Thuy P.

We were here on that super rainy day and thought the place will only had 2 of us. But surprisingly the restaurant is 1/2 full. Didn't expect much of this Korean restaurant since it locates not in the well known Korean area. It turns out to be quite good. Price ranges are very reasonable and portions are huge. Glad we tried it. Service was very nice too.

Jacob D.

The short version of this review is that Dubu is a solid Korean Mom and Pop that offers familiar favorites in a laid back environment. This isn't a soju bar with load music or upscale interpretation of Korean cuisine. From the lamination on the menus to the traditional rice pot cookers that come table side, this is clearly something the owners put plenty of themselves into. It seems to connect with the intended crowd as the multiple groups of Koreans that followed in after us, are usually a good sign. The food is of good quality and offered variable spice levels on many of the dishes, so you are able to decide what type of experience you're going to have. The tteokbokki are plump and the sauce balances the tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet notes you're looking for. The kimchi pancake was plenty kimchi forward but ended up not having all the crispy texture you can get from the scallion pancake cousin they serve. I order the Glabi and enjoyed my seasoning that it came with, nothing much to say either way here. The soondubu soup was full of tofu and not all too spicy on the medium heat level. I didn't fall in love with any particular dish, but I enjoyed all the options I went with.

Jason Z.

Really cool mom and pop spot that opened up on Richmond opposite the Costco. Parking in this plaza can be slightly tough. The staffing is fairly lean and the mom and pop of the store both are on duty and very friendly. The banchan game here is fairly limited; bean sprouts, fish cakes, kimchi, and pickled cucumber. The kimchi and fish cakes weren't my favorite from banchan I've had in Houston. We got the tteokbokki (3/5, the sauce was slightly bland, not sweet enough, but fairly spicy, the rice cake texture was good) and kimchi/ seafood pancake (3/5, the texture of the pancake was a bit wet and floppy, and missing a nice and oily, crisp) for appetizers. I got the galbi combo, which consists of grilled Korean short ribs with a bowl of rice, small bowl of tofu soup, and banchan. The beef short ribs, were fairly okay, honestly. The tofu in soup was tasty but the soup was also a bit light in flavor (3/5). The owners are super friendly; the food was very honestly, okay. Really wanted to enjoy it more but the flavors were on the lighter side for most of the dishes that we tried.

Robert Z.

A cold, rainy day calls for hot soup and soondubu sounded like a great option. Came here on a Friday early evening for a quick casual dinner. The staff were super friendly and honestly a big part of my rating here. They were helpful with the menu, super polite and gracious, and just seemed like genuine people. Foodwise, we ordered the grilled mackerel combo with a vegetable soodubu jiggae, boiled dumplings, and a beef japchae. The banchan was fine, nothing stand out but had your standard kimchi, cucumber kimchi, odaeng, and bean sprouts. The japchae was good and had a nice portion, I did get a pretty hefty bone in one bite of my japchae so just a warning. The dumplings were flavorful but also nothing stand out. The grilled mackerel was good with a nice char and very meaty fish in general. The soondubu was probably my biggest let down, it didn't have much flavor nor spice (we got a medium). I'm used to soondubu being a bit of a spicy umami bomb and this one just didn't hit the spot for me. Overall, I think its pretty average Korean food but no dish was really that great that I'd make an effort to come here. However, its probably one of the only soondubu spots in the inner loop so location is convenient. The staff are really the winners here for me and helped me push to a 4 vs a 3 as food itself was alright.

Neal M.

Clean Korean cooking in a bustling atmosphere! We were looking for something warm and comforting on a gloomy and rainy day and this place did just the trick. Clean cooking that wasn't oily and allowed the flavors of all the ingredients to shine. The japchae was light and refreshing, yet hearty. They were able to accommodate spicy levels well and they didn't disappoint! The sundubu was spicy and aromatic. It had noodles with the right amount of bounciness and fresh vegetables. The silken tofu was solid and among the better once's we've had. The staff was incredibly friendly and patient while we reviewed the menu. They checked on us appropriately to make sure we were satisfied. The restaurant was bright and it seems like they are always busy. The loud conversations within the other parties there speaks to the quality of the food also! Rate: 4.5/5, a definite recommend for those looking for Korean cooking without having to go farther West in the Houston area.

Chloe L.

Good spot for homey Korean food! The soon dubu is alright, would say it's better than Tofu Village. The milder flavors are a little bland so I would recommend getting medium or spicier. Grilled mackerel has great portion size and is done really well. Highly recommend the grilled mackerel combo so you get the best of both worlds. Service was fast but the staff speak limited English.

Diem A.

Dubu Dubu is in the old Mama's Kitchen space on Richmond. It is comforting Korean food. Service is warm and attentive. The parking lot is small with free parking. The space itself is simple and comfortable. Their tofu soups have a rich broth, fresh ingredients, and good spice levels. The banchan is always fresh. The japchae is very tasty and the galbi was hearty and delicious. Prices are reasonable for the quality. It's not the best Korean food I've had but it was not disappointing.

