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Aloha Sushi Lounge
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Hawaiian Sushi Bars, Hawaiian [Edit]
7731 Fay Ave(between Kline St & Silverado St)
La Jolla, CA 92037
Neighborhood: La Jolla
(858) 551-5000
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sun 11 am - 5 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
261 reviews for Aloha Sushi Lounge
Review Highlights
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"Also, the magic shrooms were awesome." In 14 reviews -
"The specialty rolls were excellent, and very unusual." In 20 reviews -
"...glad I went with the garlic rice because it was absolutely..." In 14 reviews
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261 reviews in English
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Review from Ruby Y.
San Diego, CA
5/10/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This is one of my favorite sushi places ever! It gets 4/5 stars instead of 5/5 because their service can be pretty slow sometimes.
Must trys: Mango Mojito (YUM!!!), tropical roll (has deep fried plantains which I was really hesitant to try but they go really well with the cream cheese), magic shrooms, and salmon skin hand rolls (SUPER crispy and delicious!). Also their sashimi is always super fresh, basically melts in your mouth.
They have a couple good deals during the week too, happy hour most nights and if I remember correctly Thursday nights are college night, buy one get one half off for rolls.
Rolls run around $8+ each and drinks $7+
So basically this place is GREAT. I don't really get why the reviews are so bad, but it might be because I tend to stick to the sushi menu and none of their random entrees and I already know that the service is only so-so so I go in with lower expectations. -
Review from Chelsey D.
San Diego, CA
5/15/2012 1 photo
WOW. Where to begin..
I made a Yelp account JUST so I can tell you guys how bad this place is run.
Anyways, I made a reservation at 3pm for mother's day because I've heard some good things about this place (before I saw the reviews on Yelp of course). I even saw some really nice pictures of the cabanas online then knew I had to take my mom here despite us living in the southbay.
My party and I (including my mom) arrived about 15 minutes before our reservation. When I first saw the place, UGH. I was so surprised at the dirtiness of the tables and the restaurant itself BUT there well-plated dishes so I had hope. I looked across the street at THE COTTAGE & man, it was poppin' with people.. made me think twice to go there initially... and you know what? I SHOULD'VE THOUGHT TWICE.
ANYWAYYYYY, we were greeted by a lady who asked if we wanted to sit inside or out, so I said outside. Then, she proceeded to seat us in the front of the restaurant, in a very dingy & dirty part, so we asked her if we could sit in one of the cabanas instead. She told us she'll need to clean it before we sit, so we said OKAY. 5 minutes passed.. no lady.. 10 minutes passed.. no lady.. (and mind you, there were BARELY any people here). 15 minutes passed and she finally says its ready. Other waitresses & people were staring at us at this point.
OMG, long story short, we waited 30 minutes for our WATER & miso soup, ONE HOUR for our OILY calamari & another 30 minutes for our mediocre entrees. The lady simply responded, "The chef hasn't gotten to my tab yet." Dengggggg.. there's only ONE chef? THEN, as if it couldn't get any worse.. my mom's rice was undercooked.. and it was like she was literally swallowing her rice as if they were pills. I'm not even exaggerating! And pretty much after we were done eating.. we were the LAST people. We got their at 2:45pm and were done eating by 5. That's when you know our shit took too long.
We gave our waitress the benefit of the doubt because she apologized & thanked us for being patient so we tipped her anyways. Good thing we settled with her because SOME of the other waitresses were pretty much little Asian girls with snooty attitudes and looked like they were in high school.
The only good thing I have to say about it is.. their sushi. pretty damn good. and their lunch menu is reasonably priced for the SUCKY quality. Other than that.. I WILL NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN. Word of advice.. don't think twice & just eat at the cottage across the street. -
Review from Carol S.
San Diego, CA
I called in and ordered food for myself and 3 other ladies in my office. Together we ordered two Teri-Chicken's, a combo with Kalua Pig and a Loco Moco, Magic Shooms, and Sweet Potato Fries. We also ordered half rolls with our combos. Two were Spicy Tuna and one was a California Roll.
