We’ve been coming to Sushi Deli 1 for about a year now, and it’s become one of our go-to spots in Hillcrest. For the price point, the quality is consistently great and the menu is surprisingly broad — there’s always something new to try. Our favorites are the Lemon Pepper Edamame, Coco Loco, Sunkissed Roll, Motion of the Ocean, and Island Breeze Roll.
Parking can be tricky, so we usually leave the car at our gym a couple blocks away and walk over. On the rare occasions there’s a wait, we just pop into the bar a few doors down until our table’s ready — easy fix. Service is fast and efficient, even when it’s busy, and the staff keeps things moving smoothly.
I also love that they switch things up with specials like Taco Tuesday and limited-time rolls you can’t get anywhere else. For a casual sushi spot that delivers value, variety, and consistency every time — Sushi Deli 1 nails it.
Look at this beautiful avocado art that Sushi Deli made for me today!! What an amazing surprise! Everyone working there is so nice, the menu has tons of innovative options and the food is always yummy!
I think there may be a misunderstanding what this place is. It is not a sushi bar, it is an American bar that serves sushi rolls and… tacos and some other stuff. So, depending on what you think it is you may be happy or greatly disappointed.
Let’s first look from American bar perspective - good selection of tap beers. Tacos and other stuff on the menu. Large selection of American sushi rolls, and sets, large portions, pretty affordable, staff trained to ask “how you are doing” all the time, cleanness level of a dive bar.
Second, let’s look from a sushi restaurant perspective - the key to good sushi is rice preparation. This one is a fail. Nigiri was a a dense ball of rise clogging your mouth. I would suggest the owners to send their chefs for a professional sushi rice preparation training. Fish was fresh indeed, but that is given if you want to serve sushi.
One major issue. The place is dirty. There is a layer of dust on the booths. The baby booster we were given, basics glued to my hands with its oily surface. Similarly the tables were wiped but still sticky. Suggestion to owners is to sometimes run a finger across the flat surfaces and see what’s left on the finger.