Located off Main Street in Alhambra, Pepper Lunch has a prime location with heavy foot traffic. The best option for parking would be the public parking garage behind them off 1st street. My boyfriend and I came here for lunch on 4th of July since they happened to be open, and we were looking for a quick bite before prepping for a glorious dinner. The restaurant was fairly busy when we came in. The self-serve kiosks were down, so we were told to review their menus and come to the register when we were ready to order. We both ordered the Beef Pepper Rice ($11.50/order) and I added an Egg ($1.75) with my pepper rice. Then we were assigned a table, where staff brought out the food once it was ready. Might not be a great spot for large groups because they bring it out one at a time, and his beef was pretty cooked by the time mine came out. Great pick for anyone who likes their rice a little crispy. You can leave it on extra long if you want it extra crispy. On the table they have some house sauce for you to mix into your rice. In addition to the rice and beef, there were some green onions on top and corn... I love corn! I ate a little more than half of my meal before tapping out and asking for a to go container. LOVE THEIR TOGO CONTAINER. Very sturdy, microwavable and reusable. So... ... somehow... ... I left my phone here... I didn't find out until a while later. We called the business and they were able to confirm they had my phone and they would hang onto it for me. *Phew* What a relief. I am so grateful. Overall no frills with ordering your food, a simple concept, decent price point and nice to go containers. I would definitely consider coming back if I was in the area. Extra star bump for saving my phone. read more

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Something's changed since the last time I came, and I can't quite put my finger on it. The staff is still friendly, and the food was tasty. The restaurant is clean, the sauces are still free flowing and self service. But there were little things... the self service kiosks were turned off, and the meat portions are definitely smaller than when I came a few years ago. The Hamburg steak was kind of laughably small. There's a sign saying to please wait to be seated, but in reality you don't get seated - you order at the counter and seat yourself. Also, the menu was by the turned-off kiosks; you have to memorize your order as you walk over to order at the counter, because there's no menu of any kind at the ordering counter. It just feels like the "magic" isn't quite there, compared to when I used to come and couldn't wait to return again. Still a solid 4. Today, I'm leaving hungry though and a touch underwhelmed, which didn't happen in past visits. read more

Pepper Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

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Got the ribeye steak 8oz. The customer service was friendly. The food was okay - nothing special, but just good. It was a bit oily for my liking. read more

Pepper Lunch - Angus Rib Eye Steak 8oz - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Coming back for more! I can't believe I've always ordered the pepper beef and didn't think of trying other dishes. Add your name on the wait-list when you arrive. Once your name is called, order up front before sitting. Service: When we got seated, we got our utensils but we didn't get our water cups. I guess we're supposed to go up to them and ask? Ambiance: If you're sitting inside, which we did, it can get a little smokey but too bad. Kind of wished their air vent was slightly stronger. Food: We ordered the beef pepper and the Eel pepper. Let me tell you about the eel. It was delicious! It reminds me of Tokyo lobby's unagi bowl but better. I just love mashing the rice on the hot plate so the rice could crisp . Yup, definitely coming back for more! read more

Pepper Lunch - Eel Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

diabolical price for six pieces of beef. i did not order a plate of rice with a side of beef. super tasty tho! read more

Pepper Lunch - Classic Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

lowk pricey for the amount of food but the food hitt. the sauce and the meat grilled on the sizzling patter tasted was so tasty and so goodd. the meat was also nice and tender. read more

Pepper Lunch - beef sizzling lunch - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

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Service was great and fast! I haven't been to a pepper lunch since Beijing and boy it still hits the spot 100%!!! Always add cheese trust me ugh makes it disgustingly good !!!!!! You'll be hooked. Restaurant was very clean even the toilets were clean! Very impressed. Wish there were more locations but it's okay!! read more

Pepper Lunch - Pepper Jumbo Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Service was great and food came out fast! Everything tasted great and would probably go back read more

Pepper Lunch - Salmon and Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Pepper lunch is always my go to lunch spot when I'm in the area. It's casual and a decent price. The concept is fun and I enjoy flipping all the meat ( makes me feel like a chef). Their food is always well seasoned and the garlic butter is so flavorful. Their meat portion however is so tiny for $15 and even when I pay more for extra meat, it still doesn't feel like enough. read more

