Banzai Sushi Bar

the food was good, the service extremely slow. We should have known when we were sat in the corner (outta sight). We noticed a table w/​a party of 3, then another w/​a party of 2 both arrived well after we ordered. Both tables ordered, served and left before us. I always try to give the benefit of the doubt, some things cannot be overlooked.

Whenever in Haleiwa and there’s a craving for sushi, Banzai Sushi Bar is there for you. There are a variety of sushi rolls, sashimi platters, a chirashi bowl, and other appeasing dishes. The only things I don’t like about Banzai Sushi Bar are the expensive price tags and the salmon skin salad.
It’s quite expensive in Banzai. I spent over $ 40 on my entire meal (I eat a lot). Expect to pay at least $ 8 to $ 16 per sushi roll. The only advice I have is not order the salmon skin salad. Don’t ever get the salmon skin salad! I was shocked by the burnt chard pieces of salmon pieces in the salad. It was not what I was expecting. The burnt salmon skin did not compliment well with the dressing and the fresh crispy locally grown greens.

Highly suggest the avocado tempura! Huge ripe creamy chunks of avo! The plum flavored sake is yummy too! The bartender felt bad about making us wait and got us drinks on the house :)

Amazing sashimi and service! I was hesitant at first with a sushi bar in Haleiwa but it surpassed my expectations! The sushi chefs were all speaking Japanese and knew what they were doing! Fresh Fish! The UNI was soooo sweet!

I liked their service, was kinda slow but the food was good with a nice ambience. They have both table and Japanese floor seating, which is nice. Try the banzai sushi!

We went to Haleiwa not to take in surfing but rather for my wife to get her nails done, and since the sushi in San Diego has been so disappointing we were really looking forward to eating here. Our server Megan was really nice, and knowledgeable of everything on the menu. The kobe beef gyoza was very tasty, and the miso soup was served with fresh seaweed. We got the poke sampler which consisted of ahi, marlin, octopus and the Peruvian coconut poke. This was our first experience with poke and to me it was just cerviche with sesame seeds. It was so fresh and had a very subtle taste. We also ordered the tempura California roll with spicy mayo and a salmon and eel combo roll with eel sauce which were out of bounds on flavor! Even the Ono la drink is hands down the most delicious beverage I’ve ever had. And if that wasn’t enough the price range was good, and their bathrooms were clean!

This place is a hidden gem! Enjoyed great sushi and cool green tea. Traditional seating is available. Casual and laid back atmosphere. This will be our sushi «spot» when ever we visit Hawaii.

I always make a point to stop at Banzai Sushi whenever I am in Hawaii. The atmosphere is casual, there are surf movies playing on a giant pull down screen and you can choose whether to sit on the floor on a cushion or at a table. They don’t take reservations so unless you get there in the early evening you can expect to wait to get a table.
My husband’s favorite roll is the lemon drop and mine is the crunchy roll. There is a variety of traditional rolls and specialty.
This place is expensive! Be prepared to pay more than you normally would for sushi!
During our last visit, it took longer than I expected for our rolls to come out. I suspect it’s because of how busy they were.

Love love love Banzai! But please SAVE YOUR HAPPY HOUR!!! we were informed tonight is the last night of the 4−5pm happy hour???
We really hope that this isn’t true. And that you will keep your excellent happy hour for the hard-​working locals and others who patronize your restaurant whenever they come to Haleiwa!
Don’t forget it’s the locals who give you year-​round business when the tourists are gone.
We really enjoyed the half-​price warm sake and Kirin beers. Each sushi roll we ordered was also excellent – the Bonzai, the spicy tuna roll, and the hand rolls spicy and mild Hamachi spicy scallop and the fresh Ahi avocado roll. I love that the pickled ginger is served natural –no artificial food coloring and not overly sweet. As someone WHO EATS gluten-​free they also provide GF soy sauce.
Our waitress Kendall was also super sweet. Excellent service and as always a classy but casual atmosphere.
We hope to be back enjoying your happy hour the next time make the drive to Haleiwa!
Much Aloha,
Chef Pedro Rosa and Kai Elizabeth

Wow. Super friendly service, cute waitresses. The sake with the plum was great. We ordered a variety of sushi and sashimi. Spicy tuna roll had slivered jalapeños atop, making them spicy. It was so so good. Even the tempura avocados! The only negative was their ratty menus and slightly sticky table. Highly recommend going to this place if you love sushi. Vegetarian options too.

Best sushi on the North Shore. Love the ambiance, the wait staff are very nice, and the food is amazing. Try the avocado tempura for sure and the banzai and haleiwa rolls are delicious.

