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Goro Japanese Restaurant - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
3831 Alton PkwyIrvine, CA 92606
(949) 252-1872
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
73 reviews for Goro Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
"but did I mention that the Hamburg steak was awesome."
(in 3 reviews)
"The chirashi bowl is the best i've gotten in a while."
(in 4 reviews)
"It features a dimly lit, cozy restaurant with a sushi bar."
(in 3 reviews)
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73 reviews in English
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Review from Dan K.
Irvine, CA
Updated - 6/26/2011
I'm very sad to say that it seems that one of our all time favorite restaurants "GORO" is going out of business. We loved the Tendon (tempura shrimp on rice) and now we'll have to find it somewhere else, not sure we can because it was fantastic.
The owner and staff were always nice and the food was fresh and tasty.
We will miss you Goro!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/3/2009
GORO is family owned and operated. The owner is FROM JAPAN as are all the wait staff, which is rare… Read more »
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Review from John W.
Laguna Niguel, CA
5/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
We have some ladies in the office that love this place for some reason. Honestly, it isn't that good.
I am always turned off by a sushi place when the sushi chef are not Japanese, or even Asian for that matter!
Their veggie tempura is good, but that is about the only thing that is good, and even that is OK.
If you want great sushi look elsewhere, but if you want sushi in a pinch then this will suffice. -
Review from Bara T.
Irvine, CA
9/7/2011
CLOSED. Drove by and it was closed. I wasn't surprised, as they have always been very expensive since 20 years ago, but the food didn't deliver at the prices they charged. I always felt they delivered food court food at high end Japanese restaurant prices.
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Review from Wendy L.
1/8/2011
Came here for dinner on a Friday night because my friend and I were craving some Japanese. Ordered a combination with fried chicken, tempura, and sashimi. Fried chicken was juicy and crispy, tempura had a pleasantly light batter, and sashimi was fresh and quite delicious.
Waiters were incredibly friendly and polite. They were prompt and checked in with us frequently.
Also, they gave us a free sample of the lava roll (basically a california roll with a little seasoned mayo sauce on top). Points for customer service there but I'm not a fan of california rolls so no points for the roll from me (although someone who likes california rolls may find this quite tasty).
This isn't a fancy sushi place but it's local, homey and satisfying for those nights where you just really want some Japanese food. Will definitely be going back.
Tip: There are often decent coupons for this place in local ads. We used a buy 1 get 1 50% off and it came out to about $13 per combo for 2 combos -
Review from Ken T.
11/2/2010
Man, this place was extremely disappointing.
Came here with my boyfriend once for dinner to try a new Japanese place by our old apartments. The place was pretty dimly lit and dark grey walls gave the impression that this place was more intimate - but not due to the romantic atmosphere, but more due to the perceived confinement of the scenery.
I ordered a bento box, which was alright, nothing special. The real downer was what my bf had ordered - yakisoba. For $6.95, you think they would have given you more than just noodles covered in soysauce and sprinkled with ginger. We were both confused and pretty disgusted with what we were given. Maybe we expected a heads up from the waittress, who suggested that item to us. Or maybe we just expected better food. Either way, they never got business from us again. -
Review from Yuki M.
8/6/2010
Service is very friendly.
Atmosphere is cozy.
Seating is comfortable.
Menu is diverse.
Prices are fair.
But....
The fish isn't fresh.
We came in last night for a light dinner and hot tea since neither of us was particularly hungry. We shared a seafood salad and he had the miso soup with beef teriyaki appetizer. I ordered the pork cutlet curry with rice to share and a Dragon Roll.
Beef teriyaki was ordered AS RARE AS YOU CAN MAKE IT. It came out well done, chewy, and unpleasant.
Seafood salad was COVERED in onions, which was odd. After my first bite, I realized why the onions were necessary. The fish wasn't fresh. None of it. Salmon, tuna, albacore, shrimp, and octopus were ALL extremely fishy. I had one bite of the tuna and couldn't continue. I sniffed the rest and was nauseated.
Same deal with the eel. Despite the fact that it had met fire, the lack of freshness was more than apparent. I had one bite and had to try with considerable effort to swallow the piece without any incident.
