Japan Express

I have been here twice before. Both times i ordered the same habchi chx. Also both times were around 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The first time was ok the food was ready in approximately 10 minutes. I noticed that the cashier boxes the food during this time so my food could be ready sitting there and she just needs to box up.
So the next time I came I was in a slight hurry. So I left a tip for the cashier hoping to get my food faster than usual. My veggies and rice were boxed and the chicken still wasnt ready. A man arrived 10 mins later and finially started making the chicken. I came at 4:15 and ordered and waited until 4:35, 20 mins for one simple order.
Also the man and woman working werent wearing any hair nets or hats. (No wonder they got a 90.5)
And one piece of my chicken had grittle (inedible part)

Food is great. The prices are fair. They are not afraid to give you giner/​white sauce. I dont really trust the
only real complaint t is they do not deliver.

Absolutely delicious hibachi for next to nothing.
Came here on my lunch break to pick up takeout per my coworker’s suggestion. Called ahead and it was ready when I got there. Only $ 16 bucks with tax for two ribeye and shrimp hibachi plates (served with veggies and fried rice).
Got back to the office to find a box of pure deliciousness. The steak was of a good quality, far superior to that of most lower tier hibachi restaurants. All the veggies were fresh and still had the right amount of crunchy texture. The rice was perfectly cooked as were the shrimp. The ginger and white sauces were both good but I really loved the freshness of the ginger sauce more. It had tons of grated ginger mixed in which I loved.
The interior of the place is dingy like most places of this sort but it was clean and they had a good sanitation rating so who cares?!
One thing I know for sure is the next time I have a hankering for hibachi but don’t want to pay Kanki prices I’ll be here.

If you are looking for decent hibachi take out, this is not the place to go. I’ve gotten take out several times, chicken, shrimp and steak and each time I am disappointed. The chicken meat is over cooked and the «veggies» are mostly onions and a couple pieces of broccoli. The two pieces of zucchini were about an inch long. The white sauce is water thin and the to go cups of sauce are filled up half way. Also the quality of their styrofoam drink cups are terrible. My finger went though the side of my cup and all the drink spilled out. The inside is dirty especially where you get your drinks and sauces.
Save your money and go somewhere else.

This place does hibachi right! Doesn’t skimp on the portions. I’d suggest the hibachi shrimp or steak, with no broccoli and substitute mushrooms at no extra charge! The white sauce is on point and again no extra charge for getting additional sauces. Staff is kind as well. Best hibachi take out I’ve come across!

Greasy, and over salted… I do not recommend it. I threw most of my food away since I could not eat it…

For years, we would grab takeaway from here… the hibachi chicken with teriyaki sauce, veggies, and rice while not life-​changing, is filling and good. We always split an order, and have a garden salad with ginger dressing. We never eat there… it is not a place with any semblance of ambiance. But super quick phone service, cheap, and on the way home fits the bill sometime.
Having said that, we will not order again. Our 3 salads were days past fresh (and one had imitation crab meat added?!) and when I called and explained, they refused to credit me unless I got back in my car and drove the salads back to them. No thanks. I was calling to let them know mainly from a quality-​control perspective, and they didn’t seem to care. Less than $ 10, not a big deal, but now they are on my «no call» list.

Really great selection for an understandable price. The first two times here, I loved. The third time, my call in order was messed up and I brought my food back and they corrected but seem to have had an attitude about it. And the 4^th, while I wait for my food, the girls are just texting and on their phone the ENTIRE Time. I’m the only customer and it’s taking 45 mins for my food… why?-____– food good, service bad.

Food was fair price… New to white sauce and ginger sauce, but turned out great. I got the hibachi shrimp and steak and it was delicious. I have recently moved here and have tried many Japanese places… So far this is one meets my standards. I would recommend the hibachi shrimp and steak. First time trying this place, and I’ll definately will be back!

Slow service with ok food at a ok price. I do like the ginger sauce in the seaweed salad but the service is just so slow its not worth it.

Ten years ago, I got a flyer for Japan Express on my car when I moved into a nearby apt. Since then I wouldn’t be surprised if my daughters and I have eaten there 100 times. First let me state what Japan Express. It’s a very affordable mainly hibachi style Japanese restaurant. When we need a quick, cheap meal, they’re an option compared with burgers, subs, etc. They serve hibachi or teriyaki style, with chicken, shrimp, beef, or scallops. Maybe salmon too, can’t remember. Meat is good, fresh, but again not the super highest quality seen at fancier restaurants. We love the rice. There’s some sort of secret sauce they ladle over it. They also have sushi, udon, and tempura. I get the tempura often. It’s a good change of pace, and only about $ 3. If you like gyoza, they actually have some of the best gyoza in the area. Waraji and a few others may be better. But I’ve found it better than most generic Asian restaurants.

