They always have such good quality food and amazing service! The meat is amazing for the price!

Shabu Gen offers all-you-can-eat hot pot for $19.99 or hot pot and sushi for $28.99. We came here on a Saturday around 4pm and there was no wait for a table. We ordered the AYCE hot pot, which was really good and very filling. There was a tablet to order from at the table, but it only lets you choose 5 meats at a time, and then you have to wait 10 minutes before putting in the next order. We could each choose a broth so we got one tonkotsu and one house broth. They were both good, but I liked the house broth a bit more. Of the meats, I liked the prime rib eye the most. One order of prime rib eye comes with 3 slices of meat. We also enjoyed the pork belly, beef toro, and prime blade meat, but some of the meats were a bit fatty. They were out of brisket. The crispy soy garlic chicken wings, gyoza, and edamame were okay. We liked the sesame balls for dessert. They were out of ice cream because their freezer broke. In addition to the meats and items you can order through the tablet at your table, they also have a buffet bar with other hot pot items such as vegetables, mushrooms, noodles, and seafood. They had clams, mussels, crab, and shrimp. The restaurant was large with many large booths for large parties. The service was good, as in they delivered the ordered items promptly, but didn't engage, chat, or appear too friendly. For sauces, I mainly used the ponzu sauce. They didn't carry the Chinese bbq (satay) sauce, which I usually like with hot pot. Overall, we had a good dining experience because we liked the food and left pretty full. read more

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You're not going to find a cheaper cleaner. More delicious. All you can eat option Hot pot for $20 anywhere else. There is a big selection of veggie seafood sauces toppings. You name it to go in your hot pot! I came here for lunch with my coworker on a Friday exactly when they opened at 11:30 and we finish about an hour later and we were stuffed. Couldn't eat another bite. The tonkatsu broth was flavorful and it's cool you have your own little Hot pot vhs induction stove at your seat so everybody has their own Hot pot! You order the meats and appetizers from the tablet at the table. Here's a pro tip. Don't hit order after selecting an item. Wait until you select everything and then submit your order. Or you're going to have to talk to the server to submit your order for you and you can't order for another 10 minutes. Our hostess Nikki was super nice and helpful. Nikki helped us fix our faux pas ordering on the tablet LOL All of the staff was super friendly and very accommodating filling our water. Checking on how we're doing, seeing if we needed anything. It was a great experience I highly recommend! read more

Shabu Gen - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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We were starving and came here within the last 2 hours they were open for that day and I enjoyed the food. I liked my broth and my friends said they liked theirs too. Everything was tasty and I liked the appetizer options that were included in the AYCE, which is priced at $20. The staff was good and friendly even when it got close to closing time. This spot is in the same shopping center as Best Buy and Old Navy. read more

This is a decent late AYCE buffet when you are hangry and looking to get full. I highly recommend that you put yourself or group on their waitlist for faster service in case the wait times a crazy. Shabu Gen is location in a shopping center next to other restaurants and Best Buy. Our hostess was great and even though our full party wasn't there yet. We were able to be seated and start ordering we just had to follow the 90 mins time limit. The hot pot was decent. I don't think I got the actual broth I ordered, but it was fine. The seafood options for the hot pot was okay, the veggies were plentiful and the side dishes just okay. The meat options were pretty good, I enjoyed the ribeye, but my favorite was the pork belly. The price is definitely worth it for $20 and you will leave full. There is ample seating for small bd large groups and it very spacious inside. The decor is nothing special. read more

Shabu Gen - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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This place is an AYCE hot pot or both hot pot and sushi. You can choose both or just hot pot. We opted for just the hot pot. This place can get busy. We usually come early, before the dinner crowd starts. We always eat an early dinner, 5ish. You place your apps, meats, and soups orders on the i-pad. You can order 10 items per order and after your order, the next order cannot be place until 10 mins later. All of the vegetable, noodles, steamed rice, and other items are located their self serve bar. The food is decent and pretty good. I think the service is sometimes slow getting your ordered items out to the table. The staff are nice. The place looks pretty clean, but can use some more cleanliness in some areas. read more

