We've always gone here on Mother's Day for dinner. Prices are high but food was good and show always has been good. Getting take out and paying same high prices was not attractive but it was Mother's Day so we tried it. Food we got was good but not special and not worth the high prices (over $100 for 4 people). Guess it's much better when it's fresh off the grill. Could've gone to NC Japan and gotten decent hibachi for 1/3 of that price. They appear to be living off past reputation and the entertainment value. Well with no dine in option, the prices should be lowered. Shouldn't be paying for average food with no entertainment. I know it's not their fault but they should adjust like we all are having too. Not going back here anytime soon, if ever. read more

Love their fried sushi love their sushi. Best service ever love Crabtree comes with soup and salad wake Forest Road does not

I prefer ordering to go sometimes for either lunch or dinner, I've eaten in a few times as well. They can get pretty crowded on the weekends, the place is not as big and often people have to wait for larger groups. Overall I like their sushi the most:) read more

Good hibachi style menu where the food is made in front of you. We were seated immediately, I was surprised because it was a busy Saturday evening. Our waiter (Jeremy?) was very attentive and kind. The chef was awesome, especially with the kids at our table. Great presentation skills! The food was hot and fresh. I gave 4 instead of 5 stars because I felt that the grill area was dirty with food pieces (perhaps from the previous party), and could have been cleaned by the previous chef. Overall a good experience. read more

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Ordered take out on a whim for my husband and I..... 80$ worth of food and we had somewhat reasonable expectations. unfortunately the food was the wrong order, cold, and lack luster. I ordered steak and got salmon. No egg or veggie in the fried rice. Random fried sides instead of edeme. Saddest 24$ hibachi plate I've ever seen read more

Kanki - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This place isn't so great. I came in today and the hostess seem to hate their jobs. I was in the bar area and the hostess area was nearby. They talked about guest and just wasn't professional. The sushi was alright, but be aware that it make some time to receive food if you're in the bar area. I enjoy the Kanki food chain, but if you ever want to visit, then I advise you go to the one at Crabtree Valley Mall. The quality of staff and food is so much better over there. read more

Just drove all the way over here for a birthday lunch for my son check the website before we headed out. Their website says they're open from 11:30 to 8:30 continuously we walked in at 2:30 and were told that they are closed until 430. Very disappointing - please update your website to reflect accurate information - #GasShortage read more

Not to long of than wait.. Very delicious food! Waiters were great and we will definitely will be back soon

First off, we had 6pm reservations and took over 30 minutes to get seated. We were only a party of 4. Second, a party of 8 that had incorrect reservations were seated before us. That party of 8 came in the same time as us and said they had 6pm reservations but Kanki told them they had them down for 6:30. Why did they get seated before us? I continuously asked the front ladies the status of my table and kept being told were waiting on a chef. What's the point of reservations if the chef isn't even available. I had high hopes for this place but was disappointed by the customer service and lack of attention. read more

My roommate and I frequent this restaurant and we usually love it, which is why I gave 3 stars instead of 1. Every other time we have come here it's usually super busy and the service is amazing. Today, I have no idea what was going on. We were the only table seated at the bar, except another couple that was already heading out. Our food came super quick, which was great, but my roommates roll tasted and felt as if it had been sitting in the cooler for hours. My roll was fine. Customer service was not up to par, didn't even get greeted at the door when we got there, nor did they say anything when we left. Overall the experience was the worst we have ever had at this particular location. Maybe it was a bad night, but I've worked in the restaurant industry for years and have never treated my clients the way we were treated tonight. read more

Went on an outing with family. There was a reservation made for 6:00 and everyone was on time and we still waited until about 6:45 to be seated. Once seated we didn't order until 7:30. I ordered a drink and never received it. Food was as expected. Nevertheless I understand a place can become busy. I didn't expect a 6:00 pm reservation to last till after 9:00 pm. read more

Kanki - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Staff is unfriendly , very unprofessional! No customer service skills whatsoever. Manager and host were laughing and joking as I stood there waiting to be helped . No I contact , very standoffish. read more

