The people were extremely nice when I ordered my food. I ordered filet mignon shrimp combo and had to pay extra for a salad. I had to pick between the garlic noodles and the fried rice, The rice was not fresh. The steak was cooked almost right the shrimp were hard and overcooked. Everything but the steak tasted like it was leftover but good leftovers. read more

Service was good but unfortunately food was not. Rice and noodles were VERY bland. Ordered the combo of chicken and shrimp. Nothing special about chicken but shrimp had great flavor. Overall, gave 2 stars because of shrimp. Miso soup was also very delicious and refreshing read more

Let me start by saying we love hibachi! Tonight we took my daughter and 4 of her friends for NYE. Our chef was very new and never engaged with our table. So disappointing. Also the food was mediocre at best. The NY strip was 1/4 of an inch. We were there a whole 40 minutes. Won't be coming back! read more

The food was absolutely terrible. Salmon in the Philadelphia roll was brown, Miso soup was nothing but beef broth, Crunchy shrimp roll had a plastic taste to it like it was frozen and thawed out a couple times, Chicken teriyaki was as dry as the Gobi desert read more

Very disappointed and will not return. 1st issue was that they got our sushi order mixed up and I ended up getting an extra roll and having to pay for it. 2nd issue was the light above our grill was not working so a maintenance worker fixed it during the meal and we watched the dust fall to the table. 3rd the rice tasted like dish soap. Everyone at the table agreed. 4th The couple that was at our table ordered extra rice and never received. 5th a the icing was that we were celebrating our sons 16th birthday and someone stole one of his presents from the dining area. read more

So this review is based on solely the sushi FYI. I wanted to branch out and try sushi somewhere other than my normal spot and randomly picked here. My husband and I shared the Hope, Volcano, 49er and caterpillar rolls and they were all so fresh and flavorful. The sushi chef Chris was super friendly and definitely an added bonus to talk to while at the bar. We will be back for sushi for sure and probably try the hibachi at some point. read more

Nakato - Volcano, Caterpillar, 49er and Hope rolls. All delicious!! - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Great restaurant and people. The wait was a little long, but the place seems to be very popular. We met several who were regulars--the wait staff were great. I love hibachi grill, this place did not disappoint. You go for the show at the grill, and they give you plenty--my girl friend ended up taking a doggy bag. Several parties, celebrating birthdays and anniversaries! Great place for the family. I heard their sushi is great, so will have to go back to give a try. read more

We have been going here for years and it's still so so good. The salad, the soup, the meats, the show, so yummy!! We always look forward to it. read more

We had such a great dinner at Nakato, we'll definitely be back! The sushi was amazing and hibachi dinner had such a nice show and everything was cooked perfectly! read more

Don't recommend this place. Really not a fan of Nakato, but mother always wants to go.. Service here has really gone downhill - 3x called in for a reservation - said "they don't take reservations". Okay no problem, drive over and walk-in.. They ask "do we have reservations" !@**?!?? said it would be a 30min - 1 hour wait... (They have hapf the restaurant vacant) read more

The experience with the chefs is always top notch. The part that is also consistent is with the hosts. Its almost like they get mad at you for wanting to eat here. If you come in with no reservation and you have more than 2 people they do their absolute best to make you not want to stay and be their customer. Also years ago the hosts would dress nice and set a tone of a nice restaurant. Currently I see a waitress wearing a thick headband that looks like a bandanna and sport clothes while the other is fine but between guests is leaning on the wall , acting as if she can't wait until her shift is up and that she hates her life. read more

Delicious sushi. Tried the spiderman roll and tango roll. Don't get the veggie tempura. read more

Nakato - Spiderman and tango. - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Skip Nakato and go to Kabutos instead. If you decide to eat at Nakato's make sure you call in for reservations . We walked in without reservations and were told it was an hour wait. Nancy, the hostess, reminded us 5 times during our hour and 25 minute wait the "you were a walk in". Apparently you can walk into the parking lot, call in a reservation, and will be seated before a low life walk in. The nerve of someone thinking it's ok to just walk in, give your name and expect any form of decent customer service. Finally after waiting an shout and 25 minutes, watching walk ins who just arrived 10 minutes earlier be seated, we decided Kabutos, just 1/2 a mile South should have been where we went in the first place. Went there and we were greeted with a smile and someone who was excited to have our business. Dinner was fantastic!skip Nakatos and go straight to Kabutos read more

Great experience for family hibachi, celebrating a birthday. Quality of food excellent, cleanliness good, service and cost good.

