Had a great time at this place. We ordered a bunch of items, and everything was good but some of my favorites were: The mango/sake boiler - so they give you a shot glass as well as a glass for beer and I am now realizing that I probably was supposed to sake bomb it for the full boiler experience instead of chugging them separately like a maniac. Either way, 10$ will get you properly buzzed. The salmon crudo - we could have only ordered 5 of these and been happy, the salmon melts in your mouth and the sauce it comes with is crack. We found ourselves shamelessly dipping other food items into the crudo sauce throughout the night. Chicken Katsu - seasoned very well, and the breading to meat ratio is perfect. I'm a fiend for kewpie so was a big fan of the slaw it came with. Seared hamachi - nicely textured dish but my god the asparagus it comes with?????? Insanity Sausage skewers- these looked like Vienna sausages lol the Filipino in me was HYPED. These glizzys were fire though. Had an unexpected but nice spice to them. Definitely an unsung hero. I'd run these with a side of rice next time. Service was fast and friendly. Yes it's pricey, but the quality is worth it in my opinion. read more

See all

Just found this spot and came after work with a friend. Everyone working there is sooooo sweet and welcoming from the moment you walk in the door. The little hidden dim bar in the back definitely gave a nice wow factor. Addison was our bartender and was super attentive. He and another lady who's name I didn't catch helped me with gluten free options. They can also modify some orders to remove gluten containing sauces. We ordered the pork belly skewers, bacon wrapped asparagus, karaage chicken, and sunomono salad. It was a nice complement to our drinks but I think we over ordered haha. And not gonna lie, it's pretty expensive for these tapas dishes. 2 skewers for over $10 when you can probably get 2 for $5-8 at most izakaya restaurants. The drinks are average price but definitely taste strong and delicious. I got the endless summer and it was just what I wanted. Definitely come for the drinks and the vibe! They play from different vinyl records so we had a nice Tribe Called Quest vibe going on. read more

Oak & Coal - Endless summer cocktail - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Service: 5 Food: 2.8 Excellent excellent excellent service! Everyone was very nice, which is why I'm giving this place a 4 star. However the food was disappointing for me. I'm sure a lot of people love the food here. When I was in the area searching for a dinner place, Oak & Coal stood out because of its high rating! I thought and expected the place to be an authentic Izakaya. After we arrived and realized the place was a trendy fusion place. But we still decided to order a lot different dishes to try. My favorite was the broccolini. Besides that we also ordered dumplings, fried chicken, grilled sausages, chicken skewers, 2 orders of their eel skewers, chicken meatballs, grilled prawns, and lamb chops. The dumplings were ok, needs more fillings also I didn't really taste lemongrass flavor. The fried chicken was very dry, without the dipping sauce it was bad but with it it was ok. Eel was too sweet. Grilled sausage was good but it didn't require skills, also on the sweet side. The grilled prawns were flavorless. Let's just say the food here was either too sweet or too citrusy or too blend, and rely on the dipping sauces. (This is from someone who loves sour flavor). The place has great atmosphere, I think it's a great hang out spot. But if you are looking for authentic Izakaya food I would not recommend coming here. They don't take reservations here, first come first serve, so go early! Parking is easy. read more

See all

I absolutely love this restaurant! The food is so flavorful and delicious. My kids love the garlic noodles and chicken katsu. My favorites are boa buns, spicy tuna don, salmon crudo, and the wagyu beef. And to top it off order the ube banana pudding...it is so good. The service is always so friendly and fast. We also love that the owner takes pride in sourcing quality organic ingredients along with free range meat. read more

Don't get the raw food! The salmon crudo tasted pretty dodgy and we ended up getting food poisoning from it. The kushiyaki tasted good but hard to recommend a place that doesn't have good food safety standards. read more

Have been there couple of times for takeout. Orders were all correct. Food was very good and high quality they are always busy during dinner so we go early. read more

