On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Brazilian, Sushi Bars, Buffets, Barbeque [Edit]
1901 Junipero Serra BlvdMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Loading...
dude! walked by this restaurant and saw that they were renovating? lol?! wtf?!
this place opened like 4 months ago!!
hmmmmm....pretty weird, like the food....
Went here on Tuesday and was kinda disappointed because the owner of this place was the owner of… Read more »
NOW I KNOW WHY THIS PLACE IS OUT OF BUSINESS...
Oh! Becasue it sucked.
I'm really sad that it's currently closed for renovations.
I really love this place. I swear I came here five times in one week. I tell my friends about it all the time and when I bring them here, they're never disappointed. I think I would only go for their grand opening lunch price. I'm not sure how long that will last. I asked them if I qualified for their 1/2 price discount (you have to be under 5 feet tall) but they said I have to be under 12 years of age too. Psssh. Bullshit.
They have the widest selection of sushi I've ever seen and it's just as good as any pricey restaurant's. I love their sukiyaki too, just for the tofu. They never refill thing thing though so I always just load my plate with it first. They also have an amazing spinach salad with mushrooms.
They actually cut the skins off their cantaloupe which I really appreciate. I would skip their cakes except for the mousse ones. All the other ones are really dry and gross. I'm not a fan of their crepes or the chocolate fountains. They had flan once which was delicious.
They won't let you get food after 2:30 but you can still stay and eat. I was meeting my friends there once and they literally came at 2:30. The people working there knew they were coming and actually kept the food there longer just so they can make a quick run through and grab everything before putting it all away.
I can't wait for MC Skewer to reopen!
Ok...in a nutshell this place is hor-ri-ble!!! Went there for dinner this past Saturday. The sushi rolls were stale and more than likely had been sitting out since lunch. At least that what they tasted like. The tempura and the rest of the hot dishes were either tasteless or lacked the proper spice combo.
OMG! How can you screw up the chocolate from the choco fountain??? Save your $$$ and go elsewhere.
I dont no about the others reviews!
But i love this place. Sounds like they keep raicing their price! It's probably becauce of the Brazilian BBQ. They are clean and helpful n lots of choise of food n dessert. They use to have that special FREE BIRTHDAY meal but i don't know now they still have that or not. I got that special last year on my birthday.
There is no parking but you can park your car CENTURY movie theatres parking . It's free n exactly next to the restaurant.
But the weird thing is spanish guys who works behind the sushi counter they stare at the chicks like starving chimps haha.
They lost their liquor license!
I think they were serving to the underaged and got their ass caught.
But yea, I mean shit, this place loses a star because you can't even get a drink with your bbq.
2 Stars. And I @#$%ing love meat.
$35 for dinner? The meat is mediocre, variety is decent but when I…
Read more »
OMG, if i could give 1/2 a 1 star i would! We came here to test it for lunch and it was HORRIBLE! The sushi had no fish flavor and the rice was all hard, the food looked like it was sitting there forever in the chafing dishes to the point where the sauce looked hard. bad, just so bad.
oh, and the brazilian skewers are not served during lunch, that's for dinner only.
Personally i think it is a very funny combination, I never see it anywhere, so if they are successed, then we can call them "Pioneer". however, i don't think they are even close to sucess.
I been there 3 times after they change to MC skewer from Todai, they average only half full during prime hours, and my overall experience are not good enough, I can't say they are very bad, but they need to face to the competitions, so, they are not good.
Their Japanese Sushi is under quality, I truely believe Todai was doing much better, and Chinese buffet section can't even compare to Moon Star within the area. and their Brazilian BBQ just alrite, and remember, it only available at "Dinner"
If they consider as a Asian Buffet place, they are a little over-priced, but if they consider as a Brazilian BBQ place, their price is cheaper, however, their Brazilian BBQ only service the same "Style" but not the same "Quality" compare to other Brazillian BBQ place.
I been be over 30 of the different Brazillian BBQ restaurant from New York, Chicage, Alantic City, L.A. to S.F. locals, Price from $25 to $120 per person, so, even I am not a Brazillian food professional, but from my limited experience, I can say, MC Skewer is really below average.
Also, their name: MC "Skewer" is more like a Brazilian BBQ place than a Sushi Place, so I think they should either change their name or starting serving BBQ for lunch.
Well it's not the best buffet by a longshot, but if you're a party of 3-4 hungry guys like I was when I came here with my friends after the Moscone car show. Then hey, for $25 it fits the bill perfectly.
The best tip is to make sure you sit at the table closest to where the guys with skewers come out and to also befriend them. That way, you can always have the freshest and hottest cuts of Brazilian bbq FIRST!!