Pepper Lunch - Salmon Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

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The food was way better than I expected. It looked bland when it was first served to me but trust those signs when they say "taste before adding sauces" cuz the beef was salty enough for the whole glob of rice. Service was good, you order at the cash register and then sit at your seat. They'll come over with your food once it's ready. Vibes were also good. There are a lot of other small restaurants(?), tea shops, and stores around the area to check out after you've had your nice warm meal. read more

Pepper Lunch - Beef pepper rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Love this place! I ate the Chicken Karaage. It was crunchy and the curry was superb. Nice atmosphere inside the restaurant. Great date night place to eat. read more

Pepper Lunch - Sizzling Curry Chicken Karaage - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

I got the curry burger steak with rice. The curry sauce was okay. The burger meat was pretty dried and not the best quality imo. The burger steak itself was tiny. Tiny tiny tiny. Think it was 14 or 15$ for the plate. Even if I had gotten the double burger steak, it would not be enough if your hungry. I would not recommend this place. read more

Located in Main St Alhambra, I've always wanted to try this and overall it was great! Parking: Parking is free and located in the back with multiple floors. You'd have to walk a couple minutes to the front of the establishment. Food: I've gotten the Jumbo Beef Pepper Rice and the regular beef pepper rice. The jumbo is a couple bucks more expensive as they give you 50% more meat. Both are good regardless and when you dine-in, they bring it as it's cooking on the skillet. If you're ordering take-out, the prepare the food in a nice plastic microwaveable container. Interior: Great ambiance and especially sitting outside facing Main St and Garfield Ave is always nice. At nights or weekends, the inside can be smokey from all the skillets. Seems pretty clean! Verdict: Definitely recommend for those looking for a solid place to eat that gives the "wow" factor eating off a skillet. Only downside in my opinion is the parking situation but, it's not a deal breaker. read more

Pepper Lunch - Jumbo Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Pepper Lunch uses a sizzling plate, rice, a mix of vegetables, and your choice of meat to basically cook the food yourself. It's more of a gimmick more than anything and it'll turn out a bit like a fried rice. The ingredients are fairly standard across most items so expect the food to come out tasting more or less the same. Some of the meat is also either coming pre sliced and cooked or the people in the back can't tell how well a meat is cooked until it is sliced open to look, so expect to get your salmons and steaks in tiny pieces. The leafy vegetables will also wilt on the sizzling plate and the vegetables will burn if you don't keep it moving around. If you are dining in, they do have sauces and seasoning on the table though it tends to come with more than enough flavor. I do not recommend ordering for take out for food delivery because they will cook everything to well done. This will ruin the steaks and make them tough to chew. read more

Pepper Lunch - Chicken & Salmon Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

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Came for a dinner meal and was impressed that this place provided sufficient meat in their classic beef pepper rice because I went to the one in Irvine and there was barely anything in it. It was pretty solid in terms of taste, though I did taste a bit too much soy sauce! Service is decent and there's plenty of seats! Not a bad place to try! Park at the nearby parking structure! read more

Pepper Lunch - Classic Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

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Every time I pass by this place, there's always a line out the doors. Finally had the opportunity to check it out for myself. Came around 1pm on Sunday and there was still a 20-30 min wait time. As you wait, grab a menu by the door and decide on what you'd like to order. After they have a table ready for your party, you order & pay upfront at the register. They will then direct you to your table and await your hot sizzling plate of teppanyaki to arrive. Staff were friendly. Restrooms were clean. The 1 thing I wish they could improve on is there interior ventilation. With all those sizzling plates, there's a lot of smoke inside. Food was good, but nothing extraordinary. The part that makes the experience dining here fun is the sizzling plate and you cooking your food to your own liking. 1. Beef Pepper Rice (4/5) -Added egg and garlic chips Simple dish of rice, corn and beef. What brought the flavor out in this dish was the runny yolk from the egg, the garlic chip and their special garlic sauce. Without the garlic sauce, it's quite dry. The portion is perfect for 1 person to finish and feel satiated. 2. Eel Pepper rice (4.5/5) The eel was very fresh and marinated in teriyaki-like sauce. Add on more black pepper and bacon bits = bomb 3. Pepper Salad with Salmon (3/5) Average salad. Salmon was thin and not worth the price. However, the salmon was fresh though, so that's a plus. 4. Angus Cut Steak (4/5) The steak was decent quality. 5. Seaweed Shake Salad (3/5) Simple mixed greens in a plastic cup mixed with corn, cherry tomato and topped with seaweed. Comes with a sesame oil dressing. A simple refresher on the side. I can't wait to come back to try their Teppan Pasta and Sizzling Curry dishes. read more

