Absolute gem in Ventura! Food was absolutely the best I've had ever had! Bring everyone you know! read more

~ SMALL SPACE, BIG FLAVOR, A HIDDEN GEM ~ Gotetsu is one of those blink and you'll miss it spots, but once you're inside, you know you've found something sooo special!! Cozy, intimate, and very much a hole in the wall izakaya, this place is all about authentic Japanese flavors and perfectly grilled skewers. There is NO sushi here (they make that very clear), just kushiyaki, small plates, and goooood vibes. I've never been to Japan (yet), but I would imagine this is what it would be like walking into a small mom and pop shop there. The open kitchen is tiny but fun to watch, and from pretty much any seat you can see your food being made. It's a GREAT date night spot, order a bunch of dishes and share everything so much fun. We came for dinner and with a rotating menu of skewers and specials we were satisfied and it kept things interesting! Lunch is more limited, with preset options, but the quality still hits. The donburi is solid, the chicken curry is comforting (could use a little more protein), and the skewers, especially pork belly, chicken & onion, and meatballs, are seasoned and grilled really well. Veggie skewers like zucchini and brussels sprouts are simple but still tasty. At dinner, my husband and I loved the spicy garlic edamame, chicken thigh with yuzu pepper, ribeye skewer, gyoza, and the yaki onigiri (grilled rice ball with a crispy outside). Pro move: dip the onigiri into the leftover spicy edamame sauce. Trust. Ordering is easy with scan-and-pay, the owner is hands-on, and you can feel the care put into every dish. Take it easy with the ordering (they are typically skewer by skewer because you can easily rack up a hefty bill!) If you're looking for an authentic Japanese izakaya experience in Ventura, focused on flavor, not trends, Gotetsu absolutely delivers. read more

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Gotetsu is one of those spots you almost want to gatekeep but it is too good not to share. Located in midtown Ventura, this is an authentic Japanese izakaya that focuses on kushiyaki grilled skewers, sake, and small shareable plates. They do not offer sushi, so do not ask. They even wear a shirt with sushi crossed off, which makes the point very clear. The space is cozy, intimate, and intentional. It is perfect for a relaxed dinner or a low key date night where the food takes center stage. The menu features rotating nightly specials, which keeps things exciting and encourages repeat visits. The owner is always there and hands on with the food, which really shows in the consistency and quality of each dish. Ordering is simple with scan and order contactless pay, which I appreciate because you can pace your meal exactly how you want. My usual order and highly recommended: * Spicy garlic edamame * Chicken thigh with yuzu citrus pepper * Rib eye skewer * Okra skewer * Gyoza * Yaki onigiri, a grilled rice ball with soy sauce and a crispy exterior * Start with miso soup and a bottle of Asahi Super Dry Pro tip: keep the sauce from the spicy garlic edamame and dip the yaki onigiri into it. The combo is excellent. Everything is expertly seasoned and grilled with care. This place is about honoring traditional Japanese flavors, not trends. If you are looking for an authentic izakaya experience in Ventura, this spot delivers every time. read more

After all these years this place is still one of a kind and one of my favorites! I wish I lived closer so I could visit it more often. The food is delicious, the staff is friendly, and the owner remembers her regulars. My advice would be to get there for opening when visiting during weekends for faster service since the place fills up. You can also call for reservations. read more

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Really fun experience! Kind and cheerful staff. They were very busy but food came out in a timely manner - so happy to have found this place. Note: You order from the menu on your phone (using their qr code) so don't wait around for someone to take your order. They do come by often and take drink orders. read more

No sushi! That statement is worn proudly on their shirts. The quality of the selection is great and the food comes out super fast. The staff is polite, and food can be ordered through their site ran by Toast. read more

Pretty disappointing to be honest. The restaurant definitely need more staff. They forgot about some of our orders and asked if we would like to cancel some of them after 2 hours of dining. The beef sticks were very flavorful but the onigiri was just grilled rice without anything else. I probably won't go back again. read more

Wonderful! We went one evening recently and they had a really difficult time getting orders cooked BUT it was super evident an insanely large delivery order had come in. We had such a great time though that we came back again and we had an EVEN BETTER time! The food is amazing, the atmosphere is amazing and it's just an all round 5* experience. We will be back again and again! read more

Our friends brought us here as this used to be their goto spot when they lived here a while back. We all just shared a bunch of small plates that came off the grill. Everything tasted great. Very unique Japanese BBQ skewer place. The restaurant is very small so I would recommend reservations. Also I wouldn't come with a big party as seating is very limited. read more

