This spot is so underrated! The restaurant looked very unassuming from the outside. But when I walked in, it was packed on a Friday evening and even had a short waitlist. Ordering is easy. Once you're at your table, just scan the QR code and select your items. We ordered several different skewers, veggies, and buns to try. Our favorite by far was the lamb skewer, which we ended up getting additional orders of. The meat was so tender and flavorful! I don't really see many Chinese BBQ spots in SF, so I'm so glad this place exists! read more

Northern China BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is underrated! Of the Chinese bbq places I've tried, this is my favorite one. Ambiance is nice, I love how the tables have a hot iron plate lit by candles to keep your food warm. For me, the flavors were very authentic and flavorful. I like that it's simple and you order from your phone through a QR code. Try the appetizer shredded potato's with cilantro and lamb and beef skewers were also very tasty. If you have time make the effort to try this place because it's really really good! read more

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Got here at 6pm on a Thursday with 4 people and there were plenty of tables available. There's a little bit of a smell in there but it's definitely the smell of spice & bbq, you get used to it very quickly. We ordered: -skewers - chicken skin, pork belly, chives, enoki wrapped in tofu skin, etc and everything was tasty! Very consistent seasoning. -beef tendon iron pot - pretty large, maybe too much for us but tasty. Just hard to have so much tendon in one meal -crispy pig ear salad - nice tangy flavor with a little spice. Texture of the pig ear was nice and refreshing contrast to the heavier skewers -smashed cucumbers - a bit sweeter in seasoning than the pig ear salad, refreshing. read more

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Great service, excellent skewers and cold dishes. Pig ears had really good flavor - one of my favorite versions of this. Skewers are good as expected. Lots of variety and I especially loved the mushrooms - great crisp texture. The only miss was the fried mantou with condensed milk. Not executed well, but the team did their best to correct which I appreciate. read more

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Came to Northern China BBQ around 6:30PM on a Wednesday and were seated immediately. You scan a QR code and order from your phone, and the service overall was great! We got a mix of skewers (beef, lamb, pork belly, and chicken skin), plus pork and shrimp dumplings and a bowl of rice. The beef, lamb, and pork belly were perfectly seasoned and so delicious paired with the rice. The chicken skin was very crispy (almost a little too crispy at times since it would crack off the skewer) but still tasty. The dumplings were a highlight for me, super chewy with really flavorful filling. Definitely a solid spot and would come back! read more

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We came here on a Sunday night for a quick dinner after we were craving skewers. We weren't super hungry so ended up sharing a few skewers and a bowl of rice. My favorites ended up being the beef skewers, chicken gizzard, and chinese chive. Everything was well seasoned and the meat was tender which is always important when it comes to skewer spots. Ordering is easy via QR code and service is quick. The neighborhood isn't great but it's a convenient spot for a casual meal if you're craving skewers and feeling nostalgic for comfort food! read more

Northern China BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

Wow! Delicious, tender, and juicy. Came here with 4 people and had no wait on a Friday night. There's a QR code for you to order from and plenty to choose from. Pretty casual spot for some great Chinese skewers. The meat was flavorful and not dry at all. The only think I would skip next time are the potatoes (didn't do much for me) and the squid (this was the only thing that was dry). read more

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Wow I wish I had known about this place sooner! Ordered the pig trotters and they're so gelatinous and have that perfectly crispy layer outside with flavor throughout. The honeycomb tripe skewer was also super good and the tendon iron pot is sooooo good. I ordered pickup on the way home and am having it with hot rice and a tea. I couldn't be happier. Will def go with friends! Also got a corn and potato but you know those are always good. Food was wrapped really well to avoid spilling. read more

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I ordered delivery through Uber Eats. The beef, lamb, and pork skewers are all very flavorful. I have also dined in at the restaurant before. The interior design was cute with a wooden theme. There was no wait during late dinner time. Food was grilled in the timely manner. Pretty standard Chinese bbq skewer place that I would come back to! read more

