Daruma North Sarasota - Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge

I was very impressed with everything about DaRuMa restaurant. We went there for my birthday this past weekend. Seated quickly with reservations. Our server Gina was terrific. Miso soup was brought to us. Very good though I did remove the mushrooms. The salad was next which was also very good. The hibachi chef really puts on quite an enjoyable show. Right down to the colored flash lights with the flaming volcano! All dinners come with shrimp and mixed vegetables. I got the sea scallops which were delicious and they give you twelve of them! The meal was so big I took it home for supper the following night. I did have the birthday dessert which comes with a chefs hat, fan, birthday rubber ducky and mints. The dessert was a warm chocolate volcano mini bundt cake with vanilla ice cream which I shared. We finished the night at the piano bar. Rufus the piano player played a number of our requests. He was great. I highly recommend going here for your celebration.

Daruma comes off as a high end resturant at first glance. And it is beautiful inside. However, unlike most Japanese steak houses, you can not get Hibachi at a table. Their excuse is the chefs are so highly trained that they must be observed to eat the food. You will not find this out until you get to your table and order drinks, and then the menu arrives and at the bottom it will state that you can not order the primary thing people come to a Japanese steak house for. At this point you are already committed to the experience because you have drinks.... and not wanting to ruin the evening you assume the other dishes will be good. I ordered filet minon and scallops. Needless to say it was the worst filet minon I have had. I ordered it med rare. It arrived in a soup of very sweet teriyaki sauce. You could not taste the meat, much less tell if it was rare as it was dripping in sauce. The scallops were equally drenched in a Miso sauce soup that was exceptionally sweet. The broccolli was flavorless, as was the rice. My sister ordered tempura shrimp, it arrived by itself with nothing. Everyone at our table... there were four of us..... were unhappy with their food. I actually could not tell you what one of my sisters ordered, but it looked like a vegetable medly covered in Miso sauce which she felt was way too sweet. Everyone thought the food was way too sweet and covered in sauces that killed any flavor of the main ingredient. Add to this the prices are substancially higher than a typical steak house. Learn from our mistake. For such an expensive dinner, you expect certain qulaity. We did not find it at Daruma.

Stopped in and sat at the bar. Ordered from the bar bites menu and was amazed at the amount of food you get for less than $10. One of the best deals in Sarasota. Both bartenders were incredibly attentive despite being very busy. The manager. Ashley, also stopped by to thank us. It's a small personal touch, but very appreciated. Absolutely recommended.

Had some delicious appetizers at this amazing Japanese Steakhouse. Ordered the Japanese chicken yakitori which was very tasty, the tempura crispy cauliflower was very good and the tuna was delicious. Presentation of all food was exquisite.

The food was a lil too salty for us including the yum yum sauce. The cook was excellent. The servings are very very small. the seating is very uncomfortable. But the service was good.

Stopped at Daruma North with friends the other night. We elected to sit at the bar. I enjoyed the cauliflower from the bar bite menu and a Mexican sushi roll. The Lychee martini was out of this world. Ashley made a point of stopping to say hello even though the restaurant was incredible busy. Looking forward to our next visit.

I came on June 7 for my birthday with a group of friends, and they seated us on the tables that sit on the floor, which was very inconvenient due to me having on a dress and most of my party. I also brought a few people who never been there before Our chef was very friendly I did a wonderful job with the food and entertainment however, our server did not. We sat there for almost 30 minutes waiting for the soup. By the time we got the soup our server was walking up. He was very rude. He kept forgetting everything we had to ask another server to get him to come back so we can get refills on our drinks. He messed up everyone’s check at the end and told us it was not a big deal after we sat there and waited 20 minutes for checks. Also, there was some plastic in my food. I showed it to him and he said it was a part of the shrimp. I know the difference between shrimp And plastic, but I told him I’m not to worry about it that it’s not a big deal but next time they should be more careful he told me he wasn’t worried about it because it was his last day so he doesn’t care. I understand that he probably was fed up and didn’t care but at the end of the day it was my birthday and it was supposed to be a special celebration And he kind of ruined it !

