Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse | 6901 Rockside Rd #133 | Independence
Everyone loves hibachi, right? Entertaining chefs, open flames, getting food thrown at your face – it’s fun. You know what else is fun? Happy hour. Happy hour at a hibachi restaurant … my head is going to explode.
My mom and her group of friends – the self-titled Happy Go Lucky’s – visited Habachi Japanese Steakhouse in Independence for happy hour. Here’s all you need to know, straight from my mom:
Located in Rockside Corners Shopping Center, Hibachi is conveniently located with ample parking. They have three other locations in the area—Painesville, Fairview Park and Highland Heights.
Hibachi is a casual family dining chain with a relaxed atmosphere. My friends and I were familiar with it, as we’d visited for dinner in the past. Their menu resembles most other Japanese steakhouse chains, with an emphasis on sushi, steaks, chicken and shrimp.
During our recent visit , we were pleasantly surprised at the variety and quality of the happy hour offerings.
We started off with libations. The choices were $6 large sake, $3 12-ounce Asian beers, $5 plum sangria and a $6 Blue Hawaii. We opted for the plum sangria and Blue Hawaii. Beautifully served, both were refreshing and delicious.
Appetizers offered were shrimp tempura, gyoza (potstickers/dumplings), spicy crab and Philly rolls (all $4) and calamari ($5). We selected the shrimp tempura and gyoza. Neither disappointed.
The shrimp—five total—were large, served on skewers and accompanied by a tempura dipping sauce. They were crispy and tasty. The six gyoza were just as good. They were perfectly pan fried, with pork and vegetables adding tremendous flavor.
A few of us ordered side salads with ginger dressing for $3 each. Though a bit small, the dishes were fresh and an effective partner for the appetizers.
Rating Scale & Verdict
🍷🍷=Average 🍷🍷🍷=Good 🍷🍷🍷🍷=Excellent
🍷🍷🍷 Hibachi offers solid Asian food at reasonable prices. There’s nothing fancy about the restaurant, and that’s okay. What they do, they do well. I’d go back again. Cheers!
Coming tomorrow: Comics, beer and comedy. We’ll preview some notable events happening this weekend.
Coming soon: An interview with Travis Howe, chief cookie officer at Fat T’s Cookies.
Happy Days Cleveland 