I really love Sizzling Lunch. The food is always great, in part because I always end up "cooking" my own meat. I actually appreciate having the opportunity to have a say in how done my meat is so kudos to Sizzling Lunch for operating this kind of restaurant. This specific location had some minor issues though, mainly with service. I've been to a few other locations in the Bay Area and the service is always good. Unfortunately when we visited this location as we were passing through, the server was grumpy from the moment we walked in. The food was quite good but the Rib-eye special did not come with soup unlike the ones in the Bay Area. But once the garlic buttery beef hit my tongue all was forgiven. Five stars for the excellent sizzling plates and garlic butter minus one star for the mediocre service. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Mon-Thurs only - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

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Every time I'm in SB, this place is a must go. Food 5/5: I get the beef udon every time and I will continue to get it every time because it simply just heals the soul. The udon pairs perfectly with the beef and corn and I love drowning mine in teriyaki sauce. Their appetizers are pretty good as well but nothing I'd go out of the way for. Service 5/5: They are pretty quick and always nice. Ambiance 4/5: Their bathroom situation is pretty weird and after going outside only for it to be locked, I just gave up. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Beef Udon - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

I was really excited that I found a Sizzling Lunch in IV! I ordered the kimchi pepper rice, takoyaki, and spicy wings. I thought the takoyaki and wings were pretty solid. The flavor of the takoyaki was really good with all if the bonito flakes on top. My kimchi rice was really good, I loved how much kimchi was on it! For anyone that is new to Sizzling Lunch, you order on a tablet (this can be confusing with all of the add ons) and your food comes on a sizzling plate. It's like your own personal kbbq plate! Service was pretty quick, and food was very good. I think this restaurant would be best for sit down to get the full Sizzling Lunch experience! read more

Sizzling Lunch - Kimchi Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

Such a solid food option in the area where there aren't a ton. I appreciate the flexibility for vegan options and the speedy service! Yum!

Good spot for lunch. It's similar to our fav beef peppered rice place in SF. Our server was friendly. Simple menu. We ordered the beef peppered rice and the kimchi beef peppered rice. I really enjoyed the garlic bits in the beef peppered rice . Both dishes were similar. Only difference was the kimchi in one and the garlic bits in only the beef peppered rice dish. I wish they offered an option to add a fried egg. Glad the UCSB students have an option to dine here. It's something different from Pizza or Panda Express. read more

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This place never disappoints from food to service! Jubei is friendly and attentive to our needs. Our faves are the tonkatsu, beef pepper, and cheese corn. Also, this place is clean. One of our fave spots plus the pricing is reasonable. One of the regular places we go to. Give this place a try. This place is near UCSB and beside a 711 convenience store. Parking can be a bit tricky at times though. read more

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first time visiting Isla vista and we stumbled upon sizzling lunch. Cute & affordable little restaurant where you place your order at the table on the screen and pay up front. We tried the garlic beef rice & pork belly rice plus some gyozas and an order of fried chicken appetizer. Personally the chicken appetizer was too spicy. I loved the beef & rice and thought it was cool you finish cooking yourself as it's served on a hot cast iron plate. The pork belly was delicious! The server was super nice and gave me my entree free for Mother's Day which was totally unexpected and super generous! I'd recommend and would return! read more

Sizzling Lunch - Garlic Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

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I usually love places that do sizzling plates. But this place was a bit of a disappointment. I do appreciate that you can order from an iPad at each table. However, Food lacked flavor & needed a hefty amount of the available sauces/seasonings at the table. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Chicken Kaarage - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

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Love the beef pepper rice. After mixing, it tastes pretty plain, but after adding a bunch of teriyaki sauce and a sprinkle of garlic soy, it taste amazing. Love that it's on a hot plate so the rice can be crispy on the edges. Don't forget to order the fries. It's a huge portion, good for sharing but really addicting :) Service was fast, and make sure to pay at the counter. Nice read more

Sizzling Lunch - Originally Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

Had lunch with a friend here for the first time and it was a great experience. The staff was welcoming and nice from the moment we came in and the food was served fast. I liked how they have plenty of seating area and how u can order everything from your table through a kiosk. I tried the cheese fries and garlic pepper plate and they were both delicious! The amount of food was generous too, ended up having leftovers. read more

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4.8 rounded up. Excellent place for UCSB students. The sizzling hot plate literally cooking the raw meat served and need to stir to cook. Adding the various sauces enhances everything. The corn cheese to share is unique and Yummie. The garlic rice I loved and other varieties like udon helps vary the texture. Gotta start mixing right after served or will burn per daughter . Gotta love this place read more

