Enjoyed a nice dinner here the other day. The owner is cool and welcoming..... a real local. Surprisingly affordable for downtown Monterey. read more

We came here after a disappointing experience at another local restaurant. And lemme tell you that was the best decision we made that day. We were greeted instantly by the owner Kevin and server Katie. Super kind and funny ppl. They kept us laughing and we all were chatting it up. We ordered the Galbi, pork bowl, spicy chicken, and mandu. All were pretty good. Definitely one of the best service I received when visiting Monterey! I recommend this place to people looking for a comfy meal! read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Outside. - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

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This place was actually pretty solid! As someone who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley eating good-value authentic Asian food, I usually avoid Asian food during my travels. But this was just down the street from my hotel and the pictures looked really appetizing, so we gave it a shot. It did not disappoint! Between two of us, we ordered the spicy chicken bulgogi meal and a mandu appetizer. It was the perfect amount of food for us to not have leftovers (our hotel had no fridge). The mandu came first and was very tasty and perfectly fried. The chicken came out as we were finishing the appetizer. The staff had warned us that it would be spicy, but I was surprised that it WAS actually spicy. My tolerance is higher than the average person but I definitely needed a lot of rice for this. I wouldn't say the flavor of the sauce was in line with the Korean food we have in LA, but it was very good in its own right. The staff was very attentive and friendly and chatted with us throughout the meal. The owner's family was eating there too, and since some members of their party were being slightly rowdy, the owner's sister bought us an extra order of mandu for the trouble! We got to chat with her and with the owner. They seem very genuine about wanting customers to have a good experience. If I live close by next time I'm in town, I would definitely want to stop by again to try their other bulgogi meats! read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Spicy chicken bulgogi - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

Delicious Korean bbq short ribs. Service was wonderful. The young lady who took my order was very knowledgeable on what food I should get at a first timer. The place was Very clean and comfortable to enjoy. My order was to go but I will definitely be back. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Beef bbq - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

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Super friendly staff, the menu is super straight forward and they have a lot of options to pick from. As with everything in Downtown Monterey, it's all street parking. Got the spicy pork bulgogi and it was pretty good! From the time I placed my order to when I received it, it was probably around 5-10 minutes, and that's on a Saturday evening. Wasn't totally impressed with the banchan just based off of the variety and the portion sizes. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Spicy Pork Bulgogi - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

Take my review with a grain of salt. I grew up eating Korean food so it's difficult for me to eat at Korean restaurants unless it's really good and that usually means it's pretty expensive. Spicy Pork Bulgogi ($22): good actually but unremarkable to someone like me. read more

Came in right at opening during the weekend of the Monterey Bay Half Marathon. Restaurant staff are super friendly and personable. Food was good and we were offered extra starters to try. Restaurant itself had a homey vibe and the staff love to have conversations with you. Food was also really good, well balanced with some complimentary banchan. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Inside - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

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Finally got to try this place. Last time we were in town, went midweek not realizing it is closed on Wednesday.... But made it on the weekend. Met the owner who was nice, funny and friendly (we actually arrived a bit earlier than the opening hour for dinner and he opened up early so the little one didn't get restless or cold waiting outside). There is a high char option. Got to try the beef bulgogi with the banchan and it was delicious; the toddler scarfed down the meat and rice so it was a hit. Husband tried the spicy chicken bulgogi and he enjoyed it. We also tried the tea which was good... looking forward to our next trip there read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Beef bulgogi (includes banchan not in photo) - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

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Hidden Gem with Heart and Flavor! I stumbled upon this cozy little Korean BBQ spot and was instantly charmed. The staff were incredibly kind--even though they were short-staffed, they welcomed us in without hesitation. You could really feel the hospitality. As a Korean, I can honestly say the food reminded me of home. The bulgogi was rich, flavorful, and just like something my mom would make. A standout surprise? They let us try some dishes we didn't even order--fried oysters included, which were perfectly crispy and packed with flavor. The space is small but lovely, with a warm, family-style atmosphere that makes you feel cared for. Bonus: there's an ice cream shop just down the road, so you can finish the night with something sweet. Authentic, heartfelt, and delicious--I'll definitely be back! read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

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In town for (another) baseball tournament. We had a 5pm game and it was freezing! My son and I really wanted hot comforting food to warm our cold bodies and decided to try Bulgogi House. Pros- Emilio our server was awesome! He was super welcoming and provided really top notch service (note to owners- you're lucky to have him!) I was really impressed in how he interacted with the tables. The restaurant is super small, but it's still a lot of work for one person to manage the 4-5 tables they have plus the countertop area. The beef bowl had good flavor and our appetizer of pork katsu was also good. Not quite Korean, but comforting just the same. Cons- the ramyeon was basically instant ramen for $11 bucks. It did serve its purpose and it warmed us up on a cold night, but I can get a lot of instant ramen, even the more trendy and upscale (for lack of a better description) brands aren't that pricey for one serving! We did add an egg as well as the dumplings, so that made it nicer than just cooking the instant pack! Of course... it also increased the price too! My son did say that the dish is always instant ramen, but I still found it the most disappointing part of our dinner. read more

