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The Skewers Bar

4.8 (102 reviews)
Open • 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)
Updated 2 months ago
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The Skewers Bar Photos

THE SKEWERS BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Trendy
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed

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Pear juice with Rock Sugar Drink
Jessica Y.

Staff was super nice! The chef was so nice and cook very good! Server as well very nice people!! The food was INCREDIBLE!! The Grilled Scallops with Garlic Vermicelli, were our favorite! I liked the Grilled Pork Belly Skewers more, but my partner prefer the Juicy Tender Beef Skewers. Overall the food was so yummy! I recommend this place!

Mini fatty beef skewers
Peter N.

One of my go-to spots for Chinese BBQ! The ownership recently changed, so some of the recipes are a little different now and I've noticed the food is a bit spicier. Personally, I like the change. I also like that they're open late, and being right next to Target is super convenient. Service has always been great, and ordering through your phone makes everything pretty easy. Definitely a place I keep coming back to when I'm craving Chinese BBQ.

David N.

The restaurant is small but the decor was very pretty. The workers here are nice and friendly. You had to scan the QR code in order to order. The skewers take a bit to come out because it has to do with place to order We ordered a lot of different skewers and it tastes delicious with the same seasoning. The cheese stick tastes amazing and different from what I'm used to. The scallion noodles had a good bounce and taste to it. I love how the tofu is very crispy with good flavor.

Yibin ran noodles
Hubert L.

I was a massive fan of the old skewer bar (I gave it 5* twice). I went many times. It was my top 1 beli. I love chinese skewers. I agree, as the time went on, their quality did degrade, and I do think the quality of the new management is better than the quality of Skewer Bar at the end of the previous management's lifespan. But I do not think it could get 5* from me. I will explain why. Firstly, the interior is roughly the same. The Kaws statue is gone, and the signature lighting is also gone. The rest is similar. Same # of tables (About 10) and it gets busy at night on weekends. I will rate 4 criteria, and even give a comparison to the old skewer bar. 1. Value for price: 3/5 This was the biggest hit for me. The tendon portions in the old management were gigantic. Even the meat skewers were bigger. I would say I'm getting like 30-40% less meat for the same price point as before. This is a massive degradation. 2. Quality of Skewers: 4.5/5 This is the biggest uplift. The seasoning is my only gripe- the vegetable skewers were slightly sweet which I don't know how I feel about. However, rub is good, and some skewers are very tender, even more tender than before. tendon is soft. 3. Variety in Menu: 5/5 The menu was one of skewer bar's selling points. I am happy to say the variety is still good. I see chicken heart (not there before), and several new things that I didn't see previously. I want to confirm that my belief is management should continue to iterate on the menu. Adding things like tripe for example would be a nice welcome. 4. Service: 5/5 I think the service is very good. I can tell they care much more about the service than before. The cook comes out to greet you. They serve water / etc. without asking. That being said... I don't care about service that much at skewers. Obviously it is a nice to have. So, why is the overall rating only a 4* and not a 5*? because of value for price. The drop is simply too much to ignore. It's literally 30% less, while quality is higher, I don't think you can excuse such a drop in portion size without lowering the rating. Please rethink the value per skewer, business owners.

grilled eggplant
Yumei H.

I came here around 6:30 on wed and there were plenty of seats. With cantonese music blasting, this place seemed really promising. We got beef skewers, lamb skewers, corn kernels, green beans, a-choy, grilled eggplants and shrimp fried rice. Everything tastes sooooo good and flavorful! I love eating the grilled eggplant with fried rice! The meat skewers were tender and well seasoned.

Skewers
Kevin T.

Change in ownership again for the better. Food tastes like how it was when it first opened. Their seasoning is slightly sweeter than Gao bbq. They serve beer and soju again. Service is friendly and welcoming. They completely remodeled the inside and it looks like a new restaurant. I do notice that menu is smaller than the other skewer bbq places but they still have the core dishes one would expect from a skewer place.

Fish ball, beef, gizzard, squid
Megan L.

This spot has changed ownership a few times so this review is for the most recent owners as of Aug 2026. We ordered a variety of skewers so it can get expensive depending on how much you get. To order: you scan the QR code on the table and add the things you want to the cart. Here's the ones we liked: Juicy tender beef Grilled beef tongue Grilled chicken gizzard Grilled crispy chicken skin Grilled lamb Grilled pork collar Fish ball w filling The new owners were so nice and they even gave us plums to eat. Overall it was pretty good and would come back again.

Kevin T.

New chefs and owners since 10 days ago!! If you were disappointed in the past, I'd highly recommend giving them another try. The skewers had really amazing flavor. Our favorites were the chicken heart and the beef skewers. Would definitely come back

Takumi A.

