$29 Tenzaru (cold dry noodle) Omakase Surimi (assorted fish paste tempura): I really enjoyed this. Not heavy overall. This is a tiny 11 seat operation with screen ordering and two cooks. Either line up 20 minutes early (at least and it was a Friday) or expect to wait outside for an hour. Great 80's Japanese City Pop plays overhead. I liked the ambience. Not worth traveling into the city just for this. But a fine destination if you're already near Japan Town and you plan ahead. read more

Sobakatsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sobakatsu is in the heart of Japantown, and is quite a popular restaurant! We ended up going on a Friday afternoon right as it opened, but still ended up waiting nearly 3 hours to be seated. The seats are very limited, and there were only two staff members cooking. Everything else is self-service, including finding seating and ordering! I had the cold noodles with the fried scallops, and I thought that everything was done very well. The noodles were bouncy, and the tempura lightly battered and not too oily! I would definitely give it a try, though I wouldn't wait in line for it again. Hopefully it's easier to get a spot in the future! read more

Sobakatsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

So good! This place definitely lives up to the hype. The tempura was incredibly light, airy, and perfectly crispy without feeling greasy at all. The soba was also delicious and paired really well with the tempura. One thing to keep in mind is the wait. The restaurant is tiny, so even on a random weekday we ended up waiting about 40 minutes. I've also heard weekend waits can easily stretch to over an hour, so definitely come prepared if you're planning to visit during peak times. Funny enough, they accidentally gave me the wrong order--but I wasn't about to complain because they gave me the more expensive fish tempura instead of the shrimp tempura I ordered. It ended up being a happy accident because I got to try even more of their menu. The fish tempura, hot soba, shrimp tempura, and handmade fish cake tempura were all delicious. I'd happily recommend any of them! read more

Sobakatsu - Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sobakatsu is really good but I'm unsure if it is worth the wait. There are only 11 seats here and they run out of food closer to closing time so I highly suggest getting here early in the day if you have the time. My friend and I ordered the tenzaru omakase combo and this came with assorted vegetable and seafood tempura. I thought the soba yu broth was good if you wanted a hot broth in addition to your cold dripping sauce, but it tasted like hot water for the most part. The soba noodles were a perfect texture and were great with the dipping sauce. Again, I would only suggest coming here if you have time. read more

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As everyone else mentioned, Sobakatsu is dine-in only, has limited seating, and always has a wait. It's best for small parties of 1-2. There's bar-type seating and tables, so you may share with strangers. You order on a tablet, pay, and then sit down. When there's no more seats, you're just waiting in line to order. Chef calls out your order # and then you pick up your tray of food and return to your seat. When you're done, you return the tray to the chef. I ordered the tenkake (hot soba) with shrimp kakiage and soba warabimochi. The soba noodles had good texture, nice and chewy but not mushy. The dashi broth was delicious and warming. The shrimp kakiage was good, but a bit greasy. The soba warabimochi was chewy and mildly sweet. They have a bathroom onsite, which funnily enough, is roughly similar in size to the dining area. If you're eager to try Sobakatsu, I recommend lining up 30 minutes before opening for higher chances of first seating. Don't take your chances closer to closing, since they may close early when soba runs out. read more

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I came here alone on a weekday a little after lunchtime and there were only a few people ahead of me waiting for spots. It's a tiny spot with about 11 seats inside. You have to claim a seat first before you can start ordering at the kiosk. I tried the hot scallop soba, which came with little bay scallops that were tempura fried really well. The portion sizes were decent and everything came out hot and pretty quickly. I also ordered the chicken plum karaage as a side. It was all white meat and surprisingly tender and juicy. It didn't have a ton of flavor, but the texture was good. You can watch the chefs working right behind the counter, which is kind of cool. The whole meal came out to a little over 40 dollars after tax, so expect to pay a bit more for the experience. Overall, it's a cool spot to get fresh clean soba and it's close to Super Mira. read more