Pork Cutlet was generous and the curry was fine, when it was hot. After it started to cool down, the curry began to congeal like jello. Not a good sign. Quickly made curry with too much corn starch. I wasn't impressed. The cutlet itself was tender and had good flavour with a lightly breaded crust.
Miso soup was reported to be good, but I find it difficult to believe that someone could screw up miso soup.
Hot green tea was strong, in a good way. If you like your green tea on the lighter side, I recommend you order it cold.
I expect to come back again at some point only because HE seems to enjoy this place. I'll order the udon next time (or the soba) and see how that goes.
For now, 2 stars.Listed in: South County, Sushi, Ramen, Curry, and more, Identity Crisis
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Review from Cliff C.
12/28/2010
Goro is not bad -- pretty good, really. Can't help but think of the four-armed boss from the old Mortal Kombat video games, but thankfully, no limb-rending or disembowelment going on here, just some decent Japanese food and sushi.
I always order sushi -- the usual suspects -- maguro, bin maguro, salmon, hamachi, tai, etc. can't go wrong with the omakase or chef's choice. Be sure to check out the boards on the way in for specials and chef-recommended rolls and such.
The (cooked) Japanese food is also pretty good. My wife has had the fried shrimp bento and the hamburger bento. Nothing special, but both were tasty.
Service is generally OK, but can be spotty and slow at times depending on the server.
Decent prices. Never left feeling like I didn't get my money's worth.
Overall, pretty good Japanese food at a fair price. Not my first go-to place but certainly not my last. -
Review from adam b.
5/31/2011
I am very knowledgeable when it comes to raw fish and the only reason I went here was I was in a rush and needed something quick. The quality of the fish here is not good. I went for a spicy tuna cut roll which is more safe than others and didnt like it. The fish in the sushi bar refrigerator appeared dried up and poor. Place is also old and a bit dirty. Dont go here.
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Review from Belle N.
Anaheim, CA
12/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
12/21/10
We came here for our holiday dinner for work! Our boss knew the owner and decided to give them some business! I have to say the service was alright given how crowded it was...we stayed several hours..and they kept bringing out the food! ROLLS after ROLLS after ROLLS and dumplings and noodles, and sashimi salad!
Great Food, Great company, Great stories! It was really good times! -
Review from glory o.
10/1/2010
Maybe it was pure luck the first two times I went here was a blessing.
I really judge a restaurant by their uni and let me just say, the first two times I went here, I had the best uni i've had since moving to Irvine. I would be craving their uni all day and even patiently wait with my fellow uni loving friend outside til they opened again for dinner time.
But starting our third time everything just steadily went down hill. Granted each sushi chef has a different way of preparing and cutting the fish but goodness.... its just so up and down here. My friend and I persistently gave so many tries in hopes that we would again have an awesome experience but after going a good while... we gave up.
The servers there are incredibly nice but have a very hard time understanding whatever I say. But they are extremely nice and attentive.
I'd give them an extra star for service but as far as the goods go, this place has become a miss in my book. -
Review from Anita L.
9/8/2008
We've been getting those adverts in the mail for as long as we've lived here and I've never used them, mainly because I've read the reviews on here and I was afraid.
When some friends suggested this place I thought it was about time we gave it a shot, so before embarking upon Goro, I re-read all the reviews before going there just so I would be armed with enough information to make an educated selection.
From the reviews I gathered these do's and don'ts:
DON'T ORDER:
sushi
sashimi
DO ORDER:
the 3 combo meal especially the Hamburg steak
OK -- gotcha!!
So we got the young man some ten zaru soba, some cold tofu and hubby and I ordered the 3 item combo to share. We got the Hamburg steak, the fried chicken and the yakisoba.
The tempura was okay -- the shrimp part that is -- most of the vegetables were very greasy. The zaru soba was cooked perfectly al dente, but the accompanying dipping sauce was like water.... there was no taste.
The cold soba also had no sauce, only bonito flakes, scallions and grated ginger.
The combo was actually the highlight minus the yakisoba which was beyond gross. It tasted like day old (or maybe two days old) soba which had been left out and it was dried out a bit and now they're serving it.
The Hamburg steak is definitely the way to go. In fact, it was quite delicious and reminded me of when we lived in Hawaii. The fried chicken reminded us of mochiko chicken. YUM!! I would come back just to eat the Hamburg steak. In fact, that's what I'm going to order next time... yes, I'm coming back again when I have one of those coupons and I'm getting 3 orders of the Hamburg steak and sharing it with hubby.
