Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Teru Japanese Cuisine in Santa Barbara

4.6 (58) 1305 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, United States

Categories

Japanese restaurant
Sushi restaurant

Location on the map

Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, California, US

Phone: +1 805-679-5835
Site: http://terusushisb.com/

Opening hours

Monday:Closed
Tuesday:5–9:30 PM
Wednesday:5–9:30 PM
Thursday:5–9:30 PM
Friday:5–10 PM
Saturday:5–10 PM
Sunday:Closed

Edit info

Total reviews rating 4.6

58 Reviews for Teru Japanese Cuisine 2024:

Review №1

2023-10-13 17:11:29

Highly recommend dining here! Some of the best sushi I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot 😊)Food: 10/10. Here’s our standouts:- bluefish trio (special) melts in your mouth. So fresh!- oyster uni (special) one of the best things we’ve ever eaten!- baked eggplant- toro taku roll: toro + uni- welcome roll: topped with salmon and a basil truffle oil. So good!Overall, I don’t think you can go wrong with anything in the specials menu. It changes each day with what’s fresh!They also have a rotating sake on their specials menu, which is fun to try new ones!

Review №2

2022-11-12 16:57:43

Good selection of fresh fish on the daily menu. Plenty of specials too. They have plenty of local uni dishes including whole fresh uni. Theres a selection of good sake to go with the fresh seafood. Food is a 5 star for variety and freshness. The beige plates dont show off the food enough and its hard to see the daily specials menu board from some tables. I wish they have a couple more copies on the walls. The daily fish selection is excellent!

Review №3

2023-08-26 02:15:57

The food and service are amazing! I had the New Zealand salmon nigiri special and the Dream Press Box. The best!!

Review №4

2022-02-14 19:48:44

Five stars all the way! We ordered off the specials board and enjoyed some fine sake. The food was outstanding, as was the service. Teru San accommodated our wishes to have three pieces of each (since three of us were dining together and wanted to eat the same food). I love that this place has the small vibe of a sushi restaurant in Japan. Its also covid safe with tables set far apart from each other and high ceilings. Im looking forward to my next visit!

Review №5

2023-03-19 02:13:07

The BESSSSSSST Sushi... not just in California, but (at the risk of sounding like Elle Woods)... like, EVER!The freshness, the flavors, the sauces-- AMAZING! Theres so many options for a variety of preferences... for the pure sushi lover who just wants the simplicity of sashimi, or the deck the halls sushi lover who wants everything piled on top of that little roll of love, you cant go wrong.Not to mention, Teru himself is the best. He creates a friendly and comfortable environment to enjoy delicious, fresh and often local options to make up a memorable dining experience. If in Santa Barbara, this is a must go, treat yo self spot!

Review №6

2023-12-09 18:20:08

Amazing sushi! Their Uni is so sweet and fresh. I love how they mix the Toro / Uni / Shiso Leaf. The Toro Trio dish is so good. Its also a really nice small restaurant with a very cozy authentic vibe.

Review №7

2023-09-07 16:38:00

One of the best sushi I had in my life. More than correct prices for the center of Santa Barbara. Friendly staff. Nice place with beautiful paintings on the wall, by a local artist.

Review №8

2022-07-07 01:37:17

I do not understand any of the bad reviews. I live in Santa Barbara and Teru is my favorite Sushi place in town. Authentic, friendly service and high quality food.

Review №9

2022-03-03 04:24:51

Amazing spot - truly feels like you’re dining in Japan. Incredibly fresh fish and over all best sushi (if not seafood) in all of Santa Barbara. In addition to the food, service is very thoughtful and attentive!

Review №10

2022-03-31 21:29:54

I forgot how vast the difference is between truly good sushi and cookie cutter sushi. Teru is delicious. The former Sakana chef is doing great things on State Street. We will definitely be back.

Review №11

2021-02-20 03:23:34

Quick and easy outdoor ordering for takeout. Covid19 safe which I appreciated.The tuna carpaccio was perfect. Absolutely amazing quality, smooth, buttery and nice mold flavor. Expensive but worth getting.The California roll was also excellent but some of it came apart when picked up. I ordered when they first opened so the rice might have needed more time to cool. The texture and flavor of the roll was impressive. Definitely one of the top five I’ve had anywhere.The salmon nigiri was just okay, better than average but not the best.The miso soup was a bit of a letdown as it was watery and lacked flavor.Would definitely return and highly recommend the carpaccio in particular.

