New Lakeside Sushi in Woodland, CA: Inside Costa Fuego at Velocity Island Park

If you have been searching for sushi in Woodland, CA, there is a new name worth knowing, and it is the only one on the water. Costa Fuego is the waterfront kitchen at Velocity Island Park, and its tagline says most of what you need to know: sushi, fire, and tequila. Fresh rolls, nigiri, and sashimi share the menu with coastal tacos, wood-fired pizza, and a full bar, all served lakeside while wakeboarders carve the water in front of you.

Woodland has a few solid sushi spots, most of them tucked into downtown strip malls. Costa Fuego is doing something none of them can: putting a sushi bar on a lake. This is what it is, what is on the menu, and how to find it.

A Sushi Bar on the Lake, Not in a Strip Mall

The thing that makes Costa Fuego different is the setting, and it is not a small thing. Good sushi is about freshness and care, and Woodland already has restaurants that do that part well. What no other sushi restaurant in town can offer is a table at the water's edge, an open patio, and the view across the lake at Velocity Island Park. You eat your roll while paddleboarders drift by and the cable park hums in the background.

That setting changes the meal. A spicy tuna roll at a downtown counter is a quick lunch. The same roll on a lakeside patio at golden hour, with a frozen margarita next to it, is an evening you actually remember. For date nights, for groups, and for anyone who wants dinner to feel like a small occasion, the location is the whole point.

What Is on the Sushi Menu

The sushi side of the menu is built around five signature rolls, a full nigiri and sashimi list, hand rolls, and a set of small plates for the table. A few highlights:

• Sunset ($24) – salmon, avocado, and cucumber inside, topped with yuzu-glaze seared salmon belly, kizami wasabi, and thin-sliced lime.
• Costa Caliente ($24) – the spicy one: spicy tuna, cucumber, and shrimp tempura inside, crowned with spicy crab, salmon, tuna, avocado, and tobiko, with a torpedo jalapeno on the side.
• Oro ($22) – hamachi, avocado, and cucumber wrapped with more hamachi, jalapeno, and sweet potato crunch, finished with Aji Amarillo ponzu and truffle oil.
• Island Smoke ($23) – shrimp tempura and avocado inside, unagi and sesame on top, with unagi sauce and gochujang aioli.
• West Coast ($20) – a clean crab-and-avocado roll topped with salmon and tobiko.

If you prefer your fish unadorned, the nigiri and sashimi list runs through maguro (red tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), escolar, hokkaido scallop, and freshwater eel. For the table, the small plates are where the kitchen shows off: Hamachi Crudo ($22) with Aji Amarillo ponzu and truffle oil, the torched-salmon Fuego Bomb ($21), and the albacore Pepperfin ($20) in a citrus ponzu. There is a Chirashi bowl and a 15-piece chef's sashimi platter for the serious sushi appetite.

You can see the full lineup, including every roll and current prices, on the Costa Fuego menu page.

More Than Sushi: Fire and Tequila Too

Sushi may be the headline, but Costa Fuego is a full waterfront kitchen, which makes it an easy pick for a mixed group where not everyone wants raw fish. The "fire" half of the menu brings coastal fish and shrimp tacos, wood-fired pizza on Italian Type 00 dough, a half-pound Angus smash burger, and loaded shareables like the Playa Nachos and Playa Fries. A lot of the produce is grown on site, so the herbs and tomatoes are about as local as it gets.

The "tequila" half is the bar: margaritas, a tequila list, and craft beer to go with the lake view. It means one table can order sushi, tacos, a wood-fired pizza for the kids, and a round of frozen margaritas without anyone compromising. That flexibility is hard to find at a dedicated sushi counter.

Sushi Near Davis and Sacramento

Costa Fuego sits at 755 North East Street in Woodland, which puts it within easy reach of the whole region. It is about 10 minutes from Davis and roughly 20 minutes from downtown Sacramento, with the Sacramento International Airport about 12 miles away. If you are in Davis or West Sacramento and the usual sushi rotation is getting old, a lakeside table is a short drive north. It is the kind of spot that turns a regular weeknight dinner into a small road trip with a payoff at the end.

How Woodland's Sushi Scene Compares

To be fair about it: Woodland is not short on sushi. There are well-reviewed downtown options, and if you just want a fast, reliable roll near the city center, those will serve you well. We would rather tell you that honestly than pretend Costa Fuego is the only sushi in town.

Where Costa Fuego stands apart is the experience around the food. The other spots are restaurants you go to for a meal. Costa Fuego is a destination you go to for an evening: sushi and a margarita on a patio over the water, with the option to make a whole day of it at the park. If the setting matters to you as much as the meal, that is the difference.

Plan Your Visit

Costa Fuego is the on-site waterfront kitchen at Velocity Island Park in Woodland, CA. During the summer season it generally runs daily except Tuesdays, following the park's schedule, though hours shift through the year. The simplest way to confirm hours, dining access, or to ask about catering and large groups is to call (530) 924-6100.

Planning a bigger night out? The patio is steps from the aqua park and the lake, and The Silos Event Center next door handles weddings, corporate events, and private parties with the same lakefront views. See the plan your visit page for directions, parking, and what else to do while you are here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I get sushi in Woodland, CA?

Woodland has a handful of sushi spots, most of them downtown. The newest is Costa Fuego at Velocity Island Park, the only one set lakeside on the water. The menu covers signature rolls, nigiri, sashimi, and small plates alongside coastal tacos, wood-fired pizza, and a full tequila bar.

Is there a lakeside or waterfront sushi restaurant near Sacramento?

Yes. Costa Fuego at Velocity Island Park in Woodland is a waterfront kitchen serving sushi right on the lake, about 20 minutes from Sacramento and 10 minutes from Davis. You can eat fresh rolls and sashimi on the patio while watching wakeboarders on the water.

Do I need a Velocity Island Park ticket to eat at Costa Fuego?

No. You do not need a park ticket to eat at Costa Fuego. The restaurant is open to the public, so you are welcome to come dine, grab a drink, watch the activities, and hang out by the lake without buying admission. Tickets are only required for the activities themselves, like the aqua park, cable wakeboarding, private beach sites, and water access.

What days is Costa Fuego open?

During the summer season Costa Fuego is generally open daily except Tuesdays, following the Velocity Island Park schedule. Hours shift with the season, so call to confirm before you visit.

How far is Costa Fuego from Davis and Sacramento?

Costa Fuego is at 755 North East Street in Woodland, CA, about 10 minutes from Davis and roughly 20 minutes from downtown Sacramento.