I hate to say it, but I cannot recommend this restaurant. I tried it once while trying to find a good casual takeout hibachi place and was incredibly disappointed. I got the chicken and steak and the steak was basically inedible--overcooked, badly seasoned, and poor quality. I ended up just throwing the food away. It's possible it was just a bad day, but I haven't been brave enough to try again. read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Hibachi Steak and Chicken Entree - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Not a lot of late night options here in Athens but we were lucky to find this joint! Staff was so friendly and answered all my crazy questions about the menu. Tonight I ordered the Choo Choo fried tofu with fried rice. I also grabbed a side a of chicken and veggies. The tofu is really good! It was a bit over fried but still edible. They gave a great amount of chicken that I ordered on the side. Same as the veggies. I'll have left overs for lunch tomorrow for sure! The fried rice had great color and flavor to it! I really enjoyed the teriyaki sauce. The Yum Yum sauce that came with it was different from what I'm used to but it was still good! I enjoyed a bowl of miso while waiting for my food to be prepared, it was ok. Overall, it was a great meal and the fact that they were so kind and opened that late made it that much more tastier! read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Choo choo's tofu - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

I love choo choos! I always have to go when I'm in town! They have the best gyoza and I love their cabbage oh my gosh! Their fried rice is my favorite because of all that yummy crunchy cabbage! read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Choo Choo Gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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real good food and real good service!Very sweet and PATIENT workers!I was there tonight and I had to witness some disgusting behavior from the customers!Some mishap had happened with Uber and the lady for all mad being all loud and obnoxious with the worker complaining being too loud and inconsiderate like she ain't got no damn home training!Couldnt even order my food properly cause of her!Not to mention how she exited the building slamming doors was ridiculous!Love the place just the location!Wish they'll move from Athens and come to commerce and they won't have to deal with ratchet behavior like that.And the guy she was yelling at for what Uber did handled so we ll and still showed grace and care.Good place just where they're located isn't good. read more

This place is open late for the drunk students I guess, but the food is subpar. I tried their wings and a rice bowl both bad. No thank you for this place. read more

The food is so delicious and always quick. Pretty fair on price too, I usually eat on it twice before it's empty. Servers are nice.

We have been ordering from them for many years. It takes as long as it takes, no problem But, when they say 30 minute wait then accept orders from the window and the customer waits at the window is POOR MINDED AND POOR MANAGEMENT. The window is for PICKUP ONLY, but they don't seem to have the ability to understand this concept and are very very rude. We placed an order on the phone she said 15 minutes, I killed sometime and headed that way. I arrived in line at the drive thru which gave them 15-20 minutes. I pulled up expecting that the vehicle in front of me was doing the same....Nope. I sat in line nearly 30 minutes then decided to call to ask if the drive thru was open, she said yes. I asked if my order was ready she said AT THAT POINT it will be 30 minutes. I said we had already placed and order and the the kids said ," I told Her it would be 10-15 minutes, but It's ready for pickup... It has now been about 40 minutes. I parked the car went in and stood in line again and the low information cashier said, I TOLD her it would be 15 minutes. The wait now is 30 minutes.... I said okay and the car in front of me,,,she interrupted me and said, " I told them 30 minutes." I said and they waited at the window for their order... She said yes and I told The caller it would be 15 but we got busy.... The cashier couldn't grasp the fact it had been 40+ minutes at this point since my order had placed.... This is the last time.... If you can't read a clock then stay away from cooking chicken...and customer service. read more

Might be it from being late at night when getting it , but Choo Choo's always hits the spot. I usually go with the Special which comes with shrimp,chicken and steak, and it's well worth the price. Everything is pretty economical here which is amazing read more

This cost me $10.80 after taxes. No sides or anything else. Just this. 6 tiny shrimp. read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

I've been eating at choochoos for over a decade now. However the food used to be great, cheap and plentiful. Over the years it has declined in quality ,but never price until 2020. Granted everything shut down for a while and restaurants raised their prices. Not an issue. Choochoos did warn us on their app telling us the beef prices are raising, not much of a concern. I noticed that since 2020 they have raised their prices up so high its not even worth it to buy their food to be exact it was $6.48. The quality plummeted just as bad. Before this issue you could get a literal box of rice, veg and protein for less than $10. Now for the same thing and have the amount its over $15. I decided to go back and see if I was crazy. So below I'll post some screenshots of the absurd price raise. (Ribeye entree example). Yall really need to stop cheating your customers. Especially loyal ones who been visiting y'all for years. Either give full amount of food with these price raises or lower the price back the covid hype is over there isn't a mass quarantine anymore. read more