I've been here probably a total of 3 times. The first time was probably the best and his since gone downhill. First of all I'm glad they closed down the Todai that used to be here because that was the worst Todai I've been to. Anyway, my first experience at MC Skewer was back in October and at this time they were serving the Brazilian BBQ at lunch. I would pass by here almost every day and would see the sign for all you can eat Brazilian BBQ. Knowing what I know from Cleo's, I was excited at the thought. So our first time around was pretty good. For the lunch price, we got a good share of BBQ on the skewers as well as the buffet food. The only item my bf and I were really impressed with was the Korean BBQ meat they brought out. It was really well marinated and tasty. The rest of the meat didn't really compare to Cleo's meat and their selection was limited as well.
The second time we came around they had gotten rid of the Brazilian BBQ for lunchtime. We didn't know that until we were seated and were a bit disappointed. Then we realized that the advertised prices in the windows were because the meat was only offered with dinner or on weekends. Not only that, but some of the better buffet items that we had the first time around were missing like the fried bananas.
I would come back here because you do get a lot of food at a decent price, but it isn't the best. I would probably try to come back on a weekend or for dinner rather than lunch, though. Plus, don't count on getting the best sushi here. Some of the fish is not that fresh and sometimes the rice is kinda stale.
Quick funny story: As I was getting some sushi there was a lady who requested the chef to make her some sashimi. All the ones out on the buffet had fish with rice and she did not want the rice. I guess the chef did not understand because all he did was point at what was already out. So the lady went on to take just the fish and left the rice there. I thought it was comical.
TODAI + Brazilian bbq = confusing taste buds
This place pretty much still looks the same, since I last visited it when it was still Todai. I was never a fan of Todai, but i ended up going here for a friend's b day. All the food from Todai's is still there and I think even the same employees. The only addition is the Brazilian BBQ, which wasn't that good. If you want good Brazilian BBQ, you should check out Cleo's Brazilian Steakhouse http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I didn't get to taste much of the Brazilian BBQ because it seems like the BBQ guys who walk around hardly came to our table. When he did come, he stuck pieces of cooked meat onto my plate which had raw fish. ARGHH!!!
IF I ever go back again, I'll be sure to use 2 plates.
Its practically the same as Todai except for the following:
Service is better, they actually have someone running around making sure you are enjoying your dinner and keeping your drinks filled.
Decor is a bit nicer, it seems more dark I guess kind of cozy unlike how it used to be with the bright colors and funny Todai Mascot all over the walls.
Food is a bit different, just a bit. They have someone coming around every so often with meat on a metal stick ranging from
Chicken wrapped in Bacon
Teriyaki Chicken
Prime Roast?
Filet Mignon wrapped in Bacon
Pork Ribs
Beef Ribs
Chicken Wings
Lamb Chops
and a couple more maybe I missed out on. Anyways, the meat is kind of salty..with some actually being a bit more salty then it needs to be.
For the buffet line they have fried rice, white rice, different meats, tempura , and dim sum. They also have sushi which I didnt really pay attention to cause I just didnt trust it.
Im giving them 2 stars...I cant say this was worth the 29.95 per person. But I guess if they had a wider selection and better quality of food I wouldnt complain so much.
I just got back from dinner at MC Skewer Sushi & Grill and had to check out the reviews to see what others had to say about it. I cannot believe the nonsense that these people have written about this place in order to get a 10% discount at their next visit!! Whores!
If you haven't wasted your money yet at MC Skewer, thank your lucky stars. Do not be fooled by the other reviewers. This place is NOT better than Todai. One might be fooled (as I was) into thinking that the new restaurant couldn't possibly be as bad as Todai was (especially if it promises to deliver delicious, all-you-can-eat Brazilian food in addition to sushi), but mark my words ... MC Skewer is several steps DOWN from Todai. I promise you!!
I was so stunned by how ridiculous the experience was while I was at the restaurant waiting for the server to get lost on her way to filling up two water glasses (one at a time, mind you ... she actually picked one glass up and walked away for a few minutes, eventually brought it back full of water, then picked up the other glass to take another stroll and do the same ... *doy*) that I jotted down a quick review:
"Words cannot describe how bad this experience was. It's baffling to me how a restaurant can manage to fuck up meat on a sword or sushi, but MC Skewer pulls off such a feat with little effort. My heart breaks for all the plants and animals that sacrificed their lives to end up in the dumpster at MC Skewer. Save your dollars and spare your bowels ... avoid this place!!"
PROs:
* lemon slice in drinking water
* sliced strawberries are an offered dessert option (you can dip them in the communal chocolate fountain, too)
* servers were friendly and kinda "special" (read: inept)
* lighting was dim enough to hide the crust on your food while eating
CONs:
* tuna sashimi was spongey, and water-logged
* nigiri options were dried out and discolored
* the salad bar items were also dried out or crusty and appeared not to have been changed/rotated during the evening
* seafood pot was so overcooked that the meat in the lobster claws was chewy
* the churrascaria options were overcooked (except for the "filet mignon" that was wrapped in raw bacon ... ick)
* price ($30) was not a bargain considering that strawberries are basically the only edible item
It's the oldest story in the world. Boy meets Girl. Boy likes Girl. Boy goes home with Girl. Boy takes a good look at Girl the next morning. Girl ain't what she seemed to be last night. She's not so attractive, not very fresh, and not too good for you. Oh yeah, she's fat and smells bad, too.