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We got here around 10-15 minutes before opening on a Wednesday and there was already a line. Luckily we were still seated within the first round. There is only a small seating area fitting around 6 small parties or so, you go in and order on a kiosk and they will call your number when your meal is ready to pick up. I got the Zaru Soba Surimiten with cold soba and the Warabimochi. The cold soba was super refreshing especially on a hot day and after waiting in line. I loved that everything is homemade from the soba and tempura all the way to the soba dipping sauce. The tempera was delicious, it came with a different variety and some that I never tried before. I would highly recommend coming early and getting in line before it opens to be able to get in first, but definitely worth the try for some authentic Japanese soba! read more

Sobakatsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Still the best cold soba in San Francisco, but I regret to update that the weight is still extremely long. 45 minutes on a weekday after arriving 15 minutes after opening. The food is still delicious, but didn't blow me away like it did the first time. Considering how inconvenient it is to dine here, I can't justify returning. I also wish there was more dining space, because you are cramped together with other tables and don't have enough privacy to have a conversation. I would think that by now this restaurant is successful enough that they could finally offer takeout or open up an additional larger location given their brands success. read more

Sobakatsu - Tenzaru soba scallop Kakiage - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I got here at 1:30 p.m. on Friday and got in at 2:30 p.m. and got the place to put my order. Good: I really liked the tamago dish, and I got the hot soba soup with a bunch of tempura. The tempura ended up being too oily, so I didn't finish it, but I did really like the soba soup. It was quite tasty and savory. Also got to sit next to the lucky Buddha, and I rubbed the feet, so that was actually quite a nice blessing. The chef is really, really nice. Even though he was being swarmed, he was very nice to me and taught me how everything worked. Bad: The soba noodles themselves were just okay. They didn't have much flavor, and they didn't taste that great to me. It's also pretty expensive to get just an appetizer and a soba dish. It was over $40. Overall, I'm glad I came and tried out this super unique and special place in SF. I had a day off, so it was worth the wait. If I weren't coming on a day off, it would be harder to justify the wait. read more

Sobakatsu - Hot soba and Tamago - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Unfortunately, this place was just not worth it. I heard everyone raving about this authentic soba place, so I came here with a friend on Saturday to try it out. We've heard about the lines and how it sells out quick as well, so we came for a late lunch at 2:30pm. The line didn't look too bad at first until I learned that there are only 11 seats exactly inside and only 2 people running the whole show. Having eaten nothing yet, this two and a half hour line did a number on us. We were so hungry that I left the line to quickly pick up some takoyaki to snack on while we waited. Once you finally get to the front, you order at the kiosk and everything is entirely self-serviced from getting seated to picking up your order. When we finally got our food, we were disappointed by how broken our soba was and how many clumps we found as well. The soba itself was also mediocre and not worth the hype. I got the scallop kakiage and while it was good some pieces were undercooked like my eggplant and that was really hard to eat. The food wasn't terrible, but not great and definitely not worth the wait and hassle. A pass for me :( read more

I came here on a rainy Saturday about 30 minutes before opening and was able to make it in the first wave of seating since we were the second party. They open right at 12, and you put in your order on the kiosk before taking a seat. We received our food after about 20 minutes of our order. Overall, the soba was refreshing and the tempura was light and crispy! The noodles were very fresh and the texture was perfect. I enjoyed the whole experience, but I don't think it was necessarily anything super special or worth any longer than an hour wait, personally. There was a long line after we left, so we definitely felt a little rushed to finish our food and leave to make room for others to dine. It is indeed very tiny (literally 11 seats). read more

Sobakatsu - Tenzaru (shrimp + veg) - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

excellent, really authentic soba! we finally managed to snag some fresh noodles and around 5pm on a tuesday -- previously they've always sold out when I tried to go later. it's a tiny space with 11 seats and is pretty much self-serve (pre-pay). the dishes are a bit pricey, but they are good. we got one hot and one cold: - Hot Yuzu-Scented Niku Soba ($25) - Cold Tenzaru Omakase Special Kakiage & Veg ($28) we couldn't really taste any yuzu in the former other than the yuzu strips, but I still liked the flavor and noodle textures. the cold dipping soba was paired well with some well-fried tempura. remember to polish off your dipping sauce with the free soba-yu! read more

Sobakatsu - tempura soba, niku soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Solid soba. Tasty tempura. Cute authentic 11 seater restaurant. Try to get here early; there's a line around the corner. read more

Sobakatsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I love this authentic little spot in Japan town. The soba was earthy and delicate. The tempura are fried with a gluten-free powder that gave a interesting texture. One can put a generous amount of spice powder to the tempura to give it more flavor. The dipping sauce was perfectly complementary to the chilled soba. You can add your preferred amount to wasabi and spring onions in the sauce - I put all of the wasabi in the sauce and it was still excellent. I love the fried the scallop tempura, and all of the vegetable tempura. This is the ultimate comfort food on a rainy day. I came around 5pm and left as round 6pm on a Tuesday There was space for singles/couples but harder to find table for 4 given the space. No wait for table and I got my food in 15 minutes. Great value and love this spot for a simple, authentic and nuanced dinner. I also tried the soba warabimochi, a gelatin chewy rectangular pieces of dessert dusted in sesame powder. It was solid but the soba is the winner here. I would love to come back to try the hot soba as well. read more

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This is a great place, but not worth the almost 3 hour wait! I found this randomly on my maps and decided to try it out on a weekend. I happened to arrive right at opening, not knowing this is a ridiculously sought after place. I ended up waiting almost 3 (!!!!) hours. It looked too good to pass up and line actually didn't seem that long. Turns out there's only a handful of seats inside and line moves very very slow. The service is great! The cooks are very sweet and friendly. There are a couple options. I got the additional spicy dipping sauce add on. The spicy is fine, no need to order. The tempura is fantastic. It's light and airy and well flavored. The noodles are good. The normal dipping sauce is a little fishy, but not bad. The experience is nice but not worth the line! read more

Sobakatsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Soba restaurant at Japanese town in San Francisco. It is small restaurant at corner street and it is specialized in authentic and freshly made Japanese l soba noidle . It was busy and people in line when we arrived and the restaurant is not opened yet. We missed the first seating as It only have 11 seats in the restaurant with some are bar style seat. The wait time was about 45 to more than an hour. The best to line up before it opens. Once you are find a seat, you can order from the touch screen ordering The menu is simple , first you can choose hot or cold soba, and for tenzaru and tenkake set you choose either tempura or kaikage. There is also other lr soba choices. For small bites it has chicken tenders, braised pork, and and mochi for dessert. We ordered tenzaru and tenkske with shrimp kaikage. We also ordered kakesoba, chicken tender and mochi. Both cold and hot soba are unique and yummy. I like soba texture and yhe broth cold and hot are yummy. The kaikage is unique as it is a bit chewy. The chicken tender is ok. Mochi is yummy. Looks like one of the worker is the owner and he was friendly. Overall it was a good lunch. You have to be patient if you want to have a meal here. Ehile you are inside , you feel like uou are in one of the restaurant in japan as it is small, with open kitchen, and pack. Parking is on the street and the restaurant has one restroom. read more

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Hard to find soba at all, let alone at this level. Was so excited to hear sobakatsu had opened but hard to get a seat! Our second attempt dining here was a success! 1st time we came at 3-4ish on a Friday and they'd just sold out early. This time we arrived 1:45 Friday, waited with about 10 people in front of us in line for 45 mins, the maybe another 15 for food. On our way out, saw the line was maybe half as long. If you're willing to chance a sell-out and try them around 3 that's probably still a good bet. Single diners should peek in and try to snag a single seat open at the bar - save like 30min wait. While the clam and duck hot sobas caught my eye, it was a warm day so we both opted for cold soba. We tried both the jumbo shrimp and shrimp/veg tenzarus. I preferred the jumbo shrimp (typical with tempura), both came with veggies. I could have eaten a lot more tempura! Light batter, so fresh. The soba was so simple but satisfying, comforting and .. pure? So much restraint on this plate. You can dip your tempura in the broth and finish it with the sobayu. I typically would but I was honestly too stuffed - it's a hearty amount of soba! We also tried the ume chicken tempura which was moist and super interesting - I love shiso so was a great surprise! The sobawarachimochi was a delightful dessert (hubby ate his throughout the meal), combining the buckwheat with kinako and kuromitsu. Softer and lighter than rice mochi. It's a small spot, so you may feel pressure to eat quickly and vacate your seat (maybe that's just me) instead of slow down and enjoy the meal, the time and passion and expertise put into it. You bus your own table - the bar we sat at was pretty sticky even after we wiped it down with the wipes they provided. But sometimes wipes themselves could be sticky! Prices feel reasonable, and despite the wait and stickiness we are already plotting to come back! read more

