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Categories: Jazz & Blues, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPAMon-Wed. 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Thu-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Yoshi's is rapidly becoming a bay area institution. Top notch entertainment, astonishing bartenders. Knowledgeable barkeep named waide helped me navigate the drink page which was a list of classic cocktails abridged to suite the modern atmosphere/pallet.
Sometimes a better time can be had on weeknights when it isn't quite as busy. I poke my head in for a quick drink just to see if I am compatible with the act. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - but always worth a try.
The food.....hm.....too americanized...too...just too much.
The ambiance: great.
The shows: great.
I'd say go for shows, and grab a couple drinks at the bar.
After multiple visits, Yoshi's continues to deliver a consistent experience. The staff is extremely professional and friendly, and you can tell they really focus on emphasizing customer service.
I stuck with Sashimi, and was not disappointed. The food came out relatively quickly, and was well-presented by the chef. I intended to snap a photo, but the thought of diving in distracted me.
I recommend staying for a Jazz show if you can. It's an intimate setting and the performance, at least the night I was there, was passionate. Most of the seating is first-come, first-serve, and the line outside gets sort of long, so try to get there early.
The place was bustling on a Sunday night. Great atmosphere. We came for dinner-had sushi and a kobe burger which were all excellent. The drinks were good too! Service was attentive.
We plan on coming back for the jazz next time.
Here for another party. Nothing bad, but hummm... waiting more than 20 minutes for a drink killed all the passion for anything else in the rest of the night. Well, not really. Still filled with such pleasant surprised but nothing do with this place. Music from Donovan presented was cheesy as always, isn't it? Anyway, yes, I've experienced better, much better. Couldn't give more than 2 stars...
It's so frustrating that my neighborhood has so many restaurants that I wish would do well for itself but just isn't up to par!!! I've been here a couple times for dinner and drinks (never been here for a concert) and the food is just so disappointing!! It's such a shame since the venue is nice and the music is good. I know this restaurant is probably not catered to me (a true Japanese American who loves the real deal when it comes to Japanese cuisine) but gosh, I just wish the food could be a little better. I feel like the fish is almost frozen when I get it and I have to let it thaw before I can start eating it! That just isn't good. And not serving tea immediately just isn't Japanese custom! Lastly, our waiter the last time I went was so inattentive and awkward. Sigh...sorry guys...
We came by on a Sunday and the scene was pretty dead, but by the time we left, a decent crowd had formed by the lounge area's stage and an act was just starting to perform. Bummer cuz I had thought that Yoshi's was stragetically set-up so that everyone who was wining and dining would be immersed in a show. Not so, here. There's a divider between the dining area and the lounge area.
Buuut, nonetheless we were all so happy w/ our dining experience there.
Highlight dishes:
* Kobe Beef "Sushi": lightly grilled tri-tip, Japanese eggplant, Bloomsdale spinach, sweet miso sauce. A MUST order. There was just the right hint of miso sauce topping the sushi and the beef slices were nice and tender.
* Japones Sushi Roll: maguro and hamachi, cilantro, jalapeño, avocado, chili oil, tobiko, lime. This was one of those fat ass rolls that are sliced real thick. Normally I'm not a fan of sushi prepared like this, but wow. This was one of my favorites of the evening.
* Organic Heirloom Beet Salad: My friend ordered this and we all had major food envy.
* Organic Seasonal Vegetable Tenpura (synonymous w/ "Tempura"): Ours included pumpkin & some other unique Japanese veggies lightly battered & fried to a nice crispiness.
And to make the dinner that much more complete.... my Deerfield Cuvee Merlot selection from Sonoma was a total winner. It had lots of fruit and really soft tannins that paired well with the Kobe Beef. I can't wait to track that sucker down!
Our server was very attentive and so was the rest of the staff. They always kept our water glasses full and our plates cleared and we loved how they showed some personality w/ their entertaining banter.
