The best sushi in the Toledo area! I have been dining here consistently for 30 years. It has always been high quality experience.

I first went over 35 years ago. They serve good sushi for the Toledo area. When serving sashimi it's not very eye appealing. Instead of sliced fish served in a typical Japanese decorative manner they have served me chunks of fish on a plate. Not keeping with Japanese style. The owner Kevin is not Japanese but in the remote past had excellent Japanese sushi chefs. read more

Such a good place even Kenny G would agree! I visited Kotobuki while on a trip visiting my family in Ohio. The restaurant has won multiple awards and has hosted many celebrities. I now see why it was so good and highly recommended. We ordered multiple things on the menu to feed a large family and everything was delicious! I especially loved the sushi and beef bugolgi. So good! This is a must visit restaurant in the Toledo area! read more

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Amazing service Eddie is so cool such good food and such a great experience I get a feeling going to Kotobuki that I don't get going to any other Japanese restaurant. Would give 100 stars if I could. so recommend I can't put it into words. Recommend hot towel service. read more

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Sylvania, Ohio

I am sorry to write this review but it must be said. I went with 3 friends for the lunch hour around 1250-1 pm on a Monday in December. The restaurant was active and busy but not slammed. I think you know where this is going. We ordered our drinks around 110. The waitress came back about 120 to take our order. My two friends ordered a variety of sushi, I ordered a Bento box and side of kimchi, and my other friend ordered some fried rice to go. We also ordered some edamame as an appetizer. The edamame probably came out 150. It feels like we didn't hear from our waitress at all during that time. Once the appetizer finally arrived, I let her know that the food was taking much longer than we expected. She had also never given us our four waters At the beginning. The waitress also never refilled my friend's green tea, which I guarantee is just brewed in the back already so I don't know why it would take any longer than a couple minutes. Our food finally arrived around 205 to 10. We were starving and at this point the waitress was trying to make up for all the things she had not brought us. Only at the halfway point of my friends had eaten their sushi. Did she ask if they wanted soy sauce bowls. And their massive sushi plate came with no wasabi! I mean cmon. the waitress was trying to make amends at end with miso soup and salad. However, two of my friends flew in from out of state and are only here for a couple days. And so we were basically having a not so great time despite paying for a price that would seem like we she should be having a good time. It's really unfortunate when a restaurant has been around for so long and has decided to either not train their staff or pick one that is unqualified for some reason to serve customers. I greatly feel for the waitress. I've worked in service industry before and I know it's tough. But it is essential to write down things so that they can be remembered. I never received my kimchi side order and my one friend was so hungry that He ate three of the salads and two of our miso soups. I sincerely hope Kotobuki will look into improving the quality of their staff-- whether that means a manager that is supervising staff better, or making sure that waitress can actually memorize a full order for four people on an extensive menu and pace out their service better. I would definitely be giving one star if my bento was not delicious. But it was. At the same time, while I was finishing my food there was a man walking in with a ladder, addressing HVAC issues! I want to come back, but jeez. read more

Probably my long time favorite Japanese restaurant in Toledo! Known Dennis the owner for 20+ years! The sushi is expertly prepared, the bento box is one of my favorites, I always grab a seat at the sushi bar! Highly recommended! read more

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This is where I first tried Sushi many years ago. It was and still is my favorite place for Japanese food. The owner, Dennis, and his staff are welcoming and helpful, and the restaurant is sparkling clean and tastefully decorated. read more

For a sushi spot there's not really a great amount of sashimi and fresh rolls. Everything we got was very good, however, the service was lacking. I knew to expect a long wait time on Valentine's Day even with a reservation, but I never thought with a 6:30 PM reservation we would still be sitting there after 9:30 PM. We got sat over 30 minutes after arriving. They lost about $100 worth of drinks from us. Two glasses of wine over the course of the dinner that would've probably been 3 glasses per person. Beers that could never be replaced. We were going to put in additional sushi, but after waiting for an hour and 15 minutes on top of the 30 minute wait at the door we just couldn't wait anymore. Even after all that time, my mother-in-law ordered a noodle soup dish, and her dish never came out. I know they forgot to put it in with our sushi order. We waited for wasabi for 20 minutes. And we never got our our water refilled once it did get there. It's a cute spot. It's a real Toledo tradition, but knowing it's Valentine's Day and not having enough servers, sushi, chefs, and the hostess was a little unforgivable. read more