They told us it would take anywhere from 15-20 minutes which is normal for any place that orders that much. So we came 20 minutes later and the food was ready. The total came out to around $50, which sounded about right. The young lady that helped us was super sweet and even came out from behind the counter to help us.
The combos each came with Miso Soup, Lumpia, and Macaroni Salad. The Miso Soup was pretty good. It tasted like there was something else in it that made it stand out. The Lumpia was pretty good but it was two pieces cut in half so it looked like four pieces and they were really skinny and small. The Macaroni Salad was horrible. I took off a whole star for that one because I love Hawaiian style Macaroni Salad, but I have to say that this was the worst by far. It literally tasted like oily macaroni. Big let down there. I would have ordered the side salad if I knew I wouldn't even eat it.
The Kalua Pig was pretty good. It just wasn't shredded that well and the cabbage was in huge chunks but the taste made up for that. The Loco Moco was pretty much on point. The beef was a little hard like it had been over grilled, but I inhaled it! LOL The Teri-Chicken was pretty good. Tasted like any other place that serves it. Then the Magic Shrooms are delicious. It's sweet and spicy with just the right ingredients.
The Sweet Potato Fries were good. But considering the fact that we called and picked it up then had to get back to work, made it soggy. Which isn't their fault, but it was still good anyways. The Spicy Tuna and California Roll were like any other. It isn't considered real sushi in my book, so I definitely don't expect it to be any better than anywhere else.
Overall the experience was great. The parking sucks, but it's in La Jolla Cove and ALL the parking sucks. The quick service was awesome, I wish I caught the girls name. And the food was pretty good besides the HORRIBLE Macaroni Salad. -
Review from Mary I.
Clackamas, OR
5/24/2012
Medicore at best. We had a party of 9 people and 1 person sent their meal back as it had been burned to a crisp. One other person did not send there meal back but should have. He just said he would power power through.
Don't waste your time or money on this place. Food is not good. Service is slow. -
Review from Christina C.
Santa Clara, CA
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Unfortunately, I've eaten here.
After running 13.1 miles at the 31st annual La Jolla half marathon, we walked another 0.4miles to The Cottage only to find an hour wait.
We just can't wait another hour to eat! So we crossed the street to eat at Aloha Sushi. I knew it was a bad idea after checking the yelp reviews. But how bad can they mess up a spam masubi or a loco moco?!
BAD.
I ordered the spam masubi. I've had plenty in my life and I expect a slice of fried spam in the center of rice, wrapped in seaweed, glued together with some teriyaki sauce inside. This was spam out the can - not cooked or heated or anything, with rice and seaweed. No teriyaki sauce inside, no dipping sauce. It was like the chef googled a picture of spam masubi and tried their best. Why don't you google a recipe!
The loco moco combos come with a side of garlic rice and macaroni salad. The macaroni salad was really dry. The portions were TEENY TINY! We just ran a half marathon, we were hoping to feast!
I also tried the ahi poke. The portion was small - they serve it in a martini glass. The tuna didn't taste fresh and the salad was extra slimy.
The only good thing about this place is the over sized leather booths. But I would rather eat satisfying hawaiian food on a wooden bench than eat bad food comfortably. -
Review from Daron C.
San Diego, CA
5/3/2012
Wow this place keeps getting worst....
I mean the quality not to mention quantity...yet the prices remain high giving one the impression your gonna get something good....AHI POKE was more fake seaweed flavored poke than any AHI and the the AHI seemed like scraps and end pieces. Kalbi was mostly bone and gristle. Bottom line they have no business making Hawaiian food! I couldnt even order sushi they were out of things. Too bad...almost a Kitchen Nightmare rating as far as it goes with me -
Review from Vanessa L.
San Diego, CA
5/9/2012
I ate the Chicken Teriyaki it was so delicious, The macaroni salad was not good thou the sushi was good not great. Overall I would recommend this sushi restaurant just get salad instead of macaroni.
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Review from Lynds M.
