So I've been back quite a few times now since my first review and I must say the quality and taste of my food has always been consistently delicious. I have been driving from Tampa specifically to Pepper Lunch because I crave it and truly can not find anything like it in Tampa. The staff is always so kind and I'm surprised it's not busier than it is. It's definitely a hidden gem in my opinion! The parking is always so easy and I will definitely keep going back. read more

Pepper Lunch - Chicken and beef pepper plate - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

Right off the bat, there is plenty of parking in the plaza. The store front was very clean and welcoming. When you walk in you can smell and hear the sizzling plates, making you very hungry lol. There is a kiosk for ordering which is great because you can customize your plate as you wish. The staff is available if you have any questions or would like to order with them, which is great. There are plenty of tables in the restaurant, with high tops and booths. The food comes out very quick, we waited about 5 minutes for our food. The plate is hot so be careful. It was well seasoned and reminded me of my Navy days eating out in Japan. I would definitely recommend especially if you enjoy trying different cultural foods !! read more

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Service: 3.5/5 Food: 3.7/5 Price: $20-$30 Post-airport pickup lunch with my family. Classic sizzling plate-- watch your clothes. I wish they'd offer a bib, I guess you could always make one out of a napkin. Like the name alludes, I've only dined for lunch + every time it's slow with only a few occupied tables. It's even minimally staffed. They might be more popular for takeout, though I'm not sure how that works. Overall, the food is pretty good + it's medium-sized portions, just enough to (hopefully) leave you satisfied. What I Ordered: - Curry Karaage: I like that the curry isn't beef based (instead soy + wheat), tender chicken, wish it came with a veggie other than corn + onion - kimchi chicken: quite spicy kimchi building as you continue read more

Pepper Lunch - curry karaage - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

You'll enjoy the quirky but cool concept and the food is great tasting too so check it out. The exterior is nothing fancy and the interior is very much a casual fast food restaurant vibe and you use digital kiosks to order the food but there are people to help and the customer service here was great! I got great recommendations and the guy serving me was extra sweet, he even setup an umbrella for me outside because of the sun blasting heat! Definitely check out this place for a fun casual dining experience and fully expect to walk away full! read more

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Food is just an assembly cook by itself skillet plate. The most important is to assemble the food with good ingredients and sauce. Nothing special. We have noodle, beef and chicken. The sauce just ok. The quantity is good for single person. If you like it more crispy let it sit longer. Overall the price is kind of high in comparison to most of the food. It is good for lunch but for dinner may be not. read more

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I'm sad that this place is mostly empty whenever I visit for dinner, but this place is amazing!! The food always comes out shortly after I order and steaming hot (obviously). The staff are also very attentive and helpful, especially when I ordered for the first time and was overwhelmed with the options. It's fun to watch the food cook and to add some bbq sauce for extra flavor. The jumbo portion of the beef is generally enough for me and my girlfriend to share, and we both love this spot. read more

Pepper Lunch - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

Came here for dinner on a Sunday night around 7pm, got the jumbo beef pepper rice for $19. There's also options to do add ons, like the pepper margarine (my husband and I shared one of them, cuz it's a lot haha) Pros: - easy kiosk ordering when you walk in, you can grab one of those vibrating notification blocks , pay with card - pretty fast service, we didn't really wait longer than 5 mins for our food - clean bathroom - really nice server - food was delicious! Although the pepper rice came with WAY more pepper than I probably needed haha. Make sure you mix everything so it's not too imbalanced in flavor. - good amount of meat in the jumbo! Love sizzling hot plates and this chain is kind of rare in the USA so I was very impressed Florida got one!! - very easy parking lot out front Cons: - we did an order of takeout for a family member and it definitely looked smaller - so I would recommend dining in - and you don't get the fun sizzling plate experience when you do takeout either - it seems "Florida-fied" if you get what I mean - there's items on the menu that probably wouldn't be found int Hong Kong or California, like pasta and chicken dishes. So don't be surprised if you're familiar with the chain and something seems a bit off. Something for everyone haha! - the sauces on the table also felt really salty, they didn't have that sweeter teriyaki sauce I usually find at the one in California Overall despite the cons I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and it really hit the spot. I definitely will be back and am so glad Pinellas Park got one of these gems!! read more

