Best Korean BBQ in the area. Great service. Order through your phone and food comes out within minutes after ordering (unlike some other places where it takes 10 minutes just to flag your waiter down just to order something and then the food comes 10 minutes after that). read more

Our first time at the restaurant, yummy foods, great services and friendly staff. We enjoy all of the sides.

I tried to come here 3x over the last year and finally got to try it!! The other two times wait was too long. I had to wait a few weeks to write this because I was pretty upset about the experience. TLDR; I'm not coming again and it wasn't worth it. I would rather make the drive to Oakland for other AYCE kbbq like Ohgane or the SF version of this is soo much better. The service is what turned me off this place. I don't know why but they literally change your grill aggressively, like every 2-3 min which means our grill NEVER got hot enough to fully cook any meat. And the worst part was they have the 2 hour limit which makes sense, but when the grill is constantly being changed we barely ate. I had to ask them to please stop changing the grill and got a sassy comment back from the female manager saying someone else is going to come right back to change it anyway. Food is ok... if you do choose to come, don't let them keep changing your grill and maybe come with just 2 people so you can eat. read more

This is such a new gem found in Livermore! I'd say the best Korean bbq spot in the tri-valley. The restaurant is not huge for big parties but for groups of 5 or less I would say. Interior is very clean and the decor is beautiful! Service was great and the food was on point. However, I would say the brisket cut was a bit too thick to our preference (comparable to the thinly cut ones you find at Gen or Tobang in the Bay Area) - which results in a tougher meat to eat but still great quality. We also had their pork belly which was amazing and their premium wagyu, a must. We still gotta try the rest! They also provide a ton of sides and they all taste amazing. I highly recommend this spot to fellow Korean bbq lovers! It will definitely satisfy your cravings. Did I mention there's complimentary dessert at the end?! Pricing: 30.99 regular and 34.99 premium. read more

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I'm indifferent, I felt like most of the meats we ordered were really tough and not as tender as I'd prefer. The marinated ones were way too salty or way too sweet for my liking. The banchan was meh, the kimchi fried rice wasn't very good and the sides weren't as diverse or plentiful as other kbbq places. The tables came with sauces that you can mix and match but I like sesame which is standard. Overall it was ok, you order from a QR code and the plates come out with at most two pieces for the short ribs and a couple slices of the other meats. I've had better kbbq tbh this place is ok. It's smaller than others too and the service is pretty hands off. read more

Overall the food was pretty decent. The wagyu beef belly was great, but the the miso pork belly was super salty and barely digestible. The primary reason for the low score comes down to them being non-empathetic about their left over policy for families with young children. We spent about $50 for two young kids to eat, one being 4 years old and 1 week old. I told them before we were seated that my son just barely made the cut and was not going to be able to eat much but they still insisted that we pay for his all you can eat seat, and so we did. At the end of the meal we had two dishes left of unfinished food. One with two piece of the super salty miso pork belly that we were trying for the first time that we just couldn't eat more of after the one that was cooked. The other was the left over cooked meet that our picky kids couldn't finish. I tried to explain this to the manager, but they still charged us for the left overs. They ended up charging $5.99 only, which was for one dish instead of two, but this still let our family with a terrible taste in our mouth about how non-empathetic they are about families that come here with kids. If you are coming with adults and/or with older kids this place isn't bad, but definitely think twice or better yet completely avoid coming to this establishment if you have young kids; especially if you have picky eaters. Your young kids will never eat enough to make the $25 cost worth it and in fact this place will punish you for it by charging you extra. Hoping they can fix this policy for families, but wouldn't be surprised if they don't. read more

Gonna keep this short and simple if your looking or craving for some Korean bbq all you can eat this is the spot came all the way from the valley, this spot is clean, service was on point and the meat quality was good they were quick and prompt with changing out the grill and refilling orders via QR code. I normally don't give 5stars but from the time we entered to the time we left was on point exceed expectations. read more

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The food was delicious, especially the premium marinated short ribs and wagyu belly. The service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was lively and welcoming. Perfect spot for a fun and tasty meal. Highly recommend! read more

The interior is nicely decorated, clean, and the lighting is great! The service was spectacular, we order through our phones with a QR code and the food came out so quick! We never had to ask for a grill change too, they were constantly changing it whenever they noticed the grill getting a bit burnt, the workers are amazing! The food was so good too!! The quality of the meats were amazing! The banchan was really good too! Really recommend getting their corn cheese and steamed egg!! The beef prime boneless short rib was our favorite meat, it was sooo good!!! This is definitely one of my top favorite kbbq spots in the Bay!! Highly recommend!! Wonderful food and amazing service!! I've also been to this place 3 times and they are always consistent with the service and food!! Absolutely amazing kbbq spot!!! Make sure to join the waitlist on yelp because they get pretty busy!! We waited about 1 hour for 5 people, but usually with parties of less it's a shorter wait. Try this place if you haven't and am looking for a great kbbq spot! read more

YakiniQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

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My husband and I were craving some Korean BBQ on a Saturday afternoon and decided to stop by! It's not a large space and was mostly packed when we went around 2:30pm. They still had a few empty tables so we didn't have to wait. They ask you to connect to their Wi-Fi before scanning the QR code to order because data can be spotty there. I loved how easy it was to order - they also have the side dishes listed for you to order on the list too! We got the premium option which is about $4 more than the regular option and it has wagyu meat options. We also ordered the marinated short ribs but it was bit too saucy/sweet for us so we mainly ordered regular brisket / wagyu. The soft tofu was good but I thought it would be regular tofu soup - the menu didn't mention that it would be seafood tofu soup so please be aware if you're allergic to seafood! Corn cheese was pretty good. Service was quick and we never had to wait long to get our order. I've had better KBBQ elsewhere but it's nice to know that there's one in the area if we ever have a craving! read more

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One of the BEST KBBQ restaurants I've had in the Bay Area. In comparison to many KBBQ places I've been to, the quality of the meat here shines the brightest. Other places can be hit-and-miss, serving meats that will have tough fascia/connective tissues in the meat that you can't even chew through; you will *NOT* find that here. All the meat is tender, juicy, and flavorful. The food comes to your table very fast, too. For meats, I recommend the Fresh Pork Belly, Prime Pork Jowl, and Thinly Sliced Beef Belly; for other foods, I recommend the Steamer Egg and Seaweed Soup. Another great part of YakiniQ is that the ordering is all done through your phone. Ordering is so much easier and efficient with the method they've integrated, instead of having to flag down a staff member. Not only is it streamlined for both customers and staff, it also removes the need for serving staff to wear heavy iPads on their hips, allowing staff to move more quickly without that extra device weight. Additionally, they are quite attentive to your table, and your grill gets changed pretty frequently without you having to ask. The inside of the restaurant is clean and well-lit. No sticky floors or seats, no smoky haze. The place is a little small, which can make the wait time to be seated a little long, but I don't see an issue with that, because I'd rather prefer a smaller place where a modest-sized staff can efficiently manage the place. Also think it's quite neat that you could order tortillas here. So for those who bring their own tortillas to KBBQ places, you can leave them behind when you come here Came here for my birthday dinner, and it easily makes Top 5 birthday dinners. LOVE this place read more

YakiniQ - Beef Prime Boneless Short Rib, Prime Pork Jowl, Marinated Beef Bulgogi, Thinly Sliced Beef Brisket, Thinly Sliced Beef Belly - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

Today was my birthday and my family and I decided to try this place for a birthday meal. This was so so phenomenal, both the meal and the service. When we first arrived, the whole restaurant decor looked clean, neat, and very aesthetic. We were all excited to start eating and it didn't take long for us to get to our table. We started eating - the meats and the other selections were all big and good portions. It kept us satisfied for so many rounds and while we were eating, waiters/waitresses were constantly coming to check on us and cleaning up any dishes. Finally, my family asked if they had a birthday dessert. We were all expecting something small (a portion for only me) but to our surprise, it was a whole plate filled with strawberry ice cream, warm fried banana, and a fried choco pie. It was so good and would definitely recommend having a birthday here :) We also ordered the fruit bingsu which is also complimentary! Topped with lots of fruit, strawberry ice cream, and red bean - it was so yummy and a very generous portion. Great service, delicious food, and clean aesthetic! Our new spot to come for KBBQ and will be coming back again :) read more

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This is our go to. Always good food and a good time! The food is always fresh and great quality.

