Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

I used to really love this place. Great service– great food– fun atmosphere… However the last two times I’ve been here we’ve had beyond terrible service and the food has gone down hill. Our server left 15 minutes into our meal tonight and another one never came. We had to go to the register to order food, ask for our check and pay for our check. They also changed the menu so my favorite thing (butterfish) is no longer available. The mahi– was terrible and we didn’t eat it. Unfortunately we won’t be going back to our favorite «go to» restaurant.

Great food great people always quick with getting my food to me and I love that at the end of all the courses they give you s’mores. I love coming to this place because I cook my own food and there is nothing as fresh as pullin it from the grill to eat right away. Go to this place its bomb and get the meat lovers right away!!!

The ramen used to be surprisingly good! Now it was surprisingly bland… we had 4 people and ordered one of each ramen, spicy beef, shoyu, shio and miso…
Service was great, just disappointed with the ramen which i was looking forward to…

I came here on a Tuesday night so I didn’t have to wait before I got seated. Also, we came in before 6:30 so Happy Hour! My group had 4 people total so we got 1 set and order other stuff that was not in the set a la carte. Their meat, which is the main focus, was high quality. We also order quite a few vegetable dishes and those can be tricky to cook. And because they are just veggies, they are not fancy or especially tasty. I love the tofu nuggets and the salad with avocado for appetizers. Service was pretty good but our server was a little bit forgetful and forgot to take out one dish that the restaurant ran out. We were glad that we caught it. So, read your check before you pay! I agree that, without happy hour, this place can be pricy but it is definitely a quality place for meat lover!
For those who don’t know, Japanese BBQ is distinctive from Korean BBQ. While Jbbq is usually more expensive, Japanese really focus on offering the best quality meat. They may not even marinate the meat so you can taste the try meat flavor :)

I had a friend that worked here and she had told me to make a reservation just in case. I highly recommend making a reservation just because this place can get busy at times.
Anyways, my friend and I ordered the happy hour special for 2 which seemed a little bit pricy. I was having second thoughts but then as soon as all the appetizers came out, and after eating the different meats, it was definitely worth it. The quality of everything was great and tasted amazing. The portions were just about right. I was happily content and not full to the point where I can’t breath. It was a good kind of full.
The service was great. Always came by and cleared out the empty plates. Hardly had to ask for anything. They just came and did everything themselves. Very friendly as well. I was impressed by everything and would definitely come back.

First things first. Make a reservation. Call them, set up open table, or go on their website. It don’t matter if you think it’ll be slow or busy. Make one.
The smaller portions may not be suitable for you all, but having smaller portions will let you enjoy a lot of different kinds of meat.
Some of my favorites are the Filet, Beef Tongue, Duck Breast, Bacon Scallops, & Mushroom medley.
They also have set course menus, perfect for couples & great starters. You can then add more a la carte.
Did I mention they have Ramen AND Bibimbap?!
Every course menu comes with Free S’mores at the end.
Gyu-​Kaku restaurants have always been a favorite of mine. Being in San Diego saves me the weekly trip to an L.A. location.
The place may seem small, but they have a great menu selection that makes you feel like you’re in multiple restaurants at once.

I love this place. The quality of the meat paired with an interesting array of sauces always gets my taste buds going! The marbling in the beef is just perfection.
The happy hour and super happy hour is such a great deal. Beer for $ 3 and big hot sake for $ 4 plus meat choices from $ 3 – 5 is hard to beat. I’d recommend making reservations as it can get pretty busy.

I’ve eaten Gyu-​kaku in Hawaii and I was excited to eat it here. When I walked in, it was extremely crowded; so glad we made a reservation. We came in at 9 PM and got seated about 15 minutes later. One thing good about coming at a later time is the Super Happy Hour menu, which is a good deal.
SERVICE:
Our waiter was very friendly and nice. He was trying his hardest to serve everything we needed, however one of our grills weren’t working and they ran out of sauce, which wasn’t his fault. The food also came out really slow, one or two dishes at a time. The vegetable sides came out first and we were so hungry, we grilled and ate it before the meat even came out.
FOOD:
Even though the food took so slow to come, the food was good; All very flavorful and I love how we can control how cooked the meat gets. The garlic and spinach side was also really good.
Overall, I think the restaurant may have been going through some struggle as the front sign said they had a new owner and were closed for lunch hours temporarily. However, I love places where you are able to cook your own meat. The food came out pretty slow, but the food was delicious. The Super Happy Hour menu is a really good deal, and I would suggest to get your money’s worth by going when that menu is available.