The opening paragraph describes my experience at MC Skewer perfectly.
You see, my friend and I decided to go to Todai for lunch. As we approached the restaurant, we realized that Todai was long gone. It's MC Skewer now. Suspicious, we began to ask questions. What's that? We can get an all-you-can-eat lunch for $14.95 a person? There's seafood just like at Todai, but there's also Brazilian BBQ? Come again?
I couldn't believe my luck. All-you-can-eat meat for $14.95? I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Having convinced myself of my own lucidity, I cursed the days I spent $49.95 at Espetus (see my review at http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I also had this incredible urge to buy a lottery ticket. It must have been my lucky day.
Unfortunately, if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
MC Skewer was pretty darn bad. The selection of seafood, salads and even desserts left a lot to be desired. True, they added a few "Brazilian" novelties, such as cheese bread, fried bananas etc, but they took away a whole lot more. The sashimi I had was OK, but my friend complained that his squid and his seafood salad weren't very fresh. A lot of the trays were nearly empty and no one seemed to care.
MC Skewer tried to create a more upscale ambiance. They went with dimmed lights, white tablecloths, dark burgundy cloth napkins and wine glasses. Word of advice: if you want to class up a place, you should probably consider getting rid of that awful smell. If you've been to Todai, you know the smell I am talking about: it's the potpourri of yesterday's seafood, industrial strength cleaner, B.O., and knockoff Chanel No. 5.
Our waiter was indifferent and inattentive. My friend had to get up to ask for a refill on his soft drink, and I had to get my own dessert fork. The place was far from busy, but our waiter seemed to disappear for ten minutes at a time. Where the hell could he go?
However, none of that mattered. I continued on, knowing that MEAT was coming. "Remember Espetus?" I kept asking myself. "Sit tight, endless supply of meats is almost here."
I was sorely mistaken again. Although we were seated right next to the meat pit, we were offered meat maybe a total of 7 times in an hour. Chili sausage, chicken hearts, bacon wrapped chicken and short ribs were all greasy, fatty and overcooked. The only meat that was worth eating was top sirloin, which was prepared perfectly. Sadly, we spent most of our time tracking down the two meat servers who did their best to avoid us. My only hope, as I quickly realized, was to make eye contact with them and guilt them into coming over to our table.
I left the restaurant full, but not satisfied. I was thinking that perhaps the restaurant should be called McSkewer, since it is a sad, cheap and pathetic excuse for a churrascaria. I don't see myself coming back here any time soon.
Why 2 stars instead of one? I think this place deserves an extra star for being an all-you-can-eat lunch place for $14.95.
Mc YUCKY is more like it.
Okay, so you know that saying, "You get what you pay for?" Yeah...totally appropriate in this situation.
For $19.99 Brazilian bbq/seafood, how fresh/tasty is it really going to be?
The whole feel of the place was a bit too proletariat for me...bleh!
There are tooo many options. Pick one type of food, and do it well. Don't try to extend yourself with Brazilian bbq, dim sum, Korean food, seafood, sushi, salad bar, desserts, fro-yo, made-to-order crepes, AND chocolate fountains. It's just toooooooo much, and nothing tastes right.
The cuisine highlights: top sirloin, tempura mixed seafood sushi, the pear tart, and the creme brulee.
Is it McSkewer as in McDonalds? Or is it MC Skewer as in MC Hammer? Hmmm ...
The cooked food was not Las Vegas buffet level, but honestly I was quite satisfied after eating here regardless.
The main draw is the Brazilian BBQ food of course, so I purposely laid off the chow mein, fried rice, chicken wings, orange chicken, etc. I even took it easy on the sushi in order to not get stuffed full of rice.
The meat was surprisingly good, even though I do wish the guys serving it came around a bit faster. If you're a lamb fan, DEFINITELY ask for the lamb chops. Very well seasoned and cooked for all 4 rounds of servings that we had.
The waiters were also very responsive and are very willing to go and get whatever it is that you want. You want more lamb? They'll come back and bring it to you. Roasted pineapple? Sure! Great service.
The place itself is pleasantly decorated and lit. I also went when there was live music going on and enjoyed that also. The two people singing were good and sang alot of good oldies and soft rock KOIT jams. That may not be your ticket, but I was definitely singing and humming along.
For $25 bucks, it can be a great meal if you load up on the Brazilian meats. 3 stars!
Came here for my cousin's birthday. The original plan was Todai. I had been dreading Todai for dinner since I had it once, several years ago and once is more than enough. When we got here, we realized Todai was long gone and replaced by McSkewer's Sushi and Grill.
I didn't have ANY expectations for this place. I was pretty surprised by this Brazilian/Asian fusion buffet. There was an assortment of sushi and sashimi, raw oysters, crab legs, as well as the usual chow mein and fried rice. They also offered pre-made bowls of udon for you to add the soup and enjoy.
