Enjoyed a night out with extended family at Kabuto's. The waiter as well as the chef were very efficient and the food was tasty. My grandsons really enjoyed the show as well as the food. We do not eat Japanese Steakhouse cuisine very often but enjoyed our time here. We made a reservation for 7 and was seated promptly. The amount of food was enough to enjoy at the restaurant as well as some brought food home . If you like a nice show with your food cooked in front of you I highly recommend Kabuto. read more

I was really craving hibachi today (April 2, 2025) after my workout, so I decided to order from Kabuto since hibachi is my favorite cuisine. I placed my order over the phone at 1:44 PM, specifically trying to get the lunch special before 2:00 PM since that's when I believed it ended. The person on the phone took my order, told me it would be ready in 10 minutes, and that was it--no mention of them closing soon. On my way there, traffic was crazy, and I got a call around 2:09 PM from the restaurant asking about my ETA. I was a little confused because I had no idea restaurants rush customers to pick up their food. Turns out, they were closing at 2:00 PM and reopening at 4:30 PM, which I was never told when I placed my order. Had I known that, I wouldn't have ordered at all because I wasn't about to rush there in the middle of heavy traffic. To make things worse, they kept blowing up my phone even after I explained I was stuck in traffic. Finally, a different person (maybe a manager) got on the phone and actually told me they were closed, which was the first time I was properly informed. By that point, I was already frustrated, so I just told them to keep the food because I wasn't going to make it in time. Overall, the lack of communication was the biggest issue here. If they had just told me when I placed the order that they were closing soon, I would have saved myself the trouble. The constant calls rushing me didn't help either. I can't say I'll be in a hurry to return after this experience. read more

Kabuto - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

While the server was fabulous; the food was lacking. Chicken, steak and shrimp were all tough. There were no mushrooms in the dishes and the shrimp sauce was very watery. All of us had intestinal issues after our meal as well. We enjoyed the experience but the food not so much. We all agreed (14) of us that we don't need to return. Sorry read more

Grill side experience went well. The food was prepared as ordered and with the flair you expect from this type of restaurant. Nice portions. Grill petson was friendly and accomodating. Wait time was poor. Our group had a 12 noon reservation, but did not get our food served until 1:00pm. read more

love this place . great food always good service ! we will definitely keep coming back . read more

Ate here for a relative's birthday. Very noisy atmosphere when crowded. Attentive service. Food was tasty. Again water in bottom of salad bowl, dressing mediocre. Noodles and rice plentiful and tasty. Hibachi food cooked well. We ordered hibachi steak,scallops and chicken. The chicken was a bit dry. Steak and scallops tender. Shrimp appetizer good. Menu prices on par . We felt the chef was in a rush and not overly talkative. Anyway all in all it was ok. Wished it was less noisy and not so rushed. We ate and left in less than an hour. And yes. some staff sang happy birthday and passed the birthday fellow a free dish of sherbet. read more

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No!!!! Awful where is the inspectors?!?!?! This place is disgusting the parking lot is over grown, I don't think the ac is working, the ponds are empty, no fish or water.. table is sticky.. small portions.. miss handling of the food... long wait due to under staffing.. save yourself the time and money.. go somewhere else.. anywhere else read more

Great small Japanese Hibachi steak house in an unassuming spot off the main road. Ordered the hibachi meals but at the tables in the bar area. The server and bartender were very welcoming, provided excellent assistance on Sake (hot then cold) and handled the food allergy like pros. Food was delicious, plentiful, and hot even when served in the bar. Would go back in a heartbeat - the servers were so accommodating. This is a small business delivering an excellent experience with great food to average folks. Loved it. read more

It was my daughter's 11th birthday dinner and we went here the waitress got my daughter's drink wrong and the cook was not even fun like the others were and there was fresh paint that got on my daughter's hand and when the cook said who's birthday is it and after he made the food they never came out with a celebration I mean if the cook says is it your birthday and you don't even get a celebration i mean come on y'all can do better because the people behind us got the celebration not us do better kaboutos!!! read more

I could easily cut and paste my former review from 3 years ago as that was apparently the last time I was here. Three years later - in my opinion nothing has changed besides the calendar date. Over priced food that wasn't as good as the competitor down the street. It was just not good. The hibachi chef didn't cook the food long enough. My rice wasn't flavorful or really cooked long enough. The table connected to our table had their chef cooking before our chef even arrived at our table to cook & our chef finished before their chef . He simply didn't cook our food long enough. It was like he was in a hurry. No show no extra anything. Just for the record, the room wasn't crowded and there wasn't a big dinner party waiting. As a matter of fact, we came at 4:30 in the afternoon so we could enjoy an early evening. It just simply wasn't good. Now I remember why I don't go here. Hopefully I won't make this mistake again. read more

