Samurai Japan — Restaurant in Vestavia Hills

The food was wonderful. The best rice. The best filet mignon hibachi. The best crab rangoons, but you only get 3. The least amount I’ve ever received at any restaurant. Was kinda disappointed in that. The service was consistent, but also annoying. Employees are standing around watching you as you eat. The owner/manager is on top of his game, and I appreciate that but, I didn’t understand them just standing guard against door ways and the bar, basically. I appreciate that they care and want to provide good service. But this is a turn off to me. Yes I want my drink refilled, but I don’t want to be watched constantly every bite I take. The atmosphere isn’t as clean, organized, or updated enough. It could use some work. The price was high. The food was great. Am I going to come back here regularly? Im not sure. Because I can pay less somewhere else, get great food, have a prettier atmosphere, and not be hovered over. The only reason I would come back is for the quality...

My three stars are for the sushi and veggies only. The service was not good. The two female waitresses had an attitude and were very impatient while we reviewed the menu from our phones. The rice that came with my hibachi lunch was a mix of cook and uncooked grains. The uncooked pieces got stuck in my tooth and were too hard to chew making the rice portion of my meal inedible. The sushi was fantastic and I would definitely go back for that. The vegetables were nice but I found a piece of metal in the sauce next to them. The tofu was fried silken tofu and it was horrible. Needless to say I would only go back for the sushi part. I also mentioned the uncooked rice and the metal to the waitress and she just nodded her head, took the plates full of food and walked away. She came back with the check like she did not care about the complaint. Good luck if you...

Hands down, the best sushi and hibachi ever. On date nights my husband and I try to go to new places, but we find ourselves returning to Samurai at least twice a month. Our daughters love it as much as we do as well. I’ll have to give more details when I have more time, but our favorite basic roll is the Alaska Roll. If you don’t want a raw basic roll, go with the Salmon Tempura Roll. We’ve tried a lot of the more deluxe rolls, and have yet to find one we didn’t like. I must mention, their sushi is high quality and oh so fresh. I crave it often and wish we lived closer! But it’s worth the 30+ minute drive every time.

The vegetable tempura, edamame, and avocado bomb appetizers are delicious! And their happy hour menu is a great value. Even after happy hour, it is reasonably priced.

Also, ask for Veronica or Laney! But all the servers...