Robata Grill & Sushi
- Hours:
Mon 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sun 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
233 reviews
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
"I thought it wasn't going to be as good as it turned out, due to the recent bad reviews here. We came here at around 6 on a Friday night,…" read more »
32 Reviews for Robata Grill & Sushi
My new favorite restaurant is Robata Grill & Sushi in Mill Valley. Not that I ate there. They let me use their phone and ladies room when my engine popped en route to the city.
One of the last four or five people without a cell phone or a reliable car, I stood outside on the corner, cold night, lamenting these facts and others, waiting for my rescue. The people on the other side of the windows seemed warm, happy, well-fed, and yeah, a little bit rich. I was wearing my sexiest skirt and my rabbit. Late for a gig. Probably looked, from the inside out, like a prostitute.
We had dinner here while visiting our friends over the weekend. Food was tasty. We didn't order sushi so no reviews or comparison can be made. We did order the chicken teriyaki, udon, vegetable tempura and it was all pretty good. A nice little joint and a nice alternative to the taste bud in the tiny town of Mill Valley.
Happy eating
I was very happy with my sushi experience here. We went the day after valentine's day after finding Sushi Ran in sausalito more than packed. The food was really good, especially this salad which featured little shrimp and cucumbers. Miso, good, Nigiri, fresh, rolls, delicious.
Our server was very attentive and friendly and we got seated in a little nook in the corner so our dining was nearly private - perfect for the romantic setting we were going for. I hope to return as soon as I have the money to do so!
Possibly the best tasting Albacore Nigiri I've ever had.
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Robata should be renamed "Robotic." Their sushi is a very sorry excuse for food. It is not fresh, doesn't taste good, the rice isn't made the right way and it is a very overrated boring place to go. I think some years ago it was good, and must be riding on its old reputation and the fact that is has a captive office building audience. Not at all recommended.
Authentic Japanese in Marin. This may be the only place. Yu shang & Dai don't even compare.
Nice service, great lunch specials. Very good.
We've been eating here for years.
Before having children, we preferred the atmosphere at Sushi Ran. We could sit at the Bar and catch a movie nearby. Then, one day, we took friends with a Baby. Sushi Ran was pretty rude to our group. Since having Children of our own, we've gone years between visits to Sushi Ran.
Unlike Sushi Ran, the Robata Grill is kid friendly, has the same quality sushi (as they buy their fish from the same source), a bigger non-sushi menu, and easy parking. About the only reason to go to Sushi Ran over the Robata is if you want to impress a date, wait a long time for your table or a seat at the bar, and walk around the neighborhood.
Regarding Children, we've seen them at the bar. However, their preference is to seat families in the back corner where kids can be kids. Given that not everyone has children, I think that it's more than fair to try to separate the noisy children from the other diners.
Given the age of our children, we usually order take out. Except for the tempura, everything travels well to the house.
Amongst our sushi favorites are the Marin Roll and Unaten Roll. The quality of the sushi is outstanding.
Tip - If you eat sushi a lot, get the Robata Card. It gives you 10% off your order for a whole year.
I took my sales associate here for her birthday lunch, because neither of us had our cars and it's right next to our office. The food was excellent. Some of the best sashimi I've put in my mouth. Miso soup, standard, but good. Pricey for Redwood Hwy in Mill Valley, but the quality of the fish was well worth it. I mean there is a Ferrari and Maserati dealership a hundred yards away.
Now for the service. Slow, and inattentive. No less than four people assisted serving our table, but since it was the end of the lunch rush servers relaxed to much and were not paying attention that we had finished, that we needed the check, etc... Four stars next time if the service improves, but I will just likely sit at the sushi bar and hang with the guys who actually make it happen, the sushi chefs.
Fast sushi chef's, but stick with the sushi as the other food not so good. Best Unagi I have had in years-ordered the "Robata Roll" for fun-the soft shelled crab in it was too salty-easy to find, close to the Acqua Hotel-decent Miso-great tea. I think you can probably do better in downtown Mill Valley...
winner - seared shiro maguro tataki in ponzu. stylish setting with a japanese robata grill in front of the bar patrons. they serve the dishes from the grill to the diners at the bar via a boat paddle. nice selection of sake too. worth a second visit to try more dishes.