This place has a great happy hour and it's a really easy place to grab dinner at. The happy hour has really good deals and the drinks and beers are super good! The garlic noodles are the best I have ever had, and some of the best noodles I've ever had in general. The Kushiyaki options are good, but sometimes they are inconsistently cooked, but the flavors on them are always super good. Moral of the story, get 5 orders of the garlic noodles !! read more

See all

Boa buns! That's all you need to know. Service was excellent and ambience was lovely. read more

Oak & Coal - Pork boa Bao Buns - Chashu Pork - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Yikes, these reviews have to be staged. Food was 7.5/10 at best. Cocktails were 2/10 and that's being generous. Service...kinda on the fence here. They tried and also didn't try. 5/10. Would I come back? Maybe, but just for drinks and it'd probably be a beer - leave the mixology to the pro's. read more

One of our favorite date nights was going to Oak & Coal. Hannah, our waitress, was so wonderful and made sure the entire evening was a great experience. It's a rare occasion that all of the food was delicious and we will definitely be back. Highly recommend! We loved the spicy salmon hand rolls and the Bao buns lived up to their hype. My wife loved the wagyu skewers read more

See all

I'm not from the area and was visiting family a couple months ago and wanted to try something new. The greeting was pleasant and for a busy night we still got a table fairly quick. When we sat down it took about 20 minutes for our server (sami) to come over and greet us. She looked disheveled and was not in a good mood. But I was hungry so wanted to look past that. I ordered the cabbage salad and miso black cod. I ordered my appetizer first and expected it before my meal. Not only did we not get our appetizer but the server never put it in the order. When we said something she was rude and condescending tried making us think we were crazy. I could see it in her eyes she was high as a kite and all over the place . Good thing the meal was somewhat decent and the cod was nicely cooked but didn't make up for one ladies horrible service. I would think about returning if I didn't have to be waited on inexperienced teenagers. We did get our appetizers comped and brought them home, and when we opened them there was a large hair stuck to the cabbage..not sure if that was intentional or not... read more

Delicious modern Japanese yakitori restaurant in Costa Mesa. Our waiter was friendly and provided good recommendations. The service was fast. The food was yummy if a little pricey. read more

See all

Sex Drugs & Violence This place has none of these but I needed to get your attention. our bartender/ server Addison was the coolest guy ever No Cap . The speakeasy is an amazing vibe. Best f-Ing food on the planet. Go to this place now. I command you. read more

Come for the little skewers of Japanese charcoal-grilled meats, but stay for the seafood garlic noodles. Oak & Coal is a small yakitori restaurant located in an older shopping plaza that is also home to their sister restaurant Tabu Shabu. The decor is clean and modern. If you get a chance to sit at the bar, you should. You can watch them grill behind the counter and if Nick is there, he's a cool guy and knowledgeable about the food. Yakitori pairs best with a cold beer but they have some unique cocktails here, so I tried the Sunday Funday ($13), a tequila based drink with ginger beer, maraschino and lemon. It was light and refreshing, but not that special. I'd stick to beer next time. We sampled quite a few items including the Wagyu Beef ($7), Prime New York Strip ($6.75), Pork Belly ($4), Pork Sausages ($5.75), Chicken Thigh with Green Onion ($3.75), Bacon Wrapped Tomatoes ($4) and Fingerling Potatoes ($3). It sounds like a lot but it takes more than a couple skewers to fill up. My favorites were the pork belly and bacon wrapped tomatoes. The potatoes and sausages were also good but it's hard to mess those up. Both types of beef were tasty but neither were melt-in-your-mouth. They may have been slightly overcooked. Surprisingly what I enjoyed most was the Oak Famous Garlic Noodles ($17). They're thin ramen noodles in a buttery garlic sauce served with juicy shrimp and scallops. The only downside is it's price. This isn't the best or most authentic yakitori in OC, but they serve good food. It's also not cheap, but they have happy hour from 5- 6pm and 9pm- close every day and all day Sundays! read more

