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Categories: Jazz & Blues, Japanese, Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Jack London SquareJoin us for dinner any Monday at Yoshi's Oakland and…
Announced 3 days agoMon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Excellent venue for music. I didn't get to eat inside the restaurant but ended up there on a random Weds night and everything turned out to be just PERFECT. Great drinks, great service and a really nice entertainment area with dim lighting, great music and great people.
I definetly enjoyed my Vodka/Coke and Sangria topped off with yummy choclate cake...
Turned out to be a wonderful memorable experience!!
Beautiful venue. The ambiance is classy yet relaxing.
To start, we ordered the Baby 'Ika' Calamari - batter is nice and light. Perfectly done.
I asked the waitress what the best selling/popular rolls are:
Spicy Geisha - nice combination of flavors. One not overpowering the others. .Delicious!!
Be-Bop - also tasty but has a more smoked flavor to it.
We also ordered the Blue Fin Toro Nigiri. It was absolutely scrumptious!! The Toro was so fresh and tender, it melted right on my tongue. The flavors were like a symphony in my mouth. ~.~
Came for dinner, stayed for the Rachel Efron performance. Dinner patrons were given preferential seating in the Jazz Lounge. We reserved seating area 37 (booth).. great seats. The show was wonderful as was the service.
I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at Yoshi's and is looking forward to coming back again soon.
People thought this was:
1. Very good sushi restaurant
2. Best jazz club in the SF Bay area
3. Parking right in the building.
What's not to like? We have been going for years. I like the Oakland club. Believe it or not, the sound quality is much better in Oakland and the prices are more reasonable.
They get great performers. Several times, I have booked a trip there not knowing the performer I was going to see. Some of them have become favorites after that visit.
People thought this was:
Classy.
Yoshi's is a class act:
With a staff that knocks out big smiles like heavy hitters, and delivers genuine charm in bulk.
With drinks that will put the red in your cheeks.
With a chic sophisticated layout.
With a food menu that that will have you licking your lips and plates in time to the beats...
echoing from the golden horns piping out pure jazz.
Born from the phenomenal talent that rolls up in here....
Jazz, hip-hop and soul legends - blessing music on a bright stage to an eager crowd immersed in soft billowing yellow and red light hues....
When you come to Yoshi's -
Get ready for class. Pure Class.
People thought this was:
Don't fall into the trap of thinking there's nothing awesome to do in Oakland on a Sunday night. Saw Joshua Redman kill it for Yoshi's intimate audience over some perfectly decent sushi and sake on a recent Sunday. Yoshi's Oakland is the hallmark of the revived Jack London Square.
People thought this was:
I'm sure this review will be a bit biased because the show I saw here was so amazing, but so be it!
I came to Yoshi's for my first jazz concert ever on Tuesday night. It was a tribute concert to jazz vocalist Mark Murphy, and the lineup was fantastic... It's not everyday that you get to see the poet laureate of San Francisco recite his poems onstage. (AMAZING) It was a sold out show and everyone had a great time.
Yoshi's is a really neat establishment. They are a jazz venue, but they also are a Japanese restaurant. Who would have thought that sushi and jazz would go together so well? Since we ate before coming to Yoshi's, I had the Club '68 cocktail and a lemon drop. Both were fab. Averagely priced.
Since we didn't spend any time in the restaurant side of Yoshi's, I'll talk about the jazz club. It was beautiful. Seating was "cabaret style" but diners get to reserve their seats, so it is recommended to either eat in their restaurant or get there a bit early for the show. We got there about half an hour early and found good seats. I really think any seat in the house is probably a good seat.
The jazz club walls are decorated with black and white photographs of jazz musicians and the lighting is perfection. I really hope to come back to Yoshi's to check out more shows!
Saw Lizz Wright here recently - awesome! We didn't bother with having the restaurant reserve our seats and just took a chance. We also bought our tix ahead of time on the spot to avoid the silly online and telephone ticket markups.
Ended up with our own booth and having a wonderful dinner (burgers) off the bar menu. Yum! Server was great and brought our food and drinks in a timely manner.
Also reminded that there's nothing like an Oakland audience... Gotta love it. Will be back soon.
