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

Popped in for lunch on Friday before heading to the botanical garden. We had the premium kushiyaki set and the oyako donburi. Kushiyaki set was great all around. It included filet mignon, chicken tenderloin, pork sirloin, chicken sausage, and zucchini skewers, miso soup, garden salads, and a bowl of white rice. Filet was a perfect mid rare, almost impossibly tender, and had a great charred smokiness to it. Pork and chicken were juicy and delicious and paired well with the included fresh grated wasabi and hot mustard. Oyako donburi was a showstopper. Definitely the best either of us had either had. It takes a lot of skill to nail egg cookery to that degree and this spot has skill up the wazoo. Perfect sweet-savory seasoning in this dish and the rice stayed hot the whole meal due to the heavy stoneware. Pickles were a nice palate cleanser between bites. Service was excellent. Attentive but not overly so, and welcoming and sincere. 5/5, will definitely return if in the area. read more

This place is the best, literally one of my favorite restaurants on this pale blue dot. Quite possibly in the running for 'my happy place'. Greg and Yukari are quite literally the best. read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - Let my dude do his thing then pay later. Oma Kase. - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

This is a cool place. You order from your phone and can keep your tab open which is great. There are lots of different kinds of meats and vegetables to try. Everything was delicious, would come again. read more

We've had this on our must try kist for a while and it was disappointing. The music was loud and aggressive. Ordered a couple of skewers, gyoza and shishito peppers. Gyoza came out first and was fine. Ribeye skewers came out next. I wasn't a fan. Then the shishito peppers last which was strange to serve in that order. The peppers were the best part of what we tried. We ordered through an app, so we didn't really talk to the waiter. Service was a bit slow and they sat the plates down on the counter and didn't say much. read more

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Excellent food, unorganized painfully slow mess of an operation. After two and a half hours of sitting we still had not received all of our items for our small party of 3. Food came in single plates 20 minutes apart which is extremely frustrating when you have three hungry people all sharing a tiny piece of meat and then having to wait for another tiny serving and not be able to satisfy your appetite. This place needs to seriously rethink its strategy or take fewer customers at a time because sitting at the tiny bar for hours waiting to get a tiny piece of meat or three Shishito peppers one at a time is miserable. The staff seemed to be working really hard and doing their best but it just wasn't enough. Food is great but if you're hungry and actually want to eat, do not come here. What a shame read more

Finally, an Kushiyaki restaurant with Izakiya-style dishes to which I will regularly return! My husband and I visited Wednesday evening celebrating our Anniversary. The food was fresh and everything was cooked to order. Everything from the hot Miso Soup, to the crisp Asahii draft, even the shiitake mushrooms were perfection. Had no trouble ordering from the app. Honestly for this style of food, it's ideal! Service is quick, but this is NOT fast food. I really enjoyed my interactions with everyone working that night. Vibe is cozy, we felt right at home. This is really good food. Highly recommend. read more

My husband and I went to Gotetsu during lunch last week. This was our first time to this restaurant. I found it which searching for onigiri which is Japanese rice ball. You can't find this dish in Ventura County and I was so excited to find it on the online menu here. Unfortunately, they don't serve it during lunch! We were also excited to try different meat and veggie skewers but during lunch, the menu is small and quite limited with preset course by the chef. We ended up ordering a chicken curry with rice which was tasty but needed a tad more chicken, the donburi which was delicious, and one preset order of 3 meat skewers and 2 veggie skewers. I enjoyed all 3 meat skewers (pork belly, a meatball one, and a chicken and onion) we got. They were all cooked well and very well seasoned. The veggie skewers were not bad either: we got zucchini and brussel sprouts. I would love to come back for their dinner menu and choose more skewers of our choice as well as try their onigiri. Overall, I was only slightly disappointed in the limited menu at lunch but not the quality of food that I received. Would recommend. read more

