YakiniQ Korean BBQ

Impeccable service from Pony, Elmer and the entire wait staff! I’ve been to a lot of kbbq restaurants and have never experienced this level of service. Grill was changed frequently, and they checked on us every 5 mins. Wow! I will be back! 5 star service, good quality, and great experience all around!

The overall experience was fantastic for the group I was with. We had an allergy in the group, that they went above and beyond to accommodate for. They were very gracious, patient, and made a fantastic impression for many first timers to Korean BBQ amongst us! Their cuts of meat were just superb, and all their sides were just incredibly flavourful. There was not a single item that was not a hit! If you have people who are looking for a Korean BBQ experience then give this place a shot. Don't let the price put you off, because the service and food will be more than worth it.

I finally got to try Yakiniq in SF, a KBBQ place that has been on my list for a while! My friend recommended it, even though she went to the one in the South Bay area. Pro Tip: Use the Yelp app to get on their waitlist when you’re heading to the restaurant. We waited around 30-45 minutes on a weekend night for a party of 2 at 6:30 PM. Yakiniq offers two AYCE menu options: basic and premium. We opted for the basic, and the experience was great overall! The quality of the meat was decent, with the marinated beef and pork being particularly flavorful. The staff frequently changed the grill without us having to ask, and our table was never empty. The server kept checking on us to see if we were ready for another round.

I'm meat-drunk. The Wench and I frequent this bustling carnivore's paradise. For $35 each, you'll get a veritable banquet of Korean goodies. Mountains of flesh sizzle right before your eyes; chop it up with a pair of shears and cram your cheeks like a chipmunk. Raw garlic, glassy noodles, kimchi, all those tasty accoutrements provided at no additional cost. Leave your vegetarian friends outside. They won't fit in around here.

This place is good for all you can eat Korean BBQ. They have a big selection of meats. My favorite is the brisket (chadol) and they even have octopus. We found the meat to be good quality and fresh. They do have a premium menu, however you have to get every item on it and cannot pay extra for just one item or select just the items you prefer, so we opted to skip it this time. The service was prompt and they have a big selection of sake, soju, beer and wine. This is the self cooking style Korean BBQ. The meats do not seem to come with dipping sauce but you can always ask for it. My one qualm would be the poor ventilation and smoke, I know it’s Korean BBQ but I left extra smoky after this one. Definitely not a bad choice for AYCE Korean BBQ.

So i was there yesterday and the food was good but i didn’t like the policy they do. So if want premium menu everyone in the table will have to pay for premium even if were not planning to pay that much. Then if you get the premium menu then technically you get the premium meat in the menu only once which absurd we are a group of 5 people in what logic we get the premium meat once just like a table of two or one even though five of us paid for the premium. Also we got seated in small table then we asked for smaller table because we had no space on the table to put plates on and they refused to do so. Eventually we got charged more than we expected. Service charge 40$ god damn for what ?? Definitely not coming back to this place.

Fast, tasty, & ayce! Service is always wonderfully attentive & the owners are so kind! We've ben coming for over a year, I've brought friend & coworkers and it's always a hit! Basic & premium have incredible meat options, definitely a must to visit. Also love their kimchi & endless banchan.

The food was good, particularly the special combo that comes with the premium menu, but I thought the normal meats were missing a bit of flavor. Overall, would still recommend as a good KBBQ spot

Jay (he is the manager I believe and if he isn't, he should be') was very responsive to a surprise birthday dinner that I was planning for a month in advance. He accommodated for 16 people in our party and even allowed for early arrival to set up a happy birthday sign and cake to be stored. The food there was amazing as usual. I always love eating here even before this birthday party. Ambience was not too loud and not too crazy but the service is just amazing. Servers are super attentive and always checking in on you. Cannot go wrong here and just know they will take care of you. Thanks Jay you made the birthday party an extremely memorable one!

