Ordered the spicy pork and beef bulgogi quesadillas. Food came out within 10 mins, tortillas were fresh and toasted, meat was juicy and flavorful, and the cheese melted nicely. It came out to $20 plus tax which is extremely reasonable for the area and for how loaded the quesadillas were with meat. All in all, I give this truck 5 stars! They must have improved their quality since some of these older reviews. read more

I saw this food truck nearby and wondered if this truck comes around here often. Sometimes, I don't like these moving targets that I cannot check-in to because the origin of this truck is in Santa Monica. Approaching this truck at this late hour after the lunch rush, I'm wondering if they're ready to close up. I looked over the menu and had a few questions. I kept on moving from left to right until I saw two people sitting in the cab of the truck. They see me and jump to their feet like soldiers about to salute a higher ranking officer. Yet, it was just me. I begin to ask, which is better, Mongolian BBQ or Korean BBQ? The guy said Korean BBQ. For the Korean BBQ, which is better, the beef or the spicy pork? He said the beef is more popular. So the beef it is. How spicy do you want it? Sometimes I can handle spicy but today I requested for mild. Wait about five minutes and my order is ready. It's certainly a heavy plate caring it to a table I can just hoover this quickly. A nice helping of rice topped with beef and some vegetables is a portion fit for lunch. Something to hold me over for a late dinner for sure. Wish there was more kimchee but the macaroni salad was enough to put me into a food coma. read more

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Beef Burrito (4/5) I wouldn't compare this against a carne asada burrito, just like how you wouldn't compare a carne asada burrito against a sushi burrito. I definitely cut this burrito some slack because it's more or less sweeten bulgogi meat combined with a korean salad, rolled into a burrito. As long as that's what your expectations are, this for the most part, hits the spot. I've read some commentary regarding the saucing, and I honestly think their expectations is unrealistic. I'd be appalled if my bulgogi meat didn't taste of sauce, it's a critical element of bulgogi. It's like churros without sugar or cinnamon. I find this burrito is pretty tasty, light and refreshing. It tastes as described above. It taste nothing like a carne asada burrito, but I'd say, there are days you crave pure carne asada savory with a possible habanero kick, and there are other days you might crave a bulgogi burrito, some days you might even crave a salad. That being said, they should probably rename this burrito from "beef burrito" to "bulgogi burrito" to better align patron's expectations, because if I was expecting a "beef" burrito, I'd typically expect carne asada. read more

Food is just not good here. Flavor, texture and quality is just all wrong. Had the pork and beef tacos, wish I hadn't. They also charge $10 for spam musubi. I best be getting a whole can of spam for that price. read more

Calbi Truck - Beef and Pork Tacos - Food Trucks Near Me

Every time we go out of town we try our best to visit at least one food truck since we all know food trucks are awesome and it's usually where all the hidden goodies are at. Calbi Truck had such awesome reviews and so that is what helped us make our decision. There were about 10 food trucks parked on the side of Palisades Park and Calbi Truck caught our eye. I absolutely love Korean food and I was really excited to see a food truck that was Korean inspired. So my husband and my son decided to buy these sliders that actually tasted okay. My opinion of the sauce that they put in their sliders did not go together with the meat, it was actually a little off. I'm not too sure what the sauce was, but it was not agreeing with my taste buds. I ended up ordering a plate with the Calbi beef with rice. The beef had a good flavor to it, but for some reason it didn't taste fresh. I felt like the meat might have been sitting there for quite some time. The workers that were in the truck were definitely a 5 star rating as they were extremely polite and very helpful. I wish I could give more than 2 stars as they were really great people, but the food wasn't that good. Everyone has their own taste buds, so I can only speak on behalf of myself and what my husband and son told me so you should definitely try the place out for yourself because you may love it. read more

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I tried the chicken fusion tacos. BAD choice. Food was served pretty fast, maybe TOO fast. I go to grab my taco out of the tray & my tortilla nearly bends & breaks. This ONLY happens when tortillas aren't warmed up before serving. Who serves you cold tortillas? Un-warmed tortillas don't hold up well or taste good. read more

Only ordered and ate from here after walking around and not finding any thing other than burgers and fries at the Santa Monica pier. I had such a bad experience here. On the menu, they offered tacos, bowls, fries and rice balls. My bf and I ordered the rice BALLS, And a order of fries. The owner assumed I said BOWLS, and charged us $31. I was shocked at the price and I asked, I ordered the balls, it said right here 2 rice balls for $8 how did the entire order come out to be $31? He got out of the truck and proceeded to teach me an english lesson. REALLY? He proceeded to teach me how to say BALL and pronounced it BELL and his version of BALL is "bowl". REALLY NOW? Don't put it in your menu if you can't really pronounce it right.. Calbi fries were just regular fries and we were not offered ketchup. Ugh I hate writing bad reviews but this is definitely one of them. read more

