Taking a star away soley because the manager seemed like a d1ck... Old korean guy. Might be a language barrier, but that really isnt an excuse for the prices. Servers were all awesome, and I wouldve eaten here again, if not for the fact that the manager basically told me I couldnt get a refill on banchan to go, on my $120 meal... So did he expect me to just eat the samgyupsal I had just the meat alone? We'll never know, because Im never coming back. After he tells me this, he then proceeds to peek behind the kitchen curtain giving me the stinkeye multiple times, AND told his server to not give me the refill. Honestly, weird hill to die on for him, otherwise this wouldve been a 4/5 review and they wouldve landed a regular customer. Food 5/5 Meat was fresh and the sauces and sides were all good, I now know why it was a pretty dead even match with Gooyi Gooyi their neighbor. I did notice though that they dont refill your banchan on your own, you'd have to ask for it, as opposed to other similar *neighboring* restaurants who just automatically do it for you. Small thing, just nitpicking at this point. Service 3/5 2 korean ladies, 1 younger and 1 older were great, and I hope they continue to get great tips for their awesome service in the future! They alone wouldve been a 5/5, if not for this stingy manager experience I had. Made sure to tip in cash so the korean ladies get 100% of it, and the manager 0. Ambience 4/5 Typical family owned korean bbq place, nothing fancy, but not dirty either. Overall, if you like seafood this could be the place for you, just make sure to not ask for banchan to-go on your $120 meal, or risk the wrath of the old cranky manager lmao I'd just stick to gooyigooyi right beside them. read more

Gaboja - Samgyupsal - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Ladies are very hospitable. Two sides to the restaurant. One side has grills and hoods for sucking up all the smoke if you decide to grill your meat at the table. Be careful as not all menu items have prices listed. Always best to ask if you don't see the price posted. Cheese corn was yummy. At just under $15, I think this is standard. Fried chicken was tasty. It was just fried without the extra sauce. Not bad. It was piping hot and cooked to order. Skin was crispy. Pieces were small, which I appreciated for wings. Super large chicken parts gross me out as they're pumped full of hormones, so I prefer smaller pieces anyway. These were the perfect size. It would be nice to try their grilled meat since they had grilling stations and vents at the tables. I just didn't feel like doing the work today. All together, not a bad experience. Located in a plaza. Parking lot is small and often times full. read more

Gaboja - Korean Fried Chicken - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I really enjoyed my experience eating here. Made a reservation for Friday. We were seated immediately. The parking lot is small, but there are spots in the back. The service is excellent! I loved how nice our server was. She cooked the meat for us and they refilled our banchan. These are very old school banchan. We ordered the combo #1 for 3 people. This is the perfect amount of food. Everything was delicious! I definitely recommend this place for great service and good food. read more

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Ive been meaning to try naengmyeon and found this place on yelp. I came with friends on a Monday around 6. The place is smaller and has limited parking. It was empty the whole time we were here. The only server is a friendly woman. She was great! We ordered naengmyeon, fried chicken, short ribs, and tteokbokki. The naengmyeon was great. I've never had it, but it had great flavor and the noodles had a nice chewy texture. The only drawback was the noodles were hard to bite through. Not sure if I was supposed to cut the noodles up more with the scissors, but I enjoyed it anyways! The tteokbokki was huge and had great flavor and texture. There were fish cakes, noodles, cabbage, and rice cakes. Loved it! The galbi was tender and flavorful, but on the smaller side for the price. The banchan was good too. The server refilled our kimchi and banchan plate. The chicken was also super crispy, but it was also a smaller portion for the price. Overall, this place was pretty good with great service. It's definitely a bit expensive for the portions, but it's a small family owned shop so I think it's worth it! read more

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Very disappointed in my experience here, considering I was looking forward to trying this place. We didn't try their bbq, so maybe that was why it was disappointing but their bibim naengmyeon was very overpriced, especially since it didn't even come with meat and didn't taste all that great. The soondubu, however, was decent and maybe I should've ordered that for myself. read more

Gaboja - Bibim Naengmyeon - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

The food was good, but quite expensive. Service took long, and the place was not well maintained at all.

