Hakane Sushi - OJAI

The sushi here is excellent, and the chefs handle raw fish with the utmost safety and responsibility. The service staff has always been friendly. Some reviewers seem to lack perspective and compassion; this establishment, like many others in Ojai, can go from empty to busy in an instant. The staff is doing their best under pressure. Instead of looking for ways to critique a server for not going above and beyond, why not just know what you want, place your order, enjoy your meal, and move on? If you're seeking special attention, you can absolutely get it by coming in when they first open. Avoid creating conflict and waiting for peak times. It’s a small town, and the staff is often overwhelmed. Please be considerate; they are kind people who deserve kindness in return. I’m grateful to have them in our community.

The fish was fresh tasting, the hot sake was great. The service was friendly. The atmosphere was comfortable and you could sit inside or outside. I will return

My wife and I enjoyed this place. I ordered the Tataki and Aloha rolls. I really enjoyed the Tataki roll with the shallots. I also got some salmon and tuna nigiri which wee great. My wife is vegan and got the inari nigir and vegetable gozen dish which she really liked. Food was excellent. I took a star out for the service. They seemed slightly understaffed and the servers and bussers weren't properly communicating. Other than that it was a great visit. We went there 2 times.

Arrived at 7:10 and were asked by 4 different people if we had been helped. No one seemed to be talking to each other. No apparent manager. Got seated and some appetizers were delivered. Then it all went dead. After reminding our waitress that food and drink was missing and that we hadn?t ordered dinner yet, we waited. With the order finally taken we waited again. They came to tell us the restaurant was closing only to discover in horror that we had not been served. We were finally served at 8:40 after asking our waitress AGAIN to check on our order. The order had never made it to the sushi chef. All the other tables had finished and left. The staff were arguing out whose fault it was. The server arrived with duplicates of the appetizers we had already had UNBELIEVABLE. FYI the restaurant closes at 8:30. This place needs a manager.

I am very disappointed! It was our 40th anniversary, and we had informed them about this special occasion. Unfortunately, the service was terrible. The waitstaff spent more time chatting and flirting with the chef than attending to our needs, while we struggled to get drink refills. They brought all of our food at once, which made the experience even less enjoyable. There was no acknowledgment of our special day. To top it all off, the sushi was lacking in both quantity and flavor. It used to be a place with delicious food, but now it feels like an expensive letdown. It's such a shame!