I would come back. Nothing really wow'd my boyfriend and I, but the sushi tasted fresh, and it was a good experience overall. The service was great. The hostess was friendly and accurate in her estimate of the wait for a spot at the bar. We were seated, and had someone taking our drink and app order within 5 minutes. They were pretty busy, but the staff seemed friendly and happy to be there. The ahi poke bowl special was delicious, probably the highlight of the meal. A little too much heat for me, but the bf loved it. Next we had the Dreaming Monkey and the Golden Tiger, which were tasty, but again, not something amazing. We were impressed, like the others on Yelp, with the amount of fish on the rolls. Gave an additional star for the fact that this is sushi in Truckee. The quality was much better than I had anticipated. read more

Maybe my expectations were a little too high. Coming from the bay area where there are plenty of authentic and good japanese food, this place was a complete let down...especially for the price they were charging. - Presentation was terrible, why was my ginger and wasabi dripping in water? Why did my spider-something roll look so smashed together, I couldn't tell what the ingredients were? - A very mediocre ramen that I could replicate using nongshim ramen, bean sprouts, kimchi, and store bought bbq pork - Spider roll tasted okay, but it was probably the worst looking roll I've ever seen...in my life. Everything was so smushed together you couldn't distinguish what was what - The chirashi... well, they gave a lot of rice. The fish tasted okay...nothing amazing but not terrible TLDR: College-level sushi joint marketing itself as a high-end restaurant read more

I give this place a solid 4 stars; 3 for the food and an extra one for the service. My husband and I went here during our quick vacation in the snow. Coming from the Bay Area, I was starving and the menu looked the best out of the options I saw. We placed the order over the phone and was told it would be 25mins. We arrived at the time was supposed to be ready but had to wait a little longer. I would complain about how long the actual wait was once we got there but the bartender was so cool (I forget her name) that she helped pass the time by giving me a couple of free flights of their white wine. I liked one so much that we bought a bottle to take back to the hotel. On the way back to the hotel we could smell the food and thought if it tasted as good as it smelled, we were in for a treat. We got back to the room and dug in. Thr potstickers were really good, not the best I ever had but really good. The tempura was ok. Probably something best eaten at the restaurant due to the type of containers they use; it was pretty soggy by the time we got back and it only took 3 mins from there back. I also didn't care for the tempura dipping sauce, a little too salty/tangy for me. The spicy garlic shrimp was more garlic than spicy but since I love garlic, I wasn't complaining. My husbands chicken dish was eh. The sushi (dragon roll and some other crab roll) were really good as well. Nice size portions and quite fresh, especially for being a mountain location. They lost points for the long wait, not having forks (sorry but I'm not trained to eating rice with chopsticks, took 2 hours to eat it!) and for the soggy tempura. Maybe if I wasn't so hungry I might've thought otherwise of the food (or maybe not) but I would say the place is worth a shot if you're in the area. Pretty good bang for your buck, especially if you're used to the prices in the Bay Area. read more

I came here with a group of family and friends and had some of the best sushi I've ever had! Service was great and the food was delicious. Although great, the rolls that we ordered were nothing to brag about. The nigiri sushi is what's to brag about. My favorite sushi is albacore sushi and until my visit to this restaurant, I didn't realize it could get any better. But here it did. The albacore was melt in your mouth good, and there's this garlic ginger type of sauce that they dab on top that really gives it flavor. It was so good that I had to ask exactly what it was. In addition to the albacore, I ordered wild caught salmon sushi which was on special. I never new salmon sushi could be this good! And the color.. It was dark orange like I've never seen. So delicious. I'll definitely be back here!! read more

Drunken Monkey - Albacore and Wild Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Truckee, California

We decided to try this location as it was recommended by friends in the area. It was very quiet for the lunch hour so we were seated immediately. The waitress was friendly and took our order within fifteen minutes. We ordered a Red Dragon roll. The fish was fresh but the roll itself had no flavor. The spicey tuna hand rolls were the same along with the two other rolls ordered. The presentation was excellent. The fact that there was no flavor baffled us completely. The rice wasn't even seasoned with the usual touch of vinegar. The Madera Serpent was disappointing flavor wise as well. The other disappointment was the volume of flies in the restaurant. I killed three during my meal which took the appetite away rather quickly. I would like to try this location again as it might have been an off day for the Drunkin Monkey. It was a $70.00 lunch though (No alcohol) and again very disapointing. read more

