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Arigato Sushi
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
1225 State StSanta Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 965-6074
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
314 reviews for Arigato Sushi
Review Highlights
"Jalapeno Yellowtail Sushi - My favorite."
(in 13 reviews)
"Definitely the BEST sushi joint in SB, but pricey."
(in 43 reviews)
"For dessert, we had black sesame ice cream."
(in 3 reviews)
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314 reviews in English
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Review from Matthew C.
Washington, DC
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Almost certainly the best sushi I have ever eaten.
Friendly staff, generous fish portions, good ambience. A large and varied selection with creative combinations without going overboard or losing sight of the sushi experience. Fundamentally delicious.
When I was done, my stomach was full but my mouth was nowhere near done...I will make a point of returning here. -
Review from Grace L.
Lake Forest, CA
2/6/2012
My friend and I heard that Arigato was THE place for sushi in town so we wondered over there on a Sunday night around 8 after a full day of wine tasting. The place is right on State Street with a large facade and outdoor seating. The place was packed and there was a wait for a table which was surprising to me for a Sunday night. The interior of the restaurant has a very open feeling..due to the high ceiling and it was very noisy. It has a very different feeling from the other sushi places that I've been to which tend to be more subdued, more enclosed and quieter.
We waited only 15 minutes for our table. The tables were small and close together. So even though the restaurant was spacious height wise, it was tight square-footage wise. We ordered 2 sashimi plates and 2 rolls to share. We got ahi carpaccio which was drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and arigato vinigrette. I was worried that the evoo would overpower the flavor of the raw fish but it just enhanced it. We also got Jalapeno Yellowtail which came with red jalapeno and habenero sauce. It had a nice kick to it. They have a list of about 40 or 50 rolls to choose from. I was completely overwhelmed by the number of choices so I ended up just choosing the first one which was the Arigato roll. It had smoked salmon, crab, avocado, cucumber and smelt roe. It was smoky and delicious. The other roll we got was a simple spicy tuna roll which didn't disappoint either. In general the sushi is extremely fresh and the flavor combinations are innovative. I'd definitely go back to be more adventurous and try some of the other rolls. -
Review from Chris C.
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here fairly late on a Friday night, didn't have a problem getting a table, although there was a pretty good amount of people in there.
Decor: Hip/trendy, reminds me of some of the small upscale restaurants in Brentwood or Beverly Hills. Brick and wood are accented with nice lighting. Tables are probably packed a little too tightly together. However, as the dining room is on the smaller side, I can see why.
Food: I'll highlight a few things that we enjoyed the most, however on the whole everything is fresh, crisp, but if I'm honest, a little bland. Basically they don't drown their dishes in flavor, they try to let the basic ingredients (namely the fish) do the talking. In today's sushi landscape, most Americanized restaurants lather a ton of mayo-based sauces all over their rolls, throw in tons of spice, and people (including myself) generally enjoy it. Arigato Sushi doesn't take this direction.
I understand what they're trying to do. The Dijon Ahi roll was plain upfront, but the complex Dijon dressing gave it a little pizazz. The Wiki Wiki roll which actually includes papaya was refreshing and sweet, two words I don't think I've ever used to describe sushi before. Even their nigiri is carefully crafted to complement the fish, rather than have the sauce in the rice overpower it.
Now, again, I understand what they're doing --we even likened them to the whole foods of sushi-- but it doesn't necessarily mean it's what I want when I think of sushi, particularly special rolls. Additionally, while the prices seem reasonable on the surface for most special rolls, they're for 6 pieces, not 8. The nigiri is right in line with typical prices though.
Service: Considering how many patrons there were and the fact that we were seated at a table and not the bar, the food came reasonably quick. Our server was very pleasant and attentive.
Overall: An interesting detour from the usual extremely traditional sushi or extreme fusion sushi I enjoy, but because it's in this awkward middle ground it lacks the concise completeness of traditional sushi (albeit it has equal quality) and lacks the pop and flare of fusion sushi.
I'd recommend this place, so long as you understand the flavor profile you're going to get, which again is crisp, clean, very fresh, but a little muted. -
Review from MIndy R.
Santa Barbara, CA
1/21/2012
The best of the best! I've eaten here for 30 years - and it is ALWAYS good. Every single time. Totally reliable for superb food. In fact, having travelled a lot and eaten at many sushi restaurants - I'd hold this up to any I've found.
Favorite dishes: Mrs. Ebilyn, Rincon Pizza, Pro Roll, Miso eggplant, Yellow tail kama... great service. Go early for instant seating. -
Review from Jordana N.
