Have been going to taiko for years now Good and personnel are great Would for sure recommend taiko read more

This place is an Irvine establishment from way back. I started going here from the early 90s as a kid so it brings back great memories. This review is long overdue. This restaurant is very straightforward and you get pretty good food quality and quantity for what you pay for. The menu and food are self explanatory. Go ahead and try it. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Still great sushi but no sushi bar and super outdated dining room - they used to have a line down the block for sushi bar. Why close it????

One of the best Japanese restaurants in the area! My family and I find it to be our go-to place. We like: * incredible convenience of the Yelp Waitlist * affordable prices for very tasty food! * welcoming staff When you do reserve a spot through the waitlist, make sure to come around of the building passing the fountain. The front door is for the picks ups. read more

I've been going to this restaurant for 24 yrs. Back in the day, the sushi was smooth and creamy like butter. I craved their sushi every week and the line has always been out the door with a 1.5 hr wait time. You were lucky if you could get a seat at the sushi bar. Prices were the same for many years which was great & the servers have always been warm and friendly. I live in North OC, about 35 mins away w/o traffic & the drive is always worth it. We just managed to go around 8pm so we don't have to wait for a table as long as you would during high traffic. I believe it was right before or around COVID when the management & some of the staff had changed along with the food. My family had noticed the difference too. I know some of the sushi chefs are still there along with some new faces. The sushi is still good, the quality is still good and we will still continue to go here, it's just not the same. I'm sure there's still a long wait to get a table during dinner time but the wait is not as long as before, perhaps bc they are more efficient. read more

Last time we went. About a year ago. Beef teriyaki was dry and tough. Sashimi was the same. Hope they get a new cook read more

It's been a three months since my last review and things have markedly improved. Sushi bar is up and running. Entrance is back in front. Sushi was very good. Service is still very good. Thank you for listening. We'll be back soon! read more

I was surprised at three things, no waiting, higher price, new not so good quality. It must be under the new ownership. The price has gone up so much and sushi is not good anymore. The roll and Udon was good, salmon sushi was ok, but red snapper tastes like market bought frozen sushi. Taiko was Irvine history. Old Taiko will be missed. read more

I wish i could give this place zero star . Since after pandemic all the chef changed , i used to go to this place 2 times a week for over 15 years with masa or akio or suzuki . They all changed , the food menu is changed the price is double . And add this to all above the quality is not as good as before . Like i had the worst ponzu sauce i have ever had in my life ! Never come back again . read more

They added to the waitlist for me for 6:30PM when I called at 11AM. Which was nice of them. We had steak that went with our combo. We wanted it medium rare. It came out rare, almost raw. We told the waitress and she arguing with us saying "no that's medium rare". After arguing with her for almost 2 minutes, she took it. They didn't give a new steak, they took what they gave us and just put it back on the grill. Also served it on the same plate they took the raw steak. read more

I have been coming here for lunch well over a decade, and this place has always offered exceptional food for a good price. My go to lunch is the Sashimi Plate, which I believe is now priced at $15. Excellent! You get 13 pieces of sashimi: 4 tuna, 3 white fish, 2 salmon, 2 mackerel and 2 seared ahi. Portion size is very generous for the price. The lunch meal comes with a side of pickled cabbage and unlimited miso soup & rice. And you know the fish is super fresh, especially since this place is ALWAYS busy (at least for lunch). Speaking of busy, as long as I have been coming here, there is always a line that builds up starting at 11 am (lunch opens at 11:30). Both week days and Saturdays. We always arrive at 11:10, and not once has there not been a line. However, it's well worth the wait! read more

Taiko - Sashimi lunch with tako (octopus) sashimi on the side - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here for takeout dinner during corona. Very good sushi given the circumstances and price point Ordered the sashimi dinner to go. Hard to beat Taiko on its price vs. quality performance. The fish is quite good, not the best I've ever had, but better than most comparable spots in the price range. For $21 you get a lot of fish that tastes relatively fresh. Nice service too. I'll be back read more

Amazing service and amazing food. A weekly visit for my hubby and I. Very fresh and tasty sushi that comes out fast fast

Been coming to this restaurant for close 15 years and unfortunately, I will not be coming back. Every time I come I get a combination with unlimited rice and miso soup. Now, miso soup and rice is limited to one. I also always get the sashimi salad but this time the amount of fish is reduced by 50%. Service is still great but very unhappy with the changes. read more