1 of the 2 only hang-ups we encountered was the order of how the food was served. My friend didn't get her appetizer salad until the very end of the meal. And.. although we enjoyed all the dishes we ordered, we were surprised that they were already out of their 2 most popular dishes (Dayboat Diver Scallops and Gindara Black Cod), especially when it was so empty inside their restaurant.
All in all though, Yoshi's is an attractive space, serves delicious food, and has great service! I'd definitely come back again.
great ambiance, freshly prepared food, pleasant private dining with good service
not "authentic" but good nonetheless
this area location has been cleaned up
sampled sendai miso, edamame soy, kakiage
maki sushi japanese, banzai, spider
then black cod (sweet) and kurobota pork loin
rounded out with cinnamon and sugar donuts (still warm), profiteroles, coconut macaroon, and chocolate bon bons
for a set menu, nicely done entrees and dessert mix
Enjoy music?
Looking for an intimate setting for a music venue?
Want to relax in a chair and eat some good sushi at the same time?
Are you sure?
**head nodding**
Are you sure?
**head nodding more vigorously**
It's definitely a great place to see a jazz performance. Shawn Colvin was performing that evening. Great show! If you order food you can't get the full sushi menu at the music venue, but what's available is still good. Service was friendly and on point. There is a drink minimum BTW.
I went there last night for the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and I have to say I am now a fan of them, and of this establishment. Fantastic place in the city! The concert section is organized nicely, the word of advice though: if you don't have assigned seating (and pay extra for that service), you really need to get there early to avoid being shoved somewhere in the back.
We showed up there early, 9:20 for the 10 o'clock performance, and at first I thought we were silly to come so early, but when I looked back the line was out the door within minutes, so needless to say, arrive with time to spare.
After the concert which was AWESOME we went into the lounge and listened to the jazz band. It was incredible. If you enjoy live music, and especially jazz, this is the place for you. We didn't really try the drinks (I'm a dry martini kinda gal) but everyone else seemed to be sipping something pretty and delish, so I would have to guess that the drinks are good. We tried some sushi, and it was yummy.
My only complaint about the location is that parking is hard to come by, and for concerts with dancing involved, the dance floor space is somewhat small, but when comparing that to the rest of the experience, who cares?!
So get your tushy over to Yoshi's, have some sushi and listen to some incredible music!
I came here for a Donovan Promotions Club Party a few weeks ago. Apparently my SF bros say Donovan throws the sickest parties up there?
Anyways the club itself was sick. It was just the right size big enough to comfortable walk around and work the room. They got an upstairs lounge and a main dance floor that was big and another seperate bar lounge area. That night there were good number of fine ladies and everyone was dressed upscale like it was the Grammy Awards or something.
I did not eat there but I heard the food was pretty good as well.
When I think of fine dining, venues like Yoshi's come to mind.
The decor is modern and upbeat. The staff is efficient in the sense that they're moving around a lot but you can't really tell because before you know it, a dirty plate is gone and water glass is refilled in a blink of an eye.
The Asian Fusion food here is delicious. I had the Kobe beef sashimi, the scallops (posted pictures too) and a round of mackerel sashimi. I ended the meal with some creme brulee and a bottle of red wine (whose brand I can't recall at the moment). In addition to the taste of their food, presentation was excellent as well, I really appreciated the healthy cuts of sashimi that I received. There are really no complaints to be made, the entire experience was excellent.
We had also planned to see the jazz show but didn't make it on time, still we could hear it from where we were sitting next door. If you're in the area, definitely check this place out if you're up for some fine Asian fusion dining.
Cheers
Service: No reservation but we were seated right away. (Thursday night). We asked by the hostess, the other dude behind her & eventually both waitresses that helped us if we were here for the jazz show. No we weren't. I guess they have to ask. Our server was really nice, checked up a lot. Didn't refill our drinks but whatever no biggie. It got confusing when the other servers would show up to our table asking if we ordered something in particular but gave us the totally wrong name for the item. So, it was our food but since she said something else, we were like.. no. not ours.
