17 years later, this restaurant is nearly impossible to get into

When a colleague mentioned he picked Kata Robata for his post-proposal dinner, I assumed the restaurant had to be something special. But what I didn’t anticipate was that nearly 20 years later, the local Japanese eatery remains so incredibly popular that walking in without a reservation is practically impossible without a wait.

I learned this the hard way after only three visits. 

I got my first taste of the sushi spot located at 3600 Kirby Dr. at the beginning of the year on a random Thursday night with an old childhood friend. It being a chilly weekday evening, with just myself and one friend, I was a bit surprised that we had to wait about half an hour to still later be sat at the sushi bar—but figured we might’ve caught the dinner rush.

But a couple of months later, when I again faced a 20-minute wait or the option of sitting at the bar on a Monday afternoon, it clicked: there is pretty much always a rush at Kata Robata. At least now in its nearly 20 year tenure. 

Kata Robata opened its doors in 2009, with a culinary mastermind that carried extensive experience before then…beginning in a retirement home at age 16, according to its website. From graduating from the Tsuji Culinary Institute of Japan to being recruited to Houston as the Japanese Consulate private chef, four-time James Beard Award nominee Chef Manabu Horiuchi has long been praised for his creative takes on Japanese cuisine.

And it shows in Kata Robata’s menu full of fresh, flavorful sushi, sashimi and other signature dishes that have kept crowds coming back for years.

“Kata Robata is a special place for my wife and I. It’s where we went after I proposed, and we keep coming back because it hits all the right Japanese notes: seasonal fish from Toyosu Market, endless robatayaki and small plates, and Chef Hori (usually) behind the sushi bar directing traffic and checking quality,” Dan Carson, fellow sushi fan and Chron managing editor said.

“We always have reservations and half the time we’ll be directed to the bar area for a drink because, unsurprisingly, the patrons here want to linger—and the staff wants everything perfect before you sit.”

According to Kata Robata managers Stephanie Vu and Diana Cuadra, it’s pretty busy during the entirety of their lunch and dinner services no matter the day, excluding Christmas Eve and some Super Bowl Sundays. 

When asked if there’s ever been a time they’ve never taken walk-ins, Cuadra said “We’ll always accept a walk-in. It’s just, how long are you going to wait?” From what she recalled, the longest someone has waited was about an hour.

But despite the long wait times, Kata Robata always delivers on quick service—whether it be from wait staff bustling through the dining room or one of the eight sushi chefs behind the bar. And all in a bustling shopping center that had some parties lining up at the door before it even opened.

“I think Kata a good food place in a strip mall, and there’s nothing more Houston than that,” our food editor and unofficial Houston dining encyclopedia told me.

In the words of my fellow newstonian and work bestie, Alyssa Merritt, “it’s like taking a culinary trip around the world without ever leaving your backyard.”

I’d be remiss to add that this type of global experience doesn’t stop at the plate…and actually even extends to Kata’s restrooms. Dan claimed the heated smart toilets—like ones you’d find all over Japan— are worth the visit alone.