I have been coming to JMK since it was located on Mulford road next to the old Highlander (now a schnucks). The one thing I love is the consistency over my 15 years of coming here the taste has always been the same. Now that I have moved, I try to come here every time I come to visit good old Rockford. The decor is great, but the bathrooms always seem to be beat up with graffiti or something is out of order. I hope Mas continues to poor money back into this place to keep it up to date so it doesnt go down hill. I have some many memories here that I will always make this a stop when I come home! I always get the surf and turf roll along with the Filet on the grill side. Lunch is discounted sushi too! Bar tenders have been around a long time too so the drinks are great! read more

JMK is a combination of superb FOOD, great SERVICE, and excellent MANAGEMENT! My favorite dishes are their Steak and Shrimp Combo Masa. Reasonable price, and great atmosphere for any occasion! Highly recommendable place for sushi lovers! A+++ read more

I really like their sushi bar then anything else. I'm not a fan of the hibachi style grill stuff. It's cute every once in a while, but the sushi bar I think is where it's at when you go to JMK. read more

Decor is far above average for Rockford. I primarily order sushi at Japanese restaurants and find JMK's to be middle of the road. If you can give up decor for taste, I prefer Shogun, at least for sushi. read more

I like JMK, and have come here over the years when in town from Chicago on business. My friends/co workers love the kareoke bar. Last night a group of us went and probably spent around $800 + on drinks/dinner. We also wanted to do Kareoke. We were the only people left in the restaurant sushi area and they said the machine was broken. They tried "fixing" it, and then just went away. Never really letting us know they couldnt fix it. We were wondering since we were the only table left if they just wanted to go home? Too bad, as we had more money to spend on drinks. Our server Megan was awesome and the Food was great as always, but def. disappointed in the non- working Kareoke machine as we came there especially to do that and celebrate a co-workers bday. read more

I went to JMK with a group of friends on a Wednesday night, and this place was hoppin'. We opted for the hibachi table, and had a lot of fun watching the cook perform. The tricks were stale and fewer than say...Benihana. The salmon was also pretty well cooked, not too raw, still leaving its natural flaky texture intact. However, I did think that the portion was on a smaller side for a meal. read more

As far as Japanese steakhouses go it was a good one, they put on a good show, the food was good..... Great place to take kids...

I went with my family. I liked how they cook in front of you. I enjoyed watching how they took an onion and made it into a volcano. We thought it was cool when the whole staff came out and sang happy birthday and brought out fresh fruit boat with umbrellas that we could take home. It was fun to watch them cook the egg and shrimp and catch the shrimp tail in their pocket. The food was really good and fun to watch it be cooked. There was definitely enough food. The chopsticks for the kids were awesome too! Overall, this restaurant deserves 5 stars! (my students helped write this review as we were learning the important things that go in a review) read more

The trusted name in Rockford Sushi. I love to eat in the sushi bar area. Airy high ceilings, north west daylight. I love to drink the saki. Great for groups. 12 people per teppanyaki grill. It's a fun way to eat. read more

The place is huge! We've been to several similar hibachi places like this before as our kids like the show and don't mind the food. I wouldn't give this place the highest marks on food as there wasn't as much served and it wasn't as tasty as others but the cook that we had was quite a showman and took extra time and care with our group which was made up of SIX kids and three adults! The birthday pineapple is different and fun. There is no kids menu on the weekend. read more

Wait staff was very friendly but not hovering, and that was nice. The sushi was just "ok" and probably deserves a grade of "C" (I mean, it was just "Ok" so anything more would be ludicrous. Amirite?). It is a nice place both inside and out! And I think you should check it out, if only to see how really beautiful it is inside. But as seems to happen quite a bit- the food goes downhill after the new digs go up. Meh. read more

We have been here several times and never been disappointed! The sushi and hibachi grill are fantastic. The prices are reasonable, too. Our favorite spot in Rockford! read more

I've eaten on both sides of the restaurant, and neither have impressed me. The food is OK, but by no means spectacular. I did not get sushi; SO did and said it was decent. The hibachi thing is not my thing, so take that as you will. It's way $$ for not a whole lot. The Asian food selection in Rockford is terrible and this place doesn't help. I usually drive to Madison or the suburbs, instead. Service was passable at best on "cafe" side and better on hibachi side. read more

Hands down JMK is one of the best in Rockford. The teppan tables are much like you'd expect, but the Masa Cafe side is awesome. Great sushi, traditional Japanese entrees, and more. My personal favorite is a bento box for lunch. read more

