The Yakitori Bar

Paul Cardoso

Had a great time at Yakitori Bar in Warm Springs, Fremont! They offer a fantastic assortment of traditional Japanese skewers and small plates. One of the standout dishes for me was the chicken oyster—a seriously underrated cut that you don’t often see on menus. It was tender and packed with flavor! The cold sake flight was a cool experience, but lately, I’ve been leaning more toward barley shochu, and this spot had a solid selection to explore. If you’re into Japanese spirits, you’ll definitely find something interesting here. A quick tip for taller folks—I’m 6’2”, and I found the bench seating a bit far from the table with no way to adjust it. If you prefer a more comfortable setup, I’d recommend sitting at the bar instead. Also, don’t forget to check the wall above the chefs for the day’s specials—some gems up there you won’t want to miss! Great food, good drinks, and a fun atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit! #YakitoriBar #FremontEats #JapaneseSkewers #SakeTasting #PaulEverhome

Ian Aguinaldo

Love the rustic atmosphere, the aroma of coal and shoyu/mirin/sake when you first open and enter the door, takes me back in Japan all over again, the staff are so helpful and polite. They take their time to go over with the list and orders. Service was great as well as the food. We ordered almost half of what was on their menu. We also shared a huge pot of sukiyaki (shared by 3). I suggest you come in early before they open or be prepared to be on the waiting list. Either way, I personally think it's worth the wait. I will be looking forward to coming back here again.

Hands down one of the best Japanese restaurants in the area. There is a wide variety of skewers and drinks on offer, as well as some other dishes like nabemono. We ordered a whole bunch of skewers, including beef tongue, sausage, unagi, pork belly, minced chicken with egg yolk, jidori chicken thigh and breast, duck breast, chicken gizzard, chicken liver, and chicken heart. All of them were fresh, juicy, and tender. The beef tongue and jidori chicken thigh stood out especially, as both were incredibly tender and very delicious. Accompanying the food is a wide range of drinks ranging from beer to sake. The restaurant is pretty cozy and has a fantastic ambiance reminiscent of actual izakayas in Japan, from the moment you walk in and smell the meaty smoke coming from the grill, to when you get your food. There is limited seating though, so either come a bit early or call ahead. The staff are proactive and friendly, and service overall is fairly quick. Overall, I'd highly recommend checking this place out!

Jessica Chang

Had a pleasant time on a Wednesday night for a quick and early dinner. Great vibe for a date, or smaller group of friends. My favorites were the Wagyu skewer, ebi fry, and spicy tuna fries.

Mihir Phadke

Hands down one of the best Japanese restaurants in the area. There is a wide variety of skewers and drinks on offer, as well as some other dishes like nabemono. We ordered a whole bunch of skewers, including beef tongue, sausage, unagi, pork belly, minced chicken with egg yolk, jidori chicken thigh and breast, duck breast, chicken gizzard, chicken liver, and chicken heart. All of them were fresh, juicy, and tender. The beef tongue and jidori chicken thigh stood out especially, as both were incredibly tender and very delicious. Accompanying the food is a wide range of drinks ranging from beer to sake. The restaurant is pretty cozy and has a fantastic ambiance reminiscent of actual izakayas in Japan, from the moment you walk in and smell the meaty smoke coming from the grill, to when you get your food. There is limited seating though, so either come a bit early or call ahead. The staff are proactive and friendly, and service overall is fairly quick. Overall, I'd highly recommend checking this place out!

Matthew Gonzales (Tako Matt)

I went with a pretty decent group of people who love jpop and music in general. One of the main guys there and their crew there was quite fun since our group shared interests. Pretty good food overall. The strength was atmosphere and service. It's definitely a place worth trying. We also reserved early for our big group. It can get busy.

It is a popular Japanese pata restaurant. We were lucky to get a small table without waiting. For larger group, it may need to queue up…. The Staff were friendly and the service was fast. Skewers were good taste but small portion. We ordered the skewers of pork belly, duck breast, pork, mushroom, besides grilled hamachi, rice balls, crispy chicken skin, and chicken karage. I like the rice ball and the fish. I have to say that every order was good but I didn’t have “WOW” feeling to their food. The level of noise was quite high. This is a good place to hang out with friendly who drinks. It is “居酒屋” style of Japanese restaurant. I recommend this restaurant to who love Japanese skewers.

