This is an outstanding Sushi Boat restaurant that is a true sushi boat concept. A lot of the other restaurants in the area are not really like this -- the sushi still comes on a belt, but everything is ordered a la carte. With a true sushi boat concept like Warakubune, there is a sense of fun and excitement from the random pieces of sushi that may float on by. I think the quality of their ingredients are top notch and they are quick to also take any a la carte orders should you not like anything that is currently floating by in front of you. Their tempura and soft shell crab is always fried fresh and is guaranteed to be hot and crunchy. My personal favorite is a half avocado "bomb" filled with a mixture of spicy scallop chunks. This one is a must order for me every time that I go to visit the restaurant. read more

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this place is wonderful in so many ways. The food is great, the ambiance is quaint and homey, but the best part is the people running this place. 30+ years in SF and it is clear they are in business because of how kind and warm they are as humans. It had been years since I first visited and upon coming back it felt right back at home. read more

A hidden sushi boat experience in Duboce Triangle! I can't believe I just found this place. Their prices are fairly reasonable, though it does add up for the small portions. Off the menu, we ordered their miso soup which was a little expensive but quite tasty. Off the sushi boats, we grabbed a bunch of maki rolls, nigiri, and premium rolls. I really enjoyed their fancier rolls with avocado and imitation crab. The chefs also make orders to request! Service was fast, attentive, and friendly. The establishment is quite chilly, which makes the rolls feel more fresh! I would definitely recommend Warakubune for your next sushi boat experience. read more

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First let's talk about the experience. You sit down around a small oval water stream as wooden boats drift by in front of you. Sushi sits atop each boat and you can grab whatever delights your eyes. In the middle of this river, the sushi chefs stand and watch the boats and the customers, replenishing them with food as needed. Each plate has a price (based on the style of the plate) ranging from ~$3 to ~$7. This is pricy relative to the larger chains such as Kura with their conveyor belt sushi, but I'd say this unique experience alone is worth it. But going past that, the quality of the sushi is markedly better than many other casual places I've visited. While I wouldn't say it rivals the quality of an omakase, it's much better than I'd expected from a place with such novelty. Also, the nigiri are HUGE. With a good lump of rice and a thick oversized cut of fish above that drapes over both ends, the plates quickly become worth their price. As for constructive criticism, I'd say that the variety leaves a bit to be desired -- it's not a tiny selection but after trying most of the ones that appealed to me, I ended up settling on repeated rounds of salmon nigiri until I was full. read more

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Been coming here for over 12 years and the food is still amazing. love the special roll and the spicy white tuna :) read more

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From the street, you wouldn't know it's much more spacious inside. Immersive, no-frills, neighborhood spot. You enter and see the sushi boat making its rounds, and further back is more seating on two levels and a floor-to-ceiling-ish stone waterfall and some wood framing. I was greeted, seated, and served FRESH WASABI. The boat gets demurely loaded with FRESH CRAB CALIFORNIA ROLLS, and other plates ranging in $4-8. Lots of families on a Sunday. Service was super attentive and I was in and out of there with a full belly and feeling hella good on my way to the next. read more

I love Warakubune! Been a loyal customer for over 20 years. Benji & Tiffany provide great service and it's a super fun environment. Anyone looking for a sushi boat experience this place will not disappoint. read more

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My friend wanted to come here because he loves the California rolls here and I totally see why. They're super fresh and affordable! In general, this is my favorite conveyer type of sushi place I've been to. I love how the sushi is in actual boats that are actually floating on the water. When you're seated at the bar, you can also watch the chefs prepare the sushi which is really fun. Between the 3 of us, we each ate about $20-$25 worth of sushi, which felt pretty affordable. There is a nice variety of fish and rolls that would come out as well. read more

I really enjoyed this spot, right off of Church & Market in the Castro, Warakubune is a "conveyor belt" sushi place where you pay by the plate. Two sushi chefs are in the middle of a "river" with floating boats that carry plates of sushi around. You like it? Grab the plate and enjoy! Depending on the design of the plate, you a pay a certain amount. Usually that amount corresponds with the item. It was really fun! I was very very very hungry after work so I had a lot of sushi. My favorites were these crab rolls with rice and nori and this spicy tuna roll with jalapeño chopped in. Spicy and delicious! We also got hot green tea which was great. For two very hungry people it came out to ~$80 + tip. I'm really happy with the service overall. The wait wasn't too bad on a Friday night too. I def recommend for the experience! read more

