Very tasty skewers, what stood out was the pork neck, the chicken skin, and potato for skewers. The Agashi tofu was also really good read more

See all

Pleasantly surprised at the quality of food here. I was a longtime patron of the original Spiral sushi, and I was hoping that the same local field carried over to this one. It did. Right as I walked in I was greeted and seated immediately and offered tea or water. I ordered a few skewers and they were all juicy flavorful and a reasonable portion for the price. Garlic Scallop - plump and moist with a sweet and savory garlic sauce Wagyu beef with Uni - super tender, and the Uni was pretty good quality. It was creamy and wasn't stinky at all. The beef was salted nicely with a nice char. Lamb - savory and with a good cumin kick Beef tongue - just the right amount of chew and super flavorful Pork cheek - rich and actually kind of tender. Worked well with the grill. I also got the dragon roll as a lunch special. The avocado and shrimp tempura were great just as you would expect from a normal dragon roll. Overall, I was impressed and pleasantly surprised, and I would definitely come back again read more

Four of us came here for dinner. The place was virtual empty except for one other table on a Tuesday evening. We ordered an assortment of food. The Chicken kaarage was tasty but a very small order. The yakitori skewers were good too especially the wagyu. The cherry blossom roll was very small. The sushi combo was very good and the sushi and sashimi was very tender and fresh. The chicken wing was large and delicious - served hot and crispy. read more

See all

I was actually hesitant to leave a review because I don't want too many people to find out about this hidden gem and make it too crowded! But then I realized that wouldn't be fair to the owner. Their skewers are SOOO good! There really aren't many good skewer places around the Peninsula, so we were super excited to find this place. Honestly, everything on the menu is worth trying. The flavors are very well balanced and pair perfectly with the ingredients. You can really tell that the chef and owner have put a lot of thought and effort into their recipes and menu. Everyone working here is also very nice. They have a chill, laid-back vibe and aren't overly attentive or constantly checking on you, which I personally really like. Definitely a hidden gem. We'll be back! read more

Spiral Flame - Japanese Near Me - San Bruno, California

Delicious food, great service, lively ambiance, very reasonable prices. We were honestly a little bit skeptical given the diversity of Spiral Flame's menu, but we were very pleasantly surprised. We ordered a variety of skewers, several sushi rolls, a couple nigiris, and a fried rice. Everything was really tasty and flavorful. There was only one woman manning the entire restaurant front-of-house, but she did a great job and we never felt like service was lacking. She came by several times to refill our water cups and check on us, and she also gave us a complementary miso soup on the house! Food also came relatively quickly. Prices are incredibly reasonable. For example, the salmon toro nigiri (which comes with two pieces and truffle garnish) is only $7 - easily $15+ at other places. Skewers had great flavor, sushi rolls were fresh, and the fried rice was large. Restaurant was packed on a Sunday evening. Will definitely be back! read more

See all

Most foods were amazing! Chef is amazing. The wait staff is very nice but a little overworked. This is the best grilled skewers place ive ever been to and I've been going here for the last 3 months! The ambience is nice. The oyster mushroom quality has seemed to gone down :( hope this gets fixed soon! everything else has maintained its consistency and the corn addition is SO PEAK! HIGHLY RECCOMMEND! Note to waitstaff girl with bob: I stood up to stretch my leg, sorry that it looked like I was impatient and rushing you. You are working with great efficiency and I was not impatient, sorry if i made you feel bad read more

See all

Came here for an early lunch, and unfortunately, it was not a good experience. We were the only customers in the restaurant, and the waiter didn't seem very friendly or welcoming, although she did say hello and sat us. We ordered a salad, which came out right away but was basically just lettuce with a small amount of shredded carrot. We were charged $6 for it, which felt very overpriced. We ordered sushi rolls, but they didn't taste fresh. I had the bento box and unfortunately, ended up getting sick afterward and wasn't able to eat for the rest of the day. What also stood out was that a woman came over to ask if everything was okay after we had already finished our entire meal. Since we were the only people in the restaurant, it would have been nice to have someone check on us while we were actually eating, especially considering the food quality. I won't be returning and I can't recommend this place. read more

