Teriyaki was hot and fresh, tasty too. We ended up here because our usual spot is further away and we were being lazy. Let that be a lesson! Of course, as you can tell from all the other Yelps the service sucks ass here. read more

Restaurant: Very small and disorganized. There are tons of business cards just lying around on the table (Has transparent table cover over it)...What the... Food: Typical teriyaki like other hundreds of teriyaki places nearby. If I really want good teriyaki, I'd go all the way up to Shoreline at Ichi Bento. Ichi Bento knows how to make good food. Teriyaki Island used to be good until the owner sold the place to someone else....I wont miss the food at Teriyaki 1st. Service: Horrible. The Korean guy there doesn't talk much. You go up to the counter and his facial expression tells you what he would say "What the hell you want." When my food was ready he just put it on the counter and said nothing....I just thought to myself "What the...I dont expect too much customer service at a teriyaki place but a thank you would have been nice. I asked him if I can get some water and he didn't seem to be happy about that. He went back to the kitchen and brought back some water......Same thing with the female customer that was in line after me... read more

I haven't been very adventurous with the menu as I should be. The only items I have ordered are the teriyaki chicken & gyoza's. The food is pretty darn good, they give you larger portions and the price is what you would except from a teriyaki joint. And we always have left overs for the next days lunch, big plus! Now the reason I only gave them 3 stars. We always have to wait for our order, regardless if we call ahead or not. So we have learned the hard way and we always call ahead and ask how long that wait is, usually 15 minutes. But after getting there 15 to 20 minutes after we call in our order we still have to wait another 10 minutes for our food. We could have been at a sit down restaurant, ordered and had our food to us by then. I mean really 30 to 35 minute wait for chicken teriyaki!! So always call ahead and how ever longer they say the wait is, add 5 minutes to that. I was appalled the first time I went in there and noticed how dirty and dingy the place was and over run with crackheads, teenagers and down right shady look'n folks. I hope the condition of the place is no reflection on the cleanliness of the food otherwise we could all be very sick. I'm assuming the older couple I always see working are the owners. Man, they are two of the most unhappiest people I've ever ran into. The wife always seems to be yelling at her husband, poor guy! And so unfriendly no "hi", no "thank you", no nothing! Going forward I'm calling ahead 25 minutes and then I'm sending my husband to get dinner & lunch! read more

This is my favorite teriyaki place in Seattle. It's a total hole-in-the-wall place run by a polite, if not terribly conversational couple. I'm actually not the biggest fan of traditional teriyaki - but like a stereotypical American guy, I am a big fan of General Tso's chicken. And this place has my absolute favorite General Tso's. It's legitimately spicy, and the portions are HUGE. So large in fact that I would strongly advise not trying to finish it all in one sitting. I've regretted that every time I've done it. Their gyoza is also stellar if you dare order anything more. The only downside is the wait - usually 30 or so minutes for food, so I advise calling in your order ahead of time whenever possible. It doesn't have the most inviting dining environment either so I always get my food to go. I still love the crap out of this place though! read more

This is the best teriyaki in Seattle. Call ahead and you'll have your order ready when you get there. If not, expect to wait 30 minutes. I don't blame them for that, that's on you. Anyone can pick up a phone and make the call. The two people that work there are super nice and every time I eat there I'm surprise at just how delicious it is! The one thing I'm not fond of is that there aren't any fortune cookies! :( Side note: You can watch Jeopardy on their little T.V. while you wait for your food and keep your brain churning. read more

Don't let the sketchy location fool you as would most places semi-attached to a gas station proclaiming the 'Best Teriyaki in Seattle.' This place is known for cheap and satisfying with huge portions. Seriously, my takeout felt so heavy I thought I'd been given a small family's order of teriyaki. I'm not sure that this place is home to the best teriyaki but its certainly not the worst. The close proximity of this place to my apartment will keep me coming back for sure. read more

Yikes! I still love them...but last time they had NO kim chee. WHAT?!? Are they on to me? No more kim chee for me? Please say it isn't so!!! read more

I just walked out of this place with my order and still haven't eaten the food before jumping on here to write a quick review. A friend recommended this place earlier today so I took their advice to come. Okay so the food may be good, but what terrible service. The man, presumably one of the owners, said maybe two words during my visit, first word being the total price for the food. No "hi, hello, what can I get you" when I walked in, but amazingly took my order without saying a single word. Now that's some talent! The second and final word that came out of his mouth was "chicken," indicating that my food was ready? I was devastated when he didn't kiss me goodbye as I was leaving. Now...let's see how good the food is. read more