If you are looking for authentic Chinese BBQ and Chinese skewers, The Skewers Bar is a very good representation of the casual barbecue culture found throughout China: skewers, cold drinks, friends, conversation, and repeated rounds of food coming to the table. What impressed me most was actually the process control. Unlike restaurants where customers cook the skewers themselves, everything here is grilled in the kitchen and delivered fully cooked to a heated tray at the table. From an engineering perspective, this is a much better-controlled system. The kitchen controls the thermal process, seasoning, and endpoint instead of introducing a different human variable at every table. The heated tray is also more important than it looks. With skewers, surface area is high relative to mass, so they lose heat quickly. Once the temperature drops, rendered fat begins to solidify, the perceived aroma decreases, and the texture changes. Keeping the finished product warm reduces that thermal drift. More importantly, we ordered multiple rounds during the meal, and the batch-to-batch consistency was remarkably good. The later skewers had essentially the same seasoning intensity, doneness, texture, and cumin/chili profile as the first batch. In semiconductor language, their process window seems pretty well controlled. The lamb and meat skewers have the classic northern Chinese BBQ profile: cumin, chili, salt, rendered fat, and high-temperature browning. Good surface caramelization without turning the interior into dry material. The vegetables were also properly seasoned rather than treated as an afterthought. One item I would absolutely recommend is the garlic vermicelli scallop. This is a classic Chinese seafood preparation and works particularly well here. The scallop sits over glass noodles with a generous amount of garlic. The vermicelli essentially functions as an absorption matrix for the scallop juices, garlic, seasoning, and oil. From a mass-transfer standpoint, wasting those noodles would be irrational. The restaurant itself has the atmosphere of a modern mainland Chinese skewer bar. There are Chinese decorations, jokes, and little pieces of questionable life wisdom everywhere. You don't need to read Chinese to enjoy them -- point your phone camera at the writing and use translation. That is part of the entertainment. This is also not a restaurant where I would order everything at once. Order in batches. Get some lamb skewers, meat, vegetables and seafood, have a drink, talk for a while, then initiate the next production lot. That is where this restaurant's system really works. Batch 1 eat. Batch 2 drink. Batch 3 continue the discussion. Batch 4 somehow order more lamb. And remarkably, the process remains reproducible. For Chinese BBQ, lamb skewers, cumin-spiced meat, garlic scallops and late-night food with friends, this place gets the fundamentals right: controlled cooking, good thermal management, and excellent lot-to-lot consistency. Low process variation. High repeatability. Good yield. As for the restaurant's final contribution to quality management: "If you don't have the ability to clean up the mess, don't indulge your fickle emotions." Apparently SPC applies to relationships too.

Kokoro C.

So so good, amazing spot to go to after a long day! The hospitality is amazing! Very well taken care of, and as for the chef inside he is enthusiastic and passionate! Overall I can definitely tell they strive for 10/10 service and 10/10 food! It really shows!! The Ambience is as if I were back in China with all the street food at night, takes me back.

Juicy tender beef skewers
Davin C.

New ownership but same quality! Actually enjoyed it more, as they've really improved the quality of their skewers. Service is super friendly and attentive, shoutout to the super sweet and fun auntie running front of house! The beef skewers were the main highlight for me, had to order another round of them!

Beef and Lamb
Edward D.

The spot is relatively new and replaced the old Skewer Spot. The food was great and the portions were sizable as expected of a quick eat and Service was very homey and comfortable.

Grace D.

Fantastic grilled skewers and great vibes! Fast service, friendly staff, and the perfect spot for late-night drinks and bites with friends. Definitely make a reservation!

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12 days ago

Delicious! The lamb and a vegetable skewers were the best in my opinion. Great service as well. Highly recommend!

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Sauced BBQ & Spirits - San Jose

