Teryaki Beef was good, but the rice was mushy. Very disappointed. Two times in a row. I am not going back

I would rather go hungry than go back to Yucaipa Waba grill. Chicken was gristly and rubbery. Half the dumplings were raw. Half the staff were very nice. For such a small place it's very loud, Vegetables and rice were good, but why would I go back & pay $$$ for the two things I can cook? Go to Panda Express around the corner or China Bowl at Vons shopping center across the street. read more

So the first time I actually ate food from this place was a couple of months ago. My sister was coming home from Yucaipa and said she'd be stopping by here. She told me that I'd really like this place and that it's way better than Ono Hawaiian. So of course me being me, I tried the Korean BBQ aka kalbi aka rib plate. Mind you, we live about 15-20 minutes from Yucaipa too. When my sister came home and I opened up the to-go box... the food smelled and looked so yummy! It was still hot too considering the journey it took to get to my hands. The meat is actually is barbecued (well it looked like it anyways) and the flavor was delicious. It was full of flavor, which surprised me because most 'fast food' places that have this type of dish lack in flavor (or full flavor anyways.) It's a lot better than those Hawaiian places that are so popular now. What I also loved was that they gave you a lot of meat too. I actually had 3 ribs (or 9 pieces) all over a bed of rice. The sides were pretty good. I mean there's not much to say about a side salad and oranges right? I do love the fact that they do give you fruit though as the after meal. Fruit is always best after you eat. I've never been inside the place so I can't rate anything except the ribs I had. I hear they do get pretty busy inside though. Also, if my food tasted that good after a 15-20 minute journey to my house, imagine what it tastes like fresh!? (Well I have to anyways T_T) Food: 4.5 stars Why? I happen to think that my korean bbq is better. \(^o^)v read more

I spent two years in Seattle, WA and I came to love Northwest Teriyaki so very much. I have yet to find anything that compares south of the Puget Sound. Well, my search has ended. Waba Grill was actually pretty close. I really really enjoyed this teriyaki. The chicken is marinaded and charred to perfection. They put tons of sauce on it. The sticky rice is perfectly sticky in every way! It's a really great place to eat. My only complaint is the price: it's pretty expensive for chicken and rice. In Seattle you only pay about $5.99 for a plate. Here it was more like $8-$9. That's a little too much! read more

Addicted to the brown rice. It makes me happy. Plus one of the only places in inland empire where I can get tofu that isn't fried and greasy. And some people stated in reviews that the veggies are undercooked, but I'm a complete nutrition nut and I love that the veggies are blanched, still crispy and not over cooked. I did think the prices were high when I lived in Yucaipa, but now more traveled, to compare against the same type of food in SF or NY... the bowls are cheap. I usually pay around $12-15 in the cities that is only $8 at Waba. read more

Needless to say I am once again disappointed with this location. Going in and ordering a chicken plate with extra chicken, with no fruit and no salad and sub all rice in its place and being very specific about it because the salad has been on more than one occasion wilted and old so I opt out, so the cashier repeats my order of " chicken plate with extra chicken and all rice". So I get my order and immediately notice they made with plate with the fruit and salad and I bring it to their attention and the person that took my order says " you didn't say you wanted all rice " , they did give me a small portion of rice to correct the mistake but the person kept saying " he specify he wanted all rice" as they were getting the rice. Poor customer service and not even a apology for the mistake. When I got home I had gotten a good portion of chicken since I ordered extra due to the fact that they weigh it out but the rice was lacking barely any at all, a small layer at the bottom. I will say that with all the reviews for this location, most are correct when they say small portions and alot of times poor service. Very disappointing especially for the price of a chicken plate with extra chicken comimg out to almost $18.00. It's good to see that management responds to some reviews but there still doesn't seem to be any changes which is very sad. To say the least this franchise needs to raise their standards and do a better job all the way around. The other WABA franchises portions and customer service are far better than this location. You can only give so many chances by going back with the hopes of seeing a change but it's still the same. They should have a set standard with the rice portions like they do with the chicken so it doesnt fluctuate so much and pay better attention to the condition and quality of their salad they serve and work on having the employees giving better customer service. read more

WaBa Grill - Refer to my statement for the other picture. Wilted and old salad, not worth eating. I always sub rice for the fruit and salad. - Fast Food Near Me - Yucaipa, California

See all

is this waba a franchise? the food just wasn't Waba grill quality. the steak tasted like beef jerky the chicken was shredded, highly disappointed. service was good though. read more

