There are hibachi grills all over and sushi tables/bar. Went for my birthday and they made us feel so welcome. All of us enjoyed our food.

First time visiting Okawa Steak House & Sushi for Mother's Day dinner. We made reservations for 3:30 PM and were seated promptly, which was nice especially for a holiday. When our first waiter came by, he took our drink order and then it honestly seemed like he forgot about us. About 10 minutes later, another waitress came over asking for our drink order, and we let her know someone had already taken it but hadn't come back yet. We were seated at a hibachi table and most of us ordered the filet mignon medium. The steak itself was tasty, but there were SO many garlic pieces on top, it was honestly a lot of garlic. The fried rice was okay, nothing really special, just egg, rice, and butter. We all received vegetables except my brother-in-law, and unfortunately nobody noticed or fixed it. The restaurant also felt a little dark and cramped inside, especially once it got busier. What felt awkward though was that by around 4:30 PM, the manager came over and basically told us they needed the table because they had more reservations waiting. We were already finishing up eating, but it had only been about an hour since we sat down. For a party of 8 on Mother's Day, it just felt rushed since most places usually allow at least an hour and a half. Overall, the food was decent and the hibachi experience was still fun, but the service and feeling rushed at the end made the experience a little uncomfortable. read more

Want the Benihana experience without the Benihana prices? Check this place out! This place was fantastic! Wasn't busy at all on a Saturday night and a huge plus is they don't wait for the whole hibachi table to fill up before they start cooking. We were a party of 3 by ourselves at a table and still got a great show! Food was excellent, and prices were very affordable for the huge portions we got. The fried rice was delicious and the noodles! The steak and lobster were cooked perfect and had so much flavor!! Service was excellent and the chef was so fun and interactive. This is definitely a hidden gem that will now be a regular spot for us. read more

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I ordered the Chicken Tatsuta and was shocked when I opened the box. I'm glad I checked my order before leaving because I thought there had to be a mistake. The menu describes it as "marinated chicken, fried to perfection," but what I received looked like plain, frozen chicken nuggets. Chicken Tatsuta is traditionally marinated Japanese fried chicken coated in potato starch and fried until crispy. This looked nothing like the dish being advertised. When I asked about it, I was told this was their Chicken Tatsuta. Unfortunately, the menu description and the actual product do not match. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

5-Star Lunch Gem in Santee! Had a wonderful lunch at Okawa Steak House & Sushi today! The service was excellent--attentive and friendly from start to finish. The food was delicious! We had the shrimp and steak, and it was perfectly cooked and incredibly flavorful. It's so nice to know that this little place sits right here in Santee and is not overpriced for the great food and the fun hibachi show you get. A little detail that really stood out was the iced tea; it was wonderful and you could truly taste the fresh brew. They also have lunch specials which are very reasonable, making this a great value for the quality. We will definitely be back! read more

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Came for Mothers Day. Appreciate them accommodating us. Service was good as expected for a busy holiday Sunday. We ordered the combo teppanyaki dinners and the meat was cooked perfectly. Ample portions and good pricing. Service and chef were excellent. Would return again. read more

The best sushi in San Diego!! The servers are really nice, great service and the hibachi show is pretty cool too. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Hidden Dragon Roll - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

Food was great. Excellent service. Great ambiance for the price. Hidden gem. Great for parties.

Apparently asking for no butter is a controversial request here. I've been twice and both times it was treated like a huge inconvenience, with noticeably rude service to match. If basic modifications are too much to handle, maybe that should be made clear upfront. read more

Went with a friend was seated at the sushi bar, got handed a menu each ! As my friend opened hers they was a long black hair stuck to the pages , gross ! As we both were set on sushi we decided just to stay ! As we were looking around the sushi counter and above everything looked so dusty and sticky ! Ok again we just wanted to eat Sushi ! What a mistake , don't waste your hard earned money ! read more

Come here for lunch and get sushi or get the habachi lunch special. The food is always amazing and the staff is friendly. They even do the cooking in front of you for one person. read more

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Always amazing. When ever we are craving sushi this is our go to local spot. Great service and a fresh selection. read more

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Okawa's lunch specials are the bomb! For about $25, you can get a steak and shrimp combo with fried rice and veggies, all while experiencing the joy of the hibachi flame. We had a party of 8 after my nephew's graduation, and the service was excellent. Super cute and quaint interior, excellent quality. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Samurai Steak Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

You can never go wrong with Okawa amazing service amazing food love the sushi options so fresh so clean absolutely love going to the place

I really enjoy this place. The menu selection is great, lots of variety. The thing about going to a hibachi place is that you know what you're gonna get. I come more for the food, and less for the show. The chef we have had a few times is hilarious, and definitely master of the craft. Recently I've changed it up and tried new things. The sushi is excellent. The calamari pineapple is wonderful. Definitely different. All the seafood is well cooked, and not rubbery. Also the baby water trick makes me laugh! read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

