You know I crave hibachi here and there. And every time I get Kobe is does fulfill my cravings. But also every time I get Kobe my stomach hurts so bad. You win and you lose. My only other complaint is they touch raw chicken with the spatula thing and then touch steak and shrimp and then touch more raw chicken. So the cross contamination is real. Service is usually a little slow and ambiance is your standard hibachi. It does have pretty decore. I haven't found really good hibachi in the area but I hope Kobe maybe could become that. read more

We had an extremely long long wait. I know a lot of people probably don't like Kobe but it's like a baloney sandwich. Sometimes it just hits the spot. Could use some updating, but since there's not lots of competition in Lawrence, I guess why waste the money.? I'd recommend it if you were hungry. Should really be a solid 3.5. Not bad enough to hate not good enough to love. I definitely go back but not often. read more

Kobe at Lawrence - I think homeboy had pink eye. I guess he was just working through it. - Japanese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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Me and the rest of the family went for my son's birthday, it was great. The service was so good, the food was so good. We all loved it there

Excellent food! Excellent service! Reasonable prices! Could be cleaner. There was a birthday at the table next to us. They really go all out for your birthday. They come over with a drum and gong. They sing and have everyone else join in. Then they give you a giant oriental fan and take your picture. The restaurant could definitely use a good cleaning. The floors were so sticky that after we stood up from the bench we're we waited to be seated, our shoes stuck to the floor! The bathroom floors we're actually slippery. I think the soap dispenser was leaking. My plate was dirty when we sat down so I gave it to the waiter to change. It could definitely use some updating and a make over. But I would definitely go back. read more

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Service was awful. Went in and no one was upfront multiple people just walked right by. When I have was finally helped I told them the name for the to go order. I was told it still have about 15 minutes. I waited and went back in. It still wasn't ready they told me about 2 more minutes. I have been waiting for 45. Beyond frustrating as it was placed 30 minutes in advanced and they haven't had much communication. It's my first time having the food. Is the food honestly worth is? Not at this point. It was just 2 teriyaki n rice meals. read more

We had a great time at Kobe for my boyfriend's birthday! Our server and chef were very kind and service was quick. The hibachi was entertaining and the food (and drink!) was delicious. I can't believe we hadn't been here before and we will definitely be back! read more

Kobe at Lawrence - Gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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Well, after reading recent reviews...walking in and using the men's restroom I have to admit I was concerned. However, we had a fun night with great food...our daughters enjoyed their first Shirley temples and caught shrimp! Highly recommend, and hope they can invest in some sprucing up to match their cooking. read more

Okay, but not really my cup of tea. The food tasted good but wasn't anything spectacular. Our hibachi server was very energetic and made the experience fun. Other servers were alright. Even though we did have a reservation, we still had to wait 20 minutes past our time to be seated. I think it's important to consider that you are paying for the experience of going to a hibachi, not necessarily the same quality of food that you would get somewhere else for $20 an entree. Also take note: not an allergy-friendly place. Everything is (obviously) cooked on the same grill, and the hibachi chef did put some shrimp and chicken on my and my partner's plate without asking first if we could eat it. It was fine for us, but there are people who have shellfish allergies or other dietary restrictions. read more

Very good food and service. My family enjoyed it. We will try it again. I had shrimp and my family tried the steak All was good. read more

The outside was a little shanty-Esq but when my friends and I went in we were transported to our own private heaven for a delicious dinner and free entertainment. The staff was so friendly and made a lot of good recommendations for us. I loved the atmosphere and I would definitely recommend coming if you're looking for a good hibachi place in Lawrence. read more

Kobe at Lawrence - Birthday rice - Japanese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

