Yakyudori — Restaurant in San Diego

My family and I came in on a Saturday night. We had tried to visit Menya but with an hour and a half wait time and under a time restriction we had to leave. We decided we still wanted ramen so we drove around and stumbled upon Yakyudori. We went to ask the wait time and they said 15-20 minutes. Well it was about 50 degrees at 6pm so we decided to go over to Starbucks to get a warm drink. After ordering at Starbucks I left our party to go back and check the status of the table, just because I had a feeling. I walked up and they called our table right away. I told the gentlemen that the rest of the part was next door and would be right there. He said they could not seat us until 3 of us were there but would give me one minute to go get another guest to join my son and I while another waited for the drinks. The waiter also mentioned no outside drinks were allowed. So the wait was actually about 5 minutes and now we couldn't have our drinks.

The person who waited for the drinks went and put them in the car and came in and joined us. Each person ordered a ramen but we also ordered appetizers, pork belly, gyoza and karaage chicken.

The pork belly came out first and was very good, next the gyoza followed by ramens and then karaage chicken. The gyoza were good and nicely pan fried. The ramen left something to be desired. The noodles did not taste fresh like a few of the other restuarants that make them fresh and the spicy tonkotsu ramen was quite spicy but tasted mostly of sesame. There were a lot of seeds but also tasted like sesame oil. It was quite disappointing. For my son, I asked for a tonkotsu broth with only noodles and his was loaded with sesame seeds so I had to try and fish them all out before he would eat it. The karaage chicken was extremely over cooked and dry. It was almost chicken jerky. I would not order this again.

My son knocked over his water and I have to say our waiter was wonderful, no hesitation in helping with the clean up and no bad looks or anything. He was wonderful and a great server through the dinner.

The service was pretty good. I was doubtful due to the beginning interactions but in the end service was good. The food definitely left something to be desired and I would not add this to my list of go-to...

Yakitori Yakyudori is a Convoy Street ramen-ya by day, and a yakitori-ya in the evening (yakitori is only served after 5pm). Don't expect a white table cloth experience -- Yakitori Yakyudori is a small restaurant that doesn't offer a lot in terms of ambiance, but has great Japanese food at good prices, friendly service, and possesses charming authenticity. Having been to many of these types of places in Tokyo, I'm comfortable saying Yakitori Yakyudori is as close to a Japanese yakitori-ya as I've been to in San Diego. Like at any self-respecting Japanese yakitori-ya, affordable beer and sake are available.

Must-order yakitori items include "Hāto" [Chicken Hearts], "Geso" [Squid Legs], "Gyūtan" [Beef Tongue], "Buta Shiso Maki" [Pork Rolled Around Shiso], "Shishito" [Peppers], and "Asuparabēkon" [Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon]. All of these are crowd-pleasers that should appeal to nearly everyone.

The Torikawa [Chicken Skin] is offered three ways: 1. yakitori-style with salt, 2. yakitori-style with tare sauce (mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar), or 3. as a cold appetizer with the chicken skin seeped in ponzu sauce. All three must be tried, though the appetizer is probably my favorite.

Yakyudori also does ramen, and my favorite is their "Spicy Miso Ramen," a thin-noodle ramen with stir-fried minced pork flavored with garlic oil, corn, bean sprouts, and chives in a spicy miso broth. The aroma of the steamy broth will heal you of your day's ills before you even start slurping. I have a slight preference for nearby Tajima for ramen, but Tajima doesn't also serve yakitori. Even still, Yakitori Yakyudori's spicy miso broth is some downright delicious in its own right. If you're here just for the ramen, I recommend that this is ordered with the soft-boiled soy-marinated egg for an extra $1.50 and extra pork for an additional $2.

In short, this is probably my favorite restaurant in the Convoy area currently. You can't live in San Diego without coming here at least once and, if you're from out of town, you must...

We have been customers for the last 15 years, but had not been since the Covid scamdemic. It was a rare gem offering great ramen bowls, rice bowls, and a quaint Japanese ambiance enhanced by a lively staff that catered to ones needs. What happened??! The restaraunt has undergone a schizophrenic change since the end of Covid. Gone is the great atmosphere and decor, and the lively service that promoted return customers. In its place are bare black and white walls with dark booths. Ordering is done by a single electronic menu on the table. Waiting for more than a couple of people to peruse the menu and choose can be tiresome. There are no condiments on the table. They are ordered seperately. We ordered 2 appetizers (fried shumai and fried calamari) and 3 different bowls (karage Chicjen, Katsu Chicken, and a Spicy Miso). The food arrived haphazardly and out of order. I was served my Miso bowl and we waited 5 minutes for an appetizer, then another 4 minutes for another bowl, and then another appetizer... on and on. I was halfway through my bowl by the time my companions got theirs 9 and 12 minutes later. The service was impersonal and silent. So...my Spicy Ramen bowl was excellent. The other chicken bowls were dry and overcooked. The shu mai appetizer was very good, but the fried calamari was overcooked and bland. The portions are moderate, and the prices are about average for the post-Covid Biden economy. There are other, better options in the neighborhood with better food and far better service, which is what I expect when I go to a restaurant. I will not...