We've been here many times and we have always had a great experience. I prefer the ribeye and hot sake. The veggies are always top notch and the chefs are very entertaining. read more

Delicious food and friendly service. Enjoyed every bite. We would return again and again. read more

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5 stars for the sushi! We like the new sushi chef from flaming wok which closed. Had he Hawaiian roll and uva roll. The presentation was beautiful! read more

Sakura - Japanese Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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One of my favorite spots to eat, I really enjoy the experience and the food, I will say, ordering it Togo is really different than, sitting down and getting the food fresh, so if I was you I would never get the food Togo/takeout, but other than that 5 out of 5 read more

a typical japanese steakhouse, i used a coupon that theyhave online to get a discount service: theatrical parts were fun of course, i had no issues with the service food: we got shrimp hibachi and volcano roll, all were great ambiance: clean, nice, no issues, some of the other guests were a bit stand offish parking : free, lot overall: great, no major issues read more

Sakura offers standard hibachi fare and experience. If you have never been to a Japanese steakhouse before, sure, it's worth a visit and the food really is tasty; however, once you've been to one, they are all kind of the same. The reason for the low rating is because the wait to get seated and the wait to get food is ridiculous. I called ahead to try to make reservations for a party of two and she said it would be no problem to seat us, so she didn't take our reservation. When we got there, she then told us it would be a 30-40 minute wait. Normally, this would be fine, but the fact that she told me over the phone that I wouldn't have to wait was frustrating. Once we got seated, we waited another 30 minutes just for the chef to show up at our table. Long story short, I'll go to Sakura if somebody else really wants to, but I'm not going to suggest it on my own. read more

Amazing japanese cuisine located in downtown Charlottesville. The fried rice is easily the best I've ever had, the "yum-yum" and ginger sauce is superb, and the chefs put on a genuinely good show. (The onion volcano and vodka-fueled cleaning are particularly enjoyable). I had the teppenyaki steak and chicken, which was quite fantastic, along with the standard miso soup and salad appetizers. The only caveat to this meal was the $2 soda refills, but they were worth it based solely on the quality of the meal. Also, be prepared to spend around $20 a person when you visit, but believe me, its easily worth double that. You won't leave disappointed. read more

I live near Sakura and frequent there every now and then. The last couple of times I have visited has progressively deteriorated each time. Which is a shame because it's a fun time to have with the kids, but when eggs go flying and smash all over your wife the evening starts to take a drastic turn for the worse. Our negative experience is primarily due to one chef in particular who has no clue what he is doing and just lacks the over all desire to be there and basic cooking skills. Our last visit was the final straw when he threw the egg in the air missed his hat and went fly and smashed all over my wife. Could not get the "volcano" lit so when it did light the oil had seeped all over the table creating one hell of a flame. Now on to the food, when you ask for medium rare and you literally cook it to a burnt piece of leather and you don't know how to cook fried rice; you probably should not be in the profession for long. I did raise my concerns to the owners who did have someone prepare a whole new plate for me And the table which was nice. I would not be giving this place such a hard time of it was a one time thing, but this is now the 4th time in a row with the same Chef who has been "new" for over 9 months. I wish I could give more then 2 stars but until the chef learns what he is doing and can demonstrate basic cooking skills I keep my rating at a strong 2 stars. Please watch for fly eggs! read more

A fun date night out, as long as you don't balk at entrees over $20, lots of children, and long waits before, during, and after your meal. As a rule, I don't take off stars for a place being popular. Sakura is certainly popular, with up to an hour wait on a typical Saturday night. Located in a new shopping center just outside of Charlottesville off Route 29, Sakura features numerous Hibachi grills, a bar, and some side seating if you want food without the show. After being told over the phone that the wait is only 20 minutes, my group was surprised to find out that it was suddenly up to 45 minutes. That's fine - customers come in ebbs and flows. The problem was this place is criminally understaffed. Our bartender/waiter/greeter/sushi chef was running all over the restaurant as we waited to be served at the bar. After 45 minutes we were seated at a Hibachi grill....only to wait another 40 minutes for the hibachi chef to come out. In the mean time we were served miso soup (too salty) and salad (too much watery dressing that was overly bitter). Once the chef arrived, he was very funny and extremely talented, and my main dish of scallops ($25) was very well prepared with a large serving size (they also forgot our steamed rice until the very end). However, the rest of the experience left a bad taste in my mouth. Overall, don't come on a weekend, as the crowds quickly overwhelm the skeleton staff they have there. From coming to the restaurant to leaving we were there for over two hours. The food is good to above average and the chefs are extremely talented. However, there are speedier and better places to eat. read more

