KOCHI Japanese BBQ and Beer

It's a bit expensive. We had not even completed 2 hours and the administrator was already telling us to leave the place. It was very unpleasant because you could tell that we were finishing. We really won't be returning.

Kid-friendliness: There is no place for the children to spread out. It's a bit crowded.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 4

Worst service ever! Japanese BBQ and Beer and still doesn’t have its liquor license? What?

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 1

Japanese BBQ and BEER and you don’t have your liquors licence? lol
We decided to give Kochi a try in its first few weeks of opening. We understand it's new, but for a chain that already has other locations, we were truly disappointed. Food was okay for the first round, but the rest of the night, the meat was extremely salty. The meat options are limited; they just change the sauces. I understand that, but some options, like the buttered mushrooms with garlic, came with some kind of chimichurri. We ordered the only white fish option on the menu, and they brought us squid. However, the staff never mentioned these menu changes, not even asking if we had any allergies or dietary restrictions. About the service, everything was bad:
-no one explained us how the concept works
- A lot of staff but no one could come to ask if everything was okay
- they forgot about our orders made us wait for a long time between orders
- There was never anyone to help us control the grill fire and we even had to order a new grill because no one does that for you
-I had to go to the bar to grab another round of drinks because my server didn’t check on us
- We saw one of the managers just standing and yawning while the entire staff looked overwhelmed
-not even water refills

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 1

The ambiance was very good. The staff were accommodating to get us a grill table. Although they should add more people who can take orders. We have noticed that in the whole area there was only one people who was in charge of taking the orders in a busy service which resulted that most of the orders that we’ve asked did not arrive or they delivered the wrong orders. Some of the food tastes good but most of the meat were too salty. We told the server about it but unfortunately the way she responded looks like she got a lot of feedback that the food was salty. I wish it could be the same like the wind or east izakaya where we can have our own tablet so we won’t have a problem calling the server all the time.

side dishes all bad1/10, kimchi jigae 0/10,
cold soda noodle0/10, all kind of meat 3/10,
very disappointed. not worth. can't understand is the best?

After dining here, we realized that cooking our food is not for us. Service was great, restaurant is beautiful and food good. Bbq surface area is too small that you can only bbq so much food at a time, especially if you have seafood as they come in little tin containers which go on the grill. Felt like we were just tending the bbq the whole time cooking small amounts of food. Dinner took forever. Lots of beef options but limited chicken and seafood. Two side sauces, bbq marinade and spice dip. Prepared side dishes were plenty, dolsot bibimbap was delicious. Three desserts, açai bowl, crème brule and soft serve. Instagram showed cocktails but they don’t have a liquor licence. Cost $54 pp inc tax. Supposed be 10% discount for new opening but not sure if the cost included the discount. So it may cost more. Glad we went, food is good, we may go back for the al la carte section of the restaurant. We prefer their other restaurants East and Wind for AYCE.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Pros: Great pricing, great food presentation, wide variety of dishes.

Cons: Some dishes lacking salt/seasoning (bean sprouts missing sesame oil/salt, sake clams are a bit bland), servers are still working out the basics (ex. Water, lettuce/rice/banchan coming 15 minutes after meat dishes or later), no ssamjang available (I understand it’s Japanese bbq but they have Korean dishes as well and other bbq in the area have ssamjang), forgetting orders, some foods inconsistent ex. Kimchi-jjigae has meat sometimes and other times no meat.

Overall cons are typical for a new restaurant. I did notice management does circle around a lot which is a bit uncomfortable and with that still didn’t notice tables lacking water / starting items (lettuce/banchan/rice) so I’m not sure what the purpose of the circling is. Staff are trying their best but seem a bit confused.

Huge fan of this restaurant and excited to see how time improves the service

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 3

I called in tonight to see if I could get a table. I was told reservations were booked up until 9pm but I could come in as there were some tables clearing out. Table was not guaranteed but was a possibility. I drove here with my family and went in, only to be told there is no way a table would be ready until 9:30pm. Not very good customer service for a brand new restaurant. If tables are not going to be available whatsoever, don't waste customers time driving to your business.

Service: 1

We've given Japanese BBQ & Beer three chances since their soft opening, and sadly, this third visit will be our last. The first was a party of 8 and the last two visits were a party of 4. The concept of a Japanese BBQ paired with beer sounded promising, but the execution has been a letdown every time. Let’s start with the food: the delays are unforgivable. We waited far too long for our items to arrive, and by the time they did, the excitement had faded. It’s frustrating because we’re regulars at places like WIND in Niagara and East Izakaya, where service is seamless, and we know what a well-run spot looks like.

