Stopped in before the Red Sox game. The menu is typical Fenway prices. $18 drinks and $26 Wagyu burger...sounds really good! It's not what I expected inside. The bar is long and the space is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. The bartenders were all great and very attentive. Kischido-Rita - well balanced spicy marg, more like a craft cocktail that should be served in a coupe. Sweet, spicy, sour...like dessert. I would order this again. Small in size, but big on flavor. Cool cucumber salad was excellent. Crisp thinly sliced cucumbers marinated in Japanese dressing and spices. Very refreshing. Definitely would order it again. Lomo wagyu short rib...screwer style. Small portion, but really, really good! Short rib is cut in chunks and can taste the flavors from the grill. I would definitely order this again and again! Ume shiso chicken thigh - kind of bland grilled chicken on a skewer with onion. Not worth my time and money. Tacos were on a limited time menu that we didn't see at first so we ordered two of them, which came out on a cool dinosaur taco holder. The Spicy BigEye Tuna on crispy Nori Taco shell was mind blowing. The soft crunchy taco with with tender tuna, drizzled with yuzu kosho ponzu mayo was so well balanced and delicious that it could win a James Beard Taco Award any day now. The Torched Mamachi Crispy Nori Sushi Taco was very good, just couldn't compare to the tuna taco. The fish was hot, fresh, and the garnished was great. read more

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Love the vibe here. Menu is sushi as well as some asian-inspired veggie and fried chicken dishes. Big sake menu and I enjoyed my bubble sake -- with tapioca. Make a reservation; this place gets busy. read more

During our stay at the connected Verb Hotel, we visited Hojoko a few times for breakfast, dinner on two occasions, and drinks. It is a short walk from Fenway Park. The decor is mostly retro-Japanese along with a completely unrelated item displayed. Regarding the breakfast that was included in our stay at the Verb Hotel, the breakfast included coffee, tea, bagels, waffles, hard boiled eggs, and yogurt. We enjoyed the basic breakfast, and the staff did a really good job for us. For dinner, we had the ramen, potstickers, and a spicy salmon roll. The ramen was much better than expected, which brought us back on another evening. It was late on the second occasion, and the delicious potstickers were not being served. Our server on this occasion was ELIZABETH who was fantastic. The drinks were really good. Our party had a few mixed drinks as well the local beer called Narragansett, which was enjoyable. The bar appears well-equipped, and one can order food there as well. Regarding the service, it was very good each time we visited. read more

Large venue attached to 'The Verb' hotel, which is a small boutique hotel version of a Hard Rock hotel. Metered a street parking where you can find it, it's a busy high traffic street. Service was fast & friendly, food was basic in appearance, but great in taste. The whole place looks like it could be in an 80's action movie & the music that they play supports that. Lots of quirky non-commercial 80's synth music. Definitely something that would be on the soundtrack of your favorite cult 80's movie, lol. Has the Spicy Tuna roll & the Crispy Ribs. The menu doesn't have much in the way of specialty rolls, or overly elaborate rolls. Just their spin on basic rolls, again, very good. They have some things you might not expect like burgers, & they also have rice and ramen dishes. I got their "draft sake," & it was very good. Only negative was we had to send the virgin Piña Colada back. Seems like the pre-mix part had maybe gone bad. Overall, a good "in a pinch" spot. Grades: Spicy Tuna Roll: A Crispy Ribs: A read more

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Service was great, friendly staff! Both the wait staff and person dropping off food were really nice. We ordered Tuna roll, Salmon roll both had a twist to it. Kimchi Shrimp Fried rice which was packed with flavor and the Wasabi Roulette which was a fun twist read more

Hojoko - Kimchi Fried Rice - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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A fun bustling atmosphere, bar like and busy. The service was great. We had a very nice waitress. The food was hot and fresh and yummy. We would definitely go again if we were in that area. read more

