Yakitori Taisho Reviews

We were here several years ago and thought it would be time again to visit. We ordered Tsukune, Kawa, Teba, and Kimo. To this Kirin Draft. Kawa was almost raw and not crispy as it should be. Teba not grilled much and most of the sticks were not very warm. The taste was good and the ambiance not top rated in our book.

A constant haunt for the yummy skewers and loud atmosphere.

The best yakitori ever....

I don't think Yakitori Taisho is one of the best yakitori places in the city, but it is decent with reasonable prices. The yakitori sets are only okay (comparatively to other places), but the specials can be good. Chicken teriyaki is mediocre, the okonomiyaki is full of dough, and the eel/tofu dish is too watery.

had yakitory here and liked all the dishes. problem is that we ordered too much but waiter didn't say anything...

Cannot believe this place won Best Yakitori in NYC. If the certificate out front is legitimate, then the fall from grace has been precipitous. The setting is rough-edged in a charmingly student kind of way. But the decor is the only good things about the place. The staff are surly and sloppy. The manageress turned into a real dragon when I queried (rightly, as it turned out) the bill. The food is mediocre at best. The chicken on my skewers was so bland and flabby that I couldn't bring myself to finish it. Sauces were also underpowered and misused. Maybe it was an off night but I went away feeling cheated and hungry!

Quick and dirty japanese. Rating for the price and cramped but fun atmosphere. Food quality is 2 stars

We stopped in for a snack and it was good as always. The world over, I love food on a stick and Yakitori Taisho has lots to choose from. The gizzards were my favorite. My husband loved his grilled mackerel and enjoyed the eel sushi rolls. We just needed a little something to tide us over and this was perfect.

Cheap student dining - expect crowds, cheap booze and Japanese fast food

i came here for a night of laughter and ended up with one of the best japanese food experience.. I had a honey mustard chicken which was amazing!!!. the waiter was really nice but kind of a douche when it came to ask for our ids .

love everything about this place

great food, great value but be prepared to wait in line...

Great food. Chicken skin is the best. Place is small and often very crowded.

Every time I visit New York I always go to taisho its my favourite casual restaurant and although it's a little cramp and squeeze the food is divine. Being from Tokyo I have high standards for my Japanese food and this is very very good yakitori. I love the frozen calpis its the most refreshing drink on a hot summer afternoon. Very good and highly recommended for friends and groups

The food was pretty yummy, the restaurant is pretty packed during dinner time. We had good time and came back for several occasions.

You're quickly sat and asked your order. The dishes range from 4-10$ and they are very shareable. Everything is delicious !!! Completely recommend it.

you know... this place is sometimes good and sometimes horrible. I had had their bacon with scollop in a skewer and its barely cooked. that one time experience was aweful. other times were pretty good.

I've been coming to this tiny restaurant since the opening.......It's quite unique for NYC. They were the very first to make East Village feel of downtown Japan. I really enjoyed the music, restaurant, and mostly the interesting people who attend and eat at this restaurant. The price isn't bad and it's delicious. I come here all the time...with/ot my boyfriend Glenn. Fun and food that is delicious. love it. check it out. worth it. Hannah Han

Not impressed very average Japanese food. In need of a clean up - a bit grotty. Overall a very average experience. Would I go back - no

Great Japanese BBQ. Food is really delicious and yummy!!

Yum. Favorite late night Japanese grill.

I've been dying to find this place after years of searching! The most authentic tako that I have had since being in Kyoto! This food was excellent and the service great. I didn't enjoy my tonkatsu as much, but the tako was amazing! My wife liked her spicy ramen. They added a tip to the final check for take out, just be aware! Otherwise, we plan to return! My wife was one of only a handful of white people in the place, a sure sign of quality when everyone else is Japanese reading konji on their phones!

Oh! Taisho is your grungy neighborhood izakaya food joint. There is a Yakitori Taisho just a few stores down, but this place serves up some serious Japanese pub food, also comfort food for Husband and me. :) The first time we were here was a few years ago when my brother-in-law and his friends introduced this place to us. That time, we had a group of 5, and we ate mostly yakitori items. Their grilled meats are the star of the show, but their mushrooms and seafood are also done well here too. The second time, Husband and I went light as we knew we'd be eating more later on. We went with the Okonomiyaki (Japanese style pancake with pork, squid, vegetables in a battered mixture with Kewpie mayonnaise and brown sauce, $6.95), Unatama Don (broiled eel and fried egg served over a bed of rice and seaweed strips, $8,95), and the Takoyaki (fried squid balls in a soft egg batter with mayo, brown sauce and bonito fish flakes, $4.95). Favorites being the Unatama Don and the Takoyaki. The Okonomiyaki had great flavor, but the thickness of the batter was a little much to our liking. We still prefer the Osaka version to this one. Service was attentive, and luckily, we arrived early enough to sit in front of the grill station. Unfortunately, it was HOT outside, and we had been out and about the whole day, so we were melting by the time we had finished our meal. Still, we left very satisfied. :) If you are looking for simple izakaya with noodles and rice dishes, Oh! Taisho delivers. I think it's one of the few places that is better when you come with a group of friends than just another person. In any case, this place is great for a small snack, or if you'd like, a full on meal. Try it out! :)

lots of choices, easy photo menu, price is average, good for party, but not for romantic, too noisy sometime.

