Eaten here many times. Today the chicken and the spicy pork we cold to barely warm. Disappointing.
(3)
Sierra S.
So I just moved to the St. John area but I have known about this place for a few years (my sister used to live here) and have been wanting to try this place for so long. Finally got to go here. Great location. The food actually tastes really fresh. And whatever teriyaki sauce they use is really good. I got the regular old chicken teriyaki with a side order of rice (i effing love rice) and it was decently priced, and really good. Took me barely two minutes to walk down here. To all those people giving 1 star and bad reviews... you're obviously unlucky! Definitely will come here again! Would recommend.
(5)
Kerri L.
Teriyaki is generally a good solid choice for lunch for me, so I stopped in and ordered their beef and chicken teriyaki combination plate. The owner and I commiserated about the heat, especially since they had to keep their air conditioning off for a needed repair to take place. She told me it would have been easier to shut the restaurant down for the day, but she kept it open because her employees needed their hours. Good for her! So often owners look at their employees as liabilities and don't try to help out, but I was really touched that she cared enough to literally sweat it out to help the folks who help her out. Her caring attitude shows all the way through this restaurant. The interior itself was decorated quite nicely in sort of a French country style with, of course, lots of stylish-looking chicken pictures. There was plenty of table space and everything looked nice and clean. From the outside, there's absolutely nothing to indicate how nicely put together the interior is, so it's really pleasant to come in and see how cute it is. My combo plate was tasty and satisfying. The price was excellent at $6.95 for the lunch special plus a fountain drink. I was able to linger as long as I wanted while reading as I ate. This little restaurant is quiet and kind of an oasis. I think it must be very cozy on rainy days. Come on in, have some tasty Teriyaki (and other dishes as well), and support this local business that is doing a great job of supporting their employees.
(4)
Alena C.
A okay for a quick bite to eat. The place is large, clean, and the service was very friendly. We both ordered a spicy chicken teriyaki. I don't like rice, so i got extra veggies for no extra charge. We also got a cucumber roll which was fine. The price was just right for less than $15 for both of us. The chicken is a little on the dry side but for the price it's pretty good.
(3)
John M.
Not bad for a quick to go bite. Service is friendly and goos alternative to Fast Food. A solid three stars!
(3)
Alyssa T.
I've had chicken teriyaki here and it's pretty good. Just ordered chicken yakisoba and it's AMAZING! Everything seems very fresh, not overcooked and is really tasty. It's a teriyaki place, not a burger or sushi place, so stick with what they specialize in and you should be pleased.
(4)
Sean O.
If I call and you say you are open until 8pm...don't be trying to lock the door at 7:55pm. After we get in you tell us that only Chicken Teriyaki is available??? C'mon. You are not honoring the 'hours of operation' contract you have with the customer. If you are open, then be open with the full menu and be ready to take our money. There is no asterisk or 'but' noted on your hours, nor when I called, saying the menu would be limited. Stand up, be a good business and honor your full hours of operation. You just lost a valuable, local customer who will spread this review to all I know. Note: I have been in the restaurant business since 1990 and understand what a late night customer means. It means you gladly serve the guest, cook their food and take their money. That is business. If you don't want to take guests until you 'close', change your hours.
(1)
Fred F.
I eat here once a week and it's always very good! Great Great lunch specials and lots to pick from. The owners are very nice and always make my special requests. Wonderful salad dressing as well!
(5)
Emily S.
The inside of the building makes you think this place has had it, but the food would say otherwise. Fast, cheap, and yummy, this is a staple for our family. I'd highly recommend ordering takeout and carrying it down to Cathedral Park for a picnic.
(5)
Dan N.
At work in St. Johns for the week, and that one o' clock tummy rumble kicked in. I had remembered seeing Kokiyo Teriyaki on the way in to town, and made a mental note to hit it for lunch. At 1pm, the place was pretty empty. My work partner and I were the only ones in the place. I ordered the Spicy Chicken Teriyaki and a side of Tekka Maki (Tuna Rolls). The Teriyaki was decent. Not the best I've ever had, but for a $7 lunch deal, it was decent. The tuna rolls were---well, I should have known better than to order sushi at a basic teriyaki place. The fish was pale, tasteless, and the rice I think was the standard cooked rice they use on their teriyaki. The rolls were haphazard, each one off-center and some opening on their own. They were edible, cheap (I think $3.00), and I was hungry. But that's about all I can say for that. I'll skip the sushi and stick with the hot stuff next time. The service was good, and the lady behind the counter friendly. $10.95 and I walked out of there pretty well stuffed. It was reasonable, and I'd go back if I'm in that area again.
(3)
C R.
Went here for the first time in years hoping it had improved and were sadly left with a forty dollar hole in our pockets and an expensive dinner for the dog at home. Won't be going back. Whatever you do DON'T ORDER A BURGER. You'll get a bun and some ruffage and a burnt something in there that might have once been from a cow but who knows for sure... steamed vegetables? Well I don't know what's steamed about the scraps of salad I got with my $9 combo but they definitely weren't steamed veggies. The food is meh otherwise. Not worth the money in my opinion
(2)
Shane B.
Definitely avoid the "curry". Woman at the counter had absolutely no reaction when I told her that I thought it could use some work. This says to me that she knew their food was sub-par and that she didn't care one bit. I may not have expected this place to be that good, but I certainly didn't expect it to be that bad.
(1)
Annie C.
This place deserves some better ratings. I have eaten here a few times and I think the food is above average and the people are really nice. I have mostly had their teriyaki chicken, can't really go wrong with some grilled chicken, veggies, rice and sauce!
(4)
Amanda R.
Kokiyo, you had me at "order online". I did, and when I walked in the door 10 minutes later, the nice lady at the counter was bagging up my order and welcomed me by name when I approached. I liked that. I had chicken teriyaki with rice and vegetables. The chicken was really good, perfectly done and tasted great in terms of teriyaki flavor. I paid special attention to the rice as the reviews I had read lead me to believe the rice was going to be a problem. I actually found the rice to be great! It was perfectly sticky, just as jasmine rice should be! The veggies were actually not that great, as previously described in other reviews. They lacked....well...everything. Mostly cabbage and a few carrots and one lone piece of broccoli. Meh. Thumbs down. The location is great, I am new to dining in the St. Johns area and found this quick and convenient and tasty enough to have again. I also found it to be fairly priced, like most teriyaki places...7-10 a plate.
(3)
Vanessa C.
I went in for lunch. and ordered the chicken yakisoba with some egg rolls. My food was brought out relatively quickly. The presentation wasn't very pretty, but considering the cheap prices here, i didn't really expect it to be pretty. The center of my egg roll felt soft, as in I'm not sure it was cooked all the way through. The sauce poured on top of the chicken was too salty for my liking. I got a lot of food for the money, in my opinion. I might go back due to its convenient location to my office, but overall I didn't think the food was all that good.
(2)
Monica A.
I wanted teriyaki chicken and this was the only place open in the area so I gave it a shot. Really should've read some reviews prior to going here as they were pretty accurate. The chicken is okay, but very drenched with teriyaki sauce. The rice was mushy and with the additional drenched teriyaki sauce, it became a glob of mush. The salad is so small that I can count how many pieces of lettuce that was in it... 6. The dressing is a mayo based and heavy. Only thing I ate was the chicken.
(2)
Kenneth H.
Excellent Bento Box Specials for $5.95. I ordered the spicy chicken and thought there service was good, and the taste is really nice for a lunch special. I do have to make a note that this resturant is very clean and well kept. Food was prepared quickly, and the taste was really well done.
(4)
Dave C.
For the life of me I don't understand some of the bad reviews I just read about this place. I thought the food and the price were great, but then again I expect a $9 meal to be just an average meal and not something that will curl my toes. The food is great and about the only thing I would suggest is a little less rice and a little more veggies, but that really is not that big of a deal. Maybe more spice to the spicy chicken, but overall it was what I expected. You get generous portions, the food is well prepared and there really is not much more you can ask for without raising the prices. Good food, good price and great location.
(4)
Lauren A.
I had two sushi rolls here, one was salmon based and the other, tuna. It wasn't good, but I was super hungry so I ate both of them. I didn't get sick (yay) but I definitely won't be returning. It's too bad because the fellow at the counter was quite pleasant.
(2)
Shane J.
Not a bad place. The food was pretty good and the price not too high. Service was great.
(3)
Mary B.
Ok, so I realize this is not a place to get sushi. But I noticed their sushi rolls menu walking by the other day and decided to give it a try since it's the only place close to us that even offers rolls. Mistake. We got Cali rolls, tempura rolls and an order of shrimp/veggie tempura. This was no tempura. More like breaded and fried. There was a "tempura" onion and it was exactly like an onion ring. It was an ok onion ring but not when I was expecting tempura. The rolls were ok. Overpriced for what they were though. It's a bummer. I really wanted the option of ordering take out sushi rolls in my own neighborhood. I guess I'll stick making my own.
(2)
Angelea S.
Service was excellent, but that doesn't make the food better. It is fairly priced, but food isn't worth what you think it should be. The teriyaki chicken is probably the best tasting menu item.
(3)
mel p.
This place gets 3 stars simply because its with-in walking from our place! The teriyaki is not to bad at all though I have to agree with most here when I say the veggies are something that they need to work on. A good veggie can make or break a meal. I love the yakisoba with pork from this place. A-1 in my book. We also just noticed the expiration date on our card with way to many meals left to be bought before the free one was able to be had. I have to say the guy working behind the counter which I guess also to be the owner never once pointed out the expiration date till it was about to expire!!! Bad bizz. Over all, go. Check it out. Save the earth and walk over! You'll be happy you did!
