I never thought about trying this place until I found this hidden gem after work. I was extremely tired and hungry after a long day of work even being refused by 2 other restaurants in the area; which was pretty upsetting. Daebak on the other hand still took people in until 1:45AM and was very accommodating. My server Jake was the absolute goat. Seriously, for the quality of food and pricing, I'd argue that this may be one of the best late night spots there is to offer. The biggest positive is how big the portions were; it was just me and 2 portions was enough to have leftovers. I highly recommend coming here especially if you work late at night. Seriously, I had the longest day possible and this was the best thing that happened to me today. I highly recommend this place. read more

Dae Bak - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Came here around 10 P.M. for dinner. So glad I came because this totally satisfied my craving! The items were a bit expensive, so we only grabbed three things. The corn cheese was fantastic, I thought I didn't like much cheese on my corn but I really enjoyed the load of mozzarella. The ramen tteokboki was Perfectly cooked and seasoned, my friend ate the ramen, while I ate the rice cakes. Lastly, the bulgogi was impeccable; I haven't had such flavorful meat in a long time! I really enjoyed the restaurant itself, it's small, but it fits lots of people. Service was great, I was very hungry and our food came quickly. read more

Dae Bak - Spicy Pork Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

See all

Love the seafood tofu, seafood pancake, military army soup and fried chicken here! We order from DoorDash or dine in almost every week because everything is consistently delicious. The staff are also always friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend!!! read more

I started to come to this place from long time ago like 2019 with my family and small and big group of my friends, and it has always been so joyful!! every menu is so delicious and very authentic like eating in Korea, and I discovered that the new owner was a very famous pro-baseball player in Korea. i remember i saw him play in TV when i was little! so it was a big pleasure to see him run this restaurant&pub! i am not good at drinking, so barely drink, but i tried Maat soju here and fell in love with it instantly! not bitter like regular soju and only 5% low alchohol with sweet sparkling taste! why not getting happy if i can finally enjoy drinking! i loved all the menu items, and my favorite is LA galbi and Tteokbbogi! so so yummy! I recommended this place to many of my friends and they all loved here about good foods, nice service and the friendly&hip vive! you should try this place if you want to experience real Korean food and culture! You will never be disappointed! read more

See all

Came here on a weekday evening. Parking around the area is very tricky because they don't have much parking spots. Inside feels very traditional, almost like a mom/pop shop. Service was great and quick. Ordered: - Pork Belly Kimchi Fried Rice - Cheese corn - Spicy bulgogi The portions are big enough to be shared with one other person if you're ordering multiple items. Their kimchi fried rice went so well with their spicy bulgogi. Their spicy bulgogi wasn't super spicy, and I did like that it came with stir fried veggies like bell peppers and onions. read more

See all

Came here because I was in the mood for Cheese Fire Chicken, and the usual place where I get it was closed. The item came with a side of rice and Banchan. The Banchan was also deliciously well-made. The chicken hit the spot for my craving, so I am glad they had it. The interior was simple and clean, and the service was good. read more

See all

My friends and I were craving Korean food after we went to BTS. The wait was long, but it was definitely worth it. The food was fantastic. The budae jjigae was spicy but just right since it was cold outside. The rose tteokbokki was so creamy that I wanted more. We really enjoyed the meal and sipped on some soju. It was a great night, and they played BTS songs. I would definitely return here whenever I crave Korean food. This place is worth it, but keep in mind that parking can be a bit tricky. read more

Decent spot, main thing its open late and have some decent drinks that pairs well with their spicy food. A good spot if a group of ppl looking to drink the night away and enjoy some kpop and korean food. Waiter was not the best in keeping tabs as we have to call them over a few times, but not the worst service. 5/5 - Watermelon Soju - Comes in a watermelon and some sparklers. The show of it was fun and tastes very sweet. Not sure how much alcohol is in it, but soju itself isn't much. Tastes good and presentation is nice. 3.8/5 - Spicy Rice Cake (Added Cheese) - Cheese was a definite plus to the dish. I always recommend getting the additional cheese as it helps with the spice for people who can't handle it. Spicy, chewy, and quite flavorful. However there wasn't a lot of rice cakes. Wish there was more for the price paid. Some fishcakes and onions were a nice bonus. 3.5/5 - Boneless chicken with green onion - My partner liked it more than me. My problem with the dish is the heavy wasabi flavor in the sauce. I taste nothing but wasabi which i was not a fan of. The chicken has a decent fry and a good crunch. read more

