Ichiban

Came in for the first time tonight and I couldn’t be more pleased. Food was delicious and the service was great! Our servers Katie and Amy went above and beyond with quality hospitality. Can’t wait to come back!

its been 2 yrs since i posted a review for ichiban. nothing has change in the quality of the food, the staff are like family now. We eat there as often as possible sometime 2 times in one day. I have traveled out of the area and found some other sushi places like in Bakersfield and definitely a Dive. If you are a real true sushi foodie then you can recognize good fish.

All the servers a wonderful they make you feel like family after a while they Know you they make you feel comfortable and loved. There beautiful ladies. And the food is so good. We love the chicken combo with white meat it's the greatest!!!!!: I highly recommend this place!!!😃

Our favorite Japanese restaurant in Santa Maria. We were here few years ago stopping by on the way home from Cambria. We loved the food back then. We had lunch again today on our way back and we were not disappointed. We'll be back!

The best services and food around town 😋

Very nice atmosphere. Enjoyable music. Staff is very friendly. I ordered the nabeyaki udon. It came with steamed rice and tempura. The meal was outstanding. The broth and vegetables in the udon was delicious. The tempura was crisp and fluffy. The tempura dipping sauce was very good. When I asked for a container for the sauce to take home. The staff gave me warm sauce from the kitchen which was very nice of them to do. Will be returning soon to try out more of their menu and enjoy the vibes.

I have been to lots of "sushi" restaurants and the are good but Ichiban is by far the best. You can tell that the fish is fresh. They use just the right amount of sauce that enhances the flavor of the raw fish instead of hiding it. I don't eat the rolls often but the shirashi bowls are awesome. All the staff is friendly and make you feel at home. The sushi chef Brian and Santo are awesome. I highly recommend this place

Since we arrived a few days ago, we found ourselves craving teriyaki. Coming from WA state were teriyaki is as numerous as Starbuck's, this small but highly nostalgic & "kawaii" place served the most "oishi" food that I've tasted in awhile. Very authentic chicken katsu, awesome sesame green tea with great flavor, light crispy vegetable tempura, and gyoza were wonderful. The salad and miso was refreshing with authentic seasoning. Will have to try their sukiyaki and sushi rolls next visit. Great environment with the best service given by the ladies!! They treated my service dog with utmost care and also provided "mizu" for him to drink. "Arigato gozaimasu" for this grand experience & "Thank you" A hidden gem in Santa Maria representing Nihon culture and hospitality.

Server was so nice. Excellent quality of food and service. Parking was difficult around dinner time because of the gym nearby but totally worth driving around to find a spot and walk there. 10/10 would eat there again.

Delicious food and courteous staff. We like to book the private room and it’s worth it it’s so wonderful and peaceful. The food is delicious and the green tea is a favorite when we go.

Simply put - this is the BEST sushi on the central coast. Come support your mom and pops restaurant and experience what your tastebuds have been missing out on. BEST SUSHI!

I've been eating here for years. The staff are wonderful and the food is delicious and bountiful. I'm happy they returned after the pandemic.

Spotted this Hidden Gem while leaving O’Rileys Auto parts on Broadway. Stopped in for dinner on a whim. Sooooo Goood! Bruh!!!!!!! Look what Sean and I did to the sushi boat for two. Sorry, not sorry!!!!! Yummmmmm! Thank you Peter and your lovely family!!!! Bestest food and service. Great value. Genuine hospitality.

The place is nice, clean, relaxing. The service is outstanding, attentive, friendly and prompt. Food is excellent, fresh, and nicely plated. Highly recomended.

The staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was delicious and we got it quickly. I had a wonderful experience. We ordered some sushi rolls, an Udon soup, eggrolls and a chicken Katsu Box

I love the fact the open up the dinning room so we can see the sushi bar. The food isn't like the it was but honestly it's not bad i liked it. The staff was very friendly and overall i still love it. Now my favorite was the match cheesecake.

