This sushi spot is seriously so good! It's easily one of my favorite places to visit whenever I'm in Santa Cruz. The service is always friendly and attentive, which makes the whole experience enjoyable from start to finish. The rolls are consistently fresh and flavorful, and the soup is always comforting and delicious -- they never disappoint. The menu has a great variety, so there's something for everyone, whether you're a sushi lover or just want a light, tasty meal. Overall, it's a reliable, high-quality spot for sushi with a welcoming atmosphere. I always look forward to coming back whenever I'm in the area! read more

A decent sushi place here in Scotts Valley. The nigiri are decently made, but it's hard to tell that the rice has been seasoned appropriately with vinegar, and the overall flavors and balance is a bit off. Judging by their specialty roll menu, I think they specialize in rolls that are heavy on sauces, toppings, fried aspects, and "western" elements. It may be just because of the local palate, but I typically prefer more authentic, traditional Japanese/sushi/sashimi. Servers were prompt and polite. Ambiance is normal - good for small groups, families, or friends. I had one issue with one dish which they tried to resolve, but initially they advised that it was a "normal" part of the fish, which I can acknowledge, but the degree/size of the issue was a bit more of my concern. They did try and make it right, but I was a bit off put by their initial response. Perhaps they were busy and getting slammed by the evening rush. read more

I was pretty impressed with this unassuming sushi place! Tucked away in Scotts Valley, this was worth the drive from Santa Cruz. The sashimi quality in particularly was great! My boyfriend got the Chicken Teriyaki, which was negligible in taste. Very saucy and the chicken was pretty dry. However, the Protein Roll was tasty! A very squishy textured roll, but it's packed with fresh avocado and various fish. The Yellowtail Belly, Salmon, and Tuna sashimi were all excellent! Very thick cuts and clearly fresh. 6 pieces for around $20 is worth it. I'd come back for this! What a treat. Ambiance is casual and they had basketball playing on a few TV's :) read more

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This place has decent size of space, clean, & has plenty of sun going throw which is a plus for me. Service great ladies pretty fast taking orders. Now food very disappointing Beef teriyaki no salt or flavor the only taste was teriyaki sauce as for chicken teriyaki was good. Spicy Edamame flavorless. Lobster popcorn roll didn't care for it. Honestly I had lots of expectation for the roll yet failed. The mix tempura were ok had some crunch to them. Biggest disappointment charge $1 for small size sriracha sauce. read more

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I had a very underwhelming experience at Otoro. The Tropical roll was so slimy, I could not pick it up with chopsticks. I left 2 pieces in the plate. Never before have I left sushi. The nigiri was fine but the place seems to prioritize American style over sauced rolls. Zero ambiance. I shan't return. read more

With most restaurants skimping on portions these days, Otoro stands out with food that is both generous in portion and flavor! Rolls were both fresh and delicious. Chicken teriyaki was juicy and accompany miso soup was some of the best I have ever tasted! Plenty of indoor seating with friendly service. read more

Otoro Sushi - Chicken Teriyaki Bento - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

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Hidden gem in Scotts Valley! Tucked away in a plaza full of fast food, this spot totally surprised me. The sushi here is so good -- the fish was super fresh, rich, and fatty in the best way. Every roll we tried had great flavor and balance. Definitely an unassuming little place that delivers way beyond expectations. Highly recommend if you're in the area! read more

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It has been over a year since I had the chance to experience this restaurant, and I think about it from time to time because it was so good. This was literally the best sushi I've ever eaten, and I'm so sad that I live so far away that I can't have it regularly. It was so good and we got it for take out; it was probably even better if we ate at the restaurant. read more

Decent sushi for this part of Santa Cruz, but a little less good than expected given the high reviews. Ambiance was nice and service was superb though, but some of the sashimi was not as fresh as I had wanted. Their miso soup stood out - quite above average for the Bay. read more

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Let's just say .... IT WAS SO GOOD !!!!!! Customer service was amazing!!! Love it. Will definitely be coming back read more

Otoro Sushi - Killed it !!!! - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

Good Fresh sushi and such. All well prepared. courteous professional server. Comfortable seating, nice ambience. Been several times, will go back read more

Otoro Sushi's restaurant design has an expansive open dining area with an airy, inviting interior. The service was quick, friendly and efficient. Their offerings are generally mainstream sushi/rolls, noodles & tempura. The sushi rolls we ordered were of high quality and were attractively plated. Our meal arrived within a very short time after ordering, even though it was during the busy lunch hour. One suggestion would be to not use such a thick batter on the Lobster Tempura and Chicken Karaage. The batter should be thin, allowing for a light, airy, and crispy texture. Overall, Otoro Sushi is quite inviting with its appealing atmosphere, excellent service, and quality offerings. read more