The service itself? A total mess. Instead of having dedicated servers for each table, we had three to five different staff members buzzing around—taking orders, clearing plates, delivering food, you name it. It’s no surprise this led to confusion among the team. Orders were forgotten, and we had to constantly remind them of missed items. At one point, dessert showed up without spoons, and we were left asking for napkins repeatedly. The staff are friendly enough, I’ll give them that, but the disorganization is glaring. As someone who runs my own business—granted, not a restaurant—I can tell you this chaos stems from the top down. The owners clearly aren’t involved enough, and the in-house management isn’t equipped to handle a new staff effectively.

Oh, and here’s the kicker: a place called Japanese BBQ & Beer still doesn’t have its liquor license. What’s the point? To top it off, I caught one of the chefs grabbing peas from Fresco—yes, the grocery store. That alone tells me they’re not set up to run a proper kitchen. This place needs serious attention from the owners and a complete overhaul of its management. Until then, we’re done. WIND and East Izakaya will keep getting our business—they’ve earned it.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 1

First of all, they don’t even have a soft drink menu, and it’s honestly funny that a Japanese BBQ restaurant doesn’t serve hot tea. Even the hot water had a strong plastic taste.

Secondly, the portion sizes were very small, and we had to keep ordering again and again. Each plate only had four pieces, so with four of us dining, it was really frustrating to keep calling the server to add more food. Orders were constantly delayed, and when they did arrive, the portions were incomplete. By the end of the meal, many dishes were still missing. We asked for rice three times, and it never arrived, even when we paid the bill—absolutely ridiculous.

The takoyaki was still cold inside, clearly not freshly made but just reheated. Really disappointing.

Lastly, the dipping sauces were extremely salty. The servers were polite, but they didn’t provide napkins and showed little enthusiasm for refills. Given how their ordering system works, I can’t understand if it’s designed just to make the food runners’ job harder.

The price difference between lunch and dinner is significant, but the menu isn’t much different—definitely not worth it. Overall, it doesn’t compare to TAKUMI Japanese BBQ or Gyubee. But considering this is in the Niagara Falls area, it’s still nice to have a BBQ option. The other Japanese BBQ place in the area is even worse.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 3

I recently visited Kochi Japanese BBQ with high expectations, especially after seeing their Instagram posts. However, I was left extremely disappointed by the experience. While the restaurant’s space is beautiful the food and service were far from impressive.

First off, the service was chaotic. Despite the fact that there were about 10 employees working and only 5 tables occupied, I was repeatedly asked by three different staff members if I had been served yet. This left me confused about who my actual server was. On top of that, multiple dishes arrived with receipts stuck in them. The servers would set the food down, pick the receipt out, and walk away. It felt odd and unprofessional.

As for the food, it was a huge letdown. The rice was completely uncooked, and hard. As a restaurant chain that also serves sushi, I expected better rice quality. The kimchi soup tasted nothing like the authentic Korean version I was hoping for, instead having a flavor closer to Tom Yum. The banchan was off-putting with a strange, funky taste. The grilled meat wasn’t marinated; it was just the same cut of meat with a squirt of sauce on top (very salty), leaving the rest of the meat under-seasoned.

The grill situation was also awkward. I was in the middle of grilling when my server asked to change it, forcing me to remove all my half-cooked food and set it aside until the new grill was in place. I also found the mushroom medley confusing, as it had pesto and tomatoes, which isn’t typical for a Japanese BBQ dish.

There were a few positives, though. The shrimp was tasty, and the Japanese potato salad was solid. But overall, the lack of attention to detail, confusing service, and unappetizing food left me disappointed. I would suggest waiting a few months for Kochi to refine their training and operations before dining there.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

5 stars hands down...The food was delicious and beautifully presented. The service was awesome and the environment was just amazing. I can't wait to go back as after a long time I really enjoyed everything about this restaurant. our servers name was stajiah, he was very attentive and eager to please.

5 stars...everything was amazing and it was a truly unique experience! We will be back!!!

If you’re craving a lively, interactive dining adventure that combines premium flavors with endless indulgence, look no further than this all-you-can-eat Japanese BBQ gem. This restaurant delivers a lively, hands-on feast with premium meats and endless flavor. We had a great time and definitely will return!