Kobe Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

Food was great. Service was terrible. We had priority seating but it still took over 30 minutes to be seated. They told us our buzzer was «broken» when we asked the front desk what was taking so long. They tried to fit our party of 3 into a table w only 2 seats. When we didn’t want to be scrunched into that table, we had to wait another 10 minutes. It was a birthday and they never brought out the cupcake or sang. Rushed us out. Will not go back to this location.

Nice and friendly staff, decent food and a fun environment.
Most everyone has tried hibachi before and this one is a nice option and top 3 choice in the game.
I can never wear the same outfit again before washing due to the lingering smell of hibachi and there are usually leftovers with rice and noodles.
Stop by and give it a shot if you never have and make sure to sign up for the birthday club free meal.

The staff is very nice and will do their best to accommodate your needs. Weekends are very busy so it’s understandable if there’s a bit of a wait time and it gets full. Having priority seating is how you get the shortest wait time! They do not do reservations. The food is delicious and the chefs are very talented and funny.
Will come back soon!

Nam the manager here said that they don’t hire females here because that women can’t handle the job that the chefs do here. But that’s okay for the manager to come to a table to someone who they apparently know and say that women can’t handle the food like a man.

Not much of a wait, we waited for about a few minutes and then sat down. Our first course was soup and it was much better than the places I have tried. The salad was good and the dressing was average, nothing to go crazy about.
My meal was Chicken Hibachi and I liked it, again average. The vegetable mix was very good and you also get noodles and fried rice. If you say it’s your birthday, you get a magical cupcake. I liked the free beverage refills. The Mustard and Ginger Sauces were superb and I loved them a lot.

If you’re going to splurge, this is the place to do it. The food exceeded our expectations, and our servers really made it a delightful experience. We will definitely be returning soon.

So I am not a real fan of Japanese Steakhouses such as these because I am not a fan of pasta and rice; however, I went to try this one. Now I haven’t been to a restaurant like this in over 10 years, so I don’t quite remember the set up etc. This was my first time going to a Kobe so I thought this would be different than what I did remember from my last visit to Benihana’s. Ok, let’s get into the review.
First Impressions/​Appearance: So when you walk in, the restaurant is very dry and doesn’t give you anything to awe at. There is no real pop of red or anything to make this restaurant stand out from any other typical restaurant. The tables are very dark in color, which I typically don’t mind but again it was very dry and dull. They seat you at 10 to a table which again I didn’t mind, but it is very close and a bit uncomfortable when you’re trying to enjoy dinner.
Customer Service: I am big on customer service and theirs was on point. Their customer service was great. We were seated immediately and the wait staff was great and attentive. Our drinks were filled and they cleared our soup and salad bowls in time so we had more space at the small tables. At the end of our meal, there was another lady that came out to box up our left overs which she did in front of us so that gets an extra star from me.
The Dinner Show: our chef was very entertaining. He did all of the tricks, the ‘egg roll’, flipping the egg in his hat and flipping the shrimp tail in his shirt pocket. That was cool and so was the volcano and making the fire shoot out and up. He cracked jokes and made fun of all the latest commercials playing on the radio. He cooked the vegetables with such precision and made the noodles and rice with so much action. I don’t remember noodles and rice being that entertaining, but he made them a real show. His knife techniques were astonishing and the cut of the meat and chicken all the same size.
The Food: the soup was ok and full of flavor. It was served hot which was good on a cold night. The salad was fresh and the ginger dressing was delicious, I really could have used more salad. The vegetables were cooked first. We had onions, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and green beans. I think they were undercooked but I think most people like their veggies a bit more crispy. The onions were very pungent and could have been cooked a little longer along with the carrots and beans. Next came the noodles. Now as o stated earlier, I am not a pasta fan but I do cook it for my family. These noodles were under seasoned and overlooked. They could have used some salt and pepper and should have been a little less than al dente. That way, it can finish cooking on the grill. The rice was next, and it was not cooked, so when the chef went to fry it, it didn’t steam enough, so we ended up with hard rice that was greasy and had no flavor. Lastly were the meats. The meat had good flavor and it was cooked well. I had the chicken and steak and both were prepared how I liked. The steak also came with potatoes, which surprisingly were pretty good.
Rating: So why 3 stars? Simply put, the food could have been better and the establishment could have been nicer. I can spend the same amount and maybe a few dollars more on more food and much better food. I know the idea is a dinner and a show, but I think they need to work on their food more since they have the show down. I don’t think I will be going back but glad I decided to give it a try since I have never been and now I have a platform to let others know what to expect.

