We normally order takeout from here and it is always very good. We decided to dine in tonight.. we were seated right away even though it was a busy night for them. Impressive! We ordered our drinks and appetizer which came right away. I decided to have a mixed drink from the bar. A mango margarita, but they do have several different specialty drinks. It was freaking delicious. I do have to say we ended up waiting about 45+ minutes for our food. We did get a bit anxious about that, but when it did arrive we felt like it was well worth the wait. We had time to enjoy each other's company. I had the shrimp with lo mein noodles , zucchini and mushrooms. Cooked perfectly and very flavorful with hibachi style. The hubby got steak and shrimp and didn't have one single complaint! The servers were working their tails off! They were working so hard and was very attentive. I just think they may have had many takeout orders that could've made them behind causing the delay in our order. All in, I'm very happy with the food and the service we had tonight. read more

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Good ole Shoto! Lunch time and we got take out and stopped by the Candy Factory also. We shared Sesame chicken , white rice and carrots. FIL got soup and steak, fried rice and carrots. We forgot to order the chicken cheese rolls! Great food and service . Can easily dine in. read more

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Haven't actually made it in to eat. Saw they were doing a special on Friday the 13th. Thirteen eggrolls for $13. Thought I'd give it a go. Originally ordered what I thought was an assortment of varieties for my 13. Was then told all 13 needed to be the same. I went for the crab Rangoon egg rolls. Yum, very tasty. Will be going in to try an actual meal in the not too distant future. read more

I went here last night for a private event. The menu lineup we were offered was absolutely AMAZING and everything was so delicious. Shoto is a family owned restaurant that offers casual dining with familiar Asian entrees as well as so much more! They also offer a wide selection of gluten free and allergy friendly options as well. Shoto is also home to Mama Chi's Chicken & Cheese Eggrolls and Jimmy the Bartender's Speakeasy, which can be found on the 2nd floor. read more

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The food here is surprisingly good. I would highly recommend this place just for the entrees. Regarding the entrees, you 1) pick the protein (steak, chicken, etc.), 2) pick the style (hibachi, teriyaki, etc.), 3) pick your vegetable, then 4) pick your starch (rice, noodles, etc.). You can select combinations for the protein. Place is clean. Service is great. Shotos is located in downtown so you need to park on the street or in a lot, which is pretty easy in downtown Lexington. read more

Good authentic Japanese food. A little hidden gem in Lexington is what shoto's is. I've had their takeout numerous times but decided to dine in this time. Everything was very good as always, on Fridays & Saturdays they run specials that include sushi and specialty cocktails. It's advertised that it begins at 5 but that doesn't insure that sushi will be available then. So if you're traveling for the sushi I advise calling ahead to double check that it is going to be available! read more

Shoto - Tempura roll - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

This place would not normally come across my radar but I'm so glad we stopped in. I enjoyed the crab ragoon egg rolls. How unique. The sushi was tasty. The sesame seeds added a depth of flavor that I really enjoyed. The noodles and rice were just ok. I wouldn't order that again. The waitress was super helpful. I especially liked the upstairs bar. The bartender was skilled and knowledgeable. Id like to come back to taste more items read more

Shoto - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

The food here is amazing. I always order the Hibachi Chicken and Steak with mushrooms. The service can be a hit and miss sometimes it just depends on how busy it is. The environment consists of every body. They always stay busy. I will be going back because you get your moneys worth and then some. I always have enough food for the next and I think it is just as good the next day as it is when it comes out fresh and hot. Food is always on point read more

I truly don't know where to start! What an amazing experience I had at this restaurant! From the amazing food, great service and wonderful drinks by Jimmy. This is the place to be with a mix of Chinese, Japanese and American favorites. It's definitely a place I will be back to for more! read more

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This is still our favorite spot for Japanese food. I absolutely love all the options that they offer, but still tend to order the same thing. My go to is the steak hibachi and I will go between rice or noodles. The crab Rangoon eggrolls, and the bang bang shrimp are so good. This place is older, but don't let that stop you from enjoying a good meal. read more

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Food is good and dumplings are amazing! Interior could use some cleaning up though and their adult drink offerings are weak and $$. Service can be questionable and huffy which is why they lost a star. Great location too. read more

Shoto - Street view - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

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The food is good, fast and the staff is very friendly. The restaurant first level is for dinning and I believe the second level is where the bar is. read more

The hibachi chicken and rice is terrible. It was expensive just for cheap chicken and no sauce on the chicken would not recommend shoto.