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ごちそうさまでした！！串焼きは全部すごかったです！Such a great dinner and treat for myself! Came right at 545 and snagged at a seat at the bar but by 6:30 it's a full house! I was by myself but large parties will struggle unless you reserve ahead of time. Love the convenience of the digital dine in QR menu so the staff can work their magic! They work fast and food comes out at a good pace, but each skewer is worth taking the time to enjoy and savor. A meat lover's dream! 7-8 skewers and a savory pancake later definitely left full and satisfied! If I'm in the area again I know where I'm coming back to! Here's my thoughts on my orders: Chicken breast - pretty good lightly seasoned, perfectly cooked. Good for anyone needing their lean protein Breast w mentaiko - normal breast skewer but better! very much worth adding the kick from the kizami and the slight cool spiciness of the roe, definitely a winner for the chicken skewers Fried Squid - yay 2 skewers! Perfect crunch not too heavily breaded, nothing like typical but similar calamari or tempura and probably one of my faves! squeeze some lemon for acidity Thigh - tender and simple with citrusy ponzu the green onions go great with it Spicy meat ball - lil bit sweet on the outside, great texture, very good! Love the little bit of char on the outside too, easily like 2 chicken meatballs combined onto a skewer Filet mignon - so tender and goooood simple ponzu on it and it's all u need beautiful grill marks Okonomiyaki - warm and comforting if you like takoyaki you'll like this dish. Good balance of the seafood mixed in the batter. Some places just make it straight batter but skimp on seafood and even the cabbage that give this dish its texture. Ribeye w wasabi sauce - loooove the wasabi sauce, meat was tender and good too; similar to the filet mignon skewer, wasabi adds a great punch to the meat but doesn't overpower the meat itself read more

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What a hidden gem in Ventura! Gotetsu is a small, cozy omakase-style restaurant that specializes in skewers--and it's incredibly reasonably priced for the quality and care they put into each dish. From the moment i walked in, the staff were warm, welcoming, and attentive. The ordering process is unique and convenient--you simply choose what you want from their website, and they prepare everything fresh from scratch. Yes, it takes a little time, but trust me, it's well worth the wait. I started with the shishito peppers as an appetizer, which were perfectly blistered and seasoned. For my entrées, I went all in with the skewers: the filet with red wine sauce, ribeye with garlic soy creamy sauce, and ribeye with chili and roasted garlic. Every single one was cooked to perfection--juicy, tender, and packed with bold, delicious flavors. If you're looking for a relaxed, intimate dining experience with top-notch food and great service, Gotetsu is absolutely worth a visit. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Easily my favorite dinner spot in Ventura. The food is always sublime and the staff are so friendly. Ordering is a breeze, I'm usually in and out in under an hour. A must try. read more

Everything Yukari the owner is wonderful a great cook and a lovely person who makes you feel at home every time you walk in. GOTETSU is a gem in Ventura read more

Everything is great! Taste, food quality, service. It's a tight squeeze and not a large group dinner but I think that makes it better. More intimate and personal. Check it out! read more

Quick Summary Pretty cool to have a Yakitori place in Ventura at a central location. Street parking only. Food was decent (although a bit overcooked). Make sure you book a reservation because they are a bit shorthanded (it appeared to be 3 total staff members running the whole restaurant!) Food- 4 stars Ordered the chicken skin, shiitake mushroom, Japanese eggplant, rib eye, chicken thigh with leak, squid and an assortment of specials. I liked the rib eye, chicken skin, and chicken thigh the most. The food was mostly overcooked but salted perfectly (the staff did seem overwhelmed). They had Asahi, Sapporo and Suntory draft available, so it was great to have them along with our yakitori meal Service- 5 stars The staff were attentative as they can be, as they appeared understaffed. Really appreciate all the hard work they put in Bottom Line Book a reservation even during weekdays. It's awesome to have a yakitori spot in Ventura and don't have to drive too far if you have a craving. read more

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One of the best Japanese spots in the 805! My wife and I visited to celebrate our anniversary, and it was the perfect experience. Every dish was expertly prepared and absolutely delicious. You can't go wrong with skewering and grilling flavorful meats. Just be aware that it can get a bit pricey if you're really hungry. The service was exceptional, and the atmosphere inside truly captured the essence of dining in Japan. If you're a fan of Japanese cuisine and want to try something beyond sushi or teriyaki bowls, I highly recommend giving Gotetsu a try--you won't regret it! read more

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Arrived at 7:30 pm and was seated promptly. Left the restaurant at 9:20 pm. Food was great- that's what sucks about this review. We really enjoyed our food WHEN it actually came to us. Kinda weird to have our plates spaced 10-15 minutes apart. Seeing multiple parties arrive 30+ minutes after us and be served almost immediately. Huge bummer because the food IS great. Waitress was not rude either. We just felt forgotten. The almost 2 hour long dinner experience could have been better if our food came closer together. We ended our dinner by asking them to remove an item (we ordered at the beginning) they totally forgot about- no apologies - just removed it from our bill. Huge potential wasted by the lack of customer awareness. read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