My wife and I attended a birthday dinner party here on a very busy Saturday night, and we really enjoyed everything about the place.
The restaurant is clean and nicely decorated, and the atmosphere is very comfortable. The service is much better than any Japanese steak house competitor we have visited, thanks to the attentive and personable staff. The Main Server, Jennifer, was very personable, never pushy, in spite of the busy evening, and always kept our drinks fresh, table clean and food moving. The Table Chef did more than the standard knife-​clanging, and had a fun time ensuring we all enjoyed ourselves.
The food was very tasty, prepared to order and plentiful. The price is a bit higher than a standard restaurant, but you normally don’t get a Chef at your table tossing shrimp into his chef hat, or lighting a three-​foot high flame a few times during the meal, or building an onion igloo with a steam tower shooting out the top. The showmanship is worth it for a special occasion, and the price is well worth the overall package.

I’m definitely a fan of Kobe! You get a good bang for your buck– salad, soup, grilled vegetables, noodles, fried rice, and your protein entrée all for once price! The thing that does it for me more so than Benihana are the more affordable prices and the yum yum sauce! That yum yum sauce is made from the gods. You put the sauce on your veggies, noodles, rice, and protein.
Since it’s so much food, I break it up and eat half there and take the rest for lunch the next day. Make sure to ask for yum yum sauce to go.
The happy hour specials are pretty great. It includes some wine and cocktails along with a few appetizers. You have to sit by the bar area but it has a few TVs so it’s entertaining at the least.
Another tip– sign up for their mailing list for a $ 30 off coupon during your birthday month. Since the prices are affordable, the $ 30 enables you to purchase a pricier menu item like scallops, filet mignon, and even lobster. Your birthday coupon also includes a little cupcake!

Apparently I’m a glutton for punishment because I’ve had multiple bad experiences here. My favorite was having the chef that was terminated in the middle of preparing our meal. He lost it, yelling at what I assume was his boss, throwing things, waving the knife around and loudly complaining the rest of the time until he stormed out. Needless to say, everyone at my table was pretty scared of the knife-​wielding crazy chef. Management did not come by to apologize, and when we brought up the situation they acted like it was a normal everyday thing. One of the others at my table complained loudly and was told that she would «do us a favor» and take off 15%.
Also getting to-​go orders and ordering «no onions» is confusing, as my order has been messed up the last two times I’ve gone.

Used to think this was the best of the Japanese Teppanaki restaurants in the area, but not after the last 2 visits, which will be my last. Last time I was very disappointing with a chef that couldn’t cook and had no personality. Was advised to ask for Steve and so we did. First, not an ideal table, with all homecoming kids– not the smartest seating by the host as they were dispersed through the house and each table had them and 1 couple. But, frankly the food was just ok as was Steve. Don’t know what happened to the chefs that made dining there fun and delicious, like Chris. Chris where are you now? Although they deny a change in management or organization there are many changes, not for the best which includes the tedious serving of soup and salad at the table by the server resulting in smaller portions and time consuming, smaller dinner portions and the food quality seems to have gone down as well. The good news, definitely not as crowded!

In all honesty I have always been an Arigoto gal… even when I had to drive to St. Pete. This truly was my first time at Kobe. service is polite, welcoming & the restaurant runs like a well oiled machine. The night I was there, they had an enormous, quick turnover of habit chi tables.
All staff was friendly & accessible. I had a handicappepable, 90 year young woman with me for her Birthday. They made all reasonable accomodations, including seating us early.
The dinner show, was right on par & all ages loved it.
My problem comes with pasta noodles, with minimal taste & then bland fried rice latter in the meal.
You start out with an onion/​shallot consume, very light & delicate… definately not filling.
Then a small lettuce, cucumbr & cherry tomato salad with a light vinegarette sauce, tasty & light, quite unremarkable.
Then you receive white Spegetti type noodles, with minimal seasoning… appetizer or wasted carbs? Depends on your perception. I say cheap filler for minimal protien.
I had the steak & shrimp combo, I had 5 shrimp & about 8 small bites of steak.
The grilled veggies were far from consistent. Carrots, peppers, onions, peppers, squash, shrooms… various sizes & states of doneness. What they call a mushroom, I have NEVER tasted anything like it before & this is not in a good way, they were terrible.
The protiens, shrimp & steak were cooked perfectly. but were so minimal, I got discouraged! I’m taking 2 women out for their 90^th Birthday.
Then comes the white fried rice, not even as good as take out Chinese. All these carbs with no flavor & purpose.
For what I got protien & veggie wise, it adds up way too high.
Will I return… doubtful, would rather drive to St. Pete to Arigoto.
The Birthday was a sucess & surprise, so I did well. The restraunt handled the Birthday very graciously.
What’s a girl to do? Just rool with the flow & make others happy!

