Juan Chou

Service was terrible– new girl that did not previously try anything on the menu. Sushi was definitely different. If you’re into special rolls, it’s decent. As far as sashimi, a bit questionable… Sushi chefs were pleasant and took our orders to compensate for poor server service which was nice. Atmosphere was a weird– Mexican and sushi… I was leery about eating here already… It’s also pretty loud, but fun vibe. Not that impressed with the quality of fish, the skills of those rolling the sushi, or the service especially. Seafood looked dry and old, and the meats were overcooked. Would not return to this venue in the future, but unique concept.

THIS PLACE IS CLOSED as of 3÷22÷2014. The never ending revolving door of eateries in North Park /​South Park rolls on and on. Judging by trends, this will become one of the following:
1) Yet another coffee shop which we don’t need
2) Yet another tattoo place which we don’t need
3) Another beauty salon which we don’t need
4) Another brewery store… which we sure as hell don’t need
5) ANOTHER FUGGING Craft Pizza Place that allows booze and kids. which we DO NOT need anymore of…
I bet it becomes a Burger King, Papa John’s some other lameo corporate place because with the price of rents in North Park and South Park these days due to hype — those are the only businesses who will afford to operate here.
Best of luck to Juan Chou’s I hope that they can rethink their brand and focus on either sushi or Mexican food. Combining the two could have worked if they thought outside the box and had a creative Executive Chef. Like I said before, Zensai does this quite successfully.

Armed with a Groupon, my date and I decided to go big at Juan Chou. Our evening started with shots of sake. I found the finish appealingly smooth, but my date still complained that it tasted like burning.
We then nommed a sushi roll as an appetizer of sorts. Known only as «Seared,» the roll featured a variety of different kinds of fish, which all seemed rather good quality. Yet, for a roll that features Sriracha, there was only a touch of spice accompanying an otherwise rather bland flavor.
For our entrees, my date’s «Diablo Tacos» were the clear winner. The tortillas were thick and fresh. The shrimp had a delightful crunchy texture. All topped with a flavorful spicy dressing. In contrast, my own pulled pork sliders were… adequate. The consistency of the meat was akin to a sloppy Joe. In other words, it wasn’t so much pulled as it was blended. It was topped with a bacon coleslaw that sounded interesting on paper, but I honestly wouldn’t have noticed the bacon if my date hadn’t reminded me that it was listed on the menu. But at least the steak fries were excellent – perfectly crisp with a tender center.
So far, a solid three stars, but then the tempura fried ice cream arrived, and sparks flew. The ice cream was wrapped in a crêpe-​like batter dusted with ground Oreo and topped with a perfect blend of strawberry sauce, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. It was an orgasm-​inducing pile of simultaneous goo and crunch that bumped up my overall score by one star.
Summary: I didn’t meet Juan Chou, but he seems like a good guy. He also makes exceptional desserts.

My requirement for the evening was, I wanted sushi and margaritas I thought it was impossible and we would have to go to 2 different places. Not tonight! Jaun Chou’s was perfect. The rolls were great and they had no problem customizing for me. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is pleasant. This place has much improved in the last three years. And I will defiantly be back with friends.

They tried to serve both Mexican and Sushi. I am not am expert in Mexican cuisine, but I’m Japanese (born and raised) so I know little but about Sushi. Their sushi is bad. Don’t go there for sushi. Fish is not fresh and the quality of the fish is very poor. I don’t know where they find those fish, maybe from Von’s clearance rack? I also wanted to note that Amaebi (sweet shrimp) sushi was not a sushi. They gave me two fried shrimps. WTF?
I would never go back and would not recommend anyone to go there.

I didn’t mind it here. I had been meaning to go and the opportunity presented itself to finally check it out. Our server was friendly and willing to give recommendations and good descriptions of the menu items. The ambiance, on an early Friday evening at least, was good for intimate conversation with friends. It wasn’t too crowded when we arrived just after 6, but it did fill a bit more by the time we left at 7:30. Happy hour drink prices run until 7. Pints of Sapporo are a mere $ 3 during this time. The deal with food is that the small plates are 50% off during happy hour. I tried the Kamakazi, which I found to be delicious (sashimi yellowtail, avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, green onion, serrano garlic ponzu). It was $ 6 vs the normal $ 12, and well worth it.
The menu is varied: tacos, mole, wings, sushi, BLT, ahi sliders, steak… The sushi is what I will be coming back for. Sundays they boast ½ off of traditional sushi rolls, beer, and sake from 12 PM on. Several of their specialty rolls sound pretty delectable. Normal prices on rolls range from $ 5 – 14.
I could see this being a great evening starter spot for people continuing on to bars in the area. Because their menu does have such variety, it seems that there would be an offering that pleased any person’s palate in a group. Maybe they need to do heavier advertising to get more customers through the door, because people really are missing out on a lovely neighborhood eatery.

