Delicious food every time I visit! I came at a time where it was almost time to close and received fast service. The plate was packed too !! read more

Gombei - Combination chicken and beef - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Down-home cooking, just like Ma used to make! A family favorite is the Tonkatsu Curry (Pork Cutlet with Rice,) but the Hot Pot dishes are incredible, too. The Sashimi appetizer is okay. Better quality and larger slices can be found elsewhere. Service is always attentive. Parking can be a challenge during peak hours -- lunch and dinner. read more

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My favorite spot, been coming here since the early 2000s growing up in Berryessa and we keep coming back. A Local spot with daily specials on the whiteboard and delicious food. There's usually a line but their fried tofu, sashimi and beef teriyaki and udon are our staples. Quick service and no frills with counter and table seating. Street parking in Japantown. Love it here read more

Gombei - Chicken udon - May 2024 - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

We used to frequent the Gombei in Santa Clara pre pandemic and were saddened when we discovered it had closed down. Fortunately, this location has survived and we've been able to enjoy our favorite meal here, the beef yakiniku. We have tried many other things on their menu, all of which were good, but once we tried the beef yakiniku, we've never wanted to miss an opportunity to enjoy it. Presentation, portion, taste and texture, as well as the friendly service, are consistently wonderful and keep us coming back. Thankfully, they have outside tables as we have not yet been brave enough to eat indoors at any restaurant. Thank you, Gombei for keeping our tastebuds and tummies happy and satisfied! read more

Gombei - Beef Yakiniku comes with rice, salad, and miso soup. - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Since moving to the area, this has been one of our go-to spots in JapanTown. From great food to excellent customer service this is hands down a place you have to check out when your in the area. I recommend the Salmon Teriyaki as it hits the spot every time. When ever we have friends over, this has been the place we take them to. read more

The tofu soup was super flavorful! I sat at the bar and everyone is really friendly there. They were attentive. This place is casual. There's no need to dress up. I would definitely like to try the curry next time! read more

Gombei - Veggie and tofu soup - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

My husband and I have never actually dined in as we only do take-out, so I can't speak about the service other than assuming it's great because this place is always packed! The prices are fair and the portions are huge! I often get two meals out of one entree. The Gombei special is solid and the curry has an interesting (but good!) taste that makes me wonder if they make it from scratch. All-in-all, this is a solid place if you're looking for Japanese food that isn't sushi! read more

Located in SJ Japantown, this spot offers affordable Japanese dishes, nothing fancy. We came in on a Saturday before noon and got seated right away. Was super excited to try this spot as it's been in my list since forever. I gave it a 3 stars because I ordered a curry dish with croquette, and didn't know it had meat in it. They probably made the curry with beef broth too. Wasn't very satisfied with what I had. My husband on the other hand, thought the food tasted pretty average and good for its price. read more

Gombei - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

This is a small quiet japanese restaurant with a small option menu. Although their menu is small, their food is pretty good. Everytime I come here I will order the beef udon and the pork cutlet curry. Their appetizers are also pretty good. Their service is fast, the food arrived pretty shortly after ordering, waited around 5-10 minutes. The parking outside is a little bit hard to find depending on times. It is also paid parking. read more

Gombei - Beef Udon and Pork Cutlet Curry - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Gombei is still amazing but the prices have risen so much since visiting and have increased each time I went. The food is still great especially the beef teriyaki and the calamari with the sauce, with the salad, however, the tuna sashimi was not as good as I remembered. The beef teriyaki is still cooked to a beautiful medium rare and the calamari is as crunchy as ever. My tuna sashimi came out really pink and tasted thawed. The fried oysters were slightly over cooked and the karaage was a bit over-fried. Overall, I'd recommend Gombei for a once a 4 month meal due to the price hike with the quality staying relatively the same now, but as always, a great spot for lunch or dinner to talk with your personal stakeholders. read more

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Rounding up a bit for the generous portions and lunch specials. Food is good, service is okay. It's very popular and there's usually a wait at lunch, but for me, it's just okay. I'm not sure I'd return since there are so many option Japanese options in SJ. read more

We chose them because Kaita is closed today. The food is below average. The fried shrimp is a little over fried. We won't come back. Oh, although the price is not bad, but you have to pay 3.5% transaction fee if you pay by credit cards. read more