I ordered Bento for lunch with chicken. The chicken had a few bad tastes to it. Also I didn't get a lot of flavor in the food. I have to admit the rice and cabbage were good. Hours later my stomach is bloated and I had dysentery. Bad chicken, or cook was sick or a dirty kitchen could be the issue. I had to report this. This should not happen! I am feeling terrible! read more

Ordered delivery, I can already tell something isn't right based on the slew of recent reviews. Maybe a change in management, but this place was a gold standard of value and excellence with lines ALWAYS out the door at peak times. - Someone who has been in the area for over 20 years. That said, I think the ship has sailed unless it can be righted moving forward. There is a serious standard to live up to and that can be outright impossible for a new owner. read more

Lots of selection of food! Come early as a line tends to form. Food was fresh and very generous portions. Was so full walking out. They also have unlimited complimentary miso soup! Would come again. read more

This place used to be awesome. One of my favorite places. I believe the owners have changed and the quality has drastically gone down. The sushi was so awful that we had to spit out a few of the things and return a couple of others. I'm never going back again. What a shame read more

They.got bought out by a corporate company and now offers a reward program. Its so worth signing up for it. I just hope the quality of the food doesn't change. They are still learning how to use the reward system, so I had to ask a few times to redeem my rewards. I had $25 to spend by the time they figured out how; my third or fourth visit. I usually order the dinner combos. It's HUGE! My husband and I share that and some sushi. They also provide unlimited miso soup with your combo order. read more

First time here and enjoyed it. Waitress was very energetic. Food was yummy. Sorry we didn't take any pics. We got the blue fin tuna sushi ...very healthy slices! Volcano roll-dynamite roll-ninja roll...all yummy. Service was quick...super quick. Food was great. Pricing threw me for a loop as I figured it'd be more however it's extremely affordable. Score! Only complaint was the yelp rsvp app which is live with the restaurant showed 13 minute wait which turned into 70 minutes. Things are crazy right now so it's certainly not a deal breaker by any means. We will absolutely come back again!! Non restaurant related: Watch out the the up step out back by the pond area. I about ate the floor because it needs a tad more lighting read more

Taiko - Wait time via yelp app - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

We arrived here on a Wednesday night around 6pm and there were people sitting in the front waiting so we thought there was a wait for a table and put our name on the waitlist. Then, when we stepped back, we realized that there were two different waitlists: one for sushi bar and one for tables. We did not want to sit at the sushi bar so we ended up putting our name on both waitlists since we could not move or cancel our name from the sushi bar waitlist we mistakenly signed up for. Then, when we tried to explain our waitlist issue with the guy at the host table, he said there was no wait and escorted us to a dining table. It was definitely a weird start to our dinner. After we were seated and reviewed the menu, we noticed that some of their sushi options shown on yelp were missing from the menu. It turns out not all of the sushi options were on the laminated menu, but were on a small paper menu on the table. It was very confusing. Also, when we wanted to order the uni, we were told it was not available. Our visit at this point was not going very well. We were hoping the food would make up for things. Thankfully it did. All the sushi we ordered was fresh and delicious. We also ordered the teriyaki chicken dinner and it was also very good. Overall an okay experience despite the confusion from the very beginning of the evening. read more

Taiko is a local legend of Irvine. Located in the arbor plaza off Jeffrey, Taiko is a establishment that brings a traditional take on Japanese cuisine. During the pandemic, I've become a regular to Taiko and have been a consistent consumer of their rolls. This is my too, the California roll will surprise you. Normally my stigma is to ignore the California rolls as it is usually fake crab meat and mayonnaise but their rolls are different. It may be the actual crab meat or their own portion of rice to filling, but it is my go-to. Come into the restaurant to try the additional entrees such as their sesame chicken, tempura, and additional rolls too. read more

There's always a wait here at Taiko. I don't mind the wait because the quality is good: food and employees. I love sitting by the bar, makes the experience more personable. read more

Taiko - Toro, my fave. - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

this used to be our go to sushi spot but their quality has gone downhill. the portions of their rolls and nigiri are significantly smaller and the prices keep going up. they no longer offer free unlimited miso soup which was one of the last things that kept us coming back. not sure if ownership has changed and they changed how they do things but we want the old taiko back!! read more

