I was really looking forward to this place reopening after being closed for 6 months, hoping for a fresh new environment and some improvements. Unfortunately, not much has changed. The food still tastes pretty much the same, although some portions did get a little bigger. I still wish it were more like the Rowland Heights location where the skewers are grilled right in front of you -- that experience just makes the food feel fresher and more enjoyable. The service was okay overall, but some staff members definitely had attitudes, which made the experience a bit annoying. They're only open at night now, which honestly makes sense since this type of food is more of a late-night craving spot. I also came back to try their crawfish for the first time, but personally I feel like 949 Grill does it better. The crawfish tasted fresher there, and I think their skewers are better quality now too. Business also seemed much slower than before. I think being closed for 6 months really hurt them because a lot of people probably forgot about the place. read more

Upon arrival, the restaurant was about half full on a weekend--comfortable in the sense that there was no wait, but the atmosphere already felt slightly underwhelming. The dining area was noticeably cold, and the temperature didn't appear adjusted for the low occupancy. This became more obvious as the food arrived, since everything cooled down quickly. Even with metal warming trays, the dishes struggled to retain heat, and once barbecue items turn lukewarm, both texture and flavour decline noticeably. Across the meats, there was a surprising lack of differentiation in marination. The lamb skewers, beef tongue, and other grilled items all seemed to share the same base seasoning, with only the sauces changing to distinguish them. The lamb skewers themselves were very lean, cut into uniform blocks that looked tidy but lacked richness and the expected fatty depth that gives lamb its aroma and juiciness. The beef tongue was slightly more enjoyable, but still arrived lukewarm, which dulled its texture and impact. The signature chicken wings were slightly dry, with a sauce that didn't add much dimension. The grilled scallop dish was the most disappointing--mostly vermicelli with only a minimal amount of scallop, leaving it dry and lacking substance. That said, the highlight of the night was unexpectedly the fried chicken skin chicharrón. Crisp, airy, and indulgently fatty, it delivered exactly what the rest of the meal was missing--heat, texture, and unapologetic flavour. I didn't explore much beyond the barbecue items and a few appetizers, as the consistency already raised questions about the rest of the menu. The meal ended up being mostly cold beer paired with lukewarm meats and limited service attention. Even getting staff attention for drinks required effort. Overall, the experience felt flat and underpowered--especially because the core dishes never held temperature or distinction long enough to build impact, with the exception of a single standout in the fried chicken skin. read more

I always end up overordering here because there's just so many delicious options to choose from. I love coming here for their skewers, especially the kidney and intestine ones. Some things are hit and miss. I will say Idk if their ice machine just wasn't working the day I went. They gave room temperature water which is fine but their cold noodles were also served with room temperature which took away from it being a refreshing dish. Skip the abalone because I can tell it wasn't fresh and it was a bit rubbery. Jellyfish salad is always bomb! Their eggplant BBQ is perfection too. Their grill could be a little hotter as the skewers were lukewarm. Other than that, still a place I enjoying eating at and I will continue coming back! read more

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Added this to my list of rotations - if you're craving a Chinese skewer place, this will satisfy your craving! You get seated fast and the food comes relatively quick. We usually get the pork belly, beef, Taiwanese sausage, the asparagus, and Dan Dan noodles ~ the food is high in sodium so make sure to get that water in. I didn't love the chicken wings but my boyfriend did. Overall, this is a great place for a high protein meal read more

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We love experiencing different cuisines and restaurants so when we saw this bbq place we needed to try. Friday early dinner and we got seated fairly quickly. So many options to choose from so we tried to get a few of the skewers. For sides, cucumber salad, potato salad (shredded RAW potatoes - not a fan). Skewers - beef, beef tongue, bacon with asparagus, Taiwanese sausage, pork belly, chicken heart, fish ball, quail eggs, & more. We thought it would come raw and we'd have to grill it ourselves but to our surprise, everything was cooked. It was just served on a grill to keep it warm. We paired everything with rice and it was good but I think we were lacking some sort of dipping sauce. After a few bites everything tasted the same. While the dining room was pretty empty, we were somehow seated in a secluded dining area / private room. Service was not the greatest since we had to peek out the doors everytime we needed something or for them to even remember us. Overall, it was okay. read more

