A restaurant in uptown Lexington, North Carolina, that suffered a fire but is now making a comeback with pop-up events and actively searching for a new permanent location.
Stephanie Huynh is associated with Shoto's, a restaurant that has experienced a rebuilding effort. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to support the rebuilding of Shoto's and the Huynh family.
Shoto's is a family-owned Japanese steakhouse that served the Uptown Lexington community for over 25 years. Following a devastating fire in May 2026 (as reported by sources), the restaurant is currently operating from a SHOTO Family Food Trailer and a temporary home while planning to rebuild its original location.
Customer Perception
Shoto's is a beloved community staple, evidenced by strong social media engagement and community support for their rebuilding efforts after the fire. Customers appreciate their delicious Asian cuisine.
The restaurant is actively working towards rebuilding its original location after a significant fire. They maintain a strong online presence to keep customers updated on their temporary locations and menu offerings.
Specific peak times are not detailed for their temporary food truck operation. Past events suggest evening hours (7 PM - 10/11 PM) for their dine-in service, but current hours would depend on the food truck schedule.
1
Me and my sister dined in and ordered hibachi, and to our shock the rice tasted very old and plastic-y and the hibachi sauce very fishy, for some odd reason. I don’t complain about food often at all, but I couldn’t stomach the fried rice for more than a few bites. I voiced our concerns to our sweet waitress that informed us that we could get a replacement vegetable, to which me and my sister agreed to, thinking we’d get a suitable portion, especially for the price we’re paying. We were also offered lo mein for an up-charge, which we declined. As if things couldn’t get worse, she brought out cups of veggies as large as their starting soup portions. I was furious, but paid my tab regardless, which came out to ~$18 for a half portion of veggies and a few jumbo shrimps. Would’ve loved to love this place as the atmosphere and service are both great. I definitely won’t be eating here again until the cook gets it together, though. I’ll pass, Lexington. The food looks beautiful, as you can see in the image I attached. But do not be fooled.
We tried the seasonal, “Dan’sReallyGoodChickenSandwich” and it was amazing! All the flavors are PERFECT together. Also, the waffle fries are better than CFA anyday.
Shoto is a hidden gem thats been in Lexington for 25yrs. Its a family owned and run establishment. Everyone there is fantastic. The food is delicious and i CANNOT WAIT to try the unique upstairs bar i learned about. Blueberry Lavender Tea Cocktails....whaaattt?? ❤️
Today I got Shotos in lexington and dined in. I was getting lunch with my aunt, I walked in and was sat by a kind and great server she was very polite. I sat down and shortly after ordering food, the food was out and steaming hot before I could finish my soup. I got the hibachi chicken with fried rice and mushrooms with broccoli. It was a huge amount of food and rice as I did not get carrots. The chicken was tender and had good flavor and the vegetables were great! The rice was a little dry but still good. The service was great. And food was good. I would recommend. It is a quiet and very low lighting environment.
The chicken and cheese rolls are about the only reason I come here. They are to die for. The salad and soup is wonderful as well. We miss Emily. She was the best waitress. We came in on a Friday night at 5 PM and waited over 50 minutes for our food. They do sushi on Friday and they were getting it set up as we arrived. Sushi and to go orders were going out, but cooked food for dine in was slow. Maybe they need some help when they do extras like sushi. My filet mignon tasted lab grown or fake. My kids had sirloin in their lo mien and it tasted like sirloin. I eat a lot of filet and there was something off about it.
Edit: I took my small kids out and left my husband and older son to pay. My husband told them about the steak and they said sorry and handed us the bill. We’ve been coming here for almost 20 years. Probably wont be back.
