We got seated fast after using the Yelp waitlist. This location looked very nice with lots of space and good ventilation. The inside was not smoky, but the only time it got smoky was during the grill change. I like how they changed the grill often without us needing to ask. The food quality is good and had lots of variety. There are also lots of sides options included in the regular pricing. It was also a nice surprise to get free ice cream at the end! read more

YakiniQ - Ice cream - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

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Another great experience here at YakiniQ. I originally made a reservation for 13 for a dinner with my bf and our friends. However, 4 of my friends were unsure of their attendance so I would call & check in with the restaurant about my reservation party size. I felt so bad bc I called again and had changed my party size as 2 more of my friends ended up not being able to come. So from 13 to 7. The restaurant was very accommodating and assisted our party. I felt so bad by how much I called. Overall, my boyfriend and I brought our friends here for their first time & they definitely enjoyed it. Meat, banchan and other sides were fresh and delicious! The waiters and waitresses are always on top of their game. They ensured that we got what we needed and checked on us often. REMAINS A 10/10 EXPERIENCE read more

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A good kbbq place in downtown Livermore. I have been here multiple times but every time I come it does not disappoint. The food is good, everything tastes delicious. Staff is so friendly they're always checking in for grill changes. Ordering online can be hit or miss at places but here it is a hit- the meats come out quickly and efficiently. Probably some of the best ban Chan, I like the jap Chae and the fish cake. Very chill and you don't smell too bad after your meal even with all the smoke/bbq. Parking can be a bit of a hassle as the parking lot is small but there is street parking surrounding. read more

AYCE KBBQ in Tri-Valley Area. This place offers high-quality food including their sides and premium meat. I recommend joining the Yelp waitlist on your drive there because weekends are typically busy. Inside there are many tables, a bar on the side, and a few chairs in the front as a waiting area. Once you're seated, you scan a QR code and can start ordering right away. Our table was a little sticky and had residue from previous party. Service was efficient and friendly. $33.99 for the regular menu and $37.99 for the premium. Not only their meat was high quality, I believe their sides are worth ordering too! We also got a small scoop of ice cream for dessert after. Great price, outstanding meats, and your kbbq cravings will be satisfied once you walk out the door. read more

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Premium menu is worth a little more. Order from phone, very easy and very fast. Everything from phone, even napkins. Meats are fresh, and seems just sliced. Beef tartare is great too. Bulgogi is great. Octopus a bit chewy. Squid great. Prawns are good. Beef tougue little tough. Plenty of different soups. Seaweed soup is best. Seafood tofu stew a bit bland. Tons of sauces on table. Along with jalepeno and garlic. All the side dishes are good too. Pickle radish wrap nice palette cleanser. Even got fried chicken. Ice cream at the end. read more

Craving Korean BBQ and decided to switch it up from our usual Oghane -- and wow, so glad we did! Two words: EFF YES! Meat quality? Banchan and appetizers? So good. Spacious dining area with a bar if you wanna grab a drink or just hang out. The staff were super friendly and made the whole experience even better. 10/10 -- already planning my next visit! read more

Considering the price of the buffet, I think it's excellent value for money. The food quality is superb, and I will definitely be back. read more

YakiniQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

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This place doesn't care about service. But hear me out.... The food quality is decent. Some dishes are overly salty. The service to get meat out is quick. The service is not there. I wish management does stuff to help refine their service. Here's the issues: - we were not served water for the first 15 minutes. We had to ask for it. - water was not refilled for a long time (20 minutes) wait. - food was quite salty especially the side dishes - They rush you. We were there for less than 2 hours and they said if we don't finish the meat by 10:15 they would charge extra. This was after they dropped the meat we just ordered at 10:08. It's insane. They want us to get food poisoning or to pay more. Service needs to get better. Plus they asked us what ice cream we want but they never gave it to us. When we asked about it, they said "Sorry our kitchen is closed" I would give this place 1 star but that's too mean. The people bringing out the meats were quick. But the pro running the business need improvement. I would go somewhere else before ever coming back here. read more

YakiniQ was a fave spot of mine while living in SJ so I was super excited to see them in the east bay! This location is very polished and modern inside. Ordering is super convenient by sending your orders through your phone by scanning your unique QR code. Every item came out in record timing and the cuts of meat were high quality. They have pork jowl! My favorite kbbq meat at the moment. They also have wagyu beef belly and both bone-in and boneless short rib when you opt for the premium menu that's just a few dollars more per person. The staff also came around often to change grills before they got too charred. At the end of the meal, they offer a scoop of ice cream with fried banana! The parking lot is pretty small, but the restaurant is in a calm area so parking on the outskirts shouldn't be an issue. Join the waitlist via yelp to avoid crowding in the small waiting area. read more

YakiniQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

Came to the conclusion of the 4 star rating with a lot of mixed factors. I think a Pro's and Con's list is best way to represent my rating. Pros: -Large, clean building, and clean restrooms -Huge selection of food you can choose room -Prices are slightly lower than other AYCE BBQ spots -Vent was right at the grill, not over our heads so smelled less and much quieter than other places -Gave a very big and super tasty icecream dessert item for my dad's birthday Cons: -Very small parking lot, will probably need to park in the streets -All the meats were pretty bland, only the marinated short ribs was worth it -Hard to get attention of help and get grill changes With that all said, YakiniQ is probably still the best and only spot in Livermore for AYCE BBQ read more

YakiniQ - Birthday dessert, tasted great and it was BIG! - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

Solid ayce kbbq spot for only $34 - non premium meat menu! It's totally worth it! They had plenty of ban chan sides for appetizers. Besides that we got to try delicious beef belly, pork jowl, miso pork belly, soybean brisket stew, kimchi fried rice, fried chicken, etc etc. Love the convenient ordering of items from your phone and the waiters were super attentive and came by often to check on us. Would definitely come back here! Parking lot is a bit small here but there looks to be more parking on the side streets. read more

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The best korean bbq experience in this area! The food is so good! They have beef tongue and good marbling fresh meats! Service is on top! Great for big parties and group hangout!! This is my go to hangout every year! Woohoo ~ read more

I've been to the San Jose location multiple times, and I have to say that YakiniQ is my favorite ayce Kbbq spot in the Bay Area, so I was really excited to find out that there's now a location in Livermore! When we arrived on a Wednesday around 6 PM with a party of four, there was no wait, but I appreciate that they offer a live Yelp waitlist so you can check wait times and add your name before you arrive. You have to be within 10 miles of the restaurant to hop onto the waitlist, though! My group opted for the premium option, which is only $4 more, and it's well worth it for the higher quality meat selections. To compare, we also ordered a few items from the regular menu, and the difference in quality was definitely noticeable. With so many options available, I highly recommend coming with a big group so you can try a little bit of everything. I am a huge fan of corn cheese, so I was excited to see it on the menu at no extra charge, but I would have to say I wasn't the biggest fan of it. The fries and popcorn chicken also lacked seasoning. However, everything else was great! The service was fast, and we received all our orders quickly. They also finish the meal with a complimentary scoop of ice cream and a deep-fried banana, which was a nice touch to end the meal! read more

YakiniQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

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Still good, clean, efficient, and you don't leave the place smelling completely like you were a roasting pig on a spit. They consistently make sure to switch out your grill plate when needed. read more

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Stellar service with easy to use self-ordering on your mobile device! There's a good selection of meats, banchans, and sides you can order and the price is very fair. I found that a few items weren't to my taste, but there are lots of other options that were! A favorite bite of mine is always brisket with salad and rice paper, topped with some bean sprouts and kimchi. The seaweed soup and corn cheese are also yummy sides! We walked in with a party of 6 around 5:30pm on a Friday and had no trouble finding a table, even though there were plenty inside already. The ambiance is modern-ish and ventilation is fairly good for all the smokey grilling going on. Parking in downtown Livermore. read more

So much to love, yet so much went wrong during my visit here - enough to consider not coming back. They have a long wait time, so I recommend checking the waitlist beforehand, and note that you must be within 10 miles to join. We were seated within 5 minutes of arriving and was given a QR code on a piece of paper to start ordering right away. Grill changes were fast and prompt, but it should be noted that the grill appeared to get dirty after every meat dish we cooked (including brisket), and needed a change. Meat quality and prices were also good, with a sufficient menu for extras, like kimchi fried rice and steamed eggs. The cons? Half of our initial meat order came 20 minutes after we finished our first few meats. We had to flag a server down after 15 minutes to ask where our order was, and I assume they lost/forgot about it. The restaurant's temperature was also freezing. If you see everyone wearing a jacket/long sleeve inside, it 100% means it's too cold in the establishment! There also seemed to be AC vents positioned on the ceilings above every table, so you feel the cold breeze on your head and legs. I feel like it was so cold that our meats took longer than average (in my KBBQ experience) to cook. I turned to heat to high, and a server would come by a few minutes later and turn it down to medium/low - it felt like a minigame on who controlled the stove temps. The servers do not control any of the customers - there were clearly drunk people at a table near us that was excessively loud - to a point where I felt like the majority of the restaurant on my side was mildly annoyed. I do not recommend this place for kids, as it appears to get quite rowdy at times. We were also offered complimentary ice cream during checkout which never came, so we decided to leave after 5 minutes of waiting. Aside from the side dish menu, the meat quality is very similar to other KBBQs in the area, but there is more diversity in meats. I experienced poor service, uninviting ambiance, and very loud noise levels during my visit, and do not plan on coming back. read more