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The service was slow in a Saturday at 6pm considering it was not too busy. Wished for a pitcher of water at table since the staff was not that attentive and the table requested for water a few times. The table orders through a QR code. The skewers range from $2.99 - $6.99 each, most were $2.99. The meat is tender, easy to eat. Got a honey beef and just beef, it tasted exactly the same, but still had the cumin and chili flavor. The veggies are quite spicy since it is drenched in a sauce which does linger in your mouth. Again, the meat does not have sauce, just seasoning. I would also prefer more charred bbq flavor too Debated on the spicy fish pot since it was $32.99, quite pricey, but worth! It has a lot of variety of items of vegetables with plenty of fish pieces. Each bite with filled with sauce and fragrant oil. read more

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I live nearby and have eaten here casually so often! I'm surprised I haven't written a review lol The good: - guys, their skewers are legit. Look around and you'll only see Chinese families happily eating in their native tongue. - recs: BEEF SKEWER-- it's so freaking juicey and delicious here. I'm normally a lamb girl (lamb lady?) but I love their beef over lamb here-- both are excellent tho. CHICKEN WING-- yes you heard me lol. No it's not bad value. Just taste it and you're welcome ENOKI WRAP-- whatever it's wrapped with that day, just get it. So good SICHUAN TIN FOIL THING BREAKFAST OR NORMAL EGG WRAPS LOL-- my bf really likes em. I'd SKIP on their pork ribs, oyster, and uh.. hmmm can't remember anything else to skip on. Enjoy! The meh: none read more

Northern China BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Incredible experience here. I believe this restaurant is new in the area. It's not the biggest place to eat, but the environment and vibe is what makes it great. Came with my partner for his brother's birthday dinner after a full day of hanging out. To cap the evening at a nice skewer dinner was just top notch. The team here is so hospitable and took care of us. They even gave a complimentary "gift" to the birthday boys! It was great. I'd say that anyone who is interested, you just need to give this place a try. It's well worth it. read more

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First of all, you should probably be comfortable with spicy food if you want to come here. You can always tell them to make it non spicy, but that burn (on the way in and out) is part of the fun. The food is delicious and reminiscent of days the college days studying abroad when you would wander down a random alley and chance upon a vendor grilling up lamb skewers and serving up Tsingtao. The meats are all stand out, and surprisingly the tofu was delicious as well. They have a good selection of Beijing soft drinks and yogurts. Absolutely delicious. read more

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One of the only Chinese skewer spots I know of in SF, and a pretty good one! Selection is pretty large, but a lil more slim than the places in Fremont. Some of my favs included the beef, a choy, and chicken skin. Overall, every dish was delicious, even though a few things I wanted to try were sold out. I think the prices are a tinge higher here as I usually spend around $40-50 for 2 at my usual spot in San Bruno, but it was around $70 here. Food did come out slower than expected as well, maybe because it was busy, but it does hit the spot nonetheless. read more

Good spot in SF for skewers! I came by Sunday evening around 7 pm and it wasn't busy. They use Yelp waitlist, so we added ourselves while we were on the way, but we really didn't need to. We were able to easily find street parking right around the corner, and it was free because it was Sunday. Ordering is done by scanning the QR code. Everyone can scan with their phones and add separately to the order, so it's super convenient. It's easy to add additional food/skewer orders later too. The three of us tried a variety of skewers as well as the duck blood + vermicelli in tinfoil ($18.99). My favorite was definitely the duck blood, as I'm obsessed with the stuff. Very flavorful and the vermicelli soaked up all of the flavor. They have a wide variety of skewers which range in price from $2/skewer to $3/skewer for the meats. From the skewers, my favorites were the lamb, beef, and enoki wrapped in bacon. Our first order of skewers were very flavorful, but the second order was very bland. Not sure what happened there. We also got two bowls of rice for $2 each. We spent around $30 pp here on a respectable amount of food. That's not too bad for SF! read more

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Located in a super convenient spot in SoMa, this skewer place is open late and pretty cheap for the SF scene! Most of the skewers are about $3 each, and if you've had Chinese skewers before, it'll be a recognizable taste of a lot of spices like cumin and peppers. We ordered a ton, and they were quick to bring our food out! It was very good, and I'd come again for sure! read more

