Rokbonki Japanese Steakhouse — Restaurant in Wheeling Township

This is not for any one specific visit as we've been here on multiple occasions for events and just to go out to dinner.

Rokbonki has been around since we were teenagers and clearly has stood the test of time.

When you walk in you're immediately welcomed by the hostess (one of the owners) who is actually glad you're there as she treats everyone like family. Within the last few years, they've updated the interior, but they used to have pictures adorning all their walls of happy people and families who have dined there. All their servers are friendly and all the chefs are comical. They like putting on a show and like to make jokes at the expense of the diners - that's my kind of show!

The food is really good, too! I like the combos on the hibachi (shrimp and chicken, shrimp and filet - my go to, shrimp and steak - there is a difference somehow - Modern Family joke there, etc) I always opt for the fried rice (cause ya gotta go all in).

They start you off with your drinks and in a short while, they bring out their soup which is very tasty and have often ordered it to go when my son was sick and he wanted their soup. The salad is next with their ginger dressing which is fantastic! They have enough on the salad to enhance the flavor profile of the salad, but they don't drown the salad (other places drown the salad). First thing on the cooktop is a shrimp appetizer and a choice of sauces. They love giving you ginger and teriyaki sauces. I have a love affair with their horseradish sauce. It is next level (like ranch dressing from Wingstop - you know what I'm talking about). Next they do noodles. I haven't seen any other hibachi place serve noodles so this is always a treat! Next up is their fried rice (or regular white rice that is wheeled out on a shame trolley for those not partaking in a Rokbonki tradition). And the bowl is always overflowing (suck on that shame trolley white rice eaters!)

Then the chef gets down to finishing the meal. By now he has flicked broccoli bits into diners mouths, spun eggs in shells on the griddle or showed a stylish way of cracking the eggs without getting egg shell pieces in the sizzling eggs, done the flaming onion tower that becomes a train, and maybe has lit the grill up in some other way. They cook the shrimp well and the filet to your choice of perfection. Lastly, they clean up, bid farewell, and hope you'll enjoy you meal. Which we always do.

I love Rokbonki. It's the standard in my opinion and every other hibachi place is put up against them and see how they rank. No other comes close. I know there are others in the area, but you're seriously doing yourself a disservice by visiting any other place. Put those out of your mind and go to Rokbonki. You will not be...

The teppanyaki chef and the food was great. I would have given a 5 star for our experience, but I feel 4 star is fair for the following reasons. The cleaning staff started to scrub and clean the grill with detergent and water while we were still at the table. It looked gross to see the guy remove the grease and other dirt from the grill right in front of our eyes.This job should be done after the guests have left the table, or done after the resturant has closed for the day. I asked a staff who was passing by, to bring me paper napkins. She was totally blank as she spoke no English. Our chef, who overheard me, reached out to the service station nearby to bring back the paper napkins. My suggestion: Have non-English speaking staff learn few common words spoken in a restuarant, such as, napkin, fork, spoon, extra plate, water, restroom, etc. This was a birthday event. The candle that was brought to the table was a full sized candle that is normally used to light up a small room. It was evident the candle has been used many times before. A birthday candle is usually a small crayon sized candle that is used only once. The exhaust hood right above the grill was visibly quite dirty/greasy. I understand it is supposed to be such. Maybe a nice cleanable stainless steel cover to hide the greasy interior of the hood might do the trick. This removable stainless steel cover can be easily cleaned at the end of the shift each day

Other than the above fixable observations, this is a nice place to visit. Hope to...

72nd birthday for my mother w family. Not like any experience I had w old owner's! Chef lost control of spatula and hit my mom w sause on it! My wife ordered asparagus beef rolls for dinner that came out as beef chunks w no asparagus! Ordered that for dinner not as appetizer. She said dinner but was out before food cooking for table. No one wants to eat by themselve. Also food wasn't right! Also ran out of asparagus so beef chunks are not asparagus beef rolls! Chef didn't cook correctly. One protein at a time and over cooked scalaps that were like quarter size thin. I got a ribey steak thinner than a skirt steak that was marble with fat which is fine but asked for med rare and he cut through the raw fat and served it to me!! Had to cut it all off myself. Place since the new owner's has turned into a dump! I haven't been there in about 15 years but tried to get just carry out since new owners and couldn't due to under staffing. Unless they get there act together it wasn't worth the money I spent there at all!!! Didn't even help out w the bill throwing a spatula w hot grease at my mother on her birthday 😒. Don't go there!! Not worth it! Go to Ron of Japan in Northbrook or Benihana in Schaumburg. Very...