Last summer, a marbled beef wonderland offering all-you-can-eat wagyu called Chubby Cattle BBQ arrived in the Tri-Valley. Located in Pleasanton, the Japanese yakiniku restaurant is incredibly popular, so visiting can be a test of endurance and luck. Diners form crowds out front with ears perked, praying they’re next to be called into beef elysium.
On my first attempt, the restaurant closed the waitlist after reaching capacity, three hours ahead of closing time — a common occurrence, I later learned. It only strengthened my resolve. I arrived earlier the next outing, consulting the tablet planted like a sentry by the entrance and managed to get my name on the list. The estimated wait time was over an hour. I waited about two, in my car, where I counted the raindrops on my windshield.
Inside, a thin haze of smoke hangs in the air and pop music barks from the sound system. The dining room has anime-inspired decor, with illustrations lining the wood booths, walls and backlit banners. Every table, including the bar, has a grill installed, which might be filled with sizzling rib eyes, beef knuckles or strip loin. In the back is a self-serve station, where milk tea flows from a tap, wagyu beef sliders are infinite and a machine plops out mounds of rice at the push of a button. A mist-emitting cold bar offers fresh vegetables including lettuce, mushrooms, sliced garlic and chiles, along with kimchi, seaweed and marinated squid. The restaurant has a similar energy to a fancy Las Vegas buffet, overwhelming in its opulence but exhilarating in its openness.
It was worth the wait…