Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Kababayan

    3.8 (91 reviews)
    Closed • 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Kababayan Photos

    Business Info

    KABABAYAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Kababayan

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Amy F.

    Nothing fancy-can even be described as neighborhood joint. Friendly and helpful service. 3 entree combo is the value play if you're here for the first time. No matter what you try, you can't go wrong. This is a place for comfort foods. Either you're an adventurous eater or not, there's something here for you. Our favorites are the pork adobo, bbq chicken skewers, fried banana inside a fried skin, and the lumpia (3 orders). Pro-tips: -Park blocks away in the neighborhood. -Street parking available during the weekends if you go early (10-10:30am).

    Dinuguan and Sisig
    Jolens V.

    The food is ok. Service is good . The location is easy to find. The place needs more light inside.,

    a kitchen with a television and a refrigerator
    Ron G.

    tl;dr solid cheap food + variety for lunch Kababayan Cafe, located in the heart of the Mission District, is a place that could easily be overlooked due to its inconspicuous nature. It's a fundamental hole in the wall joint, run by just a solitary person - a potential setback for those in a hurry, but ensuring a meticulous execution of each dish. The restaurant, despite its humble appearance, offers generous servings of food without putting a significant dent in your pocket. My hearty plate that was basically just meat was just $12. Depending on the day of your visit, the menu varies. On my stop in, the pancit noodles had good texture but fell a bit short on flavor. The sisig was flavorful but suffered slightly from the chewiness of the pork. While the individual dining atmosphere might turn off some, those who appreciate solitude in their culinary adventures will find it to their liking. The service is mostly run by 1 person so you go up to the counter and order nand there's not much else - so good if you're going in-n-out for lunch. Kababayan Cafe lacks the Instagrammable vibe we often seek out, and it may be a bit better on price/quality point in Daly City in terms of quality, but it's certainly not a venue to write off and is very solid for a Mission Lunch spot and offers a hard-to-find variety of Filipino food in SF (compared to Inion city/Daly city).

    The bomb.com of filipino foods
    Tom S.

    The is always great, especially me being half filipino. Me and a friend went here today 5-5-2025,for cinco de mayo. We decided instead of Mexican food, let's have filipino food and our choice was the best choice.

    Johnny V.

    one of my favorite go-to small filipino shops in sf! - food is quick, served fast food style (like chipotle), and the prices are even better (huge plus) unfortunately, they were short on balut when we came by, but we still ended up being satisfied with our meal. - the worker there was super helpful with recommendations and was quite friendly! - ambiance wasn't amazing, they do have spots to sit down but it's more of a 'grab & go' type of spot. parking situation was a bit difficult as it's in a busy area as well. all-in-all though, very satisfied with what they offer here at Kababayan. i'll be back the next time i'm in SF. :)

    Ginger chicken soup w/ what tasted like kugua (chinese pronunciation, bitter squash) and spinach
    Daniel B.

    Great neighborhood lunch spot. The chicken soup was on hitters. It was a light homemade soup without noticeable amounts of MSG, just like my wife cooks. Perfect ratio of ginger and seasoning to broth and soft, lovely chicken flavor. Served with bone in and a bitter squash that really adds to the flavor of the soup. I've been looking for a clear broth soup like this for 6 years since we moved to SF. Finally! The other dishes I got were ok, too. Nothing special, but juicy and good. The pancit noodles had a great texture but lacked in flavor. I also prefer thinner noodles. The sisig was juicy and flavorful, but the pork was a bit chewy. Both dishes were ok, and I'd have them on the side with the soup again. I would recommend this place if you're in the area, or if you're like me and have been craving a light, clear broth soup but are too lazy to cook it yourself. Of course, it seems like this place kind of just makes whatever dishes they feel like on any given day (e.g., today no lumpia), so not guarantee it will be there if you make the trek across town. In any case, this is a great little spot with no fuss. One of the main reasons this place does not get 5 stars is because $13 for a 2-item box and small soup seems pretty steep. I have leftovers for tomorrow. While affordable, this place is not truly cheap. And that's really kind of what it would need to make up for the otherwise unappealing restaurant vibe, i.e., no one who ordered in front of me stayed to eat inside. Not a perfect place, but I'll definitely be back. Happy eating!

