I'm going to say it was a very pleasant surprise to find a true sushi restaurant in a small Midwest town like this. Definitely doing a solid job. I've been eating nigiri sushi since the late 1970s in Northern California where I live, so I'm used to a wide choice of good sushi restaurants available. Again, this place did not disappoint, so do not fear going out for sushi in Appleton read more

Ok an absolute gem of a place??!! We got hibachi and Nathan the cook was a delight. Great tricks and delicious food from him. Maddie was our server and she is just so polite and attentive. I'd recommend them and anyone looking for the perfect first time hibachi experience. The place is gorgeous, sanitary, and spacious. 10/10 read more

This was my first time at Nakashima of Japan, and my first time at a hibachi restaurant. The service was poor. The day I visited, it was snowing all day. Consequently, there was about four inches of snow all through the parking lot and outside the main entrance. Not a soul had worked to clear any of the snow. This is flatly unacceptable in Wisconsin. The service at the table was also poor. I understand waitressing can be a difficult job, but our waitress was transparently uninterested in her work, and us as guests, and her demeanor was as fake as her eyelashes. The food was bad. The soup served at the beginning of the meal was terribly salty, ninety-nine percent broth, too hot to enjoy, and simply did not taste like anything but salt. Having never been to a hibachi restaurant before, another member of our party of six ordered for me. I was served fried rice, chicken, shrimp, and beef. The beef was over-cooked, and was not cooked according to instruction. The shrimp and chicken were as bland as you'd imagine poorly-seasoned shrimp and chicken. The rice was not good, nor bad, just boring rice. Overall, it was just too much oil and soy sauce, not enough ginger and other flavors. The chef's performance - which is why I suppose people patronize this style of establishment - was terribly lackluster. He brought out a huge tub of butter, and I expected him to show us a butterfly (i.e., him launching butter onto the cooking surface), but he didn't even use the butter for a single dish, let along for a performance. He - Carlos - was clearly not a native English speaker and thus it was hard to understand him when he did speak (which was seldom). His twirling of, and banging of, utensils wasn't entertaining; the performance was irritating. To top it off, when he was loading cooked meats onto my dining partner's plate, he dropped cooked beef into her lap!!! All he offered was a weak apology, poorly understood. The bill automatically included an eighteen percent for gratuity, because our group included six persons. That is despicable behavior. The hibachi table seats nine persons. Not a single aspect of our group of six made extra demands on the staff, therefore the automatic gratuity is disgusting. I will never return to this place. I do not recommend that anyone patronize this establishment. P.S. If you do dine here, watch your step while you enter the dining room from the lobby. There is a variance in floor height between rooms, and this tripping hazard is not adequately marked. read more

They don't take reservations on Friday or Saturday nights. Which is understandable with the mobs of people who still love hibachi. We decided to go later in the evening with hopes of a shorter wait. It worked! We got there at 7:45pm and were seated pretty quickly. As we entered the hibachi room we saw it was packed... so if we came earlier, I'm sure we would have been waiting for a while. I always enjoy hibachi dinning. It's fun and entertaining and something different than a regular dining experience. Tonight there were a few things we didn't enjoy. Our waitress was extremely rushed. Menus were sitting at the table when we sat down, and when the waitress came out for what we thought would be to take our drink order, she also wanted or meal order. Literally minutes after we sat down! My wife waited to order some sushi with our meal and did not have any time to pick from their many available selections. The waitress was not into answering any questions about the sushi, just rushing her to pick! When my wife asked about a certain roll, the waitress answer was "so you want shrimp tempura roll". No! she had a question! This response happened when she asked about a different roll. My wife just gave up and ended up just ordering a common California Roll because we were given absolutely no time to pick anything else! (Roll was good though). Besides delivering our drinks and getting our ice cream flavor order at the end of the meal (with the bill), this was the last time we saw our waitress.... Got water refills from staff, but no drinks. Our steak was excellent and well prepared but everything else was overly salty. I mean big time salty! Especially the two dipping sauces they have that come with the meal. I'm not a salt hater, but this was even too much for me. (Needed the drink refills to water down the salt!). Overall, there was some good, mainly the hibachi show and steak. But the other food was sub-par because the salt. Not sure if I'll choose this location again because of rushed service and food taste. read more

