Nestled in the wonderful area of bathhurst and queen. When you navigate thru the fentanyl zombies, pee and poop, and the overwhelming aroma of urine you will find this gem. I d like to think this area will seen be gentrified if not already. This place is legit / authentic / Japanese BBQ. Servers say their mandatory greetings and goodbyes. Service was wonderful and friendly. Ordering is as easy as it comes. Point at the items on the menu, there is description of the food , and the prep and cook time is relatively quick. My group got mostly skewers of beef, chicken, and bowls of rice. Food was well cooked, delicious with the teriyaki sauce, and the fish was ok. I wasn't a fan of their snow crab roll or the raw scallops. Come here for tasty easy Japanese bbq. The vibe and ambiance was casual, semi comfortable . read more

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This is a great spot for yakitori! We have been going on the 29th of the month where they offer a 29% promo on all skewers including the zakkushi set and premium set. They offer a stamp card for every visit on the 29th where you can work towards a beer mug, tshirt, and giftcards on your visits! We got multiple rounds of skewers including the zakkushi set. Our favorite appetizer is the honey satsuma as the sweet potato is fried perfectly. We always end the meal with the carbonara udon which is so creamy. Looking forward to getting the beer mug on our 3rd visit! read more

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Came here for a friend's birthday. Staff and service were really great, they were very attentive and the food came out quickly. We ordered a few things on the menu so I got to try a variety of dishes. They're most known for the skewers which I thought tasted amazing. We got the oden, carbonara udon, ochazuke. As for the yakitori, we got the umeshiso yaki, kurobuta pork belly, and the scallops. Not really a big space but still plenty of seating. It wasn't too busy when we were there but it does get pretty loud. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and would most likely come back again. read more

Zakkushi on Queen West - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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It took us a while to find ZoQW. Zakkushi is a delightful destination - with excellent service, and masterfully prepared izakakya and some fun unique dishes like mixed sashimi natto. Of course the star of the show is skewers. read more

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A welcome addition to this area. I don't go to East end of the city much so the trips to their original spot have been sparse. This one is a good and pleasant diversion for this type of food as there isn't much like this around here. The skewers are top notch with unagi being a standout. Chicken items are all decent as well. Beer selection is mainly Japanese style offerings. Service is ok and with emphasis on efficiency. Nice bright setup which I think is more suitable for a night out with friends. Give them a try if you like grilled food read more

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Loved everything we ordered. Would recommend trying the yuzu sake and apple ginger highball. Wouldn't come here on an empty stomach. Cost of skewers adds up so maybe good if you're not that hungry or planning on eating more after. Amazing service they would always put away the menu. Good casual ambiance with ample table seating. read more

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This was our favorite meal of the trip! The service was so fast and friendly. As soon as we sat down, the waiter brought me a basket to put my bag in. Nice touch! Drinks were refilled quickly, and the food came out perfectly. Started with a hamachi sashimi. We also tried a few of the skewers: p-toro, duck breast, pork belly, zucchini, tomato maki. They were so good that we ordered a couple more! He also had unagi don, while I had the yakisoba. I don't usually drink sake, but the waiter helped me pick one that I really liked. Had the Coconut Paradise drink for dessert, and it was divine. He had the Shiso Mojito and Orion beer. Both were very good. Thoroughly enjoyed everything. We will definitely be back! read more

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everything's good Great service Good selection of food, would definitely go back to try more read more

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We visited on a Sunday night, it was a little crowded, but we were seated right away which was great. The menu is full of skewers and a variety of small plates, perfect for a group. We were a party of four and ordered five items to share. My favourite was the mentaiko udon, it was rich, creamy and comforting. We also had the oden, squid, one of the skewer sets, and mackerel. Everything was very delicious! I'd definitely recommend coming with friends and ordering a few plates to share the experience. read more

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Yakitori Izakaya food tapas style. Ordered the sashimi which was good. Ordered the wagyu beef skewer, chicken skewers, enoki mushrooms wrapped in pork, portobello mushrooms skewers and pork premium skewers. All good. We also had a salad The only thing that we didn't care for was the Yakitori Don which was tasteless. read more

