I rarely write negative reviews, but unfortunately this experience was disappointing. Bando used to be one of my favorite Korean all-you-can-eat BBQ spots. One of the reasons I loved it was the traditional charcoal grill, which is becoming harder and harder to find these days. Most places use gas grills, but charcoal really gives the meat that authentic Korean BBQ flavor. Because of my past visits, I came in expecting the same level of food quality and service. However, it seems the restaurant may now be under new ownership because the experience felt very different from what I remembered. Service was noticeably slower, and the food quality was not what I had come to expect from Bando. The bulgogi, galbi, chicken, and marinated pork were all brought out together on one plate. When I asked if I could order just beef, I was told that meats cannot be selected individually. Instead, I could choose three meats that would be served in half portions. We were also told that if any of the meat was not finished, there would be an additional $10 charge per person. Another surprise was that the usual Korean BBQ accompaniments were missing. Typically, all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ includes items like steamed egg and soybean soup, but neither were provided. Lettuce for wraps was also charged separately at $4. It's unfortunate because this used to be one of my go-to Korean BBQ spots. The charcoal grill is still a great feature, but overall, the experience wasn't the same as before. Free parking is available, which at least makes visiting convenient. Sadly, it may be time for me to start looking for a new Korean BBQ restaurant. read more

They use real coals for their Korean bbq. It's authentic and it's delicious. I think it's ran by a family, they are so nice and friendly. They are always so attentive. My 10 year old nephew and my brother always ask to come here for their birthdays. Also they have all you can eat and all the side dishes as well. read more

Three of us spent $111, and only two people actually did the all you can eat BBQ. The biggest issue wasn't the price, it was the value. For $35, the selection felt extremely limited. You only get four preset meats (pork, beef, chicken, and another option) and can't customize them. We asked to remove chicken and were told no. On top of that, lettuce cost an extra $4, which felt disappointing. We've been here over 15 times before, and it feels like things have changed since management changed. Service was also slow. At the end, when paying, we tried to leave a $10 tip but staff thought we were changing the total bill to $10 instead. They admitted it was a misunderstanding afterward, but the interaction still left a bad impression. Overall, the experience and service didn't match what we remembered from previous visits. read more

The food is incredible, and I love the atmosphere in the restaurant. The staff is kind, especially when you try to speak Korean, and I can't get enough of all the banchan options. I've come on my birthday several times, and it's highly worth it every single time read more

This used to be our go-to spot for a quick AYCE KBBQ fix, but after tonight, never again. We waited almost an hour just to get our first round of meats. We had to ask multiple times for water, repeatedly request refills on sides that never came, and our grill was never changed out--we even had to ask for more coals ourselves. It never used to be like this, so I'm not sure what happened. When we finally got the check, we noticed a $10 "Add" charge. The only extra thing we ordered was one bowl of rice--if we had known it was $10, we wouldn't have minded, but it should've been mentioned. On top of that, we were charged a gratuity for just two people without being told it would be added automatically. Honestly, you're better off going to K-Town or HAN--better service, better prices, and way more meat options (not just five options). read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - Receipt for two. - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

To follow up on owners response: we asked specifically in round 3 of ordering for "no pork" and we still got 2 plates of pork. At this point, the waiters explained the AYCE rules. They did take the pork back but then we were given our check right after without being asked if we wanted more. While the intention to have waiters verbally tell customers the rules of the AYCE may be earnest, a written out policy for servers and customers to refer to may help alleviate frustrations, confusion and perhaps ease with participating in the AYCE. read more

I wish I had taken more photos but I was too busy eating! Came here for a date night and we were seated right away. We ordered the all you can eat option! There were a handful of different types of meats. The side dishes were brought out right away with a good amount of variety! The servers were nice and helpful and gave us all the info we needed to have a great time! Highly recommend! :) read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - All you can eat - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Expensive but good. It's all you can eat and the food is good quality. It ends up being a ton of food with the banchan (side dishes). Make sure you come hungry! read more

