Gen was the first K-bbq spot I ever tried, so it'll always have a special place in my heart. Over the years, though, so many K-bbq restaurants have opened up that unfortunately Gen kind of slipped off my radar. But this week, something came over me, and I decided to give it another shot. Lunch was about $22 per person as of June 2026. I remember going to the Concord location years ago and feeling like the portions were pretty small, even though you could order it as many times as you wanted. This time around though, our experience was completely different. Every order came out piled high like a mountain of meat. Everything was fresh, the marinades were on point. On top of that, our server was so friendly and attentive. Honestly, if I could give this place six or seven stars out of five, I would!!! Honey Soy Beef Belly: Absolutely amazing. The beef was sliced thin with the perfect ratio of meat to fat. The sweet and savory marinade complemented the richness of the beef belly oh so perfectly. I also loved the generous amount of green onions they sprinkled on top, which made this dish even more inviting. I'd order this again in a heartbeat. Beef Belly: This is basically the unseasoned version of the Honey Soy Beef Belly, so the quality of the meat was just as good. The nice thing is that you can customize each bite with the seasonings at the table, whether it's Green Tea Salt, Sesame Oil, or Sweet Soy Sauce. Simple but delicious. Bulgogi: Bulgogi has never been my favorite since I usually prefer savory over sweet, but this was still very good. The beef was tender, the marinade was flavorful, and everything was well balanced. That said, I'd still pick the Beef Belly dishes over this one. Chadol: This beef brisket used to be my go to order at Gen. Somewhere along the way, though, they switched to a leaner cut of meat. So now it wasn't quite as tender as I remembered. Still though, the meat was fresh and tasty. Honestly, it really comes down to your personal preference and whether you enjoy a leaner cut or a fattier cut. Pork Belly: Thick slices of unseasoned Pork Belly that you grill yourself and cut into smaller pieces then dip in Sesame Oil and Salt? Yes please! These were incredibly satisfying. Once cooked, the pork was even still tender and juicy. Easily my favorite pork option. Spicy Marinated Squid This dish had that classic Korean spicy sauce that balances sweet, savory, and spicy flavors super duper well. The squid stayed tender after grilling, it was amazing. I'd definitely order this again. Hotteok: A Korean style pancake filled with Brown Sugar and Peanuts. It's definitely a heavier dessert after a bbq meal than what I usually prefer, but it was still really good. The outside was pleasantly chewy (mochi like texture), while the filling was warm, sweet, and gooey. Kimchi Fried Rice: Don't sleep on this one because their Kimchi Fried Rice was fantastic. It had the perfect balance of tang and savory flavors, and it paired well with all the bbq meats. Super yummy. read more

See all

I was disappointed with the service during my first visit. I waited about 35 minutes for my food, which was much longer than expected. The japchae was very tough and lacked flavor. I also requested an additional side dish, but it never arrived. Even my drinks were served late. While the prices are reasonable, the quality of service needs significant improvement. Better attention to customers and faster service would greatly improve the dining experience. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Samgyubsal 1lb - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

Came for lunch. It's a good deal at $22 for lunch. Plenty of open tables but still a 20min wait to get seated. 4 item limit each round. Bulgogi and soy beef belly were the 2 best meats we tried today. Out of several items like top sirloin and Korean fried chicken. Slow service. Seats, ventilation, and decor have not aged well. read more

See all

I've been here twice before and both previous times the service was slow, but my youngest kid wanted to go here for their seventeenth birthday dinner. So off we went. We had a party of 8 and the wait time wasn't bad at all. So that was a plus since we didn't make a reservation. This time the service was amazing! Our server, Vincent, aka Vinny, was on point. We never had to wait for anything. Vinny, you turned our previous experience around and we will definitely be back and hope to have you again. Now to the food. Everything is delicious. There's a lot to choose from. My only complaint was the shrimp. I wish it came ready to just toss on the grill. I don't like having to do all of the dirty work, lol. Aside from that, it was all super delicious. The ambiance is nice, but loud. It can be hard to hear people sitting a ways down from you, but it's still a great experience. Overall,a great experience and thanks to Vinny, we'll definitely be back. read more