-- The food and drinks were very basic, and by no means cheap for their quality. -- If you order a "grapefruit cocktail", you will be given ingredients to make it yourself at the table (incl. a grapefruit) -- A server suddenly got that "deer in headlights" look when asked to explain a dish and a drink on the menu. -- The servers were much more comfortable talking to the other staff than to the customers.

Before i shower this restaurant with praise let me start out by saying the following, If you are looking for fine dining, romance, white table cloths or a quiet meal this place is not for you. That being said in the weeks since i have ate here i have been talking about this place allot. From the moment you walk in the door you almost feel like you are no longer in nyc and have traveled to tokyo. The place is in a basement and the quaters are tight and cramped but its a good thing as it only adds to the ambiance. When i went it was with 4 other guys around 1am and the place was packed. We got a party platter for like 50 bucks and along with some kimchee and edamame we had more food than we could. Yakatoir sounds like a simple concept (meat on a stick) but what ever they are brushing on their meat here is pure heaven. This is also one of the cheapest meals i have ever had in the city as there was 5 of us and we got SEVERAL bottles of saki and somehow the combined bill was still less than $150 bucks. I cant wai to go back to the city so i can try this place again.

would've given it 5 stars except it's usually uncomfortably packed and you leave smelling like yakitori. the food's so good though.

I overheard the most ridiculously perverted conversation of my life here...and they have bacon wrapped skewers and cheese potatoes...MMMM. But yes, dont expect anyone to actually make sure you're doing alright or anything here, the service is bad but the food is REALLY cheap and good. I miss it most out of my last new york trip.

Seriously, stay away from this place. I eat out a lot and I wanted something different. I sat at the bar which I often like to do but instead of picking up good cooking techniques I got a view of a filthy kitchen! I barely ate but my friend wanted to stay. It was his misfortune as he got violently ill! And when we left we saw a mouse! Seriously, don't go here, there are plenty of other similar places with much better fare like Momofuko.

Many many choices, great Jap food,

pretty girls and great food...what more can you aks for?!

This place has given me an addiction every time i visit NY. I feel like eating here is a must. The meat is tasty and perfectly cooked, ask them make it extra crispy on chicken skin and don't forget to order grill rice (onigiri) yummmm. Get combo A, B or C instead of ordering a la carte. Their ramen is pretty good as well but they're best in grill stuff. Price wise is still affordable aka cheap.

I LOVE this Yakitori place but it's not healthy to eat so many burned skewers all the time. They have 2 places on the same block. The first one was dirty and the 2nd one is cleaner.

Don't tell anyone to go here. You won't like this place. It's not really one of my top 5's

It's cheap and real Japanese foods and great variety.

another one of my NY favorite joints, beer, chicken skin, beef tongue yakitori, noises, crowds, smokes.....

good place for BBQ lover like me. skewers are about USD 6-10 per plate (2 in a plate). no need to over order, just the skewers are good enough. never treat Yakitori as real restaurant to fill you up. it doesn't meant to be. Yakitori is place for after work relaxing, happy hour. eat while wash down the grease with sake, beer & complaint about your boss and office politics. if you don't drink, do bbq in your backyard instead.

Had family dinner here in the East Village. Located on St Marks St. this restaurant is among two dozen on this block. The street was busy even on a Tuesday evening. It offers a few udon and ramen soups. Has yakitori or bbq dishes and rice dishes. We ordered deep fried octopus, yakitori pork belly, salmon cream yakisoba, saikoro steak(cubed steak ), Taisho beef steak don, and katsu don(pork cutlet). All the dishes were very flavorful. However, the deep fried octopus was too chewy for my taste. When I’m back in town I would like to try some other dishes offered here.

4 1/2 stars. We had Kimchi, grilled mackerel, grilled salmon rice ball surprising VG, shrimp and chicken hot and sour soup, hot to spicy or sour. Meat skewers sampler VG. All the food was very good, tasty, well presented, friendly and helpful staff.

The place is really small, but we were able to get a small table that seat 8 folks. The sushi and yakitori was simple and yet flavorful. Plenty selections of beer and sake. We ordered quid, Quail Eggs, Crispy Chicken Skins, Beef Balls and Beef Tongues, liver, Octopus(Crispy), Sushi, Crispy Chicken Skin, Scallops wrapped w/bacon and asparagus.

I went twice to this place near my hotel in November. I give this restaurant 5 stars despite not all of the dishes being superb. The octopus, squid and egg skewers were excellent as were a couple of the plates I ordered. The okonomiyaki was not the best I have had in NY nor elsewhere. That being said, this place exceeds all expectations. We went at about 1.30am the first time and got a table within a few minutes. The pitchers of beer and the saki are incredibly well priced. The service and the atmosphere have only been matched in my own experience in southern Japan for such liveliness. Other NYC yakitori places may be a bit more refined but this spot is the most fun.

