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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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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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

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

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

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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It is a cute little restaurant nestled in the predominantly American cuisine and pizza of Fenway! For what it is I enjoyed it very cute inside with studio ghbli style music playing and a retro vibe. Food was okay but very small portion. One item I did enjoy was the wasabi roulette basically there was 6 pieces of sushi and one of them had a bunch of wasabi instead was fun seeing my friend get that and wash the spice down with the mini baby bottle in the middle of the plate with milk in it. Not sure if I would go again but it's near me so maybe to just meet up with friends. On another note the actual place itself is very pretty and the garden out door seating is nice a little awkward as you are facing the hotels rooms. read more

Hojoko - Sake bomb - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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

Came in expecting a lot of Hojoko but was underwhelmed. Got a last minute reservation and came in around opening time on a weekday. Chicken karaage - good app, wish there was a dipping sauce Spicy salmon roll - below average for a fairly simple roll, didn't taste fresh Funky chicken ramen - got this instead of the miso ramen after seeing reviews that the miso ramen was too salty. The broth to noodle ratio was very off and this was saved from being a flavorless dish because of the spicy relish I added Wagyu cheeseburger - enjoyed this! read more

Hojoko - Spicy Salmon Roll - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Went here with a friend because I kept seeing it on Instagram and their decor and food looked good. Hojoko is an Asian-fusion restaurant that focuses on small plates (definitely big emphasis on small plates). We made a reservation here and they checked us in. I thought it was a bit weird that they stamped our hands to indicate that we were of age when we checked in... but didn't think too much of it. Interior was quite nice, there was live music playing and the decor was fun. We ended up not being seated at a table, but right in front of the yakitori grill. Although I didn't request this, it was nice since we were able to watch the chefs in action, but it got very warm since we were close to the grill. We ended up sharing the BLT Okonomiyaki and Spicy Salmon Roll. These were okay. I've had better sushi and the Okonomiyaki was good, but a bit too dry. Although we had 6 pieces of the Spicy Salmon roll, the pieces were very tiny. I was surprised there wasn't spicy mayo included (or if there was, it wasn't enough). There were other interesting things we wanted to try as well, so if I come back here, I'll try those. For drinks, my friend got the Saturn and I got a Mai Tai. Both were very strong. I liked the Saturn quite a bit since it was refreshing. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Mai Tai personally since the almond was very overwhelming and I couldn't taste the other flavors. Service was also okay, our waitress was very kind and friendly, but she took a while to get to you. Once we were done with our food and drinks, we probably waited 25-30 minutes just to be able to pay. Overall, this place was decent, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was okay. The drinks were definitely creative and unique as well, so perhaps I'll try more drinks. read more

Hojoko - Spicy Salmon Roll - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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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

Service and atmosphere were great but the food quality was pretty disappointing. Chicken was burnt and not in a flavor-enhancing way, sushi was chewy and mildly fishy. Even the soy sauce tasted off. Oh well... read more

It was our first night in Boston and we were exploring the area and stumbled upon this place. At first, it didn't look as busy, however, they primarily seat people in the back of the restaurant, thus you won't really see people from the sidewalk at a first glance. We only ordered cocktails here, but they do have a food menu and a variety of sake to choose from. I really appreciated the Japanese nightlife atmosphere of this place - a really great vibe to sit and chat with friends. I ordered the mai tai, which was pretty good. It had a lot of ice in it, so it was actually not a lot to drink. My friends thought that the drinks they ordered were just okay. By the time we arrived at our car, my friend forgot his phone, so we FaceTimed it and the server actually answered it, which we thought was really funny. They had the phone already at the front desk waiting for us to pick it up. Thank you for your great service! read more

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We ordered the assorted pickled veggies. There were 3 kinds of pickled veggies all smooshed into a bowl and one tasted like fish. Then followed by the chopped salad with grilled chicken. The salad was so overdressed it was soggy and overpowering. The chicken still had the skin on it and was flavorless and fatty. Overall it was overpriced and incredibly disappointing. I left feeling hungry and unsatisfied. read more

So I've been here twice on different trips to Boston . 1st time I stayed at the verb hotel and got a small discount. I tried the shiitake mushroom tempura room both times. I swear it doesn't look appealing with the froth but trust me - it's so good. Warm and trufflly :) I also had the Wagyu cheeseburger and it is just heavenly. Cocktails are ok ... I've tried the GBA And the 5,6,7,8's. If you like tiki drinks - you will like the drinks hero also had the Japanese beer Sapporo. Both times I ate at the bar. Service was good- female bartender was nice. Took the karange chicken to go ... it was ok read more