Amazing Happy Hour on weekdays from 3:00-5:00 PM beer, wine, and food specials. A friend and I sat at the sushi bar yesterday for Happy Hour and ordered one of each Happy Hour Appetizer, and wow, were we impressed! The sushi roll was superb seared ahi and dungeoness crab was fresh and delicous. I highly suggest ordering the dragon balls, tempura fried rice, crab, and shrimp balls and the monkey cups a crisp bowl filled with ahi poke well seasoned with fresh vegetables. After 6 appetizers and 2 drinks our bill came out to 39$!!! Such a great deal, if you go for happy hour remember to tip your server above 20% they are so attentive and helpful in choosing the best items and you are getting a significant discount eating at happy hour prices. Our server Katie was awesome she helped us choose the ginger brew drink, which is ginger infused sake in a Sapporo beer it was light and refreshing; great suggestion on her part. If you find yourself looking for a bite to eat or a quick drink I suggest going to Drunken Monkey, the ingredients are fresh and high quality and the atmosphere is casual and calm. The restaurant across the parking lot Fifty fifty is no competition and every time I have eaten there I have wished I had gone to Drunken Monkey!!! read more

Food is EXCELLENT. Melt in your mouth sushi, super-fresh. The other plates are great too. If you have a family where some want great sushi and others want nothing to do with sushi, this place will fit them perfectly. It's expensive but WORTH it. Definitely my new go-to dinner place in Truckee. Great service in spite of being so crowded. They don't take reservations so plan to wait even up to 30 minutes (take a walk and enjoy the night skies). Good for families and kids. read more

Hands down best food I've had in a LONG time. We shared a lot of food, from the spiced edamame to several different rolls we enjoyed it all! The martinis were different and tasted so good! My favorite dishes were the two tapas we got-- the ginger chicken (don't recall the name) and the beef (don't recall the name). Both meats were cooked exquisitely and the vegetables that accompanied them were so good! The wait staff was a little off, but it was a busy Saturday night. We sat at the sushi bar and ordered rolls through the sushi chef and there must have been some lost communication, but it didn't effect the quality of the meal or the time that much. It is more pricey, but so worth it. The atmosphere is awesome and I loved the decor. I'm so glad I got to experience this food while visiting Truckee. read more

We were the first ones in there and it took them a while to get to us and we were pretty much the only ones in there for the entire meal and they didn't do well checking up on us and the food took a while to come out. Then we got it and the sushi was super dry and had no flavor. The teriyaki chicken was dry and burnt and there was barely any food. Super expensive for what we received. read more

Love this little sushi joint. Super fresh and tasty. Friendly staff. Good vibes. Good drink selections. Nice family atmosphere. Great place for dinner. read more

Very disappointing and over priced for what you get. I guess the only positive thing I can say is the cocktails were good.

Delicious sushi, ramen, and lots of other choices! Happy hour is the best with super good specials!

This was a nice place to spend our lunch. When we walked in, the young man kind of stared at me like I said something wrong (I didn't say anything and was waiting for him to say something). After finally asking if we were eating there, he told us to wait a minute and went to set up our table (took some time). When he walked away, even my boyfriend said he was looking at me very hard, I'm still not sure why. The girl that took our order was very friendly but didn't know what she was talking about on the cook of the eel. I asked if it was cooked, she said " uhm, it not cooked but its warmed," When I got it, I was glad because it was cooked just as I had been used to (it was smoked) which she obviously didn't understand. I ordered the tempura shrimp topped with eel and it was DELICIOUS! My boyfriend got the friend calamari which was plated in a crisp rice bowl. They were both plated beautifully. The other customers sitting outside with us were also very friendly. After getting our check, we had to take the bill inside ourselves because we were waiting so long it seemed like she forgot about us. Usually these things really bother me but the friendliness of everyone really made it easier to just take it and move on with our day. read more

If you're considering Asian food in Truckee go to Drunken Monkey! The staff is incredibly friendly, the menu is huge and nearly everything can be customized, and the environment is great. There is plenty of room and it doesn't feel crowded at all. All though there are very few actually vegan options in the menu, our waitress fixed up a roll with cucumber and mango which was delicious and reasonably priced! The location is convenient, parking isn't a nightmare, and everyone is lovely. My only problems is that we got a hair in our dessert and the water tastes funky. read more

Best sushi in truckee, good menu and options. A little slow to serve but overall goood, I would come back

Beautiful restaurant really nice sushi menu. Service was great as well. Had to wait 30 minutes for a table so the maître de said he'd come get us from the brew pub when our table was ready since there were 6 of us and all the big tables were full. If you go you must try the garlic edemame they are to die for!! Also the pork and rice tapas were excellent. Prices were very reasonable as well for quality Japanese food. read more

