Hibachi Boy, the Japanese fast casual restaurant located at 530 E. Mason St., has announced that it will close on Wednesday, Sept. 14.
In a phone conversation this afternoon, the owners cited the closing as "a difficult but necessary decision."
The restaurant will be open for dinner this evening, and will offer its final lunch (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and dinner service (4 to 9 p.m.) on Tuesday, Sept. 13, along with drink specials as a thank you to its customers.
The restaurant, which opened in April, specialized in Japanese style grilled items, rice and noodle dishes and sushi. It was preceded by Fajitas Grill Centro and Cafe Plaza Venezuela.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
.jpeg)
