Goku Korean BBQ & Hot Pot

I had a great time at Goku Korean BBQ! The atmosphere was cozy and modern, and the grill setup made the whole experience fun and interactive. The meat selection was fresh and high-quality — especially the short ribs, which were juicy and flavorful. The side dishes were delicious and varied, from kimchi to marinated vegetables, adding a perfect balance to the rich meats. Service was friendly and attentive, and the food came out quickly. Overall, it’s a great spot for anyone craving authentic and tasty Korean BBQ. Highly recommended!

Fastest service I've ever had at kbbq. They were quick with EVERYTHING and it was a great experience. Ordering is done with a tablet at the table so it's very efficient and you ask the waiter for drinks and sides and they're very quick with it. It's a cool spot and they also have a sauce bar which is very convenient. The meat was very good and price per person was about $35. We went for a birthday and it was a great experience. Amazing staff and operations with great food.

Great food for a super reasonable price! Was super fun, loved the fruit!! My only critique was the limited number of vegetarian options for barbecue but the zucchini was delicious!! I'd love to fry up some tofu too!

Evening Dining Experience at Goku's Korean BBQ Gathered around a bustling grill at Goku's Korean BBQ, our group of colleagues enjoyed an immersive and lively evening of dining together. The centerpiece of the table was the sizzling grill, where marinated cuts of beef and onions cooked to perfection, filling the air with savory aromas. One of our team members expertly used kitchen shears to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, ensuring everyone could easily share and enjoy the freshly grilled flavors. Surrounding the grill was an array of vibrant banchan (side dishes), including kimchi, pickled radish, seasoned bean sprouts, and various dipping sauces. Each person sampled the different textures and tastes, from the tangy crunch of kimchi to the creamy sesame sauce. Steaming bowls of soup, rice, and noodles complement the grilled meats, offering comfort and variety throughout the meal. Laughter and conversation flowed as we passed plates and chopsticks, sharing stories and toasting with glasses of water and soda. The interactive experience of grilling together fostered a sense of camaraderie and teamwork, making the dinner not just a meal, but a memorable bonding event. As the evening progressed, the table was filled with empty dishes and satisfied smiles, a testament to the delicious food and great company. Dining at Goku's Korean BBQ was more than just eating-it was a shared experience that brought our team closer together over the warmth of the grill and the joy of good food.

Convenient built-in touch screen at each table to ensure food keeps coming. Lots of options, tons of food for the money. The beef bulgogi is my favorite (split between spicy and regular) but the garlic pork belly was a highlight; my spouse likes the beef galbi. Onions and bell pepper on the grill make great between-meat bites. Air is smokey and restaurant is quite loud, but you will leave full and happy. Experienced Korean BBQers will find it a good option for medium to large parties, but you can also take your inexperienced white parents and they'll enjoy themselves 😀

One of the worst KBBQ i’ve been to, service and food quality. We were there for over 2 hours and grill grate was replaced only ONCE. Used plates were basically left on the table. They came like 3 times to pick up 1 or 2 but left rest. Sauce area was super dirty with spills everywhere on the counter and the floor. This was on a Wednesday night, restaurant was at about 60% capacity. They did not seem short staffed either. Food quality was meh. It wasn’t terrible but i felt like it had no taste to it. The beef brisket was about 50% fat. Some of the Red Argentine Shrimps were mushy on the inside. And how are you suppose to grill oysters and clams on there? The sides tasted like something out of a cheap Chinese buffet. Staffs’ attitude were OK. The only interaction i had with them was at the beginning at seating and at the end for the bill, that’s it. Won’t be coming back.

The marinated short rib and smoked garlic pork belly were actually pretty good, but everything else was a disappointment. They use tablets for ordering, and while the food comes out quickly, the service is awful. I tried calling the server multiple times through the tablet, but no one ever showed up. I had to get up and look for them myself. They weren’t attentive at all—my grill turned off, and I waited over 10 minutes calling for help with no response. To make things worse, my grill was completely burnt, and when a server finally walked by, I tried to ask him to change it. Instead of helping, he was so into the loud music blasting through the restaurant that he just shook his hand to the beat and turned off the grill as he passed by—then kept walking. Overall, the service ruined the experience. Not worth it

I had one of the worst dining experiences at Goku Korean BBQ. The restaurant was dirty from the start—sticky floors, greasy tables, and water that didn’t seem clean. On top of that, the ventilation is practically nonexistent. The smoke from the grill just lingers in the air, making it uncomfortable to eat and leaving you smelling awful after. But the biggest issue was the food itself. The quality of the meat was lacking—thin, fatty cuts that didn’t taste fresh. To make matters worse, I ended up with food poisoning that started last night after eating here. It completely ruined the experience and has me questioning the food handling standards at this place. Between the unclean environment, poor ventilation, low-quality meat, and getting sick afterward, I cannot recommend this restaurant at all. I still don’t understand how this place was able to achieve such high ratings. I was fooled by it and brought my family here.