I first tried Ichiban over a decade ago and thought it was great. Not only was the food delicious, but the experience of the atmosphere and the friendliness of the staff, was something that stuck in my mind after all these years. I finally had the chance to go back, and to my delight, it was all just as good as before. I live in Santa Barbara, so I can’t go there very frequently, but when I do, it is a must stop.

They have separate rooms with the traditional Japanese seating at an additional cost. One room for 4 and another for upto 6 ppl. Food was tasty and service quick.

Really cute Japanese restaurant. Very nice decor. The service was quick and our friendly. The food was delicious and good size portion.

Came hear for the first time last night. The food was great had awsome flavor a bit pricey but in my opinion it was worth it

My favorite place for dinner!!!! Peter is fabulous. Makes eating at the sushi bar a memorable experience!

Everything was delicious, a bit pricey, but the great customer service makes it worth it!

Kain Tayo

The place is nice, clean, relaxing. The service is outstanding, attentive, friendly and prompt. Food is excellent, fresh, and nicely plated. Highly recomended.

Jeanette Wilson

The staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was delicious and we got it quickly. I had a wonderful experience. We ordered some sushi rolls, an Udon soup, eggrolls and a chicken Katsu Box

Sabedoria

I love the fact the open up the dinning room so we can see the sushi bar. The food isn't like the it was but honestly it's not bad i liked it. The staff was very friendly and overall i still love it. Now my favorite was the match cheesecake.

Andy Salas

I first tried Ichiban over a decade ago and thought it was great. Not only was the food delicious, but the experience of the atmosphere and the friendliness of the staff, was something that stuck in my mind after all these years. I finally had the chance to go back, and to my delight, it was all just as good as before. I live in Santa Barbara, so I can’t go there very frequently, but when I do, it is a must stop.

Sweta Singh

They have separate rooms with the traditional Japanese seating at an additional cost. One room for 4 and another for upto 6 ppl. Food was tasty and service quick.

Elizabeth Palm

Really cute Japanese restaurant. Very nice decor. The service was quick and our friendly. The food was delicious and good size portion.

JOSE .:805:.

Came hear for the first time last night. The food was great had awsome flavor a bit pricey but in my opinion it was worth it

Laurie Pipan

My favorite place for dinner!!!! Peter is fabulous. Makes eating at the sushi bar a memorable experience!

Juan Uribe

Everything was delicious, a bit pricey, but the great customer service makes it worth it!

This place is always a solid choice. I go maybe once every month or two and it's always a delight. I've had most of their bentos and they are tasty and a decent amount of food for the price. They're hot sake 🍶 is an excellent addition to the evening. And they are the restaurant that has been getting me to try sushi again and I am starting to like it as a result. The customer service is good and the place has an excellent atmosphere for a fun night out

This was such a great find. In Santa Maria for a personal leisure trip and needed food. The ambiance is quiet and nice, the staff are very attentive without rushing you, and the food was absolutely delish. I got the firetruck Roll and the shrimp udon. I cannot tell you which was better. The sushi roll was amazing and the soup was absolutely just as amazing. Definitely worth a visit.

Fantastic food with fantastic service and very reasonable prices. I highly recommend the bento boxes. The restaurant itself is gorgeous with some seriously cool decor. A hidden gem!

Excellent food and service! First time there, very pleased! Sushi was fresh! And their dressing for salad in the bento box is Amazing! I then talked to a friend who happens to be a plumber. He said they are the cleanest restaurant he has seen! It's scary trying new sushi places, but Ichiban is a definite gem! I will definitely go again and again!

Incredible! The rice in the sushi was so tender. Great flavors! Great service!

This place is great!!! Highly suggest grabbing some after you leave the gym 💪

James Elmer

This place is great!!! Highly suggest grabbing some after you leave the gym 💪

MikeNSam R

Incredible! The rice in the sushi was so tender. Great flavors! Great service!

Victoria Masterson

This was such a great find. In Santa Maria for a personal leisure trip and needed food. The ambiance is quiet and nice, the staff are very attentive without rushing you, and the food was absolutely delish. I got the firetruck Roll and the shrimp udon. I cannot tell you which was better. The sushi roll was amazing and the soup was absolutely just as amazing. Definitely worth a visit.

