Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

Since we have never been to a Japanese BBQ place where you cook your own protein, I scoured reviews to find out how and what to order. I couldn't find a review anywhere that discussed A la Carte vs. All You Can Eat ordering, or how much of which protein is in the 3oz portions that they serve. So after studying the menu for a long time, I came up with a plan the night before our dinner that worked out perfectly for four adults. First, let me say that our server was great. She had a lot of tables but be-bopped around so fast that we were never in need of anything. We also appreciated the fact that she changed our grill grate out three times during our meal. The place is nothing special on the inside, but the booths were comfortable. I decided that A La Carte was the best option for us. Here is what we ordered, how much is in each serving, and what we thought. Our party of four finished every bit of food and were full at the end. This is important because you are not allowed to take home any leftovers. So as not to waste money or food, it's may be best to under-order and add on as you go. This amount was perfect: Appetizers: Chicken Karage- 6 pieces- breading was good on all dark meat chicken. Black Pepper Wings - 6 pieces- fantastic! Garlic Fried Rice - big clay bowl full of very flavorful rice. We only needed one for the table. We all loved it. Veggies: Garlic Mushroom - served in tinfoil that you cook on the grate for 6 minutes. Broccoli - Same sauce as the mushrooms. Both of these were great. Zucchini - 4 large pieces cooked directly on the grate - nothing special. Shishito peppers - 8 pieces cooked directly on the grate - nothing special. Proteins: Spicy Shrimp - 4 pieces - they were spicy! Spicy Pork - a handful of spicy pork pieces - again, spicy! Chicken with Teriyaki Marinade - 6 pieces - very good. NY Strip with Garlic Marinade - 4 nice sized strips - fantastic!! Filet with S&P - 6 medium sized pieces - very lovely. Yaki Shabu with Sweet Soy Tare Marinade - a ice cream scoop mound of thin meat that was hard to cook. Would not order again. (In foreground of photo) Harami Skirt Steak with Shio Marinade - 8 pieces - this was our favorite of the night next to the strip. Bistro Hangar with Miso Marinade - 6 to 8 pieces - also very tasty. The Chili Mayo sauce was our favorite. The Kuki wasabi was straight wasabi. I would order all the sauces they offer next time. The food was brought out somewhat portioned, but generally there was no room left on the table during most of our meal. There was lots of reaching and dipping and chopsticks everywhere, and it was so much fun! Our bill for the food (not including drinks, which are also reasonably priced) was $131, which I thought very reasonable. Compare to the all you can eat price packages and those rules to decide what is best for your party. For a chain restaurant that is all over the country, this place has it going on. We will be back!

Since we have never been to a Japanese BBQ place where you cook your own protein, I scoured reviews to find out how and what to order. I couldn't find a review anywhere that discussed A la Carte vs. All You Can Eat ordering, or how much of which protein is in the 3oz portions that they serve. So after studying the menu for a long time, I came up with a plan the night before our dinner that worked out perfectly for four adults. First, let me say that our server was great. She had a lot of tables but be-bopped around so fast that we were never in need of anything. We also appreciated the fact that she changed our grill grate out three times during our meal. The place is nothing special on the inside, but the booths were comfortable. I decided that A La Carte was the best option for us. Here is what we ordered, how much is in each serving, and what we thought. Our party of four finished every bit of food and were full at the end. This is important because you are not allowed to take home any leftovers. So as not to waste money or food, it's may be best to under-order and add on as you go. This amount was perfect: Appetizers: Chicken Karage- 6 pieces- breading was good on all dark meat chicken. Black Pepper Wings - 6 pieces- fantastic! Garlic Fried Rice - big clay bowl full of very flavorful rice. We only needed one for the table. We all loved it. Veggies: Garlic Mushroom - served in tinfoil that you cook on the grate for 6 minutes. Broccoli - Same sauce as the mushrooms. Both of these were great. Zucchini - 4 large pieces cooked directly on the grate - nothing special. Shishito peppers - 8 pieces cooked directly on the grate - nothing special. Proteins: Spicy Shrimp - 4 pieces - they were spicy! Spicy Pork - a handful of spicy pork pieces - again, spicy! Chicken with Teriyaki Marinade - 6 pieces - very good. NY Strip with Garlic Marinade - 4 nice sized strips - fantastic!! Filet with S&P - 6 medium sized pieces - very lovely. Yaki Shabu with Sweet Soy Tare Marinade - a ice cream scoop mound of thin meat that was hard to cook. Would not order again. (In foreground of photo) Harami Skirt Steak with Shio Marinade - 8 pieces - this was our favorite of the night next to the strip. Bistro Hangar with Miso Marinade - 6 to 8 pieces - also very tasty. The Chili Mayo sauce was our favorite. The Kuki wasabi was straight wasabi. I would order all the sauces they offer next time. The food was brought out somewhat portioned, but generally there was no room left on the table during most of our meal. There was lots of reaching and dipping and chopsticks everywhere, and it was so much fun! Our bill for the food (not including drinks, which are also reasonably priced) was $131, which I thought very reasonable. Compare to the all you can eat price packages and those rules to decide what is best for your party. For a chain restaurant that is all over the country, this place has it going on. We will be back!

I had a great experience at Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ. I went for lunch and ordered the "Create your own Lunch Gyu-Combo." It came with two BBQ items, miso soup, and a side salad. I ordered the angus beef rib and shrimp with the spicy jalapeno miso, which was hot and flavorful, broccoli, and garlic fried rice. The food was fantastic! The server was great as well--she answered all of my questions, told me how long to cook the meat, and checked on me frequently. I did have some leftovers, as it was a lot of food for the combo, and they did provide a box for my carryout.

