I'm writing this review as I eat. So long to this place that I've taken to-go, years ago. I ordered a #2 combo meal with beef (should've asked for potato salad instead of cucumber) and all I can say is that it can get you through the day. It's a solid meal. I remember ordering California Rolls here. Bbq Beef is good, kind of thin. Chicken is good. The place looks like it hasn't changed a day from all those years ago, kind of nostalgic. Service was swell, the food came out fast! I'll miss this place. Hope to see a good place will take over here. Kind of wish I visited more often. read more

Mako Bowl - Combo 2 - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I love Mako Bowl. I used to go to the Colorado location on my lunch break for either the chicken teriyaki bowl or the spicy tuna bowl. Fast forward 28 years: the shop on Colorado is closed and I now frequent the Foothill location adjacent to Ralph's. Those bowls are still on my regular rotation. I love the fresh veggies that come in the chicken teriyaki bowl. The meat is tender and the sauce is flavorful. The spicy tuna is generously piled atop perfectly cooked rice. My newest go-to order is the katsu chicken curry. The chicken cutlet is tender and perfectly fried, served over a generous bed of rice and an equally generous serving of savory curry. The potatoes and carrots are so soft, they melt in your mouth. I almost always order this dish when I'm craving Japanese curry. The service is quick, the staff are efficient. The dining area is spacious and there are tables outside. The tables could use more frequent wipe downs. I prefer my comfort food in the comfort of home, so I usually take my food to go. Suffice it to say, the food is great and I've never been disappointed. Don't you ever go away, Mako Bowl! read more

Mako Bowl - Large Teriyaki Chicken Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Sad to hear that are closing after many years at the location. This was the first location.

Used to love going to Mako bowl in Pasadena (on Colorado), thought I'd try this one since the others closed. I ordered a large beef bowl, was surprised that a large beef bowl is regular sized kalbi short ribs at other teriyaki style restaurants. I asked for teriyaki sauce and the employee told me it's extra for more than 1- a oittke off putting since I just ordered a $20 large bowl. The food itself was tender and tasty, albeit skimpy. I enjoyed the side vegetables but was still hungry after my "large" bowl. There's no AC on inside the restaurant, on a 93+ degree hot day. Don't think I'll be coming back, sad times. read more

Mako Bowl - Large beef bowl - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

We wanted to support independent restaurant. It's been here a while and really needs a bit of a refresh. 3-stars for our chicken katsu combo $11; salmon sushi bowl $15 and teriyaki chicken and BBQ beef combo $16 All your food is served up in take out containers. The only difference with take out is that they don't bag it for you. Even the sauce comes in a plastic sachet. The salmon looked too orange for natural fish, but it tasted fine. The katsu was ok. The Mac salad was lacking in flavor, but it was good to get fresh sliced cucumber and seaweed salad option. Weird 80-90s radio playing doesn't really help with dine in. But it goes with the interior of this place. read more

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Pasadena classic for sure!! Been coming here for years and it's my go to place if I want a chicken bowl. The service is cool and decent everytime I come. This is the only mako bowl in Pasadena since the other closed! They have good size chicken bowl with many combo options. I usually order the spicy chicken combo with California rolls with a water bottle for 50 cent more or miso soup without additional charge. The ambiance is just decent nothing to opulent and pottery clean inside with about 6 or 7 tables that is spacious! I highly recommend here if you're in the city of roses and want a flavorful chicken bison and some rolls, they also have shrimp tempura rolls too! -Marshay D. read more

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Went last week after many years not going and was very disappointed. The veggies were horrible. 4 raw broccoli florets and mushy overcooked zucchini. And the portions were soooo small. I will never go back. read more

Mako bowl is my go to place for a quick chicken bowl. The service is cool and the atmosphere is ok. Decent prices and a huge variety of food read more

A good place to go if you're on a budget, cutting carbs, and in a hurry - but the food is mediocre. The prices are very wallet friendly though. I got my order of 4 items within 2-5 minutes. My food definitely could've used more flavor. My seaweed salad was flavorless. I added the provided vinegar and then it was way too powerful and had me coughing for a straight minute. Definitely not like a seaweed salad that you would get at a sushi place. The customer service was professional. The visual ambience reminded me of Jack in the Box. I looked up and saw that the air vent on the ceiling was caked in dust. Gross. The noise level was not to my liking. 80s music was playing in the lobby, but employees were playing their music at the same volume that I could hear clearly in the lobby and I decided to leave because the completing noise level was too much. The good prices and lack of fried food are what drew me to this spot, but I was disappointed with my experience. Next time I'll be getting grocery store sushi instead. read more

This Japanese place is pretty good. I had the chicken katsu curry and it was alright, nothing spectacular, but definitely a decent place to stop by when you're craving some Japanese curry. read more

Mako Bowl - Large Chicken katsu curry - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I was really disappointed. I was in a rush and needed to grab something for lunch before work, so now I'm stuck having it for dinner too. The chicken was extremely dry, the zucchini had no flavor--completely unseasoned--and the beef was just horrible. I wasn't expecting this at all, and I'm honestly surprised. read more

