RIP the OG Pepper Lunch in CA. I'm glad we have these in SoCal now as the boom of sizzling plate places in California has dipped greatly since the early 2010's (yes I am a fossil). With all of the Pepper Lunches, food comes out super sizzling hot and their garlic butter rice is yummy, savory and easy to eat. The defaults for me are their beef pepper rice (sometimes jumbo if I feel like sharing) and their beef sizzling curry. The time that I visited in the past, it was FISTED here. Long wait and the restaurant was bustling with people, all tables filled and workers were running around (very carefully since the plates were sizzling hot). I was just so surprised of the large parties that would go in here and the people who would just not eat anything, back then I thought that they should have a rule stating everyone has to order something (even if it's a drink) but now I know that Bay Area people don't really go out to eat (what a native has told me). My ex at the time complained that the meat was low quality and stringy but that was due to the fact that they're a fool who didn't know how to cook the meat correctly. Definitely was given more rice than meat, but it's not the most egregious sin. RIP legend and I feel like this place would be replaced by another hot pot as it's in the plaza with 7 hot pots already. read more

Been coming to Pepper Lunch Milpitas for 25 years and yep, it STILL be smackin'. Fun fact: it's the only U.S. location; the rest are living their best life in Japan. What is it? DIY sizzling hot plate teppanyaki--beef, chicken, or salmon thats cooked right in front of you on a blistering hot plate. It's like dinner and a show, but affordable. Yes, it gets packed during peak hours. Yes, there's a wait. But the staff? Quick, friendly, and table-clearing pros. Worth it every time. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Meat and chicken hot plate! - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Used to come here years ago when I was in school. Slightly different but still all around good! They serve miso soup before the meals and have all the sauces that are great to add to the meal! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Beef Curry - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Really glad we came here when they opened because by the time we left, the whole restaurant was full! Our server was so nice, and I appreciated that they gave us paper plateware and utensils for our kids. The food came out very quickly too. If you like a lot of protein, I would recommend adding an extra portion! It was plenty for me but my husband would have preferred double amount. The oyakodon was just okay...chicken was mostly dry, but that's not the dish you want to come here for anyway. Beef pepper rice and beef pepper udon are the way to go! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Gyoza, Salad for Oyakodon, complimentary miso soup with noodles - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Came back after years and it was nice to see their price hasn't got too much higher since inflation. Still reasonable price and service is quick. However I noticed quality has def gone down. Their portion of meat is less and sauce is not as tasty(garlic soy doesn't taste garlic just salty). Also no more black pepper ?? I rather pay more for the same taste I used to love.. unfortunately I won't be coming back anymore but if you're looking for quick & budget meal, this might be good. They also serve miso soup to everyone which was nice. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Beef Udon w/curry sauce (add on : egg & cheese) - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

My boyfriend and I haven't been to Pepper Lunch in forever!! But, I had a craving for teppanyaki and we decided to go to Pepper Lunch. We used to go here pretty often, but stopped because we kept hearing that it went down hill. However, we went one weeknight and it was not busy at all. My boyfriend ordered #1 and I ordered #3 (Beef Udon) and a side of garlic butter. We actually really enjoyed our food and the service was really friendly! It tasted the same and we got really good service. Hopefully it stays that way! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - #3 - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Parking is easy, since this place is located in Milpitas square. For the food, I'd probably rather go to sizzling lunch which is basically the same thing, taste is similar, but they give way more meat. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

What a sad day! Decided to stop by for lunch today only to discover they've permanently closed. For the uninitiated, Pepper Lunch offered sizzling plate meals with beef and rice. Season and flavor the food to taste with a delicious soy garlic or teriyaki sauce. Delicious and affordable meals. Been in business for almost 30 years, and the only Pepper Lunch location in the US. Our favorite order was the number 1 (beef and rice plate) and the steak and rice special. Both my partner and I feel depressed about the news. read more

I am absolutely saddened that they are closed. They were the OG sizzling lunch can't compare. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - I am absolutely saddened that they are closed. They were the OG sizzling lunch can't compare. - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

