Philly's Best

First time visiting and everything was Amazing! Wonderful staff and delicious food 😋

I’ve been coming here for years, and have never been disappointed by the quality of my experience! Good service. Good food and portions - enough to take home afterwards and eat another meal. Good vibes overall and love that they sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY upon request. Perfect for any occasion, whether it’s with a small group of friends or a big family gathering :)

Food was prepared fresh, and tasted amazing. Our Chef, Steven, was talented and experienced. He had a great attitude and was great with the kids at our table. Everything was cooked to perfection. The restaurant was a bit run down (stained carpets, grills show wear and tear), and could use a remodel. Would happily recommend a good. A nice, cheaper alternative to Benihana's.

My husband and I went here for dinner last night and had a nice time. The chef was friendly and provided a good show/service. I got the New York steak and shrimp and everything was cooked just how I like it. Overall, nice experience and good for a date night too.

Such a wonderful experience to go here. Everything is cooked to order and you watch breathtakingly when the fire goes up in the air. Delicious food and healthy they also had Kendall Jackson chardonnay which I loved

Food is great, garlic butter on everything. I like the lunch prices better than the dinner and the portions are the same size. Fun hibachi place. They also have light up headbands for the kids

Great food, fun atmosphere and a fun experience. Drinks are strong and food is yummy!

Robyn Elizabeth

My husband and I went here for dinner last night and had a nice time. The chef was friendly and provided a good show/service. I got the New York steak and shrimp and everything was cooked just how I like it. Overall, nice experience and good for a date night too.

Deborah Waters

Such a wonderful experience to go here. Everything is cooked to order and you watch breathtakingly when the fire goes up in the air. Delicious food and healthy they also had Kendall Jackson chardonnay which I loved

gayane karayan

Great food, fun atmosphere and a fun experience. Drinks are strong and food is yummy!

Jessica

Food is great, garlic butter on everything. I like the lunch prices better than the dinner and the portions are the same size. Fun hibachi place. They also have light up headbands for the kids

The manager Kim was really sweet and accommodating to our large group. Kim we love you and we'll be back! ❤️ Our chef Ishmael was really fun and the food was great!

Best hibachi grill perfect for a bday or just a date. The drinks are generous I love to stop by every chance I get Free parking

Ethel Palacios

Best hibachi grill perfect for a bday or just a date. The drinks are generous I love to stop by every chance I get Free parking

Mariam R

The manager Kim was really sweet and accommodating to our large group. Kim we love you and we'll be back! ❤️ Our chef Ishmael was really fun and the food was great!

Good food. Nice show seeing it cooked in front of you. Very tasty/ healthy.Nice chefs, good servers. A little pricey but def worth it. 2 can share a meal. Good food. Good entertainment. Good experiences there. Worth the trip! Now that I think on it not too pricey for what one gets. Everything is fresh! We come when we need to have a good treat/ special ocassion!

Yamato was great. Out chef was amazing nice and funny. The place is big and clean the waitresses were ok they need to be a little more friendly

I don't know what was missing exactly, but rice was kind of tasteless/plain compared to other places. Veggies, meat and lobster were all good. Performance was okay, nothing crazy. The AC showed the temp around 79F, but expect it to be warmer next to the griddle. Comfortably, one table will hold 5 people. For 7 it will be tight. For a group of people they add 15% without notifying in advance, so just be prepared.

Great time had by all. I took my family and could other people. My 6 year old as well my Mother all eat and enjoy the hospitality from all staff members. The food was great prepared right in front of us. We had a birthday celebration with lights and song

It was an enjoyable lunch. The parking lot was a little congested but eventually found a spot. The soup and salad were good. I ordered chicken and shrimp and it was good. I wasn't a fan of their white sauce, it was very different compared to what I usually get. The service was decent, we were out of drinks during our meal, we received our refills with the check.

Really enjoyed our night here. My group was having a mini celebration for our 10 year high school reunion. It was so much fun. There were a couple issues with the table set up since we had a few last minute cancellations, so it took a while to seat us. It ended up being fine and gave us time to catch up. They're very generous with food servings, so we were pretty stuffed by the end. The cook/performer was excellent and very friendly. Much better than Benihana. There's tons of parking if you know to park on the lower levels.

Quick friendly service. The teriyaki is excellent. The sashimi is just below okay for my taste, I prefer thicker sliced and fatty cut. The oyster shooter is the da bomb. Will go back.

