Met a friend here for a "date" where we split the 2-person omakase. There were 6 vegetarian skewers and 6 protein skewers. Portion-wise, it was pretty skimpy for $50 but let's be honest, kids, we weren't here for value. The presentation, variety, novelty and the surprise were what brought us here. If you're an adventurous foodie with no food allergies, then by all means get this! I think this might've been too adventurous even for my well traveled friend! Our last "skewer" was some skinny frog legs. I asked my friend whether he wanted me to split the portion to which he said yes. As soon as I picked the darn thing up, the legs started wobbling and wriggling like a real frog and he immediately lost his appetite, hahahaha. It wasn't bad but one of the legs was really skinny so I would've preferred like a lamb skewer or 2 oysters or something equivalent. The seasonings for the veggies were all really bold, interesting and unique. The radish could've cooked for longer (they were still too crunchy). I had a bigger lunch that day so this was enough to fill me up and I didn't even finish my portion there. My friend had to order an additional appetizer of 6 mini shaomai (tasted like the frozen kind, nothing special) to get full though. I would come back again to try more things on the menu! The space inside is very small and dark. I did like that napkins and chopsticks were right on the table, however the napkins were rough paper towels you would find in public bathrooms. I had to use a bunch because I was lucky enough to eat the only spicy shishito peppers, lol. read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Excellent food in a fairly small space that fills up fast--arrive early on popular dine-out nights. It's a bit pricey, but ideal for a few skewers and drinks before yaki-tearing up the town. Located in Tremont, the final boss of Cleveland hipster neighborhoods, so expect stylish beanies and very intentional footwear. read more

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After reading many reviews on Yelp about Bar Oni's food and ambiance, I was excited to try it out. However, the experience started poorly when we entered the restaurant. We were seated at a corner booth and were ignored for a good 20 minutes before the waitress even acknowledged our existence. This poor service continued throughout the entire meal. On the bright side though, they offer board games, so my friend and I entertained ourselves that way as we patiently waited. As for the food, at first glance, it looks aesthetic. However, the quality of their food was poor and ridiculously overpriced For example, the shrimp tempura tasted like it was air-fryed from a frozen packet yet they charged $4.50 for one. The meat skewers were also hard to chew. However, the pork katsu sandwich was probably one of their better dishes, it was flavorful and crispy. Overall, the food was mid and the service was terrible. I would not come back again. read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Bar oni is such a hidden gem! It has great ambience and would be perfect to come with a small group. Keep in mind that they do not take reservations, and seating is limited. My boyfriend and I came for dinner and we ordered the omakase for two. A lot of the flavors were simple but well done. We liked almost all of the dishes included. Bar oni also has great drink options. Their beers come in frosted mugs and they make their own spiked seltzer. They also have a huge whiskey selection. Definitely recommend for chill, intimate vibes! read more

The food was delicious for bar food. The bartender was not particularly welcoming to me as I waited for ten minutes for my friend to join me. She really didn't want me to be there alone at a booth when it could get busy, she said. I told her again I was waiting on my friend. Rude. The meat skewers were super delicious and flavorful. The pumpkin croquettes were bland and the octopus fritters would have been better without the really odorous fishy bonito flakes all over it. Poor cocktail selection. All premade and only one was sugar free. The yuzu vanilla hard seltzer could have been alcohol-free for all I know it was so mild. The flavor was nice and mildly vanilla cream soda though. read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - Sugar free drink- yuzu hard seltzer - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Food was underwhelming and far overpriced. $185 of appetizers and noodles did not feed 4 which in itself could be excusable if the food was more flavorful, masterful, or memorable. This is a good option for a cocktail and a bite but would pass by for dinner service. read more

I was disappointed that I wasn't able to try the shabu shop that was replaced by Bar Oni, but I decided to give the place a try. While the employees were very amicable, it seems that they forgot to clean our table before we sat down. Once they realized their mistake, they did a very rough wash of the table that I don't think really helped to clean it. I wouldn't normally care so much, but Covid :P Skewers: they didn't manage to remove the bitterness from the eggplant skewer so it wasn't my favorite. The breast and thigh were so-so. The best by far was the chicken leg skewer, it was super juicy and I wish we ordered three of this instead of trying the other skewers! Dashi fries: They're actually quite good but if you eat too much it gets salty. I would have also liked something saucy to help keep the garlic and scallions on the fries instead of falling to the bottom of the bowl. Krab Korokke: A little too rich in mayo for my taste, but they were nice and crunchy with a hot interior. In short, I think the food is alright but there is definitely room for improvement! read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - Eggplant skewer, chicken leg skewer, chicken thigh skewer, chicken breast skewer, dashi fries. Krab korokke - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

