Had an amazing experience at GEN Korean BBQ thanks to David! He was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed the entire time. He explained things clearly, checked in often without being overbearing, and really made us feel taken care of. Great food, great service--David truly made the night even better. Will definitely be back! Great food awesome service amazing experience Recommend 100 percent read more

I'm not one to usually write reviews but the past two experiences I've had at this Gen need to be fixed. Btw avid Gen go-er at the Tempe location from 2021 and been going to Gens from California Cerritos location since 2016. My to-go experience: I ordered uber eats pickup for a bogo 4 meat special. As soon as I walk in the app is telling me the food is ready, however I notice it's busy so no worries on an extra wait I can go walk around the marketplace. I'm waiting as the hostess is attending to people there, again no worries. She acknowledges me and I tell her I have the pickup, she instantly says I don't know about your order, they usually bring it up (to the front desk) or we have to grab it from the back. So I ask if she knows how much longer the order will be, and she almost cuts me off saying as you can see we're really busy so I don't know. I then ask if there's any system or way to check how much longer and she gives me a disgusted look and says again "we're busy so I don't know 10 minutes? I can't say, so yeah" and looks away mad. I don't mind if a place is busy, but if it's gonna be 30 minutes vs 3 minutes I would appreciate knowing so I can know when to be there to pickup. It took approx another 8 minutes till the food was ready. I don't mind the wait, however asking how long the food will be and having the ability to walk 1 minute into the kitchen and asking is not a crazy expectation, let alone being rude about it. She literally sat there looking at the table sheet after the interaction. I would get if there was a line of people but when I talked to her I was the only person in the front! My dine in experience: All I have to say about this one was my friend and I arrived around 11:05am for the lunch special and there were 4 groups ready to eat. We were the second ones in line and got seated 5th (another couple walked in and they sat them first). We were attended to 4 times after the initial introduction, 3 of them I had to wave them down because they kept forgetting to bring stuff and would ignore us. They had three servers plus the manager on duty. All in all this place had gone downhill the past three years and has not been the same. I usually go to mana but sometimes I like to check back in to see if it returns to it's former glory like the Chandler location, however I don't think management hires enough waiters and they have poor communication within the facility, as well as a RUDE FRONT DESK lady (only one of them, the other I didn't talk to). Take my advice as you will, but there are other options that absolutely take the cake over this place. read more

Gave our name to the host and she said it would be a 10 minutes. Got a text confirming my waitlist queue at 5:45PM. A few tables got sat before us and I assumed that maybe they were just waiting outside. Checked the queue and I was 6th in line. We waited until roughly 6:10 before I asked the host to re-confirm the time. She sat me right away even though we weren't next in queue). We don't mind waiting, but would have appreciated a more accurate time quote). [[HIGHLIGHT]]We get seated, one of the plate setting was dirty.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We order our first round ( some apps and 2 order of meat) with our server. The next time we see our server, we ordered another order of meat and ask for a grill change. Our server stops coming to our table for 10-ish minutes. Had to flag down a different server to ask for a grill change. He explained that they were currently out of clean grills. That's fine. We waited. The server we flagged down ends up changing our grill a few minutes later. At this point, our server hasn't returned. We see him stopping at other tables, but not ours. We get it; we aren't the only ones here, but we sat with no meat (already ate it all) and empty cups for 15-20 minutes before we saw our server again. We finally get to order some more after making FULL eye contact with the server as he was walking by. By the time we get our 4th meat option, it's 7:10. So, to recap: we had been here for 1 hour and we only got 4 orders of meats and some appetizers. We had to turn out grill off twice, because we didn't want it to burn and had to wait for a grill change. Now look, I'm not being unreasonable. I've been in the food service industry for over 15 years. In fact, I worked at GEN Carrollton in Texas 3 years ago. I know how the place is usually run and this place is not being run very well. Our server should have gotten a runner or a smaller section. I'm disappointed every time I come here and the only reason we came was because we wanted Hansel's after our meal. The only reason I'm giving it a 2 star is because the server that helped us change the grill was nice. If you're wondering about the food quality, it's mid, what you'd assume for an entry point KBBQ joint. If this is your spot, I AM judging you. There's so many AYCE KBBQ options in town. Go to Brave's KBBQ instead. EDIT: We checked out at 8PM and only got to order 5 orders of meat because of waiting for our server to come back, waiting for our food to come, and waiting for our our grills to be changed. Also, our mandu came out cold and the first time our carne asada came out without sauce. The ube drink we got taste like straight syrup water + with no ube taste. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The (ladies) bathroom was not usuable. First stall was locked. Second stall did not flush. Third stall, toilet was leaking all over the floor.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Used to really like this place, which makes this even more disappointing. My husband and I came here recently to celebrate a milestone and this was the only food we ate all day. We go to Korean BBQ often, always cook our meat thoroughly, and have never experienced anything like this before. We both spent the entire night throwing up and feeling miserable afterward. What made the situation worse was how management handled it. I've been calling for over a week just asking if there was any way we could receive some sort of refund, especially since we were loyal customers and this has never happened before. Every day I was told "they'll call you back," but nobody ever did. The only response I finally got was a rude text from the manager saying "yeah we get it," with absolutely no apology or concern whatsoever. Really disappointing experience overall. Save your time, money, and stomach and go somewhere else. Management is unprofessional and completely unresponsive when there's an issue. read more