I love going to Gotetsu. It's a local treasure. Wish they would do away with QR menus and ordering on your phone, though, or at least not insist on it. It's drag. I want to relax when I go out, but ordering on my phone feels more like work than a fun night out. It's stressful. The system isn't even reliable. You get logged out and are not even sure if your order was placed. NYT ran an article today with the headline, "The QR-Code Menu Is Being Shown the Door." Seems a lot of restaurant customers agree with me. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/22/dining/restaurant-qr-code-menu.html?unlocked_article_code=eQtjYcFsuT2hHmtIFGmIKwSwOjmC1_1naJIFqIabnYDA4-CR9XtUGxtdNpbNwAWtSADayvY2QukAq-XtZPrkCIlodCwKmSQLbbkn3y3g8xxmhcsjZYTdpGPU-U9AZGzPPSbJzR4wMD4DAj_sGWpVYkcWoAqfV68NDQ7s2eFLIUIFsHveTr4dA0ZbLxuftxfVlJ8Yig2G4d1xbGQKTBa12LGJgcCEh3VApgRWD-eCGSUAewwg0Kj66WbM6N6UX1WNqs1fp4zp-1kP4lXPWnQlvQyJqNPtcp1fANfL6rk9kpYopWZHzA6vlpMs4esVFgkJZjdvrDT77T6EQkDjw-ePDQ&smid=url-share read more

My food review is based off the Chicken Curry and Gyoza. The Chicken Curry is 10/10, amazing flavor and texture. Wish they put more chicken in it. It probably had like 6 small pieces in it, excusing the small portion due to the flavor. The Gyoza was 1/10. It came out burnt and was one of the last things to come out. I've had Gyoza at a lot of places. The frozen/fresh gyoza they serve elsewhere has more flavor than whatever they served us. The Gyoza was extremely greasy and it just tasted like...meat?? In the most bland way possible. Took them 35 minutes to get me a can of soda. Other people spoke highly of the skewered food and Godzilla Onigiri. Then again I guess it's not that hard to fuck up meat on a stick.... They told us to scan the QR code to look at the menu but never told us to order from there. So we sat there for about 30 minutes waiting for someone to take our order, but they were taking our drink orders and some food orders IRL. The inconsistencies! I would never go here again. Maybe if I was hungry and wanted really good Chicken Curry. Service was ass, staff was nice. You can get better Japanese food elsewhere. read more

Didn't expect to find an authentic gem like this in Ventura but I'm glad I did. Hard to find legit izakaya that stays true to its roots. In neighborhoods where the Japanese community is almost nonexistent like it is in Ventura, to find something that is focused on authenticity more so than profits is stroke of good luck for this city. Will come here again and will bring people with me. read more

Hands down my favorite restaurant in Ventura. I eat here at least a couple times a month. My order consists of a selection of the following: pari pari salad, gyoza, rib eye chili skewer or garlic ponzu skewer, chicken thigh with green onion, kimchi, grilled eggplant or zucchini, grilled pumpkin in teriyaki sauce, and arabiki sausage. I've also had the ramen (which i think is a monthly special). YUM! Yukari and the two men on the grill are fantastic! read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - Pari pari salad, rib eye and short rib skewers, kimchi, veggies, etc - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

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We had a really good time here the other night. We sat at the bar. They work really hard and the food is quite tasty. I want to come back soon. Thank you. read more

I just moved to Ventura and came across this place on Yelp. This is my 3rd time coming here and it's my favorite restaurant in town. Food is so authentic and delicious. This is a unique hidden gem and it shows that Japanese cooking is way more than just sushi. We were treating like royalty with our tasting menu. So many dishes were served! Great sake and beer menu as well. Worthy of a 5 star review read more

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I enjoyed it! The skewers and veggies were great, cool atmosphere. Will be back to try some of their other dishes! read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - Skewers of meat! - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

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Great food. But NOT Italian. LOL yelp!! Also- they don't have sushi thank god. Great service and food! read more

The place was nice enough. I wanted to sit by the bar but it was setup for bigger groups than one. Now let's get into the service and cooking. Everyone has an off night. That is perfectly understandable but this crew and chef were really off to me. After I placed and pay for my order it took about 5 min to get my drink. Then it took 20 min to get my food. Considering that I had order a salad as part of my meal I figure that would have come first. But it came after other items were delivered. This kind of cooking is a coordinated act. You need to be on it and delivered and the one person who needed to concentrate on that part was also dealing with orders and doing other stuff. Basically instead of getting 80% of product delivery and 20% of stuff it was 50% on the product. That's bad and it showed. The other guys were nice enough but looked more confused and needed too much hand holding. Clearly they do alright more than likely on light days but on busy days I am not sure they can deliver quality and good service at all. Now after waiting for a long time to get my food I got my pork sausage which was well made but then I got two orders together on the same plate. Since one requiere one kind of sauce and the other no well that was not what it should have been but again let's see the rest. The pork was well made and cooked. The beef was disappointing considering the cost. That showed me that she was not paying attention enough to her product. Because I had pieces with flavor and pieces without. Then I got the "Godzilla" . This was really terrible. It was a ball of rice with cheese but it had no real flavor and not enough sauce or cheese for the cost. All things considered I would have want maybe some kimchi or something else mixed with the rice something f to give it more flavor or some extra sauce. I don't know but I do know that for how much it was it was not worth it. At the end I left something for a tip but honestly I was hoping for better. Again maybe it was an off night and I really hope that. But they even run out of fish and squid at 7:15 when they close at 9pm. read more

