REVIEW: Sushirrito - San Francisco, CA

Yes, you read that right...Sushirrito...and one can venture off and guess what this place is all about. To be honest, I'm surprised nobody thought about this earlier! In a nutshell, it's two of people's favorite things combined into one delicious, creative, and innovative treat...a sushi roll and a burrito! I know some of you all may be asking..."What exactly is it?" or "What does it look like?" and/or more importantly, "Is it any good?" Read on to find out and let me take you on an interesting experience that is Sushirrito...

The Place -

Sushirrito has multiple locations placed throughout San Francisco and for good reason. The place is trendy, hip, modern, and innovative and, if you ask me, that's a recipe to attract business and people flocking in from all over to see what it's about. With locations in FiDi (Financial District), Union Square/FiDi, and SoMa (South Market), Sushirrito is making a huge impact on the public with their delectable creations. My friends and I decided to visit Sushirrito during the Holiday season and only one of their locations are open during this time. Please be sure to check their website (http://www.sushirrito.com/) for store hours and special hours of operation to make sure you don't get stranded trying to visit the place. The only Sushirrito location that was open during the Holiday season this year was the one located on Kearny in the Union Square/FiDi district and needless to say, the line was out the door. Yes, the place is small as it is, but trust me when I tell you that no matter how big this place cloud be for being located in the city, the line was bound to be out the door regardless. Sushirrito in Union Square/FiDi reminds me of a Chipotle, but on a much smaller scale. There are a few places to sit inside; however, people can feel pretty cramped especially if the lines and crowd are as big as the time I visited the place. Thankfully, they have tables outside for you to sit at to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells (haha) of the city. The process is simple; look at the menu, get in line, tell them what you want, and they'll make it right in front of you in an "Assembly Line" type of setup (think Chipotle style). On really busy days, or I would imagine during the lunch rush hour, be prepared to get your food and eat elsewhere because space can fill up quickly. For being what it is, and with the exception of the size of the building/space, I can't complain about the place not one bit. Great job, Sushirrito!

The Service -

There really isn't much to say about the service as the place itself offers no wait staff, just the individuals making your Sushirrito and the cashier to take your money. With that being said, everyone I encountered was very friendly, up-beat, really enjoy what they are doing, and are very willing to answer any and all questions regarding the place or the Sushirrito concept. You'd be surprised how many times they get asked, "How did you guys come up with this?" (The founder, always craving sushi for lunch while working in San Francisco, but not necessarily the white table clothed environment, wanted quick and fresh options) or "How long has this place been here?" (3 years) cause I know I sure asked those questions haha! No matter the situation, they're really polite and have fun with their customers. Thanks for the service, guys!

The Food -

Now, for the moment everyone has been waiting for...the food of Sushirrito! In a nutshell, it's simply amazing! With that being said, I'm going to let you all in on a secret. While this may discredit my review and people may now take this post with a grain of salt, you all should know that I am, unfortunately, allergic to fish.....(DON'T LEAVE!! Haha). I know that leaves A LOT of my options limited to give you guys a quality review, but look on the flip side to this, there ARE options for those that may not necessarily want to venture off and try a seafood Sushirrito and instead opt for something that is, oh I don't know...cooked? (haha). With that being said, the people I was with DID get a raw fish Sushirrito and they enjoyed it thoroughly and even ordered extra Sushirritos to save and take home and enjoy in the comfort of their own homes later. The Sushirrito they ordered was the Geisha's Kiss (Hand-line caught Yellowfin Tuna, Tamago, Piquillo Peppers, Yuzu Tobiko, Lotus Chips, Namasu Cucumber, Butter Lettuce, Avocado, and Green Onions), which looked really good even for someone who is allergic to fish! If it wasn't for the fact that I would have needed to be rushed to the hospital, I would have definitely took a bite of the Geisha's Kiss to sample the freshness! I took a more conventional, and less deadly haha, approach and ordered the Mayan Dragon (Crispy Chicken Katsu, Purple Peruvian Potatoes, Julienne Carrots, Pickled Red Cabbage, Avocado, Shaved Jalepenos, Green Onions, and Japanese Curry). Good Lord...if I had a list of, "Things I could Eat Everyday", this would be on that list (right next to shrimp tempura haha)! Sushi is great...chicken katsu is delicious...burritos always hit the spot...combine all three and you definitely have something magical and Sushirrito delivers on that front! The chicken katsu was cooked perfectly and the crunch was exactly what you are looking for from a fried chicken cutlet. The carrots and pickled red cabbage added an additional crunch and freshness to the Sushirrito, the Peruvian Potatoes added that extra, tender element that people expect in a burrito while making sure not to overpower the balance of the dish, and finally the Shaved Jalepenos and Japanese Curry added that spice that makes you want to take more and more bites hoping that it never ends! The Mayan Dragon was truly delicious and it's making my mouth water just htinking about it. There are other options that Sushirrito offers for those not wanting to take part in the raw fish adventure and one of those is the Porkivore, which one of my friends took home to feast on later. The Porkivore consists of Oven Roasted Pork Belly, Shaved Cabbage, Avocado, Cilantro, Green Onions, Red Radish, and Mustard Seed Mayo, which I look forward to trying the next time I visit and, oh yes, there will definitely be a next time. There's also a Sumo Crunch Sushirrito, which is their take on the traditional Crunch Roll that many Japanese restaurants offer, and consists of Surimi Crab, Shaved Cabbage, Cucumber, Avocado, Green Onions, Red Tempura Flakes, and a Sriracha Aioli. Now, many of you may be thinking, "All these Sushirritos...are there any side dishes that you can snack on WITH your Sushirrito?" and the answer is an astounding, "YES!" Unfortunately, the time we went, they were completely out of ALL their side dishes which attests to its popularity and flavor. The popular side dishes that are offered are Lava Nachos (Brown Rice Chips topped with Tuna Picante, Melted Pepper Jack Cheese, Avocado, Green Onions, Nori Strips, and the Sriracha Aioli) and, although not on the website's menu list, Queso Fries (Waffle Fries topped with meat, cheese, and a whole bunch of other goodness). Plenty of options for the not-so-adventurous, but long story short, they have something for everyone and I can guarantee you won't be disappointed with whatever you happen to choose!

Overall -

There are plenty of good things that Sushirrito has to offer and I'm glad I was able to experience it. The place is everything you would expect it to be and more by being innovative, creative, and delicious. The food is tasty as it is, but because it gets made in front of you, it's fairly easy to ask for alterations to your order. At first, I would strongly advise against this as each Sushirrito has been carefully and craftly made. I would recommend to try the original first and if you would like to make changes to the Sushirrito the next time you visit (because you WILL visit again haha), you sure can or, at least, know you have the option to do so. I look forward to returning to try the other options and to hopefully, finally, be able to try out the Queso Fries! Until next time, Sushirrito! Very well played!