I am a big fan of Waba Grill to be sure, I have just recently been frequenting this now sprouting chain in a variety of areas. This one is off the beaten path a bit unless you are local to the area. I was looking for something fast casual driving back from Redlands and this was the closest location. This particular location has a very small footprint and only a few, literally 3 employees working the dinner time hours. Thankfully I beat a small rush of people that followed me but that didn't seem to help my order time. I get the same thing at WaBa every time, Salmon, Brown Rice with veggies and sauce on the side. For 10 bucks it's hard to beat the value and the quality. Like so many of these fast casual chains consistency in service and food prep is always the wild card. I would have to say this location seemed to be a bit less corporate or professional than others I have visited. Friendly staff but a pretty nonchalant attitude about service. I ordered before that aforementioned rush of people but somehow the other patrons all got their food first. When my order did get to me they had overcooked the salmon a bit and the sauce was on the salmon and rice. That being said the veggies were plentiful, well steamed and not just a pile of carrots. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/waba-grill-yucaipa?select=N2sc8xVv7XBhJQZu1WpIfQ I love this bowl! Please work on your consistency in service and food prep and I will return. Still a good place to get a decent fast casual healthy meal. read more

WaBa Grill - Salmon, Brown Rice and Veggies - Fast Food Near Me - Yucaipa, California

I visit this place last night and smell very bad I don't know why! The city has to check what happens in this place smell like dead animals seriously read more

Very clean helpful and always know what to recommend. The food was awesome. The wife and I are very satisfied. Thank you #WabaGang read more

WaBa Grill - Happy wife happy life - Fast Food Near Me - Yucaipa, California

Stood in front of the register for 20 minutes befor someone took my order, then waited another hour for my food.

I was here May 15 around 12 p.m. They always seem to employ losers here. I asked for a water cup and some kid behind the counter said we don't have water cups so he asked if I wanted to buy a bottle of water. I said can't I just have a small cup and just get water? Didn't seem to process that was a possibility. So he charged me for the cup and I asked why are you charging me for the cup? He said the cup costs money... he seriously charged me 2.50 for a cup to pour water in. The management needs to hire people who are competent and not lazy. Save yourself the frustration and go somewhere else. read more

Always great food and service. This is one of my favorite places to eat at. I recommend this place and the chicken rice bowl.

I hadn't been to this Waba Grill in over a year. Today, my husband and I went for lunch and I was immediately reminded why I DON'T choose to spend my money here! The customer service and food were both awful!! Upon arrival we noticed 5 people seated and eating, so it wasn't too busy. There was 1 man waiting on his order. We ordered our food (2 bowls) and stepped aside waiting for them. A woman came in and ordered after us. I stood in there for a long time waiting, watching, and waiting some more. I finally told my husband I was going to go sit in our car. ANOTHER 10 minutes passed and I saw the woman that ordered 1 bowl (same as mine) AFTER us, leaving the store. I texted my husband to ask what was going on? He said, "I don't know. The cook came out and asked that woman what she ordered, he went back to his station, whipped hers up, and she left." We were both really irritated. ANOTHER 13 minutes passed and my husband finally came out of the store with our food. He said, "I went up to the counter and asked about our order. I told her that the lady that came in after us and ordered the same thing left a long time ago." The employee's response, "No she didn't". -Really? Now you're going to argue with a customer? Ugh. We get home. His food is cold and EXTREMELY TOUGH. He could hardly chew it and said, "the chicken is like cardboard or jerkey". Needless to say, after about 3 bites he threw it away and had leftover pizza. My bowl was a little better. My only complaint was that 1 bite of chicken was wayyyy under cooked. It was like biting into my own finger. Disgusting. So much for trying to make a healthy choice. Bad service, LONG WAIT TIME, terrible chicken. Never going back. You'd think they'd try harder since this location is in our town, miles away from the freeway. So the locals are the people they NEED to keep coming back. NOT RECOMMENDED. read more

As I walk in the place looks very dirty...The employees were very nice but one of them wasn't wearing a mask and not only was she not wearing a mask I saw her wipe her nose several times. I still got the food because my siblings really wanted WABA but I am completely grossed out... also the streak was way over cooked... read more

I've been eating at this Waba During my lunch for over 5 months now and I have not been disappointed. The staff is amazing, Destiny, Neil and Adam are great! The food is exceptional, It's never cold and the flavor is there. They put a good amount of food to meet the calories listed. I personally get the Kids Chicken Waba Bowl because the regular one is too much for me. I would recommend this place to everyone because of my experience there. I am a very picky eater and they satisfy my needs every-time! I am very happy with this Waba Grill. read more

