What can I say... I first dined at Hama when I came to visit in 95.. movedhere the year later...routinely I would come back with my good friend. Buying beers for the team, Ken, our favorite chef, would rip a prawn in half , present it with the live head, and we would guiltily eat, and follow up with the best oyster shooter... tonight I had my final dinning experience in La as a resident. Through the years your restaurant has been a - hey, let's get off grid- eat some sushi and catch up... And bamboo sake... thank you, your staff, present and past for so many good memories. read more

Hama is my always go to. I always feel welcome. I love the vibe, It feels like family. The food is delicious this is my 10th year of loyalty. I will always keep coming back for more. Ps my faves are salmon sashimi, eggplant app, shishito peppers EDAMAME but the baked cod I dream about. read more

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Ordered 105 dollars worth of sushi for delivery and they couldn't even include chopsticks. Badly packaged, not as flavor and overpriced. Will not ordering or coming here again. read more

This was an amazing spot recommended to me by someone on my airplane. It didn't disappoint! High end sushi with real home made wasabi! Great nigiri and sashimi! Excellent place for fresh sushi read more

Great sushi and very fresh fish. The rolls were well made and the portions were good. Service was fast and friendly, and the atmosphere was clean and relaxed. Definitely coming back again. read more

Wanted to like this place more than I did :(. The tempura was soggy which didn't make the best impression. Salmon avocado roll was good, sashimi salad was okay with a few unripe tomatoes thrown in. The udon soup was good. Probably the best item we had was the miso cod. Service was fine but nothing special and the music was a bit loud. Overall felt uneven. read more

I love everything about HAMA. We're regulars for a reason. Hama is the perfect neighborhood sushi spot -- legendary since the late 70s -- with amazing signature rolls, cool staff, plenty of surf films, good crowd. Get into it. read more

I made a reservation for 5:30 pm last Saturday. Although the restaurant was still empty, the hostess gave us the worst table in the restaurant. I nicely asked her to get me a better table, but she denied me the opportunity to sit at the other available tables (for two) that were in the Main room. Because of her lack of goodwill, I decided to tell her to get me the table in the Sushi room, because my reservation was for there. She didn't believe, so I had to show her the screenshot from my cellphone to prove it. I go to this restaurant since 2004 when I first lived in Venice. I know the owner Esther since then. The 3 stars I am giving are not for the food or for the way this wonderful lady runs her business, but I find important that she's aware of how some employees can suddenly turn her business into a bad experience, like the one I had that night. read more

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Been coming here for years, and it only gets better and better! The food is delicious, and the service is top notch. Had the pleasure of dining in on a Thursday, and they had live music. We ordered the Baby Blue Roll and a variety of nigiri sushi, and it was all so fresh. The sushi chef explained their processes, and it all sounded so meticulous and intensive. I'd say it was time and money well spent this Thursday! read more

So things have really evolved here over the last 8 years since my first review. There have been major makeovers and changes, including a hidden patio area outside that can be rented for private functions. The walls are modern and sharp, whilst still paying homage to old Venice with gorgeous photos of yesteryear. The menu has had a few changes as well, some that I don't love (the green devil roll used to be my favorite, but they use such little chili oil now I rarely order it; and they no longer have my favorite wakame salad), but some welcomed new ones (oooo that one ramen bowl!). I now find my self here, if not every week, then every other week. Love it! read more

Hama Sushi - Happy hour spicy tuna hand roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Venice, California

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I had an incredible experience at this sushi restaurant! The fish was unbelievably fresh, and every dish was beautifully prepared with great attention to detail. The sushi rolls were flavorful and creative, and the food here practically melts in your mouth. The atmosphere is awesome just like the owner of the place and at the same time, warm and inviting. The staff were friendly, attentive, and genuinely passionate about the food they serve. From the moment I walked in, I felt welcomed and well taken care of. If you're looking for top-quality sushi and a great dining experience, this place is a must-visit. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Hama Sushi is hands down one of the best sushi spots in Venice. Every time I come here, the fish is incredibly fresh, the flavors are clean, and the quality is consistently great! Their Strawberry Roll is easily my favorite roll, it may sound strange, but it has the perfect balance of sweet, fresh, and savory. Something you won't find anywhere else. And if you have room for dessert, the Tempura Cheesecake is soooo good. It is crispy on the outside, warm and creamy on the inside. AMAZING!! The staff is friendly, the vibe is relaxed, and would be a great spot to eat some good sushi if you're ever in the area. Highly recommend! read more

Patio is mostly indoor with an open roof, it's a fun ambiance. Great place to grab a Japanese beer and some small bites off of their happy hour menu. read more

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Every dish of food was perfect! Seafood is super fresh, delicious and well-made. I recommend their strawberry roll, lemon roll, baby blue roll, tempura cheesecake and hamachi. The owner and servers are super friendly as well. I highly recommend this place for anything casual to formal as their ambiance matches to any event. Love it! read more

Ordered takeout from this place, and it was the worst sushi I've had in a long time. The food was stale and tasteless. I ordered a variety, and somehow, they even managed to ruin a Philadelphia roll--which is hard to mess up. Their fish tastes like it's frozen and straight from Ralphs. $90 wasted--such a disappointment. read more

It's exactly what you want your neighborhood sushi place to be. Solid, quirky, and reliable.