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We arrived at 11:08 AM on a Saturday and were already the 6th party in line which didn't make the cut for the first wave of seating. If the food is truly good though, I don't usually mind a wait. I ordered the hot soba with surumi tempura which was essentially an assortment of 5 different fishcakes. My husband got the same but with the special tempura. Right off the bat, the tempura lacked salt. The hot soba broth leaned on the sweeter side as well. There is salt provided in the container on the table, so maybe the lack of salt was intentional? I've just never had to personally add more salt to any tempura. Portions also run a bit small, especially with the surumi tempura, but this, I expected. Overall, the food was mid. You do have to grab your own order after it is ready from the counter, which can be a bit precarious since the restaurant is extremely compact. For waiting a total of 2 hours before seeing food, I'd say Sobakatsu wasn't worth it and didn't live up the hype. read more

Sobakatsu - hot soba with surimi tempura - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I heard of Sobakatsu from my friend from NYC who found it on TikTok and suggested going when she was visited SF last year. We ended up elsewhere; however, I alway kept Sobakatsu bookmarked for another time. An opportunity presented itself when my local friend and I decided to grab an early weeknight dinner. It was great because we were able to avoid crowds, and there was no queue to order. While I'm not typically inclined toward cold food, I decided to give it a go here rather than default to soup. I got the tenzaru with shrimp kakiage and vegetables. The kakiage was perfect! Not greasy at all and the flavor was on point. As for the noodles, there were certainly a lot of them. I thought they were alright, but the amount was disproportionate to the amount of protein, and I couldn't finish them all. I really debated giving this place 3 or 4 stars, and honestly, I'd say it's a decent 3.5, but I'm rounding down because I think the volume of noodles to kakiage could be more balanced. read more

Sobakatsu - menu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Popular and small soba noodle spot located near Japantown. The line is notoriously long but today it looked shorter than usual so decided to give it a shot. Despite having only six people in front of us, we still waited about 45 minutes to get seated. The inside is very small. There is a small counter sitting for 2-3 people. Another 3 to 4 tables sitting maybe 8 to 10 people. You prepay and order at a Kiosk and than wait for your meal to be served. the menu is limited -- the main decision is do you want to go down the cold soba noodle path or the hot noodle with soup path. From there, you pick from a variety of tempura or kakiage options. The tempura is a little lighter and the kakiage is also deep fried but more of a corn fritter texture and look. We ordered one of each and ultimately I prefer the cold noodles for its more chewy texture but the hot version provides a nice fish broth. I found the dishes satisfying, tasty, and delicious. The tempura had a nice crunch but was not as light as others I have had. The noodles were al dente and good, but overall, nothing was spectacular enough for me to wait 45 minutes to 1.5 hours for, especially when it's $20 to $25 a bowl. Probably 3.5 stars for me... read more

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Food was DELICIOUS, but not worth waiting over an hour. We got in line at 12:15pm on a Saturday, then didn't get a table and our food until 2:15pm. The restaurant is small, ran by two friendly people. So shoutout to the small businesses! Highly recommend to get in line before they open. read more

Sobakatsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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No wait on a Tuesday 6pm! Order on the tablet and the seat yourself. As you already know, the space is small. In terms of the item, order one cold tenzaru with surimi tempera ($22) and one hot, tenkake ($20) soba. Asked for a small bowl for sharing and was declined unfortunately. The surimi tempera consists of scallop and shrimp tempera, it was good, but I wished the pieces were larger. The veggie tempera is contains good variety and fried in fresh oil. Simple meal. I prefer chewier noodles, so I like the cold noodles, but the broth of the hot soup. read more

