Food and restaurant is quite nice and there are private rooms for reservations and big groups. However service was extremely unsatisfactory. One of the waiters spilled very hot galbi-Jim soup on one of our elderly party members. He actually just smiled and left without any apologies. One of the other waitresses was kind enough to bring ice for the burns and clean up the spilled soup. The incident ruined our night and family outing... read more

First time at an upscale KBBQ restaurant after being exposed to the $35 AYCE joints and I can say for certain that I'm comparing apples and oranges here. Quality, portions, service--top notch. Definitely worth the price tag. We ordered the pork belly, boneless short ribs and brisket. Nice to know that the servers grill the meats for you! If you've got money to burn? Definitely come here. read more

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Food was excellent - from the selection of BBQ they cook for you on the grill, to the excellent banchan, noodles, and seafood pancake. Price point is on the other side but worth it for the quality of the food. Service was a bit lacking, however, as we essentially had to wave someone down to ask for everything. read more

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I'm a frequent regular because the lightly marinated galbi is my favorite kbbq order in all of South Bay! Ambience is always nice and service attentive. They recently added raw marinated crab as a banchan which was absolutely delicious! read more

Chungdam - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

First time trying this place (AND WE WILL BE BACK!) Parking - they have their own parking space but this place gets super busy. They share a parking space with a hotel/motel behind them. We parked on the parking spaces next to the road (but not on the road) almost to the far end of the hotel. I'm not sure if we can park in the hotel parking lot. I forgot to ask the restaurant when we got in. The restaurant decor is a little dark lit with zen like decor. We were greeted upon entering the restaurant and asked if we want the BBQ Grill or regular table. Since it's our first-time, we said grill. Then very quickly brought to our table in the back. Our server was the best! She took care of us very well. I wished I had asked her name. She answered all our questions about the menu and when the food came, took care of the grilling for us! The Banchan were many and flavorful. Our server made sure we have enough kimchee all the time. The seafood pajeon was super crispy! They added tiny noodle on top to make it super crispy. We loved it. And the meat were very delicious as well. It is on the expensive side compared to other Korean BBQ places around but overall we enjoyed the food, the place and the entire visit. We will be back. read more

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I don't know why some people have given this place bad reviews. I've been going here for years and it is hands down my favorite Korean BBQ restaurant in the SF Bay Area. I have tried all of the most popular ones and lesser known spots so I can confidently say that Chungdam is the absolute best. The only complaint is that sometimes there is a wait if you don't have reservations and they don't have online reservation system available. They have the best selection of banchan (side dishes) and the servers are always super quick to refill them if you ask. The servers have always been incredibly courteous & effective, especially David! He's so funny! I always take my Korean parents here when they're in town and they absolutely love it. We usually order a combo with the marinated short ribs. The marinated short ribs is a MUST! Can't wait to go back for lunch/dinner with my friends! [edited 5/23 from 5 stars to 2 because of today's experience] I just returned from lunch at Chungdam today and I should have waited to post my review because I finally experienced the curt and unfriendly service many other Yelpers have complained about. My girlfriend and I dined there today for lunch and ordered the lunch combo with Kimchi stew, Bibimbap & marinated galbi. We also added the pork belly. For starters, our waitress didn't ask us about water preference and brought us HOT BARLEY TEA when it was 80 degrees outside. Our waters never got refilled throughout our meal. She burned part of our pork belly. We were only checked up on once during our meal. Every other time when I tried to locate our waitress for more banchan or water, she was nowhere to be found and the one time that she was within eye sight, she was too busy conversing with another staff member to even give us the time of day. Maybe she was upset that we were there past 2. She also didn't tell us about last call and brought the check and fruit to our table when we were half way through our pork belly. What if we wanted to add to our order?! Did we receive poor service because my friend is black?! I get it now... The food is still incredibly delicious and we were lucky to receive the marinated crab but the service needs a LOT of refining. Especially if we are spending close to $100 per person for lunch. Not okay. read more

Chungdam - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Chungdam is a high-end, pricier Korean BBQ spot, but the food is absolutely delicious and on par with 10 Butchers. I especially loved their short rib Suwon Galbi. It is better than their A5 Wagyu, which is good but not the best I have had in the Bay Area. I feel the pricing here is slightly better, though the environment at 10 Butchers feels a bit more polished. Chungdam still delivers top-quality service and food. Every dish is thoughtfully prepared, and the staff make sure you have an excellent dining experience. It is definitely worth visiting if you want fantastic Korean BBQ and attentive service. read more

Chungdam - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Delicious food, extremely clean space and very friendly staff. Highly recommend lunch special 주물럭 갈비구이.