This spot is very small - only a couple tables. It was pretty smoky when we went. We decided not to get bbq, and we ordered a seafood pancake, kimchi jjigae, and a lychee soju. 4/5 - Seafood Pancake - I would have liked it crispier, but it good quality. It was also HUGE! Definitely a portion to share between 3-4 people. 3/5 - Kimchi Jjigae - This was decent. It looked like a sundubu to me. Pork and tofu was alright . Service was very great. You can tell the servers are super sweet and have a great sense of humor. We definitely felt welcome there from start to finish. Side dishes were a lot better and more flavorful than the typical kbbq spots. I'd come back to try their bbq! read more

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I came in wanting to order the Mandu appetizer but they ended up giving me Mandu Guk which was Beef Dumpling Soup and a totally different vibe! I decided to just try it and thought it was average. It was a little hard to eat, because it kept breaking, being that it was like wonton texture, and I felt like the dumplings were okay but could've been better. I definitely feel like I would have liked it better if it was the pan-fried dumplings. If you plan on getting those, make sure you specify the appetizer and not the entree! Besides that, I felt that service was pretty good and the waitress was very welcoming! The parking lot here is a bit small, so may be difficult to find parking during busy hours! read more

Gaboja - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Came in late on a Friday night, hadn't been before. Seemed a bit hole-in-the-wall ish, but reviews looked good so figured why not? The lady helping us was warm and inviting, got our chicken bulgogi and their egg omelette dish (can't recall the exact name). Both were very tasty and flavorful! Side dishes were good, my wife enjoyed the kimchi and I liked their marinated potatoes. All in all good night, we were celebrating a milestone for my wife so it was a pleasant evening. Will definitely consider it in the future! read more

3.5/5, but rounded up to 4 because good service. Visited this KBBQ spot and while the service was good, I found it to be quite overpriced for what you get--definitely not the best value in my opinion. The interior was clean and well-maintained, and they gave us a private room, which made the experience more enjoyable. We ordered Combo #3, which included beef brisket, fresh boneless ribeye, pork belly, pork jowl, steamed egg, and soybean soup, along with an extra order of Galbijjim. The food was cooked for us by the staff, which was a nice touch, but given the price, I was expecting something a bit more exceptional and more in quantity. Parking was a bit of a challenge, as the lot was full, so we had to park further away and walk over, which was slightly inconvenient. Overall, a decent experience, but I would just get kbbq elsewhere. read more

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A cute family own shop! Menu items were plentiful. A lot of people came for KBBQ. Parking was decent but darkly lit, so beware. We all ordered our own entrees, and it came with plenty of banchan. I honestly don't remember what I ordered. Maybe a noodle soup dish? Regardless, it was unfortunately not memorable enough for me to come here again. read more

Gaboja - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Was craving naengmyun but wanted to try another place than Kunjip, so found this place on Yelp! Parking is hard, we had to park on the street next to it and walk a bit. The restaurant seems like a hole in the wall place from the outside, and the inside isn't that much better either. I was surprised at the price point of the meats for being on the expensive end, we all ordered a naengmyun each (which was meh) and got the spicy pork bulgogi which was really sweet. That could be a good or bad thing depending on what you like. The lady is very friendly though! And their banchans are amazing! read more

Gaboja - Spicy Dweji Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Service - 5/5 Food - 4/5. Most things were great, especially banchan. Avoid the bibimnaengmyun. Value - 2/5 ... charging $24 for tofu soup and $29 for pork bulgogi. Ambiance - typical read more

Gaboja - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Good vibes ! Family owned ! Had one of the best intestine , crunchy on the outside ! Good side dishes ! Friendly service ! Have to go back here when craving intestine and bbq ! Hope more ppl come to this place ! read more

My fiancé and I came on a Monday night around 8 and the restaurant was pretty empty. I was originally drawn to the restaurant to try their cold noodles but we decided on the barbecue set for 2. It came with brisket meat and pork belly, tofu soup, steamed egg, side dishes, rice, and lettuce. At first we thought the plate of meat looked a little small, however we were pretty full by the time we finished. Service was great, friendly, and the lady even brought us different sauces for the meats. Would come back to try their other dishes! Parking lot is small and parking can be scarce. We ended up parking on the street. read more

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One of my favorite Korean bbq places! I love to come here for the pork belly, but not necessarily the other food options. I love how the pork belly is cut perfectly and the quality of the meat is superb! The price is slightly high compared to other Korean BBQ places in the area, but I'd still come here just for their pork belly. However, I don't recommend any of their other dishes. Also, they are good for big groups as you can reserve an entire room to host a big dinner or event. read more

