While I'm not a fan of the value, the quality and execution is 5 star. Kikuchi has been at my local…read morebrewery Steel Bonnet in Scotts Valley a bunch lately and it's my second time trying his tasty offerings. I have tried the Tsukune twice now, a tasty meatball creation. Today I also had the Bara Tama, pork belly with thick slices of onion. They are both savory delights but the sweet of the onion paired with the salt of the pork belly and a dab of horseradish mustard makes it my new favorite! It's also over 90 degrees out today and the guy is cooking under a pop up in the parking lot, committed to his craft!

When I went to Japan last year, yakitori from the charcoal grill was one of the most memorable…read moremeals I've ever had. I won't forget how there were tasty options around every corner in Tokyo. Ever since I went to Japan last year, I crave delicious yakitori from a charcoal grill in the Bay Area and always seek out new places to try. I finally tried Okibiyaki-Kikuchi as a yakitori pop-up at ShaKa brewing after eyeing it for a long time. The grilled meat skewers were so delicious and enjoyable to eat with a cold beer flight from ShaKa brewing. The chef is a master of yakitori. I tried hatsu, kalbi, shishito, kimo, and bara tama. I can describe a perfect night like this. A perfect night included skewers from the live ember grill by the master chef and a beer flight. The flavors are legit-- the process of preparing the meat is impressive, and the technique with the charcoal grill brings out the best flavors. The Bay Area is treated to authentic flavors like in Japan. It is recommended that should arrive to the pop-up early as they ran out of the chicken skewers. I will absolutely order the chicken skin and thigh again and again. I also tried his pop up at Clandestine Brewery as well. The quality is so consistent and delicious. I like the vibe of eating like in a picnic style outdoors with a cold glass of beer. Nothing beats that for me. Follow @okibiyaki_kikuchi on IG to see where he pops up next.

Our first time here, service was fast and the person who took our order was super nice. Prices…read moreweren't too bad. We ordered: 1. Pork sisig w/ lumpia: My niece's liked this but didn't like the lumpia. I even tried it, it didn't taste like lumpia shanghai. It tasted healthier and had an after taste. The sauce didn't help make it any better. 2. Street taco: pork sisig and beef steak, both were tasty. Overall, food wasn't bad and was reasonably priced

I ordered Barya for my birthday party and was very impressed! I loved the Filipino fusion take on…read moremany of my favorite dishes, including the oxtail lumpia and peanut butter dipping sauce! That was a crowd favorite and gone by the end of the night, I will say that sauce in particular should he swerved warm but it was honestly fine cold. It was easy using their website to send in inquire for the catering event. It's important to be detailed on what you want, where the location willl be and how many people you plan to have. Day of the event chef rod was texting me asking me a couple follow up questions to ensure food came correctly! He came on time and had everything ready to go. It was quite delicious and we barely had any left overs. I felt that the price was affordable and a service I would do again.

I love Hash N' Dash and try to catch them when I can. I initially found them when I was looking for…read morea good spot for smashburgers but was more intrigued with their breakfast sandwiches. I usually catch them when they do morning pop-ups at Pour Decisions or when they are at the Japantown Farmer's Market in SJ. They have one breakfast sandwich on the menu and honestly that's all they need, it's called the 408 Breakfast Smash. The breakfast sandwich is a smashed ground pork patty with grilled onions, American cheese, fried egg, hash sauce and syrup served on an English muffin. This is one of the best breakfast sandwiches that I've ever had. The hash sauce and syrup go well together with the sausage and grilled onions, you get that savory and sweet element and nothing is overpowering. The sausage is great and I love the crispy edges. The service here is always top notch, the guys are so friendly and personable. I love it. I definitely recommend coming here for a good breakfast sandwich. They will be returning to making smashburgers so I can't wait to try those soon!!

I forget when hash and dash popped up by the Matcha place. My girlfriend loves going to…read more I was going to get a breakfast sandwich but they only had limited menu items available. Nonetheless it was a really cool pop-up and their breakfast sandwich sandwiches hit the spot after such a crazy workout. Their service was awesome and the ambience is a pop-up breakfast sandwich place in front of the Matcha place.