Spiral Flame - Japanese Near Me - San Bruno, California

This is a hole in the wall place that you won't notice easily. Street parking only. Ambiance: 5/5 Restaurant is bigger than we expected! Plenty of tables and can get loud later in the evening. Service: 3/5 There was only 1 lady waiting the entire restaurant. She was attentive in the beginning but her service became lacking when it got busy. Food: 4/5 Skewers were good but not a lot of options for seafood. Sushi was good; fish's quality was fresh and buttery. Fried rice was surprisingly good too! read more

See all

Another fine evening , Excellent food . Kinda getting use to how this works. Come in sit down. Drinks ordered, take your pen and order the dishes you want on sticks , and order sushi. Come to think of it I never saw a drink menu. They have different types of beer and sake. But not sure of the prices. Food came out fairly quickly. And it's gotten busier than last time . I still enjoyed everything, we finished off all the items we ordered. read more

See all

Food: 5/5 Service: 2/5 Ambiance: 4/5 We came on a Friday night, and it was definitely busy. Unfortunately, quite a few items on the menu were already sold out. The food itself was excellent. The skewers were honestly the highlight of the meal--super flavorful and cooked perfectly. We specifically asked for them to be spicy, but our server forgot to put that in, which was a little disappointing. The service, however, left a lot to be desired. After we finished our nigiri, our server immediately cleared the plate before I even had a chance to eat the pickled ginger that came with it. The biggest issue happened at the end of our meal. We had been waiting quite a while for our last two dishes, only to be told that the baked mussels were sold out. The explanation we got was, "We gave the last order to the other table, sorry." That was frustrating to hear after such a long wait. It would've been much better if they had let us know earlier instead of keeping us waiting. The food alone makes this place worth trying, but I don't plan to ever come back here. read more

I hate to give a newer restaurant a low rating. But a lot to improve on. All the skewers were kind of too salty. The meat skewers all tasted like same seasoning used. The lion king, 49ers and double hamachi rolls all $14.50 were tiny. Only 6 pcs and 8 pcs, the fish were tiny sliver. The sushi rice tasted plain with no rice vinegar. The service was nice but didn't get checked on until after finishing. I won't be returning here. Street parking. read more

See all

Really delicious skewers, full of flavor and spices. The server was also very friendly and the food came out fast even thought I came here a little early. The decorations on the walls felt vibrant and made the place feel comfortable. Can't wait to try their other skewers! read more

See all

Friday evening was busy, with a few people waiting inline. Lucky our friends were already seated so we just joined in. It was the first time here so we ordered a bunch of skewers and grilled stuffs pretty much one each for tasting. The stood outs: - Edamame - I didn't touch it until the other dishes to arrive, thinking it's just edamame right, whatever. I was wrong! It's perfectly soft and very savory. I kept on eating it throughout the meal. - Agendashi tofu - Again, another app. I was expecting a oily fried thigh battered tofu. No, it was soft tofu with lightly fried skin in a flavorful dashi sauce. - Grilled oyster - We ordered two small and two large. Honestly the size differences are not significant. Smooth texture, lightly sauced, very meaty, cooked perfectly. - Grilled baby Napa cabbage - $4 for 4 strips of Napa cabbage sounds crazy yeah? The skill of creating the Maillard is worth it. Special shout out to our server Linda! Above and beyond! read more

See all

My friend was coming to visit and my husband found this new place and asked us if we wanted to try it. Sushi and skewer sticks? What a weird combo! What was I thinking? It was a GREAT combo! The restaurant itself was super cute and the waitress was super friendly and helpful! The food was even better! I was blown away! All of us kept saying "mmm" as we bit into each different piece. Our favorite sushi roll was the Romeo and Juliet. We ended up ordering another one of those along with the 49er. Each of the skewer sticks were packed with flavor and everything tasted super delicious! I can't wait to come back to try the other stuff! read more

