The best thing about this restaurant is the fact that they offer a half grill, half hot pot. It makes them unique but also their meats have quality. You could opt to do all hot pot or all grill. Seating is indoors, or at least for us it was. We came during dinner time and it wasn't as packed just yet. First, you choose your broth and then your meats for the hotpot then the meats for the grill. Since my husband and I shared one order of a half and half, we ordered extra meat to add on the side. For the two of us, this was enough food for us. You also get a side of veggies and noodles for your hot pot. We also added the appetizer wagyu fries. We opted to grill all of our meats instead of cooking it in the broth. Our favorite meat was probably the American wagyu. For our hot pot broth, we chose the curry. They offer ponzu and sesame as side dipping sauces. read more

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I really like the creativity of this place. The option of grilling certain meats or boiling them is really coo. The broth is pretty good. The cuts of meat were great and the amount of food for the price was pleasant. Our sever was awesome and took great care of our table. read more

I love this recently discovered place!! The service, food quality and ambience all are great. We love their grill option. Would highly recommend!! read more

The food here is amazing also the servers were very friendly and informative, especially Hanh and Elliot. They answered all my questions well and the food came out in a timely matter. Would come back here again! read more

Came here twice and each time they are severely short staffed. The female waitress, Hanh, is the rudest person on both occasions. She said that the entire table has to order from the All you can eat menu and she even charges babies for the all you can eat! That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. There are so many better places - don't go here. Not worth the money. The food is also limited. read more

Hands down the worst shabu experience my family has ever had. Worst waste of money. We have gone to shabu over 10 years and they did not match up to our previous experiences. Usually you get shot sauce, radish and garlic and had to ask twice for garlic and three times for soy sauce. Used to having spinach in the veggies and that was not an option. The ponzu came out and was only about a tablespoon of sauce when didn't want Goma sauce...the grill side wasn't even cooking after 10 minutes on the veggies. After asked a couple times our server never came back and sent someone else to our table to do stuff. read more

You know how people are always all 'if I could give this place zero stars...I would'. If I could give Halves ten stars- I absolutely would. Great service. Cool style of restaurant and the food is consistent and fresh and amazing. Hands down my favorite restaurant right now. If you're unsure the correct process to make your food, don't hesitate to ask your server. And on top of that, there's no real wrong way. If it tastes good to you that's all that matters. Couldn't recommend more. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Halves- with spicy tonkotsu broth - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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We came here on a Tuesday night, not realizing there was all-you-can-eat menu. We chose that and were given unlimited appetizers and meats. The food was good and plentiful but as others have noted, the staff seemed quite miserable to be there. The restaurant is small so I could see there being a wait time at peak hours, but we had no problem walking in and being seated. read more