We loved it here! My siblings and I had so much fun and our chef was excellent and was very attentive and playful with the kids! Would recommend to anyone trying to find an eventful place to take kids! Thank you guys so much for the amazing service and for delicious food that was made in an extravagantly fun way! 😊 oh and not to mention the pianist they had was a perfect touch to the perfect evening!

It was AMAZING! Jackie was amazing! The rice was the best rice I've had at any hibachi place. 10/10 I'm glad the reviews didn't scare me off, because they usually do, but I was looking for a true hibachi experience where they cook on the grill in front of us, and this was the only place in Sarasota. Absolutely recommend

Solid food, great atmosphere, good service. Came here for Christmas Eve dinner last minute and I'm pleased with it all - plan to come again to sit at Teppan-yaki (hibachi) table. Sushi rolls were great and combos affordable, which is hard to find in Sarasota. Will come again.

Called for 7pm reservation at a hibachi table on a Friday. Arrived about ten minutes prior to our reservation and checked-in. At 7 they were seating us. Our server Zane was friendly and attentive. Our chef did an amazing job. Put on a good show and cooked the food perfectly, from the soup, to the salad, to the entree - everything was fabulous. Great place for a date or getting together with friends. The restaurant was clean and we enjoyed the live piano player. I ordered the filet mignon and shrimp - delicious.

My favorite place to eat. From just sitting at the bar or celebrating a birthday. I love going and the service and food has always been excellent.

Service was great. Chef put on a good show. The food was overcooked - chef clearly didn't know how to manage all the different meats & vegetables on the grill.

Personally I love DaRuMa. I usually make a reservation but it's not too hard to just walk in on a weeknight. I've only ever done the table where they cook in front of you. You will get seated with strangers if you have a smaller party and personally I often end up enjoying this part especially. The staff is nice enough but not very interactive (except the chefs of course who are also entertainment). The food and sauces are always fresh and delicious. I also like the sushi and appetizers I've tried. Never a bad meal. Slightly pricy but nice for a splurge now and again.

Came here on my birthday Friday. Everything was good, I had a 5:30 reservation that I personally think was a little early but ambiance and staff were nice. Food was good I had filet and chicken which I recommend. Large portions!

Their Salad dressing used to be the best, not even good anymore. Their tipping policy used to be parties of 8 or more 20% tip added, now it's 4 or more, our amount due was 128, I gave 145 (I understand that's not the best tip ever but that's the amount of cash I had, and I thought it was good enough for the below par service I received), the server was rude and stormed off Never going back, the Daruma in South Sarasota seems to keep the standard, only will be going there

I'm in town for work and came here for dinner since I was in the sushi mood. I give it a 5 already because first impressions are everything and as soon as I walked in I liked the ambiance, decor, and the immediate acknowledgement and service from the hostess and bartender. This is a a hibachi place and you can hear the fun happening at these tables. Makes me wanna come back to get some hibachi and enjoy the show. I ordered 2 rolls of sushi and wine. I'll update the review once I see how good the food is.

Food is very average. You get plenty of rice, but not much protein (especially for the menu prices). I ordered the steak and duck. The steak was good, but the duck was about MAYBE ten little diced up pieces. Drinks were a little weak, again for what you're being charged. Even with reservations you have to wait until they have enough people to fill a table. Then they automatically add a 20% (if you're only a couple) tip whether you feel it was appropriate or not. Don't feel this place is worth what they charge. We've had better food selection and quality at Chinese buffets. Will definitely not return to this place.