I'm so sad to hear that Pepper Lunch is permanently closed! Their food was amazing, their service was great, and it was a cozy little spot with affordable meals. Attached is the letter they have posted about closing the restaurant. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Permanently closed :( - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Service was really quick and friendly! I came by on a weekend right at opening for the dinner rush and was seated right away. We tried the onion rings as an app which were a lot better than I expected from here! The sizzling plates are standard but nothing blew me away. The eggs were placed at the bottom so it got stuck to the pan sadly. Pricing is pretty good especially for the portion! I recommend for a quick and affordable bite. read more

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The place is located in a large plaza with other restaurants so there is ample parking. The restaurant was clean and service was good. I ordered the Beef Pepper Rice (Number 1). The beef was tender, the rice was cooked just right and their sauces went well with the dish. The only thing I feel would make it better is if there was more beef to improve the beef-rice ratio. Price was fair. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Number One -Beef Pepper Rice - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Old school no frill spot with transparent pricing and consistent quality food. The teppan style chicken and beef dishes are my go to for the spot, but you really can't go wrong with anything they have here. I love the chicken plate, because it fills me up without breaking the bank. If you are feeling fancy give the beef plates a try. It's very rare to see a place that serves good food, at a pricing point like this. Service is also quick and prompt. I would recommend you give this place a try. You won't regret it! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Haven't been here in awhile and it's still the same as it was years ago, the food came out quickly after we ordered, make sure to cook your meat right away while the plate is still sizzling. My husband ordered the beef with rice while I ordered the beef with udon and both came out delicious, especially adding the garlic butter and soy sauce. Service is pretty quick, there is a good amount of seats inside, the ambiance is good and there is a bathroom in the back. Plenty of parking in this plaza but can get busy. read more

4.4 stars! This place is so nostalgic and has been in the community for over a decade. I have to be honest that though I live this place, we havent been here in a long time. That said, everything tastes the same and its the pepper lunch flavor that I keep comparing other places to. Everything was as I remember!! read more

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They are located inside of a plaza where you will kind a hot floor spot. Spicy food, somi somi, 99 ranch, and mayflower. They open at 11:30am but they do get busy. They have a scanned QR code for the menu. I ordered the beef plate with curry. They ask if you want curry powder or curry sauce. I opted for curry sauce. All meal comes with miso soup with a pinch of noodles, salad and your entree. Unfortunately, they messed up my order. I chose the rice plate but I was brought the udon plate. They were super nice and they brought the correct order to me. The current was delicious and I was surprised it actually had chunks of beef inside. It was filling and delicious. I would definitely recommend if you're in the area. And you want a change other than dim sum or pho when you're in San Jose/Milpitas. read more

Pepper lunch has been a family favorite for many years. We are always satisfied and it's fun to cook the meat on the hot sizzling plates. Our normal go to is the beef Yakiniku with garlic butter. Their beef pepper rice is the signature dish. I also enjoy their sizzling beef with udon and curry sauce. Service is always friendly. Small spot but homely. read more

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Terrible service. The food truly is bland. If it wasn't for the garlic butter and garlic soy sauce the food wouldn't have any taste. The staff wasn't friendly and I was grossed out seeing the waiter wipe down tables with the same rag and then deliver food. I'm not too sure he washed his hands each time. I won't be back. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - QR code - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

My wife had been here weeks before. We had to come here so I could validate what she was raving about. Established in 1997, the ambiance certainly felt that way, though Pepper Lunch arrived in America later by 2018. We, oddly, perused the menu via QR code, which was as current as it gets. Our server checked on us often, which was quite a feat as they were only two tasked to holding the packed fort during Saturday's lumch rush. My Beef Curry Rice plate arrived sizzling and my wife educated me that the meat was served raw. Mixing the creatively arranged plate of ingredients was key as the beef quickly changed colors from pink to "get in my belly". Though I found the dish lacking in flavor, a quick dash of the teriyaki and garlic soy sauce dispensers, and voila. I also did taste the buttery flavors of the rice during this lunch. I was full after this meal, but my wife & son had to pack their's to-go. A decent meal for me. I'm wondering why it's not counter instead of table service, but that's just me. read more