We finally got to try the 'Yakitori Bar' in Fremont as it's next to one of our fave Sushi restaurants . We came around 6:30p on a Tuesday. It was pretty busy and got to sit at the bar to see them cook. The restaurant is not as big as i thought and I would not say good for a big group. Decorated with wood tables, and benches and chairs. Casual place and average noise level. We ordered the below and all were good but a little salty to us. Good flavors tough and needed beer to wash off the saltiness so we are glad we didn't pick salted but sauced flavored skewers. You order by paper but the snacks and monthly specials have to be ordered by the servers. Grilled Seasoned Chashu $8 Housemade Chicken Gyoza $4.25 (3 pcs) Crispy Chicken Skin $6.50 Chicken Thigh (Momo) $4.50 1 skewer Chicken Neck (Nakiochi) $2.95 1 skewer Chicken wings $3.95 1 skewer Okra skewer $2.95 (3 pcs) Shishitou Green Pepper $2.95 (3 pcs) Short Ribs (Kalbi) $4.50 1 skewer Kurobuta Pork Belly (Butabara) $4.50 1 skewer [tough] Asahi Beer $8 Hot sake large (300ml) $12 We were welcomed in and received friendly service. Good place to hang out and socialize for a good beer and a few skewers but would not be my favorite place. They need to cut back on the salt a little and I am not as sensitive as others to salt but you can tell. They are a little on the expensive side for me on their skewers and drinks. You can try it for yourself and see.

Atmosphere: The place is small so it’s great for small groups. They have a super cute setup with the booths and bar seats. It’s giving cozy and intimate atmosphere so great for dates or small gatherings with friends. Though the lighting can be quite dim inside so not that great for pictures. Service: Lovely service! They were patient since we were new there and they were kind to check up on us as we were eating. Food : I liked everything except for the pork belly because it was really fatty and not flavorful. Tips: Don’t forget to get your name on the list, there could be a long wait. There was so many food choices everywhere so don’t forgot to check out the list on the walls. Sometime they have happy hour or deals on some food choices depending on the day so look around!

Discovered this spot through TikTok and decided to swing by for an early dinner — so glad we did! The restaurant is cozy, seating around 30 people, so we arrived about 10 minutes before opening to beat the crowd. By 5:30–6 PM, the place was already buzzing. The menu features small plates with a focus on grilled items, and everything we ordered was delicious. Highlights included the crispy fries, the whole grilled 🦑 squid, and the scallops — all packed with flavor and cooked perfectly. One small miss: they don’t offer steamed rice, which would’ve paired beautifully with the dishes. Still, the food exceeded my expectations, and I’ll definitely be back soon. Quick tip: come early to avoid the wait. Friendly service and great vibes — definitely worth a visit!

This place gets quite busy even on weekdays after 8, so expect some wait time. The skewers are mostly $6-8+ for two, and that's a bit higher than average for yakitori, but it is reasonable for this area. I have my own yakitori setup and make my own tare, so I do have some preferences on what the skewers should taste like. It doesn't mean mine is better, or theirs are worse, like some people like medium rare and some like medium steak. I ordered the chicken oysters, which is a must if you're getting chicken, pork belly, chicken gizzard, mushroom, salmon, scallops, and a few other things. Most of them came out a bit undercooked for my liking, more on the rare side than medium rare, and the outside was too charred. So it felt like they rushed through it and didn't turn the skewers as often to keep the temperature even. It's understandable since they were busy and had to keep up with the orders. Since they were a bit undercooked, some were still lukewarm in the center. Flavor wise, they did spray the sake once before grilling but not during the process. So it felt like it lacked some of the sweetness from the sake and caused some of the dryness. I ordered skewers with salt and with tare to see if their tare is any good. I would say the tare was a bit light and not much flavor, so maybe they just mixed the new batch into the old one. Overall, the skewers are still good for what it is, but does it justify the premium price? That's for you to decide. It is still a good experience if you want to get together with friends and have some skewers like a causal BBQ. If you're more picky with yakitori, then this place might not be for you. Parking is easily accessible at the plaza, and the service was good.

