Three To Try: All-You-Can-Eat Barbeque Buffets in Sydney (for When You Just Can’t Get Enough)

You only need to head to Haymarket or Strathfield to see how much Sydneysiders love a grill. Whether it’s firing up Wagyu in a Japanese joint or matching charcoaled pork with soju in Strathfield’s K-Town, you’ll spot barbeques by the lines down the street.

Recently, three new barbeque buffets have joined the fold – each one promising as much meat, sushi, sashimi or Korean side dishes as you can fit. Add them to your list, pronto.

Butcher’s Buffet, various locations

Recognisable by its signature blue lights and K-pop music videos flickering on TV screens, Butcher’s Buffet is one of Sydney’s largest (and vibiest) all-you-can-eat Korean barbeque buffets.

With self-serve food bays stocked full of Korean meats and house-made goodies – like salads, side dishes, sauces, Western food and desserts – the hardest decision you’ll make is what not to eat in your allocated 90 minutes.
Take Wagyu beef belly, spicy pork ribs, and bulgogi beef back to your station, and load up your plate with japchae (Korean sweet potato noodles), fish cakes and tteokbokki while you’re at it.

“We wanted something young and trendy,” owner James Sun tells Broadsheet. “There were 13 Korean barbeques already [on our strip] when we first opened, so we created the buffet concept.”

With locations in Chinatown, Blacktown, Strathfield, Eastwood, Cabramatta and Lidcombe, the team’s not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon.

@butchersbuffet

Gyuniku, Haymarket

This Japanese barbeque comes from the Butcher’s Buffet team, too. But Gyuniku is a more elevated offspring, specialising in unlimited premium meats, sushi and sashimi.

There are no neon lights here – instead the interiors are minimal and clean. “It’s a very different vibe and a very different clientele,” Sun says.

Because of its location, the menu ebbs and flows depending on the time, and all meat is sourced from Japanese butchers and sliced fresh in front of you by Gyuniku’s in-house butcher. Pricing starts at $45.90, but there are a range of packages. On the weekends, $78.90 gets you a lunch of full-blood Wagyu MB9+ (imported from Japan), pork belly and marinated chicken. There’s sushi and seafood, too – we’re talking kingfish, salmon, tuna, scallops and more. Plus, a chirashi-making station and unlimited fro-yo.

For the corporate lunchtime crowd, the famous full-blood Wagyu isn’t available. But for $54, you can choose from other marbled beef cuts or skip the barbeque entirely and fill up on all-you-can-eat sushi and sashimi.

34/1 Dixon Street, Haymarket
@gyunikubuffet

Kyo Yakiniku, Glebe

You’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Japan when you head into this little inner-west hotspot. From the lanterns and Japanese posters to the faux tiled roof and shoji (the paper-paneled room divider), Kyo feels like the real deal.
It’s what owner Dean Byeonghyun Kwak calls “Japanese retro”.

While the vibes are low-key, Kyo’s barbeque-ready assortment of meats, veggies and seafood, as well as its plentiful selection of Japanese side dishes, has grabbed the attention of locals.

Your first job is to pick from three barbeque buffet and sides packages, which start at $52. Each tier unlocks more premium meats and seafood, and there are deals during the week if you’re in the know – like free Asahi on Thursdays.
Choose from different cuts of Wagyu – including ox tongue, oyster blade and skirt – and fresh seafood, like kingfish carpaccio and scallops. Then there’s unlimited sushi – with all the usual suspects, like tuna rolls and chicken katsu – karaage chicken and agedashi tofu.

While most barbeque buffets focus purely on the food, Kyo brings a little fun to its drinks selection. Try an earthy matcha beer from Japan, or choose from a 15-strong sake list. If that’s not your bag, you’re looked after by yuzu highballs, soju, wine and sakura-flavoured cocktails.

73 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
@kyoyakiniku