Kobe Japanese Steak House

This place is amazing. I go here so often since we live near by, the servers know my order by heart and every time I come he knows exactly what I want the area could use a little more decoration, not on the tables but walls and entrance, the fire is amazing if you go to the grill and the food is great too! (:

Kobe Hibachi is my go to spot every time I visit my sister from Texas! The service is always friendly, the food tastes amazing, and they never fail to put on a fun, entertaining show. You can really feel the warm, family owned atmosphere. Highly recommend to anyone looking for great food and a great time!

Best dinner ever! Husband and I went to celebrate our 2 year anniversary, and we were not disappointed. Service and food were great, definitely will be back.

Very best Japanese steak house we've been to and we are military with over a dozen moves. Delicious food, great service, fun show! Must do in Sumter area!! Outstanding!

Amazing place! Has a real hole in the wall appearance from outside with faded posters, however the place is excellent. I'll give you guys the non-tl;dr, our experience was wonderful. A server in training accompanied our table and both of them exuded such positive vibes while serving us, and let's just say it, the food was great! 😍 I was an Informal guest to the Sumter location, but let me tell ya'll, you guys have a wonderful location with incredible staff. Thank you all!

Had a great time, loved the Plum wine!! Definitely a place we will return to. Excellent sushi.

I enjoy places where i can have fun and relax with friends. Kobe has a laid-back, fun atmosphere. The food was good too, and we had a nice low pressure time to hang out and enjoy ourselves.

We love their sushi rolls especially the superman. Soo good

Steak and shrimp dinner was $30 on the menu. Food wasnt bad but when I went up to the front to ask for my bill and it was $65. I ate alone and had no refills. I paid it anyways to not make a scene but I'll never go back again even if I'm invited and have my food paid for.

The food at Kobe's is great! I enjoy the low light ambiance and the cozy atmosphere. But one thing I think is funny is their lazy customer service. I've been there four times and there is always someone sleeping, waiters on their phone, not greeting customers, and the hamachi grill was one of the worsts I have ever been too. Yes I will still come back, I just do not feel truly valued and welcomed to eat at this restaurant.

Meeeh! Ordered mix of chicken hibachi, meat dry, overcooked (chewy) and bland flavor. Counted the meat slices, just 4-5 small pieces, and the rest of the plate was overflowing with rice, not worth the price you pay. I was disappointed. I wish I have went to Yucatan mexican restaurant nearby, very good food, lots of side dishes that goes with your entree, serving size is huge for the same price you pay for this place. Does not recommend this at all.

my wife and I are sushi fanatics and this place hits the mark every time! it's great when you get to enjoy the different flavors of fish and it doesn't all blend together like some of the other places. We highly recommend Kobe in Sumter!

The food tastes great. The tepen grill person lacked experience and showmanship. Also, I am sure MSG is used. I had a very strange intestinal reaction by the end of dinner, which I can attribute to MSG in the past.

I have a lot to say and I'm going to try to be brief (sarcasm). I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and moved here 5 years ago. I know what authentic Japanese food should look and taste like. If you want authentic Japanese sushi, please go to Ginza Japanese Restaurant on Guinard in Sumter, SC. I wanted to try something different today. So I go to Kobe's to order take out. The hostess greets me and I ask to see a menu. She gives me a paper menu which is ok, but also hands me a filthy plastic booklet menu. I sit down to decide what I want. I go back to her and begin to tell her my order, she snatched the paper menu out of my hand to circle what I wanted. I ordered 1 shrimp Udon soup, 1 chicken Udon soup, 2 spicy tuna rolls and a shrimp tempura roll from the 3 roll special on the menu. Spicy tuna rolls were not listed but she said yes it's ok. I sat down to wait for my order. As I looked around, I noticed the restaurant was in dire need of a decor update, it's dark and dingy. It was empty, I was their only customer and it was after lunch. As I was sitting waiting for my food, an angry short man comes to the counter and shouts to me, did you order the spicy tuna rolls? I said yes. He then yells, that's more money. I said ok, how much? He said $3.00 more. I said ok, I gave him a $5 bill. My bill was already $46 and he acted like I stole something. I go back to sit and wait. A teenaged boy comes in and asks if he could have plastic utensils from the hostess. She walks to give it to him and the angry man appears like smoke and shouts, did you buy food here? The teen says no. The angry man is talking to him but keeps looking at me because I'm staring at him. He yells at the teen you need to buy food here, but let's the hostess give him the plastic utensils. When the teen left, I said to the angry man, you should be nice. He said, he didn't buy any food. I said, well your tone with me wasn't nice about the spicy tuna being more money. He angrily apologized and walked away. My food was ready in a good amount of time and I left. When I got home and opened the trays of food. I was knew this was going to be nasty and a waste of $49. The Udon soups had an egg in each which I never ever had in Udon soup. It looked like Pho soup, not Udon soup. There were no shrimp in my soup. The sushi rice grains looked like regular white rice, the tuna looked chopped up. I deconstructed the sushi, it looked like uncooked ground beef. The shrimp tempura roll looked like fried shrimp with flour batter, not panko like it should. The customer service professionalism was zero. The hostess and the angry man had attitudes and they were not friendly. I've been here once before, 4 years ago during dinner time and I had no problems. I faithfully go to Ginza, but today I wanted something different. I will never do that again when it come to Japanese food here in Sumter.

