We went to Ember recently because we just came back from Seoul and had some awesome Beef Belly and had a craving. The food was delicious and the service was top notch. So my kid somehow dropped her AirPod case on the floor and poof BOTH of her AirPods disappeared ‍‍. Everyone scoured the floors and searched the cameras and looked in all the nooks and crannies. Nothing . I called 2 days later to see if they found them... they hadn't. THEN about 15 minutes later, they called me and they found them!! IN THE BOOTH! New theory, the kid somehow took her AirPods out of the case and had them on the seat and got distracted (as teens with delicious food in front of them tend to do) and the AirPods fell into some hole on the booth before her case even fell on the ground. ‍‍‍ Either way... major thanks for taking the time to dismantle to booth and find them! They didn't have to but they did! Saved me $89*2 for replacements and saved my kid from having to continue to face my disappointed mom face. read more

First the good: the rib finger meat was pretty good, I like the tenderness with a slight chewiness. Flavor was good in the marinade. We ordered this a few times during dinner. The La galbi had good flavor as well. The soy garlic beef belly was okay, not bad but nothing set it apart. The banchan apps were good but the japchae was was really good to me. The kimchi was bland tho, made me sad because I love good kimchi. The bad: soda machine was light on a couple sodas I ordered. Later on in the meal they reset the root beer soda so I really appreciate the service for that. The vent hood was really low and blocked cooking at times but we understand why it's there. Some dishes were a bit odd like the popcorn chicken, which was mostly crumbs like the bottom of a movie popcorn bucket. Service was solid, Brandon our server was nice and gave us good recommendations. We would return and hopefully I can give them more stars on my next visit. read more

See all

This was our first time trying this KBBQ spot. The restaurant is spacious, with plenty of tables and a bar area where you can sit and watch sports. The lighting inside was bright and welcoming as well. We had a party of eight, and I liked that they seated us with two grills, which made cooking much easier for our group. We did have to wait about 10 minutes for a table, though I wasn't sure why since there appeared to be several open tables. Dinner AYCE is $37 per person. One thing I didn't like was how low the exhaust vent hangs over the grill. It made cooking a bit difficult. We raised it higher, but the staff lowered it again because there was too much smoke. The AYCE experience includes a two-hour dining limit, and you can order up to three appetizers and three protein selections at a time. The beef selection included many of the same cuts we usually order at other KBBQ restaurants. While the quality was decent, some of the marinades were underwhelming. For example, the soy garlic beef belly was topped with sliced garlic but didn't have any of the "soy" on it . The marinated finger ribs had a nice texture and chew, but I could barely taste any marinade. The LA galbi was one of the better options, and my orders were not overly fatty. The popcorn chicken looked like it came straight from the bottom of the bucket. Most of it was tiny crumbs and fried bits rather than actual pieces of chicken. I also appreciated that the pineapple was fresh rather than canned. The scallion salad was another highlight--it included lettuce and scallions tossed in a light soy-based dressing. Our server, Brandon, was excellent. Since it was our first visit, he provided helpful recommendations and made the experience more enjoyable. Service was efficient, and our food arrived quickly throughout the meal. read more

See all

Arrived around 5pm on a Saturday and it was not busy yet. We still waited 10 minutes to be seated for party of 7. The meat was good but seems like they removed jajangmian from the menu so that was disappointing. The fries are good as usual. The steamed eggs were a bit overcooked, and the ramen with cheese was very basic (tasted like chicken powder with gochugaru topped with mozzarella cheese). Favorite cuts of meat was the saeng galbi and the beef belly. The scallion salad is a must get along with rice paper! read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Yum - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

See all

Been here multiple times now and have had a good time experience each time. Tbe combination of attention by the staff and portions make it a go to place when craving KBBQ and not wanting to make too much of an effort of driving. The KBBQ is good in my amateur viewpoint, but what separates it from other places is the care. You can choose between full orders and half orders, so you can conceivably try more of the menu because each round will be smaller. This isn't a detterent because the staff consistently come by and check in. Unlike other places where smaller portions are definitely a negative because they don't come as often, you won't have that issue here. The staff is great. Everyone involved with the operation that I've interacted with so far is awesome. They refill drinks, get orders, clean up the table and switch grills, everything that makes the experience better. I like the fact they have mussels. Sometimes I just have a craving for them, and this place allows the itch to be scratched. Ventilation is better than other places because they have it right over the grill. Additionally, plates aren't tiny. It can actually fit a good amount of food. Banchan was plentiful, refillable, and already at the table. The table size too is nice and generous; small tables at AYCE KBBQ places irk me because of the inevitable amount of plates that you get won't fit. Overall, this place hasn't let me down. For that, it deserves 5. read more