Food: I was expecting the tuna tower to look more like a tower but it looked like a salad with tuna thrown in. I ordered the Saikyo Miso Salmon which didn't really taste like anything. My bf ordered the Black Angus Ribeye which looked good, but from what he says.. wasn't worth the price. Another thing was that it was soaking in miso broth so the meat looked all mushy.
That was it, nothing major to talk about. The place was beautiful, great date spot.. but it was just ok.
The only complaint I have about Yoshi's is that it requires a U-turn when heading over from JapanTown/Fillmore area (don't let the cops catch you!).
Beautiful decor, great food (especially the pop-in-your-mouth ikura), good service, and great jazz in the separate music room.
Strictly for the club- will review food another time.
I brought my mom to see Shawn Colvin here last night. If you are a Shawn Colvin fan and are reading this review as of 10/14- GO! She is here tonight and tomorrow, tickets are $30.
Shawn did not pay me for the above plug btw.
You see, Shawn and I basically grew up together. As in, every memory I have of songs in my childhood that don't involve ABCs or Jerry Garcia involve "sunny came home", "shotgun", or "steady."
I digress...
Outside of the fact that this Yoshis is within walking distance of mi casa, I like it much better than its original counterpart across the pond.
Great seating structure- every seat in the house seems to have great views to the stage. I highly recommend paying an extra $10/ticket for them to hold your seat. Avoids you at least getting the shaft to the back of the room. I also love that they have Stormy Weather on their drink menu- made the whole evening even more appropo.
This is our second year of doing a Jazz Club for Tony's Birthday Dinner - I am pleased with my decision to go with Yoshi's on the recommendation of a handful of SF friends.
Let's start with the reservation process..
This was very simple to do in advanced. I really like the way you can reserve actual SEATS in the Jazz Club if you book dinner reservations & purchase tickets. I did NOT like the $46 "handling" fees...seriously??? What did you have to handle that costs almost more than the ticket???
The restaurant was delicious. I love the open kitchen & the ambiance. I ordered the little lobster appetizer popper things. SOOOOOO good. This pretty much filled me up. For an entree I ordered the black cod which is printed as 6 ounces but I'm pretty sure was closer to 10 ounces.
I also ordered their uni which tasted fresh and came out quickly after ordering. Also their little beidets (sp?) for dessert were scrumptious - they are "fancy" little donut holes.
The actual show, Lewis Ramsey Trio, was AMAZING. Their drummer kicked major butt and Ramsey was smooth as ever. We had great seats & the audience was well engaged & respectful (ie not talking the whole time).
I went to Yoshi's last week to see Kaweh, and a couple months ago to see Mike Stern and the Yellow Jackets.
Both performances were top notch. I had an excellent time, and the company was hip, classy, and downright groovy. Ok, so I just broke up with my boyfriend too, so anytime I have out with people other than him can be described that way by me...
But, I highly recommend you find a performance that suites your musical taste and GO! You will not be disappointed.
I can't speak for the restaurant, but if the food is as pricy as the drinks I think I'll pass. Especially given how amazing some of the nearby places are for catching a quick bite.
Cheers!!
Took a date here for dinner and the show.
Food Review
Ok. Nothing spectacular in terms of the food. If you're looking for big portions don't come here. I like the set-up, fairly intimate and open kitchens are always near and dear to my heart. Except the hostess seated us right in front of the kitchen..which I thought was cool at first. Until I realized whenever the hostesses brought people in they greeted the kitchen and everyone in the kitchen greeted back (In Japanese welcome or hello?). So I'd recommend not sitting next to the kitchen unless you're ok with every 5 minutes someone screaming some words!