Pepper Lunch - Classic Beef Pepper Rice with egg and garlic chips - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

The cashier was fantastic and incredibly friendly, which made the experience even better. The meal was delicious and served hot, but I felt it was a bit pricey for the portion size. I would not go here if you're extremely famished. read more

The classic. Surprisingly affordable! Not many things todo as a vegetarian but honestly who is that stopping cause it's not me

The food did not taste that good and the meat had no flavor even with the sauces. The servers were kind enough but the restaurant was empty during lunch rush and that's telling. The place was clean just the food is no good. read more

I visited Pepper Lunch Saturday at 9pm, and although they didn't have curry pepper rice, I enjoyed their beef pepper rice. I love that Pepper Lunch is still as good as it was since I first came almost a decade ago. The amount of food was just right for a light dinner, and I enjoyed a simple beef pepper rice with the sweet taste of corn and green onions. 5/5 - will be back! read more

Pepper Lunch - Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Good tasting food But don't get the panko shrimp side. The portion is way too small. Only got 3 shrimps for $8? read more

Fast and good service and the food is yummmy , kinda wish they gave more for "jumbo" but can't complain too much bc the flavor and service is good read more

Pepper Lunch - Jumbo Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

The beef was ok but a bit dry. The food came out fairly quick for the beef dishes but had ordered a pasta dish for my mom. 25 minutes passed by and I had asked a worker where he stayed the pasta was out and they had to make a fresh batch. No eta of the dish. Another 10 mins pass by and I asked another worker for the eta for the pasta dish. Said "I don't know when the pasta dish will be out cause they're making it still from scratch." Asked again later and was told basically either get a refund or get something else. Their excuse was that they didn't know they were out of pasta. So I'm not sure if they were expecting me as the customer to jump into the kitchen and take account for how much pasta they had in stock. We got a refund since they were pretty unapologetic and had the "just wanted us out of the restaurant" vibe. Great first visit to this super hyped up place. Definitely did not live up to its name, quality, and worst of all, the service. Arrived and ordered by 1245, got my refund at 1:23 due to waiting 40 minutes for a dish. read more

Pepper Lunch - Purchased @ 12:45 and refunded by 1:23. - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Pepper Lunch has always been considered average in my opinion. As a college student, I always feel like I want the biggest bang for my buck, and Pepper Lunch doesn't meet my expectations. I feel like I could pay a couple more bucks for the Road to Seoul down the street compared to paying $17 for a JUMBO beef pepper rice with meat amount that looks like a regular plate. Finished the plate, no crumbs and all, and still felt hungry. Overall, I like how they give you the condiments to add on the side, such as the salt and pepper and I really enjoy the sizzling plate feature (being an avid Taiwanese sizzling steak fan myself), but overall there wasn't anything spectacular about this meal. A great meal to grab a quick bite, but not something memorable in my opinion. They offer a free side on Yelp, helpful to note,, read more

Pepper Lunch - The Jumbo Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Quick service. There are more choices in person than ordering online. I wish they would have larger pieces of seafood for my plate. The scallops were the size of my index fingernail and the shrimps weren't even whole ahrimps, but cut into small pieces. Of course, understand that they have to cut small to be cooked thoroughly on the sizzling cast iron pan, but they are pretty miniscule . Sauces are great and I could really taste the butter in the rice when everything was mixed and cooked. A fun meal. And bonus that the food stays fairly hot to the end. read more