I went to Bar Oni for a date and I liked its vibe and The ambiance, it was very nice. Also the service was great too but unfortunately I would just go back for a drink, that is what we each had. I find their limited menu extremely expensive for the small portions they offer and it is definitely not the place I would go to in order to enjoy a good meal. To enjoy a drink sure but not to eat. We were both actually quite disappointed when we realized the menu they had. read more

Hate to disagree with all the 5-star reviews and I can't speak for dine-in, but my personal take-out experience here was honestly sub-par. Back when this place was Ushabu, I loved its warm, cozy and intimate vibes but during peak COVID, bar seats cramped close together in a tiny restaurant with thin dividers thrown in between just isn't an ideal setup. That being said, I was still excited for an izakaya place to open up in CLE and had to try their yakitori, so we dropped by to pick up some food. They never answer the phone so you have to walk in to order. In addition to a full house dining in, the place was packed with a few people already waiting for takeout when we arrived. The staff didn't seem to know how to handle this, and hesitantly but politely asked us to wait outside without even taking down our numbers. Maybe their small plates just aren't meant for takeout, but I was unimpressed by the skewers. We got 2 sets (yakitori & mixed) and they were mostly average and lacking in flavor, with the only real standout being the shishito peppers marinated in a bold and flavorful vinaigrette. Part of this is prob due to packaging; the different skewers all came packed one on top of each other in small boxes, which may have led to a loss of flavor integrity. Egg sando w/ truffle mayo and caviar was interesting but tbh kind of gimmicky and overpriced at $8, since the Hokkaido bread just didn't have the buttery, creamy flavor that I expect from milk bread. Overall, a disappointing yakitori experience (though might be better dine-in, idk) that unfortunately doesn't live up to its shabu-shabu predecessor in terms of quality and could benefit from more COVID-friendly restaurant practices (eg taking phone orders to minimize wait lines) read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - Egg Sando (with truffle mayo and caviar) - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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I haven't been to an izakaya style place since I visited japan, so i was really excited to see something like this in Cleveland. The inside was small, but this makes it feel more like you're walking into a cozy Japanese modern bar. There were some covid precautions taken to make you feel a little safer eating inside such a small space, like placing barriers between parties at the bar. You can't make reservations unless you get the set meal, so go early! Izakaya is like the equivalent of spanish tapas, so all the dishes are small, but I got to try so many foods!Everything was delicious, but must-haves were definitely the caviar egg-sando, seasoned eggs, and eggplant skewers. Egg sandwich had the most creamiest egg filling with fluffy bread, all topped with salty caviar, making it delectable. It wouldn't be an izakaya experience without getting some drinks- any sake is delicious! read more

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Environment: Have been waiting to try this place in Tremont for a while now! So excited I got seats on a Friday night! Came for a group of 3 at 6:30 and we got the last table! This is the latest time I would recommend for a weekend night because this place does not take reservations and it's very popular! There is a bar area that seats around 8 people and around 5 booths that seats around 4. It's small and quaint and people like to stay and chat here! So definitely come early! Obsessed with their music choice. Not sure if it's only on weekends but they were playing 2000s top hits and it really set a great fun vibe. Food and drink: First of all, the owner, Matt, was so fun and sarcastic and he talked with us occasionally which made the experience so fun! Chicken thighs were delicious!!!!! The salty exterior was perfection. Pork belly was pretty good. I've never really liked okonmiyaki but theirs was very comparable to the ones I've had in other Japanese restaurants! We ordered two pitchers of the house hi-balls (turnt up green tea) and it definitely has the perfect name for it! It's a great pour and strong. I rarely like bourbon drinks and I would definitely order this again! Food I would review 4-5 to be honest. But the atmosphere and extremely friendly staff made this definitely a easy 5 star rating! read more

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Come for a drink (the bartender was super nice and our beer was served in a cold frosted mug) but don't bother ordering the food. Going from worst to just ok: - skipjack tuna tataki: the fish tasted off. Not a good cut. It tasted like frozen low grade tuna steaks. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised given it was $12? - key west shrimp: $9 for 4 pieces of undercooked flavorless frozen shrimp. - shrimp shumai dumplings - at least the portion size was decent, but once again tasted like it was pulled out of a freezer. - fried vegetable gyoza - nice fry, but again, tasted like frozen. - okra - it tasted fresh, so the best thing I had that evening I guess? This came out to $50. Again, nice place to grab a cold beer and watch a game. Maybe we ordered all of the wrong dishes? But I am not so sure I want to find out. read more

