Izakaya Raku

This is a great little sushi place. Family owned restaurant who take pride in what they make. Had some of the best miso soup I have ever had and had a great meal! Definitely recommend this place.

We ordered take-out; sashimi plate, salmon teriyaki, and seaweed salads. Everything was made very well, the right temperature, and tasted amazing. The hostess was very polite & the restaurant has warm, cozy vibes.

This our go to sushi spot in the five cities! The family that runs this gem is fabulous and the food and service is out of this world! We love many of their specialty rolls but also enjoy their ramen and udon noodle soups. It's small and quaint inside...we feel like family when we are there!

Stopped in for dinner 1st time tonight, was interested in a good bowl of ramen, was not disappointed. Food was delicious and well presented. Service was attentive but not intrusive, very pleased. For such a small place they have a large menu. Looking forward to eating there again.

The staff here is amazing! Very nice & attentive. I was there with my nearly 90 yr old father, luckily I was able to use my phone to access the menu but if he'd been there without me, it would've been nice for him to have a print menu. The food was very good, the beef teriyaki was a bit tough my husband said but still had good flavor. Very light tempura batter... yummy 😋

Good service. The waiter was attentive and kind. The service was very fast. The presentation of the food was pretty. And they open at 11am ❤️🤤 Loved having early lunch here!!!

The Japanese restaurant has designated vegan items on their menu, which we really appreciate. They were very accommodating and explained they have zero fish sauce in their restaurant and their tempura batter has no eggs or dairy. We ordered three items to share. Looking forward to trying more items on their menu! The food was delicious and the service was nice. Also quite affordable.

Family own business, nice people, good kids working together as a whole family, attentive service, warm and fresh home made taste, love to come again and again. Gochisōsamadeshita 🙏

What a phenomenal dinner we had at this restaurant last Friday night. The owner/ operator is just an amazing server, and she makes sure that you are well tended while you’re dining in her restaurant. She remembers what you order from the last visit, and she makes sure that you are happy with your meal. She is amazing and I definitely encourage anybody who is in the mood for great Japanese food to come to this small restaurant. Get there early because it’s very small and they have limited tables available.

I love Izakaya! I discovered my love for albacore from their sashimi and special rolls!

Fresh and delicious sushi, sumptuous dinner specials. The dinner entrees included everything! Soup, salad, tempura, gyoza, sushi, rice, and more! We had the cod, it was amazing. We don’t live in the area, but love to come back again.

We found a gem! Cozy space, very friendly staff and the food was so yummy! We ordered three appetizers, a chef’s choice sushi special and two ramen bowls with roasted pork. Not a noddle was left in the bowl! Next time we are in the area we plan to stop by again

We are on vacation and “googled” best Sushi in the area!!! We loved our experience, the food is amazing, a glass of Pinot Grigio with octopus salad, miso soup, baked lobster roll and tempura shrimp!!! We will definitely be back!!! Very kind staff too😍

My favorite ramen in the area , Really delicious broth and noodles Take out is super easy , or you can get a table and dine in, really nice and calm I usually just do take out :)

We came all the way from the east coast for vacation, and quickly got sick of hamburgers and steaks. So we looked for some Asian cuisine for dinner and found this place on Google. To my surprise, the food was excellent and Brenda’s (hostess) service was very good as well. Raku Ramen was so damn good it almost made me cry. We will miss it so much after we go back home!

The Miso Ramen Broth was flavorful and spicy. Gyosa was crispy, flaky, and flavorful. Only downside was the early closing time.

Friendly, fresh, and delicious food in a cozy atmosphere. The Raku ramen with pork katsu was delicious and filling. Teriyaki chicken was also delicious. Highly recommend this place.

Sarah Robinson

The Japanese restaurant has designated vegan items on their menu, which we really appreciate. They were very accommodating and explained they have zero fish sauce in their restaurant and their tempura batter has no eggs or dairy. We ordered three items to share. Looking forward to trying more items on their menu! The food was delicious and the service was nice. Also quite affordable.

Louis Zin

Family own business, nice people, good kids working together as a whole family, attentive service, warm and fresh home made taste, love to come again and again. Gochisōsamadeshita 🙏

Jason S

What a phenomenal dinner we had at this restaurant last Friday night. The owner/ operator is just an amazing server, and she makes sure that you are well tended while you’re dining in her restaurant. She remembers what you order from the last visit, and she makes sure that you are happy with your meal. She is amazing and I definitely encourage anybody who is in the mood for great Japanese food to come to this small restaurant. Get there early because it’s very small and they have limited tables available.

