SHABU-WORKS

Really enjoyed dining here! The Mongolian hot pot soup base was my favorite. It's all you can eat, and I like being able to customize my soup with the veggies, noodles, protein, toppings.... That I want. Staff was attentive about asking if we wanted more meat, clearing empty plates, and adding water to the soup bases.

I love that this spot is all you can eat! They have a good amount of soup bases for the hot pot. I like that you can pick at least 2 broths for variety. The meat quality is good. They have seafood and veggies as well. Their sauce bar is great with a variety of selections for you to customize your dipping sauces. We came to celebrate a friend's birthday. His meal was free. You have to show your ID to confirm it's the day of your birthday. I also got a free beer for checking in on Yelp. We had decent service. Our waiters were nice however I would have liked them to be around more for me to be able to order more meat when we needed it. It gets pretty busy there so it can get crowded around the buffet, drinks station, and sauce bar. It can get pretty loud in there as well. They have a big parking lot.

Best place for hotpot in San Diego in my opinion. The Mongolian broth is absolutely delicious. Do I feel heavy and gross after an all you can eat buffet? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Oh ya. The meat quality is good and the broth is amazing.The servers bring the meat over relatively quickly so the service is good. Never felt like I had to wait long for the meat. It's a hotpot ambiance. Like it's loud, well ventilated and people walk everywhere. Good stuff. 10/10

This is my first ever review of Shabu- Works! As you can see the food is always delicious - so much that I tend to forget to take a before picture . So here you are with my after shot . The buffet style is so nostalgic and is one of the main reasons I keep coming back.One downside is the wait - even when you walk in - and get yourself on the waiting list you're given the impression that the waiting list is the only form of wait list . But I was mistaken as they take large parties and sometimes push you back on said list without warning . As long as you know that it's going to be a wait and are ready for a 45 min or more wait . Besides my little complaints the bathroom is clean - and is very IBS friendly . They have the music up in the bathroom so any sort of embarrassment is drowned out .Can't wait to come here again!

For the SD folks or visiting friends, if you're ever in the mood for shabu, this is the place to go. I was very impressed by the sauce bar. Some are house made and super unique. It's build your own make your own. So if you like it more spicy then go ahead load on the chili sauce.They have a mini hot food section. The veggie station. Carbs station. Seafood station. Drinks station. And a bingsu station for dessert!Soup broths are super tasty and flavorful. Also lots of choices to choose from. Meat quality is superb.

I haven't been to Shabu Works in quite a while so I decided to come in on a weekday for dinner. It wasn't too crowded and the waiting was only 20 min. They have a hot bar of buffet foods as well as a self serve station for noodles, tofu veggies and seafood. The sauce bar and shaved ice bingsoo bar were less impressive than I remembered but still delicious. The soft drinks are also free which was cool because most places charge extra for drinks. We were a party of 3 and were allowed to order up to 3 meats per round. We tried a bit of every cut, but to be honest, we couldn't tell what was what. There were definitely some favorites amongst the meat options but I couldn't tell which one it was on the menu. I also noticed that we never got refills on broth and the servers kind of walk past you when you want to order more meat. You really have to be intentional and have them come over. They didn't stop by and offer. Overall, good place to go if you're feeling all you can eat!

This place is absolutely fantastic! The service? Lightning fast and super friendly. The waiters? Totally on the ball. The ambiance? Buzzing and jam-packed with people. No wonder it's so popular! And the food? Simply divine. Tons of meat options, and the wagyu? Out of this world!

Out of the many hotpot restaurants in San Diego, Shabu-Works is among one of the strongest choices for AYCE shabu. The selection of soup bases is unique, and they have a variety of protein options with meat, seafood, and tofu. We went for the dinner portion (currently $36.95 per person), and we celebrated a birthday, so their meal was free! Ages 12 and under do get a lower price as well as $3 off for seniors.The service was spot on. Our plates were off the table after each round. Our broth was constantly refilled. I'd go for one mild broth and one spicy if you are deciding. We got the Spicy Tokyo and Garlic Miso Tonkatsu. I'd say the Tokyo spice was mainly made with togarashi flakes, those ground chili flakes that you see in Japanese ramen. I liked the Garlic Miso Tonkatsu better as it went well with all my choice of toppings.We didn't have to wait to order more or flag anyone down as it was especially busy in the evening which makes the experience and service unbeatable. I did like the assortment of vegetables and seafood at the bar and their teas. Everyone at the table enjoyed the winter melon tea! It was refreshing after all the savoriness. The bingsu bar had plenty of toppings but hard to reach a side of it because it is blocked off by another counter. Although traditional bingsu is milk based, I'll take anything to cool off the hotpot! I'd go here every once in a while, as hotpot is a big meal, especially when it is AYCE!

By far my favorite AYCE Shabu in San Diego. Truly a gem. The aesthetic of the restaurant is beautiful. Every self service station was always filled and kept clean. Service was beyond amazing. Our service was very attentive as well as everyone else. What I really liked about the place was the wide variety of soup options, veggies, seafood, sauces and unlimited drinks/dessert.My boyfriend and I ordered the sukiyaki (sweet soy broth) and Mongolian broth (spicy broth). Both carried a ton of flavor and paired very well with all the meat choices.Meat was brought out freshly sliced. Every meat selection was very tender and felt like a buttery texture in your mouth.My favorite spot so far!

Shabu works is located off the 15 freeway with a decent sized parking lot. When you walk in, you'll see a vegetable bar, noodle bar, sauce bar with a soda fountain and a bing su station. Once seated, you can order from their list of broths and meats. It does get pretty busy during dinner time but luckily you can add your name to the waitlist before arriving to the restaurant.