We randomly stopped by this spot and ended up having such a great experience. The sushi was fresh, flavorful, and honestly exceeded our expectations--but what really made it stand out was the service. Dylan was incredibly chill, welcoming, and just an all-around great guy. He made the whole experience feel relaxed and enjoyable, and you can tell he genuinely cares about customers having a good time. Definitely one of those places you're glad you stumbled into. We'll 100% be back again. read more

Really great location (deceivingly larger than it appears from the street!) in downtown monterey. Really, really fresh fish and simple flavors. I'd skip anything there that isnt fish. We tried the gyoza and it was a little bland. But the ahi poke was spot on. Also tried a couple rolls that i really enjoyed but i forgot their names. Really brought me back to my old fave sushi place that no longer exists, so i really appreciated the nostalgia read more

Walked in at 5 on Sunday and we were able to be seated immediately. The restaurant is big with a cool layout! Drinks looked good but we stuck to water. Miso soup was tastier than most! My kids loved the chicken katsu and shrimp tempura- huge portions! And our rolls were amazingggg. They did sauce on the side since I don't like mayo but my husband does. The salmon lemon roll was incredible, as was the spicy salmon/tuna/shrimp tempura roll (don't remember names). Good service, we'd be back! read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Had a great time. Poke is served with wonton chips, a nice plus. The deep fried rolls rock, my 7 year old loved her California roll. And my wife and I are already talking about coming back for the baked muscles! A great experience! read more

Fresh Sushi & Exceptional Service During Pebble Beach Pro-Am Week! Visited Sushi Kuma in Monterey on a Monday night during AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am week (plus nearby conventions), and it was packed--totally expected with all the visitors around! The sushi was incredibly fresh and delicious--hamachi (yellowtail) was melt-in-your-mouth perfect. Teriyaki chicken was tender, flavorful, and spot-on. Service was strong despite the rush. Our first server kept things efficient, but the second one who joined later was outstanding: young, friendly, and provided exceptional attentive service--checking in just right and making the busy night feel welcoming. Great to see that level of care! Solid choice for fresh sushi in downtown Monterey. Highly recommend--we'll be back! read more

My brother-in-law recommended this place as the owners are very friendly and remember the customers. I ordered the chirashi, and the fish was tasty, and the su (vinegar rice) was good. Some places just use plain rice, but it's better to have the same rice they use for sushi, so this was a nice touch. The gyoza was very good...crisp and not soggy. As my BIL eats here regularly, he asked for the special dessert. The waitress initially said they were out, but the owner said they can make it for us. Of course, that made us feel special. The "rice cream" is ice cream with all the toppings put inside a rice cracker. Yum! The dessert is not on the menu, so you have to order it with a whisper (jk). Overall, I will definitely be eating here again on our next visit. Of course, I may have to bring by BIL to see if we get special service. The only question is, "Do I then have to pay?" :) read more

See all

Really cute sushi place, good for a date night! Good: - Miso soup was $2 and came out quick - tasty and simple - Tempura mixed was great value, liked the fried vegetables - Really liked the Phoenix rolls since they came engulfed in flames! So cool Bad: - Took some time to get our sushi and flag down the waiters - the place is petty casual diner vibes, a little older Overall a nice Asian place to go when you crave sushi! read more

See all

I popped in again while visiting Monterey for birthday at the beginning of the year with my boyfriend (now ex). The food, was amazing. The staff and owner are incredibly nice and we had a nice chat while sitting at the bar. They treated us to some on the house specials to celebrate. It's always a wonderful dining experience every time I visit. What was better is when I told the owner I was the girlfriend and he gave me the strangest look (my ex is a regular there) and it prompted me to do some digging once I returned home. After 5 years together I found out my bf had been actively cheating on me with multiple women. So not only is the food great, but the service is phenomenal! And you know they'll be honest, even if they don't get the words directly across. Tell Kelvin to be careful not to choke next time he pops in. (: read more

Great food, awesome service, nice venue. Been twice so far and have another reservation for tomorrow. Had a group of 8 with kids and our server was on it! read more

**5 Stars - A Birthday to Remember!** My daughter is a sushi lover, and for her birthday this year she chose to visit Monterey--and we're so glad we found **Kuma Sushi** for her special dinner! From the moment we made our reservation, the staff was incredibly accommodating. They let us bring a birthday cake to store and serve after dinner, and the whole team went above and beyond to make the evening unforgettable. Everyone was so kind and welcoming, constantly wishing her a happy birthday. When it was time for cake, they lit candles, turned on a disco ball, and got the entire restaurant to sing--yes, the *entire* place joined in! It's not a huge restaurant, which made the celebration feel even more warm and personal. My daughter felt so special, and we were truly touched by the effort they put in. On top of the amazing service, the **food was fantastic**. We ordered quite the spread, and everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The cocktails were also excellent--balanced and delicious. We can't say enough about how attentive and kind the staff was. Kuma Sushi made this birthday one we'll never forget. We're so happy we found this gem and will definitely be coming back! read more

