When a friend first told me about a drive thru hibachi place close to my house, I'll admit I had my doubts. Heck, I had my doubts when I pulled in and saw a plywood sign with spray paint directing me to the pickup window. Man, if this isn't a lesson in "don't judge a book by its cover," then I don't know what is! When I pulled into the drive thru, there was one car ahead of me, so I had a second to glance at the menu, although I wish I had more time as it has way more options than I would have expected! I decided to try the teriyaki steak (no onions) and the Diablo roll. The woman who took my order was cheerful and kind, and even offered me a free sweet tea. I'm not usually a sweet tea person, but then again, I previously would have said I wasn't a drive thru sushi girl, either, so I decided to try it. After placing my order, I drove around to the second window to pick it up. There was another couple there ordering for outside seating, so I waited maybe 2-4 minutes. By the time I got to the window, everything was ready! This piqued my suspicions until I saw just how quickly one of the chefs was rolling sushi--he was so fast! In the time it took to pass me my food and my sweet tea through the window, he assembled, rolled, decorated, AND packaged a sushi roll. Seriously impressive! As I pulled away, I stuck my straw in my tea, and wow! It was really good! We are talking Bojangles level of delicious tea. At a drive thru sushi/hibachi place?! I got home and opened up my food and was impressed yet again! My roll came with seaweed salad (my fave!) and edamame in addition to the usual ginger and wasabi. The spicy Mayo was just hot enough without being overpowering and the shrimp tempura wasn't overly-breaded. Win! My hibachi was filled with fresh veggies and was a larger portion than I expected. The steak was good, but not great, but dang, for this speed and price, I'm definitely not complaining! I also got a very sizable container of the white sauce, which was awesome! It's probably 4oz or so? It's the same size as a cup of Queso at Moe's if that reference helps anyone. All in all, I had a great experience and will definitely be back to try more! I've heard wonders about their tofu hibachi, so that's on my list. If you're in the area and craving some good takeout hibachi, definitely give Tokyo Express a try! read more

Tokyo Express - Diablo roll with wasabi, edamame, ginger, and seaweed salad - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Everything has gone downhill about this place over the last several years. The exterior looks like they're not open with very tall weeds, and they don't have their sign near the corner like they used to, just on the front of the building which you don't notice if you're driving from north Guess Rd. The food quality has also gone downhill that we've finally decided to eat elsewhere from now on. read more

Ordered spring rolls,crab rangoons, tempura shrimp & vegetables. Steak with half rice half noodles. First time trying this & just abt everything fried was full of grease. I was very disappointed. The steak was tough & very chewey. I must say for a $39. 00 meal which would have been lunch for the next day ended up in the trash. Won't do this again. I'll stick with my regular few good chewed. I only gave 1 star because I had to -to post this .. read more

Sunday afternoons are the WORST times one could crave sushi, because no sushi place in Durham is open for lunch... except Tokyo Express. I'm not gonna lie, when I walked into the restaurant, I almost walked back out. The inside is small and I wasn't sure of the quality of sushi I would receive. I decided to take the risk anyway and ordered the shrimp tempura roll (one of the few rolls without any uncooked fish). You order and pay at the counter and they bring the food out to you. To my surprise, the sushi arrived in a to-go container bento box style with edamame and seaweed salad on the side in addition to the conventional ginger and horseradish. Everything tasted good and relatively fresh. The value is hard to beat, since all of this was under $7. Most sushi places would charge you more for just the roll. My friend ordered the volcano roll, the philadelphia roll, and spicy tuna roll, all of which had decent flavor. The philly roll had a LOT of cream cheese though, it was overbearing. The fish wasn't fresh but that is to be expected and neither of us got food poisoning so it's fine. Glad my 100th review could be a positive one!! read more

Tokyo Express - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Ordered hibachi chicken and shrimp through Uber Eats. Added a spicy crab & shrimp roll. Food was prepared and delivered quickly, but I didn't get what I ordered. I got steak and chicken and a roll I haven't checked yet. read more

