We ate at the hibachi table on a Sunday at opening. There was four of us. The other half of the table was another party so we were full table. Chef did not talk to us, no tricks or excitement like normal. Guess you don't get that at lunch time. I liked the way the shrimp was cooked. I asked for extra veggies to substitute for no rice. Didn't get extra veggies. They several a large portion of rice tho as I saw on the others plates. Otherwise the restaurant seems clean. Just disappointed in the hibachi. Probably would try a different place next time. Our server was amazing tho. Constant refills on drinks. Brough out sales right away. And to go boxes. read more

Yamato - One of the sushi rolls. Surrounded by salmon with roe and another sushi inside. It wasn't that tasty actually. - Japanese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

I always go here when I'm looking for a good authentic hibachi restaurant! I love how they have other options too if I'm not feeling sushi or hibachi. Super cool how they make the food right in front of you! You also get to eat while they are making your food so you don't have to wait super long! Felt like I was taking a trip to Japan! read more

Cooks and food not as good as it use to be. Food cost too much for the portions you get and cooks are not entertaining anymore.

The meal was wonderful. Cooked perfectly. Good sized portions and just really nice evening. Good service, as well

Four of us went Friday evening. Called about reservations, for regular seating not hibachi. We were told we could get reservations in 2 hours. Then asked what the wait time was right then and there was none. Wasn't sure why since we said we were 10 minutes away, they couldn't hold a table??? Well we went and were seated quickly. We ordered 2 appetizers, 1 roll and 2 dinners. Service on all was good, orders were correct and we had a good time catching up. The food, fairly tasteless all around and the shrimp in the tempera dinner were poorly cleaned. Very disappointing to see the top black as the large vein not removed. I've not run into that before. Very loud, screaming kids, loud music, clanging from the hibachi area.... read more

So this is like Ocala's version of Benihanas. We didn't have to wait, but a few minutes to be seated and for them to take orders. It's your average setup, of the hibachi chef in front of a semi circle. I started with the spring rolls, which was yummy, but over priced. You only get two of them for $6. It was my birthday so I ended up getting my meal for free. I got the chicken and shrimp. They give really good portions for the price! The food was decent, but it felt like something was missing. It was the garlic butter flavor! They need some of that to really make it pop. Luckily, I had some at home and my leftovers were bomb!!! I would definitely return in the future! read more

Yamato - Hibachi - Japanese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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Called in the order since they don't have online ordering. on Sunday wife called in. hold for 5 mins. Nothing. She hung up tried to call back for 10 more mins. I drove 30 mins across town got there at the time they said. 3pm. I had to wait another10 mins for they to finish, on Sunday 2 tables going and nobody else. Not busy at all. So I get the to bags and ask the bartender who brought me my late food is the extra yum yum sauce is in there he said yes. I felt down into the bag and felt the small container thinking it was the yum sauce. Got home and of course it was not. It was only 2$ but I assumed the people did their job. I should have checked I did not trust my gut. Food was ok. Wife said the yum sauce was off. So I know better next time. Food was good but not great as usual. read more

Yamato - FIRE.... love it. - Japanese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

We went here for my son's 11th birthday. The chef had absolutely no personality and seemed to be completely miserable with his job. The food was just ok. The restaurant had a foul odor and appeared dirty. The bathroom was dirty. No soap, dispenser was broken and empty. The floors were sticky, as if they've never been cleaned. The waitress told my son Happy Birthday as we were leaving, but other than that there was nothing special they offered. I would tell anyone to avoid this restaurant. read more

Kind of an average hibachi restaurant. My friends and I dined at Yamato last night and had fun but experienced some disappointment. They did not have miso soup, a disappointment; and the complementary salad had a tart, almost sour dressing on it. I prefer a sweeter ginger flavor. The edamame was fresh and the hibachi chef had great knife skills. Our drinks were average and we were super disappointed to find out that they did not do sake. We were celebrating and the sake at hibachi is always so fun! Not at Yamoto. The fried rice was our favorite part, but the noodles lacked in flavor. Overall, a fine night but I will choose a different hibachi spot next time. read more