Mei-Ling Chen

It is a popular Japanese pata restaurant. We were lucky to get a small table without waiting. For larger group, it may need to queue up…. The Staff were friendly and the service was fast. Skewers were good taste but small portion. We ordered the skewers of pork belly, duck breast, pork, mushroom, besides grilled hamachi, rice balls, crispy chicken skin, and chicken karage. I like the rice ball and the fish. I have to say that every order was good but I didn’t have “WOW” feeling to their food. The level of noise was quite high. This is a good place to hang out with friendly who drinks. It is “居酒屋” style of Japanese restaurant. I recommend this restaurant to who love Japanese skewers.

Edna G

We finally got to try the 'Yakitori Bar' in Fremont as it's next to one of our fave Sushi restaurants . We came around 6:30p on a Tuesday. It was pretty busy and got to sit at the bar to see them cook. The restaurant is not as big as i thought and I would not say good for a big group. Decorated with wood tables, and benches and chairs. Casual place and average noise level. We ordered the below and all were good but a little salty to us. Good flavors tough and needed beer to wash off the saltiness so we are glad we didn't pick salted but sauced flavored skewers. You order by paper but the snacks and monthly specials have to be ordered by the servers. Grilled Seasoned Chashu $8 Housemade Chicken Gyoza $4.25 (3 pcs) Crispy Chicken Skin $6.50 Chicken Thigh (Momo) $4.50 1 skewer Chicken Neck (Nakiochi) $2.95 1 skewer Chicken wings $3.95 1 skewer Okra skewer $2.95 (3 pcs) Shishitou Green Pepper $2.95 (3 pcs) Short Ribs (Kalbi) $4.50 1 skewer Kurobuta Pork Belly (Butabara) $4.50 1 skewer [tough] Asahi Beer $8 Hot sake large (300ml) $12 We were welcomed in and received friendly service. Good place to hang out and socialize for a good beer and a few skewers but would not be my favorite place. They need to cut back on the salt a little and I am not as sensitive as others to salt but you can tell. They are a little on the expensive side for me on their skewers and drinks. You can try it for yourself and see.

Jessica D

Atmosphere: The place is small so it’s great for small groups. They have a super cute setup with the booths and bar seats. It’s giving cozy and intimate atmosphere so great for dates or small gatherings with friends. Though the lighting can be quite dim inside so not that great for pictures. Service: Lovely service! They were patient since we were new there and they were kind to check up on us as we were eating. Food : I liked everything except for the pork belly because it was really fatty and not flavorful. Tips: Don’t forget to get your name on the list, there could be a long wait. There was so many food choices everywhere so don’t forgot to check out the list on the walls. Sometime they have happy hour or deals on some food choices depending on the day so look around!

Stefanie Gu

Discovered this spot through TikTok and decided to swing by for an early dinner — so glad we did! The restaurant is cozy, seating around 30 people, so we arrived about 10 minutes before opening to beat the crowd. By 5:30–6 PM, the place was already buzzing. The menu features small plates with a focus on grilled items, and everything we ordered was delicious. Highlights included the crispy fries, the whole grilled 🦑 squid, and the scallops — all packed with flavor and cooked perfectly. One small miss: they don’t offer steamed rice, which would’ve paired beautifully with the dishes. Still, the food exceeded my expectations, and I’ll definitely be back soon. Quick tip: come early to avoid the wait. Friendly service and great vibes — definitely worth a visit!