For what the place is, it is excellent. The food is quick, plentiful, and affordable. It is very tasty considering that you are asking them to cook food in 2-5 minutes for under 10 dollars. Their chicken, beef, scallops, and shrimp are all of quality and I'm very pleased with building/kitchen's cleanliness. This is not a Michelin rated restaurant or a restaurant that you would go to for a special night. It's not farm to table or hipster sheek. For a quick, affordable, and tasty meal, this is a solid option. read more

This restaurant cooks amazing food and has a great customer service. The only thing that has made me give this restaurant this score is the fact that every time I order their alway some type of sauce spilled in my bag. One day it caused my thigh to start tingling because the sauce was extremely hot. read more

Love this place! As a vegetarian family our fast food options are limited. The hibachi tofu makes everyone happy. I call ahead to place my order and drive through pickup a few minutes later. They've never messed up my order and the buy 5, get 1 free card makes it an even better deal. read more

Good stuff and quick preparation. Have been looking for a decent ToGo hibachi spot since moving to Durham and it looks like this will be it! Got the hibachi chicken- no onions, no mushrooms with extra zucchini and it was excellent! Enough for two meals! read more

Those bad ratings should be due to bad, rude servers. I understand that you were two minutes to closing when I pulled up and ordered but if you and your staff were in such a rush to close up and head home, you should have turned off the "Open" sign in the window. I went through the drive-thru, and the server at the window rushed me to order, even though I asked her politely to hold on (I said please). I am picky, I will admit, but I loathe being rushed to order my food. Especially when it turned out to be reheated and tossed in rice. My steak was stale and dry with very little if any seasoning on it. My vegetables were soggy and wilted. The only thing that tasted fresh was the shrimp. And I take it that was because shrimp can't sit out in a pan. Then when I requested ginger sauce, I received more attitude (should have asked me when I ordered what sauce I wanted, I can't stand white sauce). But all in all, they got two stars because I was really hungry and had a craving for Japanese fast food. Next time I'll stick to my standard, Neo Japan, even if I have to drive to the other side of town for it. read more

Our first time here, and we won't be returning. I paid extra for vegetables with the hibachi, received rice instead. Their "fried rice" seems to be white rice with soy sauce. Everything else was just *okay*. There are so many other good places to eat in Durham! read more

They are good both times i have ate here i was pleased. Food is good for price. Check them out.

Veggies were good although they put a ton of onions in each plate to fill the empty space- rather have more rice. The rice was SUPER plain, overall nothing special. read more

From the outside you might be a little worried about what your getting yourself into but don't! It's seriously mine and my husband's favorite hibachi in the Triangle! Highly recommend getting the hibachi chicken. They are also really quick and friendly! read more

I ordered two different sushi rolls. One the shrimp and crab off the lower cost which was great. In the store there's no description of any of the rolls written you have to ask and I could tell that the employee didn't want to explain every roll. That being said I also ordered the volcano roll as that's my go to in every new sushi place so I should know what is in it without having to ask. It took 20 minutes to make 2 rolls and the quality was great. The thing that cost them a star was no description, the time, and last but not least was there version of a volcano roll. I will return just I will make sure exactly what is in the roll. FYI spicy crab baked on a California roll is the normal not salmon baked on top that wasn't a pleasant surprise. read more

Food tastes great, reasonable price, and close to my house! Only negative is that the people working there could be a little more personable. read more

I'm just pleasantly surprised..my family was very skeptical so they didn't get anything. I got a drive through tempura roll and it was delicious..and there was actually leftover pickled ginger, they didn't skimp on anything..so yes drive through sushi rolls and I was told that for $2 more I could have gotten 2 orders...I'll go back.. read more

This is a good place to eat I love it and plus the cashier is sooo nice I love how she soo nice and I love the food and if you go get chicken and rice it soo good read more