Servers came around pretty frequently with skewers of an assortment of meats including bacon wrapped chicken and steak, top sirloin, teriyaki chicken, chicken hearts (I didn't try), grilled shrimp, short ribs, etc. The meat was pretty tasty and flavorful but I got full from it pretty quickly.
For dessert, they had 2 chocolate fountains (milk chocolate and white chocolate) for you to dip fruits in. There was a display of chocolate cakes, creme brulees, tapioca, apple tarts, and fresh fruit. They had a crepe maker but I was too full to try. They also had a frozen yogurt machine. I tried the vanilla but it was not creamy and quite watery.
The price was decent for all they had to offer - it was $19.99 for weeknights (I think it's $24.99 for weekend nights). They only offer Brazilian skewers for dinner. They also have a birthday promotion of 20% off the birthday dinner.
I would probably recommend this to guy friends who can eat a lot and make it worth it.
3.5
Thank Goodness for Sam T. because I thought there were NO Elites that ate here: Elites: represent!
Lunch here is $19.95 for weekends; pretty much the same as the old Todais. BUT, instead of getting so-so dry, overdone buffet items, you get meat, and pretty good meat at that.
Inside, it is pretty much Todais with a decor upgrade--a bit too dark for my taste but nonetheless better than it was. Same island/sections as before. It is the same owner as before when it was Todai at this location.
Stay away from the strictly commercialized meh dim sum.
The buffet includes REAL Brazilian specialties:
- Feijoada [say 'Feh-zhwadah'), the Brazilian national dish--a stewed mix of black beans, ham hocks, tiny Portugese sausages, pork "trimmings" to be served over white rice (which they had two versions)
- Couve Mineira: Chopped refried collard greens [not as tender as collards can be but not bad]
- Farofa: a lightly roasted coarse cassava flour [not on of my favorite things--a bit like toasted, fine, sand-textured flour--but not bad if sprinkled on the meat]
- Feijo (Red bean soup), which was tasty but on the saltier side.
- Good Deep-fried bananas
- Peeled orange slices.
- and even my favorite: the Brazilian Cheese Bread Balls [YUM! & Terrific].
All told: the Fejoada was better here than at the Manor Room Pizza in Pacifica, but the meat-on-the-skewers was the star (as it should be here):
Top Sirloin (Oink)
Bottom Sirloin (Oink OINK)
Garlic Beef (Tasty but Dry)
Chicken Hearts (did not try)
Chicken wings (Very Good)
Quail (Wow!! Very Good)
Bacon-wrapped chicken (ooff: too full!)
Pork Sausage (Great and spicy)
A per churrascaria tradition, per table, they had two-sided circular cards with one side colored Red (=No Thanks/No Meat/Go Away) and the other side colored Green (=Yoh! Where's the MEAT? Bring NOW/ME WANT MEAT/MEATY YES INDEEDY!), but not all the waiters read or knew how to read these and asked anyway if you wanted meat. - 1/2 star for not knowing their own signaling system.
They also had a fairly decent sushi-bar and it was not bad at all. The wasbabi paste was freakin' HOT, so no second-rate old wasabi here.
For $20, this beat anything that the old Todai had for the same price and the meat quality was very good to great.
Compared to a traditional Churrascaria, like Espetus or Fogo de Chao, this beats them in price alone [$20 vs $35-45] even though the meat selection is less for lunch.
Hey: You know why there are so many other Yelpers with only 0 or a few friends and reviews writing their reviews for this place? Because MC Skewers asks and encourages you to review their place online, print it out and get 10% off your next visit for up to 6 people. LOL!
I did like the way they asked for honest feedback about the service and the food quality. Their service overall was a bit uneven and clearly in training. But everyone was nice enough.
Birthday Specials still exist here: Eat free on your birthday if you have 5 other paying Adults.
So, this is a step up for most places within Todai.
An interesting mix of Brazilian and Asian buffet. However, I can here for lunch and didn't get any Brailian. I think this place tries to do it all with even advertising live entertainment on Fri, Sat, Sun. nights.
The food okay, some good stuff and other most stuff that is pretty regular for an all you can eat buffet. There sushi had a bit more variety than most other buffet. Some of the stuff kind not as fresh as I like it to be.
The atmosphere is kind of dull even with an upscale look.
Service was okay, somewhat slow and unattentive.
Decent place to try.
$30 all you can eat dinner is a little pricey for the quality of food you are getting at MC Skewer Sushi & Grill.
The salmon, macarel and tuna sashimi are really standard grade stuff. Some of the pieces are still sort of icy. The oysters are kinda hit and miss depending on the batch but I did like the crab legs.
I stayed away from the cooked foods like dim sum, tempura and fried shrimp because I wanted to save room for the brazilian style meat.
