Hana Sushi

Really nice to have somewhere close to home to grab some sushi or bento boxes to go or eat in. The sushi is tasty and I enjoy the pork katsu. Always room to park and friendly staff.

FANOMINAL! My husband and I had some time to kill and decided to have some spontaneous sushi! After the first bite of each roll we came to the conclusion that we found our favorite sushi place. We were so pleasantly surprised and the presentation was beautiful. We got the Mountain Roll and the Sexy roll.

Went there with my wife and son on a Friday night, at about 6pm excited about checking out this newer sushi restaurant here in El Cajon. We usually venture out much further for our sushi fix.
Hana Sushi is located in the Harvest Ranch strip mall and there is plenty of parking in the lot.
When visiting a new sushi restaurant for the first time, our biggest concern is always freshness. A full restaurant is a great sign that your fish is going to be fresh. This restaurant is a tad on the small size and most of the tables were occupied. This being said, we didn’t have to wait for a seat.
We ordered four of their «special» rolls. The Tequila Roll, Forever Shrimp Roll, Forever Tuna Roll and finally the Rainbow Roll.
The fish was very fresh, and the sushi was skillfully rolled. I had to laugh at the Tequila Roll as it had really nothing to do with tequila except for the fact that it had some southwestern flavors going on. I think I’d go with another name, or come up with a sauce that has a tequila reduction in it or something…
The shrimp roll was really good. The shrimp was fresh and a nice size. The old standby Rainbow Roll was well represented and again, the fish was very fresh and tasty.
Again, this is a small restaurant, so the way the tables are managed is a little unorthodox. Rather than having one waiter, the wait staff shares the tasks of tending to the diners needs. This seemed to work, but I prefer to have one waiter when dining. We get to know them and they get to know us and our specific needs. Again, with this small location it totally works, but if they expand, I’d like to receive a more personal experience. The wait staff was very professional, friendly and attentive for the record.
Now, if you buy four or more rolls, they serve the sushi on a wooden bridge or a boat.
This was cool for the first time, but in the future, I’m going to request that our rolls come served on plates.
Having this big wooden bridge on our table made for a somewhat clumsy dining experience. It was a bit «campy» and unnecessary. The rolls are great looking by themselves. Give me a nice white plate and a simple garnish anytime vs the Bridge Over the River Kwai!
To sum up this review… I am a happy camper to have a pretty darn good sushi restaurant here in «The Box». I’m hoping that they will grow into a larger space so there is a little more elbow room.
Keep up the good work Hana!
Cheers!

I am very picky of what goes past my tastebuds. Especially when it comes to sushi.
Having lived in the South Pacific for a period of time, I have become very, very picky about Sushi and it’s freshness, which makes a considerable difference in the taste. We went in to our local sushi place that we had been looking at for some time, wondering if it was worth it. Hana Sushi it’s very unassumingly in a strip mall off Jamacha in El Cajon. When you go in, the environment is small, nice and relaxing. We were seated by Payton, a young lady who greeted us with a smile. She is a good waitress. As we looked at the menu, and decided our meal, she was very helpful. Letting me know that both the Uni (sea urchin) and sweet shrimp were fresh. Not frozen.
Not knowing what to expect, when the sushi came out, we were plesently surprised to not only a beautiful presentation, but a great, clean, fresh taste to the fish, and a burst of well thought out flavors in combination. I was very pleased. To say the least, they will most definitely have my return business. Thank you Payton and the sushi chefs at Jana Sushi.

Came here for lunch. Staff here are very friendly, and fast. Food came out like 3 minutes after I ordered! The salmon was good, miso soup was a little blend. Unagi maki was good too. I like the sauce that goes with the image maki.
The staff were busy and talking to each other in Chinese most of the time when I was there. So, it wasn’t too quiet.

I really love this place. I call ahead to order takeout and every time I call, they answer super fast and have my order ready to go on time. They have my loyalty and regular business because they are always consistently efficient and their food is amazing. I absolutely love their magic roll, which is rice less. Fair prices considering they have delicious food and are always on their a-​game. Thank you Hana’s for always making a pick-​up of my favorite dish a total breeze!

Located in a shopping center so parking is available in the lot.
Came on a Thursday around 7pm and there was no wait for a table for 3.
They have delicious specialty rolls. Ordered the Spider-​Man roll, forever shrimp roll, crunchy roll, and the monster roll. All were terrific!
Gave 3 stars because the service was not the best. The waitress was not very attentive. Had to remind her to bring waters a couple times and didn’t notice when drinks needed to be refilled.
Also, for some reason their sodas are really flat so avoid ordering!