Norfolk, VA
2/7/2012
heaven on earth. my husband and i are only sorry we live on the east coast and not in SB. we miss this lovely spot on state street!
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Review from Jason T.
Santa Barbara, CA
2/7/2012
Great sushi for the price, long wait but worth it. Service was great as well
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Review from my l.
San Francisco, CA
12/31/2011
Came 30 min before restaurant opened... on a Wed night, and there was 15 people already waiting in line. Recommend coming early like other yelpers advised
Quality of the sush and sashimi-- 4 stars.
Price: Overpriced for what you get!
Size of the sushi rolls: are you kidding me? i swear some of the rolls were the diameter size of Half Dollar Coin! And they would be only 6 pieces...
Service : SLOW!
I used to live in San Francisco, and i think you get much better bang for your buck there..
but I guess it's Santa Barbara... -
Review from Chrissy S.
Isla Vista, CA
12/3/2011
Probably one of the better sushi places I've been to in Santa Barbara. The fish is so fresh and delicious. Their dishes are different, more creative than you're typical sushi restaurant (e.g. Jalapeno Yellowtail). But be prepared to pay a bit more. If it makes you feel better the quality more than compensates for the price. Though, the portions are a bit smaller, each bite is nearly amazing.
However, while the food is great, the service is not the best. I don't know if they're understaffed or what. But the servers seem to be a little too busy and aren't able to get out to your table as much as you would like. -
Review from Mona W.
Many have tried and many have failed what Arigato Sushi is able to achieve - a true Californian style sushi restaurant that remains true to the root of Japanese culinary art.
It is not hard to understand why this restaurant is crowded every night of the year. A two hours wait on the weekend is not uncommon if you arrive after 7. Arigato Sushi has what it takes to appeal to different clientele. Purists could sit in front of the sparkling clean sushi bar and receive full service from the chefs in the authentic style. Couples could enjoy a romantic dinner at the beautiful outdoor patio. The energetic ambiance made it an excellent place to socialize with your friends over a few glasses of cocktails or sake.
The menu has fusion ingredients written all over. Arigato is not your typical Japanese sushi restaurant featuring some fusion maki. The food here is the child of a Japanese-Californian marriage. Different elements combined seamlessly to enhance the flavor of the fish without stealing any spotlight. Some might find their sauce and garnish on the mild side but I found the lack of distraction very comforting.
The most memorable thing I have ate there is actually the grilled portabella nigiri. A pure vegetarian creation and yet it is not shy in comparison to its seafood siblings. The texture actually resemble a good piece of anago. Quality of their fish is good although still far from what I would consider top tier. Dinner was overall very delightful. I have some complaints but the list is short. Serving sashimi platter on ice might look impressive but the cold temperature numbs the tongue too much and dumb down the tastebuds. Black sesame ice cream was slightly icy.
It is really worth a 2 hours wait? Hard to say. If you are smart like me, you will get here super early to beat the crowd.Listed in: Santa Barbara Must Try
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Review from Robert L.
Baltimore, MD
1/12/2012
Having had sushi in many places from the corner sushi bar in Washington, DC to Nobu in Manhattan, to sushi in Sydney I feel I know good from bad sushi. Let me tell you this sushi was AWEFUL!
The restaurant was packed, the reviews were great, so what happened?!? Well the special rolls were a mix of textures that didn't work together, the seasoning at times actually tasted rancid, and simple rolls to get right like soft shell crab was soggy and rubbery.
Ok, so how about the sashimi grade fish? This too went wrong. The cuts were tough, clearly not prepared by someone who knows how to slice fish properly.
The service was fine, but rushed. The food came out too rapidly between courses and items from appetizers came out after main dishes.
Overall, do not go here. Plus to top it off it was expensive! -
Review from O. G.
Laguna Beach, CA
12/30/2011
meh. I've experienced better. Was so excited after all the great reviews and especially after seeing such a creative menu but our visit did not live up to the hype or the menu.
there are 300 reviews here so i'll keep mine simple.
the place is wayyyy too small and customers are packed in like sardines. after you've waited in the street for 45 minutes you will be seated only to have butts in your faces and people bumping into you all night.
service was good, staff friendly.
no problem, we're here for the epic food, right? wrong. good but definitely not great. -
Review from Dan B.
Lemoore, CA
1/22/2012
Great food, decent service. Prices for sushi were a bit steep but I guess for the location right on State St it's about right. We sat outside and were annoyed by a few homeless people begging, but otherwise the ambiance with the propane heaters was nice. Also, check their hours, we had to wait 25 minutes for them to open at 5:30 for dinner. Recommend!
