I moved from Fremont to the ID. This is my new Paseo. Get the lunch special with the Bbq Pork & ask for mustard. Heaven.

I needed a place to eat, wanted something really "Seattle" and not just fast food... Quick jump to Yelp and this gem popped up. Got there quick, a pit stop on our way back to PDX... So glad we stopped, even after seeing the line of people crowded in the entry way.If you don't know how to get a table there, or even were the tables are, you might find yourself just standing with all the people crowded to place takeout orders. Just cut on through them and wait for a waitress.We were given plenty of time to order, once we figured out the menu. I couldn't believe the prices, entrees for $5.50? Free tea? What magic is this?! We placed our orders, BBQ Pork Chow Mein and BBQ Pork Fried Rice and it wasn't 5 minutes before they were in front of us. Super fast service, and so much food. We had enough for dinner once we got back to PDX!The chow mein was delicious, and we'd never had BBQ Pork before (for shame!) It was amazing, and my picky husband who doesn't eat anything new and exciting, even vocalized to me that it was great. Called his friends, told his dad... I got the fried rice, not knowing if it was BBQ Pork with a side of Fried Rice, or just a mix. It was a mix, and though I was disappointed that I had a mound of fried rice bigger than the plate, it was delicious. The tiny bits of BBQ pork were tasty, but I now know how to order it!I'm moving to the area soon, and as once we drop off the Penske truck, we're going down to Chinatown and doing Kau Kau right!

This place is yums! I've always walked past this restaurant but never went inside to eat before. The hanging meats always look so tempting and delicious! And they were!I ordered a combination plate with duck and charsiu pork; it was definitely a huge portion. The egg drop soup was delicious as well. I especially enjoyed the nice addition of water chestnuts (yum!)Service was really quick and helpful because originally I had asked for chicken, duck and pork, but apparently it would've been a huge portion... and I don't know why, but I just got duck and pork in the end. No big deal. The pork was good, not too sweet and not too salty. I loved the portions for the price, definitely a great deal!I recommend this folks for those who love a good Chinese meal.

One of the best Chinese BBQ joints in Seattle. Never tried the "menu food" and can only speak for the take out BBQ but we basically have had everything. Nothing much to say except their BBQ rocks

I'm not going to say this place was bad. The staff was pretty accommodating and nice However, what I am going to say is that this place could be better. No, I won't even say that. I think I will say that this is the type of establishment that has settled into a deep sense of mediocrity. They get their business and they get a lot of it. The word is out: "Kau Kau Barbecue makes fantastic BBQ pork, ribs, and roasted duck . Get some now!"My thing is... is it possible to realize that you're so good at something that you don't have to be good at anything else? Is that something restaurant has realized of itself? Perhaps. Perhaps not. It would seem like their star attractions are kept fresh and ready while everything else falls by the wayside. Allow me to explain myself...Things started out with the famed BBQ pork. I will admit, this had tender, moderately juicy flavor in every bite. It was good pork. I feel sorry for Muslims. A little. There wasn't a bad piece in the bunch. However, it wasn't fresh, it wasn't hot, and the presentation said so. In the end, I'm a little torn. I can only wonder how it tasted if it was...a little more brand new. Could I have asked for something warmer, sure.Next up was the egg drop soup with pork. Typically, the broth for this soup is going to be a little bland for the egg to stand out in flavor, but even this was not the case. It was definitely egg drop soup by the look of things, but by the taste, it was more of a pork broth accompanied by eggs. I may have added a touch more salt and some pepper for a bit of bite.The main courses were as follows (with brief summary):Beef & Broccoli: The broccoli tasted and beef tasted like they were cooked separately. I know that sounds weird to say, but the broccoli did not have the same flavor consistency with the beef. Some of the pieces were also still crunchy. Like, still prime for ranch dip crunchy. Ok, not that crunchy.Sweet & Sour Chicken: Fried chicken pieces with sweet and sour sauce poured unevenly over the top. Your pieces on the top were half orange, half brown and your pieces on the bottom were drenched and waiting to be resuscitated or wrung out from sauce overdose.Kung Pao Chicken: Barely any chicken and not enough Pao with my Kung. The spiciness was non-existent and the chicken was overtaken by the amount of celery pieces and peanuts. There was literally a bed of peanuts on the top. It wasn't until I went through a number of bites where I thought, "Oh, there's chicken. I chewed chicken!" A scavenger hunt. In my mouth? Hmm...Perhaps I should have just come for the BBQ pork and roasted duck like everyone else. I got up twice in-between arriving and leaving and there was a waiting to pay/waiting to pick up gaggle in the front lobby every time I saw. That has to say something right? Typically, cheap means better in the eyes of those that are hungry. But sometimes you'll find those cheaper gems that pack the more-than-deserved deliciousness. Unfortunately, the savory taste of the BBQ was not enough for this award-winning mediocrity. I have definitely experienced better.

