I've long been a fan of revolving restaurants like the one's at the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix, and the Doubletree Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. Seeing the round rooftop in Chatan at the corner of Routes 130 and 58 I imagined it would be such a restaurant that turns while dining. 360 Grille is the new tenant on the seventh floor of the Toyama Shoji Building. The restaurant doesn't spin, though, but it's a pleasant experience nonetheless for diners in central Okinawa with views of Chatan, the East China Sea, and nearby American Military Bases.
360 Grille opened in mid-2013 as a fusion cuisine restaurant offering largely American west coast inspired sandwiches, skewers, and steaks, with exotic crocodile and kangaroo dishes, and a variety of sushi platters. The views and uniqueness of the round dining area makes this a must visit location for locals. Reservations are a must for evening dining - especially for the weekends which are often booked up a few days in advance.
I visited with my wife and kids on a Saturday for lunch. The building itself went through a renovation recently but still seems to be lacking in tenancy and finish making the journey to the elevator bank and up to the seventh floor anything but special. Once on the highest floor the elevator opens up directly in the front entrance lobby of 360 Grille. There is small waiting area, restrooms and a hostess stand there surrounded by a mixture of modern decor and plants. We were seated immediately at a booth table. The dining area is, of course, circular in nature as it wraps around the restaurant. Most of the window side seating consists of intimate tables for two or four, as well as a few bar height counter seats facing the ocean side. My family and I were seated in one of the booths located on the island-facing side of the restaurant.
We ordered a Philly cheese steak sandwich and a double decker cheeseburger. Each came with French fries; the double decker coming with sweet potato curly fries. The cheese steak sandwich was seasoned just right with lots of green pepper, cheese and onion on a wide and thick but not too long roll that was toasted just enough to keep the sandwich from becoming soggy too quickly. I was a little bit skeptical about the double decker at first. For one the sandwich really wasn't a double decker but a side by side with just a small part of the patties actually overlapping. The burger was very juicy and flavorful being made from fresh beef and topped with lettuce, cheese and tomato. The fries were plentiful but the ketchup was scant.
I was pleased overall with our visit due to the food being delicious and filling. The visit would have been better if the inexperienced wait staff had been more attentive to us, the restaurant actually had chairs for children and kids items on the menu, and if some of the outdated fixtures like the booth seating - perhaps a holdover from the previous tenant - were updated or replaced.
360 Grille is located on Route 58 at the intersection with Route 130 in Chatan between the Camp Foster and Camp Lester American bases. The restaurant is open from 11:00 ~24:00 daily. There is a breakfast buffet offered on Saturday and Sunday starting at 08:00. The menu starts below 1,000 yen for appetizers, some sandwiches and skewers, salads and smaller sushi plates but tops out at 1,200 yen for full sushi platters and the mid-2,000 yen range for grilled steaks, salmon, lamb, duck or Kangaroo. American dollars, Japanese yen, MasterCard and Visa are accepted.
