I stopped by this evening to have dinner and ordered a 2 item combo. Half way through my meal I found what appeared to look like a fly. After inspecting it I concluded that it was a fly. I brought it up to the owners attention and all he said was "do you want a new order". This place is not sanitary! Don't eat here! read more

Rice Things - I found a fly in my food and the owner didn't even apologize. His response was "do you want a new order to go?". - Japanese Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

first off, there's now a 'B' in the window which is disturbing for a place where they're peddling raw fish. The food was cheap, as so many have said in their review, and if you come to terms with that and have no expectations you can't beat this place for the cost. I went with a sushi combination, getting duped into eating Cali rolls because they were included. Be prepared to get overwhelmed with the menu, they've got everything and a million ways you can order it. BUT. if you're looking for that pure sushi enjoyment, that delicious smooth flavor and texture of well cut fish sushi and well put together rolls, don't be fooled into thinking you're going to get it here. think, a few steps above the packaged stuff you get at the supermarket. read more

I see a lot of people complain about the new owner changing up things, but looks like the owner listens and brings back some items like the miso dressing. To me, the food is still as good as before. My go to is chicken katsu and sesame chicken. If I don't stuff myself, I can get 2 meals from their combo plate. Great deal! read more

First time here looked it up on yelp and very satisfied.Easy to order very good on prices and i felt very welcome.I ordered the chicken sesame and gyoza very good with rice and salad under $7 bucks thats a deal anytime. Will be coming in here on a regular basis to add more feed. read more

Let me preface this review by saying the following: I've lived and studied in Japan, and have eaten authentic Japanese cuisine many many times. I write this having knowledge of what I'm talking about! Just left this restaurant with a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). I've come to this neighborhood spot like 5 times already, and each time, it's been a 2.5-3 star "meh" average food tasting experience. But the price is right, I can walk to it, and the food doesn't make you sick. This time however, I ordered the Curry Soba soup (having had the Beef Soba soup last time) and the soba noodles were WAY too soft and mushy (last time they were edible at least.) I felt like I was eating a bowl of oatmeal. I took my bowl up to the counter to speak to the owner and I explained the situation - I pinched a noodle so he could see that it was way overcooked and did not have the firmness that it should. And I asked to have a new bowl of noodles. He said "No, we cook each order as we get it and you can't get a new one." Even when it's not cooked well I asked? He shook his head and went to the next customer in line. Well, you have now lost a customer for life. If you can't make your LOCAL customers happy and satisfied, good luck to you. I can find much better than this mediocre "Japanese" food - or whatever you'd like to call this stuff - down the street. read more

Mediocre food? Terrible owner? These are just a few facts about Rice Things that y'all should be aware of. Let me save your money and time. I went into Rice Things with a hungry friend and sat down while he ordered, only to be confronted by what seemed like an unwelcoming, angry, old owner who evidently hates his life so much, he emits it onto his customers. In a nutshell, he asked if I was eating, and when I replied with a no, he arrogantly told me to sit outside. I left. Listen, this place sucks. I'm going to McDonald's. Maybe they'll let me sit down. read more

Great value in terms of getting mediocre food at a bargain price! The place always seems to be filled with a younger high school crowd, especially during lunch hours. I can see where in my youth, I would have probably frequented this place every day after school. I've grown wiser and more discriminating in terms of what I'm willing to call a good meal. However, if you're on a budget and looking for a quick meal, this is your place. I ordered the Chicken Katsu and vegetable tempura combination as well as a side of miso soup. My findings: * The chicken katsu seemed to be a boneless thigh which they had pounded the heck out of to get it to be flat because the portion was very small as was it not very thick. I don't think the bread crumb they used was the traditional japanese panko because it seemed dark and overcooked verses the light and crispy appearance served at other Japanese eateries. * The tempura sauce for dipping the fried veggies was bland with very little taste. * The only redeeming item was the miso soup which included the traditional seaweed and tofu and didn't taste watered down like those served in some places. Tucked in a corner of a strip mall on Artesia Blvd., the parking is tight at times but there's plenty of parking in the surrounding neighborhood streets. They've got an ample selection of food. I'd say a good local eatery for the not so discriminating in taste! read more

Good ol' Rice Things. This is a small space that gets packed during lunch hour, which is when I visit. I would advise not to come here if you're expecting exceptional Japanese cuisine and definitely not if you are craving good sushi. If you however want to have decent Japanese food for a quick bite and bang for your buck, then by all means, Rice Things will satisfy your craving! They have great two and three item combinations that includes a fountain drink, but I always opt for Hawaiian Sun passion orange juice in the can, my favorite! The miso salad dressing is tasty, so tasty that I opt to get no rice and all salad with my combo plates. For the price, speedy service, and quantity of food, Rice Things is a go-to lunch spot. read more

