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    Gao's Kabob

    4.1 (229 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Gao's Kabob Takeout or Delivery

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    GAO'S KABOB ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise

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    Gao's WiFi
    Thao T.

    Came on a recommendation of a friend and was heavily craving lamb skewers. It was a busy Friday evening and we were put on a waitlist for a party of 4, but the wait was minimal. You order from your phone and a server will come to confirm once the order is sent in. Food comes out pretty quickly. They served plastic cups, utensils, and styrofoam bowls + plates. Big minus for me. They're quick to clean up and change the water pitcher. As for the food, my favorite dish was the king eggplant. It was nicely seasoned and heavy on the garlic, just the way I like it. The lamb skewers were decent, but lacked in comparison to other establishments. We also ordered grilled garlic skewers, but they were old and had sprouts growing out of them. Gao's is lively and has a great selection of a combination of pop and Kpop music. And there's a stage for karaoke, which we had the pleasure of having someone sing on stage during our visit. Overall, it was a decent visit, but Gao's wouldn't be the first place I would go to for skewers.

    Jas M.

    GAO's food is so delicious !! The service is absolutely amazing as well!! Every time we come here we are never disappointed

    Veggies and proteins on a skewer
    Christina F.

    Lots of variety from vegan to proteins, and a total vibe with a DJ, beer tower, and cozy spaces. Not very big so it gets noisy.

    Menu from when it first opened
    Lou C.

    I was hungry and tired last night after work. Being the first day of the end of Microsoft Windows 10's life, my eyes were crossed and felt hangry. I just wanted to get a quick bite or a cold drink. I decided to come to Gao's Kabab for a midnight snack. When I arrived, the music from the karaoke machine was so loud. But my tummy said just sit down and ignore it. Throughout the night, it felt like one person sang the same song over and over. That means I was not paying attention to those Chinese songs. Waiter asked when I was here before. I was here when it first opened 7 years ago. He said the prices are still the same. Oh? Not according to my old photos. Everything went up by up to double. I ordered my usual comfort food, malatang 麻辣烫. The picture looked so good. Full of stuff. In reality, it came out with a big flow of hot grease on top and barely anything under that worth mentioning. The only protein was the pork blood pudding 猪血. It took about 20 minutes and it felt like an hour because I had to endure the loud music. This Gao's restaurant serves grilled skewers and the sit down restaurant dishes. The other Gao's serves seafood. I chose this one because of non-seafood choice. The clientele was so young and like at my son's age. Damn I'm old.

    Northern Dandan Noodle 来自铁岭的一碗担担面
    Tiffany K.

    More and more skewer places continue to open in Chinatown! With all this competition, Gao's continues to stands out. It is always filled with customers every time. Beware that there's a slight wait on the weekends, but it seems that they do their best to get you in as fast as possible. They have live music on the weekends and it is very lively. Bring a couple friends a sing some karaoke! Why does Gao's stand out? DAN DAN NOODLES. Point. Blank. Period. I get them every time. They're not the usual dan dan noodles at other Chinese restaurants. It's more like a cold noodle dish. It's refreshing yet nutty. I freaking love it. Add your meat of choice from the selection of skewers, and you got yourself a bún thịt nướng. There are many skewers to choose from. Whatever they recommend, just get. All the recommended dishes were pretty good. They also ask the spice level, I personally prefer medium. I would skip on the smashed cucumbers. I feel like they could've seasoned it better. I ended up using the dan dan noodles sauce to dip the cucumbers. Drinks here are cheap as well, so doing a pre-game here would be a good idea!

    Grilled pork skewers (bottom) and grilled small lamb with fat (top)
    Jason N.

    I love the vibe of this place! It's like a small Chinese version of a izakaya/tapas place that's bustling. Friday evenings they have someone on stage singing for most of the night which I really enjoyed. The grilled skewers are great here but the best ones in my group's opinion are the Grilled Pork and the Grilled Small Lamb /w fat skewers. Delicious, and everything here goes well when hanging out with friends catching up or just having a great time. We also tried their: Fried Enoki Fried Tofu Skin Big & Small Beef /w fat Corn Skewer Grilled cauliflower 3L Beer tower and Soju bottles I would say all of them were quite delicious. It's easy to rack up a high bill here since you're paying per skewer. The one most unworth it was definitely the grilled cauliflower. You get a 2 pieces and one skewer for $2. If it was perhaps two skewers it would have been a little more worth. Service is pretty quick and friendly despite how busy the place is on a Friday evening. Orders may take 10-20 minutes depending on how busy their kitchen is. A bit pricy for what it is but overall I really enjoyed this place and would recommend and come back!

    BBQ Small Beef Skewers
    Monica G.

    This was a new experience for my husband and I. The place is dark, quiet, and intimate. It does appear that they do karaoke nights, though, because we noticed the stage. The restaurant's food had a street vibe feel, so that was neat. The meats are on skewers and even when we ordered fish, it was placed on a slab in front of us instead of on a large plate. It was a different and fun way of eating food, which we enjoyed. When we sat down, we were given complimentary edamame and sunflower seeds. They don't have physical menus; you have to scan a QR code and you can place everything you want on your phone. Once your order is placed, a waiter/waitress will come by to confirm your order. I don't know if it was a special or if it is something they always offer, but we got free kids meals! That was a nice surprise because we had our two boys with us. The staff and owner were really friendly and sweet. The price is a little steep and ran easily rack up. We ordered: Chicken Skewers - This was our favorite! I highly recommend this! BBQ Small Beef Skewers - We thought this was okay Small Lamb w/ Fat - My husband that it was okay. I don't like lamb in general, so I can't judge. Grilled Tilapia w/ Garlic Sauce - I liked this! It was crispy and I liked the garlic seasoning. It really is loaded with garlic. So if you're not a fan, this may not be for you. It is a whole fish, bone and all, so you kind of have to work for your food here. haha Yong Chou Fried Rice - This was good. It was flavorful and has a homey feel to it. Before tax, everything was $47.50. After our meal, my husband and I were still hungry. The kids meals came in clutch and definitely helped us feed everyone. My husband and I actually ate the boys' leftovers and felt more satisfied afterwards. Overall, we enjoyed the environment and experience that this place had to offer. This place is great for a late night friends hang out.