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Who gives a three star review?!!! People with mixed emotions. This was my first time at Bar Oni. My wife and I came because the food seemed unique and the establishment advertises themselves as not taking reservations. My party of two showed up at 6:15pm on a Friday to a semi full bar with two empty tables with "reserved" signs on them. We were greeted by the bar staff and told to come back in 35-40 minutes when some seats would free up. We came back to a couple waiting in seats outside, we ordered drinks and went to their outdoor seating, which for some reason wasn't suggested earlier. After waiting another 50+ minutes outside, with a large group and couple being seated before us, we were seated at 8pm. The drinks we had outside were comped due to the wait. The food was solid and the drinks were good. We tried skewers with okra, brussels sprouts, chicken breasts/thighs and pork belly as well as a burger, octopus fritters and beef tartare. The okra, pork belly and chicken thighs were standouts. My wife had a sparkling tea highball, I had a Nikka Coffey Grain whiskey highball and their signature yuzu vanilla seltzer high ball. Overall it was good food and interesting drinks but a mixed experience. Tip #1, if you come in small groups be prepared to wait outside. Tip #2, if you have a mid to large sized group talk with their staff in advance and maybe you can get a reservation even though they don't advertise taking reservations. read more

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My experience was about the same as everybody else's the food was okay but not for the price , service felt very obligatory.

In 2020 this place went from fine dining Shabu Shabu restaurant Ushabu to Izikaya Bar Oni. During the pandemic the take out food was incredible - the fried chicken picnic lunch was really, really good. There was of attention to detail in the preparation of the food. Earlier this year we went late evening after a Cavs game and the food was less stellar. The Ramen was greasy and the service spotty - the server seemed more interested in a women's UFC bout than her clientele. Still, I will give it a second chance - hopefully earlier in the evening there will be more focus on the food. read more

this is an intimate izakaya spot, super glad to see it in cleveland! It's a small spot with about 4 big tables in addition to bar seating. the menu offers a wide array of yakitori skewers and small plates. definitely try the veggies, esp the mushrooms don't sleep on them!! I also really loved the egg sandos with a soy egg between milk bread topped w caviar, super rich and lux!! There's so much to try on the menu, I'll def be back! Lots of drink selection too! read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - egg Sando- its crustless :) - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Bar Oni was a last minute decision, but turned out to be a great one. With 4 booths and a small bar, this small space concept was executed on we'll by the 2 staff running it. Highly recommend coming with an empty stomach so that you can try an assortment of everything they have to offer. Huge fan of their commitment to only providing sustainable fish. We will definitely be back. read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - The OG house drink. Very refreshing and not too boozy. Get the pitcher to split between 2 people. - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Very overpriced for what you get. Out of half the menu. Poor service, was a lot better before.

everything we had was incredible. keynotes were the egg sando and classic chicken thigh yakitori, closely followed by the salmon stuffed peppers. I've been craving an authentic izakaya place since moving to Cleveland, and now with the newly converted bar oni, I've found it! great assortment of yakitori and small plates. yuzu seltzer was an incredible pairing, and the whiskey selection was will definitely be back again! place was small (and indoor seating only) so get there early before seating fills up. dividers between seating areas, servers masked consistently, clearly great demand for takeout too. read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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For my husband's birthday, he picked to come to Bar Oni - which, if you didn't know, transformed from a full Japanese restaurant to one focused specifically on yakitori-style food during the pandemic - and it is outstanding! You can either sit up at the bar, where the boisterous bartender mixes their signature hi balls and talks to regulars, or you can find yourself in a large booth across from the bar. We opted for the bar, and were happy with how quickly the staff made us feel like we were regulars too. We ordered the twelve piece skewer set - which is chef's choice, so you get a few things that are not available on the a la carte menu - and had a blast trying everything. Stand-outs were the grilled pineapple, grilled bell peppers in a fermented tomato and ginger sauce, and the skin on chicken thigh. We also ordered the fall pumpkin croquettes, which were basically like adult french toast sticks, and the 4oz dry aged sirloin steak (each of these were my personal favorites). We plan to become regulars here - especially to enjoy some food over a Browns' game. read more