This is a very popular place in Redondo. They serve sushi and Hawaiian teriyaki as well. The name "Rice Things" is very fitting. It's almost like; as long as it has rice we'll serve it. It's a hybrid sit down/take out restaurant. A lot of people will take out but they also have a pretty nice sized inside area. If you dine in, you order from the front like you would a takeout order, but after that you sit and the waitress will bring the food to your table. The sushi on its own merit would get a 3 star rating. I mean its ok, but nothing spectacular. What gives this place 4 stars in my eyes is the value. It's REALLY cheap. The most expensive roll I saw was around $9. That's like Sushi Boy prices...and this place is WAY better than Sushi Boy. My friend and I came here for dinner one night and split 3 different rolls (caterpillar, albacore rainbow and rainbow). The caterpillar was my favorite of the three. read more

No matter how much of a "neighborhood place" this is, I will never give them my business again. First off - the chubby Asian girl at the register is rude AF! It was my first time and I was asking questions bc obviously I have never had it before...and she was rude and short, and looked completely annoyed that I was asking any questions at all! Girl, chill!! Secondly, they don't take any credit cards with the chip. LIKE WHAT??? Get with the time and technology, and if anything - put a sign up! Like no chip, no swiping of cards with a chip, none of that. What kind of business is this?? Then the girl had the audacity to tell me to go to the liquor store and use their atm....umm what? Me accrue ATM fees bc you don't take a card with a chip? No. So ridiculous. Go somewhere that has better customer service and that actually has their shit together. read more

I get the Pork Katsu Curry and it's fantastic. 2 nice sized pork steaks and more than enough curry to soak them in and then have a lot left over to enjoy with the generous bed of rice they are plated upon. Also comes with some salad and some of thjapanese asalad dressing you find at places like this. All of it is excellent. Please support during these desperate times, they are a neighborhood icon and Artesia wouldn't be the same without them. Not to mention I would be out my go to katsu Curry place ;) read more

This used to be one of my favorite places to get cheap, good sushi. Unfortunately, not anymore - and that makes me sad. First of all, either their phone system sucks or their employees don't even know the menu, because it's sooo difficult to place an order over the phone without having to repeat myself at least twice. Second, at first glance, the prices seem great. BUT, what they don't tell you is that they charge for every little extra thing. For example, they offer a two item combo for $5.98 (or something like that - seems reasonable right?) Well, I like to get the Salmon Crunchy Roll, which they charge an extra $1.29 for (on top of the already $6). Then, if you want a small side of ponzu or miso dressing, they charge you a quarter for each (tablespoon) worth of a side. By the time I get out of there with my 'cheap' two item combo, it ends up costing over $10, and that's without a drink. Oh, and the weird thing is, if you eat there, they won't charge you for the sauces, but if you take out, they do - don't ask me why. Third, I'd give the overall customer service 1 star. They aren't friendly, they don't smile and if they make a mistake with the order, they give you an annoyed look and then talk in the back (you know, kind of like at the nail shop). Oh, and I've been going there for over 3 years now and do you think they would remember my name even once? Nope. I understand they have a lot of customers, but there are restaurant owners that make it a point to remember their repeat customers, and these owners don't. Lastly, another negative against them is that their gift certificates that used to be good for as long as you have them, are now only good for six months. That's just stingy if you ask me. The reason I didn't give them just one star is the food is still good, but not good enough for me to want to come back anymore. I'm sad cuz it really used to be one of my favorite places to go for lunch. read more

3 1/2 stars?! My belly screams "5!!" after each and every time I come. WHY? -relatively cheap/decent prices for huge portions -consistent taste and service I wouldn't plan a visit SPECIFICALLY here if I were just visiting, but as a local: definitely one of my favorite places to grab a bite. read more

The worst service and overpriced food. If you want good japanese food, go to Yanagi across the street. I'm not too fond of Rice Things because of its cheap quality food, but my cousin wanted to go there today. I shared with my friend a plate, and they gave us one pair of chopsticks and a fork. I wanted to eat with chopsticks so i got to the front to ask, but no one paid attention to me. Fine, i'll just try to finish with the fork. I saw a server walk towards me after dropping off food for another table, so i waved at her n asked if i could get chopsticks, she totally ignored me as she walked right pass me, i kept looking at her. That was the rudest server ever. It turned me off so much. I already thought the food was subpar, but this just did it for me. i'm over you, Rice Things. Bye Felicia ! read more

