Inakaya Japanese Restaurant
| Address: | 224 Oneil Ct #9, Columbia, SC 29223, USA |
| Phone: | +1 803-699-2626 |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 5–10PM 11:45AM–2PM 11:45AM–2PM 11:45AM–2PM 11:45AM–2PM 5–11PM 4:30–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
JA
Jason Marsh
Went here for a friends birthday. We had made reservations a week before for a party of twelve. When we arrived they gave us a table for eight. We explained that we had twelve in the party and they even verified they had written down twelve but would only give us a table for eight. After a few minutes the table next to ours became available so we took it over as well. We placed our orders for food at the same time. Nothing overly complicated or special order. All of our orders came out at different times over the course of the next thirty minutes. The food was ok, I have had better. I ordered the Tonketsu Ramen and somehow they had managed to scorch all of the toppings so I had to pick them out and discard them. (The toppings in this case were the green onions and the cabbage. All burnt to a crisp.) We got a grand total of one drink refill throughout the meal. Our waitress disappeared until it was time to pay. Took about ten minutes to get the checks back and even then a few werent correct. (One couple paid in cash and when they brought the little check tray back their money was still there, the waitress had failed to close out that ticket.) In my opinion this location is fine for lunch and if you arent expecting to much. I would instead recommend the vastly superior Inakaya Watanabe on St. Andrews Road.
TI
tigoxgirl
I really enjoyed coming here with friends and we would all schedule get togethers here as we all loved Inakaya. A friend of mine scheduled his "birthday get together" a month or so in advance in one of their tatami mat floor rooms, he calls a few days before to double check everything. They said that they couldnt give him the table and that they had called him, no calls on his cell phone from them or emails from them. They said they had given the room to a business group... since it was so close to the time of the get together he asked if there was any space available. There was. So we got seated in another section of the restaurant, and at no point during our meal did this business group ever show up. They have two tatami mat rooms incase anyone wanted to know... dont know why they just didnt let that other group use the other room. What is worse is that once we all started getting our food, I went to open the box of my katsu dish and a roach fell onto the table. There were no offers of discounting the meal or anything. I cant even remember if I, or anyone else, got an apology for it. So Im not too wild about this location. LOVE Tsubaki though! Havent had a problem there yet! And Menkoi is a neat little ramen shop in the Vista.
DA
David Schmitt
I was very impressed with the quality of food at this fine establishment! I have eaten sushi all around the world and this restaurant is in my top five. I was seated quickly and ordering was quick and easy; nice sharp pencil and easy to understand sushi bar order form. Filled it out, handed it to the guys behind the sushi bar. They were happy to fill the order, which they did quickly. The sushi was excellent quality. The color and consistency of the tuna was better than I have seen at many places in the south eastern US. They did a great job on the freshwater eel and shrimp. These guys can easily handle complex orders. I was a little disappointed they did not have any scallop sushi, but that is hit and miss at many sushi restaurants. You will not be disappointed by the staff at this place. Probably one of the best sushi restaurants in the southern US.
K.
K.Anderson Moore
If you are a true vegetarian, they are not very accommodating. There was nothing on the menu for a vegetarian, so the waitress promised me a noodle dish with vegetables, tofu, and brown sauce. I got a mound of rice noodles, soaked in very sweet teriyaki sauce. The vegetables consisted of thinly shredded onions and cabbage that was more of a garnish. There were 7 small pieces of tofu. Unless you eat sushi or fish, this place is not vegetarian friendly. I picked out the tofu and left my plate of sauce soaked noodles. There was no concern for whether I was happy with my meal or not. It was an expensive lunch ($12), that I did not get to enjoy. I left hungry. It was pretty inside and nicely decorated, but I was there for lunch.
AN
Andrew Foong
I was told about a special on sushi rolls that runs until 6:30. Called and received positive confirmation, then told them I would call back with my order in the next few minutes. When I called back, I was told they could not do the special, as it only ran until lunch. I asked "What time is lunch over?", and the person on the other end was unsure, and eventually said 6:30. At that moment it was 5:30. Was still refused... Mildly off-putting was the fact that during this whole second call I could hear their manager telling them what to say. They may have food but they certainly didnt want to sell it to me. Unprofessional.
NO
Not Given
As a customer of nearly 20 years (of this location and formerly St. Andrews), I can vouch that Inakaya constantly provides the best quality, best-tasting sushi Ive had. We almost always sit at the bar, and have never encountered less than stellar service. If Columbia could have but one restaurant in its entirety, then Inakaya would be my choice. Its that good. You must try it. The chefs are all polite, very knowledgeable and make amazing food. Sato-san is a top-notch sushi chef and employs other incredible sushi chefs (Maru-san, to start, is a brilliant chef). Dont pass up this place.
DA
Daniel A
My wife and I eat here every other time we are in Columbia and have always enjoyed it. The sushi is all amazing and I always get the tonkatsu ramen. The downside to this restaurant is the horrible ventilation. No matter what, you will smell like tempura when you leave. I also waited well over an hour for my ramen during the last visit and ended up taking it to go as we had already eaten the rest of our food and my wifes to go order of ramen made it to the table before my regular order. The waiter did not seem concerned. Small sacrifice for great food I guess!
TJ
TJ Nagel
Horrible experience. It took 20 minutes to be recognized by someone in the restaurant. Even then, I had to write my own name on the wait list. 15 minutes later, we were notified that there were no more cups in the restaurant to seat anyone. No host staff anywhere to be seen and when someone acknowledged the mass of people waiting at the door, the rudeness was enough to just leave. I will never go back and will NEVER recommend this place to anybody. Seriously the worst experience I have ever had. Doesnt even deserve a 1 star rating. 1/12/16
AD
Adam Vandegrift
Excellent service. Excellent food. Excellent beer. Excellent atmosphere. Ive never been to Japan but I ahev had a lot of sushi in my life and this place has some of the best. I always get sushi and the Tankotsu Ramen. And Kirin malt beer. Never have I eaten a better combination of food than this. And the oriental music in the back ground is nice and soothing. Never have I had to ask for a refill on my drink and the waitress has always asked if things were good. I loved my experience here. And so will you.