We have eaten here about 15 or 20 times. When we moved here 12 years ago, this was a great restaurant that I often recommended to my friends. We loved the atmosphere, it was like a traditional hibachi restaurant with cooks having fun and cooking in front of a crowd. There has been a steady decline in service and quality of food over the last five years. Within the last three months, the two times we went at least one person in our party got sick before we even left the restaurant. As of this post, I would not recommend going to eat here considering the price you have to pay and the chance you could get sick.

They use to give everyone a shrimp at the end of the cooking performance. Food is still good though.

I ordered the Steak & Shrimp. I received alot of steak and only two shrimp which tasted like rubber. The steak wasn't seasoned at all I couldn't finish my meal. This wasn't worth $30 . The yum yum sauce was decent and the zucchini made it bareable.

We have been going there over 15 years. We enjoyed the grill when the kids were younger. Now we sit at the tables. Friday for lent I had the chirishi. I liked it very much. My wife enjoyed a lobster roll. The only clink was our waiter forgot her drink. The owner, I think she has too many things going on. Didn't effect the meat

As expected the sushi were excellent. The timing and presentation were fabulous. We were visiting my son who is stationed here in the Air Force. He loves this place. Out waitress told us he is a regular... The restaurant was clean and open. A little dark but nice. We went before dinner was it was not busy yet. The there one other table filled. We started with sushi that my son loved. Then, hibachi. Steak fir me, chicken for my son with double rice and veggie for my son. The chef was entertaining. Food was tasty and hot. I am sure we would go back when we return.

Restaurant was rude asf , gave us food we didn't ask for . One of the men was rude asf and the Chinese lady in there . I'll never go back man who made food was disrespectful

Super disappointed. Heard great things about this place from a friend and was excited to take my parents here. Told us we would wait 10-15 minutes...an hour passed by with no one even checking on us. We decided to just leave because it had been an hour and as they saw us get up the magically just had a table! I told the lady we had been waiting and tried to get someone's attention to ask how much longer but felt ignored, she rolled her eyes at me and scuffed.

Place is pretty slammed but the entire bar was open. I got there around 5:50 thinking it wouldn't be that busy. I asked to make sure and I the woman said yes it's open. 15 minutes go by and she comes up and asked me what I want to eat. Never asked me for a drink or anything. She never gave me a menu so I googled the menu. She said that not my menu. So I said can I get a menu then. She leaves for another 15 minutes, that's when I decided to walk out. Sucks because I was really craving sushi

Not bad as far as food goes, just the service takes away points. When you go to hibachi you expect the awesome food but also a "performance". This restaurant did not have that, it was just someone making the food in front of you. When we first arrived there we had to wait at our table alone for around 20 minutes while all the servers ate at a table in the back taking their sweet time.

Me and my family ordered takeout, and enjoyed it a lot. We got the Rose petal roll that was amazing!!! Steak and shrimp was cooked to order and tasted delightful. Teriyaki chicken was great! Service was polite and quick!

Not good at all. Too expensive and not worth the money. It was very dark when we were there and wasn't very busy. Not a great place for hibachi.

Steals tips from servers, have minors that serve alcohol, owners are extremely unprofessional and insult servers I'm front of restaurant

Growing up, we had to drive all the way to Columbia to Sato If we wanted to go to a Japanese steakhouse. Then, Kobe came to town, and there was much rejoicing. This is one of those places where they cook on the table. I hear, though, that their sushi is also good. I haven't had it, though. We didn't have to wait long to be seated or served, and the wait staff was attentive without being annoying. I did have to ask for chopsticks, though. Over all, this is a good experience and a fun outing. Pair it with a movie in the same parking lot, and you've got a date!

I came here with a group of others in uniform from the AF. I was so ready for some hibachi since It's one of my favorite meals to have. The sushi was great. The hibachi show was ok. The food was not so great. I was disappointed. Filet Mignon is suppose to practically melt in your mouth. Well, it was very tough and the rice was overcooked. My wingman next to me didn't get the steak he ordered. The chef went to the back to grab his steak and proceeded to cook it on the grill. Upon completion, the steak looked like tiny black rocks. He never ended up eating it. I was very disappointed. I don't think I'll return to this location. Also, the bathroom floor felt like it was cleaned with oil or butter. You will slip and fall if you're not careful.

