What went well yelp? Tino. From beginning to end my experience with the bartender Tino was excellent, his warm smile, cold drinks, and welcoming attitude had done nothing less than make me feel as happy as a kid getting adopted. Talking with Tino wasn't a conversation, but an experience, I learned a lesson on life that will stick with me to the end, Tino told me that if no one else believes in me, He does. Hell, when I was there one time, I witnessed a woman being harassed, and when I thought that no one was gonna help, Tino sprung into action, grabbing the guy by the collar and escorting him out, everybody I MEAN EVERYBODY clapped, the mayor of Antioch was there too, and saluted him for his excellence Tino was more than a bartender, he was a light in a dark alley, a shield in war, protector of the weak, defender of good, Tino was nothing short of a legend. Drinks were pretty cool too. read more

Honestly more than likely not coming back, unless one of my friends want to ... but not my first choice. Customer service was a mixed of good and bad, every time I thought Aaww , that's sweet another employee will make me feel like nope don't like it in here. My friend had reservations at 7:30pm, 1 out of 14 people was running extra late showed up at 8:10pm but because of that one person, we couldn't be seated , which I totally get. Our waitress (never got her name) she was nice enough to asked before ordering, if we wanted to split the check (that was very nice of her) however charged me for 2 drinks instead of one and honestly since they were about to close what's $4.50 extra, I just dealt with it. We ordered sushi rolls, and Teppanyaki, the rolls were good , a bit overpriced, and misleading on the menu, because never mentioned they were spicy and they were spicy lol. I asked for the wasabi on the side for the sake bomb roll, but they just didn't put it anywhere. The other waitress or helper that will bring the rolls was definitely not happy to be there she will drop the food staring at us mad, made me uncomfortable The teppanyaki guy was cool and funny , but never introduced himself , so after the show I'll asked him for his name and he said Victor, well Victor service was good, although there was miscommunication on our order, but that was between the waitress and him. The kitchen and bar closes at 9 so they do a last call. The restaurant was empty the whole time we were there, it was us and another family and 2 people at the bar but to be fair it was a week day, the floor was sticky the food was ok but not like wow it was worth every cent read more

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Get service and the staff remembers all of the locals. I would recommend happy hour, it a very adorable bite to eat for under $30. The rolls are generous in size. read more

Salty, overly buttery, chicken tastes spoiled--shrimp was undercooked... For a veggie plate and a chicken/shrimp plate, we spent $90. We don't plan to order from here again and did not eat the food. Oh, we ordered takeout, so I can't speak on the customer service. read more

Their sushi is pretty good, the ambience was nice, prices were decent, but the waitresses customer service was what really stood out. Jamie did a fantastic job being our waitress. There's a fine line between not visiting your table enough and visiting too often to the point where it kind of becomes annoying- and she was able to be right in that perfect middle ground. read more

Staff is nice, food is mediocre and kitchen time is a bit slow. Ive been a few times and each time it has progressively gotten worse. Things on the menu unavailable, pricey for average food. The one thing it has is the hibachi if youre into that. read more

Hubby & I went for happy hour! The food was soo good! I was a happy camper. My Mai Tai was perfectly made by bartender Jamie. She was so helpful and attentive. Overall experience was excellent. I highly recommend! Thanks for taking care of us Jamie! read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Happy customers. - Japanese Near Me - Antioch, California

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I was spiritually reborn at the sushi bar, thanks to the bartender. I don't know who's running the kitchen here, but they must've made a deal with Poseidon because the sushi SLAPS. But let me be clear -- I did not ascend to a higher plane of existence because of the toro. No, no. My enlightenment came from one person and one person only: Tino, the bartender, the myth, the legend, the probable demigod. I sat down just to grab a drink before my spicy tuna roll. Casual. Normal. But then Tino appeared behind the bar like a mirage sent by the universe. I asked for a cocktail and said "surprise me." Mistake. Big mistake. Because I was NOT prepared. Tino whipped up something that tasted like a citrusy cloud being kissed by a cherry blossom at sunrise. My mouth cried. My soul left my body, did a little interpretive dance in the parking lot, and returned wearing a kimono. While I was mid-sip, Tino were also juggling drink orders, telling someone their birth chart, defusing a couple's argument with a well-timed joke, and probably solving a crime in the background. This person doesn't just make drinks -- TINO RUNS THE SHOW. This isn't a sushi restaurant. It's his stage. We're all just lucky to be in the audience. By the end of the night I had: * Tried 4 cocktails, each with a backstory and emotional arc * Named my firstborn after him * Left a $40 tip and still felt like I didn't deserve them If you go and don't sit at the bar, I'm sorry but you're doing life wrong. Let Tino ruin all other bartenders for you. It's worth it. read more

