Left Huyen to order for us, it was way better than last time we ordered on our own, they clearly know their stuff

Went and had sushi must say I’m not a big fan of sushi but this place was good We tried the tiger roll Espinosa roll yellow Jalepeno roll all great also the miso soup and edamame are great.

This is my go-to sushi place when I come up from L.A. It's right up there with the best L.A. sushi bars. Great ambiance. Great outdoor seating area. What I especially like is that you can get premium sushi combinations for a very reasonable price.

Great ambiance and place for some small plates. Service was great and the food was delicious. My only regret was not ordering that renowned Santa Barbara Uni! Will come back again!

Just try it... Seared Toro... Zuke Hon Maguro... SB Uni. Expand your horizons! Cheers! The Fluke and Crab was great tonight!

We arrived a few minutes after opening and the place was bustling! Got in right away but could have been a long wait if we hadn’t been there early. The food was fantastic - special sashimi were great. Toro was reasonably priced.

Ordered for a party of six and loved every taste! Especially delighted by the shitake ngiri but all of the fish was top notch. The uni, masago and oyster combo was yummy too!

Whether you're a sushi lover or new to the cuisine, this place is a must-visit! Arigato Sushi has become my favorite sushi spot in Santa Barbara and easily ranks in my top three all-time. The sushi is incredibly fresh and expertly prepared, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The staff and chefs are not only talented but also super friendly, making the dining experience even more enjoyable.

We came in and they asked if we had a reservation. We did not have one however they still seated us quickly and the food was brought quickly! This place is clean, has an inviting atmosphere, and delicious food 5 stars for sure!

Had birthday dinner here and it was perfect…plenty of gf choices and tamari readily available. Service, food, atmosphere excellent!

Never been there for long time but still remember how good is it. Any way it’s still open means is really good.👍🏻

Best sushi in SB hands down! Thanks again Daryl :)

Arigato is the best sushi restaurant I have been too. Exceeds New York, LA, SF, Miami, San Diego, anywhere. Pro Tip: Sit at the Sushi Bar, buy your chefs a beer, order the Santa Barbara Uni! Favs: Garlic Edamame 🫛 Yellowtail & Jalapeno Sashimi Bay City Hand Roll Pacific Rim Roll Santa Barbara Uni

A bit expensive, but normal for Santa Barbara prices. The service was awesome and all the fish tasted really fresh!

Absolutely amazing! Love the different blending of different ethnic ingredients to traditional Japanese cuisine. Service was very helpful with the menu questions, that we had; and everything was presented beautifully. I will definitely recommend that people experience the same fresh, and deliciously prepared cuisine that we enjoyed. It was a wonderful night out.

Brian was a great server, really nice and knowledgeable. The food was amazing and service was prompt even with a packed house. 10/10 Recommendation.

Some of the best sushi we’ve ever had! Incredibly flavorful, amazing menu, service and atmosphere. We look forward to coming back when we’re in SB again!

This place is awesome! Great staff, wildly savory fusion flavors mix in traditional cuisine, works extremely well, when paired with the freshness of all the ingredients. Lovely atmosphere, and an extremely helpful & friendly staff, in a great location ....top notch dining! We loved it, and will be back, soon. Thank you!

Solo diner at the Sushi Bar on a busy Friday night. Staff was so attentive and the food was excellent. Had crunchy sunamono to start, soft shell crab on salad, and a delicious lobster tempura roll. Everything was delicious and the atmosphere was jovial and inviting. Loved it, can’t wait to come back.

I come from Hawaii and I know great fish when I have it and this place has great fish. Every bite was delicious and I haven’t experienced anything close in California so far. The food was also priced very well. Highly recommended it.

Andy made an excellent suppestion Swinging Roll and I also ordered the Wipe Out Roll. It was great!!!

We actually looked at another sushi restaurant but found some of the reviews not as favorable as we had hoped. I have lived in Hawaii with a well known sushi chef in Honolulu and traveled throughout Japan. Sushi is a love of mine and when on a vacation or trip I definitely wanted epic so the reviews led me here. We were incredibly glad that we did. We made an early reservation so they could fit us in and our server, Sal, was one of the coolest dudes around. We ordered a bunch of incredibly rolls, nigiri and sashimi and he even suggested some. It was truly an epic dining experience and one of the BEST sushi restaurants I have visited. I cannot wait to go back. ARIGATO – KEEP RULING!

