Kappo Honda is such a wonderful place to wind down with a beer and some good casual food. I sat at the counter, but they're cooking such a large volume of food that they've put up a big screen between the chiefs and the diners to avoid a large amount of smoke moving into the dining area. I got to watch the process a bit which was cool! I think anything you order here will probably be good, especially paired with a couple cold beers. You MUST get some skewers of course, my favorites being anything pork belly and chicken skin. I also highly recommend any charred meat, like the steak or marinated short ribs. Fried foods are also great drinking foods, so the takoyaki is a safe bet and the tempura was delicious. Honestly, get a wide variety with some friends, try everything and have a good time. read more

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TLDR: It's easily one of my favorite Japanese restaurants. It's not because everything I ordered was the best, but it's because everything I ordered was either above average or podiums on my list. I think the price was also reasonable, which is all one could ask for when dining out. Chicken Teriyaki: I really enjoyed this, because I rarely go to Japanese restaurants that serve chicken teriyaki outside of a side dish in ACYE. The chicken is juicy, the teriyaki sauce is just the right hit. Not too salty, a hint of sweet, and the dish overall is generally light. A great complement to the rolls, yakitori, ramen, or whatever. Kyushu Ramen: I will admit that this ramen will fall on the pile of "generic ramens that non-specialty stores sell". However, there is nothing wrong with ordinary, if ordinary means that a restaurant is proud to serve something at a respectable price with a solid taste. Beef Tongue: It's no secret that beef tongue is good. The problem is finding an establishment that can cook it well. Kappo Honda does it well, and they offer a very good diving board to those who want to try it for the first time. Bay Scallop with Pork: I like it when I see an item on the menu that has a few words, and I taste all the flavors that the words communicated. You get the taste of pork the first second, then the burst of scallop on the first or second chew. A nicely designed stick overall. Service: Nothing special. They ask what you want, they give you what you want, you pay, and leave. I would say it'll take you a second to take the menu in, so try to see if the staff could help you out with options. Ambiance: It's a sizable place, but it feels small because of all the seats packed in. I enjoyed it because it gives a very Japanese vibe. The inside of the restaurant is full of autographs of famous people who dined at some point, very Japanese. read more

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Yelp me, Yelp you. My family and I have been going to Kappo Honda for the longest time, and I just realized--I don't think I've ever written a review. Or did I? Either way, this place definitely deserves one. Kappo Honda is one of our go-to Japanese restaurants. My daughter loves the sushi, while my son always goes for the pork cheek skewers. Me? I pretty much love everything here, but the saba is usually my order. Wifey loves the tuna sashimi with a beer. Lol. The place has a cozy, casual feel, and one of the coolest things is all the autographs from famous Japanese baseball players hanging on the walls. Take a look when you're there--you might recognize someone! Another big plus: they stay open late, which is perfect when you're craving Japanese food later in the evening. Service has always been friendly and fast whenever we come. Good food, cozy atmosphere, great service, and plenty of family favorites. There's a reason we keep coming back. read more

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Kaoppi Honda hits the spot for small gatherings with friends who like to have a good time and drink beer/sake and snack on foods. Menu is huge... so many things to choose from and they are all delicious. There's usually a wait outside and I don't think they take reservations. First come first serve. When you miss Japan's yakatori!! You've got to go to Kappo Honda. Energy and vibes are all there. read more

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My friend wanted to take me to an izakaya before my trip to Japan, and I'm glad we came. There was already a line before they opened at 5 PM, but the wait for our group of four was only about 15 minutes. The restaurant is located in a large plaza with plenty of parking, which made it very convenient. I really liked the ambiance inside. They had photos of many of their dishes displayed all over the walls, which made it easy to see what they offered and helped us decide what to order. The staff was also very attentive, friendly, and welcoming throughout our meal. Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. Everything we ordered was delicious, and I honestly didn't have a single complaint. One of the highlights was the beef tongue skewer--it was incredibly tender and full of flavor. Every skewer we tried was excellent, and every dish exceeded my expectations. Great food, great service, and a great atmosphere. I'd definitely come back again, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a solid izakaya experience. read more

