Wow! Best sushi on the Monterey Peninsula - hands down. My daughter, nephew, and I sat down on a Saturday night at this place. I was worried because there always seems to be a line waiting outside the door to get in. We arrived about 7:30p and were seated right away. The store was nearly full with just a few tables open. Our server immediately greeted us and took our drink order. When she returned we ordered the teriyaki chicken, gyoza (appetizer), 2 rolls and six pieces of nigiri. The gyoza was wonderful. Pan fried - with a little crunch on the outside and a soft on the inside. Delicious. The rolls that we ordered we perfectly put together. The fish was tremendous. Very tender, soft, and tasty. The nigiri - the best! Beautifully crafted and topped with fresh fish that melted in my moUth. We liked the food so much that we ordered 2 more rolls and that were just as tasty as the first 2 that we ordered. It is a bit pricy, but definitely worth it. I'll be back for sure.. read more

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IN THIS ECONOMY DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY. Every single roll tastes the same. The udon soups are bland. The teriyaki sauce is too sweet. The beef ribs and beef and chicken teriyaki came out cold. Makes you wonder if all they do is try to reheat it gross! The appetizers were also bland and full of soy sauce. You're better off going somewhere else to spend your money. The service was subpar. No one acknowledges you when you walk in the door. They make you stand there and wait to eventually get unflavored food and terrible service. This review is written in February 2026. There's better places in the area just go there. At the end after over a $350 bill they refused to give us a plastic bag to go home. I offered to pay for it, but they had an attitude about it. They don't even know how to make spicy edamame. It's just soy sauce and grilled onions. The only waitress that was actually helping people was the Hispanic lady. Everyone else just stands and stares at you like they are a statue. You're better off going to Kokoro in Salinas. At least they give you better service and some flavor. read more

$18.50 Volcano Roll: good $7.50 Hamachi: fresh. Small portions. Overpriced. 90% of their rolls are spicy and saucy, a great way to hide suboptimal flavors. That said, the volcano roll was still pretty delicious. Just a shame their portions are a bit small. read more

Crystal Fish - Hamachi sashimi and Volcano Roll. - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

My son and I visited after a recommendation and were glad we found it. The sushi rolls were small and tightly rolled -- exactly how they should be -- and everything arrived promptly. The interior was clean and comfortable. Overall a solid spot for a reliable, no-frills meal. read more

Yummy food at a no frills sushi spot. They got busy and service was meh, they brought out our appetizer after we finished all our rolls and no one came to refill drinks. Would come back, just don't expect top notch service. read more

Crystal Fish - Mango crunch, fire cracker, sunset, and Mama Mia - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Monterey is known for its excellent seafood, and that applies to sushi too. Crystal Fish is a small eatery that's easy to missed on crowded Lighthouse Avenue that seems to draw lines every time we drive between Monterey and Pacific Grove at night. It was less busy during lunch. Note they only have free street parking with 60-min limits, so be prepared to move your car or maybe try a block or two more for 90 mins. The food is excellent here, and I'm not alone in that opinion. Their shelved are lined with awards for beat Japanese/best sushi in the region over multiple years. Their nigiri omakase was a thing of beauty with each piece mouth-watering with umami. And they seasoned the rice properly ad well. We also got a combo bento with Teriyaki Chicken and Salmon. Generous portions of both and cooked juicy. The sides of miso soup and salad are mostly hit or miss at Japanese places but Crystal Fish took pride and made both of them good. Wife got the Nabeyaki Udon which is basically a kitchen sink of assorted seafood and tofu/bean curd both sweet and savory cooked on a rich broth with some soft chewy noodles. Surprised to see such a huge menu, and they serve alcohol as well. They also offer specials and premium nigiri so you can splurge as well. read more

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Came here 15 minutes before the closed down for lunch and reopen for dinner..,I really appreciate the fact that they sat us and not rush us out the door! Loved my udon - the flavor was good and had lots of chicken, a whole egg and other toppings. The dashi broth was rich and tasty! Everything in the bento box was delicious and very fresh. Restaurant' was bright & clean. Tables were well spaced and we didn't feel cramped. Will come back to try sushi next time! read more

Crystal Fish - Lunch special - 3 entrees bento box with Fire Roll, sashimi and teriyaki salmon - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Some of the better sushi in the bay. 日本人が好きかっもしります でもねちょっと高いです　ごめん　でも雰囲気がいいと思いました But no ramen read more