This is a good place for a quick bite if you wandering around in St. Marks and are looking for Japanese food at a reasonable value. However, the interior is rough, the service can be slow and you might have to sit on a stool that is not too comfortable. This is just an average place and although the food is authentic, I don't think that it is really all that great.

This used to be one of my fav spots about a decade ago. Hip, and most importantly quality/authentic izakaya food. I went recently, and the food is sub-par at best and near inedible. The chefs are no longer Japanese, and they barely are using Japanese ingredients (or missing key ones). I'm not sure if it's covid, or change in ownership, or something happened but I cannot go here any longer.

This place is a little too expensive for my college student budget, and on a street full of amazing food, particularly asian food, it just isn't competitive. The food is good (eel, yum) but the portions are small, so we ate there once and never went back. I'd rather take my money to any of the other places on this block and have it go a little farther.

I've been lucky enough to eat at a bunch of Yakitori places in Japan during business trips. it's social, engaging and just a plain old delicious way to cook and eat. Ever since I look for places around the U.S. to replicate that atmosphere and flavor and this is it. For me, the ONLY one (out of many) that has ever come close to the authentic Japanese experience. If I am in NY, for whatever reason, I am here at least once. To folks that have not had such an experience it is unlike anything you have had before and is totally worth it, but be prepared to get hooked on it if you go. You should also be prepared to wait a bit to a long time for a table, and be prepared for some tight seating arrangements. This is a popular place and as such often has a line. The management does an outstanding job with the crowds in all respects. As for the food, there's no way I can adequately describe it. Yakitori I believe litteraly translates to grilled chicken and is classically grilled in a habachi 'open flame' style I would recommend getting one of the "sets" of Yakitori that includes a variety of items. The quail eggs (uzura) are a particular favorite of mine as well as the, well, any of the chicken offerings. My wife is partial to the skate (ei hire) which is also grilled and served with Japanese mayo. In the drink category, they have anything you could want and more to accompany such a meal. if feeling adventurous and want something very refreshing, go for one of the Chu-hi which involved grinding fresh citrus juice into a Japanese vodka style alcohol. If there is anywhere in NY I urge people to dispense with the ordinary and order things you cannot pronounce and drink things you don't normally drink, THIS is the place for it.

Love going here. Food, price, atmosphere.. good good good. Sake bombs! They have beer pitchers now!! woohoo.

I've been here a couple of times, and the food is always good. We had bbq beef, chicken and chicken liver, eel pancake, edamame, with rice and miso. Very tasty! Now let's talk atmosphere. Diverse crowd, Not too noisy considering how crowded it was. But it's committed to its hole-in-the-wall vibe. Very small tables crammed into a very small room. Waiters squeezing through and reaching over, and not enough room on the table. And uncomfortable seats - stools with no backs. We sat in the back room both times I was here. Maybe front or outside areas are more comfortable. Not too expensive either–about $25 pp with a drink a piece.

Best decision to come here for late night skewers. We ordered almost every skewer on the menu, absolutely enjoyed them all. The prices were really good. The atmosphere was as expected, loved the settings.

The food was absolutely amazing. The salmon and avocado were my favorite, and every skewer was very good as well. Try the meatball one, that was a favorite at the table. There was a bit of a wait, but not more than 30 minutes, and it was pretty crowded. However, it was a great deal for all the food and drinks we got.

it's so old school Japanese! love this place - the smell of the grill..... very authentic.

I've tried lots of ramens.... But this one was not great... It's was almost like spicy super spice water no egg. The place is super crowded always so I thought it would be amazing. Turn down... Didn't love it Love spicy things but this one just was t one of them.... All those orange spots in the photo it's the spicy oil and was so strong I could only eat 1/3 of it and my throat was on fire

This used to be my hang out place when I was an illegal-aged alien. Have good memories. There the food, I thought used to taste better. It used to be dirtier, I think. I liked it back then, when there were junkies still outside asking for a quarter. Haven't been there in a while and will probably not for a long time.

I’ve been searching for good yakatori since a trip to Japan over a year ago. No luck in Chicago so when we landed in nyc I did a google search and tried this place. This was what I was hoping for! Tastes just like Japan! If I lived in nyc I’d be a regular here! Highly recommend for yummy grilled and salted meats!

YuMMi Japanese Delights~

spotty service

Good food for the value. Long lines and tight space makes it hard to go with a lot of people though.

Poor student food. Good in it's own right.

If you ended up in New York instead of Tokyo, no problem, go to Yakitori Taisho and you'll taste a good Izakaya (beer and small food until late in the night). Well, service could be a bit better but the grilled squid (ika) and gyoza (grilled raviolis) were very good. I recommend it, it worth to wait 20 min outside before getting a seat. Don't forget to pick up your sugar cup when leaving the restaurant to make your own candy floss.

