restaurant it feels like a place you’d find in Tokyo. It’s clean, well organized and pretty inside. We had sashimi and nigiri along with some appetizers, soju and beer. The fish was very fresh, and at the right temperate for sushi. The nigiri rice was very well prepared, not mushy or undercooked, and it was subtlety flavored. The service was ok, not spectacular though. It took us about 5-10 minutes to get our servers attention sometimes. They seemed to be talking a lot amongst themselves instead of looking to see if the customers needed anything. It wasn’t such that it would stop me from going back though. I definitely recommend trying this place out for yourself.

It was decent. Most the rolls are too big and fancy and expensive. I prefer smaller rolls w fewer ingredients so you can actually taste everything. The prices have gone up quite a bit and they seem to have very poor value compared to many other local sushi places. Still, we enjoyed all our food. We will return I'm sure, just not as often as our other fave sushi spots!

Went with a group, tons of rolls available on the menu. Large roll pieces along with many segments per roll. The price was a little higher than some other places, but we were stuffed with 2 rolls a person. The only real complaint is that despite ordering a variety of rolls, they all tasted pretty much the same. Luckily they were amazing!

The place was nice and the people were amazing. The sushi was OK, not amazing or high quality. The tuna nigiri melted in my mouth but lacked the beautiful taste of tuna I've come to love. It's expensive for the quality I received.

We’re a regular at the various Sushi Harden locations. Always fresh. Service is great. The only reason I’m giving the atmosphere a 4 is that it always has a strong smell of disinfectant cleaner when you walk in. Could be worse. 😉

Nice patio / garden outside in the courtyard away from traffic, and they accommodate dogs if you sit outside. The portions are of generous size. Good selection of drinks on the menu as well.

I’ve been to Sushi Garden a few times for lunch. And was always pretty happy with it. Can’t say anything about their dinner. But their lunch specials are really good. We tried their bento box, rolls and sashimi. Everything was delicious and fresh. Will certainly give them a try at night too. Service most of times was good. Only once they were a little slow. And parking is easier to find on the street since the parking lot is usually full.

New to area (30 year Bay Area resident - SF, Piedmont and Mill Vally), stumbled on this amazing find on a random Monday. WOW, great fresh fish, stellar service, beautiful presentation. HOWEVER ..... Would have been 5 stars till the bill came: $75 = 1 ‘I love you’ roll, 8 pcs sashimi, miso soup, seaweed salad 1 draft beer (more expensive than I’m used to spending as a solo sushi diner). The sashimi I ordered which wasn’t on the menu spiked the price - 4 Pcs of unagi $17 and $15 for 4 pcs of shiro maguro feels exorbitant and was unexpected when 8 pcs of hamachi sashimi is $17.50 and maguro $18.50 on the menu). When I asked about this seeming discrepancy I was told that my choices were more ‘specialty’ than the other items actually listed on the menu. I was charged for 2 orders of nigiri w/o rice. When I compared the hamachi price of nigiri to shiro maguro, the shiro was actually less expensive! I feel ripped off and that the staff couldn’t think outside the box to charge me a reasonable price just because it wasn’t on the menu.

Excellent service, vast selection of Japanese food. Bento box lunch special including vegetarian selections. Food was fresh, tasty and well presented in ample portions. Beautiful outdoor seating area with koi pond.

Teresa Silva

We’re a regular at the various Sushi Harden locations. Always fresh. Service is great. The only reason I’m giving the atmosphere a 4 is that it always has a strong smell of disinfectant cleaner when you walk in. Could be worse. 😉

Kenneth Lui

Nice patio / garden outside in the courtyard away from traffic, and they accommodate dogs if you sit outside. The portions are of generous size. Good selection of drinks on the menu as well.

Gisele Sasso

I’ve been to Sushi Garden a few times for lunch. And was always pretty happy with it. Can’t say anything about their dinner. But their lunch specials are really good. We tried their bento box, rolls and sashimi. Everything was delicious and fresh. Will certainly give them a try at night too. Service most of times was good. Only once they were a little slow. And parking is easier to find on the street since the parking lot is usually full.

Deb Hanni

New to area (30 year Bay Area resident - SF, Piedmont and Mill Vally), stumbled on this amazing find on a random Monday. WOW, great fresh fish, stellar service, beautiful presentation. HOWEVER ..... Would have been 5 stars till the bill came: $75 = 1 ‘I love you’ roll, 8 pcs sashimi, miso soup, seaweed salad 1 draft beer (more expensive than I’m used to spending as a solo sushi diner). The sashimi I ordered which wasn’t on the menu spiked the price - 4 Pcs of unagi $17 and $15 for 4 pcs of shiro maguro feels exorbitant and was unexpected when 8 pcs of hamachi sashimi is $17.50 and maguro $18.50 on the menu). When I asked about this seeming discrepancy I was told that my choices were more ‘specialty’ than the other items actually listed on the menu. I was charged for 2 orders of nigiri w/o rice. When I compared the hamachi price of nigiri to shiro maguro, the shiro was actually less expensive! I feel ripped off and that the staff couldn’t think outside the box to charge me a reasonable price just because it wasn’t on the menu.