Very good. There was a soup they served before dinner that was very good. The guy on grill not only was a good cook but very nice and sociable. It was a bit pricey but still worth it. read more

Run place to go out to eat. Dinner and a show as they prepare the food in front of you

Good sushi. Chef's are friendly and knowledgeable. Server was also helpful and took great care of us.

Bella at the front desk was so nice in accommodating us and Drew at the bar was awesome! Manuel is an awesome cook and entertainer! I hope you realize that these are great members of your team and I hope a raise in pay is in their future. Well done. read more

Always great and high quality food along with excellent service. The performance of the hibachi chef is always entertaining along with excellent food preparation skill. A good time was had by all. read more

The teppanyaki chef outdid himself with a wonderful sense of humor and his dishes were delicious. We will come here again. read more

Nakashima of Japan - Birthday dessert - Sushi Bars Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

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My husband and I each had the Chilean sea bass which was delicious. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. As always the cooking techniques displayed were amazing. Our chef Thomas was very skillful and playful. It was a great experience all around. read more

Fresh high quality sushi! I only tried the Sushi bar. Not a big fan of the fried calamari! Service was prompt and the bartender was very attentive. read more

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Service was terrible in the bar.. In town business man working.. Sat in the back row of the bar for 10 minutes .. non one said hello!! No one came over to ask me for an order.. Servers walked by several times.. IF YOUR NOT A LOCOL DON'T GO IN THIS BAR.. read more

The food is always delicious and the service is excellent. The atmosphere is just great and I love that you can have either sushi or hibachi or all of the above. The owner is very conscientious and makes rounds in the dining room to be sure everyone's having a good dining experience. read more

Went with my partner. Gotta say if you love sushi this is the best place for a date. atmosphere is spot on! All the staff were very sweet. and the food is just amazing! read more

The Lavender Bliss Martinis are to die for. Japanese Mules are my boyfriend's favorite. The sushi is always fresh and made in a timely matter. This is the only sushi restaurant that we go to. Always pleased with our visits. We've sat in the bar & sushi dinning room. Both have excellent service. read more

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Great food. I think we had the "new" hibachi guy? Carter did a really good job for us. Past reviews were not great if this was the new guy. Had dinner for two with fried rice and mushrooms. Very good and large portions. So full afterwards. It would be nice if they opened the bar at 4:30 for a 5:00 reservation vs waiting by locked front door at 4:50. read more

By far the worst hibachi I've ever had. I had chicken & shrimp and all I could taste was oil and soy sauce. My husband said the same thing about his steak. The fried rice was mush. I've never been to a hibachi place where I couldn't even choke down the food. I would definitely not recommend this place unless oil & soy sauce is your thing. read more

Nakashima of Japan - Sushi Bars Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

We had Thomas as our main chef, he was incredible!!! The food tasted amazing, and he made it a whole experience!! We were there for my brothers birthday and he made it such a fun night!! Also Wyatt who made our bean sprouts and he had a fun and humorous personality. Overall loved our experience! Won't find a better restaurant for a peaceful environment, amazing food, and great entertainment! Will be back!! read more

A tad over priced. Been to many hibachi places and they do charge a bit more for the portion size. Place was clean, waitress was good and the chef was very good. My wife and I were really disappointed that their was no yum yum sauce offered. The 2 sauces given were not great ( in our opinion). Not sure we will be back as it was nothing special. read more

A real gem and the best sushi I've had in the area. Their menu is fairly consistent, but there's always a special that the kitchen decides on. Whether going for sushi or hibachi, food is always delicious and the staff is very friendly! read more

