Buddha's Favorite

Located at the heart of beautiful Newport Beach with sea view. Food was so fresh and delicious, highly recommended.

Luke Lumiqued

Right off the water and great atmosphere for sushi and Japanese beer. Wife’s birthday dinner. Fresh eats and our server Kilanii knew how to beer pour and served our every need. Wonderful, friendly, and timely service. Five stars all the way. Food was delicious!

Michael Sierra

Let me start off by saying the food was really good. The poke tasted fresh and the miso soup was very good as well We had a group of 10 and we all didn’t have any complaints about the sushi itself it was very good. But the service wasn’t that great. They took a long time to take our order and the food took a long time as well, and when we did get our food it came staggered. Some food came and others were waiting for 15-20 minutes for their food after. They weren’t really attentive to our group. We had to get up and ask for ginger because they didn’t come to our table much. But the sushi was excellent and the place itself is nice and next to the water. So that’s pretty neat.

neil mason

This is hands down the best sushi that I've ever had. I love the fresh wasabi and salmon carpaccio was absolutely delicious. I also like the fact that I got a custom role made the way I want it with salmon skin and gobo. The service is great Nicole her staff get 2 thumbs up

Joe Phillips

Located on the pier on the Lido Peninsula, the small sushi restaurant is a must. The view is outstanding. The atmosphere is perfect. Reservations are recommended as this place fills up fast. The fish was simply amazing, and the service was perfect. Really can't say enough! Highly recommended!

Evan H

My friends and I sort of stumbled upon this gem of a sushi restaurant when we found out Nobu was closed during the mid day hours. One of the workers there suggested it as a potential alternative to out sushi craving. I'm glad we decided to give it a try. The venue is fairly small so it is best to make reservations ahead of time. Fortunately reservations are a breeze thru Yelp online and I literally booked them as I was leaving Nobu. The outdoor patio seating was a little crammed but it was situated by a dock with a nice view. We saw fish jumping out of the water and it was fun looking at all the boats. The food was delicious and service was great. The staff was friendly and efficient. Prices were also not overpriced as they can be in the area and each dish was a good portion size. Overall a decent value for the area. Also note, the bathrooms are a little trek from the venue (by the parking lot) and require a code to get in. Overall I had a great experience at Buddha's Favorite. If you are craving good sushi that won't break the bank check out this place.

Seven Discovery

I'm from Colorado and every time im in the area I make sure to stop here for lunch or dinner. Reservations are a must (imho) and the food is always fresh and delicious. The staff are incredibly attentive and always check in with you. Also a great place to watch the ships go by.

Ryan Akins

A place recommended to us, and the execution was wonderful. The wasabi was creamy, ginger was fresh and crisp, the rolls are mostly enclosed in rice paper instead of seaweed (I don't mind seaweed, it's an acquired taste I have come to expect and enjoy, but this was different and better), and every roll had an umani quality where it just melted in your mouth. We all (3) loved this place, ordered 6 rolls and crushed 6 rolls - 48 pieces, ginger salad, and desserts, plus a special unlisted roll at the end of the night to-go. Atmosphere and service were excellent.

Randi Johnson

We had an amazing night celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary at Buddha's Favorite. We got to try a little bit of everything by ordering a special they have ($45 for 2), including spicy crunchy rice, salmon candy, garlic edamame, 1/2 roll of Jamie's Screaming, 1/2 roll of Beagle Roll, and 2 Big MF hand rolls. We also ordered gyoza, 1/2 Yoshi's spring roll, and a Mochi Sampler for dessert. I ordered a plum wine, which my husband declared, "so delicious my face muscles have to smile, " and he ordered a J-Pop, which he also really liked. Everything was delicious, the service was wonderful, and the atmosphere was absolutely perfect. We enjoyed sitting outside and watching boats dock for to-go orders! We will definitely return. Thank you for a memorable night!!

Exequiel Castillo

If I could give this restaurant 10 stars, I would! Nicole has made out it a memorable experience every time we come! We’ve been here every few months & always choose to spend our anniversary at Buddha’s Favorite. The host, staff, & especially Nicole are very accommodating & welcoming. No matter what food we order, everything is so fresh and quick! We try something new everything we visit, but our absolute favorites are: Jamie’s Crying, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, Stinky Roll, Back Flip, & the spicy garlic edamame! My boyfriend & I have been coming for the last 5 years and can’t see us ever going anywhere new in Newport! Thank you Nicole & thank you Buddha’s Favorite staff for making our anniversary one to remember. This restaurant is such a Newport exclusive! If you are ever in the area, definitely check this place out!

