Absolutely filthy. Will never return. Nice enough counter clerk. Both restrooms were disgusting - overflowing toilet with feces in one, the other hadn't been flushed in some time. Tables to sit at were not cleaned. read more

I decided to make use of their buy one, get one free offer and I wasn't impressed. The teriyaki chicken was simply average, certainly not the best I've had, but not the worst either. One thing I look for is for the chicken to be a bit charred on the grill but this chicken was soft. The sushi was below average, and really didn't have a good taste to it. Although the food was inexpensive, I'm not in a rush to try it again. read more

Sarku Japan - Chicken teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Staff were friendly and accommodating. Not too busy, good seating for families, pricing is good too for the quality and quantity of food.

Look at their health code violations here in the Yelp page. I wish I'd noticed that before I had my terrible experience here. I'm sure this sticky, dirty, poorly-staffed restaurant will be closed soon. read more

Sarku Japan - Japanese Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

They didn't give me all of what I've ordered but charge me for it they are liars and if you leave without checking your food then they will get over on you the food isn't that good that they gave me there didn't give me shrimp tempura roll like I ask and they took my money on that as well i will never recommend or never visit this location again!!! read more

Mmmm good, real good, and good for you. It's long been a question in my mind what a fast food Japanese restaurant would be like. So now I know. They were fast, My family ate across the street at Jimmy John's and they ordered before me but I got my food about the same time, to go and it was still good but the time were got home. I ordered the miso soup in place of a drink. The beef bento was my choice of a main meal because it came with noodles and sushi, I wanted both, and wontons and a side salad which I didn't but enjoyed anyway. Gochisousama! read more

Sarku Japan - Miso soup and beef bento - Japanese Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

EDITING REVIEW: They charged my credit card $11,000 for a fast food restaurant. Do not eat here, it is clearly criminal and they're not even good at that. Meal was proof that "likable" and "edible" not two qualities of food that often overlap. Customer service was just fine, not sure what the other complaints were about. If you're walking into an over worked place where the employees likely don't make enough to deal with people, expect some snark. My issue was the food. Dumplings were largely overly dry inedible crust, chicken was slimy, rice wasn't bad other than the slime, wasn't brave enough to try the salad, California roll had the fishiest fake fish (normally a sign that it's being cut with something else), and the tempura California roll was better than it's tempura-less counterpart but ever so slightly. My recommendation, for most dumplings, but especially these are that you mix a solution 2:1 soy sauce and gochujang paste. Makes most of the meal go down easier than yum yum sauce. read more

Sarku Japan - Tempura California roll - Japanese Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Ok just straight up not good. I love me some Panda Express and other Asian fast food, but this was beyond disappointing. We ordered take out and when they called us up to pick up the order, something told us to check the bag just in case. Good thing we did because they had handed us someone else's order entirely. We could have taken that order because it was 3 times the size of what we had ordered, but with us being decent human beings, we of course returned to the counter. We got home with our correct order and it was just such bad quality, even for fast food. It was all super processed and sweet and mushy. So glad we returned that other person's order bc all that extra food would have probably ended up in the trash. Not sure if all locations are like this, but this particular location was just plain bad. Not going back. I'll stick to Panda Express. read more

Server can't hear my order. Right when I went to the counter I said 'dine in' twice I wanted shrimp bento and I said very clearly shrimp bento with a side order of 3 tempura. And a lemon tea Snapple. She gave me an apple Snapple. I asked for a replace to lemon tea. She asked if it was to go. Then I could not understand her asking me if it was white rice or brown rice. She was mumbling too softly. They gave me a beef bento box and one tempura. Tempura was not well cooked. Beef had too many tendons, indicating cheap meat cut. Kinda disappointed. read more