See all

Ember is everything I look for in an AYCE KBBQ. The variety of proteins, appetizers, and sides makes for an excellent overall KBBQ experience. I especially love their selection of non-marinated beef and pork (IYKYK). Service here is consistently great. Our server, James, is always exceptional. During our visit, he was handling 4-5 tables on his own and still managed to check in regularly while keeping our banchan and meats coming with zero delays--seriously impressive. Recommend: brisket, saeng kalbi (non marinated short rib), rib eye steak, thick cut pork belly, pork jowl, ube melona (dessert) Skip: Soybean paste soup (way too salty), Rib fingers (get saeng kalbi instead) Parking: Plenty of spaces available in the strip mall where the restaurant is located. read more

See all

I've visited Ember a couple of times more recently to catch up with friends after the holidays and it's been a great experience each time. Both visits, I was with a group of 3 and the wait was only about 15-20 minutes. They don't have the option of an online waitlist, but they do accept reservations for groups of 5 or more. Any smaller than that and you need to be added to the waitlist in person. The interior is bright and well ventilated. The staff are definitely busy, but they check in often for ordering more items and keep an eye on the grill to offer to swap out for a new one. I really appreciate the attention to customers. My favorite meats would have to be the LA Galbi and the soy garlic beef belly. My favorite sides/apps are the scallion salad (so refreshing with the meat) and the battered onion rings. Pro-tip: ask for the broccoli sauce and spicy mayo as creamy sauces to enjoy with your meal. Even with the huge amount of food, it's always fun to look forward to dessert which is included at the end of the meal. I always opt for a Melona bar and the mango is my favorite! read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Three times here but enough is enough. I really want to like it. Our first time here, it was a wonderful experience. It was their soft opening. The quality was top notch, lots of varieties, and the service was quick. Second time here- food was still decent but they removed some of the items they were testing out during their soft opening. Service was still good but their AC broke. This was the dead of summer and everyone was sweating while eating kbbq. Left before we were full because we couldn't take it anymore. I feel like we should have all been given a discount for this. 3rd time- last. My daughter loves this place and requested it for her birthday. Service was pretentious, I felt like our server felt way too superior to serve us. Food was still ok but quality has declined a bit. Their steak did blow us away though so we ordered a few more of those. The sides/apps just declined in quality. My cold noodles came out frozen, the ramen just tasted cheap, and everything else was stale or cold. They also forgot multiple items, wouldn't refill our water, get us napkins, just overall a bad experience. We won't be back. They weren't too busy compared to Oz, I can see why. Yet even with the low/mild crowds, we still waited a substantial amount of time. read more

Ember has slowly become our new favorite Korean BBQ place in Elk Grove. I've eaten here so many times already and love coming back each time. It is all you can eat (AYCE) Korean BBQ. There is a 2 hour limit. Everyone in your party must arrive and be present to be seated. You choose your protein, any sides & sauces as well as any appetizers. Proteins come out fast, they are a bit skimpy on the sides like vegetables, lettuce wrap and the banchan. Often times we'd get 2 lettuce leaves and that's it. If you do order appetizers, keep in mind they have to cook it and there will be a bit of a wait. Service is exceptionally attentive. They come back in to check on you, ask if we want to do another round or change the grill. The overhead fans above the grill work well to reduce the smoke and the BBQ grill smell. Favorite proteins we get is the bulgogi, LA galbi, garlic butter shrimp, chicken, garlic soy shrimp, garlic soy thin cut pork belly, and garlic parmesan mussels. We come hungry and leave happy with full bellies! At the end, there is a choice of dessert too: assorted flavors of melona bars or sherbet ice cream! There's always room for ice cream! read more

