"Management change." Those nasty words. After working in a corporate environment for several decades, I've heard those words and lived that experience more times than I can count. When I heard there was a "management change" at Tamari, once my FAVORITE happy hour place, I feared for the worst. Alas, my fears were realized. Awful. Just awful. Change like this is often dictated by financial considerations, a need to make more money. It's rarely about providing better customer service. Tamari is an example of just that. I say BLAH! Typical Actions as a result of "management change": 1) Personnel Change. Yep, it happened. The best bartenders in the area were let go. Paul, we miss you!!! Hope you landed someplace good! 2) Price Increase. Yep, for sure. The menu prices went up. My favorite Rabata grill item, quail eggs wrapped in bacon, doubled in price. Yep, doubled. Other items either increased in price or decreased in size (still a price increase) 3) Quality suffered. Yep. In an effort to squeeze more $ out, they have compromised what once were delightful appetizers. The grilled romaine is now woody and tasteless, the 3 sauces normally provided with the rabata grills aren't provided at all (I know - I asked!), and the calamari is bland and tasteless. That just wasn't the case before. They've skimped on other selections too. Sad. 4) Reduced services. Yep, in this case it is a reduction in the menu. Far less things to select. Some of my favorite things aren't there any more and no replacement is offered either. No more half price bottles of wine on Wednesday. No more half price Maki special. One of the WORST offenses is taking my beloved West Coast Green Flash IPA away. They have offered that since they opened and it was a place I could always count on having Green Flash on tap. Not any more. Real sad. I can't speak to the rest of the menu - as I've said before I don't know why anyone would eat dinner here - this is strictly a Happy Hour place - but I smell something foul in the air. After dozens and dozens and dozens of visits here, I think I'm done. You can have my dukedom. I'm finished. It's inexcusable. So, Tamari my former friend, you've changed. Time for me to move on.
(2)
Elizabeth B.
My coworker and I were looking for a fun lunch spot a couple Friday afternoons ago and settled on Tamari. I have heard rave reviews of the Lawrenceville location, so I was excited to finally try the restaurant. I really loved the idea of the $16 lunch. Even though it's a little steep compared to other popular Cranberry restaurant spots for the office crowd, I think it offers good bang for the buck. Overall, everything that I had was very tasty. I particularly enjoyed the bacon and quail egg, the pineapple, and the chorizo taco. Delicious! The primary negative of the whole experience was the service. I have a food allergy, and though the waitress did provide some alternatives of things that I could eat to avoid certain foods, I felt that she was a little rude and impatient throughout the process. The restaurant was also essentially empty, and my coworker and I had to wait a very long time to get our checks and then again for her to process our cards. She would just disappear for long periods of time. We actually had to flag down another waitress to help us as we had already taken well over an hour lunch break. This Tamari location definitely has peeked my interest to try the Lawrenceville location... but doesn't have me dying to return here.
(3)
Linda W.
Almost a year ago I started to write a review on Tamari in Warrendale welcoming them to the North. I've returned several times since then and although every visit was stellar, I never did finish that review. It's about time. Tamari Warrendale is an Asian Latin fusion island in the midst of the barren North as far as cutting edge dining goes. It's literally an island, too, as it physically sits in a mostly empty strip mall surrounded by not water, but by roads. Cross the road, folks...it is definitely worth it! Recently my daughter and I enjoyed a Christmas Eve lunch break from shopping to enjoy sushi (her) and shrimp tacos with margarita foam (me). And a cocktail for each of us. Let's start with the cocktails...they did arrive first. A muddled apple and rum drink was my lovely selection. Deeeeelicious! TJ, the bartender, knows how to build a great cocktail! The apple drink was fantastic, but nothing compared to the Wasabi Martini that my daughter ordered. It was a perfect balance of heat and sweet and tart. It was the finest specialty martini I've ever had. How were the entrees? The kid declared her array of sushi "divine" and the shrimp taco definitely fit that description as well. I have to admit it took a while of perusing the menu to finally decide what to order as the list of temptations all sounded like must-orders. I guess when Asian Latin Fusion is the theme, the possibilities are nearly endless....and tempting. And so, repeated dining at Tamari in Warrendale will be an adventure every visit. Oh! And they do themed dinners specific to a country that really kick up the adventure card. So far they've done Korea and Puerto Rico...and you don't need a passport! Welcome to the North, Tamari! Sorry for the delay.
(5)
Elizabeth H.
Christian and I have been coming here off and on for awhile. It's conveniently close. The food seems to be a hit or miss lately. Usually love the bacon wrapped quail eggs and the guacamole are pretty steady:)
(4)
Alex D.
If you read through my previous reviews, you will see that I have reviewed the Tamari in Lawrenceville, and it wasn't the best experience on my foray there. Happily, I had the chance to check out the Warrendale site, and really must say that the food was great, the service attentive, and the overall value was much better. My previous experience in Lawrenceville was mostly marred by poor service from our waitress and from the lack of concern from the mâitre - not so with the Warrendale site. We were very well served by the polite, attentive staff there, who made the evening a great experience. The appetizers were delicious, the sushi fresh, and the drinks well prepared. It's much less crowded than the Lawrenceville restaurant, and worth the extra 20 minute drive to enjoy! Will be back for sure!
(4)
Kelsey R.
I LOVE the lawrenceville location, so I thought i would love this location was well. The older gentleman bartender was very unaccommodating. We were one of two couples at the bar, and he never checked on us. I set my full drink clearly away from our area because it was way too sweet and he never asked asked how anything was, offered us anything else, or said thank you. Very disappointed and will not return.
(1)
Michelly T.
Love this place!!!! Food and drinks are delicious, service is great from bartenders to waitstaff to manager. Mixed drinks were awesome
Decide based on yelp reviews to give this place a try on a road trip from Ohio back to DC. We arrived at a weird time (3:45pm), which is apparently usually their break between lunch and dinner... But they sat us anyway without even blinking, which I thought was just such lovely customer service. The menu was small, but really nice. We started with asian inspired guacamole which came with plantain chips (yum) and a charred romain and queso fresco wedge (also yum). We ordered tuna sashimi and a few of the a-la-carte skewers (chicken and beef) and all was delicious. We didn't get a chance to sample from their amazing cocktail menu (road trip and all), but wish we could have, it looked great. I would have given them them a stronger review if the prices were fairer. We ate pretty light and didn't drink and walked away with a pretty robust bill. All said though, nice spot, and don't let the strip mall scare you away :)
(4)
Will C.
#177 A fusion lounge still without an culinary identity. While there is the option to order sushi or sashimi, I would rather sample their tapas as that seems to be their marketed specialty. The problem with Tamari is that the potential of asian-latin fusion hasn't been fully fleshed out and even at its potential, is quite limited as there's only so much one can do to flesh Asian and Mexican cooking ingredients together because they are almost polar opposites. Some of the tapas work really well like the baby octopus salad and the tempura rock shrimp because of the limited use of the counterpart's influence. Other tapas fail miserably like the pork belly tacos because of an overwhelming use of the counterpart's influence. Pork Belly Tacos- 1.5/5 - I didn't think that the advertised Asian cole slaw would be pickled vegetables similar to kim chi. Had I known that, I wouldn't have ordered the pork belly tacos. I think that's pretty deceiving to advertise these as having Asian cole slaw, when in fact, kim chi is a very, very different kind of vegetable. The problem is that the cole slaw lends a very, very sour and spicy flavor to the sweetness of the pork belly such that it almost overwhelms the pork belly. Tempura Rock Shrimp - 4/5- These tiny shrimp are very flavorful. Perhaps a bit over-breaded, but that's just being nit-picky. The avocado creme is fairly mild, and doesn't add much flavor to these shrimp. Otherwise, these were the best tapas I had for dinner. Rock Shrimp Tacos- 3/5- The same tiny shrimp used in the tempura form, but not breaded and fried. These are sauteed. More reliance on the avocado-creme to carry the weight. The yuzu-margarita foam is a fun decoration to the plate, but does nothing to enhance the flavor. Bacon and Quail Egg Yakitori - 2.5/5- It's a piece of quail egg yolk wrapped in well-fried bacon. Not terribly impressive. Sit at the bar if you enjoy watching reality chef shows and have never seen the inner-workings of a kitchen before. Lots of fun to see them prepare not just the sushi, but all the other food right before your eyes. Avoid sitting at the bar; however, if you don't want your clothes to smell like fried seafood. Oddly enough, this is the only restaurant in this brand new shopping strip. So THERE IS LOTS OF PARKING! A bit loud in this restaurant, especially by the bar. 2.5/5 stars. Rounded up to 3 because it's hard to find decent Asian food in Pittsburgh.
(3)
Rachel K.
Horrible service. Waiter screwed up payment, charged three times. Food was good, portions small. Staff seemed to think they were better than everyone else.
(2)
DJ J.
Really cool decor. Walked in and the Host introduced himself and gave us a tour, since it was not crowded and early. So unexpected and really cool to be greeted like this! By the way, there is a nice little room in the back for meetings and private parties. The food is superb. Did not realize it but Allen Chen, the owner, was working the restaurant and helped serve us. Had a short conversation with him and did not realize he was the owner until after he had served us and asked him his name. The server asked a few questions and offered some details about the menu. The menu has so many wonderful choices of small entrees and sushi, needed a little time to decide. Started with some Robata...Scottish salmon was sweet, soft and very good. Hanger steak was tasty and a nice texture. Serve with three dipping sauces, ponzu butter was tasty and sweet and the chimichurri (sp?) was very tasty with a tartness that helped to accent the hanger steak. Also, had Specialty Maki with white tuna, crab and scallops, a wonderful blend of flavors. Woohoo! Great meal, nice place.
(5)
Jeff G.
As any of you who've read my reviews know, Tamari (Lawrenceville) is my favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh. Well, those of you living in the North Hills are in for a real treat as Alan, the owner of Tamari, has opened up a second restaurant in Warrendale. Yesterday was opening night for them and my wife and I couldn't miss the opportunity to support this new venture. Let's just say that the drive up was worth it in every way (though we'll likely continue being regulars at Lawrenceville location). The decor is modern but without any pretentiousness. The service (even though it was their first night open!!) was excellent. And the food...well, what's not to love. The menu, for now, is the same as the Lawrenceville location, so we ate some of our favorites (Tamari Roll, Mushroom Salad, Kobatcha Soup, Scallops, Robata Grill) and even got a very nice treat from the chef (fried oysters). I have to admit, my only complaint is that now I'm jealous of all you North Hills folks. Not that I don't still love the Lawrenceville location, but man is the Warrendale space amazing. With the same great menu and a new space for great drinks and food, I'm sure that Tamari - Warrendale will make a huge splash in the North Hills food scene. Oh, make sure you try the Sake Negroni...a new favorite for me. One more comment: the location is so new that it wasn't on my car's GPS (though it is on Google Maps). So for those of you not familiar with this area, make sure to have a smart phone with Google Maps to guide you. Enjoy.
(5)
Alice M.
