Wonderful food & friendly service. One of our favorite local
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anthony Salcedo
I never get tired of their chicken Kastu lunch set.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicollette Kaczmarek
Tawara is the hidden gem of NJ! I stumbled upon this restaurant during a road trip last year, and have made it a point to return to the area specifically so I can dine at Tawara again. This place makes the list as one of my favorite restaurants of all time. The pork buns are some of the most delicious things you will ever taste. The sunset roll, spicy beef and sashimi have all been fresh and incredible. Everything I’ve tried on their menu is top quality and taste. Raika is also an excellent hostess, bringing a warm and friendly vibe that makes you feel at home. Overall amazing and highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
mike b
Wonderful food, great staff, very fresh ingredients and a great diverse menu. I've been here three times and every time am
Last night was my first time at Tawara. My nephew and his girlfriend frequent this restaurant and have never been let down by the quality of the food and the service there.Very often, when others rave about a restaurant, you may be left a bit disappointed because your expectations might be set too high. This was not the case at Tawara. I truly enjoyed everything I ordered. There were several others in our group that were also there for the first time and also remarked how much they enjoyed the food. Everything was fresh and deliciously tasty with good-sized portions. The service was excellent, striking the perfect balance of being attentive but not intrusive. This was my first time at Tawara, but it will definitely not be my last.
This place really is as good as it gets as far as traditional Japanese cuisine in America! I love the atmosphere, the staff, and of course the amazing food.I worked here for ~2 years while in college and it is easily the best restaurant environment that I’ve had the pleasure of working in. They were ALWAYS meticulous in cleanliness and not cutting any corners whatsoever behind the scenes. Everything about this place is absolutely perfect and you are supporting an amazing establishment top to bottom by eating here! I am continually proud to take my family and friends here every time that I visit the area and tell them about how great it was to be a part of the Tawara family!!! :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Charley Roth
amazing restaurant! love the food. workers are always so niceWheelchair accessibility: ramp to enter
The pork belly bao buns were chewy and didn’t taste very good. The menu is difficult to follow and should have pictures or descriptions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Zachary Schluger
I've been coming here since I was 5 years old! It's one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in the area and has a very nice atmosphere. Family owned and worth going to. I highly recommend it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Joshua Carmody
Excellent food. Friendly and helpful staff. Environment is pleasant but a bit cramped. I got a Shogun Box B, which had a variety of items all of which were good. It seems the restaurant can end up fully reserved on a Saturday night, so I'd recommend calling ahead.
Sashimi appetizer and sushi a la carte.Avoid double ordering different types of salmon though, hardly tasted nuisances.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fluke Sashimi, Sushi
Sue C.
In the 13 years I have lived in the area, I have no idea why I have never been here! My guess is I grossly underestimated what I might get simply because it sits in a sleepy strip mall next to a busy train station. To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman - "HUGE mistake. HUGE!"I stopped in late after a very long travel day (and missing my train stop in neighboring Allendale!). Small place and if I wasn't so tired and hot (super gumid summer night), I would have been happy to sit at the sushi bar. A very nice woman took my order and I was out of there in 10min. When I visit new sushi places I take the safe route and order something simple so I am not disappointed, and tonight it was Salmon don. A really nice man brought my order to me, we chatted about the weather/rain that was on the way, and off I went to my Uber. When I got home I dropped the luggage and opened my bowl of goodness. Holy COW... I was so pleasantly surprised by the quantity of food in that bowl, and the beautiful orange color of the salmon. My first bite was absolutely heaven - buttery soft, rice perfectly seasoned and cooked, flavor that made you want to keep eating (I didn't even get pictures!) - it was PERFECT sashimi. Just 2 nights before, I had a fantastic dinner with colleagues at a high rated Japanese restaurant in D.C., and I grew up in Southern California where the fish is fresh 95% of the time (Sundays can be dicey). You can tell the difference between fresh and not so fresh after a few bad experiences and this was perfect. This fish was up there with some of the best I've had.I can honestly say that while my travels were filled with issues this week, and it ended in a downpour with me waiting outside for my ride, luggage and food in hand, this was the absolute perfect ending. I cannot wait to become a regular!Seek this gem out!!Parking: Small strip mall but plenty of parking.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Malou C.
On a super hot summer night I was looking for a good place to eat. No cooking for me. Since we all love Japanese food this looked like the obvious choice. The restaurant is located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. It's a small cozy place with tables lined up against the left side of the rectangular shaped restaurant. Service was quick and our server was pleasant. I ordered the salmon teriyaki for an entree and vegetable gyoza as an appetizer. My food was delicious and well seasoned. I was able to use my chopsticks without incident. Yay me!
Sarah Devine
Excellent food and service! One of my favorite restaurants in the area. Also be sure to check out their cute store right next door!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lily Y.
Good variety of cooked food & raw fish . Hostess was efficient & friendly. Husband had seafood bento box. Generous potions. I had chanpo noodle soup(shrimp, chicken& vegis ).We'll be coming back again.
