I used to come here all the time... then life happened and apparently 15 years flew by. My kids wanted sushi, but since the AYCE menu doesn't include sashimi (ughhhhhh), we skipped it and ordered the sashimi pieces for three instead. Our bill was around $110, basically AYCE pricing, but it was worth it. The sashimi was fresh, the portions were huge, and my sashimi-obsessed kids left happy, which is saying something. We came for Saturday lunch and were surprised it was pretty quiet. This place deserves way more love. If you're a sashimi fan, don't let the empty tables fool you. Give Maizuru a try, you might just wonder why you waited 15 years like I did. read more

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I like coming to Maizuru, although I would be hard-pressed to name any one thing that makes it particularly memorable. Its appeal, at least for me, lies somewhere else: consistency. The greeting is invariably friendly, and the service is pleasant and efficient without being intrusive. The sushi is good, competently prepared, and--perhaps most importantly--reliably so. I have been here often enough to know what to expect, and there is something to be said for a restaurant that delivers a consistently good experience without unnecessary surprises. The restaurant is reasonably clean and comfortable, and even the televisions are kept at a volume that allows you to have a conversation without competing with them. The interior itself is probably my least favorite aspect. The extensive tile and rather utilitarian design give the dining room a somewhat sterile feel, and a little more warmth in the décor would make the experience considerably more inviting. They have recently added an all-you-can-eat option. We have not tried it yet, so I cannot fairly comment on its quality or value, but it certainly makes Maizuru a more interesting proposition for anyone with a serious sushi appetite. Ultimately, Maizuru is not a restaurant I would describe with superlatives--and I don't mean that as criticism. It is friendly, dependable, reasonably comfortable, and consistently serves good sushi. There are restaurants I visit hoping to be impressed; Maizuru is a restaurant I visit because I know I won't be disappointed. Sometimes, that kind of reliability is exactly what I am looking for. read more

I came here for all-you-can-eat sushi this weekend while visiting the area with my daughter, and I'm so glad we found this place! There were only two people working, a woman and a man, and despite that, the service and hospitality were amazing. They were both incredibly welcoming, attentive, and so sweet to my daughter. They even gave her miso soup on the house, which was such a thoughtful gesture and made us feel genuinely cared for. The sushi was honestly some of the freshest sushi I've had in a while. I love trying new sushi spots, and lately I've been disappointed whenever I venture somewhere new, but this place definitely did NOT disappoint. Everything tasted fresh and was absolutely worth it. I live in the Valley, so it's definitely a drive for me, but I would happily make the drive back. Great sushi is one thing, but being treated with such kindness and hospitality makes the experience even better. Such lovely people, amazing food, and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere. We will definitely be back! read more

I came here with my mom, as it's a close sushi spot to my house. The roll we had was delicious, and the service was top notch. Everyone there was super friendly. I wish they did a little more with the decor; but the food, relatively low prices, and convenience made up for it. read more

Maizuru - Yellowtail carpaccio and Spicy Garlic Edamame - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

This spot has been consistently solid. Their sushi is incredible, honestly, better than most places I've tried. We've only ordered sushi for takeout so far, and it's always fresh and flavorful, so I can only imagine how good it must be when dining in. Now, why haven't we eaten inside yet? Well... the one time we tried, we were seated next to someone who had a bit too much sake. Since I had my daughter with me, it didn't feel like the right setting for a family night out, so we decided to leave. I wish the waiter would have kind of notice that another table/section would have been better. Or limit the alcohol intake as this is not a bar. Their bento boxes, though? Amazing. I highly recommend them! I don't recommend the ramen. That's what we ordered during that short dine-in attempt, and the to-go ramen unfortunately didn't hit the mark for us. Maybe it's one of those dishes that's much better enjoyed fresh at the restaurant. There's plenty of parking, indoor and outdoor seating, and the space is handicap-friendly. The prices are great, too. Overall, definitely worth trying, especially for the sushi and bento boxes! read more

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Absolutely do not go for their all you can eat sushi. They may have innovative rolls, but their nigiri sushi had SO...MUCH...RICE! An unbelievable amount of rice per piece of nigiri, it was ridiculous! I'm surprised their rice budget doesn't cause them to lose money. The nigiri was also poorly made and falling apart. There was limited carpaccio and sashimi but strict rules means if you are a solo diner you cannot even try all the types. Let alone get multiple orders. Service was slow to start but once it got going it was fine. read more

