Pepper Lunch

The place was clean and the service was great. It brought me back home to Asia. Just one comment, I hope after serving they explained how best to eat it with the sauces so they can attract other customers who are trying it for the first time ☺️

Tasted similar to the ones in SE Asia, but with more varieties and generous portion (but not by Texas's standard). Brought family member here for the first time and they just stared at the meals served on hot skillets (I had to tell them what to do). Would be gret if they have a screen on the wall showing how to prepare and cook the meal, instead of a written instruction.

A classic pepper lunch experience, identical to the locations in Japan. The food comes out mostly prepared, and all you need to do is cook the meat on the provided cooking surface until the meat is seared to your liking. Delicious.

I came in today because I haven’t ate this place in awhile and I had my order togo. They messed up my order the first time by adding items I didn’t ask for and then proceeded to ask me to take it off myself when it was thoroughly mixed in. They made me another one but then gave me only 4 pieces of beef… I paid $16 just to get rice and eggs. Y’all need to do better.

We're so lucky to have a Pepper Lunch here, this is a fast casual chain of Sizzling Hot plates imported from Japan. If you like Teppanyaki definitely try this place out! You can't go wrong with the Classic Beef Pepper Rice with cheese and black pepper. They bring it out to you with the beef medium rare and egg yolk raw it's your job to cook it on the hot plate with the wooden spoon and fork. Very hands on experience that even kids can enjoy. The quality of the beef is pretty decent and very tender, be sure to never overcook it. There are various other hot plate dishes you can try. Service here is good, nothing to complain about.

I go here multiple times when I come to Houston. Simple but delicious. It is just like the chain restaurant in Japan, which is where I first discovered Pepper Lunch. They even have the plastic food display case! The pepper beef plate is the signature for me, but I've started to prefer the curry beef rice now. Either way, you can't go wrong! Stop by the dessert places in the same strip when you finish here. Great job!

I ordered the Eel pepper rice and it was absolutely amazing. My girlfriend tried this place when she was in Vegas, and recommended we come here. She was right as this place is great. You get the food on a hot plate and mix it up to cook it. The other people in my group ordered the classic beef, curry with two meat, and tofu pepper rice. Everyone enjoyed it.

The concept of this place was very interesting. The food was so savory with the seafood on the side and rice in the middle with seasoning. They also come with a pot that has nice sizzling heat. There is also some soy sauce with sesame seeds to add an enriching flavor. The service was really nice and kind. The place is quite decorative and interesting. It is a great place to eat and highly recommend to others.

1st time trying this place. Wanted to see all the rave when it 1st opened a while back & never did. Like the concept & vibe ...meat portion sub-par.

My cousin wanted to go because she used to eat at the restaurant in Japan. Wasn't sure what to expect. She got the pepper lunch which was delicious. I tried the chicken curry, also very good. It is like a fast food restaurant. You walk up to the counter to order. I would say the staff was friendly but not very helpful. Plenty of tables to accommodate a group. Definitely worth a try.

Pepper Lunch is a cool concept, sizzling plate with fresh ingredients and you can add sauces/seasoning yourself. My husband and I first had it in Singapore. We were very happy to see one opened in Houston... but it's not quite the same. I don't love the strong smell as soon as I step inside. After sitting down for a few minutes, I asked for the food to be packed up to take away as the smell became overwhelming for me. My husband seemed to be fine though. We both got the beef pepper rice, mine was regular and his was the jumbo size. I thought it was quite oily and lacked seasoning (which is not entirely the restaurant's fault, I could have added more seasoning if I ate there). The beef was not fatty, which I liked. And the rice was cooked right. Overall, it's an okay meal, not something I would get again especially with many other choices around. 3 star mainly because the strong smell was a huge turn off for me.

Pros: this restaurant smells AMAZING! The sizzling onions gave this place an incredible scent that lures you in. The service was great. The food came out fast. Cons: the hamburger patty had so much potential but it was just alright. I wish the portions were bigger. Overall a good try. Cool spot!

