Easily the best quality and most authentic Japanese/sushi restaurant in Encinitas. I'd add Carlsbad, Oceanside, and Solana as well. Exceedingly fresh food and warm service in an intimate and elegant but still casual space. We went in tonight and EVERYTHING hit just right. It's our go-to for sushi locally. read more

My wife has been dying to go to Kaito Sushj for a while, but they are closed on Sundays so we went on a Friday before 6 and it wasn't too packed, but the dinner rush definitely happened and it was busy with dine in customers and take out orders. The ambiance is lovely with rope decorations on the ceiling and feels very authentic. Service was great to start but once the dinner rush started our waiter disappeared due to how busy it was. We were going to order more food, but just decided to get the check since service was taking so long...which we had to get another waiter to get for us. That is really the only thing preventing this from being a 5 star because the food is DELICIOUS. The rolls and fish were SO FRESH! Just get anything that swims. I wouldn't get the beef tongue again, but that is probably just me because I know it is a fan favorite. Also, bring CASH because it is cheaper. read more

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Favorite sushi in Carlsbad/Encinitas! Small cozy restaurant with quality sushi and friendly staff. read more

Kaito Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Visited Kaito Friday evening. It was very busy! The sushi chef was very apologetic as there were only 2 sushi chefs and a full house. Loved the decor, ambiance. The sushi was delicious, fresh and tasted great. We will definitely be coming back soon! read more

Kaito Sushi - Toro, kohada, kinmedai and sake - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

The sushi menu is great not a bad item on it just outstanding, service is great from seating to ending, they have done great work adding to the decor. read more

Fish is so fresh and the sushi chef is so nice! Be sure to make a reservation before coming in. I got lucky enough and called before coming in and they were able to seat me at the sushi bar. read more

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Omg the food was so good! We love sushi and we have been trying different sushi spots in North county area. Someone in Reddit local recommended this place. It's located in a strip mall in Encinitas and the place is very casual. The food though was amazing! We keep ordering after finishing what we ordered because everything came out delicious, presented well, and super fresh. Service was good and quick as well. Will definitely come back. Highly recommended! read more

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Kaito has become our go-to restaurant for sushi - it's so good. The fish is always fresh, the presentation precise, and there's always something interesting to try. It's family run and the service is friendly and attentive. read more

The most fresh, delicious fish and sushi rolls, lots of good sake choices and amazing, attentive staff!

Great Service, fantastic Sushi. They have some rolls that blew us away I also love the Japaneses feel of the restaurant. Loved it!

One of the best experiences I've ever had. And the most entertaining dinner I'ever had - all thanks to the chef! I called to make a last minute reservation which they happily accommodated. Upon my arrival, they took me and my friend to our seats at the sushi bar where we were served by one of the chefs himself. I unfortunately did not get his name but he was so sweet and funny. We decided to play Dealer's Choice tonight, letting the chef pick our choice of sushi. He gauged my preferences, making sure nothing too out of my comfort zone. He then recommended an array of fish that I had not tried before. Oh boy, they were amazing. My personal favorites were Toro, Mackerel, and Golden Snapper. It's a small restaurant so if you can make a reservation, please do so. Otherwise they are pretty accommodating. It's definitely a family-owned business so please be patient with the chefs and waitstaff. You don't rush artist for a reason! read more

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Amazing! The omakase is perfect t - excellent quality ingredients, superbly prepared. Friendly service and an inviting unpretentious ambiance that reminded us of dining in Tokyo. read more

Best sushi in Encinitas, hands down soooooo gooooooooooood. Get the sushi it's good. 85 characters later it's still five stars

I liked the dark decor and ambience in this restaurant. It had snaked ropes suspended on a black ceiling giving it a seafaring feeling with a modern vibe. The staff was friendly and the food was delicious. I especially liked the hamachi Kama we ordered. The sushi portions were just enough where we had no leftovers read more

Kaito Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

Bad sushi. The sushi didn't taste that great, each roll kept falling apart, but they were pretty looking. The water tasted from the tap. Crazy considering I spent $85 there for just me and a friend. read more

Loved this sushi restaurant! I believe it's owned by a couple: the wife is the sushi chef and the husband, Ryan, helps run it? Anyway, Ryan was soooo helpful and patient in making a reservation for me...which I changed a few times -_- but he was always so nice when calling me back. 5 stars for service alone! Now onto the important stuff...the food! We sat at the sushi bar and ordered the amberjack sashimi plate, a cali roll, spider roll and a bunch of sushi: toro, halibut, uni, scallop, unagi and kinmedai. All of it was really fresh and really good. If I'm ever in Carlsbad again, will definitely eat here again. read more

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I give it a 10. Selection of fish was outstanding. Joe-San was fun. He had uni from Japan as a bonus.

