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    Pepper Lunch

    4.6 (656 reviews)
    Closed • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago
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    PEPPER LUNCH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - Pepper Lunch

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    Chicken & Beef Pepper Rice Combo
    P K.

    We came here around 11am today and everything was perfect! The chicken and beef combo was delicious especially when you add the sauces! My son loved the cream pasta! It was a success! They gave our kids crayons to keep them busy which was nice! I wish they had an area for sides ( ketchup) and small plates, bowls, napkins, utensils so we didn't have to keep going to the front to ask for these items. It was really hot inside but it was also a warm day and they had just opened. Overall staff was very nice and accommodating! Food was delicious! We would definitely return!

    Beef Pepper Rice
    Natalie R.

    Wow, this was good! I stopped in for dinner with a few friends after seeing a movie at the Spectrum. We live in San Diego, where there are not yet any Pepper Lunch locations, so we were eager to try it. We had to wait in line for 10-15 minutes, but the wait went by fast, likely because the food is served so quickly. Once you get to the front of the line, you order on a kiosk. We all got beef pepper rice (or slight variations - one of us got kimchi beef pepper rice), since that appeared to be the specialty dish. Honestly, it was a perfect food: crisp rice, sweet corn, thinly sliced beef, and LOTS of black pepper. Simple, but an unusual and surprisingly good combination of flavors. I think I'm going to be adding it to my list of foods I dream about. As we were eating, one of my friends said, "This is so good I want to cry." I hope to come back to try more of their menu items (the curry looks delicious too), and I hope they open up in San Diego soon!

    Victoria G.

    What a fun dining experience!! Never really had a sizzling plate before so glad that Pepper Lunch showed me how it's done!! Chicken Karaage Sizzling Curry 4/5 - Good overall!! Just a bit dry and I preferred the sauces on the table tasted better with the Beef option. Also wish there was more veggies included, but it's an extra cost. Meals also come out so fast!! Service was great. Beef Pepper Rice 5/5 - Very delicious, esp adding the flavorful sauces provided on the table. Love how hot the food comes out and how interactive it is to stir up your meal haha. Very memorable dining at this fast food spot!! Good quality ingredients and a great concept.

    Beef Pepper Rice 7/3/26
    Michelle L.

    Came here with my friend and parents for the BOGO promo, which was for the Beef Pepper Rice only. It was 4th of July weekend and the line was long, especially for the promo! Service was good, we ordered on the kiosk (the only option) , then food came out pretty quickly and servers were really nice in bringing the other dipping sauces to us. Food was pretty good too, but I would've preferred more options for the BOGO promo. Ambiance - nice, but I think the Diamond Jamboree might be a little more spacious. The Irvine Spectrum location is unbeatable though, with tons of convenient desserts and shopping options in the mall for a walk after lunch. Would recommend and will likely come back!

    Jumbo Beef Pepper Lunch
    Zachary H.

    Stopped by around 1:30 PM on a Saturday and, as expected, it seemed busy. We had about a ten-fifteen minute wait, but tables actually turned over fairly quickly. We ended up sitting outside, which worked out well because of the nice weather and it was fun seeing everyone and their dogs walking by. It gave the meal a lively atmosphere without feeling too hectic. We ordered the Jumbo Beef Lunch to share, and it was just enough food for two, although my partner doesn't eat too much. The beef was incredibly tender, and the sweet brown sauce is what really made the dish. We doused it in the rich, savory, and slightly sweet sauce. Service was attentive from the start. Our server brought water out right away and checked in throughout the meal without being overbearing. The prices were also very reasonable, especially considering the portion size. Overall, it's a great value, and I'd definitely come back again.

    Nancy L.

    Pepper Lunch is located at Irvine Spectrum near the movie theater. It has ample indoor and patio seating. You can order different combos and it comes out on a sizzling hot plate. The food is delicious and well seasoned. The service was good and it was very nice to sit at the patio and people watch.

    We really enjoy pepper lunch. You can never complain about your food being cold and there's a lot of option to choose from. Salmon pepper rice is my go-to and I always add an egg, but there's a ton of toppings to choose from. The quality of the beef could be better, but the other proteins are good. Ashley helped us out tonight and she was super nice. The service is always good.

    Inside decor
    Mabel W.