See all

First time dining here. We were told a 10-20 minute wait, but ended up waiting longer than 20 minutes. Lunch is $21.95 for AYCE Korean BBQ, which is a pretty reasonable price. There's a good variety of options--beef, pork, chicken, and shrimp--and you grill everything yourself. Some of the beef was good, and some didn't even need sauce. The banchan were minimal and mostly spicy, and overall didn't really feel like traditional Korean flavors. Drinks and desserts cost extra. We ordered around 8 different beef, chicken, and shrimp items, but the sides were hit or miss. The dwenjang soup was bland, japchae was also pretty tasteless, and the hotteok was tough. We also ordered edamame and never got it. Service was where things really fell short. It was hard to get a server's attention, and we had to keep waving. I asked for an extra bowl and it took a while. There was only one tong at first, so we had to ask for another. Same with getting a clean plate. To be fair, they did change the grill without us asking, but overall it felt like we had to keep asking for everything. We even mentioned it was our first time dining at the restaurant and asked for some guidance, but didn't really get any. The whole experience ended up feeling a bit exhausting instead of enjoyable. That said, for the price, the BBQ itself is decent and you get 2 hours to eat. I would come back mainly for the $21.95 lunch price, but not for the overall experience. read more

See all

Our second time here. First time was terrible. Second time amazing Jaidan was our server! Super nice and educated us on how it worked. Was fast efficient, friendly!! Absolutely amazing!! We did several rounds of food. When I accident my ordered meat with no flavor he offered seasons for it. Made it tolerable lol. Ambiance tonight was chill not too busy, Jaidan replaced our grill several times!! And without asking. Honestly Jaidan made our experience 1,000x's better than the first time. Food was great!! But the service was *chef's kiss * absolutely love great service and it's hard to find now a days. Anyways great food great service. Even the front lady was super nice and friendly !! read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

We went for our friends birthday at 11 AM on a Saturday. It was nice because there wasn't a wait! Our table had one grill but easily sat 6 people. They do a great job of changing out the grill pretty often, so your food doesn't get burnt. You are limited to 4 items per round, but unlimited rounds, in two hours. We were surprised about how much we were able to eat, but the meat is so high quality and not too fatty! We really appreciated how often the waiters would check on us. Overall great time! read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

Stopped by after a nearby 9-holes at Buchanan. Korean bbq always hits the spot. We had an early dinner and were seated quickly. The place got crowded shortly thereafter. Our server, Michael, was friendly and efficient. We got the regular meat selection, and ordered the bulgogi fries, gyoza, and tofu stew- all were really good. Our standout meats were the bulgogi, spicy pork, and Hawaiian pork chop. Michael kept us busy with plates of meat to grill. The staff also changed out our grill 4 times, which was nice. We liked the rice paper and radish wraps too. They don't have lettuce wraps, which is unusual for a KBBQ spot. A little more banchan variety would be nice too. Food was good, as was the service- we'll be back! read more

See all

We've been to this Gen Korean location several times, and it is always a great experience! With young kids, the prices are actually lower than our local AYCE spot, and Gen Korean even has a larger menu. On a Sunday at 12:30p, our party of 4 was seated immediately. We scanned the QR code menu, max of 4 meats could be ordered, and no doubling up. We started with the beef bulgogi, sweet garlic beef belly, honey soy beef belly, and pork belly marinated with rich garlic sauce...wanting to go with the thin, flavorful cuts. We went 4 rounds and had just as many grill changes! With all the other extras like japchae, calamari, mandu, and fresh salads, we were more than satisfied and felt like it was totally worthwhile! read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

