"Quick note: the Garlic City Roll is fantastic."
(in 4 reviews)
"the fresh salmon, hotate, sashimi combination were lovely."
(in 6 reviews)
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Ninja Sushi.
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
39 reviews for Ninja Sushi.
Review Highlights
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Pretty good for being one out of just two sushi bars in Gilroy. With that said, this place can get pretty packed depending on the day and time.
Ninja offers good food, decent portions, and average service and prices. There's a pretty good selection of rolls and other items on the menu. The udon combos are a good deal considering the amount of food you get. If you order the tempura udon, you get a HUGE plate of tempura plus salad.
Overall, I would say Ninja is the better of the two choices for Japanese food in Gilroy. Not the best sushi or Japanese food I've ever had, but when you've got limited options in a Japanese food deprived town, Ninja does the job.
haven't gone back in a while..
I'm taking off a star since I've experienced much better sushi over time.
the sushi is good. the portions are still quite large.
i ordered a Philadelphia roll and a dragon roll.
the dragon roll looked like a rainbow roll with some spicy stuff in it.
really strange. the Philly roll was a better roll; salmon, cucumber, & cream cheese.
service was alright, never came to check up on us... there was no one inside too!
the price is wayy too much for it.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/22/2008
jesus. come here if you want super huge sushi. like.. HUGE!
it's pretty good. the place looks really… Read more »
Randomly decided to come here after a quick browse of the Outlets. On the way there, I was thinking "Wow, Gilroy isn't the most appealing place to live". Anyways, the location is next to a Wienerschnitzel. Upon entering, we got a generic greeting as they were moving all over the place. A minute later, this cute waitress asks us if we could wait for a little bit to rearrange some tables. Come on now lady, I see 3 perfectly acceptable tables that me and my friend can sit in.
As for the rolls, we had the Garlic City, Zoom Zoom, and the Spider Man roll. I got the Zoom Zoom roll because I found the name of the roll to be funny. The actual roll are in really huge portions and would require breaking into two pieces in order to eat it. The garlic in the Garlic City roll was way too strong to my taste, and I consider myself to be a fan of garlic. The Spider Man roll was average.
My absolute favorite thing about this place is that on one side of the restaurant is a bar. Taking a brief glance at the alcohol they serve, they would get my stamp of approval. Even saw the good ol Johnny Walker Blue Label, which I enjoy but hate whiskey in general.
Pros: Huge portions, prices are solid, nice looking bar, cute waitresses
Cons: The wait can be slow, customer service is so-so
Overall I gave it 3.5 stars. I'm leaning towards a 3 because the wait was longer than expected for a non-busy night. I was close to leaning towards a 4 because of the cute waitresses, but it wasn't enough. Would I drive here for this? No. But would I come here after shopping at the Outlets? Sure, if I didn't feel like going to Sonics
Rice is better this time. But the tempera batter was kind of yucky. My bf's bento box chicken teriyaki was pretty dry.
We ordered:
1 chicken bento box
1 hot sake
1 Asahi beer
1 Blueberry Crush (alcoholic mixed drink)
1 Shrimp tempera roll
1 Malibu roll (has macadamia nuts in it)
1 Kappa Makki roll
All of this and our bill came out to be $68 + tax and tip!
Umm overpriced 'OKAY' food. I would've skipped it but the bf wanted sushi at the wrong time. Cause we were in Gilroy and Ninja Sushi is the ONLY one around. Maybe I should find some good sushi chefs and some others to get together and open a better sushi place in Gilroy. I could totally skip this place if there is something better.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/14/2009
This is my 3rd/4th time going here. Maybe I'm being a little harsh but my food was utterly yucky.
I… Read more »
There are times when I visit my parents that I have a massive craving for sushi. Naturally, I'd prefer to go to a place nearby and not have to drive out of Gilroy to satisfy this craving. A year ago, my brother, sister, and I ordered about $50+ worth of sushi and chicken teriyaki (my brother wasn't a huuuge sushi fan like my sister and I). I had wished they had more baked type sushi (like lion king or bay scallops, etc.. IDK if they've added more sushi recently) though. The sizes were decent but for their price, I didn't think it was worth it.
Let me first start off by saying that ninja sushi and I have a love hate relationship. I've been here many times so I can wholeheartedly say that on average the service is pretty bad compared to almost anywhere else. Servers are generally inattentive and it takes a while to get your food. The quality of the fish is inconsistent so if your a bit of a sushi snob it's a toss up (for instance on more than one occasion their fresh sake has been fairly chewy and stringy).