Pepper Lunch - Jumbo pepper rice - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

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Got the beef sizzling curry and the beef kimchi pepper rice. Both dishes were fresh and sizzling which was nice, you have to move quick and mix it so it doesn't burn at the bottom though. But a pro to that is the rice gets crispy! The curry one was simple, I recommend adding some more sauce. Overall, flavor and ingredients were fresh. The service was so good!!!! The workers were so attentive and sweet :) Ambiance was simple, the area was clean which is always a plus. read more

Pepper Lunch - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

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Came in on a saturday afternoon, ordered on the kiosk, after being seated service was quick with waters and silverware, the food came out quickly and was hot and fresh. I really enjoyed the sauces that were provided as well, as none were included in the lunch directly. Overall cute spot for a different quick option for lunch, but slightly pricey. read more

Pepper Lunch - Chicken Pepper Lunch - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

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At the restaurant they had a kiosk for easy ordering and options for add ons or to remove ingredients if necessary; it was nice to visually see images of what the food would be like. The Pepper Beef rice came out very hot and sizzly, with a paper strip around the plate to prevent sauces from splattering while it was still hot. Though it was peppered beef, it was kind of hard for me to eat since they added a bit too much black pepper in comparison to the amount of beef added. But overall its a very solid nostalgic dish to have, and I'm glad to see Pepper Lunch having a location in florida! read more

Pepper Lunch - Pepper beef rice - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

I enjoy Pepper Lunch and their food selections. I usually get the beef or beef and chicken. For me the portion sizes are a good size for me to have leftovers for the next day. The facility itself has plenty of seating and is clean. The ordering process is easy. There is a kiosk when you walk in to order for dine in or takeout. You usually didn't have to wait a long time for your food to be served. It's cool that your food is served on a sizzling plate. Be sure not to touch it, though! It's very hot! There is free parking on site. This location is perfect because it is close to US 19 and the highway. Faith is very helpful and friendly. Great customer service from her! read more

Pepper Lunch - Beef, chicken and egg - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

Pepper Lunch has got to be one of my favorite places to eat at any time of day, whether or not I'm looking to fill my belly, or enjoy some really amazing fast casual food. I'm so happy they finally opened up in Florida, being that I have had them in Hong Kong, and also California, my dreams came true when they opened! My only issues is that the add on items, like extra rice, mushrooms, onions, garlic chips, carrots, green beans and more all for $1.99 each!! Come on guys....$2 for some onions? That's ludicrious to say the least. And not worth it at all. Other than that, this is probably one of the best places to enjoy some really good quick food. read more

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The sizzling sounds to the video matches the smell and the taste of the yummy pepper lunch steak! I love this place so much. I am so happy that they opened one in Pinellas park which is a go to when I visit home. The service is fairly quick. The dinning area was also really clean. As a socially awkward girly, I like that I can order from self service. Their menu is big as well and you can get your sizzling plate with different toppings. read more

Have been wanting to try pepper lunch since they opened a few months ago! You order on a little machine, super easy and someone is standing there if you need assistance. Super fast service and the dishes were good! A little too much pepper on mine. Restaurant was super clean! read more

Pepper Lunch - Regular rice - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

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‼ Opening 10 locations in Florida ‼ I checked out this Japanese-based restaurant chain, with over 30 years of history, for you in Japan to get the scoop. Yes friends, there is tons of Tampa Bay chatter about Majestic Restaurant Group already purchasing licenses to open 10 Florida locations, and Tampa Bay's Pinellas Park location is the 1st in Florida! When I posted over a year ago about this spot opening, I never thought it would be this good. But, other than reposting news from the Pepper Lunch website, those reporters/bloggers don't go to the original restaurant in Japan or the US to give you the scoop, like I do for comparison. As a culinary product developer, please let me nerd out for a moment: Started in 1994 by chef and inventor Kunio Ichinose, Pepper Lunch ペッパーランチ is similar to many steak griddle restaurants found in Japan, where the customer receives the food sizzling on a hot platter in order to cook the steak to their customizable doneness. Pepper Lunch is considered fast food in Japan, so many customers work nearby locally and visit for a fast, inexpensive, hot meal. The cast iron plates are quickly induction heated to 500f. Yes, it's just as good as in Japan, just costs 3x more because we are in the US and everything here is more expensive. read more