Kotobuki has been my FAVORITE place for sushi and I have traveled all over. Their deep fried sushi is better than any other place and my friend loves their ginger dressing. That 007 in the middle is so good we ordered two of them. Gump roll and no name were good as well. No where compares. Get it every time I am in town. read more

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant - Gump , 007, no name roll - Japanese Near Me - Sylvania, Ohio

Stopped in for lunch yesterday. Service was great. The hot tea was welcome and really hit the spot... I had 2 rolls for my entree, spicy California and spicy tuna. I've heard sushi chefs frown on spicy rolls in sushi restaurants, but fish with any type of horseradish (wasabi being horseradish) is absolutely delicious. Anyway, the rolls were well made, but they were very small and the fish may have been better fried as it was getting to be a bit strong. Could be my request for spicy rolls gave license for yesterday's fish? Too bad as I was really looking forward to this meal all week. This was one of the best sushi restaurants in Toledo. Not sure what happened this time. 2 hand rolls, $15.00, strong fish and still hungry. I'll certainly try the place again as I've probably been there a hundred times and can't recall a bad meal. That said, I've had better. read more

This is very nice Sushi and Hibachi-style Japanese restaurant tucked into one of the many strip plazas on Monroe. Located in the elbow among a row of shops, it is found in one of the plazas just on the Sylvania side of the lengthy stretch of Monroe that is packed with commercial activity. Given the vast number of shops in one plaza after another in this area, it would be easy to miss this place if you did not know it was there. I discovered it only because we stopped at the neighboring Learning Express earlier in the evening. We found our visit to be enjoyable as the service was very good, the food was terrific and the prices were well in line with the offerings. The storefront had a tidy, cozy look and the interior matched that impression nicely with appropriate decor for a Japanese restaurant. Having been to Japan a few dozen times and having eaten in multiple restaurants there, I thought the interior adequately tended toward authentic. We were seated very quickly upon entering and our server attended to us without undue delay. They did have a sushi bar and those dishes featured prominently on their menu. But they also offered many tempting options from the grill. To drink, we tried the Ginger Tea. My wife got hers iced while I had mine hot. I would recommend this drink, as the taste was refreshingly different, though it was a rather strong brew. But if you like ginger, it was quite good. We chose to get a six-piece Avocado Roll to start and we deemed it a good choice for an appetizer. For her main, my wife chose the Teriyaki Chicken and California Roll Combo. She was strongly complimentary of her fare. I selected the Karashiyaki Chicken, which featured a tangy mustard sauce that covered the grilled. This was the first time I had tried such a dish in a Japanese establishment. I actually liked it and would try it again if given the opportunity. Both meals came with a flavorful Miso Soup, a Salad that was dressed with a very good Ginger dressing and nicely-prepared steamed vegetables. We enjoyed our meals quite a lot and we each had enough left over for another meal to take home. Our bill was very reasonable and commensurate with the quality of the fare from my viewpoint. We had ordered a Bulgogi Beef dinner for folks at home to go with the two meals we ate in the restaurant. For those three meals with tax and tip, it was about $26 per person. This was a very fair value. In general, I'd say this was one of the better Japanese restaurants I've tried in the Midwest region. The atmosphere was laid-back and pleasant, the service was efficient and appropriately attentive, the quality of the food was excellent and the value was well worthwhile. I would be happy to make a return visit to sample some of the many other options available here. read more

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We placed our order for pick up at 6;00 pm. and it was ready to go. It was as fresh as if we were waiting for our order at the restaurant itself. As always the staff were pleasant and appreciated the business. Wonderful place with a lot of great history of having great food. read more

1-6-2024 Great ambiance and wonderful service. Sushi tastes fresh and we loved the fried rice and gyoza. Oh! and the Sargent Peppers roll too. read more

Awesome Sushi !!! Dennis the owner is the best too. We've been coming here since they opened up!! read more

Always a welcoming atmosphere as your greeted by the owner as long as I can remember coming here, even as a child. The sushi is of the best quality and one of only a few restaurants in the Toledo area I would recommend eating raw sushi without having to think twice. They also offer ramen, cooked rolls, veggie options, and even curry for the ones who aren't interested in traditional sushi or sashimi. I dine in and order take out weekly because of the quality and consistency, plus it's close to work and my home. I highly recommend giving this locally owned and operated restaurant a try if you've never been. read more

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Sushi shops along monroe street are all good, koto is a just a bit better and you pay for that bit of privilege. you wont order wrong, i had squid 2 diff ways and fried oyster, they were very well prepared. read more

