Fantastic place. Very unique atmosphere and delicious food. Service was excellent and on time to make it to the theater. The variety of food is great. If you are in the area, try them out and share your experiences with us. Happy dinner everyone! read more

Sushi Monster - Sushi Bars Near Me - Poway, California

Looking for a healthy AYCE restaurant? This is the place to go for a great variety of food from soups & salads to all kinds of sushi; nigiri, baked, rolls, hand rolls, sashimi, tempuras and appetizers too at a very reasonable price per person... One of the best AYCE restaurant you can find in SoCal! It's small, quiet, unassuming but the decor is unique and the kids will love it here. We were surrounded with families eating with their toddlers enjoying the food! Yoko & Erin's service in explaining the menu items, making sure our tea did not run dry, and all done with great smiles (Yoko) and attentive, professional service. We will definitely recommend this place to our families who live in the SD area and we'll be back! Happy & Blessed New Year & thank you for the great Christmas/New Year gift! read more

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Weekday sushi monster AYCE lunch is worth it even if you aren't trying to stuff your face. For 1 person, it was $28.99 for weekday lunch (December 2025). There's a wide variety of rolls (though not all the specialty ones), nigiri, appetizers, hand rolls, and more. If you went ala cart and ordered 2 rolls, you'd already be paying more than if you went for the AYCE. Or even 1 roll and a few orders of nigiri. Based on the price, I'd say the quality matched the price. The rolls were very tasty and some were unique. For the nigiri, I enjoyed the yellowtail more than the salmon. However, the seared salmon really stood out. Albacore was also not bad. The jalapeno yellowtail had a few chopped up pieces of yellowtail. They do pack these quite heavily with rice which can really fill you up. It was quiet and service was great. The place is pretty small so I imagine it can get busy and you might have to wait awhile. Definitely go for the AYCE even if you only order a few things. read more

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Sushi Monster is the cutest themed restaurant I've ever seen. The Studio Ghibli wall is magical, they have all sorts of anime & video game swords mounted on the wall, and a really cool water feature towards the back. The menu has a good selection of cooked foods and raw sushi/sashimi. I loved my teriyaki chicken bento! The chicken was grilled nicely with a slight char but still very tender. Hubby was very pleased with the size of the tuna maki; they're big fat pieces of tuna and rice, not the usual tiny ones. Our daughter really enjoyed the shoyu ramen and honestly for a non-ramen restaurant it was pretty good! The chashu was soft, seasoned egg perfectly jammy, and the noodles had a good bouncy bite. Service was very friendly and the restaurant's cozy and clean. read more

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Always excited to find another great sushi place in town! Sushi Monster is known for their ACYE sushi menu and it was well worth it. We went for lunch which was $29. I felt the price was fair given the quality and quantity of food. The ACYE menu includes many different sushi rolls, appetizers, and ramen. Their sushi portions were large so keep that in mind when ordering. Honestly we felt full after 2-3 rolls each. Service was friendly, prompt, and professional. Our food came out within a reasonable time despite going during the lunch rush. All the sushi rolls were tasty and fresh. The hot items were hot and cooked to order. The salads were fresh and crispy. The restaurant is on the smaller side with about 5 booths and 3-4 large tables but the decor and ambiance is very cool and clean. It felt like we transported to Japan. I would definitely come back for more! read more

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This place is fairly new and my go-to when ordering from Uber Eats because of their buy 1 get 1 free offers (though their prices have an upcharge on Uber Eats). We usually order the chicken teriyaki bento box which comes with miso soup, tempura, 4 pieces of California roll, and chicken teriyaki with rice. The flavor is decent ad while it's not the most amazing sushi I've ever had, it's a satisfactory option especially in Poway. read more

Sushi Monster - Sushi Bars Near Me - Poway, California

We were looking for a nearby sushi place and stumbled onto this gem. Didn't know it was AYCE place until we saw the sign on the window. We came on a sat night and luckily we got seated right away. They have a good amount of selection on their menu so we ordered a few rolls and lots of nigiri. The fish tasted fresh and wasn't filled with too much rice. read more

