I went with my girlfriend this past Wednesday , 4/16/2025 at 7:15pm reservation. I was pleased with the service & drinks, Ordered miso soup each as well as sushi for the main entree. My girlfriend roughly 1-2 hours later started experiencing severe stomach ache. I was fine up until I woke up in the morning. I woke up severely nauseous & with a terrible stomach ache/discomfort. Since then I have experienced a fever & body ache on top of diarrhea. My girlfriend also has been experiencing diarrhea. Like I said was pleased with the staff, but clearly we both have symptoms of food poisoning!!!! & we both want to make future guests & staff aware of our experience & hope no-one going has to experience this! read more

The food was really good. Rice was cooked perfectly which is a big deal for me as a Japanese. The miso soup was on the salty side but not bad. The fish was fresh and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We will be back when we visit Monterey next. read more

Loved the vibe and the food at Kuma! Our servers were so gracious and attentive. We had some spicy tuna rolls, edamame, vegetable tempura and some drinks that paired nicely with our meal. The wait time was minimal and everything flowed smoothly. read more

There was like one waitress serving the entire restaurant. She has a great attitude and all, but I do feel like it's a lot for one person! The place is nice but not sure if any of the tables there were stroller friendly. Finally, the food is really good for their rolls!!! It feels like everything has crab in it and it's a bit hard to keep track of what's in what and where in which roll. But it's hard to go wrong! They're all delicious. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Sushi was decent. Based on all the reviews, I was expecting a bit more. It wasn't bad just not as impressive as I hoped.

Don't recommend coming here if you're in a hurry or short of time. Because they take their sweet time to seat you and also serve you food. My babies were not having it and in complete melt down mode before the sushi was served. They did get the kids stuff out first BUT here's where it gets weird. I ordered the teriyaki beef with sauce on the side and the rice came out cold. I asked the waiter if we can have hot rice and they microwaved it. Which would be ok but it turns out that it was sushi rice. So it was flavored with vinegar and salt. My babies took one bite and started wailing. Why would they serve sushi rice with a bento box order? Also after I said I want hot rice, they didn't realize they gave me the wrong rice? I ended up going to Panda Express to get the boys their regular rice since this place didn't have it. The rolls came out in 45 minutes. The table next to us were still waiting for their order and they were seated before us. I would not recommend going here unless you have time to kill. The rolls were good tho, fresh fish. And the udon had lots of veggies. Still would not come here because they gave us cold sushi rice and tried to play it off as regular rice when it was obviously seasoned. read more

Kuma - Rolls - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Extremely polite staff. The sushi was prepared beautifully and professionally. Everyone I was with was very appreciative of a great dinner at this restaurant including myself. These are a few pic of the order. read more

Just ordered food from this place took about 50 mins to finally get my order when they told me it would be 25mins. I was told that my beef teriyaki was messed up and it would take longer so I waited. Just now sitting here I didn't receive the miso soup that was supposed come with it. read more

Delicious sushi with incredible vegan options! I tried the dra-vegan and shroompa loompa rolls, both of which were absolutely incredible. My parents had rolls with fish and reported that they were delicious as well. My dad got the phoenix which gets lit on fire, which was pretty exciting. The little one enjoyed the udon. Our server was not particularly friendly, but the quality of the food made up for it. Prices are very reasonable especially compared to other places. Highly highly recommend, especially for the vegan sushi! read more

Kuma - shroompa loompa and dra-vegan (both vegan) - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

We went here for my daughter's birthday Our experience was really good! Our server Dylan was amazing!!!! Super friendly and great service~ Sushi was fresh and tasty We will definitely come back here again 10/10 would recommend read more