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If you follow these 3 rules, you'll have a great experience here. 1. Order online for orders over $30. And pick up online orders at the drive thru. 2. Don't get too adventurous (beef, chicken, and steak are safe). The ramen is not. 3. Order the Yellow Sauce and mix all of your food together with the sauce. If you don't combine it all, you will not be as impressed. I ordered Teriyaki chicken, LA Beef Ribs, the ramen (a mistake!), and Mongolian beef. Of these items, my favorite were the LA Beef Ribs! They were incredibly flavorful, well marinated, and tender. I would definitely order them again next time. Before combining with the sauce and rice, the chicken teriyaki was lacking to me. But afterwards, it was really good! I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you enjoy quality ramen, please just skip ordering it from here. It's not good. You're better off with Maruchan noodles at home tbh. Plus they're significantly cheaper. That's the main reason this review is 3 stars. They're definitely worth a shot, but please heed the advice listed here to avoid disappointment. read more

This is one of my go to spots for late night eats! It never disappoints. The people are always super friendly and it's never a long wait.

A long time staple of the east side that has great food for low prices. It's not sit down hibachi but for to go style it is great

If you love raw chicken served with even worse service; Enjoy your Chicken Salmonella Sashimi egg rolls. Called to tell them they are serving raw chicken and they are the most unapologetic people ever. Nathan, who answered the phone, claimed to be the owner and told us to shop elsewhere if we had an issue. I will assuredly not be returning. It's a pandemic and you tryin to kill people. Insane. read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Thanks for the RAW CHICKEN NATHAN. This is TWICE. "Impossible cause its pre-cooked" - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

The food is good if you're pressed for something late and don't have high expectations. Definitely low quality food but it's tastes pretty good and doesn't seem fake, so I can't really complain. Whatever the yellow sauce they have is, is delicious though. I got chicken teriyaki and fried rice and a veggies and the veggies were pretty good and ample. Small chicken portions but what do you expect for $6?? Not a bad value at all. read more

Just bad. Do not get the beef or vegetables. Spring rolls were really good though. Also did not like yum yum sauce.

Oh it brought back the good memories when I used to visit my sister in Auburn. Food still tastes the same. Still love the teriyaki chicken! I live in Conyers but I might just have to make the drive to Athens again sometime soon read more

Burnt chicken and fried rice! The chicken was inedible! However, the fried rice was decent. The hot teriyaki was good. I gave it two star because I wouldn't dine there again. read more

Look, you know what you're getting with Choo Choo. It's a restaurant for college students, staffed by college students, and running on college student hours. The food is greasy and simple but you get a heck of a lot for a price that's downright impossible to beat. A genuine institution. read more

Food was served cold, Beef was chewy . chicken and shrimp tasteless. Sauce was salty. I was hungry but managed to finish just half of my order. read more

I have a red meat allergy and when I explained it to the waitress she was amazingly sweet and helped me find things that I could eat! The restaurant it's self was super clean and well staffed. Floors were clean and tables weren't sticky! The food is a great price too read more

so good! my boyfriend and i have only eaten here 2 or 3 times while passing through athens, but we love it. the ramen is so good and the wings are too! read more

I can not believe this place They are deliberately giving people food poison and not taking the proper food prep to consideration. Me and bothmy friends got sick after eating this food. I do not understand why they have to act like they are a food place in new york. read more

Let's get this clear ignorant reviewers. This isn't real Korean food and this sure as hell isn't Japanese food. While there are authentic dishes such as bibimbap, LA galbi, bimbimnoodles and yakitori that's not what people come here for. College students come here for cheap food and plenty of it. For about $5, you get your choice of meat on a king size bed of rice. Did I mention that you get a LOT of rice? While I'm not crazy about the sauces that come with it, I hear it's pretty popular with others. They're open late and they deliver late which is perfect for people trying to sober up, get their munchies fix or a late night study snack. Skip the entree as you pay an extra dollar for mushy vegetables and less rice. Stick with the bowls. You're here for the quantity of food anyways. read more