Sarku Japan - a tray of food on a table - Japanese Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Just get the chicken teriyaki with white rice. That is their specialty and they cook up fresh batches continuously. Sushi, gyoza and all that other crap is NOT their specialty and are subpar. Occasionally during off hours you might get old rice that's mushy and chicken that's been sitting out or cooked in an overused grill. I'm sorry if that's what you ended up with. But during peak hours their teriyaki should be fresh and piping hot and hard to to go wrong with. A lot of the complaints have been about the service but I haven't had any issues. This is fast food and as long as they can do their job fairly efficiently and I get a cheap, quick, tasty meal, I can deal with it. read more

Trust me if I could give this zero stars I would. The eggrolls were soggy and cold. And the sushi I got was disgusting. I actually had to throw the food out. I will never order from them again. Avoid them if you can. read more

Okay, so if you have seen any of my posts before, you know I like me some good service and food. Today, I entered this establishment and ordered food for the first time. I was not greeted by the young man on the register which was not fun, but my feelings about it worsened after I said "hello," he did not even acknowledge it and did not say it back. I let that slide. I ordered the shrimp teriyaki combo that came with a California roll (4pc) and a canned drink (Coke products). Before paying, The total came out to close to, if not, $12.00 which is pretty darn good for the amount of food you get. Before paying, I asked if they did cash or card and the cashier had no idea what I was asking, so I rephrased it as I may have asked in a confusing manner prior, and he said that they take cash too. Taking cash is a plus in my book. Yet, the overall energy in this establishment was off and I did not have a good encounter with the cashier. On the bright side, my food was cooked quickly and it was still hot when I made it home and trust me...I was STARVING! Therefore, I am giving a 3 star rating. I would like to return and have hopes of a better encounter, and if so, I would not mind giving a 4-star rating. P.S. - CHECK OUT MY PICS :) read more

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Is it weird how much we love Sarku? Probably... We just love the chicken teriyaki here! Somehow it tastes better than Sarku locations in malls all over. This is a stand alone restaurant conveniently located off Route 1 by Walmart. There is plenty of parking and it is never too busy inside so there isn't much of a wait. You order at the counter and get a buzzer that goes off when your food is ready so you can pick it up. They are fast here! Don't splurge for the fried rice or the fried noodles- the white rice is the best and pairs beautifully with the chicken teriyaki. They give a generous portion but you can opt to pay for extra meat if you are feeling extra hungry. I used to get extra meat when I was pregnant and starving all the time and it definitely satisfied my cravings. They also give a good amount of vegetables so you can feel a little healthier... The staff here is so friendly and are always so kind to my baby daughter. They have high chairs and are definitely family friendly. This is a great place to get a cheap and fast dinner when you want to eat out but aren't sure how long your kid will behave for! Plus, sign up for their rewards program and they send amazing coupons, like 2 for $10. They also have a punch card where you can earn free meals. 5 stars for service, convenience, taste and price! read more

Not only is the food delicious, but the staff has great customer service. I asked for less rice and they listened. They offered cards that they stamp every time you order, I thought that was a great way of showing they appreciate their customers. read more

Japanese fast food? Yeah it is here, fellow foodies, and you can get your grilled chicken teriyaki, shrimp tempura meal, or bento box within minutes of walking through Sarka Japan's glass doors. They are long on speed and efficiency here, and your made to order meal will really only take a few minutes; however, they are short on ambiance (more on that later). I entered this restaurant with expectations for something entirely different, something not so 'would you like fries with that?" Yes, Sarka is to sushi as McDonalds is to burgers and fires. That being said, as much as I wanted to hate it, I found myself really liking this teriyaki homage to Ray Kroc's ingenuity . I ordered a bento box, which was filled with tasty stir fry and light, crispy shrimp tempura, If you except it what it is, this fast food spot does a nice job of filling the craving for some Japan's traditional fare Ok, so the food was surprisingly pretty good for a fast food spot, but the ambiance did have some problems. Yes, I know it is a fast food spot, and I am willing to except a lot, but I really have to take issue with the restaurant's music selection. At first I didn't notice the restaurant's music as I was munching on the contents of my bento box, but soon the song stylings of Joe Budden's Drop Drop began to sour my dinning experience. For those of you who are not familiar with this rap song, I include a few lyrics: "Drop Drop" [Intro] Uh huh, yeah Uh huh, yeah Oh no (louder) oh no (louder) Uh huh, uh huh [Chorus] (Drop drop) - my homies that ride chromies let it (Pop pop) - at the bar Budden them bottles and them (Shots shots) - my ladies it's all gravy if you (Hot hot) then come back to the (spot spot) and maybe we can (Bone bone) - know that we chilling, she something shaking in her (Thong thong) - gangsta gangsta, paper paper (Long long) - and for my riders all over Now you know we wanna hit it hit it Don't stop, get it get it.. Now, I don't have a problem with rap music, but this song seemed so out of place that it boarded on the absurd. Worse, neither the staff or the manager seemed to notice. Soon a Michael Jackson song came on the speakers and all was right with the world...at least MJ makes more sense as he is extremely popular in Japan, Well, even with this weird musical experience, I would still stop by and get a quick tempura bowl, BTW they post the caloric count of every meal on the menu which can be a bit of a shocker!! read more

