SUSHI + Conundrum.....but, in fairness, just came from Santa Barbara Japanese restaurants.....sat at the counter and engaged hoping for great fish and "theater". I got both but had to work for it!! No oysters, uni, or Shisho leaf (just plastic green!!) and that is the conundrum because great fin fish like fresh Aji and fresh wasabi!! Chef "Tiger" San and his wife are from Korea and seem to still be passionate and willing to please....... had to introduce them to the SMV sake numbers as the were out of the "demon -slayer"!! All in ALL, good fin fish, nicely presented, with friendly staff. read more

Excellent service from Brian! Welcoming staff greet you the food is so flavorful. We will likely return a few more times during our vacation in this area. We ate vegetable and shrimp tempura, teriyaki chicken combination plate, Ramen noodles and the Bulgogi bowl. Everything was delicious!! read more

See all

I ordered the Japanese vegetable ramen that stated it was made with vegetable broth. When I started to eat it, it was filled with pork. I am a vegetarian and spent a good amount of money on something that I couldn't even eat. Super disappointed. read more

Fish didn't seem as fresh as it should be . We were the only ones in there on a Friday night read more

Ordered some food from this restaurant through DoorDash to eat in our hotel room and thought the food was just okay, but came still pretty warm. I got the chicken katsu don, bibimbap and some potstickers. Nothing really special.... read more

See all

We like coming to our local sushi place every couple of weeks. It never disappoints and the staff is very kind/welcoming.

Our first time here. I think we were the first customers of the day. The lady was so nice and attended to us. We tried a bunch of the normal stuff. Very neat and clean place. Bathroom is clean no smell. I'd def consider going here again when I'm in the area and in a sushi mood read more

See all

Was in town recently and was look for something fresh, light and flavorful. After a once over of the menu, I order the Poke salad. I got it to go. The Poke was larger chunks of tuna and a nice portion of seaweed sprouts and seasame seeds and oil, very flavorful and decent serving for what I wanted for the evening. The Poke made me feel so good... I ordered cheesecake. Tempura Cheesecake this was an interesting twist on a traditionally rich dessert. The tempura fried treat was then drizzled in chocolate and garnished with a little whipped cream and cherries. Interesting, its warm almost soft "cooked" texture of the cheesecake, im assuming from being batter and then deep fried, was different. Maybe my thoughts of cheesecake texture effected that, it was good just ood. Still an interesting twist and worth a try at least once. 3.5 Stars - Next time Im in town, plan to sit down and order a few other things, defintely worth a try. 00857 read more

See all

A-RU is a pretty decent Japanese restaurant in a small transit town like Buellton. Comfortable and clean setting with friendly service. We had special combination with Dragon Roll, the sushi were fresh and tasty, Dragon Roll was as expected. It also came with Misi soup and salad which was quite nice. We also had the Nabeyaki Udon, served on an iron pot which kept it nice and hot. The seafood items were plentiful but they were a little some. Overall, these two items with a small hot saki made a delicious and satisfying dinner for two. read more

See all

First wanted to start with the customer service and attentiveness, as soon as we walked in we were seated and asked for the choice of our drinks. In a little time we had our food and must I add it was very good very fresh and flavorful not disappointed. The people are so friendly and made it like home I would recommend this place to anyone local or anyone passing by. read more

A-Ru Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buellton, California

See all

Horrible. I ordered DoorDash and just got a tempura udon soup. My soup didn't even have any udon in it not worth the money.

This is a local favorite. Very friendly and welcoming folks. Because we've been going here for a while, they know our orders and they'll even recommend dishes we may not us f thought of. There are certain days where they have special sashimi from local fishes or sea urchins. The food is solid and not too expensive. I highly recommend it! read more

See all

The sushi I got tasted like hamburger meat with cheese on it. It was supposed to be raw salmon and spicy tuna. I tasted the tuna in there but salmon? No. For $18.99 for that roll that was overpriced even if it's in Beullton. The peas are good. The miso soup is good. read more