Huge place and it's a nice experience with kids. Keep in mind you'd might get back stinky from smoke so a shower will be needed after. The food is good and arrives really fast. It was my nephew's birthday and the waiters were awesome, they all came to our table and the entire restaurant sang him happy birthday.

I came here with family and overall had a great time. The food is solid everything from the marinated meats to the sides came out fresh and flavorful. The grill kept up well, and portions were generous for the price. Service was attentive, with staff checking in regularly to swap out grill plates and refill sides without long waits, which really kept the meal flowing. The vibe is casual and lively, perfect for groups. It can get busy, but that's part of the energy here. The only thing I'd point out is that the restaurant could use a little more attention to cleaning in the dining area tables, floors, and corners could be fresher to match the quality of the food and service. All in all, Goku is a good spot for Korean BBQ in San Jose. If they step up the cleanliness a bit, it'd be an easy five stars.

I had been recommended this place by my coworkers to try and they hyped it up so I figured i'd finally give it a go. first thing i saw was that they don't advertise the price when you walk in. there's a paper with the lunch and dinner hours but one price looks to edited and the other is just blanked out. i remember seeing that same sign somewhere in the reviews so i had remembered the price then but to not have it out like that is interesting. the vibes were also ... interesting first walking in. it's loud. like. can't even hear the person sitting next to me loud. we were sat pretty quickly and i noticed rags on the floor? dirty rags and wet shoe print trails with a noticeably greasy floor as I almost slipped a few times in my boots. the booth we sat it still had meat and rice remnants on the seats so i wiped them off to the floor where i can feel /see the rest of the food scraps from the people who had the same idea. our grill wasn't even turned on once we got our first round so i had to flag someone down to turn it on (shoutout kenjamin). but from there it was turned on waaaay to high and we went through like 3 grills within our second round until our server turned it down to the point where it wasn't hot at all lol so idk what was going on there. once we got the food out it actually wasn't too bad. the cuts of pork belly are balanced and tender. the brisket was more lean and i liked the bulgogi as well it wasn't too fatty. as with the ribs! i like the fact that you can order on the tablet instead of the servers, for time efficiency it was nice. the appetizers came out a little cold. we got corn cheese it was way too heavy in the mayo for my liking but my gf liked it. only thing i'd say would be the portion sizes are a little small for the meats but tbh it's ayce so get more! there's also a salad bar tucked in the back of the restaurant and holy hell you better hold on bc juices are everywhere. i nearly slipped a few times getting up to it because of how greased up the floors were just to start but getting out of there is another battle zone. they don't have those smaller trays for sauces and give u these big ass bowls instead so good luck if u want more than two sauces. we got there around 8 with the intention of staying at least 1 hour. we got thirty minutes into our meal when our server Annie informed of us "last call" at 8:45? and they close at 10? but we saw people still ordering and coming in so we just ate until we were done and left around 9:20 ish. i think my biggest peeves were with the staff. as a server, trainer, manager i can really understand it being slow on a sunday or having overstaff but have them do something? clean even? the bar seemed to be a popular spot for them to socialize and there were a few times where i saw a "playful" shove almost take out my server (the shover has big lashes, long nails(VERY questionable in food service), claw clip (she was the most annoying to watch bc of her highschool behavior)). they're also very touchy with each other which im sure makes for an interesting dynamic there. Our server though was great !! loved Annie she took care of us and was attentive to all her tables from what I saw. She was really kind!! overall i do not think i will be coming back to goku and will continue looking for my go-to kbbq in the bay.

Service is fast and servers are very nice. Lots of seating inside What brings the score down is the food. There is nothing necessarily wrong. The food is just average is all. I feel like you can get better quality meats and selection at other kbbq places for around the same price. They have the classic brisket, belly, bulgogi, etc. but lack more varieties. Overall, I'd rate Goku a 5.5-6/10. Service is quick, but the food isn't the greatest option for the price. The best way to describe it is "average"

So I've eaten a ton of Korean BBQ, but I can confidently say they have the best quality meats and customer services! The reason I didn't give them five stars: My wife is ADA and their table spaces are very cramped for wheelchair users. So much so that she had to get out of her wheelchair and they had to store her wheelchair in the front. That was super nice, but I'd like to see the restaurant become more ADA friendly in that aspect. Two, the bathroom was a fucking mess and it didn't look like they checked it so often, to see it was clean. Paper towels were piled up over the trash can, the soap dispenser was broken and some joker busted the mirror. I hope that jackass enjoys having 7 years of bad luck for breaking that mirror, lol. Great Food, great service, but needs fine tuning to be an ADA establishment.