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This is a solid sushi spot in the heart of old Poway off Poway road! Sushi Monster replaced a different sushi shop that I frequented regularly so I was curious to try them. I was a fan of the anime themed interior, colorful studio Ghibli characters adorned the walls. They are known for their AYCE which at $28.95 for lunch is a pretty solid deal! We weren't famished when we went so we opted for a la carte offering: - Chicken teriyaki bento box $13.95 - Sushi Variety Bento $21.95 Chicken teriyaki was an incredible value. It came with piping hot miso soup, crispy tempura, and two California roll pieces. Chicken was deliciously tenderized and flavored. The sushi variety bento box came with 6 nigiri pieces, house salad, and a shrimp roll. My favorite nigiri was the yellowtail and salmon. Again, very solid value. Service was friendly and I liked how they give you plenty of ice and water in a pitcher. read more

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This place is so cute, great spot to go to with fellow friends. It's small inside but had a great fun vibe with its decor. There are a ton of images and murals from anime and Ghibli and I enjoyed looking around while I waited to eat. It was cute to take pictures of and I liked exploring, even venturing down to the bathroom to see the cool posters that were hanging there as well. The sushi tasted okay to me. There was a bit too much cucumber to fish ratio, especially in my yellowtail cut roll. I feel like I've had a bit fresher and better in some places that are in the same-ish vicinity, but I still had a great time here. The presentation and unique atmosphere make it worth coming back for. read more

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Love the staff and love love the decor, I feel I am In Japan with all the Animae on the wall, love the photos I can take with each character, I love ayce from the sushi rolls, the tempura, the salmon collar One of my favs, the miso soup and of course nigiri is soo good too, come check them out!! read more

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i've only really liked one sushi place in all of san diego but after coming here, i've happily added a second place! food was amazing. service was friendly and pretty quick so we definitely appreciated that. the inside of the restaurant is very fun with anime themed and anime playing in the background. read more

My husband and I have eaten AYCE weekday lunch here 4 times now and we like it better than some others. It is a great value for $28 weekday lunch until 2:30pm. The first 2 times during soft opening were amazing because the rice to fish ratio was phenomenal. The 3rd time we were disappointed because the nigiris were like the rice had been pressed in a rectangle pan and fish just placed on top. The nigiri pieces still stuck together and were big blocks of rice. The 4th time we went thank goodness the nigiri had semblance of being individually formed by hand and the rice ratio, though not good as 1st time, were better than the 3rd time. --My favorites-- *spicy garlic edamame: the spicy garlic sauce on the edamame is sooo good. I like to take the garlic from it and put it on the sushi pieces *eel hand roll: the rice to seaweed ratio is great and I love that it has avocado *seared salmon nigiri: there's something about torched rice that makes a deliciously charred flavor *salmon skin salad: nice and crispy *salmon lover roll: I appreciate rolls that don't have filler krab meat *mini ramen: we actually liked this very much as a small side dish. It has corn, nice firm noodles, and hot soup *sesame balls: it is so soft and chewy! Delicious dessert --Can be improved-- *tempura shrimp: isn't tempura but panko. I prefer tempura Parking is easy in the big free parking lot. Service is friendly and polite. The interior decor fantastic. The wooden carved tables, fountain in the corner, giant ghibli wallpapers, one piece banners in the hallway, and anime/video game sword collection is very impressive. Kudos to the owner properly displaying each homage. You can tell decor is done thoughtfully because they're ordered/grouped together by title. read more

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Came to try out the AYCE. It was 34.99pp. They made it clear they charge for leftovers (see menu for the rules) Once we were seated, servers were slow and unorganized. we were the only customers in the restaurant at the time...toward the end of the meal as more customers came in, servers were being more attentive. Ordered a few different nigiri's but the best fish was salmon so we ate mostly salmon nigiri's. Rice to fish ratio was perfect. The yellowtail Kama wasn't good, so I'd skip on that. Overall, this place is decent if you're in the area but not good enough to go out of my way to eat here. read more