Wife and I wanted to reminisce on our trip to Vancouver and so we booked one of their locations in Toronto for a special occasion. We actually got here late due to traffic downtown. However we were late and they still honoured our reservation. We walked into the store and their service team member sat us down. Then we were given instructions on the order process. Great service thus far. The store on Queen Street has a different vibe and the decor is more modern. Both are great. We ordered a bunch of different items and food came out in a moment. The yummy food slowly trickled in. Flavour is honestly quite similar. We devoured our food and gotten dessert too. It's a great concept honestly and we will come back in the future. read more

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I had been a regular to the east side Zakkushi and this was my first visit here and I was very happy. Ambiance - as good as the east side location - simple and welcoming Service - excellent friendly waitress Food - excellent - everything on the skewers was so tender and the rice/noodle dishes were good too. read more

Was craving authentic Japanese food and found this restaurant nearby. What a gem this spot is. We sat at the bar and ordered a few meats, a natto and sashimi dish, cucumbers, yaki onigiri, and the chicken meatball soup! The vibes were super cool and chill, the service was amazing and top notch! So glad we came here and may come back before our trip is over. I definitely recommend - everything is super fresh and delicious. Ah and don't forget the beer on draft. read more

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We were visiting friends in Toronto and they recommended that we come to this spot. When we got there there was already a wait - we put our names down and went down the block to get drinks. This is such a nice spot to hang out with friends. The Yakitori was delicious. You can't go wrong with any of them - we pretty much ordered each one on the menu. My favorite was the mushroom one. read more

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My vote for #thankyouthursday My wife and I absolutely love this Izakaya. It offers authentic Japanese yakitori in a modern setting. The service is great. Communication is great. We love the monthly specials. But our comfort and fallback options are on the main menu. There's great sake to pair your food with. A big thank you from us both. Our favorite restaurant in Toronto. We are lucky to have you in our city. Thanks for being awesome! See you very soon! read more

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3.5 stars We came here on a Saturday evening and we're able to score seats with no reservation. The vibe was nice, cozy, great for drinks and chatting it wasn't loud at all. We ordered a variety of skewers and some hot tapas and drinks. I really liked the umeshu on the rocks it was tasty and not too strong. The karage was delicious and one of my favourite items. The pork wrapped mochi was another favorite. The other skewers were okay pretty average. I didn't get any skewers with sauce but maybe I should have . The meat with just salt is really bland it's not pre marinated so no existing flavour. Service was friendly. read more

Zakkushi on Queen West - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My cousin took me here for a double date and it was definitely not a place I heard of before. Super excited to find a place for skewers!! I really love that they do everything over charcoal so there's that Smokey flavor. I particularly enjoy the chicken balls. They're not too dry and still have a great flavor. The garlic stems with the bacon wrap were delicious! I also enjoyed their takowasabi. It was a good kick of wasabi, though I had to really get over the slimey texture. We also got takoyaki which I really really enjoyed. There was a crisp crust and then the super chewy soft inside and big chunks of tako. Would definitely recommend checking out their apps. I also got a pineapple soda too which I think is really necessary with this meal. Very refreshing stuff. I would recommend coming with friends it seems like a great place to go! read more

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I'm not going to list out everything I ate since I got a lot of skewers here. The skewers are grilled nicely and very tender but they are very salty! I had to ask for less salt. My favorite skewers were the garlic prawn, chicken meatballs, the chicken thigh and leeks, Garlic stems wrapped Sliced in Pork, and the tofu. I also ordered the goma-ae (spinach), karaage, and the soy Yakionigiri. The spinach was good, but I'd personally skip the karaage and yakionigri (it was okay but nothing special - get the skewers instead). The drinks are also reasonably priced at around $9 and the mega size at $16. Beware though, the skewers add up so expect to spend at least $40+ per person. Each skewer is around $4 and an average adult can easily eat 10+. The service was good when I went. read more

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My husband and I come here almost every weekend so I think we've tried about everything on the menu. Their skewers are always well cooked and so full of flavor and juicy. The mentaiko carbonara udon is my favorite. It is probably the best one I've ever had at any Japanese restaurant. The karage is also lightly battered and so juicy again one of the best ones I've ever! I recommend their pork donburi bowl with miso soup! Sooooo delicious. This place is the best place to be able to try a bunch of little things and still have a full dinner. very reasonably priced as well. The Sapporo and açai beers are always so creamy and smooth. Service has always been wonderful here no matter how busy they are All the servers are bright, cheerful and kind. I genuinely love the authenticity of this place and how the true Japanese culture can shine through read more

