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Ichiban
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San Diego

Ichiban

★★★★★ 4.5 · 0 reseñas

At Ichiban, we're proud to be San Diego's beloved Japanese eatery, serving up fresh sushi and bento since years of dedicated service. Our daily happy-hour specials on signature rolls and beer have become a local favorite, attracting foodies and locals alike. But don't just take o...

Ichiban

Japanese · San Diego

4.5 · 819 reviews Google
ichibansushisandiego.com
Yelp 3.5 (600) TripAdvisor 4.2 (33) Uber Eats 4.3 (120)

About Ichiban

At Ichiban, we're proud to be San Diego's beloved Japanese eatery, serving up fresh sushi and bento since years of dedicated service. Our daily happy-hour specials on signature rolls and beer have become a local favorite, attracting foodies and locals alike. But don't just take our word for it - our...

At Ichiban, we're proud to be San Diego's beloved Japanese eatery, serving up fresh sushi and bento since years of dedicated service. Our daily happy-hour specials on signature rolls and beer have become a local favorite, attracting foodies and locals alike. But don't just take our word for it - our customers rave about the exceptional quality of our dishes, from the succulent seafood to the perfectly balanced flavors. In a cozy atmosphere that feels like a traditional izakaya, our friendly staff are always happy to share their knowledge of Japanese cuisine with you. Come taste the difference at Ichiban!

What Customers Say About Ichiban

Ichiban is a long-standing, family-owned Japanese restaurant known for its friendly staff, affordable prices, and happy hour specials. Customers rave about the sushi, ramen, and bento boxes. Some find the ramen broth too salty.

Popular Dishes

sushi (3) ramen (6) bento box (3) Philadelphia roll rainbow roll Crunchy roll Avocado tempura

Best For

Locals Casual Families Quick Bite

Tip: Take advantage of the happy hour specials from 4pm-8pm. Consider sitting outside for a pleasant experience.

Features

🌳 Outdoor 🅿️ Parking 🚗 Delivery Accessible 🍽️ Lunch 🌙 Dinner 🥗 Vegetarian
🎯 Casual 🛋️ Cozy Trendy 👥 Groups

What to see nearby

Teacher Training School Building-San Diego State Normal School
Heritage
A 881m

Teacher Training School Building-San Diego State Normal School

edificio

View details
All Saints Episcopal Church
A 940m

All Saints Episcopal Church

iglesia

View details

Data from Wikidata

Explore the area around Ichiban

Ichiban is located in San Diego, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.

Historical Heritage

  • Teacher Training School Building-San Diego State Normal School (A 881m) — building in San Diego, California, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos

Religious Buildings

  • All Saints Episcopal Church (A 940m)

Data from Wikidata

Frequently asked questions about Ichiban

Ichiban is located at 1449 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103, San Diego.
Near Ichiban you can find points of interest such as Teacher Training School Building-San Diego State Normal School, All Saints Episcopal Church.
Ichiban offers japanese cuisine.
Ichiban has regular opening hours. Check their profile for updated schedules.
Ichiban offers the following services: dine-in, takeaway, delivery.
The most recommended dishes at Ichiban based on customer reviews are: sushi, ramen, bento box, Philadelphia roll, rainbow roll.
Ichiban is ideal for locals, casual dining, families, quick bites.
Ichiban is a long-standing, family-owned Japanese restaurant known for its friendly staff, affordable prices, and happy hour specials. Customers rave about the sushi, ramen, and bento boxes. Some find the ramen broth too salty.
Take advantage of the happy hour specials from 4pm-8pm. Consider sitting outside for a pleasant experience.
819
Reviews

Ichiban San Diego Reviews

4.5
819
5★
72%
4★
17%
3★
7%
2★
2%
1★
3%
Reviews (22)
P
Petra

Stopped by on an evening during our trip; me and my partner got a Chicken Katsu Curry, a Chef's Special, and a Philly Roll. Only complaint with the food is that the curry could've been a little more flavorful, perhaps, but apart from that it was great. Loved the Bento box, and the Philly roll was great. Prices are reasonable, staff is extremely friendly.

Rebecca Early
Rebecca Early

My favorite neighborhood sushi spot!! It’s a small, casual, family-owned place with delicious rolls every single time. The staff is always so sweet and their happy hour deals are awesome!