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Delicious food and such friendly service. Everything we ordered was so yummy. Just an overall warm and cozy vibe. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Chicken bulgogi - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

We had a wonderful experience here! The food and service was top notch. Katie was our server and she was delightful, attentive, and just overall amazing. We met the owner, Kevin, and he made the experience so fun and so personal for us. I can't wait to come here again! read more

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If you like it spicy, oh this is the place for you. The kimchi was fabulously spicy. Oh my goodness fabulous food. I'm so glad we stopped in. It's a small place, but the food is fabulous. Thank you Kevin. read more

Somewhat limited menu to keep It simple but it is definitely worth a visit because they taste great! Our favorites are the beef bulgogi and the kalbi ribs. Service is excellent! Our server was very pleasant and attentive. We had the chance to meet the owner and he, too, was friendly and chatty. We love supporting small businesses. The place is cozy and located along Alvarado. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Sides - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

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I celebrated a friend's birthday at this new to us, Korean restaurant. They have a somewhat limited menu however it is quite authentic, and some items are cooked with a high level of spicy which are not for the faint of heart. Having said that I opted for a little less spice, and after much discussion with our friendly server chose the beef with egg yolk bowl sans the raw egg. My friend ordered the chicken bowl. Both dishes arrived served over a bed of white rice with fresh seaweed, shredded carrots, scallions, and diced turnip. Very nice and flavorful Dup-Bahp. We were also served some flavorful kimchi, seaweed and fish cake as small appetiser's which whetted our appetites for the main entree. We had a nice chat with the owner, so it's a family owned business. Our server was very helpful and attentive. We both want to return and try more of the menu items on another occasion, and the prices for being located on Alvarado Street are very reasonable for this small place which rather reminds one of eating at someone's home. Our total with green tea with tax and tip came out to less than $50.00 read more

We certainly got our monies worth at this location. The food was very good and so was the service. I really enjoyed the Ramen and Mandu. My wife's food, the chicken bulgogi plate had very nice flavor to it. I enjoyed my spicy chicken bowl but the spice level was too spicy for me. I love spicy food but this chicken got the best of me. I still loved the food regardless. read more

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For dinner we decided to try this place out. This place is small and had about 4 tables for dine-in. My boyfriend ordered the chicken bowl and I ordered the beef w/egg yolk bowl. Both dishes were really tasty and they both came with 3 side dishes of banchan: kimchee, Korean broccoli and fish cakes. Overall, food was delicious but it was on the pricy side. Service was attentive and friendly. read more

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Doesn't look like much when you pass it because it's a small little restaurant in the middle of downtown. If you take two extra steps, you'll miss it! Even if you take those 2 extra steps, you'll still smell the delicious smell of Bulgogi. The menu is small. There aren't very many options but different types of Bulgogi. The prices were a little high but hey, it was about the experience. I would suggest to get some extra rice with any dish you get. The tea was delicious as well as the appetizers. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Ban Chan, Spicy chicken Bulgogi, Beef Bulgogi, Mandu, Kalbi - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

It was pouring on Christmas eve, my family and I were hungry as one could be and we found this place while driving around for parking. We stepped into this place and even before we sat down the female table host took all of 3mins to tell us that they can only serve food/we can only sit till the closing time!!!!!!! The efficient way would have been to double up on that via service by bringing us the menu and then saying so politely. -1* there! When we asked for room temperature water (tap water - drink local, local water is regulated!), she said there's no room temperature water and that hot water is sold for $1!!!!! -2* there!! When my family decided what they wanted and I had a clarifying question about a modification on the menu, the female table host spoke not so nicely and said she cannot offer a modification. The chef who was listening said he would be able to; she came back and said "I will charge you for the same price as chicken but we can modify it!" Why the heck would I pay for a modified veg dish and be spoken to rudely!!! Several *** lost there! Can't speak to the ambiance cause we didn't stay long. But if service and tone also speaks to ambiance, it wasn't great. We walked out and walked into the next door burger place to meet a really nice table host and have really good food! The ONLY good this I saw here is that the chef came out in the rain and gave a homeless man something to eat. bless his heart. Not recommending this place if you are vegetarian and would like room temp water! read more

The kimchi jjigae here is comfort in a bowl. The broth is rich and tangy, with just the right amount of spice. The tofu and pork belly were tender and flavorful, and the portion was filling. It's the perfect dish for a chilly day. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