Zakkushi on Queen West - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Let me start by saying that the food was WONDERFUL. Very very tasty, lots of flavor, soft and juicy - really good. My only criticism is the portion of food you receive. Understandably, each item is fairly low in cost when looking at it, but the portion size you receive is quite small. This would be a great spot for small bites / tapas (which I believe it's intended for, I may have just gone under the assumption it would be a spot for dinner), eating here for dinner will result in a higher than intended bill just based off the amount of food you need to order. Overall, great spot for small bites , but just something to consider when coming here! I'll likely return, just not for dinner. read more

Pretty good and yummy restaurant. Just a bit expensive for some late night snacks! Haha I enjoyed it a lot! read more

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After trying out their sister site, I was excited to come here and eat more skewers. They have the same menu at both locations and their quality is consistent, so we had another lovely meal! I was able to return to some old favorites (grilled rice balls, fried mochi, etc.) and try some new items. The one difference is that this location has more of a polished bar vibe, while the other was more rustic and quirky. Both will ensure you have a good time, even though your wallet may feel differently! read more

Zakkushi on Queen West - Only a portion of the night's skewers - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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A very authentic and interesting experience! Meat on skewers are deliciously flavourful and Smokey. It's definitely a sharing dish and perfect spot for groups of 2-4. They have lots of space indoors and service is speedy. It's nearest major intersection is Bathurst and Queen so very convenient. Pro tip: try the wagu beef on a stick! read more

This was my first time here and I am going to be generous with my rating and award Zakkushi 4 stars. It may have been 3 or 3.5, but their unique nature - not too many Japanese yakitoria in Toronto - and the fact that I took food out instead of dining in and my food's flavour may have become skewed means I will bump up my rating. I am not in a mood to dine in and be exposed to COVID. It has been some time since I visited the original Zakkushi on Carlton - a place I really enjoyed - and I was eager to pig it out on kushi (Japanese skewers). I ordered a couple of sets and found an instructional flyer in each regarding the sauces and what goes with what. Funnily, they call Yuzukoshu "Green-ish paste." Anyway, the meat was average to good. It tasted less flavourful than the other Zakkushi and certainly less premium than in Japan. I had duck (more on this later), beef (wagyu), chicken and tongue and the premium tongue was my favourite. The sweet potato fries were a waste because they were limp and damp (see my reference to take-out). The skewers are expensive already, but the premium items (which are even more expensive) are worth it. The interior is designed with that authentic Japanese wooden feel, which is the case with the Carlton mothership) and the kitchen staff were Japanese. The man at the door was East Asian, but not Japanese, which always makes me wonder how racist that is. We are supposed to perceive him as 'authentic' and Japanese, but Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese are as Japanese, and as knowledgeable about Japanese food, as someone from Canada or Africa or Russia. Yet, will these Japanese businesses hire anyone from outside East Asia? No. So racist. Just stick with Japanese employees or, if you cannot find one, then be honest and hire anyone. Still, regardless of ownership and employees, is this a Japanese business? Yes. The food and ambience is Japanese and most importantly, they cannot help themselves, but have at least one word misspelt. It a running joke with me that English spell check is not a thing with these Japanese businesses. See my photos and see if you can spot it or the wrong spelling ducks your eyes. read more

Zakkushi on Queen West - Handy guide for take-outers - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Super delicious food. I highly recommend to all people who are looking for authentic Japanese food

Came here for dinner with my boyfriend on a Wednesday night and we were seated right away. We ordered the skewer set, salmon sashimi, takowasabi and the creamy carbonara udon - all were delicious, especially the skewers. They have a huge selection of skewers and appetizers, would definitely come back and try more items! read more