Loved the selection of meats, quality and price. Staff was attentive and friendly. They changed our grill out frequently and cleared our empty dishes promptly. read more

This is my first time trying this location. I usually go to the San Jose one. This place is bigger and nicer, and the service is just as excellent as in San Jose. The banchan dishes are better, and the meats and shrimp are fresh. The only thing I don't like is the sauce. I enjoy YakiniQ because of the wasabi-flavored sauce, but the sauce at the Livermore location doesn't have enough wasabi taste for me. read more

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Went on a weekend and there was no wait time. Food and service were great! Servers were quick to change the grill, you don't even have to ask. They are also very cautious about serving food since I had a seafood allergy, they made sure by checking with my group and letting us know which of the soups they served had seafood broth in it. read more

YakiniQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

me and my sister are regulars here, we absolutely love the place. the meats, the drinks, and the ambiance are all amazing and the servers are always very attentive to us and give very fast service. the only thing i can think of, is that we feel some of the meats have gotten smaller in portions, but since it's AYCE we don't really mind. read more

Wowww time for some updates! They extended and expanded the space, it is now ideal for big groups as well! New side is also more open and spacious. Foods are still solid! Another HUGE plus is they hire new employees who are very well trained! Never have to ask for grill changes. Our go-to BBQ spot read more

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Best Crew that I ever encounter, fast, clean and neat. Orders are well served. Thanks for the experience. Didn't expect the complimentary Ice cream, delicious. read more

Restaurant is extremely busy so please take that into consideration before dining. Some servers are extremely welcoming and nice and others are short and a little rude. Which I gave them benefit of the doubt because of their working conditions. They look short staffed and the floors are extremely greasy/slippery (absolutely no ventilation). The people in my party almost fell several times, how much so the workers who are running around serving people who are also probably rude. Restaurant is pretty small and not really good for big parties. You order everything on your phone and everything is bought to you. Not everything is included in AYCE, so pay attention to prices. Meat quality and selection is honestly not bad. Not great, but not bad either. Our party only had beef items so I can't comment on anything else. Both marinated and non marinated short ribs weren't bad. Meat feels little thin for short rib quality and marinade is a tad too sweet. I was super excited because there was beef belly on the menu because not many places in the bay offer it. I know beef belly is fatty but this was are straight up all fat. My stomach did not sit well with it. Might as well just stick with brisket. The banchan is also just alright. I have qualms about the japchae being left out. I know it's a cold dish but it looked like it had been sitting out a while. Noodles were stringy and dry. Same with the fish cakes. The kimchi was decent. Had the crunch but didn't have the fermented goodness Our steamed eggs had a considerable amount of water left in the bottom and you could definitely taste that the egg had been watered down. Watered down. An egg? Why? Made no sense. Corn cheese is okay (can be skipped imo) and I didn't find the jjigaes (stews) to be anything special either. TDLR; I'd visit again if I was in the area, but I would not travel from my home 35 minutes away and wait another hour to dine here. read more

Really like this place. Fresh meats and side dishes! I love their briskets and beef tartare. I will keep coming back to this place when I have korean bbq craving. read more

Good quality meats & sides, but gd we've never been rushed to leave an establishment and told to stop eating, before. Mad ridiculous. Been to many other KBBQ/AYCE restaurants around the Bay near closing/last hour and they are respectful while letting us enjoy our food. I understand wanting to get off work on time (and it was not in our intentions to hold staff back longer than needed), but the shitty customer service had us baffled. Dude was literally watching over our table like a hawk and pacing back and forth behind us throughout the entire meal like he owned the place--lmfao! If they had given us just a few more minutes while they cleaned, we wouldve had a different experience & left a big tip. Instead, we ate so fast that we couldnt even remember what we ate or what things tasted like. Didnt help that their gills are super slow as well. We couldve finished most--if not all, the food we ordered in ample time if the fire was bigger/stronger. Same guy said he'd charge us for two leftovers and then changes to 3x although we ate most of the orders. But heck, not going to risk getting salmonella and food poisoning from raw meat just to save a few bucks. Unlike other Kbbq places that have rounds/limits and servers checking up on you & giving recommendations, you order off your phone (with a poorly designed online menu might I add) which promotes over-ordering because you cant easily edit your cart/quantities without going back and forth and the special/limited meats are separate from the reg menu. Tldr; will continue going to other YakiniQ locations with better service & wont be coming back here. read more

Wed dinner time review. Yelp rsvp inaccurate. Still had to wait. Seating setup is for 4 ideally. They can accommodate for 5. Larger parties, avoid. Small place. On the banner said "soft opening". Service was lack luster. You order in your phone via QR code. Food was ok, meats were ok, sides are not great. Kimchi was decent. Nothing to write home about. This is AYCE. Small parking lot. Street parking available read more

YakiniQ - Grilling - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

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If you're looking for a dining experience that will leave you questioning your life choices, look no further than Yakiniq LV. This gem of an establishment offers not just food, but a full-blown experience in mismanagement and customer dissatisfaction. The manager at this location was exceptionally rude to us. This was our very first time dining at this Yakiniq location. We unknowingly ordered more dishes than allowed by their rules. The manager came to our table and started questioning why we ordered so much. I asked him three times about the order limit. He was condescending and kept repeating himself about why we ordered so much. Yakiniq LV excels in turning a night out into a memorable occasion, provided you're a fan of abysmal service and prejudice. For those seeking a dining adventure where you're made to feel like you owe a lot to the management team, this is your go-to spot. Just remember to brush up on your tolerance for arrogance before you go - you'll need it. read more