Please help keep this place in business. Nothing depresses me more than seeing great restaurants go out of business. We loved this place. The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is because I have only been there once. We were 100% satisfied with our visit but would need more visits to give it 5 stars. Great food. Low prices. Can't wait to go back. read more

Been coming here for years. Great for a quick meal and quality too! They have a drive thru where you watch them grill your food as you wait and it's always been fresh and delicious! read more

I called on my way home to place an order so that by the time I got there it would be ready. I called and the lady said she couldn't hear me even though I had full service and there was a bunch of banging in the background on her end. I called a second time and I was hung up on. I called a third time and I was put on hold for six minutes and then hung up on. Called back again to place my order and she said it's going to be 20 to 25 minutes. At this time I was pulling into the restaurant. I'm watching this woman I'm on the phone with stand outside and smoke a cigarette. So not only did I not get to order my food but I got some really crappy customer service. Will not be returning. read more

We used to LOVE this place and always had great food here but apparently it's been sold ("The NEW Tokyo Express" is on the sign now). The new sauce is awful, the shrimp tastes like it has been bleached and there is far more rice and far less real food than under the previous owner. I hate to say it but after two tries, we are crossing it off our regular list. Too bad because we have so few good places to eat in north Durham. Darn! read more

Drive through can be slow so, call ahead, or just go inside. I enjoy getting fast food hibachi chicken and rice from time to time, it's a nice change and the food is always decent. As expected, fast food japanese style. read more

The absolute worst customer service ever! My husband and I ordered take out on a Tuesday night, the lady who answered the phone took our order as well as asked for a name and phone number for the order. When we arrived to pick up our order the same lady who answered the phone proceeded to tell me the she didn't have a call in order. (I knew she was the same person from her awful raspy voice) I then told her the number I called and asked if that was in fact their businesses number. She confirmed it was but proceeded to tell me that I was lying and I didn't call in a order that she doesn't accept call In orders after a certain time. After a couple more minutes of going back and fourth she admits that she did answer my call but told me that they weren't accepting call in order, which couldn't be further from the truth. Then proceeds to ask me if I want to order food now.... uh no! Fast forward to Wednesday I called the business again and a young man answered the phone I asked to speak to a manager and he immediately handed the phone to the same lady. She tells me that she in the manager.... and I asked her how I was to get in touch with the owner and she says "you don't!" In which I hung up the phone because I was not going to get myself worked up again. If she is in fact the manager I would advise the owner to re-evaluate that position. I will not be returning here ever again. We live about 5 mins from here and enjoy getting those takeout for a quick fix to a hibachi craving, but never again. read more

Food quality is about what you pay for, which doesn't make this place my primary choice but when I'm feeling the craving for some hibachi chicken it's the most convenient...at least when they are actually open. Today I left work to grab a quick lunch to bring back, made it to Tokyo Express at 11:17 am and the place was closed...but when I checked online before coming it said their hours are 11am-9pm? Not sure if the blame falls on whoever set it up online not posting the right hours, or that the staff doesn't adhere to the schedule. Either way a waste of my lunch break. read more

Excellent cuisine, good steak, good chicken, good sushi. And it has a drive-thru. My family and I have been loyal customers there for years, so ignore the bad reviews from one-time customers. If you want a hibachi chicken dinner for 6 bucks, check this place out. read more

Tokyo express has freshly cooked foods that are always made in a timely manner. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. I eat here often.

I was so excited to try this place after reading so many great reviews. Apparently we did not eat the same food because my Hibachi Chicken was the worst I have ever had. Like...I had to throw the whole meal out. Zero flavor, super greasy, and the chicken tasted super off. Even the white sauce was tasteless..how does that even happen?! read more

Update: I went back the next day and they refunded my card with no issues. I'll give them an extra star for that.