With the combo you also get a bowl of rice, miso soup and salad. Miso soup was gross.... watery and flavorless..... but did I mention that the Hamburg steak was awesome???
I would give the Hamburg steak 5 stars and everything else 1 star. That evens out to 3 stars. Next time when I come, all I'm going to eat is the Hamburg steak so I should be bumping them to 4 stars when I visit next. Portions are ginormous and there is more than enough food for both hubby and I. If you like Hamburg steak, bring a friend who likes it too and share the combo meal -- it'll only be $7.50 each and if you go that route, it's a seriously great deal. -
Review from Paul L.
10/19/2009
Goro is one of those Japanese restaurants that you might expect to find in a town with very few Japanese restaurants around. In other words, if you are the only game in town, then why bother to make the effort? The problem is, Irvine (and environs) has no shortage of Japanese restaurants. Yet in spite of this fact, Goro seems to lack the ability, maybe even the will, to distinguish itself from the rest of the pack.
For one thing, the restaurant is visually unappealing and poorly laid out. Divided into sections by these bare white partitions, it felt like we were eating in office cubicles rather than a restaurant. These partitions also made it impossible to get our server's attention without physically standing up and tracking her down, which we had to do on one occasion because she had disappeared for about 15 minutes into another cubicle.
The food is a step up, but not by much. The chicken teriyaki, while well flavored, was cooked to the point of cremation, and the tempura was too oily and soggy. On the positive side, the hamburger steak was moist and tender, if a bit sweet, but nothing a little soy sauce could not fix. The spicy tuna hand roll was also a nice surprise, with chucks of freshly diced tuna being served instead of the typical tuna mash.
The service was friendly, but inattentive. And whenever we asked for something, it always took our server a very long time to bring it.
In the end, Goro comes across as just a tired little restaurant. Even with the many coupons floating around for this place, I would probably pass on coming back for what I think is a very lackluster dining experience.
2 1/2 STARS -
Review from Raymond S.
Irvine, CA
1/7/2008
You've seen those BOGO 50% deals Goro thrown out everywhere in local papers and mailers. And you know it's a great deal, but you just can't muster the motivation to check it out, but Goro has got to be the most underrated Japanese restaurant in all of Irvine.
Goro Sushi and Taiko are 2 of the longest running Japanese Restaurants in Irvine, but while Taiko continues to attract the glitz and glamor as Irvine's starlet 15+ years running, Goro, meanwhile never reached stardom and instead hid in the background, completely unnoticed...(much like myself playing sports in middle school P.E.)
And quite literally too. You'd have a hard time finding this place if you ventured off into the Alton/Westpark Plaza as it is, unfortunately, hidden behind a large pillar...thingy, completely obstructing the large yellow GORO sign, which I never liked the name to begin with...reminds me of Mortal Kombat for some reason...
Another reason why Goro never received the attention it could have garnered is the quality of food itself. It's decent-good, but nothing particular to shout about. The sashimi/sushi isn't particularly fresh and the food just doesn't stand out among the throngs of Japanese eateries cropping everywhere. And yes, it doesn't hold a candle to Taiko in service and quality.
But! Goro does have a unique factor that makes it so underratedly good, and different at the same time. What I like about this place is the dinner combination platter, which you can mix & match up to 3 combination items for no more than $5 each (yes, that includes sushi and sashimi items too) - and there are a dozen items to pick from. I was quite surprised they offered hamburg steak as an option. Hamburg?? Sign me up! (It's not bad either). Service is pretty good too.
And, if you can dig up that BOGO 50% coupon they keep promoting year after year, then this makes it a great value with a partner. Goro may not be a great Japanese restaurant compared to others, but then again, they've been around for awhiles now and that does say something. Sometimes not getting noticed can be a good thing. -
Review from Grace L.
Irvine, CA
6/18/2010 2 photos
Dear Goro,
I used to get take out from you religiously during my college years....always treating my self to a nice big take out order of your Chirashi Bowl....however....I'm afraid I'm going to have to show everyone on yelp what a scam you really are now.
The last time I got some Chirashi from here, it was when the recession was pretty bad and so they were getting a bit stingy, but back in the good old days Goro would ALWAYS give nice thick cuts of fish, lots of crab salad and plenty of sticky rice.
