Niki's Tokyo Inn Reviews

We love sushi and this place was a huge disappointment. As our first visit, the waitress was semi pleasant, however, the Sheboy behind the counter (w/ baseball cap) was rude to every old and new customer that walked in. It had no people or social skills and should not be representing this long time establishment. We will never return or recommend this place to anyone. Also, very overpriced for the food and ambiance.

When I took an assignment that kept me in San Antonio for weeks at a time I was sure that I would have to fly home to the bay for my sushi fix. And sure enough, San Antonio had a bunch of "sushi bars" that specialized in rolls. After three years in Tokyo, I don't do rolls. SOOO - it turned out that the front desk rep at my hotel had spent some time in Japan and told me that there WAS indeed a real sushi bar in town. None of my colleagues - even those that liked sushi - had ever heard of Niki's. So one of them came with me to check it out. We passed it twice driving on Hildebrand because the broken down looking warehouse COULDN'T be..... but it was. Once we got in the door everything changed - a small piece of Tokyo. Wooden sushi bar - and real sushi. No rolls except tekka and kappa. (And oshinko for finish). They had o-toro at an incredible price - and the hamachi hara was like butter. In short - EVERYTHING was delicious and well prepared. And to top it all of, the sake was served the Japanese way - in a real glass with a saucer to catch the spills. SO - if you live in or have to go to San Antonio and are a sushi fan - this place is a must.

We went with a rather large group and were seated in a back room with no problem. We had 5 children with the group ranging in age from 7 to 11 and they all had a great time sitting on the floor. A word about the floor... when you come in, you will be asked to remove your shoes. Bring clean socks to put on. Every review that mentions that the decor hasn't been updated in 20+ years isn't kidding. I forgot my socks and fought back the squeamy feeling of walking on generations of feet stink. (not that it actually stinks, not at all- but...) OK- back to the food. We had a couple of vegetarians with us and they were very happy with the vegetarian hand rolls. Those that ordered sushi pronounced it quite good. I ordered the fish soup- wow- it was chock full of all kinds of yummy bits. (and chicken, too, I think) The kids all ordered various dishes and were satisfied- the noodles were big hits. There were lots of people who appeared to be Japanese which is always a good sign when eating out. Not everyone in our party loved their food- not surprising. That said, it was a fun experience for the kids and most of us were pleased with our meals. We had some issues with slow service in the beginning but then Pat came over and started taking care of things and all was dramatically improved. Hopefully, they'll take some time and do some much-needed refreshing, even though I'm sure the regulars would be upset.

I first visited Niki's 30 years ago with a Taiwanese native (3 times in one week!) and most recently took a Japanese student and her Tokyo visitor here. They totally enjoyed the food and the hearing other diners speaking in their language. I had been concerned how they would rate it but the home sick student said I did a great job picking Niki's! I worry about the future of this institution and whether their next generation will keep it open.

I was trying to impress my, then boyfriend, to try Japanese food. It was his first time trying Japenese food. I had been bragging to him of the delicious food me & my daughter (7 y/o) would eat by ourselves every Friday. We simply loved it! Upon leaving, my boyfriend & daughter went outside ahead of me, & being my treat to them, i stayed behind to pay the bill. Pat, the waiter & owner? Had followed them outside demanding a tip! He was saying how the staff work hard for a tip! My boyfriend was flabbergasted! And speechless! When it was just me & my dtr I would always leave a tip when paying on a credit card. By the time I got outside to hear all the commotion, I explained to Pat I indeed left a tip while paying inside! He was'n hearing any of it! Needless to say, Pat did an about face & returned inside the restaraunt. My boyfriend was so embarrassed he said he will never set foot in that place again! I just felt horrible! That was 5 years ago, now married, we have not returned. That was just plain rude, & they made good $ off of me!!! Had he remained inside & not harass the customers, we'd probably still go there..