My wife chose Kanki for her birthday dinner last night. She loves hibachi and we've been to Kanki several times. There was a wait so we had a drink at the bar but it wasn't long before we were seated. We started with a Spiral Ecstacy roll. It was very disappointing. It looked like it was made the day before. The fish was dry on the surface and the rice had the consistency of plaster. And to make matters worse, the waiter asked if we wanted soy sauce but never brought it. What a waste. I ordered the chicken & salmon hibachi and my wife the filet mignon hibachi. The soup and salad that comes before was unimpressive and uninspiring. But it picked up from there. The chef was great, the meats were very good quality and the portions were huge. My wife loved her beef. We really enjoyed that portion of the meal. I would definitely go back but I would definitely not order sushi again. read more

I've came on several occasions however this particular visit was a absolute nightmare! The hostess continuously mislead us on our wait time. And then they could not keep up with our orders. The waiter forgot to bring our my libation which I truly needed. Probably won't return. read more

Went last night with 3 others to Kanki expecting a great time. Sat in the Bar, ordered drinks and specifically asked the waitress to get our drinks and appitizers before the entrees. I ordered sashimi with double hot sakai. Their drinks came out but not mine. Then the appitizers came out but no sashimi. Then before they could even start on the appitizers (still no sashimi), the salads and miso soup came still no sashimi. Then the entrees arrived for all and the table was covered with dishes. Still no sashimi. After another 5-10 minutes sashimi arrived but no Soy sauce or chop sticks. Everyone was eating their entrees and finally the soysauce arrived, but there was very little wasabi and I aske for more. After waiting 10 min. I got up and went to the souchi bar. the waitress saw me coming and rushed to get some. I as a guest should not be trying to find food. I had my sashimi and it was very good. Everyone else was finished with their entree before I even started. Even had to go get more white sauce. I do not know if anyone asked about dessert and it took 15- 20min. to get our tab. Coming to Kankis is suppose to be a fun time. However it felt as if we were trying to be rushed out so the next people could be pushed through. Not sure if I will be back read more

Do yourself a favor and go to the Crabtree location until their renovation is over. Although it's just an eye sore, the bathroom situation is atrocious. One person per bathroom - exposed beams and it's not well kept. My nephew scratched his arm on the side of the wall. The food was good. Hibachi is hibachi - in my opinion this may be a bit over priced for what it is. You get a lot of food, but two of us had a hibachi meal and each one drink and with tip spent over $90! I actually prefer their sushi if you like sushi. I love that you can get most rolls as a half. If you're like me, you want to try two or three rolls but can't eat 3 rolls on your own so this is perfect. Looking forward to after the remodel - but I do hope they get their bathrooms done sooner than everything else. read more

I was really looking forward to this. It was my mother's 80th birthday, and we hadn't been to Kanki in a really long time. We had a reservation for 9 at a hibachi table. Normally we go to the Crabtree location but this location was more centrally located to where we all were driving in from. When we checked in, the lady at the front had us follow her to the back. Halfway through the dining room, she turns around and says we need to go back to the front, that she didn't realize how big our party was (we had a reservation and we checked in with her, so...) and they needed to clean another table for us. I don't know what that was all about, but we ended up standing in a corner by the bathrooms for a good 10 minutes before anyone approached us again. I was about to go find someone when another lady came up to us and asked how she could help. We told her we were just waiting on our table and were told it was being cleaned. She checked at the hostess station and the original lady said (we were within earshot so we could hear her clearly), "Oh yeah, their table's ready." Alright. We get seated. We order drinks and apps. I ordered sushi. Hibachi orders are taken. Apps start arriving, and the guy who took our orders says he'll bring me some chopsticks. I also asked for additional napkins. They'd only given us 1 bag (1 plastic fork and knife, 1 napkin, salt and pepper packet) per person. I waited and waited, while other things like soup and salad were served and eaten. Still no chopsticks or napkins. Bowls and plates were piling up and leaving very little room in front of us. Our hibachi chef shows up and the first thing he says is a comment about all the plates and bowls, and apologizes for what a mess the table is. He bussed the table then noticed that I hadn't touched my sushi. He goes and gets chopsticks for me. I was finally able to eat my sushi but it felt rushed and I really wasn't able to enjoy it. Our hibachi chef was the only bright spot in the night. He was funny, had a great personality, joked around with my kids (5 & 10 yrs old). I never did get the extra napkins, which you need for a 5 yr old, but I honestly didn't want to ask the hibachi chef to go and get them. He had already gone above and beyond, so I went to the bathroom and got some paper towels. I cannot imagine a scenario when we would return to this particular location. read more