The food is good but the meat could use more flavor. I eat very small portions and I was able to eat all of the meat and most of the rice. It's a cool, sizzling hot plate concept. I had the curry beef and it was good but lacked flavor. The meat needed more seasoning and rhetorical curry sauce needed more curry flavor. It's not spicy at all so spice fans will have to add it yourself. The advice was great. Restaurant was clean. The teas up front were watery and not flavorful. I tried all 3 before settling for the strawberry and pomegranate one. But was very disappointed in the tea. It was basically lightly, lightly, flavored water.

Sizzle Sizzle! Hands down one of my favorite comfort food spots. This place was originally from Japan and I love it. Glad they finally opened one in town! It's very simple you choose which protein you want, I chose beef, throw and egg in there cook it with rice and mix it up on a very hot plate. Don't forget the sauces when you mix it up and you have yourself a very comforting meal! Can't wait to go back!!

Definitely a quick casual lunch. I ordered the single meat (chicken) sizzling curry and the portion size is smaller than you think than what's in the picture. If you're expecting the bigger portion size, you'd have to spend extra or order the "jumbo" for a larger protein to rice ratio. Or else you will get half meat/vegetable to rice ratio. A friend of mine ordered a steak/Hamburg plate with an egg but only had steak. I ended up finishing my plate before he could even get his Hamburg meat so service response was pretty slow. Take into consideration the portion size from the models displayed. They're pretty accurate.

Food was just so-so. Proportion of rice to meat was rice more than meat. The quality of meat was not good too. But they have a good variety of hot plate dishes. I ordered the beef pepper rice, kimchi beef pepper rice with cheese, and a side of sweet potato fries. For both rice dishes, I couldn't taste any pepper, and the beef had more fats than meat. The sweet potato fries were over cooked too. Probably not a place I would visit again.

This was an interesting place. Why did I choose it? Actually, for no reason at all. I wanted to just pick a restaurant at random in China Town and that kind of thing - going on a restaurant adventure usually kills my husband, but I was able to convince him we needed spontaneity in our life. And I was glad, because this was fun. The best way to explain this place is to compare the meals to parilladas that you see in Mexican/Tex Mex restaurants and also and those other Asian restaurants where you cook your own meat in boiling hot water. You can kinda do either or. I chose the parillada style plate, because I didn't even know the other one existed at the time. When we entered the large electronic board was overwhelming. I kept looking at it and trying to scroll through to find what I wanted. The lady felt sorry for us and gave us a regular menu. I'm not sure what it was about that electronic flashy board, but it seemed to go to fast for whatever reason. I like to linger over menu items and think about it, not see it zip through like it's auditioning for The Flash. The portions are large. They do have premium sides. I didn't want stupid french fries with my meal, so I chose the miso soup and drink option with a combo meal. The meat tends to be on the thinner side, but I believe that's more about making sure it's thoroughly cooked over just being cheap, because the quality was still there. I don't even think you need premium sides with these meals because the portions are so large. I did it, cause I needed to know what the miso soup tasted like - amazing - but know my stomach can't eat all of that. My eyes can. Not my stomach. I had a great to-go meal for dinner that evening. Service wise everyone was friendly and accommodating. The only overwhelming part is figuring out the concept of the store, since we walked in blind cause I had to have an adventure. Fun concept. Good food. Must try for everyone in the area. Just be aware that parking is a disaster here.

It's a great spot for lunch, quick and fresh, and my kids love the food here. I wish there are more vegetarian options for someone like me who doesn't eat red meat, and dislike the smell of raw meat though. I got the salad with chicken this time, and it was a very very mediocre salad. I will come here for my hubby and kids, but not my personal favorite place.

Upon arrival the restaurant wasn't busy, a group of 4 and I were able to be seated easily after ordering, W. W workers, very nice. Mid food, I enjoyed what I ate and the self cooking is quite entertaining, but watch out because the plates are hot of course. After a while the place became pretty hot, but didn't bother me too much. Overall, enjoyable experience.