    My chicken adobo pieces were mostly bones.
    Mz J.

    The pancit is good and the longanisa ($1.75 each) as well as the sisig is very good. My chicken adobo pieces were mostly bones. Skip the dinuguan as it had too much vinegar. I haven't tried to balut yet. Not sure if I will be back.

    Mmmm
    Gil M.

    Once you accept that this place is one of those old school hole in the walls that doesn't focus on aesthetics, you can appreciate the quality of the food. I am very hard on Filipino restaurants knowing how to cook dishes to my liking. But this place has the taste that I love! I have ordered their Filipino breakfasts, lumpia, bistek, sinigang, and chicken curry. All these so far has satisfied more then to my expectations. The service is good. There are a couple Filipino restaurants near by, but for this area, Kababayan is the one! Catch up on Filipino pop culture or news from The Filipino Channel while eating your meal. TFC is on all day! So if you ever find yourself in the Mission district of San Francisco craving Filipino food, I recommend coming here. Happy Yelping and stay hungry adventurous!

    Filipino Home Cooking
    Rudy H.

    stumble upon a Filipino hole in the wall restaurant while I was walking on the Mission. I ordered ala carte of two items (Pork Menudo & Dinuguan) with a dessert (Halo-Halo). this is a place to get some Filipino food if you don't want to go to the Tenderloin or Daly City. not bad, but the menu is a bit confusing.

    Skiidoz H.

    Wasn't that friendly !! Couldn't explain what was inside of the Sausage but that it was Pork.. I really feel customers should be able to sample ideas to ensure the taste is correct when the viewing of the food doesn't look that pleasant !! Especially when the Food is sitting out .. After Purchasing & Tasting the Food : It was very dry (sausages) and tasted Old!! I asked for some juice from the sausages tray on my rice I received None .

    Pork with coconut + shrimp base and rice for $5.99 and karioka for $2... With Filipino drama in the background
    Sally L.

    Hole in the wall Filipino restaurant in the Mexican-dominant Mission district. Given my obsession with Filipino food and not wanting to go down to Daly City, I gave Kababayan a shot. The options are rather limited and didn't seem very fresh when I went at 5pm on a weekday. I wanted the kare kare but unfortunately they didn't have it that day. I opted for another pork dish that was coconut+shrimp paste based and it tasted ok - would not order again. I also got the karioka - which I LOVED at Fil-Am - but here, it tasted a day old and was too hard. There were a lot of blue collar solo diners, so everyone kind of just eats in peace. Not somewhere you bring your friends. The lady was super nice and patiently explained what every dish was and helped me pick one I would like. Prices are average for the area but overpriced for the quality. So if you have time, I'd definitely recommend venturing to Daly City for your Filipino fix.

    See all

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of G L.
    0
    135
    1

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cham C.
    41
    17
    2

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy F.
    0
    119
    286

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Helen L.
    185
    2134
    4853

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Tom S.
    1
    10
    9

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Mz J.
    47
    645
    656

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Manny F.
    1465
    633
    382

    16 years ago

    Helpful 32
    Thanks 0
    Love this 27
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mila N.
    2
    125
    162

    9 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Phil D.
    16
    95
    22

    7 years ago

    As a half-Filipino, this review is only half-credible. But I will say, the sinigang here tastes just like home.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of FoodLover F.
    43
    1562
    766

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Carmen L.
    61
    183
    41

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    This place is bomb. I'm so in love with theirs longanisa (aka Filipino sausage) and their Kare kare is flavorful and not oily

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Elle H.
    0
    15
    22

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    20 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Kababayan Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kababayan

    Are they open for business anymore?

    yes they are but open mainly during the day

    Does anyone know if this place closed? Walked past it yesterday and today and it wasn't open :(

    They were closed over the weekend also, but the last time I was there was probably a week and a half ago and there was no sign that they were closing down. I’m hoping they are just on vacation🙏🏽🙏🏽.

