Love the simple layout of Saru! The lanterns that were hung overhead set the vibe. Everyone is seated around the chefs and they start prepping rolls and placing them on the dish sitting on top of the bar. Hooks for your bags/coats are on the wall directly behind your seat. Their menu was laid out easy and prices were pretty typical of a handroll bar. Everything sounds delicious when you're looking at the menu, but don't feel compelled to over order. Even after they tell you "last roll," they still will ask if you would like to order more. This place is the pretty date night spot, and their bathroom does it justice with floss, mouthwash, toothbrushes, lip balms, and even hand creams! But make sure you only take what you will use. Very appreciative of this service when I had to go to the bathroom to get seaweed out of my teeth. Floss pick came in clutch! The only thing I would recommend to them is to block off the left side of their entry by the window. There were stools that looked like you could sit and wait there. We had even seen people who were sitting there prior to us, but were later told to move because it was "off limits." Maybe place a rope or sign stating so? read more

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Spent about $75 dining solo and left remembering the service more than the food. Some of my hand rolls arrived before I had even started my appetizer. Before the full order had arrived, I was asked multiple times whether I wanted to order more, including while I was actively eating. A staff member poured my Diet Coke without asking. Later, after my card had already been run and the check closed, another employee attempted to charge the same card again. The food was fine. What I remember is the constant interruption and having to make sure my card wasn't charged twice. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in the city! We come here for almost all special occasions and sometimes I'll recommend it just because I need a pick me up. The staff are all amazing. The hospitality here is unmatched. We always feel taken care of. The food arrives at a quick pace and is always very fresh. The atmosphere is chic and comfortable. My go to handrolls are: the fatty tuna, the eel and the tempura My fiance's go to handrolls are: the set of 5 and the Pickled radish We have never had a bad roll here and I plan to continue coming here for as long as possible. Highly recommend! read more

This was very standard handroll, tbh felt like I can make this at home. There's pretty much no service just because the chef makes it for you then puts it on your plate. Not much going on, not mindblowing at all. Personally, I think this is slightly more expensive than the quality of handroll it should've been. read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Salmon - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here on a walk in. Waited about half an hour. Love the seating arrangement and ambience. Staff were so friendly, nice and helpful! Also love ordering on the paper, it can be a little confusing for add ons. 3 stars for price. Quality is good but rolls are so small for the price and the price for adding on other ingredients to go in the roll was a little ridiculous. I wouldn't come back but definitely fun to try! It was really delicious, I just think you can find very similar rolls in other places in SF for a better price. read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Biggest sushi scam in the city. This place is clearly an imitation of socal's famed Kazunori, although lacks everything that makes Kazunori perfect. 1. Service. Staff seemed stressed, unhappy to be there. They were more focused on selling the more expensive menus items than actually catering to guest's needs. No one I talked to was particularly nice. 2. Portions. These are the smallest handrolls I've ever seen. Literally tiny. I was starving after spending well over 100 dollars on just myself. 3. Affordability. Unlike Kazurnori, that offers very reasonable pricing on handroll combinations, literally everything on the menu seemed incredibly over-priced. Even the beer, a 330 ml Asahi (SMALLER THAN A REGULAR BOTTLE) cost a whooping 13 dollars, easily twice what neighboring sushi restaurants would charge. I have zero reason to return. read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Wonderful service, wonderful ambiance, and great quality fish. I love how we get to watch the chefs at work! They work in the center of a 3-sided rectangle, so it's also good for people-watching. Some unique hand rolls and some ol' reliables like lobster, fatty tuna, and shrimp tempura. The real wasabi was a treat. Knocked off a star because drink prices are not low--over $10 for beer? It does feel upscale and elevated. I wish the hooks for bags (or is it for jackets?) were underneath the bar seating. Service was very quick, you'll be out of there in no time (which is good, because you will likely wait to get seated.) Will be back and they also offer a nice box for takeout. read more

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Great vibe, delicious handrolls, and super efficient! A tad on the expensive side but worth it