See all

Heard about this place from a friend who said I needed to check it out. Little skeptical at first as it's in such an unassuming area. Wouldn't expect a good sushi/skewer restaurant to be hidden away like that. Skewers is where this place shines to me. I ordered almost one of each and honestly I was impressed. Especially for the price. Typically skewers are expensive in the Bay Area when you want quality, but Spiral provided the quality at a very reasonable price. Sushi was really good too. Wish I took pictures of everything. Sushi chef seems to know what he's doing and the service was fast and friendly. Another thing that stood out is the place is clean! A clean bathroom is always a big selling point to me. I'm coming back for more skewers and rolls soon! read more

See all

Great little spot for sushi and skewers! We were craving sushi so left skewers for a return visit. The searing on the fish had great flavor. Service was friendly and helpful. read more

Spiral Flame - Japanese Near Me - San Bruno, California

First time here. Plenty of parking. I think it's great that they accept reservations. My party ordered sushi and skewers. Came here on a thursday night night, so it wasn't really busy. We were seated right away and was given about 5 minutes to look over the menu so we can order. Sushi items that we selected were great, but were smaller than what I'm use to getting. The skewers that my kids ordered was a hard miss. So I guess how they do it here is they precooked the skewers in the back, and place it on a metal griddle at the table. Which is kept warm by tea light candles. Maybe we came in on off night because our griddle was only lit when the skewers came. And not even 5 minutes later, one of the tea lights died. So it took longer to warm up that griddle. They all tasted the same, seasoned with the same thing. A tad bit salty to be honest. The service was great though, they were all nice and accommodating. But I might stick to sushi only the next time I come around. read more

See all

I want to preface that I'm originally from Vancouver, Canada, where bbq skewers and sushi are not uncommon--so I feel like I have some street cred when it comes to these things and I've been here twice already! Location: As some other Yelpers have pointed out, this restaurant is nestled in a quiet San Bruno neighborhood just off El Camino which makes it super accessible while also having nice ample street parking in a not-so-busy area. But don't let the humble location fool you into thinking this is just some mom n' pop place. Ambiance & Service: Love their accent wall filled with fun Chinese drinking and eating slogans. It really makes you feel like the owner wants you to have fun, chill, and enjoy some good eats with some drinks. Cool vibe all around where you can hang out with friends and just have a good time. I think it's also important to mention that this place was super clean. I came here with my 7 month old baby and there was lots of room to fit my stroller. The staff were friendly and extremely accommodating offering me a highchair or making way for my stroller. I would say this restaurant is family friendly as I saw a few other young families dining here, too. Food: I came with a group of friends the second time around and was able to order a bunch of different skewers and sushi to try. Everything was flavorful, well seasoned, perfectly cooked, and super fresh. Here are some notable dishes that I loved and would recommend: - Edamame. Don't sleep on these. I ordered 2 of these because they kept getting devoured by my friends. Not your typical boring salted edamame. Thank me later. - Lotus root chips. Another crowd favorite! If you like potato chips, give these a go! Perfectly paired with a beer - Salt & pepper corn. You think you know corn ribs? Let me get you on these and then you can thank me later. - Potato skewers. The kids loved these and so did I! - Chicken wing skewers. Love these so much! The skin is cooked beautifully where you get a nice crunch along with the medley of spices - Pork neck skewers. Lovely textures of soft and crispy - bbq beef skewers. Super tender and perfectly seasoned - lamb skewers. Again, tender and juicy - Jumbo chicken wing. I haven't seen any other place do this so it was so fun to see! It takes the chef a long time to meticulously cook this so it was definitely a treat! - Nigiri & Sashimi. All so fresh and clean tasting - Salmon skin roll. Perfect cook on these I love how each table gets a warming element for the skewers. Since they're heated using tea light candles, they don't cook your food but instead keep them warm in between bites and drinks. Nice thoughtful touch. I highly recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a chill place to wind down with family and/or friends. I believe this place is still fairly new so not many people know about it yet, but once word gets out it'll get super busy. For now, you should be able to visit on a weeknight without having to wait too long for a table. Go go go! read more

See all

Food - ordered a ton of sushi and skewers. Sushi - chef's choice came with a variety of super fresh sushi. Salmon belly was a special and it was perfectly seared. Negihama roll was fresh and tasty. all the sushi was super good and fresh Skewers - ordered a variety of skewers from lamb, chicken and beef. The meats were perfectly seasoned and tender. You can choose to have it spicy or non spicy, which was nice since my bf eats spicy and I don't. Quail eggs were delicious Service - got seated pretty quickly and food came fairly fast. Ambiance - cute spot with lots of seatings, maybe 10 tables or so. Interior had a sushi bar as well for more cozy seating and overall was very clean and nice chill vibe. read more