My partner and I just left Outback right across the street due to a horrible experience before we even ordered so we decided to tryout Nakato. We were immediately sat at the sushi bar because it was an hour wait to sit at a hibachi family style table where the chef cooks in front of you. We were greeted in a timely manner, drink orders taken and drinks received timely. Sushi was ordered then waitress disappears. I see the manager running around like a chicken with his head cut off to only further observe the employees he hired and is paying are standing around and literally flickering their lighters, yes one server was literally standing around flicking a lighter. We finally get the sushi, the I asked to order the filet and jumbo prawn for my partner and I, each. (Mind you it's the most expensive for the combo per person, for the items listed at $28 a piece) The server argued with me that they didn't have it. I pulled out the menu and pointed. I think there was a language barrier. Next, I tell her what kind of soup and salad I want, as the entrees are supposed to come with soup ,salad, shrimp appetizer, everything you would get as if you sat at a table where the cooks actually cooking front of you. She said if we want the soup, salad etc we would have to sit at the table where they cook In front of you. I asked what else came with it then, she said nothing only rice and meat. Soooooooo, for the same menu item, same price you are not giving us the same accompaniments that would you would get normally because we are sitting at the sushi bar? Ridiculous. I said bring the bill for the sushi and we are outta here. It took another 15 minutes to get out bill which I had to flag the manager down for. Never will we return. This was the second restaurant the tried for my partners 30th birthday. read more

Although I live 3 minutes from here I had never been to this location until last night. I brought my 5 year old son in for dinner and was not disappointed. Our server, Jonathan, was great from the start making sure we got our drinks in immediately & that my son was taken care of. Soup and salad was brought out promptly, and the chef came to the table about 15 mins after. Danny was great, he was funny and interacted with everyone. The food was great and we both had two full Togo boxes to take home- which made for a good lunch today! It wasn't that expensive compared to most Hibachi style restaurants and the quality was outstanding. Will definitely make this a more regular thing! read more

One of my familiy's favorite places to eat. Ever. Armed with this knowledge I was bracing myself for an... interesting experience. Hibachi is generally standard across the board for me. It's not a hit or miss type of cuisine. In terms of the actual hibachi, everyone does the same exact thing with some minor twists here and there, so it's all about the quality of ingredients and service. Lets just say I held my toungue when asked how I liked my meal at the end of the day. The Service: - A little slow honestly, it took them forever to get my beer (not cool bro) and even longer to come get my order. Friendly people as per the usual, but for some reason they are on asian standard time when it comes to serving you. The Food: - Standard hibachi food, solid but nothing special. A big plus for me are the portions. They tend to give you larger portions than other restaurants along with the traditional soup, salad, shrimp, and veggies. In fact, this is the only place I've seen that gives you noodles with your dish at no extra cost. Well played Nakato. The Ambiance - Gotta love the ambiance. My cook was playful and had fun with the kids (which is a must, they love attention). The decor was great, modern with a little rustic feel to make you ease into your surroundings. Overall, wouldn't jump the gun saying its the best hibachi I've ever had, but I also won't be coming here regularly. read more

Found this place on yelp as we arrived in charlotte 4pm with our 5 yr old and 2 yr old. Figured they'd like hibachi...we were right! Service was great, very kid friendly and helpful. Food was plentiful. Our table got a freebie of teriyaki shrimp (maybe they do this for all tables?). Our party had the chicken and steak selections, all good. 2 adults and 2 kids. We were out the door for $85, including a nice tip. Small kids will love the chef act! Make reservations! We did and we were glad. read more

