Been going here for years. It's a great spot for takeout. When we call in, the food is usually ready in 15-20 minutes and it is always fresh and delicious. They have a huge menu for such a tiny place. Great lunch specials and the servings are generous. Their salad and ginger dressing always hits the spot. My favorites are the Maki Special D (Tofu teriyaki), tempura udon, crunch dragon roll, and anything with spicy tuna. I recently tried the spicy tuna bowl. The rice was cooked just right, the tuna had just enough kick, and the avocado was fresh. I wish they were as generous with the seaweed salad as they usually are with their regular side salad. Overall, this is a great place for fresh Japanese food that won't break the bank. read more

Maki Yaki - 44. Spicy Tuna Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

We've been coming here for YEARS now, probably at least 20 and have always had delicious, reliable food. Their portions are generous and the service is quick. Couldn't ask for a better go-to take out neighborhood place! read more

Customer service is very good the cashier was super friendly and the food is AMAZING especially their chai tea and teriyaki

"Ah, Maki Yaki's spicy tuna hand roll--a culinary masterpiece that boldly asks: 'What if pink slime had a second act?' The filling oozes out like it's auditioning for a low-budget horror film, and I couldn't help but wonder if this was the Taco Bell of sushi rolls--cheap, unapologetically messy, and vaguely edible after midnight. The seaweed wrap is doing its best to hold things together, but much like my hope for this meal, it's thin and crumbling. If you're looking for an adventurous dining experience, this roll is a dare, not a meal. Proceed with caution (and maybe a stomach of steel)." read more

Maki Yaki - Spicy Tuna Handroll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is my second review of this place and last time sucked but this time was different and much better. There was a new person working today and she was more human and actually a friendly person. Our food was really good so I will go back again. read more

Maki Yaki - Bento meal - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Abundant portions. Suprisingly VERY TASTY! Got the chicken teriyaki bento. They let me swap tempura for just more salad. They are generous on portions. The white rice is really good quality and well made (al dente). Their miso soup is solid (but they chop the tofu and seaweed to microscopic pieces LOL). Service was kind and sweet! Not 100% sure but I think they charge for water cups (per my friend). read more

Ahhhhh ; disappointment ..... :( . Came here hoping 4 stars or better as previous Yelp reviews ; but it did not live up to 4 stars . If it wasn't for the super nice cashier lady ; this would have gotten a 2 . Everything was just mediocre - the spicy edamame was not spicy at all ; the beef was more like ground beef - not usually like that . The onion rings ; bad , the sushi fish was not great either . But the biggest turn off was the skin still attached to the salmon sushi; like come on ; clean the salmon properly . Overall - disappointed . read more

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My favorite place for takeout. Overall great food. Sashimi is my favorite. My family enjoys beef teriyaki with tempura so yummy.

I catered this place for an office and it was amazing! The bento boxes are so affordable for the amount of food they provide. Bento boxes came with miso soup, tempura (shrimp, onion, squash, sweet potato), a mound of rice, salad, 4 California roll pieces, and a lot of meat! Will definitely order from here again. read more

All I ever get is the special A. Can't go wrong with that !it hits the spot everytime. It's cheap and fulfilling

When I entered Maki Yaki I was greeted by Louise with a big smile. He was super friendly and helped me order. The food was great but I'll come back because of the friendly service, which is rare these days read more

The food is excellent the service is horrible The girl in front counter is rude with an attitude. The sushi chef didn't greet us like other Japanese Restaurant do. Considering small business are hurting for business you would think everyone would be nicer and friendlier . I had the bentoya box , tempura was good ,the salmon was a bit small, little over cooked ,the salad dressing was delicious . The Sashimi salad was super delicious and they were very generous. I would go back if I'm in the area. Food is a five star service is a one star read more

I ordered 2 rainbow rolls and apparently the guy just stopped at a supermarket and bought prepackaged "sushi". Not only that, but it was the worst prepackaged sushi I've ever had. I paid $60 for total BS. read more

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got the beef bento box. came with a miso soup, which was good. some tempura, with was nice. the cali roll was alright. then came the beef teriyaki, which was a stringy slop of poor quality beef, more akin to a bad sukiyaki then what is shown in the pics on this page. did they just give me the wrong beef? not sure, but it was not very good. read more

Friendly, clean, delicious and great prices. I've been coming here for years and it never disappoints. There's a reason why places around it haven't lasted and they have. read more