If you're staying at Northstar resort and want a fantastic and creative selection of sushi, or delicious Japanese fusion food, skip the overpriced-yet-average Village sushi place and drive ten minutes into Truckee for a truly-worth-every-penny feast. This place gets packed, so plan ahead or be prepared for a very long wait. The miso is delicious with tofu, thinly sliced root vegetables, and noodles. We had the Nabe Yaki and spicy serpent roll. Delicious! Everything on the menu sounded great, so it was hard to choose. Take my advice and venture out of the Village. You won't be disappointed. read more

PERFECT! Fantastic ambiance, not one bad thing on the menu !!! Start your meal with the most flavorful edamame, with the spicy edamame.Order the delicious shaking beef (great quality steak with a zesty lime dip) and garlic shrimp as some tapas. We ordered a half portion of the calamari - fused with a pesto/mayo/almond sauce that still lingers in my mouth! I don't even like sushi that much but this place changed that - the high monkey maki roll was flavorful with a punch of spice and crunch from the shrimp tempura. Will definitely come every time I'm in this area !!! read more

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Hands down best sushi in Truckee. Actually, some of the best sushi I have had period (friends visiting from LA have said that as well). Melt in your mouth fresh fish. No AYCE (you'll have to go to Java sushi to get AYCE in Truckee), but the prices are reasonable and the quality unmatched. Nice dining area. A couple of big booths, a lot of tables, and then the sushi bar. Nice ambiance. read more

The sushi men are not friendly at all. The owner has a real attitude. Happy hour is good. Food is decent. Prices not too bad. When I'm in Truckee skiing for the winter, this is one of my regular spots. read more

Great sushi, sashimi and OMG the best tempura batter, had the vegetable tempura and it was amazing. Also ordered the yellow fun and the Alpenglow roll. The Wasabi Bloody Mary was also a nice twist on the basic Bloody Mary, nice atmosphere also, we sat at the sushi bar and watched. Great read more

Drunken Monkey - Alpenglow Roll - Japanese Near Me - Truckee, California

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We decided on this restaurant because of the generally good reviews on yelp. We ordered the hot and sour soup (yeah I know, not Japanese) and agedashi tofu as appetizers. The alpenglow and demon slayer maki were our sushi choices. The service was about average although we had to flag a busboy down to get more wasabi during dinner. The portion sizes were about average but the wasabi was a bit flat. We arrived around 8:00 pm and the restaurant closes at 9:00. We had hot tea for beverages and they were served in individual pots, loose leaf style. Definitely a nice touch. The hot and sour soup was good with an abundant amount of ingredients. The agedashi tofu was another story. Just four medium pieces of deep fried tofu. The tofu batter wasn't the normal light panko as expected. It wasn't bad I just prefer a lighter, crispy coating. What made it unappealing was the sauce. It was mostly soy sauce with very little mirin which made it very concentrated and stout. The thinly sliced ginger along with the chopped green onions was a nice touch but didn't make up for the sub standard sauce. The demon slayer was basically a spicy tuna nori maki roll. While it had a good taste, that taste was overwhelmed by sodium. I'm not sure what made it so salty. It wasn't inedible, but this is a basic roll, and I can't help but downgrade my review of the DM because of it. It's ironic that we had ridden the Tahoe Flume bike trail that day and needed the salt. Otherwise we might have returned the order. The alpenglow was the star of the evening with a good presentation and flavor. The roll had salmon and possibly hamachi, a tasty sauce and visible lemon peel. The evening's damage was around $45. Overall, our experience was mixed. The atmosphere was young and contemporary and along with that, the food seemed to stray from traditional lines to appeal to a "wider clientele". For my time and money, the next time we go on the hunt for sushi, it will be somewhere else. read more

First time at the Drunken Monkey! This place is awesome! I had the Singapore street noodle entree, vegetarian style (tofu cubes). The others had California rolls, the famous monkey calamari, and Drunken Monkey Maki. Everyone loved their dinner, even the kids - ages 9 and 11. I tried to take photos, but the food was gobbled up too quickly for my sluggish camera skills. Not to mention that I was too busy gobbling myself! Even though I don't eat fish, there is none of that imitation crab meat crap here; they give you the real $h*t! The atmosphere is great too. Lots to look at! We sat in the corner booth with the tall table. The only thing that could be improved is the height of the seating in that booth. It seemed that the cushions needed to be restuffed. I had to sit on my ski jacket to be at a comfortable level to eat. Okay, so if you knew me, you would say it's because I'm short. But even my taller friend had to do the same thing! This is a place that deserves a return visit. Too bad we live 5 hours away! read more