Great sushi place in town. We stayed in the area for almost 2 weeks and came here nearly every other day. Loved the owners, they def poured their heart in their establishment. Highly recommend! read more

See all

The service was excellent, very friendly staff, however the food was mediocre. I did not enjoy any of the rolls and I feel it lacked quality. It's the only sushi place near me so I didn't have any other options but I think I'll make the drive to Santa Barbara for sushi instead. read more

See all

Long story short, went as a group of 7 and by the end of 2hrs, 3 of us didn't get our food after multiple follow ups. Waiters are good, but the guy behind the sushi counter was very grumpy. Eventually yelled and got mad at us for ordering "too much". Even heard them cussing in Korean. Honestly, if you're a party of 2 it should be fine, but anything more will probably be difficult. I wouldn't have written this review if he didn't yell at us at least. read more

We had the Vegas Roll and Shrimp Killer roll, so Good!! The service is fantastic. The whole experience is a 10!

The sushi dinner we had here was so good! We ordered a dinner combo plate, the 911 roll, the baked salmon and baked scallop roll. We couldn't decide what our favorite was it was all so good and fresh we will definitely be back for more! read more

If you are traveling north or south on the 101 freeway, or staying in the Buellton/Solvang/Santa Ynez Valley area, there is a wonderful Japanese restaurant you should check out. It will satisfy your craving for some healthy, fantastic fare. A-Ru Japanese Restaurant offers delicious authentic sushi and other Japanese and Korean favorites. They have sheltered outdoor seating available so their patrons are able to dine outside during the pandemic. One may also sit inside, but it is limited by the county's regulations at any given week. Our server was very friendly, and if she didn't know the answers to our questions, she immediately found the answer. The talented chef personally delivered our first courses of the wonderful lunch we had here. Our choices were well-prepared and the presentation was very pleasing. After the first bite, we could tell the fish was very fresh, flavorful, and of excellent quality. Our third item was delivered by the other owner. She ensured everything was in good order, and to our satisfaction. We had no complaints as everything was well presented and tasted very fresh. This community is fortunate to have such a restaurant with quality fare, a nice variation of offerings on their menu, and personable owners who care about their food's freshness, quality & appearance, and their customers. Definitely recommend and will return. read more

See all

Great selection and impeccable taste. Small spot but I saw a lot of to go orders being picked up

I love this place. I'm so happy they have been here for years. Every item on the menu is satisfying. I love the sushi served from the owner. He is delightful. Service is fabulously attentive. Thank you A-Ru! G. read more

Food was great. Service was excellent. Ambiance was great. it's up in Buellton with Solvang about 10 minutes or miles east of to there.

Amazing Japanese food--fresh, beautifully plated, and full of authentic flavor. The staff were warm and attentive without hovering, and the calm atmosphere made it a relaxing escape. Highly recommend for a quiet night out or a comforting meal. read more

Great option for dining in the area. It was a cold rainy evening and we ordered the pork ramen and seafood udon special. Both soups were delicious. The only thing I would criticize is the seafood soup should have a couple of pieces of salmon or snapper or another fish. Quality was very good. The gyoza appetizer was decent. I would recommend this place. read more

See all

Pretty sure this is a Chinese-owned Japanese restaurant, which is already a no. The giveaway was the Chinese music blasting throughout the restaurant. The food was really expensive and unfortunately subpar but it's also in the middle of a White town devoid of good Asian food, so... *Shrug* It is what it is. This restaurant was not my choice. It was picked by someone else in our group. It was small but still easily accommodated our party of 16 without a reservation because it was pretty empty. A lady apologized to us (the owner?) when we were leaving and thanked us for our patience because our order took ridiculously long to come out. The kids were so hungry and kept asking about their ramen. She said it was because there were so many orders at once (the restaurant is small and other than us, there are only two other small parties-- what on Earth were you talking about?). However, we never bugged them or asked them once about when our food was coming out, so they were appreciative of that. We didn't expect the ramen to be so big but it sucked, so it didn't really matter how big the portion was. The pork was really dry and the broth lacked that rich, fatty aspect that makes ramen so delicious. You could tell it was instant noodles and not fresh house made, which was just awful. Our server was this young guy. I liked him a lot. He was quick (even though the food aspect was super slow), polite and just sweet. He was trying really hard, so I gave him an extra tip on top of what the rest of our party left him. The restroom was also pretty clean, an aspect I like to note. I feel bad about leaving such a lousy review for a small business but if one is looking for authentic Japanese food at a fair price point, this place just ain't it. read more