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OMG! Terrible night of dining! Celebrating my granddaughter's birthday at the hibachi. Arrived a bit early for our reservation of five and sat waiting in the lobby area. All of a sudden over the partition from the hibachi area - laughter, and very loud noise from patrons! Gosh, I thought, I hope we are not seated near them! Guess what? We were seated right down in the same area! All though our dinner we were subjected to this constant noise, laughter, and carrying on! Unbelievable! We actually had ringing in our ears afterwards! No effort from the wait staff to rein in what in any other venue would have been a get up and walk out situation. And in hindsight I wish we had done just that. The food and show from the cook was fine otherwise. We were seated with another family, which was not handled appropriately. Kids should always be seated inside of adults, so adults are never next to kids. That was not handled appropriately either of course. When leaving the host fellow was told about the noise situation but seemed to not be interested in our negative situation. So, I concluded that as a representative of management that any complaint to his superior would be met with similar reaction. No tip was left of course. And no return will be in our future dinner plans. Kind of a shame, since the place seems nice. But no sense risking a similar noise event ruining your expensive night out. read more

I was disappointed with the soup salad and meal... The soup was so bland and the salad dressing was like soup. The scallop and shrimp were cooked to perfection. This can only be a lunch spot. It is too expensive for dinner and lackluster food. read more

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Kabuto has been my favorite place for hibachi since I moved to Charlotte 20 years ago. I hadn't been to this location in about 4 years until recently for a graduation celebration in the private room. The location is definitely showing its age both inside and outside. Our server was great and did an amazing job keeping a steady pace of service for our large group. The biggest difference I noticed was the chicken. They used to put a sauce on it as it was being grilled, now it is seasoned with some type of salt/pepper concoction that does not do the entree justice. As other reviewers have also mentioned, the salad was watery. I was happy to see I could still get the mustard sauce for my chicken. It looks like peanut butter and is so good! Overall, not the worst experience but not the best. read more

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Shocked this place has such low reviews considering how amazing my experience has been both times I've been here. The hibachi special comes with a main course, three sides, and a fountain drink, and not only do you get great tasting food no matter what you order, you get a TON of it. I don't know if anyone's expected to finish their plate here with the sheer quantity, but the quality of your meal means your leftovers will be good to take home and eat another day. The people working here are very nice, and the chef that cooks your food before your eyes puts on an amazing show. The interior decoration is also on point, and they even have a koi pond. I know Charlotte has a lot of great Japanese restaurants, but the fact such a great place as this is only 3 stars on Yelp is mind blowing. I've gone to a lot of hibachi restaurants in my life, and Kabuto is no doubt one of, if not, the best, from my experience at least. The only downside I can possibly imagine is that you can only get hibachi on Sundays through Wednesdays, but if you plan a trip correctly that won't even be an issue. read more

Valentine's Day Dinner Ambiance and Food! I made a red and was able to be sat immediately and the show began!! The food was delicious and we had a great family dinner! I highly recommend! read more

Kabuto - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I was in town visiting one of my best friends and we came to celebrate a birthday. From the beginning we let them know the entire party didn't eat shrimp, which was an appetizer, and we requested another option since we had to pay for it (it's part of the hibachi). They said there was no options that we just had to pay for it even if we could not consume it. We told them we would like a discount since we couldn't eat the shrimp and they said no. We asked if we could have edamame instead and they said no. We pointed out how much cheaper it would be to give us edamame and after pushing back they finally agreed. The server that was cooking our food was extremely loud and thought that being loud was equivalent of entertaining. It was not. The food was overly salty and not very flavorful. The supposed "filet mignon" that I paid for was extremely tough and did not have the best flavor or texture. The soup was just chicken broth and the edamame was cold and not salted at all. The only thing that I liked was the ginger dressing on the salad, that's usually not the best part of a meal at a good hibachi grill. Furthermore, my best friend and I ordered a drink, a virgin piña colada, that tasted like nothing but fizzy water. We were so disappointed. The cook also was extremely messy, there was food all over the place and they did not portion the food correctly so they had to cook additional chicken. Overall I realized that this is not a place I would either recommend or visit again. If you'd like to check them out yourself, go ahead and take the risk. I always say to give them a try yourself once and form your own opinion. However, I would not recommend them to my friends or family. read more

