I had an amazing experience at the Kobe Gyukatsu restaurant. From the moment I walked in, the service was truly outstanding—friendly, attentive, and welcoming without ever feeling rushed. The staff went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect, and it really made the whole dining experience special.
The food itself was exceptional. The gyukatsu was cooked to perfection—crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside—and full of rich flavor. Every bite was satisfying and showed the care and quality that went into preparing it. Alongside the main dish, all the sides were fresh and balanced, complementing the meat beautifully.
One of the highlights of the evening was the matcha beer. It was unique, refreshing, and surprisingly smooth, pairing wonderfully with the meal. It’s definitely something I would recommend trying if you visit.
Overall, this restaurant combines excellent service with top-quality food and drinks. I left with a smile, completely satisfied, and already looking forward to my next visit. Highly recommended for anyone who loves great food and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ernie Hernandez
First off, you clearly don't go to Kobe Gyukatsu for the atmosphere. It looks to be a repurposed, old, perhaps very old, dive taco shop. Okay, now that's out of the way.
One goes to any restaurant for the food. And this is where they excel. As it should be. As one might expect they offer many versions of katsu. My introduction to this dish was a hole in the wall spot on the island of Oahu. The pork cutlets were perfectly breaded. The dipping sauce was sublime. (Here they added sesame seeds to the sauce, which I quite liked.) The finely shredded cabbage was topped with an oh so light dressing that was both tangy and slightly sweet. These were accompanied by slightly sticky rice, which was perfect. Kobe Gyukatsu replicated this meal to perfection. They also added some pickled radish kimchi, and a bit of edamame. And come with either a large appetite or the idea that you're going to be taking half of your meal home for leftovers.
They lose a star for service because each table comes with a tablet, which is how you place your order. I also threw in a couple images of the tablet showing ads which can, I suppose, be helpful sometimes. But as I often dine alone due to travel for work, I prefer to interact with a human being when I do go out to have my evening meal. If half stars were available, they might get half a star back for service. Why? Because not only did I get a to-go box, but I also got a container for my sauce, and another container for the remainder of my kimchi.
So..... Good katsu for a reasonable price. And it doesn't require a 6-hour flight. I'll be back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Gonzalo Palmer
NICE PLACE
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Aaron Meza
This was crazy good with lots of different flavors! The meat was great but what really shocked me was how good the side salad was! Its thinly sliced cabbage with an asian citrus dressing that isnt overpowering! The miso soup was awesome too! Definitely will be back
The food is always super delicious and well seasoned without being too salty! The service is incredible! It was my friend’s birthday and they went above and beyond to make it special. Very thoughtful and attentive service!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
ScnGrimace
Amazing quality A5 and the beef gyukatsu was also so tasty. The sides and sauces were also good and portioned well. The creamy udon was rich and the curry flavor was strong but not too salty. We didn't try any appetizers but the portion was more than enough fpr two of us. We also ordered the wagyu with the aides and breaded beef katsu without sides which was still more than enough food for two. For drinks they did have some and a canned highball that looked good. We got an order of corn cheese that we didn't originally order but was given to us anyways and from now on, we will be ordering that whenever we go! The staff were very efficient and filled water glasses often. They also relit one of our stone grills that went out so we could cook the last of our meat. Came around 730 pm on a Saturday and waited maybe 15 minutes. The parking lot is small so at peak times it'll be packed. Plenty of street parking though.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Gyukatsu
NJZ B
not bad quality of meat. Many ppl always
Maggie Holguin
This was some of the best meat I’ve tried. Just yum yum yum
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Edgar Escobar
The food here is delicious! Simply put. I also like how there isn't a need for waiters here. They have a tablet at each table where you place an order of the items you want and they bring it to you (and rather quickly too). You don't pay on the tablet so it's more like your adding requests for items you want in real time and they bring it to you. It's nice and peaceful inside and it made it easy to relax as I ate a meal by myself.
Julius Marzuki
Went during the eve of July 4th was not a good choice. Only two servers around, all guests kept coming in, it took 15 minutes to wait for our seats as the server needed time to clean up the available tables, on top of another 20 minutes after a number of guests left after they had finished their meals. Overall, they did have great services, luckily the place was small, so the wait wasn't too long. We ordered the Haneshita Cutlet, Gyukatsu Soba and Cheese Cutlet, they came out pretty fast and they tasted great, extremely flavorful dishes. My wife and sons loved their meat and commented that we should come here again next time.