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The wait is usually crazy, and we came here on an afternoon 5pm on Saturday. They have both options of yakitori and sushi. We did a little of both. The place is small but seats are tight. Not a cheap meal, but definitely a lot of options. read more

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Overall pretty good, but I'm not sure if any pieces really stood out to me. I think some of the items did come out kind of cold, so I do wish it was warmer, I think it would've tasted better. Service was very quick on a weekday for dinner. read more

Kappo Honda - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

My friend and I had a pitcher of Sapporo beer and we added some ice in order glasses and it was so refreshing on a hot day. The foods were amazing! The ambience was great but a little warm for us. We ordered tofu adagashi, Japanese steaks, bbq skewers, squid, and odan . read more

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Similarrr to honda-ya I believe! Food were great, we ordered the marinated pork, potatoes croquettes and typical soba! The soba came with slightly less soup than what I'm used to and it was a bit more bland I would say. However, noodles were bouncy! My favorite was the potstoes croquettes, it came PIPPING hot and very crunchy! read more

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The sister location to the very-loved, amazing Honda-Ya in Tustin is Kappo Honda in Fountain Valley. Izakaya done right. Inside is a smaller version of Honda-Ya boasting similar design with wood everywhere. Service was superb from our server (With blue hair!) to the runners, and have no complaints. Fast, attentive, obliging. Food is always amazing. I wish I could have gotten some Yakitori (I love Gyu tan and Chicken Hearts) but alas it was Friday during Lent. Even my favorite veggie options had pork, and I'm not a huge fan of seafood Yakitori. I opted for the Tanuki Udon. The broth was a little more light for my liking but none the less good. Sashimi options were fresh and amazing. My favorite part, as always, those frosted mugs for your beer. So cold it starts to form ice crystals on the top after you pour. Wait times can get crazy during peak hours and season, so make sure to put your name down early and be ready for a wait! read more

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First time here. Loved their interior. Felt very traditional with the wooden furniture. Kind of feel like I was in Japan. Tried their fried calamari, yaki udon, and miso ramen. Also tried the enoki mushroom and chicken skin skewer. Fried calamari - 1/10. Terrible. Seem undercooked. Color was oddly whitish. No crunch. The picture on the menu looks tastier than the actual product. Yaki Udon - 5/10. The kind of dish that you should devour quickly while it's hot otherwise it's get very oily to eat. Miso Ramen - 8/10. The good kind of spicy. Mushroom skewer -7/10. Surprisingly tasty. Chicken skin skewer - 1/10. Not my cup of tea. Very fatty taste. read more

Kappo Honda - Fried Calamari - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

Kappo Honda serves authentic Japanese cuisine with incredibly fresh, flavorful dishes that are beautifully prepared. The atmosphere is cozy, the service was friendly and attentive, and you can really tell they take pride in every detail. We can't wait to come back and try even more from the menu! read more