With that being said, it's the only sushi joint in gilroy! The atmosphere is nice, the food is generally good and you get a lot for your money compared to other sushi restaurants. I enjoy going here everytime because I know what i'm in store for. I always leave full and happy. It sucks being ignored in a restaurant that's less than half full but I guess the good value, atmosphere and generally tasty sushi make up for it.
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Are you kidding?
I know great sushi when I eat/see/feel/smell good sushi, and unfortunately, this place was below the bar.
With a cool name like Ninja Sushi, you'd think they'd live up to the name, but they are neither ninja OR sushi.
Well, OK I might be exaggerating a bit since I mos def have had EXCELLENT sushi, but the sashimi at this place was the definitely not the 'Fresh' prince of...Gilroy.
Bad fish smells like fish. I didn't bother eating mine at all because I didn't want to suffer from food poisoning...twice a year is enough. The salmon teriyaki was decent, but it sufficed since I was starving.
The inari (Sweet tofu sushi) looked like it was fermented in the sun because the color was that of a mustard poop. Nonetheless, I ate it and it was OK, again....fresh is not something done at this place.
We had the 'Wonderful' roll, which of course is an overstatement, but it was good. The vegetables inside of it were actually fresh and crispy! Finally.....
I usually splurge on rolls when I hit up sushi joints, but good thing I took it safe and decided I'd order as I want, thus causing me to only order once.
Service was fine.
Utensils were dirty.
Floating stuff in my water.
I should have stuck to the garlic fries at the outlets instead, but NOOO I wanted to try some other place. sheesh.
(p.s. come to the East Bay for good sushi)
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I really love Ninja... the guys who work there are great (the young cheeky waitresses are not as great). The sushi is fantastic, always fresh. I am not a fan of the chicken teriyaki as it is really fatty cuts of dark meat, it's just not my thing. However, the salmon teriyaki is http://bomb.com, and with tempura or tekka maki it always leaves me happy and super full. If you want a soda go to the bar to get one because you get free refills unlike in the other area where you get a can. It's always busy and a little pricey and I always seem to want it the day they're closed (Sunday?). Love it nonetheless :]/
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This sushi spot is one of convenience. If you find yourself in Gilroy, and you need sushi... then Ninja is your only option. Thank God the sushi is good!
I'm a nigiri dude, and I have been pleased with the quality and the portions. Stay away from the chef's choice platter, you'll end up with some funky leftovers! They use their monopolistic status to impose high prices... it's okay, just have some sake and enjoy the garlicy smell of Gilroy.
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Decent sushi, decent service, decent prices. Nothing really stuck out to me here other than the fact that we didn't get any free soup or salad. The gyoza we ordered as an appetizer was pretty good. I did enjoy the Fire Fighter roll but the other 2 rolls I ordered were a bit bland (the Monterey + Garlic City rolls).
I read the reviews here before visiting Ninja Sushi and one of the previous reviewers mentioned that Ninja Sushi uses too much rice in their rolls. I definitely have to agree. I had to cut most of the pieces in half in order to fit them in my mouth, and the Fire Fighter roll (which was a tempura roll), had an unnecessarily hefty layer of tempura around the outside.
Overall I have had better sushi, but I've also had much worse.
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Ate here once, and the sushi was surprisingly good for a Gilroy joint. Pretty much all their house sushi was pretty bomb and addictive. Don't be surprised if you end up spending $30-$40 on sushi here until you get full. I also thought their sports bar area makes this place a pretty cool joint.
If they had a Ninja Sushi in downtown San Jose open until 2AM, this spot would be poppin!
Only bar I ever been to that carried a bottle of Louis XIII at it. $125 a shot. Now that's what I'm talking about!
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This place is really good.. now i can get great sushi and go to the outlets all at once..
service was moderate (-1 star).. the rolls were good.. fish was fresh and the rolls were tight and didn't fall apart..
prices were decent at 10$ a roll for 6 pieces.. i say that about average..
and no desserts!
Not a big fan of sushi so I'm NOT reviewing that... BUT the sake got me drunk quick and prices are alight. Good looking people (as soon as I walked in)
This is a good sushi place.
I was along time coming to this whole "raw fish," thing, and it's really important that it be clean, COLD and fresh. That's what we have here.
We are very fortunate to have a quality sushi joint here. Prices are good, people are very nice. Home-Town neighbors run the place (though I don't know if the owners are locals.)
Even though I'm hacking down the raw fish fairly easily, I am still fond of COOKED items. The teriyaki box dinners are really good.
My advice to the TEMPURA cooks, GIVE THE YAMS A REST.
Batter-fried POTATOES is kind of like a BREAD SANDWICH- I know it's more costly, but load up on the MUSHROOMS, zucchini, onions and other NON-spud vegetables. We wil eat them like DOGS and say wonderful things about you and you will become rich.... See how that works?