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Hojoko hits you before you even sit down. You walk in and the place hums at its own frequency. On the right, the bar is already working overtime, tossing cocktails and kamikaze shots into a crowd that looks like it has been waiting all week for this exact moment. Beyond it, the open kitchen glows with steel and fire, cooks moving with a rhythm that feels almost cinematic. Then you notice the pool next door, separated by glass, a surreal 50s hotel tableau pressed right against the dining room. It should feel strange, but it works. It is Boston trying on a different skin for the night. Once you sit, the noise settles into something closer to a pulse. It is loud, it is chaotic, and it invites you to stop pretending you wanted a quiet dinner. People are celebrating, laughing, living a little bit outside the lines, and you feel like you should be part of it. This is not a place for restraint. This is a place to lean in. The service is friendly and stretched thin at the same time, the way any good party gets ahead of its hosts now and then. My Sapporo took longer than it should have, and the food drifted out at its own pace. It was a busy night. I was ready to move faster, keep the fun sailing along at a steady clip, but sometimes the tide is not yours to control. When the potstickers arrived, they were gone almost instantly. Pork and shrimp packed tight with a dipping sauce that had a little kick but never tried to prove anything. Four of them, which is too few for people who enjoy eating, but just enough to make you want the next thing even more. Then came the burger, the dish that carries the weight of reputation here. The Wagyu Cheeseburger is not subtle. It is rich, salty in the right ways, and built with the kind of confidence that does not bother asking how you want it cooked. They know what they are doing, and they do it well. The shoelace fries are the right choice. Crispy, light, perfect for scooping up whatever spills out of the bun. It is the kind of burger you could eat twice and still want another bite. The Sapporo, once it finally landed, was a clean, easy drink. Light enough to go down fast, familiar enough to not distract from the food. It paired well with everything, especially the burger, which demanded something cold and uncomplicated. Portions were exactly what they needed to be. The potstickers, good but fleeting. The burger, perfectly sized and gone too soon, in the way that all great burgers disappear. When the night wrapped up, the standout was obvious. The burger alone is worth the trip. The only disappointment was waiting for that first beer, watching the party start around me while my own spark waited for a match. Hojoko is the kind of place where the noise hits first, the grill smoke follows, and before you know it you are swept into a night that feels louder, faster, and more alive than you expected, all anchored by a burger worth crossing the city for. read more

Hojoko - Wagyu Cheeseburger - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Went before a Red Sox game and was pleasantly surprised. Their food and drinks were pretty good with some standouts. Their veggie wontons were delicious and really surprised me, the vegetarian "meat" was really good. The wings were also a pretty good, but I'd def recommend the gochujang over the other flavor as it was very garlicky. The salmon sashimi was just fine but I feel like the fish simply didn't look the best. And the flavor was fine. Great spicy canary and beef selection. Good choice for dinner and drink before a show or game! And it's kind of a hidden gem so there's usually reservations available. read more

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At a private party there great service and food! Highly recommended! They stayed on top of refreshing drinks and food.

Walked in on Thursday night for dinner. We were able to be seated immediately. The atmosphere when walking in was very fun and dark. It was unique. My friends and I decided that were were going to get multiple different types if food and all try different things. The food all arrived at different times which was what we expected. However, for the hot food we got it all arrived warm. Nothing arrived hot. The food was okay overall. The dessert we ordered unfortunately was pretty dry but the ice cream was good. Our waitress was fair. She kind of forgot about us for periods of time but we were having a good time catching up. read more

