Izakaya Tori — Restaurant in Tampa

The food here is awesome. I've been twice this month, which says something. Lots of choices if you love Japanese food. The second visit, they even had otoro and a few limited items. So here's my full, honest review. Happy hour runs from 5 - 7 pm. Great way to get a few snacks in without breaking the bank. Plus, of course, drinks. The takoyaki was really good, but a rather filling choice if you're not sharing it. Gyoza was awesome - dipping sauce for it just brings it all together. Of the three skewers, chicken thigh was the tastiest. For my taste, the pork belly is overly cooked (but I like my bacon soft, so judge accordingly). Did like the gizzards though. The sauce they use is awesome. Outside of happy hour, my favorite skewer is the bacon wrapped asparagus thus far. Also tried the shishito peppers, which I would also recommend. Ordered the chirashi bowl. Always a great way to get some variety in. I was pleasantly surprised by their tamago. It's not usually something I would order, but this was not at all like those spongey rectangles you get at most places. I wouldn't at all be opposed to going back for more. The fish all tasted delicious. But oddly enough, I found the salmon a bit on the flavorless side - and salmon is usually my favorite fish. The sushi rolls we tried (volcano, dynamite, spicy salmon) were all top notch. On the second visit, I decided to go for the special menu tuna sampler. Would definitely go for that again, but I'm always a big fan of fatty tunas. The grilled yellowtail was super tasty too, by the way. Would love to go back for some of the other grilled options. Service was... varied. Overall, both servers we had were generally attentive and nice. But the first guy who helped us out was AWESOME, while the server we got on our second visit almost seemed annoyed that we kept ordering things. Atmosphere is fun, definitely makes me feel like I'm at a Japanese spot. Final note - parking can be challenging, as the plaza it's in has very...

I’ve been wanting to try Izakaya Tori for a while now and I finally tried it for dinner.

Atmosphere: Don’t let the outside of the building fool you, Izakaya Tori makes you feel like you’re in another world. It’s quaintly decorated on the inside. You can tell the focus is food and fast service when you arrive. The place has NO windows so don’t be shocked when you exit the building and are blinded by the sunlight going to your car.

Parking: I usually don’t write about parking, but it’s definitely a good thing to know about for this restaurant. It’s located in a shopping mall with a SMALL parking lot, the earlier in the day you get there the easier it is to find parking. We were very lucky and found a spot right away, I saw people parking on the side street to eat here.

Bathrooms: I didn’t visit them, but they looked like single stall bathrooms.

Service: Our service was quick and tentative. Everyone was so nice and professional. I always love to ask the servers for their favorite dishes and were pleased with the recommendations.

Food: The food was unique and good. For an appetizer, we tried their ‘Tako Yaki’ which was a dumpling filled with octopus. That was my favorite thing I ate the entire night. It was so good and flavorful. It was perfectly fried and didn’t feel greasy. We also tried the ‘Shiso Rangoon’ which was some sort of leaf stuffed with crab Rangoon and then fried. I was very confused by the dish and amazing you can stuff a leaf! It was good and definitely unique. For my entree, I tried their ‘Tonkotsu Ramen’ which was ok, it wasn’t as good as I’d hope. We were there at happy hour so they had some specials during that time. I’d love to come back and try their sushi, lots of their options were good.

Overall, we enjoyed our food and will be back to try more of the menu. This place was busy and I can see why it’s been in Tampa for so long. TIP: on a Friday night arrive at 5/5:30 to avoid the rush of people!

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I went here for my birthday dinner with high expectations, the raving reviews and word of mouth made me excited to finally try!

For starters, yes, the overall ambience is super awesome. I love the decor, the vibe, the music. The service was great, our waiter was super sweet and nice. The presentations of the food was beautiful. The tables are a bit small and close but was a bit expected considering the facility is small.

Now....me and my fam ordered a bunch of different stuff. From sushi rolls (monster roll, black dragon, dancing crab) to a giant oyster to grilled squid, ramen/udon and kabobs. Maybe we came on an off night, but my biggest disappointment was the sushi. The options are limited. The cucumber was not only bitter, but there is absolutely NO flavor in the rice. None. Made the whole rolls taste bland and soulless. Tried to dip some in soy sauce to salvage. It tasted like the rice was just cooked and put on the seaweed. Maybe consider cooking it in some plum wine to give it some life. And bitter cucumber means old cucumber. This sushi did not taste fresh at all. :( Oyster was OK but overpriced, it definitely had a fishy taste and the sauce it was in did not pair well with it. I tried the eel skewer and gizzard skewer. The eel needs to be cooked quick at a higher temperature, it was too mushy. And the gizzards were overcooked and super chewy. Ramen/udon bowls are very small for the price point. My uncle and bf did not like it at all; the broth tasted off, kind of sour and bland. The main things that stood out decently was the grilled squid, the gyoza and the takoyaki. They were tasty and cooked well. Other than that, nothing else would be a repeat order. Maybe our expectations were a bit too high or maybe South Tampa folks are just used to bland food. Again I love the place and the people there, but the food is just not worth going back and spending a very...