Kuma - Rolls (Spicy Paula, flaming something and others) , sashimi, cucumber and SEAWEED SALAD - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

We made reservations for a party of 9, for a birthday. Right off the bat, service was phenomenal to say the least. Drinks were fantastic and the food was just as amazing. They handled the large party fantastically. Appetizers and food came out fairly quick for how much we ordered. Which speaking of, ignore the poor photo I took of the little bit left. After we dove into all the food I thought to take the photo after we ate, silly me. ONLY slightly disappointing experience of our entire experience that was 5/5 stars was the miso soup. It was slightly too salty for about half the table. However in their defense some people like more salt than others but this one was heavy. With that said, Kuma is a must go to spot for locals and tourists. P.S. Ask them to turn on the disco ball, it's great! They only turn it on when asked the staff said. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Visiting Monterey for the weekend and wanted some sushi! Kuma was the perfect spot and location had a nice scenery. Rolls were really good and all the fish tasted fresh! Our server/manager Dylan, gave us the best service and was really thorough on our questions about the menu! Would recommend this place and definitely would come back! read more

I always see this place whenever I pass by Alvarado & decided to try it out yesterday! The sushi was sooo good as well as their miso soup. The service was great and fast! It was a little loud but not crazy they had some good music playing as well. I loved the rolls as well as the dancing shrimp !! read more

Kuma - Dancing SHRIMP (Ebi) and salad - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

Nice place, clean, good service, has a bar. Good place for lunch or dinner. The sushi is average but good. The California Roll is made with imitation crab and mayonnaise so it's really sweet, the wasabi is not very hot but the ginger is delicious and fresh. read more

Kuma - CALIFORNIA ROLL - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Came in to the restaurant as a walk in and waited around 20 minutes which is really good considering how busy the night was! The restaurant had a very social ambiance and it was really nice to see the bar while being seated. Our server John along with many others were very helpful throughout the night making sure that our table was cleared, drinks refilled, and let us know when our food will be coming out. Our first order had three rolls, the baked salmon, North Star, and Apollo roll. These three were so good that we ended up ordering another roll after we finished. I will say that the North Star and Apollo roll are very similar in taste, but very delicious nonetheless. Our fourth roll was the auggy roll and it came out very quick following our first three rolls, it was also very delicious and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys more umami flavors. Overall Kuma was a very pleasant visit and I definitely plan on visiting again when I am in Monterey, the restaurant cleanliness, ambiance, and staff all made this experience a 10/10! read more

See all

You know, you're always taking a risk when you try a new sushi place. Will it be good? Bad? Reviews are tough because some of the most solid places have 3.5 stars. I'll do my best to thoroughly describe the experience. We arrived promptly at 5pm and the place was already busy. Our waitress started off prompt, but as the visit went on became more and more scarce, especially after the food was delivered. As mentioned in a prior review there is indeed a disco ball in the main dining room, but it wasn't in use while we were there. The sushi menu is pretty large. What looked like specials on the board outside actually ended up being regular menu items. I ordered three things in particular that were mentioned in previous reviews: the heavenly, the phoenix, and the house salad. The house salad dressing is a creamy and slightly sweet ginger dressing that some restaurants use. If you're more used to the ginger heavy and chunky dressing you'd find at say, Benihana, this isn't that. Personally I prefer the more creamy miso style dressing. The greens were... large. That's the best way I can describe it. I had to really fold the leaves in half or jam big pieces into my mouth with chopsticks. If it weren't for the monster greens I'd give the salad a 5/5. Loved the dressing, but the greens were too large. 4/5 instead. I had to order the phoenix because they set it on fire, and my inner pyro simply couldn't resist. The roll is served in foil and the plate is set ablaze with a small torch. They tell you not to eat it while it's burning, which I'm sure they have to because someone did. It made it hard reaching my roll on the other side of it, but I was not deterred. It's a neat display and presentation, but it kind of ends there. In case you were wondering, the fire is mostly on the plate and doesn't cook the roll. It does kind of warm it to a weird in between temp that some will find not nice. The roll itself is kind of ugly. I'd describe it as "wet". The sauce isn't bad, there's a little spice, but just not any flavor. I'd give this roll a 3/5 for getting a chance to play with fire at the table in a sushi restaurant. The final roll I ordered was the heavenly. This one I enjoyed, but not enough to drive to Monterey for. Maybe if I'm already in town... The sauces were tasty, the fish seemed fresh, and I liked the flavor, but - I know, you were waiting for the "but" - the sushi rice was overcooked and gummy. It's sad because this otherwise 5/5 roll was dropped to a 4/5. My momma didn't raise no quitter, so I ate the whole thing. All in all it wasn't a bad experience. Definitely worth a visit if you're meandering around the area on foot, but not a place I'll go out of my way to drive to. Averaging out the entire experience I think it gets a solid 4/5. I took plenty of photos for your reference. read more

