Been going to this kbbq since since I was a child 20 years years ago and I can say it's still one of the only places that use charcoal and have yet to find another place that can replicate the flavors. Service is always top notch you feel like you're part of the fam. And if you tell them you're there for a special occasion, they usually find some way to make your visit feel special. read more

Made a reservation for six and arrived on time, but we still had to wait about 20 minutes for our table. No where to sit, we mainly stood awkwardly near the entrance. Once we did get seated, the banchan came out immediately. Everything was decent, though the assortment was fairly basic. We ordered our way down the meat section of the menu, which was all meant to be grilled over their wood charcoal. The meat was fine overall and received a good portion, but the quality and cuts weren't particularly impressive. Our table had only one grill, which would have been manageable if the charcoal had been brought to the proper temperature before we started. Unfortunately, it wasn't hot enough for our first round, so cooking became a very long waiting game and the excitement at the table slowly faded. The staff did notice and came over to help, but it took around 30 minutes before the charcoal was finally replaced. By then, most of had lost interest in eating and found ourselves drinking through much of the dinner, like many of the other tables. They kindly offered to cook the meat in the back for us, but to me it takes away from the fun and purpose of the KBBQ experience there. We still had a good time together, and we filled up on the complimentary side dishes while waiting, so we ended up with plenty of leftover meat once it was finally cooked. For what you pay, I just wished you got both the fun grilling experience and the quality of meat you came for. read more

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Been coming here for 20 years. Tonight was unacceptable and I will not be back. Our vent was not working, and smoke from the grill was sitting in a cloud over our table all night. Our server told us this was "by design", as all venting now happens at the front of the restaurant, with a single vent sucking up all the smoke. I suppose that's fine if you want smoke blowing past your face all night. Fix your ventilation, people. read more

I've been here for dinner once and more recently for lunch on a weekday. For lunch, I arrived when they opened and was the first one there. A few more parties trickled in but you should be able to walk in easily for lunch. I got the bulgogi lunch special and my friend got the galbi special. The meats are prepared in the kitchen so you don't have to cook it on the table. The bulgogi was just okay - a bit dry and not much flavor. I think the galbi was the better choice. It comes with banchan to share - the banchan is definitely top notch with all my favorites. Also comes with lettuce wraps, rice and broth which made for a comforting and filling meal! Service was friendly! read more

Every time I come to Brothers it's never a fail. If you want a good charcoal grill Korean bbq in San Francisco this is the OG spot! Galbi with bone, Bugolgi is a must. They usually throw in the tofu soup on the house, delicious! read more

Brothers Restaurant - Meal for two - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Brothers deserves the hype! Well cooked Korean food, meat wasn't overly sweetened. Banchan (side dishes) were plentiful and kept flowing. The seafood pancake was perfectly crispy. Staff were friendly but busy, we had to flag our server down a few times to get some water refills. Don't wear fancy clothes, the whole place smells like smoke (from the charcoal grills)! read more

Brothers Restaurant - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Incredible, You will leave with a smoky outfit but we had such a good time. Service is quick and prompt and I loved the variety of banchan! It's expensive but honestly one entree is good for each person. The tofu soup was a highlight surprisingly ! I loaded it up with banchan and mmmm so good! Great for an interactive date night read more

Brothers Restaurant - R - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The meat is fresh, we cooked our own. It was a fun experience. I also enjoyed the tofu soup, really delicious. And we order the Korean sweet beef that was already cooked from the kitchen. Paid well with rice and tofu soup. The raw beef ribs is well marinated, has a lot of flavor. The cheese corn was also delicious! The service pretty good and quick, the food came out to our table all at once. Will come back! read more

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Worst Korean food. Their Galbi is too sweet. The meat was too thin.The vent is not working. It is bad for your lungs. Galbi tang soup wasn't properly served: it was like just warm water with MSG. The service was soooo slow. I asked more lettuce 3 times but never got it. Only two servers for the whole restaurant. These poor servers were running around and no time to serve my table. I'll never come back. read more

I've been coming here for years with the family. Always a group more than two. Today I went as a party of two around 5 and there were a few tables open so we got seated right away. Service always. Even great knowing how busy they get later on. Before they never allow taking away left overs but today! Oh man we got to take our left overs home (cooked and uncooked meat)!!!!! read more