Yamato - Entrance has a museum feel - Japanese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

First, our waitress was awesome! The water and coke came quick. The salads came and were not edible. They have made their own topping which was really.no more than dousing the salad in soy souce..with a sprinkle of ginger...could not eat it at all. The gyoza was pretty good, crispy on outside and tender on the inside. The main plate steak, chicken and shrimp was small.portions. again, the noodles, vegetables were just doused in soy sauce so couldn't eat. The steak and shrimp and chicken were ok. We told the waitress about how salty and bitter everything was and we wanted the chef to know how things went for us....the worse part of the dinner is that the manager couldn't make their way over to address our concerns and instead. Gave a disresepctful 5 dollar discount on our 50 dollar meal. We didnt ask for discount we asked to talk with mgt, waitress went to tell them, but guess they were too busy dousing their food in soy sauce to come over and have a quick chat with us....but 5 dollars is somehow an equitable solution. This place gets 2 thumbs down, and really literally left a bad taste in our mouth and our hearts. read more

went with a large group for a birth day celebration. Wait staff and ser vice was excellent. Friendly and accommodating our requests. The food was excellent. Look forward to returning again. read more

Last night Diego up front at the hist stand was phenomenal. Super nice and super helpful. The server Chino was phenomenal too both those guys showed such great customer service . The food is ALWAYS AMAZING to get TOP TIER service too thats 5 stars Great Job we will be back. It was was bestie bday and im so glad we picked Edo read more

Food is good, last service was a little slow. Disappointed that they no longer serve Udon soup we are disappointed that it's no longer on their menu. Quality of food is good. Prices are average or a bit higher than other Restawrant's. Ambiance is nice for a restaurant. read more

My granddaughter Keri & her husband Jerry were visiting from Wisconsin. While here, they treated us to dinner at Yamato's. Brandon, the bartender, made my old fashion cocktail perfectly. Cortney, our server, was prompt and attentive. Jose, the chef, was fascinating to watch. Our food was so good, plentiful and perfectly prepared. read more

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Paid Yamato a visit with my wife, kids and parents for my birthday. Firstly, I am used to frequenting a Benihana's in Miramar, FL. Yamato is similar in terms of menu and hibachi eating style. The most noticeable difference is the chef that makes the meal. That is, in the showmanship or lack there of. Our chef felt like he was just going through the motions, checking off boxes. "Onion volcano, check." Some interaction was nice but definitely not an entertaining experience. Another difference was in the ingredients, they use butter in the rice, but not garlic butter makes all the difference. The ambiance was to be expected. On the plus side if it is your birthday, your entree is free.(They do ask for proof) All things considered Ty e food was good and we enjoyed our meal and company. The over all experience did not evoke any emotions. 4 stars because the food was good but the entertainment needs improvement. Be good or be good at it! TTFN. read more

Yamato - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

We always enjoy eating here. The portions are large and the prices are reasonable for what you get to eat. We normally don't do the show, just sit in the other area. Highly recommend, our waiter was very good as well. read more

Pricey but fun atmosphere. Great for special occasions. Wish they were more like Benihana or Tanaka of Tokyo as their cooks don't do much to entertain which is the main attraction of places like this. Nonetheless, food is decent for Ocala. Service could improve. Would be a better atmosphere if all employees were more welcoming and drinks/menu items were delivered by servers that acted like they wanted to be there. read more

Went back to Yamatos and had sushi this time!! Omg!! Their sushi is sooooooooo good! I definitely need to go back there for some! Our server was extremely amazing and explained the sushi menu and choices to us. It was busy in this restaurant as always but it's always a good experience for myself and the family when we stop by. read more

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Went here for a birthday, amazing food! Most impressive of all however, was how friendly our waitress and chef were.

