Kobé Japanese Steakhouse - Longwood — Restaurant in Florida

Beware!!! Kobe sends out birthday coupons, where you either get $15 or $25 off one meal with the purchase of another meal, depending on which day you go (weekends, you only get $15 off). It used to be a free meal, but they changed it. Now I know why.

My sister took me on a Saturday for lunch for my birthday, and we were so excited because I loved Kobe! Until now...

My sister ordered the veggie delight, and I ordered the steak and shrimp and asked the waitress if I could add scallops to the meal. They don't have any prices for side items or add-ons on the menu, so I asked what the cost would be, and if it would be less if I ordered the steak and scallops and added shrimp? The waitress just looked at the menu and didn't tell us a price, she simply said that the way I was already doing it would be the least expensive option and that I was also going to get $15 off because my sister was getting a full priced meal. Kinda shady, but we were looking forward to our lunch and having fun, so we didn't think much about it. (Mistake!)

Needles to say, the chef came out (he was funny), cooked our meals, told me happy birthday, and went on his merry way. The food itself, not like I remembered and seemed to lack the subtle sweetness that is usually there. Seems that they must have run out of teriyaki because it was a little more heavy on the soy and salty taste without any sweetness added. The yum-yum sauce was also kind of bland and more savory and salty than sweet. But it wasn't horrible, just not the same.

Now comes the birthday hat, the song, and the bill (aka, the swindle). With the biggest smiles on their faces to make you happy and get you smiling, the waitress hands my sister the bill (my sis had sneakily told her earlier that she was paying for mine). The smiling waitress then points out that the mandatory 18% gratuity that was already so kindly added to the bill was split between everyone on staff, so if she wanted to leave am additional tip, that would go to only her and the chef. (No guilt trip there!)

My sister was going to give them more, but then she looked at the bill, trying to decipher why it's so expensive, and sees that they charged her $36 for the steak and shrimp meal (which we knew about and had the $15 taken off), but they also charged her $36 for a scallop meal!!! We didn't get a whole meal with the scallops! We didn't get the soup or the salad that comes with the purchase of a whole meal! We didn't get extra veggies or rice or noodles that come with a whole meal! I got 6 scallops! (It might have only been 4. I didn't count them, but it wasn't a lot).

I found out about the bill the next day. And I was furious! My sister didn't want to make a huge deal about it while we were there because she didn't want to argue or want me to think she didn't want to pay or was trying to be cheap, so she paid it...to the smiling, manipulative person who stood there grinning with her hand out, to take her card, almost dating her to object to the price!

Kobe will not be ripping me or my family off again cause we won't go back. And my niece used to go there almost every month with her friends. Greed will get you eventually, and it costs you more to lose costumers than to keep them. And how DARE they underhandedly not inform us that it world cost us the same as a meal! If they had been honest, at least we would have had the choice to either get a whole meal to take home or not get the expensive as heck 4 or 6 scallops!!!

I will also be reporting this to BBB. People work hard for their money, which doesn't go as far these days. Shame on you Kobe! Hope the $36 was worth the...

Made Christmas-day reservation for their private room in early November. We did this the year before and it worked great. This year, after three weeks, I called the restaurant because I had not heard from the manager to confirm the private room booking (the Open Door Reservation App doesn't have an option to book the room, but you must book through the app-so it us noted in the comments and last year the manager called me within 48 hours to confirm). They looked up my reservation, confirmed the private room, and advised me the price went up to $650 and that they needed to take $150 deposit. I had a card in the Open Door system, but they said that I needed to leave a $150 cc deposit now. I gave the cc and was told it was confirmed. Two days prior, I received a text message to confirm we were still planning to be there, which I responded with the "Y" reply (I was prompted to give).

When we showed up, we gave our name and stood around waiting while other tables were sat. Which seemed odd, since we normally go straight back to the private room. After 20 minutes, I asked how much longer and was told that they didn't know because the private room hibachi wasn't working - they were getting a manager to speak with us -and we were being moved into the main dinning area. I was so confused. More so, when the Manager came out and explained that they were moving us to a private table at $450, and when asked why we weren't called and given the option to move our reservation, she said, "we are too busy to call you." Really? Too busy for a 30- second phone call that would have circumvented this mess. We waited for an hour for a table, standing up in their small holding-pen of a foyer-lobby with ice-cold air blowing through the door whenever it opened (which was every 10 seconds). I say "it" because they have a double-door entrance, but the wind was so cold hitting the hostess stand that they blocked off one door so that only their guests were blasted with cold air - not them. I mean they are very busy.

I gave 2 STARS, only because the service we received at the table was excellent. Management, not so much. I would get rid of this inept manager in a heartbeat. A simple, I am so sorry that we did not call you, that was an error on our side. Please sit down and make yourself comfortable (in our frigid area) as we are working to get another table ready for you as soon as possible. But SORRY was a word that alluded her in our multiple conversations. No response other then, we...

Title: A Night of Flames, Laughter, and Full Bellies – Chef Baki, You Beautiful Madman

If you’ve never had the pleasure of dining at Kobe’s Steakhouse Hibachi, let me set the scene for you: sizzling meats, soaring shrimp, volcano onions erupting with more drama than a soap opera, and a chef who could probably win America’s Got Talent if they added a category for “Stand-Up Comedy While Wielding Knives.”

Enter: Chef Baki – the culinary ninja, comedian, and part-time firebender.

From the moment Baki strutted up to the hibachi grill like a samurai with a spatula, we knew we were in for something special. This man didn’t just cook — he performed. Picture Gordon Ramsay, if he traded the insults for one-liners and could juggle spatulas while telling jokes so sharp they could slice steak.

Baki tossed shrimp with such accuracy that I briefly questioned if he had a background in professional sports. He flipped eggs into his hat, into our mouths, and possibly into a parallel universe. He built an onion volcano that actually erupted, and when I say erupted, I mean we briefly lost an eyebrow or two in the name of entertainment. Worth it.

At one point, he made the rice dance. Like, actually dance. I swear I saw it do the cha-cha.

The food? Oh yeah, that was phenomenal too — tender steak, juicy chicken, veggies with that perfect hibachi sear. But let’s be honest: we came for dinner and left with a six-pack from laughing so hard. Baki seasoned our night with soy sauce, garlic butter, and pure joy.

If you’re considering going to Kobe’s and Baki is your chef, prepare to be full — of food and laughter. He’s like if a Michelin-star chef and a stand-up comic had a baby… and then that baby studied under a hibachi master monk on a volcano.

10/10 – would risk my...