Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

I always do the preset course for 2 everytime I come here. It’s just much easier. There’s so much selection of cuts and items I wouldn’t know where to start! I like the lively atmosphere here. The waiters are so attentive! They are always busy here but the waiters keep up, clean and clear away your empty plates and keep the momentum flowing! They have different sauces you can choose from. Try them all! Food here never disappoints. Just expect to wait awhile if you have no reservation

This is my favorite place on the island. Prior to coming here, I’ve never had Japanese BBQ. Well, I’m so happy that Gyu-​Kaku was my first. I I’ve the concept of this place as well as the meats offered. Every time I’ve come here, I’ve never been disappointed. The service is always great, the meats are always fresh, the drinks are always strong. I have absolutely no complaints about this restaurant and suggest that everyone go here at least once, you won’t regret it!

Again, outstanding service and food. But I needed to update my review of because of the waiter we had today.
Nami — YOU ARE AWESOME! Seriously. I hope you’re my host and waiter every single time I go.
Customer service is a very big thing to me and her customer service is by far one of the greatest I’ve ever had.
Thank you so so sooo much for keeping our experience at Gyu-​Kaku the greatest.

I have such a love for this place … why haven’t I written a review?! … I don’t know :|
So. you got time to sit and read? If so I will share with you my semi-​lengthy experience in this fine establishment!
Where to start …
I started coming here frequently about 4 – 5 years ago. I had one of my best friends birthdays there. Best night ever …
I had called ahead to see if we could have a certain waiter tend to us … my friend had this crush on Robin (cute guy) and so we wanted to see if he was working. Now, don’t get me wrong. it wasn’t only because of his looks! We’ve had him as our waiter before and he was just great. always came by and chatted with us, made sure our glasses were never empty and let us take our time with our orders.
Anyway, I don’t recall us eating much that night. I do know we racked up a $ 400 tab on drinks alone hahaha: D Fun times … I don’t remember much, just that we were there for about 2 hours, took some really blurry pics with Robin, and we made a lot of noise lol
Forwarding to this past Friday … we came to celebrate my primas birthday: D It’s a tradition for hers. We celebrate it every year here.
And … are you ready? Our waiter was … ROBIN!!! Hahahaha :))
The parentals and a few friends joined us this year. Of course I had to have my Asian Pear Mojito!!! Pffftt … it really is delicious.
We ordered the Gyu Kaku special and the Meat Lovers special. Lot of food! They told us they were not going to rush bringing out our orders since we had ordered a lot.
BTW … the parentals were noobs here!!! How is that possible. It was cute watching them figure out the sauces, and which ones to cook first … they didn’t know how the dipping sauces worked :| Which still boggles my mind cause they eat hot pot all the time!
Least to say, we ate until we couldn’t eat anymore … until the smores came out. There’s always room for smores!
As always, our glasses were never empty. Empty plates were always removed. Our grill was changed out twice! One done by the floor manager … which btw, he is awesome. Every time that I’ve come here, I have always seen him on the floor, engaging in conversation with the customers, helping to clear dishes, changing grills … everything and anything. Now that, is what a floor manager looks like peeps …
The food is terrific! Although it may seem like its not enough meat on those plates. lemme tell you. it’s so filling! We usually are never able to finish what we order.
The staff here is phenomenal. They are always on it! I have never had one bad experience, whether it be food or service. I like the fact that no matter how busy it gets in there, they always make it seem like everything is running smoothly. I cant say enough good things about it. I love it. And I’ll always be back!
Great job everyone! And thank you again Robin for excellent service!!!

My family & I have been to this location a handful of times and we’ve always had a great experience. The service has always been friendly and the food was delicious. Like everyone else has stated, happy hour is the best time to go. Some of our favorites are the hirame skirt steak, jalapeño cream cheese appetizer, marinated pork belly and their chocolate lava cake. If you’re not sure what to order, just try a little of each to see what appeals to you or ask for recommendations from the servers. This is a great place to have some drinks, grill your own food and hang out with friends/​family. Its super chill and laid back, can be kinda loud during busy times, and no need to get all dolled up. You may wanna bring a bottle of febreze if you plan on hitting up other places afterwards because you will smell like BBQ.

it has a good atmosphere.
The food is great during Happy Hour! The price of the meat starts around from $ 4 to $ 10. You won’t regred it!