Most of the meat like the pork and new york steak were on the dry side but they had a decent flavor to them. The sausage was spicy and flavorful and the chicken wings were pretty good.
My favorite was the chicken hearts, which never seemed to ever make it to our table. The table in front of us ended up snatching all the hearts before the server could make it to our table... Twice!! The second time the server asked the table in front of us, "would you like some more hearts?" To which a man replied "Oh, yes I would!" And the table ended taking the rest of the entire skewer. My buddy next to me looked on and said to himself, "Are you f_ing kidding me?" The lady at the other table turned around and looked at us... opps.
"Would you like some some tender sirloin?"
OF COURSE I WOULD!
"How about some bacon with chicken?"
HELL YEAH!
"How about some chicken hearts?"
What the hell is... ok... YES PLEASE!
Weird place to go to, but the things on the skewers are the best part. Just keep on getting those. And the sashimi. That way, you get your money's worth. Its like endless steak and chicken on a skewer. Also, there was live entertainment that was pretty much 2 people singing with a filipino/asian accent. For 25 bucks per person for dinner, I was hoping for some really good buffet items, but its really just like any other asian buffet restaurant with the exception of the dishes on the skewers.
I tried this place because I thought it was a great idea to combine a Brazilian steak house with an all you can eat Japanese buffet. Great selection of sushi and cold food. The atmosphere was great and the overall quality of the food was good. The main problem I had was that they were extremely slow on bringing the meat around. I gave up waiting for all of the different meats to come around, so I wasn't able to try all.
$29.95 is a little steep, but there was a great variety to choose from. The custom crepes were a good way to top off the meal
I went there for my gf's birthday. We had reservations but when I showed up the hostess was not really a big help. After pointing towards the restaurant and saying that our table was over there I was finally able to get her to bring me over to it. However, they had appaerently given our table to another group and we were forced to eat at a smaller table. Lucky for us some people flaked. The food was awesome. Only downside was there is no liquor license. Apparently they lost it. Great parking due to the two parking garages in walking distance.
Having been to Fogo De Chao, The Brazilian place on Market street, Brazzas, and a hand full of other Brazilian Bar B Q joints many of you will not be surprised when I tell you that the food may be close to poison. The only saving grace of this place is the Sirloin.
The bottom sirloin was juicy and the top sirloin was atleast what one would expect, considering the rather big dissappointment that the rest of the menu was, this says a lot.
The place is obviously run by an owner who has NO clue what Brazilian BBQ is like, no "go / stop" card, only one guy carrying meat around, poorly done meats, and meats that one would never see in a Brazilian BBQ, like Korean short ribs and teriyaki chicken. While I admire the "creativity" I would be an idiot if I didn't realize he was only catering to the largely filipino / asian community. A community obsessed with cheap tasteless chinese buffets and $hite holes like Todai. Which from a buisness stand point is short sighted considering this was the owners approach to Todai and we saw how long that lasted.
Which brings me to my next point, the owner of this atrocity and Todai is the same. He kept the sushi and random asian food of Todai and simply added latino guys with meat skewers. Then renamed the place with a new paint job.
Granted other Brazilian BBQ's are on the order of $30 to $60 per person the quality, service, and experience are 100x better. I come to a meat spot for meat, not sushi, not chinese, and definitely not seaweed salad.
1 Star fo rthe awesome servers, friendly meat guy, and juicy chicken wrapped bacon.
-4 stars for the food quality (sushi, asian food fare, and all other meats aside from ones mentioned above) and weak representation of Brazilian BBQ.
It's worth a try for lunch, but nothing more.
Lunch Menu: Top Sirloin, Bottom Sirloin, Garlic Beef, Chicken Hearts, Chicken Wings, Chicken Breast wrapped in bacon (tasted like tenderloin), Pork Sausage, Short ribs, and Teriyaki Chicken
Went to this place today after driving by. I never went to Todai so I can't really compare but I wasn't very interested in meat skewers to begin with (but the boys were of course). The food was okay, not that special. Sushi rolls weren't that great and the nigiri was annoying because the rice kept falling apart.
The dimsum was okay but the one type of bun they have is mislabellled. It is not a golden sand bun, it is just a normal not so great tasting custard bun.
The meat was okay.. some were overcooked and dry. The chicken wings were yummy and the short ribs. I didn't like the quail cuz it was too dry. There wasn't really much meat going around anyway, since it was a weekday lunch.
Service is REALLY slow. They need a soda machine or something because the servers don't refill your cups until almost the end of your meal. You can see the pitchers sitting riggggggght there but nobody comes. They need to serve the meats faster.
I rather go to Moonstar, even though that place isn't the best either.
So my friend invites me to his birthday dinner at the old Todai last Friday and thats when I realized they closed Todai. They changed the name to MC Skewer but I am pretty sure people will still call it the old Todai. I found out that Todai still owns the place. Anyways I get there after my friends who are already seated and getting their eat on so I get started on the sushi which was pretty good and followed it up with the raw oysters.