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The food was pretty good. Ingredients were fresh, and everything was cooked properly. Our server, Piper, was absolutely amazing and genuinely entertaining to talk to. On the other hand, this isn't an authentic Japanese experience, and maybe it's not supposed to be, but the overall experience felt a bit off. It came across more like a themed interpretation than something grounded in the actual culture. It feels like the main reason this place works is because of where it is. After a Red Sox game, this is where fans who want Asian food will end up. That built-in crowd keeps the place going. Prices are high. Rolls were about $20 for six pieces. We also learned that some cocktails were pre-mixed, poured from a can?, which wasn't mentioned anywhere on the menu and we were still paying a high price. We weren't able to swap out the liquor in that cocktail for another. While the food was made with fresh ingredients, the execution of the dishes didn't always make sense. The sweet potato roll felt like a strange spin on a tempura roll (which is what I had expected when I ordered it). I also ordered a spicy salmon roll that came out quickly, but it turned out not to be mine. When the correct roll came, it had no spicy sauce, and nothing else added like eel sauce or another option. It seems like the menu items only exist in one fixed version, with no plan in place for adjustments or substitutions. Food also came out at totally different times, but our waiter did let us know that's how they do it after ordering. My rolls came out in under five minutes, but someone else at my table still hadn't gotten their kimchi fried rice 45 minutes after we ordered. I get that they were busy, but a wait that long suggests something isn't working behind the scenes. The restaurant seems designed around a very American view of Japanese food. If that's what they're aiming for, sure, but I came in expecting a more traditional menu, and it clearly wasn't that. The setting and atmosphere match that same idea, so I assume it's intentional. It's just not for me. It's hard to define the exact rating this place deserves. They have a lot of solid individual elements, but it feels like no one took the time to actually put the puzzle pieces together. To put it simply: if this restaurant were in an inconvenient location, I don't think most people would go out of their way to eat here. The location and the guaranteed post-game crowd are doing most of the work. That probably explains the pricing too, but overall the full experience just isn't there. These are all my own opinions which obviously does not represent all, though I hope that this restaurant will take some time to really dial in the entire experience as a whole. read more

Hojoko - Main Dining Area - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We came here for a graduation party a couple nights ago. We had been here four years ago for a birthday party and it was wonderful and food was great. Unfortunately, this time, it was a major disappointment. The sushi was not good, my daughter described it as similar to convenient store sushi. I have to agree. The service was a mess, some items never arrived, and we just canceled them. Two people never got their meal, when we asked about it, they said they thought it had already been delivered. It had not. So, they got their meal after everyone else had eaten. Some things arrived twice. Unfortunately, based on this experience, we do not attend to return. Very disappointing for this special occasion; it has a fun atmosphere and great potential. read more

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Great vibe, great food! We came in around 10:30 on a Friday and had no problem being seated and ordering before the kitchen closed at 11. We tried the spicy salmon roll, the tsukemono (pickles), and the burger. Everything was really good except the kimchi, which was a bit too sour for us. But the burger and sushi were both incredible! We also had the Pack of Newtons to drink, which is basically a wasabi gimlet. The spice was very gentle and the drink was excellent. We'll definitely be back! read more

Hojoko is a fun place especially for good food, and the occasional karaoke night once a month Sundays. Really nice interior too and sometimes in the summer you can sit outside by the pool too. We went here with friends for dinner and it was great! They have a wasabi sushi roulette dish which is basically a dish with sushi pieces and one of them contains a LOT of wasabi. The hubs and friends played it and the hubs ended up with the wasabi sushi. You couldn't pay me to do it because I'm not a fan of wasabi lol! But they all enjoyed it! And the winner gets a little sticker that says something like "I won the wasabi roulette " I ordered the Japanese curry chicken katsu rice which comes with this delicious sauce and potatoes. I've had this dish before and simply love it! The chicken was perfectly crispy on the outside and tender inside very flavorful and the sauce and veggies have this really nice slightly spicy and savory flavor- yummy yummy! Really great tasting dish and very satisfying! Must try!! Others ordered sushi and the burger and drinks and we also shared some edamame. Everyone enjoyed their food. Then we did karaoke which was great fun! The DJ was awesome! She had a great voice herself and she did a nice job introducing people and then commending them when they were done. Only thing is that the sound system could better. Sometimes the music is hard to hear - they need to turn it up. Overall a great time with great food, service and ambiance! read more

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I was very impressed. Our server JJ was so attentive and kind. The vibe was fun, vintage posters, cool lighting, a disco ball, it was very synergistic. The spicy salmon and spicy tuna were both so fresh tasting and a perfect balance. Since I have gluten sensitivity they were able to do it without any tempura flakes and I felt like it was even better because I could taste the fish more, and thus the great quality and texture. I really enjoyed the Akabu Junmai Ginjo sake too. It was a little bit sweet from the melon and not too dry. An excellent intro to trying sake. The salmon sashimi was also quite good and flavorful. With such a fantastic location right in the heart of Fenway, it was evidently a great spot for any occasion. read more

