I wasn't quite sure what to expect at William Barbecue. It's actually a Hawaiian barbecue restaurant. The portions are generous with some orders looking like an additional meal for two. Among the three of us, none of the finished our lunches. My order had 16 pieces of small shrimp, Mac salad and 2 scoops of rice (that I finished for dinner), I enjoyed my meal. There are 2 tables inside and a few outside. It is mainly a takeout restaurant. Street parking is available and turns over frequently. read more

I've DoorDashed William BBQ a couple of times. I tried the wagyu beef once and it was unfortunately a miss for me. The beef was difficult to chew and super stringy. After that, I gave them another shot and ordered the grill shrimp (meals come with rice, mac salad, and broccoli). This one was great! Shrimp and broccoli both cooked really nicely - broccoli is tender with nice grill taste, and shrimp has great texture. Mac salad isn't too overpowering which I like. I've gotten this dish several times now and I would continue getting it. Portions are very generous here as well. read more

William BBQ - Grill shrimp (comes with 2 scoops of rice, 1 scoop of macaroni salad, and broccoli) - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

$18&change. 2 meat. William Ck & Katsu. Protein is over the top generous, could have fed two! Value is all there and more - quantity rules here, but the grade of protein didn't align with my own expectations. Flavor on both is unique. Sauces on table are bountiful. The restaurant is quaint. The folks are very nice. Food cooked to order. Not mentioned, but if you pay by cash they give you a free soft drink or btl of water. I wish these folks the best! . read more

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The william chicken katsu was great. Big portions for two meals. The katsu was crispy and the chicken was good. Some pieces maybe were a bit more on the dry side. Overall though it was good with some sauce. I also enjoyed the macaroni salad which featured some cabbage shreds in there. It was refreshing to have with the soft fluffy rice and crunchy chicken katsu. Good little spot for food. read more

William BBQ - william chicken katsu - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

This place is still as good! The portions are huge and food is so damn good! I always get half bbq chicken and half chicken katsu! Definitely a must try read more

William BBQ - Bbq mix plate - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

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There's not a lot of seating but for takeout, William BBQ is great. I ordered 2 plates to go, and both were delicious and each plate had enough leftovers for another meal! To order, I phoned it in (friendly service) and picked up the order. Food ordered: 1. Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Plate The chicken was juicy was the BBQ sauce tasted similar to a teriyaki sauce, so sweet and tangy. Plates come with 2 scoops of rice, 1 scoop macaroni salad, and a couple broccoli heads. Delicious! 2. Chicken Katsu Plate This fried chicken katsu was also delicious. Katsu coating is not overdone and the chicken is cooked well. Same idea that the plate comes with 2 scoops of rice, 1 scoop of macaroni, and a couple broccoli heads. It may not look like much from the photos, but these are large plates. With 2 plates, it was enough for two of us to have an entire meal the next day. I would order again for takeout when I'm feeling a Hawaiian BBQ plate. read more

William BBQ - Hawaiian William BBQ Chicken, Chicken Katsu plates - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

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They have nice big tables for you to dine in. This is a very small place but the prices and the food is cooked fresh. The portions are big so I can get a second meal out of it for tomorrow. I will definitely show up here often. read more

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Hidden gem for sure. This has to be one of the best Hawaiin BBq places I've ever had. Right in San Carlos off of El Camino. There's only street parking and the place is small so it can get busy quick, but luckily we came when it wasn't busy on a Saturday afternoon. Very friendly people with a nice homey feel to the place. Now to the best part which is the food. You get large portions of food which is great and the price is affordable. Katsu chicken is cooked perfectly and very crispy. The short ribs were good, but were drenched in too much sauce. The wagyu beef was really good and their mac salad is different, but good. Will definitely be back to try other things on the menu. read more

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It's a hard thing to give up your favorite spot but you definitely want to see the business thrive..well this is one of them! The owner is a very nice guy. Will greet you and give you tips on what to order. I suggest the beef and grilled shrimp. Even the broccoli is amazing! The Mac salad is a little different with coleslaw mixed in but it works.. the portions are good size and this place is really a diamond in the rough! If you're a fan of Hawaiian Bbq then this is your spot! read more

