Great food and service. Sign (and Yelp) says it's open 'till 9pm. Got turned away (nicely, but still) @ 8:05 pm. Said the "kitchen was closed". Maybe call ahead before risking trip to Midtown? Worth it... when they're serving. read more

I have visited Kauboi twice since I lived in Reno and one of the things that absolutely stands out is their consistency of delivering high quality, super delicious food. I was happy that after several years in between visits the menu was the same so was able to order the things I initially enjoyed and they tasted as delicious as I remember! This time around there were 4 of us that went so were able to order many different things. Every dish had its own thing that made it unique and delicious. We ordered lots of things but some of the stand out were the duck fried rice, fried chicken and steak. The drinks were also unique and very good and the server was very nice and attentive. I will that it is very expensive for the amount of food, so some people will be turned off by that. read more

One single beef rib and a rice patty $20.. 2 of us 5 small tastings plates 2 drinks $120... Left hungry and broke. Good place if you're on Ozempic. read more

Finally got here with my food, loving parents and beautiful wife for a special dinner out! I was nervous that the loud music and vibes here might put my older folks a bit off, but they actually loved every minute. The soundtrack here is the heartbeat of this restaurant and cannot be ignored. We were seated under the speaker (for added effect) and while I thought it would be problematic it actually ended up enhancing the experience because the food and drink just goes down so easy you feel like you're just hanging around with friends at a house party. On the cocktail front enjoyed a few new things, including the riff on a margarita, but my all-time favorite has got to still be the salty INU I don't know what it is about this drink, but it is just damn delicious and goes down so easy. The combo of basil shiso and grapefruit is delightful, especially with a hit of salt! And the food front, I tried the duck hearts which were great. We revisited the beef tongue which is always a hit. We also of course, had to have the soba noodles the chicken wing yakitori the Japanese pickles and so many others like the Japanese shrimp and shiitake fritter we also tried the mushroom croquettes which were surprisingly cheesy gooey gooey with an earth umami note. Not something I'd do again but glad I tried. Honestly we ordered a lot of the menu and I'm not ashamed at all. This spot is just grand! read more

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Kauboi is a great for date night. The volume of the music is loud, yes, but it's definitely part of the ambiance. Cocktails are great (especially the ube cocktail) and you can order a variety of items from raw hamachi to tempura vegetables to grilled chicken skewers. Walk in only read more

Really amazing food and service! Food is reasonably priced as well and it's in a really fun area of midtown read more

Kauboi Izakaya - Giant squid & 10 layer pork tonkatsu - Japanese Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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It took me way too long to decide this may be my favorite place to go and belly up to the counter for a fun titillating meal. I love the Robata Grilled skewers and most every other thing in the menu. If I tried to get a reservation at my favorite izakaya restaurant in Vegas I'd be lucky to get one. This place does not take reservations so get there a little before 5:00 when they open the doors. Service is happy, helpful and efficient. The Japanese Caesar salad is freakishly fabulous with their own twist o. It. It seems, minutes after the doors open, it's packed. The loud music is iconic izakaya and you just get used to it. It's part of the vibe! So satisfying! read more

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Amazing food and always a great vibe here. I personally love going by-myself, sit at the bar where you can watch all the action going on. Pretty banger of a playlist going so it's a bit hard to have a convo if you're going for something more intimate. It's a fun place and it's perfect for solo, having a couple of cocktails and dishes to yourself, not for little kids. My favorite is the chicken thighs, the Ube Baby Cocktail and the spicy ramen. I've gotten other selections from their menu and you honestly can't go wrong with any. Perfect for a date night or girls night before hitting the town. Can be a bit hard to get a seat, so go there early and grab a spot! read more

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LOVE it here! The atmosphere is really lively, albeit quite loud. It's always very busy, which is why we got there ~5:30 on a Thursday to avoid a wait; they don't take reservations. I really like all of the food I've tried, particularly the shrimp dumplings, charred broccoli, Japanese "caesar" and shrimp friters (I can't speak to the meat dishes, I don't eat it). They're small plates meant to be shared, which is fun! But order a lot, because they are quite small. They have a nice sake selection, and I believe a full bar as well. The staff all seem nice and attentive. It's not the cheapest date night, but it's worth it! read more

