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    Pepper Lunch

    3.9 (1.6k reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Pepper Lunch Takeout or Delivery

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    PEPPER LUNCH ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Pepper Lunch

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    Jared K.

    I had Pepper Lunch for the first time and can't believe I was missing out on it this whole time! Pepper Lunch is a good restaurant, with ample seating located in Diamond Jamboree. I came on a Friday night, so if you know this area - parking was a mad house! The food was delicious; I ordered the Jumbo Beef Pepper Rice and boy was it good. It came out sizzling on a hot plate and the taste was amazing! The experience reminded me of Benihana just with my own plate lol. The food plate is basic (meat, corn, rice), but you have the options to spice it up more with add-ons like egg, cheese, kimchi, etc. Yes, the ingredients are basic but the flavor is still yummy! I especially liked when I let the rice crispen a little on the plate! The tables are also set with a sweet brown sauce and a garlic soy sauce, just in case you want extra flava. Service was relatively quick after ordering and the servers are nice! The restaurant is self-seating with self-serve drinks so you can stay and leave as you please. I will say they also have some tasty tea's that I enjoyed! I will definitely will be coming back.

    Sizzling Curry - Chicken Karaage
    Jackie B.

    Pepper Lunch is not about fancy decor--it is all about hot, fresh, flavorful food with fast service. The real star is the signature sizzling hot plate, arriving at your table steaming and crackling with an aroma so strong it could turn heads from miles away. I ordered the sizzling curry with shrimp, and it was such a fun experience because the shrimp arrived raw and cooked right on the hot plate. The rich curry gravy was the perfect finishing touch, especially poured over the rice for every savory bite. We often come here when we drive up from San Diego to visit our uncle.

    Steak
    Rebecca T.

    Have heard lots about Pepper Lunch and was looking forward to trying when I was in Irvine but it was underwhelming, especially for the price. Both the steak my husband got and my combo with beef and salmon were underseasoned, lacked any flavor besides butter, and was overall very bland. We did see a cart of some sauces that we could add ourselves about halfway into the meal but it was still nothing memorable. We ordered a side of fries which were very crispy that were great. Tables were also really sticky and the sauce bottles on the table were dirty. Located in Diamond Jamboree so parking is always hard to find. For the price, portion, and flavor, we probably would not come back.

    Classic Beef Pepper Rice
    Steve Y.

    This place brought back childhood memories for my wife of eating at Pepper Lunch in Japan, so we had to give it a try. We ordered two Pepper Beef plates -- one with cheese and one with an egg. The food came out fast and piping hot (seriously, be careful -- that skillet is no joke). Everything was cooked fresh right in front of us, which we liked. Flavor-wise, it was a little on the bland side at first, but they have sauces on the table so you can season it exactly how you like. Once we added a bit more sauce, it really came together. We also ordered the onion rings. They were nicely fried and crispy, but the seasoning was a bit heavy for our taste. Overall, it's a solid spot for a quick and easy meal, especially if you're craving that nostalgic Pepper Lunch experience. Would definitely come back when we're in the mood for something fast and satisfying.

    Rachel C.

    I got the beef pepper lunch and it was really good' they were generous with the meats and I loved the concept of the sizzling pan because it made my rice crispy. The service was also good too. I came here for lunch so parking wasn't bad but I could see it being hard to find parking towards dinner time. Other than that, great spot for lunch or dinner

    Dia N.

    I never really understood what the hype was about Pepper Lunch, but after going today, I get it! I came here for lunch with a friend and got the kimchi beef and cheese regular sized plate. This spot offers outdoor and indoor seating, and it's actually pretty large! There were plenty of seats to choose from, and the food came out pretty quick. When it comes out, it's sizzling, so they put the paper thing around it. You get to mix it up yourself, which makes lunch a little more fun. I didn't care too much for that interactive part, but I really liked the flavors and how filling it was! The whole dish was about $17 + tax. It's located in the Diamond Jam plaza, which is known for terrible parking, but during lunch it wasn't too busy!

    Classic Beef Pepper Rice with Egg and Cheese
    Vincent M.

    Pepper lunch used to be a staple restaurant of mine when I was a student and I still enjoy getting it every now and then. Parking here can be very difficult because this plaza gets crazy packed so if you're coming on a Friday or weekend night expect to search for parking for a few minutes. The inside is clean. You walk up to order your food and then assigned a table number. The staff here is always friendly. I got a beef pepper rice with egg and cheese. Beef Pepper Rice 6.5/10 - The plate comes out sizzling and you can tailor the flavor to your liking with the sauces at the table. Pretty solid dish. My only critique is that I'm convinced over the years the amount of meat they give you has gotten smaller and smaller but for the same price. I still enjoy it, but for the price and amount of meat you get, I would only consider getting this if I'm already in the area.