I love Robata but rarely order sushi here. My favorite meal here is the Chicken Katsu... to die for! They also have grilled rice balls (onigiri) that are quite tasty and I haven't seen them on the menu elsewhere. My husband really likes their seaweed salad, with kind of a mayonnaise-type dressing over various kinds of seaweed. I also like the coconut tapiocca pudding desert with fresh raspberry sauce-very tasty.
My best tip: you can order ahead and pick up to eat at home!
I took myself out to lunch the other day and since this place is about 1/2 mile from where I work I decided to give it a try. I am pretty selective about Sushi since when it is good it is GREAT and when it is bad it HORRIBLE. Plus it has been my experince if you walk in to a Sushi place and you can smell fish it ain't gonna be good.... NO oder... None.. zip... nada... I was happy!
When I walked in the door I was greeted with a wonderful smile and a sense that I had been a regular for years... but since this was my first time I can only imagine how gracious they must always be.
I was very happy with the my selection. I had the spicy tuna roll and it was fantastic. Fresh Fresh Fresh is the operative word. The portion was huge and for $6.25 it took me most of the afternoon to eat it. I love miso soup and their miso was terrific just enough tofu to make it a perfect blend of miso and protein.
It is a very pretty place inside, clean and comfortable. I hope you enjoy your visit as much as I did mine.
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The first dinner on last Sunday night was unbelievable. The second one on last Friday was still good. I hope the third visit would hold the goodness. We mostly ordered off of the special menu, which seems to change slightly every week.
Shiro Maguro (white tuna) Tataki was one of the best, but it was better the first night. We had to get the second order. Assari (clam) soup was pretty good. Satsuma (sweet potato) tempura, one of the second night's special, was also very good. Wakame (seaweed) salad was good and plenty. Uni was above average. Yellow tail nigiri was good. Ikura (salmon roe) was OK, but a bit salty. Grilled shake toro (fatty salmon) was good but really fatty.
On the other hand, the Hella roll was too dry. Spicy tuna roll wasn't very spicy w/ not so fresh tuna. Same goes for the poke tuna (?) appetizer. Not worth the price.
Oh BTW, the tapioca pudding with raspberry was heavenly. Not to mention the mo-chi ice cream. Both strawberry and green tea ice cream filling seemed to be home made as well as the skin.
Underwhelmed.
I read very good things about the sushi here from fellow Yelpers and even had a personal recommedation from my masseuse. I'm not sure if I just went there on the wrong night, but the sushi was just not that great. We ordered sushi rolls and sashimis and were disappointed in the freshness of the sushi and the overall taste as well as the amount of fish they give you.
There are other things on their menu and I noticed that many diners were ordering the entrees rather than the sushi. I gave them an extra star because they're not just a sushi bar and have other things in the menu that I probably should have tried. Heck, our miso soup was good and the awesome mango mochi ice cream made us forget the miserable sushi experience, so maybe the three stars is really for that.
I'd check out Sushi Ran in Sausalito or King of Roll in Larkspur if you're not Marin and want good sushi.
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I've been to the Robata countless times and it's always consistently good in terms of food and service. It's a somewhat large restaurant, and I think they could do with a bit of a revamping. It's not that cheap either, and I think they could step it up a notch in terms of decor. But that's just a nit-picky thing, Robata's pretty solid.
Update: They forgot the extra ginger again. I always tip yet they forget the one request I make. I need my ginger.
I've only had Lunch at the Robata, and I do Take-out, so I can't say much about the atmosphere.
The Food is a hit or miss. The Lunch speacials are a good deal, you get soup and house salad (love the salad). The Salmon and chicken teryaki are a good choice. I've had the chicken, onion, and egg plate, but the chicken is always dry.
The sushi is overly priced, even for lunch, so I don't get it.
Love the cranes above the cashier. Great idea.
If you're looking for a good lunch deal, this is the place.