Brothers Restaurant - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love charcoal grill Korean barbecue, and this place is no exception. It is on the pricier side, but authentic and good Korean barbecue is harder to come by in the city. This place gets crowded for dinner and doesn't have a digital waitlist, so make sure to come on time to secure a table for your party! My party and I ordered the 4 person tasting menu and substituted the sundubu jjigae for steamed egg. The portions were enough for us and the spicy pork had a nice kick to it. The banchan is also delicious- I liked the kimchi and fish tofu a lot. I'm definitely a fan, just typing this is giving me a craving for it again. Make sure to wear clothes you can throw in the wash immediately after! read more

Fantastic!!! I've been waiting a few years to try it since I needed the right squad! Went with my best friends and ate like a king! Room is smokey as you'd expect from a charcoal fired KBBQ spot. Meat was all excellent! I'd go back again for sure! read more

Brothers Restaurant - The spread!!! - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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3.5/5 Good KBBQ, but expensive. Just a heads up, you can make reservations! There isn't information online about it but I called and asked :) I made a reservation for Friday night and came with a few girlfriends. The place is incredibly smoky and me and my friends joked that the vents were only there for decoration. The grills are all charcoal, but if you're not comfortable cooking the meat, you can ask that the kitchen prepare it for you. For the four of us, we got the 4-person tasting menu and we substituted the sundubu jjigae for their steamed egg. We also got their korean cheese corn as well. For the four of us, it was around $230. We thought their meat was really good and cooking it on the charcoal grill really made a difference. I think my favorite was probably their spicy pork, but only by a small margin. The steamed egg was pretty good as well. Finally, their korean corn was really creamy, but pricey ($12). I personally wouldn't order it again just because I can't justify that price. If you're looking for authentic KBBQ, I recommend coming to Brothers and would recommend the tasting menu to get the best value! read more

This cute little family owned restaurant was fittin the vibe. Service was quick and prompt. Didn't even have to wave them down as they knew what we were goin to inquiry. Few things though: 1) Quality of the kalbi and bulgogi surpassed all expectations. The marinade wasn't overbearing, and the protein was sweet and tender lovin 2) Upon refilling our kimchi bonchon, they gave us a plate full of stems. I ain't ever seen that before - ever pack a bowl of stems (?) iykyk. The bonchon was the most underwhelming portion of the meal 3) The clothes on our backs permanently smells like charcoal. Wear some clothes you're bouta wash. Overall, good quality, would come back. The charcoal grilled meat compensated for the mishaps elsewhere. read more

Brothers Restaurant - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This place has been bookmarked for a while and I am glad that we were able to eat here for Thanksgiving! FOOD: Everything we had was super flavorful and yummy! Portions are pretty fair also. We had a party of 12 and ordered 2 of each dish and still had enough for leftovers for a couple days! Our favorite dish was actually the kimchi fried rice. SERVICE: When we came on Thanksgiving, it wasn't too busy. Servers were attentive and super friendly too! My family enjoyed the tea and they gave us the name of it in Korean on a piece of paper to show the workers at the Korean markets since it must be a specific kind of tea. AMBIANCE: Definitely a cozy restaurant :) loved coming here with family, especially on Thanksgiving. It made the outing much more enjoyable. PARKING: Parking can be a challenge since it's located directly on Geary street but we were lucky to find close by street parking. Would love to visit this place again to try more of their dishes! read more

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Oh brother, where to begin... As an Angelino visiting the Bay Area, I can't believe K bbq standard in the city is this low. Two overworked female servers covering the whole floor during prime dinner time is a masterclass in how not to run your business. Bros, you need to scrub the filters more than once a year, the vents struggle to keep up with all the charcoal smoke. Wang galbi was flavorful but see-through paper thin, galbi tang came out lukewarm, cold noodle showed up 90 min late after asking 3x, and the seafood pancake never made it to our table. The overwhelmed ajuma server simply said she put in the order late, meaning she didn't put in the order until I reminded her multiple times. I don't blame the staff, the management needs to wake up and get their shiitake together if they want repeat customers. read more

Amazing charcoal KBBQ grill spot. Service is attentive and patient. Environment is straight to the point which, who cares the food is delicious and the banchan is the best! The galbi is expertly cut and the marinate is yummy. I really like the dried fish banchan. Pretty great spot for a catch up with friends with some drinks. The fried omelette oyster fish IMO is a sleeper hit read more