This restaurant came well recommended for their wagyu burgers and their spicy miso ramen so we had to try... They were pretty good but not as amazing as they were blown up to be. The service was ok but not up to my expectations. I appreciated how they kept the name of the previous hotel it was a part of (Howard Johnson). The ambiance is eclectic and interesting. I'd like to say they can do so much more with the dining area to make it more inviting and hospitable. There was one thing that irked me and that was when I asked if we can have a booth or larger table for the food we are ordering. There was nobody else in the entire restaurant, but the waitress said she couldn't accommodate us because they need to reserve the booths for larger parties we even told her we were the only ones in there and were going to quickly eat and leave. But she still felt like she couldn't do it for us. The 2nd time we went here just for drinks. The bartender was very nice and they didn't have the drink I wanted so she made me a version of her own and it was great read more

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We had made a reservation for Hojoko in advance, to grab a drink/snack before a concert at Fenway Park. The location couldn't be more convenient and the restaurant was connected to a hotel. The interior was spacious and well-decorated with Asian-inspired lighting fixtures, colorful wall art, and floor to ceiling windows. I was excited by their large mocktail menu, and ended up trying both the Japan, Meets Italy and Bone Kosho. The Japan, Meets Italy was probably the closest mocktail to a real Aperol Spritz I've ever tried - delicious, super refreshing! The Bone Kosho had a nice kick to it, and was also well-made. My friend also loved her 5, 6, 7, 8s cocktail. For food, I only ordered a Spicy Salmon Roll, which was pretty standard. My friends got the 3pc Karaage Fried Chicken, Shrimp Toast, Cool Cucumber Salad, Snow Crab California Roll, Shrimp & Pork Potstickers, and Shiitake Mushroom Tempura Roll. All the food items were pretty good, and the Shiitake Mushroom Tempura Roll was the most unique item by far - covered in a truffle foam, which my friend really liked. Overall, a good experience - would return to try more! read more

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Fun izakaya for a larger group! We ordered a few dishes to share, which were overall tasty, but definitely felt more appropriate for sharing rather than for individual orders. Miso caesar salad (4/5) Large portions and a tasty miso based sauce, just didn't stand out Karaage chicken (5/5) Well battered, seasoned, and juicy chicken Brussel sprouts (4.5/5) Taste wise my personal favorite dish of the night, though maybe a bit oversalted. The sauce was good and had some citrusy bits that went well with the brussel sprouts Squash Okonomiyaki (3/5) Small portions and a bit too rich for my liking and couldn't really taste the squash - I prefer a regular okonomiyaki Tuna rib (4.5/5) This one you have to order 48 hours ahead of time but definitely highlight of the meal. Tuna tasted pretty fresh and this is just a fun dish to share as it comes with a bunch of different toppings, sauces, and rice for you to essentially scrape the tuna off the ribs and create your own "hand rolls". Went for a friend's birthday and the server was sweet to also give us a free slice of dessert at the end! read more

Hojoko - tuna rib special - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

When we went it was kind of dead. It was like 2 pm, so after lunch rush. The service was pretty quick and everyone was pleasant. It's a restaurant connected to a hotel. Seemed to have lots of seating and while we waited for a friend, we sat down to play a table game of Pac-Man. Throwback! The food was tasty. Be aware that spicy actually means Spicy! Boston got me twice this time. Y'all have upped your spice game. read more

Hojoko - Cajun Karaage Chicken Sando - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

A small little place next to Fenway, this place truly blew me away. It's got a dive bar vibe when you walk in, but the food is far beyond any bar food. Everything was phenomenal. I wasn't bothered by the fat things come as they're ready. We had everything quickly and as long as there is something to eat I'm happy. The shrimp toast was by far the best thing we ordered, and truly unique. The fried chicken also was a hit. The only thing we got that didn't stand out was the potstickers. The sushi was fresh and real crab. Love this place. read more