I've been here twice, and it's a solid place to get KBBQ. Compared to other places, it seems there are less offerings. We ordered from the full menu ($34.99/person). Things we ordered: -LA galbi -beef brisket -beef bulgogi -Hawaiian steak -Chicken -Garlic shrimp -jumuluk -regular zucchini, lettuce wrap, rice paper, rice, jalapeño -popcorn chicken -fried zucchini -soybean soup -steamed egg -Melona bars (honeydew, pistachio) Overall, service was attentive and friendly. They changed our grill several times without us needing to flag them down. They were also patient with our orders. The vegetables overall were fresh, particularly the lettuce wrap and jalapeños. Banchan was enjoyable. I really like their LA galbi and brisket. LA galbi has a light sort of seasoning to it, like a sweet soy sauce almost. Brisket was solid, not seasoned, a bit fatty. The bulgogi was solid, also seasoned similarly to the LA galbi. Hawaiian steak is simply a thick cut of beef, couldn't really taste much seasoning. Jumuluk is a beef shoulder? It was ok. I didn't have the chicken or shrimp, but they seemed good. The shrimp does come with shell on. Did not eat the steamed egg. Also did not have the soybean soup but heard it was salty. The popcorn chicken was fried to a crisp this time (last time it was a bit soggy). You can ask for the yangyum sauce on the side. The fried zucchini is like tempura zucchini, but it has a lot of water in the zucchini still which makes it but too wet when you bite into it. The pistachio melona was ok. Not too sweet, but a bit plain to me. I had probably like an ube melona in the past and remembered it being a bit too sweet for me. Restaurant is clean and looks modern. Many seats available! The bummer is that for a table of up to 6, theres only 1 grill, which can back things up. Theres plenty of parking in the lot. Ember is a solid place for KBBQ! read more

Went to eat with my family and made reservations same day on a weekend. My family and I were all pretty hungry, 5 adults, 1 child and a baby. Qualified for child prices which was nice since my son is 9. Walking in it was really spacious and clean, I loved the vent systems it reminded me of over seas kbbq. The only thing is you have to keep it low for the smoke and when we did raise it, our waiter asked us not to. Understandable but sometimes it got in the way of cooking. Let's get into the food, we ordered corn cheese, gyoza and fries for apps. Nothing bad to say, but nothing out of the ordinary. As usual, ordering three meats at a time. The marinated meats were like the apps. Honestly this place is okay for their meats nothing out of the ordinary again. Melona for dessert. The wait staff was kind. Honestly come try it out, my experience went smooth. Nothing bad to say at all. I'll be keeping this place in rotation ‍ I would like if they had Shirley temples and Roy rogers though. That's my go to. read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Niecey eating the japchae like always - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Service quick, meat is decent good quality. Fair pricing. Nice grill changes. Meat fresh ish. Nice lil bar area to watch games. Not overly marinated meat. A nice touch with icecream at end. They go rice paper and ramen too read more

This place is a joke. We had 6 people at our table, and ordered pork jowl and this is what came out! LOLL the smallest pieces of meat with not even 3 pieces per order ( and these were not even the smallest pieces we received. There were some orders that were even smaller). When we asked if we could order more since the first plate was not enough for us, they stated we were only allowed to have 3 uncooked meats on the table to prevent food waste, as if those tiny pieces of meat would fill us up so much that we would waste it. I had my 4 year old son with me so I ordered an ice cream for myself and then tried to order one for him but the server immediately said "only one dessert per person." Like don't you see my kid sitting next to me? Does he need to order the dessert himself? And then they tried to charge us an extra adult, to which we disputed. Meat quality was mid, service was worse. Will not be back or recommend. read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Pork Jowl and beef tongue. This is what came out for 6 people! - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

All you can eat for you and me! Always enjoy a chance at korean BBQ and decided to check this new place out. Location: Located just off Bond and Stockton Blvd. This place has lots of ample parking and never seems to be an issue out here. Nice open interior with fans thats that come down from the ceiling. Not my most favorite color but the place was still nice and clean. Staff: The staff was friendly and did come occasionally. Not as much as I am used to but was still able to get what I wanted. They also had pretty good cocktails with Melona Ice cream. They also made them virgin for those in are party that do not drink. Food: Pretty standard Korean BBQ fare which I could not complain. Nothing special but I still enjoyed their offerings. Definitely worth a check out if you love Korean BBQ! read more