This is my new favorite. The food is asian latin fusion and it's wonderful. The drinks are awesome. I recommend the fried rice, calamari, guacamole, lychee margarita, and lychee mojito. The decor is also very cool. Everything is rand new and sparkling clean. Service was exceptional
(5)
Ron S.
Tamari in Lawrenceville has long been a favorite restaurant of mine - imaginative pan-Asian/international cuisine, an excellent bar, and a great urban indoor-outdoor vibe. Tamari in Warrendale has the same great menu, but is located in a suburban strip mall. As unappealing as that might sound, it could be worse: the strip mall is of recent vintage (the new-ish Warrendale Village development), and the outside dining area is surprisingly well-designed and gardened, even if it does look out onto a parking lot. But, as usual, the food is the star attraction. On this trip, we had a selection of small plates and sushi, as usual: beginning with Tamari's signature Lobster Roll (lobster two ways - tempura'd and frittered, with avocado, cucumber, tobiko and spicy srirachi aioli, presented in the guise of the Ocean City roller coaster) and the Naruto Roll (delicious tuna, salmon and yellowtail, perilously wrapped in cucumber); then, the robata King Trumpet Mushrooms and the Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos (enshrouded in yuzu-margarita foam); and finally, 4 slices of Peking Duck Quesadilla. My wife had a couple of ginger vodka-and-sodas from the bar, while I leaned Mexicano with a Negra Modelo. (Gotta get your Modelo before Anheuser-Busch gobbles it up entirely.) Do I still prefer the Lawrenceville location? Well, I gave my heart to it awhile ago, so I'd have to say that I do. Meanwhile, just knowing there's a Tamari shelter in the storm in Warrendale, of all places, makes me more likely to venture out into northwest Allegheny County in a rainstorm.
(4)
Kim M.
I've eaten here at the Wexford location several times. My favorites: grilled romaine, shrimp taco, bento lunch (weekdays), salmon sashimi, the fun and fancy sushi rolls. Yummy fall sangria, wine. Add: Good service, nice atmosphere, easy parking. Did you know there is a kids' menu? Way to know your audience. Mac n cheese, chicken tenders, calamari. In this Wexfor oasis of chain restaurants, Tamari stands out. If you are in the area or off the turnpike or route 79, this is the place to go if you like the looks of the menu. This is not a budget destination but neither is it overpriced for the quality of food. If you want a giant plate of starch for a $10 then you need to go to a different restaurant. Service and atmosphere are just right. I really like the bathroom sinks. Our varying parties have always been welcomed with perfect service.
(4)
Brennan K.
The food tastes like they're trying too hard. Got rock shrimp tacos, tuna tartare, scallops, and lobster Mac and cheese. Tacos tasted like something I would concoct if trying to create Asian fusion: take all spices available and pour. Tuna was rubbery and didn't have any standout flavor, nor did plantain chips. Scallops were not cooked properly and the accompaniments on the plate were odd. The lobster Mac and cheese was the only saving grace, and even then it tasted just like outback's with an inch of stale breadcrumbs, with a single strip of lobster on top. Service was good though.
(2)
Christina B.
Highly recommend the chef's tasting! It was the best food experience I have ever had, from the quality and tastiness of the food to the phenomenal service from the chef, manager, and servers. The courses included are so unique and delicious and are not included on the menu. A perfect choice for a special occasion!
(5)
Kim H.
Stopped in on a Monday night and it wasn't crowded. Started out with a little appetizer complimentary from the chef that had a kick to it. Since we're both not fond of sushi we opted for the tapas. I had the enchiladas and filo shrimp. They were really good, especially the shrimp. My husband got the empanadas and scallops. The empanadas had cilantro in it and knowing that I just love that stuff and would eat it on practically anything, I traded my enchiladas for his empanadas. OMG, thought I died and went to heaven! Of course, had to try the desserts. I got some apple concoction and you could really taste the cardamon in it. I loved it! My husband's chocolate dessert was good too. The dessert portions are quite small though. The decor or atmosphere is really cool. Our waitress was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Overall, a great experience. Cranberry area really needed this upscale restaurant. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Theresa H.
Latin American Asian fustian! We ordered off the brunch menu. I got the summer roll and empanada. My bf got the rainbow roll and French toast. They let us order the guacamole and plantain chips even though it's on their weekly menu. It was all absolutely delicious!
(5)
Dave B.
While a little pricey, the food is very good. The ingredients are fresh and well prepared. We had the sushi and shashimi platter and the maki TNT along with edamame and a bottle of wine. Plan on paying about 50pp with tip. The outside dining area is very nice but for the price I would expect a little better service. Although adequate, it wasn't a fine dining experience. All told, I will go back. They have an excellent 1/2 off happy hour special at the bar on weekday evenings.
(4)
Rachel P.
I hate to write such a short and lame review but after drinks here last night I wanted to say something about Tamari. Such a hidden gem with great drinks, bar service and comforting atmosphere. I am surely going back to experience the cuisine sooner rather than later. They really do need to do some sort of advertising or signage out near the road as it would bring in more business.
(4)
Sammy R.
One of the worst services I ever experienced. I am disappointed on such service from a new restaurant. We were received by a rude girl at front. Waited for more than 15 minutes for a waiter to turn up. Left the place without eating there. Will not visit again. Sam
(1)
N B.
Great overall. Lunch deal is amazing. Food is high quality and delicious at a fair price.
(5)
Christa W.
The food was great, drinks were interesting and delicious. The service was helpful and friendly. Happy hour was until 7 and definitely a deal!
(5)
Bridget K.
I recently went here with my huge family (14 adults) for dinner. It was awesome! We got a huge table right by the door but didn't notice the traffic at all. Our waiter Matt was incredible. Having been the first time at Tamari for most everyone at the table Matt volunteered to order for us with everyone just sharing the tapas (small plates) and sushi. It was perfect! We got empanadas, guacamole, lobster maki, edamame, and the most amazing Mac and cheese you've ever had, to name a few. He even ordered some California rolls and beef skewers for my teenage cousins who joined us. We all couldn't stop raving about the food. And for such a huge table, not once did we have to wait for drinks or the next round of food. The timing was perfect! I would recommend Tamari and especially Matt to anyone looking for a fun and adventurous dinner.
(5)
Umar A.
Another favorite in Cranberry. Typically Asian fusion spots always disappoint but this was pretty good for a smaller Cranberry town. We visited twice in 4 weeks, and the last time we were there really late. They were nice enough to serve a group of 6 at that hour. I would recommend the Salmon with mushrooms, definitely the favorite.
(4)
Judy S.
I just arrived in town with my father to visit my sister, who recently moved to Wexford. We wanted to go out to Sunday brunch, and decided to try this place after hearing good reviews and recommendation from my sister's friend. What a GREAT place! We decided to split two prix-fix orders between the three of us. We felt like we were eating at an Iron Chef's table. ALL the food was not only pretty to look at but tasted fantastic. For our small plates we had the seared tuna (YUMMMMM) and the scallion cakes (so flakey!). For our large plates we chose the Peking Duck Hash (wow!) and the Scottish Salmon Eggs Benedict (delish!). DEFINITELY recommend this place for brunch, and I can't wait to go back and try more of their dishes.
(5)
Jessica S.
Let me start with this is the first review I have ever written myself. I am big on reading reviews and following the advice though. Anyways I think the food at Tamari is very good, not outstanding, but a decent meal. If I based my reviews on just the food I would have given a 4 star. I had to give a 3 star for the customer service. I purchased the LivingSocial deal, which was a wonderful deal. Unfortunately every time I go to use it I cannot. The first time you needed to make reservations and state that you had the coupon, which I didn't but fine it did state it in the fine print. Then I tried to make reservations and no one called me back. So I called them back, which just doesn't seem right, and they were booked. When I complained about not being called back I was given attitude. If you don't want to honor coupons just don't offer them. I know you are thinking am some crazy complainer, but I am really not believe me. I just feel the staff is a little snooty here.
(3)
Candice G.
I've been tamari in lawrensville before but This was my first time in tamari north. They had such a great Valentine's Day tasting menu. The chicken tortilla soup and lobster maki were very delicious. Service was also good. I would definitely come back for their regular menu.
(5)
Deena A.
I was very disappointed in this restaurant and will most likely never eat there again. I NEVER RECEIVED one of the dishes I ordered, or the glass of water I asked for, even when I asked a second time. The waitress even gave me attitude when I asked the second time (politely, of course!) and said, "It's coming!" in an irritated tone. But it never came. After 15-20 minutes, I eventually gave up on the waitress and walked out of our private party room, into the main restaurant, and up to the bar to get my own water. I later learned the person next to me never got her water, either. Tamari serves "tapas." And that's fine, but the dishes are so small that you really need a FEW of these to constitute a meal. So I ordered three small dishes: a rice dish, a mushroom dish, and guacamole. For the record, I absolutely LOVE guacamole, and I was really looking forward to trying theirs. Too bad it never arrived. Out of the three things I ordered, that was the one thing I wanted the most, and it was one thing the waitress NEVER DELIVERED! The waitress disappeared for a LONG TIME after bringing out (most of) the food, or I would have asked her about my missing dish. (She never returned to ask if everything was OK, or if we needed more drinks.) I didn't see her again until about an hour later when she brought me my check. I had to ask for the guacamole to be removed from the bill, since I never got it. She seemed genuinely shocked and surprised that I hadn't received it, but quickly brought me a new check sans the guacamole. I will give the waitress credit for two things. When I asked her about vegetarian dishes when ordering, she was very knowledgeable about the menu and able to direct me to the right dishes. (Too bad I didn't get to try everything I ordered!) And when I paid in cash, she returned my change, and had reissued the check with the automatic gratuity removed from the bill, thus allowing me to CHOOSE whether or not to leave a tip. I thought that was a classy move on her part, so I left 15% (the minimum), although I normally leave 20-30%. (I'm a former waitress and normally a very generous tipper!) Considering I never received one of my dishes or my water, I think the 15% was more than adequate. It felt like the restaurant was overwhelmed by our party of 30+ people, although the organizer (not me) had booked the event weeks in advance. I don't know if they didn't have enough staff on duty, or if their staff just wasn't trained well enough, but the service sucked. In the restaurant business, you SHOULD be able to handle a dinner party, especially if you have a private party room in your establishment that exists solely for that purpose! If they can't handle a private party on a busy Friday night, then they shouldn't book a private party for a Friday night in the first place IMHO. Anyway, it's a good thing I had ordered the rice and mushroom dishes, so at least I had something to eat. The rice dish was actually quite good, although not big enough for a meal, which is why I had ordered a total of three dishes. The mushroom dish had about 8 small shiitake mushrooms for $8. A dollar a mushroom? I know these are tapas, but this was a ridiculously SMALL amount of food for 8 bucks. At least the rice dish was a little more substantial. I waited tables in college and between jobs in my 20s. I know how hard the job is, and I am usually very understanding in situations like these. (I am also one of the best tippers in the world.) I wasn't a perfect waitress, but in all the years I waited tables, I never FORGOT TO BRING someone their WATER or their FOOD! As the main organizer of a dining club myself (The Pittsburgh Dining N' At Meetup Group), I understand the CHALLENGE of booking, organizing, and planning a dining event. Even if you've eaten at that restaurant before with a few friends, it's almost impossible to predict how the restaurant will handle a large group. I suspect that Tamari might be an OK place to go on a date with just two people, or with a small group of friends. But, I would not recommend Tamari for a large party. Based on my own personal experience of waiting for one of my favorite dishes in the world (guacamole) to arrive, and never receiving it, and having to go to the bar to get my own water, I personally would not go back to Tamari. Clearly the service was horrible the night I was there, and the food is overpriced in my opinion, even for tapas. The portion size of the mushroom dish I ordered was ridiculously small. The rice dish was the best part. It was tasty, and the portion size was perfect for a side dish. But the overall experience of dining at Tamari has left a bad taste in my mouth.