LinnieB B

Excellent food and service! First time there, very pleased! Sushi was fresh! And their dressing for salad in the bento box is Amazing! I then talked to a friend who happens to be a plumber. He said they are the cleanest restaurant he has seen! It's scary trying new sushi places, but Ichiban is a definite gem! I will definitely go again and again!

Barbara Huyck

Best sushi I've eaten. Wonderful service. Delicious food . Superclean Restaurant. Staff is very friendly.

Zach Roper

This place is always a solid choice. I go maybe once every month or two and it's always a delight. I've had most of their bentos and they are tasty and a decent amount of food for the price. They're hot sake 🍶 is an excellent addition to the evening. And they are the restaurant that has been getting me to try sushi again and I am starting to like it as a result. The customer service is good and the place has an excellent atmosphere for a fun night out

Café Blanco

This place is home. Been going there for about 18 years now. Same great service and love from the staff.Best tempura in the whole central coast hands down. They cook it with fresh oil every shift. And never mix the shrimp with the vegetables. The nacho roll is spectacular!!.FISH IS ALWAYS FRESH!! that’s what I love the most about Ichiban. Ken and his family always a delight.

Andrea Ovendale

They were so sweet and helpful with our son. Most places sit hot food and sharp objects right in front of our toddler. They brought baby forks and spoons without asking and we never had to apologize when one went on the floor, there was already a replacement on it's way. The service was excellent and so was the food. Anyone with a small child know eating out can be tough. This was a real treat for us.

Bento box lunch. Had salmon with the teriyaki sauce left off and it was very good. Meal was good and perfect size for lunch.

Ok first of all i travel alot for work so i get to try new places alot...i ordered the udon noodle dinner..the fried vegis and shrimp were on point...the broth from the udon was not so great very bland...had to add plenty of soy sauce and Siracha not my choice but when i asked for chile paste she said if siracha was ok..Had no choice...Had to take sushi roll to go as it took way to long to come out...We all have different taste buds..that was my experience...

Food is ok, not very impressed. Waited more than 30 minutes for the food after seated and ordered. The environment is nice and comfortable.

The combination dinner is a good value. The ladies provide good service. The place is a little small. It can be a little loud at times. We'll go back.

Extremely disappointed with the quality of food. The entry and decor are lovely. Staff was masked with surgical masks. The food was ridiculously expensive for inferior sushi. Literally the worst I’ve ever had. Tasted like what one would get at a bad grocery store. California roll was okay but I don’t like roe and there’s was tons of it.

Medical Unicorn

Extremely disappointed with the quality of food. The entry and decor are lovely. Staff was masked with surgical masks. The food was ridiculously expensive for inferior sushi. Literally the worst I’ve ever had. Tasted like what one would get at a bad grocery store. California roll was okay but I don’t like roe and there’s was tons of it.

Horrible. I’ve always loved sushi and this place made me rethink ever eating it. Certain items were way overpriced, such as the gyoza. The meat in the gyoza was pink. My stomach was torn apart after, as well as everyone who was with me. Sushi did NOT taste good at all. It was like they microwaved it and didn’t cook it all the way. Even the miso soup was bad. I went around 5 and I’m still not feeling good.

I was looking forward for the good quality sushi dinner but sushi I brought home from this place ( 3 Rainbow rolls) was not fresh at all. It has a weird smell and fish was definitely not fresh, I ate a couple of pieces and the rest went to the trash can. I was expecting much better quality of food for that price they are charging. Very disappointed, not going back to this place.

-Edited on 11/12/22 This restaurant is now under a new ownership since mid 2022. The following post was for the original Ichiban restaurant. I missed this place. Friendly staff and a great place to have an authentic Japanese restaurant in town. Chicken combination would be my go-to and Chirashi for my husband.

When your server makes a mistake on an order admit it. I am never going back. It is expensive and to justify it you need great food and service. I did not get it and the owner/manager did not care.