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After a long hiatus, my husband and I finally came back to Shabu Gen for our hot pot fix. We came in around 8:30pm, got seated right away, and were greeted by their new kiosk ordering system. And as always, the AYCE dinner price is honestly hard to beat compared to other hot pot spots in the area. That said, a few things fell short this visit. My tonkatsu broth came out brown and murky instead of the creamy, milky white I've always gotten here. My husband's sukiyaki was also lacking the flavor it used to have. The meat quality was still good and came out fast, but I'd skip the appetizers entirely. The veggie, fish ball, seafood, and noodle variety is solid, and the sauce bar is a highlight as always. Service was noticeably lacking this time around. The servers only came by to drop off meat -- no check-ins whatsoever. The kiosk is convenient, but that's not a reason to abandon the tables entirely. Overall, Shabu Gen is still a decent spot for the price. You get what you pay for. Not sure I'd rush back, but if you're looking for affordable AYCE hot pot, it'll get the job done. we read more

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Another day celebrating my birthday week - and this time it's at Shabu Gen. It's an all you can eat (AYCE) Japanese establishment. -$20 for the hot pot and add -$10 for the sushi. The value for the hot pot is unbeatable compared to other places. If you can manage to make room to eat sushi then the additional -$10 for sushi is well worth it considering a single sushi roll costs about $15 - $20+ anywhere else. You place your order on a tablet kiosk attached to the wall. Make sure you keep ordering your selections because if you press "order" then you are locked out for about 10 minutes before you can order again. We accidentally hit order before adding the appetizers but no worries - the waitress can add your items for you (pro tip). The selection bar, which has all the veggies, supplements and add-ons to your hot pot had plenty to choose from. Shrimp, clams mussels, cilantro, mushrooms, spinach, etc. I was impressed with the freshness - and all fully stocked. There are 6 sauces you can try for your hot pot. I picked the spicy miso and my date chose the tonkatsu. Both tasted great. Next time I will definitely try their spicy house special. There are plenty of choices for the meat. All thinly sliced and fresh for the hot pot. There is a time delay for when you can order additional meat but it didn't seem to be a factor. We ordered plenty and never seemed to be a wait factor. Overall, Shabu Gen is Shabu-lous!! I can't wait to go back. read more

Some things have changed since we came last. Now they have little iPads for each table that you order from. BEWARE you must order everything you want before hitting order, otherwise, you will have to wait 10 mins before ordering again. We made the mistake of placing the order before actually being done and the waiter was able to fix it and let us order the rest. They were very busy, which led to mediocre customer service. We waited 1.5 hours for a party of 3 even after checking in online. We had to ask several staff members for water, utensils, bowls, and a bill (we never got). No one greeted us or asked if we needed anything. It felt like things went down hill especially because they have gotten more busy. I don't think we will return and I'm sad about that. read more

Shabu Gen - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

We went to Shabu Gen for my birthday. It's wonderful. The only noise we heard in the restaurant was the background music. We didn't hear chatting at the next tables or dishes clinking when they cleared the tables. The lighting was set just right to put us in a mellow mood. We were able to enjoy our dinner leisurely while conversing with people at our table freely. Since it's our first time there, the waiter was gleefully explaining how to order, etc. We chose to have the hot pot and sushi option. I loved having our individual bowls so we can choose different soup bases based on our individual preferences. After we placed our first rounds of meats, sushi, and our soup bases, we headed to the bars to get fixings like vegetables (bok choy, woodear, Napa cabbage, spinach, ...), mushrooms (king, enoki, seafood, ..), noodles (udon, wide rice noodles, rice balls, rice cakes, ...), tofu (fried, steamed, ...) seafoods (fishballs, large shrimps, clams, mussels, octopus, ...), sauces, and fruits. I appreciated the variety of the trimmings offered. The only thing I was disappointed was the clams, which were very low in stock and most, if not all, were submerged in water. I didn't take any clams. The sushi was very nice. We found the Golden California rolls (little sweet and crunchy) and the volcano scallops (little scallops in every bites) particularly delightful and we ordered these two twice. We finished off my birthday with an ice cream!! We enjoyed this place very much. The prices are great too! $20 for hot pot only and $30 for hot pot and sushi. We will be back for sure!! read more