Kauboi is everything i wanted it to be. Its young and modern but feels classic at the same time. The decor feels very much downtown and staff have a similar vibe. They fit perfectly here and u can feel it. Every bite i experienced tonite was wonderful. Japanese inspiration with American urban style. Recipes that felt 100 years old mixed with fresh, new flavors. The Shrimp dumplings are something special. Wonderful flavor with a perfectly thin wrapper. I could eat 1,000 of them. I wish this place rented tables monthly so I could live here. Kauboi just stole my heart and stole first place on my list of Reno faves at the same time. I will be back. Again and again and again. read more

Kauboi Izakaya - Wagyu anyone? - Japanese Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Been here twice now and not disappointed in the least. This place is really good. Its mostly small plates designed for sharing. They have all the sort of dishes that you would expect to see in an izakaya along a quiet street hidden somewhere in Tokyo. The music is played pretty loud so dont expect a romantic kind of dining expereience. Prices are definitely high and portions are small when compared to the prices. Food is tasty. Recommend the octopus, Caesar salad, chicken skin and spicy karrage. They have a Yuzu lager that is just plain yummy! 3.5 rounded to 4 read more

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Absolutely adore Kauboi Izakaya! This tapas style restaurant is great for groups and for those who want to sample different great dishes. We popped in on a Thursday afternoon and quickly got seated at the bar. Not pictured were the drinks we opted for which are the Mezcal Margarita and the Salty Inu, both were amazing. We opted for the chicken soup dumplings, the wagyu steak, and the pork belly ramen, and they did not disappoint. The flavors were all wonderful and complimentary, and we enjoyed each dish in its own regard. Overall, the service was quick and attentive, and the bartender was really helpful and got us in and out in a solid amount of time. We can't wait to be back, definitely recommend from a fellow Reno local! read more

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Had a great date night here last night. Sat at the bar, service was excellent! Had an Ube coconut cocktail & mezcal marg. Food is 10/10 as well! Great vibes. read more

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Absolutely love sitting at the countertop and watching the chefs do their magic. Food is always delicious. Squid, charred broccoli, cucumbers, and chicken thighs were my favs on this trip. We also had hamachi, vegetable tempura and wild shrimp gyoza. When I visit Reno, this is on my Top 5 must eat list. read more

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Five of us went and shared many small plates. Not sure how many, we just kept ordering. Everything was so good. It was almost completely packed when we got there at 5:20 but for one six person table. If we had come any later we would have had to wait. The service was great. The dishes come out when they're ready, so it was a real nice pace. It was very lively but not too loud to carry on a conversation. Everything we had was real tasty. But the standouts were the tempora vegetables, 10 layer pork, rice tots, yaki tori thighs and the wicked good fried rice with duck. read more

I'm not even old & the music is way too loud. You can't have a conversation. Was there a few months ago & my head hurt so bad I couldn't enjoy my food. read more

Every time we return to Kauboi Izakaya, we are always completely satisfied with their delicious menu items and their excellent service! Last night we went for some cozy ramen instead of trying several dishes and we were so happy we did. I ordered the pork bone ramen and my husband got the bbq rib ramen. Each was served in a unique bowl and had beautiful presentations. The noodles were impressive and you can tell they are made from scratch. They had the perfect texture! The broths were so flavorful and good for the soul. Next time, I will order extra noodles because they were bomb.com! read more

Kauboi Izakaya - Pork bone ramen - Japanese Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Total radness wrapped in a bow of indulgence. Sit at the bar and watch the crew do their thing. The food was fantastic. Small shareable plates so get a little of everything. Going back to try other dishes soon. The bathroom has a nice color scheme and clean and spacious. Such a fantastic restaurant read more

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I really wanted to like this place. It's super cute and we went on a night it wasn't terribly busy. Ordered the chicken thighs and breast yakatori and I wish there was sauce with it bc they were not really seasoned well. We also ordered the waygu steak which was 4oz. The mushroom sauce was really great. The steak unfortunately was cold and wasn't hitting the spot. I get they have to rest but it was resting with like 5 other steaks he cooked and each one had to get plated before they all went out which made them cold I think. It seems like this might've been an off night based off the reviews I've seen saying it's all really good. Again, really was stoked to try but was very disappointed. read more

Food is good, unique and attractive. Whether it's the bar or table service, they're attentive. Ambiance is definitely cool vibe, easygoing, and chill. You don't have to dress up for this place, but if it's a cute girls night out, why not? read more