WORST DINE IN EXPERIENCE EVER!! Food was mediocre overpriced for what it was asked for my dish with no onions couldn’t even follow simple instructions miso so was lacking flavor. Sushi roll had more rice than anything else and was cut unevenly. Took 25 minutes for them to take our order and 30 to get the food out. Not once asked if we needed anything or if everything was fine with our meal till a different waitress noticed my drink needed a refill even then still never asked had to tell them and all that for them not to remake it and just take off $3 off a $70 bill ridiculous and it was the owner who was our waitress. Also felt like my table got treated way differently compared to all the other tables around me they were reserving good customer service meanwhile we just got ignored the whole time and didn’t get our order correctly. will not be coming back ever mikados is definitely miles better all around.

aria miramontes

WORST DINE IN EXPERIENCE EVER!! Food was mediocre overpriced for what it was asked for my dish with no onions couldn’t even follow simple instructions miso so was lacking flavor. Sushi roll had more rice than anything else and was cut unevenly. Took 25 minutes for them to take our order and 30 to get the food out. Not once asked if we needed anything or if everything was fine with our meal till a different waitress noticed my drink needed a refill even then still never asked had to tell them and all that for them not to remake it and just take off $3 off a $70 bill ridiculous and it was the owner who was our waitress. Also felt like my table got treated way differently compared to all the other tables around me they were reserving good customer service meanwhile we just got ignored the whole time and didn’t get our order correctly. will not be coming back ever mikados is definitely miles better all around.

Beware: new ownership, new menu, all old reviews are not relevant to this new restaurant. The family dinner option was removed. As far as I am concerned, families are no longer welcome. I've been coming to this restaurant for almost 20 years. Birthdays, graduations, old friends in town, any celebration and we'd order the family dinner. Food would be brought family style, on large plates and we would all share and have a great time as a group. It was a real dining experience, always an excellent variety of food, fun, and a great way to have a night out as a family, great for kids too, but family dinner is no longer an option. The past ~20 years of celebrations were great and we have had a lot of good memories, but sadly we'll need to find a new place to celebrate going forward. I hear Hama Sato down the street is still serving family style dinners

We drove all the way from Monterey Bay to Santa Maria to celebrate our anniversary. We wanted to take a long drive, enjoy the evening, and have a special dinner based on glowing recommendations we had heard about this place from friends. We were genuinely looking forward to it. We ordered several items, including a Sushi Boat. The miso soup, edamame, and pork tonkatsu arrived fairly quickly. However, the Sushi Boat, the centerpiece of our meal, took over 30 minutes. We intentionally waited to eat everything together, but by the time we were still waiting, the pork tonkatsu had already gone cold. We asked our server about the delay and were told the Sushi Boat would be served “next.” Meanwhile, we watched as the sushi chef, who appeared to be the only one working, continued serving customers seated directly in front of him multiple times, while our order remained untouched. What made the situation worse was his behavior. Instead of focusing on delayed orders, he told the customers in front of him that we were “staring” at him. As those customers left, they stared at us rudely, clearly influenced by whatever had been said. That was humiliating and completely unprofessional. We were simply waiting for the food we had ordered, on our anniversary. No matter how good the food may be, the way customers are treated matters just as much. Disrespect and unprofessional behavior overshadow everything. What was meant to be a special evening ended up being disappointing and uncomfortable

Garrett McLean

Beware: new ownership, new menu, all old reviews are not relevant to this new restaurant. The family dinner option was removed. As far as I am concerned, families are no longer welcome. I've been coming to this restaurant for almost 20 years. Birthdays, graduations, old friends in town, any celebration and we'd order the family dinner. Food would be brought family style, on large plates and we would all share and have a great time as a group. It was a real dining experience, always an excellent variety of food, fun, and a great way to have a night out as a family, great for kids too, but family dinner is no longer an option. The past ~20 years of celebrations were great and we have had a lot of good memories, but sadly we'll need to find a new place to celebrate going forward. I hear Hama Sato down the street is still serving family style dinners