Yakitori Totto

I love this place. Before moving away, I'd come every other week. Now, whenever I'm in town for work, it is a requirement to stop by!! The food is always fresh and delicious. I've never had a bad order here; Everything on the menu is amazing front to back, from the appetizers to dessert, from lunch to dinner, every meal is perfect. On top of amazing food, everyone who works here is a delight. There's a waiter during dinner service who speaks so sweetly and he always is smiling. He is so fun to order with because I'll say "mmmm maybe one more" and he'll be like "yesss one more" haha During lunch service, Hugh (? I hope I spelled that right) is a great one man show! Whether you're the only party in the restaurant or he's juggling a larger lunch service, he makes you feel right at home and catered to. I always enjoy getting to see him (: If you want a great Japanese restaurant, a quick bite, a cute date spot, a fun eating experience, or just all of the above, then you HAVE to come to Yakitori Totto!

Fans of the Netflix show “Midnight Diner” will love Yakitor Totto. We were delighted to find some of the dishes featured in the show on the menu - dishes you rarely see on the menu of Japanese restaurants in the U.S., such as Ochazuke, Rolled omelet, Oyako Don, and others. The feel of the place is similar to Midnight Diner, with a wrap-around counter enclosing the open kitchen. The waitstaff is kind, and Japanese in manner. It has a mom-and-pop feel, despite its existence as a chain restaurant. Maybe that’s unique to the Somerville location, in the Assembly shopping center, right close to the Orange Line Assembly stop. They have some of my favorite things, including chicken skin, thigh, and Bonjiri (chicken butt, where the tail feathers attach), and a whole bunch of other delights served as Yakitori. I told my wife this is where I would come if I ever wanted to eat myself into a coma… it’s that good. We’re always looking for the best taste-per-dollar experiences we can find, and Yakitori Totto is a terrific choice. Not only is it reasonably priced, but it has high marks on every other level as well.

I definitely recommend this place! I stopped by for a quick lunch on Monday. The server was very friendly, funny, knowledgeable, and helpful. Since I had never dined here before and wasn't familiar with this type of cuisine, I really appreciated how he explained the menu to us, page by page, and answered all our questions in such a kind manner. Everything I tried was delicious, but my favorite was the chicken skin with onigiri salmon! For an appetizer, I had the fried eggplant in sweet broth, which was warm and refreshing. I like it but I thought it was a bit too large for an appetizer.

We had such a wonderful time at Yakitori Totto! Our waiter Joe was incredibly kind and always had a smile, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The food was absolutely amazing — I’m originally from Japan, and it’s rare to find truly authentic yakitori in the U.S. Every skewer at Totto was clearly crafted by an experienced yakitori chef over a special grill, and the flavors were spot on. The yakitori was so delicious that I couldn’t resist eating everything right away — not many photos this time! My personal favorites were the yaki onigiri and the tsukune, both outstanding. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for real Japanese yakitori. Can’t wait to go back!

My husband and I absolutely ADORE this place!!! I’m so grateful such an awesome team works here! I also want to especially name drop Nat, Grun, Imm and Hieu!!! They’re the best in all of New England!! We love the whole team, but haven’t gotten the chance to talk to everybody yet. The food is world class! We’ve been coming here regularly for 2 and a half years, and have never once been disappointed by anything we’ve ordered. Highly recommend the Negi Pon, any of the Onigiri flavors, the Unagi, and you gotta have the cheese wontons! We get these ALL the time! The vibe is also great. The music is always the right volume, and the song choices create the perfect atmosphere for a great night out. If you’re into drinks, there are some really unique things on the menu (like the Makku, a mango rice beer), and every cocktail is delicious on top of having funny names. Lately we’ve been hooked on the Emotionally Damaged - don’t read too deep into what that says about us haha. At any rate, if you like drinks, you can’t go wrong with any of the offerings here!

very big menu and got about five items from the menu. all items were fabulous. i suggest anyone come here if they’re looking for a place to have a light lunch and taste delicious japanese skewers. will definitely be back here to try more items on their menu

The hidden Gem of the Assembly. The thing is, there's a Yakatori in NYC that's somewhat famous so this isn't so much a hidden gem. Hands down the best restaurant in Assembly Row. I've never been disappointed here. Anthony Bourdain absolutely loved the sister restaurant in NYC and recommended the chicken skin.... what more can you ask for on terms of a recommendation or review? negi tori don, a bunch of skewers and you'll be a happy camper. The staff has ALWAYS been phenomenal here as well. Always an great dining experience. Rarely a wait. A must go

Loved the food and atmosphere here! It’s different than other yakitori restaurants I have been to which is not a bad thing! It had a relaxed and slightly more elevated environment which made the evening lovely. All of the skewers we tried were amazing (listed below) and I thought the agedashi tofu was especially good. The crust had a really pleasant mouthfeel which was a bit reminiscent to mochi or a rice roll - probably due to the potato starch. Sometimes agedashi tofu can taste a bit floury or chalky but this was neither. All of the skewers were great - my personal favourites were the garlic, negi pon, harami, and eringi. Negi pon Ton toro Yaki onigiri - soy sauce + miso Harami Garlic beef Eringi Shishito Shiitake Garlic Yaki nasu