I have never experienced customer service like I have with Tino at samurai! I came in with my elderly grandparents at the bar, and was very touched when Tino offered to walk my dementia-affected grandfather back to the car when we were finished! Was sad to learn that Tino only bartends on Sundays, but will definitely make an effort to visit! read more

Food was super especially the filet! Yummm. Service: Jamie was super sweet and friendly and made sure our drinks were always filled (and not with too much ice!) and that alone makes me want to request her every time, let alone her attention to every aspect in making us want to come back! Thanks! read more

My bf and I were running errands and on our way home our car broke down and the tow truck driver was a couple hours out so we decided to walk to the closest restaurant to kill time, which happend to be this place. We sat at the bar and as we sat, the bartender Tino greeted us with a warm smile. When we couldnt decided what drinks to order, Tino asked us what we liked and he whipped up something to our liking and boy was it good. We ended up chatting with him and telling him how our car broke down. After hearing our story, Tino actually offered to let us borrow his car to finish our errands while we waited for the tow truck. We could tell how genuine he was and took him up on his offer. Tino, thanks for the great service and for letting us borrow your Lambo. read more

I was craving a good meal so I decided to pay a visit to Samurai. The food was great but what stuck out to me was the server, Tino. When my husband and I entered the restaurant, my husband was complaining to me telling me his feet hurt. Tino must have overheard. Not only did he empathize with my husband, but he sprung into action. He quickly offered my husband a foot massage. Although the foot massage was brief, it had my husband's feet feeling like a million bucks! I've never seen him run the way he's been able to run and dance after that massage, not even since the beginning of our whole marriage! Looking forward to future jogs in the park with my man and it is all thanks to Tino. We came in for sushi but not only did we leave with our stomachs full, but we left with an experience that changed our lives for the better, forever. Thank you, Tino! read more

Food GREAT ! SERVICE WAS NOTHING LESS THAN IMPECCABLE The ambiance was amazing , it was dim clean and all we did was laugh all night ! I don't have pictures ! My husband and I and a few others had a blast ! It was our first time there ! I don't remember MUCH , but I had left overs and it was still sooo good ! Definitely coming back here . I loved loved loveeed everything especially the fist bowl. Next review will contain pictures and what I ordered ! I had I had the green mussels- they were super good but on the smaller side. , I really wanted sushi , but next time . Thanks to our server he was great , forgot him name . Large party plus large gratitude !!! It was that good ! read more

If you are a party of 4 don't come here they will charge you a 18% gratuity. Came here for my Daughter birthday and my 4 year did not order nothing and we were charge gratuity that is not ok Shame on you Samurai.... Gratuity is for 6 people or more get it right Samurai... read more

If I could give Tino 17 stars, I would. I walked into this bar on a rainy Tuesday expecting nothing but a quiet drink, but instead -- I found Tino. No ordinary bartender... no, Tino is a liquid wizard, a cocktail warlock, a spirit whisperer. I asked for "something surprising," and this man -- I swear on my grandmother's antique doilies -- reached under the bar, pulled out a single glowing kumquat, whispered to it in ancient Latin, and crafted a drink so good I briefly forgot the concept of sadness. Halfway through my second drink, a mariachi band burst through the door (I later learned they don't even work here; Tino just attracts music), and by my third, I was in a heated chess match with a parrot that knew my ex's middle name. Tino doesn't just pour drinks -- he changes lives. I walked in thirsty; I walked out enlightened. Would recommend. 10/10. Bring a passport, you might not come back the same. read more