TODAY however, was an utter disappointment!!! I cannot believe I paid for this piece of shit they gave me. Furthermore, they even raised their price....so I paid like $18+ for slices of fish sliced SO FREAKING THIN....you could see through it!!
I'm going to upload photos....and you can definitely tell a big difference. Someone put up a picture of their chirashi bowl and you can see the fish is nice and thick.....but when you look at the pics I'm going to upload....its so THIN...omg I was so disgusted and felt so ripped off I took these pictures half way through my meal cause I want everyone to know what a rip off this place has become!
They're stingy with their rice too and the back in the day they used to give heaping mound fulls of crab salad....but today I got a teaspoon full of crab salad. Wait?! Isn't crab salad CHEAP to make? It's just imitation crab and mayo.....seriously Goro....get your shit together!
- Grace -
Review from Mike K.
Huntington Beach, CA
12/26/2006
Goro, Goro, Goro, oh how I love thee.
Dimly lit, plain, and minimal at best, Goro serves up authentic and absolutely fantastic Japanese cuisine. Their combo entrees offer more than enough food. Sushi is normally on the good side. Price is reasonable and well worth what you get. Great date spot. Service is exceptional as they are prompt and attentive.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a "Buy 1 Entree, Get the 2nd Entree 50% Off" from a New U or Student Dollar Stretcher. -
Review from Edward R.
Irvine, CA
11/4/2010
I don't know really where to begin. The staff was nice... so there's a plus.
I thought the sushi was a bit bland, and a grade or two above the grocery store rolls you find premade at Costco. While they lacked the "white-guy" special Philadelphia roll, the other rolls didn't really taste of much. The fish itself was fresh, and didn't smell fishy at all, so thats good.
All in all, this place was quiet, friendly, with run of the mill sushi. I've seen several other reviews that list off specific dishes that were good. Judging from what I've experienced, their forte could totally be something I've not eaten.
I'd be willing to go back, but with lowered expectations, and i'm sure all would be good. -
Review from jun h.
Irvine, CA
3/11/2007 2 photos
3.5 stars.
A typical Japanese restaurant with a facade that leads to you think that the interior would reflect that of Tenko's. Rather, the decor was more hip than I had presumed it to be although the lighting was all wrong.
Service was prompt and courteous. I ordered the baked scallop and baked salmon roll. The baked scallop was presented in a large half-shell and consisted of many pieces of scallop and mushrooms. It was good but can be a bit much for one eater. The baked salmon roll was just a cut-roll of salmon and asparagus, and a bad order on my part. Cooked fish doesn't work so well with sushi.
There are coupons for this place in the New University, UCI's student newspaper, but I don't know what discounts they offer. -
Review from Brad K.
Irvine, CA
12/12/2006
Goro is an excellent gem of a place. Don't be thrown off by the location in the typical OC style mall plaza, the place itself emotes family Japanese owned restaurant with some style. While the sushi isn't terrible I recommend a sashimi appetizer or the calamari salad.
But by far the best is the dinner specials/combinations. The amount of food is enormous as is testiment by the extra large plates they bring them on...they must have had to order those special. The arrangements of the food was surprisingly delicate with little lace placemats and food organized and separated to avoid touching each other. The sake is good - and the staff friendly and jumping to please.
*Tip: hit up the dinner combos - share one unless you're really hungry. Always drink house sake in good Japanese restaurants. -
Review from Chris E.
Irvine, CA
6/20/2008
Goro is a great place to eat if you fall into any of the following catagories -
1. You are starving.
2. You don't want to wait for a table at Honda-Ya.
3. You love to eat until you explode.
4. You like decent Japanese food in huge proportions.
5. You live in Irvine and don't want to travel far for Japanese food.
Goro is located on the corner of Culver and Alton in the Alton Plaza. It's right next to Big 5 Sporting Goods and Albertsons Market.
As previously mentioned, I go to Goro for the Texas size portions of Japanese food. I typically go for the "make your own" three item combination plates and get beef teriyaki, hamburger steak, and fried chicken. The beef is tasty, which make up for the cheaper cuts of meat that they use. The hamburger steak is incredible. They give you two patties, covered in this ketchup like sauce. The best part of this combo, however, comes in the form of the fried chicken. The chicken is fried to perfection and is bursting with flavor. Try it with a side of mayo as a dipping sauce. (Sounds gross, but trust me on it!)