Service: terrible.
Food: mediocre.
Sitting on the ground: not my favorite.
Save your pennies for somewhere better like Opal Thai.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I really enjoyed Banzai Sushi Bar!
The food– I really enjoyed the food! They have a very authentic menu that’s quite large! We were with a very large group so I was able to try a lot of the menu and everything I tried was really good.
The vibe– I loved the vibe of this sushi bar. It was dimmed, great music, and a projector of surf movies playing! They have a side with tables and a side that you can sit on the floor with pads.
There isn’t too much seating, so make sure to plan ahead for that. Also, the food doesn’t come out too quick. So don’t plan on a fast bite to eat!

We came here for birthday dinner and it exceeded our expectations.
Our server Kyle was fantastic and suggested the two best things we ate (Gnarley Marley, Volcano).
We also had the Lemon Drop and the Red Dragon, which were delicious, but paled in comparison to the other two rolls.
Don’t miss the banana tempura for dessert.

Holy mother of pearl sushi goddess.
This place rocked my world.
I was in town for an epically beautiful wedding and took an extra day to surf and chill with the fresh winds on the north coast of Oahu.
Excellent service, good lovin’ vibes, super down to earth yet top of the line quality.
Anyone that criticizes this place is a hater. Share meals, they are substantial. Do it!
And the toasted coconut porter with the Maui Wowie mango ahi with shoshi leaf. Yes. Good ocean goddess… yes.

Great sushi place in the end corner of a bunch of local stores.
Had the sashimi boat with local fishes: 5 stars
Everything was fresh & tasty.
Sunset mixed drink: 4 stars
Sweet & pretty strong, just the way I like it. This drink reminded me of a fruity mojito.
Service: A+
Waitress made sure we had everything we needed & checked up on us regularly to make sire we were ok. She even gave me a napkin to bring a pretty seashell from the sashimi boat that I wanted to take home.

Hmm pretty average sushi, at best — considering the price tags. We didn’t have anything memorable except the mojito. Service was good, but not anything to rave about.
Food wise — the rolls we had were, again, average. Fresh ingredients, but with only outside seating, everything quickly got warm. We had the caterpillar, the lemon drop, and the special roll of the day on ⁸⁄₅ (don’t remember the name). Also tried the edamame, gyoza, the seared salmon salad, and the calamari. All just average. Price for 3 people was $ 125 (not including tip).
If I had to go back, I think I would only go for the calamari as it comes on a bed of salad and the mojito (so if you must eat here, definitely try the mojito! Lol).
The ambiance is great for a date night BUT I think being outdoor with only overhead fans is what really turned me off as eating warm raw fish is just not my cup of tea.

When we are rolling through Haleiwa, I like to stop at Banzai for some poisson cru. I think it’s one of the best on the island. If you are not familiar, it’s a Tahitian ceviche with coconut milk. So refreshing! $ 8 Saketinis are also pretty yummy. Try the avocado tempura, it’s a great price and very different. The fish is super fresh, and there are so many kinds of sushi you can get, so be sure to stop by and try it.
Keep in mind it’s semi-​outdoor seating, so if you are trying to cool off, that ain’t gonna happen here. There is floor seating, and regular seating, so you decide… I’m all about chairs, because seriously, when I’m full, I don’t want to be trying to get up off the floor.

Staying out in Haleiwa for a change. It is more interesting than just cruising through. There are not that many sit down restaurants and so much more food trucks than I remember. We thought we’d try something a little more healthy and we saw Banzai the day before and decided to give it a try. Friendly greeting when we walked up…
She: Did you want the chairs or the cushions?
Me: (laughing) Chairs please… we’re too fat to sit on those cushions!
Our friendly server, Meagan, greeted us and said she’d be right back. This gave us a little time to check things out.
Me: (via text) There’s nothing but haoles here! LOL!
We ordered a bottle of Shiraz, the Kobe beef gyoza and the seaweed salad to start. Both were an excellent start. The beef was tender and juicy inside the fried dough. The salad was light and was a good compliment. After we heard the specials, the partner ordered the yellowtail and I ordered the special spicy tuna roll with salmon and ahi, a caterpillar, and a veggie (yeah, trying to do healthy). The yellowtail came with rice and a huge mixed green salad and was cooked bones in, so the partner had to work a little. Each roll that came out was a work of art and all tasted fresh and delicious.
No room for dessert but felt very satisfied. Atmosphere was great! Everyone we encountered was friendly.
She: I are related to Bernie?
Me: Yes, she’s my cousin.
Small world… but that is the great thing about Hawaii! I would definitely come back if I stay out this way again!

I straight up loved this place! LOVED! The sushi is extremely fresh here.
So me and my friend wandered in here since we were shopping around the area for local merchandise/​goods. I was taken automatically by the Japanese floor pillow seating.
We started with the poke sampler which came with 4 different kinds of poke, I wasn’t a big fan of one of the flavors, but the other 3 were really good! We also shared their daily special roll, which has tuna, avocado and salmon on top, with spicy tuna and cucumber inside. It was really good! Only downside I felt here was the pricing, it can get pretty pricey just eating there.
I had great service over there, but of course we came during a very non-​busy time, where there were only one other guest other than us. Parking is inside the plaza area.