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This might be one of the best spots I've eaten at in Reno. The vibe is cool, the cocktails are good, and the food is GOOD. Whenever we are in town, we now have this as a must-go. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu - we have loved almost everything on the menu. The one item I wouldn't say it a must-get is the ramen. It's decent but I'm a die hard ramen fan so would prefer to go to a place dedicated to it. But everything else truly is pretty gosh darn tasty. read more

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Loved the atmosphere! Music was good, wallpaper is awesome and so are their plants on the bar. The mixed drinks were delicious and so was the food! Our waiter/bartender was so nice and friendly and service was fast! Definitely a place to try if you haven't already! read more

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What a cute date night spot! I've only been here one other time and it was during COVID. I was so happy to be able to try it again. It's located in midtown and they can get pretty busy! So just fair warning. It's very small and intimate. They play great music and the kitchen is visible from your seat. They also have bar seating as well. We started off with cocktails. I had their lychee martini. Not too sweet. We then got the hamachi to share and cucumber salad. The cucumber salad had a miso paste it was paired with. So yummy. I wanna try and make it myself. We got the yakatori chicken wings. Cooked perfectly and had a little spice to it. read more

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Wowza, truly eclectic exceptional food. And the service was top notch. Jamie provided just the date night experience we were after. read more

Kauboi Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Just wow! Such amazing food and service. The food does come out on its own pace but it was a great change to try everything one at a time. Really enjoyed this restaurant! read more

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This is by far one of the best restaurants in Reno! It could rival any big city restaurant as the food is unique and every dish is better than the next. Served in a meant to share style, you order off the menu and whatever comes out is served. This is a meal to linger over with friends that like to try a variety of different dishes. Some of my consistent favorites are the giant squid, chicken thigh skewers, rice tots, Japanese pickle plate, and the bacon wrapped sweet potatoes. The service is always fast and friendly and the ambiance is hipster cozy casual. The place is small and loud but it's a great spot for a date night and certainly one to impress out of town guests. read more

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hello! first time here, atmosphere and vibe was popping, but not so much for the parking. tiny parking spaces in the back of the building, there are a few street parking spaces as well. food: the best is the wagyu, flavorful and tasty, the best dish the chicken skin was great wanted to try the beef tongue, but they ran out the chicken wings was way too salty, but the texture and crispiness was on point the cucumber was drenched too much in miso, it did not taste like cucumber anymore, more so of the sesame miso + salt the rest were mediocre read more

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The service was great, the food is always excellent, the music is definitely loud but if you enjoy that type of vibe it makes for a really fun night. We got the ten layer pork, lamb gyoza, thigh yakitori, bacon wrapped sweet potato's, and duck fried rice. All of it was fantastic and between the two of us, we were both full and had leftovers. Highly recommend for a fun night with delicious food and a casual environment. read more

The 4 of us arrived with no reservations on Saturday evening and were told it'd be an hour wait. After they took our number, we headed to the bar down the street to kill some time. Our table was ready in 30 mins so we threw back our drinks and returned with bigger appetites. This place is sprinkled with kitschy decor but it fits the 'Kauboi' vibe of East meets West. It's a cool joint to bring a casual date or catch up with friends (albeit over loud music). The table setting and hand written menu were a nice touch and the service was excellent (thanks, Janica). When it comes to the food, if you're looking for authentic Japanese cuisine, you might be disappointed. The fare here is unapologetically a fusion of flavors. Some that clash, some that dance. - The hamachi app was as fun to look at as it was to eat. Accompanied by fresh, juicy asian pear sliced paper-thin and cute little yuzu gels, I wouldn't call it shareable as I wanted this all to myself. - The yakitori were well seasoned and grilled to perfection. - The shrimp gyoza was...unique, to say the least. Overpowered by the chili oil sauce that had a strong tomato paste flavor. - The duck fried rice had that crispy texture that I love so much but was extremely peppery. One too many cranks of the pepper mill had me wondering if this was intentional, hence the name Wicked Fried Rice. - I'm a fan of tonkotsu so I was excited to try their take on it, but this dish fell flat on its face. I can't speak for the spicy miso ramen since I didn't try it but both the noodles were under and the broth left much to be desired. Overall, an interesting take on Japanese food. The attentive service and lively ambiance is enough to entice me to come back and try the other dishes or indulge in some cocktails, but I'm skipping the ramen. read more