Been going here for a long time. Always good food and friendly service. They recently started doing AYCE. I think it's $38 per person for dinner and a few dollars less for lunch. The only caveat is if they're short handed on the chef they will not offer it. The carpaccio cuts and nigiri rolls are my favorite. I was starving so I only took one pic. read more

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I enjoy sushi a lot. I go to (AYCE) All-You-Can-Eat Sushi spots all the time. They typically have a rule where if you don't eat all the sushi, you have to pay for it. It's kind of a normal rule. However, this place had so many rules here, they even had a couple workers come by to explain the rules and also warned us not to break the rules several times. I wasn't worried about the rules, but every time I saw my two different servers, I was warned about the rules. I think this restaurant just added the AYCE, I'm not sure (so they're probably still working out the kinks, but AYCE seems new at this place. The menu I was looking at did not have an AYCE menu, so I had to determine which rolls on the order paper were the ones on the menu, sometimes the names were very similar to the menu compared to the paper but they weren't the same. I kept finding myself saying "oops, that's not on the AYCE menu" so ordering took a lot longer and the server kept checking on us before we placed our order, I was starting to feel rushed. After we finally placed our order, it was wrong because we broke one of the many rules. So they helped us change the order. Otherwise, the service was really good, we always had our drinks full and always had a server helping us or giving us attention. For me the no-rice sushi was like putting a wad of spicy tuna in my mouth and squirting some sauce in there. It tasted like a mess and it looked like a mess too. The salmon roll and salmon (I forget the name looks like sashimi but not sashimi) was good, but the same sauce was added on the tuna and albacore (sashimi), the sauce didn't go well with the tuna and albacore, but was good with the salmon. The eel nigiri was delicious, but don't order the eel roll, there was hardly any eel on it (I think I had more eel on my little nigiri than I had on the entire roll, you can see the picture with mostly spicy tuna). One of the regulars recommended a hand roll, I should've ordered it instead of the rolls. The appetizer Spicy Tuna Crunch (fried rice) with spicy tuna and jalapeño on top was REALLY GOOD, probably the best I've ever had. The rolls were sub-par, I had a salmon roll that had two different color salmon on it. The squid nigiri tasted like it was drenched in sauce, I like nigiri squid where the squid should be the star not the sauce. The Tamago egg was delicious! I enjoy Salmon Roe Ikura and Masago, but these were giant portions of rice, the seaweed wrap barely fit or closed. I think they were too large (never thought I would say it was too large) it kind of overwhelmed me, but I still ate it. The best roll I had there was probably the Garlic Albacore Roll, the garlic was nicely cooked and went well with the albacore. read more

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We come here for their extraordinary Poki Bowl and sushi rolls. Their Poki bowl has a fabulous dressing making the bowl a must have. They are very generous with the sashimi in the bowl. It is a meal in itself. It can be ordered with or without rice. We drive past many sushi places to come here. Very nice atmosphere too. I hope this review doesn't change that. The large size is hard to finish as it is quite large. read more

Maizuru - Large Poki Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Great experience and delicious bento boxes and sushi. The food was very good and the employees were very attentive. I'll definitely return over and over again. read more

Yes!!!! Went for another visit and just as amazing! The food is so good!!! Great service and love all the food you get for the price!!! I just love the cute restaurant and great for conversation! read more

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Finally got to try out their Sushi Wednesday promo! As always service was quick and welcoming. For sushi Wednesday, you get 20% off all the cut rolls and wine. For 3 rolls and 2 glasses of wine, we paid ~$62 before tip. The food was tasty but I prefer the bento boxes here! The rolls are so big that it is hard to eat in one bite, you'll have to bite your way through or attempt to eat it in one bite as it falls apart. Value wise, you do get way more food which is nice if you're going after quantity. However the experience of each piece falling apart or being too big to eat wasn't my favorite. Ended up eating each ingredient little by little. Would still come back but will opt for my usual bento box order or rolls with less ingredients. read more