See all

I really wanted to like this place, because I'm local and I love sushi. My review is on the food, the restaurant itself is a 3 or 4. The rolls were small with very tiny amounts of fish in them. The sushi rice was too mushy and not the right temperature. Honestly, Lompoc has much better sushi restaurants and in this case, worth the drive. read more

Sushi was okay, just smaller than expected. Servers were nice but I can tell it was a bit unorganized because people who were seated after me got their orders taken before and they kept bringing food we didn't order to our table lol but accidents happen! read more

A-Ru Sushi - 911 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buellton, California

The ramen seems (in texture) and tastes suspiciously like a slightly dressed up (with carrots and scallions) version of top ramen or some other similar packaged ramen. Even the broth flavor seems like a store bought packet. read more

It is with regret that I write this. I'm afraid that the chef has become extremely lazy or complacent. Ordered nearly $200 in sushi and it was mostly all inedible. I threw most of it away.The rice was absolutely disgusting; mushy, sometimes hard, not seasoned. What a shame. Any sushi restaurant can run of out certain types of fish, but there is absolutely zero excuse for inedible rice. The chef should be ashamed of himself. Believe me he knows it's bad but most locals probably won't notice, so he skates by. Where is his pride? I find this abhorrent and disrespectful. Unfortunately I can't spend my money here any longer. I'm angry because the chef is "taking the piss" as the English say and I feel like a fool believing in them. I'm actually hoping I won't get sick at this point. What a shame. What a shame. read more

Sushi was well made, service was great. Only thing i would say that would have gave it 5 stars was there was nothing amazing about it but I would definitely come back read more

A-Ru Sushi - 911 roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buellton, California

See all

Let me preface by stating that the food here is outstanding. We have been coming here for a few years now because of the food. The service is usually pretty good too, and the pricing is fair. They could use more comfortable seating, the hard chairs are not conducive to relaxing over a nice meal, but it's manageable. What is not manageable is their love of having the doors wide open, regardless of weather. Many times we think of going there and I just can't bear the thought of sitting in there trying to eat when it's 55 degrees out and both front doors are wide open, letting in the blast of cold air and all the noise and smell of traffic from the streets and nearby freeway. We tried last week because we noticed that the front doors were actually closed for a change. We figured since it was 46 degrees outside that maybe they also actually turned on some heat. In we went, sat down, ordered and I felt a blast of icy air on my legs. I asked my table mates if they felt it too and yes they did. Front door was closed but I know the MO in this restaurant and stood up to look down the hallway into the back behind the restrooms and sure enough the door to out back was wide open blowing 46 degree air down the hall and right under the tables. I asked the waiter, a tall heavyset young man to please close the door. He tuned me out and didn't respond but looked like he was heading back that way. Then out food came. Freezing air kept on blowing in. I looked again, door was open. Asked 2 more people and was ignored and that door stayed open. The ultimate deciding factor for us and any future guests visiting us was when I saw the kitchen through the open door leading to it; it looked like a disaster area of food all over the floor, cleaning rags hung on stove rungs alongside tongs, and one of the tongs fell on the floor. A cook casually walked over and hung it back over the stove grab bar with the others. After it had been on the floor. Their cleanliness in the back of house is a bit "casual" so I wonder what else falls on the floor and ends up on people's plates. I don't want to eat in a walk-in freezer or in the summer a blast furnace (and this IS the norm here, the only reason we gave it another chance was that we saw the FRONT doors closed) and also risk contaminated food. Since they don't believe in keeping the restaurant at a normal, comfortable temperature that doesn't stink of car exhaust fumes, and the kitchen is filthy on top of that we have given up and won't be back. It's sad, we really want to support local small businesses, but this one has to be a hard pass from now on. read more

