Ron of Japan — Restaurant in Northfield Township

Well it has been a long time since 1998 that I went to "Ron of Japan" as a 25 something and at that time I was NOT satisfied. I had seen the Shogun Dinner which to me was a Deluxe course tippenyaki style but was hesitant back then to order it because of price and didn't have enough to cover other family members who was dining out with me back then. Anyways Father's Day was coming up and wanted to compare the Ambiance, performance, price, and quality and quantity of the food in the menu versus "Benihana". Well here is my pros and cons.

Ron of Japan (Northbrook,IL Location only) Ambiance: The table where the griddle was a bit small and cramped for anyone to have arm space not to bump into anyone. Very Uncomfortable. Also very Noisy to have a conversation.

Benihana (Locations in Lombard,IL and Hoffman Estates, IL) Ambiance The table was wide and open and had plenty of room not to bump into anyone. Very Comfortable. Not too noisy you can talk to your friends and family.

Ron of Japan (Northbrook,IL Location only) Performance (Of the Chefs cooking) Not much of a show. They cooked and covered the dishes in the lid but I kind of understand because they we're all about cooking it right which leads to the quality of the food preparation. Don't expect alot of knives, metal spatulas and forks flying around and the Chef does not wear a hat to catch the shrimp like Benihana. Focus is just looking at the food cook in front of you.

Benihana (Locations in Lombard,IL and Hoffman Estates, IL) Performance (Of the Chefs cooking) A lot to Show. It is like the circus came to town watching the Acrobats juggling the the metal spatula, knives and forks they use. When they cut the shrimp tail and catch it with their hats and the heart made of fried rice to the onions they cut up and do a volcano and the choo choo train.

Ron of Japan (Northbrook,IL Location only) Price Get ready to break your bank and spend extravagantly. Price point is really high and I spent close to $310 plus with tip for a party of 4. Also they don't give coupons or incentives via email of certain days to go

Benihana (Locations in Lombard,IL and Hoffman Estates, IL) Price Very sweet deal! For a party of 4 you would spend $260 to $290 with tip. They also give you discounts and other incentives via if you sign up online and email on certain days to save you money.

Ron of Japan (Northbrook,IL Location only) Quantity and Quality of food on the menu Delicious!!! Which is why I gave 4 stars to here. Portions of food they give you will make you satisfied and the taste of the vegetables, fried rice, steak and lobster with cheese tasted fresher and flavorful.

Benihana (Locations in Lombard,IL and Hoffman Estates, IL) Quantity and Quality of food on the menu It is OK. Portions of the food were a bit small from the steak, shrimp vegetable ad fried rice and they did not taste frozen however it was nothing exciting to taste after trying Benihana on both locations. Also the ice cream portions on the desert menu was smaller in Benihana then in Ron of Japan. Ron of Japan gave you good portions of ice cream and more selection for other deserts at Ron of Japan.

Bottom Line: I don't want to say one is Better and perfect then the other but their are advantages or disadvantages if not pros and cons. This is how I look at it. If you are extravagant and want to take a person for a good tippenyakii meal and don't mind the noise and ambiance of loud people plus being close to each other go to "Ron of Japan". If you don't care for Quality and quantity of food on the menu, want al ot of space to sit and feel comfortable while having some Entertainment or a show and don't want too spend much and want to come back if you got coupons via email then Benihana. LOL I kinda of think of Benihana like it was "Medieval Times" in a civil way. That is my 2 cents or my observations. Also was so busy did not have time to check in that Yelp has...

I used to love this place, but I think the service has been declining since 2017. Recently, we made reservations online for a party of 4 and it was confirmed via email. We were seated quickly, and the ambiance and cleanliness were still great. The staff, including our server, were friendly and attentive. The drinks were generously poured and tasty.

Our appetizers arrived quickly and were pretty good. The salad was simple, but the carrot ginger dressing was delicious. However, the soup was not as savory as it has been in the past. The chef came and greeted us, but the cooking show was lacking compared to other teppanyaki steak houses. I could tell the rest of the people at the table were disappointed by the lack of showy spots (the onion volcano, the smokestack, trick cuts, egg spins, etc.).

