Sakura Grill

I feel a little bad giving them 2 stars because the service, the food, the environment and everything else was really good, but…….. only while we were still inside the restaurant. After exiting the restaurant, the waitress followed my family outside. She wanted to tell us that we did not tip enough. On this given night, my mother who was visiting us wanted to pay the bill, and my mother is not a big tipper. So I could understand where the waitress’ frustration was coming from. The waitress expected more tip from my mom…… and unfortunately my mom was not willing to tip more. My mom is an elderly lady with limited funds, and so I could understand her point of view, too. The waitress went on to explain that she expected 18%, and my mom put a little less than even 10%. I could see my mom’s reaction, and I understood right away that my mom was not in a position to tip more than that. At this point I interjected… I felt like the waitress was “demanding” that my mom voluntarily tip more than ~10%. I interjected by excusing ourselves from the whole conversation, and the waitress walked away saying, “next time, don’t pick us!” What a terrible experience…. I’ve been to Sakura before. I have tipped their staff well during my previous visits. In this particular visit, I learned that I will never return to Sakura. Tip is optional here. I know that the wait staff depend on tip to be able to earn a descent income, and that it is a large portion of their take home. I personally also used to work for tip at one point in my career, so I can complete empathize. But nothing changes the fact that tip is optional. You cannot “demand” for a tip. That’s against the rules of civilization.

Absolutely enjoyed this quaint spot. Sushi was an A+ for me, I had the eel roll with avocado. Gyoza was perfectly browned. My bf had the spider roll. Will definitely return. Edit 7/14/23 we were here this past Tuesday, the service was excellent and the food was the best and freshest we've had ... Please keep up the good work! 🍣 Im including some more pics of this awesome experience. We love you guys!

1st time here. Order was ready when promised and was correct. Poke bowl was good! Teriyaki chicken and side of steak was disappointing for the price, and lacking flavor. I’d try again, avoiding all side items and appetizers. Second visit: got combo yaki udon, tasteless and not much meat. And they threw in octopus for some reason. Not good. Possibly because I didn’t tip. Don’t tip often when doing carryout. Will be my last visit.

We ate here on a Saturday evening and it took literally 20 to 25 minutes for our waitress to greet us and bring ice waters. Because I got up and asked for them. My Tempura chicken dish was great and the Nigiri was a bit heavy on the rice. Our waitress never followed up and my ice water was left empty for the whole meal. Overall the food was respectable but the service was poor.