Great spot for Valentines day. We've wanted to try it for a while but haven't been able due to covid. It's a great spot with great food. I definitely recommend coming in. read more

Service was amazing!! All the skewers were good. Price is definitely pricey for what you get which is why I wont go out of my way to return but definitely worth trying at least once. read more

This place is our favorite! Staff is so welcoming and friendly. Dining with a toddler never easy, in fact you may never eat but here service is quick, hot and DELICIOUS! So many great items on the menu: the buns, Brussels, poke, wagyu, garlic shrimp noodles....heck even the cucumbers are DELICIOUS. The bar is the icing on the cake, the gimlet so refreshing and their craft cocktails never disappoint! Jeff, has even been known to hold/entertain our child so we can eat. Get there early but if you have to wait it's worth it! Thank you JEFF, Christian, Nick and Q for the great service over the years and the being the true definition of hospitality! read more

I wish I lived near here so I could come visit more often! The space is clean and inviting; trendy and hipster chic without any pretense. It is perfect for having drinks and enjoying yakitori for any occasion. The service and staff were amazing! The atmosphere and our server definitely exceeded our expectations. We ordered about 8 different yakitori's: our favorite was Wagyu. Favorite dishes were the special of the day (linguini roe pasta) and the chicken Karaage. The cucumber salad was also very refreshing. PSA: we happened to go on a Sunday which has happy hour deals for all day/night. Definitely would recommend! read more

Oak & Coal - Garlic Noodle - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Sat in there new bar area at the bar top the bartender's were amazing super friendly with amazing suggestions and recommendations I loved everything I got can't wait to go back read more

I'll be honest, I don't love hanging out in Orange County unless it's to eat because most places here know how to do food well and Oak & Coal is no exception to that rule. Rookie mistake on our part - it's 20% off food if you arrive between 9-10 and we got here at 8:30pm. Oh well, you live and you learn. what we ordered: chicken katsu - 5/5 would order again fire wings - 5/5 this was great seafood garlic noodles - 5/5 carby goodness in my tummy agedashi tofu - 5/5 also very good grilled garlic - 3/5 too difficult to eat but if you figure it out then more power to you shishito peppers - 4/5 good, but not an absolute need chicken dumplings - 4/5 good lamp chop - 5/5 wagyu beef - 5/5 No complaints. Would return again. Service was lovely. read more

We really loved this place and the vibe here. The portion sizes were generous for a yakitori joint and we were pleasantly surprised. We had a little bit of everything and loved the dipping sauces that were served with the meats- mainly yuzu or miso based. I am now obsessed with the combo of bacon + miso and am pondering how I can incorporate it into a thanksgiving appetizer. Everything was on point, from appetizers to the raw items and yakitori we loved it all. The unagi is the perfect dish to end on-its like a little dessert in itself. Can't wait to come back. read more

SO stoked we found this restaurant! We ordered about half the menu and every single thing we tasted was absolutely delicious. You simply MUST try the Brussels sprouts and the tuna! Everyone working there was so nice, everything was clean and it was just truly a wonderful experience. Can't wait to go back! read more

That Unagi will knock your socks off! Drinks were good, but will definitely return for that eel.

I can't believe Oak and Coal has 4.5 stars. Not a single item we ordered was worth the price. The chicken was cold, the dumplings were equivalent to frozen dumplings you buy at a grocery store, the sausages were basically smoked hot dogs, and the garlic noodles were average. This place used to be good. I'm totally bummed that it has fallen to this level read more

I've been to Oak & Coal a few times now, and I really do enjoy it! It is not the cheapest eats around, but it does taste great and have a fantastic vibe inside. I definitely recommend trying to come during happy hour when the skewers are all 20% off! My favourite things to order: - Spicy Tuna Don bowl - Dumplings - Charred Corn - Pickled Cucumbers under starters - Tsukune (chicken meatballs) - My boyfriend also loved the pork belly Skip the potatoes, they're not as good grilled as I would have liked. I also wasn't super impressed by the scallops This is a small place, and they let you order in rounds, so people do tend to sit for a while, so it definitely can get busy. Service is quick though, the last time I was there our waitress Hailey was awesome. Expect to easily spend $40-$50 a person if you have just one drink each. read more