I've been here numerous times. One of my favorite sushi places, have not tried the hibachi though. Food is always great, the staff is pretty good (nothing to write home about). It does get pretty busy and wait time to be seated can get lengthy during peak times. read more

So disappointed in this place. Went with 4 adults and 3 kids that required high chairs. The woman that was taking names gave us the dirtiest look and said do the kids need high chairs? We said yea, it's going to be a hour wait then. The parking lot was fairly empty and there was only 2 people waiting. 2 large parties were exiting as we were coming in. It was a Tuesday at 6 pm. I said why such a long wait and she said well we have to take our reservations before you guys. But there was no one waiting. She literally just tried to have us not be there because we had children. So rude and disappointing, never going back to this place read more

My 9 year-old daughter and I had such a great time at the Wake Forest location. It was a fairly busy Friday evening around 8pm and there were parties waiting outside. We waited no longer than 15 min. Our chef was amazing and had such a warm personality but very entertaining. I had the Tsunami Seafood Hibachi dinner. The lobster, scallops and shrimp were cooked perfectly and tasted fresh. Honestly some of the best hibachi I've had. Flavorful but didn't taste like sodium overload. Our server was very attentive and moved quickly while handling the bills. Shame on me for not knowing the names of our chef and server but they were both great! Shoutout to the hostess who greeted us on Friday, 6/2 around 8pm. She was amazing as well! :-) read more

Kanki - Peep the chef...He's a good one! - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The food here is the best of all the Kanki restaurants but the service (the hostesses) is AWFUL. No matter what time you come in for lunch or dinner, everyone has to wait 10-15 minutes and they are neverrrrrrr as busy as Crabtree or the Durham location. My rating is for the service, not the food. And the guy at the bar is usually all over the place read more

Ordered takeout on April 29th and highly disappointed. When we arrived home, our salads were both brown and the meat and vegetables extremely skimpy. I immediately emailed them and have not heard a word from them. Tried to give them the chance to make it right. Paying over $60 for a meal( same as in restaurant) and getting less is not acceptable. I don't think I will be patronizing them again and will not recommend them either. read more

Kanki - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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This place has gone downhill so fast. The food is always great but the table service is awful. We never had our drinks refilled at all in over an hour. The chef had to go to the kitchen and get our waitress and she STILL only filled 1 glass out of our party of 3 at the table. Terrible attitude. We've been coming here for over 9 years - at least monthly. Chefs are fantastic. We will continue to come here and hope these bad reviews make someone step up and improve service. read more

Came here for a birthday celebration and the food was GREAT!! I especially loved the salmon.... it had this delicious salt crust to it! We ordered so much sushi and it was all great. Though because I tried so many, I can't remember which ones I liked best. The hibachi chef was very funny and reallllly impressed my kids. I got the samurai and there was just SO much food, I ate left overs for 2 days! Wish I could eat here again, but we're in vacation and going back home! Until next time!! read more

Horrrible service, the hosts were rude. They made me and my fiancé walk around due to the lack of proper coordination there was more intended wait than expected. read more

was really looking forward for this dinner the last time i was in Kanki was before the pandemic, did a reservation for 5 people , the ladies at the front i dont know if they hate their job or they just hate being there already gave us a bad vibes eating there the rest of our party wasn't there yet they told us we cant wait inside and we need to go out , so my bf asked if we can atleast get a drink at the bar while were waiting and they said straight up no in a very rude manner so we went out like what they say , they just turned down sales right there but hey thats what they wanted us to do , finally everyone was present so they asked us to wait, we've been waiting for an hour for a reservation that we made at this point every one was hungry and irritated but we patiently waited without anyone telling us how long , im glad we waited cause our chef just made everything worth it, even tho we were his last table Mike i think he's name was very accommodating, it was a great experience sitting there and watch him cook its just sad the people at the front gives bad impression for the hard working people at the back , this not probably the best location if we go back to Kanki again. read more

