I've eaten out every meal for the past 22 years. That's 24,000 meals. And every bite. Every chew. Every swallow. Lead me to the day I experienced Uppercut. It was #1 out of 24,000. read more

Fine dining is something we like to reserve for special occasions, and this dinner was exactly that. Food has become a hobby for both my hubby and me, so we decided to celebrate two June birthdays with our good friend at Uppercut. My hubby actually discovered Uppercut through Instagram, and we were lucky enough to snag a last-minute reservation! After taking a little while to find the restaurant (worth the search!), we walked inside and immediately said, "Wow." The dim lighting, warm ambiance, and elegant décor made it feel like we had stepped into another era. Uppercut embraces a refined dining atmosphere with a business casual dress code, which fit the evening perfectly. The restaurant was bustling, so we waited a bit for our seats near the busy bar. We had reserved the chef's tasting counter experience, and when our table was ready, we were led through a hidden entrance behind the wine cellar door into an intimate dining room. It was such a fun reveal and the perfect introduction to what became one of the most memorable dining experiences we've had. Uppercut specializes in premium dry-aged beef, and the chefs explained that the current seasonal tasting menu featured 17 courses, each highlighting beef through different Asian-inspired preparations. We also chose the beverage pairing, which definitely elevated the tasting experience. A huge shoutout to Chef Eddie! All four chefs were personable, engaging, and incredibly talented, but Chef Eddie especially made the evening memorable with his humor, knowledge, and obvious passion for his craft. Yes, there is some bias here since Chef Eddie was the chef right in front of us! Watching the chefs prepare every course right in front of us while explaining the ingredients and techniques made the experience feel both educational and entertaining. The evening began with rich bone marrow drizzled over soft Hawaiian bread. It was buttery, indulgent, and an incredible way to start the meal. From there, we enjoyed beautifully prepared beef carpaccio, an elegant beef roll topped with generous caviar and fresh truffle, and course after course that somehow continued to surprise us. Sometimes tasting menus can fall flat at some point or start out strong and then turn weak. But not at Uppercut! Without spoiling the full tasting menu, a few standouts included a phenomenal wagyu sandwich paired with a crisp beer from the beverage tasting, refreshing intermezzo courses (including a honeydew shaved ice palate cleanser), and a wonderful seafood finale featuring crab, shrimp, and steak. The desserts provided a perfect ending and were as thoughtfully prepared as the courses before them. The chefs even sang happy birthday songs for the celebrations! Beyond the food itself, what made Uppercut truly special was how immersive the entire evening felt. Every sense was engaged--from the beautiful dining room and the dry-aging refrigerator displayed in the corner, to the aromas drifting from the open kitchen, the rhythmic sounds of preparation, the laughter throughout the room, and the lively banter between the chefs and guests. It wasn't simply dinner to us; it felt like dinner and a show rolled into one. Wonderful food, wonderful company, and an unforgettable experience. Since the tasting menu changes seasonally, I already have an excuse to come back and see what the chefs create next. The "steaks" were high on this, and the chefs delivered. Cheers to Uppercut! read more

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Well, unlike my other fellow yelpers, I was disappointed with my $650+ omakase dinner at Uppercut! I took my hubby here for Father's Day. He enjoyed it, but I was left feeling bored and not impressed. We were seated close to the corner, and our chef didn't really explain anything to us. I ended up listening to the chef to my left because he spoke loudly and engaged his patrons. Our chef paid more attention to the couple directly in front of him. I had to ask him to engage with us, because we felt left out. Another problem for me is that the meat was cooked to a rare temperature. I prefer my beef to be cooked to med-rare to medium. I literally started gagging a bit while I was eating one the courses because it was damn-near raw. I spit it out in my napkin to avoid throwing up. The service was wonderful and the omakase experience is probably treasured by many. However, I'm a picky eater and I'm not crazy about Asian food, so I think I'm better off ordering my food the traditional way. Don't get me wrong,it was a great experience but it wasn't for me. I will gladly spend $650 for a meal of my choosing, but I have no desire to spend that type of money on a predesigned menu ever again! read more