I love love love Zakkushi! Since their original location on Carlton. This location has a more contemporary decor to it and is very sleek, also looks more spacious compared to the original location. They mainly serve Izakaya and Yakitori dishes which are skewered food grilled over charcoal as well as small tapas style dishes. This is the perfect place for sharing but be careful because prices can add up! The service was very friendly, attentive and helpful. The cooks were nice enough to pose for some amazing pictures and video shots. Everything about this place just made the experience amazing and we didn't feel rushed one bit. We ordered a bunch of items to share between 3 of us and the ones that stood out were the yakitori sets, the mochi cheese skewer, the kawahagi (dried fish w/ spicy mayo), the amazing scallop skewers, ebi mayo, takowasabi and the black sesame creme brulee and Hojicha pudding were amazing desserts! The soft cheesy mochi was so fresh and soft and definitely worthy of a mochi pull video for Instagram. It all just went together so deliciously. The kawahagi was chewy, sweet and savoury with creamy richness of the mayo made it perfect to go with a beer! A must combo with beer in my books, trust me you'll thank me later! So good to just munch on! The scallops were grilled to perfection and so juicy and delicious! I definitely would love to eat a few of these if it didn't burn a whole into my wallet The ebi mayo is thinly battered shrimps in a yummy creamy and tangy sauce had a nice crunch and sweetness to it. The takowasabi had an amazing fresh kick of wasabi to it. It'll clear up your sinuses for sure! Beware it's a big kick of flavour, so if you're not a fan of wasabi you may not like this. I love the taste of the Hojicha pudding, so light and creamy with the perfect amount of tea flavour yet not heavy tasting at all. I loved loved loved the black sesame creme brulee. It could've been presented better or more interestingly but it was worth getting, it was everyone's favourite! They also have location specials, and specials change quite often. The special that day was the Garlic Momo $3/each (garlic chicken skewer), Negima $2.50/each ( green onion & chicken skewer), Cheese Yakioni $3.50/each ( grilled cheese rice ball), and appetizer set $5 ( Salmon & Tai sashimi mixed with ginger and shiso + Jap homemade styled vinegar seaweed and cucumber with tobiko) Come by and check out this new gem on Queen Street! If you enjoyed reading my review check out my IG page @kristinerella54 read more

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We came here while spending the Memorial Day weekend in Toronto and I booked in advance as the reviews warned that it get busy at dinner time. True enough, the only table empty when we arrived is our reserved table. As always an Izakaya (tapas) menu is easy to understand and it featured some mouth watering pictures of the food. We started with a cold bottle of sake and their complimentary of trio of appetizers, grilled squid, tuna tartare and salmon carpaccio. We then ordered the all time favorites such as pork belly, himachi, glazed salmon and duck breast, we followed it with crispy chicken wings, takoyaki and grilled mackerel. All the dishes came in timely fashion. I really love the concept of tapas it always gives us the opportunity to enjoy the food and the moment, and although the price is somewhat more expensive than others, I would still recommend Zakkushi to friends and relatives if visiting Toronto. read more

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I really was hoping for a great experience. I went to Zakkushi on Carlton before and it was excellent. But Zakkushi on queen was not. The service was extremely slow and unattentative. Drinks were not mixed well. The food was tasty that's consistent. However, some items took forever to come out and I think they forgot about it until we asked again. I definitely would not go to this location again. read more

The best dining experience I've had in a long time. Service was top notch! The waitress was incredibly friendly and sincerely kind. Food was also top notch. Staff made us feel very welcome there and their dessert special was so delicious. Service was so excellent. They serve customers very well and seem to want to connect with them and go out of their way to make them comfortable. Highly recommended. read more

If you want a place to eat, drink, and have fun with your friends you MUST come to Zakkushi. We were welcomed by all the staff and seated in a nice nook near the middle of the restaurant. The smell of grilled skewers filled the air and we were happy to have our orders taken right away! Our server was really attentive and gave us a great recommendation for a Yuzu Sake. I sipped on a delicious Matcha Martini that paired perfectly with the richness of the meat. We ordered a lot of delicious skewers, but the must-try's are the Negima, Wagyu, Garlic Beef, and Oropon Beef! I would happily come back! read more

