Cozy and dark bar + limited table seating in downtown Virginia highlands. Notwithstanding only 2 chefs in the kitchen, food came out fairly quickly. The beef don was filling and beef was very tender. The skewers were marinaded and grilled to harmony. The mushroom was actually my favorite. So juicy and flavorful. I'm not usually a pork person but the pork was also very good, however a bit on the greasy side. Sebastian at the bar was quick and attentive. Would be back but will just opt for a pre/ post drink and bite instead of full dinner. read more

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Delicious food! Didn't expect it to be so yummy. It's a very cute place in Virginia highland and great for a casual bite. The service was bit iffy at times but not too bad. read more

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Nicely decorated place (even the ceiling) but extremely noisy music; short menu (not true or authentic yakitori; lacking the classics such as chicken skin). We didn't have a reservation; initially they wanted to seat us at the bar but luckily waitress double checked and got us a small table. Waitress a bit cold and not quite friendly. Our order did come in a reasonable amount of time. Delicious grilled skewers of shishito pepper. Hand roll also not bad. No miso soup or any hot tea. It's really more a Western bar disguised as a Japanese bistro. read more

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We had an amazing time! Cozy chill vibes with phenomenal food!!! Stopped by for a few bites to kick off our evening. Had the steak Yakitori. Salmon and yellowtail hand rolls, and two rolls (Kona and Salmon and Eel). Everything was top tier, fresh, flavorful, and the layers of flavor just worked! We also had two drinks but I forgot the names! Solid spot. Def give them a visit! Nick will take care of ya! read more

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Very cute place. It's small and cozy in the middle of Virginia Highlands. Great spot. Feels NYC vibes. Food was REALLY good. We started with the gyoza which was lemon grass chicken. The flavor changes depending on the chef, which I thought was a nice change. Also the shishito peppers were tasty with the cream sauce. We also got the salmon poke bowl, spicy tuna roll. Both were delish with just the right amount of spice. Also on Tuesday's they have different specials, this one was buy a chicken skewer (2) get one free. So 4 skewers for the price of one! Also delish. The cocktails were also very well balanced. Service was great. The star of the show for me was the spicy salmon crunchy roll - it was on a crusty crispy rice cube which was delish. Would certainly return. read more

Yakitori Kona - Cocktails - Japanese Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

We love Japanese food and had been wanting to try this place for a while. Stopped by after a music festival on a Sunday night and it wasn't crowded. There was plenty of seating and bar space. We sat at the bar because the 2 seater table they offered looked uncomfortable. We enjoyed the bartender - he was efficient. The truffle aioli salmon was delicious! We had the dark meat yakitori which was just ok - not much flavor honestly. The Kona roll was pretty good as well. read more

Yakitori Kona - Bar - Japanese Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

such a fun vibe. reminds me of a small restaurant in Nyc. drinks were good and poke was great. sat at the bar since they had all tables reserved for reservations read more

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Yakitori, you have my heart. Specifically Tony (bartender) thank you for making our Super Bowl night + night I asked my partner to be my valentine so special. If you didn't get it before, you MUST see Tony at the bar for some of the most delicious cocktails and fun conversation. Not to mention, the chefs were both great energy! There is plenty of free street parking and paid lots/decks in the area. The inside reminds me of a hole in the wall by size but elevated/street stall energy that is edgy, fun, but still fancy! Now on to the food + drink: Drinks: 1. Highfalutin Sour 10/10: strong, nutty, and warm 2. F U Eddy 10/10: botanical in a sense but very light, almost like a sophisticated lemonade 3. Fig Old Fashioned 10/10: definitely on the more spirit forward side of cocktails but I loved the fig newton after flavor that hit the pallet 4. Drinks for the Kitchen 10/10: I love the idea of having something on the menu like this. $15 and you can supply a drink to the amazing staff here. 5. All the Feels 10/10: might have been my personal favorite. Tajin + rosemary is perfect for me! Food: 1. Kona Wings 8/10: crispy texture and definitely loved the umami profile of this flavor specifically 2. Fries 9/10: breaded style fries which I love and came with a plethora of dipping sauces although they didn't need it honestly 3. Yakitori Skewers (lobster, rotating veggie, local mushroom, waygu steak) 10/10: all of them were define with the perfect kiss of fire! Standouts were the local mushroom and lobster. 4. Tuna Tataki 7/10: loved the size of the cut of tuna and dish was overall beautiful but lacked enough fattiness or saltiness to accompany the citrus ponzu We will be back for sure and cannot wait to try more that Yakitori has to offer. read more

