Sarku Japan

I enjoyed a satisfying lunch at Sarku Japan. Both the chicken and beef teriyaki were flavorful and cooked perfectly. While the meats were excellent, the accompanying vegetables and fried rice lacked flavor l. A bit more sauce would elevate the overall taste of the meal.

Top tier mall food. Literally doesn’t get better than this! They cook the meat right in front of you, which is a refreshing change of pace when compared to the other restaurants here with buffet style food warming for who knows how long. It’s super bland, but that can be good sometimes. There’s certainly not tons of extra sugar in this food. It’s a great choice if you’re trying to eat healthier. The staff is very kind too! Definitely the best deal for dinner.

Believe it when I say this is the cheapest version of “hibachi” you’ll get! Every chain location I’ve gone to (in Texas & California) has been delicious! The chicken and shrimp plate will ALWAYS be tasty and worth the price! 10/10 Definitely recommend! SN: PLEASE build one closer to the North Austin residents- driving down south is a DRAG!

Great experience and Delicious food!! I came here with my family and all were very happy when we left! There was a very long line, but that was expected as this food is really good! You definitely get what you pay for as far as portion, taste, and definitely worth the wait! Based on all the reviews here, it can be a hit or miss depending on what days you go on, but I've never had a negative experience here. Costumer service never fails as they're always courteous! Come with time, expect there to be a line, be respectful to the employees, and there's no reason why you should have a negative experience! They are taking good precautionary measures due to the pandemic as well. All in all, I definitely recommend this place!

I love Chinese food, and sarku is more Chinese than Japanese. It's a great value for mall food. Prices have gone up by about a dollar during these tough times. Not too bad. Still much better than the nearby stores. Runs about thirteen dollars for the double chicken. I wish there were chains around the city, not just at the mall.

It's what you'd expect from a fast Asian Cuisine establishment inside of a mall. Food tastes good, no complaints. Decent sized portions as well, so considering the amount you receive, it's fairly priced. This meal definitely hits the spot when you're craving that Mall Asian Food taste.

Honestly some of the best mall food the food court has to offer. Over the years their plates would be stuffed and their chile sauce would be the best thing to add. But they have been cutting down their portions. Their noodles and chicken are always hot, flavorful and tasty. I highly recommend their rice. Long lines always, but the wait time is always reasonable.

This is SO LAME, but here goes! ... Me and my mom came here a year ago and this was NO FOOLISH BARGAIN! Portion-wise the meat, vegetables, and rice (or noodles) are significant...you will be FULL after just ONE entree purchase...and I am NOT lying. Although the classic entrees with chicken or shrimp are ultimately delicious, the beef needs more attention. Overall, four stars.

Still like the food but they've gone to smaller containers and providing less food than before while the price of the chicken teriyaki has risen to nearly $10. Inflation. Doh.

It's a solid 3 star food stall. It's edible. That's all I can say. It's probably the best choice in the food court.

I love it the food was fresh and amazing I definitely be coming back here to eat I came from round rock just try it and I was surprised how amazing the food taste

This seems like the most popular spot in the mall but I have no idea why. Panda is 1000 times better. Im in awe of the general consensus and thoroughly disappointed. Waited awhile for food and the line was so long for less than panda quality. Wouldn't be my top choice by far. But what can you expect from mall food...

So tbh I'm not much of a fast food person but i grew up eating this food (my mom really likes this place) and aside from the food being kinda oily, it's honestly pretty good! They're famous for the chicken teriyaki, and they make pretty good fried rice. Whenever I'm at the mall and hungry, if I'm not going to Cheesecake Factory, I'm going here. The ambiance is a mall food court - nothing special. But you can get some containers of food to go and eat at home, which is what we usually do (like $10 each for a container of food). The service is pretty standard for a fast food joint (it's just fine).