Ithaca, NY
5/23/2012
After reading all the bad reviews, I was definitely skeptical about using one of the coupons I had purchased. Went there tonight and had a wonderful experience. Got seated outside right away and we were a little cold so the server said she would keep an eye out for a table inside - it never worked out but she was so nice and welcoming and the food was so good we didn't notice. Reasonably priced. Delicious. Would definitely come back, especially if the service is as good as it was tonight. Not sure if I can mention names - but Kelly was SO SWEET to my mother and I. Definitely would go back.
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Review from Angela H.
Updated - 3/31/2012
About a year later (and because my Living Social deal was about to expire), the bf and I decided to give Aloha another shot. We've each been here separately on prior occasions, but nothing really seemed all that memorable.
Rock Lobster ($16): Tasted very fresh.
Kalomari ($8.50): We weren't too sure about the spicy sauce, so the bf asked for it on the side. I really enjoyed the salad that the calamari came on, more than the calamari. At least the calamari tasted fresh.
Leave it to the Chef ($15): My bf insisted to our waitress that the chef make something he's never made before. I joked that the chef was going to send him a California roll at best. And... I wasn't too far off. It was a California roll with shrimp tempura rolled into it, topped with red fish eggs (what are those things called??).
Of course, we left the cream cheese out of everything. I also ordered a glass of plum wine (which turned out to be too sweet. It tasted like a shot of vodka had been added and the sweetness was present in an attempt to cover it up). The bf didn't enjoy it at all, but I finished the glass because well... don't waste alcohol!
Overall, a great little date place. You can walk up and down Fay afterwards and check out the little stores. It's absolutely gorgeous during the holidays because all the stores have the Christmas trees and decorations on display. This is one of those places you have to try at least once.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/4/2011
Heated cabana- $100 minimum. Pretty easy to do when you've got a group of 8 people. The heaters in… Read more »
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Review from Melissa H.
San Diego, CA
5/15/2012
on a special day like Mother's Day you would expect special service, but Aloha Sushi couldn't deliver. We waited over 1 1/2 hours for our food although we had a reservation. The patio seating lacked umbrellas so we baked in the beautiful La Jolla sun. The Kalbi ribs are more like beef jerky if you're into that and the bento boxes lacked anything to rave about. Our waitress was very sorry and brought us rolls and drinks on the house after two hours of waiting and by the time our food arrived we were full. Not a fan!
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Review from Brandon C.
Irvine, CA
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
The place was fantastic! We were going to Sushi on the Rock and there was a 45 minute wait. Decided to head over here. I was really impressed. Great happy hour prices. The rolls were great and the staff took good care of us. My wife, who does not eat sushi, had a role prepared for her by our chef and she liked it (WIN) and she also at baked muscles.
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Review from Lisa W.
One of my coworker was doing a surprise party for her husband's birthday and rented out the back cabanas with a buffet like dinner. They served salad, rice & teriyaki chicken, and assorted sushi, which had california rolls, tuna roll, phili roll, a spicy roll, and a fried tempura roll.
I definitely enjoyed the cabanas, they were roomy, nice, and the whole area looked very nice with a little deck for dancing. Their cocktail options were unique and fairly priced. Their cocktails were really sweet though, but I like it sweet. I got the mango mojito which was good, but didn't really taste like mango, I think they also put too much club soda. I also got the strawberry lemondrop, which was delicious!! The sugar rim was addicting. Service was okay. They were slow to get the drink orders, and sometimes forgot what we ordered. Maybe they need better service training or something.
The food was pretty good. I liked their salad and their teriyaki chicken. Their sushi were decent, only problem was my friends and I kept burping up that throughout the whole night! I don't know what the regular menu is, but this was a good preview to what it'll be like. Seems like sushi will be decent and service will be less than good. -
Review from J G.
San Diego, CA
3/25/2012
I liked this place for the price:
Food-wise, it's like Ono's Cafe in Bonita. But instead of the tiki theme of Ono's, it's more Hawaiian condominium theme. Indoors, I enjoyed the white booth with pink floral throw pillows and floral paintings by a sunny window.
My service was friendly, excellent, and attentive. I was also there on a Sunday afternoon when it was slow.