OH-MY-WORD I crave me some Kau Kau BBQ almost any day of the week. This place has THE BEST BBQ pork I have EV-AR had. It's seriously de-lish, with a capital D. I never actually eat at here, I just park in the 15 minute parking spot out front, go up to the counter, order my BBQ pork by the pound (ask for the fatty pieces and they'll give you some juicy, fatty, deliciousness), any duck by the bird if I'm feeling it, and out the door I go. If there's a long line, just wait it out; they're super quick and super friendly. And my-goodness, the pork is well worth the wait!Kau Kau is quick, easy, and most certainly delish. There's no other place in Seattle to get better BBQ pork. So go get some, and bring me back some too! ;)

The lunch special (with duck) and BBQ combo were delicious! Most of the staff were really friendly and hospitable. Our main waitress was not so much (we were kind of neglected, when another gentleman sitting next to us seemed to get priority treatment; perhaps he was a regular). Lastly, one of our "fresh vegetable" pieces had grains of white rice stuck on it -- nothing else we ordered had white rice in it. My suspicious self wonders if it was taken from another plate's uneaten scraps. All in all, food was awesome, service was lackluster, but I'd go again.

I haven't read the rest of the reviews for Kau Kau, but I expect most of them say, "This place has just about the best Chinese BBQ Pork in the world."This joint hasn't changed much over the 18 years I've been a patron. The dining area is not spacious at all, with probably fewer than 10 tables. It's a rare occasion when we find ourselves opting to sit down to dine here anyway.Here's the deal: Go up to the counter, order your BBQ pork or roast duck by the pound, watch as the man with the stoic demeanor expertly chops up and boxes your order, (don't forget the mustard & sesame seeds), then as you exit the restaurant, run for your life because King Street can be littered with all sorts of dodgy characters.Stating the obvious, the 5 star rating is for the BBQ pork alone.

Old school decoration - tried the roast and bbq pork, roast duck, and garlic snowpea leaves. The dine-in is pretty empty, I think most people just come for to-go orders. Bbq pork has the right sweetness and juiciness to it, while roast pork has the right crispiness and amount of fat.

I have been wanting to come to Kau Kau BBQ for a really long time. I walk by here a lot and some friends have recommended this place as well.I finally decided to stop by here the other night for a quick dinner. I walked in and there were 3 people working. It looked like a family business.I sat down and was served tea right away. Then I was ignored for like 15 minutes. I kept trying to get their attention but failed. Finally the lady took my order.The wonton soup I had was pretty good. Nothing too special or anything. The pork with fried rice was also pretty good. Portion was big. Definitely homemade so nothing too special either. Most of the items seem pretty cheap on the menu.The tea is extra 50 cents. Just be aware of hidden charges!I may return if I am in the area again. However, the tables and chairs look kind of old and dirty.

My parents favorite place to get BBQ pork and duck as well.Have been going here for 10 years!

The best fried rice in the ID, hands down. Their lunch boxes(which are a buck more after lunch hours) are the best deal comprising of fried rice + steamed veggies(broccoli/carrots) + char siu + protein. I'd suggest trying the soy-sauce chicken - soft, succulent and flavored just right.Don't forget to get a thing of plum sauce. A bit of that + soy sauce + sriracha mixed into the rice makes everything seem alright with the world again. Truth.