See all

What a gem! Everything we have tried has been delicious. We enjoy being able to get amazing sushi and skewers all in the same place. Notably, we have been to many skewer places and this has some of the most flavorful and tender. Service and ambience are great too. Very clean inside. We have been twice and both times have been, so good. If you want to try a new place this is it. read more

See all

Very empty restaurant on a Sunday 7pm, which was a little concerning, but fine. The service was prompt , and the place was nicely decorated, so that's a plus. The food was bland. I think the only seasoning was salt, pepper, some spicy flakes. Chinese bbq from other restaurants usually have cumin/Chinese bbq seasoning which this place lacked. I think I was expecting Chinese bbq as described but met mediocre food. They were also out of many items on the menu ... Hopefully they will have better food since it seemed like a newer place read more

Spiral Flame - Seafood fried rice, various skewers - Japanese Near Me - San Bruno, California

Got off late from work and it's 9:25 pm on a Friday night. Did I mention it's Friday and it's no meat because of lent? We were welcomed without hesitation. Why do I mention this? Well the restaurant closes at 10:00 pm, and they kindly accommodated. Mad props because I was hungweeeee and worked up an appetite from a busy shift in the ED. Service and staff are superb. It's just good vibes all around. The food was top notch and delicious. I was super satisfied and did my happy dance while eating. Not gonna lie I was kinda in a bad mood from my shift but after I ate I was in such a better headspace. Was I hangry? Nah, I did have a whack shift at work and eating hella top notch food fixed my attitude. Sushi and skewers ermagerd nom nom nom. If you haven't tried this place, stop lagging and come through! Hidden gem in San Bruno with quality food and genuinely excellent service. read more

See all

Great restaurant near SFO airport. The food was excellent and the service was both quick and welcoming. I especially appreciated the variety on the menu--everything from skewers to sushi to noodle dishes--so there's something for everyone. A really solid spot if you're near the airport and looking for a good meal. read more

Spiral Flame - Japanese Near Me - San Bruno, California

See all

I tried the baked oysters the last time I went and it was amazing!! They're so large and has a garlic sauce on top. Definitely ordering that again. I tried the wagyu and beef tongue and it was also amazing. Comes with a bit of real wasabi on top and it's so good. Well worth the price and was cooked perfectly. Lamb (both lean&fat and signature), pork neck, napa cabbage, and oyster mushroom skewers were delicious like always. Seriously don't sleep on the napa cabbage or oyster mushrooms! read more

This place rules. Delicious, great service, and they have grilled meat that I can't find in SF. I'll be back. Thank you!

Had a nice time. Service was really friendly. Great tasting skewers and seemed fresh. Will definitely come back.

Still fairly new hole in the wall place. Skewers are perfectly seasoned and cooked. Everything is very decent pricing, not very crazy pricing. I drank beer and sake they had a very good selection of alcohol. read more

See all

Wife and I went here yesterday for the first time and we loved every item we ordered. There was an assortment of skewers and the mild spice was very delicious. Their nigiri quality was great as well. We'll definitely be back and refer this place to friends! Thanks to Tiffany for being such a wonderful host as well. An added bonus that they were playing the World Cup with the sound on. read more

Loved this spot ! It feels completely different from what used to be here before. The new decor with the lit up signs inside gives the restaurant a really cool, authentic vibe and makes the whole experience feel fun and lively. Customer service was excellent from start to finish, and the food definitely delivered. The sashimi platter and ramen was the standout! The sashimi was fresh with generous portions and the ramen was comforting. Definitely a place I'd happily come back to. read more

Spiral Flame - Japanese Near Me - San Bruno, California

See all

They are a fair recent business(at least a year) with a recent menu change but let me just say, this is truly a treat for the mouth. The grilled meats come fast and have a warmer to take your time. However the of the show is how shocking tasty their seafood is. The nigiri is cut to perfection and that ika, my gosh with the shisho leaf is delectable. Really happy with the service and quality and wil be visiting often! read more