I have been going here for 15+ years and while it has changed ownership many times, the quality has been consistent. Today is the last time I will ever visit. Service was terrible. Food was terrible in all ways. Soondobu usually served bubbling hot came as if it sat for five minutes or more with the normal mixable egg in a hard cooked condition. No flavor. No seafood and just watered down. Meats were frozen and contained a 90-10% fat to meat ratio. Had to get up and finally ask for refills and the waiter expected more tip than what I provided. This was my go to and my recommendation for many. Not anymore. read more

Ordered delivery. Sauce to noodle ratio is way off, twice as much sauce as noodles. Not made authentically: noodles are too thin and it has beef instead of pork. Also tastes like a white person made it, there's zero flavor. Does anyone in Indy do jjajangmyeon properly? read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - Jjajangmyeon - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

The service that we did receive was rude and abrupt. Nobody explained ANYTHING about how the AYCE works verses a meal. Then one person handed us a laminated printout of directions. Then they bring sides out that have no explanation or description of what they are. Then attempting to cook on an open flame that you can't control or prevent the flame from scorching your food. The tray of meats that are piled on-top of each other without knowing which is which. No seasoning on the meats. I cant tell you if the very small samples of sauces were meant to be for the unseasoned meat or not bc nobody would speak to us. Honestly my worst restaurant experience. read more

Excellent food and service. Authentic Korean food.plenty of banchans. The tteokbokki is nice and spicy.

This one is a tough one. I've mainly review Asian food. This place is more traditional Korean with many great side dishes. However, me and my friend visiting Indy decided to try all you can eat for $36/person. Unlike other all you can eat Korean BBQ, this place you can only pick 4 different meat. 2 beef, chicken, and pork. Also the difference from other KBBQ all you can eat, this place make you get ALL the 4 meat each time. Bad, they pile on the cheaper chicken and smaller amounts of beef. Now the taste... meat was tough. Very lightly seasoned. I also don't like that pork was with beef in a same dish. Also chicken was in a same dish served. Hygiene wise, I don't like raw chicken with something that I might not cook all the way. Another I did not like was they changed full 20% gratuity automatic. Making the total bill without drinks $94 for two people. Quite high for hole in the wall Korean. Maybe they might do better on other things but definitely would not recommend for KBBQ. Lastly, I felt they were being cheap. Meat quality went down each time ordering and less and less meat. Like they have different meat sat aside as they gave you. Only good. Side dishes. Hence two Star vs. 1 read more

First time at a Korean BBQ restaurant. I was quite pleased. The setup, presentation, interactivity, Amount of sides, and quality of meat/ marinade were GREAT. It isn't often I leave a restaurant complete satisfied with the food Satisfaction / price ratio. This was worth every bit of the $28 for my dish. Staff and customer service was solid as well. I'll definitely return. read more

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The food was good, but value-wise this was a complete flop. I usually don't nick-pick on prices bc eating out is a choice, but this AYCE was probably one of the worst if not the worst value I've had at a Korean bbq place. The AYCE has rules and I've been to many, but this one says before you can order AYCE, you must finish their platter of prepared meats first, and then you can order whichever you like... Their prepared meats consisted a lot of pork, chicken, bacon, and brisket. The AYCE is for meats only and everything else on the menu is a la cart. So we were really looking forward to kalbi, but by the time we finished their platter of meats we were already full. We also ordered a few side items. It seems that it may be better to order whatever meats you want a la cart than to do AYCE. My party of 2 was also charged for gratuity. This AYCE place was totally unlike any others that I have been to. The meats from the first platter were okay, but definitely not we had in mind when we came here. There was a lack of transparency that really turned me off. From the menu to the bill. I would have not known gratuity was already calculated if I had not asked, nor does the menu state the gratuity policy. I've been in the service industry for many years, so I know how to tip and which is really up to the customer, to be honest. Every restaurant is different, but this one doesn't really seem attractive to me. Glad I tried it though, looking forward to the search of another Kbbq place in Indy. read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - Bonchon - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Amazing food. We got the unlimited korean bbq. I love all the "sides" they bring out which are also unlimited. The meats are all really delicious too. You won't leave hungry if you go for the unlimited meal. They also offer hot pot, but we didn't try it yet. Will definitely be back. read more