Damn this place is HELLA cheap!! It's not bad either! It's all popular sushi..not authentic but it doesn't matter. It's good and quick and they have tons of options. This place is a crazy low maintenance sushi joint. It's also a fave for the local cops apparently. read more

Small strip mall in Redondo Beach, very busy for lunch. Take-out at lunch time was probably about 15 minutes wait. The lady in the front taking orders wasn't the friendliest, but the menu is vast. Got the 3 item combo which was about $8, but added some extra items like futo maki, tuna roll and sukiyaki, which ended up being slightly over $10. The futo maki was really good, but sukiyaki was dry. There were no enoki mushrooms or hakusai or eggs. Maybe I'll try the katsu next time. read more

Rice Things - Futo maki (with lots of kanpyo!) - Japanese Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

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Terrible awful horrible service!!!! Never again!!! I went in to order the 3 item lunch combo with a drink and they forgot to add the drink into my check. I only had a card and it was a $5 minimum so they refused to let me purchase a drink even though it was THEIR MISTAKE. No apology, I was only met with an attitude along with the cashier yelling at me that it was a 0.35cent additional charge. Seriously? This is NOT how you treat your customers. The food itself was forgettable. Take note rice things. Learn to treat your customers with respect and own up to YOUR mistakes. read more

For some fairly priced Japanese food, Rice and Things hits the spot! Everything is pretty much under $10 and their selection is vast! From combo terriyaki plates and salads to sashimi and soups, your sure to find what tickles your fancy. The place is graded an A so no worries. The only draw back is that during the week it gets pretty crowded during lunch so you may have trouble finding a seat and you may have to wait a while to get your food. read more

Good place for a quick stop! Salmon teriyaki was pretty good. The chicken katsu was a little too crispy, but it doesn't make me change my mind that the 2 item combo was a pretty good deal! The potato macaroni salad was really good too. Gave this place 3 stars because it's good, but average. Meal was about $9 read more

Terribly average fast food, exceedingly bad service!! I just returned from Rice Things and had to immediately jump on Yelp. I went for dinner there because the reviews were mixed and I wanted to decide for myself. I met a friend there and she arrived early and sat at a table. She said the owner kept staring and giving her dirty looks because she sat alone at the table and hadn't ordered anything. She had only waited at the table for 5 minutes before I arrived, but apparently the owner didn't like that. When we did order, they got it wrong and blamed it on us. The owner said, "Well, I wasn't the one who took your order," and walked away. The cashier argued with me about what I ordered, then asked to see my receipt. I think I know what I ordered! Eventually she gave me what I asked for, although begrudgingly. The food was not worth arguing for, and we won't be back. read more

I LOOOOVEEE RICE THINGS! My friend works here..and if she wasn't..well I wouldn't know about this place. They've got some BOMB food! I usually always get the 2 combo item with sesame chicken and gyoza. They give BIG portions! Salad and rice are included and I get ridiculously stuffed afterwards. Love this place :) Try it out! It's small..but yummy. Always packed too read more

Great food at great prices. The combo plates are the best; affordable and they fill you up

I'm not sure why I come back here... Yes, it's Japanese fast food, but every time I've been here it's been anything but fast. Take tonight. I call in an order because I'm too lazy to have anything at home. The voice on the phone says 15-20 minutes. I have a few errands to run, so I know it's going to take me longer. 35 minutes later I arrive and my food isn't even ready! Also, in the ten years I've been semi- coming here the cashiers have never been very polite to me. Mediocre sushi at best. read more

This little restaurant is consistent in quality and a good place to be a regular. My friend Jemie is a regular here, so much so that she's got their menu memorized. They have nice set meals and easy to order take out when you don't want to think about what to eat. read more

Super convenient if you live in North Redondo area by the Galleria mall. I like the sushi rolls the best because their combos are well priced, quick for takeout. Simplistic menu offers consistent quality each and every time. Very clean and friendly staff who follow all COVID protocols and will happily accommodate single orders into separate containers if you're splitting with friends. I find myself going maybe 2-3 times a week because it's a fairly healthy and cost effective option that gets me out of the house. read more

Came in to buy an avocado roll and it took them over 35 minutes to make it. Very bad service and no one even seemed to care about all of the orders they had to make. Disappointed in my visit. read more