I have actually never been to Pepper Lunch! My mom and brother went once when they first opened in this shopping center but never raved about it or went back so i assumed it was lackluster. my companion is a little picky/newer to eating Asian foods so I thought this was a great option for someone like that. I went last night after a good ole' chinatown massage and it was really good. I would say for the price (I think $11.49) the portion was reasonable. I'd like a little more protein or maybe add an egg or something. I'd go back to try the other options, kimchi cheese sounds delish. You enter and order at the counter, there are tons of menus and my bad vision really appreciated that. Both of our plates came out to be under $25 for dinner. Food comes out fast cause you cook half of it at the table essentially ;) Would recommend

Decent place for a quick lunch. They've added and adjusted their menu a bit since the last time I've been here. Seems like there's more noodle dish options. I got the beef kimchi cheese pepper rice. Food came out pretty fast. It was sizzling hot. Very savory and a hearty portion. Good amount of meat and cheese and I really liked the kimchi addition.

This is easily one of my new favorites. No its not 'glorified fried rice'. The flavors dance in your mouth so well. We had the curry beef and pepper eel. They were both so flavorful. The service was fast and the place was clean. I see this good for large groups as well. We will definitely come back soon.

the food was super good! everything tasted pretty clean and delicious. i like how you can customize how much sauce and rice to use. the parking can be tricky but it was worth it :-)

The quality of beef definitely is not the same. It is a bit disappointing. The beef was tough and chewy. It wasn't even cooked all the way or overcooked

This review is mainly to validate my takeout experiences during Covid-19 pandemic. I was curious how online order on my dining rewards program works. So, I picked a familiar restaurant, Pepper Lunch. It took me forever to create an account and order one dish. By the time I'm done selecting the right thing, my session expired. Oh... my belly was full of air and no longer hungry. So next day, I started again. I picked the cheapest item Tofu and Vegetables with kimchee plate... $11.00 on Chownow.com. That's $2 more than order at the restaurant. It's ok. Someone has to make money. But it also held $2 from my credit card. It's okay, not restaurant's fault. Since it's a pickup order, the app gave me ETA. By the time I got to the restaurant, it's already sitting on the counter. An employee looked at me as I asked about my pick-up order. She pushed the package toward me and stamped my rewards card. Yeah. You are welcome. Four weeks later, I want to give it a fair chance for Pepper Lunch by duplicating my order at the restaurant. Per rewards program on my 5th visit, I got a free topping. Since there was no sausage left, I chose next healthiest thing on the menu - mushroom. It took about 15 minutes to get my order. It's typical during staff shortage time. Server looked nervous for some reason. Few minutes later, he brought someone else's order to my table. He must be new. No problem, it's forgivable.

Came here on a Sunday lunch time. Restaurant was empty except one table. The cashier didn't know much about the menu, and when he called someone else over to answer my question, she did not look pleased to be there. You order your stuff at a counter and then seat yourself. The food will be brought out to you. The food portion is alright for the price I guess. We still left a bit hungrier than we would've liked. Each dish was just under $10. I probably won't be coming back. The service was meh and portion size was not good for the price. The only appeal to this restaurant is that it comes out in a cast iron and you can cook your meat to your own liking. Other than that, this meal is really simple.

Cool concept with the sizzling plates. Our meals definitely stayed hot for a long time. I has the chicken karage curry and thought it was okay. I felt like there wasn't enough chicken for all the rice that came with it. My hubs enjoyed his jumbo beef platter but thought there was a little too much butter in the rice. I checked in on Yelp and got a free side. We went with fries and it was pretty good.

Houston gets one of five US outposts of this Japanese quick steak chain. It'sdelicious and cheap Japanese cafe for iron plate grilling (teppanyaki ftw!). Fast counter service essentially nets out to a bourgeois steak fried rice that rewards you with buttery flavor. Extra props to the super-friendly, enthusiastic service that goes above and beyond in ensuring that you get a meal best suited for you.

My husband loves this place - it's probably one of his favorite places in Chinatown. We love to get the original beef + rice sizzling plate. It comes with sliced beef, seasoned rice, corn, and garlic butter in the middle (don't take it out - let it melt in the sizzling place - it's totally worth it!). This place is located in the beijing street eats plaza so parking can be difficult, but we don't have an issue when we go around opening time.

I came here with a friend. The place looked pretty empty, but the server was quite nice and told us where to grab a menu and order. I got a good veg curry and the food came out on sizzling stone pots. However I feel like the portions were kind of small especially with the meats and tofu.