My family and I had a great lunch here for the first time today! The restaurant was lovely and clean with a pretty modern and relaxed vibe. The food was delicious and fresh. Justin was our server and was quick to refill our side dishes and drinks. He cooked the kbbq at our table for us, and also split and served us the seafood pancake and soybean paste soup. I really appreciated his friendliness - my parents loved chatting and joking with him. When my dad showed interest in the rosemary, he was kind enough to pack us a small box to bring home! It was so kind, but we ended up totally forgetting to take it with us! if you're reading this, Justin, we're very sorry for wasting your efforts! Other servers helped us as well, and they were also very kind. read more

The service was excellent, and the ambience is better than before. The food overall was also enjoyable. However, I do have to address a serious concern. The allergy information on the menu is not clear, and this can be dangerous for guests with allergies. I have a sesame allergy, yet the salad served with the pork clearly contained sesame--both from the scent and later confirmed by my allergic reaction. When I asked three different servers, I was assured it was made with only balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I do not believe the servers made a mistake; I suspect the recipe was changed or the wrong oil was used in the kitchen, and this was not communicated. I even kept a leaf from the salad for verification. As a result, I had to use my EpiPen and still developed rashes within an hour. It could have been far more serious. I strongly urge the restaurant to review its procedures for handling allergies, ensure clear and accurate labeling, and clarify whether perilla and sesame are related allergens. Food allergies are a matter of safety, not preference. read more

Chungdam - pork salad - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Came back for round 2 & went with the signature A option and ordered a couple more meat sides. We have a marinated & brisket meats & everything was delicious. Could do without so many sides, didn't enjoy or eat half of them. Otherwise the meals are great read more

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This is a fancy place, the kind you would take your Asian customers, or someone you are trying to impress. And their prices match the fanciness. We came for a girls group dinner. The 6 banchans veggie appetizers were quite good, there was a creamy crunchy one that I really liked. The complimentary broth was a soothing start. The seafood pancake was different from those of other places, it had a hard crunchy shell, very good. Glass noodle with beef and mushroom was good but par. Spicy Braised Short ribs with cheese was the star of our dinner. Meat was flavorful and just the right amount of tenderness; cheese is like butter, it makes everything better. read more

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OK place to grab Korean food. My family and I went there two times over the span of 2 weeks ish, the meat flavor was inconsistent. The first time we had it was better than the second time. The jjapchae is not the traditional Korean kind, but personally I liked it. The meat quality is better than most places in terms of fat, it's just the flavor that is inconsistent. Would come here every once in a while. read more

Chungdam - Jjigae (찌개) - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

This is my favorite Korean restaurant! While there are many Korean restaurants on El Camino Real Boulevard, I keep coming back to this one for several reasons. The ingredients are always fresh, and the flavors are perfectly balanced not overly sweet, salty, or processed. The meat is of excellent quality, though a bit on the pricey side. They've recently updated the interior, making the space even more inviting. What stands out the most, though, is the warm hospitality some of the waitresses always greet me with a bright smile and even remember me. Occasionally, they'll treat me to complimentary goodies, like extra side dishes, which is such a thoughtful touch. If you're trying Korean food for the first time, I highly recommend this place! It's a great introduction to authentic and delicious Korean cuisine. read more

Overall it's not bad, but i think it's too pricey. I can live with pricey restaurants, the problem is they don't give much meat with this price. The seafood pancake is also much worse than what I had in other Korean restaurants. read more

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Upscale restaurant with a nice and roomy inside. We had an hour wait on Saturday night starting at 6:30pm. Not bad. Their waitlist was not running so that was too bad. Service was excellent and helpful and cooked all our food. The prime rib was very good (better quality than most) and the brisket. In fact all the meats we had were better quality than others we tried recently. The banchan was decent and their kimchee was fresh which is how I like it. All in all, a fun time was had by all and we were stuffed. 4 people, $400 pre-tip, but included 4 alcoholic drinks. Will be back soon! read more

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The beef tartare bibimbap was very good, and the galbi jjim was clean and tasty. However, the beef tartare naegmyeon was way too sweet for my taste, so I couldn't finish it even though I love naengmyeon. We also had to wait about 30 minutes even though there were empty tables, which was a little disappointing. Overall, the beef tartare bibimbap and galbi jjim were the good. read more