Came here for the first time on a Friday night where they were busy, but we were seated quickly. Our server, Anna was great-she checked in on us frequently to make sure we had everything we needed. The Meat was marinated well, but we felt some of the meat cuts were a little tough, and that the quality of the meat is better at Oz. The tofu soup was very good though, while the banchan was just ok. Otherwise, it's another solid KBBQ option in EG. read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Banchan - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

See all

Enjoyed our dinner here. I made a reservation for a Saturday night party of 6. Everyone was attentive and prompt. All the meat items we ordered were great portions and were very good. We really enjoyed our first time here. read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

It's always nice to have ayce kbbq options in the area other than oz ! Ember is located in the same shopping center as Burlington coat factory ( formerly mervyns) and hobby lobby ! You can't miss it . I really enjoy ember and the many options they offer . They have a full bar , plenty of appetizers, and so many meat options to choose from ! While I think their banchans are just ok ( I like the bean sprouts and cucumbers the most) I always enjoy my experience here . Every time I dine here , my servers are usually jay or Derek and they always do such a fantastic job . If you're craving a nice ayce kbbq with great service , I highly recommend ember ! read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

This review is only about the service we received. We get sat at our table and the waitress sits us down and turns on the grill for us. We order the meats we want and it comes out promptly. However, when we start putting the meat to grill it starts causing flames. The waitress returns and reprimands us to not turn on the grill too high as this will cause flames. Mind you, we didn't touch the knob, she did. It sucked to be accused of having done something wrong. This experience wasn't the best so we will probably not come back. read more

Loved it here. Can't wait to come back. The service was great? We came for lunch in Valentine's Day. The food was just phenomenal.

It's one of the better AYCE kbbq places in the area. Service was pretty fast and got seated in 10-15 minutes for a big party. Food was good and the place is very spacious. I like how they offer free ice cream as dessert which was nice. I got the taro melona. I would recommend this place to other if the mood for kbbq. read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

See all

My husband's co-worker recommended Ember to him and I'm so glad he did! We've gone at least twice so far and I'm certain it won't be our last. Even when it was busy, we only had to wait maybe 15-20 minutes, which was great. Fair pricing with great service, side dishes, and meat options. Ember has one of the better tasting corn cheese, which made me happy. Choice of one Melona bar or sherbet cup at the end. Left without smelling like KBBQ due to their ventilation system, which is a huge plus! Def recommend! read more

See all

A great AYCE Korean BBQ in Elk Grove with great service and options. The portions were very good for 2 people, and with the option of up to 3 choices at a time you are always grilling and eating. Our waiter was also very attentive and checked in to ensure we put in our next order before we were done and left waiting. The options are also very good, especially considering the seafood options included which at other locations may be part of the more elite options. It wasn't too busy at 5:30 on a Tuesday night, but around 7:30 it had picked up. read more

went here on a saturday afternoon and waited for a table for about 10mins with a party of 4. service was decent felt like it took awhile to get some things like water and sauces, but the meats came out really fast every time we ordered and needed a grill change. i really liked their brisket and cheese ramen. also comes with dessert at the end. the pistachio melona bar was fire. read more

See all

Came here tonight because my friends wanted KBBQ for a birthday and it ended up being a pretty solid choice. This was my second time here and it is honestly a dependable spot. The service was good, the staff checked in on us frequently, kept our waters filled, and the protein options were solid. Nothing mind blowing and nothing disappointing. It is just good Korean BBQ overall. The only thing that threw me off was the floors. As soon as I walked in, I noticed how greasy and slippery everything felt. Same thing walking to our table, and the mens bathroom was even worse. I almost slipped, so I really hope they deep clean the floors better because that could get dangerous quickly. Besides that, we had a good experience and I would still come back if needed. Update: i had to switch from 4 Stars to 2 Stars because I forgot one big issue. The fried rice was soggy and spoiled. I thought it was just me but my friend gave it a taste as well and he confirmed it. Many couldve gotten sick! read more