    Beef Aglio Olio Teppan Pasta
    Shirley S.

    My first time and I thought this place was fun and yummy. The server was very helpful and came from the counter to help me place my order. I was questioning the menu but good to know they are willing to help those that are not tech savvy. I tried the Beef Aglio Olio Teppan Pasta I added an egg and kimchi and it was delicious. My friends ordered their signature Beef Pepper Rice and Salmon Cream Teppan Pasta. We ate it all. I added a side of Onion Rings and they were done well. However the Karaage Chicken was a bit overcooked. It was the only item we didn't demolish. I would definitely come back to try the dish with rice and curry,

    Pepper Classic Beef Pepper Rice w/ egg
    Melanie H.

    The iconic Pepper Lunch sizzling plate is one of the greatest draws of the restaurant. We came here on a Monday lunch time and there wasn't a wait. We ordered at the counter and grabbed a seat to wait for our order. I got the regular classic beef pepper rice with an added egg (+$2). I absolutely love the combination of the sizzling crispy rice and black pepper flavor. At each table, there are some additional sauces and seasonings you can add to elevate the meal. I enjoyed the sweet brown sauce to contrast the savory dish.

    Sara C.

    Service was good, fast, and kind. Food was good, a nice lunch but nothing too crazy. Would come back again for a quick lunch !

    Sarah K.

    pepper lunch was definitely a must try for me but i can say it's definitely a gimmick, the combination of rice meat and corn and sauce is really good but when it comes down to it, the ingredients are pretty simple and not really worth the price in my opinion. the sauce isn't exceptional enough either. the amount of meat they give is genuinely criminal like i was shocked... the sizzling plate was fun and all though

    Salmon Pepper Rice
    Anne I.

    I could seriously eat this every day, it is that good! I always get the salmon pepper rice and hubby gets chicken pepper rice. The most frustrating thing is waiting for it to cool down so I can eat! The service is great and ambience is family friendly/fast casual. I love that we can choose to eat inside or outside. Tip: ask for their frequent buyer card, after so many you get a free meal.

    Beef & Chicken Pepper Rice and Salmon Pepper Rice
    Chrizelle M.

    I have no complaints about the food. I will say it's a little pricey but you get the unique experience of getting your food served on a sizzling plate and it is extremely delicious. Service was just ok, I don't think Pepper Lunch is a place where you can dilly dally inside LOL I think it's moreso to eat and go. However, if you're craving meat and rice, Pepper Lunch is the place for you.

    Classic Beef Pepper Rice

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    19 days ago

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    1 month ago

    Tiff was great, told me about the portions and explained how it works. I had the beef curry rice. Good eats!

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    Pepper Lunch Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Pepper Lunch

    Do they take cash here?

    Yes, when I was there they accepted cash and cards.

    Is this restaurant dog-friendly?

    Not inside as usual, but there are plenty of tables available outside and they can serve you there too.

    Do any of their food contains nuts?

    Is the meat you guys serve is halal?

    I don't think so since they are originally from Japan

    Is there a outdoor area for lunch?

    Yes, there is outdoor seating. During the weekends sometimes these tables could be taken up by big parties.

    Is indoor dining available?

    Yes indoor dining is available as well as outdoor. About a week ago it seemed liked 50 percent capacity indoor.

    Are the phones not working?

    Phones ARE working. Got my phone call order for lunch today. :D

    Are they open for indoor dine-in?

    No, only outdoor seating for now.

    How will a pepper rice plate be packaged and prepared for a to go order?

    It will be cooked by the servers in the front on the counter. Then you will get the food along with both the garlic and sweet sauce and plastic utensils in a bag.

    Halal or kosher?

    I doubt that eel is kosher

    View All 14 Questions

    Hako - Chicken Katsu

    Hako

    4.5(1.9k reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$

    I didn't know I could love katsu this much until I tried Hako! This is the best katsu I've ever had…read moreand I wish I had tried it much earlier since attending school in Irvine. Each katsu plate comes with a side of rice, cabbage salad, pickled radish & jalapeños, and katsu sauce. BIG portions- you might even question if you'll finish it all. Spoiler alert, you'll most likely not have leftovers because it is that good. With the cabbage salad and pickled radish on the side, it made the meal feel a little bit healthier...at least to me LOL!! The pork wasn't too thin and the coating wasn't too thick either. Crispy and not oily! Service was quick despite being lunch hour! The waiters checked up on my party every so often asking if it was delicious and if we needed extra water. The restaurant is fairly small yet gives off a home-y vibe.