(3)
Michael H.
This place is OK, not great but not bad either. The prices are decent; $5.95 for a bento and $6.95 for a regular portion. However, their portions are just a little bit small. I've been twice, and both times I left still somewhat hungry. The sauce is a little too sweet, but the chicken is OK. They also charge extra for brown rice, which I frown upon- it isn't that much more expensive than white rice. The man behind the counter is nice enough, but he is somewhat abrupt about collecting your order. The food comes out quickly, and they also do take out. Quality of food: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Service: 4/5
(3)
Jami H.
Holy crapload of rice! Like 4 cups! About two tablespoons of greasy cabbage and a few carrot shreds was the veggie portion. Chicken was actually pretty tasty. If you're going to have pictures of the food, make it kind of look like it?
(2)
Kelly S.
Ok, don't fall for anything other than plain old teriyaki That is the only dish they have right. I tried shrimp and it was shrimp jerky, I felt like I was chewing leather! Yakisoba should be called stickysoba. Reg. teriyaki is 3 stars, anything else.. 2 stars
(2)
Ed B.
The only thing Kokiyo really has going for it (for me) is that it's only a couple of blocks away from both my home and my office. The food is passable but utterly mediocre. The flavors in the sauces, and the quality of the ingredients, is about what you would expect to get in a typical frozen TV dinner. I had the teriyaki chicken with egg roll... the chicken was cooked well and fairly tasty, but the egg roll was a dripping, greasy mess. Making matters worse was that the egg roll was soaked in some semi-sweet glaze that was totally out of sync with the filling. I agree with Jaine P. that the rice was just too sticky and mushy... and the cabbage was almost flavorless. If this place was cheap I wouldn't object nearly as strongly, but my LUNCH entree was $7.50 without a drink. That price would be more in line with a typical dinner fare for this type of restaurant. One additional note: according to their take-out menu, they do offer delivery service for "orders of $70.00 or more." The location, right in the core of St Johns and next door to Starbucks, is ideal and begs for some kind of fun, fresh, and interesting bistro or restaurant to fill this space. Please, Kokiyo, consider selling out to someone!
(2)
Robin S.
The teriyaki here was ok, not terrible but just ok. I definitely like the other teriyaki place down the road better. I had your basic Chicken Teriyaki for lunch. It was a huge serving, I could hardly finish it. The sauce on the chicken was good and I actually liked the rice. A bit sticky which, for me, makes it easier to eat with chopsticks. (I will always be a chopstick novice). The setting inside is way nicer than I expected. It was very clean and the employees were very friendly.
(2)
Nick W.
Good: The food is decent -- not great but not bad. The service is reasonably quick and accurate. Bad: Everything else. The guy that runs the register appears to hate his life and is not very pleasant to interact with. And their buy-11-get-one-free cards have a freaking expiration date -- on the back! I filled mine up halfway before I realized that I was never going to get to #11 before it expired. The guy at the counter was completely apathetic about my disappointment. The music is terrible "soft hits" garbage. The decor is weird and half-ass. In summary: if it's close to your work or home, check it out. Otherwise, don't bother going out of your way.
(2)
Joe S.
I love this place, i go here 2-3 times a week, great food, service, reasonable prices, etc. This is a very quaint restaurant that simply serves very good food. Lots of selection too. Serving sizes are perfect. I'm a big guy and the chicken teriyaki fills me up every time, lots of chicken, lots of rice. Also love that they have grape and strawberry soda. You can't find this stuff at a restaurant anymore!
(5)
jaine p.
The rice at Kokiyo has given up it's individuality in favor of a super sticky, steaming mush pile cult. Not once or twice, but every time. Someone must like their rice like this, but not me. The vegetables are just chunks of cabbage with the odd stray carrot . The decor is bewildering. It looks like a (fill in the blank) Home Cookin' place packed up and split. Kokiyo's half assed attempt at decorating their place was to hang a small assortment of mismatched Geisha art. C'mon at least take down the rooster wallpaper border! The biggest problem with this place is that they are seriously STINGY with the sauce. Last time I went I asked for more sauce and paid .50 cents for a tiny itty bitty condiment cup of sauce, but it still wasn't enough. I LOVE teriyaki... even bad teriyaki. (1 star for that) This place is really close to my house. (1 star for that)
(2)
Shannah S.
This place is decent. I usually order the chicken teriyaki that comes with rice and veggies. I'm not a fan of the veggies they give, but they give you a heck of a lot of rice. I usually split the meal with a friend or family member, otherwise I'd just waste the food. I think it's pretty tasty. AND it's close to home. i love chicken teriyaki. I haven't tried anything else from here, so am unable to rate it.
(3)
Angela R.
If my sister were writing this review, this place would have six stars. But she's not writing it, so it has three. I love some good chicken teriyaki. You know, the kind that practically melts in your mouth and is complimented by luscious veggies and moist rice. Kokiyo's is pretty good, but not the best teriyaki I've had. I can't really put my finger on it, but there's something about them that makes them just okay. You can call in advance and pick up your food for take-out, or you can sit in their spacious lobby and eat there. They even have a TV set up, which is usually tuned to the sports channel (definite plus for me, but maybe not for some). If you're hanging around downtown St. Johns and get a craving for some teriyaki, this place will satisfy your craving. But if you're looking for some GOOD, juicy chicken teriyaki, you might want to check out the Lloyd Center. There's some good stuff at Cajun & Grill. P.S. If it's raining outside when you walk in, be careful. Last time I walked in there I just about ended up on my back. I was sure to wipe my shoes before stepping on the tile, but it was SLICK. Scared me half to death. Evidently I'm not the only one either...I've heard stories...
(3)
Brian M.
For teriyaki places I was not impressed with this one. The sauce was not well done and they didn't really provide enough of it. The spicy pork was more sweet than spicy. The pork itself was bits and pieces. Vegetables were almost all cabbage with a splash of soy sauce on it. My gf had the tofu teriyaki and again. Practically no sauce applied.
(2)
Cecily D.
one star for location ! but that's about it . we ordered quite a few things off the menu and we were not impressed ! it's about the same quality of asian food you'd expect to find in south dakota . the chicken looked sad . the fried rice was their famous mushy white rice and a can of mixed veggies . tempura ? breaded shrimp and onion rings . no joke . we should have paid more attention to the burger and fries on the menu, red flag number one ! the best part of our take-out meal was the Jarritos soda out of the fridge . I agree with Ed B . Kokiyo, sell out and give your location to someone who deserves it !
(1)
rick r.
Pretty good teriyaki. Well, I got the spicy chicken, but it was good. The place was notably clean. But you needed to get a restroom key (hanging) which I hate doing at restaurants. The portion was probably medium...any less and it would have been small, and it didn't carry me through the rest of Friday night. The chicken was cooked well, nice and tender. The spicy did have some kick. I got brown rice (risky!) and it was good. It came with a smattering of veggies (cabbage and carrot) that complemented the meal nicely, as well as the thinnest orange slice ever. As you can see, I didn't hate Kokiyo. But it was spendy. I appreciate the brown rice, but they raked in an extra buck for it. Bringing a plate of chicken teriyaki to $8. That's a bit much unless it is a mound of rice and grip of chicken. But it wasn't.
(3)
Justin T.
I actually joined Yelp just to write this.. The spicy pork was not bad.. the gyoza was pretty good.. but the teriyaki chicken was terrible.. dry cold chicken that smelled fishy..the rice tasted old.. it will be interesting to see if I throw up tonight! We didn't even finish our food..
(2)
Bobbi M.
I tried to support local business and had the WORST EXPERIENCE EVER in St. Johns. The person there, which I assume was the owner and makes this all the more horrible, was unwilling to honor the restaurants.com gift card I received and chose to use at his establishment. After arguing with him for quite some time he finally called and then acknowledged that he participated in the program but then added all these "stipulations" which apparrently should have been noted in the ad but were not. I finally gave up and left, thus wasting the gift card all together. Had he have just taken a moment to offer decent customer service I probably would have given him ten times the amount of the gift card in continued patronage. Instead, I now let all my friends and neighbors know about my horrible experience and recommend they visit another establishment.
(1)
Jessica M.
In one word. Abysmal. Details you ask? Here they are: I ordered the shrimp yakisoba, an order of gyoza and one croquette. The shrimp was overcooked to the point where my jaws just got too tired to chew it anymore, the sauce they drenched the shrimp and the noodles in was overly sweet and artificial-tasting (I can't believe they have the balls to sell it by the bottle at the register) what I was served definitely was not yakisoba- it was bad chow mein with bad teri sauce on top. The croquette was super greasy and tasted like it was made with instant mashed potatoes, the gyoza was the least disgusting item I had, I'm certain it's because it came from a bag and they merely deep fried it. I already mentioned the horrible teriyaki sauce, but it should also be noted that they served a weird sweet shoyu instead of the typical Bulldog sauce that I've had served with croquettes my entire life. The gyoza was drizzled with, what I could only describe as: a watered down version of their crappy teriyaki sauce. If I could give zero stars, I would. Yuck.
(1)
P S.
I like this place alot. Clean, well priced, friendly owner and staff and the food is nom! I used to get dinner there frequently when I lived nearby and I still drive sometimes out to St. Johns to get some teriyaki from them.
