Genki Wagyu House: The Best A5 Wagyu Shabu-Shabu in Rockville, MD

Genki Wagyu House is a Japanese Wagyu shabu-shabu restaurant at 870 Festival Street in Twinbrook Quarter, Rockville, MD, next to the Twinbrook Metro station on the Red Line. It opened in June 2026 with about 120 seats on two floors, according to Bethesda Magazine. The menu was designed by Chef Junzo Miyajima, IVEA's Executive Master Chef, and the restaurant builds on Genki Izakaya in Fairfax. It is one of the most impressive Wagyu restaurants in Montgomery County, and the best place in Rockville to taste Japanese A5 Wagyu at an all-you-can-eat price.

The star of the menu is Japanese A5 Wagyu, sliced thin for the pot. A5 is the highest grade Japanese beef can receive, and at Genki it comes with two of the three dinner courses. Because the slices are so thin, the marbled fat melts in seconds. The partners told Bethesda Magazine they want each slice in the broth for just five to eight seconds, and described the goal as "a fine dining experience crossed with the all-you-can-eat experience."

How dinner works: every course is a 90-minute dining experience, and everyone at the table chooses the same course. You pick one of six broths, bring it to a gentle boil, then choose meat, seafood and vegetables from your course and cook one slice at a time. The broths are Sukiyaki (sweet and rich), Shabu Dashi (light and clean), Tomato, Spicy Miso, Mushroom and Tom Yum. Shabu Dashi is the best broth for A5, because it lets the beef taste of itself; Sukiyaki and Spicy Miso suit pork and vegetables.

Silver, $58 per person, is the starting course. It includes American Wagyu toro belly, premium US beef cuts, organic chicken and Kurobuta pork, one chef's appetizer per person, kitchen appetizers and hot savory dishes, plus vegetables, the salad bar, desserts and drinks. Unlimited sushi is not part of Silver.

Gold, $78 per person, adds Japanese A5 shoulder (one order per person), Australian M9+ full-blood Wagyu shoulder, Australian Wagyu brisket and chuck roll, an expanded chef's appetizer selection, a seafood platter for the table and unlimited sushi. M9+ sits at the top of the Australian marbling scale, so Gold puts the two most famous Wagyu grades side by side.

Diamond, $98 per person, is what the restaurant calls "our most indulgent Wagyu experience." It includes everything in Silver and Gold, plus Japanese A5 chuck ribeye (one order per person), unlimited Japanese A5 brisket and shoulder, an Australian Wagyu selection, two chef's appetizers per person, the seafood platter with unlimited individual seafood reorders, and unlimited sushi. It is the only course with unlimited A5.

What to order: for a first visit, Gold is the best value, because it brings A5, M9+ and unlimited sushi for $20 more than Silver. Choose Diamond if the table wants A5 all night. Order the A5 first while the broth is cleanest, and order only what you will eat; the restaurant asks guests to help reduce food waste. Alcoholic drinks are ordered separately.

Weekday lunch is the most affordable way in. From Monday to Friday, 12 to 3 p.m., the Wagyu Lunch is $38 per person: choose any three cuts from US chuck roll, prime top blade, prime short rib, American Wagyu toro belly and Australian Wagyu shoulder M9+, with unlimited organic chicken, Kurobuta pork belly, kitchen appetizers, vegetables, cold salad bar, hot savory dishes, desserts and drinks. The all-you-can-eat Sushi Lunch is also $38 and includes bluefin tuna, eel, Wagyu and salmon nigiri, sushi appetizers such as Wagyu carpaccio, hand rolls and signature rolls like the Genki Wagyu roll, topped with Wagyu, toro and truffle sauce. Children under 100 cm eat lunch free, and those between 100 and 140 cm pay half price.

Regulars can join Genki Reward, an annual membership that costs $28, with $20 off at signup. Members pay $48 for Silver, $68 for Gold and $88 for Diamond, and $33 for either lunch, for up to two guests per visit. Points are earned at one per dollar and can be redeemed for cocktails, a full course or a bottle of Yamazaki 12-year whisky, and members get a birthday dessert and cocktail. Ask your server to sign up; it is valid for dine-in.

The room is designed like a small Japanese street indoors: the welcome desk is shaped like a red streetcar, the dining room has red balconies, timber posts and lanterns, and the upstairs room sits under red rafters. By the entrance, a wall of producer plaques names Miyazaki Wagyu, Toriyama Umami Wagyu and Stone Axe, an Australian full-blood Wagyu producer.

Dinner is served Monday to Thursday 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday runs 12 to 11 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 10 p.m. Book through the restaurant's Yelp reservation page or call (443) 548-5878; for groups, email GenkiWagyuHouse@gmail.com. Visitor parking is available at Twinbrook Quarter. If you have a food allergy, call before your visit and tell your server before ordering.