Since its opening in May, dinner at Konomi has become our regular Friday night outing. We usually bypass the teppan tables and dine in the sushi bar. The tuna tataki is our standard fare, along with whichever sushi roll appeals to us that evening. Konomi has definitely been a welcome addition to dining choices in the Trussville area. (December 2004)

My family and I have eaten at this restaurant many times and have enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere. However, the last time we went my mother decided she wasn't going to eat anything. The waiter told her that she would be charged a $5 sit fee. Naturally, my mother was outraged. Imagine making someone pay $5 just to sit in your restaurant! The idea is outrageous. When we inquired further, we found that this ridiculous policy was supported my the manager as well. As a result, we decided to take our business elsewhere. Needless to say, we won't eat at Konomi again. I would NOT recommend eating at a restaurant that enforces such absurd policies no matter how good the food might be!

As a follow up to yesterday's post, my mother researched other Japanese restaurants' policies and discovered that there are many Japanese restaurants with great food that do not have the ridiculous $5 sit fee. These restaurants are Sumo, Stix, Sakura, Ichaban, and Shogun (they used to but no longer do). However, Kobe still upholds this policy at times. Please, as a consumer, complain about this policy whenever possible. After all, a business goes out of business one customer at a time.

If you think about it the five dollar sitting fee is not an absurd idea at all. Dining at a teppan table is not the same as dining in the sushi bar (where you can get the same exact food). The seating is limited at the grill. If you have two people waiting to eat at the grill and two people that are sitting at the grill not eating, then the people waiting could have their seats. I doubt the manager is concerned if you don't come back. Believe me it's not hurting his business at all. I'm sure the reason that these other places aren't charging a sitting fee anymore is probably because they aren't getting the same amount of business that they are used to getting because of Konomi. You obviously don't understand how this kind of establishment works. It is not the same as other restaurants. Maybe you should have researched that instead. Konomi is the greatest Japanese restaurant around, and the people that work there couldn't be nicer.

res·tau·rant /ˈrɛstərənt, -təˌrɑnt, -trɑnt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[res-ter-uhnt, -tuh-rahnt, -trahnt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun an establishment where meals are served to customers. This is the literal meaning of a restaurant. The point of going to a restaurant is to eat..not sit and do nothing. Whoever would go to a restaurant to just sit there is beyond me...besides if youre going to Konomi to eat, what is the big deal about paying 5.00 to sit there when you get soup, salad, and fried rice with that sitting fee. If you dont have the 5.00 then dont go to konomi..because their menu, just like every other Japanese Steakhouse in Birmingham ranges from 13.50-30.00 a plate. If you dont have the money to eat there...dont go there. It is rude to sit at the grill and watch a "show" and not tip the servers and Teppan Chefs anyway. Learn some manners...and lets get a little bit more educated before you blast a reputable business for having a policy that everyone else understands besides you. I love Konomi, my family eats there all the time. I'd have to agree with the girl Monica that posted before me..The servers and chefs couldnt be nicer. I would highly recommend going to this restaurant. The food and the Sushi is outstanding. Konomi= 100% A+++

We have been eating @ Konomi since they opened. The staff and chefs are wonderful, and the food is our favorite of all the Japanese steakhouses. My wife and I have eaten both lunch and dinner there and have not been disappointed. The soup actually has flavor, and the salad dressing is not watered down like most. Well now I'm hungry...I guess I know where I'm going for lunch!

I am so glad that Konomi came to Trussville. We need more restaurants like this around our area. The service has ALWAYS been exceptional and the food is out of this world. I have never been disappointed whether I am dining in or picking up a to go order.
My family and I could eat Konomi everyday. God Bless the Japanese for making such good food.