Yeah giving this place a 5* rating because it has a low rating of 2.5* here on Yelp, and I want to support it.The food here was pretty tasty. I got the BBQ chicken plate and the Spam Musubi, and the taste was comparable if not slightly better than your average L&L Hawaiian BBQ.The prices here were DIRT CHEAP, surprisingly pleasant on the wallet. It's like $6.99 or $7.99 for a BBQ plate that comes with a free can of soda. So much cheaper than L&L. The portions are slightly smaller but imma say worth.The service here was great too. It wasn't very busy when we came here, so the owner helped us through the menu, gave us some recommendations, and even lowered the price for us when we ordered together. Jake is a main man.Looking back, Jake's is a great option if you're looking to eat at the Tanforan food court. Enough talk.Watch my video review here: youtu.be/U8u-T7mM9OE
Tracy G.
The restaurant is really good for a special occasion or just getting some food and drinks with some friends. Really friendly service!
Danny N.
Tried this for lunch since a coworker recommended it. Definetly not the best and wouldn't suggest it. I ordered the chicken katsu. The katsu was good but I didn't care for the sauce or the Mac that came with it. Do yourself a favor and just go to L&L
Benny W.
We were the last customers of the day. The servers were friendly to us, and the food was cooked to order. There is a huge discount if you buy two orders, and they also throw in one free beverage too! The meats were perfectly marinaded and grilled.
Faithful Poet
I did a lot of walking around today and I needed a place to fill me up and that wasn’t too expensive. This place caught my eye because their plates were less than 10 dollars. It doesn’t have the best decor, but I was hoping it would be one of those hole in the wall places, places that look messy on the outside but has amazing food. And it was good. I definitely would go back again. The value was good and it definitely filled me up. I ordered the bbq shrimp and beef and 2 fried chicken drums. The meats were tasty but could use a bit more salt to really bring the flavor out. However, they didn’t have the sauce prepared, so it was dry. The rice was wet so it was too chewy, but the side dishes were nice. I also order their Thai Tea which was obviously powdered, and I don’t recommend it because they don’t give you that much for $4. So overall not a bad place. It’s mall food so don’t except too much :)Signing out, Gao
Arias D.
Reviewing this place after over a year of not going here, but it was great when I used to go. I stopped going after I got sick. Seen a guy there who had a cold and was cooking and I'm pretty sure he's the reason I got sick. I noticed he was sick when I went back to San Bruno mall the following day from when I ordered and had previously premiered from the same man the day before. I'd go all the time since I live close and love walking the mall just for enjoyment. I noticed this dude sneezing out in the open over the grill and wiping his nose with his hand, then proceeding to cook. Tbh, he's the only one I've ever seen this gross. He looked like a bald/short haired, light skinned oriental man, though he could have been something else. Most of the other regular staff does a good job, and I never seen him too often, but the times I did was rare. Probably was just the times I normally visited the mall, which varied depending on day of the week and holiday. Regardless, after ordering here and seeing that disgusting man, I caught a cold shortly after. Was so grossed out after that and it made me stop buying from them. But when the food was good, I love it. Bomb tasting rice bowl you could get for a good price. Staff were always friendly too. And I liked that you could get shrimp tempura for super cheap. Idk how this place is after the pandemic, but I wouldn't be surprised if they end up closing soon. Especially considering their current rating. Hopefully they get new management and turn things around.
Michael F.
My wife went here recently to grab some takeout dinner for us. Apparently the customer service was rude and incompetent. The young man handling the order spoke very little English and had a snotty attitude. He kept ringing up the order at full price despite being corrected and informed of the discount pricing posted. When the manager got involved, he was also useless and spoke no English. The food had no sauce or spices. It was dry and bland. The leftovers were the same or worse. So yeah, we won't be going back. Horrible first impression.
niki l.
Came here for lunch. Ordered the teriyaki chicken and chicken katsu plates. Came here when they first open and it was good. Been wanting to try them again but everytime I see them, they never look happy. The chicken teriyaki came out burnt and lack of taste. The chicken katsu was ok. Their sides of macaroni salad was bland. The lady that took the order did not looked not happy to be there. Maybe she's the owner but she was not friendly whatsoever. A lot of Hawaiian places, they are always happy and welcoming, not her. Would I go there again, probably not.
Steffen Chandler
The place was clean. I love the food and worth to pay for and visit again.
Skylar H
Would surely recommend trying this place. Excellent ambience, delightful dishes, great service. I recommend this place.