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Pepper lunch is super well known, though I'll admit I've actually only been twice! After a morning of pickleball, I was really feeling a meat and rice dish, so pepper lunch seemed like the perfect spot. I didn't realize they've been around for so long! There were a bunch of signs inside saying it's been open since the 90s. I'm not sure if it's been renovated since then, but it does look a bit dated. They definitely seem to still be super popular! We went around 12:30 on a Sunday and the place was nearly completely full. Luckily we were able to get seated right away. I got the sizzling plate with beef and rice with an egg. It was everything I expected but also nothing spectacular at the same time. The plate definitely smells good with the butter and the sizzling plate, but the flavors are pretty plain even with the garlic soy sauce added. Once everything is mixed together, it feels like something you can easily make at home with better seasoning. Overall, I think it does the job when you want something plain and comforting, but I wouldn't really crave it or go out of my way to get it. We also got the gyoza, which even my bf said were not good (and he's normally not picky on food at all). They tasted like frozen gyoza, but the skin was almost too crispy and hard! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

This place has always had a special place in my heart, left a 5 star review almost 13 years ago, would constantly defend it against dissenters, blasphemers, the untouchables who compared it to Sizzlers or Vietnamese com tam. I don't think I've been back since the height of the pandemic, and now that I have, it really doesn't hit the way that it used to. I was the first one at the establishment one day, and upon entering the restaurant, the entire restaurant immediately smelled like a urinal. Gross. The employees there seemed nice enough, but I didn't recognize any of them (not that I should have, I mean it's been awhile), and I didn't see the original owner. This place touts itself as being the first Pepper Lunch in the US since 1997. However, I just came back from a trip to OC and there are several Pepper Lunches now within the US, and they all follow the branding and menu items from the Pepper Lunches in Japan. This one specifically in Milpitas looks much different. This one calls itself "Pepper Lunch USA", meanwhile the other Pepper Lunches in the US call themselves "Pepper Lunch North America". I think somewhere along the way the one in Milpitas went their own route with the brand. If you visit another Pepper Lunch in SoCal or somewhere else, you will know exactly what I mean. At one point, I would have gone as far as to say that their oyakodon was THE best oyakodon outside of Japan. The way that they used to make it was absolutely delectable. I order it again and it was abysmal. It was hard to stomach, there was no flavor. The chicken tasted boiled, the eggs were completely messed up, I took a picture to show how bad it looks. I urge you to go through this place's old photos and look up old photos of oyakodon, and compare it to mine. Completely different and a huge travesty considering it's one of their more pricey items now. The one in OC is much better, follows the Japanese branding, and it was so good I went twice in my trip. I really don't know what happened but it was incredibly disappointing to see how different this place is now as far as its menu items go, despite how much I used to love coming here. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Their current oyakodon. Terrible, no flavor, tased boiled and jostled around. I did not touch this, this is how it was served. - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

I have so many fond memories of going to Pepper Lunch in high school and college with my friends and family. My family and I are so sad to hear that it has permanently closed because it was one of our favorites. It was the original sizzling plate restaurant and will be severely missed. Thank you for the best food, service and memories! read more

Been eating here regularly for over 25 years. (This great restaurant survived the tech bubble, housing financial crash, and even the pandemic. Ha!) The food quality has remained consistently great. The Japanese sizzling plate comfort food is always satisfying. What truly stands out is how impeccably clean the restaurant is--tables, chairs, and even the condiment bottles are never greasy, which is impressive given the nature of the cuisine. Everything is sparkling clean! Huge respect and appreciation for the staff and management. Kudos! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Quick 'n easy dinner. Food was quite decently priced ($15/rice plate before tax/tip) and good/satisfying. They also gave us miso soup with noodles as an appetizer right when we sat down (before we even ordered), which was very cool. I will say the miso soup lacked a bit of flavor, though. The food came out quickly and the staff was very efficient and attentive. We'll be back!! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Number One - Beef Rice Plate (Chicken plate in the back) - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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For years I've watch people waiting to get in at Pepper Lunch in the Ranch 99 shopping center in Milpitas. Sunday at 12:15 pm the restaurant was full but some tables opened up in about 10 minutes. I picked the # 1 for $15 thinly sliced beef on a sizzling hot skillet with a pile of rice and corn on top. The beef and rice was bland by itself but two squeeze bottles of teriyaki and garlic soy sauce give it flavor. Tip: you can eat this fast because you will burn your mouth. Ask for a fork. Service was good. For $15 it's a filling hot meal. Plenty of parking. When I was done there were at least 15 people waiting to get in. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - #1 - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

