While out with friends in search of a place to eat dinner, we came across this restaurant. It turned out to be a good find with family style portions and incredibly friendly service. We shared seafood pancake, grilled mackerel, and fish roe stew. The tea was unusual because it was made from organic corn silk and leaves, and had a subtle taste similar to roasted green tea. read more

Horrible service. Inconsiderate wait staff. Eat elsewhere. Wish I didn't have to put 1 star, not even worth that.

Perched between two adult book stores and another similar looking Korean restaurant, Gaboja is located in somewhat of a shady location, but don't let that fool you. This is an awesome place to hang out for some soju, Hite and tons of meat. Price is very reasonable, service from the "unni's" are absolutely fantastic, and they always give you tons of free bonus dishes + drinks on the side. This is not meant to be a high-quality BBQ restaurant with premium cut meat - it's just a great place to relax, have fun, and enjoy food/drinks with friends. Make sure you take someone who speaks Korean for optimal dining experience. read more

I really enjoyed my meal here with a large group. I think we had 7 people and ordered one of the specials. Our bill was $129 for the group of 7. Service was actually really good. We didn't have any Koreans in our group but 1 of the White guys in the group studied Korean for a while, and was our spokesman. But the staff there is perfectly fine with English. The banchan were good, wish there was a little more variety, no dried cuttlefish, but maybe's that expensive. We had really good service the food was really good. Can't really ask for more. I was stuffed. Went in at 7. The restaurant got a little more crowded, but I don think there was ever a line for the table on Friday night. Also parking can get crazy in that strip. Its a bit of a problem, but what can u do. read more

My meal of BBQ pork and rice was good; the meat was tender, albeit it was a bit heavy on the fatty side, but it's pork. My fiance's meal was the fried bibimbap. The flavor was good, but the "beef" was not. Let me put it this way... I've had beef jerky that was more tender. It was hard, gristly, chewy--with no flavor. When we asked if this is supposed to be this way, the hostess said something like "it'll be safe for our stomachs". I don't think that was a good reply--we were expecting a replacement serving of beef that was more tender. They did not replace the beef. Was it beef? Couldn't really tell, actually. It was certainly not what we were expecting beef to be like. Pork was good, as was most of the kim chee dishes. That beef was a deal breaker though. Update: they refunded the price of the bibimbap, which was nice of them. read more

3 star is being generous. Would give the food a 2 star and a 1 extra star for friendly service. Came here for a friend's birthday and quite honestly was shocked by the poor quality of the meat. The meat was so tough that I couldn't even bite through it. I thought, well, the kalbi has to be better, but nope, the kalbi was tough and super dry. I believe we got the combo meal for our large group. The pan chan (small appetizers) were standard. They gave lettuce which was a plus. I guess this would be more of a late night drinking place. I much much prefer #1 or Jang Su Jang. read more

I really don't like writing bad reviews especially for places I haven't gotten to actually eat at. Came here because Gooyi Gooyi next door was totally packed. When we walked in there was maybe 3 other groups there and the restaraunt was more than half empty. The waitress came over to us and told us all the tables were reserved. That's fine I don't want to give you my business anyways! There was nobody waiting to be seated and they could've easily taken my boyfriend and I for dinner. read more

This is a great mom and pop Korean restaurant. With all the Korean restaurants in this area, it's definitely hard for one to stand out above the rest. The food here is good and they have a few unique dishes such as the fried onion chicken. However, the customer service definitely deserves some recognition. The lady who served us so friendly and nice. She was also very attentive and kept coming back to refill our water and dishes. The prices are very reasonable too. read more

This place was a pleasant surprise. We were a little taken aback by the prices but we found the quality of the meat much better than Gooyi Gooyi. The very gracious hostess cooked the meats to perfection (rare and super tender) and made suggestions as to which dipping sauces go best with each type of meat. There was lots of banchan that they refilled as the dishes ran low. I love that they use chilled glasses and the water pitcher is ice cold. Loved the steamed egg. The soybean soup was good too. Overall we had a great time. We will be back. read more

I have to go five stars for the service. So friendly and concerned and very, very charming. The place is tiny, and family run. My meal was excellent. I was mourning the loss of the old Korea House across the street, but not so much now. Korea House's owner was much of the attraction: generous hospitality with great food. I think this lady is up to her standards. read more

Our favorite Korean BBQ in town. Meat quality here is great and the service is outstanding.

