Mt Fuji Inn

My review is for the downstairs portion of the restaurant, the Mai Thai Lounge.
My husband stumbled upon this hole-​in-​the-​wall bar years ago.
My first experience there is a story we’ll keep on telling. I met my husband there after work on a Thursday evening. No food in my stomach. My husband raved about the Mai Thais, but I am a cheap beer/​whiskey/​tequila type of girl. No froo-​froo drinks for me. After trying the Zombie, I was addicted! It was sooooo good, I can’t possibly describe. They infuse their own rum, which is displayed behind the counter. Not even being a rum fan, and I can say the Zombie is one of my favorite drinks. If I am not mistaken the Zombie is similar to a mai thai, has 5 – 6 shots of alcohol, but tastes like fruit juice. I drank one, felt great, drank another and was done for. We had to wait a couple hours before it was safe to leave. Beware– it might taste like kool-​aide, but it’s knock you on your behind.
We’ve gone many other times, and have sometimes we have had a hard time getting in on a Friday/​Saturday night because it was so packed.
They also have a wide variety of other crafted drinks, but their signature is the mai thai and the zombie. On the menu, it says «Limit 2» but I’ve had four, and have known people to drink 6– not sure if this is smart on their part or not.
We recently celebrated my mother’s 50^th birthday there, and making a reservation with Mike was a breeze. I was able to do some light decorating and bring in a cake. Mike was wonderful and offered my mom a free shot. It made for a nice night.
Since the closing of Mt Fugi Inn upstairs (they’re only open for parties now I think), the food has gone down hill. We paid $ 11.00 for a small dinner plate of appetizers that was so-​so. They used to have sushi, but no longer serve this downstairs in the bar.
Do check out Mai Thai Lounge. It seems a little shady with all of it’s nude women on the wall, but the drinks make up for it. If you get too drunk, Burger King is right next door.

Mt Fuji Inn has been a place we frequented on a normal Friday night. After moving away and coming back, the past few times have not been pleasant. The food is not as good as it used to be.
The older woman who has been there for ages is rather rude when we have gone in. I ordered Beef Yakisoba and received something that looked like Lo Mein. When I approached her, she told me I did not know what I was talking about, and I was going to eat it. I was very nice and informed her that I had lived in Japan for over 5 years, so I know what Japanese Cuisine looks and tastes like. We got up and left. I will never go back.

Tried Mt Fuji after seeing it when driving bye one night! The bottom line is, the physical place has seen better days! Maybe 20 years ago when it was new or just remodeled it might have been something but not now! It was dirty & odorous.
Now onto the food; really not much to say other than it was a lot like the state of the physical venue! Sad, as I think it might have been something way in the past! It might have been one of the 1^st. sushi places in Omaha & like a lot of the Old School Omaha steak houses, it’s seen better days!

I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight, but we went anyway with an open mind. Our table had wonderful service and great food. Such a shame to see this place go. My beef sukiyaki was delicious. Make sure to get the Sukiyaki on the rice. Go now, they close on New Years Eve.

I’m giving it five stars!!! For the fact Every time I’ve went there it was really good and good price points the cantonese with sweet and sour pork, egg foo yong, almond chicken! For 10 bucks with soup rice and tea, there is NO place like it either the atmosphere is super sweet and romantic they have tea rooms where you can sit on the floor! Basically you just have to try it I’m sad to say I heard that they will be closin up shop in December super sad I love LOVE this place. My parents had there first date there in the 70’s. It just saddens me people rather go to funky buffets that SUCK! Thanx to all the people that do support the family business and thank you to the family that brought Omaha’s first and only true Japanese place to Omaha!

