Binchoyaki

We called the last minute and got lucky to have a table for 6. They have both in door and out door seating. We got an outdoor seating with one torch and one heater by our side. We ordered kids two ramen and one fried veggies. We ordered one Dandan men, chicken skin fried rice, soba fish, and many skewers. The portion is ok but the taste is pretty decent. The only thing that you want to be aware is the wait time. They are vey busy so you just need to be patient with them. The lady who served us was very sweet and helpful. Very good service!

I saw jar of house made plum wine right after came in, then I got good feelings. We had veggie set, this part was average, I would suggest to switch garlic and onion to something like corn or mushrooms, just feel that $25 for a set should have more veggies. The rest are all amazing, the chicken lunch bento was very tasty! The house made pickle was amazing! Whoever grilled the meat, understand the meat! I have to mention the service, she’s great! Friendly and helpful.

Super Overpriced for bad to average food and slow service. Some skewers are SO DRY, how do you even mess up salted vegetables??? Those are the worst veggie skewers I’ve had. Very slow service yet charge 20% by default. This might be the worst yakitori place I’ve been to……what a disappointment i love yakitori and I was really looking forward to it…..won’t come back

Binchoyaki – Disappointing Experience Binchoyaki is located near HWY50 on the edge of Sacramento downtown, not too far from the city center. While the location is convenient for drivers, parking is very limited — most people will need to park farther away and walk to the restaurant. The restaurant does have some appealing touches: a yakitori counter where you can watch the chef at work, plus Japanese paintings and sake-themed decor. The bar area always seems lively, drawing in plenty of locals. They also offer a fancy wooden outdoor dining space, but in reality, it’s uncomfortable. It’s noisy from cars passing by, filled with flies, and even worse — fruit from a nearby tree kept falling onto the tables. To top it off, the table and seating were noticeably uneven. For food, I ordered four yakitori: Negima (chicken thigh & green onion): Tender, but nothing memorable. Teba (spicy chicken wings): Small portion, flavor just okay. NY Strip Loin (Niman Ranch): I could only taste the plain beef, the sauce added nothing. Shiitake Mushroom: Only four tiny pieces, extremely underwhelming. All portions were very small for the relatively high prices. The overall quality didn’t justify the cost. I also tried two onigiri: Tuna Mayo and Ebi Mayo. Both were disappointing. The nori was poorly wrapped, so the rice fell apart easily. The tuna was chopped into tiny bits with little flavor, and the shrimp tempura was just one small piece compared to the amount of rice. Definitely overpriced and not worth it. Service was another huge letdown. The wait time was far too long: about 20 minutes for the yakitori (acceptable), but nearly 40 minutes for the onigiri, which should be quick to prepare. Staff service was very slow overall, and it felt like we were constantly waiting. The final frustration came with the mandatory 20% gratuity, hidden in a small line at the very bottom of the menu. I was dissatisfied with both the service and experience, yet forced to pay extra. Between the high prices, tiny portions, long waits, poor service, and mandatory gratuity, my visit was extremely disappointing. Two stars only for the decent yakitori quality — otherwise, I would not recommend this place. ---

Great Japanese food place downtown. Not a huge menu, but the yaki/grilled meats and sashimi were delicious. Really interesting mix of pickled vegetables that sets it apart from any Japanese food place you'll find in the area and made me feel like I was back in Osaka rather than Sacramento.

This place used to be good. I’ve noticed a gradual decline since the pandemic. They downsized their skewer menu. Noticed that gizzard, asparagus, and squid legs are absent. The tare sauce also changed. During one of the previous times we came it actually got a little sour. I figure they had it out for a whole day so by 10pm it had probably started to go rancid. We actually had to send stuff back. Even when they remade it, we decided to not eat it and still paid for it because we were embarrassed to send it back twice. During the most recent time we came here, the tare sauce was a lot lighter, but tasted like watered down sugar and was not flavorful. The oysters, duck, rice dishes, and sashimi are still good here though. Also not a fan of the mandatory 20% tip because service here is definitely not above average and the food and drinks are already overpriced.

We had a reservation for 2, and we even arrived early. Despite being on time and they had plenty of empty outdoor and indoor tables, we were made to wait 30+min for a table. What is the point of reservation?? Service: I was already unhappy with the staff at the beginning as they were also rude but we really wanted to try the food. Our waitress was actually nice but no one mentioned the 20% automatic gratuity for every table! It was in small print at the bottom of the menu. I feel like the waitress or staff should mention it but to have the audacity to ask for additional tip for the back was ridiculous when we paid for our meal. The food was way overpriced for a few pieces of yakatori meat and the flavor was sorely lacking. The meat was even overcooked and chewy and lacking in salt. We had 2 sashimi dishes which was their only redeeming factor in terms of taste. I would not recommend this place.

*Food safety concerns* We are leaving this public review after a food poisoning incident and we tried to reach out to the restaurant over the course of one week and couldn’t reach anyone. And when we finally did, we were told they would relay the message to a manager. It’s been 2 weeks and we have not had a follow-up. We traced back the food poisoning to the skewed liver. It’s under cooked. My husband ate the whole thing but I didn’t. And he ended up with the whole range of food poisoning symptoms for 12 plus hours. It was a disappointing dining experiencing even without the food poisoning. Service was slow. Our water was never refilled. Everything always felt rushed. We loved having a vibrant business in the neighborhood but unfortunately we won’t support this establishment any more.

