Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

“Other favorites are the bistro harami skirt steak, spicy pork, garlic spinach and the sweet potatoes.”

“Reasonable multi-course menus available and happy hour prices for drinks starting at lunch.”

“Some of my favorite dishes include the seared salmon, sukiyaki bibimbap (one of the best bimbimbaps I've had), the skirt steak, and sirloin garlic.”

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes

Price range.

$$$ Price range $31-60

As I continued playing, I struck a winning streak at Royal Vegas, and my virtual coins accumulated with each successful spin. The sense of anticipation and the joy of winning added a delightful dimension to my dining experience, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the evening.

As the evening drew to a close, I cashed out my winnings on the app and reflected on the delightful blend of gastronomy and entertainment that I had experienced. It was a memorable night—a harmonious fusion of culinary delight and digital fun in the heart of New York City, leaving me with fond memories of a unique dining adventure.

8 reviews

  1. Meh.

    I came here for Mother's Day during Happy Hour, and found this oft-praised Japanese BBQ restaurant to be very… meh.

    First off, the restaurant was so hot. As soon as we sat down, we began sweating. It didn't help that we were seated next to a high window without shades or blinds, and with the sun beating down on us. I asked the hostess to turn the air on, and she told me it already was. Oh, boy. TIP #1: Don't sit by a window.

    Food was good. The marinated meats were flavorful, but all kind of tasted the same. My favorite dishes were the soft-as-butter filet mignon and the sukiyaki bibimbap.

    Most of the HH drinks are around half off, but tasted as if they left out half (or all of) the liquor in the sweet drinks. TIP #2: Get a beer, or a brown drink; they tend to be less sweet.

    Service was courteous, but slow as molasses. I get that it's a holiday, but we should not have to wait 15 minutes for a soft drink. I did appreciate that they didn't bring out all the food at once, and instead paced it like courses.

    A meal including the Kandou combo, 2 ready-to-eat dishes, 6 HH cocktails, and 1 soft drink ran us around $205 after tax/tip.

  2. How come I still haven't written a review about this place?  Definitely stop by the restaurant for their lunch special,  you get good value for the money that you pay, like $10+ for 2 BBQ item choices + a bowl of rice + soup and salad.  I would recommend upgrading the rice to garlic fried rice, it's flavorful and compliments better with the BBQ.  If you came here outside of lunch special  time, even with the happy hour special prices, you could be spending $20-$30 per person, as each item you order would add up.  This is a cook it yourself Japanese BBQ place, after you cook your proteins, you could dip the meats in the 3 sauces available – ponzu, spicy and sweet soy.  They have a happy hour that runs from 11am to 6pm then 9:30pm to 11pm (check their website to see if the hours changed), with specially priced food and drinks.  Beers are very cheap during happy hour.  Also, do sign up for their rewards program and download the cell phone app, as you get promotions such as $20 off coupon, and you could earn points that could be redeemed towards food, etc.  I also tried their cooked appetizers before.  The tuna volcano is a meh, it's spicy tuna on a tough and hard fried dough of rice.  The texture's weird and it's not tasty at all.  Opt for the tacos instead.  For desserts, they offer Lady M green tea Mille crepe as one of their dessert choices.

  3. Location: prime with view (better than east village one)
    Reservation: by phone or thro website. They also take down phone #s if you are on walk-in waiting list. (5/5)
    Portion: small (3.5/5)
    Price: 40-60 pp
    Highlight: chain store, food quality is consistent, fun self-serving BBQ, great service (smily faces everywhere), Lady M dessert available!
    Flavor: (4/5)
    What's good? marinated meat is very good; I also love mushroom medley and corns; garlic fried rice/noodles are hearty, tender and flavorful too.
    Other species: three sauces available (sweet soy sauce, ponzu sauce, spicy sauce). Spicier sauce available upon request too. (My friends and I are big spiciness lovers so we asked for more. And they satisfied our spiciness need).

  4. I can't believe that I am writing a review of this place because I am ashamed that I ate here while in one the greatest food cities in the world.  When you are in New York, please do not go here.  It is a kitschy chain, and it is waaaaaaaaaaay expensive.  You are being ripped off when you go here.  To give you an idea of how expensive it is, we paid $4 for 6 thin, raw slices of zucchini.  Yes, slices.  The beef portion of the meal was even more expensive considering how little food you got.  We paid $25 for the chateaubriand, and we got the equivalent of like two yakitori skewers.  Perhaps the prix fixe meal is a better deal, but do you really want to pay for friend shrimp when you go to a Japanese barbecue in NYC?  I didn't think so.  

    I wish I can say that we paid for the atmosphere, but this restaurant is a chain and definitely feels like it.  I think PF Changs has more of an intimate feel to it.

    The only things going for it are its late hours (which is an advantage in Midtown East) and the friendly service.

  5. If you are going to this place with a friend, you should definitely order the two-people dinner set that comes with so many varieties of foods. For BBQ meat I especially loved the Chateabriand beef (is that how you spell the beef?), literally one of the most tender beef I've ever tasted in my life.

    I also recommend Tuna poke, avocado salad and baked marshmallows as dessert. Everything is delicious 🙂

  6. I haven't been to Gyu-Kaku in ages and it has changed its business model. I guess it does help bring in business but it's less "prestige" than how it portrayed itself before.

    We got the combo for 2 with the wagyu beef. Meat is not very fresh but well marinated. There were plenty of food so at least we were full. the  Both my bf and I think it was not worth the price since the final bill came out to $160.

    I will only return during happy hour because prices are slashed.

  7. There are 2 times that you should visit here. Otherwise, not worth. Those two times are the lunch special hours, and happy hour.

    During these times, you get pretty awesome deals on almost all their menu items including dessert and drinks. In the end, you'll find that you can actually afford a decent korean bbq meal.

    The meats are a little on the heavily seasoned side but when paired with one of their sweet cocktails, it seems pretty balanced. They give large bowls of rice for the lunch specials which helps with satiation. Don't expect too much authenticity but you can definitely satisfy your desire to try different dishes affordably.

    The ambience is hip and pleasant as well.

  8. I like tried location over the one in the east village. This is on the second floor with high ceilings and big glass windows so you can see the other buildings nearby.

    You may want to make a reservation as it can get busy and you may but not be offered seating.

    I like the option for 2 forb $70. There are two options from each of the sections of appetizers and meats. I like the Salmon with seaweed and avocado. I like the meats with the marinades.

    They bring the meats to your table and you grill the meats yourself.

    I suggest you separate the thongs – one for putting raw meats on the grill and other to grab meats when done to avoid contamination.

    I like this type of Japanese BBQ and slightly different from the Korean BBQ.

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3rd Avenue 805
New York 10022 NY US
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Monday, 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Tuesday, 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Wednesday, 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Thursday, 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Friday, 11:30 am - 12:00 am
Saturday, 11:30 am - 12:00 am
Sunday, 11:30 am - 10:00 pm