When choosing affordable and late night yakiniku, make Gyu-​Kaku your next stop.
The best thing about Gyu-​Kaku is the happy hour which starts after 8:30 pm. This is when a regularly expensive restaurant experiences a dramatic price decrease (menu provided below). You can come to enjoy discounted dishes with your choice of alchy, or come with your family to bond over the grill. Any and all are welcome to indulge in happy hour here.
The next best thing about Gyu-​Kaku is the food. The quality of the meat here is fresh and unrivaled. Having tried almost all of the yakiniku restaurants in Honolulu, you can quote me on saying that Gyu-​Kaku may have the best meat out of them all. In addition to high quality, many different cuts are offered: filet mignon, shabu shabu style, tongue, belly, and galbi to name a few. Although it won’t be a buffet of meat, much less come in a big portion, you’ll be glad you chose quality over quantity. Being a true meat lover, high quality meat for a reasonable price during happy hour keeps me choosing Gyu-​Kaku over other yakiniku restaurants that can’t even come to a close second.
Now, about my actual and most recent experience (not my first time), this place gets busy. Going at 6:45 pm on a Friday night, we were told that the wait would be an hour and a half. We decided that if we’re going to wait that long, we might as well wait until happy hour started to be seated. The hostess was very accommodating and took down our number to call us when our table was ready. Sure enough, we were called at 8:30 pm on the dot. We ordered the Meat Lover’s Course for 2, which is more than enough food for two. My personal favorite starter from that combo are the cheese wontons. (Get the cheese wontons, warm them up on the grill, and experience heaven). It is also a good choice because of the fun s’mores dessert at the end in which you can roast your marshmallow over the flame. Overall, nothing major happened with the service, although I’d have liked it if they were more attentive as our drinks sat empty for periods of time. One notable thing that I love about this restaurant over and over is that they don’t rush you to cook, unlike other yakiniku places who want the rotation to be faster.
I am and will always be a regular to this place. The food is fantastic and the service, good. I highly recommend this place for happy hour– you’ll definitely leave feeling full and happy.

Stopped in for the all-​day HH on a Monday.
Food: Was okay. Good for the HH price.
Ambience: It was busy, but not too loud even with almost all tables filled — just the usual hustle and bustle.
Service: They were able to accomodate a last minute reservation request for our party of 10 — much appreciated! Although we still had to wait about 15 minutes, it was understandable given the size of our part. During dinner, water was refilled and table was cleared constantly — a lot of attention from the support staff. That said…
This wasn’t my first visit, and I’ve had good experiences in the past. However, this trip, we didn’t get a few things that we had ordered (again, our party was rather large, so we did order a lot), but no follow up and no apologizes for the items that didn’t make it out. Unfortunately it was most of our veggie and side items, which were meant to compliment the meats. We cancelled them at a later point since most of us were already full and there was no point in the sides coming out after most of us were done eating the proteins.
Also, I didn’t manage the bill on previous visits, but this time I did. Our bill still had the cancelled items… AND THEN SOME. I had to take it up to the hostess, who was unable to assist. At some point, what I can only assume is a manager or supervisor came up quickly and immediately took my bill to «reprint» — really without asking any questions. He just mentioned that sometimes combining larger parties results in extra items being added or double-​counted? He re-​printed the check and without request, also immediately gave a 10% discount on top of it. In the end our bill was $ 100 LESS than the original.
While I appreciate their attentiveness and discount for the «trouble,» I’m a little weary as to the whole ordeal… it just seemed a little… strange?

