My husband and I wanted some sushi after traveling far. We were sat down right away, and given drinks. We were also able to order expediently. It took a long time for the food to arrive. And while I waited for the food, I did notice a staff member just playing with a menu book by flipping it over and over. There's definitely a care free vibe here. After waiting awhile we finally received the hidden dragon roll & tamago, and my husband's bento. His tempura combo had way too much batter, and you couldn't quite get to the shrimp. The roll was excellent though, same for the tamago. They do serve huge portions. read more

This is our go-to place whenever we're in the area and we have never been disappointed! The service is always friendly and prompt. The food is amazing. We have enjoyed pretty much everything but the specialty rolls (especially the Akira), the hamachi kama and teriyaki salmon are the standouts. read more

The fresh cuisine selection and multiple "bundle" options are very high quality, but for me, it's the employees at Akira Aptos that differentiate this Japanese restaurant from all others. We were visiting Aptos from Naples, FL for my birthday and we're welcomed as Ohana by Akira staff. From the Hamachi to the maguro, sake and uni, let alone the ridiculously tasty ama ebi, to an impressively wide selection of the freshest house-constructed rolls, if you're staying at Seascape and want something incredible for a takeout, choose Akira. You too, will be welcomed to their family. read more

Glad I bought...didn't have much expectation for the restaurant but it was a pleasant surprise...I didn't walk away thinking that was the best suishi I ever had but I did think I got my money's worth. If you are a suishi snob, then maybe this place won't be a good fit, but I'll definitely eat there again. read more

Amazing vegetarian rolls!! Love how many options they offer as far as vegetarian rolls go. Always my go to location for sushi ! They have outdoor tables set up with enough seating so you don't have to wait m, they always have heaters set up which is great for those chilly nights. Staff wear masks and follow all CDC recommendations which offers a sense of relief read more

Akira Aptos - Tree top roll and Pagoda - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

Used to be good, but prices have skyrocketed. They used to have an afternoon (Bento Lunch) take-out reduced price, but ended it a year ago and now what used to be $13 is now $19. They should resume the reduced-price afternoon Bento Lunch. Otherwise, I will never return. read more

We're used to tepid service at Akira Aptos. It's been our consistent experience to stand awkwardly at the door for 10-15 minutes before somebody deigns to make eye contact, let alone greet us. We have always felt the rolls were imaginative and tasty enough, and the Happy Hour to be, well, Happy enough, that it was worth the wait. This afternoon pushed us over the edge. We waited the requisite 10 minutes at the door. The worker who finally greeted us seemed confused. Did we...want a table? Why, yes, that would be why we are standing at the door. Of a restaurant. During Happy Hour. Where there are many other patrons eating...food. Having made our intentions clear, we watched our worker take several minutes to ready our chosen table, during which there were many interruptions to buss other tables, bring out checks, and serve food to other customers. Ok, I get it. It was a busy afternoon. Maybe they were a smidge understaffed. He needed to multitask. Again, nothing outside of our previous experiences at Akira. Finally, we were allowed to sit. What pushed us over the edge was the fact that we were ignored for 30 minutes as the 3 parties behind us were seated in rapid succession, received waters, and had their orders attentively taken. Did we do something wrong? I don't think so. We are exceptionally polite. We sat quietly with our menus closed in front of us, at first waiting expectantly, then feeling puzzled, then wondering if maybe he had forgotten about us. After 30 minutes, my partner walked back up to the entrance where she waited another 5 minutes to be noticed before asking nicely if we could please get some water and have our order taken. The host said he would find our server. He disappeared. My partner reported a group of servers at the back of the restaurant staring directly at our table. Surely, we would get a sip of water now. Or perhaps a napkin to flag somebody else down? We waited another 10 minutes and...nothing. Meanwhile, tables that were seated behind us had begun to get food. Were we not het enough? Were we not white enough? Were we not pretty enough? I don't like to think so, but I couldn't help noticing the very blonde, het, made-up crowd at other tables getting prompt attention and service, while the biracial, lesbian couple in the corner were ignored for 40 solid minutes. Akira, I know this is post-Trump Aptos during a pandemic hangover, but that is no excuse. You have finally lost us. Too bad, because we order big, eat fast, and tip generously. Just not at Akira anymore. read more