    View All 5 Questions

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Filipino 31,751 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Smokin D’s BBQ

    Smokin D’s BBQ

    4.0(205 reviews)
    3.5 mi•Outer Sunset
    •$$

    BBQ pork baos are a lifelong staple for me. From childhood dim sum feasts with my parents who made…read moreme debate baked versus steamed, to morning snacks with my kid, baos are, "The Way". Most places these days frustrate me with stingy fillings and low-quality ingredients. Smokin D's is the exact opposite. OMG. SO SO SO GEWD! The OG Bao broke da mouth! The melt-in-your-mouth savory brisket dissolves like slow-braised velvet, cradled in a warm, slightly sweet shell that hits the ultimate balance of outer crunch and inner chew without feeling bready. You can feel the heart in this family-owned spot. After eating, all I wanted to do was give them a huge hug in pure gratitude. This bao has changed my life and rekindled my love for the hunt for unassuming and unapologetic noms. A perfect treat for a perfect day in SF.

    Really enjoyed the BBQ at Smokin D's! I ordered the OG Brisket Bao and the Brisket Grilled Cheese,…read moreand the brisket was definitely the highlight. The brisket was tender, juicy, smoky, and generously portioned. The grilled cheese was absolutely loaded with meat, with gooey melted cheese, pickles, and BBQ sauce bringing everything together. Rich, messy, and very satisfying. The OG Brisket Bao was also excellent, the soft, slightly sweet bao paired really well with the smoky brisket. Definitely come hungry. The portions are no joke, especially if you love brisket! Service was attentive and fast.

    Photos
    Smokin D’s BBQ - Seating

    Seating

    Smokin D’s BBQ - OG Brisky Bao | IG: lisaeatsf

    OG Brisky Bao | IG: lisaeatsf

    Smokin D’s BBQ - Smac S'mac-N-Cheese w Brisket  | IG: lisaeatsf

    See all

    Smac S'mac-N-Cheese w Brisket | IG: lisaeatsf

    L H Restaurant - Dim sum

    L H Restaurant

    3.9(63 reviews)
    3.1 mi•Inner Richmond
    •$$

    Despite how often I find myself around here, I'd be lying if I had paid much attention to L H…read moreRestaurant in the past. In part, it's because I had no idea the old Five Happiness restaurant that used to call this place home had even closed, but, really, I just tend to forget about every restaurant on this block (save for Brothers Korean BBQ). That is, until we heard that they sell Chinese BBQ roast pork and roast duck here, which we're always on the lookout for! Compared to some of the other nearby Chinese restaurants, L H feels a bit bigger in size, but, outside of that, not much about it feels all that indistinguishable or notable. As for the menu, we knew we were going to be trying their Chinese BBQ, but it was nice to see that they have over 140+ dishes to choose from, even despite how it didn't seem like there was a specific signature offering or specialty. Still, with so many options available, it was nice to see just about every Chinese staple dish was accounted for and that there seemed to be something for everyone. -- THREE BBQ ITEM PLATE with Roast Pork, Roast Duck, and Char Siu The dish we came here for, but it was a mixed bag. The biggest issue for me was how everything was cool/room temp, but at least the Roast Pork wasn't bad - a touch underseasoned, but crispy-ish. The Roast Duck was also decent (albeit lean), but the Char Siu was a bit dry. -- BEEF STEW & WONTON NOODLE SOUP with Egg Noodles While the portion size was generous, nothing about this stood out. On the plus side, the wontons were fairly plump and the noodles had a nice bite to them. However, the broth wasn't very rich and several chunks of the beef stew were chewy/tough. -- TOMATO BEEF JI MIEN This didn't do much for me, but, to be fair, I'm not a big fan of the dish in general. Although it came with a generous amount of tomatoes on top, all of the sauce and everything didn't leave much crispiness to the noodles. -- BEEF WITH SCRAMBLED EGG OVER RICE I didn't have a ton of this one, but it might have been the best dish we had. Sadly, some of the rice felt a little firm, but the eggs were cooked exactly how I prefer for this dish and the slices of beef were actually surprisingly tender. Much like the food, the service here was fine, but it seems they may not be as generous as they used to be. While the workers were friendly enough, my relative, who comes here often and is the one who put this place on our radar, mentioned they no longer give free soup with their lunch plates and that the portions looked slightly smaller than he remembered. I personally can't say if that's actually the case or not, so take it for what it's worth, but I also don't have any reason to doubt him either. All in all, even though nothing about L H Restaurant, or their food, amazed us, I can't say anything specific failed us either. Rather, our visit just felt really lackluster and generic. If anything, the most notable thing about this place is how curiously early they close, even on weekends (closes at 7pm). Given all of that, I can't say we have much of a reason to come back, especially in an area like the Richmond where we really don't have to go far to find the same or better. TWO AND A HALF STARS rounded down.

