We had an AWFUL experience at Kitaro and would never ever consider returning. Here's why: When we dined at Kitaro, we were the only customers in the restaurant (we know--should have been a warning sign, but it was a cold day with limited open options). Regardless of the fact that there were zero other customers to attend to, the service was horrific--top 10 worst dining experiences in fact. When we asked for an additional set of utensils, the waitress misunderstood and brought us an additional beer. We told her we had asked for utensils and not a beer, and she immediately refused to take the beer back (because it was already open) and insisted we had ordered it. When we said the misunderstanding was based on a language barrier (a member of our party's English isn't perfect), she actually responded with "WELL, you're speaking English now!" and stormed off. The sushi was below average--the rice was stale and while the menu appeared to be expansive, the sushi all tasted the same-- old and bland. Will not return, will not recommend, just a big NO! read more

I have only gotten takeout from Kitaro but I have been impressed every time. The place itself is very unassuming and the sushi is top notch. I like the salmon, california, and tuna rolls and the fish is always delicious. I recommend the Salmon donburi, which is like a bed of sushi rice with tuna sashimi on top. I thought at about $20 it was a little pricey but holy moley I got a lot of salmon on there so it was worth it! Great place for casual dining and great food! This is my go-to place on the upper west side. read more

I had the craziest experience here! It began with a delivery man who could not figure out my apartment number and then when he showed up, he seemed so frustrated he THREW the check at me!! It was the craziest thing. When I called the restaurant to complain, they just said sorry and then hung up on me! Then I called back to ask for the manager and they hung up on me again! To top it off, the sushi was TERRIBLE. In summary, this was the worst delivery experience I have ever had. The food was absolutely horrible too. I would never go back to this place and I would caution anybody else to ever order from this place again. It was almost unreal how awful their customer service was. I still hope to go there and find a manager to complain--nobody should ever be treated this way. NEVER GO TO KITARO!!! read more

Food was subpar and overpriced. They tried to make their food seem fancier by putting it under decorative paper but the rice they served with my meal stuck to the paper and I ended up unknowingly eating some of the paper. Sure, not so smart on my part there but to be fair, why would I ever need to be looking for bits of paper in my rice. Employees were nice as we walked in but were rude as we were paying for the meal. The waitress came back with our bill and said we didn't tip enough. There was nothing special about her refilling our cups (once) with water and delivering our second-rate meal. Just because the management of Kitaro decides to underpay their employees does not mean tipping is an obligation for the customers, especially if the customers were not particularly satisfied with the service. I was taken aback when the waitress had the nerve to come back and tell us to tip her more. No, she didn't ask. She TOLD us to tip her more. I recommend looking else for food read more

i think the portion is quite small. once you go to the back and use their restroom, you feel already cramped. i had spicy tuna on top of spicy tuna roll, salmon and 2 eel roll. i believe my rolls are usually a little longer. around 10 pieces per roll? i got 6 here. the price was around $35 which i believe is quite expensive for something that didnt feel me up for dinner haha. I think this might be a better places for lunch, i might be wrong. read more

Kitaro is solid sushi for an awesome price compared to most options on the Upper West Side, and we have tried many. Having been twice, now, each visit with a large group, everything we have tried has been great. So fortunate it is so close by! read more

Went here for lunch and got the 3 rolls for $11. It was very casual and the sushi was good. Came with choice of miso soup or salad. I recommend the scallion and yellowtail. I also tried the spider and eel/avocado and both were good. An excellent choice for a more affordable lunch. read more

I still order from here - out of convenience mostly but they've definitely improved over the last couple years. Their rolls are a little more fresh overall - which is good considering I'm eating raw product. I just won't order on Monday when the fish is way more noticeably...fishier. read more

We liked it! it had 3 pages full of creative, interesting special rolls. The 2 we had were excellent. Service was attentive and prompt... They have booze and prices were reasonable. For a local spot we highly recommend and will be returning very soon. See you there! read more

Not really what I expected from 3.5 stars over all rating. I'm here for lunch because it's near by, service is ok, food portion for the price is kinda too small, thinly slice for salmon teriyaki. Beware of soup OR salad option, not soup and salad. read more

Horrible service and the portions are really small. $25 and I'm not even full! Would not recommend it at all!!! I hated their shiitake roll. I tried one piece and told them I didn't like it. They told me they still have to charge me since I had already tried it.. Lol retarded people read more

Good, nice, quiet, and the sushi came to me quick. All the rolls I got tasted great (chicken tempura roll, rainbow roll, salmon roll, California roll). read more

Rank: C. Not bad, but average sushi. The service is good and the staff are friendly. Compared to the Sushi Yasuda, Morimoto, and Ushiwakamaru's of NYC, can't really make a comparison. Shrimp tempura and meal combos are good value for your $ and the rolls, although decent, are on the pricey side. read more

Randomly saw I had this review in and don't get why I only gave 4 stars so upping it to 5. Delicious sushi and decent price.