I thought I knew good hand rolls, but I'm still thinking about eating dinner here weeks ago. The romantic chic ambiance, the great service, it has it all. I had the 4 piece set that came with fatty tuna, salmon, shrimp tempura, and cucumber and plum. Every roll had a good amount of meat to rice ratio, and the nori was warm to hold. I'm a big fan of salmon, so I had to order another salmon handroll; the salmon was sensational. This place has become my new favorite place for handrolls. read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Incredible fresh handrolls. Everything we ordered was a 10/10. Service was fast and overall a great place for a nice date night. read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've had Saru Handroll Bar on my list for years now. My friend and I decided to check it out for Friday night dinner. Your entire party has to be there for you to be put on the waitlist. It is easier to get seated if you're a smaller party just because they are bar seating only. It was busy for dinner and we probably waited a little over 30 minutes. I did the 5 handroll set which included Fatty Tuna Spicy Tuna Yellowtail Roe & Mountain Yam Eel The fish quality was great. I loved the fatty tuna and yellowtail. Melted in my mouth. The eel was good too. I hated the roe and mountain yam. The texture was not my favorite. We also got a side of the seaweed salad which was fine. It was a good dinner spot. If you don't want to do a set, you can order rolls a la carte. Definitely expensive for what it is. I've been to cheaper handroll spots elsewhere that were better but this hits the spot if you're in the city. read more

mixed feelings on saru. tried the spicy tuna, spicy scallops, yellowtail and scallion, and eel. yellowtail won for me. eel is usually my favorite hand roll but the sauce on this one leaned too sweet. the rolls themselves were decent and the fish tasted fresh, but the rice was noticeably hard, which is a letdown at this price point. for what you're paying i'd want the fish to be a step up and the rice done better. that said, sf doesn't have many hand roll spots so this one's worth keeping on the list. ambiance was good and the servers checked in often, very attentive. would probably come back here again if im craving hand rolls. read more

We ordered takeout via DoorDash and this place was great. Very quick and fresh. I particularly liked the presentation and how much we got for the price ($38 before tax and delivery). I also liked how the takeout was very simple which it made it easy to decide. Next time will try eating at the restaurant! read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Choose your own box set - take out option - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Updated review: We don't get to come by as often anymore since we've moved to the other side of the city, but every visit we get the same consistency and quality in service and food. We stopped in during a quieter hour (around 4pm) and pretty much had the place to ourselves. Service was quick, and the quality still as spot-on as always. Ryan took great care of us, and as usual, it was a pleasure chatting with him. One of the things I really appreciate is that they're open all day, no need to wait until 5pm like most top-tier sushi spots. When the craving hits, you can just drop in for an exceptional sushi fix, no resy needed. read more

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Love the ambiance and vibes inside Saru though coming in a group of more than 3 makes it difficult to talk. Rolls were good but expensive for the size and getting the add ons. The fresh wasabi is a must! Drinks are also limited but overall a decent sushi spot! read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Salmon - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

While the food is quite food (the fatty tuna and the shrimp tempura were very good), this is definitely not a sit down and chat place. It's a quick eat. I think from when we sat down to when we finished it was 20 minutes. We kept being asked if wanted to order more as we were mid bite and they asked how we wanted the check immediately after we said we were okay on ordering more -- yet we clearly had not finished our meal. It made all of us pretty anxious to get up and leave. While the food is good, this isn't a place I will come back to as I felt rushed out the door. read more

Great food with the rolls tasting very fresh and the seaweed is so crispy, atmosphere feels expensive, quick food service, their wait times are pretty long for a saturday night so just be aware read more

Thoroughly enjoyed the experience here - really friendly staff and great tuna and eel rolls. Definitely a little on the expensive side, but it's par for the course for restaurants like this and so little seating. Great ambiance. Will be coming back. read more

The restaurant has a very interesting layout as the chefs make the handroll right in the middle of the restaurant in a very open layout, and the customers sit around and watch them make the handrolls. The ambiance was very cozy and perfect to sit down and chat with others with some small bites and some drinks. The handrolls were delicious and it was calling for more beer and sake. These handrolls will not make you full, so it would be better to think of this place as an izakaya. read more

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Really great service. Got seated quickly. Great staff. The ambiance is very first date/girls night. Open kitchen and very pretty decor. Functional and easy on the eyes. Cute table setting. Miso soup was yummy, not extraordinary. Daikon shishito salad. Spicy. Good acid Fatty tuna and scallion was good. Good flavors. Red crab (my favorite order) Yellowtail and scallion Spicy scallop Bill was ~80. It was good but not amazing for $80. High price, okay quality, great service. read more

