Authentic charcoal grill korean bbq. No frills korean bbq. One all you can eat kbbq menu or you can order a la carte. Service is quick and friendly. Limited types of meats but what they offer is good enough for most kbbq eaters. Limited parking in their small lot and parking can be found along side streets. read more

Came for their AYCE lunch. It wasn't busy when we got there around 1P, but their parking lot is pretty small and can fill up pretty quick due to the surrounding businesses. There's also limited street parking, so be mindful of this during peak hours. Cozy, authentic, old-school Korean ambience, especially if you want charcoal grilling and a more traditional experience. Service was great. The ladies were really nice and accommodating. It was my 1st time there so our server went over how to order off their AYCE menu. They also have hot pot and other dining options on their menu but we specifically went there for their AYCE. The charcoal grilling can make the restaurant quite smoky, If you're sensitive to smoke, I'd keep this in mind. Food was fresh, tasty & flavorful. The charcoal grill gives the meat a noticeably smoky flavor. I love how individually portioned their servings are. All in all, I'd recommend dining here if you enjoy authenticity & great food. They also offer 20% off lunch if you dine in between 11A-2P. read more

I don't give 5 stars to many K-BBQ places. We've hit more than 10 Korean BBQ spots across San Diego, and DJK is the first all-you-can-eat place where the SIDES are actually worth eating. If you know AYCE KBBQ, you know the drill -- the banchan and extras are prepped in the back, come out cold and stale, no flavor, basically filler. Not here. DJK's sides taste like you ordered them as their own dish at a regular restaurant. The bibimbap, the mandu, the fried chicken -- all genuinely delicious. That alone sets this place apart. The meat holds its own too. The pork brisket and finger meat were my favorites. Heads up on their ordering system: you tell them 1, 2, or 3 for how much of each dish you want, and certain items (like the ribeye) you can only order once -- so plan accordingly. And please, SAVE ROOM for the ramen station -- it's the cutest thing. You grab your ramen pack, place it under this machine that adds water and boils it for you, then load up on whatever toppings you want back at your table: cheese, corn, spam, you name it. So fun. The staff are friendly, but real talk -- finish your food or the ahjumma will scold you! Consider yourself warned. DJK is healing to my KBBQ-loving soul. If you've been let down by lifeless AYCE sides everywhere else, this is your spot.I read more

Only waited about 10 minutes on a Saturday night! Delicious meats, lots of appetizers, and they even have a ramen bar now. Great variety and value! The LA Kalbi was my favorite! read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Brisket, rice paper, cucumber kimchi and regular kimchi. - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

The parking lot was full so we had to park around the block and walk, but we definitely enjoyed the walk after dinner. Some of my party arrived early to put our name down on the list. They waited until we all arrived to seat us. We got lucky and tables with the charcoal grills opened up. Otherwise, we would've settled for the electric grills. The meats were good, and I appreciated that the portions were small. The favorite was the short rib chunks (sorry, I forgot what it was called but it was like cubes of meat without bone). I also liked how the pork belly and steak were cut thin so everything cooked quickly. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell the difference between a charcoal grill and an electric grill, except for maybe the charcoal grill cooked everything super fast? I personally I didn't think the meats tasted better from being cooked over charcoal. Servers changed the grill often. Our Banchan orders on the menu kept on getting missed, and we weren't sure if they were going to be doubled up if we ordered more. The servers were really nice though. I loved how they had cold noodles on the menu. The cold noodles were super refreshing. Especially since it was very warm in the restaurant. It was too hot for me to try the self-serve ramen, but it was cool that they had the machine that heated the bottom of the special bowls. read more

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A basic kbbq spot with a lot of seating and good meat options. I wouldn't say it was the best quality meat but if you're more about eating to get your money's worth then it's not a bad spot. Parking can be tough during peak hours so keep that in mind. Service was okay but theres a button to press if you need their attention. Don't get confused by the numbers on the ordering sheet. They don't represent # of rounds but instead represent how many portions you want of the item. They come by each time with a different colored pen that you circle the numbers with (overlapping too if necessary). It kinda sucks that some of the meats are limit 1 per person like the Galbi. The banchan was good, my fav was the japchae and the kimchi. Overall mid and don't think I'd visit again. read more

