Yasuko’s Teriyaki

I have been eating here for over 25 years. I used to eat at the green lake location all the time and never had a bad Meal. There used to be another location just off 99 near the zoo. All gone now.
When first started going I would get the half chicken but for years now I have stayed with getting the chicken breast with extra salad. They throw a slab of white meat on the counter and chop it up right there. It’s chicken, rice and cabbage with some sort of vinegar dressing. Simple, delicious and addicting. This is unlike any teriyaki out there. No fatty nastiness covered in some sort of teriyaki sauce. This is the golden ticket! The building is totally sketchy and in fact there was some dude sleeping in the doorway ½ hour before they opened last time I went. It’s in a crappy location to get to but darn worth it. If this one closes the tears shall fall.
When heading to Ballard STOP and head to yasukos and grab some grub.

Where did you go? I miss you. I havent had enough of your teriyaki yet. I need it at least 100 more times before I die. Minimum 100 more times.

I’ve been going here longer than I haven’t and they never disappoint. The people who work there are as friendly as can be and their food is great. Just go.

Chicken was a tad dry. Sauce was sweet. Restaurant looks sketchy. But overall it’s decent teriyaki. If u want something fast and cheap with big portions come here.

Have only been once today but I was very happy with purchase.
For price it was worth every penny, got boneless teriyaki breast and it was great. Not a coleslaw fan so I had it on hold.
Was little dry but we were late in day. Will be back again

Very good, big portion, served fast,
and affordable — pretty much everything you want from a teriyaki spot. My new favorite!

I grew up in Seattle and loved this place in the 80’s! I moved to Alaska for 20 years and just moved back recently. I finally got to take my husband here and good Lord!!! It’s still the BEST EVER! and the portions GREW!!! He got the pork and I got the roasted half chicken… My mouth is salivating just thinking about it!!! Bar none, these guys are the absolute best teriyaki ANYWHERE!!! There’s just no comparison! The teriyaki sauce, isn’t that thick sweet slimy stuff, it’s cooked down in a pot right there!!! And now my husband knows why I cook cabbage with mine too :) Oh ya, and the customer service is awesome too!!! He’s the sweetest little guy EVER!!!

Hole in the wall. Much deserving of a cult following. Good food, great prices. Love it.

So I was searching for a teriyaki joint that doesn’t have meh reviews on Capitol Hill and saw this. Super excited, show up at 6:30 on a Saturday and he says Sorry we’re closed. Wtf, it says open until 9pm. The hunt continues.

This place is amazing. Only a few options compared to a lot of places but those options taste superb.

Fantastic.
I’m a little bit ashamed that I hadn’t tried this place yet, being a Seattle University student and all. I was really in the mood for teriyaki and decided to give Yasuko’s a try– and I’m so glad that I did. Despite it’s outward appearance, the food is not sketch and incredibly fresh. They were huge portions for a very low price (a huge chicken breast plate for $ 7…what!?). This is one of Cap Hill’s best kept secrets. Go.

Fast, cheap, huge amount of food, and delicious. My husband and I split a pork/​chicken combo and have leftovers for lunch the next day. Our go-​to hole in the wall for a fast easy dinner.

Just like everybody says, this is a fast, cheap place to get a HUGE pile of food for under $ 10. It looks super-​sketchy on the outside, I know, but don’t let that scare you off!
Yasuko’s is on the corner of James and Broadway in kind of a weird spot — if you’re driving, you have to go down that scary, steep little side street next to the building and park by the curb. It looks a bit run-​down from outside, and inside isn’t much better: there is a weirdly large kitchen, a small dining area with a few plastic tables, and some grubby walls with old posters and flyers. Don’t think about any of that, though, just focus on the food.
The minimal menu has just the basics: teriyaki chicken, beef, or pork, chicken curry, beef short ribs, and a couple of combo plates ($ 11). The single-​item entrees are all under $ 10 and include a ton of meat, a mountain of rice, and a scoop of vinegary cabbage slaw. He’ll ask you if you want a ladleful of sauce poured over top, and you should say yes — it’s not the super-​sweet goop that normally comes on teriyaki, but a thinner, flavorful savory sauce.
I was pretty hungry, and my teriyaki chicken breast (hacked to bits before my eyes with a giant cleaver) was plenty for two meals, so you really can’t beat the value here. Just don’t expect a lot in the way of ambience — or better yet, get takeout — and you’ll be fine.

Love this place. Its been here forever, the inside is… let’s say… horrible, but the food is delicious and the prices are great. Love to see them update the interior but still love it.