This is the most unassuming restaurant in San Antonio. The outside of the building may not look like much, but the sushi is to die for! Incredibly affordable and outrageously delicious! I love sitting in the Japanese style dining room! So relaxing, great service and even better sushi!

This is the "WORST" restaurant I have been to hands down, Me and my family ordered a sashimi platter and a variety of sushi, when the waitress brought the food it stunk of dead fish badly, every thing was horrible, the tempura platter was soggy, the miso soup was watered down, the chicken yakatori was old and dried up, I could not believe how bad all of the food was, we sent back the sashimi platter. I just told the waitress that it smelled bad. we did not eat the tempura platter and everyone only took a bite of their food but we paid the $214.00 bill. They seemed to have got angry when I told them there was a roach, (we should of left then). Pat the owner nor the waitress never asked us why no one ate the food. The next day I called and asked to speak to the owner or the manager, The man that answered said he was the owner and his name was Pat. All I said is that we were there last night and I had ordered the sashimi platter then he started yelling at me saying we mad at you and I do not know anything about sashimi and that never to come back they do not want my business again, I was shocked at the way he started yelling at me, I told him that we are Japanese and know about sushi and sashimi and it should not smell like dead fish, He started yelling at me again saying if I don't like it to go somewhere else and that I did not know "[--]" about sashimi, Now I am mad, I told him who in the hell does he think he is yelling at me like that and that he was right, it smelled like [--]. He kept yelling at me screaming that I don't know anything about sashimi, I just hung up on him. I have NEVER been spoken to like his manner. The restaurant stinks and they have been shut down by the health department before. I would never recommend this place to anyone!! If you want good food and good service go to Godai or Sushi Zushi, Hell Long John Silvers tops Nikis Tokyo Inn..

The first restaurant I have seen in San Antonio, with a real Japan experience, to the extent of a designed room where you have to take off your shoes and sit on the floor. Food is really good. Not the best meal i've ever had, but It is really good

Chef and staff are really nice. They have passion for their food and customer. Location is hidden; decoration is not fancy. No dress code and reasonable price. Don't dress up too much when you visit, because you might be overdress. Food is better or as good as some of the very expensive Japanese restaurant that I have tried in Las Vegas. Sometimes, I got craving for their fresh sashimi. They do not offer to go order over the phone. I am not sure about reservation. It is not a typical sushi place. They don't have many sushi rolls. I don't eat much of sushi rolls anyway. However, they have lots of authentic Japanese dishes that I could not find anywhere else. Sashimi is thick cut, beautiful decoration, and very fresh. Tempura is very tasty as well. Miso soup is awesome. It is definitely one of my top five most favorite restaurant in San Antonio.

We went here my nieces birthday. She wanted Japanese and not the usual spots we have been to in town. Like everyone will say... Don't get freaked out by the building. You can also literally miss it since it is a very bland building that you my think its closed. Well it's a pretty laid back atmosphere and cozy looking interior. It's kinda stuck in an 80- early 90s feel but it didnt bother us. Our waitress was very nice and super attentive. Pat was awesome and brought over extra items to our 3 yr old son. Go figure everything he brings are his favorites. So I can't say enough about the friendly atmosphere. Pat and company must have a lot of regulars because they tend to know a lot of them. The food was great! We ordered beef sticks for an appetizer and for dinner we had the shrimp tempura and teriyaki steak. Good sized portions and we were stuffed afterwards. We will definitely stop in for dinner again when we get a chance.

This place is different from all Japanese Resteraunts I know from San Antonio. They are very Authentic, no Modern choices. Try their rice balls also know as Unigiri. It's a Triangle shape rice ball wrapped with seaweed, you can get it with plum filling or Salmon. Noodle bowl are good, fish dishes are Awesome! Great selection of fresh sushi as well. I loved that there is a section where I can take my shoes off and sit at a low table, feels very home like and they have little private rooms you can reserve sitting at a low table. This seating goes well with your favorite japanese Comfort food.