Nakashima of Japan - Rainbow Roll, Negi Hamachi, and Fresh Philly Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

Sushi was great! I had it to go but the place looked nice and cleaned. Definitely will return

Saddened by our last experience here a few nights ago. Customers beware...our waitress tried to upsell more expensive menu choices four times during our dinner without offering a price difference. We ordered a bottle of wine, of which the waitress went on to complain was the worst bottle to get open, so she offered a bottle of Caymus. Thankfully I asked how much more is that, and it was $50 more. Another example, we had a birthday in our group and they brought out drinks for the group without sharing what it was and that we would have to pay for it. Additionally, the drinks had caffeine in it, of which one of the guests was on medication and cannot have. Then there was less than stellar hibachi experience. In comparison to the other hibachi tables, the chef performance was sadly dull and felt like he didn't want to be there. Perhaps an off night, but that is all part of the fun. In bringing all of this to the attention of the manager, she was indifferent and was like hmmm ok, sorry. You think a more heartfelt apology, remove the cost of the unwanted drinks off the bill, etc. would have been offered. But nothing. Needless to say, it will be awhile before we go back, if at all to Nakashimas in Appleton. read more

I've been a customer for years, and the maki, hibachi, and cocktails are lovely. The restaurant is decorated with Sumo wall paintings, Samurai masks, and life-sized Ninja dolls posed for stealth throughout the entrance and the bar. Hiubachi is a fun place for everyone, even kids, in a casual Japanese Edo period atmosphere. The staff are friendly and willing to go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome. We recently asked for a secret cake to be served to the table for my husband's birthday after hibachi services, and the waitress gave me a wink when it was time to ready my camera for photos when they came out with a lit sparkler in the cake and a little song. Whether we dine in for hibachi, or take out form the maki menu, it's a delight every time we add Nakashima's to our evening plans. read more

Delicious food and they have spotted cow on tap! What more could you ask for! Highly recommend if you've never been here!

So, one reviewer stated food was great but be ready for a slow meal...I'd agree with that reviewer. Took about 10 minutes for server to greet me and get a drink order. She proceeded to tell me it was a 45-60 min wait on sushi. Kecy, my server, burst my sushi bubble as that is why I went to this restaurant in the first place. But, not to be defeated, I ordered three non sushi items and the food was excellent. That, coupled with Kecy's attentive and smiling service, redeemed this business trip dinner! Thanks for the very good experience! read more

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Great quality Sushi & friendly staff. I like to sit in the bar area. Both locations are excellent ...

Visited Nakashimas last night for my birthday dinner. I was disappointed when I realized the Green Bay location was closed, as yelp said it was open. So, we took the short drive to Appleton! We had a great experience. Our server was very attentive and personable. He provides excellent service to us. Our chef was also great! He put on an awesome show for us and cooked a great meal! I also ordered a Philly roll before our meal. It was very good, fresh, and tasty! This place is a little pricy, but is definitely worth it for the experience and quality/amount of food. I've never NOT gone home with leftovers. read more

Dinner with family and friends. Forty-five minute wait for a table on Friday at 7 pm. After 8, I am guessing the wait is much shorter. Had the coconut lemongrass sake. Wow! Food was tasty. No complaints. Service was very attentive. Birthday song for our guests. Very good restaurant choice for a good Habashi dinner. I recommend. read more

While extremely expensive the food and quality of service is fantastic. I highly recommend the hibachi dinner meal to meet new people and enjoy a high-end dinner. read more

Amazing experience and amazing food every time. I recommend this if you're looking for a more unique dining experience.

