Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Sweetfin San Diego in San Diego

3.7 (100) 4301 La Jolla Village Dr Suite 2035, San Diego, CA 92122, United States

Categories

Asian fusion restaurant

Location on the map

San Diego, San Diego County, California, US

Phone: +1 858-251-4840
Site: https://sweetfin.com/

Opening hours

Monday:11 AM–7:30 PM
Tuesday:11 AM–7:30 PM
Wednesday:11 AM–7:30 PM
Thursday:11 AM–7:30 PM
Friday:11 AM–7:30 PM
Saturday:11 AM–7:30 PM
Sunday:11 AM–7:30 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 3.7

100 Reviews for Sweetfin San Diego 2024:

Review №1

2023-05-12 05:10:41

The large bowl I got here has pineapple, crispy onions and garlic, and other toppings. The base was cauliflower rice, which is grounded up cauliflower. They were out of rice when we came, maybe because we came like ten minutes before closing.Here, you can get a poke bowl with the same quantity at Makai the dining hall but for twice the price, which is a steal.Its nice that theyre right next to the koi fish, so I can eat raw fish while sitting in front of them.The place seems like it was optimized more for Uber Eats than in person orders. Most people we saw walking in while waiting were picking up orders.For some reason, yellowfin tuna is red. I guess it makes sense that the outside color isnt the same as the inside color. Apparently, the other tuna is white.Also for some reason, the pre made bowls are like $0.5 more expensive than the build your own bowls.They give sporks

Review №2

2023-06-19 20:38:36

This place has decent food, but dont expect to get any customer service. Like at all. I stood there for 10 minutes while I waited for someone to take my order and then was forced to use the tablet and watched about 5 people walk in and walk out for the same reason. I didnt speak a word to anyone until my order was ready. If you need your food quickly, either order way ahead or dont bother at all. Theyve always been slow but now its painfully slow.

Review №3

2023-10-25 21:28:06

Worst poke I have ever tried. I am not a mad person but I just want to share my honest opinion here. The small bowl is ridiculously small like an ice cream cup. The amount of protein is one-fourth of what you get in most other poke bowl places. Most importantly, I know fish does not have to be super fresh at most poke places since they are marinated, but you can definitely tell the old fishy smell is there. I mean…just go to poke one n half…for the same price you get better any toppings and four times the amount of fresher proteins. For a small bowl like this, I may consider if the price is like $5 to $6.

Review №4

2023-06-08 01:29:35

I really like the place, my favorite bowl is the spicy tuna, even though you can also build your own and there are endless options for add-ons. Its a very good menu to follow the best of diets. The food is very healthy. everything is fresh and gluten free; There are also lemonades, matcha popcorn, matchapop. 🫶🏻

Review №5

2021-02-22 15:27:24

Delicious chef designed poke bowls to choose from or you can build your own. Gluten free!! There are so many topping options, but the employees are very friendly and willing to help explain anything! Even sold me on their guava lemonade, delicious! Also well designed and worth hanging around out on their patio to enjoy!

Review №6

2022-12-12 21:44:05

Honestly food is meh. Its poke, but nothing special. The main reason for this review is when someone orders a large, and youre not even fully filling the bowl, they definitely would feel they didnt get their moneys worth. Doesnt cost much to fill up with veggies. Meat I get, but considering this was for cauliflower rice, I expect the bowl to at least be full. Avocado really looks rough too.I see other pictures here to see this is not the normal state of food from here. If youre going in person maybe this is a different experience.

Review №7

2023-10-26 02:53:55

Ordered from Uber Eats so I guess that’s why they skimped out, so we couldn’t see our food and complain. Ordered the large with 1 scoop salmon and 1 scoop albacore tuna. Not one piece of tuna and about 6 pieces of tuna. $20 poke. Complete joke. Do yourself a favor and never order here.

Review №8

2021-06-03 02:19:20

Its not bad at all. But there is no crabs meat. Portions smaller than in other places for this price. On site everything cost for 1$ more. Not comfortable to pick anything if you want customized poke.Poke was good and place is nice.

Review №9

2022-03-26 17:34:04

Been here twice now, ordered small and large size which seem very similar in amounts so Id just order small- $10.50, mall price for a poke bowl, probably wont get you full but is very refreshing and flavorful. Many topping flavors and fish options when Ive gone.

Review №10

2021-10-11 18:26:37

I found this much needed healthy gem with an entirely gluten free menu and vegetarian-friendly, gut-approved menu.Great flavor, fair price. In a world full of burgers, be a poke bowl. Ha! 😂

Review №11

2020-01-19 16:23:01

Good setup, seating, location, presentation and friendly staff. In my opinion not the best poke bowl around, but maybe in top 20, also way to $$$ but can understand due to location!