Awesomeness.
I love Robata. Love love love it. No lame ass sushi boats here--this is the real deal. The hamachi sashimi is always fresh and generous on the portions--probably the best I've ever had. I'm a huge fan of the beef asparamaki--thinly sliced steak wrapped around asparagus, grilled and served with teriyaki sauce. The tuna tataki is excellent as is the Marin roll and the soft shell crab. Basically, you can not go wrong with anything at Robata--sushi or grilled food off the Robata, its all damn good. You'll become a regular--trust me.
The Service was horrible the Sushi Bad, I will not be going back.
I am so sad to be so far from my Robata. I love everything about this place, even the fact that it's right next to the freeway. The owners are super nice and the fish, especially their salmon sashimi, is always delicious. Since moving away 6 months ago, I still haven't found a restaurant that serves such wonderful food.
I'll tell you what I miss:
That Roll. It must have some crack in it because I always want more
Unagi Rice Balls: They don't make it too often, but when they do, get them! Another reviewer put it so kindly as "All you need to know is to just get their balls in your mouth? True.
Wakame Salad: Can't find here in LA. O where o where is my Wakame?
Light Cheesecake Desert: I know it sounds weird, but it's cold fluffy sweetness in your mouth.
To sum it up. I miss you Robata Grill & Sushi, your service, your food, your reasonable prices.
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All you need to know is to just get their balls in your mouth.
They have these rice balls grilled with special sauce that I used to be addicted to. I don't know what the sauce is and I'm sure there is zero nutritional value involved, but they are delicious crispy rice nuggets piping hot from the grill that I have not found offered anywhere else.
The robata grill is a great compliment to the sushi, adding grilled specialties made for some nice dinner combinations. I loved having the option of augmenting the more standard Japanese dishes and sushi with veggies and Beef Asparamaki full of flavor from the open grill. The set up at the sushi bar is pretty cute too, it is designed to resemble a boat and the chef passes food to you across the expanse with a big oar. It's not the most personal sushi chef service since they are so far away and do not really speak with you, but it works - rowed but not rude.
I've had many good meals at Robata over the years, in the restaurant and to go (be warned that if you get the rice balls to go to ask that they be wrapped in foil, otherwise they melt the Styrofoam and it tastes awful - had lots ruined that way) I actually haven't been to any other Robata style restaurants and have no idea if there are any others in the area but I would love a good one in SF - please PM me if you know of one.
Addendum: My 5 stars is based on the rice balls and my prior experience with Robata in the past, however I am sorry to see that based on the other reviews the sushi quality/sanitation standards may be lacking more recently. I cannot remark on that as I have not been to Robata for at least a year but please bear it in mind.
UPDATE: Heard it through the grapevine that an excellent sushi chef I know has started to work there, so definitely give Robata a try.
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Robata is my favorite sushi place in the Bay Area. My boyfriend and I will cross the bridge just to eat here. The atmosphere is comfortable and you can either dine at a table or at the extra long sushi bar. The staff are gracious hosts and the chefs are amazing. Robata means grill and they do a fabulous job of grilling rice balls, vegetables and meats. Their sushi rolls and sashimi are always fresh and tasty. And their green tea washes it down just right. They also have a nice selection of sakes and Japanese beers. It is a great place to go with a group or for a dinner date. The crunchy spicy tuna roll is amazing and I might have to go to rehab so as not to be so addicted. Arrigato.
I think Robata's been shortchanged on this site so far--whenever I go, the service is excellent. The hamachi sashimi is especially good, and they always give you big fat pieces for reasonable prices...in fact, all of the sashimi is great, with good cuts that are never old/chewy/gross like at some other sushi places you might try. They also have a yummy selection of grilled veggies/meats, and their tempura is perfectly crispy and delicious like it should be (at other restaurants, I've had way too much tempura with powdery or soggy uncooked stuff still there under the fried part). The poki salad is amazing, but it's a special, so you have to catch it on the right day. Definitely try this place, cuz there's a reason there are always lines out the door on weekends!