Judy A

Excellent service, vast selection of Japanese food. Bento box lunch special including vegetarian selections. Food was fresh, tasty and well presented in ample portions. Beautiful outdoor seating area with koi pond.

Sushi Garden is one of our must stop places when in the area. Typically, service is wonderful but this time had a few hiccups. One order was wrong and was order was completely forgotten so it arrived later than the other meals. The food is delicious with hefty portions.

I love coming here. It's cozy, friendly and the food and beer are always good. Even though, most of the time, the fish for the sashimi is very delicate and flavorful, sometimes it is not. And, I wish they served more than one brand of hot sake.

Michelle S

Sushi Garden is one of our must stop places when in the area. Typically, service is wonderful but this time had a few hiccups. One order was wrong and was order was completely forgotten so it arrived later than the other meals. The food is delicious with hefty portions.

NancyZajda

I love coming here. It's cozy, friendly and the food and beer are always good. Even though, most of the time, the fish for the sashimi is very delicate and flavorful, sometimes it is not. And, I wish they served more than one brand of hot sake.

Pretty good sushi, would give them four stars if I was just rating that. Used to eat here all the time but got fed up with how unorganized the staff is when it comes to getting you a table in a reasonable timeframe. Living locally we’ve had several occasions where we had friends in town and took them there to eat. With a party of 4 to 5 people it took anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to get a table. I swear one time they forgot about us completely. Anyway, thought I’d share.

Lots of seating, kid friendly, quick kitchen, friendly staff, bar in the back, average sushi at average prices.

We really love the atmosphere at this restaurant. The koi fish pond and garden are beautiful. Service is always good and we get seated quickly. Recently we ordered some California rolls with our meal and were very disappointed with them. The imitation crab had way too much mayo (or something like it), that I didn't even finish them. This was the second time I'd noticed this but my husband says they are always like that there. The bento box was great and the serving of teriyaki salmon was generous. If you don't care about CA rolls, you'll love this place as the rest of their food is excellent.

Sushi was great. Other food wasn’t. The waitress didn’t come to the table for 10 minutes. Didn’t apologize when she finally did come. After food was brought out we needed a couple things - forks and salt. She never once came to ask how the food was and if we needed anything. She walked by us around 10 times. No water refill. Food was bland/unsalted, aside from sushi. Other servers around seemed really friendly and helpful with their guests.

I thought I go solo for sushi nd sat at the bar. Tons of staff, place was a 1/4 full. But I never got served. I finally stood up and asked one of the sushi chefs how I am suppose to order, and he seemed concerned and tried to get the staff. They just were not interested. They were more into their own conversation I think. I get it, they're all kids. I left and one of the staff members tried to apologize but I was over it. Maybe they didn't want to serve one person. Who knows.

The manager and his team are very rude to the restaurant customers! I understand that I have to wait in line for 20-30 minutes, but when there were free people standing and the manager doesn’t allow me to sit down, I really want to turn around and leave, despite the fact that. They have a very good sushi chef!

This evening I ordered 3 different rolls which was a disappointment. Two of the rolls where wrapped in a thick amount of rice which gave the texture of the roll heavy resulting in a odd taste. I called the Capitola Sushi Garden who said they were very busy but i was told the owner would call me back. Unfortunately I didn’t get a call back. I’m not looking for a refund - I just wanted to let them know how bad it was.

Dayana Churavina

The manager and his team are very rude to the restaurant customers! I understand that I have to wait in line for 20-30 minutes, but when there were free people standing and the manager doesn’t allow me to sit down, I really want to turn around and leave, despite the fact that. They have a very good sushi chef!

Jerome Wallace

This evening I ordered 3 different rolls which was a disappointment. Two of the rolls where wrapped in a thick amount of rice which gave the texture of the roll heavy resulting in a odd taste. I called the Capitola Sushi Garden who said they were very busy but i was told the owner would call me back. Unfortunately I didn’t get a call back. I’m not looking for a refund - I just wanted to let them know how bad it was.

I've been here several times and the most recent was incredibly disappointing. I called to place a pickup order and was told it would be about 25 minutes until the food was ready. I got there a little late, 30 minutes after calling and the food still had not been started. The all new crew of sushi chefs was undertrained and the manager refused to help make sushi, this is according to the waiting staff. It was very frustrating to wait that long. Additionally the kitchen staff was prioritizing dine in meals and making new orders before mine. I ended up waiting for an additional 40 minutes (over an hour and 10 minutes) before the food was ready. The serving staff was incredibly kind and gave me free miso soup, salad, and edamame. I was very pleased with their service and kindness. Safe to say, if this does not change I will not be coming back.

Jack Hanson

I've been here several times and the most recent was incredibly disappointing. I called to place a pickup order and was told it would be about 25 minutes until the food was ready. I got there a little late, 30 minutes after calling and the food still had not been started. The all new crew of sushi chefs was undertrained and the manager refused to help make sushi, this is according to the waiting staff. It was very frustrating to wait that long. Additionally the kitchen staff was prioritizing dine in meals and making new orders before mine. I ended up waiting for an additional 40 minutes (over an hour and 10 minutes) before the food was ready. The serving staff was incredibly kind and gave me free miso soup, salad, and edamame. I was very pleased with their service and kindness. Safe to say, if this does not change I will not be coming back.