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I came with a friend to check out this sushi boat restaurant! I love the concept of sushi boat restaurants, and I enjoyed the decorations!! The ambiance was very pretty, and on theme! The service was good, though we mostly just take the sushi off the boats ourselves. I very much enjoyed the sushi, and it tasted quite fresh! Would definitely come again! 9/10 experience!! Keep in mind that they do not take Apple Pay! read more

Warakubune Sushi - Sushi - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - San Francisco, California

Come here for the sushi boat, but don't expect quality sushi here. My partner and I have walked by here so often that we finally decided to give it a try recently. The whole setup inside was cool with the revolving boats, but we were so disappointed by the food here! In terms of quality and taste, the sushi here reminded me of pre-packaged grocery store sushi. The fish didn't tasted fresh, the sushi rice was too dry, and the rolls were poorly made. The only decent item I tried was the unagi nigiri. Also, do not get any of the tempura items! The tempura pieces tasted funky and not fresh. I'm guessing the restaurant doesn't change the oil in the deep fryer...you can really taste it. Needless to say, we didn't finish this. We ended up spending over $40+ per person on mediocre sushi. We will not be back. read more

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Fish was good. Chef & servers were pleasant. Butttttt.... I wanted sushi boats! There were boats. And every 5th boat had a CA Roll or tekka roll. Every now and then three piece pieces of a fun roll would come by. Although, and they give you a chart telling you how much the plates are ranging from 2.95 to 7.25. But often you can't see the bottom of the plate when you grab it. They also let you know that you can order directly, although there is no menu beyond the table tent showing your normal sushi choices. (Ambience was average..) After I ate three pieces of the house roll for $7.25, I saw they had a special where a whole roll would've been $9.99. Needless to say, I still spent $45 and don't feel like I ate very much. Conceptually, I was so excited as I've missed a sushi boats since Isobune closed in Japan town. But, for now, my search continues. read more

very interesting concept. i can feel the cozy atmosphere in here. immediate warm welcome when walking in. seated pretty quick. Food was awesome. My boyfriend got this one plate 4 times. read more

Girl, slow down! Where are you going in such a hurry?? These little sushi boats are hauling @$$ around the little sushi moat. I could barely discern what was on each individual schooner. I was so stressed out that I would drop a whole plate of maguro in the water and then what- would they have to drain all the water from the lazy river of fresh fish?? I would be so EMBARRASSED. The whole contraption being shut down in front of all my new friends I made at the reasonably priced happy hour?! Thankfully that didn't happen but jeez, slow your (sushi) roll. read more

SO GOOD. Excellent sushi for a great price. Walked in on a Wednesday evening. We had to wait a bit for a spot, but were seated within five minutes. The staff is so efficient and so sweet! The sushi boats are so cute and the selection is fabulous. If you want something in particular, it is available to order. 100% worth a stop! read more

Warakubune Sushi - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - San Francisco, California

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One of my fav sushi places in town. Cute inside, servers (and the chef!) are very friendly, the food is good and prices reasonable. If there's something you want and it's not being brought by one of the little boats, you tell the chef -who is in the middle of the room, and he cooks it for you. Fair warning: It's a small place and doesn't take reservations, so you might have to wait a little bit if you are a big group. read more

A really fun and convivial atmosphere with a good sushi boat experience. The fish is solid.

Super fresh sushi at great prices in a clean & friendly atmosphere. Immediate gratification at the large sushi bar with floating boats of sushi, seaweed salad, oysters, fried shrimp dumplings, tempura, & more. Chefs happy to make any item on request. Chef makes saba (marinated mackerel), tomago (egg omelet), ankimo (monk fish liver) & other items in house! Beer, wine, sake, hot green tea, sodas, mochi for dessert. Loyal locals & returning tourists. No third party delivery companies to delay service; few take out orders. Friendly staff is fast & focused on hospitality. Great value & hidden secret since 1996. Good for solo diners at the sushi bar; intimate tables in rear area. Open Wednesday-Saturday 5:30-9:30pm; Sunday 5:30-9pm. Cash & credit cards. One block from MUNI Church St Station. Bike rack in front. Handicap accessible. Five stars! read more

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Parking can be hard but the food and the vibe inside is so worthy Service is spectacular. Ambience just perfect. Not too loud not too quiet. read more

Warakubune Sushi - 29 years and going. Amazing sushi! - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love this place, have been coming here for well over a decade! Super friendly family establishment. Make sure you get the special roll, and the white tuna tataki. read more

I really enjoyed the sushi belt conveyor boats. It was nice to watch. We went on a rainy Friday night ~7PM and waited 10 minutes for a party of 2 before being seated. Since there's only one circular conveyor belt, everyone was packed around it. You're almost shoulder to shoulder the person beside you. It was well priced and the sushi was overall good. The rice was a bit dry, but the sushi just goes around and around exposed to air so makes sense. The rolls we tried, best on top: 1. salmon scallion maki 2. salmon nigiri 3. california roll 4. salsa salmon roll 5. avocado tempura roll (too much going on) 6. crab nigiri - crab was too salty 7. octopus/squid dish read more

