Zakuro Japanese Bistro & Sushi Bar

Dine in is still a good experience (see prior review), but it’s a write-​off for carry out. First off, menu lists miso soup with entrees; no mention of fine-​in only, but miso doesn’t come with carry out. Ok, I can make peace with that.
But, for the fourth time in a row, our carry out order was wrong. This time it’s tempura udon instead of seafood. Last time it was chirashi with no rice. Chicken udon instead of seafood. Time before that it was missing appetizers, and no rice with the teriyaki. Time before that it was a mystery chicken dish instead of tofu.
This used to be our go-​to place, but not any more… Too bad as they’re nearby and convenient.

We’ve lived in the area for 4 years and finally had dinner at Zakuro. They have happy hour — Mon — Fri from 3pm to close and offer great apps, sushi & beverages at reasonable prices. We started off with Agedashi Tofu, Happy Dancing Scallops — scallops over rice, topped with yellow onions, green onions, masago, special sauce then baked — YuMmm, Mixed Tempura and hubby had a large Sapporo beer. For dinner, I had the Red Bull roll and hubby had Saba Shioyaki dinner entrée. Our daughter shared our entrees, plus appetizers and a miso soup. We really enjoyed our food and the happy hour specials which were nice portions and pricing.

We had lot of varieties of food here, we ordered some Bento with chicken and tempuras. It was really good.
We ordered king Kong roll and 15 piece sashimi, it was fresh and good. We had red bull and another roll which I can’t remember now, it was really good and spicy ! Everything was fresh. Probably one of the best Japanese food in Pleasanton. They have lot of varieties of roll.

Zakuro is our go-​to restaurant every Sunday for take-​out (especially thrilling when accompanied at home by Game of Thrones), and it never fails to please. Our fave orders are Sea Steak, Zakuro Roll with its oh-​so-​special sauce, the 49er roll, and the Rainbow Roll. The sashimi is top-​quality all around. The staff have always made us feel special! Shout out to sushi chefs Hyong (Noah) and Matt, Cedric, owner Alex, and sweet, sweet Joyce! They always make us comfortable and happy whether eating out or in, with or without our 4– and 7-​year old. Strangely, another sushi joint opened practically next door, across from Trader Joe’s, but it just doesn’t have that Cheers feeling we get from Zakuro.

By far the best sushi in this area ! Fish is always fresh… Service is always great… And their happy hour is unbeatable ! Monday — Friday from 3pm till close !!! This is the only sushi spot I will go to in this area ! Everywhere else is way overly priced ! You must stop by Zakuro next time your craving sushi !

First time goers. Right off the bat: FOOD IS DELICIOUS.
FOOD QUALITY: I really think that’s all I need to say because I was looking for a sushi restaurant nearby the outlets.
(5 mins) My gf and I ordered the OCEAN 12 (without cream cheese) and the REX SPECIAL. They were extremely well put together. I say this basing it off of my experience eating at many sushi bars.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: the waitresses that served us were nothing out of the ordinary. Decent enough but not great enough for me to ask and remember their names for future reference.
PARKING: Don’t get confused with the other sushi bar next door, completely blocking them. Their behind the drive through café.
HAPPY HOUR: Their happy hour deals are great and are from 3pm to close (930). LOVE this because they are open ALL day compared to most sushi bars that close after lunch and reopen for dinner.
PLUS: Complimentary Miso Soup, the menu is aesthetically pleasing.
100% would recommend. But I still have yet to try their other creations.

Happy hour is okay, they will knock $ 2 off special rolls with few exceptions $ 6 glass of plum wine $ 2 for large saki

This place is awesome! They got fresh fish and service was great. If you feel like Japanese food, this place is must try!!!