This is not "HIBACHI." This is "TEPPANYAKI." Teppanyaki uses a flat, solid iron griddle, whereas hibachi employs a grill with an open grate design. I have been to Japanese restaurants who really does hibachi on open grills and the grilled food had the smokey and woody taste to them. Learned my lesson to check restaurants that offer hibachi in Ocala to see if they actually cook the food over a real hibachi grill. read more

Good food. Family enjoyed eating at Yam steak house. Great service give it a five star

We went to Yamato today to celebrate a birthday (they will let you get 1 free birthday dinner either 7 days before your birthday or 7 days after -- just remember to have your ID ready to show them)! When you walk in, you will be asked if you want to sit at the grill (where the magic happens with your food being cooked in front of you) or in a booth/at a table. The atmosphere was calm. Though the lighting was a little dim. The ginger salad and onion soup are the first dishes they bring to you when ordering a dinner (meal). Both were very good -- especially the onion soup! The second (last) dish was the shrimp with noodles, fried rice and veggies with yum yum sauce. The shrimp were cooked a little tough, but overall, the food was really good. You do receive a lot of food for the price, so don't be afraid to ask for a to-go box! Other than this, we had a very pleasant server and overall a great experience. read more

Yamato - Shrimp, Noodles, Fried Rice & Veggies - Japanese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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Ambiance was good, Food was good, Hostess was pleseant, but our service was poor on the part of our cook.. "Locked-Up Louie" the man didnt give a care, never said but 2 words, didnt smile, even when we tried to interact with him. The man clearly hates his job, which made us regret spending our money. Dont get me wrong he cooked it right, but just slammed the order through as fast as he could, so he could leave. When you are paying for more than just food, but also a lil fun and an entertaining enviroment. Maybe you will have better luck? As for me and my family.. never again read more

Took hubby for his birthday, 3-4-24. Our first time. I was not impressed with the ambiance, however, our server was AMAZING!!!! We did not sit at a Hibachi table. We sat in a booth in the back which was perfect because no one else was back there!!! LOL! The food was hot and fresh. It was good. Not the best and not the worse. I had the YAMATO SPECIAL which comes with chicken, beef, shrimp, rice AND noodles and veggies. A little heavy on the soy sauce but nothing I couldn't bare. My husband had the CHEF'S SPECIAL, which he said the same about the soy sauce. The onion soup was good. The spring rolls were a winner!!!! The drinks were LAME. I don't remember what either of us had.....that's just how lame they were. LOL! Overall, I give Yamato a 7. The service was a definite YES!!!!! The food was a YES!!!! (outside of the soy sauce) The ambiance was a NO! I'm not sure what I was looking for with that but I was underwhelmed with the decor. There's a real nice statue at the entrance but that's about it. Nothing in there stood out to me. read more

My wife and I ate there for the first time yesterday for our wedding anniversary dinner. Our waiter was awesome and made our dining experience pleasant. The only complaint I have is the fact that you can't reach anyone by phone there. Also it would be good if when you walk in the door they explain to you the different dinning experiences available. Overall though I would say that we will be back. read more

I don't blame the staff, I blame the management. Broke ice tea machine, out of Calamari, pathetic salad, weak miso soup, late on the fried rice , non existent vegetables, late on noodles, steak cooked wrong. Shrimp appetizer was good, server was great. Prices are too high for this low quality. Not coming back. Cheers read more

I thought the food was good and the service was great I used to eat at kotobuki when they sold the business after 35 years the new owners could not make it work and closed so I have to find another place to go and this was pretty good read more

Superb food quality and service. We will definitely be back. We were very impressed with the fresh vegetables being prepared in front of us. Brought enough leftovers home for two more meals. read more

food taste horrible cold noodles and rice, the salad taste like butt and the yum yum sauce was not yum yum

