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    Geisha

    3.5 (393 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed 4:00 pm - 8:00 PM

    Order Geisha Takeout or Delivery

    Geisha Photos

    Business Info

    GEISHA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Geisha

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    After
    Jessica S.

    We traveled into Capitola with the intent for this specific restaurant that we had visited before. I checked the hours and was to open at 4 once 4 pm rolled around we headed over to have an early dinner to our surprise it was not open.I called and was rudely told it would be 15 minutes until they would open. We arrived sat down and was shocked how our experience went. It took a while to get something to drink and once we ordered it took even longer. We had a total of 4 bento boxes the beef teriyaki was tough and not consumable. The California rolls in one box seemed as if they were from the day before and the tempura was drenched in oil. Sadly this once favorite restaurants of our we will not return to.

    Delicious! Tempura is amazing. Try the lemon drop roll. Great food, casual environment. Very happy with our dinner!

    The view, because we ate our rolls as soon as they hit the table lol

    I'm convinced the people leaving bad reviews here are just trying to gate keep this place. Or they're used to sushi places that load up on salt, sugar, mayo and cream cheese and hate actual raw fish. The quality of the fish and the rolls here is INCREDIBLE. So yeah if you like Americanized unhealthy sugar sushi, go to Safeway. If you like incredible, sustainable raw fish with amazing natural flavors, the best garlic edamame, and thick cuts of fish- go here! It's also such fair pricing, especially when you get an ocean view!

    Monica C.

    Can I leave ZERO stars? lol I got the rainbow roll and one with lemon in it. I can't remember the name. Sushi was good. Fish was fresh. Served with soup but I didn't taste the soup. I went early afternoon. Quiet and plenty of seating. At one point, I was the only customer there. I think the staff may have forgotten I was there. A table of teens left and i guess they didn't tip much. The waiter who cleared the table threw a fit about it and was complaining to his coworkers. His reaction and behavior was disgusting. The parents came into the restaurant later on looking for their teens. The waiter had to audacity to tell the parents their kids didn't leave a tip. The waitstaff made me feel very uncomfortable. Pretty much ruined my meal. I'm in Capitola often. I will never eat here again. I recommend you don't either.

    Green dots are suppose to indicate that the item is "vegan", but cherry blossom on top says "cream cheese" and the futomaki it has "tamago"
    J. P.

    I'm just putting very average review I don't necessarily think it was bad, but it wasn't good (for me) either. I did want to put a review and wish I didn't have to put any stars to it because I barely ate, and I think it's unfair of me to do that to them... I feel like I have to say something about it though. They advertise vegan options and I've had vegan friends refer me to this place, but when I was looking through their menu I felt very uncomfortable. I tried asking the waiter if I could clarify about the items because some of them say it's vegan... it has cream cheese, or the futomaki it has tamago (egg) in it. Only item on there I saw clarification for was the mayo, which they did call vegan mayo, but I was a bit confused by then and I was too scared to order anything that looked complicated because it looks like to me the menu has some confusion between vegetarian and vegan, which is a common mistake. They just told me to look at the green dots, which was the problem because it had green dots on items that did not seem vegan. I was looking for avocado rolls I see that in some earlier posts, but I didn't see it on their menu not on their website neither in person, but I can see it on the Yelp menu so maybe it's something that changed? A lot of inconsistencies or weird things going on with that menu further shook my confidence. Conversely there are some items I would have imagined would be safe and whenever I'm unsure I just choose to go for safe and plain items. Avocado and tofu isn't listed as vegan? What do they cook it in? If it's a typo, then... I was just really unsure about the menu. I'm not saying they are lying or misleading I'm just saying I felt very confused and had low confidence in the menu, and so if you're vegan I would just be aware. Could these items be vegan counterparts of what they are listed as? Sure. I just wasn't sure and couldn't get clarification when I asked. My partner is not vegan and they ordered chicken katsu. Didn't rave about their item and seemed to enjoy it. They tried to share it with one of our kids, but the kids didn't like it. To be fair the kids are tricky and have different taste everyday though. Ambience was very nice extremely pretty in there. It was quiet in there too, but that's kind of something I expect on a weekday night (aside from Friday). Worker didn't give us any issues they weren't outstanding but I would consider them friendly and checked in on us, and so they got the job done. Just my personal opinion although I'm not sure about Capitola prices but I've been to other sushi and japanese places in Santa Clara area and I felt like the prices here were a little bit on the higher side like there's a place a I really like in Santa Clara the rice is normally $3 but over here it's $3.50 so they're squeezing out 50 cents, and furthermore the portion size was about half. I felt like the quality of the rice it really wasn't that great. Very mushy likely overcooked and to me seemed like it had an off flavour. Steamed vegetables were fine but seriously... $7?? It seemed like maybe at best very optimistic 1/2 Cup worth of sliced vegetables. I felt like that was kind of outrageous, but I was hungry.