Went here for a birthday party and it was great. We sat at the hibachi table and service was awesome. The food was fresh and flavorful. The price per plate was not bad. I recommend for small parties who love hibachi and sushi. read more

We were around the area so decided to try this place for lunch. Interior looks outdated and it's dark. The restaurant is mainly for Hibachi but we just want something light so decided to go for their sushi options. We got 2 rolls and tempura. Food was not as great as the crunchy roll was little stale and tempura batter was too heavy. Service was ok and satisfactory. Tea tastes a bit weird like too watery. Overall, not a great dining experience :( I think the Hibachi should be a better choice though. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - three plates of food - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

Went there for Christmas worst experience ever !! The server we got you could tell didn't want to be there she was rude from beginning to end. We never got our noodles and shrimp that comes with the plates. She continued to look at us rudely through out our whole meal. I asked if they had changed the menu since we did not get the noodles or shrimp i was told that it was poor communication on the server as she didn't take communicate with the chef as if it was lunch or dinner. It was very nice that they came to talk to us they said they would change our bill, they did a few dollars not what they' said. She dropped our check and waited and starred at us to see how we were paying and how much of a tip we were leaving. She just hovered over us. Beyond disappointed, that used to be one of our favorite spots to go. We will not be going back. read more

Decided to try something new. Walked into OKAWA Steakhouse. There were very few people. Two guys at bar and one other couple. The Vietnamese waiter, in a Japanese Steak House, owned by a Chinese Family, was very nice. The food; however, overall was terrible! The iceberg salad was on a tiny plate with a glob of something on top. The plate was so small, it was difficult to eat. The miso soup was watered down and disgusting with a film of something across the top. The salmon and shrimp plate looked like the food had been thrown on in a sloppy manner. The small piece of salmon however, did not taste bad nor the shrimp, but...did not look fresh. The very large bottle of Sapporo beer was very good. The female waitress came to our table, prior to us finishing our food and asked if we wanted to pay our bill. We politely declined until we're had completed our lunch. We left the place, walked down to a store and that's when it happened! A massive explosion in the store bathroom, in my white pants!!!! I did not know what to do!!!! I clean myself up and the bathroom as best I could, walked immediately to my car and went home...leaving my grocery basket in the middle of the store. It was horrific and believe me, it was caused by the food I consumed at OKAWA Steak house!!!! It occurred within 25 minutes of walking out of that restaurant!!! NASTY!!!! The food is not fresh and the restaurant looks rather dark and dingy. It received 2 stars instead of one because our waiter was very nice and attentive. Of course... we were his only table!!! read more

Food was fast and so great, the seating area was a little small and recommend that you make reservations if you want to sit at the hibachi grill. Staff was friendly. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - 8 oz. Samurai Steak Dinner - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

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Went on Saturday for my daughter's birthday with my family and exceeded my expectations! Seated right at reservation time and overall service was great. It was our first time at the hibachi table there and really enjoyed the chef's work. Our dinners were all delicious and left us very full with leftovers! The highlight of it all was when the chef asked my son to come help him create the onion volcano. He was so patient and kind to him! Such a memorable moment for us. If Okawa reads this, please give the chef our thanks! read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Chef invited my son to help him make the onion volcano - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

Food is always delicious & service is fast! Crave this like once a week! Even when we get it to go they don't skimp out! Love this place and definitely recommend! read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

Sundy lunch special is perfect. Delicious. My only complaint was that it is so much more affordable during the day than at night.

My favorite is the soft shell crab appetizer. It's better than the soft shell crab roll because you get more crab. Their fried rice is amazing. read more

Okawa restaurant is located in a long and anonymous strip mall in Santee, right next to a CVS. The Japanese screens covering the windows of the storefront lend an exotic air, as one does not know what lies behind them as you approach the restaurant. When I made a reservation earlier in the day for a Monday 5:30 pm dinner, the male staff member who answered the telephone was not particularly gracious, and his manner was abrupt. Perhaps that could be attributed to a language barrier---I do not know. Upon arrival, the same man was up front [on the telephone]. When he greeted me, I recognized the voice on the phone, and his manner in person was the same as on the telephone---all business, no sense of welcome. I was seated at the first grill. I ordered a lemonade, since I am off wine for a month before surgery. It was good, and only $2.00 with unlimited refills. I wish wine were priced in that same manner! The chef at the Grill arrived with his rolling cart. He went through the motions of "putting on a show". However, he did not connect with the customers. I observed another chef at the neighboring grill really getting into an interaction with those at his grill [including squirting water from a distance into a man's open mouth---I had never seen that before]. But alas, at our table there were absolutely no hijinks or personality of any kind. For dinner, I ordered a set meal. I think it was called "Okawa Gourmet", or something to that effect. It consisted of miso soup, iceberg lettuce salad with ginger dressing, grilled shrimp, chicken, New York Steak and lobster. I enjoyed it all. Surprisingly, the lobster was not tough. Dessert [a la carte] was green tea ice cream, which they served cloaked in whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup. Special mention must be made for the dinner service by Lisa. She was pleasant and efficient, and made up in spades for the lack of communication skills by the host and grill chef. read more

