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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I've been craving pepper lunch many times. I'm so happy get to try it after a long time haha, I usually get the Beef pepper udon and a side of garlic butter. They offer condiments in the table whenever you need to add more flavor to the dish. I try to flip the meat fast so it doesn't become too red before it slowly stops cooking, that happened last time lol. I had a good experience having dinner there, the service was great every time. It gets pretty busy but this time I get seated right away c: definitely a really nice spot to eat out with your friends read more

Walked in for a table for 4, but only 2 of us first arrived and thankfully they were seated before the rest of the party got there! This is something I appreciate about the restaurants who don't require a full party to be seated. I love the beef udon here! I rarely finish my food but this was the perfect amount surprisingly. Although some more vegetables would be nice, I know it's just not how they do it here. Super yummy, chewy udon noodles, very happy with our meals! read more

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

It did not have the paper around the rim like Pepper Lunch typically would. Everyone struggled to mix or cook beef. Food delivery was interesting because server would not speak. I wouldn't seek this out again. It was fine but not what I would typically expect of Pepper Lunch. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Pepper Beef with extra beef - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Let's start with the food! We've ordered their classic signature sizzling plate, Beef Pepper Rice. Make sure to mix it with their Garlic Soy Sauce and Teriyaki Sauce to add the flavor! The quality of the food is delicious. What makes it really enjoying is hearing the sizzle and the aroma. If you need to meat to cook more then you can always ask them to do so. The authenticity of the place is there, it's really old as it has been build for many years. We went on a weekday afternoon and not much people during that time. Will definitely come back for more comfort food! read more

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

Many of my friends had been telling me about Pepper Lunch, so I had to go and give it a try. The restaurant is in a very large Asian plaza and there's usually plenty of parking, but spots can be a bit harder to find during peak hours on weekends. Service here is really nice and quick. You get a complimentary bowl of miso soup when seated. I ordered the curry beef udon and it's fun grilling the meat on the plate and seeing it cook. Presentation of the dish is quite nice. The garlic butter smells amazing and the meat is of great quality. However, I felt like there wasn't enough curry powder, so some of the noodles end up being a bit flavorless. My bf got the beef curry with rice. It can get a bit hard to stir everything together without spilling some rice on the table. Overall, this was a fun experience and I would come back and try some of the other dishes! read more

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

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I normally get the Beef Pepper Rice, but this time I tried the Combo Plate with salmon and beef. The concept of the food is really cool as they serve it on a sizzling plate and the meat cooks as it sits on the plate. The Beef Pepper Rice is still #1 for me -- the salmon in the combo plate was a little bit bland and I ended up needing to heavily drizzle sauce over it to make it taste better. Our server was great and very attentive! This is a great spot to eat at as there are lots of stores and dessert places in this plaza, as well as a 99 Ranch grocery store. read more

As if this place needs more praise, it's hard to get a table as it is! Great food, hot and sizzling. Bold flavors. Always hits the spot. It can get pretty loud in here, but it's a nice happy vibe. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Beef, rice, curry powder, and mushrooms. - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

The OG teppanyaki place! I have loved this place for years and always love to go whenever I have the chance. This place is in a huge plaza so typically you can find parking somewhere. I came on a Friday night for dinner and was seated right away. It didn't get too crowded yet throughout our whole dinner. It's a cute restaurant with plenty of seating. The service was quick and nice. I always order the Curry Beef Pepper Udon and it never disappoints! It came out relatively quick and comes in a hot sizzling plate. I love to add extra sauce that they provide at the tables. The food is always so flavorful and it stays warm throughout your whole meal. Love this place and definitely recommend to come and get their udons or rice sizzling plates!! read more

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

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So I really wanted to like this place, but the food was lacking in flavor and seasoning. The portions were good, but Sizzling Lunch in Fremont tastes way much better. The service was great and the environment was super chill and friendly. I found it to be really cramped and small for me, and I think it could use an update on its decor. Honestly it's an old school spot, that needs a massive upgrade. It has potential to be great, I hope it does get better. read more

Nice ambience when entering, small dining area. Ordering was easy and waiter was kind. Orders were mixed up as they were coming out and two of our orders out of six were incorrect. Overall the food was tasty and the beef mixed with eggs and rice. The waiter brought garlic butter and the table had teriyaki sauce and garlic sauce to our over the beef and rice. read more

Heard alot about this place and it always smells so nice when I pass by any of its locations. Beef pepper rice: 5/10, beef was overcooked and tough, but also just not a good cut of meat. Flavors were lacking even after dousing everything in the sauce bottles provided (too watery) Good only for a quick lunch. Would recommend the teriyaki sauce over the other read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Beef pepper rice - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