SERVICE: counter style AMBIANCE: clean and open FLAVORS: Bonjiri (5/5) - sauce and salt were both good but I liked salt more Negima, salt (3/5) - solid staple Teba (3/5) Liver, sauce (5/5) - dining partner wanted a whole bowl of this! Belly, sauce (5/5) Kamo negi, salt (5/5) Duck ramen (3/5) - interesting, noodles are perfect, but broth is INTENSE and a little too salty PORTIONS: depends on what you order, but skewers are just enough to whet the appetite PRICE: pricey! BONUS TIP: tip is included!

I was excited when I found this place. After having excellent yakitori at other izakaya places in Japan and SF , I was looking forward to trying this place out especially given the reviews. My first attempt was disappointing as I was turned away and told I needed to make a reservation. No where on their website did it state it was required. Nonetheless I decided to come back after making a reservation for 2 weeks later. 5 stars for service. Our waitress was great!! Super friendly, helpful in reviewing the menu and checking in on us throughout our meal. 3 stars for the food. I was underwhelmed with my orders. I had expected more given the reviews and maybe I went on an off day. But where was little flavor to my skewers. The best things I had were the potato salad and the poor belly. I saw they had more on their menu so may go back to try other items. The neighborhood can be a little sketchy so plan accordingly and don't be distracted when walking as it's located off a thoroughfare and cars zip by.

Binchoyaki is a must-visit yakitori restaurant for anyone who loves Japanese cuisine and grilled meats. The service is both efficient and welcoming, creating a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. With its cozy and homey vibe, this small yet charming spot offers a unique dining experience. Most of the meat items are grilled on a charcoal grill in the open air kitchen. Highly Recommend: Ny Strip Loin Arabiki Sausage Shishito Peppers Yukon Potato Ribeye Persimmon Kara Carbonara Mazemen Sake Avocado Crudo Corn Dog Crispy Rice Good But Not Great: Michi Bacon Shitake Mushrooms Sweet Potato Yaki Onigiri (Rice Ball) Cheesy Potatoes You Can Skip: Muneniku (Chicken Breast) Tanuki (Shitake Stuffed Ground Chicken) Highly recommend Binchoyaki if you want great Japanese food.

I have heard so many good things about this place and we decided to finally stop in one afternoon for a quick dinner. We arrived right when they opened at 4:00, figuring that we could get a table since we only saw one party dining outside. They told us it would still be a 15 minute wait though so we decided to wait since it would still be faster than driving somewhere else. We ended up waiting 30 minutes and I wished we had just gone somewhere else if I had known it would be 30 minutes instead of 15. The servers seemed quite busy which was understandable, but then I saw one server just standing around talking to the guests at the bar and even took a shot with them, so that was frustrating since we were waiting to order. We only ordered 5 items and they all arrived at separate times. The best item was the yakiniku onigiri with really tender marinated beef. The curry fries were good, but way overpriced at $12 for the portion, and it was ridiculous to charge an extra $3 for one fried egg. We ordered spam musubi, pretty standard and nothing special, but again $6 seemed crazy. The ebi mayo onigiri was not flavorful and I wish we had skipped on it. We were most excited about the katsu sando, which ended up being disappointing as well. Very dry pork cutlet, bread was dense, and was not a $21 dish in my opinion. The fries with the spicy aioli were the best part on the plate. Overall wish we had a better experience so that I could have great things to say about the place like many others do. I'm always willing to give a second chance though, but I'm just not in a rush to come back yet for the prices and service.

We tried this place for dinner following a play, and it was absolutely delicious. We probably ordered too much food, but it was all traditional and freshly prepared. The service was exceptional and very attentive. We did not have reservations, but they were able to sit us outside on the patio which was nice as it had heaters. So, I highly recommend making reservations.

It was ok. I don't think I'd come back again because everything was pretty expensive and not very fresh. The uni pasta was too salty for me. The NY steak did not have that char I was looking for. I did like the shishito peppers and mochi bacon. But not enough for me to come back considering the price...

Came with my girlfriends for one of their birthdays and this place did not disappoint. The food did take some time to arrive as they were busy, but all were worth the wait. My favorite items were the stuffed mushrooms, curry fries, bacon wrapped mochi, and the crème caramel dessert. The food is definitely pricy but flavor makes up for it. I'll def be back!

Obsessed with the uni mazimen. Got the chance to have this twice this summer and I could not feel more blessed. This dish is packed full of rich flavor and not for the faint of heart. From the sauce to the perfectly cooked leeks that accompany this dish so well, it really is my favorite summer treat. I look forward to this seasonal dish every year. Not sure how it is still available in mid-October but I feel so grateful. Thank you Binchoyaki for the consistently tasty uni mazimen! Also, when is that katsu loco Moco coming back, that was a fire dish ive been craving for awhile now!