Came here for dinner on a Monday night right before closing, got the tea, 3 nigiris, 3 rolls for $75. Very tasty fish, efficient and kind service, delicious tea. Casual but clean ambiance. The perfect sushi fix near our hotel. Reasonably priced for the amount of food we got! read more

Crystal Fish - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Honestly really good sushi. The rolls were plated beautifully and they tasted as good as they looked. I will say though the server's attitudes and attentiveness is severely lacking. When I went I sat by the window right by the servers station and we still didn't get the service that you normally get in most restaurants and mind you it wasn't busy at all there was only two other guest in there at the time and two Togo orders came through. We sat without drinks refilled and felt like we had to beg for things or wave someone down/ get up and ask for things. Usually even bad servers ask if we need anything else. read more

Crystal Fish - California roll and Shauna's chimichanga - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

9/10 Fresh, Flavorful, and Worth the Wait! The sashimi was absolutely amazing each piece was incredibly fresh and full of flavor. The presentation was visually appealing, though a bit cluttered for my taste. Still, the quality of the fish more than made up for it, and I'd absolutely order it again. I also had two tekka rolls. While they were a little rough around the edges in terms of appearance, they still hit the spot. Service was friendly, but a bit slow especially when it came to getting the check and water refills. That said, they were clearly busy, which is understandable since this place is always packed. Highly recommend making a reservation in advance. The ambiance is cozy and welcoming, making it a great spot for a casual yet quality sushi night. read more

Crystal Fish - Sashimi Dinner - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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This place was close to our hotel and since we just checked into and too tired to drive somewhere, we came here since it was a three minute walk. We got here around 6:30 on a Sunday evening and got the last table for two. Service was pretty quick. We ordered the Chashu Pork with the zucchini noodles for an appetizer. Then we got the Philadelphia Roll, Alaska Roll, and Monterey Roll. All were good. The pork was tender. The zucchini was a bit on the peppery side but good. The rolls were good, especially the Monterey Roll. Fish tasted fresh. Good seating. Good casual setting. I would give this place five stars if I didn't see the cockroach crawling down the wall behind my husband. read more

Crystal Fish - Chashu pork with zucchini noodles - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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3.5 It wasn't bad but not worth it to come back to. The roll was allllrightt, the fish and flavor just didn't tie together well for me. The sashimi felt like it came RIGHT out of the freezer. It was still very cold. I agree with the other reviews about the service being not so great. Out of all the tables they seated us at the only ones without sauce plates and they also forgot our waters. They were still very nice, just not attentive. I like that the restaurant was very spacious. read more

Crystal Fish - Death Star roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Food was great as usual but the ambiance was totally unacceptable. The sushi chef and other staff talked so loudly non-stop right in the dining area that it completely spoiled our dining experience. I felt like I was eating in a noisy fish market oblivious to customers who were trying to enjoy a meal. It did not help that the restaurant cleanliness and strong old food odors were unpleasant as well. As much as we love the consistent high quality of the seafood the dining experience was a fail. read more

Passing through Monterey for a couple of days and my husband and I decided to check out Crystal Fish since we love sushi. They had plenty of unique and delicious roll options for my husband, who is plant-based, which we really appreciated. When we ordered, my husband noticed a couple of sushi boats at other tables and asked the waiter if ours could come out on one too. The waiter was incredibly accommodating and made it happen, which was super cool! As for the sushi itself, it was fantastic!! Everything tasted very fresh, the rice was perfectly balanced and not overbearing, and the quality of the fish really stood out. I definitely recommend the Sexy Roll and the nigiri as well. If you're a sushi lover, this is absolutely a spot you should check out when you're in Monterey. read more

Crystal Fish - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Our first time and last time coming here. I don't know what kind of rice was that. It was terrible mushy rice that they use. Worse than the supermarket sushi. There is no service, they pretty much just take the order and drop food. That's it. Also, parking is very charllenging around that area. read more

Crystal Fish - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Came in on a weekday around 1 and were seated immediately. The staff was very nice and welcoming. We ordered the Japanese KFC (Karaage chicken), the Cannery roll, and the pink dragon roll. The Japanese KFC was solid 4/5. The flavor was good, the only thing that didn't work with the chicken was the uncooked cucumber. The Cannery roll was listed as spicy, but overall my first bite tasted only like rice. There was a very subtle flavor on the scallops and the tiniest hint of spice. 2/5 The pink dragon roll was good, I think the only issue was that the avocado inside the roll looked mostly brown. Maybe it oxidized a bit. 3/5 read more

