What a nice restaurant full of nice people. We went early on a Thursday evening. I took an acquaintance who I had not eaten out with before. I have to say that she was a little condescending and rude. The staff were nothing but gracious. They were so kind and helpful. The quality of meat that they brought was amazing. The sauces and sides were all high-quality and delicious. They have the three tier system, and we got the top tier. Plus some rice, cheesy corn, and lettuce leaves. They were so attentive and constantly coming to the table asking if we would like more. I would recommend this for quality of food, quality of service, and cleanliness of the restaurant. read more

I visited Champs hoping that they weren't too busy like the other KBBQ spots in Convoy. Other than the parking situation, we were seated in no time and were met with really fast service! They have three levels to their AYCE. Champion is the highest tier, followed by the Power menu, and then the Winner. We went for their power menu and this is their best value as stated on the menu. It did still feel quite limited with everything they offered, and the portions were small but enough for my family. Sides were great! Their steamed egg is fluffy and their kimchi was fresh. I didn't enjoy the kimchi fried rice as much in the end, but it makes a cool table side service for the end. I enjoyed their Galbi though they only give you two pieces. I did like their seafood options as well, the marinade was great! Their ventilation is by far the best I've ever experienced, as I smelled the least like kbbq smoke afterwards. I am not a big fan of their griddle, as the cleanup took longer than switching a plate out and some meats were essentially not cooking properly because of the sauce buildup. Overall, I'd come to Champs again out of convenience but I do prefer other Kbbq restaurants in the area a little more. That being said, the service is fast here! read more

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Service was great, staff were quick to deliver orders, pick up dirty plates. A lot of tables, plenty of parking too but it does share with other stores in the plaza. We visited on a Monday after 12 noon, so plenty of spaces, I bet it can be tight during rush dinner time. We tried the lunch special and it was more than enough for what we wanted. We left happy and full. Quality is great, they do not have the usual grill, its a flat stone that is slightly tilted for the grease to drop, although it can get very oily if you don't push the extra grease on the edge, you can also ask them to clean it off. Overall, good experience. This was our first time here and great find for us! read more

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We came here after trying to go to 3 other Korean bbq places. This place was not busy at all and we walked in and were sat when our last person showed up. Apparently once you sit down there is a 2 hour limit. Once our last person arrived, we ordered our waters, and our food. We ended up trying everything pretty much. The sides were small and not plenty. However, we could order other sides were as much as you want. The meats were good. Nothing salty. Price was ok. I guess for this area it was cheaper. I'd come back read more

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Found this place on Yelp on our way towards Legoland and it did not disappoint! Mind you, we had 5 young kids in tow so we needed the space and options for all kids. They took us with no wait at dinner time and we had a large area to ourselves. Not to mention everything was delicious! We're a meat-eating family and we enjoyed everything we ordered. Our favorite is the beef belly and all the galbi options. Everything you love about AYCE, you can find here. From sauces, to sides, to radish wraps, it was a slam dunk. Servers are educated and will answer any questions you have without hesitation. They checked in often and never left us waiting for service. If we're ever in San Diego, we won't hesitate to come back! read more

Champs Korean BBQ - sides provided - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here for a dinner with a couple of friends and was impressed with the service. The quality of meat and the portion sizes of the side dishes didn't wow us but it was decent for the price. The grill was also not strong enough to cook the meat in a decent amount of time and evenly even though the heat was turned up high. Parking is very limited as this is located in Convoy in a plaza surrounded by other popular establishments so be prepared to walk far or circle around the lot a couple times. Overall, the service and cleanliness/ample seating was impressive in this restaurant, but the portions and cooking grill could be improved. read more

