Pabu Izakaya San Francisco

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1. DH

   DanielH

   New York Area

   14 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   14 reviews

   Dined on May 27, 2023

   overall4food5service4ambience5

   Good is Great as usual but service a little slow last night
   

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2. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   London

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on May 5, 2023

   overall3food3service2ambience4

   Food was average at best. Expected better given the location and price.
   

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3. A

   Angela

   San Francisco

   12 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   12 reviews

   Dined on May 2, 2023

   overall2food3service3ambience3

   My usual order miso soups, seaweed salads, sashimi, & hamachi kama(No salt/oil/burnt). My friend & I were feeling adventurous & asked for the 10-piece Luxury Sashim, no shellfish. The sashimi arrived first bluefin tuna, king salmon, scallops, seabream. I pointed out this doesn’t look right & uni is missing. A side of uni arrived later to “fix” 1 of the chef’s oversight. The kama arrived glistening. I opened up the kama & noticed how salty it tasted. I asked my friendly server & Stanley/the MOD if my no salt/oil kama request was relayed to the chef; surprisingly, it was delivered, but not honored. The kama was taken away as we waited 30 minutes as we saw Stanley-Asst mgr-chef-waiter “talk it out”. We were informed oil coating prevented burning. We wanted to leave, but the “corrected” kama finally came out. The bill was charged for regular sashimi, no comps. Stanley apologized, gave me his business card, & asked me to give Pabu chefs another chance. :-/
   

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4. RH

   RayH

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on April 30, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Me and my wife had a fabulous dinner before going out for entertainment...
   

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5. PG

   PaulG

   San Francisco

   3 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on April 29, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Food was delicious, staff was incredibly attentive - it’s just pricy.
   

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6. CA

   ChrisA

   San Francisco

   51 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   51 reviews

   Dined on April 19, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Wonderful location for a friends get together after work downtown. Loved the spicy Edamame, mushroom tempura, fried chicken to share. Lovely wine, next time we will get the bottle. Great variety of sushi’s. Loved everything. And the service was attentive and friendly. Nice renovated interior.
   

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7. B

   Bennylynn

   Las Vegas

   28 reviews

   vip
   3.0

   28 reviews

   Dined on April 8, 2023

   overall3food3service1ambience4

   The sushi was really good and fresh. The sushi chefs were friendly and attentive and seemed to really enjoy their jobs. We sat at the sushi bar and immediately were asked by our waiter about drinks, which came and were good. Then we were left alone for an hour. The couple next to us had timed it and they were waiting to order for 1 hour 12 minutes. They finally complained and then a bunch of people came out for all of us. The sushi rolls were good. The hot plates, were nothing memorable. The place is priced as upscale, but the service really diminished my opinion of the place. With so many great places in SF, I wouldn’t return.
   

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8. LR

   LocalResident

   San Francisco

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on April 2, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Absolutely excellent meal. The fish was amazing, so fresh and the best sushi we’ve had. We loved the octopus appetizer! Service was so nice and attentive. We went for a birthday, it was a nice place to celebrate. The atmosphere is modern and so nice as well.
   

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9. R

   Robruf

   San Francisco

   11 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on March 24, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Love Pabu, probably the best everyday restaurant in SF. Is it expensive, yeah it is. Last bill here came to $555 with tip for 2 of us. But do we get arguably the best service in SF, I would say top 5 service, food is really solid and Stewart the sake guru is incredible with his choices as he gets sake that you haven’t tried before or even heard of. Plus they have a great bar and multiple rooms for buyouts. Ok’ing here for years and will be coming back every 3 weeks for another fantastic experience and meal
   

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10. LJ

    LisaJ

    Charleston

    17 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on March 24, 2023

    overall4food3service4ambience4

    Happening downtown restaurant. Not as good as I remembered. Good service but bar was slow. Food came out of kitchen before drinks the two times we ordered. Sushi was good not great. Tempura was heavy ….. like a beer battered fish fry. Would would rush back.
    

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11. C

    Chris

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Food is A+ and our server Eric was pleasant and respectful of our dietary restrictions. My girlfriend is vegan/GF and really enjoyed the options.
    

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12. A

    Adam

    San Francisco

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on March 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Night out with old friends reconnecting for the first time since the pandemic. Perfect night at Pabu! Excellent service, great drinks, world class food, fun lively atmosphere!
    

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13. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New England

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 7, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience3

    Food didn’t taste fresh Service was lackluster Business guest commented 2 days later that sushi tasted old - not great feedback for anyone!
    

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14. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2023

    overall4food4service1ambience4

    Too crowded omakase experience is so bad… the food is not worth the money it’s too expensive. For a small amount of food
    

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15. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Puerto Vallarta

    1 review

    vip
    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 15, 2023

    overall1food3service2ambience3

    Save your money and go somewhere else for a special occasion! I recently went to Pabu for their Valentine's dinner and I must say, it was disappointing. To start, our reservation had my partner and I seated at a bar table right next to the main door which was incredibly uncomfortable and not at all romantic. The worst part was that we had to send back our salmon plate because it was completely undercooked. We had to send it back not once, but twice, which resulted in a 20-30 minute wait for each new plate to arrive. Throughout the entire meal, we had people waiting around us and bumping into our table which made it very hard to enjoy our meal. Even the water and drinks took a while to come out, which was frustrating. I expected much better service and quality for the price we paid for the set menu. Overall, the Valentine's set menu at Pabu was a complete disappointment and I would not recommend it. The service was slow and the food was not up to par. It was not a romantic or enjoyable experience and we left feeling unsatisfied and disappointed.
    

