Nakato Express

Pleasantly surprised at how good my lunch was today! At first I thought the menu lacked variety but the quality and taste really made up for it! I ordered the hibachi steak lunch and a side of miso soup and it was made Fresh! The veggies were so crunchy and the steak was cooked just right. The miso soup came boiling hot and everything just tasted not too greasy. The portion size was large enough for me to have leftovers for the next day. For $14 you can’t beat it. Highly recommend to check them out! By the way the decor is adorable! Super instagram worthy and it’s a husband and wife shop too!

Nakato Express is an absolute gem of Japanese cuisine in Cary. My boyfriend and I stopped here on a whim while passing by playing Pokémon GO. When we entered and we both were blown away by the decor. The dining area was clean, organized, and looked amazing. Plants, statues, and a torii gate pulls the space together in a way only Japanese decorations can. We ordered the steak and shrimp soba, chicken and steak hibachi, an order of steamed dumplings, a side of fried rice (I was rather hungry), and finally two bottled soft drinks. They have a fountain drink machine, but that was out of service when we came. Had they not had other drink options, this would have been worse, but they provide bottled and canned drinks as well. The dumplings were amazing! They came with a side sauce that had a kick to it. I personally am not fond of spicy anything, but the sauce was great. The chicken was great, well cooked and seasoned, and the chicken didn't taste dry at all. The steak was perfectly marinated and cooked, just the way steak should be for a Japanese dish. The shrimp was phenomenal and well cooked and seasoned as well. My only complaint with the food is that the sauce the soba was cooked in got overwhelming near the end. A minor complaint when you consider the serving size to price. And I almost forgot, we dined in, and the woman behind the counter came and brought us our food to the table. I was not expecting that at all. A very pleasant surprise! Overall, Nakato Express is the perfect place for high-quality Japanese food on a budget. We spent about $40 between the two of us, and that's with one super hungry person. Thank you for an amazing experience! We can't wait to come back!

Love Nakato!! I don't get to enjoy it much since we moved further away. Their service is always friendly. I love the chicken hibachi with extra veggies. Never had a bad experience.

Had chicken and shrimp hibachi...perfect taste, huge quantity..awesome service..

I have eaten Hibachi All over the USA and this place takes the Cake! The food is simply fresh and delicious every time and For a reasonable Price! The restaurant is also incredibly clean and well kept The owners are also super nice you can tell they care about the quality of their food and their service im sure love is put into each meal as the chef surely enjoys what he does i eat here a couple times a week and will continue to aslong as i live in Raleigh/Cary Please give this place a Try they deserve it!

Little shop, locally run, well priced, great place for lunch. Portions are also large, so 1 hibachi meal will do ya good. It is deffinately recommended if you like hibachi typed dining in a small family run environment.

The food is fantastic and the service is even better. The workers are so kind and can get to know you. Best place for Japanese food!

Love this place. Great food and lots of it. I thought they hooked me up because I'm so ridiculously good looking but apparently they do that for everyone.

Big portions on hot plates, not styrofoam. I asked for double veggies and it was huge. Well worth the extra $2.50. The location is clean and the atmosphere as well as the music is pleasant. Our new favorite hibachi.

Pleasantly surprised at how good my lunch was today! At first I thought the menu lacked variety but the quality and taste really made up for it! I ordered the hibachi steak lunch and a side of miso soup and it was made Fresh! The veggies were so crunchy and the steak was cooked just right. The miso soup came boiling hot and everything just tasted not too greasy. The portion size was large enough for me to have leftovers for the next day. For $14 you can't beat it. Highly recommend to check them out! By the way the decor is adorable! Super instagram worthy and it's a husband and wife shop too!

had the hibachi chicken with extra vegetables- flavorful and cooked and seasoned very well ( no mushy vegetables) the white sauce is deliciout. Will be returning!

First time eating here and it is now my new go to for hibachi! We ordered the spicy tuna sushi roll, miso soup, and 2 chicken hibachi's with 2 extra white sauce cups (.75 cent each). The sushi roll was pretty minimal, just tuna with cucumber with a dot of spicy sauce on top but was still tasty for $8. The miso soup was really good and was a large portion. The chicken hibachi was amazing! Chicken was tender and vegetables were fresh and plenty. The portion size was huge and we ate every last bit. Great dinner spot to get your hibachi fix plus some extra goodies for 2 people at $35. We will be coming back!

