East Izakaya — Restaurant in St. Catharines

I recently had the pleasure of dining at East Izakaya Sushi, and I must say it was an extraordinary experience! From the moment I walked in, the warm and welcoming ambiance set the tone for a delightful evening.

The menu offered an extensive selection of delicious Japanese cuisine, and their sushi was an absolute highlight. The quality and freshness of the fish were top-notch, making each bite a true delight. The chefs' attention to detail was evident in the presentation of every dish, showcasing their culinary expertise.

One of the unique features that caught my eye was their serving boat. The moment it arrived at our table, we were in awe! The beautifully crafted wooden boat was elegantly adorned with an assortment of delectable sushi and sashimi. It not only looked stunning but also added an element of fun and excitement to our dining experience.

The staff at East Izakaya Sushi were attentive and knowledgeable, making excellent recommendations and catering to our dietary preferences with ease. Their friendly demeanor and willingness to go the extra mile to ensure our satisfaction truly impressed me.

The dining area was comfortable and well-spaced, allowing for an intimate yet relaxed dining experience. The restaurant's cleanliness and adherence to safety protocols during these times were commendable, making me feel at ease throughout my visit.

Overall, East Izakaya Sushi exceeded my expectations in every way. The exceptional food, the beautiful serving boat, and the impeccable service made it an unforgettable evening. I can't wait to return and explore more of their menu offerings. If you're a sushi lover or simply a food enthusiast looking for a remarkable dining experience, I highly recommend visiting East Izakaya Sushi - you won't be...

I’ll start with the positives! East Izakaya is a beautiful place with lovely décor and a great ambiance. Our server was incredibly friendly and very apologetic throughout the evening.

We arrived at 5:00 PM as a group of six and, since the restaurant wasn’t busy, we thought we had plenty of time before our 6:30 PM show—an hour and a half for dinner seemed reasonable.

Now for the less positive… Despite how pleasant our server was, the service itself was quite slow. Drinks were served one by one with noticeable delays in between. We ordered two Sapporo drafts, but unfortunately, they were flat and stale. Our server quickly replaced them with bottles after we let her know, which was appreciated.

Two of our guests arrived a bit late, which delayed the ordering of our main dishes slightly. But once we placed our orders, the mains came out staggered, with a gap of 5–10 minutes between each person’s dish. Unfortunately, one of our party members never received their meal at all. The server kindly admitted that she had forgotten to key in his order, so his meal was packed as takeout and he wasn’t charged for it.

As for the food, it was disappointing. I had the pan-fried udon noodles, as did another guest and the one who didn’t receive his order. The noodles were well-cooked, but the dish itself was lackluster—there was barely any chicken, a few pieces of raw red and green pepper, and just a small amount of sauce. Others in our group ordered sushi, but their feedback was similar.

This is probably the strangest review I’ve ever written. While mistakes happen, and I appreciate the efforts made to correct them, I do hope they aim for higher standards in the future to match the positive...

Honestly usually blown out of the water when we eat there. Yesterday was the exception with really poor service and management. When we arrived, we were asked if we would like to have lunch or dinner. We opted for lunch and were not informed of any price differences. The menu mentions $3 additional for holidays so we figured there would be an upcharge for Valentine’s Day. After ordering from the lunch menu, we were given the bill for two full adult dinners. Spoke to the waitress who said it is a full dinner upcharge all day. So we were being charged to only eat from the lunch menu. They ended up reprinting the bill for two lunches but still charged us for the desserts as individual line items. Really poor way to address customer service. To rectify the issue, we should have only been charged two lunches as we were originally told. Not secretly upcharged an additional 30 dollars and being difficult to fix the issue. Disappointed with the service yesterday.

The answer would have been to only charge two lunches and/or charge two lunches at a discounted rate for their error. This leaves a really poor taste in my mouth for returning going forward.

This review has nothing to do with the food itself, items are delicious. Customer service is very poor, you can’t lie to customers and secretly change the bill and charge way higher when only serving them lunch items....