by far the worst experince at a restaurant I've had. It was my friend's birthday, and she wanted to go there. The waitress was RUDE, wasn't very nice to her, she asked for a drink and she gave her the wrong drink. she didnt even drink it and asked for another and the waitress called the manager over and said she was drinking too much that she can't have another one. THEN they tried to ID her other friend that was 29 years old, but didn't ID a 19-year-old girl and gave her saki...... Then were so interested in splitting the checks up she wouldn't even give her a dessert for her birthday, but gave the person on the other hibachi table ice cream for his birthday, and sang to him... DO NOT recommend this restaurant at all. She should be fired for being rude to her customers. read more

I've been to Iron Chef before for sushi multiple times and enjoyed their selection of fish and quality of service.On Sunday 14th April I went for hibachi with my 10 year old niece and a friend and had the worst experience ever. We decided to sit in the hibachi section, we are a party of 4 people and we decided to split 2 hibachi dishes among the 4 of us and we also got 3 full sushi dinners and a extra appetizers and salads which we thought was fair and filling for 3 adults and 1 kid. The waiter we got was the worst, his attitude was like he was doing us a favor serving sushi on the hibachi table and was more interested on when he can take our plates away,so we sort of had to finish the sushi quickly. The hibachi wait was about 45 minutes and it was very awkward because all the 3 adults had their dishes but the little kid was craving more after her appetizers and they wouldn't start the hibachi. We were waiting for about 45 minutes at this point Finally the hibachi started and the i'm not too sure if the chef was new or didn't know any english because he never spoke a word the whole time and it was like he was cooking in an empty room. My little niece was getting bored every second. Finally when we were done, they rushed to give the bill even though the place was empty. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!! Quality of Food (SUSHI) - Good Quality of Food (HIBACHI) - Below average and their side sauces were bad. Service - WORST, I've never got such bad sevice from any place. I was even more disappointed because I've been their before and enjoyed dining with them. It is going to take me a few months to get over this experience read more

We frequent Iron Chef about twice a month and always have an excellent hibachi meal. Our service is always friendly and the owner is hands on , always checking to see how our meal and service is. We recently met 2 other couples for a night out and chose Iron Chef - everyone commented that their food was delicious and that they would return. I highly recommend Iron Chef to others looking for a quality dining experience. read more

Iron Chef - Our hibachi table - Japanese Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

Great service and great food! Thank you for accommodating our family! Hibachi server and chef were fun and pleasant!!

We are here, waiting and waiting. Reservation was made for 6 p.m. for 7 ppl for Hibachi. Apparently that doesn't matter. I think we waited for 30 min. Not really good with a hungry 6 year old. Food was good. Took a while for the chef to come to the table though. We were wondering if they just forgot about us. read more

Wish I could give a better review but neither the food nor the service was too great. We both ordered hibachi in the regular dining room. I ordered the chicken and shrimp and my wife got the chicken only. Food came out quick but her chicken was cold. My chicken was lukewarm and was very chewy. The big problem became that the waitress seemed to disappear and wasn't too happy with the fact that we complained. read more

Takeout: Last night my wife and I ordered take out from Iron Chef in Wallingford. We have eaten in before, for Hibachi, and its been great, service could be a little better but the food is great. They even have a Chef that does magic tricks for you... give a dollor he will make it a $100 bill. Anyway, as far as the food, as usual it was great. as far as taking it out... well make sure you check your order before leaving. I would have given them 5 stars but the order was missing two orders of rice. I didnt give them less then 4 stars because when I went back in to get what was missing it was ready to go on the counter so they new they screwed up and fixed it. Tonight the food for some reason was extra good, like better then it normally is. So yes we would take out again! read more

I have been here multiple times and the hibachi is great. However, the service is terrible. We always like to go for birthdays and it's usually with a group of over 15 people. There's a male waiter in particular who is so incredibly rude. He has rushed us to order and even lied to us about the credit card machine being broken so that we couldn't do separate checks. We felt so uncomfortable by his behavior that we almost left. The hibachi cooks turned it around and we were able to enjoy our time and meal. Going forward our business will be taken to Sakimura in Meriden. read more

