I went on a very random drive with a friend and we opted to take a chance on a restaurant that we have never seen before and never knew of, just for fun. We were driving and veered right sharply when we saw the bright lights indicating "Hibachi". Why not? The restaurant was actually quite busy. It was about 8pm when we got there. Most of the grills (group seating/communal seats around each hibachi grill) had at least 2 people there, or more. We were sat at a grill with another couple and 3 others. The hibachi cook was very fun and entertaining - remember, 50% of what you go to Hibachi places for the "show" with your dinner. In the middle of a random area in Essex, we did not go to this restaurant with high expectations on the food. But we were excited to see if they might surprise us. The food was good, and the portions were excellent. The service was very attentive. The 3 stars are for the quality of the meal. The steak was a little too overcooked, which is fine, but I also found that the stir-fried yaki noodles were too abundant in oil. The flavor was good, and the cook keeps a squeeze bottle of sauces, water, and one with sake. Throughout the meal, he would set things in an exciting fire, and he would also squirt shots of sake into the guests mouths! That was actually quite entertaining (and delicious!). This Hibachi restaurant actually doesn't do too bad with sushi. We ordered a small sushi/sashimi platter, and the quality wasn't bad, but it wasn't excellent. It was the usual stuff you get in the Baltimore area... which doesn't come with excellent sushi/sashimi options. Not sure I'd ever go back here, but if I ever drove by again, I wouldn't have a problem eating here again! Go and have fun though! read more

Food was good and lots of it. Staff was friendly and fun. Fun for a birthday with entertainment.

I came here after seeing their commercial and was completely wowed by the ambiance. The Mrs. is a fan of Kobe but I ain't a fan of what they do to my wallet! So what Kabuto advertised 2 for $30 I was SOLD! For the same food (great), service, and amazing venue; I payed well overhalf of what we would at Kobe-usually $70-80 for the both of us. I'll mos def be back read more

Great customer service with good food. We were seated quickly on a Saturday evening. However, the place needed some cleaning around the floor. read more

Amazing food & sushi options awesome happy hour drink & appetizer specials. The sushi is phenomenal with lots of different options to choose from my new fav spot would def recommend to all! read more

Kabuto - Love the decor - Japanese Near Me - Essex, Maryland

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This is by far my favorite sushi place. The sushi is phenomenal, presentation is exquisite, prices are fair, and ambiance is wonderful. It's a bit noisy due to the fact it's a hibachi grill, but the decor is spectacular. The ceiling glistens like stars in the sky. The bar has a colorful light display to match the wavy, color changing wall. This would a great place for a first date! 5 stars, must try!!!!! read more

Kabuto - It tastes as good as it looks, I promise! Top left to lower right - Spider roll, Incredible Hulk roll, Baltimore roll. YUM. - Japanese Near Me - Essex, Maryland

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Good god, this place has gone downhill. Won't be coming back. Used to be the better of the hibachi places in the area.

Loved it! Osh is the best hibachi chef! Service is awesome. Portion size for hibachi is great food was well prepared, tasty and entertaining! Had the steak & lobster combo and hot sake! Sushi our table mates had looked beautiful. Can't wait to try it! Will be back soon. The ambiance is great. Very nice decor. Can't wait to take the kids! read more

Kabuto - Osh the hibachi god! - Japanese Near Me - Essex, Maryland

There are a lot of reviews saying this place has bad service. Let me straighten this out. Its new, they are under staffed, and it takes TIME for a new business to figure out how much staff they need for different times of day. I came here not believing the reviews and I am glad I did. I thought the young man tending bar war very friendly, kept my drink filled and was very versed on the bar. I sat at the sushi bar and the sushi is prepared at the end where you can see it done fresh. Very pleasent looking and very tasty. For 11$ I got a salmon roll and 9 pieces of sushi.Also miso soup and a salad. Thats one hell of a deal for a place that looks like this. Bring a date here and spend 1/3 of other places and impress them with this place! Definitely two thumbs up! Most dont let you know but they close from 3 to 4 for employee lunch. Great idea to keep staff happy! read more

Love the Pearl River roll! My boyfriend and I are obsessed with the food. The spicy mayo is really good!