This place is awesome! First of all, it's extremely inexpensive and you get way bigger portions than most other Japanese restaurants give. You order and pay at the counter then find a table so technically it's "fast-food"...but it's really good. Their miso sauce/miso dressing is unreal! Make sure you ask for a side of it. Honestly, the only two minor suggestions I would make for them would be to try and figure out a way to seat more people comfortably because the place is SO small, and also that they clean it a little better (I was sitting beside a really dirty wall with window blinds that were filthy with dust and soy sauce splatters) but I mean it wasn't that bad. I actually found this place by accident because Yanagi across the street (which was my original choice) is closed from 2-5pm every day so my daughter and I walked across the street to this place instead! Yay.. So glad we did! I'm so excited to bring my husband back here for a post-workout lunch!! Good job Rice Things! read more

Lot of options on the menu and prices are good, but it just takes too long, for both takeout and dining in. Ordered poke to eat there and our food took 30-40 minutes to come out. How is that even possible? read more

Food with a 'tude! I've enjoyed eating here for a few years, first being introduced to this place by a friend. Since then, I make casual visits before I go to work. The last couple of times I've been here, I've called in my order, and have gotten the proverbial "10 minutes". When I show up 20 minutes later, food's still not ready! That's not the biggest issue. The gals behind the counter really seem to have an attitude! Yes, I admit they're cute, but not cute enuff for their bullshit antics! Jus give me my damn food and we done! Trust me, food's good. Quite good. But the parking lot is small, and it's even worse when it gets busy. And don't expect your food to be ready when they quote you times. read more

NOPE!! Terrible customer service!! I'm paying you to feed me! Why are you treating me like I owe you my soul!

This place is great for what it is: dirt cheap Japanese fast food! And ooooohhhhh the variety! The millions and trillions of items on the menu! You will undoubtedly find something that will "hit the spot". I wouldn't know where else to go for an enormous plate of mabo tofu served over rice. Seriously, who else would be able to offer me that without charging an arm and a leg??? read more

Cheap Japanese food - fast food style. The bf and I split a 3 combo with drink and it was only $10, and we were both fairly satisfied. The food is fairly tasty, though I would not suggest getting the nigiri. We went with two other friends and one of their got the tuna nigiri - she liked it but the color was kind of an unnatural neon red....not the best color for tuna. The bf and I split a beef katsu, crunchy roll, and spicy tuna roll. This came with a side salad and white rice. A large portion for one, but pretty good to split for two people who are only mildly hungry. Service was fast and food was decent. A great place to pick up a quick meal! read more

[The following is a bite by bite review] When you're hungy - you'll eat just about anything. I say this as I'm chomping down on the chicken-jerky-esque Sesame Chicken that I got from Rice Things. Boy is this stuff tough. Don't get me wrong, the flavor's not bad, but chewing into it has become quite a challenge. It's not even horrible, just hard to eat. Since my first review, I've placed Rice Things on my 'once-a-week' places to go during lunch. And since I frequent this place, and at the suggestion of co-workers, I am now obligated to give Rice Things 4-stars, instead of the previous 3-star rating that it was. In the last several weeks, I've either had their chicken teriyaki and chicken katsu, or their chicken teriyaki and their sesame chicken. Again - this box of food for $6 is quite the tummy stuffer. Drench the food in Sriracha sauce and you've got money in the bank. This stuff is tasty, but not the super duper fabulous stuff - then again, it's only $6 for 2-items off their basic menu. A little random note: All of the workers here are efficient. You might run into one or two that are actually nice, but they mean business. They're fast, they get you your order quick and send you on your way. mmMMmm.. just took a bite out of the teriyaki chicken. Moderate texture - nothing too stiff or dry, but not qutie juicy. It's like I said: spray on that Sriracha and it's golden. [actually, it's red with sauce, but you know what I mean] Since I'm eating this in my cubicle, I obviously got this to-go. In their large to-go box, you get your items that you selected, paired with some salad and a little to-go container of salad dressing. We'll see how hungry I am at the end of the review to see if I actually eat it. There sure is a lot of rice that comes with this box - definitely a yummy tummy-stuffer. Okay - I took a bite of their salad with the dressing.. not quite sure what to pin as the flavor of the dressing, but it's not quite honey mustard and not quite pure sesame dressing.. yeh.. I'll do without the salad... And oh yeah! If you get any katsu, they give you two little sauce packets with the katsu sauce in it. Seems very little for the amount of food they give you, but if you micro-manage, you should be fine. It also helps to get either some soy sauce or, what I have, the dumpling soy sauce that has some sesame oil, some vinegar, and some garlic infused with it. Nice and tasty over the white void known as rice. Overall, I'm still very happy with my food, even if it's just average. Lots of food, little price, it's just right! :D read more