We love Samurai - but... They recently went up on all of their prices - all of which were pretty expensive (but somewhat expected/acceptable for good food) before the increase. We had a chance to try the hibachi both takeout and in person - we 10/10 recommend - it was delicious and the service was exceptional - especially given our late(r) arrival for dinner! Biggest complaint is the increase in pricing when we can get sushi elsewhere for $2-$3 less per roll. Secondly, the wait to get takeout seems excessive each time - albeit, we are never disappointed with the food after the wait. We order here less now, but still prefer it over other sushi joints in the area! read more

All of the above and prices are overated. The service was ok only did take out but food was gross.

Pretty good but it's so loud in there they can barely hear you when you're trying to place an order over the phone. The wait was really long but it's probably because of the Hamachi Kama we ordered. $56 for a Hamachi Kama, Baja Hamachi Roll and edamame. Kind of steep but not surprised. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Hamachi Kama, Baja Hamachi roll and Edamame - Japanese Near Me - Antioch, California

Subpar food at expensive price. Yikes. $4.50 for tea in a bag is f'ing wild lol. I thought it would at least be loose leaf but nope. $4.50 for some Lipton tea bag lol. Sadge. Went for sushi for special occasion because I thought it was fancy due to location and price. Nope. Its obviously expensive because they cant get return customers so they gouge new customers. Our waitress was good and attentive but the hostesses were slow and the chef was bad. Burnt karaage chicken. 18% automatic gratuity for 4 people is wild especially when the overall customer service was subpar. Again, they obviously made automatic gratuity at 4 people instead of the normal group of 6 because they can't get return customers so they have to gouge new customers any way they can. Highly highly anti-recommend. Might even be worth protesting outside to make sure they don't scam any sushi lovers. read more

I was just at Sumurai today 12/19. Around 6-6:30. The waitress was really sweet but unfortunately the manger I believe her name is Tati was extremely rude. The waitress forgot to ask for our IDs when we ordered our drinks. So the manager came over and ask to see ours. She didn't even say "Hi, how are you. May I see your IDs" she just came over and said "Can I see both your IDs". She looked at them handed them back to us and just walked away. The waitress came back over to take our order and then asked us. "Did she tell you only one of you are getting a drink?" which was my younger sister who just turned 21 this month. I told the waitress she did not tell us and that she just walked away after. The manager thought my ID was fake because I'm currently living out of state and have a New Jersey ID. I'm almost 25 years old not under age. I'm extremely upset that I was accused of my ID being fake. I understand that they have the right to refuse service if they believe someone has a fake ID but if she thought it was fake then she should have called the cops, they would have been able to confirm that it was not fake. It would be stupid of me if I came in and tried to order a drink with a fake ID. I wouldn't put my future in jeopardy since I plan on become a lawyer. I was also told by the waitress that at the their employee Christmas party they allowed an underage employee to drink. It seems like this place is a very toxic environment for their employees from what else I was told. I feel bad for the waitress because she was also really upset. We ended up leaving and went to their sister restaurant Shirasoni and they were extremely nice. I was able to order a drink there after my ID was checked. I was able to talk to one of the managers there. I didn't get the managers name but the waitress Anastasia (I believe that is her name) was absolutely amazing!! Both her and the manager were extremely apologetic and said it's going to be looked into further. Shirasoni made up for our horrible experience at Sumurai. And I want to thank them again for being so kind to us! I'll definitely be coming back to Shirasoni when I come back home to California next! Edit: I forgot to mention that the waitress at Samurai told me that she has thought about quitting because of the manager. For her to express that to us is pretty telling that the manager doesn't treat the employees with respect and kindness. I could tell by the waitress body language that she was extremely anxious and uncomfortable. No employee should feel that way at work. I honestly wanted to cry because I was so upset that she felt that way. read more

Tino was my server, he asked me why I was upset and I explained to him that the person who was supposed to pin me at my nursing school grad ceremony couldn't make it. Tino said "don't worry" and next thing I know he shows up at my school to pin me! Thanks Tino! read more

