Sushi Deli 2 in Downtown San Diego, California: Review

Fancy having a good sushi lunch or dinner with a cold Sapporo beer for $6 while visiting downtown San Diego? No, you don't have to dream up any fancy scenario. All you have to do is get to Sushi Deli 2 right next to Spreckels Theater on Broadway just east of 1st Avenue before the crowd arrive and you can enjoy a really appetizing dinner and still have enough money left to go and catch an opera or a Broadway show at the theaters surrounding the area.

Looking at Sushi Deli 2's location on Broadway (the main street through downtown San Diego) between quirky Horton Plaza and Spreckels Theater and one would expect a ritzy sort of eatery where the entree costs you an arm, and the drinks and tips cost you a leg... but it actually doesn't! This place thrives on volume and not frills. You can actually have a big and delicious platter of terriyaki chicken with perfectly cooked short grain rice (sticky and soft), a big serving of fresh salad, and miso soup... topping off with a cold bottle of Sapporo beer (it's the only kind they sell here) for $8 total.

I'll say the food here (aside from the teriyaki platter, which is absolutely delicious) is good but not great. Sushi rolls can taste rather unbecomingly old for a joint this close to the water, but the price and the portion size is simply superb (and the 'a beer and a sake for $5.50' promotion is hard to beat!). This is really the cheapest sushi place in the area, and one with the best location for those arriving on foot (there is no free parking nearby).

The downside is that this isn't the best kept local secret deal and so the place is ALWAYS packed. If you arrive later than 12PM for lunch or later than 5:15PM for dinner, be prepared for a long wait. Service time also suffers a bit due to the crowd (which can get quite loud, so carrying on a conversation with your dining partner would involve a lot of shouting). Once the server has honed in on you, though s/he is always very nice and efficient.

On the other hand, ordering to go is the way to go for me. You just walk in and get in line at the counter running along the left wall. Order your food (really cheap! You can get a good bowl of teriyaki chicken for just $2.75. Yes, I did type $2.75! Here in downtown San Diego!), pay, and pick up from there usually within 10 minutes. Portion size is unreal for the price. A much better deal than what you get at Panda Express or the other teriyaki places at Horton Plaza food court nearby!

The facility is hip and clean. There is an extended dining room to the back that can accommodate large parties, and the restroom is quite clean considering how much traffic it has to cope with. It's a great place to take a hip friend to fuel up before a night on the town.

Sushi Deli 2: 135 Broadway (between 1st Ave & Broadway Circle), San Diego, CA 92101, Tel (619) 233-3072