Gyu-​Kaku is a yummy spot to get your grill on!
I came by the other night and had about a 10 minute wait for a weeknight. The minute I entered and was waiting I noticed how the music was loud, which adds for a fun ambiance with current, popular music. The seating area has the central grill and there are options for cooked food and food to cook on the grill. Me and my friend opted for grillin’ so we got cookin’!
Meats: NY Steak, Chicken, and Pork Belly
Veggie: Zucchini
Rice: Brown
Drink: Lychee Margarita
Overall, the food and three dipping sauces were delish! Each meat has it’s pre-​assigned marinade, but you do have the option to change the marinade upon request. The concept reminds me of Korean BBQ and the happy hour offers up to a few bucks off depending on the item. And the service is great as the server was attentive and helpful and they offer advice for how long to grill and where to place the meat depending on the type.
4 Stars for a fun, trendy vibe with great music and delicious Japanese food and nice service. :)

My favorite BBQ place BY FAR. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Korean BBQ, but Gyukaku really knows how to get the customers in. At the end of the meal, they give you a «scratch card» to come in again another day! I got a free kalbi for the next time I come and my friend got 10 $ off! Gyukaku’s meats are so fresh and super delicious! I really recommend the Bistro Hanger Steak Miso. It’s my all time favorite!
Also, you should definitely go in during the lunch specials! The deals are cheap and sooooo delicious. :) I totally recommend here if you’re looking for a nice night out or just to enjoy some good meats. ¹¹⁄₁₀

We didn’t get to try this place out last night sadly due to such poor management and customer service.
My boyfriend and I got here around 5:45 PM then they told us it’d be a 35 – 45 min wait, maybe less depending on the customers eating. My boyfriend said it’s fine we’ll just wait. 6:45 pm hits and he asks the girl at the front desk, «we’ve been waiting for an hour, what is our status?»
She says «you guys are literally next on the list, your table is getting their check.» We thought «cool, not much longer.» Then she sits 2 parties ahead of us with reservations after saying «we’re literally next.» 7:10 PM hits and she says your table is still eating… That’s when we just walked out.
Usually at most restaurants, if their customers are waiting that long they’re usually acknowledging them saying «We apologize for the wait guys, well seat you as soon as we can. Thank you for your patience.» Etc etc. We didn’t hear any of that. Or if the restaurant is really nice, the management will be glad to offer us a free appetizer/​drink, etc unfortunately this was not the case here.
Such poor management and customer service skills.
Keep in mind I was starving and at first they told us ³⁵⁄₄₅ min (at the most); we ended up waiting a whopping 85 min total for food we didn’t even get because of their poor communication and customer service with their customers.

For something that is «Japanese» it’s a sore disappointment. It’s Americanize Japanese food that borrows heavily from Korean cuisine with dishes like gal I and kim chee
The «cheese» dumplings were missing cheese and should’ve called it fried wontons.
They had garlic noodles on the menu but for some reason said they couldn’t make any noodle dishes (i.e. Ramen)
Bathrooms were disgusting which is a sign of the attention to detail here.
Bottom line — clunky, overpriced food that does not represent the finesse and discipline of finer Japanese cuisine. Service is good but the management and the kitchen has some work to do.

Went to use my Groupon and spend some qt with my Booski Shontay. I had my Star Wars T-​Shirt on so I got preferential treatment by a server that wasn’t even for our table! He rushed over to seat us and then came back while our server was there to let her know that he complimented me on my shirt first! Listen, I’m ok with nerds fighting over me as long as they slide me a little extra somethin to throw on the grill. Butterfish, please!!! I hadn’t been to one of these style BBQs in a long time, maybe since living in Okinawa, so I was here for the whole experience! We ordered up some thirst-​quenching cocktails-​I think mine was peach with Soju in it. *Soju, the sleeper.* Soju is so mild that it creeps up on you and will put you to sleep if you’re not careful. Unregulated alcohol is the best!
I digress. So, we ordered a slew of meats but the star was the butterfish. I had never had it before and haven’t had it since but I want it right now and later and then again for 4^th meal.
We didn’t overcook anything, I can’t remember the sides (salad, soup and maybe something deep fried?) and we had a good time so I will definitely be back for more butterfish-​soon! Gotta make sure I have my Star Wars shirt on, though.