Best inexpensive sushi in the area. I've only ever gotten the rolls - they are reasonably priced for what you get. The staff doesn't speak awesome English, but hey that's what you get sometimes. I've only ever gotten take out, they seem to be VERY popular on seamless. Get at that peanut avocado roll mmm... read more

This place is awful. I can't tell you about the food because we left before the waiter came. After watching a waiter ask a couple if they were done eating, we were seated in a corner. We then preceded to wait for 20 minutes while the staff completely ignored our existence, even after multiple attempts to order our food. After choosing to leave, the staff shrugged us off with the same indifference they showed for our arrival. read more

I ordered on seamless from this restaurant, the prices were decent, definitely cheaper than the surrounding sushi places. The order arrived fairly quickly, and quicker than the 45 minutes that was suggested online. The food was good! I would order from them again. The only setback was that , no soy sauce was included with my order. Chopsticks, napkins and the spicy mayo I requested but no soy sauce! It somewhat ruined the experience but nonetheless a good place to go to in the neighborhood. read more

Based on reviews I had high expectations. The interior is nice. I took the fixed menu for 38$: soup or salad, 2 appetizers, main course and dessert. Portions very good, not too big, not too small. The fixed menu goes per 2 persons, but I was ale and I could still get it, nice. So all good, except that the taste of the dishes was not extraordinary, nothing really stood out. I do not regret going, but I will probably not go again read more

Decent neighborhood Japanese place with good lunch special. Food was average. The service was unremarkable - the waitress appeared depressed to me. But other than that - alright. Would go back. read more

today we ordered two orders the pork katsu in which we found mouse poop and fluff it was disgusting we had to throw it away we will never buy ally again. read more

Great sushi. We have been coming here for a few years now and they are consistently excellent. The atmosphere is quiet and the staff is very nice. If you are there, try their mackerel sushi and tempura shrimp roll. read more

Solid food and reasonable pricing. Not the best food you've ever had but certainly not the worst. Definitely wouldn't go out of my way for it but it was close and convienent. read more

highly recommended for the lunch special! for those who come from asia, you know what is the best Japanese food, here it is. They always serve the high and best food quality. The rice is well cooked and salmon is amazing. The whole lunch is under $10, depending how much you tips. Order arrives on time within 30 to 40m, sometimes even faster! I am impressed not only the food but also their services. I live 100th street. They still deliver on time. If you find Japanese, here's ur choice. read more

I think this is the best Japanese restaurant in the neighborhood. The sushi is always fresh, and the roll combinations are more interesting than anyplace else I've been. Bibi treats everyone like family and makes the dining experience feel like an extension of your home---in a good way! read more

Staff was friendly when we entered but the place was empty which made my dining partner and I nervous. The sushi was just okay. Maybe below average. Won't be returning read more

Its sooooooo good! Amazing food and free spring rolls! We ordered it twice in one night!

this place has become my FAVORITE spot for sushi..everything on their menu is so full of flavor and everything I ordered was done amazingly. the service is just wonderful. I'm already becoming a regular here :) read more

Fresh delicious and surprisingly sophisticated considering the low key atmosphere and reasonable price. The special roll with eel, avocado and blue crab was to die for. read more

I love the bento box lunch specials! It comes with everything I love. The salmon teriyaki is excellent.

Awesome sushi for an awesome price! The lunch special is great. I really liked the miso soup it had plenty of tofu and seaweed. Staff is friendly. Highly recommend! read more

I love this place! The sushi is so fresh and the special rolls are delicious. I love the owner, she is so nice and always makes great recommendations. I had the Poppycock and Big Apple rolls and both were amazing. This is a hidden gem on the UWS! read more

Great food for a mom & pop style, mid level, sushi restaurant. The prices are well matched with the exceptional sushi you get. Great cuts of fresh fish. Great lunch specials and dinner combos. Great service as well. This place has everything you need for a perfect neighborhood sushi restaurant. read more

Food poisoning! My friend and I recently ordered sashimi and three roll lunch special that resulted in good poisoning. No good!!! There is much better sushi in the city than here. Do yourself the favour and don't chance it. read more

Terrible, terrible service. Ordered food, and an hour later it still had not arrived. I called and was lied to multiple times about what had happened. First they said it would be there in 10 minutes so I waited. After it didn't come still, I called twice more and they said they had delivered it to the wrong address, and then later said they didn't know what happened to it. Terrible. read more

I really like the atmosphere in this place. I often eat alone which is just fine in this place. Sushi is always very good - fresh and descent portions. Prices are average. read more

It was okay. My girlfriend had two different rolls and did not like one of them after taking a bite. They insisted she still had to pay after trying the food. (How else would you know if it's good?!) anyways. Go elsewhere this place sucks. read more

I like to get my lunch here sitting at the window. Nice location next to the park, and the prices are reasonable!

Great food super cute charming neighborhood place it's a hidden gem and great for dining in or ordering in too! I highly recommend it! Love it! read more

Unfortunate experience. Went to dinner with husband and daughter. I ordered the grilled salmon salad with ginger sauce. It didn't smell right. Then I took a few bites and the ginger sauce literally bubbled in my mouth. I called the waitress over who went to the the owner. She came and told me she had just made the sauce fresh. When she walked away I had my daughter smell it and the owner saw me. She came over and finally took it away replacing it with a whole new version. It was eatable but not great. I was annoyed she had tried to convince me it was fine the first time. I've had a terrible sick headache since eating there. My husband's meal was meh. I'd never go back or recommend. read more

Not good. Used to be the best sushi in the area, but must have changed management or SOMETHING because now it's straight up gross.