Every single bite was outstanding, but our food took 40 mins to arrive. At the end, our server explained that half the staff collectively called in sick to go to an event together. This is why our dinner lasted nearly 2 hours, just a round of apps and our main course. That was after we waited 1 hour 15 min before we got seated. As a former server, I empathize with this situation, but I still can't give more than 3 stars given the circumstances. The staff the management chooses to hire is a reflection of the leadership, and ultimately the restaurant as a whole. However, once we got our food every single bite was incredible. The Tuna Tataki, the Dragon roll, and the Chirashi were the stand outs in my mind. Just a few more notes... We never received the nigiri sushi we ordered, neither were we charged for it. We never received a spoon for our miso soup, although the next table got spoons with their soup. I'd love to go back and give them another shot but given how infrequently I'm in Monterey, I'm not sure I'll be able to prioritize it. read more

See all

Kuma is our go-to sushi spot whenever we are in the Monterey area, and for good reason. They offer an expansive menu, specialty cocktails, and everything is delicious! The service has seemed to improve since we first went. Our first time visiting, some of our dishes came out extremely late and members of our group were hungry. Our second visit, however, our server made it a point to ensure that we had received everything and that nothing was missing from our order. Overall, I would highly recommend the Polar Express and Baked Salmon rolls - my top favorites! And, if you are drinking, the Buru Cocktail is a very nice gin-based cocktail. I look forward to coming back to the area just to have their Polar Express and Baked Salmon rolls again! read more

See all

Random craving of sushi led me here. Seated right away and was able to order at the bar so saw the sushi being made. The baked lango roll was really good as well as the spicy scallop hand roll. I wasn't wowed but maybe their deep fried rolls are better. Set up inside was nice and felt cozy. Not sure if I was supposed to have a waiter since I was at the bar but no water was ever offered. read more

See all

Came here 25 min before closing and they said they weren't seating anyone anymore... went to Alvarado street brewery and they were happy to seat customers up till closing. read more

Great vibe at this sushi restaurant. Classic 80s and 90s music playing. Wait staff friendly. We generally had a good experience. The pepper fin sashimi dish was fresh and flavorful. The spicy Paula and crunchy roll were great sushi rolls. The misses for our meal was the tempura shrimp and calamari. The tempura wasn't crunchy. It was soft and under fried. The calamari was chewy. These were strips of calamari battered and deep fried. Because they were chewy, you couldn't bite through the meat cleanly without losing the crispy batter. They also have a good craft cocktail menu. I had the yuzu whiskey sour. I enjoyed it. I liked my experience. I would recommend sticking with sashimi and sushi and stay away from their fried offerings. read more

It was my daughters birthday and she wanted Japanese food. I wanted to try a place that we haven't been to (we're big fans of Zum Sushi) so we thought we'd give this one a try. I liked what I had- the Korean beef plate. I also tried the chicken teriyaki and it was good as well. My kids all had sushi and sashimi while hubby had the fish dinner plate. He loved it! The ambiance was casual and a bit cozy because of lighting. They don't have those bright lighting but it isn't too dark. Service was good but was a bit disappointed that they didn't offer anything for birthday celebrations- not even a single candle to add to the dessert we ordered. read more

Kuma - Salad that came with my meal - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

Sushi craving satisfied! I came as a party of one & unfortunately, servers barely came by and checked on me. It was pretty busy but still not an excuse to forget about other customers, no matter how small the party. The deliciousness of the food made up for it though. The sushi tastes fresh and full of flavor. I got the Baked Salmon & Tiger Roll w/o green onions -- recommend them both! Parking is mostly street parking but there's parking structures nearby. The street the restaurant is on is walkable and gives small town vibes. read more

Kuma - Baked Salmon (left) & Tiger Roll (right) - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Hands down THE BEST restaurant I've ever been to... friendly employees, great atmosphere, yummy food and drinks! I have never had a bad experience at this restaurant. They really pay attention to you and remember you when you come back !! Our favorite employee is Jon! If you ever come, ask for Jon :) read more