My wife and I lived in Japan for a while. This is the only Japanese restaurant in San Antonio that is authentic. We eat sushi all over town, but they serve the best in terms of variety. Like most restaurants, they receive their sushi once a week. If you want the freshest, you must call and find out which day it arrives.

we 've been there several times and yes ,this place is close to a "real" Japanese restaurant you would find in japan talking about food. The service is hit or miss.This is a Japanese family who own the place(wich is rare in the us) . the 2 waitresses (2 daughters) are super nice, Pat,depend on his mood. But stay away from the sushi bar where the manly third sister is extremely unpleasant and have a nasty attitude that shows that you really bother her.(she enjoys tipping however...) if that place would not be owned by mom and dad, she would be fired in no time. The place has been there for ever and is absolutely filthy. You have to take off your shoes for some parts of the restaurant.make sure you bring thick socks. I think that place serves the same regular customers and they don't care about new ones. The only thing about that place is the "close to" Japanese food but that's it.

I have loved this place for 20 years but we ordered take out for the first time because of the pandemic and my health issues. It was spectacular. It was painful riding home with the wonderful food smells filling the car. When we got home we ate until we could eat no more. The food was expertly packaged. It was hot and had traveled well. Everything was fresh and delicious just like when we eat inside and we cant wait for our next visit. Nikis you are the best, we love you and look forward to seeing you again soon. We hope this pandemic is over soon so we can dine in again but in the meantime your take out rocks. Best wishes

It is rare to find a family owned restaurant in San Antonio and this is one of the best and most authentic Japanese restaurants I've been to. Every time we go there, we get treated to some specialty of the house, whether it is a homegrown water melon treat, a whole fried fish, the most delicious cucumber salad. Whether you try their amazing sashimi or one of their hot dishes or soups, you won't be disappointed.

Located just minutes from downtown situated right between the oldest affluent neighborhoods and the old blue collar neighborhoods built in the 40's that have become more commercial. Nikkis has been around for many years and is a family run business. It is our favorite sushi restaurant because the food is delicious and the family running the restaurant are very attentive to their clients. If you are a sushi connoisseur or from Japan this is the place for you. Kick back and enjoy a meal prepared for your enjoyment, where you can relax and take your time while speaking to other diners that enjoy authentic Japanese and good company. If you want to try some of the most delicate sushi, this is the place. I have a taste for several varieties of sushi that have to be only days old from their catch, and have virtually no shelf life. I have only been served the freshest and highest quality sushi. At times they are out of these specialties, because they won't serve it if it’s not the best, but the Chef has always offered new suggestions and introduced me to other delicacies. Nikkis is all about the food and an authentic Japanese experience. As such, the outside of the restaurant and the decor are not meant to attract people driving buy. The place has been thriving for years based on referrals from knowing customers. Take of your shoes, listen to relaxing Japanese music, and enjoy the always fresh flowers selected by the head Chef. Relax and sip some warm Sake while you await your meal. It’s a place where you will have great food and a great conversation with whomever you take there. Caution!! If you don't like authentic sushi and you are someone who likes cooked fish and americanized rolls with Philadelphia cream cheese, this is not what you will find at Nikkis.

I have been eating at Niki's off and on since college and it has remained consistent in terms of quality and service. it is without a doubt a mainstay of San Antonio's culinary scene. Don't let the weary exterior or the dated interior of the place fool you. This is true, authentic Japanese food! Niki's is a family-run Japanese restaurant that has been around for decades. Family members prepare and serve the food and so the number of years of experience and dedication that go into each dish and each slice of fish is impressive. I always order sushi or sashimi, but have tried tempura and sukiyaki there and loved them both. I have been told that some of the vegetables are grown in their own garden. The sunimono (pickled cucumber) that is served with each meal is amazing and a testament to this. If you have a larger, party, there are traditional Japanese seating areas where you can sit at low tables on the floor as well.

