Koen Japanese BBQ & Sushi

This restaurant has jumped to the top of my list, not only in Lincoln, but overall. The wait was quick (I’d recommend a reservation if you want to ensure you get a BBQ table). The drinks were delicious and the selection left little to be desired. The staff were all very friendly. We enjoyed our appetizers, nothing to be improved at all and they would have been a reason to go in their own right. The bathrooms were well decorated and well attended. We did spend quite a bit of money for our meal, but it was an anniversary dinner and the intent was not to dine on a budget. Absolutely will go again!

I came here with a large party of about 40 people. The restaurant was very accommodating and friendly. The food was absolutely delicious. We got the large platter for our table of 3. Good value consider it also comes with salad, soup, appetizers, and some of the best rice I have ever had. I have no idea which meat was which, but I liked them all. Only thing was a long delay in getting a server for first approach.

I’ve been here many times. This time we had the best service, our waiter An was super friendly and helpful, answered all of our questions and was so patient helping us with grilling. Thanks An, we’ll be back again :)

Wonderful experience. Liked the atmosphere. Meats seemed very fresh. Our waiter took the time to explain the menu choices and a technique to grilling the veggies and meats. Please note: If you are over 5'11" you may have some difficulties with room while sitting at a booth. I recommend sitting at one of the tables with chairs as you will have the ability to adjust the chair and get more knee room.

I came in with my family and we got the Samurai BBQ meal. Incredibly good food all around, super tasty and they offer a HUGE selection. Our waiter was a little bad at getting back to us with items but that’s okay. My biggest complaint is the HEAT though. Not from the grill. But the entire section for BBQ tables was almost unbearably hot. I understand some warmth will happen with everyone using their table grills, but this was brutal heat. I was sliding around on my chair from how wet my legs were with sweat. My family and I had a fantastic meal, but the temperature of the restaurant was very unpleasant.

My friends and I went for a bachelor party recently, and it started off very poorly. We had a reservation for 7 but when we arrived they told us they didn't have any tables available for us, we could wait or cram into a smaller table. As it was late we squeezed into a small table with 6 of us bashing elbows. The only redeeming part of the service was our server, I believe his name was Justice, he was helpful and engaging, checking into drinks that weren't pulling up on the server device. The food was really not amazing for what we paid. Along with the atmosphere if you or someone in your group has epilepsy I would not go here, whenever there is a birthday they turn all the lights off, followed by loud music and flashing lights they come out and yell. There were 4 birthdays while we were there and the music started to give me a headache. Along with flashing lights and music it was a sauna in there, I understand the grills are going to heat the room up but it was far from an enjoyable experience. All in all I wouldn't recommend this restaurant but if you do go, ask for Justice.

What a place!! We went for a business dinner and had the best time and meal ever! We started with some gyozas and lobster Rangoon, that were both exquisite. I didn’t have any drinks but two of my colleagues did and they couldn’t stop praising how good they were. Our waiter was really attentive and fast, he got us everything in order and even gave us some very good recommendations on things to try out. 4 in the table got the barbecues, which to me was some spectacle to watch! I ordered two sushi rolls, sushi tempura with avocado and mango, and a vegetarian option with tofu. I was so full but ate everything because it was incredibly delicious. One of the best sushi I have tried ever. Even the miso soup and the salad were great and very tasty. We didn’t have any more room for dessert though for a next visit will definitely try them. Highly recommended place!

Terrible service and poor operational management — avoid this place. There are far better Japanese restaurants in Lincoln like Grey Whale and Blue Sushi, both of which are more reliable and respectful of their customers’ time. Unfortunately, this is the only spot in town offering Japanese BBQ (jBBQ), which is the only reason we even came back. Do not use open table to make a reservation, they won’t see it and won’t honor it. I made a reservation through OpenTable for my fiancé’s birthday. He loves Korean BBQ and we’ve dined here before, so I thought it would be a fun dinner. We arrived before our reservation time, only to be told by the server that they didn’t have it on file — but that we’d be seated in 10 minutes. We ended up waiting 30 minutes, and to make matters worse, a group that arrived 15 minutes after us was seated first. How is that remotely fair or professional? This place is decent when it comes to food, but absolutely not worth the wait — especially not with a reservation. We won’t be coming back.