Blowfish Sushi To Die For

Fun, high end sushi

Pros: Good Sushi

Cons: A bit loud

Posted 08/26/09

The music was pumping the staff seemed to be having a fantastic time slinging their sushi, the cocktails were one of a kind & the food was amazing! Def a place to bring groups or people from out of town... & they even sell the lethal FUGU! ...this is THE PLACE TO BE!!

Pros: Different than any other sushi place in the Bay!

Cons: Its loud & tooo fun!

Posted 06/03/09

The VERY BEST sushi in town. Yeah, thats an honest description. The menu is great, but they excel at their very best specialy -- sushi! Fresh and delicious, give them a tryand you won't regret it!

Posted 03/31/09

Blowfish is right around the corner from my house, so I probably go there more than I would if I had to travel from the other side of town. Each time I go, I'm astounded by the quality and selection of fish. However, I'm equally amazed that the ambiance has not been adjusted since the early 2000s. The anime and techno are no longer required, please

Posted 01/18/09

Very disappointed. Service is bad, very slow and very unwelcoming staff. Not worth to leave downtown for it, location is not safe either.
Will never come back and will not recommend it to anyone.
Stay away from bad service.

Cons: bad service

Posted 01/16/09

Staff needs serious training!!! We got 'you are late for your reservation' treatment at the door with no smile or any other positive attitude.
Waitress was SLOOOOOOW and definitely not for this job. Maybe due to the economy situation she found this job to make her ends meet and failed miserable without even trying to be nice and considerate to her customers. HORRIBLE experience. It s very sad because food was not bad, but I will NEVER COME BACK and will NOT recommend this place to my friends.

Posted 01/16/09

I was visiting for a conference and cabbed it out to Blowfish. The service was outstanding, with attentive but not overbearing waitress. I tried a couple of specialty mixed drinks, which were fun but not fantastic. The rolls were good and the fish was really fresh. It was a Monday night so not very crowded, but the vibe was good. The only problem was trying to get a cab back to civilization.

Pros: Good sushi, good service

Cons: Too far away

Posted 10/26/08

Sounds like a great night.
I've gone here for years but not in some time. New owner? What's up. It took 25 minutes to get a glass of water. Their namesake Blowfish roll was bland and covered by just a sliver of salmon. The waitress only came by 2 x. We had to ask someone else to finally get a bill. No, she never did ask how the meal was. But then the absolute worse was the katsuo. Imagine a wee sliver of spoiled fish reeking of the sea. The sushi chef didn't seem too concerned about it when we brought it up. Maybe that's just business as usual. I think we'll leave this one for the drunks and tourists.

Pros: very very easy to get a table

Cons: bad service, bad quality fish, small portions

Posted 08/28/08

This place is not worth leaving downtown San Francisco for! If your visiting the city and are staying downtown or near Fisherman's Wharf don't bother taking the cab ride here! Unless of course over-priced second rate sushi with an attitude is what you are craving. Go to Maru Sushi on Powell. MUCH BETTER QUALITY AND NO ATTITUDE.

Posted 07/31/08

Not sure what happened to Blowfish but it used to be outstanding... now, it is very average. The fish doesn't taste that fresh, the rolls are nothing to write home about. Maybe it has just been off the last few times I have been there- I certainly hope so!

Posted 07/13/08

Be prepared for a rather loud atmosphere with annoying Japanese Anime showing on TVs throughout the restaurant. For those with A.D.D., watch out, you'll be staring at TVs all night! The restaurant is small, we chose to sit in the bar area at mini tables. People were brushing by our table all night. The menu had some great items on it. We had a great tasting Kobe Carpaccio, the ponzu foam was a bit tasteless though. The rolls were portioned well and their sashimi combination came in an oversized martini glass. Wide variety of drinks on the menu, our favorite was the hot plum sakes with lemon and a cinnamon stick.

Pros: Original sushi and roll combinations, great drink menu

Cons: Loud, silly Japanese Anime playing on all TVs

Posted 05/07/08

I heard about this place one too many times so my date and I decided to finally try it out. We went on a Friday night and we had a wonderful experience. Very hip restaurant and the food was excellent. The fish was so fresh that it melted in my mouth. The service was unexpectedly good too. I had read some reviews that said the service was poor so I was pleasantly surprised to find that our waitress was on her game. Very timely with drinks and dinner. I would definitely recommend this place if you?re looking for some really delicious creative drinks and Sushi.