Food portions were good but small. Beer and drinks good. The ambience is similar to true Japanese bars. Space is small, which could make it difficult for larger parties but great for a low key, chill evening with drinks and friends. read more

I've never been to "Dick's Last Resort". After my visit to Bar Oni, I feel like I graduated from "Dick's" boot camp. Like, I'M READY. Are there even any "Dick's" left? I've seen a few "Hooter's" at truck stops..The fact that "Hooter's" still exists in 2022, is just amazing. But, this IS Ohio, after all. But, let's get back to "Oni". Before arriving super early, to get in line before the place even opens because it seats about 15 people and they don't take reservations, I read up on the reviews. I dismissed all the negative ones about the service and the rude waitstaff. After all, aren't all reviews written by bots or the mentally ill these days? I mean, seriously, Qanon exists! As soon as we sat down and ordered drinks. we were already being subject to the "annoyed teenager rolling her eyes" shtick by the pierced and tattooed chick in the ironic Carhart beanie. The place just opened! I can just imagine how much more "friendly" she gets when 9pm rolls around. It's no news that with the reality of every Gen-Yer growing up with their faces attached to a screen, that basic etiquette is reduced to nothing more than a dying piece of nostalgia. But, when I'm spending $50 for heavy apps and a couple drinks, I expect to not get talked to like I'm a five year old. It was off putting. Every request from our table was met with short, annoyed responses. We were treated like we weren't cool enough to be there. AND I EVEN WORE A MIDDLE PART IN MY HAIR, DAMMIT!! I was scared to ask for an ice cube for the strangely warm drinking water. The food was decent. I even liked the veggies. We got the 12 piece assortment of skewers. Notables were the brussel sprouts (which I normally don't care for), the avocado and the pineapple. The chicken thigh, meatball and the pork belly were my favorite of the non-veg. You're better off just ordering your own assortment though. Doing the math, I'm not sure how these ended up being worth $50, when all the skewers we received were the $3 and $4 ones. I headed the warnings of the over-saucing and ordered the pork katsu sandwich with the bbq sauce on the side. I'm glad I did, it was perfect without. The kewpie mayo was more than enough and the sandwich would have been ruined with the bbq. Upon getting ready to leave, and seeing the "Don't F#cking Use This" sign on the out of order bathroom, I realized the rudeness is probably their "thing". Either that, or Carhart beanie is the owner's GF. Either way, I won't be back to find out. read more

Wanted to try something new, but left hungry after spending $90 It was very loud, they label themselves a sports bar...so not a great place for date night conversation. We tried the chefs choice an app and cocktails What was good: the Brussels sprouts were very good and the vegetable tempura The other: there were 6 meat skewers 3 of which were chicken, 2 pork and a steak. Things were generally under seasoned. The cocktails are all made with soda and served in big mugs. They were affordable, but not a lot of choices. Looking at menus that were previously posted it looks like they have pared things down so check the website before you go. read more

Honestly my favorite bar currently in Tremont. They run a tight ship with such a solid well thought out bar and menu. It's THE first place I take people who are out of town. I highly recommend ordering the chefs choice and having them serve you their curated combination of kabobs- meat and veggie. So much flavor and care -live a little and let go of control! Also the goyza are perfection and you can never go wrong. I've had the burger and specials in the past which are always a treat but my go-to is to just walk up , order a highball and a couple skewers and lose an hour ...or four. Dave, Matt, Flossy and the crew are gems. read more

Two stars is completely generous. Their choices were chicken, chicken, more chicken, and wagu 4 ounces for like 80$. We had a total of 8 skewers of chicken and 2 of vegetables. The chicken was seasoned with salt. The shishito peppers were the highlight only because it was seasoned with kikoman teriyaki sauce. 30$ per person. This place is a complete clip joint. If you have ever been to a decent izakaya place you will be extremely disappointed. read more

We really enjoyed Bar Oni. Had both the coffee whiskeys, but enjoyed the grain one more than the malt. The seltzers were delicious and so was the food! Would recommend to anyone! read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Such a creative and unique spot. The owner Matt has put together a menu of japanese cuisine that I've never heard of but love trying. Great place for a couple beers too. Shhhh it's low key the best spot to watch a browns game if you can get a seat. Huge TVs right in front of the bar. Cool music. Love this place. read more