*Catching up during Covid19 quarantine* Not sure if you want Shabu or Yakinuku for dinner? Come to Halves and you can have both! How awesome is that!!! I got the prime short ribs for the hot pot plus the 3 meat combo for the grill. There are multiple soup bases to choose from, and I picked the curry flavored soup base as suggested by a friend. The meats were fresh and good quality, better than I expected. I'm picky when it comes to peanut sauce for shabu, and I liked the sauce here. It was thick and well flavored. I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner and will definitely come back again. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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My family came here to eat about an hour before they closed. It was quiet and there were only 2 other parties there about to finish up. The overall quality was decent and this restaurant is one of those that you come to once and never look back. This is the kinda place where it takes around an 1 hour to fully enjoy and cook the food. Keep that in mind when coming here! I would rate this a 3.2/5 Service 4/5 Service was good and the server was very attentive. But to be fair we were the only party there. Our server was very kind to go through the menu with us and explained how it worked. Although the menu was very confusing. It took my family and I a bit of time to figure it all out. Not to mention the menu was online and only a small portion of it could be seen at a time. So that just added to the overall confusion. Food came out really quickly around 5 minutes from when we sat down which is a plus! Food 3/5 We got two halves order and one grill. I got the signature combo with A5 wagyu, beef tongue, and prime short rib. I went into high hopes, however the beef younger was chewy. Usually beef tongue is chewing, so most places shave it thin. I think it would be a lot better shaved thin so it's not chewy. The short rib was tender, it needs to be cooked until you see a crust. That way the fat has time to render and it becomes less chewy. The A5 wagyu was pretty good! Besides the short rib, none of the meat has any salt/seasoning. I know that they do this to make sure you get to experience the high quality meat, however it just tasted bland. Just a touch of salt would enhance the flavor of the beef . The sauces that they give you are also on the lighter side. We received a peanut sauce and a sweet soy sauce. They were okay, but lacked saltiness. The only thing that had decent salt level was the fresh wasabi, which was a nice touch. I think complimentary kimchi or an acidic sauce would make the meat even better. All the meats are very rich and coat your pallet with fat. It gets a little too much towards halfway through, so something acidic would help immensely. Ambiance/setting/ cleanliness 2/5 The overall theme and ambience was really nice. Very modern and comforting design with wood bench and table. They were uncomfortable especially sitting for an hour. A very hard surface and the bench edge kinda cuts into your leg. The floor was sticky where we were sitting. I would give this place higher, however the bathroom was very nasty. They have not cleaned it for a long time. You can tell a lot about the cleanliness of a place by their bathroom. Worth it at its give price? (No) This is one of those places that are a novelty, it was okay but was not a hearty meal. It is far too decadent and leaves you feeling bad after eating there. For the almost $60(plus tip) per person, they could have been more meat or another complimentary side dish. The meat was way too rich, and there was no acidity to balance it out. Overall it's an okay eat if you're in the area, however I would much rather eat something else if I had the same budget as this meal. read more

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So my husband wanted hot pot but I wanted bbq and i was so glad there's a place that serves both! So he ordered the hot pot and I got the grill and I knew he would want the grill once he smelled the grilled meats. I was right, so I switched seats with him about halfway. We got the angus beef for hot pot and the 3 meat combo for the grill. You could also do half hot pot half grill for each person. The angus beef was good and for the grill, the tongue and short rib were good, the 3rd one not so much. Meat quality was good but it was a bit pricey. We would probably only come back if we were each craving hot pot and grill, respectively, again. Plenty of parking in this plaza. read more

HThe food here is absolutely amazing, and the service is top-notch! Every dish was bursting with flavor, cooked to perfection, and made with quality ingredients. The staff was incredibly attentive and friendly, making sure we had everything we needed for a fantastic meal. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a memorable dining experience. Five stars all the way!" read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Food - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

My wife's favorite type of food is Hot Pot and Korean BBQ so this was something we've never seen and were excited to try. The food was delicious (high quality) and the service was also great (friendly and attentive). The only negative to report was the AC didn't seem to be on. We are in So Cal but I was rolling in sweat while cooking and the pitcher of beer wasn't very cold. I'm sure the beer was a 1 off but not sure what was going on with the AC. It was comfortable before we all started cooking but then it was warm. Even noticed the servers were sweating...We really enjoyed it and we will be back again! read more

Great: Black Angus Ribeye Cheekstone Prime Shortrib Good: Service was fantastic and friendly Kids love cooking their own food on the grill and pot Ok: Signature New York Angus Shortrib Bad: Price is on the expensive side You have to ask for more sauce, garlic, green onion which they sometimes forget, wish they had a station to create your own sauce instead read more