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I didn't have high expectations due to some mixed recent reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised on my visit. We went to Shabu Gen to celebrate my mom's birthday. We had a Friday 5:30pm reservation and our table was ready for us with a high chair as requested. My dad (who can be tough to please) was really impressed by the $19.99 value and that we all got individual hot pots, so we could each control what we want. Decent selection of veggies and seafood at the bar. Initially thought the limit on ordering on tablet would not be enough for 5 adults, but server said she could double up on our order and we can order in between with her directly. Was a little worried about what my toddler would eat, but he happily filled his belly with fries, corn, and oranges. Luckily, he's short enough to be free! Overall, very pleased with the value and service received. Would definitely visit again! read more

This is so affordable for an AYCE, this is my favorite spot to have whenever I want AYCE hot pot. Their broths and meats are also super great too, pretty good quality. Veggies and seafood are fresh too! They now installed tablets at each table, so you can order whenever. The tablets can be glitchy though, so make sure yours is working fine before ordering. They pre-bus the plates fast, so makes room for a new round. It's pretty big in there with lots of seating. I never wait too long whenever it does get busy read more

Shabu Gen - tonkotsu broth - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

This place has gone downhill. Not only did they implement a self-ordering iPad system at every table that is very restrictive, but the quality of the meats and food is not what it used to be. Service was slow and wrong orders were brought to the table a few times too many. If you go with a big group, you're out of luck because you can only order a maximum of 5 plates of meat, and each plate only comes with 2-3 thin slices, which is so little. There is also a long timer of 10 minutes, and if you don't time it right or pay attention you will miss out on placing orders. Even though they kept their marketing price of $19.99 for hotpot, it's not worth it anymore because you get way less food. I'd rather pay more at another place with better service and an actual all you can eat experience. This restaurant is not giving good vibes. read more

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There's a new tablet connected on the wall you use to order food. Makes things complicated and also it feels like they're limiting your "all you can eat". Limit 5 items per category. The moment you submit "placed order", the tablet is disabled for 10 minutes. You cannot order anything until 10 minutes later and there is a countdown so you cannot bypass the screen. Why fix something that wasn't wrong? Go back to the old ways, have workers take the orders because it was more efficient and workers actually swing by more often to check on you and refill your drinks. Also - bring back the quail eggs. read more

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One of my favorite places to go in the area. AYCE hotpot and sushi are two of my favorites. Plus side because they are super affordable. Every time I've come here, it's been pretty busy but they accommodate large parties pretty well. You get your own pot of soup and they have a large selection veggies/seafood/meats and a few snacks you can order from the server or the iPad. Pretty big inside with plenty of tables to sit at. Can be pretty dim inside. Definitely worth checking out. read more

My significant other and I ended up coming here one night to try since I've seen many posts about the ayce shabu at a really good price! We came on a Tuesday night and while we didn't have to wait at all and were seated immediately, it was pretty packed! I got the spicy house broth and my s/o got the regular house broth and I thought both were okayy. The spicy house broth wasn't spicy at all in my opinion and I was adding more chili oil to make it a tad spicier and it still wasn't spicy.. The meat quality was also okay, we weren't exactly sure what we were eating half the time it came out but I think i liked the brisket the most. I did really like the buffet style for veggies, seafood, sauce, rice, and noodles! It makes it easy to get what you like and portioned it to how much you prefer as well so I found that fun and enjoyable but it could be stressful when it's super busy and there's a lot of people around trying to grab the same items! My s/o and I agreed it was pretty good for the price but we probably would choose other shabu spots and wouldn't come back unless it was after 9pm and everything else was closed already! But I am glad we tried it! read more