I visited particularly for the duck ramen. It is still as good as I remembered. The broth has numbing spices, which enhances the flavors. The duck was cut up in small pieces and it was flavorful and tender. The yakitoris are always prepared perfectly as usual. I orders the shishito peppers, duck breast, and the bacon wrapped enokis. I will visit again in the winter to satisfy my duck ramen cravings.

This is a difficult review to write believe it or not. I want to focus on the most important aspect of any restaurant - how good is the food? And I can easily say the food is beyond amazing. Cannot wait until I eat here again, especially now that I've tried the place and can really grasp the best game plan. However, the minus one star comes into play simply based off the service and the gouging price tags on so much INCREDIBLE food. I'm going to apologize ahead of time for the length and random digressions. To start I was attending with a very large party, about nine people. Based off reviews we thought "ok let's not stick to the skewer items let's order entrees as well." So we are sat and start looking over all the different menus. First, there is a drink menu, then a regular menu, then the Izakaya list, then a paper menu that seems to have seasonal specials? Just specials?? There was so much being presented at once me and all my friends were like "damn this is a lot to look through." And mind you for a table of nine people we were given one izakaya list that we all had to share around the table to decide and pick. And don't get me started on our server. It was a gentleman; and who knows maybe he was having an off day; maybe he worked a long shift and he was ready to go home. We all have these days and I don't hold it against him as a server, but the way he interacted with us as a group and the constant pretentious attitude toward us just made things so awkward. He never went over the different menus or even shed light on to why there was a paper menu not part of the regular menu? He also did not go over the izakaya dishes and list to check off until we asked. Once we ordered I think he sensed we were a little taken aback from him and the way he was speaking to us so he started to be a little more welcoming; but me and my entire table of friends the entire time were just like "what is this guys deal?" Despite all the awkward encounters again I have to say the food was amazing. Very unique dishes that were Japanese fusion and the izakaya plates were soooo good. Me and few of my friends at the table ordered a lot of skewers that I honestly didn't think we needed our entrees once they came, but keep in mind the skewers are PRICEY. And each one is only about two bites worth of food. Next bit of info I think would be important to add was all our entrees came out very spread apart. Two people got their entree, one person got one, then another. Each time a dish would come out with still almost three people not yet getting our food we would have to constantly ask the waiter. One of my friends ordered a rice dish and by the time her dish came the rest of our table had already finished their food. With again not much help with our server considering we had to constantly ask about the next entree and when it'll be coming out. Not all of our table ordered skewers, so while some of us sat and had appetizers some people were sitting almost an hour and a half without any food. And watching other entrees come out with still no entree for them.. Overall I look forward to returning, and I'll be sure to write an updated experience. But for now just to sum it all up - Prices are high. Food is incredible. Service was.. interesting... And I don't recommend large parties.

Overall? 4/5, robust selection of dishes with a variety of skewer options, some much better than others. Portions on skewers can be spartan so either expect to pay more or order from main dishes Parking? Street, a little difficult to find but manageable, would plan to be there earlier to find a decent spot Ambiance? Great, outdoor, indoor and bar seating. Equally great music selection except it was too loud and at times difficult to hear a conversation Service? No problems, knowledge about menu and responsive We got: Experienced skewer set: 3/5, I wouldn't get again, would probably go with a different set next time. Wasn't a fan of the flavor profile overall Mochi bacon: 5/5, crispy bacon with sweet chewy mochi center Yaki-Onigiri, grilled rice ball: 3.5/5, it was good but for $10 for two of them I would have retrospectively gone for a different selection Shiitake Mushroom: 4/5, good flavor but poor portion (2 smaller mushrooms per serving) despite price of $5.5 per serving 1/2 potion Sashimi: 4.5/5, good selection of fish, I thought it was good quality with a healthy bed of greens

Food was amazing. Lots of choices you wouldn't think would be delicious but they do a great job. Stuffed mushrooms and the sausages grilled over the open flame are both epic

