WaBa Grill

Went today for lunch, place is pretty much gutted. Looks like they are out of business. Oh well, at least we still have super bowl express a little further down the road.

I absolutely love this Waba Grill! Healthy and delicious food served with a smile. As a nationally ranked athlete who is always on the move I know I can drop in and have a hot and healthy meal ready in moments. I eat here 3 times a week and they never disappoint!

Waba Grill is one of my favorite lunch spots here in San Clemente. The Chicken Vegetable Grill is accompanied with the perfectly textured white or brown rice, white or dark chicken, steamed cabbage, broccoli and slice carrots drizzled with their great sauce and finished off with sprinkles of green onions. By far, the healthiest lunch meal here in Talega and San Clemente. Sergio and Lucy are great hosts and always have a smile on their face and always make you feel welcome just like family. Bön Appetite everyone!!!

Come here all the time during my lunch. Good place to get a nice healthy chicken bowl with brown rice. The workers know my order which gives me more time to enjoy my lunch time.

I came here about a month ago, and had a not so great experience. First, their bathroom was out of order, then they got the food order wrong, and once we got the food, it was just okay. Today, I thought I would give them another try. I regret it. Their bathroom was still not working, the ice machine was hard to work, and the half/​half plate I got, well, the beef tasted like it was a couple of days old, the chicken was okay, a little burnt, but the white rice, in some places the rice was mushy! The customer service was okay, even though the lady at the counter had to ask me several times to repeat what I wanted. A friend at work said, that whoever bought this franchise had more money than brains! I hear the other Waba Grills are fantastic. This one in San Clemente needs a lot of work!

Ordered the chicken plate for take out after looking at the menu online. Get back to my office and the salad has little to no dressing but I see liquid moving at the bottom. Could the dressing have ran off. NO! It’s a ¼ inch of water. What! Next, the chicken plate picture online had multiple types of fruit all cut up ready to eat, I look at mine and it’s a half of a very small orange with two knife slices through it. Really! What do you want me to do with that?
Seriously, this franchise owner needs to go back to the corporate office and re-​train!
You have choices, use them, and eat elsewhere.

Place is horrible. Customer service and food. Disappointed every time but still come back hoping it gets better. Today I tried to go and it’s suppose to be open at 11. Door is locked and there’s a cook inside that won’t even acknowledge me. Horrible.

I only tried to order two plates. Both salad plates and I was told «no salad». So the eat healthier place don’t do salad? Unable to buy the Combo 5 aka Chicken Salad Plate…

Agree with all the negative reviews… this place is a complete waste of a business. Worst Waba Grill ever. Their hours are strange and make no sense. They randomly close with no explanation. They are out of white meat chicken all the time. I don’t know how they make money… usually very few customers. Whoever owns this place needs to sell it and close. Put something there that cares about running a successful business.

Fyi: I have attempted to eat at your extinguishment at least five times and every time it has been closed! I no longer am going to go there since its a big waist of time. If you guys don’t fix this you’re going to go out of business! I’m giving 3 stars because I don’t wish you to out of Business.

Was planning on trying this place after driving by it a few times, so I came last Sunday and they had already closed the shop even though their business hours showed they should’ve been open… This raises a big red flag: either the owner closes the shop whenever he feels like it or the staff is closing the shop early. Either way from looking at the Unilocal reviews it seems like this place is too expensive and the staff consists of young people that don’t care. So that being said I’ll drive the extra mile to flame broiler so I don’t have to roll the dice on guessing if Waba’s doors will be open.

Waba is a healthy option but this location has trouble getting their orders right and really bad customer service! I’m sure there is not enough room to write all of the bad experiences I’ve had. Shame on me for giving them a 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th chance! I’ve finally learned my listen! Refuse to eat there again!

Food was okay. Pricy Honestly.

Nice staff and decent take-​out food, but charging 80 cents extra, for brown rice instead of white, suggests that their motto“Eat Smart, Be Healthy” is simply hype.

This was my original 2 star review: «Nah. If you order a bowl with extra meat it costs an additional $ 3 (or almost $ 3) and you don’t get vegetables? Either that or they forgot to put vegetables in my bowl? My bowl was $ 9 and change so damn if for that price you don’t get vegetables that would be even more tragic. I may eat here one more time just to see if they can change my mind because I really want to like this place since it’s so close to my work.»
though honestly I’ve grown to like this place quite a bit. I always add green onions, wasabi sauce, hot sauce, and extra teriyaki sauce to my bowl. I wish it came with more meat or that adding extra meat wasn’t $ 3 for a teeny bit more but you can’t have it all.

Food is usually good here and service is friendly.
Last visit though was weird. Whole place was filled with smoke from the grill and the cook/​owner was talking from behind the kitchen at his customers about it. Actually felt kinda awkward more than it seemed like a friendly gesture.
I think he just needs to install higher quality ventilation and problem would be solved.

Delicious and healthy. Definitely gonna go to this flamebroi – I mean «chicken and rice in a bowl» joint again! Lots of choices to choose, but ignore and choose your usual instead because it’s safe and tasty. I’ll be eating all of the things there soon!

Absolutely Nooo way this place deserves anything south of a 3. Probably Unilocal pressuring them to join up or something. Listen to a real person, not an algorithm because this place is actually really good. The chefs always ensure that you get the food how you ask for it. My girlfriend loves her salmon well-​done and they always make it exactly to her specifications. I agree charging extra for brown rice doesn’t encourage me to go here but the meat especially the steak is much better tasting than Flame broiler which doesn’t charge for the brown rice. I Love the steak or ribs here and it has been our go to place for some rice bowls /​teriyaki for a very long time.
We probably go here once or twice a month and are very happy with the results.
Side note, soda machines are pepsi brand, there are 3 sauces to add or take home and they even have green onions out that you can freely add. I like to pile them on.
Another side note is that their vegetables are improving. I used to prefer flame broilers veggies because they were steamed, softer and warm, but WaBA grill has been stepping up their game. Love when a place does that!

Annoying hours, not open til 12 on Sundays. CLOSED today, Superbowl Sunday, which jammed us up. Not a holiday, people. Why are you closed? Not everyone is a jock.
Veggies taste like a dishwasher: chemical-​y and gross. Sometimes chicken is mystery meat… I like their sauce, but they are pretty stingy with their ¹⁄₁₆ oz cups for it.
Employees are all annoying teenagers that are either goofing off unprofessionally or unable to figure out the register. Once I had to literally provide EXACT change and it was still a long, drawn out process.
Owners better get it together if they want to stay in business.

These low rating haters are TRIPPIN.
Waba is simple and delicious. We came on a Friday at lunch time and the service was good; portions, generous. Got the half half veggie bowl (chicken/​steak/​veggies) and it was PLENTY. And I can eat teriyaki and white rice for days — I’m no skinny bish who always leaves half her food. So trust me when I say it was plenty. Well worth the $ 6.50 investment.
They’re generous with the sauce, which is delicious. Get the green onions, they add a special little kick. Hubs says the hot sauce is super spicy with a great flavor.
We’re only here on a mini getaway for a couple days but it’s so good we’ll be coming back at least once again, and I’ll bring a bowl or two home to San Diego also! Already can’t waaaaaait!!!