This a rare Japanese restaurants in Truckee. It does not serve genuine Japanese but Americanized Japanese food. Some of the dishes are horribly bad, such as Yakiniku beef bowl. If you are used to genuine Japanese food, don't come to this one. You will be badly disappointed. read more

Drunken Monkey - Yakiniku beef bowl tastes awful. It is more like an Americanized beef chow fun of Chinese flavor rather than Japanese Yakiniku. - Japanese Near Me - Truckee, California

Delicious signature creations, excellent quality fish (using the words "fresh fish" in a sushi review is incorrect as all raw fish used for sushi/sashimi is frozen before its served. That's a law and for good reason. With food, frozen and fresh have opposite meanings therefore there's no such thing as "wow that sashimi was so fresh"!) This place is great! Go here, over and over. It's always good and always a fun spot. read more

This place was okay. Noting fantastic. We had sushi rolls they were good. Noodles were over priced and really didn't have much flavor.

Bummer we have had previously great experiences here but unfortunately the millennials that work the front have terrible customer service. It's unfortunate you have hired dumb young kids to take orders and help customers. They had no intention of doing a good job. Very unfortunate read more

I decided to sit outside because there was a 20 minute wait to sit indoors. They sat us and only turned on one heater even though there were many others they could've turned on. It was very cold. I was underwhelmed by the menu so I ordered some thing I thought would be safe and order the chicken teriyaki. The chicken teriyaki tasted like it was boiled and cut up and put on a plate. Very bland. Then you would they would serve you rice. Not so. It came with a salad. Overall this place is awful. This is the only sushi place for miles so they get away with serving sub par food. read more

They only take reservations for six or more I had five people, I could not get a reservation. I was told to show up anyway but that they were full of all their big party reservations. I asked what does that mean am I gonna be able to get in? We'll do our best. Very confusing message. I decided not to go. I had no idea how much room they had after they were full of large parties.I don't understand the logic behind your policies. read more

Best way to describe my experience was here is like drinking a Diet Coke it's good because your having soda, but not quite like the real deal. Everything was fresh and good. But the ingredients didn't make an appetizing roll. 3 stars because good service and a nice establishment read more

Sushi was amazing. We had the drunken monkey and wise monkey roll. They were delicious but a bit pricey. We also had the ahi tuna belly special, which was fantastic, but almost $20 for 6 small slices of fish. They were also out of the 2 sakes that we were recommended. Service was slow but the chefs were very friendly. Definitely one of the more touristy locations in Truckee. read more

It was my first time eating sushi in Tahoe and the Drunken Monkey was a pretty fairly decent experience. It was Father's Day so we were expecting service to be kind of slow. We lucked out and it was pretty empty although service was still pretty slower pace. I ordered the Salmon Nigiri like usual. My brother and his wife ordered a few rolls and some miso soup. It took a good minute to be served the sushi. The pricing is kinda high to be honest but inconsideration to location it was expected. Portioning was above par in my standards but the cuts of my Salmon Nigiri weren't the most appealing still good though. The Unagi was also really good for my first time trying it. We shared the Yellowfin Roll, The High Monkey Maki, and Madara Surpent. The High Monkey Maki was my favorite overall just enough of a bite of spice to it. Overall I feel like you can experience better sushi places in Tahoe but if this just so happens you don't wanna drive, then Drunken Monkey will get the job done. read more

My favorite here is the noodle soups. Super Healthy and tasty meals. They are very popular here in Truckee so I'd advise calling in a reservation. Very clean establishment and friendly staff service. Everything on the menu is delicious. I eat here a lot! read more

I still really like this place, but last time I went the boss wasn't behind the sushi bar, and the sushi wasn't as good- the rice didn't hold together, and the shape wasn't right. Again the service was a bit sloppy- we were impressed when we walked in and were asked if we wanted kid chopsticks, we said yes please, but mid way through the meal had to remind them. The staff still don't know much about Japanese food, but I guess that's not surprising. read more

I usually get 'Monkey Jump Over the Fence' when I go. The Calamari is really good too. The location is small, so seating is limited. However, they have a small bar area you can hang at while waiting for a spot to open up. read more

Stopped in here for happy hour yesterday with my bestie. The restaurant was doing happy hour from 3-6 with a variety of sushi, tapas and beers for $3-6 each. The sushi was fresh and creative, the tapas were really fun, I loved the tofu beet salad. The atmosphere was awesome and the food great, at happy hour prices that no one could complain about. I enjoyed it. read more

We were in town for a mini vacation and was recommended to this restaurant by a local business owner. The Singapore street noodles with shrimp was very tasty. GET THE CALAMARI. It's the best we have ever had and claims to be their most popular dish. I see why. Lightly tempura battered, tender meat, and perfectly complemented by the sauces on top. read more