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I was curious to try the sizzling curry plate, and I substituted rice with the pasta. For the protein I had salmon and beef. The curry came in separate bowl, and I added it on plate. The salmon was raw. I had to mixed them on the hot plate to get it cook a bit. The curry flavor was mild, not strong and not spicy. The black papper on the top was OK. To prevent the food stick on the hot plate, a lot of cooking oil was sit at the bottom. It was kind of greasy. The plate itself was not cheap and the add on charge for example egg, mushroom, onion, corn, carrot was 1.99 extra each. Such pricing is ridiculous. The dining environment and the service were decent. read more

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First Pepper Lunch in the Southeast US - in Tampa - say no more! Lots of half booth and high top seating available and busy at lunch time! You order from the screen and the staff there bring you drinks, silverware, and the food from the window. Vibe inside was small, warm, and modern. I've loved Pepper Lunch since I had it in Taiwan for a quick international chain sizzle plate meal. The takeaway for me were the beef plates - each of these rocked. We had some without curry and some with curry, with hamburger. They have a little protective paper as well warning people to not touch the hot plate. The rice can get crispy on the hot plate and the beef cooks quickly on it which makes it taste even better. I love the dish with curry to bring all the different elements together into one. We also got the salmon plate, which was okay, but paled to the beef plates. Lots of options are available for everyone and can't beat the price to good food ratio! Onion rings were tasty and worth as well. Ms. Tina here was a gem - she put the service in customer service especially for a fast-casual restaurant. read more

Pepper Lunch - Salmon pepper rice - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

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I've been to Pepper Lunch in Las Vegas, so I was curious to see how it would differ from there to Pinellas Park. Concept is what you pay for! If you're getting the food to go in my opinion it's not worth it. You come for the experience! You pick your protein, toppings and rice. Then it comes out on a hot skillet where it cooks in the dish right before you eat it. Please remember to mix the food or else it will burn on the bottom and the top will still be raw. They just opened but the staff is amazing. Cooks were clean and did a great job considering the place was completely packed. The store manager was bussing tables and moving chairs and the servers were doing a great job at bringing people their food and accommodating for everyone. The food was good, but each dish was missing something. If I were to eat the beef pepper lunch on its own I don't think I'd like it. It lacked seasoning, but there's sauce on the tables which made the dish taste a lot better. I also got a curry sauce as well which was pretty good. My only real issue is that the sides and additional toppings were just too expensive. Besides that I like the place, the concept and the workers. read more

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This place has such a cool and unique concept and I was really excited to try it out! You order at a kiosk but the food comes out super quickly and is sizzling (you can even see the steam in my picture!) I ordered the shrimp curry and the sauce was delicious! My only problem was that the shrimp got a bit overcooked, but it was still tasty especially mixed in with the rice, onions, corn, and sauce. This was such a fun experience and a perfect portion so I'll definitely be back to try another option! read more

Pepper Lunch - Curry shrimp pepper rice - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

Love it! So glad Pepper Lunch decided to set up shop in the area :) Service is always quick and friendly, and I love the cheery ambiance of the place. My go to has to be the curry! Love the added spice and flavors that it brings to the dish. Whether it is hamburger steak or crispy chicken, the added curry sauce takes it up one level. And as that curry sears on the metal plate, it gets crusty and even more delicious. Will definitely be back to try more items next time! :) read more

Pepper Lunch - Hamburger Steak with Curry - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

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Good experience overall. Firstly, as a Gen-Xer, I am not a fan of kiosk ordering. Feels impersonal, and I just do not like it. We ordered the kimchi beef and kimchi chicken. LOVED the flavor of the beef, although the amount of beef for the cost of the meal was small. Also, ~$15 (to start) for a fast-casual meal is steep for what you get. We ordered two meals (no extras!), one soda, one water, tax, modest tip, totaled over $40. The kimchi on both dishes was minimal and small chopped pieces. The chicken was already cooked, dry, and salty. I really wanted an egg, but that upcharge was $2, as were all extras. I would be willing to pay $1, but not $2 extra for ONE egg. The salt/pepper finish on the rice was SUPER SALTY, but I was able to scoop that off of the dish. The staff member who retrieved silverware, chopsticks, and drinks was pleasant and efficient. I would like to patronize this fast casual place again, but I will think twice about it because of the cost and kiosk-only ordering. I really don't want to think twice about a place when the food is pretty darn good. read more