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Review from Angelic L.
San Jose, CA
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
If I'm ever in SB again craving sushi, I already know I'm coming back here. I LOVED the food at Arigato. Some of the best sushi I've ever had...
Wok Edamame - never had anything like it before, but it was REALLY good!
Dracula Roll - ok, not as spicy as I had anticipated it to be
Bay City - fantastic! Often times this roll is done in a way that's too creamy making it difficult to eat, but it was perfect here
Tiger Melt, Tofu Steak, Jalapeno Yellowtail - ok...
Sake Sashimi - the freshest sashimi I've ever had! It had a sweeter taste to it. I only wish the slices were a little thicker.
Unfortunately, there were a few downsides to my experience at Arigato. The portions are a little small for such a hefty price, but you do get what you pay for. I guess I can't complain much about that. The service was a little slow though, so we waited longer than we should have to have our orders taken. Finally, there was some rather RUDE clientele eating there--a bunch of big-headed men who didn't know how to mind their own business. Don't know if that happens at Arigato often, but I sure as hell know that people aren't supposed to yell at you while you're dining with a bunch of your girlfriends trying to celebrate a special occasion. -
Review from Goldilocks J.
Dublin, CA
1/9/2012
What a great find. Used to always go to Something's Fishy when I lived here. This is much better. Went with friends while visiting in town and we ordered a ton of things since there was four of us. Some of the things we had: tuna roll, Rock 'n' Roll, Fiesta Roll, Locals Only (which came out flaming, you can't beat that!), Tiger Roll, Unagi Nigiri, real crab California Roll, "Off the Lip" Crab Puffs, Chicken with spicy mustard sauce Gyoza. I lost track we ordered so much. Everything was well prepared, fresh, tasty, and well executed. A real gem in SB.
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Review from Marly H.
Santa Barbara, CA
11/5/2011
I've been to this sushi place three times now and loved it every time. The first two times I sat at the bar and the third I went with coworkers and sat at a table.
At the bar there are probably more sushi chefs running around then they need. I assume it gets pretty busy later on in the evening, but it's pretty easy to get a seat between five and seven on a week night. It's not slow, but not so busy that they can't find you somewhere to eat great sushi.
They have your normal nigiri sushi and sashimi, but they also have some specials as well that involve interesting toppings or seared fish. In addition to that they have some nigiri and / or samshimi combinations so that you can get one of each instead of the standard pair of two. I got the Arigato 5 the first time I was there and I enjoyed every piece of it. The also have a huge number of rolls. I had the zippy roll, which involves spicy tuna. It was good but not the best and I'd probably order something else. The last time I went I had the simple salmon nigiri and it was fresh, buttery, and delicious. I wanted to get more...
They also have great hand rolls. Although eel / avocado hand rolls were not on the menu, they will make them for you, and wow they are good. Plus they come on a cute little stand so they don't roll around on your plate.
Their garlic edamame are fantastic, but the miso soup is only so so. I also had their sunamono once and it was also just ok. Save your money for the fish, that's where it's at.
You can spend a LOT of money in here. It's a special occasion place I think because I can help but spend at least $50 when I go because it's that good.Listed in: SUSH!
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Review from Kim V.
Santa Barbara, CA
11/5/2011
My coworker recommended this place when I mentioned I wanted sushi for dinner to celebrate my bf's birthday. The fish was very fresh and melted in your mouth. They have a lot of specialty rolls, which made it seem a little too Americanized, but we liked everything we ordered.
We went on Halloween night and it was fun to see the sushi chefs as well as the wait staff all dressed up in costumes. The service was and food was good. We'll definitely come back. -
Review from Graham F.
Santa Barbara, CA
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Best Sushi in SB
Things to get:
Mrs. Ebyln
Wild Ones
Magic Mushroom Roll
Sunny Side up
Hot oil scallops
Pro Hand roll
Jalapeño Yellowtail -
Review from Anthony R.
Santa Barbara, CA
1/13/2012
this place use to be the best its slippin. I feel that santa barbara needs more sushi options. Can someone open a new place up here already.
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Review from Tim M.
Mill Valley, CA
10/3/2011
I was visiting from out of town and came here with a friend for dinner. I don't get out for Sushi as much as I'd like to...but when I do, I don't mind splurging for some really good sushi. I'm from the S.F. Bay Area, so I'm accustomed to really tasty and fresh sushi and this place was right up there with the best. It was very busy, but we managed to get seated right away, a small table upstairs...little cramped, but I'm 6 feet 5 inches tall...so I'm used to that.