Surprisingly solid for a chain AYCE KBBQ spot! We came on a Friday night, and the place was almost full. We didn't have to wait (came at ~5:30 PM), but when we were leaving, the line was definitely building up. The interior is definitely not the newest or cleanest, but it gets the job done. The service is also just ok; really depends on whose helping, a few of them are super nice and friendly, but others really don't care at all. We got the premium set, and honestly was worth. The premium platter we got definitely had the best bites of meat we had that night; super tender and fatty, with a nice beefy flavor. The other meats that you could reorder were also good in quality; solid brisket and pork belly. The fact that a bunch of side dishes and toppings come unlimited with the premium set is also super nice; we were continually refreshing scallion salads, lettuce and radish wraps, etc. The dips were definitely a bit lacking though; they only had some non-standard house sauces that all were just meh in my opinion. It's not cheap at all, but pretty worth if you want to stuff yourself with good quality meat!

Yakiniq is an AYCE KBBQ spot that has a few locations throughout the Bay Area including San Jose, Livermore, and this one in San Francisco. It's located in the heart of Japantown on the second floor. You can put your name down on the Yelp waitlist which I recommend because without it, it can be a 2+ hour wait during their busiest times. It was pretty convenient that the menu was against the wall so we didn't need to flip through a menu to order. They have a basic menu ($34.99/person) and a premium menu ($44.99/person). We got the basic menu which unfortunately didn't include sides which was an extra $4.99/person. Of all the items we ordered I particularly liked the fresh short rib, the pork short rib, and the beef brisket. The service was a little slow at times serving the food and they occasionally missed some items. However they were pretty good with the grill changes and were accommodating with some of our requests and questions.

I walk in early and I was surprise it was plenty of empty seats The food and service are still great But I realize why it was so empty when I get my bill It has. 5% health tax plus they add 18% service fee So my $234 bill become $320 I wish the management understand almost 25% add on is not a easy fee to absorb We will have to go somewhere else that is more affordable Thanks for the food and service

I finally got to try Yakiniq in SF, a KBBQ place that has been on my list for a while! My friend recommended it, even though she went to the one in the South Bay area. Pro Tip: Use the Yelp app to get on their waitlist when you're heading to the restaurant. We waited around 30-45 minutes on a weekend night for a party of 2 at 6:30 PM. Yakiniq offers two AYCE menu options: basic and premium. We opted for the basic, and the experience was great overall! The quality of the meat was decent, with the marinated beef and pork being particularly flavorful. The staff frequently changed the grill without us having to ask, and our table was never empty. The server kept checking on us to see if we were ready for another round.

This is basically my neighborhood kbbq, and my experience is always the same (in the best way possible). Service is always very quick and my favorite part is the variety of soju. It is a little loud but I don't mind. Also a really fun dining experience for friends.

Delicious and fast service! Fun place to eat with friends! I also recommend using yelp check in for a faster process!

Ditch the premium and stick with the basic. LA galbi and brisket- repeat til full. Sides: steamed egg Repeat this process until satisfied. Go to ramen bar and make your choice of ramen. Idk how they thought of it, but the ramen comes out perfectly! It too soft, and perfectly Al-dente. Service is also amazing. Super attentive, on top of whatever you need and mind you, it's all Latinos working the floor and serving you. Amazing.

Food here is really good. They change the prices. They also have a premium menu which is 44.99. The premium menu also has a ribeye steak and also hot Ramen bar. The service here is always really good very fast and convenient. It's about like a five minute wait for your food and you also leave the restaurant very filled. The ambience to change a little bit it's starts to look like a Gen Korean BBQ. Other than that, they're also very friendly.

Came here post-SF Marathon with my sister and partner so we can heal after our grueling runs. We didn't make reservations, but did join the Yelp waitlist online beforehand. It was busy!! inside, so I'd highly recommend doing that waitlist method, because even when we got the text that our table was ready, we did end up waiting another ~15ish minutes to get seated. Don't wear clothes that would require special laundry care--the vents don't work that well, and everything you wear/bring will carry that smokey meaty bbq smell--it took like 4 sessions of wiping down and washing my phone case to remove that smell from it. I think for the price/location, the quality isn't the worst, but I noticed after the 1st round, the meat quality did kind of decline and take on a tougher/more gamey flavor. I was surprised that they had gopchang on their menu, and we def ordered this! It was fun and fatty and the texture was interesting.

