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    Central BBQ Lakehouse

    3.5 (131 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    CENTRAL BBQ LAKEHOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Romantic
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Central BBQ Lakehouse

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    pina colada
    Emily P.

    New fave happy hour spot!!! The seafood pancake is LARGE and easily split between 2 people, and w $8 bottle of soju and very reasonable priced drinks, we have already been back multiple times. With happy hour ending at 6pm, it has been the perfect time to catch the beautiful sunset over the lake. The all you can eat bbq is great and has so many options, and w the salad bar, you don't have to be worried about getting banchan that you won't be able to/ wont eat. Our waitress checked up on us very frequently which made sure there was always meat on the grill compared to other chain all you can eat bbq places where you have to put in the order w the sever when they drop the meat off since it takes 20 min for the next order to come. They also have fried rice as an option if you're wanting something other than white rice.

    Truc N.

    Not sure what the negative reviews were about, but we had a great dine-in experience! The food was solid--seasoning was on point, and the banchan side dishes that come with the AYCE option were especially tasty. Just a heads up: if you go a la carte, you won't get those same side dish servings, which was a little disappointing but understandable. Service was where this place really stood out. Our server was incredibly attentive, helpful with recommendations, and had a warm, genuine energy--not overly bubbly, just the right amount of friendly. We really appreciated that. The ambiance was quiet and relaxed when we arrived for Monday lunch, though it started picking up a bit during the later lunch hour. The outdoor patio has misters and a view of the lake, which looked nice, but it was too hot for us to sit outside. Bonus points for the copper-colored metal bowls--they added a fancy touch to the presentation. Prices are on the higher side, but if you're looking for a spot to enjoy a meal with loved ones, I'd say it's worth it for the overall experience.

    Christine D.

    I loved it here!! It was my boyfriend's birthday and he loves KBBQ, so I was a little hesitant to go here due to the reviews. I honestly don't know why this place has such bad reviews about the service. Maybe we just got a good server, but I have no complaints about this place. We were seated around 6:30 PM, just as the sun was setting and it was beautiful. This place is all you can eat, so make sure you come hungry. If you don't know what an item is on the menu, just ask the server and they will be more than happy to explain it to you. They also have a few boba drinks here which is a plus. There was a DJ night we went, so good food, drinks, and music, what more can you ask for? We left with our tummies full and a smile on our face :) I'm looking forward to coming back here soon!

    happy hour menu
    Gabe D.

    $36 AYCE kbbq with option for $60 "supreme" version. Meat quality was really good, better than other local options like Manna. Sides (corn cheese, japchae, etc) were typical. The atmosphere is a big plus for this place; the lakeside location is pretty unique for Arizona and the outdoor seating is furnished well with lights and heaters. The interior is spacious but a little bit outdated. There was also a live DJ! My biggest critique is the service. They allow only 3 meats and 2 sides at a time per table, and our service started pretty slow. We had to ask for water multiple times and had to wait for tongs to start cooking. Our server was super nice and very accommodating, which made up for the pace of the food coming out, but I still felt the restaurant was understaffed. The restaurant also doesn't have a website and when I called the listed phone number the phone was disconnected even though they were open. This place has everything else going for it, so I think better staffing and an online presence would make it a hit spot!

    Russell A.

    The best part of this kbbq experience was the ambiance. Being able to grill next to a lake during the winter time in Arizona is immaculate. This place has a beautiful set up and I'd recommend it for a date night. In addition, the food, delicious! Quality quality quality! Now, unfortunately, in terms of service, this aspect was just not up to par. Long waits, constantly getting the wrong orders, non attentive waitor. There's a two hour limit but we didn't get our first round of meat until 20 min after sitting. We had to keep reminding them of our food that didn't come and the food that came sometimes was wrong. The portions were pretty small too. I would not recommend coming with a group. Also, didn't like the fact that you can only order 3 side dishes at a time. They asked us if it was our first time, and we said yes, but then there was no explanation of what to do. In all, I wish they fixed the kinks with service before doing extra stuff like putting a dj or the robots passing food. All that stuff doesnt matter when the service is bad. Plus, it's more expensive than other ayce kbbq places in Phoenix. I don't think I would come back but it's probably worth a try. The place is cute.