This is a Hawaiian BBQ take out place located in the food court at Tanforan mall. I came to the food court on a Saturday afternoon around lunch with intentions to pick up Jollibees. However, a lot of food places were closed due to the pandemic. The only options were Subway, Charley's Philly Cheesesteak, Five Guys and this place so thought to give it a try. Poor decision, I shoulda known as there was a swarm of people waiting at Charleys and this place only had 1 person.I got the chicken katsu, mix plate (rib/bbq beef/chicken) and spam musubis. The only decent thing was the musubis. The chicken katsu was so overcooked and dry that if you are not careful the ends will scratch the roof of your mouth. The bbq mix plate was no better. The beef was burned and they try to cover it with chicken which had leftover black charred bits stuck all over it from their cooking surface. The plates were heavy but only because they put so much white rice as filler.Come eat here if you like blackened BBQ. Otherwise, RUUUUN! (Even if you happen to be at the food court in the mall and nothing else is open, go somewhere else).
Manuel R.
Should've read the reviews before coming here but was hungry and everything else was closed, (I originally wanted Chipotle). I ordered the shrimp and chicken - didn't take too long, maybe 10 min, probably because there weren't any other customers, took a bite and pretty much threw away the rest of my food. The chicken tasted nothing like Hawaiian bbq, macaroni salad (usually my fav part) super bland and horrible representation for Hawaiian bbq. Steer far, FAR AWAY from this horribly tasting place. Save yourself $15+.
ashley h.
My spam musubi was cooked on the same surface as my boyfriends barely cooked chicken. Luckily he didn't eat it because it was nasty, but I developed the worst food poisoning ever. Employees didn't care and didn't even wear the masks properly when cooking, but the manager was very sorry and offered a free lunch. Not sure I'd trust it again though.
Spencer Q
Would I go back: I might defer to another place in the mall though it's limited.Food:BBQ plate - 3/5 - The pro is that it's definitely a big portion but nothing spectacular. The taste of the meat is standard but again it's all about the portion.Service: 3/5 - Standard service for a fast food joint.Ambiance: 2/5 - It's a mall food court so nothing much to say here.
Shyanne C.
Rude service. They act like they don't like their job. I regret tipping them. There boba is hard asf not even boiled all the way thru. Not only that but the tea was watered down. Never again. Wasted $23.23 dollars. The food was okay...
Yeah giving this place a 5* rating because it has a low rating of 2.5* here on Yelp, and I want to support it.The food here was pretty tasty. I got the BBQ chicken plate and the Spam Musubi, and the taste was comparable if not slightly better than your average L&L Hawaiian BBQ.The prices here were DIRT CHEAP, surprisingly pleasant on the wallet. It's like $6.99 or $7.99 for a BBQ plate that comes with a free can of soda. So much cheaper than L&L. The portions are slightly smaller but imma say worth.The service here was great too. It wasn't very busy when we came here, so the owner helped us through the menu, gave us some recommendations, and even lowered the price for us when we ordered together. Jake is a main man.Looking back, Jake's is a great option if you're looking to eat at the Tanforan food court. Enough talk.Watch my video review here: youtu.be/U8u-T7mM9OE
The restaurant is really good for a special occasion or just getting some food and drinks with some friends. Really friendly service!
Tried this for lunch since a coworker recommended it. Definetly not the best and wouldn't suggest it. I ordered the chicken katsu. The katsu was good but I didn't care for the sauce or the Mac that came with it. Do yourself a favor and just go to L&L
We were the last customers of the day. The servers were friendly to us, and the food was cooked to order. There is a huge discount if you buy two orders, and they also throw in one free beverage too! The meats were perfectly marinaded and grilled.