    Mackerel
    Syeda H.

    I tried both GAO's and Midnight Kabob to see the difference between the two spots. In my opinion GAO does a better job of the cook on the skewers and the spice blend, but Midnight does a better job at the non-skewer menu items. I came to GAO on a weeknight and was quickly seated. I ordered the corn, Chinese cauliflower, okra, shrimp, mackerel skewers. I also ordered the eggplant, Dan Dan noodles, shrimp fried rice, and grilled scallop. I really enjoyed the skewers, but my surprise favorite was the eggplant dish. Combined with some hot white rice, it was an absolute flavor bomb. The cauliflower was also a favorite. It was my first time trying Dan Dan noodles and I really enjoyed the cool noodles with the balanced flavors. The one dish that really fell flat was the grilled scallop. I didn't find any of the flavors or spices had stuck to the noodles or the scallop. Instead the chili oil just created an oily aftertaste. I prefer this dish or similar dishes at Midnight. Overall I had a good experience and the service here was very courteous and explained the ordering process well and the food came out quickly.

    I'm hanging out with my friends tn. the food here is great. I love the barbecue. Everything is perfect. Such a good night.

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    21 days ago

    Amazing service. Love the food and vibe of the place. Would come again. I will bring more people next time

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    Allen C.

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    18 days ago

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    1 month ago

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    4 months ago

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    16 days ago

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    27 days ago

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    7 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    Allen C.

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    1 day ago

    Very good place with excellent service, especially they are having promotions from open to 6:30 pm. The lamb and beef taste great?

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    13 days ago

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    21 days ago

    Delicious food. 100% recommended. Good for groups and family. Other places to have fun nearby as well.

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    Allen C.

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    14 days ago

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    14 days ago

    Very welcoming area, great staff, and extensive menu! Wait times were not too long, and in a great spot in chinatown.

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    6 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    Allen C.

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    2 days ago

    Great service! Very glad I chose this player for celebrating a friend's graduation! Big thanks to the staff for making the night special!

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    16 days ago

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    1 month ago

    Nice decorations. Love music in the back ground. Waiter super nice and helpful. Definitely appreciate the free kid menu. Very thoughtful.

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    21 days ago

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    7 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 days ago

    great experience. They were nice helping us order our food. Would definitely come again. The atmosphere is fun.

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    8 days ago

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    14 days ago

    Foods good. Decent prices. Good place for snacking, not really for a full dinner. Try the wagyu skewers.

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    2 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    19 days ago

    this is super super good. The lamp skewer is very very delicious and tasty!!!!!!! I will definitely come back.

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    19 days ago

    This is super good!!!!!!! The lamp is super juicy and delicious!! I will definitely come back!!

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    15 days ago

    Good vibes, discounted items at happy hour. Plate of edamame and sunflower seeds when you sit down

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    21 days ago

    Great Service, Great food and ambiance. Waiter is very nice and service was very quick.

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    Page 1 of 6

    Gao's Kabob Reviews in Other Languages

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    I've been a happy patron of Hu's Cooking ever since they opened the year before the pandemic, but…read morebecause of their instant success and local renown from their excellent eats, speedy service, busy-but-not-crowded vibes (see: their 1000+ Yelp reviews) I've never felt the need to drop a review of my own - until just this week. On my most recent visit we ordered mapo tofu with pork intestines off the specials menu - a hybrid of two of my favorite Sichuan-style dishes. The blend of bouncy, savory morsels amidst tender, saucy tofu was at once revolutionary and so obvious; why hadn't I yet seen this at any other restaurant? And sure, innards may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's important for you to know that none of my past orders from the 50+ item menu have ever failed me, whether enjoyed in the restaurant or at home. Maybe you'd prefer the aromatic, classic, perfectly balanced three-cup chicken? Or the sweet-skinned duck, glazed so delicately that specks of sugar crystal threaten to jump off onto the plate as you pick up a juicy slice with your chopsticks? And if you're vegetarian, might you consider the punchy garlic eggplant or the wok-kissed string beans? I could go on. Do yourself a favor and come see for yourself, though I'd recommend parallel parking on the neighborhood streets behind the restaurant rather than the rocky parking lot, to save you some trouble. Bring friends and chow down family style - you'll need help covering as much of the menu as you can, but you'll definitely have to come back to try everything.

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    Bamboo House

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    The Rice Box - Sesame Tofu, really good!

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    Wow! I went for the first time tonight and my wife and I had a struggle not ordering everything on…read morethe appetizer menu. Our server was as so kind and had the absolute flow down, checked on us at the most opportune moments (we couldn't help but order more). It was truly hard to close out my tab, which was incredibly affordable. This might seem like a sponsorship but I'm just truly in wow. 10/10 no notes. 7 apps, 2 entrees and 1 drink for $97.53, an absolute steal..

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