Kitaro

Good neighborhood place for Japanese food. Lots of seats so you'll be able to come without a reservation. We had sushi (California and Hawaiian rolls) and a bento box (with salmon teriyaki). All fresh and delicious. Good service and reasonable prices.

Aaah, Kitaro - a favorite in my family - we can choose between sushi and bento boxes, Chicken Don and sashimi - there's something different for all four of us, when we're having trouble deciding what to eat. Their huge menu is well designed, and quick to cook for you. Always with a young crowd, families and teens and young adults and their grandparents. Everyone's happy to eat at Kitaro's. I love to have the combo dinner, myself - half sushi and half chicken or Salmon teriyaki. I also love ordering one or two of their huge party trays when we are going to a potluck or having guests over ourselves. The combination sushi trays go down well, and the big tray of Crispy Chicken is always a big hit with the kids at any party. - devoured in minutes! :-)

This is my favorite sushi spot in San Francisco! The fish are fresh, rolls are super cheap, and everything tastes delicious! There is also a 15% off your entire bill coupon on the backside of Safeway receipts. The spicy udon is my brother's favorite item on the menu. Mine is the Philadelphia roll with added cucumber (it's an add $0.50 charge which is so worth it!) All in all, this is THE spot!

I've been going to Kitaro since they were in their original tiny location. The food is fresh and the service is friendly. Their prices are amazing when you consider the quality of their food. Lines are common in the evenings but it's worth the wait.

You 'd be hard pressed to find a sushi place that is this delicious and this cheap. DO NOT FORGET TO GET the firecrackers! I have turned those on to som many people that they are all addicted now. And for $3? You just can't beat it. My boyfriend and I had an excellent meal with beer * wine and left with a $25 bill. GO THERE. You will not be disappointed.

We come here almost every time we're in the Richmond district and want some Japanese food. Love their bentos (I usually get shrimp tempura)! Everything is delicious and a really great value; they give you a lot of food for the money. Honestly it's way better than most places in Japan Town, IMO. They are also super friendly and provide great customer service. : ) Highly recommended!

Delicious food, friendly staff, reasonable prices, highly recommended.

Great rolls for low prices. You can get 10% off by visiting the website, entering in some information, and printing out the coupon. I've been coming since before the pandemic. Recently, I ordered a salmon roll, three avocado rolls, a salmon and avocado roll, a California roll, a crab salad roll, a tuna roll, and two cucumber rolls for delivery through Doordash. They were very fresh and came with plenty of wasabi, soy sauce, and ginger. Each roll was six pieces and my subtotal was $40 before fees and tip. I've never had a bad experience here and I highly recommend this location if you want affordable and tasty sushi.

This is one of my favorite sushi spots in the city. I been coming here since my middle school days. They have good offers during lunch where it can be packed at times but worth all the wait since I have high patience. I usually dine in and is assured by their well trained and friendly staffs. I always leave satisfied and on a great stomach. I highly recommend this place to any sushi lover or if you’re just hungry. Definitely will be back!

Great dining experience! Workers work really hard & give great service 👍. Servers helped multiple tables very efficiently. and refilled water and tea with good frequency. The food was fresh, and really tasty. The portions were large, especially the chicken katsu dinner plate. Thr chicken comes with side of rice 🍚, miso soup 🍲, and salad. I was really hungry, and I still had leftovers for a doggie bag. Spouse had vegetable tempura with salmon sashimi, and it was also really good. The value is great, for you can get a combo dinner (aka bento box) for $20.

Wonderful Japanese dishes, great selection. Love the fried softshell crabs! Looking for good Japanese food for a reasonable price? This is the place!