Sauced BBQ & Spirits - San Jose

3.8(856 reviews)
7.7 mi•West San Jose
•$$$

My boyfriend and I made a reservation through OpenTable for late lunch here (which definitely was…read morenot needed as it wasn't busy when we went) to try some of the BBQ before meeting up with some of my friends. The location that we went to is located next to Maggiano's Little Italy in Santana Row on Olin Ave. There is a free 2 hour parking structure across of the restaurant where my boyfriend and I parked at. We came during their Lunch Specials (until 4pm) and Happy Hour (from 3-5:30pm) which worked perfectly as we wanted something smaller in portion compared to the dinner portions. We started off with drinks. I got their Pig Ol' Bitties Blonde Ale, and my boyfriend got their Friday Beer & Shot special of This Little Piggy Went to [Mark]et with a 16 oz Dirty Little Pig IPA and a shot of Benchmark whiskey. My fault for having him get a whiskey shot on an empty stomach, though HAHA. He did like how smooth the whiskey was at least! We shared a 2-meat BBQ Lunch Combo Plate, and honestly, we should have gotten 3 meats because of how tender and delicious everything was! We got their Tri Tip and Sliced Brisket with their Garlic Mash and server recommended Sweet Potato Tots. Ahhh, everything was so good! Aside from the tender, flavorful meats, the two sides, especially the garlic mash, were sooooo good. We both loved everything! It was definitely a great choice coming during lunch as we were quite full after ordering one of their happy hour shareables of Chips & Queso (kind of pricey even for happy hour in my opinion for chips and cheese). Honestly wished we got their Chili Cheese Fries or their other fries which were the same price than just chips and dip LOL. But it was a good hold over food with us drinking a bit (at least for me). Shoutout to the only server who was working on a late Friday afternoon as she was doing her best to accommodate everyone + trying to clean up the previous tables. It was kind of sad seeing that the other workers didn't help bus the tables in my opinion. Overall, a great place to watch sports and have some good whiskey as this restaurant is known for their whiskey selections! The lunch BBQ exceeded our expectations, and we would definitely come back for another lunch special meal but probably with 3 meats this time!

This is located in Santana Row. i placed in order online for a pick up and it was such an easy…read moreprocess too. i've never been here before, but have been dying to try it out. My sister wanted bbq for her birthday and so we opted for this place. i loved they way that it was decorated. it's like a bar and bbq served in one place. Since i've never been here before i was really surprised by their portion sizes. it was well worth the money spent and picking up was easy too. super nice guys who helped me. i was a bit confused on what kind of sauces they had. the person who helped me gave me a run down and explained their sauces. they also gave me some samples to try to take home as welll. by far i think id have to agree that their tin roof sauce is the best sauce my sister even wanted to know if she could just buy their bbq sauce. other then that we ordered roughly a good portion of bbq- pulled pork, cheddar cheese jalapeño sausage, burnt ends, brisket, chicken wings, and ribs. our sides were the cajun rice, green beans, cole slaw and corn succatash. would probably love to come back for their lunch special one of these days.

Photos
Sauced BBQ & Spirits - San Jose - Best hostess ever, thank you Kowana for making us feel so welcomed

Best hostess ever, thank you Kowana for making us feel so welcomed

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Wagon Wheel BBQ - Two Meat Combo Plate with burnt ends, brisket, coleslaw, corn bread, and potato salad

Wagon Wheel BBQ

4.3(591 reviews)
10.4 mi
•$$

We come often for their ribs and brisket sandwiches (the breakfast brisket sandwich is…read morephenomenal!). Service is always good - very friendly staff. This time we thought we'd try a salad also. I wasn't expecting such a fantastic salad from a bbq spot! It was HUGE, covering the whole tray/plate. And ot wasn't all lettuce like some other restaurants. This had a generous amount of very fresh fruits and vegetables - apples, cucumbers tomatoes, bell peppers, black berries. It also had the most delicious candied walnuts, and blue cheese. I had added the brisket also.

There's a small parking lot out front and a good amount of indoor seating at the venue. Staff was…read morefriendly and attentive, providing immediate service at the front counter as I ordered for takeout. The wait for my order was just 5 minutes, my items secured neatly in the bag and ready to go. The guy even informed me that he included different sauces, and offered disposable utensils and tableware. Got the 2-meat combo with pork ribs and burnt ends, baked potato, mac n cheese, and cornbread by request (otherwise it comes with garlic bread by default). Everything was cooked perfectly and packed with flavor, both the meats and the sides. I enjoyed every single item. The portions were generous as well. It was way too much food for one day, but I'll definitely be back to try their homemade bread pudding for dessert next time.

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Wagon Wheel BBQ - Inside

Inside

Wagon Wheel BBQ - Tri tip sandwich with potato salad/ - bbq is available on side

Tri tip sandwich with potato salad/ - bbq is available on side

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Discovery Fusion BBQ

Discovery Fusion BBQ

3.7(288 reviews)
11.6 mi•Calabazas North
•$$$

Great place to come with friends to drink and eat good food!…read more Yes, its a bit pricier than normal skewer places, but i love the ambiance and vibe in here! super cyber-punky and sometimes they have live singers here! You cant really find a skewer place with this type of vibe, def a spot i like to take my out of town friends to for a good time I love getting the fried tofu skins, this is my favorite skewer to get. I actually prefer the regular skewers than the mini skewers just because the mini is so small you have to really bite into the metal stick (which can stab your mouth if your not careful, especially if you end up drinking too much) razor clams are bomb here! Yes they add hella chillies in here so you have to pick it out, but its hard to find places with a razor clam dish that is super tasty and flavorful The alcoholic drinks here are super unique and interesting, my method is to go for the cutest branding, and just order it, and suprisingly it ends up working in my favor LOL my favorite part, is the seasoning they use on all the skewers! that classic chinese taste :D