Everything was great all-around. The nigiri, although they were out of a few things, was excellent - especially the specialty nigiri…the seared hotate (pictured) was my favorite and the softest scallop I’ve ever had. The service provided went above and beyond. With a lot of sushi restaurants around, and a decent amount of them being good at what they do, the ones that stand out are consistent with all their fish and provide exceptional service. Shout out to the manager, Darrell, and my server for making the experience special

Daryl is amazing. He got us a table right away when the restaurant was packed. Food is amazing and the staff is attentive and The staff is attentive and friendly.

Super energetic and vibrant spot to enjoy amazing sushi and Japanese inspired delights. An extensive menu has something for everyone. My favorite is the Gold Shot, uni shooter!

Very good sushi experience. Fish quality was exceptional. Chef is OG

Amazing sushi. Extensive options, very fresh and the staff are quick and fantastic! It’s usually very busy so make reservations.

+3

Loved this place, everything was amazing. We had rolls, sashimi selections, and hot appetizers. All of them were delicious, arigato beef and ceviche was amazing & a must try. You won't be disappointed with this place, went back for 2nds on a 6 day trip to Santa Barbara.

The fish was some of the freshest I've ever tasted. Just superb , has great wait staff . Again the sushi was great

Best sushi ever!!! The sushi and sashimi are extremely fresh and melts in your mouth. The environment is cozy and fancy.The price is reasonable for the quality of the service, food, and location. I love this place and will always come back for more!

One of our favorite places to eat in Santa Barbara! Top 10 items we like to order: Carpaccio Zuke toro Sunny side up Mrs. Ebilyn Fluke and crab Bay city roll Grilled Miyazaki-Gyu A5 Yuzu Pepper Tai Magic Mushroom Fiesta Roll

Awesome sushi, great service, great location. A little pricey but you get quality fish and ingredients.

+3

I was told this is some of the best and was not disappointed. I tried several rolls which were amazing. The oysters were just ok but they definitely know their rolls.

+2

Really great sushi! Had lots of great nigiri options and different type of rolls!

“Swinging roll” is brilliant. I’ve altered rolls at various restaurants to achieve this combination, but nothing beats Arigato. Their ambiance alone- a reason to visit. But let’s top it off. They’re patient, detailed and artistic in craft. Staff is incredibly professional and welcoming. And lastly, I love waking into a restaurant to see a clean, open kitchen. Every time I’m out of town, I miss this place. Dates, impressing friends, solo nights and take out. I’ll go here.

I've indulged in this sublime sushiya for over 20 years. Whether you enjoy a classic Japanese or fusion, there's not a better place in the US or Nippon for the money (sorry, Jiro & Nobu), IMHO. The manager's name was Darrel, hope he is well, and maybe even still at the front door. I'm in NY and haven't visited recently, but this place was, and most likely still is, my favorite sushi restaurant on this planet. p.s. yes, yes, Masa in the Columbus Circle is good too.

Well worth the wait. My wife and I waited for 10 minutes before they opened at 5:30PM and I would do it again 100 times out of 100. The rolls were fantastic, our waiter was very knowledgeable and able to help us choose from their very expansive list of rolls - our choices were spot on.

+2

We first tried Arigato sushi when they were at the old location, a little hole in the wall off State Street. They are so much better now and we go every time we visit SB. - Tuna carpaccio. I love this dish. So refreshing. Fresh tuna with yuzu sauce, grape tomatoes, and side garnishes. Delicious. - Hamachi carpaccio with warm EVOO. Really good, buttery and smooth. - California rolls. Good real crab. Perfect thin layer of rice. Awesome. -Snake roll. Good eel. Flavor blended together nicely. -U10 seared scallops. Buttery, soft, melt in your mouth. Perfect. -Engawa nigiri. Awesome. -Yuzu tai nigiri. Good. Crunchy and refreshing. -serrano kampachi. Meh. Not that great. Skip this. All in all just as awesome as ever. Well, way better than when we were cheap students.