    We were surprised how quick the food came out. You basically have to cook your meat while the pan is hot. You smell all beef and peppers as you mix the plate. Inside is crowded but clean. Staff is constantly cleaning the areas. Food was sizzling hot!! Was a great family experience especially if you have hungry boys.

    Tyler G.

    The service wasn't bad. I used a self serve kiosk, and the employees were going around keeping things clean. The wait wasn't long, which was nice. The food was very mediocre to me. I had to add a lot of the different sauces and seasonings to make the food taste better. They also didn't add much meat to either of the plates. The add ons are kind of pricey, and I don't think it's worth how much you pay. The meal just felt like something I could recreate at home. I will definitely take inspiration and try to.

    Curry combo
    Danica V.

    Great option for a casual dining in the spectrum. Order at kiosk, grab a number, grab a table and they'll deliver your food Great options for all, from pepper steak to salmon to curry burger patty, don't skimp on their chicken karage Overall recommend it to check out

    Menu 3.20.26
    Mimi J.

    Review 54/365 Day Challenge Finally trying pepper lunch w my mommie besties. Came here on a Friday right b4 they open at 11 a.m. was waiting patiently for them to open. What i ordered Jumbo beef sizzling rice plate. I liked the bowl. Was hoping to love it since I've seen it around and a friend told mee about it. It's a bit on the bland side. Even adding the garlic soy like sauce. I added a lot too to give it some more flavoring. It's more on the peppery side and can taste the oil from the butter. Like a Peppery & buttery taste. They use Iteon brand green teas. It's good. One of our fav green teas. Associate Ashley Is friendly. Restaurant is a fast food eatery. Received our plates pretty fast but possibly since we were one of the 1st customers there when it opened at 11 am. They have an ordering kiosk where you order, put the # of your buzzer that's next to the kiosk. so associate know which table you're siting at if your dining there. Restaurant is clean with lots of table indoor and covered outdoor patio seatings. Located in Irvine Spectrum next to THE DIVE & SilverLake ramen. Lots of Parking in the parking structure or parking lot area. Highly suggest parking towards Javier's restaurant or Improv comedy side.

    Martin Q.

    We wanted to try something new and this place seemed to be like hot stones places I been to before. I regret going in with expectations but when the sizzlin hot stone came out I got really excited. Overall this place was a solid 3/5 and keep going to see why! You order on a kiosk to get it delivered to your table. That is always nice but the cost for the feed feels like it should be a table service experience. I got the salmon and beef pepper rice combo. You get the hot stone with the meat uncooked. Don't make the mistake I did and forget to season your meat before cooking it. My partner did that and we noticed a flavor difference but overall the flavor was not the best. For a placed called pepper lunch, and not tasting it in the dish was pretty surprising, however I was happy to see the salt and pepper shakers at each table. It gives me the feel that is may be how the place works. The salmon was pretty bland but the beef was solid. If I were to come back I would not get any type of salmon and to their beef dishes. My partner had the chicken and beef and would agree. It gets a 3/5 due to the overall flavor, taxte and cost

    Salmon Pepper Rice & Kimchi Beef Pepper Rice
    Sarah T.

    Very late to the game, but finally got to try Pepper Lunch after seeing all of their sizzling plates on my feed! We went here for OC Restaurant week and got the beef kimchi and salmon (+ kimchi) pepper rice. They were both so yummy but my favorite was definitely the beef kimchi. It was so fun to cook the meat and mix it all up. The food also came out super fast.

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    Such a classic! Always hits the spot. Loved the kimchi beef pepper rice. Tiffany is so nice, great service!

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    Pepper Lunch Reviews in Other Languages

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    Benihana - Newport Beach