King “Bigg” West

Great time had by all. I took my family and could other people. My 6 year old as well my Mother all eat and enjoy the hospitality from all staff members. The food was great prepared right in front of us. We had a birthday celebration with lights and song

J L

It was an enjoyable lunch. The parking lot was a little congested but eventually found a spot. The soup and salad were good. I ordered chicken and shrimp and it was good. I wasn't a fan of their white sauce, it was very different compared to what I usually get. The service was decent, we were out of drinks during our meal, we received our refills with the check.

Sadie Meyers

Really enjoyed our night here. My group was having a mini celebration for our 10 year high school reunion. It was so much fun. There were a couple issues with the table set up since we had a few last minute cancellations, so it took a while to seat us. It ended up being fine and gave us time to catch up. They're very generous with food servings, so we were pretty stuffed by the end. The cook/performer was excellent and very friendly. Much better than Benihana. There's tons of parking if you know to park on the lower levels.

Will Antilles

Quick friendly service. The teriyaki is excellent. The sashimi is just below okay for my taste, I prefer thicker sliced and fatty cut. The oyster shooter is the da bomb. Will go back.

Lupita Alvarez

Yamato was great. Out chef was amazing nice and funny. The place is big and clean the waitresses were ok they need to be a little more friendly

We went to Yamato on a Saturday night as my son was asking for it. The prices definitely went up a lot! Cheapest was the chicken menu for $33.99 including soup & salad& steamed rice - (we got no shrimp appetizer I believe)- shrimp menu was $36.99 and combo steak + chicken was $39.99. Total for 3 with taxes and tip was about $150. Honestly expensive for what we got and the experience. The " show " is always the exact same, which I guess it's fine & normal - the place is loud and there is a lot of smoke (obviously) - not very classy, very low/middle class crowd. Service wasn't bad. The chef we got was Austin - nice guy, efficient, we were there about one hour. I wouldn't go often but perhaps once a year for a special occasion.

Caroline Fratacci

We went to Yamato on a Saturday night as my son was asking for it. The prices definitely went up a lot! Cheapest was the chicken menu for $33.99 including soup & salad& steamed rice - (we got no shrimp appetizer I believe)- shrimp menu was $36.99 and combo steak + chicken was $39.99. Total for 3 with taxes and tip was about $150. Honestly expensive for what we got and the experience. The " show " is always the exact same, which I guess it's fine & normal - the place is loud and there is a lot of smoke (obviously) - not very classy, very low/middle class crowd. Service wasn't bad. The chef we got was Austin - nice guy, efficient, we were there about one hour. I wouldn't go often but perhaps once a year for a special occasion.

the chef was 👌 he was great & the food was good. i got some sushi which was whatever, i’ve had better. also, one of them was a little warmer so it made me uncomfortable i didn’t finish them. the waitress was super rude unfortunately i didn’t get her name but i didn’t like that. we also went to the bar which she happened to be at as well, rude. & so was the person that charged us which was some guy. to sum it up, i won’t be back to dine in. it’s also really crowded & small spaced.

I made a reservation for 10 people a month in advance and had to wait almost an hour to be seated. I feel that if you have a party of that size and you know ahead of time, you make sure that they are seated within 15 minutes of the reservation. We are older women with different afflictions, and eating as late as we ended up eating really was not acceptable. The noise level was insane and we couldn't hear those we were sitting right next to.

The food was great, my only 2 complaints were the host answered like 4 phone calls back to back without even greeting us and acknowledging us. Secondarily the the waitress said "we don't give out ginger unless you order sushi" when we ordered 2 $50 dollar dinner options and drinks. For $140 dollars worth of food you can give me a small amount of ginger, jeeez! Customer service aside, I'd give it 5 stars, still worth a try if you ask me.

I recently celebrated my birthday at Yamato's, and while the food was absolutely delicious and our cook was amazing, the overall experience left a lot to be desired. The service could definitely use some improvement. Our host Ruben who took my reservation wasn't as warm or accommodating as I expected, which set the tone for the rest of the evening. Our waiter, was no different from Ruben... Angel, was professional but lacked the personal touch that makes dining out special. He seemed distant and avoided interacting with me, after asking to give us 5 mintues to figre out our order which was disappointing! I had made the reservation and was responsible for coordinating with my party, but it would’ve been great to feel like the staff was more engaged in making sure we had a comfortable experience. The two separate tables with different waiters could have been managed better, and it seemed like there was little coordination between the two. In the end, the food was great,thank you Chef Austin but the service didn't match the quality of the meal, which was unfortunate for a special occasion.

