Taka-O Japanese Restaurant

Had the Sesame Chicken dinner and it was uniquely amazing. Tender, crispy, and glazed chicken matched up with steamed rice, veggie tempura, salad, miso, and gyoza...simply put, it was worth the wait of an entire day without eating while traveling the SoCal coast!

Loved this place for forty years... Sunday, March 28, 2021 was their last day, as Roger and Kelly sold the building and retired.

I've been coming to this place like forever, so to my amazement, never left a review. Love the Kareoke at night, and the lunch special is super deal. A couple of $ per order is a SUPER value and that was the last time I ate here. I traveled close to this location so was wanting something good to great for my sushi for a reasonable price and that is hard to find these days. Love it, great job Roger, looking forward to coming back again. :)

We had a great dinner here tonight. The sushi bar was a bit overwhelmed and our waitress was clearly upset that it was affecting the timing on getting out our meals. She warned us ahead of time of the wait and brought out the other food quickly. She also gave us all complimentary miso soup to tide us over and comped us our alcohol at the end. All in all it was an imperfect but very reasonable and overall enjoyable experience.

A table near ours was stirring up trouble and trying to see issues where there were none, so we thought it was important to make it clear that it was them, not our server, that were being unreasonable.

Every time my SO and I come here we are always greeted with smiles. The food here is amazing. We went last night in the pouring rain with our 17 month old. The waitress was very pleasant, quick to serve our items and she also interacted with our son. LOVE when that happens. I will always recommend this place to my friends and family

I normally don't review places,but tonight was very special.
The service I received at this place was beyond compare.
I loved the fact an awesome girl and her daughter were so on point with the service and made me feel like family.
I came in alone and was greeted with smiles( although its hard to see smiles under face masks, I could see it their eyes)
The food was delicious, the service, and warm friendly atmosphere was superb!!!
I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a nice dinner and drinks

Super awesome local spot feel at night. Karaoke is always fun and brings a great atmosphere, the bartenders here are absolutely amazing. Not for the quiet non social person when it converts over to the bar, definitely bring some personality if you decide to come in.

Super Friendy! The sushi is tremendous and the service was spot-on. Locally owned and operated for almost 30 years in the heart of San Clemente; We sat at the sushi bar and the chef is as funny and entertaining as he is talented. Their specialties are The Hummingbird an Ono (roll), both are worth a try.

Fabulous! The sushi chef was awesome, great attitude and very friendly... Both hostesses that helped us were also awesome. Best sushi restaurant in San Clemente, for sure! We even came at 940 and didn't get the dirty looks we'd expected for being 'that couple'

Really enjoyed the OH NO Roll and the Humming Bird roll... the scallops sashimi was amazing as well. Great staff and great environment. I know why the have been in business for 38 years, can't wait to come back.

Best sushi I've ever had, but definitely expensive. Although the regular pricing is worth it when treating yourself or family, their lunch menu is much more reasonable. Their lunch hours are something like 11:30-3:00, & everything on their lunch menu is only $3.50 or $3.75. I've been coming here since I was a baby, & it's still my #1 favorite sushi resteraunt!

Great combination of fresh, quality fish, fair pricing, good service and amazing sauces. Been going for years. Tuna Tataki sashimi, kitchen sink spicy handrolls, aji (Spanish mackeral) sashimi - pretty much everything is great. This is one of the few sushi bars that always has aji. Chefs are super-friendly and Roger the owner is a ball-breaker/great sense of humor. Highly recommend this place...

my favorite sushi restaurant anywhere. i have found only slightly better sushi elsewhere but for twice as much money!! the service here is impeccable!! and they know how to treat their customers :) will absolutely be a life long customer

Always love it here! Oh no! Roll for sure plus tataki sashimi can you say yum!?! Husband had the crunchy roll also super good. Love the guys there always friendly and fast with whatever you order.

Not sure why this doesn't get better reviews. Very good sushi. Been there forever. Good service. Not cheap, but what good sushi bar is? This should have better reviews. Who cares how the karaoke is, the sushi is great.

Been going to Taka-O for over 20 years now. They have authentic food and family recipes. Their Tataki Sushi is legend in San Clemente. Be sure to try their Canadian Albacore as well.

My wife and I like to pop in for their lunch specials from time to time. Their lunch prices are very reasonable and their portions are very generous.

Enjoy!

I can never say enough good things about this place. I love the restuarant, bar, sushi bar. The food is top-notch. There is no equal for their sushi. I love their garlic edamame as well. If you have not eaten here, you are missing out!

This place has the best sushi I have ever had!! The chiefs behind the bar are super cool and very attentive aswell. There's a cool vibe here and a lively karaoke during the weekend.

Best sushi in the area, hands down. Excellent chefs who take their time to get to know you while serving up the best fish in 100 miles. HUGE fans.

O-NO ROLL!!!
I can't tell you how many I've had to date but it is an absurd amount.

The sushi is amazing.
Dining area boasts a quaint Japanese theme and there is available bar seating for a more immersive sushi experience.