Service: Always awesome here. Our order is always taken right away and our waters are almost never empty. No matter how busy they are, you can always expect to be taken care of here. (²⁄₂)
Food: Also on point. Meats are always tender and the seasonings they use are great. I don’t think we’ve ever ordered something we didn’t enjoy. (²⁄₂)
Other: Making a reservation is super easy. Food and service are definitely worth the wait. There is also ample parking in the structure (remember to get your ticket validated). (¹⁄₁)

When someone asks me what I want to eat for dinner, the first thought that runs through my mind is, «Meat and vegetables. JUST meat and vegetables.» I don’t need rice. I don’t need potatoes. I don’t always even need dessert. I just want some protein and nutrients! So when I think about yakiniku, I’m normally pretty happy!
Location & Parking:
Of the Gyu-​Kaku locations available on Oahu, this is the one I visit most. It’s conveniently located in town, just around the corner/​down the street from Ala Moana Shopping Center on Kapiolani Blvd, between Pensacola & Pi’ikoi and across from Inspiration.
Free validated parking is available if you go up the ramp; parking is in the garage above the shops. There’s free street parking along the sidewalk in front of the building after about 6 or 6:30 p.m.
Happy Hour:
They have this ridiculously long HH. All day on Monday, everyday 11:30am-6:30pm, then a late night everyday from 8:30pm-close. Basically, the only time they DON’T have HH is Tues-​Sun, 6:30 — 8:30pm, so like I said, ridiculously long HH lol.
Unless you wanna get fancy, you can really get your whole meal off the HH specials. They have a variety of menu items like hot and cold appetizers, grill veggies, grill meats, desserts, and drinks off their regular menu, but available at slashed prices.
Rewards Program:
Gyu-​Kaku used to have a physical rewards card to carry around, but they switched to using an app. Now whenever you eat at a Gyu-​Kaku location, you can scan the QR code on your receipt with their app to earn points ($ 1 = 1 point). As you accumulate points, you can redeem them for different items like apps or grill plates or desserts. If you accumulate enough points, you can also redeem them for $ 25 off your meal!
Food & Grilling:
Some people don’t like the idea that they have to grill their own food… that doesn’t bother me. I don’t have to do any grocery shopping, I don’t have to do any prep work, and I don’t have to do any cleaning. I cook things when I’m ready to eat them (so they don’t get cold) and I get to cook it the way I like, so it’s all the better for me!
Pro-​Tip #1: If you’re impatient, then get something thinner, like yaki-​shabu beef or toro-​beef, so that you won’t have to wait as long for it to cook.
Pro-​Tip #2: Make sure your grill starts off oiled before grilling, and then make sure to ask for a grill change when it gets too charred!
Lost Star:
Where did that 5^th star go, you ask? That’s for the not so great working grills and the sometimes not great service. When you decide to go for late night HH, you find out that sometimes the grills have been so heavily used during the day that by the time you et to it at night, they sometimes are clogged up and don’t really want to get as hot as they should be. It makes it especially frustrating if you’re waiting impatiently for your food to cook when you know it should already be done.
The other downside is that you should hope never to sit in the small room behind the check-​in/​host stand. It’s kind of like the forgotten room. While you can normally flag down a server running by in the rest of the restaurant, servers don’t really frequent the little room behind the host stand. So when you want to order, you have to really make sure you’re ordering enough to last because you just don’t know when you’ll see your server next.

Go to Gyu-​Kaku Japanese BBQ with a small group of friends to pau hana. This is family-​style dinning, perfect for 3 – 4 people, so you can get a good variety of dishes and everyone can have a taste of each dish.
Make sure you go during Happy Hour, and be prepared, even during Happy Hour it can get pricey. The plates are small, with only a handful of pieces of bite-​sized meat or veggies. A Bacon-​Wrapped Asparagus plate is a single cut up asparagus. Plan for 4 – 5 plates per person for a full meal.
We like to order the Bacon-​Wrapped Negi Mochi, Cajun Pork Belly, Miso Hirami Skirt Steak and the Kalbi. Also the Garlic Noodles, Mixed Mushrooms, and Chicken Cheese Fondu. Yeah, it’s a total meat fest and the only vegetable you might eat is a green onion, but it’s fun to cook with your friends and a tasty, good time.