(4)
Damon I.
Eaten here many times. Today the chicken and the spicy pork we cold to barely warm. Disappointing.
(3)
Sierra S.
So I just moved to the St. John area but I have known about this place for a few years (my sister used to live here) and have been wanting to try this place for so long. Finally got to go here. Great location. The food actually tastes really fresh. And whatever teriyaki sauce they use is really good. I got the regular old chicken teriyaki with a side order of rice (i effing love rice) and it was decently priced, and really good. Took me barely two minutes to walk down here. To all those people giving 1 star and bad reviews... you're obviously unlucky! Definitely will come here again! Would recommend.
(5)
Fred F.
I eat here once a week and it's always very good! Great Great lunch specials and lots to pick from. The owners are very nice and always make my special requests. Wonderful salad dressing as well!
(5)
Emily S.
The inside of the building makes you think this place has had it, but the food would say otherwise. Fast, cheap, and yummy, this is a staple for our family. I'd highly recommend ordering takeout and carrying it down to Cathedral Park for a picnic.
(5)
Vanessa C.
I went in for lunch. and ordered the chicken yakisoba with some egg rolls. My food was brought out relatively quickly. The presentation wasn't very pretty, but considering the cheap prices here, i didn't really expect it to be pretty. The center of my egg roll felt soft, as in I'm not sure it was cooked all the way through. The sauce poured on top of the chicken was too salty for my liking. I got a lot of food for the money, in my opinion. I might go back due to its convenient location to my office, but overall I didn't think the food was all that good.
(2)
Monica A.
I wanted teriyaki chicken and this was the only place open in the area so I gave it a shot. Really should've read some reviews prior to going here as they were pretty accurate. The chicken is okay, but very drenched with teriyaki sauce. The rice was mushy and with the additional drenched teriyaki sauce, it became a glob of mush. The salad is so small that I can count how many pieces of lettuce that was in it... 6. The dressing is a mayo based and heavy. Only thing I ate was the chicken.
(2)
Kenneth H.
Excellent Bento Box Specials for $5.95. I ordered the spicy chicken and thought there service was good, and the taste is really nice for a lunch special. I do have to make a note that this resturant is very clean and well kept. Food was prepared quickly, and the taste was really well done.
(4)
Kerri L.
Teriyaki is generally a good solid choice for lunch for me, so I stopped in and ordered their beef and chicken teriyaki combination plate. The owner and I commiserated about the heat, especially since they had to keep their air conditioning off for a needed repair to take place. She told me it would have been easier to shut the restaurant down for the day, but she kept it open because her employees needed their hours. Good for her! So often owners look at their employees as liabilities and don't try to help out, but I was really touched that she cared enough to literally sweat it out to help the folks who help her out. Her caring attitude shows all the way through this restaurant. The interior itself was decorated quite nicely in sort of a French country style with, of course, lots of stylish-looking chicken pictures. There was plenty of table space and everything looked nice and clean. From the outside, there's absolutely nothing to indicate how nicely put together the interior is, so it's really pleasant to come in and see how cute it is. My combo plate was tasty and satisfying. The price was excellent at $6.95 for the lunch special plus a fountain drink. I was able to linger as long as I wanted while reading as I ate. This little restaurant is quiet and kind of an oasis. I think it must be very cozy on rainy days. Come on in, have some tasty Teriyaki (and other dishes as well), and support this local business that is doing a great job of supporting their employees.
(4)
Alena C.
A okay for a quick bite to eat. The place is large, clean, and the service was very friendly. We both ordered a spicy chicken teriyaki. I don't like rice, so i got extra veggies for no extra charge. We also got a cucumber roll which was fine. The price was just right for less than $15 for both of us. The chicken is a little on the dry side but for the price it's pretty good.
(3)
John M.
Not bad for a quick to go bite. Service is friendly and goos alternative to Fast Food. A solid three stars!
(3)
Alyssa T.
I've had chicken teriyaki here and it's pretty good. Just ordered chicken yakisoba and it's AMAZING! Everything seems very fresh, not overcooked and is really tasty. It's a teriyaki place, not a burger or sushi place, so stick with what they specialize in and you should be pleased.
(4)
Sean O.
If I call and you say you are open until 8pm...don't be trying to lock the door at 7:55pm. After we get in you tell us that only Chicken Teriyaki is available??? C'mon. You are not honoring the 'hours of operation' contract you have with the customer. If you are open, then be open with the full menu and be ready to take our money. There is no asterisk or 'but' noted on your hours, nor when I called, saying the menu would be limited. Stand up, be a good business and honor your full hours of operation. You just lost a valuable, local customer who will spread this review to all I know. Note: I have been in the restaurant business since 1990 and understand what a late night customer means. It means you gladly serve the guest, cook their food and take their money. That is business. If you don't want to take guests until you 'close', change your hours.
(1)
Dan N.
At work in St. Johns for the week, and that one o' clock tummy rumble kicked in. I had remembered seeing Kokiyo Teriyaki on the way in to town, and made a mental note to hit it for lunch. At 1pm, the place was pretty empty. My work partner and I were the only ones in the place. I ordered the Spicy Chicken Teriyaki and a side of Tekka Maki (Tuna Rolls). The Teriyaki was decent. Not the best I've ever had, but for a $7 lunch deal, it was decent. The tuna rolls were---well, I should have known better than to order sushi at a basic teriyaki place. The fish was pale, tasteless, and the rice I think was the standard cooked rice they use on their teriyaki. The rolls were haphazard, each one off-center and some opening on their own. They were edible, cheap (I think $3.00), and I was hungry. But that's about all I can say for that. I'll skip the sushi and stick with the hot stuff next time. The service was good, and the lady behind the counter friendly. $10.95 and I walked out of there pretty well stuffed. It was reasonable, and I'd go back if I'm in that area again.
(3)
C R.
Went here for the first time in years hoping it had improved and were sadly left with a forty dollar hole in our pockets and an expensive dinner for the dog at home. Won't be going back. Whatever you do DON'T ORDER A BURGER. You'll get a bun and some ruffage and a burnt something in there that might have once been from a cow but who knows for sure... steamed vegetables? Well I don't know what's steamed about the scraps of salad I got with my $9 combo but they definitely weren't steamed veggies. The food is meh otherwise. Not worth the money in my opinion
(2)
Shane B.
Definitely avoid the "curry". Woman at the counter had absolutely no reaction when I told her that I thought it could use some work. This says to me that she knew their food was sub-par and that she didn't care one bit. I may not have expected this place to be that good, but I certainly didn't expect it to be that bad.
(1)
Annie C.
This place deserves some better ratings. I have eaten here a few times and I think the food is above average and the people are really nice. I have mostly had their teriyaki chicken, can't really go wrong with some grilled chicken, veggies, rice and sauce!
(4)
Amanda R.
Kokiyo, you had me at "order online". I did, and when I walked in the door 10 minutes later, the nice lady at the counter was bagging up my order and welcomed me by name when I approached. I liked that. I had chicken teriyaki with rice and vegetables. The chicken was really good, perfectly done and tasted great in terms of teriyaki flavor. I paid special attention to the rice as the reviews I had read lead me to believe the rice was going to be a problem. I actually found the rice to be great! It was perfectly sticky, just as jasmine rice should be! The veggies were actually not that great, as previously described in other reviews. They lacked....well...everything. Mostly cabbage and a few carrots and one lone piece of broccoli. Meh. Thumbs down. The location is great, I am new to dining in the St. Johns area and found this quick and convenient and tasty enough to have again. I also found it to be fairly priced, like most teriyaki places...7-10 a plate.
(3)
Dave C.
For the life of me I don't understand some of the bad reviews I just read about this place. I thought the food and the price were great, but then again I expect a $9 meal to be just an average meal and not something that will curl my toes. The food is great and about the only thing I would suggest is a little less rice and a little more veggies, but that really is not that big of a deal. Maybe more spice to the spicy chicken, but overall it was what I expected. You get generous portions, the food is well prepared and there really is not much more you can ask for without raising the prices. Good food, good price and great location.
(4)
Lauren A.
I had two sushi rolls here, one was salmon based and the other, tuna. It wasn't good, but I was super hungry so I ate both of them. I didn't get sick (yay) but I definitely won't be returning. It's too bad because the fellow at the counter was quite pleasant.
(2)
Shane J.
Not a bad place. The food was pretty good and the price not too high. Service was great.
(3)
Mary B.
Ok, so I realize this is not a place to get sushi. But I noticed their sushi rolls menu walking by the other day and decided to give it a try since it's the only place close to us that even offers rolls. Mistake. We got Cali rolls, tempura rolls and an order of shrimp/veggie tempura. This was no tempura. More like breaded and fried. There was a "tempura" onion and it was exactly like an onion ring. It was an ok onion ring but not when I was expecting tempura. The rolls were ok. Overpriced for what they were though. It's a bummer. I really wanted the option of ordering take out sushi rolls in my own neighborhood. I guess I'll stick making my own.
(2)
Angelea S.
Service was excellent, but that doesn't make the food better. It is fairly priced, but food isn't worth what you think it should be. The teriyaki chicken is probably the best tasting menu item.
(3)
mel p.