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We came to Shabu Gen on a Saturday evening for dinner. Before our trek out there from Vacaville, we saw online there was a long waitlist, ~1hr 23 minutes (ready ~7:13pm), so we got on the waitlist. We ran into some traffic, so we arrived around 7:24pm. We went inside to check in and were told it would be another 5-10 minutes wait, but ended up getting seated after 7:50pm. Once seated service was fast, we were promptly greeted by our waiter who took drink orders and explained how everything worked. We each order our broth flavor as each seat had their own burner to boil the soup. For just the Shabu Gen AYCE Hot Pot, it was $19.99/person. If you wanted AYCE Hot Pot plus Sushi, it was $28.99/person. From 7pm-11pm, Soju, Wine and Beer are 50% off. We chose to have Hot Pot only. For parties of 4 or less, you can choose 5 meats per round. For parties 5+, you can choose 10 meats per round. They have 6 broths and 11 appetizers to choose from for their Hot Pot AYCE meal. For the veggies, seafood and dipping sauces, you go and get your own at the buffet bar. The waiter was very attentive and came by frequently to ask if we were ready to order more meat and for water refills. Their policy is that you have to be finished in 90 minutes, but I don't think anyone really tracks the time to the minute. The broths we ordered for our party of 4 were Original House, Spicy House, Sukiyaki and Tonkotsu. All the broths were decently flavorful. There was a nice selection of vegetables, mushrooms, seafood and dipping sauces. The sauce area can get a little messy, so it could benefit from an employee wiping it down a little more frequently. Ambiance is what you would expect from an AYCE restaurant, lots of groups of people all enjoying the food and chit chatting. If you are into hot pots, sushi or AYCE meals, this is a nice place to eat at for a budget price. My son who brought us here said they are much slower and he had no wait for a table at lunch time on a weekday versus the long wait for a table on the Saturday evening we were there. read more

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Took my son here for his first hot pot experience and although it was good there were some hiccups. Let's start with the lunch price, for $20 per person you can't go wrong with the protein choices. But kr was the afternoon and we were told a few times they were out or meat. Then they didn't bring out all of what we selected. The chicken was slices so thinly you could barley remove it from the plate. The reason the review is a three is that several of our apps that were brought out were cold and I mean ice cold. The spring rolls came out hot But the gyoza, wings and various items were not. We actually and to dip them in the broth to warm them up. Nice staff, cool location it is only a 3 out of 5 for me. read more

I enjoy coming here for the variety. Came in on a Saturday night. It was really busy but be sure to get on the waitlist on Yelp ahead of time. I like how they've updated ordering from the kiosk. I got both sushi and hot pot. I like the ikura. I love their sesame sauce. I'll be back soon read more

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Shabu Gen features all-you-can-eat hot pot and sushi. The ambiance is welcoming and sleek. Staff are friendly. You get your own hot pot, help yourself to the items at the food station (veggies, meats, sauces), and place your sushi order with the wait staff. Overall, I feel Shabu Gen has plenty of variety to choose from at a reasonable price. The food was average to pretty good. read more

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We had a very disappointing experience due to one server's attitude. From the moment we arrived, she made us feel unwelcome and treated our group differently. We were separated into different tables, and she never once checked on us throughout the meal. The most upsetting part was how she cleared the plates. She appeared irritated and repeatedly slammed dishes onto the table with unnecessary force. The noise scared my 4-year-old child while he was eating, leaving him visibly shaken. We came for a family meal but left feeling uncomfortable and disrespected. I hope management takes this feedback seriously and addresses the issue, as one employee's behavior can greatly affect a customer's experience. read more

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Not a bad spot for affordable AYCE. Third time visiting. What brings me back is the affordability of the meal. Without sushi, it's $20. Can't beat that. I came and did the combo with sushi. Service was good. Orders came out quick. Followed up on refills. Meat quality just okay. Won't get pork anymore - not my favorite as it's too fatty for soup. Seafood and veg options were good. But what stood out that was interestingly not good was the bulgogi option. I tried it in my soup, and immediately regretted it. The cooked meat didn't taste good since it was marinated - didn't go well with my soup choice. The sashmi and nigiri was good, just really small pieces. Presentation on point. The carpaccio was great. Flavor was there. Overall a place that I will keep coming back to because of the price. Just note they do become strict in the 90min window especially if they are busy. We pushed out limits just a bit and we felt the servers presence hovering over us to wrap up and leave. read more