Carry-​out on a late night, too lazy 2 cook, and near by, was the initial startup of this updated order/​Review. Some places gain their respect by changing, and Hana Sushi is the place that won my tummy in this case.
Me and the family (4 members) were all thinking of eating out, until we realized the Golden State are playing. That aspect changed everything, as we all changed, and turned on the tv, which we realized the one thing that didn’t change was the fact we are still damn Hungry.
I suggested we all do carry-​out of whatever restaurant we decide on, after 30min of painful «decision-​making process» we decided to hit up Hana Sushi, since its the closest, and taking for consideration it was almost closing time for the restaurant. So it was either Sushi, or Tacos, and of course it was SUSHI.
I placed the order, heavy order for big, and fat men (including myself) along with all the side orders, and Sushi rolls, she managed to accept our order. I think it was the owner (my favorite type of person to speak with, when it comes to placing big orders) because let me tell you, if its just an employee who is about to close up, he/​she will be so annoyed that they can cause a series of problems, but luckily she was «pleased» with the order, and she accepted it.
She called back to confirm, I confirmed it. And 15 – 20 mins later, I drove up to the restaurant, and the entire strip mall is dark, parking lot is empty, and my beautiful sushi place is also DARK, went into a panic, but realized, they are not closed and getting my order together.
Got my order, paid for it, and wished them all a good night/​and thx!
My rolls were all packaged perfectly, the side orders all included my extra dressings, and hot sauces, and it was just a perfect experience.
Yea, my dine-​in wasn’t as pleasant as my carry-​out, but getting to the fundamentals here, the SUSHI delivers 100% taste, quality of freshness, and satisfying feeling to my World.
Unlike the other Sushi restaurants, especially in El Cajon, and La Mesa, this place are all traditional cooks from Japan who understands it and got it right.

Great little place nestled in harvest ranch shopping plaza. The food service and atmosphere were excellent. I will be back

Normally I don’t chose East County to go get sushi. We are far from the ocean and I have gone to quiet a few sushi places down here already and I am not a fan. My boyfriend and I were going to be babysitting his niece in this area and before we did so we wanted to get a quick bite. I looked up this place and saw that it had good reviews. I came on a Friday night so I was afraid it was going to be packed with people. To my surprise, it wasn’t very busy at all.
The interior was very nice. Very small but comfortable. We got seated right away. There was only 4 other couples in the joint. That started to worry me though. A sushi restaurant on a Friday night this low in customers? I guess we will see what happens. I already sat down and I wasn’t about to search the town for anymore places.
The customer service was pretty good. We got two different servers who occasionally would switch off. Which I never enjoyed because my thought is, «Who gets the tip? Do you guys share it? Do you guys play rock, papers, scissors best 2 out of three?» The first server we got was a small Asian woman. She wasn’t overly friendly but not mean. She spoke so fast I couldn’t understand her. Heck I have a hard time hearing as it is that proper English is hard for me to understand, so a woman with a thick accent wasn’t helping. Luckily my boyfriend lived in Hawaii all his life and can understand thick Asian accents. The boy speaks fluent pigeon for christ sakes.
I ended up getting a spider man roll. Holy… sushi roll, these rolls were massive! I already have a difficult time getting Sushi in my mouth, now these rolls made me feel like I was entering the Hunger Games of putting rolls in my mouth… I wonder how many more times I can say rolls until my grammar sounds ridiculous. They tasted pretty good. Not the best rolls Iv’e ever had but the best ones in East County by far. I didn’t like that the eel sauce, wasn’t very sweet. Typically eel sauce is nice and sweet but this one was kinda sour. The spicy mayo, which is another favorite of mine, tasted funny too. I had some Miso Soup which was basic. What stood out most to me was the gyosa. I am not a gyosa fan but no matter where I go I try anything once. I don’t have to eat the whole thing but you cant say you don’t like something if you don’t eat it. And typically other places have different tastes. My boyfriend let me try one of his gyosa and it was not that bad. That’s saying something coming from someone who doesn’t like it normally.
Over all I would come again if I wanted sushi and was stuck in east county. I think there wasn’t a lot of people because the place is small and in a not busy area of town. Kind of hidden. Which I hope it stays that way.

I got the mango shrimp roll… wasn’t really my favorite
Spider roll DANK!
Crunch roll DANK!
Crazy roll SUPER DANK! This was my favorite out of all of them.
I will definitely be back for the Crazy roll!!!

Hana Sushi is just stellar– from the nice owner — gal who runs the restaurant and always remembers: you, what you like to order… including my off-​menu requests,
to the care, talent and flair that goes into each item prepared exquisite delicacy.
Hana is 5***** all the way. Their sashimi is wonderful– the cuts are always going to be consistent and generous. You can count on that just like you can count on the details like great tasting eel sauce or nicely-​thin-​cut jalapeños on the crazy roll.
This place puts the ‘Rock n Roll’ into their rolls.
Their dam fish is so fresh– you’d thing Jamacha Rd. was beachfront and Hana’s property had a pier in the back for fishing!
I’m NOT kidding. Now that I think of it — I am going to do a Google image search and check.
OK, either that or they have some darn good fisher-​catcherman/​women-​peoples bringing them in thee best ‘o the best.
Tonight is a kind of «do-​over» sushi night.
You sushi affectiomatos know what I’m talkin’ about! Yupp. and the more I think about it, I deserved the crappy rolls from «X-​Sushinora” – somewhere in Hillcrest for
–cheating– on Hana.
«Hana, I apologize. I went to some sushi joint last night and disappointed was even my trash can when I threw the crapOUT» «please forgive me».
[of course I know I have been forgiven because my friends at Hana agreed to make me a scrumptious sushi feast for tonight]
I am about to enter the gates to Sushi Heaven again, thanks to Hana.
–if that was over the top… that’s just how I meant it, now pass the Soy Sauce and a cold IPA. CHEERS!!!

