Sakura Japanese Steak, Seafood House & Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Virginia

Special treat taking our grandchildren to a Japanese hibatchi restaurant, and we have been to several different ones. When we saw that our favorite nearby one had closed recently, we found this restaurant, which we had never been to, and crossed our fingers for a good experience and fun cooking entertainment for ourselves and our granddaughters. Who doesn’t enjoy the experience, right! Very impressed with how much food you get, and it seemed the chefs took more time with the guests rather than rushing everything in. Lots of folks were there on a Sunday night with a holiday the next day. Our chef did spend a lot of attention to a father and his teenage daughter who were part of our group of eight. They were wearing shirts for the Washington football team. I suppose the chef thought everyone would enjoy football and sports talk the whole time. Want a show, not sports talk and my granddaughters got bored and I doubt the two other ladies out for a birthday dinner wanted to hear about sports and sport players. I hope the two out of eight of us wearing their jerseys had a better time than we did hearing our chef talk about sports and they were the clear focus of his attention. My granddaughters ( 8,11) got so bored they finally left to go in the restroom, we had been sitting for a very long time.. Those of us sitting were getting pretty full, as I said, a lot of food, my granddaughters were not seated, they were in the restroom because the entertainment had gotten boring with all the sports talk. Finally, the chef asked if anyone wanted to try and catch bits of food in their mouth. Granddaughters were not there, everyone was pretty full, this should have happened much earlier in the experience. By now everyone was not feeling as hungry and I thought the timing came too late. No one was interested…when does that ever happen, that is part I of the fun. This was suppose to be a special treat for our grandkids, and not even sherbet at the end. The birthday women got a cupcake. Geez, how expensive could it be to serve a scoop of orange sherbet. Also, big chunks of corn with the vegetables. What was that it is a Japanese steakhouse. My drink was all sugar and hardly any alcohol, and the soup, which should have been made with slight fish stock, was bullion cubes…and too salty. Even the salad dressing looked like it was scraped from the bottom of the bowl and was not fresh looking and mushy. Scallops were delicious, shrimp was too tough, all the sports talk, they were over cooked. Our chef was friendly but he misread who his...

. We went to have dinner with my mom at our favorite sushi spot Sakura Japanese Steakhouse - Fairfax. We have never had anything but excellent service and great food. Tonight we are appalled!

While trying to enjoy our sushi etc, I heard a familiar sound…that of “nail clippers”. My mom and husband saw the look on my face and asked me what was wrong. I knew that sound and I thought “there is no way!” I got up to go investigate and when I went behind the sushi bar I found one of their employees CLIPPING HIS FINGER NAILS onto a trash can right back where sushi is prepped 🫣. GASP! My eyes must be playing tricks on me! I cannot believe my eyes. He looked up and immediately knew he was caught. I asked him if he knew what he was doing was beyond unsanitary for a restaurant and he just looked at me.

When I got back to our table the waitress came and I explained to her that he was back there clipping his nails where food is prepped. The “manager” (I would said manager as he looked like he was the “boss” but failed to introduce himself and to ask what the matter was) went to talk to him then he came to our table to ask what was wrong. When I explained what I witnessed he looked at me with confusion. The gentleman (still nameless) when asked if he understood what just happed said he sent the worker to the back to get gloves and that the worker was clipping nails over a trash can not a table. GLOVES PEOPLE! Like that is going to fix the issue. I looked at him and once again let him know that if the health department came by what that worker was doing would not be tolerated. The “manager” still looked at me with confusion. He asked what I wanted 💁🏻‍♀️🫣. Seriously? I responded “I’m not paying for this meal”. He said “if that’s what your point is then fine” and walked away. Not once did he ever come back to apologize, workers were whispering and looking at us as if we had done something wrong.

What I can tell you is that after years and years of calling that Sushi place our #1 , we are NEVER EVER EVER stepping foot in there again. Do what you will with our experience. But if you decide to go there...

I'm from south Carolina and we have a Japanese place called shoguns in florence, sc I love the place so much and the people love us. The food is great and perfectly seasoned and the yum yum sauce is awesome. So I'm in VA. And I chose this place thinking I'd get the same vibe. But one of the cooks/workers made me realize it was far from the same and simply a show until they dislike something. I'm far from slow and I pay attention to a lot when it pertains to my food. Intially I asked for the chicken. And shrimp (was not aware a small portion of lo'mein came with it but it's all fine) however, I mentioned to the waitress which for the very most part was a very sweet and polite guy doing the best he could that I'd did not want any vegetables there was. A mistake with the order when the brought the rice and it had veggies I tried to not make a big deal about it. However he insisted that he could take it back and fix it so I agreed as soon as he turned the corner to the kitchen and another cook walked back with him I heard the way he talked I heard the slamming fo the dishes that I wasn't hearing the entire time and I received the attitude and the head shakes from the man that I guess he may or may not have known I noticed. The only reason why I gave three stars was due to the waitress we had that I still tipped despite how I felt about my experience and the lady with the pretty dress on that brought me water and was very polite. I actually wanted to tell the waitress once he had walked off with the order that was incorrect that I would pay for both rice so it would t inconvinences the company. But after hearing what took place in the kitchen I chose not to. Mind you were were seated near the door way opening to the kitchen entry way. So I know what I heard..I simply won't go back and I'm sure he will be perfectly fine with that. It seems as though everyone else was enjoying their time and food around me. So it's clearly not a bad place for them. Lord knows don't dislike something that's brought to you after cooked even if you say no vegetables...