Restaurant Review: House of Kobe in Hagerstown, MD

The House of Kobe is a favorite of mine, and close to my heart. This is because I absolutely adore hibachi grills. It seems like you're almost always going to have a good time, whether you came in in a good mood or a bad one. Just watching the chefs create the meal right in front of you and catch things on fire and throw shrimp for you to catch in your mouth- it makes the day's woes slowly disappear. You'll also generally make some new friends because you'll be dining with others sitting with you at the ten-person hibachi table around the chef.

Location
The House of Kobe is in a great location. It is on the Dual Highway (Route 40) right next to the Clarion Hotel and across from the Days Inn. Interstate 70 is only two miles away. Nearby is Foxshire Plaza, an outdoor shopping center. The restaurant isn't hard to find because it is right on the main road that goes through Hagerstown. With this great location, however, also comes good business. It is generall busy at the restaurant during popular times such as weekends, so make sure to call ahead and make a reservation.

Food and Prices
I have mostly dined by sitting at the hibachi grill, so will focus my discussion on this. However, there are also regular tables offered. At the hibachi grill, you generally order a main course like a combo of filet and shrimp, or just shrimp, or fish, chicken, clams, etc. The main course comes with a clear soup, salad with a ginger dressing, and rice with grilled vegetables. You can have a small surcharge and get the fried rice, which is the best option. Two sauces also come, a seafood sauce and one for the steak. I recommend getting the filet mignon and shrimp. You can order an appetizer to start the meal. Most people order sushi, and there seems to be a wide variety of selection. My brother seems to have quite enjoyed the sushi when we dined here with the whole family over the Christmas season.