We came here on a Friday night for takeout. It took about half an hour for the food to come out. It was super packed and people were waiting in line to be seated. Glad we didn't wait to sit down. The bacon asparagus skewers, mushrooms skewers, pork belly, chicken skewers, lamb chops and garlic noodles were so good! read more

This is Traditional Japanese meat skewers, grilled over a charcoal flame. All the pieces are bite-sized! You can get anything from meat, seafood and vegetable. This is a cute small venue! Great for place for couple dinner. The entire menu looked amazing. I was very pleased with the customer service. I highly recommend the following items: -Kimichi Dumplings (Make sure you get the 12 pc) -Yellowfin Tuna Yukke (AMAZING) --Meat-- -Chicken Breast w/ume plum & shiso leaf -Grassfed prime Filet -Wagyu beef tongue -Kurobuta saugages -Jumbo white shirmp -Shitake mushroom -Shishito peppers Overall, the entire menu was amazing! I highly recommend you to come and try it. Thank you again for the great service and food. I will definitely come back! read more

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The lamb is orgasmic. Service gives male brothel vibes. Been coming here since they opened and have enjoyed every single visit. Addison, Will, and, Gabriel can make a "drink. " overall worth coming. So don't come, otherwise I won't be able to get a table. read more

Go to spot. Flavors in cuisine are on point, the bartenders are another level. 10/10 recommend to everyone.

Quiet hidden away spot. Small restaurant with a bar out back like a speakeasy. Great space nice staff great food and drinks

The food was mediocre. There was not one dish that I thought was great. The cabbage salad and cucumber was probably the best. The snake River was okay, nothing special. The crispy rice wasn't good. Pork belly wasn't good. Also, I had to ask for my drink 3x from 2 different people until I finally got it at the end of my meal. Wouldn't go back. The back bar seemed to have good ambiance but we were sitting in the front. read more

This place was kinda hyped up for me before I went here and to tbh it didn't completely live up to the hype. I love yakitori, but unfortunately It doesn't leave me full. We started off with the soba noodles both hot and cold. My cold noodles were tasty, but a bit too much sauce for my liking. The flavor was however tasty. We shared 5 different types of yakitori which were all delicious and pretty tender. Local beers also sold. Cool vibes inside. Fairly small restaurant with limited seating. Pretty tasty food. read more

Oak & Coal - Cold soba noodles - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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For a good time and fast friendly service sit at the bar, order the best garlic noodles in OC and any of their delicious cuts of meat. Wash it down with a mango beer. You're welcome. read more

Oak & Coal - Garlic noodles and a partially devoured snake river wagyu beef kushiyaki - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

So nice to be back in the OC, we have visited a couple times previously and absolutely LOVE the Fried Chicken Karaage. A must have if you are going to stop in. Love the small bite set up, the staff is super nice (I have seen the same person each time) and she remembers us. :) So glad they made it thru this Covid thing, and now they do have inside seating. Thank you Oak and Coal, we will see you soon. read more

My brother and I were looking for a restaurant/bar that was open a little later on Saturday night, so we landed at Oak & Coal since they're open until midnight on Saturday. Surprisingly there aren't many good late-night options in the OC around this area. This was my 2nd time here and both times I had an awesome experience. I highly recommend sitting at the bar if you can. The employees and chef's are able to provide a little more time giving you their recommendations since they're naturally working back there, and with so many great options for both food and drinks it's nice to have some direction from the experts. First, the food is awesome! We tried many different meat and veggie skewers and all of them were worth ordering again. I'm very picky it's rare for me to like everything, so you can't go wrong here. In terms of drinks I immediately noticed they had some really good Japanese whiskey's available; both a Hibiki 17 and Yamasaki 18 year whiskey were on display, so they know good whiskey's. The service was also top-notch. Everyone there was very personable - not just to us, but to everyone that entered the restaurant. They were obviously genuinely interested in ensuring that their guests were happy and that they enjoyed the food and drinks that they asked for feedback on both. They have happy hour all day on Sundays so next time I'm in OC I'll hit them up again. read more