Coach Matt O

This is a "must" when we are in Newport Beach! Some of the best sushi around! The Buddha roll is unique and delicious. The service is always on point. We love the atmosphere, simple and casual. We like looking at the harbor and the boats.

Eric

This place is fantastic and if we're in the area again we'll definitely be coming back. The sushi is fantastic (tuna tartare like dish was a highlight, and spicy tuna rolls, we ordered two servings of each, but the whole meal was really solid) with a good selection of different rolls, the staff is friendly, prices are great and the outdoor seating is a relaxing place to eat as the sun sets. Nothing to complain about here.

Sahar Meshksar

Located at the heart of beautiful Newport Beach with sea view. Food was so fresh and delicious, highly recommended.

Buddha’s is my favorite place to come when I visit Newport and you can tell it’s very one’s favorite as it is always packed and busy! The servers and kitchen staff are all working hard to make you happy. Rita is our favorite server. The owner Nicole is friendly and makes you feel just like part of the family! As you can tell I love this place and think you will too.

Jason and Nolan are incredible servers, genuinely so insanely kind. Both of them made our dining experiences and nights unforgettable. Please give them raises

Buddha’s Favorite is such a great sushi spot! I met up with a friend for dinner and we really enjoyed everything we tried. The atmosphere was relaxed, the service was friendly, and the food was fresh and flavorful. Highly recommend the crispy tuna — it was a standout!

Reservations are a must! Hosts weren’t the friendliest but our server was amazing. Food was fresh and delicious. You can tell the salmon is high quality and so fresh. Seriously some of the best salmon nigiri i’ve had. The lollipop rolls were interesting (no rice, low carb friendly) but I wouldn’t order them again. The salmon roll with touch of lemon on top was so good. And you can’t go wrong with the toro roll.

This sushi restaurant perched on the pier of Newport Beach’s Lido Peninsula is a must-visit. The waterfront marina views are stunning, especially at sunset, and outdoor seating comes with heaters. The atmosphere is dimly lit and intimate. Reservations are recommended. The sushi was excellent and surprisingly affordable. Service was a bit slow, but maybe understandable with a large group.

Magali Gutierrez

Buddha’s Favorite is such a great sushi spot! I met up with a friend for dinner and we really enjoyed everything we tried. The atmosphere was relaxed, the service was friendly, and the food was fresh and flavorful. Highly recommend the crispy tuna — it was a standout!

Isabella

This sushi restaurant perched on the pier of Newport Beach’s Lido Peninsula is a must-visit. The waterfront marina views are stunning, especially at sunset, and outdoor seating comes with heaters. The atmosphere is dimly lit and intimate. Reservations are recommended. The sushi was excellent and surprisingly affordable. Service was a bit slow, but maybe understandable with a large group.

Amy Luu

Reservations are a must! Hosts weren’t the friendliest but our server was amazing. Food was fresh and delicious. You can tell the salmon is high quality and so fresh. Seriously some of the best salmon nigiri i’ve had. The lollipop rolls were interesting (no rice, low carb friendly) but I wouldn’t order them again. The salmon roll with touch of lemon on top was so good. And you can’t go wrong with the toro roll.

excellent food but... had to wait 30 minutes for seating on a Sunday night,reservations made well in advance. was told inside seating only was available. it's really loud inside. had to wait 50 minutes for the main entrees. great place for casual dining if you have a lot of time. wait for outdoor seating

william warden

excellent food but... had to wait 30 minutes for seating on a Sunday night,reservations made well in advance. was told inside seating only was available. it's really loud inside. had to wait 50 minutes for the main entrees. great place for casual dining if you have a lot of time. wait for outdoor seating

Had dinner on Monday 4/28/05. Food was decent, the tempura veggies were delicious and the rainbow roll was nice and fresh, although pretty small and narrow. The Pacific oyster we ordered was NOT good at all, sadly. Other food was ok. Service was subpar, the young woman serving the outside was inattentive and short with her responses. Needs a chat with management. We talked with the table next to us about how hurried and disinterested she seemed to be with our service; both said they wouldn’t come back. The atmosphere just didn’t seem welcoming last night, sadly. It was freezing and took forever to turn the heaters on. The hightop table we were at was next to the windows for the inside, and halfway through our meal someone shut the blinds inside abruptly cutting off the light by which we could see our food. We had to use an iPhone flashlight to see what fish was on top of the rainbow roll, to see the bill, and to sign the receipt. Just a lame experience from start to finish. The free “I Like It Raw” stickers were cool, though. 🤷