First of all, our server Jarrett was very good. He did a great job. Especially since we had a party of 9. Now... for everything else... this is a very white Korean restaurant... everything has been changed snd none of it tasted authentic. I personally wont come back or recommend it. The menu is a qr code that you have to scan. It is hard to read. You have to ask for sauces and Banchan. The amount of meat that comes out every time.. Especially for a party of 9... is extremely small. The bulgogi was good flavor wise... the galbi was ok. The Dwejang chigae was lacking and needed more authentic flavor. They tried to mask it by adding a ridiculous amount of jalapeños. I counted 5 slices per little cup. The kimchi fried rice did not taste like it should... the japchae was a huge fail. Not only did it lack flavor, they cut it up into little itty bitty pieces. The mandu is okay... So if you are not used to authentic Korean food, I'm sure this place would be fine... but for someone who wants authentic.... go elsewhere. read more

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Service was great! So much food! So yummy! Free dessert sucked:-( Get ready for stinky clothes!! read more

Food was delicious and the service was excellent. Our server was very attentive and the food portions were great and every dish came out fresh. read more

My parents wanted a place to go to celebrate Mother's Day a couple weeks after to avoid crowds. We chose something we had liked in the past based on what my mom wanted to try. She likes the experience and atmosphere of Korean BBQ, and liked this location in the past. My mom came for beef tongue as a favorite years ago, and sad to see it is a premium charge. The menu itself seemed pricy, and the experience was average in our opinion. This location isn't close to where we live, so likely a pass in the future for us unless in the area. read more

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Shout out to Connor had the best service didn't feel rushed/shamed for ordering a big amount of food. Can definitely tell a difference from a couple months ago great new management, Connor was trying as hard as possible to keep up with no complaints/attitude. Overall a great experience would recommend trying to sit in Connors section read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Perfect service coming from Connor had a great time, didn't feel rushed/shamed for ordering a big amount of food, great new management - Korean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Visiting from Vegas, I was a little apprehensive of dining at Gen Korean BBQ - Tempe location not knowing how parking would be etc. Luckily, there's a lot of parking and a pretty nice shopping center with lots of eatery spots. I'm a Korean BBQ fan so since my daughter wanted to try Gen, I said why not. I've been to other Gen locations in different cities. The concept of AYCE and modern /hipster atmosphere. Colorful lights, larger tables to accommodate 6 in a party amd a high top communal looking table. Got on the Yelp waitlist and my check in time was 5:37 pm. I got there, checked in and waited. After 10 minutes, I went to the front to ask how long the wait will be and she said about 25 minutes. I was like huh, the Yelp app said to check in at the front which I did to wait another 25 minutes. She then said we're you on the waitlist? I said yes then she said hold on, she walked over to a table then came back and said your table is ready. Ok... I really felt bad for our server. He was working hard but unfortunately, we hardly saw him. That made my experience a very frustrating one. I always kept looking around and luckily for me, one of the MODs was fixing a burner next to our table. If it wasn't for him, Gen would have received a 1 Star rating. I forgot his name but he's bald and very nice. Thanks to him!!! The meat selections were good. We had the kalbi, pork belly, brisket and some sides. The Jap chae unfortunately lacked flavor. I added a lot of sesame oil. The house sauce was also delicious!!! I had to order extra. It went well with the meat. I didn't see if they had this but just cheese instead of corn cheese would have also been good with the meat. Overall, not a spot I'd return to. There are far more better AYCE KBBQ that I've had in AZ. read more

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It's a little bit disappointed I been craving for Korean BBQ and do research for the places to go and we picked this place and i there for dinner and add more +20 each person but what we like to eat is just ran out Like beef belly or any of belly are out! No fair at all and we still get charged for full price!!! Not worth to go back read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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I used to come here a lot, and this place went down in quality. My scissors were dull, they don't provided sauces anymore, it's sesame seed oil and something else, and my burner could not get hot enough to where the food took forever to cook. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There was a bug that ran across the table.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]... and I wasn't a huge fan of my server, he seemed really argumentative when these concerns were brought up. No refills either. Won't be returning. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great place to eat with friends.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Endless food for a fair price. We go here regularly.