We stopped at Nakashima for dinner during an overnight to Oshkosh. The Yelp reviews were pretty positive but I mean, it's Appleton sushi...could it be great? Actually - yes. It was as good as anything I've had elsewhere and the atmosphere was great. Decor: A+ Fun & creative - there are ninja mannequins scattered around, a huge dragon mural in the bar & a samurai in the sushi room. The sushi room booths are kind of traditional, with tatami cushions - be warned, there's no graceful way to get in/out! Traditional Japanese music makes for a much more Zen experience than the usual J/K pop. Menu: A In addition to your standard sushi, nigiri, maki and kitchen stuff the "special"rolls here are super creative. I had a hard time picking because everything looked so tasty! They have some crazy apps too, like tuna guacamole. Food: A+ I had a Red Dragon which included shrimp and fresh tuna and was served with generous amounts of Sriracha. If you're worried, they pipe it on the side so you can decide how much to napalm your food. I used a lot. My other choice was the Godzilla which included a shrimp jalapeño popper inside, spicy tuna on top and a spicy curry sauce. Totally different flavors & absolutely delicious! The Mister had nigiri and the cuts of fish were fresh & generous. Service: A Great service from a friendly, efficient server Also, be aware that most folks are coming for hibachi - they have like 10 hibachi tables and every single one was packed at 5 pm and there was an hour wait! So get there early if you want to watch a dude flip shrimp tails into his hat, or (better yet) go for sushi instead. read more

Nakashima of Japan - Great decor - Sushi Bars Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

This is a great place to spend an evening for dinner if you have the time in this area. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could. Even if you have reservations, prepare to wait longer to be seated, partly because you're waiting for your other table-mates, and partly because they want you to get drinks at the bar. The bar was pleasant, and had dim lighting to set the scene. It's nice that they had a Thursday night game. The bartender was very friendly and served us our seasonal cocktails right away. I ordered the seasonal cranberry vanilla mule. It was sweet and strong, but not too strong to where I couldn't taste both the cranberry and vanilla. My date ordered the Spiced Apple mule (I believe that's the name) and it was delicious. We were seated about 20 min after our reservation time with 6 other people and waited another 10 minutes before a waitress came around, bringing waters and asking if we wanted another drink. The waitress took our orders, then we patiently waited. Another 15 minutes later, and our broth soup comes out, followed by the lettuce awhile after. 10 more minutes then our chef comes out. It was a great show! He did an excellent job entertaining us. It started with hour classic onion tower, then he served us shrimp appetizers, followed by our meals. Portions are large and the food is oily and buttery, but have a decent "Asian" flavor. I saw at another table that the waitress was trying to box a man's food before he even finished eating. The dessert included is either orange sherbet and/or vanilla. Both were overly sweet in my opinion. This is a good venue if you're looking for Asian food and can spend at least a couple hours for dinner. I wish there was a way to give an extra tip to our chef, not just having all of it go into a community pot. Make reservations! read more

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Great for a birthday, many options for those who do and dont like seafood. Sushi is a must, and the show is enjoyable every time.

Very entertaining and delicious food.But there is a wait sometimes it can get really. Long and you may get really bored of stuff to do. All the chefs are very nice and have good hospitality. read more

Every city has a place like this. The go to Hibatchi table for a special occasion. The hibatchi is good. The sushi is my go to and this place doesn't cut it. The sashimi is thin and there are not many options. As for the hibatchi it's what you'd expect anywhere in the US. read more

Bland food. I am from Chicago and use to authentic flavored hibachi, sushi, ginger salad dressing,and teriyaki. Everything we ordered was fair but very bland flavor. Will not be back. read more

Okay food, but they have cut down portions and increased their prices. Still fun to go on a date night.

I've been here a few times since this last review to meet up with friends since this is their preference for sushi. I will say that all of the vegetarian sushi I have ordered has come out fresh and fast from the kitchen. I have not ventured back to any raw fish or any of their specialty rolls, but maybe some day I will build up that gusto. So yay for vegetarian sushi rolls at Nakashimas! read more

Nice, fun, family friendly hibachi grill. Most typically, patrons eat at the hibachi grill area. Food servings are large. Service is great. It's noisy, fun, happy. Perfect for special occasions. read more