As a long-time patron of Yakiniq in SF, I can confidently say this is the gold standard for All-You-Can-Eat Korean BBQ in the city. Over the years, I've watched them maintain their quality while other AYCE spots have come and gone or declined in quality. What keeps me coming back is their consistent value proposition. They offer two AYCE options (basic and premium), and honestly, the basic menu is more than sufficient for most appetites. The meat quality has remained remarkably consistent over my numerous visits - something that's rare in the AYCE world where corners are often cut. One of their strongest points is their attentive service system. The staff has always been proactive about grill changes, ensuring you're not cooking on burnt, crusty surfaces. They've mastered the art of timing - your next round of meat arrives just as you're finishing your current batch, keeping the meal flowing smoothly without overwhelming your table. Key highlights that have stayed consistent over the years: - Efficient service even during peak hours - Well-maintained grills and ventilation - Fresh meat selections - Quick meat refills without having to chase down servers - Comfortable dining environment Pro Tips from a Regular: - The marinated meats are their strong suit - Basic AYCE menu offers the best value-to-quality ratio - Weekday dinner tends to be less crowded than weekends - Don't fill up on the sides - focus on the meat! While prices have naturally increased over the years (as with everything in SF), Yakiniq has managed to maintain its position as the best bang-for-your-buck KBBQ spot in the city. It's refreshing to see a restaurant maintain its standards over such a long period, especially in the challenging AYCE category. For anyone looking for reliable AYCE KBBQ in San Francisco, this place has stood the test of time for good reason. Just remember to come hungry - you'll want to make the most of your AYCE experience!

Have been coming to YakiniQ since high school and the quality of service and food has gone down the recent times I've been. Mostly recently, we went around 8:30 pm on a weekday and were seated immediately. The ambiance is always very loud and lively with the big groups everyone goes with. I think they raised their prices though around 5 dollars for both their regular (32.99) and special (39.99) all you can eat options. The meat quality was okay overall. We mainly ordered the beef brisket which was a little dry, pork belly and boneless short rib. The boneless short rib was our favorite one: marinated well, pretty soft and tender. We also ordered some sides like the steamed egg and corn cheese. The steamed egg was tasty but the corn cheese was 4 dollars for a dish that was small and came with barely any cheese. The main difficulty we had was getting help from the staff and the items we ordered each time. We had to keep repeating how many of each dish we wanted and they kept bringing out the same beef brisket for us while none of the other meats or sides came until we asked more than 3 times. They also kept switching out our grill pan when it didn't need to be and it took us longer to wait for it to heat up so we could cook everything.

I celebrated a birthday here with a group of friends and had a pretty good experience overall. If you come here on your birthday and bring at least three other friends with you, then you get to eat for free! We all went with the premium AYCE option and ate until we were stuffed. The one negative thing was that for a group of 7 people, we were squeezed into a small booth that had only one grill. This was a problem because one person in our group only eats chicken (no red meat), which takes a look time to cook thoroughly. So we all had to wait a while to switch out the meats and waited to eat. We also had to request some items (e.g. spicy rice cakes) four times until they came because the staff seemed pretty swamped. Overall, service was friendly though. We also brought a birthday cake and candles with us, and the staff even offered to bring out the cake after dinner and provided a cake serving utensil, paper plates, and forks for us free of charge! Note that reservations are only accepted for parties of 7+. My partner had to call in three times for our reservation because the staff got the date wrong the first time, and somehow they incorrectly canceled the reservation after the second call.

I made online reservation via Yelp on Saturday for 6pm and had no issue. When i arrived, i was directed to my table. People complained about the dirty towel smell near the back kitchen area, which i could not smell. The booth i had was narrow to get in. My mother had to squeeze herself to get inside. I selected the $39.99 premium meal, so i can have the special sides and the beef rib finger meat. Lots of selection of meat and well marinated. During the cooking process, the staff were attentive. When the grill was getting charred/burn, someone would come and change it. Over the course of the meal, the grill was changed 3 times without even asking. When i was about to finish eating all the meat, the staff would show up and asked me what else i wanted. There is only street parking unless you want to park in the underground structure underneath the mall across the street. I parked on geary st and walked over.