Show / Music Review
I saw a Talib Kwelib and Idle Warship show which was great. I always like hip hop artists, vocals mixed in with a live band! Venue was small and intimate and we got front row tables. We were right next to the speakers which can prove to be a bit loud for some. Remember, it's a one drink minimum per person and if you take the early show (8pm) they tend to kick you out within ~15 minutes so they can clean/prep for the later show. Had to down some beers fast!
Btw, you don't have to dress up. It says 'dressy' here but as long as you don't come in shorts you're ok. Sneakers are allowed.
In reality, i would give Yoshi's 3 stars IF i was basing my review on the food alone. But because they have live entertainment, im kicking it up an extra star. I went on their first night of Songwriters Sunday. I was told the first band was going to be to my liking (i have unique taste in music) but i was pleasantly surprised that ALL the artists performing this night were outstanding (i left with 3 cds). And to top it off, they're all local! Weather Pending, Jenifer Faust and Franchesca Lee - you three have voices that would shame angels. Each one of these ladies could sing the pants right off you and the instrumentals left you in this trance of wanting more.
The only thing i didnt enjoy so much was the tight squeeze in the lounge area. Even though we were front row, it was extremely cramped. But can you really complain when you're listening to great music live? Probably not.
FYI - Kelli Dayton (from Sneaker Pimps) will be performing here next month....and i'll be front row again.
Doesn't quite have the local feel of the Yoshi's in Jack London Square. This one is definitely bigger, flashier, and definitely doesn't have as good service.
I came to see Idle Warship in the jazz side. I did notice that the sound was really good! I am by no means a musical person and I kind of think at times I am tone deaf but this is the first time that I did notice that the music just sounded really good... I mean aside from the performers being awesome.
Now the worst part was our waitress. She got to every table around ours until maybe the last 15 minutes of the show. She took our orders, we waited, the drinks still didn't come, so we left. Plus her service came with a bit of a bad attitude so we were glad to save us each the one drink minimum. That's 9 drinks + tax + tip out on you sucka!
I can count the number of awesome places for Japanese food on all 10 of my fingers in the bay area. So when my BFF wanted to come here, I was a little hesitant because of the price; BUT it was my BFF's birthday and ... well birthday boys get what they want on their birthdays.
All of our party didn't show up, so the few of us hung out at the bar. I had an amazing drink called L'Poire to start off the night. MMMMMMMM. You gotta try it!
We started off with veggie & lobster tempuras. OMG ... the veggie tempura? The batter was amazingly light & crispy and the lobster tempura was good, but nothing to "OMG" about =b. For entrees, I had the rib eye (very good), my friend to the left had the lamb chops (better than the rib eye) and my friend to the right had the half chicken (very tender and tasty). Thinking about it just makes me salivate ...
The service was very good & attentive, but it was a birthday party ... so I wouldn't know how good the service is until I go there with just another person. Will update on service when I go back there again.
Japanese food with live jazz music? SCORE!!! Will come back here again and again and again ...
My wife and I consider Yoshi's the finest Japanese restaurant in San Francisco, and one of the best in the US! Authentic cuisine, impeccably fresh fish, and great service are the norm, which keeps us coming back.
Moreover, Greg Washington, the ever-smiling and eternally polite host is a joy to interact with. He always greets customers by name, ensures that our meal progresses in a desirable way, and is attentive to every concern-a better person you will not find!
We salute the management, dining and server teams for doing such a great job day in and day out, and recommend sushi lovers try both a plate of sashimi and nigiri (hamachi and uni are amazing, but everything is good!) and numerous cooked dishes. along with a flight of sake. You will be transported to the land of the rising sun for culinary bliss, under Greg's watchful eye, without the need for a painful time change adjustment.
We will be back soon!
Everything about this place was PERFECT!
Ambiance was stunning, and food was just as beautiful. Portions were perfect and the flavors delicate. The menu was varied and their special was indeed that. We ordered the tuna carpaccio which was so smooth and buttery it melted in your mouth. We also ordered a salad that had a soy balsamic dressing and kobe beef. I ordered the Sweet Braised pork ribs which I was able to eat without a fork because the meat was so tender.
