Gyu-kaku Japanese Bbq

We got the happy hour set and the total bill not including tips was about $95. For the amount of food we got, it was definitely not worth the price. It was tasty and the DIY cooking factor helped us slow down with eating and we were surprisingly full at the end. It was hard to flag down servers to change our grill or turn down the heat so there was quite a bit of burnt bits on our meat so a lot of that wasn't edible. Out of all the meats, the pesto chicken was as dry as a leather bag. I am glad to try out this place but most likely not returning.

Props to the staff who was very kind and helpful to our group. We informed her we are new to this resto so we asked for her suggestions, the menu and quantity of our orders. She was attentive to our group, gave tips on how to grill to perfection and made sure we were enjoying the moment which we did. Thank you for the wonderful dining experience ❤️

I am so disappointed that Gyu-Kaku has fallen this low. If it wasn't for the prompt seating, I may have even notched it down further. At the end of the day, a yaki-niku (BBQ) place must have high quality meat. No matter how you present it, how you grill it, if the meat isn't great, that is the death knell. I have visited Gyu-Kaku in Cupertino a few times (pre-pandemic) and they were great experiences so I had high hopes but boy was I disappointed. We had the Meat-Lovers which came with a handful different meat cuts. Okay, pretty much, all of them are marinated in the same sauce, the meat was tough, and felt like a soy-sauce-soaked cardboard. And the technique commonly used for eating low quality meat is thin cuts and heavy marination. And essentially, we had 5~6 cuts exactly like that. To give them the benefit of doubt, we even ordered the A5 Japanese Wgyu ribs. Now if THIS didn't cut it, nothing would. And to our disappointment, it came completely frozen, and didn't gel with the high direct fire heat of the grill. Yes, it was soft like any meat with such high fat content should. But it just didn't taste heavenly. I'm sure Gyu-Kaku San Mateo didn't start like this. I'm sure it embodied the spirits of the chain - Japanese yaki-niku that is reasonably priced. But boy they have fallen far. Ah, the saving grace was our server. She was amazing. But again, this is more of a food review as we all know.

Why isn't this place rated higher?? I've been here at least 10 times in the last year, and every time has been good. The meat is consistent and well-marinated. It's fun to cook. The vegetables in tin foil are delicious. All of them. My favorite is spinach, asparagus, broccoli, mushroom, corn..... The fried rice and garlic noodles are bomb. Salad is tasty. Everything is great, and obviously the meat is why I come. Protein city. The lychee mojito was refreshing too. What's not to like? This place is literally perfect!