This was our first time eating here, looking for a cool sushi spot near the outlets. With a high Google rating, we decided to check it out over all the other locations. The vibe is very casual, but we came in during the afternoon, so that is to be expected at most low-​key sushi spots. The wait staff was attentive and very friendly, putting up with our social personalities very well ! We were surprised to find that there was a 99¢ sake special for checking in here on Unilocal,so we took advantage and I had my first experience with sake (it was alright, but I’m still more of a beer and tequila girl).
The vegetable tempura was really crunchy and tasty ! They had a variety of vegetables: broccoli, sweet potato, yam, carrot, and green bean, definitely enough for two people. The Amaebi came in two pieces, the raw nigiri and the deep fried heads. Both tasted very fresh and were nicely plated. Miso soup came with the food for free, which was a nice surprise and I was happy to find that the soup was hot.
We got two rolls: the Lincoln roll (which was fresh and just a tad spicy) and the Killer Bee (deep fried and crunchy, but not support hard to eat). Both were delicious and different enough to give a good variety of texture and taste.
The uni nigiri was super fresh ! I always judge a place by their uni, and I’m happy to report that it was tasty and very satisfying. We also got the hamachi nigiri, and it was just as delicious. I think the only complaint I have is that their ginger had a very weird taste. It was strange enough that I decided to opt out from eating more than the initial piece.
Overall, excellent good and great atmosphere. The staff is friendly and it was an excellent place for an impromptu lunch.
Our server was Ben, and he was amazing ! 4÷24÷16

BEST sushi in town. Creative rolls, outstanding flavors and wonderful employees! They need to win BEST OF PLEASANTON, Best Sushi Bar for 2016!

Most excellent roll I’ve had. On point flavor combo and fantastic presentation. Good tempura although lacking in flavor slightly. Could have been because the roll was so completely delicious. Highway 65 I think? Tempura shrimp and spicy tuna with cucumber inside, unagi and some amazing spicy red sauce and a mustard on top. OMG. I’ll dream of that roll. Good service. Interesting décor, not my fave but the food made up for it. A definite re-​visit.

For starters the owners are such humble people, the gentleman was so hospitable and the service was outstanding.
Came with a large group that I can’t even remember what sushi we ordered but I can tell you, I loved every single item. My favorite was the HWY 65. I also tried sashimi and it was as fresh as you can get around here. My boyfriend who has turned down sushi many times is finally a firm sushi lover thanks to this spot.

Place is pretty decent. Rolls are actually pretty good. Tried the killer bee roll it’s bomb. Warm and Crunchy. Poke salad is always a must have. Uni is decently priced. Uni has always been my favorite no matter where I go. Staff are friendly. Warm and welcoming.

Sushi was ok. They seem to cover most rolls in a bunch of sauce. Maybe it just what I ordered. Roll were good though. I ordered a seaweed salad and never got it. I wasn’t charged for it but I ordered for a reason. I wanted a seaweed salad! I also like to drink a lot with my dinner. My ice tea was only filled up once, and I had to ask for it. Our waitress walked by several times looking at us. I even placed my empty glass by the edge of the table. Normally that’s a sign to most servers. Not here it’s not.

The service was blah, ordered a few rolls of sushi. The spicy tuna roll was just awful and after my first bite I refused to eat anymore.
The manager and the waitress didn’t care about my experience, I’d hope that they would have not charged me for something inedible. But, they did and I won’t be back at this place, I’d rather go the sushi place on Hopyard where the service is great and so is the quality of sushi served.

Went here because a friend suggested it to us! It’s happy hour from 3pm-​closing so that was a definite yes, haha.
We got there and we were greeted by 3 employees who were very welcoming. We decided to get sake (only $ 2 on hh!), the spicy chicken karaage and gyoza.
The gyoza was probably in the top 5 I’ve ever eaten and for a cheap price too (can’t remember but all the apps that were on the happy hour menu were under $ 7 I think). The spicy chicken karaage tasted like sweet and sour haha but still good and good portion size! Good deal on the sake and beer between 2 people. we easily did 4 sake bombs each.
We also got 2 special rolls ($ 2 off special rolls for happy hour!). Ocean’s 12 and King Kong roll. They were both good! Our server even gave us firecracker sauce on the side to use which was yummy too.
Total was about $ 40 which wasn’t bad for 2 apps, sake, tea, beer and 2 bigger rolls. Our server was very attentive so shout out to Ben!