William BBQ - Outside - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

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My favorite spot for Hawaiian BBQ as of late. Food tastes fresh and flavorful, portions are gigantic, and service is friendly. Great for quick to-go orders with some street parking. read more

The food is delicious, the ambience is very Mom & Pop family run, and the portions are HUGE! I love coming here. I usually get the grilled chicken, wagyu combination plate. read more

William BBQ - Chicken Katsu, William BBQ Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

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This place is one of the best Hawaiian spots in the bay HANDS DOWN I weighed the takeout portion and it came out to just under 5lbs of food 5 LBS OF FOOD FOR $20?!?! SAY LESS Everything was savory, properly seasoned and had endless flavor, already been here a few times and I look forward to coming back every time, insanely underrated 5 STARS read more

William BBQ - BBQ 2 Meat BBQ chicken + Wagyu Steak Sides all rice - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

Ordered takeout, called in advance and was able to pick up within 15 minutes. We requested no rice, all mac salad, and they kindly obliged. Unfortunately, I ended up not being a huge fan of the mac salad, it was more like a watery coleslaw with macaroni in it rather than a traditional mac salad. We got a chicken katsu and wagyu plate, and there was quite a bit of food, the box was hefty. I found the wagyu to be a bit chewy, but the chicken katsu was crispy and moist. Overall, I found it pricey for what it was (about $23 after tax), and there was other preferred Hawaiian food places in the Peninsula, but perhaps I will give it another try with other menu items. read more

William BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

Solid takeout Hawaiian BBQ. Friendly, helpful staff. 2 of us could easily split one meal.

Absolutely excellent little place to have Asian barbecue. Absolutely loved this place. It might be a little tight, but if you get a chance to eat there you'll be able to enjoy the company of the owners. Next time we are in Northern California we will make sure to stop here again. read more

William Hawaiian BBQ is a hidden gem for fine Hawaiian BBQ. Generous portions, great sides of rice, macaroni salad, and now broccoli with every order. We have been there several times and can't understand why there is never a line out the door. It is very small so we always do takeout. You got to try the short ribs, done to perfection and plenty of them too. The orders are always ready, hit and correct. The owner and help are very nice and you can tell they appreciate your business. Give them a try and help support a local small business, you won't be sorry and can thank me later. read more

We did a pickup order, smaller dining area. Far better than my usual Hawaiian to go spot (starts with an L). We got grilled shrimp and chicken, and short ribs and wagyu beef. Each order comes with 2 scoops rice and a serving of their macaroni salad which is kind of a cross between mac salad and cole slaw. The guys behind the counter have the friendly Hawaiian spirit, and good musubi too! Really enjoyed all of the food, well cooked and tasty. This spot is going on our take out location rotation. read more

The bbq chicken didn't taste like bbq, just cooked. It was moist but the sauce was overly sweet with a ton of pepper. It is like a Chinese lemon chicken with pepper, nothing Hawaiian about this. (My partner who ate with me is from Hawaii.) The mac salad was bland; not enough mayo. The shrimp reminds me of frozen breaded shrimp. Nothing to write home about. Will not come here again. read more

WOW! Amazing food with unbeatable value. You don't get this kind of food, with this big of portion, at these prices anywhere. This is the kind of business you always tip because they are giving you way more than what you pay for. Love the food and can't wait to try everything!! read more

William BBQ - Grilled Shrimp Meal - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

Staff was super nice, portions were huge - 2 people could probably split a 2 meat plate. Everything was delicious, in order our favorites were: Wagyu, Chicken Katsu, Chicken, Short Rib but you really can't go wrong. Also the spicy sauces are great! read more

Second time trying this spot. Both times we got the bbq chicken plate and the chicken katsu. For one order we wanted all rice but they still gave us the macaroni /cole slaw salad. The bbq was juicy but bland, there was no sauce on the side. The chicken katsu was crispy and juicy but I personally was not a fan of the katsu sauce or the ketchup/ mayo looking sauce. I got two orders of the spam musubi and unfortunately I didn't get photos but mine had what looked like and even tasted like dried pork in it which was not a great combo. And very odd that it was in it. Unfortunately will not give this spot another try. Service was quick, I called the order in and my food was ready in about 15 minutes. There's only 3 small tables inside and during this heatwave it is way too hot to eat in there. read more