Chef was great and so was the food. On the other hand the waitress Tina got an attitude because there wasn’t a tip and said “unbelievable”. But The chef’s were great and were tipped separately. Our bill was $300+ for 4 people I think that was more than enough.

The service was terrible. I had to get up four times to find my waitress to ask for some thing. Sake and beer were great as usual. We tipped the chef separately he was great! The food was fresh and enjoyable, recommend the halibut it's amazing. All in all it was a good meal. We had a good time other than looking for a waitress constantly it was a joke. We left her $25 on $200 which I thought was generous. The chef saved the day. His preparation was fun and the food was good..

When u enter there is a weird smell that’s not from the food and i think its because of what they use to clean which is not pleasant. The three star is only for the food which was not great but not bad either, halibut was good. Sushi was good too. Although our server took enough time to say because the drink we got had refill the other person couldn’t share WHILE i was drinking it. Which i dont understand, A LOT of restaurants offer refill drinks and i’ve never ever had this experience. It’s MY table and i can share and eat whatever i want since I’M paying. So there’s that. Better places for service and food out there.

It's been a while since the last time I've been back to this restaurant. A lot has changed. Food is not as good as I remember. I go here for their Tepanyakki... I find it a little entertaining. But this time, the style of cooking is not as good. They messed up the order. The steak was not done correctly. The salmon doesn't taste fresh. So, overall... I won't be back here anymore.

Good food, fun atmosphere subpar service. Eugene our chef was very gracious, food delicious, our female server lacked & the man who appears to be the manager doesn’t give off the impression that he enjoys being of service to his patrons. This was my first time visiting this establishment, I hope to return for good food and better service.

WebWorks Agency

The service was terrible. I had to get up four times to find my waitress to ask for some thing. Sake and beer were great as usual. We tipped the chef separately he was great! The food was fresh and enjoyable, recommend the halibut it's amazing. All in all it was a good meal. We had a good time other than looking for a waitress constantly it was a joke. We left her $25 on $200 which I thought was generous. The chef saved the day. His preparation was fun and the food was good..

ghazale n

When u enter there is a weird smell that’s not from the food and i think its because of what they use to clean which is not pleasant. The three star is only for the food which was not great but not bad either, halibut was good. Sushi was good too. Although our server took enough time to say because the drink we got had refill the other person couldn’t share WHILE i was drinking it. Which i dont understand, A LOT of restaurants offer refill drinks and i’ve never ever had this experience. It’s MY table and i can share and eat whatever i want since I’M paying. So there’s that. Better places for service and food out there.

E T-Race

It's been a while since the last time I've been back to this restaurant. A lot has changed. Food is not as good as I remember. I go here for their Tepanyakki... I find it a little entertaining. But this time, the style of cooking is not as good. They messed up the order. The steak was not done correctly. The salmon doesn't taste fresh. So, overall... I won't be back here anymore.

Amanda Leigh Reichelderfer

Good food, fun atmosphere subpar service. Eugene our chef was very gracious, food delicious, our female server lacked & the man who appears to be the manager doesn’t give off the impression that he enjoys being of service to his patrons. This was my first time visiting this establishment, I hope to return for good food and better service.

This was my favorite restaurant in Santa Clarita but thier ususal excellence seems to be missing. The quality of certain foods have declined. I had my usual chicken entree and it was so dry I couldn't eat. My friend had the filet mignon and said it was so chewy it took minutes to be able to swallow. Even thier excellent fried rice seemed mediocre. Just to check if it was a fluke we went back for lunch a few weeks later and the same problems I asked to see the manager and instead if being even a little apologetic she started cutting our meat on the plate and said "see there's nothing wrong with the meat" we stared at each in amazement. Didn't offer to take some reduction on the check but just nonchalantly walked away. It's safe to say it's not my favorite restaurant anymore.

Speaking from a blue collar hardworking perspective this place is too expensive for the portions! 3 people in our party ordered Lobster and they actually split ONE fairly SMALL Lobster tail between those three orders! In fairness, I rarely like this type of place. Not big on veggies and they give you a ton of those!

Be advised, the overhead lights in the main dining room flicker on an off randomly, about every 5..60 seconds. This is quite annoying. According to my waiter, the management doesn't see this as a problem and/or doesn't feel like fixing it. The food is decent, although the sushi tends to be a bit stale. Still, it's pretty average value for the price. The wait-staff are polite and friendly, but seem overworked.

