This is our favorite place for shabu! Our server Sam was AMAZING. She was so knowledgeable and attentive, kept our plates filled and made sure we were happy the whole time. During our dinner all of us kept thinking “wow they are on top of it”. The broths were flavorful, Sam recommended spicy Miso and the tonkatsu. Spicy miso was def our fave. Definitely will come back for the selection of meats and the full variety of veggies and fish balls! Def come back because of the food and service!

We had such a great hot pot experience! The food was absolutely delicious — super fresh ingredients, flavorful broths, and so many options to customize exactly how you like it. Everything came out quickly and was high quality. But what really made the lunch stand out was our server, Kat. She was amazing — so friendly, patient, and incredibly helpful in walking us through the menu and explaining how everything works. She checked on us at the perfect times and made sure we had everything we needed. You can tell she genuinely cares about giving guests a great experience. We’ll definitely be back. Highly recommend asking for Kat if you go!

The Mira mesa location is absolutely the best- best food, best tables, best service and absolutely the best staff. Suki always makes our visit complete! She always makes sure we are taken care of , and that we are cherished ! We’ve made so many memories here ., and Suki is definitely a part of that! We always bring our friends and families from out of town here! And the incredible staff -really set it apart from other places , they actually look and act like they enjoy their jobs it’s so nice! Great food- there’s nothing like having the freshest vegetables, premium meats and seafood in abundance! And never having to wait for someone to restock anything . I have not found anything to bring down the experience here!

Paid by card. I came here for my birthday celebration with a party of 8 and was easily able to reserve online. The food selection is amazing and so fresh here. The server was so attentive as well. It's definitely worth the price since wagyu and seafood is included. I would recommend this place and will come back soon. Don't forget to get a membership if you plan to go frequently!

Always love coming here. Parking is easy and the wait always seems reasonable. The style and food options make it easy for all my friends to get something to suit their tastes. Only docking a service star because our original server seemed to disappear without handing off our section, but our new server K was great once we got his attention.

Anthonette Dominguez

ShabuWorks is hands down my friends’ and my go-to spot whenever we’re craving hot pot. The selection is amazing—from the broths to the meats, noodles, and sides, everything feels high quality and thoughtfully chosen. It’s the kind of place we keep coming back to because it never disappoints and always hits the spot.

Jenne T

My favorite place to go for hotpot! The service is great and the prices are very competitive, especially if you have a membership. The flavors of the broths are a little inconsistent sometimes (e.g. saltier than usual), but overall, it's a wonderful experience! 😊

Dana

First time coming for my friend's bday, excellent food and taste, loved all the amazing options and the soup bases were super rich and tasty! (we had the Mongolian and garlic miso). Willy our server was wonderful and super attentive. Will definitely be coming back ^^

C. Chen

We had a great experience at Shabu Works. The restaurant is super organized and efficient, which made the whole meal feel smooth and relaxed. We loved the variety of meat choices — everything was fresh and well-prepared, and it was easy to build a perfect hot pot lineup. The veggie selection was also impressive, with plenty of options that felt fresh and crisp. It was one of the best parts of the meal for us. And the shaved ice was a fun way to finish the meal — light, refreshing, and just the right sweet ending. Overall, if you’re looking for a well-run hot pot place with great ingredients and a satisfying dessert, Shabu Works is definitely worth it.

Peter Nguyen

I had such a great experience thanks to Willy, who was attentive, friendly, and incredibly professional. They checked in at the perfect times, made thoughtful recommendations, and made us feel genuinely welcomed throughout the meal. It’s rare to find someone who balances efficiency with such a positive attitude, and they truly elevated our dining experience. I’d happily come back again because of the outstanding service.

Vinh Lam

This restaurant always has excellent service! For example, our server Tommy was attentive during our stay; he served us our meat, asked us if we needed anything else, and was always very respectful. I highly recommend coming to this place if you want to enjoy a mix of vegetables, meats, drinks, and a sweet treat afterwards!

