Yuzu Sushi & Grill

tl;dr: Soljd quality sushi, but pricey compared to other comparable sushi joints. Come for the lunch specials. 4% surcharge for credit cards. Get the salmon and hotate sushi.Small, intimate restaurant with only 5-6 tables and a sushi bar. Service was a bit slow at even less than half capacity since there was Just one staff member rotating between the tables.The menu can be a bit overwhelming as there are items on multiple menu pages and on the wall without a clear explanation of the differences. All from Japan chirashi donburi ($46): Fish were flavorful, but portion was on the smaller side.Chef omakase box ($55): recommend this over the above donburi if coming for lunch as it has most of the fish included plus additional items such as unagi donburi.

Upon entering we were asked, "what do you want?" Which I consider to be rude. The place was somewhat crowded during the night and my group had to sit at the counter which is nice considering we can see the chef. The napkin they gave when seated was used. The food was certainly questionable. We ordered the chicken karaage and the large chirashidon. The rice tasted old or something you could make with standard sushi vinegar at home. The chicken came after the chirashi don which was strange pacing. The don itself was not great. The tuna tasted old and dried and the salmon was fairly slimy (not oily). The inclusion of a knob of crab salad is the first I've ever had in a chirashi. I don't often take into consideration prices but it was somewhat outrageous considering that was offered. The chicken was charged differently than what was marked and at 75$ for a plate of rice and 8 thumb sized pieces total of tuna, mackerel, salmon, and slimy squid. I do not count the egg/tamago.Service was quite slow and they do not check on you when ordering. Fortunately I was engaged in conversation but it seemed like we were being ignored much like every other table. My first thought was that this place was not operated by a small Japanese family. They focused on rushing you out. Overall I would not recommend coming here unless you want overpriced fish with rice and poor service. I don't typically give negative reviews but this experience felt very subpar that I have to let others know.

Small and quaint neighborhood sushi restaurant in San Mateo! Came here twice just for their Ishiyaki (Stone Bowl Seafood Crispy Rice). It's such a warm, hearty, comforting meal that reminds you of home. I'd skip the sashimi but always come back for the ishiyaki. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare, so best to order as soon as you're seated and then think about what else to order :)

Free street parking is available up and down 36th. There are a few daytime only 20min parking spots perfect for picking up takeout during the day. We came here for lunch and found they had a great lunch special. Quality of food was great, service was excellent. Our tea and water cups were never empty. Would like to come for dinner and try more entrees.

On the hunt for sushi last minute on a Friday night and stumbled upon Yuzu. A super small little sushi spot that brings in fresh fish straight from Japan! We were in a bit of a rush with our littles with us, so we wanted something easy, quick and to be on our way. The waitress was very nice, she had us seated right away near the window and gave our daughter some cute little Disney utensils that kept her occupied. I appreciated that!We ordered the crunchy roll (daily special with blue crab) as well as the Sun Mateo and Orange Kiss roll. The fish was fresh and the crab was delicious! Definitely a great little spot, south of all the downtown San Mateo sushi spot.

Still loving this place and still loving Yoichi-san (Arima-san) and the waitresses, the food is fresh and delicious and there is always something new from Japan to try - can't get enough of this place - been coming for at least 20 years - we've been all over the world including Japan and we have found thatwe love the consistency the freshness of the fish, and the people to be the very best. Pictures are from a fairly recent Omakase dinner and from an a la carte (for lack of a better phrase) dinner we just had a few days ago - FANTASTIC!

Haven't hit up that Japanese spot since pandemic , but decided to swing by for lunch recently. Ordered a sushi lunch, some barachirashi (you know, sushi on rice), and a side of chicken katsu. The sushi lunch was a bit stingy for the hefty $21 price tag. And let's talk about the barachirashi - instead of a legit sushi-covered rice situation, it looked more like sushi leftovers. Crazy thing? It cost me $39! Totally not worth it. I won't be making a comeback, that's for sure.It's great to hear that the waitress provided good service. However, it's unfortunate that the chef seemed less welcoming, wearing a stern expression throughout and not offering any words of welcome. Clear communication and a friendly atmosphere can significantly enhance the overall dining experience.

Quick take: like eating at your Auntie's houseThe first time I ate at Yuzu it felt like eating a home prepared meal. Quality of the fish is really good. Second time we tried the black sesame cheesecake. This item isn't made in house. Purchased from another vendor. The texture was dense like NY cheesecake. Flavor was interesting. It was a smooth black sesame texture. Glad we tried it. Great place for authentic sushi. The place is small and reservations are recommended.

Randomly bumped into this place for lunch and I didn't expect it to be so packed right at opening! The fish was really fresh too. I wanted to order more. The uni and negitoro donburi's sound amazing. Next time I definitely want to try the ishiyaki because all the regulars got that.

Yuzu is my go-to, absolute favorite authentic Japanese restaurant in the Bay Area. Despite the small size of the restaurant, this place is an absolute gem!They offer a wide variety of authentic sushi and Japanese delicacies imported from Japan. Their tempura is always crispy, their organic chicken just melts in your mouth. Their lunch curry is also a banger, sometimes you have to come early or else it gets all sold out.But the sushi. THE SUSHI! I have not come across a place that offers such fresh quality of fish at such a decent price. I thought I knew high quality fish until I ate at Yuzu. Come lunch or dinner, Yuzu is a delight for both!