Northern China BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

Skewers were great, especially enoki wrapped in bacon. Other standouts were lamb and frog's legs, and string beans. Nice big space: two rooms actually. Service is efficient via QR code. Shrimp and pork dumplings were unexceptional. Prices are very good. Beer and soft drinks available. Worth a try if you are in SoMa. read more

Northern China BBQ - Lamb, frog's leg, and string bean skewers. - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came to this Chinese bbq spot a few times and really enjoyed their skewers. I was craving some duck blood jelly after a trip from Asia and was very surprise they also have a duck blood stew! we made a trip to the restaurant around 9:30pm for a late dinner. It was pretty empty on a Friday night, service is minimal but efficient. Basically scanned a QR code on table and order on your device type of thing. We got the duck blood tin foil vermicelli, lamb shank, a few miscellaneous skewers (tendons, beef/lamb, chicken skin, fried stinky tofu and the wood ear mushroom salad. I loved the duck blood texture and the flavor paired really well. It's a bit gamier than the ones I had in Taiwan but still very tasty and cohesive as a dish. Just wish it's a little spicy and mala:) The lamb shank is a bit underwhelming though. It's good but I thought it was going to be more tender given the price. Wouldn't get it a second time. Same as the stinky tofu, it was a bit greasy and the texture wasn't too good either, but the flavors were there Everything was good and will definitely come back for the duck blood stew and it's skewers when I have a late night craving after 9pm! read more

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The food here was just ok, as someone who eats a lot of Chinese kebab bbqs, it's definitely more on the disappointing side. I did really enjoy the garlic cucumbers, though they were pretty good. The service was pretty good. Our food came pretty fast. It's a lot of self ordering here so it's less interaction with the waitress. It's a pretty small restaurant, but it's not too busy! read more

Northern China BBQ - Cucumbers - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

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yum my favorite food was the stinky tofu i haven't had it in years i thought it would be impossible to find but it was delicious and crispy. Service was okay but the food really sold it and the ambiance was really nice we sat in these half rooms sorta?? like an open shoe box that felt nice read more

A little gem were glad we found! My partner really wanted Chinese skewers and we were pleased to find this one only 10 minutes away. He's tried ordering from places in Daly and s. Sf, but having one closer is great since the best part of eating skewers is how hot and fresh they are when they come off the grill. Not too crowded for a Friday night, there was always a table open at any time throughout the night. You order through a QR code on the table and they bring it out as it's ready. Other reviews talked about the beef being really good and I have to second that. Chicken was fine, lamb was pretty good but a little leaner and more mild, the pork belly is always tasty because I can't get enough, and the beef was super juicy and soft! Chicken gizzards were interesting to try, my partner liked the pork intestines (said they had a nice crisp) and the tofu wrapped enoki and bacon wrapped enoki were very similar so either is a good option if you want some mushrooms. For veggies we got the Chinese chives, a choy (nice skinny strips of bok choy in like a chili oil/rice vinegar), and green beans. All pretty good with different variations of the same sauce. My partner wanted to try the duck tongue but it comes in an order of 10 pieces and I'm not the biggest fan so he thought it would be too much for him to eat on his own. Bring friends! Drinks are all bottled. Overall ordering was super easy, servers pretty much left us alone but can't over when needed. The music switched between Chinese Idol/daytime drama theme songs and clubbing. I kinda dig it. Apparently they had a party for Halloween night so the club music was a hint of how things can go down later in the evening. read more

Northern China BBQ - Fried buns with condensed milk; came out so hot and fluffy! - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is the place for meats. Quick service by ordering from a QR code. Has beer, pretty chill vibe. The pork belly and the mochi with bacon were favorites. Grilled chicken was good. Great spot for a casual metered meal. read more

