I got the garlic peppercorn rice. It was ok and had a bland flavor. It felt like the table condiments uplifted the flavor, but it wasn't enough. The meat was ok as well and was a little chewy. I would say it was a nice experience to have the food sizzle and to cook it the way you would like. But it was kind of missing the tasty component for the food. It was either underwhelming or overwhelming. read more

I GOT FOOD POISONING AFTER I ATE HERE TODAY. Please save your money and go somewhere else. Also they play music very loudly and when I asked the server to turn it down because I had a headache he either didn't do it or barely turned it down so I ended up having to get my food to go. I used to love coming here, but both the service and the quality of the food have gone downhill. Would not recommend unless you want food poisoning read more

Definitely worth the try. Service was good and fast. Food was delicious. I highly recommend this place read more

Sizzling Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

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We began our experience with complete lack of respect. We were asked to stand outside in the cold and dark, keeping in mind this was at night. We also heard a loud "f*ck" as they began to set up our table and could see them unwilling to serve us. When finally allowed to go back in, we were told that they were missing corn. After sitting down, we saw that the entire section of glass noodles was sold out and we were never informed. When leaving, we heard one of the waiter mumble "these f*cking kids" and glared at us. Needless to say, never going back again. read more

Cooking your own fried rice in-restaurant is definitely a unique experience! Ordered the Pork Belly Pepper Rice, and while cooking it realized there wasn't that much meat or topping at all, and a disproportionate (yet still properly filling) amount of rice. The meat itself, although mostly the belly fat, was still good. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Pork Belly Pepper Rice - keep in mind that meat does in fact shrink when cooking... - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

Came to check this place out since I've had this style of food before. Normally when I eat at a teppan restaurant I choose rice as my base, but decided on the Beef Curry Udon and it was delicious and filling! Simple ingredients of sliced beef (tender), udon noodles, garlic butter, corn, curry powder. While sizzling, I added in the garlic shoyu and teriyaki sauce they have in bottles, and some chili powder and pepper. Mix it up and enjoy! The food stays hot and fresh the entire time so be sure to blow on it well. Noodles were very soft and fluffy and I think I like eating udon noodles like this best after getting this dish. The servers were nice, food was delicious, and restaurant was clean. Menu is simple to order from and the food arrives very quick! I highly recommend, especially since restaurants like this are not usually in Isla Vista. Def one of the best Asian food spots in SB to check out. read more

Trying this place on our SoCal trip and not disappoint. First and most importantly it is pet friendly so my puppy feels welcomed. The staff was friendly and attentive. The food was good, especially the cheese fries appetizer. The beef garlic pepper rice was delish. The curry was a bit different than one we had in NorCal. The katsu was a little dry. There is room for improvement. Overall we were happy with our meal and enjoyed the upbeat and industrial ambiance. Will definitely come again. read more

The service was excellent! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance was very clean, airy and practical.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was a bit Difficult to figure out, but the guy running the place came over to our table and helped us. My question was, why cut up wagyu beef into thin slices? You kinda lose the tenderness of the wagyu... read more

Was not originally planning to eat here for lunch but so glad we did. I will definitely come back next time we are in town. The group favorite was the black pepper rice meal as the beef was so tender and the rice turned crispy and tasted so good. Other items preferred was the curry and the udon and both dishes were really good. If you are on the fence though order the black pepper rice as you should not be disappointed. read more

Good food and good service! For appetizers we got the chicken karage and takoyaki! Both were delicious. As for entrees we went with the garlic rice and the kimchi garlic rice! Both were awesome! I suggest you add an egg to your dish! read more

The food here is always fantastic, and portions are generous! My favorite thing to get is the chicken katsu curry, the katsu always comes out perfectly fried and crunchy and complements the curry wonderfully. They have sauces you can add to the rice (garlic and teriyaki, I believe?) if you would like. Highly recommend!! read more

Sizzling Lunch - The chicken katsu - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

Being from LA, I have high expectations for quality and authenticity of food so when I heard about Sizzling Lunch opening up I got so excited to try it and see the hype for myself. When I came, the service was already a huge improvement than 212 hotpot (what the place was before) where everything was self serve. The waiters were on top of their service and the food came out very quickly. I ordered the garlic beef rice and it was a huge portion for what the price was. Not only that, they have great add ons, I would recommend the egg and cheese! I had the gyoza and takoyaki appetizers which were also pretty good. Shoutout to the waiters Jason and Jay for the amazing service! Will definitely be coming back again read more

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

This place is a must try. The sizzling dishes are very interesting and taste delicious, yum.