Kobe specializes in Hibachi and does it well! This particular Kobe has «Early Bird» specials from 5 – 6:30pm, offering a few bucks off hibachi entrees and discounted alcoholic and non-​alcoholic drinks. Outside of weekend nights, Hibachi here can be done in 45 minutes as they have a great system and employees are attentive and quick.
SERVICE: 5 stars! Service at this place is excellent as each table is serviced by both a main server, a chef, and another person who just goes around to make sure you are alright and your drinks are refilled (let’s call him Server #2). As Server #1 took our orders and brought out our drinks, soups, and salads., Server #2, was available for anything else. I drink a lot of water, and I not once had to ask for a refill because Server #2 was so attentive. We had another engagement and was done with our meal in 45 minutes (including having paid our check)!
FOOD: I love the Early Bird specials but it was really only $ 2 – 4 dollars off each entrée so it’s not really anything to get excited about. Paid the early bird price of $ 20 vs $ 24. They also serve discounted drinks as a part of this (alcoholic and non-​alcoholic) and I was able to get a non-​alcoholic Pina Colada for $ 3 – it was delicious!

We walked in around 7PM and were told there was a 15 minute wait, they gave us a buzzer and we waited at the bar. 30 minutes later we were seated.
Off to a bad start.
So we sit down and a woman brings out our soups and salad. We finish and 10 minutes go by. She comes by and reassures us that the cook is coming and he is the best. 8:20 and the cook finally comes, he is friendly but continues to ask for the chicken and steak from other restaurant workers who seem to be ignoring him. So he cooks the vegetables, does the standard tricks and joke, then cooks the rice and noodles. He then does a few more tricks and I notice he asks someone again to bring steak and chicken. At this point most everyone is finished with their vegetables/​rices/​noodles and somebody finally brings out chef the meat. He cooks it and now the rest of the food is cold or finished. Then getting the check took another 15 minutes after asking a few different people
I would never go back, the chef was great, but no one did their job but him. Everyone else was walking around doing useless water refills while he was asking for cooking supplies. They were extremely short staffed and should compensate for that. Worst hibachi experience I’ve had

This is a great place for a birthday. Nice dinner with entertainment. The cooks try to make you laugh, putting on a show while they cook the food. The rice was buttery and seasoned heavenly. If you are minding your calories, this place is not for you. The food is cooked to perfection, and quite generous with the portions. The service was friendly and professional.

I do not recommend eating here unless you’re going for the hibachi experience. Service has been poorer than poor the last two times I dined here for a simple appetizer and sushi roll. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll eat here again regardless. There’s a new hibachi style restaurant on Anderson I hear is really good, so I think I’ll take my business there instead. Whoever manages this location you’re doing a crappy job because your staff sucks and that is a direct reflection of poor management and leadership.

I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed this restaurant, as I’ve probably dined here 20 times.
Kobe is a Japanese steakhouse specializing in teppanyaki/​hibachi style cooking. There are many different types of meats/​seafoods that you can order or you can just stick with vegetarian. All dinner entrees are served with soup, salad, rice, noodles and veggies. They also come with yummy yummy sauce and goody goody sauce. My favorites are the shrimp, chicken and steak.
A lot of your meal depends on your Chef and we’ve been fortunate to have friendly chefs that are funny, too. The kids love the «show» and the chefs ham it up.
Sit back, relax and enjoy… You will leave stuffed.

If the wait wasn’t so long I would have given this location 5 stars. Once we arrived our party of 3 was told that the wait would be 15 minutes. 35 minutes later we were seated.
Chef was a flirt which is always appreciated ;-)
Steaks were cooked to desired doneness (mine was not overcooked at all and I appreciated that) and he was accommodated a seafood allergy by cooking seafood last and not with all the other food.
I kind of wish the desserts were served at room temp… cupcakes were still thawing when we got them. The vanilla cupcake was just beyond average… blah. No substitutions allowed not even with up-​charge which meant I just wasted that cold tasteless cupcake. Also since we had two birthdays at the table so everyone got cupcakes.
Prepare for a long night of dinner, between the wait and the actually dinner it took FOREVER to sit down. Block off at least 3.5 hours of your night.