I hadn't been to Pepper Lunch in 8 years-- and I had to come back to tell y'all it is just as good as you remember (+ way better than Sizzling Lunch!) I went on a Friday evening, but there was no line at 5:30 right when they opened. Even leaving at 6:30, the restaurant was medium-full. I remember having to queue up for hours, seems to not be the case anymore. I stuck with my classic, #1 Beef Pepper Rice. Is it just me, the portion seems even bigger now?! They still give the extra garlic butter on request which is always my favorite part. I've seen some reviews talk about the meat quality going down-- to be honest it felt the same to me. I had no complaints there. The prices really haven't been hit by inflation all that much, my #1 was only ~$15 pre-tax/tip. Considering it's been 8 years since my last visit, this is not a big change at all! I value Pepper Lunch for their prices and maintained quality. Still a pillar of the community in my opinion! read more

I've always wanted to try Pepper Lunch, and I'm glad I finally did! My friends and I came here around 8:15pm on a Thursday, and there was no wait. The food cane fast and the staff continuously filled our waters, etc. I ordered the classic beef pepper lunch, which was so good! I loved the bits of rice that got crispy as it sizzled. The corn goes really well with the meat and the two sauces (garlic soy sauce and teriyaki) both went well with the dish. The portion is pretty perfect, I ate before so I had leftovers but you can definitely eat in one sitting without feeling too full/sick. In general I'm glad I stopped by to try! Maybe I'll stop by a different location to try the udon options another time! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Number One - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Food was delicious! It's a good option next to sizzling lunch but a gripe I had is that the mountain of food would just fall all over the place when mixing lolol, it's not as stable. Also, what was interesting is their miso soup had noodles thin rice noodles which was pretty good. Service was very fast and we were constantly being checked on. read more

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My family of 4 have always loved this restaurant! The food is always tasty! This visit was exceptional cuz of IAN! He is the most hard worker(hands down) in any restaurant I've ever visited! Not only that, but friendly!! lol. My daughter even mentioned to me that she wished Ian was her classmate on her group school projects! Thank you, Ian, for a wonderful family dinner! We will return soon! read more

Hip update music for this small lunch spot. Digital menus are provided and the server came to assist me quickly. I am a huge fan of the sizzling salmon plate with garlic butter it's delicious. A lunch favorite for me read more

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I really do heart Pepper Lunch USA. I've been coming here since college (~7 years ago) and quality has remained the same. It's still a really small restaurant, but the wait is worth for a few reasons: A) The garlic butter, duh. B) Delicious beef C) Curry udon... ofc. D) Sizzling plate, woo! But overall, service is great and fast (because it basically cooks right infront of you) and everyone's always been super friendly and welcoming no matter how busy! Definitely recommend. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Beef pepper udon -- adding curry spice is a must! - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

We were in the bay area so we decided to give this a try since my husband has been wanting to try this for a long time. From what I noticed fr the get go, they do not have a high chair for toddlers and since we have a 1 year old, its quite a challenge to eat without a high chair. Next thing I noticed is they serve lesser meats and lesser portion.. the only thing I liked about our experience is the old nice lady that's smiling the entire time, she's probably the owner but will i come back again to try other foods? Nah i dont think so.. but more power to ya all. read more