I thought Yoshi's was amazing and although they were busy, I couldn't understand why there weren't more people there. I guess the only feasible reason would be because they never heard of Yoshi's before.
If you haven't been, GO!!!!
Yoshi's is an all around good place. If you have friends in town who like sushi and you can't get a reservation at any of the major hot-spots, Yoshi's is a great alternative. Overall their food has been pretty darn good on my multiple visits there, and my friends have also enjoyed themselves. The ambiance is nice and one time, when they didn't have the bottle of wine we ordered and thought they did, we had the somalier herself come over and offer us a NICER bottle of a similar nature for the price of the bottle we ordered. Now that's service! They have a pretty nice and large bar as well if you just want some tasty drinks. Check it out particularly if you're a fan of Sake.
Came here for a business dinner last night -- great place!
The food was absolutely amazing!! I was impressed with every single dish -- which is rare. Awesome music, beautiful modern decor, and top notch service. PERFECT!
Some of our favorites (everything)....scallops, ribeye, carpaccio, pork, sushi, sashimi, lobster tempura blossoms, garlic edamame, kobe beef and egglant, roasted vegetables.
Dessert was perfect.....green tea creme brulee, trio of ice cream, and bignets.
I really like how you can see the entire kitchen and the chefs acknowledge the diners when walking by.
I am already thinking about when I want to come back! Not only is the restaurant amazing, there is a very chic bar/lounge on the other side which looks like a cool place to chill, listen to music, and have some drinks.
We are long time Yoshi's patrons - dating back to the Claremont Avenue days! This weekend we visited the Yoshi's SF for the first time to catch Ramsey Lewis - who was wonderful as expected - and have some dinner before the show.
The food was great - creative and tasty. The service was not so great - we waited a total of 40 minutes to get our dinner. Everyone around us got quick and efficient service - we were pretty much ignored until the first dish arrived and I borrowed the soy sauce from the table next to us! I think they noticed we were annoyed and the rest of the meal came in a flurry of activity with an extra calamari dish as a "gift" from the chef. No verbal apology but then why draw more attention to your mistake?
The service in the bar was adequate - but I think they need more cocktail servers in the club - We had to wait for our bill after the concert was over and many people were finishing their drinks then so to Yoshi - staff up the club!!
For those who consider Yoshi's expensive - your right! For us it is a date night thing so once in awhile we splurge. There are many sushi houses of equal quality at a much lower price point - but none of them have Ramsey Lewis playing in the next room!
I will start with a three star rating with the hope that we will be able upgrade it when we visit next - because we will be back for a concert and we will try dinner once again - but only once!
More like 3.5 stars. The only thing that I would ding Yoshi's is for the lack of open seating. Our party of 4 wandered upstairs and down looking for non-reserved seats. None existed and the staff seemed clueless. Finally, they got their act together and pulled chairs out for several people who were in the same predicament.
Fortunately, we got front row seats to Adam Theis's Brass Bows and Beats hip hop symphony which I strongly encourage you to check out!! It is an intimate venue so the sound was incredible.
Check out the bar after the show. There's an upstairs bar as well with a DJ. Definitely a great spot for drinks and a show.
We caught the 10 o'clock showing of Les Nubians here at Yoshi's and sat in the front row. They were the best seats in the whole house, felt upclose and personal. TSC will never be the same again. Looking forward to this coming weekend's Foreign Exchange's midnight show.
Definitely get the "wet" Yoshi house sake. ;o) The waitstaff are friendly, courteous and down to earth. Loved the modern and sexy ambiance and decor of the bar outside of the concert hall.
Loved Yoshi's sound system as it blew out eargasms from the soul.
The first time I went to this SF location over a year ago, I have to say that although the food was good, the service, or I should say our server at the restaurant was very poor. He was a total snooty patooty and suggested way too much food for us. It's not that we can't afford to pay but it was just too much food to eat, and we didn't need the bad attitude for the price we paid.
