Today, my sisters and I visited Mon Cafe Japan in Sumter, South Carolina (Me from California, and my siblings from Georgia). Our hotel was across the street from the restaurant so we decided on takeout. We had an outstanding experience thanks to AJ and Sydney. From the moment we arrived, they were incredibly friendly, patient, and welcoming. They took the time to answer all of our questions without ever making us feel like we were a bother. Their positive attitudes, professionalism, and genuine smiles made our visit even more enjoyable. Great customer service like theirs is hard to find these days. My sisters and I were so impressed that we asked to speak with their manager just to make sure they received the recognition they deserved. AJ and Sydney are true examples of excellent customer service and represent Mon Cafe Japan exceptionally well. Thank you, ladies, for making our visit such a pleasant one. Keep doing what you do with that beautiful smile--it truly makes a difference! We will definitely be back. read more

Ordered the Sea bass and it was absolutely disgusting! I've had and seen better. It was flavorless and undercooked. I've had conflict with the manager Maria's attitude in the past, but the food being horrible on top of bad customer service is disappointing read more

One of my favorite restaurants when I come visit my son and daughter-in-law. The owner is one of the nicest ladies I've ever met, and even though we only see every once in a while, she always remembers who we are. The food absolutely delicious. I love the orange chicken with the noodles and the sushi is really good and don't ever forget to try the cheesecake bites. Amazing. The food is always hot and fresh and the portions are really good. You may have to wait a few minutes for your food but you better believe it's going to be hot fresh and delicious. read more

Decent food but definitely nothing to get excited about. We had the steak bowl with white rice. Steak was a little tough. Rice was fine. Certainly not worth $20. Also, they charged my card twice, so I had to dispute it with my credit card company. I wouldn't choose to go back, but if I were in a group that wanted to go (or if it were late and options were limited), I might. read more

Food is always great! They have vegetarian & GF options and GF soy sauce/tamari available.

Food is mediocre and the fact they're charging inflated rates of tax AND a inflation charge? LOL get out of here. Crazy how entitled places are. read more

I tried this place for the first time today. I was surprised to see that it's a fast food restaurant. I ordered anyway... teriyaki chicken and spring rolls. The chicken tasted like it was microwaved. The rice was mixed with some type of sauce that did not taste good to me. The server recommended the white sauce. It's mayo. They put mayo on teriyaki chicken! I'm not going back. I'll continue my search for real Japanese food. read more

Food was absolutely delicious and the staff was very nice!!! Good prices too. Will definitely be back! read more

Mon Cafe Japan - a variety of food items - Japanese Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

Tried this location again. It was very clean and the food was great. I tried the filet and chicken and it was delicious. Spicy Tuna Sushi was good too. Service was quick even though they had lots of to go orders. read more

Mon Cafe should change their name to YUM CAFE! It is, BY FAR, the BEST "quickie" Japanese food that Sumter has to offer. Fairly priced, extremely clean, exemplary customer service, smart & knowledgeable staff, quick preparation, and safe food handling have always given Mon Cafe the upper hand. We've loved this place since they opened and when we go, we are called by name! If we leave something off our order, they will ask if we wanted the _________ (fill in the blank) like we normally order. Despite the plethora of vendors offering less product for more $$ on almost ANYTHING you buy these days (food, tangible items, AND non-tangible items and/or service), their portions are the same as they have always been. All-in-all...it is well-worth the price for the amount one gets. BTW...I don't think they give us larger portions because we're somewhat "regulars" (although, we don't go as often as we used to), as the portion size & quality has consistently remained the same as they have always been...even before they knew us by name! I give them AND ! I hope the owners & management see this review! Bon a petit fellow grub-hounds! read more

Mon Cafe Japan - Filet Mignon & Shrimp w/ no Zucchini & Onions and extra Fried Rice. Filet is cooked Medium Rare in Teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

I came here a few years ago with my friend during lunch and it was divine delicious. She comes here cause she lives in the area i do not. This time we came during dinner. I was excited to eat yummy food. There was a few ppl already waiting for their food. We went to the register to order and I got the shrimp and teriyaki with rice and veggies. Sweet tea was overly sweet so I had to get something else. My food came out I got the chicken teriyaki on the side. I felt the shrimp wasn't super hot and the chicken wasn't either. It was the step up from lukewarm. My friend got the 3 combination bowl and they had to bring out another steak because it was not even warm. I think a lot could be done better. Disappointed food doesn't bring you back. read more

Upon entry I was greeted almost immediately by the staff which is great at any establishment . Prices are reasonable for "Japanese food ". Food came out in less than 7 minutes so I was pleased. Would come back again if in the area! Chicken bowl was good , teriyaki glaze on chicken was sweet and savory while rice was seasoned well. My kiddo enjoy the junior bowl but he enjoys everything so ! Big plus you can choose how many sauces you want . read more

I love their steak bowls! Meat is always tender! The wait staff is polite and courteous. It's definitely not a fancy restaurant. It's small but the food is excellent. read more

Really fantastic food!!!! I the filet bowl large it's mouth watering goodness lol!!!!!!