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Food was served promptly, hot and fresh. Staff were personable, thoughtful, and professional. The dining area is large, but still cozy. read more

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If prices were lower or portions were bigger, I'd give more stars. In the end, we paid $230 for a meal with good flavors but lacking portions, and the ambiance doesn't really justify the price either. We had the two frozen cocktails, which came in absurdly small cups. Like little water cups. No fun tiki stuff here. The pina colada wasn't great. We also ordered: -The burger. Reminded me a lot of Shake Shack, which is delicious but not for $20 -Hamachi sashimi was good and very tender -Mushroom roll had extremely off putting presentation with the truffle foam and was too salty -Charred cauliflower was fine -Fried chicken was good but wish it came with a sauce because it was really dry -Lomo was delicious but an absurdly small portion for the price -Kim chi fried rice was really good, but took 40 mins to come out read more

Good food. Prices are high. Service is brutal though. I.e. they Forgot one of my party's entree - had to ask for it 2x and on 2nd time they said it would be 5 mins but the manager would be around to speak with us. Manager came around and reiterated it would be 5 mins. After 10 mins and (20) total mins late the burger came. Full charge. Won't be back, cool place though. read more

It was...okay...at best. Pretty pricey for what you get. Really limited options for the sushi rolls. Pivoted to the shrimp and pork gyoza and it was pretty good but four dumplings for $18 is pretty Ludacris. I could have a giant #13 from Jersey Mike's which is much more filling and more protein for the same price. My friend got the big eye tuna and it was four tiny super thinly cut pieces of flavorless tuna drenched in salty sauce for...again...$18. service was great, super friendly server, its just kinda ridiculous what they are charging for what you are getting. Much much more filling and affordable options in the area read more

The tuna rib was a must have, to die for. our server was super sweet, we'll be coming here for every birthday read more

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We came to Hojoko as our first meal out just days after moving to Boston and it did not disappoint. We started the meal with Sake Bombs, then moved along to the infamous Wasabi Roulette. Unfortunately I chose the winning roll, however the baby bottle of horchata did it's just and it was overall a super fun and memorable experience. The Karate Friend Chicken was our favorite thing on the menu, would recommend. The great food, ambiance and service made this an excellent experience! read more

Hojoko - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

5 for service, one for food. Service was terrific. Much-lauded burger was very disappointing. Ordered medium, came well done. Dry and flavorless. Would have sent it back but didn't have time to wait. Too much sauce, not sure if they even put the onions on. All in all, I would have preferred a fast food burger. Indeed, their burger is essentially a homage to the Big Mac, with its sesame seed bun and special sauce, but it is a pale imitation of the original. Comes with way too many mediocre, barely salted shoestring fries. I went out of my way to try this burger. 100% not worth it. read more

I am always in search for a great burger. Fancy burgers are great, but sometimes you just want a simple burger that you don't need to cut in half or use your entire life force just to press it down so that you don't have to dislocate your jaw just to take a bite like a python. When my extensive googling led me to Hojoko - I was honestly skeptical at first. Could I really find a great burger at a Japanese restaurant? My girlfriend and I decided to check it out. She does not like burgers, but I told her it was one of the best rated items so she also decided to try it. We were absolutely blown away with the first bite. First of all, it was small enough so that I could take a bit without having every piece of topping fall out of the burger which was a plus. It's very simple without a ton of stuff in it, but this is the case of where quality absolutely dominates quantity. The burger - even though it's relatively small and simple in display - was one of the best burgers I've ever had. Perfectly charred patty along with the right ratio of bun to everything else made every bite very memorable. We also tried couple of the other items every time we've gone back, but the burger is always a staple. The chicken tail is also very good with a very tender texture and great smoky taste from the yakitori grill. Anytime I am craving a burger - I know this is the only place I need to go read more

It's OK. Drinks solid. Service kind of slow. Food was hit or miss. Wings solid. Chicken tail meh. Brussel sprouts meh. Potstickers decent. 5% hospitality fee kind of ridiculous. Rather go to citizens oyster if I'm looking for dinner in that area read more

The restaurant itself was cool. It offered a fun atmosphere. I had the spicy miso ramen. It was not quite what I was expecting and I explained to the waitress that there was something in the soup that my throat wasn't agreeing with. I asked if I can get a small cup of regular miso broth to help dilute it. It was also the most salty ramen broth I have ever had in my life. She said sure and said if she places an order for it the additional broth would be faster than if she went to get it. She never offered to see if I would like to exchange for something else. So fine. The additional broth came. It was so salty I couldn't even drink it but she didn't care. When the bill came, she charged me $8 for the broth. Never once did she say there was a charge. If I had known, some hot water would have been good enough. This place is a rip from and they don't know how to take care of a customer. read more