Dae Bak - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

See all

For $120 on DoorDash with the presentation, absolutely not feeling it. The kimchi fried rice was decent, the soft tofu soup was an experience -- tofu tasted really gross for some reason, but the mushrooms were okay, very underseasoned though. The fries were good the first couple of bites until the sour cream and jalapeños overpower the dish. Overall probably wouldn't go back given the presentation and price point. read more

See all

Decided to try this place because they were open late and had a wide variety of food on the menu. Sadly to say, the best part of this place is that they were open late. The fries and the hot pot were good, no complaints there. The La kalbi had good flavor but the portion was so small for the price compared to other places, each bone was like 4 dollars each. The stir fried baby octopus was a little sweet and spicy but also a really small portion considering half of it was cabbage. The seafood pancake wasn't crispy, but rather kind of soggy. The boneless chicken was so disappointing, it felt like there weren't really any pieces of chicken and even then, there was fried rice cake included in it so the amount of actual chicken was maybe 3 ounces on the entire plate. Inside is nice with the lighting and decor, service was good, but food was pretty overpriced for what you get. Overall, the selling point of this place are the late hours. I don't anticipate coming back. read more

See all

One of the better spicy pork gimbap. Was really good from the pork to all the veggies. All the ingredients worked well with each other. The best of the banchan was the fish cake. It was pretty good, not too fishy. Went really well with the hotpot. Also had the miso hotpot with pork and ramen. It soup also had tofu, assorted veggies and small shrimp. Broth was tasty. The miso flavor was pretty mild. The staff were very nice. Food came out quickly. Reasonable price especially the spicy pork roll; good serving size. read more

See all

It was late night and came here. The place serves Korean street food tapas style as you should definitely eat everything here family style. Although we did not get soju this time, this is a great place to drink with your friends as they have various types of soju cocktails. Fries (4/5) Too many jalapeños for me, but the portion is big enough to share Army stew (5/5): Has various topping and is very comforting. Will probably go here again for a night out read more

Dae Bak - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

See all

One of the few places on El Camino Real with vegetarian tofu sundubu and side dishes. The sundubu was a bit expensive and didn't nail the head with the flavor, but was still enjoyable. The vegetarian banchan was limited and only one free refill is included. Its got a nice nighttime vibe and is open later than other Korean restaurants in the area. read more

Dae Bak - Soft Tofu Soup - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Went on a weeknight so not crowded. I love kalbi so of course I ordered their kalbi, which is very inexpensive since everywhere else nowadays cost at least $50. Also got the Military Army Soup. Kalbi was surprisingly good since it was grilled to caramelization. Super tasty! For the price ($30's), that's quite good! Though the portion is smaller than other places, but it definitely filled me up. Perfect for one meal, so don't expect to have leftovers for a second meal. The soup was spicy, had ramen, hot dog, cheese, kimchi, spam, pork belly and tofu in it and serves at least 2 people...rate 3.5 out of 5. If you haven't tried army soup before, would be good to try. Place had booths where the seats were very high (perhaps to give each table privacy), but it causes phone to not have any or very bad reception. Overall, I would definitely be back for their kalbi. read more

Good side-dishes, decent main dishes and service. There is limited parking in front of the store, at peak hours it would be a little difficult to find spot. You might need to park a bit further down the road and walk back. If you come in as a big group, they will apply service tip automatically on the bill for 20%. The decoration is decent and clean with a big TV displaying Kpop MV. Foods are really good, their seafood pancake is crispy and generous in seafoods portions. Their banchans were great, we couldn't stop eating all of them. However, Al Kaebi portion is quite small for the price, I would skip this next time though. Spicy rice cakes with ramen came out a bit too sweet to my taste. read more