Love this place, it's definitely one of Ventura's hidden gems. Great food, fast service and cute atmosphere. read more

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Can't gate keep this restaurant any longer. I've been spoiled by Kokekokko in DTLA of days past. Moved to Ventura and now Gotetsu has filled the skewer-shaped hole in my stomach. THE most interesting food in Ventura. Always fresh, flavorful, and deliciously balanced. Get the lamb, squid legs, and shiitake beef. The owner also plays the best music... Brit pop 90's alt-rock grunge dream playlist. read more

The food was good. Service, they kept losing our tickets. And didn't get a couple of dishes. The ambiance, is cute but small without much decor. read more

Can't wait to come back to this Ventura County gem! Such a unique experience with authentic yakitori style cuisine made fresh to order. We ordered about 5 plates at first and they came out one at a time which was perfect. There were a few periods of down time in between plates but I definitely did not mind. Some of our favs were the short rib and rib eye. The gyoza were also amazing. Ambiance is casual and you can expect to wait a bit for your food, but it's worth it! Also FYI: you order from your phone since the staff function as both the grill masters and food runners--there was no server when we went at least. read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - Short Rib - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

I had been wanting to try this place for a while. Japanese food is one of my most favorites of cuisine, and I had heard this place specialized in yakitori. Everything I had was perfection. The filet, the chicken thigh, and the pork belly...all simple yet tender and flavorful. I completed my meal with blistered shishito peppers and a tasty little onigiri that I had to defend from my husband before he could steal it and eat it all. The inside is standard. Looks like a typical small sushi bar (but they DO NOT serve sushi, which makes this place all the more special). Service was efficient, and I found it fascinating watching how they work their magic to stay organized with orders and getting them out in a timely manner. read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - The resident griller doing his best version of Salt Bae - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

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Only authentic Japanese food in all of Ventura! I would eat here every day if I could. Check their Instagram for specials. The vibe is great and the service is quick. read more

A small staff with big heart full of service and attentiveness. The space is small, yet intimate. Scan a QR Code and place your order accordingly. What I especially enjoyed about this place was the small plates. Order to your heart's content. Small plates add up! It didn't take long to become full. read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - Asahi draft - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

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Amazing! Super intimate experience with incredible food. The draft beer is great and I highly recommend the Ribeye with chili and roasted garlic and Ribeye with citrus miso. The service is just one very sweet woman making it all by herself but she is super fast and gives you enough time between each dish to get too full too quick. read more

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Great local Japanese restaurant in Ventura. We were in a weekend getaway and decided to stop by for dinner. It's off the grid in the local neighborhood but don't be fooled. The food is good and service is great. The sushi bar takes up most of the restaurant space but it feels like one of your typical small sushi bars in Tokyo. Great local sushi bar! read more

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Best hidden gem In Ventura. Incredible food. The fillet skewers are to die for. Everything I've had is fresh and amazing. There's nothing else like it In Ventura. read more

I was able to find this place after looking for some good eats in town. I saw that there was a lot of reviews so I had to try and see what all the fuss was about with Gotetsu. I was here in town for work and I couldn't wait to try some of the skewers that they have on the menu. Luckily I was able to get a couple of items and it was surprisingly filling. I saw that they opened for dinner at 5:30 I was able to place my order as they opened because I didn't have any lunch and I was pretty hungry. I ordered the spicy garlic edamame, the spicy meatball, chicken thigh with citrus pepper, and I got the ribeye. I got my food to go but it looked like it was a fun environment to be in the restaurant. It looked pretty popular since there are people inside already and it wasn't even prime and dinnertime yet. The spicy meatball was probably my least favorite out of the bunch but it was still decent. The ribeye and the chicken thigh were my favorites. I'm glad I ordered multiple skewers for those items. Parking was a little bit tricky. When I went there was a lot of street construction. But I did find a spot on one of the side streets and I was able to pick up my food and leave. The team here is very nice and accommodating. I will definitely be back in the future for sure. read more

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The habanero ribeye skewer is the best thing I've ever had. I feel like I'm usually disappointed when I order red meat/steak at restaurants (I'm talking about u mastros lol) but it was heavenly!!! The citrus pepper chicken thighs were also a hit. Definitely will come here again! Service was great. Definitely a chill vibe. read more

Great food & menu, unique in that even post covid order on phone but I actually thought this was a great idea. Love the egg plant, the Japanese peppers, short ribs. It was all good! read more

