Purely due to service by the bartender - even though she was busy she was kind attentive and knew the menu back and forth. She pushed me to ask questions even though she was non stop making drinks at the same time. Give this lady a raise or her own place. read more

While I have gotten over my fear of sushi in non coastal locations (lakes don't count), I've been reasonably pleased by Drunken Monkey. Definitely the best sushi on north shore (but that's relative). At a recent midweek lunch, the accompaniments were all fine: edamame, seaweed salad, gyoza. The nigiri was average. Scallop was nice but dressed uneasily with some kind of chili oil. Salmon wasn't bad but tasted flat. Unagi ok. Out of tamago. How can you be out of tamago at 1 pm? No eggs? One step above mediocrity which near Lake Tahoe isn't bad! ps: the location at The Rock features some other nice restaurants including 50/50 Brewery and Thai Delicacy and has plenty of easy parking. If you've already gotten your lake time in, nice way to avoid crowds and challenging parking in Kings Beach or Tahoe City. read more

This restaurants service is amazing! You can customize your order a lot like for example sushi with crab, avocado, you can change the sushi to only rice. Most of the food is 4.8 star worthy but some food is like 2.3 or 3 read more

I genuinely don't know how to express how terrible our experience was. Starting off, the atmosphere was busy but we saw the host after 10 minutes. There was no hospitality from the jump - she was visibly unhappy and looked overwhelmed. Watching her fiddle with the iPad. It became apparent very quickly that the entire restaurant has no structure. We waited 15 minutes for a table that was not properly wiped down. It was sticky and our menus had soy sauce on them. Gross!! We sat down anyways and asked the girl with the blonde hair and low ponytail who brought us waters for a rag. She seemed unhappy that we asked. We told her we would do it and she said "it's not your duty" in a snarky way. Emphasis on the snarky. Her entire approach to the situation was unpleasant. She needs to learn a better way of saying things. 15 minutes later our server came. The other server on the floor was just talking to people at the bars - maybe the tables were not distributed properly. Maybe it was because there was only 1 busser on the floor and our server was bussing most of the tables. Either way, I don't think she would have come to our table if I didn't ask the bartender for our server, Amanda. She seemed nice, she looked busy. She didn't ask if we had questions or anything. It felt like because we were a group of 5 and there was automatic gratuity already applied, that she would just take the order and go. I say this because there was no checking in and our food came out weirdly even though we ordered all at once, and I had to ask other people for help. I do not recommend the Dan Dan noodles at all. The noodles were undercooked and the pork was shredded so significantly that it looked like bile. Not to mention it was extremely salty. Amanda was nice enough to take it back and she did offer me something else but I didn't want to wait 30 minutes for something else or have the same issue. This is a reoccurring problem if you read the other yelp reviews. I think this restaurant lacks significantly in hospitality. The hosomake sake 8/10 - it tasted good but the portion was small. The spider roll was pretty good and so was the sautéed bok choy. Even more, two of the same dishes were presented differently. No, I would not recommend this place at all. Significant improvements need to take place before we would ever consider taking another chance. Alicia, are you listening? Andy? read more

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We come here whenever we are visiting Northstar and usually really enjoy the food. My husband had a hamachi hand roll (he said it was kind of plain) and the Shanghai street noodles, that were very good. I usually order the street noodles since they are gf but this time decided to get the beef teriyaki. It came with a salad that was delicious but the beef had hardly any flavor (I had to ask for a side of teriyaki) and was a bit tough. A cut with some marbling would have been a much better option. We will come back, but I will try something different. Our waiter was Scotty and he did a good job read more

Terrrrrrrible!!!!!!! Every single thing we ordered was bad. Sorry.... Wish I didn't have that to say. My sushi roll looked like a 5 year old did it. Falling apart, slices were cut so unevenly. I don't think they have good chefs at the moment, no offense. I think this place used to be good. Pretty common in Truckee... difficult to keep staff read more

