Reviews for Gyu-Kaku describe a fun, interactive Japanese BBQ experience with table grills, generous portions and a wide range of meats and sides, often praised for quality and flavor, including marinated beef, wagyu, kalbi and miso dishes, plus satisfying desserts like s'mores; the atmosphere is described as welcoming, lively and family friendly, though some visits note loud music and a fast pace; service is frequently highlighted as friendly and attentive and at times slower or more challenging during busy periods, with clear explanations of the menu and cooking style; prices are commonly considered good value for the quality and quantity, but a few reviews note that per-item costs or overall price can be high and recommend reservations for groups or peak times; overall, Gyu-Kaku is regarded as a popular go-to spot for meals with friends or family and celebrations, delivering consistent tasty food and a memorable dining concept.
Hands down the best Korean bbq in downtown Montreal. Staff is friendly, menu has options for everyone & is inclusive for people with different dietary preferences, side dishes are delicious, & the bbq experience is amazing overall.
Easily my most visited restaurant in Montreal, I highly recommend everyone to pass by Gyu-Kaku if you're looking for an authentic Japanese BBQ experience. They have a wide variety of menu items & also a seasonal menu that includes some nice surprises here & there.
May 5, 2026
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This place never disappoints - The meat is fresh & delicious, the service is impeccable, & the staff are very friendly & accommodating! We went to celebrate a birthday recently, & the team & our wonderful server, Eric, happily accepted to serve us a cake we brought in, light the candles, & even sang to the birthday boy! I recommend ordering the'group bbq' to share if it's your first time, though beware: it's a lot of food!
Took my family there for early Easter dinner tonight to have some Japanese BBQ. This is not the first time going but the first time reviewing it.
As usual it is a very nice place to have dinner on a romantic date, a nice family dinner or just to have a get together with friends to eat. There is some noise with music coming from the ceiling & the many people eating there. The staff & service is top level. Very polite, helpful & making sure we are doing well & if there is something they can get for us.
The food there is always amazing. We ordered some soup(egg soup), had spicy shrimp, spicy roast beef & dumplings. My personal favorite is the shrimp. Then the meat. Angus beef, filet mignon, kalbi & marinated beef along with mushroom medley. The meat is always fresh. Never had any issues with the meat at all. I highly recommend this restaurant for any occasion.
Gyu-Kaku has always been one of my go-to BBQ spots in San Francisco-especially for their unlimited BBQ options. It's a place I've visited countless times with family, & I've always loved the experience. So when I found out they had a location in Montreal, I was genuinely excited to try it & even brought along a friend who had never been before. I really wanted him to experience how good it can be.
Unfortunately, from the very beginning, the experience felt completely different. The service was noticeably lacking-it took multiple attempts just to get the staff's attention for basic things, which already set the tone for the evening.
I went ahead & ordered my usual favorite items, but the portions here seemed smaller or different compared to what I'm used to in San Francisco. I understand there could be differences in sourcing or pricing, so I was willing to give that the benefit of the doubt. However, what was harder to overlook was the quality of certain cuts-especially the yaki shabu beef. It was so thin & inconsistent that it felt almost like minced meat, & a lot of it kept falling through the grill, making it frustrating to cook & enjoy.
On top of that, the grill itself wasn't functioning properly. The heat distribution was uneven-some parts would burn the meat instantly while others barely cooked it, leaving pieces raw. For a place centered around BBQ, this really impacted the overall experience.
It honestly felt like a completely different restaurant compared to the San Francisco locations I'm used to, which was disappointing-especially since I had hyped it up to my friend.
If I had to highlight one positive, it would be the lava cake. It was actually better than the one I've had in San Francisco-rich, warm, & perfectly done. But realistically, you don't go to a BBQ restaurant just for dessert.
Overall, I'm quite disappointed to say that this visit didn't live up to my expectations, & it's not a spot I'd return to in Montreal the way I do back in San Francisco.
