Great happy hour specials. Owners are Korean and both the sushi and Korean dishes are the bomb. Try it!

This is my favorite sushi spot! I've never had a bad experience here in the past few years I've been coming to this location. Staff is always super friendly and they seem to know what I want before I do. My sushi is always made with perfection here. Their portions are great and you definitely get a good deal for your money. Parking can be tricky since it's also next to another few restaurants. They have indoor and outdoor seating that's shaded. Their bathrooms are always clean which is a must in my opinion. Booths are comfy with TV's above the sushi bar. 10/10 read more

This is a pretty decent sushi spot. When I visited, it wasn't busy at all, but they had just opened for lunch. I ordered the protein roll. It was a good-sized roll but nothing extraordinary. The decor inside inside is simple and inviting. I thought they were a little slow to make my roll especially considering I was the only customer at the time, but it wasn't too too bad. The prices were in line with the average sushi spot. Overall, I think this is a decent spot to grab a sushi roll. I would come back here. read more

Sushi Ren - Protein roll (minus the avocado) - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Purchased a bunch of rolls for Mother's Day we devoured it absolutely loved it. We'll be going again for sure.

My friend took me here for my birdday and it's such a cute place! Service was great and the staff were very friendly. We started out with some Miso Soup (just okay. Almost no tofu pieces) and the Tuna Tataki Salad (very good sized and fresh pieces of tuna. I didn't like any of the sauces). For our mains, I got the Red Crunch Dragon Roll (absolutely delicious! Highly recommend) and my friend got the Lemon Roll (good for a few bites but the flavor gets old fast) and the Teriyaki Steak Bento Box (the meat here is soo good, but the rest of it is skippable). Overall, solid 3.5. I wouldn't mind coming here again. read more

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We have ordered countless times from Sushi Ren (dine in and take out) and have always been satisfied with the food. We've had the poke bowls, bento lunches, ramens (I like the Champon/ seafood one), salmon teriyaki, and bibimpap and bulgogi. It is not Michelin star fancy fare, but it is solid food in causal dining establishment. We like the people who work there. They are always friendly to us. read more

I would never go here any more. So cheap and low class. The water served in plastic cups. I asked them for gluten free option and told them I have celiac and can't have gluten. I ordered what they suggested and they still served me with a roll that had TEMPURA in it. When I asked them why? She said she don't think it's going to kill me!!! read more

Family birthday lunch on Sunday! Group of 7 including a toddler, no reservations but they were able to accommodate us. We ordered a plethora of sushi rolls. We started with edamames, lightly salted and the garlic one. Karaage was tasty, wish the pieces were smaller. Tuna salad was so refreshingly delicious. Shrimp tempura came out piping hot with dipping sauce. Highly recommend getting the garlic edamames. Sushi rolls: Hamachi Lover, Lemon, Wango Mango, Popping Lobster, Soft-Shell Crab, GoGo were all umptious. Service is always great, very friendly and attentive. Wait time for food is never very long. The only con was the brought out plastic forks for us to eat the birthday desserts I brought. Other than that everything was perfect. read more

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I've only eaten here twice but in those two times, my sushi was really good! I recently was there when it wasn't busy so service was fast, but the time before when I went it wasn't busy either yet we were not attended to very much. Everything is priced like your average SD sushi place, so no surprises. I do have to say that some of their unique sushi concoctions have flavors that are contradictory and unpleasant. Last time I went I had a roll that was garnished with very thin sliced lemon pieces sitting right on top of salmon, and even though I took them off, the lemon flavor on the salmon was so overpowering that I couldn't taste anything else! However, quality is great. So four stars! read more

I go to Sushi Ren pretty often since it's conveniently located, and the food is always good -- not spectacular, but consistent. I usually order the katsu bento and one of the cut rolls or hand roll, and they never disappoint. What I really don't like, though, is how the older Korean waitress treats customers. She's often rude, and we've seen her act this way toward others too. Once, two high schoolers were just having a simple after-school snack (looked like 2 rolls from the long empty plate) and didn't leave a tip. She actually lectured them, saying that if they can't pay a tip, they shouldn't dine in. The poor kids looked so uncomfortable. read more