The #11 Chefs Special B Salmon Steak comes with miso soup and salad. I also chose the garlic butter for sauce. It's a good portion and very filling. There was plenty of seating for a late lunch and food came out quickly. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Tasty! But not very special. Detailed breakdown below: **Service, 5/5** Friendly staff. **Decor & cleanliness, 3.5/5** Pretty dark inside with country music playing haha -- not sure what vibe they're going for. **Price & portion, 3/5** Portion is a good size but there aren't any premium ingredients used (just rice or noodles, corn, butter, and a little bit of thinly sliced meat), so not really worth it imo. **Presentation of the food, 5/5** Sizzling plate looks, sounds, and smells amazing. **Taste of the food, 4/5** The udon noodles were thick and chewy, but the beef will become well done and overcooked no matter what you do because it's on the hot plate. **Other notes** Both my friend and I received complimentary miso soup! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Pepper lunch is one of my favorite lunch spots in Milpitas square. You can't go wrong with anything here but I'm personally a huge fan of the beef udon with curry. My go to add ons are the egg or both the egg and cheese. Make sure to ask for the garlic butter!!! When the plate comes to you sizzling hot the first thing I like to do is stir in the garlic butter and mix in the egg. Then I cook it with a little soy sauce. After a minute or two the meat browns and that's when I like to top it off with some teriyaki sauce. SOOO GOOOD!!! I love coming here and I always look forward to coming back! Note: it also comes with a miso soup to start! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Beef Udon w/curry sauce - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Came here on a Sunday afternoon, there were about 5 parties in front of me but the wait was only like 15 min so it wasn't too bad. The owner was super nice, got us seated pretty quickly and ordering was very straightforward. We got the curry beef rice + egg and an oyako don cuz I'm trying to eat healthier. The few bites of curry beef rice I had were amazing. The splash of garlic soy and teriyaki drizzle is much needed imo, and cooking the rice to a crisp made it all the better. My recommendation is to not overcook the meant but over cook the rice a bit so it's crunchy, then put a bunch of sauce on it The oyako don was great too. There was lots of egg and the chicken was really flavorful. The egg+chicken to rice ratio was great too, so there wasn't a surplus of rice like a lot of other restaurants with oyako don. Very enjoyable meal. I would definitely come back, I look forward to trying their curry katsu rice and beef curry udon, when I am no longer on a diet read more

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

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Haven't been here in ages. It still looks relatively the same. They now have a QR code for the menu but ordering is still done through the staff. Food is just as I remembered. Waiter provided great customer service. This is a nice lunch spot. Where else can you get a hearty meal that's prepared at the time of ordering in a restaurant for under $20, including a soda...especially in the Bay Area? The only drawback is the smell of grilled meat may stick to your clothes. Small sacrifice considering the price of the meal. I had the Beef Pepper Rice. It came out on a sizzling iron steak plate. There were ample beef slices and corn with rice. The sauces (soy garlic and teriyaki) were located on each table so that I could add the amount to my liking. This dish for $15 left me pretty full. read more

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

I used to come here a lot when I was younger but the quality of the food has definitely gone down while the prices have risen a lot. There are a lot more tepanyaki spots that opened up in the area that are a lot better and cheaper! The sauces they have here don't really have any flavor other than just salt. The dishes they brought out had zero seasoning, the beef was bland and the rice was plain. A lot of other tepanyaki places at least throw a slab of garlic butter on top to offset the amount of sauce you need to enjoy your food. On the plus side, the servers were all really friendly & I liked how they put noodles in the miso soup! But overall, I won't be returning anymore. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Let's start with the good. I love the sauces pepper lunch provides - although they were unlabeled, I would venture to say they were soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and sweet and sour sauce. They definitely give the dish the flavor it needs. I also love the yakisoba (thin) noodles. Sizzling lunch doesn't have thin noodles so I can only get it here. I think pepper lunch is cheaper than sizzling lunch as well. I also LOVE adding the garlic butter - make sure to ask for it when you order. Service was also great! Now for the meh. I felt like the portion size went down a bit. I used to not be able to finish in one sitting, but now I can. (Perhaps it was just my appetite that changed?) I also felt the meat was fairly tough at times, but I also recognize you get what you pay for. Some of the other dishes on the menu didn't look super great, so I have yet to venture from my trusty beef yakisoba. Overall, I'd say this is a place I crave once in a while and will still come back to. read more

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I am so glad that they survived the pandemic! I haven't been here in a while but it is just as I remembered it! Fast service, friendly staff, delicious food with great company! The Number #1 beef with garlic butter, fried egg and sauce is the best!! It is the only thing that I order from here. The plate is sizzling hot so be careful! I like to ask for a spoon because it is easier to cook the meat (instead of the little wooden chopsticks) I remember before there was always a wait but I came here right when they opened on Thursday and thankfully no wait! The prices have increased over the years but I feel that is normal everywhere now There is a lot of parking but some spots can be a little tight read more