The rating is only for their food. Spicy miso ramen was so so salty, to the point that it tasted bitter. And the audacity to charge $22 for that is astounding. We got 4 potsticker for $16, mediocre at best. If you want to know what 1-dimensional food tastes like, order the Cajun karaage chicken sandwich; it is utterly salty and spicy, yet you can't taste any flavor. Wow. read more

Made a late reservation for some small bites. Last order is at 9:30. We ordered 3 sashimis: basic tuna, the salmon sashimi, and the bigeye tuna sashimi. The dressed ones were both delicious! The basic tuna sashimi was also fantastic! Enjoyed the non alcoholic spicy margarita style cocktail with them. read more

Hojoko - Bigeye Tuna Sashimi and Tuna Sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Cool Asian Fusion restaurant outside of Fenway Park. The place was packed after the game. The service was phenomenal! Our waitress was very attentive and caring! We had a smorgasbord of items, drinks, sushi, noodles, and rice! Our favorites were the SHIITAKE MUSHROOM TEMPURA ROLL and the WASABI ROULETTE. If you are with friends and waiting to take a gamble of who gets the wasabi roll it's worth a try! I am a wasabi roulette survivor! So fun! read more

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Hojoko is the best! I was planning a work event in Boston from across the country, and I came across this place while looking for a cool spot in the Fenway area. I reached out to their events team, and it was a perfect match from the start! Meredith was extremely accommodating, friendly, and responsive. She worked with my budget to help me plan a flawless event. She made great recommendations and helped me choose the best options for everyone's dietary needs. Everything went off without a hitch! When I arrived to Hojoko the day of the event, I was so impressed - it was even cooler than it looks online. I love the fun, kitschy vibe. The private room in the front is stunning, with floor to ceiling windows. Louis was our server for the day, and he was so friendly and welcoming. My party had a few sushi platters, karaage bites, and salad. All plates got cleaned. I really felt at home here, and my guests loved it too. Hojoko will surely be my annual spot for when I host this event. Regardless of the event aspect, it's an awesome place to grab a bite or a drink. Fun, chill spot, really could work for any type of outing, with something for everyone! read more

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Had the salmon sashimi and the fries on the poolside patio during Porchfest. While the fries aren't my absolute favorite ever, they are nicely crispy and salted well. Bathroom: extra nice with actual hand towels, and is part of the adjacent hotel read more

Hojoko - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I was super excited to try this place. The menu looked amazing. As a group we ordered the chicken ramen, wagyu burger, nori taco, and the spicy chicken sandwich. The presentation was great, loved the dino (see the pictures). The chicken ramen was yummy, the egg was perfect, but overall too salty 6.5/10. The wagyu cheeseburger was good, loved the sauce and the pickles, but a pretty small portion 8/10. The nori taco was so cute, we tried the salmon. Presentation was a 10/10, but the flavor was just a little boring 7/10. Liked the little bag of French fries that came with the chicken sandwich, but lacking the flavor and possibly the bacon? 7/10 We also shared the cucumber avocado roll, which was good, but too thick. Other mentions: interesting buttermilk ranch, and fire dad tunes. Overall the restaurant gave diner vibes and a nice view of the pool, which was a bit odd given the Japanese cuisine. Good but not the best. I would give it 3.5 if I could. read more

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What in the actual....This definitely isnt authentic japanese food but I suppose if you want a fun / quirky bar, stop by for some .. interesting(?).. dishes. (Maybe there are other things on the menu that are a bit better???) i am just so shocked by how bad this was. After craving some sushi during traveling I stopped in for a bit of food. Was recommended a few things and ordered: Truffle froth with shiitake mushrooms roll ($25), it was atrocious... I have never physically gagged from food before. The truffle/lemon made the rice so soggy and was extremely overpowering. I tried multiple times to take bites and just couldn't. The okonomiyaki was also just incredibly sad... very thin and definitely a bit overcooked. Tasted very strongly of ginger. And very few other ingredients were inside. I will admit that the fried chicken was pretty good. I just don't think it was worth $30+ dollars for only being able to eat such a small portion of food. read more