I've come here two times, an enjoyed my experience, each time I've been service wasn't the best maybe because they are so busy. Your given a time limit very understanding, but they don't seem to serve to quick. Food options are great for a do it yourself kinda experience this is the place for you. The feel of the place very fast pace.

One of our fave hoptpot and kbbq spots! You can do either hotpot or kbbq or both! Favorite broths are creamy milk, thai, and korean. Always good service and consistent food. Pro-tip: come early because they do get packed. Your whole party must be present to get seated. Choose either kbbq/hotpot but not both. It can get overwhelming and it's $5 pp if you want to do both.

AYCE KBBQ! I love a good AYCE KBBQ experience and Goku certainly gave me that! The price and quality is reasonable. There's a good variety of proteins (meats and seafood) and vegetables you can choose from. The servers came pretty quickly with the food and my party left happily and full! The restaurant can get pretty busy.

This used to be our go-to Korean AYCE in the South Bay. I was concerned when I read the unflattering recent reviews on Yelp but decided to give it a try anyway since they used to be quite good. Sorry to say that the recent reviews were accurate and the food is about average but since the price is high they get two stars. My eldest son loves Kalbi short ribs but the quality was terrible, perhaps less than choice quality cuts. Quite chewy and not great taste. The finger short ribs were better but still not great. Everything was just okay, including the service. The price is not cheap at $34 a person plus they automatically charged us 18% service fee for our party of five. WE WILL NOT BE BACK. There are much better choices. Too bad as they used to be quite good.

Smoke smell greeted us when we first entered. Ventilation seems to be poor as smoke constantly keeps filling the room as people keep burning their food. Not a pleasant dining experience at all. We started off with the chicken popcorn for appetizers, this was extremely disappointing as it was cold and very oily, it was drizzled with some sweet sauce which was not a great combo as well. We got shrimp, fish, chicken and lamb for cooking over the grill. Lamb and chicken were decent but the fish and shrimp were very fishy. The fried tofu for grilling was made with stale oil, I couldn't stomach it as well. The cheesy corn had way too much cheese and fat and barely edible. Japchae was passable. AYCE is definitely not worth it with small kids, Our 8 year old was charged full rate as they charge full rate for more than 4 feet. Overall, not worth the $130 spent for four of us with two small kids.

All you can eat kbbq, pretty good. They also do hot pot. Some of the meat was a bit tough, and some were more tender. I'll be honest I don't fully remember which ones were good and which ones were bad, once you start there is a timer for AYCE, so you gotta eat eat eat! The radish in the banchan was so good, it was my favorite item. It was very acidic and paired with the meat super well. So crisp and refreshing. Wrap some lettuce and you got a delicious bite. The lettuce was well washed and fresh. The meat came in reasonable times, and you could order again after the timer resets. If you dine during busier hours it gets crazy smoky in the restaurant and it gets quite loud. I would recommend off peak hours imo. The grill change was somewhat often, good attention by staff.

This is my favorite hotpot place to visit. They have a delicious assortment of soup bases, my favorite being the "Spicy Tofu Soup" as it has a nice spice level but wont leave my mouth burning. Host service could be improved but they are never rude. I've been very lucky with the waiters i have had and they always make sure to check in and read the room for when to bring out our bill. There is usually a fun playlist of music playing with a mix of throwbacks, current pop, and classics. Lots of tables and booths are present, I'd recommend going before 3 as it tends to get super busy after then. There is a sauce bar with sauces, limes/lemons, fruit, and salt and pepper.

We were sat at the nastiest, dirtiest table i've ever seen in my whole life. After waiting more than an hour, which granted, they did say would probably be the case, they sat us down at this NASTY table, and i mean bad enough to lose your appetite. The table was noticeably wet and sticky which i guess is fine, but the seats were too??? Literally had a wet spot on my butt from sitting in them and that's not even talking about the floor which was sopping wet and had meat scraps and soggy napkins strewn around where your legs were meant to go When we complained they briefly wiped the thing down and then tried to sit us back in the booth? The meat was fine but this place is seriously gross, it wasn't only our table that looked like this for a place so pricy they need to give one single fuck about huron

4.75/5 I guess you could say this passes the BEST TEST. I came here after hosting an event for most of the day with 8 other people and they were able to accommodate us! Food: 3/3 Brisket: really good. I think this is the brisket they use for the shabu, but it was delicious for the kbbq. Beef belly: I've noticed that sometimes when the brisket is lean, I go towards beef belly, but since the brisket was good, the beef belly was almost a duplicate meat. Still good though! Jowel: delicious, period. Snappy, meaty, and just great. Pork belly: really good as well. Snappy, meaty. Slightly less fatty than the jowel, and a different texture, but just as good. Marinated kalbi: it was okay, but we only ordered it once. Texture was a little off, and compared to the other meats, it didnt stand up. Value: .75/1 Probably one of the better values ive been to in a while for kbbq. The quality of meat and options is more than enough. Highly recommend. Service/atmoshere: 1/1 Our server was very attentive considering that it was a saturday night and super busy. Filled waters and changed the grills very attentatively. Very well done.

