Flame Broiler — Restaurant in Santa Fe Springs

First time trying this Asian fusion, Flame Broiler franchise. I will try Waba Grill next time for comparison.

Food: Korean BBQ fusion fast food.

Price: 4/5. $8.75-$9.75 ($8-$9+tax) for Regular Bowl and $10.50-$12.50 ($10-$12+tax) for larger size. Add $2.50 for drink. So lunch w/ drink is ~$11-$15. Not expensive but not cheap. Quantity: 3/5. Meat and veggies laid on top of rice. Bowl is not a lot of rice/veggie/meat so order the larger 2-item size if you want a full meal. I wasn't hungry so Bowl was fine but normally, a Bowl here wouldn't fill my stomach. Usually, Mom & Pop places give you a lot of rice so you feel like you are getting a lot but here, the rice wasn't that much.

Quality: 4/5. Fresh and healthy but not too tasty. Presentation is good but compared to its look, the taste is rather bland because they don't marinate the meat with sauces/salt and flavor/seasoning comes from the sauce you drizzle on. They give you 2 sauces on the side but it's not as flavorful as marinated meat. However, everything tasted fresh and healthier than marinated places. Chicken was fresh and was precooked before being slightly grilled so it had a good texture and juiciness when biting into it. Vegetables were fresh and crunchy, not overcooked and soggy as in many fast food places. I was impressed at how they managed to maintain the balance between cooked and crunchiness. I tried both their regular and spicy sauces, and didn't like either. The regular Teriyaki-like sauce is sweet and tangy but I didn't really like the taste because of the unfamiliar spices in the sauce. The spicy sauce was REALLY hot and made my nose bleed. It tasted just like the hot chicken wings sauce rather than Sriracha. Personally, I prefer thicker/sweeter Teriyaki sauce and spicy/sweet Sriracha. Because I didn't like any of the sauces, I didn't find the food to be delicious. My guess is this brand wants to position itself as a more fresh and healthy option than many Asian/Chinese counterparts that are greasy and unhealthy.

Speed: 5/5. Super fast. There were several people ahead of me but I got my food in less than 5-7 mins. They are really fast and they actually prepare your food, not just scoop it out of a pan. Fast crew!

Accuracy: 3/5. I ordered Spicy Chicken Bowl but got a regular Chicken Bowl. It wasn't a big deal this time because chicken is chicken but I did overpay a little as what I ordered costs a little more. Speed is good but accuracy is also important.

Service: 5/5. The girl was very friendly and welcoming. She didn't get annoyed at helping me because I didn't know what to order as a first time visitor. Great crew!

Decor: 5/5. Place looks very clean, modern and presentable. Flame Broiler being an older brand, I was expecting an older set up like Baja Fresh or Cold Stone.

Overall Value: 4/5 for freshness, cleanliness, speed, and service.

Conclusion: Very good option for fast, fresh Asian fusion food but the taste and quantity fall a little short of expectation. Still, a solid place to get a quick bite if you don't crave quantity. If you want quantity, Ono Hawaiian BBQ in the same plaza is a better option. Great crew! Do check for accuracy before leaving...

Saturday May 31st 2025 around 7:35pm no name tag. "Don't stand there it's wet" instead of hi or welcome. By the woman on register. While getting in line to order. Another customer needed to use the restroom and asked woman in register if she could go in. Register woman exact words " ohhh I actually just cleaned it, but I'm going to trust you and let you in , just make sure to throw the toilet paper in and flush it". Both things came out of her mouth well under a minute after we walked in. Felt extremely unwelcomed and decided not to order anything. We had our baby and mother in-law who had gotten food at Sonic's next door so they are their food there. (Didn't leave the table dirty). We walked out. (Thin woman...

My mother and I walked in and we ordered and got our food right away, so the service was fast. But when we sat down to eat the food it was dry, we put a lot of sauce on it, and it was like it didn't help. What I noticed when we getting ready to leave, was the cashier was in the back, not paying attention to the front, facing a doorway that had the lights off. Quite obviously on her phone, not cleaning, or checking dining room inventory, but on her phone. A female customer walked in, and stood at the counter for about 8 mins waiting for someone to notice her. The two cooks were no where to be found and she was still texting, until my mother said excuse me you...