Location: It’s in a corner within the shopping center near the Shell gas station. Parking can be tough during busy times.
First impression? This place had a few sugar packets on the floor and their table was sticky. They had a couple sitting at the bar and possibly another table besides us so there’s no reason why they couldn’t sweep up a bit.
Service: Our server was nice and attentive.
Food: My girlfriend had their red bull roll while i ordered their fried oyster with a side of rice. As soon as our food came, I smelled the burnt rice. The oysters were okay and wasn’t breaded properly. While their red bull roll was just dosed with sauce to probably mask the fact that it wasn’t fresh fish.
I hear they are good for happy hour, but even then I probably would not go back.

This place is a hidden gem for yummy sushi rolls! Every time I go there I have to have the Prime Roll. The rest of our order is usually comprised of trying all the other rolls. Each have a unique flavor profile even though the ingredients differ slightly. It’s definitely in the way they prepare the ingredients that go into the rolls that make it so delicious.
I can’t believe this place isn’t more popular — I think it’s probably due to their location (hidden in the corner of the Trader Joe’s shopping area — by Subway). And doesn’t get a lot of advertising. I hope they continue to stay in business — it’s just so delicious.

My Mom and I are trying to find a new sushi place in the Pleasanton, San Ramon, and Dublin area, and we were disappointed a couple weeks ago with the service and food from Zakuro. Our search for a great sushi place continues…
First I want to say that my sister went here for dinner and said this place was wonderful. My Mom and I tried them for lunch. I think if we ever decide to risk it again, we will try dinner.
We walked in and were seated pretty quickly. The restaurant was not too busy, so we were excited when we got a table in a corner to ourselves. The young girl with dark hair helping us seemed nervous but friendly at first while taking our order. I had a check in special through Unilocal for a discounted sake, my mom ordered a glass of wine, and we ordered some tuna nigiri to start. The girl came back a while later to take our order, and still didn’t bring our drinks or nigiri (we had water).
A while after that my Mom got her wine, and I was still waiting on my sake. Then our food comes out (a bento box and a roll). My Mom asked where the nigiri was and the girl quickly said «well the chef is getting it right now.» (note: we order the nigiri to start BEFORE our meal) I asked again for my sake, and she quickly went to grab that saying that was now ready as well. I would be more okay with the lack of service had there been more tables filled, but only about 6 out of the 30 tables in the place were full (plus there was another waitress on the other side of the restaurant).
My mom asks the girl to take the nigiri off the bill since she has her main dish now, and the girl fought with my mom saying the nigiri was ready now. My mom had to tell her several times that we no longer wanted it. She walked off in a huff and we didn’t see her again for about half a hour.
The food was okay. Not spectacular or anything, and the quality of the tuna (my mom got tuna sashimi in her box) was not very good.
After waiting and waiting and actually having to get up from the table and walk over to our waitress to get her attention for more wine and our check (after the nigiri incident she kept to the other side of the restaurant out of earshot), we had to wait another 20 minutes for our check to come back. When the girl came back, she quickly dropped the receipt tray down, didn’t even look at us or even say thank you or goodbye, and just walked off.
Come on are you serious? It’s your job to do what we ask. We pay you to bring us food and drink that we ask for and not be rude. My sister was a waitress for years so I know it can be tough sometimes, but an apology or positive attitude can really change things around for the better. YOU signed up for a customer service job. I feel bad, but that was the first time my mom and I didn’t even leave a tip. Maybe if we got an apology, or at least some form of accountability on her part, I would be happy to help her out. I don’t like to do that to people who I know need tips, but I have never been treated like that in a sushi place before, and I will not be returning to Zakuro unless someone pays for me to go.

Came in with a huge group on Saturday — they were the only Japanese restaurant that allowed reservations on the weekend. Not a lot of people were eating there, so we were a little worried about the food or service, however, there were no regrets whatsoever.
Food was great and the chefs made sure to produce everything in a timely manner for all 16 people. We tried almost all of the staff favorites and we were not disappointed. All our orders were well prepared and no mistakes were made. I will definitely come back for the Prime roll soon!
Our waitress was fabulous — there’s no better way to serve all of us than how she handled her job. She also spoke Cantonese and was able to communicate with the non-​speaking elders. She was extremely polite and worked great under pressure. Hope she’ll get a raise!