See all

Our friends got us some gift cards from Costco for or a meal out at GEN. We were excited to visit today, but expectations were tempered based on other Yelp reviews. We went for a Sunday lunch. Got there at 11:30 and only a few other patrons were there. By the time we left at around 1, a little over half the restaurant was full. I wanted to address the service since there were so many Yelp complaints. Our server, Duane, was super nice, and really everyone we were interacting with were friendly. They do seem a bit understaffed though especially in the kitchen. The meats for cooking came out fairly quickly. The sides were extremely slow. We were half an hour into our meal and none of the sides had arrived. About an hour in we ran out of food at the table (a sign of everything being backed up). In terms of the food, I thought the meat quality was pretty good. We liked the Honey Soy Beef Belly and Galbi. If you're feeling adventurous, try the Daechang (ox intestine). We cooked it until it was 1/3 of its original size - super chewy and interesting. For the sides, everything was ok, but the standout side was the Hottoek. Flaky exterior and a soft and not too sweet filling. The menu is a bit intimidating and we actually glossed over an entire page of sides we could have gotten. From that page, I would have ordered salad, radish paper, and rice paper. Overall, a good experience if you don't mind waiting a little for ordering. read more

See all

As always, excellent service, food is fresh, delicious, ambiance, I was with my good friend, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. They offer new items ( boba milk teas, etc,) I love it so much!!!!! read more

See all

After reading all the mixed reviews I was a bit concerned. But we had some gift cards that we wanted to use it and so gave it a chance. They were definitely short staffed on Sunday at lunch time, but the food quality was really good for ~$30/pp. All the meat and seafood we received was good quality and fresh. It does take them a while to get us food each time we order. And they did forget some orders, which we eventually got after a few reminders. But be kind to your servers please, remember it's not their fault that they're under staffed, and just kindly remind them and they'll eventually bring out all your food. It doesn't hurt to be kind. Some of the family favorites were the beef short ribs, beef belly, pork belly, steak, and Korean dessert pancakes. Some people complained about the AC not working, but we felt fine even though it was a warm day, so AC must be working that day? Overall a good experience. We will be back! read more

See all

Space and sitting is impressively spacious we tried this place traveling back from Bay Area and it was good, but could go much better on food selections and tastes read more

I was disappointed with the quality of the meats especially seafood here that lacks flavor. The grills need to be maintained and cleaned better. The service is very slow. It is a pity that the location is good but the food is not the grand experience of most good Korean restaurants in the area. I am confused at who my server is most of the time and serving sizes are smaller. This place has a nice ambiance but the food needs major work. Next... read more

Today was the first time we went to KBBQ as a family because our kids don't eat much, but our son wanted to for his birthday and we saw Gen has good pricing for kids. Our server Mary was really great. She took the time to tell our 10yo about what to expect, and was always coming by the table to make sure we were happy. Grill changes were available super quickly and there's a great selection of meat. Our son also got some ice cream for his birthday, a very nice gesture from our awesome server Mary. If you're bringing little kids, KBBQ can be an expensive and intimidating experience, but I really recommend this place. read more

This is not authentic Korean BBQ, and meat are tough and so saulty. They said many orders were out of service, and all meats were marinated terribly only mostly by salt. We had so much trouble due to the fume from the grill, as most of the ventilation hoods were out of order. Total wasting time and money on family dining out after waiting more than 50 min to get a table. Although we won't come back, we just left quite decent amount of tip to the only hard worker who had to keep on saying 'sorry' to us. read more

Parking was plentiful for a weekday lunch hour. We were seated within minutes of arriving. The staff were great. Our server was patient and efficient. She explained how many items the table could order at once and checked on us before we were done with each set. Lunch was a great deal. $20.95 for all you can eat. We enjoyed the spicy pork bulgogi, beef bulgogi, fried shrimp and banchan. There were a couple of items that were meh, but the overall value and quality was still worth it. read more