This place is spectacular. The pros: delicious food. No lines. Your choice of grilling or shabu... best to do halves like everyone else. Downside: freakin far away from the freeway so it's quite a drive to get there. Prob why it isn't packed. Alright so ... I got the cheapest cuts for the shabu and the grill. Wife got the same. Total was $54 or so before tip. Meat was delicious. The beef was thinly cut but still nice and thick and beefy. Hard to explain, but it was higher end meat compared to other shabu places. The grilled meat was yum yum. Almost like eating and grilling at gyu Kaku. The bbq sauce really helped enhance the flavor. I got the spicy tonkotsu which I loved. The folks next to us got the spicy Chinese, which I'll prob try next time. Ton of onions, veggies, noodles, and even more cabbage under the noodles! If you check in, you'll get a free bowl of edemame. Huge bowl. Takes forever to eat it all lol. I love this place. I love the idea of grilling and shabu. It's a bit more pricey compared to just going to shabu or just going to a grill, but the meat is higher end so you'll thoroughly enjoy it. Good ventilation also. read more

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Upon entering the restaurant, the unique style intrigued me, but the lack of service information added an unnecessary layer of confusion. The staff failed to explain how things worked, leaving customers to figure it out on their own. Despite the decent food quality and a pleasant ambiance, the frustrating service overshadowed the positive aspects. When I approached the staff about the confusion, their response was a nonchalant shrug and a smirk, displaying a lack of concern for customer satisfaction. While the establishment has potential, the overall experience was marred by poor service, making it a less-than-ideal choice for those seeking a genuinely enjoyable evening out. read more

Pretty decent shabu place in south oc. I only had the shabu option but they have a super clever pot/grill combination that lets you do both. I'm only reviewing the shabu.. but I liked the flavors. I got the miso broth with the 1855 beef option. Overall pleasantly surprised with rhe quality! They are on the more pricy side but they offer a good number of different cuts including a5 wagyu. The side of veggies was a little smaller than most places but still good. I will definitely be coming back to try the bbq side. Will update review then! read more

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Service is horrible... no real process for seating from the wait list. Short staffed everyday

Interesting combo of Korean BBQ and Shabu Shabu in a special double sided pot. Everything was fresh and the amount of food portions were adequate (not an All-You-Can-Eat). I'd go back for sure cuz it's a 5 STAR by me. read more

The meat quality is really good and has a lot different varieties to choose from. The service is great as well. Consistently come by to ask if needs more water for the pot or needs more beverage. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Combo of hot pot and grill. - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

Came here last night. They must have been short staffed because it looked like there were only a 3 people on the floor. Entering there was no greeting or acknowledgment. Waited outside for 30+ minutes even though there was an open table. Only was acknowledged when more people came and a line was formed. There were no menus outside. This is my fault for not noticing but after being sat, the prices are easily double what you should be paying for this service. AYCE options in Irvine for the cost of one tray of standard meat there. 1 extra star for concept. read more

Next time if we return I will order either all Shabu Shabu or all grilled meat, not the half/half. The cast iron Shabu bowl / grill is designed for right-handers. I kept burning my left hand against the iron bowl which is set up on the left side as I am a left -hander! The Mongolian soup is super spicy hot!!! The Shabu dipping sauces are pretty generic with no optional garlic or green onions. I had the cold sake and had a good buzz after dinner. The music all night seemed to be whiney Disney princesses, and not Japanese atmosphere. read more

Indecisive peeps - rejoice! Hot pot or BBQ? Y'all can do both now. I've now reached the realization that I like my meats grilled and my vegetables boiled in broth; we learn, we grow, we better ourselves. Friendly wait staff. Great social meal when you're wanting to be with friends without wanting to share a saliva soup. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

Amazing selection of broths, meats and veg Me and the family couldn't find anything to complain about apart from that they close at 8:30pm. This was our first time at a half and half place and the server was super helpful with helping us navigate the menu. Thank you! read more

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Came here to celebrate Mother's Day, a day early to beat the crowds. We put our name on the list to be seated and people who came after our name on the list were seated first this happened several times during the night. When we asked the staff about it, they got hostile! The nerve! All we did was ask about it. Clearly they got hostile cuz they were in the wrong and had to put the blame on someone else. Not a healthy attitude and atmosphere. Not coming back here. A simple explanation of we forgot or we are working on it would have sufficed. Geeez you don't have to threaten customers asking a question. It's just an eatery people. Ended up not even eating here. Way to go Halves Boiling Pot for ruining our Mother's Day celebration. read more