Started off with the miso soup, the flavor was very good, it was just a lot going on in the bowl if you understand what I mean. I think there's tofu,spinach, green onions and 2 other veggies inside. But again the flavor was spot on. For my entree I had the large beef pepper lunch and it was quite yummy. I love the whole idea of the hot bowl to cook your meat to your liking. I would def come back just to get this. Customer service was very good and the staff are super friendly and informative. Which I really appreciated. The vibe here is very chill, nothing fancy. You can come by yourself, bring bae, or even the whole family. Follow my food journey: IG @MugsyEats

Wow! I was super surprised to see that this place has only 3 1/2 stars, because I actually really enjoyed the food here! I came here today to try it out with my cousin and sister, and was super ecstatic because many people have recommended this place. First impression: Super cute inside! The actual restaurant is in a plaza with many other popular food places! There's a long strip of parking, as well as a parking garage. I would definitely recommended coming out early, the parking spots fill up really fast! Service: The servers/workers were so nice! They accommodated to us very well (especially since we kept asking for stuff)! I would definitely give them a 10/10 for service! Food: I actually really enjoyed this! I got the Beef Pepper Rice and my sister got the Kimchi Beef Pepper Rice! I will tell you, it taste exactly how it sounds: beef, pepper and rice! But honestly, it was so good to have a meal that stayed hot! Also, you can add sriracha and other sauces (pro tip: ask for the other sauces such as the garlic sauce and the sweet sauce to pour on top at your table!). I thoroughly enjoyed my meal with the sauces and definitely will be coming back! P.s: They have a deal for Two pepper lunches for $20! Please please please take advantage of this and try this delicious places! It comes with 2 drinks, a miso soup and a side! You really can't beat that deal.

I had been wanting to try to this place out since seeing it on Tiktok. I thought it was delicious! and very affordable with each plate being around $10! it was super filling and delicious, you can customize it by adding in their sauces. I really enjoyed it because you are ensured a hot fresh meal since you're partially cooking it yourself. would definitely come back again if i was in the area! it's so flavorful and doesn't taste as simple as it looks

Saw this place since it was 1st opening but haven't had a chance to stop by and try it out so finally I was able to visit. The concept is great , food came out super hot. Prices are cheap and food is good. The only thing was they put way too much soy sauce on the rice that it became super salty. If I come back I would decide request no soy sauce on mine since they also also give you 2 different sauces on the table for the food. Service is great, staffs are friendly and they keep the place clean. If you haven't try them out, you should. They have a lot of varieties on their menu.

Tried out this Japanese cafe for the first time and was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful it was. The menu had a variety of dishes and is known for their sizzling plates. We tried the beef and rice along with the tofu and kimchi pepper rice that had a nice spice combined with the tanginess of the kimchi made it an enjoyable choice. Will definitely be back to try out the curry and salads in the future!

This is a quick counter service restaurant (pay at counter before you get food). They have several hot skillet options. The main concept is where the meat item is raw when the skillet is delivered to you but continues to cook on the hot skillet as you mix. You can add different seasonings and sauces. Overall a unique concept and good food. They also have a loyalty program.

This location is awesome! The staff is super friendly and the food tastes great. It's more of a serve-yourself type of establishment. The food is super flavorful and the sauces elevate the dish. It's also so much fun eating out of a skillet. The price is very good for the amount of food you get. Always love going to pepper lunch they're very consistent. I have not had a bad experience yet. Sometimes the food is a little too salty but I don't mind too much :)

I've dined here several times and although I enjoy the food the past few service experiences is terrible. The staff are not friendly, they do not greet you, they never ever smile, and never say bye or thank you. This happened twice in a month and with different staff. They lack customer service skills, seem unhappy and clearly convey the i dont care attitude. PSA: They did away with the stamp card!! :( They are no longer issuing frequent rewards card..

Pretty cool to have one of the few USA Pepper Lunch locations in Texas. Service was friendly & food was very good. I got the classic beef + curry -both were delicious. Their fries are super crispy & yummy!

I've been to this place a few times and it feels like the quality of the food has gone down since their grand opening. Not to mention that the tables can feel a little dirty sometimes (including the sauce bottles).

