Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

I love this place. Going there tonight again. I been here 4 times with family in two month time. First time I forgot my credit card and they help out for me. My boyfriend love going and we always get Ian as our server and he always remembers us. HE IS AMAZING. We always ask for recommendations and he always gives great advice. We always try what he recommends and we love it. the staff is A++++++ everyone greets when you arrive and leave. The manager always stops to see how things are going which is a nice touch. FOOD and DRINKS ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD and prices are even better. They give cool coupons, discounts and the app is useful.

Nice place. Very reasonable price for good food and experience. Ian delivered a very good and friendly service. Even the manager came to use and made sure we are getting good service. We are all 8 in the group and each one of us is very happy and satisfied and is planning to come back and bring in more friends. I have personally talked about this place and promoted in my workplace!

Can’t have enough! There aren’t many Japanese BBQ joints around so when one opens up, I have to make the pilgrimage. Love the industrial, urban green space décor. It doesn’t feel as congested as its sister location, though the other one has multiple levels, but the food is equally as scrumptious. It’s a popular restaurant so I recommend securing a reservation prior to arrival.

We went here last night. Once we finally got up from the tree stumps we were sitting on (literally) we were seated at a nice table by the window. On to the food, we had the salad which was OK. Then the veggie spring rolls, which were also only OK. I had the garlic noodles, NOPE there were too many crunchy noodles in my bowl and that didn’t sit well with me. I like for my noddles to all be ONE texture. Once the grill was heated the chicken was brought out (it was already cut up but it didn’t even amount to a whole chicken breast) the girl didn’t wipe enough oil on the grill so the chicken was sticking badly. After the meal we tried the cheesecake fritter crêpe. Of course it didn’t look as inviting as the picture but it didn’t taste inviting either. I guess I had my pallet set for a dessert on at least the Cheesecake Factory’s level but the thing tasted like something from a buffet. 2 stars for the set up n friendly server.

This location has horrible customer service. I’ve never went to a restaurant with such a horrible hostess and horrible staff. I was told there would be a 40 minute wait and ended up waiting well over a hour and a half. There were no sorry for the wait were busy tonight. There was no type of apology. I love the gyu kaku in river north they have great customer service skills. This location i felt as if the staff looked down upon me and my friends because we didn’t look a certain way. I will never go here again. I’m a huge fan of the restaurant too. Also its way too small.

We had a terrible experience. We’ve been there about 3x’s now, but this last time will officially be our last time.
The waitress name was Helen. And man olé man, was she terrible. She did not do her job at all. She half listened to orders. She did not check up on our table. Then she got our order mixed up.
They have lost two great clients. We’ve recommended over ten people to their location. I will be notifying them not to return.

Whoo hooo! This is my 100^th review!
The wife and I visited Gyu-​Kaku West Loop for the first time. We were excited to try Gyu-​Kaku after seeing so many positive reviews. I would summarize our dining experience as «HITS AND MISSES.» We made a 6:15pm Friday reservation on Open Table three days in advance. I strongly recommend a reservations because around 7pm the dining area was full and there were groups of people waiting.
Upon arrival we were greeted by a very open, well lit and welcoming atmosphere. The fake green leaf walls added a nice bright color to the décor. Very trendy, modern feel with large long tables and booth seating. Our server was very attentive, friendly and recommended a number of Korean dishes that he said were the most popular. He highlighted the Korean bibimap and Korean marinated kalbi (short rib). I found this a tad comical and even joked with the server that at a Japanese BBQ restaurant the highlight dishes were Korean. :) Here’s what we ordered.
Edamame
–This was free if you checked in on Facebook or liked their page. Standard. It was a good non meat dish.
Spicy Tuna Volcano
–Rice wrapped in a fried dough. Good to share with one other person.
Ahi Tuna Poke
–The tuna tasted fresh but it lacked flavor.
Garlic Chicken Noodles (pan fried Okinawa soba noodles)
–The noodles were dry, it wasn’t packed with flavor.
Kobe Style Rib Eye Steal ($ 30 for 3−4ounces)
–The most expensive item at $ 30+ for 3 – 4 ounces of meat. The server raved abut the Kobe style beef. Other than the high price point, the Kobe wasn’t a highlight. The meat didn’t have enough flavor and you had to drench it with one of the three flavorful soy sauces provided at the table.
Kalbi Short Rib
–Korean flavored anything is always a win. If you’ve been to any Korean restaurant/​BBQ the meat was flavorful. You can get the same dish for much cheaper than here but if you’re looking for a «win» you can’t go wrong with the Kalbi.
Total bill with tip:
$ 91. We saved an average of $ 2 on a couple dishes because we arrived during the Happy Hour time. You can also do a set package that includes a variety of meats if you can’t decide what to order.