This is now our go to place for Korean bbq. Both the quality of the food and the service was impeccable. Both visits we have had Ethan as our "server" as his energy and personality makes a great worker and makes us want to come back more often! The parking situation has been a little of a challenge on Thursdays with the farmers market across the street but it is still definitely worth the walk! read more

Ambiance is good, they can accommodate large parties but at separate tables near by each other. They do have a time limit and the entire party must be there to be seated. Quality of food is great, good assorted of protein, the only thing is they lack an assortment of veggies. The ordering process is definitely convenient and fast. Service was good always ensuring the empty plates were out the way, water was always filled and the grill change was frequent and didn't have to ask. I would come back and recommend. read more

Solid KBBQ spot! I love the wide selection of meats and sides to choose from. It's super convenient too that you can just order what you want on your phone instead of flagging a busy server down. Even when they do attend to your table, great customer service and willingness to help. This location is also decorated beautifully on the interior and has a clean, modern feel. The only feedback I have is that I think we were seated in the overflow area so the dishes that are pre-set out at each table I think were sitting out for a while. The salad greens, potato salad, and fish cakes were warm. Also for most AYCE places it includes all the sides but for this place there is a charge for some of the sides that are actually worth getting. read more

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You can check-in through yelp so we did just that since the wait time was almost an hour. The resto has plenty of tables, although separated into two main dining areas. You order through a QR code and their menu is exactly as their location in SJ. This location is much nicer, bigger, and more modern. Food came fast. Meats were top quality. Service was awesome! They kept changing our grill plates. And their free ice cream dessert is an absolute bonus. Must tries: spicy squid; small intestines; boneless short rib; bulgogi; beef toro read more

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Fastest KBBQ service I've seen if you use their QR ordering system. Caveat being that your reception may or may not be slow. One of my buddies was unable to load the menu while another had no problems. Seemed like you could only order from one phone anyways. Good quality of meat, soups, sides, and sauces. The favorites for meat and sides were the beef tongue and seaweed soup. Lots of street parking if the lot is full. read more

This might have to be my new favorite kbbq in the Bay Area. The meat quality and options here are great! We had a great time trying all the different meats and they did not disappoint. Another like is this place serves tortillas which not a lot of kbbq restaurants do. My only complaint would be sometimes the service was kind of slow when they were being stuff to our table but it was pretty busy so I can't really blame them for that. If you are a kbbq fan I highly recommend checking this place out and opt in for the premium menu as it was only a couple dollars more. read more

We are so much that some of us didn't eat at all for the rest of the day! All the meat here was flavorful and tender. Loved their variety of dipping sausages and side dishes! For a decent price, you can have AYCE KBBQ for 2 hours and end it with green tea ice cream with a side of fried banana :) read more

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The service was amazing and ordering was really simple. Also, I got a complimentary ice cream at the end which was so sweet. The music they had was also cool and I liked the interior too. read more

2nd time going and we loved it both times. If you're not looking to wait skip it but well worth the wait in our opinion. On normal day we waited maybe 20ish minutes for a table. Valentine's Day is busy anywhere so we expected a long wait. Join the guest list if it says long wait time! It totally helps. We waited about hour and a half as to be expected per the wait list. fast service, clean atmosphere. Everything is delicious. Stuffed by the end and then omg the ice cream and fried banana to end the meal.. chefs kiss read more

Food wasn't what I'm used to, beautiful king shrimp, brought in with heads and tails, they're grills at each table a brief and short lesson would have been helpful. All the food looked fresh. I won't be going back it was just not my taste but there were a lot of customers enjoyed it, good luck.YakiniQ read more

Solid spot for Yakiniku BBQ! The service was impressively fast--staff were attentive and quick to bring out orders, which made the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. The quality of the meat was good and everything was well-seasoned. read more

YakiniQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

This is our go to ayce kbbq spot in town. Easy to make a yelp check in from our house and get there in time for our seating. All the servers are great and always come for plates and grill changes. Food is good for ayce kbbq. We like their marinated items and the sides are good too. Love that you can just order on your phone. Food comes out very fast and they never miss an item. Only gripe is the price for kids is a bit high. We have a 3 and 5 year old. The 3yo is free but the price for 4 and up is a steep $28. Going to be quite the pricy spot once our little one turns 4. read more

This is my go to for a weekday KBBQ. Meats are excellent alongside the bonchon. Rice wraps are tender and bouncy, Fishcake has great flavor with a nice bite. They've got radish wraps, which is a must. Wasabi sauce, bbq, & sesame oil with salt and pepper are all great! What I love most is ordering from the QR code menu, which you can add special instructions such as "one piece only". This allows you to tailor the amount of any selection avoiding having to eat too much of any one thing. My favorite right now is their addition of the wine pork belly! Service is always top notch since they change your grill very frequently and everyone is friendly and attentive. They've opened up a new side of the dining room with WINDOWS for larger parties and overhead hoods! Yay! Unbelievable find in Livermore!! read more

YakiniQ - Pork Belly, Pork Jowl, Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

Super chewy meat by the end of service. Ended up charging for "leftovers" when we had two pieces of this really chewy brisket at the end of the meal. read more

Came for my birthday dinner with friends on our way to Sonoma. There was a bit of a wait for a Friday night. We added ourselves to the Yelp guest waitlist as soon as we were close enough to do so. The app is was easy to use but a bit cumbersome since we had to pass the phone around and make sure we didn't duplicate orders. The grill went out halfway though our meal, but the service was great and they fixed it pretty quick. The marinated meats were delicious. Salad was healthy! I'm glad they had the rice noodle sheets so I could add those to my lettuce wraps that I made. The birthday dessert was a great gesture. Different flavored sorbet. Ambiance was classy for a Korean BBQ place. Restaurant was huge and didn't get too smoky, even though the tables were full. read more

YakiniQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

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Best food and service for Kbbq it was awesome and amazing favorite kbbq spot from now on!

Everything was amazing, I'm so glad we have this gem in town! Food was delicious, waiters were always around to help and change our plates, and they were all welcoming when we went. 5 stars! read more

Solid KBBQ spot. Quick service. Quality meat. Decent price for 33$. I never once had to flag a waiter down for a grill change or anything. Food comes out in a jiffy. Clean and fancy interior. I would definitely return. Knocking off one star because it is FREEZING inside. My fingers were ice cold. Bring a jacket. read more

Solid Korean bbq spot. It's better than the one in San Jose in my opinion. The service and food are spot on. I will definitely come here again. read more

Highly recommend! This place is amazing! I don't think it has any real competition in the area -- the food, prices, service, and even the store decoration are all top-notch. It offers All-you-can-eat, and has two meal options at different price. The quality of the meat is so good! I love coming here with my friends to enjoy a delicious meal and chat with each other. It truly makes my day every time! read more

YakiniQ - Store - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

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Outstanding service. They don't try to break check you when ordering meats. Grill changed often as soon as it gets black, they come out with a new one. Premium meats, endless side dishes, tons of choices. read more

Delicious with amazing ambiance! Small menu that covers all the bases. I will go again!

I love AYCE Korean bbq. I've been to many of them all over the bay. YakiniQ is great and I would come here again. This place prob has the best service out of any ayce Korean bbq I've been to. Food was good, but some of the meat quality and flavors could have been better. For example, the pork cheeks were chewy and had no flavor. I prefer the pork cheeks from Gen where they season it lightly for you. My partner didn't like the tofu soup and said it tasted like straight up tomato soup. read more

YakiniQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livermore, California

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We stopped by for dinner on a Friday. I recommend joining the waitlist on Yelp to minimize your wait. I joined from home and headed out when we got closer to the top. You get a text when your table is ready. Don't worry if you're not there yet because they will hold it for 15 mins. They called me to double check if I still wanted to reserve the table which I thought was very nice of them. (Caller ID was under Kawa Sushi). In total, the wait was about an 1 hr 20 mins but waited 0 at the restaurant! Regular option was $32.99. Meat quality is very good and fresh. You order via a QR code and it will be brought to you promptly. I love how thinly sliced a lot of the meat options are. Beef Brisket was the best. Customer service is great. They changed out our grills without us having ask. At the end of the meal, they gave us a bowl of chocolate ice cream with a piece of fried banana. They have a very small parking lot that will most likely be filled. You're better off doing street parking and there's plenty of spots and still very close to the restaurant. read more

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