This place gets 3 stars simply because its with-in walking from our place! The teriyaki is not to bad at all though I have to agree with most here when I say the veggies are something that they need to work on. A good veggie can make or break a meal. I love the yakisoba with pork from this place. A-1 in my book. We also just noticed the expiration date on our card with way to many meals left to be bought before the free one was able to be had. I have to say the guy working behind the counter which I guess also to be the owner never once pointed out the expiration date till it was about to expire!!! Bad bizz. Over all, go. Check it out. Save the earth and walk over! You'll be happy you did!
(3)
Michael H.
This place is OK, not great but not bad either. The prices are decent; $5.95 for a bento and $6.95 for a regular portion. However, their portions are just a little bit small. I've been twice, and both times I left still somewhat hungry. The sauce is a little too sweet, but the chicken is OK. They also charge extra for brown rice, which I frown upon- it isn't that much more expensive than white rice. The man behind the counter is nice enough, but he is somewhat abrupt about collecting your order. The food comes out quickly, and they also do take out. Quality of food: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Service: 4/5
(3)
rick r.
Pretty good teriyaki. Well, I got the spicy chicken, but it was good. The place was notably clean. But you needed to get a restroom key (hanging) which I hate doing at restaurants. The portion was probably medium...any less and it would have been small, and it didn't carry me through the rest of Friday night. The chicken was cooked well, nice and tender. The spicy did have some kick. I got brown rice (risky!) and it was good. It came with a smattering of veggies (cabbage and carrot) that complemented the meal nicely, as well as the thinnest orange slice ever. As you can see, I didn't hate Kokiyo. But it was spendy. I appreciate the brown rice, but they raked in an extra buck for it. Bringing a plate of chicken teriyaki to $8. That's a bit much unless it is a mound of rice and grip of chicken. But it wasn't.
(3)
Justin T.
I actually joined Yelp just to write this.. The spicy pork was not bad.. the gyoza was pretty good.. but the teriyaki chicken was terrible.. dry cold chicken that smelled fishy..the rice tasted old.. it will be interesting to see if I throw up tonight! We didn't even finish our food..
(2)
Shannah S.
This place is decent. I usually order the chicken teriyaki that comes with rice and veggies. I'm not a fan of the veggies they give, but they give you a heck of a lot of rice. I usually split the meal with a friend or family member, otherwise I'd just waste the food. I think it's pretty tasty. AND it's close to home. i love chicken teriyaki. I haven't tried anything else from here, so am unable to rate it.
(3)
Bobbi M.
I tried to support local business and had the WORST EXPERIENCE EVER in St. Johns. The person there, which I assume was the owner and makes this all the more horrible, was unwilling to honor the restaurants.com gift card I received and chose to use at his establishment. After arguing with him for quite some time he finally called and then acknowledged that he participated in the program but then added all these "stipulations" which apparrently should have been noted in the ad but were not. I finally gave up and left, thus wasting the gift card all together. Had he have just taken a moment to offer decent customer service I probably would have given him ten times the amount of the gift card in continued patronage. Instead, I now let all my friends and neighbors know about my horrible experience and recommend they visit another establishment.
(1)
Jessica M.
In one word. Abysmal. Details you ask? Here they are: I ordered the shrimp yakisoba, an order of gyoza and one croquette. The shrimp was overcooked to the point where my jaws just got too tired to chew it anymore, the sauce they drenched the shrimp and the noodles in was overly sweet and artificial-tasting (I can't believe they have the balls to sell it by the bottle at the register) what I was served definitely was not yakisoba- it was bad chow mein with bad teri sauce on top. The croquette was super greasy and tasted like it was made with instant mashed potatoes, the gyoza was the least disgusting item I had, I'm certain it's because it came from a bag and they merely deep fried it. I already mentioned the horrible teriyaki sauce, but it should also be noted that they served a weird sweet shoyu instead of the typical Bulldog sauce that I've had served with croquettes my entire life. The gyoza was drizzled with, what I could only describe as: a watered down version of their crappy teriyaki sauce. If I could give zero stars, I would. Yuck.
(1)
P S.
I like this place alot. Clean, well priced, friendly owner and staff and the food is nom! I used to get dinner there frequently when I lived nearby and I still drive sometimes out to St. Johns to get some teriyaki from them.
(4)
Jami H.
Holy crapload of rice! Like 4 cups! About two tablespoons of greasy cabbage and a few carrot shreds was the veggie portion. Chicken was actually pretty tasty. If you're going to have pictures of the food, make it kind of look like it?
(2)
Kelly S.
Ok, don't fall for anything other than plain old teriyaki That is the only dish they have right. I tried shrimp and it was shrimp jerky, I felt like I was chewing leather! Yakisoba should be called stickysoba. Reg. teriyaki is 3 stars, anything else.. 2 stars
(2)
Ed B.
The only thing Kokiyo really has going for it (for me) is that it's only a couple of blocks away from both my home and my office. The food is passable but utterly mediocre. The flavors in the sauces, and the quality of the ingredients, is about what you would expect to get in a typical frozen TV dinner. I had the teriyaki chicken with egg roll... the chicken was cooked well and fairly tasty, but the egg roll was a dripping, greasy mess. Making matters worse was that the egg roll was soaked in some semi-sweet glaze that was totally out of sync with the filling. I agree with Jaine P. that the rice was just too sticky and mushy... and the cabbage was almost flavorless. If this place was cheap I wouldn't object nearly as strongly, but my LUNCH entree was $7.50 without a drink. That price would be more in line with a typical dinner fare for this type of restaurant. One additional note: according to their take-out menu, they do offer delivery service for "orders of $70.00 or more." The location, right in the core of St Johns and next door to Starbucks, is ideal and begs for some kind of fun, fresh, and interesting bistro or restaurant to fill this space. Please, Kokiyo, consider selling out to someone!
(2)
Robin S.
The teriyaki here was ok, not terrible but just ok. I definitely like the other teriyaki place down the road better. I had your basic Chicken Teriyaki for lunch. It was a huge serving, I could hardly finish it. The sauce on the chicken was good and I actually liked the rice. A bit sticky which, for me, makes it easier to eat with chopsticks. (I will always be a chopstick novice). The setting inside is way nicer than I expected. It was very clean and the employees were very friendly.
(2)
Nick W.
Good: The food is decent -- not great but not bad. The service is reasonably quick and accurate. Bad: Everything else. The guy that runs the register appears to hate his life and is not very pleasant to interact with. And their buy-11-get-one-free cards have a freaking expiration date -- on the back! I filled mine up halfway before I realized that I was never going to get to #11 before it expired. The guy at the counter was completely apathetic about my disappointment. The music is terrible "soft hits" garbage. The decor is weird and half-ass. In summary: if it's close to your work or home, check it out. Otherwise, don't bother going out of your way.
(2)
jaine p.
The rice at Kokiyo has given up it's individuality in favor of a super sticky, steaming mush pile cult. Not once or twice, but every time. Someone must like their rice like this, but not me. The vegetables are just chunks of cabbage with the odd stray carrot . The decor is bewildering. It looks like a (fill in the blank) Home Cookin' place packed up and split. Kokiyo's half assed attempt at decorating their place was to hang a small assortment of mismatched Geisha art. C'mon at least take down the rooster wallpaper border! The biggest problem with this place is that they are seriously STINGY with the sauce. Last time I went I asked for more sauce and paid .50 cents for a tiny itty bitty condiment cup of sauce, but it still wasn't enough. I LOVE teriyaki... even bad teriyaki. (1 star for that) This place is really close to my house. (1 star for that)
(2)
Angela R.
If my sister were writing this review, this place would have six stars. But she's not writing it, so it has three. I love some good chicken teriyaki. You know, the kind that practically melts in your mouth and is complimented by luscious veggies and moist rice. Kokiyo's is pretty good, but not the best teriyaki I've had. I can't really put my finger on it, but there's something about them that makes them just okay. You can call in advance and pick up your food for take-out, or you can sit in their spacious lobby and eat there. They even have a TV set up, which is usually tuned to the sports channel (definite plus for me, but maybe not for some). If you're hanging around downtown St. Johns and get a craving for some teriyaki, this place will satisfy your craving. But if you're looking for some GOOD, juicy chicken teriyaki, you might want to check out the Lloyd Center. There's some good stuff at Cajun & Grill. P.S. If it's raining outside when you walk in, be careful. Last time I walked in there I just about ended up on my back. I was sure to wipe my shoes before stepping on the tile, but it was SLICK. Scared me half to death. Evidently I'm not the only one either...I've heard stories...
(3)
Brian M.
For teriyaki places I was not impressed with this one. The sauce was not well done and they didn't really provide enough of it. The spicy pork was more sweet than spicy. The pork itself was bits and pieces. Vegetables were almost all cabbage with a splash of soy sauce on it. My gf had the tofu teriyaki and again. Practically no sauce applied.
(2)
Cecily D.
one star for location ! but that's about it . we ordered quite a few things off the menu and we were not impressed ! it's about the same quality of asian food you'd expect to find in south dakota . the chicken looked sad . the fried rice was their famous mushy white rice and a can of mixed veggies . tempura ? breaded shrimp and onion rings . no joke . we should have paid more attention to the burger and fries on the menu, red flag number one ! the best part of our take-out meal was the Jarritos soda out of the fridge . I agree with Ed B . Kokiyo, sell out and give your location to someone who deserves it !
(1)
Joe S.
I love this place, i go here 2-3 times a week, great food, service, reasonable prices, etc. This is a very quaint restaurant that simply serves very good food. Lots of selection too. Serving sizes are perfect. I'm a big guy and the chicken teriyaki fills me up every time, lots of chicken, lots of rice. Also love that they have grape and strawberry soda. You can't find this stuff at a restaurant anymore!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Damon I.