Sometimes food trucks turn into "brick and mortar" restaurants (Brothers BBQ, Gourmelt created Two Chicks) and sometimes a brick and mortar restaurant will create a food truck to help promote their restaurant (Burger Me, Fatburger, and the odd case of Lincoln Lounge and their rolling sausage-mobile deal, perhaps the first "gourmet" food truck in Reno). If you've been living under a rock these days, food trucks are the craze. Of course, food trucks have been around for a while, formerly known as "roach coaches" serving sandwiches and donuts to construction sites and industrial parks. I fondly remember my first roach coach in South San Francisco and spending a ton of money on donuts, sandwiches, chips, and a soda, probably more than I'd spend at a diner. They morphed into taco trucks, and then Kogi Korean BBQ in Los Angeles was a game changer by not only serving innovative fusion foods (Korean tacos) but using social media to gather a loyal following chasing them all over LA. Both Korean food, fusion, and "gourmet" food trucks then took off. I put gourmet in quotes, because not all new wave food trucks are really gourmet, but I don't know what else to call it and I doubt "new wave food trucks" will catch on. I discovered Drunken Monkey food truck on Truckee Thursdays. Perhaps it's not entirely fitting to have a food festival on Donner Pass Road unless perhaps you have some human taco food truck which would be apropos. Would that be fusion? Ironic they called it Donner Pass, because I'm not quite sure the entire party did pass through, unless you count passing through the digestive tracts of the other party members. Truckee has to be an even odder city than Reno. I've been here three times. I know this is a superficial perusal, but it seems like an odd mish-mash of blue collar local rural folk and white collar Cali-Tahoe folk and hence the bars and restaurants are an odd mish-mash of dive and classy. Unfortunately I went to the Tourist Club and missed the wine bar only a few businesses later. The Tourist Club makes Shooter's look like Roxy. It's a sh thole with sh t-for-service and not even worth flaming on Yelp. There were a few oddball young dudes high off their asses crashing through the crowds almost running into people. I passed a tempting Indian fusion food truck with naan curry tacos. I may have to go back for that. Drunken Monkey, however, sealed the deal with their Vietnamese chicken wings with sweet and salty fish sauce and honey black bean braised ribs. While the chicken wings were not fresh and tender, the sticky, slightly pungent, fermented fish sauce made up for it all. While I'm not big fan of fermented fish sauce, it's like an acquired taste. The more you taste it, the more you'll like it. I like black bean sauce, and I like ribs, so I loved the honey black bean braised ribs, arguably better than any traditional American rib sauce. I mean how many combinations of smoky, tangy, sweet rib sauce are there? Well, this Oakland style is a bit sweeter. This Tennessee style is a bit tangier. This Texas style is a bit smokier. They're all the same thing! Put something else on ribs for crying out loud! Curry, Chimichurri, Bordelaise sauce. They also had Korean tacos which is a bit cliché by now. On their website, it appears we have a little gem of a chef in Truckee "Sam Okamoto is a 27-year food industry veteran who worked as a restaurateur, columnist, author, cooking instructor and nutrition expert. Despite classic French training he focuses mainly in healthy cuisine; and of course sushi, the art of which he learned from his father, a well-known sushi chef in Kokura, Kyushu Japan." I'll definitely have to make a trip to their restaurant, and hence, their food truck promotion actually works. read more

Drunken Monkey - Japanese Near Me - Truckee, California

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Solid 4 stars. This place has good sushi for the area of Truckee. You cannot go wrong with any dish you order. We had 2 sushi rolls, kids size udon (too small), donburi, and the rock cod clay pot. Everything tasted good. I wouldn't say excellent, but I would definitely come back here next time we come back to ski at Northstar. Comparing Drunken Monkey to Mukuni at Northstar Mukuni has great service. Food was OK. It is convenient since it's at the village, but the food was just not that great. The tempura batter was a bit sweet (not in a good way). The sushi rolls were not that fresh and the california rolls had too much mayo Service was good and food came out fast. Drunken Monkey was definitely much better. The rolls, the entrees all were good. You cannot go wrong with anything you order. Wait was a bit longer, but service was acceptable and food came out fast. All in all, for Truckee, Drunken Monkey has pretty decent sushi. I see a bunch of locals come here, so that says a lot. read more

Just had to go back and once again we had a great experience. The sushi was very fresh and delicious. Good wine and beer selection. We arrived between lunch and happy hour but the service was still excellent at this off time. We'll be back !! read more

Drunken Monkey - Great sushi roll - Japanese Near Me - Truckee, California