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i order udon and it is just ok. Not as good as i expected like before. The service is ok here. Food come out ok

The food was a decent for the price. I ordered the katsu curry and there's probably more around the area that's better if you're wanting to order that. read more

Pros: 1. the meat is good quality 2. You can ask for curry powder on side Cons: 1. The noodles seemed old and stuck together. 2. It didn't taste as good as sizzling lunch 3. Not much flavor 4. Theres no hot pepper to put on it to kick up spice Overall lack of flavor. I do like how this was the original in the united states. I just prefer sizzling lunch just because its more flavorful (even though meat quality here is better) read more

Super solid, consistent restaurant that's been around for many many many years. Service here is always quick and the servers are so nice and kind. Once seated, we're in and out within 30 minutes! My boyfriend and I like the number 3 which is the beef udon plate and number 23, the ribeye plate. We love the sauce bottles and would drench our plates with it. There's always a wait here even during the lunch hours and they only work with traditional paper waiting list so I would definitely come in as soon as they open! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Is it just me or sizzling dish always tastes so much more satisfying than a regular dish? If you also love the sizzling dish like me then you need to try Pepper Lunch (DIY teppanyaki). Curry Beef Pepper Udon is the ultimate dish here. It comes with corn, green onion, curry powder, lots of beef, and of course udon. Right when the dish comes out, pour some soy sauce on it to get the sizzling sound and aroma. Flip the beef, add teriyaki sauce, and voila you got one delicious steak teppan udon. I also recommend their pork katsudon and black angus. There is always a bit of a wait every time I come here, but just put your name on the wait list and walk around the plaza and spend some time in 99 Ranch market then your turn will come in a blink. Price is a bit higher than before, and I blame COVID for that. Other than that, Pepper Lunch is popular for a reason. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Surprised that I haven't been here yet until last weekend. Pepper Lunch is a teppan'yaki (grilled meal on a hot iron plate) place. As for why I'm surprised that I haven't been here yet until last weekend, this is the original American location, and it's been around since I was in high school, a real long time. I have friends that visited here (with one of them telling me to go to it), but I didn't make a visit until last weekend. Grading the place felt tricky. If I were to grade Pepper over 20 years ago, the place would get a perfect rating or at worst, a 4. However, because I'm grading the place with today's standards, I hate to type this statement, but the place feels outdated. Now that I think about it, places like these don't get many visits from me because of a severe flaw I'll point out shortly. The parts the place got right? Well, at least you will see katakana. The food's not bad. I got a pepper beef rice plate. I also got some miso with noodles. Oh, and for a busy weekend, the wait wasn't that bad, as the staff did what they could. By the way, garlic butter is good. The parts the place got wrong? Only a couple, but they really do bring the score down. Well, the place doesn't have a dessert. However, that's not the severe flaw I'm pointing at. The severe flaw I'm pointing at is the batch of drinks. Seeing that I drove, I can't have booze, but I did notice the lack of sake on the menu. If I wanted a soda, I'd get a Ramune soda bottle, but they don't have any. I'd rather get a juice or a barley tea, but the place doesn't have either. Just green tea. The batch is the biggest reason I would hesitate bringing nephews and nieces here. On food alone, Pepper Lunch is popping. On just about every other subject, it's lacking. I'd go here again only if a friend picks out the place. That's it. +: Pepper Lunch's food is popping as I stated in the last paragraph, and the service wait isn't that bad. -: The lack of a dessert and limited batch of drinks bog down the score. read more

I went here for lunch and thoroughly really enjoyed the food. I've been to Japan and ate something similar where they serve you meat on a stone grill as well. This is quite comparable for something located in the bay area! I got the curry udon and salmon and beef plate. I think it's priced pretty fair for how much food you get. We came right before the crowd rush so we were lucky, service was quick, and def would love to come here again! No complaints really. The interior is a little small and it's be great to expand since they have a lot of customers read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Curry Beef Udon w/curry sauce - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Came here with my friends a couple times before covid. And decided to come back today. It wasn't as busy as it use to be but that's normal nowadays. The staff was sweet and constantly checked on us. The food came out super fast. I ordered the #1 Beef Pepper Rice and it was delicious. The sizzling plate gave the meat a nice char and I poured a bunch of garlic soy sauce on it which made it even better. My friends ordered the same as me, and the Beef yakisoba. Let's just say their plates were cleaned. Will definitely come back here again. read more

