The Most Scrumptious Izakaya in San Francisco

Jin Pot Shabu House

★★★★★ 4.6 (533) • $$$

"My friend and I came here to check out their happy hour $36/person from 5-6:30pm. Good thing we got here at 5:10pm, because the deal only works if you're done eating by 6:30pm. The sign didn't make that clear and probably dupe people to come in around 6pm but not able to finish eating by 6:30pm. It was $46.14 each person even with the happy hour deal, including tax, tips, and SF health care mandate. The decorations inside are very cute!It was a great selection of food! We enjoyed 2 plates of chicken karagge, 1 plate of gyoza, and fried fish balls for appetizers. We picked the Japanese broth tonkatsu and sukiyaki. We had different types of beef, seafood deluxe, octopus, house made meatballs, squash, seaweed, and udon. It was too much food and I stuffed myself too much, so I recommend not ordering the udon, octopus, and meatballs. The Japanese meatballs tasted odd to me. I should've ordered the vegetable combo, more meat, and more appetizers instead. Definitely order the chicken karagge cause that was bomb!!"

The Public Izakaya

★★★★☆ 4.2 (601) • $$

"I have been here multiple times for just casual eats or even a night out and every time is just as good. They are open super late, staff is friendly and sweet - very attentive without being overbearing. Highly recommend the pork belly skewers, fried chicken, drinks, desserts, and they have a great drink selection."

Chome

★★★★★ 4.5 (482) • $$$

"Came here on a Friday night with friends and there was a bit of a wait around 6:45 but we didn't have to wait long$260 for 4 people: 20% gratuity was automatically included because 4 people is considered a large party hereThis is what we ordered (not everything is pictured):- potato salad (complimentary appetizer/side that is soooo good)- dirty cauliflower (we had a veggie hater at our table who was pleasantly surprised and ended up loving it)- fried shrimp ball (one big ball with incisions for four pieces, very yummy)- 2 skewer combos (great way to sample different things but our table felt the chicken was the best)- oxtail omurice (a bit disappointed the egg didn't do the runny thing when we cut it open like traditional omurice, this was very rich and flavorful, presented very nicely but I'd get something different next time)- garlic chili tonkatsu ramen (they ran out of the pork belly and had to substitute it with more thin pieces of meat)Yes, was a bit on the pricier side but we enjoyed the ambience inside and the food was delicious. Personally I only enjoyed the skewers and I'd definitely come back to try their happy hour!"

Taishoken San Francisco

★★★★★ 4.5 (478) • $$

"I came on a Sunday at noon and remembered to join the waitlist ahead of time. I was seated immediately upon arrival and saw that it got busier but there were still tables by the time I left at 1pm.I had the miso ramen and would get it again. I think it's slightly more watery than other miso ramen I've had but I really liked it the way they do it here. It still has an intense dose of flavor and I personally liked that it was a little less intense miso flavor. Also had the chicken karaage and it just slaps!!!!! So good!"

Ultra Sushi

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (800) • $$$

"We came here on a Thursday night around 7 and got free street parking. I saw a few garages nearby, but I think you may need to pay for parking. There was actually a good amount of people on a weekday night, but we got a table right away! The restaurant is spacious and clean. Opted in for the all-you-can-eat for $45.99, and this includes drinks. You order on a tablet and staff will take the tablet once you finish ordering and hand it back when you're ready for the next round. The sushi rolls here are a very good portion and can fill you up, so I would advise to take advantage of the sashimi and nigiri first! Our favorite was the ikura (fish roe) nigiri - although it's a bit salty, the flavor still explodes in your mouth the right way. The hand rolls were okay, we got the spicy tuna one and it didn't stand out to us and there was a lot of rice - I would probably skip out on this next time. It's rare to find AYCE sushi places now, and Ultra Sushi is definitely worth a try!"

Okane

★★★★☆ 4 (494) • $$$

"Truly blessed to live so close to this place!The fish here are some if the freshest and reasonably pricesld ive had in sf.The service and the ambiance of the place make this a great date spot, we will definitely be coming back for that unagi don!"

Ichika Izakaya

★★★★★ 4.5 (203) • $$$

"Our first time in. Brought a friend and it did not disappoint. Food is really good. Ambiance is great."

Izakaya Mayumi

★★★★★ 4.6 (138)

"Our first time here, we enjoyed the authentic Japanese food and friendly service at this cozy spot. All the sushi rolls we tried were fresh, the udon hit the spot, and the mochi Dashi was interesting (but we'll stick with agedashi next time). Our favorite roll was the wagyu, so good! They have a big menu with izakaya, sushi rolls, and soup noodle dishes. They didn't seem super busy when we visited, and could use your business, come support this Japanese owned restaurant. Pro tip- the happy hour from 5-6 is a great deal!"

Shokudou

★★★★★ 4.5 (132)

"4.3 starsFriend and I stopped by on a Saturday afternoon to have their lunch specials. My friend ordered the Katsu Don (tonkatsu over rice) and I ordered the 2-item bento box with my choice of chicken teriyaki and saba shioyaki (fish). We were the only patrons inside the restaurant and service was minimal, but sufficient. The food took some time to come out but I presumed the dishes were made to order. The katsu don was a generous bowl, and my friend was very full. The bento box itself was not the typical bento boxes you see, but rather, it was divided in 3 compartments in which each one held the chicken, fish, and salad. Saba shioyaki was salted well and the teriyaki chicken was moist and flavorful. Overall, this was a good place to consider for lunch if you are in the area. Otherwise, the food was good, but not so much to go out of my way for."

Ramen Hiroshi San Francisco

★★★★☆ 4.2 (125) • $$

"I took my kid on an SF adventure tour just before the new school year started. We took the ferry into the city, the tram to to pier 39 (the sea lions are still there) and then cable car to Chinatown. After quite a lot of walking, the hunger came quickly and since I can always get her with a bowl of soup, we took a break at Ramen Hiroshi.What a treat!!! Have you ever heard a 4 year old sigh and moan over a bowl of soup? I have now. People around us were a bit bemused, but she was so into slurping and tasting, she didn't care. And I was such a proud mama!Stop by for a nice lunch and taste their absolutely amazing ramen! We also sampled some edamame and gyoza. Stellar!"

Nojo Ramen Tavern

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$

"To be honest, I'm pretty underwhelmed. While I thought the food was good, it lacked flavor, especially the chicken ramen. Also, the restaurant is tiny, and we waited for a nice three-person table for over twenty minutes. They put us at the communal table by the door. It was wet and raining, so inconsiderate of their part. They were also really standoffish and made us order with QR codes. This isn't Corona anymore; I want a waiter. Now, the food. I was expecting something visually amazing for $20 something dollars of Ramen. I'd rather go to Hinodeya. The staff also doesn't speak Japanese (which is not a good sign), and the truffle fries and yuzu miso salad again lack the oomph I normally taste in Japanese cuisine. Overrated Ramen spot."