It was our first time here! The staff was very friendly, and the food smelled so good! Rice was perfect, kimchi crunchy and tasteful, and I really liked the sweet brown sauce on my chicken. Highly recommend trying next time you're at the Spectrum. read more

Food was delicious and it came out piping hot. Ashley our server was very attentive and we appreciated the first rate service. The place was busy which is always an indication that the food is good. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Pepper beef jumbo - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Great food and even faster service! Chase was friendly and extremely helpful. Would definitely come again!!

We tried Pepper Lunch for the first time with our kids. We arrived around 1:45 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. A staff member at the entrance asked how many were in our group and said they needed to clean a table for us. After waiting outside about 15 minutes, we were invited in to find our seats. Ordering was done through a self-service kiosk. We had the Beef Pepper Rice, Cream Beef Pasta, Beef Sizzling Curry Rice (upsize rice) and Chicken Karaage. The food was decent, but a few things stood out: * The upsized rice didn't seem larger, even though we paid an extra $1.99. * The Chicken Karaage was overcooked and lacked the crispiness. * If we want to order more food during the meal, we need to line up at the kiosk again. I personally don't enjoy waiting in line once seated - this isn't McDonald's or a food court, and it takes away from the overall dining experience. Since this is a semi-self-service setup, it would be more convenient if water, utensils, and plates were available at a central station for customers to grab as needed. The staff didn't really handle those items anyway, so this small change could make things smoother. Will definitely return if we are in Irvine spectrum center again. read more

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Today I was truly amazed. I came to pepper lunch for the first time, sadly with a partially full stomach, where I was met with an employee named Kyle, who helped me decide on what to eat that would be a good first time. Since I wasn't that hungry he suggested a side: the sweet potato fries! I got them with my friend to share and they were delightful! Kyle continued to approach me with making sure everything was alright and even brought water with ketchup to make sure my meal couldn't be better. Another coworker, named Tiffany also came to help us out but major props to Kyle for giving us the best first time experience at the very awesome restaurant! read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Came here to eat an early dinner around 5 ish pm on a Saturday, so it was just before the dinner rush so we got seated right away. The restaurant was notably a lot hotter inside, so we chose to eat outside. There were two kiosks but they weren't working so we had to order with the cashier. When we were confused about what the kimchi beef included, she took the time to explain what was in it and was incredibly patient with us as we ordered. As for the food, I got the kimchi beef with onion and mushrooms added on. For the price of the add on ($2 each for the mushroom and onion), the portion really does not justify the costly price as the amount of each of the add ons I was given was so small especially considering the fact that onions and mushrooms are pretty inexpensive. Flavor-wise, I enjoyed this meal as we could add as much garlic soy sauce we wanted. Another aspect I wanted to note was the great service as we were seated, and the server explained to us the differences between the two sauces on the table were. Overall, the service at this location is really great, but the food itself is pretty basic and expensive, especially when you add extra items. I would recommend just going with the meal without anything on top. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Kimchi Beef with onion and mushroom add on - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

We wanted to grab a quick meal before heading back home and walked by Pepper Lunch. Concept seemed interesting. We ordered using the kiosk and it was super straight forward. Husband got the regular beef pepper lunch and I got the kimchi beef with an egg. We both agreed that it was super tasty. You need to add the sauces they provide on the table and you're golden. The kimchi has great flavor. We like our rice a little crispy so our tip would be to let it sit and cook for a while before stirring it all up. Also, staff were super nice. Always checking in on us and other guests. We'd definitely come back. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Kimchi Beef Pepper Rice with Egg - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

The Beef Pepper Rice was the best thing I've eaten in 6 months, so much flavor, especially after adding the table sauces which were absolute umami bombs. Service was outstanding, incredibly friendly staff (shoutout to Maddie) who helped us navigate the menu and answered all of our questions, being first-timers. Everyone working had a great attitude which was a refreshing experience! We ate outside on their patio area, which had a moderate noise level, but conversation between my wife and I was easily understood, and the table spacing made the experience feel slightly intimate. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

OMMGGGG came here after a hang out w my coworkers and everyone here is so sweet so muchhh love to ferhat, lance, rob, and aiden because i kept changing my mind about my order and they held the fort downnnn love u guys forever read more

Both our grandsons just love the food at Pepper Lunch. Excellent and very friendly service. Always very busy and the love the burger and steaks. read more