+1

This must be the greatest sushi I have ever got in my whole life and I'm not even kidding. Everything was so fresh and delicious, the fish was literally melting in my mouth. The staff is very friendly and it's a very calm and comfy place, 100% recommend

First time at arigato - had a lovely dinner with a lovely lady, and enjoyed the food, service and atmosphere so much we ended up staying for over three hours! Everything was fantastic, particularly the service. Shout out to Sheena for her on-point recommendations, promptness, and personality - you made our date incredibly enjoyable so thank you!

Cute spot. Then menu was wayyyy to long though. Too many things and no fried rice? Fish was ok….. the ginger dressing was amazing. Bar was pretty. Food was fresh. Kid friendly. Avocado was fresh. Asparagus was ok

+6

We came in on a Wednesday evening around 7 without a reservation. They were full at that time but we were able to put our names in for 8:15. We had the uni, sushi special, pacific rim specialty roll, and pretty in pink specialty roll. Everything was delicious and the service was great. They even had one non-alcoholic beer on the menu for me but unfortunately they were sold out on that.

Vincent Avila

Sushi, drinks and the atmosphere were great but the service was rather slow considering we had only ordered one roll and an appetizer.

Alex Taka

Wife and I had an outstanding experience here! The sashimi and nigiri were fresh and each type of fish had a distinct flavor. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. We are very familiar with Japan and agreed that the food was very close to an authentic Japanese taste. Service was great. Prices are on the high side but can very much recommend Arigato Sushi for a special occasion. Arigato gozaimashita!

Lioness X

Arigato Sushi never disappoints! Huge thanks to Daryl, the maître d’, who runs the front of house like a fabulous orchestra conductor—everything flows smoothly, effortlessly, and with genuine warmth. The service here consistently shines. The food is outstanding across the board. Our favorite is the mushroom veggie roll, which is absolutely crave-worthy. They also offer an incredible tofu steak and a miso cod that even non-fish lovers rave about—truly something for every kind of eater. The quality of the wasabi and ginger is exceptional and will honestly spoil you for most other sushi restaurants. It’s that good. Be sure to make a reservation—they offer both indoor and outdoor seating, and the outdoor heaters keep things comfortable even on cooler evenings. The food is excellent, the staff are lovely, and the overall experience is consistently top-notch. Highly recommend. 🍣✨

Kundai Chikowero

Been here twice and the host was so happy to see us there again, service was amazing, food is CRAZY GOOD ! seriously nothing on this menu we didn’t love and amazing service all around, very nice staff too.

Maria Gracia Chiroque

We love it, cozy place. I was really surprised with the food, especially with the vegan options. We ordered a bunch of food, because we simply can’t get enough lol. Every single time we walked by it was packed, so i recommend reservations.

+2

David Lopez

We showed up with no reservation on a busy day but they accommodated us after a brief wait. Front of house and waiters were all very helpful and patient. Very decent sushi for the price. ($18-30 rolls, $8-22+ nigiri) always a good sign when even simple rolls like a California roll are made with real crab and given the option as to what type. However, the real star was the uni with quail egg. Absolutely delicious and will definitely be hard to forget. If you stop by and haven’t had it, ask the waiter for the uni with quail egg. It goes for about $20 for 2 pieces.

Luis Diaz

Delicious, yet pricey Japanese restaurant located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. Everything we ordered was made with fresh ingredients. Soft and buttery pieces of fish with the nagiri felt like they melted in my mouth and the sushi was exquisite.

+2

Paloma E

For me it is one of the best places in SB to eat sushi, the location is great because you get the State St vibe and get great food. If you plan to have dinner I would recommend making a reservation because it can sometimes be crowded. I loved the pan seared scallops, the ahi and asparagus roll. If you like nigiris be sure to try the yuzu pepper tai, the seared hamachi, the serrano kampachi and the grilled shiitake. Overall, I would totally recommend going here.

+1

Veronica Morton

The best sushi on the west coast. So fresh and tasty. Everything was good. We had a couple gold shots, locals only, and several others that I'll have to look up and update my review with later. I tried to take photos but some plates didn't photograph well. Only complaint would be the server we had took a while to get back to us when my boyfriend needed new chopsticks so I fed him with mine or he used his fingers.