I've tried some of the rolls, and would have to say they are not the best. Stay away from the Irvine roll, and hit up the volcano roll. Delicious! At the same time, sushi is rather subpar, making this a place to go for rice dishes.
By the time I'm done eating here, I'm ready to roll out of the place like a balloon and find a nice place to fall into food coma.
Tip of the day - If you are going here with a friend (instead of by your lonesome), visit this site and get a coupon for 50% off of your second entree - http://www.japaneseres...Listed in: SoCal Faves
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Review from Bird D.
Irvine, CA
10/7/2008
Been here once before but I was meeting some friends on the back 9 of their meal so i just ordered some sake.
This time, I went around 8:00 and the sushi bar was closed but there were a few selections available from the sushi menu. My girlfriend and myself each got a rainbow roll and we got vegetable tempura for an app.
I was shocked when I took my first bite because this is some of the freshest sushi I have eaten in a long time. It was perfect. I think they make their own soy sauce too, because it was exceptionally different from anything I have ever had before. I will definitely be coming back here again.
Service was awesome. Everyone says "hello" and "goodbye" and "thank you". Very nice moody atmosphere. Dim lighting, quiet, and very intimate. Loved it all! -
Review from Christine N.
Garden Grove, CA
7/29/2010
To clarify, I am no sushi expert. If it tastes good, I consider it good sushi. With that being said, or written, I came here for lunch with a group of friends today.
If you are planning to get sushi rolls or sashimi, grab a paper menu off the front table on the way in. The main menu doesn't list the rolls and sashimi.
Anyways, I ordered the lobster roll. It was pretty good. The filling was a bit chewy, which I liked. I don't like it when the filling is too mushy and soft. I think my roll consisted of about 8 pieces. Overall, I was happy with the quality of my roll. My friends also seemed to enjoy their food.
Restaurant was nice, but kind of small. It was also kind of dark. I guess they were going for the cozy, romantic atmosphere? Anyways, service was okay. They were a little slow. Orders took some time to come out.
Prices were decent. They have many daily specials and lunch specials.
Overall, it was a pleasant experience. If I'm in Irvine and craving sushi, I will be coming here. -
Review from Courtney J.
Glendora, CA
11/17/2008
This place is an old favorite. The X and I used to go here to change it up from Taiko (since that place is so $$ during dinner) The prices are reasonable here, the sashimi and sushi is consistent, and the waiters are very friendly (AND japanese). The temperature in the restaurant is usually okay, but last time we went I think the AC was out which made it slightly uncomfortable.
Chirashi bowl is good as well as the Oden and Oyako-don.
There has been an older lady working there forever, so perhaps it might be family owned? no idea. -
Review from Eileen T.
Aliso Viejo, CA
10/14/2009 12 photos
We get a lot of coupons in the mail. And we pretty much use those coupons as our dining guide. The power went out at our apartment one late afternoon. Couldn't really do much when there was no power. So we headed out for some food and hoping by the time we come home, the power would be back on. I flipped through my coupons, and found Goro Japanese Restaurant with a "buy 1 entree receive 2nd for 50%" coupon. I guess that's where we'll have dinner then.
Goro looks like a fast food place from the outside for some reason. But the inside was nice and clean. They had a few specials that day. Everything was written on white boards and placed near the entrance.
To use the coupon, we had to order 2 entrees. We decided to order 2 combination dinner with some extra order of sushi. The combination dinner came with miso soup and salad.
We got 2 extra orders of sushi, salmon and albacore. Both fish tasted really fresh. Salmon was huge, long and thick. Albacore sushi was decent, but the ponzu sauce made the sushi a star. I love Goro's ponzu sauce. They added a lot of scallion to it. Very tasty. Later I just poured the ponzu sauce over my white rice and ate it like that.