I have been to Mt. Fuji once before a few years ago. As I recall, on that visit we were served by an older woman who I believe was one of the owners of the restaurant. It was quiet and lovely as I remember. My most recent experience, however, was anything but.
We reserved the tea room for 14 people for a friend’s birthday. We were led to the room by an older woman and politely instructed to remove our shoes and sit around the table in the tea room. The room was cute and cozy, but that is where the positivity of our visit ended. Our waitress was a younger woman who came in very loudly «You’re all ready to order now!» and started darting around the room shouting instructions about how the ordering process was going to go.
She said «I’ve been doing this and it works, so we are doing it this way!» I could tell that our relaxing dinner was going to be anything but relaxing. She started taking the drink orders, and as she walked around the table of 14 people who were all chit chatting and having a good time, she would aggressively tap people on the shoulder when it was their turn to order their drink and they weren’t paying attention. I am no restaurant connoisseur, but I have to think there is a better way to get a customer’s attention.
When it came to my pregnant friend next to me to order, she asked if the tea was very caffeinated (as she was not supposed to have much caffeine at this point in her pregnancy). Our waitresses response? «I don’t know! It’s all tea to me!» Again, I am not sure this was the most appropriate response. Through the rest of the ordering process, the waitress continued to shout about things, run/​stomp around the room, and be very curt and unhelpful with the ordering. At one point, she was taking the order of a friend at the very end of the long table, when she heard someone at the other end talking about some sort of animé convention. She interrupted the person ordering and shouted down the table «Alright! You’ve got my full, undivided attention now! Are you talking about _​_​_​_​_​_​_​?!» It is great that she shared interests with the customers, but it was all just very unprofessional and made our dining experience almost comical.
She came back with our food, and that part of the experience did not help my review of the restaurant either. I got broccoli chicken and my boyfriend got teriyaki steak. My broccoli chicken was mostly mushrooms in a thick, gloopy brown gravy sauce. My boyfriend’s teriyaki steak was good for a few bites, but the saltiness and heaviness of it was too much to take for very long. It was just a cheap flank steak covered in a very salty teriyaki sauce.
The drinks were no better. My boyfriends «diet cherry cola» was almost completely grenadine and sickeningly sweet to drink. My strawberry daiquiri had ice chunks left in it that were as big as a walnut, making it hard to drink through a straw. I wanted to order another drink after salvaging what I could from my first, but the waitress didn’t come back for the rest of the meal. She brought hot towels and fortune cookies at the end of the meal, which I thought was a nice touch — if she had not walked around the outside perimeter of the room and literally thrown the scalding hot towels at us around the table. She then proceeded to forcefully plop two or three fortune cookies in front of each corner of the table. Along with the hot towels and fortune cookies, it was time to deliver the checks — which was a hard pill to swallow. We paid almost $ 60 for two people to eat dissatisfying food and be treated in this manner.
As we walked out after paying, we decided to try going to the Mai Tai lounge downstairs to try to get more drinks. However, we were quickly rebuffed by a standing-​room-​only crowd. As we turned around to leave, the older woman behind the counter at the restaurant said «Oh, if you would have told me you wanted to go downstairs, we could have saved you a big party spot. We always try to treat the customers that eat upstairs very well if they are also going downstairs to drink afterward!» I’m sorry, but why wouldn’t this «VIP treatment» that we could have received downstairs be mentioned beforehand when we were eating?
I just don’t understand the appeal of this restaurant at all. The food was gross, the drinks were displeasing, the service was laughable, and to add insult to injury — it was expensive!

This place is a treasure, and you need to go support them. We went at 7 PM on a Thursday night and the place was completely empty — both upstairs and down. There is no other place in Omaha doing what they’re doing, and it seems to be a bit of a lost art these days. The tiki drinks are amazing and the food was pretty good. I am not sure what other reviewers are talking about in regards to the food; there are far worse asian restaurants all over Omaha. Especially after one of the giant drinks, everything tastes great ;)
Seriously, though, the food is worth trying. They have both Japanese and Chinese dishes on the menu. I’m not sure I would try the sushi unless they are packed when you walk in, but if you want to experience a traditional Japanese meal, this would be a fun place to get a group together and do that. There are sitting rooms where you take off your shoes, close the paper doors, and are served Geisha-​style, I think. We did not opt for this, but instead sat in the main dining room, which has a bright atmosphere complete with koi pond and waterfall.
The upstairs definitely felt more «tiki» than the bar downstairs, though probably more along the lines of «zen garden.» One complaint: the place smelled like a fast food restaurant famed for its onion rings, and all of the fried foods tasted of that same oil used for frying foods in a wok that probably needed to be changed. It wasn’t completely unpleasant — just mildly annoying.
Anyway, just like the amazing tiki drinks (definitely start with the namesake mai tai and branch out from there) the food is also an experience. We opted for one of the multi-​course Chinese dinners. I would definitely try the Japanese food next time, but the Chinese items weren’t half bad — at least as good as your average hole-​in-​the-​wall americanized «Chinese» restaurant.
All of the Chinese food items had a unique twist — perhaps even leaning toward more Japanese-​style preparations at times The egg rolls were filled with primarily bean sprouts and the sweet and sour sauce was not your usual saccharine red syrup; the egg flower soup was dashi-​based and included a small piece of fish cake — definitely more like miso or udon; and the almond duck had a uniquely flavored sweet sauce and light, crispy texture. My dining companion did not appreciate their fried rice, which was a bit gummy, but I thought it was fine. All five main dishes that came with our dinner were artfully presented in tall lidded silver dishes. The broccoli beef, sweet and sour pork, and almond chicken were all in very thick sauces, but at least had some flavor. Their signature almond duck dish (which is probably more Japanese-​style) and the sweet and sour pork both had great flavor and texture and were the standout entrees. One other touch: Golden Dragon fortune cookies! The hallmark of a Chinese restaurant that cares.
Service was efficient, but not overbearing. It struck a good balance, which can be difficult when you are the only ones in the place. My only complaint is that our server seemed a bit pushy at times, imploring us with instructions like to mix the two sauces on our plates and dip from there, or to drink directly from the soup bowl. It was more the tone than the content, actually. I guess they don’t like giving out spoons.
Prices were very reasonable. The giant tiki drinks (served in brandy snifters) are about $ 7 each and the multi-​course dinner we enjoyed was under $ 20/​person. We both walked out of there stuffed and tipsy for under $ 60.
Definitely go for the experience and stay for the food. You will have a fun night — especially after a giant drink or two.