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Really, the only reason to come here is the hamachi collar. Best thing on the menu. Best thing I've eaten in a long time, really I wanted to love this place. But it's an overall m'eh. The menu was all over the map. It was hard to order dishes that synced up. Seems like a great place if you need to a place for birthday parties. Lots of big tables were seated and had a good time. read more

I got the salad with crispy chicken on top. Service was just ok - food came out at way different times for the entrees. Even though I ordered a salad it took way longer than a lot of other things. Also pretty overpriced for asian style tapas with small portions. The interior was very spacious though. read more

Hojoko - Salad with crispy chicken - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Relaxing 80's vibe restaurant/bar! Very clean and comfortable atmosphere with lots to look at and they play some anime on the big screen too which is a nice touch. Had the shrimp toast, nori taco, and shiitake mushroom roll here, all were pretty neatly presented!! The truffle foam on the mushroom roll was definitely something new to me- tasted okay but couldn't get the thought of soap out of my head haha. But the tempura on the shiitake was delightful. Our waiter was very nice and knowledgable, and it was a great experience all in all. Neat little place if you're around! read more

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I was with a party of 5 last Saturday. Two entries came out after everybody else had finished theirs. The chicken strips and chicken fried rice were terrible. I couldn't eat more than a few bites. We all agreed we would not go back. read more

A Japanese restaurant located in fenway and a good spot to grab food and hang out given it's convenient location. The food is okay, we got the funky chicken and it's a little blend in my opinion as compared to the regular ramen which has a heavier broth and flavor. The pina colada was ok as well. The restaurant features a Japanese interior and it's vibey. Service was great and friendly. Food 7.5/10 Atmosphere 8/10 Service 8/10 Value7/10 read more

Hojoko - Funky Chicken Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Good spot near Fenway inside the Verb Hotel for a quick bite. We tried the chicken karaage, potstickers, and spicy tuna roll. The chicken pieces were big, and both the chicken and potstickers were good. The tuna roll was decent, but not worth the $16 price tag. The drinks were pretty good. We had the Bone Kosho and La Neta, both unique and flavorful. Overall, I'd definitely return for drinks. The service could have been better. read more

I eat here and get takeout often because I am close. I have never had a time where the food wasn't amazing! The service is always so nice and I even like to ask and try what their favorites are and get great recommendations. The restaurant has an amazing vibe on the inside feels very cozy but nice. I sat outside near the pool for the first time recently which was a nice change. I highly recommend! read more

Hojoko - Tables and pool - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

One of the many restaurants on Boylston Street in Fenway. I came here for dinner with a couple of friends on a weeknight. Hojoko is inside the The Verb Hotel so the decor inside matches. We sat at a high table in the enclosed patio space and ordered fried chicken, brussel sprouts, kimchi fried rice, and shrimp toast to share among the 3 of us. The pieces of chicken were pretty big and very crispy being the highlight of the meal in my opinion. The brussel sprouts were flavorful, but slightly over cooked and roasted. The shrimp toast was good and the kimchi fried rice had a good spice to it. We were all full from the meal and had a great time conversing over dinner. The service was great and we got everything we ordered. Overall, read more

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Great bartenders and excellent food! The Wasabi Roulette is super fun!!! Sashimi is excellent.

I think 3.5 stars is fair. Great spot next to Fenway Park. We had a 5:15 rez and were done in 90 min, so I wouldn't book later than 5:30 for a 7:10 start. Alvin was a great server, but had to apologize for the food coming out slowly. One burger came out at least 5 mins before the other 3. Good burger though. I like how it has the option of edamame or a salad. For $20 though, it's kind of small patty, albeit wagyu beef . If a burger is all you want Tasty burger near Fenway Park is another good option. Spicy tuna roll was actually spicy! Only 6 PCs though. Fried chicken was solid, and the pot stickers were ok. I thought the $10 sake bomb seemed reasonable. That said, We had 3 adults and 2 kids and spent over $50 pp after tip. This place has an interesting vibe and we had fun. For some reason I thought it would be a bit nicer though! read more