Happy hour gone wrong. Was hoping for a similar experience to the Seabright location and man did it fall short. I explained to the staff I only had 40 minutes to make a work appointment. Despite a $80 late lunch for 2 people I was frustrated and disappointed. Would love to talk to management and owners as I am a resident of Aptos and wanted to make this my go to local sushi place read more

Found this Japanese restaurant after the hike at The Forest of Nisenes Marks State Park. This restaurant is located close to the park and is perfect after our walk. They serve generous portions of food comparing to many Japanese restaurants in the area. We ordered their lunch bento boxes. Their grilled teriyaki skirt steak was especially tender and juicy. Their kids bentos can satisfy adults, too. The restaurant was very accommodating to our special requests and a special thanks to our server, Quentin. He brought this experience to the next level. read more

I've tried this place and it was very nice! I went with my husband and we ordered Sushi and chicken with Panco (or whatever they call it), and it was very nice! Atmosphere is cool, fairly young people as far as I remember it. The location is great! The prices were fair (as far as I remember it). read more

Outstanding, fresh sushi, Santa Cruz style. Great staff, management, Akira aims to please! The newer Aptos location is clean, sleek, a must-try for creative, fresh sushi, Santa Cruz style. Impeccable...Happy hour sushi weekdays!!! Santa Cruz sushi at its finest. Located next to Bay Federal Credit Union, on Soquel Drive. The Yellowtail Collars are the best!! The juiciest, flavorful collars, broiled with onions, mushrooms and a dipping sauce worthy of being bottled and sold in its own right! You are in for a Treat!! Take it from a local . read more

Akira Aptos - Akira sushi bar, in Aptos., and always delicious!! Creative, fresh, unique sushi, with a Santa Cruz spin. This is a must try!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

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Food is good ... indoor and outdoor seating .. it can busy so keep that in mind... or you can do take out.

Fun aesthetic. It's got a rock and roll surfer vibe. Very clean and new looking interior. Awesome menu. There is parking in back. The sushi is awesome and the happy hour and lunch specials are amazing. Good service too. read more

Akira Aptos - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

Excellent, fresh, unique, flavorful sushi in a hip, stylish restaurant. We are seriously picky FOODIES and we LOVED this place. Give it a try! As thirty-somethings, we were pleasantly surprised to find a modern interior decor, refreshing in a place where most restaurants look like my grandma's house! Plus, this place has an entire PAGE of their menu dedicated to vegetarian sushi roles and the are DELICIOUS! Let's keep this awesome venu in business! It's an asset to Aptos. We went on a Friday night without reservation and had to wait about 15 minutes, but we just went next door to the wine bar and got a glass of wine. Highly recommend this place! read more

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My daughter's birthday week, she loves Akira Aptos and invited me to join her for lunch, lucky me The best miso soup I've had, also the best seaweed salad! We had a couple Hamachi- delicious! Eternal Sunshine- yum! I'm sorry I don't remember the other's names- So good. This is a fabulous lunch! We were well attended to, everything clean and well spaced. We've also ordered take-out for dinner and been very happy! read more

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It's not bad but not good. I can tell it was made well but it doesn't really taste like real sushi.