Ok lol this place is so underated. It's in a mall I know. It's inside Barton Creek Mall lol BUT I think I've been going here for 2 decades or more ha and never gotten the chance to review it. Because who reviews fast food? I do! Ha and guess what? The pickiest foodie friend I have love loves this place so that amounts to something. And I like it a ton too. It used to be cheaper way cheaper like almost $5 for the chicken teriyaki lol but now it's almost $9 and add $2 for more meat. I always get the basic popular chicken teriyaki just because it's good and hot and fresh . They give you a large amount. But if you add more chicken you get so much more. Idk how they get the chicken so tender lol but I stick to chicken. The steak and shrimp and noodles look good but if you know me I never venture out of something if it's good. So chicken teriyaki it is! I ate here the other day and got 2 to go and it was hot and fresh! But be wary the line gets long. It's definitely the busiest in the whole food court. Even more than Chick-fil-A but it's worth the wait. It moves fast. And they are made to order so it's fresh and hot. They used to do a punch card and I get a lot of freebies but post covid I don't see that deal anymore. And the price is upped but it still is worth lol if you are ever at the mall hop in line and give it a try!

Wanted to try here for lunch but the wait was 40 minutes. Not really fast food. So I will try another time when I am not on a schedule.

My husband ordered this on DoorDash having no idea it was mall food. We got a good laugh out of it...and good food! We ordered one chicken teriyaki with rice and one beef teriyaki with noodles. Was it nutritional? Absolutely not. What it delicious?! Yes! I really enjoyed our dinner and was pleasantly surprised how good it was.

Soooo much food and so yummy. My go to DoorDash lunch order is the chicken and shrimp with extra beef. Have never actually managed to finish it in one meal

I don't find myself eating at chain restaurants much, but recently I was in a pinch to grab a bite before watching a movie and wanted to try something new at the food court that wasn't Chick-fil-A, so I went with Sarku Japan. The Teriyaki Chicken is their best seller and they also sell it in a double meat portion for $10.28 which was very filling, I didn't even get to finish my rice. It tasted good and it did its job in being quick, filling, and satisfying. You can also get a regular portion for $8.29 if you'd like. Although I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, it's a good spot to check out if you are also at the mall and find yourself to be pretty hungry. With that said, I'll give them a 3.75/5 for having good and great qualities.

Did not realize this was in a mall Food Court when I purchased from Uber Eats . Took way longer than expected. And the food was just bland. Wasted my money here. Did the buy 1 get 1 free teriyaki chicken. Didn't finish the first and threw out the 2nd one due to no taste. Even adding salt and teriyaki sauce I had at home didn't make this palatable. Not good .

You can't complain for mall food! It's simple, quick, cheap and to the point which was easy enough!

I didn't have high expectations for a meal at the mall food court coming in. After waiting in the long line, I ordered the teriyaki chicken (+ extra chicken) with white rice and steamed vegetables. The food was affordable, came out quick, and was incredibly fresh. When I bit into the first bite of the golden, perfectly charred chicken, my eyes widened. The perfect blend of savory, sweet and umami flavors hit me like a truck. The fluffy white rice and perfectly steamed vegetables were a light and tasteful base for the high impact chicken. It was so good that I considered applying for a job there just to learn how to make the scrumptious chicken for myself. 10/10.

it didn't have flavor much like Teriyaki sauce.... Fried rice had alot of oil.... It was ok but very disappointed to taste flavor.

The best Teriyaki in Austin Texas. I have been eating at Sarku for decades & have never had a bad experience...love the extra portion for $1. My wife used to love it also. Good egg rolls & they have sriracha sauce if you like it spicy. The combo meal is the best value - I highly recommend this place to anyone who loves Chicken Teriyaki ( they also have beef & shrimp)

I ordered the shrimp and chicken teriyaki with noodles. I do not recommend this place at all. There was a crazy long line we waited in so I figured this must be good but it was a disappointment. The noodles were greasy and soggy. The chicken was hard and over cooked. The shrimp were under cooked. The teriyaki sauce was meh. The veggies that came with it were slightly steamed and unseasoned. I won't fall for this place again.

Being from Seattle where hole in the wall teriyaki is the best of the best, we eat Sarku Japan on a weekly basis to get our Japanese fix in Austin. Is it as good as Seattle Teriyaki ...no but is it the best in Austin...yes! Given our love of authentic Japanese food (which the likes of Uchi is not btw) it keeps us sane and tides us over until we go back to Seattle to get our Japanese fix. Just wish they would allow the well done chicken teriyaki again. The chicken gets the nice crunch to it.

