Delicious grilled beef brisket and ribeye served to your heart’s content with attentive tableside grilling service

▲Pork jowl is a cut I don’t often get to eat. Though I remember some street food stalls selling it, as a grilled slice, its texture is actually not bad.

Text & Photos /Orange Dog Loves Candy

Thirty is a watershed moment—probably the point where you can no longer handle all-you-can-eat buffets XD. I remember before this, my stomach was like a bottomless pit. No matter which all-you-can-eat place I went to, I never felt like I was getting a bad deal. Even the worst meals could be devoured until my belly was stuffed for the night, conquering dozens of meat mountains with ease.

But after crossing the thirty-year-old threshold, my appetite suddenly shrank. Often, I’d sit down and lose interest after just a few plates of meat, my gaze turning distant. That said, I still really enjoy barbecue all-you-can-eats—second only to hot pot, in my opinion. Especially in recent years, with the growing trend of tableside grilling services, upscale BBQ spots barely require you to lift a finger (like at Old Fashioned, Craft House, or Yuma, etc.).

Some pricier all-you-can-eats also offer at least half the time with dedicated service. In short, I’m just too lazy to grill myself, haha!! That evening, a friend invited me to try “Jeff’s Grill,” and I thought, “Isn’t that in Taipei?”

Turns out the Taichung branch had already been open for a year, and I’d never even heard of it. Since I’d never tried it, I figured I’d check it out (though I’d heard mixed reviews about the Taipei location, but there were almost no dining reports on the Taichung one).


It turns out Jeff’s Grill is located near IKEA in Taichung. I rarely come to this area, and I was surprised to find so many large nightlife spots like bars. Jeff’s Grill is tucked away in a hard-to-spot corner, which explains why no one seems to know it exists. But parking here is super convenient—spots everywhere. Walking inside reminded me of Tian Ji Fa Ye, another Taipei import, though I only ate there twice before silently bidding it farewell.

The service process there was just too chaotic—the food service, the staff service, everything. We ended up eating in a frenzy. But when I walked into Jeff’s Grill that day, arriving quite early right when they opened at 5:30 PM, there were no other customers yet. The layout inside reminded me a lot of Tian Ji, though.

Then, after hearing a brief introduction on how to order, it felt similar to Tian Ji too. So I was a bit worried—I really didn’t want to go through another war-zone-style all-you-can-eat night. But since a friend had invited me, and I’d never tried it, I figured I’d give it a shot.


On the table were seven seasoning jars XD—mustard, shichimi spice, pepper, cheese, cumin powder, lemon juice, and more. The biggest black jar was a grilled meat soy sauce... It’s rare to find a BBQ spot with so many seasoning options.


But the servers also explained and demonstrated how to use each one, so no worries about figuring them out.


As for the pricing, it’s nothing new—there are two all-you-can-eat options: 439 NTD and 559 NTD.


Of course, spending more gets you special chef-served exclusive dishes, including cheese sirloin beef and beef tongue, plus a limited seafood combo platter. Though you can’t reorder (each person has a limited quantity).


And because the quantities are limited, these dishes are served by the staff who grill them for you. Otherwise, you risk ruining expensive meat. As for the other items, you just order from the server with a maximum of eight items per request.

The overall dining style is actually pretty similar to Tian Ji’s, though I’ve never tried their premium set before, so I can’t compare.


They use charcoal grills here, which I personally prefer. Places like Old Fashioned or Ding Wang’s Salt-Selected Grill use gas-heated grills, which always feel like they’re missing something. Also, their charcoal here lasts a surprisingly long time—hardly any needed to be added throughout, and the heat stayed strong. Especially when fatty meats hit the grill, it would often “flare up”!


First, they served a small hot pot with basic ingredients, including a white shrimp!! There were two broth options, and of course, I chose the kelp dashi.

To start, they brought out a basic plate of beef brisket, pork collar, and pork bacon—one each. These were first grilled by the server, as they needed to teach us about which seasonings worked best and the ideal grilling methods for the meats. The server actually explained things carefully and professionally.


Before coming, I’d read some reviews about the Taipei branch mentioning how thinly the meat was sliced. Seeing it in person today, it didn’t seem as thin as I’d imagined, probably due to limited dining time.


(This one’s sprinkled with mustard powder.) Thicker slices take longer to cook and you can’t eat as much. Plus, I’m not exactly a grill master, so thicker cuts are harder to judge for doneness. The server said to grill one side of the beef brisket fully, then flip it briefly for a few seconds while sprinkling seasoning.