(1)
Shawn O.
I LOVE Tamari's Lawrenceville location... so when the wife and I were out in Cranberry for the Wexford Starlite Car Cruise, I knew we had the perfect place to hit up afterwards for tapas and drinks. Even better, on our way there, we realized there was a $20 for $40 Yelp deal (score!). While the space was welcoming in traditional Tamari contemporary fashion, we couldn't resist sitting outside by the fire pit and enjoying the cool Summer evening, maybe that's where we first went wrong. Service overall was horrid. After making three requests for a server to come take our drink orders from various staff, a server finally made her way over (about 20 minutes after being sat). By this point, we had already decided on some tapas and placed an order for a few items at that time as well. 30 minutes later, it became obvious that our food wasn't coming out. After some follow-up, they had inadvertently given our dishes to another table (and the other table gladly accepted the "complementary" food). When our rush order did finally come out, the calamari was bland (my favorite dish there!) and the robata sampler was mediocre at best. The one shining star out of the entire experience was the lamb quesadilla, but that simply wasn't enough to offset the bad service and otherwise forgettable food. Luckily, the Yelp deal helped to temper what would of been significant frustration down to straightforward disappointment of the experience as a whole. Judging by our past experiences at the other location (and dramatic difference in the quality of the same dishes we ordered), we'll definitely go back to Lawrenceville, just not here.
(2)
Mac R.
As I sat at the bar at Tamari yesterday, I realized I needed to update my review from 4 to 5 stars because they've earned it! Tamari has become our regular happy hangout over the past year mainly because their food is just so darned special and unlike anything anyone else has. In the vast wasteland of chain restaurants and fast food joints in the Cranberry area (technically it's in Warrendale), Tamari stands far out from the crowd. We've had large parties, met multiple friends for drinks and food and done some serious belly up to the bar time here. Service has always been stellar and we've had so many orders and things going on at times that there have been serious challenges posed to the servers and no one has ever missed a beat. Impressive! Paul, the bartender, is one of our favorites, too. He's skillful and fun to chat with! The menu changed a bit not long ago and they've added some new fun items like the Korean tenderloin with grits and beet chips and steamed bok choy. We've also worked our way through the Specialty Maki menu and it's really stellar! Chef inspired Maki, sign me up anytime! The Tamari roll is a standout with white tuna, kana, siracha aioli and torched scallops; the Chifa with a crunch of shrimp tempura in the center surrounded by white tuna takes you to a happy place; the Lobster maki served on the lobster tail creates a whirlwind of flying chopsticks at a table of friends - best to just order 2 of those! The happy hour is still the best around with beer and drink specials on weekdays and 1/2 off all Tapas under $10. Wednesdays have become fun with buy one get one Maki and 1/2 off bottles of wine. We saw a sign yesterday that they are revising the happy hour time from 4:30-6:30pm in early September. Tamari has seriously earned their 5 stars and our regular visits!
(5)
Stacie R.
"Wait, WHERE is this place? Cranberry!?" One night I was sipping (chugging?) wine and checking out Groupon when I decided I had to have all the sushi deals I saw. I figured the boyfriend wouldn't mind since we are sushi fiends, but proximity to home didn't really factor into my decision making, so it took a while to get to this one. We pulled in to the strip mall around 4pm to find an empty parking lot. Ohhh no. We drove all the way across town and it's closed. Ooh, another couple! We're in! Turns out 4pm is not a popular dinner hour, which worked in our favor since we got the choice of every table in the restaurant and very attentive service. The restaurant was very clean and felt very "cool." Even the sinks in the bathroom were fancy and modern! I could barely contain myself as I described the flush options on the toilet after dinner. I know, lame. Okay, food! My date inhaled a lemonade as we pored over our menus, trying to make a decision between the many options. We settled on calamari and two fancy-sounding sushi rolls. The calamari was fresh and delicious, served with a tasty sauce (although the boyfriend would be pretty thrilled if they would have ranch next time we go!) The rolls, though! Oh, they were beautiful works of art, bathed in spicy sauce, panko crumbs and packed with delicious fish. The rolls were big enough that we were relieved we didn't order more. The groupon made dinner a steal and added a new favorite place to our list.
(4)
Amy C.
We went to the Warrendale location for the first time. The location is very convenient. The decor, very chic yet very comfortable. We arrived earlier than our reservation and were promptly seated. We started with the Roboto sampler which included a variety of yumminess on a skewer. You get a little bit of everything including: chicken, beef, bacon & quail egg, shishito, salmon, and shiitake. It comes with a trio of dipping sauces that include chimichurri, teriyaki (oh so good), and ponzu butter (just fab). My favorite was the bacon & quail egg. The hubby like the shiitake best. But let's not take anything away from any of the others because it was all terrifuc. The meat was so tender and wonderfully seasoned. We decided to get the sushi & sashimi platter to share. Wow! It was fabulous! Everything was so fresh! We capped it all off with a shrimp tempura. It was delicious! Our waitress was just fabulous. She was attentive but not in our face every two seconds. It was just a fabulous dinner and we will certainly go back!
(5)
Larissa G.
While I know I'm in the minority, I am not a fan of this particular Tamari location. Here's the problem with tapas: you're paying a large price for a tiny dish. That means the restaurant better make their dishes EXTREMELY good to make up for that high price, and the experience also better be darn enjoyable. Some places have actually succeeded in doing this. This place did not do such a good job during my particular visit. At all. I was surprised because the Lawrenceville Tamari location was just fine when I went there, and I was excited to try another one when I was in the Warrendale area. Right from the beginning I was in trouble; 50% of their dishes had jalapenos in them. The general population that I've met really does not like jalapenos. I am one of those people. This branch of Tamari, rather than considering this, made a number of dishes that thoroughly smash and mix things together in advance - meaning there's no way you can order these dishes without the jalapenos. I also was not warned about this when I was seated, so I had to rethink my dinner option upon discovering a food I'm highly sensitive to could not be removed from half of the dishes on the menu. Another mistake from the beginning: no one bothered telling us in advance what items were missing from the menu that day. The result of this laziness was that I had to pick a new item to eat or drink THREE TIMES. Count it: three times. Inexcusable! If you're that low on dishes and ingredients that day, you need to tell your patrons in advance. I do give the place kudos for bringing a complimentary sushi item out since I was clearly having an awful experience, but overall my time here just did not impress me and four small sushi rolls weren't going to fix the problems I ran into. As a final nail in the coffin, in addition to all of the faults I already mentioned, my main dish (Scottish salmon) was the very definition of "Meh." I do recommend the cucumber salad and Lobster mac & cheese, which my dinner partner ordered. Both were much tastier than my salmon, and since her food tasted excellent and she had no issues ordering, her experience was much better than mine. But I personally am not happy with my experience at all - I guess this Tamari and I were just never meant to be.
(2)
Christine P.
So my hubby and I stopped in tonight for a late dinner. Before ordering, I asked the waitress "IF I order the hanger steak($27), can I substitute a vegetable for the potatoes? Because I can't eat starch (metabolic disorder)" She told me that they didn't have a veggie, but said that maybe I could have a green salad as a side. GREAT !! I ordered the steak, medium, and the green salad. So after an app, my Blue steak and salad arrives. After a few bites, I notice that there is quinoa ALL throughout my salad. When the waitress comes to check on us I asked her if she knew that there was quinoa on the salad. She replies with "Oh, I thought you just didn't WANT a starch, I didn't know that you couldn't Have starch" So, that makes it OK ??!! With all of that aside, my hubby ordered the "special" sesame crusted scallops that were full of sand, and very fishy. After three tries we have to say "THIS PLACE SUCKS BAD !!!!!"
(1)
Megan E.
Since my hubs and I don't often agree about food choices (he likes burgers, I prefer sushi), we rarely share plates - hence rarely go to tapas restaurants. But this one is a keeper. Lots of varied options - all good. The servers are really helpful here as well.
(4)
Don S.
I would give 3.5 stars if I could. The place itself is very nice. Personally I would rather come here for a drink and maybe an appetizer than dinner. To start we had the guacamole app. The guacamole itself was awesome but the chips were very hard and thick. My gums are actually sore this morning.. Then I had the lobster mac n cheese. There were maybe 2-3 bites of lobster and for $17 I expected a little more. The flavor was good but nothing to rave about. My wife got the beans and kale. I tried the kale which was good but we've made better at home. It was also overwhelmed with garlic. Overall nice dinner, good service, clean restrooms, nice atmosphere.. If I was in the area and hungry I would go there again but I wouldn't go out of my way
(3)
Justine J.
The interior is pretty nice. I recommend the lobster mac and cheese and the pork belly. The wasabi martini is OK, but it's definitely worth trying. I also do like the ponzu butter. The problem with tapas places is that they're on the expensive side and tend to be not that great, and this one of them (though I have experienced much worse). I went with a party of 6 (including myself) so we ended up pretty much ordering everything on the menu - and only those two I recommend, so that's a little pathetic. My main concern was why were there cartons of eggs (sitting at room temperature) sitting under the computer?
(3)
Roy R.
Tamari on 2014 March 07 We went to Tamari in Warrendale without reservations. The front door staff managed to move us into a table in about 5 minutes, all very pleasant and professional. Service was, as usual, excellent -- the establishment is well laid out for bar and dining groups. Parking is great outside. A double entry helps with the transitions from inside and outside. We got a small, two-person table in the upper level. Wait staff immediately there. Guaccamole initial dish -- great. I had the Sexy Dragon -- and shrimp and cucumber dish. Good portion without being over the top. Presentation remains excellent. Wasabi and ginger on the side fresh. Obviously this has become a standard "go to" place for us. No risk, high quality, great service and polite wait staff. I've move my review to 5 since the consistency in experience is a factor -- whatever small issues there are (... please please preheat the sake cups before you present them!) are very minor given the overall high quality of food and beverage presentation. Roy
(5)
Christy K.
Just left and had one of the worst experiences ever. Waitress was extremely rude when I asked a simple question about an item on the menu. When we asked for our appetizer she looked at us like we were crazy and said "it will be out with your meal"? Confused we asked for it before our meal then she continued to have even more of an attitude after that. Food was ok, we were there at lunch time and we were the only table, beside two people at the bar. I now know why. We will never be back, do not recommend at all.
(1)
Kminputer Y.