Sushi Ren - Katsu Bento - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I was pleasantly surprised at the sushi spot Everything we ordered came out delicious and had a great experience. Prices were reasonable as I felt the quality was spot on. The waitress was very nice and attentive throughout our meal. My favorite thing I ordered was the Crispy Rice off the "new menu". There aren't very many places that do the crispy rice so I always make sure I order one when I see it. Their Crispy Rice was 3 squares of crispy rice topped w/ spicy tuna, avocado, eel sauce, & spicy mayo.... SO GOOD!!! We also ordered the Rockin Shrimp Tempura Roll and the Eel Avacado Roll. Both were excellent! I highly recommend this spot if you're in the area and craving sushi. read more

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I normally don't leave reviews, This was my second visit here, and coincidentally, I had the same server both times. Out of the three servers working, ours was extremely rude. I came on Sunday because my friend invited me. The chicken teriyaki was okay not bad, though the meat was a little dry but still acceptable. But because of the server's attitude, I honestly never want to go back. read more

Sushi Ren - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I enjoyed my visit here. The service was great - friendly and on top of their customer service. Their menu has a great variety of Japanese food, including ramen, sushi, rice bowls, and bento boxes. I intended to get ramen, but curry and rice sounded good. They have a vegetable curry bowl. The pictured bowl that looks like soup actually has rice on the bottom and just enough. I would ask if I could add tofu next time (I'm not sure if they would). Their spicy edamame was one of the best I've had in a while. Their spicy sauce is sooo tasty and made well. I suggested to my friend that he add it to his miso ramen. The restaurant decor is nice too. Nice looking lighting and comfortable area for dining. read more

Sushi Ren - Vegetable curry rice bowl (rice on bottom!) - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here for dinner with my friend and fiancé and we all had such a great time! It is a cute spot with great service. Everyone working was not only friendly but also attentive. All of the food was delicious but the Ren roll was my absolute favorite! I also loved that they had boba, we usually get boba before sushi because it's not very common to have both in one place so that was a plus for me!! Will definitely be coming back. read more

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Sushi Ren has the most delicious teriyaki I've ever had! Me and my boyfriend had the Salmon Teriyaki Bowl, Spicy Salmon Roll, California Roll and the Crispy Rice appetizer! The host and servers were so kind, attentive and fast! The prices are pretty good, especially during happy hour! The lighting is super cool, the music was so fun and everything was fresh and tasty! I will definitely be coming back soon!! read more

Sushi Ren - Crispy Rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

The Ren roll was my favorite! Food was tasty, service was fast, and the ambiance was nice. read more

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Came here with a friend after playing some pickleball. We were hungry but weren't starving - just wanted some good food before driving back home. I suggested sushi and this was the closest place we found in the area. As we walked in, we were greeted by some friendly staff, but we must've looked disheveled (or just sweaty) from playing because he asked if we were picking up a to-go order. We were seated soon enough and I ordered their chirashi bowl because I couldn't decide what I wanted, and my friend ordered their seafood udon. He seemed to enjoy his soup, but I can't say the same about my order. The fish didn't taste fresh and it was kind of disappointing. I wish I'd just ordered some hand rolls like I initially wanted. The restaurant is located in a shopping plaza so parking can get busy. Most of the folks inside seemed like locals - families, high school kids, etc. read more

Sushi Ren - Chirashi Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I was craving sushi and found Sushi Ren in the local area. We ordered shrimp tempura and Takoyaki for appetizers and those were really good. Would definitely recommend those to start! For the sushi roll, I ordered the Hamachi Lover Roll and it was really good! The spiciness and kick to the roll makes it very unique! I was also able to try the Sunset roll and the Brian's Special Roll. Out of all three I would say Sunset Roll was the best one! 5/5 rating. Service and ambiance were great, the servers were attentive to our needs. We ate around 6:30pm on the weekend and it wasn't too busy so there was no wait! Definitely give Sushi Ren a try if you're in the local area! read more