Great posh location, and generally delicious food. It's always packed and popular, so make reservations. The crispy rice roll was a great start, but that became the forte of our experience (photo). Have had multiple visits here but this last time we were little less satisfied. To start, on a big disappointment: the draft beer is no longer available. Throughout our 90m experience, the staff seemed more novice and were slow. The caterpillar roll seemed a little less fresh and much more fishy than usual. We didn't finish all the food and they didn't ask if we liked it or wanted to take the rest to go. In fact nothing on the table was ever cleaned up. Perhaps it was a bad Friday night or it may be time for our inner Buddha to find a new favorite.

Rob Lentz

Had dinner on Monday 4/28/05. Food was decent, the tempura veggies were delicious and the rainbow roll was nice and fresh, although pretty small and narrow. The Pacific oyster we ordered was NOT good at all, sadly. Other food was ok. Service was subpar, the young woman serving the outside was inattentive and short with her responses. Needs a chat with management. We talked with the table next to us about how hurried and disinterested she seemed to be with our service; both said they wouldn’t come back. The atmosphere just didn’t seem welcoming last night, sadly. It was freezing and took forever to turn the heaters on. The hightop table we were at was next to the windows for the inside, and halfway through our meal someone shut the blinds inside abruptly cutting off the light by which we could see our food. We had to use an iPhone flashlight to see what fish was on top of the rainbow roll, to see the bill, and to sign the receipt. Just a lame experience from start to finish. The free “I Like It Raw” stickers were cool, though. 🤷

Dave Rodecker

Great posh location, and generally delicious food. It's always packed and popular, so make reservations. The crispy rice roll was a great start, but that became the forte of our experience (photo). Have had multiple visits here but this last time we were little less satisfied. To start, on a big disappointment: the draft beer is no longer available. Throughout our 90m experience, the staff seemed more novice and were slow. The caterpillar roll seemed a little less fresh and much more fishy than usual. We didn't finish all the food and they didn't ask if we liked it or wanted to take the rest to go. In fact nothing on the table was ever cleaned up. Perhaps it was a bad Friday night or it may be time for our inner Buddha to find a new favorite.

Nathan McAfee

Had a reservation, still had to wait an hour with little acknowledge. This is the second time this has happened there. Waitress was nice but stretched way too thin. Food was good but there are just too many options in the area to put up with the frustration.

I’ve never felt the need to write a review until now, but this restaurant left me completely infuriated. I made a reservation for my birthday dinner at 7:30, only to be told to wait when I arrived. Fine—I waited. After 40 minutes, they finally came over to inform me that the only seating available was at the sushi bar and that if we wanted a table, it would be another 20 minutes. That is absolutely unacceptable for a confirmed reservation. To make matters worse, during this time I watched at least three parties of three and two parties of two get seated ahead of us, even though their reservations were at 8:00. The only reason? They seemed to be acquaintances with the servers. That kind of blatant favoritism is unprofessional and shows zero respect for paying customers. We ended up leaving without even eating. This was our very first impression of the restaurant, and it will definitely be our last. If management cares about customer experience, they might consider training their staff on professionalism—or at the very least, honoring reservations instead of playing favorites.

Katie Kim

I’ve never felt the need to write a review until now, but this restaurant left me completely infuriated. I made a reservation for my birthday dinner at 7:30, only to be told to wait when I arrived. Fine—I waited. After 40 minutes, they finally came over to inform me that the only seating available was at the sushi bar and that if we wanted a table, it would be another 20 minutes. That is absolutely unacceptable for a confirmed reservation. To make matters worse, during this time I watched at least three parties of three and two parties of two get seated ahead of us, even though their reservations were at 8:00. The only reason? They seemed to be acquaintances with the servers. That kind of blatant favoritism is unprofessional and shows zero respect for paying customers. We ended up leaving without even eating. This was our very first impression of the restaurant, and it will definitely be our last. If management cares about customer experience, they might consider training their staff on professionalism—or at the very least, honoring reservations instead of playing favorites.