My lady called me over to have lunch with her one Friday when I wasn't working. She tells me about this place J Box that she goes most Friday's. It was sunny and beautiful outside. A perfect day for lunch on a patio. J Box is a small place with only two tables and a counter. The lady working said counter is super nice and somehow remembers EVERYONE's name. We waited a minute or two in line, she answered a few of my questions, took our order and called our names super quick to pick up our food. We ate on the huge patio outside. Being that I've never eaten there before, I'm not sure how full the patio gets, but I could see the situation come up where you have to eat out in the sun. That could be a little uncomfortable, but I really don't know what I'm talking about now, do I? We had the bulgogi bowl and the California roll with some really huge pieces of quality tuna on top. The bulgogi came with a small salad with a creamy dressing, an eggroll and a mound of your choice of white or brown rice. The Cali roll came with a small salad as well. Both were quite tasty and I would order them again. The only reason J Box doesn't get 5 stars is because I wanted some sake with my sushi/bulgogi and they don't have booze. read more

Location: Carlsbad Went here for lunch with my coworker since i was in the Oceanside area. She told me about this location because it was shared with other lunch type places. Located near a business district so I'm not too sure on how their business hours run. Im assuming they close early on a regular basis or on the weekends. I was skeptically to try this place because it was called J Box. Haha. Reminded me of Jack in the Box and I'm usually like "Nah I'll pass." But like they say, "Cant knock it if you haven't tried it." So i decided to proceed with my sushi needs. Its definitely in a business setting because its a small shop with lots of tables to sit at outside that circles this fountain. No where to eat inside, basically just room to wait for order or stand in line. I ordered the Ahi Poke Combo. Pretty good. Its basically a bento box which consisted of Ahi Poke on top of a California roll, mixed in with side salad. Pretty delicious, yet pricey. Worth the drive. Would I drive here ever again? Maybe if i was in the area for work. read more

J BOX - No. 7 Ahi Poke w/ Cali Roll - Japanese Near Me - Carlsbad, California

My first time eating lunch here. It was really good and fast friendly service. Place looks and smells nice and clean too! I was hoping it was a good alternative to add to my lunch options because I can't seem to stay away from my fav lunch spot - which I won't mention I recommend the chicken jbowl and next I might try the chicken bento. read more

See all

I frequent Jbox when I am craving Asian food in Carlsbad as there aren't much choices in the area. They have a simple menu where I main choose their version of a bento box. Their flavors hit the spot as the bento box always has a variety of tastes from the side salad to the sushi roll pieces that are included in the bento box. I suggest calling in your order to avoid the line that forms from about 1130 am to 1230 pm. read more

I love that they are so fresh here! I have tryed the j bowl which comes with Terri chicken, rice, salad & a egg roll and the salad dressing is so good! I just recently tryed the chicken katsu curry & it was sooooo good! Reminds me of the curry in Japan! read more

I'm always satisfied coming to JBOX. It's close to my office so I often come to the Island plaza for lunch. JBOX was my very first choice of all of the different restaurants and I keep coming back. It's usually pretty busy - probably the busiest place in the Island, so it's also the place that will usually take the longest to get your food. But I've found that it's very much worth it! The Buz bentobox is definitely my go-to. It's always fresh and prepared perfectly to my liking. I haven't even gotten around to trying anything else on the menu like I would normally simply because every time I've gone, I've always craved the Buz. Maybe one day I'll tire myself out of the bentobox and try something new. But it probably won't be any time soon... read more

Wow , I am so happy that I found the J Box . I am so picky when it comes to Asian food but this is the place for me. I had ramen , curry rice with donkatsu , salmon rolls and Korean bulkoki and all of them were so delicious. You really have to try them. Definitely will be back. read more

J Box (not to be mistaken with Jack in the Box) is a great co to lunch option in the Carlsbad business center park. Unfortunately there have been several times where I have needed to order 8+ items on the fly for my team and the J Box staff have always been so accommodating to my needs. The food is also delicious, and makes great leftovers when you order the larger bento boxes! read more

There are times that I crave Japanese food especially for some rice as I don't eat rice as much as I used to anymore. Who am I without rice?... This place is great as you can order online and it's ready for you in no time. I love their Bulgogi bowl (I eat it with brown rice +.50 cents... Seriously who am I..I love white rice..). that comes with a veggie egg roll and side salad. It's priced as Alexander Hamilton ($10) but hey their meat is marinated well, the bulgogi..Get your mind out of the gutter. But if I'm not as hungry and want to eat something from here that is cheaper in price, I will buy two of their SAMM - Korean Style Wrap ($3 each). That normally fills me up and meets the need some rice (white rice) quota for the day. I will come here as often as my wallet will allow me to and whenever I am craving rice. I recommend you do the same. read more

