SOHO HIBACHI
Address: 1014 Battlefield Parkway in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., and 5510 Highway 153Hours: Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.Phone: 706-858-7766 (Fort Oglethorpe) or 423-877-8808 (Hixson)
Steak & shrimp hibachi at Soho Hibachi. (Photo by Mark Gilliland)Both Soho Hibachi locations have humble storefronts, situated in strip malls alongside busy highways in Hixson and Fort Oglethorpe. But what the Japanese eateries lack in flashy facades they make up for in accolades for their fresh fare.
In fact, both Soho locations glitter like gold with all the awards they have collected over the years.
Last year in the Times Free Press’ Best of the Best awards Soho in Fort Oglethorpe was voted “Best Carryout,” and was named a finalist for “Best Early Bird Dinner,” “Best Japanese” and “Best New Restaurant.” This year it was voted “Best Japanese Restaurant,” and was named a finalist for “Best Carryout” and “Best Meal for the Money.”
Meanwhile, its Hixson counterpart isn’t doing too shabby, either. In 2016 the Hixson location ranked 12th out of 114 Hixson eateries on
TripAdvisor. The year before that it was awarded “Best Carryout” in the Best of the Best awards, in which it was also named a finalist for “Best Meal for the Money.”
Rather than grand entranceways, Soho’s focus is on its food. Offering an affordable alternative to expensive Japanese steakhouses, Soho forgoes not only grand facades but also the traditional hibachi show – while still providing the same expertly crafted dishes in the half the time and for half the price.
And did I mention the portions are enormous?
Just like “You can’t judge a book by it cover,” as the old adage goes, you can’t tell whether a restaurant’s hibachi is award-winning by the looks of its storefront.