I already completed a review I thought. Best quality and always take home despite a set menu. It's not all you can eat but I would guarantee if you have standard order for two let's say, you will have leftovers. The side dishes, soup, boiled egg, standard kimchee and bbq kimchee, so cool. All the waiters are so cool, they don't just work on their areas they will all help for anything. Going back soon! read more

Me and my friends went here previously and everything that could go wrong went wrong ! We come here often and these are things that seems to never get fixed unfortunately. The burners are constantly none working so as we get our meat it takes 1-2 to even get the burner to work super inconvenient, my table had no water refill for the first hour and half we had to ask constantly to get our grill changed cause they weren't coming and around and doing it and it took genuinely 1-2 to even get our checks and pay and when we went to pay they still did the checks wrong ! The atmosphere is HOT and humid expected clearly but this is genuinely overly hot... I don't believe me and my friends with ever come back to this location because the unprofessional and just consistent of bad service that happened that night the where follows by other night that we're the same when it came to the grill and being refilled and helped read more

Usually, when I go to gen, it's for a special occasion. I usually get the premium because why not experience all of what they have to offer. I am taking this opportunity to be very clear about the experience. For me, there's three parts of the experience, the people, the food, and the environment, On this particular night, our server was busy as they should be, but very communicative though. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was the end of the night, so the music wasn't going, & the vibe was pretty low-key everybody trying to get out of here you know "I gotta go home cause we close in like 10 minutes", type stuff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] All things I get, but but what killed me was the food, We ordered the chicken and specialty fries that you see above twice. The picture that you see is how it came out the first time I should've took it after picture because it wasn't much better, but it was just as cold and this time the cheese was melted. It was lukewarm and cold at the same time. The awkwardness of having the waitress take it back twice and no one doing quality checks is crazy work. We end up just putting the fried chicken on the grill. in between that, we end up ordering more stuff just because we're waiting for the correction and even the second time it was a full miss. The things that were not supposed to be on the grill and already made were the coldest items, So cold like freezer cold Long story long I paid more than I wanted to and the service was all spotty so the experience was shot. This kind of feels like a championship team that is made to make it with all the superstars, but they don't win any championships. Head scratching, boots lifting in one step out the door. I think gen has lost its sizzle. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Out of the fridge, Korean fried chicken and specialty fries - Korean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

I was really disappointed by this restaurant. I came here for my boyfriend's birthday dinner after seeing ads online. As soon as we got there it took a while for the server to come over. We order waters, alcoholic drinks, all the meats, and appetizers. We first tried to order hot sake but the server said they were out of every kind of sake. When our server left she forgot to start the grill. The first thing to come out was our raw meat (grill still not turned on), then the alcoholic drinks, then our server came back with the waters and finally turned the grill on. Even though the meat came out first we had to wait a while for the grill to heat up before we could cook it. Every single one of the meats were fatty and had a strange texture. I would NOT recommend the bulgogi - though usually this is my favorite style of meat at kbbq. It reminded of ground beef? Instead of thinly sliced beef. The pork belly was super thick cut and very fatty. The chadol was thin cut but super fatty and mushy as well. For the appetizers, the dumplings and popcorn chicken were decent but they seemed like the kind you get at the store in the frozen section, just deep fried and served like that. Not to mention the rice was super mushy and overcooked. The best thing we had was the pineapple coconut margarita (which was $18), the short ribs, and the japchae. I just feel like for the price of this (overall our dinner was about $120) the quality should be much better! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The decor is nice and very modern, but they should invest more time and money into the service and food quality.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I would not return ): read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Grill not on. Pineapple coconut margarita. Chadol, Garlic Samgyubsal 1lb Beef Bulgogi 1lb - Korean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