So, I had the All Beef Hot Dog Banh Mi for the first time last night and oh my goodness It was packed with flavor and this picture doesn't do this deliciousness justice!! I can say for the first time I now really understand fusion cuisine. It's truly Vietnamese banh mi meets southern style hot dog, where a simple coleslaw & mustard is replaced with finely julienned veggies & sauces with a profile that elevated this simple sandwich beyond what I expected- with the jalapeño giving just the right kick. Sorry if I sound like a food critic, but Chef Daniel Huynh you hit it out of the park with this one! Loving all the unique dishes you're coming up with. read more

The food was great. The server went above and beyond because I have a citrus allergy she went asking the kitchen and came back and told me it was safe to eat and they also cleaned the grill to make sure it was not contaminated it was awesome,Ashlyn was the best made sure my food allergy was taken care of read more

it took an hour for our food to get there the food was awful never going back it was not worth the hour wait for nasty food

Long wait to get food but it is some awesomely good!!! Service staff kept apologizing for the excessive wait of 45 plus mins....

This place used to be good. But all good things change. The area around our table was dirty - the kind of dirty that builds up over time from neglect. I actually saw a cockroach run across the floor near the door way to the kitchen. Then, the food we ordered was wrong. On top of that - when we mentioned it to the woman who is married to the owner she was actually rude about it. Not just rude - that mean kinda rude that really makes you wonder who would EVER let this person represent their business - spouse or not. I don't guess we will be going back. We used to love this place but there are plenty of other places without blatantly rude owners. This seems to be a trend in these comments. read more

We visited Shoto for my brother's birthday at 5 pm on a Saturday. We called ahead a few days early because we were bringing a party of 13, but they do not take reservations. They did say that they would do their best to accommodate us. All throughout our visit the staff were very kind and helpful. We arrived for an early dinner so that we would have a better chance of obtaining seating without waiting as this restaurant is on the smaller side. They opened the upstairs area with more seating as our party arrived. Upstairs is also where the restaurant's full bar is. Upstairs was truthfully a little dingy. The large number of stairs to the top were very creaky as was the floor upstairs. While we were dining upstairs, we were all quite cold as it did not feel as if any heat was on. In the corner of the room we were in there was no light, so it was a bit hard to see the menu. In the process of ordering the main entrees you can customize your order by selecting your protein, flavor style, vegetables and starch. Some examples of pricing include $11.49 for chicken and $12.99 for steak to $16.99 for a chicken & steak combo and $21.99 for a steak and scallop combo. The prices seem to be about average to a little higher. You also must consider the fact that if you would like a flavor style, that is extra. Also, more than 2 vegetables or mixed vegetables will cost extra. All the portions were very large with mountains of rice or noodles and vegetables with protein mixed in. Most people ended up splitting entrees with another person and if they got their own, they more than likely had to take some to go. We ordered the steak one with noodles and one with rice. The steak, rice and vegetables were good, but to that extent, they were just not bad and nothing special. As for the lo mein noodles, OH. MY. GOODNESS. Shoto gets their noodles from Charlotte where they are freshly made. These are probably the absolute best lo mein noodles we have ever had. The flavor and texture were both amazing. I would return just for the noodles. read more

Shoto - Steak hibachi with onions, zucchini & fried rice - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

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Shotos always has that friendly welcoming atmosphere when you walk in the door. Wait staff is pretty good with grabbing you at the door and having a seat open and ready to sit. They tend to get really crowded in the evening, so upstairs seating is available, but it's usually closed during the week or slow hours. The bar is also located upstairs as well. The building is fairly old and small, so again, seating is limited downstairs when they get busy. My favorite dish is anything you can get in the coconut tempura batter, only because their stir fries tend to get really soupy. I don't like my rice soggy wet from the juice. Really good flavor though, just really running if you get some sort of stir fry. Firecracker shrimp is super delicious and spicy! The owners are very friendly. You'll see them every once in a while hosting, serving, cooking, or checking on customers. Not the same owners as the Thomasville location read more

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Have grown up eating this since i was a teen! Jimmy is the best 10/10 can't go wrong with shotos

Staff is very friendly and helpful. The food was hot and delicious. I had shrimp and it was delicious. I highly recommend.

