Juban Yakiniku House Japanese

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Editorial Review by Citysearch Editors. Customers do the cooking over state-of-the-art smokeless gas grills set into sleek black tabletops at this Japanese barbecue joint.

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polyester1970

Joined 8 years ago

Nice place. Better than the Korean BBQs in SF.. This is my 3rd yakiniku experience and it went very well. My wife & I ordered the Specially Selected Beef Ribeye, Tan Shio (beef tongue), Garlic Steak, Juban Salad, and 1 order of rice. We probably ordered a little too much for the two of us since the portions are slightly larger than we expected, but since it was so good, I had no problem finishing it :)

My wife is Japanese and we had yakiniku once in Japan and once in L.A. She said it might be a little different than traditional yakinuki (for the better IMO) since Juban serves the beef with seasoning and some marinade. I believe it's normally served plain, but then it's pretty bland. We thought the food was great. Each dish was done very well. The Juban Salad is pretty unique since they use sesame oil. It has a very mild but unique taste.

We have been pretty regular for Korean BBQ's but I think we'll start doing this instead. I like this cuts, setting and style much better than Korean BBQs, at least the ones in San Francisco. I like how the beef is cut bite-sized w/o the bone. And suprisingly, I think we spent a little less than we normally would at a Korean BBQ.

My wife recommended that you cook 1 piece at a time and it eat it immediately, rather than cooking several pieces at a time which causes them to become either overcooked or cold. That worked very well.

My only wish is if they had a full bar rather than being limited to the beer, sake, sochu menu. I know liquor licenses in SF are very expensive and I suppose it's not really traditional to have a Martini with your yakiniku but I think if they did this place could even become an even more attractive evening venue.

Doesn't Recommend

writerevie

Joined 8 years ago

Bland food, mediocre service, overpriced.... Ate there for the first time yesterday. Ordered the short ribs w/ bone, garlic cube steak, chicken, and wakame (seaweed) soup. The beef was served frozen, so when we cooked it, it came out really rough and tough to chew. It was also bland. The chicken wasn't frozen, but had no flavor at all. The garlic cubes were okay, but nothing to rave about. The soup was overly salty, and the service wasn't all that great.

For the price you're paying, you're better off going somewhere else, this place is a tourist trap.

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harryned

Joined 7 years ago

Very fun for families. My kids and their friends always get a kick out of this place, and I think the food is very good. Order the lettuce wraps and wrap them around a sizzling piece of chicken or steak hot off the grill...the only downside is that sometimes (maybe half the time) you can wait a long time to see your waiter after the initial order. But service would not deter us from returning.

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psychobunny9576

Joined 10 years ago

A little pricey for cooking yourself!. This is one of my boyfriend's favorite restaurants and I love it as well! The food has always been delicious and the staff is very polite. The food is on the pricer side but we don't mind splurging every so often especially when the quality of the food has always been excellent. If you don't want to spend on the Wagyu beef, try the filet mignon, or the ribeye instead! It's also nice that Japantown has a parking lot so we don't have to look for parking.

Doesn't Recommend

rozenee

Joined 11 years ago

its not all that!. don't let the other reviews fool you! if your really hungry, Juban is not the place for you. they give so little serving of everything plus you have to keep on ordering to satisfy your hunger. pluas its expensive 'cause they give so little servings. in order words, going to Juban is not worth your money.

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lala15

Joined 11 years ago

Yummy Japanese BBQ. Great fun, and fun for a date. Delicious grill-at-your-table entrees, as well as tasty Japanese and Korean appetizers. If you're feeling spendy, try the Kobe beef. All the food is very fresh!