If you like Chinese BBQ pork, this is the place to go! My hubby actually ships this to his brother in Cali, it's that good.We took our young niece and nephews here this weekend. They are semi-picky eaters. I thought we were going to go broke! They devoured the crispy chow mein, succulent roast duck, BBQ pork, garlic green beans, shrimp fried rice, etc. We even had to order more duck and BBQ pork because they were still craving it!What's cool about this place is that even if you're just passing through (or are parked at those pesky 3 min spots) you can just pop up to the butcher counter and get a half pound of BBQ Pork to go. They will even slice it for you.

Food: I'm a Chinese BBQ fan, having enjoyed it in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and China, and this place generally delivers! The meat is tasty, the portions are large, and there is a great deal of variety from which to choose. The noodles were also decent, though they cooled off rather quickly.Service: is not bad for an almost-fast food setting, but that's not why you would come here. They do accept credit cards.Ambiance: is basic, not fancy, but appropriate for the type of restaurant they are. The meats are displayed in the window as should be the case with any respectable establishment of this sort.Value: is quite good given all the food you get.

I'm a huge fan of chinese BBQ pork. I love all of it. I even love the really crappy BBQ pork that they serve at Panda Express. But this place is just ridiculous.For $10 you can order half a pound of roast pig, half a pound of BBQ pork, a side of white rice and be set for a dinner with some leftovers too. I came here once and remembered it being good, but now that I think of it, it must have been on an off day. And an off day for Kau Kau is apparently still better than any other chinese BBQ I have ever had.Luckily, I came back a second time and was more than pleasantly surprised. The smokiness, fat to meat ratio, and the overall flavor was incredible. The crisped smokey bits of the BBQ pork...oh my god...it's so good. The roast pig is the perfect accompaniment to the bbq pork in this $10 feast. It's fattier, but the skin is so crispy and ajkldsajklfds. Get some plum sauce too - for just 60 cents this can seriously upgrade your meal.I tried going to King's BBQ for comparison, and as good as it was, it was not Kau Kau. The only drawback is that this area can get cutty approaching 10PM, but I'm willing to get jumped on the way back as long as nobody touches my chinese BBQ.

Oh gosh. Everyone in town knows this is the ish! The go to spot for roasted duck, beef tripe (cow stomach), and best of all, the BBQ Pork. Yes, I came here twice in 1 week because it was that dayum good.However, let me tell you how disgusting their other food is. I have to brutally honest because both times I recently went in the last 1.5 weeks, the WORST service ever... and the food, aside from the BBQ pork & Roasted Duck, were horrendous.We walk in, get seated quickly, and my friend and I are starved. We already know we are about to get the BBQ Pork & duck. We just figured, why not do a lunch special or something? Try different foods here and risk it. BOY do I regret it! We ordered their kau kau special I think (on the back of the menu, it was the $20 pricing one). It came with the almond chicken, egg rolls, chow mein, sweet & sour shrimp, pork, fried rice and duck. I think we may have added the fried rice and duck. Oh, and it came w. soup. Let me just say, the water cups are literally like 2 inches tall. -__- How do you expect me to eat chinese food that is oh so delicious, but sometimes salty & delicious with literally a 2-inch cup of water? That was the first thing. Second, the soup was nasty. No flavor at all, super bland. We added soy sauce. -__- it tasted worse. Super fail. We wait for our other foods.The sweet & sour shrimp was gross. The batter coating was so thick & so overpowering that literally the shrimp was so puny when you finally got to it. The sauce was good w/ the shrimp (as it's sweet & sour), but I don't like sweet & sour food like that. That was nasty. The almond chicken was gross. -__- I've only had 1 great almond chicken, and it was gross. It was the same battered-coating as the shrimp and the egg roll. Gross. No flavor, too thick of gravy, and that was not how almond chicken tasted like. The egg rolls... so gross. all it was was cabbage *& like a few pieces of small chunk of meat. Sigh. I ate 1 piece of the almond chicken, took 1 bite of the egg rolls & tried 1 shrimp. Did not touch the rest.The fried rice aside from the pork & duck were on point. It was the only good legit thing there. The chow mein was okay. Overly salty but had chinese broccoli so that was good. Otherwise, it was just okay.The second time I went back, I tried another chow mein... and it was the special... so gross. there was 1 piece of pork, and the rest was watery seafood with mushrooms and NO vegetables. I was so disappointed. I was so grossed out at how gross it tasted, so bland & salty, with no real flavor, that i took it to go--only to eventually throw it away. Never to be touched again.The pork & duck truly never fail. That is the only good thing here... the food at the window. Fresh pork and duck and chicken and cow stomach. Otherwise, nothing is good here (well, maybe the fried rice). The bbq pork is so fragrant with its marinade, so tender, and so damn mouth-watering. It just makes you want to sit on a throne and get fed bbq pork. Their duck is so good too. So crispy, so tender, and so perfectly cooked. Always, always FRESH! This is the best place ever to get these window items.Service is horrible, barely refills water, and they take forever.PS. Hard to find parking, busiest during lunch hour but BBQ Pork, Duck & Roasted Pork is the only BEST thing here. That is why it's a 4/5 cuz the rest is nasty!