Review №12

2023-03-31 00:25:29

Simply amazing and such a great find. This little poke spot is a bit upscale but so worth it. The quality of tuna and salmon is so amazing it’s worth every penny. I tried the build your own bowl and my tastebuds fell in love. The bamboo rice mixed with kale salad was a great healthy combo and I’m Shocked everything is GLUTEN Free!! Must try.

Review №13

2022-08-15 22:18:48

The best Poke in town. Apparently something like 96 million combination choices for any one bowl. I like to BYOB ie build your own bowl.I choose 2 different fish options and usually miso shoyu sauce - it’s mild and delicious.

Review №14

2021-01-05 06:14:53

The most delicious poke thats located in a gorgeous mall! I especially loved the options to add orange, pineapple and mango to the poke bowls which were super fresh and flavorful! They had sweet potato and tofu proteins options as well as traditional poke fish.

Review №15

2020-10-27 06:23:36

I normally order Poke wherever I go. NY, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, etc.This place by far had the most overpriced and worst tasting poke.It had a weird burnt taste to it and the size of a $12 meal was as big as a card deck.When I asked about the portion to the worker, they said sorry that we did not satisfy your needs.I gave two stars because although it sucks as a restaurant, at least it has a lot of healthier alternatives for any diet preference. Very keto / vegan friendly.

Review №16

2023-11-08 03:37:58

Unfortunately this place continues to disappoint as you maybe get 4 or 5 pieces of protein and it’s basically all rice. On top of that I do not understand why the service is so unpleasant.

Review №17

2023-01-22 21:23:52

I have had mixed experiences at this poke restaurant. In the past, I have enjoyed the food which is usually prepared perfectly. However, recently the restaurant has had inconsistent hours and the customer service has been poor. The new staff does not seem to care about getting the orders right. Additionally, the food has not been as fresh and delicious as I have come to expect from this establishment. I would appreciate if the restaurant could ensure that the food is always fresh, and kale is washed before serving, as it was dry on my last visit.

Review №18

2022-07-15 20:57:24

Pros: fish is fresh, seaweed salad is great, and theres a good selection of toppings. Employees are also very friendly.Cons: rice is watery and tastes the way sweaty socks smell, so half of the bowl ends up being inedible.Overall: sadly not worth it. Actually, maybe Ill just get kale as a base next time, instead.

Review №19

2023-06-08 03:29:35

Had poke bowls delivered to our office for lunch, no one liked them. Fish did not taste good

Review №20

2019-09-03 05:07:34

Great flavors, fresh fish, fresh toppings...but they didnt have any chopsticks. Eating with a wooden spork just felt odd

Review №21

2022-07-03 16:44:14

If your looking for authentic poke .. this isn’t the place. The bamboo rice isn’t good. Poke ratio is less than the rice. I get the concept of being different but this isn’t it. Fish taste fresh but I wouldn’t go back for another bowl.

Review №22

2018-02-15 07:05:08

Really fresh fish, great sauses, good variety the people is really helpful, they have some predefined poke mixes that you must try, or create your own, you need to try it

Review №23

2023-03-30 01:27:10

Gluten Free diet and super healthy poke bowls, a must try if youre at the Westfield mall at UTC or near the area in La Jolla. I prefer this spot over any other place for Poke. The fish is always the best portions and the freshest ingredients I have found

Review №24

2020-03-02 05:25:47

Good poke. Nice set of flavor options and a great location with good seating.

Review №25

2021-03-23 20:03:53

Unfortunately this location was a huge disappointment. I ordered a plantbased bowl with veggies and the sweet potato was raw, the eggplant was old and off and tasted so disgusting. I picked up a salmon bowl for my husband and the salmon wasn’t fresh. The bowl also had no flavor at all. We both threw out most of it because it was so disgusting

Review №26

2021-05-04 08:03:40

We decided to try out this cute poke place in UTC since we saw that they were offering their restaurant week deal. For $10, we got a small poke bowl, taro chips, and tea. We got the truffled yuzu albacore bowl and built our other bowl. The yuzu albacore bowl was very unique, unlike any other poke bowl we tried before. The ginger and citrus taste was very dominant so its great if you like those tastes! The truffle oil also added additional depth of flavor. For the bowl we customized, we added shrimp, miso sesame sauce, and chose 6 different toppings (the allowed amount). There were a lot of interesting toppings choices but for this bowl, we stuck with the more traditional poke toppings like cucumber, seaweed salad, edamame. The poke bowls were pretty tasty but the portions were a bit on the smaller side. This poke place feels like a specialized, healthy store. The taro chips were delicious and flavorful with the right amount of crisp and thinness. The teas were a bit lacking especially the citrus chamomile tea. It tasted like slightly flavored water. The blueberry tea had a bit more flavor but also wasnt very satisfying. Overall, this poke place is great to visit to try unique tasting poke bowls.