I can't even count the number of times I've eaten here now but it is a staple. They did add more authentic Japanese food items to the menu over the years but we always get the non-J stuff like the rolls and the teriyakis still. It has gotten way more cramped in there as they've added more tables and chairs but it's still the same small dining area. One word of caution: we ordered two 3 item combos to go but one of them was supposed to come with double orders of the chicken teriyaki. However, it was the exact same amount of chicken as the other box that contained only one order of chicken teriyaki. So it's probably best not to order 3 item combos to go unless one of those items is sushi that comes in a separate box. There's only so much space and they don't seem to really honor that. read more

**If you are going to do take out** CALL AHEAD OF TIME. Do not go in to oder. you WILL be waiting for a long time. There is also hardly any room for you to wait. The food was really good and well put together. the portions you get is plenty! There are plenty of seating inside for a nice size group or just for two! read more

Fast casual and very Americanized with emphasis on quantity over quality. The nonspecific and vague name kinda tells all - rice "things". Homemade taste at ginormous portions for $10-13. Parking is a pain as it's a small shared lot. I can see the appeal of the place; however, it's personally not for me. read more

I was first introduced to this place by a high school friend and thought it was good. I use to enjoy this place throughout the years. I use to get the 3 item combo with 3 of the following items chicken katsu, beef sukiyaki, vegetable tempura, Super California rolls. I've also had the calamari salad. The food is ok, nothing awesome. The portions are decent sized, they use to be bigger. Over the years the amount of rice, size of the sushi rolls have shrunk while the price keeps going up. I don't mind paying more because of inflation and costs going up but at least maintain the same sized portions. The owner is a jerk as other reviewers have noted so I don't want to repeat what they say. For the most part, most are true. I've witnessed him do many things over the years. One day I just thought to myself, do I really want to spend my hard earned money on mediocre food at a place with a jerk owner. The answer is no and that's why I discontinued eating here. If you need to eat in this area, I would go down the street to Blue Salt Fish Grill. If you want this style of food, I would just go to a Sushiboy. read more

I personally think service encompasses 40% of an eating experience. As dining out is a luxury, even if the food was amazing, I'd rather not go if eating would be paired with mediocre customer service. ...and the food here definitely wasn't "amazing". It was acceptable, like any japanese bento order. Chicken katsu, good. Salad dressing, ok. Came with a party of three when we saw two empty '2 people tables' adjacent to one another. Naturally, we nudged them closer until all of us could take a seat. The waitress came over and told us that was unacceptable... basically they wanted us to squeeze 3 people in a 2 seater. When we pointed out to her that ONE tray already takes up 50% of the table, she could only say that it just was a "fire hazard". Huh? I'm so confused. Sensing our dissatisfaction at the seating, she asked if we wanted to cancel our order. Keep in mind there were at least 5 other open tables. Ironically his happened RIGHT after "checked in" on my phone. Haphazardly, I muttered something along the lines of "man I'm gonna cancel my check-in on yelp" hearing that, she said "it's a policy, sorry" and called over a haughty looking girl who seemed to have a big attitude problem. So I glared back at her. B*tch to b*tch. take that. ( Now that I notice that many reviews have mentioned her before, I guess she's like that everyday.) 3 stars for food -1 for customer service. Maybe once in a blue mood I'll do takeout, but no way am I dining in here again. nuh huh read more

2 item combo for $5.99 and I always end up never finishing it. Nothing can beat that! I also like the new Poke Bowl the best Poke I can get outside of Hawaii! Try it if you get a chance to go to this place. Quick Tip: Call in your order because this place gets packed! read more

Typical american-sub par Japanese food. There menu is diverse but nothing that stands out. The restaurant is small so there's a lot of take outs. Ownership is not very good. I placed an order one time for take out, and was a bit undecided, maybe 10 seconds tops, and the lady helping me became very rude told me to hurry. Ok she is busy but the time taken was minimal, and she could have been nice about it. I asked to speak to the owner, which to my surprise told me that she reacted like that because it was my fault. Ok, never blame a customer, but decided to never go back to Rice Things again, because really the food is not missed-or that great. I simply ordered because they were just down the street. Oh am I glad I found Yelp :) read more