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    Pepper Lunch

    3.9 (1.5k reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Pepper Lunch Takeout or Delivery

    Pepper Lunch Photos

    Business Info

    PEPPER LUNCH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Pepper Lunch

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    Reviews With Photos

    Alice Q.

    My husband and daughter love eating here! They get the same entree everytine.... beef curry. Sat outside front patio. Wish tgey can make their door not make the screeching noise it scares me.

    Jumbo Beef Pepper Rice
    Iris K.

    First tried Pepper Lunch in Japan years before it came to America, and was of course excited when it opened here. Over the years, the meat portions have noticeably decreased and rice proportion increased (shrinkflation). It's understandable, and prices haven't increased much compared to other restaurants. Still a great meal with fast, friendly service and a comfortable casual atmosphere

    Kimchi Beef with Cheese Pepper Rice
    Joanne D.

    I haven't had Pepper Lunch in years (the last time was in NorCal) and I was craving it, so I decided to stop by. I was surprised (and lowkey disappointed) that there wasn't an udon option anymore.. I ordered the Kimchi Beef Rice with cheese, and unfortunately the meat-to-rice ratio was really disappointing. For $18, it felt like I was mostly paying for a plate of rice and kimchi. The beef pieces were tiny and there were probably only about 6-8 pieces total. I wanted to love it for the nostalgia, but this visit didn't quite hit the same. I will not be back.

    Pepper Jumbo Beef Pepper Rice
    Jacqueline T.

    My first time trying Pepper Lunch for dinner. There was just a little wait for a Saturday dinner. The ambiance is casual and cozy. We ordered the beef pepper lunch. The food came quickly, smelled really amazing. After adding the garlic sauce and some black pepper, it was even better. The portion is perfect for a hearty dinner. I will come back to try other entree, the pasta dish looks great too.

    Jumbo Beef Pepper Rice
    Milko M.

    Came here craving Pepper Lunch and the food itself was solid--flavors were good, though we can understand concerns about the small meat portions. The really negative part of our visit was witnessing one of the workers drop a fork on the floor and then put it back with the clean utensils. That's just not safe and really disappointing to see. Because of that, we won't be coming back.

    Emily L.

    While it's a fun concept, i probably wouldn't come often due to value. The meal itself is 75% rice and a whole piece of butter to make it flavorful. I took out most of the butter - just a little of it was enough to make it taste good. The regular only gives you 2-3 pieces of meat. It just looks like more because they are long and stretched around. Staff was nice though!

    Taylor U.

    Wow so delicious! Never heard of this place but decided to try it out. Really love this place. Food itself is simple (rice and meat) but the hot stone and the food is exceptional. I ordered the hamburg and beef curry. Portion size is good amount but I find the price to be a bargain. I could see other places charge more for this type of meal. What I didn't like was that they provided us with fork and spoon but no knife. I needed that knife to slice my hamburg. Also there's assigned seatings, they told us to sit at a particular table when the restaurant literally just opened and all tables are empty. Also drank water from the fountain machine, has a taste to it when it's not supposed to. Would definitely recommend and will come back.

    Sizzling Curry - Tofu & Veggie
    Vic V.

    I stopped by Pepper Lunch for dinner and tried the Tofu & Veggie Curry. When my plate came out, I noticed that the carrots and green beans had freezer burn. The curry sauce was very salty and the food did not have any flavor to it. For the price point, I do wish that the ingredients were fresh and had some sort of flavor. There is plenty of seating and the staff is very nice but I don't think that I will be returning.

    Lisa P.

    Everything is good!! Just the right portion! They were quick to serve us and inside was very casual and dim. It was a nice vibe.

    Natalie Y.

    Solid, tasty, no frills, satiating, and affordable place to get a meal. It's straightforward, comforting, and delicious. The ones in Asia do taste slightly better for some reason, not sure why but I would say the ones American still aren't far off. Good spot for a quick bite without breaking the bank.

    Classic Beef Pepper Rice
    Evangeline L.

    Came here as a party of 2 for the pepper lunch and it did not disappoint. The food came out within a few minutes, and the staff were super kind and friendly. The food was given in large portions and all super fresh. We got the steak and salmon, and it was full of flavor (the butter and pepper helps!). I love this place and frequent Pepper Lunches in Singapore, so it was a wonderful first US experience at a Pepper Lunch.

    Ron R.

    There is a free public parking lot down first on the south side of main. You can easily walk to the restaurant from there. The ordering process is a little confusing because they have kiosks which tell you not to touch them and serve only as a menu. You order at the register and then are seated at numbered tables where they bring you your food. The order takers and servers are mostly friendly and efficient. Restrooms are in the back. We got the Karaage chicken and hamburger and grilled chicken breast with not hamburger and double chicken instead. As the instructions say online, you pour the side of curry over the meat and/or rice in the iron skillet and let it simmer a little before eating. The karaage chicken was like panda orange chicken and the grilled chicken was superior. It is basically like having katsu curry but healthier without the fried katsu. The portion is enough for two meals if you are not super hungry and sufficient if you are hungry. The drink selection is somewhat limited. As others have said you might be able to get veggies instead of rice, but those on Keto or low carb should consider that curry is NOT a low carb food and does NOT work with Keto or low carb diets. We definitely would come here again to get a health alternative to katsu curry.