My friends and I were told about this spot so we wanted to try it. We came around 6pm on a Thursday excited and really hungry! Parking isn't the best but it's Convoy... what's to expect. When we got inside, it wasn't busy and there were about 3 tables. I'm giving it a 3.5 due to the service, and a 3 for the grill-- it just wasn't the best for us even with the fire setting being on the highest it could be. We were really hungry and already knew what we wanted since we all looked at the menus ahead of time. We tried our best not to overwhelm the servers with our orders, first orders were dropped off at timely manner. They would ask if we were missing anything and we would notify them that we were so they would leave and someone would come back and items were still missing or we were given the wrong item. Example, we asked for garlic, and they gave us onions, and we asked for extra sides/seasonings and never got them until we asked a different staff. When we were ready to order more proteins, it took awhile to get a staffs attention since they were far while we were seated by the wall area. And there was no way of getting their attention since they lack a call button. One of us would have to either get up from our seats or raise our hands to flag down a server. Now, as for the grilling of the meat, the grill at first was nice and hot, but waiting for the meat to have that slight crisp or sear to it wasn't the best and we ordered the thinly sliced meats. Our second order of meats we had the galbi, and the prime steak... those were terrible choices when it came to grilling, because it just sat in its juices without searing it well. We thought maybe the grill wasn't just hot enough. So we would leave it to try to let it sear longer, instead it started to just sit in its juices making the meat just boil. It took awhile for it to get into the proper doneness we each liked. The meat would end up too chewy and just hard to eat because of the way it cooked on the grill. No proper doneness no matter how long we let it sit on the grill. So, our third order of meats we had to just stick to the thinner slice meats so that it would still be okay to eat and give a decent amount of cook time. As for the sides, the corn cheese was delicious, kimchi is decent (more on the sour side if you like that), and their kimchi tofu stew was yummy. At least I can cross this place out of my KBBQ list. We were so hunry, I realize I didn't take a pic of the meats we ordered. read more

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12-05-25 Lunch Special, $29 (Winner). We tasted many items. These two were not our favorite: -Teriyaki Beef Belly- heavily covered in sauce. -Wagyu Beef- sweet due to overly seasoned. Liked: -Spicy Squid -Baby Octopus -Beef Belly -Beef Brisket -Garlic Butter Shrimp -Deonjang Jjigae -Spicy Chicken- tender delicious! -Steamed Egg- creamy. -Budae Kimchi- full of hidden surprises. Loved the broth! -Dumpling- tasty and crispy. Service: Good service. My three friends and I enjoyed our experience here. read more

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This is my favorite Korean BBQ spot in San Diego. The meat quality was excellent, I liked all the sides and the corn cheese was perfect. I tried the middle tier. It had a good mix selection. The staff was efficient and quick. I will be coming back here to try the top tier. read more

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Took my guy here for his birdday and we had such a great time! They definitely had the best grills we've ever seen at a kbbq place. Staff was friendly and very attentive about refilling water and changing the grill out. We did Power level. I may have been a little too obsessed with the cucumbers they brought out, but I loved them haha. Meat was good. Mostly average, but there were some better quality meats that we had like the galbi. The sides were hit or miss. I liked the Japchae, Zucchini, and Rice Paper (although this was way too small in size). I didn't like the Kimchi or Radish Wraps. The soy bean paste was the WORST my guy and I have ever had in our lives. We definitely expected something more for the Kimchi Friend Rice since it was the "grand finale," but it was nothing special and tasted average at best. Would still come back tho because it was a nice time overall. read more

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There's three different AYCE tiers to choose from and a discounted happy hour on weekdays, too. This was as basic as it could be with low quality meats. The service was fantastic, though. It was probably the best service at an AYCE KBBQ that I've ever experienced. Everyone seemed to work well together. The ordering process, delivery to the table, cleaning and everything else was quick and easy. There was never a time that a server had to be flagged down for. This wouldn't be a place I would crave for but the service itself made our experience great. read more

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So many kbbq choices to choose from in the convoy area. Decided to try this since its new and also we always see the big signage whenever driving on convoy. Someone told me its a sister restaurant to Olleh across the street but not sure of the validity of that. This place is pretty good and comparable to its price point. we came here close to 10pm so i cant really gauge how busy it can get. We came on a friday night during their "happy hour". Mon-Sat, after 9pm, its about $4 off. Decided on the "winner" choice and stuck to beef belly and beef brisket. Both cuts of meat were equally good. They do use the flatstone so it does take a little longer for it to heat up, but once its evenly hot, then the meat doesn't take long to cook. I enjoyed the corn cheese and steam egg. The soy bean paste was also a favorite. The staff are attentive and checked on us often. The place was relatively clean. Not sure how the bathrooms were since we didn't use it. There is a parking lot but its shared with other businesses so it can probably get packed during peak hours. Most kbbq places have the vents running so the smell doesn't stick on you, but not here. Just fair warning, you will definitely coming out smelling like meat sweats. They also have high chairs for the little ones. read more

