We were in Berkeley and felt like having some sushi. We resorted to Yelp and we saw Daruma. It was an AYCE sushi joint, even better! We drove there and was happy to see they had some designated free parking spots next to the restaurant. As we entered, we were a bit confused why there was only a few people. As we were seated, we were given the bad news... there was no AYCE for dinner. Nooo!! Oh well, we were already seated, and this place got good reviews, so we went ahead and started ordering. Man, everything we were ordered was very good. I didn't get to take a picture of everything we had, but I know it was all good. Service was quick and helpful as well. As the evening went by, more and more people started coming. Apparently there are more tables to the left of the entrance, so that's good. It's not as small of a space as it seems when you first walk in. When in the area, we'll be back, and hopefully this time around lunch time so we can try their AYCR option. read more

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Been here a couple of times and it doesn't seem like much on the outside but when you walk inside it gives you a little vibe of being in Japan. Cozy space and loved the vibes. Service is quick and food came out fast. Prices are reasonable and food tasted great. Fresh and yummy. Parking is okay not super easy but not super difficult to find. If you're in the area, I totally recommend it! read more

Met our son and his friends for dinner before heading to our hotel. All of us ordered Bento boxes and ordered bunch of chicken karage for appetizers. The service was fast even though they only had two employees working. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Friday nights they have lunch be music, so we'll be back to see the free show.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Daruma Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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A good hole in the wall spot in Berkeley ! Before heading to a wine bar nearby, we stopped by for dinner. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Daruma is cozy, filled with good food served by the friendliest server and have I mentioned they had a happy hour everyday from 5-8pm (all 6 dollar items!)?[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] What a steal! We ordered sake nigiri, agedashi tofu and a salmon skin hand roll to start off with from the happy hour menu. We also ordered 49ers roll (niner gang!) as well as grilled squid. The fish was fresh and melts in your mouth, all had their own charm to each food. My new favorite spot! read more

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Five Stars - all thanks to Lucky! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Daruma Sushi in Berkeley has a cute vibe with its walls full of daruma dolls . Cozy wood accents, warm lighting, and an easygoing atmosphere[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We've been a few times as a fam and it's always been a great experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] First off: Lucky is the real MVP. She's super sweet, ultra‑attentive, and just genuinely kind every time. We've been so lucky to have her as our server on all our visits Came one during happy hour and another time close to closing time. We went all in on the food: hand rolls, spicy tuna rolls, pickled rolls, ikura, unagi, fresh tuna, calamari, grilled squid, sushi tacos, seaweed salad, Japanese pancake (okonomiyaki), grilled skewers, agedashi tofu, edamame, salmon skin salad, mochi donuts... basically the whole menu. Bonus: the green tea and lychee tea comes in a huge portion, which we love. Highlights? Spicy tuna, ikura, unagi, agedashi tofu, grilled squid, and calamari. The sushi tacos weren't my thing, but my wife devoured them. And the salmon skin salad didn't hit for me, but hey, it happens. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We came back because the food's good, the vibe's relaxed, and Lucky always makes us feel taken care of.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Definitely recommend for a cozy family dinner, a casual date night, or just rolling solo and treating yourself. read more

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Daruma Sushi is a true Japanese sushi spot. A newer location on San Pablo, [[HIGHLIGHT]]I loved the quaint Japanese decor that lines the walls and entry point of the restaurant, lit shelves- including one that needs to have bulbs replaced along the wall and a bar counter for single occupancy seating immediately greet you upon entry.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff is Japanese, which drives the authenticity factor even further. The menu is extensive, with rolls extending for pages and pages from start to finish. I order the Unagi Don, because I love yellow tail sashimi. It's served with a miso soup and green salad with house dressing. Not to be confused with a bento box. Daruma has great happy hour deals that showcase $5 rolls and runs from 5P-8P daily. [[HIGHLIGHT]]If you're looking for real sushi, and an authentic Japanese vibe pull up to Daruma.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Heads up, you will have to flag down your waitress once you're ready to order, need anything additional or when ready for the check; the seating is low, and raising a hand with eye contact to the server is helpful. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The spot is small, but feels more cozy than anything. Super cute spot, stop by and check it out.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They got mochi donuts too, if you're into that. read more

Daruma Sushi - Unagi Don (bowl) Shrimp Tempura Roll & Green Salad - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]this sushi restaurant was super cute inside![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] my friend and I ordered takeout. she for a california roll and I got the tako yaki, the octopus balls. they were both good, priced a little high but good food! read more

Daruma Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Super cute and cozy little Japanese restaurant on San Pablo. Cutely decorated with daruma trinkets and wooden interiors. The best part for me is they have their own private parking lot! Service is great and food is delicious. Prices are affordable. A hidden Berkeley gem. They have happy hour deals! read more