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This place is on the smaller side but has an inviting feel. Reservations are recommended but you may get lucky at the bar. James and Sebastian make fantastic cocktails and their house cocktails are adventurous but accessible and well-balanced. The Affluent Apple was especially unique and tasty. The food was outstanding. Our favorites were the chicken yakitori, the tuna tartare, and the eel roll. The ube cheesecake was a pleasant surprise as the seasonal dessert. read more

Yakitori Kona - Japanese Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Great food and service! Small but cute and the energy was good. I had each of the skewers and I highly recommend all but the steak. I found this to be to chewy but I'll be back for sure. read more

Small intimate atmosphere but definitely gives local small town vibes and smiles. The food and atmosphere is amazing here. This place is owned by a married couple and the husband ran the bar while the wife stepped in wherever needed. We literally had no idea because the service and customer service was top tier. I very much enjoyed my evening and will be back soon. read more

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Great experience here trying the Yakitori tasting which included one of each of the meats and veggies and a dessert one for 9 total plus a salad and rice pilaf for $65. We had one each and it was def enough food. We like the chicken a lot, steak was just ok {maybe bc we prefer med rare and having well cooked in general just wasn't our jam} , lobster was a large piece tempura style and super yummy. Veggies were all awesome. We didn't need our shishedo pepper app since they were part of the veggies skewers oops lol. Mushroom and squash and also tomato were all so good. The tuna ball app was huge and came with crispy wonton chips -also very good. Service was outstanding. Our server was so helpful and made great recommendations and points to help up select our food and accommodate our toddler and his food. We got the kiddo two chicken skewers {sans onions } and some rice. Ambience was a bit different than expected--but it matched the VaHi vibe and felt a bit more low key and casual than the Kinji other spots {kinji room MF} Doors open to the street, which is inviting however we got a whiff of smoke while eating since the spot is pretty quaint and has a clear view to outside. Some tables out on the street, bar seating, and table/booth options as well. Overall def worth checking out and pretty awesome if you are trying to eat clean and simple. read more

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The food was fresh, tasty and very affordable. The servers were friendly, vibes were on point, I would eat here again.

Got the Kona salad, tuna tartare, Kona roll, and yakitori plate. All were amazing. The tartare is a flavor bomb in your mouth

Favorite bar to sit at in the highlands. If cocktails are your thing, they make them great, but if you're just a shot and a beer guy- they don't treat you any different. That's a rare find in this city. read more

My fiancé and I stopped in here for a drink and an appetizer one evening during the week, and we will definitely be back! I'm a huge fan of crispy rice, and their salmon crispy rice is delish. They didn't have any N/A beers on the menu but the waitress offered to have the bartender make me a mocktail. It was honestly the best cocktail I've ever had and I would just keep going back for that drink! Great and attentive service, nice ambience and friendly staff. Food is a bit on the pricey side but other than that we will be back for dinner! read more