Everybody was very nice, but there were fruit flies everywhere. I saw them fly onto my sushi, which made me lose my appetite. I tried the Salmon Roe, which tasted unusual. I've had this many times at a bunch of sushi restaurants, but something was just not right about it. I also saw a cockroach scurry across the wall and smelt unpleasant smells throughout the dinner. The workers were very nice and helpful, but I'm not sure I'd order sushi from here.

Decided to give them another try after several years after a bad experience but this time service was much better but unfortunately a few things were the issue this time around. The tables and chairs need a good wipe down. Everything was super sticky and just a bit worn. Prices are crazy high too since we went for Father’s Day lunch but they only served the dinner menu which meant dinner prices too. Basically $50 each + the up charge for fried rice so another $6! Food was average I ordered the rib eye and halibut. Rib eye was over cooked even though I ordered medium rare and halibut was super dry.

Katherine Pacpaco

Decided to give them another try after several years after a bad experience but this time service was much better but unfortunately a few things were the issue this time around. The tables and chairs need a good wipe down. Everything was super sticky and just a bit worn. Prices are crazy high too since we went for Father’s Day lunch but they only served the dinner menu which meant dinner prices too. Basically $50 each + the up charge for fried rice so another $6! Food was average I ordered the rib eye and halibut. Rib eye was over cooked even though I ordered medium rare and halibut was super dry.

Sara Sherman

I had a really disappointing (and honestly unsafe) experience at Yamato in Encino. I am severely allergic to shellfish, and I made that very clear when ordering. I specifically asked for no seafood at all. I even mentioned it more than once to avoid any issues. Despite that, when my plate came out, it was covered in shrimp. That’s not a small mistake — that’s a serious allergy risk. At that point, I didn’t even feel comfortable eating. The replacement food I did receive was burnt and poorly prepared, and to make it worse, my alcoholic drink tasted awful, like it was made incorrectly or with old ingredients. On top of everything, the seating was terrible. We were placed next to a very loud, unpleasant group, which completely ruined the atmosphere and made the whole experience even more uncomfortable. Between the allergy negligence, bad food, bad drinks, and poor seating, this was not a place I’d return to — especially for anyone with food allergies. Safety and quality were both seriously lacking.

Looked at menu online; but actual prices there were totally different. REstaurant is run-down. Everything we ordered was mediocre -- from miso soup--too dense, salad cheapest lettuce, to substandard meat (not to mention not cooked a requested), and quality and paucity of vegetables in overpriced supplement for vegetable fried rice; mushrooms were good. Had not been here for years, will never return again. And for the poor quality, way overpriced. Around $50 a person, without alcool or dessert.

Absolute worst experience. Waited 90 minutes after being told 30 min wait tops. Ordered our "usual" shrimp and steak. Fried rice was super salty, as the chef was more interested in what his neighbor chef was doing. Over salted everything. Drinks are pricey, and they under pour the alcohol. Sauces were extremely watered down, and had zero flavor. Bummer that this restaurant was always a favorite to go too, after tonight's meal we won't be back. Silly thing is my parents stopped coming here years ago, when the place started to go down hill. We should have listened to them, as this is no Benihana. First sign of a bad restaurant is when the chef has dirty nails, and keeps touching his face while preparing your food. Stay away. I really want to call the health department as I am sure they would not pass the state regulations.

****BE AWARE**** This restaurant sucks!!! Go to Benihana instead I called restaurant today spoke with Kimberly(owner) she was very rude I'll never eat here again. They sneak in items on bill and they also changed my signed receipt total. Double check bill and keep receipt because they might change total on your credit card payment.

If I could give less stars I would. I've been coming here for over 10 years and this place has gone downhill! I just had a late lunch here today and both my boyfriend and myself have food poisoning it feels like. We ate at the tepan grill and the carrots were sour! They were bad and they served them anyway. We're both in and out of the bathroom and barely made it home! The cook didn't cook the food right and my steak, which should have been MEDIUM RARE was cooked into beef jerky! The shrimp was cooked so long and was done 10 minutes before the rest of the meal that it was like rubber and dry and cold. This was the WORST experience! I drove up from south of Irvine in OC to this place that used to be great but now it's not. The carrots are absolutely rancid and the men's bathroom had what looked like sewer water all over the floor. This place is so overpriced and clearly neglected. They couldn't even be bothered to proofread the menu when they had it printed to reflect their seriously inflated prices. Unless of course there really is something called "chichen" that they serve. The top combo is apparently "chichen." I'll never spend my money here again. I'll definitely call the health department though.

