San Francisco Food | When It Comes to AYCE BBQ, It’s Got to Be Chubby

My recent craving for Korean BBQ turned into a 10-day, 5-restaurant meat marathon — all thanks to your recommendations! Here’s my honest take: 1️⃣ Chubby Cattle 💰 Gold Tier × 2 people + Membership | After tax & tip: ~$90/person 🕰️ Extremely popular — no reservations, walk-in only. Be prepared to possibly not get in! Here’s a weekend timeline for reference: 1:00 PM – Lunch was long closed. Heard you need to line up before opening. 3:30 PM – Joined the long line just to get on the dinner waitlist. 4:00 PM – Waitlist opened. Took 10–30 mins to register. Then we shopped at the nearby outlets. 5:40 PM – Got the check-in text. After checking in, waited another 15 mins to be seated. New guests at this point were quoted a 6+ hour wait. 😋 Verdict: SO worth the wait! Top-tier quality — as expected! Gold Tier includes 3 limited items (1 per person) — all beautifully plated and delicious, like the foie gras & uni wagyu sushi . After trying those, you can stick to the Basic tier — it still has everything you need. The meat is visibly fresh — even the plain cuts are flavorful, and house marinades enhance without overpowering. Sauces are classic Japanese BBQ and shichimi — always reliable. Their self-serve boba milk tea is a must-try! 🧋 Also, highly recommend dipping grilled meat in pasteurized egg yolk — next-level rich and savory! 🥚💛 2️⃣ YakiniQ – SF & Pleasanton Locations 💰 Premium Tier ~$65/person (SF) | ~$50/person (Pleasanton) 😥 Verdict: Hard pass — maybe we went to the wrong branch ❌ Most reviews recommend the San Jose location, and now I see why. SF location: dark, loud, and unbearably smoky. Pleasanton was slightly better, but ventilation was still poor. Besides the one premium fresh meat per table, the rest of the AYCE meats were frozen — they released water while grilling, and even strong marinades couldn’t hide the frozen taste. Even the dipping sauces were off — weird wasabi mayo and strange jalapeño sauce… why?? Our table lost interest after just a few bites. Maybe only the San Jose location lives up to the hype. 3️⃣ Texas Roadhouse 💰 Affordable | 🕰️ Always busy — even on weeknights, expect ~1 hour wait after joining the virtual queue. 😋 Verdict: A forever favorite 🏆 No matter what you order — it’s consistently delicious, hearty, and satisfying. A true classic. Final Thoughts: For a premium AYCE experience — Chubby Cattle is the winner 🥇 Just go early, bring patience, and prepare for a meat coma of happiness. #FoodDiary #BayAreaLife #BayAreaEats #SanFranciscoFood #AYCEBBQ #BBQReview #ChubbyCattle #EatTheBay