I used to live in LA where I could easily find restaurants that served food late! Harder to come by in the South Bay so I'm glad to have stumbled on this little gem. Small intimate space; went in on a Monday around 10pm. Had not problem with parking (I read that this lot can get full even on a weekday) K-pop music played in the background but loud enough where you can still carry a conversation with your group. I was shocked when reading the prices for the appetizers. They don't compromise on quality and they provide a good portion but I don't think potato pancake should cost $20. Mouth ate first. I forgot to picture it but we ordered 2 orders of L.A. Galbi. Good char, flavorful and quality meat. Potato pancake was like a creamy hash brown with crispy edges. It was great quality appetizer but I think for what it is, it's pricey. Steamed egg, nothing bad to say about it. Great flavor, fluffy. Bon chan was quality flavor! It was our first time here. We asked for more cucumbers but they said they were sold out. We ran out of other bon chan and never got refills. Wondering if they didn't refill because they didn't have a lot of product or they only give you one serving. Service was good, they checked up on us frequently. My -star is because the price of the appetizers are entree prices and because I wanted more bon chan. read more

Gaboja - Bon chon - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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It's a rustic, family-run, restaurant with everything you want. The decor is minimal but the food's outstanding and the service is friendly and homey. Can't go wrong with Gaboja. It's a rustic, family-run, restaurant with everything you want. The decor is minimal but the food's outstanding and the service is friendly and homey. Can't go wrong with Gaboja. read more

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We ordered beef bibimbap, potato pancake and cold noodles. Everything was very good. This may be the best place for cold noodles. The beef bibimbap doesn't have much beef in it so keep that in mind if you're in the mood for more beef. It just has some small beef pieces and not much rice as well. Upon trying a few of the beef pieces, they tasted like jerky and very chewy. They were dry and hard as well. read more

Gaboja - Dried and hard tiny pieces of beef in bibimbap dolsot. Tasted like jerky! - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Small but nice, although hard to park. Service was done by a kind lady. Night time opening. read more

Gaboja - Seafood pancake, delicious - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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ALL THIS for $91.00 STAY AWAY. we were the only ones who were eating there and we were friendly and all. was surprised when the bill came to $91! was expecting to be 70-$80 but 91?? idk not worth it. the service wasn't good too and the owner was smoking in the entrance too. cleanliness is 5/10 because the table was greasy.. the floor was sticky too.. x the price on the menu was not the same as the bill. the bill was handwritten I wish i took picture of the bill! BTW the noodle photo looks a lot because it's close to the camera. read more

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Gaboja is amazing and so are their staff! The aunties are sooo nice here. It's nice and cozy spot for smaller groups. There's barely any parking so you may have to park on the street. My first time here and I'm impressed! My favorites were the pancakes, kfc, and pork bulgogi. Seafood and Kimchi Pancakes were crispy and generous. Korean Fried Chicken was lightly battered and crissspy! Spicy Pork was flavorful and tender. I recommend not ordering Waygu for takeout since by the time you get home, the meats might be tough. 10/10 would come back. read more

Food was great! Service was excellent The owner and all servers are amazing and friendly!

The food was amazing. Service was also amazing. We have been looking for a close to home Korean bbq spot and this was the one. The spicy Ramon was yummy and the kimchi was fire. The premium short ribs were so flavorful and you can tell everything was fresh. Love it here and I'll be back! read more

The ladies who work here are so nice and hospitable! From outside, it looks a bit sketch and the inside is plain. But the service is great and the food is delicious. I had the combo #4 and the lady grilled everything for us. The meat, banchan, soup, eggs were all really yummy and they even gave us a free kimchi fried rice. It definitely satisfied my craving for KBBQ. I would definitely return. read more

My friend and I come here every so often and the ladies who work at night are always really kind, almost like aunties. We usually order the cold noodles (mul naeng myeun) and tteokbokki, but we've also tried the seafood pancakes, soft tofu soup with beef, and bulgogi. Everything we've had so far has been delicious. Our routine is to get our usuals plus one extra dish, which always leaves us with some leftovers to take home. The food is tasty, and while I can't speak to how authentic it is, it's definitely a great spot to enjoy a relaxed dinner hangout. read more

We were looking for a Korean restaurant that served other Korean dishes than the usual kbbq, tofu soup, bibimbap and decided to try Gaboja. We ordered the oyster pancake, chicken gizzard dish and the spicy cold noodle. Everything was yummy! The oysters were very fresh and everything came out made to order. They give you a good variety of banchan but nothing special. The aunties here are sooo sweet and kind it reminded me of my time in Korea. I want to come back to try the kbbq sets and other dishes they have. It's off El Camino in the same plaza as gooyi gooyi so the parking lot is small but they do have some designated spots for their customers! read more