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

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We went to DJK Korean BBQ for the first time to celebrate our daughter's birthday and what a wonderful, delicious, filling celebration dinner it was,.....and for the price, reasonable for a complete dinner for7 of us + a 1-year old granddaughter. We are well versed in both the Korean culture and food - I've been doing business in Korea for decades (okay, I'm not that young) and our son-in-law is Korean, . . . . We loved that it is charcoal grilled cooking and all you can eat and YES, did we eat!! The eats were wonderful quality as well as the side dishes. I tried the spicy kimchee soup and LOVED it - I would have just had three bowls of that with rice and been happy!! And then the meats - delicious!! Perfect meat to fat content for flavor and taste!! If I had one comment - I wished the sesame seed oil+ salt wasn't so flavored down with another oil and the salt was almost nonexistent, . . . . . but everything else was wonderful. read more

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Came back again with friends because of the charcoal grill being our favorite cooking style for kbbq. We were surprised to see they had changed from a regular à la carte menu to a full all you can eat restaurant. A pleasant surprise for us since we were leaning towards another AYCE restaurant but opted to come back here instead. Employees were quick to bring and remove plates, replace grills, and assisted with some cooking as needed. We really enjoyed the quality and options available for their AYCE menu. My friend and I shared a cold noodle bowl and it was much bigger than we anticipated. It was so good and would be perfect for the upcoming summer months. Meat portions are smaller than most KBBQ places but that is not bad at all, we loved being able to try so many options. All of the banchan was delicious and really complimented the meal we had. Definitely will be coming back again! read more

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Although DJK is not an AYCE Korean BBQ spot, they have really good quality meats. We ordered two different types of beef to grill and share, along with a soup on the side. This was plenty for 2 people. We loved that each table had a vent at the top to help with the smokiness of the grilling so you don't leave the restaurant smelling like meat. The servers are also so nice, checking on you and making sure the food is good. Parking lot is small but there is street parking available. read more

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

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DJK is offering a new AYCE $38.99 deal using charcoal. I was excited to try as it's AYCE over charcoal and yall know charcoal adds that wow factor to flavor. The ordering is confusing, I will admit. Each item has "1, 2, 3, 4" next to it. I thought it was the first round, second round, etc since we used different colors for each round. Good thing I clarified on the 3rd round cos we wouldn't have been able to finish 3 orders each of the meats we ordered! Some of the meats had a limit of 1 order. I think what makes it worth it is the variety of authentic Korean dishes you can order. I got to try the cold noodle dish I've been eyeing for some time and it was a smaller portion, so it was nice to try it! We were seated by the kitchen and the servers were always passing us, so ordering wasn't an issue. I was concerned coming and having trouble ordering due to recent reviews. But thankfully we didn't experience that. Nice to try, I'd suggest that the ordering part with the paper could be more clear though. read more

We came here for lunch. We were able to find a parking spot right away as we got there before noon. The parking lot is small so give yourself more time to find parking. We got a table right away. It's spacious inside. We ordered seafood tofu stew, seafood pancake, beef rib stew, cold noodles with spicy sauce, and stir fry squid. The seafood pancake fell apart easily. Cold noodles were more sweet than spicy. The rest of these dishes were ok. They are not as spicy as other Korean restaurants. Overall, it's an ok place for Korean food. read more

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Came here to say with my family as a party of 7 people at 12:30pm on a Saturday and there was no wait. DJK has AYCE for $38.99/person with charcoal grill! It was my first time having a charcoal grill and I really like the flavor it gives to the meat. However, the taste does diminish later when most of the charcoal is used up and at that point they rely on the gas burner. My family and I liked the quality and variety of meats. You order how many portions you want for each round on the paper provided. Service was alright. At the end when we wanted to order one last round for dessert and misc. items the server didn't come around and we had to get up and get someone's attention. At that point we decided to just pay. Overall I'd come back for the charcoal grill! read more