Eaten here many times. Today the chicken and the spicy pork we cold to barely warm. Disappointing.
(3)Sierra S.
So I just moved to the St. John area but I have known about this place for a few years (my sister used to live here) and have been wanting to try this place for so long. Finally got to go here. Great location. The food actually tastes really fresh. And whatever teriyaki sauce they use is really good. I got the regular old chicken teriyaki with a side order of rice (i effing love rice) and it was decently priced, and really good. Took me barely two minutes to walk down here. To all those people giving 1 star and bad reviews... you're obviously unlucky! Definitely will come here again! Would recommend.
(5)Kerri L.
Teriyaki is generally a good solid choice for lunch for me, so I stopped in and ordered their beef and chicken teriyaki combination plate. The owner and I commiserated about the heat, especially since they had to keep their air conditioning off for a needed repair to take place. She told me it would have been easier to shut the restaurant down for the day, but she kept it open because her employees needed their hours. Good for her! So often owners look at their employees as liabilities and don't try to help out, but I was really touched that she cared enough to literally sweat it out to help the folks who help her out. Her caring attitude shows all the way through this restaurant. The interior itself was decorated quite nicely in sort of a French country style with, of course, lots of stylish-looking chicken pictures. There was plenty of table space and everything looked nice and clean. From the outside, there's absolutely nothing to indicate how nicely put together the interior is, so it's really pleasant to come in and see how cute it is. My combo plate was tasty and satisfying. The price was excellent at $6.95 for the lunch special plus a fountain drink. I was able to linger as long as I wanted while reading as I ate. This little restaurant is quiet and kind of an oasis. I think it must be very cozy on rainy days. Come on in, have some tasty Teriyaki (and other dishes as well), and support this local business that is doing a great job of supporting their employees.
(4)Alena C.
A okay for a quick bite to eat. The place is large, clean, and the service was very friendly. We both ordered a spicy chicken teriyaki. I don't like rice, so i got extra veggies for no extra charge. We also got a cucumber roll which was fine. The price was just right for less than $15 for both of us. The chicken is a little on the dry side but for the price it's pretty good.
(3)John M.
Not bad for a quick to go bite. Service is friendly and goos alternative to Fast Food. A solid three stars!
(3)Alyssa T.
I've had chicken teriyaki here and it's pretty good. Just ordered chicken yakisoba and it's AMAZING! Everything seems very fresh, not overcooked and is really tasty. It's a teriyaki place, not a burger or sushi place, so stick with what they specialize in and you should be pleased.
(4)Sean O.
If I call and you say you are open until 8pm...don't be trying to lock the door at 7:55pm. After we get in you tell us that only Chicken Teriyaki is available??? C'mon. You are not honoring the 'hours of operation' contract you have with the customer. If you are open, then be open with the full menu and be ready to take our money. There is no asterisk or 'but' noted on your hours, nor when I called, saying the menu would be limited. Stand up, be a good business and honor your full hours of operation. You just lost a valuable, local customer who will spread this review to all I know. Note: I have been in the restaurant business since 1990 and understand what a late night customer means. It means you gladly serve the guest, cook their food and take their money. That is business. If you don't want to take guests until you 'close', change your hours.
(1)Fred F.
I eat here once a week and it's always very good! Great Great lunch specials and lots to pick from. The owners are very nice and always make my special requests. Wonderful salad dressing as well!
(5)Emily S.
The inside of the building makes you think this place has had it, but the food would say otherwise. Fast, cheap, and yummy, this is a staple for our family. I'd highly recommend ordering takeout and carrying it down to Cathedral Park for a picnic.
(5)Dan N.
At work in St. Johns for the week, and that one o' clock tummy rumble kicked in. I had remembered seeing Kokiyo Teriyaki on the way in to town, and made a mental note to hit it for lunch. At 1pm, the place was pretty empty. My work partner and I were the only ones in the place. I ordered the Spicy Chicken Teriyaki and a side of Tekka Maki (Tuna Rolls). The Teriyaki was decent. Not the best I've ever had, but for a $7 lunch deal, it was decent. The tuna rolls were---well, I should have known better than to order sushi at a basic teriyaki place. The fish was pale, tasteless, and the rice I think was the standard cooked rice they use on their teriyaki. The rolls were haphazard, each one off-center and some opening on their own. They were edible, cheap (I think $3.00), and I was hungry. But that's about all I can say for that. I'll skip the sushi and stick with the hot stuff next time. The service was good, and the lady behind the counter friendly. $10.95 and I walked out of there pretty well stuffed. It was reasonable, and I'd go back if I'm in that area again.
(3)C R.
Went here for the first time in years hoping it had improved and were sadly left with a forty dollar hole in our pockets and an expensive dinner for the dog at home. Won't be going back. Whatever you do DON'T ORDER A BURGER. You'll get a bun and some ruffage and a burnt something in there that might have once been from a cow but who knows for sure... steamed vegetables? Well I don't know what's steamed about the scraps of salad I got with my $9 combo but they definitely weren't steamed veggies. The food is meh otherwise. Not worth the money in my opinion
(2)Shane B.
Definitely avoid the "curry". Woman at the counter had absolutely no reaction when I told her that I thought it could use some work. This says to me that she knew their food was sub-par and that she didn't care one bit. I may not have expected this place to be that good, but I certainly didn't expect it to be that bad.
(1)Annie C.
This place deserves some better ratings. I have eaten here a few times and I think the food is above average and the people are really nice. I have mostly had their teriyaki chicken, can't really go wrong with some grilled chicken, veggies, rice and sauce!
(4)Amanda R.
Kokiyo, you had me at "order online". I did, and when I walked in the door 10 minutes later, the nice lady at the counter was bagging up my order and welcomed me by name when I approached. I liked that. I had chicken teriyaki with rice and vegetables. The chicken was really good, perfectly done and tasted great in terms of teriyaki flavor. I paid special attention to the rice as the reviews I had read lead me to believe the rice was going to be a problem. I actually found the rice to be great! It was perfectly sticky, just as jasmine rice should be! The veggies were actually not that great, as previously described in other reviews. They lacked....well...everything. Mostly cabbage and a few carrots and one lone piece of broccoli. Meh. Thumbs down. The location is great, I am new to dining in the St. Johns area and found this quick and convenient and tasty enough to have again. I also found it to be fairly priced, like most teriyaki places...7-10 a plate.
(3)Vanessa C.
I went in for lunch. and ordered the chicken yakisoba with some egg rolls. My food was brought out relatively quickly. The presentation wasn't very pretty, but considering the cheap prices here, i didn't really expect it to be pretty. The center of my egg roll felt soft, as in I'm not sure it was cooked all the way through. The sauce poured on top of the chicken was too salty for my liking. I got a lot of food for the money, in my opinion. I might go back due to its convenient location to my office, but overall I didn't think the food was all that good.
(2)Monica A.
I wanted teriyaki chicken and this was the only place open in the area so I gave it a shot. Really should've read some reviews prior to going here as they were pretty accurate. The chicken is okay, but very drenched with teriyaki sauce. The rice was mushy and with the additional drenched teriyaki sauce, it became a glob of mush. The salad is so small that I can count how many pieces of lettuce that was in it... 6. The dressing is a mayo based and heavy. Only thing I ate was the chicken.
(2)Kenneth H.
Excellent Bento Box Specials for $5.95. I ordered the spicy chicken and thought there service was good, and the taste is really nice for a lunch special. I do have to make a note that this resturant is very clean and well kept. Food was prepared quickly, and the taste was really well done.
(4)Dave C.
For the life of me I don't understand some of the bad reviews I just read about this place. I thought the food and the price were great, but then again I expect a $9 meal to be just an average meal and not something that will curl my toes. The food is great and about the only thing I would suggest is a little less rice and a little more veggies, but that really is not that big of a deal. Maybe more spice to the spicy chicken, but overall it was what I expected. You get generous portions, the food is well prepared and there really is not much more you can ask for without raising the prices. Good food, good price and great location.
(4)Lauren A.
I had two sushi rolls here, one was salmon based and the other, tuna. It wasn't good, but I was super hungry so I ate both of them. I didn't get sick (yay) but I definitely won't be returning. It's too bad because the fellow at the counter was quite pleasant.
(2)Shane J.
Not a bad place. The food was pretty good and the price not too high. Service was great.
(3)Mary B.
Ok, so I realize this is not a place to get sushi. But I noticed their sushi rolls menu walking by the other day and decided to give it a try since it's the only place close to us that even offers rolls. Mistake. We got Cali rolls, tempura rolls and an order of shrimp/veggie tempura. This was no tempura. More like breaded and fried. There was a "tempura" onion and it was exactly like an onion ring. It was an ok onion ring but not when I was expecting tempura. The rolls were ok. Overpriced for what they were though. It's a bummer. I really wanted the option of ordering take out sushi rolls in my own neighborhood. I guess I'll stick making my own.
(2)Angelea S.
Service was excellent, but that doesn't make the food better. It is fairly priced, but food isn't worth what you think it should be. The teriyaki chicken is probably the best tasting menu item.
(3)mel p.
