I'm terribly disappointed that the offerings for nourishment that Downey has are sub par. This is the reason why I will travel 10-20 miles away for good food, good service, and something my palate and wallet won't regret. I seriously envy so many of my fellow Yelpers! Every time I passed by Waba Grill, located at the semi-new Downey Gateway (cross streets Firestone and Downey), I was attracted to it's shiny lights and window displays filled with promises of "healthy" food. One day I thought "Why not?!" and stopped by. My first bowl was the shrimp and veggie bowl. I opted for brown rice. It was ok. Pricey for a small, palm sized bowl. It served it's purpose and fed me. The other day I decided to stop by again. When I walked the cashier greeted me with a dirty look and acted pretty curt towards me. What did I do? Did someone steal your favorite brown eye liner? Wasn't me so drop the attitude...I admit, I'm spoiled. I get decent customer service almost anywhere. Regardless, the atmosphere in their very open kitchen was laid back. I got my meal to go and left. This time I chose the salmon and veggie bowl. WHAT a mistake!! I literally was gagging when I ate the salmon. Thank God for the over abundant Teriyaki glaze because it covered up the oh-so fishy taste!!! I finished my small bowl only because I paid almost $9 for it! I think the next time I'm craving a rice bowl I'll stick to my old stand-by in South Gate, Golden Bowl. I really hope that someday Downey steps up their game as far as culinary institutions go. No more Waba for me! read more

Came here for the first time with my little sister, and I have to say the service was excellent. Staff was kind, professional, and very helpful. Especially Christina, she's the one who helped me and my sister order and she was very patient with us. Food was delicious, of course no complaints there. The ambience here (vibe) is very chill, relaxing and very much welcoming. Unfortunately I didn't get to thank Christina for her service but hopefully she sees this review. 100% would recommend, me and my sister will definitely be returning to this location. read more

This Waba grill is one of the best around. The service we get is great. Especially when Cristina is behind the counter. This place is always clean and has good vibes by the staff. My brother and I have been coming here for the past 2 years and will continue to come. Also the food is always good and on point. read more

If you want to eat healthy this is your place. Food is pretty consistent in flavor and cheap. They have plates and bowls consisting of steak chicken and salmon. You pick type of rice white or brown and veggies. We go here when we want a light meal then splurge on some pinkberry next door. read more

WaBa Grill - Chicken bowl and white rice - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

Just your ordinary teriyaki bowl place. They allow you to substitute for all white meat chicken or brown rice for an additional fee but other than that I don't see much of a difference from the other existing places. The area it's located is on the corner of Downey ave and firestone, which is a new up and coming area for the city. Thats probably the biggest highlight of this place. read more

WaBa Grill - Chicken and veggie teriyaki bowl with brown rice. - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

One of the best Waba grills I currently go to. They are always nice to help me out and are enthusiastic as well. They are usually accurate with taking orders and quick at making food as well. I would recommend. read more

Good place to come after the gym for a light chicken and rice bowl. You really have to get the avocado, it's extra but it really is worth it. Also I asked for extra onions and the cashier Melissa added them just how I liked it. I'll be back i'm sure. read more

I ordered the salmon rice and veggie bowl. Let's say it together: YUM! WaBa Grill is on the corner of Downey and Firestone and on the same street as a ton of other food businesses. I decided to try them because the food seemed fresh and filling and I like that they had calorie labels on their dishes online. The bowl was about $10 and I thought that was a little high, but the food was really good. They provided extra teriyaki sauce and change my white rice to brown rice per my request both at no charge. Only thing is that of the three registers, there were two registers that accepted cash and only one that accepted card. So getting around to ordering was a bit longer than anticipated. read more

I often come to Waba Grill for the Tuesday's special. I call ahead to place my order. The woman that usually take my order is named Lady. Yes Lady. She is very nice and greets me with a big smile. All the staff is very courteous and friendly. The dining area is fresh and clean. Food is made to order and it is hot the avocados are fresh. Only on California! FYI on Tuesdays get there before the high school gets out read more

