Kabuto Japanese Steak House — Restaurant in Charlotte

You tell me if this is ridiculous..... My wife and I took our 2 friends visiting from Texas (FOR THE FIRST TIME) to this location on a Friday night. We just moved from South Charlotte and loved the Pineville location and we wanted them to experience it. The first thing we noticed was a sign out front that stated to pull off your hoodie, pull up your pants (no sagging), and no marijuana smell. I thought that it was strange to post that at a restaurant, but we don't fit any of that criterion anyway so we moved on. We first wanted to order drinks and asked if they had Hennessy. The waitress replied I don't know, but we have Patron. I have NOT a clue what Patron (tequila) has to do with a cognac. I asked her to ask the bartender if they have any cognacs or brandy. She returned stating that they do have Hennessy and Jose Cuervo. AGAIN, Jose Cuervo is also a TEQUILA. In my opinion, poor knowledge of the products that they sell is not acceptable. We ordered 3 shots of Hennessy, only to be told upon her return that they have enough for one. We moved on to dinner and our chef came out to begin cooking. He skipped all of the entertainment that we typically get at Hibachi. (ie. tricks with the eggs, spatula, shapes with the rice) He also failed to ask us how we wanted to have our steak cooked. He rushed through cooking the meal and it was apparent. The rice was crunchy and not done. The noodles tasted like plain unseasoned and sauceless noodles. Furthermore, upon serving our guests their vegetables, one of them had a raw scallop mixed in. When my guest notified the chef, he advised her to just throw it back on the grill. SERIOUSLY? NOW THE MANAGER IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY EVENING. I expressed to him my grievances and asked if my rice, noodles, and veggies could be remade in the back. He looked at his watch and said " I have 2 options for you. I am not going to remake the food. So I can take all of the food back and take it off your bill or you can keep it and I can discount it for you. " His tone was rude and his response was flippant. He really could care less that I was unsatisfied. I got no apology, as if I was in the wrong. He didn't even explain why it couldn't be remade. I presume because they close in 5 min, but this could have been expressed better. I walked out and did not even give him a response, as I was so shocked. My wife told him that this is ridiculous and his response was simply, "it is not ridiculous." He even came outside once we were in our vehicle to watch us leave. I have never been treated like that and I was embarrassed that I even brought my friends there. I won't be returning or recommending this location. But again, the manager could probably care less. So tell me... was...

The hostess named Alex was the worst part of my dining experience. On Saturday December the 28th 2024 my nephew reserved a portion of the restaurant for his birthday party. From the first moment that we entered the restaurant I could tell by Alex's body language and posture that he wasn't the right person to have at the front of the restaurant. We reserved a room for a party of twenty people and as a group of polite people from another party started to trickle in the lobby became a little crowded. So we made a few phone calls to our expected guest to find out just how far away they were from arriving. So my nephews wife approached Alex and asked if we could be seated because she felt that we had reached a number of our expected guest list only to have Mr Alex say and I quote, Well you made reservations for twenty and now you're changing that number to 17 guests. Alex in the rudest way possible told Heidi that we needed to wait because the room was prepared for twenty and not the new number that she informed him about. Alex stated that no service would be rendered until the entire party arrived. It seems to me that Alex isn't a good listener and due to his over bearing sense of authority he continued to make the claim that we would have to wait. My nephew was outraged and ready to call the whole event off because of Alex's obnoxious behavior. So my sister approached the manager and explained to him that everyone that would be in attendance was already there. And just like clockwork we were allowed to take a seat. The cook was awesome and the waitresses were amazing. I had the hibachi shrimp and steak and it was delicious. The soup was hot and the salad was chilled and very fresh. The waitress kept our glasses full and our tables clear of unused dishes. The restaurant was super clean and the atmosphere was perfect. I tipped the cook and the waitress and on my way out I tipped the young lady that was working with Alex. I wanted to tip Alex but I decided not to. I think that Alex needs to be a dishwasher for just a little bit longer. His lack of being personable along with his inability to listen demands that he should work in a different area of this very fine...

I was actually in search of another place that serves hibachi, but I went here instead after seeing that it was closer and had good reviews as well. I must have been there on a bad day because the service was slow, the food was bland, and the price/portion was sad.

I ordered the vegetable hibachi with salad, no soup because it's made from shrimp-based broth and I'm vegetarian. I waited almost 25 mins before my food was ready for take out. The hostess handed me a bill ,which was about $11 and some change and I inquired if she had charged me for the soup as well even though I did not buy any. (They couldn't even replace the soup for one that was vegetable-based). She said that they still have to charge you for it. Alright, that's fine. I look inside the takeout box to make sure my order is correct, and inside is the most pathetic portion I've ever seen: full of rice and a tiny portion of chopped up vegetables. The salad wasn't a real salad either: chunks of browned iceberg lettuce with a few shreds of carrot.

I was pretty upset about this so I told the hostess that the portion was a pretty bad size for $11 and they didn't even have enough vegetables in it. She gave me this "ummmm" look and stepped into the office with the cash register. I waited about a minute or two and she never came out; I left.

So the service was slow, portion was terrible for the price, and no one came out to address my issue. Oh well, just my luck- but it gets worse: I get home and start eating my meal anyway, but it's so bland that I have to add my own soy sauce. The ginger dressing for the "salad" was fine and the best part was the chili sauce- it was actually spicy and not oily. Good job Kabuto.

I might return to try their sushi, but I definitely won't be getting anything else here again, and I wouldn't recommend getting takeout from...