Wow! My first time at a Korean BBQ joint and it did not disappoint! I opted for the all you can eat meat option so I could try different options. We decided to get all the meats marinated (you can get them unmarinated too). My favorite was the Bulgogi! The fresh cucumbers and kimchi were also nice touch and of course the yum yum sauce goes with everything! It's super nice and updated on the inside and the staff was all really friendly read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Absolutely One of my favorite restaurants ever!! This place is frickin amazing!!! If you like food you will love this place!! Keto, no problem Carnivorous ? No problem. Veggie head ? No problem!! This is the place Great people great food great atmosphere Do NOT MISS OUT!! read more

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Empire is the Bomb.com! The atmosphere the staff! The owner! The food! Eating local at unique places that serve well will have me spending money! Everytime! I public want to thank Empire for supporting the Springfield community! Another reason to love this place! I'm grateful to them! We will continue to support great businesses that are amazing! In Spirit and community! We love this place! It's cool inviting and just all around fun! With good food! Drinks and people! Now if we can get the music omggggg! Curate and Empire will have all my time and money lolololololol mostly Empire if they get the music like curate they will get all my money lol. Kevin is Thee Best! If you haven't tried Empire what are you waiting for! ??? read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - My favorite Amethyst Elixir - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Found this place on complete accident to find it's probably been open for about a year (it was an old tgif) I absolutely love Korean bbq and thought we had it made in Atlanta so went here with a touch of hesitation. The price is what made me nervous....was this going to be good meat? Cheap sad cuts? I am happy to say it was quite the opposite! The meats are great, tender and so flavorful. Even the non marinated meats are something to write home about. SO GOOD Pros: lots of meat good meat to choose from. If you are at all confused as to what to order the server often offers "I'll grab some of everything and bring it out". Included with the meat are unlimited sides such as daikon radish, lettuce wraps, kimchi and cucumber kimchi which are all very yummy. Cons: having to flag down your server each time you run out of sides (lettuce wraps, daikon radish which can go quickly when you have a big table) this can be daunting when you are cooking meet and the server is bouncing between three other tables. The size of the grill seems small, but it does the job. Again it can get overwhelming when you have a ton of meat sitting waiting to be cooked and you are waiting for space to prevent food contamination. Also there are no vents above the tables. Even with the exhaust fan underneath you come out smelling like meat. In two weeks we went twice so it's going to be go there when you are hungry like really hungry to make sure you eat what they bring out. You can take home meat in a small box for a $5 fee which eh ok I can understand this to prevent those who want to take advantage of the AYCE aspect. I I would give five stars for these things : if the grills were bigger, or perhaps two per table to prevent having to reach really far and awkward. Better ventilation. A better system to get the sides...like maybe a grab yourself bar...like I've seen work at other Korean bbq establishments. read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - Korean bbq! - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Everything is so good! No one else was here, our waitress was very attentive, informative, helped us out with our questions. I hope this place stays!! We will most definitely be back here!!! read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - Lunch special bento box - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

YUM YUM AND YUM. I absolutely adore this place! Their food and service is always phenomenal! This is one of the very few (if any!) places that offers amazing all you can eat sushi AND meat and for an amazing price! We just moved back here from Las Vegas and there is a lot of variety and options there so it is very nice to have a place that is similar to home, that we really love! The restaurant is always clean, quiet and enjoyable. We never have any issues even bringing in our young daughter and they are always so friendly and accommodating to us. We can't appreciate it more! I absolutely love their avocado rolls and all of the appetizers. My fiancé gets down on the sashimi and will eat everything off the menu! Come hungry, it is so worth it!!! read more

Fun concept. Good atmosphere. It's fun to cook the food at your table! Staff is attentive and food is high quality.

I didn't know what to expect when I chose this restaurant based on yelp reviews. It was wonderful! The options were either all you can eat Korean barbecue or all you can eat sushi for $32.99. Ordinarily, I'm not one to go in for all you can eat restaurants, because my appetite generally isn't that large. However, last night, I was fairly hungry. (fortunately) and therefore felt I got good value for my money. I chose the Korean barbecue option, because living in LA, I can get plenty of good sushi from any number of establishments at home. From a list of perhaps 15 protein options, I initially went with the beef Bulgogi and garlic pork belly. Later, I also had some of the garlic shrimp. In addition to proteins, there were veggie options -- zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and green bell peppers -- as well as three different sauces and multiple side dishes (steamed rice, daikon salad, kimchi, cucumbers with kimchi, and daikon wrappers). If you've never tried Korean barbecue, part of the fun is cooking your own food. Everything was delicious and the service was attentive, but not overbearing, including an explanation of how to cook my food. read more