Dae Bak - Seafood pancake, Al Kaebi, Ramen noodle with spicy rice cakes. - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Decided go back to Daebak for old times sake, and because I had a huge craving for army stew. There is a small lot in front and back- not really diffcult to find parking. The ambiance is giving pocha vibes and I like how they have a variety of items on their menu. I also like how it is open late. I got the army stew and the fire cheese chicken this time with their new lychee sparkling soju. I thought the sparkling soju was good, it tasted like juice. The fire chicken was alright- it was not as good as I remembered. It was too oily which did kind of overpower the chicken and cheese. The army stew was alright as well- definitely not worth $50- but i like how big of a serving it was for 3 people. Service was good though, servers were attentive. read more

We found this delicious Korean place off yelp on a whim and it was great! They had a large variety of traditional Korean dishes and the restaurant had a great ambiance. I really liked the seafood pancake as they were generous with the amount of seafood and the batter was very crispy. The cold noodles were surprisingly good too! The army stew was very hearty and was great to have on a chilly day. I did think the soondubu was a little lackluster though, and though the fried chicken was very crispy and juicy, the sauce was on the side and so not coated very well on the wings. I'd also avoid the watermelon soju, and we found that to be pretty watered down considering the price. All in all we had a great experience and would come back! read more

Dae Bak - Seafood Pancake - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

What a great Korean restaurant with good vibes and great service! I made a reservation for 30+ people as we wanted to eat dinner before karaoke and this was close by. It's hard finding restaurants to reserve this many people but I am glad Daebak could accommodate us. They organized a long table for all of us to sit at towards the back so we didn't even have to split up! Some of my friends and I split the boneless chicken with green onions, army stew, pork belly kimchi fried rice, and corn cheese. Of course, we shared the watermelon soju as well! The food was definitely yummy and nothing disappointed. Everything was so flavorful and delicious. The dishes that stood out to me were definitely the army stew and the green onion chicken; huge portions and delicious! The watermelon soju was big enough to split amongst 5 people and we all got 2.5-3 shots each out of it. The service was definitely the highlight of the night! Our servers, Haeseong & Frank, were super accommodating to our requests and even allowed us to split our big party into 3 ways. Even though we all ordered lots of food, the food was brought out quick and they refilled our water many times. They were also fun to hang around with too haha! Definitely would recommend this place to people who want to eat good Korean food with a big group! read more

See all

We had so much fun at Dae Bak! We've been coming here for years, and the line is always out the door on a late weekend night! Dae Bak is known for their watermelon soju! A perfect choice for a party of 4 you can't taste the soju at all, fun and dangerous! lol The service staff is super friendly and fun! They celebrated my birthday and they even gave us soju on the house! Did you know that the restaurant owner used to play professional baseball in Korea!? Enjoyed the vibes and company! Food is always seasoned and spiced on point, served in generous portions, and paid homage to traditional Korean dishes! There are SOO many options on their menu! I was pleasantly surprised by the Garlic Jalapeno Pork Belly! A good level of heat from the jalapeno and the pork belly was not oily or heavy! Favorite go-to orders: Spam Kimchi Fried rice, Seafood Pancake and Corn cheese! Cheers! read more

See all

wow! it's seriously on another level! I heard there's a new owner, and you can totally feel the difference. The food is trendy, super flavorful, and really unique compared to other places. The atmosphere is great, and the staff are so attentive and friendly!! you can tell they really care about the customers. The portions are generous, and the prices are totally reasonable for the quality you get. Definitely became one of my new favorite spots read more

See all

Idk the food I got was pretty mediocre it's nothing amazing and it was the stuff they put in the recommended so I probably won't be coming back. read more

Long overdue and review is for current vs past years. Came here late night on a weekday. Wasn't too full, the place can hold big groups with 4 booths and 10 tables. Ordered the watermelon soju of course, could not taste any soju for some reason. The garlic pork belly was not crispy (2/5). Stir fry chicken gizzards were a bit too gamey for me and not as flavorful (2/5). The cold noodles imo was the best dish (5/5), good vinegar ratio and radish and slivers of cucumber. Service was decent, answered our questions but did not come to check on our water/ ban chan. I remember their army noodle was good and big portioned. There are other places that specialize in the cold noodle as well, so sad but will not be returning. read more