I'm a sucker for gyoza, so I generally go with the gyoza plate, brown rice, extra salad. Good quality, fresh ingredients, yummy, and cheap. (I get extra salad dressing to go on the gyoza - you may think it's gross. I think it's awesome.) Note: call ahead! On busy nights the wait can approach 30 minutes, and I've never seen anyone taking their food "for here". They do a busy busy takeout business. read more

Walking in was difficult as the door sticks and kinda run down. No parking and the lighting is dark. Once inside, no one is at the counter nor did anyone ask if I'd like to order for a solid 10min. I asked the 3 dudes waiting, they had all ordered. As I was about to leave, someone asked if they could help. I asked for the chicken teriyaki and they said they were out. Asked for beef, they said nope. I asked what they did have and they said rice, vegetables and noodles. I left. Lots of other great choices, so won't be back. Hope others have more success. Regards~ read more

Voted best teriyaki in Seattle! Or so says the banner that hangs outside. After 3 other places closed down, I now go here. At first I didn't care for it, but now I wouldn't go anywhere else. It takes me a while to trust a yaki place because quality varies so much, but this place is very consistent. BIg portions, never burnt, grilled (not boiled) chicken and good specials! Plus, this place has been around for years! read more

I came here once and ordered katsu. The dish itself was prepared perfectly. The chicken was tender, the breading was crisp and not oily. I really don't like any of their sauces though. Tasted like over-salted burnt soy sauce... not only for the tonkatsu, but also the teriyaki. Kind of ruined the meal for me. read more

Been going here since a was a kid and will be going as long as they're open. Best teriyaki, huge servings, great price. F**k off to the people giving 1 star for bad customer service. It's a restaurant in a gas station parking lot, if you want overpriced food and a sommelier go to uvillage. read more

Pros: Big portions - one order of chicken teriyaki is enough for two adults Tasty! Cons: Service sucks. So disorganized! They don't take your name when you phone in orders. I've phoned in 30 mins prior to pickup then watched them give someone else what I was pretty sure was my order then waited an addtl. 30 mins. Some days they don't even answer the phone. Teriyaki is not worth that kind of wait. I've also been turned away at the door because they said the wait would be too long. read more

Seriously never again. Ordered my overpriced crap food. I got it to go but ate there anyway. Didn't put a fork in the bag. I asked for a fork and the owner said I gave you one. Said nothing was in the bag. He asked to look in the bag... he gave me a new plastic fork and I sat down to eat. He came out from behind the counter just to inspect and look for this fork he never put in the bag. Seriously very rude and shit food. Don't go. read more

Okay, I hate that I'm saying this but: you get so much food! Normally quantity is not my main motivation, but the price for the amount is worth noting. I usually get the beef and chicken teriyaki combo and it is everything you would expect. Nice tender slightly charred meat, sweet sauce. loads of rice and the iceberg lettuce salad. Nothing fancy, but done right. The spicy chicken is also good, but a bit more onion than chicken. The gyoza are okay, but not bad. The yakisoba was also good, but guys, teriyaki is in the name. Definitely call ahead, or order and grab a drink next door. Never experienced the rudeness mentioned by others....the guy is busy, give him a break already! read more

Yes, the service is brusque (kudos to all who are fluent in a second language) and yes the ambience is tacky...but take your food to go. The food is delicious, the price is right and these are the people in my neighborhood! I would absolutely recommend the spicy chicken, pork teriyaki and yakisoba. If you are looking for date night, keep looking. read more

Best spicy chicken in seattle. If u can put up with mediocre customer relationship worth

Good teriyaki, good prices. The meat is well cooked and not dry. I called ahead and he food was read when I arrived. No wait.

Better than average Teriyaki with a bigger portion than any place i've gone to in Seattle and the surrounding area. And i've peeped...

Teriyaki is super yummy but don't dare show up less than a half hour before closing, (even on a Saturday), for basic take out. You will be treated like an annoyance and turned away. read more

Mom & Pop shop which unfortunately is unable to handle heavy traffic. Thirty minutes for 1 dish at 3:00 is too long. Restaurant is tiny with no air flow. Call your order ahead if you go...drop-in is painful. read more

Boo! The guys really rude. Terrible customer service. I wanted to leave but I had already paid. Learn to smile and act like you want peoples' business! read more

LOVE!!! Teriyaki 1st is my go-to teriyaki place... I have been searching all over Seattle for a better place and have yet to find one. I love that their chicken is made to order and not pre-cooked and stuck under a heat lamp like so many places are. So it may take a little longer to make than other teriyaki places, but it so worth it! read more

My favorite teriyaki place in Seattle! The food here is so yummy and tastes home-made. And the portions are huuuge. I always have enough for 2 meals. Its my go-to when i'm in Seattle; it never disappoints! read more