All I can say is.... WOW! This is place you get an experience and good food. My fiancé and I got the Combo A, 5 different meats. It comes with sauces, sides, and multiple toppings. It is a very nice place.. clean, great service and the experience was so fun. Our servers name was Jae and he was great. He gave us some tips and tricks, as well as checked on us often. This is a really fun place to eat and you HAVE TO check it out. read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - Before the meat, all the sides/sauces! - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Exquisite dining experience! Kevin was a wonderful host and the restaurant is clean and tastefully decorated. The service was excellent, and the food was amazing! My husband ordered the sashimi and loved it. I ordered the Dragon roll, and every bite was heaven! We will certainly come back with friends and do the buffet-style grill next time. I highly recommend this wonderful new favorite dining experience! read more

Loved! Loved! Loved it all! Good was a Amy and flavorful. Service was great! Friendly and attentive. read more

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The restaurant is open and clean. The bbq pit is very clean for an AYCE Korean bbq spot. I did the AYCE Korean bbq and sushi for 37.99. Our server was awesome and did not skimp on bringing out the meat. I really enjoyed the jalapeño yellowtail appetizer our waiter suggested. The tuna tower was awesome too. My wife and I shared the soju flight and it was refreshing. Highly recommend. read more

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A very great place with an abundant amount of foods and great quality. The meat is marinated well without being too salty. The customer service is also excellent and keeps checking on our table to see if we needed anything. They also provided the banchan refill for free and our favorites are the radish salad and potato salad. Very satisfied with our lunch meal today. I will definitely come back. read more

Wow! Just wow! I can not recommend this establishment enough! Everything about Empire is amazing. The restaurant feels upscale the moment you walk through the door. We tried a large amount of the entrees in the all you can eat dinner and walked out so full we were ready to burst. Even then we weren't able to try everything we wanted to. I loved the brisket, garlic pork belly, and garlic shrimp. The steaks we tried were also delicious and everything came with unlimited sides as well. All I can say is go sparingly on the rice or you will fill up to quickly. The potato salad is shockingly good, and the cucumber kimchi went great with everything! They also have a fully stocked bar with delicious cocktails that you will want to keep flowing. Although we weren't able to try everything we plan on going again this next weekend to check off the rest of our must try boxes. If you are in the area I promise this is worth the stop! read more

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This place is simply amazing. I had never been to a Korean Steakhouse before and wasn't sure what to expect, but the server explained everything perfectly and there were so many choices. The food was great and the experience was a lot of fun and we can't wait to go back. read more

We had four people and all ordered the all you can eat. Our waiter/grill master was knowledgeable and helped us cook the meat. Everything was delicious. My least favorite may have been the chicken. We tried garlic shrimp, brisket, steak, salad, etc This is an expensive night out, but worth it. The bar is beautiful, tables are quartz. Service was great. read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - Before - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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Great service and the food was amazing! The atmosphere was very "metropolitan chić" 10 out of 10 Definitely recommend!! read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

We had an outstanding evening at Empire tonight - the food was amazing and the service was excellent. I think they need to come up with a new name because a "Korean steakhouse" really didn't sum up the enjoyable experience/meal. Each table has its own type of safe Stir-Fry cooker and your cook your own meal. We had two different dishes - one beef and the other chicken. The veggies were delicious. If you don't wanna cook it yourself, they can always cook it in the kitchen - otherwise all the chopped meat and veggies were brought to the table. We decided to cook it ourselves - so much fun! Can't wait to go again! read more

I got the all you can eat Korean BBQ and my wife got the all you can eat sushi. We both absolutely loved what we got. The meat was well marinated and so tender. My favorite was either the beef bugolgi or the garlic pork belly. The kimchi was really good too. My wife said her sushi was some of the best sushi she's ever had. I got an old fashioned to drink and it was really smooth and delicious. Our server did a great job at explaining the process and checking on us. The restaurant had a clean and modern environment. The prices were reasonable for all the food got and how good it was. We were very happy with our experience! read more

Very good. Dined at the bar watching the sushi man Jack. Really pleasant employees. Great sushi and edamame.

Decided too stop in for a girls night out. We were all pleasantly surprised. The owner has done an amazing job creating an upscale..trendy...ambiance. The bar area is absolutely beautiful!!. And the drinks are top notch. Our server Jeremy did an amazing job answering all of our questions. And giving great suggestions. The food was amazing!!! I love how the meals are cooked in front of you. The veggie appetizers were unexpected and so yummy!!! The manager was really attentive and friendly. Overall an excellent experience. read more

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Looooooved this place. My father was in town so we tried this place. Got the combination B which came with a ton of food for a party of 3. Each of the different meats were marinated and seasoned amazingly. NETTA was our server and she was exceptional, professional, and respectful. To the point of asking our dominant hand when delivering the tea pot. Even though she had many tables this night, she was very attentive. I especially appreciated the atmosphere which was un-rushed and relaxed with beautiful wall coverings and design. The shell of the old TGIfridays was there but all other elements updated. This is a perfect place for a group of friends to visit and enjoy each others company. read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - Immersed table cooking pot at each table. - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

The food is great, they're offering aye sushi now which is super great for meeee lol ! The service is always great and the food is always hitting the right spot . The ambiance is very modern so it's a great place for a date or to just come with family or friends. read more

My wife and I tried this place after hearing about the endless sushi deal from a friend. We had a great experience here. The sushi was amazing and the staff are very friendly. Nothing to complain about here, it's totally worth a date night with you S.O. read more

