Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ — Restaurant in Austin

An unfortunately disappointing experience for my first time at any Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ location. It was seemingly very similar to Korean BBQ style, as sides and combos are available and the like. They had a host at the entrance and a large amount of indoor booth seating. My party and I had our reservation booked in advance, which seemed to be helpful as we were seated right away. The booth seating was very cramped and the table seemed to be secured to the ground. We had to slide from the side to get in with difficulty. It took some time to get waiter service, however, the staff was accommodating with a booster seat as there was a child present in our party.

As a vegetarian I did not order any combos as none were explicitly vegetarian-friendly, but the 3-person combo was requested for members in my party. The staff made an error and started bringing out items for the incorrect 2-person combo. They realized the error once we alerted them and they were nice enough to charge for the 2-person combo and still provide the side orders that were missing.

There was a separate vegetarian menu, which was QR code scannable found in the middle pages of the main menu. This is basically a truncated list of the vegetarian items to avoid having to go through the entire regular menu and looking for a green V symbol next to the item name. This would have been helpful on the front of the menu or the second page to avoid having gone through half the menu to find it. I did not see items that I could utilize the grill with other than mostly vegetables. I was declined the option of any substitutions even though there were very similar items that I've had at other restaurants with vegetarian-friendly alternatives available. For example, they could have had a vegetarian version of the "Spicy Tofu Chigae Soup". I ordered their only vegetarian salad, Gyu-Kaku Salad and requested a half portion with no eggs. For my entrée, I ended up going selecting the garlic noodles with vegetables. These are noodles served in a sizzling bowl.

The half portion of salad I received was in a plate rather than a small salad bowl and I could not mix up the salad. Nevertheless, it was alright and I was able to finish it. My noodles were served in the sizzling bowl as mentioned in the menu, however, the bowl was so scalding hot that I accidentally touched it and got a first-degree burn on my wrist. This was quite painful and the staff should never have brought out such a hot bowl especially with.a child in our party. I did inform the waiter about the burn and his response was "yelp reviews." I requested a non-sizzling bowl to transfer my noodles. He did forget to return with this and I reminded him again when he was checking on the table some time later. I was able to finish my noodles in the regular bowl, they were not bad. However, there was nothing unique or especially flavorful about them.

Overall and after discussing with other members of my party, they found the entire experience to be mediocre and better off going to another restaurant that offers a similar BBQ experience. Unfortunately due to the extremely limited vegetarian and albeit flavor-limited options, I do not plan on returning. The service seemed chaotic with the mistakes and forgetfulness. More importantly, I have been to a variety of restaurants that serve food on sizzling platters and have never touched a bowl so scalding hot that I suffered a...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Gyu-kaku, and I can confidently say it was one of the most enjoyable and authentic Japanese BBQ (Yakiniku) experiences I've had in a long time.

From the moment we stepped inside, we were greeted warmly by the staff and immediately impressed by the ambiance. The restaurant has a sleek, modern Japanese aesthetic with subtle traditional touches that create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The seating arrangements are comfortable, and the grill stations are clean and well maintained.

Now, onto the most important part, the food. Simply put, it was phenomenal. The meat selection was top tier, offering a wide variety, including premium cuts like Wagyu beef, short ribs, brisket, and pork belly. Every piece of meat was fresh, beautifully marbled, and expertly prepared.

The grilling experience itself was incredibly fun and interactive. Each table has its own grill, and the staff were more than happy to guide us through how to cook certain cuts for the best results, Specially our server Tobi! There were also a variety of dipping sauces provided, some traditional, some with a unique twist that perfectly complemented the smoky, tender meat.

Beyond the meats, the side dishes and appetizers were equally impressive. We enjoyed kimchi, seaweed soup, garlic fried rice, miso soup, and a refreshing cucumber salad that balanced the richness of the BBQ. The vegetable platter for grilling was also fresh and vibrant, especially the shishito peppers and sweet corn.

The service was exceptional. Our server Tobi was attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the cuisine! He checked in often to refill drinks, replace the grill plate when needed, and ensure everything was going smoothly. Best server I’ve ever had!

Drinks-wise, there was a great selection of Japanese beers, sake, and house-made cocktails. I highly recommend trying the mojito or a classic tap beer to cleanse the palate between bites.

To end the meal, we tried the mochi ice cream and matcha tiramisu, both were light, flavorful, and the perfect finish to a hearty meal.

Overall, Gyu Kaku delivered an amazing Japanese BBQ experience that I would highly recommend to anyone, whether you're a Yakiniku connoisseur or a first timer looking for something special. The quality of the food, the atmosphere, and the top-notch service make this a place I will definitely be...

Before I leave this review I need to be honest & transparent that I don’t EVER leave reviews — mainly because my career has been in hospitality for the past 16 years in NYC as a server/bartender, sommelier and eventually a restaurant owner.

Gyu Kaku is a nostalgic favorite of mine from my days working at The Standard hotel in East Village, NYC and numerous iconic establishments in midtown Manhattan — it was my go to on my days off. I recently moved to Austin and was super excited to see that there was a location nearby and I immediately mentioned to my partner that we should dine in.

From the moment I entered the restaurant, on a Tuesday, I immediately observed disarray in cleanliness, stagnancy in service and immense stress and panic from the staff (or lack of staff). I was told by the manager, who waited on us nonetheless, that it was a “busier than usual Tuesday”. When I mentioned that it overall seemed understaffed, she quickly disagreed.

There were 3 servers on the floor, no bartender and one super overworked busser — we didn’t even interact with our server once though we were assigned one. From the drink order to the food order, we were met with intense wait times when the restaurant was half full and staff were running around flustered. In addition, the quality of the food was sub par from cold appetizers to the fatty / poor cuts of overpriced beef — needless to say it was not worth putting up with the lackluster service and dismal environment.

In short: I feel bad for the wait staff and even more so for the chain’s reputation. The restaurant was wildly understaffed yet still cared to prioritize mobile app orders — a true sign of a poorly run operation. Customers were left floundering or pondering whether to stay or walk out. Everything I know of Gyu Kaku and its unique dining experience was ruined by this sad...