The dinner combination I picked had Hamburg Steak, Calamari and Yakisoba. If you don't like any of the combination on the menu, you can also make your own combination. That was what Dr. P did. So each item had its own price on the menu. I saved $0.50 for ordering the pre-set combo. Hamburg Steak was delicious. It was probably my favorite dish of the night. The sauce was tomato-y. I like to mix the meat and the sauce with rice. Dr. P liked this one a lot, too. Calamari was lightly battered and fried. It was soft and chewy. I thought those were ok good. Then I added the ponzu sauce, the calamari turned super good. Yakisoba was no good. It was cold, and tasted exactly like the instant yakisoba noodle I get at Mitsuwa.
Dr. P made his own combo with Sushi, Spicy Tuna Roll, and Beef Teriyaki. 4 pieces of sushi, tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, and halibut. The pieces were smaller than the individual ordered ones. Fish was fresh, but there was nothing too special about the sushi. Spicy Tuna Roll was made with big pieces of tuna, not the chopped tuna we were used to. I couldn't really taste the tuna because it was really spicy. We like spicy, but still prefer to be able to taste the fish. Dr. P didn't like the Beef Teriyaki. He thought the beef was too tough and hard. I thought it was ok though.
With the coupon, the meal was still about $40 with tips. I think the restaurant is kinda pricey for what it is. Their cooked food tastes better than sushi in my opinion. Their lunch special seemed more affordable. I dont' think we'll return for dinner again. But maybe we'll try their lunch special sometimes. -
Review from jen y.
Irvine, CA
8/24/2011
I'm not surprised that this place is out of business. Food was average. Service was nonexistent. We had come here twice. First time was when we moved to Irvine. The second time was a year later...and we were quickly reminded of why we had avoided the place.
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Review from Ryan M.
3/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place isn't too bad. Buried inside an Irvine strip mall, you could easily miss it. I was in the strip mall for another reason, was feeling adventurous (as is needed when trying a new sushi place out for the first time) and was ready for lunch. The chef was personable and attentive, although I was the only customer at the bar. I ordered a combination of sashimi; hamachi, toro, salmon, halibut and albacore. The cuts were sizable and of very decent quality. The menu didn't have a ton of variety or special rolls like those other fusion sushi places. I'll definitely try this place out again.
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Review from M V.
Austin, TX
6/6/2008
This place is very fresh and is one of the few Japanese-owned sushi places in the OC......
Try the yellow tail or salmon cheek dinner.....
Dopeeee.
*Seating is kinda small and wack. Deal with it. -
Review from Christina K.
Yorba Linda, CA
5/21/2007
The service was ok and the sushi was pretty good. The price is decent- rolls are usually $8-$12.
I think its the best all around sushi place in Irvine (not saying much, because Irvine kinda sucks when it comes to good asian food). It's affordable and the sushi is fresh- unlike Tenko's YUCK!.
UPDATE: 7/5/07
I came here last week with my brother and had the sushi platter. OMG, the sushi was WARM and not very fresh. It made me feel sick afterwards. BLAH! How come there's no good sushi places in Irvine! -
Review from Greg T.
Huntington, NY
10/19/2007
Last time I came here was when I was still in college. I think my friend went home with food poisoning or something.
This place isn't worth the usual Tamago, Amaebi rating. I wouldn't eat raw fish here.
You won't ever find me at this place ever again.
Restaurant overall: 0.3 stars -
Review from Jan P.
3/20/2006
Goro is a hidden gem of a Japanese restaurant in Irvine. It features a dimly lit, cozy restaurant with a sushi bar. I gave it only four stars since it is often busy around meal times, and sometimes it can be some time before food is served. The prices are a little steep for dinner combinations, but coupons can be found in the local university's newspaper. Besides, the dinner combinations come out on large plates.
My favorite thing about Goro is the delicious sushi. I myself do not eat any raw items, so their non-raw items from the sushi menu are sublime. My boyfriend enjoys their raw items, and the place is frequented by Japanese people, so I don't think quality would be an issue.
I have yet to find a negative review of Goro, so definitely give it a try if you're in the area! -
Review from Amy K.
8/19/2007
Goro is a very mediocre Japanese restaurant. The service was really good, and the atmosphere was surprisingly nice, especially for being in a shopping center next to Big Five and Albertsons. But the food was nothing special.
We went to Goro last night armed with a "Buy one, get one for 50% off" coupon good on entrees or combo dinners. I think all the other patrons also had the same coupon. In fact, I don't think Goro would have nearly as much business as they do without the coupons.
