Kauboi Izakaya
Nestled in the vibrant heart of Reno, Kauboi Izakaya offers an unforgettable Japanese dining experience. Located at 1286 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89502, this charming izakaya provides both locals and visitors with a delightful menu filled with creative flavors, drinks, and a welcoming ambiance. Whether you're here for a casual dinner or a night out with friends, Kauboi Izakaya has something to offer for everyone.
Unique Menu Offerings
Kauboi Izakaya's menu is a culinary adventure that features a variety of traditional Japanese dishes with a modern twist. Guests can enjoy an extensive selection of appetizers, grilled meats, and fresh seafood. For those seeking something special, the restaurant excels in skewers, with standout options like juicy chicken thighs, duck fried rice, and shrimp dumplings. The grilled meats are a particular highlight, with tender and flavorful dishes such as barbecued chicken breasts, wings, and thighs.
In addition to their savory dishes, Kauboi Izakaya also boasts a curated selection of beverages. The Japanese whisky collection is a must-try, including top picks like Nikka Coffee Gran, Suntory Tcki, and HibikiIwai Traditional. Those looking for something unique will appreciate the Shochu Cucumber Highball and Mezcal Margarita, offering refreshing flavors that complement the vibrant dining experience.
A Welcoming Atmosphere for All
Kauboi Izakaya’s ambiance stands out with its hipster, casual vibe that appeals to a broad range of diners. The restaurant has a lively atmosphere, making it perfect for a fun night out with friends or a family dinner. The space is large enough to accommodate groups, but be aware that it can get crowded, especially during weekends. Arriving early is a good strategy to secure a spot, as it’s a popular local hangout.
Kauboi Izakaya offers an inclusive dining experience with multiple services designed to cater to different needs. The restaurant is accessible with no steps or stairs, making it easy for all guests to enjoy their meal. It also accepts a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, Apple Pay, and Android Pay. With vegan and vegetarian options available, everyone can find something delicious to enjoy. Additionally, the restaurant provides catering services, making it an ideal choice for gatherings or special events.
For those who prefer to dine at home, Kauboi Izakaya offers delivery and takeout, so you can enjoy their tasty offerings from the comfort of your own home. With outdoor seating available, guests can also savor their meal while enjoying the fresh air.
Exceptional Service and Reviews
The service at Kauboi Izakaya has earned glowing reviews from customers, many of whom have highlighted the friendly and attentive staff. One guest, Mahshid F., shared that they appreciated the unique atmosphere of the restaurant and the delicious flavors of the dishes, particularly the chicken thighs. They emphasized the importance of arriving early to secure a table, as the place tends to get busy as the weekend approaches.
Another review from Ashley G. praised the incredible service at the bar, highlighting the bartender’s friendliness and helpfulness in recommending the perfect drink. Ashley also mentioned how the ramen on a rainy night was the ideal choice, reinforcing the restaurant’s ability to cater to guests looking for comforting and flavorful food.
April F. also appreciated the creativity and flavors of the dishes at Kauboi Izakaya. The chicken thigh skewers, fried rice, hamachi, and dumplings stood out, although they suggested that the giant squid could have used more flavor. Despite this small critique, the overall experience left them eager to return and try more of the menu.
Amenities and Accessibility
Kauboi Izakaya is designed to be a convenient and accessible destination for all types of diners. With a full bar and a wide range of drink options, the restaurant is great for those who enjoy pairing their meal with a refreshing cocktail or a glass of Japanese whisky. The restaurant also provides TV entertainment, adding to the lively atmosphere for those who enjoy watching sports or other programs while dining.
For those on bikes, Kauboi Izakaya offers bike parking, and with street parking available, it's easy to find a spot. The restaurant’s commitment to sustainability is evident, as they use reusable tableware, which helps minimize their environmental footprint.
Overall, Kauboi Izakaya in Reno is more than just a place to eat—it's an experience that combines flavor, service, and an inviting atmosphere. Whether you're a local or a visitor, this izakaya promises a delightful dining experience that is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
Reviews
This place was sooo flavorful and delicious!! It is a cute little spot in midtown. The service was beyond amazing at the bar, the bartender was very nice, decided it was a rainy night and ramen was the best choice! Will definitely be back to try more!
The food and drinks here are really tasty, flavorful, creative and unique. Really enjoyed everything we tried except the giant squid was the only dish that was a little more bland and dry. It would have been better with more flavor or some type of oil to cook it in. Otherwise everything else like the chicken thigh skewers, fried rice, hamachi, dumplings, peppers, cucumber salad, drinks were delicious. Customer service overall was good too. Our waitress was really knowledgeable and helpful with the menu so it helped us pick out the good dishes. The atmosphere has a nice vibe and the restaurant and table decor is cute and trendy. The only reason why I didn't give this place 5 stars is because they don't offer any kind of dessert like mochi ice cream and the fact it gets pricey just after ordering a few tapas plates. We left paying almost $200 for just one couple. So while I would go back here and definitely recommend this restaurant, it would be more of an occasional thing unless you don't order too much food.
This was a much anticipated visit! I had been hearing about the eclectic food choices and the cool vibes for a while. We decided to go for our anniversary. First of all it opens at 5pm. Be at there by 5-515. It fills up that quickly. It's not super big but we were lucky to be first in line (yes there is a line) about 5 min before it opened. After that time, the wait for a table will be 30 min to 2 hours. The place has really cool decorations and attention to detail. The wall has this cool velvet skull pattern. The music is veeeery loud and the lighting is on the darker side. We ordered drinks and were told at that time to order family style (share) because the food comes out in the order it comes out, they can't determine it. Grateful for the heads up so we ordered a handful of items to share. It took about 10-15 min to get our drink and then the first item we got about 5 min later. Rice tots. Yummy. This really set the tone for me. Next thing was the chicken heart with green onion yakitori. Also good. Wild shrimp gyoza was next and it was amazing. Then came the wing yakitori. A bit burnt and not much there but seasoning was good. We were really impressed by the pace the food was coming out. Then about 30 min went by and we waited and waited for the next two dishes. The giant squid finally showed and it was cold. This is a grilled item and everything thus far that had come out was piping hot. The flavor was great and the meat very tender but the fact it was cold meant it was sitting waiting to be served for a while. As we were discussing this the waitress came over and asked if we had gotten our shrimp gyoza already. We had and she said the chef had made extra and would like us to have it. Not sure if that was because of the wait and cold food or if he truly made extra but we weren't complaining since they were so good. The last item was the Wicked fried rice and unfortunately that was also cold. In conclusion (to this very long review), they get very busy so they may forget to serve your food but the food is delicious. We were there for about 2 hours in total because of the food wait. The serving sizes are on the smaller end for the price, so be ready to shell out $100+ if you order a handful of the items. They also had ramen which seemed like a fair portion.
Oh yum! The food is so darn good here. We got a bunch of bites to share, and there wasn't one clunker. Everything tasted so fresh and delicious. We loved how varied everything we ordered was. The service was spot on and friendly. The atmosphere was fun and vibrant. The whole restaurant was packed with guests. Looking forward to coming back and ordering completely different bites!
If you want to secure a table, make sure to arrive early! The place has a unique atmosphere and tends to get very crowded as the weekend approaches. We ordered several appetizers and main dishes, including broccoli, edamamae, duck fried rice, barbecued chicken breasts, wings and thighs, and shrimp dumplings. Everything was delicious, but the thighs stood out to me; I couldn't get enough of them! Don't forget to check out their drink menu as well - we tried the unfiltered sake, and it was incredibly tasty!