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Came here for happy hour, great expansive menu- there's something for everyone here. We ordered: -agedashi tofu -Takoyaki -daruma taco -salmon nigiri -yakitori chicken w/ green onion -yakitori mushroom -- -okonomiyaki seafood ( not HH) Overall, we really enjoyed the okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, and the yakitori. The prices are great for happy hour, and would definitely come back to try more things! read more

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I wish I found out about this place sooner because I don't know if there is any other place in Berkeley that serves good quality sushi for such an affordable cost. Tip: If you have a larger group make sure to call ahead because they do get very busy! They have happy hour every day which is unheard of. There are options for handrolls, regular rolls, and even their sushi tacos, all reasonably priced. Honestly you can probably be full off a few of the happy hour rolls. I do highly recommend the sushi tacos. I got the spider sushi taco and it was an entire soft shell crab in a seaweed shell and some other toppings (so good!) Daruma also has okonomiyaki, which I frequently crave and find it hard to find a place in the bay area. Recommend the seafood one. Good texture and plenty of seafood in it. It is probably enough food for one person or two if you want to get some rolls with it. Overall, highly satisfied with my initial experience here and will definitely be coming back to try more things from their extensive menu. read more

Daruma Sushi - Spider taco (an entire soft shell crab!) - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

They start you off with some complimentary edamame, unfortunately, it's not very well seasoned, so it has a bland taste. The sushi is mediocre and somewhat reminiscent of grocery store sushi (heavy on the rice, skimpy on the fish). Rather than using the soy sauce to enhance the flavor, the soy sauce was necessary to give flavor. The wasabi was dried out and crumbly; it did not spread on the fish and usually fell off the fish into the soy sauce. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The location is very small. It's cramped to the point of feeling uncomfortable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Overall, an underwhelming experience. read more

The back room where we were seated was cold, very cold. It took forever for someone to come back to take our order. My husband's food then arrived, and he waited and then started in, but my meal did not appear. Since no one was regularly checking the back room, I went up front and was told "soon". I waited an appropriate time, my husband finished his meal, and I went up front and requested our check without having received my meal, which was still not completed. Two stars, mostly for getting my husband fed, but leaving me high and dry! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Quite busy on a Thursday afternoon.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were the 1st customers for happy hour. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great meet up place for happy hour.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our waiter was friendly and helpful. We ordered from the Happy Hour Menu-Agedashi Tofu, Takoyaki, and House Sake. We also ordered 2 taco rolls (taco shaped nori shells) - soft shell crab and the unagi roll, plus a rainbow roll. Everything we had was good. For the agedashi tofu - I would prefer if the sauce was poured over the tofu instead of being served separately. I highly recommend the soft shell crab and unagi rolls. Having parking besides the building was definitely helpful. read more

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Came here for my lunch break. It's a cutely decorated Japanese restaurant. The food was alright. Didn't try their sushi but got their bento box and takoyaki instead. I can tell that the takoyaki was fried in the fryer and not made in the little takoyaki maker. It tasted like takoyaki still 6.5/10 Their bento was decent. Nothing special. Good spot for a quick lunch. read more

Daruma Sushi - Tako Yaki - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Service can be a bit spotty as other reviewers have shared. It can take a while for food to come out too much time between dishes. They need to hire more staff. The older female waitress is very sweet, friendly and attentive to kids. She brought out free mochi donut at end. The age dash tofu is very tasty!! And the happy hour prices can't be beat. read more

Adashi tofu is to die for. They are so good. Taco sushi are good too [[HIGHLIGHT]]The music on Friday night is what we normally look forward to.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Too bad, they don't have music on weekend[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I adore this place, I show all of my friends this place when they come to visit me! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The happy hour is good, staff are all kind, I love the decor, and now they have mochi donuts!!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My favorite sushi restaurant hands down :)) I always get the agedashi tofu, hand rolls, and the red dragon. My partner always gets a mix of the happy hour rolls and the takoyaki. 10/10 read more

I'm so happy this place opened up in my neighborhood! I'm pretty sure I've been to the previous restaurant back in the day too and they've done such a good job redecorating the place! It looks so bright and fresh and cute. I love the ambiance! Service is super nice. Came on a Monday night and ordered almost everything from their happy hour menu. It's 5-8pm which is pretty late for a happy hour! We also ordered the hamachi kama and my all time fave - wasabi tako. It's so hard to find wasabi tako! It did come way last which I feel like it usually comes first? Definitely going to become regulars here. It's so convenient and yummy and affordable. Everything was so tasty. Loved the takoyaki and the hand rolls. Def going to order more of the rolls next time!! read more