Review №12

2022-07-22 03:18:17

The food was delicious and the chef was super engaging and accommodating. He made us some amazing vegetarian rolls that aren’t on the menu. This unique place is a definite must for good food and friendly staff!

Review №13

2023-04-29 19:37:31

Very disappointed. Came in group of five.First, the waitress did not ask all of us what we want to drink and some of us didn’t even get a cup of water until we were about to leave despite we’ve told her. She was disinterested throughout with a poker face.Second, the food came is really small portion and we ordered $150ish food and we were still hungry at the end. There were limited choice for food too, as there were only sushi/rolls/sashimi available. The taste was of mediocre quality.The worst thing is that they tried to charge us mandatory 20% gratuities while suggesting more on the receipt. I asked why mandatory tip and she answered it’s required for a certain number of people. I asked how many is certain number? She’s like ahh three or four or five something. There were completely no signs anywhere and we weren’t told that when we sit in. This is terrible.Save your money and go elsewhere!

Review №14

2021-12-01 06:08:29

The fish was great and prices were reasonable but the service was incredibly poor. Really a shame because the food quality is excellent.

Review №15

2022-09-02 00:57:57

There was nobody here and I decided to go for it based off the pictures and the feeling that they were traditional. Boy was it right. I ordered the $100 omakase and was treated to the most delightful sushi experience I’ve ever had. (I’ve been to countless sushi joints and live in Seattle area). These guys are the real deal and the owner is an absolute G. Highly recommend.

Review №16

2022-06-26 17:54:46

Excellent sushi. The variety and presentation/ preparation and first rate. The staff/ owners are charming and friendly. I’d give a slight negative mark on the shrimp tempura which seemed almost prepackaged tasting but this doesn’t take away from the overwhelmingly good sushi and sashimi.

Review №17

2022-03-11 03:04:35

Want high quality, delicious sushi? Come here! Excellent, beautiful, yummy. Its all you need and more. The unique, craft Japanese beer selection is a fun, welcome addition to your typical sushi experience. Dont skip the salmon and yellowtail nigiri! This is our favorite date night spot.

Review №18

2021-09-25 04:54:37

Absolutely delicious! Teru-san serves up some fresh sea urchin and Im in heaven

Review №19

2022-05-04 00:12:30

Great quality sushi prepared masterfully; a varied sake selection with good quality and items you dont find everywhere else.They offer a thin cut roll with uni on top, I have not seen that elsewhere in the Santa Barbara area. Very nice to get uni without a lot of ornament or other things in the way.The specials offered were fantastic, the tsuri aji ( special horse mackerel) was the best Ive had outside of Japan. The other items were just as good. The variety of fish they serve from Japan is not something you see very frequently; for instance, when it is in season, summer, they will have hamo.I would have eaten three meals a day here if they were open early.

Review №20

2022-04-04 04:17:26

Authentic Japanese Sushi. If you are used to American Sushi the serving sizes are on the small end but lovingly crafted. Rotating list of specials, so some days you may have wagyu and other days you may have uni and other days you have something you never heard of before. Big plus if you are into surprises and trying new things, but a bit of a change from American restaurants that serve the same thing every day. Dont go if you are in a rush. Do go when you have time to savor the food. They do have some gluten free and vegetarian/vegan options if you ask politely. Chiefs name is Teru