The food was alright. The bartender, Tino, however is an angel sent from heaven! This guy got me through my divorce over many drinks, and one time even saved my childs life from choking! The ambiance was only supported by his charismatic personality and beautiful smile. God I'm so in love with him! read more

I was recommended this place by a friend of mine and just had to try it out. First let me start of by saying this place is way better than Benihana. When u walk in the host is to the left and in front of you is the bar with such a cute archway. Once we approached the host around 5 were seated immediately. There were other people who were seated with us but the waiter who took our drink order was super fast and made sure our drinks were full the entire time. The cook was fast as well and everything was made perfect! The onion soup and salad had so much flavor. And the garlic rice is wayyy better than Benihana. The drink list they ha e is crazy long and I'm not much of a drinker but they all looked so good. I will definitely be returning and trying more next time! read more

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This place is WAY better than Benihana's in my humble opinion. The service upon arrival was A1. We ordered the apple alcoholic drink (I can't remember the name) and a Moscow mule and the pour was heavy *wink wink* Our server, Marlin, always made sure we were good and taken care of. She also had a dope personality which added to the experience. We had the chicken, steak and shrimp hibachi with a few of the sushi rolls and NOTHING was disappointing. The fried rice was also very delicious and flavorful! I cant wait to go back again because this place was fire and I'm happy its right in my backyard. read more

10/10 atmosphere 10/10 food. Might I add, the bartender Tino, was such a great guy! He saved my life once as I was parking, some drunk guy almost hit me. After, he swooped in and actually saved my life. Ill never forget that guy. What good lad. 10/10 human. read more

Food was not impressive since the fried rice is too mushy. Ambiance is okay. The staff looks like their having fun with their costume. But the reason I'm here is because I don't get the reason why my server keeps on asking if I want a box for my food, while I'm obviously still eating. Note that I was still 45 mins away from closing time. She might have need to go back and up her knowledge to working in a restaurant 101. "It's rude to ask customers again and again if they want a to go box for the food that they're still eating". The fact that It's my 1st time out with my husband after giving birth is a really big deal. It should have been a good night. but nope, I feel like we were rushed to get out of there. Which is sad . read more

We've come here off and on since they opened as it's the closest to our house . It does not have the best customer and the time to get your food is extremely long for ok food. My experience is they have progressively gotten worse as they have increased their prices. This will be my last visit here. read more

Love this restaurant very good atmosphere food was very good. Everything went well will be returning.

I've tried a lot of sushi places from Antioch all the way to Oakley! Found this place about 4 years ago & never looked back! Lol. Always on point & never had a bad experience. Definitely me & my husbands favorite place to get sushi. read more

The BEST I've eaten in years. This place is very nice. The staff and the table chef all did an amazing job, and the food was very delicious. I was not disappointed at all. I will be back, and I have already started passing the word to all of my friends. read more

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My review is based on just a few dishes we ordered. The three items we ordered were not good and I was disappointed. The miso soup seemd watered down, very oniony and was bland. The sushi we got also lacked in flavor. The combo appetizer was a big portion which was great but unfortunately it was bland along with the dipping sauce it came with. The plus is the staff was really nice and on it with service, the menu has plenty of dishes to choose from and many drink options as well. Also this place is pretty big and I see alot of celebrations going on in here. Maybe I'll try the Teppanyaki and see if that makes a difference. read more

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Food was really good, savory and plentiful! The soup was a bit salty for my taste but everything else was delicious... I believe the server was a bit overwhelmed because as people came in she'd gotten slower but she did the best she could under the circumstances. We were a group of four and had quite an assortment to include sushi, tempora & hibachi style. Btw, the our chef was friendly, fun and completely on point as to his services. Overall we had a memorable time and on my next visit, I'll try it again. read more

Delicious food and fun ambiance; bartenders are cool/attentive; reasonable prices and quick service, will definitely visit again. read more