Mako Bowl - The chicken is very dry and it's funny because there was so much chicken being cooked just makes me wonder. Did I get yesterday's chicken? - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This place is horrible first the the waiter has on an unpleasant facial expression. I also got the Katsu chicken and it tastes like it's been frozen for month and they just threw it in the fryer like that . The macaroni salad tasted old and bland Atleast add some rice vinegar sugar and kewpee mayo. The only thing that was ok was the rice . Another thing most tables were dirty I to clean myself . read more

Food very good, price also very good, not fancy, but my fave place in this shopping center for fast service at counter. I like the chicken and beef teriyaki bowl with rice and veggies. Music good, and not annoying. 2 and 4 top tables, but not a big place. read more

The price online is advertised differently in-person. All the staff said the same thing, "it's an old price menu". Then take it down off the website! How does something that cost $6.25 jump up to $10.77. Manager was no help either. Food was mediocre at best. Won't be coming back. read more

The place is definitely a hole in the wall Customer service is great. The girls were very helpful and very suggestive. The place could use a bit of tidying up Now let's get to the food The shrimp tempura were really good with their sauce. I really enjoyed. The riblets were really good. They just needed a little bit more teriyaki The rice texture wasn't sticky, which was great or over The Katsu chicken was very crispy and very fresh The seaweed cucumber salad was terrible Unfortunately, I expected way more than what I was served as far as the texture and the taste of it I love my seaweed and my cucumbers, but this one was very different no flavor The miso soup was as expected, as could be But for the price of the food, I guess you get what you are served The squash could use a little bit more flavor The potato salad was very dry flavoring. It lacked flavoring just like the macaroni. Thank you anyways for trying keep up the work add more flavor to the food read more

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This review is for the owners, not the food or the staff. I called and ordered over the phone bases on their website prices only to arrive and find that each plate is $5 more than what they have publicly published on their website. When I asked if they would on the price on their own website, I was told the owner is aware of the prices online and they would not honor it. This is flat out deceptive practice and the owner/s should be ashamed of themselves. Buyer beware. read more

I was disappointed in the meal. I ordered a beef and chicken meal. The beef was nonexistent, mostly bone or fat. When I asked the cashier about the lack of meat for the beef, she said other people have complained about not having meat on the bone. She just said, "Sorry". I tried to call management but there was no number listed. read more

Yes. Came here after a hike on the arroyo Seco lower trail (boring btw) Looked up best chicken bowls in pasadena and this came up. I'm currently eating .... Very very good. Chicken is soft, veggies fresh and rice hasn't been sitting all day. Done right . Not sure if Teri and Yaki as good. No complaints from me at all. Come here! . Haha happy eats read more

Mako Bowl - Chicken teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Been coming here for years and never really had issues. They do great teriyaki chicken rice combos, salmon bowls, katsu and udon. Very affordable and quick. We like to alternate here at Mako Bowl and Taisho in Monrovia which has similar menu. Hubby usually get the large chicken teriyaki with easy rice and more veggies. I like their salmon bowl that comes with a side of seaweed. They chopped up the salmon here though vs cutting it up sashimi pieces. Overall a very quick and healthy meals. We used to dine-in pre-Covid, but no problem we just get it to go since we don't live to too far away. read more

Mako Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Went there 4/29/24 I ordered California Rolls and Miso Soup the man was extremely slow with a customer ahead of me he left her for a couple of seconds to then go tend to cooking, this was after he handled the register and the customer credit card, so finally it's my turn now before taking my order he goes to handle the food again after working the register no clean gloves or hand washing. I get my food get home and I have such a small amount of food. read more

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The spicy chicken teriyaki is my favorite. They're always busy but it's worth it and the staff is friendly read more

Good food but they don't provide enough sauce (for whatever reason). I consistently ask for additional w/o satisfaction!!!!

Pedí un bowl de atún y sabía como que empezaba a echarse a perder se lo regresé y le pedí uno de pollo y la verdad que está muy malo, no lo recomiendo, lo pedí con extra aguacate y el aguacate estaba echándose a perder no vuelvo read more

The bowls are always delicious. My son loves the salmon bowl. It's a favorite. We're fans of them from the original location.

