Sushi restaurants has become more and more trendy over the years, until it’s nearly a requirement for social groups. It’s also delicious—as long as it’s done right! Supermarket Sushi hasn’t achieved gourmet status quite yet, after all. San Francisco is spoiled for choices when it comes to good sushi, and rightly so. Sushi is best when it’s freshest, and San Francisco’s prime location on the water makes it a great place for seafood in general. But it can be hard to navigate your way past the pricey, trendy hotspots. Cheap food can be hit or miss for quality and authenticity, and you’re just as likely to find your fish stale or overly-sparing when you get a roll at the usual budget-friendly places.

We’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation by searching the city for sushi that’s both affordable and delicious. Check out the top 7 sushi restaurants in San Francisco to fulfill your sushi cravings without breaking the bank.

Yo Yo’s Sushi Restaurant

This place scores rave reviews from its customers for food and service. Sushi is fresh and tasty, the seaweed salad is universally liked, and the chicken teriyaki and udon soups are big crowd pleasers. They are a small operation, run by a small staff. There’s no dine-in option, since there is no seating area, and it’s cash-only, so make sure you come prepared with your wallet. It’s an excellent option for lunch on the go.

Basa Seafood Express

Basa serves up a whole range of fish and seafood dishes and even sells their fresh-caught selections by the pound. Part seafood shop and part restaurant, you never have to worry about the quality and freshness of their menu. You can get clam chowder, oyster sandwiches, and fish tacos if you’re not in the mood for sushi, but we hope you are. Their sushi menu is good-sized with all the classics and favorites, and you get a lot of bang for your buck in portion sizes.

Sushi Taka

The prices are on the higher side of cheap, but still very reasonable. They have a limited variety for fish but their menu is still strong, with the option of building your own sushi roll from the rice up, choosing your fillings like salmon, marinated jalepenos, and spicy sauces. They offer the usual miso soup, kimchee, and seaweed salad as sides. The servers and manager tend to get rave reviews for the quality of their service as well as the affordable quality.

Tokyo Express

They do have some higher-priced combos, but the large menu covers you with tons of maki sushi and nigiri options for very reasonable prices. They have a great selection of fish and seafood, and even have some decent options for the non-meat lovers, like tofu or asparagus tempura in their rolls. Tokyo Express considers themselves “fast food” for the sushi market, filling in the niche for busy people on the go without sacrificing quality. They have several locations around the city.

We Sushi

For a new experience, this sushi is served from one of San Francisco’s celebrated mobile food trucks. The fish is fresh each day, and the dishes are colorful, flavorful, and made-to-order. The delight of getting fresh sushi from a mobile truck never fails to brighten the smiles of their on-the-go customers, who praise the chirashi and rave about the lobster crunch roll. We Sushi is only available during lunch time, so check the website to find out where they’ll be!

Kitaro Sushi

No fuss or frills, but great prices and a great selection. Their specialty rolls are creative and fun (try the Godzilla), and the nigiri has some fun and flavourful veggie options like sweet potato or mushroom, in addition to the fish and seafood choices. Customers all talk about their salad and the delicious dressing, and they flock to the Firecracker Roll (salmon and albacore tempura with spicy sauce) and leave glowing reviews.

Akiko’s Sushi Bar & Restaurant

Reports conflict about the style of customer service, but there is no argument that this tiny venue is serving up some top-notch sushi. They use incredibly high-quality fish, with tuna that will melt in your mouth like butter. Customers love the housemade wasabi, and praise the miso soup’s perfectly balanced flavor. They have a small seating area, so you may need to call in a reservation to be sure you will get a table.

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