This is one of the best Korean bbq places I've been to, and I've been to a lot! The meat was seasoned/marinated so well. The kimchi and ssamjang were incredible. The price is also REALLY good for the amount of meats and sides to choose from. They do a great job also with the ventilation so it's not too smoky inside. The staff were friendly and did a great job watching our table to change our grills when needed. I would recommend not paying your bill until you're ready to leave. There's a 2 hour limit per table. We paid ours a little earlier than that and were just finishing our soju and beer but were asked to hurry up because people were waiting for tables......there were three open tables at the front and no one waiting at the front of the restaurant.

Edwin was quick to seat us on a Thursday night at 9pm. We had a party of 3. He immediately took our order considering the kitchen was closing in half an hour. We ordered short ribs, pork belly, spicy pork belly, octopus, a couple platters of steak, and shrimp. We ordered a small bottle of Soju as well. The total came out to about $53 a person. The restaurant is very nicely designed and lively. It was my second time here and I will definitely be coming back whenever I visit San Francisco Japantown. And thank you to Edward and the rest of the staff for outstanding service.

AYCE kbbq restaurant in japantown! It's right across from the japantown center, and it's a solid kbbq place that's a little bit cheaper than some other kbbq places in the city. The portions are pretty large, and meat quality is decent. All of the workers were kind and attentive, we rarely had to wait long to put in our next order or get water refills. Not sure when they added this in, but now they have a ramen station where there's a variety of ramens you can pick from and then make it at one of their boiler stations. Like to come here for how convenient the location is and for the value you get!

I genuinely loved my experience here! I usually go to the one in SJ, but I remembered they had an SF location. I got seated right away on a Thursday night, and the server was so attentive and helpful! The meat quality was superior than most AYCE BBQ places. I went with the basic option, but premium seems to be worth it if you're going to be getting a lot of the sides (their cheese corn is pretty good)

During my recent visit to this YakiniQ Korean BBQ restaurant, I wanted to share my thoughts: **Atmosphere**: Firstly, it's worth noting that the place has become less smokey compared to previous experiences, which is a welcome improvement. **Waitlist Strategy**: However, be prepared for the possibility of crowds and long lines. To mitigate this, consider joining the Yelp waitlist ahead of time or attempting a walk-in. They tend to give priority to in-house guests. **Food Quality**: In terms of food, it's slightly above average, but it adheres to the typical Korean BBQ fare you'd expect. **Portions**: They don't skimp on portions here, so it's ideal for a large group. But if you're just a duo, be prepared for the likelihood of feeling quite full quickly. **Pork Skin**: A word of caution - skip the pork skin. It tends to be bland and fatty unless you have a specific preference for it. **Recommendations**: For a satisfying meal, I'd recommend giving the bulgogi and various beef options a try; they won't disappoint. **Sides**: The additional $6 for the sides is worth it. They're genuinely delicious and complement the BBQ experience nicely. **Rib Eye Steak**: If you're eyeing the rib eye steak, keep in mind it's sizeable but can turn chewy. You might want to explore other cuts. **Must-Try**: Don't miss out on the baby octopus, beef tongue, and chicken gizzards. They're standout choices. **Missing Dish**: Unfortunately, it appears that squid is no longer on the menu, which might disappoint seafood lovers. **Service**: On the bright side, the service here is speedy and attentive, which adds to the overall experience. However, it's worth mentioning that they enforce a mandatory 5% extra charge, which can be a bit off-putting. Tipping should ideally be a personal choice, not an obligation. In conclusion, this Korean BBQ spot offers a decent dining experience, with some exceptional dishes to savor. Just be aware of the potential wait times, the fluctuating smokiness, and the mandatory service charge.