Dining in can be a hassle sometimes so we opted out and called an order in for pick up. The lady on the phone was very informative and did not rush to explain their most popular rolls.
The quoted time was 15−20mins for 4 rolls and it was ready early. The to go packaging was a step above the other sushi places in the neighborhood. Nothing was tipped over, no broken sushi, everything was wrapped up nicely.
My husband and I shared all rolls and were full. Each roll is 10 pieces except the Cowboy Roll that’s 8 pieces. I loved the Cowboy roll (yeeee-​haaw east county) it had perfectly cooked steak in it and tasted unique and unusual. The Sergio Roll was memorable for the shrimp and it was really divine. The volcano served up some hot lava with that extra kick and killer spice after the first 2 but not so bad that you’re diving for your beverage. The scallops were a nice touch to even out the lingering spice. Lastly, the Forever Tuna roll (I kept calling it Favorite Tuna) was absolutely so FRESH and so clean clean haha. The ahi in this roll looked like they caught it fresh today. It was a gorgeous deep red hue next to the avocado and asparagus. It was a perfect roll to end with. Simply glided through the palette with the fresh white tuna on top.
The rolls were delicate and smaller but packed in the fresh flavors. We will definitely be back to try more rolls and dine in so we can appreciate the beautiful presentation and cocktails I’ve read all about. Thanks Hana Sushi… a hui hou!

Tabu used to be my go-​to place for sushi in El Cajon. That has changed for good reasons:
1) Hana is open very late.
2) Hana is quiet and has a nice atmosphere.
3) The service is always tip-​top, so is the food.
It’s pretty simple, you go there and you know that you’re going to get great sushi and great service. Other places in the area could take a few lessons from this simple approach.

Some of their sushi is really good. Some is just okay. And it’s not always the same day to day. Their Thai ice tea is awesome. And I’ve never been disappointed by their edamame.
Presentation when I’ve come in large groups was awesome.
But I’ve learned that I’m not a fan of their specialty rolls just because they are inconsistent. So I stick was sashimi.

Been coming here a few months after it opened. Owner is always so friendly – and the food is perfect. They never disappoint!

Hana Sushi gets two thumbs up from me. Its a small place and its gaining in popularity so it can get crowded. We started going here just after they opened… we always felt that the food was good, but the operation needed a little smoothing out. The good news is that they seem to have it down. It can still be a little slow, so maybe not the best place to choose if you are in a rush.
In point of fact though… if you are in a rush, grab a burger at some drive through and hurry off to what ever is so important… if you are going to the work and expense of going out to dinner, give your self enough time to enjoy it for the sake of Pete… whom ever Pete is.
I love this place for the variety. Sushi all the ways you expect it… but also bento plates and other things that give you a reason to come back. The prices are fair but not cheap. I have enjoyed everything I have gotten here accept the Shrimp Nigiri… shrimp was dry and tough. I am thinking it was just an off day because I have had other shrimp dishes that have been great.
So go to Hana… have a bunch of stuff to eat and a giant beer. (they only serve the large bottles, so I always ask for a glass, but a paper sack might be appropriate as well) Take your time. Best place in the world? no. Great little neighborhood place that will remember your face and make you feel welcome? You bet!

Pros: reasonable prices, open late, good food, lots of variety in their menu options
Cons: small restaurant, slow service
This is a very casual small sushi reastaurant. I have only been here twice but both times had a good experience. The service is a little slow because there is only 1 waitress at a time but the orders do come out quickly.
The display of their food is amazing, and the food is delicious.
I am not a big sushi fanatic thats why I love this place they have a lot of variety, the crunchy and cowboy roll are very good, they have yummy appetizers as well. Therefore if you are looking for somewhere were to have an affordable delicious sushi date in east county check out Hana Sushi.

Best sushi in the area. Sushi is reasonably priced, tastes fresh, and presented well. I definitely recommend over the other sushi restaurants on Jamacha.
The only weird thing about this place (it’s almost comedy) is that they play various versions of Bruno Mars songs… all of his songs suck donkey D

This was my first time at Hana Sushi, the décor is really nice! My daughter and i love the fish tank by the entrance, during our dinner she couldn’t stay still but what 6 year old can? I think it bothered a lady the next table over (she gave me looks like I did not know how to discipline my child).
The sushi here was absolutely amazing! My boyfriend and I ordered so much sushi that it came out in a boat. The sashimi presentation was so beautiful I had to snap a photo!
Overall, I had a wonderful experience & I would definitely come back! Service was amazing. We were greeted immediately & seated right as we walked in. Food came out in a timely manner & water was always filled.