May's Sushi Grill - Santa Cruz

We were served only one of each appetizer for our group of five, which felt inadequate. My kids had been eager for AYCE sushi, and we chose this place due to its great reviews. However, the ambiance was not as welcoming for us as it was for other diners, possibly because we are a blended family. Every time a new dish was delivered, it was just dropped on the table without any inquiry about our needs—like whether the smaller kids needed forks. On top of that, the table next to us was quite large and remained uncleared even an hour after they left. To make matters worse, my son found hair in his food. Luckily, I noticed before he kept eating. The server never once asked how we were doing; he would simply drop items off and turn away as if he couldn't leave fast enough. Normally, I tip even when the service is poor, but honestly, this was the worst service I have ever experienced.

I haven't found a favorite sushi restaurant in Santa Cruz after living here for three years, but I think I've finally discovered it at Mori Sushi! We opted for the all-you-can-eat option, which allowed me to sample a wide variety from the menu: gyoza, egg rolls, yellowtail nigiri, snapper nigiri, spicy tuna rolls, and several specialty rolls. Everything was absolutely delicious!

May's is the talk of the town when it comes to AYCE sushi in Santa Cruz, frankly because it's the only restaurant that does it in the entire area. A lot of people have recommended I come and try it, so I finally did with my roommate and their partner. Overall: solid 3.5 and my experience was better than I thought. You need to prepare yourself when going to an AYCE sushi place the sushi is not going to be the best you've ever had but should be between the ones you find in the store packets or Asian buffets. I know that doesn't invoke a lot of confidence perhaps but I actually really enjoyed my experience at May's, and I've lived in Japan for several years. It is nowhere near as fresh as a la carte restaurants but still really solid given the options and price. For $27, you get access to three rounds of sushi orders. From apps such as miso soup and seaweed salad to nigiri to fresh/fried rolls, you have a lot of options to choose from. I am a huge fan of nigiri and usually stick with ordering just salmon or white tuna nigiri when I'm at sushi buffets. The ones here came out quickly and wasn't bad at all. In fact, I recommend getting the hand rolls because they have a higher fish to rice ratio and you'll get less full from all the starches. For the American sushi, we ordered the Baked Lobster Roll and the Sexy Sexy a roll that uses cucumber skin with tuna, salmon, and yellowtail. I actually loved both of them for very different reason. The baked lobster had crumbles of fried lobster on top of a California Roll while the Sexy Sexy omitted all rice, making it feel like diet sushi. What we really lucked out on was being one of three parties on a Sunday evening. With fewer people, we were well taken care of and the food came out extremely quickly. I can imagine the experience going sour if you had to wait 30+ minutes for your food if there were long waits. I suggest coming here during less busy times in order to really take advantage of the AYCE sushi.

Mediocre sushi that works in a pinch but not much mote than that unfortunately. Decent prices and portions.

**Rolls:** The rolls here are undoubtedly one of the highlights of the menu. There’s a great variety, ranging from simple choices to specialty and deep-fried rolls. My personal favorites are the Aloha (spicy tuna with albacore and avocado), Sexy Sexy (assorted sashimi wrapped in cucumber), and Cherry Blossom (which includes tuna, salmon, and masago). These three are consistently my go-tos, and the balance of rice to fish along with freshness is always on point. **Nigiri:** Unfortunately, the nigiri is the disappointing aspect of my experience. While the fish quality is decent, the tuna consistently falls short. Every time I order nigiri, it comes with far too much rice in each piece. Despite my requests for a smaller rice portion, nothing seems to change. As a result, I often end up removing about half the rice to achieve a better ratio. Additionally, the rice itself isn't well-prepared. Since rice makes up half of a nigiri, it should be just as flavorful as the fish, ideally enhanced with the right mix of sugar and vinegar. **Service:** I have no complaints about the service from our waiter; he was attentive and helpful. However, I did notice that the sushi chef overlooked a few of our orders, though our waiter was gracious enough to bring them with our next order. I also overheard some tension between one of the older chefs and a younger one regarding the quality of the work, which, while not impacting my overall rating, did create an awkward atmosphere in the restaurant. Overall, I consider this a solid AYCE option in Santa Cruz, especially since it’s the only one in the area. However, I’m giving it a three-star rating primarily due to the nigiri. I typically go to AYCE places for the nigiri, and my repeated disappointments with it here make me hesitant to return.