RAMEN IZAKAYA AKIRA — Restaurant in Lewisville

I really wanted to love this place and have a “neighborhood gem” that we could share with family and friends - but after the way we were treated last night, I can’t go back here.

After hearing great things about this restaurant, I was really excited to try it with my ramen-loving daughter when she came home from college. My husband, daughter, and two of her friends tried to eat here. I saw the sign outside, which states that they can’t seat a party of more than 4, so my husband and I planned to eat at one table, while my daughter and her friends ate at another.

Once we walked in, the hostess immediately told us she would not seat us because there were 5 of us. We explained that we understood the policy and were willing to be split into two parties. She very rudely and quite aggressively said that the five of us came in together and so we could not eat there. I’ve never experienced such disdain from a hostess before. We were potential customers! She didn’t try to explain the policy or apologize. She treated us like we had no business trying to eat there!

I am still perplexed by the policy and the attitude toward people who could have been long-term customers.

I understand that the restaurant has been burned by a large party before, but that is no reason to treat those who want to try your food so rudely! If you are going to have such a harsh policy, at least be nice about it. Show a bit of compassion toward disappointed customers. Hospitality is an important factor in the restaurant business - especially in suburban Texas!

I don’t care how good the ramen is — this restaurant won’t make it if they don’t rethink their attitude. A restaurant who thinks it’s too good to allow large parties - or to at least allow splitting a party - is missing the point of dining out. Dining out is about more than good food. It’s sharing a moment and an experience with those you love - and for many of us, that’s more than...

Haven’t been here in awhile, so tonight I had my spicy garlic pork shoyu and husband enjoyed his spicy garlic chicken. It’s great to see that the best ramen in Dallas is still the best! Courteous, prompt service and you can taste the attention to detail. Prices haven’t gone up since the modest bump just after Covid, even with this year’s inflation- many in the area have increased prices this year, some even repeatedly. Not Akira. As for the very clearly presented policies stated on website and in person: 1.) Don’t like it? Don’t eat here. Their place, their rules. Don’t leave bad reviews because they didn’t make an exception for you. This has been in place for a couple years now, it’s not a surprise. 2.) 4 per table is to make sure they’re not overwhelmed with large orders. People don’t seem to realize/care that it’s literally a one-man operation (with an assistant and one waiter) in a tiny place. 3. Most with kids in the US don’t know that the brats they smilingly allow to run amok are not the norm in countries like Japan where this restaurant’s owner is from. Children there are taught from the time they can barely walk how to behave in public. Here, it’s a free-for-all with parents expecting other diners and the establishment to just deal with their loud, messy kids. There’s no law that your children have to be served, and if you don’t keep them in line, that’s on you. It’s refreshing for the rest of us to be able to enjoy our meal in peace. Akira-san, stick to your guns and those who appreciate your effort will be glad to continue eating here. Thank you for creating such a nice place for us to enjoy your delicious food....

Quite disappointed with my recent dinner here. I had been once before maybe over half a year ago and quite enjoyed the food, but something seems to have drastically changed for the worse.

The chicken karaage went from being well-fried, slightly tangy, and juicy to being over-fried (bordering burnt), dry/stringy, and flavorless. It used to come with a mayo-based sauce, but during my most recent visit, it came with a plain pile of salt and some thin, vinegary sauce that did not pair well with the karaage whatsoever.

Echoing many of the other reviews here, the ramen was quite a big letdown. I ordered the plain pork shoyu ramen.

I had a significant portion of my noodles stuck together into a doughy, undercooked mass. The server was very apologetic and had the kitchen remake the bowl.

Unfortunately, the remade bowl was not much better. While the noodles were now separated and cooked appropriately (the bare minimum I expect from a ramen restaurant), the toppings were cold. The bamboo was cold, my egg (which was buried under the noodles along with the pork belly) was simultaneously overcooked in the center (no longer jammy), but also cold! I understand that many components are prepped ahead of time having worked in restaurants myself before (as is likely the case here), but that doesn’t mean you can serve those components from the fridge/storage cold.

This might’ve been a 4-5* place in the past but given the prices here and the substantial drop in the quality and taste of the food, I have no reason to...