The food was well-prepared, but was individually prepared, which slowed down the process. The lack of multi-tasking meant some people had completely finished their entire meal by the time others were just getting served their main course (mine in particular as they did all the seafood last). Although everything was well-prepared and tasty, it was also a bit oilier than in the past.

Our most recent Ron of Japan trip was probably my least favorite so far. We've had multiple dinners in the past 6 or so years, and I feel like each subsequent trip after mid 2017 would be marginally more lackluster. Their sushi - which in fairness isn't their specialty - has also marginally declined in quality. None of the trips were bad, and there is some leeway granted for the two trips shortly after they re-opened from lock-downs; but I observed many of the complaints posted by other reviewers happening gradually over the last few years.

None of these problems are insurmountable, and I feel like the Ron of Japan experience is still a little above average compared to other smaller teppanyaki restaurants (thanks in large part to them having a much bigger and grander location). I sincerely hope they address the issues, and bring their service up to match the excellent ambiance of their restaurant - especially at the slightly higher-than-average prices they charge.

There are a few teppanyaki restaurants in the area that offer solid competition (two Bennihanas, Sarku, Kobe, and Todoroki), which could easily surpass them if Ron of Japan doesn't work on improving these issues. As well, there are a few that are currently a fair bit better in the area (Tsukasa, Hanakawa, and Rokbonki) that I will likely go to instead until Ron of Japan improves. I've been to Ron of Japan more than all their competitors - possibly even combined... I have fond memories of their prime service from just 7 ~ 8 years ago, and they are very conveniently located (they are also the most handicap accessible). I hope they can turn this decline in service...

Shocking!! My husband and I used to take our kids here for a dress up special family dinner. Everyone used to rave about the food, the ambiance, the spectacle. It was a special treat for good grades, promotions, birthdays & anniversaries. Let's start the review with after being seated. We joined an already seated couple. The waitress then handed to only the 2 gentleman a QR badge to scan. What??? No menu's?? So you have to download the menu on your phone. That is taking into consideration you HAVE a phone. My husband is old school and has no use or want for a cellphone. So trying to share read off a 2"x 5" screen with 60+ yr old eyes ... Ridiculous!! It was a good thing we already knew what we wanted, because they could only find ONE PAPER MENU. That was 2 yrs old!! I asked for a mojito to be made with coconut rum. Nope, sorry. Neither of the bartenders knew how to make one. No non-alcoholic beer. They offer only Ginger beer. Which is a glorified lemonade. We are now served our chicken soup. Another couple now joins us and we all wait now for them to order and also be served soup. ALL 6 of us agreed the soup tasted watered down and bland. Salad, next and was very tasty. Our chef now joins the table and is confused about who gets what. After a table side conference with the waitress, he begins the lobster tails. Highly anticipated, and what a tremendous letdown. It was bland. Zero seasoning. Zero flavor. Veggies were prepared about the same. No bean sprouts. But wait .... Wheres the clanky clanky you come to EXPECT from a traditional Japanese restaurant?? Where's the onion volcano? No fancy knife work. Nothing to be amazed at and clap with excitement!! WHERE'S THE ENTERTAINMENT???? Now for the steaks. Five filet mignon and one ribeye. 3 medium rare and 3 medium. As the chef sears the outside, then cuts them into cubes. He proceeded to mix ALL THE CUTS OF MEAT together and cooks for the same amount of time. In fact, the 3 medium rare steaks were served last. So they were the longest on the grill. The meat tenderness was perfect, yet no, repeat, NO seasoning. Nor were we asked if we wanted salt and pepper. Zero flavor.

So over all ..... Taste ..... Bland Quality . ... Poor Quantity ... Good Value. .... Not even close Recommend to a friend .... Anyone that asks if I know of a great, even good restaurant, I will simply answer "Go ANYWHERE ELSE OTHER THAN RON OF JAPAN in Northbrook. I'll never patronize this establishment...