Calbi Truck - Terrayaki rice ball - Food Trucks Near Me

Got the beef burrito as one of their burrito recommendations. The burrito was super soggy from all the sauce they probably packed in with the beef and the rice was kinda hard which made me a little sad because the burrito was essentially really saucy hard rice with beef, beans, and some veggies. I guess it was okay but wasn't really my thing. read more

Calbi Truck - Beef burrito - Food Trucks Near Me

Chicken bowl- Macaroni salad had liquid in it, chicken was extremely dry and old, they were stingy with the sauce, the egg was overcooked and the yolk was completely dry and bland, and to top it all off, the entire thing was $11..... Feel sick after eating here. Won't be coming back. read more

I paid $10 for the Philly cheesesteak and received meat with cheese on a bun. I apearntly had to ask for the onions and they didn't have any green peppers. I was going to give at least two stars, but after biting into it... It turned out it really did suck 00.25/10 read more

Calbi Truck - Really plain - Food Trucks Near Me

I originally tried to order a spicy tuna sushi burrito, but they were out of spicy tuna. So I asked for a chicken burrito, but make it fusion-y: add avocado, rice, kimchee, etc. The burrito I got was very, very bland. It wasn't spicy at all; they gave me sriracha on the side. The main flavor was the stir-fried cabbage and whatever kind of seasoning they used on the chicken. I was truly disappointed. Now this burrito is sitting like a rock in my stomach. Next time I'll return to Jogasaki or Kogi if I'm feeling like sushi burrito or something similar. Bleah. read more

For the chicken tacos. Medium spice. Microwaved tortillas ripped and so soggy. Chicken not grilled but had a slimy texture to it and really bad taste. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese?? Some wilted lettuce. It's 80 today huge line for all food trucks except the one. I can see why. I didn't ask for money back because I want to support local business. Just switched it out for ginger ale and a bag of chips. Another note. Last note. No prices on truck - every other food truck has prices listed 2 small chicken tacos for $7.75 Disgusting and a rip off. Stay away read more

Food Trucks draw me to them like a fat kid loves cake and probably much more. We were about to leave Santa Monica and were just off the pier and started checking out the trucks along the sidewalk. There were about 8 or so ranging from Italian, Mexican, Gourmet Burgers, I think there was even a Brazilian truck too. After my eyes and stomach wondered side to side trying to figure out what to buy, I finally set my eyes on the Calbi truck and it was one particular food item that just stood out, Calbi Beef Sliders. We ordered Calbi Beef Sliders, Spicy Pork Sliders and a Calbi Beef Plate. My son ate the Spicy Pork Sliders and he loved them, he wouldn't rate them but since he devoured it I would say at least 4 stars. I ate the Calbi Beef Sliders, I was extremely happy to try this and then I felt such disappointment. They use regular generic hamburger buns which were soft but weren't right for the slider at all. The beef was really good but it was hard to enjoy because they piled on the lettuce and tomatoes and a sauce that just didn't complement the flavors of the beef. With each bite it felt like two power houses fighting for ultimate supreme on my tongue, 2 stars... My wife loved the Calbi Beef Plate that came with rice, kimchi salad and a macaroni salad. She loved her food so I had to grab a quick taste, now this is what I think is worth at least 4 stars. I could do away with the kimchi salad, maybe even the macaroni salad but that Calbi Beef over steamed white rice was almost immaculate. I saw some other items on the menu that intrigued me like Calbi Beef Nachos, as long as they do not drench the beef in an awkward sauce I think it will be very good. I still say if you are in the area, give them a try, they have some potential to be really, really good. read more

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I definitely had a positive experience here at the Calbi Truck. Having lived in South Korea for a period of time, my kimchi and KBBQ game is prettyyyyy accurate and it was refreshing to taste kimchi again after a few years. I had the Korean BBQ Beef Plate. It was filling, but not to heavy. Brown rice option for no additional charge with kimchi and side salad. $11. Enjoy! Hopefully I get a chance to check out their quesadilla and/or burritos. read more

We were down in Santa Monica on a Saturday night. Saw the Calbi Truck and it was delicious! They took a reasonable amount time to prepare and give me my food. I got a bowl that had tomatoes, egg, chicken, and a bunch of of other things. It was delicious and very filling! My boyfriend got food from another truck and wish he had Calbi's! It was reasonably priced. Convenient. Delicious. When I'm in the area, we will definitely be back. read more