This place was one of my favorites but I won't be going back. Visited today (4/24/2024 at 6pm) the entire restaurant was filled with pungent burnt food odors. Ordered teriyaki chicken with veggies, noodles and rice with salad and soup and this is what I got: Chicken was very dry, leathery, overcooked and slathered in sauce. Veggies were very salty with some pieces undercooked while others were cooked to death. Noodles cooked well and enjoyable. Salad was swimming in vinegar base dressing. Soup was nothing special. The service was good. So, I this was my dinner at a cost of $21. Definitely not one of my fav's anymore. read more

This place wasn't bad, but compared to similar places we love, like Edo Japanese steak house, it wasn't the best. The portions were larger but the food was over cooked and just not as good. Not a bad place but try edo. read more

Yamato - Japanese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Honestly, I'm left speechless about the great service, great food, and the awesome environment. 10/10 service read more

Yamato - a plate of noodles, meat, and vegetables - Japanese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Not crazy about this place. Now with the pandemic of course the whole eating out experience is not the same. But if I could change anything it would definitely e the customer service. I wish the hostess and the waitresses were friendlier and more knowledgeable about certain items on the menu. Besides that the prices are decent, restrooms are clean and they follow Covid-19 pr read more

Yamato - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Had dinner at Yamato tonight with wife and daughter. The atmosphere here is very average. The waitresses were all very polite and courteous. My daughter celebrated her birthday there so was given a free meal. Unfortunately that was everything that could be considered ok or good. The rest of the experience was not good. The chef just basically cook the food. I was expecting a little more cooking "skills" like othet places but none here. The jokes about "butter" fly I have heard so many times. The food was extremely salty. The worse part was the seat. I am 5'4" and the eating counter was literally at my neck height. Both my wife and daughter were shorter. I wished they could at least offer another chair that could make our eating experience better read more

They'll tell you it's a 20 minute wait but you'll wait upwards of 60 + minutes to just sit at a normal table - which is an indicator of how bad the management is. The food tastes like it was microwaved and over cooked - but good news is that anything with yum yum sauce tastes good. Save your money and go to one of the other multiple hibachi restaurants in the area. read more

Total spur of the moment, we decided to take everyone out for a surprise dinner to Yamato Japanese Steakhouse. We had been here once before and everyone liked seeing the food cooked right in front of them. Everyone seemed to like the soup that came with dinner, but I was the only one who ate the salad. No one likes the ginger (?) house dressing that comes on it. The twins had chicken and vegetables, while our son had the steak/chicken/shrimp combo and my main squeeze and I had the dinner for two. Our chef wasn't as lively as I think he could have been, but he was efficient and sure of his every move. The food was very good and the experience is always fun. We don't come here a lot, but it's always a treat. read more

Should be a 3.5 star. Food and service is good. Odd selection of sushi, somewhat limited. Nice overall, but the prices are nuts. Asian Kitchen and Grace are $4.50 for a calif. roll this place and Tony's $8.50 They are not as good either in taste. But its nice inside and stFf us alright. read more

Pathetic. Seafood over cooked and was like chewing rubber bands. Baby sized portion of veggies, and the rice was like wet flavorless cardboard. Dirty silverware, had to wait 10 minutes for a clean set, all while our hot soup was not hot any longer. Alcohol for the drinks were served with an eye dropper, was nothing but fruit punch. Bar staff cursing up a storm in front of everyone. Waitress said she told the manager about our food and what did this manager do? He told her to relay us a message from him that he is sorry......really? Manager cant even come over to see whats going on? The manager scared to face people? We left our food and most of our drinks on the table even though our food was boxed up to take home. We couldnt take chewing on that garbage any longer then we get to NOT deal with a scared manager. We paid $53 for a gutless manager who was too scare to come see what the issue was. read more

Yamato - Japanese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

I was calling all day long to try to find out what time they opened so I drove up there and they were open all day and I said to the girl nobody ever answered the phone she goes oh yeah phones don't work restaurant didn't look very inviting or didn't smell very good so I went to another restaurant read more

This place used to be great. Not so much any more. You wait at least 30 min for a dirty table, rice + food on chairs (gross). Not sure who is running this place but they should do better. Guess it's time to find a new place. Not impressed read more