+7

Kelly Nguyen Le

Our first time in Santa Barbara and we found this place on yelp, so we decided to give it a try. This place is delicious! We ordered a couple things: Garlic Soy Edamame: really good! At first it tasted burnt , but that was for the ones with less marinade. The ones that were marinated tasted delicious! A little pricey for what it was though ($7) Popcorn Shrimp: Delicious!!!! It was a small/medium portion, but it was so good. It came with a spicy mayo and pesto base on bottom. I would definitely order this again! Pacific Oysters: sweet and fresh! It was the perfect size and it was flavorful. Really good. We got some of the rolls that were really delicious. The fish was SO fresh on each roll, and I liked that some of the rolls had smoked salmon. It was great! Also, I'm not 100% positive but I believe they use real crab instead of imitation crab. It tasted different but it was amazing, fresh, and came out quickly. We sat at the counter and Ken (our sushi chef) was amazing!!! He was so kind and he made the experience even better. He had many recommendations for us which we really appreciated. We usually don't prefer sitting at the counters but he was so kind, I'm glad we did! And it was nice to watch him make everything. We would definitely come back in the future and would definitely recommend this place!

+1

daren green

Not your everyday sushi, Arigato is a taste above the rest. A cool little spot in the heart of downtown on bustling State Street. There is usually a wait, but there are plenty of tables inside, outside, at the bar, or upstairs. The food is wonderful and the price is a bit higher, but Arigato is a must for a dinner out in Santa Barbara.

+1

First - it was great of them to call us back with earlier availability than the 8:45 reservation we made after arriving in town. Sushi was excellent, and the waitress was great, informing us that the 'bamboo' saki is same as large, just fancier bottle. But service was disjointed. They brought out all the appetizers and my wife's roll at once, while I had to wait 20 minutes or more for my sushi combo.

1) Arrived 40 minutes before close time and denied service indoors and after much hesitation, they agreed to serve on the patio. Made no sense whatsoever. 2) Interesting rolls. The portion size is smaller than what we are normally used to. The sushi rice was somewhat loose.

Arigato is popular for a reason, the sushi is good and the service is friendly. We tried a variety of rolls, the black cod, and the popcorn shrimp. All were good to very good. The dining area is nice enough and tidy, if not a touch cramped upstairs. My only gripe is that a table for three with beer and wine was nearly $200 out the door with tax and tip. Sushi is not cheap, I get that, but the prices here might keep me from more regular visits.

Very good sushi, we just ordered a few rolls pm to share and all of them were very good, balanced and tasty. The service was just average and we were sitting outside. As was spected the price is quite elevated, but if it's sushi you crave you know you'll have to spend big and don't go with a lot of hunger.

I came here a few years ago and was sure to stop by again on my recent trip to Santa Barbara. This spot is still a stellar sushi experience and well worth a visit. The magic mushroom roll and bonfire roll were standouts among a top flight of speciality sushi’s. My rating would be 5 stars but I found the inside seating a little tight and chaotic. Still, great food and highly recommended.

Good unique sushi. Felt it was warmer than we were use to. The service was great and very nice to help. Overall, a little over priced for the small portions.

We walked in without a reservation at 8 PM. We were sat right away without a wait. The service was fast and professional. The prices are reasonable in the selection of Japanese cuisine is adequate. I find this restaurant not offensive.

AJ

We had dinner at Arigato Sushi, and every dish was fresh and delicious. Both the rolls and grilled chicken skewers were great, and the service was friendly. However, the chairs were quite dusty, so the cleanliness could be improved. Still, it’s a nice place to enjoy good sushi in Santa Barbara.