I got a salmon bento with rice, a spring mix salad, miso soup, and lumpia. I enjoyed it, especially for under $10. It filled me up and left me satisfied. -
Review from Grace B.
3/6/2012
This is a pretty good sushi place. The cozy location in La Jolla is worth the visit if you are in the area and can find parking. My friend and I went on a Thursday and if you showed a valid student ID you could get your sushi rolls on special, buy one, get another half off! We tried several rolls, my face was the Tidal Wave. The spicy tuna is on par. The server accidentally brought us the wrong roll...so we ended up with a free roll *bonus*! We also tried the seaweed salad. Not my face outta all the places I have tried, but it was good.
I would recommend making reservations if you know it might be a cool night and you want to sit inside. There are not a lot of tables so I suspect that it would be impossible to sit inside without a reservation. -
Review from James F.
2/14/2012
Came here for the Hawaiian food, not the sushi. We got some lunch combos, and they came served in bento boxes.
I got a Portuguese sausage loco moco (yay for finding a non-beef loco moco dish!), which was awesome! Big chunks of portuguese sausage on rice, with a fried egg and gravy on top. Although using a fork to cut up sausage inside a bento box compartment is not a piece of cake. Also with the lunch is a choice of green salad or macaroni salad - i got the green, and it was ok. some garlic rice on the side was delicious, and the tiny lumpia finished it off. there was also some miso soup to start, but i'm not big on miso.
the wife tried a double combo of their chicken katsu (with curry sauce) and garlic beef, and she was pretty happy with everything, except the miso (not big on that either).
We came in the early afternoon on a weekend, and had no trouble getting a table, and had decent service. When i get another moco loco craving, i'm sure i'll be back!Listed in: Eating out in La Jolla
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Review from Sarah I.
Fullerton, CA
3/29/2012 7 photos
This place was very Nice and cozy, cute decor, beautiful patio and great private cabanas to lounge and have some drinks in. Tasty cocktails, the mango mojito is soooooo delicious, I ended up ordering a few! The sushi is so yummy, very unique, everything came out looking so beautiful! Customer service was very friendly.
One Plus up was that they has a vegetarian section for all the veggie eaters!! happy for that! I will be going back! -
Review from Susan W.
San Diego, CA
4/23/2012
Great service when I was there. The sushi was alright. I went to celebrate a friends birthday and we were seated in one of those cute cabanas. I ordered a California hand roll and it had a lot of stuffing which was nice. I'm not sure if I would come back again.
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Review from Paola R.
San Diego, CA
3/1/2012
This review is a little late, but I came here for Restaurant Week a few months ago with a coworker. We got the calamari and ahi poke for appetizers, the aloha roll and salmon for our entrees, and the creme brulee and fried banana for dessert. We also had cocktails. The food was very delicious! And the drinks were tasty and a little strong (I had the sojito? I think that's what it was called. It was their version of a mojito). The service wasn't too bad.
I'm looking at the past reviews, and it seems like the only good reviews about this place were from people who also came here for Restaurant Week! It kind of makes me hesitant about coming back, especially with their prices, unless I get a Groupon or they participate in Restaurant Week again... -
Review from Carol C.
2/13/2012
They decided to make everything on their menu overpriced just because of the fact that theyre in La Jolla.
But their sushi quality is one of the lowest, and their rolls are also one of the smallest. Their servers also have this persnickety attitude going on, as if they are better than you for working there. Well, excuse you, I just won't come back then. -
Review from Catherine D.
San Diego, CA
4/2/2012
What a cute little restaurant. From the outside it's just a house, but inside many tables and a sushi bar fill the room. The whole restaurant is beachy, hawaiian themed, with pictures on the walls, shells and candles on the tables. Pillows on the benches give it a cosy, warm atmosphere. The fried calamari was crunchier than at most places, the sushi, fresh and tasty. Big portions, but more importantly great quality.
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Review from Marshana M.
San Diego, CA
2/9/2012
"Please wait to be seated" that's what the sign said.
So my boyfriend and I waited..
A server passed us, but didn't say anything.
