There’s a gentle veil of smoke cloaking the interior of Chubby Cattle BBQ in Pleasanton, where A5 wagyu meat sizzles on hot grills. Outside the all-you-can-eat restaurant, a crowd has gathered, with curious individuals peeking in, angling for a seat.
In late July, Los Angeles-based chain Chubby Cattle BBQ opened its first Bay Area restaurant, with a menu focused on A5 wagyu and other premium beef. The Japanese restaurant specializes in yakiniku-style barbecue, which emphasizes high-quality, unmarinated cuts accompanied by a few sides rather than the traditional banchan typically served at Korean barbecue restaurants. At Chubby Cattle BBQ, it’s all about the meat. With just two weeks under its belt, the buzzy restaurant, which is inside the Pacific Pearl strip mall, has been busy seating guests for its popular all-you-can-eat menu that must be enjoyed within 90 minutes.
David Zhao, a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient, is the co-founder of Chubby Cattle BBQ and other fast-growing restaurant chains under the Chubby Group, including the Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House, which has locations in Bay Area cities such as Santa Clara and San Mateo. In 2023, Chubby Cattle BBQ opened its first outpost in Monterey Park, an evolution from Zhao’s existing Chubby Cattle Hotpot chain. He said he loved the idea of an interactive space that embraced the same all-you-can-eat concept but added that he wanted to give it a yakiniku spin, with an emphasis on A5 wagyu…