Unique place with Chinese bbq skewers. Mushrooms were excellent. Pork and beef were also great. I liked the honey beef. The lamb was fantastic. Tendon was hit or miss with some parts too chewy and others meltingly tender. Fishnets a bit too fishy for my taste. Shrimp and squid were average. Eggplant was tasty, but garlic could have been cooked a bit more. Service is fairly efficient. Place has a laid back vibe and is decently nice inside. Would definitely return, read more

Adulting is enjoying lunch alone. Because eating in PEACE is top-tier. Plus, you can order whatever you want and not have to act all proper... Because imagine holding a big 'ol lamb shank in your hands like a drumstick...in front of your coworkers silently judging you. Awkward. Northern China BBQ is a new shaokao resto in SoMa (took over Izakaya Dash). They're currently open for takeout and indoor dining only. M E N U Northern Chinese BBQ Skewers (shaokao) with an array iron pot (dry pot) and tin foil (entrees). No alkie at this time. Suggestion to owner: Kindly consider adding a lunch special for nearby workers; e.g. a bento box/lunch plate to include several skewers, a vegetable side, and rice. O R D E R I N G Contactless ordering through QR code on the table. You can add more skewers/dishes as you go. F O O D With Northern Chinese BBQ, all the skewers are usually seasoned with the same cumin and chili powder mix. With this resto, I noticed the seasoning is much lighter and they serve the seasoning powder on the side for dipping. Also, maybe because I had a small order and dining solo but everything came at once versus skewer by skewer. * 炭烤小羊腿 Lamb Leg (Small - $18.99) // 3.5 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/45dpn2j2 First time seeing an entire lamb leg offered at shaokao resto so it was a must order. They also have a large beef rib but they were sold out since the weekend. I enjoyed the crispy charred edges. The meat didn't easily pull off the bone with the provided fork and knife so had to hold it like a drumstick to eat. I think it needs more time braising before finishing on the grill. Skewer spread: https://tinyurl.com/3rh6uaez * 牛肉串 Beef Skewer ($2.99) // 4 Stars Juicy and tender but you don't get the smoky char since they use a gas grill. * 烤牛筋 Beef Tendon Skewer ($3.99) // 4 stars Delicious and meltingly soft but not warmed through on the grill. * 豆皮香菜卷 Cilantro w/ tofu skin ($3.99) // 4.5 stars Fav item - the tofu skin gets crisp on the grill with the cilantro adding a freshness to complement the meat skewers. * 烤玉米 Sweet Corn ($2) // 3 stars Boiled too long as the corn kernels were soggy. S E R V I C E Kind staff, minimal contact since nearly everything is done via QR code. I was the only diner at the time and my order took 20 minutes which is standard for shaokao. A M B I A N C E Two dining areas with 10-12 tables and three booths. Mandarin pop and rap playing. P A R K I N G Walked over from the office but metered parking is doable in the area. Overall, looks like Northern China BBQ is the first shaokao resto to open in SoMa (bold move). If you're in the area, craving Chinese BBQ Skewers, and don't want to trek to the avenues, give them a try! read more

Northern China BBQ - Lamb Leg ($18.99), Corn ($2), Beef ($2.99), Beef Tendon ($3.99), Cilantro w/ tofu skin ($3.99) - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Love the skewers with the seasoning. The restaurant decor is so cute and it gives a homey vibe. The staff are very nice and attentive to my needs. read more

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Came here a while back with a group of friends. Our group was too large so we were split into 2 tables. This review is only for our table. We ordered a large amount of food which would take a while to come out - understandably. However, after over half an hour of waiting for our food - our friends at their table received all their food already and we still had nothing on our table. Our friends felt so bad, they started giving us their food and we were starving by this time. We were so fed up that we finally asked one of the servers how long our food would take. Mind you, we were not expecting a definite answer or anything. We just wanted to know that they didn't forget about us or just to remind them it's now been 45 mins and we still don't have our food. The waiter looked me deadpan in my face and responded with, "I don't know". Not even a sorry or it'll come out soon or if she didn't know, she didn't even offer to check on it for us. I had to then get up and ask yet another worker where our food was because we've been waiting for almost an hour for it. The food finally came out and of course it came out cold. Did someone forget to get the food to us once they were cooked? 2 stars because of the pricing and the food because it wasn't half bad but I would recommend the workers work on their service before we come back. read more