Kappo Honda - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

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Some friends and I go to a yakatori place across the street regularly. I've had several people recommend Kappo Honda, so we decided to give it a try this time for our weekly dinner get-together. The restaurant is located in a strip mall with plenty of parking available. They don't take reservations, but we only had to wait a few minutes to be seated on a Tuesday evening around 7pm. It was nice and clean inside with some Christmas decor still up. We were seated in a great cozy booth in the corner that almost felt like a private room. They have an outstanding large menu that has color pictures of every single item on the menu which makes ordering a lot more interesting. They have a great selection of sushi, sashimi, yakatori, ramen, salads, appetizers, sauces, and other food items in addition to a wide selection of drinks. We started out with the spicy seasoned jellyfish ($7.95) which I've never had before. It kind of has the chewy texture of seaweed salad with a slight fishiness and a little spice from the seasoning. We also had the 7-kind mixed sashimi plate (bluefin tuna, yellowtail, salmon, red sea bream, albacore, bonito, Hokkaido scallop, $35.95). All of the sashimi was very fresh and flavorful. The blue fin tuna and Hokkaido scallop were my favorites, but they were all very good. We usually go crazy ordering yakatori and this occasion was no exception. Our long order included chicken liver ($3.25 ea), chicken gizzard ($3.25 ea), spicy chicken skin ($3.00 ea), fatty chicken heart ($3.50 ea), Japanese beef ($7.25 ea), beef tongue (5.50 ea), pork belly ($3.50 ea), squid legs ($3.25 ea), eel ($9.00 ea), prime beef ($4.75 ea), jumbo shrimp ($4.75 ea), quail egg ($2.75 ea), galbi short ribs ($16.95), garlic pork belly ($3.75 ea), spicy lamb chop ($6.50 ea), duck ($4.50 ea), and spicy shrimp ($7.00 ea). Everything was cooked perfect and tasted great. All of the spicy skewers were definitely spicy, especially the spicy lamb chop. Our other place has some default sauces at the table which we usually use, but here we just ate all the yakatori with no sauces. The only miss was the galbi short ribs. Everywhere I've had them, they always have a similar great flavor. These were surprisingly bland, and I wouldn't order them again. Our main server Trisha was great and checked on us frequently. She quickly fulfilled all of our requests and additional orders. Yakatori dining is not cheap, but their prices are on par with other places we have been. Their large and diverse menu is great, and anybody should be able to find something they like. We will add Kappo Honda in to our regular rotation. read more

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The Japanese style beef steak is ridiculously small. Barely seven super thin slices for $16.95, not even cooked well enough. What a rip off! read more

Kappo Honda - Japanese Beef Steak - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

I've driven by this place for YEARS and would always say "I should check this place out." and just never did. Was talking to a coworker a few days ago and he mentioned Kappo Honda and said I should go. Today was looking for some place new to go and grab a bite and was like "Oh yeah! I know just the place." I should have come here sooner. I got there 12 minutes after open and I was 8th in the line to be seated. Wasn't too bad of a wait, maybe 30 minutes. But they were already full 12 minutes after doors open on a Sunday! Get there early, lol. We got sat at the bar by the grill, which was actually pretty cool. I got to watch how all the different skewers were made. The place itself has a nice izakaya type vibe that's casual and relaxed. We ordered the fried rice, Philadelphia roll, crunch roll, las Vegas roll, and the eel & avocado roll. We also ordered the garlic w/pork skewer and the prime beef skewer. You HAVE to try the prime beef skewer! It was so good we got more after we were done eating even though we were full. The serving staff was quick and attentive. Was a great time! read more

Kappo Honda - Philadelphia Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

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* Who: 2 adults * What: dinner * When: Saturday night * Why: random date night * Space/Decor: plenty of parking, small inside but well themed where you feel transported to another place, & more ambient lighting. There are also regular tables in the center & booths along the side. * Service: very good. The server checked on us regularly, & the food/items were brought out fast & fresh. * Food: good quality! We ordered a variety of things, which my favorites included chicken skin, Chinese sausage, pork jowl, & pork belly. We ordered some sushi which was standard, & the squid legs were yum. I was pleasantly surprised with the eel. * Final Thoughts: extensive menu, good price, & attentive service. I'm definitely interested in coming back! * Final Grade: A or 9/10 read more

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Like the interior with the decor - reminds me of Japan. It can be a long wait if you're going during dinner time and near the holidays. Sushi was decent with good fish but wouldn't say it's spectacular or worth the wait to be honest. I didn't get to try their skewers but it smelled phenomenal. Chicken karaage was overly salted. I'm a fan of eel so you can't go wrong with it but rice was kind of falling apart so could've been wrapped better. Good late night spot but in my opinion, the wait and quality don't match up. read more