Our go to spot in Sumter. Have had nothing but good experiences at this location! Food is always good and ready in a timely manner.

This is a popular place and lots of locals love this place but my hubby and I hate it here. The chicken tastes like they bought chicken nuggets from McDonald's and use them in stir fry. Not my thing. I've been here a few times and tried different food but fir us, this restaurant is a no go. read more

Came here last week for lunch with a few people from my office. Basically like a fast hibachi service. Very good and well priced! They give you a ton of rice which some may complain about but it fills you up and you still get a ton of protein. It is a smallish place but you could probably fit about 10 people at two tables. Fast service, and they have a sauce bar where you can get as much yum yum sauce as you want! Definitely a plus. Other foods that were good.. the dumplings and mon chicken. Try this Update: Came here a second time and tried the sushi.. definitely wouldn't call it a sushi place. The fish/rice ratio was a little lacking, along with the fact that spicy tuna was really just a tuna roll with spicy mayo on top.. not really the same thing. Alittle disappointed but the hibachi options are still great. read more

This restaurant is very neat and clean...a nice environment. The food, in my humble opinion, is basically typical Asian food court food. You order at the counter and then find a seat. Your number is called when your order is ready. You return to the counter to pick it up. I was grateful for the fact that they had hibachi veggies on the menu...I'm a big veggie fan! I also ordered the pot stickers/dumplings. This was some type of nasty, greasy, fried thing about the size of a ROLO candy. Totally not what I was expecting! I wonder if there is any better Japanese food in this town! read more

I'm in Sumter for work for a few months, and I try to eat here at least once a week! I love hibachi, and this is the fast-food version. I typically order either the chicken or steak (or both) bowl. It's a good amount of food for the price, and they have a rewards card that tracks your purchases and gets you free food! The staff is friendly, and it's legit Japanese food... even my coworker & his wife (she's Japanese and grew up in Japan) love this place. read more

Still the best hibachi place I have been to in SC, I'm now in Columbia but my boyfriend works in Sumter, so when we are craving a delicious hibachi meal we always come here. I still have only had the chicken hibachi w a side of zucchini & onions and white sauce. My boyfriend loves the filet mignon & chicken hibachi bowl the filet comes with mushrooms mixed in and think they are delicious however he is not a fan of mushrooms so he just goes without. read more

Honestly I really enjoy this place. The food is always fresh and tasty and the prices are reasonable. I can say I have been here many times and the staff is always very friendly. They want you to enjoy the experience there. My only complaint is the fact they charge for roe (fish eggs) on the Cali roll. read more

Great choice and worth the drive to Sumter SC. Great choices and fresh. Clean environment and fast service. Never have left disappointed

Pretty lame Japanese fast food. Seemed clean enough and staff were friendly but food was below average. It seemed as if my hibachi steak and shrimp came from the frozen food section of the grocery store then was heated way too long in the microwave. The side of steamed dumplings I got were like little leather pouches. Poor quality food to say the least. I don't recommend, there are too many options out there for this fake-Japanese hibachi style of food read more

Mon Cafe has to be the best Hibachi in Sumter SC. The rice is dead send to perfection, the veggies are not over cooked and the YUM YUM sauce is so good read more

Best Japanese place in Sumter South Carolina. The staff is nice and the food is good. Usually get the Steak Entrée and the California Roll. read more

Mon Cafe Japan - Japanese Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

I use to love this place intill I found a bug in my food, never again will I eat here again

Worth the price and the wait. The white sauce is amazing, and I'd reccomend it with nearly everything. They also have Takoyaki, which I had been dying to try. Would definitely recommend signing up of their reward system, and saving a bit of money. Two thumbs up. read more

We just moved here a few months ago and ate here several times. I lived in Japan for 8 years so I am very familiar with the cuisine. Sumter is a small town, so I did not expect Mon Cafe to be at the level of City Restaurants. The tuna/salmon poke rating an 8. The steak and shrimp bowl was also an 8. The soup is okay....and the customer service is a 10. I will be coming back here again for a quick meal...still beats fast fried food. read more

Mon Cafe Japan - Tuna Poke Salad...one if my favorites! - Japanese Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

We go here all the time and the food is always so good!!! The staff is friendly and make sure to ask about their rewards card.

Not worth the $$$$. I ordered a spicy tuna roll that barely had tuna in it. I also ordered a hibachi steak bowl. It was steak on white rice, even though they told me they use fried rice... read more

Mon Cafe just recently opened in Sumter after the owner, Yoshi, was successful in his Myrtle Beach operation. I, for one, am happy he chose Sumter for his location (it's in the small strip built in front of Walmart). The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the staff was friendly, and the food was really good. Some of the items, like sushi and spring rolls, were prepared in the back but there is a flat top grill up front that the entrees & rice are cooked on that you can see as you're in line to order. There are combos available that come with a side of spring rolls (2, not 1 as we had thought) and a drink, which is what we got (I got the chicken bowl combo, my wife & daughter got the shrimp bowl combo), and are reasonably priced. The amount of food was actually surprising. I ate both my spring rolls and 2 pieces of sushi and only got through half my bowl, taking the other half to lunch the next day (admittedly, I didn't think it reheated well as the chicken got a little dry due to the size of the pieces). There are (what appear to be house-made) sauces available but I didn't use them as they were a little too salty for me. My wife and I both loved everything we ate but our daughter didn't like her bowl; we think she just wasn't used to the texture/consistency of the rice as it seemed to be a blend and was sticky. The sushi was really good (in fact, my wife sneaked back for lunch the next day to get more sushi)! It also felt like the meal we were eating was homemade, and done so with care, not the typical take-out style & flavors of most places. Despite the salty sauces I'm still going to give this place 5 stars as it's one of the best in the area for this style of cuisine and immediately landed on our 'favorites' list. read more