Sizzling Lunch - Cheese corn precooked - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

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This is an absolute classic in Isla Vista and may be one of my favorite places to go whenever there's a reason to celebrate! However, while I wish I could come here all the time, the prices do lean more on the expensive side considering the items, which makes this more of a treat on special occasions. In spite of that, the service is strong and the ambiance is always fun - I love the ability to get to cook my own food and see it sizzle! I would give this a solid 4.5 stars and for those who don't care as much about the price tag, it could easily be a 5! read more

(Overall: A) - Sizzling Lunch is easiest my top restaurant pick in Santa Barbara. I feel that their beef pepper rice is definitely the star dish with an interesting premise if you know how to handle the sizzling stone. In addition, they have your classic tea shop appetizers -- Chicken Karaage, Sweet Potato Fries, and Takoyaki -- which are all of decent quality. From a cost analysis, I think the prices are very fair for the food you're getting, especially compared to everything else in the area that is not as great quality. read more

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If I were to eat out in IV, Sizzling Lunch would be one of my top choices. With a bunch of NorCal locations, I'm glad they (re)opened in this college town, increasing the variety of Asian food in the area. We seated ourselves, ordered on the iPad, and paid at the register at the end of the meal. Each table has a pack of Clorox wipes as well as garlic shoyu sauce, teriyaki sauce, chili powder (shichimi togarashi), salt and pepper. I find the instructions on the wall helpful in explaining how to eat the teppanyaki style dishes because you want to make sure the meat cooks fully. The teriyaki chicken wings (not deep fried) are pretty standard and tasty. Although the garlic beef pepper rice is popular, I always find myself ordering the curry beef udon because it's so comforting and satisfying. The curry powder is Japanese curry and not spicy at all. I hope Sizzling Lunch sticks around! read more

Sizzling Lunch - 1. Curry Beef Udons - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

Udon and beef was so good! The sauces were flavorful and you can add it to your liking. The service was friendly and the waiter took the time to explain the ordering process and the way to eat the food. Lots of great options on their menu for everyone! read more

Sizzling Lunch - Self ordering - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

My second time trying this place and it never disappoints! We went a little close to closing time but they still welcomed us which was appreciated! We got the Kurabuta Pork Belly Pepper and shared it between two people. But honestly, with the way we finished the dish, we coupd have ordered one each! Definitely a go to when visiting Santa Barbara read more

Sizzling Lunch - Kurabuta Pork Belly Pepper - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

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Ok... yes it might be a bit pricy for a college student... but most things in IV is pretty expensive. It was a super cool experience. I've gone twice and I enjoyed it both times! They bring the dish out to you and you get to experiment cooking it yourself! I do recommend not getting the chicken as I am more iffy of finishing that off in a shorter period of time. My personal favorite is the pork belly rice, but the pork katsu curry is decent too. Their sauces are delicious and you can order directly off of the tablets. The service is ok, could be better. The tables are nice and big and there is room for a big group. That being said, be aware that they do have a service fee. The lighting is nice and I do think it would be a nice place for date night! The service sizes are pretty large! I personally like to share a dish! read more

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Decent place for lunch and hanging out with friends. Due to Covid-19, they have a monitor at each table that you can order everything from there, and the order will be sent straight to the kitchen. Friendly staff, fast service, great food. I love the chicken wings and sizzling rice. Plenty of options. Would love to come back again when visiting UCSB. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

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Came here after we attended the UCSB Open house. It was located in the very busy are of IV where lots of restaurants are. The ambience is nice. Restaurant was clean and not too busy during the time we visited. The person who helped us was very nice and helpful. Each tabel has tablets wher you place you order and submit. Service was really fast, Food was really good!! Will definitely be back here when we go to UCSB again. read more

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Clean and popular college town restaurant! Most UCSB students will have eaten here at least once and it's one of very few Asian places around town. You order on a tablet which was nice and easy! The food comes out fairly quick. Most of the workers are students so they give off a friendly vibe :) Most of the dishes are hot plates of rice or noodles, meat, and some veggies. It is a little bit pricey for my liking but there aren't many Asian-styled restaurants in the area so we are thankful for what we get :) People have told me the chicken katsu curry tastes great. I also think the beef udon was pretty good! In conclusion, i think this place has fine tasting food and super friendly service! As a broke college kid, I unfortunately would probably opt for making a similar dish at home, but it was nice to come here with some friends for lunch/dinner! read more

