Tgi’s Sushi

I have to review this place even though it has now closed!
How frickin sad is that! = (
This is the second place on university that has closed in the past year that I LOVED! [the first one was Thai Garlic, which never had any customers but had the best Thai food in all of Berkeley! RIP Thai Garlic]
Ok– onto the Sushi!
TGI had great Sushi @ cheap prices. The waitstaff was ALWAYS awesome and never once did I have something I didn’t like! The $ 10 pitcher of beer was a excellent and so were the fancy rolls!
Unfortunately– this place is closed and padlocked up (with a U-​shaped bike lock) but if for some reason they come back– try it!

To give perspective on my Sushi experience in Berkeley:
Kirala (2 times)
Sushi Cal (2 times)
Party Sushi (~10 times)
C.U. Sushi (4 times)
TGI Sushi (3 times)
Party Sushi used to be my favorite place for cheaper sushi until I started eating at TGI Sushi. It is definitely my favorite sushi place if I don’t want to pay a lot (or wait a lot) for Kirala.
They have good quality fish and their fat rolls make them unique. The rolls have a large center of filling which makes a yummy fish-​to-​rice ratio. My favorite roll so far is the Crazy Chris.
They also have the hand rolls that many sushi restaurants don’t have.
Overall, a great value.

I was really surprised by this place. This place is a great value. Fish is decent and the rolls are huge. With the size of the rolls, I don’t know how you can find a better deal in the area. You get so much food it isn’t even funny.

My favorite sushi place around the bay. I am in love with this place and try to come here as often as I can. The food is amazing and the prices are not bad, either. The place is kind of small, and you sometimes have to wait outside for a while before being able to be seated, but once you’re seated, the food keeps coming and coming… They offer complementary small salads, miso soups as well as edamame. I like their rolls and have such a huge variety of every possible combination that you can imagine. The chef is very nice and although the restaurant is own by Korean people and not Japanese… they are doing an excellent job and I always recommend the place to all my friends. This place is not that good if you are looking for a luxury stay… this is good when you are hungry and want to easy quality food and then go on with your evening… I highly recommend this place!

I live in San Francisco. I can count the number of times I’ve eaten in Berkeley restaurants on one hand. I also have been known to call a significant portion of my income «sushi money.»
I was so amazed by the sashimi at this place I can’t even tell you. (But because this is Unilocal,I will try.)
My family was in from out of town and met me for a late dinner after my extension class. They had decided on sushi, so when my dad saw TGI’s Sushi he said, «I like the name, let’s try here!»
I refused. The name was dorky. It was 9 pm on a Monday night and completely empty. And when forced to enter I noted that the décor just looked cheap.
But oh… the fish! The miso soup was over salty and the salad had too much dressing. But the sashimi and the rolls we ordered… at least twice as big an order as I have in most sushi places. And the fish was amazing!!! I’ve had better, but only at places in Japan, Hawaii, or where you need to spend over $ 75 each to feel full.
Giant pieces of sashimi, generous sized specialty (placemat) rolls and sushi, plus the free grilled hamachi. I may die of mercury poison, but I will go happy.
The quality of the fish knocked me head over heels. And the size of the pieces made it even more astounding. To be honest, I’m not sure if we just got lucky with the fish and that this quality experience will be repeated. But you can be sure I will return on the off chance that this bonanza of delights will happen again!

This place is great if you want to fill up on sushi & rolls. You get large servings on everything. I usually order the sushi & sashimi combo and can barely finish it (and I’m a big guy). The tempura udon tastes good too. Service is excellent. I wish I came here before when the waitresses had the Sailor Moon outfits ;-)

There were three of us who rolled in here at 9:00pm on a Monday night, and they were therefore quite quiet. The place is very large, with a beautiful bar in the middle, but I cannot tell if, when it its Saturday-​night full-​to-​the-​brim status (I only assume. It is downtown Berkeley) if it turns into a fun kind of crowded or a hectic, chaotic kind.
Prices were higher than some, but the portions are sized accordingly. I do not think I have ever seen such large rolls. Our usual order was too much for us– this is the first time I have taken leftovers home from sushi. (I ate them within 24 hours, don’t worry!)
Very, very good quality of fish, so next time I may just be getting some sashimi. We all agreed the rolls were very salty, but could not tell exactly what that was from. Also, they only have (as far as I could tell) imitation crab, which is a bummer. We did recieve free edemome (I will never be able to spell that darn word!) while we waited, which makes me happy. It’s the little things, really.
The other reviews seem quite diverse, so I reserve the right to amend this assessment accordingly, but for now– a nice alternative to cheap-​cheap or Kirala-​expensive in the Shattuck area.
Oh– they have a sign that says free delivery, which may be a selling point for some.

