Umami Tavern - Jefferson — Restaurant in Jefferson

Stepping into Umami Tavern in Jefferson, Georgia, is like entering a dojo of deliciousness where chopsticks are your nunchucks and the menu is a kung-fu master of Asian fusion. This place is so new, it’s practically still practicing its karate kicks in the mirror! I swung by for lunch, and let me tell you, this spot is serving up more flavor than a panda munching on a bamboo buffet.

First off, the ambiance is straight out of a Zen garden—if that garden was designed by someone who loves neon lights and hibachi smoke signals. The staff greeted me faster than you can say “soy sauce boss,” and I was seated before I could practice my best Bruce Lee impression. The menu? Oh, it’s a wok-and-roll of options: sushi, ramen, hibachi, and more. It’s like they took all of Asia, threw it in a blender, and said, “Let’s make it tasty, chop-chop!”

I started with a sushi burrito because, apparently, that’s a thing now. It was so good, I almost bowed to it like it was my sensei. The fish was fresher than a koi pond at a fancy Japanese estate, and the seaweed salad inside had my taste buds doing the Gangnam Style dance. Pro tip: don’t try to eat it with chopsticks unless you want to reenact a scene from The Karate Kid—just use your hands and channel your inner sumo wrestler.

Next up, I dove into a bowl of ramen that was hotter than a dragon’s breath after a spicy kimchi bender. The broth was rich, the noodles were slurpable, and the pork was so tender it probably meditated in a hot spring before landing in my bowl. I asked the waiter if they made it with magic, and he just winked and said, “Ancient Chinese secret!” Okay, maybe he didn’t say that, but he should have.

The hibachi plate was the main event, and it arrived with more flair than a samurai slicing through a bamboo stalk. The chef must’ve trained at the Shaolin Temple of Sizzle because the shrimp and veggies were cooked to perfection. I swear I heard the grill whisper, “You want fried rice? I got your fried rice!” The portion was so big, I considered hiring a rickshaw to carry my leftovers home.

Now, let’s talk price. For Jefferson, it’s reasonable—like, “I didn’t need to sell my lucky cat statue to afford it” reasonable. Lunch specials are a steal, and you get enough food to feed a small army of ninja turtles. The service was faster than a bullet train, and the staff was friendlier than a Hello Kitty convention.

My only complaint? They didn’t play Sweet and Sour Caroline over the speakers, and I didn’t get a fortune cookie with a side of stand-up comedy. But honestly, Umami Tavern is the real deal. If you’re in Jefferson and craving Asian fusion that hits harder than a kung-fu panda, this is your spot. Just don’t challenge the sushi to a duel—you’ll lose.

Final Score: 4.5 out of 5 chopsticks. I’ll be back faster than you can say “dim sum, get some!”Stepping into Umami Tavern in Jefferson, Georgia, is like entering a dojo of deliciousness where chopsticks are your nunchucks and the menu is a kung-fu master of Asian fusion. This place is so new, it’s practically still practicing its karate kicks in the mirror! I swung by for lunch, and let me tell you, this spot is serving up more flavor than a panda munching on a...

I was about to get some Chick-fil-A but noticed that the restaurant was open so I decided to try it. I'm a fan of Ramen so I went in and asked to sit outside. It took a while for someone to come take my order even though it wasn't busy. I started questioning myself if I needed to place my order at the front or not. Someone finally came and I placed my order and felt like my appetizer of dumplings took a while to come out to. Fried dumplings were okay. Not amazing but not bad either. Enough for me to order it again. The Tonkotsu ramen... In my opinion, it had no taste and was very bland. I kept on stirring the ramen in hopes that the taste would change but of course it didn't. I didn't finish the Ramen. When waiting to pay the bill, it also took a long time to the point where I started asking myself again if I needed to go up and pay at the front. As a customer, I don't think I should have that sort of feeling at a restaurant if they're supposed to be attentive. I know there are restaurants where you actually go order at the front and pay at the front when you're done.

Overall, I'd come back in high hopes that the ramen flavor has gotten better and to try other items on the menu.

Service could be better but they just opened up so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt

Atmosphere, where the feeling of not knowing what to do... could be better. Being told "someone will be with you soon to take you order" would definitely help. Them letting you know that you're not forgotten would help.

I'm still coming back. With high hopes

Also, the takeout menu doesn't have everything that the restaurant menu has...

I've been 3 times... Because i work in Jefferson. My co workers went within the first week they were open. They ALL said the food was great but the service sucked. Ive gone all 3 times within the last 2 weeks. Everything I've had from there is very good. The first and 2nd time i had take out. A coworker and I went yesterday and sat in the restaurant and ordered. The waiter was awful... We were seated...the waiter didnt come to the table until about 15+ minutes later. He asked to take our drink order...We were on our lunch break so since he took so long we ordered everything at once (Drinks, Sushi and lunch). We asked for the chicken wing... He said "Do we sell those?" I showed him them on the menu. Another 15+ Minutes goes by, no drinks, no sushi, no lunch. He showed up with drinks about 20 minutes from taking the order, then about 10 more minutes the lunch came (hibachi). We had finished eating by the time the sushi came. I had to go to the register in the middle of eating, to ask the guy there if he could have our waiter bring us drink refills. He didnt seem concerned either but he did walk away. The waiter then gets the table next to us... when we left they were sitting there with no food and empty water glasses. Not all of the staff was like that, as we started paying attention to how other servers balanced their...