A1 Japanese Steak House — Restaurant in Allentown

The food was amazing and I would give 5 stars for food. However, our table had a grill and the one side was pulled away from the table to reveal some pretty nasty stuff that had been collecting for a while.. dirt, rotting food, grease, hair, etc. It was clearly not a place most would clean but because the grill was pulled away from the table it was feet from where we ate and was pretty gross to even look at. Sorry, no picture. Additionally, our server and I had a lot of trouble communicating. I want to say it was only a language barrier, but I was pointing to the menu item and saying what I wanted correctly. It took 5 mins to get across I wanted 2 salmon sushi, 2 tuna sushi, a California roll, and a spicy tuna roll. It was painful. Not just for me but for my family as they watched. I checked with them as soon as she left to see if I was off base by feeling like she was intentionally messing with me. I would say 2 pieces and she would say 1. Or I would say sushi and she would say nigiri. They didnt even sound the same. The kicker was when I got frustrated and said to just forget the sushi and she laughed and asked if it was my first time there. We have been here many many many times and I order close to the same thing every time. My family all felt it wasnt just me. One other small thing, I was rather annoyed to see there was 18% already added without anyone pointing it out but still asking for a tip, not an ADDITIONAL tip. I will end this on a positive note.. The chef was amazing and the food was amazing. Everything was delicious. Like I said, we've been many times and I would have given a 4 or 5 stars on any other visit. We will be back and just hope for a better experience the next time. I hope this review finds the owners who fix the grill situation and ensure their staff can communicate effectively...

Here are the lowlights: Ordered wine that was sour. Now this was a white zinfandel - something that I am sure turns pretty quickly by the glass at a restaurant, right? Told the waitress and she did not return with a new glass.

Ordered a philly roll for appetizer. Not the best, but OK.

Ordered a sushi and sashimi combo platter. Three separate times I asked the waitress what is in it, and she had to three times go back to someone else. Now mind you I work for a Japanese company, and I certainly understand the language barrier, but you have to have the slightest command of the language spoken in the US. Broken English was not even preset. The sushi was not representative of sushi. I might of expected too much of a "pedestrian" platter. Glad I didn't go for anything spicy, or a "special" tonight.

My wife ordered (not a sushi fan at all) chicken teriyaki. She nibbled on a few pieces, and I tasted it. It was no more than a bunch of pre-cooked chicken slices, cut in strips for chopstick use, bathed in horrible teriyaki sauce, sprinkled with some sesame seeds and placed on a sizzling platter. I have to tell you we left 90% of it.

Filthy restaurant. Floor littered with napkins, trash, etc. Who knows what happens in the back of the house?

Waitress comes over and asks if we want a "to go" box. I said I would prefer to see the manager. Lots of excuses from the manager but no apologies whatsoever.

We ask for the bill and pay the bill in its entirety, including what I would consider a fair tip of 15%.

Bill taken up front by waitress and while walking out of the restaurant the manager (at the register) asks "if we need change." I said no thanks, and be sure the waitress gets her tip. She says OK.

I turn back and the "Manager" is...

I had the unfortunate experience of dining at this hibachi Japanese restaurant with a party of ten, and I feel compelled to share what was one of the worst customer service encounters I have ever had.

Despite having a reservation, the moment we were seated, the service was immediately subpar. The server who approached us was not only dismissive but also downright rude when taking our drink orders. His demeanor was cold and unwelcoming, as if we were inconveniencing him by simply being there.

When I politely asked if we could have a different server due to his attitude, both he and another staff member openly laughed at our table in their language. It was incredibly unprofessional and humiliating, especially in front of a large group.

Hoping to resolve the situation respectfully, I asked to speak with the manager. Unfortunately, that only made things worse. The manager was visibly distracted, standing there on her phone, and when she finally acknowledged me, she appeared completely indifferent. She didn’t apologize, offer assistance, or even show basic professionalism. Instead, she gave me a blank stare as if to say, “What do you want me to do?”—completely disregarding the seriousness of the situation.

At that point, we made the decision to leave, and thank goodness we did. We took our business to Bethlehem Hachi & Japanese Steakhouse and let me tell you, it was the best decision we could’ve made. The service there was the complete opposite: respectful, attentive, and everything this place lacked.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but this establishment deserves to be called out for its appalling customer service. I would strongly advise others to avoid this restaurant. If you value basic respect and professionalism, this is not the...