This place used to be my go to when passing through Truckee. Sad to see it going down hill. The sushi is good. The service is par. The vibe and attitude all around is sub par. It's not good enough experience or meal for the outrageous prices they're charging now. Recommend taking your money next door to the brewery it will go a lot further. Don't come here expecting the friendliest service but you'll have a good meal if you can afford it read more

We actually had a nice meal and then drove back to Sacramento. We realized we left our card at the restaurant and called to see if they would mail it to us. I even offered to pay. The gal talked to her manager and they couldn't be bothered. I offered to pay $20 to anyone who would mail it back so I would need to order a new card with a new number and go through that hassle. The gal then told me essentially to pound sand. I asked for a manager and she just hung up on me. With the price of going out, I think that nice folks would win the day. Not in this case. I hope nobody goes there again and karma prevails. read more

Sushi quality is fair as well as selection. Ramen is always amazing, staff is usually familiar with all menu items. Staff is friendly.

Tasty place for a lunch or dinner stop. I got the Dan Dan noodles and split a California roll with a friend. Friendly and fast service. Prices are high but to be expected in Truckee. Tasty dishes and lively atmosphere. read more

I wanted to go out for a relaxing dinner that felt special with my family of 5. We went to Drunken Monkey, we used to be Tahoe locals and ate there all the time, but we hadn't been there in 3 years. We arrived at the restaurant at 6 pm. Three hours later, I was down $385, wet, tired, and still a little hungry. They said the wait would be 25 minutes, but it was an hour. This was fine, my kids love to play on the big rocks there, but it meant we were all very hungry when finally seated. They squeezed us into a four-top outside. 15 minutes later they took drink orders. Then refused to stop at our table for another 30 minutes after that even when we tried to flag them down. My son spilled his drink all over me. I hopped up and cleaned it up with our napkins. There was a server and a busser outside, no one helped. No one brought additional napkins. We swapped chairs with another table ourselves. Nearly every time a kid has spilled a drink at another restaurant, the server has brought a new one for free, but that didn't happen here. That's really a way to kill the vibe for a kid, for what, 25 cents of sugar water that we'd already paid $10 for? They didn't bus anything off our table without being asked. When they brought a dish we'd ask them to remove the dishes we'd stacked up, but they'd only take some. All incredibly brusque interactions. They slammed all the drinks down in one corner of the table instead of distributing them. I don't mind passing out drinks, or stacking stuff up myself, but it's just not what I expect a $80/person for dinner. It was definitely the most I've ever paid for a meal and not been asked even once if everything was ok, or we needed something. (We really could have used a fork for the 6 year old, and dry napkins after the spill). Anyway, we won't be back. The food was ok, not as good as it used to be, and the service was atrocious. read more

Took a chance after reading mixed reviews and glad we did! Sam's recommendations were spot on for rolls. The sashimi was fresh and melted in your mouth. For a Monday evening they were busy so service slowed which was to be expected. Tables around us also seemed to be enjoying themselves. Would recommend and will be back for the Hot and Sour Roll and more. read more

The service was awful... the food was overpriced and tasteless... gyoza was a box from Safeway, the calamari was dreadful these rings smothered in sauce. They were soft and flimsy tasteless just awful. Stay away from this place.. they even added 18% gratitude for 5 people. They are crooks... oh and 2 California rolls are $34 let that sink in.... Go anywhere else for dinner except this place. read more

Friendly, relaxed service. I felt welcome. Food was very good, and compared to big city prices, the prices here were certainly not too high.

We almost passed this place up due to the reviews, but after seeing how busy they were, we thought we'd give it a try. We don't get the 3.5 stars, it definitely deserves better ratings. Service was friendly and the food was great! The Mochiko Chicken is a must have! read more

The noise level inside was unbearable. A group at the bar were the worst. One person seemed to be restaurant staff on their day off, getting drunk with friends. Will not be back. read more

Service was very good! Rolls were good as well but not the amazing that was advertised by friends...still would not hesitate to go back. Well with it. We were there on a Sunday evening and didn't have to wait but we've walked away to a crowd at the door before so I'd recommend reservations or getting there early. read more

