Yoshinoya

Baited. I was completely and absolutely baited. I wasn’t expecting the food here to taste exactly like its Japan namesake, but dang this wasn’t even close. I was driving down the road, saw the huge sign, and immediately turned in. After looking at the menu and not seeing any of the Japan items like green onions or even egg, I wanted to leave without even getting anything. Had the cook in back not yelled at me to order, I would have. I got a beef bowl. Ironically, it didn’t even come in a bowl. When I was given a fork and offered some sriracha, I knew I had made a grave decision. After getting home, but not before being panhandled by a homeless guy who had been loitering in the lot, I finally tried to eat it. The smell was good, that was about it. The rice was fake. The onions were too salty. The beef was dry and lacked sweetness. I was utterly devastated, threw most of it away. Why didn’t I just go to Sonic around the corner?

Good food, and I’ve been eating here for years. The complaint I have is that in the beginning all Yoshinoya had self serve containers of ginger. Apparently they cut into the bottom dollar, because they were removed and replaced with tiny half-​filled cups that you had to ask for at the counter, and couldn’t get more than a couple. Now even these are gone, replaced by even tinier packets, enough for two bites of food. Look, I’d rather pay a dollar more for my meal and have the original self serve containers brought back than these tiny packages. For this reason I give Yoshinoya 3 stars only.

Came in at 1115p for honey walnut shrimp and they ran out? I understand I’m here late but how do you run out of something I assume you keep frozen anyway?!?

Typical yoshi. Food is good not great. But it beats a burger when you want something fast.

The service was fast but Flame broiler and the Hawaiian restaurant across the street are a better value for the money. Plus other places will give u FREE teriyaki sauce where the lady here said my beef bowl already had teriyaki sauce and wanted to charge me 65 cents for however many little sides of sauce I wanted. I can go across the street and get it free. .and guess what?.. there was no sauce at all on my bowl. I was kinda mad. gonna go elsewhere from now on.

Same food that they have been serving for years since their popularity in the 90s

Showed up at 11… supposed to be open until midnight but apparently that means you’ll only be able to order left overs… The lady was a bit rude… Like we should have known…

As far as Yoshinoyas go, I think their meat isn’t as fresh as this specific location. I’ve definitely had better Yoshinoya experiences. I’m also sad to inform that their ginger is not self-​serve and you have to ask the cashier in order to get a serving. Their service is not over the top or speedy. It’s just average. Their venue is clean, but that’s what I expect out of every restaurant. Overall, I just think I’ve had better food at other Yoshinoya locations.

It’s no local japanese bowl location but it brings back decades of memories.
Since my college days this place has undergone a dramatic facelift. Open layout where you can see right into the kitchen watching a single person churn out ticket after ticket. Gone are the days of the condiments bar where you load up your plate with as much red ginger and japanese pepper as you like.
If you haven’t stepped into a Yoshinoya in years like I have you’ll notice that there are new items on the menu but the classics still remain true.
Beef and teriyaki chicken combo bowl is my go-​to comfort food with a side of clam chowder. For about 10 dollars you really can’t go wrong with the amount of food. Though it does seem that they skimp out on the amount of beef these days.
They’re open until midnight so if you’re hankering for a rice dish this is definitely a spot to go to late night.

I grew up eating their beef bowl. I’ve since graduated to eating their combo bowls with their spicy teriyaki sauce. It still taste the same from when I was a kid, brings back memories every time I eat it.

Tonight’s dinner was horrible! We ordered 2 combo bowls, NO ONION, and both were loaded with onions. Also the beef was disgusting and the amount of fat outweighed the beef by more than double.
The quality of the food left me feeling sick and I am very disappointed with my dinning experience at your establishment.

The food isn’t bad for the price. This location is definitely the nicest I’ve been to– it’s very open and decorated in bright, fresh colors.
Tip 1. DO NOT UPGRADE TO STEAK. It’s terrible and flavorless and over cooked and dry. Stick to the chicken and regular beef. Save your dollar.
Tip 2. Look out for the coupons. They’re pretty great and make the mediocre food feel worth the effort and money. Plus they don’t expire for months. PS. The combo feast deal is bomb and will stuff 2 people for around $ 15. GET THE WINGS.
Tip 3. Maybe call ahead? The food took about 15 min, which is longer than I expected wait in an almost empty restaurant.
Tip 4. Ask for extra teriyaki sauce on the bowl. It’s an extra $.65 to get it on the side. I guess they charge for the little cup? Ginger is free though.
Minus 1.5 star for the steak.
Minus 1 star for the wait.
Plus .5 star for the TGIF quality wings.
Plus 1 star for the awesome coupons.
Total: low 4 stars
Verdict: I’d come back with coupons, but it’s not good enough for full menu price.

Came in tonight to have dinner with my brother. Love the fact they are opened until midnight. The place was somewhat busy but nothing crazy. I ordered a combo bowl with no veggies, onions nor sauce. The bowl is fairly big and they hook it up with the meat. For some reason the meat smells like a perm but tastes pretty good. The chicken seemed like it was fried so not sure if exactly healthy but it was also good. The meal was satisfying and fairly cheap at about $ 7 with a large drink. The food wasn’t the greatest but definitely hit the spot. 1 star docked because the girl taking the order wasn’t exactly the friendliest as it seemed we were bothering her by ordering food. Otherwise not a bad spot to come if you are hungry late.

This is a really nice Yoshinoya location.
Same are really old and run down or in scuzzy areas, but this one is bright, clean and friendly.
Service is nice, prices are great, portions good and the food is more craveworthy than actually great.
The quality also only so so, but I do really like their veggies.
The fish is pretty bad, skip that.
My son loves the chicken, my husband the beef and I went for a veggie bowl.
Cheap and filling, though I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back here.