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Tonight we ordered the soba noodles, dragon rice balls, steak, Wagyu, shrimp gyoza, mushroom croquettes, and there was not a single miss. The steak was cooked perfectly, so tender it melted in our mouths. The soba noodles were light and refreshing, with tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado that balanced everything beautifully. Don't skip the beet salad, it's one of the best I've ever had, with granola and yogurt.For drinks, we had the mezcal margarita and the Ube de Baby, both incredible and creative, just like the menu. Kauboi is a Reno gem. Service is always fantastic. Staff is kind and attentive. I highly recommend calling ahead to make a reservation because there's almost always a wait, but trust me, whatever the wait is, it's 100% worth it. read more

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This place is a vibe. The staff are very attentive and active, the ambience of the shop is very personalable and lively, they cook and prepare a lot of the food up front at the counter and seeing whole squid being prepared is a treat. The food though? The food was amazing. Extremely flavorful and juicy. The rice balls extremely crispy with a perfect amount of salt and my partner had a curry dish with fries that was extremely tasty. They are in the pricier range but the food is absolutely worth it. Would recommend. read more

Kauboi Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Reno, Nevada

So delicious! We went during the week, so the wait wasn't bad. They don't take reservations. The food was great, the atmosphere was also awesome. Am totally coming back read more

The ube drink was cute and good. I loved all the food and I ate at a izakaya in Japan and this had the same feel with the container for the sticks! My husband enjoyed sake too and we also had ramen which was good. They take card and we sat inside. They close pretty early and you can't order cocktails and food past 8. You can watch them make the bbq which is cool and I'm sure when busy it can smell like bbq, the meatballs izakaya was my fav! Fried rice was good as well. For 3 people you need like 5-6 dishes to be full. It's like Japanese tapas, found parking across the street at the shopping center and they take card read more

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This was a much anticipated visit! I had been hearing about the eclectic food choices and the cool vibes for a while. We decided to go for our anniversary. First of all it opens at 5pm. Be at there by 5-515. It fills up that quickly. It's not super big but we were lucky to be first in line (yes there is a line) about 5 min before it opened. After that time, the wait for a table will be 30 min to 2 hours. The place has really cool decorations and attention to detail. The wall has this cool velvet skull pattern. The music is veeeery loud and the lighting is on the darker side. We ordered drinks and were told at that time to order family style (share) because the food comes out in the order it comes out, they can't determine it. Grateful for the heads up so we ordered a handful of items to share. It took about 10-15 min to get our drink and then the first item we got about 5 min later. Rice tots. Yummy. This really set the tone for me. Next thing was the chicken heart with green onion yakitori. Also good. Wild shrimp gyoza was next and it was amazing. Then came the wing yakitori. A bit burnt and not much there but seasoning was good. We were really impressed by the pace the food was coming out. Then about 30 min went by and we waited and waited for the next two dishes. The giant squid finally showed and it was cold. This is a grilled item and everything thus far that had come out was piping hot. The flavor was great and the meat very tender but the fact it was cold meant it was sitting waiting to be served for a while. As we were discussing this the waitress came over and asked if we had gotten our shrimp gyoza already. We had and she said the chef had made extra and would like us to have it. Not sure if that was because of the wait and cold food or if he truly made extra but we weren't complaining since they were so good. The last item was the Wicked fried rice and unfortunately that was also cold. In conclusion (to this very long review), they get very busy so they may forget to serve your food but the food is delicious. We were there for about 2 hours in total because of the food wait. The serving sizes are on the smaller end for the price, so be ready to shell out $100+ if you order a handful of the items. They also had ramen which seemed like a fair portion. read more

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TIME for an update! I started my last review in a much too snarky manner. I used a word that I literally had to look up when I re read the review to see if it needed to be updated. Good word, but a little to too eccentric for a readable review. Bleh. Anyway enough about my old review and on to my new review. My wife and I had decided to try the new Restaurant that had just opened a few doors down. But for some reason they are only open three days during the middle of the week. So we decided now was a good time to try Kauboi. We walked the few doors down and were seated right away. The space is pretty small, and the vibe of the restaurant is higher energy than the last time I was year over 5 years ago. The menu is still super interesting and attractive to adventurous foodie types. I wouldn't go here if I was seeking comfort food but that is a positive in Reno where so many places do "riffs" the old standards. Much of the energy came from music being a little louder and a little more aggressive than I am used to....but still added to the experience. Kauboi is a small plate type of place, best shared with no more than 3 or 4 people. We ordered up the Cucumber Salad, Hamachi, Lamb Gyoza and Pork Ramen. Splitting each plate was easy but so hard to not eat all of it. Thankfully I love my wife and want to not sleep on the couch or I could have easily gobbled down everything in front of me. We also ordered up a cocktail for each of us. I ordered up the Tokyo Drift and she ordered up a Ube drink. The main drift to the Tokyo Drift was very negroni-esque. Very good. I really liked my wife's Ube drink and probably will get that the next time. Good balance. The service was "detached attentive", not cloying and not ever slow or less than top notch. They even apologized for not having desserts but I wasn't disappointed at all. The ability to get in and have a seat in the small space is a great benefit garnered from not adding the lingering dessert phase. We looked over the menu one more time before leaving and realized we have 10-15 more items we want to try, so without a doubt we will be back. read more