Just ate here for dinner tonight. Very impressed upon walking in! The parking lot was packed, but there was plenty of places to sit. So far, so good! We decide to sit on the cafe side so we can talk more. If it's not too hot, try eating outside. It looked beautiful from the corner we sat in. Our waitress was very good. Friendly, attentive. Lots of menu items to choose from. And you can still order off a different menu if you don't sit on that side. The food came out pretty quickly, despite how busy they were. My three star review comes from the food, sadly. I really wanted to love this place! There needed to be a lot more sauces/seasoning used on the food. :( My parents both liked their meals, but mine just wasn't very good quality. Biggest frustration is that they don't tell you the hibachi veggies and fried rice are cooked with mushrooms. I don't like eating anything with mushrooms, and it makes it difficult to eat around them when they're in the fried rice. I ordered the sesame chicken hibachi entree. There was no sauce on the veggies or chicken, like I'm used to. It tasted like a meal I'd cook at home, instead of one prepared by a chef. :/ I don't know if it's because I ordered the hibachi meal from the sushi cafe or not, but I'm used to hibachi meals having teriyaki incorporated into the cooking process. The sauces they give you to dip your food in are also different. They're good, though! Their sushi is just so-so. I ordered the Manhattan roll. It was flavorless and soggy. No one at the table wanted more than one piece, and it came with 12 large pieces! It was a shame it didn't taste good! My mother really enjoyed the Garden roll and the avocado cucumber roll. I believe my dad liked his California roll and tuna roll. He also got a teriyaki beef entrée from the cafe side. It looked better than my hibachi meal. :( If I come here again, I'll know not to order hibachi. The traditional Japanese entrées on the cafe side are probably better. read more

For 30 year I have been going to JMK. Tonight was by far the worst experience I have had there or any where for that matter. Had a reservation at 7:30 was seated at 8:15. Plates were dirty at the table and "hot" towels were cold. Service was slow and the cook was obviously new but none the less did a great job. The general atmosphere was negative as one couple had been waiting for 2 hours past their reservation and another family of 5 (3 small children) could not wait any longer and left to go eat at culvers! read more

I've eaten in Japanese restaurants all over the world, and I believe this is the best I've had. I wasn't super hungry, so I merely ordered the house salad with ginger dressing, eel/avocado roll, and vegetable tempura. All three were simply magnificent, even better than the food I had in Osaka in 2004 and 2005. The atmosphere can't be beat, either. Also, my entire meal came to only $13.00. I will be back AGAIN AND AGAIN! read more

My wife ordered veg fried rice and was charged extra for vegs you could see. My dad had the Sea Bass and it was the texture of pork. Not worth it read more

From their website "Midwest's Finest Japanese Restaruant" Their saying so does not make it so! If you have been to Ron of Japan in Chicago or Northbrook, Illinois you know it is not true, and, there is a better choice in Rockford also. I have only eaten on the habachi side of the restaurant so this review excludes anything regarding the sushi side. The quality of their service runs from barely O.K. to rude and almost offensive. Management is insensitive to customer input and they are arrogant. The soup is thin and borders on being tasteless which sets the tone for the rest of the meal, bland and boring. Given this joint three tries and it seems to be getting worse. read more

One of the best restaurants in Rockford! Never disappointed, whether we eat on the Grill side or the Cafe side! Sushi is awesome and also the Mai-tais! read more

Took a girl on a first date to this place. We arrived early and were promptly seated at the bar. The bartender offered complimentary house drinks, which was a Mai Tai. When the staff was ready to serve dinner we were seated at a Hibachi grill and the service, which was a dinner for two and a sushi roll were excellent. Saki was served hot. The decor, the staff, the food, everything was better than expected and the price was reasonable. Waiting to go again soon! read more

I went there last night with a few family members. Food was good. I used the restroom before leaving. I wish I had done that before eating. I would have walked out right then. The floor was all wet and paper all over. There was no toilet paper (happens I understand). Tried to wash my hands and all soap dispensers were empty. Both paper towel holders were empty. Worst bathroom I have ever been in. It was very disappointing. A nice looking restaurant but if you can't clean what the public see like the bathroom, how is the kitchen? How can employees wash hands? I will not be returning. read more

Food is pretty good. Fun atmosphere in the hibachi grill. The onion soup is pretty tasty, as well as the super white tuna! I went here with my girlfriends and we all had a great time. read more

Loved this place! I am not a big fan of corporate restaurants, so when I found this in the area on vacation I was excited to check it out. The place is beautiful. Glad we made a reservation, packed on a Thursday. I however did not like that on the grill the chicken was a mix of white meat and dark meat. But overall a very good experience. read more