Now don't get me wrong I love the food, and the chef/cook was great entertainment. They also had a decent special when I went, I got the chicken and shrimp which was good, my hubby got the steak and chicken and he finished his plate so I'm assuming he enjoyed his too. We also had a couple cocktails that were pretty good too. Its a cute little place too, no different than any other but its still nice. I think their tables are a little small though. I felt like I was so close to the couple next to me. I suggest you go on a rainy day or make a reservation because when we went we ended up waiting like 20mins before we were seated and it was just jam packed. They also have a small parking lot. read more

What happened to the days of good Hibachi Steakhouses? I had to give one star for the following reasons: 1. They charge $1.85 for rice. You can get steamed white rice included with the meal. Generally it's the fried rice included but nope. Don't be surprised when your bill is $1.85 more than you expected. 2. Our chef threw his utensil across the table in the first 3 mins of his cooking. -__- 3. I told him I'd like to not have noodles. He said, "you still have to pay for it." -I know sir. 4. When flipping the chicken, he threw a whole tender sized piece onto the table. Just left it there...didn't get another piece. Too bad to the folks getting chicken. You're just short. 5. Luckily I got shrimp. It was extremely dry, unluckily. My table's experience was bad. Hopefully it was just an off night, but I won't be going back. read more

Great experience. We went to celebrate my wife birthday. Everybody had a good time with great meal. Portion on every dish are plenty. About service excellent. .! read more

Nakato - Half way on my entree - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The food was great! I had the steak and shrimp, and it was awesome. The atmosphere is casual. I loved seeing the chef cook the food in front of me. read more

Nakato - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Love this place, have been going for years, it never lets me and the family down. I highly recommend it, just remember to make reservations, they are always booked! read more

We went for dinner with friends. It's hibachi and sushi place.we tried couple of hibachi items sitting in front of cooking place.The food is really delicious. I have tried shrimp tempura,chicken noodles with mixed vegetables everything is great. In the menu they have different kind of Asian beers too. it's good place to go with entire family and having dinner. read more

Best sushi in Charlotte! Hibachi dining is great for entertaining kids. With all of the places that come and go in Charlotte, sometimes it is best stick with the tried and true BEST! read more

Good food and great service!

Made reservations for 6pm. Walked right in and directly to our table. Very impressive for a busy Friday. Very prompt server throughout entire meal. Rebecca was attentive and accommodated our custom order flawlessly. Our cook arrived right after the soup and salads and cooked a delish meal! An awesome first experience and will definitely be back! read more

Terrible service, they say you have to make a reservation to come, you call, make the reservation and when you arrive, that there is no reservation and you waste your time, you need to review your employees read more

The staff is always friendly and I always leave with a full stomach and a good laugh. The food always seems fresh and the chef is always interactive with the customers which makes it a better experience especially if you're there for a special occasion. read more

We took our friends to dinner here last week. They are moving to Germany and they chose this restaurant. I don't normally like hibachi food, but I was very impressed with this place! The entire experience was just really fun. The waitstaff is extremely professional, and the chef did little things to make the kids laugh. I did not eat any sushi as I don't enjoy it, but the shrimp and chicken was high quality and seasoned well. I ordered the veggie dinner, and with the noodles and rice I was stuffed to the brim. We also had ice cream and some fried banana type of dessert. This will be one of our new go to places! read more

Had the hibachi shrimp and chicken combo at Nakato, and wasn't impressed. The shrimp was NOT deveined. And I don't mean one tiny vein in one shrimp - every piece of shrimp had a large vein running right through it, very prominently visible. It was horrible, not to mention we could've been really sick if we hadn't noticed it. The manager was nice enough to give us more chicken to replace the shrimp and also gave us a few $ off, but that does compensate for their negligence in deveining the shrimp. Also, the zucchini was over cooked, and the rest of the food was mediocre. If you want the hibachi grill experience, this is a great place! If you want good food along with it, not so much. read more