Always great service no matter which location. Everyone is always so nice and helpful! The food is great! Sad they got rid of the Kalbi Chuck, but they recommended ones similar which are just as good. Usually get Namuru with my meat to get a little veggies in. But nothing beats the bacon wrapped asparagus! Anything wrapped in bacon I good I guess.
One thing they never seem to fail on is checking up on you. They make sure you’re drinks are full and your grill is clean. THANKS GYU KAKU!

Normally, coming here is pretty pricey when you order plate by plate. So is it really fair to rate a lunch special? For 10.95, they offered edamame, rice, soup, and choice of three meat/​vegetable grill items, some with a $ 3.00 surplus charge. But the stuff they offer is just so delicious, I’m totally going to come back. Yes, they do have Happy Hour and dinner set specials, but I’m sure when I want to sabotage my ability to work after lunch, Gyukaku will be ahead of that lunch list.
Variety (and many many small dishes for their washing pleasure) is pretty common for Asian food. You get a lot of choices and different items from the food pyramid so if you’re into that, which I am, then you’d like this lunch deal. I recommend choosing two meats and one vegetable (unless you get their Meat Lovers special). While three meats may be the best bang for your buck, it does seem quite heavy. I guess my only non-​positive comment is that when you go in big groups, grill space may be a bit tight. Sadly, lunch special doesn’t come with dessert. Though, after that much food, it’d be a miracle if you can fit more into your belly.
Of all the locations, I’d say this is probably the most convenient, personally. Right off of Kapiolani, people typically park on the street in front when the times permit. Honestly, I like coming during off-​peak hours just because I hate waiting for a table and then having to wait another time while my raw food taunts me some more before being cooked.
Anyways, yay for a good lunch special!

I can’t think a time when it’s not a good idea to eat Guy-​Kaku… I can honestly say that I love this place with all my heart because 1. The happy hour deals are so cheap & 2. the food is just delicious! It’s best to make reservations because the wait can get pretty long, especially during Happy Hour.
The food comes out fairly fast and it’s fun because you get to grill your own food. It’s perfect for date-​night or just a night out with your friends. My girlfriends and I have made this our regular Happy Hour spot!
I love getting the cheese wontons, tofu salad, yaki shabu, filet, beef ribs, bibimbop, toro beef, eggplant, gyoza, and of course the s’mores for dessert! It’s so cute because you get to make your own s’more over the little grill! It’s literally the perfect way to end your meal.
Love the ambient, loud music, and the workers are so friendly! However I highly recommend coming here ONLY during Happy Hour or Lunch because the deals are something you just can’t beat!

I finally made it to Gyu-​Kaku for dinner and their great late night happy hour specials! It’s always a good idea to make a reservation here, because it gets BUSY, even after dinner hours.
Even with a reservation, we had to wait about 30 minutes for then to cycle tables, but they were insanely polite and our servers were on it. You could tell they were flustered and working hard but never rude or imposing.
We ordered the meat lovers set, which came with a variety of meats, and added Bacon enoki, bacon mochi negi, gyutan, and chicken fondue. All the meats were excellent, with the gyutan and hanger skirt standing out. Bacon dishes are highly recommended for any Bacon lovers. The chicken had a butter pesto marinade for a different flavor.
The most notable part of the meal is the seasoning. A lot of meat dishes come with nice cuts that are well seasoned, something you don’t usually see at affordable yakiniku joints.
I also wanted to mention their dipping sauces. There were three options on our table, one of which was red. Something about this spicy sauce, with a bit of garlic & Ginger flavor, just kept us pouring and pouring. Maybe it was laced with Crack, but it was just so delicious with everything!
I’ve also been here once for lunch, during which they offer lunch specials for less than $ 15. You get a bunch of side dishes and three choices of meat, with the option for premium meats for a few dollars more. It’s a great option for a pleasant lunch without breaking the bank.
As others mentioned, you can park in the structure next to Gyu-​Kaku, which is easiest to access from Kapiolani. Just try to approach from the west side so you can turn right to get in. They’ll validate for the second story and up no problem.