Great sushi, at a very fair price! My boyfriend and I wanted some sushi while visiting the area last weekend, and we went to Akira sushi.. We were seated immediately, and ordered the sashimi plate, extra salmon, one of their deluxe rolls, some seaweed salads and a little extra side salad. We eat a lot, and finished it all.. Everything came pretty quickly, was super fresh and really delicious! Especially the sashimi was really great and seemed of very high quality! This place is a win! read more

We came to Akira on a Saturday afternoon exhausted after moving. We were welcomed and seated quickly. We ordered our drinks and an order of the fries for the boys because they were starving. We then ordered our entrees. We waited....waited....waited. 40 minutes later we asked our waiter where the fries were. They checked. We were told cook said he made They would make. Got the fries and our sushi rolls came about an hour after we ordered. The rolls were tasty, but considerably smaller than in the past. Perhaps that is to keep the price down. We would recommend if you have time to sit down and wait. If not, choose elsewhere. read more

Hands down you need to try the nachos! They are huge and super flavorful and so different than anything I've ever had at a sushi place and fell in love with this spot because of it and the great service. read more

* Veggie Agai (Left) - Good, Most filling of the 3 rolls, with a good sweet flavor. * Clock work (Middle) - Ok, A bit bland with a slightly sweet flavor. * Mushaboom (Right) - Best, with a slightly spicy flavor. * Inari was also good. read more

Akira Aptos - * Veggie Agai (Left) , Clock work (Middle), Mushaboom (Right). All with added tofu. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

Love Akira! Great food every time and amazing staff. Highly recommend. High quality food for a decent price. We go there weekly and it never disappoints. read more

Good service. Good ambience. Bad sushi. Spider-Man roll: lots of batter, lots of rice, not very much crab and hamachi TNT sticks: just fried, nothing special Really dirty bathroom. read more

Where do I begin... CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS A**, we were sat down with no menus they brought us menus 5 minutes later took our order 10 minutes later. We were a party of 6, food was being brought out at different times. Our waiter LaMaya had a terrible attitude and didn't even bother bringing out one of our orders, until we asked another waiter, I also asked LaMaya for a side of siracha which took eternity for her to bring out and place wasn't even busy she was just walking around doing nothing... place is suuuuuuuper small maybe fits like 15-20 People inside... would I dine in again? NO THANKS! Everyone wh works there looks so miserable, like if they are being forced to work there... Food was okay... I've had better. Biggest table they had there sat only 4... and they only have 2 of those not recommended for parties of 2+. If I could give 0 stars I would. read more

Went here for the first time since Covid. Prices were high. One 350 ml bottle of nigori sake was $16.50!! $8.00 max everywhere else. Service was horrible. Ordered a starter....Tempura....and a few nigiri sushi. Waited 30 minutes and still nothing. In the mean time ordered a few rolls. The rolls came, then the nigiri, then last of all the tempura.....Others were served prior who arrived after. The waitress blamed the sushi chefs.....ahhhhh no.....the waitress should have kept on top of her orders. She was kind of snotty about it. Will not return. Go to Miyuki in Watsonville.....run there, don't walk. 100% better sushi, service, and sake. read more

Ok so the sushi is great but they do not treat people right. We've been waiting an hour for sushi outside, there are tables open and places at the sushi bar but they refuse to seat us. The don't take "reservations" but people can walk up and put their name on the list and then disappear, and they are basically treated like reservations. Btw the propane ran out and we are freezing outside really? Home Depot is open they could go buy more. FTFY Update: ok so we only get takeout now to avoid issues above, and last night we get our order home and took a bite and we knew right away something was not quite right. Super spicy! I mean beyond any sushi I have ever tried, and my girlfriend who is a fan of hot also could not eat it. So we call and the dude is like, oh wow, I guess I pressed the "add extra habenero sauce oops!" Really? read more

Sushi was great. Everyone at the table agreed. Service was very slow however. Only reason for 4 stars.

Delicious, literally some of the best tasting sushi I have ever had! Came here late last week and was so happy I did. Nice atmosphere and BUSY, with so many chefs working hard to make that sushi! So impressive! I got my sushi to go and the young man who rang up/prepared my order was organized and efficient. It's busy but not chaotic. Will def be back! read more

Great sushi. Lots of options with ingredients that add unique textures and flavors. Highly recommended. Our favorite in the county. The service is slow but worth the wait. Employees are friendly and atmosphere is laid back. read more