    Ordered a half duck and a two meat combo box with more duck and the white chicken. Everything came…read morecold. Not like lukewarm / room temperature. But actually cold from the refrigerator temperature. Also ordered the salt and pepper wings and the flavor was overwhelming of stale frying oil. No salt or pepper taste and all. Very disappointing.

    Photos
    L H Restaurant - Chinese BBQ

    Chinese BBQ

    L H Restaurant - 86. 椒鹽豆腐/Salt & Pepper Tofu

    86. 椒鹽豆腐/Salt & Pepper Tofu

    L H Restaurant - Roast Duck Rice Noodles $9.99 /roast duck good!

    See all

    Roast Duck Rice Noodles $9.99 /roast duck good!

    International Smoke - Sinaloa Chicken

    International Smoke

    3.9(2.4k reviews)
    2.8 mi•Financial District, SoMa
    •$$$

    we're here celebrate birthday, This place is busy and great vibes, and tomahawk steak and all the…read morefood we ordered tastes so good, and smoke old fashioned yum . waitresses little slow but overall great !

    Yesterday, May 28, 2026, it was announced that INTERNATIONAL Smoke officially shuttered as of…read moreWednesday, May 20, 2026. If you ask me, this comes as no surprise at all. Located on the ground floor of the infamous leaning Milennium Tower in San Francisco's Financial District, INTERNATIONAL Smoke was Michael Mina's fine dining barbecue restaurant collaboration with multi-hyphenate entrepreneur Ayesha Curry. I visited this place once, for a small dinner party hosted by Charles Schwab on Tuesday, October 14, 2024. We arrived shortly after 6:35 PM. The atmosphere was modern, but casual and hip, funky with exposed metal accents popping through concrete floors and columns. Evidently, the fully booked days were behind them - despite the place's popularity as a fun, lively eatery with the occasional celebrity spotting, the restaurant was fairly quiet that night and not a single person was at the bar. We were seated in the spacious Atrium with floor to ceiling windows. INTERNATIONAL Smoke was not your traditional barbecue restaurant. They presented a globally-inspired grill-centric carte inspired by the rich heritages of the co-founders. The globetrotting meat dishes highlighted diverse international flame-cooking and smoking traditions. The ambitiously broad menu intended to take diners on a culinary journey around the world, but, instead, delivered a disjointed and scattered passport. Similar to the food offerings, INTERNATIONAL Smoke's drink catalogue featured some rotating crafted cocktails that leaned into global flavours, such as KUNG FU PANDAN ($18) and MIDNIGHT IN OAXACA ($20). Boozy beverages like TICKLE ME PINK ($19), NEGRONI ($19), and the ESPRESSO MARTINI ($20) were enjoyed by some of my tablemates. A couple of us stuck to the ZERO PROOF potables like the BUZZ FREE BEE ($15) and RASPBERRY FIELDS ($12) of which the latter I found to be delightful. Cool ice cubes, too! Below are a few of the dishes that we ordered: DOUBLE DUCK WINGS ($28) - I don't eat duck, but my dining mates raved over the tender mango-habanero glazed meat that was falling off the bones. BLACK TRUFFLE CAESAR ($20) - This was a substantial serving, and the sweet onion crema, fried garlic, and truffle vinaigrette all worked well together. ROASTED CAULIFLOWER ($18) - Meh. Perhaps my prejudice against raisins and tehina got in the way of enjoying this STARTER. BLISTERED SHISHITO PEPPERS ($16) - There was not a single blister on any of the peppers, so, unfortunately, the expected smoky, charred flavour was completely absent. MISO YAKI BLACK COD ($48) - This order came with two considerable sized filets of the velvety soft and flaky fish served atop mild shishito peppers sitting in a light ginger dashi broth. It could have just been me, but one of the slices looked a bit undercooked. DUNGENESS CRAB GARLIC NOODLES ($45) - Joanna went with this rich, buttery dish of noodles tossed with wood ear mushrooms, generous portions of Dungeness crab, and heavily garlicked. It was hearty, but I didn't see any bok choy mixed in there, which would have disappointed me if I were Joanna. PERI PERI HALF CHICKEN ($39) - Dustin ordered this dish. The poultry appeared to be well marinated, so I can only assume that the deep, fiery acidic flavour with the pronounced smoky element came through in each bite. Surprisingly, no rants nor raves on this from Dustin...who is usually very opinionated. PORK BELLY FRIED RICE ($17) - Not the worst, but not the best. For the small bowl, this was a major rip off. FRIED BRUSSELS SPROUTS ($15) - Wow, for the price, this should have knocked our socks off, but was pretty lackluster. 8 OZ. CENTER CUT FILET MIGNON ($68) - I ordered this steak plate. The meat was cooked perfectly medium rare, but the taste of the red wine demi and the stuffed portobello mushroom were unremarkable. LEMON OLIVE OIL CAKE ($14) - This did not stray far from the standard olive oil cake, just a touch of lemon added to the cake's flavour + the pluot garnishes. Nothing standout about this, unintriguing. "SMOKED" CHOCOLATE S'MORES ($14) - Not your typical s'mores, more of an elevated take on the campfire classic with a valrhona molten cake sitting atop brûléed marshmallow fluff with a side of graham cracker crumble and a scoop of ice cream. CINNAMON CHURROS ($13) - The accompanying blueberry cheesecake and meyer lemon curd dips were the sole unique elements of this sugar-dusted fried pastry dessert. Without them, this plate would have been underwhelming. Mediocre food at high-end prices aside, table service was friendly. What was all the hype over INTERNATIONAL Smoke? My true guess is that the affiliation with Steph Curry and his basketball friends who would pop in were the big draw...because even with all of the smoking, this place had no fire.