I can't tell you enough how much I love this place. The service is outstanding, the food is beyond fresh and delicious, and the space, they definitely know how to turn the table quick and keep it nice and cozy!! We try to come at least once a month, when we have a concert to attend, this place is definitely our spot to dine, before the show. read more

Super duper fun, affordable, and vegan friendly (just have to ask for a little help to find the right rolls). It's a revolving sushi restaurant, where you can grab rolls off little boats on the revolving platform. If you have a small group (2-3), seating in front of the revolving part is ideal since you can still talk side by side. They have bigger group tables at the back! Each plate represents a certain cost - the 6 piece "one veggie rolls" were usually the cheapest ($2.95), and the tempura was an upgrade ($5.95). If you're vegan or vegetarian, it's hard to spot the rolls and know for sure what's for you - I asked the servers for help to point out rolls or hand me veggie options, and they were very helpful with recs. At one point, I wanted an avocado roll, and the person behind the revolving station made it for me!! Very kind and really appreciated it. The sushi itself was yummy, light, and satisfying. The veggie sushi was typically one flavor, so eating them in rotation made it fun. My favorites - kappa maki (cucumber), squash (a recommendation from one of the servers), and the tempura. The asparagus tempura roll was delicious so highly recommend splurging for that one - the sauce on it is rich, sweet, and savory. Aside from the asparagus, the veggie sushi options were pretty simple but limited - it's perfect for a casual sushi night and a fun environment. read more

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Warakubune is my absolute favorite spot for Sushi in The City. A coworker brought me here in 2009, and I've been coming in ever since. My favorite items include the following: Sea Weed Salad, which is always nice and crisp here. Nigiri - I like the Toro and Red Snapper. Rolls - I like the Asparagus tempura, and the House Special Roll. Sashimi - The Spicy Seared White Tuna with the garlic sauce. There is a tomato on the plate. You can't miss it! My partner isn't a raw fish guy. The restaurant is still very accommodating, and I've snuck some of his Katsu or Tempura, and it's great. Personally, I love Raw everything, and I love the quality here. Most boat restaurants don't have quality items, but everything here is wonderful. The ambiance is nice, there is music that I only notice if it's quiet. I should mention, this place can get crowded, so do expect a bit of waiting. It's worth it! Or-be there at opening time. (I always feel a little like a kid on Christmas doing that, but hey, at least you get a seat.) read more

One of my favorite sushi place for years! It is such a hidden gem. Sushi is very good and affordable there many rolls to pick from as well as other dishes Everyone is very friendly and nice. The conveyor belt is very nice and it is great that you can grab whatever you want perfect when you need a quick dinner! It's also nice that restaurant offers normal table dinning ! Will always come back!!!! read more

Warakubune Sushi - The special roll - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have a friend who seems determined to try every bullet train/sushi boat sushi place in the city and, fortunately, I was able to talk him out of Kura (disgusting). He found this place instead, and despite the high rating, I was still a little skeptical, as in my experience, you go to these sorts of places for the gimmick, and not so much the quality of the sushi. I was happy to find that Warakubune, at least, is an exception. I enjoyed all of the nigiri I had--some I pulled off the boats, some I ordered. While not the best fish I've ever had, quality and size of the portions were still very good, especially for the prices. The rolls were also tasty, but were covered with more sauce than I usually care for. What really made this place though, was the welcoming atmosphere. The owner was so, so nice, and made us feel very at home, especially when she found out it was our first time there. The people who sat on either side of us were also very friendly and when we struck up conversations with them, we found that all of them were regulars who have been coming to Warakubune for years. We definitely wouldn't mind becoming repeat customers too! read more

Calling this place conveyer belt sushi is just so inept. Yes, it has a "water-powered" sushi boat conveyance, no belt. But it's also all handmade right in front of you. We have been regulars there ever since we moved to the neighborhood in 2011, and have remained consistent visitors even after we moved away 7 years ago. Every time we come in the staff and I believe the owner (who is one of the sushi masters in the middle of the boat section) great us and ask us how we're doing, even these days when we only make it in every couple of months visiting from SoCal (meh). Our go to dish always: the spicy whiterish... comes sashimi style covered in miso ginger sauce and spicy mayo, with a tiny side salad of seaweed and green onions on top + a few cherry tomatoes thrown in for good measure. Love the vibe, it's small and absolutely feels like a local spot. Pro-tip: DON'T BRING YOUR CHILDREN, not only is it not a great spot for them, it's not fair to others when your child starts grabbing roles he then puts back... I've seen it. Also, not recommended for large groups 2-4 max if you want to sit around the boat section. Larger parties though they do have back seating to accommodate. I love this place and will keep going until I can't anymore because it's gone or I am. Pics to come when I visit tonight! read more

