Sakura Japanese Steak House — Restaurant in Watertown

Disgusted and alarmed by what I experienced at Sakura tonight…

For Context/Credibility - I am a paralegal and member of the armed forces. I value standards and good business practices.

This is what happened to me:

I placed an order for pick up. I arrived to pick up my food and was told that they had mistakenly given my order to someone else who came in right before me. “No problem, I can wait for you to make a new order”, I said. The manager apologized and said she would make me a new order right away. I told her it was no problem and that I believed it was not her fault. With my new order placed, I returned to my car in the parking lot to wait for my new order. After some time, I headed back inside to check on my food. As I was approaching the door, I saw a man going inside Sakura with a take out bag in his hand. I followed him into the restaurant and learned that he was in fact the person who had received my order. He gave the manager at the front the order and proceeded to get a refund, and left the restaurant. What happen next was not only against the law but something I would never expect to see in front of my own eyes… The manager proceeded to take the bag containing the original order that was just returned, into the kitchen, out of my sight, she then reappeared out of the kitchen without the bag. She then went over to the sushi station, and grabbed my new order which was only partially finished. She consulted the sushi chef in Japanese, and then ultimately took the new bag with my new partially complete order and went back into the kitchen. Not even 20 seconds later, she re-emerged with one bag and handed me the bag saying, “you are all set now”. I knew what I just saw but was absolutely shocked and didn’t know how to react.

Did I just receive recycled food? I thought to myself… I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t want to believe it. So, reluctantly, I confronted the manager. I explained that what I just witnessed made me feel uncomfortable with accepting this order. I expressed how it was unacceptable that she took the 2 bags into the kitchen, thus leading me to theorize that she recycled some of the original order to me. The manager immediately became flustered and panicked, stuttering over her words. She didn’t know what to say but her lack of explanation said everything. It was clear she was hiding something, and she wore her admission of guilt on her face. I have never been so disappointed by a restaurant experience as I was in that moment.

This place is suppose to be a “high end”, local hot spot for sushi and Japanese cuisine and this is their standard?? How many others have received recycled food? What else happens behind the scenes? This failure in decency leaves a plethora of doubt. This failure in health standards was alarming, and I was furious. At this point the restaurant staff nearby began to congregate to my location and attempted to help the manager evade past the issue at hand. They all knew I just caught them in an illegal act of recycling food from one customer to another. The manager then without communicating to me, began to initiate a refund. I had seen enough, and so I did not press the issue any further.

My night ended with no food to eat. Their night ended with a new liability.

After this experience I will never eat at this Sakura again, and I encourage you to withhold your business here as well. This is unacceptable and a violation of the law. If you have had a similar experience, please let me know by responding to this review. Action...

My last experience at Sakura Japanese Steak House was definitely one to remember. I recently went to Sakura for my friend's birthday with 4 other friends. Right as I walked in I could tell that the night was going to be a good one. There are many meal options but my friends and I either order chicken or steak alongside rice and vegetables. The chicken was savory and popped with flavor, I couldn't resist finishing my whole plate. Surprisingly I've never tried egg or rice with soy sauce before but when the chef mixed all those flavors together, I couldn't help but ask for more. The rice was so flavorful and tangy. I had one piece of steak but it was definitely the best I ever had. It was juicy and perfectly cooked. The service was amazing. The waters didn't walk past my table once without asking if we needed anything. And the environment was so welcoming and homey. Everyone there seemed happy to be there, there were multiple televisions, and a very comfortable table and seats that we sat at. I will not hesitate to suggest Sakura for the next time my parents ask me where I...

Love the Food, But Misleading Promo Left a Bad Taste

We’re regulars at this sushi/hibachi spot and truly love the food — it’s always fresh, delicious, and consistent. The staff is friendly, and this has been one of our favorite go-to places for a while.

That said, we’re extremely disappointed with a recent drink promotion they had on the table. It advertised a $5 reward for trying a new beverage, but they don’t tell you the drink costs exactly $5.00 — meaning your reward gets automatically denied because you have to spend $5.01 to qualify. Basically, you’re being tricked into buying two. And if you only try one and don’t like it? You’re out of luck and out five bucks.

This would absolutely be a higher rating if it weren’t for how sneaky and unnecessary this tactic felt. It’s an uncalled-for, catchy way to get people to spend more money, and it’s really upsetting to feel misled like that — especially at a place we’ve supported so often.

We hope management rethinks how they present promotions like this, because a great meal shouldn’t end in frustration...