I would rate them zero. Food was ok. Chef was entertaining. They brought my take out food which was raw sushi before we were even done eating. The worst thing is the way we were treated when the bill came. I had a 500$ American Express gift card which they take American Express and they could not figure out how to use it. Instead of going above and beyond they come back to the table and proceed to tell me it no good and they need another card. I called American Express and they said they did not run it. I asked her what if that was the only way I had to pay and she someone could leave and go to the bank get money. I have the means to pay not the point. What if I didn't and the rudeness of it all was offensive. They tried to tell me they are a small family owned business and don't take gift cards. I can tell you one thing I will never go back and I will be making sure if any one of the Drs and surgeons and anyone else I know suggest going there it's a huge no. Never again. I just found this on google. No, a restaurant generally cannot refuse an American Express gift card if it's valid and legally compliant. Most states and federal law require businesses to honor gift cards as long as they are valid, and in some cases, like California, there are specific regulations regarding expiration dates and other restriction

We came down to visit my son in law and his family. We've never been here before and we all enjoyed the evening. I had the flaming crab volcano appetizer. Very good. The best chocolate martini I've ever had! All the dinners come with soup and ginger salad and rice. I had the filet mignon and scallops. Excellent! My husband had the chicken and filet and he really enjoyed it. The kids had Karate Kid drinks in glass parrot glasses.

Food was cold, steak was way undercooked, scallops were way overcooked. Not a good experience

Good food and sat with two fun groups. Definitely will go back and also try the other location as well.

This place was ok the price for food and what they offer is not worth it at all hamachi gets noodles they don't even have noodles they squeeze so many people to a table it's uncomfortable and unenjoyable

This is basically two restaurants in one. We sat in the teppanyaki section, but most of the same dishes are served in the other half. The food was very good and the portions were large. Everything was fresh, and the chef was polite and funny but not the center of the show like some other Japanese places.

I do not know why I keep giving this place a chance! Horrible service , cold food, and being hurried is not exactly a great dining experience. I get that they close at 9:00 . We usually sit at the bar , Sefren is great at the bar. He was not there tonite. The two ( male and female) that were there , I felt we were being hurried to eat . Sushi. Apps. And entree all come out on top of each other. I asked the female bartender to please not bring my entree out so I could eat my sushi and apps. She said ok but can't guarantee it will be hot. It was cold and that is not ok. We paid and tip but usually tip at least 25% , maybe 18% tonite. Sorry but not sorry.... Disappointment

Reservations for 7:30... sitting here at 9:30 still waiting for food or service. Chef hasn't even come to our table once. Not cool.

My extended family and I have been going to hibachi restaurants in many different States since the 70s. The "experience" is always an important part of dining. The atmosphere at DaRuMa is classy and modern at the expense of noise level - which, depending on the diners, can be so loud, carrying on a conversation can be a challenge. From a "performance" aspect, the chef we had was a 5. Quick wit, well rehearsed shtick and very friendly. On food preparation a 3. Heavy on the soy sauce, beef cooked well but, the salmon was turned into bacon - hard and dry - and I asked for medium rare. Expensive and they take the liberty of putting a 20% gratuity for you. I expected expensive but at least have a good meal. I'd go again for the experience but the food is not up to snuff at this hibachi restaurant.

Very disappointed, would not honor birthday card which they promote, $3.95 tea and soda, food nothing great to talk about. Will not ever return. We showed up with a valid birthday card welcome e-mail and a drivers license showing my wife's birth date which was the next day. They refused to honor the email. We signed up for the birthday club on 2-14 and showed up to eat on 2-17. The "official birthday card" email showed up on 2-19. The sign on the sidewalk by the front door says "sign up for our birthday club. Spend $88.00 and get $20.00 off." The manager said we don't want people to sign up and then walk in with their drivers license spend the $88.00 and get the $20.00 discount. WHY? Because it is a SCAM to get you to come back another time. We had signed up for the program 4 days before going to the restaurant. We spent $238.00 and they would not honor an offer they promoted. . This place has 42 one star reviews and 58 five star reviews on Yelp. Now they have one more one star review, mine. That gives you an idea of what people really think of it. The food is mediocre, the portions are small, the prices ridiculously expensive. The sushi is no better than you get at a decent Chinese buffet. The place was busy with people, being in my opinion, overcharged. When we spoke to the manager about the birthday $20 refund his attitude was too bad, so sorry. I would not hire him to manage a pair of shoelaces. He is a very bad representative of the restaurant.