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They are always fast with the cooking times and their order accuracy is 100%. Definitely love going here

First time here and was very disappointed. Had the beef bento box and a spicy tuna roll. Food was very mediocre. Sushi was meh and the rice with beef was very soggy. The best thing I ate was probably the fried potstickers. Will not be returning. read more

Sarku Japan - Beef bento box and spicy tuna roll. Food was meh at best. - Japanese Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This place is so stingy, rice is 4x the meat. Couple bites and meats are gone. When I asked them to stamp my card, they also don't want to do it. It is not it is their food but they are just employees there, whether we get free meal from stamped card, they still get paid on their salary, so what does it matter. Today is my last time going here. read more

So this is pretty much the same as the quick service hibachi places that you find in the mall, except with a few more options. In addition to the typical chicken and shrimp, they also offer beef teriyaki. They also serve sushi which I can't imagine being of good quality. Everything about Sarku is just okay, it's nothing special but will do the job when you're hungry. I did enjoy the little compartment in the container which held a small cup of extra sauce because I'm always asking for extra sauce. Funny thing is, I didn't even ask for it. I guess it's given with every meal. The service was quick. Again, nothing spectacular but they got the job done. When you place your order, you're given a buzzer similar to the ones you get when you're waiting for a table at a restaurant. When your order is ready, your buzzer will go off and you can pick up your food. Overall, this is a place to grab a quick bite. Nothing fancy and nothing to write home about. read more

If you like lots of cabbage and 4 pieces or broccoli and shredded carrots then this is your place. Fried rice was good the beef is just that shredded beef not like chunks of beef.... they give you a very small yum yum ( which is primarily mayo) and charge you 50 cent more for another.... not worth the 9 bucks More Chinese than Japanese read more

If you're going here for a Japanese food fix, keep driving until you hit Old Town for some proper Asian cuisine. The restaurant is called Sakru Japan Teriyaki & Sushi EXPRESS. The menu bolds and capitalizes "Express" and this should have been an indicator to me on what kind of food to expect. After doing some research it seems like these are normally found in mall food courts and rightfully so. I was initially excited to have a new sushi place to eat in the area but didn't realize it was that kind of "sushi"---you know the kind without any raw fish? Yeah, tourist sushi. To be fair there are some rolls with raw fish but the sushi roll menu only contains seven rolls. It was a bit of a disappointment along with the rudimentary menu. For the health conscious they do have all the calories by each item which is handy. I ordered several items to get a good tasting of their menu and after the awful wait (20 minutes!) I was happy with the bento box portions. What I wasn't happy with was my impressive looking (but bland) green dragon roll...which unfortunately had a piece of shell in it =/ The chicken was flavored well, the noddles were nothing extraordinary and the rice was just rice. My favorite thing was the shrimp and veggie tempura, which was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, without comprising the crispiness of its contents. The place was packed but it didn't seem anyone other than me and my bf were bummed about the lack of what we consider "real sushi". Before I left I overheard a guy saying, "I don't usually eat raw fish. This is my first time actually. And I gotta say that California roll wasn't so bad for raw fish." *face to palm* This is essentially Japanese style fast food. So now in this center there's this and Chinese style fast food Panda Express...all next time American fast food McDonald's. They're all on the same level. Don't get your hopes up only to have them drowned in a puddle of soy sauce. read more

