Mitsuba Hibachi Steakhouse Sushi Bar & Lounge

Really enjoyed both visits to this restaurant on a recent trip to NY for a funeral.  Went on my birthday for Sushi and then our whole family/friends went here after the funeral to share a meal and stories.  The people at the restaurant were amazing.  Friendly, understanding and warm...plus, the food was amazing and everyone really enjoyed the hibachi show and time sharing with each other.

This place USED to be so good! If I'd reviewed it in the summer of 2012 I would have given it 5 stars and raved about wishing I could give it more. But something has changed since then, well, a lot of somethings have changed. It seems like they may have had a change in management because they have a lot of new faces in the restaurant, many of whom don't seem to know the menu very well and aren't very attentive servers. As for the food, the veggie portions are extremely small now that they offer lomein in addition to the fried rice. The quality of the food has gone down, but it's still pretty average for a hibachi place.

Then there are the guys, who I think were supposed to be bus boys, but are also trying to be the before and after dinner entertainment. They pretty much went around table to table, person to person, and harassed them and squirted sake in their faces (in addition to the chef doing this, which they always did). It was beyond obnoxious. They didn't take the hint when people didn't want to participate and just kept harassing them. They even scared small children! And if it's your birthday (someone not in our party but at our table was celebrating), don't expect the singing with the drums and masks that they used to do at Mitsuba. Expect the 'bus boys' to come out with the industrial tub of sake and have you sit in a chair while they pour it on you/in your mouth. Pretty trashy. It seems like it'll only be a matter of time before someone sues this restaurant after a customer drives drunk after leaving this place. Or they get caught for serving underage folks.

It's too bad, because like I said, this placed used to be soooo good! And not just, oh this is good for upstate NY, but good compared to all the hibachi places I've been to up and down the east coast.

It's way too expensive for what you get. The sushi rice wasn't sticky enough so it fell apart after picking up the sushi. Everything looks very pretty including the place itself but it's okay for the quality and taste.

The mochi ice-ream comes with three pieces and whipped cream (what IS that about?) I guess I should complain for upstate NY.