Stumbled upon this spot because my girlfriend and I were looking for a quick take out place. We found parking really close and ordered through a tablet. We got our food in 15 minutes! We got the spam musabis, chicken katsu and bbq chicken plate and the short rib chicken bbq plate. The portions are huge and the service was really nice. They also gave us a stamp card so after ten orders you get one for free! Definitely will be coming back. read more

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Best hawaiian food i've had in the mainland. Everything was so delicious and flavorful. The kalbi beef was so juicy and the chicken dishes were also very tasty. The staff was also very friendly and they also had games to play while waiting for food. If in the area again I will definitely come back ! read more

William BBQ - kalbi rib , chicken katsu, william's bbq chicken - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

Order: * Hawaiian BBQ Wagyu Beef Pros: * Friendly independent neighborhood joint. * Food was tasty, something of a homey/home made vibe to the flavor. Cons: * Only two tables so mainly a takeout spot. * I like to support small businesses, but at the same time, the offering is fairly ordinary where you likely don't need to drive out of your way to go here. Comments: * If you live nearby, I definitely recommend you check them out. read more

I've been looking for a good Hawaiian bbq spot and this is definitely the one! Best selection of bbq meats, musubi! The chicken katsu was delicious, crispy and lot of meat. The Wagyu beef was tender, juicy and the sauce was phenomenal! My go to bbq spot! Will cater my next party with William bbq! read more

William BBQ - #11 William Chicken Katsu & Wagyu Beef - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

Came here on a Monday for an early dinner. Food: Typical Hawaiian plates that come with rice, Mac salad, and some type of protein. I ordered the chicken katsu bowl for a smaller portion of food. My bowl just had the chicken katsu and rice. Chicken katsu was mehhh - a little bit lighter than others I've had and pretty bland. The bbq short rib was much tastier, however, the meat was pretty tough and there was some pieces of bone in the meat. Service: Not much t report. They take your order and then give you your food. Pretty standard stuff. Ambiance: This spot is very small. Not much seating - one small table right outside and one table that can sit four inside. It can get pretty warm with the sun shining through the window and the cooking in the small space. The wall is full of hot wheels which is fun. read more

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A nice little spot hidden in the south side of Laurel St. Came here on a Monday, around 5:30 no wait to place an order. We ordered two plates along with some spam musubi for the little one. Took about 15 minutes to get our food. We ordered a two meat plate of teriyaki chicken and short ribs. The chicken was great, moist and not overly sweet. The short ribs IMO were just okay. Almost every piece had what appeared to be small pieces of chipped bones which weren't pleasant to deal with. The flavor was good, a little on the sweeter side. We also ordered a bowl of the chicken katsu with the sauce on the side. Happy we did, the sauce tasted like a mixture of ketchup and mayo. Lastly the spam musubi was good, decently portioned between the rice and spam. Overall I'd say they offer great portions, the prices are a little on the higher end. But still, not a bad little spot to add to the food scene in SC. Nothing blew me away, but it got the job done to satisfy my craving for Hawaiian food. read more

William BBQ - Two meat plate, short ribs and teriyaki chicken - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Stumbled upon this spot while running errands. Quite a small place I think there's like two or three seats inside a two seater outside. Good options remind me of L&L. I got the short rib platter and a down musubi. Short ribs were good, the sauce they used is on the sweeter side I feel like. They have me like the or four strips, so plenty of meat. A shop of mac salad n two scoops of rice. Really like their spam to rice ratio, however I feel like it could've used a bit more suace. read more

William BBQ - Short ribs - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

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We found this hole in the wall through Yelp after visiting Christmas Tree Lane, and we're glad we did! It's small inside, but the food was great (if you like shrimp, get a plate with that included - it was peppered perfectly). The gentlemen running it couldn't have been nicer, and as everyone has said, the portions are huge so we don't need to worry about lunch tomorrow. Definitely a little hidden gem. read more