Love the premium meat selection, pork belly, steak, etc. seafood is extra fresh! :). Never complaint! :) read more

Overrated! I'm not too impressed by their menu. I don't think I'll be back. Service is ok. A bit tacky to be mopping the floor while customers are still finishing their dinner. read more

This is my first time here at this restaurant, we received a very good service from Jeff who's really like what he does and very polite he came to offer service even we didn't request anything, Very well detailed. Good job read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Shabu Shabu - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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This place is special as it offers both hot pot and grill. It costs us around $40 per person for some meat and vegetables. It's filling, especially as it comes with udon and a bowl of rices. The grill meat is a little bit underwhelming. It's a good experience but I'll stick to All That Shabu or All that bbq given the price is the about the same and other other two is "all you can eat". Overall it's a great experience to taste both. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

I liked the unique concept of this restaurant where you can order a hot pot meal or a grill meal or half and half. I opted to try the half and half. I upgraded to a miso broth for an additional charge. The quantity of the food was adequate but the overall price of the meal was a too steep. Also, if you want more broth because yours boiled away during the meal, they will charge you again which I thought was unfair. Skip the appetizer fries of $8, it's totally not worth it. The cheese and meet are only on the top layer leaving 90% of the fries plain. Finally, their chairs are too low for the table. I feel like I needed to sit on something to prop me up and I'm not a short person. Overall, for the same price, I could go to an AYCE hot pot place or an AYCE bbq place and get the same quality of meat and broth but in unlimited quantity. read more

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Great food, my favorite BBQ restaurant！The service is also great, I will come here often in the future

Holy moly this place is delicious. What are my options 1. Grill 2. Hot Pot 3. Soup - I'm doing all three! Do I feel bad about myself after eating over a pound of food? Not one bit of shame - it's worth it. read more

This review is for everyone to know what happened to me and my family. It is also for the employees that work there. You know who exactly I am referring to. You are very UNPROFESSIONAL and A COWARD!!! I come to the restaurant with my family a total of four persons. I wrote my name down and waited outside like everyone else. The employee SKIP my name and sat a couple whose name under my name down, on the table that sits four. He then proceeded to sit a group of 5 persons, also came after us, in the table of 6. I asked and he cowardly tell other employee to tell me that we have to wait for a table for 4, since the table of 6 only for 5 to 6 persons only. COWARD... AFRAID TO EXPLAIN TO MY FACE!!! FOR THE OWNER OR THE MANAGER OF THIS RESTAURANT, YOU MUST BE VERY PROUD TO HAVE THIS EMPLOYEE WORKING FOR YOU!!! We own a Nails salon nearby, we will make sure to tell our experience to everyone of our customers about how unprofessional and coward your employee is!! Good luck with your business!! read more

Food is great. They are understaffed every time we come. Staff is working hard, but not enough people to bus and turn over tables. Make drinks. Etc. Last two times we've been we've experienced this. read more