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This is LITERALLY the BEST SUSHI I've ever eaten! I have dined at Otoro probably 150 times in the last 10 years. NO exaggeration. I run a Summer Camp in the area and all of our staff just LOVE Otoro! We cannot get enough. Their protein roll, the fresh uni, it's all so delicious and WONDERFUL! You don't have to take my word for it - just go! You'll see! I've had sushi in every major city and a lot of wonderful countries in the world - but OTORO is THE BEST! And the amazing humans that run it are SO lovely. We adore everything about this place! Go now...stop reading and go to OTORO! I'd give this place 100 Stars! read more

Otoro Sushi - All of our friends at Otoro! We have SO many big group pics like this at this restaurant! - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

What a deal! Generous, delicious portions. We were a party of 18 and we're seated and served super quickly. They even offered to split up the checks! read more

Otoro Sushi - Salmon roll and assorted tempura bento - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

Very good at Otoro! I always love the miso soup and salad. The katsu was very good, the salmon roll was also good. The gyoza was par for the course and everyone had a nice time. The ambiance here is higher than most restaurants! read more

Otoro Sushi - Bento with Katsu & salmon roll, gyoza.. - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

Tucked away in the redwood town of Scott's Valley near Santa Cruz is a sleepy little Japanese restaurant serving up excellent sushi and other delights. The ratings and reviews don't lie! Otoro is located in a strip mall and so unassuming. Yet, you step inside, and are greeted by wonderfully friendly people and the interior is fresh, clean and orderly. They know what they are doing here for sure as the table we were guided to was already clean and set for dining. No waiting around here. The restaurant filled up to capacity in an instant after we arrived. I thought my fans were following me, but alas, no, they were here for Otoro Sushi... The menu is extensive with lots of sushi offerings, and they all looked beautiful. We like bento box dinners, and theirs was exceptional. You get the standards, miso soup, salad and two items. We added an order of Cal Rolls as our appetizer. The Cal Rolls were fresh and tight with lots of crab (real or not), and the rice/seaweed was just thick enough to hold it together without being either too thick or so thin it would fall apart when picked up with sticks. Our bentos were also spectacular with a teriyaki beef that literally melts in your mouth. The tempura for the shrimp/veggie combo was light and airy with a great flavor. We were quite happy with all of it from beginning to end. Our servers came by to check in on us throughout which was nice since the floor was completely full of patrons. Note, it was quite loud so just be prepared. But definitely go go go to Otoro. read more

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Wow. The. Best. Sushi. We were seated quickly, approached by multiple team members to get drink orders and food orders in. Had our miso soup, beer, and first roll in less than 10 mins. The rolls were so fresh. The rice was soft and perfect. The fish pieces big and flavorful. We had miso soup, beer, and 3 rolls, normally that would fill us up to the point of exploding but they don't juts out filler rice in, it was the perfect rice to fish, to filler combo. We even had room for the dessert which we did the Japanese homemade cheesecake which was glorious. Prices were so reasonable, service so fast and friendly! The interior was medium sized and decorated for Christmas with all the employees stockings which was so cute. Wish we could do 10 stars, really the best experience all around and best sushi we've ever had! read more

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Have ordered a few take out orders. Real fresh tasting sashimi, rolls are wonderful, bento box is a favorite. Always busy. Highly recommend read more

I had a sampler of sushi and sashimi. It was a great price for what you get. You also get a soup and a salad. Sushi was fresh and delicious this place is truly a hidden gem read more

Wanted sushi after a good day at the boardwalk, def worth the stop if on the way back home! Fujisan roll 5/5. Will come back one day :)

We went to a weekend retreat at Mt. Hermon and needed lunch on the way back home so this is where we ended up. It was pretty busy on a Sunday afternoon but we were able to be seated immediately, which was nice. The menu had a nice mix of sushi rolls and cooked food. I got a 2 item bento with teriyaki salmon and teriyaki chicken, we also got a tempura udon. My bento was good- good quantity and reasonable price. The udon was so-so- lots of bean sprouts put in as filler. Overall, decent Japanese food for a place you might not expect to see it. read more

Otoro Sushi - Tempura udon - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

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Suited our needs perfectly. We wanted to grab lunch before heading back to South Bay. Our picky toddler likes udon/noodles so here we are. Arrived pass noon and was seated promptly. They have a combination of booths and regular tables. Mid way through our meal 90% of the restaurant was full. We ordered veggie udon, tempura udon x1, and 3 rolls. Everything was sizable and good. Nice bathrooms in the back - stalls and clean. Although no toilet seat covers. We will come back if we are in the area. read more

Stopped by for a lunch date with a friend before we headed out to the tidepools and what a pleasant surprise! I honestly did not expect much even with the great reviews, because sometimes these high ratings be all hype! Anyway, service was super friendly and attentive. I'm normally a nigiri girl, but because their menu was so extensive, we ordered a few items to share. I appreciated that the spicy tuna crispy rice pieces were perfectly sized for 1 bite. I asked if they had engawa (super rare in even the fanciest sushi restaurants) and the chef sent out extra on the house because no one ever asked! Definitely recommend if you're in the area! read more

Top quality sashimi and nigiri, with a good bunch of specialty rolls as well. The specials on the board are exceptionally good. Plenty of seating and easy access. read more

Otoro Sushi - Menu 11/2025 front. - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

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We love the food and service here! Rolls and teriyaki are outstanding. Place was very busy, but service was fast and friendly. Recommended!