2/23/24 Came here on a Friday night at like 8:30pm and we weren't seated until 9:15 because it was so busy inside. We chose the premium version so our bill came out to $55 per person. The place was packed so service was pretty slow. Banchan was great (they had japchae). A lot of the meats were super tough and the quality was not the best. I expect better given the price point. The sides that are included in the premium option wasn't worth the upcharge imo

As many restaurants there are pros and cons to them and overall I like this place but here are my thoughts and opinions: Pros: The food is pretty worth for AYCE. I usually get the brisket, kalbi (short ribs), pork belly, pork kimchi stew, steamed eggs, and corn cheese. The meat isn't comparable to 10 butchers but it's pretty decent for the price you pay. The ambiance is pretty lit - the music is usually loud which some people may or may not like, I don't really mind. The side dishes are really good in my opinion specially their kimchi, bean sprouts, japchae, and the seaweed, I also love their staple sauce. The host & servers are very hardworking so much respect and appreciation to them! Now on to the cons: This location is next to Japantown so there's usually a lot of crowd around the area specially at night therefore the wait time is quite long. I'd recommend either making reservations ahead of time for larger groups, reserve online via yelp if available, or coming at the opening time. Also the ventilation isn't the greatest so it can get very smoky which most likely will stick to your hair, clothes, and skin by the time you're done eating. Lastly, we were seated one time at the back booth before which was close to the kitchen/entry to the stairs to the bathroom and I couldn't eat peacefully at all because of the stench I smelled from that area. I hope the restaurant can do something about this issue because I'm pretty sure many people who've been seated near that area can smell the bathroom or wet towel stench! Overall it's a pretty good spot for an AYCE specially with friends or family.

This was $39.99 per person with side dishes - This was so good! Love the meat quality, my favorite is their beef belly. I love eating the beef belly and their steamed egg in one bite. My favorite side dish of theirs is the seaweed, love how simple it is and not heavy in flavor. Service was great, everyone was attentive and super kind. They have $32.99 per person option but it comes with no side dishes They have a 25% of your total bill if you go in before 6pm on Monday through Thursdays!

Food (3.75/5): The food is ok especially for the price charged. Regular AYCE here is $35 while the premium selection is $45. Most other AYCE kbbq places do not charge that much. Service (4.25/5): The staff were a bit slow / inattentive but coming on a Saturday night, every table was constantly packed, so I could understand why. Every time I needed something, I'd go up to the front desk and they'd help resolve my issue in a nice way. Ambiance (4.5/5): The interior is nicely decorated with lights. The place is bustling on a weekend dinner night, with a long wait list for dinner--luckily my friend had called to reserve a table for a party of 14 for us!

The service here is good, I just don't think the food is particularly worth it. As far as pricing goes, to even get a standard bulgogi, you have to order from the premium menu instead of the standard menu. At the end of the day, meat is meat. Compared to other AYCE kbbq, I don't see many things here that set it apart from your standard Gen meal around the area. In fact, it feels like I could get more of a selection of sides and meats for a better price at Gen. Perhaps the one redeeming quality that some places haven't had is a consistent grill heat. We can adjust grill heat as needed and there doesn't seem to be any weak grills that slow down meat cooking.

Staff was super welcoming and helped us cook the meat!! They were also very attentive to when our grill needed to be changed. Yakiniq also added a bunch of new things, such as their noodle bar! I haven't tried that yet, but I'll definitely return to try!! I loved their Miso pork belly and their corn cheese. 10/10!!

Randomly walked past this place yesterday with some friends and decided to give it a try. We were a group of 7 and they sat us right away although it was somewhat busy they had a table that had just left which worked out perfectly for us. Ambiance was nice but something about carpet inside a restaurant just seems weird so 1 star off for that cause god knows how often they clean it lol We got the premium menu option which comes with all the meats + sides. Our server was attentive and kept the meats coming. We went for 7 rounds of meat and we all left very full and happy. I would definitely recommend and plan on going back soon.

My absolute favorite ayce kbbq place in town! I think the price here is super great for all you can eat kbbq, especially when it is located in sf. The meat selection and quality is also superb, as well as the drink & other food selections. The ambiance is great for celebrations and get-togethers - my friend group has had 2 birthday celebrations here already (reserve beforehand)! The service is also great and the staff are very attentive.

Try out this AYCE bbq place! Beef quality was good, and service was so fast. Our server Jay was super attentive and friendly. He helped us enjoying bbq for the whole dinner.

