One of the country’s splashier wagyu-focused yakiniku chains is zeroing in on Mira Mesa, with plans to flip a former Red Lobster into a high-end grill-it-yourself playground. Chubby Cattle, known for tabletop grilling and membership perks, is listed for 8330 Mira Mesa Boulevard with an anticipated opening sometime later in 2026. If it lands as expected, the restaurant would add a premium, interactive BBQ option to a stretch already packed with Asian restaurants and casual Korean barbecue joints.
Local food watchers were first to spot the move. SanDiegoVille initially surfaced the tip and broke down the brand’s expansion playbook, while WhatNow reported that Chubby Cattle is poised to take over the former Red Lobster space at 8330 Mira Mesa Boulevard, with an opening targeted for later in 2026.
According to the company, the concept started as a hotpot brand before growing into a national group centered on premium wagyu and immersive dining. The Chubby Cattle website lists multiple U.S. locations and highlights a loyalty program that lets customers rack up points and unlock perks. Detailed benefits are laid out on the separate Chubby Club membership page.
What to expect
At existing locations, Chubby Cattle typically runs tiered all-you-can-eat pricing with time limits of about 90 minutes per table, and prices that often land around 55 to 85 dollars per person. Guests grill their own cuts of premium beef on built-in tabletop grills, then fill out the experience with sides, sushi, and self-serve sauce and rice stations that split the difference between a buffet and full table service. SanDiegoVille notes that the combination of spectacle and perceived value could be a solid fit for the busy, Convoy-adjacent Mira Mesa corridor.
Former Red Lobster space
The Mira Mesa address has been sitting idle since Red Lobster marked the location as temporarily closed in mid 2024, according to NBC 7 San Diego. Subsequent equipment auction listings and online mapping updates showed the building as available, signaling that the space has been cleared and is ready for a new tenant. Turning the high-visibility pad from chain seafood spot into wagyu yakiniku would be a relatively straightforward handoff…