my boyfriend and i go here somewhat often because he loves the food. it usually is really good but the service seems to be a hit or miss. it all feels very rushed. the chef was good with presentation and the food was delicious but within 5 minutes of our food being served we were handed boxes. i ordered a second drink which never came but the check sure did, with the second drink added on. they took it off of course but when you're spending over $100 for two people, you should at least not feel like they're trying to get you to leave. this seems to be a regular occurrence based on other reviews. a "have a nice night" from the hostesses would be appreciated as well. the DaRuMa at the Landings seems to have better service, and we'll probably make the drive to that one and skip over the Fruitville location next time.

The sushi was good, but the miso soup was too salty, the portions for the steak plate were tiny and the chicken udon came with mostly vegetables. Overall, the experience wasn't amazing and the server seemed like she didn't want to be there judging by her tone of voice and body language.

Don't know why there are so many bad reviews but I think this is one of the best restaurants in Sarasota. I had dinner there about 5 days ago and it did not disappoint. They forgot my chicken but about 10 minutes later I got my chicken and they added some extra chicken in too. Overall, anything lower than maybe a 4 star review is crazy. Also, awesome servers, the service was just overall AMAZING. 5 star food 5 star service and I can't forget 5 star atmosphere. 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars!!!

Not good. Shrimp were tasteless and not deveined. I expect more for a $35 meal. Steak was not great either but passable. Too expensive for not great food. I won't be back.

FIVE STAR EVERYTHING!!! This is an experience not to pass up. Whether you live in Sarasota, or just visiting.. DaRuMa is a must! I've eaten in, taken out, and had food delivered. Every time I've enjoyed the food. The service deserves a rant and rave all in on its own. Starting at the host (which is my favorite person), to the runners, the staff is exceptional. Thanks for existing

Chef was GREAT!! Food was good shrimp was a little over and fried rice just had a tad too much soy sauce. The people bussing and resetting the table had us feeling like we were being pushed to leave which was a bit uncomfortable. Our server offered tea and I was drinking it at the end of the meal and the person brought over the clean plates to reset and just kinda stood there with their arms crossed. Pretty awkward but the chef was truly the highlight.

I love eating at the bar at DaRuMa! Always have great service and the happy hour specials are so good along with some sake. Piano man was playing last night which is always a nice treat. I enjoy that someone is always having a birthday celebration at one of the surrounding hibachi tables. It's such a fun environment and the food and service is always perfect. Last night I decided on one of my favorites, the Lobster Delight! It's lobster tail meat cooked just right and cut into bite size pieces and it is then placed on top of lobster sushi rolls that are put inside the lobster shell. The presentation is beautiful but it tastes even better than it looks. Plus I was able to watch them put it together since I was sitting at the bar. (I cash tipped the sushi chefs which they always appreciate)

This place is probably one of the best places I ever ate at. The food was amazing and it was really cool to see the people making the food. The service was pretty good and I liked the fish when first walking in. The place was also very nice looking 10/10

We have been going to DaRuMa's since they first opened and this was the first time we were disappointed with our experience there. The chef cooked our steaks well done instead of medium rare and the chicken was overcooked. The fried rice was flavorless. We felt rushed the entire time, like they were trying to get us out before the next group, even though there were many empty tables. The prices have gone up dramatically since last year and we feel the quality of the food was not worth the high prices.

Great atmosphere, great food and great employees. Everyone has been dealing with employment shortages, especially in the service industry. I'm sure Daruma is having to deal with the same issues but the issues weren't felt by the patrons. Employees still smiled and went out of their way to be great at what they do.