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I just discovered a new AYCE sushi spot that I would go back again! The name is not like other traditional Japanese restaurant name. The decor is anime themed. It's not very big but cozy. We opted in for AYCE. It's so worth the price. There were many options to choose from. Our waitress was friendly but not very familiar with the dishes we had questions about. We ordered lots of nigiri. They were fresh and delicious. Another reason I liked this place is that they have many Eel dishes to choose from. I enjoyed everything that we ordered. They had 90 min limit and there would be additional charge if you have leftovers. We definitely had no problem finishing everything We'll be back when we're hungry for some fresh sushi. read more

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I first was attracted to this place cos of the cute Japanese and anime decor in this restaurant, plus reviews were positive. What's good to know is that there is an ayce sushi place in the area. However, we didn't go for the ayce and just ordered off the regular menu. Service was friendly but staff seemed disorganized and didn't know who already asked our table for our drinks or our order. But it could also be they were overwhelmed by a big party that was coming for a reservation. In any case, we ordered a couple of rolls: California, Tuna Maki, Amazing Rainbow, Hercules, and samurai roll. They were all good, nothing great, but wasn't bad either. Most rolls they had included shrimp tempura in it, so while there were a lot of different rolls, the base was the same which made it meh/uninteresting. Glad we came to try them out, def cute decor inside and parking is easy to find but the sushi itself was lacking for us. read more

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Sushi and all you can eat?? Sign me up! My wife and I have been to numerous AYCE sushi places up and we have several favorite spots in SoCal and Las Vegas, but sadly, San Diego does not have good AYCE sushi, at least until now. This restaurant is located in a small business outlet near Five Guys in Poway with plenty of parking. The restaurant itself is tiny, with only about 10 tables with enough seating for 4 people each. The restaurant is run by a chef and his family. Support your small businesses! We usually come here for the lunch AYCE on weekdays, so it's not too busy. We have been here 3 times now, and each time we were seated right away and our orders were taken quickly. There were a few times when one item on our order was missing, but they fixed it whenever we brought it up. The food came out in a reasonable amount of time, and I have to say that overall, the food is pretty good. It's not mind-blowing, but good enough to justify the price, which is the lowest in San Diego, I believe. The menu has a good enough variety, the fish is fresh as can be, and the amount of rice was decent in both the rolls and nigiri. All the fried food was done well, and I definitely enjoyed the shrimp tempura. Overall, for the price, it might be the best AYCE in San Diego. Give this place a try! read more

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First time having AYCE sushi and Sushi Monster did not disappoint! I came here for a friend's birthday and quickly noticed the decor. They have swords displayed on the walls and flags featured throughout the restaurant. Our server walked us through the process and we started our first round of sushi. We ordered so much but the Jessica Alba roll and the Spanish roll were my favorites! There was a little bit of a learning curve that you may be charged for unfinished rolls, but fortunately everyone was able to finish. I'll definitely be coming back, just maybe when I'm not so full! read more

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Friendly servers, beautiful wallpaper, it is giving foodie vibe. The issue I came across with, i ordered sashimi bento box ($24.95) and thought the sashimi is the star of my bento but it kinda fell short. There was a small pile of 6 sashimis on the plate and I gotta be honest.. the tunas were paper thin slice. The 2 salmon was a tad bit better in slice but the other 4 were just really paper thin. The rainbow roll I felt had better slices of fish in it BUTTTTTT the sashimi was really underwhelming in my opinion. Other than that, they were very friendly and attentive here and it is fun to take my 6 year old here because of the wall arts. He really enjoyed it. read more

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My friend and I decide to try a new sushi spot! We arrived right at 11am when the restaurant opened and were seated right away. Their decor is super cute! There's plenty of seating inside. They have an all you can eat menu that you can order from and a regular menu with lots of options and good prices. Service was quick! If you're in the area and looking for a quick bite, I'd recommend! I personally wouldn't come here again as I live 25 min away from here. Food review: Green tea: (2/5) I assumed it would be like an iced matcha tea, but it was bottled store bought tea. Karaage: (4/5) This was actually pretty flavorful. You get a good amount of chicken, but wish there was some sort of dipping sauce. Miso soup: (3/5) The broth had an interesting aftertaste. Garlic edamame: (3/5) It was okay, I wouldn't order again. Salmon nigiri: (3/5) It wasn't fresh tasting in my opinion, but wasn't horrible. Salmon lover roll: (4/5) This roll was delicious! Super filling and had such a yummy sauce on top. read more