Love this place! Been here several times and have yet to be disappointed. The staff is so friendly and nice and my sushi is always on point! Even my tempura stays nice and crispy for a short while. My recs: the vegetable tempura and shrimp tempura! It is so darn good! Seriously, you need to get this. If you want something rich, try the Lakers roll. It's a philly roll dipped in tempura and OMG. I couldn't even finish it! If you want a little snack, get the edamame. I usually sprinkle some sea salt and dip them in soy sauce! Very good! If you want a meal, try one of their bento boxes. It's very filling with teriyaki, sushi, and a salad. You will not be hungry after this one! It's a hole in the wall located in the Food 4 Less shopping center but it's a gem! One of the best sushi joints in all of Pasadena! You won't be disappointed! read more

Too expensive $16.80 for 2 meat , rice and vegetables, scoop of Mac and potato. Taste was very good but the price leaves an aftertaste in your mouth. Very sad read more

Food is good, pricing is alittle overpriced .. Asian lady the owner is ok with customer service, the old one that's there when she's not is super rude and just looks miserable working there other than that food is pretty good. read more

Fresh food. Good price. I had 7.99 special. Stomach was full. Self service. Fast ready.

The fish has always been fresh and tasty but the rolls tend to seem kind of thrown together. The last time I ordered in the evening about 30 min before closing and the salmon roll looked like it was stitched together with what was left over--there were several thin slices that didn't match up to the way the roll was cut read more

This place has by far one of the worst customer service I have seen. This lady is over here sitting down on her phone while talking to customers. Such an embarrassment, lack of discipline when it comes to customer service. Not sure if she dislikes her job but she shouldn't talk rude to people. She's such a clown. Everyone loves to be welcome when they show up to any place. Just common courtesy that this place lacks. This female clearly lacks customer service and manners, like greeting people and appreciating them that they came goes a long way. read more

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This somewhat-hidden spot in the Food-4-Less shopping center has been my go-to for quick, convenient sushi. I live close by and can call in an order, and it will be ready by the time I arrive. My go-to is the super philly roll (worth it for the extra salmon!) and sometimes, you just want easy takeout sushi at a decent price, even if it isn't the greatest. I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars for a few reasons, The food is slightly overpriced for what it is, and they charge for sides of spicy mayo. I've ordered the salmon sashimi before, which really doesn't come with much for what it's priced at. The woman who usually takes and rings up the orders is consistently unfriendly, cold, and borderline rude. I feel like I'm annoying her whenever I call or come in. They are also inconsistent about what time they close the kitchen.... I've called an hour before closing and was told that everything was put away and they couldn't take my order. There aren't many tables and the ambiance isn't the most comfortable, so I'd recommend this as a to-go place. read more

Rude staff, place looks dirty and uninviting. Food is overpriced and bland. I won't be coming back here.

We made a big order for a dinner event and Maki Yaki did a great job getting everything together. The quality and portion of the special A was impressive. There was a lot of chicken teriyaki made from thigh that was juicy and had good char. The salad greens were fresh and came with a nice dressing. Even the rice and gyoza were spot on. I can't think of a better $6.95 meal around, especially given Pasadena prices. Check it out for an affordable and solid meal. read more

My coworker and I ordered lunch from Grub Hub since we were too busy to leave the office. I had previously never heard of this restaurant. We placed the order online and the delivery arrived pretty quickly. I ordered the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl and substituted the rice for salad greens. Any establishment that allows me to make substitutions earns extra points in my book. Surprisingly huge portion of chicken for just a bowl. Most restaurants would offer half the portion size. Quite inexpensive. I would consider Maki Yaki for future lunch options. read more

Maki Yaki - Teriyaki chicken bowl (substituted the rice with salad greens) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

WORMS WORMS WORM IN THE SUSHI DO NOT EAT SUSHI FROM HERE!!!! I ordered a raw tuna sushi roll and a long WORM came out of it and I freaked out when I pulled it out n picked it up with my chopsticks and it wiggled and stretched and I dropped my chopsticks screaming. I WILL NEVER EAT HERE PLEASE DONT EAT HERE. Be safe out there people you can't trust restaurants anymore and def not this one unfortunately because they used to be my go to until I got a WORM IN MY SUSHI. The customer service was always HORRIBLE so I can see why they don't care to serve you sushi infested with worms. I would give zero stars if I could. Someone call health department. read more