Great place, I stopped by and they were short staffed but the owner/chef did a great job anyway. He was super friendly and the food was fantastic. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Spicy bulgogi - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

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Incredible place. VERY UNDERRATED! I'll start with the looks of the place, it's small but they have a great little bar and a couple tables and tv usually showing sports games. In the bar they carry soju ! The owner is usually behind the bar, very nice older gentleman. The waiter which is some young kid that's in high school is amazing, knows how to carry himself and brighten up the room with his great service. What we ordered was spicy ramen, with chicken wonton and egg, which honestly is 11/10! !. It's so good tastes like authentic ramen. Second was their spicy chicken plate and chicken bulgogi which was a solid 8/10. The price is good for everything we paid 65$ ! And we didn't finish all the food !! read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - a table full of asian food - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

I'm previously from the Bay Area, and have been to a good number of Korean restaurants. This food was NOT good. We ordered the ramen and the spicy pork bulgogi. First off the ramen tastes (and very well might be) essentially like dollar pack ramen with just a few added ingredients. The spicy pork was much more bland, and though it was served on a stone/iron plate, there was hardly any sizzle or color to the meat. The pork seems to be more steamed than bbq. It was disappointing. read more

Came here for dinner and had a great time. This was an easy walk from our hotel and everything was delicious! I had the beef bulgogi dinner and my husband had the spicy chicken. Both were wonderful. Our server was really attentive and bubbly and seemed to really enjoy working there. Definitely recommend and it seems like it would be a terrific spot for lunch as well. read more

The service was nice and the food was delicious. I'd recommend going there if you like Korean food.

Jmy wife and I wanted to try this place because of the nice reviews. Unfortunately, bad idea. We went inside, it was okay. Saw another table with four people, and noticed their food (main plate) with small servings. My wife told me about it. The server told us that they don't have eggs because it's expensive and hard to find now (eggs are available in Costco, Target, Walmart, etc.). Weird reason. Then I ordered main plate spicy pork and spicy pork rice bowl. The server said they might not have the spicy pork and confirmed it with an Asian guy (maybe chef or owner). The guy told us they don't have enough spicy pork prepared for the day. Really? It's a Saturday, and noon time. Meaning, nothing for dinner too? Crazy! Why not post it outside the restaurant or put a note on your menu that there's no more spicy pork. Well, off we go to Toribashi, and they got eggs there for their Ramen. read more

Small cozy restaurant in downtown area. Simple menu with a limited offerings. We ordered 2 entrees: Galbi- Korean short rib and Beef Bulgogi. They both were delicious but I prefer the Galbi as usual. They came on a bed of cabbage instead of onion which I much prefer. The Bulgogi did have mushrooms and veggies mixed in that my husband did not care for. The banchan were yummy with tofu and fish cakes. It is on the pricier side but worth a try! Service was friendly and personable. I would recommend they add soft tofu soup as it's great in cold weather and something I crave in the winter. Price is comparable to restaurants in the area. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Top: Beef Bulgogi $25 Bottom: Galbi (short rib) $29 on cabbage instead of onions - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

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Had to sample some Spicy Pork Bulgogi at Bulgogi House and did not leave disappointed. The spicy pork came out sizzling hot and tasted great. A bit pricey for the portion size but with inflation everywhere else seems to suffer from the same issue. All that being said, I'll definitely be back and recommend. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Spicy Pork Bulgogi - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

We always go to our favorite Korean restaurant in Marina, Because of car week we end up trying this place since reviews were good but after trying this we realized the reviews were primarily from tourists. This by far is the WORST Korean place I've been too. Service was OK, server treated us like it was our 1st time at a Korean place. Menu is limited, we had the kalbi which had little meat but was tasty but the pale chicken was awful. They only served 3 types of banchan (ALL the other places serve 10-12 sides) Kimchi was average Tofu-ugh Seaweed salad-serving was so small we could count the strands served, taste was ok. 2 thumbs down over all. Will not ever return. Marina has the best Korean restaurant in town. Can't beat the ones in the East Bay or SF area. read more

Ok first, I LOVE the simple menu. It's less overwhelming and it also gives me confidence that everything is more likely to be fresh. I don't know why more restaurants don't do this. And the food did end up being great! We got two main plates -- spicy chicken and spicy pork and really liked both of them. The pork was extremely thinly sliced and really tender and delicious. Chicken was also tasty. Both plates came with a cup of rice and also banchan which was very fresh. The only thing I found to be less than stellar was the seaweed salad which wasn't bad but kind of reminded me of one I've gotten from Costco. The service was excellent - very friendly and helpful. It's a somewhat small and cozy place but there's plenty of seating since there are lots of bar seats and the tables are spaced out nicely. Overall we really enjoyed it and will be back! read more