Review №21

2022-05-01 03:55:54

Summary: really delicious food, ridiculously slow service and genuinely confusing experienceEDIT: Found out that they also overcharged my card. I called the restaurant to resolve this and had the same kind of experience -- confusingly slow service from people that seem kind. The person seemed like she wanted to help but it took 3 phone calls over the course of 2 hours to get a refund. I had the physical copy of my receipt with a check number and the time of the transaction and I also gave her my name and the last four digits of my card. When I actually insisted on the phone that she just find the receipt, it took less than a minute to find. So why was I told twice that she would have to do something else and then call me back later? When we talked through the items on the receipt, there were two things on the receipt that were ADDED AFTER I RECEIVED MY CHECK Let me repeat that. I signed a receipt with my 4 rolls listed and after I left, THEY ADDED TWO MORE ITEMS TO THE BILL. That shouldnt even be possible. The order should be closed after we leave and all that should happen is a total adjustment for tip. I continue to be so disappointed and confused and unfortunately Im knocking off the last two stars for this. Its just unacceptable to run a restaurant in this way.Starting with the positives:The sushi we ordered (4 rolls) were all delicious. From the basic sake maki (plain salmon) to the special Caribbean roll, all had high quality fish and there were some unique pairings. The atmosphere of the restaurant is intimate and charming. The chef (who I assume to be Teru based on other reviews) was genuinely friendly and the servers were kind. We didnt try it but the omakase offering is also unique to Teru from what Ive seen.Moving on to the (unfortunately numerous) negatives:My boyfriend and I left Teru hungrier than when we arrived. Part of this is the small portion sizes but overwhelmingly the issue is the astonishingly slow service. We entered the restaurant at 6pm on a Sunday. There were approximately 6 tables of 2-4 people already seated with around 6 more empty tables. It would take us just over 2 hours to leave and some that were seated when we arrived were still there as we left. It seems that all the sushi is prepared by the one chef alone which slows down the food service and leaves the servers stressed but without tasks. The 3 servers, who were constantly pacing the dining space, would swiftly take away an empty plate but were also difficult to get ahold of for more water, the check, or any other questions. Our order was missing one of the rolls and between the servers rushing about and the chefs pace, it was an extra 30 minutes before we had it on our table. It then took more than 20 minutes from receiving the check to getting my card returned to me.I really wanted to love this place and I have no anger towards the staff. They were so personable, you couldnt get upset at them. I do enjoy a relaxed laidback dinner out but this wasnt that. Our experience was both slow and frantic. Im just so confused and disappointed from the evening that it doesnt make sense to ever come back.If management happens to see this: Please dont take delivery or pickup orders and remove half the tables in the dining area. That seems to be the amount of patrons you can reasonably serve.

Review №22

2022-02-06 05:34:26

Overall, the experience was not good. We went on a Saturday night and the restaurant wasn’t full: had 5 other tables. Only 2 waiters were running around. Maybe short staffed..Food is okay, definitely not the best in town. We didn’t get sick.Service was rushed and our waiter messed up the order. And she seems knowledgeable about how the food is made but she actually just giving good answers without really knowing how the chef made the food. The food came all together very quickly!Red wine list is 2 choices and not good rotation of the bottles.Price is very expensive to what you are getting.We ordered 4 appetizers, 1 order toro sashimi, 1 order wagyu, and 2 sushi plates. I loved the spanish sashimi toro.. wagyu had no taste.Food/service/price: not worth visiting again. I wish you the best.

Review №23

2022-03-11 22:29:54

I was thoroughly impressed and might have a new favorite sushi restaurant. We had a party of 9 and I was delighted to find the place relatively empty at 5:30 (I dont particularly care for loud establishments being 50%+ deaf/can only hear it if one ear), but the place fills up quickly after about 6/6:30.Our party host spoke with Teru and asked for him to just prepare chefs choice plates and to keep them coming. He also took the time to visit several different tables during service, which is always a welcome and added bonus.Terus fusion of unconventional flavors added to his eloquent and traditional techniques/style was a homerun! So much so, I asked about the possibly of an unpaid (unless he wants to pay me) apprenticeship..... I dont know that there is anything on the menu not worth trying.10 stars if I could!

Review №24

2021-12-09 19:06:31

Underwhelmed is the emotion that best characterizes our experience. Perhaps I set my expectations too high, but given the premium location and the elevated price point, I assumed we were in for something special. Dont get me wrong, the meal was fine, just not great. The food, the service, and the ambiance was just average.

Review №25

2021-09-23 04:41:54

Im a Japanese. This restaurant is certified as a REAL Japanese. The best sushi restaurant in Santa Barbara.The perfect cook with fresh fish. The chef knows the best taste of each fish to serve. Just order the chefs special!A lot of fish are flown in from the fish market in Japan.

Review №26

2021-08-19 02:00:15

I loved visiting Teru sushi! Restaurant has a super cozy feel with local art on the walls (big plus). Highly recommend trying the scallop roll and the uni shooters - hands down my two favorite things on the menu!

Review №27

2021-09-24 12:27:06

A wonderful sushi restaurant right next to The Arlington! We enjoyed all of our sushi from the specials board, especially the yellow tail and the wild king salmon, the mushrooms and a press box with a glass of Poochie effervescent cold sake. Friendly waitstaff and owner is a gem.