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Food (Winner Option): Overall - Nothing really stood out from the food or the restaurant itself, especially considering the area has so many other KBBQ options. That said, it was still decent. Meats - Pretty typical, nothing was a standout, but still enjoyable. The grill they use removes the usual smoky flavor and experience, which could be a pro or con depending on your preference. There are air ventilation fans above, but they weren't turned on. I guess since the grill doesn't create much smoke anyway, it doesn't matter. Personally, I love wrapping the meat with jalapeños and garlic. Kimchi Jjigae - Small, spicy, and flavorful. It was okay. Corn Cheese - Good portion, cheesy, hot, and flavorful. Sides - The cucumbers were so good. There were also some spicy greens that were tasty. The Korean corn potato salad was good too. Korean potato salads are a little on the sweeter side! Fishcakes and macaroni were pretty standard. Kimchi - I personally didn't love the taste of their kimchi too much but it was okay Green Onion Salad - Not many salad options overall, but this one was okay. Kimchi Fried Rice - They'll only do this at the end for you on your grill since it requires a clean grill. They wiped the grill with a napkin, then spread out the rice, flattened it, and told us to leave it to crisp up. It was crispy and had a spicy kick but it was just okay. Service: Really nice and helpful workers Ambiance: It's big, bright, and spacious with many seating. read more

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We love trying to new places. We got the champion menu and honestly, the quality of the meat didn't wow me. Also, the grill (even though turned up high) didn't cook well on one side. Maybe it's the angle of the grill but I wasn't impressed especially when you are there with a big group. The staff were nice and were working hard and well together. Parking can be a challenge since it's in a complex of other eateries. read more

Trying out new places is definitely my thing this year so we gave this one a try since my son decided he wanted kbbq for dinner. We were seated promptly and the server came out to take orders. The seating was roomy for my family of 6. Everything came out quick so my hungry kids were happy. They have lots of sides which reminded me so much of places we had kbbq in Seoul(so happy they have actual lettuce here and not salad like all the other kbbq places). We had the champion option and all the meats were good. We'll definitely be back whenever we're in the kbbq mood. read more

Surprised this place hasn't taken off yet. Saturday night I got in with no wait. The restaurant was over half empty. Super clean inside and what we could see the of the kitchen. Food came out incredibly fast including the hot food we ordered. Good quality for the meats. The meat is cooked on a flat stone and beware it takes a little while to get hot but your food will char nicely. They only had to come once to clean the grill of grease. There were two weird things. 1 kimchi fried rice is for the end and 2 when my boyfriend went to the restroom there was no toilet seat. Would not stop us from going again we enjoyed the food. Plus the had air conditioning which is amazing for Korean bbq. read more

Champs Korean BBQ - Kimchi and corn cheese - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Went with the Power Menu ($38.99) since I wasn't all that hungry and wanted to play it safe with my standard meat options. We mostly stuck to galbi, beef brisket, beef belly, and baby octopus. All of which were solid. Galbi was tender and flavorful, brisket and belly grilled up nicely, and the octopus was decent. The only miss was the prime chuck eye steak, it came out dry and not worth the grill time. Also, I was hoping for a mixed salad like most KBBQ spots offer, but they only had plain lettuce. Sides were meh, but let's be real... no one's coming here for the mashed potato or fried fish cake. I'm eyeing the Champion Menu for next time. Gyukatsu and beef tongue sounds good. Parking is pretty limited. During busy hours, you might need to circle around for street parking or wait for a spot to open up. read more