Sakura should get a solid 4 star review. The manager is great and super, super nice! Because I dine here frequently they always bring free soup or salad and often throw in a free small appetizer. Great customer service! Sometimes the wait staff can be a bit standoffish when its busy but the majority of the time the staff is really friendly. The hibachi chefs are hilarious and great at their jobs! Sakura definitely has the best quality sushi fish in town. Amazing quality! Their spicy rolls are some of the best I've ever had. read more

Sakura is a good experience if you're into the fun of eating in a Japanese steakhouse, but I come here for the sushi, which is quite good (although without a huge selection of choices) for a chain restaurant. Seafood is always fresh, and while I miss good toro the selection will suffice for most sushi lovers, and the prices are very reasonable. What really shines is the staff - always courteous and professional. The sushi chef is a standout, great guy, very detail oriented. I've never had a negative experience here, nor has any of my guests. In Charlottesville only Ten has better quality sushi, but then its 3 times as expensive. Edit: Foursquare tells me I have been here 33 times in probably 6 years (?). I'm still a big fan of the Sakura on Connor Dr. in Charlottesville! I've never had a disappointing moment, never a bad piece of fish, and never greeted without a smile. Lately they have offered a few special delicacies - fatty tuna and fresh scallops recently - that have kept me going back. Since my previous review I have become married, and while I stick with sushi my wife and step-daughter both love the steakhouse side. read more

I have been here several times to celebrate family birthdays. Typical teppanyaki dining w/ chefs who do tricks while preparing your meal on an open grill while you're seated w/ others you probably don't know unless you have a large party. They also serve sushi. read more

This review is for the sushi side only; we didn't try the hibachi although we likely will if we go back. This place has great reviews so we thought we'd give it a try. We wanted to go to the hibachi side but there was quite a wait. The sushi side was deserted so we opted for that instead. Now I see why it was deserted. The sushi itself was okay. Nothing amazing. Definitely overpriced. I can't really recommend any particular roll although we tried about half a dozen. Nothing really stood out as great. We also had a few drinks. The cocktails were okay. They were very simple (a mix + a liquor) but the ratio was fine. The beer was extremely overpriced. We got a few domestics and they were about $8 per bottle (this is the same beer you can get at a gas station for a quarter of that). So avoid the beer. The service wasn't great. I understand how they get away with this since most of their customers seem to be at the hibachi side, but it was pretty glaring oh the sushi side. The biggest minus were the kids, although that's not the restaurant's fault so I didn't take off any stars for it. But seriously, there were children running around everywhere and giant people standing around after their meals finished letting their kids scream and throw things and carry on. It was ridiculous. Apparently some people think that if it's not a traditional restaurant it must be a Chuck-E-Cheese's. Learn some courtesy, folks. Anyway, 3 stars because the sushi wasn't offensive and my cocktails were pretty good. Expensive for what we got though and we probably won't go back. read more

visit on 8/5/2011 Only ordered sushi and it was decent. Quality, texture, and freshness of fish was average. Not the freshest or best cuts, but not horrible. Prices are on the slightly higher side but they do give you fairly decent sized cuts of fish in the sushi. Won't go out of my way to eat here, but may drop in if I'm in the area and in need of a sushi fix. read more

I ordered some sushi for takeout - spicy tuna roll & spicy scallop crunch roll. It was so so flavorless and poorly rolled. 4 or more of the pieces had hardly anything in it. The wasabi was old and crusty. It was $15 for both rolls. I really would not recommend this place to anyone. We usually go to Kyoto's in Ruckersville but it was closed today. The prices there are more reasonable and the maki is packed with flavor and skillfully made. Don't waste your money. read more