Brothers Restaurant - Spread - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Went around opening time so ~5. It wasn't packed but there were some families sitting already. I ordered the 2 person tasting menu of which I chose spicy pork. So this came with banchan + bulgogi + spicy pork + spicy tofu stew. The banchan was good and the servers are really attentive with you. We chose to cook ourselves as well. The meat was alright. I think I have a really big liking for spicy food so the stew and the spicy pork were not spicy for me but I think overall I left satisfied with the amount of food and service. I did not overeat or undereat. I do not think I would come back but I would recommend this spot for families and for groups of people. read more

Brothers Restaurant - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Brothers Restaurant; San Francisco staple. Great Korean BBQ. Top-notch, no-frills, good food. 30+ years, same location, A favorite for a reason. Have been eating here for 20+ years. Our most Recent visit included charcoal grilled, Kalbi, Bulgogi, and Spicy Pork table side. We also had Chicken Tempura and Spicy Sautéed Pork Belly, which were prepared by the kitchen. Info share: You don't have to cook all of your food tableside. They will BBQ it for you, just ask. #IYDKYK The banchan side dishes are a plenty! If you partake, some cold adult beverages complement the meal! Thank you Brothers read more

Came here under a recommendation from a friend. Came here on a weekday at 6:30PM. Was seated very quickly, my buddy came a few mins after and we got the 2 Taster and it was good. Plenty of ban chon, the bulgogi was excellent, same with the spicy pork. All cooked over charcoal. We were also served some tofu soup. That was just as good. The tofu didn't come in one chunk it was broken up. Zucchini was visible in the soup. All of that for $90. I say worth. I also wanted to try the Japchae, but that would've been too much food for my friend and I, but from what I saw at the other tables the japchae would have been served in a large plate. By the time we finish the place was filled with people so we came at an excellent time. Can't imagine what it would be like during the weekend. As for the interior, it was a very nice. Plenty of fans. From the outside it's a hole in the wall, but it goes pretty deep inside. Will be keeping this place on my list if I'm ever back in the area. read more

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Brothers is an oldie that will always be a goodie! It's been many years since I've eaten here. I've forgotten how smoky the restaurant can get. On this recent visit, there were six of us. I was able to make a reservation at 7:00 pm on a Friday night. The restaurant was busy but we were seated right away. Service was quick but not the friendliest. The workers were so busy they forgot to refill our waters and we had to ask several times for some sauces. Food was still very flavorful. All of their marinated meats were moist and well seasoned. The tofu stew, galbitang, spicy squid and seafood pancake were all delicious too. Parking is decent in the area but sometimes requires circling a few times. read more

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I walked in at 2pm on a Sunday and it was not too busy- some pockets of people but plenty of space for a walk in. There was a bit of a smoky smell in the air but kind of to be expected at a bbq joint! I ordered the kalbi lunch set for $24 and it came with all the banchan, a soup, and a sizzling plate of kalbi. It was a great portion of food for lunch and at a good price as well. Would come back for lunch! read more

Brothers Restaurant - Kalbi lunch special - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

i don't say this lightly this is the worst korean restaurant i've ever been to. don't do it. they only have 5 cuts that you can grill yourself on charcoal the rest are all made in the kitchen. extra red flag that all their meats are pre-marinated and the 2 person set consists of bulgogi, spicy pork or chicken, and spicy tofu soup for $90???? i'm all for non western spots charging what they're worth but this is simply not worth $90 i could slap this together in my sleep. banchan is already quite weird - kimchi is extra sour, rest of the dishes are basic. ssamjang tastes extra fermented (almost stinky) and is very unpleasant, they seem to have omitted any honey/sugar. kalbi for $50+ is just two thin long strips that seem to be shaved from one piece of bone in short rib. it's skimpy and nothing special, the charcoal also did nothing for the meal except make my clothes and hair smell. doenjang jjigae was probably the best dish but very mediocre for anywhere else. stir fried pork belly tastes extra ginger-y and the meat quality is low. this is korean food for people who've never had korean food. service was fine i guess read more