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

This place was constantly flowing with customers.... Service was fast, friendly and they were attentive to our water being filled. They pack on the rice and their katsu pork chop is super thick. I wasn't a huge fan of their meats. You need to load up on the sauces for any flavor. They have teriyaki and garlic soy at the tables. Agedashi tofu was lacking flavor in the broth but they do provide huge portions of tofu. Sizzling plates are portioned enough for two people if you are a huge rice eater. Quick food for eating. Places is good for small or larger groups. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - All tentacles - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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My first time trying sizzling dish like this. I ordered number 4 (Curry Beef Pepper Udon). The process of was to flip the beef to cook it on the hot plate and mix the noodles so it won't burn/dry up. Then you pour soy sauce for wetness I had brunch 10 minutes before at home, so I didn't think I could finish it but I did! read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Number Four Curry beef pepper udon - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

Haven't been back to this place since pandemic.. we recently went back and still good! We ordered the beef udon and the combo with salmon with garlic butter. We live their soy garlic and teriyaki sauce. read more

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Food was super fresh, hot, and speedily served. Would come back if in the area again :)

I've wanted to try Pepper Lunch for while and I finally got a chance to go to Milpitas to check it out! Overall, I think the best part of the meal is how they serve it -- it's super unique and makes for some great pictures. I ordered the classic beef pepper lunch w/ rice, corn, and garlic butter. It comes out sizzling, but the plate cools down quickly and it can be difficult to flip the beef and cook everything evenly. There are some sauces to help adjust the taste, but it takes some experimenting to get the flavor what you want it to be. As I was eating it, I just felt like it was primarily a lot of rice with some beef and a little bit of corn. Maybe I just prefer more balance with veggies in my meal, so the dish didn't feel as satisfying to me as I would have liked. My boyfriend felt the same with his beef pepper lunch w/ yakisoba. I'm definitely glad I tried this, but I wasn't particularly impressed by the food itself. read more

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Love this place been coming here for years. Lines do get long. Its worth it! Remember to add an egg. Food is hella hot when it comes out . Try not to burn your mouth. read more

Overall: 3.3/5 Pepper Lunch has gone downhill while their prices has risen. The service is still really good but the food is not. Ebidon ($19): The price has gone up by $6 in like a year which is super ridiculous. The portion is also smaller. I remember when we use to get a huge white box but now we get a small round bowl. When we got home (10 mins away), the tempura shrimps were all soggy already. It was good but nothing like before. Curry Beef Udon ($15): This was okay but the beef was pretty dry. I also had to add a lot of sauces to get more flavor. Definitely not worth it. Beef Yakiniku With Rice & Salad ($16.50): Beef was dry. The salad is really just lettuce. read more

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I've heard a lot about pepper lunch and was excited to try them out. Came here during dinner on a Sunday right when they opened. There was plenty of seating. The tofu and rice were good but I didn't feel it was something special. It's a nice to try place but I don't think I would purposely come here. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Interior - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Tried the beef pepper rice, and it was a perfect meal for a simple midweek dinner date. Plenty of parking in a shared lot for the plaza. No wait to be seated inside the restaurant on a Tuesday evening. The staff was friendly. Our food arrived to the table super fast, it seemed like 8-10 minutes after we ordered. And the "plates" were definitely sizzling when we were served. I didn't know what to do. My bf helped me out since he's had sizzling plates before (at other restaurants). I added sauces (soy garlic and teriyaki), then mixed everything together while the plate was still hot, so the meat could get cooked. They forgot the egg on my partner's dish, but they brought it over quickly after we notified them. The flavor was good with the sauces, but the food might have been a bit bland on its own. The meal was overall delicious, perfectly filling, and good value IMO. read more

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I love their rice dishes! The classic beef pepper rice so simple but so good. The flavor of the meat is so nice, probably since it has butter. Mixed with the rice and corn it's so yummy. It comes out really hot on the skillet. The rice doesn't get as crispy as I would like. The add ons make it expensive so I usually don't get any. I've tried their salmon rice too which is good but I think the beef is the best here. read more

Pepper Lunch USA - Teppanyaki Near Me - Milpitas, California

came here after a few years and it feels like their meat quality went down. got the same thing - beef with udon. flavor-wise it felt a little saltier than normal and the quality if beef seemed meh. the prices shown on the windows are cheaper than whats shown online which I didnt like. $15 for a plate that I feel like I can make at home . service was decent as the server refilled our water cups multiple times. vibe was ok. just feels like a normal restaurant. read more

Pepper lunch is almost always packed and there's a reason. The food is great! I've been to this location multiple times in the past, however, stopped due to the commute. Recently had a crazy craving for the salmon steak so my husband and I decided to drop by without calling to see how long the wait is, because usually it's always 30mins-1.5 hrs. But thankfully, we were seated right away when we got there. The menu definitely changed from the last time we came but it's still pretty straightforward. We got the salmon steak that included rice and salad, extra garlic butter is a must when you go here. We also ordered curry beef which rice was also included and gyoza as appetizer. Service has always been great and fast paced! read more

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