    Benihana - Newport Beach

    3.2(2.4k reviews)
    7.1 mi
    •$$$
    Kid friendly
    Full bar

    Benihana is one of our fam fave places to celebrate birthdays, purely for its casual, fun vibe,…read moreentertaining atmosphere, and good food. For my dad's birthday this year, he asked for an early fam bam dinner, so my sis and I made it happen! We signed him up for the "Friends with Benefits" loyalty program so we could capitalize on the $50 dine-in birthday reward..SCORE! The caveat was that we had to dine/redeem before 4:30 pm Friday-Sunday, hence our early 4 pm Sunday dinner rezo. In the end, it was worth it cuz we finished dinner early enough to all go enjoy a sunset walk along the Corona del Mar beach/coast afterward. With our party of 7, it was also nice to have a grill table all to ourselves vs. having to share with an odd couple or a smaller fam of 3. I shared the filet mignon 5-course Hibachi entree with my daughter, as it's plenty of food. The 5-course meal comes with the simple yet yummy Benihana onion soup, Benihana salad, Hibachi shrimp appetizer, and Hibachi veggies (zucchini & onions). We always upgrade to the fried rice cuz it's BOMB! Even though we've seen & experienced the show many times, it's always a treat as each cook has their own personality & style. We still enjoy it every time. Ramon cooked our filet mignon perfectly medium-rare. It was beyond tender and sooo yums with their dipping sauce. The food wasn't overly salted, like it could be sometimes, which we appreciated. I also like their virgin piña colada--it's refreshing & tropical, and a nice complement to the meal. Shout out to our server for hooking us all up with ice cream to end the night! All in all, service was great, food was good, and everyone had a blast! Birthday dinner = SUCCESS..RxFoodie recommend!!!

    First time at a Benihana and it will by my LAST TIME…read more First, they sit you at a grill, ( it was only 3 of us so we sat in different chairs) then unknowingly they add another family to our table, so we were like what the??. We had to re arrange our seats, not cool. Second, we order our drinks....shortly after put in our order for our food. It took them 20 minutes AFTER we ordered for a chef to come to our table and even start so he can prep our food. 3rd, they cook everything separately, starting with the rice.. that takes a little, so while they do that they cook your veggies, splash salt all over.. once veggies are done they add to your plate.. then they ask how were the veggies .. then they cook more sides add more Salt, add that to your plate and ask you how those things tasted.. basically you they expect you to eat the sides before they get to the meat of your order, like wtf.. yeah let me eat my veggies and rice then all I'll have left at the end is my meats? Everything was overly seasoned and overly salted... as I write this review my stomach feels like crap due to how much salt they put in your food. 4th, the chef... he cared more about what our favorite sports teams were, what we did for a living, whether we were married or not than he did for the food he was cooking for us, Which was atrocious. Like I said overly salted, overly seasoned, and served all over the place. 5th, they messed up our order so they had to discount my tab due to not paying attention because he cared more about conversation than he did prepping our food so we eat out food with all items on the plate at the same time. In conclusion, If im going to pay around $250 before tip for 3 guests. It BETTER be GOOD, timely, and prepared to perfection. Benihana was none of those. I will never go again, DO NOT come here unless you like your food overly salted, served all over the place, seated with other families and grilled with questions by the chef and their corny jokes.

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    Benihana - Newport Beach
    Benihana - Newport Beach
    Benihana - Newport Beach

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    Teppanyaki Grill Supreme Buffet - Crab legs

    Teppanyaki Grill Supreme Buffet

    3.0(910 reviews)
    15.2 mi
    •$$

    We finally made it to the restaurant to try Teppanyaki Grill Buffet…read more We were all surprised with the selection and variety of dishes. Unfortunately, they do not serve crab legs on the buffet stations. I called to confirm before we came so were aware of it and not expecting it. Foods were tasty and plentiful. I would say 4.5/5 because no crab legs, but everything was great. Of course, I didn't try the Mongolian grill nor the sushi station but all the cooked food was fine and my sisters and their husbands loved it. The place was super busy on the weekend and table spaces are tight.

    I'm writing this review whilst driving in hopes that I die in a raging fire car accident because of…read morethe gut wrenching slob I had to put in me mouth. The crab legs were a lie. I'm typically a "whole pizza" type of guy, but my party and I each couldn't finished two plates before feeling sick. After leaving the establishment, I felt robbed. Not only was the crabs a lie, the establishment under a Japanese pseudo name, is actually ran by the Chinese. Fortunately, it was easy to locate the exit. The vibe was off, as the food was slowly ripping my two cheeks apart. If you decide to go here, go somewhere else. If you have the courage to ignore my warnings, you should still go some where else. However, If you do somehow get forced to eat here, go somewhere else. Unless, if you have no where else to go, go somewhere else.