I would not recommend this restaurant. Their food is not fresh and put me in the hospital for 13 hours and gave scombroid which is caused by improper refrigerated fish. The service was also very slow. The ambiance is okay but I would not recommend for many reasons but this is the main reason. I've eaten at this restaurant multiple times but this time it was the worst. Do not recommended!! read more

After a delightful day at the museum, we found this restaurant nearby. Each dish was a work of art, bursting with unique flavors. The warm and friendly staff made our visit truly memorable. read more

I came back here to experience A-Ru under the new ownership after all of these years. What I discovered is this is EASILY one of the biggest scam rip-off restaurants in the SY Valley. Check out my receipt image for reference and proof. Lets start with $15.95 for a standard order of Yellowtail nigiri sushi. I know what you're thinking and no, there's nothing special here. It's your classic two pieces of mediocre fish on rice. The Jalama Beach Roll is $16.95 and that consists of spicy tuna inside with Yellowtail on top. Here's the mind-blowing part: the roll consists of WAY more fish than the nigiri and it's only $1.00 more? What?! I know what you're going to say, "well Louie, if you didn't want to spend that money then you shouldn't have ordered the nigiri." Ya, you're right and if I had seen the prices ahead of time I definitely wouldn't have. In fact, I probably would have walked out. But here's the rub, they don't publish the nigiri prices in the menu! Adding insult to injury, the service here continues to be horrendous. I don't know what happens to the staff -- they just disappear. You get seated and it takes them 10-minutes to come grab your order. If you need anything after that, it's a real challenge. The gall you have to have to charge these prices for average fish + terrible service. You clearly know you're the only game in town and so you've chosen to gouge your neighbors. Look, take the extra 15-minutes and hit up Sush Teri in Lompoc. It's totally worth the drive and you'll get much better sushi served at reasonable prices. read more

A-Ru Sushi - $15.95 for an order of mediocre Yellowtail?? It's almost the same price as the Jalama Beach Roll which has more fish! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buellton, California

This awesome sushi restaurant is gift a to have in the Santa Ynez Valley is special. I highly recommend sitting at the sushi bar and view what is being made for others. Food from the kitchen is just as awesome and flavorful. It's been a place I have been going for 17 years read more

See all

Went to A-Ru this evening for dinner. With limited capacity and only 1 sushi chef tonight, it was a bit slow going, but the quality of the sushi was very good and the staff tried to keep up. Phones were constantly ringing, so they are getting quite a bit of takout business and at the moment they appear to only have 6 tables inside. Patience is a virtue and hopefully we can get back to normal soon. We hope to try out A-Ru again in the future as the food is tasty! read more

Everyone was so friendly! The food was extremely good as well. Well worth it! Would definitely go back and recommend.

A Ru is one of the only places to get sushi in the valley, but it does not disappoint. Their rolls are delicious! Take out is super easy and they are priced well. I always go for a caterpillar roll and my husband loves the rainbow roll. They have yummy ginger and wasabi too. One of the best places for date night, whether eating there or taking to go! read more

A-Ru Sushi - Shrimp killer roll and caterpillar roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buellton, California

First time here and everything was sooo good, especially the sushi. I really appreciate the sushi chef here because he truly takes pride in making delicious sushi/rolls for customers. The price is not cheap, but it's not expensive either for the freshness/quality you get. This restaurant is a gem. Just when I thought there'd be no Japanese food in the area, there's A-Ru Sushi to the rescue. I wish there were more scallops in the dynamite, only had two or three little pieces, but the tempura and sushi were excellent. Dynamite was a little salty for me, but I'm sure others enjoy it. I'm looking forward to come back sooner than later. read more

Shoutout to the waitress with the platform crocs--patient and kind and charismatic. When we asked her for recommendations, she was honest and told us her dislike and likes on the menu. I also appreciated the attention from the amount of times she came to check in on us. It was also my beau's birthday and she helped him pick out his first legal alc. great service. Sad there was no uni dish. Would come again if in area. read more

See all