Horrible!!! found a bug in my food will never step foot back in this place again! Management is horrific too did not do anything of the matter!

Typical Japanese steak house food out side of the crème brûlée. Before we were done with our dinner the manager came to the table with carry out boxes and to go bags. I realize they have to turn tables to maximize revenue, but we wanted dessert and an after dinner drink. The decor is ok with some modern flare to it. It's a fun place for a group of friends

It's been a long time since we've been out to Japanese hibachi and tonight reaffirmed why. Normally, I'm a big fan of the hibachi experience but I won't return to this establishment for a number of reasons. First, the restaurant was nicely decorated. Its appearance painted a picture of an upscale dining atmosphere but the book didn't match the cover for sure. The combination meals were pricey so we expected quality food but we were sorely disappointed. The ginger dressing on the salads lacked the typical ginger pop. It was just lackluster. I've had better store bought dressing. The hibachi chef that we had was slow and lacked the dexterity to entertain with his cooking tools. He tried but dropped his spatula several times and couldn't even flick the shrimp tails into his hat. He was nice but not entertaining in the least. The vegetables were steamed on the griddle but were flavorless. While the portion was large, they were over powered by onions. It was as if they added more onions to hide the fact that there was little other vegetables like broccoli and zucchini. The filet mignon we ordered was good but it was more like a nice NY strip, not a filet. The shrimp was exactly that...shrimpy in size. Disappointing to say the least. The worst part of the meal was the Yum-Yum sauce. I've had all kinds of Yum-Yum sauce at hibachi restaurants from Syracuse to Miami and all in between. I've been to some that didn't even serve it. But this establishment should be embarrassed by what they call "Yum-Yum" sauce. While it may resemble the "yummy" condiment in color and consistency, it was hardly tasty. In my opinion, it was a pinkish mayonnaise fit for a sub but did not belong in a hibachi restaurant. Not sure if DaRuMa restaurants are individually owned or not but we won't go back to this one.

Great fun when the family is in town. 10 of us sit around the hibachi and enjoy the drama and the food.

If I could leave a 0 star review I would. We just waited 40 minutes for the restaurant to seat us and a guest wouldn't let us sit down and started a scene and the waitress or whatever did nothing to accommodate us. Said oh we have an 8 person party coming. So now we are left hungry with no food.

I'll start by saying i was pleasantly surprised. I'm a Benihana type of guy and have been disappointed many times when I try the other hibachi places. Well. Not this time. They take that hibachi experience to the next level. The service was excellent. The food was delicious and the whole thing was a great experience. Will I be back? Yep. You should too. Won't regret it. Oh and they have some sort of special for the first table of the day.

I visit this place Jan 5th, I do recommend if you have any food allergy, such as the alpha gal syndrome or allergic to sea food to let the staff known beforehand, so in that way they can prepare your food early for you. So you don't have to wait for your food to be ready while everyone is eating theirs. Of course the chief who was cooking the food was lovey with a nice sense of humor, the servers did apologize for the wait to my food and did show genuinely concern feelings. The food was nice, might think of visiting again in the future but we'll have to see if I should or not. Would definitely tell them beforehand who I am and the food allergies beforehand.

Great food & service! Clean w thoughtful decor! Celebrate sons birthday here & they made it very special for all

Went for Christmas dinner today and was pretty disappointed in the quality of the lobster tail and Filet Mignon combination. Our waiter was great and all of the help was awesome, but the lobster tail was a big disappointment. The lobster did not taste fresh and was overcooked, and the quality was below par for a meal costing close to $50.00, excluding the 6.50 for some not so good fried rice. Filet was good but will think twice before going back.

Came here for dinner with a couple of friends and we enjoyed the food and drinks. I love going to hibachi it's always a fun time. I feel like I've been to more enthusiastic hibachi restaurants but the food was great here. Service was kinda slow considering they weren't busy. But maybe she was training. Overall when in the mood for hibachi again we will be back!