Has been a favorite place of mine on the east side for years. Very good lunch menu. The food is very tasty, however the service has become quite bad in recent times. read more

Food was fine, but too overly priced. We got the Chinese style combo - noodles, fried rice, and sweet & sour pork, together at $50. We were expecting three full size dishes but all came in half size. Didn't try traditional Korean style dishes - they might be better. but again, bulgogi charges $30 which seems overpriced. read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - Korean style chinese combo - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Golf Indy has a Korean BBQ place like this! My first time there and it really reminded me of the time when I visited South Korea and had BBQ there. I definitely recommend doing all you can eat. First round they bring you a platter of several kind, and after you are done with that you will order meat of your choice. How fun. Server came back several times not to just take orders but also put meat on the grill. They changed the grill once for us. Service was great. Tips: it's very smoky inside so please know that your hair and clothes will definitely smell like BBQ after that! I put 4 reviews because I don't think social distancing was strictly enforced , automatic 20% tip (it's understandable for all you can eat BBQ but what if you just order a dish from the menu, or didn't receive the best service?) , and only two kinds of sauce provided for BBQ. I'll definitely go back. read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Korean food is one of my favorite cuisines and I am so glad that I was able to try Bando. We decided to order off their dinner menu which had classic Korean dishes such as kimchi jigae, japchae, and other stews. There is also a great deal on AYCE Korean BBQ for $35/pp. Both my fiancé and I tried a Jiigae (stew). Each came with a bowl of white rice and banchans. We were shocked by how many banchans they had. They served 14 unique banchans that were all very delicious. My favorite was the seaweed salad. The kimchis (cabbage, cucumber, and daikon) were also very good. I tried the gwangjang jjigae which is a fermented soybean stew. So flavorful and perfectly savory! I've never tried this dish before and now it's one of my favorites. One important note: the menu stated that the stew had tofu but didn't mention that it would contain anchovies. If you're vegan or vegetarian, I would suggest asking if there are any animal products in your dish. My fiancé tried the kimchi jjigae which had pork chunks. He loved it and thought it was the best version he's had. I tried some of the broth and it was very delicious. Service was very friendly and prices were reasonable considering how many side dishes were served. We are so glad to have found Bando for our Korean food cravings! read more

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Took my wife out for some Korean BBQ for her birthday. We have pork belly and beef bulgolgi for our meats. Plenty of sides as well. Overall it was Excellent food and excellent service. My only disappointment was the portion size of the pork belly (5 strips) as would as liked a couple of more slices. read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Been coming here for 5+ years. Enjoyed and loved it.. came back here after after a year excited to eat here again but New owner, less side dishes. Very bad service, instead of attending to the customers, us and 3-4 more table, they (servers) were talking to this one other table for the whole time. We have to raise our hand and call out to them. Had to asked for more side dishes 3 times because they never brought them out. Last, Grill need to be replace and the server came and took out the grill and leave the fire expose for a good 15 mins. Never came back so we got up, pay and left. read more

Bando is another good Korean restaurant nestled in the Pendleton Pike area. I've been for lunch before but this was my first dinner experience. Similar to other Korean restaurants in Indy, they offered a variety of banchan which were all pretty good. Smaller portions compared to Mama's down a couple streets but they refill for free. We got the broiled yellowtail and gamja tang (pork neck soup). Yellowtail was cooked well and tasty but expensive for how they little you got. I expected at least 2 pieces of fish for how much they charged. The gamja tang was nice but not as flavorful as I've had at other places. With that said, they were quite generous with the pieces of meat. This soup is meant for at least 2 people, but honestly it could have fed 3 or even 4. We had a lot of leftovers. They appear to have a decent bbq option so we'll try that next. Would recommend! read more

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My friends celebrated birthday at Bando and had the best time. We came as a big group and the staff was very attentive. They went the extra mile to make the celebration so much fun! We really appreciate it. Thank you Bando! read more