I have been visiting Nakato for 20 years. The service, environment and food have all completely fallen off. The server assigned to our table was not the least bit friendly, she rushed us and not once did she check in with anyone at our table. Once our chef came out, the entire experience got even worse. No greeting, no "show" that they typically put on. I never received my rice and the food portions are half of what they used to be. Asked to speak to the manager when we were leaving, I was lucky to get the rice I never received taken off the bill. His explanation for the disaster that it was, $75 later- "his staff is overworked and tired". What kind of management willingly overworks their staff knowing that Nakato is delivering a disappointing, overpriced meal? 0/10 would not recommend this right now. read more

The food, service, and cook were the best I have had a very long time. Even though there was a 20 person party in front of us we were seated within the timeframe given by Carlos. Anthony was our cook. His skills are impeccable. You should ask for him. read more

Love this place, usually aways busy. Good Sushi and great Hibachi grill, lobster, chicken, Filet Mignon all great!! read more

Nakato - Sushi!! - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

My family and I went here while visiting North Carolina, and we were very happy. Which started by sitting at the sushi bar which is a note that they put sushi on and you pick it up and choose what you want as the boat goes by. And of course you can always request Sushi from the chef. We requested some and we had some off the boat and they were both fantastic. Not sure who the sushi chef was but he definitely knew what he was doing. After sitting at the sushi bar for a while we went to the Hibachi area for the rest of our meal. The food tasted great the ship was very entertaining and we all just had a really great time. I will definitely be coming back here again. read more

Nakato - Sushi moat!! - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Lucky we were there earlier so did not wait. Food was good and it was fun to look at chef cooking in front of you. read more

Tonight was a very interesting dining experience. Once I took my seat, the waiter was very kind and polite. While waiting for the chef, I was able to learn a lot about the girl sitting next me. Not because I asked her, but because she talked so loud to the person sitting right beside her. I found out she is an Ardrey Kell Senior, who does not have a date to Sadie's. She has no idea what to do because her best friend cannot go with just her. She did not fail to mention that one of her other "friends" is worried about going to college next year, because she won't apply to any scholarships but does not want her parents to pay for it all, even though they just bought two brand new Mercedes Benz, for a total of 5 cars in their garage. I was also delighted to know she enjoys drinking sprite with a little bit of tequila on the weekends. Our chef did minimal tricks, but the food was fulfilling. However, the MVP of the night was our waiter. Through all the unnecessary information I heard tonight, he managed to be the most attentive server at a Japanese steakhouse that I have ever had. The night ended with the 17 year old tequila drinker, bumping into my legs, and instead of her saying sorry, she simply walked away. Perhaps if she wasn't so rude, she could find a Sadie's date ‍. I give this review a 5/5 simply off our waiter Matt. Thank you for making my least favorite experience at a steakhouse, something worth reviewing. read more

I'd like to start by saying I've never had a bad experience at a hibachi restaurant...maybe occasionally the food was average but still fun...until I tried this place. Unbelievable!!! Food is terrible. Hibachi chef left for 10 mins mid dinner to go to the back and get things he didn't have. They upcharge for everything. Service was incredibly slow. I will never go back. I'd give it negative stars if I could. Thanks for a disappointing birthday dinner. Absolutely awful! Please don't waste your time or money!!!!! read more

This place never disappoints!! They give you so much food and I always leave satisfied! Will definitely be back!

If you like Asian cuisine and ambience this is the place. The sushi chef has great dishes and is always eager to please. Sometimes there is a wait but the host work hard to get you seated as soon as possible. The food is delicious and can be prepared to personal choice. Worth checking out. Go mid week to avoid the crowd. Weekends are always packed. If going on the weekend make reservations. Be sure to call at least 2 hours before going. Your choices will dictate the cost. Enjoy read more