3.5 bumped up to 4 for nostalgia's sake. This used to be a 5 star place for me with perfectly cooked food at reasonable prices. I always loved getting their specials whenever their items caught my eye. They usually have a poke special, fried chicken or oyster special, broiled fish special, etc. Just depends on the day you go. Now I think recently, the food has gone downhill. Whoever mans the grill isn't the same guy as before and the food no longer comes out piping hot, nor is the meat grilled to the right temperature. The beef teriyaki used to be my favorite thing and you could ask for it medium rare. Now, it always comes out overcooked and you can barely taste the teriyaki sauce. Chicken is also a similar story - can't really taste the teriyaki sauce anymore. I also noticed they got rid of plain udon from the menu - it was one of my favorite items as a kid and sure to be a crowd pleasure for current kids, so it's a surprise that is no longer there. They take card now and the wait staff is still friendly as ever. Overall, wish they would improve their grilled meats but still this is one of the best deals in Japantown San Jose. I'll be back especially for their panko-fried shrimp. read more

Their yakiniku steak was terrible. Nothing like Japanese bbq, the meat was SUPER sweet and bland. Also, terrible customer service. For 20 dollars a dish I expected something better. read more

Gombei - Pretty much steak and teriyaki sauce. Super sweet and bland. - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Not sure what's happened over the years but after coming back to have one of their signature dishes, classic udon soup, I was left disappointed. The price to quality ratio is off as there are minimal ingredients and no longer the thick and hearty noodles. It's also rather bland as others have mentioned. It's still one of the best in the area and could still satisfy a craving, it's just not as good as before. The dinner hours, closing at 8 pm on the dot, is irritating. If you arrive at normal dinner times, you'll find yourself rushing to finish so you can whisk out the door at 8 pm sharp! NOT customer-friendly. read more

Salmon overcooked. Fried dumplings very lack luster we were vey disappointed especially with the good reviews

My fiancé and I stopped by Gombei for an early dinner on a Saturday. The place was busy but not packed, so we were able to get a seat right away inside. The restaurant was small, quaint, and comforting. Customer service was fine. There were a few servers, so we were able to flag someone whenever we needed support. Food came out considerably fast. I ordered the beef yakiniku and fried mackerel combo. It would normally come with sides of salad, rice and miso soup, but there was a sign at our table suggesting to swap or cancel sides in an effort to save food you don't want. Gombei was able to accommodate my request of doubling the order of salad, because I'm not a fan of miso soup and am trying to minimize carbs. The proteins were alright. Nothing special about them. The grilled beef had teriyaki sauce. I didn't care much for the charred streaks from the grill. Tasted too charcoal-y for my liking. The fish was fried in a panko breading and came with a side of tartar sauce. I really enjoy the unique taste of mackerel, but I felt that the fry took away from the flavor and made it taste like any white fish. My fiancé got the chicken teri and fried shrimp. The chicken teri tasted very similar to the grilled beef and even had the heavy charred flavor. The fried shrimp and fried mackerel must be from the same distributor, because they were basically identical. Even texturally. It was bizarre. read more

Gombei - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

My all time favorite Japanese restaurant when I want some good comfort food. I've been going here since I was basically born because my Dad used to go here in high school. The service is always amazing. They're attentive and kind and always recognize us / welcome us whenever we come in! The inside is a little smaller and usually you can get seated pretty easily except on busy evenings like Friday & Saturday. They are closed on Sunday! The food is amazing and I've tried almost every combination. My favorite is probably the Gombei special since it has a little bit of everything! The tonkatsu & croquettes are always fried perfectly. The chicken & beef teriyaki are always tender and so flavorful. The seafood mix is also FIRE if you want a little bit of everything. For apps, definitely order the fried tofu or the pickled cucumbers (aren't on the menu). The food has always been consistent and I hope to take my kids here someday! This place is truly a gem and a must-try if you're in the area!!! read more

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Domo arigato Gombei! How I have missed you! Made it for lunch after I arrived and had to endure a hellish experience at the car rental building. Ordered my favorite, chicken teriyaki and green tea. The chicken was grilled perfectly and had just the right about of sauce that isn't overly sweet like some. I had just missed the lunch rush so it was a relaxing 20 minutes because I needed to be somewhere. Oh and get this...they accept credit cards now! Since my last review in 2019, and the pandemic, they had to adapt. Still the same great friendly vibe! I feel like I am home when I'm here! read more