We finally had an opportunity to try Sushi Kuma on Alvarado in Monterey. Pictured are the Nova (Torched Special Roll) and Gyoza. We did not dine in the restaurant so I can't speak to its atmosphere/ambiance, but I will say it does get quite busy especially on weekend nights. Instead we ordered at the restaurant, and the friendly servers delivered to us while we were enjoying some wine at Comanche Cellars right next door. Our food was not delivered in to-go boxes, but instead plated just as you would receive in the restaurant with all the necessary accompaniments (soy sauce, wasabi, chopsticks, etc). The gyoza were perfectly fried, not overly doughy and had a delicious beef filling. I thought the $7.95 price for 5 pieces was quite reasonable. The Nova, torched albacore outside with tempura shrimp, avocado and spicy tuna inside all topped with red sauce, unagi sauce, green onion and masago was just a delicious combination of flavors. Add a good amount of wasabi and soy sauce and my taste buds were doing a happy dance. I believe the roll was $15. One roll with the Gyoza was plenty of food for my husband and I to share. Reasonable prices and delicious food! Can't wait to try their other offerings! read more

Kuma - Gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

Decided to YOLO and order the "Love Plate". You get the Chef's choice of a special roll. 8 pieces of sushi, 2 hand rolls, 4 pieces of gyoza and Wakame salad. What I meant by yolo is, you leave everything up to the chef. Similar to "Omakase" style. What you can pick though is which fish you dont want. I asked to skip red tuna. I am not sure what kind of rolls and sushi I got but it was very delicious. We left content and our tummies full. read more

See all

I was in town and was craving sushi. I found this place of course on yelp. They didn't open until 5pm so I had to kill some time. I ended up next door at the wine bar (which is also a must). Staff is so welcoming and helpful. Get this, after sitting their for two hours, they said I could order sushi and bring it over! They even had all of the soy sauce avail. My go to is a chirashi bowl, no shrimp. It was yummy and fresh tasting. I walked in, told them where I was, and the brought it over. Very easy! I just brought my dishes back after. It was very busy if were to eat at the restaurant but I think I would have found a spot for myself. At the entrance, there was a small sushi bar and I think more seating in the back but I didn't walk that far. Love that they partner with local businesses to make it easy! If you can't get a resie here, go to the wine bar and eat there! Beats the wait. read more

I was looking for a good Sushi spot in Monterey after driving all day from LA. This spot had some good reviews so we figured we will try it out. As soon as we walked in there was a huge group of drunk people at the bar. It took a while for the waiters to noticed us. We went towards the back. This place is very open inside so you don't feel crammed. The waitress advised us of all the good plates she recommends. We ended up going with the Sun roll, chirashi and the udon soup. The sun roll was really good that's why I'm giving them 1 star. The udon soup had way too much seaweed pieces and huge pieces of veggies. I felt like I was drinking hot ocean water with all the seaweed it had. The Chirashi had a lot of potential if the sushi chef knew how to cut sashimi pieces. The cuts were horrible. I let the waitress know and she looked very bothered. She letting me know the 2 guys working behind the sushi bar had years of experience. I let her know I just wanted to mentioned it to her. After that she completely changed and gave us attitude. As we were walking out she completely ignored us as I told her thank you. I feel as a customer I should be able to give feedback without a worker taking offense. I definitely will not be going back. Our first dinner in Monterey was a waste. Not sure why this place has over 4 stars. Very disappointing experience. read more

We stopped by for date night and I think we found our new sushi spot in Monterey! We loved the ambiance and the food was delicious. There were so many options to choose from, but the North Star roll exceeded my expectations! :) read more