We were immediately seated when we went and the food came 5 minutes after we ordered. Food was yummy and they have good music playlist too lol. Overall really good experience. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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I've come here a few times and I've always been happy with the service and food. We came on a late Thursday night and were seated right away. The menu is all though the QR code so we scanned the code and decided what to eat pretty quick. We were hungry! We ordered the gyozas, sweet potato fries and the beef pepper udon. Everything came out shortly after we ordered and it was delicious! The gyozas were hot and crunchy. The fries were enough to share between the two of us. Of course the beef udon was delicious. My only complaint was that I didn't get the extra garlic butter I ordered but I'm still happy since this satisfied my Pepper Lunch craving. The restaurant wasn't super busy and everyone was being served quickly. This is one of my favorite places to eat in the South Bay so I'm glad I got to share it with a friend this time! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Beef Udon - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Was here on a Friday. This was highly recommended by a friend. Came in around lunch time but was seated right away. The place is casually decorated. It is located in a complex with other Asian restaurants. I agree that parking is horrible especially since one area was closed down due to construction. I have no expectation especially because I was with my not so usual dining partners so I really didn't know what's in store for me/us. We didn't know how to order or what to expect so we asked the other diners beside us what they had since what they had really looked delectable. Menu was confusing. Definitely a lot of choices, maybe for next time. Me and my 2 friends ordered the same thing on the menu. We had the Beef pepper Udon. Our food was served in a sizzling plate with the beef under a pile of udon and sweet corn and green onions. You had to mix and stir everything for the beef to be cooked. On the table they have both teriyaki and garlic soy sauces that you can use to season. I chose the garlic soy. I really liked it! I finished the entire serving. Definitely coming back when in the San Jose area, next time with my usual dining partner. 18 4 2024 #252 read more

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Pepper lunch has been around quite the while and certainly seems to hold solid value as a teppanyaki spot in Milpitas. Fast service with competitive pricing, and a fairly rich flavor profile makes for a nice combo (not to mention a heaping serving size), though their temperature control could use a bit of work. Parking isn't usually too bad given the sizable lot, but it does fill up. Pepper Lunch uses a paper-based waitlist system, so putting your name down up front during more peak hours would be the way to go. The service was fast and got us settled quickly. An interesting touch was the complimentary miso soup, with it coming with noodles instead of tofu (they were pretty soft though, so my preference is still on tofu). The menu was accessed through QR codes, bringing up a PDF menu where items were ordered by numbers. It seemed like the waitstaff primarily knew the menu items by their numbers, so it's advisable to order that way to avoid any confusion. A smooth dining experience overall. ==#2 Curry Beef Rice - 4/5 The garlic butter and plenty of seasoning underneath in the rice makes for a pretty rich profile without any additional sauces (though there's two bottles at the table for more if desired). Dish is definitely on the rice heavy side, so you won't be leaving hungry. Sizzling it certainly was, but that all said it seems like my rice and meat never really crisped up. Since that's like one of my main joys of teppanyaki, it's rather disappointing to find only a small half inch circle worth of crisping happening, so the heating wasn't too uniform on my plate. The beef was nicely tender though and the curry does add a nice subtle flavoring to the meal. I added cheese, though this wasn't as fragrant or substantial as I had imagined, so I'd suggest instead a fried egg or something with more heft. read more

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I'm sooo sad it's permanently closed One of my favorite restaurants and no other sizzle plate can compare... To the owner, wishing you the best. read more

3.5 stars They have complimentary miso soup I got the beef curry udon... nothing too special. Need to add their sauces to add more flavor! I think I preferred their beef rice plate more. The store is nice a cozy and the staffs were friendly. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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I gess Pepper Lunch USA has been a long staple in the Milpitas area. I have been longing to try our their plates and the opportunity rose as we were in the area one weekday afternoon. I ordered their tried and true Sizzling Plate with an addition of egg. Not to long and our meals arrived. I must say that the sizzling plates are absolutely aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Crackling and sizzling morsels of beef was such a sight to behold. The rich as a very wonderful peppery taste to it. The beef strips, though tender, were on the bland side. There are different types of soy sauce you can add to your meal. A dash of salt though is a must. Overall, Pepper Lunch USA did quench our hunger that weekday afternoon. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Sizzling Plate - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Finally had the chance to visit Pepper Lunch! My fam raves about this place lol. We came as a party of 6 on a Sunday around 1:45PM (they close at 2:30PM and reopen at 5PM). It took 10 minutes to get a table. We all knew what we wanted so we ordered right away. You get a bowl of miso soup with your order which I thought was nice! Food- the miso soup was yummy, especially during the cold season. It was different! It had lil bits of vermicelli noodz instead of tofu, so that was cool. I ordered the #3 (Beef Udon) and we got a side of the garlic butter which apparently is what they are known for! It made my dish super tasty! The portions are just right, you get the perf amount of meat and the perf amount of udon noodz. Service- Our server was extremely nice! I loved his energy even though we were the last party there. so thank you! Overall, this place was mid. It's not like "OMGGGG I want it again". Glad I got to finally try it out. read more

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