Don't get me wrong, the food is great and the chefs really make for a great time. But the service sucks so bad I will never go back. The waitstaff literally rushes you out from the second you sit down. Guard your plates cause they will be removed even if you are still eating. The male waiter in particular is the reason I will never dine here again. He is a prick, and I'm sure has lost more business than just mine. Saki Mura is up the road, do yourself the favor. read more

The sushi is mediocre service sucks ass like major ass. I would rather eat a bag of dicks than eat here again and just because of the service. read more

Absolutely wonderful have been coming here for three years ever sceince my aunts habachi birthday amazing delicious food who ever is behind that sushi bar must be a genius read more

My friend and I came here for dinner a few months ago, and while it may not be the best hibachi I've ever had (where were my noodles?!), it was pretty great. We got the shrimp and the steak, and both were delicious. The staff was fun and friendly, and our cook was entertaining (we went for the Hibachi tables, not the regular seating side). The rice, however, which is usually my favorite part, left something to be desired. I don't live in CT, so odds are, I won't be back anytime soon. read more

WOW I can't believe Iron Chef has so many bad reviews, my husband and I LOVE this place!! We had our first date here and now that we're old married folk with kids we order take-out regularly. The food is awesome!! Don't let the poor reviews scare you away! read more

I'll give it 2 stars because the sushi is normally good. But be prepared to wait for your order. When you call ahead and they tell you 20 minutes, don't trust it. I've experienced several time where I show up 30 minutes later and the sushi still isn't ready. I've waited up to an hour on days where there's barely anyone in the restaurant! It's not reliable timing. And they don't do anything but keep telling you it's almost ready. read more

Completely average!! I have been to alot of hibachis in CT and this one set the bar at a new low. When you spend 20 dollars on chicken and vegetables it better be amazing! Everything here was average not worth the money! read more

Iron Chef is usually the one place I'd recommend for great sushi and hibachi if anyone I know happened to be in Wallingford or the surrounding area. Unfortunately, the last few experiences I've had there were surprisingly disappointing. First, the good. The restaurant is spotless. A dirty restaurant isn't always total buzzkill for me, so it's really great to see that Iron Chef is immaculate. Secondly, the food quality, with the exception of my most recent experience, is top notch. The sushi is fresh and delicious, while the Hibachi selections are always a great choice. Unfortunately, the service kills it for me here. Rude, cold, and always pushing customers out the door as quickly as possible, the waitresses and their head waiter (who's normally spotted watching TV in the bar when he isn't pulling dishes away from you before you finished eating) always seem to be looking for a quick rotation of tables, even on a slow night. It's safe to say that any good meal is going to be ruined when the waitstaff watch a table like hawks, rushing over to clear dishes as soon as someone puts a fork down. I've had my drink pulled from the table before I finished it (If a beer costs $5, let me finish it), and I've had the waitresses scowl at me when I told them that I'm still eating my dinner and don't need it wrapped. I gave up on this place the last time I was there because a waitress asked "Are you done?" not 10 minutes after I received my dinner. Apparently the waitstaff don't want to have customers in their dining room. To top it off, I became violently ill from my dinner 20 minutes after leaving the restaurant. The one place where Iron Chef deserves credit is in their hibachi setup. It's a beautiful section of the restaurant, comfortable and inviting, and the hibachi chef my friends and I have had recently was top-notch. He joked around with everyone at the table, performed great tricks while cooking a delicious dinner, and was head and shoulders above the waitstaff by just being nice to the customers. It's a shame the waitstaff weren't on his level. As it stands, until the manager does something about customer service, you'd be better off going to Saki-Mura or another restaurant in North Haven or New Haven. read more