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My friend brought me here after we played a volleyball tournament and I was so excited to eat. I didn't really know what to expect since I usually look at yelp reviews before but maybe it's nice to not look it up because you don't have any expectations of the place and you get to just enjoy it for what it is. It was pretty empty at 5 PM on a Saturday. What was unique is the big hot stone cast-iron skillet thing that you have instead of the metal grates. It's pretty cool because it retains heat pretty well and you can just keep throwing on the meat but I feel like it didn't get hot enough to get a nice char. Cool concept though as they only needed to use a scraper once to get all of the excess print bits and pieces. Food: - Sauces - sauces were a bit questionable. Not sure what the chili sweet-and-sour sauce or the soy sauce was but sesame oil was good. - BEEF BELLY AND BRISKET - I usually don't like brisket, but it was actually really good!!! 10/10 - Banchan - I liked the green onion salad a lot! Everything else seemed standard. Nothing wowed me though. 7/10 - Prime Chuck and prime flat iron were good too. I liked the smaller portions so you can try more things. - Egg was solid, no complaints there. 5/5 Overall, the Power menu was pretty solid for the price point. Service was very fast and staff was all very kind. Management should definitely have everyone try the meats to be able to sell more. It had a nice chill ambiance! Toilet didn't have a seat though so hopefully no one needs to go #2 lol. Interesting parking lot but I'd love to come try the Champion menu. read more

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Came during lunch to check out this new AYCE Korean BBQ place. There are different levels that you can choose from Champion ($48.99), Power ($38.99), Winner ($32.99) each come with a different meat selection. I chose the champion level. The power and winner level options were a few dollars cheaper during lunch but I wanted the premium meats on the Champion level. The Champion level included 1 order per person of prime rib eye, gyukatsu, Champs kalbi, prime short rib, prime terms minor and tiger shrimp. We tried all of them except the tiger shrimp. The prime rib eye and short rib were very tender and delicious but the star of the show was the Guykatsu. A fried beef cutlet that is quickly fired just enough to create a crust on the outside then you cook it on the grill to your liking. They butter the grill before placing the slice on, it was the softest of all the meats and the only place that I know of that offers it. The teres minor was also a meat I've never seen, it was okay I think you could skip it but also think you should try it since it's not offered anywhere else. We tried a few of the other unlimited offerings they were also good I liked that the steamed egg was included in the unlimited banchan. They are not included at some AYCE KBBQ places. Service was excellent, they came back often and asked multiple times if we wanted to order more meat. I also liked the high powered ventilation hoods over each table. They are located where Convoy Tofu House used to be in the same parking lot as Shancheng Lameizi Hot pot. I thought it was my favorite AYCE KBBQ places. I liked all the premium choices and the ceramic grill which did not needed to be changed. read more

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The former Convoy Tofu House in the Convoy Center Plaza has been converted to an all-you-can-eat restaurant by the same owners as Olleh Korean BBQ across the street. The inside of Champs Korean BBQ was very clean and modern with high powered vents hanging from the ceiling to draw away the odors and smoke while grilling. Each of the grills was a rectangular griddle and elevated a few inches above the table. Instead of changing a dirty hot cast iron surface, a scraper was used by the server to clean off the griddle when enough carbon residue had accumulated. Three menu tiers each named after a competition category (Champion, Power, Winner) were offered. We came for a weekday lunch that had a discounted price for the Power and Winner. The cost for the Champion remained the same at $48.99 per person because it had premium protein choices which my friend wanted to try so that was what we selected. Twenty kitchen food items were available in unlimited quantities. Those came with any menu that was chosen. We picked things like white rice, steamed egg, kimchi, and mushrooms. Several proteins were limited to one per person. We focused on those and even got two rounds, one for each of us. They were the following... * Prime Rib Eye Steak * Gyukatsu * Champs Galbi * Prime Short Rib * Prime Teres Major * YangNyeom Galbi I had not seen Gyukatsu offered elsewhere which was a Japanese steak cutlet that was divided into eight pieces in a serving. The meat was extremely tender, and a special dipping sauce came with the platter. For the two types of galbi, the Champs version was seasoned with a sweeter marinade than the YangNyeom. We also ordered Pork Bulgogi and stayed away from the chicken and seafood. The high quality of our items was noticeable. I'm unsure that it was worth the price though. The service from the staff was solid as they were not busy with many customers during this particular lunch hour. read more

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Found this AYCE k-bbq spot on Yelp and really enjoyed it! Came in on a Friday evening and was seated promptly. Since there were only 2 of us, they recommend the "Winner" (least expensive option) and it was great. We enjoyed the beef brisket, beef belly, thin pork belly, bulgogi, and the garlic shrimp. The sides were also very tasty - they had options like cheese corn, japchae, steamed egg (delicious!), fried dumplings, and more. Service was exceptional, every time we finished a dish, someone was there to pick up the dish and offer a refill. Highly recommend! read more