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Great little spot for sushi spot! Sushi Monster took over the place that was formerly Ichizen in Poway. It's a smaller restaurant with a whole lot of charm and cool artwork on the walls. We stopped by on a busy night but they managed to seat us right away. The servers are very friendly and make you feel right at home. She gave some great sushi recommendations. What we had: An assortment of handrolls: salmon skin, spicy yellowtail and Eel...all nice and fresh. Nothing extraordinary but tasty nonetheless Seared Salmon Nigiri: this was absolutely delish. Seared salmon on top of rice with lemon slices Albacore Special: shrimp tempura with avo and some type of sauce on top. Good stuff. They also offer AYCE sushi which we have not tried yet but plan on doing so in the near future. Parking can be a bit crazy but it's a large enough lot where you should be able to find a spot without issue. Will definitely return! read more

I decided to check out Sushi Monster after seeing a few posts of it. Honestly, I'm not a fan of AYCE sushi, but that's the only way we can afford it when we have two hungry teenagers. This place did not disappoint. Although, I have to say, the service was slower than other places we've been to. But the food was really good IMO. My kids had an awesome time, and we are definitely going back in the near future. read more

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Came here for dinner a few weeks ago and there was about a 30 minute wait. They let us leave our number so we could shop around Michael's nearby and they just called us when our table was ready, which was super convenient! The interior is pretty cute and anime inspired. Parking was pretty easy as there's a parking lot. We got the basic ayce with no sashimi included. The sides were really good! I enjoyed the salmon skin salad. The sushi quality was about what you'd expect from the average sushi spot. However it's really nice that they had eel on the ayce menu! They also had seared salmon which is my favorite! My biggest issue this visit was the massive amounts of rice they put on their nigiri which made it seem like you were literally just eating rice. The service was also very slow. I think the premium with sashimi might be more worth it if you want to actually eat fish. But if you're just going to get the regular ayce I wouldn't bother unless they reduced the amount of rice in the nigiri. read more

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A must go to during weekday lunch for AYCE! $30, what a steal! Fun anime vibes. I came hungry & I totally forgot everything that we ordered but I do remember the rolls being so good & I love how saucey they are. The nigiris are fresh & tasty. & they have a variety of appetizers. Closed on Tuesdays. read more

We love a good AYCE Sushi spot. I took my son to Sushi Monster and it did not disappoint. The service was great, we were there on a Saturday for lunch, and we enjoyed! The design inside is super cool as a big Anime fan, my son loved the wall art, and the fountain. We will definitely be back for many more sushi lunches and dinners! read more

there are so many AYCE sushi spots now but this one seemed pretty new so we decided to try it out. I loved the atmosphere cause it was kind of small and cozy, the sushi was good and the service was so quick and so nice. **no pics of sushi cause everything was devoured lol read more

Sushi Monster - waiting area - Sushi Bars Near Me - Poway, California

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Atmosphere and decor is so cute and the vibes is 10/10. It's definitely much smaller, but I think for the area is suitable for an AYCE. Our party of 4 was seated in less than 10 mins. They do offer reservations, which we didn't make before hand since most AYCE places don't accept reservations. The quality of food was excellent. $15.99 for kids under 10, $35.99 for adults. (Everyone in the party is required to partake in AYCE) Things I've noticed that made my meal enjoyable. The shrimp tempura here uses panko breading instead of tempura batter. So instantly with each bite, you have the crunch and not a stale/soggy texture like other sushi places. The fries are extra crispy. Everything comes out fresh. The kitchen was able to keep up with everything as we ordered, but with it being a new opening; the items came out in different times / order that we expected. I would recommend AYCE rolls being 4 pcs across the board to prevent waste or give option to do half orders. Otherwise, extremely happy with the dinner experience and will definitely be coming back! read more