Been to Discovery Fusion so many times for late night bites, it never disappoints! I've noticed…read morethat depending on the day, the later you come, the louder it gets as they have live karaoke here. This place has such fun decorations and I love all the neon lights here as it's very well lit up inside. My top 3 favorite skewers are the beef, enoki, and a-choy. They're all coated with the same seasonings here so it's easy to get tired of so I always order a few of the grilled vermicelli oysters which are so tasty, and I love all the garlic it comes with! Some other good skewers are the chicken skin, pork belly, and corn. Love the drinks here too, most recently noticed they added an alcoholic blind box to the menu and it was so exciting to try 12 different mystery shots. Even though I did not enjoy half of the drinks, this is probably the most fun drinking concept I've seen at a restaurant and I'd absolutely order it again. The ambiance, customer service, and food are always all great - I'll never say no to dinner a Discovery!

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Discovery Fusion BBQ
Discovery Fusion BBQ - Cucumber with garlic sauce, white rice, octopus skewers, taiwan sausage, mini beef skewer, bbq pork steak, eggplant, fish tofu, steam bun

Cucumber with garlic sauce, white rice, octopus skewers, taiwan sausage, mini beef skewer, bbq pork steak, eggplant, fish tofu, steam bun

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Henry's World Famous Hi-Life - Side salads

Henry's World Famous Hi-Life

3.8(2k reviews)
5.7 mi•Downtown
•$$$

First timer ! This one's for bbq and sports enthusiasts. Casual local spot . We walked over for…read moredinner as a group from the San Pedro square parking structure. The first thing I was struck by was the smoky bbq smells and prompt greeting / service. Sounds like it's usually busy but we got lucky to walk in with a minimal wait. For drinks there are a ton of beers on draft. Lots of liquor options. Authentic sports memorabilia on display throughout. TVs in the front and back playing local sports teams or other major night games. Foods: there was this buttered bread that came with the table and some sauce that was tomato comfort in a bowl. We got the chicken and rib combo plate with an extra salad. Could totally eat here family style or order your own plate. Chicken was perfectly crispy. Ribs were consistent - not over or under done. Just right. Loved the side baked potato too. Do a post meal walk and check out all the murals outside! I'd definitely come back to watch football again!

It's a San Jose institution, and I really wanted to like the food more than I did. Friendly and…read morecasual, good sauces and cold drinks. Unfortunately my spare ribs were kind of dry, and the baked potato was under cooked. My brother had the baby back ribs, and they were over cooked, falling apart. The garlic bread and BBQ sauces were great though. The bar was cozy and comfortable. All the staff seemed genuinely happy to there. We ate outside in the evening in late summer listening to live blues music from the adjacent bar. That atmosphere was perfect! Only wish the food had been better. Also it was a bit pricey for how casual it was.

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Henry's World Famous Hi-Life - Dining room

Dining room

Henry's World Famous Hi-Life - Combo Chicken and Baby Back Ribs

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yakiniQ SJ

yakiniQ SJ

3.8(1.4k reviews)
6.9 mi
•$$$

Favorite kbbq spot around!…read more But always a long wait, plan accordingly or else waitlist is full! Worth it though :)

The service was excellent. we called in for a reservation and were seated immediately. Meats came…read moreout in a flash and the meats were tender. Loved the japchae as it had flavor unlike other ACE shops where the japchae was flavorless. The side dishes were good. Liked the mashed potato salad, the bean curd strips. The cabbage salad could would have been better with more dressing. Also had the steamed egg which was just ok and the tofu stew with a really large shrimp in it and two big pieces of tofu. It was a bit spicy but overall, the spiciness was ok. Stew also had other seafood tidbits in it which is a surprise as other ACES only offer bits of meat. Stew is a must item. The waiters were fast in delivering meats, clearing empty dishes, clearing empty tables and setting them up for new occupants. I must say this is the first ACE that I have seen the servers were very motivated. However, what they probably forgot was to change our grilling tray but it was ok as we did not sear it black. Biggest surprise was the dessert of a scoop of strawberry ice cream with a. piece of fried banana. Never had any ACE given me dessert! The place was busy but the wait did not seem to be long even without reservations. Overall, this is a must return ACE!

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yakiniQ SJ - The soda and beer drinks refrigerator

The soda and beer drinks refrigerator

yakiniQ SJ - Brisket

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The Skewers Bar - chinese - Updated October 2026

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