See all

My husband and I came here for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. We got there around 12:15pm and it was surprisingly not very busy yet. We were seated promptly and scanned the menu to check the options. We chose to upgrade to their premium menu for an additional $20/person (on top of the ~$30/person dinner price). If I remember correctly, there were about 5 options included on the premium menu. We were able to place our order for meats quickly, but we didn't get our meat order for about 10 minutes. The two tables next to us were seated after us but both received their orders before we did. We only ordered off the premium menu this day. There was a long bone steak which was very good, but difficult to cook on the grill due to the length of the steak with bone in. We got a few premium rib the steaks which was probably my favorite. This comes with a garlic sauce, but I had to ask our server for it twice. We also got the marinated short rib from the premium menu. This was very good as well. My husband's favorite was definitely the Wagyu. It was easy to cook and good quality. Not sure if they have a time limit here but we stayed for probably 90 minutes or so. There was a lot of wait time in between getting our meat orders. The place was packed by the time we left. With so many other kbbq options available now, we probably wouldn't be going back to Gen for their premium menu. It was nice to try though. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Premium rib eye steak, missing the garlic sauce - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

See all

Was here recently with family and although the food is good, the rules with groups made it difficult. They limit you on 4 orders on meat choices with appetizer choices. The problem we had that there was 7 of us and the amount given to us was not enough for the 7 of us, making it longer to feed enough of us each round. We would have to wait for the meat/appetizers and then the cook time. The bonchon was very little and we felt bad because each time our server came, with our group of 7, it went quickly. At least two or three of each bonchon would have helped so she wouldn't have to make more trips when she would need to help other tables as well. Going to other places, we have not had issues like this. They usually make sure there is enough for the amount of people we have and usually we are there at most a little over an hour. We were here for nearly three hours mostly waiting..The whole waiting game on everything made it less enjoyable.They need to work on the whole rules on the 4 choices and maybe make it a little more when there is a large group. read more

I received a gift card here, so my husband and I decided to try this place. We love Korean food. Every time we go to an Ayce restaurant, it's pricey, but food is usually good. Our favorite is the Galbi ribs. The sides are also good, just limited in the selection. The only drawback was the seating. Felt very cramped. read more

See all

Fuck this place they make you wait 1 hour to 1hour and 30min just for you to sit at a table with no food!! And half the table they have in there don't work read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - After waiting for 1hour and 30min I'm at the table with no food - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

Came here at 9ish. I was told seating would be 10-25 mins?! Fine. I wanted by bf to try out the place. It has been a while that I came. The waitress was ok. She checked on us and refilled waters promptly. The service was horrible. Ordered things, but it did not come. I guess they were switching shifts or something, but had to ask where our food was. At one point, we had nothing cooking, after we ate our meats. Then all the food came. One piece of meat looked as if it had been refrozen and defrosted several times- but we got the explanation it was red wine?! It did not look appealing or appetizing, and if I ate it.. I digestive tract may have other consequences. When I asked for the check, they said we are charging for extra meat. I said no I am not paying for some purple colored meat.. talked it out with management. Did not get charged. But the audacity to serve that colored meat... and try to charge extra- that is ridiculous. Ambiance is way loud. I guess I am getting old. I was once a big fan of Gen. However, I have lost all confidence and will not return. read more

Destiny was an amazing waitress, she had an amazing attitude and was super sweet! Great ambience and great food, amazing drinks. Boba is also offered and it was stupendous. If you were thinking twice about coming to Gen, don't worry, you'll have an amazing time! Go Spurs! read more