I looking for a place for Korean BBQ that is not AYCE and stumbled upon Chungdam. I walked in on a weekend night and the wait wasn't too bad for a table. There's an option for a BBQ table or regular seating without the BBQ table for those who don't like the smell. We got their BBQ Platter A with NY Steak, Pork Belly, Short Rib, and Bulgolgi. We also got Beef Tartare and Short Rib Stew. For this price point, the server will cook everything for you at the BBQ table, which was appreciated and felt personalized when it came to service. The meat quality is good and the texture was tender. There were plenty of sides available and our server offered refills throughout our meal. The thing that really gets me is why they are compared to 10 Butchers as apples to apples. I feel the menu and price point at Chungdam sits in the middle of AYCE and 10 Butchers. A5 isn't even an option regularly on the menu here, it was apparently a limited time item. Back to this restaurant you still get a fair portion of meat. The service here was attentive and the atmosphere was very spacious and the ventilation was also very good. Upon walking out the door, I realized the owners are the same as Seorai from the sign on the window, which is even a tier lower than Chungdam or what they call their little brother. Location is good and has plenty of parking, since the restaurant shares a lot with the motel. Overall another good place to get KBBQ. read more

Due to a last minute change of plans, we decided to come here to Chungdam instead of our original plan. It wasn't too bad of a wait despite being Friday, and we also checked into the waiting list through Yelp which I'd highly recommend. To be honest we didn't really know what to expect going in, and the process wasn't really explained to us, which would have helped. Regardless, we got the 2 person BBQ meal as well as an appetizer of fried chicken. My friend and I were super hungry so we were looking to eat a lot, but to be honest when we first saw the portion of meats, it didn't look like a lot of food. The first round of New York steak was overcooked by our server and frankly not flavorful at all. I was worried that the entire meal would be this bad. The pork belly was decent, then the remaining meats were very tasty and in my opinion the meal was redeemed. By the end of it, including the fried chicken which was also very good, we were full and satisfied. We were brought a small mochi dessert at the end, but unfortunately I was not alerted that they had nuts inside, which I am severely allergic to, so I was extremely disappointed and inconvenienced by this. How any restaurant does not notify their customers of nut allergy risks in 2024 is beyond me. Overall the food was pretty good, but due to the very high price (the 2 person BBQ meal is $140) and having an allergic reaction to the dessert, I was overall disappointed and will likely not return. There are for sure better and cheaper options in the area. read more

Came here for a birthday dinner with a couple of friends. We made reservations and were seated immediately upon arrival. What we got: seafood pancake (4/5) -- nice crunchy topping and seafood wasn't overcooked, however I still prefer the traditional style hotstone bibimbap (2/5) -- seemed skimpy on the beef, the vegetables lacked flavor, and a lot of the rice stuck to the stone pot..the lady serving us didn't bother to scrape the bowl so that layer went to waste. The only saving grace was the sauce. lightly marinaded short rib (5/5) -- the must-get item of the restaurant...super tender, beefy cut of meat that melts in your mouth. The marinade that it comes in also makes a nice caramelized crust on the grill. BBQ set B ? (3.5/5) -- I believe this came with pork belly, ribeye, short rib, and some other cut of meat. A couple of us thought the meat was standard quality and nothing amazing to write home about given the steep prices. makkoli (3/5) -- We tried ordering their raspberry soju which my friend really liked last time she ate there but they were out and recommended this as a substitute...she said it was nothing like the other drink and I also didn't really enjoy the drink but didn't want to waste it The banchan was standard..I would say that other places like 10 Butchers and Seorai have better flavor and variety though this place served good white kimchi. The soybean paste soup that came with the meal was very strong and borderline bitter (2/5). Usually I finish the soup to refresh my palate, but this was the first time I did not want to down my portion. Also while I did apreciate the waiter's efforts serving my group everything in individual dishes and cooking all the meat for us, it felt like she wasn't happy to be there. read more

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Went for a birthday dinner and it was amazing! Holy moly, the last time I was here I came for my parents anniversary and I don't remember how good the food was. It was subpar to me but turns out it was probably because we ordered the bbq set. Our waiter was AMAZING be recommended we order meats a la carte for quantity and quality and he even threw in complimentary dwenjang jjigaes. Our side dishes would dwindle very quickly and although he was waiting on multiple tables, he was super attentive. Amazing! Cannot wait to come back here for some other event. Also the steamed egg is fluffy, flavorful and delish! Have never had a steamed egg with fish roe and that much cheese but honestly, they work so well. read more

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We got two orders of the suwon galbi, a seafood pancake, a soybean paste stew, and a bibim naemyun. As my Korean friend said, the only cut worth getting here is the suwon galbi. It was delicious -- heavily marbled and melted in your mouth like butter. At the end, they grilled the bone and cut off the chewy bits. My friend also said that's the best part but I thought it was too hard to chew through. Food was great, service was 10/10, and the interior was clean and modern. However, because of the high price and small portions, I'd give it a 4/5. read more