Staff are friendlier compared to those at Oh Taisho 3 doors away. Intimate atmosphere and nice food.

The one thing I love about oh taisho is that you can enjoy yourself and friends, and grab a snack and drink without having to be full. the menu is really a la carte style. there are rice and ramen dishes but the mainstay of oh taisho are the skewers and the hand foods - including french fries (that come with ana amazing mayo & roe sauce), grilled corn, and japanese delights like takoyaki (which I don't think you should eat with your hands). the skewers come out all at once, so it's fun to get a little bit of everything as a sample type deal. The beers are huge and they have a huge selection of japanese alcohol. its a small place and usually a table of three is seated at a table of two, and its usually crowded so expect to wait on a busy night. but if you do go, know you'll have a good time and enjoy the good food.

Best value for Japanese BBQ combo! Big pitcher beer Best for hot summer! One BBQ combo for two customers are too much to handle!..

on and off food....

Amazing food!!! Love that the food is in skewers and grilled! Each skewer can range from 1.50 to 3.50. Lots of variety of skewers (chicken, meatballs, chicken skin, pork belly, quail eggs, etc). There are sets of skewers you can order or you can order a la carte. My favourite skewers are the chicken skin and meatballs. They also have other items on the menu (ramen, salads, udon, etc). We enjoyed the stirfried udon with kimchi. The service is very quick. The restaurant is very busy. There is a line up usually but it goes quickly. The tables and seating is very small and you can be very close to other tables. They are nice to move you to a larger table if there is one. For three people including tip was about $50. We had no alcohol. We were comfortably full but not overfull.

We are overwhelming with food there, so many things to choose from and turn out that everything we ordered are just delicious. Grilled squid is our favorite, grilled tuna, ramens, yakitori are all great!! Love it!!

Every time I come to New York, this is my ritual to come to Yakitori - even if I'm staying mid-town, I come down here to eat it's so good. The place is usually packed so you need a little patience before you get a seat. Better to go in small group - 2 is perfect. The place is so small and it's much better to be in the front of the restaurant. The back is locked in walls and close to the bathroom so not so charming... So ask to be seated at the counter and you can see the cook doing their great job.

There's a long line to get in, but the waiting time usually not that long. We ordered a different kinds of yakitori and the taste is close enough to the actual yakitori in Japan. The service is quick, the place is small so be prepared to rub elbows with others. Don't forget to check out the dessert place next door.

Good yakitori, but very cramped seating.

One of my favorite restaurants in the whole city. I love it. Pretty authentic Japanese food, typcial overwhelming izakaya menu with photos... I just adore this place. The food is pretty solid and always good.

I was looking for a good japanese place on St. Mark's and to try something different. By far the most crowded place was this one. I tried it. Sat at the bar and watched the cooks prepare the food. Good and bad. Interesting but you dont' really want to see the cook handling everything with their bare hands, or sweating over the steamer. Ordered an $8.50 beef plate and a chicken with plum sauce skewer, and a bowl of miso. Miso was good. Beef good but tasted like they might have also deep fried it a little. I wondered about my stomach and having to walk all over after. Very greasy but good. chicken was tasty but on the end and inside the cutlet it had a substance that I can only describe as what the goop in a lobster looks liek - the green stuff you don't want to eat. It was not a sauce and I could not place it. the chicken tasted fine and this place must be fine with all the traffic, but it made me put the skewer down. wait staff take your order, that's it, no fawning, but they are running around like crazy. Meh. so so. I would opt to try out something else next time.

several yakitori places in east village this one is great. good selection of yakitoriya food, good beer, good times

Crazy decorations and long line to wait, but I still wanna try why so many people here! The staff was so friendly and fast service. Even though food made so simple but still good enough to enjoy in every day. The great things were about beer and sake, they had so many kinds of them!!!

This place was solid all around. Good grilled meats and excellent grilled noodles with kimchi. It reminded me of the many days after work I would sit around in Osaka ordering skewer after skewer of grilled meat. Good memories and this place conjured them. It could easily be under a rail line in some back alley in Osaka or Kobe.

Come early to taste one of the best Japanese food in east village.

My wife and i come here all the time, even before we were husband and wife. It's like tapas asian/japanese style. You get alot for what you pay. Drinks are cheap for nyc too. If you get the large soda, you will need both hands to pick it up to drink!

Most people need a comparison for things they haven't experienced hence my title. I don't love it either but it works. Traditional Japanese restaurant with a great selection of Japanese spirits to go along with a LARGE selection of mini bites. From grilled squid to grilled chicken livers to chicken skewers with fish roe. You could make a dozen trips to this place and still have a large portion of the menu you haven't had a chance to try. Try the Kimchi (has a kick to it so just a heads up). Lastly bacon-wrapped quails eggs.....enough said. Pretty unique crowd coming through here so while you're out exploring one of NY's coolest blocks, definitely stop by for some good eats, good drinks and great times. Tips: Show up with your entire party together as this place runs efficiently. Secondly, they DO NOT do sake bombs/bombing or whatever you call it so don't be "that guy/girl." Order a bunch of things for the table to be shared. Thats the best way to experience a large portion of the menu in one sitting. Round out your experience with a traditional sake and/or beer. Honestly Chicken livers may not sound very appetizing to some but do yourselves a favor and give it a shot. See pics below!

