Sumo Hibachi Sushi — Restaurant in New Philadelphia

Update Not much has improved here. I just came in for lunch and they were not prepared. 2 of the things I ordered, white rice and the clear soup that comes with the lunch special, were not ready. How are you open but aren’t ready to go??? And these are 2 commonly ordered items….you have a lunch special that includes them! They asked me if I wanted to order something else or if I wanted to wait an additional 30 minutes. I decided to wait because I wanted what I ordered and had the time. The food was great as usual, but when I received my bill, I was still charged full price. I couldn’t believe they didn’t offer to discount my bill in any way for the extreme inconvenience. I requested to speak to a manager but was told they were off until Wednesday and asked me to call in then. This is not how you run a restaurant. Someone in charge needs to be available to handle customer issues which all business experience. And I understand being short staffed but come on. You are supposed to have things ready and prepared before you open and make things right with the customer when at fault. If you offer items on a menu, there shouldn’t be an issue with accommodating orders. You can’t only have some things prepared when you open. Apologies without change are just words. Management needs to get it together.

I absolutely love the hibachi here. It has great flavor and am a huge fan. With that said, there are a few things that are a bit disappointing. When you order takeout, the portion sizes I’ve received are always much smaller than when dining in, yet I’m still charged the same. I even mentioned this my last time in, but they didn’t seem make any changes as it still remains the same. Also, they charge $2 more to substitute mixed vegetables for mushrooms which is a little much given the fact that you don’t get a very big portion (I counted 7 mushroom slices in my last order…how does that justify the $2 increase). Lastly, they cannot handle steady or busy times. They seem very disorganized and can’t keep up with dine in and carry out orders. I’m going to assume they are short staffed which I totally understand, however, I don’t see any job openings for this location. The only time you can get normal service times are when dine in/call in’s are at times where restaurants are...

We have always been a big fan of Sumo since we moved to town. We have never had a problem until these last few times we have gone for lunch. A few weeks ago we came in during lunch and we were told that we had to sit at the regular dining because the hibachi table was closed. Later to find out it was because we were 2 people and they didn’t want to dirty the table for only us 2. Today when we came in we were sat at the hibachi table again it was only the 2 of us. After the soups and salads were brought out we were told that we would have to wait at least 30 min because there was an incident in the kitchen. They tried to get us to move to the regular dining but we said we would wait. They were trying to wait to see if more people came in so they would dirty a hibachi table just for 2 people. When the chef finally came out he tried to say that the wait was because the other chef was in the back cooking noodles and couldn’t leave. This is poor planning on the restaurant management. If you are open for business and offer certain services you need to be prepared. When people come in during lunch they are usually in a timed lunch break. This can cause a problem for that person with their job. When I called to speak to a manager I was informed there are no managers or supervisors. The only person you can speak with is the partner and she is not there all the time. No one at this restaurant cares about the service. I don’t think we will be coming back. I think we are going to try the new hibachi place in Dover. Hopefully it’s better and we won’t have to deal with anymore...

TL;DR Sumo Hibachi Sushi is a great spot for fast service, amazing food, and a fun hibachi experience. While some areas feel a little outdated, it doesn’t take away from the overall experience.

Location I’ll admit, I almost always miss the entrance, but that’s on me. I love that it’s right by Lowe’s in case I need something, and it’s so convenient being next to the UPS Store and Staples for Amazon returns. There’s even a nail salon nearby that I still need to try!

Service The service here is always fantastic. The food comes out so quickly it feels like they knew what I wanted before I even ordered. Everyone who’s waited on us has been super nice and attentive. When we tried hibachi, they went above and beyond with balloon animals and a made a napkin rose.

Food The food is consistently amazing—I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal here. My only “complaint” is that I wish I could eat more at one time because everything is so good! (I will say the hibachi was a little too salty, but I think that depends on the cook you get. I still ate it so it couldn’t have been that bad).

Ambiance My husband pointed out that the restaurant feels outdated and area around the sushi bar feels cluttered with to-go boxes. While it doesn’t bother me much, it’s something to note if you’re particular about ambiance. That said, the dining area is clean and comfortable, and I’m usually too focused on the food to notice.

Other Comments I’m so happy this place exists. It’s always a great experience, and I can’t wait...