Truly awful all around. Just poor quality meats and rude service. We had 3 people (adults and teen) in our party and were looking forward to this after arriving from out of town for a birthday dinner since my son likes these BBQ places. Disappointing from the grumpy guy who sat us to the meat and sides. The "brisket" is like cheap Steak Um. The "pork belly" is literally white fat. Admittedly Korean beer like Cass can't hold a candle to other quality Japanese beers, so my bad for ordering the "pitcher" that comes in a plastic liter bottle like a soda. Anyway, we rushed through to get out of there and two of the three of us just felt kind of gross with upset stomachs all night. Skip this place and find something else is my advice.

I think this place is now under some new management, because the menu has recently changed (all sides are included in the premium) and they alone were worth the upgrade. Meat quality was what you'd expect from an AYCE. The one exception being their Gopchang, which is by far the BEST Gopchang I've had at an AYCE, on par with actual gopchang restaurants The sides were great. The cold noodles are a perfect refreshing pairing for the greasy meat. The corn cheese came on a metal plate that you could reheat on the grill. The seafood pancake was FULL of seafood, crispy, and delicious. Would skip on the brisket butter rice. I will recommend skipping on the "premium plate" that they recommend and going for your favorite meats. Everyone knows ribeye at KBBQs are not worth it.

Indulging in the best Korean BBQ in the city is an experience that leaves an indelible mark on the palate and the soul. From the moment you step through the doors, you're transported to a culinary paradise where the aroma of sizzling meat and the lively atmosphere captivate your senses. The star of the show is undoubtedly the meat - each cut expertly marinated and grilled to perfection, bursting with flavor and tenderness. From classic bulgogi to mouthwatering galbi, every bite is a revelation, a symphony of taste and texture. But it's not just about the BBQ - the attention to detail and hospitality elevate the dining experience to new heights. Impeccable service, a vibrant atmosphere, and an array of delicious banchan create a feast for both the palate and the spirit.

Love this place!! All you can eat menu is a must. No reservations so you have to make sure you add your name to waitlist well beforehand as it's always busy. Believe if you have a group that's 7 or more they will accept reservations.

I love this place if me and my boyfriend arent at pho2000 we are here! Staff is a little bit more caring if you get the premium menu but i totally get that i over heard the guy next to me tell the boys who were eating to "get more sides" which we know that means "get full faster!" I do wish there was a little more privacy/darkness just because i dont like coming here after a 8 hour shift to bright lights and so so many conversations i mean me and my boyfriend were placed right next to 3 loud boys i could barely hear myself ( basically at the same table the tables were connected and we had to share condiments and they kept hogging the salt !) its probably so bright and open so people dont steal the food to take home but there has to be another way. #dontsitstrangerswithstrangers

My group and I come here every once in a while and the experience is always great. Prompt service, good food and tasty sides. The kimchi and glass noodles are my favorite! And the chili sauce is really good as well.

Yakiniq Food Review: I recently dined at Yakiniq and overall had a decent experience. The restaurant offers two pricing options, $32.99 or $39.99, depending on your choice of meats. One standout aspect of my visit was the very quick service. The staff was efficient and attentive, ensuring that our dining experience progressed smoothly. The refill portions for the meats were generous, allowing us to savor the flavors without worrying about running out. I particularly enjoyed the tasty combination of seaweed and japchae, which added a delightful touch to the meal. However, I found the steamed egg to be overly salty, which was a bit disappointing. The sauces provided at Yakiniq didn't quite meet my expectations. I was not a fan of the flavors and ended up creating my own dipping sauce with sesame oil and salt. Throughout our meal, we stuck with the Galbi, beef belly, and brisket, which were all enjoyable choices. The meats were cooked to perfection, delivering satisfying flavors. The dining area at Yakiniq is dimly lit, with menus illuminated on the wall for visibility. K-pop music played in the background, creating a lively ambiance. The seating arrangement is quite tight, but the advantage is that each group gets their own table, which sets it apart from Daeho. It might feel a bit cramped, but it doesn't hinder the overall dining experience. Parking: Street parking is available. However, I would recommend joining the Yelp waitlist if possible, as it can save you valuable time. Note that at a certain point, the Yelp waitlist can only be joined in person on a tablet located at the top of the stairs. In conclusion, Yakiniq offers a satisfying dining experience with quick service and ample refill portions. While some elements, such as the steamed egg and sauces, fell short of expectations, the overall quality of the meats and the enjoyable atmosphere make it worth a visit.