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Located in the center of Poway, Sushi Monster is a great place to visit if you like sushi and are a fan of anime. The interior is tiny...so expect a bit of a wait depending on what time you go. When I went, I was told there would be a 30-minute wait, and I was fifth in line. It ended up being a 50-minute wait, sadly. There doesn't seem to be an assigned server to each table, so three different servers were helping me. I loved hearing all the anime songs and admiring their mural/decor while eating! They do have AYCE, which I'd be willing to try next time, but for this time, I just ordered some sushi plates. Some came out in a smaller portion than I thought, but most were tasty. One complaint is that the servers don't seem to clean very well, so our booth had rice spilled all over the floor. The other servers also didn't rush to clean up each table after guests left...so that may have contributed to the wait time. read more

Food: 5 Service: 5 Ambiance: 5 5 stars for sushimonster! I saw a post about this place and decided to check it out since it's close to home. We ended up going with the AYCE and so glad we did so now we know our favorite rolls (poway roll, tiger roll and spanish roll). Everything we ordered was delicious and fresh. Not only did we eat everything we ate, but service was excellent, efficient and friendly! The ambiance here is super neat too. The anime backdrop, wall water fountain, swords and flags adorning the ceiling make you feel like you're not in poway! Definitely my new sushi/Japanese spot in the area. I will definitely be back! read more

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First time coming here and it was definitely memorable! This place is by far such a vibe and the interior is way cool. I can see this place as a fun date night or group outing. For people who love anime definitely check this place out for the wall art and decor. The main restaurant seating area only sits 10 tables but can sit parties greater than 6 at more than half of them. There is a small separate room that has a table for what seems like a private party of 10 people max. The biggest table in the main seating area sits 8 but I assume they can connect the tables together if needed. I like how this place offers AYCE (All You Can Eat) for a decent price. There is one TV in here so I assume it can be used to watch a sports game. The interior and everything about this place is so nice, clean, and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The Japanese anime theme throughout the restaurant is implemented even in the bathroom! Attention to detail, go off! Also, there are two separate bathrooms for men and women. The food was tasty and the service was wonderful. I like the texture of the food and everything was not too saucy or not too overpowering. Our server Joseph on 3/30/25 was awesome. Very kind, friendly, and attentive; service was truly served with a smile for not just him but everyone here at this restaurant. I would come here again and think this place has a very good chance at excelling in the Poway location with all the other restaurant competitors. Don't hesitate to try this place out! read more

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The food is delicious and is 1 of only 2 all you can eat sushi restaurants in North County SD.

We decided to try out the new ayce sushi place and made a reservation online through Google. Unfortunately when we got there they didn't honor the reservation. So we were added to the waitlist. Half our party was outside and the other half went to a nearby store to buy a drink. The restaurant called our phone but it went straight to voicemail. We called back right away and they didn't answer. Not three minutes had passed and they gave our table away. They didn't bother to check if our party was outside. Which it was. After a bit of back and forth, they seated us quickly. It started the visit off on the wrong foot. But given that, the staff was very friendly and once our first set of orders came in, the flow of food (we ordered A LOT) was steady. Our server checked on us often. So kudos to the amazing staff. The decor was fun and festive. Followed the theme of Sushi Monster really well. The food was good. The fish was fresh. Like I said, we ordered a lot and the orders flowed in quickly. So that was nice. We were happy with the service. The hostess apologized for the mix up with the reservation and informed us that they would be turning that feature off in Google. I hope they figure the reservation system out. It's a nice perk. read more

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We came here for AYCE but were judged for the amount we ordered. Low-key felt shamed LOL. Yes aware of the AYCE rules. We eat a lot okay...anyways was super excited to try this spot due to the anime murals and decorations. Felt like Japan. They play Japanese music throughout and also Japanese covers of popular American songs. Food quality was good. Wish we came during weekday lunch. Weekend lunch is weekend / holiday dinner price which was $35. They charge for unfinished / leftover food but at least they let you bring them home in to go boxes so you don't waste food. Friendly service !! If you're looking for an AYCE sushi spot that gives anime / Japan vibes, come here !! read more