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Love the authentic flavors here at Gui, makes you feel like you're actually having dinner overseas. Their lamb skewers are the star of the menu, perfectly seasoned and grilled with that addicting smoky char. The service is fairly attentive and the interior is clean, making it a great place to sit down and enjoy your meal. Definitely the spot if you're looking for top-tier skewers. read more

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Great place for Chinese-style bbq skewers. The skewers and dishes are very savory so I would recommend pairing with rice or drinking a lot of water. The meat is seasoned well and very flavorful. They have options for different kinds of meat (pork, chicken, beef, lamb), seafood, and veggies, as well as cold and hot dishes. You order using a sheet of paper so you don't have to memorize what you want. The skewers come out already cooked and they are placed on a heated grill at the table to keep them warm. There's plenty of seating and the restaurant is open late so it's great for a late night dinner with friends! read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

Unlike most of the BBQ places, this specializes in skewers. We had mostly lamb, but there's also beef, chicken, and various organ meats. The skewers come cooked from the kitchen but there's a chafing dish on the table to keep it warm. We also ordered dandan noodles (which are good but very spicy), asparagus (which was pretty good), and cucumber salad (which works great as a palate cleanser). Service was pretty good as well and not too crowded for a weekend evening. read more

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There are plenty of parking spaces. The wait time was really quick and we got seated pretty quickly. They give you a menu and you can write the number of how many skewers you want. The wait for the food took forever, we waited about 40 minutes. Once we got the food, everything was better. The skewers were flavorful and delicious! Service: 3/5 Tip(s): - Restrooms available - Plenty of parking spaces read more

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After coming here, can see where all the one star reviews are coming from. First of all - the service was horrible. We stood in the entrance area for almost 10 minutes with zero acknowledgement even though there were empty tables. Just as we were about to turn around and leave they sat us so we stayed. This is a very Chinese Yakitori type place - nothing like Japanese traditional Yakitori. Every single skewer we ordered had five spice seasoning on it so they all tasted the same regardless of cut. Going back to the bad service - They walked by our table and just threw down a bunch of skewers on the grill without so much a word. The skewers came already pre-cooked so the "yakitori grill" is just to keep the skewers warm I guess? Our flame died out quickly so we were just eating lukewarm skewers. The only unique dish we enjoyed was the scallops - which came in scallop shells with vermicelli noodles and a garlic butter sauce. Also not sure why "bar" is in the name of this restaurant. There is no "bar" or alcohol service to be seen. They do have a bar area but it's not for seating and there was no alcohol behind the counter. I'd avoid this place and won't be back. Go spend your hard earned money at a yummy place that actually cares about their customers. Only reason I didn't give it one star was because we didn't experience food poisoning - oh, and for the scallops. read more

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Came to Gui BBQ on a friday around 5:30 and it was pretty empty with no wait which was nice. I got gizzard,lamb,beef,chicken cartilage and beef tongue skewers. My favorite was the gizzard because it was super flavorful with a nice texture. I also really liked the jellyfish since it had a great mala flavor that gave it a good kick. Everything came out yummy and well seasoned. Great ambiance! read more

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Great experience. All the skewers are tasty from chicken, lamb, pork, beef, heart organ, gizzard, cartilage chicken was a favorite. The seafood ramen delicious and flavorful. Cheese corn highly recommend. Best was wagyu skewers, totally melts in your mouth. Gonna come back to frog legs. read more

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My partner was in the mood for yakitori so we decided to try this place out. Upon walking in, it was relatively busy for a weekday. I liked the blend of both modern and traditional styles in this restaurant. The service was decent; the workers were very kind and friendly, but not as attentive as I had hoped. It took 10+ minutes for us to order our food and our trash was left on our table for the duration of our meal. We got an assortment of food. We got corn cheese, noodles, chicken skin, chicken heart, duck tongue, beef tongue, pork jowl, and Chinese sausage. The corn cheese, chicken skin, and pork jowl were the stars of the show. The corn cheese was delicious. My partner tried it for the first time and adored it. The chicken skin was amazingly crunchy like a chip. Finally the pork jowl was perfectly fatty and blended so well with the spice mixture they gave us. The others, however, were not as high quality. The noodles of hot and sour soup were good, but the sourness of the broth was overpowering. The other meats were just okay--I've had better quality chicken heart and beef tongue at Honda-ya. Overall a good experience. Pricier than expected, but nothing egregious. It's a good option if you're nearby read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - Corn cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