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If I could give them 0 stars I would! We had dinner here many times. Ordered their $120 Kubuto a dozen of times; they corked it, brought us a bag and we were able to take it home numerous occasions. According to state laws and ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control): Yes, but only from on-sale licensed premises maintaining a bona fide eating place. (Section 23396.5) Yes, in California, you can take an unfinished bottle of wine/beer/sake home from a restaurant as long as you follow the rules: The restaurant must re-cork the bottle Seal it in a see-through bag Attach the receipt to the bag Transport the open alcohol in a locked compartment or trunk It cannot be stored within a passenger or driver's reach Tonight was a different story. We couldn't finish it so we asked for a bag, the server brought it. The manager told us we couldn't take it home and we have to drink it at the restaurant or come back next time and finish it. This is unethical and a lawsuit waiting to happen. Just spoke to my attorney and I'm saddened that a neighborhood sushi restaurant (which has been bought out several times/ change of ownership) would do this to loyal patrons in Del Sur. We paid for the bottle, we tipped them and he tried to take the plastic bag from us. He said we weren't allowed to take it home! So they expect us to finish the bottle and leave their restaurant drunk? Another ABC violation. How can I trust them not tampering with the bottle?. I kindly told him this time we are taking it home and the next time we will not order it. He should have stated that before he opened the bottle. It was a magnum 1.5 liter bottle for the two of us. This is our last time ever dining with them and they are going to have a rude surprise. Clearly the manager did NOT take his ABC management course and they could lose their business over this. To critique their food, their tuna and sushi items are all pre frozen, not fresh. They buy it from restaurant depot. read more

Sushi Ren - On the menu, states a large Kubota is $120 and they charged us $125. Check your bill thoroughly - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Convenient and delicious! We've been frequenting Ren Sushi over the past couple years and although kind of pricey, what sushi place (or place in general) isn't pricey nowadays. Our favorites include the poki poki and cucumber lover rolls! The only thing I wish is that they added the garnishes you get when you eat in. Pro tips: you can order the sauces on the side, also if you're getting to go, call it in or order it there. It is cheaper than ordering through their website. read more

We've been to Sushi Ren several times since they took over for Ototo and have loved it here. Superb service, really friendly staff (Josh, a super nice guy) and they check on you frequently. There are plenty of options between Japanese food, sushi rolls, bento, tempura, etc, along with Korean food, kalbi, soon tofu soup, etc. and everything is spot on. I am really glad to say it's been consistently reliable and we've been here many times, lunch, dinner, happy hour, and are always satisfied. The happy hour prices are really great and there's a good selection of items from the HH menu including chicken karaage, assorted tempura, crunchy roll, California roll, gyoza, spicy tuna roll, edamame, etc. And another thing--I love that the hand washing station is not in the bathroom so you can just go wash up. And it's super clean! -----TL;DR----- PROS: fast service, huge selection, always great food quality and flavors, friendly staff, good prices. CONS: none BOTTOM LINE: it's really our go-to place for the family, everyone finds something they like, and it's consistently a great meal! read more

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I used to buy sandwiches next door and I always used to see this wonderful Japanese bar and restaurant, I went with my friends this Friday and surprisingly very good and not very pricy. They had good collection of Japanese beer, wine and sake. We tried their chicken karaage, agedsshi tofu and veggie tales roll and it was really good. They great inspiring staff and wonderful service. The ambiance is wonderful. Best of all this place is really busy with lots of customers. The price on the items is unbeatable. I would like to go there again with my family. I have not tried many sushi places but this is top of my list. The place has very cozy feeling. read more

Sushi Ren - Karaage - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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They serve a lot of food and an example of this is their bento boxes. It has a variety of stuff in there and large portion for a good price. I recommend the beef bulgogi bento. The service here is nice, the people are very welcoming and check up on you every so often. The ambiance is great, for some reason there isn't many people here so it's very quiet, which in my opinion is peak ambiance. read more

Ok so the food is good here, mostly I go for lunch and for the prices they give you a large quantity even the kids meal is huge my kids can never finish it. My issue here is always the service no matter who I get. I would honestly give this place a 5 star but the service needs to get better. read more