I called ahead and verified Mackerel fish available here. Meeting Rick for lunch soon here. We shared mackerel and octopus, and 2 different rolls. EVERYTHING...was great! read more

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant - the front of the restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Sylvania, Ohio

Love this place for so many reasons. I've been going here since it opened. Dennis is incredible. He's a top sushi chef, friendly, always remembers everyone's names, keeps a clean restaurant. Sushi is to die for, and nobody, and I mean nobody can top his amazing selection of appetizers. I highly recommend KotoBuki. read more

Great ambience and perfect for date night. The staff was very kind and tended to us quickly. If you are a fish lover, the sashimi platter (chef's choice) is worth it! The chef was generous with his cuts of different sashimi and it tasted fresh. It was even beautifully plated on a glass, fish plate. As for the rolls, they were decent! Unlike the sashimi, the chefs were not as generous with with fish to roll proportion. It is not as filling as what I'm used to. Rainbow roll pictured on the bottom. read more

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Owner is always nice to us when we go. Forget his name. That goes such a long way. Sushi quality is average I would say. Can always get in but always people there. read more

Great place to come and eat. I grew up as a kid eating here with my family. It's still here after decades, serving quality Japanese food. The owner is very friendly and personable. A Go to spot for me when I crave sushi. I usually get the green tea ice cream afterwards for dessert. A must if you want sushi in Toledo. read more

Very nice restaurant, one that we enjoy going too. Nice selection and variety to choose from. Always looks very clean and the staff are very polite and attentive. Take the time I'll think you'll enjoy your experience. read more

Very tasty noddles, the sushi was very good. Excellent customer service! Thank you! read more

We went here for my birthday celebration. We had a great time. Food was great. Service was great. Selection of rolls was awesome definitely come back. read more

We arrived right at the beginning of the evening rush. We had a party of 4 and were immediately seated. The staff was quite busy trying to keep everyone happy. We ordered sushi, sashimi, noodles, soups, and appetizers. Keeping in mind that all of this is made to order and the restaurant was full, we ordered some drinks. The food was excellent and worth the wait. I highly recommend! We will be back. read more

The interior was nice but the food was average. I had the yakisoba with vegetables which came with a salad and miso soup. The miso soup was alright and the salad was good. I didn't really like the yakisoba because it was kind of bland? It didn't really have much flavor and I actually requested some teriyaki sauce to pour on top of it just for some flavor. It's not what I expec read more

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant - Yakisoba with vegetables - Japanese Near Me - Sylvania, Ohio

Holy mother of god, I just had the best Toledo sushi experience of my life. I've been coming to Koto Buki sporadically for a long time, and I've always enjoyed my meals. The sushi rolls are great, the bento boxes are nicely done, the service is pleasant as well as the atmosphere. I'm not sure what made tonight particularly unique, but it WAS the first time I ordered their deluxe sashimi platter. It was a boat load of raw seafood, including some mind meltingly fantastic caviar. Big and super salty, the little beasts were awesome placed on top of a piece of fish. Everything on the plate tasted great, even the stuff I don't normally like, like raw octopus. I also enjoyed snacking out of my wife's vegetarian bento box. I think their bento boxes are easily the best in town, with a ton of tasty things to nibble on. Anyways, long story short.... something special happened tonight in my mouth. And I look forward to coming back and seeing if I can recreate the experience. I never knew raw fish this far inland could taste so fresh. read more

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant - Sashimi deluxe with chef's choice options. Lovely. - Japanese Near Me - Sylvania, Ohio

Very good Japanese sushi restaurant. I had two rolls and my girlfriend had a bento box. Large portions. We started with vegetable tempura and shumai, which is a shrimp filled dumpling. All very good. It wasn't busy so we were able to get in and order quickly. Very clean and well maintained. The only drawback is the restroom. There is just one and it is shared between men and women. We have been here before but they have changed their menu. More streamlined. read more

Food was very good. We had sushi, the maki sampler, and a boogy roll. The service at the sushi bar was unfortunately non existent. They forgot about us once we received our food. We will give it another try in the future. read more

I'm afraid the dinner we had for five last night was bad. The chicken teriyaki and kirabashi were both just baked chicken with bad sauces thrown on top. The sushi had over cooked rice, was misshaped, and the fish looked old. The yellowtail role and soft shell crab were not bad. The chicken ramen wasn't either. Will not go again read more

