Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

I don’t understand how this place has such a good review. Food, service, atmosphere was all mediocre! not worth the price.

Very busy and noisy area. Food in general is good, except the matcha tiramisu which was very bitter. The first restaurant in San Mateo that we went that was not pet friendly.

Happy with the quality and service.

plentiful food options. we ordered the 3 person recommended meat variety for 4 and it was sufficient. beef cuts were premium. we even liked the garlic mushroom and corns. not the biggest fan of their thicker cuts of meat as they are difficult to cook over the bbq.

food is just ok. small portions and kinda pricey for what it is

Ridiculously expensive for ridiculously small portions. Better off going to an all you can eat bbq spot and getting your moneys worth

You can tell a lot about a restaurant by the attention they give to their miso soup. The miso soup here is a neglected child.

Not bad, but way overpriced.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

Very nice beef, pork, shrimp, asparagus, and mushrooms. Salty. Weak salad and chicken and spicy tuny. Overall lack of spiciness. Good (and cheap) beer on tap a major plus. Smores for dessert was pretty fun.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Gyu-Sushi with Premium Roast Beef Japanese Shoyu BBQ Sauce and Kuki-Wasabi on the Side, Toro Beef

Better avoid this restaurant!
The food is terrible. Here’s the photo of the RAW beef tongue, disgusting! Beef tongue is their top recommendation, but they serve this!?
I also ordered the Kalbi (also the top recommendation), but guess what, they hide the unfresh one at the bottom, I didn’t notice when I started barbecuing.

Yes you can definitely ask them to replace the not fresh meat, but this is definitely not a Japanese restaurant should do!

I am also disappointed about the scallion sauce in my opinion. Their scallion sauce is also not Japanese style. If you’re seeking American Japanese, yes you can try it. But if you’re aiming for the true Japanese taste, this restaurant is not what you want.

By the way, no combo for one person. Sad.

Overall, this is a very disappointing experience and I think this restaurant is overrated because of the unfresh meat.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Gyu-Kaku is a fairly famous and old chain that interestingly I've been to the old Burlingame location, Tokyo location, the Cupertino location and the San Mateo location.

It's Japanese BBQ so most stuff are more marinated and sweeter than a typical Korean BBQ. I like that there are a lot of choices to choose from which is very different from what I'd normally order in Korean BBQ.

Most orders are small which is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you get to order a lot of different dishes. A curse because it's never enough.

In any case because the meats are usually very marinated so you are eating not just the meat but also the sauce which an be good and bad same time. Good because they can be flavorful bad because the sauce can overpower the meat.

I also like the service because they change the grille often and are attentive. The place can be crowded but all tables are separated from others.

I don't have any particular favorite but do like some of the more expensive cuts. Order the combos if you can be you get to try different cuts.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Cow tongue looked gray :/ So they serve very low quality kimchi as their free side dish. Soon tofu is also on their menu. Ruins the ambiance.

Vegetarian options: There was veggie in steam pouches that you can order - spinach & garlic; mix mushrooms. Sliced zucchini can also be grilled.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Gyu-Sushi with Premium Roast Beef Japanese Shoyu BBQ Sauce and Kuki-Wasabi on the Side, Steak, Spicy Tuna Volcano

Cow tongue looked gray :/ So they serve very low quality kimchi as their free side dish. Soon tofu is also on their menu. Ruins the ambiance.

Vegetarian options: There was veggie in steam pouches that you can order - spinach & garlic; mix mushrooms. Sliced zucchini can also be grilled.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Gyu-Sushi with Premium Roast Beef Japanese Shoyu BBQ Sauce and Kuki-Wasabi on the Side, Steak, Spicy Tuna Volcano

1st timer. The meat quality and instructions were excellent. Lots of fun for a small party.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I love that place. The food is very good, the meats are so yummy. There are kids menus. I like the indoor after the renovation. It looks so cozy and nice. The staff is very friendly. I also like that they have white wine in the menu. I would recommend this place for any occasion or just a casual night out with the family.

Lots of excellent options to BBQ yourself to taste. I liked the beef tongue the most! Great quality meats and veggies all around.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 3