Noticed there was a lot of little flies on the counter when checking out (i think they were drain flies?) was weirded out but didnt say anything, however when i got home and opened up my food they were in the box, crawling on the rice, and on the plastic spoon that was provided. Did not eat my meal, double bagged it and threw it out. Genuinely skin scrawling. Im not one to leave a review, esp a bad one, but i dont want anyone to have the same experience as i just had. read more

Mako Bowl looks like it could be a fast food franchise; but, is actually a mom-and-pop take on Yoshinoya. Much like Yoshinoya, the menu contains a variety of rice bowls (ex. gyudon - thinly sliced beef) served with a similar assortment of steamed vegetables. The strength of Mako Bowl versus Yoshinoya is its Value Menu/combo offering. For only a couple dollars more, many combos allow you to choose from 2 salads and add a drink. Taste: I had the large beef bowl. The beef tasted as expected but the cucumbers were very bitter. Portion size for vegetables were small and beef moderate for the price. Refer to the picture. Parking: Mako Bowl is located in a large shopping plaza anchored by a Ralph's. The parking lot is large but nonetheless quite occupied. Conclusion: Overall, I would come back to Mako Bowl but I still prefer Yoshinoya. Their prices are higher than Yoshinoya especially if you manage to find coupons for the latter restaurant. read more

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I used to be a fan but this place has gone down hill real quick! We ordered several plates and asked for "extra sauce" for our Katsu plates for our family and guests on Father's Day and there was absolutely NO SAUCES provided. Not even the sauce it's supposed to come with. We had to eat our dry fried chicken on dry white rice without any flavoring. I am so disappointed. It wasn't even worth the 15 minute drive back and forth to pick them up for their mistake. This isn't the first time this has happened, I always catch it while I'm still there because I check, but my mother went to pick it up and since it was a large order she didn't look. She also assumed by telling them three times they would pay attention to this request. I mean come guys, do better! Really ruined Father's Day because everyone was disappointed with their dry and bland meal. read more

The BEST plain udon. I drive miles for it. Literally so worth it. The flavor, the noodles, everything is top notch

I stumbled upon this place while I was shopping in this shopping plaza. Mistake I made was to not look at Yelp reviews before coming in. But I'm rating this place 3 stars... mainly because their bowl was mostly rice than anything else. I got a small chicken and bbq beef combo bowl and was let down with the amount of meat and veggies they gave. I did like that they offered zucchini as their veggies with broccoli (most teriyaki places give cabbage or the standard broccoli, cauliflower and carrots). Their rice was the perfect consistency. The sauce was nothing special, but I did appreciate the subtle teriyaki taste. Their chicken was good, so if and when I do come back, I will probably just get a chicken bowl and ask if I could get half rice and half veggies. So if I come back I'll base my rating on that experience. read more

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We have been coming here for years as a family and this is the 2nd Wednesday we ordered a large teriyaki bowl and a small teriyaki bowl. The large one has the same amount of rice and chicken as the small and it cost way more. Not cool!!!! The chicken is dry and burnt for the 2nd week in a row. I will not be returning. I understand things are expensive but the quality is not good any more. More money and less food. So disappointing. This happened on both occasions after 5pm. Chicken Teriyaki read more

Mako Bowl - Burnt dry chicken - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Damn, how do you mess up a beef rib plate? This is nasty because the meat is thin plus still taste rubbery. The white rice wasn't even good and that's a staple for that plate. You need to have your rice game on point. My friend ordered the kitchen katshu and she hated it. Please don't eat here. Go anywhere else but here or just suck on your thumb. I want my $ back!! read more

I used to work in Pasadena and this was so close and convenient to work. I no longer work in the area but wanted to revisit Mako Bowl. I have been twice and it's as good as I remember it to be. The veggie bowl is generous in size, and the vegetables were cooked but crisp, so you could really taste the flavors. I didn't eat in, but it looked like it did 20 years ago. There were a fair amount of customers in the place, so it's definitely a "go-to" place. read more

Nice if you want a quick order of Japanese/Hawaiian fusion fast food, I would give this a higher rating but the prices they are offering compared to other places similar to this establishment is not worth for the quality that is being offered. read more

Great food. The Japanese nuggets were great. And the potato salad and fresh salad were perfect too. read more

Mako Bowl - Japanese nuggets and potato salad - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food here is pretty good. And they get a bonus point for offering healthy food alternatives, which is surprising for a beef bowl joint. I usually get either the spicy tuna bowl or the chicken teriyaki bowl with vegetables instead of rice with sauce on the side. It doesn't feel like I'm sacrificing at all. read more

Horrible! What a waste of $40! So dirty, no air conditioning, tables, high chairs, floor and seats disgusting! Used napkins and hand Sanitizer and napkins to wipe down area where we ate and Napkins were black. Food was in edible, veggies looked old, don't know how they pass inspections with the health department. Will not return. read more

I've been coming to this place ever since they were around the corner. I now live in Texas and every time I come back to visit, I always make this a stop just to get the chicken katsu curry! It is so delicious . I can't really speak to everything on the menu, but I can say I've never had bad food or service here!. read more

Craved their curry Katsu chicken..did not disappoint. Made with chicken breast, moist and crunchy with a good portion of rice and plentiful curry. Hit the spot on a cold night! read more

This is kind of a hidden gem even though it's right next to Ralphs on Foothill. Had the chicken terryaki today It was above average and good. My wife had the beef bowl. For the price and location, we're very happy with the place. read more

Wouldn't recommend. Where as the quality and customer service is good the flavor is quite poor. Reminds me of eating in a hospital cafeteria. read more