Neal

Great rolls for low prices. You can get 10% off by visiting the website, entering in some information, and printing out the coupon. I've been coming since before the pandemic. Recently, I ordered a salmon roll, three avocado rolls, a salmon and avocado roll, a California roll, a crab salad roll, a tuna roll, and two cucumber rolls for delivery through Doordash. They were very fresh and came with plenty of wasabi, soy sauce, and ginger. Each roll was six pieces and my subtotal was $40 before fees and tip. I've never had a bad experience here and I highly recommend this location if you want affordable and tasty sushi.

Alzila

This is one of my favorite sushi spots in the city. I been coming here since my middle school days. They have good offers during lunch where it can be packed at times but worth all the wait since I have high patience. I usually dine in and is assured by their well trained and friendly staffs. I always leave satisfied and on a great stomach. I highly recommend this place to any sushi lover or if you’re just hungry. Definitely will be back!

Leonard Suguitan (Len)

Great dining experience! Workers work really hard & give great service 👍. Servers helped multiple tables very efficiently. and refilled water and tea with good frequency. The food was fresh, and really tasty. The portions were large, especially the chicken katsu dinner plate. Thr chicken comes with side of rice 🍚, miso soup 🍲, and salad. I was really hungry, and I still had leftovers for a doggie bag. Spouse had vegetable tempura with salmon sashimi, and it was also really good. The value is great, for you can get a combo dinner (aka bento box) for $20.

Gina Zehnder

Wonderful Japanese dishes, great selection. Love the fried softshell crabs! Looking for good Japanese food for a reasonable price? This is the place!

pepito pepito

just a good no frill lunch spot. sit, stare at the menu then order away. chicken teriyaki was delish. parking can be challenging in this area though

I’ve now been to Kitaro twice for lunch, and both times I left thoroughly satisfied. Their lunch specials are easily some of the best deals in San Francisco. Unlike many Japanese restaurants where a lower price means smaller portions, Kitaro serves full dinner‑sized portions at lunch for around $13–16. The quality is excellent. The tempura here is some of the best I’ve ever had—crispy, light breading with vegetables cooked perfectly inside. I especially enjoyed the broccoli, zucchini, and green beans, which paired beautifully with the crunchy batter. The shrimp tempura was great too, but the vegetables really stood out. Their rolls, like California and spicy tuna, are larger than what you typically find elsewhere. On my first visit, I ordered the nigiri special and was impressed by both the presentation and the generous portion. The server even advised me to wait before ordering more, and he was right—I was full and happy with just the platter. On my second visit, I tried the bento boxes and lunch combos, which were equally satisfying. Next time I’m excited to try the udon and donburi bowls. The miso soup and salad are also very good, generously portioned, and well seasoned. Kitaro has quickly become my favorite spots in the city, and I look forward to returning often with my son.

Love this sushi spot! The service is extremely fast and kind, wonderful staff who remember locals 💗, and great food. The price is also amazing for the quality that you get. Thank you Kitaro 🤗

We have been been eating here as our casual Japanese spot for like 15 years+ They made my daughter a sushi lover at 4 years old. She does not say let's get sushi, she says I hungry for Katrio Mom.

Amazing, amazing restaurant! I came in a little bummed and left the happiest person alive. Service was delightful and food was flavorful. . My LO said it was the best garlic edamame he ever had. Fresh sushi and good portion . Totally recommend! It has good food and really happy vibes.

Michelle Chan

I’ve now been to Kitaro twice for lunch, and both times I left thoroughly satisfied. Their lunch specials are easily some of the best deals in San Francisco. Unlike many Japanese restaurants where a lower price means smaller portions, Kitaro serves full dinner‑sized portions at lunch for around $13–16. The quality is excellent. The tempura here is some of the best I’ve ever had—crispy, light breading with vegetables cooked perfectly inside. I especially enjoyed the broccoli, zucchini, and green beans, which paired beautifully with the crunchy batter. The shrimp tempura was great too, but the vegetables really stood out. Their rolls, like California and spicy tuna, are larger than what you typically find elsewhere. On my first visit, I ordered the nigiri special and was impressed by both the presentation and the generous portion. The server even advised me to wait before ordering more, and he was right—I was full and happy with just the platter. On my second visit, I tried the bento boxes and lunch combos, which were equally satisfying. Next time I’m excited to try the udon and donburi bowls. The miso soup and salad are also very good, generously portioned, and well seasoned. Kitaro has quickly become my favorite spots in the city, and I look forward to returning often with my son.