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A unique and fun experience, a beef omakase within a steakhouse. It's a small room, counter seating, where you talk with the four chefs as they prepare 17 beef centric courses. I enjoyed it, some of the courses were great, none were bad. Beef dishes ranged from A5 to more traditional beef, and all the preparations were quite unique. The only non-beef were the bread first course (and that was served with marrow butter) and the two dessert courses. I've had a lot of tasting menus, and the plus here is the beef focus made it quite unique, the minus is the beef focus limited their ability to be creative. It was a good tasting menu and very unique, but not one of my best ever. The price was also quite reasonable for what you get and the service was perfect. read more

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Pretty Decent Concepts absolutely killed it with Uppercut Somehow I managed to snag a reservation (day of) for Uppercut, so obviously no brainer. It's a 2.5 hr 17-course intimate omakase experience, hidden in what looks to be a wine cellar in Cleaverman. Everything absolutely exceeded my expectations, from the thought and love put into each dish, stellar service, and phenomenal quality. Neither of us can stop talking about the flavors or how great the chefs were. They did mention the current menu is inspired by asian flavors and that they will likely release a new course menu based of latin flavors in the coming weeks. Literally worth every penny! We also added the "directors cut" drink package which includes curated drink pairings over the course of your meal. read more

Uppercut - My absolute favorite bite - New American Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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We went to the uppercut for my birthday dinner. The food was absolutely spectacular. has to be one of my top five favorite restaurants in the world. The service was absolutely amazing, from the front staff, bar staff and the service staff in the uppercut restaurant as well as the chefs were absolutely top-notch. The ambience was really nice. Not only in the main steakhouse. But in this secluded, Japanese beef omakase. we will definitely be back. They are planning on doing different flavors of menus 3 to 4 times a year. It is really hard to get reservations. You have to book it quite far in advance. But well worth it. absolutely spectacular. If you have the chance go. read more

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AMAZING. Hidden inside Cleaverman is an intimate 16 seat meat omakase where everything is prepared in front of you. It's truly worth the price for a special occasion and truly is a one of kind experience you won't find anywhere else in the valley. It features 17 courses (including intermezzo palette cleansers such as soup, shaved ice, and tea, and desserts). It's curated perfectly to be just at the right level approaching fullness without being stuffed or overdoing it. Other omakases I've been to, I've left hungry or am full part way through and can't enjoy the rest. And the pacing of courses is spot on, you're not waiting forever between courses or feeling too rushed to enjoy a course. The chefs guide you through each plate and the best way to enjoy the dish as you'll be tasting AZ Wagyu, Japanese A5 Wagyu, Australian Wagyu and more cuts presented in various ways inspired from around the world. Even the desserts utilize the meat concept in the form of beef tallow. They also offer a beverage pairing to complement the courses from light and refreshing to beer, full bodied wine, and dessert wine. read more

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We came to celebrate a birthday and it was a really wonderful experience! The service was great, all the servers were incredibly attentive to each couple, all of the chefs were attentive and interactive with all of the couples equally. We recommend coming an hour early, sitting at the Cleaverman bar and having a drink because they will come grab you when the experience starts, very coordinated! There was not a single course we did not like. My favorite restaurant in the world is Canlis in Seattle and this is right up there with it in quality. We will absolutely be back later this year! 10/10 experience, ambiance, staff & evening. read more

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We had the most amazing dining experience last evening! I've never been to a 17 course dinner before. The Chefs were awesome, the presentation was incredible, each course was unique and delicious. Very creative and original!! Attentive service and wonderful ambiance. They definitely created fun energy and an outstanding experience!! read more

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I ate at uppercut on Monday July 6th I have to admit it was an amazing meal the staff were great and they explained everything. Everyone was really knowledgeable about the food that they were giving you they were very up on allergies and making sure everybody enjoyed what they were eating,it was an amazing experience except for one thing. There was a guest that was dining during the time that I was dining that was obnoxiously loud so loud that dinner was I wouldn't say ruined but less enjoyed because of how loud the person was and the staff did nothing. The guest was so loud that I could not speak with the person next to me because we couldn't hear each other by the end of dinner I actually had a headache because it was so loud for so long. I would definitely go back and I do want to go back so I can enjoy it completely and fully but if you're questioning if you should go you should absolutely go it was an amazing meal and very worth the money read more

Such a great experience! The chefs were so personable and interactive, the servers were on it at all times, the cadence was just perfect and the food was generally very good! We did like a few dishes more than others. The room is so fun as well, walking back through a hidden doorway and greeted by several people immediately just started the experience off perfectly. read more