Really bad service. Manager was a little insulting by saying "I told you that it would be slow service if you sat at the sushi bar." Haha! Slow service is completely different than NO service! Skip this place till they figure out the staffing issues.

A great place for Hibachi in Sarasota. Clean, neat, and very popular. We went on our annual Christmas Eve hibachi night!

Excellent birthday meal!! Was reluctant to celebrate at a restaurant we had not yet eaten at, but we took a chance and DaRuMa did not disappoint! Seated quickly, server was a delight, ordered quickly. Sushi appetizers were great quality, salad was fresh, soup flavorful, & veggies and main courses (Filet, Lobster, Chilean Sea Bass, & Scallops) were all delicious and cooked to our liking. Sauces were nice accompaniment without being overwhelming. Food was plentiful enough for take home boxes. The birthday special includes lava cake, a photo, and a hearty "Happy Birthday to You" and was well worth the extra few dollars. We are thrilled that we found a new option in the neighborhood and will definitely be returning for special occasions and family nights out.

we are new to the area and our neighbor suggested this restaurant . We were disappointed from the second we arrived. Our table was crammed, and when we tired to spread out we were told that's not allowed, there were 3 open seats at the table, the food made us VERY sick and the worst part was that we were incorrectly charged for our meal We overpaid by almost $40 dollars and nothing was done to fix it. We love hibachi but this is not a place we would ever revisit. We would have loved a price correction or refund for our meal but that was also not offered, which is very upsetting.

Great experience, amazing food. The only downside was the complete asshats at the table next to ours that were very drunk and rowdy people. That is def not the restaurants fault though and I am still giving 5 stars.

The hamachi was unbelievable! Top service from sushi chefs. Very friendly and welcoming! I highly recommend. Make sure you eat at sushi bar

I don't know what's going on here tonight, but there's a lot of upset people. Waiting over an hour (and those same people are still here as I'm waiting) the Asian? lady is really nice, but not the other one at all. I would not want somebody like that working for me. She was rude, unprofessional, and wasted 20minutes of my time at the end when I finally decided to leave. I ended up waiting over an hour all together for an order that was supposed to be ready when I arrived. I never got the food. I left. Terrible experience due to the Hispanic woman that refused to give me her name. I should have ignored her and only spoken with the Asian woman, big mistake that won't be made again.

We went to DaRuMa at Sarasota North, Fruitville Road, and was a surprise for my birthday. I was very excited as I've been to many Benihana and other Hibachi restaurants. We said we signed up for the Birthday and told them but they said it could take up to 14 days to receive an e-mail. Strike #1 as we thought they would honor it and would of had an email right away. Fortunately, we were the only 4 top at our table so that was a plus. I do have food allergies which they said they would fix my plate in the back. No worries as I watched my family and friends get theirs cooked and served. I was very excited for the veggies as they had a variety. I also told our waiter that I loved butter and garlic butter. Well, we asked about my meal as I waited about 15 minutes and no food. The waiter said he wasn't the cook then brought my meal. No apology or nothing. There was no butter on my veggies and only 3 things were there in the mix which was missing my favorites, onions and zucchini. Strike 2 and 3 for waiting and food had no taste and was cold. As most restaurants do something fun at no cost for your birthday, they served their cake and ice cream and we thought it was included. Nope, strike #4, we got charged for it. Plus they put a tip on their checks and they take 20% but they have listed on it 18% and 25% also so seems like you would get a choice. We don't mind paying for good service and warm food but this was a huge let down. I did not think the ambiance was that good as it was dark and had an odor to it. Sad, that most people say it is wonderful and we were underwhelmed to say the least.

Food and service is good. Been going to DaRumas for aplx. 20yrs. However, they are slowly pricing themselves out of business... If it wasn't for the birthday patrons they would be in trouble.