Pepper Lunch - Kimchi beef and kimchi chicken - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

This place just opened in Pinellas Park 3 days ago. We were interested in trying so I had the day off and we ventured out. They are located on the corner of a plaza. You walk in and either order at the kiosk or the register. They are having BOGO right now for their curry dishes. It's not advertised anywhere but the staff member advised as we walked in. I wanted the shrimp however they didn't have any shrimp or chicken today. I opted for the tofu vegetable bowl. Which the price on the menu states $13 however it actually ended up costing me $25. I'm not sure if the staff member didn't know the menu or if this is indeed how it works but I was advised that even though it's a vegetable bowl I have to pay for each individual vegetable which was $1.99 each. But then when I got my food I had vegetables that I didn't order. I'm certain and this is what I asked him too is that it comes with standard vegetables and you pay extra for other vegetables or extra vegetables but I was advised no. So whatever I went with it. However I had mushrooms and corn and carrots which I didn't pay or want. I'm confused. You could definitely tell they were working out the kinks. You find a table and they'll bring your food to you according to the number they gave you. We had been waiting for probably 15 minutes and a new couple walked in and ordered. They sat next to us. The cashier goes over to the food counter and takes the steak bowl and delivers to their table. I immediately know that this is not theirs and it's my hubs. But we go along and don't say anything. That couple then started questioning where their kimchi is and some other ingredients. He staff looks confused. All while hubs still doesn't have his food. We finally speak up and let the staff and couple know that they probably got our food which they agreed since it was lacking the ingredients that they paid extra for. Kitchen and staff remain confused except for the 1 lady working. She had to literally go back to the kitchen and have them make his bowl. She had to have them remake the whole thing. Overall food was good. Lacked flavor. But they have sauce and salt and pepper at the table which helped. I don't think it was $25 worth. read more

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This new restaurant offers sizzle plate that comes to your table. We had to go check it out since they just opened recently. Order your food at the kiosk and then take a pager to your table. The restaurant isn't that big, maybe 6 tables/booths to dine in so they will get busy quick. Once the food was ready, one of the staff members will bring the sizzle plate to your table. Just watch it sizzle, then you can add your sauce, and eat. I ordered the chicken Alfredo and sauce came on the side, it was good. My daughter ordered the beef and kimchi over rice, she liked her food as well. read more

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This place had a huge hype so i definitely expected more! To me it was mediocre I ordered the regular portion pepper steak and the meat was very skimpy - being that it was my first time I didn't know I should have ordered Jumbo. I didn't feel like my meat or rice got super crispy and I when I visited last night they were out of a lot of things - the famous curry sauce and the sweet potato fries. My daughter ordered a miso soup and it came way after our actual meal. Seemed a little unorganized. Would probably be back to give them a 2nd chance but definitely not in a rush to do so. read more

Pepper Lunch - Pepper steak - regular portion - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

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Food was good, the portion was huge! Service was also pretty quick. The menu had a lot of options but i dont think this location has the curry option (yet maybe?) which i was kind of looking forward to trying. The price for this added up pretty quickly with the add ons so i dont know how often id come back unless i was really craving it. read more

Pepper Lunch - Kimchi Beef Pepper Rice w/ egg - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

The restaurant had a spotless interior, and the staff was incredibly welcoming. Since it was our first visit, they took the time to explain everything to us, which we really appreciated. The food was enjoyable, though not particularly outstanding in my opinion. I ordered the chicken pepper rice with kimchi--the chicken was a bit bland, so I'd recommend adding one of their two complimentary sauces or opting for an additional sauce for extra flavor. My boyfriend had the salmon and beef pepper rice and felt the same way. Overall, it was a good experience with great service, but the food could use a bit more seasoning. read more

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Kind of pricey but good is always excellent and delicious. Great location because it's so close to me. read more