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I've been coming to this place since I was a kid with my parents, probably since I was 11, and now I'm 34! It's amazing to see it still going strong after all these years. They have the best miso soup and salad dressing I've ever had,kind of random, but it's something I've always loved here. The sushi and food are consistently delicious and satisfying. What really makes it special is the owner,she somehow always remembers me, even if I haven't been in for over a year or have moved away. No matter how much time passes or how different I look, she recognizes me every time I come back. That kind of warmth is rare. I've dined in and done takeout, and it's always clean, the staff is attentive and kind, and the service is great. I'm so happy to be moving back just down the street,I'll definitely be coming in more often! read more

Maizuru - 3 Combo Bento Special: mixed sashimi, crunch roll, and Chicken Teriyaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Summary: Do not go here. The food isn't good, the people here are stuck up and rude. If you want to eat sushi, re-heated grocery store sushi would probably be a better option than having it served with trash talking servers. We went with 4 people and a toddler, bill was 275 sm dollars in total. But there was one problem, the sushi isn't good, it's mainly rice and filler which wouldn't be a problem if it just didn't taste good. It was lukewarm and rubbery, but its whatever we still ate its still food we ordered. But before that, we asked the manager at the time, old looking lady, how many sushi pieces per order, she said two per order. And me and my family were also fine with that. But then stacks of sushi came in, it was so much to the point where we looked at each other and wondered if it was even our order. We cancelled the rest of it and tried to finish the plates. The problem didn't occur until we talked to the manager and the server. We told her "I was told two pieces per order, yet why am I getting 8 a plate" the server asked her 'who told you that?' And my mom pointed to the manager, this server said, " it doesn't matter what she said to you if you look in the fine print, it says eight pieces" which then she laughs in our face. Which is weird because what do you mean it doesn't matter what the manager tells us? If we ask a question shouldn't we expect a correct answer? We also talked to the manager, who refused to talk to us, we told her there was multiple people who heard what she said to my mom, but the manager, only 3 minutes in to talking to us flings her arms up and grunted away. It was perplexing, nobody was really communicating with us, we were all really confused with what was going on and very alarmed at the amount of sushi we ordered. The total was 275, this includes tax, 3x fountain drinks 5$, and left over sushi we had. It was our own fault for not looking at the print closer, but when we ask the manager, she completely lied to us, and when we talked to the server and we had witnesses to the account of what the manager said, she completely disregarded us. And when we got up to get ready to check out, we started hearing them trash talk about us while we were leaving. It is absolutely perplexing and disrespectful to not only be told about something just for it to be something else, but then have service workers talking crap about us, which is such a childish thing to do including with their disregard in communicating with us. I truly have no words, this is not behavior that you would see from working class adults, but instead a bunch of teenagers. What right do you have to act like that? Grown women, running away from conversation and grunting like beasts then talking trash? Absolutely horrendous service. I did not expect grown adults to be acting that way. And also having to rely making most of your money on fine prints really does reflect the quality of your food. I can tell that this is not the first time that this situation has happened , i've looked over the reviews under this establishment, and I can see how rude the employees are. I've never seen grown adults act more trashy in my entire life, if I wanted to see an old lady fling her arms up in the air and grunt I would go to a retirement home. read more

Maizuru - Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here on a Thursday night and our party of two was seated immediately! I tried the Crunch Dragon Roll and I was worried that wasn't going to be enough food, especially for about $20 but the sushi was large! The fish tasted great. My only gripe was that the seaweed was very tough making it hard to chew. The servers were really attentive and kind, making sure to come around enough times. It's worth noting that they have discounts on Wednesdays so if you're thinking of coming on a weekday, come then! Would definitely return! read more

Maizuru - Crunch Dragon Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

I and my friend went to this place for the first time last night, and we will never come back. First of all, the food was not tasty. Their miso soup was the least tasty one among all the sushi places I've been to. Their scallops were super greasy -- my friend couldn't eat them because they were too oily, not because he didn't want to finish his all-you-can-eat order. The lady wanted to charge us, but he explained that he wasn't eating it because it was greasy and had too much sauce, not because he couldn't finish it. She said, "Okay, this time we'll let it go, but next time you'll be charged." She wasn't paying attention to the fact that the quality of the food was low -- it was full of greasy fat and sauce. There was so much cream that my friend just couldn't finish it. Another issue: some of their fish was not fresh. It literally felt like rubber. Compared to any other sushi place I've been to, this one was nothing special, and I could tell it wasn't fresh. Also, the waitress -- an older Asian woman -- was not very respectful. She was pushing us a bit at first, and then, once she realized we were uncomfortable, she said, "Okay, you can relax." But her behavior and tone of voice made it feel like she was our boss. We didn't feel comfortable with the service or the way we were treated. We didn't like the food, and we definitely know we're not going back. Even their garlic edamame wasn't tasty -- and that's something that usually tastes great anywhere else. And one more thing, which was both funny and kind of dumb: when we asked for napkins, the waitress brought one napkin for each of us. How low and cheap can you get to bring just one napkin per person? We had to ask again for more. So overall -- being too cheap with their supplies, not having respectable service, and serving food that isn't tasty -- we will definitely not come back. read more

