Kauboi — Restaurant in Scottsdale

5-Star Review for Kauboi Japanese Western Sushi & Steakhouse – Scottsdale, AZ

What a phenomenal experience at Kauboi — and yes, it is truly an experience, not just a dinner. From the moment we were greeted, Klajd and PJ delivered exceptional service with attention to every detail, making us feel welcome, cared for, and completely at ease.

Jeremiah was the magician behind the bar — his cocktails were thoughtful, unique, and presented like works of art. The Jasmine Blossom, served on a miniature Japanese garden with dry ice fog gently rolling over the table, was an absolute showstopper both in flavor and visual presentation.

We began our culinary journey with a refreshing light salad and the Japanese Milk Toast — my date’s first time trying it, and she described it perfectly in one word: heavenly. The crispy rice balls were perfect bites of texture and flavor, and the skewers (sweet potato, short ribs, and mushrooms) were served hibachi-style at the table — smoky, tender, and perfectly seasoned.

For entrees, we enjoyed the salmon and pork katsu — both beautifully plated and bursting with flavor. Every bite brought happiness to all our taste buds.

Dessert? Let’s just say it was the mic drop moment — massive warm gooey chocolate chip cookies served with a velvety Mexican hot chocolate dipping sauce. Unforgettable.

The atmosphere is intimate, warm, and beautifully designed — with upscale Western-style uniforms, indoor/outdoor bars, and a cozy patio. You can even watch the chefs cooking over traditional Japanese coals — a true nod to authenticity without the heavy smoke of western BBQs.

Kauboi absolutely nailed it. For a new spot, the staff is polished, knowledgeable, and passionate. A perfect date night spot — we’re already looking forward to coming back. Thank you for a...

I went with 3 other friends on a Wednesday night for dinner. Let me start by saying, initially walking in - you’re immediately greeted with warm, which is different for Scottsdale (typically very stuffy). The hotel and restaurant itself are absolutely beautiful and the atmosphere (music, aesthetics, waitstaff) is a VIBE. We really enjoyed ourselves from a vibes standpoint. The service didn’t lack once for how busy they were, especially on a Wednesday night. I’m a tequila girly and they only had one specialty cocktail for me to try. Thankfully it was delicious and well balanced. The second drink I tried was mezcal based, very boozy and tasty as well. My friends got espresso martini’s and said they were good. Where the breakdown came was the food part of the service. We got the cucumber salad, shrimp appetizer, two sushi rolls, steak and sweet potato side. The only item we really enjoyed was the shrimp app. Everything else lacked flavor. I’ve had sushi for half the price that was out of this world for example. The steak was lackluster. The rooftop bar area was great, definitely put me in mind of Global. I’d say this is a great place for a few drinks and to head out to a great dinner elsewhere or come from a great dinner and night cap with a few drinks. For $180/person we definitely could have went somewhere else and left satisfied on all fronts. This just wasn’t...

I rarely leave reviews, but our experience at Kauboi was so disappointing that it needs to be shared. We had a reservation for 9:00 PM for an indoor table, but by 9:15 we were still not seated. Instead, they tried to seat us outside, even though our reservation was clearly for indoors and we made it clear we did not want to sit outside.

In an attempt to “fix” the issue, the staff brought patio furniture inside and had us sit there — but the furniture was wet. When we protested, pointing out how unacceptable that was, we were told it would be another 25 minutes before an actual indoor table opened up.

To make matters worse, the managers, Randy and Ricardo, were extremely rude and unapologetic throughout the entire process. Instead of offering a sincere apology or a solution, they told us they didn’t care about our reservation. The attitude was dismissive, unprofessional, and honestly shocking. The manager did tell us we were a big party but they did accept the reservation far in advance and knew that our party would be 8 people.

Restaurants can have delays, but courtesy and respect for paying customers is the bare minimum — neither of which Kauboi delivered. After this experience, we won’t be returning, and I cannot recommend this place to anyone looking for a professional and respectful...