Hailed as one of the best burgers in Boston, I walked in with high hopes. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to the hype, which was a complete shock for me because wagyu beef alone is already tasty. Yet my burger was severely underwhelming and the fries weren't even warm. Per my photo, you can see the lack of seasoning on the fries. read more

Hojoko - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Wanted to try this place for the vibes and the wasabi roulette but they didn't have it at the time and while the place was cute and retro themed, the food was pretty mediocre and not memorable. I barely remember eating my food and I got the ramen but I will say the kaarage pieces were pretty good and a lot bigger than I thought they would be! Also had to move tables because where we were placed was right under the ac unit so would not recommend sitting there. read more

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Straight up my alley and down the path of originality. A site to sip Japanese whisky, a chance to chat with the crew, a house to heap mouthfuls of quite fantastic ramen and just what I needed on a hot day in a place filled with sport/country bars. The yelp site and photos didn't entice me to come but we decided with it anyways and what a fantastic choice. I give credit to the owners for their joint and I hope you too can experience it alongside me. read more

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The sushi itself is amazing and super unique! However, if your restaurant has laminated menus and plastic cups, you should not be charging $14 for 2 pieces of Nigiri. Rolls were around $20 on average and while delicious, were pretty small portions. You can't leave with a full stomach for under $50/person. Our table also had some remaining gunk on it from the previous guests, which is pretty unprofessional. As a restaurant this expensive, they should match the aesthetic and professionalism to what they're charging. But again, the food itself is great. read more

Hojoko - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My partner had heard good things about this place, but it was honestly incredibly disappointing. We got there around 6:30 or so and there were heaps of empty tables both inside and outside. We were seated at the bar and we asked if we could have a table, but they said they were all booked. By the time we had left the restaurant, all of the tables that were empty when we arrived were still empty so that was a bit strange, but that's not why this place was disappointing. The whole place smelled of alcohol and the floor was incredibly sticky when you walked on it, like some sort of dirty nightclub, which also didn't give the greatest vibes. We ordered the Shiitake Mushroom Tempura Roll and Okonomiyaki: Shiitake Mushroom Tempura Roll ($22) - Wow. The margins on this must be insane. It had a bit of a truffle flavor, but after being in my mouth for a second, the whole roll just tasted of fried batter. Paying $22 for 6 small pieces of sushi where all you can taste is batter and oil is absolutely not worth it. We walked away from this feeling as though we had been blatantly ripped off. Okonomiyaki ($14) - If this looked like the photos others had posted, it may have been filling, but ours was incredibly small and shaped like a hockey puck. It felt like it had been made beforehand, frozen, and then dropped in a deep fryer before being served - others have posted photos where the pancake was actually naturally shaped, but ours looked like an actual uniform hockey puck. It was also filled with corn and only tasted like corn with some okonomiyaki sauce on it. Not traditional but also not good. I only gave this a 2 because it was interesting to try these modern takes on Japanese cuisine, and the menu did have some interesting items on it, but they were 100% not worth the money and didn't have a great taste. I would not come back here. read more

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We loved our time at Hojoko. We were greeted by a friendly host and seated immediately. The service was excellent. We ordered miso, crunchy chicken wings, the burger and the Japanese honey cake for dessert. Miso had wonderful umami flavor with mushrooms, green onion and tofu. The burger was delicious and great fries, thin, crispy and salty! Wings had good crunchy but gooey sauce. The dessert tasted like a French toast, and loved the ginger whipped cream. We were digging the vibe, old school Godzilla film on in the background, played great music. The lighting and decor were inviting. Definitely plan to go back. read more