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You definitely should book a reservation before coming here. They're quite busy on weekend evenings. This review is based on the various skewers I ordered when I came here for dinner. Items ordered and rating: - Takowasabi (Octopus + Wasabi Stem) - 4/5 - Free Range Chicken Momo (Chicken Thigh) - 4/5 - Momo (Chicken Thigh) - 4/5 - Nankotsu (Chicken Knee Cartilage) - 4.5/5 - Teba (Chicken Wing) - 3/5 - P-toro (Crunchy and Juicy Pork) - 4/5 - Uzura Maki (Quail Eggs Wrapped with Pork) - 5/5 - Negi Beef (with Onion Sauce) - 3/5 - BBQ Beef (with BBQ Sauce) - 4.5/5 - Garlic Prawn - 3/5 - Okaka Nigiri - 1/5 - Takoyaki - 5/5 - Oden (Tofu, Dashimaki Tamago, Ikamaki, Toridango) - 3/5 Of special note, I particularly loved the cartilage, P-toro, BBQ beef, and quail egg skewers. The pork was so juicy and had good fat content. The beef was also juicy and super tender. I think my favourite skewer had to be the quail eggs. Being wrapped in thin pork, and topped with seaweed and mayo, the eggs were an umami flavour bomb. read more

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Always been wanting to come here, and finally got the chance to try. The best yakitori I've had so far. Waited just under an hour for a table for 2, so just walked around the area and came back. We had 2 zakkushi sets, a premium set, goma ae (spinach with sesame sauce), mentai Carbonara udon, assorted kinds oden, salmon ochazuke. I can't choose which was my fav because everything was so good! Very authentic and service was great. I appreciate that they have hooks on the wall for diners to hang their jackets/bags. They have a pretty big drink menu as well. Definitely gonna come back again and try dessert as well next time. read more

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The vibe is very cozy and feels familiar. It's the perfect place to catch up with friends over eat delicious skewers and beer. I loved trying all the different skewers, each perfectly seasoned and cooked. The portion is just enough so that you can try other dishes without getting too full. Perfect place to order a bunch for the table to share. read more

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If you like skewers, this is the place for you! They have a variety of different types of meat, and different toppings or seasoning as well. They have skewers ranging from basic and simple to ones with more pizzazz to them. We got the zakkushi set which comes with 5 skewers ($12.80), cheese yaki ($3.10), takoyaki ($6.50) and yakitori don ($10.50). I like how the zakkushi set gives you a bunch of skewers to try, and makes it easy for newbies like me. Otherwise they have so many skewers on the menu that it is quite hard to pick from! I will note that for the Me Maki skewer (garlic stubs wrapped with pork), I couldn't actually taste the pork. The takoyaki and yakitori don were good filling options, since just eating skewers would have left us hungry. While I do think this is a good skewer place, I realized that skewers are not my preferred type of food. I still enjoyed the experience though and appreciate the many meats you get to try here! read more

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We came right at dinner peak hours and had to wait for about 10mins. Which was shorter than we thought. We ordered quite a bit and everything came out relatively fast. Everything was cooked to order so it came out nice and hot. The chicken heart were the best. It was so juicy and cooked to perfection. The beef tongue on the other hand was overcooked, dry, chewy and had a weird taste to it so we went it back to the kitchen. The deep fried chicken cartilage also came out fresh out the fryer and was nice and crispy. It worked perfectly with lemon and mayo. Definitely tasted better than the chicken cartilage skewer. The skewer was lacking flavour and wasn't as tasty. I ordered the lemonade sake which tasted like lemonade with no alcohol. Which isn't bad cause you can get drunk without tasting the alcohol haha Overall the food wasn't bad but I wouldn't recommend coming here if you're hungry. Really hard to fill up on skewers but it's a nice place to snack and grab a few drinks with friends! read more

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Been to this Izakaya a few times but first time at this location. Food, taste and service is solid and consistent with other locations. Was only here for a quick late night snack so ordered a few skewers along with fried rice with butter. Highly recommend the duck skewer, meat was very well seasoned and tender. I've tried the soya sauce fried rice before but the butter one was surprisingly good. In summary this restaurant still one of my go to Izakaya's if you want japanese style skewers. Will definitely go back. read more