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Intimate Ambiance. Lengthy Lines. Generous Portions for Price. Cold & Warm Menu, Including Seasonal Special. Decadent Food. Paid Metered & Lots Around Area. See Below for More Details: Intimate Ambiance: Sobakatsu has an intimate ambiance with twelve seats. There are two tables of four and then four bar stools. The space is cozy. Thus, Sobakatsu is best for smaller groups or solo diners. Lengthy Lines: Lines can be long, as shared by other reviewers. However, this was not my experience. Serendipitously, I found myself in Japantown during my day off, and I was able to find a seat, order, and get my food within ten minutes. I am super grateful. Generous Portions for Price: Sobakatsu has generous portions for the price, relative to other San Francisco restaurants. I have a hearty appetite and was full for hours following my meal at Sobakatsu. Cold & Warm Menu, Including Seasonal Special: Sobakatsu has an expansive menu consisting of cold and warm noodles. The restaurant even offers a seasonal special. For instance, I had the Niku Noodles special during my December 2025 visit. Decadent Food: Sobakatsu has decadent food. I had the Niku Noodles, and what a delicious meal, my favorite for fall 2025. The broth was warm and nicely seasoned. The noodles were soft. The eggs was complimentary to the noodles and meat, gooey and mixed well with the broth. I am counting down the days until I am able to return to have noodles at Sobakatsu. Paid Meters & Lots Around Area: Sobakatsu is in San Francisco's Japantown. There is parking in the perimeter including paid street meters that you can pay with quarters or a card as well as private lots, such as the Japan Center Garage. If you want to get steps and take in San Francisco weather, there is two-hour residential parking several blocks out from Japantown. However, be cautious about street cleaning and signs. Overall, I had an incredible experience at Sobakatsu, and I am joyous to return soon! read more

Sobakatsu - Niku Noodles ($25, December 2025) - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sobakatsu is not just a meal, it's an experience. It's the kind of place you go when you have several leisurely hours to invest. Plan to wait...for parking, for a table, for the (delicious, delicious) food. On the mid-afternoon holiday weekend Friday that we visited, there were only two parties of two in front of us, which I viewed as an unusually short line, yet we waited for over an hour before we ordered. The restaurant has only 11 seats and operates on a wait-for-a-table, order-from-the-kiosk and self-serve basis. Trust me, you'll have plenty of time to study the posted menus. Know that when you finally get to order, the kiosk provides more options than the signs, so be open-minded about your selection. Also, know that the hours are noon to 7 p.m., or as soon as they run out of soba. In other words, get there early in the day, if possible. As well, if you are in the neighborhood, check the posted monthly calendar in advance so that you avoid stopping by on one of their vacation days. read more

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There are similarly tiny noodle shops in Japan, so many that I find it amusing that this spot is so popular among the SF Gen Y-to-Z crowd, enough for them to queue up on the sidewalk. In fact, on one weekday afternoon, I was so shocked at the absence of a line of young foodies that I decided to make my long delayed virginal visit. As I suspected, not a single silver-haired J-Town senior was to be found on any of the eleven seats. I believe my presence must've shot up the age median significantly. It looked to be a two-man operation, and I found out ordering needed to be done on a tablet. Thanks to the mouthy couple waiting behind me, I felt pressure to order quickly and mindlessly selected items à la carte. I was corrected by one of the men who backed out my order and had me place a combo order for the $20 Tenzaru Meal of Shrimp Kakiage and Cold Zarusoba Noodles. That saved me $8. Thank you sir. Fortunately I was able to seize a counter seat when it opened and didn't wait long for the arrival of my traditional meal (Photo 7). The chilled soba noodles were piled neatly on a bamboo tray accompanied by a light soy dipping sauce, some fresh wasabi, and a bit of green onion. The deliciously crispy shrimp kakiage was served on its own laquer dish and presented as a lightly battered fritter of roughly chopped shrimp. I'm usually allergic to buckwheat, but the noodles went down quite smoothly. I also added a dessert, the $6 Sobawaramochi, which was a serving of the jelly- like warabi mochi coated in kinako (roasted soybean powder) and sitting in a pool of kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup). What a treat as it's more of a regional sweet treat in Japan often sold off mobile carts. Now I understand why people wait in lines here. I just may do that next time with Jamie W. FOOD - 5 stars...authentic tenzaru meals executed flawlessly AMBIANCE - 4 stars...tight quarters for sure SERVICE - 5 stars...he didn't have to save me money TOTAL - 5 stars...a little soba never killed anyone (thank goodness) RELATED - Exploring Japantown? Here's a collection of places l've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/l1AAkI4i6h read more