I had eaten at Kobe's before and had an ok experience. However, the chef that I had on my LAST VISIT (EVER) was horrible. When I asked for gluten free and told him I have celiac he reacted as if that "wasn't really a thing." He lied and said "absolutely, our soy sauce is gluten free!" I told him I had eaten there before and I knew it was not. He continued to insist that "YES!" he stated, "Our soy sauce is 100% gluten free." So I stepped away and asked the host at the front desk area if they had changed their soy sauce & if it was now gluten free. The guy said nothing and went to the manager and the manager then brought over gluten free soy sauce to the grill. This absolutely annoyed the chef and he refused to cook my food on an area of the grill that was not contaminated by gluten. I told him my sensitivity to gluten was extremely high & asked if he could use another part of the grill for my food, which he did not. I ate as little as possible because I was starving & short of leaving the restaurant I had little choice. I was with a large party & I didn't want to disrupt everyone's evening. I ate VERY LITTLE, but was still sick as hell for 3 days! Long story... short... DON'T GO THERE IF YOU HAVE CELIAC! THEY DO NOT CARE. read more

Only the second hibachi place I've ever been to (the other one was in California) but definitely the best! The interior, the staff, but most importantly the food - all stellar! read more

Isaiah is a king.. need i say more food is amazing atmosphere passes the vibe check 10/10 would eat at again read more

She had the filet and scallops, I had the KC strip and scallops. Both were very good, would definitely order both again. Great service, friendly staff. We will be back. read more

Kobe at Lawrence - KC Strip and scallops - Japanese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

The food was mediocre I found what looked like dog hair in my sushi. I was APPALED to hear a WHITE MALE hibachi chef speak in an Asian accent to entertain guests. This is racist and very offensive I will not be coming back to this restaurant. read more

Now I love Kobe Simon is what keeps me and my family coming back. However all I wanted for Mothers Day was Kobe and we paid 30$ more than when we dine in for way less food. In December we came for my birthday as we do every year and it was much cheaper. Yesterday we had to do take out because of corona. There was no shrimp like we were asked if we wanted, no ginger sauce,no teriyaki. Next to no vegetables. My jaw dropped when my husband told me what he was charged because with our 2 older kids and our plates we don't ever pay as much as it was yesterday. If it wasn't because we love Simon I don't think we would ever go back after that it was just disappointing. I know it's not the same experience having to do carry out but it was still just disappointing read more

We come here all the time, however this afternoon at 4:30pm with no one in the restaurant, they were unable to seat us (2) ppl. They were EXTREMELY rude about it saying they didn't have room until after 7pm. We will not return as they could have approached turning us away in a better manner. Avoid this place as we will now, even after coming here almost every other month for the past few years. VERY DISAPPOINTING and SAD!! read more

Not worth the money. I'm glad my husband was out of town so I didn't spend $43 on this meal.

THE BEST SUSHI I'VE HAD IN MY LIFE!!!!! the california rolls are to die for and their wasabi sauce is amazing. i also ordered from the hibachi grill and wasn't too impressed with that. i've had better hibachi experiences. but this place gets 5 stars, alone, based on their sushi! read more

Went last night to take my sister out and I'd say the experience was very average. As some of the other reviews pointed out, being seated last meant little to no rice or vegetables were left by the time it got to us which was a bit frustrating. Ordered steak and lobster and my sister order steak and scallops. The scallops were cold in the middle (not a seafood you want to undercook) and my lobster was drenched in so much soy sauce I could barely tell it apart from the shrimp. Also were issues with several of our bills being incorrect. Price and value was great but the atmosphere and quality of the food was very mediocre compared to your competition read more

I believe the company we were with fared better than the food itself. It was OK, nothing to write home about. Typical hibachi grill with a fast-food sort of mentality. Chicken was doused with teriyaki as was the shrimp. Rice was a tad greasy and veggies were nothing to write home about. Ordered some sushi rolls, a spicy tuna and a dragon roll. How about not making the roll as big as one's fist? LOL Sake bombs galore of course! Not to mention the college frat formal that was going on. Fake ID's in the house?? Me thinks so! read more

I've been to Kobe several times, and ever since Covid I've had it a few times to-go. The food is mediocre. And ever since restaurants are opening back up they refuse to accept to-go orders stating they are always short handed. Save yourself the time and money and avoid Kobe. read more

Our go-to place for family birthdays. Great food and fun at the hibachi grill. Good sushi too. Highly recommend.