With all due respect to Sacramento and the restaurants that call it home, I never thought I'd be jealous of the food scene here. Don't get me wrong - there absolutely have been places that I wish we had in the Bay Area (Butter & Bacon and Ginger Elizabeth immediately come to mind), but I have to admit those feelings grew even stronger after visiting Binchoyaki. In no small part because there seem to be tons of interesting spots that have opened up over the last five to ten years, but also because, compared to the overly hyped Yakitori Edomasa in SF, I found myself bemoaning the fact that the food there wasn't nearly as good as what we had here! Now, in fairness, Yakitori Edomasa is a purely yakitori restaurant, whereas Binchoyaki is an izakaya. However, the latter's yakitori offerings, which is the main feature of their menu, smokes the former's (pun intended) and it's not even close. Beyond just tasting better, the range of selections here is really impressive, offering numerous types of proteins, cuts, and preparations. As for the rest of the menu, it's pretty in line with most izakayas out there, but not all of the individual dishes are super traditional. Alongside staples like agedashi tofu, tempura, onigiri, ramen, and udon, you can also find more unique items like Arabiki corn dogs, fried shrimp tacos, curry fries, and Spam musubi. And, of course, they've got a wealth of beers, sake, nigoris, cocktails, and wines to choose from, too. ***Unfortunately, I wasn't able to snag photos of everything we had, but trust me when I say that all of it looked great. -- ARABIKI SAUSAGE...$7 Ehh...this was just okay. We got this on accident (marked the wrong line), but I was fine trying this. The sausages were juicy and had a nice sweetness to them, but they weren't all that special compared to everything else we had. -- NY STRIP LOIN (Niman Ranch)...$8.5 This was terrific! Every piece was meaty, had a delicious beefiness and was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Not very unique, but really, really good. -- SHISHITO PEPPERS...$5.5 Pretty decent, though hardly amazing. The peppers were all fairly large in size and I liked how they had a slightly sweet and smoky flavor to them (akin to a grilled bell pepper). -- CHICKEN HEART...$5.5 We opted for this over the gizzards and I am so glad we did. The hearts had a nice chew to them (in a good way) and were especially well complemented by the char of the fire. -- BEEF TONGUE...$9.5 Tongue is a little hit or miss for me and this was right down the middle. The texture wasn't as tender as I would've liked, but the flavors were spot on. -- GRILLED BEEF RIB - Sweet Sesame Kakuni Style Braised & Grilled Beef Rib...$7 Aside from how difficult this was to eat (certain parts weren't exactly falling off the bone), this was pretty delicious. The rib meat at all dry like how I had feared and the sauce on this packed a nice punch. -- NEGIMA - Chicken Thigh/Green Onions...$6 Initially, I was a little worried about the chicken, but this was great! Every piece was moist and I liked how well the charred portions of the green onion complemented the chicken. Yum! -- MOCHI BACON...$6 One of my favorites of the night! Even though I wish the bacon was a little crispier, the mochi had the perfect amount of gooiness to it. I would've been stoked with a second order. -- HAMACHI (Yellowtail)...$19 If we had known how big the pieces were, we probably wouldn't have added this at the last minute. At the same time, I'm so glad we did because this was one of my favorites of the night! The fish was super moist and oh so tasty! Despite having tried so many of their skewers, and how much I thoroughly enjoyed the vast majority of them, I really wish we had tried other parts of Binchoyaki's menu. Their ramen would be chief among them, based purely on how many orders we saw pass by us, but also some of their izakaya items as well. In particular, their hamachi or maguro carpaccio would've been perfect to break up the continuous rounds of skewers and I would've loved to try their Onigiri, Buta Kimchi Itame, and their Gindara Misoyaki. Until we do (and we absolutely will), FOUR AND A HALF STARS rounded down for now.

This place was good. Didn't know we had to make a reservation just to eat here but they were nice enough to sit us anyways. Everything was above average but it was my second time coming here. Service was super amazing but I just don't think it'd worth coming back here again. The best thing I ate was the stuff mushroom.

Japanese tapas galore! So many options to choose from---Yakatori (skewers), curry don, onigiri, ramen, crispy rice, etc.! I highly suggest making a reservation, especially for dinner. You can do this via resy. Casual yet modern vibes. Great service! Always a great spot to recommend.

A smaller place with amazing food selection. Their staff work hard here, they are running a tight ship. I really enjoyed being able to sit at the bar and watch the grill masters at work, but I don't know if the grill offerings are the real stand out of the restaurant. We really enjoyed a lot of the other food more than the grilled food. The carbonara mazemen ramen was so unique and rich, it was the star of the show. We also found the pork tonkatsu sandwich extremely well-executed. It had a coleslaw/potato salad, the meat was cooked perfectly, and the fries were great too. I did feel like the staff was a little overworked, with reservations and walk-ins filling up the tables at all times. And yet, they were extremely nice and friendly. The inside decor is giving Japanese restaurant and isn't as fancy as the food itself. I know this restaurant has been around a while and has many accolades over the years, very well deserved.

My friend that has been here a handful of times brought me here for my first time. The place is small with an open kitchen that you can see, watch, smell, etc. the krispy rice is a must! & one of my favorite dishes from the day. Loved the vibes from the music that was playing and will be back to try the other plates as well.

Vibe was okay. I felt the seating was a little awkward and didn't offer intimate dining for a mid-cost restaurant. Service was also not great, to be fair it was busy but it took 8-12 minutes for us to get serviced. Food was also very okay. I think the only thing that stood out was the duck ramen. Had pretty deep flavors but everything else here was lacking in flavor.

Absolutely delicious - on par with my favorite izakaya spots, Gaku Yakitori in San Jose and Momotaro in Chicago. For better details, read Mike L.'s 3/10/2024 review, whose every word I agree with on the food. I rarely care about service, as I have eaten at places where the servers literally throw the plates on the table, comment on my weight, and insult the dishes I've chosen to order - and still hand over my money and five stars on Yelp. However, the restaurant logistics here defy logic. For a Thursday night 7PM restaurant reservation, our party of four was on time but sat at 7:20 (totally fine), ordered, received drinks and one dish a few minutes later (great), and then nothing until 8:40PM (now we are starving and hangry, and attack our skewers as politely as possible for a birthday celebration). After the 8:40PM set of skewers arrived, lengthy pauses ensued between dishes, during which we watched other tables that arrived after us finish their meals and leave. We didn't receive everything we ordered, and the inconsistent timing of the dishes kept us at the table until nearly 10PM, an hour after restaurant closing, even when we cancelled the missing dishes. Our server was very kind, and it wasn't her fault, but she had the house comp our creme caramel desserts. I would love to return, but I can't wait over an hour between dishes to eat the food, even as amazing as it is.

