RAKITORI stands for a simple combination of Ramen and Yakitori which Owner Chef John wants to be specialized in Japanese Cuisine. Our Ramen stocks are simmering more than 8-10 hours individually and combined together, then simmering one more time. One key point is we don’t have a deep fryer. So, all of our food are boiled, steamed,grilled, baked and sauteed. We are comitted to provide healthy and natural food and delightful dining experience to our customer.
Chill hangout with sushi rolls, ramen & other Japanese bites, plus happy hours & local beers on tap. Based on 854 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.5 stars. Price $$
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout ✔️ No-contact delivery
Address:
530 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
Phone: (619) 501-4091
Hours
| Friday | 4–10 PM |
| Saturday | 4–10 PM |
| Sunday | 4–10 PM |
| Monday
(Labor Day)
|
4–10 PM
Holiday hours
|
| Tuesday | 4–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 4–10 PM |
| Thursday | 4–10 PM |
Menu
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Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Order and Reservations
Reservations: waitlist.me
Reviews
Kelly McNeill
Really a 4.5. Everything was pretty good. Some portions a little small for the price, but all tasted good. Ramen noodles were a bit undercooked and broth was only alright. Grilled pork belly was great.
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lina najeeb
Food was not fresh at all. Some of the yakitori we ordered were cold and not tasty at all. We ordered salmon Kama ( collar) and it looked like a piece of salmon and not the collar, see pic below. Out server was probably new cause he didn’t know how to answer some of our questions regarding the sake. Sake was not that great either. Waste of money. I wouldn’t come back.
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Hyemee Yang
I saw their sign passing by and I thought it was a fun idea, and it came up in my mind on the next day when I was choosing what to eat for the dinner.
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Wiccan JR
This place is probably the best sushi bar in Hilcrest! The service was great, the food was amazing, service was also very fast as well. The vibe of the restaurant is very low-key, and definitely has that hole in the wall feel! Also LGBTQIA+ friendly!
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Maya Garcia
My new favorite restaurant in the area. We had great service and conversation with our server March during our visit. The food was also delicious (spicy tonkatsu ramen pictured) and some of the best ramen I’ve had in the area, the only negative was the soy sauce egg was a little rubbery but the other factors made up for it. I would definitely come again!
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Matthew Leib
Man. I usually don’t like Ramen, my wife loves it. This place changed my mind. If we lived in the area I would come back to here hands down. My wife pointed out that they did so well with the broth, I agree. It seems they took the extra time to make sure the broth tasted like the dish and wasn’t just a clear broth added to flavored meat. We also just finished with a F45 workout. I was worried that this wouldn’t fill me up. I ate all of the meat, noodles and most of the broth and it did the trick. I’m very active and my wife is very active and this filled us up. Definitely worth a try at least! The one star less in atmosphere is due to the slight mop water smell upon walk in. The friendly staff, good music and clean everything else made up for it.
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Jared Tankersley
I just wanna write a review here so hopefully the owners can see this. Service here is nice the staff are well train and super nice. But overall the food needs to be better. The ramen noodles first off taste like they been frozen and then reheated. The broth is nice and tangy. Both the chicken and pork belly are DRY! Like it shouldn’t be it should be tender and delicious…. The sushi here is not at all at top par where it should be. I shouldn’t order sushi and it be warm it should be cold and correct room temperature that’s concerning for me as a customer to eat something that’s not the right temperature especially if it’s fish. Overall service (good) but food here needs FAR IMPROVEMENT
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ooplopoo
I got the pork ramen with a side of bulgogi. The noodles in the ramen were really underwhelming with no flavor and the texture just wasn’t smooth. The broth could use some more salt as the flavors were relatively weak combined with those noodles. I will say the bulgogi was the highlight with the perfect marinade. Service wasn’t the best but there was one guy for all the tables so that is on management.
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Myla Tayoba
We got the tonkotsu ramen combo with grilled pork belly donburi, both were very yummy and big portion! The service was also phenomenal. Loved the decor and ambience of the restaurant
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Manu Alveyra
Fantastic service from John! Me and my family were visiting San Diego as a trip, and he made sure to accommodate, great food and great atmosphere
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