I have driven by Nakato Express dozens of times. Our business is just down the street and I am over on this side of town quite frequently. My daughter and I finally have them a try on a Wed at lunch. The online menu that was available did not appeal to me. I knew they had to have something different for lunch. We decided to stop by and see. Sure enough, they had a special that was available every day until 3. I had the sirachia chicken and my daughter had the sesame chicken. Both came with rice and an egg roll and a drink. It was a good deal. The food was delivered hot and fresh. It was quite good !!! I would definitely go back. Give them a try, you will be glad you did !

So steady ... for 20+ years this joint has been affordable, dependable and tasty. I'd go 5 star if I had tried other things on the menu but when I want hibachi chicken with veggies & "white sauce", this is where I go. And with apologies to Jay Bilas, Nakato Express always delivers. (Figuratively, not literally.)

We ordered catering for our daughter's 17th birthday but had to change the date to a week later due to her getting the flu. Nakato was so easy to work with and all the girls raved the food!!

The Hibachi Shrimp was good. My kids also enjoyed their Hibachi Chicken. Nonetheless, the restaurant itself could use some updating.

Amazing food, very cheap, and not to long of a wait it looks amazing inside and the people are very nice!

We have visited this location for a long time. Always had a good experience overall. However, the last few times have been well less than desirable. I believe it will be our last time going. We ordered: Spring Roll Hibachi Steak Side of Soba California Roll Cream Cheese Salmon Eel Cucumber Roll The Soba noodles were okay. Nothing really to say about them, good flavor and not oily. The spring rolls had some odd spice/seasoning and were a little oily than normal. Not sure if this is due to reheating them or just sitting in the oil longer. Where things went downhill for us was the Hibachi Steak and the sushi. Have you ever had Wasbi that has no heat? No, me either, but I did tonight. The Wasbi was dark, dark green and well flavorless. The ginger was hard and well that still isn't the worst of it. The fish in the Eel roll was old! We couldn't even eat it just because of the smell! The other sushi had no flavor at all. We just throw it all away. Then for the steak in the Hibachi - there was less than a handful in the whole thing - very disappointing. To pay all of this, you expect more, but that wasn't the case.

Fresh, hot, and reasonable wait time. The portions are great too. Definitely one of my go-to food places now

a really nice & convenient spot for any hibachi or noodle cravings! everything came out super quickly, not even 10 minutes after ordering. the owners were very sweet & conversational. i especially loved the soba & added some yum yum sauce from the hibachi added some creaminess too! definitely would love to try the fried dumplings next time & some sushi pieces too. we had a late lunch so there wasn't too many people but it's also very quiet & peaceful given the decor. the place gets a lot of natural sunlight as windows cover each corner. they had fountain drinks but also had bottle ones, i chose the peach sparkling water which was really good! we'll come back for dinner some time!

Fast, great prices and very good food, add extra veggies is the best option. Try it it's really a good fast deal.

Great food at a very fair price. Sushi isn't bad either (it is basic sushi bits hosts the spot).

Nothing fancy about this place, but the food & service are great! We ordered takeout and the food was ready when their website says it's gonna be ready, and the order was correct.

This is the best place to go in the area if you're looking for hibachi. the veggies are fresh. the meat is quality. the owner was hard working and very polite. highly recommend.

Ordered the steak and chicken hibachi and barely got any meat. This is second time I been here and same results. I will not be coming back here.

Favorite express hibachi place! Cheap, fast, and friendly. Perfect for dining in or taking out. My hibachi chicken is always delicious!

I use to go here a lot in high school and it still taste the same. The inside is not aesthetically pleasing but nonetheless the hibachi is good. I always get chicken hibachi with ginger sauce. The food is made to order, which is usually only a 5-10 minute wait before you're out the door. The portions are fair for the price. I definitely recommend this place when you want a quick bite and don't want to pay Kanki prices.

