Yakitori Taisho

Tasty food great service. The desserts were delicious. Not too sweet, but very tasty.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Honestly the best Japanese food I've had and the best customer service .

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

A great little yakitori spot in an unsuspecting strip mall. Weirdly tucked in the back beside the Smart & Final, this little shop has an authentic and extensive menu. Love the wings, garlic, edamame, chicken heart, and quail eggs! It gets busy so try to call ahead an hour or two for a reservation. Definitely worth hitting up!

Update: Came back tonight with my mom after a two year absence because my mom was craving beef tongue. Everything was even better than I remember. The wait staff was super friendly and accommodating. I loved the quail eggs, chicken wings, beef tongue with wasabi, and brussel sprouts. This is by far one of the best yakitori spots in San Diego. Highly recommend! Remember to call and make a reservation the day before!

Update 2: Still insanely good. Call before for a reservation. Top items: Brussel sprouts, beef tongue, fried garlic, smashed fresh wasabi. This place is the gift that keeps on giving!

Vegetarian options: They do serve a fairly large amount of vegetarian-friendly items, such as the Japanese eggplant, fried tofu, Brussel sprouts, shiitake mushrooms, quail eggs, fried garlic, edamame, rice, Japanese pickles, and shishito peppers.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Yakitori, Chicken Wings, Fried Garlic

One of best Yakitori shop in SD and had to come back for a nice review. The skewers were amazing as always and most dishes are excellent quality. I love their chicken liver and beef tongue the most. We definitely love the food but server unfortunately was too busy so they forgot one of my order. No biggie though

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Yakitori, Chicken Hearts, Gizzard, Pork Neck

Hawaiian poke and the skewers were all good!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This hidden gem in a strip mall offers an authentic yakitori menu with favorites like wings, garlic, edamame, chicken heart, and quail eggs, call ahead for reservations as it gets busy!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food was amazing, the staff were so friendly and the sake selection was on point. Just make sure you make a reservation.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Best Yakitori in town. Protip: call a few days in advance for a reservation. Don’t show up without calling. The chicken thigh, soy butter scallops, fried taisho shrimp roll are my faves. My husband likes the pork shiso with plum sauce. Thanks Yaz and Aki!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Meatballs, Chicken Yakitori, Beef Tongue, Chicken Wings, Fried Tofu, Thigh, Fried Garlic

THE best oysters 🦪 hands down

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very small and loud inside. Decent food and plenty of parking.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 4

Hidden gem of an izakaya. On my first visit I hadn’t made a reservation, but they were still able to seat me outside. Once room freed up inside they offered me a space inside. After each part of the meal I was checked on, including by the very friendly chef. All of the dishes were simple but authentically Japanese. It’s a small space, so I would recommend calling ahead to get a reservation. Thank you for the great food and service!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Yakitori, Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon

Staff are super cool; they made us feel at home. The sake selection was on point and the yakitori was killer. The pork neck, Brussels sprouts, and carpaccio were particularly good. This is a hidden gem!

Absolutely incredible food. My friend and I ordered mainly dishes from the “specials” menu, most of which I had no experience with. The plating was beautiful and I loved everything I tasted.
The service was wonderful — extremely attentive and friendly, despite how busy it was, and the restaurant itself was incredibly cozy and inviting. Although the seating was pretty close together at the bar, groups were separated by wooden dividers, which made me feel like I had plenty of privacy while still feeling immersed in the atmosphere of the restaurant. The only drawback I could point to is that sound carries very well in the room so if you come at a busy time like we did, the volume could be a bit overwhelming.
The drink menu was extremely detailed and diverse, with a wide array of sakes that each had a detailed description. It specifies at the top that the sakes are carefully selected and come from smaller labels, as opposed to large companies. While we didn’t end up ordering any sake, it was clear to me that a lot of knowledge and passion went into curating the list and I’m eager to try everything I can in the future.
Overall, I was so lucky to have stumbled upon this wonderful restaurant and I can’t wait to come back in the future! :))

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cold Smoked Yellowtail Carpaccio

Good service. Chicken thigh tastes the best.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Thigh

Almost didn’t want to write this review so I can gate keep this place. But it was too good to not write a positive review to encourage the staffs! Food was amazing, our server (Mar) was my new best friend , and everyone else was respectful, friendly and wearing a smile while working a busy night . The food was extra tasty because it was made with love and a sense of home . Thank you everyone for the great dinning experience, we will definitely come back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5