I come here every Tuesday to break my 40 hour fast. Simple, not spicy, nutrient-dense delicious food. I start with miso soup. Then sunomono salad and seaweed salad, or edamame. Then sashimi. More than I can eat but some will come home for dinner. The first smell to hit my nose upon entering the restaurant is burnt fry oil. I also had to ask for a larger glass for my water, which unfortunately was plastic. Also a plastic bowl for miso soup. I like glass better. Lunch Service was good, fast and efficient. Price was reasonable. read more

The food are excellent! Very traditional & original. Their services are also wonderful! They have their own parking spaces. Highly recommend! read more

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Get the Kyoto Special! It's so good and worth the price. Cute little place. Totally recommend. read more

Kyoto - Kyoto Special - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great sushi and great service, what is not to like? My favorite is the mango salmon roll, but the Dragon roll. The Crunchyroll and the roll was scallop are all excellent. read more

We ordered the Kyoto Boat. Everything on it was excellent. Teriyaki chicken and beef, California Roll, shrimp, veggies tempura were are great. Ambiance 4.5 Service 5 Food 5 read more

The Japanese restaurant is nice. It has a traditional vibe inside with the Japanese style sliding doors. The service was good; two people during lunch. They were constantly working and attending to tables. The food was good. I ordered the tempura-ju. It was good, the tempura was hot and crispy. The salad was just okay, had a couple wilted leaves but was fine. The hardest part is to find parking. Be prepared to park on the street to come early to find a spot. read more

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We've been here so many times at this point, and it is so good! It can get a little loud with the college students in the private rooms, but the employees are great and it's usually very quick service. Definitely recommend the shrimp tempura and the gyoza! read more

Always coming back here time and time again. Great prices , even better food. Cute spot for a date night or dinner with friends. They have private rooms that are so cozy ! Came in close to closing and the service was still great , didn't feel rushed . The tempura calamari was the best i've had in a long time . I honestly didn't know calamari could be tender , i've only ever had very chewy bites before . This was not that , so succulent and thick and tender , perfect tempura. Absolutely delicious. Spicy edamame was also delicious and had the sauce on the side which was nice , but wow !! spicy !!! Most places spicy edamame usually isn't that spicy but they mean it. Still a great flavor ! The combination sushi i will always get , you really can't beat it . 25$ gets you a california roll , which is thick !!! So decadent and delicious, they also give a generous amount of masago on top which taste super fresh . You also get a Maki tuna roll , so yummy and the flavor is addictive. 7 types of nigiri with a amazing fish to rice ratio , not even sure what all kinds you get but omg is it so worth it . I always thought i wasn't a fan of fattier tasting cuts of fish but this stuff just melts in your mouth . Also you get a ginger salad and miso soup !! I absolutely love the miso soup here , creamy broth with tofu and seaweed. Fried Shumai , so flavorful and perfectly cooked . All of their baked rolls are delicious, no misses .This is by far my fav sushi spot in santa barbara. read more

Kyoto - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Kyoto has been my go-to (casual) sushi spot for years and it's about time I left a 5 star review. Thank you for keeping me alive in college and all of the years after! read more

Kyoto - Spicy Tuna Roll - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I honestly don't know why this place has the rating it does. We ordered on Doordash, which is historically horrible in Santa Barbara. The order came on time, super fresh, large portions, and only $7-$10 a roll, we got 5 rolls for under $50 before fees. Really delicious and affordable! Also if you like Spicy Tuna Rolls this place does a great one. This is going to be our go to sushi spot going forward! read more

Takeout review - For the quality of fish for what you're getting it's not very good. I'm glad it came with a side salad and miso soup. I've always heard about this restaurant since it's been in business for so long I expected better, but was let down. The positives are that it is definitely popular with the locals and my order was ready when I scheduled my pickup. Maybe dine in experience is better, or maybe what I ordered isn't their best? read more

Kyoto - Combination Sushi, Edamame - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I've only been here a few times over the last few years. I've always liked that a lot of locals eat here. Servers have always been nice. The chef's boat is one of the best deals around. It was delicious and I will be here more often. read more

food was okay. the rice was a little wet for me. Servers were really nice tho and the vibe is def cool! Best part was the kirin

We have waited over an hour after having ordered rolls. No one is in the restaurant dining-in. However, there is a line out the door of "door dashers". When we asked about why it takes so long they would point at the long line of "door dashers". They do NOT prioritize in-person dining. The servers were very apologetic. read more