This place gets 3 stars simply because its with-in walking from our place! The teriyaki is not to bad at all though I have to agree with most here when I say the veggies are something that they need to work on. A good veggie can make or break a meal. I love the yakisoba with pork from this place. A-1 in my book. We also just noticed the expiration date on our card with way to many meals left to be bought before the free one was able to be had. I have to say the guy working behind the counter which I guess also to be the owner never once pointed out the expiration date till it was about to expire!!! Bad bizz. Over all, go. Check it out. Save the earth and walk over! You'll be happy you did!
(3)Michael H.
This place is OK, not great but not bad either. The prices are decent; $5.95 for a bento and $6.95 for a regular portion. However, their portions are just a little bit small. I've been twice, and both times I left still somewhat hungry. The sauce is a little too sweet, but the chicken is OK. They also charge extra for brown rice, which I frown upon- it isn't that much more expensive than white rice. The man behind the counter is nice enough, but he is somewhat abrupt about collecting your order. The food comes out quickly, and they also do take out. Quality of food: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Service: 4/5
(3)Jami H.
Holy crapload of rice! Like 4 cups! About two tablespoons of greasy cabbage and a few carrot shreds was the veggie portion. Chicken was actually pretty tasty. If you're going to have pictures of the food, make it kind of look like it?
(2)Kelly S.
Ok, don't fall for anything other than plain old teriyaki That is the only dish they have right. I tried shrimp and it was shrimp jerky, I felt like I was chewing leather! Yakisoba should be called stickysoba. Reg. teriyaki is 3 stars, anything else.. 2 stars
(2)Ed B.
The only thing Kokiyo really has going for it (for me) is that it's only a couple of blocks away from both my home and my office. The food is passable but utterly mediocre. The flavors in the sauces, and the quality of the ingredients, is about what you would expect to get in a typical frozen TV dinner. I had the teriyaki chicken with egg roll... the chicken was cooked well and fairly tasty, but the egg roll was a dripping, greasy mess. Making matters worse was that the egg roll was soaked in some semi-sweet glaze that was totally out of sync with the filling. I agree with Jaine P. that the rice was just too sticky and mushy... and the cabbage was almost flavorless. If this place was cheap I wouldn't object nearly as strongly, but my LUNCH entree was $7.50 without a drink. That price would be more in line with a typical dinner fare for this type of restaurant. One additional note: according to their take-out menu, they do offer delivery service for "orders of $70.00 or more." The location, right in the core of St Johns and next door to Starbucks, is ideal and begs for some kind of fun, fresh, and interesting bistro or restaurant to fill this space. Please, Kokiyo, consider selling out to someone!
(2)Robin S.
The teriyaki here was ok, not terrible but just ok. I definitely like the other teriyaki place down the road better. I had your basic Chicken Teriyaki for lunch. It was a huge serving, I could hardly finish it. The sauce on the chicken was good and I actually liked the rice. A bit sticky which, for me, makes it easier to eat with chopsticks. (I will always be a chopstick novice). The setting inside is way nicer than I expected. It was very clean and the employees were very friendly.
(2)Nick W.
Good: The food is decent -- not great but not bad. The service is reasonably quick and accurate. Bad: Everything else. The guy that runs the register appears to hate his life and is not very pleasant to interact with. And their buy-11-get-one-free cards have a freaking expiration date -- on the back! I filled mine up halfway before I realized that I was never going to get to #11 before it expired. The guy at the counter was completely apathetic about my disappointment. The music is terrible "soft hits" garbage. The decor is weird and half-ass. In summary: if it's close to your work or home, check it out. Otherwise, don't bother going out of your way.
(2)Joe S.
I love this place, i go here 2-3 times a week, great food, service, reasonable prices, etc. This is a very quaint restaurant that simply serves very good food. Lots of selection too. Serving sizes are perfect. I'm a big guy and the chicken teriyaki fills me up every time, lots of chicken, lots of rice. Also love that they have grape and strawberry soda. You can't find this stuff at a restaurant anymore!
(5)jaine p.
The rice at Kokiyo has given up it's individuality in favor of a super sticky, steaming mush pile cult. Not once or twice, but every time. Someone must like their rice like this, but not me. The vegetables are just chunks of cabbage with the odd stray carrot . The decor is bewildering. It looks like a (fill in the blank) Home Cookin' place packed up and split. Kokiyo's half assed attempt at decorating their place was to hang a small assortment of mismatched Geisha art. C'mon at least take down the rooster wallpaper border! The biggest problem with this place is that they are seriously STINGY with the sauce. Last time I went I asked for more sauce and paid .50 cents for a tiny itty bitty condiment cup of sauce, but it still wasn't enough. I LOVE teriyaki... even bad teriyaki. (1 star for that) This place is really close to my house. (1 star for that)
(2)Shannah S.
This place is decent. I usually order the chicken teriyaki that comes with rice and veggies. I'm not a fan of the veggies they give, but they give you a heck of a lot of rice. I usually split the meal with a friend or family member, otherwise I'd just waste the food. I think it's pretty tasty. AND it's close to home. i love chicken teriyaki. I haven't tried anything else from here, so am unable to rate it.
(3)Angela R.
If my sister were writing this review, this place would have six stars. But she's not writing it, so it has three. I love some good chicken teriyaki. You know, the kind that practically melts in your mouth and is complimented by luscious veggies and moist rice. Kokiyo's is pretty good, but not the best teriyaki I've had. I can't really put my finger on it, but there's something about them that makes them just okay. You can call in advance and pick up your food for take-out, or you can sit in their spacious lobby and eat there. They even have a TV set up, which is usually tuned to the sports channel (definite plus for me, but maybe not for some). If you're hanging around downtown St. Johns and get a craving for some teriyaki, this place will satisfy your craving. But if you're looking for some GOOD, juicy chicken teriyaki, you might want to check out the Lloyd Center. There's some good stuff at Cajun & Grill. P.S. If it's raining outside when you walk in, be careful. Last time I walked in there I just about ended up on my back. I was sure to wipe my shoes before stepping on the tile, but it was SLICK. Scared me half to death. Evidently I'm not the only one either...I've heard stories...
(3)Brian M.
For teriyaki places I was not impressed with this one. The sauce was not well done and they didn't really provide enough of it. The spicy pork was more sweet than spicy. The pork itself was bits and pieces. Vegetables were almost all cabbage with a splash of soy sauce on it. My gf had the tofu teriyaki and again. Practically no sauce applied.
(2)Cecily D.
one star for location ! but that's about it . we ordered quite a few things off the menu and we were not impressed ! it's about the same quality of asian food you'd expect to find in south dakota . the chicken looked sad . the fried rice was their famous mushy white rice and a can of mixed veggies . tempura ? breaded shrimp and onion rings . no joke . we should have paid more attention to the burger and fries on the menu, red flag number one ! the best part of our take-out meal was the Jarritos soda out of the fridge . I agree with Ed B . Kokiyo, sell out and give your location to someone who deserves it !
(1)rick r.
Pretty good teriyaki. Well, I got the spicy chicken, but it was good. The place was notably clean. But you needed to get a restroom key (hanging) which I hate doing at restaurants. The portion was probably medium...any less and it would have been small, and it didn't carry me through the rest of Friday night. The chicken was cooked well, nice and tender. The spicy did have some kick. I got brown rice (risky!) and it was good. It came with a smattering of veggies (cabbage and carrot) that complemented the meal nicely, as well as the thinnest orange slice ever. As you can see, I didn't hate Kokiyo. But it was spendy. I appreciate the brown rice, but they raked in an extra buck for it. Bringing a plate of chicken teriyaki to $8. That's a bit much unless it is a mound of rice and grip of chicken. But it wasn't.
(3)Justin T.
I actually joined Yelp just to write this.. The spicy pork was not bad.. the gyoza was pretty good.. but the teriyaki chicken was terrible.. dry cold chicken that smelled fishy..the rice tasted old.. it will be interesting to see if I throw up tonight! We didn't even finish our food..
(2)Bobbi M.
I tried to support local business and had the WORST EXPERIENCE EVER in St. Johns. The person there, which I assume was the owner and makes this all the more horrible, was unwilling to honor the restaurants.com gift card I received and chose to use at his establishment. After arguing with him for quite some time he finally called and then acknowledged that he participated in the program but then added all these "stipulations" which apparrently should have been noted in the ad but were not. I finally gave up and left, thus wasting the gift card all together. Had he have just taken a moment to offer decent customer service I probably would have given him ten times the amount of the gift card in continued patronage. Instead, I now let all my friends and neighbors know about my horrible experience and recommend they visit another establishment.
(1)Jessica M.
In one word. Abysmal. Details you ask? Here they are: I ordered the shrimp yakisoba, an order of gyoza and one croquette. The shrimp was overcooked to the point where my jaws just got too tired to chew it anymore, the sauce they drenched the shrimp and the noodles in was overly sweet and artificial-tasting (I can't believe they have the balls to sell it by the bottle at the register) what I was served definitely was not yakisoba- it was bad chow mein with bad teri sauce on top. The croquette was super greasy and tasted like it was made with instant mashed potatoes, the gyoza was the least disgusting item I had, I'm certain it's because it came from a bag and they merely deep fried it. I already mentioned the horrible teriyaki sauce, but it should also be noted that they served a weird sweet shoyu instead of the typical Bulldog sauce that I've had served with croquettes my entire life. The gyoza was drizzled with, what I could only describe as: a watered down version of their crappy teriyaki sauce. If I could give zero stars, I would. Yuck.
(1)P S.
I like this place alot. Clean, well priced, friendly owner and staff and the food is nom! I used to get dinner there frequently when I lived nearby and I still drive sometimes out to St. Johns to get some teriyaki from them.