Crystal Fish - Japanese KFC (Karaage chicken) - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Solid spot for fresh sushi, the tonkatsu/sashimi combo was great for dinner; I eat a lot and was actually full with the dinner combo. As far as the atmosphere inside, it's a bit noisy especially when it's a full house, but overall the traditional plus fusion choices and fun types of rolls and dishes make this a good choice for Japanese cuisine. read more

Crystal Fish - Tonkatsu/sashimi dinner combo - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

I don't know how poppin' Monterey is during New Years, but my girlfriend and I came to town looking to get away and spend some quality time together. With it being New Years Eve, we had no idea where to go for dinner. We came to Crystal Fish because it looked like a nice sushi spot on my friend's list of places to go in Monterey. To put it plainly, it was mid. I treated myself to the omakase, and while I didn't hate what I ate, I wasn't blown away. Almost every piece of nigiri was just fine. I felt like with the exception of two pieces (the mackerel and fatty tuna), it lacked creativity. They also ran out of a cocktail I wanted to order and recommended cans of malt fruit alcohol. I'm not saying I expected a fine dining experience, but I do expect more from the seafood in a beach town. read more

Crystal Fish - Omakase. - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Went for a birthday party last week with 11 people and the experience was fantastic. Great sushi rolls, appetizers, and they were happy to assist us with the birthday cake we brought in. Server was very attentive and polite. Only reason they got 4 and not 5 stars is the inside could use a revamp. Polar opposite experience compared to our first visit back in 2017. read more

Tasty food, great service -- my favorite sushi spot in the area. The Mrs. Santa Claus is the best roll by far! read more

Crystal Fish - Unagi hand roll, cannery roll, Mrs. Santa Claus, mahalo, California roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

The take-out experience is 5 stars. Each of the rolls we ordered tasted unique and delicious. Somewhat high prices, but worth it. The restaurant itself could use a renovation. read more

We stumbled upon this place because we like to stay at Victorian inn around the holidays and we have discovered that this is one of the greatest sushi places we have ever had the privilege of going to. The fish is always fresh, perfect texture and great flavor. We happily drive the 6 hours now from Los Angeles. 10/10 read more

Crystal Fish - Sushi dinner, 7 assorted pieces of Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Service was very good and prompt. We ordered Shrimp Tempura as we have been looking for a restaurant that cooks and serves tempura that is lightly fried where the flavor of the shrimp comes through not the fried outside covering. We were disappointed not only by the small size of the shrimp (only 2) and the thick outer fried shell. We ordered the Tempura dinner not the appetizer and expected more shrimp, instead we got more of everything else which did include salmon. We have yet to find a restaurant in Monterey or anywhere else that serves good tempura. Suggestions? read more

We really enjoyed our lunch. Service was great. Food was good quality. Ordered the bento boxes and some rolls. Fresh and tasty food. We were happy to have a family friendly place to grab some eats without being on the main strip with tourists. read more

Crystal Fish - Spicy edamame - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Unfortunately had a very unpleasant experience at Crystal Fish. I ordered a lot of sushi and udon that contained imitation crab. To my shock, I discovered a piece of plastic in the udon clearly from the imitation crab packaging. This is not only unacceptable but also a serious health hazard. I expected better quality control and food safety from an establishment serving raw and prepared foods. I hope management takes this seriously and ensures their kitchen staff is more careful moving forward. We still had to pay for it. All the employees didn't even think about giving us a refund for their mistake. Tried to accommodate us with melted ice cream. Never again bringing my family here. Wow! read more

Crystal Fish - Imitation crab in my udon. - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Hands down the worst sushi I have ever had. We ordered 3 roles and none of them had any flavor. On top of that, the service was lacking. The server barely looked at us and did not even bring us soy sauce. We had to get up and get it ourselves. It was a very unsatisfactory experience. read more

We had a great dinner here. Our friends brought us here and everything was so good! All of the food was fresh and delicious and the vegan options were great for the vegans in our group! read more

I got a to-go order on 12/1/25, and one of the items was Dragon Ball Z, an appetizer. Upon eating with my friend, she discovered a bug in the dish, as seen in the picture. This was highly disappointing as both of us really like this place. We returned to the restaurant and returned the item. They did offer to make it again, but it was hard to get back into the mood, and we declined the food item. Later, when we returned, we tossed the remaining food as well. Likely a mistake, but I hold Crystal Fish to high standards from my previous experiences there, and, as seen in so many reviews, they are a good establishment. So, this happening was quite disappointing. I hope they are more careful next time. read more