Pepper Lunch - Beef lunch and seafood lunch. - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Everyone, always check in first to see if there's any deals. I forgot to do so and missed out on getting my side for free (works for regular or premium side)! Saturday night dinner at 7:30 pm wasn't a long wait. There was only one other party in front of us in line to order and there were still tables available for us to be seated after we ordered. We waited in line to order at the register, paid, and got seated with a number stand. We got the jumbo beef pepper rice ($16.25), sizzling curry with one meat ($11.50 - we chose beef for our meat), and a side of sweet potato wedges ($3.75). The wedges were nice and thick and hot. Sorta can't go wrong with sweet potato! Our jumbo beef and sizzling curry complemented each other well. By itself, the sizzling curry with one meat doesn't have enough meat to keep you full or work with the ratio of rice and corn. The dishes also need more corn for the portion sizes. Since the jumbo beef had almost twice as much meat, we split the meat portions with the sizzling curry plate for the minimum amount of ideal meat portions. And adding the curry sauce to the jumbo beef jazzed up the taste of that dish too. We dusted off everything, so nothing to take home. Parking can be found via street parking or structure parking off of Main Street. A solid 3.5 stars meal, with a .5 star bump for the meal that sorta reminds me of Japan Yoshinoya. read more

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It's like having a mini teppan plate lunch. The paper ring serves two purposes not to burn yourself, and also not to splatter when the gravy is poured. I think the most basic steak lunch is my favorite. read more

Pepper Lunch - Sizzling Curry - Double Meat - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Right on the corner of Garfield and Main street. There is a parking structure nearby. I think the portion is just perfect! It is filling but not too filling. I ordered the original Pepper Rice and the bowl comes out literally steaming hot so you gotta be careful. They put a paper wrapping around it to help remind clumsy people like me. You do need to cook the meat by just turning it around but I love how it made my rice crunchy and the beef flavor is so good!! My beef came out a little crunchy too (due to me over-cooking it) and it was yummy! They also have sauces for you to use but I personally like it as already flavored. Your clothes will smell after though since the food is cooking in front of you. I forgot to take that into consideration and had to wash all my clothes later cause it smelled like Korean BBQ! There are plenty of tables to sit and outside is an option as well. Friend paid but price is reasonable! I think it came with miso soup too. read more

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Came here for a quick bite. I had the pepper beef sizzling plate. The food came out within 5 mins of ordering. It really comes out sizzling! There are lots of signs saying that the plate is hot. There's a decent amount of seating available and they give you a table after you've ordered your meal. They have a drink dispenser with a variety of drinks. read more

Pepper Lunch - Classic Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

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I had never heard of Pepper Lunch in my entire life until some friends told me about it, so I got super excited to try it out and finally did the other day. They have both indoors and outdoors seating but it does get packed since it is such a popular place! I ordered their Kimchi Beef with Cheese Pepper Rice and some mushrooms as add ons. When I got my food, my senses were delighted because I could hear the nice sizzling sounds and smell yummy food approaching, however when I take a look at my food, it was so dang disappointing. A few flaps of beef, at most 5 tiny pieces with a ton of mushrooms to cover up how stingy they are. Also the tiniest bit of cheese :(( The ratio of rice to meats and everything else was also not right and I felt like I was just eating rice towards the end. About the food.. I truly didn't see the hype of it. Maybe I just chose a not so tasty item from their menu. They didn't have sauces on the tables outdoors so we had to ask for them. They bring it in a small plastic container. The garlic sauce made my food saltier and didn't have much of a garlic taste. I would def want to come back to try their other options though. Hopefully will have a better review by then. In conclusion, don't add mushrooms because they will give you less meats unless you don't care :') read more

Pepper Lunch - Kimchi Beef with Cheese Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