I have been to Kobe a couple of times and have plans to go back soon. The selling point here is the food. I think their sushi options are fantastic and that the hibachi is pretty good. I don't have a lot of experience to put it up against, but it's a lot of food for the price (and it's hard to go wrong there.) You can customize it to your needs and get extra rice should you eat all of yours before they're done cooking the meats (which most of my friends always do.) I will say that most of their entrees are a bit on the greasy side. I don't eat here often, but when I do, I feel it in my skin afterward. Their cocktails are really good as well, although on the strong side. I didn't feel like they had a very extensive sake selection, but wasn't overly bothered. I think there is room to improve the service. They tell the exact same jokes, word for word, every time you go. That's assuming you get a grill cook who tells jokes at all. We've had several different grill cooks when we've gone (with a party of 6) and only once did they really interact with us. Our experience with the waitress has been hit or miss. I've read reviews about other servers but we've gotten the same girl all three times we've visited. She's generally a cheerful person with a lot of information about the restaurant. Unfortunately, she can be inattentive while the restaurant is nearly empty and has gone as far as telling us not to expect much because of something that happened to her outside of work. That kind of attitude is totally unacceptable in any kind of customer service. I understand people have bad days and say the wrong thing, but this was over the top. I can say I appreciate the atmosphere. Despite some awkward experiences, I find the space to be cozy and familiar. It's a nice place to meet your friends or to celebrate a special occasion that won't break the bank. I'm sure there are fancier versions in KC, but this one has grown on me regardless. read more

Really good restaurant! Got the steak and scallops, fried calamari and the Jayhawk Roll. The sushi was easily the best sushi i've had! Service was really good, also tried a Sake bomb for the first time and the staff was super helpful in teaching us how to do it. read more

Great food, friendly and helpful staff, and HUGE portions! Seriously, we ate our fill, filled our takeout boxes, and STILL left food.

Excellent place for a date or a family special occasion. Great amount of food for the price.

This place is alright. I like the vegan options I can create here. It's a little pricey and the food is average to good. The staff is fantastic and I personally enjoy the atmosphere quite a bit, though I know that's just my perspective. I really enjoy their birthday package. (For $5(ish) they sing and take a picture of you with your loved one, and you get dessert. I thought that was really fun.) The price is really my only hang up here. I usually find myself gravitating toward other places when I'm considering spending that kind of money. read more

Came here with friends and expected a normal restaurant experience. This place was anything but that. The atmosphere was very relaxing but also entertaining with sizzles of food in the background. After ordering from the menu of amazing foods, you are treated to mushroom soup and a nice salad. Then, the real fun begins. A person walks over to your table where he or she turns on your tables grill and starts doing some fancy stuff with fire. Next, they starts cooking some rice followed by vegetables and then concludes with the meat you ordered. In between every next dish they serve it on to your plate where you can arrange it and add flavor to it. Finally, if you get shrimp, they will do a shrimp toss where they toss it to you and you try to catch it your mouth (I caught it)! The service, food, atmosphere, and much more make this place a 5-star along with a place I will be returning to. Summary-Odoroku bakari read more

Went there after work one day and told them I wanted to sit at the sushi bar and they tried to sit me at a table. I had to repeat myself. The guys behind the sushi bar were funny and helpful as we were one waitress, But the place is so run down and has a dirty feel, the chairs are falling apart, etc.. This sushi was subpar, the fish lacked flavor, but the nigiri was a bit better. If the food was good I could get past the decor but it just was not worth the price. There are better places downtown to get sushi for the same price. I won't be back. read more

I can't believe some of the bad reviews I've seen here. I just can't understand or imagine any of those things happening at this restaurant. I've been here many times, it is often my go-to special occasion restaurant, and I have never been disappointed. Kobe ranks at the top of my list of hibachi restaurants, and I've been to a few. Tonight, however was absolutely over-the-top amazing. Well exceeded my usual expectations. Our waiter was named "Bruce" (like Bruce Lee, he said, but not as fast or lethal) and he was funny, & attentive. The Chef was "Vince" and he was by far the best I've ever seen, and I have NEVER had the food taste so good. (I mean it's always good, but tonight was exceptional). read more

Sushi was good.Hibachi was good. Chef could have been a lil more entertaining. But we had fun and left full!