I have always liked nikkies tokyo inn. I have gone there at least once a month, and after our last trip, I will never go again! We eat there all the time, and one of these times we didn't have much money for a tip, we left all we had and apologized. We went again and there was no problem, the waiters were nice and the food was great. we went today for my birthday, and the waiter walked in after we were seated and told us to leave. He has joked with us before, and we laughed along not taking it seriously because he had just talked nicely with us when we walked in. He then blew out our candle, cussed at us, and called the police. He called the police because he said we didn't leave good enough tips! We were emberassed beyond belief, and the staff spoke japanese about us until we left. We will NEVER go back and I am upset at how rude the staff was!

I was reading the reviews before i went to try this place out myself. The only reason I was interesting was because it was on the san antonios current for 2012 best of sa. this place was #2 for best sushi. however now that I've read about Pat and the favortism, i doubt ill be going here in the future. sa current ..you let me down on this one. fyi fujia IS the best in town (wurzbach rd)

Amazing food! Sub-par interior. This place looks like a shack and it's a little hard to find put the food is out of this world. We tried a little of everything and everything was of the best quality and delicious. We'll definitely be going back!

If you want some of the best sushi at the best prices, come into this family-run gem. The decor maybe tired and grungy, but the food is wonderful and the sushi is some of the freshest you will eat anywhere. Peroid.

I'm half-Japanese, lived at Yokota AFB in Japan as a military brat, grew up with Japanese food. I've eaten at Niki's Tokyo Inn since 1981, nowadays about twice a month. Niki's isn't just a "Japanese restaurant," it's a Japanese family-owned, Japanese family-run restaurant. It's been in the same spot in an aging, blue collar neighborhood for 30+ years, so no, the building's not shiny and new; some might even call it a dive. But Japanese executives and employees from the Japanese car factory south of town routinely fill the small "special" rooms (which have Japanese style floor cushions and low tables, who'da thought?). Like me, they go there for the food, which is very, very good. They go there for the female sushi chef (a rarity), who actually did the required years of apprenticeship to _be_ a sushi chef, and who does the Ikebana flower arrangements throughout the place herself. They go there for the staff treat who their regulars like family, and please note, a little common sense goes a long way with them. Speed of service depends on the night: if the parking lot's full, and you hear a lot of Japanese being spoken by customers, your food's gonna take longer, plan accordingly. I think it's worth the wait. Finally, a "caveat emptor:" as others have mentioned and as is posted on Niki's door, it's an older, less affluent neighborhood, so when you go, don't leave your GPS-type valuables sitting in full view in your car.

I would like to warn all young women that if they are going to eat at this restaurant, to make sure they have a male companion walk them in and out of the restaurant, as it is in a very bad part of town with a very dark and dangerous parking lot. I had a bad feeling when I parked my car their at night as the area is really awful and not safe looking, and when I went back out to my car after my dinner it had been broken into. Nobody at the restaurant wanted to help me and they acted like I was bothering them. Ok, I will review the food now. The place smelled very bad, as if they had not disinfected properly. The waitresses were very old and sweet looking asian women who took a very long time to take and bring me my order, but this is ok as I was really hungry. I did not like the sushi, it was too expensive for the portion size received, and some of it did not taste fresh, especially the salmon and tuna. My waitress got mad at me when I mentioned this to her, and I did not see her again except to get my bill which I had to ask another waitress for -very unprofessional to behave like this. Then I walked out and saw my car had been broken into, and nobody wanted to help me. Don't come here, the food is not good and the prices are high, but worst of all it is a dangerous place to eat at especially at night.

I've been here twice in the past few years (I live out of town) and each time has been wonderful. Our waiter was the same both times (owner I think) and we made reservations for one of the rooms. He was the absolute best, very attentive, brought us complimentary shrimp and veggie tempura, told us a few jokes, just so around great service. The building and decor are pretty dated but if you can get past that, it is a truly delightful experience.

