Had lunch here and with two little kids. The kids ate for free so we just had to pay for me and my wife which for $67 total (AYCE) was very reasonable left extra tip because the service I gotta say exceeded my expectations. We were constantly checked on and food came out super fast once we ordered. They constantly changed the grill for us so we didn't have a burnt grill. It was pretty slow at noon on Sunday so they maybe why service was great but everyone did a great job In terms of the food the appetizers were all pretty mid (the fried Mandus was probably the best) the kids mainly ate them while me and my wife had multiple orders of their gen steak(my favorite) bulgogi and marinated beef we also had the spicy soup. We mainly just ordered beef and gotta say their meat quality was pretty good. This place is pretty good for families and groups it looks like. Highly recommend would definitely come back read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Forgot to take pictures just took a picture at the end with the last steak - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Went in today and was put on a waitlist and quoted 45 min. About 50 min later we get a text that we're taken off the waitlist. I walked in and was told that ventilation was broken and everyone including employees must evacuate- was it difficult to call people that are actually waiting and expecting to eat dinner? We went and had dinner at din Thai fung and as we're leaving an hour later, I notice there are people eating inside Gen.. see photo attached. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - People inside eating an hour after the supposed ventilation issue - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Fantastic dinner with friends last night. My husband and I first tried this place when they opened and had an ok experience. Well if you had mixed feelings before, trust me, go back! We had a 10/10 experience and so grateful for Polly and the crew, we left stuffed beyond belief and can't wait to go back. read more

First time for dinner. Loved the Kalbi that is not on the lunch. Nice server and the grills were changed out twice. Delicious all you can eat and we did 32 plates. Get the corn cheese and let it melt on the grill. End with the hottek. read more

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2nd time here in a month. Had to drive 45 minutes to get here but so worth it. Lunch is so much more affordable than dinner but both are really good. We got 4 plates of meat, cheese tonkatsu and gyoza. So good! read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Brisket and garlic pork belly - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Came here for a family member's birthday and I thought it was pretty good. Great selection of meats and I particularly liked the beef belly. The banchan could have been better in terms of quantity, quality, and variety. Our server was super nice and attentive which made the experience much better! read more

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This place has some great dinner options with lots of variety and flavors to choose from. The staff were so attentive and I have to thank Colwyn for being such an amazing server and going above and beyond with our orders. The restaurant itself can become a bit noisy when competing with the other patrons and ventilation but that's kind of to be expected. I'd definitely recommend this place to someone looking for an easygoing KBBQ, especially their dinner and premium menus! read more

We had a great first round of meats, but by the next rounds (around 6 PM), they had already run out of almost half the meat selection. Unfortunately, including the best options. That was disappointing. Least favorite: Garlic Chicken - slimy and sour. Top favorites: Beef bulgogi and galbi. Place is clean and have comfy benches. Just wish they don't run out of meat. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I've been here twice recently. It's not the best KBBQ I've had, but I can tolerate a lot of the downsides because of how affordable it is. You really can't beat the value. $21 for weekday lunch AYCE is currently the cheapest KBBQ in town. For AYCE, you can order 2 appetizers and 4 meats per round. For $21, I'm pretty satisfied with the selection, especially since the first item on the basic menu is steak. I don't know any KBBQ places that offer steak at this price point. They do have a premium menu with better cuts, but the basic menu works fine for me. My favorites are the steak and beef bulgogi. I liked their appetizers for the most part. Things I didn't like: -Service is hit or miss. Something is off with their workflow, especially how they handle the line. During my visit this week, there was a ridiculously long line even though there were plenty of empty tables inside. The first group in line had a large party, and everyone else was stuck waiting behind them. They didn't come to the door to acknowledge the line or let smaller groups in until someone got out. If they can't seat a big party right away, they should still move the line for smaller groups or use a waitlist system. The staff was working hard, but that effort didn't translate into a good customer experience. -When we sat down, things on the table were greasy and the menu left oil all over my hand. -Freezing cold inside. I sat at a half booth by the wall and felt like I was eating outside in this cold weather. I had to put my jacket back on while eating because I was freezing to death. Food got cold almost immediately after coming off the grill. The table next to us complained their hot tea wouldn't even stay hot. It might've been the ventilation above the table, but our clothes still stank afterward. -Many appetizers were cold or lukewarm like they came straight out of the fridge. -Salad and side dishes were mediocre. The salad was bland and needed more dressing and seasoning. Side dishes were edible but nothing special. -Scissors were very dull, making it super difficult to cut the meat. -No butter or fat for the grill. It would be nice to have something to oil the grill so it doesn't burn so quickly. -I won't order #17 Large Ox Intestine again. I can eat intestine but this one was not edible. That said, for $21, I'd still come back. Otherwise, this would be a 3-star place for me. read more