See all

I love yakitori! We were in the area and wanted to try a new yakitori place. (I live in San Diego.) They say they have Wagyu and I got excited! We ordered almost 2-4 of every skewer, we wanted to try everything. I also really wanted to try their Oak Famous Garlic Noodles (which comes with shrimp and scallops), Chicken Kaarage and Dumplings. Unfortunately, all their skewers were overcooked and burnt. I have had Wagyu many times (just came back from a month-long trip in Japan) and I don't think I've ever had chewy Wagyu. Wagyu is supposed to be incredibly tender and melts in your mouth like butter. This place definitely disappointed me in the Wagyu. I feel duped. I still gave this place 3 stars because the wait staff was insanely on queue! Michael was our server, he remembers how each person prefers their food and each of our dislikes, he gave really good suggestions on dishes we may like and he was funny! I really enjoyed the Oak Famous Garlic Noodles, the flavor was on point, enough garlic but not overpowering. The sad part was they give you one shrimp cut in half. It was hard sharing the dish. The Chicken Kaarage was unique, very juicy on the inside and perfectly crunched on the outside. Something else I did enjoy was their sauces. Tare, Yuzu kosho, gochujang and garlic puree. I enjoyed all of them, except gochujang, only because I don't beleive it should be served with Japanese food. Our tab in the end was about $200. I don't think I got my money's worth. Sadly, I do not think I would come back. read more

See all

We walked in on a Thursday around 7pm and were able to be seated outdoors. There's both outdoor and indoor dining. Noone was dining outdoors except for our group. The outdoor dining is on the parking lot. Food was ok. The menu was smaller than what I'm used to seeing and there wasn't a lot of unique dishes. Service was fast. Big parking lot. read more

See all

Service was impeccable. The waiters were very kind and welcoming. We had a mishap, where the steak had a slice of bone. My partner got hurt while eating. They apologized and offered dessert or a beer. We didn't mind much and declined the offer since we were so full already. Steak was the yummiest and bacon wrapped asparagus. The garlic noodles could have more garlic. The chicken skewers didn't have much flavour but I appreciate the yuzu salt they've provided on the side for us. It gave enough taste without overpowering it with yuzu. read more

See all

I came here with a friend because it came up as a cool speakeasy vibe. And if anyone knows, we know it's hard to find a good speakeasy. Unfortunately this place fell short in a few areas. For starters when they first open and it's still light the hall and the exit they use allow for light to come in. Secondly, if you come early they can hear EVERYTHING you say. Third, the service is not the fastest, and when I was unhappy with my first part of my meal, I had to wait to order more. Lastly, the food. The meat was not good. My buns had an airy light texture, the flavor was pretty good, the toppings a bit over kill for me. The meat itself was chewy and made me want to spit it out. The flavor again, was good, but my friend also agreed not the quality in which stated. The chicken Katsu I ordered second (with out complaint) was lacking in sauce to be honest, and the slaw was NOT good, but the chicken itself was well cooked. Overall it was an ok experience but not the best. I might come back another night to sit at the bar just for drinks if I'm in the area again. But it's far to come back to try the food again personally. read more

See all

Folks, the salmon crudo is bat shit crazy good. Thank me later. Also, the service is second to none. If you have the chance, sit at the chefs table thing, not sure the proper name for it but where you sit at a bar in front of the chefs cooking. Bullshit with them and have them whip you up some cocktails to go with what you ordered. Not sure who the owner is but holy shit they're doing things right here. read more

This place is amazing .. celebrated a bday here recently and wow what a great place ... food .. service .. ambience .. and the owner sent us shots .. so kind and thoughtful .. this is my new go to spot So excited!!! read more

Came here last night to celebrate our daughter's birthday with family and the owners and staff were all so accommodating, thank you! We made reservations kinda late for our large-ish party so we were fortunate to find this restaurant. The food was also amazing. We will be back to try more items on the menu and the bar area in the back soon! read more