Really nice atmosphere. I like the individual seating at the bar as well as the booth seating (I think max is 4 to seat comfortably). Drink wise I got the go to which was very refreshing and pairs well with this very meat forward menu. I would say this is more of a Japanese fusion place than true izakaya. I like the variety of small plates. They are definitely a good portion size. Since there were three of us, we got almost the whole menu. I really enjoyed their apps. The shu Mei is fried which I never had before. Usually it's steamed. With a spicy Mayo sauce. That was surprisingly good and not too dry. I like their takoyaki but wish there was less sauce smothering it. The skewers: the stand outs were the gizzard then the meatball followed by the wing. The rest of the skewer all tasted soy paste heavy or were bland. For veggies the potatoes were very good. Entree we only got the Katsu sandwich. This has a lot of mustard on it but otherwise very tasty. I like the idea of having more Asian restaurants in cleveland. Unfortunately I don't particularly like fusion food so I don't think I'd be back for a full meal but maybe for the ambience/drinks. read more

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What a great place! My wife and I escaped from our toddler for the night and found this place. The food was great, the look reminds you of an actual Japanese izakaya. The sausage was my wife's favorite and mine was probably the ramen eggs with truffle oil mayo. But it was all good, give them a shot, you won't be disappointed! read more

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Wow!!! This Is now one of my favorite destination in Cleveland !!!! The concept is amazing. Bar-oni has an assortment of skewers, salads, and small plates which are delicious and at a great price! Plus this is the only place I know that has an assortment of Japanese whiskeys and sakes. Its a bar concept so they have beer, mixed drinks and other liquor too. The small plates are delicious !!! Try the chicken drumettes, pork rinds, and fried shrimp shumai. The fresh sashimi selection changes often and is worth trying. When you walk in you definitely feel like your escaping. The decor has a unique modern Japanese flare to it. It was a pleasant surprise to find a new place open during a pandemic. It's very clean and they are strictly following the required guidelines so I felt safe. If you're thinking of visiting the answer is YES!!! read more

Ambiance was nice. Good for a drink or two but food was beyond subpar. We had high hopes and waited a while to try, so probably built up our own hype to it. read more

I really wanted to love this place. Evoking mementoes of small Tokyo bars I decided to give this place a chance. The beers were great. You can get a picker of Sapporo and frosted beer mugs. The food was disappointing. The ingredients were stale in my opinion nor did the cooking technique which typically involves cooking said meats over an open grill employed. The bartenders were great. There are no waiters requiring you to go up to the bar every time you need to place an order which means you interrupt the people eating meals at the bar. I would definitely come back for a nice frosted mug of Sapporo. read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Bar Oni was great! I went with a friend and sat at the bar. It was very accommodating for social distancing with hand sanitizer placed by our seats and a plastic divider between bar seats. We loved the O.G. Whisky drink. It was tasty and refreshing. The homemade seltzer was also very good. Loved the small skewers: the sausage skewer and ramen eggs stand out to me in general. Can't wait to go again. read more

Train wreck. VERY poor service. While I sat at the bar two couples came in and sat down then left suddenly.

Unreal meal. Every bite we had was amazing. Perfect ambiance, service, cocktails and music. We ordered a handful of skewers, shrimp shumei, veg gyoza, corn fritters and the fish fry special (Fridays) and would highly recommend each. Get there right when they open. read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

A bit overpriced and slow in service. The pork katsu photo a bit misleading as they use different bread now but still very tasty. The yuzu high ball tasted a bit flat compared to the last time I had it read more

This place has to be one of new found favorite bars in Tremont!! I've been twice in one week! The vibe in here is always welcoming. The bartender brings his A game every time. He's super accommodating super friendly and and has the answer to any question regarding the menu. If your looking for delicious late night snacks and drinks they have it . Or just catching the games and there drink specials on Sunday!! Bar Oni has you covered. Tell them #TSFoodie. Sent you! read more

Bar Oni Izakaya - a variety of food items - Japanese Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Here's a hint. Maybe update your hours on, google, Apple Maps and maybe Yelp. ? Won't be back read more

Man this place is great. Owners/workers are great. Always a nice chill vibe in here. Food is good. You won't find food like this anywhere in Cleveland. Love going here. read more

Really neat spot! Izakaya-inspired bar with great neo-Japanese tapa-style shared plates, cold beer on tap with great Japanese selections, and delicious sake cocktails at a great price! The interior is small but cozy, and the bartenders are just as inviting. Shared dinner and drinks with a friend and we had a great time chatting with the staff. There is even a neighborhood kitty that comes by to visit outside the shop and loves attention. Big plus, obviously. Would recommend as one of the gems of Tremont! read more