The shows on the other hand, have been consistantly great. Time management, seating and waitress service were all good in the jazz club.
Yes, I've been back to the restaurant a few more times after the first trial. It's just easier to eat there before the shows. And I love Japanese food. Recently we (the same group of friends from the first trial) went back to Yoshi's and noticed a significantly changed attitude and all the servers were very friendly and pleasant.
I am so glad they finally got it!! Times are tough, you need not be rude to the paying customers! Thank You!!
Only came for the jazz club. Great venue, very nice elegant decor, nice atmosphere. Will definitely come again.
One order minimum in the jazz club, had the spicy tuna roll, which was very good. Decent selection of beers, bottled and on draft. Be sure to get there early to get a good seat if you buy general admission.
Hopefully can eat in the dining room soon.
Went for the first time to experience Idol Warhip's performance. At first I was impressed by the size and the decor. The staircase is amazing..but as soon as I got my seat for the show, I wasn't impressed any longer by the stains on the all the seats. Yuck.
It waited for about 25 minutes to get my beer. I guess it was worth the wait, but I waited so long I couldn't have ordered another one if I wanted to.
Also the crowd at the venue made the Bay Area look lame. I'm sure if the show was thrown at the Jack London/Oakland Yoshi's the performers would have felt more appreciated.
I love Yoshi's, when I first went there I nearly collasped from the price of a roll, I think the dragon roll was $18, ouch bit much for night out listening to jazz and drinking but after my friends Alma Desnuda were invited to play there twice, I have to revise my opinion, bartenders are adventurous and suggestive, one refused to serve my friend a cosmo. Thumps up for originality and thinking outside the box, she ended up with a pear martini that she was very happy with. We had a dinner for 10 people for a birthday party and it only ended up being about $40 each, tip included, as well as many Sake bottles. Great Sake too.
Alma Desnuda rocked it and the place was just beautiful, accommodating and romantically nostalgic, I feel as if Billy Holiday should be stepping out anytime. One suggestion though would be to go give your server your tickets and then go to your seats before socializing with everyone, we lost our seats to random strangers that just sat down?? I'm not sure but the guy seating us tried to accommodate by pulling extra seats out by the front of the stage but we were just happy to stand up and dance.
I came here two Sundays ago at nite for JAPAN NITE! The day before at the J-POP summit festival I got to check out Tshimamire, Noodles and Red Bacteria Vacuum. They were so down to earth and really close to their fans, taking pictures and signing autographs and even selling there own stuff. Considering this was a Sunday night, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to go since I had work at 9am the next morning -__-. Then i thought to myself when am I ever going to see them again, This was the only opportunity and it was rite in front of my eyes!!!! I called up my cousin and wanted to see if he wanted to kick it with me since I haven't seen him in a while. He was free, sweet chill wit the cuz at a rock concert! awesomeness!!
Earlier in the day i was still tired from SAT. So i decided to take a napp,and figured I would wake up in 15-20 min. I woke up 45 min later and looked at the clock. OH CRAP!!!@$#$#%^*(#^. Luckily I had a grp of friends that were already there so i had them buy me two tickets :). When i get there my friend was like "Well our grp got the last seating tickets" At first I was like wait what? Is that bad? It turned out to be even better cuz it meant that I got to be really close to the stage and rock out with the bands!
On Sat I missed out on Omodaka & 6% DOKI DOKI, however they were the opening grp that nite. The ladies of 6% DOKI DOKI dazzled us with their bright and sexy costumes as they danced around to Omodaka's interesting mash up of video game music.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
noodles and red bacteria vacuum got the place revved for:
Tsushimamire rocked the F@#$ing house! all the people near the stage were rocking out!! yes including me :P. They played freaken awesome that nite, people didn't want them to leave. Even after their long set, they stayed around to sign autographs and take pics!! I bought another CD and had them autograph it. After the show I talked with Mari chan from TSUSHIMAMIRE for a little while and she told me i should come to their next show when they are back in SF. I told i would be there for sure. I got one last pic with her :)
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
OMODAKA & 6% DOKI DOKI (in case anyone was curious ;)}
http://www.youtube.com...