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place looks nice, yummy beef bulgogi! but lowkey was disappointed with the corn cheese ...it was just in a tin little bowl with cheese sprinkled on top that you had to cook on your grill, i only mention this cause the past kbbq i've been to, usually the corn cheese is a bit bigger on a plate and the cheese is already heated but maybe that's just me service was not bad but not amazingly good, it took a while for my table to get noticed to switch the grill. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This was my first time trying this location, but I have had Gen in socal before. I think it was better compared to ones in socal in terms of meat quality/taste. It also wasn't busy and crazy noisy like it usually is in their socal locations. Their brisket cuts were nice and thin which cooked quickly on the grill. The corn cheese come out in little tins which you have to cook on the grill, unlike most places that bring it out on a stone plate already sizzling hot. I liked the salad and the dressing. Servers came by frequently to change the grill and take the next round of orders. My server was nice (sorry forgot his name). Only huge negative of this experience was that the grease trap at our table must have overflowed because there was a strange, coagulated fat-like substance on the ground which one of my friends had unknowingly stepped in. read more

The $20 AYCE lunch is a great deal! If you want more selection, you can upgrade to Dinner menu with additional Premium option. For your initial round, you can choose up to 4 meats (listed in blue) and 2 appetizers (white). You can also request white rice, salad, and ssamjang at no additional cost. Some of the marinated meats were a little too salty for me, but overall, you can't beat the value! Favorites: --beef short plate (thin sliced) --honey soy beef belly (thin sliced) --hotteok comes out piping hot and was perfect for dessert I didn't like the thin sliced premium angus brisket. It was very lean if you like that. The Soondubu was more like generically mildly spicy broth than the traditional flavors. I liked using the salad to make little bite-sized wraps with the meat along with the ssamjang. Service is friendly. They are extremely diligent about changing the grill top when it gets dirty! read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Pricing 8/25 - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We booked a reservation, we show up on time and the restaurant is closed. Doors locked, no sign on door, and not a soul inside. Needless to say I would never recommend this place to anyone. Not even a call to let us know so we could plan something else. A heads up would have been expected at the least! read more

Would not come again the service was HORRIBLE, they need to train their staff better, by far the worst experience I've ever had at any KBBQ's read more

First time and everything was great. Great service and delicious food. Decided to give this establishment a try after some Christmas shopping. Table and seats were comfortable and clean. We ordered our meats and veggies, everything came fast and we got to bbqing our meal. Highly recommend. read more

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Came here with a party of 10 they got us in quick, the service was quick as well, all the food tasted great. The place was clean and very nice. They staff is always switching g out the grill plate when it got to dirty. We eat and eat till be were full. I would come back here anytime!! read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place unfortunately was only good during the first couple of weeks they opened. The service is slow and the quality of the meat is not good. The marinades all tasted off the second time we went and we had to continue asking for things that we ordered that we hadn't received yet. The appetizers came out cold and stale. We paid for an ala carte item that looked nothing like the photo and it was awful and no where near worth the extra money. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Premium center cut shortrib - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Definitely one of the better Kbbq experiences in the area. Vibes are always friendly and accommodating although every time we've dined this last year, they seems to have run out of basics, like salad or radish- and I'm talking about like 6pm dinner so that part I'm not sure how they're already out. Their regular AYCE menu includes meats like garlic beef belly, garlic steak fingers (not actual fingers ) more like bites, and gochujang beef, brisket, marinated pork belly, LÀ galbi- all of which I highly recommend! Wish the portions they gave were more consistent with the # of ppl sitting at the table, that way the waiters dont have to keep walking back and forth to take orders every 10 mins.. Overall, for the price point and quality, for now, I would choose Gen any day over the other kbbq establishments! read more

I am not sure where all the negative reviews came from. We arrived just before 5pm on a Friday and got seated fairly quickly. Our server, Sarah, was welcoming, informative, and very friendly! The food was filling and tasted great! My favorites were the regular bulgogi and sweet & spicy rice cakes. My hubby's were the bulgogi and honey soy beef belly. All and all, it's much more food than we paid for! $65.90 for two full meals! read more

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The food was fine, some items were good and some were meh. The decor is nice, but they keep the temp like a meat locker. Service is good. Lunch is a good value and going during the weekday, there's lots of space. read more