Dear [Restaurant Name], I hope this message finds you well. I feel compelled to share my recent experience at your establishment, as it was quite disheartening. Firstly, I must express my disappointment with the customer service provided by your manager, Kimberly. As someone who manages over eight offices, I have never encountered a manager who was as inconsiderate and unprofessional. A key responsibility of a manager is to resolve issues and provide constructive solutions, rather than offering a free appetizer as a response to a significant problem. Let me explain what happened: This past Friday night, my husband took our two young children to your restaurant, looking forward to the pre-show that your chefs typically present. Unfortunately, when my husband noticed that the chef was absent, he took the children—both under the age of three and a half—to the bathroom. This process took approximately ten minutes. Upon returning to the table, he discovered that the chef had already prepared 90% of the meat without any prior performance. When my husband inquired if there would be a show, the chef did not respond. Being naturally shy, my husband did not press the issue further. Meanwhile, our children were upset, leading him to take most of the food home. The next day, when my husband shared this experience with me, I was livid. Not only did we spend a considerable amount of money, but our children were left disappointed by the lack of service. I hope you take this feedback seriously and consider the impact that such experiences can have on your customers.

Very disappointed they charge extra with out telling you , they force you to leave tip. The menu don't say anything about tip , the receive say tip not include in the check they cross the words and write in the check with pen. Is not my first time and never do that to me . But they are very disrespectful . They wrote the tip in the bil for me charging me $62.64 more than the 15 % Really really sucks

J A

****BE AWARE**** This restaurant sucks!!! Go to Benihana instead I called restaurant today spoke with Kimberly(owner) she was very rude I'll never eat here again. They sneak in items on bill and they also changed my signed receipt total. Double check bill and keep receipt because they might change total on your credit card payment.

Honestly the worst hibachi I’ve ever had, the service was horrible and the older front desk lady was extremely rude. Will never be back I can see why the reviews aren’t the best. And automatic 15% tip for 2 people, when the service was the worst

This place sucks. Dirty, tacky/ugly, and the sushi is terrible. It’s cheap for a reason. Anything with mayonnaise is just absolutely gross. I’m not picky but that stuff made me extraordinarily nauseous.

I just left this restaurant and I have to say, after coming for years tonight is the night I say never again. Waiter Yosep had an attitude and after him the rest of the waitresses! I had to get up to ask for a refill, for plastic spoons for my kids. No once did a waiter or Yosep approach our table to see if we needed anything or to pick up what we had used. I asked for 2 apple juices for my kids with no ice, the cups were not filled all the way when I asked he said "is because you said no ice" Yet I had to pay full price... Worst experience I've ever had at yamatos in Encino. I'm sticking to Yamatos in Stevenson Ranch since the atmosphere and the waiters are a lot more professional. YOSEP, do better... that attitude of yours is just going to lead other costumers to stop coming just like me. Also, as I was getting ready to pay.. the older waitress stood right next to the girl in the front while charging me and said "oh no tip".. My total was $130 for 2 adults, 2 kids .. no alcohol beverages.. I think that's more than enough despite the fact we had a horrible experience. Please know that when you leave a tip on the bill by paying with a card, the cooks don't get it... it goes to the waitresses...

Araceli Martinez

I just left this restaurant and I have to say, after coming for years tonight is the night I say never again. Waiter Yosep had an attitude and after him the rest of the waitresses! I had to get up to ask for a refill, for plastic spoons for my kids. No once did a waiter or Yosep approach our table to see if we needed anything or to pick up what we had used. I asked for 2 apple juices for my kids with no ice, the cups were not filled all the way when I asked he said "is because you said no ice" Yet I had to pay full price... Worst experience I've ever had at yamatos in Encino. I'm sticking to Yamatos in Stevenson Ranch since the atmosphere and the waiters are a lot more professional. YOSEP, do better... that attitude of yours is just going to lead other costumers to stop coming just like me. Also, as I was getting ready to pay.. the older waitress stood right next to the girl in the front while charging me and said "oh no tip".. My total was $130 for 2 adults, 2 kids .. no alcohol beverages.. I think that's more than enough despite the fact we had a horrible experience. Please know that when you leave a tip on the bill by paying with a card, the cooks don't get it... it goes to the waitresses...