This was the diviest teriyaki place I have ever eaten! The guy behind the counter is rude; there are 3 tables in this place that have business cards scattered under the clear tabletops; you have to go pick up your food if your dining in, your dine in food is served in plastic containers with plastic forks; they do not changer their deep fryer oil so Gyoza is nasty and soggy.DO NOT EAT HERE IF YOU CAN HELP IT!!! Disgusting sticky floor, no apparent restroom read more

I love this place because it's always the same, and that is good. That said, the only thing I've ever ordered in the 10 years I've been going is Large Teryiaki Chicken dinners with rice, salad, and teriyaki chicken. The couple that runs it works themselves to near death making dinners in a hole in the wall and sells it for next to nothing, so you have to forgive them for not having crystal clear English and coming out to chat. Call your order in and it'll be waiting for you when you get there, otherwise sit and read People magazine or watch TV and wait for the food. It's worth it, you should leave a big tip and thank your lucky stars that you don't have to work back there all day, every day, serving people that don't appreciate what they offer. Yummy! read more

Yes, it's true that this is the teriyaki equivalent of the soup nazi. The guy always acts like he hates customers and usually lies to walk-ins by telling them it will be a 45 minute wait and seems happier when they leave without ordering. It's dirty (sticky tables) and small. Why would anyone go here?? Cause it's yummy. The portions are large. Just cause they hate you is no reason to stay away. Call first & Enjoy :) read more

This is a safe bet when you're looking for two meals in one for a pretty amazing price. Quick service, consistent, meat is never over or under cooked. I wouldn't go out of your way to go to Teriyaki 1st but if you're in the area and can't think of a place to get take-out, this one should come to mind. read more

Solid teriyaki. As other reviewers have noted, the service is a bit lackluster, but you're buying an $8 plastic carton of teriyaki. I don't personally expect or really need great service when I'm coming into a tiny place with a limited menu, and I already know exactly what I'm getting. Their teriyaki is fresh, tasty, and is basically the teriyaki meat of your choice, thick sliced sauteed onions, and the obligatory ice berg lettuce salad with whatever that ubiquitous creamy dressing is. All in all, very tasty and good price, exactly what I would expect from a hole in the wall teriyaki place. Sometimes the service factor to me is irrelevant. read more

The saga continues. He's such an ass but he has the best teriyaki around (i've tried 4 other places). So I confronted him and asked why he was mean and never smiled and made customers feel unwelcome. Who knows how much he understood of what I said but at the end of it I agreed to give him a $1 each time for extra sauce but I told him he had to smile at me when I came in. Old man grumpy pants has really good teriyaki. It's working out well so far. read more

Good stuff. The folks who run the place have limited English. I always order for pick up, but they never start preparing the food until I get there.. which kinda bums me out, but it's really pretty good. read more

Not the best teriyaki. Average at best. If you aren't expecting anything impressive then this is a good place to go to for some average neighborhood teriyaki. It's salty. And it'll fill you up. But you won't be happy about it afterwards. read more

Awful. The man who runs this place is super unfriendly, to the point of rudeness. I've been to plenty of teriyaki places where the staff were not friendly, but this guy takes the cake. He seemed downright angry that we were in his restaurant. Unfortunately, the food was not good enough to warrant the poor treatment. The teriyaki on its own was a C-. I don't know how this place stays in business. read more

Dirt cheap, huge portions, friendly (enough) service and damn tasty chicken teriyaki. What more could you want from a food place in a gas station? read more

Best teriyaki I've had! Delicious and huge portions too. They are very generous. Busy at times, but everything great is worth the wait, right? Call ahead of time if you don't want to wait is also a solution. Going back for more. read more

I always order the spicy chicken teriyaki. It is always spicy and is served with slightly grilled onions, over a nice bed of perfectly cooked rice. I really admire that the chicken is alway good and never overcooked. JR read more

Tasty, I'd recommend it. I like how they grill their chicken, white rice is pretty standard, and the teriaki sauce is what you'd expect. Slightly better than the Teriaki chain I ate at a few days ago in Denver. Average but tastes pretty good, doesn't hold up well as leftovers. read more

I live just a block from this restaurant. definitely best for take out only, and call ahead! they take a while to make it but their food is always delicious. they give huge portions so you can definitely save some for later. spicy beef teriyaki is a favorite. ordering some right now! read more

Grimy little hole in the wall. Tried to eat there the other day. No heat in crappy little dining area in middle of winter. Guy charged me $12 for beef fried rice. Owner working out of open till. No cash register record. I wonder if he's paying his sales tax. Food was sub-par. Rice was not "japanese" short grain rice. Left food on the table and went to a decent restaurant. I wonder what the kitchen looks like. If it's anything like the customer area, you'd probably be better off eating at Midas Muffler. Food inspectors take note. The Everett animal shelter smells better and is cleaner. That says a lot. read more