Yakitori Kona - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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I came into Yakitori Kona on a whim. I came out here by mistake and wandered around a for a minute. When I realized where I was (an area I visited as a 23yr-old on a bar-hopping venture), I instantly remembered some fun stories that I simply cannot share here. However, as I wandered around, I found myself gravitating towards the Japanese-esque decor. I really quite like the dark-alley look that the bar exudes while being a prominently placed corner bar. Oddly enough, with the interesting variations between high-end and back-alley bars and restaurants in this little corner of Atlanta, the general public seems to range from absolute vagrant to college students to business people. It's a really interesting combination of people from many different backgrounds- which speaks to Atlanta's population. Anyhow, the bar itself is dark, but has easy-going rock, pop, and "oldies" playing at a medium level while the cooking equipment gives off quite a bit of sound since they use wood charcoal for their stove and a professional kitchen hood (fan and exhaust). The back walls and all above the bar are lined with bottles of interesting liquors, shochus, wines, and all manner of things of niche value. The dark-stained countertops and tables add to the darkened theme. The low lighting lanterns keep everything you NEED to see we'll-lit and they have plenty of light behind the counter. The drinks are their specialty. They use "clear ice" that they chop into usable blocks for drinks. I had the "Live A Little" (rum, lime, bananaberry, and goat cheese foam) as my final drink before departing. So we'll start at the end. I quite liked this drink and was surprised at how mild it actually was while still being intoxicating. The garnish of a fresh, juicy, and sweet blackberry was delicious. The mint leaf was mostly for looks, but if you drop it into your drink and muddle it around a bit, you get a nice little lift to the flavor. I also finished my meal with the "crunchy hand roll" which was fresh, super crunchy, and very flavorful with the fresh fish inside it. I had their pork belly, dark chicken meat, and shishito pepper skewers as my main dish. They were very good- with soy sauce. Otherwise, they were just mediocre. The salty soy sauce brought out the meatiness of the pork belly and the rich charcoaled meaty flavor of the chicken very well. I can't really recommend their dipping sauces at all. I tried the meat with the spicy Korean ketchup, and the other two, but honestly- all of them made my shishito peppers and chicken taste like cheap hotdogs fresh off the grill (not something you want). I started my meal with the Takoyaki (with which the sauce - on it -worked very well) and they used Kewpie mayonnaise + what I'm assuming was a type of barbecue sauce. It had a tiny little spicy kick and the octopus inside was cooked almost perfectly. 90% of the octopus popped when biting into it. They could have (maybe) been a bit more piping hot- for those looking for the ones that basically burn your mouth into oblivion, but honestly, they were the perfect temperature for popping the whole thing in your mouth instead of taking bites. I did both. Both are good ways to eat takoyaki. Prior to my meal, I ordered the "Highfalutin Sour" (Michter's Rye, lemon, pecan orgear, Strega, and Angostura Bitters) which was sour, sweet, but with a nice bite. It was a good start to a good small-bites-meal. I SPENT $129 (including tip) on just me. So, this place is kind of up-there on being expensive considering the type of foods they serve. However, everything was good (aside from the dipping sauces), the customer service was good, and the bar crawlers were the type you can have conversation with, without having to worry. Definitely give Yakitori Kona a shot. They're new, they're aiming for quality, and I think they deserve their corner spot. read more

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Great drinks especially the recommended Wisconsin Champagne Cocktail! Service was very good. Enjoyed the skewers and vegetarian options. We need to return for the menu items we didn't get to! read more

The food is really good. There are a lot of different specials, and it is really awesome. My favorite so far has been the teriyaki bacon wrapped filets, as well as the chicken teriyaki box. It came with seaweed salad, ponzu sauce, lemon togarashi seasoning, rice, and even chicken gyoza. It's one of the filling items on the menu. It was definitely worth the money. The drinks are especially delicious. I recommend to all my friends whenever they ask where to eat. I'll always come back no matter what. It's soo good They have so many good apps as well. The grilled shishito peppers with carrot ginger dressing is sooo good. I enjoy because it's like playing Russian roulette. I never get the spicy one, but its always a delicious dish. The service is amazing. The chefs make time to talk to me, and explain everything to me. Its so nice that the chefs are all interactive. It's nice because all the sauces are all made in house as well read more

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Would absolutely recommend with great food, drinks and service! I really liked the vibe with it being a small place that's well decorated with plenty of good energy. It does remind me of the small cocktail bars in Tokyo. We had the tuna tartare, which I highly recommend, plus sushi and skewers. All were excellent. The drinks were very well done and I was impressed with the skill and attention to detail. Which brings me to service, which was top notch. The server, Zoe, was friendly, efficient and made our evening extremely enjoyable. What a great find. read more

Atmosphere was spot on. Cocktails were incredible- James one of the owners was supper attendant read more