Wonderful restaurant. Food and service is spectacular. Staff is friendly and efficient and food never disappoints. Must try if you're in the area read more

Love Shoto ! Stopped in and got a take out order, it's been a year since our last visit. We live 30 minutes away, so we had our lunch right there in our vehicle.. The soup was hot and savory, the wonton chips were crispy and light, the noodles and veggies were cooked perfectly! We have plenty left for lunch tomorrow! We won't wait so long to go back! read more

I am selfishly hesitant to post a review of Shoto and Jimmy the Bartender because I don't want people swarming this amazing little gem. Seriously, it could possibly be the Triad area's best kept secret. We were specifically referred to Jimmy the Bartender, which is upstairs at Shoto, but needed a place to eat beforehand (you'll definitely want to eat before visiting Jimmy). Shoto looked great, so we decided to give it a try. Jimmy the Bartender is only "in the office" on Friday and Saturday nights. The hostess will explain how it works if you are a first timer. It's pretty straight forward. We decided to sit downstairs in the dining room to have dinner before heading upstairs. We had fried wontons for an appetizer, which were very good, especially with the spicy sauce you get for dipping. I went with the chicken and shrimp combo with General Tso sauce, broccoli, and lo mein. The combinations also come with a salad and onion soup. We got the salad and onion soup first. The soup was very good. The salad wasn't anything special, but the ginger dressing was very good. The highlight by far was the main course. I am a sucker for General Tso, and Shoto did not disappoint. Even better was the lo mein. I'm not sure what was different about Shoto's lo mein, but it's easily some of the best I have ever had. We headed upstairs after dinner to meet Jimmy and partake in more of his craft beverages. If you're into mixology, this is the place for you. As a predominantly straight whiskey drinker, I lean more in the Old Fashioned and Manhattan direction when drinking mixed drinks. I had one of each and both were very good. The girlfriend had some fruity tooty things, which she also really enjoyed. I ended with a Gold Rush, which was by far the highlight of the trip to Jimmy's. Or maybe I was at the point where everything was tasting amazing? Who knows?! Either way, it was a blast, and I am excited to have found another gem in the area. The bar area is really cool, by the way. There are games to be played, bells to be rung (you can figure that one out for yourself when you visit), and great times to be had. If you live anywhere remotely near Lexington, you owe it to yourself to give Shoto, and more importantly Jimmy the Bartender, a try. Cheers. read more

My favorite restaurant in Lexington. Staff is super friendly, food is amazing. Love that you can build your own meal and the variety of options. Love Shoto! read more

Well this is just one of our favs in Lexington. Especially the 'pick your own' menu. The coconut shrimp is DIVINE! If you like mixed drinks, Jimmy upstairs at the bar will make a masterpiece for you. read more

working for them was like jumping through impossible hoops , weird hierarchy going on there , the shift lead was super condescending the entire time working with her , very unprofessional and rude , would find something wrong no matter how thorough of a job done , passive aggressive , egotistical ,out of all the resturants i've worked at never have i been so sure of why they don't have employees. complete and total nightmare. read more

My girlfriend ordered Tempura but they made it Teriyaki. They refused to remake her food the way she wanted and also refused to take it off the bill. So we ended up paying for food we didn't even ask for or want. Never going back or recommending to anyone, ever. read more