Horrible!!!! Lipstick marks on glass and I asked new glass. Waiter asked me if these are my marker! I can't believe what I heard. Mt wife laughed at me. Wiping out and cleaning table while eating. Without asking, brought a check. No desert menu- of course I would not order anyway. Horrible service and manner. I recommend not to go and I will not go back. One of the worst restaurants ever I visited!!!!
(1)
Karla K.
Had dinner there this past Saturday. There were quite a few open tables compared to when I was there before. And here's why- my sushi was dry almost like it was prepared in advance. I had to flag down the waiter for chop sticks and soy sauce......when I ordered sushi. My friend had to wait 20 min for a class of wine. All the wait staff wanted to do was refill my water. The seaweed salad was good. It was the highlight of the night. Then we come to the check. We asked for separate checks between 2 people. The kid aka waiter said he could do it. His way of giving separate checks was to split everything in half! I brought it to his attention and he said he couldn't just put my food on my check. At this point I just wanted to get out of there. The food was not good and overpriced and the service was bad. I will not be back.
(1)
D T.
Thank you again Tamari North for another amazing meal! I bring friends and associates to this location and I'm never disappointed by the food, staff or ambiance. Three words to describe the food: FRESH, FRESH, FRESH. You can tell the difference between food that been prepared earlier in the day and left in the coolers compared to freshly assembled meals when kitchen receives your order. I don't know of any other restaurant, north of Pittsburgh, that serves fresher seafood and sushi. The new menu items are an extra bonus! The macaroni and cheese with lobster is extremely rich and filling, while the Tamari salad is delicious and super sized. I am also a fan of the new $6 menu specials, they give you a chance to sample creations by the Chef, that are not on the menu. Enjoy!
(4)
Joanne S.
Should have gone to 'OFF THE HOOK' Visited Tamari NORTH on 8/7/14. I have been in the restaurant business for over nine years and never wrote a bad review. Only after a cooling off period I decided to write such a sub-par review. I arrived slightly before my date and sat at the bar to view the wine list. At that time I was advised that the wine menu was limited because the alcohol order wasn't placed on time. I ended up finding a red blend which was just ok. My date arrived 8:15pm only to be informed if we plan on eating we must hurry and order because they are closing at 9pm. No hostess in sight, it took an additional five minutes plus to be seated. We were prompted to place our order. Within ten minutes we received our entree. However, before our second bite the server asked us if we would like to order dessert, and rattled off the dessert menu. We returned to our entree only to be interrupted again by another server setting the dessert on the edge of our table. We asked her to hold the dessert until we are done with our entree. With the staff shutting off the lights around us. We rushed through our entree, dessert and coffee and paid our tab. As we were exiting the staff was right behind us locking the door. Both myself and my date have dined at Tamari North on several occasions. I can assure you that we will not be returning. There are many other fine dining establishments in the area that would welcome our business and not rush us through our bottle of wine and meal.
(1)
Erica D.
I loved the food and the service was great as well. It was fun to try an array of different tastes that are new to me.
(4)
Faith A.
What an awesome HAPPY HOUR! A girl friend organized a get together at Tamari on a Wednesday night and I was happy to have been able to make it. I am a fan of Tamari in general, having frequented the Lawrenceville location numerous times over my time living in the 'Burgh. I love this location... so nice, the ambiance, size and vibe are great (as compared to the much smaller Lawrenceville location). 1/2 price bottles of wine, BOGO specialty rolls and 1/2 off tapas? Really? You can buy your table a bottle of wine and eat a lot and spend like $40 (excluding tip). The rolls here are just as delectable as the non happy hour ones. They do not skimp just because they are discounted. The service was great... very attentive. I cannot wait to go back!
(5)
Jennifer B.
I love this place!! The food is always fresh, delicious and so artful - beautiful, creative plates, excellent drinks in a cozy and hip atmosphere - LOVE!!!
(5)
Lo J.
Terrible experience at this location. My friend and I frequent Tamari often, but the past few times we've gone, the service has gone down hill. No wonder why it wasnt packed on a Saturday night. Ill stick to Lawrenceville from now on.
(2)
Tom C.
The ambiance is ok, a little tacky feeling. Service was bad, our waiter had marbles in his mouth. Price was high for the amount of food you received. Sushi was not the best grade. I would highly recommend Nakama for the best Sushi in Pittsburgh.
(2)
Food H.
YEAHH if you wana drink and spend good time happy houring this is ur place BUT BUT The food is NOT that great and NOT that tasty. VERY pricey for small dishes you will need five dishes for yourself to be satisfied and this will cost you 55$ dollar. Sorry people I am not in a top-notch restaurant in Paris to eat something not even special. Recommendations for the business owner change your strategy. Feel sorry for the people who read the good reviews (IT IS A TRAP) I WILL NEVER GO BACK NEVER EVER
(1)
Julie D.
Time for an update. We dined here on a recent Friday night. And it was like we were visiting a totally different restaurant. And I do not mean this in a good way. As always, service was awesome. Very attentive and friendly. Host desk, not so much. We had requested a booth. And although every booth in the restaurant was vacant, we were denied one. And even better than that, 4 of the 5 booths remained empty for over an hour and a half of our visit. Food was another issue. Even though we requested our tapas in a particular order, the kitchen could not deliver. First up, our guacamole was "thin". Almost to the point of being runny. Not good. It would have been nice if our robatas were served warm. They were not. The lobster mac and cheese was very good. However, do they really use elbow macaroni? You know, the kind grandma used? I know they serve tapas, but the portion size was minuscule. And even though we had requested our shrimp tacos to be up next, we didn't receive them until over 1/2 hour after we had eaten everything also. We were told more than once, (actually four times), that they would be up next. And just like the robatas, they were cold. The shrimp was over cooked. And they had a lot of liquid in them, the shells broke and we had to eat them with a fork. We were still hungry, so we decided to have an Asian tamale. It was a disappointment, mostly gummy rice, very little chicken and sausage. The highlight was dessert. Our server highly recommended the flan and we went with it. We both loved the marinated Asian pears as much as the flan. The bottom line is, you can have a beautiful restaurant. But you need to make sure your customers are leaving happy and satisfied. Needless to say, we are removing Tamari from our Friday night rotation. It will be quite a while before we give them another chance.
(2)
Kris K.
One of my favorite places to go. There's a reason that Tamari was named one of the best happy hours in the Pittsburgh area. Just about everything is half off including drinks and delicious food. The only downside as others have mentioned is that you must be seated at the bar or in the bar area to take advantage of the happy hour specials. I personally like the seating inside the restaurant better so extending happy hour to the entire restaurant might be a good idea (and thus the reason for 4 stars). Tamari is a restaurant for foodies that enjoy unique food that they normally wouldn't get most other places. I've seen a few reviews on here downgrading the food but never making any mention of the quality of food, rather only the price. If you're turned off by the price that's one thing but quality and taste of food is quite another. Don't knock the food, if you simply don't like the price. As everyone is entitled to an opinion, if you don't like the food, that's fine. I personally think the food is excellent and a welcome addition to an over-saturated, chain restaurant scene. Sure the portions aren't huge but be sure you understand the nature and theory behind tapas before you make a judgment. Tapas plates are designed to be small so that you can order many and share among the table so you can get a taste of as many dishes as possible. If you think this place is expensive, then please don't go to a tapas restaurant in any bigger city. I feel for the experience and uniqueness of food, the price is right on. If the price and/or style bothers you be sure to drive North and hit up McDonald's or Eat N Park or drive South and hit up Atria's or Walnut Grill. These restaurants will probably be more to your liking. As for the food, try the Bulgogi, shrimp tacos, Robata skewers, and don't miss out on the lychee mojito.
(4)
Alberta H.
We visited last night for a late dinner (after 8:30pm) and Tamari was still very busy. We were seated quickly, but I will say there's a wall that we were against that is in need of painting. I don't normally comment on a restaurants decor, but the rest of this place is really beautifully done. The huge white marks where paint was missing from the wall were a little distracting. Service was passable. Not terribly friendly at all, but also not bad. When asked if they had any specials that evening, our waitress simply replied "no we don't have any features this evening" and departed. No recommendations, nothing. I was a little disappointed in that. Also, when special requests were make regarding their maki, no attempts to even try it were made. Apparently their sushi is as is, and if you want a change, well then order something else. I'm fine with that, but no suggestions as to what might meet the request or anything. Very odd. But she smiled and was pleasant so I can't really fault her, just definitely not the above and beyond service you would expect for this price point. We ordered 3 tapas (2 of the shrimp tacos and 1 asian tamale) and my husband had a maki roll. The shrimp tacos were served hot (a lot of complaints about cold food in previous reviews) and were VERY good. The tequila foam and the guacamole on the shrimp tacos were to die for. Very well done. The asian tamale was also delicious, the green curry complemented the chicken sausage very well. I will say, this dish contains a lot of of the asian slaw. I saw very little chicken or chinese sausage and actually started removing some of the asian slaw. No matter, the dish was still delicious as a whole. Chris really enjoyed his Maki roll, the Tamari roll. I tried it and it was very good. A lot of flavors that worked very nicely together. Now we had 3 tapas dishes and one Maki roll, no drinks, and spent almost $50. Not horrible but certainly not good. I think we would go back for Happy Hour and take advantage of the half price tapas. Also, when we left, Chris hit up the drive through at Wendy's as he was still hungry. Never a good sign. All in all, a delicious meal but points off for service, price, and well still being hungry lol! I'm sure we will be back though as I really want to try their drinks. Also, I was really bummed that the tempura shrimp is no longer on the tapas menu. I saw a picture of it on here and was really excited, but all of naught. Another note, be warned if you visit later in the evening, people are there getting blotto. Two ladies who were in the restroom literally had to hold onto the door jamb and wall to exit. Not really what you want to see when you're there for dinner. I'm all for having a few drinks, but falling down drunk is really not my thing. Some would say not Tamari's fault, but really it is. Someone kept serving them drinks after it was clearly no longer a good idea.
(3)
Priya M.
The ambience is very nice. The guacamole was terrible! The Mac and cheese was good.. The spicy chocolate tart was okay, weird for a dessert to be spicy at the end.
(3)
JBaby S.
Excellent food and preparation. Presentation out of this world. We love sitting at the cooks bar. They are cute Great margaritas. I would give 5 stars if they were open on Sunday Oh and the usual bartender tall guy could be better about greeting guests and looking up as they sit at the bar
(4)
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Address :701 Warrendale Village Dr
Warrendale, PA, 15086
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Kelly K.
My husband and I are new to the area and are enjoying trying new restaurants. The service started off a little shaky, but once our orders were taken there were no issues. We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed a couple drinks and tapas. The sangria was yummy and we were pleased with all our food selections. We had the guacamole, sushi, chicken quesadilla and shrimp tacos. We didn't really need dessert, but the maple creme brûlée with candied bacon peaked our interest. It was actually really good! Overall, we had a nice dinner and would go back.
(4)Gary R.