Quick fast service, always open when they say they are. Food is good, beef skewers, lamb skewers, tofu wrapped enoki and the chicken wings! Add the seasoning that's at the table, egg fried rice is a must get every time I step foot into this establishment. read more

Came here with six other friends while visiting the Bay because I'd been craving some skewers and it's not as much a thing I want to do alone. The food here was very tasty, flavors not EXACTLY what I was expecting (in particular, I didn't expect the vegetables to be so saucy, and I expected the grilled buns to be a little sweet rather than just tasting like toast). One important note I'll make: you do ordering on an app, and everyone can add things to the same cart. At the end, one person submits the order. The ordering system itself has one box where you can add notes, but the note we added was removed. I suspect what happened was one person added the note, but a different person submitted the order, so person B's empty note overwrote person A's note. Which was extremely unfortunate, because the note we had was "allergic to peanuts". And we found out by eating that there was maybe more peanut in this than other Chinese skewer places I've been to. The staff said the vegetable sauces that were brushed on had peanuts, and that the dry spice blend also had peanuts. It seemed like my allergy friend didn't consume a crazy amount, so he wasn't sure there was really much in the dry spice (only felt it after we got the A choy), but it was a bit of a damper. But! The staff was extremely kind about it. When I went and explained it all, they went through the trouble of checking the receipt (where the note wasn't, hence the note about the app), and then even though there wasn't a note, provided my allergic friend a plate of dumplings. Later, when we added more food, she came by specifically to verify and asked if we'd like to skip the seasoning (and just have grilled meats), which we did, and my allergic friend (and my friend who apparently isn't a fan of cumin!) were both able to happily enjoy the unseasoned meat. ...I also enjoyed it, the meat was delicious even without the seasoning, and since the tables provided seasoning, it was totally fine to add it separately. I really appreciate how above and beyond the staff were to making the experience nice for us despite some dietary restrictions/concerns. The food alone would've had me coming back anyway, but I would definitely recommend coming here. (That all said, if you have a serious nut allergy, I'm not sure how clean their grills are and if it's actually safe to eat, so please do not take my review as a go-ahead for that. But if you're only mildly so or if you dislike flavors in the classic Chinese BBQ spice, this place is happy to skip the spicing for you!) read more

My friend and I came after doing some grocery shopping in the area. There is a QR code on the table that you can scan, and this brings you directly to a site from which you can order. I love it when restaurants offer this feature because it simplifies ordering, and there is an "à la carte" feeling, which makes it more fun! Most items on the menu are ordered by the unit. The advantage of this is that if you're coming with multiple people, you don't need to feel like you need to compromise. Instead, everyone can order what they want! This is what my friend and I ordered: - Lamb skewers: The lamb was super tender, and the rub was very flavorful. This was our favorite of the night! - Beef skewer - Beef honeycomb stripe skewer - Beef tendon skewer: My friend ordered all the beef skewers, and he seemed to enjoy them, but thought the lamb was better. - Scallion pancake: I expected the pancake to be thicker, but it was super thin (almost like a chip). The flavor was there, and it was crispy, but because it was so thin, it wasn't chewy. - Fish tofu skewer: This was just okay. The texture was nice and bouncy, but I felt like it lacked flavor. - Black fungus in vinegar sauce: Definitely order this as a side! It's super refreshing and helps you eat more skewers :P - Sweet corn skewers: This was probably our second favorite skewer of the night. The corn was grilled with a rub, and it was super flavorful! - Grill bun: My friend ordered this for dessert, and it's exactly like what it sounds. I'm not sure if it was sweet or not. Maybe they added some sugar while grilling? - Purple sweet potato cake: This was super tasty! The pancake was nicely grilled, and the sweet potato filling inside was smooth and not too sweet. There was also dry rub on this, which I thought I wouldn't like since it's a dessert pancake, but it actually went together quite well. I would definitely come back again! The food here is amazing, and I love how cozy it feels inside. read more

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Best grilled food I've had in the city!! Took one bite and immediately wanted to learn their sauce and rub. Definitely order the lamb ‍‍‍ Incredible service and fast. So excited for this addition to the city!!! I was worried it would be packed because the food is so great, but coming early on a Saturday afternoon made it easy. read more

Northern China BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The food is very good, the service was very good too. If you like to eat spicy foods, I recommend this barbecue place!