This was our second visit to Kaito. The service was poor and slow despite us being there before the restaurant got busy. We ordered several different types of sushi, cut rolls, and hand rolls, along with the beef tongue appetizer and salmon collar. Our first experience was good enough to bring us back a second time, which let us down terribly. The nigiri did not seem fresh and service was very slow, in particular, the soft shell crab handroll. The crab was cold and soggy, and the hand roll was overstuffed with tamago, which also seemed quite old. read more

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After several years I came back to Kaito and was blown away by the quality and creativity of the chef. Highly recommend this establishment!

I'm Japanese, and am very picky about sushi. My husband and I have tried many different sushi places in the North county, but Kaito is the only place we keep going back. If you are looking for authentic sushi, this is it! read more

As good as it looks, I found the experience and the food not up to expectations. When they say there is avocado in a roll, it's a teensy thin sliver of avocado. Who does that these days? Too much wasabi in the nigiri. Even the sashimi roll was so-so because of the mix they put in. There doesn't seem to be much understanding of food combinations and a combined taste/food experience at this place. The service was very nice, but unfortunately it took them so long to get the rest of our food out (almost an hour after we ordered) we canceled 2 dishes and left. This place has potential but didn't hit the mark. read more

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Ambiance & service was 5/5. Very authentic Japanese restaurant in North County. Saw some reviews before saying service was slow, however, my husband and I were sitting the sushi bar and we would get our order within less than 5 minutes of placing it, so definitely no concerns there. Sushi would be a 4.7/5 in my opinion. Still really good, not necessarily the best we've had, but definitely the best we've tried up in North County! We tried the caterpillar roll, rainbow roll, toro nigiri, tuna nigiri, salmon nigiri, and scallop nigiri. My favorites were the rainbow roll and toro nigiri! But overall, the fish was soft and buttery. Would come again! read more

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The best sushi! Clean, fresh, simple. Great vibe. Always a great experience. They stick to what they know and execute well. read more

Great food and great service. It's a popular spot with the lots of regulars that come on. Always a good sign when you see repeat guests come in. Love the layout and design of the restaurant. read more

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Food (5/5 stars): Good quality sushi! I recommend the Red Tide Experience (5/5 stars): * Price: a tad pricey * Wait Time: minimal on a weeknight * Service: very good and friendly * Parking: there's a parking lot * Ambiance: it's a nice restaurant with indoor seating read more

Kaito Sushi - Red Tide - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

Love Kaito! One of our favorite resturants. Always great. They take reservations now, and they also do pick-up orders. Excellent food, service and ambiance. Go meet your friends at Kaito. read more

Absolutely the best sushi! I've been around the world and this is in the top3 best sushi places ever!!!

Everything bro it was actually buns and didn't taste good and for me I like spice but the spice was disappointing and how there were barely any spicy I ordered the dynamite and it was so disappointing that it was not spicy and I also order the red tide and it also wasn't spicy and it took so long to get my food about 45 minutes and the customer service is terrible do not come here read more

My go-to sushi spot in Encinitas ticks all the boxes, from the service to the food. It's a small spot but has a lot of charm. Ryan, the owner, consistently makes our visits special by going above and beyond. read more

Kaito Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

Incredible sushi, great service, and a unique menu. This is some of the freshest fish I've had in San Diego/ anywhere. Certainly will be coming back read more

Kaito Sushi - Toro and amberjack - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Came in for a double date with our friends. I had made a reservation 3 days prior but when we arrived, my name wasn't on the list. The lady I checked in with went in to double check on something and came out to set up the open table for four by the window. We ordered... Several bottles of Sapporo Gyoza Miso Soup with mushrooms Tuna belly sashimi Salmon sashimi Sea Urchin sushi Tempura crunch roll Crunchy roll The soup was delicious with those little mushrooms. All the rolls and sashimi were fresh and delicious. The service was quick and attentive. We were helped by the lady and gentleman that worked on all the tables outside. The only reason I'm giving this a 4 star rather than five is because I ordered tuna belly and was charged for tuna belly but what we got was the regular tuna sashimi. My husband had eaten most of it before I realized that it wasn't what I had ordered. Because of that and they were super busy, I didn't bring it up with our waitress. read more