Kanki - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Update 7/17/2016: After leaving this review on Facebook, I was provided a phone number to call so the situation could be made right. I spoke to Tina. She genuinely heard and cared about what happened. She sent me $75 in gift certificates for my family and me to use. Thanks, Tina! --------------- On Sunday, June 19th, my family and I had 12pm reservations to celebrate Father's Day. Everything started out pretty well, but it all went down hill by the end of the meal. Father's Day lunch for my dad and me was ruined. I will never go to Kanki again. - My wife and I ordered Hibachi steak and chicken. Chef ran out of chicken. He said they would cook it in the back and bring it out. It never came out after about 10 minutes of waiting. - Wife stopped receiving water refills by the end. She sat with an empty glass. - Shrimp was cooked right in front of us after the server and chef were notified that several people in our party had shellfish allergies. - As a result of the fumes from the shrimp being cooked, my father had trouble talking and I had a constant runny nose and sneezing for the next couple of hours. - Server never apologized. - Addressed issues with manager who did not seem to care that much. My wife and I were charged for Hibachi steak, though we only received half a portion. Manager said she could not comp the order. Instead, she took one Hibachi steak order off. She also took the Hibachi chicken that my dad had off his bill. - After receiving new check, the server never came by to pick up my payment using a credit card. I went up front to ask for assistance paying. The person told me, "You can't pay up here. You have to pay at your table." I told her the server never came back and asked if Kanki wanted me to pay for the meal. She repeated, "You can't pay up here." Another server happen to walk by and processed my payment. I wrote at the top of the check, "Awful experience!!!" - I tried submitting feedback via Kanki's website. When I clicked to submit it, an error came up. I tried 3 times. My dad was also unsuccessful from his computer. read more

I'm not sure how this place only has 3 stars. Yes, they're always busy, obviously. Definitely a bit pricey but definitely worth it! There are times where you might have to wait a bit longer even with a reservation. Well people, that's because life is unpredictable & you can't just kick someone out of their chairs. The service has always been great here; the chefs are wonderful. Talented, fun, and great chefs! Kanki has a extensive drink list, which is nice. As far as food, there are so many options. Their sushi is amazing, so fresh and so delicious. My favorite is sitting down with family or friends for the full experience. I always order the Emperor's Delight. This comes with soup, salad, vegetables, rice, and chicken, steak, and shrimp. I don't ever recall a time coming to this place and the food being bad or cooked wrong. We have been coming for probably 15 years (Wake Forest Rd. Location) for birthdays and special occasions. read more

Excellent service at the location of Kanki. Very yummy hibachi, always enough to take leftovers home for lunch the next day. Reheats well. Not too oily. House sake is pretty good. Family friendly yet still more of a nice night out. My kids love the entrance with their scenic Koi ponds, especially for a strip-mall type location. Great for celebrations like birthdays or fathers day, etc though you will definitely need a reservation as they fill up on "major" holidays pretty quickly. Cute little desserts for only $2 are the perfect size to enjoy something sweet even when you're stuffed from dinner. On our most recent visit there was mix-up when we ordered the Shrimp Tempura and got the veggie Tempura instead. We ended up being served both and charged for neither. Great customer service on that front. read more