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As a former manager of Choo Choo's I can tell you the ins and outs of this restaurant! The fried rice is cooked on the Hibachi grill with soy sauce and oil. The chicken and steak is actually cooked on the charcoal grill which gives it a delicious grilled flavor. Portions are usually consistent, but if you go you want Giovanni to cook your food - his plates are the most consistent and "perfect". There is a variety of dishes and there are at least 5 different vegetarian options total (some appetizers, some entrees). Although, if you are worried about not eating anything cooked in chicken grease you may not want to eat the fried tofu or spring rolls. Just a little secret for you. Open until 4am! Deliver in a pretty large radius til 3am! That is what makes Choo Choo's "da bomb". The week day late night delivery driver's name is "Oddi"...y'all say hi when you get a delivery! (He'll hate it) read more

Ordered the shrimp and steak with fried rice. Was $13. Ordered the steak medium rare and it is so dry. All the food barely has any flavor. Not worth the money. The service was nice though read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Steak & shrimp with fried rice - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Honestly, one of my favorite restaurants in Athens. Their food is filling, set at a great price, and just really good! They have a great verity on their menu but my go to is the teriyaki steak bowl with steamed dumplings. I recently tried the LA Ribs and they were a little too fatty but still delicious...who doesn't like fat?? Honestly if you are in college and don't know about Choo choos you're missing out. It's an Athens staple! read more

Choo choo is always there for me when I get off work late at night. I have yet to have anything here that I don't like. Prices are good, food is quite tasty, and the atmosphere is contemporary. I like thier Ginger sauce, and bibimbob is pretty good. I would recommend Choo Choo to any of my friends. My warning is that the food can be quite salty, but I think that's why I crave it sometimes. UPDATE: I recently visited this Choo Choo, and my friend pointed out that they have a 77 health score right now. I don't know what's going on, but they need to get their act together. I probably will not go back for a while... 4 - 2 = 2 stars read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Zucchini fries with zesty sauce (take out) - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

The perfect late night Japanese stop for fellow Athenians. I absolutely love Japanese fried rice and this place has the best short of a teppan restaurant. Open 'til 4 in the morning, you can get rid of your midnight craving as they give you huge portions with there teryaki bowls. Lat I remember they were only 4-5 bucks. Quite a deal. I particularly like the chicken bowl and love to douse my food in the white sauce that they give you. You can also call for a take-out order if you are on the go or they even deliver if you live close enough. Fast food, without the taste of fast food equals happy people, me being one of them. read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

3 stars is exactly it. The food is mediocre, but so addictive. I always think about the food, but when I go get it and eat it, it just tastes as I remember... Not great. The yellow sauce is indeed the bomb, so maybe that's why. The steak and shrimp is my go to. The steak is usually tough, but that's ok. The rice is sometimes undercooked too. One can't be too picky about food at 2am... read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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I didn't like this place initially, but it's important that you learn what to order from here because certain things are better than others. First off, if you're used to traditional Japanese food, the vegetables that come with every entree are kind of different. I didn't prefer them or like them, and I suggest going without them. The teriyaki chicken is not good. Get a BOWL first off, with simply meat and rice, and I highly recommend the teriyaki steak. It's delicious and comes with a side of teriyaki sauce that you can dip it in with the yellow sauce. The prices are really good here and they always have coupons online too. Good for delivery and great prices! read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Steak Yakisoba - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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Got put on hold for over 20 minutes and the was hung up on and then when I called back was instantly asked to hold again and when it old the guy that I had already been holding for 20 minutes he became rude and said that it was not 20 minutes and placed me on hold again. Worst customer service ever. read more

Amazing food!!! My sister and I eat there regularly!! The ginger and yellow sauce are amazing!