There's a lot of potential here and I'm glad there's a new Hawaiian BBQ spot. It's not a chain restaurant, so there's potential for homemade Hawaiian flavors from scratch. I'm picky about Hawaiian BBQ, but this does the trick and I would come back. The portions were the highlight. They filled up my plate. The katsu had the right flavors and crisp. I could do without the sauce and it would be better if the sauce was one the side. The ribs and bbq plates were just right with a lot of flavor. The rice was cooked well, which is important not to mess up. The macaroni salad was a little sweet, but I liked the flavor overall. Parking is easy and staff was friendly. read more

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Super big portions, katsu was juicy and the sauces are FIRE! Fasho coming back no complaints read more

William BBQ - 27a. Steamed Rice 59. Teriyaki Chicken Katsu Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

Came here for the terrific restaurant name, but ended up finding solid Hawaiian plate cuisine. The staples are all here: scoops of white rice and mac salad, katsu. There is some variation form the formula though, with the (positive) choice to include stir fried broccoli with the grilled shrimp, as well as bed of cabbage. Only slight demerit might be the mac salad, which was a touch more liquid-y than I would've liked, but it wasn't a huge issue. There was a group from Phoenix that stopped at the restaurant on their way up PNW. I wouldn't quite go that far for William BBQ, but solid food, good value, and friendly service as I chatted up the owner about the name. (It's after his son) read more

William BBQ - Grilled Shrimp & Chicken Katsu - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

Nice small restaurant with two tables in side and one out. Food and portions are great! The owners running the place are extremely nice and attentive, definitely a new favorite Hawaiian Plate spot! read more

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Hands down the best food in San Carlos. Not much seating inside but a great take out spot. Huge portions, enough to split between two regular appetites. Service is friendly and no frills. read more

William BBQ - Short rib and chicken combo - Barbeque Near Me - San Carlos, California

Interesting take on Hawaiian BBQ! I liked their chicken katsu and spam musubi. The spam in the spam musubi was quite juicy and flavorful. The sauce for the chicken katsu was tangy and tasty. The mac salad was a bit different from what I'm used to but it is still on the sweet side. The interior was super small but the food is perfect for takeout. Parking outside was easy and plentiful! read more

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Ordered the wagu beef and chicken teriyaki. The size of the portions justified the price! Was good too! Parking sucks during lunch time, but there was street parking... place was small, food possibly better to be eaten at the restaurant... would definitely recommend and I would come back! read more

Fast and friendly . Two weeks old. It is not Chinese food ! It's Hawaiian BBQ. I recommend the bbq chicken because it's not too sweet and sauce is on the side. I like the presentation of the rice with seaweed. The fried items were a bit thickly battered for my taste. Nice neighborhood and easy parking. Again friendly staff. Fast. It's your typical greasy fast bbq, and good for what you expect. Try it !! read more

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The first time I went it was just okay. But I just went recently (Oct 2025) and it totally blew me away. The bbq chicken was excellent and tasty and they had a couple of home made sauces that made everything next level. But it was the wagyu beef that just amazed me. It has the most enticing flavor and had a Bulgogi like texture. Was perfect with rice. I'll be back. read more

*Be careful that most of the bad reviews were from the former Chinese place in the same location. * My friends and I were cravings for decent Hawaiian barbeque so we went to this new Hawaiian bbq place and decided to give this a try. Although they only have limited seating, the place is clean, cozy, and comfortable. Street parking is very easy. We had the following dishes: Hawaii BBQ Wagyu Beef: OMG, this is definitely my favorite dish. The owner told us that their goal is to bring premium meat and bring it into Hawaiian bbq. They use Australian Waygu beef which is so much better than American Wagyu. When they were stir-frying the Waygu beef, the aroma is all over the restaurant. Oh and don't forget the mix the egg yolk and add some extra richness to the dish :)) Hawaii Fried Fish & Hawaii Chicken Katsu: I liked them both too! Very crispy and the secret sauce added some extra spiciness to the fried fish and chicken. We also order Musubi and I love the thick cut of the spam. The owner is also super friendly. I will definitely come back for more musubi and Wagyu Beef Hawaiian BBQ. read more

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Solid place for Hawaiian bbq. We asked for sauce on the side and could really taste the quality of the meats (got chicken, shrimp, and short rib, all which were very tasty). My favorite was the shrimp and everything was reasonably priced read more