Yoshi's is generally a top notch addition to San Francisco nightlife. We went to see Jazz Mafia last night, which was great. The restaurant was surprisingly empty. Despite this, the service was pretty slow, as we sat and waited for drinks for a long time given how few tables were filled at 8:45pm.
The strangest thing was that when I ordered a bottle of very nice Chassagne-Montrachet, they sent over a bus boy to open the bottle. That is fine, I suppose, but the poor guy had literally no idea how this little routine is supposed to go. He struggled mightily to get the cork out, turning his back to us for what seemed an eternity, and then poured my date and I both tastes to confirm it wasn't corked. Then, as he had broken the cork, he handed the dry half to me to inspect. "Thank you sir, the top of this wine cork looks fine!" He also looked very uncomfortable the whole time. Very strange.
Come on management -- train your staff if you want to use them like this.
But Jazz Mafia was completely fun and we had a great time during and after the show. It was a great night. The food was spot on too -- the Chef's sashimi selection was fab!
I've been to the Yoshi's in Oakland for a jazz concert. This was my first time going to it's SF counterpart. Once inside the main doors, I felt like I had just entered a mall. Then I entered the restaurant area and noticed that there was ample seating area to the left, and a cool lounge to the right. I was meeting some friends upstairs for some cocktails, so I must admit that I did not have any food.
Once upstairs, I enjoyed the plain furniture and roomy lounge area. The bar was tucked toward the back. The drinks were mixed pretty well (I ordered a gin gimlet served up). However, the place is pretty pricey (pretty close to $9/ drink).
Since I didn't eat here, and I didn't catch a performance, I must rate it comparing it to other bar/lounges. In that respect, although nothing was particularly wrong with Yoshi's, it was a bit pricey for a hang out spot in what felt like a mall.
Went to see David Sanborn at Yoshi's SF this evening.
I've been here before -- the last time to see Freddie Hubbard, which was a very disappointing performance. Sanborn however was in fine form and it was nice to hear him improvise more than he does on this recordings.
As for Yoshi's itself, it's the best venue to listen to jazz in the City. As long as you aren't seated on the extreme left or right of the stage, there really are no bad seats. It's also nice that you can select your own seats when you buy tickets online. If you sit on the main floor, you're kinda jammed in and heads can obstruct your view, but you can move your seat to find a clear sight line. There's only a one drink minimum and they don't charge excessively for the drinks. The only complaints I have are; 1) the confusion in entering the club -- there's a general admission outside the doors to the club in the lobby but reserved seat holders can just enter the outer doors and stand inside the inner lobby until the inner doors to the club are opened and 2) electronically amplified performances (like Sandborn's) tend to be too loud. Maybe it's just my "old ears" but they really don't have to amp up the instruments so loud because it's actually a fairly small room.
Oh yeah, if you're planning to park in the building in the near future, forget about it. The garage was closed due to sewer problems and we had to park across the street at the Fillmore Center instead, but it was actually cheaper to park there than in Yoshi's building. So, that really wasn't a bad thing after all.
Note, the following review is based on the concert venue rather than the restaurant. However, I will mention food sense it is part of the concert venue as well...
I've been here the last two Tuesday's in a row and have not been let down. Coming from the NE Bay I find it preferable to the Yoshi's in Jack London [_]. First, off the chairs in the concert venue are much more comfortable and I don't feel like I need major adjustments to my back afterwards. Also, the sound is amazing--from any seat in the house. Thirdly, in true Yoshi's fashion any act you see here is worth the price of admission. The last two shows I saw, I had never heard of either artists and I left with their CD's.