7/5/2022: I began waiting on hold at 635PM. I was position 5 according to the recording. By 7:20 It was my turn and the phone began ringing, and ringing, and ringing...5 minutes of that and their phone system disconnected me. 50 minutes I devoted to attempting to give these people my repeat business. I will never do business with them again. Incredibly disrespectful way to treat customers. Don't waste your time...Sushi Garden is right up the street and they will actually answer your call or take your order on-line. read more

I will preface this by saying I LOVE good sushi and I have eaten some of the best in the country. At Akira the service was excellent. Got right in and sat at the sushi bar and everyone was very attentive. I ordered sashimi and the pieces of fish were VERY large. I was pleasantly surprised by this. However, all of the fish was previously frozen. I don't care for previously frozen fish... Only fresh. It tastes soggy and spongy, and you lose much of the flavor of the fish. This fish was very much that way. That said, many sushi restaurants are doing this. I'm not sure if it's because of Health Department reasons, or they can freeze the fish and keep it longer, or for money reasons... But it's become common practice, unfortunately. If you're not a sushi snob like me... And don't mind the fish previously frozen I think you will like this place. I did not order one of the rolls, but everyone around me had one and they were huge and looked very good. I'm a purist so I don't eat all of the sugary sauces. read more

A little disappointed. The spicy roll I got, the "Drunken Monkey" was not spicy. It was an INFERNO! Way to hot to even finish, or even enjoy the other rolls I got. This cannot be that hot normally? It literally had no flavor because of the amount of capsaicin! Even though I got other rolls that we're not spicy, I couldn't taste them don't my mouth being on fire! I will go back and give them another shot, not sure when though. read more

We waited for 22 minutes and I had to go to the host to order because no one came to greet us at our table. The food is amazing. Service, not reflective of the prices. I usually get takeout, that's what I'll do moving forward. I was surprised there wasn't a manager there, no one was there to realize me and my kid were sitting there that long without being helped. The worst service I've had in SC County. read more

This is my favorite sushi restaurant of all time. We eat here regularly. The service is always wonderful and the food is amazing. The best part is they have a ton of vegetarian and gluten free options. Something for everyone. read more

This is my favorite Sushi. It is rather small and can get crowded quickly so I go at off times and have never had to wait for more than a few minutes. Our first waiter was actually from Japan and was very knowledgeable and good at recommending dishes we've not had before. I live far away and will have to make a trip just to eat here. read more

Great service, great environment, great prices and great sushi! Went in for lunch and a beer with the guys today and had very quick service and the food was perfect! Keep up the great work! read more

Cannot recommended this place enough it is amazing! The sushi is great and the bento box is even better, chicken katsu is some of the best I've ever had. Every time I'm in Aptos this is the spot. read more

The service is AMAZING, and you can tell all the ingredients are fresh and the food preparation is well cared for at every step. I've eaten here and the one in Santa Cruz 4 times in the past 2 days. AMAZING each time, lunch and dinner. read more

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Yelp page said to call to order, called twice no answer. Hours on the site, on the phone message and on the building say they are open. Their web page said to click for the menu, clicked many times, no menu. So we went somewhere else. read more

This place is pretty good. They have a nice bento box with a bunch of options and they also have a happy hour that looks pretty solid. I wouldn't say the sushi is phenomenal, but the service is usually pretty good and the food typically hits. I was in there one day and they were letting one of the waitresses "DJ" and the music was trash. That was one time and in her defense, she probably thought it sounded good. read more

Retired and moved to Aptos this year. I live within walking distance to this place. When I bought my home I was very excited to have a Japanese restaurant so close. I love Japanese food - culture and vibe. Sadly Kira disappoints on food, culture AND vibe. Pretty much a ZERO star experience... And I've really tried to like this place. There have been evenings when I have had to call 10 - 20 times just to get the phone answered. The 4 times I have actually been able to place an order (out of about 15 attempts) the staff was rude.. abrupt. The food was decent 1 out of 4 times... and every time I waited over an hour.. twice it was 2 hours. If you are really persistant.. they might actually take your order... plan to wait, and don't expect much. Super disappointed every time. read more