First time at this location, same experience overall. I enjoy the easy kiosk system and sizzle plate experience. Given the simplicity, I do wish it was more affordable. Especially when every extra add on is another $1.99. I would say not cheap, but a treat once in awhile. For two plates, appetizer, and one drink- my total was ~$45. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Chicken Pepper Rice +mozzarella - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Ferhat is the goat! Amazing service. She constantly checked in on us and made sure we had everything we needed! Definitely will be back. read more

Amazing food as always, but the customer service from Ashley and Chase were top tier. They were very nice and helpful! Place was clean and tidy. read more

Tiffany and Kara were really helpful and made me and my friends want to come back to this pepperlunch read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

pepper lunch is always a great vibe. i brought a friend who's never tried it before and melissa helped him a lot! tiffany was also very thorough with the directions for cooking the meat. i really appreciate the dessert on the house as well. read more

The service at pepper lunch, the young boy who helped me is named Roberto. He was patient and explained everything so well to me. Will be coming back again soon! read more

The best part about this place is the garlic butter in the rice , thing is magical ; I ordered 2 Jambo beef pepper lunch and they came without garlic butter or garlic sauce inside or on the side .. so I payed for dry rice and small slices of meat ; pretty disappointing read more

The food was so good!! Ace was so sweet and diligent she helped us find a table because it was really busy! We'll definitely be back read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - beef pepper rice with egg - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Food is on the expensive side if you order the large portion. I wouldn't say the portion is what you consider large. I got the salmon pepper sizzling plate and I would recommend against it. The fish comes out raw and needs to be cooked. This causes a couple of issues. The cooking of salmon gives off this distinct fishy smell and you are stuck between a texture of soft jelly like meat or overcooked hard salmon. Since the meat is always cooking on the hot plate, the texture/doneness constantly changes. The service is 5/5 stars. The food came out quickly and people came around refilling our water. I would come back for the beef next time. read more

Omg This was $15.83 For a heap of white rice Corn Couple pieces of green onion Pepper Oil Maaaaaybe 4 oz of beef pre cooking First clue should have been that this place is located in the Spectrum Tasty yes $15 tasty? When I need another meal (99cent tacos here I come) to complete my lunch? Sorry but never again. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Opted to re-try Pepper Lunch while at Irvine Spectrum as it's been about 5 years now. There are two self-service ordering kiosks available upon walking in. Pepper Lunch is a DIY teppanyaki - food comes out on a sizzling hot grill and stays warm as you eat. Fries ($4.49): These beer-battered fries were deliciously crispy! Definitely a must get add-on for the meal. Beef Pepper Rice ($14.69): White rice, corn, sliced green onions and raw thinly sliced beef around the edges of the cast iron grill. Would definitely ask for less pepper next time as my toddler was not a fan and there was a generous portion. I enjoyed the garlic sauce pairing with this dish to incorporate some umami flavors. Aglio Olio Teppan Pasta ($15.99): Ventured out to try one of the pastas with beef. The description lists a light oil but the dish was to oily as there was a puddle of oil at the end of the meal. Not something I would order again. Overall, portion sizes were on the smaller and food was subpar. Not something I'd go out of my way to eat. read more

Haven't been to pepper lunch since a few years back in Pasadena. Overall I had a great dining experience, especially on a Saturday night. Comes in a sizzling hot plate so it cooks your meal. I personal like my meat a little on the overdone side and the rice on the crispy side. Service was a little slow but it was busy. Overall they had nice outdoor and indoor seating and it's conveniently located in Irvine spectrum. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

this was my first time, and i absolutely loved it. such a unique concept with a diverse and comprehensive, but still cohesive menu. i got the beef pasta dish and it was soooo delicious. Chase was super helpful and attentive and so friendly!! he made our experience seamless and made us feel very welcome and taken care of. i can't wait to bring my sister here. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - BEEF AGLIO OLIO PASTA - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Such a busy pepper lunch location. However, the food is great (as usual/expected), and it's clean! For a restaurant set up with kiosks, you'd expect minimal service interaction. However, the staff is beyond helpful and kind. Ashley and Ferhut can be seen running back and forth during the busy rush. As a hospitality worker myself, I have to give credit where it's due. They were eager to help with providing waters, helping us get extra bowls and utensils. Treat your workers well! A business in this industry isn't successful without happy employees. I always love the saying: "take care of your employees and they will take care of your guests/customers". read more

Tiff and Kyle are the best. they are very helpful and kind and they have the best service.