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My partner and I tried to give this place a fair chance, even after reading some of the negative reviews here before dining. Once our food had come out and we began eating, a cockroach emerged and was scurrying around on the ground. We informed the waitress and she proceeded to stomp on it with her foot. The front entrance was open so I assumed maybe that's how it got in; however a second woman came out and they started explaining how they've contacted an exterminator but still deal with roach issues and attributed this to to the wood paneling in the restaurant. She said most restaurants deal with some form of this. No apologies or acknowledgement for the fact that the waitress who just served our food just smashed a giant cockroach in the corner with her shoe then picked it up with a napkin. I don't know how I can revisit or feel about a restaurant where staff basically opened up about not being able to fix an issue and brushing it off as "it is what it is". It makes me wonder what the kitchen or stockroom is like if a giant cockroach just appears in the main dining area. The food was okay. The women seemed nice but overall lack of regard for overall cleanliness and mindfulness ruined my appetite. Prices were steep for what you get and food was okay, nothing stellar. Proceed with caution when considering to dine here. read more

Food was great and service was amazing!! Restaurant was clean and comfy. Workers were very nice and showed nothing but kindness and care for their food. 100/10!!! read more

Gaboja First of all thank you for your great customer service. The owners welcomed me and seated me while I was waiting for my friends, we have so much food it was so delicious and tasty. All the dishes I would score as 10, one thing the tteokbokki, was little too sweet for me but still was great. Our waiters were so gracious and they cook the meat there for you. What a service I love this place I'll come back to try other plates. Each party has privacy too and that's the best for each table. Clean- 10/10 Table 10/10 Grilling/food service 10/10 Waiters 10/10 Quality food 10/10 Everything is scoring 10/10. Thank you for great service and food Gaboja. read more

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After visiting Enchant, my husband and I wanted something warm and soothing to eat. But since it was late, a lot of the tofu spots closer to home were closed so we decided to give Gaboja a try. When we walked in were instantly greeted with a smile. The spot was small and cozy and there was only one other table occupied. After reviewing the menu, we ordered two seafood tofu soup and a seafood pancake to share. The soup came out pipping hot! The soup was on the blander side but it was loaded with seafood. The seafood pancake was very crispy but sadly lacked seafood. We both liked banchan since they are all our favorite basic sides that I would make regularly. Overall, we knew we made the right decision to go here for dinner. We want to come back to try the bbq set menu next time. read more

Gaboja - a variety of asian food on a table - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I went here by accident because there's like two other KBBQ nearby and this one look more welcoming. My GF and I was the only customer here and was very given extra attention, I'm not sure if the experience will be the same again should I revisit when its very busy. Sho, the lady, made me feel wholesome and engaging. We shared about our cultures and stuff which is a nice mental break from work. She actually started grilling the BBQ for us and told us to eat while she grill and conversate with us. We ordered #1 combo. Everything was good. The lighting and the booth set up made us feel relaxed too. read more

3.5 STARS I was buying booze when I got carded by a youngin'. "WHOA! I wouldn't have guessed that." (I didn't know whether to laugh or cry with his facial reaction.) "Chicken feet, my dude!" AZN don't raisin! There's a reason why Korean (and AZN) women swear by it....rich in collagen, hyaluronic acid, and calcium. Why pay for $$$$ creams when you can eat it from the source for a fraction of the cost? Anyhow, I'm slowly making my way through all the Korean restaurants in K-town and next on the list...Gaboja because they have dakbal (spicy chicken feet). Gaboja is a humble Korean restaurant in Santa Clara's K-Town that's been around for years. They're open for takeout, delivery, and indoor dining. They have private rooms to accommodate larger parties. Since Gaboja no longer offers outdoor seating, I ordered delivery when I was in the area. My order arrived in 45 minutes as quoted and securely packaged. M E N U KBBQ (DIY), Soup/Stews/Noodles, Sautéed dishes, and Hot Pot (jeongal). They also have more hardcore items like spicy sea snails, chicken feet, and offal (no soondae). Gaboja's prices are higher than their competitors. F O O D ***Food spread: https://bit.ly/34tmGUe * Complimentary Banchan: soy braised soy beans, soy braised potatoes, seaweed, seasoned bean sprouts, and kimchi. I usually judge a Korean restaurant by their banchan and all were solid! Kimchi had the right amount of sour tang and heat, and the bean sprouts were fresh and crunchy. Unfortunately, my order was a mixed bag. * KFC Wings (10 pc - $25.99) ***No pickled daikon provided. Despite the box not being vented, the KFC arrived warm and crunchy with a light, airy batter. The wings were meaty and moist. A bit bland but a dip into the dakbal spicy red pepper sauce...problem solved. Best item of the night! Thanks, Amy D. for confirming this was solid before I ordered this. * L.A. Galbi: Korean BBQ Short Ribs ($34.99) The galbi was tender and flavorful with a delicious savory sweetness but could use some char. And, another BUT...you only get two strips! Usually K restaurants provide three strips per an order so at $17.50 a strip, it's hella expensive even with inflation. * Dak Ddong Jip: Chicken gizzard "stir-fry" ($14.99) This was deep-fried, not stir fried so they need to update their menu. Since I already ordered the KFC, I wouldn't have ordered this if it was deep-fried. Anyhow, the chicken gizzards were overcooked, dry, and hard. * Dakbal: Spicy chicken feet ($19.99) Last place on my list for dakbal in K-Town (Obok and Danawa are my go-tos) and this one was disappointing. While SPICY and flavorful, the chicken feet was not cooked long enough so it was stiff and tough. It was too challenging trying to pull the skin/cartilage/tendons off the bones so I gave up. No soft gelatinous goodness. =( Overall, I was hoping Gaboja was going to be a hidden gem since it's lesser known Korean restaurant that's been around for a long time. Sadly, there were more misses than hits so I have to round down. read more