See all

It was my first time and the verdict is in! Delicious food! Yummy cocktails! We tried for drinks: Shishito sour 10/10 Gimlet 6/10 nothing special Grizzly 10/10 topo!! Chico!!!!! Old fashioned 6/10 again nothing special, super boozy. Food: Brussels 9/10 the sauce! Spicy tuna rice bowl 8/10 rly yummy but not very spicy. Yellow tail and asparagus 10/10 Lemongrass dumplings 8/10 Pork belly skewers 10/10!!!!!!!!!! My fav We had Q the bartender as our server and he was phenomenal. And Karson also answered our questions and was very attentive!!! Love this place read more

Oak & Coal - Shishito sour and the gimlet! - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Service was attentive and friendly, and the ambience was pretty nice, although I found the back room too noisy. Place is open late (at least for the OC!) and great for late meetups. Food was good as well. Don't let the exterior fool you - if it's not stated closing time, it's open! read more

First time dining at this restaurant. Pleasantly surprised. The ambience is good with two sections, a bar and a restaurant. Very chic with art on the walls to catch your attention. Food is excellent and the service was great. Definitely a good choice for Asian food. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus W/ Miso, New Zealand Lamb Chops plus more. All shareable plates so go ahead and order a variety. read more

I sat in the Oak Room in the back and my bartenders Addison and Gabe were awesome. The pork belly kushiyaki was my favorite. They have eight beers on draft, four of which are Japanese beers. It's a nice date spot and there are tables that can seat groups of six. read more

Oak & Coal - Started 07/17/23 - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

See all

The ambience is nice and modern, with a huge open fire grill but the food is somehow not as good as expected for grilled meat. We had lamb chops, pork sausage, wagyu beef, chicken and scallion, uni with crispy rice and tuna don. For Wagyu, the meat was kind of tough and the sauce is not necessary for high end meat but maybe it's not wagyu. Pork and chicken was also bit tough. Overall it is more of a fusion style vs traditional Yakitori. The sake is cloudy and very sweet. read more

See all

Love our experience here every time, food is good and seems to be quality. Cocktails are great as well

Had the pleasure of being served by Addison. If bartending was an Ivy league school, he would be at the top of his class. The service I and my friends received was above anything I have experienced before. Drinks on point and delicious food to boot, what more can one desire from a restaurant! Perfect date night spot. Going at it solo? Also perfect... read more

Extremely busy on a Saturday evening so be prepared to wait a bit if you aren't there right when they open but we certainly found it worth the wait. Service was quick once we were in and the food and especially cocktails were perfect. We had a decent sized and hungry group and the food is designed to share so we got through most of the food and drinks and nothing was a miss. The bar in back has a better atmosphere but fills up first. read more

My bestfriend and I finally had the time to celebrate our annual Christmas dinner a month later and wanted to cross this off her list. I love Japanese food and I'm glad we found this hidden gem. Food was phenomenal! read more

Oak & Coal - Cucumber Salad, salmon sashimi, agedashi tofu - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

See all

Been here twice now and had a wonderful experience both times! Everything I've tried were all on point and delicious. The staff here are also super friendly and attentive. Here's what I've tried & recommend: - shishito peppers - agedashi tofu - seared yellowtail - garlic noodles - skewers: pork belly & wagyu are my favorite Overall, love coming here & can't wait to come back! read more

The food was really good! The highlight of this was their expresso martinis! Soo delicious!!! Definitely will be back! read more

Oak & Coal - Two different type of expresso martinis! So delicious and unique! - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Costa Mesa upping their restaurant game! The drive here was not only close to the beach but also a road to discover gold, food gold that is. I pointed my finger with interest left and right, frantically bookmarking whatever fancied my eye. You pull up, and it's not what you expected. It has a dive bar outer appearance laced with chill vibes, but indeed it's a yakitori joint. They don't accept reservations so we charged through Friday traffic and good thing because instantaneously the crowds started forming. Our order: lemongrass chicken dumplings- perfectly balanced, lemongrass not overpowering, thin outer layer blistered shishito peppers- peppers were bigger in size, spicy aioli sauce ++ seafood garlic noodles- scallops and shrimp cooked right, noodles were too "mushy" and oily for my liking raw tuna- served in thin strips, dressed with sesame oil and furikake tsukune- chicken meatballs were a bit dry, the sautéed zucchini and shimeji made up for it meaty mix- ny prime + wagyu beef + lamb chop yakitori, good quality meat but the layering of sauce was more on the sweet side pork belly- standard, served with dry miso on the side for dipping Overall, would I return? Probably not. I'm satisfied with this first experience and it's good to see that the restaurant is doing so well with the locals! read more