    Photos
    International Smoke - Binchōtan-Grilled Lobster udon

    Binchōtan-Grilled Lobster udon

    International Smoke - Carne Asada Baked Potato

    Carne Asada Baked Potato

    International Smoke - Wagyu Shaking Beef

    See all

    Wagyu Shaking Beef

    MuuKaTa6395 Thai Charcoal BBQ

    MuuKaTa6395 Thai Charcoal BBQ

    4.6(563 reviews)
    3.1 mi•Inner Richmond
    Locally owned & operated
    Family-owned & operated

    Visited Muukata6395 Thai Charcoal BBQ on a Friday night at 8pm with a party of five, ordering two…read morelarge BBQ sets. Thai BBQ, known as mu kratha or mookata, combines tabletop grilling and hot pot into one meal, with a charcoal grill in the center of the table surrounded by a ring of simmering soup. - Pork Shoulder, Bacon, Pork Belly, and Chicken - light grill over the charcoal, well seasoned, tender, and satisfying - Shrimp & Seafood - cooked alongside the meats, a nice protein variety to round out the spread - Papaya Salad - green papaya, carrot, cherry tomatoes, green bean, sun-dried shrimp, and toasted peanut, tossed with a tamarind lime dressing, fresh and flavorful, a nice contrast to the richness of the BBQ - Corn Salad - cherry tomatoes, green bean, sun-dried shrimp, and toasted peanut, tossed with the same tamarind lime dressing, a refreshing side to balance out the meal Each set came with a choice of two noodles or rice, plus assorted vegetables, and we also ordered some rounds of soju for the table. Compared to traditional Korean BBQ, Thai BBQ leans more toward sweeter, tangier sauces typically associated with Thai cuisine. It was loud and bustling, perfect for groups, and service was friendly and quick, with food coming out fast throughout the meal. Great to pair some drinks too! One of our friends even spoke Thai with the waiters. Overall the meal was filling & flavorful, with plenty of variety across both sets for the five of us, and a fun, interactive dining experience that's great for groups!