I've had Het Say on my radar for a while and I finally got to try it. My friend and I ordered the…read morepork rib rice plate, the Champa chicken curry noodle soup, the pate chaud and also one of the cookies. Everything we tried was absolutely delicious. The owners are very nice and they are quite lovely. The pork ribs were fall off the bone and their fish sauce went perfectly well with the ribs and rice. The chicken curry noodle soup had a really good flavor and it was very comforting and you can definitely taste the love in the soup. The cookie reminds me of like a Vietnamese version of a granola bar and it was simple yet pleasant. I also like the pate chaud but I wished it was a little bit more warmer and crispy but overall I cannot wait to come back and try their other dishes. Lots of seating available around the park near the food truck as well.

Hết Sẩy isn't your typical Vietnamese restaurant. Instead of the usual pho and vermicelli bowls,…read moreyou'll find creative takes on Southern Vietnamese flavors that feel both familiar and completely new. Everything is thoughtfully prepared, from the flaky hand pies to the banh mi and rotating seasonal specials. The ingredients are high quality, the flavors are bold, and you can tell a lot of care goes into every dish. It's a little pricier than your neighborhood Vietnamese spot, but you're paying for craftsmanship rather than quantity. If you're looking to explore a different side of Vietnamese cuisine in San Jose, Hết Sẩy lives up to its name.

Really insanely tasty and decadent seafood tacos, hard to believe it's from a food truck…read more I just tried their Crab Taco and it's my favorite item now. Very generous with the crab and huge succulent shrimp. Super cheesy too. I'm actually glad it's not also vampiro style. Whatever you order, be ready for the cheese, because they are super loaded, and luckily I love both cheese and seafood. For the quality and generosity you get, these are well worth the price (Crab - $10, Vampiro - $8), and I was quite full after these two. Very fast service too, even during busy afternoons.

Loved the Vampiro taco! Tasty shrimp and chorizo. Also great presentation! Visited during the SoFA…read moreblock party and was very happy with my choice!

Two weeks ago, my friend and I went to this cafe for the first time. We discovered this cafe by…read moreaccident and thought it was so cool that someone in the neighborhood had a cafe in their garage. This cafe is owned by a sweet couple. They serve mini donuts and drinks from Friday to Sunday. We went on a Saturday around 10:40am and it was quite empty. All the cafe stuff and equipment is in the garage and they had outdoor seating on their driveway. They also have a cute donut wall for taking pictures of your food and drinks. We ordered 6 mini donuts with a vanilla drizzle and fruity pebbles, which ended costing $7.50. The donuts were basically made right in front of us and the service was fast. They served it to our table and gave us two extra mini donuts. The donuts were warm, light, sweet, and also coated in like a cinnamon sugar dust. The owners were really interactive and had great hospitality. They even gave us a sample of their cold Mexican chocolate to try and gave us a water bottle to wash the donuts down . They just opened last July and I think they deserve more customer attraction. My friend and I would definitely go again.

My first visit at Z8 Cafe was a great experience the owners Regina and Jerry were so friendly and…read morewelcoming they were great hosts to talk to and get to know, down to earth folks. I'm surprised how close Z8 Cafe is to me especially walking distance and I should've visited here sooner but I will be coming here more often. The coffee is made to order right in front of you with their commercial grade coffee/espresso machine. They use high quality syrups and milk options, they put a lot of care in the food and drink they serve. Mini donuts are also made to order in front of you and freshly dusted in cinnamon and sugar (or your flavor of choice). They're hot and melt in your mouth. Their outdoor seating is really nice too, it's cozy and definitely looks great during their evening hours with their lights. Please give Z8 Cafe a try great family and great food and drinks!

We came here when it was at the San Jose location on a Saturday and absolutely loved these burgers…read more We got the hellipeno burger which was soo smashed with crispy edges, sweet and spicy, with lots of sauce and flavor. I loved that it had an onion ring and caramelized onions on top. I really have no notes or anything I felt was missing. The fries are also crispy and fluffy, and their sauce that it comes with is also delicious. I would highly, highly recommend this place for a good smashed crispy juicy burger!!