As always, fantastic food can trump service and ambience. Who cares if the food is that good. Binchoyaki is ok. I think it has the potential to be fantastic with some minor tweaks and because the menu is so large, I have to go back to try other dishes. *Sashimi was excellent. Fresh, generously cut and laid out on a beautiful plate. What I didn't like is that is was served with ponzu. *Hamachi Kama also excellent- generous, grilled to perfection and plated with authentic daikon sauce. *The duck tamago could have been amazing but it was resting in a bowl of mayonnaise which is not my jam. To me, mayo is a dressing used to cover taste, not accentuate it. *Chefs choice beef tongue tacos were subpar... breaded and fried removing any knowledge of the meat and slathered with mayo. Wasn't able to order the Ikha as it was out but we ordered other skewers which were nicely grilled- heart, liver, gizzard. Great service. Our server was very knowledgeable and helpful.

I'm surprised by so many negative reviews here. Maybe I got lucky but I was blown away by how delicious the food is here. It's a place I recommend to people coming in from out of town because I found it to be that good. I thought the service was completely fine, but I see others complaining about wait time. I did not experience any issues. Inside was cute with their little preserve jars.

We had a great experience here with our first time dining here! We will be back again for sure. We didn't have a reservation so we stopped by and put our name in, the host estimated the wait at about 45 minutes and the estimate was very accurate. We came back and received the text that our table was ready. I liked that we were sat at a table as opposed to the bar, but that is just personal experience. Our server was amazing with helping us order our drinks and food since it was our first time visiting. They have so much to offer and we loved each item we ordered.

Make a reservation!! This spot is hopping all the time. Bring your patience if you're waiting for a table. But yes, it's worth the wait. The food is as fresh as can be and arrives hot off the grill, seasoned well & delicious. Keep an open mind and be adventurous. We saw the katsu sando go by our table and it looked amazing. Our choices were delicious and we left happy and full. Katy was our server and she was great. Her recommendations were awesome. The oysters, fried chicken and curry ramen were our favorites and were delicious. Next time we are trying the corn dog, katsu sando and strawberry parfait dessert!!!

Upon arrival around 4pm on a weekday. Not busy at all and we opted to be seated outside. i liked how they provided fly fans in order to save our food from germs. Ambiance inside seemed a bit dark and had an odd smell to it. however, i will say the service was a bit slow. we got our appetizers fairly quickly, but had to wait about 25-30 minutes for the rest of the food to arrive. everything was good, i would say. on the pricier side.

Bacon wrapped mochi! Get it, thank me later! It's all good here, they have lots of skewer choices and some good sized entrees also. Oh and the yak onigiri with the tare glaze, drool.... So damn good. So ya literally the 2 simplest dishes are just about the best bites you can have. Give them a try you won't be disappointed. Have a bacon wrapped mochi for me.

Good food / okay service. The skewers are good ( especially duck 10/10). We got a variety of different skewers and all of them were good/great. Mochi wrapped in bacon was good but SWEET! Crispy chicken skin fried rice was delicious, finished every bit of it. This restaurant is busy most of the time so I recommend reservations! Will be back!

I think Binchoyaki is on-par with the best SF and the Bay Area have to offer both in terms of quality and izakaya vibe. The menu is more extensive than most. We just let the server chose whether to have salt or sauce on each skewer. There was almost no let down on our entire meal. OMG, the bacon wrapped mochi was the best I have ever had! The mochi is toasty, melty without any hint of burnt. The only "negative" is that they are pretty busy. We were lucky to snag a table outside at 6pm on a weeknight without a reso, but everyone else that came after had to wait.

We had to wait two hours even though we came right at opening. Making reservations will be your best friend! Thankfully we had appetizers elsewhere and when we came back it wasn't a long wait. I think they got us in earlier. We tried a bunch of foods but I'll only highlight the ones we enjoyed best. Steak skewers were fantastic and the sauce was salty and flavorful. Chicken thighs with green onions were juicy and also flavorful. My favorite was the salmon with roe. Perfectly cooked, slightly underdone. The ikura was added a nice salt bomb. The grilled rice balls were a hit too. Perfectly seasoned, love the crispy outer area and then warm and soft inside. Mochi bacon was a great blend of sweet and salty. BD said it was too sweet for him but it was perfect for everyone else. Love the texture too. Service was fantastic. Attentive kind patient and friendly. Ask for the skewers with sauce. Or else everything will seem under seasoned. I went in to use the restroom and it was soooooooo smoky in there. Like I was very surprised people weren't complaining. It aired out by the time the twin went to use the restroom but I'm glad we sat outside.

The food is so good here! We love the Krispy Rice Balls the most! We've been here for date night and for lunch both are great!