The Sushi Bar was great, but the atmosphere is dark and un-inviting. I also ordered a Long Island that tasted more like half and half tea. Not sure if they have a real bartender. Other than that I had a great experience. The staff are very nice and check on you consistently. I would go again!

Me and some of my friends went out to have sort of a ladies night out and decided we wanted Kobe. We get there (6 African American females) and as soon as we walked in we had to wait because some of our party had not shown up yet...which was fine. We finally are ready to be seated and we requested a certain area. The waitress said we had to sit and fill another area and was unable to sit there. Ok...it's fine. As soon as we sat down the waitress came over and took our drink order. Well shortly (literally a couple minutes) after we got our drinks, she came back to get our food order. We told her we were not ready and she stated that the other people (who were white) were already waiting 20 minutes...as if that was our fault. We shouldn't feel rushed just because your staff was incompetent. So me and my friends, we're conversing with each other about the situation, and I assume one of the women that was at the table didn't like that we were discussing it and decided to leave. The look on her face told it all. So we order and receive our food only to get the bill to see all types of charges that were unfamiliar. Mind you, we've eaten at Kobe as a group before and was never charged gratuity and a fee to use a card. Long story short we nor anyone affiliated with us will be returning to this horrible establishment. And for one of the girls....it was her first time there. It was a horrible experience and they should be ashamed.

I love it! Definitely the best Hibachi place in Sumter. The sushi is excellent too. I love the hibachi scallops, they are always seared perfectly.

Don't let the location throw you off. Amazing food and kind people. The sushi is on point just like the food. This is my wife's favorite place to grab lunch. Highly suggest the hibachi steak.

I went with my best friend and her daughter and the food was very yummy and we enjoyed it. I would recommend this place!

I ate there with a friend. It was quite and dim, which was nice. But you can smell the carpet when you walk in. ( like dirty water carpet) We ordered drinks and it was terrible ( money waisted) . I don't know if they have a real bar tender or not. But the food was made in a timely manner.

Love Kobe's !!! The pink lady roll is to die for. Seriously, one of the better rolls I have ever had. My girlfriends and I meet here on the regular and have dinner and drinks, then see a movie at the theatre next door on GNO. I can call in and even take it to go in a jiffy. The wait staff is super sweet and it's always a good time. The owner is an awesome lady. Today she brought my take out to my car since I had the kiddos with me. A little hospitality goes a long way. 5 stars for KOBE's !!!

Me and some of my friends had a ladies night. We are a group of black females...no drinking.......no loud obnoxious noise just clean fun. The first thing was when we got there and asked for a particular area we were told they only had one cook. Well.... Ok.... but they push the cart around from table to table with the food on. Ok whatever we sat where they asked us to sit. There was already three white people sitting there. Then the waitress came and took our drinks and asked if we were ready to order. We told her no and she looked at us and said well they (meaning the 3 white people) where waiting for 20 minutes. We said we just sat down and was not ready. And just to make it clear they were not with us. She left and the manager came over and asked us to order because they have been waiting for 20 min. Waitress and manager both had attitude like we were causing a problem. We told her we were not ready. The white woman is looking at us rolling her eyes acting like she wanted to say something. She got up went to the register and her and the other 2 left. After this a group of 6 people (the same amount we had) was seated where we asked to sit. And then another cook ( who was walking around when we got there) was the cook for that table. You charge us gratuity for 6 people. We ask about it and the "bad" waitress said the charge gratuity for 3 and more people. Not true cause my family of 4 had been there a couple times and did not get charged gratuity. Then they charged extra for those of us using cards without informing us. If I was not with such great ladies the night would have been ruined. Me my family and friends will not be going back again. With everything going on you would think that all customers are equally important. But for us it was very obvious that even in 2021 in Sumter SC the pigment in one's skin is what determines importance. SMH. With the bad press that was out about this restaurant some years ago they should be grateful they are still in business.

This review is just for the sushi because that's all we ate. We were told this was the best sushi in Sumter. Coming from California I had pretty low expectations for the sushi here and ordered some very basic rolls (California roll, crunchy roll, rainbow roll and the F-16 roll for fun). I didn't think anyone could mess up a California roll but they did. The sushi was edible but wasn't very tasty. The F-16 roll had the most flavor but was also covered in sauces. Overall, I may be spoiled when it comes to sushi but I wouldn't recommend the sushi. I may come back to try the hibachi grill.

Excellent food for the money. If you are looking for silverware and nice plates, don't eat here. They have plastic forks and spoons and disposable plates. But the food is awesome! I've tried most of the menu items and haven't found anything I don't like. Definitely a great value - if you don't mind the disposable items.