The night didn’t start off too well with the «Seared Roll.» I felt that the rice was hard and the overall taste was pretty bland. There wasn’t even soy sauce on the table! (After we finished the roll, they brought out soy sauce for all the other tables but ours.)
For my entrée, the Diablo Mini Tacos had good flavor but WARNING they were pretty darn spicy. I feel like the spiciness overwhelmed the other flavorings of the taco. The homemade white corn tortilla was done well. It was sturdy enough to hold all the fillings, but not too thick. The rice and beans were pretty boring.
What has bumped this review to four stars was the tempura ice cream! This was the savior of our Juan Chou experience. It was the perfect balance of sweet (whipped cream, chocolate syrup and strawberry syrup with strawberries) and fried goodness. You have the option to get either Frosted Flakes or Oreo crumb sides. We opted for the Oreo crumb sides, which added extra chocolateness!

Figured «what the hell — I’ve always liked the concept. Might as well check this place out.» And tonight I finally did. The place was almost empty, so I can’t speak for what service might be like on a busy/​regular night, but my waitress was on top of things. I had the garlic edamame and the Juan Chou Roll as my entrée. I was pleasantly surprised — the ginger really «kicked things up a notch» as Emeril would say; P
I definitely plan to try this place again, and I’d recommend it.

Disclaimer– This review is for the food only. I can’t really comment on the service because we got take out.
In the words of the great Sean Connery, «I’m still waiting to be impressed.» The food was average at best, but what gave it the low rating was the high price paired with the meh-​level food and small portion sizes. The Caterpillar Roll was decent, but I’m sad to say I’ve had better Rainbow Roll from my local grocery store… or gas station… not impressed. I’m fine with paying a little more for sushi a) if it’s good and b) if it’s filling. I would have had to eat 2 rolls to fill me up. We spent nearly $ 40 bucks on sushi (2 rolls and 1 small sashimi) and walked away hungry. Wouldn’t recommend :-(

Awful.
Just Awful.
I wish I could give negative stars.
We walked in on a Saturday night, a group of 5. We were told it would be a 2 hour wait, and half the tables were empty (and remained empty). We sat at the bar where a friendly and frazzled bartender took our orders. We waited 40 minutes before any food arrived, and continued to wait as one by one, each individual order came out in 20 minute intervals. So the 5^th person in our group ate nearly an hour and a half after the 1^st person’s food arrived.
The bartender apologized profusely and it was NOT her fault, but for totally mediocre rolls that take HOURS AND HOURS without a manager apology?! I was appalled and would never go back.
Don’t waste your time.

Hmmm cool idea for Mexican and Japanese fusion, but not so good execution.
We came and were sat in a very awkward table in the patio. Our tiny, bar-​like table faced a wall so we spent our meal staring at that lol!
Our waitress took a very long time to take our order. She did apologize for the wait so I give her that for acknowledging it :)
The two star is because the food was pricey and overall not good. We got a firecracker roll ($ 14), salmon skin ($ 7), and seared ahi sliders ($ 12). Although the firecracker roll had a pretty spicy-​kicking flavor and was good tasting, the rolls had very little fish in them. I would say less than average fish ratio for above average prices! Salmon skin roll was very bland and the fried salmon skin was too chewy. My sliders were just ok, they came in three and were also on the bland side and lacked flavor.
Overall my favorite part of the meal were the french fries that came with my sliders because they were really crunch and perfectly fried. But considering that I am only really fond of the fries out of everything we ordered, this is not a good thing lol.
Sorry JC!

Incredible food and service. The sauce on the spicy garlic edamame is to die for. Our waiter and the chef were very attentive and cared about our food and dining experience. They were very friendly and the chef even gave us a free entrée because the burger wasn’t cooked right.
Eat here… you won’t be disappointed.

I live down the street from Juan Chou and consider myself a regular patron.
Or, I used to.
I don’t know what has happened over the last several months but the service has become beyond unacceptable.
The past 2 times I have been there the server forgot we were seated. It took over 45 minutes to get our food (the server claimed the kitchen was busy even though the restaurant was almost empty — I suspect he forgot to place our order), the table was filthy, the rolls were sloppy and just thrown together, and I had to track down someone to pay our bill. The manager said he’d buy us a round of drinks to make up for our server forgetting about us but then they charged us.
Another time I complained to the manager about the awful service and she didn’t even offer an apology.
I used to manage a restaurant in the area and I would have been horrified if any of the employees offered this level of service.
I know every business has their off days, which is why I have given Juan Chou multiple chances to get it together. Sadly, I have crossed this place off my list as a neighborhood go-​to.
Don’t waste your time and money. I hope they change management or a new sushi spot opens up soon.