"Management change." Those nasty words. After working in a corporate environment for several decades, I've heard those words and lived that experience more times than I can count. When I heard there was a "management change" at Tamari, once my FAVORITE happy hour place, I feared for the worst. Alas, my fears were realized. Awful. Just awful. Change like this is often dictated by financial considerations, a need to make more money. It's rarely about providing better customer service. Tamari is an example of just that. I say BLAH! Typical Actions as a result of "management change": 1) Personnel Change. Yep, it happened. The best bartenders in the area were let go. Paul, we miss you!!! Hope you landed someplace good! 2) Price Increase. Yep, for sure. The menu prices went up. My favorite Rabata grill item, quail eggs wrapped in bacon, doubled in price. Yep, doubled. Other items either increased in price or decreased in size (still a price increase) 3) Quality suffered. Yep. In an effort to squeeze more $ out, they have compromised what once were delightful appetizers. The grilled romaine is now woody and tasteless, the 3 sauces normally provided with the rabata grills aren't provided at all (I know - I asked!), and the calamari is bland and tasteless. That just wasn't the case before. They've skimped on other selections too. Sad. 4) Reduced services. Yep, in this case it is a reduction in the menu. Far less things to select. Some of my favorite things aren't there any more and no replacement is offered either. No more half price bottles of wine on Wednesday. No more half price Maki special. One of the WORST offenses is taking my beloved West Coast Green Flash IPA away. They have offered that since they opened and it was a place I could always count on having Green Flash on tap. Not any more. Real sad. I can't speak to the rest of the menu - as I've said before I don't know why anyone would eat dinner here - this is strictly a Happy Hour place - but I smell something foul in the air. After dozens and dozens and dozens of visits here, I think I'm done. You can have my dukedom. I'm finished. It's inexcusable. So, Tamari my former friend, you've changed. Time for me to move on.
(2)Elizabeth B.
My coworker and I were looking for a fun lunch spot a couple Friday afternoons ago and settled on Tamari. I have heard rave reviews of the Lawrenceville location, so I was excited to finally try the restaurant. I really loved the idea of the $16 lunch. Even though it's a little steep compared to other popular Cranberry restaurant spots for the office crowd, I think it offers good bang for the buck. Overall, everything that I had was very tasty. I particularly enjoyed the bacon and quail egg, the pineapple, and the chorizo taco. Delicious! The primary negative of the whole experience was the service. I have a food allergy, and though the waitress did provide some alternatives of things that I could eat to avoid certain foods, I felt that she was a little rude and impatient throughout the process. The restaurant was also essentially empty, and my coworker and I had to wait a very long time to get our checks and then again for her to process our cards. She would just disappear for long periods of time. We actually had to flag down another waitress to help us as we had already taken well over an hour lunch break. This Tamari location definitely has peeked my interest to try the Lawrenceville location... but doesn't have me dying to return here.
(3)Linda W.
Almost a year ago I started to write a review on Tamari in Warrendale welcoming them to the North. I've returned several times since then and although every visit was stellar, I never did finish that review. It's about time. Tamari Warrendale is an Asian Latin fusion island in the midst of the barren North as far as cutting edge dining goes. It's literally an island, too, as it physically sits in a mostly empty strip mall surrounded by not water, but by roads. Cross the road, folks...it is definitely worth it! Recently my daughter and I enjoyed a Christmas Eve lunch break from shopping to enjoy sushi (her) and shrimp tacos with margarita foam (me). And a cocktail for each of us. Let's start with the cocktails...they did arrive first. A muddled apple and rum drink was my lovely selection. Deeeeelicious! TJ, the bartender, knows how to build a great cocktail! The apple drink was fantastic, but nothing compared to the Wasabi Martini that my daughter ordered. It was a perfect balance of heat and sweet and tart. It was the finest specialty martini I've ever had. How were the entrees? The kid declared her array of sushi "divine" and the shrimp taco definitely fit that description as well. I have to admit it took a while of perusing the menu to finally decide what to order as the list of temptations all sounded like must-orders. I guess when Asian Latin Fusion is the theme, the possibilities are nearly endless....and tempting. And so, repeated dining at Tamari in Warrendale will be an adventure every visit. Oh! And they do themed dinners specific to a country that really kick up the adventure card. So far they've done Korea and Puerto Rico...and you don't need a passport! Welcome to the North, Tamari! Sorry for the delay.
(5)Elizabeth H.
Christian and I have been coming here off and on for awhile. It's conveniently close. The food seems to be a hit or miss lately. Usually love the bacon wrapped quail eggs and the guacamole are pretty steady:)
(4)Alex D.
If you read through my previous reviews, you will see that I have reviewed the Tamari in Lawrenceville, and it wasn't the best experience on my foray there. Happily, I had the chance to check out the Warrendale site, and really must say that the food was great, the service attentive, and the overall value was much better. My previous experience in Lawrenceville was mostly marred by poor service from our waitress and from the lack of concern from the mâitre - not so with the Warrendale site. We were very well served by the polite, attentive staff there, who made the evening a great experience. The appetizers were delicious, the sushi fresh, and the drinks well prepared. It's much less crowded than the Lawrenceville restaurant, and worth the extra 20 minute drive to enjoy! Will be back for sure!
(4)Kelsey R.
I LOVE the lawrenceville location, so I thought i would love this location was well. The older gentleman bartender was very unaccommodating. We were one of two couples at the bar, and he never checked on us. I set my full drink clearly away from our area because it was way too sweet and he never asked asked how anything was, offered us anything else, or said thank you. Very disappointed and will not return.
(1)Michelly T.
Love this place!!!! Food and drinks are delicious, service is great from bartenders to waitstaff to manager. Mixed drinks were awesome
(5)Russ D.
Pros: Atmosphere/Décor, Quality Ingredients/Good Tasting Food Cons: Value Understanding that tapas is in fact small plates, I'm not going to act surprised at the portion sizes. That being said, the price should still be somewhat in line with the amount of food served, that doesn't happen in my opinion. Even after redeeming a $40 living social deal by myself, I still left less than full. After spending over $30 out of pocket after tip, I tend to think I should be stuffed at that point. I can't fathom anyone eating here paying full-price and being happy. That being said it was a comfortable atmosphere to eat in (quiet), service was genuinely friendly, and the food (minus the grouper-overcooked/dry) was very enjoyable. Other dishes I sampled included the chorizo taco, quail eggs wrapped in bacon, lamb quesadilla, and the tamale. Though the tamale was tasty, it also wasn't what I expected from the menu description. Still not sure where the chicken or chorizo was as it seemed to be all rice? I could see going back once or twice a year for a change of pace provided they are running a discount deal of some type, and possibly during happy hour. Though location is part of that decision too, it's a bit of a drive for me to go here or to Lawrenceville, and I generally need blown away in order to travel somewhere that's inconvenient.
(2)Lily R.
Decide based on yelp reviews to give this place a try on a road trip from Ohio back to DC. We arrived at a weird time (3:45pm), which is apparently usually their break between lunch and dinner... But they sat us anyway without even blinking, which I thought was just such lovely customer service. The menu was small, but really nice. We started with asian inspired guacamole which came with plantain chips (yum) and a charred romain and queso fresco wedge (also yum). We ordered tuna sashimi and a few of the a-la-carte skewers (chicken and beef) and all was delicious. We didn't get a chance to sample from their amazing cocktail menu (road trip and all), but wish we could have, it looked great. I would have given them them a stronger review if the prices were fairer. We ate pretty light and didn't drink and walked away with a pretty robust bill. All said though, nice spot, and don't let the strip mall scare you away :)
(4)Will C.
#177 A fusion lounge still without an culinary identity. While there is the option to order sushi or sashimi, I would rather sample their tapas as that seems to be their marketed specialty. The problem with Tamari is that the potential of asian-latin fusion hasn't been fully fleshed out and even at its potential, is quite limited as there's only so much one can do to flesh Asian and Mexican cooking ingredients together because they are almost polar opposites. Some of the tapas work really well like the baby octopus salad and the tempura rock shrimp because of the limited use of the counterpart's influence. Other tapas fail miserably like the pork belly tacos because of an overwhelming use of the counterpart's influence. Pork Belly Tacos- 1.5/5 - I didn't think that the advertised Asian cole slaw would be pickled vegetables similar to kim chi. Had I known that, I wouldn't have ordered the pork belly tacos. I think that's pretty deceiving to advertise these as having Asian cole slaw, when in fact, kim chi is a very, very different kind of vegetable. The problem is that the cole slaw lends a very, very sour and spicy flavor to the sweetness of the pork belly such that it almost overwhelms the pork belly. Tempura Rock Shrimp - 4/5- These tiny shrimp are very flavorful. Perhaps a bit over-breaded, but that's just being nit-picky. The avocado creme is fairly mild, and doesn't add much flavor to these shrimp. Otherwise, these were the best tapas I had for dinner. Rock Shrimp Tacos- 3/5- The same tiny shrimp used in the tempura form, but not breaded and fried. These are sauteed. More reliance on the avocado-creme to carry the weight. The yuzu-margarita foam is a fun decoration to the plate, but does nothing to enhance the flavor. Bacon and Quail Egg Yakitori - 2.5/5- It's a piece of quail egg yolk wrapped in well-fried bacon. Not terribly impressive. Sit at the bar if you enjoy watching reality chef shows and have never seen the inner-workings of a kitchen before. Lots of fun to see them prepare not just the sushi, but all the other food right before your eyes. Avoid sitting at the bar; however, if you don't want your clothes to smell like fried seafood. Oddly enough, this is the only restaurant in this brand new shopping strip. So THERE IS LOTS OF PARKING! A bit loud in this restaurant, especially by the bar. 2.5/5 stars. Rounded up to 3 because it's hard to find decent Asian food in Pittsburgh.
(3)Rachel K.
Horrible service. Waiter screwed up payment, charged three times. Food was good, portions small. Staff seemed to think they were better than everyone else.
(2)DJ J.
Really cool decor. Walked in and the Host introduced himself and gave us a tour, since it was not crowded and early. So unexpected and really cool to be greeted like this! By the way, there is a nice little room in the back for meetings and private parties. The food is superb. Did not realize it but Allen Chen, the owner, was working the restaurant and helped serve us. Had a short conversation with him and did not realize he was the owner until after he had served us and asked him his name. The server asked a few questions and offered some details about the menu. The menu has so many wonderful choices of small entrees and sushi, needed a little time to decide. Started with some Robata...Scottish salmon was sweet, soft and very good. Hanger steak was tasty and a nice texture. Serve with three dipping sauces, ponzu butter was tasty and sweet and the chimichurri (sp?) was very tasty with a tartness that helped to accent the hanger steak. Also, had Specialty Maki with white tuna, crab and scallops, a wonderful blend of flavors. Woohoo! Great meal, nice place.
(5)Jeff G.