Amazing food and drinks! I've only sat at the bar and the bartender is so friendly and helpful with food suggestions. It's a really fun date night place! read more

Sunday Funday Happy hour! I know right! Stellar customer service! Everything is fresh! Easy parking and free dessert upon checking in with yelp! Highly recommend. Loved the Lamb! Loved everything. read more

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Absolutely love this Japanese Restautant. Every single dish is better than the last. Nick and Hailey head up the friendly Crew. It's fun to experience several of their tapas and dishes. We always eat too much but are ready to go back the very next night! I want to go right now. PS: i don't care how full you are, just get the "Mushipan" dessert and mush it all together...just do it. You can thank me later. read more

Oak & Coal - Girls Night Out - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Great food, vibe. Staff. Enjoyed sitting in the bar where the atmosphere is better and the drinks are made. Good good, unlike anything I have had anywhere else. Definitely a good place and I'll be back. read more

Very good yakitori style food. We enjoyed all their grilled offerings and drinks. Great experience overall. read more

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Yakitori is super dry and burned. Had 9 skewers of yakitori, none was right. please avoid this place. -reply to the owner: 8/28/2022 Did not mean to hurt you. In fact, I have a lot of respect for business owners, especially ones that claim to do cuisine influenced by Japan. That said, it is your obligation to make sure the product is good. The fact of the matter is, it was not good when we had it. That is something between you and your staff. It is your fault and your staff's fault. You should communicate w/ your staff regarding quality assurance after our comments and issue an apology to us. NOT hide behind your keyboard trying to make us feel bad about leaving bad reviews for having received terrible food. read more

Hopped in right when they opened at 5:00 on a Saturday night. I can see how the wait could be an issue. This is a nice addition to the 17th Street CM dining zone. We will work this one into our rotation. Rather safe and simple yakitori, not up to par with what you will find in Torrance, but I do recommend. Sorry no pictures this time. read more

Sensational food, beautiful ambiance, and top notch service! This place is such a phenomenal restaurant. It's evident that they really put care into the food and appreciate their customers. Anyone who hasn't given Oak and Coal a shot should do so immediately! read more

Great dining experience. Fun delicious food! Service was attentive and available. Very pleasant evening.

I have heard about this place, tucked away on 17th street. It was very good, but not a huge WOW factor. We had some dumplings & broccolini to share. I Had the prawn skewers that were tender and cooked perfectly. Our server was very efficient, and knew the menu & dishes, which is a plus. The "famous" noodles were excellent. I would come back. read more

They just started serving lunch here! Bummed though that it's a super edited menu of donburi rice bowls and a few other choices. I went for the beef udon, my friend picked the karaage chicken donburi. My udon was a solid B: nothing mind blowing but not bad. We got an order of potstickers to share and they came out crispy and hot - the dipping sauce was tasty! We really wanted yakitori but I will be back because the place is adorable and our server was awesome. I love that it's casual sit-down - not pretentious, very relaxed SoCal vibe read more