This was our first time to Gen Korean BBQ. It is conveniently located in Tempe Marketplace. The restaurant offers plenty of seating but it filled up quick. There are plenty of options on the "regular" menu but the add ons can get expensive if you don't keep track. The "premium" menu offers additional meat options with different marinades. We chose the regular menu. We were able to choose four meat options at a time, and were allowed to order additional meats as we finished the previous order. Our party of 6 was able to get filled til our hearts content in about an hour and forty minutes. The service was quick and attentive. Drink glasses were filled before asking and used plates were cleared from the table regularly. I consider this a spot for special occasions and not a daily lunch or dinner option. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Meat is brought to the table raw and guest cook it on their own grill. - Korean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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One of the best korean bbq places in Phoenix. All you can eat for 1hr 30 mins. They have a wide selection of food, even seafood options which is nice. The atmosphere is beautiful though it can be a little loud. I love going here. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Outside area - Korean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Walked in a little after 12p and was seated right away. However, the server took about 20+ mins to even take our first order. The host had to come ask if our server had taken our order and we let her know that she hadn't. So she came over with waters until she had made her way to our table and let us know that she should be here shortly. That took another 10 mins. We finally placed our first order and Items that we did order were never brought out. The server then came around to place our second order which was probably not even placed because she came back a third time to see if we wanted to place anything else. Overall this visit was not great and I probably will not be returning anytime soon read more

This GEN is my go-to spot for K BBQ in the Phoenix metro area. The staff is always friendly and helpful, they never ignore you, get your orders out quickly, and keep the drinks topped off. Huge selection, great prices, what more could you ask for?! read more

Food was great. Loved the all you can eat aspects and the drinks were awesome. The service was a little slow but it just felt like it's because they were busy so nothing too long. It helps to be able to join the waitlist early. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Light above our table was not working and the fixture was sitting next to me as I ate.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We had to use our phone flashlight to see our cooking[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], and our server could not remember everything we ordered so we kept having to ask. This place has gone downhill since it started which is disappointing to see. read more

Service has gotten nothing but worse, I was there for over an hour without any service. Genuinely your team is awful.

Came to try this new location since we lived in Phoenix and would visit the Tempe location all the time! Was pleasantly surprised with their menu and the quality food. Super delicious read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

SAVE YOUR MONEY, TIME, and go elsewhere. I DO NOT RECOMMEND, WILL NOT BE RETURNING. We waited 20mins for a table when there were plenty of big tables available. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were sat down in a small booth where 8 people had to squeeze in.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The server mentioned to us that the food portion was "shareable" when we asked how much was served at a time, portion size WAS NOT shareable.. VERY SMALL PORTIONS. Our burner did not work, even after being adjusted multiple times. We left the same way we came in, hungry. Took 2hrs to cook 5 meat options. Manager was only able to take off the prices for 2 children when they're already half priced. Ridiculous!! read more

We had some family here internationally and last minute in the evening about 1.5 hours before all the kbq close in the area they decided that they really wanted to have kbq. We initially tried a place closer to us, but they stopped seating at 9 so we weren't able to be seated in time. I reached out to gen and they were very nice and said they could accommodate our large party if we got there asap. So about 10 min later we arrived and were seated. They let us know that as long as we were here they would stay open so we wouldn't feel too rushed. The staff were very nice and prompt with service. We had a huge party but they got all the orders right despite the chaos and overall we had a wonderful experience. We ended up finishing right on time because they had such prompt service! So overall great staff and great service with delicious food. They had a very diverse menu including appetizers sides etc so it can accommodate a lot of different preferences. One thing they can improve on is maybe the sauces? They were a little watered down but otherwise everything was great! read more

Voted the worst Gen BBQ in the nation! But seriously, this was probably the most horrible experience I've ever had in any type of restaurant. First off, they gave only 3 water cups for a table of 4 people. I had to ask multiple staff members for the 4th one. They forgot to give us the sauce trays and said they were all out so I would have to wait. I asked for a spoon and fork for my kids to eat and they said all were in use...seriously??? lol Furthermore, I had to ask for scissors since non were provided. Now let's get to the food - low quality, dry as hell, flavorless and so on. I have nothing really good to say about the food and service. At the end of it, they tried to charge an additional Adult price for a 4 year old. SMH. I thought I was being pranked on how horrible this place is run. Don't waste your time here. read more

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Nasty food, worse service. The manager is decent, but that's the only saving grace here. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It is dirty as well.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Sad because there was a lot of us and we had family from out of town.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] By the looks of the reviews, everyone there is a negative review there miraculously appears a great one . Go figure read more

We had a fantastic time at GEN Korean BBQ, and a big part of that was David! From the moment we sat down, he was welcoming, patient, and on top of everything. Refills were quick, questions were answered, and the overall service was excellent. You can tell he really cares about giving great service. Highly recommend asking for Jacob or Hannah. --5 stars all around! read more

Gen Korean was a fun time and tasty food. The bulgogi, short ribs and chicken were the best. Brisket and belly not as much flavor, but don't need those when the others are very deliscious. Jarrett, our server, was awesome. Made our experience!!!! read more

