Nakama Anime Bar — Restaurant in Fruit Cove

EDIT: In response to the business feedback - thank you for returning with a more professional response without the caps lock. I want to connect on the food conversation and say you don't need michelin star chefs to have decent food or product and no, pork belly buns do not equal full pork fat. But you're right, I left the review because your "protection of your business" comes off rude and dismissive of peoples experiences because this isn't about protecting your business it's about being open to feedback and not making excuses. I can't support a business for the sake of it being small and local. If it's not good make improvements? If you don't care what other people think, you're going to get the lower reviews from some people. Good luck all the same - you clearly have fans and that's great.

We went for the first time this past weekend and honestly, we were disappointed with the food as it lacked seasoning overall and the pork belly buns, as many other reviews have stated, were just fat. The atmosphere was cute between the food area and the bar and the karaoke rooms looked nice though we did not use them personally. We ordered the pork belly buns, a chicken and shrimp hibachi, and a steak hibachi – I can say it was not very good. We did order drinks and were very happy with how they came out – the bartender really did a great job! Overall we won’t be going back but at least we gave it a try.

Our biggest disappointment, however, is the Google account owner of the restaurant who is acting like bars can’t have good quality food along with their drinks. It’s so rude to see the owner clapping back to genuine customer experiences in all caps instead of taking the feedback and either ignoring it because you don’t care or being humble and grateful someone took the time to try your place out. Feel free to use your all caps method below but the bottom line is, people who spend their money at restaurants, stores, whatever, have the right to be critical about the money they spend whether it was a good or bad experience. We weren’t going to leave a review and just not go back but after looking at the owner responses to these lower star reviews, we felt it was necessary to at least say, while we didn’t like it, some do and that’s great, but if you’re going to be disrespectful to the patrons that gave you a try because they had a poor experience, it really shows how much value you put in the community and your restaurant. Oh, and for the record BARS CAN HAVE GOOD FOOD AND DRINKS AND NOT BE FAT FILLED CRAP - for your all caps game. As a couple who is well traveled, we have absolutely had amazing bar and pub experiences with and without anime themes that nailed food and drink to perfection so it just sounds like someone who doesn't care about their customers or lacks humility in feedback....

The staff here is so unprofessional I made a review earlier but wanted to come back and say what actually happened. I came into the bar it was very dark and loud and you can’t see anything but the people behind the bar. I asked a lady about the reservation I had made earlier for the karaoke room. She only told us that we needed to buy a drink and pay $16 a person to get a private room. I did just that and got no receipt not once was i told by the staff that i was opening a tab or that there was additional 15% being added to my bill before it clears in the bank. We had a great time during karaoke no problem. I woke up this morning to an almost 90 dollar charge. After calling i then learned about their so called common practice of their bank charging 15% extra on ur bill for to make sure the funds can actually clear. So i asked to speak to the manager, who then let me know of a tab i supposedly opened unknowingly that they put an extra 20% gratuity on ur bill. He then told me it was MY FAULT that his staff lacked the common sense to let people who have never been there at that know they started a tab. The manager was rude and blamed me for there negligence i don’t recommend swiping your card here but the place is definitely a vibe but other than that it’s not worth anything else. I will be reporting this place to the BBB as they seem to run off unethical practices. Food was also unseasoned and not worth the money.

Edit: I am surprised they haven’t responded to this review as they don’t seem to take criticism from guest well. I scrolled down to see other unsatisfied guests being put down by either the owner or what ever unprofessional they have put in charge of responding to google reviews. I and the other 5 people that accompanied me to this poor excuse for establishment have contacted the BBB as well as submitted this place as fraud since one of us received a receipt and the amount of the receipt doesn’t match what was charged to the bank. After speaking with all guest we realized some of us were charged only the 15% while others only 20%. But after speaking to the manager both were supposedly were supposed to be charged. This place seems to take advantage of the crowd they attract as a lot of Anime fans are not out spoken but I am. My party have been to many different anime bars and none as atrocious as this one. Sad excuse for...

So first, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the place. It's a little small but it doesn't feel like it. I like the presentation. Has an early 2000 anime vibe. You're Naruto, your One Piece, Dragonball. Basic toonami stuff. Definitely not mad at it but if you're looking for niche stuff, outside of drinks, this not the spot. It feels like a dive bar that someone found a bunch of anime stuff and threw it everywhere. I like it.

That said, it's a very locals bar unless there is an event. It closes at 12, not 1am though. When there's events on the weekend, it's poppin like nothing else, and they tend to stay open a little later. The people are chill, everyone seems friendly but unless you come with a group or know the locals, expect to be forgotten about even sitting at the bar. Granted I understand wanting to close early but I was rushed to finish my drink at 11:45, which I just ordered.

Drinks were kinda nice! I enjoyed the Gojo, sweet and definitely wasn't cursed . Sake bombs were dope and they do flights which I would highly recommend. They don't have actually normal stuff like whiskey and coke though, outside of miller and stuff like that. So fair warning if you're not used to Japanese drinks and wanna ease into it slowly. I actually was offered to go to another spot when I was ordering. 🙆🏿‍♂️

Karaoke was dope. If you sign up be sure to not let yourself get skipped. The sound system is dope. Can hear everything clearly, words are big enough to read. There's more fun and engaging karaoke places if that's your thing. It felt more like "locals idol" than a fun karaoke experience.

Maybe it was an off night or there was an emergency that threw everyone off but I would suggest only going on the weekends or events. It was my first night not during the weekend, and honestly it's for the birds. I usually feel at home when there's less people around but I'd rather be there on a night where I don't feel like I'm a nuisance for showing up.

Would I go again? 💯. Why? Cause it's a dope spot all in all. Just know exactly what you're getting into. When it's jumpin, it's really really fun. If you're just going to get an after work drink, watch some anime, sing some karaoke, just go home. This is more of an events bar than anything else. So definitely go if they're having events, cause its unmatch like anything else...