People thought this was:
This seems like a good date spot!
The food is decent-- you get what you pay for, but nothing to write home about. I like the intimate setting and have seen listings for great shows. I tried a variety of sushi, but the only memorable dish was my Kobe beef burger. I have yet to try a bad Kobe-burger; It wasn't special, but it tasted great. Overall, I give Yoshi's 4 stars for the ambiance, crowd, shows and Kobe burger. I'd go again!
We got here a later than we would have liked and the house was packed! We managed to find a seat in the far corner and even then, the seats were good! I have to agree with other yelpers and say that there really isn't a bad seat in the house!
If you want to listen to good jazz this is the place to go. It's roomy enough and the servers are nice. Drinks and food are at a decent price too. My lovely boyfriend took care of buying the tickets ahead of time so we didn't have to worry about anything. Since seating is first come first serve, I suggest you get there early if you want something close to the stage. But again, even with my seats in the corner I could still see everything and had a blast! Enjoy!
People thought this was:
I would offer 4 stars, but the seating confusion on the night of our visit dismayed me. I realize that we should have reserved seats, since it was my birthday and all; but hey, we didn't. Anyway, we arrived on time for open seating, but it just seemed that they didn't have an organized system in place. Folks without reservations were left to stand around in the aisle and I almost had a few drinks spilled on my cute li'l, purple birthday top. Needless to say, we were finally seated close enough to the stage so I could see all of Mr. Eric Benet's sexy and fine-ness!
Delicious Zinfandel that was not too expensive, and my date enjoyed a yummy sandwich and fries. Sure, we'll return, but reservations are a must.
People thought this was:
Did someone say jazz? I've been hoping to experience a concert here for a long time, but, for whatever reason, never did. When I heard that Earl Klugh would be performing on a weekend, it was done deal. In booking the tickets, the website explained that restaurant diners would have priority seating for the ensuing performance. Booking a 6 pm dinner for an 8 pm show seemed about right... it turned out to be perfect.
Dinner
Upon entering the hostess asked whether we were here for a show and kindly directed us to the box office to pick up our tickets. The box office lady instructed us to give our tickets to our waitress who would arrange for the show seating. There was only three or four occupied tables when we were seated. In perusing the menu, several items caught my eye. My friend ordered the sake sampler ($10.00) which she stated was a bargain. We then ordered the following:
a) Miso soup - Nice warm starter on a cool Bay Area evening with a generous amount of enoki mushrooms.
b) Kona Kampachi Tartar - A refreshing dish of thinly sliced Kampachi garnished with Asian pear, wasabi flower, yuzu, and cucumber; an interesting mixture of sweetness, spiciness, and crunch.
c) Tuna Tower - Made with sashimi grade tuna, the fish was melt-in-your-mouth tender tossed in a chile soy, avocado, lemon oil, and shiso; reminded me of a refined poke.
d) Gindara Black Cod with oyster mushroom tempura - Three medium wedges of tender marinated cod; the star of the dining show as the flavor was deliciously sweet; the mushroom tempura was placed on each corner of the plate, framing this picture perfectly.
e) Hamachi Kama - Grilled with it's skin on, the hamachi collar was perfectly cooked to a flaky texture; it was served in a julienned green onion, ginger, and soy sauce.
f) Spicy Dragon Roll - A mixture of Unagi (eel), Avocado, Shrimp tempura, and tobiko topped with a spicy red sauce; it was a nice change of flavor, but didn't quite knock my socks off.
g) Brown rice - We shared a bowl to soak up the sauce from the cod and the hamachi kama.
The servers were very attentive in keeping the iced water and iced tea glasses filled. By the time we finished dinner, the restaurant was full. We left the table about twenty minutes before the show.
Concert
Walking past the bar and ticket office, we entered the musical venue. We were seated at table 4, the first one center below the stage. Being already full, we did not order any drinks, but noticed that some people ordered drinks and food. The performance promptly started just after 8 pm and lasted until around 9:30 pm. Explaining that each of the other three band members had solo albums, Earl announced that CD's would be available at the table near the entrance; he and the other band members would stay to sign CD's and take pictures with concertgoers. Love the intimacy of this place and the impersonal setup. He mentioned that this is one of his FAVORITE places to perform. If he's back to perform, I'll be there.