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Great food, awesome vibe. Will keep coming again again for the steak skewers and rice balls. read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - Blue cheese ribeye and garlic chip ribeye. - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

Gotetsu is hands down the definitive Yakitori spot in Ventura and SB counties not to mention throughout the central coast! If you're looking for authentic Japanese grilled skewers with a Californian flair, you've found the right place! Right across from Ventura HS on Main Street...COME GET SOME! read more

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The food is delicious here--generally small hot bites. It can get a lil smokey from the grill but that's literally my only area of improvement. I need to go way more often! read more

This place was cool. It's a small restaurant but I didn't mind. We ordered a variety of skewers. My favorite was the filet mignon with blue cheese and crispy onion. All of the skewers were very good. The only one I wouldn't get again was the scallop skewer because it was overcooked. I recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys good food and good service in a casual environment. read more

Y'all this place was awesome. I'm a huge fan of hole in the wall spots with open kitchens and this was exactly that. I came here looking for authentic and they delivered! You get to watch your food being made right in front of you (it's a tiny place so really from any table you can see). We ordered probably 8 things off the menu and it was great, highly recommend coming for date night and splitting everything! read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - Bar area, we were so happy to be here! - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

Yukari is wonderful at preparing delicious meats and vegetables yakitori style. We had her as a private chef for approximately 30 people. The rice cakes are the best!! read more

Totally captures the yakitori vibe in Ventura Outstanding food. Such a treat. Ordering through the app is a little weird but it works. Keep it up we need more like y'all in Ventura!!! read more

Hole in the wall-type restaurants are the best, and this one's it! The food can take some time to make due to shortage of staff but worth the wait. Staff is always in a good mood and the owner is great! Fresh products always!! Quality meats. read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - Ribeye with delightful wasabi sauce - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

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Grew up living in Ventura my whole life and finally went to Gotetsu last night. Good Japanese food can be hard to find in this area but definitely the best in Ventura (no sushi!!). Some other things I tried: Grilled Asparagus Grilled Pumpkin (salt flavor) Thigh w/ yuzu citrus pepper Yaki onigiri Green salad Everything was excellent and you cannot go wrong. Looking forward to coming back for their ramen nights, which I believe are every second weekend of the month. Support this small business! read more

Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House - Kimchi, Arabiki Sausage, Rib with jalapeño garlic ponzu - Japanese Near Me - Ventura, California

What an absolute treat this place is for a self-proclaimed foodie?! Simplistically delicious. My husband and I enjoyed the intimate bar seating and reveled in the busy kitchen. We shared food selections and were able to try more that way. read more

My oh my. Not from around here, just came here because of all of the great reviews. This joint did not disappoint. Haha I just rhymed on accident lol. Anyway, you can tell the owner is a hard worker and takes pride in her food. One by one as they came out, delicious, everything. The meats were cooked to perfection, I'm not a big salad eater but even the salad was bomb. It's a tiny place right next to the tattoo shop, if you're driving by you can miss it completely. So if you're staying around here and wanna try some delicious ass Japanese skewers, give this place a try. Just a reminder, NO SUSHI. Til next time my fellow yelpers read more

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Amazing Japanese food. Awesome atmosphere and friendly staff & cooks. They have a new online only menu which is kinda funky, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. If you're not tech savvy, you have been forewarned. This is not a sushi place. This is savory skewers, steak Tatar, roasted vegetables, sauces & dips & beer, oh my! Just try it. You'll be hooked. read more