I'm honestly so glad Sizzling Lunch opened in IV because there's not many good Asian spots around. It's one of my favorite places to eat at! The vibe of the restaurant is really nice so it makes it a great place to eat with friends and talk. The first time I came, I got the garlic beef pepper rice and it's so good! Definitely recommend if you like fried garlic because it's so bomb. The meat is pretty bland so make sure to season it! I personally really like the garlic shoyu sauce. It's a great savory flavor. If you like more of a sweet flavor, there's teriyaki sauce (but I personally don't like sweet). I also tried the beef udon. I added fried garlic to it (can't resist). The udon noodles were thick and chewy. I usually don't like thick noodles but it's actually really good. Would definitely go back to get it again if I'm ever craving noodles. read more

Sizzling Lunch - Garlic beef pepper rice - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

Service was amazing! Food was really good :D we got the Kimchi pepper rice and the garlic pepper one. We were really excited to find out they had this out here. Last time we had something like this was back in Singapore. They had the sauces at the table which was definitely a plus! A large water container for the whole table too. Love that :) definitely recommend!! read more

Light, you can control the salt level you want. Service is good. Salmon and chicken were kind of dry. We were told bathroom was outside the backdoor. We could not find it. read more

One word to sum up the overall experience of sizzling lunch is YUM! I just moved to the neighborhood and needed a place to grab a bite to eat that truly hit the spot. This place is popular, and the food is pretty darn good. The restaurant is small, but that doesn't seem to deter guests. It is clean and the staff seem happy to be serving the public. Looking forward to eating here again. Chicken Katsu Curry was so so yum! Shout out to sizzling lunch, keep up the good work! read more

Amazing food....been here twice will come again! No bathroom here or parking so use bathroom before you come and come on weekdays so you can find parking on the streets read more

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Worst service I've ever had. Staff was incredibly rude and swore loudly when we told them we had a large party. 0/5

Amazing food, service and atmosphere. Personally I loved this establishment and would recommend it to anyone who is in the area. I just wanted to discuss the amazing service I received today. One waitresses went above and beyond in making our experience one of a kind. I believe her name was Thanh? I'm not sure but whoever she was, she was absolutely the kindest soul I have ever met. It goes to show you what good management looks like when they are hiring people like the waitress I met. I will definitely be returning. read more

I was looking for something "different" in a dining experience, and I did find it at Sizzling Lunch. Needless to say, it did require some table-top education and guidance, but the young waiter/cashier was very patient with me ("me" being a 74-year-old adventurer, continually being mystified by "new stuff"). I ordered the Pork Katsu Rice with curry sauce. Despite a lovely gravy being provided, I found the katsu to be too dry for my liking, although the quantity of food was quite sufficient. My friend ordered the curry beef udon, and liked it very much. The complimentary cold water was a nice touch, though it was a shame the menu-listed iced tea was unavailable that day. Despite the fact that Lunch Express is more than an hour away from me, I would like to try them again. Maybe their Kurabuta Pork Belly Pepper Rice offering ... I hope they have iced tea available next time! read more

Finally they're back open! This place is super good! I got the kimchi beef rice plate and it was tasty and the perfect amount. Happy and helpful service too! I'll be back read more

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

The plates are super hot so you know your food will stay warm. The food comes out pretty quickly. It's hard sometimes when they only have one server so be patient. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I enjoyed the music and overall experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food itself is very good especially when you add the recommended sauces. If I had to recommend something it would be the fries it's definitely a good type of different. I am 100% going again. read more

Very good food, healthy choices and cater to alergies. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Fun place to eat by yourself or with friends and family.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Sat and served within 15 minutes! read more

I was visiting my sister for the weekend and she wanted to take me here! The food was great and the cleanliness was A+. Each table had a box of clorox wipes and masks are required to enter. Will be coming back again soon since they don't have this in San Diego!! read more