Review №28

2022-03-03 04:14:01

This is the best a la carte sushi in Santa Barbara. I used to go to Arigato, but Teru is much much better. They also have wonderful local fish on their specials menu. I plan to be a regular here!

Review №29

2022-12-10 04:56:59

Outstanding food! It drives me nuts that the Montisheeple would waste their time a block down state street. The fish is amazing and fresh. What a delight!!

Review №30

2021-01-26 02:36:29

SO good!I always order chicken karaage at every new Japanese restaurant I go to, as the execution of something so simple says a lot about the standard of the whole restaurant, and their chicken karaage was the best Ive ever had! It was so juicy that it dripped when I bit into it, and was perfectly crispy and light! Also ordered their Lomi Lomi roll and it was delicious, simple yet complex in flavour profile. This restaurant is Japanese owned and of a very high standard, please try it out!

Review №31

2022-12-29 17:35:33

Phenomenal sushi! High quality fish paired with creative but still elegant twists. Highly recommend.

Review №32

2021-08-28 20:33:55

Sushi was excellent, fresh. Local albacore was terrific. Great special rolls, beautiful presentation and special sauces. Very nice staff, charming sushi chef.

Review №33

2022-01-08 02:23:28

Fresh seafood with selections from Japan. Great ambiance. The owners are lovely and the service was great. Excellent experience. Best sushi in Santa Barbara.

Review №34

2022-08-09 06:01:38

Not an overwhelming menu, nice service, and really good quality Japanese food. They also have their specials written on the board above the sushi bar!

Review №35

2020-12-20 03:39:57

Love the sushi here. Exceeded all expectations! I knew it would be good with the former chef from Sakana opening his own place. Definitely recommend this sushi spot!

Review №36

2021-01-17 05:12:03

This is the type of sushi that makes every other sushi mediocre. We had the I love surfing press box, California roll and albacore sushi. All the fish was melt in your mouth good. Thank you!

Review №37

2021-10-21 21:57:29

Teru (the chef and the restaurant) is incredible. Highly recommend for any sushi lover. The staff is great too.

Review №38

2020-12-07 20:12:40

Best new sushi spot in Santa Barbara! Amazing staff and amazing meal. Best hamachi kama Ive ever had.

Review №39

2022-10-01 04:05:00

Food was great, service not that great. Our food was delayed and the tea we ordered did not make it to our table. We were forgotten for a bit.

Review №40

2023-02-20 02:14:52

Nice people. Slow service. Not good food, I feel bad saying. I found all inedible and unappealing. Looked bland, was bland.

Review №41

2022-03-17 02:23:06

This place is a hidden gem. My favorite Sushi in Santa Barbara. Clean, fresh and peaceful.

Review №42

2021-07-29 02:45:53

Not sure why this place isn’t busy. The fish is fresh and the staff is so friendly and kind. Would recommend the fiery roll and the toro nigiri 👌

Review №43

2023-10-24 05:35:30

Friendly service great food!

Review №44

2022-08-20 02:52:51

Very bad experience, very bad service. I made a reservation but there’s no available table when I arrived, had to wait half an hour. Servers had really bad attitude, one even yelled at me when I tried to find someone take my order.

Review №45

2020-12-04 02:37:49

Great sushi and service! We learned of Teru branching off from Sakana and had to try. We will be back for sure!

Review №46

2021-12-31 03:38:31

Food is good, servers are great.

Review №47

2022-11-05 02:24:12

No glitz, no glamour…Just really good sushi

Review №48

2021-10-24 15:46:43

Great food and service!!

Review №49

2022-03-21 01:48:22

Very handsome chef Noah makes great omakase

Review №50

2021-09-18 04:56:43

Phenomenal food and service. The Omakase was delicious.

Review №51

2022-08-03 01:13:23

It was AMAZING!!!

Review №52

2022-08-06 20:16:37

I like Teru, nice people and good food.

Review №53

2021-09-23 03:02:19

Fresh sushi in town!

Review №54

2021-09-05 03:32:08

This place is amazing. Even my 5 year old loved it.

Review №55

2021-09-02 05:41:44

Great fresh food with a simple atmosphere. Kind staff.

Review №56

2021-01-04 03:12:20

Hawaii-grade poke and Tokyo-grade sushi!!! So good!

Review №57

2022-08-07 04:24:20

Incredibly fresh and delicious.

Review №58

2021-08-21 04:03:01

Fantastic