Great spot to get BBQ Pork (the best!), Roasted Duck (can be a little greasy), and Side Pork (yum) to-go. I recommend calling ahead to reserve a pound or two before coming because they sometimes run out.I have had lunch in their restaurant before but don't prefer it - the service is mediocre and the feel of the restaurant fairly divey, and the other items on the menu are never as good as the BBQ stuff that I normally get to-go.Street parking can be a pain and the meter-maids love to patrol this area, unfortunately the bums are getting more and more aggressive lately (the last time I came to pick up Kau Kau, they were coming up to the windows of cars to ask for money), best to come with someone else driving so you can hop out to pick it up while they circle the block.

I can't say like others that I am a ten year veteran to this restaurant because of their food. I came here on a whim due to a serious compulsion to find and eat good Peking duck. Having always walked by Kau Kau drooling over their hanging duck, BBQ pork, roasted pork, I decided that this would be the proper place to find legitimate Peking duck to eat.That Peking duck was worth every penny that we spent on that dinner. It was also more than enough food for 3+ people. You can only order whole, and I understand why when we got the plate. It came out with sections of the duck without the bone that you can wrap with buns, then we got another section of the duck that included the bone that you can gorge on, and then what was leftover was made into a duck soup with your choice of a vegetable. HOW AWESOME IS THAT. It was like I had duck dancing all over my plate. If you haven't had the chance to have it, please add this to your bucket list of things to eat before you die.Beyond this incredible duck, I have tried their infamous BBQ pork and roasted pork and believe what everyone else that these are also incredible treats. I love legitimate Asian foods, not the Asian restaurants that take off the skin or don't leave the fat on. FYI: that is the best, most important part of the dish. They are offered as more of side dishes than entrees, so I make sure to enjoy every bite. Both are rich with flavor and they are juicy! They don't dry up and crumble on your plate like a lot of other restaurants! And look how excited I am using all of these exclamation points! It is truly a delight to try everything that hangs on a piece of wire.The only reason they do are not a 5-star in my mind is that their noodle dishes are very subpar in taste and quality. The noodles feel cheap in my mouth and it is overly greasy, with very little flavor output. I would not recommend this.I have also recently visited to try their lunch specials. They offer a good price, but I don't enjoy their cop-out for a side of vegetables--it's like two pieces of broccoli and a carrot. So, I wouldn't come back for their lunch specials.