The best Gen I have been to so far!!! We have been to Gen in Houston (both Houston locations) and North of Austin! The service is amazing and the staff that check you in is friendly. The cuts of meat are great quality and arrived timely. Some cuts did take longer but they explained they had new staff cutting in the back. Will definitely come back again whenever I am in the area. The ambiance is very hip and new. The outside exterior of the restaurant is the nicest Gen I have seen so far. Great value when you get the regular dinner menu. As a note the GPS will take you to the back of the restaurant parking lot. Just park there and walk towards the entrance area as it's like a plaza style. It's right across from Barnes and Noble. read more

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Great food nice staff great meat for dinner. KFC is amazing. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very modern ambiance will blue legs.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Would eat here again. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Chicken and bacon - Korean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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GEN was good just seams like it went down hill a little . If I wanted tacos I would go to a Mexican place . Stick to the Koren BBQ . Salad good , all the meats good and the tofo soup was not good . Service was a little slow on drinks and forget full on orders Ambiance is probably the best because there's so much going on and gives you a good out look read more

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Great service, major shoutout to Shirley and Anthony for making my first time great! Really didn't know what to expect, but I will be back again and again and again! read more

Wish I knew they got a B on their last health inspection. My fault for trying to see if my experience would ever improve at a Gen KBBQ. Go to Manna instead. Service was bad. I mean two corn cheese didn't show up, asked for an extra tongs, it hasnt come. Limit 4 meat orders for a party of 6. Interesting. No grill change. No refill on drinks. Salad didn't come out either. Place wasnt even busy. Japchae was bland. Ambiance? How about dirty women's bathroom according to my mother in law? Is that a good ambiance? Clean your bathrooms. This place feels like a restaurant where people don't want to show pride in their establishment read more

One of the worst dining experiences I've had. I've been to many GEN Korean BBQ House locations, and this one is by far the worst. First visit: we came as a group of seven, and our food came out slower than tables that arrived after us. Second visit: we ordered beef tongue early, but it never came. We waited over 30 minutes, asked multiple times, and only at the very last round of ordering were we told it was "sold out." No one informed us earlier while we were just sitting there waiting. Third visit (and definitely the last): before being seated, I specifically asked the front desk if beef tongue was available. I was clearly told yes. After sitting down, I ordered beef tongue first. When the food arrived, three other meats came out -- no beef tongue. After finishing those, I asked again and was told it was no longer available because the kitchen had "changed the menu." Then why was I told it was available at the front desk? And why is it still listed on the menu with no notice at all? This feels like misleading customers. To make things worse, I switched to wagyu. The plates were unacceptable: the meat was frozen solid and stuck to the plate, and the portion sizes between the two plates were completely inconsistent. GEN charges an extra $20 for the Premium option, but you don't even get what you're paying for. Poor food quality, terrible communication between staff, and very weak management overall. I will not be coming back to this location again. read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Korean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Service was terrible! Banchan arrived after the meat was first served. They was no dipping sauce given, everything that should have been included to start wasn't there and had to ask for it - asked for ssamjang, took too long had to ask twice and they gave it when we are done. The grill pan was all black and told them we had to change, kept telling us just a minute, but took them 12 mins to change. I also had to ask for a spoon and was only given after right after the meal was done. Portions of meat were low quality for its price. Staff were everywhere but they are not attentive to customers. Will never go back. read more

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There aren't that many KBBQ spots in Arizona so I would drive an hour to this spot the most while living in AZ. It is located inside Tempe Marketplace but parking never really is an issue since it has plenty of parking! Price is reasonable - $21.99/person for lunch and $29.99/person for dinner. Service is decent and isn't very attentive. It takes awhile to get the staff's attention to order meat and request for a grill change. There is around 15 meat selections to choose and my favorites were brisket and bulgogi. They also have a premium menu during dinner time for extra $20! The marinated meats were mediocre and not really that delicious. It's somewhat loud inside so it can be hard to communicate with each other. I would recommend this spot to first timers! read more

Gen Korean BBQ House - Kbbq - Korean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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We came here for dinner around 4 pm and first, we asked for table but the host didn't list us, we were told to wait for 10 minutes and we waited more than that. A lot of empty tables but still got told to wait for 10 minutes. We finally got a table after I walked up again to ask for a table. Out of all the foods that we ordered, my friend and I both agreed that the dumplings, fried chicken, beef bulgogi were good, the rest was horrible. We ordered their appetizers like their fish and shrimp dragon and both were burnt. I think old oil was used to fry them. Grill was never replaced, all the tables were being asked how's everything except us. My soda was never refilled and all the appetizers and sides were not served completely. We ordered their pancake type dessert and it was raw and doughy. I suggested to my friend to come here and we were both disappointed with the food and service. Extremely horrible experience. read more

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