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The Yelpers never let me down. Tried Champs for the first time and it is SO underrated and such a hidden gem. We got the Champion menu which is the most expensive and it had so many good premium meat options that we really enjoyed. Some time faves were the champs galbi, prime short rib, and pork jowl. They do also have good basics like brisket and pork belly. Everything came super fresh. I almost forgot to the best thing about this place: their grills are stone tops and not the typical aluminum pans! The meat never stuck to the grill which is such a problem at most places, and we never really had to change the grill. Service was excellent. Anytime we asked for anything, it was brought to us promptly, nothing was ever forgotten or anything, which i end up experiencing at KBBQ often just given how busy it gets. We came on a Saturday evening close to 8pm and it's unheard of to literally just walk into a place. It's pretty spacious in the restaurant. The parking lot is also much larger and less busy than other KBBQ places, which is honestly awesome. We found parking right away and it isnt as tight of a squeeze overall. I hope it generally stays this way, but there is a fairly popular place opening next door to them. read more

Saw this place pop up on Instagram and had to go! This location was tofu house, then it turned to simple Korean restaurant, then now Korean BBQ! We came here early on Saturday to beat the crowd and it was fairly empty. But that didn't stop us from having some great KBBQ! I do have to say this place might be my favorite place AYCE KBBQ place in San Diego. And that's saying a lot. Because I eat so much Korean food and KBBQ. The marbles on those meat, the special cut they do on the meat. The marinade on the meat aren't too sweet. The service was on point as well. I do have to say this place wasn't as Smokey as other places. We've got the second tier of the pricing and that was good enough for us. The sides were alright. But I didn't come here to fill up on those. As you shouldn't either. We've really liked the fact that their grill was pretty much like non stick pan, which didn't require too much cleaning up each time. I will be back for more! read more

Champs Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Located on Convoy Street in the center next to a Weinerschnitzel. Service was good and the staff were very friendly. The store has a view of the parking lot, for those who want to keep an eye on their vehicle. The grill is set up in a way that reminds me of George Foreman Grills. The grill gets scraped off periodically instead of a grill change. Can't go wrong with ayce KBBQ. This place has good corn cheese. read more

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I had dinner with my family at KOREAN BBQ CHAMPS . My Wife chose the " WINNER " in their menu . These Korean BBQ Champs is not grilled or Charcoal but you cook your meat in the Cast Iron Griddle. I believe we ordered 10 different meats and 5 sides. Our favorite were the BULGOGI , TERIYAKI BEEF BELLY , YANGNYEOM PORK COMB - CUT , KIMCHI FRIED RICE 3 Different servers came. First, a girl took our order and delivered my Soup, and my Wife's Steam egg without a spoon and delivered a regular beef belly instead of a teriyaki beef belly, after she never came to our table anymore to check what else we might need. My wife was about to call the manager but the Servers Kalan & Denzel saved the mood of the night, both kept coming to our table making sure everything we might need would be taken care of. I love the concept of the Cast Iron Griddle, it avoids constant change of where we cook the meats, they just have to use a spatula to clean our griddle coz the grease or char part just slides off to the end of the griddle and they take that small piece to clean it out and replace a new one. When cooking your Food and you are putting multiple types of meat on your griddle, make sure the sauciest one goes near where the grease goes down so your other meat won't get that sauce taste from the other meat, coz the griddle is a bit slanted. Also if you order their Kimchi Fried rice which is very good, they will give that to you at a later time, they explained why but I forgot all about it. Service was fast, some meats were very tasty and some needed more flavor. Parking was surprisingly not hard to find when we came today Saturday. read more

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I feel like this place is okay/average. I enjoyed eating here but there is nothing that really stood out to me as different or personalized compared to the other competitions throughout convoy street. Staff is really nice. Lots of seating inside. Food wise again was good but nothing stood out. Parking outside is nightmare but that's how it is on convoy. You either get lucky or going to keep looking forever read more