People thought this was:
This place is a great backup for pretty good Japanese food in the Jack London Square area. I've personally dined at this restaurant at least over 8 times and it seems like the quality of the non-sushi menu items has been on the decline. That said, their sushi is generally pretty fresh, with surprising seasonal/market offerings like fatty tuna (mmm). Their sake selection is also quite decent.
I'm usually pretty happy about the service I receive here. Everyone from the wait staff to Yoshi herself are really friendly, nice, and responsive.
Nice change of pace, the Service here is really good, the Sushi is good though may be on the pricey side compared to others but it's high quality.
Saw a few shows here and all have been great, and the tickets are reasonably priced. The Jazz club section is small but that's a good thing since there isn't a bad seat in the house.
If it's a packed show expect to share a table with another party.
People thought this was:
Yoshi's Good.
Music Good.
Sushi Overpriced, but Good.
Drinks Good.
Theater seating process Bad.
Acoustics Good.
A long time staple of Jack London area. Check it out for Sushi and Jazz. You will have a Good time.
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This is a 4.5 star review.
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food here. Granted, the reviews were all positive, but I'm a picky person. The sushi was very good. The rice was seasoned properly and had just the right texture. The fish to rice ratio for the nigiri was also excellent. The rolls were good, but odd enough to keep things...interesting. The portions were good, but the price is a little steep. I was non-plussed with our service, which was very attentive, and then a ghost town. Erratic service bugs me more than generally poor service, because you don't know how to feel about the likelihood of getting things done.
We went to see the Blind Boys of Alabama. The show was amazing, and the venue worked very well for what we saw. It was big enough to draw a crowd and get a solid headliner, but intimate enough that you felt connected to the show. The server here was also not on her A game. She set the drinks down hard, which was startling, and she spilled a glass of water all over my husband, which definitely loses the full star vs. the half I would have discredited them for just erratic service in the restaurant.
I've been here only twice and both to see the amazing Pharoah Sanders. The food was okay, but overpriced. I don't hink I would make a trip for just the vittles.
Great acoustics in the performance space. The fact that it is a small intimate venue is what earns all of the three stars. The negative aspect is that they really pack you in knee to knee and elbow to elbow with your seats. Not the most comfortable place to see a show. Though I will still suffer through it when another jazz great plays there...it's worth it.
People thought this was:
FAVORITE SPOT!
Been to this place numerous times over the past 6 years. Have never had a bad time there! Great 1st date or 1st meet-up place too! Wonderful wine selection, specialty drinks, food & music! What more could you ask for?
LEGENDARY VENUE
This place is a must for live jazz - world class musicians, absolutely no bad seats, acoustics are amazing and the theater is beautiful and intimate - everyone is close to the performers. Abundant parking too!
But if you're going to eat here, do it in the restaurant part, not at the theater tables. Theater table service sucks, a lot of times you have to hunt someone down for a second drink, the sushi is mediocre and if you order anything hot, it will come to your table lukewarm or downright cold. We see a lot of shows here, but we usually eat elsewhere first.
Excellent food, small portions, pricey. The last time I visited Yoshi's Oakland was to see Mindi Abair's jazz concert. We chose to eat here so as to have reserve seating. We didn't get very good seats.
The Jazz musicians that we've seen in concert here has always been excellent. It's a small quaint showroom, excellent listening from any part of the showroom.
My ex-boyfriend and I came here on a date and it was just delightful! Unfortunately we didn't actually come here to listen to jazz music but we did manage to order a full spread of Japanese food (I remember our bill was over $75 for two.. whew). Anyway I remember we ordered a bunch of delicious dishes and also ordered sake! I believe we started with the edaname, then we ordered a few different sushi rolls, as well as this veggie dish. I was definitely stuffed by the end of the meal but it was incredibly romantic! :) Hmmm yep so this place is really good but I think with jazz tickets it would be five stars in my book.
Small intimate club atmosphere? Check!
Not a bad seat anywhere in the house? Check!
People dancing on the dance floor with the owner, Yoshi, herself? Check!
Good service and drinks? Check!