We came on a Saturday night for dinner with a 6 pm reservation. The place was busy and there were people waiting, but we were thankfully seated right away given our reservation. The food was very good! We liked all the dishes we got, especially the marinated galbi and the seafood pancake. I loved their assorted of banchans too. Aside from the usual ones (sprouts, seaweed, fish cake, kim chi), Chungdam also had some unusual ones such as perilla leaves with fermented soy beans, or spicy perilla leaves. Between the three of us, we got one order of the marinated galbi, one seafood pancake, and one soft tofu stew with beef; that was plenty of food and we walked out with happy tummies. Service was friendly and fast. read more

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The service is always friendly, and the place is clean and cozy. They even have private rooms, which I love. We ordered the Signature A set--it's perfect for three people. We added spicy acorn jelly noodles, and they went great with the ribs. It also comes with bibimbap and soybean paste stew, so it's very filling. I totally recommend it!! read more

Despite sharing a parking lot with a Motel 6, Chungdam is a really fancy place to get Korean BBQ. I used Yelp to join the waitlist on a Saturday for lunch, and there was no wait. The service and meats were excellent. Our server was very friendly. I liked how they cooked the meats for us, because my cousin and I are not the designated cooks when our friends go out for Korean BBQ! We got the combo and the meats were very high quality. The short rib was my favorite because it was so flavorful and tender. I usually love all the banchan that accompany Korean BBQ, but Chungdam was a hit or miss. I liked the japchae and fish cake. I did not like the seaweed because it was so bland. There was another side that just tasted like crunchy mayonnaise. I knocked off a star because of the banchan. read more

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Came here on a Friday night with my husband. We were craving Korean BBQ but wanted to try something new. My first impression was that the parking situation was strange, since it shares a lot with a motel. Once you go inside, it's really clean and nice. We shared the BBQ Platter "A" which includes ny steak, marinated short rib and beef bulgogi and pork belly. At first I thought it would be way too much but it ended up being a good amount. We also order the pan seared butter squid. Our server was great and he cooked the meat perfectly on the grill in front of us. We also really enjoyed the special salt that was used for dipping our meat. It paired really well. read more

Chungdam - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Overall a good experience but had our group wanting a bit more. Came for a reservation which we made a week in advance but there was a wait time of 20 minutes after arriving on time. The japchae was a bit missing of items in the bowl but we were able to have decent taste. The seafood pancake was probably the best item all night! The food combo B option was decent but staff wasn't the most attentive this night, as they do cook the meat some of it burned. The flavors were good but maybe we missed the mark tonight. Giving this another shot in the future but will say it didn't live up to some of our expectations this night. Good selection of meat but given price & style would have appreciated more attentive service. We still prefer 10 butchers over this spot for now read more

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Upscale Korean Bbq restaurant. Modern decor. Smooth service. The Garlic shrimp starter was good. Pork Belly & Squid in spicy sauce was a letdown, couldn't taste the pork belly as it got overwhelmed by the sauce & the squid was chewy. Grilled sea-bass - was expecting regular ones, instead got 2 peice of fatty chilean sea-bass(which in reality is neither chilean, nor seabass), in a sweetish sauce with tofu, daikon, pretty average for the price. Should have stuck to the regular Bbq. Disappointed. read more

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DELICIOUS KOREAN FOOD! Thank you John for making my family's first time very pleasant! The SEAFOOD PANCAKE IS AMAZING!! Spent the day in SJ and of course we had to get our Korean BBQ fix! Actually stood in line prior to opening and was greeted by John who was very very friendly and welcoming! They have the option of grill or no grill on the table. Which, basically means you can either opt to have the meat grilled in front of you. Or, have it cooked in the kitchen and served out to you! Of course we wanted to experience the full-on Korean BBQ experience so we went with the grill at table. The meat is phenomenal! We ordered the combo meat (can't remember exactly which option) but the meat was very fresh and well-marinated. The servers did all the grilling for us and we just ate and ate and ate! The seafood pancake is amazing with a twist. Not your typical pancake because there's a nice thin layer of crisp noodles that adds the perfect crunch to each bite!! The bibimbap was fulfilling and a great option for our kids. Def would recommend this place for KBBQ. Minutes away from Santana Row and the mall. Service is on point. We are going to be back the next time we're in the area! read more

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Beautiful restaurant! Decor is simple and clean. Service was friendly and very happy that they provided recommendations and grilled the meat for us to enjoy. Food was delicious and full of flavor (could have done without the rosemary). Banchan was plentiful and good. I would return and also visit their sister restaurant Seorai! read more

