Tl;dr: the place is amazing. The food tastes authentic. It does not taste like all the other food in the area. THIS PLACE IS LEGIT. My family and I have had Korean BBQ in koreatown in Los Angeles and in Washington DC. We've tried amazing places and when we moved to McAllen there was another place we tried. But it wasnt real kbq. It was basically local food served in kbq style. The food tasted like all the other food in the area (not to say it was bad food. Just not authentic). So when we heard this place was opening up, we were a bit skeptical, we read some reviews that looked iffy. But we were wrong! The food wasnt like all the other food in mcallen. It tasted like genuine authentic korean food. Our server Liz was knowledgeable and super friendly! Amazing service. Amazing food. Amazing pricing. 10/10 Our server Liz was knowledgeable and super friendly! Amazing service. Amazing food. Amazing pricing. Dishes were clean. Nothing tasted like soap like other reviews said? If you are local to McAllen and want to eat food that doesn't taste like everything else here. This place is 100% it. read more

Wow!!! The valley been needing a Legit Kbbq and now it's here!!! We travel to Cali and Vegas yearly and Gen has always been a must visit when we are there. So happy that there's a location here now. We came for the soft opening for dinner. Prices are about $30ish per person but can upgrade for additional sushi menu for 20$. We were greeted and seated by Johnathan. He was so nice and explained about the menu. The cuts of meat were amazing...and super fresh sashimi and rolls. The side dishes great!!!! Service was top notch. Our servers Tyrek and Noe was so friendly and made the experience so wonderful. Even the food runner Josef was great as he kept on asking if we needed anything and got refills for us multiple times. Before paying and leaving , Tyler , i assume was a manager checked up on us and thanked us for tonight's dinner. Everyone is so nice here!!! Definitely coming again read more

We had some amazing staff serve us today! Tran was very attentive and quick to get our orders. Angel and Josef were very serviceable, clearing our tables, refilling our drinks and asking if we needed anything. And lastly Alex has always been an amazing server, he has served us in other restaurants but I'm happy to see him at Gen. He invited us to come back and with the service we got today, we will for sure be bring families and recommending it to friends. The environment is clean, the temperature is nice and the lighting is very nice. I do like how this Gen does not have the loud vents overhead, it makes it much more enjoyable and comforting to eat. Some recommendations are the spicy pork belly and the prime brisket !! Again, staff was AMAZING and helpful, even those that we didn't catch the names of. 100% recommend!! read more

ALWAYS a Fantastic experience at GEN Korean BBQ! The food is fresh, flavorful, and they have a variety of meats. Their spicy pork belly is a must everytime( so DELISH) and side dishes to choose from. If you enjoy cabbage and cucumber kimchi; try it with the meat is ALWAYS bomb. Everything comes out quickly, and the quality has been excellent. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made sure we ALLWAYS had what we needed. The quality of the food is the same as in Carrollton, Dallas, and Houston area. The restaurant has a fun energetic atmosphere that made the meal even more enjoyable. If you're looking for delicious all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ with great service, I highly recommend GEN Korean BBQ. MAKE SURE YOUR BELLY IS EMPTY TO ACTUALLY ENJOY THE FOOD. My family and I will definitely be coming back! read more

The service was excellent. Tran, Angel, Issac, Alex, and Josef were all extremely attentive and made sure all of our needs were met. While ordering, all of our concerns were addressed and the food was amazing. The portion size for the meats are quite large so beware! This is our first time at Gen at the McAllen location and it is just as good if not better than the Austin locations and other AYCE KBBQs. Water glasses were always full, the dirty plates were always taken away promptly to make room for coming orders, and everyone kept an eye on our table along with all of the other guests without fail. 10/10 food, 20/10 service read more

We had an amazing experience at this Korean restaurant! From the moment we walked in, the staff was welcoming and Tarek was a greater waiter very attentive. The food was absolutely delicious--fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The Korean barbecue was cooked to perfection, and the side dishes were plentiful and full of authentic flavor. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it a great place to enjoy a meal with family and friends. If you're looking for authentic Korean cuisine and outstanding service, I highly recommend giving this restaurant a try. I can't wait to come back and order my favorites again! read more

Amazing first time experience. Gio and Joseph were excellent servers with great recommendations. I did the premium dinner menu and everything was amazing. The meat was well marinated with great quality cuts. One of the only places in the valley that I know of that serves wagyu. The melon soju was amazing as well. The servers had great pairing recommendations with the sauces and you must try the green tea salt. Everything came to the table quickly and I was well attended too. 10/10 experience and would recommend to anyone! read more

Since they've had their soft opening, the food and service has been amazing! Already been here more than once!! The servers are very attentive of each table and make sure that if we would like to order more food. Ive been to other locations and the ambiance and vibes are similar if not better! Unlike other KBBQ places, you wont come out smelling like smoke. read more

Amazing food and service! Mathew our server was awesome!!! The Korean barbecue here is outstanding! The meat was incredibly high-quality, flavorful. I loved the wide variety of fresh banchan sides and the vibrant, lively atmosphere. The staff provided excellent service, ensuring our grill was always ready. A perfect spot for dinner! read more

Went for the grand opening without knowing, Food and all you can eat concept works really well if you like to try different meats and sushi. Pricey and you have to cook the raw meats but the meats range from Mexican carne asada and al pastor to Korean meats to bacon. Tortillas are also provided as well as condiments and salsas. read more

Our waiter, Gio, was fantastic in every way--attentive, helpful, and friendly. The food was plentiful and delicious (we did the dinner menu buffet)! The atmosphere really brought it all together, with dim, but not too dim, lighting and good music. The restaurant is bustling with good energy! We'll definitely be back! read more

Food was amazing, service was top-notch, and the ambiance was perfect! Everything we ordered was delicious, and the staff made us feel so welcome. We loved every minute of our visit and can't wait to come back. Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a great meal and a great atmosphere! read more

Excellent food and amazing customer service. We hadn't had gens since we left Hawaii so it was a nice surprise when we found it in McAllen. Then to make the experience even better our waiter Gio was a local from Hawaii that brought really nice memories from the island. read more

Amazing service from start to finish! Our waiter was incredibly kind, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. The food was great, and the overall experience was wonderful. Thank you for the excellent service--we'll definitely be coming back! read more

andrea was such a great server. she listened to our order very attentively and made sure to answer any questions we had about the menu. overall such an amazing vibe and the food was bomb. this was our first time there and will definitely not be the last! read more

The service and food is phenomenal. If you never had K-BBQ before, they will help you learn and give you recommendations on what to get. My server Steven was very helpful and had a great customer service. I would definitely come back here again! read more

We had a great experience thanks to our host Steven & our server Susana. The food didn't only look amazing it tasted even better. & the ambiance is always 10 out of 10. Thank you. We'll be back & let everyone in the RGV about GEN. read more

EVERYTHING, Tarek was amazing, the food was amazing, the managers, the environment, the service EVERYTHING PLS SPEND ALL UR MONEY HERE. The RGV NEEDED THIS!!! We ate and devoured. For sure becoming regulars. See yall June 13!! read more

Our server's name was Matthew and he was very attentive in taking our order and in bringing out our dishes in a timely manner. Our table was pre-bussed quickly and the food was great, per usual! Def will be back. read more