Best sushi place in town, arguably in OC...fresh quality sushi, generous portion sizes, reasonable prices, and friendly staff and sushi chefs! I have been coming here for over 20 years - yes Taiko has been an establishment for THAT long and yes I'm THAT old. I used to come here with my family growing up. We would all pile in the family minivan and drive 45+ minutes to get there at 4:30pm an HOUR before the doors open for dinner service. My dad would pull up to the curb and yell "Go!!!" and someone (usually me) would have to scramble out of the minivan while it was still rolling to run and secure a place in the line. Then we'd wait for about an hour until the doors opened so that we could get a table. It was that good and it's still that good. My favorites are the California roll (basic but they use real crab meat), cucumber special roll, scallop hand roll, eel California roll, special #4, uni sushi, sweet shrimp sushi with friend heads, yellowtail and salmon sashimi, oyster shooter, seafood salad, dynamite, ninja roll, mini udon for the kids, and children's combo which is gigantic and not for kids. Basically everything is good and fresh. Sushi chefs Masa-San, Toshi-San, Hide-San are all awesome. They are so friendly and greet everyone by yelling at them when they come in the door which I love. Love when they scream goodbye to me after my meal as well lol. If you become a true regular sitting at the bar sometimes they send you yummy treats on the house like green tea ice cream, seafood soup in a teapot, etc. Tips: if it's your birthday you get a free ice cream and melon. They also have a stamp card now which gives you free goodies for every few visits. read more

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Been coming here for 10 years and the last two visits in 2023 were just sad. This place has declined in quality, taste and cleanliness. And to make it even worse they raised their prices. We would drive 30 minutes to come here passing many good Japanese restaurants, not anymore... read more

Definitely need to come back here for the sushi! We came here as a large group to try the sukiyaki as well as other non sushi items. The sukiyaki itself was very good and easy to share! It comes with meat, onion, tofu, noodles, and cabbage! Would recommend trying! read more

Taiko - Sukiyaki - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Unfortunately Take couldn't take care of us with the sashimi dinner. The manager was very dissapointing, he didn't want to help us subbing the soft crab. They were not very impressive with their menu. Take the manager on duty really ruined our experience even with our waters not coming with ice. They failed to provide us straws by telling us they don't have any more straws. I had trouble believing this because I saw other customers with straws. At the end of the day this establishment sucks, the sushi is horrible and I highly suggest turning away from coming to this sushi place. Thanks for listening... read more

Taiko advertised Veterans Special Meal, but to our disappointment entire crew didn't know about the event. Paid our meals with our friends & hopefully will get a future voucher. Food & service is great. read more

Last night was the first time to eat sushi from Taiko since I moved away from Irvine 6 years ago. I've been dining at Taiko since 1990 and it was one of my favorite places to dine. I used to wait in the long line just to eat here. I'm so sad to say that the food here has change so dramatically. I'm not sure how this place gets more than 3 stars; especially from Yelp Elite members. The quality of sushi was the worst I had in years. Fish quality wasn't good (not fresh, fish with connective tissue). A prepackaged sushi from a Japanese supermarket was way better. But if you don't care about quality, Taiko gives big portions of fish but this isn't my cup of tea. read more

FOOD: I ordered the Combination Lunch #5 - Sashimi and Shrimp Tempura (just under $13). The sashimi and tempura came with a salad, an orange slice, as well as unlimited miso and rice. I thought that the sashimi portion was a little small when I first got it - but for the price, it's reasonable. It also comes with more than enough food for one person. I was pretty pleased (as well as full!). For the price and portion, I can tell why this place can get very popular for lunch! SERVICE: Very friendly, attentive and quick. I signed up on the waitlist before I left home. When I arrived, I only waited about 5 minutes before getting seated. AMBIANCE: This is a casual, family friendly place to grab lunch or dinner. Nothing fancy or over the top. PARKING: Taiko is located in a busy shopping complex. Parking can get a little crazy. read more

Taiko - Combination Lunch #5: Sashimi and Shrimp Tempura (bottom of picture) and Rainbow Roll (toward top of picture) - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I was looking for a good sushi place in the Irvine area and came across this restaurant. I'm really glad they gave the yelp waitlist feature! We arrived and were seated right away. The restaurant is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside, and when you initially walk in. Our waitress was Japanese and her English wasn't perfect, so there was a little but if a language barrier. My boyfriend and I both ordered combos, which come with a good sized portion of salad, unlimited rice and unlimited miso. I wish our waitress would have told us about the salad (which was also not on the menu), because we ordered an extra salad. I ordered the combo with sashimi, sesame chicken, and teriyaki beef. My boyfriend ordered the combo with sesame chicken, salmon, and tempura. The salmon was kind of dry and overcooked, the chicken was a tad bit bland and needed more seasoning, the teriyaki beef was also bland, and the tuna sashimi slices were cut way too thick and tasted fishy. The sashimi didn't taste fresh at all. I had to ask for sesame sauce and teriyaki sauce on the side to help make the meat taste better. The miso soup was really good, and we each had two bowls. I wouldn't mind giving this place another try, but the first experience wasn't as good as we hoped. read more