Cheap junk food. It tastes okay but is not high quality in any way. All the food comes with a plastic bag and styrofoam container. Very wasteful for a single meal.

Love this teriyaki chicken where I order with fried rice. I never get extra meat where it is so much food it will fill you up for the rest of the day. Make sure to get a reward card where get a stamp after every purchase and eventually get a free meal. They also prefer credit cards which makes the line go faster. This day was Sunday and Chick-Fil-A was closed making this place even more popular with long lines all day. The line moved and my order was confused with other person but quickly resolved. They are not eco friendly so food is in styrofoam containers and watch out for the weight of the food can break it in half. Use two hands or be like the lady behind me who used one and here container broke in half spilling half of her food onto the ground.

I don't know if I'm eating the same food as some of these reviewers but this was the saltiest, greasiest "shrimp terriyaki" I've ever eaten. I've been to SE Asia many times and this would be considered disgusting. I ate a few bites then gave it away to a grateful homeless person. So much for mall food!

Placed order thru DoorDash at 8:08pm. My order was supposed to be DELIVERED between 8:42 - 8:52pm. At 8:42pm received notice my order had been canceled. Thanks for making we wait for over 35 mins to tell me you were too lazy to finish my order.

Y'all already know - this is a legendary Barton Creek institution! Recommend bringing a book or a good friend for the wait!

The worst customer experience they particularly throw at you your food and they charge .50 for a 6g of hot sauce. I won't be back again

This is my favorite Chinese restaurant at Greenbrier mall. Great tasty noodles and vegetables cooked right in front of you. Nice staff too.

I was so impressed with my first visit to Sarku Japan that I wrote a poem about it: Roses are red, Violets are blue, I had lunch here today, And it was pretty damned good. Poetry is different for everyone, and so is Sarku, because they prepared my entree when I ordered it, unlike every other Asian food-court mall establishment I've managed to avoid over the years. It would be easy to get a yen for their $6.47 teriyaki chicken special with a small soda--a good deal available all the time. Michelle C. is right: "Sarku is like the fast food version of Benihana." And while you're standing there waiting with other people, it feels like being at a Benihana without the chairs--six of us watched two entertaining and incredibly hard-working chefs, one of them chanting "Sauce, yummy yummy sauce," while I was tempted to ask the other to try flipping little morsels to my mouth. It was definitely worth the wait. The more I think about Sarku, it becomes another ode to the power of Yelp: I must have zipped past this place a thousand times without giving it a second thought, and I tried it today simply because of two reviews written by two cool Yelpers--fun for me, and good for Sarku Japan.

I always come here when I go to the mall, but today I went and a guy named Alex took my order and was so completely rude because I couldn't hear what he said and started shaking his head/making faces and all my friend asked him was "are straight?" And he went off saying "yeah I'm straight, are you? I'll make sure you straight bro what's up?!" I've never had such a disgusting/ disrespectful experience anywhere ever ! I would give 0 stars if possible. And yes I told his manager next to him who couldn't have cared less. Worst customer service ever! Would not recommend. He definitely made good food taste bad !

The food is great at Sarku Japan, just, whenever I order Noodles with extra chicken teriyaki, they always put vegetables, and I don't know why. This is really annoying for them not to understand my order. So, I have to always tell them, "without vegetables." Also, shoutout to DoorDash for being so fast.

I ordered yesterday I ordered one with white rice one with fried rice I ordered it door dash. You didn't put any sauce on the chicken and only gave one small cup of sauce. It was very dried no flavor at all. I really would like a refund

The first time I ever tried this place was probably about 6 years ago. I've been hooked since!! I WILL NOT come to the mall without eating here! If I know I'm going to be shopping, I literally won't eat all day so that I can make a glutton of myself here and devour the chicken teriyaki with noodles and extra meat! It's a super cheap please to get full to the max and give you extra shopping energy! I never pay over 8 bucks!! The noodles have got to be my absolute favorite. Steer clear of the 2 places next to these as they will probably only disappoint with freshness. They may have more variety, but what I like about Sarku is that they obviously have specialties and focus on that! YES! THOSE NOOOODLEEEEESSSSSS!! A sign they have up says over 20 million teriyaki meals served annually. Well holy crap!! Duh! It must be freakin awesome! 10 stars!!!!!!!!!

