Chelini Amy

I'm a local resident who doesn't go out to eat as much any more because an experience like this ruined eating out for me in gerneral. I didn't expect fine dinning only a hip little sushi bar since that's what my friend told me to expect. There was nothing wrong with the atmosphere, it was indeed hip, but I can't believe some of the girls they hired as servers. This was indeed some of the worst service I've ever had. She knew almost nothing about the menu, was incredibly rude, and seemed to be on "something". After looking around it seemed like a large percentage of the serving staff was on "something"(I don't know this for a fact but it seems highly likely) Anyway orders were forgotten. We were forgotten, and we felt very insulted for spending money here. As I left i tried to remeber the server's name so I could write to the owners, but realized she never introduced herself. But she was blonde and not very nice(understate of the century), I can't imagine she'd still be working t... Read more

I have experienced the rude hostess as well and was very surprised. I have been eating at Sushi Groove on Hyde for three years and have started to go elsewhere because I had the hostess literally laugh in my face when I came in without a reservation of a Tuesday night.

I've been a Sushi Groove regular for many years--Even before I moved less than a block away three years ago. The constantly changing staff has lost the neighborhood feel. Last night I was rudely turned away even with empty seats in the restaurant. Hostess was rude and uncaring. I live 600 feet away, and I wont be back. Sad.

I visited this place when in town on a business trip after a recommendation from a friend. I read the reviews on Citysearch and totally agree - this place is small. I saw several parties waiting. I sat at the bar and received excellent service from the Sushi Chef. The sushi was incredibly fresh and i was pleasantly surprised by the amount of fish in my sushi roll. I asked my waitress to call me cab when i was finished. She actually walked down the street and hailed one for me. Now that was worth the price of admission!

I was really looking forward to eating here, as I read all of the positive reviews. I travel all over the world, and I always order sushi when I can. My only fear was the report of long lines. I went at 6:30 Wed- place was empty. As for as the sushi goes---- eh, not so good. the fatty tuna had no fat. The salmon the same. Sushi chef was very nice and conversational if you wanted to talk. I do recommend the cilantro roll, as it was great. Overall-- way down the list of great sushi resturants. Not at all worth going.

A very hip place for the young crowd in their 20-30's. There is no large signage outside until you get to the door to see a small plaque with the restaurant's name on it. The sushi bar seats about a dozen and the interior has a limited amount of tables. You have to arrive early if you're serious about eating and be sure to make reservations. Most sushi bars have you order as you're ready, our chef wanted us to place several orders at once. The foie gras sushi was very good but took a long time to arrive. We liked the spider roll, unagi, butterfish, amberjack, hamachi nigiri sushi. The California Roll consisted of fresh king crab but was bland. We didn't care for the Dynamite Roll either. All the fish tasted fresh. A meal for 4 with beer leaving you somewhat full came to almost $200. Not the most economical for sushi but we enjoyed the food. We were finished w/the meal but hadn't left yet & the busboy started to reach over our shoulders at the sushi bar to clear the table. T... Read more

We really enjoyed their asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and their beef topped with fois. The miso-glazed bass was fine but not thrilling. The sushi was quite good, especially the hotate (scallop) and walu (butterfish). And they're open on Mondays - bonus!

It's packed when we arrived sans reservation, the hostess nformed us there's a waiting list. She seems uninterested and ask us to wait if we want to eat, minutes later we were greeted by a man wearing a suit with cool sneakers asked us if we have been helped. We told him we have no reservation, he was accomadating and told us there will be a table for us in 10 minutes. We were seated by him in exactly 10! The service is attentive, the sushi rule in this busy hot spot!

Don't expect Olive Garden-like elbow room here as it's quite a snug fit. The chefs make interesting and unique sushis and sauces to compliment their creations. I'd recommend going before 8 pm though since the place does get packed. The hostess even called a cab for me and double checked to see if it was there yet. Very nicely decorated and very hip.

if you think you'll be hungry for sushi in an hour or two, head on over to sushi groove south. got there at 9 and didn't get seated until 10:30 - granted, we didn't have a reservation, but the hostess informed us over the phone and on our arrival that it would be "about 20 minutes." waitresses were friendly but lacking. hostesses were, well, they sucked. their beauty and crappy attitudes gave me the sneaking suspicion they were hired on looks alone. despite long waits and mediocre service, i'll still give it another chance for the outstanding, fresh and innovative sushi.

The service was sooo awful, kind of ruined it for me as it was for a birthday and our party had to wait an hour for our table even though we had reservations and gave us lame excuses. When we finally got seated and ordered, we waited about the same amount of time for our food. Despite the service at the and the fact that they said they ran out of vegetables for our vegetarians (this made no sense as they served vegetables in the vegetable tempura) the sushi was very good. So if you can deal with service then the food may be for you. I personally will not go back.

A beautiful space and equally incredible food. Just make sure to make a reservation if you would like a table over the sushi bar.

ive been to this place many times and the hostess never gives me the right info as to how long the wait is but the sushi is good and i always have a good time. go there and try the shrimp appetizer or the foie gras sushi. both are different and pluses.

This is my favorite restaurant in the city- the food is incredible every time, consistently fresh and wonderful. The chefs are creative and masters at their craft. It can be a little expensive, but well worth every penny.

Among the better sushi options in SF. Also, little or no wait on a Sat night. However, located close to nothing, which on the flip side makes parking easy. Go here if you want good sushi in a nice ambiance with someone you're not trying to impress.