Irmina

Delicious food, friendly staff, reasonable prices, highly recommended.

Rayannah Salahuddin

We have been been eating here as our casual Japanese spot for like 15 years+ They made my daughter a sushi lover at 4 years old. She does not say let's get sushi, she says I hungry for Katrio Mom.

Stacey

Love this sushi spot! The service is extremely fast and kind, wonderful staff who remember locals 💗, and great food. The price is also amazing for the quality that you get. Thank you Kitaro 🤗

Brindha Subramanian

Amazing, amazing restaurant! I came in a little bummed and left the happiest person alive. Service was delightful and food was flavorful. . My LO said it was the best garlic edamame he ever had. Fresh sushi and good portion . Totally recommend! It has good food and really happy vibes.

sushi good taste. popular price, good place to eat.

1) decently priced 2) the food comes out super fast 3) the staff is great 4) the food is tasty

+1

Cheap good Japanese food. Beware the wording on the menu. Combo bento box is both item prices added together. I was surprised when my bill was so high. Salad was pretty gross looking didn't touch but rice, karaage, and chicken katsu was really good.

Friendly and efficient wait staff. Pretty inexpensive for Japanese food. Good portions. Alot of bang for your buck.

Portions were great for the money

One of my favorite sushi places. It's good and it's cheap for sushi. It can get busy during the weekend but usually there is no waiting time. Make sure you try their specialty rolls, they are BOMB!

Been going here for what 14 years now. Kind of my favorite place to eat in SF. Their food is good. Their service is good. Its pretty packed during lunch time. A good place to order food and to eat in if you are near.

Came for lunch and we were happy with our meal. Service was friendly and gracious. Good variety menu items. Portions and prices were reasonable. Chicken katsu was not dry. The food will not knock you out of this world but it will fill you up and not break the bank.

Service is good. Price is inexpensive. Ordered the assorted sashimi combo. It comes with soup and salad. From the menu, I should get 12 pieces. But I actually got 24. Not sure why. But each piece is so small and so thin. I believe it will be still very small if you combine two pieces into one. Not even that, the taste is not good as other good Japanese restaurants. I will not order it again next time. The grilled salmon is good.

Great value, descent taste and quick, friendly service! They have an unusual combination in lunch specials: Udon with salmon sashimi bowl. I also added spicy miso broth to udon for $1 extra. Spicy and miso are also a surprise, but the taste was very smooth. The bowl of rice is covered with a dozen or so salmon stripes, cut smaller than your typical sashimi but still has enough meat to fill me up. The salmon tastes rich and fresh, just what I expected. At a total of under $11, that’s a steal. I also ordered a side of edamame with garlic sauce, another surprise considering most restaurants serve edamame sides plain. My entire meal costed $15 and odds, and was so fulfilling I couldn’t eat dinner. I entered the restaurant after 2pm on a Sunday. The orders came very quickly. With three waitresses and at least one waiter, I expect orders to be equally fast on weekdays - if you can get a seat. The space is really small, I think they have less than a dozen tables that barely seat four each. Decoration is light yet themed. (The Japanese name suggests ghost, so there are monsters on the wall. There is even a hint of Godzilla although I do not see it in display.) Update: I have since come here several times with my daughter and have not been disappointed. This is surprisingly close to the Golden Gate Park. All in all, this is a great place to eat if you come to that area.

Miso soup was good and not too salty. Tempura is good and not soggy. Chicken teriyaki is tasty and not drenched in sauce. Salmon is very fresh and soft. Karaage has lots of flavor and a dipping sauce. Overall, not a bad meal for the price.