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So we're looking for some Korean in Monterey, so checked yelp and this small five or six table restaurant came up. This is a very good addition to the downtown area, as there are not to many Korean restaurants in Monterey. We ordered Bulgogi and Spicy Pork. It was a good amount of meat with ample onions and cabbage. Both entrees came with three sides of bonchon which included kimchee, tofu, and fish cake. I was impressed with the kimchee, very fresh and flavorful. ( They even gave us a little more bonchon when we asked, which was nice. Bulgogi was good and tender, but was not super flavorful. The Spicy Pork was nice and spicy without being too sweet, and was pretty flavorful. First Date Place, probably not, this is more of we have known each other for awhile and I know what you like and don't like. Food 4 of 5 stars. Very good meal we were both happy with the amount and general flavor, but would have liked a little more Umami or extra flavor to the dish. Service 5 of 5: Prompt service. Atmosphere 4 of 5: small five table restaurant nice and clean with high ceilings Value 4 of 5: pretty standard price for Korean food served with Bonchon. If it had more flavor or came with more bonchon, it might be a 5 of 5. read more

A very cozy restaurant with delicious food. The staff were friendly and the service was quick. The menu is small but well balanced. I went with my husband and we tried the beef and spicy pork bulgogis. I wish they came with one more banchan because they were all so good! The kimchi was very fresh and had just a little kick. 4.5 stars overall read more

Kevin is very nice, food here is yummy and legit. from banchan to beef bulgogi, I enjoyed them all love the friendly staff! Will visit again when I'm in town! read more

Really delicious bulgogi!! Prices were a bit higher than expected. For 3 people with medium-small appetites, we ordered a ramyeon ($10 for just instant ramen) plus kalbi and chicken bulgogi. Would recommend this place though! read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

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The owner specializes in key Korean dishes, so the menu is not exhausting to look at. Great portions, even better flavors, and friendly service from the owner and staff. Sapporo beer is on draft and the venue offers bottled Korean beer, soju, and spirits. The locale has limited seating, but each guest gets well taken care of. Don't pass this up when you're on Alvarado Street in downtown Monterey, CA. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

Food overall was good. Service was amazing. The waitress not only waited tables but would be in the back, knocking out the dishes Ambiance was nice! Little small cozy spot. Not very big inside. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - Chicken Bulgogi was amazing. I highly recommend this dish - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

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Super clean and authentic Korean BBQ. Kimchi was delicious and so was the beef rice bowl was tasty! read more

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We sat at the bar area, so we were able to witness the cook prepare our food. Their kitchen station was nice and clean, which already is a good sign. We ordered the spicy chicken bulgogi and mandu. The quantity of food was more than expected, so my boyfriend and I could split the chicken and mandu with an additional side of rice. These both tasted amazing and to top it off, our server was very attentive and friendly even though he was the only server for all the tables. It's a great restaurant, though small, but in downtown Monterey, that's expected. I would recommend this to anyone who's having a craving for Korean. For a Saturday night, the speed of service was quick. read more

Bulgogi House Monterey - spicy chicken bulgogi - Barbeque Near Me - Monterey, California

Newly open establishment located in the heart of downtown Monterey. Limited seating but has a cozy atmosphere with the owner as the main chef. A local Korean who grew up in the area, he is very friendly and accommodating. The menu is simple and if you don't like meat, they also offer Korean ramen. Complimentary banchan is provided but they do charge for refills. read more

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On one of the coldest days we can remember in the last 8 years of living in Monterey, my husband and I decided to try this new restaurant which opened last weekend. Bulgogi House has taken over the space that Sushi Fly vacated. It's a smallish space --four tables and a wrap-around bar. I appreciate the simplicity and cleanliness of the decor. Having never eaten in a Korean restaurant, I was happy for the descriptions and pictures of the food our server Emilio shared with us. The menu, too, is simple and satisfying. Bulgogi House offers plates of one of several meats which come with rice and three small sides, bowls (a meat over rice), and noodle bowls. The sides that come with the plates include items such as cucumbers, tofu, kimchee, and green beans. There are a few extra sides such as mandu. We decided to try a plate with kalbi (thinly sliced short ribs) and a ramen noodle bowl. We added an egg and (3) mandu to the bowl. Kevin, the owner and cook, also offered us a taster plate of different bulgogi to try--chicken, beef, and spiced pork. I understand they may offer that taster plate as an appetizer. We really enjoyed the variety of flavors and contrast of temperatures--spicy pork, cool cucumbers, sticky rice. All the food was delicious and the flavors were well-balanced. Emilio told us the spicy ramen was "just right if you like spicy food." We agree. While we were there, we noticed a few other customers come in to order the spicy pork bowl or plate to go. If you have a hankering for flavorful and satisfying comfort food, visit Kevin and Emilio at Bulgogi house. read more

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