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Have to start with saying that service is IMPECCABLE! It's such a fun experience to enjoy the meal with bar seating, it's very intimate and the staff make it feel even more special. We came at 6:00PM and only had to wait ~5 minutes, but after that it seemed like there was more of a wait. I chose my hand rolls a la carte but I would definitely recommend the sets if you're feeling indecisive! My favorites ended up being the Red Crab roll and the Salmon roll (add avocado)! I would skip the eel roll though, nothing too special. I had 5 rolls and was perfectly satisfied. Also love that they include gratuity in the menu price!! I wish more places did that. read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Fatty Tuna - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Hand rolls are extremely fresh and high quality. We didn't have to wait at all and service was very efficient. The tempura roll was to die for and every piece was so satisfying! You can also tell the wasabi was high quality. Definitely coming back here! read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Nice chill spot! Great rolls and efficient friendly service! I would definitely go again! read more

10/10 on everything I've had here. The only downside to the place is that there are limited seats so you have to make sure you are getting there at a good time or you will be waiting. read more

Very cute handroll bar! I ordered the fatty tuna, spicy scallop, red crab, and tempura shrimp. The service is fast and they make it really easy to order. The bathrooms are really nice and they have a section with dental items to freshen up. The bill does add up but its worth it for the quality and the price includes tip which is really nice! read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Sake - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Excellent sushi! The handrolls were amazing, we got the 5 rolls including eel, fatty tuna, spicy tuna, yellowtail, and yam. Fresh grated wasabi! Rice beer was new to me and really good! read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Rice beer - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Nice hand roll place in the Polk area. They don't accept any reservations and seating is first come first served. We came on a weekday and was seated promptly. I got three handrolls based on personal preference since I didn't like the options for the 3 or 4- piece set. It was very good and ambiance was great for conversations. Also, the prices include service and gratuity already so no need to double tip! read more

If you want an omakase experience without paying $$$$, then saru handroll bar may be the spot to go to. beautiful interior with great ambiance. They are open for lunch too! The ingredients are very fresh and well handled. The chefs make the hand rolls right in front of you and is extremely accommodating and attentive to your requests (if you have any). I can confidently say this may be one of the best customer service i had at a Japanese restaurant that is comparable to a Michelin starred restaurant. read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Last night in San Fran for a fast but ultra delicious dinner! Fish was super fresh, seaweed roll super crispy! Such a fun concept with all counter seating, quick efficient and delish. Wish we had hand roll bars in Florida. read more

Tasty rolls!!! My favorite has to be the roe and mountain yam. So unique. Good service. Plenty of spacious seating. Hooks for your jackets. Cool decor. read more

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After knowing Saru since it opened I finally came here. Now this is a long bar for handrolls which seems to be a common format. It's funny as there is so much empty space behind the sushi bar here, which makes it feel somewhat cavernous. Two people eating here will cost you about the same as a premium (but not Michelin) sushi meal. The hand rolls are not the sort of taco style in a U shape but a taquito style rolled up (which I prefer). Everything was great and I'd say the Cucumber and Ume with the Shiso addition is a great bite as was the shrimp tempura handroll. Everything else was yummy but not standing out. It's a fast meal which is great to pre-game a night out in Russian Hill. Now here's where I get a little perturbed. The rolls come fast with no real rhyme or reason. My aforementioned Ume-Kyu role came out before the Unagi (you want the former last as it's a refreshing bite). More so, rolls are thrown in front of you fast...actually they are kinda just dropped as someone is saying something without presence. Blink and you'll miss what was just given to you and leaving you wondering 'what is this again?' Crazy it wasn't even busy when I was in there...but I do wish they would just put the rolls down and wait 1 or 2 seconds (yes seconds) to make eye contact and tell us what was just dropped in front of us. So I'd say I'd totally come back here if I'm in the area and need a quick expensive bite of sushi no doubt but for the cost I'd rather go find a traditional sushi bar seeing how I can have a more full meal somewhere like Chisai for the same cost. But if you don't want a full mean and just a light bite this works for an alternative to an expensive burger nearby. read more