Review №27

2023-03-27 03:26:38

Not worth the money. My bowl was missing toppings, making it rice with unflavored tofu. Would not recommend, save your money.

Review №28

2021-06-10 03:17:13

I’m writing this review to management, I usually enjoy coming here getting my poke but I’m so tired of the in consistent hours and more importantly the new staff don’t care about getting the orders right! The food is always taken care of to perfection. These days it’s been poor customer service and terrible food. Not like the fresh and amazing food I know sweetfin to be. Please at minimum keep the food fresh and wash the kale it’s was so dry!

Review №29

2021-06-13 22:11:54

The staff was not knowlegeable on the ingredients on the menu (had to repeat multiple times) and they missed multiple ingrediants when making the bowl, requiring us to go back. They also didnt give us 2/4 of our bowls... all in all very bad staff and very little portions. They did give us free Taro chips to apologize but still do not recommend.

Review №30

2021-11-06 00:33:35

Ordered from Uber Eats with a promo that was automatically applied — $15 off.1. Build your own bowl w/ an abundance of flavors2. Yuzu salmonUndoubtedly, some of the worst “poke” I’ve had. The flavors (sauces? marinades?) were a mess. Toppings were scarce (especially considering the extra $$ spent to get two large bowls.The great thing about poke is that you can get a ton of toppings, sides, sauces, and flavors usually mesh together well. But not in Sweetfin’s case.More importantly—the fish just wasn’t fresh. It didn’t taste sashimi grade (it tasted BAD), and even the shrimp was overcooked.There are better poke/Hawaiian options in SD. I can’t speak for the cooked bowls, but the poke was 👎🏽

Review №31

2019-12-30 06:14:59

First off, the guy at the counter seemed irritated by our basic questions that we had about their non-traditional ingredients. That should be a given considering most people have never heard of bamboo or forbidden rice. Second, there wasnt even normal white rice on the menu. Their bamboo rice tasted like slightly uncooked white rice and was tough/chewy. Third, they have a wide variety of toppings, but it didnt make up for the flavorless fish and lackluster sauces.Overall, this is not your traditional poke place. It has more of a healthy modern vibe to it with tons of interesting options. The concept is great, but the quality and the service could use some work.

Review №32

2021-02-20 03:24:35

Fresh and simple, the way I like it. The tea was nice too. Pricier than most poke shops but worth it because of their unorthodox toppings. A lot of its quite nostalgic as a Japanese person, since they have things like wasabi tobiko.

Review №33

2019-04-30 01:25:16

We have had many many poke bowls, but nothing compares to the one we had today at Sweetfin La Jolla.. Just as important though was the way we were treated. We were greeted by the manager JoshWith the kindest smile and until we walked out the door he continued to make sure our experience there was perfect! He succeeded . We highly recommend this place

Review №34

2019-10-12 03:14:40

It appears as a pretentious poke place run by hipsters...and it tastes like it. I wasnt expecting much. I was thinking somethingclose to poke 1 1/2 quality. I paid $12+ for a bowl of forbidden black rice that was cooked al dente topped with maybe 2 oz of fish. Less than a handful basically. I got almost no sauce taste because the black rice was so overpowering in texture and soaked up what little sauce was coating the baby pieces of fish. They have an impressive list of toppings, yet they limit you to only 6...why limit me to 6 if youre only going to put 8 pieces of shredded carrot and 1 tbsp of seaweed in my bowl? I guess this place might be fine for people who know nothing about poke...or food. I basically paid overpaid for a hipster bowl of rice. I regret everything.

Review №35

2023-09-16 12:00:11

Not the best. Better than expected. Very corporate look.

Review №36

2018-04-19 22:11:04

Im from Hawaii so I may come off as biased with regards to poke, but there are plenty of good poke places in San Diego. This, however, is not what I would even consider poke. White rice isnt even on the menu. They try much too hard to make things cool and original that they lose what made poke good in the first place: Fresh fish with great fish taste, a sauce to enhance the flavor of the fish, and add-ins to add texture. I literally could not even taste the fish in my poke.