What a gem! Despite its small size, this yakitori restaurant offers an incredibly cozy atmosphere with plenty of promise. We were pleasantly surprised to find no wait even on a busy Friday night. Our meal consisted of a Ribeye steak bowl paired with a fresh green salad, edamame drizzled with teriyaki sauce, whole squid, filet mignon, ribeye fat, chicken thigh with citrus pepper and chicken skin. Among these delightful choices, my absolute favorites were the tender Filet mignon and the flavorful teriyaki sauce. The staff were not only welcoming but also attentive, contributing to the overall wonderful experience. read more

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The food is refreshingly high quality. Ambience is small Japanese counter service, (some tables). Service is excellent, (from the owner herself). Great hard to find Japanese beers. read more

I took my friend and his wife here for his birthday on a weekday night. We arrived at 8:20pm, which was a little late considering the place closed at 9 o'clock, so I asked if we were still able to be seated. They said it was fine, but the owner started giving us attitude about not wearing our face coverings while seated. We complied with the directive but noticed that she was not wearing a face covering herself and neither were the other patrons in the restaurant. She told us that it was a 30$ minimum per person which I said was fine. It seemed like she didn't want us there but she could have just turned us away instead of making us feel uncomfortable. I ordered for the table promptly as to not waste any time and the food came out nice and fast. It was delicious but the attitude was unnecessary. She literally hovered over us and lectured us about wearing a mask when she herself was not wearing one. (It was only pulled up to her chin.) Definitely won't be going back unfortunately. read more

Gotetsu in Ventura is such a cool spot for Japanese comfort food! The okonomiyaki and yakitori are delicious and super unique--definitely worth trying. Just be prepared to wait and plan to stay for over an hour since dishes come out one at a time. Drinks are all bottles and cans, and there's a minimum spend, but it's totally worth it for the experience. Overall, a great spot with a fun, laid-back vibe and a really unique way to enjoy your meal! read more

Great food and friendly service. The only seating area available is in the back patio (next to the alley way), which can only seat about 5-6 tables. It was very busy right when they opened but we ended up being the only table after 7:30 pm. Making a reservation is probably a good idea. I'd definitely come back as everything we ordered was tasty! read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - a piece of meat on a skewer - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

Simply amazing! Walking down Main St in midtown wondering where to eat, and we walk by this obscure little place with a nice but all seated crowd inside and we're drawn in like moths to light...You're cheerfully greeted by the all female staff of three. You sit where you like, you order online from your table, you leave your tab open or close out at your convenience - brilliant! And a few minutes later this delicious parade of food, kind of like Japanese tapas style, arrives at your table. Fresh, so tasty, everything made from scratch, I can't even...very reasonable prices to portions ratio. Intimate atmosphere with great (obscure) rock playing at just the right volume in the background. Friendly, efficient and clearly experienced staff and the chef and sous chef right in the middle of it all cooking right there behind the food bar (small perimeter tables and food bar seating). It was awesome. It was serendipitous. It was such the perfect find just a couple blocks from our house just having moved into town a week ago. Cannot wait to visit again and again and work our way through their prolific and delicious menu! read more

I'd give this place 3 stars for food but 4.5 stars for service. The employees make you feel right at home at the bar. They were attentive and got us things quickly; it was nice seeing them work together as a team and keep things light even despite the busy moments. I'd say the plates that stood out were all the veggie ones (shiitake mushroom, grilled asparagus, Japanese eggplant). However, the meat quality was not really up to par. The chicken thigh with green onion was decent, but the quality of the ribeye meat was pretty disappointing. The meat was dry, kind of bland, and the quality of it just didn't seem very high. Even the filet with black truffle was not the quality we were expecting, the meat was again dry, although the truffle/chili oil toppings were okay. Other than that though, experience was good. If they focus on improving meat quality I think we would definitely drop by regularly. Two things to note: a sign posted on their door stated $30 minimum per person for wknd dinner. Although we spent over that much, idk if they would have enforced that if we didn't. Also, you order/pay by phone which was super convenient. read more

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For the amount of money $$$ we spent for a party of Four, I'd expect the owner to invest in the outdoor experience. For parties over 2, you can either sit at the bar or outdoor tables. It was our first time, and decided on outdoors. It wasn't busy at 5 pm. Tables outside were still dirty and needed to be wiped down. Above us were string lights with Cobwebs. Bathroom was not clean, with a clogged sink. The staff are really sweet and timely with the food orders. Japanese small bites were delicious, but the ambiance was poor, lacking in cleanliness. read more

Last time I came here was more than 5 years ago ... this is still a very good place, but I must say the quality is not as good as I had remembered. I strongly suggest the shishito pepper, it is really amazing. The chicken thigh and rib eye are good, but not exceptional. The chicken wings are unfortunately a little dry inside and burnt outside. The staff is very friendly and the service is great! read more

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Bad vibes, dry food, zero personality, worst $60 ever spent; and we love yakitori and Ventura