    Veggie/Vegan Rolls Menu
    Andy N.

    Really happy with the selection of vegan and vegetarian sushi options here at Geisha. Since going plant based, I've been trying to find good vegan sushi that's not simply an avocado cucumber roll. Thankfully Geisha is the one spot in the Santa Cruz area that delivers on its green mission. My friend and I came here for her birthday dinner since it did have both vegan and non-vegan options. As of May 2021, they are allowing indoor dining again although spacing between parties is not the greatest. If you're fully vaccinated by now, it shouldn't be too much of a concern. We split our order with a couple of vegan sushi rolls, their seaweed salad, and the vegetable tempura. Everything was clearly marked as vegan which was very nice and helpful. I absolutely loved the South Gate ($8.50) which had creamy avocado, tomatoes, burdock, and spicy mayo to name a few. The roll definitely had a slight kick to it! I was also a fan of Tigger, Too ($8.50) which was tempeh/baked tofu with macadamia nuts, negi, and kind oyster mushrooms. Our meal also started with a complimentary bowl of miso soup to kick things off on the right track. The vegetable tempura was also very nice - lightly battered and generous slices of each vegetable that they included. While it's a bit further out to reach, Geisha really did deliver on the vegan sushi front and I'd be happy to return to enjoy more rolls in the future.

    Chicken teriyaki bento box with gyoza

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    4 months ago

    Love the variety of sushi, fresh, and Devine! Adorable inside and very clean. Service was superb! We will definitely be back.

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    Tasteless food, bad service, and no ventilation! Worst sushi I ever had in my life. Do yourself a favor and, don't go.

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    Sushi Garden - Yellowtail Roll

    Sushi Garden

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    Hello new favorite asian restauraunt in all of santa cruz county / norcal coast?? Sushi Garden has…read moreextremely fresh and clean cuts of fish and has a super cute garden with a koi pond and an inviting outdoor patio seating!! Inside, natural light floods in through giant windows overlooking the garden. Time to try sushi: - Chirashi - Sushi Garden Special (sashimi + nigiri combo) The fish is incredibly fresh and clean! For either of these, you get thick cuts of buttery melt-in-your-mouth fresh salmon, toro (tuna belly), hamachi. There were other cuts of fish but these truly stood out. For such premium cuts, it's a pretty good deal! Their tamago/egg was tasty and sweet - delicious. The rice itself could use a bit more flavor, but the rolls, on the other hand, were so deliciously flavorful! Overall, the sauces on all the rolls delivered excellent flavor. Not too heavy, salty, or spicy. Great balance and ratio of fish : rice : sauce. the ROLLS we got: - Magic Dragon - This is like a spicier dragon. Great combo of spicy and sweet. Yum! - Trio (from the special menu) - A lighter, all-protein option with no rice. Again, quality buttery salmon right here. - Dr. Woo's - yellowtail inside with albacore outside, great combo with spicy mayo - Volcano roll - spicy tuna topped with seared salmon - like when salmon gets slightly seared, it absolutely is the best! All the rolls were great, but the Magic Dragon and Volcano Roll were my favorites because their flavor profiles were chefs kiss. The staff was incredibly nice and generous. This local establishment has been a staple here for years! Their menu is massive, and while the names of the rolls could be more straightforward, their website has pictures, which helps! They truly have options for everyone, from classic to fusion. Btw free parking! Huge lot.