The service was what I'm accustomed to with sushi places...unless you are sitting at the sushi bar, you should always keep in mind the prep time and how many people are being served. So when I order, I try to order everything up front and if I decide to add on later, well I know it will usually be another short wait for that order. That being said, I felt this place was better than average in terms of service.
The food was both fresh and very tasty. I've never understood the need for some people to take photos of their food before eating, but when I saw how this place prepares their plates and displays the sushi...now, where's my camera. :)
Next time I'm in Santa Barbara...I'll be back here for more! -
Review from Kohjay J.
Santa Barbara, CA
12/16/2011
Not your normal sushi bar, and I gotta say, hands down the best in town. Everyone else will tell you the same. Its expensive and hard to get into, I don't think they take reservations, but dam well worth it. Very fresh and the Chefs their are on point. They even have Orion Beer from Okinawa. If your from LA or OC and love your little cheap places and suck up to the chef with sake, or you love your loud party rock places with semi decent food, and a scene, then don't come here. This is a nice restaurant, get it! They serve some of the best Japanese dishes around. Oh, and if you like Uni, then it does not get any fresher than here, because it all comes from the local fishing industry. Yea bet you did not know that huh! Foodies welcomed. Get on it son!
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Review from Seung-Hyun O.
Glendale, CA
11/28/2011
Great as everyone says.
sashimi was so good! especially toro and hamachi.
sushi is just right!! rice in it is japanese sushi rice I can tell, it melt with sashimi but still got a good texture in it.
try cold sake in Bamboo pot and glass, it adds more taste with it! :) -
Review from Lola S.
Mill Valley, CA
1/29/2012
Packed. with happy customers. Great rolls and creation. Good vibe.
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Review from Anthony C.
Cupertino, CA
12/12/2011 5 photos
I was driving from the bay area to LA and stopped in Santa Barbara specifically to eat here after seeing how popular it was to us yelpers. I explored my options to fill up on more smaller dishes rather than one big one. I guess that's the common approach to sushi places anyways. I got 3 dishes: yakitori, a handroll, and the Rock N' Roll (which I think is the crazy roll in other restaurants). Including tip, I paid $33 for this dinner and I wasn't filled. The Rock N' Roll was arranged looking like a flower on a big ass plate. The sushi itself was hella tiny. I can care less about the presentation. The food pricing exceeded its quality and quantity. I should have just got Quiznos down the street.
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Review from Nicole U.
Santa Barbara, CA
10/2/2011
Not worth the money.
A friend & I went there right around 5:45 on a Sunday night. We didn't have to wait & were seated promptly. We were seated and given water but we didn't even have a server. I had to ask a random nearby employee if they were our server and she said "Well, I can be.."
Anyway, I just thought it was really awkward & weird.
I got the Tiger Roll, the Jalapeno Yellowtail Roll & Edamame.
Edamame was quite tasteless and they sprinkled a lot of salt in random locations so all of it's like you're eating a mouthful of salt. -___-
Jalapeno Yellowtail roll was very, very, very, disappointing. It was not spicy in the very least.. and they were the smallest rolls.
& then the Tiger Roll came out and I did like this roll.. but overall I don't think it was worth the money for the quality & portions (very small). -
Review from Mark F.
The best of Santa Barbara, every time!
Gorgonzola Salmon $16
Jalapeño Yellowtail $17
Sashimi Combo $32
Pro Melt (soft shell, avocado, cucumber, sprouts with cream cheese) $10
Fiesta Roll (halibut, tomato, avocado, cilantro, cucumber, jalapeño with habanero sause) $10
Pacific Rim (tuna, yellowtail, asparagus, chives topped with salmon, avocado, wasabi)
Order this and you can't go wrong.
Always consistent service and food. We love you ArigatoListed in: Must: Santa Barbara, Sushi Santa Babrara
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/20/2010
In my top two of sushi bars in Santa Barbara!
Located on State Street with street side, patio seating… Read more »
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Review from Kay L.
Santa Barbara, CA
12/18/2011
I have been here a handful of times. I give 5 stars to the DELICIOUS Green Tea Creme Brulee- yummmmm! My favorite sushi was the jellyfish. Great atmosphere, very trendy and cool, but loud. A little on the pricey side so its more of a special occasion type place.
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Review from Albertina M.