Just found my new favorite sushi spot in Monterey. I was warmly greeted right when I entered. The restaurant itself has a cozy vibe but spacious enough to fit plenty of different parties. They also played good bóp for my entire stay (shoutout to whomever had the sức that night). I started off with miso soup; the soup had a wonderful umami flavor that was not too salty. Standard small diced pieces of tofu and thin strips of seaweed. It was really comforting on a cold night. I'd give it overall 4.8/5 For my main dishes I ordered Scallop Flower and Spicy Paula and I'm almost left speechless. These rolls were beautifully presented and the flavor was AMAZING. I was doing a little happy dance in between each bite because they were balanced and texture was not boring. For the Spicy Paula it's not overwhelmingly spicy; it has a little kick but it didn't make me sweat or anything. Both rolls 5/5 I also ordered a Yuzu Sour Whiskey Cocktail and was pleasantly surprised. It doesn't taste too strong and the yuzu shined through with each sip. It's refreshing and bright. I end up ordering two because it was that delicious. 5/5 The staff is very hospitable. I overheard a table nearby having trouble deciding what they wanted and a waiter said, "Alright no problem, tell me what you don't want and we will make something for you that doesn't have those ingredients"; he was able to make suggestions and from what I remember, the table was happy with their order that same waiter also was very attentive. He picked up my plates and as he was walking away I was going to ask for water but hesitated (I can be a bit shy), but he turned around and asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you ma'am". That just topped my experience and showed how intuitive a person can be! I will be back and will be spreading the word on how great this place is; also their prices aren't over the top for downtown or in general! So worth it :) read more

See all

As locals we've walked by Kuma for years but tonight we dropped in for dinner. We ordered two sashimi over rice bowls and were really impressed with the quality of the fish, the rice and the large portions. In spite of a packed house, the service was cheerful and very fast. We usually frequent another Japanese place in Seaside but Kuma is now on our list! Just made reservations for ten family members visiting form SoCal. read more

Best sushi ever, nicest owners ever, a MUST when in Monterey. We love the Auggy, Spicy Paula, & Big Bang rolls. read more

Kuma - Baked roll on right, Mt Shasta - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

Really delicious sushi spot! Highly recommend. Got the suns and a baked roll. The vegetable tempura was ok, I just love crunchy stuff and it was good enough. The atmosphere is interesting - I like the disco ball. read more

See all

For this to be a beach town and me coming from the east bay in CA the sushi was very underwhelming! I got the sashimi A. Chose to sit at the bar ! The bartender Anthony was SUPER amazing and attentive. He is very good at his job. You can tell he's a favorite. read more

Great place for dinner and it was pretty busy when we went on a Friday night at 8pm that we were on the waitlist. Street parking was a little challenging and we walked a few blocks. The server was great and took our order pretty quickly. We ordered hot saki, jalapeño poppers which I didn't really care for. The breading on the jalapeño popper was too much and not enough jalapeño. We also had short ribs were flavorful and comes with a side of rice. Lastly, I ordered the tuna with salad and rice, kind of like a poke bowl with the chef hot sauce on it. More than enough salad and tasty! The bar was busy and packed up until the time we left. Great friendly service. read more

See all

The ambiance isn't anything to write home about but the food is solid! Im a vegetarian and they had some very veggie friendly menu options. The vegan "spicy tuna" roll was great and different from anything I've ever had. They had a few other veggie roll options on the menu too. Great spicy garlic edamame and the miso soup was possibly one of the best that I've ever had - super flavorful and not watered down. I'll be back on my next trip to Monterey! read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Wow! Delicious food! We started with the spicy garlic edamame! The waitress was bright and cheerful and served is with class. The Atmosphere was inviting and we enjoyed all of our rolls. The next time we are in town this will be our go too! Yum! read more

It took some time to be seated and to be served. The food was great. Restaurant was clean and lively. Would definitely recommend. read more

Kuma - My wife ordered the Full House roll. She enjoyed it and said it was tasty. 10/10 recommend. - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

Honestly some of the best service I've had. Sushi is fresh as can be and their rolls are well balanced and affordable. Great music also goes a long way ! read more

Kuma - Stuffed Jalapeños - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Great sushi chefs and a fun vibe! Can get a bit rowdy as it gets later, so if you want a quieter meal, go earlier in the evening. The service was excellent!!!!! read more