As many others have said the food quality went down and the prices went up. The biggest issue is the cleanliness of the place. Bussing stations were gross with rags on the floor, floor felt greasy, and the vents were not working. The bathroom was disgusting and not kept well. The bathroom floor was flooded and the toilets were backed up. I also noticed behind the bar a commotion and the servers saying that there was toilet paper coming up from the drains, yet instead of closing down and addressing the issues they stayed open and kept seating people.

Goku offers both KBBQ and you can add hotpot for an extra fee. You can choose either or but if at least one person at your table wants both then then the whole table will be charged the same. If you are a vegetarian then you alone can do hotpot. The grill is shared with the table but everyone gets an individual hotpot. You order all the items from a tablet, up to 6 BBQ meats and 15-20 hotpot items per table. While you wait for the food you can head over to the sauce/condiment and fruit bar. There is a whole variety of sauces. Some people create their own mixes. This is the third place I know which offers both bbq and hotpot. I discovered that I can only do one or the other. I could not focus on cooking my own hotpot and taking the meat off the grill at the same time. You always have the option to turn off your pot when not in use. And sometimes we got confused as to which meat cuts were for what. I think we accidentally cooked hotpot meat on the grill lol.

They charge extra for paying card, they charge a "service fee" and don't provide a great service. The bbq was great quality but the hotpot was okay. I don't think I would come here again it was just an overall weird experience from the moment we walked in and the 2 ladies in the front just watched us until we went up to them. The smoke was pretty suffocating, usually kbbq places have vents/fans above but it was pretty smoky. We got constantly reminded of the last call at 9:15 but past that time a party who came in late were still getting meat brought to them. I had also ordered a few sesame balls and instead of telling us they ran out they just never came by and when asked THEN they told us they had no more. I liked the bbq portion just everything else was a mess.

Shout out to our amazing server Minhtri for getting us our food so quickly, refilling our waters, and taking us as a table even though we came in at 8:45 and the kitchen closed at 9. Very friendly, quick on his feet, and professional. I do agree with other reviews that the kitchen closing time should be more publicized for the convenience of both the restaurant and the customers! The manager let us know we could order until 9:15. We ordered 3 rounds with 15 items each and got both the hot pot and Korean barbecue. The vegetables here are fresh and yummy and the meats are marinated very well and taste amazing. The wagyu for hot pot has really nice marbling. The ventilation is a little weak and We were super full at the end and left very satisfied.

My friends and I were supposed to go to another KBBQ spot, but the wait time was too long, so we ended up going to Goku instead. We visited on Sunday evening. The wait time was about 40 minutes; we put our names on the waitlist on our way there, so we didn't have to wait too long. When we entered the dining area, we were surprised by how big the restaurant is. They even have a sauce bar and a variety of fruits in the back corner. The price was reasonable except for the alcohol. It was $32.99 for BBQ or Hotpot, and an additional $5 for both. Ordering through the tablet was easy, but it was not movable; I had to get closer to it every time we wanted to order. They had a good selection of meat and broth flavors. The service was subpar. It was slow, and our server did not check on us unless we flagged him. They also did not take the dirty dishes, so our table was full and crowded. The cleanliness was not good either. Our tables were very sticky when we came in, and the sauce bar needed some wiping. Overall, we enjoyed our dinner. I recommend this place for its price and variety.

I came by for only kbbq recently (not hot pot). Quality has gone so downhill over the last few years. Meats were low quality and so hard/chewy no matter how long they were on the grill. Service is good and ordering on the tablet is super convenient. Also love the sauce bar. However, I do not recommend this place overall for AYCE kbbq because the options are limited compared to other nearby restaurants and the meats were just not good. If you do decide to swing by, note that there is an additional 3% charge for paying with card (no matter the total) which I found odd.