Showed up during an insane graduation dinner rush, a little worried, but very hungry. When we eventually got seated, we were seated by two very large parties on the high chairs. Our server Jaidan was extremely attentive and courteous to my small party. Even though I was just a party of two, he made sure to divide his attention between each group equally. He made sure to keep us fed at all times, and we were extremely satisfied with our service during such an overwhelming and busy night. We even talked to his manager, and tried to get him a raise! He deserves it. He was a real one! But either way definitely coming back!! Oh right... ps The food is good too, highly recommend. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House where my buddy and I clock in for our two-hour, all you can eat lunch shift like it's a second job. Loose fitting clothes are a must unless you enjoy the feeling of a human dumpling lol. First things first a large Sapporo for hydration (responsible adults here) and maybe some sakè if we're feeling bold. Nothing beats catching up over sizzling meats, talking about life, family, and work never a dull moment. I'm always the one stuck grilling, which basically makes me the unpaid chef. I keep telling my buddy that whoever does the grilling should eat for free he's yet to agree, but I'm working on it lol. The food? Always hits the spot. The service? A roll of the dice. Some servers are quick and friendly, others move like they've got nowhere to be. That's why we order BIG on the first round because waiting when you're starving is a personal attack. Some items might be MIA, but for the price, it still beats most KBBQ spots in Concord. I wish I could give this place 3.5 stars because 3 feels kinda mean, but 4 feels too generous like tipping 20% when the waiter forgot about you for half the meal. Oh, and don't wear your good clothes unless you want to smell like a smokehouse for the rest of the day. But hey, meat sweats and good times? Worth it. We'll be back like a perfectly marinated short rib hitting the grill Yadadaimean: ) read more

See all

Had an amazing dinner recently at Gen with amazing service! I've been to many other Gen locations before across Norcal and Socal, but I have to say that I had the best service here at the Concord location. Thanks to our server Jusstin who made sure we got everything we ordered and was super on top of changing our grill plates every time without us asking! My party of 4 came for a recent Saturday dinner. We arrived a little after 6 pm and was quoted a 30 minute wait, which was pretty accurate. The smoke smell hits you as soon as you step in, so make sure you dress accordingly. I wish the ventilation here was better. I think Gen has the best value for AYCE kbbq in the bay. For weekday lunch (Mon-Thu), it costs $20.95 per person, and for weekends + dinner, it costs $30.95 per person. That's such a steal, especially compared to other AYCE places! There's also a premium tier which is +$20 per person, but we didn't get it as we thought the selection was excellent with the basic tier. We tried a bunch of items from the menu. Everything was solid, but some of our favorites were the beef belly (both flavors - honey soy and gochujang - were fantastic), spicy pork bulgogi, and the galbi. We liked the beef belly so much we got seconds of it! The one item I would skip is the japchae; it wasn't very good here. read more

See all

Hardly any banchan that they offer, and what they do has ok flavor. I only really enjoyed the marinated brisket. Everything else was ok. Service was fairly decent. Just overall a bad to ok experience, mostly due to the price and that there are better options than Gen. read more

Came back the second time.. service was also okay.. it's more like they're low on staff.. the server is super stressed out and overwhelmed.. food was coming out late.. takes a really long time for a refill or ordering food. It's not as crowded inside as we thought. The meat is okay. Ambiance is fine. read more

See all

Came in the other night for dinner with a few friends. Had heard so much about this place but are whole experience was sorta ruined. Waited a hour and a half for a table which was no problem as we enjoyed soju at the bar. Once seated our waiter really pushed premium but we all stuck to regular. We ordered and asked for rice and waters which never came. We asked the waiter multiple times and he kept saying all the dished were dirty and they had no cup or rice bowls. ** to not have bowls and cups ready for patrons is crazy. Food was ok but also took forever!! read more

Gen Korean BBQ in Concord is always a solid choice when I'm craving Korean BBQ. The quality of the meat stands out, especially the marinated short ribs and bulgogi. Everything comes out fresh, well-seasoned, and grills beautifully at the table. I appreciate how attentive the staff is about changing the grill and checking in without being overwhelming. The atmosphere is lively and perfect for groups, but still comfortable enough to enjoy your meal. For an all-you-can-eat spot, the consistency and flavor keep me coming back. Come hungry -- it's worth it. read more

Ehhh it's aiiighhhttt i've had better korean bbq in oakland they give u plain meat and the seasonings aren't the right fit for them not enough flavor read more

Love coming here! Meat is always fresh and service is always great they also have amazing drinks. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