Gaboja - Clockwise: L.A. Galbi ($34.99), Banchan, KFC ($25.99), Dakbal - chicken feet ($19.99), Dak Dong Jjip - chicken gizzard "stir-fry" ($14.99) - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Very expensive Korean food, but great customer service! It really felt like family was serving us for dinner. Dishes I recommend: Kimchi Pancake (so crispy!), Haemul Jeongol (Seafood Hot Pot), and Dolsot Bibimbap. Keep in mind: + Parking is awful! Despite it being a slow Tuesday night, there was little parking at the storefront. The waitress recommended we parked behind the building. + Most portions are big enough to share! + You can do hot pot OR barbeque. I don't believe you can do them simultaneously. read more

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Was craving late night Korean bbq, and found this hidden gem. I've always wanted to try this place especially since it had great reviews on yelp. The prices range from 30-55 per plate of meat, but you get exactly what you pay for! The meat quality is so good, super tasty tender and flavorful. I love the service here as well, the workers were so sweet and cute and cooked the meat to perfection for my bf and I. We also ordered corn cheese and steamed egg which were both delicious. (The egg comes with carrots which I don't mind, but my bf took it out lol!) I can't wait to come back again to try other items. read more

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This was my first time eating at this place and I don't know how I haven't noticed it on Yelp before, but I'm glad I did! My review is only based off of the dishes I tried and the overall experience. Customer Service 10/10: Upon coming in, my wife and I were welcomed by a friendly older lady! She also served us the food and was just great vibes all around. This place truly is a hidden gem of a mom and pop shop vibes. Side Dishes 10/10: I really enjoyed the flavor of their side dishes and the plating was unique to me. I never seen one plate that held 4 like this before. Broccoli is my go-to side dish and this place doesn't disappoint. It was super flavorful and more than sesame oil flavor. Seafood Pancake 8/10: Pancake was a nice crisp and flavorful, but I do prefer a bit more of a airy crispy pancake vs. a thin one. I do recommend this dish though because some places don't have crisp at all, but this place delivers in that aspect. Soondobu 8/10: I don't often get Soondobu to be honest, but when I do I get it mild. It was perfectly mild and was generous with tofu and beef. I don't know what would make it a 10/10 quite yet as I haven't experienced one before. I'd love to try Mando-Guk and the KBBQ offerings next time as I always love a heartwarming Mando-Guk! read more

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This is a surprisingly good family-owned hole-in-the-wall with by far the most underrated naengmyeon in the south bay.

When we arrived, the place was completely empty, the staff was very friendly, the food, however, was very mediocre. I love all the bbq meat, and the steak was cooked to be excellent. However, other side dishes are very meh. The egg oyster was soggy and didn't taste right in the mouth and the soup was super salty read more

Gaboja - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Food 8/10 Service 10/10 Ambiance 9/10 Overall very pleased with the service and the meal, was a good restaurant to enjoy a great meal at. I would recommend for sure. read more

Just serviceable. This is a rating based on the mul naengmyeon only. It was super sweet and not the style I was looking for. No sliced beef like older photos show so must have been a different owner or chef at least. No ban chan, just a tiny suffer of kimchi that was over fermented and very salty, not a good combo. No refill on tea and very disorganized service. Looks like it's been around a long time but the food doesn't match the patina. read more