Mar 27, 2026
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My first time at a Japanese BBQ place. Nice place to share a meal with friends & enjoy the atmosphere. Since there were 4 of use we ordered a dinner for 4. Big mistake. There was way to much food. Even though all the items we had were great, we had to sacrifice some so we could have some green ice-cream for dessert. Oh well.
Food was excellent but pricier compared to other Japanese BBQ which was unlimited. Coming in I really thought it was à volonté since I would pay the same price from other places with much more varieties. But food was good, overall. I initially thought I wouldn't get full so that kind of worried me for the price I was paying 😂
I love this place so much. I've been a frequent customer for years & I genuinely think nothing tops it. I've tried pretty much every Korean BBQ spot, & this one is by far the best. The food is consistently amazing, the experience is always fun, & the quality never disappoints. We seriously need more good restaurants in downtown Montreal because there really aren't any. Always a go to for me, & every person I've put onto this place says the same thing.
Nous sommes allés chez Gyu-Kaku pour célébrer l'anniversaire de mon copain & tout était excellent. L'ambiance était chaleureuse, le service attentionné & la nourriture délicieuse. Le concept du BBQ japonais rend l'expérience vraiment amusante & conviviale.
Merci à l'équipe pour cette belle soirée, nous reviendrons sans hésiter ! 💫
Nov 10, 2025
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We tried the Japanese BBQ set for three & it was more than enough food we all left full. The grilling experience was fun, & the variety of meats kept it interesting. Some cuts were nicely marinated & tender, but overall still enjoyable once grilled properly.
The side items (cheese, peppers, marinade foil-wrapped items like mushroom) added a nice change of flavour during the meal. Cooking everything at the table is part of the fun here, & the grill stays hot. The person who serves us guided us on time to cook each type of meat. That was very thoughtful.
The highlight at the end was definitely the ice cream the matcha flavour was the clear winner at our table, but the vanilla & taro were good too.
Service was friendly & quick, & the pacing between dishes worked well no waiting around.
Would come back & maybe try a different meat selection next time.
BBQ japonais avec une très bonne qualité de nourriture pour le prix.
Les plats sont savoureux, bien préparés & offrent un bon rapport qualité-prix, ce qui en fait une belle découverte culinaire.
Cependant, le service est vraiment lent, ce qui peut rendre l'expérience moins agréable, surtout lorsqu'on a faim ou peu de temps.
En résumé : excellente nourriture, mais le service devrait être amélioré pour offrir une expérience à la hauteur de la qualité des plats.
This was my first Korean BBQ experience. The food was okay, but it was fun to'cook' ourselves over the little grill.
I had the shrimp & zucchini. I enjoyed the zucchini, & had no trouble cooking it. I was a little apprehensive about the shrimp because the grill is not particularly hot & I'm accustomed to flames when I'm grilling (ha... this is a personal preference) so I wasn't all that comfortable eating the shrimp.
My husband & son enjoyed their meat lovers experience!
We also had pina colada & lychee punch.
This place is NOT for people who have food allergies as there is one grill per table.
Dans le top 5 des meilleurs restaurants que j'ai fait.
C'est très bon, c'est chaleureux, c'est rapide & professionnel.
La grille du bbq est changée régulièrement
I'm not a huge fan of Japan BBQ, but this was a pretty good experience with some very decent food. The meat wasn't the best quality, but it was seasoned well. The vibe of the place was really nice, though, & they had some great noodle dishes. Overall, I wouldn't say I was thoroughly impressed, but again, my opinion on Korean BBQ is biased.
My husband & I ate here for our first Japanese BBQ experience ever, & it was hands down one of the best dining experiences we've had in our lives. We're already planning our next trip to Montreal, & this place is at the top of our list to return to!
Jin, as well as all of the staff, were unbelievably hospitable. They absolutely made our experience an 11/10. Cannot recommend this place enough! :)