As someone who has been going here for most of my life they seem to rush you through the whole process now it's not nearly as authentic of an experience. However the food and portions are still good. Most of the chefs are fun and happy to be there. read more

TASTY. the chefs here were funny. The food was so good! Its so clean!! The food is def a 1000000/10 read more

If you've been to one hibachi restaurant then it sometimes feels like you've been to them all. This place checks a lot of the boxes you would expect. A lot of the parties here will be birthday parties so expect to hear a lot of singing from the employees as they beat on a Japanese drum. I myself was here for my girlfriends birthday, and the group we shared a grill/table with also was celebrating a birthday. Something about these places is just plain fun. To start they will offer you some miso soup along with a salad. I opted for the ginger dressing and did not regret it. From there you select your protein and prepare to feast. The chef we had put on a good show and the food was ready fairly quickly which is good because as much as I appreciate the theatrics of an onion volcano I was also craving the yum yum sauce. Overall this was a pleasant experience so if you are in the area and looking for a hibachi restaurant then this place should satisfy all of your cravings. read more

Took a party of eleven to celebrate daughter's birthday. Food, service, entertainment- all great!!

We've been many time and this last time we went with some friends at it was okay. This review will be overall. The ambiance is good, basic like a Japanese steakhouse. The service at the front is bad. The host staff ruin the experience at first - even when you are busy, the job of a host is to be the friendly front person. They are always rude and rushing you. If it's busy, expect there to be no sitting room to wait. The wait staff I've had each time seem to be OVERLY animated. They are always joking too much, almost as if it's full of failed comedians. It makes you roll your eyes as they're walking up. On top of that, they are not attentive. The chefs who cook in front of you are awesome! They are always the saving grace of this place. They are just the right amount of fun mixed with being an amazing cook! Now for the kicker... the main reason for the 2 star. Last time we were there, after the meal, after we paid, my wife picked up her glass and it combusted in her hand. Shattering everywhere, all over us and our friends. The waiter and another employee were standing there and did nothing. They even watched as it happened. They offered no help, even though my wife's hand was cut and we all had glass on us. Our takeout boxes were covered. When I mentioned it to him (halfway through cleaning it up OURSELVES) he just shrugged it off, as if it happens often. We will not return for that reason. read more

Took my daughter and some friends and our family there for her birthday in March and it was FANTASTIC. Everyone was so helpful, the food was fresh and delicious and they sang to my daughter and brought her a treat. We loved everything! I am a big germaphobe and was watching how the food was handled and was impressed. read more

It was delicious! Their food and service was amazing and the chef cooking at our table was funny.

I came here for the first time to celebrate a loved one's birthday. While they provided good customer service and entertainment, the food was subpar. read more

UPDATE 5/24 Just came back to our fav restaurant however under new circumstances. I was recently diagnosed with a weak heart and have to really stick to a low sodium diet. I researched low sodium Japanese ordering before coming and hoped Kabutos could/would accommodate. Well not only did they accommodate me but they asked me questions about my preference for cooking my order and when I went to taste a piece of my hubbies steak the cook said "be careful their is soy which equals sodium in that, just a taste". Thank you Kabutos for your amazing service and accommodation. Everything was delicious. PS - I ordered the Salmon w/ steamed rice, veggies and garlic noodles. I even got my two shrimp appetizer on my plate which was brought out from the back where they cooked it separately. Thanks again My family loves this place and so do I. It's always a good show and the food is delicious! My kids remember their first times here and it's always their pick for birthday dinners and special occasions. Their menu has some flexible options which allow you to get on the items you want. Love it read more

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Food is OK. Kind of bland. The price is good the employees were good. The chefs were fun moderately enjoyed it.

Food food food give me more food. I had to roll my son out of this place!! Huge portions of slightly above average hibachi. The chef's performance was lacking. Didn't do any crazy tricks or anything like that, but I expect that when I go to a place like this. All we had a great time. read more

We enjoyed our first visit. The food was just above average. The hibachi chef and server were very engaging and made for a great experience. Great service and chill ambiance. I would dine here again because of the service but I believe there's room for a more flavorful palate experience. My lobster and filet were cooked well, just felt like it could have been seasoned a little better. I definitely took my leftovers home and finished them the next day. The drink menu looked good. I had plum wine and sake. read more

We had takeout, ready when promised. Everything cooked perfectly, order was correct. The taste was great as it always is.

