Yagyu Yakiniku

If you have the means to get off the Las Vegas Strip to explore dining opportunities elsewhere in the city, you might want to consider heading toward Chinatown. Located on Spring Mountain Road just a couple miles off of Las Vegas Boulevard, Chinatown is more of a strip of Asian restaurants and shops than it is a specific, marked off part of the larger city. Nonetheless, there are many places worth checking out, including Yagyu Yakiniku, a Japanese barbeque grill.

First and foremost, guests should realize that meals come in incredibly large serving sizes at Yagyu Yakiniku, so it makes sense to visit with a group of friends. Besides, as a self-served barbecue joint, it’s just more fun to have a large group of people anyway. The family meals are massive, with a wide variety of meats that are grilled up right at the table and fried or white rice. A shared two-person meal is much more manageable for small parties.

Yagyu Yakiniku is very heavy on the meat side (in fact, “yakiniku” means “grilled meat” in Japanese), so vegetarians need to be aware that there aren’t a lot of friendly menu options available for them. The whole point of any barbecue restaurant is to grill your own meat right at the table so that you can enjoy what you want to eat in the way you want to prepare it. There are several cuts of beef served to the table, and while most of the meat is tender and pink, just waiting to be grilled up, I found a few pieces on my platter that were just a bit too fatty for my liking.

Though Yagyu Yakiniku isn’t for those who prefer to steer clear of meat, there are a few starters that are vegetarian-friendly. Soups and classic Asian dishes like kimchi grace the menu. No meal is complete without something to wash it down with, and Yagyu Yakiniku’s selection of beers is among the best in Chinatown.

Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about dining at Yagyu Yakiniku is the price. Because it’s located off the Strip, it’s very reasonable in price, especially given the amount of food served per person. You can eat like royalty here and still keep the bill well under $40.00 per person.

Located at 4355 West Spring Mountain Road Suite 107.

Photo credit: Yelp.com