Hadn't been back to Niki's for several years. Went for dinner and sat at the sushi bar. Service was fantastic. Ordered both sushi and entrees Would have given Niki's a 4+ but for a couple of items. I spent a little time in Japan and I'm pretty particular about my yakisoba. Few of the restaurants that I've been to in the US do yakisoba properly (as its done in Japan) so when I find one that does it gets 6 stars. Niki's was SO close! I ordered pork yakisoba. The plate arrived with the noodles properly topped with seaweed powder with shredded pickled ginger on the side. In the first bite my heart sank. Instead of bit sites pieces of pork, Niki's used ground pork. Almost ground sausage pork. Let's just say that this was a colossally bad idea and in no way OK. Yakisoba is a sort of thrown together street food and doesn't have a ton of rules but ground pork is a capital offense. The other thing was the tempura. It was more toward the cold side when it arrived but I'm going to take some of the blame for that in so much as we were eating slowly. Our server was doing a really good job of staging our various orders and it has to be tough to balance the sushi chef in one room with the chef in the actual kitchen. One thing to note about Niki's. Their menu proudly states "since 1970". I don't think anything has been redecorated or remodeled in the place since then. I know my first visit to Nikki's was over 20 years ago and nothing has changed since then. Either overlook the dated decor or do what I do and tell yourself its retro. I'll definitely be back to Niki's but we may have to have a discussion about the yakisoba before I order.

The oldest and best Japanese in Texas!

So glad we finally tried this legendary restaurant. Sometimes wanting to try a place so badly sets you up with too high of expectations. That might have been the case here. Everything was good but not meeting our high expectations of the food or service. We may need to try it again to give it a fair shake but not high on the priority list. We had sashimi, sushi roll, tempura shrimp and veggies, miso soup and more. I think we had a good amount of variety in our dinner. Everyone agreed good but not at the level we expected.

Niki's has good Japanese food, but the ambiance is only okay. The location isn't the greatest. There are better Japanese restaurants I would recommend.

We've been going here for over 15 years because it's great, authentic sushi and we feel like we're visiting family when we go for dinner! We love that they don't overdo the roll thing...it's just fabulous Japanese food...if you haven't been and you like sushi, you really need to check them out!!

I ate here on a whim and was surprised by the authentic food and friendly service. This restaurant is in an older neighborhood and the building itself doesn't look so great from the outside, but the inside brought back memories of Japan. We started with beer, edamame, and cold tofu. The edamame was just so-so, but the tofu was a huge slab of cold tofu, covered with green onions, katsuko, and ginger on the side. Perfectly done! I ordered the Japanese Dinner and it was definitely enough food to feed two people. The dinner started with miso soup, Japanese pickles, and a cold cucumber salad. Then the sashimi came. A giant plate of sashimi! After I chowed down on the sashimi for a while a giant plate of tempura came out. The Japanese pumpkin, shrimp, and carrot tempura really stood out but all was great. In addition the dinner came with one yakitori stick and a bowl of white rice. Everything was fresh and tasted authentic. My coworker orderd the Yakiniku Dinner and received a huge plate of sliced, grilled beef in yakiniku sauce. His dish also tasted authentic, and was definitely enough food to feed two people. I think we were waited on by the owner. He was a great host and shared all kinds of Texas stories and jokes with us. If I lived in San Antonio I'd be a regular at the Tokyo Inn.

Most sushi restaurants are so pretentious and use ingredients like cream cheese> CREAM CHEESE?!! Many of them also use frozen fish. I am happy to say that is NOT the case at Nikki's sushi. Although the staff can be indifferent and unfriendly at timesand the service is a bit shoddy, it is because they are focused on providing an AUTHENTIC Japanese food experience in San Antnonio. There is a mother and daughter team making the sushi and sashimi. I have eaten a lot of Japanese food over the years in Tokyo, Honolulu,New York, Los Angles, and San Francisco and I have got to say that Nikki's is as good as any in these cities. GREAT restaurant, FRESH sashimi and sushi!