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Samurai Japanese Restaurant is a Teppanyaki style restaurant. They have menu order only seating too, but the menu is limited to a vast variety of sushi, and appetizers/small plates. There are no other selections on the menu like ramen or bento dinner plates. That said, I did not ask our server if we can order from the Teppanyaki menu. So there is a possibility that you might be able to order steak and lobster, or other items from the Teppanyaki menu. I am not sure if the price would be the same as if you were sitting and ordering from the Teppanyaki table though. The ambiance is chic. There are over 10 Teppanyaki tables arranged on the peripheral; of the restaurant, with a large bar center stage. We ordered a Dragon Roll, Tuna Tekka Roll, and Avocado Roll. All the sushi rolls were on the smaller side than what we are used to getting at other Japanese restaurants serving sushi. The Dragon Roll was good. The dragon roll is an inside-out sushi, which is filled with nori sheet wrapping around the ingredients on the inside and the sushi rice is on the outside. Here, shrimp tempura and cucumber are tucked inside the nori, and thinly sliced avocado is layered on top of the roll, and when it's sliced, the artistically arranged sushi resembles the scales of a dragon. The Tekka Roll is typically a fish or a vegetable wrapped in Japanese rice and dried seaweed sheet, then cut. In this case, we ordered it with raw tuna. The Tuna Tekka was also very good. THe Avocado Roll was excellent. The avocado was perfectly ripe, buttery, and very tasty. We have had avocado rolls that where the avocado was over ripe, and it doesn't taste right. The service was slow at first. We were seated and no server approached out table for over 10 minutes. We asked a server that was going to another table if she was our server, and she politely said no, she will get our server for us. We were not sure if the server waiting on our table was on a break, or just didn't see us. When our server did attend to us, she was very friendly and helpful. Overall, the sushi was very good. The price for what you get does not match the quantity you get. But the quantity of the food is present. The sushi rolls are definitively smaller for the price compared to other sushi eateries that we visited. The sushi we ordered was prepared very well and are very delicious. We'll return to try Samurai's Teppanyaki. read more

Food was great. The atmosphere was a vibe. Highly recommend. You will not be disappointed

The food was pretty good, but they tried to charge for my infant, who didn't even eat any food.

Food alone is 5 stars. Everything we had was actually really good and tasty. We had rolls for appetizers and had the Teppanyaki Dinner - steak, chicken, scallops, salmon, & shrimp. Our Teppanyaki experience with Justin was also 5 stars! We had fun and he did great with all the usual tricks. Minus 2 stars though because we called ahead and made a reservation, had a short wait after checking in.. and at no point were we told that they were short staffed with chefs and there would be a wait for the Teppanyaki dinner. We were told only after being seated and placing orders. Also, when we were told that there would be a wait, it was simply said that there was a table ahead of us and we would be next. We ended up waiting over an hour. I think with calling ahead, we should have been told this because we could have altered our plans. We came hungry and had 2 antsy toddlers in tow so an upfront expectation of a wait time would have been appreciated. read more

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This was a to go order. I was around this area a felt like some fried rice. Decided to order from here. I placed an order for a side of fried rice and saw they had a cucumber salad with shrimp. I was intrigued, so I placed an order. First my order was supposed to be ready at 7:20 but wasn't ready til 7:25 not to bad but was a bit disappointed that it took a little while longer. Then I got home and opened the fried rice. Looked good then opened the salad and was SUPER disappointed! Tasted the fried rice and it was good the salad had not flavoring and barely any shrimp. Actually just one shrimp. The worst part is the salad was 11.95!! That is crazy!!! One star for the fried rice. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Antioch, California

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My first time here and it will be my last. Not a real japanese food, not good at all. My tempura was not hot, nor crispy and the batter mix was not cook all the way. Pricey!!! The dressing on my salad overpowering the rice vinegar, the soup has no taste, it just broth with no flavor, the dip for my tempura is just basic soy sauce and mirin? No flavor too... read more

We come here a lot. But today we met Victor, and wow what an awesome young man. He really did his thing tonight. Not only did he make the best food I have tried here but he was very very outgoing and pleasant to be around. His rice was exceptional! He is just starting his career as a chef but it seems as though he been doing this for years. Highly recommended and definitely requesting him next time !! Thanks Victor! read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Antioch, California