Mark
Mark

This sushi and ramen shop is family-run. I was immediately drawn to their culinary delights on my first visit. I like their Japanese beef/chicken bento boxes, as well as various different set meals and sushi combinations. I personally think it offers good value for money. It doesn't have the luxurious feel of a high-end Japanese restaurant. It's a budget-friendly option suitable for students, working professionals, and tourists. This restaurant is located in a gay neighborhood and has been open for many years. This is my favorite Japanese restaurant on my first visit to San Diego. Authentic Japanese home-style food. A shop frequented by locals. Recommended.

Kiana Daniels
Kiana Daniels

This place has been here for more than 40years. My mother and I have been coming here for the passed 15 years and it's still just as reliable. The staff members are kind. There are a tone of authentic options and their happy hour is great! I love this place. It is definitely a gem to San Diego and the hills rest area. There is a farmers market every Sunday and great little stop after walking around. We usually stop by after theifting or when we are craving traditional Japanese food. The other day we used our zoo passes and walked over afterwards and it was. A great way to end the day. They typically have daily specials that offer a great variety with a great price! I love it here. Arigatou! -On street parking -Order at counter -Vegetarian options -Happy hour available 4-8:30 as of November 2025. They may update/change in warmer seasons. -Cash and electronic payment accepted.

Antoni Alexander
Antoni Alexander

Love this place. I live just a few blocks away and have been making this my go to local sushi spot for years. Not the best in the world but consistently delicious with an assortment of other options, like ramen, katsu, Bento boxes, and so on.

Potatohead827
Potatohead827

Casual spot with very cheap happy hour specials and spectacular service from attentive and welcoming staff. Food met expectations (rainbow roll & veg. yakisoba). I would happily dine here again and recommend to others.

Pietro
Pietro

Have been enjoying this place for a long time. The staff is friendly, accommodating and makes wonderful suggestions. Relaxing & Clean surroundings. They have Happy Hour too. Recently remodeled. Enjoy 👏

J S
J S

Delicious! We recently returned to San Diego and met a friend for a birthday dinner. The food was fresh and delicious and our server was very attentive. Can’t wait to come back!

Olivia Rain
Olivia Rain

My mom ate here 20+ years ago and has always got the same order! She says it hasn’t changed and it’s so delicious! Came here twice in two days. I love that you pay first and then get served. The food was so fresh and yummy. Service was also great!

Rose M.
Rose M.

I've been eating here for ten years. The food is tasty and happy hour specials are reasonable. I really appreciate the indoor and outdoor seating options for the COVID-cautious. And the elder Japanese staff are adorable.

Iryna Yaresko-Linska
Iryna Yaresko-Linska

I had delicious ramen here today. A big portion and really tasty. The staff is especially nice here, a very polite lady who advised me what to take and takes care of every customer. I will definitely come back here to try the rolls🥰

Sherman T
Sherman T

Terrific sushi place that has been here for 42 years! Delicious food, good friendly service and affordable. Nothing fancy but good value for the price!

Burrito
Burrito

This is a gem of a place. It's small, quaint and has darn good food. Plus their workers are total darlings. You first order and pay for your food at the register then choose somewhere to sit. Being in a new place, I changed up the size of my ramen from large to small in order to increase my orders of sushi. The lady behind the register was funny in encouraging me with a "good choice!" These ladies know how to be friendly, so you're already getting awesome service. I enjoyed the smallness of the place. It was homey and casual. Luckily, I snagged myself nice outdoor seating during late Lunch. They have heaters so you don't really have to worry about getting cold, especially during our recent overcast. The Miso and Tonkotsu Ramen were about the best I have had. The Tonkotsu was the right amount of creamy and delicious while the Miso had flavourful spiciness. My sister said Tonkotsu was salty, which I liked, but keep that in mind as she likes spicier flavors. They both had nicely cooked Pork, Naruto, and bamboo among the normal ramen noodles. Ahh, I absolutely enjoyed their ramen. Their sushi was also well made. We had Rainbow, eel and crunchy rolls. The rainbow was not colorful wich took away from it's presentation but it was delicious none the less. It consisted of pale tuna, salmon and shrimp toppings. Their eel was not bad either. Their crunchy roll, however, was my favorite blending both sweet flavor and texture into one satisfying roll. Try the place out because you will not be let down!