Reasonably priced tickets, Hot Latin Jazz and Sexy people clapping, dancing and having a great time? Check Check, and Check!
It's gotta be Yoshi's Jazz Club in Jack London Square.
People thought this was:
I love this place! To be completely honest though, I have only sampled the food, so I can't say much about it. I have had their kobe beef burger with sweet potato fries...yummm. Chicken karaage was pretty good.
What makes Yoshi's a wonderful place is definitely their jazz club. Great intimate setting, drinks are on point, and the music is great. You can always check out their website to see who'll be performing for the next few nights. You could even buy your tickets online and just pick them up at will-call. The crowd is diverse, friendly, and always seem to be enjoying themselves. I love the atmosphere, and I highly recommend this place as a good date spot.
People thought this was:
We went to Yoshi's last night for our first time and it was delicious! We didn't get to try much sushi just the Alaskan which was very fresh. Everything is served a la carte so we ordered the Black Tiger Shrimp Tempura and the Miso Salmon with a side of rice...mmm mmm good! The sauce that comes with the shrimp tempura was to die for and the miso salmon was full of flavor. We also ordered the Trio Gelato that comes with green tea ice cream, chocolate ice cream and my absolute favorite ever...Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream. I hadn't had Tahitian vanilla since I was back home in Hawaii. Everything was more than yummy! The bill was about $60 which wasn't bad at all since we ordered two coffees and the green tea cheesecake which was also verrrry good! We watched the live entertainment after which was Chris Cain (blues). The band was great! Very entertaining. There is a one drink minimum at the jazz club so we ordered White Zin ($6 a glass). Oh and the tickets were about $16 each for Chris Cain. One of my favorite artists Goapele will be there in December so I'm looking forward to seeing her and trying something else on the menu!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOSHI'S!
I went to Yoshi's with a friend a few months ago for dinner and a show. As soon as we arrived, the hostess looked very irritable and off guard --she wasn't very hospitable either.
We were seated at our table near the window (score!) and ordered the following dishes: Soft Shell Deep Fried Crab, Tempura Roll, Spider Roll, Seafood Kakiage.
The Soft Shell Deep Fried Crab was pretty good. It tasted very fresh and it was just the right amount of batter. The Tempura Roll was good but nothing extraordinary. The Spider Roll was my favorite of that night out of all the things we ordered. The Seafood Kakiage was really good as well and was way more than enough for the two of us. It was definitely delicious.
I feel like the food here doesn't fully represent a true Japanese Sushi Restaurant. It's a nice restaurant but a bit over-rated. You can experience a better dinner somewhere else however Yoshi's is convenient if you decide to watch a show here. Additionally, you are able to get first dibs on seats if you dine here as well.
Our server was alright but a bit all over the map. Sometimes he would take a bit long to help us out when we needed him. I felt like the servers at Yoshi's had some organizational issues and were not focusing enough attention to tables they should be focusing on.
The show that I watched was out of my normal genre. I was expecting some real jazz but ended up watching a show that was much more upbeat and fused with different elements and little to no jazz. It was a good show though so no complaints here.
I do definitely plan on coming back here in the future however the only reason why I would eat at the restaurant again would be for the convenience and access to the show right after.
People thought this was:
The restaurant is located in the heart of Jack London Square near the water, although I don't recall having a view of the harbor from our table. There were a few seating areas that I thought were quite unique where there are holes in the ground for your feet and legs, so it gave the impression that you were sitting on the floor, but in fact the area was slightly elevated.
For drinks, I opted for the sake tasting flight because I like being able to compare the different types of sake as I'm still trying to distinguish the variety of flavors. It turned out to be pretty good, as did my sister's glass of the Razor's Edge Syrah.
Our entrees consisted of the seafood and fresh wakame sunomono salad (very light and refreshing), dragon roll, yoshi's roll, and the blue fin tuna toro. The quality and freshness of the sashimi was excellent, but the portions were a little small for the high prices. Overall, the food was delicious but slightly over-priced.
The service was pretty good and the ambience was classy, but not too stuffy. I would love to come back with tickets to the jazz performance.
If you like Jazz, this is the place in the Bay Area. Nice atmosphere and food as well.