Great food. Fresh fish. Delicious & imaginative rolls. Excellent! Located in Venice near the boardwalk. Parking lot nearby.

longtime, family-owned and -operated venice beach stalwart. the handrolls keep the regulars returning year after year.

Service was great! We sat at the sushi bar and they were very attentive and super nice. I was looking for a place to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday and this place did not disappoint!! I'm not a sushi fan myself but I even liked the cucumber roll. My boyfriend enjoyed his crunchy crab roll. Highly recommend! read more

Hama Sushi - Tonkotsu Ramen Miso Soup Cucumber Roll Shrimp Shumai Dumplings Spicy Crunchy Crab Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Venice, California

Still my favorite local spot. The beauty of this institution and Venice staple is that it is family, friendly, as well as a great place to watch sports and get your party on. Hey, be sure to say hello to Logan the GM. He is always down to accommodate, meet new guest, and hang out with us locals. He has reinvented a few things on the menu and always has a great attitude. If you're lucky, Esther will be there. She is a strong woman who watches over her product. A personal mentor and inspiration for me and a gem of a friend to all. Everyone there is quality. Naoko, Steph and Marg to name a few. Enjoy. read more

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I recently had the great pleasure of having dinner with a good friend of mine for the first time at Hama Sushi. I am a career server and have worked in hospitality for over 15 years. I also love sea food and sushi, especially. I lived in Nagasaki when I was a younger. I have to say all round from start to finish my experience was phenomenal. From being greeted by the host to my check being presented, I received attention care and professionalism during a busy happy hour shift. The fish was so fresh and delicious. The rolls were crafted with attention to detail. All of the plates had a beautiful presentation. Also our table and the whole restaurant was very clean. The soy sauces were wiped down, our seats and edges of the table were clean. All things you look for and notice when you've been a waiter for a long time. If you are looking for a new place to dine out or want to have the best sushi you've ever tried, I highly recommend coming here. I can not wait to come back soon and bring more of my friends. Our server when we moved from the bar into the restaurant area was Thaisa. She was great, new the menu well and had great customer service skills and gave recommendations for our dinner as well as our next visit. Thank you Hama for a really fun dining experience and see you soon. Michael Beck read more

Everybody must try this place, it's amazing. The service is wonderful, the sushi is incredibly fresh and delicious, and the overall experience was 10/10. My personal fav was the Baby Blue roll, but each specialty roll was super unique and tasty. This is definitely the place to go when you're in the mood to splurge and celebrate. So good! read more

Hama Sushi - Baby Blue Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Venice, California

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This sushi spot is hands down my favorite! The location is great and they've expanded the restaurant since reopening from the pandemic. You have multiple seating options such as outdoor, bar, indoor sushi bar, and private dining experience in their patio. What I love the most about this place is how fresh the fish taste and the variety and unique rolls they serve. Of course they have classic rolls that you can get anywhere, but they made sure to have ones that they are known for. The owner is so sweet and super hands on with staff and customers. You could tell that most customers knew her, by the way they greeted her. The staff was extremely friendly and informative. The aesthetics are on point and I love that they kept historical wall art that shows the history of the restaurants founding/opening. read more

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The sushi is great, the service is great, it is just a bit pricey so be careful. We racked up a $500 bill rather quickly but the quality was there, so we cannot be mad! The outdoor seating is really cute with the patio lighting, and feels spacious. The albacore was Devine. If you like mushrooms, try the lobster dynamite! read more

Hama Sushi - Crispy Rice Cake - Sushi Bars Near Me - Venice, California

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This gem has been around forever and it's always consistently good. Haven't eaten inside in ages but we get delivery often and it never disappoints. Always fresh and they have some unique dishes on the menu worth trying. Some of the best sushi in LA. read more

Had a great experience at Sushi Hana! A hole in the wall, this place is relaxed with high quality food. The service was fast and efficient, and our waitress gave us the best recommendations. The toro was soft and the salmon had a nice sweetness to it. I suggest the saki sampler if you're with a party of two or three. Great price. Thanks Bruna! read more

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Found 2 big black hairs in my sushi roll--absolutely disgusting, never eating there again. (85 characters)

Hama Sushi! Aka iconic, Venice sushi restaurant. Established 40 years ago. We are such fans of this spot. It's far for us, but is reminiscent of our dating days & for my husband, far longer. I love their ika! Ika tentacles on happy hour are fantastic. The ika entree is also SUPERB. The scallop dynamite will blow you away & is also a great HH item! We love sitting at the bar watching the surf videos projected. It is such a fun bc atmosphere. We also ordered take out during covid & it was great. If you've not tried it, give this place a whirl. It's one of my faves! read more