Randomly googled gyukatsu and this place popped up. If you been to Japan and want the same setup from gyukatsu to curry udon and takoyaki this is the place. Food is not bad, service is excellent atmosphere is chill
Shar Aguilar
Delicious! Great price. Great amt of meat. They were really nice to us. It’s amazing how a small business like this gives such great heartwarming service.
The creamy udon was amazing too!
We will be back! 🥹
Eエ
I came here for the gyukatsu. I am a raw meat lover and I love panko breaded things. I’m surprised that I had to drive all the way from San Diego to try something like this, it’s a very niche food and I think that the only real downfall is the location, or at least the architecture of the building. It’s giving “Old Taco Bell before the new one moved across the street,” and I think that factor alone is what keeps this business from shining to its fullest.
Otherwise, the candle grill was a really cool selling point, it’s definitely convenient when you want to have a casual korean/japanese bbq experience.
But I really did come here for the gyukatsu and curry cream udon :) I loved them both and I’d love to come back one day if I don’t otherwise get to it first in Asia
Andrew Choe (Jae)
I've had my fair share of gyukatsu in japan which I loved, decided to come here with a group but didn't go as expected. The food here is pretty good but for the price..this place is too expensive even for gyukatsu. I mean the portion was so small that the biggest part of any dish was a scoop of rice. We ordered many dishes, as mentioned before this place has good food just never worth trying again ever. Parking is free and party of 5 or more has a 18% tip requirement which is fine until you realize all the food is small enough for kids, 3 pieces of small edaname which are cold on all dishes and poor background music(only covers and total of about 10 songs). I'd say if you want gyukatsu then try it as the food is decent, if not then save the money for japan where the quailty and price is way superior. Our table kept on shaking due to an imbalance of support on the table pillars. The servers were very cool and chill, and I would like to thank them for their service.
Phuong Pham
Juicy wagyu set that hits the spot — super satisfying. But the surprise winner? The creamy potato curry don. Didn’t expect it, but low-key obsessed.
I had an amazing experience at the Kobe Gyukatsu restaurant. From the moment I walked in, the service was truly outstanding—friendly, attentive, and welcoming without ever feeling rushed. The staff went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect, and it really made the whole dining experience special.
The food itself was exceptional. The gyukatsu was cooked to perfection—crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside—and full of rich flavor. Every bite was satisfying and showed the care and quality that went into preparing it. Alongside the main dish, all the sides were fresh and balanced, complementing the meat beautifully.
One of the highlights of the evening was the matcha beer. It was unique, refreshing, and surprisingly smooth, pairing wonderfully with the meal. It’s definitely something I would recommend trying if you visit.
Overall, this restaurant combines excellent service with top-quality food and drinks. I left with a smile, completely satisfied, and already looking forward to my next visit. Highly recommended for anyone who loves great food and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First off, you clearly don't go to Kobe Gyukatsu for the atmosphere. It looks to be a repurposed, old, perhaps very old, dive taco shop. Okay, now that's out of the way.
One goes to any restaurant for the food. And this is where they excel. As it should be. As one might expect they offer many versions of katsu. My introduction to this dish was a hole in the wall spot on the island of Oahu. The pork cutlets were perfectly breaded. The dipping sauce was sublime. (Here they added sesame seeds to the sauce, which I quite liked.) The finely shredded cabbage was topped with an oh so light dressing that was both tangy and slightly sweet. These were accompanied by slightly sticky rice, which was perfect. Kobe Gyukatsu replicated this meal to perfection. They also added some pickled radish kimchi, and a bit of edamame. And come with either a large appetite or the idea that you're going to be taking half of your meal home for leftovers.
They lose a star for service because each table comes with a tablet, which is how you place your order. I also threw in a couple images of the tablet showing ads which can, I suppose, be helpful sometimes. But as I often dine alone due to travel for work, I prefer to interact with a human being when I do go out to have my evening meal. If half stars were available, they might get half a star back for service. Why? Because not only did I get a to-go box, but I also got a container for my sauce, and another container for the remainder of my kimchi.