So, I usually love Choo Choo!!! However, their customer service and food has gone WAY down!!! It's SO disappointing. I pull up tonight & of course their dining room is still closed due to covid - which I get but also don't get because every other restaurant is open just fine, but I do know the extra cleaning may be too much for some businesses, so I try to be understanding. Trying to get them on the phone sometimes is like pulling teeth! Omg. However, I actually was able to get through on my second try. I placed my order - nothing spectacular, just 3 specials & an order of spring rolls. After waiting in the parking lot for 32 minutes, I decide to drive to the window to request a refund because anything over 30 minutes for fast food hibachi is absolutely RIDICULOUS!! I've seen grill ops at actual hibachi places make food from start to finish for 8 people in under 20 minutes with all of the tricks, bells, & whistles, so why Choo Choo can't do that is BEYOND ME. I don't understand how you have no dining room to clean, no dining room dishes to clean, no guests to serve in-house, but yet you STILL can't get the food out on time?? But when they were full service, you'd get your food in less than 10. In what universe does that make sense? So, I get to the window & request my refund because it's nearing 35 minutes and I haven't seen one person head towards my car. When I get to the window & request my refund, I hear the guy in the back say "why does she want a refund? Her food is right here." Sooo if my food was ready, why didn't I get it?! As if I hadn't been waiting 35 dang minutes for this food!!! && then the girl at the window tells me that what took so long is because I ordered my veggies without Onions, so they had to cook my vegetables from scratch. REALLY?!?! A 35 minute wait time is because I didn't get dang onions?! That makes NO sense!!! I've grilled veggies NUMEROUS times and 35 minutes isn't it. I really think they forgot about me. However, I took the food since it was already made & kept it moving. I touch my food and it is lukewarm AT BEST. But the egg rolls were piping hot. I bet they forgot my egg rolls & had to fry them while my plates sat there getting colder than the North Pole!!! At least my egg rolls were hot, I guess!! Because the steak was overcooked in one plate & undercooked in 2 others (which isn't really a problem bc they liked medium steaks). The chicken was drier than the Sahara and there were a few measly shrimp. Nowhere near the amount of meat that they usually serve!! Other reviews are right! They're skimping now!! I brought my friend from out of town here tonight bragging that it was so good and she was so unimpressed I'm embarrassed I recommended this place. I truly hope they get their ish together & get back up to their old standards because what they have now is NOT cutting it!!! Please do better Choo Choo!!!!! I'm giving them 2 stars because the food wasn't horrendous & their service has been good in the past, so im hoping it'll get back to where it was. read more

Ordered the salmon bowl. Seasoning and taste was great. The salmon was a little overcooked but overall it was good.

You get what you pay for. Their prices are really cheap. Their fried rice is nothing special nor their steak. However, their teriyaki chicken is really good. Their yellow sauce is not good due to the lack of flavor and their ginger sauce is way too salty. I also got their wings one time and they weren't that bad for their price. The only thing is that their wings are kind of fatty. Their best taco they have is the bulogi taco. Their pork or kimchi taco is not that good. read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Teriyaki chicken w/ fried rice & veggies. - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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Choo Choo is kind of a must if you're a student at the University of Georgia. Whether it's for the hard-t-beat price or for the mid-night cravings, Choo Choo caters to the lifestyle of a college student. FOOD: 4 Choo Choo serves a variety of Asian cuisines with huge portions and generous amounts of sauce. It is famous for the "yellow sauce" that kids tend to drench all over the rice. Don't ask what goes into the yellow sauce, you probably don't want to know. Nothing here is so delicious that it blows your mind away, but nothing here is bad enough that you'll throw it away before you taste it. Everything resembles what it should resemble, so don't worry to try anything on the menu! My favorite item here is the zucchini fries and the shrimp bowl! SERVICE: 4 Choo Choo got it all covered: delivery, drive thru, and dine in - choose what you want! They are pretty timely with prepping your orders, but service is hit or miss - sometimes you'll get someone nice and sometimes they just want to get you in and out. read more

Very good Japanese griile. Generous portions. Many choices and combinations. Large sitting area and plenty of parking. read more

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Awesome food. Great hidden gem. If you like oriental food then you should definitely check this place out. Great food at low prices and the staff is really friendly and ready to make recommendations. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. Very generous portions. Youwon't go away hungry. read more

DO NOT EAT HERE! Absolutely disgusting food and horrible service. I had an order delivered from here this evening, and found multiple ants moving around covering my entire meal. When I called the restaurant to inform them and try to get a refund, the manager put me on hold for 10 minutes. After hanging up and calling back again, she claimed that she put me on hold for that long because "she was checking the cameras to see how a bug could've gotten into the food" (which makes no sense). Clearly she left me on hold and was going to wait until I hung up so she wouldn't have to deal with the problem. The manager was rude and tried to tell me that the restaurant was not responsible for delivering a meal covered in bugs to my house. Don't eat here unless you want your order covered in insects. read more

Choo Choo Grill Express - Japanese Near Me - Athens, Georgia