I've been going to Iron Chef for going on at least 8 years. The food is good, even with the menu changes, etc. The service has always been quick, but never friendly per se. No worries. I can deal with it if they aren't rude, and they're quick. However, why I'm reviewing with 2 stars is due to an experience this New Years. I made reservations for Hibachi (which I've never actually sat down for at Iron Chef) at 8. I came in the door and the hostess greeted me and when I said I had reservations, she interrupted me and told me to hold on. She was taking phone orders and ringing people out. Normally when I go to Iron Chef there are like 15 waiters, this time I saw about 5. The hostess ignored me for 15 minutes while taking about 5 takeout orders. Finally I went up to her and she said oh! Your table right. I'll go check. Ten minutes later she finally comes back, ignores me again and walks to her post. By this time the lobby was filling up including a party of 13 with reservations for 8pm also. Finally, she comes back, after ringing some tables out, and seats us. We saw a waitress once and waited an hour for the hibachi chef to arrive. By this time we had been waiting for an hour and a half in total, normally I would have ordered, eaten, paid and left within an hour. I kept picturing Gordon Ramsey's face from Kitchen Nightmares while I waited. Finally our soup and salads came. I looked around at that point and realized that there were only two hibachi chefs on New Years Eve for 8 hibachi tables. No wonder it was taking forever! I expected a good show, but the poor guy was so tired, he hardly said anything, dropped his spatulas while trying to do tricks, dropped the eggs while trying to do tricks, and when he squirted sake he ended up squirting it all over people rather than just in their mouths, me included. Almost everyone at our table ordered filet mignon and they ran out before our orders were put in. We all asked for our steaks medium rare, the poor guy cooked them medium. While the food was decent, I will never go back for hibachi. I was planning on having my stepdaughter's 16th birthday there, but we will go somewhere else. They really should have had many more people on staff that night, and should have comped drinks or something for all of the customers waiting. For three of us, the bill came to $120. My brother in law had two beers and sake, and my husband and I just had cokes. With food, drinks and tip, that's $40 a person! Not worth it. I'm not trying to be mean, but I worked in Food service for many years, and service like this would have been unacceptable. Iron Chef needs to think about their service standards because their poor service and prices will inevitably cause them to shut down. This is coming from a loyal Iron Chef customer who is now thinking of attempting to go back to sakamura even though I don't like them as much. It's too bad. Update today's January 14th-ordered takeout. We waited two hours for our takeout on a Sunday night. We placed our order and came to pick it up 45 minutes later. I had been waiting in the car for like 20 mins and my husband finally came out and said, "its still not ready and they're giving me the runaround along with everyone else here and they won't give me my money back." I got out of the car and went inside. Waited another ten minutes and asked how long it would be and was told it's coming right out. I waited another ten minutes and told the waitress I wanted my money back and was going to leave. Why they charge you before you get the food is beyond me. That's not how it should work. So I went back and forth with the waitresses who said it was busy it was raining etv. I told them I was sorry for them, but I didn't care . I asked for it back immediately. They refunded 20% and said the manager was bringing our food right out. Five minutes later a man scuttled out gave my husband the food and ran off. I asked if that was the manager and they said yes. Really? No apologies and he couldn't even look at us. I will never go back there again after 8 years of going to the restaurant and the last 6-7 times of crappy service, they have lost our business. Get it together, Iron Chef! read more

Complete trash. Very mediocre food. But the prices are completely outrageous. Only come here if you a re literally made of money.

Great affordable sushi that is convenient for me whether I'm at work or home. I haven't had hibachi, but the place has a good atmosphere and looks clean and inviting. Will definitely keep coming here. read more

Strong drinks! Excellent service and great food!!!i got the drunken noodles which were outstanding. My sister got sushi and it was delicious! read more

We have been here many time and things have been good. But i mist confess that today was terrible. Service was non existent. Our salad was never delivered and our soup was delivered to the wrong table. And the evening seemed to last forever. Wont be back. read more

My sushi lunch was simply outstanding. I definitely want to get back to Wallingford again to return to Iron Chef.