See all

Came across this place for date night, pretty small dining room and has a speakeasy bar in the back. Highly recommend a reservation before coming here. The staff is very friendly and attentive upon arriving. Drinks were excellent and the food was even better, the menu was very modern Japanese cuisine. The garlic noodles and the crispy rice are a go to when ordering! Will definitely come back to try their other dishes! read more

My favorite place to eat in Costa Mesa. Delicious food and great drink selection. I recommend the chicken thighs.

Helpful, friendly service and delicious, healthy eats! The menu seemed limited, but everything we ordered was really fresh(organic) and flavorful. If that is the case, I prefer that they limited their items to ones they could do well! The Chicken Kaarage was lightly breaded, and super moist inside (like wow!), and the yakitori mushrooms were so smokey and yummy. The lamb chop featured a Shiso leaf garnish that enhanced the flavors well. We had a few other staples that were delicious as well (chicken wings, chicken skin, bacon-wrapped asparagus, chicken meatballs, etc...) I'm excited to return and try their homemade dumplings! read more

Oak & Coal - Super-moist Chicken Kaarage and assorted yakitori (the Mushrooms were YUM!) - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The staff here is incredibly knowledgeable about the food and beverages. They'll help guide you through the menu if it's your first time, and they're very attentive and friendly. My absolute must have items when I'm here are the dumplings, garlic noodles, and bacon wrapped tomatoes, but I definitely suggest exploring the menu! I especially enjoy the atmosphere of the dimly lit Oak Room. The music selection really sets the tone, and isn't distracting. Weekends are obviously busy here, I personally prefer the slower pace of the weekdays where I can interact with the bartenders who seem really passionate about suggesting and creating excellent and creative cocktails. Highly recommend! read more

I can't believe I'm so late in trying Oak and Coal! Our dishes were absolutely divine, and the service was excellent! I highly recommend the Chashu Bao Buns. Those were our favorite, but everything was so tasty and flavorful. The next time I go, I want to try the bar in the back, which looked like it had a great ambiance. read more

Oak & Coal - Garlic noodles and Steamed Chicken Lemongrass Dumplings - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

See all

Highly suggest going to Oak & Coal only when happy hour is offered, mainly because the prices of skewers do add up! Came here on Sunday for their all-night happy hour (20% off skewers, $5 sake & beer, $6 cocktails). The boyfriend and I ordered the yellowfin tuna yukke and blistered brussels to start then went kinda ham on the yakitori. Chicken wings (both sea salt and togarashi spice, I preferred the sea salt), chicken skin, chicken "soft bone" aka cartilage (YUM), filet tenderloin, wagyu (must get!), New Zealand lamb chop, jumbo white shrimp (skip), scallops (skip), unagi, pork belly wrapped asparagus (essentially tasted like bacon wrapped ones), king trumpet mushrooms, and charred garlic. My personal faves of the night were probably the brussels sprouts, wings, cartilage, wagyu and mushrooms. Oak & Coal is definitely not your traditional Japanese yakitori place but still super scrumptious and had excellent service. For the health-conscious people, they have gluten free options and the meats are organic/free range! read more

See all

I thought that the coal and oak flavor on the Yakitori that you get was exceptional. You could taste the burnt, the char, the smoke. Price is about average. Yakitori is never cheap, but I would say the quality as this joint is much better. One thing I could recommend they work on are their mixed cocktails. They were either too sour, sweet, or not exactly the flavor that it should be. read more

Oak & Coal - matcha hi-ball - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California