SHABU-WORKS — Restaurant in San Marcos

Food: 3/5 The food was decent but nothing outstanding. The variety of ingredients was adequate, with plenty of drink options, but the dessert bar was underwhelming. The shaved ice had no syrup options, only fresh fruit, which felt incomplete. Additionally, there are hidden charges for changing the soup base if you don’t like the one you initially select ($10). Refills for the soup base are done with a seaweed base, regardless of the spice or flavor of your original choice, which detracted from the experience. The Mongolian was our favorite out of the four base choices we went through.

Service: 2/5 The service left a lot to be desired. Aside from bringing out the initial pots of soup and meat, there was minimal interaction with the staff. We were surprised by an automatic gratuity added to our bill for a party of six, despite the lack of hands-on service. This felt excessive considering the limited involvement of the servers.

Atmosphere: 3/5 The atmosphere was not bad overall. The restaurant became packed as the evening went on, creating a lively vibe. However, it was a little cramped, and the loud American pop music playing over the speakers made it difficult to carry on a conversation comfortably.

Overall: While the restaurant has potential, there are areas for improvement, especially in transparency about extra charges, more thoughtful service, and a better dessert selection. It’s a place you might enjoy for a casual meal but don’t expect a standout...

What a great experience! We thought that because we came last minute, around 8 PM, we wouldn’t be able to eat as much or fully enjoy it since they close at 9, but that wasn’t the case. At first, I felt rushed to eat, but actually, once I got my first serving, I didn’t feel rushed at all, and we ended up eating a ton of food. Next time, I’ll definitely come earlier to enjoy everything a bit more.

This place is amazing. All the veggies were super fresh, and the meat wasn’t frozen like it is at some places. The udon noodles were great, and even some of their pre-made items like the teriyaki chicken, kimchi, and other sides were really good too. For broth, we got the garlic miso and one of their top sellers that was suggested to us. I can't remember the name, but it was really good.

This was my first time here, so I didn’t try any of the seafood, but I definitely will next time. I loved the sauce station where you can make your own mix. There were so many options, including black garlic, which I hadn’t seen before. For meats, we got the US Wagyu beef chuck tender, US Wagyu beef round, and chicken. I may have to try their membership since it is not that expensive, only 35...

The food was super fresh and delicious. All the meats and seafoods on the buffet were icy cold, and the hot foods steaming hot. The broths are so flavorful and delicious, and there is a wide variety of condiments and additions that you can use to customize your broth. Several different fresh noodles are available, and the veggies are plentiful and delicious. Lots of hot foods are available as well, like gyoza, curry, potato cakes, spam sausages, clams, crab, and amazingly large and juicy chicken wings. The shave ice bar for dessert was a favorite!

There are a couple things they are definitely still working out, since it’s a new location. There was no ice available for the soft drinks. The chairs were all very dirty at the table when we were seated. The explanation for how hot pot works was very minimal, which could be confusing for customers who are new to this cuisine.

Overall it was a great experience and we...