I lived across the street from here for six months before I worked up the nerve to try this place, it’s like the ultimate hole in the wall grungy looking place.
It’s not for everyone for sure, and I wish they had spicy teriyaki since that’s my favorite. I’m glad they have spicy mustard though it wouldn’t be the same without it. I always get the pork, and they hook it up big time it usually feeds me for two days. I really do not care for the salad/​coleslaw stuff but they always ask if I want it so it’s easy to avoid it. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to go here but it was nice living across the street while I did.

So I was driving by and noticed a steady stream of hospital workers coming in and out, which I took as a very good sign. Found street parking, loaded my elderly mother into her wheel chair and went in.
OK, just ignore the decidedly spartan tables and chairs which look like they have there since the 70’s and the lack of any decoration. And the haphazardly handwritten signs with prices.
There are 6 items and because my mother loves chicken curry, we ordered that as well as ribs (kalbi style) and boneless chicken teriyaki. There was literally enough for 6 people. I haven’t had such generous portions in years. We ended up taking half home and having another entire meal
The teriyaki is what shines — just the right consistency and balance of ingredients. Couldn’t believe the prices at $ 6.75. And the curry was «old school» Japanese style, the kind I grew up eating as a child in San Francisco. The cabbage tsukemono was also spot on (nappa cabbage thinly sliced and marinated for a few hours).
Definitely a take out place and if you have to eat in (like we did), just remember that the hole in the wall find is what many people hunt for.
And BTW, Yasuko is a Japanese woman’s name. So it most definitely is not the name of the somewhat elderly male owner.

There is something about the marinated cabbage that brings me back. I love it plain and simple just love it. My favorite is the pork teriyaki. Super tender hunks of pork fresh chopped from a big ol piece of pork. God only know what they put into it but it’s like teriyaki crack for me. Enough texting time to eat!

I’ve been coming here off and on for years. Decided to go the other day.
As usual the food was great. Large servings! I usually get the chicken teriyaki dark meat. They cut up two large breasts and the sauce is great! I love the cabbage salad. You can ask for extra sauce for no additional cost.
The owner is very friendly and so are the staff.
There is a place to sit. The place is clean but that’s it. Nothing more and the food makes up for it.
I’ve not found a better teriyaki restaurant anywhere.
Would definitely recommend it!

I’m the type of person that enjoys good food, reasonable prices, and a portion size that will satisfy me.
This is absolutely ones of those places, and to sweeten the deal, customer service is amazing! I always feel appreciated whenever I step into the store, always a warm welcome, always a huge smile. This is by far one of my favorite restaurants in town.
I have been in 5 times now, I always get the #2, dark meat bowl, and every single time I have received it, I have always been satisfied! The chicken is super soft, juicy, and has a lot of flavor. (I always laugh whenever they cut the chicken, it almost looks barbaric) rice is never overbooked, and the sauce they add is very tasty!
The portion size could easily satisfy 2 people, and for 6.75, that’s not too bad of a price. I usually eat half for lunch, the other half for dinner.
If you want to go somewhere that makes you feel appreciated, cheap delicious eats, and a full stomach, this is it!
Only downside, is that the inside could use a makeover. Personally, I could eat on a patch of rocks and still be happy, as long as the good is good!

Sure, we’ve all heard of «Jiro Dreams of Sushi» — but what about «Yasuko Dreams of Teriyaki»? The kindly and animated gent who reviews collectively seem to be referring to even looks like Jiro.
While I didn’t ask if his name actually was Yasuko, I’ll call him that for convenience, and he might as well be based on personality alone. The parallels are evident: he’s been dedicated to teriyaki and doing this a long time, and the joint doesn’t serve any new-​school frills stuff. Just basic teriyaki. The sauce (remember how Jiro had a special sauce too?) is pretty delish over rice. Overall, it was quite the excellent experience, and while I’ve heard «hole in the wall» used to describe this aging joint, I didn’t feel it was unclean or unsafe.
The pricing is fair, and unusually, it looks like the listed, rounded prices you pay are in fact AFTER tax. Yasuko has some soda pop selections for $ 1 each, which is more reasonable than a lot of these places charging $ 2.25 or whatever. I was surprised when the receipt for my white chicken + pork combo ended up $ 13 on the dot (that’s $ 12 + $ 1 for pop).
The portion was so ample that try as I might, I couldn’t finish it all in one lunch setting. Hearty, and a fun experience overall. The funniest thing was after two ladies ordered, Yasuko had to take a phone call, and his voice got VERY loud and emotive. He then finished his call and graciously helped the ladies. And as I asked for a plastic bag for my takeout, he declared «Have a nice day» as a light drizzle mixed with the nascent sunshine. A nice day, indeed.