Wonderful food & friendly service. One of our favorite local
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I never get tired of their chicken Kastu lunch set.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tawara is the hidden gem of NJ! I stumbled upon this restaurant during a road trip last year, and have made it a point to return to the area specifically so I can dine at Tawara again. This place makes the list as one of my favorite restaurants of all time. The pork buns are some of the most delicious things you will ever taste. The sunset roll, spicy beef and sashimi have all been fresh and incredible. Everything I’ve tried on their menu is top quality and taste. Raika is also an excellent hostess, bringing a warm and friendly vibe that makes you feel at home. Overall amazing and highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wonderful food, great staff, very fresh ingredients and a great diverse menu. I've been here three times and every time am
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shoyu Ramen, Pork Belly Buns, Katsu
Last night was my first time at Tawara. My nephew and his girlfriend frequent this restaurant and have never been let down by the quality of the food and the service there.Very often, when others rave about a restaurant, you may be left a bit disappointed because your expectations might be set too high. This was not the case at Tawara. I truly enjoyed everything I ordered. There were several others in our group that were also there for the first time and also remarked how much they enjoyed the food. Everything was fresh and deliciously tasty with good-sized portions. The service was excellent, striking the perfect balance of being attentive but not intrusive. This was my first time at Tawara, but it will definitely not be my last.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Negimaki, Pork Belly Buns, Sushi, Pork Bun, Spicy Beef
This place really is as good as it gets as far as traditional Japanese cuisine in America! I love the atmosphere, the staff, and of course the amazing food.I worked here for ~2 years while in college and it is easily the best restaurant environment that I’ve had the pleasure of working in. They were ALWAYS meticulous in cleanliness and not cutting any corners whatsoever behind the scenes. Everything about this place is absolutely perfect and you are supporting an amazing establishment top to bottom by eating here! I am continually proud to take my family and friends here every time that I visit the area and tell them about how great it was to be a part of the Tawara family!!! :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
amazing restaurant! love the food. workers are always so niceWheelchair accessibility: ramp to enter
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Belly Buns, Sushi, Katsu, Pork Katsu
The pork belly bao buns were chewy and didn’t taste very good. The menu is difficult to follow and should have pictures or descriptions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
I've been coming here since I was 5 years old! It's one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in the area and has a very nice atmosphere. Family owned and worth going to. I highly recommend it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Excellent food. Friendly and helpful staff. Environment is pleasant but a bit cramped. I got a Shogun Box B, which had a variety of items all of which were good. It seems the restaurant can end up fully reserved on a Saturday night, so I'd recommend calling ahead.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bento
Restaurantji Recommends
Sashimi appetizer and sushi a la carte.Avoid double ordering different types of salmon though, hardly tasted nuisances.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fluke Sashimi, Sushi
In the 13 years I have lived in the area, I have no idea why I have never been here! My guess is I grossly underestimated what I might get simply because it sits in a sleepy strip mall next to a busy train station. To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman - "HUGE mistake. HUGE!"I stopped in late after a very long travel day (and missing my train stop in neighboring Allendale!). Small place and if I wasn't so tired and hot (super gumid summer night), I would have been happy to sit at the sushi bar. A very nice woman took my order and I was out of there in 10min. When I visit new sushi places I take the safe route and order something simple so I am not disappointed, and tonight it was Salmon don. A really nice man brought my order to me, we chatted about the weather/rain that was on the way, and off I went to my Uber. When I got home I dropped the luggage and opened my bowl of goodness. Holy COW... I was so pleasantly surprised by the quantity of food in that bowl, and the beautiful orange color of the salmon. My first bite was absolutely heaven - buttery soft, rice perfectly seasoned and cooked, flavor that made you want to keep eating (I didn't even get pictures!) - it was PERFECT sashimi. Just 2 nights before, I had a fantastic dinner with colleagues at a high rated Japanese restaurant in D.C., and I grew up in Southern California where the fish is fresh 95% of the time (Sundays can be dicey). You can tell the difference between fresh and not so fresh after a few bad experiences and this was perfect. This fish was up there with some of the best I've had.I can honestly say that while my travels were filled with issues this week, and it ended in a downpour with me waiting outside for my ride, luggage and food in hand, this was the absolute perfect ending. I cannot wait to become a regular!Seek this gem out!!Parking: Small strip mall but plenty of parking.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
On a super hot summer night I was looking for a good place to eat. No cooking for me. Since we all love Japanese food this looked like the obvious choice. The restaurant is located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. It's a small cozy place with tables lined up against the left side of the rectangular shaped restaurant. Service was quick and our server was pleasant. I ordered the salmon teriyaki for an entree and vegetable gyoza as an appetizer. My food was delicious and well seasoned. I was able to use my chopsticks without incident. Yay me!
Excellent food and service! One of my favorite restaurants in the area. Also be sure to check out their cute store right next door!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good variety of cooked food & raw fish . Hostess was efficient & friendly. Husband had seafood bento box. Generous potions. I had chanpo noodle soup(shrimp, chicken& vegis ).We'll be coming back again.