One more thing, I'm not sure about delivery, but take-out here is GREAT. They have it FAST and you run home and cram it down.
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Seriously, for being a small town, Gilroy scored with a great "tasty" (as Monica put it), sushi place. It's a very clean restaurant, the waitresses are always super friendly and the chef's, well once you get them taking sake shots, they are freakin halarious! ALL of the rolls are great- there is something about their rice, it's not too sticky not too fluffy that makes it "easier" to eat! My fave roll (wherever I go) is the Philly Roll. Awesome! Oh yeah- plus now they expanded their bar so we have there is more of a reason to stay there longer! If you visit Ninja, you have to chat with the chefs and Definitely, check out Gilroy Roll & the SSTS Roll. Yuuuuuummmmy!
~dizzy
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I've only been to Ninja Sushi once and I must say that the food is pretty good, considering that they have a monopoly. The sushi seems more Americanized, but the portions (like the bento boxes) are larger compared to other Japanese restaurants I've been to. I had the California roll and some sort of spicy tuna roll with tempura crumbs embedded in the rice. My fiance had the shrimp tempura, which actually had shrimp in it and wasn't all batter.
The entrance is kinda weird though. When we first walked in, we saw a bar that was very dim and I remember seeing some sort of neon signs. We weren't sure if it was part of the restaurant because it didn't look very Japanese.
Other than that, the food is good and we will definitely be back.
Hey, this place is pretty good.
Since they expanded and got the bar/lounge area, this place has really been on the up and up. It's a jovial atmosphere among the staff and customers. Joe, the bartender, is a really nice guy and he gives excellent service.
Food is great. I usually start with the deep fried soft shell crab which is good and get an Eagle Ridge roll and sashimi. Their fish is always fresh. I don't think I've ever come here and had a problem with the freshness of anything, so that's a good sign. Oh yeah, extra ginger.
Five stars because not only is the food good, I actually like coming here.
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I'm out in GIlroy working as a therapist with some kids that seriosuly need it. I found this little spot close by and it's been great for lunch. The sushi was really fresh, the waitresses are adorable, and it's becoming my theraputic sanctuary. Quick note: the Garlic City Roll is fantastic. I hear this place goes off at night as well. Thank God I'll never be in Gilroy late enough to find out -- now watch me be out here next weekend with one of those waitresses ;).
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This place has some of the best sushi I have had in my life, and I have eaten a lot of sushi.
The waitresses are cute. And the chefs are friendly.
I am biased because I used to work there, but it's still delicious sushi.
The only thing I'm not too keen on is the bar area has big screen TVs, but the blaring noise is avoidable if you sit on the other side of the restaurant.
Try the 1st street roll.
Sushi in Gilroy is hard to come by, and these guys have a nice little niche sushi joint in Garlic City. Since they have expanded the bar area, and added some plasma's it now is a cool place to hang. The owner is way cool, and can usually be found here every night, definitely somebody you'd want to drink sake with. If just Gilroy didn't suck ;(
I love Ninja. The service is ALWAYS great and the sushi is very fresh. Although it's the only sushi place in Gilroy, I would say it's some of the best sushi I've eaten.My son is 9 and he enjoy's it as well.
Try the Ocean salad, it's our favorite.
If your looking for a great sushi place in gilroy. This is the place to go. I would highly recommend the Unagi its simply to die for.
It's okay. It's not horrible, but I do leave there and think, okay, maybe I just don't really enjoy sushi that much anymore. But then I have a chance to have sushi somewhere else, like down in Hollister, or back in my home at heart, Portland OR, and I remember it really is one of my favorite meals.
Just falls a bit short for me.
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The hand rolls (known as cones in other areas) are the best. The rolls have too much rice on the outside- I prefer more stuff on the inside that the rice. I always ask for light rice on my rolls when I eat here. There are several bartenders here, but only one of them knows how to make proper mojitos and margaritas. The others are new to the bar, and did not, as one put it, "practice mixing drinks in school, just memorizing the recipes." Whatever- be ready to send certain drinks back for additional booze or ingredients. My friend got a vanilla lemondrop with no sweet & sour!? Duh. Because this is the only sushi place in Gilroy, we eat there often. If you have no other options, it will serve the sushi purpose.
let me start off by saying, i don't eat sushi. i know, i'm that girl. but.......i love ninja sushi! i get the chicken teriyaki and tempura box. its so delicious!!!! the bar is always hopping in here. i'm never disappointed when we do dinner at ninja and i always walk away completely satisfied. so if you find yourself in gilroy, this is definitely the spot to come grab some good food. =)
The environment is friendly and the food is delicious. What's also very good about Ninja Sushi is that their rolls and servings are larger than your average sushi place, so you get more bang for the buck. Normally in Japanese restaurants I never feel "filled up", but here I definitely get full! They have a sports bar there too, as well was free wifi, so it's a really great place to eat. Might be little crowded because it's a small restaurant, but it's worth the wait!