Jason Y

This place gets quite busy even on weekdays after 8, so expect some wait time. The skewers are mostly $6-8+ for two, and that's a bit higher than average for yakitori, but it is reasonable for this area. I have my own yakitori setup and make my own tare, so I do have some preferences on what the skewers should taste like. It doesn't mean mine is better, or theirs are worse, like some people like medium rare and some like medium steak. I ordered the chicken oysters, which is a must if you're getting chicken, pork belly, chicken gizzard, mushroom, salmon, scallops, and a few other things. Most of them came out a bit undercooked for my liking, more on the rare side than medium rare, and the outside was too charred. So it felt like they rushed through it and didn't turn the skewers as often to keep the temperature even. It's understandable since they were busy and had to keep up with the orders. Since they were a bit undercooked, some were still lukewarm in the center. Flavor wise, they did spray the sake once before grilling but not during the process. So it felt like it lacked some of the sweetness from the sake and caused some of the dryness. I ordered skewers with salt and with tare to see if their tare is any good. I would say the tare was a bit light and not much flavor, so maybe they just mixed the new batch into the old one. Overall, the skewers are still good for what it is, but does it justify the premium price? That's for you to decide. It is still a good experience if you want to get together with friends and have some skewers like a causal BBQ. If you're more picky with yakitori, then this place might not be for you. Parking is easily accessible at the plaza, and the service was good.

The most authentic yakitori restaurant in the Bay I've been to so far, including the fast/attentive service and interior vibes. We had mostly jidori chicken skewers, and some pork and one abalone. I preferred the sauced skewers for better flavor, as some of the pork salt-only skewers tasted a touch game-y. I loved the jidori tskune, gizzard, heart (!!!), and thigh skewers, but would skip the pork neck and abalone next time. It feels like you've walked into a Tokyo ramen shop when you walk in, and the cooking technique is very authentic. Sake options and beer are also comparable, with a large variety of Japanese bar snacks to compliment. Can't wait to be back to try more!

Marisa Gao

The most authentic yakitori restaurant in the Bay I've been to so far, including the fast/attentive service and interior vibes. We had mostly jidori chicken skewers, and some pork and one abalone. I preferred the sauced skewers for better flavor, as some of the pork salt-only skewers tasted a touch game-y. I loved the jidori tskune, gizzard, heart (!!!), and thigh skewers, but would skip the pork neck and abalone next time. It feels like you've walked into a Tokyo ramen shop when you walk in, and the cooking technique is very authentic. Sake options and beer are also comparable, with a large variety of Japanese bar snacks to compliment. Can't wait to be back to try more!

This was my first time here and it was good. The yakitori was good tasting and service was decent. It got busy fairly quickly and then that's when the orders came out super slow and some of the food reached our table cold. Overall it was a good experience, but pricey. The theme is a low lit narrow restaurant filled with wood seating and tight spaces. Please read the fine print, but if you have a party of 6+ or you are sitting at your table for more than 90 minutes. They will add 18% gratuity. Please double check your bill before adding an additional tip.

1. Food wise is pretty good. I noticed the sauce they used to marinate the meat for the grill was tasty. But it lacks of the authentic Japanese grill flavor (not strong enough charcoal flavor). The kalbi was delicious but the meat quality is so so. Not tender, bit chewy. Teba was impressive because it's quite moist and juicy. 2. I expected to smell the strong and aromatic charcoal smell, but don't smell it. May be they didn't use the good charcoal 長炭. 3. Sukiyaki was not what I expected. I was expecting traditional sukiyaki sauce instead it's miso. Presentation was cool but the flavor is ok. It's like having kimchi miso soup. Which isn't bad. The place is a bar so it played loud music. The service is very good. The waitress and the waiter was attentive. Although there was an incident where 4 older Chinese patrons (from mainland China, it's pretty obvious with the Mandarin accent) was making a scene. It sounded pretty unreasonable complain but regardless, the way they made a scene was embarrassing, even for me being Chinese. They ended up leaving. Not sure if they even paid for the meal. All in all, not a bad experience besides the yelling next to my ear. But for the price, I expected better.

Went for late night food at Friday night, it was quite busy, but were seated quickly at the bar table. The price and portion is relatively reasonable comparing with other yakitori place in Bay Area, like their chickens and vegetable items, the sausage is not bad, but the pork ones seems like not that fresh, and overall food is a little bit too salty.