Absolutely great experience and delicious food! The only downfall is too much rice and not enough meat on the classic beef. Luckily they have teriyaki options with a choice of either miso soup or rice. Their pasta is worth a try as well!

This restaurant has been one of my go-tos for delicious, quick food. Every time I get the Kimchi and cheese beef pepper lunch. Recently, however, a change in management has occurred and things have gone downhill. The prices have gone up and not only that, they've been getting skimpy with the amount of meat given. On the kimchi cheese beef pepper rice, there is a noticeable decrease of beef given and increase in kimchi following the change of management. Unfortunately, this applies to many of their other dishes such as the curry dishes and seafood pepper rice. I have given this place a second and third chance following the management change, and these issues seem consistent. Higher prices and less meat. I may not be coming back soon.

Decent place. Not too big of a restaurant. It's very customizable to what you want but my only complaint is that they charge so much for each add on. Their pepper rice is probably the best thing on the menu. I don't have photos of everything I've tried. I've been there plenty of times. Their teppen pasta is just like Alfredo and I've literally to-go-ed it and added my own veggies and extra cheese and reheated it up. The corn tops it off for me for the pepper rice. Don't have expectations for the sides. They're ok. They do stamp cards so take advantage of that!

Had the kimchi dish and it was great. Basically kimchi fried rice but with beef and the rice isnt orange.

Great food.Never disappointed and reminds me of being stationed in Yokosuka! Must stop every time in Houston.

This is my 2nd time at this Pepper Lunch location and both visits haveo been a great experience. Food is awesome and facility is clean. The only concern I have on each visit are the staff. The first time I visited I did not do a review because I wanted to give it another try because it was super busy so I figured I need to give them a break and put myself if their shoes. So this time around there is no excuse to act that way. Yes I understand your food is great and the facility is clean so there is reason to be proud. But guess what friendliness and smile counts 80% of the rating. Great taste and cleanliness is only 20%. So try smiling and even greeting your guest as they come in and don't just stand behind the counter. A smile should be a part of your uniform so SMILE & make the customer experience even better

This place was very casual and fast to make the food. It tasted really good. The service was okay. Didn't get a great vibe from the staff but the food made up for it.

I've been dying to try this place and I finally got to try it! Came around noon on a rainy day and it was exactly what I needed. A kind server explained the menu to us and tHen we ordered with their self service machines. It is very self explanatory! Basically you are making your own fried rice (eventually). I added an egg, and onions to mine. My boyfriend opted out the corn and added mushrooms. We both got double meat. I wonder if it would have been better to just get the jumbo portion? The flavor was amazing! I definitely am looking forward to our next visit! I am inclined to try the curry next time! Side note - don't forget to add the brown sauce they have on the tables.

Not what I had expected. Located in the new place strip, Bellaire Food Street. It was convenient to put in your order from the touch screen that was right by the door. There you can select which hot stone bowl you want and also select add-on items for an extra cost. It didn't take them too long to get each order ready. This place is more of a self-served place. Plenty of seats in the house. I went with the classic beef with pepper rice. The overall taste was mediocre. The rice tasted very salty. Beef was cooked fully through. It was just plain, nothing special that I was expecting. There's a few sauces on the table that I poured in and it somewhat made it better. The overall taste wasn't all too bad, I just didn't like the saltiness of the entire the dish.

My Family and I were eating in the Food truck strip mall and I walked by this place. I did not get to experience the full awesomeness of the menu, I was just ordering something of my 5 year old to eat. However I got to sample everything she had and I can say that It was very good. I ordered the steak with a side of rice and another side of fries. The rice was ok, the steak was very good, and the fries were above average. I honestly had no concept of this place, I now know it is a chain that serves sizzling plates. I would love to come back and try the curry or one of the many other saucy plates. My food was good and everything that I saw around me looked good. They have a good concept and it is worth checking out. My biggest issue is the lack of extra napkins and the choice of sauces is very limited.