Ladera Ranch, CA
Visiting Santa Barbara we where in the mood for some sushi and ended up here. It was late Tuesday night when my hubby and I arrive at this small location which was bumping! I though we where going to wait long but where seated right away. I recommend sitting at the bar since you get the full experience. The chefs are friendly and helpful. We had the Habanero roll to start of, and man oh man was it good. The crema help the spiciness of the roll, and the cilantro just gave it this extra umph. We also had the Sashimi Combo which was brought out on top of ice which i give a 10 for presentation! Everything we had was top notch and the waiters where nice and attentive!
The overall quality of the sushi was excellent, a great place to go out on a date and afterwards take a stroll down State st. -
Review from Natasha C.
South San Francisco, CA
The rolls were so damn good, I came back the second wk while in Santa Barbara. Not only did all their rolls taste AMAZING but the place just has a great vibe with great people who work there. Tried most if not all their rolls (piggy alert) as well as their gold shot (uni+quail egg+sauce in a shot glass) as well as their (DROOL) special of foie gras glazed with miso on roasted daikon, fricken amazing. Their rolls are not huge where you get full on the rice but a well placed symphony of fillers such as enoki mushrooms and lobster where you get a taste of everything without feeling grossly full. It's all quite addicting and apparently it gets crowded on the wknds, I got lucky arriving on a Tuesday evening just after 6, sit at the bar, you get to see how the magic happens! A realy must when in the area.
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Review from Tony o.
Santa Barbara, CA
12/31/2011
You would think that since Santa Barbara is next to the ocean that good sushi would be abundant, sadly this is not the case. After trying almost every other mediocre sushi place in town this is by far the best, hands down, with no close competition.
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Review from Steven S.
Lake Balboa, Los Angeles, CA
8/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Where to begin with the disappointment of a restaurant. Expectations were high considering all the positive reviews here on Yelp but quickly turned into dissappointment:
Service : hostess was sweet, table service was lacking an attention to detail. Had to ask 3 people for chop sticks, waters were not refilled without asking twice. Having tables over flowing with dirty fishes.
Food. Small portions, only 6 per roll that were pretty petite. Flavor profile and combinations were not up to par. Pretty tasteless and lacking quality. Fish was too fishy.
Layout. Too crowded down stairs, several people bumped into me. Wait way too long.
Bottom line: subpar sushi, subpar restaurant, would not return. -
Review from Mike S.
Newport Beach, CA
9/6/2011
Was here with a rather rowdy crowd of 8 last Saturday. Place was packed and we were seated upstairs because of our large group.
This place really knows how to do Sushi with many, many specialties. I recommend you try them instead of your basic California Roll, HA!
I'm not even sure of all the things I had as we were lucky to have a local do the ordering for us...but the one thing I remember as beyond fantastic was the Black Cod. Melt in your mouth fish, a must have!
Service is very prompt and our waitress was all smiles bringing our orders promptly including a lot of Saki and Sapporo.
Next time I'm in SB I will definitely return! -
Review from Alexis N.
Santa Barbara, CA
11/3/2011
LOVE LOVE LOVE Arigato sushi.
Fun atmosphere, GREAT FOOD, and great service. Hands down the best sushi spot in Santa Barbara.
I recommend sitting at the bar because it gives you the best experience of it all. The sushi-chefs are great, and give out great recommendations on what to order if you're unsure. Everything tastes very fresh!
If you plan on going Thurs- Sat expect a wait. They have a small restaurant that fills up quick! But the great thing is that they take down your phone number and call you when there's seating available.
Great spot for a date night. -
Review from Fshionably L.
Tarzana, CA
10/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Omg, omg! How freaken good is the yellow tail sushi??????? And I never eat sushi!!!!!!
We love going to Santa Barbara, and love sushi too! This is the best sushi place in Santa Barbara near the college. I didn't give them all 5 stars because of their business hours. They close by 10:00 p.m. and last call is 9:30 :( -
Review from teena y.
San Carlos, CA
The door opens at 5:30 and no earlier. People were waiting outside (like us). We sat in the patio on a Tuesday evening and it was nice. The service was great and we got to witness something entertaining done by a local (lady). First of all this lady was walking up and down State street with her right boob hanging out until she realized it and pulled up her shirt. She then walked into Arigato and asked for ginger and wasabi and took two plates and walked right out of the restaurant, while a waitress ran after her. Good news, the waitress saved the plates! Yah!
Also there was a really sweet blonde waitress that served the patio who was exceptional and brought a container of hot water for us to warm our baby's food - thank you!