Calbi Truck - Food Trucks Near Me

I got the tacos (2 for $6.50 incl. tax). I opted for the beef and pork. They were pretty good and large. I was expecting skinny portions but it didn't disappoint. The meat was marinated and cooked well. It comes with lettuce and cheese for topping. The corn tortillas were able to hold up to the task. I will say the meat was salty but that's pretty common for these kinds of tacos and I don't like overly salty foods. They have tons of drink selections as well along with other types of foods such as quesadillas, burritos, and fries. The lady that worked there was friendly and the food came out pretty quick. Some girls next to me had to cancel their fry order and the lady was very cordial about it. She gave them the cash back right away. I would recommend this place. read more

Ate there at a school fundraiser so I can appreciate the willingness to support schools, but the compliments end there. Friendly workers on the truck, but the food isn't good. Got the monster fries and chicken rice bowl. The sauce is super sweet, so instead of tasting anything like Korean, it tastes like maple syrup. The flavoring on the food is either bland or off. If you're a food truck these days, you missed the trend. At least have good food because the only way you're going to make money is to use your truck as a moving billboard and create enough fanfare/profit to open a brick and mortar. Calbi is a Mexican-Korean hybrid that misses the mark. read more

My kids were hungry as we were heading to eat dinner, so we stopped at this food truck to something to hold them over. We came to right place! We got some fries that were fresh, unlike fast food restaurants that re-fry their fries. They were seasoned perfectly and they didn't assume we wanted ketchup. Good thing, because my 3 y/o hates ketchup. They put the ketchup on a separate container. Furthermore, the man and the women were so friendly. They talked to my kids the whole time. When my 3 y/o tipped him, the man accepted it and then gave the dollar back along WITH a bag if cookies. So sweet! This made our evening. I love personalized service! Thanks!!! read more

Calbi used to be delicious, but what happened? My last visit was disappointing, but since I've been a fan for years, I thought it must be a fluke and gave them one last try today. Nope. Never again. The chicken burrito has morphed from a crisp BBQ chicken with kimchi, egg, lettuce, cheese, rice, avocado, beans into a sauce smothered mess of boiled chicken, underripe avocado, and a sad shred of kimchi. The fish tacos? Even worse. The fish was not fresh. I ordered two and threw one away while wiping tears from my face. So long Calbi, I will never see you again. read more

Let me just start off by saying that I'm a cook myself so it might sound like I'm being a little harsh, but to get a good review in my book your food has to at least taste fresh. I can only speak for their tacos because that is all I've tried, but if their tacos were any indication of what the rest of their food is like, I'm definitely never coming back. We were in Santa Monica for Labor Day and saw this truck on the way to the pier so we decided to stop for a bite to eat. I love Korean food and Mexican food so this fusion truck sounded like it was right up my alley. I thought this would be something like the Kogi truck, but it doesn't even come close. I knew that when my order came out only a minute after I ordered, that it wasn't going to be good. You know the saying, "You eat with your eyes first?" They didn't even look good enough to eat. Cold tortilla, cold meat, lettuce, cheese, sriracha. Instead of making their own sauce they just squeezed what tasted like a fake sriracha over the tacos. My ten year old cousin could have made better tacos. There was really no inspiration/imagination in these tacos. The meat was over marinated and too salty for my taste. Also, beef and pork in our tacos did not taste the freshest, the beef was dry and crumbly and it was not juicy at all. It was precooked and then barely reheated for our tacos, which would have been fine if it hadn't tasted like it was sitting around for a couple of days. All in all I was very disappointed and we definitely wasted our money coming here. read more

Wow, this food truck was such a waste of money. The burrito had basically just meat and rice, not much of anything for $9. The rice wasn't even cooked. No taste to the burrito. read more

I was excited to see a new truck by my job so I decided to try it despite the reviews. That was my mistake. I ordered the Korean BBQ beef plate and it was bad. The beef was thick, chewy and dry. To top it all off, there was a hair in it. The side salads were just as lame with dry, old veggies and no dressing. That was the worst $11 I've ever spent. If you're craving something like Kogi, this truck will not hit the spot. read more

In the arena of the overpopulation of overpriced, under-regulated food trucks, I would say pass on Calbi Truck. The people who work here are very nice, and the food comes out pretty quickly. Unfortunately, it's just not very good. At all. The meat was either old, burnt, or both--it had a funky taste and was incredibly dry. Rice was mushy and waterlogged, there was way too much cheese (given that this was a burrito). There is nothing to justify it being the same price as a Chipotle burrito... and to make matters worse, it gave me an upset stomach afterward, and I only ate half of it! read more

Great food truck with amazing variety of selections! They are usually quick with the orders but sometimes can take awhile depending on what I get. Its one of those mom and pop kind of trucks with two old korean couple owning it. Been stopping by for years at santa monica! Love the shrimp tacos and those monster fries. * hahaha wasnt sure which one was the correct yelp account for calbi but copied and pasted my reviews for both :) * read more

The spicy tuna sushi burrito wegot yesterday gave my daughter food poisoning. Don't get that shit.

