Nakama Sushi Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Hilton Head Island

We came into Nakama for a sushi/sashimi dinner and didn’t expect much in a restaurant that combines grilled food with sushi. Certainly the decor, while clean and functional, did not exhibit usual Japanese seafood surroundings of exquisite displays of fish. Boy, were we surprised! Before ordering I checked out the condition of the fish and asked the sushi chef about the freshness. His reply”all is fresh”. We ordered dumplings, sashimi platter and tempura. While we waited for the food, we ordered 2 cocktails. The bartender delivered them as ordered and apologized that he only had enough of our requested liquor for one drink and substituted another for the second. He said it was “on the house” and we could switch if I didn’t like it. No problem! Our food was amazing beyond our expectations. Dumplings were cooked just right and tasted fresh. Sashimi platter had a combination of fresh fish including salmon, yellowtail, tuna, shrimp and eel. The bartender and waitress were knowledgeable, prompt and friendly. The bartender turned out to be the owner Chris Morford ( his lovely wife was the hostess amongst other tasks) and he took the time to make sure everything was to our liking. He even stopped by later to invite us to his book presentation and signing at Barnes and Noble. Indeed, a special restaurant and a special owner.

Update on prior review: we came back in May because Nakama exceeded my expectations in February. Again, sushi was great with variety, freshness and quality. An added bonus: cocktails come in adult sizes. Service with a smile and very informative about choices. The owner, Chris, greeted us at the door and was very friendly and attentive to our service and food. My final thought is that the restaurant is special, not only because of the food, but the owners are passionate about food, service and patrons. Make a trip there after a day at the nearby beach and...

Beware of the all you can eat bait and switch! I told my server when ordering we would like to do the all you can eat special. I also asked if the "premium" rolls were included and she responded they were. At the end of the meal, we were told the outside patio doesn't qualify for all you can eat because you could shovel food into your car or bags. I ate four rolls so it's pretty embarrassing to basically be accused of that with my date.

In addition, several of the rolls are not included. I guess there is a separate all you can eat menu we were not provided at the beginning of the meal. I was also told our server was one month new so I didn't push the issue and paid the bill.

As for the food, Sushi was great.

UPDATE TO OWNER RESPONSE : We ordered 6 rolls in total. 2 from the basic selection my date ate and 4 from the premium selection our server initially stated were included.

To be clear, I'm perfectly fine with your policy. Just make sure you state upfront when a customer tells you (twice) there ordering all you can eat and sitting outside. Explaining your policy after the check comes is the reason I declared this establishment is operating a bait and switch. If your server was truly new and failed to explain this like you admitted, you would of taken responsibility for their actions. Instead my bill was over what two all you can eat meals would have been....

This place is truly a diamond in the rough. Passed by here and saw the “all you can eat sushi” and decided to go one evening for dinner. We were a little skeptical but after reading countless reviews, and finding them remarkably positive, we decided to give this place a whirl. We went about 4:00pm and we were seated immediately. We ordered the all you can eat menu. They brought us a white slip of paper with all the options we could get. Not only is it all you can eat sushi but it’s appetizers, salads, sushi, and small entrees. There were two of us doing the deal. In total we ordered 2 appetizers and 9 sushi rolls. They were delicious, made to order, and very timely. Our waiter was extremely attentive of our needs. I will definitely be returning next time I am here. If you are a little skeptical about the all you can eat sushi here are some things to know: if you don’t finish a roll or anything you order (appetizer, salads, etc.) you will be charged for it, you CANNOT share with anyone not doing the all you can eat but are encouraged to share with those in your party doing the all you can eat, I would suggest you bring a friend with you to do the all you can eat together. I don’t think one person could be as successful. Overall we spent $80 for two people. We estimated over $100 in sushi/appetizers that we ate so we definitely got our...