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Located in the heart of Hillcrest, San Diego, RAKITORI brings a fresh, healthy take on Japanese cuisine. The name RAKITORI comes from our signature focus: rich, house-made ramen and expertly grilled yakitori skewers. We specialize in crafting authentic Japanese dishes using traditional cooking techniques—no deep frying, ever. Every bowl of our ramen starts with carefully simmered broths, each cooked separately for 8–10 hours and then blended and simmered again for deep, layered flavor. Whether you’re craving savory ramen, perfectly grilled yakitori, or fresh sushi, we offer a clean, satisfying dining experience you can feel good about.
Chill hangout with sushi rolls, ramen & other Japanese bites, plus happy hours & local beers on tap.
Hours
| Friday | 4–11 PM |
| Saturday | 4–11 PM |
| Sunday | 4–10 PM |
| Monday | 4–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 4–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 4–10 PM |
| Thursday | 4–10 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 530 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
Phone: (619) 501-4091
Website: http://rakitori.com/
Menu Photos
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Related Web Results
Best Ramen & Sushi, San Diego I Rakitori Japanese Pub & Grill
Discover the best ramen and sushi in San Diego at Rakitori. Enjoy fresh, flavorful Japanese cuisine with our signature dishes in the heart of Hillcrest.
Food Menu – Rakitori Japanese Pub & Grill
Rakitori Combos. Dine-in only | Tonkotsu Ramen + Choice of One Item. A. Rolls. $23.00. California …
About – Rakitori Japanese Pub & Grill
Rakitori Japanese Pub & Grill. About us. RAKITORI – Authentic Ramen & Yakitori & Sushi in Hillcrest, San Diego. Located in the heart of Hillcrest, San Diego …
Reviews
Phuong Nguyen
After a full day running around the San Diego Zoo with the family, we ended up at Rakitori for dinner and it was just what we needed. The food was delicious, the restaurant was very kids friendly, so cute and cozy with fall/halloween decorations.
FOOD
Tonkotsu Ramen were sooo good! These are must have!!!! The broth was flavorful but not too heavy or too salty like some places. The meat had this awesome smoky flavor, and the noodles were cooked just right. Kids love the ramen! For adults we ordered some ramen with some mild spicy to it and it was the nice kick!
Gyoza was really yummy! came with either spicy (not crazy spicy) and not spicy sauce. Gyoza were perfectly crispy with just enough in each serving for us. Kids loved the gyoza!!
Filet Mignon Skewers were juicy, and nicely cooked at medium rare how we wanted. These came with fresh wasabi-chilli sauce (nice kick to the filet mignon)
Kurobuta Bao’s were a surprise hit! We had none spicy for the kids and the spicy ones for adults. The spicy ones had kimchi. These were our favorites!
Sushi was fresh, nicely sliced, and just the right amount. You could tell it was good quality.
California Rolls were tasty too! The kids went wild for these.
DRINKS – kids tried Ramune and kept asking for more! We had local draft beer offered at the restaurant and at the waitress recommendation we also tried these new Japanese beer made from sweet potatoes. It’s got an earthy aroma and very unique taste. They are different than other beers but really really good! Very worth a try! I might have found a new beer to add to my favorite beer.
DESSERT – The kids were obsessed with cute little ice cream cups! Ube and matcha were our top picks, but mango and coffee were good too.
The service was quick and our waitress was so friendly and helpful recommending the dishes suitable for kids and adults.
Rakitori is a winner, and we’re definitely bringing the kids back after our next trip to San Diego. Highly recommend!
… moreFOOD
Tonkotsu Ramen were sooo good! These are must have!!!! The broth was flavorful but not too heavy or too salty like some places. The meat had this awesome smoky flavor, and the noodles were cooked just right. Kids love the ramen! For adults we ordered some ramen with some mild spicy to it and it was the nice kick!
Gyoza was really yummy! came with either spicy (not crazy spicy) and not spicy sauce. Gyoza were perfectly crispy with just enough in each serving for us. Kids loved the gyoza!!
Filet Mignon Skewers were juicy, and nicely cooked at medium rare how we wanted. These came with fresh wasabi-chilli sauce (nice kick to the filet mignon)
Kurobuta Bao’s were a surprise hit! We had none spicy for the kids and the spicy ones for adults. The spicy ones had kimchi. These were our favorites!
Sushi was fresh, nicely sliced, and just the right amount. You could tell it was good quality.
California Rolls were tasty too! The kids went wild for these.