Shabu Gen - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

90 minutes, all-you-can-eat, unlimited appetizers for only $20! There was another more expensive option to get sushi but I think the standard is already too much food! We got there when they opened at 11:30 am and the place got full very fast. Waiters came around every few minutes checking on our table asking if we wanted more plates of meat or more appetizers. They were playing some really loud music while a lot of guests were talking so it was hard to hear what my group was saying when they were trying to speak. They had a decent amount of seafood choices that I preferred having octopus and shrimp over the meats. The only thing is that you can't take leftovers home. If you're planning a get together here, skip breakfast and save room for this awesome hot pot meal. Definitely worth the price! read more

Shabu Gen - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

No idea what happened in the last 6 months but the quality has definitely gone downhill, and the cheaper shabu price of $19.99 is definitely a representation of that. I was happy to see they're still in demand though, since it was quite busy for an early Friday dinner time when we came. The broths looked so much more watery this time and tasted quite flavorless, which is sadly probably another way to cut costs on the actual broth used. All of the appetizers came out in little paper trays, which got super soggy with items like the cucumber sunomono. Many of the plates at the buffet line were still wet or had pieces of food stuck. Our table was so close to the ones on either side of us, it was hard to walk in and out every time and you'd have to scoot in to let others behind you get out too. This was just so disappointing compared to past visits. Overall there are just way better shabu options in Elk Grove but you'll be paying more (which in my opinion is worth it!), so if you're not too picky and don't want to pay as much then this is the one for you. read more

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--- We've been here several times and have even brought friends along, so this isn't a first impression--this is a place we've genuinely enjoyed returning to. On a recent Thursday dinner, we decided to revisit one of our go-to spots for reliable value and consistently satisfying hot pot. It was nice to see the restaurant busier than in the past--always a good sign. Parking remains easy and convenient, just a short walk away. That said, a couple of recent changes caught us off guard. The biggest one is the new ordering system: a screen mounted directly onto the wall in the middle of a narrow table (about three feet wide). If you're seated closer to the wall, it's awkward and uncomfortable to view, and since the screen doesn't move, it turns what should be a simple process into a bit of a struggle. Another letdown was the broth. We ordered the miso and tonkotsu, both of which used to be much more flavorful. This time around, they tasted noticeably diluted, and we had to add quite a bit of seasoning just to bring them to life. The place also is showing signs of wear and tear On the brighter side, the appetizers still delivered. The crispy soy garlic chicken was spot-on--perfectly cooked with great flavor--and the sushi hermes birkin remains a solid favorite. The seafood continues to be fresh, and overall, the restaurant still offers good value for the price. While we still enjoy coming here and will likely be back, the recent changes were enough to drop this visit from a 5-star experience to a 4. read more

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This is a solid AYCE spot in terms of value, service, and location. For the price, it's a good deal overall. The meat quality is decent, though the selection could definitely be expanded -- there were only about eight different options available. The veggie bar was fairly large for the space, but the variety was limited. Many of the meatballs and shrimp balls didn't taste like the best quality, and the sauce selection was also pretty minimal (they didn't even have sesame oil, which was surprising). The sushi options were good, though the pieces were on the smaller and thinner side. As for the wings, I'd recommend skipping them. They were all dry and seemed to be the same basic wings with different sauces drizzled on top depending on what you ordered. Overall, I'd come here specifically for the hot pot with simple veggies and meats, without expecting much beyond that. Even with its limitations, it's still a good value for what you get. read more