Really, it’s just not that good. I’ve only been here with group of school/​labmates as I’d never go on my own accord. I don’t think I could even stand to be dragged here again, period, though.

Honestly, I’m not even sure if I ate here or not. It tells you something about the place if I don’t recall going there.
But if I did go there, then the food I ate was decent. I forgot what sushi roll I have ordered, but I remember it being plain and slippery, and kinda moving. But I’m not a sushi lover to begin with so I wasn’t all that thankful we got sushi. I always feel petite and childish every time I go to sushi restaurants. Like I have to punch someone to reverse this feeling. Can someone comment on this if they agree? Just so I don’t sound crazy.
Place looks nice though. Waiters had nice outfits, some traditional Japanese wear. I think ratings for this place would go up if they wore a fish costume. That would be neat.

This is the restaurant that caused my roommate to change his PIN. When the bill came for sushi, he decided to pay with his debit card and have everyone else pay him back. This led to a discussion on the difference between credit cards and ATM/​debit cards, which my roommate quickly explained.
«It’s simple, when I want to use my card as a credit card, I just have to sign my name on the receipt. When I want to use it as ATM, I just type 5536 on the keypad… Oh fuck.»
My roommate just told 4 other people and possibly the waitress his PIN.

This place’s quality varies a lot. Usually it’s pretty mediocre but sometimes I’ve had some good meals.
Last time I went, I think I had a problem with the way they sliced their fish. I believe the fish was cut in a bad way, ruining perfectly mediocre pieces of fish.
I used to have a friend that worked here, that was pretty damn cool. I don’t like how they got rid of them sailor outfits.

it’s right around the corner from our apartment so when we’re too lazy to cook we walk right over! rolls are 10 bucks each (our fave is the yellowtail), the owner is a super helpful and nice guy, and the waitresses are pleasant.
UPDATE: i think they’re CLOSED! the chairs are still there but they haven’t been open for the last few weeks w/​no sign on the door. *sigh*

Recommended Dish: (I think it’s called) Jonny Luv Sushi Roll. I’m not really sure why there are so many negative, super negative… and even angry reviews on this restaurant. Granted their sashimi quality is far from being the best in the Bay, this restaurant makes up for it in a lot of other ways.
My client recommended this restaurant to me and I brought him, his wife, and their newborn here for lunch one day and I have to say our experience was absolutely wonderful! The exterior of this restaurant understates the interior, which is beautifully decorated and has a small town, cozy feel to say the least. The wait staff are sweet and courteous – giving us just enough time to look over the menu and was on top of our order and requests, among other positive qualities. One of the best parts I consider is that whether you are just one table in a packed restaurant or you’re the last table lingering during a late afternoon, they don’t rush you to wrap it up, pay the bill, and leave, which is always nice when in the middle of a business conversation.
On this visit we ordered the beef teriyaki, 2 bento boxes, 1 with california roll & salmon teriyaki, the other with sashimi & tonkatsu (me), and the Johnny Luv roll. I have to admit I would not order sashimi here again – it was lacking in flavor and had chewy tendons every inch of the slice, which we all know is a huge no no for sashimi. But everything else was delicious, especially the roll, which was a spicy, smooth delight I would devour any day.
So considering the price ($ 8.95) for all the food served in that bento box, which also included a bowl of miso soup, a bowl of rice, salad, a good 3 or 4 pieces of good tempura & gyoza, it’s a GREAT value. The roll I tasted was absolutely fantastic and their tonkatsu wasn’t bad! The tonkatsu crust was perfectly fried and the pork had just the right combination of meat with a little bit of fat to keep it juicy without bringing on a heart attack. To attest to my new found interest in this restaurant, I’m bringing another client next week!

Not mind-​blowing, but an E for effort. My lower quality Miso soup was lukewarm and service was at snail pace. The sailor uniforms on the staff were a cute touch making everyone look pulled together and adding congruity to the nautical aspect of Sushi. The restaurant design has a very expensive look to it, a «Tokyo» feel, if you will. I get the notion that TGI’s is trying to compete heavily with Sushi Ko located around the corner, they both have quite a few similarities… but I think that TGI’s somehow struggles to pull it all off.