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The worst sushi joint I've ever been too! Why:
* Where's the fish! The rolls had way too much rice on the outside. Couldn't taste what was the middle. Very skimpy with the cuts of fish!
* Service - Sucks - Hubby and I sat at the sushi bar and the waitress never came to ask if we wanted a drink and didn't even clean the dirty dishes beside us.
* There were 2 waitress on Saturday working and heard one of them say loudly "I didn't' even want to come in today" obviously!
Take your business up in Morgan Hill off of East Dunn - What a world of a difference!
I have loads of friends and will not recommend Ninja Sushi to anyone, what a disappointment!
thank you for expanding your restaurant!!! it is so much nicer... roomy, open, and there is a full bar too! i love the idea of cocktails and sushi! yay!
the nigiri is sooooo fresh and the slices of fish are generous. i love amaebi and the fried shrimp heads that came with it were topped with some sweet teriyaki sauce and fried with perfection. the fresh salmon, hotate, sashimi combination were lovely. it was great.
the eagle ridge roll was to die for. i loved ever bite of it.
nigori sake?!?!? you get 5 stars.
this place gets crowded but it's worth it!
the servers and sushi chefs were all so friendly and attentive!
thank you!
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My wife was hesitant since it was next door to Weinershnitzel, but I comforted her that Ninja was there before weiner (i think?)
Anywho.. we went... rolls were alright but I LOVED THE SASHIMI PRESENTATION!!!! On ice in a bowl on radish BEAUTY!
They also have another like not-so-sushi dining room... whats that for?
this place is very good, but i wouldn't say it's great.
good portions, relatively inexpensive.
only thing i didn't like was how the rolls weren't held together very tight so it kept falling apart.
get the gilroy roll and the heavenly roll.
tempura green tea ice cream was mediocre.
service is good... the waitress checked up on us often.
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Its the only sushi joint in the area, so I'm giving it 3 stars. Theres nothing special about the sushi here or the service, but going here saves me mucho gas $$.
Wonderful fresh sushi, huge rolls, fun atmosphere. Definitely the best in the area.
Ninja sushi is by far my favorite sushi resturaunt. I love sushi and since i moved out of Gilroy, I keep trying new sushi places. Nothing compares to Ninja, i swear.
I have been here a few times at dinner and lunch..the service and quality of the sushi is not consistent...I was there once and it was the best then on another occasion I brought some friends and we were not at all impressed......I think it is also a little high priced..perhaps they are able to have the high prices because they are the only sushi restaurant in Gilroy
My friend told this place was the best so i try it out. holy S*** this was good. the sushi were the best even though it had wasabi in some of them. (make sure you look before you give your kid the sushi to eat). they gave you the right amount for your money. so go there. make sure though u get there early or there will be a line.
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Ninja Sushi is a pretty good Japanese restaurant in Gilroy and got a lot better when they expanded and made the new room into a bar/lounge area. In the past when I'm flying solo, I'd make my way to the Sushi Bar and hang out with Don and Chris. Now, I hang a left to the other bar, order a Gilroy roll, Santa Theresa roll and sashimi appetizer along with a tall glass of Sapporo from Andre and watch a game.
We ate here last night with family & friends after spending day at Bonfante Gardens. The sushi was pretty good. The nigiri pieces and rolls were definitely larger than in the S.F. and cheaper too. We ate sushi the night before in S.F. and their portions were way smaller and the prices more (that's another review). I think the spider rolls here were 6.50 (?) and came as 6 large pieces. Each piece was too big to eat as one bite so I had to bite into it and it kept falling apart. The yakitori was not as good, too chewy and dry. I heard the place just got expanded and renovated so it was very clean and modern. The bathroom is big and clean as well- always a good sign. Overall we liked it, and our friends who had chosen it eat there whenever they are in gilroy.
Most of my friends find it hard to believe that a sushi restaurant this good would be in Gilroy. The friendly, efficient staff are a pleasure. The portions are larger than what you'll find closer to San Francisco, and the prices are lower. I typically have one of their sashimi choices, and can never finish it. It's fresh and plentiful. Thank goodness for styrofoam take home tubs. Now that they have appended a sports bar type of setting, I hope to see them open earlier on the weekends, and may be consider opening on Sunday and close Tuesday like other nearby Japanese venues.
i looooooooooooooove the sake tempura roll!