The Scene Those in the know push past the restaurant's unmarked doors. Inside, the cave-like interior buzzes from the DJ's beats and stylish SoMa holdouts sip sake-tinis while waiting for tables. Sit at the sushi bar if you want to see your food; tables are lit only by flickering wall-mounted votives. The Food Though the menu's focus on rolls may steer sushi purists away, innovative creations keep the loyal masses begging for more. Nigiri, while adequate in quality and selection, suffers from scanty portions, so stick with the inventive rolls. Choices are inspired by local tastes, from a SoMa roll stuffed with salmon, yellowtail and cucumber to a yellowtail "Jungle" roll plump with papaya and tobiko. Familiar spicy rolls, such as tuna or hamachi, leave taste buds tingling. Meat eaters will be happy with house specials such as lettuce cups brimming with barbecue beef or crispy tofu tempura in tangy soy marinade.

The fish is always good (variety, creativity, ect). The people are beautiful. It is always busy. It is a clown show trying to actually get seated when there are more than two people in your party.

We had a 10pm reservation, but were told that if we showed up earlier we'd be seated earlier. Arriving at 9:25 to have a drink and wait for our table, the lack of attention from the staff and the 1 hour plus wait for our table, had us walking out at 10:35. The only communication from the staff was "oh, it'll just be a few minutes" at around 10:00. They need to improve their scheduling and staff skills. I can understand a table not being ready at the dot of 10pm, but waiting over an hour was simply unacceptable. Thumbs down for service. Didnt get to have any food.

I went to Sushi Groove South with my friends last week...and it is by far the best sushi in town!! The wait for a table gets a bit long but the food and feel of the place can not be beat. The fish is so fresh and the music is great...I would recommend it to anyone...I am going to go again tonight.

I used to love Sushi Groove South, in spite of long waits and sometimes pretentious service. It just had that certain...vibe. Unfortunately, it is slipping on all levels. The fish was just not up to par on a recent visit, the service was distracted at best, the bill was waaaaay high. Add to that the fact that the place is starting to look worn around the edges and in need of a good cleaning...and well, sorry, but I will spend my money elsewhere.

Great fresh sushi; great menu. Very accommodating staff. great seaweed salad and techno rolls!

It's hip, it's good but be aware it's a club atmosphere. Try sweet talkin the owners or manager to get your reservations seated "on time" and you will eat before the starvation kills you. The beautiful girls coming in will definitely get seated before you and they won't eat anything anyway (funny how that works). I must admit the sushi is some of the best in the city, along with creative sake drinks, the dinning is worth the wait. The atmosphere is ultra hip and still "tweakin'" in this economy.

Frisco is the only city in the country where the term "yuppie" is still being used to describe people and places. After reading most of the reviews of this place I have to wonder what would make people happy. This is a cool, very upscale, modern, hip sushi house. The chefs all are great, will talk to you, and make "specials" if you ask. The fish is top notch, and the service was great. The vibe is great too, with a DJ spinning mellow beats. Beer and wine only(sake too) - was the only downer as I was in the mood for cocktails. Other than that, it's damn near perfect.

Sushi Groove offers no end of unintended giggles. From its clientelle of giggly, vapid Marina-yuppie, "Friends" extras, to its desperate, attempts at trying to look ultra-hip, this place is a laugh a minute. But, it has a dj. Why anyone would find eating sushi to the pounding boom-tse boom-tse of loud techno even remotely pleasing is beyond me. It's reason enough not to return. The sushi is actually pretty good (better than Blowifsh), and they might have the best ikura nigiri around. The fish is generally good quality, fresh, the flavors are subtle, sophisticated, and their unagi (especially the rock 'n roll) is great. In fact, their rolls for westerners, like the spider roll, are quite good. Honestly, if you want great sushi, you'll go to Ebisu, Nagano, etc... but from an anthropological standpoint, Sushi Groove offers a priceless, firsthand glimpse into the callow lives of San Francisco's Marina culture.

The best sushi, the best mood, the best styling, the best hosts and waitresses bar none. Been everywhere, its the best. And I live around the corner.

What a joke. The waitress could not have been ruder and both she and the hostess thought they were the hippest, hottest things in San Francisco. They weren't. The food was ok, not great and took forever. The only saving grace was the bartender, who was really sweet. If you want fantastic sushi, a great atmosphere and fabulous (and quick) service by a wonderful wait/bar/host staff, stick to Blowfish.

If you want the NY trendy and sleek style, this place has it. Beautiful people in a beautiful environment. The food is good, but I've had better. Paid $100 including tip for 2 people and lots of food and cocktails. Personally, I had a great time and will return.

This place just keeps getting better!! I have been a regular for over a year now and have yet to have a bad time. ps - love the greenlip mussels!

I like the cement walls and open kitchen in this sushi restaurant. The crowd is young, hip and pretty and the DJ spinning at the bar was quite unique. Definitely a good SOMA hot spot.

The dynamite is the best spicy tuna roll in the city. Appetizers like the prawn salad and the beef cups rock - delicately seasoned and wonderfully flavored. Managed to turn a non-fish-eater into a sushi-lover.

Great quality sushi and for a price that is surprisingly affordable. Cool atmosphere and a solid, attentive wait staff add to the allure. The only problem is the size of the place - it's just too darn small for such a popular place. But oh well, you just have to make reservations or settle for a tight seat at the bar or sushi counter. This place is definitely up near the top as far as SF sushi joints go.

Sushi groove south has some of the best sushi in town, a very caring and professional line behind the sushi counter, some creative side dishes, plus it has a very loungy but not overdone atmosphere. It is open late too, which makes it a great destination.