We visited for a small dish. Opted for a set menu. The staff was nice and quick. The food is quite cheap - I would say good value. The tastes are what you would expect, great. I recommend to get lot of chicken and meat balls, just ignore the set menu. One thing to be cautious about is doneness of the meat. I had a one thick piece of chicken slightly undone, but who cares, 95% of the screwer was ok. They added some small tip to the bill automatically. I don't care, it was cheap anyways. But I can image this will piss off some people, so I don't understand why some restaurants do it.

Absolutely love the concept! Small Yakitori skewers for funny prices. The food came quickly and was really tasty - highly recommended and I'm sure will go back again!

Great place to impress friends that are visiting. Its a fun experience with all types of people eating great food. The prices are very reasonable and the Yakitori options were easy to share family-style. I've never been to Japan but I feel like this is what I would expect if I visited a Yakitori bar there. Friendly service and the cooks were entertaining to watch behind the bar.

Japanese BY Japanese :D A great alternative to your usual "Japanese = sushi" Place is just a bit cramped... yet it gives you a feel of authenticity ;)

Poor excuse for a Japanese restaurant.

not Great not Bad. nothing to rec. other than yakitori. salty soups, uncooked takoyaki,..=(

This place offered a great happy hour and only a few steps away from our hotel at St. Mark's Hotel. Must try the noodles!

Felt like I'd been magically transported to Tokyo. Stick to yakitori and beer and you'll have a good time.

The ultimate izakaya for the area. It gets really busy that they opened a second restaurant a few doors down. Always good food for the price and good atmosphere for drinking.

We went there about 7pm on Sunday, as I read review on this restaurant, we expected a long line-up. But there was only one couple in front of us, and we waited for only 10 minutes. The waiter was not very friendly, but we didn't expect anything for the service, so it was OK. We ordered Yakitori combo, Ramen noodle, Yaki-Udon, and Yaki-Onigiri. I'm actually Japanese myself, and I can say the quality of the food is very good and not the same but close to what you get in Japan. We live in Canada, it's very rare to have this kind of good quality but cheap restaurant in North America. New Yorkers are lucky to have this place!

Cheap Yakitori restaurant in East Village.

Been here couple of times. Yakitori here is decent, but there isn't really anything special about it. However, their ramen is actually very good, almost on par with ones I've had in Japan. It's pretty affordable for Manhattan though, I always visit here when I come to NYC.

Great for dinner, late night snack or for drinks. My friends and I love coming here, but if you're here with a large group or during peak dining hours be prepared to wait. Things to try: Chicken skin, chicken gizzard, pork skewer, CHIKAWA CHEESE! Ask for a side of the mayo too, its delicious.

spotty service

I thoroughly enjoyed going to this restaurant. It's very authentic and eating there gives you the feeling as if you are in Japan. The food is very representative of the country and the atmosphere is one-of-a-kind. I went there for the experience and to try authentic Japanese cuisine and I was not disappointed. If that is exactly what you are looking for, then I highly recommend this place.

Tasty izakaya fare. The ika geso are especially delicious - I think I saw nori flecks in there.

Cheap Japanese food - packed with uni students

I love this place. I try to get here each time I visit NYC. I have found no where else in the United States that comes close to providing such an authentic Japanese Pub/Itzakaya feel.

They have the best ramen! I love their broth ..... their pickled cucumber are yummy as well! I've taken over 20 family members and friends , they all went back with their friends as well, the only peoblem is the 30 + mins in the line, but is worth it

My fav Japanese joint in all of NYC. Take in the ambiance and pretend you're in a tiny Tokyo back alley. Everything on the menu is solid but the best thing is obviously the namesake, grilled chicken parts--gizzards, livers, ground meat, breasts, skin. Get that with a grilled rice ball, wash it down with a giant ice cold beer. What could be better? Get there early or be prepared to wait.

Ma cantine preferee pour manger Japonais a New York Pas de diner romantique en tete a tete mais un endroit super pour aller manger entre amis sans se prendre la tete. -- Don't go there looking for a fine romantic diner, this is Japanese cuisine Isakaya style ! That's my favourite place to have a diner with friends without the headaches

This place offers great Japanese street food, consistently. Everything is rich and flavorful, and the drinks selection is decent. Lines can be long, as it's on St. Marks, but worth it.

This place is a tiny busy Japanese restaurant. They seems to always be a line to get in. However, I was there by myself....so it was a short wait before I've got a seat at the bar.I have a few dishes including Okonomiyaki, Chicken skewer, and grilled asparagus. Everything was delicious but the size of Okonomiyaki is way too large for myself. I recommend sharing that dish ! Will definitely go back if I have time to visit New York but will certainly not go alone again.