Having the BBQ being brought out is a plus cause at least the meat is fresh. Just like the other review, my first Brazilian BBQ experience was at Espetus in SF but theyre really isnt any comparison between the two as Espetus is much better.
All the meat tasted pretty good and was cooked right except for the filet migon which was dry. Another good cut of meat was the garlic sirloin. I also had the quail but they ran out of the bacon wrapped chicken. That was a bummer for the tables bacon lovers.
The hot food was so so and I dont really dig that as much as I used to. They shrimp tempura was hard, dont know if it was because they didnt use panko or if they were sitting under the lamps too long. I did see one of the cooks take the egg rolls and refry them.
I didnt touch the salad or fruit but did have a two crepes. A word of advice, get a plain crepe and fill it with the fresh strawberries rather than the jelly they fill it with. They also had peach and banana flavors but I am imagining they used jelly too.
The service was pretty slow and drink refills were hard to come by. At the end they came out with tamborines and gave my birthday friend a "cake". So the bill was settled and after everything was signed, the waiter made the super/mgr come back to say he only charged for a glass of wine instead of a whole bottle and asked if he could charge for the rest of the bottle. Not to sure of what to make of that. Anyways I would come back again, the food was good but the service could have been better.
********
So I tell my mom where I had dinner for my bud's bday and I said MC Skewer and had to go through the whole it used to be Todai deal. My mom suggested we go there for my Dads bday so we go there for lunch on Sunday.
Our server was better this time around but then again it was about 12 noon and the place was not as filled. They didnt have the raw oysters and crab legs for lunch as it was 19.99 with the bday boy free. The food was the same but the tempura was better this time around and they had most of the meats, when asked what kinds of meat they had, he said they had 20 and to wait until they all came around. When asked about chicken hearts cause my dad wanted some, he said thats only for dinner.
Pretty much same fare for lunch, everyone seemed to like the idea of the meat coming around the tables.
If the other Brazillian BBQ was a 4 to 5 star this place would be a 3 and I guess I couldve taken another star off for the service on Friday but Sunday was much better, even though we didnt get my dad's bday "cake"
Was here on Saturday night for a family birthday. Let's break it down like this:
Tight:
-Service was good. There was always someone (management, wait staff) coming around to make sure we were okay. They were also friendly.
-They're able to accomodate big groups which was nice because we roll deep in my family.
-The meat was delicious! My favorite was the filet mignon wrapped in bacon.
-Sushi rolls (Maki) were pretty good.
-Teeny creme brulees and chocolate fountains were the highlights of the dessert area, which also features a crepe station but you have to request them to be made, not DIY.
Wack:
-The nigiri and sashimi didn't taste fresh in the least.
-The oysters didn't taste fresh either.
-The area that we sat smelled like funk, straight up feet. As if they didn't vacuum from when it was Todai.
-The meat guys kept coming around with sausages and chicken but took forever to come around with steak.
I won't be coming back. I really liked the meat but not $30 worth of it. If you're into seafood buffets, go to Moonstar instead. Sorry MC Skewers, you gotta step your game up or at least shampoo the carpets.
This place is where Todai used to be. The change is a mixed bag. I think the sushi is better than ever but the chinese food is not nearly as good. The atmosphere is much better, though darker. Still it has a more classy feeling. The price is now cheaper, basically 15 per person for lunch on the weekends.
I haven't sampled their brazilian food, because it's only available for dinner. The nigiri sushi is pretty good, though not up to the level of a dedicated sushi house. The rolls aren't quite as good. All in all i'd call it an improvement over todai, if you go there for the sushi buffet.
Half Churrascaria, half Asian? Interesting, but it worked in some strange way. It might have been the much improved decor compared to the old Todai. I'm almost tempted to say elegant.
Everyone was so nice and service was great for our party of about 150 (no joke). I was asked several times if I wanted a piece of meat from the skewer boys and when the chicken with bacon came around, my friend and I pretty much told him he could leave the whole skewer at our table :)
It's safe to assume that people go to buffets for the variety and not for the best lobster tail they ever had. So in that sense, this place isn't bad. I'd go back for lunch because the price is reasonable, but probably not for dinner.
I went here for the first time last night for the first time last night- and I thought it was amazing! It's rather inexpensive it's only $20 for dinner per person, so about the same as Todai (it's in the same place).
I was really impressed by the breadth of cuisine offered. In addition to an amazing sushi and sashimi buffet, they had do many different types of meat prepared in various global ways. If you're a meat lover, then this is the place for you. The cooks even come around to the table offering you new and exotic meat selections! I was surprised to see all the mixed reviews, but then again I'm easy to please. The service was good, not amazing, but I'm not going out to eat for the service, especially at a self serve buffet.
I ate chicken hearts for the first time! The bacon wrapped chicken was my favorite from last night- it was sumptuous! As far as desserts go, you will not be disappointed, they even have 2 chocolate fondues- and one of them is white chocolate.