Had the teriyaki chicken bowl with brown rice (brown rice was .50 extra) and it was delicious. The chicken wasn't covered in teriyaki sauce so it felt like a pretty healthy lunch choice. The bowl also had green salad and an egg roll. Cost was about $10 for the chicken bowl and a fountain drink. Lots of seats in the outdoor food court next to a nice fountain. It looked like it filled up though after 12:00 (we arrived around 11:30 and had our choice of tables). read more

Came here for lunch and this place is really good! I ordered a bulgogi bowl with brown rice and it was very tasty! It is a simple lunch if you are looking for some good asain food. It hit the spot! I like how they had a little salad in the bowl too with some of their white sauce. That was really delicious. Their inside was clean and cute. I would come here again if I am craving another bowl! read more

Dear John at J-Box, You are so awesome, and your food is so good, bless you for having your restaurant in the middle of Faraday in Carlsbad. --- But seriously. This restaurant is so random! This is very fresh, made-on-the-spot, genuine (American) sushi! The salad has a distinct crunch instead of a usual wilt, and comes with a mayonnaise-y dressing to dip with. I have had the Spicy Tuna Poki, Tiger Roll, and the Teriyaki Bowl and they are amazing. The quality of the fish used is amazing - tender and firm, with no fishy smell or aftertaste. Also - when they say spicy, they deliver, and I appreciate an establishment that know how to use spice, and use it well. Love this place! read more

One of my go to lunch spots in Carlsbad! $7.95 Teriyaki Chicken Bowl $8.95 Bulgogi Beef Bowl .... these both come with a freshly fried egg roll and green salad. Choice of white or brown rice ($1 extra). I also tried their curry bowl (no egg roll or salad). Plenty of outdoor seating by a beautiful fountain. I'll definitely be back. read more

This place is a sort of fast food sushi spot in the business area of Carlsbad. Food wise: the quality just wasn't there. It's like strip mall sushi. Low quality and questionable freshness. Ambience: it's a fast food sort of spot Service: great service though, friendly staff. Price: over priced for what is given and the poor quality. Overall, I won't come back. I came here a few times hoping I could find something that tastes great but the price is just too high for low quality. read more

Ohh, a yummy lunch time treat in my tummy! J Box, much like their sauce, is yum yum. It's also very fresh and healthier than so many other nearby options. Service is super friendly too and the prices are fair. Today I had the paradise roll and yes, it was paradise. Coconut shrimp tempura, cream cheese, tuna, coconut flakes and yum yum sauce. Dee-lish. I can't wait to work my way through this menu. read more

Want a deliciously yummy meal that might even have hints of healthy in it? Then when it comes to the Island in Carlsbad this is your place! I always get the bento box when I eat here. The food is made to order, so there is a bit of a wait but it's very much worth it! The teriyaki chicken is to die for and the sushi is really great for a food court restaurant! The only star loss comes from the price, which is a bit high. I only can afford the 13 dollar bento box when it's payday or when work pays for it ;-P However if you work in the area and crave Japanese there is no better place! read more

This is near my work and it is def a great choice from the food court area. I typically get their poke bowl with is a great size for what you pay. Very filling and includes two types of poke, rice, greens and seaweed salad. A lot of people of my team get this as a lunch entree since it's filling but still fresh. I've also had their box lunches which again are big for their size. I think I just prefer more fish or meat so I tend to go back to the poke bowl. A couple times I've gotten their ramen, while I typically would never get ramen from a grab and go, if you need that to fulfill that soup craving it gets the job done. I find their broth to be a lot lighter (again good for a lunch choice) and I love that they have a chicken option. Overall solid spot for grab and go and you can also order online and do pick up if you're in a hurry! Win win :) read more

I work not too far from here, so I frequent this place for lunch sometimes. It's slightly on the pricier side, especially for the portions, but I always leave satisfied. Not too full, and definitely not hungry anymore. My favorite is the J bowl, which is a bowl of white rice, salad with dressing, and teriyaki chicken. It comes with a veggie egg roll, but I'm not a big fan of it so I just ask to replace it with a little more chicken. What stands out about this place, however, is the freshness. From the salad lettuce to the chicken, everything is fresh. The chicken is succulent, and after a couple of bites of this bowl, I know where my money's going. J Box has earned my loyalty! read more

Cheap. Fast. YUMMMY! got the teriyaki bowl. The meat is not fatty which i'm very particular about so already, i like this place. Its great to stop here for lunch because it's quick and portions are good for lunch! read more

This is my favorite spot in the food court for a light lunch. They have a pretty limited menu: just a few rolls and bowls. But that's okay. I think it's better to do a few things well than to flail about trying to do it all. The rice is properly cooked (dried out rice is unfortunately common at sushi places), and the ingredients are fresh. Rolls are small, but come with a bit of lettuce on the side to help fill out the meal. I see one of the other reviews complaining that the sushi is like strip mall sushi. Of course it is! It's a food court in a strip mall! If you want good sushi, you have to go somewhere else. And I will agree that this place is a bit too expensive for what you get. But for a quick, relatively healthy meal in the middle of the day? It's one of the better options around. read more

