MORI Japanese Grill — Restaurant in McAllen

I’ve never made a bad review. As someone in the restaurant industry and currently a manager at a restaurant I’ve never expected myself to write a bad review. Maybe there’s a lack of training or corporate restaurant management training is just that bad. It takes me a lot to send something back and the bimbimbap was just not what I expected. It came with the egg still raw , like still translucent and did not look anything like the picture provided. I know the menu said the rice was cooked at the table so I assumed by mixing it in that would cook it more. One bite of it and it was a salty , spicy and mushy mess. I asked the server if I could send it back and he immediately said he didn’t think I could which I should’ve known was a red flag. When the manager got there , as a manager myself , the energy he gave was already off. He genuinely looked like he did not want to be there and was upset I had the audacity to say anything. I didn’t want to sound rude at all so I just said at first that it just was not what I expected and I understood if I had to pay but if I could just get it out of the way. He then proceeds to tell me that’s why he’s there to see what exactly I didn’t like about it. Again not trying to sound rude or as if I was complaining I said it was just way too spicy for me. He then proceeds to make it seem like it was completely my fault for ordering that off the menu. “If I had let the server know I didn’t want anything spicy the server could’ve recommended something else” . He then tried to say on the menu it clearly describes how spicy it would be which I checked it didn’t. The only thing it said was korean sauce. But yes he made it seem like it was all my fault and I should’ve known better than to order it. Terrible terrible terrible guest recovery. Terrible management. My first time going and never going back again. The 16 dollars you saved from making it my fault , you lost in idek how much more in revenue because up until that point this place was somewhere I saw myself coming to often and...

Honestly, I never complain much about restaurants because I know how hard it can be to keep things running well when it's busy, but wow. The table was dirty, the chairs were dirty, the menus were dirty, we got no utensils or plates, we had a piece of PLASTIC in our sunomono salad with crab. It was awful. The manager came over to give us excuses about it being busy all while saying "I'm not making excuses BUT...". As if it excuses the terrible service. Not to mention he kept saying how he had been so busy having to clean tables himself and help out. Sir, frankly, you should already be doing that in the first place. Manager doesn't mean you get to stand around and do nothing, it means you are the leader and you need to do everything you can to make sure things are running smoothly and the restaurant looks well. It was really infuriating to hear that as someone who knows the restaurant industry well.

The server took a very long time to bring water out and there was stuff in it. He brought out the salad and the rice we ordered and had no utensils for us. I asked for them and he was just standing by the kitchen. Then he tells me they were washing them once he hands them over... How about not bringing out plates with food on them to the table if there is no silverware available?

The food was fine, the salad got switched out, but I don't recommend this place if you want a...

From the moment we walked through the door, we knew we were in for something special—but nothing could have prepared us for the symphony of flavors and service that awaited us.

The food? Transcendent. The hamachi kama was grilled to absolute perfection—crispy skin, melt-in-your-mouth tender flesh, seasoned so delicately it felt like a whisper from the sea. And then came the ikura—each orb bursting with an impossibly fresh, ocean-kissed flavor. I’ve tasted ikura around the world, but this… this was different. Brighter. Purer. A moment of silence fell across the table with every bite.

But what truly elevated the evening to unforgettable heights was Carlos, our server—no, our culinary guide. He didn’t just take our order; he orchestrated our experience. His timing was impeccable, his knowledge impressive, and his warmth genuine. Carlos made us feel like royalty without ever being overbearing—just the perfect balance of grace and attentiveness.

If you’re searching for a meal that will make you close your eyes and sigh with happiness—and service that restores your faith in hospitality—look no further. This isn’t just dinner. It’s art.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A standing ovation from start to...