We ordered from here during my bachelorette party this weekend. It was pretty good. The hot night (I think?) roll was good, and the fish on the rainbow roll was fresh. The options on the menu were interesting, maybe just not my cup of tea, and they weren't the biggest portions I'd ever seen, but they filled us 4 up (1 roll each) and did the job! read more

Average experience, things got a bit busy for two servers so it slowed down the service. On the other hand, food was good. The ambiance was nice. Could have been better but we'll give them a second chance. read more

Kyoto - Front - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I have been to many Japanese restaurants in the past, but this one felt a little weird. We were seated at some booth on the left, but we were not offered the interesting compartments to the right. it was kind of cool to see people takeoff their shoes, and be seated on traditional Japanese tables l, close to the floor. Honestly, the food felt bland. I have had sushi at other places, and it's much tastier. The service was very good. I also think the price point was OK. The complementary soup and salad are nice. read more

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The combination boat was a hit with a group of friends. Good mix of cooked and raw options. I ordered a tear roll on the side and it was delicious. We sat in the rooms seated on the floor and were pretty cozy. Service was attentive and food was served quickly. Kyoto is definitely top 5 in my book for Santa Barbara sushi! Thanks again for the wonderful atmosphere and amazing sushi! read more

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My wife and I just finished dinner here, a place we've been coming to since the 1990s. As always, the food and service were exceptional. The owners are friendly. The servers are professional and attentive. It's great to find a place that consistently delivers good food and service over the years. read more

Kyoto - Beef teriyaki combo - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Sushi was affordable. We had okay service for a large group. Sitting on the ground feels authentic but a bit uncomfortable. Would come back again! Would put 4 stars in another life read more

This place is easy to miss behind an electronics repair shop on a busy street corner on upper state street. The outward appearance and lack of tourism doesn't draw the visitors but when the doors open at 5pm it becomes a locals go to spot. The inside looks like it was decorated back in 2000 and never changed. It's your classic sushi restaurant on the corner. I love the U-shaped booths and Japanese shades. Though old, they keep it nice and clean. The staff was super friendly and kind. And you don't hear any of the traffic so you forget you're on a street corner. But if it's a hot day like it was today (100 degrees), which is out of the norm, they don't have AC, so maybe not the best choice. They have a great selection of items, so there is something for everyone. The price of a simple (maki) roll is $6-$8 and for special rolls $12-$16. We got 2 special rolls, 1 maki roll and a drink for $38. My fiancé had the smoked salmon (maki roll) which was alright. He got his favorite baked salmon roll, called the fire roll (special roll) which he loved, but I usually have a piece and I was bummed that they make it spicy. I had the Snake roll (special roll) made with eel and avocado and the eel sauce was delicious per usual and I enjoyed the roll. The consistency made it easy to eat because it was well put together, but the fish didn't seem very fresh like I would have hoped and like I've had from Okie or some of the top of the line sushi restaurants here in Santa Barbara. Unfortunately I got sick (which is why I'm currently editing my review here at 2:30 am) as to warn others. So I won't be coming back here :( I wish I had had a better experience and ending to this place. I'll be going somewhere else for my sushi from now on. read more

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A solid 4. Called to make reservations and even change them and very accommodating. Seated in one of the right side rooms on the lower private table--but honestly was a little too low and crossed legs was a bit difficult on a flat floor and stuffy as was a very warm day. We had different rolls and the one w the salmon stood out to be best of all. The agedashi tofu appetizer was fast and soft but the rest of the meal was slow to come. We did order one more dish thereafter that came extra quick to compensate. We enjoyed this read more

Kyoto - Appetizer - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Good solid sushi! Great for takeout or dining in. The sexy cowboy roll is a favorite, along with the state roll.

The food was just alright, sushi was fine but the ten zaru's soba wasn't the usual soba noodle, it was a bit slimier and didn't have the right texture. I give this place a bad rating because there were flies galore in there. Flies in the entrance where you wait, flies in the main dining area, flies in the "tatami" rooms. I wouldn't even really call them "tatami" rooms because the rooms had hardwood floors. Not very comfortable, and quite dimly lit (made it harder to swat the flies away from our food). There are other better places for sushi in SB... read more

Kyoto - Sun Shine Roll - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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amazing !!! first time trying and it did not disappoint!!! will be coming back to try new rolls! we got the volcano roll, energy roll, Crazy burrito roll and daddy roll. and it's pretty affordable for a sushi spot. The inside is nice and cozy love the vibe. read more

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Ordered Chirashi bowl, the rice was steam rice and very dry. When I asked the waiter for sushi rice he said the don't have sushi rice. A Japanese restaurant with no Sushi rice, need I say more !!!! Teriyaki chicken was so dry. read more

We ordered to go, the chicken katsu, teriyaki top sirloin and the tear roll. Which has eel, gobo, tempura crunch inside and topped with tuna, salmon, avocado with spicy & eel sauce. Everyone really enjoyed their choices. The katsu was fried perfectly, the steak was grilled to med rare as i requested and the tear roll was fresh. If we lived in the neighborhood, this would be one of our favorite restaurants. read more

Nice ambiance, pretty tasty supper, I recommend Kyoto . Prices are a bit steep. Go for a special occasion.

