Arigato

Domo Arigato, Arigato for the friendly service and great food over the years. You beat the place down the street hands down! We’ll miss you.

***CLOSED on SAT Night 11/​13/​2010***
My 4 star review is based upon a previous visit.
I stopped by for dinner on SAT night @ 5PM and the lights were off and they had a real estate sign in the window.
I am concerned that the Owner’s failing health is more of a reason for this sadly darkened establishment, than the dismal economy.
I wonder if the real estate sign means they are attempting to sell?
Perhaps they will still be open for weekday lunch?

Fast service, concise menu, and great bento!!!

Martinez has a wonderful little Japanese restaurant nestled in her bosom. Its called Arigato.
A few weeks ago some friends told us about Arigato and how they really loved this place and its not like your average Japanese sushi joint.
We walked down here and it was pretty quiet and empty. There was a group of 4 that were pretty much done when we got there.
By the time we ordered we were the only two in there besides the waiter and his mom & dad. (Who own, cook, and run the place.)
Our waiter was so awesome. I wanted to invite him over to hang out. We even made fun of the terrible car show that goes on, on Friday nights. We made fun of all the terrible tattoos that are there.
To start we both got our own Edamame, Soup and Cabbage Slaw.
I had the Terriyaki Chicken with Tempura combination. My husband had the California Roll and Tuna Sashimi combination.
The Tuna that was presented to my husband looked like the most beautiful red, shiny Tuna I have ever seen. God I was jealous of him! (Being pregnant means no raw fish. No matter how bad you’re craving it.)
My food was phenomenal! Perfectly juicy Terryaki Chicken combined with the side of sticky rice. It was everything I dream about when I dream of Terryaki Chicken.
My tempura stayed hot the entire time. Big pieces of Eggplant, and really long Green Beans. I freaking love Green Beans, and I freaking love them deep fried in tempura batter. I only want to eat Green Beans this way from now on.
Not to mention the giant Tempura Shrimp that was mixed in there too. My combination, along with my husbands, came with a small salad mixed with a very tangy dressing.
My other food was so good I couldn’t waste time on the salad. I did eat one orange slice though.
We also had a side of Gyoza. Can I say this was supreme Gyoza. Incomparable consistency in texture, flavor and quality. Really spectacular stuff.
They also brought out a complimentary order of Spicy Tuna Rolls. My husbands favorite. He said they were the hottest he’s ever had. Of course I couldn’t try them.
The portions are so big we had to take most of it home even after gorging ourselves. The waiter said that’s just how his parents like to serve it. They have a station in the middle of the dining room with containers for left overs because it almost guaranteed you wont finish everything.
I loved this place. I told my husband with the quaintness and wonderful food and service it almost felt like we were on a date night from years past.
We literally had a perfect evening. I am so thankful for the referral and am so thankful to live in a town that can cradle this place so close to my home.
Love it!

Ok so jury duty sucks, but finding a great place like this by the court house makes up for it. Not alot of flash on the menu, very straight forward making selecting easy. Great atmosphere and décor. Hopefully I won’t get picked for jury duty but if I do I know where I’ll be getting lunch each day!

Yes they are open and as great as ever. If you are downtown Mtz. and want a tasty and inexpensive lunch, or awesome dinner (Thurs.-Sat.), GO HERE!!!

What a strange place!
We finally decided to try this restaurant, as we are always concerned about struggling small businesses downtown. But, much as we wanted to like it, the reality is that we were so disappointed we may not try again.
First, pluses. The chicken teriyaki was good and plentiful, so was the (only) tuna sashimi in our two dinners. But everything else – soup, rice, tea, etc. was COLD, and on a windy winter night in Martinez, this was not good. Why this was the case is mystifying, as serving food hot should be routine.
Anyway, it’s hard to be negative about a hardworking family effort, but, with a little effort and attention, this could be an enjoyable place at very reasonable prices.
(This review was actually started in January, but for some reason was not listed as complete until I finished it in June.)

I had another pleasant find in Martinez, a tiny Japanese restaurant where I really enjoyed my meal.
For lunch I had the Gyoza and Sashimi bento box. The tuna was fresh and Gyozas had not been sitting under a heat lamp. There really was a lot food in the box, and the lunch also included tea, edamane, salad, miso soup, and rice. I think that the waitress was surprised I was able to eat it all, as she mentioned it to me twice, I was surprised also, but Sashimi is not really a doggy bag item and I did have to force myself to clean my box. In my defense I asked her not to give me the Edamane
They don’t have an extensive menu, perhaps that’s why the food was good, they are able to concentrate on just a few dishes and execute them well.
This lunch only cost $ 8.00. I do plan to go back and have a combo with Sashimi and either Teriyaki or Tempura. Then I can take it home if I get full, and not shock myself and the waitress by what I can eat.

I was in Martinez for Jury Duty. I went to other restaurants during my lunch breaks on Monday and Tuesday. I went to Arigato on Wednesday.
I got the #2, Teriyaki Chicken and Sashimi. I was very pleased with the portions! A carrot/​cabbage salad, Edamane and Tea were served before the meal.
Again, I was very pleased with the portions! I was pretty full and had enough left over. I finished off the sashimi & salad and packed the rice and chicken.
All of that for $ 8!!!

This was my first visit to Arigato and we decided to eat here for dinner before going to the Campbell Theatre for the showing of Texas Chainsaw Musical. My friends Kelly and Tim live in Martinez and experienced their cuisine during last week’s restaurant tour.
Not being a traditional sushi restaurant, I stayed away from the raw fish (sashimi) and ordered the teryaki chicken and tempura vegetables. It came with edamane, salad, miso soup, and rice. A lot of food for $ 8.95! Because we were the only diners in the restaurant at that time of day, the proprietor brought us a complimentary order of Gyoza on the house. Yummmmmm!!!
Food was tasty and plentiful… the service was good… I’ll be back.

Great, cosy eatery with a straightforward menu. Food is consistently good, and a tremendous value — we always go home with leftovers. Food is kinda hard to describe. It’s not a sushi restaurant, exactly. Imagine that the Japanese had their own version of Denny’s — the Japanese equivalent of comfort food, if you will — and you’ve got the idea. Exactly the kind of local mom-​and-​pop diner-​type place you’d find in a small town in Japan. As someone else noted, was closed for quite a while, but my wife and I were thrilled when we found out it had re-​opened. Give it a try — you won’t be disappointed!

I was turned on to this place from someone who had gone here. The food is very good and best is the price. The lady who runs the dining room is very nice and attentive. Great food!

I was trying to figure out how to give this restaurant 3 ½ stars. Anyway… It’s sweet family run restaurant. The wife waits the tables and the husband cooks. Their menu is limited (They do not have a sushi menu) but their food is very good and reasonable. I have eaten there for the last couple of years on and off and the food is always as it was the time before. Very consistent. They do have a beer, wine and Saki license. The décor is simple Japanese and parking is easy.