Crystal Fish - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Though the presentation was good the food was bland. My family ordered the sashimi dinner - looked good to eat when it got to our table till we tried them. Octopus was so tough my son couldn't bite off a piece. Ordered the chicken karaage which came really late and was not tasty nor seasoned good. Wondered though why there were a lot of people going in. Maybe they the only sushi outfit here read more

Left side: lion king roll with requested real crab Right side: dragon roll with requested real crab Food wasn't that great, the taste was not that great either. read more

Crystal Fish - Mixed tempura - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Great environment, amazing staff. Food is great quality and super good portions. Definitely recommend!

I'm not even going to lie, I don't remember the names of the rolls I got. However, I tried a variety and each roll had amazing quality fish. One of the rolls was a simple salmon avocado. One came with a spicy sauce. Another was topped with multiple types of fish. The staff is very friendly and there are a lot of tables inside. They have a lot of awards on the wall, so this must be a reputable place in Monterey. If I come back, I will probably try their chirashi bowl. read more

Crystal Fish - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Was looking for a quick and cost effective sushi place. This was it! $30 for lunch and I'm stuffed to the brim with yumminess. I had a miso soup and a couple different signature rolls with a soda. Very attentive service, food was delicious, and I enjoyed all the window space they had in the restaurant. Very open and airy and I highly recommend Crystal Fish! I'll definitely be back. read more

Crystal Fish - Dragon Roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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This place was pretty good! Luckily we made reservations because it was pretty packed. The miso soup was great! Both of us got sashimi/sushi like combos and they were good. A lot of the sushi rolls have asparagus and/or shellfish. Overall good experience for us! And a nice walk from the surrounding hotels :) read more

Crystal Fish - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Highly recommend this place. The fish is amazing. If you have a gluten or dairy allergy just let the staff know and they are more than accommodating! The service was so quick. The establishment had a good ambiance, typical for a sushi place! read more

I am very fond of Crystal Fish anytime I visit Monterey. Every time I bring someone, they always agree on how amazing the food is. 5/5 all around for quality, authenticity and prices. Great sushi, sashimi - fresh fish, service, lunch specials and vegetarian options remain the same as it did a decade ago. Their sriracha and kewpie spicy mayo is the best. Sriracha has the spice level like before the covid shortage. I dk how that is possible, lol. They've been consistent over a decade that I've visited. I'll continue to have a dear spot in my heart for Crystal Fish forever. read more

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My go to for sushi whenever in town and we promptly arrived at 5 pm to celebrate an anniversary. In its hey day, this place would always have a line of people waiting to get in prior to opening for dinner as they did not take and still do not take reservations. Fast forward as we learned the previous owners retired several years ago. It is not as bustling when they open but at 6 pm, more people had arrived and seated before we left at 6:30. Service was attentive despite two staff members who were fairly new. I miss the traditional Japanese greetings when one enters and leaves but as long as the food is consistent I have no complaints. Pictured are Agedashi tofu which was okay but wish the pieces were cut in the traditional tofu squares. Yellow eyed Monster roll was unique in presentation and very tasty as I'm not an asparagus fan but it was prepared in such a way that the pieces are small and integrated into the roll. Dragon Ball Z was also unique but wasn't a big fan of the crunchy rice that is the base for the ball of the items that make up this appetizer. Santa Barbara uni was very fresh and glad we ordered that as well as the Spider and Hamachi Lover rolls. Will come back next time but now know I no longer need to get there by 5 pm read more

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I have been to this restaurant so many times. and this time I have to say this. I ate sushi& rice for lunch. Some fish was not fresh. I paid more than $30 including tax for mere lunch but I left some fishes uneaten. it was so disappointing. read more

Our server was nice and friendly, she helped us with any questions we had about the menu. The fish was extremely yummy and they had a good selection of fish. The Omakase meal with the chef selection of 12 nigiri was a great and a good deal compared to ordering on your own. It came with pretty much everything we would have ordered. There are a lot of sushi roll and menu options and a bar to sit at. Overall really enjoyable experience! Decor was nice and simple and the lighting was sufficient. read more

Crystal Fish - Chefs selection of 12 nigiri and Toro. - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California