Reservation at 8:15; seated around 9; chef showed up at 9:45; chef left table around 10:20; lights dimmed at 10:25. Only 3 chefs on floor. Good food but service was the pits. Then dimming lights to rush us out. I would have thought that manager would have come over to apologize but all we got from waitress was chef be here soon. read more

Visited this restaurant recently and have to say that I enjoyed it. Nothing spectacular and certainly not the best Japanese hibachi/teppan/steakhouse, but nonetheless fun. Prices, while expensive compared to other restaurants, are reasonable in the genre. It's fun entertainment and the food is very good. Fried rice and veggies were not as flavorful as I had hoped, but still quite good. All in all, a solid place for a night out and I think that I'll go again. read more

For my wife and I, it doesn't get much better than Sakura. We regularly go here for special occasion and/or if we're just feeling like some good ol' hibachi-cooked goodness! Meals are about $20-$30/head, but come with a soup, salad, rice and vegetables, an appetizer, and then your actual main course - and it's all cooked right in front of you, save the soup and salad. Bottom line is that although the $30 may seem like quite a bit, you get absolutely massive amounts of food and it's well worth it. The more important portion of the meal for me is just the fun atmosphere. There's about 12 seats per table I believe - you may be seated with other parties together in order to not have just a few people alone with their own cook. The cook will involve you, may throw some pieces of chicken for you to catch in your mouth, and are just overall a good time! Although their skill/mood varies depending on which cook you get, we are yet to get a "bad" one. I have taken my kiddos here, and the cooks take special care to ensure that they're well entertained and have a good time! Bottom line is that the food is delicious, the portions are sizable, the price is decent for what you get (albeit somewhat pricey), and the atmosphere is great! What more can you ask for? Highly recommended! read more

Food was very good, had the veggie meal.All others in the group enjoyed their meals as well. The chef cook was a little subdued in his cooking routine compared to other Japanese steakhouses. Service was good overall. read more

The food here is really good. The staff is very friendly. The only thing that kills this place is the wait time. Sitting for more than half an hour before the cook shows up is unacceptable. read more

Loved the feel and the food. It was fun trying new things. Yum-yum sauce is delicious with the shrimp! read more

Well, I don't know if you'll agree with me or not but this was really amazing Japanese Hibachi. I've eaten a lot of Hibachi in my day. This was without a doubt the tastiest. The chef was outstanding. He was engaging, entertaining and just was great for the kids. More importantly he cooked my filet mignon and my scallops perfectly. That's a big deal when you pay the kind of price these dishes call for. The filet just melted in my mouth. It was so worth it. We also ordered sushi. And while I've seen prettier sushi, this sushi tasted fantastic. The crispy, spicy crab roll was awesome. The wait staff was great. The beer was cold. The place was clean, we didn't have to wait at all. I can't say enough good things about Sakura. I don't know if its because I hadn't had hibachi or filet in a while but I was elated the whole meal. Great place, oh and plenty of food! You will not leave hungry. read more

Stopped in to buy some rice because son has a dietary condition. Woman said she wouldn't sell me take out white rice unless I also ordered an entree. I was a bit incredulous. A gentleman came over and I asked the question again - and pointed to the menu item and asked for a side order of rice. He said - sorry you have to order an entree. Even offered to but two portions - essentially $11 for two orders or white rice and was refused. Oh well - not much business in there on a Saturday night. Guess the customer service might be the reason. Can't say I will be sad if they just go out of business. Oh well. read more

I had lunch at Sakura for Mother's Day. The food was good. I had steak and shrimp with mixed vegetables, stir-fry and a couple of daiquiri's. :) Can't remember what mom had but I venture to say we got the same thing. Our service was a bit slow, but I chalked it up to eating out on a holiday. Overall, we had a great experience and will be dining out there again. read more