Review №37

2018-04-19 14:28:55

I had my first poke many years ago in Hawaii and felt in love with poke since. I was so excited to find out a new poke place in UTC area with all other fancy, high end restaurants. I ordered Baja Bowl because it was a special thing on their menu and absolutely not impress with it. First I dont mind to pay $13 for a bowl of poke, the problem is it was pre-made product, I tried to add smelt eggs and no cucumber and found out that it is not an option. Cant add or substitute anything on the bowl, I expected my order should be fresh and make in front of me like many other poke places around town. The seasoning is very ordinary, nothing special, I like to give this place another trial but still debating after the first visit.

Review №38

2018-11-15 00:58:36

This is not a traditional poke place and that was my mistake going in. They are trying too hard to be somewhat of an upscale poke place and in my opinion failing at doing so. The items are overpriced and doesnt give me the same joy as eating poke at most other places. One thing I like is they prep all of the ingredients there and they are a healthier version of poke. However, in the end I was unsatisfied and was craving poke even more.

Review №39

2022-04-02 04:44:56

I ordered the Gochujang Salmon. The only flavor in the entire dish was the overpowering acidic sourness of too much vinegar. I could not taste anything else, just vinegar.

Review №40

2018-11-04 23:46:05

Very expensive, uninspiring service (I got the stereotypical hungover slacker) and an unnecessarily confusing menu. $8.95 for a tiny poke bowl with rice that seemed undercooked is unforgivable. How hard is it to cook rice?! Also, their music doesnt work for a poke restaurant (gangsta rap 👎👎). The owner should spend a day visiting poke joints that work and simply replicate their model. UTC is a great location but they have totally blown their concept.

Review №41

2018-08-11 23:00:22

I got the Signature Spicy tuna, delicious and colorful. My only issue is it’s overpriced and can’t chose the protein. The menu is set and can add stuff but mainly just vegetables and crunchies. I’d rather still go to Poke 1 and a half for half the price and customization.

Review №42

2022-10-13 20:14:47

Still a fresh option in this corner of the shopping centre.

Review №43

2023-03-28 13:13:20

Nice place with healthy but yummy choices

Review №44

2022-06-20 22:37:00

Nice poke place. They have some more unusual ingredients that you wont see everywhere, some for an up-charge. I like that they offer forbidden rice (black rice) as a base.

Review №45

2018-04-29 00:59:01

This is the best poke place Ive had so far. The have kelp noodles as a base option, which makes it possible for me to have a reasonable meal while keeping Keto. The add-ons list is lengthy and very good, and the staff is generous. Also a great place to sit (the outside portion).

Review №46

2022-03-03 22:54:45

Jeremy greeted me right when I walked in, made me feel welcomed and was very attentive, the food is great!! He even offered me a free bag of the in house chips since I haven’t tried them yet! Fantastic customer service.

Review №47

2019-09-14 21:50:41

Took 30 mins to get a tiny bowl of poke that had incredibly tiny pieces of mango/minimal amounts of other toppings. My friends cauliflower rice was cold, less like cauliflower rice and more like chopped cauliflower. Overpriced

Review №48

2021-05-18 06:11:51

Me and my kid picked up a salmon bowl from UTC store. When we got home and she started to eat her dinner. She told me there was only rice in the bowl! After spending 5 minutes, we couldn’t even find a tiny piece of salmon.

Review №49

2022-03-25 22:43:02

Not sure why so many negative reviews. But, I thought it was fine, it tasted what it was supposed to, they didnt have a couple of items. But, it wasnt a deal breaker. Would recommend.

Review №50

2022-04-02 20:53:22

Friendly service. Very very tasty food with great vegetarian and vegan options. Wait time less than 5 minutes.Not many juice choices.

Review №51

2018-08-24 19:33:08

Extremely disappointing - I really wanted to like it. The tuna was super stringy and terrible quality. Despite the place being empty they do not mix the poke in front of you (what are they hiding?)Will not be going back - there are too many good choices for poke these days ..

Review №52

2019-03-08 00:15:14

So confused by the low ratings from other reviews because this is one of my favorite spots! I get a DIY bowl every time and it’s always perfect and the best post-workout meal after soulcycle right across the way.

Review №53

2023-03-27 19:04:53

UTC sweetfin amazing place to eat and enjoy time with friends. Friendly team members, fresh food.

Review №54

2019-05-14 04:04:19

Almost too hard to make decisions. They should have some options with all the toppimgs already selected imo. But the random selection I got was still super tasty. The only real negative is the price but its still mostly reasonable given the UTC

Review №55

2019-11-20 04:34:08

Great poke place that caters to food allergies!

