Nakama Japanese Steakhouse mysteriously closes in South Side
Nakama Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar on East Carson Street on Pittsburgh’s South Side appears to be closed for good.
Rich Cupka, owner of Cupka’s Cafe 2, which is also on East Carson Street, confirmed the news to TribLive on Thursday.
Cupka said he was outside of Nakama on Tuesday when he witnessed an employee show up for work at the steakhouse. The door was locked, and Cupka said the employee had to call their manager, who told the employee about the closure.
As of Thursday, Nakama’s business page on Google is not marked as permanently closed.
The Allegheny County Health Department issued a consumer alert on Sept. 18 that cited “inadequate pest management” as one of Nakama’s violations. It was resolved Sept. 24.
Four dead mice were found during the inspection — including one underneath a hibachi grill in the dining room.
Nakama’s phone number issues a message that says, “sorry, but the user’s mailbox can’t accept more messages.” The restaurant did not respond via email for comment.
The closure wasn’t posted on any of Nakama’s social media pages or website as of Thursday. Nakama’s OpenTable reservation page is still active, but it appears there are no reservations available.
The restaurant is listed on Google as “permanently closed.”
Nakama’s Wexford location closed last summer
Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.
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