Koto Japanese Steak & Seafood House — Restaurant in Lynchburg

Nestled just a few storefronts down from where the old Big Lots used to be, my husband, our team, and I were excited about completing the new Crunch Fitness. Amidst the bustle of finishing a project, we stumbled upon Koto—a cozy little restaurant that initially impressed us with its warm hospitality.

Despite being a small venue, the staff at Koto wore many hats, serving as hosts, servers, and food runners. Our first visit was smooth and welcoming. We ordered sushi rolls and cocktails, which were served promptly and prepared well. My husband enjoyed a spider roll and a margarita variation, while I had a green dragon roll and a Tom Collins. Everything was delicious, and our server Tommy was friendly, attentive, and accommodating. We genuinely left that evening with great impressions.

Unfortunately, our experience on subsequent visits took a turn. During one visit, a younger staff member seemed visibly irritated when I asked for a more accessible seating arrangement. The booth was difficult for me to maneuver due to my disability, and trying to adjust the bench caused a minor scene. I couldn’t help but wonder if my condition contributed to the cold reception. A second staff member was similarly unwelcoming, which added to our discomfort.

We hoped it was just a bad night—but on our next visit, the same issues resurfaced. A loud and disruptive party disturbed the dining experience, and staff made no effort to intervene. Ironically, I was treated more harshly for politely requesting a seating adjustment than this group was for causing an actual disruption. One of the same staff members from before again stared at me with a glare that made me feel singled out and unwelcome.

On that visit, it took 45 minutes to complete a simple meal—soup, salad, sushi, and one drink—and we had to wait quite a while just for the check. The bench I sat on was also unstable and nearly caused me to fall; fortunately, I was able to brace myself by grabbing the table.

Sadly, what started as a place that felt like a hidden gem has proven to be inconsistent and, most concerning of all, not truly accessible or inclusive. We’ve made the difficult decision to revise our original five-star rating. Until the hospitality and care that initially impressed us returns, we...

May 11, 2014 at approximately 12:15pm I, along with three other guests visited Kyoto on Wards Road in Lynchburg, Va. Unfortunately, we will never return. First off, when we asked our server if it was half off sushi (We had heard it was on Sundays) she shrugged and replied, "I think so." We had to insist that she go and verify for us. Secondly, upon her return to the table she informed us it was two sushi for a $1. We ordered various sushi selections as appetizers. Before ordering our entrees we handed her a $10 off the purchase of two dinner entrees coupon. We told her we were willing to order off the dinner menu in order to use the coupon. She took our orders and disappeared. After the chef began the process of cooking our entrees our server returned and informed us that the coupon couldn't be used on the entrees we ordered unless we ordered a more expensive entree. This was frustrating because the chef had begun cooking our meals already! We gave her the coupon in advance so why didn't she inform us of this stipulation prior to submitting our orders to the chef? Other than having to ask for refills and sitting there for 20 minutes with empty glasses, the cherry on top was that our sushi appetizers arrived AFTER our entrees AND the order was incorrect! Who wants to take leftover sushi home?! Finally, when we got our checks the sushi was not on special as she had informed us! We spoke with a manager who told us he would adjust the price on our checks. This never happened. They ran our credit cards for the original unadjusted price and the manager was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, I have never had such an awful experience and I will not be back. I strongly recommend Wasabi or Osaka's for not only quality sushi/hibachi but also...

I’m a DoorDash driver and just had one of the most disrespectful experiences I’ve ever encountered — about 10 minutes ago at this location.

I came in to pick up an order like I always do. I greeted the staff, grabbed the food that was already ready, and began heading out to deliver it to the customer. One of the workers asked to see my phone — which I understand — but I had to move quickly to get the order delivered on time. Even though I had clearly taken all the right steps and didn’t act suspiciously at all, the worker came outside and literally snatched the food out of my hands, saying I should’ve shown my phone.

When I calmly asked to speak to a manager, instead of trying to resolve the situation professionally, the manager doubled down and told me, “You won’t be back,” as I was walking out. That comment was not only uncalled for but showed a total lack of respect and professionalism.

I understand restaurants are trying to prevent theft — but I’m not a thief. I’m someone working hard to deliver orders quickly and correctly. There was absolutely no need to escalate the situation or speak to me like that.

No delivery driver deserves to be treated this way. We’re partners, not enemies. I won’t be returning to this location, and I hope management reconsiders how they handle situations like this in the future.

— A Dasher just trying to do his job...