We let it go cus she seemed a little busy..
So we waited some more..
Server passed us again.. And not even a "Hi, we'll be right with you".
So after more than 5 minutes of trying to get some kind of acknowledgment and completely being ignored.. WE LEFT!!!
This would never fly if I ran this place.
EXTREMELY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Even the 2 Sushi Chefs behind the counter who knew we were there didn't take the time to say a word.
1 star only cus I have to put 1 -
Review from Matt D.
La Jolla, CA
4/19/2012
Aloha is an excellent go-to sushi place. Very casual, chill vibe for dining in, and also great for take-out. The Magic Shrooms are dangerously delicious. I also highly recommend the Lava Lava, Sunshine Roll, Killer Shrimp, and Tidal Wave.
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Review from Canaan R.
San Marcos, CA
2/22/2012
Hit this spot with my girlfriend on Valentines, just like the other reviews you've already read... Horrible! Took off without even bothering to get seated. We revisited today because I have a groupon. The spot isn't half bad. The sushi is legit but not worth a commute from North County. We did get the Mochi after sampling the Island, Mango Albacore, Aloha, and Spyder rolls.
Our food took about 20 minutes to get and the wait staff was nice enough. We arrived for dinner and it was way less than crowded so in my opinion the service was average at best. I imagine the place could be pretty chill on a nice day because there is tons of outdoor seating in an open terrace and in secluded booths but at night it's way too cold for cute girlfriend date night attire... Even with the space heaters they have.
In conclusion, there are a world of reasonable options in San Diego for sushi. Use your groupons and move on to tastier sushi pastures. -
Review from Erin L.
La Mesa, CA
4/13/2012
The food took a really long time, didn't seem that busy. Order was wrong and there was a hair in one of the dishes. The drink menu was tattered with many items crossed out. Over all not impressed.
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Review from ALLAN R.
San Diego, CA
2/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
I went here for Valentine's Day with the wifey and the staff was totally unprepared for this holiday rush. ASK ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO WENT TO THIS PLACE ON VALENTINE'S DAY EVENING!! Hear me out please!
We had reservations for 7pm. Cool... immediately seated. We knew exactly what we wanted and got the special Valentine's Day pre-fix meal (appetizer, entree, & dessert). We also ordered a sushi roll. We didn't get our appetizers til' about 45 minutes! Then our food for another 30 minutes after that and it was cold! Only the mash potatoes were warm! We didn't even see our sushi roll at all! By this time we were pissed. Asked for the check and took the dessert to go. I felt really bad for the people who had reservations from 8pm and didn't get seated til' 845pm or later! Server never checked up on us and had to bug the bus boy and hostess. On top of all this as we were trying to pay... they took forever to come back to get my card. We were trying to do them a favor and leave so they can sit all the other couples that have been waiting to be seated.
Overbooked, understaffed, unprofessional, and unprepared. Sorry... you will now be my number one ABSOLUTE WORST DINING EXPERIENCE EVER!! I am giving you one star because that's what you treated your consumers with - one star quality! -
Review from Louise G.
San Diego, CA
12/14/2011
ZERO stars if it was possible!
I am usually cheap and will eat something even if it's mediocre. . .however, I left here still hungry because I only ate half if my food.
I came here for lunch and order the Lunch combo. (mochi chicken and kal bi)
The mochi chicken was just chicken breast, deep fried. The flour on the chicken was still showing! Gross and it was blond. . .not fried enough. I picked out what I could of the chicken but left most of it behind.
The Kalbi was WAY TOO SALTY. . . tasted like it had been marinated too long. I ate most of that.
The macaroni salad was SPOILED. . .I took one taste and couldn't eat any more. I didn't want to ask for another because it probably came from the same spoiled container in the frig. SO GROSSS!!!!!!
I asked for green tea, and I got hot water with a tea bag. That cost $2. . seriously!!!
I don't know how other foods taste here, but judging from the fact that they serve customers SPOILED/ROTTEN foods that are old and crappy other dishes I WOULD NEVER GO BACK.