Awesome experience! Food was fresh and came out fast! Alisha was great and super attentive. Came for lunch and will definetly come back another day for dinner. Music and vibe are also great! read more

They have changed my mind! We were very disappointed when we first came in, now, I only come here when craving for bbq. Highly quality meats and excellent service! read more

I went during lunch time since it's cheaper but they still had plenty of meats for me to choose from so it was a great deal! I went with 5 other people and the server was patiently serving us all and allowed us to use 2 stoves to cook. The food kept on coming and the portions were very generous. They didn't rush us and made sure we had enough food to order before we wrapped it up. I guess this time we were also 'lucky' because it was not very busy so the server was able to get our orders quickly. When I crave for some good quality meat (we loved the chadol, for example) I will come back here during lunch! read more

Food is amazing but service is even better!! I order to-go sometimes and the host, Vince, is amazing! He's so polite and always makes sure I have everything I need. Wonderful staff all around. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - 4 meat and 3 sides plate. - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Revisit the store and they alway nail it food here is really good service is top notch would recommend

Ordered 3 plates of the barbecue servings and was never informed that it was per person so we would actually be charged for 5 until we received the check... Waitress was helpful but the manager and bartender we dealt with were incredibly unprofessional $200 bill. Absurd! read more

We only waited about 20 minutes for a table, which felt super reasonable for how busy it was on a Saturday night. Once we sat down, our server explained the ordering process and got our first round in quickly. The food quality was good across the board. The meats were flavorful and fresh, especially the brisket and short ribs. Everything cooked well on the grill and came out fast. The sides were solid too, and refills were easy to get. Our server checked in often, changed the grill plates when needed, and kept our drinks filled even during the rush. The only downside is that it can feel a little rushed toward the end and you will leave smelling like BBQ. read more

I've tried Gen when I was in LA pre-covid and really enjoyed it. However, the quality, service and atmosphere has gone downhill. I've been to this specific location twice and it always takes so long for the host to figure out where to place customers. I believe there is a website where you can join a waitlist so it can notify you, but I didn't see the option going the second time. Either way, there's always a line waiting for the host. Besides that, they do greet you when they see you. There are many food options and almost everything is marinated. I felt that some of the simple meat options we chose came out basically crumbled like the chadol/brisket. Brisket cooks quick and is typically thin... why would you want to cut it even thinner and have the meat crumble into pieces vs one whole bite? I found that the best meats options were under the extra $20 premium menu, but I still feel that it's insane to pay $53 and the best options are on the premium menu + some appetizers. After the first round, both of the times I went, I felt that the server was non-existent, which resulted in longer wait times. It seemed so hard to get more banchan or more meats. It was more odd since on the 2nd visit, the restaurant was half empty. Overall, my experience did not seem worth it. I hope they can improve overtime. read more

Located in Washington Square mall, this AYCE spot is a nice stop for some KBBQ. The interior of the restaurant is huge, with lots of seating, blue lighting, and an upbeat vibe. Service can be a bit spotty but they were very kind. My friend and I did the basic KBBQ package and it was very fun and good! I love how they have appetizers included in the AYCE, such as the rice cakes, Korean fried chicken, and cheese katsu. Although they were fun to try however, I didn't think they were that great (but that makes sense, since it's AYCE). I also wish that it was ddeokbokki included in the AYCE, rather than the grilled rice cakes. The meat itself was good, but I highly recommend the unmarinated meat over the marinated meat as I thought it just tasted better. Overall, fun vibe and I think one of the better AYCE KBBQ packages in Portland! read more

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I just want to add that the beef belly was all FAT (90% fat) compared to more than a year ago which was about 50% fat. The beef belly were all FAT the last 3 times we went to GEN for dinner regular menu. read more

I came to Gen Korean BBQ House by myself for lunch. The seats were quite empty, but they said only counter seats were available. If you want to sit table for alone during busy time, you have to scan the QR code for the waiting list and do it yourself. I don't really like this kind of service. But the server woman was pleasant and explained how to order, so it was helpful. Weekday, lunch is all-you-can-eat for $19.95. I thought it was a good deal to try BBQ in Gen for the first time. Unfortunately, the taste of meat and side dishes... was disappointing. The meat is thin, so it will be worn out when grilled. They changed the grill while I was eating, but I was offended by the loud noise. The rice looked bad and was too soft. I didn't expect such tasteless rice to come out. I'm going to try the premium menu next time. read more