Its been awhile since I've been to a revolving sushi bar and I was reminded of how its not exactly my thing. If it is your thing, then I can see how this place is pretty good. Pros: - The variety of sushi and quality - Big portions - Friendly service - Seated right away with no reservations on a friday evening Cons: - The boats move very fast, almost dropped sushi several times. I also get motion sickness from watching the food move so fast. - It's on the pricier side for sushi - My favorite options didn't come around often We still enjoyed our time here though and I would overall recommend it. But I will probably just stick to a normal sushi experience. read more

My bf has never been to a conveyer belt sushi and this was a great first experience! The sushi was fresh but there were not as many options as I would've liked. The servers were very attentive and the decorations inside were cutesy. read more

Warakubune Sushi - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Warakubune is one of the few conveyor belt/floating boat sushi places I've been to in San Francisco (probably the only one actually). The place isn't too large, but thankfully we were able to be seated pretty quickly when we arrived there. Most of the people were sitting at the tables where the sushi boats were floating past--optimal positioning--and if you haven't been to this kind of place before, you essentially just take the sushi plates off the boats and you get charged per plate. They'll vary by price, with some being only a couple dollars while other ones are $6 or so. While the sushi here isn't omakase quality, it is still pretty good and it was an enjoyable experience. They have a lot of the classic rolls like california rolls, salmon roe nigiri, etc. that you can conveniently just get from the boats. The chef also makes them right in front of you in the middle of the boat section, so it is pretty cool to watch him do his stuff. I also believe that you can order separate dishes from the ones on the boat, although we just stuck to what was floating in front of us. If you want the convoyer belt sushi experience in SF, Warakubune is a good place to check out! If I do come here again, I would probably check out the individual dishes we can order to see how those are too. read more

Warakubune Sushi - a close up of a sushi - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Warakubune is one of my favorite places to go in SF! If you're looking for delicious sushi and rolls at an affordable price, you've found the right place. All of their sushi and rolls are amazing. My go to items are house special roll, spicy unagi hand roll, spicy white tuna, salmon sashimi, spicy octopus, fried shrimp dumplings, and spicy scallop hand roll. The service is awesome as well; everyone is super friendly and welcoming. My friends and I usually went close to 8 pm during the week and were seated right away. We keep going back for the vibes as well. I love that it's a family owned business; it makes you feel like you and your group can stay there for hours, eating and chatting away. Also, just looking at the sushi boats floating is so fun! It's definitely a gem in the neighborhood where you'll find yourself keep going back and recommending to everyone you know! read more

Warakubune Sushi - Salmon sashimi - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was excited when I learned about this spot. I was excited and I wanted to try it. Unfortunately, we didn't have a very good experience. After ordering for my kids nothing went well. I should have done more research, it was my own fault for making assumptions about standard traditional food. Additionally, some items we ordered didn't get put in to the kitchen staff, after a follow up inquiry we had to wait for an extended period of time for items to show up. One of our children didn't get to start eating until the rest of us were done. I was excited about the real boats. Unfortunately there was almost no selection at all. We specifically ordered items that were pretty standard. Overall, the quality was alright. read more

What better time to dine on happy hour last week than to swing by Warakubune Sushi! Since I have enough space to fill my stomach, it's better to have a cup of green tea and some small rectangular plates than to have appetizer and main course. Warakubune's interior looks quite similar to the sushi boat restaurant in Chinatown, but even better. Also similar were the Chinese chefs and hostess in a family run sushi bar. Big fish sculptures at the top of the wall! There's even a large tuna in a vertical upward direction! I wanted to catch a big one one day, if I'm strong enough. Again, it's very important to snag a rectangular plate from the wooden boats before they float off. Eventually, these same wooden boats come floating back. Here's which plates I snagged. Tobiko (flying roe) gunken rolls: My daughter definitely loved a pair of rolls if I were to take her to the sushi bar for dinner! She's been so crazy about flying fish eggs. Maguro (tuna) nigiri: Chu-toro and O-toro were like a fatty tunas of champions. Tunas on a bed of vinegared rice was absolutely rich in omega 3s. So it's much better to eat them raw. Chuka Idako (baby octopus): You just gotta love the sweet sinfully delicious eight-legged critter of the deep. Don't forget to finish up a couple of sliced cucumbers. Seaweed salad: Gotta eat more greens, especially the ones deep in the sea. They're packed with anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting properties. Last but not least, tempura battered asparagus rolls. For once, I thought this plate happened to have spider rolls, but it's just asparagus shooting upwards. Last night was truly mundane. But at least I shared which plates every diners must consume. Customer service was fair. The variety of what's on the rectangular plates weren't as high as I expected. Proof of vaccination is a must, and cash accepted. Warakubune Sushi is a good sushi bar that was never a touristy trap. read more