Oh Taisho is one of my favorite restaurants in New York. Authentic Japanese Yakitori Grill, great beer and sake menu, energetic atmosphere, and an always updating menu. It is underneath a brownstone building and seating is limited which often means long waits on the weekends but it is definitely worth it. The Yakitori platters (essentially grilled skewers of food) are great for groups to share. The menu is impressive, expansive, and well executed. The only downside is that they do change the menu regularly and sometimes you lose a favorite item or two (theGyu Tataki needs to come back if anyone is listening...), For a real treat try the "Cheese Potato" or the "Korabuto Sausage", a great twist on some American comfort foods. The menu is quite large and there is food for everyone's tastes. The limited space does mean it can get quite loud and busy. There is bar seating for those eating alone as well as tables in front and back. Everyone sits on stools. Service is efficient but non-traditional as multiple servers will essentially take orders and deliver food to your table. When things are busy there is sometimes a back up but usually everything runs smoothly. If you ever went authentic Japanese food that isn't Sushi you should try Oh Taisho. There is a reason the majority of patrons are Japanese, it is that good.

i have totally forgotten about this place. i used to go here when i had no money and it was my big night out. it's phenomenal for all grilled japanese stuff. totally like tokyo.

Real Japanese restaurant. Very tiny and small, you can sit either on small tables or at the counter literally in front of the kitchen. Price and meals are reasonable and vary, quality is good. Place is quite smelly and noisy as this kind of places are, so don't go there for a relaxed and long dinner.

Great place for yakitori and other informal Japanese fare. Very authentic in preparation and presentation. Space is a little tight and atmosphere is absolutely casual. Not first date of business meal locale. Bathroom is dire need of remodeling....clean but way overdue for new fixtures, caulking, etc.

This izakaya is one of several similar places on St Marks and it does seem to be very popular. There is often a line outside but it tends to move ratjer quickly. The place is bigger than it looks frommthe outside as there are seats and tables in the back as well. The tables in the back may not be as charming but on the other hand it is further from the grill so one does not get the same barbeque smell (or at least not as much). Some of the food was pretty good (regular yakitori, the chicken meatballs and the chicken in mayo) but some were pretty awful (chicken skin is usually great but here it was to thick and drenched in fat, same was true for some fried pork that seemed drenched in fat and oil). Prices are pretty decent so not that bad but it seems best to stick to safe and easy things here as the kitchen does not appear to be overly skilled. They do offer the standard Japanese beer on tap and a few bottled ones as well. The sake and shochu selection is also fairly good. All in all I would say that the pace is fine for a night out where the focus is cheap food and beer but if one wants a good food experience there are other better places to go.

Small, noisy and crowded. Chefs work the tiny kitchen with a deft touch, and present you with Japanese dishes that are pieces of art both visually and gastronomically. On par with anything I've had in Japan. The #1 soup with kimchee? Worth going to NYC by itself. And they have a great selection of sake. Take your time choosing or just eat here every day.

this is our favorite hangout place in New York. Located at Saint Mark so it is very happening area, especially at night. Don't forget to order the supa tuna don! Delicious. Might be good to share with 2 person. The chicken skin skewer is the BEST in town. :) Great for group of friends. Come early if you are coming during weekend, so you don't have to wait so long.

All the dishes are very delicious and the price is too affordable. Each dish is prepared on the grill and has special flavors.

Lots of choices, yummy food.

This is a tiny little restaurant but it is worth finding! Basically you order different meat options and they bring it all out together with some vegetables and dipping sauces. The bacon wrapped scallops were great but the meatballs were phenomenal! So much flavor!

I like the atmosphere... It is a crowded restaurant, not so clean, smokey... but I find it comfortable and homey. The food: All good, probably because of MSG .... I like the grilled squid appetizer. Great hang out spot for weekends!

Oh Taisho! might have a long wait sometimes, especially if you go around dinner time on weekends. But the wait is well worth it, since the price and, most importantly, the taste of their yakitori is fantastic. Luckily, this trip my friends and I did not have to wait too long, and soon we were all seated, albeit a bit snuggly at our table. The space was a bit more cramped than you'd probably like, but hey, we came for the food, right? The menu has a ton of items, but the real specialities are the yakitori or skewered food that's grilled. For $1.25 to $1.75 or so per skewer, you can get quite a few skewers and feel plenty full. Chicken wings are good, but if you're too lazy to eat it off the bone, you could always get chicken chunks, which are just large chunks of boneless meat. The best meat option, in my opinion though, is the chicken skin. It oozes with flavor (and fat) when you bite into it. But if you prefer it to not be so oozy, you can always ask them to make it extra crispy. Besides meat pieces, you can also get quail eggs or quail eggs wrapped in bacon or asparagus wrapped in bacon. If you want to skip meat altogether, you could get the shitake mushroom, roasted garlic, scallions, slightly spicy shishito peppers — or all of them. Throw in a few beers and a grilled onigiri rice ball (the one with salmon in it is good; the plum one not so much), and you'll have a perfect meal. There are other food items on the menu, but the yakitori at Oh Taisho! is what keeps me coming back. Service is nothing to write home about, but it's fine. The great thing is that they're open till the wee hours of the morning, so you could come for dinner or an after-evening snack. Or both. St. Mark's is littered with good food spots, and if you're going to try a whole bunch of them, make sure Oh Taisho! is on your list.