Great date spot! I've been to shows at this location and the seating is pretty irritating process....I got the feeling that i had no personal space. But the food is a different story, I am never disappointed.
This place is really nice. The bar is on one side, restaurant on the other. BUT DAMN! I wish I was old enough to drink. Anyways, this place is beautifully decorated and some of the seating is very interesting. It seems like you are sitting down, Japanese style, but it's actually a platform. It took me a while to figure it out. I wanted to sit there because it was so cool but the lady didn't let because we didn't have enough people. Speaking of the lady, she might be the owner or something but I can't understand a word she is saying. I don't want to seem rude and keep saying,"Wah?" but I did it quite a few times.
Other than that, the food was yummy. The rib eye was good but my friend ordered it Medium. I don't like medium but it's ok. I ordered the Spicy Dragon and let me tell you guys, it burns but it's so damn good. I was smiling because of satisfaction but my tongue was burning. I'm exaggerating, it wasn't too spicy. Well that is all for now.
People thought this was:
Wish we could've seen a show at Yoshi's, instead we just had a dinner with a friend. All of the dishes that we ordered were very fresh, very tasty and were pretty good portion sizes. That being said, it was pretty pricey - more than I like to pay for sushi - and we were still hungry when we left.
And it was a terrible place to bring a 16 month-old kid. We should've bailed out as soon as we realized that there wouldn't be a place for a highchair at those seats. We have a very well behaved little girl but it was difficult to keep her wrangled for the entirety of our dinner. Thankfully there weren't too many people in there at the time and she didn't bother anybody and the staff was very nice in accommodating her.
People thought this was:
Friday, 7:00PM.
The place was sure bumpin'. It was mum's birthday, so I took her and the rest of my fam out for a night of Japanese grub and good music.
We were raised with a heavy Japanese influence, so we've grown accustomed to delicious food. I was stoked to try the grub here.
- The Japanese food here was disappointing and way overpriced for the quality/quantity.
- Lacking flavor, some ingredients were thawed for too long (ie. Futomaki mushrooms)
- Small portions (ie. chicken teryaki)
+ Clean environment, nice modern Japanese designs
Good thing there was an awesome concert waiting. Though the snacks and desserts they offered were overpriced too, we had decent seats (3rd row near West exit).
+ The fact that there's service during the concert is cool
+ Spacious seating, roomy tables
Final Call:
My deal is that I usually give places an extra chance if the service wasn't horrible, so that's the case here. Swing by to check out a concert; a lotttta famous folks stroll through here to perform. The musical entertainment portion is worth the price!
People thought this was:
50 years ago one of the greatest jazz albums of all time (my opinion and many others) was released, "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis. The music on this album is perfect! Miles, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Bill Evans and Jimmy Cobb, it couldn't help but be perfect. A lot of love and work went into it and it is beautiful work indeed! The first time I heard it I was driving around Oakland with my dad and I had KJAZ on the radio. The DJ played some cuts from the album and I was hooked! I drove to one of my favorite record stores and grabbed a vinyl copy. Played it to death. Had to buy another copy!
Well, last night Gary, his son (my godson) Nelson and I went to Yoshi's (Oakland of course) and listened to "Kind of Blue at 50" with Jimmy Cobb's "So What Band". Yes, the aforementioned Jimmy Cobb, the drummer from the original recording. His band included Wallace Roney (trumpet), Javon Jackson (tenor sax), Vincent Herring (alto sax), Larry Willis (piano) and John Webber (bass). Now, considering the love that "Kind of Blue" gets in the jazz community, you have to be on point to take on the task of playing it live. Well, I must say these guys knocked it out! Fantastic show by some great musicians in their own right. They played the entire album and it was beautiful! I couldn't get enough of it and played it again in the car on the way home. "Kind of Blue" lives on.
People thought this was:
You know, I'm am so loyal to Yoshi's Oakland that when I go to the SF Club I feel like I'm cheating… Read more »
One of the fine dining establishments that has history in the Jazz Scene in regards to Oakland's Jack London square. Even since my years in high school as a degenerate to some degree, one of my teachers kept reminding me how a profound place like this still exists to this very day. A place where if and when we appreciated such "refined music tastes and food" that we needed to check out sometime.