Very nice atmosphere. Their avocados were, however, underripe, thus making their sushi less palatable. Friendly staff, and little to no wait time during lunch hours. read more

We just tried Kabuto for the first time tonight and it was absolutely amazing! I ordered the Sushi Sampler for an appetizer and a speciality roll for dinner. Fabulous! My wife ordered the Hibachi steak which comes with fried (or white) rice, noodles, vegetables, salad, and soup. We cannot stop raving about how delicious everything was. I also dabbled into her food and agree. The ambience is very trendy/modern and once you are inside, you feel like you are in a completely different town (I am from Essex). Service was fast and the manager (Dave) was very approachable and super friendly and we spoke at length about the restaurant. The only gripe is that it took a long while to get the tab, but everything else was hands down amazing. Go here! read more

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after I ate a good portion of the food I still had more than half to take home. Two people eat steak shrimp chicken salad and soup for $30 Monday thru Thursday!! better than Kobe!I am totally satisfied! I'm gonna have an awesome lunch/ dinner tomorrow! This is just as good if not better than Kobe!! So much food for such a great price! Both me and my husband took home the same amount. Drinks are great and they are priced reasonably. I typically spend $30 for just myself at Kobe.. We spent $30 for both me and my husband! Great customer service and friendly staff!! They put on a great show!! I rode past this place a million times and never stopped in. I'm glad I did!! I will definitely be back soon!! read more

Kabuto - Lemon drop martini and Tokyo tea - Japanese Near Me - Essex, Maryland

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DE~LIC~IOUS. Been going to other Japanese Steakhouses for years, and this one just wowed me from the moment you walk in. Staff was extra nice, even pulled out are chairs for us, which is a nice touch. Cook was engaging and funny. Portions were on par with what one would expect. Prices are around typical Japanese Steakhouse, so come prepared to spend. I promise it'll be well worth it. read more

I enjoyed this place. The service was good, and quick, and their lunch menu options were great! I would definitely come back. I ordered a chicken teriyaki bento, and it was honestly the best chicken teriyaki I have had around here. read more

food was not fresh. Very expensive. I recommend Kobe Japanese in white marsh. Food is authentic and reasonably priced. The chefs they use have personality and speak clearly. This restaurant has poor communication. read more

Three of us dined here and enjoyed the fine performance by the chef. That's about where the enjoyment ended. The trainee waitress poured me a beer from six inches above the glass creating a Niagra Falls all over the stove top. Sorry to say they didn't offer me another. Drop one star. All three of us ordered the habachi chicken. I might be an old bird, but I don't like being served an old bird. The chicken was tough and there was lots of it. Drop another star. If you like sake you'll be surprised to get a stream of it squirted into your mouth from a distance of about three feet. Quite a feat for the chef, but make sure your mouth is wide open or you'll get it all over your face. The floor was sticky around the eating area. Maybe that was from previous Niagra Falls or sake streams. Plenty of food for the money, but quality was lacking. read more

This is my 10th visit there, I have ate in the dinning area, the bar and at the hibachi on many different occasions and I must say how wonderful each visit has been. First of all, the interior of this place is beautiful, the food is always tastefully good. The service was wonderful as usual!! I highly recommend this restaurant for future patrons!!! And a special shout out to Jason ,the bartender for his excellent drinks, service and recommendations!!! read more

Great Sushi and The hibachi is delicious. Nice atmosphere. The service isn't always great, and it's normally freezing in there. But the food is good. read more

Go for the Hibachi - affordable, quick, and delicious! No wait when we got there, and the staff was friendly. Not so sure about the Sushi at this place - we had the "Sushi Appetizer" which was a bit disappointing, but oh well - not what we came for, not what we'd go back for. read more

Decent food, not better than Kobe's. Chef has bottle of sake that he passed around- that was different & better than Kobes Drinks were good. 2 for $30 deal- lots of meat, less rice & noodles Basically everything you get at a regular hibachi but for a better price Would go back for that deal & happy hour read more

Please note: this rating has been dramatically affected by the glacially slow service we received. We called ahead for an 8 PM reservation, last night. We showed up at 7:50, and were seated at a hibachi table at about 8:05 PM. Then we sat for about 25 minutes before they came to get our orders. They may have taken our drink orders at some point along the way before then, but the drinks didn't show up until 8:40 or so. Due to the late hour, we were famished. We thought we'd order a sushi roll (Philadelphia roll, as we had a guest who hadn't tried sushi before) and a spring roll as appetizers in order to get something to eat ASAP. They didn't show up until after the chef had been at his job for a solid fifteen minutes. The chef, when he showed up (maybe 8:50 PM), was skilled and fun. He did have a pretty over-the-top shtick about giving adults sake by shooting it at them directly into their mouths, and when the kids wanted to join in he had a water bottle for the job. He would keep going until you were about 5 seconds past wanting it to stop. It's a good thing I wore a shirt I didn't care much about. The food was good. I really don't have any complaints there. When it started coming it pretty much all came in a rush. I had the steak from the grill (rare), and fried rice (which is always great at hibachi), some fried veggies and of course the mid-meal appetizers. The miso soup was legitimately tasty. The iceberg lettuce salad with peanut sauce was fresh and crispy, though standard. The spring roll was good, even if it was unreasonably late. The Philadelphia roll was a Philadelphia roll, but had nice presentation. The decor here is somewhere between kitschy and chic. It's certainly flashy, particularly in the front room/bar area, with holes cut in the ceiling to leak light that looks like stars. The hibachi thing is basically the same wherever you go, whether it's Benihana, Arigato, or Kabuto. It's variations on a theme. For me, while the food was perfectly fine, here, the overriding theme was that I showed up hungry and didn't get fed for an hour, and that's just not good enough. read more