We heard about the hype with this place and decided to check it out when visiting the city. We came around 1PM on a Friday and were seated right away. However I've heard the wait can be long, so make sure to check their online wait list before coming. The place is cozy and has seats around a bar area in which you can watch the chefs make your hand-rolls. I ordered five different handrolls: the salmon, spicy tuna, fatty tuna, spicy scallops, red crab. The handrolls were honestly mediocre and was lacking some flavor. The seaweed also tasted alright compared to other handroll places I've been. The red crab was probably favorite of the five, but it wasn't too special. Although the staff and place was very nice. I don't think the handrolls were worth for its price. read more

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Came here for a little date night as it's been on my bookmarks to try! Interior wise it's an open space with minimalist decor which has a cute ambiance. The servers were also very attentive and kept checking on us. I've tried different handroll bars and this one is definitely in my top favs. We both got the combo sets and the rice they use in the handroll was flavorful and the fish tastes really fresh and creamy. Overall, a cute little spot for a date night or get your handroll sushi fix. read more

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Just ok hand rolls. Hand rolls: -Fatty tuna -Unagi: best one -Salmon: just ok -Yellow tail Logistics: -accepts cc -street, metered parking only -limited seating (~25 people) read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

vibey, intimate atmosphere with bar seating that gets you a behind-the-scenes view into the craftmanship that goes into making a saru handroll. no wait when we came here on a thursday evening, and due to the nature of the restaurant and how the rolls are made to order, we were in an out within 30 minutes! (super duper quick service and very attentive staff - and tips are baked into the price of the rolls!) i opted for the set of 3, plus a salmon handroll a la carte. the total was about $40 for 4 handrolls. though the fish was deliciously fresh, a wonderful combination with the vinegary sushi rice and salted seaweed, i found the price point to be a bit steep and i left feeling a bit hungry still. i still do think saru is worth a shot, especially if you're a fan of sushi, but be prepared to order an appetizer or eat dessert afterward to feel completely satiated! read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I ordered food via delivery which has a required minimum of four rolls. Out of my selections, the lobster roll was the clear winner of the bunch. The others (fatty tuna, red crab, and salmon) ultimately fell into the "decent" category. While they clearly put effort into maintaining presentation for delivery, the overall experience didn't quite justify the price point with so many excellent options in SF. read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love this place :) as a neighbor and frequent solo dinner its great for popping in to get a quick bite to eat when im craving sushi. No reservations so its walk in only. If you dont want to wait just come in at off hours and usually you can stroll in Similar to kazunori you just mark the handrolls you want on a sheet and they come out one by one. Eat them quickly because the nori is just excellent and crispy when fresh I always get: - Chopped fatty tuna and negi - always one of my faves and so so good - Salmon - your basic undressed salmon with some sesame seeds - Eel- perfectly sauced and so yummy with the hot rice - Bay scallops - these small scallops are dressed in a mayo-like sauce with tobiko for extra texture - shrimp tempura- my friends non asian husband turned me on to these and I have to admit that its really good and comes with avocado Overall its always a yummy meal but it is pricey. I always spend nearly 100 bucks for 5 rolls and a cup sake but I do love that they include tip so paying is an easy process read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Negitoro! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've never been treated as rudely by staff anywhere as here. I have a gluten intolerance and was trying to work around it in order to be able to eat here and the staff wouldn't hear me out and essentially forced us out of the restaurant. I can't speak for the food as we did not try it. Don't waste your money and time here especially if you have any food allergies or special requirements. I wish I checked the guys name tag who acted this way because if I did I'd put my efforts toward getting him fired. read more

This place is garbage. Service sucks and overrated. Do not go. Way better places in the surrounding area with better service and food.

Sorry the handrolls here are super meh. Only good one was the spicy scallop. For the price you're paying and the quality of the handrolls it's not worth it at all. Arrived here for lunch on a Saturday and it wasn't busy there were only 2 other couples. I got the uni handroll hoping it was gonna be great, but it tasted like it was semi icy and just wasn't what I expected at all. The fatty tuna and yellowtail and scallion was also disappointing too smh. read more

Saru Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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