Very cozy comforting CHARCOAL GRILL Korean bbq that satisfied my cravings! Me and my partner got the two person dinner set which is super duper filling, it comes with two meats, a tofu stew, rice and sides!! (Sorry not pictured I devoured the whole thing!) Compared to AYCE pricing I would say the dinner set is an affordable alternative in San Francisco! Also worth mentioning, the staff are so friendly and attentive, will be coming back again in the near future :)!!! read more

Brothers Restaurant - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

This unassuming, authentic kbbq place has been around since the 80s, and for good reason! The grills here are powered by charcoal and you get that nice charcoal bbq taste. This review is long overdue as i've been here several times over the years and it's best to come here with friends to be able to orders combo and try everything. The galbi and spicy pork shine here but an underrated pick is their galbi tang. their galbitang doesn't require any addition of salt or pepper in my opinion it's perfectly made and the meat slides right off the bone! now where this place shines in authentic food is where is falls short to attentive service. this is not a place where they care about the best service - they get enough business for their food and charcoal grill they don't need you to come back, trust!! so if you're expecting baekjong level hand holding or smoke management you're in for a unpleasant surprise!! it gets really smokey in there and you are not really waited on. be there for the great food anyway!! (-; read more

Came here again with 4 people on a Saturday night around 7:30 and only waited about 10 minutes for a seat! We ordered the set menu for 4 and substituted the japchae for the seafood pancake! The seafood pancake was the BEST we have had ever. Large, full of seafood and crispy crunchy goodness. The meat is also very high quality. The spicy pork is very lean though and would've preferred pork belly. read more

Taste: Good enough for korean bbq. Slightly better than ayce. Portion: I left feeling pretty full, and we did the set for 4 plus bibingnaengmyeon. Service: very friendly but didn't really check to see if we needed much else (like grill change). You can tell they work hard and were super busy though. Ambience: it was super smokey, but I like the tight room. Felt like I was in a kbbq in asia. read more

I have long heard about the high-quality meats offered at Brothers restaurant. Brothers frequently gets rave reviews from my friends who are more familiar with the SF kbbq scene. Therefore, it was only natural that when my friend from Southern California came by, I would obviously have to take him to the one of the best the bay could offer. Featuring a real charcoal grill brothers stands out as one of the most authentic and tasteful Korean barbecue spots with solid cuts of meat that are tender, moist and delicious. without a doubt I will be coming back. If you have never had the honor of trying a charcoal grilled kbbq, come check out Brothers! For four people, the tasting set menu was more than enough food, but we couldn't help ourselves and also added on a seafood pancake, which is a must try at this restaurant. If you are not up for the tasting menu, then would highly recommend focusing on the Galbi cut as the most premium but also the most delicious. read more

This place is sooo yummy! My favorite is the bone in galbi! The marinade is perfect and the meat quality is amazing. Other dishes I've enjoyed are the spicy bi bim naeng myeon, spicy kimchi jjigae, japchae, and and tofu soup. All were delicious! They use mesquite oak wood to grill the meats, which is different than most kbbq spot and the meat always cooks very evenly on the grill. The service here is very friendly and fast, they always check in to refill any side dishes! Their side dishes are all tasty as well! I would highly recommend this spot! :) read more

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Very good and popular kbbq place. Always very busy, so be prepared to wait! And don't be afraid to not order any BBQ items - their cooked dishes are just as good! We loved the kimchi fried rice and also found that the bulgogi pancake very unique and delicious. They are generous with their banchan and often give out some soondubu on the house! One thing to note is that the ventilation isn't so great, so you'll definitely be smelling like smoke when you walk in read more

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This Korean barbecue was absolutely legit. Old-school charcoal grills do it yourself type of place. I had the Kalbi and Soon dubu jiggae. All that was so delicious there was nothing left, and I ate it all by myself.! Definitely going back the next time I'm in town. read more

Came in later on a Sunday night and was seated right away. Servers were super friendly and the food was delicious. We ordered the 2 person tasting menu and the beef was amazing quality. I have a low spice tolerance but I still enjoyed the pork as well. We also ordered a side of corn cheese that came out hot and fresh! They also give you plenty of banchan around the table. Inside was a little noisy when we first got there because two larger groups were seated but once they left the vibes became much quieter and enjoyable. It's a bit pricey but highly recommend! read more