I was a little intimated to try this place. I had never done Korean BBQ and wasn't sure if I needed to come with a big group to make it work. I stopped by for lunch with one coworker, and I was happy to find out they have great lunch specials for individual meals. No big group required. I ordered the Bulgogi and it was delicious. I didn't know what all the small plates were, but I tried everything and liked most of it. Overall, it was great. Affordable, quick, and yummy. Parking was easy, as they are in a strip mall with lots of spots. I would definitely eat here again. read more

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A delicious meal! My go to is alway bulgogi no matter which Korean restaurant I go to & this one did not disappoint. The flavor was great. The "accessories" (what I call them) were delicious. I personally liked the kimchi & the potatoes (in some type of soy sauce) to go with my rice. The squid tempura was delicious. The gyoza wasn't the best. My mom makes better gyoza than that (she's Asian =]) lol. It was a nice little lunch with my friend. They also have the Korean bbq part where you can cook your meats and such. I'm definitely gonna be back to try that experience and update my review. Overall, I recommend. Ohh, and the bathroom was very very clean, and smelled great!! read more

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Brought my bro here to eat the night before his wedding and wow was he loving it!!! Food was amazing we had the all you can eat and it wasbsooooo much food ... my fav was bulgogi* (spell check) read more

This was my first experience with Korean BBQ and it was worth the hype! We had 14 people in our party and the staff helped us with excellence and care. We all got the all you can eat experience which started with 9 different sides and four types of meat. I highly recommend starting this way and being adventurous the Bulgogi marinated beef with their special sauce was my favorite. Also there is a karaoke club two doors down if you want to make an evening of it. read more

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When I think of Korean BBQ, I look no further than Bando restaurant. For ~$30 you get unlimited chicken, kalbi , bulgogi, pork belly, brisket, AND dozens of banchan side dishes. Did I mention the banchan is also unlimited? To my knowledge, no other Korean bbq restaurant in Indy offers unlimited both meat and banchan Don't underestimate the banchan because it isn't meat either! They adds such an interesting layer of flavor to the whole bbq! You get sweet, sour, crunchy, spicy, savory, soft, a truly endless combination of flavors to an otherwise savory BBQ. I don't consider myself an expert in Korean food, but I hope my perspective may help those who are more foreign to kbbq read more

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This our go to for Korean BBQ. Staff is always kind and accommodating. We love the amount of small plates (Banchan) and I believe that they offer the most variety in the area. The chayote is my personal favorite. It's all you can eat for a reasonable price, and the meat is always good! *Make sure to ask for lettuce and bean paste to make wraps! Also, they are located next to a Korean karaoke bar, so location is prime for a night out! read more

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I stopped in yesterday with two friends for lunch and WOW. The food was SO GOOD! I went once years ago and the food is just as good as I remember. We ordered appetizers and several dishes to share: Yukhwe (Yukhoe) which was raw beef with pieces of Asian pear and pine nuts mixed in and a raw egg on top, Bulgogi with white rice (korean bbq beef with vegetables), Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes with fish cake and vegetables), and jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce mixed with pork and veggies topped with cucumber). I want to mention that the lunch prices and the dinner prices are DRASTICALLY different. I recommend coming for lunch! Everything we ate was reasonably priced between $7-15 (of course the Yukhwe was the most expensive thing). We spent $25 per person including a tip. Everything was DELICIOUS! It was my first time trying Yukhwe and I loved it. We mixed the raw egg in with everything else and the Asian pear was just the perfect compliment to everything. If you aren't a fan of raw beef, I wouldn't recommend this dish. The bulgogi had great flavor and the sauce from it seeped onto the rice, which was awesome. The tteokbokki, a favorite of mine, was also expectedly delicious. The rice cakes were pillowy and soft and the sauce was super spicy, which I am a huge fan of. The jajangmyeon was full of fat from the meat which I would normally mind but for some reason, it really worked in this dish. It made it rich and creamy! I would also like to give a shout-out to the banchan (side dishes)- the potatoes and cucumber kimchi are my fave! Overall I would return to Bando. It hits the spot if I am craving good Korean food. However, I wish they had fried chicken. That would've been the perfect compliment to lunch. Thanks for a nice experience, Bando! read more