The best meat quality in area. the side dishes and meat are all delicious! also best service !! I hope many people will taste it and strongly recommended. read more

We ordered the combination meat platter to cook ourselves, one of their tofu soups (can't recall what it was), and their chap chae. The meat was flavorless...the kim chi was bland...the chap chae was decent...the tofu soup pretty good. I think I'll stick to Brothers in the city! read more

This place is nicer than some of the other "cook your own bacon on a grill" places that I've been introduced too since my Husband now works with tons of Koreans. If the place is recommended by real Koreans then i'm there! I think they've remodeled a bit since some of the pictures posted on Yelp they now have these large ventilation hoods above each of the cooking areas so the place doesn't fill up with smoke like some of the other places. You still leave smelling like BBQ but my dog loves that when i get home. The food was great, granted we didn't really know what we were ordering because the BBQ special was in Korean. I think it was like $45 for a large dish of meat you cook yourself and also included a bottle of Soju. They provided the normal side dishes, Egg omelet thing. We had 5 ppl so she gave us two of those, and two tofu soups. We ordered Kalbi and it was delish. They give you onions, garlic, and jalapeños to cook with; and the waitresses were very very nice. Granted they were kinda slow but she always apologized i got a feeling there were only two of them there and they were trying to cook, serve, and bus. The majority of the ppl were Korean, that's always a good sign! Def will be heading back but probably not to often! Eating fried bacon every week will cause me to have to buy a whole new wardrobe in the plus size section! read more

This place gets 5 stars for service 3 stars for food. The owner is really funny and friendly although unfortunately does not speak much English. read more

Having late night dinner with my family. So tired 8 hours rides from San Diego. So glad to be home again. I love kimchee here is so sour and all sides veggies are perfect. Pork belly and beef are cook to perfection by the kind waitress. Will definitely come back. Got combo 1 which is $49.95 and get soy beans soup n Korean sake or get more meats instead n bimbobob n three items of meats read more

We had a wonderful dinner experience here last weekend. Came with the whole family (husband, me and 3 kids). Bbq meat was delicious (we ordered brisket and pork belly) and also bulgogi that was cooked in the kitchen. Kimchi was very strong and tasty. Server keep checking on the grill to make sure meats are cooked properly. And the kimchi fried rice prepared on the grill is really delish. The lady owner was so nice to us. She gave me a tall bottle of Hite for Mother's Day... :) and gave ice creams for the table. My 10 yrs old daughter just love the lady owner and already tells me to go back there to eat again soon. read more

I actually love everything about this place. I usually order #1 combo. We always had a good time. The service was very friendly.

The place is a hole in the wall. Parking on a Sunday eve was an issue. The menu is limited, and the items are not only expensive, but the quantity of meat is small, as compared to the price. The food quality was so-so. Will not visit again read more

A nice little mom and pop Korean BBQ restaurant. The food is good, the customer service is nice, the place looks very clean, and they deliver (HUGE competitive advantage). The only bad part is they are located next to a perverted adult video store, so you see creepy men and women walking in-and-out of that place. read more

The food here is amazing, especially the seafood pancake and the grilled steak, both of which I highly recommend. The atmosphere is comfortable and the waiters and the owners are so friendly. I come here almost every other week, and I love it! read more

The service there is wonderful! Our family comes here very often. The squid and beef there is absolutely delicious, and the seafood tofu soup is amazing! I highly recommend it. read more

Went here last week at around midnight when the restaurant was pretty empty. Wasn't expecting anything spectacular but I received hands down the best service ever and great Korean food for a good price. I got the $100 combo with four friends and we were able to split everything easily. Everything was served very fast which was nice cause we were all starving. We even got a complimentary kimchi pancake. Luckily I had a Korean friend with me but communication should be fine since the waitress who served us spoke good English. I would definitely come here again. read more

Really good. They are doing their best to compete with the near restaurant and this is perfect for customers. Excellent service, large quantities and good food! read more

Pricey but nothing too note worthy. The host there is really friendly and took like 30 pix when we asked her to take one or two lol

came here because of the long wait next door... great move. friendly server, great food. would preferred open grill instead of cast iron grill, but food still turned out great. read more

This restaurant just so selfish！ I was parking right side of the parking lot ( face to el camono) as soon as I walk to the restaurant next to them, one lady yell at me and said "u can't park here!" hello WTF! It's public parking!! They should focus on their food and service not their parking read more