People please, pull away from your attachment to Todai's. If you can get pass that, this place is really not that bad. It's definitely a strong 3.5 stars, rounded it to a 4 for the novelty. It's not often you get Lamb, Quail, Chicken Hearts, Rib Eye, etc. basically a galore of meats catered to you combined with Japanese food. Has anyone ever been to the Todai's in the South Bay aka Eastridge? Nuff said'.
I definitely agree with the server and the drinks. It's like another form of control. Soda fountains would probably lower the value of the place but at least the servers can do a better job at refilling it. I swore our server stared at our empty cups (a party of 10) and thought he was going to get a big tip for thirsty patrons choking on their food. At least all his words were fluent english, and he was quite an outspoken extravert. Unlike Todai or any typical asian restuarant, servers speak this language loud and clear "pots&pansbeingthrowndownstairs". Samuel Jackson wouldn't phase them one bit.
Overall, it's worth a trip to eat here. Different and decent. I wouldn't pay more than $30, especially not at everyone's beloved Todai's.
Carny (short for Carnivore) Club came here for our monthly dinner last Sunday night and it was a pretty good choice. It was not very busy at all, so we had really good service and frequent visits from the "meat" guys. They were also good about taking requests; not sure if they would have been able to on a busy night. I particularly liked the chicken hearts, lamb and spicy sausage. Definitely not as good as, say, Espetus, but also half the price.
The buffet food ranged from poor to good; I recommend taking small samples and going back for more of the good stuff! Sushi was average, dim sum better than average, and desserts pretty good.
-1 star for the live music. Great idea, but (1) way too loud, our first table was near the front and we asked to be reseated away from them and (2) they were not very good singers! The song selections were pretty cheesy. My Filipino dining companions all agreed it seemed like a Filipino karaoke party; not sure that really makes me want to go to a Filipino karaoke party....
Oh, and it seems like a rule here that you have to compare it to Todai. I never went to Todai. I walked by it several times, but never went in. I can say I thought the outside is every bit as good as the outside of Todai was.
Yeah.... no....MC Skewer touts itself to be Asian and Brazilian. A poodle and an armadillo would have had more success at mating. I stopped in for lunch a while back.... I drove by and saw the "churrascaria" neon sign and figured why not? Well, I wish I hadn't.
First, the hot buffet was just lame. Everything was bland, and it didn't seem very fresh. The selection was also very blah. So the Asian part failed.
Then, the churrasco took forever to finally come out to me, and it was not worth the wait. Bland and tough... need I say more?
Service overall was slow... maybe because it was lunch, but come on! I'm not coming back here... the Subway next door is a better bet.
The skewered meats that came around were awesome. I had some of this beef loin that had the most amazing crispy crust on it. Another favorite was the filet wrapped in bacon. The serving/bite is really small so it was annoying to have to wait for the skewer dude to come back again for another taste. They did not bring around the skewers often enough, IMO. Not real churrascaria... I never got to the chicken hearts -- it never came around or I missed it.
I filled up on fresh sashimi: yellowtail and tuna (also salmon but I passed over it for the other stuff). Plenty of pre-made (fresh) rolls and salads (seaweed, calamari, kim chi).
The dessert bar was ok. Not much variety. Had the typical Todai crepe station and a chocolate fountain, soft serve machine (you are served by an employee behind the counter) and a few types of cakes.
This place was not bad except for the fact that I got diarrhea while I was there -- really bad. I had to excuse myself twice. I asked my husband if he knew something was up and he said "yeah" (the look on my face...). Strange thing is that he did not get the diarrhea and, to my knowledge, neither did anyone else in the large party we were with.
Could be the raw oysters that I ate -- I had two of them.
Ok, Ive been here about 3 or 4 times now and I'm still keeping it at 4 stars.
But I should warn you that the previously avg sushi has become kind of tasteless. Just stay away from it altogether.
I also saw that they recently started having tiny cups of Creme Brulet but it takes a while for it to come out and then people swoop on them really fast...like me (its usually on the pan closest to the crepe/soft serve attendant lady back there that always seems empty.)
Dining tip:
The best strategy for me is to take only a little (maybe just 1 plate max) of the hot food and then just wait for the skewered meats to come around. Almost all of them taste good to me (even the chicken hearts) and the sauce provided on the table is kickass.
Atmosphere is a nice change from the old Todai with it looking more upscale and maybe more intimate,… Read more »
There's so much meat in this place!
Upon walking in to this place I noticed the slightly more upscale decor and the huge wine glasses that were on every table. The lighting was rather dim in the dining area, only to be brightened up when you went to select the buffet of seafood and greens. I guess that's where lighting needs to be important anyway. The sushi was quite disturbing, really; not fresh, and it looked like it had been prepared hours ago and just left there for the next unlucky soul to tempt fate with food poisoning. Pass.
The main highlight of this establishment is the skewered meat. Must everything be wrapped in bacon? Don't get me wrong, bacon is good, delectable even, but when you encase beef, asparagus, and whatever else in it to try and give it an upscale presentation, it makes me wonder if they have teamed up with the pork industry as the other white meat.