Came here for lunch today and got the curry beef udon and added an egg. It was super filling and flavorful. I also ordered the chicken wings, which was amazing. The garlic sauce on it was sweet but they only put enough to give the wing a splash of flavor. The service was quick and we got our food fast. The only thing that sucked was they didn't have boba or any milk tea. Other than that it was a good lunch and definitely came out sizzling. read more

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Honestly writing this review because they give you 10% off your meal if you check in with them/write a review, but the rating itself is what I'd rate them as. Food was good, if you've ever had pepper lunch the type of food is very similar. I got the kimchi pepper beef plate thing. Would definitely say it was worth its price. Overall food is 3 stars but the reason I gave it 4 was because I saw another tables food come out while the customer wasn't there (restroom). This was a problem since you need to be there to cook your meat when it comes out/the plate is hot. Rather than sending it back (which would cost the owner money) or leaving it there unattended (which would result in uncooked food for the customer) The server stood there and cooked the customers food for him (while keeping it nice and organized/didn't destroy the look of it). I asked the workers, his name is Andy. Props to that guy. Good service my dude. read more

The service would be pretty awful, and there are flies on the top of sauce bottles at the seat next to the wall (try to avoid). If there's something wrong with the service or food, they have all excuses and blaming customers having high expectations. Better for people who do not care about service or environment to go, for the food is special. read more

I like the on table kiosk ordering. Food was good, ingredients fresh. Simple straightforward options.

I love the chicken Katsu Curry here. Comes in a super hot skillet that makes crispy rice bottom after you pour curry over rice/chicken. Free water is delicious too. read more

Absolutely horrible... went with my friend and we ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. The appetizers, though small we're actually tasty. The same could not be said of their rice with meat or udon with meat. The portion size for the rice was fine. As for the udon, the volume is equivalent to the rice. But obviously the density of udon is vastly different than rice. I literally got no food. In addition, both plates were 100% not seasoned. See they have seasonings on the table. But it's the most basic teriyaki and salt with a few other seasonings. If I wanted raw meat and 5 pieces of noodles that haven't been seasoned, I can easily make it at home within 3 minutes. Not to mention the curry sauce. They charge 3 dollars for curry sauce that is bought straight from the store. By taste, it tasted like 60% corn starch. read more

The food here was alright but the service was atrocious. The WiFi was down or whatever and we had to stay an extra 30 minutes for them to try to figure out how to ring us up. We were in a rush and still waited but that was such a terrible experience. I read more

Sizzling Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Goleta, California

We went here because it was the only place open in Isla Vista on Christmas. It was OK, but I don't see what makes for all the top ratings. The menu is very limited. We had the Beef Udon. We were not sure what to do when it came out, so we were grateful that the server cooked the beef before the plate cooled too much. The beef had too much fat for my taste. And you only have maybe 30 seconds to cook it before it stops sizzling. Not enough to burn off the fat. My wife ordered the Takoyaki appetizer. It was like a bunch of donut holes. We were told they have squid inside. True. But each one had just a tiny bit of squid. It did not seem very wholesome to me as an appetizer. Maybe OK as a dessert. I had seaweed salad as an appetizer. That was OK. It was seaweed salad. I might try this place again for the steak if I am ever in the mood for steak (not very often). Otherwise, I think Sushiya is a much better choice for Japanese food in Isla Vista. read more

Not enough beef. Didn't taste well. Don't want to buy the same food again. I could cook much better than it. I once also got a run after eating it read more

Food is yummy and the service is self served with iPads which is easy to understand. Cooking and the sauce included make the experience enjoyable overall nice quick bite to enjoy read more

I tried the beef udon. Super good. But a little bit too oily. It is not easy to park nearby.

Never had sizzling lunch before, but tried this out with a friend! Got the kimchi beef pepper rice since I like kimchi and it was very fulfilling! Had to take home some leftovers. Also the server Angie was super helpful and amazing! read more

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

Very oily and bland. Kinda disappointed because I heard so many good things about this place. My friend got salmon rice bowl. She said it's also very bland. read more

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

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Pretty gas to be honest, just expensive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]You're pretty much just paying for the experience which is valid because it's kinda fun.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Just get the garlic pepper beef on rice, it's the most basic and pretty good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It gets pretty smokey inside so idk kinda weird.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Every item seems decent but if you get the fish i would personally think you're sus. read more

Sizzling Lunch is always a good option with friends (: Their service is relatively quick and the food never takes long to come out. read more

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