Oh how the mighty have fallen... Goku used to be my favorite AYCE KBBQ place 6ish years ago. I'd recommend it to every living soul and frequented often. Then COVID hit and the quality slowly took a turn for the worse. I've given them a few chances over the last few years, but tonight's dinner is the straw that broke the camel's back. Wait time isn't too bad if you join the waitlist. Roughly 30ish minutes and another 10 after you check in. Service is abysmal. Waited 10 mins after getting seated before our server came by to unlock the iPad for us to start ordering. Then he almost never came by again. Had to chase people down for grill changes and asks. Food and air quality was horrid. Zero intramuscular marbling on meats, some were straight up freezer burnt and greenish. Pork was definitely foul. You could smell its funkiness building as it was grilling from the jowl to the belly. Galbi and Sal Chi Sal were the two decent things but that's not saying much. As for the air quality, there's a visible cloudy haze that surrounded the restaurant. The ventilation was definitely not working. They gotta sell this place or find an investor to do an overhaul cuz mannnn has this place gone downhill. 1/5 for food and service. Extra 1 star bump only for the memories. End of an era. Sorry Goku, looks like you moved on to the afterlife.

Came about 20 minutes before last call from the kitchen with a friend to catch up after a Yelp Elite Event (YES!!!). Located in Cambrian Park in the same plaza as Jack Holder's restaurant, Goku does both AYCE KBBQ and Hot Pot. You can choose either/or both depending on how hungry you are. However, if one person chooses both, all members of the party also need to choose both. It makes sense so I won't knock them on that. The inside is what I would call "prison-chic" with LOTS of dark grey, fluorescent overhead lighting, and booths creating lots of sections almost like jail cells lolll. I really hope they remodel or something because it really wasn't too attractive. With it being our first time here, we were very impressed with the meat quality. Especially the short ribs, brisket and rib fingers. There is also a sauce bar that you can get up and get yourself. Give me ALL the Thai chili and sesame sauce!! Our server was great too! He brought out all our meats and sides with a quickness (although I'm sure to get us out faster lol). But he also was nice enough to chat with us since my friend recognized him from a previous KBBQ place. Overall, we left completely full to bursting, and had a wonderful meal! Wouldn't mind coming back - but please repaint or change the warmth of the lighting!!

All you can eat. This place was packed on a Friday and this was my first time. The meats were all good (got no chicken). They have a sauce bar so you can make your own. Service was fast every time we ordered on the table iPad the food came out in 5 minutes. The server was quick to change out our grill to a clean on. Ambiance is nice. It's a large establishment. I will be back.

I used the Yelp waitlist which helped on a Saturday evening. We were seated within 5 minutes. The place was really Smokey from the Korean bbq but we went there for the Hotpot. It smelled hella good though! You can get both for an additional price but the whole table has to get it. The server was nice and gave us the rundown and everything else is ordered on the iPad. Quick service, great selection on broths, meats, veggies and toppings. They also have a sauce bar along with a delicious salad with a miso vinaigrette, lychees and fresh cut fruit. I ordered- Thai Tom yum (spicy) with using noodles, waygu beef, brisket, Berkshire pork belly, seafood meatball, tofu skin, quail eggs, peashooter, woodear mushrooms, spinach and so much more. Skies the limit! Next time I'll try the Korean bbq! Check this place out yall!

Order: * AYCE BBQ (I didn't have any hot pot) Pros: * Food came out fast and servers were attentive. * Steak was tender and flavorful. * All the meats were decent. Cons: * The tables seemed way too high for the chairs. I felt like a kid at the table. * It was almost like there was no ventilation in the entire dining area. I totally expect to smell like KBBQ after, but you could see the smoke throughout the restaurant. * You're pretty much always at risk of slipping on a greasy floor wherever you walk in the restaurant. * Many of the "clean" dipping sauce bowls you grab from had grains of rice that hadn't been washed off. I had to do a double take and ask another customer to confirm if the bin was of clean bowls. I checked an alternate bin and those bowls, too had rice or some kind of food particle that hadn't been washed off. Comments: * I don't want to be uppity, so I will just say this place is for the younger crowd.

The food was amazing and the service was great. Came here with my mom and my partner, we were quickly sat and served despite a large dinner rush. If you enjoy the KBBQ I recommend going with the spicy beef bulgogi and at least one order of pork belly. Very delicious. The floor can be a bit slippery at times because of the cooking food, and the bathrooms were quite packed since there wasn't a lock on one door. Overall a positive experience. Come hungry!!

This place offers a very standard hot pot and BBQ experience and doesn't stand out from the crowd at all! The iPad ordering system is unique, but our multiple orders were delayed, requiring us to shout for our server's attention. There had to be multiple orders since they don't allow more selections to come to your table at a time. Seated at table D-1 on a Sunday night (last night), we encountered a disinterested server who seemed indifferent to our needs. He was basically never checking his ipad at all. My soup was boiling away as I waited for veggies, and the tom yum refill was disappointingly flavorless. Overall, the atmosphere felt more like a canteen than a dining experience. Unfortunately, this was our first and last visit; there are far better hot pot options in the city.