The service was amazing. The staff frequently makes rounds to check in on you, pick up the plates that you no longer need, and replace the grill top. The ambiance is spacious and inviting yet private. The food is flavorful and portion sizes are well thought out. Definitely worth coming back.

This has been saved on my list, and I was so glad to to finally go! Some things did surprise me though ( and not in a good way). I came with some friends for dinner for their $33 a person AYCE Korean BBQ (not the premium option). But for the basic one, you get all the staples like bulgogi and pork belly. I also don't need all the sides, so I was happy with what we got. I would've given this 5/5 stars, except the hygiene and cleanliness of this place was not it. Every time they changed out the grill, they let the oils and fats drip onto the carpet! It looks so gross. And the bathrooms are not the cleanest or well maintained. Service was good though. All in all though, we had a great time!

Bummer. Food: 3/5 good, portions small. Service: 1/5 thumbs down: so aggressive. We came for my birthday. Immediately a server came to take our order: food came out fast which seemed like a plus at first, then turned out a server came by our table EVERY 5 MINUTES to check on us and ask us if we want more. At first it felt they were attentive, until they were interrupting every conversation my fiance and I tried to have, and then we realized they were just trying to push us out. 3 different servers rotated coming over to us. Cherry on top was when i stepped away to use the bathroom and they had rushed my fiancé and gave him the receipt to pay immediately which he did so when I came back and I wanted to order another dish we were already closed out. Worst birthday dinner and will definitely be trying the restaurant that was next-door to this spot which is called DAEJO KALBIJIM & BEEF SOUP with wayyyy better reviews. We paid $95 for 3 orders - 2 beef short rib plates that only had 2 ribs per plate, and one beef brisket dish. They rushed us out for a reason. So cheap and disappointing. Never coming back.

Always busy at this place so we decided to be there at the open time and got the table immediately. The service was amazing as always. They always check on the table and change the pan without asking for it. Foods are great and our favorite is Galbi and steamed eggs. Cool music on the screen and reasonable prices for the meal. Recommended!!

The wait was pretty long considering we made a reservation and had to wait an additional 45 minutes, but thankfully you can roam around japantown while waiting for the text that your table is ready. (I wanted to dock a star just for this, but the food honestly is so good it's worth the wait) It's a busy and popping area so just keep that in mind when eating here with a group larger than 4 on a Friday-Sunday! The food was really flavorful and they have vents above each grill so the smoke wasn't filling up the room. I like that the service is quick and they had someone come to our table frequently. It's busy so sometimes when you want to order, your server might be helping their other 6 tables - so please be kind or order more in advance (but don't waste food) Will come back soon for the meats and yummy free sides that come with the ayce set - I think it's a fun place to bring friends and family plus you can eat more with 4+ people!!

The food is better quality than other AYCE places around the area. I really enjoyed the meal! However, my only issue is the seating sucks for bigger groups. Especially when they give you a table next to the wall. I'd try to go with 1-3 people ideally.

The last time I was at this restaurant was over 5 years and ever since, the interior and atmosphere has changed. They upgrading their look with neon signs, fake grass walls, and bright neon LED lighting. We got seated in the corner booth at the back of the restaurant and we thought we lucked out sitting away from the smoke... Little did I know that I'd be breathing smoke THE WHOLE NIGHT. I walked out of there with my throat and nose hurting so bad from all the smoke. I've never ever been so miserable and felt sooo suffocated eating kbbq. The overhead fan was DEFINITELY broken or old asf... The smoke would only go TOWARDS where I was sitting not even up! As for the food, it was very mid. Our favorite meat was the LA fresh short rib. I really liked the cup noodle fried rice inspired by Jungkook tho.. wish it was a bigger portion tho since we paid $4.99 to add it. Servers were alright. We asked for two meats that came after we had to follow up with them. Food came out pretty quick. They checked up on us occasionally whenever they noticed our table was basically empty with no more meats. I liked how they had a good variety of side dishes, those were yummy. Would I come back? Nah