This place is yum. Not a huge selection on the menu, but honestly it's kind of better and works that way for this little joint. No tables on the inside, it's more like a pick your food up place in a food court that is usually only open during lunch. It'sainly geared towards business workers that are around the area for their lunch break. I've tried their beef bulgogi bowl, and ssam roll. Both equally delicious, and the ssam is a bit more spicy than you'd normally anticipate it but I still like it. Maybe I came during training season, but the people who took my order weren't mean but they weren't exactly welcoming as much either. Was bummed that they didn't put utensils or napkins in my to go order, and next time I learned that you have to do it yourself. Makes to sense since to go is supposed to be picked up and paid for and that's all. They should fix that. I love the fact that the owners are authentically Japanese, so they definitely know their foods. It just makes it that much better and more delicious. But overall taste is 4 stars, they could just work on customer service. I get it though, everyone has their off day and this is coming from my own food service work experience. read more

Located in the Island's food court. Service have always been nice, quick, and patient. I always get the lunch special with chicken teriyaki, choice of spicy tuna or California roll, shrimp tempura, egg roll, white or brown rice, small salad, and a fountain drink. It's a good place to pick up a quick lunch, but I don't think I would ever really travel out of the way for their food. One knock is that their combo is $14, which is pretty pricey. They get great ratings for being one of the better lunch places around the area, but I don't people to be deceived for an awesome Asian restaurant. read more

We tried the cold ramen and the hot ramen and it was delicious! Better than we expected! Very refreshing for a hot summer day! The spicy tuna with California roll was good too! Definitely come back for more testing of other items on the menus read more

I rarely write reviews unless I have something significant to say. Welp, here it is: I frequent this place at least 3-4 times a week. Yeah, that obsessed and I think that explains it all. This is a great lunch place (their sushi comes with a little side salad that's perfect!) especially if you work in the area. The woman at the register is also the sweetest and after going there almost everyday, she remembers you and always wishes you well. It's just freaking delicious. read more

So far a great go-to lunch spot when I forget to bring lunch (intentional or accidental). Jbox is super convenient if you work in the Carlsbad Research Center area - if not, it is definitely a trek to get to (albeit an easy one). Hours are tailored to a normal work week (M-F 10-4) so if you aren't near the area, you'll need to actually plan to try this place. My favorites: Spicy Tuna Poke & J Bento Teriyaki Chicken Not-so-good: Ramen Now more in detail.. No. 7 Spicy Tuna Poke (comes with 8pc California roll or Spicy tuna roll) Delicious - In my opinion, the serving is just right. I would still be hungry if I didn't eat breakfast.. With this dish you won't have leftovers. It's one of those dishes that will make you want more if you go into it very hungry. Overall, I was pleased with the quality of the tuna - it wasn't fishy, it was somewhat light and refreshing paired with a basic salad. You have a choice between a California roll or Spicy Tuna roll. In my opinion, Spicy tuna is better than California. J Bento Teriyaki Chicken (comes with rice, 4pc California Roll or spicy tuna roll, 2 shrimp tempuras, 1 veggie roll, house salad, and a bottle of water) Yum! I was satisfied after eating this. Again, chose spicy tuna over California. The shrimp tempuras were cooked well to my liking: crunchy, flavorful, and the batter was good. I would choose this dish over spicy tuna poke if I was starving. J Special Ramen (Pork or chicken) Personally I didn't like this too much. The pork meat was good, but the noodles were bland to me. The broth was so-so (not too salty at least, also not flavorful). If you've never had ramen before, it is definitely a step up from instant noodles. If you have had awesome ramen - avoid this. As of late, I haven't seen this option - maybe it wasn't a good seller. Overall great place to grab lunch. read more

See all

Wow, I should have come here sooner for lunch. This place is AMAZING--the food is fresh, tasty, and affordable. I've come in here a few times already and each time the service was fast and friendly. Each time, the food has been so delicious. J BOX is one of the few reasons I will "accidentally" forget my packed lunch at home so that I can come here instead. It took me awhile to start eating fresh/raw fish and it seemed like whenever I became brave enough to give it another try, I would end up at a restaurant that prepared raw fish horribly. But not this place. This place makes me want to keep coming back and to keep stuffing my face with raw fish. Take it from a person who used to think raw fish was gross. I am a changed person. One of my favorite dishes is the No. 10 Seared Albacore Salad. It comes with a garlic ponzu dressing and a cute little rice ball. It hit the spot. Everything about this dish is amazing. I've also had the J Bento which I shared since it's pretty big. The bulgogi beef was full of flavor, the sushi fresh, and the tempura crunchy. It was all so satisfying. I just wish that J BOX was open past 4pm and open on the weekends. Oh well, gotta try this store while it's open. It's located in a business area food court right next to a sunny outdoor patio. read more