Hands down, the best restaurant for hibachi. My boyfriend and I just went here for the second time tonight, thinking nothing could top our previous experience, but we were wrong. Both chefs were great; they were both excellent cooks and very friendly. I would have to recommend "Oso" for the best hibachi experience; he will not fail to go above and beyond. You will not regret visiting here; the hibachi is the best around. read more

I love this it's so good the chef here was so funny the food was the BEST. 10/10 I RECOMMEND!

First time here and OH MY GOD. The food was amazing and the service was perfect. We didn't do the hibachi; we sat in. They specially made a crunchy crab roll (not on the menu) which made my knees buckle. We both ordered the filet mignon & lobster which both were cooked perfectly. I can go on but I won't. See for yourself read more

The quality of this place has really gone down I ordered a combination dinner to go from the University location and they forgot the shrimp appetizer and the soup. Glad I checked before leaving the parking lot, because it was a 15 minute drive back home. Was really disappointed because I used to enjoy coming here with my family for celebrations, and the quality was always really good. The filet mignon was tough, and the scallops did not taste like real scallops. Also hardly any vegetables, just a bunch of noodles. What a bummer. read more

Kabuto - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Went to celebrate my bday. The food would have been delicious but the server hurried us. My sister ordered a huge meal so she asked for a box to take half home for her husband, from the start. Evidently he decided we were all done and hurried us too! It was my birthday I had barely started eating my food, he hurried us by, bringing dessert out and wanting me to sing and dance and have fun????? I'm still trying to eat really? And kept the toddler that was with us from eating her dinner by bringing out dessert too soon! I could complain more one of the worst meals I've ever experienced there. I hate to hurried eating or anything to do with my family. Time is so precious, never guaranteed another,Kabuto stole mine. read more

Pretty fun restaurant to visit with lots of family. Little over-priced but everything is pricy nowadays. If you're craving that Americanized Asian food, this place will do it!! Yummy shrimp and scallops and garlic noodles read more

Kabuto - Hibachi Scallops - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Great food! The sushi was presented so well! And the food portions were amazing! The guy didn't do the famous onion volcano though even after we asked him to. But he did a really cool fire trick! Though it did make the little girl at our table cry so beware if you have small kids read more

Kabuto - Sushi! Edible flower! - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Dinner was wonderful:) Our cook, Kevin, was great :) He made our dinner experience entertaining and fun. Our waiter was prompt and friendly, making sure that we always had what we needed. Food was delicious and cooked just right. Thank you Ray for making our dining experience special :) read more

Kabuto was definitely a disappointment after having been to another Hibachi restaurant recently. Upon arriving, the hostess seemed very disorganized causing chaos among some guests. Once we were seated it took a long time for our waiter to arrive and over 30 minutes to get our drinks. The hibachi chef was entertaining but the vegetables were so undercooked and the rice so overcooked we didn't really enjoy that. I had the steak and shrimp, which was the best part of the meal. Overall service is definitely slow, food blah and knowing there are better hibachi spots not sure I would return. read more

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Came in hungry and got a good deal! They have a lunch special for less than $10. Cannot beat that at all. Got the shrimp with fried rice & noodles with sweet tea. Yum Yum sauce is everything. They were very generous with the sauce too. I poured it all over my food with a dash of ginger sauce. If I'm ever craving hibachi for the low, I'm definitely coming here. Next time I'll try their sushi rolls too! They have a great assortment to choose from. The shrimp tempura roll is usually my test roll to see if they have good sushi! read more

Kabuto - Lunch special menu! I've been craving hibachi! - Japanese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Little disappointed with the food today. Tho I don't want to blame the service as it was pretty busy. I came in tonight already seeing how busy it was, so I decided I'd just sit at the bar and get my order to go. It took a little longer than I had hoped to have my order taken but again they were quite busy. So I did not mind. I got my order taken. Paid before the food came out and patiently waited. Even ordered a drink as I waited. When my food came I paid for my drink and went on my way. Rushing home so my girl and I could eat and then rush over to our concert. When I arrived I handed her her food and got ready to open mine, only to find that they gave me the wrong order. Normally I wouldn't mind but the problem here is I ordered the hibachi filet with chicken and extra sides cause that's how much I enjoy the food, but when I opened it my meal had a whole bunch of shrimp, which my girl is very allergic to and can't be near.. I had to toss the meal outside to keep the smell away from her and eat some snacks before we left to go see a concert... Again. I'm sure it was a simple mistake but $50 down the trash because of it. read more