There’s two things I hate, waiting and being ignored. Both of those things occurred tonight. We were seated at the sushi bar by our hostess, who also gave us our menus and water then left to do her hostley duties. We sat for 12 minutes waiting for someone to come by and take our order or at least offer us drinks at a minimum. After 12 minutes we had to ask how do we order. Do we mark our sushi off on the little paper or wait for a waiter? The tall waiter says oh let me go get it and ran back to the kitchen. Our waiter peeks his head around the corner and asks what we’d like to drink. He sloshed my drink on the table didn’t apologize. Then we order.
Diablo Tacos– Waiter pronounced them «Dye-​ab-​lo» were half the size of TJ street tacos and 3 were $ 10. They were good but out 3.5 (if that) inches long and not worth $ 10 by any means.
Sumarai Monkey Roll– Missing the grilled plantains the menu said would be on top. It was ok. Not worth $ 14
Spicy Tuna roll– It was good, not great. liked it.
Waiter never asks how we’re doing if we need anything. Spilled sesame seed on me and laughed.
Ambiance-​4
being ignored for 12 minutes and getting laughed at– 0
food– 2
Price– 1

Stopped in for Taco Tues and enjoyed my 3/​$ 5 tacos. Nothing amazing or making me run back for more but it was a decent value for $ 5. Was a little disappointed their were no sushi specials for happy hour besides the apps which were held off. Tried the red sangria and it had a nice cinnamon flavor to it. The logo reminds me of Barrio Star.

This is a really cool concept. One side of the menu is Japanese food, the other Mexican. It’s perfect for me, actually, because I’ve never been a huge fan of Mexican food, which in San Diego, is one of the seven deadly sins…
SO I was excited about the prospect to go here when someone says «How about Mexican» and I’ve already exhausted my excuses for why we shouldn’t get Mexican food (again, in San Diego, there are very few excuses.)
BUT I was not completely thrilled with the results. In my opinion, there is a reason why restaurants specialize in one type of food — because the result is better, more authentic food.
The food was not bad, it was good. It just wasn’t best sushi place in San Diego material, nor was the Mexican. Both were so-​so, but see for yourself! It’s in a great neighborhood and there was great service.

I did not want to come here, but the other 3 people I was with were interested, so I went along. I like authentic Japanese food, so the idea of fusion rolls was not appealing to me.
I should say I love the other bar I *think* is run/​operated by these folks, El Camino. But this place missed the mark. American-​style Mexican fused with American-​style Asian is just too much fluff and not enough substance. The food did not taste bad, at all, but it was a bit heavy, and nothing I would ever crave. Service was pretty friendly. I like kitschy Mexican décor but blended with Asian-​y elements it did not work for me.
Sometimes people say, «I really wanted to like this place…» but I didn’t. I was hoping it would exceed my expectations but it did not.

Really cool vibe, interesting concept and a great addition to the neighborhood!
We stopped by here after spending an afternoon gambling and before heading over to Booty Basement at Whistle Stop to put some food in our bellies. We sat at the sushi bar and took a few minutes checking out the room before placing our orders. I like what they’ve done to the place!
I jumped head first into a Sapporo while waiting for my hamachi kama and fried rice. The drinks were a bit pricey but you can’t not order a cold one at a place like this. I was with two friends and we all ordered at the same time but the food came out at all different times. All good though, worth the wait.
The kama was cooked well and was pretty filling. By the time i got to my fried rice I was stuffed from the kama and the beer. I regret this because I liked the fried rice a lot and couldn’t take it with me since we would be out and about after dinner. One of my dining partners in crime ordered the burger which she said was so spicy that her mouth was burning. She can handle spicy food so I don’t doubt it.
Overall it was pretty good but not fantastic. Will I be back? Most def.

I was super excited to try this place when it opened (taking over el caminos spot)
I’ve tried it 4 times and all I can say is… Ehhhhhh! I’m giving it 3 stars because the chicken tinga is good. Nothing I can really say that was great.

WOW! Where do I start? I was a bit skeptical when my friends wanted to have dinner here… I am not a fan of sushi, but I love Mexican food, but it just seems like a weird combo.
First of all, parking is a joke! It took me at least 10 minutes, driving around the block, to find a spot. And it took my friends even longer.
When I walked in, I was approached by the host and seated right away. There is also seating at the sushi bar in back, and it looked like a small patio with bar style seating. Our server was super slow, but friendly. It wasn’t crowded, so I am not really sure what she was doing.
They brought out chips and salsa, which were served with another sauce on the side (I have no idea what it was), which was tasty.
As others have said, I wouldn’t necessarily consider this «fusion,» as there is a japanese/​sushi menu and a mexican food menu. We started with the appetizer called «kamikaze,» which was probably as much fusion as they offer. It was yellowtail tuna with jalapenos and an awesome «pinche» sauce. The fish was really fresh and it was REALLY good.
My friends shared a couple of rolls… I can’t really say what they were, since I don’t eat sushi and didn’t taste them. I had a carne asada burrito, wet. It wasn’t anything to write home about, but wasn’t horrible. I don’t usually order my burritos «wet,» and the sauce was a little too sweet for my taste. It was served with some awesome waffle style fries.
Also, the cocktails were all really creative and good. I had the plum cocktail, which was really sweet, but refreshing.
I’ve been telling everyone about this place. It’s different, and I like that!