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16. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2023

    overall1food1service4ambience4

    Terrible execution for food and course design for Valentine’s. Hard boiled egg texture for chawanmushi, sashimi was put in fridge after plating, out of balance portions, order of dishes didn’t make sense for a course (Why have heavy, oily dishes before nigiri?), sushi rice was crusty and dry, botan ebi was served in a way that the tail hits the roof of your mouth, and sponge cake was exceptionally dry. All in all a waste of high-end ingredients and money.
    

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17. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 10, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience5

    Miso soup is disgusting with the amount of mushrooms
    

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18. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Music was a bit too loud
    

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19. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New Mexico

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 7, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience2

    Food was disappointing; temperature and taste and portion size left much to be desired
    

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20. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Anniversary dinner
    

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21. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 25, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Service is excellent!! Modern Japanese food taste great.
    

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22. PA

    PedroA

    Yosemite

    5 reviews

    2.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on December 24, 2022

    overall2food3service2ambience3

    Our waiter was wonderful, but that was about it. We had the weirdest experience with the “captain”, who kept talking in an inaudible voice, and then just stood there. The portions were the smallest I have ever seen for nigiri sushi, and the price was ridiculously high. They forgot my miso soup and never brought out my husband’s sake. To top it all off the “captain” brought out our food and coughed on it. Truly unbelievable. First time trying Pabu Izakaya and will never go back.
    

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23. GG

    GerriG

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 18, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Holiday dinner
    

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24. n

    nannini

    San Francisco

    142 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    142 reviews

    Dined on December 4, 2022

    overall3food4service2ambience3

    Spider crab med fatty tuna and hibachi all a 10. service not as special as it was on our previous 4 visits. but we will return the food is soooo good
    

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25. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on December 1, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great food! Great service!
    

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26. MG

    MGGG

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Amazing food. Fast and extremely fresh. Good crafted cocktails.
    

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27. VP

    VanP

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on October 30, 2022

    overall2food3service5ambience4

    Our waiter was wonderful, but the food was so bad and not worth the price tag. We had the Restaurant Week menu and they probably put out the worst options or something; the only thing was was good was the dessert.
    

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28. AC

    AnnieC

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on October 26, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    Wonderful service! Fresh seafood. Yummy
    

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29. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on October 22, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Went with the family (3 small kids) and the place was hopping. We haven’t seen this many workers at any restaurant in a long time so service was great. Had a quick meal which was perfect for us.
    

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30. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    43 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    43 reviews

    Dined on October 16, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Had a great anniversary dinner at Pabu. Food was excellent and we had fantastic service. We look forward to future meals at Pabu.
    

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31. S

    Samurai6

    San Francisco

    534 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    534 reviews

    Dined on October 1, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Took BART, got off at Embarcadero, only a very convenient minute walk to PABU for Saturday Happy Hour. Hung out at the bar and Matt, the dude from Santa Barbara, took care of me mighty fine. Sushi Master Yamamoto’s 10 piece nigiri set was just outstanding as usual. For sure, PABU and Michael Mina are not cutting corners like so many high end restaurants in CA. His sushi is the absolute best in the Bay, I guarantee!!! Plus the Uni from Matt’s hometown was truly like butter!!’ A couple of Hand Rolls and Pork Belly Robata, then it was hats off to the PABU dessert chef because the Japanese cheesecake was just out of this world. After three big cans of premium Sapporo , I floated back to the station and made it home without incident. Mission Accomplished!!!
    

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32. SL

    SeafoodLover

    Miami

    35 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on September 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This was such a great experience. We loved the food and highly recommend you visit. The Black Cod is a must!
    

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33. S

    Samurai6

    San Francisco

    534 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    534 reviews

    Dined on August 27, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Came on Saturday at 4pm for the PABU Happy Hour. Excellent drink and appetizer choices at below menu prices. Chef Yamamoto-san’s sushi/sashimi still the absolute ICHIBAN in town!!! Three of us ended up eating and drinking over $500 plus tip but it was all worth it because we ate at the best Japanese joint in the Bay Area. Outstanding service as usual from Tonya and Sake Sommelier Stewart. Love PABU, my go to place for Izakaya delights!!!
    

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34. s

    sffoodie

    San Francisco

    11 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on August 27, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Sat at the bar on a not busy night, was perfect all the way around😀
    

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35. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    2.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on July 31, 2022

    overall2food3service2ambience2

    If you’re looking to dine at a Mina restaurant I would skip this one and go to just about any of the the other locations. Was the one table that had multiple managers taking orders instead of a server? Noted in our reservation was something about our anniversary and no one said anything about it.
    

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36. LO

    LeslieO

    San Francisco

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on July 28, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I took my friend out for a belated birthday/ moms night out. We were greeted and seated quickly. The hostess brought over a sweet card from the staff. Our server Federico was amazing. Super funny and overall made our night out a blast. Thanks for the delicious food and amazing night. We enjoyed ourselves more than we knew we would!
    

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37. BH

    BenoitH

    London

    16 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on July 26, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Good sushi’s (not exceptional) and service. However there was two mistakes on the bill. Check the price of your wine as mine was different then the one on the wine list. A salad was brought as complementary but in fact invoiced. Both mistakes were solved but keep an eye on the bill!
    

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38. g

    giuseppes

    San Francisco

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 24, 2022

    overall2food3service3ambience2

    Certainly overrated; the very high ceiling on part of the space make the ambience cold; the actual design of the space is also average throughout. The food is good but can be found in many other places in the City with same quality so high prices here are not justified.
    

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39. JM

    JarodM

    Central Coast

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on July 1, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Extensive wine/sake list but staff will find what you want, omakase was very personable and delicious
    

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40. JP

    JjPP

    San Francisco

    14 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on June 26, 2022

    overall3food3service2ambience4

    Michael Mina restaurant? I expected more: better service, exceptional food, upscale ambiance. We left thoroughly underwhelmed in the first two departments. For me this one was a one timer.
    

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