Champs Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Honestly surprised this spot isn't packed yet -- and I kinda hate to gatekeep, but this restaurant deserves more love! We brought the family here on a Sunday evening, and everything from the food to the service exceeded expectations. The price point is super reasonable -- we went with the Winner Menu at $32.99, which is a steal for all-you-can-eat. Portion sizes were great and the food just kept coming out fast -- no long waits like some other KBBQ places. Our favorite meats were the brisket, beef belly, thin pork belly, and garlic butter shrimp -- all fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. The sides were also on point: corn cheese, steamed egg, jigae, and the cheese fondue were all hits. The servers were incredibly attentive, always checking in and keeping our table stocked. Definitely planning to come back soon -- especially to try the kimchi fried rice at the end (we ran out of room this time ). If you're looking for a solid KBBQ spot with great value, fast service, and good vibes -- this is it. Don't sleep on this one! read more

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Came here for an early dinner. When we arrived there were plenty of parking spots. But as always in the Convoy area, when we left, there were cars waiting for people to leave. This restaurant just opened 3 weeks ago according to our server. This used to be a Tofu house that my mom and I used to go to all the time. Sad that they closed. Walking in, we were seated right away. We had the Winner, which was the cheapest AYCE because we werent sure how they were yet. We ordered the usual when we go to KBBQ. Brisket and pork belly for starters. Tofu soup and egg souffle. They were very good and service was excellent. I think I found a new favorite place to go to. read more

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Starting off with good: friendly wait staff, unique grilling experience, flat iron steak, garlic shrimp. Didn't really enjoy the japchae at all. Galbi was very okay. Chuck eye steak was very tough. Food not great overall, especially when compared to other kbbq spots in the area. read more

I did not think convoy needed another kbbq but Champs proved me wrong! Their brisket was the best I've ever had at any kbbq spot in convoy. Normally, I prefer beef belly, as a more tender cut, but the brisket was so good here! The black stone type of grill allowed for a build up of oil, which wasn't that great, but I did like the uniqueness of the grill. The sides were delicious as well and for $32.99, it was definitely worth it! Service was a bit slow for a Monday afternoon, but I'm glad there wasn't a wait. read more

Champs Korean BBQ - Brisket - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

We dined in here during the second week of their soft opening. Like the other Korean BBQ all-you-can-eat places, their concept is the same, you are given a choice from which you pick from a lower price menu or their higher price menu. Then you order the meats that you like and you cook them. I've eaten at a lot of Korean BBQs using GAS, ELECTRIC or CHARCOAL GRILLS, but this place uses the STONE SLAB GRILL. I've tried the Stone slab grill before in a Steak house, but this is my first time trying it in a Korean BBQ restaurant. These are the Meats and Seafoods we tried: *Wagyu Bulgogi *Beef Belly *Garlic butter shrimps *Teriyaki beef belly *Beef Brisket *Pork comb cut *Baby octopus *Spicy squid *Dumpling Their meats were well marinated and they were tender and delicious, they also had generous portions. I'm not sure if they are so generous because they just recently opened when we came on their second week of opening in Convoy or if it's just how they serve their meats here, but anyways no matter what the portions they give, this place is all-you-can-eat, you can order more if you need more, but when we were there I remember telling our server to lessen the portions that he is going to send to our table 'coz it has a lot of portion on 1 plate ;) The service at the beginning from a lady who served us was not okay 'coz she kept making mistakes delivering wrong orders to our table, but after a shift of servers happened and we got a different server our dinner went well the entire stay. The inside is spacious and has plenty of tables. But Parking again in Convoy is always hard to find, especially during dinner time on a weekend. read more

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Paid by card. Champs is located in a plaza and offers plaza parking. I went on a Saturday night with a large group at 5 pm and was able to get seated right away. They have 2 options for ayce and we got the cheaper one. I was disappointed the more expensive one only allowed 1 order of kalbi... the meat and sides were ok. The service was quick and the tables were comfortable since we weren't crammed next to other tables. I would say for the price, the meats, and sides offered, I'm not sure I would go back. read more

My husband and I came here on a Wednesday afternoon for an early dinner for my birthday. I wanted KBBQ but one that felt more modern and more elevated. The fact that it wasn't crowded and the music wasn't too loud already provided a comfortable ambiance. We ordered the "Power" package because we wanted to get the steak options and they were incredible. The flat iron steak and prime chuck eye steaks were so soft and good quality. My only criticism is that this place is not as approachable for those who are not too familiar with KBBQ. They only bring out a small selection of sides at first and you choose all the other kitchen sides that they have in the menu - some of which are in the korean names. The sides are good and they have a wide selection and it was slightly tempting to try all of the sides. Their bulgogi had a good flavor but I didn't care for the meat quality. Their bulgogi servers were very kind and helpful even as fhe restaurant started to get busy. read more