Taiko - Salmon, sesame chicken and tempura combo. - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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The portion-to-price ratio alone makes it a 5/5 and got my friend and I real excited. 5/5 Sushi with Sashimi and Sesame Chicken - We both got this. Comes with miso soup, rice, 5 pieces of nigiri, 5 pieces of sashimi, 6 pieces of mini tuna sushi rolls, a good portion of sesame chicken, and a good portion of salad leaves & steamed green beans I agree with most reviews that the fish quality was just okay, but it was still delicious considering the price. SO much food, you could easily split this into multiple meals. 5/5 Baked Scallops - Get this (if you don't mind mayo)! Warm, sweet and salty, and creamy. Lots of tiny scallops throughout. Despite the mayo, it doesn't feel greasy or heavy and goes well with a little bit of rice. I don't usually get baked items at Japanese places, but this was surprisingly delicious and I would get it again! The wait is very manageable if you use the wait list system on Yelp- it was easy & accurate. The service was friendly & very quick. The atmosphere was casual, spacious, and family friendly. Overall I this is a good place to go if you are craving sushi/Japanese food and just want something casual and nothing fancy. Love!!! read more

Taiko - Sushi with Sashimi and Seasame Chicken (x2), Baked Scallops - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I used to come here many years ago, and just recently I came back try it again and it was so DELICIOUS and the SERVICE is amazing as always!! Thank you ANN!!! I love her. She's the best! Great energy!! The nice guy at the door in charge of the waitlist is awesome too! These are a must: -Dynamite Hand Roll -Scallop Hand Roll (my bf ordered that and loved it) -Yellowtail Sushi -And the Chicken Teriyaki dinner(not the combo)-their salad dressing is amazing!!! Check in as soon as you get to the restaurant. They might seat you early! Join waitlist through Yelp read more

Came here on a Thursday night for Valentine's day. I always see a line for Taiko before they even open up for dinner at 5PM so I was sure to be standing in line at 4:45! There were about 10 parties ahead of me when I got in line so the loyal customers were definitely there waiting much longer haha. One opened, we noticed many people wanted to sit at the sushi bar, but since it was a date we decided to get a booth. The place didn't fill up and have a serious wait until around 5:45PM. We ordered 2 sushi dinners ($19 each) and a ninja roll ($12). The sushi dinner provided a great selection of different types of fish to try and came with a miso soup. My favorite was the salmon; the slabs of fish they give are massive! The ninja roll was also really delicious because the soft shell crab and the avocado worked perfectly together. Only thing is that it only comes with 5 pieces so it's rather small. I would definitely come back to Taiko for another date night because the sushi dinner resembled the Sugarfish chain (my favorite!!) but was much cheaper. I would just make sure to come early to wait in the smaller line before the restaurant opens haha :) read more

Taiko - Ninja roll ($12) - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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I have been going to Taiko for many years. Food and service has been great until last night. On a scale from 1 to 10 ten being the best service I would give last night a half a point. We were invisible to the staff the whole night. I do not get it. Bad service read more

We are regulars at this restaurant. Good food offered by a Japanese family. The service is great too.

My favorite Japanese restaurant when I'm in the Irvine area. Online ordering is quick and easy. Once you get to the restaurant, there are two separate lines. One for online order pickups and one for in person ordering/pickup. Sushi is fresh and rolls are big. Dinner combo portions are large. read more

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Man their quality on their dishes like the beef and chicken teriyaki went down a lot. I used to love this place but maybe because I got to go, the meats were all charred and burned and they give you the tiniest sauce so my entire 50 dollar meal tasted like burned meat. Prob won't come here for a while read more

I went in 12pm on Friday and I didn't have to wait! The parking is spacious but very crowded so be aware. I ordered tempura and sushi combination and it was a great value considering the huge portion they gave me! It is kinda like home cooking taste. It's not a fancy kinda taste but I recommend especially if you are looking for great value/big portion. The place looked very old. The server was nice. read more

Taiko - Tempra sushi combination - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California