One of my favorite places to eat at in the Mall! I love going to this place because the noodles are so special and delicioso! I'm a simple person, I see Sarku Japan I go eat there! Let's just say it HITS!!!

Good news, we have mobile order and delivery service. Welcome to download our App at the App Store "sarku japan " or order at DoorDash.Thanks for all.

Ok, 5 stars for a mall restaurant? I know what you're thinking... my elite status must be a fluke right? Wrong! I'm pretty sure the chicken here is laced with crack. The teriyaki chicken here is great bang for your buck. $5 for a huge thing of rice, veggies, and chicken, you can't find anything more delicious at Barton Creek. You can also get double the meat portion for just $1.29 more. Anyways, about the 5 stars, its not the best food in the world, but based on taste, price, and convenience, its worth it.

Good food, always get their food when I head to the mall. They close at 7pm but they stop making any food that isnt the chicken or steam rice...meanwhile you have a line that is long as hell and they dont bother to tell you until you have waited in line to tell you they dont have ANYTHING but chicken and steam rice. The employees are rude and the manager is no better! If I could give it no stars I would

today I was the lucky 100th customer and I won a honda civic keychain. foods good too.

Now for you classic run of the mill mall, this place definitely stands out. The food is made to order, and has decent flavor! For what you pay too, it doesn't disappoint at all. This place saved me on many horrible holidays when I had to work at A&F in my younger years, still always make this place a must when I stop at the mall.

Great food but the younger man that works there has a terrible attitude and left before I could pay for about a minute to go to the back and audibly complain about hating his position while I waited with my credit card in hand. I get not liking your job but giving a customer a bad experience is not ok. Needless to say with that attitude he should be working at hot topic circa 2006. Teen angst stops being cute at 17 and he never got the memo.

The customer service is really bad, cashier so rude but for fast food is pretty good!!!

Got Chicken teriyaki, double rice at this location (Around 2013). I had eaten here before several times with no issue. This time I ended up with brutal food poisoning. Had to sit on the toilet and puke in a bucket at the same about every 20 minutes for probably 8 - 10 hours straight. Never had food poisoning in my life till then. It was horrible. A couple months later, I ate at the Sarku Japan at The Woodlands Mall outside Houston. First time here, same chicken teriyaki plate with double rice (no veggies), again same food poisoning spending another night in the bathroom going out both ends at the same time for hours. This chain clearly has some poor food handling practices with their chicken. The plate itself was good. But could not pay me to eat at any of their locations again..

The BEST chicken teriyaki EVER!!! Make it Keto friendly and get vegetables instead of rice. If you like it spicy drizzle with chili garlic sauce. SO DELICIOUS!! Generous portions! Go for the extra chicken it's quite a bit more for your buck. LOVE THIS PLACE!!!

This is an absolute MUST eat when im at the mall. Its been here for years, as long as I can remember! They're special " chicken Teriyaki with veggies an your choice of rice ". Its always busy but I promise you its worth the wait! The guys are always super nice, everything prepared right in front of you as you go down the line waiting on your plate, and for $7 THE PORTIONS ARE HUGE! I always have extra left over for later. Who ever is running this bad boy is doing an amazing job!! I wish We had one in Kyle! They need to spread out more! Oh you also get little stamp cards an after 6 or 7 , you get one free! Keep your card!!

This place used to be great! We tried today and the food was terrible. The rice was super dry and the vegetables very hard to chew. But above all.. the portions are way more smaller than they used to. Very disappointed!!! No love at all...

Very Aromatic Meal - Enticing. Not expensive and order is quick... Decent cup size(s)...