The food tasted old and not fresh. Also my husband ordered the fish plate and the fish had discoloration did not taste fresh. The gentleman over the phone when we placed the order was rude too. We called and complained, they said they would have a manager call us but manager never called. read more

I would give no stars if it was an option. My daughter and I went after a half day at school to have a nice lunch. We were greeted as soon as we walked in but the food was terrible. The rice was extremely hard and unappetizing. Upon telling the girl working (Destiny) her reply was " oh well we just put new rice in that one was a little older" why on earth would you knowingly give rice that was hard and nasty to a customer. I would have gladly waited for the new batch of rice. We will not be back. read more

Food was good. However the cleanliness of the place was horrendous!!! I won't be coming back due to this issue. It was so bad that my husband complained which is odd since he is never one to say anything about that. Please clean this establishment!!!! There was another complaint two months ago and it's apparent they don't care. This place needs deep cleaning! Not just a mop job. read more

I just went to wana grill in Yucaipa for the first time off Oak Glen Rd. I was not impressed their kitchen where they prepare the food looks very dirty and not clean at all. The cashier who took my order was very plain and rude no manners no have a nice day none of that .. would not recommend this Waba Grill. read more

Ordered over the phone and showed up 19 minutes later and food was ready. The cashier Maddy was polite, professional and had my food ready within 1 minute. The chicken was very good. read more

The food is okay but I have 3 issues: 1. They chop the meat way too much. Not too big of an issue but mildly annoying. 2: This location always smells funky. 3: The kids they got working are almost always entirely unprofessional and rude. I've met the owner before. She works really hard to promote her company. Dude, for all that work you do your employees are really screwing up. Like I can't even go there anymore because I can't handle the, "oh great, another customer" attitude. Sadly there is no way to fix this without shaking things up pretty drastically. Like you gotta fire multiple people and keep firing until the atmosphere changes. You got to send in secret shoppers and have them pretend like they're clueless looking at the menu too. Lord knows how many people won't eat there because of the attitude they got the first time they ate there. read more

Got a to go order last night The newspaper had a coupon insert for Waba. Buy one Chicken bowl get one free! Great deal. Walked out of there spending $8.00 Tender Chicken. The rice was perfect. You can add Green onions if you'd like. They have warm Teriyaki sauce , Wasabi, & Hot Mustard. The dinner plates look delicious too. We will be back.... read more

This WaBa kinda sucks lol. The meat literally tastes less good and the rice is skimped too. Dumplings also are over cooked af haha. I'd go to any WaBa besides this one tbh read more

Finally the last straw I have given this place so many chances. From the wrong orders, incomplete orders, rude teenagers and stingy portions. Today my bowl was less then half full and broccoli was under cooked. Paying $7.00 and change for rice that takes up less then a third of the bowl and 7 pieces of vegetables is robbery. This place just isn't worth it. I will be going to Flame Broiler in Redlands from here on out. The owners need to take a hard look on how they run a business... Oh wait they are never there. read more

I walked in tonight to get me some dinner. As I walked in I was NOT greeted at all. I stood st the counter for a good minute while the cook just looked at me and the cashier had his back to me. He finally turned around and didn't say a word until he finally told me my total. My food was ready and he threw my bag down on the counter making my containers fall over and rip the bag. Didn't apologize or try to fix the bag instead he just walked This store really needs to get their crap together. The food is good but the entire staff is horrible. They need a whole new crew. The cashier got irritated bc my card wasn't working. She "swore" she called out my order when it was ready. And when the cook had to ask her who's order was what she said she didn't even know‍ it's ridiculous. The Redlands location is far more better than this place. read more

We walked in, staff didn't seem to even notice. The young man came to the counter and we ordered. My husband asked how much the items were because both the chicken and the beef on our receipt was a dollar more than posted. The guy said the prices went up a "few weeks ago" and they haven't fixed the signs. My husband told him that he wanted his money back...the guy didn't know how to do that. If they can upgrade their Computer, why not the sign. We came to Panda Express. Goid service, attentive staff read more

What I love about Waba... This location in particular is nice. It's always a nice meal when eating outside at the benches. However the food is what sets this franchise apart from others. It's nutritional and it's simple. The workers at this location are pleasant enough. I would recommend Waba if you are trying to stop eating the usual fast food. read more

