When I first started attending CSUSB in 2025, I lived in Corona, and we all know how it is to drive the 215, 91, and/or 15 during rush hour. It is a truly awful experience. Do not even get me started on trying to get on the freeway from University Parkway. It is a little better now, but pre/during construction made me want to rip my arm off. I truly avoided it at all costs.

That being said, this caused me to just go home whenever I finished class. At that point, I was so tired and just wanted to go home, or go to work if I was scheduled that day. I would always hear classmates talk about different places to eat and have fun around the area, but I would never go since I lived so far from campus. CSUSB is a huge commuter school, so I feel like some of us can relate living 20+ miles away from school.

Now, a year later, I moved closer to school and want to try different and lesser known places in the IE since I have less time being spent on the freeway.

The first place that I tried is actually a hop, skip, and a jump away from campus: Sushi Miguel’s Style. I went after a meeting with my fellow Coyote Chronicle friends to meet up with a coworker that lives in the area. We both have a love for sushi, so she recommended Sushi Miguel’s Style.

Open until 9PM most nights and 10PM on the weekends, it is a great spot to dine in late after class without feeling like you need to shove a California Roll down your mouth and leave.

I got there a little before she did, so I was able to take a peek at the menu before she could influence me on what to get. They have the usual sushi lover’s options; sashimi, handrolls, and the classic California Roll, but also a different twist to classic sushi options. One that caught my eye was the So-Cal Burrito roll, which had the classic tuna, albicore, salmon and crab combination, however, it also had pickled onions in it and was garnished with chili oil. As someone that thinks Hot Cheetos are too hot (I don’t want to hear the judgement, I get made fun of enough for it), I thought that this was an intriguing combination. However, considering my tolerance level for spicy foods, I thought it was best that I did not partake in it. The environment and layout of the restaurant was more of a modern casual vibe, especially with being told to sit anywhere we wanted. I feel like it takes more of the pressure off of being in a restaurant with a host and more of a casual vibe.

When my coworker arrived, she ordered us the Crab Tostadas, which was spicy crab on top of a fried corn tortilla. I was a little nervous because I had never had something like that before. However, when I took my first bite, I fell in love with it. It was on the spicier side for me, but for everyone else on the planet, you’ll think it is perfect.

I ended up ordering something on the more affordable side, which was a lunch combination of California rolls, teriyaki chicken, rice, a Tiger roll, and a little side salad. It was truly the perfect size for a quick lunch and the teriyaki chicken was to die for. I really enjoyed it and even brought some home to have for dinner.

If you have the time and do not want to keep eating Panda Express or the Habit for lunch every day on campus, I would definitely recommend Sushi Miguel’s Style. It is a perfect blend of different styles of food without it being too outlandish and creates an environment for casual eating, especially after a hard day of class. From the clean environment to the interesting, but amazing, fusion of sushi and Mexican food, this place gets 3.5/5 stars from me. I will definitely be back to dine in again.