KBBQ dinner with a good exhaust system [Elk Grove CA] Suggested by a friend of ours who is local from Elk Grove we came here for dinner, party of 8. Actually, three friends from our party are from Elk Grove. The building from the outside is wide and inside is equally spacious and well-spaced. The restaurant has a family-style setting. We were given two tables towards the corner and we proceeded to place our orders with the waitress assigned to us. In reality our very own "grill masters" selected the food for us --- the menu has a wide variety of meats to choose from: pork, beef, chicken and seafood. We shared side dishes, called "banchan." Everything was delicious and flavorful. One thing I noticed was that they have a great ventilation (or exhaust) system because I came out of there not smelling like food! That thing just effectively sucked the smoke, grease, and other cooking odors from the grill LoL! The servers were efficient in emptying our table of used dinnerware. Our main waitress was nice and friendly and just knows when we're ready for our next rounds. Now I'm no connoisseur of Korean BBQ dining but I was pleased with our first time dining experience at Ember's. Review #3731 read more

See all

This K BBQ spot has vents over each grill so it captures a lot of the smells but... you will still smell like K BBQ afterwards so dress accordingly. Unlike some other places that have self serve sides, this spot brings everything to you, including the sauces. It was helpful because a few folks in our party weren't very mobile so it was convenient to have everything brought to us. I'm not too picky so all the meat quality seemed fine. The favorite at our table was the Angus beef followed by the rib fingers. I personally liked the bulgogi squid. This was my first AYCE that included mulnamyeung (cold noodle soup) so I had to try it and it was pretty tasty. I also liked that dessert was included. My ube melona bar was the perfect way to end a meal. read more

Very amazing meats and appetizers! I ordered the soy garlic beef belly every round, it was so good! The LA galbi was also really juicy and tender, super well marinated. As for their appetizer, the onion rings were huge, the batter was almost like a tempura batter (my favorite!). Our server, Kimberly, was kind, attentive, and continually coming back to make sure we got our rounds in. Ember is a large restaurant, lots of seating and with a full bar at the front. read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

I teeter here between 4 and 5. I enjoyed our group outing here but there's just something that was keeping this place from being a 5. Is it because I'm spoiled by SoCal KBBQ? Not sure. But then again this is the best KBBQ I've had in the area, at least in recent memory. So maybe I'll put this as an area 5 for now. Anyways this place is pretty huge. Like to the point where it almost seemed empty because of how large it was. As for the selection it was pretty big. They have all of your typical meats, ban ham and even had stuff like ramen too. The meats were all flavorful and tender. Loved how they also served Asian ice cream bars for dessert at the end. I wish it was closer because I'd definitely go back more often. As I went to post the pics, I remembered something disturbing. There was a hair in our cheese corn, almost looked like a pubic hair. So down to a 3/5 now. read more

See all

Went with friends and service was good. The staff is friendly and didn't seem to mind changing our grill quite a few times. There's no tiers of meats, all are included (e.g Galbi, shrimp, brisket, chicken,etc.). It's AYCE also. Bonus is the ice cream. I haven't been to a KBBQ place that had dessert included. Place is pretty casual. The kiddos ate quite a bit of food too. I'll be back read more

I've been here a few times and the last time I came with a group of 12 people. The servers and host here are so friendly and accommodating. Big groups aren't always easy to deal with, but they made everything so easy and helped out each table enthusiastically. The food here is great with so many options in appetizers and meats! read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

See all

Spacious with well lowered vents for KBBQ. The staff and our server was superrrrr nice & gave great recommendations. He was very attentive and checked up on us just enough and when we needed to order he would pop up! Food was yummy! The kimchi jeon appetizer was so crispy good! I got 2! Love that they offer beef tongue and intestines as part of their meats! Only thing is that we didn't like was the limit to 3 apps and 3 meats but it's ok as our server was quick to take our next order. Also, ramen was flavorful but wished their was a non spicy version although they only had the non spicy cold noodles available. Overall, our tummies left extremely happy & would definitely come again when we are in the area. read more