    Amy F.

    Recommend: Yes but expect slow service Service: was very slow Food: honestly food was great. The marinate was well flavored. Ambience: beautiful Came here to check out this new Korean bbq place by the lake. Gorgeous view and great food. The only disappointment was the service was very slow. I ?don't know if it is because it's new and they need more servers. They even have the robot servicer and doesn't seem to make it any efficient. We waited about 20 mins before we could ordered food. Then about another 20 min to get our food. After our first order, we waited like another 20 min after we placed the next order. And it got all kind of messy. Overall the food was great. Service still needs a lot of improvement or increase staffing. The cost for the premium all you can eat is $36.99 Definitely would love to come back if the service improved.

    One order of spicy pork bulgogi, one order of spicy beef belly, and two orders of bulgogi.
    Anne N.

    First time trying, and overall experience was okay. Went on a Sunday for lunch, and the place didn't look too busy. I didn't explore the whole space, but most tables looked to only be able to fit 6 max; we had 10, so our party split up between two tables back-to-back. The menu for AYCE is extensive and priced comparably to other AYCE KBBQ restaurants in the valley. Their food was decent, but the system is a little different. You have to order EVERYTHING, including side dishes and sauces, so remember to order these up front with your first round of protein. The portions were rather small for everything (protein and side dishes), which made it a little frustrating to constantly be waiting for service to order more only to barely get any food. We were told we could order 4 proteins per round for a table of 6. Despite this, our server was very nice and I didn't get the feeling that he was annoyed even though I felt like I was being annoying. With that said, order double for side dishes like kimchi, fish cake, etc. to get enough for a big group. The orders come out on the robot servers, and they didn't take too long to come out after ordering, but I can see how it could take a while if the restaurant is busy. I recommend the spicy pork bulgogi and steamed egg--both delicious and flavorful. Skip the kalbi--there was virtually no marinade and therefore lacking flavor...

    Front of menu
    Karen W.

    I gotta say, this was the best experience I've had at this location EVER. The actual space has had a turbulent run, being several different restaurant incarnations with less than desirable service and food. I was excited to hear that a Korean restaurant was going to be in this spot so I knew we had to check it out for their soft opening. They currently are offering a 20% discount for the soft opening which runs from now until the end of September. The regular prices for both AYCE BBQ and for the entrees are reasonable though for what you get. We opted for the Premium AYCE which includes 46 main selections and an array of banchan to choose from. For our party of 3 adults and a kid we could choose 3 meats at a time for our table and unlimited non-meat options. We did about 3 rounds of meats before getting stuffed and also got some vegetarian options like fried rice, jap chae, and corn cheese. Everything was really on point and high quality. The meats were all really generously portioned and tasted excellent on the grill. My favorites were probably the pork collar, galbi short rib and the brisket. Service was superb and we were checked up on as needed. The grills were also changed out once they got too much char on them. They also have some robots that stroll on by to deliver drinks and sometimes food which is a cute little addition to the dining experience. When you come here, there might be some security staff in the parking lot. From what I've heard, the restaurant needs to show that there are enough parking spots to support the restaurant when the inspectors come so they are trying to make sure only Lake House customers park in the spots. It also sounds like the restaurant's rental agreement came with all the parking spots in the lot so the security people are there to redirect customers for neighboring restaurant Pier 54 to the adjacent lot. The space itself is really an idyllic locale, with picturesque lakeside views and a lot of room to dine both indoors and outdoors. When we were here on a Friday evening they also had a DJ playing and they do offer full bar service. They also have bubble tea on the menu! Um, what more could you ask for lol. I'll have to try it next time. Come check out this place! I'm looking forward to my next dining experience here. I wish the owners and staff well in this beautiful space! Details: (As of 9-2024) - Asian owned - Open for lunch and dinner - Premium AYCE $36.99 for adults, $19.99 for kids under 36 inches - Supreme AYCE $59.99 for adults, $27.99 for kids under 36 inches - Lunch menu from Mon- Thu 11- 3 PM excluding holidays

    Food menu
    Zach A.