Here's what we ordered:
Jalapeño yellowtail ($17): 5 sashimi pieces. The fish was fresh and it was good, but it wasn't that spicy and it wasn't my favorite dish. The presentation was very nice.
http://www.yelp.com/us...
Ahi and asparagus ($8): spicy tuna with asparagus and cilantro - this roll was my favorite but I'll ask for no cilantro next time
Fiesta roll: tempura halibut, tomato, jalapeño... - Pretty good
Pro roll: soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber - it was good and served warm and fresh
California Hand roll ($6): just ok
We definitely could have ordered about 3-4 more rolls, but decided to leave content versus completely stuffed plus our baby wanted to leave.
I would recommend this place and hopefully you will enjoy your meal without the crazy topless lady. :) -
Review from Lorrie M.
6/28/2011
I honestly feel this place is a bit over hyped and for a place with such a large selection of rolls I would not consider this very authentic sushi.
I think in recent years my sushi tastes have changed dramatically and when I first visited Arigatos, despite the price tag (which can be high if you just keep on ordering...) I thought it was pretty good. Not fantastic, not blow your mind good, just pretty good. Perhaps pricey but I basically figured it was on State st and that's why it was so pricey.
Now looking back, a lot of the rolls contained many fried elements which aren't typical in authentic Japanese food since they usually put the fried stuff not in a roll.
With that said, the ambiance is definitely nice, it's classy, and totally a place for a first or even third date kind of feel. The upstairs is nice and they do have some delicious fish abide the offensively fried rolls. -
Review from Carey V.
Santa Barbara, CA
8/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Overall great place with GREATLY SUPERIOR sushi!!
A decent Sake selection complements the sushi dishes.
Fresh ingredients coupled with the chefs attention to detail makes for a superb meal. -
Review from armando r.
San Francisco, CA
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
it truly deserves 5 stars
Service: not just on point; beyond point. Everybody and I mean everybody checks on you. The hostess even came and bussed one of our dishes. Why? Because she was walking by our table, so why not. Our server had excellent recommendations and just knew what we needed before we actually needed it. You can't train that
Food: nice twist to make you actually read the menu instead of different names and fish on top of a California Roll like so many other sushi joints tend to do. Advice: order a lot because they each have something special about it.
Portions are small and prices high as others have said but it is very unique and I would gladly pay a premium for the taste experience and Service. -
Review from Ray W.
5/31/2011
Slammin sushi spot. Not the cheapest around but you definitely get what you pay for. Original rolls, delicious cuts, great service.
And for all you people slammin this spot for being too pricey, ambiance also plays a huge part here. This place is legit. No joke. So don't look at the prices and get what you want to eat ~ You can always make more money to cover the bill! -
Review from Harold L.
Santa Barbara, CA
7/23/2011
This is simply the best place to go for Sushi and Sashimi in Santa Barbara, there is nothing better within 100 miles. Everything is so fresh, like they just pulled them from the sea.
Sitting at the bar is a must so you can find out from the chef the best stuff for the day and get what you want fast. If you are goign to order off of the menu, sitting at a table will do just fine.
It's on the higher end as far as prices go, but well worth it. You really get what you pay for!
Andy C. is my favorite chef there. Call in advance to get a seat or two reserved in front of him! -
Review from Lily Z.
4/30/2011 10 photos
Arigato has some commonalities with Ahi. Both serve impeccably fresh sushi with a fusion flair. Both employ the use of none traditional flavor such as papaya, mustard, truffle, etc. Both make use of real crab meat instead of the pink artificial stuff. Arigato's menu is more expansive than Ahi, but Ahi edges out Arigato in terms of value. Ahi is more casual, but Arigato has optional outdoor dining. Taste wise, I feel conflicted ranking one above the other.
kumamoto oyster-good, although I prefer oysters served plain with just a touch of mignonette.
fluke and crab-the fluke was so fresh, but the crab was probably pasteurized type and not very flavorful.
make-all five rolls we ordered were exceptional. The fish was buttery and silky. I really enjoyed the fusion touch such as the mustard flavored sauce and the sweet papaya sauce. You wouldn't think mushrooms would be good as sushi, but the magic mushroom roll was filled with umami goodness. Nothing here was covered in cloyingly sweet eel sauce (what most restaurant's interpretation of fusion meant).
One thing that I don't understand was that Arigato doesn't have uni because of the nuclear disaster in Japan. Why do they import uni from Japan when SB has fantastic local uni?
This concludes my 200th reviewListed in: Good eats in Santa Barbara