My wife and I were craving some Pepper Lunch, we usually go to the one at Diamond Jamboree by as I was putting location on Nav, saw there was one at Irvine Spectrum which is so much closer to our house. Nice location near the movie theater. We ordered the Kimchi Beef and Cream Chicken Pasta and were not disappointed. Our server Kyle was also very friendly stopping by before, during and after asking us if we needed anything. This does not happen all the time at other restaurants we frequent. So thanks Kyle! We'll definitely be back but we're sorry to find out that they did not stamp the loyalty card that we had on hand? If management could take a suggestion, a loyalty program would be a good add. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Kimchi Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Great food and great service! Paul was welcoming and attentive without being overbearing, and everything we ordered came out fresh and full of flavor. You can tell they care about both the food and the customer experience. Definitely a spot I'll be coming back to and recommending to friends. read more

Great customer service and good food! Chase was very attentive to our needs and made sure we were taken care of. Would go back again!

Love pepper lunch!!! Khaya and all the staff were so amazing and got our food out so fast. Will definitely be coming back read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

We had lunch here today and loved it! I got the Kim chee beef pepper lunch. The flavor was just right, not overpowering even with the Kim chee. Ordering from kiosk was easy. During lunch Tiffany was our server and was very helpful and courteous. We'll be back! read more

I'm back again to Pepper Lunch! Acelyn was AMAZING! Her customer service was wonderful and she really made an effort to welcome me and make my day. She made kind conversation with me and made sure I had everything I needed with my order. She was awesome! Thank you Acelyn for the great service! read more

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First time at this Pepper Lunch, ordered a jumbo beef pepper rice, portion was adequate, wish there was a little more. The food came out quick! Outside of food though, the server Tiffany was really nice, brought us water and checked up on us a few times to make sure we were good and that the food was good. read more

Service was super fast !!! Always love the food here. I love the quickness of using the kiosk. We hadn't even been sat down for 5 minutes before the food came out. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Service was super fast and all of the staff were very sweet and attentive! Would definitely recommend the location to anyone looking for good food. The seating was good as well outdoors. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Beef Sizzling Curry Rice - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Host assigned us a table after waiting in line. After ordering, another person cut the line and took our table. Manager did not do anything and we had to stand around awkwardly waiting for another table to open and having our food get cold. read more

I love pepper lunch! The service is always amazing, props to Ferhat and Kara as always. The food is, in a word, delightful, thanks to the cook Masaki. Thank you pepper lunch irvine I love you. read more

Good food. Long wait and high price, but the wait may be reduced in the future when the "new restaurant" hype goes down. If you see a line, just know that you don't get to order until a table opens up for you first, and after you order it can take 20-25 min to get your order, which seems like a rather long wait for food that is only partially stir-fried before serving it up. The food is solid though. We ordered the Kimchi Chicken and the Kimchi Beef Pepper Rice. As in any of the restaurants in the chain, the food is served on a sizzling hot cast iron plate with largely raw meat surrounding a bed of rice and corn, with spicy kim chi and generous pepper seasoning. Our chicken came out partially cooked, which makes sense since the chicken chunks are quite thick and would have been raw in the middle had it been provided uncooked like the beef was. In retrospect, thinly sliced beef is better for this kind of dish than chicken. While the chicken was good, the dish lost a bit of its appeal since the chicken was precooked and the sizzle on the plate was more cosmetic than functional. In contrast, the beef is obviously raw beef that was dropped onto a sizzling hot plate to cook in front of you as it sizzles on the plate. I'd probably bump the review to 4 stars if the wait wasn't so long. read more

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It wasn't too busy on a Sunday evening. I had the pepper lunch beef with corn, which was good, but this location used more oil and grease on the sizzling plate compared to others. They should cut back since my rice was overly oily. There is seating both indoors and outdoors, and dogs are allowed outside. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Beef - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

There was a big hype about this place that I decided to try it. The line was long but move fast. Ordered from Kiosk and got our own table. To my surprise, it was surprisingly good. We ordered rib eye steak and regular beef orders. Rib eye was sizzling on the hot plate with variety of vegetables. It was very delicious with or without the sauce on the table. The beef dish came with crispy rice on the hot plate. It was such an experience to eat the crispy rice from the plate. There were plenty of tables inside and outdoor tent. The staffs were amazing. Drink came out as soon as we sat down. read more

Pepper Lunch - Irvine Spectrum - Rib Angus Ribeye Steak - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

We had a fantastic experience at this Pepper Lunch located at the Irvine Spectrum recently. Our family of eight came in for lunch and were warmly welcomed by the friendly staff. After placing our order at the kiosk, they kindly arranged a table inside so we could all sit together--with water already waiting for us. The food came out quickly and was just as delicious as always. A special shoutout to Ace--she was exceptional! Super attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Her service truly made our visit memorable. read more