Worst hibachi chicken an shrimp I’ve ever had. White sauce was near flavorless. Also ordered crab rangoon which were a joke. They came rolled up like spring rolls and one of them was exploded and burnt. Veggie sushi roll was not too impressive either. Prices are way too high for the low quality food they give you. I stayed away from this place for the longest time because it didn’t look that great from the outside. Tried it once and will never return.

The noodles were soggy and the «tempura» was breaded instead of battered. The veggie sushi was fairly good though. When I put a couple dollars in the tip jar and the girl at the register just looked at me instead of saying thanks; odd. I only wound up here because it was the only place open at the time and I don’t plan to return.

I’m amazed at the number of positive
reviews for Japan Express. There must be a serious lack of quality take-​out Asian food establishments in this area of Raleigh.
First the positive — the service was fine but nothing special. The staff was reasonably courteous and the food arrived quickly — all you can really ask for in a primarily take-​out restaurant. The sanitation rating was 90 which seems somewhat low for a place that doesn’t appear to have much sit down traffic.
The food on the other hand was institutional quality. I would expect a helping of it at Asian Wednesday at my grandmother’s nursing home. Edible but not particularly good. The fried rice was bland and not accompanied with a single vegetable (not even an egg). I had hibachi chicken and my wife hibachi vegetables — you’ll need a liter of sauce to make either dish flavorful.
There must be better options in this area of Raleigh. Do yourself a favor and find them.

The Japan Express in Pleasant Valley has been one of our go to places when we don’t want to wait for Kanki, but still have a craving for teppenyaki. It is not as good as Kanki, but it is also not as expensive, way more convenient, and they are very fast.
My personal favorite is the Hibachi Ribeye, while the kids really enjoy the Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli. The rice is always very good too. We have tried their California rolls (Nothing exciting there), and their tempura. Both of those selections are just so so.
The service has always been excellent, and the dining area is always very clean. The kitchen area is viewable from the customer counter, and it is also kept very clean.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant, but with the understanding that it is not a fancy Japanese steakhouse. They do Japanese take out very well!

Very disappointed they’ve started to water down the white sauce & the little to go containers are barely half full! Least they could do is fill them up since its watered down!!!

I love this place! Whether taking out (very fast) or dining in, Japan Express is delicious. The portions are huge and they offer you as many sauces as you’d like. I typically get Hibachi chicken and am never disappointed. The crab rangoon is delicious, too.

In the mood for quick take-​out as close to home as possible and something new at the same time, what is a girl to do? Use the Unilocal search targeted map of course! This is how I discovered Japan Express, and I am so glad that I did!
It’s in the Pleasant Valley Promenade to the right of Golfsmith. Easy parking and easy in-​and-​out. There were no diners in the restaurant when I went to pick up my order, but there was a steady stream of people to pick up to-​go orders that came in after me.
After reading the suggestion of a fellow Unilocaler, I ordered the Hibachi Steak and Shrimp. It came with two mounds of fried rice, broccoli and onions. I also ordered a side of crab rangoon, which was surprisingly shaped like a spring roll (I had never seen it made like that before). Both orders were delicious! The young lady at the counter gave me 4 different sauces to try when I told her that it was my first time ordering food from Japan Express. The white sauce was my favorite!
The only reason I didn’t award Japan Express 5 stars is because I could not find a website with information. I searched for a menu and found one, but it must have been old because the prices were around $ 2 lower than I was charged when I placed my order. Having known the correct prices in advance, I might have changed my order. I was happy to grab a menu to add to our take-​out favorites for future reference. Will be back in the future!

If you like hibachi style Japanese food and you live west of Crabtree Valley, then this is a good place to go.
The food is consistently good. The service is quick and friendly. The portions are large. The place is clean and you can watch them cook from a glass window. However, if you watch — don’t expect a typical Japanese steakhouse, blazing volcano, knife whirling show.
The dining area is large and never crowded, but a lot of their business is take out. If you call about 5 minutes ahead of time it will be ready when you get there. If you want a different combination that is not on the menu– they will usually do it for you.
The only bad part, until you go, is finding the place for the first time. It is in the Pleasant Valley Promenade beside the golf store.

I was pleasantly surprised when I went here for lunch yesterday. I went in because it was near and I was looking for quick and cheap meal. I wasn’t expecting much from an express hibachi and tought it migt dingy or grimy inside. It actually was pretty nice (for the type of place) and clean inside. It was quiet and they had classical music playing. I ordered the Hibachi Chicken and Shrimp, they served it with fried rice and grilled vegetables. It was pretty tasty and not nearly as greasy as the food from comparable places. I was surprised that they used medium sized shrimp rather than baby shrimp, that was nice. They had plenty of white and ginger sauce on the side which mader the food even better. The plate cost $ 6.75 and I was very satisfied!