Fast, friendly delicious lunch. We went over to the one on Firestone. We really meant to get food from somewhere else but WaBa won us over. They did not let us down. Delicious lunch, great WaBa sauce. The dumplings was a tasty add on. The choice of brown rice is especially nice for those wanting more whole grain. read more

The cashier was really sweet and friendly but I am just a little disappointed in the food. This isn't my first time here and it's usually hit and miss but it does works in a pinch. This time the chicken was dry and I bit right into a bone and cut my gums‍ Not a very fun experience this time read more

WaBa Grill - Chicken, veggie and brown rice bowl - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

I'm never going back i use to eat here allot haven't been here for 1 year and the food is horrible. The girl in register can't even hear what the hell she saying even after I ask for her to speak up please... the menu change.. is not worth the time and money or the walk from parking lot..I will not be going here again i went 2 times in a roll day by day to give it another chance but hell no.. no more of this place ever again read more

This to me is the best Waba Grill ever been to and I'm trying to eat healthy so I look to eat at many different locations. customer service is fabulous and the food seems to be very fresh clean and good portions keep up the good work you can't go wrong by visit this location read more

Great deals on Tuesday's and really good for fast food. The vegetables always taste fresh I've tried from their chicken, steak, and tofu; really can't complain everything goes great on their bowls. If you're on a timed lunch perfect spot for a quick and healthy lunch. read more

WaBa Grill - WaBa Bowl - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

Amazing service!!!! Will definitely be back soon the cashier was very sweeet and nice read more

WaBa Grill - Amazing service !!!!! Will be back for sure - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

Food is good but too much rice and prices are high. What you do get though is tasty.

This place is amazing! I love Waba Grill. This place is fresh and healthy. My go-to is the beef with veggies...delish!! Love the customer service, the staff is always friendly. I highly recommend read more

Brianna was courteous and helpful with our order. Restaurant was clean and food is delicious

This place is so cold, it's freezing. Brrrrr....should've brought my sweater. It's really clean, staff is nice but I think I broke the ice machine. It's so clean that instead of smelling chicken or meat, I can smell the fabuloso this chick is mopping with. read more

WaBa Grill - Number 18. Half and half with veggies and avocado - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

Chicken was moist and rice was cooked much better than the cerritos location. Good teriyaki sauce and you can get as much as you want. Also on Saturdays and Tuesdays their chicken bowls are two for ten! Only at this location from what I know read more

WaBa Grill - Chicken bowl with extra green onion - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

This review is based on my experience on the evening of 04/19/13 I adore Asian food, from truly five star cuisine with ambiance to boot, to hole in the wall dives with a big red C rating plastered outside, one step away from being shut down...and everything in between. The other day I received a coupon in the mail for a free chicken bowl with the purchase of a drink. While merely one visit to the likes of Yoshinoya nearly made me swear off rice bowl joints for life (I swear I can't even fathom how Yoshinoya stays in business considering their rice is worse than uncle bens and the meat they use is at least 50% fat) ....the Flame Broiler renewed my faith in such establishments to at least a certain extent, so I figured I'd give Waba Grill a chance as well. Especially given the coupon suggested I'd be able to do so for a mere two dollars or so, if only for my first visit. So I head inside, proceed to the register, present my coupon, and order a drink (to comply with the coupons terms). At this point a female manager proceeds to tell me that what I have is "not an actual coupon" (despite the fact it clearly had a scissor cut outline) and that it was merely an "example" of a coupon I would receive if I signed up for their email list. Apparently there was a bar code elsewhere on the flyer I was supposed to scan with a smartphone in order to sign up. Let me be clear - When I noticed this coupon attached to the flyer, I saw two things - 1. The fact the flyer was for Waba Grill (which I had yet to try) 2. What appeared to be a legitimate coupon with a great introductory offer This flyer was one of many pieces of mail in between all the other ads / junk mail I receive on a daily basis. I wasn't about to go over the whole damn thing tooth and nail. I noticed the flyer had a coupon, I removed it and placed it in my wallet, and made a note to give the place a shot down the line. And instead of honoring their coupon, I was told it wasn't real and to sign up for their list if I wanted a real coupon. If this woman had any business sense whatsoever, she would have honored the coupon as a gesture of good faith with the idea that upon enjoying my meal, I would gladly be back many times from that point on in the future, either for myself, or perhaps with company in tow. But she didn't. Instead she was simply emphatic that the coupon would not be honored, and I was essentially shit out of luck. When it comes to fast food, I can be fairly rut oriented. When I try something new and it clicks, I'll come back time and again and run it into the ground until I feel its time to give it a break for a while. But in the midst of such a rut, not only will I give them a fair amount of regular business, but I go out of my way to recommend them to others, from friends, family, and even online forums. Will I be returning to this Waba? No. Will I be dining at another Waba location in the future? Not likely. Will I be recommending this place to family and friends? I'll let you figure it out. read more