I had the combo of chicken teriyaki, shrimp and vegetable tempura, and California rolls. BF had the same thing except for calamari instead of tempura. The combos came with miso soup and salad to start. I didn't like the miso soup very much and didn't finish it. I'm usually a big fan of miso soup. The salad was basically iceberg lettuce, but it had a nice light dressing.
The chicken teriyaki was made with dark meat, and some pieces didn't look appetizing to me. I would have preferred white meat. The tempura was very greasy, and the only vegetables were sweet potato (2 pieces) and zucchini (2 pieces). The zucchini was greasy on the outside and mushy on the inside. I stuck to the sweet potato and the two pieces of shrimp that were pretty good.
The California rolls were standard. We got 6 pieces each. I tried BF's calamari, and the piece I got was tough and rubbery. He said some pieces were tender and some were really tough.
We did like the steamed rice though!
With the coupon, our dinner came to $20 before tip, no beverages. Good deal, yes, but I'd rather pay more and get something that actually tastes good. -
Review from Shannon L.
Fremont, CA
10/2/2007
Yes, this is your average sushi place. Very much just average to the average person but of me, there is so much sentimental value!!!
This is where the bf & I had our very first date 4 years ago! I couldn't even remember what I ate or what it tasted like because butterflies were flapping the heck out of my stomach.
I hope this review doesn't anger my fellow Yelp foodies because it has almost nothing to do with the quality of food here (although I have been here numerous other times & have conclude that it is indeed a 3 on the Yelp scale). All I know is that you should visit Planet Beauty next door because UCI students get a discount. -
Review from troy h.
8/1/2008
Full bar! Pretty impressive for a Japanese restaurant.
This place makes a great hamburger steak. And the sushi is pretty good. Since it's in Irvine, it's obviously alot nicer, and of course the prices are a little above average. -
Review from Joshua L.
Updated - 11/13/2008
So I've been going to Goro for years. I mean since 1994 probably. Anyway, my experiences over the years have been very good except on one occassion in the past and one very dissappointing meal recently. I guess things have changed.
In the past, the one other time I had a bad experience is when we ordered "Plum wine". We got majorily ripped off. MAJOR RIP OFF and I don't want to go into details but it was really bad.
Anyway, I soon forgave them of that vowing never to order plum wine again and just going for the combi plates. The combi plates used to be very good and relatively inexpensive. This is where the most recent and 2nd bad experience comes in. Last night, 11/12/2008, I went to Goro's with my wife for dinner. Looking at the menu, all the prices went up. Combi plates average $14-15. Also, the food we actually ordered was subpar. Did not taste all that great. I ordered the pork cutlet curry rice and my wife ordered a terriyaki chicken, sushi combination. Oh well. I don't think we'll be going here again. It looks like they're slipping on quality.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/15/2008
I think people are strange. This is the second restaurant that I've seen low ratings for which a) I… Read more »
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Review from Darren T.
12/17/2009
Goro is a very average Japanese restaurant. Nothing out of the ordinary.
I got a coupon from the dollar stretcher (yeah, I'm cheap like that) and decided to go to this place for lunch. Here's how it breaks down:
Service: The service was very... slow. As was the restaurant itself. Few customers, about as many employees as customers... yet... it was still slow. Lucky for me I got an extended lunch otherwise I would have been very late. Other than their snail pace, they were somewhat attentive.
Ambiance: WTF is wrong with this place? Walking in, it looked like I was about to walk into a museum. There were dividers in odd positions... it just looked very awkward. My lunch buddy also noted that they should've splurged a bit on paint... white walls should be white... not white/greyish.
Food: This seems hit or miss. I ordered the lunch combo and selected calamari and fried chicken. The calamari was bad enough for me to switch this rating to a 1, but the fried chicken was pretty damn bomb. Quite salty (they probably brined the chicken pieces)... but for some reason not overly salty. It was also VERY tender and juicy. The salad (and dressing) was very good as was the complementary miso soup.
Not a bad place for lunch, but I woudl not come back without the coupon. (Yes, I'm cheap like that.) TBH, I probably wouldn't come back even WITH the coupon. -
Review from Lisa M.
San Clemente, CA
10/15/2009
I'm been eating at Goro since 1991. It's a total hole-in-the-wall joint in a strip mall in Irvine with no frills, but it's always a good sign when an Asian placed is filled with Asians, and I'm talkin' fresh off the boat.