I came here on a busy Saturday night, prime dinner hours 8pm. The stars must have been aligned in my favor, because I walked right up to the bar and 2 seats were there available to me and my good friend. As I walked over to the empty seats I over heard a man say " I had a 6:45 reservation, its now 8 o'clock..." WOW I would have been pissed! Oh well Im a grown up so therefore I can shimmy to the bar and eat drink and be merry without the wait. I will say if I do decide to come back I will get there before 5 or after 8:30 that seems to be the rush hour traffic of the restaurant. The place is gorgeous! color changing ambient lighting LED lights in the ceiling making it look like a starry night koi pond running from the vestibule to the bar. I ordered the Mai C which is a 3 roll combination that is actual quite filling, for $17 dollars you receive Miso soup (my fav) small salad and the rolls, I had the Shrimp tempura, Dragon and California roll all the very delicious. I couldn't finish them all..... correction I could have but the fried cheesecake was calling my name and I had to answer. Lawwwddd have mercy that cheesecake was sooooo good, It is encrusted with a light tempura batter. The cheesecake is warm and rich. I loved SERIOUSLY enjoyed my meal, plus great conversation from our bartenders and a few patrons. I almsot forgot about the drinks, how am I going to sit at the bar and not talk about the well crafted drinks I received. I had the mango mojito and the Tokyo tea. I usually shy aware from mojitos because I tend to have bad luck with the ratios. I hate stiff drinks if I want cough syrup then I would drink it. However here that was not the case. My drinks were fantastic especially my mojito. Check this place out, I dont think you will be disappointed. read more

Kabuto - Maki C - Japanese Near Me - Essex, Maryland

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Food: Similar to Kobe's in White Marsh but doesn't quite hit the spot as well as Kobe's. Although they do offer a "Dinner for 2" special that can't be found on the menu (chicken, steak, shrimp) w/all the fixings for two people for like $33. Atmosphere: I just love the bar vibe. Whomever renovated the establishment went above and beyond to create a unique experience. Kobe's - well it's more of a traditional environment. Service: Compared to other places I've been to, such as Kobe's... I think the service is here is above par. They are constantly filling your drinks and running around to make sure that all of their customers are taken care of. In comparison, I think Kobe's and Kabuto have similar qualities. I've never had an issue grabbing a seat at Kabuto and I think they're prices are super reasonable... so I would probably find myself venturing here more than Kobe's. read more

They made my adult son's birthday special. Would go here for any occasion. Food, decor, staff all great!

Never judge a book by its cover! That can be said about Kabuto. From the moment you walk in the front door you will be pleasingly surprised by the decor. The koi fish pond and pebble stream invite you to what will surely be a memorable dining experience. This hibachi grill is comparable to Kobe steak house. Although Kabuto has an enormous amount of space in the general dining room plus additional private party rooms. The bar is crisp and modern with a wonderful wall of lighting that color shifts. The food was wonderful and the portions ENORMOUS! I ordered the shrimp hibachi with an order of shrimp tempura. I'm pretty sure I took more food home then I ate there. The staff was pleasant, professional and more then accommodating to our specific requests. read more

Kabuto - Beautiful! This place has large open rooms with sharp clean lines and a magnificent cherry blossom tile mural! - Japanese Near Me - Essex, Maryland

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Excellent food and lovely entertainment. The show was so nice. The staff was so friendly they let us being in a cake too celebrate a birthday. read more

The closest sushi place to Essex and middle river. We do mostly take out and the roll size is not as big and abundant as Sushi Hana, but they're good. The special rolls are tasty. We like the volcano roll and the American Dream roll. My husband and I will spend $50 on takeout for 7 or so rolls. We haven't done hibachi so can't rate that section of the restaurant. We heard they have good happy hr specials too. read more