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Great Yakitori place, really friendly service, and an amazing happy hour. The happy hour is relatively short lived because they open at 5 PM and the happy hour ends at 6 PM (M-Th) and also late night happy hour 9-11 PM (M-TH, Sunday). The $5 ozeki sake won't break the bank during happy hour and you can just drink it straight from the glass instead of pouring out small shots. Pricing for all the proteins vary from $3.50+. The OK items included the kimchi gyoza, chicken skin, and shishito peppers. We ordered 12 gyoza and although it was cooked through the skin was not very crispy at the base and the sauce was kind of too sour for me. Chicken skin was hit or miss, because if you don't eat it immediately it'll get really hard to chew. Shishito peppers still tasted relatively raw and could have used more charring. However, there's definitely a great selection of amazing items. The chicken meatball, kurobuta pork and sausages, chicken thigh, beef tongue, wagyu short rib, chicken hearts, and lamb chop was really good. Cooked and seasoned well, with some great sauces to pair with the proteins. The yakitori comes with small mounds of sauces which are flavorful (a little goes a long way!). The spicy tuna bowl was quite delicious and pretty much on par with Fukadas spicy tuna bowl. The cucumber bowl is a MUST because they are generous and give enough cucumbers to start a garden. The chicken kaarage was also on point with extra crispy breading some great pairing drizzled sauce. Overall, the place is really attractive and although parking might be a challenge due to all the other businesses in the same plaza it's well worth a visit. Our server was super attentive and accommodating, the ambiance is lively as even some cooks came out to see how we were doing and how the food tasted, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone craving yakitori or just some good Japanese food! read more

A bit pricy for the portion but the taste is quite good. We have 7 people with average 90/per with cocktail and everyone is full. Yellowtail &salmon, grilled eel and Wagyu are probably my favorite. read more

Incredible food, drinks, and service! We sat in the little bar in the back for the first time - it truly felt like we were the only ones in the restaurant. That's how wonderful the bartenders/waiters treated us! I always leave feeling full and happy. We live walking distance so we will be back lots! read more

Q and Steven are amazing; so knowledgeable and attentive and fun! We had a great time. Would 100% come again!

Oak & Coal is AMAZING. Upon entering you are immediately felt welcome. There is a warm, cozy vibe with friendly staff. I usually sit at the bar, so my waiter is usually one of the chefs. Their selection of beers, sake and whiskey's are excellent. I've enjoyed the variety of Japanese whiskey available. The quality of meats and seafood here are excellent. I've had fish, lamb, oysters, salmon, pork, beef, chicken, numerous veggies and great soup. Everything I've gotten, from traditional and ordinary to weird and exotic tasted great. The best part of Oak & Coal is to experience something new. Something that the rest of 17th Street doesn't have. Something you won't find at a chain and something you won't get anywhere else nearby. Trust me, you will walk out wanting more! Until next time... read more

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I got the fire chicken karaage to go (pictured were my leftovers the morning after). Portions were generous, the flavor was great (loved the sauce!), and for the short time I was there the servers seemed very upbeat and friendly. Overall great food and environment. I will definitely be back to try other dishes! read more

Oak & Coal - Fire Chicken Kaarage - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Oak & Coal is a Costa Mesa foodie gem nestled in the heart of 17th street and one of our favorite go-to spots for a delicious/fun night out! The kushiyaki is a must have (can't go wrong with any of the choices - they are all cooked and seasoned to perfection). Always, ALWAYS get the special(s) they offer. Last night they were serving duck bao buns that ended up being a table fave. The raw seafood is consistently fresh and delicious. Frankly there isn't a food item on the menu we haven't devoured at one point or another. The cocktails are delicious and the saki selection is bar none. The service was and has always been incredible. All of the staff are friendly, welcoming and accommodating. Last but certainly not least, the vibes are top notch - the Oak Room transports you to another time/place. We have been going to this spot for years now and will continue to go back, which is the true indication of an epic restaurant! read more

The food here is top quality! The only thing is... be aware of what you're ordering because it racks up quick! We ended up with a $180.00 bill for two people, to include taxes and tips. It was well worth it but we will definitely order less lobster next time. The location of the place didn't seem very welcoming but when you get inside, the ambiance makes you feel warm and cozy. Perfect place for date nights or even solo nights. There isn't very much seating but we weren't there on a crowded night so it wasn't a problem. The employees were very friendly, knowledgeable, and the cooks even interacted with the customers! read more

Oak & Coal - Delicious! - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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