This is the nicest Yoshinoya I’ve ever been to. It must be newly built. it’s extremely clean. Food is typical Yoshinoya. The guy at the counter was extremely nice, even though we came in 10 minutes to closing. Super friendly.

— Locale Destination —
It’s on E Chapman Ave and N State College blvd in Fullerton.
It’s in a shopping plaza, by «Big Lot». Décor is modern — white and bright green. It’s almost like a boba tea/​fro-​yo place. Very casual. The staff were nice. Easy to park. Open very late — that’s the only reason I came here. Free Wi-​Fi. That’s cool.
— Gluttony Expedition —
Bbq wings: Non Japanese person must have made this. It was very thick and worse version of teriyaki type sweet sauce. Edible, but no bueno.
Beef & Veg: The beef had more meat than fat than before. They must have improved the meat quality, though I can’t still say it was a good quality. Vegetables were steamed — carrots, cabbages, broccoli etc. The large size is very very big — good for 2 people (IMO). Meh, but edible and good rice.
**** Yoshinoya in Japan and Gyu-​don ****
Real «Gyu don» in Japan is nothing like this. It usually have a better quality beef, lots of sauces (juicy), egg and onions with a red cheap kind ginger. I’ve never been to «Yoshinoya» in Japan because it’s considered as «cheap & quick» food for «salaried man» and the poor like students. You’re supposed to know their lingo for ordering and to eat & go quickly after you finished, which makes it difficult for ladies to get into there. It’s very intimidating — it’s true! I was curious about this place, but I’ve never been able to try it in Japan. I’ve had «Yoshinoya» first time in CA. It was a lot more casual than the one in Japan, but the food was terrible — lots of fat and dry meat. This was better than last time, but still meh as a whole.
— Conqueror’s Deduction —
If you don’t want fast foods like burgers and tacos (this shopping plaza is surrounded by the full of those foods), this could be a better choice. A lot lighter and healthier food (vegetable option) with a gigantic portion and affordable price. They are even open late.
It’s not a real «gyu don» in any means, but edible at least. If you wanted «rice», they have one! Don’t have a high hope, but it was alright to satisfy my «rice /​veg» crave at the late night. I won’t be a regular but open late is a good thing.

The plates are pretty decent sizes and I got the fish combo that comes with rice and salad.
Good value for money. Service is whatever, they just take your order and call your number. Just like a fast food restaurant.

My down-​the-​street-​from-​home Yoshinoya.
I love their beef bowls with a strong passion, what can I say?! I ask for the marinated onions to be on the side and w/​an additional side of green onions.
They have never been slow w/​my food (I admire this about almost any establishment) and the food is always burning hot!
My beef bowl cravings are always relieved after coming to Yoshinoya:)

Memories
Back in the day, there was no Flame Broiler, Waba Bowl or Chik-​Fil-​A. Yoshinoya was your one «healthier» choice for fast food. Although, I feel I have outgrown it, I always have a soft spot for them. Large beef bowl with its’ fatty, stringy beef cooked with onions and served on a bed of white rice. The blood red ginger, soy sauce and top it with that orange colored seasoned pepper. There are even healthier choices now and Yoshinoya seems almost primitive. They were though the gateway drug to Asian food and an alternative to the greasy fast food we grew up around. If I see a Yoshinoya, I am stopping in, sitting down and enjoying the memories.

Yoshinoya returns. And so did I.
Yoshinoya brings my childhood and college years back to life.
Before there were the almighty titans like Flame Broiler or Waba Grill, there was a standard rice bowl chain called Yoshinoya. Nothing too fancy, just simple rice bowls that filled the stomachs of many hungry people.
But I’m not here to give you a history lesson about this fast food chain. I’m here to write about why I fell in love with this place. I grew up eating the bowls and that’s a huge part why I love this place. We all want to remember our childhood years. We take things for granted when we are children, but when it’s gone, we start to miss it.
I went to college right down the block and used to switch off on the beef bowls bowls, chicken bowls and the sesame wings. But after I graduated, I didn’t come around the area anymore. Never had a chance to drive down Chapman and come back.
But as soon as I started working a block away, I saw that this Yoshinoya had turned into a Asiana Grill associated with Yoshinoya.
I never set foot in the place.
But just last week, I saw contractors replacing the signs with REAL orange Yoshinoya signs. I got excited. My emotions run when I’m excited. Not many people generate the same excitement as I do, especially when it comes to food.
Today, I set foot and everything was clean. It probably still had the same green colored seating design as the Asiana Grill, but it was cleaner from what I remembered from college.
Beef bowls — The original signature dish. Very tender yet fatty beef served with sautéed onions and over rice.
Chicken bowls — Strips of grilled chicken with neon green vegetables served over rice. I know a lot of people complain about the vegetables served here, but if you eat with teriyaki sauce with cayenne, it’s awesome.
Any large bowls for $ 5.00! Tax is 0.40. Total is $ 5.40.
Sesame wings — Flavorful yet a subtle, Asian inspired unique taste.
Ginger — You can’t complete a Yoshinoya bowl without a couple of sides of the red ginger. TRUST ME! It’s like not having a pickle spear with your sandwich or not having a side with bbq ribs or steak! It’s a super MUST!
Japanese pepper flakes — MUST! Sprinkle it on top of your rice bowl for a little kick!
Service — Could have room for a little improvement. I received a comment from an employee for taking a empty container and pouring the pepper flakes. If the front people offered this then I wouldn’t have done that. It would be nice if the front people asked me first. because no rice bowl is complete with pepper flakes!
The management made a mind blown decision for Yoshinoya to make it’s triumphant return.
Although I’m sort of a prodigal customer in a way, I’m glad I came back.