This is my family's favorite restaurant. We have had hibachi meals in several different cities, and definitely love the food here the best! Try the scallops; they are phenomenal! We always have A+ service. read more

I took my daughter and her boyfriend for lunch the other day. Even at lunch, the Teppan grill was fabulous and showy. The food was superb, and a warm respite on a cold, snowy day. read more

Perfect date night! The ambiance is awesome and the food was delicious. I was very impressed. There were only two of us so we were seated rather quickly but it seems larger groups should make a reservation-the place was packed on a Sunday evening. Prices were very fair, $37 for lobster tail and filet mignon which came with soup, salad, vegetables & rice. (The menu indicated our meals included ice cream for dessert but we didn't get that not sure why & only thought of it well after the fact) Cocktails were around $5-7 which is seriously cheap imo. We'll return for sure! Also, it seemed like the owner was walking the floor, greeting regular customers with a smile which I thought was very nice. Definitely a place to check out! read more

They are always so entertaining on the grill side and the sushi bar never disappoints. Absolutely love the food! I tell everyone to come here for the highest quality sushi! Love it! read more

The sushi is so good here! From the shrimp shumai to the Osaka roll; everything was amazing! Anytime my husband want sushi, we come here.

Pretty trendy for Rockford. Great atmosphere, pretty good sushi.

Awesome sushi&sushimi drinks are great! Wonderful garden atmosphere. There is a side for "grill top" chief cooking. This place isn't a pass-by.. It is a must try! read more

Always liked their sushi but last time we were their they tried to charge us for an extra plate so our 2 year old could share with my husband and I. Great place to have a birthday! read more

It's just alright. If you like sushi go to hachi hachi or spider. Food is just as good at lower price. I don't care for the show or getting food thrown at me so I can catch it in my mouth like a dog. If you are into that sort of thing you will like it here. I go to the side without the grill show. Service is ok. There was an old guy (employee) with an annoying voice reaching over me to pass things to the table next to us. He then stood next to our table for a good ten minutes while we ate. Awkward. While JMK is good, there are better options for this kind of food in Rockford. read more

Don't believe the "this is American-Japanese food so it's only OK" sentiment. It's Japanese food. And it's good Japanese food. I'm Japanese, my dad is Japanese, my family is Japanese...we've all eaten in Japan for many, many years. It's Japanese food. It might not be Californian Japanese food but it's authentic. Go there, enjoy it. also, it's not on the menu but they do serve buckwheat soba. read more

JMK Nippon is my absolute favorite restaurant in Rockford. The decor is fantastic and the food is incredible. You have a choice of eating on the teppan side where the food is cooked in front of you or the sushi cafe where you can still order the teppan style dinners in addition to a huge array of sushi and bento dinners. The staff is top notch and always makes you feel welcome. There is also a popular bar area and a private room available for groups. You'll never have a bad meal here. read more

Best restaurant ever! Great family-owned business by some of the kindest people. No matter where I sit in the restaurant I'm in my own world - no outside distractions. This is a perfect place for families, dates and parties. The atmosphere is completely inviting with the way they sing for bday celebrations and/or cook in front of you. Never once have I had a bad chef. 100% amazing. Everytime my family talks about going out JMK is on our list of discussion. The place is so great that I don't even need to comment on the food. OUTSTANDING! read more

very good! this is the best katsudon I ate after comecto USA. and the service very nice. I will back tmr to test something else read more

JMK Nippon - katsudon - Japanese Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

Always been a favorite. Delicious and fun. Beautiful inside and out. My only complaint would be slightly overpriced. Two people should not have a $100 bill before tip. Favorite chef would be Ruben. We've always requested him because he's so outstanding. read more

The fact that this establishment only has 3 and 1/2 stars is horrible! This is by far the best Japanese food I have ever had! The mustard sauce is to die for and mixes well with the perfectly cooked steak, shrimp, chicken, and fried rice! The show that the chefs put on while cooking right in front of you is wonderful as well. Do yourself a favor and visit this place! read more

wow terrible where do i begin. order sushi as and appetizer and it comes the same time as my main meal which wasn't what me or my wife ordered. the meals that we both ordered and the ones we actually recieved all came with soup and salad so you would think we would have got soup and salad but nope no soup, no salad. had to ask for it at the end to get it to go and got home and went to eat it and it was nasty not the soup and salad I'm used to getting from there. haven't been there in a while because haven't been having good experience lately and this just sealed it we will not be back! read more