Brothers Restaurant - Banchan - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came on a Sunday around 7pm, all the tables aside from 1 were occupied, so luckily we got seated quickly. We ended up ordering Galbi, Corn Cheese and Bibimnangmyeon. Workers set up the charcoal grill in the middle of the table and served the banchan while we waited for our food. Loved the banchan selection here, specifically the little fishies. The galbi came out first for us to grill and they explained how long to cook it for. Next the bibimnangmyeon came, and the corn cheese came out maybe minutes later. They also gave us a small tofu stew on the house!!!! Not kidding when I say I think this is my favorite Korean spot in the city. Candidly, the galbi portion was a bit small for the price, however, the taste was amazing. I personally prefer eating it with rice instead of making a ssam since the ssam masks the flavor of the meat. The cold noodles here are probably the best I've ever had, even compared to the ones I had in Korea. The sauce was perfect, and the noodles had great texture -- not mushy. My tip would be to use scissors to cut the noodles up so that they're easier to eat. Corn cheese was the most average dish we ordered, but by no means was it bad -- it just tasted like how corn cheese would taste. The tofu stew was yummy, it actually had a sweeter flavor profile than others I've had, which I actually enjoyed more. They also refill banchan like most Korean spots, so don't be shy to ask! All in all, had an amazing experience here and will definitely be coming back. read more

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Review for Brothers Restaurant This review is long overdue. There are two Brothers locations on the same street, which sounds crazy--until you go. Then you understand. The place is always packed because the food is just that good. I have so many great memories here with friends--laughing, sharing food, getting a little smoky, maybe a little tipsy, and just enjoying life. This is not a quiet dinner spot. This is a bring-your-people, break-bread, eat-well kind of place. My favorite is always the kalbi--tender, flavorful, and perfectly grilled. But honestly, everything here is delicious. The pork belly, the seafood, and especially the banchan plates make your heart sing--crunchy, tangy, savory little bites that keep coming and keep you happy. Let's be honest about one thing: The ventilation isn't perfect. You will leave smelling like barbecue. And you know what? That's part of the experience. We always joked about wearing "BBQ clothes" because getting smoky is half the fun. After dinner, the night usually continues--spilling out onto Geary in the Inner Richmond, heading to the next bar, laughing, and making memories. It has that same lively energy you find on Chestnut Street near the Marina, just in a different neighborhood. Bottom line: Go with friends. Come hungry. Expect smoke. Get a little messy. Eat incredibly well. Some of the best Korean BBQ in San Francisco--hands down. read more

I think this was the first time I've had charcoal Korean BBQ in the USA and I'm a happy camper! The quality of the meat is top notch and the service was great. Prices were as expected with random fees automatically added to the bill (SF Health tax, tip, etc). Albeit, I had a good meal and liked the charcoal cooking experience. Pro-tip: Don't wear nice clothing here, especially garments you don't want smelling like smoke. read more

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My partner calls this his FAVORITE restaurant in all of SF!! He says it's the best K-BBQ in the city, he wants to go every week. For two people I suggest getting two orders of the Galbi (marinated short rib) and an order of kimchi stew (kimchi jigae). It's hard to disagree with him, the galbi is SO tender and delicious, over the charcoal grill the characteristic crisp and flavor is unmatched! The staff are so wonderful and sweet and were constantly stopping by to ask if we needed anything, they also generously replenished our samjang, lettuce, and banchan upon request. If you go on the weekend you'll probably see us there! Cheers!!! read more

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Great spot This was good : Tasting menu: _bulgogi _spicy pork _tofu soup Next time: _ bulgogi(a la carte) _tofu soup i(a la carte) read more

Brothers Restaurant - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

We did the option for 2 people. Best bulgogi I've tried. Best kbbq Amazing experience. Definitely will be back. read more

Brothers Restaurant - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Been going to Brothers for 20+ years. This place never fails, great bbq, real charcoal wood at the table, their bulgogi and galbi are magnificent, japchae, kimchi fried rice is great , so is their spicy tofu soup... good kimchi , good banchan! This is no fancy place but the love is real! And yes, the bbq smoke linger long after you left remind you how good life is! read more

One of my favorite spots for lunch since they have great deals for lunch! The galbi lunch comes with galbi, rice, soup and amazing banchan (especially love their homemade samjyang that pairs perfectly with the meat and ssal) Reminds me of my grandmother's cooking - super authentic. read more