Niki's looks especially sketchy after dark, but put your fears on hold and enter this very pleasant, family run establishment. Four of us had a range of dishes. Standouts included miso soup, teriaki, yakisori, sashimi, and small relish treats. Comfortable seating, very polite and helpful staff, and moderate noise level. The restaurant meets its aspirations completely. [My star awards are based on aspirations.] Highly recommended.

First off, wear socks, sitting on the floor is a must to appreciate the wonderful atmosphere of this place, and it's required that you are sock-footed to do so. Secondly, It's rare to be the intellectual inferior to the person waiting on you, but most of Pat's guests are. If you are a regular, you begin to notice that he is incredibly inquisitive and remembers even the details about you. He will treat you superbly if you do the same to him (please realize this is a family operation, and they cannot always have prompt service, as they prefer to keep as much as they can in the family, so if you come on a bad night, be patient, and don't hassle the wait staff, they'll remember it and reward you). You may wonder why, if Pat went to Yale he is a waiter at his family's restaurant? The answer is he (generally) enjoys it far more than being a journalist which, I believe, was his original career path. Upon entering the place, you may wonder why they keep it in such disrepair. I've asked Pat, and he says they practice anti-advertising. They don't want more people to come. He has told me not to introduce people to his restaurant, because they get stressed out and become irritable if they are as busy as they often are (so he'd probably chastise me for writing this review). The owners are not in the business to get rich. They do what they do because it provides a living they can they enjoy it. Please allow them to enjoy it. Be nice to them and they'll bring you treats from their garden, experimental deserts, or other delicacies, don't ask for them, if they like you, they'll come. And of course, the food is absolutely scrumptious. Suggestions: Chicken Sticks - an interesting japanese take on fried chicken (also a very economical option) Ribeye- only if you like fatty meat, wonderfully cooked and seasoned Green Tea Ice Cream: odd, but very good. Sweeter than you would think. Amaebi- sweet shrimp sushi Cucumber Salad Shrimp Tempura

We are visiting San Antonio for the second time and were looking for a good sushi restaurant. Niki’s was recommended and it worked out well as expected. The place is small, cozy, but not a fancy one. The foods are excellent and authentic. The service is also good as the family business venture. We had some rolls (maki and uramaki), Tokyo Inn Dinner and Family Dinner as main courses. The place is usually packed around dinner time, 6:30pm or so. Highly recommended.

I have eaten at Niki's for 20 years and counting and can say it is very consistent. To the reveiwer who states the fish at other sushi places is probably made form frozen fish, I must say that nearly all inland sushi places use previously frozen fish. This is actually much fresher tasting than trying to keep the fish in a perfect state with all the miles it has to travel. That being said, I never order salmon unless a sushi restaurant specifically states it is wild as farm raised salmon is about the most nasty tasting thing I have ever put in my mouth and if others cannot detect the difference, they need to eat fresh ,wild salmon and if they can't tell a difference, then something is wrong with their taste buds! Back to Niki's , always consistent in service(slow) , to cuisine(generally quite good). I can live with the service. But my top suggestions would be to : 1) list the type of frying oil they use as many items that are not in the sushi category are fried and I for one, detest trans fat(partially hydrogenated oil) in my food and when I asked the waiter(son of the owner) dismissed me out of hand (as if my question was the most annoying question he ever had posed to him). If using transfat oils, pleae switch to a healthier choice. My favorite is rice bran oil(high smoke point, clean, odorless and creates wonderful textures when frying , and can also be used for vinigrettes,etc) 2) Update the wine list to include boutique white wines from France and Italy that are unoaked and delicous with their style of foods. (Now they have the ubiquitous plum wines and some other junky wines from the large distributors.) Maybe also consider having a couple higher quality sake items that can be served cold (in addition to the hot lower quality sake they have now-which does still serve a purpose) 3) Include (when in season) fish that are flown in fresh and make a point of telling or listing the clientele so they have a choice to order higher quality fish and be even happier at the end of the meal.