    A cross between Korean BBQ and hot pot, Thai BBQ was an interactive - and delicious - experience. I…read morevisited MuuKaTa6395 with a group of five friends, and we were able to walk-in on a Sunday evening when it was relatively quiet. We ordered a plate of BBQ chicken liver, papaya salad, hot pot (one serving), and a BBQ platter (two servings). This turned out to be just the right amount of food. One half of our table was dedicated to the BBQ, while the other half managed the hot pot. Throughout the meal, our servers kept our charcoal burning and cauldron filled with soup. I preferred the hotpot over the BBQ because the herby broth was warm, flavorful, and comforting. The hot pot was much lower maintenance than the grill, and one serving was more than enough for the five of us to enjoy multiple bowls of soup. The BBQ platter allowed us to each have one small piece of each meat variety (chicken, pork, squid). While I was not in charge of manning the grill or the hot pot (my friends took charge here), I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant, especially for large groups (although my clothes absorbed all the BBQ smells). This would be a fun place to go for a birthday dinner.

    Photos
    MuuKaTa6395 Thai Charcoal BBQ
    MuuKaTa6395 Thai Charcoal BBQ
    MuuKaTa6395 Thai Charcoal BBQ

    See all

    Yakiniq

    Yakiniq

    3.3(1.9k reviews)
    2.3 mi•Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights
    •$$$

    YakiniQ really said "leave hungry? never heard of her."…read more Pulled up with my homie Jun because this man treated me to lobster last time and you already know... Asians keep receipts but in a wholesome way We don't split love, we rotate blessings. For $49.99/person, this AYCE Korean BBQ was straight violating my self-control. The short ribs?? HELLA BUSSIN. Like actually criminal. Every bite had me ascending like a TikTok food review in 4K. Meat so juicy I almost stood up and thanked the cow personally. The grill smoke got us smelling like seasoned warriors walking outta there but honestly worth it. Staff kept the meats coming faster than my auntie asking why I'm still single. And let me put y'all onto some elite Chinese vocabulary real quick: "好吃到舔手指" (hǎo chī dào tiǎn shǒu zhǐ) = "so good you lick your fingers." That's EXACTLY the vibe. Finger-licking good fr fr. YakiniQ got me fighting for my life, unbuttoning my pants in the parking lot, and already planning my return. 10/10. No crumbs left. Their "Red Hot" peanut sauce is the carry here - no doubt. Highly recommend with my utmost respectful regards!

    Horrible meat quality and even worse service quality…read more Imagine being first in line with a party of 2 and then watching a party of 3 and another party of 2 getting sat before you. Well we didn't need to imagine because we watched it happen in front of our faces. The party of 3 actually got their food and the other party of 2 got their side dishes before we even got our water. You literally have a Yelp waitlist to help you stay organized and all you have to do is follow it. Somehow they still managed to fuck that up. We got the premium AYCE--expecting some higher quality meat. We were deeply disappointed. The SF Cut Short rib was the saddest short rib I have ever seen. There was little to no meat on the bone. The ribeye was extremely thin. Not even a full minute of cooking on both sides and it was well done. At this point I turned the heat down to the lowest setting. The short rib bites were filled with tendons and ridiculously hard to cut much less chew. The boneless short rib and the ribeye caps were skinnier than a coke addict. 10 seconds on each side and they were basically well done. That was the end of round 1--I thought I was being hangry and grumpy so I tried to let them get their redemption. Hahaha or so I thought. We got the miso pork belly which somehow managed to burn itself on the side of the grill while the center part was still raw. I put two pieces on the grill. Clearly the meat cutter didn't know what they were doing because while one looked like it had cancer causing blackness on it the other one was still more raw than a dog. I guess they just can't cut the meat uniformly even. The beef tongue was also extremely thin and burned immediately when put on the grill. It's Korean BBQ--your restaurant and chefs don't even cook the meat. How can you not know how to cut meat properly? Not to mention paying extra for "premium" meat only to have the exact same quality as the rest of your meat. I would recommend this place to anybody who wants their Korean BBQ experience ruined. Honestly come here for your first or second time at Korean BBQ and then go somewhere else and you will be GLAD that the other place exists. YaqiniQ BBQ is by far the worst KBBQ I have been to.

    Photos
    Yakiniq - Short ribs

    Short ribs

    Yakiniq
    Yakiniq - Seafood pancake

    See all

    Seafood pancake

    Kababayan - filipino - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...