Sizzzzling delicious! I got the beef pepper corn which comes with beef, corn, rice, green onion and of course pepper all around. This place is just straight forward, you order and you get seated either inside or outside and they'll bring the food to you. This was my second time here and every time they bring your food to your table you can see it sizzling all the way till you're done eating it so be careful when you take the first bite. I'll say it's pretty spacious inside and out. And when you're done eating just leave your stuff there and they'll clean it up. Great place. I'll definitely be back! read more

Pepper Lunch - Beef pepper corn - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

The taste of the food wasn't bad but it's the pricing and portions that made me dislike it. It could've been me not wanting food at the time as well that contributed to it but my friends insisted on it. So I tried it and it definitely wasn't worth $20+ and somewhere I probably would never go again. read more

Pepper Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

My guilty pleasure! Quick, unctuous, affordable, buttery, garlicky. What's not to like?! Only thing I wish more meat on the plate. My go to is beef plate with extra beef, mushroom and garlic chips! Service is always great too. Friendly and welcoming! read more

Came here for lunch with a group of 5 on a random weekday. Pepper lunch surprisingly still had a decent amount of people here. When you first come in, you order on the virtual menu and they'll bring the food right to your table. Overall the service and ambiance of the place was pretty cool but the food was a bit too salty. Every dish felt like it was 20% saltier than it probably needed to be. The flavor was decent but also wish there was a little bit more variety in the bowls. read more

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Very solid meal to have with its type of plating it does. Keep in mind that the meat served is raw, however it cooks quick on its hot plate. Would recommend to try. read more

Went there today and there was a sign outside that said it's closed until further notice

My first time trying this place was last month, but the location was in Bangkok, Thailand. I had lunch with a friend and she told me there was one here in Alhambra. I was blown away, how did I not know about this place?? Anyway, this review is for the one in Bangkok at MBK center, I'm assuming they are all cooked the same. Anyway, I got the regular beef plate, it comes to your table sizzling hot, so be careful. The combination of the meat, rice, corn, and seasoning were so good. I may need to add cheese next time, just to see if I'd like it. Overall is was delicious. I could barely finish the regular size, and I see that they also have a large... that could definitely be shared in my opinion, but everyone has different limits. If you haven't tried this spot, go now, or go tomorrow! I'll post another review once I try the SoCal spot. read more

YUMMMMMM. The pictures don't do it justice. Rice topped with sweet corn, green onion, pepper surrounded by the meat/tofu of your choice w the option of CHEESE and Kimchi added on top!!! on a hot plate and it cooks in front of you and you mix it mmmmmm And if you get the cheese it melts over your food and gets crunchy on the sides NOMNOMNOM. The flavors work so well together and your meal stays hot the entire time, there's also this garlic sauce you can add to your liking that really brings the flavors together! Most yummy meal I've had since I ate in k-town a few weeks ago! There's also dessert places around this area so after eating you can walk around and get dessert :-)) a total win win. TLDR: good price Great portion size SO yum, I suggest getting kimchi and cheese added to whatever protein you like. Flavors textures and food aesthetic on point 10/10 recommend :-) read more

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Very busy place in Alhambra. Tried for the first time. Ordering was easy and straightforward. Seated us immediately upon ordering. Lines of people waiting for to go, delivery services, and on site. Their fulfillment system (cooks to servers) were lacking - they kept missing orders and forgetting about the on site diners. Seemed like they were focusing on the to go and delivery services orders. Need more staff to handle such a large volume of people. My food was excellent and the hot skillet was nice to finish cooking your food the way you want it. Salty was the only issue I had - the salmon, butter rice, and curry were over salted. They need to bring out the salt shakers and cook their food for those that are hypertensive on medication folks. read more

Pepper Lunch - Pepper rice - Japanese Near Me - Alhambra, California

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had a really good and quick experience here at pepper lunch! we came in during dinner time and there was no line. you order at the counter and take a seat at one of the tables. they brought out our food pretty fast, and came piping hot. we wanted to try something different this time and the curry beef plate hit the spot - the curry doesn't completely overwhelm the usual beef plate flavors, and the curry taste itself is pleasant. the resto was very clean and they also have extra condiments and stuff towards the back of the resto. there's plenty of parking across the street where the movie theater is. read more