+1 818-957-7781
Nestled in the heart of Glendale, Original Yaki's Teriyaki Bowl offers a delightful fusion of fast food convenience and authentic Asian flavors, specializing in Japanese-inspired yakiniku and teriyaki dishes that keep locals and visitors coming back time and again. This cozy, unpretentious fast food restaurant brings to the table generous portions of savory, well-seasoned meals that strike a perfect balance between comfort and excitement.
The star here is undoubtedly the Chicken Teriyaki Bowl, served piping hot and paired wonderfully with a side of creamy potato salad that adds a cool, comforting contrast to the smoky, delicately charred chicken glazed in a savory-sweet teriyaki sauce. If you prefer variety, the Fiesta Bowl offers a vibrant medley of flavors, while the Steak and Chicken Bowl Yambo Size caters to hearty appetites. For those craving something different, the crispy, juicy Aloha Chicken Sandwich—marinated in a Hawaiian-style blend and served on a toasted French roll with fresh lettuce, tomato, and the signature Yaki’s sauce—is a standout, delivering a chargrilled smoky richness that truly tantalizes the palate.
Not limited to just teriyaki, the menu pleasantly surprises with items like the Fish and Chips and innovative sides such as the Veggie Spring Rolls and Yakissito Homemade Pudding, a sweet treat wrapped in crispy spring roll wrap and deep-fried to golden perfection. Those with classic fast food cravings will appreciate the Doble Cheeseburger or the Pastrami Sandwich, each bursting with robust flavors and served with perfectly crisp fries.
Customers clearly value not only the robust, authentic flavors but also the warm, welcoming atmosphere and pocket-friendly pricing. As Maggi Fox shares, “[Their] food is great, different from most places and friendly service,” while javier rivera praises the juicy, grilled perfection of the Aloha Chicken Sandwich, calling it “awesome” with “fries really good too – fresh, hot, crispy on the outside and soft and yummy on the inside.” Longtime patrons like Parker Ortega reflect fondly on the affordable quality, stating, “It is a gem in its own right…you won’t find a more affordable classic good food experience.”
Dining at Original Yaki’s is like revisiting a cherished flavor memory, where simple, hearty dishes are prepared with care, offering a satisfying meal that is as comforting as it is delicious. Whether you’re grabbing a quick lunch or treating yourself to an indulgent bowl, Yaki’s balances authenticity and convenience with undeniable charm.
We live a good 2 hours away but whenever we’re in town we came here. It’s great food, different from most places and friendly service.
I truly like Yaki’s and the way the food is prepared. If you’re under 21, you probably won’t notice much difference, and to be fair, the flavors are good. I’m writing this simply as constructive feedback — it’s completely up to you whether you want to act on it or not. I still enjoy Yaki’s, but I only eat here a couple of times a year now because I personally have a harder time digesting some of the current ingredients. The reality is that people in this area are willing to pay more for higher-quality beef and cleaner ingredients, especially in La Crescenta. The neighborhood has changed a lot — it’s no longer the same immigrant community it was in the 1990s with lower-cost housing. Today, it’s become a much more affluent area with higher expectations around food quality. It’s also worth noting that La Crescenta locals have not traditionally supported fast-food style chains. Businesses like McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s didn’t last here for a reason. Residents generally avoid fast-food quality and prefer better ingredients. I genuinely believe Yaki’s could be even more successful and stand out for another decade and beyond by upgrading just a couple of things — better quality beef for the bowls and higher-quality (possibly organic) hot dogs for Bulldog. With that small change, this place could be next level for the area See you the spring I am in a meh coma
Tried the Aloha chicken sandwich ½ pound for the first time ( and added avocado) very good very juicy chicken has that great grilled char Flavor fresh off the grill taste. I've been here many times for their bowls and they are good but this chicken sandwich is awesome worth trying. Fries are really good too fresh ,hot crispy on the outside and soft and yummy on the inside.
Tasty, and great portions of food for the money. We enjoyed the teriyaki bowls (chicken, and beef)! They offer a lot of chicken/beef in the jumbo size; and it is the best value per dollar. We elected for the cabbage rather than the potato salad. That was good too. The teriyaki sauce was a great one, not too thick, and pretty damn tasty. The fries were solid texture, not too flavorful…we added seasoning salt at home and they were perfect! We also got the fried pudding dessert…unlike anything we had had before, but not sure a staple. The spot has indoor and outdoor seating. Def some strange decor. Pretty solid staff. Order was up in about 6min.. right on foothill, small parking east of the restaurant, and some curb side upfront. There menu has a ton of options…burgers, fries, and other non-teriyaki items. We are not sure what the “box” charge was, but we incurred it on all our teriyaki bowls; still pretty reasonably priced. Reminded us of the Gushi Teriyaki spot in Westwood with less teriyaki/traditional menu options (kolbi, Kim chi, Korean short ribs, bulgogi, etc.).
It's really hard to say anything bad about my 5-6 visit to Yaki's. It is a gem in it's own right that shines around lunch time. Yaki's food is good. It isn't "blow you out of the water" good, but it's good. A classic kind of good that has long been missed, I have not had a burger like Yaki's since I was maybe 10. And the prices might as well be as if I was 10 again, you won't find a more affordable hamburger for the quality and size.
The yako chicken beef patty burger is excellent, the bulldog is nice. The beef and chicken teriyaki bowl is
Absolutely love this place... my favorite location is on Foothill Blvd. The restaurant is out dated however the food makes up for it. It can use a face-lift.
This is quite possible the best local restaurant that most people that do not live in the area do not know about. I have been going here for decades (between all of the locations) and still go by even though I no longer live in the area. ALL OF THE FOOD is good and worth the price. They have friendly service and hands down the best Teriyaki sauce anywhere!