And talk about bang for your buck. The sushi & sashimi are amazing fresh, the yellowtail melted in my mouth like butta'. The rolls were tasty and fresh, and the pricing overall was awesome. Two of us ate till we were stuffed for $42!
It's a very old-school Japanese place with a minimalist white interior, but they've erected these cool architectual walls to make the space more interesting. The servers are often Japanese and don't speak English well, they don't provide good descriptions of what's in a roll, which is hard because it's so varied from sushi place to place. So go in knowing you'll just have to figure it out and appreciate the language barrier and you'll be fine.
The beauty is in addition to the typical sushi fare, they offer more Japanese items like curry, yakisoba, etc. I love their cooked food as much as the sushi, the sesame fried chicken is money. -
Review from Jon N.
Garden Grove, CA
8/14/2008 7 photos
Daily lunch specials which come under $10 and will fill you up. Average sushi and decent portions. Nothing too spectacular.
The service here is really slow and you have to flag down people to get help. But the waitresses are cute so I guess it makes up for it a little. -
Review from Christina S.
Irvine, CA
3/3/2010
Mmmm hamburger steak...
I use to really LOVE their hamburger steak here. The sauce is a bit on the sweet side, but that's why I like it. However, in the past few visits, I noticed the hamburger meat falls apart. Not like what I'm use to. Everything else is pretty meh to me. Soba was not cooked enough and the sauce for it was blah. Their udon is decent. Chicken teriyaki is a bit on the rubbery side. And their sushi, eeek! No thank you.
The service here is quite bad. Don't get me wrong, they are really nice but so, so slow. It takes forever for the food to come out. Alas, I must find myself another place with good hamburger steak. -
Review from Angie L.
Camas, WA
10/29/2009
I used to really like this place. I had a chance to meet and interview Goro for a project back in college. I supposed I was biased after learning about his "story" and how he came about to starting Goro.
I don't know if the original Goro is still the owner. I am not saying that he isn't, I just noticed the place hasn't been the same for awhile now. The used to be familiar faces are also no longer there.
But I digress...
The Mr. and I used to eat here at least biweekly, but since we moved out of Irvine, we don't really go there anymore unless we're really near by.
The Mr. always get the Combo, alternate between Combo 3 and 6, while I always alternate between their Sushi Combo or the Chirashi. The quality of the food has gone done these past few visits. Like someone mentioned, I wouldn't recommend the raw fish. Last visit, I got really sick after. The hot dish would probably be safer since the Mr. was perfectly fine.
Service used to be really good, but not anymore. I don't know if they need more servers or they just don't care. We always end up waiting around for the check or water to be refilled. The Mr. would ask a few times and finally would have to get up and and get one of them for the check/refill water. It happened in the last three visits. The restaurant itself is poorly laid out, and every time we're here, we're always seated on the right side of the restaurant. For some reasons, waitresses just don't walk by that area as much as the other area.
We probably won't be visiting anymore. For the price (not cheap!), we can get a better quality Japanese food. -
Review from Karyn R.
San Jose, CA
12/20/2007
My bf & I tried this out a few years ago - needless to say, we've never gone back. Our first experience wasn't the best experience. The food just didn't seem very fresh - we were NOT happy. Obviously, from the other reviews, it seems like a good place to eat. Maybe it has changed - and I do agree, there are always coupons for this place in the local papers - reason why we went there in the first place. I'll have to try it again sometime - maybe it'll be different.
Parking is good - but it can get packed since it's in the same shopping area as 5 other eateries. -
Review from Erin T.
Irvine, CA
4/11/2008
I have had other places better this, but i still find myself here everytime I want sushi. Here's why
1. the service is super friendly
2. the portions are bigger than most places that i've gone to
3. the price is cheap considering the portions
4. NEVER PACKED
5. the food is actually pretty decent
I've had the sashimi dinner, the spicy california roll (which is actually spicy unlike other places), the baked scallop roll, and one of their sobas.
all in all, if you're not SUPER picky about your sushi and you want a good price, Goro's the place to go. Plus...they give lots of coupons!
an entree runs around $11-14
our sashimi plate cost about $14 and the spicy california roll was about $5, so out total came 2 about $21, including tax...and the dinner fed two people!