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Yakitori Kona is a compact but cozy izakaya and robata spot located right in the heart of Virginia Highland. We stopped in for happy hour on a recent Friday night and were delighted to sit at their small bar, with the breeze rolling in from the open doors onto the busy sidewalk. We started with cocktails- an All the Feels, a tequila number, for her, and a deliciously fruity red gine and tonic for me. We snacked on a well seasoned and charred order of shishitos, plated elegantly and dusted with togarashi. A perfect, new spot in the neighborhood for casual drinks and light Japanese fare. read more

I've been in here a few times for late night cocktails and small bites. I haven't had a bad thing yet. The cocktail menu is lovingly crafted by the in-house bartenders. They're more than happy to explain their methodology and engage you in conversation. It's a fairly small location and the skewers are grilled right in front of you. A very neat spot in the Virginia Highlands were stopping in read more

Food here is great, but the bartender here is even better! Ask for Sebastian, he'll take amazing care of you. Definitely one of my favorite places in Virginia Highlands. read more

Yakitori Kona - Japanese Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I came to this place because the previous place I attended was closed. I looked them up online and it said they close at 11 pm so I paid 15 on a lyft to check them out. Once I arrived it looked like a small intimate place to have good food and conversation. Unfortunately I did not get to taste the food because the waitstaff made me feel like I was a problem and that is the worst thing you can do to a guest. When I arrived in around 9:45 the told me the kitchen was about to close and threw me a menu. I had never been there so it would of been nice to be offered a recommendation or some assistance but the waiter just stood there as if I need to hurry up. I said ive never been here and im not sure what to get. He then stated again the kitchen is about to close so im not sure. I said you know what never mind I can see you are in a hurry so I will go somewhere else I got up and left. I understand that the hours at this point may be for the business and not the kitchen but really that should be disclosed on the website, and the waiter bar tender could have been better at offering me options so I could come to a decision faster rather than making me feel as if I am an inconvenience to him. If he would have talked to me been nicer and more helpful the experience could of been tons better. this place looks like it would of been amazing. But I did not get to find out on this trip unfortunately read more

Great food! We ate here for the first time last night and it was wonderful. We shared the gyozas (6 total) which were delicious and then I had the Kona Chirashi Bowl. The bowl had a TON of spicy salmon (just the way I like it) and was huge! I even took home some for leftovers and it tasted just as good today! My boyfriend got the assorted 6 piece platter which included chicken, steak, shishito peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini (forgot what the last one was) + rice. All were served to perfection! We ate here around 8pm on a Thursday night so it wasn't crowded but we were shocked by how surprisingly small the space is. It felt a little cramped and I'm glad it wasn't busy or else I'd feel a little claustrophobic. Overall the food quality is top notch and I'd recommend this to anyone! read more

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Service was great and the food was really good. The restaurant has a fun vibe. We'll definitely go back

We went in around 8pm and got a spot at the bar easily. The service was great and informative. My friend got a smoked cocktail that she loved. We started with a tuna appetizer that was pretty good, but our favorite was the plate with 6 skewers. Everything on it was delicious. We got in and out within an hour. read more

Yakitori Kona - Tuna - Japanese Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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This restaurant reminds me me of being at a traditional yakitori bar in Tokyo. The food is delicious with a nice bar menu. The service is on point! read more

What was that? The person who said this place reminded them of a yakitori bar in Tokyo - well let's just say she hasn't spent much time in Japan. Just stop. I lived in Japan and that's comical. Deep fried gyoza? Im ok with inauthenticity if the food is good. It wasn't. The sushi was terrible. And then the prices? 18-20$ a roll for terrible sushi!?! What an I missing here? read more

Not going back Over priced on what is really street food and drinks Service is the only saving grace read more

This reminds me of me of being Tokyo. I love the food and personal experience with the chef and of course the drinks is amazing. read more

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Food was very good, service was over worked (she had whole restaurant and had to make cocktails herself. Also you must like very loud head banging music. read more

Iykyk! Ask for the secret menu! Make sure you get a Yes Yes You Do (Lychee Martini on steroids with subtle hints of elderflower) from James! read more

Food is great and the atmosphere there is so fun! The owner James personally served us and was super friendly! A little on the pricier side but that's what you're going to pay for good food! Drinks are also sooo good! read more