We ate at Shogun in Cool Spring last night and chose the restaurant due to the location. We also were looking for a fun, boisterous place to gather and eat. It was boisterous and there was a large crowd waiting to be seated -- so we thought we had made the right decision. We were told that the wait for a table was only about 30 minutes -- with such a large crowd waiting in the foyer, we were pleasantly surprised. We quickly figured out why. We sat in the bar, away from the crowded foyer and ordered drinks. The bartender was nice but very, very slow with our first round of drinks and he only had about six customers in the bar. We were seated in the time we were told and proceeded to order. Our chef showed up and while he did do the prerequisite ""hibachi"" style moves -- he just didn't seem too excited to be there. He also rushed through the entire cooking ""process"" -- undercooking the shrimp, rushing just about everything. The rice was good but dry and our filet was tender. The sauces provided just seemed bland and they actually tasted the same -- one was just darker than the other. We also ordered a round of drinks at our table and had to remind the server helping out that we had not received them. Now, I consider myself an EXPERT on Japanese food. We have eaten at the Mikado off of Harding/I-24 for over 10 years and are considered regulars there. We would have chosen Mikado but our party wanted something close to the Cool Springs area. We have tried Omigashi, now Shogun and Miyaki in Nippers Corner and I can say that we will never stray away from the Mikado again. If Cool Springs is the location for our next gathering, we will pick another place besides Shogun. Service mediocre, food undercooked or dry (steak was good though), sauces and salad dressing are the same, bland concoction and bartender slow. While it wasn't a terrible experience, the food and service were just okay. I just wouldn't recommend it to those who love Japanese food.
Pros: Prompt seating, loud and boisterous for groups, tender steak, rice good but dry
Cons: Parking, service, sauces, bland food, bar service slow, rushed service/dining
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