Sizzling Lunch - 4. Double Hamburg Teriyaki Deluxe - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

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This is one of the few places I often go to for lunch. I did try ordering food and eating for dinner, that was definitely not the move! The food taste really good including the dumplings and the dipping sauce which tends to be a miss in these sides of the parks. It caters to most students around the area since the college is in the same vicinity. It's still pricey for what it is especially that they're catering to students. Food was really good. I had the beef garlic fried rice with a fried egg. It tasted savory with a hint of sweet but not too sweet which I don't like. If they had lomein and fixed it up with the flavors used for their fried rice it would be a hit! The chicken karrage sucked so don't bother ordering it. Was mediocre and tasted old like sitting in grease. But the dumplings, I could just eat them alone and it wouldn't be a problem. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Beef 1. Garlic Beef Pepper Rice Chicken Kaarage and dumplings - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

I have to cook my food? This ain't KBBQ, or shabu-shabbu, or gyu-kaku. That's what I was thinking when my family and I got there. Lucky for me, the cooking process is very simple. There's no grill on the table, everything is served in a sizzling hot bowl. I got the Pepper Beef Bowl so all I did was make sure the beef was cooked on both sides, then I mixed everything together. It looks like a beef rice bowl in the end. And what you get is a very delicious and very garlicky dish. And I love garlic! They give you a lot and it's crunchy. The server told me I can pour shoyu or teriyaki sauce onto my dish but I kept it plain. I didn't think it needed it since the garlic was so great. My wife got the salmon dish and she loved it. Had no problem cooking the salmon in the bowl. And my son got the chicken karaage dish and he also loved it., can't go wrong with fried chicken. The service was great. You place your orders on an iPad next to the table and that's it. If you need service there's a service button on the item that will alert the server to come. My family went during lunch in Saturday and it wasn't too busy. Overall we really enjoyed the place and look forward to coming back to try the other dishes. read more

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Based on the reviews and verbal recommendations, I have been looking forward to the opportunity of trying out Sizzling Lunch for myself. I came in during the summer and on a weekday. Given it's close vicinity to UCSB being in Isla Vista, there were a decent amount of groups dining in and the online take out orders kept piling up. The menu is a bit odd... They either have a mobile QR code menu to scan or a tablet electronic menu on each table, yet no paper or posted menu. The employee was easy going and friendly, but appeared to be waiting tables and cooking in the kitchen. He was very busy, however, was willing to answer one question I had which was: "What is the top dish ordered?" Based on the response and Yelp reviews, I went with the Garlic Pepper Beef on rice. In all, plus tip, it ended up coming out to around just under $20. My order was ready in a reasonable time--roughly 10 minutes. This is where things go downhill... I had my meal for take out which could have been my first downfall. At Sizzling Lunch you usually come with others, use a tablet to order, then cook your own beef, rice, broth, noodles and whatever else you order. Perhaps it's about the experience. Second, I didn't have the opportunity to put what spices or sauces on the dish myself; these are provided on the table. Instead when I opened up the box, it was smothered with a thick layer of garlic flakes. So much that I could barely see the meat or rice beneath. If it were fresh garlic it may have been different. Yet this would kill Dracula immediately! I tried to scrape off what I could but was unsuccessful. The dish was basically inedible, plus I couldn't taste the meat by itself due to the overwhelming garlic flavor. Perhaps these two reasons were why I had a mediocre experience... who knows? I'm up in the air on whether I want to try it again but this was simply a "meh." Note: This is unassociated with the chains Sizzling Platter or Pepper Lunch franchises, yet has a similar dining concept. read more

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Came here on a Sunday night because we were in town and it had great reviews. That wasn't the case here.. we waited by the "please wait to be seated" sign for about 5 minutes before anyone acknowledged us. It was pretty Smokey inside, and for a place like this you've got to have negative ventilation on all the time.. the ventilation didn't seem to be on. The guy came out and said "let me just clean the table first" we sat down and looked on the screen at our table to order. We ordered the shrimp pepper rice, the garlic beef pepper rice, an order of miso soup and shrimp tempura. The shrimp and garlic beef pepper rice were so bland. The meat had no seasoning (pepper) and when I asked the server if there was seasoning on it he said that it was on the rice under the toppings.. when I mixed it that was not the case at all.. I did not sea any seasoning on it just the crunchy topping, chives and corn.. I mixed it and it was super bland with no flavor so I added my own pepper and salt bay was at the table.. still didn't help. I asked the server for soy sauce and he said he'd grab it then came back and said they were all out.. but that the garlic sauce on the table was "like soy sauce" what?? Did he say that because he thought I didn't know the difference? My hot plate did not stay hot for long so I had pieces of meat that were undercooked.. still raw.. The shrimp pepper rice was also bland.. we kept trying to add stuff for flavor but to no avail.. the shrimp tempura came with some watery off brown color sauce that also had no flavor. And miso was generic and were pretty sure it was store bought or something and the fried tofu inside the miso was extremely dry and not edible. I feel that I had a bad experience and the service wasn't up to the standard.. read more