It's not bad, but there are better options. Veggies were mushy and too much bland Korean bbq sauce.

I was very disappointed with the quality of the burrito that I purchased for lunch today. I ordered a tofu burrito and the tofu was disgusting, it had definitely gone bad or was left sitting out for too long. The rotten tofu ruined the whole thing for and I had to toss it out. read more

Since Bool sold out last year and the food went downhill, I was hoping for some good bulgogi tacos and burrito from Calbi in DTLA. Bottom line is that the food is edible. The flavors are not that great. Not the worst choice I could have made but kind of wishing the beef quality was a little higher (not so fatty and chewy). You could do worse. read more

The burritos here are delicious, but you definitely need to add the rice and beans to make it worth it! Owners are very friendly too.

Review is base on business. Prices are definitely wrong on the trucks. Was charged a dollar extra and wasn't informed. And a b rating from health department. I just hate being lied too. read more

If you want a crappy Chicken cobb salad on lukewarm flour tortilas and some Sriracha sauce for $7, by all means, go here. If you actually want to eat tacos, don't go here. It's crap. The service was slow even though there was no line. In summary, avoid this truck. read more

Just ate here! Visiting from Seattle and had to try this place. I'm a fan of fusion, have a favorite truck back home. Ordered a pork and a beef taco. Both were great, really liked the pork though. The beef was a little dry. The ladies working there were all really nice! I'd recommend Calbi! read more

I've probably had everything on the menu and I would recommend it to everyone especially over the overpriced burgers at the pier s located right on Ocean Avenue before you enter the Santa Monica pier the people are very nice and the food is amazing nice blend of Asian cuisine mixed with a little Mexican fusion! I'll probably eat there tomorrow as well.. I'm already planning out my next order lol read more

Don't want to be mean but I would definitely not buy food from here again. I got the beef plate and didn't even finish it because it made me feel like throwing up. The lady cooking is nice but the food is a no from me. read more

We were down in Santa Monica Pier for the 4th of July last night, I ordered the Bibibamp with beef and a shrimp quesadilla , my gf ordered a shrimp burrito, I asked for some hot sauce and the 1st girl told me they had none... so I asked her partner and she said they did but to give her a minute she had to get on the phone and argue with her mother... so waited a minute, and asked the 1st girl again... and she said something about thinking we meant the "sealed hot sauces" but w/e , we said we just wanted some hot sauce, she goes to the back for a minute and comes back with 1 lidless penny sized container with a drip of hot sauce in it... oookkk.... we ask for 1 more... and dig in... the bibibamp is okay 5/10, the shrimp quesadilla tastes like they just slapped some tiny shrimp on a rubbery tasting cheese & tortilla 1/10, my girl's burrito had 3 shrimps in it and was just mostly rubbery cheese, all for a whooping $40, I stupidly even gave them a $5 tip which I regret, they dont deserve it, they clearly dont have any love or respect for the food they make and the people they serve, the girls working there clearly dont want to be there. read more

We were walking around by the pier and came across this truck. We tried the sliders- one beef and one chicken. The chicken was great but the beef was amazing! The sauce, slaw and beef flavors were melt in your mouth excellent! The chicken was good but if I had to do over I would stick with the beef on both which is saying a lot because I typically pick chicken over beef for everything. read more

I gave Calbi a shot since my go-to place Backpackers was not opening for another 30 min. Had a chicken Burrito - it was horrible. Chicken was in large chunks and overcooked. The rice was under cooked. The Kimchi was freezing cold. Please avoid this truck, not appetizing at all. Only plus about this place is that the servings are huge (at least the burrito was). read more

The descriptions of the food on the menu is terrible and the staff did nothing to clarify. We ordered a hot dog that was labeled as just "hot dog". Should be a safe bet for a kid, right? It had spicy toppings and my son could barely eat it. I ordered a burrito that says nothing about being spicy, and a few bites in my tongue was on fire. I'm sensitive to spicy food, so if something says spicy, I always ask about how spicy it is. The Mongolian bbq was very very bland. All of the food was disappointing. read more

The owner is super nice! And delicious but obviously very rich fries. I think it's a decent deal. I recommend the Monster Fries for anyone who's either really hungry or planning on sharing. This is the one in the USC area. read more

This place looks like it would be good, but is actually pretty mediocre. We had tacos, quesadillas and a shrimp rice bowl. We had shrimp,beef, pork and chicken tacos, all of which were made with too much sauce and a soggy lettuce mix. The pork quesadillas were alright but super basic, the chicken quesadillas were dry. As for the shrimp bowl, the seasoning was good but the shrimp itself was not fresh at all. Also they advertise that they serve Korean fusion, but it tastes like they have never even tasted Korean food before. read more