Had a sushi craving stopped by drive thru menu said they had spicy tuna roll so ordered that and then guy says what we don't hAve that so I ordered a California roll very slow drive through and then when i got got home sushi was falling apart and was awful I ate one roll and threw out the rest stay away from the sushi here read more

I've given this place 3 chances and have been disappointed every time. The first time i order chicken hibachi no carrots due to me be allergic to them. The lady i talked to was nice and said that wouldn't be a problem. I get my food and go home. Once I'm home i open my tray to a whole handful of carrots. I call and they tell me to come back to get my right order. I drive the 20 mins back there and change my order, for yet another tray of carrots. I didn't leave this time and told them that i said no carrots. They finally give me a tray with no carrots after I've been waiting for 15 mins. Couple weeks later i think to give it another shot since i was in the area. I tell them that i CANT have carrots and once again I'm told it won't be a problem. I pick up my food and ONCE AGAIN it's covered in carrots. I ask for a refund and took my business to the bojangles down the road. Terrible listening skills and could've put my life in danger on multiple occasions. It's not that hard to not put carrots on something. read more

i kinda have mixed feelings but mostly negative. pros- made to order, hot, tofu was yummy. too many cons. my biggest complaint is that it tastes exactly like chinese food... like that gooey sauce they put on beef and broccoli etc. i really don't like chinese, which is why i came to get hibachi.... but anyway. they also give you barely any white sauce for the amount of food and charge for extra which is bull in my opinion. fried rice was ok i guess, didn't have much flavor to it but the sauce helped. all in all not impressed, won't be returning since i hate chinese food and that's apparently what this is. read more

I was an employee at this store for a little over a year and i can say this: DO NOT EAT THERE. It was also a horrible place to work but that's another story. The food is not seasoned. They don't pay attention to allergies unless the cashier stands right over the cooks because the cooks do not read or speak English. Orders are always getting mixed up because cashiers are forced to pull cars. The utensils they used to flip the food were kept in hot greasy water that was lucky to be changed once. They have cockroaches. They leave large bins of meat left uncovered overnight or longer to thaw next to the dishwashing station. In the splash zone at that. The only reason for their sanitation score is because they see the vehicle outside and straighten things up. They wait until the last second to make the call-in orders if they even start before the customers arrive. If you don't come for your order, they take the meat out and put it in the fridge with the vegetables until they can sneak it in another person's food. They do the same if they mess up your order. If you happen to come close to closing you may not even get fried rice. It'll be the rest of the white rice mixed with a little soy sauce. The 'soba' noodles are luigi brand spaghetti that has been cooked sometimes weeks in advance and then placed into a large bin and put into the fridge. They keep the noodles there until they need them, scooping small amounts into a smaller metal bin which they keep in another fridge underneath the seafood, which is against sanitation laws. The white sauce is home made. In a giant garbage can, literally. The uncooked rice and sugar are also kept in trash cans. I really can't find one good thing about this place except the food tastes good if you can handle what I've written. Though, what I have seen has made me not eat there and I used to love it. One star because I can't post without it read more

Not sure about the poor reviews. I am a tough critic and I thought it was on point ! The chicken was cooked well, mushrooms were tasty, and rice was hot and just right!! I got extra sauce and didn't need to because they give you plenty! :) It hit the spot so much that I had to take a nap afterwards! read more

Same owner over 10 years food is great service was awesome very friendly and helpful!!! Can't wait to go back!!! Feel bad to employees crazy customers coming in... read more

This was one of my favorites and the food was always very good. They must have changed owners this is the second time I've brought home food that wasn't what I expected. I asked for the noodles instead of the rice. I asked if they did have the noodles since on my first visit I got home and had spaghetti. I was told that they did have the noodles, when I got home I had spaghetti. I called and was told that they were the noodles I had ordered, I informed them that noodles I had ordered didn't use to look like spaghetti she told me that they were the only noodles that they had. I was very disappointed in the food but even more so with the customer service. Have to find a new Tokyo Restaurant. read more