Posted 02/04/08

I used to love this place but was disappointed by my last visit. Unless you get very fresh sushi, it's too pricey. I ordered all sashimi and nothing melted in my mouth. Too many less fancy Sushi spots in SF that have a lot fresher fish.

Posted 01/03/08

My wife and I are regulars. The sushi and the scene are still fantastic but the service the last three times we went has been markedly worse.

Posted 09/15/07

I used to eat lunch here at least twice a month when I worked in the hood until about 4 months ago. I know service was never great, but yesterday I took my brother and his wife, who's Japanese, visiting from out of town, I was beyond embarrassed to have even suggested eating here. First of all, I am a gay dad to a 10 month-old baby, who was with us. I know that crowded restaurants and babies don?t mix so well, so we waited until after the lunch rush to go to the restaurant. A lot of parents may claim that their kids are well-behaved, but truly we get complimented every time we go out with my son about how well he does in public - on planes, restaurants, etc.

Anyway, so when we arrived, the place was more than half-empty. The hostess greeted us with an attitude asking us how many in our party, and when I responded that we were three plus the baby in my arms, her immediate response was, "Well, we don't have any high-chairs." I just smiled, and pointed to the small fold up stroller we had and said he could sit in that. We then got seated.

Our server came over after a while and took our order. As it was such a hot day my brother asked if they had any iced green tea and was told no. He then noted that they have hot green tea, which he ordered along with 2 glasses of ice to make his own. It literally took until nearly the end of the meal and having to ask 3 different staff for two glasses of ice! The food was mediocre, the service was astonishingly bad. On average, it would take us 2-3 attempts at asking for anything for it to show up. And it wasn't just us, the table next to us ordered coffee drinks which just never came, and apparently neither did their Miso soup which we overheard them asking to be taken off the bill.

I guess I must have jinxed the lunch by raving about how much I loved the place. I will NEVER make the mistake of eating here again. I will be sure to let everyone I know how unwelcome my son was. Unbelievable!

Pros: good location and varied lunch menu

Cons: service

Posted 07/05/07

a bit loud inside, but the atmosphere can be fun if you're with a big group. the sushi was good, but nothing to rave about. i'd go more for the ambience than the sushi.

Pros: ambience

Cons: a bit pricey, parking, long wait eventhough we had reservations

Posted 05/11/07

Rude server ruined a good experience.Suzi do not tell me you can't wait for a cold beer at the end of your shift and treat us like crap............What's up Jason

Pros: Suzi you were rude to say the least

Cons: Good food..........

Posted 01/30/07

Like I said, you can't have a bad night at blowfish. Kind of loud, so not a good place for a romantic date.

Pros: Fun, fun, fun!

Cons: Loud

Posted 11/15/06

If you like fresh, unique flavored sushi, this is the best spot in town. The sushi here is absolutely delicious w/ a wide variety to choose from. My husband and I started w/ the gyoza's, and it was by far, the best gyoza's we'd ever had. We also ordered the Buddha roll, Dragon roll, Godzilla roll, and the 1920th roll. They were all excellent. Would recommend to get there early because it does fill up quickly. The drinks are also unique in their own for they are all made w/ sake. The bill can get pricey if you order multiiple rounds of drinks..but if you're just going for the food..it's not bad at all.

We'll definitely be back soon!

Pros: Unique and flavorful sushi, fun atmosphere, good service, great drinks.

Cons: Parking can be a challenge

Posted 11/11/06

This restaurant is for those who don't know real sushi, and those who like a small portion fancy concotions using moderate tasting sushi. It is full of yuppies and the loud japaname techno is not good for digestion.

Posted 10/19/06

This place is completely the opposite of your typical sushi restaurant. Loud techno and anime cartoons apparently go very well with sushi. Very crowded, but no one seemed to care. The food is excellent and the service gets the job done. Gets you in the mood to go out drinking after your're done eating. Try the Fiesta Roll!