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Yum! Worth the wait if you're craving soba and some tempura! There's about 10ish seats inside so the wait might take a bit. You order at the kiosk then your food should be out shortly after being seated. We tried the soba with scallop and fish tempura. I would say the fish tempura is a must try! The batter is light and the fish is flakey. There's a nice citrus flavor. The scallop tempura is a bunch of baby scallops fried into a patty of sorts. The shrimp tempura was also solid but nothing outstanding. To finish we had the warabi mochi which we found to have an interesting texture. It was more hard and solid than what I was expecting, I had thought it would be more jiggly and melty. Defiantly a fun spot to try out if you're near by and the line looks short! read more

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Writing this feels really weird since A) I actually liked what I tried here and B) this is far from a negative review. Yet, after seeing all of the glowing five star reviews that so many folks have given Sobakatsu, I can't help but feel a little sheepish giving "only" four stars since it puts me in the clear minority! Now, as so many others have already noted, it really is striking just how small Sobakatsu is. In all, there are just eleven seats inside - a four-top, a couple of two-tops, and three counter seats. Despite their size, though, this place is no less mighty and, not surprisingly, quite efficient. Once you've made it to the front of the line and see a space open up, enter your order at the tablet and grab your seat(s). As for the menu, while it may be similarly modest, everything on it looks great. Obviously, soba is their specialty, of which they have over a half dozen hot and cold varieties, but they also have a nice assortment of tempura, kakiage, and small sides as well! -- SCALLOP KAKIAGE This was terrific! The batter was perfect and I loved how flavorful the bay scallops were. Plus, it was a nice surprise to get a few pieces of tempura as well. The snap pea was okay, and both the mushroom and kabocha were good, but my favorite was the surimi. -- BRAISED PORK BELLY DISH I was a little worried when I saw how big and fatty these were, but this was so good! Although each piece had a bit of fat on them, they didn't have a super fatty taste to them and were oh so tender. Plus, the sauce was rich and delicious! -- TENZARU SOBA SET - Cold Soba with Mixed Tempura A bit disappointing, to be honest. Mostly, both the soba and the sauce didn't taste different from what I've had at legit Japanese restaurants elsewhere. As for the tempura, the batter was really thin, but I loved that the portion was generous (five pieces of shrimp!). Sadly, since we missed the first wave of seating when they opened (we got here at about 11:40am on a Friday), my friend and I ended up having to wait about an hour and a half before we finally got in (it was a little after 1pm by the time we ordered and sat down). That being said, I have to admit it didn't feel that long since they're good about churning our orders (and groups) quickly. All in all, I definitely wouldn't mind coming back to check out more of Sobakatsu's offerings, especially one of their hot soba options, but I'm not sure I would wait as long as we did again to do it. Don't get me wrong - I was happy to do it to finally come here and the food is certainly worth checking out. It's just that while what I had was good, I don't know if it's wait-in-line-for-90-minutes-again good. If I only had to wait for half of that time, though? Absolutely. FOUR AND A HALF STARS rounded down. read more

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Small restaurant with two cooks and a tablet POS to order. I arrived a few minutes after opening on a Tuesday and had to wait for the first wave of customers to eat and leave - about 45 minutes, so I'd plan to arrive before opening next time if you want to be the first seating, or come after the lunch rush around 2 or 3, but risk their closing early for selling out. Authentic refreshing cold soba and exceptionally well fried light crispy tempura. Warabimochi was nice and chewy but a lot of the powder got on my backpack - eater beware. Cute restaurant and enjoyed the cozy vibe and authentic food but wouldn't wait hours for it read more

Sobakatsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Third time's a charm! Finally got to try here after several failed attempts. We went for lunch and despite arriving at 11:45am before it opened, there was already a huge line and still had to wait over an hour. You order on the screen and there's 2 men furiously popping out soba and tempura. I got the veggie set and my friend got the combo. We both got hot soba. The soba was slightly soft for me, but otherwise the tempura was good. While I probably would not wait again for over an hour, definitely worth checking out and if the line ever dies down I'd come back when I'm in town! read more

Sobakatsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

i had been wanting to try sobakatsu for awhile, and i did not realize it was such a small establishment. it only seats 11 -- two 4-tops and three bar seats -- so be ready to be in close quarters with other patrons! the entire restaurant is self-serve with clear instructions in the front. find a table, order from the tablet, pick up your order once your number is called, and clean up after yourself after your meal. because of the limited seating, be prepared for a wait. from the time when i arrived to when i received my food was about 40 minutes. the decor, setup, and entire ambiance made it feel very authentic. while i've never been to japan, this is certainly what i would imagine a soba shop in japan to be like! there is also soba-yu on the side to enjoy as a hot drink or to pour into the cold concentrated soba after. this is a very unique thing that i've never seen at other japanese places. now for the food! i ordered a hot soba with assorted tempura, which came with 1 jumbo shrimp, 3 normal shrimp, 1 yam, 1 mushroom, 1 shishito pepper, and 1 imitation crabmeat. the tempura was light and not too doughy. perfect for dipping in the broth! the soba noodles were absolutely delicious in texture and taste, and the broth was perfectly seasoned. as garnish, there is a fish cake, yuzu, and some leafy vegetables which i thought was a great touch. i also got surimi as a side, and this blew me away. it came with four assorted surimi -- mushroom, shrimp, corn, and vegetable. all were incredibly yummy, flavorful, and amazing. i highly recommend sobakatsu and can't wait to come back. next time, i'll come right at opening to ensure i don't have to wait! thank you for the wonderful meal! read more

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After first hearing about this little spot on Tiktok I knew I had to check it out. I absolutely love soba noodles as well as tempura so I ventured out to Japantown to give it a try. When I went there was already a long line that I ended up waiting an hour an ten minutes. Luckily I had already grabbed a matcha from maruwu seicha so that held me over a bit while I waited. The inside seating is incredibly small only seating roughly 15 people with a small kiosk up front to pay and a broth refill station. I decided to get the cold soba noodle set with tempura and it was so incredibly refreshing and delicious. The soba was chewy and bouncy while the broth was chilled and tangy. The tempura was also perfectly crunchy and delicate. My absolute favorite item however was the warabi mochi. This was hands down some of the best mochi I have ever had and it was dusted with soy bean powder and topped with a sweet glaze. Absolutely recommend getting this in addition to the soba noods! read more

Sobakatsu - Cold soba noodles + tempura + mochi - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

While its hard to find seating because Sobakatsu is small, once inside it's about as authentic (to Japan) as you can find. The soba is chewy and good, the dipping sauce (dashi) is solid, and the tempura was light and as good as I've had, including in Japan at a good tempura spot. Order ahead on a screen, get a ticket, find a seat, and wait for your lunch, as it's made-to-order. Turn around times were fairly quick, but I did come after the lunch rush. Limited seating, so you'll need to time your a visit to best enjoy it. I recommend coming at off hours and not at peak times, if possible. read more

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Huge portion and delicious food, but the wait is very long. Seating is very limited inside, and even though there were only maybe 10 people in front of us, it took about an hour to get inside. If you can come on a weekday when there's a short wait, I definitely would recommend! read more

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This was the first time I've ever tried soba and I was not disappointed. I tried both hot and cold versions. The cold version was very refreshing, and perfect for hotter days. The hot version was very good and perfect for colder days. For the hot soba, I tried the limited time Niku yuzu, it was very good with a light citrus taste and came with a poached egg which was so creamy and delicious. As for the tempuras, they were lightly coated and tasted very light. I'm usually not a huge fan of tempuras but these were so good. The portions are a lot larger than it looks! I felt very full halfway through eating, but instead of getting a food coma, I felt energized after because it's healthy. This restaurant is very small, only having two 2-top tables, one 4-top, and 3 bar seatings. They opened at 12, but we came at 11:20 and a line was already starting. I recommend coming here as early as 11 if you want to make it into the first seating. We self order at the kiosk and the kitchen will call for the number when it's ready. After eating, you bring your tray to the counter so the next people can seat. It does take a while for them to cook as it's made fresh right after you order so waiting can take some time. It took us 20 minutes to get our food when we ordered at 12:05. read more