Great place for AYCE korean bbq! Good price with a great selection! 90 minutes... plenty of time! The service is very good and the folks working there are great! Just be prepared to wait at peak hours... but worth it! read more

Food is okay they have ample of selection, however it will be better if they offer some sauces (I know it is not necessary), service is great, ambiance - hmmm, it was a bit cold inside the restaurant, asking if I would give another try maybe but not too soon. read more

Our new favorite kbbq place! Good quality meat and the service is top notch and efficient. Make sure you join the waitlist early on Yelp as the wait can be long. Parking lot is tiny, but there's plenty of street parking Will definitely be back! read more

I went in on a weekend around 6:15 pm, only wait for 5 mins and it's not full house yet which is great. They have more servants than customers which they can pay extra attention to each table. Changing grill plate pretty often and take away any empty plates. However, they are charging $36 for regular AYCE which is little over priced and their shrimps are not fresh, we can see the skin still stick to the shrimp when peeling off and eventually my husband and kid got food prison that night. read more

Went during weekend lunch, parking was not easy with farmer's market. Ordered the premium but the meat with premium is limited and not necessary. You can make your own judgement if the price bump is worth it. Otherwise good meat, good sides. read more

I usually go to a different Korean BBQ place, but I decided to try something new and come here from Walnut Creek. My friends and I arrived at YakiniQ and were greeted warmly by the staff. We got there around 8 PM and were politely told to put our names on the waitlist. We left to greet our friends, and came back to the staff that remembered the reservation name. You can tell that the staff cares about the quality of the food, and customer service. A large group came before us, and we were surprised by how quickly they were able to seat us. The manager checked on us to see how we were doing and even explained how to order our food so we wouldn't make any mistakes. They have a wonderful app that allowed us to order our food and request grill changes when needed. The food here was absolutely delicious and came with a variety of sauces and sides that were insanely delicious. When it came to ordering, the kitchen staff were incredibly friendly and quick to serve us. The other Korean BBQ place I used to go to was a staple and highly ranked on my list of go-tos, but this place, with its amazing staff, beat them. I will definitely be coming back here any chance I get. Thank you so much for being patient with us. Shout out to the entire team! read more

Definitely best all you can eat bbq in Livermore. We got the premium package. One of the best things about this place is how much side dishes they give you. Also they're not stingy like more all you can eat bbq joints. Ordering was really easy and the food came out really fast. The wagyu brisket was my favorite. The service here is amazing. Staff is really friendly. There was a guy that I noticed that walked around making sure everyone at every table was good and gave out his recommendations on how to eat certain things. At the end we were offered complimentary ice cream with fried tempura banana. I'm not sure if it's because it was free but it was so good! The banana was perfectly fried. I will definitely come back and recommend this spot to anyone in the area. read more

After having this placed bookmarked for awhile I finally got the chance to visit! The service definitely could be better especially with the workers in the front. Overhearing that there was many tables available and they weren't seating anybody was a bit frustrating. The food itself was good but wasn't anything amazing but I would admit that their portions are pretty big. The cold noodles are good as well! I love that they have tortillas here! Something surprising is that they dont have huge fans right about the table to suck up all the smoke and we left not smelling like kbbq. read more

No need for the rude attitude. Probably won't be back anymore since there's a lot of other kbbq to choose from. The food itself is ok. Wide variety of meats and sides. read more

YakiniQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

It was out first time eating at the place and it did not dissapoint! The food was great! One of the best korean restaurant that serves best side dishes. The service was awesome and fast. The place is huge as well and had a nice ambience. Try it! read more

Solid kbbq spot. Wait is not as long since they opened up the other side. Food is prompt upon ordering from the app. Service is good. The only thing I saw that management needs to know about is that I saw the workers setting up the table next to me. They put the banchan down and then started spraying the cleaning solution on the table. Positive the mist got into the food. Really made us think twice about coming back but we did. read more

Great meat selections on premium combo. Has good sides as well. The servers are kind and very friendly. read more

YakiniQ - Wagyu and prime ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

Great Service. Great food, great everything! Always love coming here and every time I refer a family member they are also content with everything :) read more

