Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ – Brookline

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ in Brookline serves yakiniku, the Japanese tradition of grilling bite-size cuts of meat at the table. Guests order premium meats and cook them to their own liking over a smokeless grill built into each table, sipping sake, shochu or a cold beer between rounds. The format is designed for time with friends and family, with conversation and laughter as much a part of the meal as the food itself.

The restaurant belongs to an international chain that began in Tokyo in 1996 and has grown to hundreds of locations around the world. Its menu centers on marinated beef such as short rib and skirt steak, with pork, chicken, seafood and vegetables also ready for the grill, plus rice and noodle dishes on the side. Plates are sized for sharing, so groups can order several and pass them around the grill.

What to Know

• The name Gyu-Kaku means bull’s horn in Japanese.
• The chain’s dessert menu includes s’mores toasted over the tabletop grill.
• The Brookline location is a Meet Boston partner restaurant.