My bf and I went here for a Saturday lunch after he found recommendations on Yelp. This place is decent and good value for sure. The place was packed when we went, and we had to wait around 20 minutes. My bf ordered the poki sashimi and fried chicken special (#1), and I got the broiled mackerel. We also ordered the fried stuffed tofu based on it's popularity in Yelp reviews. The food was more than enough for us, and we ended up only finishing the equivalent of one menu item. In regards to the actual food, it was decent. I was honestly a little disappointed that my broiled mackerel had so many needlepoint bones in it. It is a literal choking hazard. It was just really hard to enjoy when I had to chew countless times and pick out tiny bones in my mouth with every bite. The tofu that came with it was pretty bland and flavorless, but I kind of liked the refreshment of it. I much preferred the poki sashimi my bf got. It was pretty darn good, and I'm a sucker for raw fish. I didn't get the chance to try the fried chicken, but my bf said that it wasn't really that crispy. The fried stuffed tofu wasn't all that as well. It was good, but we weren't THAT crazy about it. Overall, the food is average, but the prices are relatively low for amount you get so I'll give them that. Workers are also really nice and friendly. If someone invited me here, I wouldn't mind coming back. read more

Gombei - Broiled Mackerel - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Pretty underwhelming, especially given its location in the heart of Japantown. One would assume that the plentiful nearby competition of other Japanese restaurants would ensure that only the best survive, but Gombei seems to have slipped through the cracks. For a menu built so heavily around deep-fried and grilled foods, I was unimpressed by what I received as part of my combination dinner. It was reminiscent of what you would find at a sushi restaurant that also happened to have a few fried or grilled options on their menu to appease those averse to raw fish - serviceable but definitely not excellent. Gombei doesn't have any excuses though as they have almost no sushi options, just a few pieces of sashimi that come with certain combination dinners, so I would have hoped for far better. My wife had the Mix Nabe and she was left equally unimpressed meaning the mediocre quality extends beyond the fried & grilled foods alone. One final comment that I honestly hope the restaurant reads and takes to heart; why do you serve the curry OVER the katsu for the Curry Sauce w/ Pork Cutlet? It's like Katsu Curry 101 that the katsu needs to be on top, or to the side of the curry to prevent it from getting soggy. Katsu is best when it is fresh and crispy, so immediately drowning it in sauce is like setting a completely unnecessary timer on the enjoyability of your meal. Do yourself a favor and just move the katsu on top! read more

Gombei - Combination Dinner - Chicken Teriyaki & Croquette - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Since moving back to the Bay Area last fall, Gombei has quickly become our favorite restaurant in the San Jose area. We love visiting Japantown (one of only a few in the US!) and walking around in the neighborhood. Gombei is well-located in the center of Japantown, and always very welcoming. The interior is very classic and feels a lot like Midnight Diner on Netflix! My husband and I enjoy sitting at the booth for a real diner-like experience (you can see your food being made in front of you, which is always fun). However, we have also brought a larger group here and had an equally great time at a regular table. We love the pork cutlet with curry, the salmon teriyaki and pork cutlet combo, the veggie tofu hot pot, and the miso soup (you need to request it because they are trying to cut down on food waste so they don't bring it out automatically, but it is free of charge). The salad that comes with an orange wedge is also the perfect finisher to the meal! A cold Sapporo is also always a must for us. On a recent visit, family members ordered the chicken cutlet with curry and the tofu version with curry. Both enjoyed their dishes. Service is always quick and friendly. You are welcomed upon entering and taken care of throughout your visit. We've always had great servers and hosts here. You pay at the cash register on your way out. Enjoy :) read more

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Food is very good, it doesn't matter what you get. The staff is really nice and polite. You can ask them for recommendation and they'll give it to you based on what you want. I wanted to venture out of teriyaki chicken and got curry chicken katsu. So warm and cooked to perfection. It gets crowded near meal time. It's handicapped friendly. If you're by yourself, they check on you lots of time but not annoyingly. It's your usual Japanese pop and mom shop. I feel like this place is for nostalgia for the people who grew up eating here. read more