Sushi Ren - Kids bento - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food was amazing!!! So much flavor in everything, my friends and I were more than happy with everything we ordered! Would definitely come back again to try more! The inside was super cute and had plenty of seating & of course the staff were wonderful! read more

Sushi Ren - Edamame - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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I know this place is called "Sushi" Ren but I went the other direction. LOL This review is for a food order delivered. I ordered the Korean beef and baked mussels. The food was good! The mussels had so much crab and toppings. The beef was tender and bbq'd just right. I will have to go to the location to try the sushi. I am always seeking some good raw seafood! read more

Sushi Ren - Baked muscles. - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Overview: food wasn't my favorite but the service and setup of the restaurant was great! Japanese food (bentos and ramen) are big comfort foods for me, so I'd say I've eaten my fair share of it. The soft-boiled egg of the ramen is usually my favorite part and this one was more on the hard-boiled side. In addition, the sesame broth wasn't my favorite. I love love love the noodles and the thinly sliced pork in the ramen! The pork slices melted in my mouth and were not overly fatty. The noodles were just right when it came to softness; I usually prefer my noodles on the softer side. Plus, the bowl came out piping hot which was perfect for the cold night I went on. The gyozas were delicious as well. Outsides were hot and crispy & the sauce was good ! Unpictured: my cousin got a chicken katsu bento. Chicken was very crispy ! Recommend asking for extra sauce - if you're a saucy person ;) read more

Sushi Ren - Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Very happy that an excellent sushi spot with a great selection of Japanese food has opened up in my local area. Loved how fresh the sushi tasted, and it feels good to know it was at a lunch special price too. Been craving tempura and this def hit the spot. The servers were very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. On weekdays, Lunch Special is from Open-2PM, and then it becomes Happy Hour till 6PM (hours might vary in the future). read more

Sushi Ren - Nigiri + cali roll lunch special! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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A great choice for sushi if you don't want to wait for an all you can eat option. Parking is easy. Service is excellent and prices are reasonable. It's clean as a whistle and new. Welcome to town. Give them a try. You'll thank me later. read more

I didn't have any expectations coming in, but the chicken katsu entree was delicious and I throughly enjoyed my meal!!

Gone down hill sadly Sushi roll- flavor was good but poorly rolled such that thr bottom was falling apart Fried calamari- good fry but calamari was a bit tough Chicken karaage- bad breading. Tasted like flour and had no crunch. Service was mediocre read more

Came on a Monday for lunch. The lunch special is a good deal. We got the chicken bento special which came with soup, salad, CA roll, tempura, katsu and rice for about 15 dollars. We also ordered a spicy yellow fin roll, which was okay. read more

This place is so so good!! I drove over 30 minutes for this place and I would definitely do it again. My favorite roll was the sunset roll - perfect balance of the lemon with it. The place is also very clean and spacious read more

Sushi Ren - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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I did the to go option but the quality never changed. The sunrise role is absolutely fantastic to the taste buds. If your looking for something besides a role I recommend the teriyaki salmon it comes with a refreshing salad and some rice. It can definitely get you absolutely stuffed. Not only is it good but the service is absolutely quick. read more

The food was great. The price is affordable and competitive. The chicken katsu was okay. I think it needs a bit of spice. The young special sushi was yummy according to my daughter. The service was okay. Our server- forgot my miso soup. My daughters sushi came way later than mine. The ambiance is clean and quite even with people here. Unwouls recommend it to anyone. read more

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We had a take out order. It was our first time ordering from sushi ren . All the food was amazing. We would definitely recommend it

Really good sushi in rb/4s area! The sunset roll was really good and I also enjoyed the Brian's roll! The service was really good and the restaurant was clean and not loud. Definitely check this place out! I'll probably come back soon read more

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Our server Roy is ALWAYS amazing with is over the top service. Roy and the rest of the staff represent the restaurant well. The food is EXCELLENT ALWAYS!!!!! We are regulars here and appreciate Sushi Ren!! read more