So this was an example of amazing ADA experience! The spacing, the facilities, the staff, all excellent! We took our friends to KBBQ for the first time, and they had a great time! We had two wheelchair users with us, my beautiful wife and one of our friends. They were very accommodating, kind, and helpful! Thank you for making this experience so special. Bravo to Gen KBBQ, and their amazing staff. The food was great too! Overall: 20/10 Service: Excellent ADA: Priceless read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean pancake - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

See all

Decent BBQ, Disappearing Service Went here for all-you-can-eat and honestly...it was kind of a mixed bag. In the beginning the service was nice and welcoming, but once we actually got seated it felt like the staff disappeared. Trying to order more food was a struggle, which is frustrating when the whole point is unlimited BBQ. The food itself was okay. The garlic chicken was actually really good, but some of the veggies came out totally unseasoned. I know it's Korean BBQ and you cook things yourself, but a little effort in prepping/seasoning wouldn't hurt. Ambiance was absolutely awful. No fans anywhere--I felt like a baked potato the entire time. With all those grills going, you'd think they'd invest in some ventilation, but nope. It was sweltering hot, to the point where it honestly felt like they wanted you to leave as soon as possible. The purple lighting didn't help either--it made the whole place feel uneasy and kind of uncomfortable. Definitely not the vibe for a long all-you-can-eat dinner. Big shoutout though to the bottomless Shirley Temples--they healed my inner child and were honestly the highlight of the night. Overall: decent food, super slow service, BAKING HOT, and a few redeeming details. Probably won't rush back, but not the worst experience either. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Seasons and oils - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

See all

Signed up on the waitlist through Yelp. Wait was average especially for the weekend. Service was amazing and our server was very friendly and professional. Food is always yummy. It's well maintained and clean. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Premium menu - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

I see that a lot of people hating on this place. I love this place!! There is a reason why this Korean BBQ restaurant stays in business. The one on Contra Costa changed so many times and has no flavor. If you want flavor come here!! Their meat choices are awesome and they actually marinate the meat. We went on a Saturday and to be honest it wasn't busy. I remember this place was always busy and had to wait for hours... We got right in and sat right down. Our server was great, on point. I love the potato mash side and she literally brought me like 10. She would check on us to make sure we didn't need anything else. The food comes out real fast so be prepared to cook. This was our friends first time and she enjoyed herself. We ordered so many different choices... btw the calamari, be careful and let them know if you want the raw or deep fried... I learned a lesson. Remember, you have to eat what you order. Anyways, the place is so fun inside, modern with many people enjoying dinner. Our friend filled herself up and let me tell you we didn't eat the next day. Order some Sake and a beer to wash it all down. With everything said, with tip and drinks each person paid about $55. read more

Kinda expensive.. food gets stuck on the grill a lot, but is flavored when arrives at the table. It was worth the experience though !! Service is busy and is usually responsive. Its set a san Francisco date night type of a vibe. Add some alchohol to the mix and the fun times should roll smoothly read more

The food was delicious! The servers were really attentive and nice even though it was a busy Saturday night. My only issue was that we made reservations for 8pm, but didn't get seated until 8:25. I guess that's to be expected when dining at such a popular location. read more

Food,service and location 5 stars. I also want recognize Kevin and all associates here. 5 stars service here. I will be back with my family and friends again read more

So the food was really good, they recommended the premium menu upgrade so we did it. After we ordered a few meats we wanted to try the ribeye and they forgot to mention that they were out of ribeye. That's really the reason I wanted to order the premium menu. None the less the service was decent and the atmosphere was great with all the blue LED lights and whatnot. However, I think as a customer I should've gotten some type of discount on the premium menu for them not having the meat I wanted to try and you can look at the menu pictures posted below. The Ribeye is advertised pretty big in the menu and to top it off it was my birthday. At the end of the day I give this place 3 stars for the meat being good but the failure to mention some premium items are missing and still charging me full price. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Al pastor. - Korean Near Me - Concord, California

See all