I came here several years ago and enjoyed my meal. The other week, I finally had an opportunity to return. I was definitely not impressed with the food or atmosphere. I get that this is a small business but there were flies everywhere, it was stuffy, and honestly the service was not great. The food came out staggered and we thought our last dish was forgotten but no, it came out over an hour after we ordered. I'm all about paying for quality food but I feel like things were overpriced. The taste for most dishes was good but not outstanding. We came on a weeknight so the restaurant also wasn't that busy. Unfortunately I was quite disappointed and not sure if I'll be returning.

Wonderful experience, Kate took care of us. She was phenomenal. A1 service. Will be back. Excellent beer options btw

Their food is good but it does not make up for terrible customer service and rude management. I've had multiple meals here that took 2 hours + dishes were forgotten. Service took way longer than it should've. Tonight was the last straw. Ordered takeout with expected time of 5:20. Had to wait 35 minutes longer for a small order!!! I asked them to comp something and they refused. If you don't value your customers, and treat them properly you will not succeed as a business. You have lost a long standing customer over this blatant disrespect. 0 stars.

We had a lovely dinner here. The izakaya vibe is perfect and you are greeted by the smell of the grill as soon as you walk in. Fortunately my husband made a reservation because the place fills up. The service was good but the food was even better. I love eating a variety of bites and I enjoy a seasonal menu so I was happy to see so many specials and some of my favorite bites were from the specials page. They have a QR code to view the rest of the menu. Personally, I don't love that, but I appreciate the germ free aspect of it. As for the food, I don't know where to begin. I ordered the Kristy rice because yelp told me to, and that was a great dish! I also enjoyed the mochi wrapped bacon and beef wrapped persimmon. A plain-ish flank steak was also one of the tastiest bites. We also got some dumplings and they were perfect.

Came here when they opened for dinner on a weekday so there were only a few couples/groups in the restaurant. The inside is small and spare, basic tabes and chairs. I smelled the smoke of the grill the moment I entered so I imagine it could get quite smoky when busy. Although the service was slow, they were very nice and went out of their way to accommodate the food allergy that one of my party has. The food portions varied a lot based on the dish, but our server was happy to describe the size when we asked. The skewers are priced per single skewer and are quite small, but the noodle dishes we ordered were very generous. I wasn't wowed by the yakitori. The duck with leek and wasabi was tender and tasty, but the beef tongue was a bit chewy when it shouldn't be. The others were good but generally overpriced for what you got. Maybe I didn't try the right ones? The sukiyaki udon had a good amount of shaved beef and thin cut veggies. The buta moyashi ramen also had a good amount of shaved pork belly and fresh sprouts, but for me, the depth of flavor was missing. Garlicky but not the same as roasted garlic and lacked pork flavor despite the shaved pork belly. The dishes seemed a bit on the salty side too, but others may like the salt level. Overall, the food was decent, but for the price, I want something a bit more memorable.

We made a reservation for tonight since I've been wanting to check this place out for a while. We mainly ordered skewers but we also tried the yakiniku onigiri which was really good. I highly recommend just trying one of each skewer that sounds good to you and going from there. It is small inside so definitely make a reservation but they have outdoor seating as well. The service was friendly but the food can take a while but they bring stuff out as it becomes ready rather than all at once. I'll definitely come back.

So- we have been hearing about this place and decided to try it. 4:15pm reservation on a Saturday We arrived and a friendly service staff greeted us outside. Numerous seating outside with ample misters which are great for hot Sacramento days. We decided to eat inside since it's our first time. Binchoyaki is a modern Japanese style barbecue place that serves a mixture of standard barbecue items mixed with a few, shall I say, special items for those who aren't averse to trying new things Staff was friendly and helpful - willing to explain how things are served The barbecue items are served in a 6 inch wooden stick cooked in the middle of the restaurant. They also have traditional Japanese choices. We ordered the Experienced Set which included: 1 NY strip 1 tanuki 1 nankotsu 1 heart 1 liver 3 sausages. This is the barbecue items we got Everything was great except for the nankotsu - didn't care for the inedible portions which left not much meat The sausages were great and the heart was tasty and the NY strip cooked perfectly. Barbecue 8/10 We also ordered Karaage 6/10. We've had better Next was katsusando - tasty at 8/10 We also got Tantanmen ramen - it Certainly was different. Didn't taste like any other tqntanmen we've had. Not bad - just not what we expected and was craving for We didn't have any alcohol but I think we would have enjoyed it more if we had - Plan is if we come back get the barbecue items and drink The bill came and gratuity if 20% was already added - kudos that they mentioned it to us before paying but I think too should not be automatic We normally tip 18% and give more of we feel it's deserved. I don't like not having that choice Value for money - I would say 7/10. It's something we haven't tried and plus points for being different To come back or not - jury is still out

Good food, however incredibly slow service & long wait. We had a reservation for 7:30 but didn't seat til 8. They were prob understaffed which I get but dirty tables weren't being cleaned so people couldn't seat. When we finally got seated.. our server didn't come by for another very long time. And then our food took another 45min to come. With a 7:30 res we finally got our food at 9:30. And while the food is good.. everything was very overpriced. Like very. We definitely will not go back.

