If you love Japanese barbecue then I am sure you’ve heard of Gyu-Kaku. The popular Japanese Barbecue concept lets diners cook their own food on an in-table grill. The first Gyu-Kaku restaurant opened in Los Angeles back in 2001. Since then the restaurant has opened over 700 locations worldwide. Currently you can find Gyu-Kaku in Midtown Houston, Sugar Land and Memorial. Their newest location opened directly across the street from Willowbrook Mall (7748 Cypress Creek Parkway) earlier this month. During a private tasting I was completely blown away by their succulent cuts of Japanese barbecue and À la Carte items. I Definitely suggest you add Gyu-Kaku to your list of Japanese barbecue restaurants in Houston.
Gyu-Kaku Japanese Barbecue
Japanese barbecue — or “yakiniku” has become quite popular in the US. I find the experience of cooking my food in the center of the dinner table quite cool! It’s especially fun for large groups. At Gyu-Kaku diners sit around a gas grill and cook their selected meats (or tofu) and veggies with some assistance from the staff. There are other places in Houston that offer similar Japanese barbecue experiences. Though, I’ve only visited one in Chinatown, about 45 miles from my home.
Gyu-Kaku offers those of us who live in the suburbs a bit of city flare that we may not otherwise get to experience. The new Willowbrook location is minutes from my home. I can definitely see this place becoming a monthly thing for me and my family. My husband is big meat eater and could not stop raving about the tender, juicy, and flavorful cuts of beef. Gyu-Kaku offers popular items like Harami in Secret Pot (our favorite) — prime skirt steak served marinating in a “secret pot”(our favorite), beef tongue and garlic shrimp. The “ready to grill” spicy pork and shoyu chicken were quite popular with our group as well.
Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly
In addition to their perfect cuts of meat and seafood, I personally enjoyed their starters, foil wrapped veggies and garlic noodles. The Spicy Tuna Volcano was worth mentioning. A golden fried tater tot topped with thinly sliced spicy tuna, marinated in teriyaki sauce. Though this place offers a variety of meat it’s also a great place for vegetarians and vegans. The veggies and noodles are really, REALLY good. I could have eaten my weight in Gyu-Kaku’s garlic mushrooms and spinach garlic.
We ended the evening with Gyu-Kaku’s famous DIY s’mores! Nothing fancy about this at all, just plain ol’ campfire fun.
Happy Hour
Gyu-Kaku’s happy hour offers guests discounted prices on family styled meals, appetizers and, beverages! If you’re looking for the perfect libation to pair with your Japanese barbecue I highly recommend the Mio Sparkling Sake. It’s easy to drink and oh-so refreshing.
Early Happy Hour
Daily: 10:30AM–6:00PM
Late Happy Hour
Mon–Thu: 9:00PM–10:30PM (last call)
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