See all

Super solid food, super solid portions, and super solid service. It was not busy at all when we went and enjoyed a meal with family. The Sun's roll was exceptional if you enjoy something light and raw; the lemon was a great fresh touch. Ingredients taste absolutely top notch. The building is nothing impressive but within a nice downtown setting with some beautiful old buildings neighboring. Overall a lovely light meal which didn't bog us down. read more

An amazing restaurant, food was 10/10, ambiance is lively and service was amazing beginning from the host stand all the way to our server. Only "downside" is that parking can be difficult to find as it is in downtown but there is multiple parking garages that should make it easier. read more

Kuma - Crunchy Roll, Gyoza, CHICKEN TERIYAKI, forgot what my gf's roll was lol - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

I really enjoyed the rolls here! We got the Auggy Roll and the Heavenly Roll. We also got the ZigZag Handroll. The servers are nice and had great customer service. If you are craving sushi, this place offers a pretty good selection of rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. read more

See all

Great food & service! Delish sushi and a generous amount for the order! Will be back again. Only not great thing was being told 45 min wait and getting a table 1hour&15min later. Still worth the wait! Cocktails also were at a good price compared to most places in town. read more

See all

We were visiting Monterey to hang out with some extended family. They had a baby and we had a small dog, and Kuma was able to seat our party of 7.5 quickly outside in front. The waitress (smaller woman with braces) was extremely accommodating and nice and she did a great job at taking our orders and making sure we were comfortable. At one point it got cold and she offered us the party room and helped us move in there, which was hugely appreciated. We ordered many dishes; udon soup, chicken katsu, beef teriyaki, full house roll, Lucy who roll (my order), and the jalapeño crap poppers. Everything was very good and filling for the price. The other waiters who attended us were also nice, and the man who brought my order said the Lucy who was his favorite and was "fire." He was correct. It was fantastic. There were some minor problems with one order of jalapeño problems where they took a while to come out, but they were worth it when they did and the waitress was super nice and apologetic. She even threw in a dessert as compensation for the wait, which was extremely generous. She even played with my dog for a moment or two so he didn't feel left out of the dinner. All in all, I would totally go back. I was worried the roll I got would be too saucy, or the jalapeño popper things would be too much, but everything was great. Waitress was fantastic and she did as great a job as I've ever seen, even though she had lost her voice that weekend. Great place all around and we all left very satisfied. read more

Came to Monterey for Mother's Day weekend and find this place on Yelp with 4.5 stars. After eating here for dinner not sure how they got those ratings. The quality of the fish is comparable to Safeway Sushi. NO TASTE!!! The salad was mixed with a creamy dressing, not your traditional Japaneses dressing. The poke had a lot of wonton chips than tuna. The Sapporo draft didn't like sapporo. The bartender was nice, but the sushi chefs were very slow. read more

See all

Great service (high chairs available if needed). Got the teriyaki bowl for the toddler which she enjoyed. Absolutely loved the auggy roll (was craving unagi) and would go back just to have it again as well as trying more rolls read more

Kuma - BEEF TERIYAKI - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

We walked in pretty late(9:30pm) hoping that they would still serve us. Timing wasn't an issue. Service was great. Our waitress was pleasant and named off a few favorites that she recommended. We ordered the "Lover's Plate"(I think that was the name) Fish was fresh. Definitely coming back :) read more

First time here and without a doubt our last. It was just overly stimulating for us with all the noise, randomness of the servers and disco ball spinning, we couldn't wait to finish our meal and get out tbh. We ordered nigiri and it was ok. read more

Kuma - Entrance - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Great service, calm ambiance, and good sushi, I used to come here all the time, and recently came back, but their portions have been cut down so much, that there are literal slivers of fish on the rolls now. I was left hungry, instead of satisfied. read more

Kuma - Sliver sized portions - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Fresh sushi and food service! We would visit again! I got the Tiger roll and enjoyed it!