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yum! We had a hankering for sushi and thought....sushi? Let's try a new place! What a great plan.
Robata is one of those places I had always heard " great sushi, but you pay for it" Well we took the risk and away we went.
Walking in there is a table filled with all the specials of the night, they are not plastic like a lot of sushi places offerings. I touched the smoked salmon and asparagus roll to be sure. It all looked amazing.
We sat at a table in the dining area and I wished we had sat at the counter, they hand you your dinner on a huge oar-like paddle. No waiter needed at all. The chefs are all visible and looked friendly, smiling at everyone (or just when I looked at them and smiled)
We ordered several rolls and nigiri, and a fat platter of sashimi. The waiter brought our sake and we waited. And waited. And waited.
After about 20 minutes, we were rewarded with two massive platters of food. Wow the table was far too small for what we ordered. We happily tackled the sashimi first.
Large succulent, almost too big pieces of fish melted in our mouths. Wow I was so blown away at the delicate simplicity of the food we had before us, I even ate the mackerel. I hate mackerel, but this was buttery and rich.
The smoked salmon nigiri was fresh, they house-smoke it and it was lip smacking delightful. The Geoduck was chewy and devoid of flavor, but still a treat. I only wanted to try it because I had read about it in a book when I was twelve and we debated the name for a few minutes.
The spicy tuna toll was that, but great also! All the food was fresh and such a treat, we felt drunk with food and filled with goodness we ambled home.
One star off only because all the food arrived at the same time, not what I usually am used to when I eat sushi. I like when dishes arrive staggered so I have time to wait for the next platter to arrive.
For the two of us it was about 100$ with tip, I will be visiting here again. I hope tomorrow, but I don't want to become jaded, so I will wait.
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This has always been, by far, my favorite restaurant in Marin. Everyone loves this place. Great atmosphere, casual, inexpensive (hard to find an inexpensive good restaurant in Marin!), and there is an extensive menu for non-sushi people. Great lunch combo and have rarely had to wait too long for a place to sit. Lately, however, I've wondered also about their sanitation standards. The last time I ate there, everything tasted fresh, but I had to...um...stay home for a while afterwards...catch my drift? Stick to cooked items until they figure it out. It's still a great place, and perfect for first dates.
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eh, nothing great. Will not go there again.
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To be clear, and fair, I give Robata good marks for lunch eats, not so good for dinner...very disappointing for dinner.
Having been to Robata for lunch many a times, I ventured there for dinner with a pal of mine one night as it was late and our options were few. One of the tragedies of living in suburbia. My pal is a long time friend visiting from San Diego and delighted our late night option was to be sushi. Having had lunch there, I wasn't too concerned we would encounter food disasters...welp, I was wrong.
Robata staffers are friendly and you are usually seated quickly. I have never had to wait for a table here, which is nice. Being relatively late for Marin, we were seated in the usual friendly, quick manner. I ordered two small saparro's and attempted to order a small bottle of the cold sake, which turned into a confusing 10 minute discussion at which one point our waitress' eyes glazed over and said they had good kinds. Ummm, that's great- were they filtered, unfiltered? Did any resemble what I had described (shamefully, I had forgotten the name of the brand I love so and was only able to describe the bottle and label in perfect detail) I got a shrug and point with her pen to the general area of the fridge. Could I see what was in there? No, Nancy, being that the fridge is across the restaurant, I don't - can you help a sister out out and just bring the ONE blue bottle you said you had? She looked at me for 3.8 seconds like I might have asked if she could strip naked and serve us in her birthday suit. My patience waring down, I casually look around the not-so-crowded restaurant and added, "if she had a minute to spare of course". Something must have connected and she immediately snapped to attention and brought back the blue bottle she said they had ... which was actually a frosted white bottle with blue lettering. Forget it already, I just want some alcohol with my meal - so yes, yes, just pour it, whatever. That's when San Diego Sally said she's not having any. Oh my freakin' goodness people. The waitress must have felt my aura go black as she kindly informed me that they offer carafe's for folks who don't want the whole bottle. Sure. I'll go for it. The carafe is an interesting glass bottle that is cool to look at and disastrous in function. The carafe is teardrop in shape with a hollowed out center resembling a bowl- this is to accommodate ice cubes...that melted and ended up spilling all over the table and my meal each time I poured into my little sake glass. Ugh and Argh. I gave up on the sake and stuck with sapparos for the duration of our meal.