See all

Delicious food! This is one of my go to pocha places to go to late at night when i'm with my friends. We shared the Tteokbokki, Spicy Bulgogi, and Kimchi Fried Rice. The food is always great and never disappoints! We got seated immediately and the workers treated us with care! They were very nice and felt like family. The restaurant also had a very homey feeling to it and I will definitely be coming back to this place! read more

Dae Bak - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

See all

Such great food and excellent service! We came to celebrate Mother's Day here with the family. We were seated quickly, the server took our order and informed us of the special drinks for Mother's Day. Food came out promptly and was delicious! My parents and family enjoyed all the different dishes we ordered. We had kids, teens, seniors, and adults with us, all with different tastes, but everyone enjoyed everything that came out. The servers were so sweet to offer my mom and dad a spin on the wheel where they won a dish, they chose short ribs which were delicious. This was my first time being here, it was recommended by my sister. We'll definitely be back again!! Thank you to the very nice and gracious employees here, you all made Mother's day for us even better! read more

See all

This is such great place to hangout with friend, I see that each portion of order is very big, which is good to order and share. The food I got was so good. The broth in fish cake and the broth in the noodle soup were great. The staffs are very friendly and welcome to fill my ban chan, and they come as soon as I press the button on the wall. Thanks!! The only thing is the parking. It was few parking in front of the store. Wish have more parking. Definitely will come back!!!! read more

Dae Bak - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Friday Evening 5/6 party of 4 & there was No Wait while eating, it really started to get packed, but of course, they close @2AM & this spot seems like, it's where you go after your done done & need to wind down & get some Good Food before bed You don't really have a set waiter to your table, every one that works here, basically is there to help & serve you, which they did Food is On Point, pricing I don't think is too bad & the alcohol in the watermelon is a Must Try! service did not disappoint & neither did the food. Not so much parking in front, but there is parking in the back, so if you're in the area & wanting to try the food, Why Not stop in? the ambience is also a Plus, especially when you go with great company. Will definitely be back to try the rest of what's on the menu. read more

For opening this late and wonderful customer service , will come back again! Lovely people and delicious fresh food! Recommend ! read more

Dae Bak - Spicy beef soup - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

See all

Dae Bak is a fantastic restaurant that delivers both delicious food and a welcoming dining experience. The menu offers a great variety of dishes, all prepared with fresh ingredients and authentic flavors. Every item I tried was well-seasoned, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The staff were friendly, attentive, and made sure everything was enjoyable throughout the meal. The restaurant was clean, comfortable, and had a lively atmosphere that made dining there even more enjoyable. Service was efficient, and the food arrived quickly without sacrificing quality. Overall, Dae Bak exceeded my expectations, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a satisfying meal and excellent customer service. read more

Portions were smaller than I'd hoped. We ended up ordering more after our first 2 plates arrived. Fried chicken isn't crispy but soggy :(

Ridiculously small takeout serving size for their kimchi fried rice; didn't even reach a third of the box's height. Paid $18.72 for this. read more

Dae Bak - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Wonderful lowkey spot for a catch up with friends or a late dinner with family. Servers were super attentive and food came out deliciously fast. While we did over order on the items, we didn't have much to bring home at all because we finished most of them there. Pancake was super crispy, rice cake wasn't too chewy, bulgogi wasn't fatty, and the chicken and fries were so crispy. On another event, we tried the steamed pork belly which was surprisingly refreshing wrapped in salad! Wanted to order this one again but also wanted to try other items on the menu, so we went with the latter. Plus, the watermelon fruit soju is always a nice celebration for any occasion with its sparkler that was entertaining for the kids! Everyone is already asking to go back! read more

The best thing about this place is that it's open late and has great service with a Korean-bar-food-type ambience. Otherwise, the prices for the food you get is kinda insane (imagine more than $20 for like 10 pieces of tteokbokki). The food itself is also alright, kind of similar to frozen foods you could get at H-Mart and make at home. Come here if you're in the area late at night and have nowhere else to go - otherwise, find a better Korean place. Overall: 2/5 read more

See all

We came with a large group, and the location was very accommodating! We were able to get our orders down quickly, and they served us nicely However, the food is a little hit or miss. The hotpot and kimchi fried rice were pretty decent, but on the pricier side. As for the watermelon soju, it was very bland. The garlic fries were also very bland, and did not taste fresh. I probably wouldn't go to this restaurant again. read more