Then you can dig in quickly, otherwise the optimal texture will be lost. Sure enough, the first bite brought out the richness of the fat, with a thick, sweet oil coating the mouth. The tender beef paired wonderfully with either the cheese powder or the complimentary Korean kimchi.


[Pork collar and pork bacon] The bacon is fattier, so the fire tends to get more intense. Just grill a portion per person at a time.


Since the meat is small, it cooks quickly, then roll it up in their sauce with onion slices.

It cuts through the richness and feels refreshing. The contrast between the meat and the crisp onions creates layered flavors, while the pork collar is much firmer but still has good elasticity.


Adding kimchi or mustard powder are both fresh and tasty ideas.


Of course, the usual combo of Korean kimchi and lettuce wraps is delicious as always.

Next came the early appearance of the [Chef’s Exclusive Specials]. First up, the seafood platter, which included garlic butter king prawns (one per person) and garlic butter scallops (one per person).


There’s no limit on the amount of rock salt grilled crab, and there are also other seafood items you can order as add-ons, such as squid, capelin, and white shrimp. All the seafood is grilled by the staff for you.


The aluminum foil containers hold garlic cream, and during the grilling process, the staff pour the seafood juices into it, giving the cream not just a garlicky flavor but also the umami of the seafood.

Both the crab and scallops were quite fresh and good, but I actually liked their large grass prawns more. Although they’re called large grass prawns, they’re not really that big, yet they were incredibly delicious. Before grilling them, the staff asked me, “Do you want to grill the heads or throw them away?” I replied in disbelief, as if I’d seen an alien: “Throw away the shrimp heads‽”


It turns out that many people these days don’t eat shrimp heads, but how could I bear to say goodbye to that deliciousness? So of course, I had them grill the heads too, watching them turn bright red and release waves of aroma.


After grilling, the staff placed them on a plate and drizzled the remaining garlic cream sauce all over them T_T — such an indulgent and high-calorie way to eat, and the fragrant grilled crab bodies were also irresistible. It’s just that the sauce, shells, and crab meat all mixed together, making it a bit harder to fully appreciate the taste of the crab meat itself.

They also grilled the deep-sea squid quite well. Sprinkling it with shichimi spice or mustard made it tasty, and the squid retained its Q-texture and freshness.


As for the capelin, it’s worth mentioning that it was grilled the same way as at Tianji — “stuck underneath the grill mesh.” The staff joked that this method was just for show, and that you don’t need to take such a risk when grilling yourself, or else you might lose them all to the charcoal.


That said, I clearly remember that the capelin grilled by their staff was much tastier than the ones at Tianji!! Also, the doneness of the grilled squid was just right — aside from the seasoning, you could still taste the firm texture.


And the pacific saury is an absolute must-order for any barbecue meal. Though for those who don’t eat fish, the bones and the slightly bitter taste of the innards put some people off. Personally, I quite like the charred bitterness of the innards.

The staff first remove the skin, which tends to stick to the grill, then grill it until the outside is cooked before slicing it in half. After cleaning out the innards, they grill it again cut-side down on the grill, and the fat from the belly makes the charcoal burn more vigorously.


Then they sprinkle on the right amount of seasoning, and their skillful technique lets you enjoy the rich, savory flavor of the fish without worrying about bones.


Next came the chef’s [Chef’s Exclusive Specials]. For meat, there was premium beef tongue (2 slices per person), bacon rolls, Matsusaka pork (2 slices per person), and double cheese wagyu (1 slice per person).


First, looking at the beef tongue — compared to what you’d get at regular, upscale grilled meat restaurants, it was a bit thinner. But that’s understandable, since just a few slices of beef tongue can cost hundreds of dollars.

So this thickness was just enough to enjoy the crispy, springy texture of the tongue, and it’s a good thing this part was handled entirely by the staff.


As for the springy texture of the Matsusaka pork, I’m sure most people are familiar with it.


The highlight was definitely the double cheese wagyu — probably the most premium beef of the day. With only one slice, it wasn’t enough to satisfy me, so I ordered a few more slices of wagyu brisket, which were at least 60% as good XDD.

After grilling it, they only cooked it to medium-rare on one side, added the cheese slice, and lifted it up. The first bite gave you not only the rich fat and tender meat but also the intense aroma of the cheese mixed in with the full flavor of the beef.


As for the green onion juice bacon rolls, they weren’t bad either, wrapped in the refreshing aroma of scallions.


Other ingredients, like king oyster mushrooms, were pretty good too — they’re first soaked in a barbecue sauce that has a slightly sweet and sour flavor, giving them a unique taste different from the usual.


