This restaurant has been around for a long time and it's always been the same - the best sushi and the longest weekend wait. I am among many who have frequented Kyoto for years and recommend it to everyone (despite the weekend wait times.) Hands down, it's the best sushi I have had in the US. (You have to try: the green mussels - chopped and cooked, served in shell with dynamite sauce; the dynamite with scallops; the raw salmon sushi; and the Teppanyaki tables. These are all among the best I've had anywhere.) The chefs are very fun at the sushi bar and Teppanyaki tables. The overall atmosphere is always very cheery and friendly...once you get seated. The lines for this place are as much a part of the tradition as the incredible food and atmosphere. Expect it, plan for it or don't go there on the weekends without a reservation - and still expect to wait. You'll have plenty of time to mingle while you are wedged into the bar having pre-dinner drinks. If you go in with the right expectations, it'll remain a long time favorite. - Note that the longest waits are for Teppanyaki and sushi bar once people get seated, they dont like to leave and create long wait times.
Pros: Amazing Food, Funny/Talented Chefs, Fun Atmosphere
Cons: You'll be among hundreds waiting to eat dinner there Thursday-Saturday
more