Kaito Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

This has been me and my families favorite sushi place for years, it is the perfect Friday night takeout or a nice dinner if you want to go sit down. The workers are always so sweet, but it can get busy so be aware of when you're going. read more

As it was our first time here, we had to look very carefully for the sign, and almost thought the restaurant had closed, as the sign was not lit and it is a very narrow space. If you can find the pho restaurant and/or Massage Heights, it is in between, on the same row as Elizabethan Desserts. Everything was great once we found the door. We received a very warm welcome and offered seats at the sushi bar. Once seated, the sushi chef with a long white beard greeted us, and the host brought us menus. We decided to share a hot sake, a few rolls, and some individual pieces that caught our eyes. What stood out to us was how fresh the fish was overall, and that the tempura shrimp roll was still warm on the inside; we saw the tempura shrimp being given to the sushi chef, as soon as it was cooked. The restaurant being fairly small lends itself to personal and custom service. The pickled ginger was fresh and strong, not fake pink, and the kama was bigger than expected, too. Pieces of fish were generously cut, including the eel that my husband ordered which flowed off the rice on both sides. While we were there a large party of 9 starting coming in for their reservation, and each person as they arrived were accommodated very quickly, too, with dishes being brought out as they ordered more when the group grew. I really enjoyed the family feeling of this place and attention to service and quality. I look forward to this being our go-to local sushi bar from now on. read more

I just went there tonight on a date with the love of my life, and this is a delicious sushi place. The DFL is just fantastically flavorful and yummy. This is such a treat, I'm so glad I came. We also had the rainbow roll which, just by look was so pretty and looked so refined but the taste was also amazingly scrumptious. I got scolded by my wife to make this review as she was looking at me and laughing at my urge to review. read more

Kaito Sushi - Rainbow and DFL - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Service is impeccable and fish is fresh and delicious - prices are good too! Smaller place so plan in advance - they will try to get you in too! read more

Been a customer for over 2 years. Service is admittedly often slow. If you are there to just order california rolls and shrimp tempura rolls, it's not gonna be for you. Their rolls are good, not amazing. Where they shine is their sushi and sashimi. Just amazing!! read more

We came here last year for our son's birthday. He loves sushi and his name is Kaito, so he was SO excited to try this place. They didn't seem to be interested in us at all, even though we mentioned about his birthday and his name. The service was very slow and other people's food was coming out before ours. We felt neglected and forgotten the entire time we were there which made us very uncomfortable. All the staff including the chef were very unfriendly and didn't seem to be wanting to answer our questions we had. The server never came back other than the time he took our orders and delivered food. Not even refilled our water. Even if the food was good, this was enough to make us not wanting to go back ever again. This place ruined my son's birthday. read more

Service and quality THE best in north county without a doubt. Owners are fun and chef is legit!

A bit overrated all around as my family and I had far better, but my eldest wanted to come here, so we made reservations. Venue: extremely small inside with what I call former pandemic seating outdoors, which in my opinion should be axed as smelling vehicle exhaust, while eating, is beyond unpleasant. Wait time: we had reservations, but the service was awful. My husband had to ask 3 times about our youngest daughter's order that had never arrived unlike the rest of our food. My youngest daughter had to wait almost 30 min for 1 order of rolls while people who came after us were getting their full orders. Service: Caucasian staff member was rude in his tone when my husband asked for the 3rd time when our child would receive her order as we did not want to eat without her. We never got checkout and never offered more than our first order of water. Completely forgotten in my opinion. Food: Meh, nothing to scream about or recommend to anyone. Forever a one and done! Told my family we probably would have had a far better experience at the Pho place next door or going to our favorite sushi spots. Because of the overall experience, no generous percentage of tip was given. read more

My husband and I ate at Kaito at minimum every Friday night for years until sadly he passed away. Kaito is far and away the very best omakase experience in San Diego and in the top five sushi places of SOCAL. Morita-san is so talented, humble, and accommodating and he only selects the highest possible quality of fish available to serve. I couldn't recommend this restaurant highly enough. I enjoyed every minute of my dining experiences and looked forward to every dinner we enjoyed there. It's an unlikely location but don't let it fool you. It's easily one of the best restaurants you'll ever enjoy. No doubt. read more