    Briana N.

    The food at Pepper Lunch is really good, but I think you're really just paying for the spectacle of it. It's cool to see and hear the sizzling hot plate come out with the raw meat that you need to turn over yourself. But when it comes down to it, it's rice and meat and some vegetables. And not even combined in a complex way. The quality is there for sure, and it tastes good. But when it comes down to it, I feel like it's really easy to recreate the same dish at home. I will say, it was a pleasant surprise how saucy everything becomes when you mix it together. I was worried everything would be too dry. But they do include some compound butter that sauces everything up.

    Classic Beef Pepper Rice

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    Pepper Lunch Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Pepper Lunch

    Are there any vegan options?

    There are veggie and tofu options as well as salads, but for the rice the seasoning is in the form of an herb butter... and not sure that the salad dressing is vegan either

    Can we substitute the rice to noodles?

    yes but there's a surcharge

    Is there outdoor seating?

    Yes but there are only 3 tables, so there can be a wait

    Are you guys open?

    Yes, they have reopened. :)

    How does the takeout work? Like is the meat cooked thoroughly before giving it to you?

    Yes. They cook it thoroughly on the sizzle plate and mix it all together and put in in the Togo box.

    What is the Health Grade?

    A grade

    Have Drive thru?

    Unfortunately, no.

    Do they do takeout orders?

    Yes they do! There's either a place to personally order or you can talk to one of the workers in case you have any questions.

    Is there reservations?

    Don't think so.

    View All 11 Questions

    Wa Sushi & Izakaya - Alhambra

    Wa Sushi & Izakaya - Alhambra

    (312 reviews)

    $$

    The best place to get my salmom fix. They have an omakase sectiom for salmon plate and it comes…read morewith 5 salmom sushi, 5 nigiri, 5 sashimi pieces and miso soup. This time i almost finished a whole plate to myself. I think if i didnt eat the squid legs i wouldve been able to finish. I still ask for things seared cause seared fish is the best. It looks like they added a dessert menu as well all the way in the back. I wanted to try their clam miso but the salmon plate already came with miso soup and you cant upgrade it. Service is always good, water gets refilled pretty fast without having to ask and if you need anything they get it right away. Parking is pretty decent. Even when the restaurant was packed, we were able to find parking.

    3.8 stars Today was…read moremy first time trying this restaurant since it replaced the previous restaurant. I believe the last restaurant was also Japanese. But, it turns out this restaurant is Korean Japanese, which is fine. I was greeted by a hostess when I first entered and it turns out she was also the server. She was nice. The restaurant is relatively spacious and well-decorated. The menu was plentiful. The restroom, though, needs updating, but it wasn't dirty. These were the items I got: Skirt Beef & Tempura Bento ($23): It came with miso soup, side salad, rice, teriyaki beef, tempura, 4pcs of CA roll, & 2 pc tempura roll. I think it's actually big enough for 2 people to share. Everything was decent except for the beef. Next time, I think I'll stick to chicken or salmon. 3.7/5 stars Salmon Roll ($9): This was simple and delicious. The portions are small though. 4/5 stars. There is free parking on site. Overall, I think I'd come back to try other dishes.

    Taihei

    Taihei

    (642 reviews)

    $$

    Very good, no fuss Japanese restaurant. I've been coming for well over a decade and it's still just…read moreas good! It's not cheap but the portion sizes are good and the fish always tastes fresh! My favorites are the scallop and sweet shrimp. The wait can get quite long at times and the only option is to put your name down in person.

    This was a nice mom and pop restaurant. Limited hours and…read moreseating. Seating: 4 booths, 4 tables, and the rest is sushi bar seating for ~8 people but it's very tight so you are rubbing elbows with other parties seated at the sushi bar as well. It was a 45-hour wait to be seated. If you seat at sushi bar minimum 4 rolls per person. They are pretty quick to get your order, your drinks, and food. We ordered the Matsu sashimi plate, Matsu-sushi plate, and Mixed tempura. After the 45 minute wait we were pretty hungry so we slurped up the miso soup which was a nice balance of salty and tofu / seaweed bits. We also had a bowl of white rice to split. In all it was a pretty expensive purchase to still be hungry in another 2 hours but I'd say it was a positive experience. Tips: come immediately before they open to get in line otherwise expect to wait a while before you get seated so don't come starving otherwise you'll be hangry or want to skip all together for faster service because the seating is very small. Parking is very limited behind restaurant otherwise you're trying to find side street parking. Overall would come back again

    Pepper Lunch - japanese - Updated May 2026

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