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BEST.KOREAN.FOOD.EVER. Talk about an amazing meal. This is my go to Korean spot when I'm the east side of indy. It taste all home made and reasonable prices. Parking is great and there's also a karaoke spot next door. So eat your fill and sing the night away. read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - Jajangmyeon- black bean paste noodles. - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I been coming here for 18 years , never once have I had a bad experience. As you can tell with a one star review we did this time . New Manager with new staff and rude . Nothing more needs to be said I will never be back here again . Oh watch out for the bad service and charging you 20 percent tip even if it is under five people . read more

Delicious! We were visiting from northern Indiana. The Korean BBQ was delicious and SO much fun. We had all-you-can eat korean BBQ. It was $31 for adults and $17 for children. We had 4 people and were able to use 2 grills so everyone could easily cook. It was SO much fun and all delicious. The numerous side dishes were great - we each had a different favorite. The meat was well seasoned and good quality. If we visit Indy again, we will return. They were very good about covid precautions. read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - The children LOVED cooking the food! Our waiter was so kind to the children and helpful. - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Had family in town that wanted to try something a little different. However, when we got here, they were a little concerned. 4 of them ordered the BULGOGI - a safe dish. Another ordered the fried rice. I, wanting a little more heat, ordered the BEEF SAUTÉ. Everyone was happily with their choice and pleased with the sides. No one could agree on the best side which is good. Everyone got to enjoy their favorite. The lunch specials ran $8.99 for each meal which was not a bad price for what we received and the time we stayed. One suggestion would be to add some dipping sauces or table condiments to add individual preferences - vinegars, gochujang, ganjang and doenjang read more

Best Korean BBQ in Indy. They have unlimited Korean bbq for 30$ so come in hungry. The unlimited Korean BBQ comes with 6 meats and all of the side dishes, rice and lettuce wraps you need to satisfy yourself, I personally love getting the bulgogi meats its very juicy and soft! I like that they will help you if you have never tried to cook your own meat before, I love their meat choices and their side dishes, definitely worth 30$. I like celebrating birthdays here. You will come home smelling the smoke and will be hungry again. They have full menus but we usually just get the bbq. They also have potbingsu which is ice shave dessert. I like the old ladies that works here, very nice. They'll change the grill for you when it gets old (some meat gets stuck on it and burn as you cook). Food 10/10 Service 9/10 Atmosphere 8/10 read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - All you can eat - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Wonderful kbbq. Coming from Southern California, Korean cuisine was just as much a part of life as American, getting Korean bbq was a weekly tradition among my friends. I was worried that I wouldn't find an all you can eat kbbq place out here to rival what I had grown up with. Trying Bando made me fall in love with the smell of Bulgogi all over again. If you're a fan of Korean bbq I would recommend this place! I'd also like to add that the lady who helped me and my girlfriend was amazing, she brought us extra brisket without me even having to ask, it's like she read my mind. Wonderful service. read more

Bando Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Would give only 1 star for their AYCE since choice is very limited to only 4 types of meat, including Kalbi, Bulgogi, Chicken and pork. Kalbi was thinly sliced and non marinated, Bulgogi was OK but nothing special, pork was just regular but also non marinated , didn't tried their chicken but I'm sure that it is nothing special as well. No other options were included in the AYCE, no vegetables, no tofu stew. Small side dishes were good, but this is common practice for any Korean bbq place. The place itself looks and feels old, somewhat filthy and in real need of renovation and changing decor. For $35 per person for AYCE it feels like total ripoff. And yeah, I've been in Korean bbq AYCE on both coasts, plus in multiple places in Chicago, so I know what I'm comparing to. read more

House made Banchan- Very Good Service - Clean Comfortable space and Gracious Hosts. Winning Combination.

If you're looking for a good affordable and genuine Korean bbq experience, Bando will not disappoint. The staff is super friendly, tentative and the food is delicious. read more