The service was very good, and we felt well-attended to. The atmosphere was comfortable and pleasant. The first items served were a small salad and a bowl of miso soup. They were both very tasty and were satisfying. The tempura is lightly breaded, not greasy and very diverse with vegetables and shrimp. The dipping sauce was so tasty we drizzled a little on our rice. I had to take half my food home as the serving was so big. An overall enjoyable experience. read more

Kyoto - Shrimp and veggies tempura with rice and vegetables - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Absolutely amazing! Coming from San Gabriel valley, I have been missing the authentic Asian restaurants. This place was definitely a hit. Food was delicious, comforting, and the restaurant is filled with wonderful people. They do a bit of Japanese/Korean fusion if you're also craving things like Korean tofu soup. Great local spot to stop by! read more

Kyoto weekly lunch specials are my favorite ! Food was fresh and tasty, service was attentive , and have a good ambiance !

I used to pick up to go from Kyoto all the time a few years ago. I physically ate at the restaurant for the first time the other day with a friend on a Saturday at 12 right when they opened for lunch. Like another reviewer said, there is no A/C and it was a hot day. They keep the front door open, so there were a few flies. I didn't go in with the highest expectations, since I saw a recent review of sushi with scarce rice, but wow, our meal was amazing. My friend ordered the jalapeño roll, I ordered the shrimp tempura roll and we shared the scallop roll (dreamy). They didn't have shrimp for the top of mine, which is normally included, so I subbed salmon, which was delicious. The employees are kind and attentive and I will be back. Thank you! read more

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LOVE this place!!!! food is amazing, shan is amazing, the service was incredible. We had the gyoza, beef, and lots and lots of sushi!! sake bombing is the perfect birthday excursion read more

Not good. Our table was dirty when we were sat down. We had to ask to have it wiped down again. My chicken teriyaki came out late and it was cold and dry, like it had been just sitting out in the kitchen. Service was wasn't great. We had 3 different servers and not one of them really seemed to know what was going on. Overall a very disappointing experience. Choose a different option in Santa Barbara. read more

I read the reviews before coming here and ignored them. Mostly because this place has a very small parking lot which is a huge plus in Santa Barbara. The sushi isn't bad, I actually enjoyed my roll. However, we didn't get our drinks until midway through our meal. Our baby spilled miso soup (don't worry it wasn't on himself nor was it hot when he spilled it) and the waitress noticed, made a comment and then walked away to help other customers, while soup is visibly spilling into my partners lap. She then reprimanded us for putting the soup within arms reach of the baby. (Wasn't quite in arms reach but baby had chopsticks in his hand and managed to tip the bowl) We asked for extra eel sauce on the side which ended up just being teriyaki sauce that we got charged $1 for. We came in when there were very few people in the restaurant but the service was still bad. They would benefit from hiring more waitresses as they only had one. Also the options for tipping is 20, 25 and 30% on this little computer system. The transaction was so quick, I'm not sure if there was an "other" option. I feel like they probably do this on purpose because their service is so bad. We won't be going here again. read more

Food was very good and very authentic! Service was good, service was relatively fast. Atmosphere was a nice Japanese restaurant style! Definitely recommend! read more

Great family friendly restaurant with affordable prices and wonderful customer service. This is my kid's favorite Japanese restaurant. We love their tempura udon and combination dinners! read more

Great food and great service.. love all their lunch specials a great price. My favorite and must try dish is their beef sukiyaki it's delicious and filling read more

Cute restaurant but the service was lacking (mostly due to being under staffed, not entirely their fault). The plates and utensils were dirty and we had to ask for replacements - those were dirty too. Miso soup had a tiny little bug friend in it. 2 stars cause the sushi was honestly good...except for the miso soup but the dirtiness and service makes me want to just do take-out from this place from now on. read more

Kyoto - Tiny bug in my miso soup - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Its been 17 years between my last visit and things have kind of declined here at Kyoto. The interior is really outdated and they need to wipe/clean off their menus. Also there were small fruit flies buzzing around our table. Overall I think this place has a tired look and needs both a remodel and deep clean. read more