If you ask anybody what's good in San Jose, I'm sure 1/5 people will tell you to stop by Japantown and go eat at Gombei. You can't go wrong with such a classic - both in the sense that it is a landmark here but also serving up classic Japanese diner. If you don't get there right at opening, you will most definitely have to wait! It is a no frills no thrills type of establishment, but you get the coziest and best welcome from the staff. It is a small place, ideal for parties no larger than 4 (5 is pushing it). If you come with more and you're okay with sitting at the bar - that is also an option! Check the board for their specials. Gomebi is Japanese comfort food and just hits right, especially on a cold day. I wish they were opened later hours and longer, but I make the effort to get there at opening so I'm not waiting in the cold for a seat! The portions are surprisingly filling and you get a well rounded meal with eat bento set. My favorite is either their chicken udon (14.5) or the #2 special beek yakiniku with panko spanish mackerel (21). You also can't go wrong with the fried chicken or the fried stuffed tofu as an appetizer. The food comes out fairly quickly and always pipping hot! There is a bathroom and they also take credit card. Seriously, an amazing group of people that run the restaurant and always so friendly. There is nothing else like Gombei in the surrounding area. read more

Yeah this place is a comfy Japanese restaurant that serves mid comfort food. There's truly nothing special about the taste or quality of the food here, but it certainly hits the spot. I was looking for a good Japanese curry spot in San Jose and my boy plumbst recommended me this spot. The curry is just OK, nothing special. It's a bit better than box curry, but not quite restaurant level imo. I really miss the curry in Japan, or even spots like Muracci's and Champ's Curry. Nothing I've had in the south bay so far has truly scratched my itch for Japanese curry (Not you Curry Hyuga). The croquette that I got was nice and crispy, and the chicken teriyaki was good but nothing special. It's around the same quality as something you'd get from a sushi restaurant's bento box, or even food court chicken like Sarku/Sansei Japan. They give you some miso soup, salad, and rice to go with your meal. The soup and rice were good, but the salad was not the best. They give you a LOT of salad, and the leaves were somewhat stale and not really crispy. Wish the salad was fresher. It does get pretty busy here; me and my boy Bphan had to wait a while for our table. Looking back, Gombei is a decent spot to get Japanese comfort food in SJ's Japantown. However, nothing I tried here really wowed me. If I want Japanese food in Japantown, I think I'd rather go to Kumako Ramen. read more

Gombei - Chicken Teriyaki with Croquette/Menchi Katsu Combo. (I forget the exact name for this dish) - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

This place has amazing quality food, for great prices. You can tell they put love into making their food with every bite

My family and I have eaten at Gombei around 100 times over the last 20 years. Today was the first bad meal ever. What happened to Gombei? New owner? New cook? New recipes? Something changed. I came with my husband and children. We ordered several grilled fish dishes along with several sides. All the grilled fish was burned outside and raw inside. Truly awful. We ordered nimono and it didn't taste as good as it usually does. Our fried stuffed tofu seemed to be a completely different recipe and tasted "bready", not like tofu. I could go on, but it's painful to criticize Gombei. The restaurant had no wait and it was half empty inside. Good news is, the wait staff was great, so that's good. But the food... I don't know what happened, but it's a shame after 20 years. Goodbye old friend. read more

A San Jose institution! Gombei always delivers classic comforting Japanese food, I love this place so much. I would recommend trying one of their specials. I most recently had the chicken kaarage with poké and it was so good!!! I felt such happiness to be eating this amazing meal. I love kaarage and I love poké it was so perfect. It also came with a super delicious cucumber salad. The portions were really generous and everything was amazing. It's a relatively small restaurant so there may be a wait depending on when you go. read more

Gombei - Chicken kaarage special - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

There's an option to sit inside or outside. Given that it was so hot, we preferred to sit inside but we also had to wait long for two tables to accommodate all of us. The lunch special was so worth it. The food tasted so good and this place came highly recommended. read more

Gombei - Gombe lunch special with fish - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

I came here on a Saturday for lunch. I read from other yelp reviews that there's usually a wait time, but I was surprised that there was no line when I was there. We were seated immediately and the staff were nice and greeted us. The restaurant is small and has a cozy vibe and they serve Japanese comfort food. My friend and I weren't too hungry so we were gonna share a Gombei Combo Lunch($14) with the deep fried shrimp & croquette with chicken teriyaki (or you could choose broiled fish). There is a minimum spend of $2 per person so we had to order another item. We ordered a side of croquette ($7), but you could just order a drink too. The combo came with a miso soap and a side and rice like typically combo lunch items at Japanese Restaurants. The food was yummy and I think the price is very reasonable too. Would recommend! Parking isn't the most convenient since most of the street parking on the main street has meters and they're usually already taken. We parked slightly further away and walked about 5 minutes. read more

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We have been coming here for almost 40 years... Every time we're in San Jose this is where we eat! read more

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Had lunch today. The food was lukewarm. The miso soup had no flavor. The waitress had the balls to say you need to stir it up. I know. I'm not stupid. It had NO FLAVOR. read more