When me and my daughter arrived we were told 30 min wait but in reality we were sat in about 10 mins with another group. I ordered a Strawberry daiquiri which took about 20 mins for me to even get. I ordered shrimp and chicken. I must say it was the worst. Chicken was way to over cooked, just sooo dry, I didn't even eat it. Some of the shrimp tasted semi burnt. So not worth $45 for me and my daughter, which is 2 and only ordered rice. read more

Great sushi! Most people come for the hibachi grill and the sushi is overlooked but it is excellent! The hibachi is excellent as well. Love the shrimp, chicken and the steak. My only complaint would be the high sodium content, but it is to be expected. Lots of flavor and always very fresh. Their hibachi chefs always put on a good show and are very personable as well. Highly recommend! read more

I have never been anywhere like this in my life. Classy, beautiful interior, authentic, best sautéed mushrooms I have ever had. It's like dinner and a show, they cook the food on a grill built into the table. It's a little pricey but it's so worth it. read more

Service us very slow. A thirty minute wait when export tables exist. An hour to food once seated. Food is just okay. Good portion size.

Huge portions, large variety of options, cool chef skills (flipping eggs, fire, etc). Great for groups as well. Downsides: generally long waits and food is good but not GREAT (they sometimes over cook the meat and the sauce is overly sweat on the salmon) Overall, best sushi, hibachi in the charlottesville area and I would definitely recommend it. read more

Went here for the sushi. It was just okay. A bit on the salty side. Staff was very nice. Even when it got really busy they didn't forget about our little table. Entire experience was just average. read more

Great Hibachi at a reasonable price in a nice, kid-friendly, place. It is my son's favorite restaurant. We try and go early to avoid the crowds and so adults going for a night out don't have to sit with our children. It is our family special occaison restaurant in Cville. read more

Birthday dinner - Food was horrible. . Had to eat two altoids to get the nasty taste out of my mouth. How hard is it to cook veggies???

Expensive sushi beware! The Angel's something roll was delicious though. Hibachi is expensive but is basically 2-3 meals worth of food so splitsies or bring home leftovers! read more

This is a review only on their sushi. AMAZING! Since the first time I ate their, the owner and sushi chef have been nothing but kind to me and my husband. The owner already recognized us the second time, and now sees us as regulars. Their seafood is fresh and the chef knows what he's doing. And the best part is, I don't have to drive into downtown for sushi. This place is nothing but delicious! read more

We eat here every time our dog gets bathed at PetSmart. Love it, definitely 5 stars!! Drop the dog off, go to Sakura, when we are done eating dog is ready or we wait 15 minutes. read more

We loved this restaurant!! Three of us had sushi and they make a special teriyaki chicken plate for my daughter. The sushi was delicious! UVA roll was our favorite. The ambiance was wonderful, and the staff were so friendly and welcoming. To top it off, the chef made an adorable panda out of oranges for dessert. We will definitely be back soon! read more

My wife and small child have been here a couple of times and both times were treated poorly by the owners and wait staff. They refuse to serve the hibachi menu in the sushi bar area, even though you can order it to go. They claim you can only get hibachi in the hibachi area which with a small child it's nice to have the option of dining alone. Other Japanese steak-houses allow it. The food was average, considering the service - 20 minutes before we received water; waitress left in the middle of ordering and threw the check down before we had an opportunity to order dessert - we won't be going back. Do not recommend this place since there's tons of better options in Charlottesville. read more

The sushi here is amazing. I don't go here for the flipping shrimp and grill catching fire. I recommend the dragon roll and the rock n' roll. read more

I've been going to Sakura type restaurants for 35 years and this was absolutely the most disappointing experience I've ever had and it was solely because my wife and I were served the WORST ribeyes ever. Full of fat and gristle. For what we paid to eat dinner...we were ripped off. Try somewhere else where they respect their customers. read more

We love hibachi! The food is excellent, meals are very generous. Kids love it! Been going here for years, and never had to wait for a table, and there's 5 of us. The kids eat everything from the soup to the shrimp! I will say that for the family it is pricey, but come on.. Worth every penny and then some! Staff knows us by name, very friendly! read more