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This is a great Japanese restaurant with awesome steak and sushi options. Think Beni Hana in East County. I had an awesome large Japanese beer (Kirin) for $8 here also. Win win for me. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Santee Roll and Tuna Roll - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

This roll is delicious. It's a special called the "dream catcher". I absolutely love this place. Great service. Delicious sushi. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Dream catcher - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

Place is way better than shoguns the chefs here actually interact with you. Way more interesting will be back again not the first time I been here but my first review gotta have the noddles with medium steak also can't forget the shrimp 10/10. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

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My family loves Okawa!! We have been coming here for years, the food is great and the staff is amazing. Today we celebrated my son's birthday and he got the special treatment. Definitely would recommend this hidden Santee gem to anyone and everyone! read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Swapped hats! - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

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Good food, won't be let down. Conveniently located in the heart of Santee. They have good sushi options.

Very delicious Japanese Habachi Resturant with good food cooked right in front of you. Great lunch specials and watch the show while you eat. You may want to make reservations as it only has a limited number of tables. Highly recommended, we will be back read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Delicious - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

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Ate here with my wife and daughter last night. The service was super quick, we were seated promptly, ordered our meals promptly and the food was quick to come out to our table. Food was delicious, I had California rolls, my daughter had the spider rolls and my wife had the tempura rolls. Only reason I knock off a star here is that the portions are pretty small, we also ordered a side of noodles that was very good but I could have gone for more. Probably not necessarily a bad thing because it does keep you from over-eating as well. The ambiance was a hit with my daughter because she's really into Demon Slayer (Japanese anime) right now. I like how they have regular tables for sushi and other dinner items but they also have hibachi grill tables as well for a Benni Hanna style experience. Would definitely recommend and we'll be back to try other items in the future. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - California rolls - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

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Came in right before closing and the hibachi was closed so we ordered off of the menu. Service was a bit slow as our server left midway and said she was off shift and nobody replaced her so we had to ask others to accommodate us and they didn't seem to happy about it. Ordered some Americanized sushi rolls, some noodles, fried rice, gyoza, and some veggie plates. For sure will return and try their hibachi as that looks like their specialty. read more

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Great time with the family. Food was wonderful and the chef at the table was amazing experience.

Normally I love this place but tonight 05/24 I got the end of the night food. Edamame wasn't steamed long enough. Filet mignon was supposed to be medium but was tough and dry, the egg in the fried rice was hard and the noodles that come with the combo meal was well over done. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California

Wow, I never leave reviews but feel like I have to after this experience. Ordering our food, waitress made everyone feel uncomfortable, no smiles, just annoyance for us even being there. Got a new york steak, that thing was so small, it looked like a quarter of a regular size steak. Noodles had zero flavor. Then the whole hibachi, it was by far the worst I've seen. Zero interactions, guy didn't say a word. Only "trick" he did was the onion volcano. Like really?? This place used to be good, really disappointed to see how far it's fell off. Cream cheese in the sushi roll tasted rotten, might want to throw that out! read more

We have had lunch and dinner several times before. It has been something my husband looks forward to eating. On a recent outing, he was satisfied with his dinner but I wasn't. The fried rice didn't have much flavor, tasted dry, there were 2 things I bit down on that were very hard like a pebble, it seemed like it was maybe reheated old rice. The vegetables were very good! Noodles were good. The service was fast but not friendly. We both looked at each other after getting seated and made a joke about the lack of enthusiasm. And it didn't get any better. It seemed as if we were putting the waitress out by being there. Hopefully it was just a bad day. read more

Great food at the Hibachi table. Served is top notch with very attentive wait staff. The ambiance is fun with entertaining chefs who cooked the food just as ordered. Fried rice is the best. read more

I'm going to put this politely..... this place is the Walmart of teppanyaki restaurants! Sushi was mediocre at best, wait staff lied to us and said they had chicken katsu for our daughter which they didn't have AT ALL, I honestly wish I had anything good to say about this place. But I unfortunately don't. SMH Sorry not sorry. read more

Came in today to get togo and I'm so disappointed that it's not the same Okawa that we used to know and love, nothing had flavor, super small portions and way overpriced. We've eaten inside a few times years ago but this is our 2nd time getting togo. I know that prices are going up all over California for many reasons but this is WAY too much for what you get, the portions sizes are more for kids. We always get the same thing when we go which is the dinner combos with different meats, which is chicken, steak and veggies, it also comes with a salad, soup, noodles and rice. Before today everything use to be amazing, pretty much the best in sd but we won't be back anymore. It was over 40$ for a tasteless small meal that left us confused on what happened to this once delicious place. read more

Okawa Steak House & Sushi - Tasteless noodles and apparently 'fried rice' - Japanese Near Me - Santee, California