Yes, the first time I came here was because Gooyi Gooyi was too crowded. But I am so glad it was, because I love Gaboja. The previous times I went to Gooyi Gooyi, since I am not Korean, I didn't really understand the big deal about BBQ pork belly, since it was always dry and not very flavorful. But after having it at Gaboja, TOTALLY get it. The quality of meat here is sooooo much better, which keeps me coming back. The service at Gaboja is great. The waitresses recognize my friends and I even though we come about once every 3 or 4 weeks. They even remember our regular order (we're predictable.) They grill our meat to perfection and give us suggestions on dipping sauces and banchan that best compliment the meats. They're total sweethearts. I find the atmosphere to be more enjoyable, too. It's not overly crowded or too loud, but not at all stuffy. We always feel comfortable talking and laughing through our meals. read more

This place deserves more business. The service and food is so much better than gooyi gooyi next door. Especially late at night. If youre not looking for a loud atmosphere and just wanna chill on some BBQ and have a good time come here. read more

I enjoyed high quality of beef. The beef name is Kok Galbi is really great which are marbled beef . It is good and enjoyed with that. Also we ordered pork with kimchi was great too. read more

Best quality meats (beef, pork) all around. Food is authentic family style and no nonsense. Price is comparable to K-BBQ places. However, quality is solid 5 star. I discovered the place some 15yrs ago and have been going there when ever in SF/Berkeley area and 'need' K-Food. The drive to Santa Clara is ~40min but certainly worth it. Local K's favor the place so lines can be long on weekends. I see that they have expanded their space so the log jam may have improved for weekend evenings (was there last week). Great K-BBQ and food. My wife & I love this place. Solid family style and for corporate/group outings with 3 large rooms for private occasions. read more

Gaboja is our go to Korean eat out in town! We love how they make all their side dishes fresh, even the kimchi. The owner ammie is so thoughtful and nice. Service can be hit or miss depending on who is your server. They are really prompt tho but they do get busy. The ambiance is chill unlike Goya gooyi. We tried pretty much all of the Korean places on elcamino and gaboja is definately the go to place. We come here about once a week and never been disappointed. Thanks gaboja for always taking care of us! read more

I went this place yesterday with a group of 6 people. The quality of food was not bad but the amount is not enough for the price, so we had to order additional foods to fill up our stomach. Side dishes were suppose to be served as the number of people but they served short. The waitress were rushing us out of restaurant before we entirely finished our foods. All this little things made us feel little uncomfortable, however the raw fishes that we had were fresh and good. read more

Seems like a common theme, came here with family because we wanted to go to Gooyi Gooyi next door, but it was super crowded so we decided to try out this place. I really don't care for self cooking barbecue so we ordered a fried fish, spicy pork, kimchee pork soup and tofu seafood jjigae. The menu said grilled fish but it was served fried. I'd have to admit, the fish was pretty good. The spicy pork was prepared as expected. Hard to go wrong on this, and the kimchee pork soup was as expected. However, the tofu jjigae was a bit disappointing. It was a bit bland and didn't have the kick that we expected from tofu soups at other places. One less star for this.The banchan was pretty good here. They have a variety of items on the menu so we will go back and try some other dishes. I don't have high expectations for service at any Asian restaurant so I don't have any comments for this. If you like lots of meat and don't mind cooking your own food, go to the AYCE places like Beque or Gen. You'll get more for your money. read more

It's a hole in the wall place that makes you feel at home with amazing service and good company. I usually don't like eating pork belly but it is amazing here when you have all the side dishes to balance out the rich fatty flavors. I love the chicken and potato spicy soup also! You are sweating and getting more addicted with each spicy bite! read more

Horrible service! After my family and I were seated, it took the waitresses about 30 minutes to give us some water and tea. It then took them an additional 20 minutes to take our order, even after we had tried flagging them down 5 times. In then end, it took about an hour just for our food to arrive. The food was mediocre--not good or bad--but definitely not worth the wait or trouble. Never again. read more

came here with 2 friends because gooyi was completely packed. poor sanitation, poor service, poor food quality. 1)waitress will tend to those korean men more than other clients so service was very slow and rude 2)i saw one of them picked her butt and after dropping off our side dishes 3)food was very disappointing. you think, how can you go wrong with korean? its raw meat that you cook. WRONG. the side dishes were poor quality and they recommended their best appetizer (fried chicken) which was THE WORST fried chicken i've ever had. 4)none of us ate the lettuce so we didn't care but at the end of the meal, we noticed there was a worm on one of the leaves. read more

You want traditional Korean BBQ, go here! Took some of my non-Korean friends and they were amazed that Korean bbq was so different from the marinated stuff they see all the time. Service is great. What other place comes by and asks if you've had enough and brings out more meat? Maybe it's because we know them and we drink soju 2-3 bottles at a time but come on, it's pretty sweet. read more

It's a decent restaurant and good service . They always so warm and cook your food perfectly.