Samurai Japanese Steak House & Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Gainesville

Dined here on NYE around 7:30 p.m. We ordered a soft shell crab appetizer, and Udon and a sushi roll for mains. The restaurant was not very busy and many wait staff could be seen meandering around the bar and overheard laughing and talking. When we ordered, the waitress, although friendly, didn't know the answers to a few questions we had about the Udon, and we could tell that she was getting tired if being asked questions because at one point she just abruptly said, "I don't know, I just moved here a few months ago," alluding to her not having worked there long enough to know the answers. Fine, whatever.

She brought the appetizer, but didn't bring any small plates, leaving us to eat our appetizer singly by sliding the plate back and forth between us across the table. When she came to ask if we needed anything she didn't notice the lack of plates either. Fine, whatever.

The mains arrived, and, not surprisingly, the Udon missed the mark epically. My dining partner is in the food business house himself, and is particularly knowledgeable about Asian food, so he was highly disappointed when he received this dish and he noticed these noodles were not what Udon should be: buckwheat noodles. Add pre-made crinkle cut veggies and broth from Sysco, and all you get is something mediocre that can't even be called Udon. But whatever. He ate it without saying anything and we intended to move on. The server didn't come back a single time to check up on us but could be seen having a great time chatting with her co-workers across the room. When she didn't come back, it was to bring us our check, which she did without first asking if we wanted anything else. All she said was there was no rush.

Now feeling a bit duped by this whole experience and desperately wanting some water, my dining partner got up to go to the server to ask for a refill of my club soda. He returned with it and had a few sips himself, since he said his water was very clearly tap water and tasted quite bad. Why are we still serving people tap water? A water filtration system can be installed for a few hundred dollars, and spread across the hundreds of diners they serve every night, is a cost that is easily justified. So, my question is just: WHY?

We sat for a few more minutes and waited for the server to come back for the check, but she never did. So, once again, my partner got up to bring the check and payment to someone - anyone - so we could leave. He flagged down...

We went last night for our daughter's birthday. When we sat at the table there was another group with us that included Elementary age children. The kids were placed on the far side behind where the chef would be cooking. We found out it was the little girl's birthday as well. Our chef was the worst. He never spoke with anyone at our table. He never moved so the kids from the other group could see what was happening. He quickly cooked our food without any of the "show effects" that were happening at the tables around us. Every other table was laughing and clapping and our table was being growled at by our chef for asking questions. He left the table 3 different times to go to the back. They forgot to bring us soup and salad until mid way through our meal. We just sat there dumbfounded and tried to watch the other chefs cook the meals for the other tabels. The point of Hibachi is the experience otherwise we would have sat on the other side at a regular table. It was a celebration and we felt like we were an inconvenience. All around us the table were having birthdya celebrations with the big drum and everyone coming out to sing. We were never sang to at all. The food was fair this time. We had to ask for veggies and there was not enough chicken four our entire table (10 people). Chef had to ask another chef for more cooked chicken for us. The chicken from our table tasted off. We all stopped eatting it. We have gone here for YEARS and never has this kind of issue. When we spoke to the manager she said it just depends on the chef you get as to what level of entertainment they are willing to give that night. And then she said we looked happy enough. It was just super sad more than anything. For that we wont go back and risk an awful chef. We will travel to Jacksonville or Orlando to find a fun and yummy experience...

It disheartens me to write this review. We have been to this place many times over the past few years in which mostly everything was spot-on. Last night we sat in the dining area. The restaurant was not completely full. We told the waitress that we wanted our sushi first then our meal. I didn't think it was a huhe request. Our drinks and sushi arrived in a reasonable amount of time. No problem. Approximately 40 minutes after we arrived we asked about soup and salad. The waitress brought it immediately. Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes after we arrived I motioned for the guy who seated us and asked about our entree. He left and said they wete putting the meat on the grill at that moment which told me from restaurant experience that the ticket was moved and forgotten about. I asked him if he was a member of management in which he replied, "yes." I explained the wait issue and asked what he was going to do to compensate the time we had to wait and also the fact that by the time the food actually got there most of it would be wasted due to the fact that after approximately 20 minutes of eating anything the brain tells the stomach it is full. He arrogantly asked, "Well what is your goal?" I said, "Goal? What goal?" "Is all I'm asking is: What are you going to do to compensate me for how long we have had to wait?" He responds, "When you figure out your goal, let me know!" He then walked off. That was it! I let him know that I figured out my goal. It was to pay for what we consumed and leave! I also let him know that I would not be treated as if I am inferior to him. We are all equal! Thanks for ruining what would have been a great night sir. We will not be back without an apology for your actions and contact from your owner. Our waitress was great! She busted her behind the entire time. Maybe he should learn a few...