Oh my! Best food court food I've had. Get the grilled teriyaki chicken. It's better than some restaurants I've been to. Who knew?! The line was long so I knew it must be better than the other places there which had NO customers. A little too greasy that's why only 4 stars but all ingredients fresh and yummy!

Chicken teriyaki plate is really good! It's a good price for the portion you get. My cousin and I shared a double meat plate and it was enough for both of us. Very quick & good

You guys rock! Sunday lunch you had a quite a line! Proactively one of your staff was taking food orders to help speed things up which I thought was brilliant!! A few unruly customers in line tried to bring everyone's spirits down when THEY gave your cashier THEIR food order wrong complaining AFTER they "paid" for their food. They should have been paying better attention to their food choice. Your kitchen line was already working hard to feed everyone! Keep up the great work Sarku Japan!!!

They were so nice when I asked if the had vegan options! They suggested the vegetables & rice, which was good.

I have a confession. I eat at Sarku Japan more often than any other restaurant in Barton Creek Mall, including the fancy Nordstrom's Cafe that serves much better food. Why? Because usually when I'm at the mall, I just want to grab something quick so I can finish up my shopping and get the hell out of there. I like to shop, don't get me wrong - but malls don't hold the same allure for me the way they did when I was a teenager. Sarku is like the fast food version of Benihana. They have a big, flat grill where you can watch a chef cook your meal. 99.99% of their customers eat the chicken teriyaki, which is their perpetual special of the day (I've been there many, many, many times, and have never seen any other special on the board). It costs just $5 and they give you a very generous portion with your choice of fried or white rice and a side of stir fried veggies. For $1 more, you can get double meat. They have a big bottle of sriracha sauce at the end (Yelper Delicious L. calls this "hot cock," which I think is freakin' hilarious) so you can douse your food in spicy goodness. I highly recommend doing so. They used to have these cute older Asian male chefs who would put on a little show for you while they cooked your meal, banging the spatulas and spice shakers together and chanting loudly, "Eaaaaaaaat moorreeeeeeee chicken teriyaki!" The last year or so, they've been replaced by younger Hispanic guys who look like they'd rather die than make fools of themselves that way. I miss the show, but the food is still good (as mall food court food goes, anyway) and the price is certainly right. Eaaaaaaaaat mooorrreeeeeee chicken teriyaki!

If you ever go to the food court at Barton Creek, you'll notice that Sarku is the one place that always has a constant flow of people. Now admittedly, I've been called a food whore by a coworker, and he's not wrong. But I think this is different, because I've had thoughts of going to the mall just to eat here (judge away, fools!). A big plate of rice, steamed veggies, and really good chicken teriyaki costs less than $6 (in fact, I usually make two meals out of it). They have other stuff, but like other reviews have mentioned, this is their main dish. And at the very least, you should try their sample. And for all of you that are turned on by efficient manufacturing (aka hardware engineers), they pipeline their grill, so they maximize their chicken teriyaki throughput. In layman's terms, that means that you don't have to step over grandmothers and young children to be served in a timely manner.

Sarku (noun) - 1) A pseudo-Japanese fast food restaurant, often found in shopping malls, specializing in teriyaki chicken dishes. 2) A pseudo-Japanese automatic nose hair trimming device produced by the makers of the Flobee in the early 1990s. (Ok, that last one I made up.) I'm not quite sure what to make of Sarku. The place is always packed, but the food isn't very good. The vegetables are usually way overcooked, the rice is sometimes crunchy, and I often find a couple of pieces of bone and/or gristle in every teriyaki chicken plate I order. Also, the staff that work at this location are kind of weird. The lady at the counter sang (yes, that's right--sang) to me like some weird Asian Teddy Ruxpin when asking whether I wanted steamed or fried rice. However, the best part was the cook who kept saying "Ooooohh Yuminy! Ooooooooh Yuminy! Ooooh Yuminy!" when he was pouring teriyaki sauce on the grilled chicken. (Now, I should mention that he looked like one of those mouth breather types that probably got this job as part of his parole. I can cut him a little slack because of that, but still.) Sure, you can go to "Mall Pizza" next door (and, yes, that's its actual name), but if you want entertainment with your meal, Sarku is where it's at!