The first time I came here our waitress was nearly non-existent and we had to sneak off to the bar in the middle of the show to finally get some drinks. Also, the rock-and-roll (unagi w/avo) I found to be a bit on the small side and unforgettable. The second time, the waitress was much more on top of it and we got our drink orders in right away. We ordered the sauteed garlic edamame--which is delish but also VERY messy. Be sure to ask for extra napkins and perhaps bring a tide-to-go pen if you are wearing white.
So all in all--Yoshi's is the best Jazz club ever! I often come here w/my bf usually on a whim, but I think that you will also find it fun for groups/first dates/birthdays/anniversary's/etc. If you would like to save a bit of $$ or sushi is just not your thing, perhaps having a bite to eat before you see a show is the way to go and then just order dessert at the venue.
Oddly enough, I think I like this venue better than the Oakland Yoshi's in terms of the set up and design. I am glad we got great parking up the street which was nice.
They over-sold the seating so we wandered around for about 15-20 minutes looking for seats, when some of the staff pulled out extra seats for us in front. VERY NICE for not paying extra for early entry to save a seat. I bought the ticket with the impression that I might have to stand, but my friend that comes here regularly corrected me and insisted that you NEVER stand at a show at Yoshi's, it is not that type of place. Oh well, it worked for me either way.
GREAT show with Jazz Mafia for Adam Theis' Brass Bows and Beats hip hop symphony. I loved the show! Service was aiighht, but the place was packed so we didn't bother ordering a drink til later. The bar set up looked cool, but it was stuffy in both the upstairs and downstairs lounges.
Despite people's critiques of this place, I still think this place and the Oakland Yoshi's are better than the House of Blues in LA by a long shot. Bay area peeps should be thankful of such a nice venue that still embraces music like this. (Tear Drop... as I realize this will be my last show in the Bay Area as a "local"....)
Every once in a while I need to go out and get my grown man on. You know suit and tie or just really dress up a pair of jeans and the right sneakers.
I slid into Yoshi's a little on the late side but just in time right before the kitchen closed. I was totally amazed by my surroundings. Everything seemed so modern.
Instead of waiting for a table I was able to grab a seat at the bar and order a drink and a roll or two. Now I'm not to sure if Yoshi's made the best rolls I have ever had but they were right up there. I must admit I never had a lobster roll and OMG that was so amazing to me!
I really got to stop into Yoshi's once or twice a month because I really enjoy the atmosphere and the people I met that evening.
After going to Yoshi's Oakland once or twice (and having a totally positive experience), I was looking forward to checking out the SF location for a friend's birthday party. Sadly, it was ridiculous from the first moment. It took like ten minutes just to get through the security/door people - and that's not because there was a line. It was just straight attitude - literally everyone in the line was treated like garbage, irrespective of race, dress, gender, whatever. It was universal hate. If I weren't going to someone's birthday party, there's no way I would have crossed the threshold.
Once finally getting through security, I went up to the mezzanine to meet my friends and it was the most absurd scene I've ever experienced in San Francisco. In the space of five minutes, I spotted at least ten boob jobs, some guy wearing a full white silk outfit (who are you, P Diddy?), a handful of women wearing what appeared to be underwear, several men with guyliner, and enough deeply tanned, greasy/douchy-looking guys wearing suits to last a lifetime. It looked like a bad outtake of CSI Miami.
The barstaff were straight hostile to anyone in the mezzanine who didn't reserve a table for bottle service and it literally took half an hour to order a drink - which, when it finally arrived, was delivered in a freaking plastic cup. Stop the insanity.
This is the cheesiest, sleaziest, most over-the-top corny bar I've ever visited and I will never go back.
Happy Hour Draft Beer $1.75!
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
99 cents beer & hot sake
Neighborhood: Excelsior
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Performing Arts
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
Category: Music Venues
Neighborhood: Jack London Square
Category: Jazz & Blues
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Jazz & Blues
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