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The host let other guests be seated within 5-10 minutes wait today 3/21/26@8:26PM but our party of three had to wait 45 minutes. She explained it was because they were a larger group and they only had a few tables available. Honestly, that doesn't seem fair--those other guests could have waited just like everyone else. This is horrible service .... read more

This is my 3rd time coming to gui now. It usually always takes a while to get seated, even if it's empty. The skewers are good, however they're usually on the saltier side. This time we ordered the oysters and they were super smelly and it definitely tasted fishy. We did about 25 skewers, chicken skin, oysters, fish ball, wings, jelly fish, rice, enokki mushrooms x 2, and noodles for $134. The servers are hit and miss. Some are super nice, others are just there to work! read more

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Cool restaurant, friendly and attentive staff. Food is delicious! We ordered the cucumber, jellyfish salad, honey wings (so good we made a second order), corn (juicy!), marinated lamb (so good we ordered a second round!), beef, chicken heart and scallop skewers too! Will return! read more

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I had high hopes for this bbq place. When I went there to have dinner. I didn't realize the skewers were already precooked and the grill pan was basically used as a warmer rather than actually cooking or charring the skewers. The grill pan never got hot enough to truly be grilling or BBQ-ing the meat. read more

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for a late night spot in OC, this definitely gets the job done! it can easily get pricey so I'd recommend going in a group + ordering a dan dan noodle to help fill up! recommendations: taiwanese sausage, fish tofu, fish balls, shiitake mushrooms, dan dan noodles, chicken gizzard, beef meh / do not recommend: lamb (can get gamey), cucumber salad, scallops with vermicelli (overcooked) service is alright - they don't check on you often, each time i'm here the fire for the hot plate runs out. tip - BRING A SWEATER THE AIR CONDITIONING IS SUPER AGGRESSIVE read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - fish ball, bun, chicken gizzard, beef, shrimp, fish tofu, taiwanese sausage skewers - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

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Really solid food and great service. If you live meaty, salty, goodness, this is it! This was my first time at a skewers restaurant and it felt like an wing restaurant, but with skewers instead. I thought that it would be better if you cooked the skewers at the table, but this does make it a bit more pleasant since the room doesn't have that much smoke or air pollution. We ordered a ton of beef, lamb and chicken skewers. They all tasted kind of the same, and very savory and a little salty. You can ask for them to leave off the spice and you can have a small bowl of it on the side. read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - Dan dan noodles - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

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Solid skewer place! But make sure you don't leave the skewers on the grill for too long, or they'll dry out! The waiter we had amazing! He gave some spice to dip our skewers in and it really enhanced the flavor! He was also kind enough to provide me vinegar. Cucumber salad was not as good as I've had it at other places. It had a strong flavor of garlic. I loved the spicy squid! The texture and flavor was amazing. I could've opted out of the pork skewers though, just didn't like it. read more

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My boyfriend and I were introduced to GUI last summer and became hooked. You can find us there at least once a month. I have nothing but good things to say about this place. It's open pretty late so it's perfect for a late night munch. They offer both dine in and take out, but I prefer dining in. The servers are very attentive to our needs and were quick to take our orders. The ambiance was very nice, they had big TVs that you can watch sports games on. Now onto the food.. our typical order consists of: - Chicken skin: Absolutely delicious, so crispy, very flavorful. This is a MUST have when visiting GUI - Premium beef skewers: Super yummy, rich in flavor. I personally prefer beef over lamb because I prefer how it tastes but I've tried both and the lamb is pretty good too! - Chicken cartilage: Adds a nice crunch to your meal, very tasty. - Chicken Gizzard: Pretty good, not on the tip top of my list but I still like it. - Cucumber Salad: Refreshing, crisp. Adds a nice refreshing flavor change during your meal. - Pork belly: I order this maybe half the times I go but it's pretty good. Only con I have about this one is that it's a little bit drier than I'd like it. - Bottle of soju (yogurt flavor): Just something to sip on while enjoying our meal :) Overall, GUI is one of my favorite restaurants in the area and if you have not tried it, I really recommend you add this to your list of must tries. I would give this restaurant more than 5 stars if I could. read more