There was also grilled red snapper jaw, another must-order whenever I have barbecue, though this one was also grilled by the staff.


Because every time I grill it myself, I end up burning it and wasting the food.


I also often order the chicken thigh meat. Aside from the chef’s special items and seafood, we usually have to grill the meat ourselves, but when they’re not too busy, the staff will occasionally help with that part.


After all, with an all-you-can-eat setup and lots of customers, it’s hard to do everything for everyone. But when they do grill it, they even go ahead and remove the bones, leaving just the meat for easier eating — their tableside service is really attentive.


I also thought the grilled bacon rolls were great, especially because they have scallions inside.


Crispy, oily, tender, and scallion-scented — I ordered this two or three times.


The meat is springy and not greasy. Just add a bit of shichimi powder and it’s “immediately” delicious!!


I can also recommend the beef short ribs and sirloin — I thought both were pretty good, especially the short ribs, which had nice fat marbling and tenderness.

These can also be ordered unlimited times, and they cook fairly quickly and have a decent thickness.


But don’t just grill one side — cook the other side as well, and honestly, eating it simply as is with its original flavor is already super delicious!!


And their butter-grilled corn and aromatic stewed pork intestines were also tasty. The pork intestines aren’t hard to grill since they’re already pre-cooked, you’re just warming them up on the grill — but don’t over-char them. The corn had a strong buttery aroma and was really delicious!!


I’ve forgotten what kind of beef this was because I ordered way too much, but since I took a photo, here it is for you to see UpXDDDD


This [Creamy Enoki Mushrooms] was recommended by the staff—you can eat it without grilling it further. Even though you might regret it the next day, the rich creaminess makes it pretty tasty!


And [Japanese-style Beef N<饭]，除了酱汁味道淡了点以外还算可以，其实整碗牛肉好多，配料也多，但建议这个点一碗大家分著吃就好，毕竟是来烧烤吃到饱的不是吃饭吃到饱的啊！！

And [Fresh Clams] is also one of my favorite grilled dishes. The moment the clams open up after grilling, the plump meat and sweet, hot broth inside are some of the reasons why I love this dish so much.


For dessert, there were two options. One was Japanese grilled mochi (two pieces per person), which the staff grilled for you—so no worries about messing it up. Watching it puff up on the grill like a pillow was great.

Then the staff rolled it in peanut powder—and I actually tried it with ice cream too, which made it even better!


Speaking of ice cream, the ones used here are from Movenpick and Meiji—though I was too full to have any more.


If you’re interested, you can also try the grilled potatoes. When they first come out, they’re slightly moist, but after grilling for a while, they become nice and toasty. You can sprinkle a little salt and pepper on them, and they actually taste a bit like potato chips, though not as crispy!


After all, if you grill them until they’re as crispy as chips, they’ll just burn black. It’s something I hadn’t tried before, but it was actually pretty good. Also forgot to mention that besides unlimited cola and sodas, the blender offers two flavors of slushies with unlimited refills, and there’s also coffee available—but for some reason today the soda machine wasn’t working, so only these small canned sodas were available.

Thought I wrote a lot, but there were still so many dishes I didn’t get to try—probably only about half. When you go for all-you-can-eat, I usually just stick to the few things I think will be good. Before coming here, I never would’ve imagined Jeff’s Yakitori would be so similar to Tianji Faye LOL


But honestly, the seating spacing at Jeff’s is much better—the tables at Tianji are packed together and it really annoyed me. The table service felt a lot more comfortable too, with very detailed explanations. Maybe it’s because we came early, so the staff had plenty of time to grill lots of stuff for us.

After all, those seasonings that taste like delicious magic—honestly, we can barely remember what they were haha (though I don’t know if the service level can be maintained when it gets more crowded). I’d heard the Taipei branch generally doesn’t have great reviews, but I thought the Taichung branch I visited today was pretty good.

Also, surprisingly, more people came as it got later. We left around 8 PM, and even more people were coming in!! Aside from the price being a bit high, I actually have a pretty good impression of Jeff’s Yakitori. Sharing some simple thoughts for everyone’s reference Up^^


【Jeff’s Yakitori】

Address: No. 41, Daguan Road, Nantun District, Taichung City
Phone:02-23860398
Business Hours: 5:30 PM – 1:00 AM
Consumption Notice: There are two pricing options: 439 TWD and 559 TWD. A 10% service charge applies. Some seafood and meat items are only available with the 559 TWD option. Chef’s special ingredients are also included.
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