After five years, I decided to finally put my impatience to rest by stepping afoot with a good friend of mine. It was some time ago when Jake The Snake wanted to hang out and asked me if there were any noteworthy spots, Yoshi's was untainted from my Yelp criticism so I decided to let loose and see what it's all about. Unfortunately, we were full from a meal at the nearby French restaurant of Soizic Bistro so there was no space for us to eat over here. However we wanted to get a little bit of a buzz going, so a couple of drinks wouldn't hurt right?
Approaching the bar, one of the bartenders took my order promptly which was:
-1 Corona
-1 Crown and 7UP
The Corona, is like any beer. Whereas the Crown and 7UP was mixed just right. Not too much on the Crown, and not watered down by the 7UP. During the evening, the main headliner was Goapele (a popular soul songstress). It was too bad we were short of cash and lacked initiative to buy a ticket to check out the concert. But for many of the cheapskates, there were LCDs posted up all around the seating area of the lounge. Offering a view of the performance with additional surround sound emanating from the immediate sound system, blasting throughout the premises. The drinks costs about $15.00 plus tax and tip. The ambiance was decent, a little bit noisy at times which drowned out a lot of the background music. Service was also decent, but it didn't really make a strong impression for me to tip more or purchase additional drinks.
Overall, a cool spot but until I try the dining experience this rating will remain for me.
People thought this was:
My ex-brother-in-law and his darling wife were attending a concert at Yoshi's Oakland tonight. We hadn't gotten together for dinner in years, so we made plans to eat at Il Pescatore. Well, it seems that Yoshi's changed some sort of seating assignment rules. Now you have to eat in the restaurant before the show to get preferred seating (unless you book online the seat you want). And our hosts didn't know that. So they asked us if we would we willing to have dinner there instead. Despite our previous dinner experience there 10 years ago and Jack's love/hate relationship with sushi, we agreed.
Bottom line: service was great. Setting was great despite the fake take your shoes off , sit at the low table (but we have cut outs for your feet) seating. But the food is just nothing special. The sushi is "ok", not the quality you would expect at that level of restaurant.
I wouldn't bother....
People thought this was:
This place is always very popular. The sushi isn't the best sushi I've had. in fact, I've spent over $100 here and left hungry. Overpriced and lacking quantity. The service isn't up to par with the price.
The shows at Yoshi's are really fun.
Although I have eaten in the restaurant itself once or twice (which is not bad, if pricey), this review is strictly limited to the jazz venue itself.
Over the past 10 years, I have gone to at least 25 shows at Yoshi's, seeing such jazz luminaries as McCoy Tyner (8 times alone), Joshua Redman, Cedar Walton, James Carter, Nicholas Peyton, Robben Ford, Ahmad Jamal, and Kenny Burrell. The venue is intimate, seating maybe 200 people. As such, there really isn't a bad seat in the entire joint. But, you really should get in the queue early to secure a seat close to the stage. Or if you don't mind expensive, average Japanese food, you can eat in the dining room and that'll get you first dibs on good seats.
The sound quality and audio system is outstanding, clean and clear. It's no wonder that many live recordings have been made here.
Service is great, although if you want something, you need to order it either before the show starts or during the single pass the waitresses make during the show. This is good, though, because it results in very little interruption as you enjoy the music.
A second Yoshi's has been opened in San Francisco
People thought this was:
My experience at Yoshi's, Oakland was absolutely horrible!
I purchased tickets to see a show at Yoshi's and I wanted good seats so I decided to call the restaurant to make dinner reservations and the person I spoke to said seating is first come first serve basis and dinner reservations was unnecessary. I said ok, and I ended up not making dinner reservations.
The doors opened at 7:45pm. I arrived early at 7pm and was 2nd in line. When they finally opened the door, the usher tells us we are allowed to sit on any seat/table without blue tags attached to the chair. I did just that. I found a table without any tags and sat there.