So..... Good katsu for a reasonable price. And it doesn't require a 6-hour flight. I'll be back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
NICE PLACE
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
This was crazy good with lots of different flavors! The meat was great but what really shocked me was how good the side salad was! Its thinly sliced cabbage with an asian citrus dressing that isnt overpowering! The miso soup was awesome too! Definitely will be back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Gyukatsu, Curry, Premium Gyukatsu
The food is always super delicious and well seasoned without being too salty! The service is incredible! It was my friend’s birthday and they went above and beyond to make it special. Very thoughtful and attentive service!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing quality A5 and the beef gyukatsu was also so tasty. The sides and sauces were also good and portioned well. The creamy udon was rich and the curry flavor was strong but not too salty. We didn't try any appetizers but the portion was more than enough fpr two of us. We also ordered the wagyu with the aides and breaded beef katsu without sides which was still more than enough food for two. For drinks they did have some and a canned highball that looked good. We got an order of corn cheese that we didn't originally order but was given to us anyways and from now on, we will be ordering that whenever we go! The staff were very efficient and filled water glasses often. They also relit one of our stone grills that went out so we could cook the last of our meat. Came around 730 pm on a Saturday and waited maybe 15 minutes. The parking lot is small so at peak times it'll be packed. Plenty of street parking though.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Gyukatsu
not bad quality of meat. Many ppl always
This was some of the best meat I’ve tried. Just yum yum yum
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food here is delicious! Simply put.
I also like how there isn't a need for waiters here. They have a tablet at each table where you place an order of the items you want and they bring it to you (and rather quickly too). You don't pay on the tablet so it's more like your adding requests for items you want in real time and they bring it to you.
It's nice and peaceful inside and it made it easy to relax as I ate a meal by myself.
Went during the eve of July 4th was not a good choice. Only two servers around, all guests kept coming in, it took 15 minutes to wait for our seats as the server needed time to clean up the available tables, on top of another 20 minutes after a number of guests left after they had finished their meals. Overall, they did have great services, luckily the place was small, so the wait wasn't too long. We ordered the Haneshita Cutlet, Gyukatsu Soba and Cheese Cutlet, they came out pretty fast and they tasted great, extremely flavorful dishes. My wife and sons loved their meat and commented that we should come here again next time.
Restaurantji Recommends
Randomly googled gyukatsu and this place popped up. If you been to Japan and want the same setup from gyukatsu to curry udon and takoyaki this is the place. Food is not bad, service is excellent atmosphere is chill
Delicious! Great price. Great amt of meat. They were really nice to us. It’s amazing how a small business like this gives such great heartwarming service.
The creamy udon was amazing too!
We will be back! 🥹
I came here for the gyukatsu. I am a raw meat lover and I love panko breaded things. I’m surprised that I had to drive all the way from San Diego to try something like this, it’s a very niche food and I think that the only real downfall is the location, or at least the architecture of the building. It’s giving “Old Taco Bell before the new one moved across the street,” and I think that factor alone is what keeps this business from shining to its fullest.
Otherwise, the candle grill was a really cool selling point, it’s definitely convenient when you want to have a casual korean/japanese bbq experience.
But I really did come here for the gyukatsu and curry cream udon :) I loved them both and I’d love to come back one day if I don’t otherwise get to it first in Asia
I've had my fair share of gyukatsu in japan which I loved, decided to come here with a group but didn't go as expected. The food here is pretty good but for the price..this place is too expensive even for gyukatsu. I mean the portion was so small that the biggest part of any dish was a scoop of rice. We ordered many dishes, as mentioned before this place has good food just never worth trying again ever. Parking is free and party of 5 or more has a 18% tip requirement which is fine until you realize all the food is small enough for kids, 3 pieces of small edaname which are cold on all dishes and poor background music(only covers and total of about 10 songs). I'd say if you want gyukatsu then try it as the food is decent, if not then save the money for japan where the quailty and price is way superior. Our table kept on shaking due to an imbalance of support on the table pillars. The servers were very cool and chill, and I would like to thank them for their service.
Juicy wagyu set that hits the spot — super satisfying. But the surprise winner? The creamy potato curry don. Didn’t expect it, but low-key obsessed.
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