How have I not reviewed YakiniQ after coming here AT LEAST yearly for the last 10 years?! I'll fight anyone who doesn't agree with this being the best AYCE KBBQ place in SF Staff have worked here for a long time and all know their job really well. They've recently took off the limit on their amazing Galbi, which is only a win in my book. What keeps me coming back though is their premium menu, specifically the Beef Tongue and Steak. I have not found another BBQ place in SF with better quality beef tongue than here (not even non-AYCE places!) Keep it up!

We went here at around 8:40 PM for dinner and were seated almost immediately. The waiters were all super nice and friendly, which we liked. The food also came out pretty quick, and we ate until a bit after closing time (could only order 3 meats at a time!). Here were the highlights of our experience: Pros: - waiters are nice, friendly and attentive - fast service Cons: - 5% SF health mandate fee - poor meat quality (bland too) - manager blocking the way out of the restaurant questioning me about the tip that I gave, and having the audacity to say that I "probably pressed the wrong button". This really dimmed the experience for me, and it pissed me off a lot

We walked in with as a group of 4 around 7pm on a Friday night. The restaurant was busy with a waitlist of about 8 groups but we got lucky and snagged a table right when we got in. Definitely leverage the yelp waitlist if it's open. Drinks: pretty affordable beer, wine, soju and a limited cocktail selection. We went with a "pitcher" of beer which was just a large bottle. Food: two all you can eat menu options, one priced at 32.99 which doesn't include sides, and 39.99 which gets you everything on the menu for 2 hours. Our group went with the 39.99 option. Galbi - fantastic, nice tender boneless short ribs in a savory soy marinade, good amount of fattiness, definitely order this one Thin sliced brisket - super quick cooking, a nice "lighter" option, no seasoning on this so I'd recommend salt and pepper while you grill Spicy pork belly - nice sweet and slightly spicy gochujang marinade, pork came in large pieces that took a little while to cook, definitely let this char a little for the best flavor, tasty but can get a little heavy so maybe ask for a smaller portion Prime ribeye steak - decent marbling, steaks are unseasoned so definitely salt and pepper on the grill, these were fairly large and took a while to cook, I'd say the marinade meats were better, could probably skip unless you really want a classic steak Jumbo shrimp - nice sized prawns with head and shell on Pork bulgogi - well marinaded strips of pork, pieces were tender and very tasty another must order Banchan: kimchi, bean sprouts, seaweed, potato salad, slaw, japchae all were good and refilled as needed Sides: Corn cheese - overall okay not the best but a nice alternative to all the meat Fried dumplings - also okay could probably skip Lettuce and rice cake paper - great to pair with the KBBQ meats Service overall good, grills were changed out regularly, and servers came by occasionally to take additional orders. Water was replenished as needed. Overall a solid KBBQ all you can eat spot. Great variety of options and marinaded meats are particularly good here. Would definitely come back for a meal.

I have been coming here for years and I absolutely LOVE this spot! Great customer service, perfect place for groups! I've had countless birthdays, just because and going away dinners here!

I am so glad this place survived Covid! It's my favorite KBBQ place in the Bay Area because of their hot sauce and seaweed as side dish! Everything is very well priced for AYCE and I always get the basic set because that's all I need! Always amazing customer service and the place also has new decor and new carpet! Parking is very easy! I always park in the garage! I've been coming here since 2014 and 10 years later I still come here for KBBQ!

Have been to this restaurant for several times. Both food and service are amazing. Staffs are glad to help me. Cost-effective.

Came here because a friend recommended it and was kind of let down. We got the regular menu and honestly it was a let down. Quality of meat was mediocre, ambiance was okay, but nothing really stood out. $5 for sides is crazy to me. I'm from socal, so I'm not familiar with an employee benefit tax, but it took me by surprise and kind of ruined the vibe. Since my group was 5 people, we got charged automatic gratuity (18%) on TOP of the employee benefit charge, for mediocre service and food. Personally, don't see myself coming back if I'm ever in the bay again.