Bincho was very busy when I visited for lunch. The outdoor patio filled up quickly during my stay and the inside was packed. There was a backup of orders hitting the grill and because I solely ordered skewers, the food took a while to get to the table. The waiter was extremely apologetic and offered a pickle plate on the house to keep me from eating my arm. The kimchi beet greens were fire. Finally the food arrived at my table, I got the beginners set (six various meat/veg options), momokawa, jowl and asparagus bacon. The jowl (pork cheek) was the standout. The pork belly and momokawa (thigh with skin) were also really good. I did expect a smidge more meat/veg per skewer. It was enough food, but it felt pricey for the quantity. The waiter also brought out a gratis crème caramel. In Japanese, this desert is called Purin... essentially a flan. It was tasty and appreciated as a consolation prize for waiting patiently. My advice is to go early and know what you want to order upon arrival. Select items from each portion of the menu so that food will come out at various intervals. Don't be like me and get stuck coveting all the food at the tables around you while you wait.

Binchoyaki is delicious. So many yummy flavors and dishes to experience. My favorites are the krispy rice, ebi mayo onigiri and the tanuki. I love how they have small plates and large plates- there is something for everyone. The service is always wonderful and the servers are attentive and helpful. If it is your first time- ask your server for their recommendations! I enjoy sitting on the patio during spring and summer, too.

Went here after it was recommended at youtube vlog. The vloggers feel they are one of the best Asian food i.nSacramento, unfortunately their food was just ok in own opinion...meaning their food just didn't pass my palette...for me it didn't even taste like Japanese food. It was also a warm inside. And lastly I think thier food is way over priced and they have a standard 20% gratuity even though we came in with a party of two. But hey try them and see for yourself, this review is just my personal opinion.

3.5/5 - great service but mediocre food. I can definitely appreciate the setup and classy atmosphere of the restaurant and I think the skewers were all grilled with a good char, but many of the skewers lacked flavor or were underwhelmingly plain (especially for the Experienced Skewer Set, which contained two chicken-based skewers, chicken ligament (that most people wouldn't be able to eat and chew through), and steak that was a little over cooked). I took our waitress' recommendation and ordered the bacon wrapped pear, bacon wrapped enoki mushroom, bacon wrapped mochi (mochi from Osaka-ya!!!), Krispy rice, salmon w/ roe. They were probably all better and tastier than what I tasted from the Experience Set. (Salmon w/ roe was well made but a bit plain and lacking in flavor and tenderness still). My favorite out of them all though was the bacon wrapped pear and the Krispy Rice! Krispy Rice was a little spicy but had a perfect texture and flavor. The bacon wrapped pear was a simple and unique concept but I think the pear enhanced the juiciness and flavor of the bacon before the sweetness from the pear hit afterward, so that was really yummy!

found binchoyaki on an "essential sacramento" 'eater' list and made a reservation when we were in town on a saturday evening. service was attentive and kind and we were seated right away. menu is huge and quite unwieldy, the primary menu is accessed using a QR code, the specials and skewers menus are on paper and require that you write out your preferences and distinguish between 'salted' or 'sauced'. many things sounded wonderful, we ordered 8 skewers and 5 small to medium-sized plates for our party of 2 to share (+ 2 rounds of shochu cocktails = $210 w/ 20% gratuity already included). highlights for us were the grilled hamachi kama, the pickled veggie plate, the miso soup, and the yukon potato skewer w/ creme fraiche and tobiko. the fizzy drinks (we tried ume, lychee, and mango) were also light and tasty. lowlights were the agedashi tofu (so gummy! not fried properly) and the eggplant and garlic skewers (essentially still raw). other items were just OK- salmon, NY strip, and chicken thigh skewers were bland (with sauce OR salt!), bluefin tuna conserva and salmon belly onigiri had an unsatisfying ratio of rice: filling. i love izakayas and any kind of small plates-style dining, but in general for me this place had a lot of ideas w/ mediocre execution. 3/5 stars.

Food: impeccable. Must try the mochi wrapped in bacon! Don't think, just do! Service: they were attentive at first, got busy, waited around 10-15 min to have order taken but it was worth the wait Ambiance: it's small. Music is a vibe and overall watching the chefs prepare and serve is great to watch!

Binchoyaki provide some unique Japanese food in Sacramento--particularly their Japanese skewers, such as yakitori, grilled on a Bincho style grill. Overall I found most of the dishes tasty particularly their meat and vegetable skewer combinations. The seafood combination was lacking, and I was a bit disappointed that the mackerel had the bones left in. The prices are relatively high for the food and the service is lackluster. For example we had our server change two of three times during our one dinner and felt that none of them really checked in a timely fashion for our orders or throughout the meal, and the food came out relatively slow. On top of that they add a compulsory 20% tip which may explain the service as there is no real incentive to perform excellently. Overall I'm glad I tried the place but I don't think I would return for quite some time.

Too expensive for what you get. The food was okay, even pretty good. But the portions are way too small to justify the price.