I got the #7 spicy poke that came with a Cali roll and a "salad." Spicy poke... Decent. I've had better. Cali roll... Acceptable. Salad... It's only like 10 pieces of bland lettuce, but the salad dressing was tasty. It came out to be like $11, which is why my rating is low. It is definitely not worth the price. It's probably worth $7 at most. There are a ton of other options in this area that are cheaper. And even worse, I wasn't even full at the end of the meal. read more

I came across this place on Yelp while I was looking for a place that sold Ahi Poke close to my work. After seeing this place pop up in my search results, I decided to drop by this place for lunch right away. When I arrived, I ended up leaving with something different than I originally wanted. As soon as I saw that they had bulgogi, I ended up buying a bulgogi bento with a spicy tuna roll because it sounded pretty awesome. While I didn't buy what I originally intended, I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. The bulgogi tasted very good and the white rice was cooked to my liking. Since then, I've dropped by and tried a few different items on the menu and all of them were well portioned and tasted delicious. I'll definitely keep this place in my lunch rotation. Oh and for the fellow workers who are on a tight lunch schedule, allow for up to 7-10 minutes of waiting time after placing your order between 11:30 am-1:30 pm. read more

I had always wanted to try this place and always ended up eating at other places. I was determined to try J Box and wasn't disappointed. I got the chicken katsu curry which was posted as the lunch special on the front door. While it took a little while to get the food, it was well worth the wait. The chicken was nicely breaded and fried and sat in a yummy layer of curry all of which sat on some rice. There was also some pickled radish on top which was a nice touch. Flavor was excellent and the meal was satisfying and good value. I will definitely be headed back. read more

J BOX - Curry chicken katsu - Japanese Near Me - Carlsbad, California

J box is awesome!!! Fresh and fast. Perfect service. I like 'pradise roll' and 'J bowl'. Also, J bento is perfect for meeting catering. read more

They are located 5 minutes from my office and food is always amazing. Their staff is friendly and fast. Really can't complain about meat and rice, you can ruin it. read more

I recently visited J Box. First of all, food was fantastic! We had cold ramen and pork cutlet with curry. The owner lady was so friendly and great customer service! She even gave us the deep fried calamari salad that was not on the menu, yet! We will definitely be back again for sure! read more

See all

I wish this place was open 7 days a week! Their chicken cutlet curry is the closest thing to what I used to get from CoCos in Okinawa! My wife loves the cold ramen and the croquets. You can't go wrong with anything ordered from J Box! read more

They have done a great job accommodating large catering orders and sometimes with short notice. The food is always excellent, packaged perfectly, and timely. I am very impressed! Great food all around! Thank you! read more

Sorry. Their sushi menus are nothing spacial. Not bad either. It is just nothing that I love so I won't go back. Not sure their freshness of sushi ingredients. As we know, freshness is one of the key factor to start making sushi menus. read more

Excellent poke - simple and straightforward- just rice, lettuce, seaweed salad, avocados, salmon and tuna. Whatever seasoning they used, it's hella spicy though. My tongue is still tingling from lunch. It's worth it though. I would definitely get it again. read more

J Box is new to the Island of Carlsbad and I am so grateful for this place. The inside is so clean and the food is always fresh and fantastic! The owner is really kind and everyone that works there is extra friendly and helpful. You have to try it for lunch! read more

They NEVER Disappoint! Food is ALWAYS Fresh and tasty, you can tell they like food just as much as their consumer because they make it like they made it for their family! They have the best ramen hands down! I was so happy to eat here today! Especially bc I had just had a not so great food experience prior! I eat at JBox all of the time! You'll love it, try it!!! read more

The J Box J Bowl is the way to go! At the Island of Carlsbad there are only two good places to eat... J Box and Croutons. Overall the food is pretty fresh, not consistent enough yet... but never bad. I have been trying to ask the Korean owners to offer some Korean dishes... I am still trying! read more

I have been coming to J-Box for about 2 years. It's a decent lunch spot, next to a lovely outdoor area at the Islands Food Court. I must say that food portions at J-Box have been shrinking!! The roll and salad combo used to be a perfect lunch option but now the salad is just sad. A super friendly gal at the register only partially makes up for the fact. They are also not flexible with substitutions (I asked to replace California roll in Spicy Tuna poke combo by a Philadelphia roll, which should have been $1 difference in cost of the rolls. They said no. They can only sell me the Philadelphia roll with a "side" of Poke for $13). Anyway, if you're in the area for lunch and craving basic sushi, J-Box will do the trick. You might leave hungry though read more