Cherylynn N.'s review came through my feed and I had to try this place. Her content/photos are excellent. Because of her, the community is better. I'm not sure how she always finds out about these new places. I ordered: corn $2, pork rib $7, sausage $3, beef $3, potato $2, beef tendon $4, tofu $3, toast $4, rice $2 and a coke $2. It would have been perfect if they had draft beer. Another item not available is the beef rib. The skewers here were not overly salty like the Japanese yakitoris. Those are more saucy, as where these are more smokey a with a slight burnt taste. It would be nice if they had Szechuan chili powder at the table. But they didn't. Everything tasted fine. Service was excellent with a slow kitchen. No fault of the restaurant, but there were these loud girls sitting across from me speaking Toisan. Some people need to use their indoor voices when indoors. read more

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This place is such a hidden gem! Great variety of skewers in a laid back setting. You really can't go wrong with any of the skewers but some of our highlights include: - Lamb skewer (so tender and perfect mix of cumin & spice) - Chicken gizzard (nice crunch to each bite) - Enoki (so juicy! Best when eaten right when served) You can submit orders via QR code online ordering system, so I would suggest ordering in smaller batches to make sure they're fresh when eaten! They all came out pretty much within 5 minutes of us placing the order. read more

Northern China BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been to Northern China BBQ a few times now since it opened earlier this year and it has not disappointed! My favorite Chinese skewer place in SF by a lot. I've been looking for one for the past 3 years!! You order through a QR code that leads to the menu selections. There are so many options of skewers to choose from. Not all the photos are from the same visit :) Totally recommend! read more

Northern China BBQ - Scallion pancake - Barbeque Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The food was great! It came out at a good timing, kinda wished that everything came out at once but to be fair, we ordered a lot of stuff. the spicy pot was delicious and the spice level was exactly what we asked for. The meats were fresh and not overcooked. The tofu and cilantro rolls were seasoned right and less greasy than the other skewer places in sf. Drink options: plenty! They actually have the Beijing yogurt which is super rare nowadays. One of the owners actually came out and introduced herself and explained how they just recently opened. Asked for any feedback and any improvements or adjustments. This made the service experience a lot more pleasant. Definitely a fun place to try. read more

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I ordered beef tenderloin skewer and it was all fat with NO beef! I told the waiter the skewer was all fat and he ignored me.

I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious these skewers were here. They were perfectly seasoned--spiced but not spicy. My friend and I tried the chicken, pork belly, lamb, potato, beef back, and Taiwan sausage skewers, and each was bursting with flavor! The smashed cucumbers were also very tasty and provided a nice contrast to the seasoned meats. I recommend stopping by the next time you're craving BBQ skewers. read more

Skewers were delicious! Authentic northern Chinese and tasty. They even had legit stinky tofu. If you're looking for a skewer place, go here. We got here early, and they weren't that busy. Maybe the location is setting them back cuz da food is legit! Funny thing is we just went to the shower place in j town and it wasn't nearly this good. The pig ears and cucumber were probably the best version of that that I've had. read more

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Heard this place from a friends but food is not as good as I thought ..... service was good ... but would not come back again... there is better Chinese bbq around the Bay Area . read more

These days it's a great occasion to find a restaurant with delicious, well-cooked plates and reasonable prices. Northern China BBQ has outstanding pots and skewers, a long list of choices, friendly staff, and spotless comfortable furnishings. The sauce/soup with the spicy fish pot had just the right heat and a fresh, authentic flavor. The beef and pork belly skewers were flavorful, as was the vegetarian tofu-wrapped enoki mushroom skewers. Will definitely go back. read more