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We eat at Daruma regularly, and it's always great! The staff is so kind. The food is delicious, lots of options. Even our toddler loves it, and he's a picky eater! We recommend the Happy Hour menu or the bento boxes. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Sometimes there's also live music with a Japanese guitarist on Fridays![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Poser japanese yakitori, should be embarrassed to call it yuckitori. So dry and no seasoning, off of a dirty cast iron grill too hot and over cooked to death. Sake was cold and came 20 minutes after ordering. Chicken karage never came out as an appitizer. Our 2 bento orders did not come out and after 50 minutes they claimed it would be right up after asking that we would just leave if it wasn't made, claimed it was already done and, 10 minutes later it was made, obviously on the spot. Waitress will wear diaper on her face and pretend her English is bad. Chicken teriyaki sauce was so salty to the point of inedible. Their tempura was not Japanese tempura batter, but more of a Korean fried squid tempura style, not very good. 2 star experience our first visit. 1 star visit out second visit. This place will not be for long and keep pretending to the neighborhood this is a 4 star restaurant. read more

Really great five dollar happy hour! I had the spicy tuna roll, tuna nigiri, tofu and a hot sake. Everything before tax was only twenty bucks and the food was def high quality. The tuna nigiri basically melts in your mouth and the tofu came out piping hot. read more

Finally got to try Daruma after having it bookmarked on yelp for awhile and I am TRAUMATIZED. The service here is the worst Ive ever experience. I've never came across such a rude server in my entire life like I'm telling you you'll receive better treatment in Chinatown if you know what I mean.. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I don't even think that this restaurant is very sanitary because of this server because before my boyfriend and I got sat she didn't even wipe up after the previous table.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Also, I had to ask her multiple times if I can order and she respond as if she'll be right back but I waited 40 minutes. She literally served everyone else around us with small requests and it took another 30 minutes for our alcohol. The sake arrived after our food and I was stressed out because we are on a time crunch and she goes "here it is don't cry." ANYWAYS food pricing here is very affordable and happy hour is worth it but I'm too traumatized to come back. The fish's quality here is just ok.. definitely frozen fish you can find at the supermarket. Definitely not worth making the trip unless you want cheap drinks/appetizers and cheap service. A large sake was $5 as well as the other listed items on the menu from 5-8p every day. read more

Daruma Sushi - Beef steak skewer, Salmon Skin Salad - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Small sushi spot on San Pablo...your average sushi quality. Sushi was ok. Server was attentive. read more

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Chill sushi vibes/ Great date night spot on a Monday night. There's two areas you can sit; in the main restaurant part or the smaller pile which is more intimate. Located near the sushi bar. Service is kind and friendly and calm. Food was super fresh and tasty, Everything is made to order and they have all the sushi classics in a couple creations of their own. Also open to kids and have friendly options for them.. #supportlocal #veganoptions read more

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I'm thrilled there's a new sushi restaurant in West Berkeley! It was pretty busy on a Friday evening, and the space is very nice and intimate. You're served edamame right away, and the servers are great at refilling your water. I ordered the Chirashi Don and Nigiri Sushi and Maki Roll Combo. The Chirashi Don was 100% worth it. The fish was so fresh and colorful, and honestly it's a bigger portion than I expected (the bowl is pretty dense). On the other hand, the Combo was good but not necessarily worth the price (just $2 less than the Don). I thought the Chef's choice would be a fancier roll, but instead it was just a California Roll. I'm definitely planning to come back because the menu is pretty expansive. The customer next to me mentioned the noodles were delicious, so that's next up on my list! read more

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After six years of being vacant after Temari's closing, Daruma has opened in its place but so far has not hit my sushi dreams of having a walkable sushi joint that I want to splurge on. I ordered standard things through their site for pick up: Chef`s choice of 6 pcs nigiri sushi & Maki Roll Combo Spicy Scallop Roll The spicy scallop had an off taste, not bad scallop but too much chili oil. The oil flavor overpowers the delicate scallop, so it is just a taste of oil and spicy. For the chef special, it was a combo of tuna, escolar, hamachi, and salmon. There was a cured salmon that reminded me of smoked salmon which was tasty but overall the nigiri need more salt in the rice instead of the strong vinegar taste. This place is pricier than other sushi/Japanese places by at least $4 (grand total was just under $40) and has a convenience fee (which I don't know what it would be for). I would give this place another chance with a dine-in for some Beef Sukiyaki or Saba Don, but currently, my experience was just average. read more

*Review is solely based on the food* Late night stay out in the east bay and was seriously craving some good sushi. I don't just order from any place, I've gotta do some homework on the place first. Daruma pops up and I order take out. I order a spicy tuna roll, it's a go-to for me. This was decent, a bit more spicy than most other places, which personally I don't mind because I love spicy foods. Other than that, flavors were just OK. The dragon roll, how do you go wrong with tempura shrimp, cucumber, crab, avocado, unagi, unagi sauce and tobiko? This definitely made me do my happy dance. It was so delicious, the roll was very filling. Now the Daruma Hand Roll, pretty much the same as a dragon roll minus the avocado. I mean, happy dance x2!! Flavors were there, the portion in this thing was huge. It was a pretty hefty roll for sure, not upset about the price on this at all. Definitely recommend read more