Ten minutes later (and this is when they have already let the majority of people in line in), some man comes to me and put blue tags on my chair and tells me to get up and find a new place to sit. By this time, all the seats have been taken except the crappy ones on the side. I was livid. I told him this was unfair. I waited 45 minutes in line and followed instructions. He tried to dismiss me and talk in circles as if I was the one who had made the mistake. He didn't listen to me, acted all shady and try to pull a fast one on me. He was so wrong on so many different levels. He needs to be fired. The worst customer service ever. What a dirty, sneaky, shady piece of doo-doo. I bet he was trying to save those seats for his friends.
I had to talk to management and ended up getting the seats back but that was 20 mins wasted I should have been chillin' and ordering drinks. I couldn't believe I had to deal with that crap. Don't know if I'd go back. I don't want to have to deal with attitude if I'm gonna have to spend my hard earn money you know. I'm all about good vibes and that definitely was not my experience there.
People thought this was:
Yoshi's is a seemingly incongruous combination like toothpaste mouth and orange juice: half Japanese eatery, complete with tatami seating and a full menu, and half jazz club that plays host to some of the most incredible musical talent of our time... yet somehow it works.
The jazz area is intimate, set up cabaret-style, and decked out with superb sound. There pretty solid views from most seats, ranging from round booths to high tops. Smart folks (read: not me) call in to get tickets to the later show, skipping Ticketmaster fee rape, and have time to enjoy dinner beforehand. Kick the staff a few bills and they'll reserve the prime spots so you can sneak in just before the start of the show.
The eats are hardly gastronomic delights, but there's a unique sort of satisfaction/smug gluttony in being able to indulge more than one sense at a time. I won't be coming back too often, as to not desensitize myself to something so special, but the caliber of experience secured its own spot in the wee cockles of my heart.
People thought this was:
It's like the sushi version of Blues Alley in Washington, DC.
I had a dinner reservation and had hoped to score a ticket to the Arturo Sandoval concert onsite. At the ticket counter, I found out the 8pm show was sold out. Boo! I returned to the hostess stand and explained, no pleaded, my case. Explained that I was in town from DC and didn't know the procedures. Fortunately, the planets aligned and the skies opened up and I was blessed with a front row seat to the 8pm show.
For dinner, I started with the Rockit martini and unagi. Then, I had the best sea bass with fried oyster mushrooms in my life! The miso glaze and the perfectly steamed rice made the meal that much better. I paid for dinner and was almost "whisked" away into the other room for the show.
Arturo opened the show playing a Pachabel piece for the French Horn. It was beautiful. Afterwards, he addressed the audience for a while then broke into the typical latin jazz. An amazing evening.
People thought this was:
Ok, it's *so* not cheap, and the sets are kinda shorter than I'd like (an hour goes by fast!).
But I love this venue, and have heard some really outstanding music here (from Goapele recently to Jon Jang ages ago). The food is expensive, but if you eat dinner there, you get to reserve your seats in the club (and avoid that pesky extra fee they'll charge you).
So get dinner in Chinatown (within walking distance!), leave a little room for a dessert of sushi and fancy drinks, and have dessert and more drinks during the show. No lines, no fees, and no fuss. Great evening out with a date or friends...
People thought this was:
My outing consisting of dinner and concert at Yoshi's was a really pleasant experience. Although it was a little pricey, the Jazz club had a clean, aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, tasty sushi, and a well organized concert hall.
I happened to go when Lily Alunan, a Bay Area jazz vocalist, was playing, just missing Mos Def by a day. Their sound was really good and they were fun to watch over some mixed drinks. The lighting and seating arrangements of the concert hall were elegant and highly functional, with the stage being well lit with that fiery red glow that is necessary to create that perfect jazz club ambiance.
Overall, I had a great experience. I just wish I had brought my nicer camera to take a picture of the sushi. I guess I'll upload it anyway.
Neighborhood: Jack London Square
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Jack London Square
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Jack London Square
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
Category: Jazz & Blues
Neighborhood: Jack London Square
Category: French
21+ places that get the Official Mari Stamp of…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Or broke. I can't pay my bills now after going to…
Suhi Sushi Sushi... Here are the accumulation of…
These places are where I go to soak in some of…
The American entreprenuerial dream: make crap and…
If by chance we lose the rugrat, we try to hit…
Let's face it....for the first five years of our…