So glad to have a good Japanese BBQ place near Mira Mesa! The variety of Asian food has never been as good as the Convoy/​Clairemont Mesa area, so it’s good to see more quality Asian restaurants coming into the area.
We ordered meat lovers for two people for $ 55 and it was plenty of food for us. We definitely had leftovers and the meal probably could have honestly fed 3 people. It came with cream cheese wontons, salad, miso soup, karaage chicken, smores for dessert, and a variety of about 6 different types of meats. Our least favorite was probably the toro beef. All the other meats were pretty good, but nothing melted in my mouth. Filet mignon was pretty tender though. A few of the thicker cuts were a bit hard to chew. My fiancé was cooking his meat and eating it pretty quickly without talking much, so I know he ENJOYED the food. My favorite sauce was the spicy sauce on the table. The cook times they gave us were pretty off though. You’ll definitely have some rare spots of meat if you go by there suggested cooking times. I recommend you just use your judgement.
A lot of the appetizers were pretty standard and nothing too special. The dressing on the salad is pretty good. Reminds me of some good miso dressing I’ve had at some Japanese restaurants.
The service we had here was pretty attentive. Our waitress changed out our grill for us and was helpful about offering a suggestion for the marshmallow flavor for smores. We enjoyed the coconut flavor! I loved the outer look of the restaurant and vibe inside. The choice of music here is upbeat and modern and the inside looks like a cozy Japanese tavern.
I’ve had Tsururhashi in the Clairemont Mesa and I think Gyu-​Kaku is a lot better value especially since they give you so many sides and more meat. I think the meat at Tsururhashi is better quality though (like melt in your mouth tender when cooked) and the cuts are easier to cook properly since they are thinner cuts. Gyu-​Kaku also offers lunch specials from 11:30−4pm everyday at really affordable prices, so my fiancé and I will have to try that. It seems like an even better deal! If you have more to splurge and want the best quality meat I’d recommend Tsururhashi. If you’re on a budget, I think Gyu-​Kaku is a good comparable alternative.

⁷⁄₃₀: I love this place. It can get a bit pricey if you order all the dishes a la carte. I think that’s why I prefer to come here during lunch or happy hour.
First thing I noticed is that I really love the décor of the place, the wood and the layout of restaurant. It’s very nice to have tables outside at the patio, it’s a great way to avoid being smelly from the bbq.
Their lunch specials are such a great deal. 2 bbq items for 9.95 or 3 bbq items for 12.95 and it comes with salad, soup and rice. I chose the 2 bbq items and substitute the white rice with the sukiyaki bibimbap rice. The rice was so tasty. The two items that I ordered was the Basil Chicken and the Beef Hanger Steak.
Some people don’t like cooking their food at a restaurant, but I love it. I can get to make sure my steak is not over cooked because I’m handling it and I can make sure my chicken is cooked just right and not dry.
This place has great happy hour as well. I have only taken advantage of it once so far, but it’s definitely worth coming to check it out. I wasn’t too fond of the two drinks I ordered, but it was fairly cheap since it was happy hour pricing.
The food is so good, I don’t think you can go wrong ordering anything from here. My favorite thing so far is probably their mushroom medley. So so good.
Oh and don’t forget all the sauces. Some of the food comes already marinated so you don’t have to use the sauce but overall it’s great to try.
Love it.

Gyu-​kaku is the best place to come for lunch or during happy hour. They have a lunch special every day from 11:30am-4:30pm, but on weekends you need to ask them for the lunch special menu. I ordered the meat lover’s lunch special, which was only $ 10.95 and it included rice, miso soup, salad, gyoza, and four different meats. This is the best value! It’s extremely filling and delicious. I’ve ordered their dinner preset meals before also (ranging from $ 45 – 60), but I think it’s a little pricey and better to come during lunch.
Pros:
— Quality of meat is really good and it is usually marinaded which gives it more flavor
— Gyu kaku salad is so refreshing and their dressing makes it one of my favorite parts of the meal
— Their spicy sauce (kind of a sweet and tangy more than spicy) is good to add to your cooked meats
— The grills have ventilation to get rid of the smoke so that you don’t end up smelling like BBQ
— Draft Beer $ 1.95 during happy hours!
Cons:
— There is usually a wait if you go during peak meal times
— If you don’t come during lunch/​happy hour then it can become pretty expensive

Always packed so be sure to make a reservation or expect to wait…
especially during happy house! Their happy hour is perfection. Beers are cheap and so are appetizers and meats! I absolutely love Gyu. I’m originally from Hawaii and would always go to the locations there growing up. I was happy to find a Gyu here in San Diego. Although their menu is missing a few things, it’s still very good. I always recommend the kalbi. It isn’t cheaper during happy hour but it’s a must. It’s the most flavorful meat that they have.
The kurobuta sausage and garlic shrimp are also really good! In terms of appetizers, I’m a big fan of the crab salad.
If you download the app, you can collect points to earn rewards like free menu items or credit towards your bill. It’s free to download and worth it if you come even semi-​regularly!