It's not the best ayce the quality is okay but the most unfortunate thing is the amount of rice they use for everything. They make their rolls with so much rice you honestly can only eat 2 and MAYBE some nigiri. The nigiri is also on the larger portion for rice too which I understand but still its not really a good look. read more

The service here is phenomenal!! Very attentive staff that care about their customers! The decorations are a mix of japanese and modern and they have a semi private area for a group of 6 or more Lunch Special Review: Had their tonkotsu ramen and it was good! No pork meat though. My wife had the beef bento box special and it's was superb and recommended for those that can't decide and want to try a little bit of everything. No wait time for us on Sunday at 2pm. Highly recommend a stop! read more

Maizuru - TNT Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

First time here and the service was excellent and the food was delicious! They have a nice menu assortment. The shishito peppers were the largest and tastiest I've ever had. I would say this is one of the better sushi places in Irvine for sure! Definitely will be coming back here. read more

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Delicious food! Great service! I would definitely return and bring friends. I have already made several recommendations.

Unfortunately the sushi was not fresh. The fish tasted off and the rolls were overloaded with rice and barely any fish. I couldn't even finish my roll. Quality was disappointing and not what I expect from a sushi place. Service not the best. Don't recommend! read more

my family (2 adults and 2 kids 10 and 5) attempted to go to this restaurant today and was told We had To pay $40x4 ppl for all you can eat even though the kids just wanted broccolII. The waitress stated she can move the kids to a table by themselves to eat alone which is an outrageous recommendation considering how young they are. I ended up speaking to the manager which stated owners rules and started yelling at me with My 5 year old next to me. read more

Not bad, but not worth coming back. Average sushi, premium priced, WAY overpriced for what you get, though portion sizes are good. I went here because my other usual spots all had a long wait. No AYCE option for dinner. Wound out at $170 incl tip for three people for a visit that was less than an hour. Ouch. read more

Came here on a Saturday evening for dinner. There was no wait. Service was rapid-fire. When we ordered, the rolls all came out instantly. We tried the spicy shrimp roll ($16), ultimate albacore roll ($18), kamikaze roll ($18), and the Fuji roll ($18). These rolls were huge, so they were filling. The rolls overall were pretty average, and the size of the fish was small (the salmon piece on the Fuji roll and the albacore on the ultimate albacore roll were tiny). I enjoyed the ultimate albacore roll and the Fuji roll the most. The fried onions on the albacore roll were tasty, but I didn't particularly enjoy the spicy tuna. I didn't like the spicy shrimp roll (personally don't prefer spicy rolls) and the kamikaze roll (it was weird and didn't taste like it had any fish). Overall, we weren't too impressed with the sushi here. read more

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I think I just found Irvine's biggest sushi secret. They were so kind so nice. The food was wonderful. It was not overpriced especially with inflation and I was happy all the way around. I eat sushi probably about twice a week so when I came across the spot. I was a little worried That I would be let down, but I was not let down. I was blown away. Y'all try it and tell me what you think. read more

I came here with my family and we had the all you can eat sushi. The sushi rolls had A LOT of rice and the fish tasted weird and not fresh. We left after the first round. We were just happy we didn't get sick which is why I'm leaving 1 star. read more

Love their Sushi Everyone is so welcoming Great location- Easy Parking Warm Ambiance!!! Definitely going Back read more