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I think service was really good at this Poway sushi spot. It is fabulously decorated, and I loved all the anime everywhere. I love tea and really wanted them to have a better tea selection, they served us bottled in plastic American brand tea. I did not really appreciate that the entire table had to order all you can eat sushi. Note, if one person at the table wants it - everybody has to order it. This was highly unacceptable as we all wanted to order different things. It's also worth noting that they no longer charge the all you can eat sushi lunch price for lunch on weekends, so be prepared to pay the dinner pricing for weekend lunch. This was not a great option for us because we had edamame and about two rolls each. We finished all of our food, but I do believe there is a service charge if you do not finish and have leftovers. read more

This anime themed all-you-can-eat sushi bar goes out of its way to create a unique experience for its diners. We came hungry, so a 40 minutes wait was a bit difficult, but not unexpected on a Friday evening. It was definitely worth the wat On a Friday night, the wait was about 40 minutes at 7 o'clock, and with good reason. read more

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First time visit to Sushi Monster. Came to try the AYCE diner which is now $34.99, and an additional $14.50 if you want to add sashimi. The place is on the small side but it's very clean and modern inside with an Anime decor, large murals and toy samurai swords on the wall. The menu and staff instructions for the AYCE are somewhat confusing but... Food was decent except for the tempura shrimp which was awful, an over cooked breaded skinny shrimp. Other than that it's okay. Fake crab in the rolls but you see that lots of places. Friendly staff! read more

I want to gate keep this place so bad but I'll be nice! I was looking for a new AYCE sushi spot and this is it! The sushi tastes fresh and flavorful. Fairly big menu and the AYCE has mostly everything on it. The decor in here is so fun. The servers are very nice and they don't smother you. You kinda have to call them over when you need something. Definitely need to mention Erin! She was so awesome and helpful! read more

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I don't usually give restaurant reviews unless im very impressed. This newly renovated place has delicious sushi rolls and great service. Owner is very kind. Good ambiance with some cool anime wallpapers and swords! read more

...great local spot for AYCE sushi, right in the heart of Poway. Very friendly service...the entire staff. I liked the high seat booths which provided a bit of privacy, even during busy hours. The nigiri, handrolls, and even the kitchen items came out quickly. Raw items were very fresh. Perfect for big eaters on a budget and families with small kids read more

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Cute little sushi bar, thay I realized was a place I use to come to before! I love the decor in the entire shop, with even the bathroom hallways lined with anime wall scrolls. Honestly some of the scrolls looks pretty cool too! Service was fantastic, I felt bad the servers were apologizing so much for how busy they were on a Friday night. I fully expect them to be busy with all the rave reviews they have been getting prior to me coming down here with friends. For $35/person for all you can eat is very reasonable considering other all you can eat place options in the surrounding area. All of the food was amazing, the variety was fantastic, service was still fast for how busy they were. Portion sizes were perfect, we were able to try so many different things. Everything our servers recommended were so yummy, I will definitely be returning in the near future. read more

$29 for all you can eat sushi....yes! First question is do you have time.....it is made to order with one server (a weekday) so make certain you have over an hour to make this worthwhile. This place is a must in the SD area. Ordered lots of rolls (baked hot sushi is a must), spicy rainbow, poke, dynamite, baked salmon, rainbow, spicy dragon, regular dragon cream cheese wontons; and calamari, spicy garlic edamame. The appetizers are included with the all you can eat deal. All were so good and fresh. Baked salmon and baked rolls are especially delish here (hard to find really good ones in SD area). Spicy garlic edamame is differently entertaining and a must order. Do not make me choose a favorite dish because it is impossible. Server is super hard working because she is the only one working all 10 tables. Parking is easy to find in a strip mall. Will visit you next time I am near. Thank you for a great experience. read more

Sushi Monster - 9/2025 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Poway, California