Pros: Unique Dining Room, Food

Cons: Small dining room

Posted 08/16/06

after eating sushi up and down the california coast, i finally came across something i'd never seen. a variety of sushi additions such as coconut and mango that left me quite surprised. i wouldn't have thought to add either to a roll, but i wasn't disappointed. great menu, ok staff and fun bar area for after dinner drinks

Posted 07/01/06

This is not the place to go if you want quiet, intimate conversation. The techno is loud, and the anime can be distracting, but what I like most is the consistency. I've been going to Blowfish for years, and I must say, their drinks and food are just as tasty as when I first discovered them. I've recommended them to friends and none of them have been disapointed. Try the Pyramid of the Tartare... YUM!

Pros: specialty rolls, appetizers, sake cocktails

Cons: Loud, Loud, Loud

Posted 05/06/06

This is some of the best Sushi I have had on the West Coast. Small portions (which I like) but a little too expensive. Worth it if you'd like to splurge a little, but get ready to put down some cash for some small, but VERY tasteful portions. And I recommend the Sake as well.

Pros: great food, great atmosphere

Cons: expensive, small portions

Posted 02/16/06

This restaurant is wonderful. The restaurant is set up with low lighting so it seems very personal but at the same time its really trendy so its always busy. To some it may seem a bit impersonal if your trying to have a nice quite dinner. The sushi is phenomenal and very fresh, I must add.
If your looking for a good place to eat fresh sushi..this is defanitly the place to go. It can be a bit pricey depending on what you order but the freshness of the fish defanitly makes up for the price.
I also defanitly recommend their deserts; the green tea cheesecake is absolutly delicious!
If you plan on going during a weekend evening, defanitly try to make reservations or you could be stuck having to come back later or wait it out till someone cancels if there is no room at the bar.

Pros: fresh fish, food is phenomenal, great saki/drinks

Cons: bad parking, sometimes too crowded

Posted 02/13/06

Restaurants like these are what makes S.F. such a great place to live! A friend and I decided to come here for the S.F. Dine About Town special (3 courses for $30). The place has a very hip vibe (we felt as though we dorked the place up a bit). We were both blown away by the quality of the food. We each sampled different appetizers, entrees, and desserts, and everything we had was amazing. The sushi was very fresh and very high quality, and all the dishes were inventive and delicious. We agreed that we were lucky to get such a great deal on the meal, and that we would happily come back here very soon!

Pros: amazing sushi, unique dishes, great atmosphere

Cons: sketchy neighborhood

Posted 02/06/06

You go to this place for the scene. Cute girls and anime decor surround you in this techno club that happens to serve sushi. The fish is really good. I'm a traditionalist, so I went with the standard sushi and some rolls. But, everyone seemed to like some of the non-traditional items. Make a reservation. The wait was over an hour on a Sat night, but they've got a good bar to pass the time. The only complaint, the uni could have been fresher.

Pros: Fish, Scene

Cons: Uni

Posted 01/24/06

We came here last night for the Dine About Town pre-fixe dinner but ended up ordering from the menu because the sushi items sounded good. We ordered 10 rolls and their tartare pyramid appetizer. The appetizer was good, but of the 10 rolls we had, only 1 was above average. You could do better elsewhere for half the price. Most of us had a drink, 5-6 pieces of sushi and some of the tartare and ended up paying $27 per person. We were still hungry but did not want to order anymore overpriced, mediocre food, so we headed for pizza and dessert elsewhere. Also, their mango mojito was overloaded with mint leaves, which made it bitter. The anime and techno music provided hip surroundings and the service was good, but in the end, the food was all hype and little substance. Blowfish Sushi just blows.

Pros: service, scenery

Cons: small portions, expensive, over-rated

Posted 01/21/06

I love sushi, so I had to check out blowfish. the place was packed with hipsters and the TVs around the place displayed fun anime movies. the menu looked like it had a unique selection, but i was incredibly disappointed at the sight of the food. the presentation was lovely but the portions were TOO SMALL. 12 bucks for a 4 pieces? Come on! The Super Dynamite Roll had amazing flavor, but you'd have to order at least 4 plates to get somewhat satisfied. And their signature drinks aren't anything to write home about. My sister's Mt. Fuji tasted like a freshly opened can of TreeTop Apple Juice. Where's the booze?! Good flavors, but i'd suggest eating a meal before you go.