Sushi Ren - Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Sushi Ren (Ototo Sushi, 16480 Paseo del Sur, Ste 115 San Diego, CA 92127 It's Christmas Eve and I'm coming home from attending service at my friend Joe's church. Joe, who I've known for more than 45 years (since middle school) invited me today to the evangelical church he attends in North County, with its medium-upscale gated communities inter-laced with new strip malls, one of which has Sushi Ren which I was hungry enough to wander into. Or maybe it's called Ototo Sushi as it says on the front of the restaurant. I'll call it Sushi Ren in this review because that's the name on the receipt I was given. I'm not sure what the relationship is there but maybe they're in the midst of an ownership change. Who knows? The receipt will factor into the review in a moment. The food: I ordered two tuna hand rolls and a small hot sake. It should have been simple, but it wasn't. The sushi chef was Asian (Japanese?) and didn't understand me too well, or refused to understand me. I ordered the first-hand roll and ate it, it was light on the tuna strips and heavy on the cucumber sprigs. I was still hungry so since the sake was only about $5 I tried ordering another tuna hand roll. The chef was difficult to get the attention of now. He was breaking down the bar and the place appeared to be closing although it was not even 8 p.m. and there was still a large party of Asian people around a table in the center of the restaurant. He disappeared into the back of the kitchen without serving me and the young man who seated me came and asked me if there was anything else I wanted. I told him I'd ordered another hand roll from the chef, twice, but was unsure if he understood me. The chef had returned by now and the host and he had a brief conversation in their native tongue during which the chef looked at me and nodded as if to say he understood. Then the host dutifully told me another hand roll was coming up. Eventually, the chef reached across the bar with a small bowl and handed me what looked like strips of cooked halibut with avocado slices and teriyaki sauce over a bed of white rice. I figured he'd gotten my order wrong and, not wanting more controversy, against my better judgment I didn't refuse it. Besides I was hungry and wanted to leave now. The host returns with a salad and miso soup, saying they went with the dish. I told him, "Yeah fine but I'd ordered another hand roll and not this." "Ohhhhh..." he replied, distressed. "Yeah, 'Ohhhh...'" That's when the host and the chef had their talk, their pow-wow, and shortly after that, I was given the second tuna hand roll I'd wanted. The female manager (I assume she was the manager) came over and asked me why I hadn't refused the mistaken order. I told her I was hungry and the chef didn't understand me too well apparently. She began to say apologetically that it was a miscommunication. She mumbled it with what I think is known in the interviewing business as "diminishing facts", her voice trailing off weakly. She offered to give me "30% off the order," which I politely accepted and thanked her for. So what was originally going to be a $20 bill I now figured would be almost $30. Not very cool, but I can handle that I guess since the food's alright. The total came to about $50 with the tip, which was kind of a ripoff. Afterward, when paying the cashier, the female manager was there and reintroduced the topic. She had regained her confidence and now snapped back cheerily that the sushi chef DID understand English. Yes, okay whatever. I silently paid and left, an awesome customer that I am. They can try to immediately confuse you and contradict your facts when you have a complaint, restaurant people. Gosh, they can be so slick, so sly. I was at the OB Noodle House & Sake Bar restaurant in Ocean Beach once years ago and showed the manager a long thick black hair in the soup I was served there and he angrily claimed no one that worked at the restaurant had black hair. My hair was light brown. I looked at him, a young Asian guy with black hair, and the cashier who was an Asian girl with the same, and from where I was sitting could see the kitchen staff all were the same, and the conversation deteriorated from there. I love Asian food, especially good sushi with courteous service. Didn't get either here. The hand rool are what I came for and they were way too light on the tuna. Plus I should have not been charged for the order and then misled -- which in my opinion I was -- about the conversationality of the chef who took my order. Strike this restaurant off my list. Sushi Ren's bill was kinda ripoffy if you ask me. Good thing as a reviewer this particular $47.68 is a tax write-off for me. It may not be for you though so watch out if you go here and make sure your chef gets your order right the first time. read more

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Miso ramen was veryyyy good. Sushi was also pretty good. Service and ambiance were ok. read more

Sushi Ren - Miso Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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