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This place recently updated their menu to $19.99 for hotpot and has gotten a lot busier, but it's still on the bottom of my list for hotpot places. The broth is very bland and their sauces aren't the greatest. However for the price, it isn't a bad option for a date night or family gathering. The restaurant is large, a little on the dark side if you want to be romantic. The service is really fast and the owner always comes out to check on people and hop in to help the staff when needed. However, when we hit our hotpot time limit, they gave us the bill asap and didn't really allow us to eat our food and stared at us pretty much the whole time so we could get up. Then we wanted to sing my mom happy birthday real quick and the hostess just was like uhm it's time to go. I thought it was so rude. We weren't planning to eat the cake there, just didn't want to sit in the cold. read more

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I can't believe they still only charge $19.99 for dinner as of 4/25/26. That is such a steal. I always get the house special broth. The meat is sliced pretty thin but it's all you can eat so just order more! The Prime Rib Eye is my favorite. I also like the peanut house sauce to dip my meat in. And you can go wrong with soy garlic chicken wings! The perfect amount of crunch. Service is always friendly and efficient. Nice that they have added touchscreens, it cuts down on wait time. read more

Shabu Gen - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Wait since when was there a fricken ayce sushi AND hot pot spot in Elk Grove? Why did no one tell me about this? Oh I don't have friends ? Ok that make sense now ‍ So I thought this was the other shabu place and almost went to the wrong spot. I added myself to the waitlist like 45 minutes ahead and was number 18 for a billion years but thank goodness there's a bunch of random things in that plaza to kill time. New Yemeni coffee spot next door ‍ anyways recommend you plan for this and like add yourself to the waitlist so you don't have to stand outside for an hour. For two people we got seated in the long communal connected table. But it's plenty of room. And allegedly the price went down??? Like when have you heard of places decreasing in price lately I swear I saw a menu from like last year and the price was higher. But that's a nice surprised. It's less than $30 like what The hot pot was pretty good. Like good broth. Order whatver meat you want . I kinda like that they give 2-3 pieces of meat per plate cuz I tend to over order this way it's not like wasteful. And there's a bar with a bunch of extra toppings for your hot pot. They refill it plenty of time so the food is fresh. One problem - and it's my problem and not anyone else's problem - they don't have roe ball which is my favorite kind of balls The sushi was also pretty good. You only can do 10 nigiri at once but they come to take your order like all the time so like you can race eating as fast as you can and see if they come back by then jk don't choke. We like the baked roll the one with scallop is our favorite. There are some one per person special like the chirashi but those give you a lot of rice so I'd skip that of I were you and stick to nigiri. Also I wish they have rolls with lemon slice. Lemon is my life. Overall ate too much. Spent less money than anticipated. Feel like I'm winning 2026. read more

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The $20 AYCE hot pot is worth it. It's not the best, but their choices of meats is good enough, and the self-serve toppings bar with noodles, seafood, fresh veggies, and condiments is kept stocked and clean. Service was friendly and polite, and our server tended to our requests with short waits. But one thing I didn't like was that we were missing one of our appetizers and when I asked about it, our server said, "they're probably still working on it." We never got it, and our server never brought it up, so either she forgot or was hoping we forgot about it. We did receive everything else we ordered in a timely manner, especially the meats, so I let it go. The meats were sliced paper thin (I didn't even recognize the chicken breast!), and came 2-4 slices on a tray so best to order multiple trays at a time of the ones you like. We enjoyed the ribeye and the pork loin the most. I didn't realize the pots were smaller, personal sized . Other hot pots I've been to, it's an actual big pot, so when we came back to our table from the first round of getting toppings, we were stuck with whichever broth was put in front of us. We ordered 3 different broths: original house, tonkatsu, and miso. I had either the miso or tonkatsu. It was good, just not a bold rich broth. Also one of the burners wasn't working, so our friend had to move and wait longer for her broth to boil. It was an enjoyable meal aside from a few hiccups, but I'd go again for the $20 AYCE. read more

Stopped by on a Wednesday night and we were seated immediately. Angel, our server noticed one of the burners was broken so she proactively told her manager and got us moved to another table immediately. Natalie and Angel both got our meat orders in super quickly. Food was delicious and service was fast! Will be coming back for the $19.99 AYCE hotpot! read more

Shabu Gen - We devoured everything! - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