An unfortunate experience at one of our favorite spots. Due to an hour long wait, we decided to sit at the bar area tables that are first come first serve. We were pretty hungry so we ordered appetizers when we ordered drinks. We wanted sushi but the sushi bar was also on an hour wait due to high demand. we confirmed with the waiter that regular apps would be more reasonable on timing...again, we were hungry! So, we settled for Edamame and Hot Lava Shrimp. We ordered entres shortly after drinks arrived, two orders of Steak Kanki. Next thing we know, soups and salads are out. Our server dropped them off and ran. We did not yet have silverware, nor a chance to ask for any. About two bites into our soup (came with a spoon), our entrees arrived. We were a little caught off guard, as we were used to the normal "course style" dinner that kanki has to offer..soups, salads, apps, then entrees. Our steak kanki was dropped off, but again, still no silverware. This time we were able to politely ask the food runner. We mentioned the Lava Shrimp that still had not come. At this point we had soup, salad, edamame, and our main course to now eat. We politely asked that the shrimp be taken off, as we no longer needed or wanted it. As we finish our soup, we sat waiting to eat our salad and our entree....still waiting on silverware and napkins. I finally decided to walk over to the server and ask (again!). As we try to scarf down our salad, the meal obviously became cold. We were finally settling into our entrees when the food runner comes by with our shrimp, holding it in front of our faces saying "last call, still don't want it?" No, we don't, now that we're 3/4 of the way through this meal. He proceeded to sit it right next to us on the bar, telling the server/bartender- "they don't want this". It sat there for the rest of the meal and was taken off our tab. This seemed very unprofessional! I appreciate it being taken off the tab, but most restaurants handle this a bit more appropriately, still giving the customer their food and removing it from the bill out of respect for the fact that the appetizer was poorly timed. All in all, we paid $75 for a rushed meal, where the food wasn't even cooked as requested. It's pretty frustrating to think about all of the possibilities of where that $75 could have gone otherwise. We are long time fans of Kanki, but it seems there has been a change in the way things are run. read more

do not order to go if you plan on having fresh food. the only way to guarantee fresh food is sitting down at the hibachi. to go service was very poor. read more

I've been to this kanki numerous times and it's usually good. I've been to the one at Crabtree a lot as well. This location is good and convenient. You don't have to fight for parking and I feel like they have more parking than the other kanki. Tonight we had the steak kanki and the salmon hibachi. The salmon was really good. The steak honestly was a little bit too well done when I asked for medium, but still good. Also the portion was good and the food came out fast. We didn't sit at the grill bc we've seen the show numerous times already. Last time we came here, the power went out and it was completely dark. They compensated much of the food but still couldn't say it was a good experience. Today would have been good except our server was pretty rude. I think her name was cocktail? I don't think she meant to be rude, that might just be the way she is. I ordered jalapeño as an appetizer. Halfway through my main meal, it still didn't come out so I inquired about it to make sure she didn't bring it and not charge us bc we didn't want it by this point. As soon as I mentioned it she cut me off and said "oh he didn't bring it?" And then she walks away. I had to call her and let her know that I didn't want it anymore. She blamed the other guy (who was nice and attentive and I think he wasn't even a waiter). She was not apologetic or anything. Not even a mere sorry. My wife and I both used to wait tables so we are very understanding. Btw, we were only 1 of the 2 tables she was serving. I would say I tip generously even with mediocre service but I just couldn't tonight. It's not a cheap dinner and it can be so easily ruined by incompetent staff. Feel sorry for the owner bc I know I can't be the only one that had this experience. Easily could be a 5 star restaurant but falls short bc of 1 waitress. read more

Kanki - Steak kanki and salmon - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