As any of you who've read my reviews know, Tamari (Lawrenceville) is my favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh. Well, those of you living in the North Hills are in for a real treat as Alan, the owner of Tamari, has opened up a second restaurant in Warrendale. Yesterday was opening night for them and my wife and I couldn't miss the opportunity to support this new venture. Let's just say that the drive up was worth it in every way (though we'll likely continue being regulars at Lawrenceville location). The decor is modern but without any pretentiousness. The service (even though it was their first night open!!) was excellent. And the food...well, what's not to love. The menu, for now, is the same as the Lawrenceville location, so we ate some of our favorites (Tamari Roll, Mushroom Salad, Kobatcha Soup, Scallops, Robata Grill) and even got a very nice treat from the chef (fried oysters). I have to admit, my only complaint is that now I'm jealous of all you North Hills folks. Not that I don't still love the Lawrenceville location, but man is the Warrendale space amazing. With the same great menu and a new space for great drinks and food, I'm sure that Tamari - Warrendale will make a huge splash in the North Hills food scene. Oh, make sure you try the Sake Negroni...a new favorite for me. One more comment: the location is so new that it wasn't on my car's GPS (though it is on Google Maps). So for those of you not familiar with this area, make sure to have a smart phone with Google Maps to guide you. Enjoy.
(5)Alice M.
This is my new favorite. The food is asian latin fusion and it's wonderful. The drinks are awesome. I recommend the fried rice, calamari, guacamole, lychee margarita, and lychee mojito. The decor is also very cool. Everything is rand new and sparkling clean. Service was exceptional
(5)Ron S.
Tamari in Lawrenceville has long been a favorite restaurant of mine - imaginative pan-Asian/international cuisine, an excellent bar, and a great urban indoor-outdoor vibe. Tamari in Warrendale has the same great menu, but is located in a suburban strip mall. As unappealing as that might sound, it could be worse: the strip mall is of recent vintage (the new-ish Warrendale Village development), and the outside dining area is surprisingly well-designed and gardened, even if it does look out onto a parking lot. But, as usual, the food is the star attraction. On this trip, we had a selection of small plates and sushi, as usual: beginning with Tamari's signature Lobster Roll (lobster two ways - tempura'd and frittered, with avocado, cucumber, tobiko and spicy srirachi aioli, presented in the guise of the Ocean City roller coaster) and the Naruto Roll (delicious tuna, salmon and yellowtail, perilously wrapped in cucumber); then, the robata King Trumpet Mushrooms and the Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos (enshrouded in yuzu-margarita foam); and finally, 4 slices of Peking Duck Quesadilla. My wife had a couple of ginger vodka-and-sodas from the bar, while I leaned Mexicano with a Negra Modelo. (Gotta get your Modelo before Anheuser-Busch gobbles it up entirely.) Do I still prefer the Lawrenceville location? Well, I gave my heart to it awhile ago, so I'd have to say that I do. Meanwhile, just knowing there's a Tamari shelter in the storm in Warrendale, of all places, makes me more likely to venture out into northwest Allegheny County in a rainstorm.
(4)Kim M.
I've eaten here at the Wexford location several times. My favorites: grilled romaine, shrimp taco, bento lunch (weekdays), salmon sashimi, the fun and fancy sushi rolls. Yummy fall sangria, wine. Add: Good service, nice atmosphere, easy parking. Did you know there is a kids' menu? Way to know your audience. Mac n cheese, chicken tenders, calamari. In this Wexfor oasis of chain restaurants, Tamari stands out. If you are in the area or off the turnpike or route 79, this is the place to go if you like the looks of the menu. This is not a budget destination but neither is it overpriced for the quality of food. If you want a giant plate of starch for a $10 then you need to go to a different restaurant. Service and atmosphere are just right. I really like the bathroom sinks. Our varying parties have always been welcomed with perfect service.
(4)Brennan K.
The food tastes like they're trying too hard. Got rock shrimp tacos, tuna tartare, scallops, and lobster Mac and cheese. Tacos tasted like something I would concoct if trying to create Asian fusion: take all spices available and pour. Tuna was rubbery and didn't have any standout flavor, nor did plantain chips. Scallops were not cooked properly and the accompaniments on the plate were odd. The lobster Mac and cheese was the only saving grace, and even then it tasted just like outback's with an inch of stale breadcrumbs, with a single strip of lobster on top. Service was good though.
(2)Christina B.
Highly recommend the chef's tasting! It was the best food experience I have ever had, from the quality and tastiness of the food to the phenomenal service from the chef, manager, and servers. The courses included are so unique and delicious and are not included on the menu. A perfect choice for a special occasion!
(5)Kim H.
Stopped in on a Monday night and it wasn't crowded. Started out with a little appetizer complimentary from the chef that had a kick to it. Since we're both not fond of sushi we opted for the tapas. I had the enchiladas and filo shrimp. They were really good, especially the shrimp. My husband got the empanadas and scallops. The empanadas had cilantro in it and knowing that I just love that stuff and would eat it on practically anything, I traded my enchiladas for his empanadas. OMG, thought I died and went to heaven! Of course, had to try the desserts. I got some apple concoction and you could really taste the cardamon in it. I loved it! My husband's chocolate dessert was good too. The dessert portions are quite small though. The decor or atmosphere is really cool. Our waitress was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Overall, a great experience. Cranberry area really needed this upscale restaurant. We will definitely be back.
(5)Theresa H.
Latin American Asian fustian! We ordered off the brunch menu. I got the summer roll and empanada. My bf got the rainbow roll and French toast. They let us order the guacamole and plantain chips even though it's on their weekly menu. It was all absolutely delicious!
(5)Dave B.
While a little pricey, the food is very good. The ingredients are fresh and well prepared. We had the sushi and shashimi platter and the maki TNT along with edamame and a bottle of wine. Plan on paying about 50pp with tip. The outside dining area is very nice but for the price I would expect a little better service. Although adequate, it wasn't a fine dining experience. All told, I will go back. They have an excellent 1/2 off happy hour special at the bar on weekday evenings.
(4)Rachel P.
I hate to write such a short and lame review but after drinks here last night I wanted to say something about Tamari. Such a hidden gem with great drinks, bar service and comforting atmosphere. I am surely going back to experience the cuisine sooner rather than later. They really do need to do some sort of advertising or signage out near the road as it would bring in more business.
(4)Sammy R.
One of the worst services I ever experienced. I am disappointed on such service from a new restaurant. We were received by a rude girl at front. Waited for more than 15 minutes for a waiter to turn up. Left the place without eating there. Will not visit again. Sam
(1)N B.
Great overall. Lunch deal is amazing. Food is high quality and delicious at a fair price.
(5)Christa W.
The food was great, drinks were interesting and delicious. The service was helpful and friendly. Happy hour was until 7 and definitely a deal!
(5)Bridget K.
I recently went here with my huge family (14 adults) for dinner. It was awesome! We got a huge table right by the door but didn't notice the traffic at all. Our waiter Matt was incredible. Having been the first time at Tamari for most everyone at the table Matt volunteered to order for us with everyone just sharing the tapas (small plates) and sushi. It was perfect! We got empanadas, guacamole, lobster maki, edamame, and the most amazing Mac and cheese you've ever had, to name a few. He even ordered some California rolls and beef skewers for my teenage cousins who joined us. We all couldn't stop raving about the food. And for such a huge table, not once did we have to wait for drinks or the next round of food. The timing was perfect! I would recommend Tamari and especially Matt to anyone looking for a fun and adventurous dinner.
(5)Umar A.
Another favorite in Cranberry. Typically Asian fusion spots always disappoint but this was pretty good for a smaller Cranberry town. We visited twice in 4 weeks, and the last time we were there really late. They were nice enough to serve a group of 6 at that hour. I would recommend the Salmon with mushrooms, definitely the favorite.
(4)Judy S.
I just arrived in town with my father to visit my sister, who recently moved to Wexford. We wanted to go out to Sunday brunch, and decided to try this place after hearing good reviews and recommendation from my sister's friend. What a GREAT place! We decided to split two prix-fix orders between the three of us. We felt like we were eating at an Iron Chef's table. ALL the food was not only pretty to look at but tasted fantastic. For our small plates we had the seared tuna (YUMMMMM) and the scallion cakes (so flakey!). For our large plates we chose the Peking Duck Hash (wow!) and the Scottish Salmon Eggs Benedict (delish!). DEFINITELY recommend this place for brunch, and I can't wait to go back and try more of their dishes.
(5)Jessica S.
Let me start with this is the first review I have ever written myself. I am big on reading reviews and following the advice though. Anyways I think the food at Tamari is very good, not outstanding, but a decent meal. If I based my reviews on just the food I would have given a 4 star. I had to give a 3 star for the customer service. I purchased the LivingSocial deal, which was a wonderful deal. Unfortunately every time I go to use it I cannot. The first time you needed to make reservations and state that you had the coupon, which I didn't but fine it did state it in the fine print. Then I tried to make reservations and no one called me back. So I called them back, which just doesn't seem right, and they were booked. When I complained about not being called back I was given attitude. If you don't want to honor coupons just don't offer them. I know you are thinking am some crazy complainer, but I am really not believe me. I just feel the staff is a little snooty here.
(3)Candice G.
I've been tamari in lawrensville before but This was my first time in tamari north. They had such a great Valentine's Day tasting menu. The chicken tortilla soup and lobster maki were very delicious. Service was also good. I would definitely come back for their regular menu.
(5)Deena A.
I was very disappointed in this restaurant and will most likely never eat there again. I NEVER RECEIVED one of the dishes I ordered, or the glass of water I asked for, even when I asked a second time. The waitress even gave me attitude when I asked the second time (politely, of course!) and said, "It's coming!" in an irritated tone. But it never came. After 15-20 minutes, I eventually gave up on the waitress and walked out of our private party room, into the main restaurant, and up to the bar to get my own water. I later learned the person next to me never got her water, either. Tamari serves "tapas." And that's fine, but the dishes are so small that you really need a FEW of these to constitute a meal. So I ordered three small dishes: a rice dish, a mushroom dish, and guacamole. For the record, I absolutely LOVE guacamole, and I was really looking forward to trying theirs. Too bad it never arrived. Out of the three things I ordered, that was the one thing I wanted the most, and it was one thing the waitress NEVER DELIVERED! The waitress disappeared for a LONG TIME after bringing out (most of) the food, or I would have asked her about my missing dish. (She never returned to ask if everything was OK, or if we needed more drinks.) I didn't see her again until about an hour later when she brought me my check. I had to ask for the guacamole to be removed from the bill, since I never got it. She seemed genuinely shocked and surprised that I hadn't received it, but quickly brought me a new check sans the guacamole. I will give the waitress credit for two things. When I asked her about vegetarian dishes when ordering, she was very knowledgeable about the menu and able to direct me to the right dishes. (Too bad I didn't get to try everything I ordered!) And when I paid in cash, she returned my change, and had reissued the check with the automatic gratuity removed from the bill, thus allowing me to CHOOSE whether or not to leave a tip. I thought that was a classy move on her part, so I left 15% (the minimum), although I normally leave 20-30%. (I'm a former waitress and normally a very generous tipper!) Considering I never received one of my dishes or my water, I think the 15% was more than adequate. It felt like the restaurant was overwhelmed by our party of 30+ people, although the organizer (not me) had booked the event weeks in advance. I don't know if they didn't have enough staff on duty, or if their staff just wasn't trained well enough, but the service sucked. In the restaurant business, you SHOULD be able to handle a dinner party, especially if you have a private party room in your establishment that exists solely for that purpose! If they can't handle a private party on a busy Friday night, then they shouldn't book a private party for a Friday night in the first place IMHO. Anyway, it's a good thing I had ordered the rice and mushroom dishes, so at least I had something to eat. The rice dish was actually quite good, although not big enough for a meal, which is why I had ordered a total of three dishes. The mushroom dish had about 8 small shiitake mushrooms for $8. A dollar a mushroom? I know these are tapas, but this was a ridiculously SMALL amount of food for 8 bucks. At least the rice dish was a little more substantial. I waited tables in college and between jobs in my 20s. I know how hard the job is, and I am usually very understanding in situations like these. (I am also one of the best tippers in the world.) I wasn't a perfect waitress, but in all the years I waited tables, I never FORGOT TO BRING someone their WATER or their FOOD! As the main organizer of a dining club myself (The Pittsburgh Dining N' At Meetup Group), I understand the CHALLENGE of booking, organizing, and planning a dining event. Even if you've eaten at that restaurant before with a few friends, it's almost impossible to predict how the restaurant will handle a large group. I suspect that Tamari might be an OK place to go on a date with just two people, or with a small group of friends. But, I would not recommend Tamari for a large party. Based on my own personal experience of waiting for one of my favorite dishes in the world (guacamole) to arrive, and never receiving it, and having to go to the bar to get my own water, I personally would not go back to Tamari. Clearly the service was horrible the night I was there, and the food is overpriced in my opinion, even for tapas. The portion size of the mushroom dish I ordered was ridiculously small. The rice dish was the best part. It was tasty, and the portion size was perfect for a side dish. But the overall experience of dining at Tamari has left a bad taste in my mouth.