This place is my happy spot. From the moment my boyfriend convinced me to try it out, I have just loved this restaurant. We go here at least once a week. Yukari and all her employees are some of the nicest people. Their meat skewers are all delectable and the green salad is always fresh. Pretty much everything I have tried on her menu is amazing(and I have tried a LOT). The specials are vast and get posted on instagram every day for that day. This is a MUST try place to go in Ventura! Oh and they serve ramen as well on the second weekend of every month. Try it! PS...they also have a really nice little outdoor back patio now with room for larger groups, just call ahead. read more

This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants. We drive an hour from Woodland Hills just to go here. My favorites are the pumpkin, okra, and the wasabi beef. I haven't ordered 1 dish that wasn't excellent. Japanese bbq who knew? read more

My favorite place! So different than anywhere else. Changing menu doesn't matter. Everything is so good! Godzilla is a must! Miso Citrus Filet was fire!!! Veggies all of it! I know try and get close to their flavors at home when I grill! read more

I highly recommend this establishment. It is a kushiyaki style restaurant which grill small "tapas" style bites on skewers. They specialize in beers and some sake. The seating is very limited but larger than many Tokyo restaurants. Parking is hassle since you are limited to street parking. The owner is genuine Japanese which is unique with the many Korean, and Chinese owned Japanese restaurants in town. Try it, you'll like it. read more

This place rocks! The service and ambiance here are both fantastic and food is always killer. Their rice is also really good. I always have a good time coming here with my friends, even if it is a bit of a drive. read more

Best spot in Ventura Hands down top Yakitori around Very special and the real deal Special menu is a must read more

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First off, if you are in a rush do not come here. Now that that's out of the way let me say...I do recommend coming here! Small establishment with bar seating and 2 small table in the corners that can fit a couple of people. The employees are friendly and very hard working. If I could describe the food in one word it would be...delicious! Ordered Rib eye with wasabi sauce, Rib eye with jalapeño garlic ponzu sauce, all of the vegetables, chicken curry, udon, pork belly, Godzilla onigiri and sausage. Though it took a while to get the food I believe this restaurant is worth a shot. read more

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Outstanding experience! My personal favorites were the habanero ribeye, egg rolls with a side of egg yolk, grilled kabocha pumpkin, meatball w egg yolk, jalapeño yaki onigiri... absolutely blown away. Fantastic service, great vibes, high quality product. Highly recommend. We'll be back asap! read more

Wow this place is so amazing! Came here while visiting fam and saw the good Yelp reviews. I def agree with everyone else! We ordered a little bit of everything to try and all of it was beyond our expectations. Food came out fast and owner and staff were welcoming and fun. We had a really great time and would 100% come back every visit! read more

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This place is so awesome! Never disappointed. Such a unique restaurant and food. The specials are always amazing. Veggies skewers are great as well as the meatballs. It is small so be prepared that you could wait to sit and for your food. read more

This place is WONDERFUL !!! Honestly the best food in Ventura! As soon as you walk in the bar style and open kitchen set up feels very cozy and traditional Japanese style. Turns out they order everything FROM JAPAN!!! So hard to find Japanese food besides ramen and sushi around here... Staff is so nice, chef Greg was so friendly he sent me home with a sunflower!! Been saving this place for a good day to celebrate and I'm so glad I did! We ordered: Tempura Shishito 5/5 Fried Oysters 4/5 Plum shiso chicken 500000/5 Jalapeño Onigiri 3/5 Rib Eye 5/5 Wasabi Rib 5/5 Jalepeño Garlic Rib 500000/5 Okra 5/5 Japanese Eggplant 5/5 Italian Squash 5/5 Shiitake Musroom 8888888/5 Honestly if I could put an INFINITY sign for the mushroom, I would. Hands down the best mushroom I've ever had. We NEVER have places that have umeboshi (plum) or shiso, so I am just over the moon about the plum shiso chicken.... If you like sour and salty but refreshing, try something new and get it. It was a special so they might not have it all the time... The onigiri was good but not exactly traditional. Words cannot describe how happy I would be if they made a traditional onigiri with umeboshi and shiso leaves.... The oysters were good, I used to shuck oysters at an oyster bar so I'm a bit picky on oysters. They were definitely not bad at all, I've just been spoiled.... PLEASE ADD UMEBOSHI SHISO ONIGIRI !!! read more

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