    Fun ambiance. Staff is always friendly. Sushi, udon, delish. Today I got the seafood udon noodle…read moresoup. Salad comes with it. Edamame is complimentary.

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    Amazing delicious sashimi and Dinner Bento Box. Sashimi was…read moresuper fresh and tasty loved it. I will definitely come back again and Highly recommended. Definitely 5 Star Appetizers-BBQ Pork was delicious. Looking forward to come back again

    Pros: The combo tempura was piping hot and just *perfect*,…read morewith a fun assortment of veggies (crunchy green bean? almost creamy Japanese eggplant? Super cool.) I honestly haven't stopped thinking about it. The chow mein was also piping hot and extremely fragrant of garlic as the plate was set in front of me. I haven't stopped thinking of that succulent steam facial, either. I also had a root beer. Life should always be perfect tempura and your favorite soda. The service was great as well. They replied with a genuine "enjoy" to each of my "thank-you's", and also spoke very kindly and gave great service to the considerably under-spoken guy at the booth next to mine. Con: The place is old as dirt and needs to be gutted. I don't think it was 'sticky' tablecloth dirty, but I was pleasantly surprised that the bathroom was very clean and tidied. The smell when I entered the restaurant quickly let me know that something was wrong with the sewer lines, or something. Like, I almost left before anyone saw me stroll into the empty place, ok? There was a gal who was walking in to scope the place out for she and her friends as I was leaving. She didn't stay. I was waiting for an Uber as she hightailed it back to her car declaring "Well, I guess I haven't been there in a while..." into her phone. Overall, I'm glad I stayed to give an old place a new try for the first time in... 15 years? Not surprised that all of the orders were being picked up by DoorDash, etc, but also not surprised at how many orders were being pickup up, one after another. I need tempura and rooty beer this week. Not sure if I'd ever be brave enough to give their sushi menu a try, though.

    Aloha Island Grille - Kalua pig with salad and rice.  Best around! Deeeelish!

    Aloha Island Grille

    (617 reviews)

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    **Overall: 4.2 stars**…read more Think local, surfer beach aloha vibe. You order at the counter or on the one kiosk. When I went, no one was in line, so the friendly staffer greeted us and told us she could take our order. When I was debating between 2 dishes, she described the salmon and that sealed my decision - haha. Order, ready! The portions were HUUUGE! The dishes were delicious! I can't get over how tender and flavorful my salmon was, yet the skin was crispy! (I don't usually eat the skin, but I did! That tells you how well they cooked it!) The chicken katsu had TWO layers of chicken! And each lunch plate had two scoops of rice and one scoop of Mac salad. They tasted like traditional Hawaiian cuisine. We sat outside on the main patio so we could be in the sun and watch the cars and passerby's from the beach. It was so nice to be a couple blocks from the ocean. The only negatives -- though small ones -- were parking is street parking because they only have two onsite spots, and they are super casual dining (like it's common to see customers in bathing suits and flip flops here), so it may not be a place to go if you're on a date or wanting to take out of towners or clients. It's a place to get great local Hawaiian food! Aloha Island Grille may just be my new favorite Hawaiian spot.

    I just had the worst lunch and I don't wanna be that guy and return my food. This place used to be…read moregood. I had some of the Kahlúa pork and it has no flavor and is so dry. The macaroni salad had water in it. It was all watered down. I'll definitely not be going back.

    Geisha - japanese - Updated May 2026

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