Just amazing great prices if you go before dinner inequality service very friendly makes for a great date

The food was good. We ordered a Superman roll, hibachi with chicken/shrimp and a yokisoba with shrimp/chicken. Unfortunately, the customer service was not so good. Our waitress did not come back to check on us after serving our food. We had finished eating and had waited for awhile and finally we asked another staff member for our check and a take out box. This staff member was not friendly and seemed bothered that we asked for service. She was standing by the takeout boxes and refused to bring us a box. She called another waitress that was across the room to bring us a takeout box that was right next to her. The restaurant wasn't busy and our waitress was sitting and talking the entire time. Our waitress finally came back to our table after all of this had occurred and brought our check. I voiced my displeasure with her service and she did apologize. This was the first time that I've been to a restaurant that charged a service fee for using a credit/debit card.

We love this place. The food is delicious. Our favorite meal is the snow crab roll and the shrimp tempura roll. So lucky to have this establishment in our town.

Waiter would not accept a coupon off of local saver...restaurant smells absolutely awful. Was so bothered by the smell didn't even order food.

I agree with Brittany that Kobe is the best food entertainment in town, however I had no idea about the "70" that they received on "food inspection." My friends and I have been dining at Kobe for quite some time and none of us have ever gotten sick from their food. Everything has been wonderful and the bathrooms were ALWAYS clean. If I recall correctly, Kobe does display a GRADE A on their window for overall restaurant cleanliness and safety. The show isn't very technical but they still cook an excellent meal and they still try to make it entertaining. I find the chefs at Miyabi's to be quite obnoxious and annoying at times, but the overall atmosphere is better HOWEVER it's in Columbia and I don't always have time to drive there just for the atmosphere... especially not with gas prices being so disgustingly high. The sushi, however, is ok. I've had better... just not in Sumter.

I guess it is the best food entertainment in town. The sushi is the best thing there. There are many items to choose from. I am turned off by the food inspection that they received a 70 on. Rat droppings were found in the kitchen. The bathrooms aren't very clean so I don't know how the chefs keep their hands clean. Their show isn't very technical. Miyabi's in the Columbiana mall is much better. The prices are the same but the food tastes better and the atmosphere is also more upscale.

My husband and I went to Kobe for lunch. This restaurant did not disappoint. It was awesome.

I thought all kobe ' s followed the same rules.. :/ food was impressively blah, no taste at all, the restaurant is old and not kept up to standards and definitely way overpriced for what they serve... obviously the hibachi "chef" was kool and friendly but that's the only positive I have.

One of our best places in town to eat. Been going there for 10yrs. Never had a bad experience.

This place is really great for Hawaii! I have celebrated numerous birthdays here and the experience continues to get better! Although the menu is limited compared to Tanaka of Tokyo and Benihanas it still has a lot to offer. Overall I would probably be back! The happy hour menu alone is enough to make someone run back for more! Not to mention its right in the heart of Waikiki :-D

One of the better choices in Sumter. There is very little available in this town, so you really have to review this place on a curve, because if you try to compare food in Sumter to food anywhere else, then you will never find anywhere to eat. I was in Sumter for a week and I tried about 10 restaurants while there. This was definitely on the higher end of everything I tried, and if I am in town again, I will go back to this place. If you order straight off the menu, you will likely overpay, but I went with a special and I got the perfect amount of food for the price. The cook who came out and grilled for us was very entertaining and cooked the meat exactly how we wanted it, despite his English-speaking skills being less than conversational. Our waitress was courteous and checked on us often, but not too frequently. I noticed that another family dining there while we were had some food allergies and they were ordering several specially-prepared items. The staff seemed to be very accommodating to their needs and followed all their requests. This gave me extra confidence in the restaurant. I was also really pleased with how my vegetables were prepared. Often in Asian dining you get overcooked veggies, but mine were perfect all the way through, with just the slightest crisp to them.

Absolutely wonderful! The grill was fabulous and the sushi was the best!

Have been here twice- 1)Family member has seafood allergies and we were able to get their food cooked separately from others at our table. Great service. 2) Just used the online ordering to grab some sushi on my way home and loved it. Easy to use system online. Plus, the sushi I got was really good.

Great food. I'm not a Sushi person, but I love the hibachi. I have never had a bad meal here and we go at least once or twice a month. My girlfriend loves the Sushi and they always follow her special instructions. This is the Best Japanese Steakhouse in Sumter. Check it out.

Had the sushi and tuna roll lunch special, neither was edible and I am usually not a picky eater.

Ive lived in Sumter for 6+ years and I have never been disappointed by Kobe. Food is always great.. restaurant is clean..staff is on point 95% of the time. We go before 6pm to get the early bird special at the hibachi tables in the back.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! Great food, service and prices. I come for the sushi and have not been disappointed at all!

I didn't really like the hibachi here, it tasted bland to me, but i agree that the sushi was pretty good.

We had a great time and a great eating experience. One thing, I really didn't want to the menus as they were quit sticky/greasy.