Ponzu Izakaya Waltham — Restaurant in Waltham

I went into this establishment to pick up an order, and what should have been a simple pickup turned into an extremely unprofessional and unacceptable experience. When I arrived, I clearly confirmed the customer’s name with the woman working at the counter. She acknowledged it, so I stood there waiting patiently for about five to ten minutes while the order was being prepared.

When she returned, she decided to question the order again as if I had not already confirmed it. I repeated the name politely, took the order that had been set aside, and began to walk out. At that moment, the employee suddenly grabbed me and physically tried to stop me from leaving. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior.

No employee has the right to put their hands on a customer under any circumstance. I had verified the name, followed the process, and was in no way aggressive or confrontational. The employee’s actions were completely out of line, unprofessional, and frankly unacceptable. This type of conduct raises serious concerns about training, management oversight, and basic customer safety.

Being physically restrained or grabbed inside a business for simply picking up an order is outrageous and could easily be considered assault. If this is how they treat customers, it speaks volumes about the lack of professionalism and respect at this location.

I strongly advise others to avoid this establishment until management takes accountability and properly trains their staff on how to handle customer interactions. No one should ever have to experience being physically grabbed or stopped while simply trying to pick up an order they have...

I hardly write reviews but I feel compelled to write one because of a terrible experience. I went with a friend who came from Canada and wanted to try sushi in America. So we came here. The atmosphere was welcoming and the sushi was phenomenal. Everything was smooth until the very end when we had to pay. Me and my friend split the bill and the waitress asked about tipping. My friend uses a debit card that converts CAD to USD and it can sometimes be complicated with the fees involved and my friend didn't have any USD cash on her. The waitress was extremely demanding and rude towards my friend because she could not tip and said "tipping is how we make money". She even held back my friend's debit card so that she could pressure her into giving a tip. The waitress' entitlement and inconsideration deeply hurt my friend. I understand tipping is important in America, however no one is entitled to tips. This restaurant needs to either pay their employees better or have more hours available if their waitresses are this desperate for tips. It is not the customer's job to be the main source of income for their employees either. I do not recommend people who are international to dine here especially if they dont have USD currency because they will most likely be discriminated against for not being able to tip. Food was 10/10 but customer service was rude and uncomfortable. Do better and I will...

I've been going to/ordering from Ponzu for a long time. I usually order a bibimbap and scallion pancake with seafood, the photos attached. I've also had their sushi and doen jang chigae, both of which are good. The only dish I wouldn't recommend is their calamari; one thing that occasionally goes wrong with their dishes is they're too oily. In the case of their calamari, it feels like the batter isn't thick enough to absorb the oil, or else it's just not what I'm used to eating. The fried part is whitish instead of the typical golden, and it's just greasy.

Besides that, I'd actually say they've improved over the years. Obviously their scallion pancake is also oily, but it's the perfect combination of crispy and soft. The saltiness is also just right when you dip it in the sauce. It was once under-cooked inside while burnt on the surface, but that hasn't happened for a while. They also used to add too much sesame oil to their bibimbap, but not anymore.

I don't know if they serve them anymore, but back before COVID I really enjoyed their banchan when dining in person. I marked that you'd spend $20 - $30 per person, but that's only if you order appetizer(s) as well. Their portions are large, and the flavors are great. I'm looking forward to trying some new dishes from them...