Mochinut Reno — Restaurant in Reno

Buckle up, folks, because this is about to get bumpy! Like many of you, I was very excited to try Mochinut after my friend raved about it from their trips to California. My friend had already braved the grand opening, only to freeze in line for an hour before throwing in the towel.

Fast forward to last Wednesday and we give Mochinut another try. We rolled in around 5:30 PM and joined a line of 20 hopefuls. Given the chaos of the grand opening, we were fine with a little wait. In half an hour, only three groups made it inside. At 6:00 PM, the owner popped out to break the news: they were shutting down at 6:30 instead of 8 PM because people were ordering enough donuts and corndogs to feed a small army! With disappointment but no hard feelings, we left the line at 6:15 PM. Later that night, I checked their social media only to find no mention of the early closing, which was a little suspicious. So, my curiosity kicked in, and I began researching Mochinut Reno.

After some digging, it's clear that the person running this location is new to the food biz. Delays in opening? Check. Overhyped on Instagram? Check. A free donut promo on day one? Check! With Mochinut’s popularity in California and Vegas, you’d think they’d be ready for the crowd. Spoiler alert: they were not!

But we remained optimistic and decided to give it a go again on Friday. After an hour in line, we finally peered inside the restaurant, which aside from the customers looked rather empty. We also spotted a note on the door about a 15-person limit, but there were consistently more than that crowding the space. After another hour of waiting, we finally got our chance to step inside, only to be told there were 40 orders ahead of us and that we needed to wait outside. Seriously? We felt that the 40 orders was a bit of an exaggeration but it's okay because we're almost there, right? Wrong. Every time a group left; we would try to enter only to be told no. When there were around 7 people in the store, I was finally allowed in but my friend was told to wait outside. Which was odd because there were less then 15 people in the store and we'd seen large groups enter the store for over 2 hours. So why was a party of 2 now an issue?

Ordering is extremely confusing if you've never been to a Mochinut. There are four tablets scattered around the store. The two tablets located by the entrance are only for the coconut jelly. Something I didn't even know that they sold at Mochinut. And the other two tablets in the back are for the rest of the menu. There aren't any signs to let customers know which tablet is for which item. So instead, you have to rely on other customers to tell you. There's also no limit on how much you're allowed to order. Which is why they're getting swamped with massive orders. This problem can easily be fixed by adding a setting that allows only one order per phone number for X amount of time. Or crazy idea, they could have someone on the register.

When I finally got to order, I got a cheese corndog, six donuts, and a brown sugar boba. The donuts have a texture that is love-it-or-hate-it, and at $4 each, they were a bit steep for just okay. The corndog? Good, but honestly, just swing by Sonic for a cheaper version. And the brown sugar boba? We were so excited to finally get our food that we didn’t realize we just paid $7 for glorified sugary milk—no boba in sight!

I could overlook most of these hiccups if it weren’t for the hygiene issues behind the counter. As someone who’s worked in food, I noticed employees checking their phones, handling food, and—wait for it—wiping their noses without changing gloves. Plus, there were open drinks just chilling behind the counter, and my donut box was dirty on the bottom. I get it; running a business is tough, but food safety is no joke! Dough boys would never send me home with a dirty box, so why is Mochinut getting a pass?

In conclusion if you would like to try Mochinut, I would recommend going to the location in...

We decided to visit Mochinut after their grand opening to avoid the long lines, but there was still quite a wait because they only have one tablet to order food. The staff do not take any orders and they have two other tablets that limits you to ordering jelly only. I feel like there is a better way to organize this so it is more efficient. The space is very small and the interior decor is very simple. I feel like they can do a lot more to make it look nicer.

We ordered the following: Original Half and Half Corndog: does not look that good, but the it's one of the better Korean corndogs in town. It actually gives a cheese pulls and was better than I expected. 4/5 Potato Mozzarella Corndog: there is barely any potato on the outside of this Corndog. For the price, I expected it to look like what is advertised. It was still good though. 4/5 3 piece donuts: love the chewiness of their donuts. Definitely is a must try at Mochinut. 5/5 Matcha boba: the boba is hard on the center and too soft on the outside. It seems like they cooked at a very high temperature and not long enough for the inside to cook. The matcha flavor of the milk tea was average. 2/5

After ordering, the food is made fairly quickly. However, the location of their ketchup and sauces table are at the corner of the entrance where people are lining up at. It is not convenient to get your corndogs and ask people in line to move so you get the sauces. I recommend moving the sauces table to where you pick up your order. Other Mochinut locations have an area at pick up to add sauces. The other places ask if you want any sauces and do it for you as well, but they did not here.

They must be very overwhelmed with the amount of customers, so it's totally understandable to have a wait and the quality is lowered because of that. Hopefully there's an improvement of efficiency and quality for when I come back...

I must admit, I approached this place with a hint of skepticism, particularly regarding the wait time and price. The line often spills out the door, which raised my eyebrows. However, after patiently waiting three months post-opening, I can confidently say it was absolutely worth it.

The mochi donut here is, without question, the best I’ve ever had. Its remarkable density and fluffiness are unparalleled, striking the perfect balance that leaves you craving for more. The unique flavors paired with the mouthwatering glaze elevate the experience to something truly special. Having sampled mochi donuts across California, I can assert that this delightful creation surpasses even those found in San Francisco's Japan Town. Some reviewers complained about the cost, well you get what you paid for. Rice flour is much more expensive than those made for traditional donuts. This is quality stuff that is absolutely delicious.

Moreover, the warmth of the owners adds a personal touch to the experience. On my daughter's birthday, the owner's mother graciously gifted her a complimentary brown sugar boba milk tea, which only sweetened our visit. The bottles are also a charmingly unique feature that adds to the overall ambiance.

I find myself eager to return weekly, thrilled to have such a fantastic mochi donut spot right here in Reno. If you haven't yet experienced Mochinut, I wholeheartedly encourage you to join the queue—it's an indulgence that...