I'm a longtime fan of this restaurant. I consistently visit when I'm in the area, a few times a year. I've referred various friends. And I had a disappointing experience recently that I want to share. A friend and I and my four-year-old daughter visited. As usual, we ordered a ton of food. My daughter enjoys spicy food, but her lips were chapped from skiing, so the dandan noodles burned them. I asked if there was any way to get some plain ramen noodles for her. The waitress warned me they might charge me for a full dish, but I figured that was unlikely, they'd either comp them or charge some token amount. And when the check came, there was my $19 charge for plain ramen noodles. What a missed opportunity to be hospitable! I'm still giving a solid rating, because the food was as good as always. But I walked away feeling taken advantage of, was that really worth milking a few extra dollars from me? read more

I used to love this place and still do but now i get stomach upset every time i eat there. Have tried it 3 times now and same result every time. It seems like the quality has gone down a lot which is a deal breaker for ke for a sushi place :( Im writing this because id like to ask the owners to recommit to quality for this truckee favorite restaurant. It used to be so high quality. I kniw its tough times but food safety is not something to cut on. read more

This place was really good. Fish was fresh, workers were friendly. A little pricey but you can't put a price on fresh fish in the mountains! Def wil be coming back read more

The food was excellent ! We had a dragon roll, edamame , miso soup , salad , bok choy , crispy chicken . Nice wine selection .. everything reasonably priced . Very nice ambiance . read more

After my previous three star review, I decided to go in for a light dinner at Drunken Monkey again. The restaurant was quiet at 530pm but soon got super crowded. We were lucky to get seats by the bar. Ordered a pilsner beer from 50-50 brewery, a Famous Monkey Calamari, and a Wise Monkey sushi roll. Everything was delicious, especially the calamari. The server was polite, friendly, and efficient. Food and drink to the table was fast. I would definitely come back to this restaurant. read more

Drunken Monkey - Japanese Near Me - Truckee, California

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This was a cute restaurant we stumbled upon. We came for the Thai restaurant next door but when we saw how packed they were, we decided to come here instead. Nice modern restaurant with plenty of space, including outdoor seating for the warmer months. They were very nice about letting us have one of the front tables even with our stroller. The sushi was good - salmon was great. But the best dishes were the agadashi tofu (super pillowy and yummy sauce), shaking beef (a nice take on the traditional Vietnamese dish) and udon. This is definitely more izakaya style, which is my fave. We will be back! read more

Another reviewer said it pretty well = "Acceptable Japanese food for a mountain town." Whether in NYC or Austin, I love getting ramen and Omakase. After a long day cat skiing (well, failing at that) a warm bowl of ramen sounded amazing. I wouldn't say it was great, but I found it perfectly acceptable and just the thought of having this compared to pizza/burgers/steak and potatoes made it taste much better. Our group also ordered some pot stickers which seemed to be pre-packaged frozen one, no big deal given the location. I order a rainbow roll which was a bit bland - the fish had been frozen I suspect. The rest of the group was happy with their food and the reasonable prices, so not trying to knock this place down. Service was fine - no screwups, only took a while to order because the group was indecisive. Waitress was very nice and took care of us well enough despite how busy it was. Food is 3/5 Service 4/5 read more

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Not bad for Asian food in the area. The calamari appetizer is the standout, but everything else was fine. The donburi has far too little rice (or too much meat if you want to be an optimist), the noodles were burnt, and the shaken beef chewy. Still a meal I enjoyed late at night, but not without flaws. Didn't try any fish so no comments on the sushi quality. read more

This restaurant is a must if you are in the Truckee area. They have the best calamari in Northern California, hands down. This time we also ordered the Red Dragon roll and pan fried udon noodles. All incredible. They also made a perfect martini. Every time we go, we are never disappointed with any of their dishes. read more

Drunken Monkey - Japanese Near Me - Truckee, California

WE WILL NOT RETURN AFTER PREVIOUSLY SPENDING SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS. They refuse to take reservations for two people. We waited for a table for an 1.5 hours. After we finally got a table close to closing no one even bothered to take our order for 20 minutes, and that was after I had to say something. RUDE Hostesses that are absolutely CLUELESS. I doubt they're competent enough to even pump gas. read more