I came here with my Cousin, Aunt and Mom pre-covid. I really liked this place. we got a table right away. I got their halves with beef shabu and short rib to grill. It came with veggies and I got miso broth. Their meat quality was very good, everything tasted very fresh. My Mom also gave me some of her seafood to grill up and that was delicious too. I really enjoyed this place. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - The half grill - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!!! The concept of having both shabu shabu and grill at an individual serving portion all at the same time is a palate dream come true. You are in control of how you want your own shabu shabu and how you like your meats grilled. Ambiance + Service + Eats were excellent! Presentation was clean and simple. We arrived an hour before lunch closing hours and the place was fairly empty with a few occupied tables. The bar had individual heating stoves like the tables so we sat at the bar. We drank and ate past lunch closing hours and weren't kicked out - I appreciate that. DRINK AND FOOD. YUZU ALADDIN/BOTTLE ($18) - Sake time! I love fruit infused sake and I love yuzu so it was a must to order this. If you are unfamiliar with yuzu's flavor profile, its citrus which is kind of a cross between a lime and grapefruit or tangerine. This was a creeper. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. HALVES (Shabu-Shabu) Chose Tonkatsu broth, my favorite Japanese broth and selected All Natural American Wagyu ($20) for my choice of meat for my shabu shabu. My Tonkatsu broth was typical tonkatsu with less pork flavor. Adding in the veggies and meat gave the tonkatsu more flavor but the veggies changed the the taste of the broth and instead of being hearty as tonkatsu is suppose to be it was more hearty-herbaceous. It was still good to me and I love broth - even if it was 102 degrees outside. Towards the end, the tonkatsu was getting salty and would suggest to continue stirring the broth while adding in the meats and veggies to get the salt mixed around. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. HALVES (Grill) Chose the Miyazaki A5 Wagyu (+$25) for my choice of meat for the grill. Super delicious! They could do better presenting expensive meat because it resembled sliced up Spam on a tray. I grilled my Miyazaki A5 Wagyu meat slices at medium for juicy flavor and tenderness. When meat melts in your mouth like butter you know the quality is amazing. Writing about it makes my mouth water. It was that good and well worth your money even with the small portions! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I literally cannot wait to come back and eat here again. JABA APPROVED. Until the next bite.... read more

Worst experience ever! service deserves a -10/10. Went to a cool-looking restaurant, but they didn't explain how things worked. Staff didn't care when I asked, just shrugged and smirked. Food and place were okay, but bad service ruined the vibe. Wouldn't recommend for a nice night out to anyone! read more

The best part about this place was it served both shabu shabu and grill. The quality was very good but it was also very pricey. My family definitely preferred the grill over shabu shabu when both were being presented at the same time. As far as shabu shabu, we got the tonkotsu broth. It was good but personally I still preferred Chinese herbal hotpot as I like drinking the broth afterwards. Their peanut dipping was excellent, one of the best around. As far as grill, their BBQ sauce was very good. Not overly power and complimented very well with the meat. The food was good but it would be more for a special occasion. It's not AYCE. If you enjoyed AYCE, this place wouldn't suit you. Quality wise, it was awesome. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Prime short ribs for the grill - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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Such a great concept. Since I moved to socal almost a decade ago I've had those times where I couldn't decide on shabu shabu or Japanese BBQ. Now I don't have to! Halves excels at both. The tonkatsu broth is pretty good. It was a little salty for my taste, but not overwhelmingly so. I tossed in the mushroom right away to give it more flavor. The meat cooks well and the sauces are amazing. They give a good amount of veggies as well, though my napa could have been greener (I got a lot of the yellow portions). The grill portion of the half/half grills the meat really nicely, but the onion, bell pepper, and squash take forever on that thing. So I suggest putting those on first. Service is spacey at times, but they are really friendly. Definitely one of my new favorite spots! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/halves-boiling-pot-grill-shabu-yakiniku-foothill-ranch-3?select=RliaOIQxgG1OCf9DXJuf0Q&userid=97Dj5h5CQUsWZrEWj3wWOg https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/halves-boiling-pot-grill-shabu-yakiniku-foothill-ranch-3?select=ruRSW3GTf4Ob36wuOvJHGQ&userid=97Dj5h5CQUsWZrEWj3wWOg https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/halves-boiling-pot-grill-shabu-yakiniku-foothill-ranch-3?select=TpFwbpvH4wZMMyNxicl-cA&userid=97Dj5h5CQUsWZrEWj3wWOg read more

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The broth was delicious, the meat quality was nice and you each get your own set of mini tongs. They should provide more plates to keep the uncooked meet separated. The atmosphere was clean and they have a bar too which was nice. Overall was delicious and the service was friendly. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California