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Kai Ola; freshest, finest, & best quality sushi - Kai Ola Sushi Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Kai Ola Sushi Carlsbad

4.8
4.8
17 Reviews
$50 and over
Sushi
2998 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 6 times today

About this restaurant

  • Healthy
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Charming
California’s best sushi in a laid back, casual atmosphere with Hawaiian vibes.

You will get the freshest, finest, and the best quality sushi at Kai Ola. We serve fresh, unique (as well as traditional) sushi and we take pride in how it tastes. Our chefs prepare top quality creations and we take pride in our work.

Kai Ola is not about the scene. While locals and visitors alike love to dine with us, this is not a fine dining experience. This is about the fish. Sandals, board shorts, and bathing suits are welcome.

Kai Ola has the true Aloha! spirit in everything we do. Please come join us for the best fish and sushi creations you have yet to taste.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Sushi, Creative Japanese
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Thu, Sun 3:00 pm–5:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

What 17 people are saying

Kai Ola Sushi Carlsbad reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Diego

    Healthy

  • San Diego

    Sushi

  • North San Diego

    Healthy

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Kai Ola Sushi in Carlsbad offers a "relaxed and casual vibe" with "fresh, excellently prepared" sushi, making it a top choice for sushi lovers. Guests praise the "super fresh and delicious" nigiri and specialty rolls. Service is attentive and friendly, though some dishes may be overpriced. Ideal for both casual dining and date nights.

17 Reviews
  1. Dennis

    Central Coast10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service from Chelsea. All the food was fresh and excellently prepared. Relaxed and casual vibe, clean and modern. Great service from all staff. Attentive without being intrusive. 10/10 recommend!

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  2. Eddie VIP

    San Diego39 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Sushi tastes like the Fish was alive 5 minutes before the 1st Bite. So Fresh, So Yummy. Kai Ola you do it right. Also your staff is Super Cool…

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  3. Karen

    San Diego22 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great little sushi restaurant! The rolls were great! Service was great too. My husband does not like sushi so he has the teriaki chicken. He hated it. Said it was dry and hard. It made me sad because our sushi was so amazing. So beware. Go there for the rolls and the fish!

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  4. kgdine

    Orange County3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was very good and the service was excellent. We liked the ambience and the music that was playing.

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  5. Kathryn

    San Diego10 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 8, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Apps, sushi, and tea were all very good. We ordered the fresh wasabi and that was a fun, different treat. Noise level was a bit high on a busy Friday night, but they did turn down the music when it suddenly jumped way up in volume, which I appreciated. Service was a little slow but very polite. I did not like that we got our sushi rolls prior to any apps coming out (by a good chunk of time), so that ended up a little haphazard with everything on the table at once. Not the end of the world, but it would be nice for apps to come out first (and in a more reasonable time). Prices are fair to high (10-20 for most normal rolls and low 20s for specialty rolls) and they do add a 3% surcharge which they disclose.

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  6. David VIP

    Indiana2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food service everything. One of my faves

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  7. Chelsea VIP

    San Diego10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great place. Nice ambience. Lighting slightly bright. The nigiri is super fresh and delicious. We got the light omakase and sat at the sushi bar, it all came out at once on a wood platter.

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  8. Jenn VIP

    Chicago4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best sushi in Carlsbad! And the staff, on point very nice.

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  9. Nathan

    Hawaii3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was delicious, service was good, sushi chefs have fun interaction with the guests (buy them a beer, they love it). The specialty rolls are worth the extra money. It's not fancy there -- has a simple, casual "lunch spot" kinda vibe, but still nice enough for a good date night.

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server Sebastian was great!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Kai Ola Sushi Carlsbad is rated 4.8 stars by 17 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Diego
  4. North San Diego
  5. Oceanside

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 6 times today
Google Map for Kai Ola Sushi Carlsbad

2998 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Oceanside
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Thu, Sun 3:00 pm–5:30 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Sushi, Creative Japanese
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Vegan, Wine
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