Thomas Yu

Wandered in 20 min before closing on a sunday night, they were about half full - food was decent but not amazing - good vegan/veg item selection - highlights: salmon sashimi, black cod, eel roll and magic mushroom roll I set my portion expectation meter to "sushi" but I was still a bit surprised at the cost per food ratio. Maybe I forgot to factor in the location Bonus points for the real candle adorning each table. I hate fake candles Minus points for some plate wetness No parking on state street

+4

Jenny Curtin

I ordered all nigiri; ika, toro, otoro and salmon fresh and for dessert, fresh local strawberries with San Marcos Farms Wild Flower Honey. I got lucky, I was a walk in and they had a table available which was perfect, downside it was in the second floor which I didn’t enjoy but the atmosphere in the first floor either outside or inside was amazing. I gave 5 stars to atmosphere because is not their fault I didn’t reserve ahead to get a great table. I definitely recommend the first floor to eat if you want to have a comfortable and open experience, unless you enjoy private kid of close upstairs. Food: ika was really good it was squid with mint and rice. It was an amazing experience I never had before with squid, only downside the squid was very thin for my taste. Toro or otoro, unfortunately they both came in the same plate and I was never able to confirm which one was which. But one of them was AMAZING, it dissolve in my tongue perfectly, the other had like a layer of tough sinew which was not enjoyable and very hard to chew. The salmon had the same tough sinew , was very thin and had for my taste a lil too much of wasabi in it. The strawberries were really good, I’m lactose intolerant and I have said it before in my reviews it was so nice to have a dairy free option in the menu for a change. The strawberries had honey and a mint, if you take a small bit of mint and then eat strawberry, WOW. It was my first time doing that and it was a perfect combination. I loved it. I gave a 4 stars to the food because of the thin layer in some of the nigiri and the tough sinew. Overall I recommend anyone to try it. Everyone’s tastes and experiences varies.

+3

Silvie Kadlcik Park

We had a great meal with excellent service but everything was quite overpriced. Also, I chose for us to sit in the back outdoor patio and regretted it. Very cramped and claustrophobic feeling, wish I would have chosen to sit up front or in the front outdoor patio.

+2

Matthew Lim

Came here for a special occasion and was not disappointed. We sat in the smaller upper balcony, and was nice and quiet compared to downstairs. It was quite a busy weekend night so it took a while for our server to come back around to us. Once he was here he was very attentive and helpful. We mainly ordered sashimi and sushi, without any specialty rolls, and the quality and taste of the fish was great. Hand rolls were delicious.

Tim

Nice patio seating. Always nice weather in Santa Barbara to be sitting outside. Uni was fresh and sweet. DELICIOUS!!! All the food was fresh. Service was good. Food came out fast but promptly as we finish each dish. A bit pricey but well worth it.

+3

I was pretty disappointed here considering the hype. Their food just isn’t “wow” worthy, especially for the price. If you’ve ever had phenomenal sushi, do not come here expecting that. Not a whole lot of variety or creativity on the menu. The service was okay. Don’t sit outside if it is windy or cold, the heaters won’t help. It was definitely okay, which is why I gave three stars. But if you’re on a budget or want the BEST, I’d look elsewhere.

Staff very friendly and attentive. Quality of fish is good. Knife skills were so so for the fish and the sushi rice was a bit old however we came at the end of the night. Prices were very reasonable. Dining room had brick walls on one side which gives it a cozy feeling.

This place is busy and isn't very big, so keep that in mind if you have a large party. The sushi was good, not great, which was a bit of a disappointment. Don't expect much in the way of creativity or surprises. The service was fast and attentive though. I probably wouldn't go back after having sushi other places in Southern California. The dishes here just couldn't quite scratch the itch for me.

I ordered all nigiri and one salmon skin roll. The fish was delicious but the rice was so so. The salmon skin roll was mostly salmon, and had a weird sauce. I was hoping for rice, salmon skin and seaweed. The roll was disappointing. Also wildly expensive for what it is.

I was underwhelmed by the quality, especially considering the price tag. The rice was crumbly and dry (old?). Nigiri kept falling apart even when being very careful. Freshness of the fish was just ok. I personally found the sushi at Sun and Edomasa on upper state much better. I went on a Sunday at 9p, so maybe that played a role. But if they keep the restaurant open till 10p and ask 20$ for a pair of Nigiri that's not the best excuse. They did have some good sounding vegetarian rolls, which I didn't try, but that could be a plus for someone who doesn’t like fish.