I should entitle this review, "A Priceless Riceless Experience," lol. Let me first preface this by saying this is my only review on Yelp where I will say this: I would give 7 stars if I could (and just to be clear, that's a 7 out of 5). Every single item we ordered was a hit. I am sorry I can't remember them all a week later, but I think it was a ribs dish that our kids ordered and loved. I am a big fan of riceless rolls, and their Spanish Bay roll simply knocks it out of the park, easily beating every other one I've had in my life. Funny, my autocorrect wants to say priceless, and maybe that's what this item deserves, hehe. (See attached pic.) I don't even want to describe it, so as not to spoil it for you, the reader. In other words, just pay Dylan a visit and order it yourself. Who's Dylan? He's a host, server, chef, mixologist, and... the OWNER! He's full of energy, creativity, and heart. I think he engaged every table in conversation, and not just superficial chit-chat, I mean friend-level talk. Everything from his background in the restaurant business, even including the details of his recipe for my new favorite drink the Japanese Cocktail (I love almond flavor!), to giving me some practical advice that cheered me up after having had an (unrelated) negative experience earlier that day down in Big Sur. So I guess you could say he lifted my spirits with spirits lol and some therapy, hehe. I kid you not, we even shared a sake bomb together (together with the sushi chefs behind the counter!), and it was on the house! It was a priceless memory, but not priceless riceless because sake is rice wine--get it? Hahaha, oh man, that was so corny. You'll probably stop reading this now. But wait, there's more! For dessert, we had another Dylan-original creation: green tea ice cream sandwiches, using the perfect crispy white rice crackers on the outside. Another thing I appreciated was the fact that they didn't force an automatic large-party gratuity on our bill, unlike every other restaurant these days. That's so rare. Needless to say, we were more than happy to tip beyond the usual. The high ceilings made it feel spacious. But more importantly, Dylan made us feel like friends, if not family. I never thought I'd find my new favorite sushi joint in Monterey of all places, and I was blessed to add this gem of an establishment to my growing list of local gems to revisit in one of my favorite places in the world, where I hope to retire maybe. Until next time, Monterey, Kuma, and Dylan. Thank you so much. God bless you. read more

Kuma - Spanish Bay roll... it's as delicious as it is pretty - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

The food was fresh and tasty. I had a baked salmon, my son had soup, my husband had the short ribs and a whole hearted roll. The place is nice and cozy. Good for medium size groups. Has a good selection of drinks also. I will be back. Our server was also helpful, smile on her face and gave good food recommendations. read more

See all

This place tasted amazing! We were quickly seated and greeted by the bartender which was a friendly first impression. Our waiter was quick, gave us a recommendation and it was not too loud in the restaurant. There are a ton of seatings so this is also a good spot for large parties. read more

See all

Good service. Nice quality food. The waiter offered us free miso soup and deserts. Toro is great quality.

BAWMBB. We're from out of town and we're looking for good sushi. Long story short: just go here!!! PARKING: street or garage. We parked at a garage 1 min away which was free for the first hour and $1 for every 30 min. ATMOSPHERE: Casual but cool. FOOD: Fantastic, we loved everything. I'm kinda picky when it comes to sushi because of living in Japan and San Diego. Mannn this place did not disappoint. Our favorite rolls were the Akuma roll and Whole hearted roll. The Akuma roll was addictive, and the Whole Hearted Roll was refreshing. They have a limited cocktail list, but both drinks we had were delicious. SERVICE: The best. Literally every single person we encountered was genuinely nice. We LOVED our server. He made the experience. We had a little accident at our table (whoops) but our server and another gentleman was quick to address it. They were so cool and nice about it!! Our server was attentive and we really felt like he went above and beyond. Unrelated but I couldn't help but notice how much the staff looks out for each other. It's always a good feeling to see a positive work environment - it just makes the experience that much more enjoyable when everyone is smiling. Would recommend 100% read more

Kuma - Whole hearted roll, SALMON SKIN ROLL , akuma roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

The first time we dined here it was just a date night. We enjoyed the food, service and general positivity we came right back and brought friends. This time I did order a bowl I saw a different table order the first time we were here & our table got an assortment of rolls, appetizers and drinks. The place has a great qi and coupled with great food it's a no brainer; we are definitely coming back. read more