I did a lot of walking around today and I needed a place to fill me up and that wasn’t too expensive. This place caught my eye because their plates were less than 10 dollars. It doesn’t have the best decor, but I was hoping it would be one of those hole in the wall places, places that look messy on the outside but has amazing food. And it was good. I definitely would go back again. The value was good and it definitely filled me up. I ordered the bbq shrimp and beef and 2 fried chicken drums. The meats were tasty but could use a bit more salt to really bring the flavor out. However, they didn’t have the sauce prepared, so it was dry. The rice was wet so it was too chewy, but the side dishes were nice. I also order their Thai Tea which was obviously powdered, and I don’t recommend it because they don’t give you that much for $4. So overall not a bad place. It’s mall food so don’t except too much :)Signing out, Gao
Reviewing this place after over a year of not going here, but it was great when I used to go. I stopped going after I got sick. Seen a guy there who had a cold and was cooking and I'm pretty sure he's the reason I got sick. I noticed he was sick when I went back to San Bruno mall the following day from when I ordered and had previously premiered from the same man the day before. I'd go all the time since I live close and love walking the mall just for enjoyment. I noticed this dude sneezing out in the open over the grill and wiping his nose with his hand, then proceeding to cook. Tbh, he's the only one I've ever seen this gross. He looked like a bald/short haired, light skinned oriental man, though he could have been something else. Most of the other regular staff does a good job, and I never seen him too often, but the times I did was rare. Probably was just the times I normally visited the mall, which varied depending on day of the week and holiday. Regardless, after ordering here and seeing that disgusting man, I caught a cold shortly after. Was so grossed out after that and it made me stop buying from them. But when the food was good, I love it. Bomb tasting rice bowl you could get for a good price. Staff were always friendly too. And I liked that you could get shrimp tempura for super cheap. Idk how this place is after the pandemic, but I wouldn't be surprised if they end up closing soon. Especially considering their current rating. Hopefully they get new management and turn things around.
My wife went here recently to grab some takeout dinner for us. Apparently the customer service was rude and incompetent. The young man handling the order spoke very little English and had a snotty attitude. He kept ringing up the order at full price despite being corrected and informed of the discount pricing posted. When the manager got involved, he was also useless and spoke no English. The food had no sauce or spices. It was dry and bland. The leftovers were the same or worse. So yeah, we won't be going back. Horrible first impression.
Came here for lunch. Ordered the teriyaki chicken and chicken katsu plates. Came here when they first open and it was good. Been wanting to try them again but everytime I see them, they never look happy. The chicken teriyaki came out burnt and lack of taste. The chicken katsu was ok. Their sides of macaroni salad was bland. The lady that took the order did not looked not happy to be there. Maybe she's the owner but she was not friendly whatsoever. A lot of Hawaiian places, they are always happy and welcoming, not her. Would I go there again, probably not.
The place was clean. I love the food and worth to pay for and visit again.
Would surely recommend trying this place. Excellent ambience, delightful dishes, great service. I recommend this place.
Restaurantji Recommends
This is a Hawaiian BBQ take out place located in the food court at Tanforan mall. I came to the food court on a Saturday afternoon around lunch with intentions to pick up Jollibees. However, a lot of food places were closed due to the pandemic. The only options were Subway, Charley's Philly Cheesesteak, Five Guys and this place so thought to give it a try. Poor decision, I shoulda known as there was a swarm of people waiting at Charleys and this place only had 1 person.I got the chicken katsu, mix plate (rib/bbq beef/chicken) and spam musubis. The only decent thing was the musubis. The chicken katsu was so overcooked and dry that if you are not careful the ends will scratch the roof of your mouth. The bbq mix plate was no better. The beef was burned and they try to cover it with chicken which had leftover black charred bits stuck all over it from their cooking surface. The plates were heavy but only because they put so much white rice as filler.Come eat here if you like blackened BBQ. Otherwise, RUUUUN! (Even if you happen to be at the food court in the mall and nothing else is open, go somewhere else).
Should've read the reviews before coming here but was hungry and everything else was closed, (I originally wanted Chipotle). I ordered the shrimp and chicken - didn't take too long, maybe 10 min, probably because there weren't any other customers, took a bite and pretty much threw away the rest of my food. The chicken tasted nothing like Hawaiian bbq, macaroni salad (usually my fav part) super bland and horrible representation for Hawaiian bbq. Steer far, FAR AWAY from this horribly tasting place. Save yourself $15+.
My spam musubi was cooked on the same surface as my boyfriends barely cooked chicken. Luckily he didn't eat it because it was nasty, but I developed the worst food poisoning ever. Employees didn't care and didn't even wear the masks properly when cooking, but the manager was very sorry and offered a free lunch. Not sure I'd trust it again though.
Would I go back: I might defer to another place in the mall though it's limited.Food:BBQ plate - 3/5 - The pro is that it's definitely a big portion but nothing spectacular. The taste of the meat is standard but again it's all about the portion.Service: 3/5 - Standard service for a fast food joint.Ambiance: 2/5 - It's a mall food court so nothing much to say here.
Rude service. They act like they don't like their job. I regret tipping them. There boba is hard asf not even boiled all the way thru. Not only that but the tea was watered down. Never again. Wasted $23.23 dollars. The food was okay...