If you are looking looking for An Amazing Japanese Steak House look no further this is your Place. Better than the Chain Kobe... the hibachi Style meals are always very flavorful and the rice is very tender. The Yum Yum sauce is Yum Yum and the ginger Sauce is just as good!!! I always share this experience with my friends and family because not only is the food good but it is an amazing dining experience. The drinks are good too. I ordered the Hibachi Lobster and Shrimp. The lobster was cooked to perfection Very Tender and Juicy... Im always impressed. read more

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This was our first time coming here. I love it. The drinks are great and make sure you came during Happy Hour for better prices. The Mango martini and Kabuto Peach is amazing. The Mali rolls left me in awe they were well made and has me wanting more. The Pearl River Roll is my new favorite. This Japanese Steakhouse offers a very nice ambience for any time of day or night. I highly recommend this establishment to my family, friends, and of my Yelp friends! read more

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I have been to Kabuto on two occasions. My first visit was the day after the establishment received their liquor license and the only alcohol that they had was beer. I looked beyond that disappointment because the sushi and hibachi were amazing. The chef was very entertaining. My second visit was on 11/2/13 at 1:00 pm. There are not enough servers for the size of the restaurant. I ordered hot sake and again I was told that they did not have any. I ordered a vodka and orange juice instead, but the server didn't understand what I requested and brought me straight vodka in a glass. Once I explained that I wanted orange juice, the drink was fixed and it was fine. I ordered a sushi roll but I never received it. The hibachi is delicious so I am really pulling for Kabuto. After two visits it is obvious that Kabuto needs a larger staff that can provide prompter service. They also need sake!!! read more

Kabuto - Blue Moon with oranges - Japanese Near Me - Essex, Maryland

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Food was excellent! But the service sucked!!! Our food sat on the sushi bar for 10 minutes before our waiter brought it over. He never came by to see how everything was, or else he would have realized my husband was without a beer refill for 25 minutes! We love this place, but after this visit we will not be back for awhile. read more

I love these kind of places and have been visiting Kobe for years. I tried this place today and I really enjoyed the atmosphere, and of course the food. I got the chicken fried rice and it was AMAZING. The chicken was lean and cooked well and the rice wasn't oily, greasy, or over fried. It was still fluffy and had great flavor. I will visit this place again. read more

Kabuto - Chicken Fried Rice. - Japanese Near Me - Essex, Maryland

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Kabuto has the best Japanese food! Whether you order to go or at the hibachi table, their food is always good and like two times as much as you can eat! Basically have two meals. Definitely worth the money! read more

The hospitality were really kind. Perfect for big groups and birthdays. The hibachi is very inexpensive and the drinks are very strong. Majority of my group had the chicken hibachi. The food was alright. read more

Ordered take-out which took over an hour to get and when we complained, there was no sympathy about the long wait at all. Ambience of the restaurant is modern with lots of neon lights. The little koi pond is cute. Food was edible. read more

Excellent food and service. Staff is very entertaining while cooking your food. The cooks interact with the kids too and keeps them engaged.

The food was really good and the service was good but the cook for hibachi was so inexperienced and didn't try to lighten up the mood of our table. He didn't know what he was doing. Also, the meat and seafood was touching on the hibachi stove which was disgusting especially if you don't eat meat. I really think this restaurant needs to change the seating for 4 people per table or something like that because it was really awkward sitting with your family and random strangers because you're all just staring at each other. read more

Great decor!! Came here on a Tuesday night and there was surprisingly a wait. The food was really good and the prices were great. I got the chicken & shrimp hibachi and it same with fried rice, noodles, mushroom soup and salad. It definitely filled me up and I had leftovers. Our chef wasn't that entertaining. I'm guessing they gage the customers and see if they want a show. But we were looking forward to it and didn't get much besides the fire, volcano onions and knife tricks. Overall good experience. 4 stars for the food !! read more

Went for lunch today and I must say I was pretty impressed. Most folks in the area will want to know a comparison to the leader of the pack Kobe in White Marsh. I'll give Kobe and edge in a few spots. But I'll give Kabuto the edge in a few others. Kobe still has the best fried rice I think. And their food tastes a little bit better. Kabuto is still very good. And I'll give them their due. Their menu is much more expansive. And you have more options in the Hibachi Combo. Also, the decor is great. And they have a great bar. It's not just a bar to get a drink while you wait for a table. I could see stopping there to meet friends for drinks. My wife ordered the Scorpion Bowl for 2. She assumed it would be the equivalent of 2 drinks. More like 2 drinks for 2 people. And it was only $12. Definitely a good deal. This may be my new go to hibachi place. read more