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Been meaning to write a review for Hojoko to let management know that the 3% they add on to the bill needs to be made more visible on the menu. The text is tiny, unreadable. Like make it REALLLLY BIG so that people can read it and know it. I was really annoyed when I saw it on the bill. I don't like suprpises. I asked the server about it and her first reaction was "I can take it off. I've told management several times that they need to make it bigger." I am empathetic to the economic challenges of restaurants. If you want to add a charge for non-service people, I get it. Just be completely transparent OR raise your prices and let me know why prices are higher. Other than that, the food was rockin' and the service was hard working. Fun place for exotic drinks and intensely tasty food. read more

LOVE it. The vibe is really cool for day, can't wait to come back at night. Piper is such an awesome server! She recommended the Snow Crab California Roll, which is a must-have. The wasabi and soy sauce are made in-house (and I believe the pickled ginger is too because it was tasty af!) and complement the sushi so well. The Wagyu burger was so good! For a good drink, choose either the Mai Tai or PK Negroni, or make the wise decision of having them both! read more

When you enter Hojoko, it feels like you're at a Japanese nighttime market. The restaurant had good vibes, and the staff was very nice. I ordered the spicy miso ramen. It was really salty, which made it a bit difficult to enjoy. Aside from that, the flavor was still good. Fair warning with the spice level though, I can usually handle spicy foods pretty well, but this for some reason was a lot spicier than I expected. read more

Hojoko - Spicy Miso Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Not authentic or tasty but ok service. If you want good sushi do not come here. The nigiri is overpriced for the amount of fish and all the fish I tasted ( the hamachi and salmon) was fishy tasting and not fresh. I know what good nigiri tastes like this is not it. The avocado roll and california rolls were ok. The sweet potato tempura was really good. The miso soup was weird and had a taste that I have never tasted in miso soup. The server was attentive until we needed the check. The ambiance is probably the best thing about this restaurant. read more

We had the Wagyu burger, Brussel sprouts, and kimchi fried rice (forgot to take a pic). The Kimchi fried rice was disappointing because it looked SO good but it was super salty (I literally crunched on something super salty I thought it was literal salt cubes). The Wagyu burger and fries were solid but not fulfilling for sure and just tasted like a regular burger, so the price wasn't worth it for us. The french fries slapped though. PLEASE GET THE BRUSSEL SPROUTS! Super yummy I love the sauce and how they made it! The server was super nice and friendly. The vibes there really made the experience there better because it's very well designed! If possible, you should sit at the street side high tables on a nice day :) Overall, only one dish was disappointing but the rest were solid (a bit on the pricey end and portions were small), but I'll probs go back for other things to try! read more

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

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Interestingly connected a hotel, like literal opening to the hotel lobby right next to the front. Giant projection screen at the front playing Elf, love it. Apparently normally they play anime. First asked if we had a reservation, but it was fairly open, seated relatively shortly. Service was good. Expensive for what you get - while the spicy tuna was pretty good, the spicy salmon not so much. 6 pieces for $16 or $14, respectively. The Japanese whiskey cocktail was delicious though. Wife liked the frozen coffee cocktail in the pictures. So one drink each, 4 people, other couple got burger and shrimp toast, split bill in half was almost $75 per couple after tip. Not worth it, sorry. read more

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Food: 5/5 Drinks: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Staff: 2/5 You can't go wrong with any order; Karaage Chicken, Spicy Tuna Roll, Burger, and fries are favorites and always good. Wings are also a solid option. The only thing not making Hojoko a 5/5 is the staff, who are extremely friendly but constantly inattentive. read more

Last night was my first time going here and it was great! There was a short wait because of the red sox game going on at 7 but they have free Pac-man by the host stand so it barely felt like we had to wait. For drinks, I got the Tokyo tea and my friend got the saturn. The tokyo tea is very strong, but I will admit it was my first time trying one so I have nothing to compare it to. I still prefer a regular long island but this isn't bad if you want something strong/melony. My friend ordered the saturn which was a frozen citrusy gin drink and it was refreshing and tasted good. For food, we split the shrimp and pork potstickers which were really good but I do wish the sauce was a little more flavorful or spicy. I'd give these a 7.7/10. I got the kimchi fried rice which was AMAZING! It had high quality shrimp, big chunks of bacon (the thick good stuff not bacon bits), a fried egg, and a lot of kimchi and flavor. My friend got the mushroom roll and we both thought the flavors in it were so unique but delicious. Kimchi fried rice gets a 9.9/10 and the mushroom roll I would give a 9.6/10 because the froth was a little funky for me. The food, drinks, atmosphere, and service were all great! I wish I remembered my server but she was friendly and attentive. I will definitely be returning here soon! read more

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