Kau Kau is arguably one of the best char sui around. Char Sui is bbq pork. ( Kau Kau is pronounce Cow Cow...ironic, most the bbq is Pig not Cow.)I have been coming here many years since they also have a long history and the owner is a poet who knows my decease grandfather.The char sui is pretty good here but the reason, is because it has the most fat ratio to meat so I always ask for the leanest meat. I like to ordered by the pound uncut but they can chopped it up for you. If it is uncut it last longer through out the week to make fried rice or stir fried with veggies.Also, they have Roasted Duck, Roasted Pork, Chinese sausages, & BBQ spare ribs. What makes them stand out from the rest is their inexpensive lunch special boxes and the Plum Sauce for their roasted duck. Generous large portions.The lunch special boxes goes for around 5 bucks. It comes with soup of the day, fried rice, steamed veggies, KK bbq pork, and another item off the lunch special menu. The choices are Chinese sausage, Roasted Duck, Roasted Pork, and BBQ spare ribs.If you get the roasted duck, pouring or dipping the plum sauce is to die for....it is soooooooooo GOOD!!! It is even taste great with the roasted pork, too.Roasted Pork has that delicious crispy skin, fat that melts in your mouth, & moist salted meat.The BBQ spare ribs has great favor but not enough of meat for me. The chinese sausages goes very well with rice and the soy sauce.You can order other items but it is just average and I rather not pay for the .50 tea charge to sit down in the back....so I always order for take out.Pro Tip: Call in your order and pickup for take out so you don't have to wait in line. Pour little bit of honey on the char sui sitting on top of rice...best meal ever!

Forget everything you know about Chinese barbecue pork; Kau Kau serves the real thing: juicy, smoky, just a little bit sweet. Its succulent roast pork, carved off the whole beast, is rimmed in crispy skin ...?

If you want great barbecued duck or pork, this is your place. It has the best quality for the best price in Chinatown. But this is not the place to go on a first date. The decor is sterile and cheap. If you'r on a date who is not the ...?

I met my husband here on our very first, blind date. Of course I thought my husband was great for a lot of reasons, but one was that he recommended the Kau Kau. The ambience is ordinary for a restaurant in an Asian district, but the food ...?

Try this! You buy your own turkey, and take it to Kau Kau a couple days in advance - they put it on the spit for you...et voila! You have a slow cooked turkey already ready already and super tasty. I guess it's not technically a catered ...?

This is another eatery located in the Seattle International District. They have a reputation for being known as 'the best pork bbq in Seattle'. What a great atmosphere! In the front is the takeout area. Go straight through the walkway ...?

Pros -Roasted pork bbq pork r the best in town. -Fried rice and lao mein are also great. -Reasonably cheap -Quick serving Cons -Service lets it down at times -Offered tea after seating before customers realize that they are going to be ...?

This place has excellent food at a really affordable price. The waitress is competent and friendly; she waited on every table in the place by herself. I would HIGHLY recommend this place! Make sure to get some BBQ pork; it's the best I ...?

I just ate lunch at Kau Kau and it was delicious. Great portion size, the bbq pork is delicious, and the veggies were crisp, seafood fresh, and ambiance comfortable. A really really safe bet for lunch if you work in Pioneer Square or the ID. ...?

The Worst of Seattle!!!! The BBQ is good but the service is horrible. The fried rice was burnt on several occasions. The lunch specials are reasonably priced but if you order to go they will not give you the soup that comes with the meal ...?

i was a customer for years and hadn't notice until today how terrible this place is..the pork is terrible and not cooked the bathrooms i wanted to throw-up..i told the manager that i didn't get all my order last time and he acted like i was ...?

after going to Kau Kau for over a year only with friends i started to noticed that Kau Kau which means "eat eat" now means "run run" the restrooms spell and no adequate hand washing facilities..always have dirty forks and spoons the food ...?

whenever i get a craving for bbq pork, i dream of kaukau! who doesn't love the whole rotating pigs for sale in the window? i'm a firm believer that you should understand where your meat has come from - an animal, not a pre-packaged, ...?

This Chinese BBQ place is a delicious place to get good BBQ pork. We tried the pork sampler, with three different types of pork. It had the typical reddish BBQ pork, there were small pork short ribs and roast pig (sliced pork belly with ...?

The only thing I love in this restaurant is the lovely crispy roasted pork. Crunchy, tasty, and fresh - only if you come in around 4:30 or after. This is the time they have the fresh crispy roasted pork come out from the oven. ...?

If I want to get BBQ pork or duck, I always come to Kau Kau. I love watching the guys chop it up with their huge butcher knives right in front of your eyes. The prices are great. And if you want a quick meal, the noodles soups are ...?