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Great yakitori and Japanese snacks restaurant. Definitely recommend ordering their yakitori sets or individual sticks. I didn't really like their spicy tuna avocado appetizer. Looked very unappetizing and tasted very underwhelming. It came with only like two sad little tiny bits of avocado for $5.80. Not worth it. Regular Zakkushi set was good. Waygu beef balls were okay. Tasted like regular meat balls. Duck breast was alright. I think my favourite would have been the uneshiso maki (chicken thigh w basil) or me maki (garlic stubs wrapped w pork). There is just so much , I want to try them All! My friend said that the skewers here are comparable to the ones in Japan! So this place def sounds authentic. Overall, I'd come back for yakitori only and not their appetizers until they improve drastically. read more

Food: 5 Stars Service: 5 Stars Ambience: 5 Stars Fill Factor: Still Hungry This is my first visit to this Zakkushi location which I believe had only opened not too long ago. I was fortunate to get a seat as I arrived shortly after they opened but the place filled up fairly fast and there were a number of people waiting when I left so it might be wise to make a reservation. We were seated near the kitchen area which was really cool because we got to see the chefs at work grilling our delicious skewers. I ordered a bunch of random skewers as it has been a while and I wanted to find which skewers I liked. We started with the premium and Zakkushi sets to get an assortment of different skewers the place had to offer. Let me start off my saying that everything was super delicious and you really cannot go wrong with any of the skewers in either set. My personal favourites were the chicken skewers and the Wagyu beef tsukune (both with teriyaki sauce). We also tried a few random items off the menu such as the mochi maki (sticky rice wrapped in pork) which had an interesting texture with the stickiness of the mochi combined with the pork. It tasted alright but was not one of my favourite items of the night. We also tried the yakioni with butter and though it had a nice buttery aroma, it was essentially a plain rice ball. Again not bad but after experiencing all the other flavourful food items this seemed a bit too plain for my taste. Finally we had the Kinako mochi ice cream which as a fan of mochi in general, was really enjoyable. I had the Dorayaki matcha ice cream last time and I preferred the mochi ice cream over that. The service and the space is excellent here. The staff is so welcoming and friendly. They were extremely patient with us when we could not decide what we wanted and gave us recommendations and explanations when our items arrived. There is a fair bit of seating here and we ended up at the back (as we did not make a reservation which I recommend you do) and sat in an area where we were sharing the table with others. It was fine and actually made things more communal. I highly recommend Zakkushi if you are a lover of skewers. Do note that if you are really hungry and do not want to spend a lot of money then this place is not a good choice as the skewers are not that filling and the bill adds up really fast. Otherwise it is always good fun at Zakkushi. read more

Zakkushi is an awesome izakaya place for neat Japanese tapas, freshly grilled yakitori, neat snacks, and even desserts! It was already super busy by the time we went at 6 For the yakitori skewer, each skewer is individually priced, except for their signature Zakkushi Set which comes with 5 skewers together. Their portions are small, so we ordered a lot of different dishes to share between the 4 of us. After trying a ton of them, our fav were the creamy Mentai Carbonara Udon (pretty big bowl size with super creamy sauce and chewy noodle), the amazingly grilled asparagus skewer in the Zakkushi Set, and the ultimate pick of all... the Beef Tataki! The beef slices were so tender and soft that literally melted in my mouth. The honey satsuma, deep fried sweet purple fries served with honey dip was honestly a great snack to grab too~ fried with crisp outside and warm soft on the inside. Kind of disappointed by the yakionigiri, it barely had much flavour, tasted just like regular rice, cuz soy sauce was just lightly brushed on top. And it costed $2.50 for each piece... We were honestly the most excited for the dessert, but kind of disappointed by the Kuro Goma Brûlée ans the Hojicha Pudding. The brûlée was too sweet that overpowered the existing light black sesame flavour. But, we did LOVED the sweet and chewy Kinako Mochi Ice Cream tho! Recommend Top Picks: Mentai Carbonara Udon - $11.00 Zakkushi Set - $12.80 Beef Tataki - $12.00 Aged Mochi - $6.00 Ebi Mayo - $10.00 Kinako Mochi Ice Cream - $5.00 Honey Satsuma - $6.00 Others: Salmon Mushroom Foiled Yaki - $8.90 Chicken Karaage - $7.50 Takowasabi - $4.80 Yakionigiri Shoyu & Butter Shoyu - $2.50 /each Dorayaki Matcha Ice Cream - 5.00 Kuro Goma Creme Brûlée - $6.00 Hojicha Pudding - $5.00 read more

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