We came here on a Saturday around 7:30 pm and were pleasantly surprised to find they are open until midnight, making it a great option for a late-night snack. We waited for a table for about 15-20 minutes. They specialize in Chinese skewers and offer a variety of options to choose from. Spacious, comfortable tables with big TVs! For the skewers, we ordered lamb, beef, pork, chicken, and potato. They all had the same cumin flavor. You can choose the spicy level of your preference. Depending on how many you order, your skewers may come out in batches. All of ours came together. There is a bin on each table for your skewer sticks. Some highlights: *Signature Chicken Wings: The skins were grilled to perfection. You can't go wrong when the food has a bit of fat - solid. *Premium Pork Jowl: It had the perfect ratio of fat to meat. Yum! *Chicken Cartilage: The cartilage had a very playful texture, love the crunchiness! *Potato: The potatoes came in an aluminum tin, cut like the shape of spam, and sprinkled with cumin flavor. I would prefer them to be thinner and crisper, maybe even on a skewer. *Dandan Noodles: The portion was perfect for sharing between the two of us. I really loved the flavor from the minced pork, and the noodles were cooked to perfection. We checked in on Yelp and received a 10% discount. Just need to let them know when you ask for the bill. read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

Great spot for some asian bbq! though it's on the pricer side as the servings for each order are small. We have to order multiple of 10 skewers of everything to feel full. That being said everything has great flavors! Recommend: grilled Oysters skewers premium beef skewers of lamb skewers of pork belly fish tofu read more

The skewers are terrible. It is not warm at all. The hot plate is warmed by a tea light candle (from IKEA). But the skewers don't make contact with the plate so the food is cold. Go to Fei Xiang Gong, which has real skewers and a charcoal grill. read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - This is not a grill - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

One of my favorite late night dinner spots. TBH I like this place more than the ones where it's cooked in front of me, I don't have to worry about food being undercooked. My go to order here is the beef skewer, the shrimp and the Taiwanese sausage. The chives are always a plus! It can get a bit busy when you around dinner time but you can usually get a table pretty quick later in the night. read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - Beef skewers, shrimp skewers - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

Great location with good vibes and kpop music. We had the dan dan noodles which were good. Not great but good. We had the beef, chicken, and pork belly skewers and they were delicious. They also serve soju which went well with the food. Service was friendly and prompt. One small detail is the fuel they use for the fire runs out rather quickly and the servers dont change them unless u ask. My wife loved the shitaki bbq mushrooms. We were all full and happy. Will be coming back for sure. read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

The skewers come cold and are heated up on the hot plate at the table. The fire runs out quickly and heats it up worse than a microwave. Way too expensive and greasy, especially when they don't fill up the skewers at all. The picture + 2 more skewers was $40. Not filling at all and had to eat at another place afterwards. read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - This + 2 more skewers for $40 - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

First time dining at a place like this and it was BOMB!! I love visiting my friends in SoCal because I know I can always count on them to show me some heaters!!! We ordered a plethora of skewers and they were all flavorful, if I had to pick I'd say the lamb and pork were my top choices! A plus for me is the pricing! Each order gets you 2-4 skewers depending on the meat, highly recommend this spot for a fun night out! read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - @justgrindz - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

Was craving Chinese skewers, so we stumbled upon this place. One thing I noticed was how affordable the skewers were and the vast variety. Skewers (5/5): we got the beef, pork belly, fish ball roe, fish ball, tofu skin, bread, and tendon. It was all super delicious. Calamari (4/5): Perfectly tender and flavorful. A bit too much gravy on it. Enoki (4/5): Super flavorful, but a bit cold. Asparagus (5/5): Asparagus is pretty expensive, so they gave a decent portion considering the price. Definitely recommend this if you need fiber. Overall, really enjoyed my experience here and glad they finally have a skewer place in OC read more

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I've come here a couple times already, and each time was a great experience! We always get seated pretty quickly, and the food comes pretty fast as well. The restaurant is clean and organized as well, with booths and tables available, and two big TVs. There is also a parking lot in the front so parking won't be an issue. The food itself was very good, especially the salad. The only thing I'll say is that the oyster dish we ordered was better previous times, but this time it wasn't as flavorful. It is also a little pricey. However, besides that, everything was good and I recommend this restaurant if you ever want skewers in Irvine! read more

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Heard about this place from a friend and it did not disappoint! I wanted to go to the rowland heights location but saw that this was a closer location so just tried this place. Food was great and prices were very affordable compared to the bay area! I would definitely come again and maybe try their Rowland Heights location-since they have the actual rotating grill! read more