Have been wanting to try this place for so long and we finally had a chance too! We walked in and didn't wait too long to be seated. They sat us in a booth and gave us menus along with water. The inside was not too busy when we got their and was nicely decorated and inviting. We ordered pork belly, beef brisket, a steamed egg and kimchi stew. The beef brisket was really good quality meat. The pork belly was also good quality and cooked very nicely. They pared well with the sauces. The steamed egg as nice and light with great subtle flavor. And the kimchi stew was very well made. Not too spicy, just perfect with our meal. Over all this is great quality korean bbq with very good service. I would definitely come back given the quality of the meats! read more

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I would give 0 stars if I could... How can you be overpriced, bland, disgusting, and have horrible service at the same time? Learn to pick a struggle. Anybody that has lived long term in LA, North OC, anywhere within 15 miles of a KTown, or anybody with working taste buds STAY AWAY... We arrived at the restaurant and there were 2 customers TOTAL in the ENTIRE BUILDING besides our party. The hostess continued to rudely complain that we had not booked a reservation for our party of 8... This same hostess later knocked my water over and it spilled all over the table. She then BLAMED ME for "not moving out of her way" so she could put the food down . You could have asked and I would have gladly moved. A simple "oh no I'm sorry" would also have been perfectly fine. I had to try so hard not to laugh at her . Some people have zero self awareness and its frankly disturbing--please get a grip. The food was so nasty--I could not stand to eat any of the banchan, and the meat was somehow underseasoned and incredibly greasy. Why would I pay 40 DOLLARS per person for this? $80 pays for an amazing dinner for 2 at Baekjeong...make it make sense. Avoid at all costs unless you want to have a dining experience similar to laughing at an awful movie... that you paid 40 a person to see... read more

Came here with a few friends. It was a Tuesday late afternoon, not busy at all when we arrived. We chose one of the combination B for the 4 of us... and it was plenty of food! The timing of how the food was served was well paced and the charcoal grill added to its authenticity. The variety of meat served were good portions and quality. The banchan complimented the meats.. I liked the dressing on the salad.. We added cold noodles to our meal at the end... I'm not the biggest fan, but that's just my personal preference. By the time we left the place had filled up. Service was efficient and attentive. Price is comparable. Parking shared with next door businesses. Definitely a place to try. read more

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You know the food will be authentic when the local Koreans eat there. Enjoyed a laid back lunch today and this place did not disappoint. The lunch specials offer full flavor for a great value. Abundance of banchan to accompany your entree. We ordered the kimchi soondubu which was super flavorful without the overwhelming spicy gochujang. Perfectly balanced with tofu, kimchi, and rice cakes. Yes the soft rice cakes in the stew was the highlight of this dish for me. The Ttookbegi Bulgigo was also a standout dish with tender beef in a flavorful soup. I appreciate the complimentary hot roasted corn tea also. Parking was easy and service was quick. This is my new favorite lunch spot and will be a regular customer. The menu is very extensive for AYCE , BBQ, Ramen bar bento, etc. which I look forward to dining with a large group. Did I mention the homey vibes and the bathroom is very clean and well stocked? read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Ttookbegi Bulgigo and banchan - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

This is the best kbbq and service I've had. All the waitress is so sweet!! They are so attentive and fast. I went on a Sunday night with a party of 4 for my birthday dinner. It was busy and there was no parking. The parking is small and about 4 businesses share the parking lot. We didn't wait for a long period and was seated quickly. The place is pretty big. The AYCE menu is huge. They have cold noodle, various soup dishes, fried food, and meat choices. They also have a ramen station which we didn't try because we got full from everything. The kalbi and bulgogi is probably one of the best I've ever had. It's so flavorful and tender. I got seafood tofu soup which is filled with various seafood and delicious. The cold noodle is also a delicious. The japchae is also very good! At the end of our meal we have a choice of chocolate, vanilla, or green tea ice cream. I got green tea and that was so good!! 100/10 would come again!! Customer service is AMAZING and delicious FOOD . read more