AYCE at $20 is a pretty good deal. It's the cheapest price I've ever seen for hot pot. The meat quality is just okay, but understandable at this price point. I've had tastier meat at more pricey places. We were a big party split across 2 tables - 5 people at one table and 6 at the other. You can only order 5 plates of meat at once every 10 minutes on the tablet. I think appetizers do not count towards the 5 plates limit. Every meat plate came with 3 very thin slices of meat. You definitely want to fill up at the veggie, noodles, and seafood bar while waiting for the timer. Our table of 5 was satisfied, but the table of 6 were definitely vocal about still being hungry at the end. There is an 18% auto-gratuity for large parties (6 or more), and I appreciate that this was calculated on the subtotal. read more

Catch me here tomorrow! Lol Shabu Gen was our Friday night, last-minute stop on the way to Sac for a work conference, and it definitely lived up to the hype. PRO TIP: Check the waitlist before you go. We joined the online waitlist about 25 minutes out and were quoted 35 to 45 minutes, but it moved SLOWLY and didn't update even as our spot changed. You must check in when you arrive, so don't rely on the online waitlist alone. After killing time at REI, we were finally seated a little past the quoted wait, but honestly, it was worth it. It was still chaotic inside, which is a good sign of popularity and loyalty for the spot. For $20 AYCE, I get why this place is packed. Believe the reviews: Toro is number one, ribeye is second, and the premium blade is a close third, which is perfect for red meat lovers like us. The salad bar is a total giver with bulgogi, shrimp, crab, and endless add ins. Although I opted for none, lol. We eat red meat once a week so best believe I was gonna get my fill! We went with the sukiyaki and house broth and I recommend sukiyaki for more flavor. You do need to some loading up on garnishes like salt, garlic, and cilantro. Service was great but slow since servers handle everything, so give them grace. I would absolutely come back and could easily see myself eating here multiple times a week. They have an option for sushi, but we did not go that route. Also, last minute note: they measure kids height, so there's no lying about age. We watched a kiddo get measured against the wall and his parents had to pay the adult price. They were NOT happy. read more

Shabu Gen - Menu as of 1/22/2026 - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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What a deal! $19.99/pp for AYCE shabu! This was my first visit on the eve of thanksgiving with family. I made a reservation for the Wednesday through Yelp for 4:30p only need to move the reservation out a couple of times due to family coming to town later than expected. It was probably a 50/50 chance they answered the phone because they were so busy that day. Thankfully they were able to accommodate us when we arrived because waiting with elderly Asian parents would've been an ordeal! There was already a line out the door of people waiting when we arrived a little after 6. We all ordered the shabu meal. You can add sushi for an additional $9. Everyone selects their own soup base for cooking which is nice. They let us order several selections at once however keep in mind each meat order consists of as little as 2 super thin slices of meat so you have to stay on top of ordering. There is also a buffet with sauces, fruits, veggies, seafood and noodles for the picking. Service was attentive and responsive. We enjoyed ourselves and will definitely be back (just maybe not during their peak meal times)! The restaurant was busy and bustling the entire time but the staff did a great job managing the crowd. The quality of the meat and seafood was very good and they had a good selection of veggies. Give this place a try. What a nice addition to Elk Grove! read more

Shabu Gen - Tonkotsu broth, veggies, gyoza, tofu and seafood selections. - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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Shabu Gen offers such a great deal with their $19.99 AYCE hot pot. This price covers your choice of broth, unlimited meat and appetizer orders, and the sauce and toppings bar. I liked the sukiyaki broth, and all of the crispy chicken appetizers had a good flavor. The sauce and toppings bar included a variety of items you could add to your hot pot, including shellfish, fish cakes, mushrooms, vegetables, noodles, tofu, eggs, and more. They also had some sauces for dipping the meats into, as well as white rice. We had a party of four people, so we were able to order five different meats per round. The beef and pork weren't as high of a quality as the meats they offer at other hot pot restaurants, and some of the cuts only included 2-3 pieces per order. However, the overall price and unlimited rounds of ordering meat more than made up for these factors. The servers were very attentive and they checked in with us often, too, which made it easy to order more meats and appetizers. Will definitely be back when I'm in the area! read more