Champs Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Had lunch here today. Great food, amazing service. Cute place, good vibe. Forgot to take pics, but definitely worth trying if you're in the mood for kkbq. read more

Came on a Sunday night for dinner and this place was not crowded at all. You do have to wait until the whole party is present to get seated. We got the medium (Power) tier and was happy with our selection. The meats were good quality and there was a good variety. We enjoyed the kalbi, marinated flat iron, and pork belly the best. The chuck, regular flat iron, and bulgogi were also decent. The only miss was the spicy marinated bulgogi. Banchan side dishes were also good. The grill is one solid piece, slanted at an angle so all the grease drips off, which is nice. They also come by to help scrap/clean the grill and don't need to change the entire thing, which is convenient. Only note is that we brought a birthday cake and asked if they can refrigerate it for us and they said no. We ended up needing to leave our cake in room temp until after we're done eating. They did give us extra plates and spoons to cut/eat the cake though so at least there's that. read more

This place is the closest to LA KBBQ that I've had in SD. The banchan / kitchen food options are pretty authentic, and I've had KBBQ in both LA and Seoul. The menu is a bit pricy, especially if you go for the Champion menu, but its worth it. Favorite cuts: Brisket (classic), Gyu-katsu (unique), Prime Short Rib Honorable mentions: Beef Tongue (they dont have lemons though!) Was too full to try any of the Galbi's but will definitely be back. They also do partial servings so if you want to try alot of different cuts and have a small party, ask for a half serving. Service was fast and attentive, even on a busy Saturday night. They also dont blast music too loudly like Gen KBBQ does. DO NOT GET: Rib Finger or Prime Tres Major. This cut is so damn chewy and has an off-putting taste. It comes soaked in some sort of weird liquid. Did not enjoy at all. Champs if you're reading this please remove both of these nasty ass cuts or at least warn people / serve smaller portions of them!! read more

The food and service were great, they didn't have authentic Chu-hi which was a bummer but overall I would return back.

Found this place from Yelp reviews (thanks, Yelpers!). I was happy that we didn't have to wait long for a table even on a Saturday night since this is a newer place that most people don't know about yet. The prices are ok, in line with most KBBQ spots. The stone grill vs the traditional grated ones that need to be replaced often is nice because the grill stays hot and is easy to clean. The flavors and dips are good. There aren't many side dishes but they were good. The only thing I didn't love is that they won't let you order more meat until you finish all of the meat you ordered, so for example we finished the beef belly first and really liked it so wanted more but we weren't able to order more until we finished the remaining portions of the other 3 meats. I prefer to be able to have a little one then a little of another vs eating the same meat continuously before I can order another. It's an ok rule, just wished they had let us know upfront so we could have just ordered 1/2 orders of everything initially. A solid 4 stars. Not the best I've had but better than most. read more

I'm trying to gatekeep this spot because it isn't crowded but I don't want to hurt its business! The meats are of great quality, sliced and portioned correctly. Remember you can order more! The choice of banchan is greater than your usual spot. It includes soups and vegetables not usually offered. The grill is different yes but a welcome difference. Doesn't get as smoky as a grated or stainless steel one. Plus no exchanging the grill every couple rounds; it only takes a scraping of the BBQ residue, a wipe and you're back in action! What really makes Champs stand out though is its service. Very attentive, very quick, very friendly. Anyone will help; you won't have to wait for your particular server. They will answer any questions you may have regarding the menu and dishes without attitude. Don't forget the happy hour they offer! Lunch M-F 11:30a-2:50p Late night M-Sat 9p-close $4 of the entry level Winner menu and middle Power menu The TVs are on at a reasonable volume thankfully. The restaurant is very clean and new still and you won't see a cleaner restroom at ANY KBBQ spot! My only gripe is that the soft drink offerings come only in cans but perhaps that will change in the future. I'll be back, like listening to that Wu Tang joint: again and again! read more

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I really enjoyed this AYCE kbbq! They actually give good sides that have good portions and their meat quality is good enough for the price. Just look at the steamed egg and corn cheese. Kimchi fried rice at the end is perfect. read more

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