Review №56

2018-03-19 19:53:56

Not impressed. I was expecting great and thats not what it was. It wasnt the worst out there but definitely not the best. Fresh but way too salty. Poke One n Half is still my fav!

Review №57

2022-05-09 19:07:41

I asked for extra protein, they took it as enough protein to make sure Id never want to eat tuna again, 10/10 would order again

Review №58

2022-05-13 01:41:17

Half an order arrived and they didn’t care. They blamed the driver. Service just as poor as Sweetgreen…these guys just care about the $

Review №59

2021-08-04 01:20:38

Not bad. Small portion. Theres better Poke out there. Youre paying a premium since its inside fancy UTC mall.

Review №60

2022-09-17 20:55:31

The worker coughed into her hands and then proceeded to make the bowls without sanitizing them first, gross

Review №61

2022-07-09 22:00:15

Super good bowls, great service, lots of high quality options.

Review №62

2021-10-24 21:30:27

It’s been the third time I order something through UberEats, it ends up being cancelled after more than one hour waiting.

Review №63

2018-02-12 05:11:39

Fresh, fresh, fresh! This place was so good! Slightly different spin on the usual poke spot. Fresh ingredients, original sauces. Must try.

Review №64

2022-03-31 02:04:26

Went there for lunch and it was excellent! Even kiddos loved it. Friendly and quick service

Review №65

2019-01-19 02:25:06

Decent portions to price. The habanero flakes were quite spicy as well 👍🏾

Review №66

2018-02-26 00:29:48

Best poke ever, ask for the tuna spice.

Review №67

2021-11-04 00:38:03

One of my newest a most favorite poke spots, real good and different.

Review №68

2023-04-05 21:48:59

H WOO BOWL IS BOMB AF MUST TRY SWEET AND SPICY YUM YUM

Review №69

2019-11-12 05:23:27

The poke is delish but the portions are small and pricey

Review №70

2022-06-24 20:03:50

Quick, delicious, affordable, healthy, vegetarian food, served with a gracious heart.

Review №71

2018-06-22 02:06:10

HORRIBLE SERVICE! The worst ever, half an hour after we order to get our food and we also waited 20 minutes in line.

Review №72

2018-12-31 18:01:29

Still one of my favorite poké places around. Service was exceptionally good.

Review №73

2018-02-10 04:12:49

Great service. Fresh fish. Variety of flavors and combinations.

Review №74

2023-03-29 20:46:47

Great service and amazing food!

Review №75

2021-04-14 22:31:56

Poke place at the mall.. organic taro chips, and good lemonade

Review №76

2022-01-31 21:58:33

A great place for poke!!! Highly recommend!

Review №77

2020-12-21 18:15:55

Great Pokè! Will try again next time!

Review №78

2022-05-22 19:01:25

Very great veggie option!

Review №79

2022-08-09 19:59:54

Food is good. Like all the options

Review №80

2023-07-22 01:55:58

Really bad food

Review №81

2019-03-30 12:12:10

The best Poke I have ever eaten!

Review №82

2023-06-30 20:37:52

It could be better

Review №83

2018-07-31 20:34:17

Pretentious poke, makes sense its an LA chain.

Review №84

2021-05-03 00:58:48

Just got delivery, there was a staple in my food

Review №85

2019-02-15 01:33:50

Designer Sushi in a bowl. Great

Review №86

2023-06-16 23:59:39

Terrible service

Review №87

2018-11-03 20:36:58

Delicious and fresh great on a warm day

Review №88

2018-11-29 00:50:03

Love it! Tastes so good

Review №89

2020-03-13 20:06:25

Poke bowls....

Review №90

2019-12-03 05:39:17

Lots of choices and friendly staff.

Review №91

2022-03-03 22:43:37

The taste is awful

Review №92

2019-05-18 05:09:12

Love the forbidden rice

Review №93

2021-07-02 19:19:00

Healty and good food

Review №94

2019-12-28 17:32:53

Delicious and healthy.

Review №95

2019-10-01 22:40:08

Fresh and delicious

Review №96

2020-02-25 15:54:58

Great poke !!!

Review №97

2019-11-05 15:57:33

Good food.

Review №98

2019-09-14 22:22:55

Excellent food

Review №99

2020-01-21 20:29:31

Takes forever

Review №100

2021-07-15 16:27:30

A sushi restaurant run by a Korean. A simple raw fish rice bowl dish is possible.