Erika Arteaga

I love Izakaya! I discovered my love for albacore from their sashimi and special rolls!

Tony Fu

Fresh and delicious sushi, sumptuous dinner specials. The dinner entrees included everything! Soup, salad, tempura, gyoza, sushi, rice, and more! We had the cod, it was amazing. We don’t live in the area, but love to come back again.

Soraya K

We found a gem! Cozy space, very friendly staff and the food was so yummy! We ordered three appetizers, a chef’s choice sushi special and two ramen bowls with roasted pork. Not a noddle was left in the bowl! Next time we are in the area we plan to stop by again

Jennifer Domingos

We are on vacation and “googled” best Sushi in the area!!! We loved our experience, the food is amazing, a glass of Pinot Grigio with octopus salad, miso soup, baked lobster roll and tempura shrimp!!! We will definitely be back!!! Very kind staff too😍

Franky

My favorite ramen in the area , Really delicious broth and noodles Take out is super easy , or you can get a table and dine in, really nice and calm I usually just do take out :)

DH C

We came all the way from the east coast for vacation, and quickly got sick of hamburgers and steaks. So we looked for some Asian cuisine for dinner and found this place on Google. To my surprise, the food was excellent and Brenda’s (hostess) service was very good as well. Raku Ramen was so damn good it almost made me cry. We will miss it so much after we go back home!

Andres Rivas

The Miso Ramen Broth was flavorful and spicy. Gyosa was crispy, flaky, and flavorful. Only downside was the early closing time.

Bill Vorhees (BillV)

Friendly, fresh, and delicious food in a cozy atmosphere. The Raku ramen with pork katsu was delicious and filling. Teriyaki chicken was also delicious. Highly recommend this place.

Coconut Cat

Amazing food. I got some pork ramen that was delicious. Also ordered some sashimi and the quality of the fish was great. The appetizer sample was also amazing. The crispy rice with salmon and avocado was AMAZING! Definitely check it out if you're in the area.

Izakaya Raku always hits the spot! Great food and we love the family that runs it. They are friendly and provide great service every time. We always look forward to dining in or picking up to go!

Emmy Searles

Izakaya Raku always hits the spot! Great food and we love the family that runs it. They are friendly and provide great service every time. We always look forward to dining in or picking up to go!

Nice and cozy, great customer service, and they gave us a free plate on the house. Bomb-Ass Mochi Ice Cream!Thanks.

First off, the customer service here is wonderful! The hostess who was also our server was very kind and took care of us very well. I am giving four stars because of the ramen. I've had real ramen many different places, the noodles they use are low quality ramen noodles or perhaps they were old? The broth was very good though and the sushi was good as well.

I love good sushi and have experienced some very top quality restaurants in my home city of Los Angeles and various travels. With that said, this is a low-key neighborhood, very relaxed sushi place. I have never had a bad experience and food is quite good. The rice is good, the fish is fresh, the nigiris and makis are made well, and there are plenty of items on the menu to choose from, even for those that do not like seafood. I have come here many times and service is always friendly and good. Overall, it's nice to have this neighborhood sushi restaurant - a place I would bring people to for a casual lunch or dinner.

The food here is always very good, especially considering how difficult it is to find decent Japanese food at reasonable prices around here. However, every single time that I've been here, the service is extremely slow. The reason for that is because there's only one waitress serving all the tables here! You can tell how frazzled she is having to keep up with everything. So, I'm definitely not putting the blame for the slow service on her (she's trying her hardest and she's courteous and personable otherwise). Izakaya Raku seriously needs more servers.

Got a mix of sushi and ramen there, all of which was good. As someone from the Bay area, it is kind of what you'd expect in terms of offerings and pricing, so if you're feeling Japanese food this is a solid choice. I did have an ono roll for the first time, and I'm happy I did. If you like Ono fish sammiches (shout out to Pais Fish Mkt!), this'll do you right.