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It was my first time trying this place after wanting to try it in Seattle for so long. The service was great. Our server, Megan was very attentive and even recommended us a few things since we clarified it was our first time there. The ambiance feels very fancy and I am a very big fan of the couch/booth seating situation that they have going on. I generally don't like going anywhere after KBBQ because of that bbq meat smell that lingers on your clothes. This place has one of the best vents/circulation systems I've ever experienced. Yes I still smelled like bbq, but it was very faint compared to other places. The food was good as well! I liked how the portions were small enough to where you didn't get sick of the meat and feel forced to eat it all. The meat quality was great and our server was very attentive and always changed the grill without us asking. Overall, I would come back again with more people. This place is always crowded and I can understand why now. It's located in the Washington Square Mall by 85 Degrees. Tip: GO SCAN IN FOR THE WAITLIST AT THE FRONT, THEN GO SHOPPING. YOU WILL HAVE 10 MINUTES FROM THE TIME THEY TEXT YOU TO WALK BACK. This will save you a lot of time :) read more

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Been here twice now at this location at Washington square. Within first month November of grand opening they seem to have a lot more staff and upon speaking to our main server Vinny we learned they're all from out of state from other established Gen's to help train new staff at new locations. Understandably staffing needs changes based on flow of customers on weekdays vs weekends lunch vs dinner hours. We had great service our first time and we tried their premium menu as well and meat quality was really good. Second time returning probably within 1 month in December and noticed staff changes was greatly reduced on a Thursday/Friday dinner time and they were out of their top choice steak dinner menu which was very disappointing and even certain appetizers were out. Noticed such a shift in food options and availability and short staffing that made the dining experience very subpar. Have been a Gen Kbbq customer of long time 8+ years at other locations such as LA and Oahu and always loved the dinning experience with full staff, speedy food delivery and grill changes without prompt and or food shortages. Quite disappointed at this second time dinning that I felt like I won't be returning at all however will give their lunch hours and lunch menu a try. Ambiance and interior design is staying with same at all locations. read more

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This new KBBQ place that just opened inside the Washington Square Mall is SOLID. The only reason for one less star is because they were clearly short-staffed so service was slow but our server Benjamin was truly trying his hardest between all the tables! Shoutout to him! To our surprise, there was a wait on a random Monday for lunch time so we got on the waitlist (3 people) and were seated after waiting a little more than an hour. The good thing is it IS inside the mall so you can walk around and work up your appetite for AYCE before it's your turn. The girl at check-in was so patient and friendly with everyone which was nice to see even when they were busy and dealing with hungry diners trying to figure out how much longer for the wait. The waitlist doesn't give you times just let you know how many parties are ahead of you. But they do text and call you when it's almost your turn to give you enough time to head back there. The space itself was bigger than I thought! Very modern and sleek designs. You can see into it and see the booths seating but there were even more big group seating with large tables in the back by the bathrooms. Again, they were definitely short staffed so half the restaurant was empty but there was still a long wait to be seated. Now the food is the true star of the show! For weekday lunch $20 AYCE (what a deal!!) you get to choose 4 meats at a time and also appetizers (not sure how many for that but we just did 2 at a time). It also came with rice for each person and a nice big bowl of salad...you know for health lol (and to balance all the meaty richness.) Our favorite was the thinly sliced soy pork belly for sure! I would also recommend the cheese pork Katsu for appetizer over the Korean Fried Chicken. Everything was full of flavor and you will leave happy and satisfied. Come fill up your bellies soon! We will be back! read more

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Gen reminds me very much of a restaurant you'd encounter on the Las Vegas strip. Fun lighting and louder than most music bumping. There is tons of seating and even grills to cook at the bar. Menu is extensive, lunch bbq is only $20 for AYCE which is a great deal. Food wise the flavors are there it just didn't seem as authentic and flavorful as Kkoki. Staff was all super sweet and line to get seated moved fairly quickly! read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Loved Gen in California and Vegas so was super excited to hear that they opened one in Portland. It was super busy during dinner hours on a Friday and expect some wait time. Appetizer/side wise, it was probably the best for the Portland area Korean bbq ayce. There were so many options even had cheese tonkatsu and it was really crispy and yummy. Who doesn't love katsu and cheese together? The Mandu was also very delicious. Meat wise it was decent and pretty standard for Korean bbq. Meaning that the quality was ok but not outstanding. I loved that the brisket was super thin so it makes it more tender and crispy when grilled. The steak was pretty good too but don't expect too much from kbbq steak. Overall, love gen but sad to see there wasn't sushi or carpaccio like in Vegas haha. read more