If only they had a location in the west side, I’d be there everyday for their lunch special! I recently discovered their lunch special and it’s worth it! It comes with seaweed soup, rice, salad, edamame, and choices of three meats for about 11 bucks! Although if you want pricier meats or shrimp it’s an extra three dollars but hey it’s always worth it. :) if I’m not here during the lunch special, the happy hour menu (except 630 – 830?) is still affordable!
I’ve been really lucky with parking but if you are having trouble, the back of the building has more parking just go up the ramp and make sure to get your ticket validated. :)
Customer service is great and efficient. That’s why I always return. I’m craving cheese wontons while finishing up this review now. Lol.

Can’t believe I haven’t written a review for this place yet! This is one of my favorite happy hours, and coming here at least once a month is a necessity for me
My go-​to things I always order are: cheesy wontons, tofu salad, harami miso beef, bistro hanger steak. And cheesy broccoli (this sounds boring, but trust me it’s so good!)
The service is always usually pretty good. Just be mindful that while the happy hour prices aren’t bad, if you are really hungry, it can add up fast. Also, the desserts in my opinion aren’t really worth getting (go elsewhere lol)
*tip: download their free app! Instead of a rewards card, they now have an app that u can scan your receipt at the end to accumulate rewards points

I’m writing this review on behalf of all of the Gyu-​kaku locations on Oahu. A lot of folks shy away from Gyu-​kaku because it’s a yakiniku ‘chain’ restaurant. What they don’t understand is each restaurant location is unique in it’s own way. They may have the same type of grills, food menu, company logo… HOWEVER, each place doesn’t look exactly like the other. The Waikiki location gives you the feel like you’re in Japan because it’s limited in space and is really tight in the restaurant, so it gives you a taste of how Japanese restaurants look like. The Kaneohe location is a lot bigger in size and has a lot more tables, but looks like your typical restaurant. The Kapiolani location is a hybrid of the two other locations. My personal favorite spot is the Kapiolani location because well… it’s the closest one :)
The food is great here, and prices are reasonable especially during lunch when they offer the lunch sets (depends on location). If you’re coming more towards dinner, you can try catch happy hour prices before 6:30 pm (I’m referring to Kapiolani location). The specials differ between all of the locations but almost similar.
What are my favorite dishes to order?
1. Harami Skirt Steak
2. Toro Beef
3. Bistro Hanger Steak
4. Yaki-​Shabu
5. Pork Belly
6. Cheesy Wontons (Wife’s favorite appetizer lol)
7. Beef Tongue (Dad’s favorite)
8. Horumon (Intestine)
Great place to celebrate a special occasion. But don’t expect leaving without smelling like smoke, so bring a change of attire if you plan to go out somewhere afterwards :)

