Koto Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

Service was terrible — worst I’ve ever had. We waited 15 minutes to be greeted and I never got a refill on my water even when she dropped the food off and saw it was empty. She never came back to check on us, we had to track her down for the check and even then someone else brought it to us. My sushi took 56 minutes to come out! No apologies no warning it was behind schedule. Nothing. This is the second time I’ve been and both times we have waited way too long and had terrible service.
Food is great (atleast the sushi is) but the service is so bad I would never go back or recommend.

It was a Monday night. Had reservations for a birthday party of 8. Seating & Initial service took a long time. The food is good. Mostly served at a Japanese flat top with show flourishes. The menu & décor needs updating. Noisy.
A 20% surcharge is added before tax.

Omg it was so hot inside! Service was good and food was good but the kept the a/​c on lock down and turned up!

So I literally just unloaded my family of 7 out of the car on a rainier South Tampa night to finally try out Kotos in leiu of the last day of school and to celebrate our kids accomplishments. I «thought» it would be a great way to get out summer kicked off. After calling and finding there was no wait and arriving some 10 mins later «only because of the terrible parking situation out front» that Andrew (the manager) says they «ask» the parking guys to hold. to no avail we find parking after driving out the lot then back in. It may seem like some time elapsed but no. about 10mins from my call from the car and reaching the hostess desk there became a wait. I mentioned we had just called and showed them the time on my phone. Needless to say the customer service was terrible even as others started to pile in after us and little to no apology was offered. This is not a family friendly first impression and the dining experience offered in the front would not suffice their blank faces and «owell this is how it happens down here» attitude. So we will stick to the best authentic Japanese food and restaurant in Tampa «Yokos» which has proven through the years their family friendly environment and always ready for the occasion.

Fav affordable habachi grill in south tampa.

Koto is my go-​to hibachi place. This has part to do with the location in south tampa which is very convenient to me. I have also never had a bad experience here which brings me coming back.
They do also have a early bird special if you can make it in before 6 where you can choose steak, chicken, or shrimp hibachi for 14.95 which is a pretty decent deal.
I have gotten the calamari appetizer though that in my opinion was overcooked and tough. I would not recommend it, but everything else I have ever had has been very good!
I love that the chefs here have sake in squirt bottles and will squirt it in your mouth if youre of age and want some of course. This makes for a fun and lively atmosphere. I am sure part of this has to do with its location on Howard Ave.
Also probably due to location they are open pretty late!

Service was TERRIBLE! Our waitress only came over 2 times. To take our order and bring the food. They messed up my order; and it took 20 min for them to bring me a beer. Sushi was decent, nothing special.

It’s too bad that their service is so utterly horrible because they are located in walking distance from me. But honestly I’m not ordering from them again and would rather drive somewhere to pick up food. Sometimes I’m not spoken to when I walk in until I walk up and interrupt someone. Also, when I call to order I get placed on hold for almost 10 minutes before hanging up. Save your earl frustration and mediocre food.

We came for a couples hibachi night and were seated next to a rowdy crowd. At first things were going ok… But the others at the table had requested a specific chef. Halfway into the meal my boyfriends chair collapsed on him. He could have been seriously injured but he was only embarrassed but fine. The manager barely showed concern and tried to laugh it off. The chef tried to play it off with a free sake shot!
I had ordered a combo chicken and salmon but in his efforts to wow the rowdy half of the table, he only served me salmon. I had to bring it up to only receive chicken after the fact cooked in the back kitchen. Manager ended up removing the charge only after we insisted. I would say beware of the fanfare. We did not receive equal service for the price we paid. There was clear favoritism for the other half of the table. Unless you’re on a frat house outing or if you wish to have a relaxing dinner with friends then I suggest you go here with caution.

The owner is awful and has no appreciation for his customer base. Tony, the bartender, is amazing. I would never come here for hibachi but I would order food from the bar. The new manager, Andrew, has turned this place around, but has no support from owner.

Another delicious lunch with my friend Cynthia at our favorite Japanese restaurant. Photos shown.

Five stars for the food & chef! But unfortunately the service we received the last two times were awful. She had an extreme attitude, didn’t even crack a smile. The only reason we come is for the food, but we’ve learned that next time if she’s the server we will just request a different area! Another tip would be to work on the bathroom cleanliness

Came here in a group for dinner last night around 8:30pm. Sat down and started ordering. The chef was amazing and the food as good but the service besides that was worse than McDonald’s. Half way through our meal they started signing happy birthday and we haven’t even been finished being served. They brought desert out before the chef even finished. They then took all our plates away as if we were done and it was as if we were being pushed out. They didn’t even close for another 2 hours. The worse service in this place. How they are still open I don’t know. I feel bad for the chefs becuase they are the only decent ones.

