Mako

Today was a very sad day for me: (
I’ve been going to Mako since high school and I had no idea whatsoever of their closing.
Its kinda like your girlfriend telling you there’s someone else vs. You walking in on her getting it on with some random dude! Well. .I experienced the latter.
I walked up to the door today almost scared to ask «where’s mako?» The girl behind the counter answered «they’re gone… want a Burger?»
I walked away while a montage of mako memories played in my head.
Its a sad day in LA.

A part of my soul died when this place closed down. seriously when i think of the salad, udon/​miso and teriyaki i used to get I feel a sinking feeling in my stomach, an emptiness. I don’t even miss exboyfriends this much :(
All i can hope is that Mr Mako is so Bored out of his mind that he will come out of retirement and reopen.
Mako I miss you :’(
(if anyone knows a similar place please do share!)

IS THIS A JOKE!!!
i’m SERIOUSLY about to have a bitch fit…
how can they close down??? this was my FAVORITEEE place to hit up whenever i was in the area. shoot. i used to drive over an hour to eat at this whole in the wall.
had so many great memories here.
now all i have left are pictures. :’(

RIP Mako… I guess your student visas expired or the Los Feliz theater charged too much for rent… you’ll be missed…
Hoping you only moved away to open at a different location…
So sad…

WTF? CLOSED? GONE? WHY?
Driving to work today, my eyes are barely open as is. I took a quick glance to my left because of an unfamiliar sign. A «burger» sign. Wait, that use to say Mako! The beloved Mako has transformed into Juicy Burger. Another sad day in the food world. Not to dog on that new burger joint since I have yet to step foot but you definitely have some huge shoes to fill.
RIP Mako! Thanks for the less than $ 10 salad, California rolls, soup, terriyaki & tempura combinations. You were a broke man’s best friend! You will be missed.
We’ll be pouring our 40s on the wall for you shortly.

Go before closing
Good chicken teriyaki
Sad sayonara

When it comes to seafood, I am a chicken person. That’s why, when my friend took me to Mako, I got the Chicken Yakisoba and the Chicken Teriyaki. But don’t worry, I also tried the California Roll and the Shrimp Tempura.
The sad news: They are closing up shop on the 24^th. That will be their last day before they leave the States.
The good news: You have until the 24^th of December to get your ass over to this tiny hole-​in-​the wall. Ignore the pretentious restaurants and make a brief pilgrimage to Mako and try them out.
Personally, I wasn’t a big fan of the California Roll, but this could be because I simply dont like sushi and rolls.
But everything else? So very good! Even the tiny bowl of starting salad is good. Even the bowl of miso soup is good — not too salty!!! Everywhere else? It’s always salty, but not here: D
CASH ONLY.
BE COURTEOUS.
BE PATIENT. Some times, all the tables are full, but it’s a small place.
Do not take a four-​top for one person.
Can’t believe I forgot to order the Udon, but I was pretty full after eating here anyway. It was a really good dinner.

Serving EVERYONE for 26 years, starving artists, musicians, students. or even riches. they are closing! My heart is broken and I have to remember the good ol’ Los Feliz. It’s not going to be the same without Mako. END OF AN ERA.
WE LOVE YOU, MAKO!!!

Just an aside: I might be a smidge biased because Mako’s owned by my friend’s family (Hi Double D!!).
This is a no frills restaurant. Just everyday Japanese food in its most simple form. I was planning on giving my friend a hard time and nagging him for a friend discount; however, the quality and amount of food that I got for less than $ 8 made me feel like I was stealing from his family. Even if I didn’t know the owners, I’d swing by because it’s such a good deal.
Mako is a sliver of a restaurant that is easy to miss if you’re just driving by and is nestled between an old movie theater and a bookstore.

A contradiction smackdab in the middle of trendy and expensive Los Feliz. Authentic, unpretentious Japanese food, and a killer deal besides (especially at lunch, 12 – 4). Lunch for two cost less than $ 10 and we both walked out of there happy and satisfied. You might have to wait a bit since it’s teeny, but people usually clear out pretty fast… you can head over next door to Skylight Books and browse while you wait.
Service is a bit off, but who cares when you get chicken teriyaki AND shrimp fried rice for under $ 9? Mako, you are the little teriyaki place that could.

SImple, well executed Japanese fast food. My favorite is the squid teriyaki and california roll combo. All combos come with a basic salad and miso soup, and most options are under $ 6.
I hadn’t been to Mako in years, but was pleasantly surprised to find it was just as good as I remembered… satisfying food at a good price.

I went here with my friend and we had a good meal!
Both of us ordered the mahi teriyaki and it was really good. My friend had the california roll and she seemed to enjoy it. I also really love the salad and the miso before the meal! I’m usually not a salad person but i ended up eating this salad somehow. I really like the dressing. Nice and light.
Good amount of food without breaking the bank. I’m a broke teenager so this place is really great!
I’ve never had the udon but according to my friends it’s good too! Definitely coming back to this great little place.

The Vegetable Udon Soup is my favorite. Get a cali roll with that.
Love this place. Cheap and on the Down Low.