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The place and service was great; however, there is a wait! But that's okay cause I think it's worth the experience. Inside was very different any restaurant I've been to. The food was good! read more

Kappo Honda - Japanese Beef Steak. Mushroom salad. Gyoza - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

There are plenty of parking spaces. This place is great for socializing and snacking. They have plenty of snack items/small eats like skewers and fries. I ordered the Pork Belly w/ Garlic, Spicy Skin, and Meat Ball w/ Cheese. All the skewers were really good and good options for snack items. Recommendation(s): - Pork Belly w/ Garlic - Spicy Skin - Meat Ball w/ Cheese Service: 5/5 Tip(s): - Eat the skewers when they're hot, 'cause when they cool down, it does not taste that well - Great snack menu items - Restrooms available read more

Kappo Honda - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

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This place is one of my favorite izakaya spots of all time. I've been coming here for the past year and have not been disappointed. I don't even mind commuting almost an hour to dine here! Parking is spacious in their shared plaza lot. They can be a bit busy with long wait times during peak hours, however it is conveniently tracked by joining the Yelp waitlist (in-person only, unfortunately). The food is always fresh and the ambiance of the restaurant is casual and friendly. I always opt in for their enoki-pork yakitoris and meatballs with cheese (trust me on this one). The best pairing with any of their yakitoris is their yuzu dipping sauce. They have a good variety in their menu for everyone. Highly recommend! read more

Kappo Honda - Various yakitori (left to right: meatballs with cheese, asparagus and pork, pork belly, pork cheek, enoki and pork) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

8/10 Izikaya -I really wanted to love this place because it's such a cute spot. We were genuinely excited when we ordered, but unfortunately the food came out lukewarm. It wasn't quite hot enough, and when you go to a restaurant you expect food to be served fresh and hot. Everything we ordered was the same way, and within a minute the food was cold to the touch. It was disappointing, so next time we'll probably try the izakaya across the street instead. :( read more

Came here on a Monday night with my siblings and everything was delicious! We mainly ate skewers (beef tongue, prime beef, gizzard, cartilage) and one bowl of udon to share. Skewers are perfectly cooked and well seasoned - I would say on the same level as Shin Sen Gumi. If you eat skewers alone, the meal is a bit pricey (about ~180 for 3 people) so I recommend everyone getting a ramen/udon to fill up. Beef udon was nothing special but very solid and affordable ($12). Very cute homey vibes inside - it felt like a local Japanese izakaya. Service was super fast- outside of the skewers which is understandable. Would come back for a treat-yourself dinner but definitely not an everyday type of restaurant for me personally. read more

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Omg such a good gem around fountain valley. I've always passed but never stopped by until today. We got a bunch of skewers for such a good price and they were delicious. The scallops and oysters were also amazing as well. Service was quick and everyone was helpful. The ambiance is very cute and date like with ample seating. Also seems like a great spot for large groups as well since it's open late. read more

Kappo Honda - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

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came here on a whim to satisfy our late night munchies. we were seated quickly as it wasn't too busy at night. we ordered the chicken skewers, tako wasa, the bluefin tuna, and a clam soup. all were delicious and paired nicely with a cold beer :) inside feels homey with booth seating and some tables. servers were friendly and we will be back read more

Kappo Honda - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

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I am shocked we haven't been to Kappo Honda before now. We have lived in the area for a very long time, and decided to walk down for dinner. Wow, it was fantastic. Not a huge space, but cozy. We got there just after 5 pm and there was already a wait. But we were seated pretty quickly. Our server was friendly, helpful and really quick. We read the entire menu, which is a book. They have so many options. I am primarily vegetarian and they had plenty of options for me. Mr. Bee tried to decide between yakitori, sushi and all the other options. We finally settled on our dishes, and they were quick to come out. I tried a glass of the plum wine, not knowing what to expect and I actually enjoyed it and would order it again. It isn't overly sweet which I appreciated. We had edamame spring rolls, cheese fry, and I had a tofu dish that was incredible. Mr. B had eel, beef, and a scallop dish. The food was delicious, expertly prepared and we will absolutely walk back for dinner again. Kappo Honda is a neighborhood treasure that we have been missing out on for a long time. read more