DRINKS – kids tried Ramune and kept asking for more! We had local draft beer offered at the restaurant and at the waitress recommendation we also tried these new Japanese beer made from sweet potatoes. It’s got an earthy aroma and very unique taste. They are different than other beers but really really good! Very worth a try! I might have found a new beer to add to my favorite beer.
DESSERT – The kids were obsessed with cute little ice cream cups! Ube and matcha were our top picks, but mango and coffee were good too.
The service was quick and our waitress was so friendly and helpful recommending the dishes suitable for kids and adults.
Rakitori is a winner, and we’re definitely bringing the kids back after our next trip to San Diego. Highly recommend!
Ducy Szewczyk
Amazing spot to go on a Friday night! Great atmosphere to come with friends, for a drink!
Must try dishes:
-gyoza pork dumplings (the soft filling with crispy skin and heavenly sauce),
-bulgogi bao (well seasoned bulgogi, complimented with super soft bun),
-what the hell roll
-spicy tonkotsu ramen (the broth was so flavourful, and the chashu pork was so tender, you can also request on how spicy you want the broth),
-yakitori skewers (bbq pork belly, delicious and tender),
-sashimi (fresh, thick cut and my favourite was the albacore).
The service was also great, supper friendly and attentive staff.
… moreMust try dishes:
-gyoza pork dumplings (the soft filling with crispy skin and heavenly sauce),
-bulgogi bao (well seasoned bulgogi, complimented with super soft bun),
-what the hell roll
-spicy tonkotsu ramen (the broth was so flavourful, and the chashu pork was so tender, you can also request on how spicy you want the broth),
-yakitori skewers (bbq pork belly, delicious and tender),
-sashimi (fresh, thick cut and my favourite was the albacore).
The service was also great, supper friendly and attentive staff.
Vivian Nguyen
This restaurant is amazing! The place is very clean— I really loved that. The food tastes delicious and the price is very reasonable. The staff are friendly and make you feel welcome from the moment you walk in. I definitely recommend coming here, and I will be back again for sure!
… moreJacob Adams
Overall, I had quite an enjoyable time. The flavors were great, though my noodles were a like undercooked. To me, it looked like they were from a block of ramen that had been put in the hot water not long enough. That being said, the pork was cooked all the way through, so I would go here again.
… moreJMS Silver
Food was decent! Floors were extremely sticky?! Chicken bao was good and ramen mediocre . Price point could have been better for the portion sizes
… moreMeg N
The food was amazing! Highly recommend the pork dumplings, Korean galbi yakitori, and tonkotsu ramen. Staff were super sweet and attentive. I wish I had a bigger stomach to eat more food during my dinner! Our waiter was also super helpful with selecting sake to try. Resurant itself is dimly lit and very cute as well. There was no wait for an early dinner on a Wednesday night.
… moreMomma Saturn
This is my new go to Japanese restaurant that I have walked or ridden by several times and finally decided to go in! We are always welcomef with open arms and treated with the utmost respect. I usually get the Unagi, Kimchi Dumplings, Salmon Cakes etc and wife gets the Ramen delicious! Whenever we visit the owner/ manager gifts us with either an appetizer or something tangible we still use today. Food is delicious
… moreAlexander Van Maren
Can’t beat Japan but some dishes come close. The takoyaki satisfied my Japanese wife. The ramen, while high quality has a bit of instant ramen flavor and is strong on the ginger. Seaweed salad is comparable to something you would get in Japan.
Service is not authentic when compared with a Japanese izakaya. The menus were taken and we were brought the check without asking if we wanted to order more.
… moreService is not authentic when compared with a Japanese izakaya. The menus were taken and we were brought the check without asking if we wanted to order more.
ehm gee
They took such good care of us, helped set our 9 year old up for success trying different things. The special tonkatsu has great flavour, the pork belly was awesome. All round excellent Quality, Service, Atmosphere, and a flavour!! 10/10!
… moreJasmin N
Food:
4/5. Sushi was good. The pricing was a bit more expensive than other sushi places in SD. The $4 happy hour sapporos were great!
Service:
Our waiter was very nice! All of the staff was helpful and friendly.
Atmosphere:
The music was great! The place smelled interesting. The seats in the booth had old wrinkly fake leather. The place still had fall decor. The glasses smelled interesting as well.
… more4/5. Sushi was good. The pricing was a bit more expensive than other sushi places in SD. The $4 happy hour sapporos were great!
Service:
Our waiter was very nice! All of the staff was helpful and friendly.
Atmosphere:
The music was great! The place smelled interesting. The seats in the booth had old wrinkly fake leather. The place still had fall decor. The glasses smelled interesting as well.