Came here on a Sat afternoon with my bf for a late lunch since it had both kbbq (for the bf) and hotpot (for me). There wasn't a line and we were seated right away. Since it was the first time there for both of us, our waitress went over the basics of ordering and then we got down to it. She was very friendly and helpful. I loved the fact that we could order from the display and didn't have to keep flagging someone down for more items. After ordering our first round, we went to get sauces and some of the side dishes from the self serve section. I forgot what meats we ordered (definitely galbi, brisket, etc), but it was all great. My bf commented on the quality of the meats as he was grilling. I got the tom yum soup base while he got the Japanese miso. I really enjoyed my soup and all the veggies/items that I could put into it. Our waitress came to check up on us and refill waters as needed. While we thought we were pretty hungry when we walked in, it turns out that we couldn't last that long with the kbbq. I was still going with my hotpot, but my bf was stuffed from the kbbq and barely touched his soup. While there was a good variety of meats and soup items, it didn't have everything that I would have hoped for in the hotpot section (unless I missed it somehow). Even then, I thought it was decently priced ($31.99 for kbbq, additional $5 for hotpot add-on; all parties must do the same thing) as you get both bbq and hotpot. We got excellent service and all our items came out quickly when ordered. The music was a little loud, and we couldn't hear each other clearly at times, but it wasn't to the point that we're shouting to be heard all the time and we could still have a conversation.

For starters I Haven't gone to a Korean BBQ for around 15yrs. My Wife and I spent the weekend with my Brother and sister in law. I wanted to take them out for a special dinner and suggested we do Korean BBQ. They agreed and suggested Goku since they have been there before but suggested that being on a Friday, we get there right as they opened to avoid the crowd. We arrived and maybe 5-10 tables already had customers sitting but we were seated immediately at 5:30pm. They open at 5pm. We had a great primary server and got our orders for drinks and explained how their ordering system works. "For the BBQ, Order up to 6 proteins and as many sides as you want, for the Hot Pot, order your broth, proteins, and sides". This was to be ordered all on a tablet that was mounted on one side of the table. Problems with the tablet: 1. Being mounted stationary in the middle of one edge of the table, only one person could see the menu. 2. The fonts were too small to read. 3. There was no description on the 8 broths they offered for their Hot Pot. Ie. Health Herb, which my wife ordered, and Thai Tom Yum which I ordered. When it arrived, Health Herb was a very light, no flavored broth with Chinese herbs in it, as for my Thai Tom Yum broth it was sour tasting with a huge Huge Spicy Kick, We had no clue that their Goku Special broth was just a Tonkatsu broth. She didn't enjoyed hers and mine was mouth burning. We would have chosen other broths if we had descriptions to Really choose from, not just fancy names. 4. After finally choosing all the items we needed for our Four Up table, we couldn't even figure out how to submit our order. Waived down our server, "oh, just push on the teeny tiny shopping cart on the upper right hand corner of the tablet and hit submit". So 15 minutes later going through this process and we submitted our order, but of course going through this process, other tables were being filled, and those tables with all knowing, experts were already placing their orders so as ours was getting pushed back in line just figuring out their darn system. Now here comes the food, excitement on our table is building. Three servers come with all the fixings, just placing them Anywhere they can find a spot on our table, Six dishes of Bbq protein, 4 dishes of Hot Pot protein, sides of veggies, noodles etc. the problem was no one explained what was being placed in from of us. Yes, I can tell the difference between chicken and shrimp, but four plates of meat, is this the lamb? Or is it the beef?!many it's the pork? For the two orders of pork belly, is this garlic or miso? So my wife wanted sliced lamb., no clue which plate to take, I wanted sliced beef, no clue, brother wanted garlic pork belly, no clue. I'm assuming you are getting the picture. If you're just going to slap down dishes, servers, take a moment and present and explain your item. If the restaurant is too fasted paced to have the servers explain, put a label on the dish or, those silly flags or sticks you get at a steak house with the name of what's being presented. As for the ambience of the restaurant, tables were far apart enough to keep your dinners party to theirselves. There are Many Tables, this is a big restaurant. And lastly, my Bother in Law was correct, get there early. By 7pm the tables were packed. So to wrap it up: Food 3/5 service 4/5 Ambiance 3/5. Will I come back? Probably not for another 15yrs.

Love this place! Food is always fresh. Things we order usually come within minutes. UPDATE: We've eaten here several times and we were never limited on time verbally (we know there's a 90 minute limit) but this time around we were limited by our server to less than 50 minutes. We had ordered and the only thing we received was the sides of rice, and now we're told the kitchen closes at 8:45 PM. First we were questioning why they didn't tell us this when we paid but we saw that they were still letting people come in when 8:45 PM was less than 30 minutes away. We ended up quickly eating and ending the dinner at 9 PM... we stayed for less than an hour, felt rushed and the vibe totally ruined us ever coming back.