I had to come home and eat vegetables to push out that salty oil slick that lined my stomach afterwards so I don't get sick. -
Review from Reno C.
2/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Drove into La Jolla on my way to San Diego to pick up some Ahi Poke for a snack. After ordering one to-go order, it took nearly 25 minutes. if not longer. When we got into our hotel, I opened the container to try the Poke. OMG, the container had seaweed salad with pieces of 'Seared' tuna. WTF, Ahi Poke seared? I was so disappointed on the taste. The seaweed salad tasted gingery. There was no description of the Ahi Tuna being seared. Well, to each there own. Wasn't for me! One star for 'their' Ahi Poke.
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Review from Tiffany A.
San Diego, CA
10/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ate here for Restaurant week and really liked the atmosphere. If you like the look and feel of Lei Lounge, then you'll like the look of this place, the cabanas felt about the same.
Food: I had the Calamari, Teriyaki Salmon, and Fried Banana roll. All in all, I thought it was a great deal for the $20 they were offering it for the week. I really liked the calamari and my Salmon, the dessert was so so, it kind of reminded me of a version of the PF Changs, but not as good.
The service was great, no complaints there.
Overall, okay place to go to when in La Jolla and trying not to shell out the super big bucks that might be in the area. -
Review from Sez N.
San Diego, CA
10/15/2011
After buying our groupon and reading reviews on yelp...we were definitely nervous about what service would be like...
However, we were completely thrilled when dinner proved to be tasty and accompanied by great service. Our waitress Hannah was attentive and totally not bothered that we had a groupon. The prices were really reasonable and our favorite roll ended up being the cheapest one ($8) - that had bananas in it. We got it as a "wild card" and totally fell in food-love. The sushi was rolled well and not so big that you look like an hungry monster trying to fit it into your mouth.
The setting was nice too. We ate by candlelight outside on the patio. We'll definitely be returning. -
Review from Rosa J.
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
came here for Labor day weekend. I was in town on a mini VACA with the little Lady.. had a living social deal.
Service was very slow.. it took almost 20 minutes to get our drinks..
the Food was decent. Loved the Edemame, but really who can screw that up. Overall It deserves 3 stars.
I would go back for the food. -
Review from Christine D.
Escondido, CA
2/26/2012
Really cute place. i came here for a friend's birthday. The ambiance of the whole restaurant is pretty neat. They don't have regular tables, it's more of an open area underneath a cabana, which was really cute.
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Review from Karen L.
2/14/2012
I happen to love Aloha Sushi as I'm mildly obsessed with their jalepeno roll. I love when sushi places have a simple yet unique roll that I can't get anywhere else. Can't explain why but I really love this roll. Something about that special green sauce in tandem with the slice of raw jalepeno - Disneyland fireworks in my mouth! Other than that you can expect to find all the staple classics like spam musubi and deep friend ice cream that are prevalent in so many other sushi restaurants these days.
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Review from Vivianne V.
Vista, CA
We came as a result of the Groupon we purchased. I found the ambiance to be nice with lots of outdoor seating. We had an array of items from the menu. We started with the gyoza which you have a choice of pan fried or steamed, we went with fried which were crispy and super hot in temperature. The Hawaiian pork quesadilla was the highlight of the items ordered. While tasty, the Sunshine Roll was rather messy and too saucy in consistency. The Jalapeño roll was much better in my opinion. Perhaps the more substantial of the rolls on the menu, the Wahine, was good but the salmon was not the freshest I have experienced. The service and food was overall pretty good, but I do question if some of the freshness of the fish was dependent on the time to which we dined, after lunch and before dinner. All in all, the pricing and selection of entrees on the menu are enough to have us come for a repeat visit. The cabanas are definitely something to check out and look to be an ideal spot to have an intimate date and or cozy spot for four people.
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Review from Evan C.
La Jolla, CA
3/28/2012
Sushi not good. Hawaiian food is tasty. Inside booth was awkward with high benches or maybe it's my short legs.
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Review from Sophia Y.