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Pros: big menu variety; open late; accept credit cards; nice ambiance. Yum: beef tongue and lamb chops. Cons: $21 for two chops, but they called it rack of lamb (which is 4 chops standard). Beef aorta tasted like rubber cartilage. Lamb skewer: undercooked or unevenly cooked Everything was overly salty even though we got mild. Good luck flagging down service: non existent after food drop off. Please check on your guest especially when they need to put in an order or check out read more

Food was really flavorful and a good level of spicy! We got a few skewers and some cold side dishes that were all delicious and pairs well with some sake or a cold soft drink. The service was decent and we had no complaints. Good place to go eat on a Friday night, the wait wasn't too long. read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

If you're a fan of mala spice, you should definitely check this spot out! Everything we ordered hit the spot and we were so full by the end of the meal. They offer all of the classic Asian drinks that pair perfectly with the savory bbq. One thing I did notice was some skewers came out cooked already. They just get heated up on the grill. If you're looking for the full Chinese bbq experience, where you can bbq your own skewers, this might not be the place for that. Overall, we still enjoyed the food and the vibe of the restaurant! read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

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We ordered pork belly, beef brisket, chicken wings, quail eggs, and chicken hearts skewers. We also got chicken skin on the side. Everything was delicious! We asked for mild sauce and it was good. All the skewers were seasoned well. The service was fast and they serve the food cooked and warm already. The grill on the table is to keep the meat warm . The place was clean and spacious. We will definitely go back there! read more

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Gui was a first time Chinese style BBQ experience for me. I came with people who have been here already so I let them take the lead on ordering, but ordering is pretty simple and you just mark all the items you want, like at Din Tai Fung. First off, the appetizers and dishes that are not on the grill: * Spicy Pork Trotters: if you like pig's feet and spicy flavoring, get this - I really enjoyed this. The fatty/collagen texture was chewy and soft, and the spice made this a great dish. * Cucumber Salad, Pig Ears Salad, Jelly Noodle with Chili Sauce - these cold appetizers were all so yummy and would recommend. The BBQ items were amazing. Here are some of my highlights: signature chicken wings, chicken gizzards, jumbo shrimp, premium beef, and okra. Please keep in mind though that everything comes marinated in that spice, so make sure you're okay with that constant taste/spice. I enjoyed it for sure, and next time I may want to order a hot pot or other dishes that doesn't have the spice, just to break it up and give my mouth a break haha. I would come back again for sure and do recommend Gui! read more

GUI BBQ Restaurant & Bar - Spicy Pork Trotter - Barbeque Near Me - Irvine, California

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Amazing Chinese BBQ place discovered! Come with me. Highlights of the menu: 1. Skewers: - Beef brisket - Chicken heart - Chicken gizzard - Chicken skin - Intestine - Beef tongue - Tribe - Steak - Okra - Fish tofu 2. Squid BBQ 3. Mushroom 4. Abalone 5. Scallop with vermicelli 6. Pork brain 7. Clams Love their beautiful traditional Chinese decoration, casual ambiance. read more

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This place isn't as great as the Rowland Heights location, but it is decent. A good alternative. The ambiance is alright. Very lit. Not night time fele like Rowland Heights but whne you're in Irvine, this is as good as it gets! The key difference is the grill. They don't have the classic charcoal grill where food comes on steel skewers and rotates on charcoal grill. They precook the bamboo skewers and bring them out to warm up on the tabletop grill. The cooking experience is completely different here. Ordered the beef tendon, chicken cartilage, grilled squid, jellyfish salad, and chicken skin. Everything was good. My least favorite was the chicken cartilage since it is precooked. It came overcooked. Forgot to use the yelp check-in discount, so make sure you check in and have that applied! read more

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My go to spot in Irvine when I'm craving skewers. Service can be a hit or miss. The place can get super busy during dinner time. Food always hit the spot, you can also get it spicy if you're feeling brave . read more

Delicious and nicely seasoned skewers. Perfect for late night dinners. Potatoes and enoki mushrooms dont go on the grill. They were nicely seasoned and went well with the meat skewers. We ordered lamb, premium lamb, beef and pork cheek. We wanted to try lamb vs premium lamb. They were both good but premium lamb taste slightly better since it was a little more fatty. The beef and pork cheek were really good. I felt like I could eat so many skewers because they were so good. The noodles were good and as expected. If i feel like eating skewers, this would be my go-to place. read more