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Menu is great from skewers, small plates, sushi, salads, charred musubi and seared or fried fish. Consistently fresh and tasty! Service is efficient, friendly, and helpful. Always welcoming, always comfy, clean, and hospitable! read more

If you dine alone, understand this before putting your name down: in my experience, a party of one is not treated as a party of equal priority here. I say that as someone who is not an occasional customer. I come here roughly every other day. I spend hundreds of dollars here in a typical week. I know the menu, order immediately, make virtually no special requests, finish my meal within 30-40 minutes, and routinely tip 20-25%. I am about as low-maintenance and commercially reliable a customer as a restaurant could ask for. Apparently, none of that matters once the number beside your name on the waitlist is "1." The restaurant has counter seating directly in front of the grills--the area where solo diners and couples are commonly seated. When I arrived, there were individual seats available between other parties. I checked in for one and waited approximately 30 minutes. During that wait, I watched those available seats effectively disappear as seating was rearranged to accommodate larger parties. At first, I gave the staff the benefit of the doubt. The manager who normally handles seating was not there, and I assumed they were simply working down the Yelp waitlist in chronological order. Then a party of five that had checked in well after me was seated at a table before I was. At that point, the logic became fairly obvious: rather than seat one person in an available counter seat, they were waiting for a diner in the corner to finish so that I could be placed there instead. When I raised this with Kenny, who identified himself as the person in charge of the shift, his explanation was essentially that he understood I was upset, but that I needed to understand his position: he did not think it was appropriate to seat me between two other parties because there supposedly was not enough space. That explanation did not resolve the issue. It confirmed it. If an available seat is considered usable when it helps accommodate a larger party, but somehow unsuitable when it would allow a solo customer to be seated in a reasonable order, then the operative distinction is not space. It is party size. Restaurants understandably have to maximize seating efficiency. I do not expect a four-top to be sacrificed for one person, nor do I expect special treatment because I am a regular. What I do expect is something much more basic: that a customer not be quietly moved behind people who arrived later simply because the restaurant has decided their party is economically more convenient. There is also something particularly tone-deaf about telling a customer who has rightfully identified an observable disparity in treatment that they need to "understand" management's position. I understood the position perfectly. That was the problem. A loyal customer should not need to arrive with three additional bodies in order for his place in line to retain its meaning. So, for anyone who frequently eats alone: take this experience into account before coming here. You may see open counter seats. You may have checked in before larger parties. You may be a regular. You may be courteous, fast, uncomplicated, and generous with your tips. And you may still discover that, here, one person is treated as less urgent than five. That is a remarkably effective way to make a frequent customer reconsider being one. read more

I love this spot, not sure if they're affiliated with the one in Tustin but I like this spot more as it is a bit bigger/less compact? We got on the waitlist and had to wait for like 30 mins which was not a problem for us as there were stores nearby so we went to check them out. Once we were sat we got served pretty quick and enjoyed our meals! Really great food and plenty of parking read more

I came with a group of 4 on a Thursday night and the wait was about 40 minutes, luckily they have a ton of benches you can sit on while waiting. We decided to order a bunch of things to share and luckily everything came out fairly quickly as we were all pretty hungry after the wait. The skewers all tasted amazing - you could really taste the char in each bite and they provide chili powder and salt on the side you can dip. The dan dan ramen also tasted pretty good with a good amount of minced meat inside and a couple pieces of bok choy. The yakisoba udon was also a good portion but was a little bit on the bland side. The furikake fries were incredible though! I love the dipping sauce they provided was very creamy. The sushi rolls were all pretty fresh as well, and the pieces were a decent size. However, the hand rolls were pretty disappointing as it was almost $10 per piece but incredibly small compared to most places so I would probably skip on that next time. Overall, this was a great first experience here - the noise level wasn't too loud and the restaurant was kept really clean and food came out fast. However, the food was pretty expensive overall so I would probably come back once in a while. read more

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Great foods. Good service. Place is a bit dated but still clean. Love that they have such a great variety to choose from. I especially love the Salmon skin hand roll, extra crispy. One of the best salmon skin hand roll I've ever eaten read more

Awesome Japanese bbq and tapas. Always packed so get ready to wait but it's worth it.