You order food on a tablet. We had several plates that never arrived so we had to re-order it. Next thing you know kitchen closes and they can't bring us the plates we ordered anymore... we would press call server and they'd never come, we would just have to flag a random person down. We only ordered belly and brisket but the meat looked like a different beef every time we couldn't even tell what we were eating. Service is pretty bad, ambiance is spacious but pretty poorly ventilated. At least the music was fun/good. Would not recommend this place though it seems there are other ayce kbbq places with more potential

Goku is our go to spot for Korean bbq in San Jose. It has the best prices with the best quality of meat. However, it is worth to note that Friday through Sunday, they usually have dinner prices and don't have their cheaper lunch prices. Same for holidays, which makes sense! My favorite thing about this place is the sauce bar. I love making my own sauce for the meat to pair with our meal. Our favorite meats are the bulgogi and pork belly. I wouldn't recommend ordering any seafood. We tried the salmon and it was discolored on the inside and tasted bad. The shrimp tasted fishy and old, and the oysters had a silver sheen on them. None of it appeared fresh. The service is also incredibly fast. We always leave our plates by the end of the table and they're gone in a flash. The servers are very attentive and constantly change out the grills. The place itself is always the cleanest. The bathroom can get a little messy, and sometimes the floors are a bit oily. It can definitely improve its cleanliness.

Get the best of both worlds: KBBQ and hotpot here! This all-you-can-eat spot offers both Korean BBQ and hotpot, letting you grill sumptuous meats like smoked garlic shrimp, pork belly, steak, and Galbi short ribs, while simmering up your own hotpot from a choice of broths like the creamy Goku special or spicy Thai Tom Yum. The AYCE lunch is such a great deal at $22.99 for BBQ or hotpot and $27.99 for both. Service was great too, our server kept checking up on us to see if we needed anything. Customize your feast with a variety of toppings, sides and your own mix of sauces from the sauce bar. And don't forget to cleanse your palate with some fresh fruit salad! Perfect for satisfying all your cravings in one go at the casual spot.

I went with a group of people at 11:30 and the place was basically empty so we got really fast service. I liked their finger steak as it was quite juicy with fat. Their pork cheek was great texture too. Once it got to around 1:00, more people started coming in and therefore service slowed down. Overall, good experience for $30.50 w/o hot pot

I've never been to a Korean barbecue place before. They're very efficient and it was so much fun. I really enjoyed all the food and I can't wait to go back and do it again. The only knock I have is the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting to the point that I decided to hold it until I went home and that was not a pleasant feeling.

So good!! Thank you for the food and the service. We came for a birthday and they didn't disappoint

*Visited on Wednesday Sept 18th, 2024 Came here with family; party of 7 and had made a reservation at 6:45pm. I've gone here a few times in the past couple of years and you honestly can't go wrong with coming here for kbbq & hot pot. The restaurant is quite large and spacious, though the tables seemed to be slightly crammed together. There is a sauce and sides bar at the end of the restaurant- it's self serve and fairly clean! The staff here are very kind and quick with service, and are very observant when it comes to any troubles/ needs. OKAY THE FOOD: We did kbbq only this time around, but their hotpot isn't bad at all - I usually get their healthy herb or their korean kimchi broth. * Pretty decent selection of different meats and cuts a well as seafood! * Not as many sides as some kbbq & hotpot restaurants, but has the essentials and you could always order extra sides! * Self serve sauce bar- you can't really go wrong with creating your own sauce, and they have plenty of different ingredients at their bar to help you accomplish a great sauce (or more) to go with your meal :-)

Dinner with my kids. First time at this location and we love it. Place is comfortable and clean. Customer Service was very kind with us. My son visit all the time and he say the workers here are very nice and very helpful and we live that. I recommend Goku Korean BbQ and Hot Pot to any occasion but specially, if you're hungry. Prices are fair except for the drinks

Slowly I'm starting to prefer this location over their sister location Qpot. It's similar in ways but different in other ways. The lighting and decor here seem more spacious and open with brighter lighting. Before I didn't like ordering off the menu because you'll have to keep flagging down the waiter but now they have iPads for ordering. The sauces are the same, however I feel the quality of food is better here. I say that because the last two times I went to Qpot, it didn't end well later that night when your stomach hurts.