Sushi was good! A little pricey so 4 out of 5 🌟 me but very tasty! Nice staff and clean open atmosphere. The lovers delight roll I believe it was called with lobster on top and yumyum sauce was amazing 👏 Small and intimate seating. Nice spit for a date! ❤️

Small place in Grover Beach. The seating is a little crowded/cramped, but adequate. The place wasn't dirty, but really didn't seem that clean either. There was a bit of a smell when we initially walked in. We went there as a second choice since the sushi place we planned on eating at had too long of a wait. We were seated quickly and the service was good. My spicy tuna bowl was good, although I wished I had ordered something else. I would have liked to have had more choices for sushi rolls on the menu. My friend, who is pregnant, loved her ramen noodles. They had a good selection of cooked items and they were clearly listed on the menu.

Awesome sushi spot! I don't venture out much for sushi and my preferred roll options tend to be pretty narrow, but this place hits the spot for sure. My Wife is a cooked food kind of gal and I always get to try some, and her skirt steak place was packed with delicious flavor and it was a great portion. Atmosphere is calm and relaxing, low key and chill. Service is great, they all are very nice, helpful and they hustle.

The restaurant is run by a family. We ordered some sushi and ramen which tasted not bad. The price is higher than what I expected.

Zachary Johnson

Awesome sushi spot! I don't venture out much for sushi and my preferred roll options tend to be pretty narrow, but this place hits the spot for sure. My Wife is a cooked food kind of gal and I always get to try some, and her skirt steak place was packed with delicious flavor and it was a great portion. Atmosphere is calm and relaxing, low key and chill. Service is great, they all are very nice, helpful and they hustle.

Lori Wan

The restaurant is run by a family. We ordered some sushi and ramen which tasted not bad. The price is higher than what I expected.

Service was great and the atmosphere was nice. The restaurant is very small - maybe seating for 30 or a bit less. The decorations are nice and the atmosphere was calming. They had a nice selection of Japanese beer. The food was very good - more authentic than many places. The food is not as Americanized, which is to say not sweet the way many Asian food here is. We had gyoza potstickers which were nice and crispy, the vegetable tempura which was also crispy, fresh and not greasy. The sunomono salad was fresh and tasty. The sesame chicken was also very nice and had a good sauce to accompany it.

Gaius Gracchus

Service was great and the atmosphere was nice. The restaurant is very small - maybe seating for 30 or a bit less. The decorations are nice and the atmosphere was calming. They had a nice selection of Japanese beer. The food was very good - more authentic than many places. The food is not as Americanized, which is to say not sweet the way many Asian food here is. We had gyoza potstickers which were nice and crispy, the vegetable tempura which was also crispy, fresh and not greasy. The sunomono salad was fresh and tasty. The sesame chicken was also very nice and had a good sauce to accompany it.

Marc Cartright

Got a mix of sushi and ramen there, all of which was good. As someone from the Bay area, it is kind of what you'd expect in terms of offerings and pricing, so if you're feeling Japanese food this is a solid choice. I did have an ono roll for the first time, and I'm happy I did. If you like Ono fish sammiches (shout out to Pais Fish Mkt!), this'll do you right.

Love the sushi there. The baked lobster roll is to die for. But if you want to drink a beer while you wait for your sushi you had better have a reservation. They had door blocked and when I called they said I should have a reservation even though there was only one dine in in their lobby. Too bad I had to settle for another sushi place I just wanted 2 baked lobster rollsand a beer.

Food was tasty. They have some oddball menu items ("Japanese lasagna", which is an absolutely insane baked roll) that are good if you want to try something unexpected; the standard fare sushi is yummy as well, though a bit pricey. I traditionally like more straightforward rolls and their experimental ones were of higher quality than their normal ones. We've been in several times, though, and service has always been slow even if the restaurant wasn't crowded. Be prepared for a wait.

I really wanted to love this place as mom and pop restaurants are my favorite but the tonkotsu ramen was not creamy at all —service was attentive but I definitely won’t go back.

Pantea Fozouni

I really wanted to love this place as mom and pop restaurants are my favorite but the tonkotsu ramen was not creamy at all —service was attentive but I definitely won’t go back.