Pepper Lunch - Steak and shrimp - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

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We were on that side of town and decided to give it a try. Took us a while to order because everything looked pretty good but once we decided we sat down and we're giving utensils and or offered ice water. We were greeted by the staff as soon as we came in and also offered to help on navigating through the menu. The food came out pretty quick and tasted really good what an excellent concept. We ordered a teriyaki dish two of the curry dishes and another combo dish. We added a few extras and for four of us it came out to about $70 The food tasted fresh and portion sizes were good definitely worth the try next time we're in this area. The only negative would be that the air conditioning didn't seem to be working to good so it was a little bit warm in the restaurant. read more

Ordered a beef pepper lunch, good presentation, come out fast, tastes acceptable; however, way too oily, my stomach felt hurt right after. Staff were friendly and very helpful. I have a reason to believe that this spot is only good to check-in and have an IG post. read more

I've tried this chain in CA, and I wanted to try this new location in FL. I ordered a meal to-go, and I found it super greasy and salty. I've tried other chain locations and I've never had this experience. Ordering it fresh might have been better, but it was still not as good compared to what I've tried at different locations. It was also a bit pricey with all the add-ons for the size that they give. read more

Food is typical hot asian plate . Service is good , place is clean . Not busy that time of the day

Good food presented in an unique fashion. Fast and efficient service. Place your order and finish the cooking at the table.

Such a great place to grab a quick and delicious meal! Self service ordering counter and quick food delivery to your table. Staff was friendly and efficient with drink refills throughout meal. Casual inside with plenty of parking. read more

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I enjoyed this place. If you're looking for something new to try this is the place, it's a different concept from any restaurant in the area. Food comes out quick and the service is good. Inside is kind of small so it doesn't take much for it to get busy. As for the food it's good, but greasy in my opinion. It is also on the pricey side, and they charge 2 dollars for each add on, it's not worth it and the jumbo is not worth it as well. You would think you get more protein but you don't just more rice/ pasta. lol read more

Pepper Lunch - Creamy pasta with beef - Teppanyaki Near Me - Pinellas Park, Florida

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My new favorite place!!! Delicious options that are sizzling on the skillet. Service is great also ! I definitely will be back and most definitely recommend it if you are in the area! read more

do not order from this place. my food tasted like ammonia. you cant call the store. no one answers the phone. horrible horrible food. dont do it. read more

We went to this place for the second time, still trying it out. We both got the curry beef plate. After you order the main dish from a tourist screen, you scroll through a bunch of add on veggies which all cost $1.99. I got a couple added on and when the dish came out, the add one were small portions. I think they should cut back on the price for the add one for the amount of the product they give you. Other then that the food was very good along with the experience read more

Food was absolutely great!! The girl at the counter was very helpful and very kind and friendly. Service was quick and efficient. I'd definitely come back here again. read more

An interesting concept restaurant. Perhaps the Korean Hot-Pots are the closest to what you will experience here. The staff were friendly, helpful, and working hard to get things right. It is clear that they are still on a learning curve, but their commitment is admirable. The food was on the 'bland' side and I'm a pretty bland eater to begin with, so this is an issue. I see other reviewers commented as well. Perhaps I need more experience with what to get. I noted that one person complained about food being too salty - my experience was the exact opposite. All-in-all some work on the seasonings would be good. Do keep in mind that PEPPER is in the name of the place. One of my party had a huge chocking/coughing fit after their first bite from inhaling too much pepper that was on the food. Probably a better stir would have avoided that. However, another member of my party was complaining hours later about their mouth still burning from the pepper, so beware. In terms of ambiance, it seemed clean, but very basic, and almost more of a "to go" or "takeaway" type of place, but I don't see that as their core customer base as you miss the experience in my opinion as did someone else comment. read more

I've been about 3 times. I like the concept and the food is good, service was better this last time but not good the first 2 times. They keep the refills behind an unmanned counter so you have to wait until the staff is walking around to get a refill. The sweet potato fries are cut too thick and undercooked in the center. The most significant thing is the booths are upholstered in this yellow fabric that shows every single stain that has ever existed and it looks disgusting. It's really off putting for a place I would eat at. read more