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

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Service was soo trash that we didn't get to eat. Waited for almost 30 mins after being seated and didn't get any kind of service so we left. We walked in and didn't even get greeted. Lady seated us in a booth and gave us a water and a menu and just left. 3 different servers walked by and saw that we were just sitting there without a grill/service and STILL didn't even serve. We even rang the service button twice to no avail. The place wasn't even busy at all so there wasn't really any excuse. A server came to service the table next to us and saw us and STILL didn't say anything. This place deserves zero stars. U guys are fucking trash. read more

The last time I checked, AYCE meant all you can eat. Apparently, at this restaurant, it means the servers can take away your grill and charcoal without even checking if you're done ordering. My family and I came here for lunch after hearing great things about their charcoal grill, but the service was incredibly disappointing. The servers barely spoke to us, and you're expected to communicate solely by checking items off a paper menu. That alone wouldn't have been a problem, except they messed up our second order and brought us less meat than we had requested. We didn't make a big deal out of that because we thought we could just order more because it's AYCE but when we were ready to place a third order, one of the servers came by and removed our grill and charcoal without saying a word or asking if we were finished. There was no warning, no last call for orders, nothing. We had only been dining for about an hour and weren't even ordering excessive amounts of food (and even if we were, isn't that the point of going to an AYCE???). Mind you I was there with my boyfriend, my sister and her toddler so how much damage could we really do. A few of the dishes were good, but most of the food was just average. Combined with the poor service, it made for a very disappointing experience. We came because of the positive reviews, but unfortunately, we won't be coming back. read more

Just stopped in for lunch and the restaurant is clean and the employees are friendly. The food was fantastic and came out quickly, the sides are good! The ribs were quality meat, and just adds to the meal. Fairly reasonable for a quick lunch. read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Galbi-jjim - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Was recommended this place by an SD local and it paid off! Great service, great quality food and I loved the charcoal grills. Right next to convoy, i'd consider this a gem. Food (5/5) - This was not AYCE! We ordered the set for 5-6 and it was phenomenal, full of essentials like short rib, bulgogi, beef tongue, beef belly etc. along with tons of tasty banchan/sides, dipping sauces, and a bottle of soju! Ordered cold noodles separate and they were also great! I enjoyed the pacing of the meal, cooking the thinner meats on the grill pan and the thicker ones on wire mesh grill cooked everything perfectly. Service (5/5) - It feels like the korean aunties here treat you like family, they get everything set up so nicely and even help cook for you. Constantly checked up on us, made us laugh, great team here honestly. Didn't bother us personally but they do add an auto gratuity for mid-large size parties automatically. Ambiance (4/5) - Can get a bit smokey in here because of the charcoals. The booths are pretty comfy and felt private. Overall atmosphere was welcoming, fun, and personable! Would recommend stopping by next time you want good asian food in convoy! read more

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Came here for Thanksgiving, to celebrate with friends. We were sat in a kind of private room which was nice since we were a big party. There was 7 of us and we were sat immediately. 3 of us shared the combo B, which had beef brisket/short rib. The meat was really good quality. I also order a corn cheese for myself which was a lot tbh. Overall really good quality food, would come back to try more! read more

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

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Disappointing experience at DJK Korean BBQ. The food was just okay, but the service was what really brought the experience down. Everything felt rushed, like they were trying to get us through the meal and out rather than letting us actually enjoy dinner. What really left a bad taste was being asked to increase the tip after already feeling rushed throughout the meal. That felt uncomfortable and unprofessional. If the service had been attentive and the meal enjoyable, I would understand expecting a good tip, but pressuring a customer for more after mediocre service is not it. For the price and overall experience, there are much better Korean BBQ options in San Diego. I wouldn't return. read more

I knew this place was legit when I saw a group of 20 grown Korean men leave the restaurant very very happy! Good service and felt very welcoming and homely. Hands-down the best kimchee jjigae I've had in SD, I would've ordered a second one if my stomach had allowed me! We got the combination D and that came with a lot of meat and sides. I can't recommend this enough!! read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Combination D (5-6 people) - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

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The best Korean bbq in SD for sure. We went Sunday late evening, didn't need a reservation and wasn't as crowded as places tend to be in the Convoy area. We ordered only 2 portions for bbq and it was more than enough, so thankful we didn't order more since it would have been too much, thin brisket and short rib. Appetizers were so delicious, fresh and decent size, including full size salad to start with. Overall loved it and can't wait to go back to try the duck. read more