The three star rating is misleading because some aspects of this restaurant are 5 star, but a few inadequacies make it a 3 star in my opinion. I have been to Tokyo 6 times and spent over 2 months there, I love Japanese food and heard that Niki's was the most authentic in town. The Good: The sushi is probably the highest quality in town. I haven't been everywhere but the fish is very fresh and prepared well. I thought every piece of sushi (with one exception) was delicious. Authentic atmosphere. The Bad: Where's the Salmon? They only have smoked salmon... The first sushi place I have ever been to that did not have salmon. The portions are HUGE. That is not a problem except that sushi should be served bite size. They serve one HUGE piece of fish instead of cutting it into two manageable pieces, I did not understand this at all. I had to bite into the sushi leaving half of it, which is ridiculous in my opinion. It should all fit in the mouth. I was adventurous and tried the uni, don't. It is an acquired taste even if you have the highest quality urchin. This was not. The texture and taste was not at all consistent with the quality I have had in Tokyo (Tsukiji more specifically) Overall very good for San Antonio. Don't get me wrong way better than sushi zushi, but not as authentic as many claim it to be. Would I recommend? Not to anyone who has been to Japan, but to a south Texan, sure.

I've been a regular at Niki's for a little over a year now, as my husband and I visit every week or so. The service speed is inversely proportional to the number of people there, but this is to be expected in a small family operation. The food is excellent and the head waiter, Pat is hilarious, and if you are not a complete jerk or cretin, will treat you well. If you are rude to him or behave badly, he will have no compunction about letting you know. I don't see this as a flaw as some former guess apparently do. *shrugs* So! The food! The Chuwan and ramen are both excellent, rich and flavorful, highly recommended. While you might not immediately think of curry, the curry is also excellent--just bear in mind that it is not Indian curry and enjoy! I'm also a big fan of the yakisoba. My husband generally makes a point to come in on Tuesday or Wednesday, as they fish in the Gulf over the weekend and Monday, so there are often things off the menu available then! He goes with the chef's recommendation generally. If you go relatively frequently and are pleasant, don't be surprised if Pat starts adding little things to try or appetizers ^_^ Highly recommended! The first place we take visitors to San Antonio . . . except maybe Taco Taco, if it's the morning.

Oldest and only authentic Japanese restaurant in town.

I love going to this restaurant. The food is always excellent and authentic. I had the best Japanese food ever last week to celebrate my husband’s birthday. Everyone is friendly and attentive. Thank you for the warm hospitality. We will see you soon!

Ok so my wife and I love Japanese food. This place was an absolute shock. We walked to the building which looked abandoned but it's like those spy movies, where you walk inside and didn't expect to see the beautiful sushi bar with exotic Japanese cuisine. All of the restaurants that we visit are more hibachi types with a sushi bar. This place actually has different areas in which you traditionally take off your shoes and sit on the beautifully decorated Japanese dinner area very authentic. There is even a small corner for a romantic meal for reservation. The food was very well priced not expensive. So if you're looking to do something different, mysterious, and authentic try this out of the way restaurant you will be surprised. Have fun and enjoy.

The food was much better when the mother was alive.The place in general is filthy.The family servers in general were rude and nasty.There are much better and cleaner Japanese restaurants to go to.Too make matters worse, they made me take my shoes off. At the end of the dinner ,my new shoes were switched for a similar pair.The owner said it was not their problem.I got home and washed all my cloths immediately!