Love their food and yum yum sauce. My husband and I go here for date night every so often so it’s come to my surprise the small and limited menu now. What once was a multi-​page menu is now a simle back and front with two appetizers — wings being one. Not so authentic. When inquiring about dessert, we heard that they would soon be triming down there as well. This is why I made sure to get my fill in with the green tea tiramisu. Could have been a sales ploy. If so, it worked!
The dinner entrees were definitely the skeleton crew, but had the essentials. We had our typical steak and shrimp combo and when we received it, it was noticeably a smaller portion. We were already taken aback when we didn’t get noodles AND rice with the entrée, something that was previously provided. Now I don’t want to sound like a diva but the changes were all pretty drastic. Why four stars then? The food is REALLY good. Our expecations from 3 months ago though — totally different. I hope their future will not turn out like the Arigato’s across the street and in St. Pete.

My football-​watching gang decided to go out for dinner to celebrate the Buccaneers thrilling victory over the Steelers this past week, and we were able to score a reservation at Kobe Japanese Steakhouse along Dale Mabry in Carrollwood. The folks at the restaurant must have sensed that we were going to be a wild & crazy group as they put us in one of the back dining rooms and assigned a top-​notch showman /​chef to keep us entertained.
For those who’ve not been to Kobe before, this is a Teppanyaki or Hibachi cooking restaurant. You are seated on three sides of an open flat-​top grill, and you interact with the chef as they prepare succulent steak, chicken, and seafood dishes according to the ancient Hibachi style of food preparation. Each chef brings their own sense of humor and spontaneity to the table, and all entrees are prepared in a display of flashing knives and exotic aromas.
Most of us ordered a Japanese beer to start while we perused the menu. Each Teppanyaki entrée came with Japanese clear onion soup, crisp green salad with miso dressing, freshly-​grilled oriental vegetables, grilled noodles, and fried rice. Several of us ordered sushi rolls and Gyoza dumplings as appetizers, and those were passed around and quickly devoured.
For our main course, we had our choice of any of the following, or combinations of the following: Sirloin steak, Filet Mignon, center-​cut NY Strip steak, chicken breasts, shrimp, Maine lobster, sea scallops, wild salmon, or wagyu beef. I opted for the Surf n’ Turf special of a Filet and shrimp. First up were the soups and salads while we waited for the grill to reach optimal temperature and our chef to arrive.
After cleaning and oiling the grill, our chef started by mixing up individual containers of the two different sauces which were set down in front of each of us – a seasoned mustard mayo sauce for seafood and veggies, and a brown sauce for meats. And then the fun started… the chef was busy grilling up the veggies and the rice while dazzling us with the clanging of his spatula, rapping of the pepper mill, and amazing knife skills. We’ve all heard the jokes before, but this guy was quite good, and we thoroughly enjoyed playing along as he spun the egg on the grill before flipping it up and balancing it on his spatula. A couple of quick Hai, Hai, Hai’s and the egg was cracked into the pile of rice, and mixed up.
He did the amazing Veg-​o-​Matic trick with his knife and diced the veggies before our eyes. Next came the volcano made of onion slices (Ooooooo, Ahhhhhhh!), before the chef started flipping pieces of cooked vegetables into our waiting mouths. Yes, I felt like a damned sea lion at Point Loma, CA waiting for my treat, but we were all laughing hysterically by this point. The chef sliced up all of the different proteins and started portioning everything out as he continued his masterful display of shifting things around on the grill while cracking jokes. Even though we’ve seen the trick hundreds of times before, we all cheered as he sliced the tail off the shrimp and flipped it up into his tall chef’s hat. Hai!
The meal wasn’t cheap, but it was a heck of a lot of fun, and the food was delicious. The entertainment value of our meal was priceless, and we gave our chef a standing ovation at the conclusion of his cooking repertoire.
Kobe is a great place for the entire family, and kids are very easily entertained by the whole thing. We saw another table celebrating a birthday for one of the young girls in their group. She was beaming from ear-​to-​ear as they dressed her in a chef’s hat and served her a birthday dessert accompanied by singing and banging on the ceremonial gong.