(4)Damon I.
Eaten here many times. Today the chicken and the spicy pork we cold to barely warm. Disappointing.
(3)Sierra S.
So I just moved to the St. John area but I have known about this place for a few years (my sister used to live here) and have been wanting to try this place for so long. Finally got to go here. Great location. The food actually tastes really fresh. And whatever teriyaki sauce they use is really good. I got the regular old chicken teriyaki with a side order of rice (i effing love rice) and it was decently priced, and really good. Took me barely two minutes to walk down here. To all those people giving 1 star and bad reviews... you're obviously unlucky! Definitely will come here again! Would recommend.
(5)Fred F.
I eat here once a week and it's always very good! Great Great lunch specials and lots to pick from. The owners are very nice and always make my special requests. Wonderful salad dressing as well!
(5)Emily S.
The inside of the building makes you think this place has had it, but the food would say otherwise. Fast, cheap, and yummy, this is a staple for our family. I'd highly recommend ordering takeout and carrying it down to Cathedral Park for a picnic.
(5)Vanessa C.
I went in for lunch. and ordered the chicken yakisoba with some egg rolls. My food was brought out relatively quickly. The presentation wasn't very pretty, but considering the cheap prices here, i didn't really expect it to be pretty. The center of my egg roll felt soft, as in I'm not sure it was cooked all the way through. The sauce poured on top of the chicken was too salty for my liking. I got a lot of food for the money, in my opinion. I might go back due to its convenient location to my office, but overall I didn't think the food was all that good.
(2)Monica A.
I wanted teriyaki chicken and this was the only place open in the area so I gave it a shot. Really should've read some reviews prior to going here as they were pretty accurate. The chicken is okay, but very drenched with teriyaki sauce. The rice was mushy and with the additional drenched teriyaki sauce, it became a glob of mush. The salad is so small that I can count how many pieces of lettuce that was in it... 6. The dressing is a mayo based and heavy. Only thing I ate was the chicken.
(2)Kenneth H.
Excellent Bento Box Specials for $5.95. I ordered the spicy chicken and thought there service was good, and the taste is really nice for a lunch special. I do have to make a note that this resturant is very clean and well kept. Food was prepared quickly, and the taste was really well done.
(4)Kerri L.
Teriyaki is generally a good solid choice for lunch for me, so I stopped in and ordered their beef and chicken teriyaki combination plate. The owner and I commiserated about the heat, especially since they had to keep their air conditioning off for a needed repair to take place. She told me it would have been easier to shut the restaurant down for the day, but she kept it open because her employees needed their hours. Good for her! So often owners look at their employees as liabilities and don't try to help out, but I was really touched that she cared enough to literally sweat it out to help the folks who help her out. Her caring attitude shows all the way through this restaurant. The interior itself was decorated quite nicely in sort of a French country style with, of course, lots of stylish-looking chicken pictures. There was plenty of table space and everything looked nice and clean. From the outside, there's absolutely nothing to indicate how nicely put together the interior is, so it's really pleasant to come in and see how cute it is. My combo plate was tasty and satisfying. The price was excellent at $6.95 for the lunch special plus a fountain drink. I was able to linger as long as I wanted while reading as I ate. This little restaurant is quiet and kind of an oasis. I think it must be very cozy on rainy days. Come on in, have some tasty Teriyaki (and other dishes as well), and support this local business that is doing a great job of supporting their employees.
(4)Alena C.
A okay for a quick bite to eat. The place is large, clean, and the service was very friendly. We both ordered a spicy chicken teriyaki. I don't like rice, so i got extra veggies for no extra charge. We also got a cucumber roll which was fine. The price was just right for less than $15 for both of us. The chicken is a little on the dry side but for the price it's pretty good.
(3)John M.
Not bad for a quick to go bite. Service is friendly and goos alternative to Fast Food. A solid three stars!
(3)Alyssa T.
I've had chicken teriyaki here and it's pretty good. Just ordered chicken yakisoba and it's AMAZING! Everything seems very fresh, not overcooked and is really tasty. It's a teriyaki place, not a burger or sushi place, so stick with what they specialize in and you should be pleased.
(4)Sean O.
If I call and you say you are open until 8pm...don't be trying to lock the door at 7:55pm. After we get in you tell us that only Chicken Teriyaki is available??? C'mon. You are not honoring the 'hours of operation' contract you have with the customer. If you are open, then be open with the full menu and be ready to take our money. There is no asterisk or 'but' noted on your hours, nor when I called, saying the menu would be limited. Stand up, be a good business and honor your full hours of operation. You just lost a valuable, local customer who will spread this review to all I know. Note: I have been in the restaurant business since 1990 and understand what a late night customer means. It means you gladly serve the guest, cook their food and take their money. That is business. If you don't want to take guests until you 'close', change your hours.
(1)Dan N.
At work in St. Johns for the week, and that one o' clock tummy rumble kicked in. I had remembered seeing Kokiyo Teriyaki on the way in to town, and made a mental note to hit it for lunch. At 1pm, the place was pretty empty. My work partner and I were the only ones in the place. I ordered the Spicy Chicken Teriyaki and a side of Tekka Maki (Tuna Rolls). The Teriyaki was decent. Not the best I've ever had, but for a $7 lunch deal, it was decent. The tuna rolls were---well, I should have known better than to order sushi at a basic teriyaki place. The fish was pale, tasteless, and the rice I think was the standard cooked rice they use on their teriyaki. The rolls were haphazard, each one off-center and some opening on their own. They were edible, cheap (I think $3.00), and I was hungry. But that's about all I can say for that. I'll skip the sushi and stick with the hot stuff next time. The service was good, and the lady behind the counter friendly. $10.95 and I walked out of there pretty well stuffed. It was reasonable, and I'd go back if I'm in that area again.
(3)C R.
Went here for the first time in years hoping it had improved and were sadly left with a forty dollar hole in our pockets and an expensive dinner for the dog at home. Won't be going back. Whatever you do DON'T ORDER A BURGER. You'll get a bun and some ruffage and a burnt something in there that might have once been from a cow but who knows for sure... steamed vegetables? Well I don't know what's steamed about the scraps of salad I got with my $9 combo but they definitely weren't steamed veggies. The food is meh otherwise. Not worth the money in my opinion
(2)Shane B.
Definitely avoid the "curry". Woman at the counter had absolutely no reaction when I told her that I thought it could use some work. This says to me that she knew their food was sub-par and that she didn't care one bit. I may not have expected this place to be that good, but I certainly didn't expect it to be that bad.
(1)Annie C.
This place deserves some better ratings. I have eaten here a few times and I think the food is above average and the people are really nice. I have mostly had their teriyaki chicken, can't really go wrong with some grilled chicken, veggies, rice and sauce!
(4)Amanda R.
Kokiyo, you had me at "order online". I did, and when I walked in the door 10 minutes later, the nice lady at the counter was bagging up my order and welcomed me by name when I approached. I liked that. I had chicken teriyaki with rice and vegetables. The chicken was really good, perfectly done and tasted great in terms of teriyaki flavor. I paid special attention to the rice as the reviews I had read lead me to believe the rice was going to be a problem. I actually found the rice to be great! It was perfectly sticky, just as jasmine rice should be! The veggies were actually not that great, as previously described in other reviews. They lacked....well...everything. Mostly cabbage and a few carrots and one lone piece of broccoli. Meh. Thumbs down. The location is great, I am new to dining in the St. Johns area and found this quick and convenient and tasty enough to have again. I also found it to be fairly priced, like most teriyaki places...7-10 a plate.
(3)Dave C.
For the life of me I don't understand some of the bad reviews I just read about this place. I thought the food and the price were great, but then again I expect a $9 meal to be just an average meal and not something that will curl my toes. The food is great and about the only thing I would suggest is a little less rice and a little more veggies, but that really is not that big of a deal. Maybe more spice to the spicy chicken, but overall it was what I expected. You get generous portions, the food is well prepared and there really is not much more you can ask for without raising the prices. Good food, good price and great location.
(4)Lauren A.
I had two sushi rolls here, one was salmon based and the other, tuna. It wasn't good, but I was super hungry so I ate both of them. I didn't get sick (yay) but I definitely won't be returning. It's too bad because the fellow at the counter was quite pleasant.
(2)Shane J.
Not a bad place. The food was pretty good and the price not too high. Service was great.
(3)Mary B.
Ok, so I realize this is not a place to get sushi. But I noticed their sushi rolls menu walking by the other day and decided to give it a try since it's the only place close to us that even offers rolls. Mistake. We got Cali rolls, tempura rolls and an order of shrimp/veggie tempura. This was no tempura. More like breaded and fried. There was a "tempura" onion and it was exactly like an onion ring. It was an ok onion ring but not when I was expecting tempura. The rolls were ok. Overpriced for what they were though. It's a bummer. I really wanted the option of ordering take out sushi rolls in my own neighborhood. I guess I'll stick making my own.
(2)Angelea S.
Service was excellent, but that doesn't make the food better. It is fairly priced, but food isn't worth what you think it should be. The teriyaki chicken is probably the best tasting menu item.
(3)mel p.
This place gets 3 stars simply because its with-in walking from our place! The teriyaki is not to bad at all though I have to agree with most here when I say the veggies are something that they need to work on. A good veggie can make or break a meal. I love the yakisoba with pork from this place. A-1 in my book. We also just noticed the expiration date on our card with way to many meals left to be bought before the free one was able to be had. I have to say the guy working behind the counter which I guess also to be the owner never once pointed out the expiration date till it was about to expire!!! Bad bizz. Over all, go. Check it out. Save the earth and walk over! You'll be happy you did!