My family and I have been to Kanki before, but we usually visit the one in Crabtree Valley Mall. Since we haven't eaten at this restaurant in years, we decided to give it another try on the recommendation of some family friends. They have always said that this location was better than the mall's, because the food tastes better, and the raw fish is noticeably fresher. We arrived for an early dinner (around 5:30pm) on a Sunday evening. The restaurant seemed quiet and mostly empty. The manager was standing behind the hostess stand, with her back turned towards the door, and didn't turn around until the hostess nudged her. Weird, since that was definitely not allowed at any of my previous jobs. We asked for a table for five. The manager questioned if our entire party was here. Since they were on their way and almost there, we asked to be seated anyway. The manager gave us an attitude and asked if we could order for the rest of the party. We said sure. It shouldn't have been a big of a deal since most of the restaurant was empty anyway. A hostess/server led us to the hibachi tables, when I realized that they never asked us which area we would like to be seated. At Kanki, you can either choose a hibachi or a regular table. I apologized for the confusion and said we just wanted a regular table. Without looking at us, she told us to go sit by the bar and walked away. We sat ourselves, without menus or the right amount of place settings, and had to pull up another chair since most of the tables only seated four people. At this point, I was willing to leave and go to the Red Lobster across the street, but since the bartender was our server, my mom wanted to give it another chance. The bartender was nice and competent. His service was just average, nothing spectacular but not infuriating like his coworkers. I think since our area was mostly empty (all the other guests were sitting at the hibachi tables), it gave the servers a sense of unprofessionalism I have never seen in a casual dining restaurant. Servers were sitting at the sushi bar watching the game. They were speaking to each other from across the restaurant, often yelling to get someone's attention. One of the sushi chefs was eating behind the sushi bar. I have worked in a restaurant before, and there, these kinds of behavior are unacceptable. I honestly can't even give an honest opinion about the food, because the bad attitudes and disruptive environment really left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't recommend coming here, just because of the service alone. read more

This is our first visit to this particular Kanki; we usually go to the one at the Crabtree Mall. However, I think the food at this location is better, and the parking certainly is! The plates are scuffed from much use, but mine weren't dirty (someone at our table thought otherwise). The only downside was that it was very noisy and difficult to communicate -- amongst ourselves *and* with the chef. I had the Business Lunch Special, Samarai filet & shrimp, and it was outstanding. I definitely intend to come back. read more

Kanki is a fun place to go for dinner and a show. It is a Japanese steakhouse where you sit at a "U" shaped table around a flat-top grill. The cook/chef comes out and with a whirl of knifes and other tricks entertains you while he cooks your dinner in front of you, The "chefs" are not Japanese though, but that doesn't keep them from being entertaining. The food is very good, it is fresh cooked there at your table, and the portions are large enough so you usually take some home. The sushi is fresh and good as well. The only negatives are you get seated at a table of 10 with complete strangers, don't expect to have a private conversation, and it is loud. The lunch menu is significantly cheaper than the dinner menu and the portions are roughly the same. The "show" at lunch isn't usually as extensive as it is a dinner. Over all it is a great place to go and enjoy a meal with a different change of pace. I agree with other reviewers that this one is better than the Crabtree location. read more

Amazing food and service! The chef was original with his creative cooking. A show we have never seen before!!! read more

Update: They reached out and seemed sincerely interested in feedback. I received a gift card to use for a do-over. I'll keep you posted

I can't recommend this place anymore. I don't know what has gotten into them but it is not what it used to be. I ordered a few weeks ago when the "social distancing" started and was told it would be curbside and minimal contact. When I got there, I wanted over 35 minutes before I had to go inside and stand around with a group of people that were also waiting for their food. Someone finally helped me and my food had just been sitting there. Got home and it was ice cold. Sent an email a manager called and didn't sound like she really cared and just said they were busy and trying to staff better. We decided to order again tonight and the pickup process was way better, but upon my husband getting home with the food we realized they didn't put our soups in. I called the restaurant and the guy basically said "oh sorry..we are trying to work on our online orders"....Ok...so?? I am tired of paying for food here to constantly have an issue. Their prices are too high for what you get and then to have something wrong each time. Save yourself the money and trouble, and go get takeout from Tenko. It's not far from there and the food is so good, always hot, and much cheaper. read more

DON'T GO TO THIS LOCATION!!! Drive to Crabtree! I've been going to this location for more than 10 years and Kanki for over 18 years. Unfortunately, the management and service - especially the greeting staff, and food at this location are no longer Kanki standard. They hang up on people for call-in orders, management comes up with excuses for their behavior, the quality of the sushi is horrible and inconsistent, with the exception of June and Mickey. We often have to ask for additional seasoning for hibachi. Save yourself some time, money, and frustration! read more

This was an awesome birthday experience! Our waiter was named William, and he was extremely friendly and attentive. I regret not getting our chef's name. He was equally as good. He gave a unique show and the food was awesome. Kudos to this Kanki location-highly recommend! read more