Japanese food, home cooking and sushi done right by people that know what Japanese food should taste like. I have been eating here since 1998. I was headed for 6 weeks in Japan on a study exchange program and figured I had better try some authentic food before I went. I loved the food here and in Japan and have eaten here as often as possible ever since. The exterior is very plain but clean inside and reminds me of the best places I ate in Japan with locals who knew the places. If you did not know what wonderful food awaits you inside you may pass on by. It is not fancy or over priced just high quality, fresh and well prepared. The staff are mostly family and unique characters you will come to love. They have western seating, sushi bar, Japanese seating and tatami rooms for groups of 6 or more. Japanese businessmen working in San Antonio regularly hold court here on some nights in one of the tatami rooms. You will hear Japanese spoken here and enjoy the food, service and ambiance a family with decades of experience can deliver. Years ago I tried some other sushi bars and Japanese restaurants in the area and always compared them to Niki’s. I have not wanted to go anywhere else in 15 years or more and always look forward to my next opportunity to dine here. Reservations are a good idea especially on Friday and Saturday and necessary on special occasions. I always eat here on New Years Eve and they offer traditional meals for this occasion. They have a nice menu and make many things not on the menu if you know to ask. Come hungry

I was first introduced to Niki’s Tokyo Inn by one of my high school friends in my junior year in 1973, and I’ve been going back ever since. I took my Japanese mother there, and, when they visited from Hawaii, my Japanese grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa had a fantastic time conversing in Japanese with Niki and the staff. These days, my mother, sister, brother, and their families all go to Niki’s when I return to San Antonio. We all get the Family Dinner, which has shrimp and vegetable tempura, tempura fish filet with soy sauce and fresh slivered ginger, fried rice, yakitori, suimono or egg drop soup, fried wonton, and sunomono. Our dishes are always piping hot and delicious, in fact, in my opinion, Niki’s has the best fried rice I’ve had anywhere. Pat, the owner/head waiter, knows us, and has been very kind to my mother, who is now wheelchair-bound and severely visually impaired. Pat invariably brings my mother special Japanese tidbits, such as daiko from his garden, char-grilled jalapeños with bonito flakes, and, most recently, kale with bonito flakes. Pat is hilarious, always has the best Aggie jokes, and makes a point to stop by our table to greet us and bring us special treats. We feel like we are treated like family, as many of the wait staff know us by name when we make reservations. They all go out if their way to make sure that my mother is able to be wheeled in and is comfortable. As long as there is Niki’s, we’ll keep going back!

This restaurant is the best! How many restaurants can you go to in San Antonio where the chef actually caught the fish, Drum, you are eating for dinner! Yes, I said CAUGHT, not BOUGHT! Sashimi is the best, Tempura had such sweet shrimp and the highlight was my Pumpkin Miso soup! This is the only restaurant to eat real, delicious Authentic Japanese food!

This place has great customer service and extremely good nigiri sushi. If you're looking for a bunch of variety when it comes to fancy rolls, this place might disappoint. But if you just looking for traditional, well made Nigiri I can't recommend it enough. The flavors were pretty fantastic. I can speak specifically to the Tuna (Maguro) being worth your time.

This is my favorite restaurant bar none in the entire city. Pat and Yuko and the rest are famous sushi snobs and terrible gossips. It's always fun to go in there and hear about who has been seen doing what in their sushi bar. I always order "Chef's Surprise" which is often something like redfish or sheepshead, something they caught that morning on the Niki's boat in Port A. My routine is miso and katsudon, or if I'm getting sushi, then I get hamachi, tako, uni, eel, toro and chef's surprise. Word of warning: do not park closest to the laundromat. And don't leave your car overnight in front of their dumpster, or you will never hear the end of it from Pat going in there. Also, beware of going in there shortly after your name appears prominently in the Express in some unsavory light, because Pat will have a blast talking it up for weeks if you do.

The food is real and so is a so called Head Waiter named "Pat". We have years of doing business with this place then a final occurrence. Upon entering this place the last time we were informed that we were "Bad Tippers" and not even to talk or sit down but to immediately leave. It was a flat lie. They loved our money to this point. So unless you tip an intuitive 30% or more then you will be thrown our in front of all persons. The service is very slow and multi-persons wait on you to add to the confusion. If this is what you want then they are for you. But it would be a better just to give your money to the bums that hang out next door waiting to break into your car then go inside and listen to a commoner named "pat" and his narrrow minded staff.