When you’re a starving college student, you want good food, but you want it cheap. I came to Mako expecting delicious, cheap Japanese food, and man, did it deliver!
After I suggested that we go to Mako for lunch, my boyfriend (who lives in Los Feliz) remarked that he’s never heard of it, and he’s been up and down Vermont Avenue. When we got there, we realized why. This place is so low key. It’s like an indie rock band. They both have a ton of hipster fans, and they both remain undiscovered by the general public (yet). It was hidden out in the open, much like the Leaky Cauldron is in Harry Potter for muggles (sorry). My boyfriend has actually seen the outside of Mako before and mistook it as part of the theatre next door. Anyways, on to the food.
We sat down at the counter. Note that the restaurant is veryyy cramped, so if business gets busy you might be left waiting for a seat. I ordered the tempura bowl and he ordered shrimp fried rice. We both marveled that my dish was only $ 2.50 and his was $ 5.50, but I should also say that they only accept cash. Luckily, we came prepared. Now, the only reason that I’m giving Mako 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the service. My boyfriend got his fried rice pretty quickly, but he had eaten through most of it by the time I got my tempura bowl. Granted, it was delicious, and a steal for $ 2.50, but I would have liked to have it come around the same time as the fried rice. Also, they never refilled our glasses of water. But besides that, everything went smoothly.
In the end, all parties involved (including our wallets) left Mako full and happy. The next time I swing by the area, I will be sure to eat here again. I highly recommend everyone who has ever liked Japanese food to pay Mako a visit, especially those of you who are like me and are caught in the awkward position of loving good food but not having the money to spend on fancy restaurants. I’m positive you won’t regret it. :D

Rarely does a restaurant get a 5 star from me, but this experience redeemed my hopes that there are good, wholesome places out there. I ordered the lunch special Chicken Bowl, Mahi Mahi Teriyaki and Squid Teriyaki.
For $ 2.50 Chicken bowl, you get a descent amount of food.
The Mahi was very good.
The Squid, unfortunately lacked the flavor-​of-​the-​sea. It looks as if the squids were purchased already prepared; the skin, tentacles and guts removed. The processing robs the squids of their taste. It does save time for them folks at Mako for not having to prepare the squids themselve, but the lost of flavor is the compromise.
I will definitely return for more Mahi and Chicken and probably try the other stuff on their menu as well.

The breakdown:
Oyako Don: ⁴⁄₅
Tempura Don: ⁴⁄₅
California Rolls: 3.5÷5
Miso Soup: ³⁄₅
My Food Rating = B+
Ambience: ³⁄₅
Service: ³⁄₅
Clean: ³⁄₅
My Experience Rating: B
Location: ⁴⁄₅
Parking: 2.5÷5
Wait: ⁵⁄₅
Store Hours: ⁴⁄₅
My Convenience Rating: B+
Pros:
— Cheap, nearly half the price of what you pay for lunch anywhere nearby.
— Food is not bad for the price.
— Low key, quick, Japanese fast-​food.
Cons:
— Cash only.
— Portions are a bit small.
— Parking is hard to find.
— Limited seating.
Tip: Mako is very small. The sign outside is super small. You will have to drive slow or you will pass it for sure. It is right next door to Skylight.
Tip: Lunch special is 12:00 — 4:00pm
Prices:
Chicken Bowl: 2.50
Tempura Bowl: 2.50
Oyako Don: 2.75
Katsu Don: 3.95
California Roll (6pc): 2.75
Tempura: 2.50
Chicken Teriyaki: 3.75
Vegetable Yakisoba: 3.75
Chicken Yakisoba: 3.95
Shrimp Yakisoba: 3.95
Vegetable Fried Rice: 3.75
Chicken Fried Rice: 3.95
Shrimp Fried Rice: 3.95
Chicken Teriyaki: 4.50
Squid Teriyaki: 4.75
Mahi Mahi Teriyaki: 5.00
Salmon Teriyaki: 6.50
Vegetable Tempura: 3.75
Fried Tempura: 4.50
Shrimp Tempura: 4.50
Chicken Cutlet: 4.50
Bottom Line: The food here is cheap! It about the same price as Yoshinoya. I wouldn’t say the food is that great, maybe just above mediocre, but if I lived by, I’d come here to fill up for lunch pretty often.

Great food, great price.
I always get the Udon & inari sushi. Lunch Date always gets the Ah-​so Special (crab salad, California roll, vegetable tempura, chicken teriyaki). We go bite for bite. Everything comes out fast and is super tasty.
Sidenote, I totes have a crush on one of the waiters. I was so sad when he shaved his head, but now that it’s growing out I’m back to pining over him whilst I slurp my noodles.

This is definitely my favorite hole in the wall Japanese joint in L.A. The combination meals are the best. You can get a chicken terriyaki, squid terriyaki, or fish terriyaki with either a plate of tempura or California rolls plus rice, soup and salad for under $ 7. And they do make a great tempura plate with one shrimp and several slices of vegatables.
My favorite combo is the Mahi Mahi (a lean whitefish) terriyaki with a plate of tempura. They also make very tasty yakisoba (Japanese fried noodles) as a carb-​lover option.
Excellent for lunch, though Mako is small and can a little smoky as you sit right around the kitchen.

Came here for lunch with Ayesha A. I had the Oyako Don and she had the veggie tempura. I didn’t get a chance to sample the rest of the menu, but I was impressed with the prices and the freshness of the food. It’s set up like a roadside diner with the grill/​kitchen behind the counter, so I could see that the tempura was battered by hand and the chicken was grilled fresh.
The check came out to a little over $ 8 for two people. Price-​wise, you can’t do better than that, even cooking at home. I wish there were more places like this around.
The space is a bit cramped, but the charming atmosphere makes up for it.

Mako = no go!
My study buddy and I heard some great things about this place. Like how it is dirt cheap (true) and delicious (NOT true). We realize that the reason it is dirt cheap is because the portions are tiny! I ordered California rolls, veggie fried rice, and chicken yakisoba. Finished almost all of it (shared half of the noodles with my buddy) and was still hungry!!! Totally not satisfying. My buddy got the tempura, but it was kinda soggy. The food also completely lacks flavor.
This place is also really hard to find… it’s literally part of a movie theatre so look up directions beforehand.