This is a solid place for a good variety and amount of Japanese food at an affordable price. The sashimi quality is good and the staff are all pretty friendly. Pro tip, there's a 15% off coupon on the back of the Safeway receipt at the La Playa location.

Decent food decent price. Parking varies. UPDATE: 2-2-2024, very friendly staff and great service. Good food.

A classic place for cheap and simple sushi/bento boxes. The food here is really cheap and while the quality may not be the top, for the price it is great. I typically go for a bento box with chicken and tempura and order a few rolls in addition. I ordered the rainbow and dragon roll most recently. The rolls had thick pieces of fish and avocado. The bento boxes come with a little salad and miso soup. Service is great and super fast. I love coming here for an affordable and quick meal.

Prices are low and food is pretty good for said price. Portions are pretty good and quality of fish is reasonable. Definitely worth coming here on a budget, definitely enjoyable.

John Z

Service is good. Price is inexpensive. Ordered the assorted sashimi combo. It comes with soup and salad. From the menu, I should get 12 pieces. But I actually got 24. Not sure why. But each piece is so small and so thin. I believe it will be still very small if you combine two pieces into one. Not even that, the taste is not good as other good Japanese restaurants. I will not order it again next time. The grilled salmon is good.

Yuan LIU

Great value, descent taste and quick, friendly service! They have an unusual combination in lunch specials: Udon with salmon sashimi bowl. I also added spicy miso broth to udon for $1 extra. Spicy and miso are also a surprise, but the taste was very smooth. The bowl of rice is covered with a dozen or so salmon stripes, cut smaller than your typical sashimi but still has enough meat to fill me up. The salmon tastes rich and fresh, just what I expected. At a total of under $11, that’s a steal. I also ordered a side of edamame with garlic sauce, another surprise considering most restaurants serve edamame sides plain. My entire meal costed $15 and odds, and was so fulfilling I couldn’t eat dinner. I entered the restaurant after 2pm on a Sunday. The orders came very quickly. With three waitresses and at least one waiter, I expect orders to be equally fast on weekdays - if you can get a seat. The space is really small, I think they have less than a dozen tables that barely seat four each. Decoration is light yet themed. (The Japanese name suggests ghost, so there are monsters on the wall. There is even a hint of Godzilla although I do not see it in display.) Update: I have since come here several times with my daughter and have not been disappointed. This is surprisingly close to the Golden Gate Park. All in all, this is a great place to eat if you come to that area.

Carey Yip

Miso soup was good and not too salty. Tempura is good and not soggy. Chicken teriyaki is tasty and not drenched in sauce. Salmon is very fresh and soft. Karaage has lots of flavor and a dipping sauce. Overall, not a bad meal for the price.

Ty Lim

This is a solid place for a good variety and amount of Japanese food at an affordable price. The sashimi quality is good and the staff are all pretty friendly. Pro tip, there's a 15% off coupon on the back of the Safeway receipt at the La Playa location.

John

Decent food decent price. Parking varies. UPDATE: 2-2-2024, very friendly staff and great service. Good food.

Mei Fu Lee

A classic place for cheap and simple sushi/bento boxes. The food here is really cheap and while the quality may not be the top, for the price it is great. I typically go for a bento box with chicken and tempura and order a few rolls in addition. I ordered the rainbow and dragon roll most recently. The rolls had thick pieces of fish and avocado. The bento boxes come with a little salad and miso soup. Service is great and super fast. I love coming here for an affordable and quick meal.

Dima Aryeh

Prices are low and food is pretty good for said price. Portions are pretty good and quality of fish is reasonable. Definitely worth coming here on a budget, definitely enjoyable.

Enjoyed a luncheon birthday party here. As Japanese fare goes, the food was delicious, the service the sublime, and the prices remarkable!