Good food. Good price. The place is busy, so grab a table before you go through the line to order. We prefer the teriyaki at this place because it is more of a sweet flavor instead of the salty teriyaki's some other restaurants serve. We haven't had the noodles yet, so can't vouch for those, but the rice and vegetables are good. read more

I was underimpressed with this estaishment. I ordered the chicken teriyaki. The portion was large, but not what I expected. My food was good though, but their shrimp sauce tastes like thousand island salad dressing. Yuck. Prices were inexpensive. I was mainly disappointed that it is "fast food"-like and not made to order, which is the biggest reason I am only giving 3 stars. Overall, this place is not enough to tempt me back. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but overall my exeperience was just "meh." I probably won't be back and plan to try something else in the local area when I am back in town. read more

For what it is this resturant is fantastic! Clean, quick and quality! The only negative is you see this in your cost compared to other "fast food" establishments, but that is to be expected! read more

I'm not in Sumter often but when I am, I make this place my lunch stop. The food is fantastic and the prices are on par with other Hibachi type dives. The first time here, I had a bowl of their chicken curry. You can't imagine my joy when I found out it was legit Japanese curry and not Thai curry. It could benefit from having some veggies in with it but to find a place that makes Japanese curry really is great. Today I'm enjoying their lunch combo that's a rice bowl topped with teriyaki chicken, a bowl of their onion soup, and a drink. A good deal and the flavors are wonderful. I hope to try their sushi at some point but my current pregnancy won't allow that for now. The only con would be their green tea cheesecake. It tastes fine but the size is tiny for the price you pay. Seriously, super small. It's good, but too expensive. Other than that, I love this place and there was one in Lexington or Columbia! read more

I ate here otw home from a volleyball game it was delicious and the workers were friendly and nice!!

Enough food for three people came with one set of plastic ware. Fine if you're going home, not so convenient when you're in a hotel. There was no soy sauce served with the meal. (Three orders of sushi, one poke bowl, and a meat and chicken teriyaki plate. My dinner partner was impressed with the fresh ingredients, but stated his meal was bland. Which was my experience with the chicken, steak, and noodle plate. The noodles were ridiculously tasteless. The steak may have been salted, but barely. The chicken had some flavor but was so full of unexpected bones that I gave up. I would absolutely never eat here again. read more

Don't waste your time or money! What used to be a pretty good place to eat has slide down the slipery slope of bound to go out of business because you can't get anything worth eating at this establishment. And you sure can't get any service either. This is a real shame since there are not many places in Sumter worth going to. Might as well go to McDonalds at least it is cheap. read more

After passing by this place a few dozen times I finally decided to give it a try. Actually, it was more that a co-worker said it was good and suggested we go there for lunch. So that's what we did. Since then, you know, the day I became a fan of Mon Cafe... I've been back quite a few times. The first time, I went the very basic #1. Which is their Teriyaki Chicken served over rice. I found it quite tasty. The chicken was nice large pieces, plump, juicy, and well sauced/seasoned. The rice was basically a sticky rice, which paired perfectly with the chicken. All served in a large bowl, and then scooped and eaten together! :-) On a return trip I had a specialty dish (not found on their menu) which I believe was called Muy Gai? It's a steak, onion, and mushroom dish that's all grilled together then served over rice. This was also quite tasty, though it was just a tad bit onion heavy. Definitely not a meal I'd suggest if you're in customer service.... you're breath is going to be obvious through the rest of the day. Haha I've also tried out the Spring Rolls and Fried Beef Dumplings, neither of which I'd highly recommend. The Dumplings tasted like something you could pick up from the Wal-Mart behind Mon Cafe. I can't imagine these are made in house, and just don't have that great taste you'd expect/hope for. The spring rolls were basic, though I did feel a bit over board when stuffed with the veggies. I know that's traditional for these, but just not a lot of flavor for the total package. Either add a nice change of texture to your main meal, but beyond that not a ordering suggestion I'd make or repeat. All in all, I'll continue to make the occasional visit and enjoying the tasty meals they keep cranking out! read more

So I grew up going to this place. I have probably been going her for I would say literally since its opened when the plates were $5. I stop by this place every time I TRAVel to the country of South CAROLINA which is like once every 3 years. The prices are ridiculous. They should be ashamed of themselves for charging that amount for citizens of Sumter where the economy and the job market is very low. THE FOOD is great like always but $13 - $15 for basically a fast food restaurant is ridiculous! read more