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First of all when you go to a fast food Japanese place you have to lower your expectations to the level equal with what you are paying. I stopped into for a to-go lunch. They had the Chicken Bento Box on special for $7.99. The box includes: chicken teriyaki, fried rice, a side salad, tempura vegetables, tempura shrimp, and California roll. Chicken Teriyaki- good flavor, the chicken was a little mediocre pieces not pure chunks of white meat. But I didn't bite into any gristle or fat. Very moist. Fried rice- reminded me of the frozen pre-made rice that comes in the TV dinners. It did taste good though. Side Salad- fresh crisp lettuce but the dressing could have used a little more flavor. Tempura vegetables & Shrimp- both were cooked really well crispy in the outside and the vegetables were perfect inside California roll- fresh green avocados and looks like it was just made, tasty. It was a pretty good meal for a fast food place. I still have half left over for supper. read more

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An American interpretation of Japanese food. My wife and I had a tale of two meals... I had the Chicken Teriyaki with a California Roll while she had the Chicken Bento Box. Here is what I liked: - Chicken was tasty and the noodles were yummy. Reminded me of meals I had in Japan. The Bad: - Sushi was too sweet...no subtle texture. - Spring Roll was flavorless )(glad it was free, unglad that I ate it) - Cooked veggies were mushy From my wife's perspective, the good was: - The sushi California Rolls The Bad...pretty much everything else: - The chicken was all fatty and she could not identify which part of the chicken it came from - Tempura had no dipping sauce and was cold - Fried rice was flavorless. We were both disappointed that there was no ice tea. You also have to wonder about a place that has 5 close circuit cameras watching the employees...if you like bad contemporary music and the things we've described, then this is the place for you. read more

The bento boxes are rather large and full of flavour. I usually get the chicken and have yet to be disappointed. The sushi here is also fairly decent. read more

It's cooked and made to order like most teriyaki places. Don't expect high end sushi rolls folks it's fast food. No reason to rate them poorly based on you get what you pay for and it's decent. Wanted to eat inside but it's freezing. I stood outside for my take out order bc it was so cold. Not fair for the patrons or I would've given a 3.5. read more

Grab a box to go after my workout. The price is descent and the food was good. It's no high quality Japanese restaurant but it works for a quick bit to eat. read more

Sarku Japan - Chicken Bento Box - Japanese Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Horrendous quality. Menu says teriyaki is meant to come with vegetables. I don't think a heap of soggy cabbage, a quarter of a broccoli floret, and a few carrot shreds suffices. Chicken is small pieces of low quality, greasy dark meat. Shrimp was inedible. Noodles soggy and over cooked. read more

So I went back because the husband loves this place. Would give 3.5 stars is I could. My husbands loved his chicken teriyaki and always gets double meat and feels the portion you get for the price is fair. I got the chicken with double vegetables. AND I tried the salmon sushi. It was all very good. To see if they read Yelp I told them about my allergies this time and he looked up and verified and the did something on the ticket (I was hoping marking it down) So you got a customer back!! With no rice that is a if not the only healthy 400ish calories option for fast food other than a salad. read more

This is a cheap version of a sushi spot. It's great if you need something fast but go to a real spot if you want good sushi. The bowls will do and it's pretty fast. The staff isn't very friendly but it's not needed when you want to go in and out. read more

Sarku Japan - Japanese Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Staff is very rude! Rushed me and my family to order aggressively then when we were trying to order the chef refused to make more chicken so we were only limited to beef and shrimp. After we placed orders I tried to buy a drink and he rudely told me "no, the register is closed" wouldn't even rate it if it was a option read more