(1)Shawn O.
I LOVE Tamari's Lawrenceville location... so when the wife and I were out in Cranberry for the Wexford Starlite Car Cruise, I knew we had the perfect place to hit up afterwards for tapas and drinks. Even better, on our way there, we realized there was a $20 for $40 Yelp deal (score!). While the space was welcoming in traditional Tamari contemporary fashion, we couldn't resist sitting outside by the fire pit and enjoying the cool Summer evening, maybe that's where we first went wrong. Service overall was horrid. After making three requests for a server to come take our drink orders from various staff, a server finally made her way over (about 20 minutes after being sat). By this point, we had already decided on some tapas and placed an order for a few items at that time as well. 30 minutes later, it became obvious that our food wasn't coming out. After some follow-up, they had inadvertently given our dishes to another table (and the other table gladly accepted the "complementary" food). When our rush order did finally come out, the calamari was bland (my favorite dish there!) and the robata sampler was mediocre at best. The one shining star out of the entire experience was the lamb quesadilla, but that simply wasn't enough to offset the bad service and otherwise forgettable food. Luckily, the Yelp deal helped to temper what would of been significant frustration down to straightforward disappointment of the experience as a whole. Judging by our past experiences at the other location (and dramatic difference in the quality of the same dishes we ordered), we'll definitely go back to Lawrenceville, just not here.
(2)Mac R.
As I sat at the bar at Tamari yesterday, I realized I needed to update my review from 4 to 5 stars because they've earned it! Tamari has become our regular happy hangout over the past year mainly because their food is just so darned special and unlike anything anyone else has. In the vast wasteland of chain restaurants and fast food joints in the Cranberry area (technically it's in Warrendale), Tamari stands far out from the crowd. We've had large parties, met multiple friends for drinks and food and done some serious belly up to the bar time here. Service has always been stellar and we've had so many orders and things going on at times that there have been serious challenges posed to the servers and no one has ever missed a beat. Impressive! Paul, the bartender, is one of our favorites, too. He's skillful and fun to chat with! The menu changed a bit not long ago and they've added some new fun items like the Korean tenderloin with grits and beet chips and steamed bok choy. We've also worked our way through the Specialty Maki menu and it's really stellar! Chef inspired Maki, sign me up anytime! The Tamari roll is a standout with white tuna, kana, siracha aioli and torched scallops; the Chifa with a crunch of shrimp tempura in the center surrounded by white tuna takes you to a happy place; the Lobster maki served on the lobster tail creates a whirlwind of flying chopsticks at a table of friends - best to just order 2 of those! The happy hour is still the best around with beer and drink specials on weekdays and 1/2 off all Tapas under $10. Wednesdays have become fun with buy one get one Maki and 1/2 off bottles of wine. We saw a sign yesterday that they are revising the happy hour time from 4:30-6:30pm in early September. Tamari has seriously earned their 5 stars and our regular visits!
(5)Stacie R.
"Wait, WHERE is this place? Cranberry!?" One night I was sipping (chugging?) wine and checking out Groupon when I decided I had to have all the sushi deals I saw. I figured the boyfriend wouldn't mind since we are sushi fiends, but proximity to home didn't really factor into my decision making, so it took a while to get to this one. We pulled in to the strip mall around 4pm to find an empty parking lot. Ohhh no. We drove all the way across town and it's closed. Ooh, another couple! We're in! Turns out 4pm is not a popular dinner hour, which worked in our favor since we got the choice of every table in the restaurant and very attentive service. The restaurant was very clean and felt very "cool." Even the sinks in the bathroom were fancy and modern! I could barely contain myself as I described the flush options on the toilet after dinner. I know, lame. Okay, food! My date inhaled a lemonade as we pored over our menus, trying to make a decision between the many options. We settled on calamari and two fancy-sounding sushi rolls. The calamari was fresh and delicious, served with a tasty sauce (although the boyfriend would be pretty thrilled if they would have ranch next time we go!) The rolls, though! Oh, they were beautiful works of art, bathed in spicy sauce, panko crumbs and packed with delicious fish. The rolls were big enough that we were relieved we didn't order more. The groupon made dinner a steal and added a new favorite place to our list.
(4)Amy C.
We went to the Warrendale location for the first time. The location is very convenient. The decor, very chic yet very comfortable. We arrived earlier than our reservation and were promptly seated. We started with the Roboto sampler which included a variety of yumminess on a skewer. You get a little bit of everything including: chicken, beef, bacon & quail egg, shishito, salmon, and shiitake. It comes with a trio of dipping sauces that include chimichurri, teriyaki (oh so good), and ponzu butter (just fab). My favorite was the bacon & quail egg. The hubby like the shiitake best. But let's not take anything away from any of the others because it was all terrifuc. The meat was so tender and wonderfully seasoned. We decided to get the sushi & sashimi platter to share. Wow! It was fabulous! Everything was so fresh! We capped it all off with a shrimp tempura. It was delicious! Our waitress was just fabulous. She was attentive but not in our face every two seconds. It was just a fabulous dinner and we will certainly go back!
(5)Larissa G.
While I know I'm in the minority, I am not a fan of this particular Tamari location. Here's the problem with tapas: you're paying a large price for a tiny dish. That means the restaurant better make their dishes EXTREMELY good to make up for that high price, and the experience also better be darn enjoyable. Some places have actually succeeded in doing this. This place did not do such a good job during my particular visit. At all. I was surprised because the Lawrenceville Tamari location was just fine when I went there, and I was excited to try another one when I was in the Warrendale area. Right from the beginning I was in trouble; 50% of their dishes had jalapenos in them. The general population that I've met really does not like jalapenos. I am one of those people. This branch of Tamari, rather than considering this, made a number of dishes that thoroughly smash and mix things together in advance - meaning there's no way you can order these dishes without the jalapenos. I also was not warned about this when I was seated, so I had to rethink my dinner option upon discovering a food I'm highly sensitive to could not be removed from half of the dishes on the menu. Another mistake from the beginning: no one bothered telling us in advance what items were missing from the menu that day. The result of this laziness was that I had to pick a new item to eat or drink THREE TIMES. Count it: three times. Inexcusable! If you're that low on dishes and ingredients that day, you need to tell your patrons in advance. I do give the place kudos for bringing a complimentary sushi item out since I was clearly having an awful experience, but overall my time here just did not impress me and four small sushi rolls weren't going to fix the problems I ran into. As a final nail in the coffin, in addition to all of the faults I already mentioned, my main dish (Scottish salmon) was the very definition of "Meh." I do recommend the cucumber salad and Lobster mac & cheese, which my dinner partner ordered. Both were much tastier than my salmon, and since her food tasted excellent and she had no issues ordering, her experience was much better than mine. But I personally am not happy with my experience at all - I guess this Tamari and I were just never meant to be.
(2)Christine P.
So my hubby and I stopped in tonight for a late dinner. Before ordering, I asked the waitress "IF I order the hanger steak($27), can I substitute a vegetable for the potatoes? Because I can't eat starch (metabolic disorder)" She told me that they didn't have a veggie, but said that maybe I could have a green salad as a side. GREAT !! I ordered the steak, medium, and the green salad. So after an app, my Blue steak and salad arrives. After a few bites, I notice that there is quinoa ALL throughout my salad. When the waitress comes to check on us I asked her if she knew that there was quinoa on the salad. She replies with "Oh, I thought you just didn't WANT a starch, I didn't know that you couldn't Have starch" So, that makes it OK ??!! With all of that aside, my hubby ordered the "special" sesame crusted scallops that were full of sand, and very fishy. After three tries we have to say "THIS PLACE SUCKS BAD !!!!!"
(1)Megan E.
Since my hubs and I don't often agree about food choices (he likes burgers, I prefer sushi), we rarely share plates - hence rarely go to tapas restaurants. But this one is a keeper. Lots of varied options - all good. The servers are really helpful here as well.
(4)Don S.
I would give 3.5 stars if I could. The place itself is very nice. Personally I would rather come here for a drink and maybe an appetizer than dinner. To start we had the guacamole app. The guacamole itself was awesome but the chips were very hard and thick. My gums are actually sore this morning.. Then I had the lobster mac n cheese. There were maybe 2-3 bites of lobster and for $17 I expected a little more. The flavor was good but nothing to rave about. My wife got the beans and kale. I tried the kale which was good but we've made better at home. It was also overwhelmed with garlic. Overall nice dinner, good service, clean restrooms, nice atmosphere.. If I was in the area and hungry I would go there again but I wouldn't go out of my way
(3)Justine J.
The interior is pretty nice. I recommend the lobster mac and cheese and the pork belly. The wasabi martini is OK, but it's definitely worth trying. I also do like the ponzu butter. The problem with tapas places is that they're on the expensive side and tend to be not that great, and this one of them (though I have experienced much worse). I went with a party of 6 (including myself) so we ended up pretty much ordering everything on the menu - and only those two I recommend, so that's a little pathetic. My main concern was why were there cartons of eggs (sitting at room temperature) sitting under the computer?
(3)Roy R.
Tamari on 2014 March 07 We went to Tamari in Warrendale without reservations. The front door staff managed to move us into a table in about 5 minutes, all very pleasant and professional. Service was, as usual, excellent -- the establishment is well laid out for bar and dining groups. Parking is great outside. A double entry helps with the transitions from inside and outside. We got a small, two-person table in the upper level. Wait staff immediately there. Guaccamole initial dish -- great. I had the Sexy Dragon -- and shrimp and cucumber dish. Good portion without being over the top. Presentation remains excellent. Wasabi and ginger on the side fresh. Obviously this has become a standard "go to" place for us. No risk, high quality, great service and polite wait staff. I've move my review to 5 since the consistency in experience is a factor -- whatever small issues there are (... please please preheat the sake cups before you present them!) are very minor given the overall high quality of food and beverage presentation. Roy
(5)Christy K.