I've gone to this restaurant twice with a Cantonese American friend who has many Japanese American friends. It seems to be the favorite of the Japanese American friends and their choice for a birthday celebration restaurant. As dessert, we got a Creme Caramel for each birthday girl, which they shared with the table. Both times I have been unable to order something that I love. I can't even remember what I ordered during my first visit a few years ago. Skewers and maybe some small plates? Every dish is beautifully presented. However, I don't think anything I tasted was mindblowing. All the food is solid. I was shocked by the lunch bill, but we were treating two birthday girls, so that didn't help. About $40 per person if everyone paid, but we did have a variety of things to taste. I keep wondering about the hot green tea bill. $5 per person, $5 per teapot, or $5 per refill? BEST DEAL: BENTO BOX ===================== Bento boxes only appear on the To Go or online menu and are served in disposable plastic To Go bento trays. I'd recommend choosing a grilled fish. One birthday girl enjoyed her SABA BENTO BOX (grilled mackerel) and was the envy of the table for her well balanced meal. BEST PLATES =========== 1. GINDARA MISOYAKI (miso marinated black cod) - 5/6 of our party would order this next time! However, it's strange that this saucy dish comes with no rice. 2. FURIKAKE SALMON - One woman thought it was tasty but too salty for her. 2/6 would be interested in ordering this in the future. Again, it's strange that this dish comes with no rice. 3. SWEET POTATO SKEWERS - Diners at my table felt this was a Must-Have. The woman who ordered KATSU SLIDERS said she would order it again since it gave her enough food to have as leftovers. Good value. I was impressed with the thickness of the pork cutlets. My table also seemed excited about BINCHOYAKI POTATO SALAD. No potato chunks. It is mostly mashed. Other Impressions ================ - Shrimp Tempura looked great but didn't have much flavor. I would skip dipping it in the sauce, which just takes away the crunch of the tempura batter without enhancing the flavor. - The Beeru Ebi Tacos (beer battered shrimps) was predominantly salad. You get two in one order. - Oyako Don was a lot of rice, enough for two extra servings. This is just a safe meal of chicken, scrambled eggs, and onion. I ended up adding my own homemade beef broth to flavor the excess rice. - Mochi Bacon Skewers are a novelty, but I wouldn't rush to eat them again. - The Eggplant Skewers or Tofu Skewers are exactly what they are. Plain and simple vegetable dishes. - Creme Caramel is not as yummy as Creme Brulee or Flan because molasses syrup is not a good substitute for caramelized sugar or caramel. Restaurant has outdoor dining. The roof leaked as it rained, so we had to shift our table away from the droplets. You are required to wear a mask to go indoors to use the restroom, so bring masks for your party. Again, I would recommend the Bento Dishes and grilled fish main entrees (miso black cod, furikake salmon, mackerel).

I've had Binchoyaki bookmarked for awhile and finally had the opportunity to eat here with my brother for dinner. We made reservations on a weekday at 7pm. Luckily we did this because when we arrived, the restaurant was packed inside and outside. People were also waiting! My brother and I shared the Sake Avo Crudo, Binchoyaki Potato Salad, and Beeru Ebi Tacos. I got the Beginner Set and my brother got the Experienced Set. The appetizers came out shortly, one by one. The sets did take awhile to come out. I'd say the appetizers were standard. They were simple dishes! I think the tacos were my favorite out of the three. The pickled onions are delicious. I wasn't really impressed with the Beginner Set. I think it's pretty expensive with what you get. Two of the skewers are mushrooms and peppers. I think chicken skewer was the best out of them. Overall, I do think the food here is a little overpriced for what you get. I get it though, its for the experience. My brother said the pricing is pretty standard as he's had Japanese bbq skewers in the Bay Area. I think the one time experience is good enough for me.

Binchoyaki has consistently been one of my most highly recommended restaurants to friends, family, coworkers, visitors, etc. - see my prior review. However, the last few visits have been such sub-par experiences, it really disappoints me. We had family visiting from out-of-state, and thought that this would be such a unique location to treat them to. The service that we received was so abysmal, we were so embarrassed to subject our family to this type of experience. We were seated at a table behind one of the doors, which ended up funneling all the smoke into our area - staff had set up a fan next to us, but it was non-functional and didn't turn on a single time during dinner. The waitress assigned to our table was extremely negligent and rude, and ignored us on more than one occasion. We waited over an hour for a single skewer from the grill - it was apparent that she had forgotten to put in the order, but instead of admitting this and apologizing, she gaslighted us saying that the chefs grill items in different rounds. After an extremely lengthy and dragged-out meal, there was also a 20% gratuity automatically added to our tab of 4 people - usually not done at most restaurants for tables less than 6? And although the food itself was good, the overall vibes made our dinner a lackluster experience.

Came here a few weeks ago and loved the mochi wrapped with bacon and krispy rice with tuna! Service was okay. Took one star off because of the automatic 20% gratuity for a party of 2 and weren't informed before ordering. I don't mind tipping and usually tip 18% or more depending on the waiter, but wish it wasn't automatic. Probably explains why the service was okay. Our total bill came out to be ~$185 (pics posted + one more beer + 20% gratuity).