It's very cheap, but boiling salmon instead of grilling it is horrible.

I've been going to Kitaro off and on for almost 20 years. The service can vary from ok to not very good. For what it's worth, it's consistently okay food and it's consistently almost clean. It's also very cheap. The quality of food is mediocre most of the time .Every once in awhile they surprised me. The key to this place is to understand that the service isn't great and be willing to eat cheap cheap cheap sushi.

The food is okay. They made a mistake on a take out order a couple weeks back. I showed them my receipt and picture of my order. They apologized. I forgot my 10% off coupon and ask they could apply it for my current order for the mistake… They said they couldn’t which is weird since the throw away the coupon anyway? I would stay away from the grilled salmon

Kitaro has been a fixture in the Richmond district as far back as the early 90’s when it was located on the north side of Geary, next the municipal parking lot. Since the founding owner sold it, it Now it sits opposite side in the south side and the food is still equally good. Lunch specials are a great deal: 2 items combo for about $19 Sashimi portions are generous and fresh. Chicken Karaage is juicy and crunchy. The Beef teriyaki is so-so, the beef could use a longer searing to char the meat and create that burnt crisp that would go well with the sweet Teri sauce. It can be noisy when is at full capacity.

D J

Kitaro has been a fixture in the Richmond district as far back as the early 90’s when it was located on the north side of Geary, next the municipal parking lot. Since the founding owner sold it, it Now it sits opposite side in the south side and the food is still equally good. Lunch specials are a great deal: 2 items combo for about $19 Sashimi portions are generous and fresh. Chicken Karaage is juicy and crunchy. The Beef teriyaki is so-so, the beef could use a longer searing to char the meat and create that burnt crisp that would go well with the sweet Teri sauce. It can be noisy when is at full capacity.

There is a lady server during the lunch shift and she seems to think that asking for wasabi and ginger is not reasonable. She sensed my disappointment and aggressively insisted to leave a TIP before we where even finished eating. I've been going here for over a decade and this server is not good for business. Please get rid of her because the other servers are exceptional and they are the reason I keep returning.

louie

There is a lady server during the lunch shift and she seems to think that asking for wasabi and ginger is not reasonable. She sensed my disappointment and aggressively insisted to leave a TIP before we where even finished eating. I've been going here for over a decade and this server is not good for business. Please get rid of her because the other servers are exceptional and they are the reason I keep returning.

The epitome of mediocre sushi. I wouldn't come back for it. Bland tasting fish, bored looking wait staff, and uninspired decor make this place the most half hearted attempt at a sushi restaurant. There's so many better options in the city, make the trek further to inner Richmond and the quality/selection goes up. Don't bother wasting money here.

Already gave them over 15% tip and yet they overcharged me by giving themselves over 20% tip. Such dishonest practices.

Terrible service. I ordered a large order of Chicken Katsu meal along with goyza, sushi rolls and miso soup. They sent me Chicken Teriyaki meals and responded with deal with Doordash and they will deal with a refund. After letting them know I was not interested in a refund but if they could find a solution and deliver me the correct food that was ordered and since it was their mistake not Doordash’s error. Never again would I order food from here.

Great location n inexpensive menu. But, careful! You get what you pay for! Service was unexpectedly bad. Both servers need to work their attitude and smile. And food was bad too. Smelly, tasteless, rolls are wrapped in too much rice. Just had first bite. Couldn’t finish. Oh, also heated top/ice cold bottom, over salted edamame!!! Worst sushi place in Richmond neighborhood.

Tsogt Danny Erdene Ochir

Great location n inexpensive menu. But, careful! You get what you pay for! Service was unexpectedly bad. Both servers need to work their attitude and smile. And food was bad too. Smelly, tasteless, rolls are wrapped in too much rice. Just had first bite. Couldn’t finish. Oh, also heated top/ice cold bottom, over salted edamame!!! Worst sushi place in Richmond neighborhood.