New and not that crowded as the restaurant on ohio st. The same taste but better environment. Parking can be found in front of the restaurant.
Will definitely come to this location in the future.

We love yakininu. There aren’t many places in IL that serve Japanese BBQ, so when we found out about the new Gyu-​Kaku location, we really wanted to try it. It’s basically a scaled down version of the Streeterville location, but the décor is much lighter and brighter. I don’t think the theme matches that well with the food concept, but at least it is pleasant.
Anyway, the food here is great. We made it just in time for the last call for lunch and that is a tremendous bargain. $ 13.95 for 3 meats, soup, salad, and rice — that’s per person. You can also choose to upgrade one of the meats for $ 3. We had an issue where our grill top wasn’t getting very hot (might be out of fuel) and the meats were taking forever to cook (i.e. 5 mins on each side instead for 30 – 45 seconds) so they relocated us to a different table and all was well. Of all the dishes we tried the Kalbi was our favorite. Melt in your mouth tender and the flavor was spot on. We liked it so much that we order a couple extra plates of it! Our least favorite was the strip steak — it’s too lean and therefore too tough. Everything was fresh and delicious. Even their rice is one of the best I’ve eaten!
Our server and the assistant manager were very attentive and friendly. They were also very understanding and handled our malfunctioning grill top issue well and in a timely manner. I would not hesitate to go back if we can figure out parking (see below for commentary on that).
P. S. So we decided to try the new Randolph Street location of Gyu-​Kaku based on previous reviews about easy and plentiful parking. With kids in tow, nearby parking is a must. Unfortunately, those reviews could not be more wrong. Are there free spots right in front of the restaurant? Yes. Are they available? No. The city should really implement a 2 – 3 hour max there. We saw cars parked there basically the entire day. We circled around for 15 minutes before catching someone pulling out. Also, the restaurant was empty as we were dining in between lunch and dinner, none of the cars parked in from belonged to the restaurant.

Walked in and was inmediately greeted and even though there was a bit of a wait, she informed me they were trying to seat everyone as fast as possible. It was more packed than usual, given that it is the holiday szn.
The food was great and staff were friendly, it is a fun way to eat and get some culture in my life. The restaurant was clean and service was fast but not too rushed. I enjoyed the food thoroughly and will be returning!

Been there twice, both on holiday and had to make reservations. (You should make reservation for sure) The food is good, but the service… Hmmm it’s just not quite there. Like Marilynn said «If you are looking for a cool dining experience, go here» I would agree with her.
First of all, the front door staff is very very unhappy people. They don’t update you on the wait time; they don’t even acknowledge your existence even when you walk in. They just look so unhappy to be there; which I would understand. I guess it’s a holiday and you want to be home with your families, but I’ve read the other reviews and I guess I’m not the only one thinking it.
Secondly, the service staffs are really nice. They do forget your food thou. If you order an starter or something, make sure you get it. However, they do a very good job of explaining how to order and cook the food once it comes out.
Let’s talk about pricing, it is on the higher end for bbq; but I guess since there’s really not that many Japanese BBQ around, they can over charge for stuff. If you sign up for the app you get $ 10 off, but it can not be combine with anything of the other app discount. My server scam me into signing up saying that you can use both and after I signed up, told me I could only use one. lol~
It’s better to go in a group, you would be able to order more dishes and try more and it won’t break the bank.
Written by an ESL before she sleeps, forgive typos

Beautiful space, good service, and quite a lot of food at a very reasonable price if you go with the samurai course for 2 at $ 60. I really like the «spicy» sauce they have on the table, it’s not spicy in the least bit but the flavor is amazing. Ive eaten at a Gyu-​Kaku in Tokyo so I was quite curious to see how the quality of meat would compare. I ended up disappointed because you just can’t get the same level of quality here as in Japan but overall it was still good and tender– just not as good and as tender. I think this is a very nice addition to the street and would eat here once every few months or so just to mix it up. Plentiful free street parking in front but more so on the side street.