We just recieved an order from Uber eats, Our delivery time was supposed to be 30-35 min, food was here in under 20 min. Everything was Fresh, and the miso soup nice and hot. We got 2 Bento boxes chicken and salmon plus a Roll and a milk tea. Did not disappoint in the least!! Portions were so perfect! For sure we will reorde soon. read more

If I could do no stars I would. They took my order and overcharged me so I requested that be returned. I had enough money today to eat and chose this establishment and because of their mistake I was unable to eat at all. With something like this it should've been corrected with them. They did not try to fix the issue at all. They voided my payment and it does not auto go back to my card I was short to be able to place a second order and now have to suffer due to their mistake. Extremely upset. I shouldn't have even been overcharged In the first place read more

Today was the second time going in a very long time and I totally forgot why... the lady that's there is rude ass hell. Oh yeah and if you like ginger make sure you ask for more that one tiny little pack with two drinks of ginger. Also the sushi roll that I got did not taste fresh. Never going back again! read more

To be put simply, Maki Yaki is fast, affordable, and reliable. I work in the area and I know for sure that I can place an order and pick up within 10 minutes. There hasn't been a single time I've waited any longer, and this is coming from someone who only has a 30 minute lunch. They offer great lunch specials at an affordable price and the portion sizes are definitely generous. My usual go to's are their chicken teriyaki lunch special (the beef is also delightful), shrimp udon, and the chicken salad. I've yet to try any of the sashimi or sushi but eventually we'll graduate to those. read more

Love this location and if definitely hits my sushi craving. Great service that's super friendly. Decent wait time as well. Lots of roll options. My baby prefers sashimi so lots of raw is what we order and the quality is very fresh. Great lunch spot or early evening. Parking isn't too bad either. read more

Excellent sushi for the price! Great quality compared to some other sushi places in the immediate area. Recommended!

Great food! I got a bento to go and the chicken teriyaki was very good. And a pretty big portion too! A good take away meal near where I work. I'll probably get food here again. I didn't want to eat in the actual restaurant because the atmosphere was not very inviting. read more

Just walked out, It's not 8:30pm yet I came in and I was told by the cashier they were closed. So, why does it say 8:30 and why is it open? Very disappointed, they should be on top of updating their business hours. read more

Maki Yaki on Lake is the best Japanese restaurant in the neighborhood, which is largely because it's the only Japanese restaurant in the neighborhood. Normally I'd give this chain 4* for value and maybe 3* for quality, but being the only place within 5 minutes' drive of my house with decent Japanese cooking rockets it to 5* in my book. For comparison, Maki Yaki's food is marginally better than a place like San Sai, and it's miles ahead of joints like Yoshinoya and Teri & Yaki. The lunches are really affordable, the dinners are a ton of food, most of it pretty tasty. read more

I come here pretty often, at least 2 or 3 times a month. The food is good and the prices are reasonable, which I really appreciate these days. I usually get the chicken teriyaki bowl or plate and besides being really good, it's a nice portion too. The plate is only a buck more and it's almost double the amount! My only gripe would be that I wish they had some real veggies with it so it would be a bit healthier. You get 2 tasteless broccoli florets and that's it. Their chicken karage and tempura are also really good and so much cheaper than anywhere else. I think we tried some sushi once too and that was pretty good. Definitely check out if you're on a budget! read more

As other people have noted, the woman who works here is just not happy to have our business. No amount of friendliness turns the interaction around. The portions are good and the quality is fine, but sheesh.. there are plenty of other places in town who are HAPPY to take my $. read more

Once again horrible customer service. I order food, He said it would be ready between 330 and 340. I came to pick it up and the doors were closed locked. Guy was sweeping at the front door where we were standing and refused to open the door. This is the second time this has happened to me never would recommend this place read more

Teriyaki chicken is always tasty, specially when I order it without teriyaki sauce. The beef has a unique taste texture for me , but it's pretty good also. California rolls and baked salmon rolls are tasty as well. The prices here are pretty reasonable and decent size portions. I usually get my order to go but the place is usually nice and clean. Will definitely continue to make it a routine spot ! read more

The food here is so good. Very fatiguing and prices are fair. It is deceiving that this place is in the corner of a strip mall, but it's high quality! Plus they have boba, sushi, and Japanese bentobox type meals. HIGHLY RECOMMEND read more