Goku is located in the Hacienda Gardens Shopping Center on Meridian Ave, in the Cambrian Park neighborhood of San Jose. I came here with a small group of friends to celebrate a belated birthday on 11/29/2023. Majority of our group arrived at around 7pm. Since one of our friends was running late, we were advised by the staff that they couldn't seat us until his arrival. I checked out the interior while waiting. It was spacious and clean. Seating was made up of large booths and tables. There was a small sauce/salad bar near the kitchen area in the back. Our last friend finally arrived at around 7:15pm and we were seated immediately. One of the staff members came by to give us the lowdown on the AYCE rules and take our drink order. We chose the KBBQ + hot pot option ($36.99 per person). Ordering was simple. It was all done on a tablet. Overall, the quality and variety of the food were good. We tried a wide array of meat and seafood items and had no complaints. Aside from the usual stuff, we also got some items that you don't normally see at AYCE restaurants like this (i.e. fresh oysters, clams, pea tips...just to name a few). I thought that was a definite plus. The staff provided excellent service. They checked on us constantly to refill drinks and swap out grill plates. They also fulfilled our food orders with great efficiency and precision. For an AYCE restaurant, Goku is solid. As long as you don't compare them to premium KBBQ or hot pot restaurants, I think you will be happy here. 4 stars. BONUS MATERIAL: - Maximum two credit cards per party. - 2-hour dining time limit. - Amply parking on site.

My go-to Korean bbq spot in San Jose! Consistently fast and reliable service, and the quality of the meat and vegetables are always on point! For dinner, it is $31.99/person and an additional $5 to do both. I typically only get the Korean bbq, but this time I decided to get their hotpot. I got their creamy milk broth and was not the biggest fan of it.. I'll stick to their Tom Yum or Miso next time. Hotpot veggies come in huge portions, so make sure not to over order! (One order of bokchoy, napa cabbage, and other veggies was enough for my boyfriend and I). Their galbi is perfectly marinated and tender, and I love ordering their brisket and getting it all crispy! Their corn cheese is also really yummy. This spot can get really busy on the weekends, so plan accordingly! All members within your party must be present in order to be seated.

(SJ) Food: For 2 hours you have all you can eat a variety of meat, seafood, and vegetables. So come hungry if you want to get your money's worth. There's a self service section located at the back of the restaurant which has a variety of sauce and fruit/salad. You can also combine the BBQ with hot pot but just fyi everyone in the table will get one and charged if one person orders Setting: very spacious and plenty of space. Did not have to wait long to be seated. Just hope you sit next to people who know what they are doing because we sat next to strangers who threw a lot of food on the grill and a lot of smoke was going to our table Service: Korean BBQ is a self service so you cook whatever you order from the iPad. Definitely pace yourself. Servers are really fast with bringing the food and will change the grill platter when it's all burned or when you ask Price: it's pricey so definitely come in hungry

Hands down one of the best AYCE KBBQ spots! Our server was so awesome. The best service and very prompt. It's a little bit more pricier than places like GEN ... BUT it's worth it. You can tell the meats were fresh because it had a lot of flavor and also they did a great job marinating the meats. The ambiance is great as well (very spacious) and not as Smokey as other KBBQ places. Once again shout out to Raymond! He deserves a raise! Such an awesome server! My family will be back for the next special occasion ^_^ P.s. the best cuts - beef brisket, beef belly, pork belly, pork cheek and of course kalbi!

The host and the waitlist moved by really quick We came in at around 6:45P on a Friday night Got seated in about 25 mins~ We had Gian as our server- Very attentive and present! He got us everything we need super quick Made sure to check often how we were doing The food runners were quick as well- Props to the kitchen for prepping each dish so fast Overall a great experience The location was ran very good Highly recommended for anyone who likes KBBQ and Hotpot and SOJU **

Our go to KBBQ + hotpot spot in South SJ. It's conveniently located with lots of parking. They have a lot of options for the price and the quality is nothing crazy, but not bad. Service is hit or miss with who you get like anywhere. So far we've had great service majority of the time even when we were a party of 6+ where tip was automatically included, so that's a good sign. The place isn't anything fancy and they could definitely work on cleaning a bit better. Good bang for your buck.

We had a good family gathering in San Jose and it was another great dinner at this establishment again . The meats seems to be the same quality except the pork this time . It was a bit tough may be because of the way the meat was cut . We still had our favorite vegetable....snow peas sprouts ! The service was attentive , never left our empty plates behind. The only thing that made our surprise was their 3% credit card charge, which was added to our bill with the tax without asked us form of payment. The 3% fee was waived after we told them the cash payment . I guessed this is not only in this establishment , it's everywhere in California ! So make sure you pay in cash to save $ .

Food is good. Ambience is good. Service is good. Everything is pretty much average since theres a-lot of this type of restaurant. Only thing that brings a rating down is that they charge for kids based on height. So my two year old gets charged i think $20$ to be there even though my kid doesn't eat lol. I mean i get it, but i cant for my good conscience take it out of the gratuity. Id still recommend this place though.

Really large space for a Korean BBQ restaurant. The service was incredibly quick, and I felt like I got my money's work. The food is amazing! I'll be coming back here for special occasions.

Just amazing we can get bbq and hot pot since my family loves both. Every single time we go it is an amazing experience