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I visited Sobakatsu on a Wednesday at 11:30am and there were already 4 people in front of me in line! I definitely recommend arriving at 11:30am latest on the weekdays and likely much earlier on the weekend to avoid waiting in line. There are only 11 seats in the entire restaurant. Keep in mind this also means you may need to share a table with strangers. I ordered the Zaru cold soba with special kakiage and warabi mochi. The soba was refreshing and chewy. I liked it but I LOVED the warabi mochi. It's really hard to find in the city and I'd be tempted to line up just to grab this to go! For $6, it's a very generous portion and the entire meal left me very full as a solo diner. read more

Sobakatsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food is very good and tasty. Nice portions . I ordered the cold Soba with the Tempura. It comes with a dipping sauce that really adds flavor to the dish. I also ordered the Omakase fish cake. That dish is very flavorful and delicious.,They do not offer drinks just water and the water from the noodles, it is quite comforting. It is more like self service . The ordering is done on an IPad before you sit down. They do not have to go boxes so either bring one or just order enough., there is a line so make sure you come early. The place is small so it is hard to go around. I was so entertained by the Billiken. Look for it when you visit. I was going to give it a 5 star but the table was sticky, so I hope they will do something about it. read more

Sobakatsu - Fish cake Omakase - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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What an interesting little shop. I waited about an hour even though there were only five people in front of me. There are only around 8 seats in the restaurant and you don't really interact with any staff. You order at a kiosk and pick up your food when it's ready. I ordered the Tenzaru cold soba meal and was very impressed with the shrimp tempura. I could easily eat 6 of them. The batter was light and crisp and the flavor was perfect. However I wish the soba had more flavor or that I had ordered it with a broth. It was quite bland, even with the dipping sauce. I would try a different soba dish next time, and make sure to order more shrimp tempura! read more

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I had heard about the hype for Sobakatsu for months and was fortunate enough to snag a walk-in seat in their intimate dining space during off-hours for lunch! price: ~$20 We got the shrimp tempura cold soba set to share. Everything tasted super fresh and delicate, and the soba noodles had a good texture. Flavors were overall pretty light, which you can control with the togarashi at the table. Prices are fairly steep for the set menu, but the story of gluten-free buckwheat soba noodles and freshly prepared, unique tempura is compelling. Probably not worth waiting too long in line for, in my opinion -- but still a good option for lunch if you're in the area! read more

Sobakatsu - Shrimp Tempura Set - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Waited in line for about 1.5 hours before ordering. Ordered the Ten Kake, which comes with a bowl of hot soba and your choice of tempura. I opted for the scallops kikiage with vegetable tempura, and my friend got the shrimp tempura. The hot soba broth was tasty and the noodles had good texture. My favorite bite was eating the broth with the one bit of yuzu zest that was in the bowl (wish there was more zest!). I was not really a fan of the tempura - the scallop and shrimp tempura was coated with batter that tasted very coconut-y, and even for the vegetables, the batter was rather heavy and greasy. Would not wait in line for that long again, but it was a solid bowl of soba. There are only two tables that seat 4 and 3 counter seats, so this place would be more optimal for smaller parties. read more

Sobakatsu - Ten Kake with Scallops Kikiage & Vegetable Tempura - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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What a relief! I thought I wouldn't have a unique opportunity from Sobakatsu! After more than half an hour of standing and waiting, I finally got to have one empty seating near the bar after the young Asian customer finished her meal. Can't believe I be sitting in front of the small golden lucky deity; but no, I won't rub its feet for good luck. I paid and dine quickly before heading into downtown market. For starters, I went for a nice bowl of plain-as-day Kakesoba. I once had cold soba in any ramen cafés, but this one was hot, which was good for cold weather. No veggie tempura nor kitsune (fried tofu) needed since they're added to the price. Gluten free, crunchy, fresh, and delicate, it's no wonder none of us afford to go for takeout, nor shall reservations be taken. And its clear, clean broth felt like a lukewarm tub for relaxation. Every time I came into any authentic Japanese ramen cafés, the smell of umami lingers with excitement the moment I get close. With over two tables, each with four seats, while three seats near the soba bar. That's a total of eleven seats, which can be quite a challenge to people waiting for hours in a very long snake line. Just when we think the number of people reduced in the late afternoon, there'll be no snowball's chance once Sobakatsu ran out of soba for the rest of the day. So be sure to arrive very early for a unique experience, or go elsewhere. This family owned soba bar café made such good soba meals with love that never disappoints. read more

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