STILL RATHER NICE Over the years we have managed to have lunch here whenever we found ourselves in Toledo. It's still good. The lunch salads are especially nice, served room temperature with hand broken lettuce and excellent dressing. My wife's udon was just fine and my Salmon Teriyaki and Shrimp Tempura (L-28) was merely okay. The salmon was small and tasteless and the tempura greasy. It really should not be called "Shrimp Tempura" because of the 5 pieces of tempura, only one is a shrimp. Still a fun place. Location - 4 Stars Service - 5 Stars Food - 3 1/2 Stars Ambiance/Decor - 4 1/2 Stars Value - 4 Stars read more

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant - Menu cover. - Japanese Near Me - Sylvania, Ohio

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This was my first time here. I got a spicy tuna roll and a spicy shrimp ramen noodle. IT WAS BOTH AWESOME! The food was great, service was very good also! I will be back. For sure! read more

Wanting to come to this place for the longest, we finally ended up going for dinner. We we're attending my friends end of the year party for the Japanese department at UT and let me tell you, that place was wall to wall pack with smiles and great food, as well as impeccable service considering how many people were there. I ended up getting the French roll which was amazing as well as the most perfect dish in Japanese History...the Sukiyaki dish. I had my feels daring to fall and become a part of my dish, it was that delicious. It had beef, some shiitake mushrooms and clear rice noodles and tons of veggies! It came with a delicious ginger salad that I wanted to be a meal as well. This place was great and I'm glad my friends had fun and they ate like kings. Thank You Kotobuki we had an awesome time. read more

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant - The "I can not believe a perfect dish exist" Sukiyaki w/ rice! - Japanese Near Me - Sylvania, Ohio

When you walk into Kotobuki you'll be greeted by a number of well-deserved awards. This place has been a staple in Toledo's sushi scene long before there was much competition and has earned a devoted following with a cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and consistently great food. There's much debate about who has Toledo's best sushi, and I'll leave that debate to others. Simply put, I've always had a good meal at Kotobuki and leave feeling pleased. I do think that compared to some other places, it's a touch pricey relative to portion size (more for the sides and such than the sushi) but not enough to be off-putting. I recommend exploring the dinner menu (non sushi) as there are some gems hiding out in there. In particular, the ramen is a swell choice. It's a big, beautiful, brothy bowl of yummy goodness. Comes vegetarian as is, but you can add meat if you choose. The broth is spicy and savory, with a well-rounded flavor. The egg, veggies, and steak are a nice pairing that'll fill you up. Kotobuki is a fun, flavorful night out for a date or to catch up with a small group of friends and family. Get around the menu a bit and enjoy! read more

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant - Ramen with steak! - Japanese Near Me - Sylvania, Ohio

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Having lived on both the East Coast and the West Coast, I will admit that I am a sushi snob. But whenever I am in Toledo to visit my mom, I always come to Kotobuki. It is by far the best sushi that you can get in Northwest Ohio. Dennis, the owner, is a wonderful man and provides phenomenal service at his restaurant. I have never been disappointed with the quality and attentive service I receive when I come to Kotobuki. Being that Ohio is almost in the middle of the country and very far from fresh coastal water, the sushi and quality of fish you find at Kotobuki is the best in town for the price. Their rolls are creative and always delicious. Some of the specials they offer are great too (a recent favorite of mine was the edamame goyza). So if you find yourself craving sushi and you're in Northwest Ohio, definitely give Kotobuki a try! read more

Shrimp tempura and chicken teriyaki is fantastic. Great service and a wonderful experience.

This is our family's favorite authentic Japanese restaurant, around! My Mom is half Japanese, we found kotobuki in the late 90's, and she says the food tastes the same as what she grew up eating in her home. If you want to try authentic Japanese dishes, kotobuki is definitely the place you want to eat! read more

In town from Chicago and found this wonderful place. Ambiance and decor were beautiful. Staff had great service. Classy place with authentic sushi bar feel to it. Loved the cleanliness and quick service. We are experienced sushi eaters but our family was not. Great to see so much variety. Sushi was perfectly presented and also very delicious. Soft shell crab absolutely perfectly fried. I recommend this for value and selection. Amazing experience. read more

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant - Wonderful selection! Quality sushi rolls. Octopus was perfect! - Japanese Near Me - Sylvania, Ohio

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Food and sushi is always good just don't go here if you are concerned with time. Very slow

loved the miso soup it was super hot and light! i ordered the teriyaki chicken and the meat was easy to split with chopsticks and very flavorful read more