Disappointed with the food at its price point, for a $22 entree of katsu curry, tasted and looked like a school lunch. Not much flavor or depth and the pork loin was quite tough. Would not recommend

Usually very happy but since they have changed owners, today was dissapointing. In the past, the chef has made me a special roll with cucumber instead of rice and it was amazing but today I was told by the waitress that it's impossible. So I just had my son eat and I had the tempura. I'll have to find a new fave sushi spot. 😢😢

Not the biggest fan. Ordered soba noodles, I think I got spaghetti. The ramen smelled fishy. The sushi rice was too vinigery. The portions for the price is ok, except for the soba. At best the quality of the soba is panda express comparable. Showed up at 7 and was told the dining area was closed but we can order to go. We were excited because it looked and smelled amazing. We were fine with that. Had high expectations but we're sadly disappointed. To owner: I was there today around 7pm and had the to-go order of ramen, soba, and 2 sushi rolls.

Small place, nicely decorated. Service un acceptable, seemed family owned and operated so no sense of urgency to serve. I waited 30+ minutes for a water refill. I said something to the older, mother figure, she said it was coming, I waited another 10-15minutes for someone to fill my water. It's a small place. They where not busy. The fact it took so long after I made sure to ask for a refill, is why I'm writing this. I won't be going back.

The food was decent. But just like other reviews say, this restaurant does not like kids. DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU HAVE KIDS. They don’t have high chairs or booster seats, my 2 year old was being a 2 year old and the server came to our table and asked us to make our son sit down, when we went to the bathroom the waiter was also hollering at my child to stop running, he’s a toddler, they run everywhere…..??? Very uncomfortable experience and unprofessional staff, again, do not go here if you have kids.

The salmon sushi is average 4 dollars. The Tonkutsu Ramen has no chatsu, also scallop roll has little bit small size scallops.The price they charged is 30 more than San Francisco. This is rip of people money.

Worst ramen I ever had. Who put cabbage and the pork like that in ramen ? Food is also very pricy as well. Avoid if you can

Zhou Charles

Worst ramen I ever had. Who put cabbage and the pork like that in ramen ? Food is also very pricy as well. Avoid if you can

Very disappointed. We’ve been to this place numerous times in the past, spent hundreds of dollars and had planned to continue to be regular customers, until tonight . Last time we went, my husband and I ordered an appetizer and 2 chirashi bowls ( a large bowl of rice with various kinds of fish) and it was too much food. Tonight, we ordered edamame, then proceeded to order one mixed tempura and one Chirashi bowl which we intended to share. Our rather rude waitress told us we were “required to order two entrees”. She tried to say that there was signage stating this. When I asked where, she said “in front”, but of course, there was no such signage. When I explained that two appetizers and the large chirashi bowl was plenty for just the two of us, she persisted that each of us was “ required to order an entree” and the appetizers didn’t count as entrees. When I asked how that works when folks are ordering only a la carte sushi, which they sometimes do, she was obviously miffed. She replied that, if we didn’t order a second entree “now”, she’d just bring the check( for the edamame). I said, if you want to lose a customer, go ahead. She brought the check. We paid for the $7 cash for edamame, left and won’t be back. If she’d said there would be a split/share charge, I would have understood that, but dictating what we’re “ required” to order “now” or else? Bizarre. Steer clear of this place. No wonder it was mostly empty! They’re obviously struggling, but not helping themselves with bad service.

Really disappointing experience. This restaurant is not kid-friendly at all. There are no high chairs or booster seats, and the owner was very unfriendly toward children, repeatedly warning customers to “watch their kids.” Ironically, while they were quick to remind parents about children’s behavior, none of the staff were welcoming—the servers never smiled and the overall atmosphere felt tense. On top of that, they automatically charge a 20% gratuity, but do not clearly inform customers about this policy. Instead, the focus seemed to be on policing kids rather than providing good service. The food was also disappointing. The ramen tasted like instant noodles, and the meat texture and appearance were questionable. Overall, poor service, poor food, and an unwelcoming environment. Would not visit again

Jason Ma

Really disappointing experience. This restaurant is not kid-friendly at all. There are no high chairs or booster seats, and the owner was very unfriendly toward children, repeatedly warning customers to “watch their kids.” Ironically, while they were quick to remind parents about children’s behavior, none of the staff were welcoming—the servers never smiled and the overall atmosphere felt tense. On top of that, they automatically charge a 20% gratuity, but do not clearly inform customers about this policy. Instead, the focus seemed to be on policing kids rather than providing good service. The food was also disappointing. The ramen tasted like instant noodles, and the meat texture and appearance were questionable. Overall, poor service, poor food, and an unwelcoming environment. Would not visit again