I had a great experience at Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ. I went for lunch and ordered the "Create your own Lunch Gyu-Combo." It came with two BBQ items, miso soup, and a side salad. I ordered the angus beef rib and shrimp with the spicy jalapeno miso, which was hot and flavorful, broccoli, and garlic fried rice. The food was fantastic! The server was great as well--she answered all of my questions, told me how long to cook the meat, and checked on me frequently. I did have some leftovers, as it was a lot of food for the combo, and they did provide a box for my carryout.

The barbecue and sides were really good. We loved the wagyu beef, though the other items weren't as impressive. Still, we enjoyed the food, especially the fried rice. Unfortunately, the service was not enjoyable. The waitress did not clearly explain the differences between menu items, which was a bit confusing. She seemed unfamiliar with the menu and was not very attentive or friendly. We tried to understand that she might have been having a bad day. Despite this, we really enjoyed the barbecue and the food overall. We hope to go back and have a better experience next time, with more time to look at the menu and receive better recommendations.

The barbecue and sides were really good. We loved the wagyu beef, though the other items weren't as impressive. Still, we enjoyed the food, especially the fried rice. Unfortunately, the service was not enjoyable. The waitress did not clearly explain the differences between menu items, which was a bit confusing. She seemed unfamiliar with the menu and was not very attentive or friendly. We tried to understand that she might have been having a bad day. Despite this, we really enjoyed the barbecue and the food overall. We hope to go back and have a better experience next time, with more time to look at the menu and receive better recommendations.

Terrible Experience We had a group dinner for 7 people at Gyu-Kaku in Cincinnati, and it was an awful experience. The server was extremely unprofessional, constantly making unnecessary comments and lecturing us on how we should behave. Her tone was sarcastic and condescending, which left us with a very bad impression. When we asked to speak to the manager, they assured us they would talk to the server and offered us a 10% discount. However, when we got home, we realized that our bill included an extra $60 for items we never ordered! This is absolutely unacceptable behavior from both the server and the restaurant. Such dishonesty and poor service are not what you expect from a reputable establishment. We will not be returning and do not recommend this place to anyone.

Terrible Experience We had a group dinner for 7 people at Gyu-Kaku in Cincinnati, and it was an awful experience. The server was extremely unprofessional, constantly making unnecessary comments and lecturing us on how we should behave. Her tone was sarcastic and condescending, which left us with a very bad impression. When we asked to speak to the manager, they assured us they would talk to the server and offered us a 10% discount. However, when we got home, we realized that our bill included an extra $60 for items we never ordered! This is absolutely unacceptable behavior from both the server and the restaurant. Such dishonesty and poor service are not what you expect from a reputable establishment. We will not be returning and do not recommend this place to anyone.

I should’ve taken more photos but as the food kept coming I naturally put my phone down to eat. Absolutely amazing experience. Definitely going back. If you go there, just go all out on the $80 all you can eat pass. You won’t regret it at all.

I should’ve taken more photos but as the food kept coming I naturally put my phone down to eat. Absolutely amazing experience. Definitely going back. If you go there, just go all out on the $80 all you can eat pass. You won’t regret it at all.

I have visited numerous locations around the country & I am astonished at how they’ve consistently upheld quality and standards. I would highly recommend going during happy hour (it’s like a $1-2 discount on a la carte meat and some drinks). I know it may not be a lot, however, knowing you can easily spend a minimum of $70 on a party of 2? A couple of dollars go a long way. Also recommend taking advantages of any holiday deals, always a great bang for your buck

I have visited numerous locations around the country & I am astonished at how they’ve consistently upheld quality and standards. I would highly recommend going during happy hour (it’s like a $1-2 discount on a la carte meat and some drinks). I know it may not be a lot, however, knowing you can easily spend a minimum of $70 on a party of 2? A couple of dollars go a long way. Also recommend taking advantages of any holiday deals, always a great bang for your buck

This place - WOW! If you are looking for a dining experience this is the place. If you don’t like to cook, maybe not for you. We loved being able to throw the meats and veggies on the grill at our table and the flavors were delish. Can’t recommend the spicy boiled dumplings or chocolate lava cake enough to book end the mains. Will be back!

This place - WOW! If you are looking for a dining experience this is the place. If you don’t like to cook, maybe not for you. We loved being able to throw the meats and veggies on the grill at our table and the flavors were delish. Can’t recommend the spicy boiled dumplings or chocolate lava cake enough to book end the mains. Will be back!

We had the ultimate all you can eat, food taste good as always. The garlic fried rice is good. The beef tone has a very unique taste, in a good way, meat is fresh. The dessert option (mochi) in the ultimate option is nothing special. The senior discount is very reasonable. Only thing is we have 10 people and are separated to two adjacent table. When we order each meat we had it double, but instead of bringing two plates with same thing to two table, the double order were combined in one plate. As a result each table end up with one type of meat double amount, instead of able to try two meat. Maybe this can be improved

We had the ultimate all you can eat, food taste good as always. The garlic fried rice is good. The beef tone has a very unique taste, in a good way, meat is fresh. The dessert option (mochi) in the ultimate option is nothing special. The senior discount is very reasonable. Only thing is we have 10 people and are separated to two adjacent table. When we order each meat we had it double, but instead of bringing two plates with same thing to two table, the double order were combined in one plate. As a result each table end up with one type of meat double amount, instead of able to try two meat. Maybe this can be improved