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I love going to a good Korean bbq place that serves quality meat and grilled using charcoal. This place uses oak wood charcoal imported from Korea. We ordered bossam, brisket, and galbi. Unlike other places the bossam here has fresh oysters which is how it's traditionally eaten. It was a large portion, good to feed more than four people. Then they brought out the oak wood charcoal and we started grilling the brisket. The brisket was good but the galbi was the star of the night. It was tender and flavorful. We also had a bunch of bonchon (side vegetables) and sauces to pair with. It's been a while since I've been here and always had a good experience!! read more

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So so good! AYCE for 39$ and included so many variety of choices from authentic Korean soups, Korean fried chicken, noodles, and much more. I couldn't fit everything I wanted to try in my belly, but everything we tried was amazing. The spicy cold noodle and beef bone broth soup was so good! The ramen station was a cherry on top. Very impressed and will definitely be bringing family :) read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Ramen - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here for Fathers Day w/ my hub and youngest son and his fam. Got our names on the waitlist around 6:30pm and only waited about 15 minutes. We were given a nice table in an enclosed area. Perfect cozy size for 5 of us. And nice n private. We ordered the BBQ combination dinner to serve 3-4 people, some japchae (stir fry glass noodles and bibim bap added. It was a feast! We ate till we were stuffed and then had leftovers for a couple more meals for 2 of us at home! Korean BBQ is so enjoyable as you get to do the fun work of cooking the meat on the grill right at your table. The servers get your coals and grills all set up for you. And we love all the dipping sauces and sides (banchan) from which to choose and eat with your rice and meats. There's a salt n pepper sauce, a red spicy pepper sauce and a sweet brown sauce. Also gochujang sauce. That was so good for leftovers at home! Anyway, the cool thing about having the BBQ on the table, is you can control how you want your meat exactly how you want it. And you can snag it right to your plate! It's so cool. And yummy! The staff here are all Korean. They speak enough English to serve you well and care for your needs. The prices are comparable and the ambiance is nice n inviting. It is also clean and organized. They run a tight ship keeping everything going for the whole place. When we came, every table was filled. And the customers were happy. We'll be back for more! read more

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We wanted to try a new KBBQ place and DJK was recommended to us by a friend ! We shared the combo B and it was MORE than enough food for 3 people. They started us out with rice, salad, miso soup, radish, kimchi and other yummy starters. It was also included!! The staff cooks your food right in front of you. I am used to cooking your own food at KBBQ but this was such a treat! I will definitely be back and will tell my friends about it. read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Combo B - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

Second time going with my friends and we all enjoyed it both times. The food was good, service was good, and we had a lot to eat.

Impromptu visit by a friend's suggestion here as we are in town for a concert at the amphitheater in Chula Vista. My five star experience here is for their regular menu service -NOT with the BBQ GRILL. We received our meal very quickly. They did not bring out our banchan until our meals arrived, i noticed. We ordered individual entree items and EVERYTHING my friend recommended was DELICIOUS!!! BEST KOREAN restaurant I've ever been to thus far in San Diego. I'm excited to return to try their bbq over the charcoal grills. Aside from Soowon in KTown/LA, DJK is my new next favorite Korean restaurant. LOVED: GALBI GIM (BEEF STEW) with rice cake- absolutely my favorite Korean dish to date!!! The way it is presented is exceptional! Arrives bubbling, steamy and hot in their stone pot. The beef, vegetables all are cooked and seasoned perfectly. It's a rich and flavorful sauce smothered over the beef and rice cakes. This dish again, is my favorite Korean dish I've ever gotten to try. Easily share as a full meal with a group of 2-4 Banchan (different from most Korean restaurants) and all delicious. The usual steamed rice, soybean/mung bean, spinach, kimchi, spicy radish, potato salad, but unique too with banchan like steamed egg, a type of brisket beef, so tender and flavorful!) Naengmyeon- very refreshing on a hot summer day -while my Korean friends said it was a typical cold noodle dish, not exceptionally different, I enjoyed it very much. THE REST OF OUR ITEMS included a mackerel fish, I believe it was fried- just expect lots of bones to pick out, beef bulgogi- delicious, a seafood tofu stew (broth didn't have much flavor to me), and another beef and seafood stew with glass noodles- another dish I enjoyed very much. I can't wait to return! !!I Already craving that galbi gim again! I included a photo of our receipt in case I forgot a dish I tried. We had a group of five and although we ordered a lot, I left feeling very content and not too full. read more