Pros: Great Tasting Sushi, Fun Scene

Cons: SMALL PORTIONS, Not Much Bang for the

Posted 01/14/06

My boyfriend and I went to Blowfish on a Sunday night for some late night Sushi. We didn't book reservations ahead of time so when we got there, we had to wait ten minutes. Surprisingly, the scene was great and the vibe was young, modern and trendy. And this was on a Sunday night - I can only imagine what it's like at lunch or a regular weeknight! Great crowd of people and great food; the service was mediocre. Our waitress didn't tend to us very well. Other than that, it's a great place to go either for a fun first date or for the smaller groups of friends that just want to have a good time chatting over sushi and sake.

Pros: Food, Good noise, Ambiance

Cons: Unattentive waitress

Posted 10/03/05

If you want great sushi, yummy drinks, a trendy good-looking crowd atmosphere, then Blowfish is king! Another place that I've been to over ten times. I have yet to try anything bad; matter of fact, it's because of Blowfish that I've been so adventurous with sushi. Before Blowfish, I did Cali rolls, now I've tried at least seven different types of sushi because everything always tastes so good.

Thank you Blowfish:-)

Pros: Yummy food, yummy drinks

Cons: parking, at night, crowded

Posted 09/03/05

I used to go to Blowfish all the time for lunch and dinner since I worked nearby. While I would give their rolls and appetizers (try the tartare) an A for taste and creativity, I've always been disappointed with their sushi. Read through the reviews and you'll realize I'm not the only one commenting on the freshness of the fish. Tack on the ridiculous prices this is a place for those who want to brag about loving sushi but know nothing about actually eating it.

Pros: Good Service

Cons: Lack of fresh fish, Over Priced

Posted 08/26/05

Get the Buddha Roll, which is delicious, and the Dynomite Roll, but only if you like spicy food. The unfiltered sake was very good, and even the plum wine didn't come off too sweet. The service was excellent. My only complaint was that the several screens showing anime became distracting and a little annoying after the novelty wore off.

Pros: Buddha Roll, Dynomite Roll, Oysters

Cons: Anime TV

Posted 08/04/05

Great place to go when you leave the kids home and go out with a group of adults. Not a great place to chat, but the loud almost clublike atmosphere can be enjoyable with the right amount of drinks. The sushi is pretty good, but you're going here more for the atmosphere.

Posted 07/24/05

On a Friday night out, your first cocktail is the best part of the night. We ordered two drinks at Blowfish, a special cocktail and a gimlet. The gimlet is all about the fresh lime juice and was sent out with old, dry limes, with brown edges. I went to the bar to get some fresh limes, but they were only using old limes probably cut a few days ago. This seemed to be the theme of the night. It was not very fresh, and for the price, you would expect fresh food, especially in a competitive restaurant city like San Francisco.

Pros: location, lively

Cons: not fresh, expensive, too trendy

Posted 06/15/05

When the bubble burst so did the blowfish. This ultra hip sushi joint is past its prime.

Posted 06/02/05

A group of us went to Blowfish and had a great dinner. We ordered a ton of food, service was great, and when we got the bill, we were suprised that it was such a great price. I would highly recommend the filet mignon appetizer, and would not recommend the cucumber cocktail (tasted like dirty spa water). Overall the sushi was good, but nothing amazing that stood out. Ambiance was great, and overall we were very impressed.

Pros: Inexpensive

Posted 03/18/05

Every time I drive by Blowfish it is packed so I finally stopped in to try it out. Since, I've been there three times (in the past two months!). The food is really great and the staff has been upbeat and friendly. I think it's a cool place and it's a guaranteed hit if you take someone there who is visiting from out of town!

Posted 02/17/05

I don't consider myself a sushi expert but I found this place very disappointing. I expected a new twist, and new flavors in the food at this place, but instead I was let down horribly. This place is all hype. The sushi portions were way small, and the flavors, well how can you really taste anything when the things you're eatting are so small. Don't get me started on the sake. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE.

Pros: decor, ambience, the company I was wit

Cons: the food, the drinks, the service

Posted 02/15/05