GREAT FOOD. BAD EXPERIENCE THAT RUINED OUR NIGHT. Was on vacation with my family & the kids -- this was our "nice" dinner out. We had a reservation and were asked if we thought we'd be about an hour and half for dinner and I said yes, that seemed right. However the hour and a half came and we were told "we need this table back". We probably would have finished up within a half hour, but we were still ordering sushi and had over $200 tab! We felt super rushed to leave and it ruined our experience. (There was no discussion of we have a reservation only at this time and would need the table back. I just thought they asked me timing to attempt to plan their reservation times.) I waited tables over 10 years. I've never said this to anyone, especially while they were still ordering food!! Ruined our nice night out. Food was good, but experience was not. Would not recommend.

Food was fresh, but not very special or exciting for the price. The upstairs seating was nice with a good view over the restaurant. Service was very friendly.

Fish doesn’t taste good. And soup as well . Do not recommend their hand rolls .

Vivian Anne

We were in Santa Barbara on New Year's Day so dinner options were limited. Arigato Sushi was open so we decided to try their chirashi bowl, swinging veggie sushi roll, and green tea-ramisu. We called in an order for take out which was slightly painful because we initially ordered a salad but they called us back to inform us they had NO salads available so we had to quickly pick another item. The pick up process was fine and one thing to note is that they have both indoor and outdoor seating and their outdoor patio is dog friendly. Overall, I thought the sushi was good but not worth the price. The fish in the chirashi was fresh, but the sashimi pieces felt small for $36. The swinging veggie roll was fun and good but it wasn't clear from the menu that it's a tempura fried roll. The green tea-ramisu wasn't anything special and felt very expensive ($12) for the small size. I think this is a decent sushi spot but be prepared for a pricey meal.

Aileen Lee

This restaurant came highly recommended by the concierge in our hotel. It did not disappoint in taste but portions were definitely too small for what we are used to. I would have given another star of the portions were proportionate to the cost of each dish. We ordered a variety of rolls, sashimi and the soft shell crab was my fave.

+3

I’ve bragged for years that Arigato was one of the best Sushi places in the US. But I went on recently and was very disappointed. Their mainstays on the menu were all different and lacked the quality, flavor and attention to detail that I’d become accustomed to. Until my last visit, I’ve never been disappointed. I’m guessing they lost their chef or head sushi master and it shows. Looks like I’ll have to find out where their chef went or just find another favorite. Other than the food, I had a good experience. There’s no getting even here for perceived mistreatment. Always have appreciated the same friendly faces at the door. Hopefully they return to what made them amazing but they have long way to go for that.

Food was good but not great, rather unremarkable and way overpriced for what it was, with tiny portions. Service was mediocre to poor for the amount we were paying. Upon entering, 1 hour and 30 minutes before closing, they nervously told us 3-4 times in the span of 30 seconds that there’s a hard close time and that we have to be done by then. Then, when we ordered miso, they didn’t bother to bring us a spoon and we had to go looking for one. We asked for water with lemon, and they left off the lemon. Not a bad place, but definitely not worth the money for what it was and the mediocre service.

Exhorbitant prices for average food and service. We waited almost two hours for a waitress who didn't even know how to differentiate each type of fish served. The food was incredibly average- I've had much better for much cheaper. Presentation was good though.

We got in line right before it opened, and we're sat fairly quick. The service is helpful and expedient. Unfortunately, the food is on the bland side. Ordered edamame with garlic soy sauce and was wanting salt to put on it! The sushi roll we ordered was good, but the pieces were on the smaller side. The popcorn shrimp, however, was pretty good, although the ratio of the breading to shrimp was much lower for the shrimp. Overall, would not recommend.

Overpriced. Great service, but not worth the 30% increase in cost. Suggestion: Visit Sushi Go Go instead.

+6

For apetizers, we ordered the hot shot, sunnyside up scallop, and spicy chicken gyoza. The scallops were not cooked very well, but scallops are hard to cook correctly. The flavors of the hot shot and scallops were overpowering. We ordered the jalapeno yellowtail roll, sea eel goes to hollywood and snake roll. I usually love eels but again, the sushi was drenched with sauce. On the other hand, the yellow tail roll was bland. The jalapeno sauce was thin but nice. Host was pleasant and we were seated quickly. Busser was really friendly and great. The waiter forgot our tea and brought us some sushi we did not order. Also, this place was too expensive. The miso soup and gyoza was good.