We were starved and ended up ordering about 7 different things (I know, I know, we're little pigs). It was hit or miss-some were good, some were substandard on all accounts. San Diego Sally LOVES ginger and started wolfing hers down as soon as the plates hit the table, I thought it odd that she suddenly stopped about halfway through- there's never any ginger left on anyone's plate when she's around. Then I noticed it. A small oval shape amidst the pinky carvings of this zesty delight. She's forgiving about this sort of thing, I am a dramatic. I asked what was on her ginger and she quickly turned it over and said nothing as beer blew out her nose from trying to stifle a laugh. I asked if my eyes had failed me, or was it some sort of wing? She shook her head up and down as she continued to struggle against the laughter being forced in as her face turned purple. I set my chopsticks aside and she quietly composed herself and begged me to just let it go. No problem, it wasn't on my plate- although I did carefully inspect the remainder of my food before I ate it.
I realize I've babbled on, so in closing, I will finally put some defined clarity to my evaluation of Robata. I will continue to go here for lunch as it's very close to the office I work and you can always get in without a wait and get served up pretty quickly. The food has always been presented very well and seems to be fresh. They have a pretty large lunch menu and are flexible with switching out the preassigned lunchtime specials.
I will not ever go here for dinner again. Dinner dining at Robata has a completely different feel than lunch. From staffers, to attentiveness, to the food itself. Food delivery takes longer, despite the restaurant being less crowded than I've seen at lunch. Once the food arrives it seems to have been prepared haphazardly and in a rush. To be fair, the fish remained fresh tasting. Attentive service was NOT a plus in the dinner hour. I give NO stars for the wait staff keeping a keen eye on our beverages. My pet peeve is an empty glass during dinner, which happened three times. One of us had to flag down the bussers to seek out our waitress each time, which bummed me out. Definitely a go for the lunch time fare, but for dinner I'm going to seek out an alternative.
This place is very accomdating. I order a seaweed raped around cucumbers and crab, no rice. So Good. ALl veggies are grilled, I suggest the corn on the cob. Big restaurant, ...can dress up or dress down. Good for first dates.
Updated on 6/6/6.
Returned here with a friend who is a regular here. Sure, I was skeptical but felt that things have gotten a little bit better. Still, the focus is more on quantity than quality, and the food in general is pretty well uninspiring. Perhaps it's no surprise that the menu hasn't changed that I can remember for at least 6 years.
I'm upgrading my rating from 2-stars (I'd go only if I have to) to 3-stars (I'd go if I want convenience) but there is much better food to be had just minutes away.
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Pleasant environment, but mediocre food at best with questionable sanitation standards. I've complained about stale chopped onions which were probably a week old to no avail. I had also been served raw fish which had been obviously refrozen. Is it that I am that picky? I guess I am, but while I would have loved to have a Japanese restaurant without having to cross the bridge, this doesn't pass my minimum standard.
For sushi, I'd recommend going a few miles north to Akira in San Francisco.
Really great Japanese food with ample parking. Weekends can be a bit crowded but weeknights aren't a problem. Their prices can be a bit on the steep side but their miso soup is definitely the best of any Japanese restaurant I've tried. Great food from the grill and the sashimi that I tried seemed pretty fresh.
The food is fine for Marin. Nothing special, but solid sushi with large portions. BUT if you're looking for a family restaurant, this is not your place. There are a couple of prominently placed signs near the front door admonishing parents to control their children, and they tend to seat families with kids together in the back. Not a good kid vibe. Odd, given how kid friendly Japan itself is.
yummm... yumm yumm...
domo arrigato mr. robata!
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the service and quality of food here is very good. they retain the same employees and it is nice to see the same nice people serving you. only downfall is screaming marin kids which we drowned out with sake!!
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