I was really confused by the negative reviews--it almost made us reconsider going for lunch. We're so glad we decided to give it a try. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the sushi was incredible with some really tasty specialty rolls. It was definitely way better than the generic sushi you get at all-you-can-eat places. read more

Drunken Monkey - Japanese Near Me - Truckee, California

Great place after skiing in Northstar go and check it out . Just need to wait a bit to be sat down

Horrible service. Rude manager. Came for a late Mother's Day treat. Had planned on having 6 (and hence paid the $20/person reservation deposit), but had two people get sick. To make up for it we spent way over the deposit level. And when the bill arrived, found we were over-charged $40 with literally zero explanation. When we asked what was going on, we were told (rudely) this was a penalty for having only a party of 4, because "we cost the restaurant money" (on a night when the restaurant was half empty). read more

Drunken Monkey - Half empty restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Truckee, California

The dinner we had here July 2025 was amazing. The atmosphere is relaxed and the Asian fusion cuisine was fantastic. Flavors were well balanced. Some innovative dishes with traditional roots. I will return next time I am in Truckee, CA read more

Called ahead to make sure they'd be able to accommodate us and our 6-year-old for our 10-year anniversary. They said yes. We showed up on time after driving 1 hour only to discover that they had decided to close early. We weren't the only ones they lied to as there was another kind yet disappointed patron there as well. We don't trust this establishment and will spend our money and time at a restaurant that cares. read more

Love coming here! The staff is absolutely amazing. They work hard and efficiently. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful. My favorites on the menu are the Tempura Udon, Dan Dan noodles, Red Dragon roll & Tanjun roll. It's a great dinner spot after a day of adventure. read more

I'm in love with the tempura udon. I recommend asking them for hot sauce to spice it up. They also have a variety of wine, sake, and liquors to spice up your dinner as well. The black cod handroll was beautifully wrapped and crunchy. They have a list of specials and everything you can ask for in the perfect Japanese dinner. read more

Omg wonderful great place we loved it pecan tres lechue is amazing

This place has been one of our favorites but has gone downhill. We ate there a few weeks ago and felt like cattle. Were seated next to the bathrooms-that was my view looking at two bathroom doors that often don't get closed between users. Maybe they should put some curtain or something to block the view. We were told that we couldn't sit in another table away from the bathrooms because the waitress for those tables wasn't on duty yet even though the other tables were literally 10 feet away and empty. The plates were all chipped. The waiter was kind but clearly overwhelmed. The food was prepared so quickly that it felt sloppy. My spider roll had too much rice. I like this place so hoping they get it together. read more

Great door friendly staff and 10 min from Northstar We have been hitting this place for close to 10 years now never disappointed read more

We sat at the bar for our dinner because it was so cold and no one could eat outdoors. They were extremely business and service was understandably slow. My wife and I ordered 2 types of ramen and a side of albacore sashimi. After paying my bill we left. An hour later I had realized that I had left my credit card at the restaurant. I immediately called Drunken Monkey and they said they had my CC. I drive back and thanked the hostess and had asked that she say "thank you" to the server that found my card. The food was delicious and the staff were very friendly and honorable. read more

Pretty spacious inside. We were a party of a six; seated right when we entered. Was a busy night but waiters kept up and were attentive. The teriyaki chicken was a good size and the meat was barbecue style so good. The hamachi kama was a generous piece lots of meat. Cold sake was a treat. The tomo maki had a bite of different flavors and the spice had an unusual smoky finish. Had a bite of the asparagus tempura, light and crispy. We stayed at the Welks Northstar lodge. This place was a few minutes drive out. Nice spot, there was a Thai place next door. Good size parking lot with a few designated Tesla charger spots Would love to try out the other menu items, it had a good selection. TY Drunken Monkey! read more

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The sushi is mediocre for the price and the service was slower than watching molasses pour in the wintertime. I'd rather spend the time driving to Reno for better & much cheaper sushi & I'd still come out ahead time wise. read more