I hate to be the dissenting voice but I must speak the truth: This place is below average. I came here on a Sunday afternoon with a hankering for hibachi and crab rangoon. I ordered the hibachi shrimp and steak and the crab Rangoon to go so that I could eat it in the fresh air outside at their one lone, dirty table. After about 6 minutes, my order was done. I opened the boxes only to be a bit disappointed. The rice wasn't actually fried on the flat top, it was really just streamed rice with a little soy sauce. This was an instant deal breaker for me because of how much I enjoy the flavor and texture of hibachi fried rice. The shrimp, steak and veggies were cooked decently enough but they lacked seasoning and the onion was cut too thick to cook down to a good consistency. There was also a lot of onion which served only as a filler. They use the cheaper shoulder cut of steak which while edible, is not a favorite of mine as it is a bit tougher. The biggest disappointment were the crab rangoon. It was all wrapper with very little cream cheese and crab filling and the ends of the wrapper were gummy as if they'd been sitting in the fridge uncovered for a few days. This meal for one came just under $14 which is outrageous for the quality. Let me put this in perspective Kanki's lunch would've been about the same. There are similar places that have better quality food for about $10! Though I left full (mostly because I came in so dang hungry) it is not a place I will eat again. Which is really a shame :0( I was hoping this could be my regular (cheap) hibachi joint.

Just finished eating hibachi steak and chicken from here and it was very good! I have been looking for an express Japanese restaurant since I moved to Cary and I think I found it!!!!

I have eaten here multiple times. The food has been mostly decent in the past. I threw up after eating the food this last time. I have seen the owner/manager and other employees use their bare hands while handling the food. I should have never thought that was okay. You would think during the pandemic they would not do that. The owner is extremely rude at times. Occassionally, he can be okay. He was very rude this last time. I will never eat there again!

Have been going there over 23 yrs. very consistent and delicious! Simple and fresh food. Ready in 15 mins! Highly recommend!

Fast, friendly service every time! Great hibachi chicken! Recommend for a quick lunch or dinner pickup.

Love this place! Always have and always will. I used to live close by when I was in high school when they first opened and I have been addicted ever since. Sadly, I moved a ways out, so I don't come as often as I would like, but I still make it out because the food and service is so good! Plus the prices are great too!!

Stopped there today to get food. No one there. Lucky for them I'm a nice guy otherwise their tips would have been gone. Don't know how long the guy after me stayed but he was yelling for anyone to help him

I've had better Hibachi experiences elsewhere. The Hibachi Steak & Shrimp meal was not good. Not even the yum yum sauce could save this dish. Plus, the restaurant was not clean. I would not return here.

Tried this place today and I wasn't really impressed. The noodles seemed like top ramen with some chicken scraps and popcorn style shrimp mixed in. With a drink it was $11. The kicker was some black stuff in the ice from the fountain machine. Looked like specks of pepper. I hope it was just something from some kind of filter. Still a little gross. I'd definitely suggest going elsewhere if you're in the mood for Japanese.

Love this place. Contrary to what you might think, they're not part of that whole Japan Express chain. Not only are their prices better, but they're very accommodating, as well - you don't want zucchini in your dish? No problem. I'm, unfortunately, one of those who once they find a dish they like, order it over and over - at Nakato Express, it's their Hibachi Steak. It comes with mixed veggies and fried rice. You can't leave this place, though, without trying their "Yum Yum" (white) sauce and Ginger sauce - they are both delish. (Their rice isn't bad to begin with, but pour that "Yum Yum" sauce over it, and it's fabulous.) I put their ginger sauce over my hibachi steak. They offer a few different types of salads, but my favorite is their house salad with ginger dressing - nothing fancy, but good. I haven't had a chance to try their steamed or fried dumplings yet, but will eventually! I did try their sushi once, when I first found the place, and wasn't real thrilled with it - it's the only reason they don't get five stars from me. Lastly, for those that pay attention to these kinds of things, their health/inspection score is a perfect 100...don't see that too often (unfortunately)!

Cheap. Fast. Tasty. If you are craving that fast meal of Hibachi chicken with mixed veggies and fried rice- head here. Nothing special. I wouldn't order sushi from here ;-P but it fits the bill for for a cheap Japanese craving!

Standard cheap hibachi place. Standard white and ginger sauces - Minimal dining area. There is a big window so that you can watch them cook - my 3 year old was very entertained while waiting for our take out. They have a great sanitation rating 98% which is really the only thing I worry about with these kind of places. I took pictures of the current menu.

Least spicy "spicy tuna roll" ever. I shouldn't have to resort to the wasabi or the soy sauce just to get any flavor. The teriyaki meatballs were dry and bland, even after dipping them in what sauce there was. Very disappointed.

The food is delicious and well priced for the quantity given. However, hygiene is an issue here. The last time I went and ordered the fried rice and chicken combo, I found a long, blatant piece of hair sitting a top of the mound of food. Utilize caution when coming here.