Went here as I was nearby in the area around 2:30 pm on Saturday! I ordered the Big Smack & Tallow…read morefries and it took about 15-20 minutes to come out with about 4-5 people in front of me. Lots of parking nearby in the area and this is a food truck so keep in mind ! I rate the burger a 7.5/10 as it was a delicious burger but the buns did not hit to me for some reason. The fries were great as I tasted the tallow as it was very crunchy!! I would still come back if I am in the area !

Food was solid and the vibe was nice, but the service really missed the mark. It wasn't that busy,,…read moreyet there were no waiters around for long stretches, and the lady working the checkout/ drink fountain was surprisingly rude and an awful attitude Also, tipping in advance through the app doesn't help, good service can be easily forgotten when the staff knows the tip is already locked in. Overall, still a good spot, but the service needs attention.

The first time we had a taste of Jackie's Place was for a take out since my son in law and daughter…read morewere raving about it. Because the take out experience was so good, we decided to dine in this time. Came on a Saturday afternoon with no reservation. Had to wait about 15 minutes to get seated because this joint gets really packed. Parking is available in the back of the complex which is very tight space. Once you get seated, you can either order through scanning their QR code or line up by the cash register to order. For this visit, the ribs were not available as they sold out so what a BUMMER. Our food for both the take out and dine (on separate occasions) were as follows: * Smoked beef brisket * Fried Chicken wings * Hot links * Key lime pie * Uncle Greg's ribs - so good and I was a bit frustrated when it wasn't available during our dine in experience * Smoked BBQ Chicken * The Juju * Banana Pudding * Butter Pound Cake * Chicken & Waffles * Honey Butter Cornbread - never miss to order this because OMG this is really really good My thoughts: * The Best Bites: Uncle Greg's Ribs and Fried Chicken Wings * Don't Miss: the honey butter cornbread * The Vibe: chill and casual, spacious and family friendly * Patience required especially on weekends. Wait can be longer because they are really popular. * Portions are huge and they are reasonably priced as well Never miss the opportunity to try Jackie's Place! They have 2 locations in San Jose. May 2026

Ate it too fast to get a decent photo. Pulled pork, ribs, and brisket were all legit. Mike is the…read moreman. Put him on BBQ brawl.

We hosted a company BBQ, and Chef Mike hooked us up with the most delicious meal we'd all had in a…read morelong time. We had an incident the morning of the event, and even with that stressful scenario, he still rose to the occasion with grace and everything worked out in the end. His staff was attentive and wonderful to work with. We ended up with enough leftovers to share with some of our neighboring businesses and I made sure to share his catering information along if they host their own parties because this was honestly one of the best meals I've ever had. Thank you so much for everything!!

We pass by Lockeford often. We see the billboard promoting Big Daddy's BBQ. We decided to stop in…read moreand buy a full rack of ribs, a bbq Turkey leg to bring home and an ice cream cone. The interior is a small shop, with a welcoming, friendly gal to take your order. Big guy in the rear is the bbq chef. You order there and go outside to pick up your food and/or sit outside to eat. The seating area offers plenty of chairs and tables with shade or without. It was February and a bit chilly and windy. In short time our food was ready. We had the pleasure of smelling it all the way home to Placerville. The ribs were big, meaty, soft and tender. There was a delicious spice and flavor that you really didn't need the bbq sauce (provided) on it at all. My husband and I ate our first couple without the sauce and then he ate a few more with the sauce. These ribs were delicious! We paid $30 for a full rack of ribs and $16 for the Turkey leg. We know where to go when craving ribs. Nicely done here.

I really wanted to support this local business, especially after a great first experience where the…read moreribs were fresh and perfectly seasoned. Unfortunately, my second visit was a major disappointment and a waste of over $150. While the portions are generous, the quality just wasn't there this time. The smoked turkey leg tasted boiled and lacked flavor, the ribs were incredibly dry, and though the brisket was tender, it had no seasoning. I drove 35 minutes on a Friday hoping for another great meal, but the inconsistency was frustrating. I hope they can get back to their original quality.