Gyu Shige (牛繁) Japanese BBQ — Restaurant in Merrifield

Disappointing Experience at Gyu Shinge - Better Options Available

I recently dined at Gyu Shinge, a Japanese BBQ restaurant in the Mosaic District, and unfortunately, my experience fell short of expectations. While the staff was friendly and accommodating, there were several aspects of the visit that left much to be desired.

Firstly, securing a reservation was quite challenging due to their limited availability and odd reservation times. It was an inconvenience to plan around their schedule. Additionally, upon arrival, I was disappointed to find that the bar area was under construction, resulting in a restricted beverage menu. With only canned or bottled drinks available, the lack of variety was disheartening.

The portion sizes at Gyu Shinge were surprisingly small, especially considering the high prices. Despite spending a hefty $120+ for both my girlfriend and myself, we left the restaurant feeling hungry. This imbalance between portion size and cost was disappointing.

Furthermore, the absence of an option for assistance in cooking the food was frustrating. I spent the entire meal cooking, which detracted from the overall dining experience. Although the meat quality seemed good, it lacked flavor and creativity, leaving me underwhelmed. The sushi was decent but far from extraordinary.

While the staff members were friendly and helpful, I cannot recommend Gyu Shinge due to the overall experience. In the Annandale area, there are numerous better options available at more affordable prices, offering superior quality and taste. For those seeking Korean or Japanese BBQ, I highly recommend visiting Kogiya or any other establishment in the area. Alternatively, for sushi enthusiasts, Iron Chief House across the street provides a more satisfying experience.

Overall, Gyu Shinge failed to meet expectations in terms of value, taste, and overall satisfaction. I will not be returning to this establishment, and I encourage others to explore the many superior...

Great ambiance, friendly and knowledgeable staff and service. I came with a party of 7 for my birthday and had a great time. If you have a party larger than 5, make sure to let them know accordingly otherwise you may not get the ideal seating configuration for a larger group wherein everyone gets access to the grill, especially on the weekend since they seem to have many advance reservations. In our case we were seated in a booth where only 4 people had comfortable access to the grill and cooking was a little slow going.

I think its a great place to celebrate special occasions but can really rack up especially because the each meat/seafood dish of 3.5 oz can cost between $10-16 and they recommend 2-3 per person. However, we also ordered an average of 1 alcoholic drink per person and got the $97 A5 Wagyu dish that was cooked by our server at the table to share. In this instance our party of 7 cost about $80 per person. So it also depends on what you get.

For appetizers, we ordered 2x takoyaki (6 balls ea) and grilled edamame to go around. The takoyaki was authentic. My sister and I also ordered the uni shots - a delicate combo of uni and other seafood in a chilled broth garnished with gold foil. Excellent and unique - a must try!

The quality of most of the meats were good. We recommend most the filet mignon, beef short rib boneless and duck. We do not recommend the beef fingers as it was somewhat stringy. The wagyu is quite an experience with the meat being buttery and served with various salts and wasabi but I think the one experience was good enough.

For dessert, manager gifted both a slice of Kyoto Matcha Layered Crepe cake with a lit candle AND 3 pieces of mochi ice cream for my birthday celebration! We also got the matcha and vanilla ice cream and taiyaki. All were EXCELLENT!

Would we come back again? I think at some point yes, but probably not needed in such an...

I've been here a few times at the grill and a great number of times at the bar. Both the food and service here are very high quality, at an appropriate price point.

Beef is the restaurant's namesake for good reason. I can recommend practically all of the beef selections on the grill menu, since they are deliciously premium cuts. For those who are interested, they even offer a couple choices for offal, which would be tongue and large intestine.

Unlike other "upscale" restaurants that lie about selling wagyu to scam you of your money, Gyu Shige offers genuine wagyu beef with certificates of the cattle being served to you. They even have a real Japanese plaque by the reception that certifies that they sell authentic Kobe wagyu beef. If you have the money to splurge on it, I highly recommend buying the wagyu, particularly the Kobe wagyu. They're show-stopping orders for special occasions.

I've been personally helped at the grill by Kevin, Sam, and most recently Patrick, so if you get any of them, know that you'll be well taken care of. If you're afraid of messing up on the grill, they'll certainly help you cook those premium cuts and make the most of your time here. If you choose to get wagyu, they'll definitely take care of that for you.

The bar is a full service counter, so you can order any food that isn't on the grill menu, such as the appetizers and sushi. The drink menu is large and has a variety of novel flavor profiles, so anyone should be able to find a drink they'll really love. I absolutely must thank Dena for everything she's done to keep the drinks flowing. I've been helped by her very much as a regular at the bar, and can assure you that your drinks will come out fantastic pretty...