If you're craving both Chinese skewers AND sushi, this is your spot. The skewers are incredible and the sushi is a perfect match. Great food paired with really friendly service. One of our favorites is the beef tongue, wagyu beef, and eggplant skewers. Everything is so flavorful, and on this day we had the perfect oysters too. We'll definitely be back! read more

See all

This place just opened up recently in San Bruno. Great if you want both skewers and fresh fish. I loved the skewers, they were very tasty. Got everything from the Napa cabbage, eggplant, lamb, beef, squid (one of the best) and a chirashi bowl. The fish was fresh. Flavored well. Service was good, and ambiance felt like you were in a Japanese restaurant (though it is run by Chinese people). Would come back! The only downside is that I had an immediate gut related reaction after dinner... read more

5 Stars - Fantastic food! Loved the delicious sushi and tasty Chinese-style BBQ here! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared. Great service and cozy atmosphere too. Highly recommend! read more

Spiral Flame - Japanese Near Me - San Bruno, California

See all

Incredible spot! Great service delicious food! All the yakitori was perfectly seasoned and tasted very decadent. Perfect tucked in restaurant for late night Japanese! read more

Our visit to Spiral Flame left a strong impression on us. BBQ skewers and sushi done right at a great value is the best way I can describe this spot. The sushi was fresh, buttery, and delicious. It even came with fresh wasabi which made it stand out even more. I would absolutely come back just for that. The BBQ skewers were just as good. They were served on a hot plate warmed by candles which kept everything warm and added a really cool touch to the experience. What makes this place unique is that it focuses on BBQ skewers and sushi under one roof, and somehow it all works perfectly. I have not been to a place that brings these two together like this before. From the pork neck to the sweet potato and even the chirashi bowl my wife ordered, everything was balanced and full of flavor. She loved her bowl and kept talking about how fresh everything tasted. You can tell they put real quality into their craft. Ray, the owner, is someone I can get behind. He was kind and courteous, and what really stood out to me was seeing him and his team eating lunch together. That says a lot about leadership. His team greeted us warmly and made sure to say goodbye when we left. It felt welcoming and genuine. The decor is impressive and very inviting. The space feels comfortable and thoughtfully designed. Next time we plan to sit at the bar to watch all the fantastic food being prepared. They also offer beer and wine if you want to enjoy a drink, and the menu is extensive with plenty of options. Overall I was impressed not just by the food but by the team behind it. When a place treats their staff like family and serves food with care, you can feel it. Great work Ray, we will definitely see you again soon. read more

Great food at a great price! They checked on us consistently during our dinner and they are so nice! Will definitely come back here again when I'm in the area. read more

See all

Amazing traditional chinese BBQ skewers! Meat is hand prepped daily, grilled to perfection (not fried!) and we loved their secret seasoning blend! their wagyu, pork jowl, and chicken wings are the popular favorites! Also don't skip out on the Sushi - fantastic mix of fresh fish and a fantastic $33 Omakase special! read more

See all

Been here like 10 yrs ago. Looks like it changed owners recently so I figure I give it a try. The restaurant looks like its been updated. It was pretty empty last. Had a bunch of sushi rolls. Although it was good, but they were a bit small. It was priced reasonably I guess. $14.50 each. Would I go back? Probably not. The sushi rolls are just way too small compared to the place I normally go to. I pay about $16 there but the rolls are twice as big! read more

See all

Service was terrible! First of all our server did not get any of our order request right. We had to repeat ourselves more than once about each items ordered. Food was too salty and everything tasted the same. Not worth coming here. read more

My search is over for a really good Japanese restaurant. What a treat to be eating here. If you're disgusted by sweet dishes, look no further. If you're a looking for a restaurant that serves high grade sushi and yakitori, this is the place. If you disklike greasy food, come on in. Everything here is perfectly cooked and seasoned. Not salty, not sweet, not greasy. Fish is always fresh. The skewers are uniquely flavored and delicious. Service is always friendly. The chef even offers sashimi samplers that are 11/10. You can tell the chef takes pride in his work. Highly recommended. read more