Keith Swiney

If you’re in Mira Mesa and craving hot pot, SHABU-WORKS is an absolute must-try! From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with friendly smiles and prompt service. The atmosphere is clean, modern, and relaxed — perfect for a casual dinner or a fun night out with friends. What really sets SHABU-WORKS apart is the quality and freshness of their ingredients. The meat was sliced perfectly, tender, and flavorful, and the variety of vegetables, noodles, and dipping sauces made it easy to customize my bowl just the way I like it. I loved that they offer both individual pots and an all-you-can-eat option — definitely great value for the price! The broth options are excellent — I went with the tonkotsu and spicy miso combo, and it hit the spot. Balanced flavors, not too salty, and just the right level of heat. Also, shoutout to their sauce bar! So many great options to mix and match — from creamy sesame to spicy garlic ponzu. The staff were attentive without being overbearing, regularly checking in and quickly refilling anything we needed. Even during peak dinner hours, everything was well-organized and the wait time wasn’t bad at all. Whether you’re a shabu-shabu pro or trying hot pot for the first time, SHABU-WORKS is a fantastic place to go. I’ll definitely be back — this spot just earned a place in my regular rotation!

Heather Tran

this is our favorite hot pot!! everywhere else does not compare. the options, the soups, the hot foods everything is SO GOOD. Angie is the best, she’s so sweet and very attentive! love having her as our waitress i always recommend this place for anyone looking to try hot pot and they say the same thing 🤭

Elizabeth Ann Sansom

My coworkers and I from Ethan Allen went here tonight for our Christmas party and we really loved the whole experience and atmosphere! It’s truly something unique. All of the food is so delicious!! I can’t say enough about the amazing broth & meat selections. The servers that helped us, Francisco & Brian were very professional and attentive, & we all felt very well taken care of the whole time we were there. The busers also did an amazing job & were so efficient & our dishes were picked up right away when we were done with each part of the meal. The service provided overall was really excellent. We will definitely be back & we highly recommend this restaurant!

Selena Gomez

We had the lunch buffet. It is $27 per person. The shaved ice is pretty good. They have a good selection of vegetables. I wish they could have some appetizers.

Cynthia Bui

Ever since Mo-Mo paradise has closed, Shabu works has become my go-to without disappointment. While I miss Mo-Mo, Shabu works does not come second. So far we have had no issues with service getting orders placed. Meat quality is decent, and soup options vary. The counter items have a variety and there are non-soup options available. I do enjoy how the drinks are included, whereas some places do not include them in the AYCE prices. Multiple sauce options, which we enjoy. I do wish they had better soft serve options (like green tea!), but not a factor or mark down on the establishment at all. More of a personal preference. Cleanliness: decent (but I usually go at opening times. Cannot speak for later in the day) Food: good Service: decent Pricing: fair, considering the membership

Omar Ramos

The spot is a bit hidden in a maze of parking and uphill streets. The restaurant is clean, modern, and the customers service is superb. The options for appetizers are great; teriyaki chicken, katsu chicken, gioaza, curry chicken, white rice, fried rice, etc. The soup condiments and sauces are fresh and great. The quality of the meat is AAA+! Been to lots of shabu style restaurants but haven’t seen this level of quality before. The prices are a bit high compared to the other places I have been to but then again, I went during the weekend and the lunch hour. I believe they have specials during the week. I would definitely visit again. Great food and great customer service.

Ann

Great value for an AYCE hot pot spot! We came for lunch, and for the price, it was definitely worth it. There’s a wide variety of soup bases and meats to choose from. The self-serve station for veggies, noodles, seafood, and sauces was well-stocked throughout our visit, which we really appreciated. And the service was very attentive. To top it off, the dessert bingsoo was a nice, refreshing way to end the meal. Would definitely come back!”

+5

Kat

The best hot pot in SD! 🥘🙌🏼 Always seated quickly and served. Very clean with plenty of seating. Great all you can eat options with a large hot bar variety. The pork belly, angus beef belly and wagyu beef are absolutely delicious and definitely the best items on the menu. Followed by the roe fish balls. Always a fun and tasty experience. Have been here twice and will definitely be back, as this location is the best one.