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Great sushi comin at ya on boats . Great ambiance. The nicest staff that you will ever interact with . A must when you are in that part of town . read more

Warakubune is a hidden gem in the mission! This small business is one that I always come to when I'm in town. The conveyor belt setup makes it so easy and quick to grab, so I highly recommend coming here if you want to start eating immediately! The fish is really fresh and they don't skimp on the nigiri/roll insides. I like to get tobiko (fish roe) nigiri and they packed it so much, it was overflowing. My favorite thing is that they use real king crab instead of surimi The service here is also great! There is a really sweet lady I always see working there and she greets me with a kind smile every time. Really wonderful service. Cannot recommend this restaurant enough! read more

I'm going to leave an amazing review but let me start with saying that I thought this was just going to be a gimmicky revolving sushi sushi restaurant with a twist (they use floating boats), but boy was I wrong. This place... hands down this falls in my top 3 favorite sushi places! Everything is taste so fresh. When I day everything, I mean, EVERYTHING! Even down to the soy sauce oddly enough. The ginger tasted sweet and did not have a harsh taste. The wasabi wasn't the dry paste you normally get from any sushi stop, this had the wasabi taste but not the harsh horse radish taste. Everything was great even down to the tea they served. They offered green tea that had an amazing earthy aroma and it was steeped perfectly and not burnt. Okay, let's get to the point, the sushi! I said it once and I'll say it again, this is one of the best if not the best sushi places you'll go to. The sushi tasted so fresh and the fish literally melts on your tongue. I tried a little bit of everything, from the rolls, to the nirigi, to the sashimi! After the first few places from the boats, I knew I had to get the assorted sashimi plate. The fish was so fresh and melts in your mouth. The assorted sashimi came with salmon, bluefin, red snapper, yellowtail, and mackerel. I knew everything was going to be amazing but I was a bit hesitant when it came to the mackerel since I never had a good experience with it (fishy). But to my surprise, it wasn't as fishy as any other places. It had the distinct taste of an oily fish but not the super fishy taste. I am a believer now! Overall I give this place a solid 5 stars! I will forever come here if I'm ever in the Bay Area and will definitely recommend this place to everyone I know! read more

Warakubune Sushi - Assorted sashimi! - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's a really good restaurant with cool seating and a good aesthetic. You get in and it's a quick seat and time to eat because the food is already made and going around the boat river. The only complaint I have is that there aren't that many options, they do make great food but the options aren't very wide. I would recommend read more

Warakubune Sushi - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cute and unassuming Sushi Joint right off of Church and Market. Popped in here for dinner with a friend last Friday and we weren't sure what to expect. When you walk in there's a large table with everyone sitting around a Conveyor Boat (and yes I mean boat - there are boats of sushi floating on water... I was absolutely geeking out). There's a bit of a wait to get seated (especially if it's crowded) but nothing too crazy. Once seated, you can go ahead and start taking plates of sushi from the conveyor belt. Sushi is priced by plate, with each different plate representing a different pricepoint (... I didn't realize this until later and it came back to haunt me ;) ) The sushi itself was quite good - solid quality and all the cuts of fish were delicious. It was arguably the best sushi I've had since moving to the city (haven't had much admittedly). The best part for me though was the experience as a whole. Trying something new, talking to the people sitting next to us, and just having a good time. Will definitely be stopping by here again. Next time though I'll go in with a better strategy so I don't end up spending as much money xD. 4/5 read more

Best sushi in San Francisco. Everyone is so friendly, and the vibes are top-notch. A great dinner place with friends or family.

WARNING: we were overcharged ~$10 dollars 2 out of the 3 times we came. first time they miscounted the plates, and the second time the handwritten check had the correct number of plates BUT summed the total higher. first time we gave them benefit of the doubt since mistakes happen and it's "only" $10, but having a second incident summing incorrectly is just sloppy and starting to feel sneaky (how come i'm never undercharged $10 ) their chicken donburi was also egregiously undercooked, was very very pink sushi itself was acceptable - lots of cream cheese / california rolls / lower quality selection but at least the rice was nice and fish portions generous read more