Hojoko came as a high recommendation to my friends and I, so we wanted to stop by and try it. Frankly I wasn't particularly impressed. It gets described by the wait staff to be the type of place you order many small plates to share, but in my opinion the quantities are quite small to be doing that. Looking over the menu, nothing really jumps out at you. The karaage chicken is very crunchy, but I wasn't blown away with its flavor or juiciness. I love sashimi, so I wanted to try the big eye tuna sashimi. I don't think it was terrible but it wasn't anything special. It's drowned in sauce which takes away from the natural tuna flavor in my opinion. And the dogzilla was quite small, my sister joked that it should be called the "puppyzilla" instead. Again, not a super shareable size. The fries taste like McDonald's fries though, and I say that in a good way! I do however really like the idea of the Wasabi Roulette. It's a fun idea to involve the whole table. For those who don't know: you get 6 tuna rolls, one of which has a big glob of wasabi inside. Eat them all at the same time and see who gets it! Loser gets a bottle of horchata to cool them off. read more

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Hojoko serves Japanese food with a bit of a twist... it's mostly tavern style with a few traditional dishes that have some unique differences. I'd say it's good for drinks and apps. Service: attentive and fast but a bit strange. There were multiple people running our food and drinks over to us, which made it difficult to know who to ask for what. We did have a server that took our drink and food orders. Food: food appeared to come out as it was ready, but that meant our whole table got their food before I did. I waited a while... two of our friends were almost done with their meals by the time I got my order. I had the soy/garlic glazed chicken wings, okonomiyaki, and an order of the vegetable tempura. The wings were really the star of the show! Came with 5 large pieces, and were so crispy and full of flavor. The tempura was nice, the okonomiyaki wasn't that great. Lacked cabbage and a bit too much flour. My husband's ramen was insanely salty... I took a few bites to try and I wasn't a fan. Overall an okay meal but nothing that I'd say worth making a special trip for. read more

I originally wrote a 2 star review on Google, but since the business owners seem to think lazy AI responses are the way to go when receiving negative feedback, I wanted to repost my response here in hopes that a human being can hear me out: My friends and I bought tickets to what was supposed to be a punk rock NYE dance party. These tickets were $25 each. Upon entering, the manager asked how he could help us- we told him we were there for the event and showed our tickets. He checked them and then let us in with no instruction and told us to enjoy. We didn't see any noticeable dance floor and saw a bunch of people sitting at tables, so we figured they were also there for the event and tried to sit down to order drinks. The manager rushed over to us and asked if we wanted a table. We were a bit confused on where he expected us to go, so we told him yes, and then noticed the event 'area', a 6x6 corner surrounded by tables of people eating, and half of this corner being taken up by a photo taking arrangement. I think he was assuming we would stand in this empty corner with photography lighting and wait for the DJ to start. Then, our server seemed annoyed at us, despite us being nothing but polite, and everyone at our table ordering something; our bill was over $100 and we still tipped 20% despite his attitude, long drink waits in a pretty empty restaurant, and overall lack of attentiveness. We still waited around and ordered apps and drinks, hoping that maybe the lights would dim or some tables would be moved out of the way so that there was actual room to dance, but this never happened. I asked the manager when he might expect the party to really get started: he told me usually around 10. We stayed from 7:30-9:50 and it seemed like we were the only naive losers who bought tickets to this 'event'. We all wanted to ask for a refund, as between the 4 of us and our 3 friends who were on the way before us telling them it was not worth it, we spent almost $200 on tickets hoping to have fun and patronize this business, but we chickened out and coughed up more money for a cover at a venue that was holding a real party. It felt like we were charged 25 a person to eat at a restaurant, use a photo booth, and annoy a guy who had to serve us on a holiday. I know working holidays suck; I work retail and it's the nature of any service industry. I'm not sure if it's because we dressed to fit the event's alleged theme, or because we were in our early 20s, but it felt like both the manager and our server assumed we were not there to spend money and therefore didn't need to be taken seriously. I wish I asked for a refund, but I'm doubtful I would have gotten one. My advice to this establishment is to not charge admission for something that honestly should be free for patrons. We would've been thrilled to have fun hats and listen to an older DJ's interpretation of "punk rock" if all we had to do was buy drinks and food. The cover and the false advertising coupled with poor service and mediocre food really put a damper on our night. read more

Unique former Hojos turned rock 'n roll-themed Japanese bistro with view of Fenway Park and a teeny tiny pool. What's not to love? read more

Hojoko - Midday at Hojoko - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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