Love love! Super yummy! Love the sauce. Very flavorful and lots of food. Great price. Will def crave this again.

i use to love this place but idk if they change managers or something they became very rude to the people they are servicing I dont know whats going on but i hope they fix it soon

I know you can't expect a lot from an express hibachi place, but this was the worst hibachi steak I've ever had, the worst miso soup and the worst spring roll. Bonus points, the soda machine's coke nozzle was spitting up globs of foam and overflowing our drinks. It was very quick, however.

Ate here while waiting for our car to be taken care of at Tint World. Food was good, place has a "hole in the wall" feel but the food was good. Ordered Hibachi Steak and Soba Chicken. The Hibachi Steak came with "fried rice," which was disappointing because it was plain rice, not mixed with egg or veggies like I'm used to receiving at a hibachi restaurant. Overall not bad.

I always get the hibachi chicken because it's amazing. The vegetables are never overcooked and mushy. They are crunchy and perfect. They also use the perfect amount of dressing. Never drowning and greasy, but I also never get like a dry / unseasoned piece. Perfect / semi- healthy little lunch place :)

Horrible place! Found a gigantic hair in the rice (black and greasy). If a food inspector were to show up there they would/should be shut down. Never will go back to that place again and I recommend you don't either. I only give this place one star so I could post this but really it deserves zero.

The food is tasty however the chicken soba that I got was a container of noodles with about as much chicken as you would find in a single chicken tender and the vegetables were absent. When I placed the order I asked about making it a chicken and vegetable soba because they tend to be very short on the veggies but they told me that "there is already cabbage and carrots in the soba." When I arrived home I found that there were 3 small pieces of cabbage and a few small shreds of carrot. I called the restaurant and was told I could come back for vegetables,which I could have but didn't, or I should order extra vegetables next time for $1 extra. This is not the first time that the veggies were absent and it seems to be a common issue with them. I appreciate that I could have gone back for the vegetables. I'm interested to see if they will fix the problem.

I read many reviews about finding hair in the food before picking up lunch at Nakato today. I dismissed them and thought it unlikely that the same would happen to me. I just found two strands of black hair in my chicken fried rice. I will not be returning.

Owner is very rude he doesn't use gloves to take the raw vegetables, and meat out the fridge and the amount of food you get isnt worth the amount of money you pay.

I used to get hibachi from here all the time....never EVER again. Ordered my usual here, steak hibachi, and 2 hours after eating it I started feeling feverish with a headache....then the vomiting hit....threw up literally all night from food poisoning. I've read reviews about cleanliness but always have given them benefit of the doubt until now. BEWARE when eating here it could result in sickness.

The sauces are goooood! If you are looking for good fast food japanese hibachi style dishes, this is the place. The crab rangoons are pretty tasty. The chicken dumplings were also pretty good. I would totally eat here again and again.

Judge a restaurant for what it is. This is Nakato Express. Quick service hibachi. The place is a bit hole in the wall but why aren't you getting Take Out at an express place anyway? All items are made fresh. I love watching the cook work the grill behind the display glass and keep all those orders straight. The owner works the register and organizes orders. He is friendly personable and remembers his regulars orders. I'm not a true regular, more of a hey I'm hungry, what's near my apartment kind of customer. But I have never had a poor experience. I always get the Hibachi Chicken & Shrimp combo, spring roll, a drink, and sometimes fried donuts for dessert. Really recommend those!

I was not impressed. The food is extremely bland and the staff seems mad. The ginger salad was absolutely tasteless... As the dressing was watered down beyond belief. The owners obv have no care in keeping customers happy... Only a quick dollar.

This should be your place of last resort when no other option is available or you need some fast cheap take out or you do not want some regular fast food. The guy in the front is really rude and will make fun of you on the phone if you take an extra second to order. Food is better than fast food so if you need something fast and cheap then this is your place.

Pretty delicious hibachi on the go -- the food is always freshly prepared (you can watch them prep). I don't know that I would sit in, the restaurant is pretty small, but they're great for takeaway.

Gets all stars for food freshness and taste, quick & friendly service, high sanitation rating, low prices, and food variety. My favorite hibachi chicken and beef entrée is always enough for two meals. Hard to find such tasty, fresh, healthful (has four vegetables plus rice & meats), at such low price quickly available with staff who take pride in their service, especially for a fast lunch out.