Wow this place got really crappy reviews from other people. I’m kind of surprised. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t horrible. I guess I didn’t see the front of the building because we snuck in the back entrance since there is an abundance of free parking in the back (nights only) even though it’s not the most well lighted parking lot.
We were seated in the back at a table because I didn’t even notice that there was a sushi bar until my friend mentioned it to me, since it was elevated on this platform.
Ok can I say this, I’m not sure about all the comments about hot waitresses, but then again I guess my definition of hot for a woman isn’t equivalent to a tiny Asian girl dressed like a student (they actually looked kind of nerdy to me), what I can vouch for is that my cup of tea was not empty for more than 2 mins max over the whole course of the meal.
We ordered 4 rolls for 2 people. That was a lot of rolls to eat. I had what I think was called the Hamachi Lovers and the California Boi or something like that. Hamachi Lovers was good, although weird because I generally like it when the fish is cool to the taste because then the texture is a little more crisp than mushy, which this partially suffered from. The California thing with tempura shrimp in the middle was perfect, crispy tempura in the center covered with a rainbow assortment of fish and unagi.
I left super full, feeling like I ate like 4 bowls of rice. Decent eats. It was a quiet night to be there. I miss the hot pot restaurant that used to be in that same location, my friends and I used to go there after big midterms. Now that was good times, with ice cream included in the hot pot meal.

I don’t even know if my experience warrants a review as I’m just going to regurgitate what others have already said — no need to spend your time and money eating here. There are better, cheaper sushi joints elsewhere in Berkelely.
They do offer a lot of different rolls. And all seem to be named after the Top Ten Most Boring Baby Names of 2001. And like their namesakes, the rolls we had were pretty bland themselves.
Okay, their tempura udon deserves more than 2 stars. It came with shitake and enoki mushrooms, and a couple of slices of fishcake. But even decent udon won’t lure me back again.
P. S. Maybe Sunday is the off day for all the Sailor Moon/​School Girl attired waitresses but there was none of that going on last night. Just a couple of flannel wearing dudes making out. Which I guess should bump this up one more star.

The first thing one might notice entering this University Avenue eatery is the wait staff: all hot, college-​age Asian girls dressed in black. That in itself is reason enough for some guys to eat there.
For others, the price is average and the sushi menu is decent and varied, but the service is sometimes slow and forgetful (we ordered sake but had to remind the waitress about it after we got our food before the drinks). I’ve eaten there four times, ordering sushi, katsu, sukiyaki, and nothing has stood out that makes me want to return.
The atmosphere isn’t much, sometimes feeling like a big rec hall with the giant TV screens showing soccer, Asian music videos or other channels that no one watches, and the photo montage of I’m guessing regulars. Since it’s a huge place, I can see why every time I’ve been there there’s been groups of at least 10 or more. Otherwise, unless you’re in the neighborhood, I wouldn’t make that great an effort to go since there are more than a fair share of decent sushi/​Japanese places in Berkeley.

This place is the Hooters of sushi. The sushi girls wear these sailor-​moon schoolgirl outfits. Anyway our waitress comes over and is actually being super flirtatious which was cool, but then she got called into the back room and yelled at. I think she mighta been the owner’s daugher. Well what does he expect dressing her up like that?
The food was moderate to bad, but I think that’s cause I was trying to get into his daugher’s pants… err schoolgirl outfit.
They gotta start servin sushi off of naked chicks. I read about that somewhere. Then I’d go there no matter how rancid their fried fish patty tasted.

This is the one sushi place where you don’t have to worry about getting too little to eat because they give you A LOT of food. If quantity of food is what you want, have fun. Quality wise, they’re okay. Not as great as Sushi California just down the block, but not awful either. The beef teriyaki was blah, but the saba shioyaki was actually pretty good. Their sashimi weren’t too tender, but the rolls were good.
The décor screams non-​authentic Japanese, but I didn’t care as long as the place was clean. Service was great, very attentive, but they ought to lose the sailor suits. I felt bad for those girls.

I don’t think I would have gone in here if the people I was with hadn’t reassured me of the quality. The blue neon light around the windows on the front make it look really, really cheap. Once inside it’s not as bad. The waitresses are all look very young and wear school uniforms. I understand that is the pinnacle of sexiness in Japan.
But onto the sushi. What best describe the rolls here is «big». Maybe even «Big». Don’t order more than one roll a person. Really. The fish is fresh and everything tastes nice. It’s not the best in Berkeley, but it’s pretty good. And it’s not too expensive, considering you only need to order one roll.
Some people at the table ordered non-​sushi dinners, which looked OK and also are huge.
Update: a dance club is not the right place for a meal. I don’t understand why TGI’s tries to combine these two things. It’s really difficult having a conversation with the loud music and the ball game on the TVs. Rolls are still rather good and way too big.