Izakaya Den

Review summary

1. M

   Matthew

   Greater Boston

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   I would like to start this review by saying that i myself am an industry veteran with 15+ years of fine dining experience both cooking and serving - I had high hopes for Izakaya after hearing such good things but unfortunately it missed the mark on more than a few things. My partner and i made reservations for 2 the day after Valentine’s day and were sat upstairs. The upstairs had a beautiful ambiance to it, resembling a treehouse like ambiance. However, we were sat next to the glass windows on a night that was 10 degrees and my partner being in a slip dress was freezing the whole time. When our server greeted us he spoke at a pace of 5 words a second. We could barely understand what he was trying to tell us. However, he seemed like he meant well but his execution fell short. Constantly interrupting our meal and conversation with facts about Japan and sushi that we didn’t ask for nor needed to know. He also forgot to leave us a pen to mark our sushi order so we had to sit there for an extra 15 minutes waiting for him to come back. I also ordered two items that never came, unfortunately after a few drinks and deep in conversation with my partner i never realized until the morning when i thought back on our experience. I tried to call the restaurant to see if i could get a copy of an itemized receipt and possible refund for the items missing but they’re closed Sunday-Monday and they don’t have an answering machine. Some of the dishes were very good such as the spicy tuna rice cakes and miso eggplant but others were completely inadequate such as the pencil thin tuna rolls and the wagyu roll that was filled with a meat that was cut up to resemble Philly cheesesteak and was dry to the bone (not to mention it was rolled improperly so it fell apart at the seam). All in all i wouldn’t return. The entire service we felt rushed, interrupted, mishandled and unsatisfied.
   

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2. E

   Emily

   Greater Boston

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined today

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Top tier service and food! Timing for everything was perfect! The food was phenomenal! We got the tuna and toro sashimi was perfection! We also had their catch of the day king mackerel and ruder fish. Ruder fish was very mild and sweet. The white dragon roll was top notch. The Den sake flight was amazing too. Three quality sakes and the sake expert was super knowledgeable about the process of each of them. We ended the meal with the chocolate mouse cake. Recommend going for it! Best sushi and sake experience I have ever had!
   

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3. g

   gay

   VIP

   Denver

   59 reviews

   5.0

   59 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wonderfully fresh sushi and professional service. I’ve never had a bad experience here.
   

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4. K

   Kendrick

   Denver

   4 reviews

   4.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Kristin was wonderful and made our experience even better with her superb service.
   

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5. S

   Steve

   VIP

   Denver

   40 reviews

   5.0

   40 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   We enjoy Izakaya Den and understand that it has complex menu choices, which we consider a feature (not a bug). However, our waiter managed to make the menu more confusing rather than easier to navigate. We couldn't tell whether he was trying to "sell" us on items, provide information, or just hear himself talk! He got very far afield on the preparation of Tuna Collar and then discovered that he was describing a totally different dish. He also laid-on a thick layer of jargon, i.e "flavor profiles", etc. instead of speaking with clarity. The experience at Izakaya Den is already very good and didn't need to be embellished with BS. Fortunately, since one in our party has serious allium (onion/garlic) and gluten sensitivities, the order was placed correctly. We'll definitely will return again, and just hope we don't get the same waiter! Yeesh!
   

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6. T

   Thomas

   Denver

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Amazing experience at Izakaya Den with my girlfriend. We had an early Valentines Day and enjoyed the amazing food from Izakaya Den. Highly recommend the cod and the toro and tuna.
   

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7. T

   Todd

   Palm Springs

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   One of the best sushi restaurants in the country, consistently delivers high quality service and food.
   

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8. N

   Nicholas

   VIP

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Izakaya Den/Sushi Den is the best sushi I've had in America.
   

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   VIP

   Columbus

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on February 8, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great atmosphere and food!
   

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10. c

    chris

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Pricey but you go there to enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine, sashimi and sushi in particular. We let John G , our server, handle the food choices and recommended Japanese whiskey for our cocktails and saki. He was amazing in every way. We dined on the second floor. The ambiance is also very nice. Beautifully designed and constructed. Excellent for a special occasion or guest even if you don’t have an expensive account.
    

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