Maizuru - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

I'm sad to leave this review but I probably won't be ordering from Maizuru in the future. :( I ordered two rolls that I usually get every month, but this time the quality of the rolls was much different than before. I barely ate the food, as the rice was old and the fish had an odd texture (maybe lacked freshness). When going back to ask for a refund, I was met very aggressively by the older female server. She gave me a very disrespectful attitude after I told her I did not enjoy the food. I made sure to reiterate that I usually get this order and there have been no problems, but she did not care. I ended up having one of the two rolls refunded, which is fine, but I don't see myself coming back. read more

Love, love, love this place! Tasty and affordable. We've been going here for many years and about once a week for the last two years now that we're retired. Attentive wait servers who recognize us and greet us with smiles and hugs when we arrive. read more

Service was nice and food was delicious Restaurant also offers AYCE. The overall sushi quality was one of the best compared to other AYcE restaurants. Would definitely revisit when I want AYCE sushi for my dinner. read more

I went on a Saturday night and it was a lot less crowded than I thought it would be but the World Series was also on so maybe that. It was a great deal for how much food and variety you can get. The servers were nice and were very on top of food, empty plates, and drinks. It's located in a really nice and quiet plus safe area and inside was very nice too. I'm definitely going back. read more

We really like Maizuru! It's a nice middle-of-the-road sushi place. Not super fancy, but still higher quality than "fast food" sushi. I especially like a couple of their baked rolls - baked langostino roll and baked scallops roll. They also have good lunch/dinner combos (bento-box style). It's not the best sushi or the cheapest lunch spot, which is why I give it 4 rather than 5 stars, but we keep coming back so we definitely like it. read more

Only giving a 1 star because I can't leave 0 star review. First off they limit the amount of nigiri you can order (example: for tuna, salmon, yellowtail etc.) you can only order 1 of each for each round. They do give you water refills but no one checked in on us nor gave us our order paper for more than 30 mins after we got our last roll from just our first round. When it comes to leaving a review that's bad, I'd rather not leave one at all but this place is something else, feels like I was robbed of my money as I was not able to eat more than a few pieces of sushi for the price of nearly $100 read more

Maizuru - Bad table service - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

I am visiting this place with my family for years now - almost every weekend. They always have fresh amazing sushi and great service - always happy to see their returning customers, taking very good care of us, and you can feel personalized touch in their service. I appreciate entire team working in this restaurant! read more

Great food and AYCE offer. Never been here and just moved nearby and the service was on top of everything. Never went a moment with drinks needing refills. Food came out quick and it was delicious. Big shoutouts to Inka (sp?). Super nice server who was funny and offered amazing service. Will be regulars here! read more

Your scalp sushi was so delicious I wish there was more. The service is so fast. The ambiance was so fancy anyone could have a date here for a special occasion. I loved how you saw all the seafood in display in front of the food prep area. I will definitely come back at some point. read more

Food was good but owner (or manager, not sure of their position) refused to give us the check until our plates were cleared. We only had 3-4 pieces left on our plate too. If not we would be charged extra. Out of all the AYCE restaurants I've been to this was the first time I was pressured into clearing my plate to get my check. read more

Stopped in here for a quick lunch. Service was good. Food was good. Fish was fresh. The place was quiet but not dead. I'd definitely come back again read more

Maizuru - The goods - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Great service from Julie and Encha. Love their crunchy dragon roll and popcorn langostinos

Parking - There is loads of parking here. You won't have any trouble finding parking, but it can get a little packed because there are so many shops in the plaza. So be patient and don't give up if you can't find parking. Chef's Sashimi (tuna, salmon, albacore, and yellow tail) - Honestly this was a meal and so much more. The sashimi pieces were thiccc af, fresh out of the water fresh and just melted in my mouth. I was not expecting that at all. This alone was so much food. I could barely finish it. Under the sashimi was a bed of crab meat and salad. Sheesh, it was too much for me to handle. It went deliciously with the sauce they provided, but it was a beast for me to finish. 3 combination bento - For the bento I chose the mixed tempera, sashimi and the crunch roll. This one was also a big portion of food. The tempera was not too oily and the dipping sauce made it so tasty. The sashimi was melt in your mouth goodness. Last but not least the crunch roll was on point. She had me hooked. Overall - They have the best service and the freshest cuts. This place is definitely worth going to. Loved every bite and can't wait to go back to eat some more. Honestly such a bomb a** place read more

Maizuru - Chef's Sashimi - tuna, salmon, albacore and yellow tail - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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