Vasily

The best hot pot restaurant I’ve ever been to! I’m a huge fan of hot pot and have tried almost every place out there, but this place is truly unmatched. The food is absolutely delicious, with an incredible variety of options—from noodles to meats, veggies, and an amazing selection of sauces. The broths are flavorful and rich. Drinks are included, which is a nice bonus. The atmosphere is fantastic—clean, comfortable, and very inviting. I love this place so much that I decided to get a membership, which offers a small discount. Everyone I’ve introduced to this place agrees—it’s simply the best. Highly recommend!

+1

Rotphannee Rose

I visited this place because my colleague wanted to celebrate my belated birthday. We chose The Mongolian with Spicy Tokyo soup base this time, which was nice but not spicy enough for me. Hopefully, they will add Tom Yum soup base in the future. I completely agree that this place is worth your money, as the food is fresh, the staff is friendly, and the inside is clean. Having hot pot is perfect for winter time!

+9

heclau Dian

It’s a self serve drinks, side dishes, other meats, sauces and dessert and then you order the main cuts of meat. Interesting choice of side dish, they had some Japanese chicken curry, fried rice and katsu and more. Nice service except for one thing, we still have an hour left before closing, even tho they did not kick us out and was very respectful when speaking to us, they started cleaning which was okay but they’ve also started taking all the stuff away so we didn’t really have a choice to grab any more food and even beverages because it was all gone. Other than that, it’s a nice place and they have good food and I guess just come earlier so you can enjoy it.

Thu Jelden

Fun place for large adventurous groups. DIY hot pot. You pick up to 4 broths and meat (wagyu beef, lamb, etc). Then gather your other ingredients: veggies-bok choy, carrots, spinach, cabbage mushrooms (enoki, wood ear), corn, kabocha, bean sprouts, so fresh, and carbs like ramen, udon, glass noodles, rice caked etc., seafood (clams, mussels, shrimp, whole soft shell crab, calamari, fish, crawdads), and some rices and fried appetizers, sauces and condiments. Everything meshes in the broth and you slowly pick through yout meal, cooking meats and seafoods. For dessert, there is a fun shave ice station with fruit and syrups and coconut jelly and tapioca balls and whipped cream. So fun and yummy. We had a birthday celebration so they eat free! It's AYCE so go hog. Minus-no birthday candles and sing along from staff and hard to get napkins (they must have a quota). There is a drink station for non-alcoholic beverages, too. You are busy for the 2 hours you are there. Thanks for a fun birthday!

Dan

This restaurant is located in a small plaza east of Mira Mesa Blvd and the 15 freeway. They serve hot pot with several savory broths and 1 vegetarian broth. They also have a variety of meats as well as seafood at the bar. They have vegetables and noodles of various types as well. There is a hot food section with fried rice, white rice, gyoza, and chicken teriyaki and Katsu. There is also a sauce bar to make your own dipping sauce, or you can add it to your broth. For dessert, they have a shave ice bar with various toppings. We came here for my wife's birthday because you get to eat free on your birthday if you pay for one additional guest. We were seated right away and the staff was friendly and attentive. Our meat orders came out in a reasonable amount of time and the staff checked on us often. Dinner has 3 additional beef meat options compared to lunch and is totally worth the price difference since the meat was more tender. If you sign up for their membership, you get a small discount. Overall, the meat was tender and fresh. The most popular broth was really tasty and we like the variety of food. The hot foods were out for too long so everything was dry. Shave ice is also pretty lame compared to ice cream. Would give this place a try, especially on your birthday!

My Le

Been here many times over the years and it’s been consistent. You can join the Yelp waitlist if you’re within 2 miles which is convenient. While you’re waiting for a table in the waiting area, they have a drink station of water or mango tea. First you pick your soup bases and place your meat order with your server. Then go make your dipping sauces. I love that they have all the hot food, seafood and veggies out for you to grab freely. Drinks and snow ice machine were also unlimited. I had several rounds of cab top blade and pork belly all to myself. Can’t go wrong because you make everything yourself. However, the quality is not as great compared to a la carte places but you do get the value.

+3