Hibachi Party FAQ

Our packages start at $35 per person buffet style, $50 for two proteins per guest, and $60 for three proteins. $500 event minimum. Kids under 12 are $30 flat. No equipment fee, no cleanup fee, gratuity is optional and never auto-added. For a party of 15 adults on the two-protein package, that's $750 all inclusive.

Chef, portable teppanyaki griddle, propane, all ingredients (proteins, vegetables, fried rice, salad, sauces), plates, utensils, trash bags, full cleanup, and the fire show. The only things you provide are the venue and the guests.

Filet mignon is +$10 per guest. Lobster tail is +$15 per guest. Both can be added to the two-protein or three-protein package.

Not within our standard service radius (covers most Florida metros). For longer drives — e.g., Key West from Miami, or Pensacola from Orlando — we quote the fuel cost upfront and keep it transparent. Never a surprise charge.

No. Gratuity is optional and never auto-added. Most hosts tip the chef $50-$150 cash at the end of a successful party. The chef knows the day was great; they don't expect it.

Yes — $50 flat deposit holds the date. Pay by Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, or cash. Remaining balance is due day of event.

For peak-season Saturdays (December-April in South Florida, Memorial Day-Labor Day in the Panhandle), book 4-8 weeks ahead. Weeknights usually have same-week availability. Last-minute (24-72 hours out) is possible if a chef has an open slot — text (352) 651-3827 and we'll check.

Sometimes. We hold back ~10% of chef capacity for last-minute bookings. If you're texting us Thursday for a Friday party, we often can. Peak Saturdays in high season are the hardest.

Yes. Free reschedule up to 72 hours before the event. Inside 72 hours we try to help but can't always; the deposit may apply to a future date rather than refund.

If a named tropical storm or hurricane is actively impacting your area, we reschedule with zero fee and your deposit rolls to the new date. We don't play games with "but your forecast was only 40%". We err on the side of safety.

Yes — Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, NYE, July 4th, every holiday. No holiday surcharge. See Holiday hibachi.

Chef arrives 45-60 minutes before serve time. Cooking + fire show runs 60-90 minutes depending on headcount. Full cleanup takes another 15-20 minutes. So from chef arrival to chef leaving, usually 2-2.5 hours.

Outdoors preferred — deck, patio, driveway, pool surround, covered lanai, or open garage. Teppanyaki runs hot, bright, and slightly smoky. Indoor cooking is only possible in homes with a pro-grade hood vent — rare.

Only in homes with pro-grade hood ventilation. For most homes the answer is no — but 95% of our bookings happen outside anyway (deck, driveway, pool deck, lanai, garage with the door up), so this almost never matters.

We check radar the morning of the event. If light rain, we set up under a covered area (lanai, garage, carport). If a storm is actively impacting the area, we reschedule. Most Florida homes and rentals have a covered space that works.

The classic hibachi moves — onion volcano, flaming spatula flip, sake toss, egg juggle. Takes about 90 seconds, happens between the appetizer and the proteins, and is when every phone comes out.

Comfortably up to 25 adults. For 25-40 we send a second chef (same per-person price, no second-chef fee on three-protein package). Above 40 we send two chefs plus a prep assistant.

Yes. Tell the chef when the toast/cake/speech is scheduled and we time the volcano moment to lead into it. The dramatic pause works perfectly.

Standard: chicken, steak, shrimp. Available on the two-protein and three-protein packages: salmon, scallops, tofu. Upgrades: filet mignon (+$10), lobster tail (+$15).

Yes — gluten-free (gluten-free soy sauce), dairy-free, shellfish allergies, pescatarian, vegetarian. Flag everything at booking and the chef wipes the griddle between cook groups so cross-contamination is handled. For severe allergies tell us by email so we have it in writing.

Yes. Tofu is standard on the two-protein and three-protein packages. For an all-vegetarian guest, we do tofu + vegetables + fried rice. For vegan, the sauces are modified (no butter in the fried rice) — flag at booking.

It's teppanyaki-style — the Japanese griddle cooking tradition that American hibachi restaurants popularized. The flavors and techniques are faithful to teppan; the fire show is pure American hibachi theater.

Yes. All proteins are cooked to the guest's preference and we have no raw fish on standard menus. Well-done steak, fully-cooked chicken and shrimp, and no soft cheeses are all easy accommodations.

Just the space and the guests. We bring everything else — griddle, propane, ingredients, plates, utensils, sauces, trash bags. If you want fancier plates or your own serving platters, we can use those instead.

No. We can run entirely from an outdoor setup. If a sink is nearby for a quick rinse that helps the chef, but it's not required.

The griddle station is 4 feet × 2 feet. We need 10 feet × 10 feet total for the station + the chef's working space + room for the fire show. A standard driveway, pool deck, or patio works.

Yes. We handle gated-community and resort vendor rules. For gated communities, add Fork Yeah Hibachi to your guest list the morning of your event and we check in at the gate. For resorts (Reunion, Sandestin, Rosemary Beach, etc.) we send our vendor info to the resort office in advance.

We can provide a COI for venues that require one — HOA clubhouses, country clubs, large corporate campuses. Give us 48 hours notice and the venue's requirements.

Yes — it's one of our top categories. For 6-12 year olds, the fire show is the main event and chicken + shrimp is the top combo. Kids under 12 are $30 flat.

Yes. See For wedding planners. We're on vendor sheets for 20+ Florida wedding planners.

Yes. $50/head on the two-protein package vs. $180/head at a steakhouse. See corporate hibachi.

Yes. See For vacation rental hosts. We also publish an interactive cost calculator that compares hibachi vs restaurant for rental groups.

Yes, up to 100 regularly. For 50+ we send 2-3 chefs and may do buffet-style service instead of individual plating. Longer events (3+ hours) have a quoted labor adjustment, discussed up front.

Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, and cash. $50 deposit holds the date; balance is due day of event.

Not currently. Zelle and Venmo keep our costs down and the savings go to the pricing — most of our competitors who take credit cards charge $5-$10/person more.

Yes. Request at booking and we send an itemized invoice. For corporate bookings, we can invoice your company directly.

Free cancellation up to 7 days before the event (deposit refunded). Inside 7 days, the $50 deposit is non-refundable but applies to a future date within 12 months. Inside 48 hours we charge 50% of the agreed total.

Chef Kyle founded Fork Yeah Hibachi in 2022. See Chef Kyle's bio. We're a 15-person team of trained teppanyaki chefs, all personally trained by Chef Kyle.

A hibachi restaurant seats you with 6-8 strangers at a shared teppan table and runs a 90-minute scripted show. We bring the teppan to your home, cook responsively for your actual group, time the fire show to your toasts, and leave when the party is actually ready to end — not when the restaurant wants to turn the table.

Statewide coverage (one number for Pensacola to Key West), published pricing (no "contact for quote" games), zero equipment or cleanup fees, and chef standards personally set by Chef Kyle. See our Florida chef directory for honest comparisons.

Yes, $1M general liability. COI available on request.

The best place is Google. We also appreciate reviews on Yelp, The Knot (if we did your wedding event), and WeddingWire. Thank you!