Small Japanese joint that's open late for ramen. Lots of options from fish, sushi, ramen, udon, meats, etc. the menu is huge. We tried the Dan Dan ramen which was a perfect amount of spice. Most ramen has pork in either the broth or the meat on top but this one had no pork and ground chicken instead and it was delicious we got one to share and ended up ordering another one. We tried also the Dana point roll which was good don't know if I would do much more sushi here. We tried some meat skewers which were flavorful our favorite was the prime beef. read more

Kappo Honda - Dana Point Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

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This has the atmosphere and service quality of a real izakaya in Japan. The menu is extensive. The beer is cold. They have all the different meats like chicken gizzard and heart on skewers. No reservations but they have Yelp reservations on a tablet that seems to work well. The prices are ok but the portions are small so if everyone gets full the check will be around $40 a person, all in. I love the way uniformed servers are constantly going from table to table refilling water, beer, taking orders, picking up empty plates. read more

Kappo Honda - Customer lol - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

Easy parking + short wait time + friendly service. Kappa Honda has everything you can think of when it comes to Japanese food, making it a good place to please different palates. Ordered many dishes, but only took a picture of the takoyaki ($7) because why is it presented like this? read more

Kappo Honda - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

We visited with a large group, including kids, and everyone was able to find something they loved on the menu. Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. We also enjoyed some sake, which made the experience even more fun! The staff was friendly, attentive, and provided excellent service throughout our visit. One thing to keep in mind is that this place gets very busy on weekends. We waited about 40 minutes for a table, but it was definitely worth it. We had a great experience and would happily come back! read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants to go to with friends. I come here at least 3 times a year because of its selection of dishes, wonderful service, and cozy vibe. It's easy to try and pick out a variety of dishes to share. If you can't eat too much, but like to eat many different things, this is the place to be! I just love the cozy vibe here. It's so chill and lovely. Good meals and good vibes! read more

For arriving 30 mins before for closing time, the service was good. They were polite and welcoming . They have a lot food options. The Miso Ramen I would recommend. read more

Kappo Honda - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fountain Valley, California

The restaurant has a Japanese izakaya vibe without being in Japan. The service is good. We had a big group and it did take a little bit but nothing crazy. Our waitress did a good job. The food was okay; some really good and others were just eh. The tsukemono mix some were really good and others were bland. The teriyaki salmon was average. The best was the chicken karaaage. Tasted straight out of Japan. read more

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We went on Wednesday evening and got in pretty quickly, just beating the dinner crowd. I was excited to try Kappo since I've had Honda Ya several times before. The food was decent, but not as good as Honda Ya. We got way too much food and couldn't really enjoy the food because it was so hot inside. Sushi probably wasn't the best choice to get on a hot day. It's a great place to come drink and eat with your family and friends, but it was a little bit overstimulating for my senior Dad who wears hearing aids. read more

This place is amazing! Prior to dining here, my family and I have dined at their sister restaurant, Honda Ya. We had no idea until we got here that the two were related. I feel like this place is like a hidden secret- there wasn't a crazy long wait like I've see before at Honda Ya. It could be because we went late at night, close to closing the first time but returned again a few nights later and still were able to get a table almost immediately. When you walk in, all the staff and kitchen staff greet you which was nice:) Everything that we ordered was delicious and so fresh! The quality is unmatched. The service was great and quick, even with it being a packed out restaurant. I would definitely return again if I'm in the area and would recommend this restaurant to anyone! read more