Dinner for 2. Shoto is a Japanese Steakhouse & Seafood Restaurant where you can tailor your entree to your own liking. Everyone starts with 5 stars in my book, especially Shoto as their location was in a great spot - brownstone building, tucked between cute shops in a quaint downtown neighborhood. Parking was easy to find and the walk from down the street was pleasant. Walking in, the staff were friendly and quick to welcome us. Here's where stars begin to get deducted. Minus 1 star for a confusing menu. It was a "build-your-own-entree" deal where you pick your protein and then your style/sauce (there were like 15 styles!) and then your veggies and they stir fry it up for you. It was a sit down Mongolian grill type deal. Options are great, but too many options can be daunting sometimes. When a customer has to ask more than two questions about HOW to order, it's already a bad sign. Minus 1 star for the quality of food. The onion soup and house salad came out too quick. The salad was obviously pre-prepped and had been sitting on the counter for too long as the sliced carrots and salad pieces were slightly dried and shriveled. The onion soup was too salty - like it had been stewing too long and condensed. The steak in my stir fry was supposed to be medium cooked, but it was all well-done. Minus 1 star for the combination of food and overall "what-is-this!?" kind of deal. Everything was served with super sweet carrots by default. If I had known that, I would have asked for something else. The carrots just didn't make sense with the stir fry and fried rice. We also got some strange thousand island special sauce for dipping?? But I couldn't figure out if it was for the stir fry, or rice or carrots? Overall, it was a confusing experience. There was much left to be desired. I'm glad most people who go here liked it, but it was more frustrating than anything for me. read more

Shoto - Onion soup, side salad with ginger dressing. - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

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Excellent meal! Flavorful food. I had hibachi chicken with zucchini, mushrooms and onions. Not over cooked and hibachi sauce was delicious. Sweet waitress was serving whole restaurant by herself too. She was so sweet and apologetic if we had to wait for anything. Covid has definitely changed our view on timing. read more

It has been years since we have gotten take outs. Okay then.. Choice's in the menu are good.

Absolutely amazing! Chicken and Cheese Egg Rolls were my favorite thing there! Got 3 orders!

Great little place. Portion size is huge,I think we brought home more than we ate. Valentine's Day dinner, so it was busy. We did have to wait a bit for the food but it was worth it. Staff was friendly, and attentive. read more

Foods great, service is super slow usually....if I'm being completely honest the only thing that keeps me from going alot is the rude lady who owns the place and runs the register. Her attitude is horrible usually 90% of the times I've been in there she acts as if you're wasting her time...On the other hand her husband who also is an owner is a great chef and he's alot nicer to customers when and if he's out of the kitchen. read more

Shoto is my favorite restaurant in Lexington. The food is always fresh and delicious. My usual order is the hibachi steak but you can't go wrong with anything from the menu. I would definitely suggest the chicken & cheese egg rolls or the tempura zucchini is you like appetizers. The staff is always incredibly kind and helpful. I always enjoy the music here as well. Be sure to check out Jimmy's Bar upstairs! Overall, the atmosphere here is always very chill and relaxing. It's a great place to grab a meal, a drink, or maybe even both, any day of the week. At peak lunch time or dinner hours parking can be scarce in uptown Lexington. I've always found it the easiest to park on the side street or in the square. Both are easy to get in and out of and fairly close to the restaurant. read more

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The meal was satisfying, along with the service, but I wish the Japanese restaurant served sushi. Another oddity was the choice of music for the atmosphere, Mexican music!? This is a Japanese restaurant that may give the guests a taste of cultural diversity. Align the music with the cuisine and serve sushi, then I may be compelled to return. read more

My son had the steak with double broccoli, fried rice and carrots. I had the vegetarian stir-fry. Both were good. We will be back! The atmosphere was awesome with good music, cocktails (I had a Sapporo), and an intimate kind of underground escape from Lexington feel. The staff was really helpful as well, Julie was attentive but not overly questioning since it wasn't as busy. read more

Shoto - Mid-bite score! Reminds him of the Cantina from Star Wars with Japanese food. The music is a great mix of oldies and same with the food. - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

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Went to Shotos yesterday! Food was great, last gave back counterfeit money-called back just to let them be aware and owner basically called me a liar. No need in that, just wanted them to be aware, but will not be back! read more

Best place in town for Japanese food. The honey chicken and the chicken and cheese egg rolls are my favorite! While you're there be sure to order a drink from the bar they're great! read more