Every time I visited NYC, I felt my trip was incomplete without a visit to here. I had questioned myself many times, especially on short trips to NYC, should I be more adventurous and try different places. So I did this time. We visited many new restaurants on this trip. At the end, my conclusion is still, Taisho is my favorite. I still like their yakitori the most, more than any kind of food. I love the combo A. Everything tasted so great. I also like grilled rice ball and the Japanese pancake.

All style and no substance.

dako wasabi

This is just a friendly and informal place to sample a lot of small plates. But it's not so much the food but the friendly atmosphere that you will remember most. The place is crowded and you can wait awhile for a plate but you'll end up having a wonderful conversation with someone as you wait.

This had been one of my favorite restaurants until last night. The main thing I'm complaining about was the service. The person that showed me to my table could not have been more rude. He directed or should I say DEMANDED that my wife and I sit at a table that is in the corner in the back jammed by the table to the right and left of me I was hidden from view and had the least amount of space from all the tables. What was most aggravating was the there were FOUR empty tables when I arrived and he refused to seat me at any of them because he said he needed them for larger parties. Within minutes of being seating at the terrible table, he seated parties of TWO, over and over again to each and every table. Why? Because my crappy table was now occupied so he had no choice them there. Secondly, of the 6 items I order, I had to ask for 3 of them again. My food was served completely out of any logical order. Finally, the owner was there and when I complained about my seating and his attitude, she backed her employee and said that they need to keep the tables open for larger parties and I just had some bad luck. So make sure you're having a "lucky" day if you're going to eat here. Despite it having been one of my favorite restaurants-I won't be going there and I suggest that you go to one of the many other very good Japanese restaurants on this street that are just as good. Albin E Konopka. NYC resident

Would not go back unless my friends insist. Below the average.

We left The Public Theater at 10:230 and needed late night food` That is the best thing I can say. Ramen was definitely not memorable, the Yakatori was pretty average, not particularly hot, and the chicken skin not crispy. The cold sake was not very cold and really not worth the money. I doubt I would return, but as two of us hadn't eaten, it served its purpose

Definitely not a good environment, not even enough leg room, but the yakitori is definitely delicious. The scallion is a great match with any kind of meat they serve there! Yum!! Perhaps my party are all too much of meat lovers, we didn't feel full after three rounds of orders, especially the guys. I would order noodles or some larger-portion food together with the yakitori next time. We didn't need to wait at all, and it was a Saturday around 7pm.

Yakitori Taisho is an amazing experience in meat on skewers. You know it has to be good because Japanese teenagers line up around the corner before it even opens. Definitely get in early or be prepared for a long wait. Though the menu is pretty huge, with lots of pictures, you want to focus on the yakitori and build a meal around it. The sampler menus are a good start as well and get you most of the good items including the pork belly, chicken skin, and meatballs. Add on the squid and/or calamari, and perhaps the fried baby octopus which are excellent. It’s always awesome to see your food cooked in front of you, and the big bar allows for a show with constant flames and an insanely packed grill. The space is incredibly authentic with lots of wood, staff chattering in Japanese, and a communal long bar and tiny tables. Try to avoid the bathrooms if at all possible. The service is lightning fast and food is a quick eat, so the line moves fairly fast. The meatballs were excellent with lots of flavor in a small bite. The chicken gizzards were very chewy and a little strange in texture, but not as scary as they sound. The skin was either great or way too chewy depending on the piece. The regular chicken was awesome with a great marinade and flavorful meat. The pork belly was the best, almost like chunky bacon on a stick. The squid was nearly as good as the pork belly, not at all fishy or salty. You’ll want a Kirin or Sapporo to wash it all down as well. There are tons of soju options, but the beer is limited to just these two.

The food is authentic Japanese home cooking. A little pricey but you get what you pay for. A staple of the neighborhood.

We arrived there around 8.30 at night so it was not really crowded and we got the seat immediately. If you come here around 6pm - 8pm, it is guaranteed that you have to wait in line for minimum 30 minutes. We only ordered 3 dishes to be shared between us which were: 1. Salmon Cream Yakisoba ($9.00) I love e-very-thing about this dish! The yakisoba was cooked perfectly. The cream was creamy (of course, duh..) and just blended very nicely with everything else there. 2. Fried Rock Shrimp The shrimps were crispy and flavorful! Even though they put generous amount of Japanese mayonnaise (the taste is different compared to US mayonnaise, mind you) on top of it, the shrimps were not soggy! 3. Chikuwu cheese This dish is actually fried fishcake with cheese inside. It was not that amazing but you know since they give many Japanese mayonnaise for us then I cannot complain.. I have this soft spot for Japanese mayonnaise sigh.. Blogging about food, travel, shopping and trend worldwide at http://www.thetwotales.com