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We went here for the first time last night after trying to come a few times but the wait was just too long. This time, we didn't wait more than 20 minutes and sat, ordered and received our first round super fast. We opted for the premium dinner menu which had all the fancy meats and included all the side and appetizers. Pros: The meat was really good quality and there were a ton of options, the appetizers were all included (fried rice, KFC, calamari, ect.) ,the service was really fast and attentive, and the restaurant itself was super updated and modern. Cons: The dinner/premium menu is more expensive than your regular kbbq, we paid around $65 per person including tip (usually spend around $40 at other spots) and the wait can be super long Ultimately, I would recommend going here and do think the price is on par with the quality and amount of food you are able to get. In comparison to other Kbbq places in the area this place is better than others but I don't think it will be my go-to, this is more of a special occasion spot. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Great atmosphere | Excellent Service | Delicious food Cheers to a new Asian restaurant in town! I love that it's at the mall right across from 85 degree bakery and walking distance to Din Tai Fung. Great options here. The whole place looks so nice with the blue dim lighting, a sleek date-night allure. Everyone who works here is so friendly, helpful and efficient. This place is definitely a step above other Korean bbq spots. We came here for lunch on a Friday. We scanned the QR code at the front to enter ourselves on the wait list. We had 4 people in front of us. Then, the guy working the front of the restaurant asked if it was just us 2 and took us to a table to be seated. The table right in front of the front desk at the entrance has the fan blowing on it, but I didn't mind because I knew that once we started cooking, I warmed up. It's just important to note because those who sit there may want to wear a jacket, and the person sitting across will get splattered by the fat and grease while cooking. Emily was our server and she was excellent. She explained to us how it works: order off of the dinner menu picking 4 plates at a time and we have 2 hours to eat whatever we want. She was very attentive throughout our time there. First round - Beef bulgogi - Honey soy beef belly - Premium wagyu - Marinated short rib - Kimchi fried rice with no cheese Second round - assorted veggies - 2 rib eye - wagyu TIP: cook the fattier meats first to grease the grill and do the marinaded meats last. The sesame oil may cause a flame while cooking, so use with caution. These tips were so helpful from the guy working the front (thank you!). Everything was delicious! I'm a big fan of their thinly sliced beef dishes. It cooks quickly, melts in your mouth, and doesn't leave you feeling like you're so full you're bursting at the seams. We loved the wagyu and honey soy beef belly. The kimchi fried rice was not spicy to me. (Thank you!) It was maybe a 1 or 2 out of 10 for spiciness. I really like that the banchan were small sides, not big portions, to compliment the main dishes. If I had to offer one suggestion for improvement, the assorted veggie dish could have more veggies. It was underwhelming to see 2 pineapple slices, 2 bell pepper slices, and 2 thin slices of zucchini on a plate be considered their veggie dish. I get it, it's not necessarily a spot for vegetarians/vegans, but at least add some other veggies like carrots and snow peas or something. We spent an hour here and thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience here sans kids. Luckily, we were able to have our babysitter watch our kids, but I think this is a spot more for older families and not with a baby or toddler. I have yet to try their soju drinks next time! read more

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I really love this Gen location so much. The premium is worth it if you have a bigger party so you can try a little bit of everything. I usually go alone and they are very accommodating. Gabe is definitely my fav server and he is always delivering the best service! Can't recommend coming enough! read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I was quite excited to see a chain Korean BBQ restaurant in the Washington Square mall. We watched their progress every time we dropped by the 85 Degrees bakery, and one day, it finally opened! So we put our name in to check it out! We waited 35-40 minutes to get seated, and could only order a few items at a time even tho it's all you can eat. We didn't upgrade to premium as we didn't care about the ribeyes and other premium items. We ordered some veggies, meats, shrimps and soup and liked them as they were in good quality. I also appreciate they changed the grill often so you don't end up with all the burned bits on the next set of food. The only downside was the wait time. Since each table can only order a few items at the time. It took a long time to receive food as all the servers were busy fulfilling orders. I felt sorry for the servers as they had to walk far to fetch food, drinks, grills and etc from the back kitchen in such a big venue. Not only did it caused some mistakes, it also pushed our visit to almost 2 hours (which was the maximum time allowed). As a result, we left feeling underwhelmed as we didn't get to order everything we'd like to try. I wish they remove the order limits so it reduces the customer waiting time and avoid burning out the staff. Overall, the experience was underwhelming and we might not return as there are plenty mom and pop Korean BBQ restaurants in town. I hope they will figure out a better way to serve soon though. read more

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