See all

This is a solid hole in the wall location that serves a good variety of Korean food staples. The K-Pop playing in the background, customer photos on the booths and drawings really add good ambience. My girlfriends and I have come here after going to karaoke and have worked our way through the menu. All the items are made fresh so make sure you are patient. Also, if you order the nachos with beef make sure they do not forget. Of the three times we have ordered, they forgot to add beef once and then barely put any on another time. There is one female and one male bathroom. They are both for one person at a time but decent in size. There may not seem to be much parking in the front but there is more in the back. Just be sure you walk with a friend since it is not very well lit at night. Also, make sure at least one person in your group is sober enough to carefully review the final bill. They will add 20% automatically so do not tip twice! read more

Service was okay. They had a call button but i dont think it worked for our table. Fries were solid for a korean spot. Ordered an extra bottle of soju bc pineapple one wasnt super strong. Vibes were okay, not super traditional pocha read more

Dae Bak - Special fries - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

See all

Came here with friends to get dinner and we had a great experience! We came here around 8pm on a Wednesday and got seated right away. I'm constantly trying korean restaurants in Berkeley and so I was excited to try this place! The food was overall super good and the service was great. Chicken bulgogi - first time trying this since I usually get beef bulgogi! The chicken was so juicy and tasted amazing. Would say that the sauce was a little on the watery side and could have clung to the chicken a bit better Tteokboki w/ ramen - was super good and tasted like the ones I've tried in Berkeley! Definitely recommend this dish for a big group of friends because there's a little of everything in it Chicken fried rice - the omelette was literal perfection! The fried rice was also good as well and a little on the wetter side if you like ur fried rice that way! Seafood pancake - so crispy and delicious! It was packed with seafood and loved the dipping sauce. There also seemed to be some pasta in there which was new to me lol It's a great place for friends and loved the atmosphere. Will definitely be bringing more friends here! read more

See all

Super cute place, fast service, lively atmosphere. Seafood pancake with the sauce . I would go back just for this. Chicken pieces were meaty but felt garlic taste was very weak. The fries paired with were crispy as well and that seemed more garlic flavor. read more

See all

3.9 stars! Came on a Sunday night around 10 pm for a very late dinner. We were craving for korean food and hotpot. This place has it all! Menu was quite extensive and offers everything from tapas to hotpot and traditional dishes. Restaurant vibes were cool and hip, and the staff is the friendliest. Plenty of parking as well. Our nee late night food spot for sure. read more

See all

Usually takes a lot to impress me with Korean food, lk all tastes the same. Not that it's a bad thing, it's still good but nothing special.i do have have to say their dae bak fries were delicious! I'm not a fries guy either but the toppings after 1 bite, I suddenly had the urge to eat more. Fried chicken and Kimchi fried rice werent so special. read more

See all

How have I never reviewed Dae Bak after going here SO many times? Well, this makes for a perfect Throwback Thursday review! Most of the times I've been here was for more of a Thirsty Thursday kind of vibe, with lots of flavored soju and hearty eats. So I've never been sure if the food was good or just tasted more amazing because of the soju. However I recently went here completely sober and the food really held up. First of all, there's complimentary *Banchan*, which are small dishes with various ingredients. Typically in Korean restaurants some Banchan are spicier than others ranging from super mild to extremely sweat inducing, but the ones here are all mild enough for me to eat (and I have an allergy to spicy foods). The *Omelet Fried Rice* is very comforting and super savory, especially with spam. Yes, there's ketchup on top of the egg, by the way. So be ready for it. Always dependable is the *Fried Chicken*. It's ridiculously crispy and nice and hot. Make sure to give it a little time to cool off! And the new one I hadn't tried until this most recent time... the *Bulgogi Hot Pot*. YUM!!! They put all the ingredients into the hot pot and it cooks right in front of you. I like the ratio of meat to veggies. Pretty generous portions of both. TIP: They are still open late, even on weekdays. DATE TIP: Perfect spot for a soju date and comfort food. Way to go! read more

See all