Jando S.

Aside from being a play on words for one of Korean cuisine's most well known dishes (#1), Dubu Dubu also has the distinction of being one of the only (#2) Korean options inside the loop. After several years in Austin with a different Korean restaurant, the owner decided to make Houston their new home and open in Greenway after realizing the growing demand for Korean fare, and I'm all for it. It's been nearly a year since they've opened in the old Mama's space (#3), with some notable changes on the interior: brighter lights, open spacing, and KBS programs on the TV. The staff is a mix of Korean-speaking and non-Korean speaking young folks, most of whom are friendly and welcoming. The food is a typical offering of stews (soondubu), pajuns (pancakes), with a limited amount of mandoo, bibimbap options, and a small sample size of banchan dishes. The haemul pajun was not as seafood'y as I would have preferred, but I enjoyed the tteokboki, kimchi fried rice, and bulgolgi. The soondubu and steamed mandoo were average, but I think having this during colder weather might end up tasting better. I do think that Dubu Dubu has lots of potential and their timing for helping out the (limited) Houston Korean food scene couldn't be better. I anticipate many future outings and hope they are able to to keep up with the demand for a long time. ___________ (#1) Soondubu. The ultimate Korean comfort food. (#2) How sad is this? (#3) https://www.yelp.com/biz/mama-s-kitchen-houston

Shveta A.

YES! Finally, a Korean restaurant close to home! I was so excited when I heard about this place. I had long dreamed of a Korean place that was not leagues away and immediately hoped that that quality would love up to my expectations. It did! From ordering online on the easy to navigate website, to picking up the well-packed order in the restaurant, everything was easy and pleasant. The menu was extensive and well-described both for those new and accustomed to Korean cuisine. I ordered the kimchi fried rice, the scallion pancakes, the chicken soy sauce bulgogi, the noodles and the tteokbokki. The interior was lively and neat and was packed with customers who looked very happy and we were immediately helped by the employee at the counter. She was extremely nice and had our order packed and ready to go. Every dish was amazinggggg! The pancakes were fluffy and savory, with a lot of seafood inside. The meat was tender and well seasoned and the rice and noodles were heart in their portions. My favorite (if I have to pick) was the tteokbokki, the sauce was not spicy and the rice cakes were cooked to perfection. I am very happy to say that I have found my go-to Korean spot!

Mindy L.

Yum! We enjoyed everything we ordered here. The soondubu jjigae was spot on and beef bulgogi was well seasoned and not dry/tough. Win! Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this place (having lived 5 years in LA Korean town before), but a friend highly recommended it so I decided to try. And so glad we came to try! The banchan was good as well. I appreciate that the japchae was full of veggies such as broccoli, carrots, and even egg, not just all noodles. Too bad they don't have a fried fish ban Chan like BCD tofu house, but the jjigae was very tasty so I will forgive them haha. A few complaints is that the pork in my soup was a bit tough and I wished there were some mushrooms or Korean zucchini in the jjigae, but I enjoyed every bite. Yum! Service was good. We were promptly seated and felt taken care of. Can't wait to come back again to try some other stuff!

John M.

Thoroughly enjoyed trying out Dubu Dubu. We have been looking for a good Korean place inside the loop. While we love K-town eateries, we don't always have the time to drive out there to scratch an itch. In comes Dubu Dubu. We tried the Rabokki (tteokboki + ramen), the haemul paejjon, and the mandu. All would be repeats. The tteokboki sauce brought back memories of what we'd get in the street foot stalls in Seoul's markets. Sweet, savory, with a spicy linger (but not too much) at the end. Came out lava-hot too. The seafood pancake was great, and their niche was adding lots of scallions...a great mashup between the two, done on the thinner side, but delish. The dumplings were done well, nicely steamed, good flavor. We will be back to try the soondubu with noodles, and a few other dishes. Only had one stomach to give to the cause in this first trip. And the owner was just as into the kdramas as we were!!! LOL

Amy H.

Food was overall ok We had the kimchi tofu soup ( kimchi soondubu jigae) More on the sour side with some pieces of pork belly. It was ok. 3/5 Banchan Fish cake, cucumber kimchi (really good), bean sprouts, kimchi. It was again ok. 3.5/5 We also had the seafood stir-fried udon This was pretty good more sweet soy sauce flavor with assortment of veggies and seafood (mussels and 1 shrimp). Service Very good. Nice and friendly staff, they were attentive to our needs and even didn't rush us even though they were closed. Speaking of which they close at 3:00 p.m. on weekdays!!! So that was very nice of them. However, this is a food review. Also on Google maps this took me to the back alleyway to park. So instead I would try to look for parking in the front.

Alex W.

I went in this time and it did not disappoint either. I got the seafood soondubu jiggae, and there was a lot of tofu, as the name of the restaurant suggests. However, I think I actually would have preferred more broth than tofu.