Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ — Restaurant in Sycamore Township

Service: 0/5 (our waitress Niki) 5/5 (other restaurant staff)

Food: 4/5

Ambiance/setup: 3/5

SERVICE: Throughout our meal for the random workers that would stop by, they would smile be polite and be efficiently doing their job.

Our waitress Niki was the worst waitress I have ever had.

She began by asking us if we’d been there before, we’d responded that we hadn’t and I’d gone to ask her a question- which then she cut me off as she went to explain the menu.

Then, as we’d begun to try placing orders she’d cut us off reiterating the value and convenience of the preset choices saying that she’d then give us a minute to think. This happened 3 separate times and all 6 people in our party were being made increasingly anxious by the forceful and rude attitude of our waitress.

After our waitress reluctantly accepted that we weren’t going to do preset choices, she then brought it up one more time as she’d asked us how we wanted to separate the checks. Reiterating that this is what we want- she then began to take our orders.

I ordered food that I knew I would want and intending to share a bit (2 plates of meat, rice, miso, and a veggie plate). Once taken she’d mumbled “Yea, that’s enough for you girl”. I couldn’t believe it. My friends at my table who’d heard it were equally shocked.

When our food was brought out we had gotten 2 of the 4 miso and weren’t sure where the others were. After about 4-5 minutes, we’d asked the waitress and she’d explained that the others will come and with the way the orders were placed we’d have to wait and that there’s nothing we can do.

I then stepped in to state that we are bringing this to her attention as she is our waitress and we don’t even know then who these ones are for. After that she immediately brought us two more bowls.

Following this, service was sub-par. She’d at this point begun using minor pleasantries in some conversation if she’d stopped by.

However, the last part came at the time of the bill.

Our table was still eating dessert and I’d had two of the signed bills next to me.

She walked over put her palm out over our table and said curtly out of nowhere. “Receipt, please.” And then as I’d grabbed them and was lifting them up to her she’d reiterated a half-second later with a stronger tone “Receipt”.

I almost grabbed back the receipt to erase the tip I’d left entirely.

Our waitress didn’t want to do her job well so she didn’t. The question really is is why is she a waitress at all? If I ever go back to Gyu-Kaku I will personally request she does NOT serve my table.

FOOD: The food was great and it took me back to the 3.5 years that I lived in Japan. Being able to grill your own meats and veggies at the table is a definite treat- the Kalbi was definitely the best.

The flavors on the meat, the Toro, and the sauces were sub-par. Additionally, the Taiyaki was deep fried and the ice cream for the dessert seemed incredibly hard and was difficult to eat until you waited for about 5 minutes

AMBIANCE/SETUP: We had a group of 6 with one person arriving a little late. As such we were seated at a large table. However, for the large tables they still only have one burner which is harder to manage with such a large group. It would be better if the larger tables had two burners on them.

The feel of the restaurant was pleasant, it made me recall the many Japanese Yakiniku restaurants I’ve been to...

Since we have never been to a Japanese BBQ place where you cook your own protein, I scoured reviews to find out how and what to order. I couldn't find a review anywhere that discussed A la Carte vs. All You Can Eat ordering, or how much of which protein is in the 3oz portions that they serve. So after studying the menu for a long time, I came up with a plan the night before our dinner that worked out perfectly for four adults.

First, let me say that our server was great. She had a lot of tables but be-bopped around so fast that we were never in need of anything. We also appreciated the fact that she changed our grill grate out three times during our meal. The place is nothing special on the inside, but the booths were comfortable.

I decided that A La Carte was the best option for us. Here is what we ordered, how much is in each serving, and what we thought. Our party of four finished every bit of food and were full at the end. This is important because you are not allowed to take home any leftovers. So as not to waste money or food, it's may be best to under-order and add on as you go. This amount was perfect:

Appetizers: Chicken Karage- 6 pieces- breading was good on all dark meat chicken. Black Pepper Wings - 6 pieces- fantastic! Garlic Fried Rice - big clay bowl full of very flavorful rice. We only needed one for the table. We all loved it.

Veggies: Garlic Mushroom - served in tinfoil that you cook on the grate for 6 minutes. Broccoli - Same sauce as the mushrooms. Both of these were great. Zucchini - 4 large pieces cooked directly on the grate - nothing special. Shishito peppers - 8 pieces cooked directly on the grate - nothing special.

Proteins: Spicy Shrimp - 4 pieces - they were spicy! Spicy Pork - a handful of spicy pork pieces - again, spicy! Chicken with Teriyaki Marinade - 6 pieces - very good. NY Strip with Garlic Marinade - 4 nice sized strips - fantastic!! Filet with S&P - 6 medium sized pieces - very lovely. Yaki Shabu with Sweet Soy Tare Marinade - a ice cream scoop mound of thin meat that was hard to cook. Would not order again. (In foreground of photo) Harami Skirt Steak with Shio Marinade - 8 pieces - this was our favorite of the night next to the strip. Bistro Hangar with Miso Marinade - 6 to 8 pieces - also very tasty.

The Chili Mayo sauce was our favorite. The Kuki wasabi was straight wasabi. I would order all the sauces they offer next time.

The food was brought out somewhat portioned, but generally there was no room left on the table during most of our meal. There was lots of reaching and dipping and chopsticks everywhere, and it was so much fun! Our bill for the food (not including drinks, which are also reasonably priced) was $131, which I thought very reasonable. Compare to the all you can eat price packages and those rules to decide what is best for your party. For a chain restaurant that is all over the country, this place has it going on. We...

Very Bizarre experience. my boyfriend and I made a reservation for two at this restaurant for Saturday 6/24, and unfortunately, we hit traffic on the way to the restaurant, so we were about 20 minutes late for our reservation. However, we called the restaurant to let them know, and we were fully prepared to wait for a table to become available since this was our fault. However, when we walked into the restaurant, which looked very pretty, the hostess was eating a bowl of rice with chopsticks at the host stand. For reference, this restaurant is easily $50 a person, typically much more if you want the quality items. as someone with 10+ years of restaurant experience prior to becoming an engineer, I was very put off by the fact that the hostess was eating a bowl of rice at the host stand in front of the guests during dinner rush at 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday night at a nice restaurant. that doesn't exactly inspire confidence about cleanliness and food safety. the hostess should never be eating at the host stand, right in front of the main entrance, let alone during dinner rush on a Saturday night. moreover, although we were prepared to wait, after the hostess greeted us, she brought the floorplan tablet right up near her face and did not acknowledge us again for about 5 minutes. we were feeling very awkward when she finally said "okay, I can seat you now but you have to be done eating in 45 minutes." we were planning to stay for at least a couple of hours, ordering and drinking. what kind of restaurant tells you that you have to leave within 45 minutes?? this is not an appropriate request to make of a customer. again, I was a restaurant manager for years. this hostess needs to be retrained. no eating at the host stand. no telling guests that they have to leave "within 45 minutes" of being sat in order to get a table. that's wild. either you put the guests on a wait, or you seat them immediately with no time frame. I understand that all you can eat is 90 minutes, but we came on a Saturday to pay premium prices and we were not interested in all you can eat. how ridiculous that we would be told to leave within 45 minutes, especially after we made a reservation (though we were a little late due to traffic). I was very disappointed, and we ended up going to another restaurant nearby. I was looking forward to the Japanese BBQ, but with service and cleanliness like that, we chose...