Great food but portions are small. Beer was pricey given the small size. Come here for the izakaya experience but prepare to go home and make yourself some ramen noodles because you’ll still be hungry after spending $50+ per person

This isn’t a vegetarian-friendly place, so if you’re a vegetarian, I’d think twice before going. All the veggie yakitori has fish flakes on it. You can ask them to leave it out, but they can’t guarantee that the oil or sauce used is free from animal or fish products. The safest options seem to be the salad and steamed edamame. Other than that, the staff is upfront about not being able to confirm whether any other dishes are 100% vegetarian. I appreciate their honesty and the good service, but I probably won’t return due to the limited food options.

Sam

This was my first time here and it was good. The yakitori was good tasting and service was decent. It got busy fairly quickly and then that's when the orders came out super slow and some of the food reached our table cold. Overall it was a good experience, but pricey. The theme is a low lit narrow restaurant filled with wood seating and tight spaces. Please read the fine print, but if you have a party of 6+ or you are sitting at your table for more than 90 minutes. They will add 18% gratuity. Please double check your bill before adding an additional tip.

hsin-fei tu

This isn’t a vegetarian-friendly place, so if you’re a vegetarian, I’d think twice before going. All the veggie yakitori has fish flakes on it. You can ask them to leave it out, but they can’t guarantee that the oil or sauce used is free from animal or fish products. The safest options seem to be the salad and steamed edamame. Other than that, the staff is upfront about not being able to confirm whether any other dishes are 100% vegetarian. I appreciate their honesty and the good service, but I probably won’t return due to the limited food options.

Mark Liu

1. Food wise is pretty good. I noticed the sauce they used to marinate the meat for the grill was tasty. But it lacks of the authentic Japanese grill flavor (not strong enough charcoal flavor). The kalbi was delicious but the meat quality is so so. Not tender, bit chewy. Teba was impressive because it's quite moist and juicy. 2. I expected to smell the strong and aromatic charcoal smell, but don't smell it. May be they didn't use the good charcoal 長炭. 3. Sukiyaki was not what I expected. I was expecting traditional sukiyaki sauce instead it's miso. Presentation was cool but the flavor is ok. It's like having kimchi miso soup. Which isn't bad. The place is a bar so it played loud music. The service is very good. The waitress and the waiter was attentive. Although there was an incident where 4 older Chinese patrons (from mainland China, it's pretty obvious with the Mandarin accent) was making a scene. It sounded pretty unreasonable complain but regardless, the way they made a scene was embarrassing, even for me being Chinese. They ended up leaving. Not sure if they even paid for the meal. All in all, not a bad experience besides the yelling next to my ear. But for the price, I expected better.

Jenny R

Went for late night food at Friday night, it was quite busy, but were seated quickly at the bar table. The price and portion is relatively reasonable comparing with other yakitori place in Bay Area, like their chickens and vegetable items, the sausage is not bad, but the pork ones seems like not that fresh, and overall food is a little bit too salty.

Karen Liu

Great food but portions are small. Beer was pricey given the small size. Come here for the izakaya experience but prepare to go home and make yourself some ramen noodles because you’ll still be hungry after spending $50+ per person

I used to like The Yakitori Bar and have been here a few times before, so I brought my friends to try it. Sadly, the experience was disappointing. The food was a bit salty today, and no one came to refill our water. One server clearly saw us trying to ask for help but ignored us several times. When I was ready to pay, she saw me holding the check but turned away and pretended not to notice. It felt very rude. I mentioned it to another staff member who initially seat us before leaving and suggested better service training. I understand people have bad days, but please, no one deserves to be treated like this. Unfortunately, I won’t be coming back.

WanTing Wu

I used to like The Yakitori Bar and have been here a few times before, so I brought my friends to try it. Sadly, the experience was disappointing. The food was a bit salty today, and no one came to refill our water. One server clearly saw us trying to ask for help but ignored us several times. When I was ready to pay, she saw me holding the check but turned away and pretended not to notice. It felt very rude. I mentioned it to another staff member who initially seat us before leaving and suggested better service training. I understand people have bad days, but please, no one deserves to be treated like this. Unfortunately, I won’t be coming back.