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Wwwooowww. This place was super good. It's a small restaurant so it gets busy fast. We went on a Friday night and it was about 45 minute wait so we had a drink at another midtown bar while we waited for our table. The wait was 100% worth the wait. Our server was really friendly and she explained the menu to us. They are small plates so we ordered a few items to share. My favorite was the spicy fried chicken and the vegetarian ramen. Everything was cooked to perfection and fresh. They have a fun drink menu. Definitely a cute date night spot or catching up with friends. Go and check them out... amazing Japanese restaurant. read more

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I wish I could give this place a negative star review for this customer service. We showed up an hour before they closed they clearly had 2-3 tables open and one of the employees just came up to us with a RUDE tone "We are done sitting for the night" no thank you for coming, she just walked off. read more

Everything about this place is awesome. We went at dinner time on a Saturday and had to wait for an hour for a table though. So go early or maybe try during the week. read more

Will never go back, rude hostess, very unaccommodating. Not sure why the hype. Arrived 40 mins prior to opening, would take a party of no more than 2 people. read more

If I could give a 0 star review I would. My friends and I came to try this place for the first time, waited an hour just to get a table after they opened. When we finally got seated, our drinks took 20-30minutes just to get out which they were "cocktails" (small wine glasses with basically straight hard liquor at best, couldn't even taste what the cocktail flavor was suppose to be). Our food took about the same time if not longer as we watched others who were seated after us get their drinks/food first. The portion sizes for the price we ultimately payed was not worth it what so ever. Almost a $200 bill for "sharing size portions" in which a party of 3-5 could maybe get 1-1/2 piece's at best for a 4-5 piece course. Because of the wait and how mediocre the food was as well as the service, we didn't leave a big tip. Simple as that. However, the manager of the establishment looked at our bill, came back to our table, and proceeded to tell us "I'm so sorry, was there something wrong with our service today? This tip is pretty low and the usual standard is 20% so I'm not sure what happened" and handed us back our receipt with attitude and straight pure pressure. If she left it at "I'm so sorry about our service, what could we do better next time?" It would've been more understandable and possibly a better experience. However, to tell us our tip was "too low" and the standard being 20%, in which the menu never specified a gratuity, is crazy as well as handing us back the receipt to essentially leave more of a tip without us letting explain why we weren't was crazy. We ended up leaving a little bit more of a tip, got up and walked out to leave. AS WE WERE LEAVING, the manager PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW US OUTSIDE WITH OUR RECEIPT, chasing us down to ask us the same question except this time, with extreme pressure and attitude. She proceeded to tell us that "no matter where you go, 20% is the standard" and that "advice for the future so we don't get terrible service, leave a bigger tip next time". I tell her that the service wasn't good, the food was mediocre at best, and that even though our server was alright, it still took longer than it should've to get our food and drinks out. Then she brought up an incident where I had spilled my drink which I very much insisted on paying for another but they reassured me that it was okay. The manager proceeded to use that against me for our terrible service comment, and then asked for me to pay her back for the comped drink AFTER we already payed. She then tells us we're "only tipping the server, not the service, not the food" which makes ZERO sense and that "maybe don't order so much food next time since this is a fine dining establishment". I understand the wait time may be a while, but the service after being seated and getting our food/drinks shouldn't take more than 20-30 minutes. There were STILL TABLES OPEN while we were there as well, and to follow us outside the establishment to ask for a bigger tip after the service we were just given and are being given is crazy. This was the worst experience I've ever had at a restaurant ever. Terrible experience. Wouldn't recommend coming back or going ever, save your money and the troube read more