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Food is amazing. Our kids loved the experience of cooking the meat and trying all the different sides that come with it. Definitely coming back read more

I had such a terrible experience here. We came with 5 people total. Every round we ordered, the servers forgot something (we never got rice. We never got the last order of potato salad). Last call was also 50 minutes before closing and we had only ordered twice at this point so one server said we can order more. We did. Then another server came and said actually you can't order more than 6 meats. When we mentioned another server said we can, she said confused and harshly "Who told you?!" She left. Then she came back and made us change our order. Ah but the ending was the worst part. We hadn't fully finished cooking our meat and the server took the grill and charcoal away. It was edible but we were aiming to cook it more. Oh well. At this point I'm angry but I'm holding back. I tip 23 dollars. Ohhhh but the server stops me and says for dinner, tip should be 15, 18, or 20%..... I say okay I'll change it.. she starts to back off the statement saying it's okay but at this point you've already said it?!!!!!!!! SO I REWROTE THE TIP. Purely out of guilt. Not because I think it was justified which tip is supposed to be proportional to service. Never coming back again. Forgotten food, rushed to get out of the restaurant. Also: If you're so strict on time, just stop letting people sit down at a certain point. Instead of making them feel like they're a pest to rush out the restaurant. AND STOP ASKING FOR HIGHER TIPS read more

This is so good, the food is good. The bbq is great using charcoal and it is AYCE with a great price. Our server is very friendly; he came checking on us often to ensure we are taken care of. The parking lot is small, so we have to park at the street far away. read more

This place is my new favorite korean restaurant in SD! It truly feels like being in korea. While it is a bit pricey to eat on the non kbbq side, the portions are big and cooked to perfection. The kimchi soondubu is packed with tofu, the banchans change on a daily basis but are all always soooo good. I could go on about many dishes and intend to keep coming back to try more. For everyone complaining about service, it's clear they didn't notice the call button at each table. You can press that and they will come to assist very quickly! This place is LEGIT and I highly recommend if you want authentic korean food. read more

Walking into this establishment felt like entering "auntie's home" very warm feeling... and with only ladies hosting and getting us situated. The bulgogi and brisket meats we ordered came out quickly. And host cooked it for us. We loved the banchans ( pickled veggies, kimchee, ) and bowl of salad. read more

Got the 4-5 person combo. Always leaving full of food and fun memories--the key is to not get full before the best meat is served (at the end!). But too late, we scarfed all the food and had to take the rest home. They change from gas to charcoal throughout the service. read more

Solid Korean bbq. The side dishes were great, you get a nice variety and quantity. The japchae was actually filled with good veggies (most places that give japchae as a side load it up with just noodles) and they even had chive pancake (although tbh it wasn't great). Spinach and bean sprouts were great. The Yang Nyum Gal Bi was really good, so so tender. We asked about the difference between the LA Gal Bi and the Yang Nyum Gal Bi, and apparently it's just the way the meat is cut, the LA is the one I'm more used to seeing where there are 3 bones in the kalbi piece (then you can cut the kalbi into thirds), while the Yang Nyum has one big bone at the end but the meat itself is bone free. The marinade in both is the same (the English description is misleading since only the Yang Nyum says "marinated short rib"). We also got the duck which I've never really seen at Korean bbq before. Not my favorite, the duck meat gets pretty dry and you have to eat it with the fat to make it juicy. The tofu stew was fine but not memorable. read more

Spicy jaeyuk and bulgogi dosirak(bento). I loved the banchans a lot. Spicy pork was okay, a bit smelled.. Beef bulgogi was good. :) Good for to go. I will come back for BBQ next time. read more

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Meat quality was good! Service was quick. And they had charcoal grill that was pretty unique. read more

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