    I was very excited to try this place I do enjoy places by the water. The overall ambiance was great. They had live music and it had a relaxed vibe which I liked and the music wasn't too loud. However the downfall would be the service. It took an extremely long time to get our first order started after our first round of meat it was about 30 minutes before our second round came. Which was highly disappointing as there were many open tables so they did not seem busy. Our server was friendly and nice but they may have been understaffed. They also used polished gold colored silverware which had fingerprints on them. Value - 2/10 Ambiance - 9/10 Flavor - 7/10 Service - 1/10 Cleanliness - 4/10 Overall would I come back? Probably not based on how long it took to get our food. Then also the price of the food.

    Avinaba C.

    Was super excited to come here after they blew up on Tik Tok. Unfortunately they weren't aware that they had blown up on tik tok and were massively unprepared for the rush. We had reservations and called ahead to ask about the wait and if they could accommodate us and they said it would be fine. There was no mention of a wait or anything. Fast forward to us pulling up in front of the restaurant and we are met by a security guard. Pretty strange considering it was a Korean BBQ spot but didn't think much into it. Then when we walked in the hostess told us that they were super backed up. Hearing that, we were disappointed because they hadn't said anything when we literally called 30 min prior but it is what it is. We figured it would be a wait but probably nothing too crazy because it's Korean BBQ and they're not actually cooking anything. We were completely wrong. They were backed up by 150 tickets. How does that even happen unless they are completely mismanaged? They kept mentioning that they were understaffed but from what I saw they had plenty of waiters. Everyone was just kind of standing around except for their manager, Connor, who was running around from table to table. We waited for 30 min before Connor sprinted over to our table to give us water and take our order. And when he got there, he was honest with us and said it wouldn't be worth eating there considering how backed up they were. It would take minimum an hour before we even get our food. So we ended up having to leave without eating which was a first for me because I can't remember a time where I would leave an all you can eat KBBQ, starving. Ended up going to Jin BBQ after that and had an amazing time as usual. Feel bad for Connor and feel frustrated at the owner and management. How is it possible to be this disorganized as a restaurant? How are you unaware if your restaurant blows up on social media? How do you not have contingencies in place to handle something like this especially when it's a Friday night? And listen im not expecting you to have it running perfectly but at least you shouldn't be 150 tickets behind and having waiters stand around while the manager is running around the restaurant handling majority of the tables. In terms of ambiance, it didn't really make any sense to me. There's an Italian theme with random decor that doesn't really fit anything. They have a live DJ but it's not that type of restaurant. Lot of different ideas with no overall theme. Only positive is that it's on the waterfront. Overall lots of questions and no answers. Very disappointed. Would consider coming back here again because never got a chance to try the food but that won't be happening for a while.

    I would give it 10 stars mainly because we had a beautiful waitress. She was outgoing, energetic, got us whatever we needed... even suggested things we weren't sure or open to and we loved it. This special lady's name is ms. pati !! The ambiance and asthetic was warm on a chilly night. Beautiful lights to show. Food was great and came way quicker than expected. Pati served us quick n easy. Thank you Pati for a great first experience!!!

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    2 months ago

    Wow! Excellent service tonight from Sophia, Celine, Pati, & Jeff! Really made my night.

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    Terrible service, terrible parking and unfriendly employees. I would never come anywhere near this restaurant.

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    Ask the Community - Central BBQ Lakehouse

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    Good vibes, mixed crowd of locals young and old. Music was good and games are being played across…read moremultiple TVs Food was disappointing. Drinks were not! Great cider options and the service was excellent.

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    After the great dinner we had last night, we worried that this might be a letdown. It wasn't. Great…read morecraft cocktails. The crab cake appetizer had a ton of flavor, the meatballs were good as was the whipped feta dip, though it was quite sweet. For the entree, my mom and I got the wild mushroom pasta with chicken. Excellent and not too rich. Just a great meal and half the price of where we went last night.

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    Central BBQ Lakehouse - korean - Updated May 2026

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