This will be the last time I will ever go to this place again. I have been here a few times and it's not the food I have a problem with, but the workers. I was touch by one of the busboy. I felt disgusted and my whole evening with my boyfriend was ruined. I am not overreacting. The first time it happened I thought maybe it was an accident and he accidentally bush his hand across the right side of my butt while I went to hang on my jacket. I let it go thinking it was crowded and maybe it was an accident. When I went to leave and turn my back to get my jacket it happen again and it was the same guy. I know this time it wasn't an accident and I confront him and tell him not to touch me. He quickly say sorry and said it was an accident. I told him it was no accident and told him he had done it twice. My bf confront him too. I was so angry when I left the restaurant. The busboy just keep saying it was an accident and he was sorry. If anyone else experience this please speak out. I want to enjoy my dinner and not have to worry about disgusting perverted pigs.

Great lil japanese dishes, my only complaint is the wait- gets super packed at night esp. weekends.

An old favorite.

This is my first time to visit NY city and friend referred us to this restaurant. Surprisingly when they said 25 mins wait, we only wait for 10 due to the traffic flow. Food is ok because it wasn't serve hot and I believe because of the cooking system plus we are sitting at the bar table corner where is facing the entrance. The other thing we dislike about the spot we sat down because it is the spot that they pick up the dishes for every order. So there is always staff traffic on top of your head or they yell out what table or food in Japanese. Honestly the food is ok but I wasn't impressed at all with their beverage. I only ordered a glass of coke but it is 100% filled with ice cubes. It means after 3 sipps, there was only ice and melting water left in your glass. If i know they charge $3 plus tax plus 15% tips on such drink, I would rather get a sake. It is just a fountain soda, how much you make money off from it? We all know alcohol and soda makes easy money and please don't scam with full glass of ice. Eventually I ordered another one but this time I asked for no ice.

great place for grilled meat etc... great sake and sochu

This place has given me an addiction every time i visit NY. I feel like eating here is a must. I love everything from charcoal grill, ask them make it extra crispy and don't forget to order grill rice yummmm. I tried their ramen and it was good. I'm drooling now....the price is reasonable for NY resto.

Nice drinking neighborhood, delicious Japanese "tapas," cheap beer, good times. Will go again next time I'm in the city.

Went to Taisho on the recommendations of a friend last night. There was no wait for a table which was quite pleasant but may have been due to the fact that there was a Health Inspector inspecting. The host advised us that there would be a delay in the preparation of our food due to the inspector. Food actually did come out pretty quick. Device was horrible for the little waiter dude. He kept knocking into people and didn't really apologize either. Food was of soso calibre. Has the tofu special which was made for What it seems instant mapo tofu sauce and was extremely salty. The skewers were very good and the platter was a good deal. Had to wait a while for the salad. B over 30 mins and pretty sure they forgot about it.

Had a late night dinner here. Ordered a whole bunch of skewers and had a great meal. If you go, make sure to get the gizzards and chicken hearts. They were really good! Also the beef tongue was a real treat.

it's fun to eat here and i enjoy the food here a lot.

better than kenka. it is ridiculously small & often a long wait but.. its nyc. i have been coming here since my good old trips to nyc in college. and 24390234 years later i still lava it. the food is cheap, good, fried, and the company is always great. in 1 round i’ll usually order somewhere around 10 dishes. [fried squid, fried octopus, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, unagi-tofu, ramen, tuna salad, pork, fried pumpkin, corn, etc… pretty much everything is solid] i’m never full but that’s why you have beer! not meant to be a meal alone.

Food is great esp ramen and yakitori. Staff are not too friendly but efficient enough.

Great place to stop by when you've been drinking. Lots of good snacks.

I've lived in Japan 6.5 years and this place is lthe real deal. It's crowded, noisy, a little bit salty, but fantastic. Try the tebasaki, and the kaki fry, and the pork in mayonnaise sauce, plus of course, the Sappro on draft. Outside of Osaka or Tokyo it will be hard to find a place like this other than New York, Los Angeles or maybe San Francisco. Did I mention it's cheap?

great place!!! gizzards

Went to the sister restaurant of this place (Oh! Taisho) with my cousin and his wife. Lots of yummy stuff on bamboo skewers plus more. The french fries came with cod roe mayo, YUM! The skate wings were really good too, kinda like dried squid. Went well with beer.

they tried to cheating on our bill, double charges at 1 dinner, cheater!!! i wont go back to this restaurant anymore.

First off: I'm no expert in Japanese food. I'm probably more like most people reading this: just looking for a great Japanese food experience. This was it. You'll probably find reviews on here from people who know the ins-and-outs of perfect, but if you're someone looking for a good NYC-Japanese food outing, this place provides it. The food was affordable while still plentiful and delicious. The house sake had a good kick to it. I will come back for more some day.