See all

Came here for the first time to celebrate a birthday and I must say, I was very impressed with the place. The restaurant is big and perfect for big parties. Every employee we encountered was so nice and welcoming. Not a bad attitude in sight. Our grill was never left empty. We never had to wait for the next round of meats, they kept the food and drinks rolling in and changed our grill when needed. The food tasted great, we kept ordering rounds of brisket, short ribs, and bulgogi. Their Yuza blonde beer is really good and loved their sauces, especially the spicy sambal. Overall, great experience! I definitely recommend this place and will be a returning customer. read more

See all

It's Friday at lunch time - 100 tables open but under staffed. Who's responsible for this? Waited 3 mins just watching empty tables. Tf? Food is good tho. read more

We came here on a Saturday evening around 745pm. Good service overall and good parking Overall. $34 per person outside of their discount deal days of m-f daytime, excluding holidays. We had been sitting for a good while though with an empty cup so ended up having to flag down someone to get more water. The wait can be sort of long even if you only have a small party of 2...took like 20 minutes I think. So try to come outside of their busiest times if you can't stand the waiting. The wait is even longer if you have a bigger group. Another good tip is if you come outside of the busiest times, you can likely get a table that's not next to a rowdy kid. For moment I was next to a rowdy young kid of a family who was misbehaving , kept pushing their chair into my space where I sat. Another small kid on the other side of the wall next to where I sat, kept being a brat getting way too close to my personal space. They charge extra if you have a big group, I think it was like 7 people or more get charged extra. I liked The Thin cut Pork belly soy garlic, beef bulgogi, brisket, spicy cold noodles, kimchi, and cheese corn. They have a surprising depth of menu here with items that I don't think I've seen at gen or gogi kbbq spots. At the end of the meal you get to pick between melona or sherbet types of ice cream, which is a nice sweet way to end the meal. I think because of how special, how different their menu is - they set themselves apart from other kbbq spots in the city. Not a bad spot for some interesting kbbq. read more

Decided to come back and give Ember a proper try since I came during their soft opening. I was surprised how busy it was for a Monday night but luckily the location has plenty of space, just a matter of waiting for a server to be ready. Our server was great and super efficient which is the reason I'm rounding up to 4 stars, but the meal itself was okay. The sides were under seasoned a bit and the rice paper could've been fresher/softer. I did love their meat sauce and green sauce! The meats were okay but a little bit too fatty on some of them. When we ordered garlic pork belly, two of the giant slices were just pieces of fat! But other than that I do love that they offer kimchi jeon and spicy naengmyeon on the menu since a lot of other kbbq spots don't have it. I just wish they had a smaller portion of the noodles because it was too much for one person. Those unique items would probably be the only reason I come back, otherwise I will be sticking to my go-to spot for the best quality meat. read more

See all

The service here is awesome and fast! The menu selection for AYCE is also huge, so bring your appetite! They also have a great adult drink selection and plenty of parking! read more

My group and I decided to try this kbbq. The parking is spacious, service was fast and the staff were friendly. The bbq meats were delicious. The banchans were ok, I had better. read more

Ember Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Customer service was great and they don't charge the 18% service fee for big parties. The food was bland, in my opinion and the bathrooms did not have a changing table for my baby. This is why I wouldn't recommend because it doesn't have changing tables in neither bathroom and the food is bland read more

Walked in on a Friday night and was quickly sat, our server. Brandon was very attentive and we were able to order our food quickly. The banchan was okay some items were either very bland or very salty. We really liked the broccoli with white sauce, Brandon realized that we liked it so much that he brought us a big bowl of it I like that the exhaust was adjustable so you can put it super close to the grill and you won't smell like Korean BBQ. I also like they can order half portions of certain meats so you can try a little bit of everything. The meat quality was okay but the marinade was good. read more

Food: this is my favorite KBBQ spot in Elk Grove. The meats are fresh with good selection of seasoned and unseasoned meats and probably the best variety. Have things like pork jowl and rib fingers, and all the standards meats. Side dishes were good as well. Comes with dessert at the end. Service: solid but nothing crazy. Some waitresses are more sticklers on the 3 meats per round than others. Ambiance: great for big groups. Like the vent right over the grill. Tons of tables so the wait shouldn't be too crazy! read more