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Hama is a great spot to grab some sushi and hang out! Cool vibe and good food! The crispy rice (with either salmon or tuna) is great, as are the spicy edamame. The basic rolls are all tasty and I prefer them over their special rolls, especially given the price of the special rolls. The Venice roll is good, but the Red Devil was so spicy that it was hard to taste it at all. The tempura cheesecake is amazing and definitely worth a try. read more

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Hama has the best happy hour! You need to get there early to get a spot, but always so worth it. My favorites are the salmon crispy rice and shumai! read more

Hama Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Venice, California

Pretty darn good! Easy to get into and the staff was very friendly. We will definitely be back!

Hama sushi is/was a staple for decades! Staff and food are great. However, they do allow a homeless man to sit at the bar and enjoy free food and drinks, and as nice as he is, he SMELLS like piss! Twice now I've gone there to enjoy their happy hour. And each time I'm told Esther the owner allows this and tells her staff to allow this! It's unsanitary and gross. He is accommodated more than paying customers. First time I saw him I offered to pay for his meal and drinks if he sat elsewhere. But NOPE! The restaurant priority is not paying customers. It's the comfort of this one homeless man. I get being kind, donating, but can the owners at least require him to shower and be clean?! This used to be my favorite place. But give. What I was told again, today, by the bartender. And what I experienced months ago, and why I was hesitant to come back, this is not a place that cares about its paying customers anymore. Shame. If you want to go here pass on happy hour. Homeless get the priority. read more

I remember when they opened back in the 80's. Had been there a few months ago and decided to go back when I was vacationing in Venice Beach. Nice space. One side is more sports bar and one side is sushi bar and tables. The seared beef carpaccio is one of my favorites. Lots of other good appetizers including the shumi. I had the chefs sashimi selection. Very tasty. I don't remember it being quite as pricey when I was there a few months ago but seems like every where is. Great service staff. read more

I love Hama sushi because it's close by and the service is really good. The quality of the food is good and it's not super expensive. There are a lot of great sushi rolls and it's a consistently great quality restaurant. Esther is a tremendous supporter of the community and the community loves Hama and Esther. read more

One of my all time favorite Sushi spots in LA. Hama has consistently delicious fresh sushi, the space is always has a great energy, the saki is delicious. I highly recommend the Green Dragon Roll. read more

The sushi is pretty good here, but the service and prices drop this place an entire star. I left barely full the other night (nibbled on some nigiri and some hand rolls with a friend) and one bottle of (cheap at the liquor store) sake later, our bill was $240!!! Hama is a Venice staple, but your ambiance and experience are not Nobu-pricing levels. Probably won't be back. read more

Hama Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Venice, California

Came here on Saturday night around 6:30. Got a table right away. Service was excellent. Unfortunately, the food was not great. The popcorn shrimp tasted like grocery store shrimp (if not worse). Sushi had a bad after taste and the tuna tar tar also did not taste fresh. The tuna tar tar tasted like frozen tuna from the supermarket. Scallop dynamite was oily and had way too much what appeared to be cheese but apparently was not, and not enough scallop. I do appreciate the service but I would never eat here again. read more

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STAY AWAY. This is literally the worst sushi I have ever had in all of Los Angeles. Writing a review to warn everyone to not come here. Went here last Friday night for the first time in years. I remember it wasn't mind blowing years ago, but it wasn't this bad. I don't know if I could even be eating at the same places as other reviews. The only thing edible was the edamame and peppers. The sweet shrimp which our waiter recommended was so bad I spit it out. It tasted rotten. The rice was messy on the sushi and the fish chewy and ratios were way off. Miso cod was dry beyond belief and flavorless. Sashimi was stringy and rubbery. Even the Sake was not great and overpriced. I wish I took photos to show how horrifying it was. Nothing looked anything like others that post. I'm feeling ill just thinking about it. There are so many delicious Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles. Hama is so disgusting it should be a criminal offense that they even serve food here. For 280 dollars we could have had a pretty nice meal at a fantastic restaurant. Please avoid for your own sake and support Japanese restaurants that actually care about the cuisine!!!! read more

Nothing special. Service just simply lacks. Not sure what they are smoking. As we set down asked for shishito peppers, hot teal. Didn't get either till the second Sake jar we've ordered. They tried to bill for few things we ordered but never got. Scallops in the hand rolls smelled, didn't have a chance to taste. The waitress tried to charge that too. Parking next door was over the 2 hours, had to extend cause check took long. Not sure what the hype is all about. Any other Sushi joint in the valley can do better read more

Ambiance was cool especially if you appreciate the 80s but the sushi is way too overpriced for the quality. The service was not great either, I had to flag the waiter down countless times. When he did bring the bill back he made a stupid stoner joke making the overpriced meal feel like an even harder hit. Once again very overpriced sushi. You have been warned read more