If you are looking for a cool dining experience, go here. If you are looking for legit good food, go somewhere else.
To be fair, it was a really fun dining experience. You order the items you want, they bring you the uncooked items, and you cook it on a grill that is built into the table. You are your own chef for the night– for better or worse. We burned a couple of our steaks because we were so caught up in our conversations (oops). However, even when you follow their suggested cooking times the meats area always very very undercooked.
I didn’t think the quality of the meats were very good either. The lamb was too fatty and the the steak was pretty tough. The veggies were okay but nothing special. I think I was still hungry even after I left. Whamp.
I wish I could have loved it. But I would suggest you to save your money and go somewhere else!

I had a wonderful time here! The the price is reasonable and meat is very good. The service is attentive. I also enjoyed the Guy-​Kaku house sake! Having been to Japan recently definitely has made my standard much higher. That being said, I still think it’s great addition to Chicago. I love the smokeless grill so your clothes and hair won’t smell afterwards. Overall, I am super excited about having more Japanese BBQ options and this place is definitely great value!

We didn’t go with the value meal for two cuz we wanted better meats, and the bill ended up around 60. We did get less food with the same price so I think they didn’t lie about the value added. If you don’t know what kinda meats to get, definitely go with the samurai.
I am very picky with red meat cuz I don’t know how to appreciate red meat, and the short ribs, beef tongue were both very chewy. I don’t know if that’s what they supposed to taste like so I will keep my opinion on that to myself. My bf and I both had a hard time to chew it down. One thing I really liked was their fillet mignon. It was so tender and juicy. However, the flavor is better on short ribs and beef tongue. Love the bibimbap tho. Very good flavor with a decent price.
Service was decent. Everybody is super super friendly but it was slow. We spent two hours there and they didn’t even have to cook my food!
Didn’t like the tuna appetizer rice ball thing. All I taste is the sweet soy. Not worth it.
Overall I want to give it a 3. If you have never been, definitely worth to try but I wouldn’t go back.

We have been here 3 times now (1^st was during the soft opening) and we are HUGE fans of the Ohio Street location. The food here is great, as expected! The main issue we have encountered the last 2 times has been with the front door staff. I always make an early reservation on OpenTable and when we arrive on time and the restaurant is not busy, we are told it will be awhile before we can be seated, this past time was 10 minutes of standing at the desk waiting to be seated in a 90% empty restaurant, it makes NO sense and its frustrating! I am not sure why the door staff has the attitude they do…
We will continue to try this new location, but they need to work the kinks out of their processes.

So i am really impressed with this place. The restaurant is stylish, clean and it is located in the trendy West Loop neighborhood. My girlfriends and I decided to stop here randomly and we’ve been back 4 times since.
The service is amazing! Ask for Roy if you decided to stop here. Roy if super friendly, fast, funny and takes care of your table. We’ve ordered the shogun and it was perfect. They really have A grade meat at this location. I usually complain about something but this location gets my approval.

Great new location for this Japanese-​style Korean BBQ chain. My wife and I are huge fans of their other locations, and were excited to try this new location.
GOOD: The meats and vegetables are all fresh and reasonably priced. Service was good during their soft opening, and I hope it continues to be that way. I love the concept of Gyu Kaku general; it reminds me not just of the Gyu-​Kaku restaurants in Japan, but also of Japanese izakaya. (There are some spots in Chicago that claim to be izakaya, but fall short.) The location is only a few blocks from the Ashland Green/​Pink Line CTA stop, and a lot of other fun places nearby.
BAD: Seating in this new location is a bit more limited compared to other locations, and I’m wondering if this will be an issue. Table barbecue is fun with a large group, but most of the tables are setup for just 2 – 4 people. It’s only a minor concern for now, as long as I don’t have any trouble getting reservations.
I’m excited for this location overall, and plan to return regularly.

Great new location. The service is fantastic, you’re greeted by the entire crew as you walk in, the food is fantastic, and the drinks are great.
If you’re not sure what to get, the Samurai is a great start!

Great Service… Authentic Food
I think this place will do very well. We needed some good additions on this end of Randolph. The shrimp and hanger steak was an excellent combination. Loved the salmon appetizer. The drinks are very creative and reasonably priced. Going back Saturday with my friends and am looking forward to it.