Koen Japanese BBQ and Izakaya

10/27/2025 Very nice signage looks very inviting on the outside and we went disappointed when we went in. Used Yelp to get placed on the waiting list but the place wasn’t busy. A casual Monday with 5 adults and one highchair. We waited at the bar while the rest of our party was making their way. The bar was out of a few things including one of the beers we wanted to try and lemonade for the the dirty lemonade. We were seated with plenty of room this restaurant is great for groups/parties. We got the Koen premium, sweet chili Mili roll, and the taste of sashimi. The miso soup was much flavorful than everywhere else. The shrimp was light, crispy and perfect with the dipping sauce. Loved the crab and lobster ragoons not so much the sauce that comes with it. The rice was filling but a bit sweet wasn’t much of a fan. The sashimi was very fresh I liked it indeed. All of the Bonchon was good and so was the sweet chili Mili roll. I loved the addition of the fat on the tray is so much better with out the grill plate change every 2 minutes. All meats were well marinated and the veggies were juicy. The lemon cheesecake was absolutely to die for so light and creamy and the lemon was such a great touch Bathroom rating:5/5

I've been coming here for a little while now, and I'm consistently impressed by the experience. The service is truly wonderful! On Friday night, Nick took care of us during our family dinner, and he was absolutely fantastic. The food was delicious, and you could really tell the meat was of high quality. I can’t wait to return! If you're planning to come for dinner, I strongly recommend making a reservation, especially since it tends to get busier during that time. It’s definitely worth it!

Been coming to Koen regularly since 2020! Loved Koen in Lincoln, so I was excited to see a bigger (and nicer) one open up in Omaha! Food and service are great at both locations. Really friendly manager (possibly owner). She goes out of her way to greet familiar customers and will even take our orders. Amazing appetizers. Their sushi rolls are so large compared to many places around Lincoln and Omaha and for a really good price during happy hour. We really enjoyed the chicken bulgogi for grill! They would benefit a lot from advertising what protein options are halal as that is what has kept us coming back! Shared this information with lots of friends and family who were happy to learn of halal meat options at Koen :)

The food/drinks were amazing and the service was phenomenal!! The setting of the restaurant is also very clean and beautiful inside and out (the lit patio outside was my favorite to see). We ordered a few different appetizers and the kohen premium plate and they were 10/10 delicious. Our server Nick helped walk us through the menu and guided us to get the best deals & greatest options. He truly was so attentive and his hospitality made our first time experience amazing! I look forward to coming back again! Thank you Nick for being so kind and genuine! 5/5 stars :)

I had a great time at Koen! The food was absolutely delicious: flavorful, fresh, and plentiful. Our server was so nice and incredibly helpful, which really made the experience feel warm and welcoming. That said, the pacing was definitely slow. We had a 7:15 reservation but weren’t seated until 7:50. Water didn’t arrive until around 8:15, and our first dishes came out close to 9. While the wait was long, the quality of the food and the kindness of the staff helped make up for it. Overall, if you have the time to enjoy a leisurely evening, Koen is worth the visit.

Went with one other person on a Sunday and we were sat right away. Our server suggested to get one of there large platters and said it was common for 2-3 people to share it. It was definitely enough food for closer to four people. I had a ginger lemon drop martini. It was ok but not very strong and not a lot of ginger flavor. Appetizers were good, miso soup also did not have a lot of flavor. Server was nice but in the beginning it felt like we were being rushed through our experience. The meat we ordered was all really good- well seasoned and/or marinated. Overall I enjoyed the experience and will probably be coming back.

Amazing! So fun and delicious. Or server was SO knowledgeable I wondered at one point if he was the owner. He was so patient and kind and gave such thorough explanations of every policy and menu item. He spent so much time with us and the food was an absolutely phenomenal.

Good selection of meat, the quality and size was decent for the price. We also tried a flight of sake (I forgot which ones they were). It was also a nice surprise that it was charcoal, haven't seen that often. The interior was nicely decorated, it looked really new and the colour scheme was cute. Service was fairly quick too and they came to check on us a few times. Would come back and try their other dishes next time I'm in town.