I haven't been coming here more than 20 years. After they change owner, the quality of food goes down. I give a second try today but it still bad.... The fish is over burn (total black both sides). The nimono is totally different taste and it's over cooked. The tofu is totally different things too... Can you bring the old gombei back? read more

We ordered salmon and katsu bento box and fried tofu. The tofu was good, slightly crispy and chewy skin, and the inside 'melted' in the mouth. The katsu and salmon were a bit dry. The people who work there were very nice. Overall good experience. read more

Gombei - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Gombei is fast and delicious stop for a reasonable price. I've literally had 100 Gombei meals go into my mouth and out my butt. AVOID busy hours. Around 12:30pm. Around 7:00pm. Avoid them. You'll be waiting in line that has no list. Sometimes, you get the rude customers that just walk into the front and get seated. Then you finally get seated only for the workers to forget to take your order. If you can avoid those hours, this place will be a very pleasant experience. Cash Only Go to the back area to see what's on the special menu. They always have 5 menu items that are special for the day. Avoid Poke Mackerel. It's too difficult to eat. You'll be picking bones and sometimes get some bitter parts of the fish in your mouth Closed on Sundays. You'll end up going to Sushi Maru and then realize everyone did the same thing and you'll be waiting for a long time. Don't know what to get? Just get the Beef + Tonkatsu combo. How do you want the beef cooked? Medium Rare. This place is very welcoming even if you are alone. Have a seat at the counter and you can watch the chefs cooking while you wait. Other Notes The workers are generally very friendly except for their oldest waitress. They all do good work though. The guys in the back cooking are very sharp and get the food done quick! Beef, Chicken, Pork, anything fried - they do it the best. Nice perfect rice, miso soup, crunchy fried katsu. Salad - Salad always comes drenched in dressing so ask for the dressing on the side. Soup - Stay away from udon, yakiniku or their tofu soups (only served during dinner). It's just not that great. The udon noodles are too soft. read more

If you want a quick curry tonkatsu place in the area, this is the spot! There's a bar area and some tables, not very big inside so it's small and can be a wait debating when you arrive. I usually come here during lunch before the rush so it's not that bad. I usually share the curry tonkatsu and curry croquette with my bf and they're super filling! read more

Gombei - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Went to Japantown in San Jose and so glad I did as i got to try this little gem. The food here is pretty authentic and it's fun if you want to try different flavors. When here thankfully we were seated and ended up ordering: * gombei special - got this with the broiled mackerel which was a little tough for my liking but yummy. The croquette was delicious and filled with potatoes and the katsu was yummy and crispy. This also came with rice and soup as well as salad * chicken teriyaki and fried calamari - I really loved this the chicken teriyaki was juicy and had a Smokey flavor while the calamari was nice and tender while crispy * curry sauce - ordered a side of this which was absolutely delicious! Overall food is yummy and hearty and would recommend to check it out! read more

Gombei - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Well... Gombei has been serving me excellent comfort foods for the past two decades. Always my go-to restaurant for a nice warm Japanese simple dishes/meals. :-) read more

Gombei - The new hire (hostess) at Gombei. Super friendly. - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Amazing food, absolutely delicious Every single dish was delicious I ordered the Oyakodon, the chicken was tender, they asked how I wanted my eggs, I said soft, loads of rice, this one dish could feed an army Mom ordered chicken teriyaki, me and dad noticed how burnt the chicken was. Of course it was grilled so only burnt in those striped pattern. Burnt spots super bitter hard to over look. But the sauce is amazing and the chicken is super tender still. Dad ordered the katsu curry. They asked what meat for the katsu I forgot what dad chose but it was between chicken and pork. Also delicious and flavorful. Sister ordered the beef don. A mini hotpot, she said the soup was really good like she kept talking about it, I tried the meat and soup I liked it. One qualm, idk why oyakodan didnt get a spoon, was hard to pick up rice with chopsticks The sides that you see in the photo, they came with them. I really love how they cooked the meat, really tender, I'm a sucker for that soft chew. Rip the burnt teriyaki tho. Some people might like it. read more

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We came here tonight on a whim. It was so so good the broth in my udon was unbelievably rich and tasteful. My better half had a pork cutlet bowl which was giant. She only ate like maybe a quarter of it and was full. She brought it home eat some today and I ate the rest of it for my lunch and it was so good. We will be back again and again and again read more

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