This place has best rice bowl in town, diffrent kind of protein to choose from steak chicken or salmon. Taste healthy and food taste fresh and light. Theres happy hour on wend and thurs from 3-5pm chicken bowl drink included for $7.99!!! Good customer service ! Come through to waba! read more

This is the healthiest option! We love it! Its so convenient for us. Staff is friendly. ThanK you! read more

I rarely complain about a place or dislike food but I do have to say that the steak was just not tasty at all. It had a weird taste and the veggies were not done well. Yes the place is clean, the cashier was nice but the food is not good. :( read more

WaBa Grill - Salmon plate - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

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Good. Not great. Tried the Salmon bowl, the children's Chiken bowl and the Teriyaki (sp?) Chicken bowl. All good. I like how I'm able to see food cooked and prepped. The clean cooking or healthy cooking methods sold me. The chicken (for both bowls) could have used a little more seasoning but very tasty nonetheless. Highly recommended alternative for your Chinese food/Yoshinoya-type food fix minus the noodles. Love that it's local to me, it's roomy and they have T'Vs for your viewing entertainment all about the place. Happy Eats. read more

I appreciate the simplicity of this restaurant. There are only a few protein choices, including chicken, beef, salmon or shrimp. Then you can choose between two sides, rice or veggies. I can somewhat see the attraction of this place, the don't add or cook in any oils, the meats don't have any skin and they don't add MSG to your meal. If I was a major body-builder or gym rat, this all may seem really attractive. But as a normal civilian, this place just didn't do it for me. If I want something healthy, I would pick a restaurant that offered more vegetable/flavorful/fresher options. read more

I tried Waba Grill for the first time & I have to say...TOO GOOD! I couldn't decided whether I wanted to try the chicken or steak plate but I was happy to see a plate that offered both! It was well cooked in a good sized portion. It left me feeling full & happy! Plus the location was nice & spacey with lots of seats to choose from. It was also pretty clean when i was there too! Recommended! read more

Nothing special here, just an OK chicken bowl spot. It gets packed at lunch hour and the ordering/ waiting area is kind of small. For some reason I like Sansai better, maybe because they have more variety. This is my first time visiting this chain. The orders are freshly prepared, so it can take a while if you're on lunch break and in a rush. Call in order maybe? At least they use white meat for their chicken bowls (Thank God), I know thigh and leg is more flavorful for teriyaki, but dark meat grosses me out--yes I'm an oddball, I own it. Prices are okay. LOVED the outdoor seating. I crave sitting outdoors at resties in Downey because hardly any spots offer outdoor seating. Yes, I keep harping on it, because it is so perplexing. What is this? A city of vampires? read more

Food is fresh and delicious, restaurant is spacious clean and has nice decor. Lines weren't to long and food was ready in less than 2 minute! And with all that comes an uninviting staff. None of the workers are smiling or friendly, it almost felt like I was bothering them when asking for service. If the food wasn't so good I probably wouldn't come here. I guess you have to take the good with the bad. read more

WaBa Grill - Beef bowl, no rice with all veggies. $8.00 - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