I dined at Gyu Kaku once before about 5 years ago at the Beverly Hills location and the only thing I remembered about it was that I was impressed with it. I don’t remember the food I ate or even what the facility looked like, but when I saw the sign for the Gyu Kaku in Mira Mesa off the highway one evening, I knew I had to go!
My boyfriend and I finally found the time as it is a bit of a longer dining experience since you grill the food yourself. We had such a good time. We had no idea how much to order, or really what we were doing, so we followed the lead of the menu which stated that 3 – 4 meat items should be ordered per person. There are pre-​made options for two people and though we chose to mix-​and-​match ourselves, we got the same amount of food that is offered in the those examples.
We ordered the edamame, miso soup, zucchini, garlic noodles, filet mignon, chicken, veggie rolls, cheese wontons, miso chili chicken wings, white rice, bistro hanger steak, yaki-​shabu, salmon and the smores. It sounds like a lot of food and it most definitely was. As they continued to bring dishes out, we could do nothing but laugh. We did have delicious lunch the next day though. Everything was extremely tasty and of great quality. Our favorite was definitely the filet mignon followed by the yaki-​shabu. I also really enjoyed the cheese wontons dipped in the side sauce that is brought out. I could have eaten the sauce with a spoon!
It was really fun to cook up our own food on the grill in the center of our table and I think it is the perfect date-​night dinner spot, though it isn’t exactly cheap. Our total, including tax and tip, was about $ 65 or so. My boyfriend did have three beers, although they were only $ 2 a piece since Monday is all day happy hour.
Be sure to make a reservation. We did not know we needed to on a Monday, but got lucky and only had to wait about 20 minutes due to a cancellation. We heard through the grapevine that some waits without a reservation can be up to over an hour though.
My only complaint is that our waitress was far from inviting. My boyfriend cracked a few small jokes and she did not even bother to fake a grin. When we asked how the whole process worked, she explained the menu is fast forward mode, which left us still a bit confused.

Ive been to Gyu-​Kaku a few times and each time has been a pleasant experience. Ive had no issues with service or the food at all.
Came here with my fiancée on a Sunday-​day.
It was steadily busy, the wait was about 10mins for 2 people. As soon as we got seated, i quickly noticed the special they had. Meat Lovers Course for 2 people its $ 55
July 7– Sept 7 (Yakiniku Fest)
The Meat lovers course was $ 44
included:
Starters:
Cheese Wontons
Garlic Chicken
Gyu Kaku Salad
Miso soup x 2
Rice x 2
BBQ Items (4oz each):
Bistro Hangar steak
Filet Mignon Pnzu
NY Steak Miso
Premium Sirloin Garlic
Yaki Shabu Miso
Toro Beef Taro
Dessert:
S’Mores
all this for $ 44 bux!!. i was excited!!! This could easily feed 3 people. Everything that came out was super delicious and fresh. No complaints.
I like that the grills have a good suction when cooking so the place doesnt get smokey.
The only thing this place is lacking is a bar/​tv area, like the other Gyu Kakus. if this place had TVs, id be here more often, especially with football coming up. But i wont dock a star for that.
Good food + good service = I will be coming back

Oh what Japanese BBQ!
Location: The worst location! Any store front located in the Trader Joes parking lot is going to be a nightmare! The parking here is very limited, because there are so many other resturants in the area. As well as TJ and Chuck E Cheese!
Décor: Very spacious! Also gets pretty crowded! They have a very small outdoor patio as well in which we sat.
Service: You guys need to step your game up! The service was not a 10 more like a 4! We ordered and it took them forever to bring out our meats and veggies. Then when the brought it out, the guy told us not to put anything on the grill until it was oiled. So another guy came by and saw that we were just sitting there and asked if anything was wrong. Ummm. yeah that guy told us to wait bc the grill wasn’t oiled. Well guess what, they oil all the grills prior to you even sitting down! WOW, so we waited for 15 mins for nothing! You all need to be on the same page when serving people as well as instructions on how to cook/​grill. I probably will not come here again. I will stick to Korean BBQ.