Shabu Gen - Seafood - Hot Pot Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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For $19 you can't complain too much. You get what you pay for! The meats are super super thin and you get like 2 pieces per order, but it's AYCE, so you can just order more. The sauces are limited and just okay. The crabs looked good but are super mushy and inedible, and it was mushy last time I tried this place as well. I had the sushi last time but it wasn't good quality so we just opted for the hot pot only this time. Overall, I think I rather pay a bit more for better quality food. read more

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Came here on the holiday and it was already packed at noon. Pretty basic AYCE hot pot for the price-can't really beat 19.99. We got the spicy house and original house broths-both were a little bland. Sauce options are a bit limited too. It's buffet style for your veggies/sides, while the meat is brought to the table. The meat cuts were pretty thin-with 2-3 pieces per plate, so many rounds are needed to feel full. Overall, Shabu Gen has a convenient location and is a decent option if you're looking for hot pot on a budget. read more

They get forgiven for some of the imperfections due to their cheap price for pretty decent hotpot for what you pay. The broth and noodles tasted good and there are a lot of options to mix and match to fill your bowl. Better than the hotpot place by Walmart in that you can choose what you want and eat as much except you can't take home leftovers. The seafood stuff was meh but the meats and other appetizers were great for the price and even on weekends. The reservation part annoyed me when they would seat those who did that first and I didn't want to make a reservation despite there being plenty of space in the restaurant at open. It felt like you reserve when you get there you cut people in line who were there first. Also the tipping screen calculates percentage based on after tax, make sure you do the math and there is no default 15%! read more

My family wanted to have an early Christmas dinner before my parents leave out of the country for a month, and they were craving AYCE sushi. I looked around on Yelp and came across Shabu Gen--perfect timing, because the cold weather made hot pot sound amazing! I knew the AYCE hot pot and sushi would satisfy all of our cravings. When we got to the restaurant, there was a good amount of people waiting to be seated. Luckily, I had already put us on the Yelp waitlist, so by the time we arrived, we were right at the top. Highly recommend joining the waitlist ahead of time to avoid a long wait! The interior was also spacious and the tabletops all had individual stovetops so each person has their own hot pot. The menu had a great variety of hot pot broths, meats, appetizers, and sushi options. We all chose different broths (spicy miso, spicy house, and two original house) and ordered most of the meats and appetizers to share. The service was very quick as our servers were very attentive and had perfect timing whenever we were ready to order more. The self-serve buffet area was also impressive with plenty of veggies, sauces, noodles, and seafood to customize your hot pot just the way you like it. After dinner, my family and I all agreed that this has officially become our new favorite hot pot spot in the area--especially for the price! The sushi was alright, but the hot pot was definitely the highlight of the night. We will absolutely be coming back! read more

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Located in the plaza in between REI and Best Buy, Shabu Gen is the place to go if you're craving both sushi and shabu. That's the deal that I pick every time because you do get the best bang for your buck! The wait can be long so recommend getting on the Yelp waitlist. The owners are often present, attentive, and communicative regarding your table and how long the wait is. The atmosphere inside is steamy and smells like hot pot - it's so comforting during the cold winter. Recommend getting the following rolls: Burning Your Ass, Salmon Lover, and Dragon Roll. They provide about 4 pieces each and it's so easy to order double or triple of rolls you like. There are things that you will try once and never get it again. The options for shabu is decent for the price you pay. I like getting the small crab, rice balls, squash, corn, potstickers, imitation crab, the fish cake in the shape of a fish, and the fresh green veggies. I like the Spicy Miso and Spicy House broths. For the sauces, I like having more than one. Ponzu with lots of jalapenos and sriracha, sesame sauce with sriracha and sambal. Ah, just thinking about the sauces makes me want to go back already! Servers are attentive and nice. The meats come out quickly! My favorite meat is the beef toro. If you love fatty meats, that is my recommendation. They service Pepsi products here, so FYI, there is no Diet Coke. read more

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