DO NOT GO HERE. Worst customer service ever. Refused to give me my food and locked the door in my face and told me "too bad, leave your food is gone" because it was 8:01 pm after I had already placed an order on the phone and told them ahead of time I would be getting there at 8 and they said it was no problem. Will never give them or attempt to give them business again. read more

I'm not terribly impressed with this place at all. I got some California rolls and my friend got some kind noodles with some rice. The rolls I got had so much sauce on top of them that it completely took away from the taste of the rolls themselves. And it's sort of on the pricy side for what you get. The establishment itself is very efficient, clean and well maintained. I noticed that this place is fairly popular which is rather sad because that right there tells me that these are the same people who probably don't know much about Asian food. It's not an entirely bad place but it left me feeling like it's designed to be something like a McDonald's of Japanese food. I won't likely be going back. read more

These low reviews are insanely missing the mark. The food is great, fresh, hot, and there is always a line because it's delicious.... tram serves food all the way up until close. 5 star and a yummy thank you! Chris from Alexandria! read more

Not bad if you want some fast sushi. Its location is great and convenient. I got a dragon roll and it was tasty. Wasn't impressed with my bento box but it was filling. It's a great option if you have a hankering for sushi and you're on RT 1. read more

A bit disappointed with this place. The Sarku restaurants at the mall seems to be better quality. The food here seemed to be of poor quality. The egg rolls were mushy inside and didn't have a good flavor. The vegetables were under cooked (which is fine when the veggies are good quality) and had a funny taste. The shrimp was almost mush. The most satisfying part of the mean was the chicken and the noodles, albeit the noodles didn't really wow me. Maybe we came on a bad day but from this experience we won't be back. read more

The food is really great. I highly recommend the food. However..... customer service is AWFUL. I was in there just yesterday. Placed an order for pick up, over the phone. Tried to order the bagel roll, but the person taking the order was so rude and in a rush to get off the phone, she wouldn't explain the two different types of bagel rolls, and ended up picking the wrong one. I got there to pick up the food... cashier brings up my order, I say no, this is for the wrong sushi. She says, "no, this is what you said on the phone." I say, no, I want this one. She gets angry, starts speaking in another language to the person making the sushi, and then informed me there was a price difference. I said, okay. Instead of simply voiding the wrong sushi from the order, and adding the correct one, she left the first one on the order ($5.49-ish), and added some random thing to the order for ($3.99), which brought my total to $17.77. I said no, that's wrong, the sushi I want is only $8.29. She then, literally, rolled her eyes at me, turned around, and started talking in another language again to the sushi chef. I then asked if we could just start the order over, and chef said yes, she is going to start over on a new register. Finally (this all took about 15 minutes), the order was rang up correctly, my new total was $16.50, and I said "See, you tried to charge me over a dollar extra!" and she rolled her eyes again. I wasn't even trying to be a jerk about it.... but I will say that if I hadn't been craving that sushi (and if it wasn't so freaking delicious), I would have left a lot sooner. SO. tl;dr - Food = 5 stars, customer service = 0 stars. read more

2.5 stars. Took waaaay too long for a mall type Panda Express eatery. It wasn't even busy at all. I thought it was because everything was fresh but didnt exactly taste that way. Prices decent but would not recommend it. The bento boxes especially with the specials have some variety but nothing particularly stands out. You might as well just go to the panda next door. The positives are that they give you tons of food. They do make it fresh and there is a difference in taste between this and panda or the mall. Just not quite enough to justify becoming a regular here. read more

This place is horrible service with decent food. I ordered beef and shrimp platter with rice and salad except they forgot the salad? Anyways good food bad employees. If you see the picture you can see how bad it looks also they did not even bother to make it look good. read more

Sarku Japan - Japanese Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Special offer chicken teryaki with California roll Was delicious and customer service was impressive read more

Cashier was very rude and when I asked if getting noodles would be more expensive he just shrugged his shoulders and said It's the same. When I got my receipt I saw that he did charge me more for noodles. Just his attitude made me want to take my money elsewhere. read more