This place is interesting and the staff is very nice. The food however, is lacking. There was a complete lack of vegetables and the portions of the protein was toddler size to be accurate. The experience was pleasant and the atmosphere was nice,unfortunately this business is going to need to evaluate and re-attempt a plan of action or it will be another empty store before we know it. read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - Bulgogi beef, spicy chicken and fried dumplings - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

This place is excellent. Tried both the sushi Nigiri and the barbecue, the entire party was very impressed. Service is excellent. Ambience is excellent. Highly recommended. This is a great addition to the Springfield food scene. read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

No other place like it in Springfield! Great atmosphere with the modern marble finishes. Love the LED work and design inside, really makes you feel like you are in the upscale side of a big city! I was a little on edge considering this place is so new and unlike anything else in Springfield but I can say i was thoroughly impressed with everything. Our waitress was Sasha and she did an amazing job of preparing the food and making sure we were all taken care of! Could definitely see myself coming here again. Traditional style of asian eating was super fun to try out too, many laughs while my friend watched me try to pick up the variety of food. Ps: Food does come in big proportions so be considerate of what you can or cannot eat!!!! read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - Garlic pork being cooked on the table grill - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Great place to eat if you're visiting. Fresh cuts of meat for great price. Highly recommend! Comparable to NYC korean bbq, but much better price. Perfect for late lunch with colleagues as well as dinner. read more

I got 2 different sushi rolls, the monster and the 217. Both were beyond delicious!! I picked up from the restaurant and my food was ready when I got there. It is very beautiful inside, so I will definitely be going back in to sit and eat. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Empire Korean Steakhouse & Bar - 217 Roll - Korean Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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Was excited to try this restaurant because it is something that is new and different in a city full of horseshoes and hamburgers. Walking in the restaurant is beautiful but a cloud of smoke covers the entire restaurant. A decent hood system is needed or upgraded if one is in place. We get seated on a Saturday during lunch immediately and the host turns on the grill. Moments later we were greeted with a server and we are off to a start in this new restaurant. The server brought out random small plates of offerings such as marinated cucumbers and daikon and kimchi and some sauces but I have a feeling being it's new she was either nervous or not quite sure what she is presenting being she only started recently. I had asked if the kimchi had shrimp paste in it, because some do and I'm allergic. She said she would find out, but never responded to this question. No big deal as she was waiting on multiple other tables. We order some drinks and our entrees and drinks and food arrive promptly. She asked if we would like assistance getting started and I responded with not at all. We all had different cuts of steak and the portion sizes were good for the price. I guess my only complaint would be two things. Bigger plates are needed for such large steaks being pulled off and I recommend better tongs and forks and steak knives as well. They give you kitchen shears (scissors) to cut your meats and chop sticks, but in my opinion that is a bit messy and unnecessary to eat your meal. I'm sure this place will do great due that it's a complete new concept to the area and in a very great area of town that will be bringing in locals from all around especially the holiday season around the corner. read more

Not quite impressed with the concept of raw meat or veggies to be cooked on the table. Don't go here if you are especially in a rush!

The experience at Empire is wonderful. The food is delicious and the servers have fun with their jobs.

Amazing experience every time. The food is amazing, everything we tried was delicious. We tried the beef bulgolgi, garlic shrimp, garlic pork belly and spicy pork bulgolgi. All of the sides added unique flavors that we enjoyed. Recommend for any occasion. read more

Me and a friend chose the "all you can eat" so that we could sample a lot of the options. So much food!! Our favorites were the garlic pork belly and beef bulgogi. All side options were included and were delicious. We both had martinis (lemon drop and a dirty) and they were made well. Really fun and interesting concept. We'll be back! read more

I literally just ordered takeout and the food is absolutely delicious! The beef bulgogi and garlic pork belly were amazing! Don't forget to get the garlic onion sauce too! All of my coworkers even commented on the heavenly smell alone!! Great food! read more

What a terrific dinner! What was better than dinner - Our waiter Chris, he was AAA+. We will be back soon.

You must stop by the EmpireKorean Steakhouse. the food is awesome and fresh. Great service please check them out. you will not b disappointed I purchased all you can eat. you cook your food on a mid size grill and cook it according to how much you like it done. they bring you more right away. the Long Island ice tea is an awesome drink as well read more

Honestly the service was terrible. All you can eat and we paid $111 and only was asked once what we want off the menu. Lived in South Korea for two years and the food comparison is trash. The owners should be ashamed to dish out Korean style bbq. Not impressed by any means. read more

It's new and if you've never been to a Korean BBQ Restaurant before it might be a little getting used to but very authentic in foods , Service and Ambiance. The waiter was helpful in many ways! I recommend it! read more

I'm sorry but it keeps demanding that I make some kind of Report on this restaurant so to get the message to quick popping up on my screen i'm going to just tell you i've never been in it apparently my phone must have been close to their building and they thought that I used them or something so i'm getting these weird messages from yelp read more