Pittsburgh After Work

NAKAMA, conveniently located on the corner of 17th and East Carson in Pittsburgh’s trendy South Side area is one of the hottest hibachi restaurant and sushi bars in the area. Nakama possesses the unique ability to transform from a family hibachi restaurant and trendy sushi bar to a classy and exclusive social scene throughout the course of a night. The joint isn’t that big, so if you wait until the peak hours of the night to enter the place, you are going to end up standing – if you can even get in.

As far as the food at Nakama goes, it is by far the tastiest Japanese restaurant in Pittsburgh. Nakama has a huge hibachi selection ranging from sea scallops to Kobe beef tips and all the dishes have one thing in common… they are all delicious! The sushi presentation fulfills all aesthetic demands from the posh crowds that populate the place during dinner hours. To go along with the impressive dishes at Nakama, is absolutely great service. The bartenders are especially amiable, even though they get so busy at times that you may have to wait ten minutes for a drink.

There is one drawback to the hibachi, that downside being seating. It is always difficult to find a seat at the hibachi tables (especially on a weekend), but one way to help ease this problem is to make a convenient reservation online or call 412.381.6000. The sushi bar is not far behind the hibachi in terms of quality and quantity. Nakama is one of the better restaurants in Pittsburgh at blending their sushi menu with new “Americanized” sushi (such as the Boston roll) with traditional maki classics. One advantage the sushi bar has over the hibachi is that it is first come first serve. This is a huge bonus when having a few casuals at the cocktail lounge and you get a sudden craving for some grub.

As good as the food may be, the bar is what keeps people coming back time and again. Nakama has a great drink selection with all typical top shelf liquors and a surprising tap selection. A few of the pleasant surprises on tap were Sierra Nevada, Hoegaarden, and the Sam Adam’s seasonal beer to go along with typical domestic light beers. Additionally, Nakama has a true happy hour Monday-Friday from 5-7 and on Wednesdays they go beyond the call of duty and have a “Bacardi” happy hour from 5-8. During happy hour there are drink specials and half off all appetizers. Even though happy hour is fun, night time is when the party truly starts. Every night of the week there is a crowd there with Friday and Saturday obviously being the busiest nights. There is a good mix of people age wise and NAKAMA doesn’t really tend to attract to much trouble and they have a good music selection going most of the time. There is one downfall to the bar and that is its impossible to get a seat. . .if you go at night plan to stand and you may have to use your elbows to get up to the bar. The staff is pretty cool, and they do a good job trying to get everyone drinks pretty quick.

Overall Nakama is a great place, definitely earning the title as one of PittsburghAfterWork.com’s favorite bar/restaurant combos. It is definitely a good spot if you just want to grab a quick drink at the bar or a good dinner date place for their hibachi and Sushi. The crowd is classy, the atmosphere is electric and the food will not disappoint. We highly recommend that you try out this rising hot spot if you are looking for a good time with good people.