(3)Michael H.
This place is OK, not great but not bad either. The prices are decent; $5.95 for a bento and $6.95 for a regular portion. However, their portions are just a little bit small. I've been twice, and both times I left still somewhat hungry. The sauce is a little too sweet, but the chicken is OK. They also charge extra for brown rice, which I frown upon- it isn't that much more expensive than white rice. The man behind the counter is nice enough, but he is somewhat abrupt about collecting your order. The food comes out quickly, and they also do take out. Quality of food: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Service: 4/5
(3)rick r.
Pretty good teriyaki. Well, I got the spicy chicken, but it was good. The place was notably clean. But you needed to get a restroom key (hanging) which I hate doing at restaurants. The portion was probably medium...any less and it would have been small, and it didn't carry me through the rest of Friday night. The chicken was cooked well, nice and tender. The spicy did have some kick. I got brown rice (risky!) and it was good. It came with a smattering of veggies (cabbage and carrot) that complemented the meal nicely, as well as the thinnest orange slice ever. As you can see, I didn't hate Kokiyo. But it was spendy. I appreciate the brown rice, but they raked in an extra buck for it. Bringing a plate of chicken teriyaki to $8. That's a bit much unless it is a mound of rice and grip of chicken. But it wasn't.
(3)Justin T.
I actually joined Yelp just to write this.. The spicy pork was not bad.. the gyoza was pretty good.. but the teriyaki chicken was terrible.. dry cold chicken that smelled fishy..the rice tasted old.. it will be interesting to see if I throw up tonight! We didn't even finish our food..
(2)Shannah S.
This place is decent. I usually order the chicken teriyaki that comes with rice and veggies. I'm not a fan of the veggies they give, but they give you a heck of a lot of rice. I usually split the meal with a friend or family member, otherwise I'd just waste the food. I think it's pretty tasty. AND it's close to home. i love chicken teriyaki. I haven't tried anything else from here, so am unable to rate it.
(3)Bobbi M.
I tried to support local business and had the WORST EXPERIENCE EVER in St. Johns. The person there, which I assume was the owner and makes this all the more horrible, was unwilling to honor the restaurants.com gift card I received and chose to use at his establishment. After arguing with him for quite some time he finally called and then acknowledged that he participated in the program but then added all these "stipulations" which apparrently should have been noted in the ad but were not. I finally gave up and left, thus wasting the gift card all together. Had he have just taken a moment to offer decent customer service I probably would have given him ten times the amount of the gift card in continued patronage. Instead, I now let all my friends and neighbors know about my horrible experience and recommend they visit another establishment.
(1)Jessica M.
In one word. Abysmal. Details you ask? Here they are: I ordered the shrimp yakisoba, an order of gyoza and one croquette. The shrimp was overcooked to the point where my jaws just got too tired to chew it anymore, the sauce they drenched the shrimp and the noodles in was overly sweet and artificial-tasting (I can't believe they have the balls to sell it by the bottle at the register) what I was served definitely was not yakisoba- it was bad chow mein with bad teri sauce on top. The croquette was super greasy and tasted like it was made with instant mashed potatoes, the gyoza was the least disgusting item I had, I'm certain it's because it came from a bag and they merely deep fried it. I already mentioned the horrible teriyaki sauce, but it should also be noted that they served a weird sweet shoyu instead of the typical Bulldog sauce that I've had served with croquettes my entire life. The gyoza was drizzled with, what I could only describe as: a watered down version of their crappy teriyaki sauce. If I could give zero stars, I would. Yuck.
(1)P S.
I like this place alot. Clean, well priced, friendly owner and staff and the food is nom! I used to get dinner there frequently when I lived nearby and I still drive sometimes out to St. Johns to get some teriyaki from them.
(4)Jami H.
Holy crapload of rice! Like 4 cups! About two tablespoons of greasy cabbage and a few carrot shreds was the veggie portion. Chicken was actually pretty tasty. If you're going to have pictures of the food, make it kind of look like it?
(2)Kelly S.
Ok, don't fall for anything other than plain old teriyaki That is the only dish they have right. I tried shrimp and it was shrimp jerky, I felt like I was chewing leather! Yakisoba should be called stickysoba. Reg. teriyaki is 3 stars, anything else.. 2 stars
(2)Ed B.
The only thing Kokiyo really has going for it (for me) is that it's only a couple of blocks away from both my home and my office. The food is passable but utterly mediocre. The flavors in the sauces, and the quality of the ingredients, is about what you would expect to get in a typical frozen TV dinner. I had the teriyaki chicken with egg roll... the chicken was cooked well and fairly tasty, but the egg roll was a dripping, greasy mess. Making matters worse was that the egg roll was soaked in some semi-sweet glaze that was totally out of sync with the filling. I agree with Jaine P. that the rice was just too sticky and mushy... and the cabbage was almost flavorless. If this place was cheap I wouldn't object nearly as strongly, but my LUNCH entree was $7.50 without a drink. That price would be more in line with a typical dinner fare for this type of restaurant. One additional note: according to their take-out menu, they do offer delivery service for "orders of $70.00 or more." The location, right in the core of St Johns and next door to Starbucks, is ideal and begs for some kind of fun, fresh, and interesting bistro or restaurant to fill this space. Please, Kokiyo, consider selling out to someone!
(2)Robin S.
The teriyaki here was ok, not terrible but just ok. I definitely like the other teriyaki place down the road better. I had your basic Chicken Teriyaki for lunch. It was a huge serving, I could hardly finish it. The sauce on the chicken was good and I actually liked the rice. A bit sticky which, for me, makes it easier to eat with chopsticks. (I will always be a chopstick novice). The setting inside is way nicer than I expected. It was very clean and the employees were very friendly.
(2)Nick W.
Good: The food is decent -- not great but not bad. The service is reasonably quick and accurate. Bad: Everything else. The guy that runs the register appears to hate his life and is not very pleasant to interact with. And their buy-11-get-one-free cards have a freaking expiration date -- on the back! I filled mine up halfway before I realized that I was never going to get to #11 before it expired. The guy at the counter was completely apathetic about my disappointment. The music is terrible "soft hits" garbage. The decor is weird and half-ass. In summary: if it's close to your work or home, check it out. Otherwise, don't bother going out of your way.
(2)jaine p.
The rice at Kokiyo has given up it's individuality in favor of a super sticky, steaming mush pile cult. Not once or twice, but every time. Someone must like their rice like this, but not me. The vegetables are just chunks of cabbage with the odd stray carrot . The decor is bewildering. It looks like a (fill in the blank) Home Cookin' place packed up and split. Kokiyo's half assed attempt at decorating their place was to hang a small assortment of mismatched Geisha art. C'mon at least take down the rooster wallpaper border! The biggest problem with this place is that they are seriously STINGY with the sauce. Last time I went I asked for more sauce and paid .50 cents for a tiny itty bitty condiment cup of sauce, but it still wasn't enough. I LOVE teriyaki... even bad teriyaki. (1 star for that) This place is really close to my house. (1 star for that)
(2)Angela R.
If my sister were writing this review, this place would have six stars. But she's not writing it, so it has three. I love some good chicken teriyaki. You know, the kind that practically melts in your mouth and is complimented by luscious veggies and moist rice. Kokiyo's is pretty good, but not the best teriyaki I've had. I can't really put my finger on it, but there's something about them that makes them just okay. You can call in advance and pick up your food for take-out, or you can sit in their spacious lobby and eat there. They even have a TV set up, which is usually tuned to the sports channel (definite plus for me, but maybe not for some). If you're hanging around downtown St. Johns and get a craving for some teriyaki, this place will satisfy your craving. But if you're looking for some GOOD, juicy chicken teriyaki, you might want to check out the Lloyd Center. There's some good stuff at Cajun & Grill. P.S. If it's raining outside when you walk in, be careful. Last time I walked in there I just about ended up on my back. I was sure to wipe my shoes before stepping on the tile, but it was SLICK. Scared me half to death. Evidently I'm not the only one either...I've heard stories...
(3)Brian M.
For teriyaki places I was not impressed with this one. The sauce was not well done and they didn't really provide enough of it. The spicy pork was more sweet than spicy. The pork itself was bits and pieces. Vegetables were almost all cabbage with a splash of soy sauce on it. My gf had the tofu teriyaki and again. Practically no sauce applied.
(2)Cecily D.
one star for location ! but that's about it . we ordered quite a few things off the menu and we were not impressed ! it's about the same quality of asian food you'd expect to find in south dakota . the chicken looked sad . the fried rice was their famous mushy white rice and a can of mixed veggies . tempura ? breaded shrimp and onion rings . no joke . we should have paid more attention to the burger and fries on the menu, red flag number one ! the best part of our take-out meal was the Jarritos soda out of the fridge . I agree with Ed B . Kokiyo, sell out and give your location to someone who deserves it !
(1)Joe S.
I love this place, i go here 2-3 times a week, great food, service, reasonable prices, etc. This is a very quaint restaurant that simply serves very good food. Lots of selection too. Serving sizes are perfect. I'm a big guy and the chicken teriyaki fills me up every time, lots of chicken, lots of rice. Also love that they have grape and strawberry soda. You can't find this stuff at a restaurant anymore!
(5)