The food was not bad, but the music was way too loud and the wait was very long. I also payed $200 for a meal for four, which is doubled the price of a normal restaurant. This is the first break in my five star streak so far. SO... Thank you for looking at this review. Enjoy the next 24 hours of your life. read more

Love love LOVE this place.. best sushi I've tried in Monterey! Definitely recommend their Phoenix Roll!! Oof *chef's kiss*

I visited Kuma in Monterey on a Friday night around 9:30 PM. Even though the restaurant closes at 10, we were seated because of a waitlist. The staff made it clear they were annoyed that customers were still coming in, and their attitude showed. Before we even received our food, the lights were turned off -- clearly not an accident -- as if they wanted us to leave. The guy behind the counter then yelled, 'OK, now everybody get the f out,' trying to pass it off as a joke, but it was obvious he meant it. That same employee kept giving us looks the entire time. We ended up asking for boxes less than 10 minutes after our food arrived because the environment felt so uncomfortable. I understand it was close to closing, but the unprofessionalism and hostility were unacceptable. If they don't want customers before closing time, they should change their posted hours. I won't be returning. read more

Showed up to this place looking for a good dinner. The rolls are yummy, well portioned well seasoned and reasonably priced. The gyozas are amazing and the miso soup was not too hot to burn not too cold to dislike, just right. Staff was friendly and attentive, place had reggae music which I love by the way, there is a bar at the entrance with football on screen. I definitely recommend this place!!!!!!! read more

Kuma - MISO SOUP, YAKI GYOZA, polar express roll, salmon roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

The food was pretty good. Miso soup was flavorful if a little more watery than I'm used to. The edamame is good but the portion is smaller than usual. I ordered two veg hand cut rolls and they were delicious. Boyfriend ordered the maki set (very good miso soup, 8 nigiri and a spicy tuna roll) and he said it was ok. The waitress was very knowledgeable about food allergies and gave us a huge amount of extra ginger when we asked! They don't fill up your water particularly promptly but otherwise service is good. read more

The food was amazing, my sushi, hit the spot, and location was perfect... we wine tasted next door, enjoyed my sushi fix, and enjoyed a live music performance across the street at The Golden State Theater.... read more

Went here two nights in a row on vacation as a family of four. Fantastic both nights. If I were local, this would be THE spot. First of all, everyone was very friendly, considerate, and detail oriented. They certainly take hospitality seriously. Very accommodating of children with multiple high chairs available. I also saw multiple strollers both times. Great space in an older building. The lighting is well done to feel warm and inviting. Small dining room, but feels spacious with wide walkways between tables and a high ceiling. My wife had tiger roll both nights, which were sweet and fresh. The kids devoured the chicken katsu, edamame, and miso soup. I had the hamachi hand roll once and the hamachi kama (collar) the next. Both were terrific. The hamachi kama was my absolute favorite. Incredibly fresh. The smell alone was perfect. It was served with perfect ponzu sauce. I heard that they only get a few collars a day, so get it if you're early. There is a great, well stocked, small bar. Fresh beer and great looking mixed drinks. Sake bomb with yuzu sake was fire. They only have one dessert, but that's all you'll need. Green tea ice cream sandwiched in rice crackers with chocolate sauce. Tl;dr: Awesome spot. Great people. Wonderful food. Highly recommended. read more

Kuma - HAMACHI KAMA (Yellow Tail Collar) - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Service was awesome! Staff recommended his favorite sushi roll that is not on the menu, soooo good! All of the food was delish. Found this place from reading reviews. The lighting isn't super bright in here, I love that. read more

See all

Made reservations on Yelp for 6 people on a Saturday. Only a day before so it was 5pm or 9am. Got there at 5 when they open. By the time we finished, they were getting full. There is street parking so it can be tough if there are events going on. Everything we had was really good. The veggie tempura roll was my daughters favorite. She doesn't eat fish. It was only $8! She said it was so good and wants to go back tomorrow. She also had the vegetable udon and added the $3 tempura which is a really good deal. I always love baked rolls. I saw they had a lango roll online and that's why I wanted to try this place. It was so good. I will get it next time too. My son got the Heavenly roll which was also very good. The Agedashi tofu is also something we try at most restaurants. It was perfect. Came out super hot. Hand grenade appetizer was super good too but for $10 for 2 little bites is a little pricey. read more

See all

Great vegetarian sushis, we like the non-spicy ones more. Low wait time and service was great.

The sushi is top shelf! Fresh and delicious. Presented in a hip vibe. The sushi chef friendly and creative. Tell them the ingredients you like and they'll blow you away! Best on the Monterey peninsula. read more

We made a reservation but arrived early and they were able to seat us. The hostess was kind and helpful. The waitress was attentive and helpful. She was overworked and was helping most of the restaurants tables but was impressively keeping up and doing a great job. She took our orders and the food was out in no time. This sushi I got was the best I've ever had in my life. The restaurant was clean and well lit. Good for date night. Would recommend to anyone. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

The food was awesome, the hostess and waiters great. 1st time there and everything was fresh.