I am sooooo happy we decided to stop here and try out one of their premium rolls. The roll itself was one of the most amazing, fresh, flavorful roll of sushi ever. We were so impressed with the Playboy Roll that we want to come back again tonight and try a different one. The service was phenomenal, we were seated quickly, waters to the table right away, and the roll came out in less than 5 minutes!! Ambiance was spot on, I love how open the dining room is and that you can see how the chefs are working. 5/5 would highly recommend this sushi restaurant in Scotts Valley! read more

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Another great dinner at Otoro! Bento box with teriyaki chicken and tekka maki. Always great service and high quality read more

Otoro Sushi - Bento Box - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

Great Friday night dinner! Food always the best! And special attention to my sweet granddaughter...very sweet! read more

Top notch place for excellent Japanese cuisine. Doesn't look like much but it's always busy and the service is fast and efficient. Generous portions, lots of choices and great value! I visit every time I'm in Santa Cruz! read more

Genuinely the best sushi experience I've ever had. We walked in and thought it would be a long time before we were seated let alone served, since the place was pretty busy. Nope. We were seated immediately, and offered drinks. We ordered a couple minutes later, and our first rolls arrived in LESS THAN 5 MINUTES. Sushi was amazing, and the waiters/waitresses were very polite and quick. 10/10 experience, I cannot recommend it more. If you're in Scotts Valley, this is the place to dine. read more

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OK so the last review I did on Otoro's was in 2021 and I can say they STILL ARE THE BEST sushi bar not only in Santa Cruz County but Northern California. Where else in the County can you get fresh Mirugai, Aji, Ankimo and Ama Ebi! You would have to drive over the hill or head to Aka Oni's in Carmel. My first review was in 2015 and O'Toro's has gotten BETTER over the last 10 years! Yelp needs to add a sixth star. My honey and I do sushi and a movie most Friday nights and we always seem to be able to get an EXCELLENT dinner and make our show. I hope this review does not end that winning streak haha!! read more

Came for a birthday dinner and it was surprisingly pretty good! The portions were decent and the fish tasted fresh. Only downside was that it probably had lots of sauce with salt so I was super thirsty after. Service was nice and our waitress sang happy birthday! read more

Otoro Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

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Vey good sushi served good portions. Price is reasonable as well. Service is excellent as well.

Rather busy on a Saturday evening, would recommend calling ahead if you don't want to wait for a table. We ordered the agedashi tofu, salmon skin hand roll, tuna belly, yellowfin belly, tarantula roll, and diablo roll. All of the dishes came out super fast, and tasted great. Would recommend ordering some of the nigiri, as it comes with a large portion of fresh wasabi that really upgrades the whole meal. Overall great experience despite how busy the restaurant was, and great service as well. read more

Otoro Sushi - salmon skin hand roll - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

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Our food was great. The service is always good and amazingly fast but you never feel pushed. We love going there and our grandkids even eat there. read more

I've been going to Otoro for over 9 years ! and it's still great sushi friendly staff and clean warm environment on a winter day or cool in the summer time! I highly recommend otoro sushi I have eaten sushi all over and Otoro is one of the best I have ever had! read more

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I know this is unfair but driving in the parking lot and seeing all the fast food restaurants definitely made me question how good the food will be. However, I'm happy to announce that this place was a case of how you should never judge a book by its cover. Such an amazing meal right after a long day on the beach - huge selection of sushi rolls, bento boxes, nigiris, etc. All the rolls we got had great presentation on top of them being delicious. The bento boxes we got for the kids to share were a hit. They demolished it even though they're usually picky eaters. Service was great - they even provided chopstick training contraptions so one of the older kids could practice! read more

Otoro Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

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food is pretty good, you might be a bit overwhelmed by the million drawings, paintings, and photos all over the walls but it is a cute little spot to have sushi with your family or a lowkey sushi date with a special someone. Service was a little slow, but we still got our food and were satisfied with our meals. read more

The sushi was outstanding and hella fresh. I will go here again and again. I ordered take out but would definitely dine in. The dining area was lively, clean and inviting. And it was pretty busy for a week night but the service was fast and the employee at the front was efficient and welcoming. read more

This sushi spot is fantastic, friendly professional staff work hard , they did not disappoint. Sushi was delicious, lobster was fresh , rice was steamed to perfection. Place was comfortable, great for groups and big families. read more

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