Daruma Sushi - Spicy Tuna roll, Dragon Roll, Daruma Hand Roll - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food was amazing! The Chicken Katsu was delicious! The service might be slow, however, it makes up for it by being delicious! [[HIGHLIGHT]]I loved the ambiance inside the restaurant![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was themed after a Traditional Japanese building![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

We waited half an hour after being seated to order, then I got to watch my husband eat his entire bento box (and he's a very slow eater) before my meal arrived. All the while I saw at least 3 other parties be seated and receive their food before my drink even arrived. This is unacceptable. Stop being so cheap and hire another wait staff! Food's mediocre at best. We won't be returning. read more

Subpar japanese food, especially as takeout. Sushi was meh, especially the nigiri. Everything was over stuffed with imitation crab. Chicken karage had the grossest egg on top that was both undercooked and overcooked at the same time. Small side salad and miso soup were great! Food looks good in the photos so maybe it's just better if you eat there. read more

Food is great, prices are excellent. Sometimes service is on the relaxed side so don't be in a hurry! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cozy Japanese restaurant vibe with shoji screens.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Love the sushi tacos! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere was excellent! We had very high expectations when we first sat down. It is a really quaint Japanese feel restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] All those good feelings quickly fell apart when the restaurant couldn't figure out how to serve food at the same time. There were three of us at dinner. The main topic of conversation was watching one of us eat... while the others waited for their food. And waited. My brother was trying to be polite and not eating, but he had ordered one of their few cooked dishes, and we encourage him to eat. 25 minutes later, my girlfriend received food. Her roll was inedible and returned to the kitchen. The replacement meal (a sushi taco) was good. 10 minutes later my food arrived. The nigiri combo was not great. Two were excellent. Three were bad. (Fish gristle. Poor texture.) The rest were middling Except for giving us the wrong bill at the end of the meal, our server was actually fine. It appears that all the problems are in the kitchen. read more

I love Daruma's happy hour - as I've got a lot of grandkids who all love sushi. - It's fairly reasonable. And it is very close to my house as well. read more

Their food is so amazing and they are so kind too!! I love their sushi tacos! They add so much flavor to the dish!

Not worthy especially for takeout. We had dine here once and there was decent so we wanted to order some takeout for dinner. I called in to order and they said it will take about 20 minutes. When I arrived 20 minutes later, the food was not ready and they said it would be ready in 15. I waited there for another 20 minutes. It was still not ready at that point. I was too hungry and I need to go get some food. finally, the phone was ready when I got back one hour after I called. The portion is decent, but it's not good. The sauce all on the sweeter side and they are not that great. The Karaage looks and tastes like popcorn chicken... read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Excellent food, service and ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were there to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday and we were all delighted. read more

A good friend suggested this newly opened Japanese restaurant to try so we got some of the usuals and a few different sides you don't see often. The portions including the steamed rice size was good as they didn't skimp on portions here . There is ample street parking and plenty of places to sit in their beautifully decorated interior including sushi bar packed in the little gem of a place. Along with our usual favorites, here they had Yakiudon(not pictured sorry) which was very tasty! Too tasty to remember to take a photo...next time! Most places have rather small steamed rice portions but here, you got ample which included the sushi rice in the Chirashi! Our order was promptly read in 30 minutes as stated over the phone and the staff were friendly! They are open later that most places to eat so you can grab some good grub her as a late nite snack! Please note that this place is a bit more pricier than other Japanese restaurants in Berkeley by $1- $2's for most of their items. Overall... this is a for sure return visit place to eat but I'd definitely go for the items other places don't have! read more

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Came in for happy $5 rolls. Got California and Spicy Tuna rolls. CA was ok but there was something off about the Tune. I like bargains but will probably pass on this place next time. Friendly service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute if a bit cheap ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I feel so happy this place opened! I have been 5 times now and each time the sushi is delicious and fresh. I also ordered hot tea on my visit today, and it was served in a whole teapot ao I could keep pouring myself hot cups during my meal. I like the white tiger roll, the shiro tataki appetizer, and the chirashi. The servers are always lovely too. Street parking is a dream in this area too! (I think the only thing I don't like so much is the dressing on the house green salad. I wish it were not so sweet. But that is my only trifle!) Would recommend Daruma for sure. read more

This place NEEDS to get more than one wait person. The wait times for anything are ridiculous and the poor person waiting on everyone is run ragged!! read more