10/19/2011
Came here for a friends birthday. She got 2 of the tables in the outdoor cabanas. I thought the ambiance was very cool. It felt very exclusive and VIP because of the cabana and there were colored lights to light up the cabana with music and a heat lamp so we stayed warm throughout the night.
As for the food, the birthday girl generously ordered us the seaweed salad, calamari and edemame. The seaweed salad tasted like any other but my other friend really like it, Served in a martini glass, he drank all the "seaweed juices" because he thought it was so good. The calamari was okay. The pieces were small and it tasted more like fried stuff with a hint of fish taste. And the edemame were good - tasted like any other.
For my main course, I got 2 blackend ahi tacos for only $8! Served in a crispy wonton shell and came with a side of chips, guacamole and mango salsa! The ahi was really good, especially with the lettuce stuff they put on top. And wrapped in fried goodness... delicious. Kind of hard to eat though cuz the shell looks cool but totally crumbles when you take the first bite.
I traded one of my tacos for my friend's marinated & grilled fish taco. It was wrapped in a green tortilla. It was good but the fish was a tad dry. Add some mango salsa or guac.. not too bad.
Overall, I love the environment. Very cool feeling to be in a cabana with colored lights, eat outdoors on a warm SD night and the prices were actually pretty reasonable. Would def come back. -
Review from Courtney E.
San Diego, CA
3/1/2012
I only go here when I have a groupon and the sushi is decent. I'm not much of a sushi connoisseur but last time I went I had some lasting gastrointestinal issues. We had the Musubi roll, the seaweed salad, the volcano roll and the protein roll. All tasty but like I said, you might wish you'd gone some place better quality later.
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Review from Alex T.
San Diego, CA
7/21/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I was extremely disappointed with my experience here at Aloha Sushi. We had a groupon here so the lady and I decided to check this place out. We called ahead to make reservations, thinking that this would guarantee us a seat inside. BUT it didn't. They stuck us out on the cold dark patio, I mean, we had to use our cellphones to read the menus, and they only had one heat lamp for the entire deck. Needless to say I was not having a good time to start, and I did not get any better.
The food was okay at best, nothing that I haven't had before at the numerous sushi places around San Diego. Honestly, out of the food they could burn, they burnt it. I believe that they were just pushing the lower quality food onto the people with groupons, because I can't understand how a place could serve the burnt trash they did and still be in business.
Even with a groupon/living social/signonsandiego deal, I will never come back here. -
Review from Patricia W.
La Mesa, CA
2/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm not sure which was worst the food or the service!Horrible,we left most of the food we ordered on the table with the unfortunate server that has absolutely no personality/people skills or desire to work!The food obviously spent quite sometime in the window&disgusted with the whole experience&just wanting to leave we got the pleasure of waiting 25 min for her to come to the table so we could even ask for the bill.The place was also quite dirty and run down,quite surprising for La Jolla!
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Review from Chrisell G.
San Diego, CA
7/19/2011 2 photos
MONDAYS: 50% off some of their specialty sushi rolls
TUESDAYS: $2 off their yummy Asian inspired cocktails
WEDNESDAYS: ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI! For $28 BUCKS!!! =)
THURSDAY: College night=1/2 ALCOHOL and BOGO 1/2 off on Sushi!
HAPPY HOUR EVERYDAY Mon-Thurs 5-6:30 and Fri-Sun 4:30-6:30 (excluding holidays)
They also have a small little boutique upstairs above the restaurant for you fashionistas. While you wait for your delicious sushi, you can shop at the same time ;)
Please don't mind the negative reviews, those are either cheap UCSD students that expect red carpet service and high quality food for being cheapos buying groupons/living social/sign on san diego deals. -
Review from Renee P.
San Diego, CA
11/4/2011
My boyfriend and I ate here during Happy Hour a couple months ago and were really happy with the food. Everything we ordered was DELICIOUS....I don't think we left anything on the plates :P
My only 'negative' remarks would be in reference to their service and dessert menu. It really took a loooong time to get our food and the dessert menu really wasn't very diverse. We kinda like dessert after a good dinner so I guess that's why we noticed. Then again....most people don't go to a sushi place for the dessert LOL