My friends and I decided many years ago to not get each other Christmas gifts and just all feast here together at Gyukaku, because we’re awesome like that. Plus, how can meat and more meat, beer and hot sake not be a great Christmas gift?
You need to come here HUNGRY because you won’t get to experience what makes Gyukaku so great! I am surprised I haven’t typed up a review after coming here so many times, but better late than never! On this instance, I came here for lunch to catch up with a long time friend that I rarely see.
Gyukaku has 3-​hours of free parking with validation in its parking structure during any time of day. We had to wait around 15 minutes, which isn’t too bad. Dinnertime is crazy busy, and a reservation is highly recommended.
We decided on the Create Your Own Course for 2 for $ 48 (included a 20% discount). It comes with Rice, Edamame, Gyukaku or Tofu Salad, Miso Soup, Fried Cheese Wontons (5), and Assorted Vegetables (Eggplant, Zucchini, Corn w/​Butter, and Button Mushrooms). You have 5 choices of meat and/​or vegetable: we decided on Kobe Style Toro Beef, Gyukaku Kalbi, Kauai Shrimp, Harami Skirt Steak, and Gyutan. Plus, a side of Garlic Noodles because it’s awesome! :)
The appetizers and rice came out very quickly, then the meats came out soon afterwards. I must admit, I was pretty excited seeing the entire table fill up with food. Starting off, the miso soup was delicious! It was hot and fragrant, and there was an abundance of wakame, which is one of my favorite foods, because of its natural saltiness and umami flavor that has a hint of sweetness. The Edamame didn’t have any seasonings, but it didn’t need any because it was boiled perfectly. The Tofu Salad was good with fresh greens and the right amount of dressing. Fried Cheese Wontons still sounds weird, but man, it is good! The wrapper was fried nicely, the cheese was nice and gooey, and it tasted good. But wait, I just learned it can be even better! You put the wonton on the grill! That warms up the cheese and it gets even more gooey and creamy!
The first time I had the garlic noodles, it was served in a stone bowl, then on a sizzling platter. Now, it’s just served on a white plate with a smaller portion. The noodles were still delicious and garlicky, but I really miss it being served in the previous vessels because it kept the noodles warm throughout the meal and it also emits a wonderful garlic aroma that was just intoxicating.
You can’t blame the chef for screwing up your food when you are the chef! I typically handle most of the cooking duties since I supposedly know what I’m doing. There’s nothing to it. Just plan accordingly, mind the temperature of the grill, and do not burn or overcook the meat!
The one item that’s become a staple is the Gyutan. It’s always fresh and great quality, and sliced very thinly, so you don’t need much grill time. It’ll always be tender, if you don’t overlook it! The best time to throw this on is when the grill is at its hottest so you can get a nice char on each side without too much cooking and getting the meat up to temp. I prefer the Gyutan with just salt and lemon wedges on the side. It’s the perfect bite of food with the tender meat dipped in the tare sauce with the slight acidity from the lemon.
We wanted to try the new Spicy Jalapeño Miso Sauce. The only meat that made sense to pair with was the Harami Skirt Steak, and it was delicious! The miso flavor comes through with just a hint of heat from the jalapeño.
The Gyukaku Kalbi with salt was very good. The meat was fresh, good quality with nice marbling. Though, I’m confused with the one slice of eggplant and zucchini and one cherry tomato garnish. But hey, it’s better than an inedible flower.
The Kauai Shrimp was a highlight of the meal. The shrimp were fresh, seasoned well, and decent size. I saved the butter from the corn to put on top and squeezed some lemon too. I got a nice char on the shrimp and cooked it to perfection. The shrimp was absolutely delicious! But I don’t think I’m supposed to be reviewing myself here. ;)
The star of the meal was the Kobe Style Toro Beef. Right when that plate hit the table, I knew it was a winner. The marbling on the meat was just amazing with a beautiful red color. After grilling with great care, the beef was very tasty, very juicy, and melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender. The Tare Sweet Soy balanced the richness of the beef very well. The first bite, literally left me in awe. The next time I get the Create Your Own Course Meal, I’ll just get five orders of this!
The service was good. Servers and hostesses were friendly and accommodating. Food came out quick. It seems like the servers don’t have a dedicated section because I was asked by 3 servers if I was ready to order. Also, the bill wasn’t right, and this has happened several times before, so make sure you’re not overcharged!
Overall, I always have a great time coming here with great service and high quality meat and excellent Happy Hours.

This is a really late post. I came here with my friend for happy hour around 2pm. We waited for 15 minutes or so. This was my first time here. Yes I’m a total newbie! My friend told me the deal here is really good during happy hour.
If I remember I ordered the sukiyaki rice bowl combo which comes with 2 piece of cheese gyoza, miso soup, and salad. My friend got a yakiniku combo with 3 choice of meat. It comes with edamame, miso soup, salad and rice. The beef sukiyaki was really good, but there was too much rice. Cheese gyoza was really interesting. They use mozzarella cheese. The beef for the yakiniku was already marinated, pretty good tasting.
We were really full. I had to take my food home. Our check came out to around $ 20~ not bad for a pricey Japanese restaurant. Definitely will come back for happy hour!!!