My husband & I decided to try something a little different than your normal fast food drive through. Every time I go to Stater Brothers grocery store Waba grill is advertised on the back of your receipt it's a coupon for two chicken bowls for like 8.00 Anyway we went & I was very very disappointed this place is just like a Yoshinoya.Small portions & expensive.Not to mention the immature staff that were horse playing around & cussing. *Not coming back *Very disappointed because this is a new location read more

Waba Grill is like the modern evolution of Yoshinoya. Higher quality food, a cleaner restaurant, fresher ingredients... and higher prices. :( I typically get the steak plate (hold the onions), though I'll also get the ribs or salmon if I'm in the mood. Boo on charging extra for brown rice, but I suspect that's a franchise demand. Keep in mind, Waba is a franchise and the quality of your experience will vary by location. I love the Waba Grill in Tarzana. I'd give that place 5 stars because the food and service are great. It's like a mom and pop restaurant where the Asian lady behind the counter knows everyone's name and asks how your day is. The Downey location is clean, but caters to the teenage crowd from the nearby school. The cashiers are all young, and there's pop music blaring from the speakers. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy pop music, but Bruno Mars blaring at volume 11 can make it difficult to stomach anything. Maybe that is the goal of management? A modern version of muzak that gets customers in and out as soon as possible, before they've even taken a bite out of their food. Downey management, if you're reading this, fix your oranges. Every plate comes with an orange slice, but the oranges in Downey are bottom of the barrel and rindy (more orange peel than actual orange). The location in Tarzana gives you a real full-grown orange slice. If you fix that and turn down the music so I don't have to wear earplugs to eat, I'll bump this review to 4 stars. read more

The food tasted weird then I got sick.for a bit. If you have Food Allergies or IBS be careful read more

This place has real good chicken and and the place is quiet and friendly ..the restrooms are super clean

Came here for some good ol healthy chicken and rice and came across their tuesday special which is 2 chicken bowls for $10 wooo. Food was good and diet friendly will definitely come here again on tuesdays read more

WaBa Grill - Chicken bowl made easy - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

Great quality as expected from waba but this location doesn't get 5 stars. They limit you on the amount of sauce you can get! I don't want just two, I want to Make my plate spicy! read more

I guess it's a hit or miss with everyone. Because I came fairly early and my visit was quite pleasant. There were a few people there already ordering and eating but even after I ordered, I got my food pretty quickly. So I am very sorry everyone has had a bad experience. I hope it is better next time. read more

This restaurant has great customer service. The employees are very friendly and welcoming. I come here to eat 3 to 4 days a week during the hours of 11am and 12:30pm and it's a very pleasant visit all the time. It's because of the customer service and tasty delicious food, I come here. I work 15 miles away and I choose to drive to this location because of the food quality and friendly atmosphere that the cashiers provide. It's A pleasure coming here!! read more

WaBa Grill - Awesome employees! Awesome service with a smile!! - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

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The staff was welcoming and helpful. Food was healthy as advertised and better than expected. Location is clean and has good parking. The TV in the lobby makes eating here feel as if you were back at the house. They offer free refills on drinks and have an extensive selection of condiments. Definitely coming back to this place. Waba Grill was a success!!! read more

WaBa Grill - Chicken Salad was fresh and tasty! - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

I really like waba grill, I've been here about 5 times since its opened. It used to be crazy busy when it first opened but now it's not as packed. I love the bowls more then the plates. I eat half for lunch n eat the rest for dinner so a bowl will last me a day. I get the beef bowl, the chicken is good but the beef is the best. I add a bit of teriyaki sauce, I need it on my rice and they as onions which is good. Overall it's a good place to go too, it's better then yoshinoya and flame broiler in my opinion and the ladies are really nice. It's casual attire, usually come for lunch and will keep coming back. read more

WaBa Grill - Steak plate - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

Good clean teriyaki bowls. The food was not so bad. The portions were average, not too big not too small at reasonable price. I ordered half chicken half beef with veggies bowl and it filled me up! It's kind of small and there's not a lot of seating. I would definitely come back again. read more

WaBa Grill - Fast Food Near Me - Downey, California

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