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It was ok. I really wanted to LOVE it prior to coming, making a reservation was great- they were responsive to questions I had about my reservations. When it came to the day of my reservations, we were super hyped to go. We got seated promptly in a private dining area which was nice for our party. However, it was already soooo hot inside and the grill wasn't even on yet. The rest of our party started to trickle in and we ordered appetizers first then the rest of our dinner with another server. For a party of 6, with a couple people being light eaters, we ordered the package plus added an a la carte order of the rib eye and pork belly. We also had the beef tartare and the seafood pancake. As mentioned, we ordered with two different servers- both older Korean women. The one who took our main course/meat order literally say "that's it?" With an attitude but we told her we had ordered appetizers with a different server. We all were taken aback by her rudeness. The "That's it?" Order was still well over $300 not including our drinks and appetizers. As the food came and meat got prepared, they were very rude and haphazardly flipping the meat so hard that the hot oil got on both of friends. The fans don't work well in the rooms either which made dinner really uncomfortable. Finally when all the meat were cooked and the grill was off it started to feel more bearable. We were very excited for dinner to be over so we could go outside. Sucks that a summer outside felt better than inside of the restaurant. And before anyone says "you have a gas stove on at close proximity".... There are plenty of bbq restaurants that make sure it is nice and cool because of that very reason. Though the quality of meat is good- I don't find us coming back to do this place. Dining service was great, it wasn't very comfortable temperature wise, chairs are uncomfortable and just expensive for a lack luster experience. read more

Chungdam - Menu - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Food and service were excellent. This is our third time eating here. We were here from Texas visiting our son and his wife. All Staff were great and very friendly. See you next time we are in town. Thanks again Chungdam for excellent food and service read more

There are 2 waitlists: Yelp, and the waitlist after you check in with the host. The Yelp waitlist and time estimate are arbitrary, the host's wait list is the one that matters. There are 2 table types: regular and bbq. For the kbbq, there is a person who grills it for you. We ordered Combo B which was a good amount for 3 people. The meat quality was top tier. The banchan was okay, I was really only reaching for the spinach and tofu, kimchi, and fish cake. The parking lot is odd because it's shared with the Motel 6. read more

Chungdam - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Had a phenomenal experience here recently for my partner's birthday and would highly recommend for a special occasion! Great food paired with fantastic service :) We did not make a reservation ahead of time, but we arrived a little after 5pm on a Saturday and were able to get in with no wait. By the time we left at around 6pm, the waiting area inside the restaurant was basically full so keep that in mind! Since it was just me and my partner, we got the lightly marinated short ribs along with japchae on the side. They also provide a wide variety of banchan to start the meal, plus they refill the banchan throughout as well which was so nice! All of the meat gets cooked for you by the staff (which I love), and they were regularly checking in to make sure we had what we needed. They even doled out the japchae for the two of us into individual bowls! While all of the food and the meat in particular was absolutely amazing, this level of service took things to the next level and we had an absolutely wonderful time at Chungdam. read more

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This place is great!!!!! The servers are knowledgeable. Meat quality is fantastic. The restaurant is beautiful on the inside. Our server even had a recommendation for what order to eat the meats in to ensure the greatest possible enjoyment. Love this place! It is pricey though. You may want to keep that in mind. read more

Came on Sunday at 7:30pm. Several other groups, but not busy by any means. Loved the decor here; done rather nicely. After 15 mins, we got our table and ordered the their signature Lightly Marinated Short Ribs and the Prime Ribeye Steak. Ordering two meats will get you some "complimentary" soybean paste stews. There were some great bonchon sides with the meal and we enjoyed every dang bit of them. Meats were grilled perfectly by our server and the quality of the meats were superb! Amazing meal and service! Will definitely be coming back when in the area. read more

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Excellent food and exceptional service; definitely a favorite KBBQ spot in the Bay Area.

I loved the ambience of the place. Service was great. Ordered the Sampler platter that had all the meats and I was glad I did. The items that I thought I was going to like, I ended up not liking and the items I liked I would have never ordered. You get a variety of everything to figure out what you like. Tbh, I still like 10Butchers but this is a great alternative! read more

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Galbi Tang / Short-rib Stew 4 four pc ribs, juicy, chewy, ask for no wood ear, light brown soup Suwon Galbi 5 lightly marinated short rib w/ salt & brown sugar, slightly sweet, juicy, chewy Appetizers 4 mostly none spicy, refreshing read more

Su Jin was very nice and attentive. Food was good. Probably one of the best Korean bbq in South Bay.