I have been going to this restaurant since I was a kid but wow how times have changed. My mom, sister and I went to eat dinner on July 9. We got there about 6:30 or so and the place was really empty. We decided to sit in the tea room (this is after the hostess decided to get up from the stool watching tv to seat us.) Our waitress was not friendly at all. She seemed like she hated her job. We ordered the soup-​still as good as I remember but the crab rangoon was way overcooked and too crisp. My mom thought her food was ok. I ordered vegetable lo mein and it was full of bamboo shoots and carrots with one or two pieces of snow peas and mushroom. My sister’s food reeked of rice vinegar. She took two bites and couldn’t eat anymore. When the waitress came back she asked my sister if she need a box for her food. When my sister said no thank you and that it was not very good, the waitress said, «oh» and that was it. She didn’t take it away or offer anything else. Then when she brought our ticket my sister was still charged for her meal even though she didn’t eat any of it! She told the waitress that she didn’t think it was fair to pay for a meal she was unable to eat and the waitress said she would have to ask the manager if she could take it off the bill. Very put out attitude. Fortune cookies were really stale. She came back and told us the manager said not to charge us. Its too bad that this restaurant has gone downhill. My grandpa used to love this place and we have some good memories.

I had a great time! That little woman is awesome. Just go and experience and don’t let negative stuff ruin it for you.

I’m very disappointed to see the negative reviews on here. I’ve been going to Mt Fuji ever since I was a child. Now, I live in KC and still try to visit whenever I go back to Omaha. Granted, the place isn’t as popular as it was 10 years ago, but a lot has changed and you get what you pay for. This is no Panda Express.
It’s a blend of Japanese and Cantonese recipes and many of the staff are the same that worked there 30 years ago. It truly is a family establishment. The dining room contains authentic tea rooms (where I had both my 16^th and 21^st birthday parties), a giant lit mural of Mt. Fuji and a koi aquarium where you can feed the fish right from your fingertips!
The best way to order are the combos where you can try several entrees. The #2 is about $ 17 per person I believe, but you get Egg Foo Young, Almond Chicken, Sweet & Sour Pork & Fried Rice. You also get appetizers of fried prawns, the best egg rolls EVER and egg flower soup. Dinner is followed by hot towel & tea service.
Also, the California Roll is the best sushi I have had in my 28 years.
Don’t write the place off just because it is old or for a few bad reviews, come see for yourself and experience the true ambiance of authentic Japanese/​Cantonese cuisine.

As a fan of tiki culture, I sought out the Mt Fuji mostly for their basement mai tai lounge that is apparently the last remaining «tiki» bar in the midwest, but ate upstairs first. After reading all of the poor reviews of the food, I was moderately surprised. My girlfriend and I traded dishes once we tasted them, but after that we were both happy. My duck was cooked perfectly and flavoured well and was an overall good, if not perfect meal. We will definitely be back.
As for the mai tai lounge, it’s a must-​see. The place used to be a happening spot, with an aquarium behind the bar that connected it to the upstairs (you can easily tell where this was). The tiki décor is all original and the bartender has been there serving these classics forever. They used to sell their own mugs which one can occasionally find on eBay and the drinks are strong and cheap.

My wife & I met a group of friends here for sushi last Saturday night. The sushi was edible, but not very good. We’ve had better in our short time here in Omaha. I normally don’t drink Mai Tais, however it seemed like the thing to do. They seemed good and strong, but I really don’t have anything to compare it to. The service was adequate however it did take awhile for our food to get to the table. After dinner we headed downstairs to the Mai Tai Lounge. The room was crowded but we found a table. Pop music blared from speakers in the ceiling and a basketball game was on a TV in the corner. The crowd was fairly young; borderline legal drinking age. It was also a bit too ghetto trash for me. Maybe I’m getting old, but wearing a giant gold dollar sign around my neck isn’t my «thing». I could also do without the smell of marijuana in the air. I doubt I’ll be back to the bar or the restaurant.

I give the drinks at the Mai Tai Lounge 5 stars, but the food at the Mt. Fugi Inn only gets 1 star; hence, the 3 star average. Anytime the bar will only serve you two drinks, you know you’re in for a nice time. Most all of the specialty cocktails on the menu, including the namesake Mai Tai, are made with regular rum and Bacardi 151. The aptly named Zombie is my favorite. A lot of the drinks are fruity, but there’s so much alcohol in each drink that it’s difficult to tell what type of fruit is involved. It’s unfortunate that the food is so terrible, because the drinks are so stiff they will destroy your soul.

Technically I have never «eaten» here.
But — there is a tiki lounge (The Mai Tai Lounge) downstairs from this authentic Japanese restaurant!
No kidding a real live tiki lounge here in Omaha! Complete with velvet paintings and all.
All the traditional tiki drinks faithfully recreated.
This is a must visit bar in Omaha.