    The food here is solid and the portions are extremely generous. Small place, but feels solidly cozy…read morewith extremely friendly staff. They serve their food in trays, which helps keep everything together. Also, love the chopsticks since they're nice and smooth so I won't fear getting splinters. I will say, if you come with friends and everyone wants curry, you only need to order a few curries on the side since the serving of curry they provide is... abundant. The cheese tonkotsu was honestly pretty heavy, lots lots of cheese. Honestly, I wouldn't get it again since I didn't feel like I got much meat simply because of how much cheese there was. I'm sure there was pork, it just felt like an extension of the breading. Every order off the main course section of the menu (fried things) come with miso soup, a side salad, and pickled side dishes that are extremely refreshing. Pork over Chicken for sure.

    Photos
    Hako - Seating

    Seating

    Hako - Fish Katsu

    Fish Katsu

    Hako - Fish Katsu

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    Fish Katsu

    Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant

    Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant

    3.9(3k reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$$
    Minority-owned & operated
    Takes reservations

    Great sushi and value, long wait times…read more This is a put your name down an hour ahead of time type of place so arrive with proper expectations. The sashimi style ponzu dishes come out quickly as do the salads, it expect a bit of a wait for the sushi, especially on a busy weekend. The sushi here is worth the wait. Each piece was fresh and perfectly presented.

    CUSTOMER SERVICE: 3/5. We had 6 pieces of sushi left for a party of 6 and the older lady server…read morecharged us for left over. I have never been charged left over before even if it was 10+ pieces at an AYCE. Mind you 4 of those pieces were in a pile of trash that we stacked and they gave us an extra 4 pieces that we didn't even order. I doubt every single table who left 1-2 pieces got charged so we felt like it was unfair. Mind you it was $2-3 per piece not eaten. FOOD: 3/5. The only fish that were worth getting and delicious were the salmon and yellowtail. The tuna tasted terrible and had a sour after taste and the fish to rice ratio was terrible. First round was worse than the second. The mussels were delicious though and the kids ate their udon so must've been good. Honorable mention for their miso soup too. Probably the best I've had but I was there for the fish, not their sides. PRICE: 4/5. $38 for adults and $20 for kids under 10. The price is affordable and cheaper than most AYCE spots especially because sashimi is included. BEWARE IF YOU LEAVE ANY PIECE OF SUSHI LEFTOVER. 4 adults + 2 kids under 10 + $15-20 for left over + 18% auto gratuity = $275 for our table. OVERALL: 3/5. Would I come back for $40? No. X-fish in Buena Park has way better quality and has never charged us even for leaving pieces behind. 18% AUTOMATIC GRATUITY BTW!

    Photos
    Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant
    Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant
    Tomikawa Japanese Restaurant

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    ROL Hand Roll Bar - Irvine - 6 Roll Set

    ROL Hand Roll Bar - Irvine

    4.8(1.5k reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$$

    This was my first time going to this restaurant and I'm honestly in love. The style reminded me of…read moreJapan's actual sushi bars, putting me right back in the small hidden gems that I found while touring Tokyo. True to the name of this restaurant, the rolls are made fresh and in full view. I loved that they served the rolls fresh onto your plate and you eat as they make them allowing the temperature of the filling to be as fresh as possible and the texture of the seaweed wrap to be perfectly crispy. My favorite was the crab roll and the tempura roll. An additional thing that I really loved was that they had hooks available under the bar to hang your bag so it's not tangled in everyone that passed through or falling off the chair when you try to situate it behind you. Their truffle soy sauce and fresh wasabi was an insane combination but I'm definitely coming back to try all of the other flavors too.

    Went here for lunch and was able to get on the yelp waitlist ahead of time so it wasn't a bad wait…read more Everyone sits around the stool and it does have an elegant but casual feel to it. The sets are the best value and I got the 6 piece set. It came with salmon, yellowtail, tuna, crab, scallop and toro! Loved the yuzu sauce which definitely adds another element to the rolls. My favorite of the set is the scallops. We ended up treating ourself to the A5 uni handroll. The a5 was soft and melted in my mouth and the uni was creamy and fresh. I would say for the price I would've wanted them to fill the roll up with more A5 and uni but overall I did enjoy it!

    Photos
    ROL Hand Roll Bar - Irvine - Lobster Roll and Toro Taku Roll

    Lobster Roll and Toro Taku Roll

    ROL Hand Roll Bar - Irvine - Surf & Turf Roll, Uni & Toro Roll, and Truffle Mushroom Roll

    Surf & Turf Roll, Uni & Toro Roll, and Truffle Mushroom Roll

    ROL Hand Roll Bar - Irvine - Uni & Toro Roll

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    Uni & Toro Roll

    Pepper Lunch - japanese - Updated May 2026

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