Gyu-Kaku 20s / 30s / Asian / Asian Food / Asian Restaurant / Barbeque / Button-downs / Couples / Date Place / Dinner / Good for Groups / Groups / Happy Hour / Japanese Food / Japanese Restaurant / Jeans / Jeans and Heels / Late Night Happy Hour / Lively / Lunch / Moderate / Street Parking / Trendy Casual / Valet Parking / Wi-Fi / Young Professionals

It is so easy to get your food just the way you like it when you get to grill it at the table yourself! It is a lot of fun when you get a cool group together to head out. Prices are pretty good, especially if you make it to a week night happy hour. They give you good quality meat, the veggies are fresh, and the drinks are strong. There is always a good crowd, even late night which makes it the perfect place to eat after a night out in L.A.

When I have a hankering for grilled meat and Japanese import beer, Gyu Kaku is the place to be. Since they have Happy Hour everyday from lunch to 6:30 p.m. and all day Mondays. Can't beat $2-6 plates of meat and a tall glass of Japan imported Sapporo for $1.50. Also, they have meal sets with a good variety of meat plus miso soup and edamame if you can't decide on what to order. Some of my favorites are their spicy tuna volcano, rosemary garlic lamb, toro beef, any of their bestseller items (hate marketing specific items here but it's pretty true to their advertising), bacon wrapped scallops and garlic shrimp. It's a grill your own meat type of place so if you've never experienced anything like this in a restaurant, it's definitely worth the try. This is a Japanese bbq place so the major differences from a Korean bbq place are the style of meat they serve and the grill is different. It's family and group friendly, so it's quite fun to bring them for a meal.

Their happy hour is great for you penny savers out there. Things to look at for: the atmosphere of the place will set things right for you. The meat is superb and very tasteful. Definitely recommended enjoying the meat with some alcohol by your side. Other than that, it's a really good price for a really good meal.

This restaurant is great if you are a meat-lover. You order several different meat dishes to share with your table and cook them on a grill as you eat! The experience is unique and the place has a fun vibe. Happy hour is great for reduced prices and $3 beers. Their appetizers are tasty as well, I especially recommend the tuna tar-tar. For dessert, I would recommend the s’mores – you get enough for two people and it is fun to roast them yourself! All in all a great experience, although I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone who is a vegetarian (they do have some salads, but the selection is very limited).

The happy hour is great!!! It makes the place much more affordable for what I am getting. I would definitely recommend going during happy hour and going a bit early because Gyu-Kaku can have a pretty long wait at times. Also if you sign up for their e-mails they are always e-mailing out deals, which for regulars is pretty great. Food is pretty delicious, and with the happy hour I think you can order five items for $15? I was not disappointed with anything. Gyu-Kaku is just a great place to go for a birthday or for a date, I definitely recommend it. There are also several different locations, which is convenient.

Gyu-Kaku on La Cienega is a fun and easy late night spot to devour tons of half priced food and drink tons of $1 beer. When you walk in, there's this pint-sized bar on the right side - and since you're inevitably waiting for a table, even at 10pm, you can fill up on cheap beer. Now, I'm no cook, but I can barbecue with the best of them. So when they bring out all the raw meat for you to cook yourself, I man the tongs and get to work. I like just about everything on the menu, the pork, the 4 kinds of beef, the shrimp, the chicken. Word to the wise, when you first start cooking, your meat will get stuck to the pan. Tell them to grease it better - or you're going to lose whatever you put on first. That - or you need to be really quick when turning it at the beginning. It's actually really annoying. Get your act together Gyu!

As someone who perpetually works late, it's nice to have a fun, tasty late night spot nearby. Gyu-Kaku on La Cienega is that spot. Just down restaurant row on La Cienega, Gyu-Kaku is a Japanese Yakiniku style dining experience. If you've ever had Korean Barbecue, this is he Japanese version. When you walk in, you're met by the host stand and to the right is the small bar for quick $1 beers while you wait (that's $1 happy hour beers). Beyond that are the individual tables, all complete with built in BBQ pits where you cook your own food over the course of the night. Things I recommend: Harami miso beef, the filet mignon, the crispy spicy tuna rolls, the bibimbap, the mushroom medley, the asparagus, the kim-chee, and just about anything else. It's easy to feast here, especially during happy hour when everything is 50% off or more. They have $1.50 sapporo drafts during happy hour! The mood here is always lively and fun. The staff is usually pretty good about checking in on you, but they mostly hire high school and college kids, so you can only expect so much. I like Gyu-Kaku as a date spot though because you're constantly stimulated, there are no lulls, you're working as a team, cooking, talking, etc. It's kind of ideal for any amount of needed ice-breaking. Plus you can get hammered on the cheap.