Inakaya Japanese Restaurant

Reviews

• DN

  Ding Ning

  Aug 10, 2026
  1.0
  Absolutely unacceptable and disrespectful service. I rarely leave reviews this negative, but this was easily one of the most uncomfortable and disrespectful dining experiences I have had. My friends and I were still dining and had NOT finished our meal. We simply paused for a while to talk at our table. Yet a server came over and attempted to clear our dishes, making it very obvious that they wanted us to leave so they could turn the table over for other customers. That was incredibly rude. We were paying customers who were still in the middle of our meal, not people occupying a table after we had finished. Making customers feel rushed and unwelcome simply because you want to seat someone else shows an astonishing lack of basic hospitality. What makes this even more frustrating is that, before they suddenly became so attentive to whether we were finished, we received virtually no service at all. My water was not refilled a single time during the entire meal. No one regularly checked on our table, no one asked whether we needed anything, and there was essentially no attentive service from beginning to end. And somehow, despite barely providing service to our table, the staff actually used OUR table as a temporary place to put food that was being served to OTHER customers. That was extremely inappropriate and disrespectful. Our dining table was not an extension of their serving station. But the experience became even more uncomfortable when it was time to pay. After providing this level of “service”, the server stood there watching while I was selecting the tip, clearly looking to see how much I was going to leave. I found that incredibly uncomfortable and unprofessional. Tipping is supposed to reflect the quality of service received. Standing over a customer and watching the screen while they decide how much to tip—especially after providing almost no service—is completely inappropriate and made an already terrible experience even worse. The entire experience can basically be summarized like this: no water refills, almost no attention throughout the meal, our table being used to hold other customers’ food, being rushed while we were STILL dining, and then being watched while choosing a tip. The irony is remarkable: there was apparently no urgency when our water was empty or when we actually needed service, but suddenly there was plenty of attention when they wanted our table back and when it was time to see how much we would tip. That is not hospitality. That is not how paying customers should be treated. I came here expecting a normal, enjoyable meal with friends. Instead, we were made to feel ignored when we needed service, inconvenienced while we were dining, and pressured when it was time to leave and pay. I left feeling genuinely offended by the way we were treated. Based on this experience, I absolutely cannot recommend this restaurant, and I have no intention of returning.
• MB

  Mark Blumen

  Aug 10, 2026
  4.0
  Very entertaining in the food was good.We live out of town, but it was absolutely wonderful.
• BB

  bb2fiddler

  Aug 9, 2026
  5.0
  15/10 dining experience at a very reasonable price. The broiled eel was incredible!! A must-try for any visitors, at least the appetizer helping. The spicy seafood udon was excellent. The spice level was perfect and the broth was so tasty I finished every drop. The Japanese omelet was also fantastic. That and the steamed gyoza made great appetizers. Inakaya is an absolute gem! I'll be sure to stop by anytime I'm in Columbia!
• EA

  Erica Allison

  Aug 7, 2026
  5.0
  Our lunch portion was perfect! Our food was delicious; it was bright, fresh tasting, and the plating even in the to-go box was done beautifully! My only request would be to put more ginger in the salad dressing and perhaps less sweetener because it was too sweet for me and lacked the strong ginger flavor which I love. I will definitely be ordering again; well done!!!
• HD

  Hung Do

  Jul 29, 2026
  5.0
  We drove 75 minutes from Augusta to have lunch here. It did not disappoint. We had the lunch Sushi Special ($12) & the dinner Sashimi Teishoku ($21.75). Both came with miso soup & salad. The sashimi also came with a bowl of white rice. Everything was so delicious. All the fish were fresh & tender. Don’t pass on the miso soup, it was the best I’ve had from a Japanese restaurant. Will have to return & try their rolls & tempura. Definitely 2 thumbs up for Inakaya.