The main dining room was cozy, but a little tight. The food was great and felt like a pretty good value being all-you-can-eat. Service was very prompt and easy; you order everything from a web app by scanning a QR code with your phone. Our young kids loved it. One of the main drawbacks was the presentation of the restaurant. While the dining room was fine, the rest of the restaurant felt like it was partially under construction, even though I don't think it is. There was junk piled up outside the restaurant - buckets, stray boards and other loose pieces of wood, etc. Just inside the main entrance is a small bar, but it didn't seem to be operational or attended by anyone and was partially being used for storage. Basically, everything outside of the dining room did not look very presentable. read more

My recent visit to Yakini Q was an absolute disaster from start to finish: Firstly, upon approaching our seat, we saw a cockroach upside down laying dead on the floor. Instead of addressing the health hazard, the manager took a look from far and tried to dismiss our concerns by claiming it was a piece of meat. As if encountering cockroach/"meat" wasn't bad enough, the manager intervened in our meal planning. Despite our clear understanding of the consequences (need to pay for whatever we couldn't finish), he decided to cut our order in half, citing concerns about our ability to finish the food. This was both insulting and unprofessional. Our experience with the bartender took this horrible experience to another level. She managed to botch a simple soda order and then engaged us in a very heated argument when we pointed out the mistake. To our shock and disbelief, she even went so far as to call us "crazy". Then two managers came separately asking what happened and we had to have to repeat the situation twice. We did not end up getting apology from the bartender and this repeated discussion seems to be just a waste of our time. There're so many other bbq choices out there, why waste your time, energy and money here. Not worth it. ------------------------------------------------ In response to Bradley's reply to my previous review: Bradley, your accusations are completely untrue. Yesterday was my first visit to your restaurant and my first encounter with any of your staff. I have no idea where this "not the first time here" "3rd time being disrespectful " claim came from. Regarding the incident with the bug: it was removed without being shown to us, and we did not acknowledge it as meat. I suggest reviewing your security camera footage for clarification. To avoid further argument, we chose to discontinue discussing the matter and remained silent when informed it was meat. Reviewing past review from other customers, it was clear that the manager had past experience in denying bug for being bug. Regarding the payment for leftovers: While we understood the policy, we opted not to request any adjustments to our order. The decision to halve the bill was made by the manager. We were not informed about the "10 items max" rule until we are told our order was cancelled by half. I explained to the manager that my reason for standing was to show respect to have a conversation on the same eye level and he acknowledged it. Following our initial confrontation with the manager, we decided to move past the incident and continue enjoying our dinner. However, upon reviewing the order history, we noticed an error (again) in the soda listing. When we brought this to the bartender's attention, she responded with an unprofessional attitude and refused to acknowledge the mistake in the initial order. Our intention was simply to enjoy our evening, and we had no desire to engage in an argument or spend considerable time afterward writing a review, were it not for the unacceptable behavior we encountered. As for the alleged witnesses, they only heard your version of events, not the full story. Since you are full of lies, we have no way to confirm the existence of these supposed witnesses. We have never "threaten" anything. The word "negative review" was not mentioned at all during our interaction last night. We did say we would not tip. You expect us still tip after order being messed up, being called crazy and dinner ruined? I have no intention in visiting this place ever again and suggest ppl not to either if you don't want to get involved into such drama. Have a better life. -------------------------------- Reply to Bradley: Does the security tape show that you showed us the cockroach after you picked it up? If you are so sure about my previous two visits (which never exist) and me being disrespectful during those visits, you must remember what happened then, enlighten me what happened. If you are so sure it was me, you must have a tape to help you identity. Show the tape and let's see who the person is. Idk how your tracking/waitlist works but it's clearly a mistake. Spend your time investigating how to make the system better rather than using the false information to accuse people for what they've never done. I'm not gonna take your false accusations. It is my first time being in yakini q LV. If there's nothing wrong with the tracking system then you just made up lies about my 3 time visits. Making up lies just show you lack of integrity, which is beyond what has happened (poor customer service). I've chosen not to go anymore because of the hygiene issue and how customers were treated, not because I feel unwelcome by you. read more

YakiniQ - Cockroach - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

Had lunch today at YakiniQ Livermore and I went with an appetite. This was prob my 3rd or 4th visit and I have to say for AYCE this has to be my fave hands down and I'll tell you why. Starting from the friendly staff, then the very quick service and it's nice that you can order right from the app through a QR code (very convenient) and they don't limit you like other places, you can order as many items as you like on one order, and lastly the quality of the meats and food for AYCE is amazing. My 2 yr old is a huge fan of their japchae. This is a solid 9/10 for me read more