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I absolutely love this place. It is unique for the area, modern, and fun in IV. You order on a screen at your table and the items are brought to you. My favorite is the chicken karage, spicy pepper beef rice, and a simple bowl of miso soup. They have teriyaki and garlic shoyu sauce to add along with extra condiments. The meals come out quickly and are reasonably priced. Only real down side is trying to find parking in IV when you are starving and there are no open spaces around. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Karage - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

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I visited Sizzling Lunch after I was trying to get some inspiration on what I wanted to have for dinner. This is something that I've been meaning to try. I have a similar restaurant back at home and I've never actually tried but this looked like the same concept. They are part of the Yelp wait list at the restaurant so the staff was already expecting me once I entered. I was warmly greeted and seated immediately. The waitress explained the menu and she came by with an iPad and placed my order right away. A couple minutes later I got my takoyaki and then my entrée showed up shortly after. I ended up deciding to order the noodles with the curry beef and I also got a side order of extra meat for an extra five dollars. The side order came in it's own sizzling plate so that was a surprise. Everything was amazing. The next time I go visit, I will try to order a rice dish to see how that is like. What was great was that they had sauces at the table so you could add more seasoning or adjust your food accordingly. Parking: it's always a little bit tricky here in Isla Vista but luckily I was able to find some parking a few blocks away. read more

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The food was too much money for rice and a little beef with some slight toppings. Also may have gotten sick after. The ambiance and customer service was good, but not good enough to justify returning given the price of the sizzling plates. Hot plates and self cook is a fun gimmick. There were several sauce options and fresh cracked salt/pepper available to use! read more

My go to restaurant when I'm looking for something filling during my gaps at school. Very nostalgic and one of the few things that remind me of the bay area. Service is mostly by the ipad on the table, which is great for social distancing. Sometimes extra orders on the ipad after your first order won't be seen right away, so you might as well flag a server down to assist you. Curry beef rice with cheese + egg: 10/10 I always order this dish because it's so filling and warms up my stomach. I love how you can leave the rice alone to get crispy at the bottom while you focus on cooking your meat. The sauces and spices on the side makes the dish taste amazing. Delicious. Potstickers: 10/10 nice, crispy and flavorful. Your typical potsticker. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Curry beef rice with cheese +egg :) - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

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Unique dining experience where you can easily order off of the tablets provided on the table. It's good for anyone who wants to eat alone or with a group! I'd recommend adding some add-ins for extra flavor and tastes to your rice. The plate is VERY hot so just keep that in mind so you don't burn yourself. read more

Sizzling Lunch - 1. Garlic Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

Friendly service The food is fine (but not super ) Price is pretty affordable You have to find a parking space in the street ( no private parking lot) read more

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Absolutely tasteless and oily food. $50 for 2 people with a single drink. Definitely not worth it. Walk over to Freebirds for much better quality and healthy food at a much better price. read more

Typical college town vibe. Not too many people in there when I came in. I added an extra egg and cheese to mine, it was good! I liked how we could order with the tablet that is at every table. Hot plate stayed hot for a long time. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Garlic Beef Pepper RIce with Cheese and Egg - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

Omg I never understood why people were so crazy about teppanyaki (like Pepper Lunch) but now I get it. Except this place is waaaay better than Pepper Lunch. I came with a group of 5 around 6pm on a Saturday and waited for about 10 minutes before getting seated, then got our food another 10 min after ordering. I got the standard beef udon but added cheese on top for an extra $1, and holy shit that was the best decision ever. The udon was also so buttery and the meat quality was pretty good. They give you 2 sauces at your table (forgot what they were called), so I added both and it made the udon even better bc it's not salty enough on its own. Tbh I don't even like corn and forgot to ask them to leave it out, but the whole dish was so bomb that the corn was totally fine. I literally scraped every last bit of food off the plate bc it was THAT delicious. Btw you get 10% off for checking in on yelp + another 5% off if you pay in cash! Ahh can't wait to come back here the next time I'm in IV :3 read more