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    Teppanyaki Grill Supreme Buffet - NOV. 2025

    NOV. 2025

    Teppanyaki Grill Supreme Buffet - Assortment of sushi

    Assortment of sushi

    Teppanyaki Grill Supreme Buffet - Food

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    Food

    HONDA-YA Tustin - Outside

    HONDA-YA Tustin

    4.0(3.7k reviews)
    7.6 mi
    •$$

    I love this place so much! I've been here several times over the years and it's never disappointed…read more The food is always on point and its intimate, cozy setting reminds me of Japan. It's always busy on Friday nights and weekends (expect 1 hour) wait times but you can put your name down on the Yelp waitlist and wander around. Parking can be tight since the restaurant is so popular but you can park in the next lot over and just walk. We ordered sashimi salad, rolls, skewers, and an octopus side dish. The menu is extensive but everything we tried tasted fresh and flavorful. Overall a very authentic experience and highlighted for a good reason. Price point is very reasonable in this economy and I was a bit struck by how affordable it was. It was so busy and staff did seem be running around a lot but we never felt like we were getting rushed out. Overall a great hangout spot and will be back again to this cute izakaya! FYI they also have a sister restaurant called Kappo Honda in Fountain Valley with a similar concept.

    Just want to apologize to the Honda-Ya staff for how loud my group was and if we came off rude. My…read morefriends and I just finished a fantasy draft and got squeezed in a small booth and we ordered so much food. We just had some loud members so it was a bit chaotic. Honda-Ya's food didn't disappoint though. Their skewers were so good and I will tell you below what I liked. First of all, they have like every Japanese dish on this menu, they have an extensive range of food options including ramen, udon, sushi, tempura and dinner sets. - Udon 4/5: Very average flavor and it was good - Japanese Beef Skewer 5/5: had a teriyaki glaze to it and very tender - Lamb Chop 4/5: It was good but not a big fan of lamb - Beef Tongue: 5/5 Not too chewy and my favorite skewer - Bacon Asparagus 2/5: Not my favorite with texture and a lil weird mix - Gyoza 5/5: Pan fried greatness. Pair your yakitori with a Sapporo and you are all set! Staff was very helpful and patient, really happy I got to try this gem in Tustin and would come back.

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    HONDA-YA Tustin - Samurai

    Samurai

    HONDA-YA Tustin - Skewers (yakitori)

    Skewers (yakitori)

    HONDA-YA Tustin - 【Spring special】
Vegetables Tempura w/curry salt $7.95
Cooked Bamboo shoots w/seaweed and dried bonito   $4.50

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    【Spring special】 Vegetables Tempura w/curry salt $7.95 Cooked Bamboo shoots w/seaweed and dried bonito $4.50

    Hanami Teppanyaki Grill

    Hanami Teppanyaki Grill

    4.3(422 reviews)
    26.4 mi
    •$$
    Free parking
    Casual dining

    I ordered the fillet and jumbo shrimp plate and upgraded with chicken fried rice and garlic…read morenoodles. I wanted to try a lot of things she did not want to waste of space for the veggies although they did look good. I ordered the chili oil and the garlic butter. The garlic butter easily was shared between the fillet and the shrimp adding a nice umami flavor. The garlic oil was smoky and not too hot. The chicken fried rice in my opinion was better than Benihana's or just as good. Although the garlic noodles were a little sweet from my liking, I was evil easily able to alter them to something. I enjoyed with some chili oil and soy sauce. It tone down the sweet. Simple, clean decor. Several ways to see the menu on the wall LCD or by the counter. The service was very good, quick and kind. The quality of the product was very good. The fillet almost melted in your mouth, and the shrimp was cooked well without being rubbery. I spent $52 here to upgrade two chicken fried rice and garlic noodles. They have plenty of parking a huge parking lot, limited seating, maybe eight tables or so, mostly four tops.

    This place is quite small but it can hold a group of 6,7 people if it is not busy…read more The service was ok. Just know it takes about 30-45 minutes to get your food. The food is actually really really flavorful the lobster I had was very tender and juicy and the jumbo shrimp were a good l size. I would have ordered the chowmein though instead of the rice because the chowmein was way better! After discussing with the family we enjoyed it but it is 4 stars since it does take quite a while to have your meal and the customer service could be better. The food itself carries this place but 5 stars if they can improve service!

    Photos
    Hanami Teppanyaki Grill
    Hanami Teppanyaki Grill
    Hanami Teppanyaki Grill

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    Pepper Lunch - teppanyaki - Updated October 2026

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