I guess I'm spoiled by the great sushi places near my home in California, and to be fair I only had the sushi, not the "hibachi"/teppanyaki, that did look like it would be better... BUT as much as I wanted the sushi to be good, when the rice is stale there isn't much that can be done to save a dish that is mainly rice, not that the fish was any better. The miso soup was little more than pale colored water with a few chunks of tofu floating around, not the rich, flavorful broth with pieces of seaweed I've become accustomed to. The salad was equally weak. I didn't eat more than a few pieces, then asked for the check and left. I really wanted this place to be good, and I think it could be, but for now, maybe stick with the hibachi... read more

The service was very friendly and perfectly timed! The portions were large and the flavors were delicious! They also took the time to cut our daughters steak into bites that were perfect sizes for a child. read more

I ordered the Sirloin Steak and Shrimp and requested the steak be cooked medium-rare. When the chef cooked the steak it looked a little red to me but I trusted the chef. About five minutes after finishing my meal my stomach started rumbling and I destroyed their restroom. I don't know if it was the meat or something else but now you know my reasoning behind the 1 star rating. It was definitely the meat. :O read more

THE ABSOLUTE WORST JAPANESE RESTAURANT iv ever been to in my entire life. My 86 year old grandma got served a salad that had a METAL SCREW BOLT in it. That's not the even the worse part! The manager/owner couldn't even find the courage to apologize to her about the physical contamination in her food. Health department should have watchful eye on this place as a restaurant manager I could identify at least 10 critical violations when first walking in. All beware! read more

The service and drinks were excellent, that being said, the rest of the meal was less than impressive. I did not order anything from the hibachi grill, hopefully that portion of the restaurant has better food than the sushi bar. All orders come with miso soup (which is a personal thing for me, I just don't care for it), salad, and edamame. The edamame was cold and unsalted. Everywhere else I've had it, it's warm (which has a more inviting texture) and has course salt on it. For the portion size, the seaweed salad was overpriced, and came with a heaping side of...imitation crab? And then on with the imitation crab. I ordered a spider roll which is supposed to have fried soft shell crab, but in its place, had salty, chewy, imitation crab; which was also present in the other roll I ordered. The rice was not fresh, so it had a not good stale texture. The roe on top of my roll was nearly flavorless. Overall, the ingredients did not seem to be fresh at all. The food just seemed dry and flavorless. Good thing my frozen delight and my complimentary rainbow sherbert were good. As for the other reviews that say the sushi was good, either they were having a really off night when we were there (which we were pretty much the only people there, so that shouldn't be the case), or the other writers have never had good sushi. I've had better from the Dillons and HyVee refrigerator cases. I will never go there again. read more

This place gets two stars for the service, because our cute waitress was fast, funny, and friendly. The food was not so great, but was okay. Oddly, they didn't have a sake menu, they only had "hot sake, cold sake, or a sake bomb" with no selection within each. Miso soup was basic, simple, nothing special. Vegetable tempura was good, but more oily than it needed to be (i.e. turn your deep fryer up or change your oil more often!). Seaweed salad came with Krab legs, which was odd but okay no problem. The two rolls I had were heavy on the rice and all the tuna and salmon was pretty bland in flavor, even the white tuna which is my favorite and usually very buttery smooth and creamy. We didn't try the teppanyaki grill, just the sushi bar. read more

AWFUL. fucking awful. sushi was rolled so bad. the website i went to for the place had a way different menu then the one in the restaurant. apparently it's hard to put avocado on top of an avocado roll? when no other sushi place has ever had a problem doing it, or making it look nice in the past? i ordered a L.A roll and they just caked cream cheese and plain imitation crab was poorly laid on top, it was uneatable. i asked for a box and check and left. never going again read more

We walked inside and there were two employees fighting by the front door. Those employees were wearing sweat pants by the way. We were then seated at a table that was disgusting. The grill and all the vents were covered in old food and grease. This is all after we waited 10 minutes to sit down after calling in advance to see if we needed a reservation. We were told they were slow and wouldn't need to worry about anything. To be honest I'll never go back and I know they wont give a crap. If you want to get sick eat there. We walked out and didnt stay to tempt fate. read more