Balboa Teriyaki

Reviews

• Max E.

  star star star star star 8 June 2026

  This is probably one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in San Francisco. My family and I have been coming here for the better part of 7 years, and I can sincerely say that there is no other place like it. Yes, the food is similar to many other Japanese restaurants, but there is something that sets Teriyaki apart. There is always very little people in the restaurant, and it makes for such a calm and peaceful dining experience. The staff is always extremely sweet, and treat you like you're eating over in their home. I simply cannot say enough good things about this place!
  
  The sushi rolls are beautifully made. Not only do they taste magnificent, but they are a true masterpiece. Have your cameras ready! My favorite roll is salmon with lemon (sorry I can't remember the name)
  
  I simply cannot say enough good things about this place!

• Jack R.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 28 May 2026

  A restaurant that's really gone downhill in the last few years has been this place. I had a friend in the neighborhood --he really used to like this place, but not anymore and now I can see why.
  
  Came here for lunch and there were only two other tables besides ours, so why did it take them 20 minutes just to see us and another 15 minutes for us to order.
  
  The food was small and gosh darn awful. What kind of dressing was one the salad? It tasted like corn oil and not olive oil, I couldn't eat it. The salmon portion looked and tasted like something from a cat food container, and the california roll was hard and had fake crab. The saba was stale as well.
  
  They give you a free probiotic drink at the end, and trust me that's the best part of the meal and you're going to need it to digest this horrible food.

• Yuan Z.

  star star star star star 21 May 2026

  I come here pretty often. The waitress is always very nice. They always give a free small appetizer, and their free tea is very good. I don't eat any raw fish and they have plenty options for me. It's my to-go and never-wrong restaurant.
  
  Some dishes that i always order are:
  1. Double unagi roll. 5 stars if you are a unagi lover;
  
  2. Nabe Udon. There are a lot of flavors in the broth. Chicken is tender and nice with the black pepper flavor. The shrimp tempura is good after dipping in the broth. Noodles are good. It would be perfect if it has more vegetables in it;
  
  3. Giants Roll. If you like unagi and shrimp tempura, order this.
  
  4. Fried pork over rice with steamed eggs.
  
  5. Salmon skin salad. Love it!

• Victoria H.

  star star star star star 20 May 2026

  This location is really close to my friend's home so after a long morning, we wanted to go somewhere near by and eat something that wouldn't be too heavy. We went at around 3PM so there was no one there. And since it was empty, we were seated right away. The server was attentive and all the food came out within about 15 minutes. It's a decent sized restaurant (about 8-9ish tables and seats  an average of 4 people per table). And although it was a random time, more people started coming in to eat at around 3:30PM.
  
  We ordered the gyoza ($6.50), croquette ($5.95), the Scallop Delight Roll ($14.95), and the Bobby's Roll ($13.95). The gyoza was deep fried. I usually don't like deep fried gyoza but this was actually pretty good. It wasn't too oily and the meat and vegetables inside were delicious. Next, the croquette was AMAZING. They don't make it there but it was DELICIOUS. The potato mix inside was a combination of potato and a little bit of carrot; and it was perfectly fried.
  
  Now for the rolls...the Scallop Delight Roll was really good. It wasn't heavy at all which made it even better. It had shrimp tempura, cucumber and avocado inside and was topped with spicy scallop and tobiko. And the Bobby's Roll had avocado, cucumber, and minced tuna, and topped with salmon, spicy mayo, and tobiko. This was also a really light roll.
  
  This meal was the perfect amount for 2 people to share. To top it off, rather than getting candy with the check, they gave Yakult! I was so surprised they were giving these out for free. It was the perfect top off to our meal. Overall, I would definitely return and recommend this spot!

• Lori M.

  star star star star_border star_border 17 May 2026

  Wandered into Balboa Teriyaki the other day, while visiting the outer Richmond.
  
  As far as sushi goes, it seems to be "middle of the road". We ordered small salads, Tempura shrimp, a few rolls, and an order of fresh oysters. Salad was fresh & crunchy. (Dressing was soy based) Tempura batter was tasty, but a little sweet. Saved that for dessert. Next came the Mexican Roll, the Baked Scallop roll, and one other...no idea what that was. Picked our rolls based on the photos. Note: The photos on menu are spectacular. In person, the rolls look average. Finally, I didn't love the flavor of the oysters. They were decent sized, but a little salty. In fairness, I'm a little picky when it comes this menu item, and prefer mine dressed a particular way. (American Style, w/ vinaigrette.) All in all the sushi was fine, and the pricing seemed fair.