Kevin
Kevin

Their happy hour is a really good price! Its from 4pm-8pm daily. The sushi was good and good portion. The wait wasn’t too long. I recommend sitting outside. The staff is very friendly. Its not the most fancy looking place but has a more local/warm feeling.

Stephanie Duffy
Stephanie Duffy

The good: wait staff is very prompt and they bring items out as they are made no waiting for all the food to be done before eating. Simple place and extremely affordable.... love happy hour. Avocado tempura and the crunchy roll are super delicious. The bad: no parking and if you sit outside by the entry other potential customers will be looking at you while you eat The ugly: park across the street and the cashier totally decided she was going to put together a large order before she took my order and I was literally waiting for 5 minutes when she saw me standing there. Was kinda offended.

Rachel Windsor
Rachel Windsor

A small but nice Japanese restaurant! The staff are very friendly and nice! The environment is good!! They have happy hours sushi specials (4pm - 8pm), bento box and ramen! We ordered teriyaki chicken bento box ($12.50), spicy miso ramen ($13.50), Philadelphia roll ($6) and customized salmon sashimi ($16.00). All of them are yummy!!!

Gavin P
Gavin P

2021 review My GF son just got accepted into UCSD and wanted to get her son's favorite, sushi of course.... Attached are latest images of various dishes. As always, cuisine is delicious and staff awesome... 2019 review Always have a great time here. Food is really good (Photo attached is of their combination plate, Shogun Bento B), staff super friendly and I see they widened the outside dining area to be more spacious.

Michael Lo
Michael Lo

Nothing to rave about. Ramen broth was very salty. The chicken karaage was not large pieces of chicken, but small bite size pieces. It was served with a potato salad, salad and noodle salad...it was more an entree than appetizer. The raspberry ice tea was more like unsweetened tea. It's definitely a family run business. Atmosphere is not fancy. The price for ramen was expensive considering what you get. The pork belly seemed more like sliced deli meat. It was cured salty. It's counter service.... You order at counter and receive table tent so they deliver food.

Parva
Parva

🍣 Tried the Crunchy and Rainbow rolls along with Edamame. The Edamame was infused with garlic, which might be overwhelming for some, but it was fresh and added a nice kick. The sushi was decent, not the best I've had, but enjoyable. My daughters loved it and had a great time. Conveniently located in the neighborhood, definitely worth a try if you're in the area!

Alex Sutedja
Alex Sutedja

Cute little place with good food and very friendly service! Go in, take a look at the menu, go up to the counter, chat with the friendly staff and place your order. A few minutes later, your food/drinks come out and enjoy! They have sushi rolls, ramen and some other Japanese rice/noodle dishes. For drinks, they have Sapporo, Orion (yessssssss), Asahi beers, sake and plum wine. The happy hour prices are great!

Mary Rose Bernal
Mary Rose Bernal

The people here are very nice. I ordered the salmon entree because I’m hungry and it was a tiny amount. Didn’t even see the two thin slices at first bc they were hidden under the veggies. Should have gotten the ramen. My Intent here is not to turn customers away but just to give you an FYI

I
InN Out

$16-20 for ramen has got out of contrail. It’s simply not worth that. Ramen was $10 before 2020. Price gauging and Alot of people feel the way.

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About Ichiban

How to get there

1449 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

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Highlights

Highly Rated
4.5/5 stars
💬
Many Reviews
819 reviews
💰
Budget Friendly
Price level
👨‍🍳
japanese
Cuisine type

Services

🍽️ Lunch
🍾 Dinner
🍰 Desserts
🥗 Vegetarian Options
🥡 Takeout
🚚 Delivery
🍴 Dine-in

Dining Options

🍽️ Dine In
🥡 Takeout
🚚 Delivery

Restaurant Info

Status
Verified by owner
🕐 Hours Today
11AM-9PM
Rating
4.5/5
💬 Reviews
819
💰 Price Level
$
📞 Phone
+1 619-299-7203
🌐 Website
www.ichibansushisandiego.com
📋 Menu
View Menu

Amenities

🅿️ Parking
🌿 Outdoor Seating
Wheelchair Accessible
🚻 Restroom
💳 Credit Cards
📱 Mobile Payments
🏘️

The Neighborhood

Teacher Training School Building-San Diego State Normal School Heritage

building in San Diego, California, United States

A 881m
All Saints Episcopal Church
A 940m
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