Perfectly prepared sushi rolls with great flavor for the price. Service could not have been better. Thank you! read more

Iron Chef - Japanese Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

I would give 0 stars if possible! Went there for sushi last night.. used to have a great rep so we figured why not. We waited FIFTY MINUTES to get our sushi...... my boyfriend got a sushi star which are good sized pieces of fish and last night they were tiny!!! The waitress seemed to avoid us the whole night and we heard multiple people say they were hungry and wondering where their food was. On our way out, at 9pm, there was a woman standing there complaining of waiting since 7:45.. incredibly bad service. will never go back. read more

Love the sushi at Iron Chef. As a kid, I had a Japanese step mother, so I've been eating sushi since I was about 7 and have tried it all over. When my now husband, brought me here 5 years ago, claiming it was the best sushi, I had to see for myself. It was so very delicious. I was really impressed. I believe the fish comes in on Tuesday or Wednesday, so that's the best day to go bc it's that much more fresh. Atmosphere is your typical Japanese restaurant and the service is pretty good. Definitely a place you want to try out. read more

I used to eat at Iron Chef regularly. Altogether, I probably dined at this restaurant 30-40 times. I exclusively went there for sushi and it was the better of the two sushi restaurants in town. The service was always spotty as some of the waitresses could be less than friendly, but the sushi was generally good and reasonably priced so I would return. I enjoy traditional raw Sushi and Sashimi and don't dine at Sushi restaurants for tempoura, cooked rolls, or Americanized offerings. Unfortunately, about six months ago they took a turn for the worst. They got new sushi chefs and new waitresses. It all seemed to happen at the same time. Slowly, the quality of the sushi went downhill. It wasn't as fresh and the variety wasn't as good as in the past. The last straw was one of those horror story nights. I ordered Sashimi deluxe and the chef presented me with sliced Sashimi all in a row on a plain plate with zero decoration, just fish on a plate. The wait staff was MIA. No one came to ask "is everything okay?" or to ask if I would like more water or wine. I now go to Tokyo Sushi II 3 miles down the road in North Haven where everything is consistently first-rate and I don't have to wonder whether I will be served proper Sushi. read more

We are here on a Sunday around 2pm, it is very quiet and we are one of only two tables. I've ordered out from Iron Chef before and it's been good. Today's lunch was okay. I had the Iron Chef role which was decent. My sister ordered the Super Volcano role and asked the waitress for regular cooked shrimp instead of Tempura Shrimp which she said was not possible. You would think with all the different diets and allergies today, that would be a simple request but it wasn't. Our waitress was visibly annoyed with our request and very pushy. My mother ordered a Salmon Skin Handroll that was too oily to eat. A different girl had come over to clear our table and we mentioned this to her and she asked the manager take the Handroll off the bill which they did do. We weren't looking for anything to be done but appreciated the effort. So overall, sushi is okay but the service is just not good. As a customer I felt the staff was talking about us and kept peering over at us from behind the sushi bar. Probably won't be back which is unfortunate. read more

I've gotten take out from here before, but this was my first time eating in on Wednesday. The food is always pretty good- I usually get a sushi roll or two or the drunken noodle. If I was rating based on food alone would be more of a 3.5 stars. Unfortunately, the customer service we received however was abominable! Our waitress was rude throughout the service. She sat us at the table and immediately asked what we wanted to eat, we asked for a few minutes to look at our menu and she legit "humfd" us and rolled her eyes and walked away. Once our food arrived she only came back approximately 10 min later to deliver the check, and immediately began clearing the table. We asked for a water refill but never got one. We felt like it was an inconvenience for us to be there to her- but it was only about 6pm and there weren't too many people there w plenty of open seating- so we weren't holding up a wait or anything! Unfortunately I won't be coming here again- even for takeout bc the service was awful! read more

I have been a long time customer to this restaurant that is so good it has ruined my experiences at all other Japanese restaurants in this area! Sit at the sushi bar and tell the chef to be creative and surprise you, you will not be sorry! They also have a wonderful menu of beef, pork and chicken dishes made with the freshest ingredients! Hibachi shows are also a fun time read more