WaBa Grill - Food with friends. - Fast Food Near Me - Yucaipa, California

See all

Have been here a handful of times and thought to myself...self why haven't you done a review on Yelp, since I couldn't come up with a good answer I'm doing the review. Food is Awesome. I overheard the employees talking about how the menu is going to be growing soon, works for me! The beef and chicken combo is a lot of food, but like another Yelper said its all healthy so you don't have to feel bad about eating it all! Oh you get the option of brown or white rice, the brown rice is quite tasty but umm, its got a lot of fiber in it so...you know, just be ready for that. I have had the salmon and the shrimp from here and both are legit, cooked just right, not dry and with a little sauce on it its pretty dang good. Saw that they opened a new one in Highland, even driving from Moreno Valley, its going to be worth the drive! read more

I got 2 slamon bowls from this place today and when i got home and started digging in the Salmon tasted fishy, not like salmon. The broccoli was not fresh at all! Ugh, it was bad my GF gave it to our dog. Not coming here again read more

I had Chicken bowl with white rice with 2 drinks $18.50 the Chicken was dry & rubby rice was good not the best deal read more

Very unwelcoming staff.. treated me like I was a smelly vagrant off the street... undersized portions of rice on my bowls... the one in San Bernadino is much better.. will not be back to the Yucaipa location. read more

Recently I went there and the rice was undercooked, the wait took close to 15 minutes, and the vegetables were practically raw. The wait and the vegetables I could overlook, but the undercooked rice was just bad. If that was my only experience this would be a 1 star rating. But I've been many times before and a few times since and the food has always been great, the price reasonable, and the service good. I'll keep coming back. read more

This place was horrible ! the service the food was okay sometimes they forget my order ! they need to greet the customers and have better attitudes. read more

Showed up at 11:00am on a Saturday, when they open. A note on the door said they wouldn't open until 11:30am. My family decided to wait. At 11:35am some other customers knocked at the door to get the employees to open up. Once they came to open the door they said, "We are all out of chicken today." I'll prepared and not customer focused, they lost our business. read more

WaBa is a chain of teriyaki bowl restaurants in southern California. WaBa Grill is marketed as a "healthy" fast food option. While I am not so sure whether their food is really "healthy" to eat all the time it sure is delicious! Living in San Francisco I had never heard of a WaBa before, but I have always had a great affinity for teriyaki bowls. I first discovered WaBa a few years ago somewhere around Cornona, California on the way to the Coachella music festival. Long story short I was hungry on the drive there, saw their sign from the freeway, and decided to give it a try. Now WaBa is my Coachella tradition. Every year I always stop at one of their restaurants on the drive there and back. My favorite item to order is the thigh meat chicken teriyaki bowl with avocado added. For around $10 or so you can get a bowl of rice with your choice of beef, chicken breast, chicken thigh, or salmon teriyaki, for a few dollars extra they will add avocado. I absolutely love avocado and if you're anything like me you will want to add it to your order as well! They are very generous with their avocado and will give you a large amount of it on top of your teriyaki bowl if you choose to add it. While it may not be "healthy" in that it contains a lot of sodium and carbohydrates the teriyaki bowl with avocado added is a very filling and relatively nutritious alternative compared to your other choices of along the freeway dining such as McDonalds, Burger King, Carls Jr., and the like. Every time I have gone the avocado has been perfectly ripe and delicious and really adds to the teriyaki bowl. Last but not least their teriyaki sauce is the bomb! read more

We went to Waba Grill and the food was great. The Mahi plate was a great choice. Grilled Mahi with a salad and orange slices. The grilled chicken bowl was great also. They have the best service and the place is always clean. A great atmosphere with a great helpfull staff makes your lunch or dinner whatever the case a pleasurable and enjoyale time. This place is really good... A+ read more

Really good food the people are really nice many different things to choose from and I would come back again

My husband and I ate here for the first time today. We Will not be coming back! The cashier was rubbing her eyes and could not hardly keep them open to take our order. Most of the staff was grumpy. Our chicken was burnt and dried out. The veggies were over cooked and needed 3 sauce packets to choke it down. I make these bowls better at home! If you want a better bowl and you don't want to cook, I suggest going to Costco and buying the frozen ones. read more

WaBa Grill - Burnt, dry chicken! - Fast Food Near Me - Yucaipa, California

See all

I think this place offers some decent quality teriyaki health food at a fair price! It's hit or miss here at this particular location in Yucaipa, CA... but most times when I've eaten here the meat has been fairly tender very flavorful best of all you can control the spice and add extra sauce or onions if you like! They are very accommodating staff, rest rooms are clean and the store is usually pretty clean since it's not overly busy most of the time that you go in there. read more