+1

Extremely disappointing. The miso “soup” tasted like toilet water or leftover dish water. The California roll with crab tasted horrible. Didn’t love the albacore either but not terrible just not good. The salmon nigiri was the only good item. Staff was nice and they’re great about calling when the orders are ready for take out. I don’t think it was a coincidence that I was very sick GI after eating this meal. Wouldn’t return nor recommend.

Service was great and cool atmosphere but you get rolls that have hardly anything on or in them. $20 roll gets you 6 small pieces that look like gas station sushi. Definitely wouldn’t come back

Took my 2 daughters here for their 21st birthday. Ordered 2 miso soups they brought 1 and never brought the other until after 10 minutes I got up and went to the check in to tell them. When they brought the soup it had a hair in it. Asked for utensils, they never brought them until I reminded them the 3rd time. We didn't stay to get the food. Many people working not many customers, very unorganized. Would recommend to avoid.

We are long time customers. The food will not disappoint. We were always greeted by the old lady that was very friendly but this time with a man with thick black glasses who has the worst attitude as the front desk ever. We booked at 8:30pm and he called at 8:00 and asked if we were still coming(in a very rude manner). When we were there he has the coldest face. Almost like if he doesn’t want to do his job. Lost most of our appetite. But we still ended up spending 100+ per person. To arigato sushi: we will never come back ever again. This glasses guy just loses you a long time customer. When we don’t feel welcomed we don’t ever comeback. We value hospitality more than the food.

I’m a local that won’t be trying this place again. Tonight we wanted to do a fun family women holiday dinner. We went to ARIGATO. The last time we tried this, in the summer, they didn’t take reservations and had a long waitlist. ‘Can’t seat you until after 8 pm.’ So we went to Ca'Dario. Amazing dinner: We arrived tonight at Arigato at 6 pm, on a rainy night. It was not overly busy. ‘Do you have reservations?’ Oh… when did you start taking those? They said they could not seat us until after 8 pm. I’m feeling a pattern here… We looked at the full staff and empty tables… …and again went to CaDario. My daughter mentioned a friend that worked at Arigato quit because the operations management was so bad. They’d schedule her for a shift, send her home because it was slow, call her back in 2 hours later, or ask her to work last-minute on her day off. I don’t think restaurant failure in Santa Barbara can all be chalked up to rats under parklets and homelessness, though these make for easy political targets. Nor do I believe that ‘nobody wants to work anymore.’ Sometimes, it’s really just poor management. CaDario was amazing as always, perfect for a rainy night, with impeccable service. Highly recommend it. Won’t be attempting to visit Arigato again.

We ate there Friday night and I have been sick ever since. I am absolutely horrified by this unsanitary and unpleasant experience. I ordered sashimi plate, plus two unis, and a kama. It's Sunday and I have not recovered fully from food poisoning! I will never go back to this place.

I didn’t even get the chance to dine at Arigato Sushi because the manager, Darrel, flat-out refused to seat us. The restaurant had around 11 open tables, but he claimed every single one was “reserved.” His attitude was rude and dismissive, acting like we were a problem just for showing up as paying customers. It’s ridiculous to be turned away from an almost empty restaurant with that kind of attitude. If this is how they treat people at the door, I can’t imagine how they treat actual guests. I won’t be coming back, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone who values basic courtesy.

Kristina C

My review is for the customer service. I don’t usually write reviews but our experience here was terrible. One of our sushi orders was taking over 45 min long to arrive. It was the last order for the night for my son. Our server said she checked on it and it was coming but it did not. After another follow up and seeing that the order went to the another table, they said they would “rush” it. The table next to us get the our sushi orders when I think it should have come to us since ours was taking forever. At this point it was at least 40 min long. They said they would put another rush out for it and at that point, we were over it. The kicker is at the time of paying, there was no price adjustment or offer to give us a dessert or another item from the menu. So no tip was left. I don’t like to do that but at this point I don’t feel like I had a choice. Fix your customer service when things go wrong. The sushi was good but we will not be back because of the service.