First and foremost, go to Iron Chef for the hibachi experience....if I was rating only that, I'd give it 5 stars. Very, very fun and perfect for a large group. Our chef was named Chen and he was a very skilled showman! The little huts that they group the hibachi tables in are comfortable and feel private/special. The downsides: it is expensive for what it is and they cook with tooooons of butter. That being said, the fried rice and grilled vegetables were both outstanding and the service was good. read more

I've been here a few times but tonight was the best experience. I got to sit right in front of the sushi bar while my dad ordered sushi and I got hibachi chicken. There is this sauce called yum yum sauce and at first they didn't know what it was but apparently up here they call it seafood sauce (it tastes so good with rice and chicken). While sitting in front of the sushi, the prepper gave my dad a plate of octopus and mackerel for free! He really enjoyed that. The wait staff is very good despite the language barrier read more

This place has the best sushi I've ever had - anywhere! I've tried tons of sushi places statewide, and this place by far takes the cake! It's always fresh, beautiful, and delicious. The service is always good, too - and the restaurant itself is beautiful. read more

I visit often for the Sushi Lunch specials and am never disappointed. The Sushi Star and the Sushi & Sashimi Lunch provide alot of food for a great price and the sushi is always super fresh! read more

Great service and sushi rolls, we had the Hawaiian and spicy girl rolls. Have homemade sauce for the crab rangoons.

Went here for a friend of mines birthday. We had a reservation for 6pm. We were not seated till about 6:30-6:40, once we sat down our drink orders and everything were taken. Then about twenty minutes later our food orders were taken. 7:30 rolls around we haven't even had our food cooked for us yet. One of my friends went and had to complain to the managers because we had been sitting waiting for our food for so long. By the time we finished with everything it was about 8:45. Clearly they were short staffed because there were only two hibachi chefs for the 6 hibachi tables there are at this place. If they hasn't taken so long with cooking the food this place would have a much higher rating. Overall the taste of the food was good and the hibachi "show" was decent! But I would recommend this place hires more people! read more

I've been a fan of Iron Chef for years now, having dined in and taken out their food dozens of times. I agree with other reviewers that the quality has declined somewhat recently. One recent sushi lunch take out had a very fishy smell and I simply couldn't eat it (raw fish should not smell fishy!). However, I've been there numerous times since and didn't have the problem again. I'll chalk it up to a bad day. Iron Chef has a good variety of sushi rolls to choose from and some of their specialty rolls are very good. I particularly like the Pink Ocean roll. Again, I do agree with other reviewers that the prices are on the high side. I haven't experienced the hibachi there. Other reviewers have reported that Sakimura (another Japanese restaurant up the road) is superior and you should overlook Iron Chef altogether. I'm not sure that's entirely fair. I agree Sakimura has the edge but that shouldn't stop you from trying Iron Chef at some point. read more

I haven't had any horrible experiences at this place, but the service could be better. I've gone here twice and both times my friends and I felt rushed. It was to the point where the waitstaff were hovering over us with impatient body language and strange staring. Finally one had the nerve to say "Thank you have a good night, come again." Really? The food is salty, but pretty good. If I am paying that much for dinner, I should be allowed to relax and finish my overpriced cocktail! read more

One of the best finds in Wallingford. Service is great, the place is cool, and they have the best Sushi and Japanese food around including New Haven. Keep up the great job! read more

Haven't been to this place in a while and I really wish I didn't waste my time. They messed up my order and were rude on the phone. I'm sticking to Tokyo II in North Have from now on. read more

Came to this place today to enjoy hibachi with the family. Once the food was done and serve one of our plates had a hair wrapped up into the shrimp, when we mentioned it to the manager she was quick to point fingers and say that it was ours. We all had our hair up and mind you it was wrapped into the shrimp and you can tell it was cooked as well. She was very unprofessional and also said that this is the 3rd time this has happened to her previously in the past. We explained to her that it's a health problem because the food was cooked all together and it was contaminated with hair. Is sad because it used to be our favorite place but now knowing they didn't even solve the issue and just blamed us was very unprofessional and her arguing in front of customers, show how much they care about there customers. Bill was over $100 and we didn't even touch the food, waste of food and horrible service. read more