Sizzling Lunch - Beef udon with cheese added! - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

Times visited: 8 1st: 1x Garlic Pepper Beef Plate + Takoyaki Plate is good. I recommend adding the Chili Powder and Garlic Shoyu is when mixing it to add some more flavor. Takoyaki is the soft kind (more chewy than crispy) it's decent for the price. 2nd-3rd time: 2x Garlic Pepper Beef Plate each Same opinion. I've been adding more chili power. Shit is good. 4th time: 1x Calamari. 1x Cheese French Fries Great as snacks at 9 PM while waiting for laundry. Calamari is crisp and tasty. Fries are well seasoned. Will order again 5th-10th time: They keep me coming back lol. New favorite is the Beef Rice with Curry sauce. The Asian style curry is pretty delicious, and it comes with half an egg which is pretty nice. Honestly one of the best new restaurants in IV that opened in Fall'19. Price is reasonable (when comparing to San Francisco prices of similar foods). Food is pretty good, especially going into the colder weathers. I think my biggest praise is how hard the workers have been working to hone their customer service skills. Recommendation on 10/16/19: Do a loyalty program like stamp cards or five star! Will update review as time goes on. read more

Went for dinner with a few friends tonight and had a pretty okay experience. Got the pork belly rice and thought it was average at best. Even after adding a bunch of garlic shoyu, there was a lack of seasoning in the dish. Good to try it out if you've never gone before as there is a bit of a novelty to it, but I probably wouldn't be back again. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Kurabuta Pork Belly Pepper - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

First timer!** Walking in on a Sunday evening, Sizzling Lunch was busy but still I was able to find a table right away. You can order promptly from their tablets at any table. I ordered the Karabuta Pork Belly Pepper Rice ($15) which came out sizzling hot! If you're afraid the meat wouldn't cook in time before the sizzle goes out, I can tell you it worked out well and I'm still alive! My food was tasty, good amount of seasoning, and they also have available sauces at the table that also makes it taste wonderful. ----- I would love more beverage choices and possibly some alcoholic ones. Parking is a bit difficult if you don't want to pay, seeing as how it is a busy area, but it's worth a taste! read more

Sizzling Lunch - Pork Belly Pepper Rice ($15) - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

The kimchi black pepper rice was so good. I highly recommend coming here. The service was good and you don't have to talk to a waiter since you order on screens. Super good if you're craving something warm and filling. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Kimchi Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

Interesting yummy food. We came when it was not busy so service was ultra fast. Order through tablet was easy.

Reminded me of Pepper Lunch that our family loved in Asia! We opted for 3 sizzling pepper rice plates and 1 cheese fries, and the portions were generous! The food was delicious, but needed to be mixed with a lot of the teriyaki and garlic soy sauces. It was expensive, but at least they were big portions? Highly recommend if you can splurge for it! read more

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Major hipster vibe coming off this place next to Amazon in Isla Vista but I think that suits what they do. Seat yourself anywhere. You order off iPads on the table that they mysteriously didn't provide power for, so the staff have to go around and occasionally hook up external battery power to the devices to keep them charged. The system works amazingly efficient. Keep that in mind if you're there to split a party check. Once you submit it, it goes right through and caught my coworker by surprise as he paid right after he ordered and my order ended up on his bill bc I thought his total was already finalized. Nope! :P The host had to apologize for that and for not knowing if the green zone spot right outside was valid for parking there or not. (It's a 1 hour parking spot.) Yeah, it's street parking only so if parking in a college town scares you, don't come here. They bring you drinks right away if you ordered any. Shortly after that they bring your order (assuming you got a sizzling plate) to table hot enough to burn you. (Love! Can't cure stupid.) I got the chicken udon and my buddy got the beef garlic pepper rice. We both ended up with an egg which is added raw in the kitchen and you're expected to cook with your dish to help dissipate the heat. The serving portions are pretty on point. Get rice if you're a big eater, but a lesser eater like me was good with udon (long day though - on a regular day I might not have finished). They have hot sauce, soy sauce, chili powder, Himalayan pink salt and pepper corns ready to grind fresh on top at the side if you need to add any additional flavor. I had to add a bit of soy sauce but that's about it. Very tasty stuff. I'd come back if I weren't on my own to this spot next time I work SBA. Give it a try. :) read more

Sizzling Lunch - My chicken udon - pre-stir - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California