We had to find lunch for an extremely picky group of eaters. After looking through all the options on the strip, we settled on Pepper Lunch. The novelty of cooking your own food on a hot skillet is intriguing. My mother-in-law is on a keto diet so she just got the steak without rice. They didn't have any salad yet. My kids got the beef curry pepper rice. I got the seafood pepper rice and my husband got the jumbo classic beef pepper rice. They were all very good. The plate is very hot and the meat cooks fast. The best part is to flatten the rice against the skillet so that it crisps up. It is very flavorful. The pepper made it spicy but it's not a lingering heat. The servers were nice. It was hard to hear them behind their masks but they tried to be helpful. All together the meal came out to about $84.

I used to love Pepper Lunch when they're opened in Viet Nam and I moved to the US and not all the stars have Pepper Lunch locations which took me a while to have Pepper Lunch again. I did order the original Pepper Lunch Beef Sizzling Rice . I was excited to try out but the beef was over seasoned way too satly that I have to ask for some sweet sauce to balance it out. My husband had Steak which he said pretty good. The store was nice and cozy and not too crowded when I get there but the parking lot will give you a nerve because it's too narrow or else you park on the deck couples block away .

Pepper Lunch is one of the newest eateries in the popular Bellaire Food Street. Everything on the menu here comes out on their sizzling platters, and has a cool "show"/presentation factor to it. Coming here during their grand opening week, their credit card machines weren't working so it was cash only. But I have since been back a couple other times and their credit card machines are working now. They also have a stamp card where after 3 stamps you get a free add in, after the next 3 stamps you get a free "meal" upgrade, and after the following 4 stamps you get a a free beef or chicken pepper rice. I've tried a decent amount of their menu so far, and to me the best thing is their sizzling beef curry rice. The curry sauce that comes with the dish that you pour over the whole sizzling plate is flavorful, and worth trying. I usually like adding an egg and mushrooms to whatever I order as well to make it a little heartier of a meal. They do have some pasta options that seem interesting that I'd wanna try next time. But otherwise the majority of the menu here is just sizzling fried rice variations with slightly different sauces/seasonings/proteins. Some people complain about the portion sizes here, but after finishing their food I was pretty full personally. I'd come back as the food is pretty flavorful especially with the "sweet" and "garlic" sauces they provide on the tables, it just wouldn't be my number 1 choice to eat at in Bellaire.

I made a commitment to try all the new places on Bellaire Food Street. Pepper Lunch was the next spot on the list! Honestly, the food is very underwhelming especially for the high price. I tried the Jumbo Classic Beef Pepper Rice, and it was pretty mediocre. There was little to no flavor in the dish. The only thing I liked about the restaurant was the automated ordering system that made it quick and efficient to get the food out.

I can't believe I've never been here before, but this place was SO good! I just got the standard peppered beef dish because it was my first time ever here. The flavor was just so good and I liked that it came out on a hot plate. I also liked that I got to stir my own plate and watch the meat cook while it was sizzling. I was worried that the pepper taste would be too overwhelming, but it was honestly just enough. I loved that it has corn and the flavor of the beef itself was good too. Everything came out pretty quick too and the service was great. I would definitely recommend this place as a place to eat and catch up with friends. I definitely want to come back and try their other dishes!

The presentation was good, but the taste was underwhelming. The chicken pepper rice was just rice, pepper, corn, and chicken and some spices and butter, but the flavour wasn't strong enough. The price was high for the portion size which was a little bit on the smaller side. The table was also slightly sticky. I would come back and try something different. Parking was crowded but not too bad. I really liked the music though; it was a vibe.

Amazing service. Food was delicious. Sadly, I accidentally poured too much sauce in mine and it became really salty. With the name of the restaurant "pepper lunch", my dish definitely had a lot of pepper. My friends and I really enjoyed the experience. Would go back again next time I'm in Houston

I'm never disappointed whenever I come here! Pepper Lunch has always been one of my go-to places for comfort food. The food for me is always on point and it's nice having the meals come out on a hot plate to keep your food warm well into meal time. I always preferred ordering on their touch pad cause to me it's easier to see the options you can add to your plate so you get exactly what you're craving. You can also order at the counter if your prefer (I highly recommend this if your a first time customer cause it's much easier to ask questions). The vibe is always pretty chill; the booths are really comfortable; the place is always clean. They are very prompt in wiping down the tables whenever a party leaves. Honestly this place is one of my favorite places to go to on Bellaire!