The meats had a very prominent garlic seasoning to them, and I am elated to report that it wasn't garlic salt. No, we're talking the real deal here, and the flavor was very intense, borderline overpowering, but still tasty for garlic lovers like me.
I wouldn't mind coming back for a second helping, but I think I need to eat a year's worth of greens to balance out the amount of fat (bacon) that I consumed last night.
I'm confused! How can Moonstar Buffet get a better rating than MC Skewers?? This place has an Asian buffet AND Brazilian skewers - hot off the grill & served right at your table!! What's not to love?!
Special note - you need to come here for a WEEKEND DINNER.
I've tried the lunch buffet thinking that I'd be saving some money since it's cheaper during lunch.
Guess what - you get what you pay for.
Seriously, come here for dinner on a Saturday night - they serve the famous banquet style roast duck on a steamed bun with chives and plum sauce!! If you're Chinese and you've been to a wedding banquet, you know what I'm talking about. The minute I saw those, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. At traditional Chinese wedding banquets, everyone around the table only gets ONE of these precious delicacies but here at MC Skewers, it's ALL YOU CAN EAT and I literally stuffed my face with them to make up for all those times I couldn't eat more than one.
Brazilian skewers were also excellent.
Here are some do's & don'ts regarding the skewers:
Don't waste your time with the lower grade cuts of meats they bring out.
Don't get more than 2 cuts of anything - you want to pace yourself.
Do get a slice of cinnamon-sprinkled roasted pineapple.
Do have several lamb chops.
And DO ask the skewer guys NICELY if you want a special cut of something - my guy brought my request out JUST B/C I ASKED FOR IT :) All the servers delivered EXCELLENT SERVICE!
Last tip - skip the stuff towards the back of the buffet. If you stick to the hot food at the front & save room for the quality skewers, you will not be disappointed.
Oh, they also have live music on Saturday nights. Pair that with the dimmed mood lighting and you've got a great atmosphere for a date :)
I believe the place is out of business
I like the place but it needs more Sushi selection like Todai's had. The Brazilian Kabobs are good.… Read more »
I went during the special grand opening offer... $19.99 for dinner. There is also $9.99 for lunch.
What makes this place different? They have waiters come by with slabs of meat and offer it to their customers.
& this place has a fine dining meets buffet feel. Host will pull out your chairs for you! NICE!
Variety: Not so much
Taste of Buffet: Decent, but not excellent. my favorite was the cheese bread, creme brulee, and the korean style fish pancake.
Taste of Brazilian Meat: Mostly... good. My favorite was the pork rib, and the steak stripe. Very delicious! They have steak w. bacon, chicken w. bacon, steak stripe, pork rib, shrimp and other things.
They have adorable, HOT WAITERS THOUGH!
But the buffet and food were only OK, not really worth the price. So, I probably wouldn't go back.
MC Skewer... not to be confused with my reviews for McDonalds, Ronald McDonald House or MC Hammer.
This was our second trip here, and all in all, I think this place is decent.... 3.5 stars.
Now, mind you, I'm not a food snob, and anyone going to an all-you-can-eat establishment shouldn't be expecting a Michelin Guide recommendation.
This place is clean, offers a wide variety of food, and the quality is on par with what you'd expect from a buffet. Add in some relatively attentive service and a touch of ambience (not to mention a table full of our closest friends) and you have the makings for a good, fun evening.
The food is generally the same as the old Todai--- tons of sushi rolls, sashimi and seafood (no nightmare seafood stories to report), mixed with the usual assortment of warm asian foods. The hook here is the meat--- guys walking around with skewers full of sirloin, bacon-wrapped chicken, shrimp, short ribs, bacon-wrapped chicken and chicken hearts. Did I mention the bacon?
I love bacon.
(TANGENT ALERT! TANGENT ALERT! TANGENT ALERT!)
Bacon to me is one of life's perfect things. I've never had a bad piece of bacon. I like bacon that's crispy, but I also dig bacon that's not crispy (non-crispy? un-crispy?), soft even. The melding of salty pork and fatty goodness is divine. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it even makes for a handy snack. Someone should seriously market bacon as a snack food. They have meat sticks. Why not a bacon stick?.... an individually packaged slice of bacon to go. I don't have the time or energy to market it myself, but I sure would buy it.
Okay, back to MC Skewer, which, by the way, is not the best name for a restaurant, but certainly not the worst.... They don't overwhelm you with an endless parade of meat like at some Braziiian places, but you know what? I'm getting older and can't eat like I used to. Two plates and I'm done anyway.
This place is good, especially for large groups.
Happy Hour - 7 Days A Week!
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Holiday Special Offer!
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
San Bruno, CA
Category: Buffets
Daly City, CA
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Buffets
San Francisco, CA
Category: Buffets
San Bruno, CA
Category: Korean