Great food. I come here at least once a month. When I set at the tables up front I am never given a menu. Sometimes I feel like they’ve forgotten I’ve sat down. The booths are extremely uncomfortable and pulled far away from the tables.

I come here all the time and every time I come the management is lousy. They are not very friendly. And if you don’t like something you will pay for it anyway. This evening it actually smells bad to me. There is no evening happy hour and the food doesn’t seem fresh today. This will be my last visit.

Koto is my go-​to when I want to stuff my face and still bring home leftovers! You can easily get three meals out of one visit. I’ve been here many times (sometimes after not having a meal in hours, after Gasparilla and most recently for Valentine’s Day). I have never waited too long to be seated and the experience is always a good time. You never know who you are going to sit with and you must be open to a diverse crowd. I am very friendly and enjoy talking to the random strangers at our table, but if you are shy you might not like this set up. They also have private seating up front for sushi orders and a more intimate experience.
On Valentine’s Day it was not terribly crowded and the wait was non existent. The hibachi chefs are always humorous involving the table in the throwing of rice chunks, sake waterfalls, eggs spinning on the grill and the fabulous onion volcano. I have never dined here without a smile on my face.
The food is plentiful and soooo tasty. Make your way through clear soup, ginger salad, fried rice, noodle, veggies and then your meat of choice. It is nonstop food being served. If you don’t bring home a take out box, I salute you! Hibachi meals range from $ 20-​$ 25 and are well worth the amount of food you get. They also have sushi specials for happy hour and a great lunch deal. I would definitely recommend trying this place out if you have not yet. Always a full belly guaranteed!

New management. Definitely a good place.

NEVER GO HERE.
Looking for Sushi places on a Monday night that are open past 11.
Found this and called them at 11:05 on a Monday night.
Their answering service said they were open, and serving food, until midnight.
We drove here and walked in the door at 11:30 p.m.
The waitress gave us a slightly irritated look and spoke with, who appeared to be, one of the sushi chefs in Japanese.
After a brief exchange and looking at us a few times, the waitress said «we closed.»
Extremely poor business practice. I can only imagine how unclean or bad the food must be with employees that act so crass.
Now we shall have sushi at the Hyde Out in Hyde Park.

Great local independently owned sushi/​hibachi restaurant in the heart of Soho Tampa. They are located in a strip mall with other food places and stores so there is plenty of parking adjacent. There are great specials for lunch including hibachi meals and sushi and other entrees for $ 8 – 12. In addition, there is a late night happy hour Sunday-​Thursday 9pm-​12am and Friday and Saturday 10−12am. That is rare for the South Tampa area which offers $ 4 sushi rolls, gyoza and other appetizers as long as you purchase a drink. Some favorite selections of mine is the spicy tuna sushi roll as well as the kamikaze roll and the gyoza. The drinks are delicious and Anthony is an awesome bartender AND server. On one visit I tried the lychee martini and I was pleasantly surprised. I also enjoy splitting the scorpion bowl (for three people) with friends when we are there. That tends to get the party kicked up a bit.
The sushi bar has seating and there are a few booths in the front of the restaurant where you can order sushi or hibachi. In the back of the restaurant there are large tables which seat several parties and hibachi chefs which put on shows while they chef up your food. Usually the hibachi chefs will ask you if you want some sake and will subsequently squirt sake into your mouth if you are of age. You can order The soup that comes with the hibachi entrees is nice and light and the salad is consistently fresh and has a nice tasting ginger dressing. The entrees come with two sauces that accompany the meal and you are able to select from meat and seafood, all which is cooked in front of you. The food comes with vegetable fried rice and lo mein as well as two shrimp as well as vegetables. I’ve tried both steak, chicken, and the sea bass, all of which were delicious. There is ample food given so if you brought your appetite or need a bite after a long day of reverie this is the place to go to. I usually end up taking some of not half home. You can also order off the regular and sushi menu in the hibachi dining room. I’ve heard that you get a free birthday hibachi entrée so that might be worth taking advantage of.
I enjoy eating at Koto and think it provides you a great value for your money. Food is consistently delicious and I feel like it is of quality which is important.

My 12 yo sons favorite place. Truthfully, it is very convenient and never have a long wait, but it all depends on the chef. We’ve had a couple of Horrible experiences and excellent ones as well. Tonight we had «Junior» who was stuck cooking for just the two of us but it didn’t bother him. He totally enthralled and engaged my son, even speaking about school. Very personable and excellent cook.
Ask for him, he’s great. Our server whose name I missed, was also excellent… Very attentive and pleasant.