Just left and had one of the worst experiences ever. Waitress was extremely rude when I asked a simple question about an item on the menu. When we asked for our appetizer she looked at us like we were crazy and said "it will be out with your meal"? Confused we asked for it before our meal then she continued to have even more of an attitude after that. Food was ok, we were there at lunch time and we were the only table, beside two people at the bar. I now know why. We will never be back, do not recommend at all.
(1)Kminputer Y.
Horrible!!!! Lipstick marks on glass and I asked new glass. Waiter asked me if these are my marker! I can't believe what I heard. Mt wife laughed at me. Wiping out and cleaning table while eating. Without asking, brought a check. No desert menu- of course I would not order anyway. Horrible service and manner. I recommend not to go and I will not go back. One of the worst restaurants ever I visited!!!!
(1)Karla K.
Had dinner there this past Saturday. There were quite a few open tables compared to when I was there before. And here's why- my sushi was dry almost like it was prepared in advance. I had to flag down the waiter for chop sticks and soy sauce......when I ordered sushi. My friend had to wait 20 min for a class of wine. All the wait staff wanted to do was refill my water. The seaweed salad was good. It was the highlight of the night. Then we come to the check. We asked for separate checks between 2 people. The kid aka waiter said he could do it. His way of giving separate checks was to split everything in half! I brought it to his attention and he said he couldn't just put my food on my check. At this point I just wanted to get out of there. The food was not good and overpriced and the service was bad. I will not be back.
(1)D T.
Thank you again Tamari North for another amazing meal! I bring friends and associates to this location and I'm never disappointed by the food, staff or ambiance. Three words to describe the food: FRESH, FRESH, FRESH. You can tell the difference between food that been prepared earlier in the day and left in the coolers compared to freshly assembled meals when kitchen receives your order. I don't know of any other restaurant, north of Pittsburgh, that serves fresher seafood and sushi. The new menu items are an extra bonus! The macaroni and cheese with lobster is extremely rich and filling, while the Tamari salad is delicious and super sized. I am also a fan of the new $6 menu specials, they give you a chance to sample creations by the Chef, that are not on the menu. Enjoy!
(4)Joanne S.
Should have gone to 'OFF THE HOOK' Visited Tamari NORTH on 8/7/14. I have been in the restaurant business for over nine years and never wrote a bad review. Only after a cooling off period I decided to write such a sub-par review. I arrived slightly before my date and sat at the bar to view the wine list. At that time I was advised that the wine menu was limited because the alcohol order wasn't placed on time. I ended up finding a red blend which was just ok. My date arrived 8:15pm only to be informed if we plan on eating we must hurry and order because they are closing at 9pm. No hostess in sight, it took an additional five minutes plus to be seated. We were prompted to place our order. Within ten minutes we received our entree. However, before our second bite the server asked us if we would like to order dessert, and rattled off the dessert menu. We returned to our entree only to be interrupted again by another server setting the dessert on the edge of our table. We asked her to hold the dessert until we are done with our entree. With the staff shutting off the lights around us. We rushed through our entree, dessert and coffee and paid our tab. As we were exiting the staff was right behind us locking the door. Both myself and my date have dined at Tamari North on several occasions. I can assure you that we will not be returning. There are many other fine dining establishments in the area that would welcome our business and not rush us through our bottle of wine and meal.
(1)Erica D.
I loved the food and the service was great as well. It was fun to try an array of different tastes that are new to me.
(4)Faith A.
What an awesome HAPPY HOUR! A girl friend organized a get together at Tamari on a Wednesday night and I was happy to have been able to make it. I am a fan of Tamari in general, having frequented the Lawrenceville location numerous times over my time living in the 'Burgh. I love this location... so nice, the ambiance, size and vibe are great (as compared to the much smaller Lawrenceville location). 1/2 price bottles of wine, BOGO specialty rolls and 1/2 off tapas? Really? You can buy your table a bottle of wine and eat a lot and spend like $40 (excluding tip). The rolls here are just as delectable as the non happy hour ones. They do not skimp just because they are discounted. The service was great... very attentive. I cannot wait to go back!
(5)Jennifer B.
I love this place!! The food is always fresh, delicious and so artful - beautiful, creative plates, excellent drinks in a cozy and hip atmosphere - LOVE!!!
(5)Lo J.
Terrible experience at this location. My friend and I frequent Tamari often, but the past few times we've gone, the service has gone down hill. No wonder why it wasnt packed on a Saturday night. Ill stick to Lawrenceville from now on.
(2)Tom C.
The ambiance is ok, a little tacky feeling. Service was bad, our waiter had marbles in his mouth. Price was high for the amount of food you received. Sushi was not the best grade. I would highly recommend Nakama for the best Sushi in Pittsburgh.
(2)Food H.
YEAHH if you wana drink and spend good time happy houring this is ur place BUT BUT The food is NOT that great and NOT that tasty. VERY pricey for small dishes you will need five dishes for yourself to be satisfied and this will cost you 55$ dollar. Sorry people I am not in a top-notch restaurant in Paris to eat something not even special. Recommendations for the business owner change your strategy. Feel sorry for the people who read the good reviews (IT IS A TRAP) I WILL NEVER GO BACK NEVER EVER
(1)Julie D.
Time for an update. We dined here on a recent Friday night. And it was like we were visiting a totally different restaurant. And I do not mean this in a good way. As always, service was awesome. Very attentive and friendly. Host desk, not so much. We had requested a booth. And although every booth in the restaurant was vacant, we were denied one. And even better than that, 4 of the 5 booths remained empty for over an hour and a half of our visit. Food was another issue. Even though we requested our tapas in a particular order, the kitchen could not deliver. First up, our guacamole was "thin". Almost to the point of being runny. Not good. It would have been nice if our robatas were served warm. They were not. The lobster mac and cheese was very good. However, do they really use elbow macaroni? You know, the kind grandma used? I know they serve tapas, but the portion size was minuscule. And even though we had requested our shrimp tacos to be up next, we didn't receive them until over 1/2 hour after we had eaten everything also. We were told more than once, (actually four times), that they would be up next. And just like the robatas, they were cold. The shrimp was over cooked. And they had a lot of liquid in them, the shells broke and we had to eat them with a fork. We were still hungry, so we decided to have an Asian tamale. It was a disappointment, mostly gummy rice, very little chicken and sausage. The highlight was dessert. Our server highly recommended the flan and we went with it. We both loved the marinated Asian pears as much as the flan. The bottom line is, you can have a beautiful restaurant. But you need to make sure your customers are leaving happy and satisfied. Needless to say, we are removing Tamari from our Friday night rotation. It will be quite a while before we give them another chance.
(2)Kris K.
One of my favorite places to go. There's a reason that Tamari was named one of the best happy hours in the Pittsburgh area. Just about everything is half off including drinks and delicious food. The only downside as others have mentioned is that you must be seated at the bar or in the bar area to take advantage of the happy hour specials. I personally like the seating inside the restaurant better so extending happy hour to the entire restaurant might be a good idea (and thus the reason for 4 stars). Tamari is a restaurant for foodies that enjoy unique food that they normally wouldn't get most other places. I've seen a few reviews on here downgrading the food but never making any mention of the quality of food, rather only the price. If you're turned off by the price that's one thing but quality and taste of food is quite another. Don't knock the food, if you simply don't like the price. As everyone is entitled to an opinion, if you don't like the food, that's fine. I personally think the food is excellent and a welcome addition to an over-saturated, chain restaurant scene. Sure the portions aren't huge but be sure you understand the nature and theory behind tapas before you make a judgment. Tapas plates are designed to be small so that you can order many and share among the table so you can get a taste of as many dishes as possible. If you think this place is expensive, then please don't go to a tapas restaurant in any bigger city. I feel for the experience and uniqueness of food, the price is right on. If the price and/or style bothers you be sure to drive North and hit up McDonald's or Eat N Park or drive South and hit up Atria's or Walnut Grill. These restaurants will probably be more to your liking. As for the food, try the Bulgogi, shrimp tacos, Robata skewers, and don't miss out on the lychee mojito.
(4)Alberta H.
We visited last night for a late dinner (after 8:30pm) and Tamari was still very busy. We were seated quickly, but I will say there's a wall that we were against that is in need of painting. I don't normally comment on a restaurants decor, but the rest of this place is really beautifully done. The huge white marks where paint was missing from the wall were a little distracting. Service was passable. Not terribly friendly at all, but also not bad. When asked if they had any specials that evening, our waitress simply replied "no we don't have any features this evening" and departed. No recommendations, nothing. I was a little disappointed in that. Also, when special requests were make regarding their maki, no attempts to even try it were made. Apparently their sushi is as is, and if you want a change, well then order something else. I'm fine with that, but no suggestions as to what might meet the request or anything. Very odd. But she smiled and was pleasant so I can't really fault her, just definitely not the above and beyond service you would expect for this price point. We ordered 3 tapas (2 of the shrimp tacos and 1 asian tamale) and my husband had a maki roll. The shrimp tacos were served hot (a lot of complaints about cold food in previous reviews) and were VERY good. The tequila foam and the guacamole on the shrimp tacos were to die for. Very well done. The asian tamale was also delicious, the green curry complemented the chicken sausage very well. I will say, this dish contains a lot of of the asian slaw. I saw very little chicken or chinese sausage and actually started removing some of the asian slaw. No matter, the dish was still delicious as a whole. Chris really enjoyed his Maki roll, the Tamari roll. I tried it and it was very good. A lot of flavors that worked very nicely together. Now we had 3 tapas dishes and one Maki roll, no drinks, and spent almost $50. Not horrible but certainly not good. I think we would go back for Happy Hour and take advantage of the half price tapas. Also, when we left, Chris hit up the drive through at Wendy's as he was still hungry. Never a good sign. All in all, a delicious meal but points off for service, price, and well still being hungry lol! I'm sure we will be back though as I really want to try their drinks. Also, I was really bummed that the tempura shrimp is no longer on the tapas menu. I saw a picture of it on here and was really excited, but all of naught. Another note, be warned if you visit later in the evening, people are there getting blotto. Two ladies who were in the restroom literally had to hold onto the door jamb and wall to exit. Not really what you want to see when you're there for dinner. I'm all for having a few drinks, but falling down drunk is really not my thing. Some would say not Tamari's fault, but really it is. Someone kept serving them drinks after it was clearly no longer a good idea.
(3)Priya M.
The ambience is very nice. The guacamole was terrible! The Mac and cheese was good.. The spicy chocolate tart was okay, weird for a dessert to be spicy at the end.
(3)JBaby S.
Excellent food and preparation. Presentation out of this world. We love sitting at the cooks bar. They are cute Great margaritas. I would give 5 stars if they were open on Sunday Oh and the usual bartender tall guy could be better about greeting guests and looking up as they sit at the bar
(4)